Hong Kong: HK turns on smart lights The first 50 smart lampposts under a government pilot scheme are being installed in selected road sections in Kwun Tong and the Kai Tak Development Area, and are expected to come into operation at the end of June. Equipped with sensors, data networks and related digital facilities, the smart lampposts can enhance city management through collection of real-time data like weather, environment and traffic. Multiple benefits Office of the Government Chief Information Officer Senior Systems Manager Dantes Tang noted the lampposts are suitable for installing microcell stations of fifth generation (5G) mobile communications services and providing Wi-Fi and future 5G services to the public and tourists. To complement the development of 5G in Hong Kong, we have reserved spaces for the mobile network operators to install their microcell base stations into the smart lampposts. Most of the smart devices are housed within the lampposts protective donut casing. The technology was developed locally by the Logistics & Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre, universities, startups, and small and medium enterprises. It also incorporates energy saving features including light-emitting diode or LED lighting with a Smart Lighting Management System. Highways Department Senior Engineer Cheng Chung-shan explained that LEDs use less energy and therefore emit less carbon dioxide. (Compared with) the road light, it is about a 30% reduction in energy. Matched with our smart control system, the energy saving can be further enhanced. Because perhaps after midnight the illumination is not required to be so bright, we can dim it to a certain degree to save more energy. Under the Multi-functional Smart Lampposts pilot scheme, the Government will progressively install about 400 smart lampposts in the next three years in four urban locations: Central and Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Kwun Tong and the Kai Tak Development Area. The schemes performance will be evaluated next year. This story has been published on: 2019-05-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. NASA funds aviation research on a new fuel concept Researchers at the University of Illinois are leading a newly funded project from NASA to develop a novel approach for all-electric aircraft. Although improvements in vehicle configurations and engine systems have increased flight efficiency over the past few decades, the continued dependency on hydrocarbon fuels makes aircraft operation costs volatile. It also means that commercial aviation will continue to contribute a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions across the national and international transportation industry. And the forecast for air travel in the United States is expected to increase 90 percent within the next 20 years, leading to even greater emissions. In an effort to address these issues, this research proposes a fundamental shift away from jet fuel towards more sustainable energy sources for aviation, and the introduction of new electrically-driven propulsion systems for commercial aircraft systems. It's called CHEETA--the Center for Cryogenic High-Efficiency Electrical Technologies for Aircraft. NASA will provide $6 million over the course of three years. "Essentially, the program focuses on the development of a fully electric aircraft platform that uses cryogenic liquid hydrogen as an energy storage method," said Phillip Ansell, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Urbana-Champaign and principal investigator for the project. "The hydrogen chemical energy is converted to electrical energy through a series of fuel cells, which drive the ultra-efficient electric propulsion system. The low temperature requirements of the hydrogen system also provide opportunities to use superconducting, or lossless, energy transmission and high-power motor systems. "It's similar to how MRIs work, magnetic resonance imaging," Ansell added. "However, these necessary electrical drivetrain systems do not yet exist, and the methods for integrating electrically driven propulsion technologies into an aircraft platform have not yet been effectively established. This program seeks to address this gap and make foundational contributions in technologies that will enable fully electric aircraft of the future." The co-principal investigator on the project is Associate Professor Kiruba Haran in U of I's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "Advances in recent years on non-cryogenic machines and drives have brought electric propulsion of commercial regional jets closer to reality, but practical cryogenic systems remain the 'holy grail' for large aircraft because of their unmatched power density and efficiency," Haran said. "The partnerships that have been established for this project position us well to address the significant technical hurdles that exist along this path." ### The project includes participation from eight additional institutions: the Air Force Research Laboratory, Boeing Research and Technology, General Electric Global Research, The Ohio State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Arkansas, the University of Dayton Research Institute, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The other co-investigators on the team are: Assistant Professor Kai James and Associate Professor Jason Merret, both from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at U of I; Arijit Banerjee, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Illinois; Timothy Haugan from the Air Force Research Lab; Tina Stoia and Edward Mugica from Boeing Research and Technology; Edward Greitzer and David Hall from Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Fang Luo and Alan Mantooth from the University of Arkansas; Michael Sumption from The Ohio State University; Ernst W. Stautner from General Electric Global Research; Bang-Hung Tsao from the University of Dayton Research Institute; and Luigi Vanfretti from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. This story has been published on: 2019-05-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. On May 12, the Shenzhen Education Bureau issued results from an investigation into "gaokao immigrants" at Shenzhen Fuyuan School. The announcement stated that 32 students who had enrolled in the 2019 gaokao were confirmed as "gaokao immigrants", meaning they should have enrolled in other provinces or schools where their hukou or student status had been registered. The students involved have since been disqualified from sitting the gaokao, the national college entrance examination. Examinees review before the exam at the Beijing No. 4 Middle School in Beijing, June 7, 2018. (Photo/Xinhua) Furthermore, the Shenzhen Fuyuan School enrollment plan is to be halved this year, as punishment for its violation. The school is also required to deal with those responsible for the issue and rectify any existing problems. The incident was exposed on April 28 when parents found out that six out of the top 10 students in a mock gaokao exam came from Shenzhen Fuyuan School, which is known for its mediocre gaokao results. On May 8, Jing Lihu, director of the Guangdong Provincial Education Department, responded that all students from outside Guangdong should return to their areas of residence, where their hukou or student status is registered, to sit the exam. If they do not comply, their gaokao scores will be canceled. In an interview with China Daily, one parent from Shenzhen said: "It is unfair for local students if students from outside Guangdong participate in our Gaokao examinations." "The students who achieve high scores in the gaokao and are enrolled at prestigious universities will occupy places at Chinese universities and colleges which are meant for local students," the parent added. Timeline of the gaokao immigrants incident April 28: Parents raise concerns about "gaokao immigrants" at Shenzhen Fuyuan School, questioning its gaokao violation. April 29: After extensive discussion and rising concerns regarding the issue, the Shenzhen Education Bureau established an investigation team to look into gaokao immigrants in Fuyuan School. May 5: Guangdong Department of Education established a special task force to launch a full investigation in Guangdong and expected to complete the investigation before May 10. May 7: Jing said that all students from outside Guangdong should return to their areas of residence to sit the exam. Their Gaokao scores will be canceled if they fail to do so. May 8: Further announcements are released by the Guangdong government to confirm the righteousness of the exam enrollment for students sitting the Gaokao in June. 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. Nyorophu Island in Lugu Lake where Austrian American botanist Jospeh Rock used to stay on his way to Muli. [PHOTO BY JACK YAO/FOR CHINA DAILY] Shangri-La, something people know but can't define. Is it an earthly paradise? A hotel chain? A Chinese city or town? A Tibetan Utopia? The word first appears in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon, written by English author James Hilton. It is described as some hidden valley with a lamasery overlooking it and a perfect snow-coned peak rising above, whose inhabitants have learned the secret of inner peace and extraordinary long life. In the book, star English diplomat Hugh Conway and three others are kidnapped in a stolen airliner that takes them from Kabul to a crash landing in the Kunlun Mountains in Xinjiang of western China. Conway and his companions are rescued and taken to Shangri-La where each finds contentment though they are not free to leave. Lost Horizon was a best-seller. It became the first book to be mass produced in paperback. The story was soon made into an Oscar winning Hollywood movie with Frank Capra directing and Hollywood's most bankable actor, Ronald Colman, in the lead role. People were convinced that James Hilton had based Shangri-La on a real place and expeditions (including one in 1938, sent by the Nazi regime in Germany) have gone to look for it. If you ask Chinese people, "Where is Shangri-La?" they won't point to Xinjiang but more likely to northern Yunnan, 2,000 kilometers away and that's because of Joseph Rock, an Austrian-American botanist who explored the area in the 1920s and 1930s. From his base in Lijiang he ventured out on plant-hunting expeditions in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, publishing the stories of his travels in National Geographic magazine. It is these articles that many now believe James Hilton may have borrowed from to describe Shangri-La. Calvin Klein has given us the gift of shirtless Shawn Mendes and Noah Centineo pics. Now, with their latest ad campaign, they're giving us a fashion revelation from Billie Eilish. The I Speak #MyTruth ad campaign features the 17-year-old music superstar, and she tells us the truth about why she loves wearing baggy clothes. Yes, baggy clothes are comfy. And, yes, track suits are definitely trending now. But Eilish's reasons for her fashion choices go much deeper. In the video clip of the #MyTruth #MyCalvins ad she posted to Instagram, she explains, "I never want the world to know everything about me. I mean that's why I wear big baggy clothes: nobody can have an opinion because they haven't seen what's underneath, you know?" She continued, "Nobody can be like, she's slim-thick, she's not slim-thick, she's got a flat ass, she got a fat ass. Nobody can say any of that because they don't know." People are loving the ad, and it has started a conversation online about the kind of scrutiny women's bodies are subjected to. The ad began a discussion about how terrible both body shaming, and the sexualization of the female body are, and how this affects girls as young, or even younger, than Eilish. As Twitter user @aliceharan puts it, "This feels really empowering & incredibly sad all at once..." This feels really empowering & incredibly sad all at once... https://t.co/0OMHNaOqEe Alice Catherine (@aliceharan) May 10, 2019 she shouldnt have to protect herself from other people, but she does. how could you hate someone who wants the best for themselves? just because she doesnt do what you want her to? to be normal? just let her be https://t.co/5Oi4V4q686 selena (@selenacasanova) May 11, 2019 And while Eilish has been applauded for this, some tweeters are also reminding people that her line of thinking is similar as to why Muslim women dress the way they do. But instead of being applauded, Muslim women are accused of succumbing to oppression, or even worse called terrorists. This is the exact belief behind Hijab in Islam but some of yall call it oppressive no? https://t.co/QvVkedt72g latfa (@latifuhh) May 10, 2019 At the end of the day, what's really important is that people should just be able to dress how they want to dress. It's really nobody else's business. Watch Billie's full Calvin Klein ad, below. Image via Getty Three Pakistani security guards reportedly died in an attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar, Pakistan's southwest Balochistan Province on Saturday but as of press time no Chinese were injured in the alleged Balochistan Liberation Army atrocity. Chinese commentators praised the Pakistan government and military authorities for their timely response and for protecting the safety of Chinese port in the vicinity to the greatest extent. The incident would not shake confidence in China-Pakistan cooperation as Pakistan has improved its security situation in the past two years, Chinese experts said. Pakistani media outlet Dawn quoted a Pakistan official on Sunday saying three hotel security guards were shot dead resisting attackers with modern weapons wearing security forces' uniforms who barged into the hotel Saturday and opened fire after taking staff hostage. Fifty-three Chinese port staff were transferred to a rescue room under the protection of the Pakistani military and all are safe, according to the People's Daily. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday described the attack as a bid to "sabotage prosperity" in the area. "Pakistan attaches great importance to the security of Chinese people," Qian Feng, a senior research fellow on South Asia, told the Global Times. Pakistan's timely response to emergencies protected the safety of Chinese people to the greatest extent, Qian noted. Pakistan security has improved remarkably in the last two years, Qian believed" "Little tricks by the terrorists do not shake the relationship of our two countries," he said. The hotel under the Saturday attack is located some one kilometer to the west of the Gwadar port area, according to the People's Daily. China is working with the Gwadar government to develop the port as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Chinese Embassy in Pakistan issued a statement on Twitter, strongly condemning the terrorist attack and hailed "the heroic action of Pakistani Army & law enforcement agencies." There are BTS fans, and there are BTS stans. Members of the latter category can currently be found desperately conserving phone battery on the outskirts of Manhattan's Central Park, where they're camping out in hope of getting a good spot for the K-pop group's Good Morning America concert on May 15. It's currently cold and rainy in New York! Somebody please check up on these crazy kids. According to local news service Pix11, many fans have been waiting in the park since last Wednesday, pitching tents for shelter or creating makeshift structures using tarps. The upcoming free show, the first of Good Morning America's Summer Series, was announced on May 3. Tickets disappeared instantly. Related | The BTS Army Defended Suga From Racist Trolls Page Six reports that BTS-loving friends have been camping out in shifts in and around Central Park, but conditions are nonetheless getting a bit unpleasant. "We had our tents set up last night, and we put our shoes beneath the tent because we thought they were going to stay dry. That turned out not to be the case," one 18-year-old fan told the outlet. "If you really want something, nothing gets in the way of you having it," added another. An inspiring attitude I might call in sick tomorrow and haul an inflatable mattress uptown. A word of warning, though, for anyone thinking about joining the BTS Army: camping isn't technically permitted in Central Park, and the NYPD has expressed as much. Photo via Getty Seven Baha'i Faith Members Sentenced to Three Years Imprisonment in Bushehr, Iran 05/13/19 Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran A revolutionary court in the city of Bushehr in southern Iran sentenced seven members of the Baha'i faith to three years in prison each for allegedly answering questions about their religious beliefs to Muslim guests in their homes. On May 6, 2019, they were convicted of "membership in an organization against national security," a reference to the persecuted faith, a source with detailed knowledge of the cases told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) on May 9. From left to right: Minoo Riyazati, Emad Jaberi, Farideh Jaberi, Asadollah Jaberi, Ehteram Sheikhi. The source identified the Baha'i faith members as Asadollah Jaberi, his wife Ehteram Sheikhi, their son Emad Jaberi, Jaberi's sister Farideh Jaberi, as well as Minoo Riyazati, Farrokh Faramarzi, and Pooneh Nasheri. Their trial was held in two sessions in February 2019. "We hope they will all be acquitted by the Appeals Court," said the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their security. "They were all arrested by Intelligence Ministry agents on February 13, 2018," added the source. "The agents came inside their homes with search and arrest warrants and confiscated several personal belongings." Iran's Constitution does not recognize the Baha'i faith as an official religion (such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism). Although Article 23 states that "no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief," followers of the faith are denied many basic rights as one of the most severely persecuted religious minorities in the country. The seven, who were subjected to verbal abuse by their interrogators, were released on bail a month later, the source added. "Some of these Baha'is were arrested on a previous occasion 10 years ago and at the time, they were treated with respect," said the source. "But this time it was very different, they said ... the interrogators were very rude and used vulgar words against the men and the women, hurling curses never heard before." The source continued: "They were asked why they had invited Muslims into their homes and held meetings and preached their religion to them. They said, 'They were our friends, regardless of religious beliefs, and if they had any questions about our religion, we answered them.'" The source also told CHRI that some of the seven own their own businesses and are active members of the community. "Bushehr is a small city. Everyone knows these Baha'is and speak well of them," said the source. "They have done a lot of good things for the city, despite all the discrimination. We hope the Appeals Court will be fair. There's no evidence they acted against the state or national security." "They were just living their lives as citizens of this country," added the source. "The only difference was their beliefs." Iranian-American organizations campaign against U.S. war with Iran 05/13/19 Iranian-American organizations are actively campaigning against a U.S. war with Iran encouraging members of community to write to their members of Congress urging them to support the Prevention of Unconstitutional War with Iran Act. National Iranian American Council (NIAC): Stop John Bolton from Starting a War! Time is running out. Iraq-war architect John Bolton and his cabal of hawks are doing everything in their power to stoke a war with Iran. Our community must act now to prevent history from repeating itself. Fill out the form here to tell Congress to block Bolton's war path! Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA): Prevent Unconstitutional War With Iran As tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate, it is imperative that we support the Prevention of Unconstitutional War with Iran Act. While the U.S. should always defend its national interests, only Congress has the constitutional authority to declare war on Iran. Tell your members of Congress to cosponsor this legislation that would prohibit an unprovoked attack on Iran. TELL MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO COSPONSOR THE BILL 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. Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has stated that a whopping GH1.7 billion was committed to the free Senior High School (SHS) programme initiated by President Akufo-Addo in 2017. The minister took a swipe at critics of the free SHS programme, particularly the National Democratic Congress (NDC), saying the introduction of free SHS was not built on some pompous political agenda to grab social democratic narratives from those who surprisingly have shunned their ideology for quick wins. For 2019 alone, a total amount of GH1.7 billion has been dedicated to free SHS, he said, insisting that President Nana Addo Akufo-Addos deliberate decision to provide free Senior High School education to the Ghanaian youth was made with the knowledge of the costs involved. Mr. Ofori-Atta disclosed this at an Economic Forum organized by the Danquah Institute (DI) in Accra on Friday under the theme: Bridging the gap between the formal and informal economy: The role of domestic revenue mobilization in an era of Ghana Beyond Aid. He stressed that this again underlines our belief that the development of the Ghanaian individual is the most important priority of government. Speaking at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in the Central Region on Thursday, April 11, 2019, former President John Mahama, complained bitterly about the increased enrollment under the free SHS programme and governments decision to invest GH2 billion into the initiative this year. What we are doing with this huge influx into the secondary school system [due to the free SHS programme]is going to affect the quality of the public schools, he said. He went on to predict doom for the pro-poor programme, saying and soon we are going to find a system where people lose faith in public schools and everybody will pay to take their wards to private secondary schools. That is the danger we are talking about. However, the Finance Minister said that across Africa, people below 24 currently make up 60 per cent of the continents population, adding that is about 1.25 billion young people. This number is expected to escalate by over 50 per cent in the next 30 years by which time the job space would have changed beyond what we know now. He said it makes both economic and social sense to zoom in on education to safeguard the future of jobs rather than sitting back, clocking short term wins that make for beautiful headlines, and leaving our young ones to brace themselves for an uncertain and confused future. The minister further said with the changing employment space, developing our human capital through quality higher education provides the necessary building blocks to our future economic survival. 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 A DEPUTY Minister for Education in charge of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Gifty Twum-Ampofo, has declared that government will not relent on its efforts to provide free skill, technical and vocational training to its teeming youth, as this is the surest way of guaranteeing jobs for them. She noted that the Council for Technical Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) through Ghana TVET Voucher Project is providing the avenue for artisans, master craftsmen, those within the informal sector, school leavers including school dropouts, to take advantage of this opportunity and prepare themselves for the world of work. According to her, trends in the global labour market indicate that personnel with skills or vocation are on high demand. Therefore, it was important for the citizenry to position themselves properly and make good use of the Ghana TVET Voucher Project by learning and upgrading their skills to international standards to enable them have their share of the global labour market. Let us strive to build ourselves and add value to our skills using the Ghana TVET Voucher Project as the springboard, she noted. Ms. Twum-Ampofo, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North, made these observations when addressing to a team of master craftsmen, apprentices, workers and skilled experts in academia prior to the launch of the Ghana TVET Voucher Project in Koforidua in the Eastern Region. Background The Ghana TVET Project is under the Ghanaian-German Financial Development Cooperation and co-financed by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMW) through KfW Development Bank and the Government of Ghana. The five-year development project is part of TVET reforms to train about 16,000 master craftsmen, apprentices and their workers in several artisanal trade. The project with an estimated value of 22m has, since its inception in September 2017, trained over 5,000 people in eligible trade areas such as beauty and cosmetic (cosmetology), consumer electronics, automotive repair, building construction (welding) and garment/tailoring/dressmaking. It has also added plumbing, furniture making, electric installation, block laying and tiling and catering and hospitality to the project. 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 United Nations has expressed concern about the deepening inequality gap in the world. Madam Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, President of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly said despite prolonged periods of growth, wealth had not trickled down, declaring that inequality is deepening. She said it was sobering to think, for example, that just 26 people own as much as the 3.8 billion who make up the poorer half of humanity- only 26 people. Governments are less able to provide a credible guarantee to their citizens. Today, issues that were traditionally domestic job creation, for instance increasingly have a global dimension. To adapt the saying: global challenges are like a baobab tree. No one government can embrace them alone, she said. Madam Espinosa said this in her presentation at the Council on Foreign Relations, Ghana, public lecture series in Accra. Madam Espinosa, who is on a four-day visit to Ghana, spoke on the theme Responding to global challenges in a fast-changing world: the case for strengthening multilateralism. With regards to the health of our multilateral system, Madam Espinosa said these trends and challenges had produced a crisis of confidence in governments and institutions. She said justified concerns about unchecked globalisations had mutated into a backlash against the very principles that give power to the people, such as human rights, gender equality and social justice. We are seeing a rise of nationalist sentiment, in extremism, in unilateral approaches, in attacks of international laws and norms, she said. She said this was creating a difficult environment for the decisions they need to take in the coming months and years. Just when we need multilateralism more than ever, global cooperation is being questioned and, even undermined in some quarters. We know from past, painful experience that erosion of the social contract, and erosion of international cooperation, leads to war. And we know that this time, war could wipe us out through nuclear weapons, but also by wasting time that should have been spent on climate change for example. She said global growth was slowing, markets were volatile and in many countries, deficits remain too high to stabilize. She pointed out that the remedial action taken during the last financial crises had not been enough; stating that the International Monetary Fund had warned that storm clouds are gathering again. She said there was lingering public resentment: that the banks were saved at the expense of the average worker. She said the wholesale transformation they need in economic policy and governance was challenging to pursue politically, at least for now; however, in the meantime, they must do more to promote evidence-based action, rather than policies driven by ideology. On climate change, Madam Espinosa said We know we face a hard deadline on carbon emissions and we know, in broad terms, what we need to do we have the science, we have the knowledge, we have the technology, we know what to do. But there are many pathways to zero carbon we are unlikely to have definitive answers on which to prioritize in the required time-frame. She said their best bet, therefore, was to focus on the most transformative, scale-able steps they could take immediately to tip the scale. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The gruesome murder of Bettie Jenifer, wife of famous Ghanaian actor, Chris Attoh, last Friday has sent shivers down the spine of many Ghanaian residents in Maryland, USA. The sad incident has also attracted mixed reactions about what might have motivated the murder. While some suspect it could have been a contract killing, others allege the killing could be punishment for Attoh himself over unvoiced infractions. When Graphic Online visited the scene of the murder 36 hours after the incident, the police had removed their cordon off the crime scene. However, a couple of police patrol vehicles were parked at different spots close to the crime scene. There was no one available immediately to comment. Meanwhile, the building in which she worked also houses a school where some Ghanaians are undertaking courses in data management. Although they refused to comment, they could be heard discussing what they thought actually happened. According to one, she heard the shots and rushed out but all she saw was a car driving away from the scene of the murder. She could not describe the make of the car because it was slightly dark at the time of the incident. One student who parked close to the scene had to be escorted to her vehicle before she moved for fear of an attack from the unknown assassin. Ghana Embassy No comment When contacted, the Ghana Embassy in Washington declined comment on the matter. At this point, the Embassy is not going to make any comment on the matter, an official told Graphic Online in a Whatsapp chat. Murder report Jenifer, an American, was gunned down in the parking lot of Capital Office Park, 6301-6421 Ivy Lane, Maryland. The area shares a compound with Crowne Plaza Hotel and other offices. The area is well landscaped with many trees which makes it possible for anybody to commit crime a escape. Bettie was reported to have left the office and was walking to her car when a man armed with a handgun approached her. When she tried to run away, the man followed her and fired at her multiple times, with at least one shot hitting her. The gunman then made his escape in a getaway vehicle. The Maryland Police have declared the killer wanted. Giving details about the physical appearance of the killer, the police described him as "a black male with a thick build and black hair, wearing a dark shirt and pants. The relationship Chris Attoh and Bettie Jenifer were married at a private event at North Kaneshie, Accra, Ghana in October 2018. This was 10 months after ending his marriage to DamiloIa Adegbite, a Nigerian actor with whom he has a son. Last week, Chris Attoh sparked speculation on social media that all was not well with his second marriage after he deleted all of Betties pictures from his social media pages. It was alleged that they had broken up but neither of the two publicly confirmed or denied the story of a separation. Chris is believed to be in America but was it not clear whether the police had picked him for questioning. Graphic Online is monitoring the development keenly and will update readers. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has made a passionate appeal to farmers to desist from smuggling subsidized farming inputs, especially fertilizers, to neighbouring countries. There have concerns about the spate of smuggling of the inputs to mostly Burkina Faso and Cote dIvoire for sale at cheaper prices at the expense of the Ghanaian taxpayer. President Akufo-Addo made the disclosure last Friday when members of the Cocoa, Coffee and Shea Farmers Association (COCOSHE) called on him at the Jubilee House. The President made reference to a story in one of the local newspapers which said that as much as 50,000 bags of fertilizers had been smuggled out of the country. I want to make an appeal to you; we take your taxpayers money to subsidize fertilizer and inputs, he said, adding its not correct that a few people for their selfish interest will then take this, which is being subsidized by the hardworking sweat of Ghanaian farmers to go and smuggle it to Burkina Faso and smuggle it to Cote dIvoire; it is not right! The President said we are hurting ourselves; the fertilizer subsidy is not coming from Akufo-Addos personal pocket. I dont have that kind of money; its not coming from my pocket! Rather, its coming from the coffers of the stateand then a few people, a few criminal elements because they want to make money, would then smuggle this across the borders, he added. Public Vigilance So I want you to work with me and my government to stamp out the smuggling of fertilizer in our country, the President told the farmers. He used the opportunity to thank Ghanaian farmers for their support in the fight against illegal mining, also known as galamsey. The President said doing the right thing to protect the environment, particularly water bodies, would not cost him the next election, adding I have a responsibility to Ghanaians today and tomorrow to make sure that galamsey is defeated; people are polluting out water bodies, people are devastating our landscape, if we allow them continue, 10 years from now we will wake up and we will not have a country anymore, we cant afford to let that to happen. He said the joint military-police operation against the menace dubbed: Operation Vanguard would continue despite the fact that some people are not comfortable with the exercise. Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has hinted that a state institution called the Tree Crop Development Authority, whose focus would be on shea, coffee, rubber, mango and coconut, would be established to provide strong institutional support for farmers in the industry. Spokesman for the group, Alhaji Imoro Issifu Alhassan, also raised concerns about the price of cocoa and requested lamps and mosquito nets to aid their work. The President tasked Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, to ensure the provision of solar lamps and mosquito nets to the farmers. 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 With supply remaining higher than demand in the global market, pepper prices are unlikely to recover this year, according to the Vietnam Pepper Association. Speaking at a seminar on Vietnam Pepper Crop 2018 Orientation and Action Plan in 2019 held in Ho Chi Minh City on May 10, Nguyen Nam Hai, chairman of the association, said Vietnam exported over 235,800 tonnes of the spice worth nearly 775 million USD last year, a year-on-year increase of 9.7 percent in volume but a fall of 30.8 percent in value. According to the International Pepper Community, global output topped 556,000 tonnes last year, up 7 percent from 2017. Vietnam remained the worlds biggest producer with 230,000 tonnes. Global demand is estimated to increase by 2 percent annually, while supply is growing by 8-10 percent, according to the IPC. With this imbalance, the fall in prices in recent years was inevitable, it said. Hai said Vietnam would continue to lead the world in production and export this year, with output expected to reach 250,000 tonnes and exports, 235,000 tonnes. In the global market, supply will remain higher than demand, and thus it will be hard for prices to increase in 2019. Do Ha Nam, General Director of the Intimex Group Joint Stock Company, said: Although the pepper industry is facing many difficulties in terms of market, Vietnams pepper exports still grew well. Besides, pepper prices on the farm are 43,000-45,000 VND per kilogramme, and this is the price farmers accept. If the sector wants prices to increase, the pepper-growing area must decrease globally, he said. The important issue now is to reduce the cultivation areas in places that do not have suitable soil or weather for the spice and to focus on improving quality, he said. According to the association, Vietnams pepper quality has improved significantly in the past few years, with more farmers complying with hygiene and safety standards to meet global criteria or switching to organic farming. But more efforts are needed and should start at the farm level, it said. To further improve pepper quality, there is no other way than creating linkages between businesses and farmers. Hai said the Government should have stringent regulations to ensure the success of this linkage model. The model is now prevalent only in 2-3 percent of the pepper farming area, he said. Nguyen Ngoc Luan, Director of the Lam San Farmers Cooperative, said the association and other relevant agencies should provide farmers with more market information to help them make better production plans. Delegates said growers must always avoid the abuse of pesticides and chemical fertilisers. At a time when supply is higher than demand, firms should apply modern processing technologies to make high-value products and diversify their products to meet customers demands, they said. Hai suggested that Vietnamese exporters be more actively studying free trade agreements the country has signed to take advantage of their benefits to boost exports. The spice is among the countrys key agricultural exports, with shipments going to more than 100 countries and territories, he said, adding Asia is the largest market, accounting for more than half, followed by the Americas, the EU and Africa.-VNS/VNA The Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea will on Tuesday May 14, 2019 provide an update on measures by government to bridge the countrys housing deficit gap when he takes his turn at the Meet-the-Press engagement by the Information Ministry. The Minister will also use the opportunity to update Ghanaians on governments plan to transform slum communities into modern habitats to improve standards of living. Mr. Atta Akyea will announce the gains made so far and elaborate on measures to forestall our drainage problems which leave part of the cities flooded when it rains. For more updates on these and the Coastal protection projects which has saved a lot of coastal communities from being eroded by the sea, please make a date with the Minister for Works and Housing as he outlines the various strides by the Akufo-Addo administration in the last two and half years. 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 United Nations (UN) has commended President Akufo-Addo and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration in the country for initiating developmental projects in the country to improve the lives of Ghanaians. President of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces recently said, I have heard of your idea of One District, One Factory or Planting for Food and Jobs, Free Senior High School, Affordable Housing; everything that you are doing to improve the lives of the people of Ghana really needs to be commended Mr. President. She disclosed this when she paid a courtesy call on President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House last Friday. She commented: There is something which really even makes me happier- your idea, your commitment of having a Ghana that goes beyond aid. I think this is realI was telling your ministers, thats the way I see a second independence of the country; self-reliance but of course working hand-in-hand with the international community in partnerships. I think that that is exactly what needs to be done, an elated Garces said. Her comments come at a time when the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been criticizing the current administration. The President of the UN General Assembly said, I can tell you that your country gives us hope. President Akufo-Addo thanked Garces for her insightful observations about the country, promising to do more to alleviate the plight of the Ghanaian people. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres for the confidence reposed in him by extending his mandate as Co-Chair of the UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our goal is a straight forward one, 60 years after independence, its time that we put behind us the Ghana of problems and poverty and non-performance; I think we have decided now to make a concerted effort to break the bonds of poverty in our country and bring our nation and its people up to a world and join the prosperity that is spreading across the globe, and its a decision that is encapsulated in the mantra or slogan of Ghana Beyond Aid. Essentially, President Akufo-Addo said we believe we have both the resources in human and material terms to be able to pull ourselves up by our own energies. But we want to do so not on the basis of our hands out seeking charity, seeking hand out, but as a well-organised state that is in control of its own economy, that is managing its economy intelligently, above all honestly making sure that the basic needs of our people are addressed in education, in health and in social infrastructure. So this is the goal that is animating us, and we look for friendships across the world, countries like your own and others with like-minded attitude towards progressso that we can all-together rise up and join the nations of prosperity, he added. 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 A delegation from the Africa Union Continental Free Trade area (CFTA) has arrived in Accra to assess Ghanas bid to host its secretariat. Ghana is among six other countries that have put in bid to host the CFTA secretariat which aims at establishing a single market across the continent and extending the provision of regional public goods, beyond hard infrastructure. The rest are eSwatini, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal and Madagascar. Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah on behalf of government received the 10 man AU delegation led by Ambassador Rosette Nyirinkindi Katungye, an advisor on Regional Integration at the Bureau of the office of the AU Chairperson shortly after they arrived at the Kotoka International Airport. Mr. Nkrumah said the delegation was in town to inspect Ghanas preparedness as one of the countries bidding to host the secretariat. He said Ghana was looking forward to grab the opportunity which some with several benefits including the creation of jobs. In the coming days Ghanaian officials will take them round on an inspection to show our preparedness. If you have the secretariat in your country, it is a huge deal which will bring many opportunities for the growth of this country he told reporters. The Africa Continental Free Trade area is a planned free trade area outlined in the Continental Free Trade Agreement among 49 of the 55 AU nations. President Akufo-Addo in March last year appended his signature to the three legal instruments namely the Agreement establishing the Continental Free Trade Area; the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and the Kigali declaration which have brought the CFTA into being. 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 Tina Mensah, Deputy Minister of Health, has stated that government is committed to improving the mental, nutritional and, sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young people in Ghana. Speaking at the maiden edition of the Marie Stopes Youth Advisory Board Parliament on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) which took place recently at the Parliament house in Accra, Tina Mensah said Ghanas high teenage pregnancy and adolescent child bearing rates which is currently at 14.2 percent is a great concern to the government of Ghana The Marie Stopes Youth Advisory Board Parliamentary debate on SRHR which was on the topic Adolescent Sexual and Reproduction Health and Rights (ASRHR) Financing for Ghana Beyond Aid was put together by the Marie Stopes Ghana Youth Advisory Board. According to Madam Mensah, the Ministry of Health, through its implementing agency, the Ghana Health Service, has also developed a costed adolescent health service policy and strategy to help improve the mental, nutritional and sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young people. Ghanas high teenage pregnancy and adolescent child bearing rates which stands at 14.2 percent and 66/1000 adolescents respectively, are a great concern to the government of Ghana. Indeed at the recent inauguration of the National Population in March 2019, the President of the Republic His Excellency Nana Akufo Addo, lamented the high fertility rate among girls who should ordinary be in school and charged the National Population Council to work with all the relevant institutions to drastically reduce teenage pregnancy, she said. She added As a country therefore, we are showing clear commitment to transforming our adolescent and youth human resource into human capital, by investing in the three priority areas for human capital development health, education and employment. These are the guarantees to reaping demographic dividend. The Deputy Minister observed that prioritizing adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) is therefore a step in the right direction for any government. In the end, our adolescents and young people are our insurance for the future as a country. I wish to assure the good young people of our country of governments support in this regard, and look forward to receiving inputs from the young people themselves today, as part of this youth parliament event, on how best we can proceed on the journey of achieving SRHR financing beyond Aid. Anne Coolen, Country Director for Marie Stopes Ghana the aim of the SRHR Parliamentary debate was to advocate for streamlined efforts to increase funding for ASRHR in Ghana by way of increased budgetary allocation. If we talk about discussing budget allocation for ASRHR, there could be no better venue for this than the actual parliamentary house, such that the power of this house may inspire a rich debate , leading to actions that will influence the way government and its partners fund Adolescent Reproductive Health and Rights, Anne Coolen disclosed. She noted that if there is any single investment government and donors must make to secure the future of this country , then it must be in the health, education and skills acquisition of its young people because they are the reflection of the future. The reality that our adolescents and young people are the hope for the future; a mirror through which we see Ghanas future. I am convinced that this session of the Youth Parliament will get us a step closer to reaching our objective; increased domestic funding for ASRHR. This I believe is the spirit of the Ghana beyond Aid agenda, she said. She therefore urged government and other NGOs to listen to the arguments of the young people and be inspired, and leave here with a conviction that there is more that can be done, and that we have a moral obligation to act now. Some of the Senior High Schools that participated in the parliamentary debate include Ebenezer Senior High School, La Presbyterian Senior High School, Accra High School and Okuapeman Senior High School among others. The Marie Stopes Youth Advisory Board Parliament on SRHR was also sponsored by other youth focused organizations like Youth Action Movement of PPAG, Youth Leadership Parliament of Ghana, Curious Minds and the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations among others. 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 police in Ethiopia have arrested more than six hundred people after raiding bars in the capital Addis Ababa. The police commander Getu Aragaw said the weekend operation was an attempt to tackle rising crime. They targeted 12 bars which are popular with people who smoke shisha pipes or chew the narcotic plant, khat. Although those activities are not illegal in Ethiopia, correspondents say the bars are seen as a popular hangout for criminals. The police are trying to stop illegal weapons and drugs being trafficked through Addis Ababa. Almost all of those arrested were released after a few hours. Eight remain in police custody. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Zimbabwe earned $2.7m (2m) for exporting 97 elephants to China and Dubai over a six-year period, Tourism Minister Priscah Mupfumira has said, state-linked Chronicle newspaper reports. She said the animals exported were sub-adults, meaning they were between two and three years old. "Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority exported a total of 97 sub-adult elephants to China and Dubai between 2012 and 1 January 2018. A total of 93 elephants were exported to China and four were exported to Dubai."Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority exported a total of 97 sub-adult elephants to China and Dubai between 2012 and 1 January 2018. A total of 93 elephants were exported to China and four were exported to Dubai." The elephants were sold for prices ranging from $13,500 to $41,500 each, the paper reports. Ms Mupfumira said the profit would go towards the conservation of elephants. Zimbabwes carrying capacity is 55,000 elephants but now we have 85,000," she added. Ms Mupfumia said they could not cull due to restrictions imposed by Cites, an organisation that governs the trade in endangered species. The issue was recently discussed at the Elephant Summit in Kasane, Botswana. Along with Namibia and South Africa, Zimbabwe is pushing for the lifting of elephant hunting and are backing a request for Cites to allow ivory stockpile sales to fund elephant conservation. We are sitting on ivory worth $300m which could be sold to fund our conservation programmes as well as benefit communities living in wildlife areas, Ms Mupfumira said. Article share tools Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah has said she is more than prepared to be Ghanas first-ever female Inspector General of Police (IGP), adding that she will never turn down such an offer, if ever made to her by the appointing authority. Ill never turn down an IGP appointment, never, she said on Atinka TV on Saturday, 11 May 2019, adding: If the appointing authority feels I am competent for the position, I dont see why I will turn it down and suggest that it be given to somebody else. What has the person got that I lack? she queried. According to her, she has risen through the ranks at the Ghana Police Service over the decades and ready to assume the reins of the police hierarchy. Its all about your ability, she said. I laughed when I recently heard that someone has said Ghana is not ready for a female IGP. I guffawed when I heard that because when we went to school, we all had the same training, so, why do some people think women cannot do what men can do? Weve had two female Chief Justices, weve had a female speaker, we have ministers who are females, so, if you say were not ready for a female IGP, when are we going to be ready? I dont see why anybody should say women are not ready for the IGP position. Women could even do better than men. Leadership is all about how you manage the people you work with. Your ability to manage your human resource is what makes you a very good leader. The appointing authority will take so many things into consideration. Its not about your gender. Im more than prepared to be Ghanas next IGP, she stressed. Source: classfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ustaz Saeed Abdur-Rauf, an Islamic scholar and Director, Nigeria Office of International Institute of Islamic Therapy, has called on women, particularly Muslims, to accept the reality of polygamy in building lasting relationships. Mr Abdur-Rauf, also the Managing Director of De Minaret International, Abuja, made the call on Saturday in Ibadan during the 4th Annual Ramadan Lecture organised by Oyo District of The Criterion, an association of Muslim women in business and the professions. In the lecture entitled Marital Chaos: The Islamic Antidote, Abdur-Rauf, said polygamy was a law of God. As a Muslim woman, you should know that there is no alternative to it. If your husband brings a new wife, you should be able to endure it. It is not easy, but you must be able to appreciate than endure it, he said. Mr Abdur-Rauf, who listed polygamy, financial problem, hurtful utterances and role of the devil as factors affecting the home-front, said the most important antidote was fear of God. He admonished couples to always be prayerful and patient in times of financial problems than collapsing their relationship for minor trials. cautioned couples against hurtful utterances, urging them to be humble and appreciate each others sense of pride. In every clime, there must be a leader. We have the father as the master of the house while the wife is meant to be subservient. The husband must treat and utilise his powers with fear of God. We must always be mindful of our hurtful utterances against one another. These utterances sometimes are unpardonable and aggravates the problem of the home-front, he said. Mr Abdur-Rauf concluded that the problem of marriages only required an expression of piety and fear of God, adding that there would be peace and comfort when the couple are pious and could identify each others rights. Sekinat Adekola, Iya-Adinni of Yoruba land, urged couples to seek the help of God on all issues with patience, perseverance and total reliance on God. Mrs Adekola said it was with such that anyone could grow spiritually and earn the favour of God. I have been in my marriage for the past 59 years and it has been very peaceful. The secret behind it has been prayer, patience, perseverance and total reliance on God, she said. Earlier, Falilat Olatunji, the Amirah of the association, said the essence of the topic was to reveal the solutions to marriage problems from the Islamic perspective. She said that the importance of marriage in Islam could not be over-emphasized as lots of Quranic verses and Hadiths were pointers to the fact. The wife is not meant to provide sensuous pleasure only to the male, but to fully cooperate with the husband in making the life of the family and ultimately of the whole humanity significantly meaningful. Islam as a total way of life have ways of solving perceived problems in marriages. This and many more are the reasons for the lecture, she said. Source: LIB 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 womens wing of the opposition NDC is demanding that the Director General of Police CID Maame Tiwa Addo-Danquah produce the missing Taadi girls or resign or face their wrath. The CID Boss at a press conference announced that they know the whereabouts of the three kidnapped girls but weeks after the announcment, nothing has been heard of the girls. Meanwhile, the families continue to wait anxiously for the return of their children. The girls have been missing for more than 200 days. Addressing a press conference to mark Mothers Day, NDC Womens Organiser Dr. Hannah Bissiw said the party will begin collecting signatures in the next seven days to bring pressure on government to rescue the girls. The CID boss, Tiwaa Addo-Danquah must produce the 3 kidnapped Takoradi girls in the next 14 days or resign from office she stressed. Read Full Statement... PRESS STATEMENT BY THE NATIONAL WOMENS ORGANISER, DR. HANNAH LOUISA BISSIW ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL WOMENS WING OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC) ON THE INCREASING VULNERABILILITY AND INSECURITY OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN UNDER THE AKUFO-ADDO GOVERNMENT. 12th May, 2019. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media, I bring you greetings from the National Womens Wing of the National Democratic Congress, and I thank you for honoring our invitation to this urgent media encounter. On this special day, the NDC celebrates all Ghanaian mothers for their immense contributions to the growth and development of our Country. Happy Mothers Day to all mothers in Ghana, Africa and the world. The National Women's Wing of the NDC dedicates this years Mothers Day Celebration to all Ghanaian mothers whose children have been kidnapped or their husbands brutalized and/or killed, as a result of the increased spate of insecurity and lawlessness under the Akufo-Addo government. We make special reference to mothers of the three (3) kidnapped Takoradi girls: Ruth Quayson, Priscilla Blessing Bentum and Priscilla Koranchie; the widow of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale; and the wives of the male victims of the state-sponsored brutalities during the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-election. We commiserate and solidarize with all of these negatively affected women, who are direct victims of a wider problem of insecurity and lawlessness facing our country today. THE THREE (3) KIDNAPPED TAKORADI GIRLS We have observed with much pain, the alarming rate of kidnapping of children across the length and breadth of Ghana in the last two (2) years. More than ever, the security and dignity of women in Ghana and especially that of our children are under threat. As the womens wing of the National Democratic Congress, a party noted for its commitment to the welfare of women and children, we cannot gloss over the recent increased spate of kidnappings that is largely targeted at children and women in our country. About nine (9) months ago, three (3) girls - and I mention their names again - Ruth Quayson, Priscilla Blessing Bentum and Priscilla Koranchie were reported kidnapped in the Western Region, specifically Takoradi, leaving their parents depressed and the whole country in shock. Amidst this storm was the resolute hope of all Ghanaians that the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection Hon. Cynthia Morrison as well as the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service headed by Mrs. Tiwaa Addo Danquah, were going to do everything possible to rescue the innocent children. Interestingly, after several months of empty assurances from the outfit of the Gender Minister and the Police CID boss, the children are still nowhere to be found. More than a month ago, Ghanaians woke up to breaking news that the location of the kidnapped girls was known; additionally we heard of exhaustive plans to safely bring them back to expectant Ghanaians and their emotionally traumatized parents. This pledge was made when the CID boss Mrs. Tiwaa Addo Danquah addressed the nation through a press conference on the 2nd of April, 2019. Adding to the theatrics surrounding this whole mystery is a publication in the Daily Guide, a newspaper owned by the current National Chairman of the NPP which claimed that, Ruth Quayson, Priscilla Blessing Bentum, and Priscilla Koranchie were safe in a private medical facility in the capital city Accra. The alleged news by the "Daily Guide on the 23rd April 2019 explained that the young girls were rescued and transferred to an unknown BNI Clinic, with one of them sent to the 37 Military Hospital for medical tests. This newspaper headline was followed by a response from the Ghana Police Service which flatly denied the Daily Guide publication. Fellow Ghanaians, the womens wing of the National Democratic Congress is highly disappointed in the fact that, the kidnapped girls have neither been found nor has any sufficient intelligence been gathered on their whereabouts. The National Democratic Congress is saddened by the overt display of unprofessionalism by Mrs. Tiwaa Addo Danquah, which beyond exacerbating the pain of the relatives of the girls, also denigrates the professional standards of the Ghana Police Service. The irritating quirk of telling lies by the CID boss must not be encouraged or entertained by the good people of Ghana. Neither should the comedy of errors by the Akufo-Addo government on a matter of such prime national importance be tolerated for a day. Ladies and Gentlemen, what happened to Mrs. Tiwaa Addo Danquahs stance that they indeed knew the whereabouts of the missing girls and their safety? What about recent pronouncements by the spiritual father of President Akufo-Addo, Prophet Owusu Bempah that he knows the whereabouts of the kidnapped girls but will only disclose that information at the instance of the President? Shouldnt the CID boss and the spiritual father of the President be the subject of investigations relative to this matter? Ladies and gentlemen, we understand the recent excitement and jubilation of President Akufo-Addo upon the unexpected victory of his English team Tottenham Hotspurs; yet we expect him to equally be zealous about the security and safety of the ordinary Ghanaian who voted him to power. It is our hope and belief that this years celebration of motherhood would be a moment of sober reflection for President Akufo-Addo, the CID boss, Mrs. Tiwaa Addo Danquah, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social protection, Hon. Cynthia Morrison on the urgent need for them to find the missing girls and reunite them with their grieving mothers and families. JUSTICE FOR THE WIDOW OF AHMED SUALE Ladies and gentlemen, the womens wing of the NDC is deeply worried about the failure of the Akufo-Addo government to resolve the gruesome murder of investigative journalist, Ahmed Suale. We wonder why till date, a prominent member of the NPP, Kennedy Agyapong, who threatened Ahmed with harm and death before his untimely murder, is still walking the streets of Ghana as a free man. If government was serious about the rule of law, Kennedy Agyapong should have been standing trial, at least for his reckless act of publicly threatening Ahmed Suale with harm and death. On this special day, our deepest sympathies go to the widow of Ahmed Suale and her children. The womens wing of the NDC demands nothing but justice for the poor widow and her children. The blood of such an illustrious son of the land must not be spilled in vain, for his surviving wife and kids to suffer. JUSTICE FOR THE WIVES OF THE MALE VICTIMS OF THE AYAWASO WEST WUOGON (AWW) STATE-SPONSORED BRUTALITIES. Also, our deepest commiserations go to the wives of the male victims of the state-sponsored AWW violence who have been neglected by the Akufo-Addo government. It is a sad fact that till date, the perpetrators of the violence, most of whom were captured on video are still walking free. The failure of the Police to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators through our criminal justice system is a glaring blot on this administration. Also, the failure of the Akufo-Addo government to publish the Emile Short Commission report and act decisively on their findings has not helped matters. CONCLUSION In conclusion, we submit that it is the weak leadership and insensitive posturing of President Akufo-Addo that has emboldened criminals and increased impunity in Ghana today. Indeed, what has become the norm today is for the state to rather back criminal elements and their actions, whilst trying desperately to quell and suppress critical voices of dissent. We however wish to serve notice that, the National womens wing of the NDC will be collecting signatures in the next 7 days for a petition to the President, the IGP, the CID Boss, the AG and other International agencies demanding for: 1. The CID boss, Tiwaa Addo-Danquah to produce the 3 kidnapped Takoradi girls in the next 14 days or resign from office. 2. The Police service and the Attorney General to take urgent steps to bring to book, the perpetrators of the AWW state-sponsored brutalities in the next 14 days or resign from office. 3. The killers of Ahmed Suale and all who played a role in his murder, especially Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, be arrested, and brought to book. Kennedy Agyapong is not above the law and should be arrested and prosecuted under sections 74 and 75 of the Criminal Offenses Act of Ghana, 1960 (Act 29), for threatening Ahmed Suale with harm and death publicly in the media. Mr. President, #Bring back our children! #Bring back our security! #Bring back our dignity! And make Ghana safe for all women, our children and our husbands. May God bless our homeland Ghana. Thank you for coming. Signed. Dr. Louisa Hannah Bissiw 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 Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has applauded former president John Agyekum Kufuor for upholding media freedom during his administration. The commendation comes on the back of the National Media Commissions closure of Accra-based Radio Gold and Radio XYZ both pro-opposition National Democratic Congress stations. The NCA said the two stations are among many radio stations operating without valid authorisations. In a Facebook, Mr Ablakwa said: Kindly indulge me to salute and celebrate His Excellency Former President John Agyekum Kufuor. According to the NCA's chronology of Radio Gold's FM Frequency Authorisation; on 2nd October, 2000 - "The Company's Authorisation EXPIRED but company did not submit renewal application prior to its expiry." What the chronology further reveals is that the John Agyekum Kufuor led Government had every legal basis to in a similar fashion carry out a Gestapo-style shut down of Radio Gold during the eight years the NPP was in power, and which period Radio Gold was still an ardent critic of his Government, however, President John Agyekum Kufuor's Administration just like its successor Prof. Mills and President Mahama Administrations, refused to do what President Akufo-Addo's Administration has done. With great respect, it was the English born American poet, Anne Bradstreet in her 1650 poem titled: 'Meditations Divine and Moral' who wrote - "Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish." I absolutely concur with the GJA, GIBA, the Minority Leader in Parliament and many others that the NCA must publish the full status of all radio stations in Ghana if we are to believe that it's recent actions against Radio Gold and Radio XYZ are not political hatchet jobs. President Kufuor, as regards media freedoms - I salute you for using your authority to polish and not to bruise. May that shining example of tolerance and true believe in press freedom inspire us to defeat the forces of tyranny, ironically, at a time your own party is at the helm of affairs. Post below- 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 Reverso was created in 1931 at the request of a British officer, who didnt want his watch to get damaged while he was playing polo. It has evolved over time, responding to changing fashions while remaining true to the Art Deco aesthetic that gave it its pared-down styling, the rectangular case, the gadroons that accent the top and bottom of the case, and its signature reversibility. For the SIHH 2019, Jaeger-LeCoultre expanded its Reverso collection with two boutique exclusives, the Reverso Tribute Small Seconds and the Reverso Tribute Duoface Fagliano Limited, plus a mens Reverso Tribute Duoface and three Reverso One Duetto watches for women. Two exclusive models for boutiques For the two latest versions of the iconic Reverso, created exclusively for the watchmakers own-brand stores, Jaeger-LeCoultre approached the renowned Argentine bootmaker Casa Fagliano. Each of the models is fitted with a sumptuous Cordovan leather strap to match the dial colour. The Reverso Tribute Small Seconds comes in a gadrooned stainless steel case measuring 45.6 mm by 27.4 mm. The dial is sunray brushed in a stunning wine colour, which is picked up on the Casa Fagliano leather strap. The hand wound manufacture calibre 822/2 inside gives the watch a 42-hour power reserve. The front face features a small seconds dial at 6 oclock, while the completely clear expanse on the reverse gives the lucky owner carte blanche to customise it how they wish. Reverso Tribute Small Seconds Jaeger-LeCoultre The Reverso Tribute Duoface Fagliano Limited builds on the Duoface concept developed for the Reverso in 1994. It comes in a rose gold case measuring 47 mm by 28.3 mm. As its name suggests, the model features two dials with different functions, driven by a single movement: the hand-wound 854A/2, with 42-hour power reserve. On the front, an intense summery blue sunray dial provides hour, minute and small seconds functions; on the back, the silvery grey dial decorated with a Clous de Paris guilloche motif offers a second time zone and a day/night indicator. This 100-piece limited edition comes with a Cordovan leather Casa Fagliano strap to match the colour of the main dial. Reverso Tribute Duoface Fagliano Limited Jaeger-LeCoultre The Reverso Tribute Duoface for men The Reverso Tribute Duoface for men offers basically the same features as the Reverso Tribute Duoface Fagliano Limited, but with a couple of aesthetic differences. For this unlimited version, rose gold is replaced with stainless steel, and the hands and applied indices are in a matching silver colour. Reverso Tribute Duoface Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Duetto for women But women neednt feel left out. The new Reverso One Duetto is inspired by the original 1930s model. The signature gadroons on the mens models are replaced with two glittering rows of 56 brilliant-cut diamonds (0.63 ct). The diameter is also narrower, at 40.1 mm by 20 mm, which gives the watch a sleek, elongated profile. Reverso One Duetto, burgundy version Jaeger-LeCoultre Like the equivalent mens Duoface, the Duetto concept builds on the concept of reversibility, with two sets of hands driven by a single movement. The hand-wound calibre 844 with its 38-hour power reserve is housed in either a rose gold or steel case. On the front, all three interpretations come with a silver grey guilloche sunray dial; on the back, the rose gold version has a spangled burgundy lacquer dial, while the steel version has the same dial in blue, with coordinating blued dauphine hour and minute hands. Reverso One Duetto, blue version Jaeger-LeCoultre The rose gold model is fitted with a matching burgundy leather strap, and the steel version comes with either a midnight blue alligator strap or a satin-brushed steel bracelet. So theres certainly something for every style. Former Member of Parliament for Bantama Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu has described as mischief and propaganda the comment made by former President John Dramani Mahama on the 2016 elections results. Former President John Dramani Mahama addressing Said Business School in collaboration with the African Studies Centre and the Oxford Africa Business Alliance, challenged the EC to make public, details of its investigations into the hacking of its system used in collating election results electronically during the 2016 polls. According to him, As I speak, I am not aware that the Electoral Commission has carried out any investigation into what compromised their IT system. And even if they have, we the stakeholders, the political parties, have not been briefed on what caused the corruption of the system. In the interest of transparency, it is important for Ghanaians to understand what happened before we go into another election. But reacting to the comment made by former President Mahama on GHONE TV, the private legal practitioner insisted the action taken by the former President is meant to prepare the minds of NDC supporters to reject the perpetual defeat the main opposition is going to suffer again in the next year general elections. This act of the former President Mahama is mischief and propaganda to prepare the minds of the NDC in the coming elections because he knows he will be defeated again; he wants to prepare their minds to reject the elections results in 2020 which is why he is saying the results in the 2016 elections was corrupted, he chastised. He added that former President John Dramani Mahama could have called for investigations into the 2016 elections results earlier when he left office in 2017 if he meant well for fairness to prevail in elections in the country and not wait till now. He again mentioned that the NDC is well represented on the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) with the Electoral Commission; thus if this is genuine concern of the former President, he could have notified his members serving on the IPAC to ask questions and not travel abroad to make this public. He however feared that the tantrum of the former President can be chaotic especially when there is an upcoming general election in 2020; thus, it can agitate the supporters of the National Democratic Congress to fight the outcome of the results in the next general elections. He therefore claimed the comment of former President Mahama in a way is an admission that his party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) will be defeated in the 2020 general elections and so he is preparing for perfect excuse when they are defeated. 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 A former National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress [NDC] Kofi Adams says his party has Ghana at heart therefore, defied all means to challenge the 2016 presidential election knowing very well that the NPP won the election through dubious means. Mr Adams was emphatic that the 2016 presidential election was 'heavily rigged' to favour the then opposition New Patriotic Party [NPP] led by its flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. We knew something was wrong when results started coming from various regions. Considering the tension that was building on then [in 2016], if we had challenged the results, Ghana wouldnt have been what it is today, he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show, 'Ghana Montie'. Koif Adams backed former President John Dramani Mahamas claim that the 2016 was not free and fair after applauding his decision to let go the 2016 election for the peace of the country. Mahama who is still not over the 2016 embarrassing defeat has called on the Electoral Commission to publish details of its investigations into the hacking of its transmission system during the 2016 general elections. According to him, Ghanaians deserve to know circumstances under which the ECs system was compromised at the time. As I speak, I am not aware that the Electoral Commission has carried out any investigation into what compromised their IT system. And even if they have, we the stakeholders, the political parties, have not been briefed on what caused the corruption of the system. In the interest of transparency, it is important for Ghanaians to understand what happened before we go into another election, the former President said during a presentation at the Said Business School, Oxford University, organised in collaboration with the African Studies Centre and the Oxford Africa. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Washman007 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video National Democratic Congress (NDC), Member of Parliament for Tamale North Constituency, Hon. Alhassan Suhuyini has backed his Presidential Candidate, former President John Dramani Mahama in his demand for the outcome of the investigations into the hacked website of the Electoral Commission during the 2016 elections. According to him, former President John Dramani Mahamas request for detailed report on the investigations into the hacking of Electoral Commissions (ECs) system used in collating elections results electronically during the 2016 polls is legitimate as it is public knowledge that the EC's website was hacked during the 2016 elections. He stressed that the detailed report of the investigation done on that case will put the minds of stakeholders in Ghanas politics to rest going forward into the 2020 general elections in order to trust the system when results are declared. In an address at the Said Business School in collaboration with the African Studies Centre and the Oxford Africa Business Alliance, former President John Dramani Mahama challenged the EC to make public, details of its investigations into the hacking of its system used in collating election results electronically during the 2016 polls. According to him, As I speak, I am not aware that the Electoral Commission has carried out any investigation into what compromised their IT system. And even if they have, we the stakeholders, the political parties, have not been briefed on what caused the corruption of the system. In the interest of transparency, it is important for Ghanaians to understand what happened before we go into another election. But buttressing on the issue raised by the former President, Hon. Suhuyini on GHOne TV morning show said the NDC Presidential Candidate for the 2020 general elections has demonstrated his consistency in politics as someone who thinks of the development of the country and not just becoming the next President of the Republic. "Former President John Dramani Mahama has shown consistency since he joined politics . . . he has shown that what matters to him is not the Presidency unlike the other one [President Akufo-Addo] who made the Presidency do or die affair to the point of holding this countrys development to ransom for 8 months in court for election dispute, he said. Explaining the decision why President John Dramani Mahama is addressing the abnormaly of the 2016 elections results now, Hon. Alhassan Suhuyini claimed the former President who had access to everything in power then did not want acrimony to befall the country by demanding for investigations into the 2016 elections results when tensions were high; hence his decision to call for investigations now to prevent future occurrences as another elections stare in the face. 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 President John Dramani Mahama has cast doubts over the integrity of the elections which ousted him from power, claiming the polls were rigged. Its the most strident remark he has made about the 7th December 2016 polls in recent times, suggesting that he is still smarting from the anguish of losing power in an election he believed he was going to win hands down come what may. The elections he lost registered him in the annals of local politics as the first sitting President to lose polls after just a term in office the cause of his persistent sulking. He presented his impression about the 2016 polls last week at the Oxford University Said Business School Distinguished Speaker Seminar organized in collaboration with the African Studies Centre and the Oxford Africa Business Alliance. The presentation was shortly after making the headlines for describing as useless the invitation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to his partys National Chairman, Ofosu-Ampofo, to come and assist in ongoing investigations into the recent spate of kidnappings and arson that have rocked the country. Besides, he said other things which observers do not find inuring to the integrity of policing in the country. IT Aided Hacking Mr. Mahama narrated that the rigging process was facilitated through the use of IT in results transmission and possibility of hacking. He noted that this novelty in elections in Africa presents complications which raise fears about the manipulation of election results. Regarding elections tarnished by this mode of rigging, he was quick to mention his own country Ghana and others like Kenya and Sierra Leone. By this observation, it is obvious that the former President does not find the election results which removed him from power as credible. He has stunned many for debasing the integrity of an Electoral Commission (EC) in which he reposed confidence, having appointed the then Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, who enjoyed near-absolute independence from the Executive, as it were. Compromised System Delving into the intricacies of what went into the 2016 elections, he said during the last presidential election in Ghana, the Electoral Commission directed its staff to stop using the electronic result transmission system to communicate results to the tallying centre because the system had been compromised. EC IT System Corruption Continuing, he said the results, under the circumstances, had to be tallied manually a mode which he said led to tensions occasioned by the delay in the release of the final results. The former President said he was unsure whether the EC had undertaken any probe into what compromised its IT system. As I speak, I am not aware that the Electoral Commission has carried out any investigation into what compromised their IT system, he complained, adding that political parties, as stakeholders, have not been briefed about what really corrupted the IT system of the EC. Ahead of 2020 The former President said that Ghanaians, in the interest of transparency, want know what really happened during the last polls before the next elections in 2020. Occupation After Office Since leaving office, he indicated that he has been involved in advocacy programmes towards the consolidation of democracy in Africa. According to him, these engagements had gotten him involved in conferences dealing with African democratic and electoral systems. Africas Journey He stressed that Africa has come a long way from the days of the steel ballot boxes and district counting centres to the picture of transparency today. Taking a trip down memory lane, he recalled how in the past the duty of the citizen was to turn out to vote; the rest of the process from counting to declaration of results were done out of sight of the electorate. Innovations such as biometric registers, verification machines and allowances for party observers and others have improved the quality of polls on the continent and lessened disputes, he opined. NDC Hypocrisy Bizarrely, the former President was happy to pontificate that transparency of election had improved in Africa. It is trite to note that in Ghana his NDC party has opposed any special reforms that have been introduced into the countrys electoral process to enhance transparency and integrity of the electoral system. From transparent ballot boxes (1996), pictures on voters identity cards (2000), biometric registration (2012) to releasing collation sheets to parties (2016), the NDC has always vehemently opposed them, and it has taken the intervention of the courts to get these laudable reforms implemented. 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 A number of smaller political parties in the country have expressed diverse views on the state of Ghanas security in the wake of the recent reports of kidnapping cases. While some of the parties described the situation as worrisome, others contended that the recent security challenges were not that gloomy and that the media have over-exaggerated the issue. The parties are the National Democratic Party (NDP), the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP). A political pressure group, the Independent Candidates Association of Ghana (ICAG), also shared its view. In an interview with the Daily Graphic, all the parties agreed that more security mechanisms needed to be put in place to ensure that citizens did not live in fear. They also said the countrys security structure must be planned in a way that no political party, group or individual would be allowed to foment trouble without being punished. Background Ghanas security situation has been in the news for the past few months following the consistent media reportage on kidnapping cases. The issue gained the publics attention when three girls in Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western Region were abducted by some yet-to-be identified persons. Although the police administration is yet to unravel the kidnapping cases, the administration has given an assurance to the public that it is working tirelessly to address the issue. During this years May Day celebration, former President John Mahama bemoaned what he described as an unprecedented insecurity in Ghana. LPG on changes The Founder and leader of the LPG, Mr Percival Kofi Akpaloo, said although the party agreed that the country was experiencing a bit of security challenges, the issue is not that alarming. We are acting as if these recent kidnapping and others were not happening before. During the Mahama-led administration, the country encountered similar insecurity situation. Why are we acting as if the situation is that bad? he asked. NDP on community The General Secretary of the NDP, Mr Mohammed Frimpong, attributed the countrys security situation to what he termed as the inability of the local government participation in the security planning. He said for security to be properly planned, it must first start at the local level where the community must be involved in the entire security structure. NDP believes that the establishment of Community Organisation Bureau (COB) will go a long way to engage the services of people to monitor activities at the local level, Mr Frimpong said. ICAG The Chairman of the Independent Candidates Association of Ghana (ICAG), Richard Nana Asare, said the divisiveness in the security agencies was partly responsible for the present state of Ghanas insecurity. He blamed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for bringing separation among the countrys security agencies. GCPP The Chairman of GCPP, Dr Henry Herbert Lartey, admitted that the recent security challenges were a bit worrying, particularly the kidnapping cases because Ghanaians are not used to that sort of criminal activities. However, he said, the entire security of the nation could not be left in the hands of the countrys security agencies and that the public must take active part in helping the police to discharge their duties. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development, Dan Botwe has disclosed that government will provide additional funding for the newly created regions to speed up their development. He says the 20 million Ghana cedis was a seed money meant for setting up administrative offices and other infrastructure that will boost their work. Speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, the Okere Member of Parliament added that government is aware that the seed money provided is too small and that more funds will be added. The Finance Minister has been duely informed and that we are hopeful that funding will be made available in this years budget. "The President in his various visits to the new regions has assured them of his support in developing the new regions," he added. The President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will begin a six-working day tour of the newly created Oti, North East and Savanna Regions on Tuesday. Beginning at Jasikan in the Oti region, the visit will represent the second phase of the Presidents working visit of the newly created regions which, earlier in April this year, saw him visit the Ahafo, Western North and Bono East Regions. On Tuesday 14th May, 2019, President Akufo-Addo will cut the sod for the construction of the Jasikan-Dodi Pepesu road captured under the Sinohydro projects, after holding a durbar with the Chiefs and people of Jasikan, Kadjebi, and Biakoye at Jasikan in the Buem constituency. At Kpassa, the President will be expected to cut the sod for the construction of the Kpassa-Mama Akura roads in the Nkwanta South constituency, as well as interact with tutors and students of Nkwanta SHS, where he will also do a sod cutting for the construction of a classroom and dormitory block. He will meet the Chiefs and people from Nkwanta North and South at a durbar at Nkwanta. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Africa Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies has warned that the countrys security is under threat. According to them, their research has indicated that Salati-Jihadist group in Burkina Faso has shifted its attention to Christian Churches in Ghana. Speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, Mr. Paul Boateng, Head of Research, Africa Centre for security and intelligence studies explained that the group are looking to mate religious tensions in Ghana and Togo. He added that, they are planning to attack churches in countries such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo and Benin. The group is also looking to operate from illegal mining zones in the Northern part of Ghana as these places are considered to be the safest places for them to conduct their activities. He however noted that they have accordingly informed the security agencies and they are so far satisfied with their compliance. 10th May 2019Over the past four months, ACSIS has been monitoring the activities of the Salafi-Jihadist group in Burkina Faso. It appears the group has now shifted its attention to Christian Churches. On 28th April 2019, the Salafi-Jihadists conducted their first attack on a Church in Burkina Faso.ACSIS analysis suggests the Salafi-jihadists are looking to incite religious tensions in Ghana and Togo. They are also planning to attack churches in countries such as Ghana, Ivory Coast,Togo, and Benin.ACSIS analysis strongly suggests Churches in Ghana are the immediate target. The group is looking to operate from illegal mining zones in the northern part of Ghana, as these places are considered to be the safest places for them to conduct their activities.ACSIS is looking to raise awareness of the threat so that appropriate measures could be taken. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video John Dumelos white wedding with wife, Gifty Mawuenya is one of the best celebrity weddings in Ghana judging from videos and photos that have flooded social media. One of Ghanas young and talented musician, Kidi was there and he never disappointed the invited guests during the ceremony which was held at the Royal Senchi Hotel on Saturday, May 11, 2019. John Dumelo partnered Kidi and performed his hit song, Thunder and as the song goes, John assured his wife by saying that thunder should fire him if he dares leave her. He said to his wife, May thunder fire me if I leave you! And this is enough assurance that John Dumelo is ever ready to be through thin and thick with Gifty Mawuenya. Watch the video below. View this post on Instagram Dumeloand his wife perform with KiDi at their white wedding A post shared by Maame Adwoa Amponsaah (@sweet_maame_adwoa) on May 11, 2019 at 6:31pm PDT 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 Mothers across the world are being celebrated today, Sunday, May 12, on the occasion of Mothers Day. Popular Ghanaian broadcaster Nana Aba Anamoah has got a special message on the day. It was from the father of his 18-year-old son, Paa Kow aka Jyoti. Taking to his Instagram social media, Nana Aba's baby daddy, Richard Brown who is popularly known as Osebo, showered praises on the GH One TV presenter for being a good mother. "Happy Mother's Day to the most caring and beautiful mother of all time. May the almighty God continue to shower his blessings on you. Nana1," Osebo posted on Instagram. Osebo's post has received applauds from some social media users who have described it as a show of maturity. @colourmemarg said Osebo's post will earn him love from their son: "Thats mighty nice and matured of you. Your son will love u more for this." @ben.cole414 sounded so impressed with the message: "Thats what I'm talking about..that shows how matured you are..Because of what you have just done I will be coming over to the shop to get something for myself tomorrow." @esther.addo.50702 was in awe:"Aww you are too much boss @zarashopghana_247butik .HMD to sweet mummy @thenanaaba .we love u bunch." @rhapsodymanagement simply said: "Waoooo. Richie you try oo" Post below- 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 Stonebwoy remains resolute that Menzgold is a viable investment company until the government of Ghana began to interfere in its operations. The Ghanaian owned gold dealership and investment company, Menzgold Ghana Limited was in September 2018 ordered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to suspend their operations with the public. Investigations conducted into the activities of Menzgold revealed that the Nana Appiah Mensah owned company does not have the license to trade in gold collectible and to guarantee returns. Subsequent information also revealed that lawyers of Menzgold failed to furnish SEC with detailed information on the operations of the company. On the contrary, the one-time ambassador for Menzgold, Stonebwoy who by extension has a very good relationship with the Chief Executive of Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah (NAM 1), believes that the public were happy with the investment returns in the gold dealership company until government interference. From my point of understanding, I think that, minus the government interference, the public and the people were happy with an investment that they found. A company that sprang up that was okay, that they saw opportunities in to put in their hard earned monies to gain or to get returns, he said. So we all saw an opportunity where we can grow and feed our families on the daily. I know a number of people who have made tons out of such an investment and there have been certain other investments similar to that one running regardless, Stonebwoy added. Speaking on GhOne TVs Inside Out with Serwaa Amihere, Stonebwoy confirmed his 100 percent support for Menzgold and Nana Appiah Mensah for a company that Ghanaians saw an opportunity in. Reiterating his sincere opinion on Menzgold operating a Ponzi scheme, the Ghanaian reggae/dancehall musician said, I dont know about that because everybody has been getting their monies from whenever, however. I stand to be corrected but I also know that I have the right to voice my sincere opinion and from where I see the dice. The Kpo K3K3 hitmaker was quick to express his displeasure in the manner the government of Ghana is handling the Nana Appiah Mensah and the Menzgold issue. He is expecting the president, Nana Akufo-Addo as the father of the country too, however, address the issue to settle all the controversies and rumours. Absolutely, I am not because my fellow people are not happy. My country people are not happy and I think that some of the things we heard were that it is our fault that we invested in Menzgold, he said. The four (4) times reggae/dancehall award winner at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards VGMA did not disclose whether he has an investment locked up in Menzgold. His decision he deemed personal but spoke on behalf of everybody and people close to him who have their money in Menzgold. Source: Kasapafmonline.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 South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party won the majority of parliamentary seats in a vote that will afford President Cyril Ramaphosa a mandate for a new five-year term Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called his South African counterpart to congratulate him on his party's victory in last week's parliamentary elections, an Egyptian presidency spokesman said. South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party won the majority of parliamentary seats in a vote that will afford President Cyril Ramaphosa a mandate for a new five-year term. During the phone conversation, the pair said they look foward to bolstering bilateral ties and strengthening cooperation between their countries, spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement late Saturday. El-Sisi said he is "looking forward to continuing to work with his brother, President Ramaphosa, to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, as well as to develop mutual coordination and consultation on various African issues of common concern." Search Keywords: Short link: Ghanaian actress, Lydia Forson has angrily descended on people who are pointing fingers at Chris Attoh and accusing him of killing his own wife, Bette Jenifer who was murdered last Friday. Lydia Forson believes that this is a time people should be offering their condolences to her fellow actor, Chris Attoh. But instead, people are pointing their fingers at him and making wild allegations against Chris Attoh unjustifiably. Again, others are digging for conspiracies ever since Bettie was shot dead. Lydia Forson who sounded very pissed questioned the kind of people who do that at this time of public tragedy. Lydia Forson posted on Instagram: Someone is going through a very public tragedy and instead of offering words of condolence; your immediate reaction to point fingers and dig for conspiracies. What kind of people are you?. 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 422 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected in India so far: Union health ministry. The Egyptian foreign ministry stressed on the solidarity of the Egyptian government and people with the people and government of the brotherly UAE against all challenges it might face Related UAE says four vessels subjected to 'sabotage' near Fujairah port Egypt stated on Sunday evening its strong condemnation of the sabotage of four vessels near the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian foreign ministry. "Egypt also condemns all acts that would harm the Emirati national security of the Emirati national security and the safety of its land and maritime borders" the statement read. The statement stressed on the solidarity of the Egyptian government and people with the people and government of the botherly UAE against all challenges it might face as well as confronting all attempts to destabilise the UAE," the statement added. The Egyptian foreign ministry highlighted the strong and special relations between Egypt and UAE, stressing the two countries joint work to face all threats against both countries national security, and taking all procedures necessary to maintain the security, stability and welfare of the people of the Emirates, the statement added. Earlier Sunday, the UAE reported that four commercial vessels were subjected to sabotage in the Gulf of Oman near its territorial waters just outside the strait of Hormuz. Search Keywords: Short link: Human rights council calls US to turn attention to Russian mothers kidnapping case RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 16:31 13/05/2019 MOSCOW, May 13 (RAPSI) Chairman of the Presidential Council for Human Rights Mikhail Fedotov has appealed to the head of the US Civil Rights Commission Catherine Lamont with a request to pay attention to the case of Bogdana Osipova detained on charges of kidnapping her own children, the advisory bodys press service said. Fedotov asks to check Osipovas state of health and detention conditions. According to her relatives, the womans civil rights were repeatedly violated during the time she is in detention, and she was subjected to physical violence by a warder. Also, medical measures were applied to her without consent and a doctor's prescription, which resulted in a serious deterioration of her health. She has been detained in the state of Kansas since 7 August 2018. Her ex-husband refuses to sign a settlement agreement with Osipova. The Council hopes for fair proceedings taking into account the observance of the rights of three children who are separated from their mother. Osipova left America with her children in 2014 explaining this action by violence from ex-husband Brian Mobley, a US citizen. Then the court passed the custody of children to Mobley. She returned to the United States in 2017 to file a request for the custody of her daughters but was arrested and then detained on charges of abduction of her children. The sentencing of Osipova is set for 20 May 2019. According to US laws, she can be punished with imprisonment for up to 83 years and a fine of $ 1.25 million. Russian MPs propose additional requirements for school meal procurement Interpress/TASS, Victor Bartenev 17:50 13/05/2019 MOSCOW, May 13 (RAPSI) Lawmakers Mikhail Sheremet and Alexey Zhuravlev have submitted a bill setting supplementary requirements for state procurement in the field of school feeding to the State Duma, according to the database of the parliaments lower house. Amendments are proposed to the law On Contract systems in the sphere of procurement of goods, works and services for provisioning governmental and municipal needs. The draft law envisages that public procurement in the school catering field will be conducted only through restricted tendering meaning availability of financial resources for the contract execution, material resources and suitably skilled employees. The initiative has been drafted due to the increasing reports on poor-quality school feeding in Russia, in particular in Arkhangelsk, Magadan, Sverdlovsk, Irkutsk and Orenburg regions, Primorsky Kray, Republic of Dagestan, Udmurt Republic, Moscow and St. Petersburg, according to the bills authors. About This Site This website is an exploration into the rationalist approach to Judaism that was most famously presented by Maimonides. It also explores contemporary rationalist approaches, as well as being a forum for various other notes. Well-written comments in the spirit of this enterprise will be posted; please include a name (even a pseudonym). Egypts Tourism Minister Rania Al-Mashat received a media delegation from Italy on Saturday, following a conference organised by the ministry to announce the launch of the second series of a documentary produced by the Italian media group MediaSet on ancient Egypt. The documentary is made by MediaSet, the largest media group in Italy, in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism. The meeting included representatives from Italian newspapers Corriere Della Sera, Repubblica, Stampa, Giornale, Libero, Verita, Sole 24, Italia Oggi, Leggo, ANSA and Sorrisi e Canzoni. The minister referred during the meeting to a structural reform programme launched last November to develop the Egyptian tourism sector, aiming at promoting Egyptian tourism abroad and changing the image of the country. Al-Mashat said that that the strategy depends on the application of top of the line technologies and the modernisation of tourism promotion to Egypt, depending on the storytelling of place and people and creating a unique touristic experience for the tourist. The minister also stressed the depth of Egyptian-Italian relations, saying that political stability in Egypt had helped increase the influx of tourists from Italy and other countries. Al-Mashat said the ministry is cooperating with MediaSet as part of its strategy to diversify promotion mechanisms and open new horizons of promotion through communication with foreign media outlets and cooperation with the largest and most important international television channels. Al-Mashat said that the acclaimed Italian programme Confine II Oltre Freedom and its presenter Giacobbo Roberto would broadcast the documentary, that discusses the wonders of the ancient Egyptian civilization. Five million people watched the first series of the documentary, according to MediaSet, which hopes for higher numbers with the second series. The first series covered the latest discoveries of ancient tombs and monuments. On the security measures taken by the Egyptian state to increase tourism to the country, Al-Mashat noted that the International Council for Tourism and Travel awarded Egypt the "International Leadership in Tourism" award this year, in recognition of the Egyptian states efforts to promote the tourism sector and improve security. Al-Mashat highlighted the importance of tourism industry to the national economy, pointing out that it represents 20 percent of the countrys GDP and creates many jobs. The partnership comes as Egypt preps for the hosting of Africa Cup of Nations this summer, and ahead of the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in 2020. Last week, Egypt and CNN announced the start of an expanded partnership on a worldwide extended tourism campaign that will exhibit contemporary Egypt across an innovative mix of TV, digital and social media platforms. In a press release, CNN said the fresh partnership between Egypts Ministry of Tourism and CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) will see both sides working collaboratively for the global campaign to enrapture and excite Egypts key audiences worldwide. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. Egypt's foreign ministry and the country's top Islamic institution Al-Azhar have denounced a terror attack that targeted a Catholic church in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday. Six people, including a priest, were killed by gunmen who stormed the church in the village of Dablo during a mass. Egypt expressed its sincere condolences to the victims' families and wished a speedy recovery to those injured, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The statement stressed that Egypt stands by the government and the people of Burkina Faso, denouncing cowardly acts that target innocent people and places of worship. In a separate statement, Al-Azhar stressed its rejection of such crimes, saying that religions, which call for peace and love, cannot be taken as a justification for terrorism. It offered its condolences to the Burkinabe people and government, wishing the injured a speedy recovery. Search Keywords: Short link: Tawoos: WFP's decision to reduce aid portends humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen SANA'A, Dec. 25 (Saba) The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for the Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Cooperation, Abdulmohsen Tawoos, on Saturday considered the World Food Program (WFP)'s decision to reduce aid to the Yemeni people a dangerous sign that portends a humanitarian catastrophe and famine. Rockville Pike, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Advanced ceramics differ from ceramics wherein the materials and processes used in the manufacturing of ceramics have special properties. These special properties provide advanced ceramics with an advanced strength in the form of resistance to heat, corrosion and wear. Advanced ceramics are designed to overcome limitations of traditional ceramics while retaining the original properties of ceramic material. Fact.MR has recently published a market research analysis on the advanced ceramics market. The advanced ceramics market report tracks the market performance for the historical period of 2013-2017 and forecast period 2018-2027. The report provides an extensive analysis of advanced ceramics market drivers, challenges, trends and opportunities. Inclusion of associated industry analysis, market attractiveness and regional analysis aids in delivering the most credible forecast of the advanced ceramics market. To Get Sample Copy of Current Report, Visit here @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2993 High-Performance Engineering Applications Create Demand for Ceramic Matrix Composites Reinforced with fibers such as silicon carbide, ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) offer end users important properties, such as low density, excellent thermal and chemical resistance, and higher strength. That, combined with CMCs' intrinsic property to be tailored as composites, make the material suitable for high-performance engineering applications, especially in aerospace and defense industries. Advanced ceramics such as ceramic matrix composites have huge potential in 3D printing whether the material is oxide-oxide, C/C or SiC/SiC as it has combination of properties required in the industry space. The advanced ceramics landscape is witnessing new developments of highly efficient next generation of CMCs that are highly adopted in critical applications such as military, industrial turbines and commercial jet engines. Opportunities Abound for Advanced Ceramics Manufacturers as Sensors become Integral to 'IOT Revolution' As clamor for highly-advanced and sophisticated technologies is on the rise, multiple appliances are being outfitted with different types of sensors for efficient communication and detection. End-users show continued preferences for efficient sensors that don't interfere with core purpose of the respective device, while reinvigorating the connectivity and reliability aspects. In response to the aforementioned, technical ceramics or advanced ceramics is rapidly stepping in and putting metal and polymer variants in the shade. Durability, acute thermal management and electrical insulation drives the large-scale penetration of advanced ceramics in sensor components, offering repeatable and reliable performance amid demanding ecosystems. Browse Complete Market Report with TOC Here @ https://www.factmr.com/report/2993/advanced-ceramics-market Intensifying Competition between Players to Augur Well for Sales The competition in advanced ceramics market have been observed to intensify in the recent years. The manufacturers of advanced ceramics are investing in improving their product offering, as well as expanding their production capacities, to cater to the rising demand. For instance, General Electric acquired the business of Advanced Ceramics Corporation. The 3M Company, acquired the advanced ceramics business of Ceradyne Inc. in 2012. With this acquisition the company further strengthened its position and product offerings in North America. As the shift towards low carbon economy gains widespread momentum, the market players are eyeing to take a significant slice of piezoelectric ceramics space. Government and private equity investments in energy-harvesting technologies continue to promote the development of piezoelectric sensors and transducers, alluding to a bright future application scope for advanced ceramics. Additionally, advanced ceramics sales will be driven by their vitality in sensors that seek extensive adoption in smart factories, wherein automation, robotics, IoT, and AI technologies are gaining fast momentum. Some notable developments in advanced ceramics market have been listed below. In May 2018, GE Aviation opened a new factory at Alabama with the investments reaching US$ 200 million. The facility is the U.S.'s only unique location that produce ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) component manufacturing to be used in the hottest portions of jet propulsion. GE Aviation also achieved manufacturing of 30 thousand 3D printed fuel nozzle tips in October same year. In October 2018, Roll Royce announced the successful integration of 3D printed components made from CMCs in the Advance3 demonstrator engine to be marketed in 2025. In November 2018, Safran opened a CMC research center in Bordeaux to accelerate the development of the material through world-class and state-of-the-art equipment. The report provides a comprehensive profiling of other market players. Key players operating in the advanced ceramics market include Kyocera Corporation, Ceramtec GmbH, Coorstek Inc., Morgan Advanced Materials PLC, Mcdanel Advanced Ceramic Technologies LLC, Rauschert Steinbach GmbH, 3M Company, DowDuPont Inc., Elan Technology, General Electric Company, CUMI, Nishimura Advanced Ceramics, and Toto Ltd. For any query get easily connect with an Analyst @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=2993 About Fact.MR Fact.MR 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 Us Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Automatic Train Protection Signaling Market Insights The automatic train protection signaling system is used to indicate a warning signal, when the train is running above the predefined speed that may cause derailment or a collision. The automatic train protection signaling system is installed in the train cockpit so that train pilot and co-pilot could see and hear cautionary signals. Automatic train protection system signaling system includes processors, software, operator displays, antennas, firmware and others components. Automatic train protection signaling system is works as on board train equipment in which antennas and data radio are play crucial role due to its outstanding features such as signal capturing capacity of radio and transmitting capacity of antenna. In automatic train protection signaling system, a unit is also installed under the train chassis which can detect the rail warning system and this transfers signal to the screen installed at the dashboard of the train. In automatic train protection signaling system, the actual speed of train is always compared to authorized speed. If train's speed is higher than the permitted speed than these devices transmit signal to the screen and automatically transmit signal to the braking system in order to stop the train. These signal is quickly transmitted to braking system for stop the train. Few decade ago, manual train protection signaling system was used to stop or control the train which might had higher chance of accident owing to lack of accuracy. Therefore, railway ministry is installing admonitory devices for reducing the chances of accident and increasing passenger safety. Moreover, U.S. railway ministry has mandated to install automatic train protection signaling system in all types of train for intending to fill the gap between advance technology and conventional technology for train. Get Free Exclusive Sample Copy of This Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=1478 Automatic Train Protection Signaling Market: Dynamics Increasing automation in train, metro and others is projected to drive the global automatic train protection signaling market over the forecast period. European railway ministry has mandated some regulations pertaining to train speed such as ERTMS/ETCS level 2 which will always cross verify the actual train speed and maximum permissible speed of train. This system is directly connected to the on board system and ground system devices. Furthermore, increasing self-governing technology in metro train is also anticipated to foster the global automatic train protection signaling market over the slated time period. Factors such as train detection, train separation, route interlocking and over speed protection are estimated to offer lucrative opportunity for the global automatic train protection signaling market by the end of 2028. Chinese suppliers are winning projects outside of China, while small scale players are vying for pieces of each rail transport project. This is projected to create competitive environment for the global player in respective, the sales of automatic train protection signaling. The use of computer based railway control systems is nowadays pervasive, as it has been demonstrated to be the most operative, if not the only realistic way to follow such hard requirements. Moreover, increasing regulation of rail signaling solution is one of the prominent trends in the global automatic train protection signaling market. Standardization permits suppliers to improve core, regulation-based universal structural design that both empower the interoperability needed to meet native safety necessities and provide a collective, unswerving platform for building local solutions related to passenger safety. Automatic Train Protection Signaling Market: Regional Outlook Western Europe is projected to dominate in the global automatic train protection signaling market owing to massive fleet of rolling stock. China is projected to be the second largest market for the automatic train protection signaling market due to increasing upcoming high speed railway projects. North America is projected to grow at a healthy growth rate owing to sprawling of metro line across the region which will boost the sales of automatic train protection signaling over the foreseeable time period. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is focusing on expansion of rail lines in the Sonoma-Marin Area. For this project, FTA (Freight Transport Association) provided a US$ 22.5 Mn fund to the rail ministry. China is projected to create a lucrative opportunity for the automatic train protection signaling market due to a Chinese company signing two rail projects with Brazil, to build two big-ticket railway-related infrastructure projects in eastern Brazil's Bahia state. The projects values are US$ 2 Bn and US$ 600 Mn. Additionally, in China, the government is focusing on the electrification of trail tracks for the expansion of high speed trains and ultra-high speed trains. These projects are also anticipated to create an opportunity for the market during the forecast period. In India, railway ministry has announced to increase the train's speed for intending to reduce the travelling time. Henceforth, the leading player is focusing the country for sales of automatic train protection signaling system. Middle East & Africa is anticipated to grow with sluggish growth rate owing to the fact that there is no manufacturing facility pertaining to rolling stock. Ask For Customized Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=1478 Automatic Train Protection Signaling Market: Key Participant Leading players for the global Automatic Train Protection Signalling Market are following: Beijing Traffic Control Technology Co., Ltd. Ansaldo STS Bombardier Transportation Siemens AG Hitachi, Ltd. Mitsui & Co., Ltd. RailCorp GL Communication Inc. Wabtec Corporation SENER group HollySys Automation Technologies Ltd. You can Buy This Report from Here @ https://www.factmr.com/checkout/1478/S 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/ Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market Insights Automotive fuel transfer assemblies are used for improving the fuel system availability and safety during the transmission of fuel to the combustion unit of an automotive engine. A fuel pump transfer assembly is mounted in a fuel tank for sending fuel to a fuel injector, which includes a driving means for supplying a driving force for sending or returning fuel. With increasing temperatures and increasing electronic controls, the need for efficient coolants is also increasing. For the lower temperature range, companies are producing advanced multi-layer tubing, and for the higher temperature range, they provide hybrid lines consisting of steel tubing with high-performing lightweight fluorocomp hoses. Automotive fuel transfer assemblies play an integral role in running any vehicle smoothly. These fuel transfer assemblies assist the engine in running as estimated under a wide range of driving conditions and rates of fuel consumption. As the demand for automotive components is surging in developing countries such as India, China, Brazil, Japan, and others, governments are undertaking many initiatives to increase the sales of these components. Technological developments in this niche, but significant products with the highest penetration rate in a vehicle is expected to enhance the growth of the automotive air fuel transfer assemblies market. Get Free Exclusive Sample Copy of This Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=1246 Global Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market: Dynamics Drivers: Rates of fuel consumption and high efficiency are some of the major drivers for the growth of the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market. The ability of these fuel transfer assemblies to transfer a constant pressurized fuel supply to the fuel injection from the fuel tank on the engine is escalating the demand for automotive fuel transfer assemblies. The growing demand for passenger vehicles with technological advancements is spurring market growth. The growing automotive industry and demand for auto components are expected to support the growth of the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market. However, the low replacement rate of fuel transfer assemblies in vehicles restrains the growth of the global automotive fuel transfer assemblies market. Global Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market: Region-wise Outlook North American countries such as the U.S. and Canada are expected to show vigorous growth in the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market, owing to the large number vehicles production in these countries. The same perspective holds true for European countries such as Germany, Spain, and France. These countries exhibit high potential growth in the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market, due to escalating vehicle sales and a renewed interest in electric vehicles. India and China are expected to forefront the growth of the market in the Asia Pacific region, due to the major contribution of these two economies in the automotive industry. The aftermarket segment of the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market is expected to increase in the MEA region, due to the augmented demand for luxury vehicles in this region. Japan is also expected to show high potential for the market, due to the presence of a large number of OEMs in the country. The automotive fuel transfer assemblies market in the Latin America region is expected to experience slow growth, due to the decline in automotive industry in the region's largest economy, Brazil, but is projected to pick up steam in the latter stages of the forecast period. Ask For Customized Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=1246 Global Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market: Key Participants Key market participants of the global automotive fuel transfer assemblies markets are the following: Robert Bosch GmbH Akron Polymer Products Hutchinson ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc Kongsberg Automotive Jalex automotive Pvt. Ltd. You can Buy This Report from Here @ https://www.factmr.com/checkout/1246/S 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/ Portland, OR -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- The North American biosurgery market offers lucrative growth opportunities owing to its developed economy, high public awareness, rising patient pool, and arrival of new multifunctional products. Developing countries such as India, China, Brazil, and South Korea are expected to boost the market growth with rapid change in healthcare infrastructure and increase in purchasing power. Increase in medical tourism, heavy investment by top players in R&D activities, and low cost surgeries are projected to boost the market growth during the analysis period, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Biosurgery Market report, published by Allied Market Research, forecasts that the global market is expected to garner $12,758.1 million by 2022, registering a CAGR of 8.1% during the period 2014 - 2022. Hemostatic and surgical sealing agents segment collectively held about half of the market share in 2015, which is expected to flourish over the forecast period. The neuro and spine surgery application segment is likely to lead the biosurgery market throughout the study period. Download Sample Report @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1235 Biosurgery products are used in various surgeries to minimize the intra and post-operative complications. Various synthetic and biologic products like anti-adhesive agents, hemostatic agents, surgical sealing agents, bone graft substitutes, and soft tissue management are utilized in surgeries for preventing excessive blood loss or providing adhesion or wound/tissue sealing, and repair of damaged or weakened tissues or bones of a body. These advanced products enhance the work efficiency of physicians by controlling surgery-related difficulties in expensive and complicated surgeries. The biosurgery market is projected to grow at a substantial rate owing to rise in sport & spine-related injuries, per capita healthcare expenditure, rise in the number of surgeries due to increase in obese population along with lifestyle disorders and others. Also, availability of multi-functional products would provide a lucrative market opportunity; for instance, apart from fibrins use as surgical sealants, it is also used as hemostatic agents to prevent excessive blood loss during cardiothoracic and orthopedic surgeries. However, factors that would hamper the market growth are high cost associated with surgeries, stern regulatory environment for product approval, and growing popularity of minimally invasive surgeries. The bone graft substitutes segment contributed to one-third share in the overall biosurgery market in 2015. This segment covers products such as cell-based matrices, bone morphogenetic proteins, demineralized bone matrix, and synthetic graft extenders. However, surgical sealant agents segment is expected to grow at the highest growth rate during the forecast period because of the availability of multifunctional products. The neuro- and spine surgery application segment is projected to dominate the market due to high penetration of bone graft substitute products usage in the surgeries. Also, current biologics products are more popular compared to synthetic biosurgical products, and this trend is expected to continue during the analysis period. Send Enquiry on this report @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/1235 Key findings of Biosurgery Market: - Surgical sealants are projected to be the fastest growing segment in the biosurgery market with a CAGR of 10.7% from 2015 to 2022. - Hemostatic agents segment is expected to overtake the bone graft substitute segment, and reach $4.3 billion by 2022. - Neuro- and spine surgery application segment is projected to dominate this market throughout the forecast period. - Biologic biosurgical products segment would continue to lead the biosurgery market with about three fourth of the market share in 2015. - Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest growing biosurgery market with a CAGR of 10.7% from 2015 to 2022. The key companies profiled in this report are Medtronic PLC, Baxter International Inc., C. R. Bard Inc., Johnson and Johnson, Stryker Corporation, Sanofi S.A., Atrium Medical Corporation (Maquet Getinge Group), Hemostasis LLC, CryoLife Inc., and Kuros Bioscience. Get 20% Free Customization In This Report @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/1235 About us Allied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies client's insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Transparency Market Research (TMR) has published a new report titled, Blood Transfusion Diagnostics Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20172025. According to the report, the global blood transfusion diagnostics market was valued at US$ 3.0 Bn in 2016 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2017 to 2025. North America is expected to dominate the global market due to increase in adoption of new and advanced molecular tests and rise in prevalence of chronic diseases. Emerging markets such as China and India are likely to drive growth in Asia Pacific. The blood transfusion diagnostics market in the region is expected to expand at a CAGR of over 7.1% from 2017 to 2025. Demand for transfusion of blood and blood components is high across the world owing to large patient population undergoing surgical procedures and suffering from chronic diseases. Introduction of new technologically advanced products and shift toward automation of instruments is projected to propel the global blood transfusion diagnostics market. For instance, the introduction of nucleic acid amplification test (NAT) for molecular disease screening and blood typing has led to improved efficiency and reduced turnaround time. This has increased adoption of automated instruments by blood banks and hospitals, which in turn augments the global blood transfusion diagnostics market. Organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Blood Alliance (EBA), and Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria (ANVISA) have been engaged in programs for blood transfusion safety. These initiatives are expected to strengthen the prerequisite requirements for blood screening including donor disease screening. In December 2015, Germany announced US$ 10.8 Mn for implementation and efficient adoption of its Safe Blood Transfusion Programme (SBTP). Request to View Sample of Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=23963 The kits & reagents segment dominated the global blood transfusion diagnostics market in terms of revenue in 2016. The segment is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period. Factors such as rise in awareness and emphasis on blood transfusion diagnostics, especially in emerging countries owing to increase in incidence of transfusion-transmitted diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV are the key factors driving the kits & reagents segment. Players operating in the global blood transfusion diagnostics market focus on introduction of new instruments and kits & reagents based on new techniques. Blood transfusion diagnostics are highly used for disease screening. Rise in incidence of transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs), especially in lower-middle income and low-income countries, is the key factor augmenting the disease screening segment. In terms of end-user, the global blood transfusion diagnostics market has been classified into hospitals, blood banks, diagnostic laboratories, plasma fractionation companies, and others. The blood banks segment held major market share in 2016. It is projected to be the fastest growing segment, expanding at a CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period. Increase in number of blood banks and blood centers globally, and moderate rise in the number of blood donations each year requiring donor testing and disease screening tests are the key factors driving the blood banks segment. Rise in number of patients being treated in hospital settings requiring blood transfusion and increase in patient testing and blood grouping tests being performed at hospital settings are the key factors propelling the hospitals segment. Request to View Brochure of Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23963 In terms of revenue, North America was the leading market for blood transfusion diagnostics in 2016. High percentage of active and voluntary blood donors in the U.S. and Canada, increase in number of blood transfusions per year, and various blood transfusion policies being implemented regarding safety and testing of blood for infectious diseases are attributed to North Americas high market share. The U.S. has strong policies for blood screening and the highest rate of adoption of NAT testing for donor disease screening. Europe is the second largest market for blood transfusion diagnostics. Rise in demand for kits & reagents for pre-transfusion diagnostics and domestic manufacturers introducing new kits & reagents for disease screening and blood grouping applications are likely to accelerate the growth of the market in Europe. Increase in government initiatives in terms of funding and grants, rise in prevalence of TTIs in these countries, and surge in number of blood transfusions performed every year fuel the growth of the blood transfusion diagnostics market in Asia Pacific. The market in Middle East & Africa was valued at US$ 350.0 Mn in 2016 and is likely to expand at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2017 to 2025. Manufacturers operating in the blood transfusion diagnostics market in Latin America are focused on offering kits and reagents that are compatible with different instruments. The low-cost high-volume nature of kits and reagents is likely to fuel the market in the region. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Carbon tetrachloride is a sweet smelling colorless liquid, also known by other names such as tetra chloromethane and carbon tet. Carbon tetrachloride is a vital chemical which was introduced by a French chemist in 1839 and has been an important inorganic chemical since. It is manufactured commercially as a by-product of chlorination of methane. It is synthesized during the manufacturing of other chloromethane products such as dichloromethane. Carbon tetra chloride molecules contains only one carbon atom which is surrounded by four chloride atoms. It is tetrahydral in shape and is highly symmetrical. Tetra chloromethane is a non polar compound similar to methane gas. Carbon tetrachloride is a very good solvent. Being a non polar compound, it readily dissolves other non polar compounds such as oil, fat and iodine. Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/carbon-tetrachloride-market.html Carbon tetrachloride was extensively used as a fire extinguisher, refrigerant and cleaning agents. It was widely used to produce chloroflurocarbon refrigerants. However, chloroflurocarbon was banned after research proved that it is an ozone depleting agent. This in turn decreased the demand for carbon tetrachloride. Despite carbon tetrachloride being used as pesticides to kill insects in grains, its usage was banned in U.S. in 1970 owing to the increasing health concerns related to tetrachloro carbon-containing pesticides. Hence these uses are considered as historic usages of this compound. Presently, carbon tetrachloride is used in significant quantities as a laboratory reagent. It is used as a solvent and a source of chlorine in a wide range of chemicals. Moreover this inorganic compound is a hepatotoxin. It means it is toxic to liver and hence is used in scientific research as a hepatoprotective agent. Asia Pacific is the largest as well as the fastest growing market for Carbon tetrachloride and other chlorine containing hydrocarbons. The demand for Carbon tetrachloride is rising due to its increasing demand from application industries and increasing population needs. China has emerged as the leader in Asia Pacific for this industry. Some of the other major markets in this region are India, South Korea and Japan. South Asian countries contribute significantly for the growing demand for carbon tetrachloride. Emerging economies such as Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia have been organizing major global chemical industry events over the past few years. Increased industrial manufacturing activities and local production is boosting the demand for this compound in Asia-Pacific region. In North America and Europe the demand for carbon tetrachloride was significantly high over the past decade. However the demand in these two regions has declined recently due to the environmental regulations by government agencies such as U.S. Environmental Protection agency. Extensive research studies highlights that consumption of carbon tetrachloride gives results in emission of gases such as Chloro fluro carbon (CFC) which is termed as a harmful gas as it leads to ozone layer depletion and is banned in North America and European Union. Owing to this regulatory legislation, the usage of carbon tetrachloride as a refrigerant and fire extinguishers has been replaced by tetrachloroethylene. However the demand for tetrachloro methane as hepatoprotective agents and laboratory reagents is increasing globally. Increasing chemical manufacturing activities in Brazil and Russia is also increasing the demand for this compound in Rest of the World regions. Request Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=6493 Some of the major carbon tetrachloride manufacturing companies are AkzoNobel N.V., Occidental Chemical Corporation, Ineos, Solvay S.A., Kem One, Shin-Etsu, Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd. and Tokuyama Corporation. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- The world cloud managed service market is considered to be extremely influenced by the constant rise in the worldwide trend of cloud automation. The augmented uptake of various managed services amongst small and medium enterprises (SMEs) over many different conventional services, due to their added benefits is propelling the growth of the world market for cloud managed services significantly. Rising need of numerous enterprises to emphasize on their main business, substantial rise in the spending of information and communication technology, and growing inclination towards big data analytics are further boosting the said market. PDF Brochure For Future Advancements: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=16895 In a recent business intelligence study by Transparency Market Research (TMR), it has been found out that numerous new companies would venture into the said market and the market is expected to come with fragmented scenario with highly competitive landscape and is expected to remain so in the forthcoming years. The report has identified various prominent companies such as AT&T, Hewlett Packard Enterprises, Cisco Systems Inc., Rackspace, NEC Corp., VMWare, NTT Data Corp., Huawei Technologies, and IBM Corp. as some of the eminent companies that are currently operating in the international market for cloud managed service. The international market for cloud managed services is expected to rise at an attractive growth rate of 9.60% CAGR in between the years 2017 and 2022 and is estimated to reach market valuation of around US$ 86.4 bn towards the end of the year 2022. This constant rise in the need for cloud-based mobility services is anticipated to impact this market positively over the next few years. Get Sample PDF at: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=16895 The world market for cloud managed service has been regionally divided into Middle East and Africa (MEA), Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, and North America. Amongst all of these, the said market in North America has taken over the prominent position and is anticipated to continue with its supremacy in the next few years to come. The fact that there exist a large number of prominent providers of managed service providers across Canada, and the U.S. have been encouraging the regional market over the past few years. The regional market of North America for cloud managed services is expected to expand at a robust growth rate of 8.10% CAGR over the period that extends from the year 2017 to 2022. Amongst various other regional markets, Asia Pacific excluding Japan and Europe are forecasted to witness a substantially high growth in their respective regional markets for cloud managed services. Europe is expected to obtain momentum from the presence of an advanced IT infrastructure, whilst, Asia Pacific excluding Japan will mostly benefit from the presence of substantial untapped opportunities for the growth of the market. San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Global Compressor Rental Market: Snapshot On the back of urbanization and industrialization, the compressor rental market has been advancing steadily. In the years ahead too, it is slated to hold on to the pace of growth owing to improvement in their designs and technologies that is making them more efficient. Depending upon their design and function, compressors can be broadly segmented into two centrifugal compressors and positive displacement compressors. Get Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=665 Compressors can also be portable and hence can be used in domestic and industrial activities. This unique perceived benefit is also helping their compressor rental market to grow. Air compressor rental market, on the flipside, is hobbled by the steep cost of maintenance and contamination they cause of the surrounding air on account of the oil lubrication. They also cause noise pollution and this has been further crimping their uptake. Helping to overcome the challenge, however, is the emergence of oil-free compressors which are seeing swift uptake due to their positive impact on the environment. Currently, the construction sector accounts for maximum demand in the market for compressor rentals on account of their requirement in piling, blasting, spraying, and operating pneumatic tools require. Portable air compressors, particularly, are seeing quick adoption for carrying out the tasks. Caterpillar Inc., United Rentals, Inc., Atlas Copco, Ingersoll Rand, and Aggreko plc. are to name a few prominent players in the global market for compressor rentals. Currently these companies are expending money on research and development to come up with cutting-edge products that would consume less energy and be more effective. Global Compressor Rental Market: Overview Compressors are devices that convert mechanical energy into pneumatic energy by using compressed air and gas. As this compressed air or gas is released, a considerable amount of energy is trapped, so as to utilize it for a variety of purposes, such as air transfer, cleaning, and pneumatic device activation. As the rate of urbanization and industrial activities increases, the compressor rental market will advance rapidly. The report provides key information about the compressor rental market trends, opportunities, growth drivers and challenges, along with aspects such as market size, supply and demand ratio, and detailed market segmentation. The leading market players are analyzed in terms of their market shares, product portfolios, and business strategies. Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=665 Global Compressor Rental Market: Drivers and Restraints With the development of designs of compressors, more efficiency has been attained so as to meet the demands of various end-users. Some of the compressors being portable, are extensively used in industrial and domestic activities, benefitting the growth of the global compressor rental market. Technological advancement in the field of compressors is expected to boost the adoption rate of compressors. One example is that of air compressors. Traditional air compressors are run at full speed, and have to be stopped when they reach the right pressure. Then, the compressed air is stored to allow pressure hysteresis. As this is a wasteful practice, technological upgrades in air compressors have been carried out to control speed, thereby saving energy, and contributing toward market growth. Air compressors facilitate transfer of air in several industries such as chemical plants, oil extraction, food and beverage, automobiles, and transport. This is expected to expand the global compressor rental market. On the other hand, factors such as high maintenance costs and the contamination of air caused by oil lubrication are expected to limit growth. Also, oil-free compressors can be noisy, and thus can restrict demand for them. Global Compressor Rental Market: Key Segments The compressor rental market can be segmented based on end user, technology, types, and geography. On the basis of their design and function, compressors can be divided into centrifugal compressors and positive displacement compressors. In terms of end user, the market for compressor rentals was dominated by the construction segment. The construction segment gained prominence because the execution of construction and building activities such as blasting, piling, spraying, and operating pneumatic tools require portable air compressors. Oil-free air compressors have been growing popular recently as they supply non-contaminated air. The portable air compressors, on account of the convenience they offer, are high in demand in off-site operations. The key end-user segments for air compressors can be industrial, commercial, and residential. Industrial air compressors are similar to commercial air compressors; only they are more powerful and bigger in size and volume. Commercial level air compressors are not very portable when compared to residential ones, but they are certainly more powerful. They can run for a long time without a refill. On the residential level, air compressors are used to spray paint, fill air in balloons, balls, and tires. These functions are generally conducted with electric air compressors, which are ideal for domestic purposes. As the demand for air compressors in all these sectors increases, the compressor rental market is slated to present significant opportunities. Global Compressor Rental Market: Regional Outlook According to geography, the key segments can be Asia Pacific, Latin America, North America, Europe, and EMEA. The region of Asia Pacific has been exhibiting substantial growth, thanks to the presence of a number of capital-intensive companies that are inclined towards renting compressors instead of buying them. Large- scale construction projects in the countries of Asia Pacific, such as China, Thailand, and India, will further fuel compressor rental market growth. Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/compressor-rental-market Global Compressor Rental Market: Vendor Landscape Some of the key players operating in the global compressor rental market include Caterpillar Inc., Ingersoll Rand, Atlas Copco, Aggreko plc, and United Rentals, Inc. One key development in the competitive landscape is the launch of new GA VSD+ oil-injected, compact, rotary screw compressors by Atlas Copco in 2013. These air compressors are designed to cut energy consumption to half the amount required by traditional compressors of similar type. The leading companies in the global compressor rental market have been emphasizing on better product offerings through increased investments in R&D activities. About TMR Research TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in today's supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients' conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- According to a new market research report "Computer-Aided Manufacturing Market by Component (Solution and Services), Organization Size, Deployment Type, Industry Vertical (Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, High-Tech, Industrial Equipment, Energy & Utilities), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023" published by MarketsandMarkets, the Computer-Aided Manufacturing Market is expected to grow from USD 2.3 billion in 2018 to USD 3.4 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period. Growing demand for automation of manufacturing process, production of customized products, and increasing use of COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING solution in the arena of fashion and lifestyle, prosthodontics, and prosthetics and orthotics are some major factors driving the growth of the COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING market. Browse in-depth TOC on "Computer-Aided Manufacturing Market" 58- Tables 31- Figures 127- Pages View detailed Report @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/computer-aided-manufacturing-market-251259446.html Automotive industry vertical is expected to hold the largest market size in the global COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING market during the forecast period Automotive industry vertical is continually evolving to offer vehicles powered with advanced IT technologies, which can exceed customer expectations. Automobile manufacturing requires advanced technological methods and processes. Use of COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING solution enables automakers reduce production time and cater to global demand of customers. For instance, automotive companies such as Bentley Motors (UK), Ford (US), and BMW (Germany) have adopted the COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING technology to manufacture their own car parts. With the growing complexity of the parts involved in the vehicles, automotive vertical is expected to be characterized by innovative production and design concepts which could lead the increase in adoption of COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING technologies. The services segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING services have a wide scope of usage for efficiently carrying out various tasks performed in the entire manufacturing process of an organization. COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING services help the businesses bridge legacy systems to modern applications, deliver best experience to the engineer, mechanist, and manufacturers. This has created opportunities for vendors to provide services to enterprises across different industry verticals and help them deal with complexities occurred while configuring the COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING solution. Europe is estimated to have the largest market size during the forecast period Europe is estimated to account for the highest share of the market in 2018 and the trend is expected to continue till the forecasted year i.e. 2023. The region comprises developed countries, such as the UK, Germany and France, and is considered the most advanced region in terms of adopting automation technologies. The region is hub for the automotive industries as they are creating adequate need of COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING solution and services. Europe region exhibits a wide presence of key industry players offering COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING solutions and its financial position enables it to invest majorly in the leading tools and technologies for effective business operations. Major vendors offering COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING solutions and services across the globe Autodesk (US), Dassault Systemes (France), Hexagon (Sweden), Siemens (Germany), 3D Systems (US), PTC (US), HCL (India), CNC Software (US), OPEN MIND Technologies (Germany), DP Technology Corp. (US), MecSoft (US), SolidCOMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING (US), NTT DATA ENGINEERING SYSTEMS Corporation (Japan), BobCAD-COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING (US), ZWSOFT (China), and SmartCOMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURINGcnc (US). 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, "Knowledgestore" 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 sales@marketsandmarkets.com The Qalioubiya security directorate said on Monday that a priest in St Mark's Church in the district of Shubra El-Khaima has been shot dead by a church guard inside the church over a personal dispute. The statement said that the 54-year-old suspect, who turned himself in to the police stqtion, shot 65-year-old priest Makkar Saad Makkar several times over a dispute involving money. According to the security directorate, the victim had previously given Kamal a sum of EGP 1,000 to help him with his daughters' wedding expenses. When the suspect returned to asked for more money, Makkar refused and was shot dead by Kamal, the directorate said. The statement said that the suspect confessed to buying the weapon after Makkar failed to fulfil his promise to aid him financially, and that he hid the gun inside the church. "The Department of Criminal Investigation has been ordered to investigate the incident and release a report," the statement said. The Coptic Orthodox Church has issued a statement on its official Facebook page saying that the priest was shot dead at St Mark's Church. The Church added that it is not responsible for anything posted on social media about the case that is not released on its official account. Search Keywords: Short link: Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- The global defence industry has undergone significant transformation in the past few decades. The dynamic nature of the defence industry can be determined from the fact that defence electronics become obsolete in a matter of years. Defence electronics comprises all the sophisticated systems integrated with tactical equipment. It is anticipated that the advent of modern technology, coupled with rapid progress of R&D teams across the globe, will ensure a largely positive outlook for growth of the global Defence Equipment Packaging market, over the forecast period. Defence equipment being highly delicate and sophisticated, requires efficient packaging solutions, which can handle stresses and impact of hard environments. Many countries, such as India, and China, have been increasing their defence budgets by leaps and bounds, in the past decade. In a period of ten years, during the period 2006-2016, the Indian defence budget increased by US$ 18 Bn. India has continued to be the top importer of defence equipment in the past couple of years. Therefore, manufacturers of defence electronics are expected to eye the lucrative Asia Pacific region, as China, Pakistan and India continue to be involved in a tight arms race, thereby providing lucrative opportunities for the growth of the global Defence Equipment Packaging market. Request PDF Sample for More Information about this industry @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=35450 Global Defence Equipment Packaging Market: Dynamics The global Defence Equipment Packaging market is expected to witness strong growth in 2017. Although the global defence electronic market growth has been suppressed in the past couple of years, the industry has continued to grow consistently. Across the globe, governments have been equipping their armed forces with advanced defence weapon platforms integrated with modern electronic warfare systems, which includes next-generation technologies, such as software for precision/surgical strike capabilities, cyber security and warfare, and intelligent gathering by means of drones. This is attributed to a heightened state of alarm due to the rise of rogue terrorist organizations in the Middle East, and other similar organizations scattered across the globe. Amidst the turmoil, the world has witnessed high defence equipment procurement by several countries in the wake of threats to national security. Therefore, this arms race and the need to stay prepared to counter any threats, is expected to bolster growth of the global defence electronics market, which in turn, will positively impact growth of the global Defence Equipment Packaging market. In light of the threats, governments have been looking to adopt advanced packaging technologies. Despite the positive market outlook, there are certain factors, which might hamper growth of the global Defence Equipment Packaging market. Global Defence Equipment Packaging Market: Key Players Few of the key players operating in the global Defence Equipment Packaging market are FCA, LLC, Quality Foam Packaging, Inc., Adhesive Materials Group., and Hardigg Industries, Inc., among others. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Sensor is a semiconductor device which is used to detect physical input such as heat, motion, pressure, light, moisture and other environmental phenomena and generate an output on a display of an electronic device. For instance, dual sensor is a device which is used for measuring two conditions simultaneously. Dual sensor thermometer is a type of dual sensor, which is used for environment monitoring. The dual sensor thermometer consists of one internal sensor and one external sensor for environment monitoring application. Dual sensor make real time comparisons easy and efficient, as both the reading and measurement get displayed on the same display.Dual sensor market has wide range of applications in various industries such as electronics & telecommunication, electrical, automotive, and industrial automation among others. The global dual sensor market is primarily driven by increased use of dual sensor thermometer, IR sensor, UV Sensor, light sensor, motion sensor, image sensor, humidity sensor, and touch sensor for various industrial and commercial application. Incorporation of advance features in automobile such as advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) technology, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor technology, adaptive cruise control technology, forward collision braking system and parking assistance technology which requires position sensor, pressure sensor, torque sensor, and temperature sensor among other to strengthening the market growth. For instance, in automotive industry for evaluation of either the linear or angular position of a metallic activator accurately and repeatedly dual output position sensors are used. For More Details, Request A Sample Report @https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=56478 This sensor moves within two sensor cavities and produces a signal relative to its position to determine its output characteristics by shape and material of the activator. Passive infrared technology sensor is functional when it detects the presence of heat energy in confined space. Dual technology sensor is similar to passive infrared technology sensor. It is available with an advance feature which helps to reduce energy waste and provide an additional level of convenience for occupants in complete darkness. This technology is used for home or office security system. Since, dual sensor consist of two sensors sometime due to compatibility issue these sensors does not provide consistent signal which is one of the major restraining factor of the dual sensor market. However, increasing use of dual image sensor in smartphones is also expected to be growing factor of dual sensor market. As a result of these factors, expansion of dual sensor market is anticipated to boost during forecast period. Also, increasing applications in various industries such as automotive, electrical and industrial automation is expected to generate growth opportunity for dual sensor market. The global dual sensor market has been segmented based on type, end-use industry and region. Based on type the dual sensor market can be classified into temperature sensor, pressure sensor, light sensor, IR sensor, ultrasonic sensor, biometric sensor, humidity sensor, and position sensor. Based on end-use industry, the market can be segmented into electronics & Telecommunication, electrical, automotive, and industrial automation. In terms of region, the global dual sensor market can be segregated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is anticipated to have a significant presence of the global dual sensor market due to the presence of leading dual sensor manufacturers, for instance Honeywell, Keller America Inc., and Wasco Switches and Sensors in this region. Moreover, Europe region is expected to show growth due to presence of leading dual sensor manufacturer in these region. Request For Discount On This Report @https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=56478 Some of the key players operating in the global dual sensor market with significant developments include Honeywell, BCM Sensor Technologies, ASM Automation Sensorik Messtechnik GmbH, DIS Sensors bv, DTS Diversified Technical Systems, ETLG Inertial Aerosystems, First Sensor AG, Gems Sensors & Controls, Sensonor AS, ams Sensors Germany GmbH, Acuity, Keller America Inc., Wasco Switches and Sensors, Innovative Sensor Technology and Locon Sensor Systems, Inc. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Very small aperture terminal (VSAT) is a communication system that is operated through the satellite. It serves businesses and domestic users. The end-user of a VSAT requires a box that interfaces an outside antenna with the user's computer with the help of a transceiver. The transceiver sends the received signal to a satellite transponder in the sky. The satellite receives and sends the signal that comes from the earth's station's computer which acts as a core for the system. Each end-user is connected with the core station with the help of a satellite connected in the form of a star topology. For the end-users to connect with each other, each transmitted first goes to the hub station, which is then re-transmitted to the receiving end-user's VSAT via the satellite. VSAT handles video, voice and data signals. With the help of VSAT, companies can have complete control of their communication systems, without depending on other IT companies. Domestic users and businesses also can get higher speed than regular telephone services. The global enterprise VSAT market has been segmented on the basis of categories, hardware & services, and geographies. On the basis of categories, the market has been segregated into products and services. The services segment accounted for a dominant market share in 2015. This is attributed to clinics and hospitals enabled with satellite broadband services, which help them maintain direct two-way data exchange and communication. For More Info, Get Sample Report Here: https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/7233 In addition, satellite broadband services also help security agencies and intelligence services improve their data analysis systemsthat help them in deciphering the information more accurately.Government agencies as well as maritime and military sectors are major end-users of VSAT as a service. Therehas been continued demand from this segment, which is driving the market. On the basis of hardware & services, the global market for enterprise VSAT has been divided into ARUP VSAT terminals and ASP VSAT terminals. A major driverfor the growth of the global market for enterprise VSAT is the provision of practical, cost-effective solutions for individual end-users, who require a self-regulating communications network through which a number of remote sites are connected. In addition, the VSAT network offers satellite-based, value-added services such as voice/fax communication, LAN services, data transmission, and internet access along with public and private network communications. Emerging technologies such as high throughput satellite (HTS) technology is a major restraint to the growth of the global enterprise VSAT market. Service providers are likely to integrate their current operations with these emerging technologies. Geographically, the global market for enterprise VSAT has been segregated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America.North America held the dominant share of the global market in 2015.The market in the region is projected to witness steady growth during the forecast period. This is attributed to high adoption of satellite services for various applications such as inspection of historical monuments, vegetation identification, volcano monitoring, and disaster management in case of stormsand hurricanes. The market in Asia Pacific is estimated to witness speedy growth during the forecast period, owing to increase in government initiatives to connect schools and colleges in countries such as India, China, and Australia. Get Complete TOC and List of Figures of the Report at: https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/toc/7233 Major players operating in the global enterprise VSAT market include Gilat Satellite Networks(Petah Tikva, Israel), Hughes Communications (Maryland, the U.S.), SageNet (Oklahoma, the U.S.), ViaSat Inc. (California, the U.S.), VT iDirect (Virginia, the U.S.), Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (New York, the U.S.), Bharti Airtel (New Delhi, India), Embratel (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), ND SatCom GmbH (Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany), NewSat (Melbourne, Australia), Newtec (Sint-Niklaas,Belgium), Orion Satellite (Perth, Australia), Polarsat (Quebec, Canada), Primesys Solucoes Empresariais (Sao Paolo, Brazil), Signalhorn (Stuttgart, Germany), SpeedCast (Wanchai, Hong Kong), SkyCasters (Ohio, the U.S.), Tatanet Services (Mumbai, India), Telefonica, S.A (Madrid, Spain), and Telesat Holdings (Ontario, Canada). MRR.BIZ has been compiled in-depth market research data in the report after exhaustive primary and secondary research. Our team of able, experienced in-house analysts has collated the information through personal interviews and study of industry databases, journals, and reputable paid sources. The report provides the following information: - Tailwinds and headwinds molding the market's trajectory - Market segments based on products, technology, and applications - Prospects of each segment - Overall current and possible future size of the market - Growth pace of the market - Competitive landscape and key players' strategies The main aim of the report is to: - Enable key stakeholder's in the market bet right on it - Understand the opportunities and pitfalls awaiting them - Assess the overall growth scope in the near term - Strategize effectively with respect to production and distribution MRR.BIZ is a leading provider of strategic market research. Our vast repository consists research reports, data books, company profiles, and regional market data sheets. We regularly update the data and analysis of a wide-ranging products and services around the world. As readers, you will have access to the latest information on almost 300 industries and their sub-segments. Both large Fortune 500 companies and SMEs have found those useful. This is because we customize our offerings keeping in mind the specific requirements of our clients. About MarketResearchReports.biz MarketResearchReports.biz is a seller of syndicated market studies, featuring an exhaustive collection of research reports from leading international publishers. Our repository is diverse, spanning virtually every industrial sector and even more every category and sub-category within the industry. We also provide consulting services to enable our clients have a dynamic business perspective. Contact Us State Tower 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 United States Toll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-Canada) Tel: +1-518-621-2074 Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Our latest research report entitled Medical Disposables Market (by type (drug delivery disposables, wound management supplies, non-woven medical disposables, dialysis disposables, incontinence products, respiratory supplies, diagnostic and laboratory disposables), end-user (hospitals, primary care & outpatient facilities, home healthcare facilities)) provides complete and deep insights into the market dynamics and growth of medical disposables. Latest information on market risks, industry chain structure medical disposables 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 medical disposables growth factors. According to the report, the global medical disposables market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.3% 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/1981 Medical Disposables Market: Insight Medical disposable are material or devices that are used in medical fields and hospitals. As per the name, medical disposable is planned for a solitary use after which it is recycled or disposed of as solid waste. Medical disposables contain syringes, blood glucose strips, catheters, gowns, wound care products and others. Medical disposables are essential as they lower the risk of infections and cross-contamination, which is a major objective of governments and health authorities worldwide. The demand for medical disposables is not only for its one-time use property but also due to its hygienic methods that are implemented at the time of productions. These disposables are used in wound management, patient examination, fluid & drug delivery, and so on. Due to the strength property, polycarbonates are used in manufacturing disposable devices such as syringe as it goes through extreme pressure at the time of production. Moreover, plastics are frequently used for the production of disposables, as they are comparatively economical and are available in several different types. PVC is also used due to its flexibility. From production to make, these disposable goods are piled with numerous rules and standards. Further, disposable-device gathering mainly depends on injection-molded plastic, assembled by bonding, attaching, ultrasonic welding, or radio frequency welding. Medical Disposables Market: Drivers and Restraints The demand for medical disposables is increasing due to a rise in the number of hospitals. Further, the rising occurrence of infections & diseases and augmented emphasis on prevention from these infections are some of the key factors motivating the growth for medical disposables market. The aggregate number of per day patient in the hospital results in a growing demand for medical disposable that pushes the growth of the market. Besides, growing consciousness among patients about the benefits of using medical disposables, cumulative demand for sophisticated healthcare facilities, and obligatory rules that are to be followed for patient's safety are boosting the market growth. The usage of reusable medical devices such as breathing circuits, facemask and so on can cause hospital-acquired infection (HAIs). Moreover, reusable medical products can still cause an infection if the sanitization procedures are not followed properly. This obliges healthcare authorities and manufacturers to accept medical disposables that are intended for single use and to avoid HAIs. Development of new products in medical disposable is creating a growth opportunity in an upcoming year. On the other side, strict policies for the approval of medical disposables and the availability of other disposable substitutes are hampering the growth of the medical disposable market. Ask Discount for the Latest Research Report @ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/request-discount/1981 Medical Disposables Market: Regional Analysis Among the geographies, North America is estimated to dominate the medical disposable market followed by Europe and Asia Pacific region. Due to the presence of developed economies such as Canada, U.S., and others have developed healthcare facilities and infrastructure owing to that the demand for medical disposables is high in the North America region. Therefore, this factor further drives the growth of the medical disposable market in the North America region. In Europe, region factors such as the adoption of advanced technology and rising consciousness about the effects of cross-contamination are the factors credited to lead the growth of this market. In addition to this, increasing incidence of chronic disorders owing to inactive lifestyles and expansion of medical disposable products in countries, such as India and Japan are likely to support the growth for the medical disposable market in the Asia Pacific region. Medical Disposables Market: Segmentation The report on global medical disposables market covers segments such as type and end-user. On the basis of type, the sub-markets include drug delivery disposables, wound management supplies, non-woven medical disposables, dialysis disposables, incontinence products, respiratory supplies, diagnostic and laboratory disposables, and others. On the basis of end-user, the sub-markets include hospitals, primary care & outpatient facilities, home healthcare facilities, and others. Browse Detailed TOC, Description, and Companies Mentioned in Report @ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/healthcare-medical-devices/global-medical-disposables-market Medical Disposables Market: Competitive Landscape The report provides profiles of the companies in the market such as Medline Industries, Inc., Abbott., Boston Scientific Corporation, Derma Sciences Inc., Cardinal Health., ANSELL, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., 3M, B. Braun Melsungen AG, and KCI Licensing, Inc. Report Findings 1. Drivers - Rising Prevalence of Infectious Diseases. - Increasing Demand for Medical Disposables. - Increase in the Number of Hospitals. 2. Restraints - Stringent Policies for the Approval of Medical Disposables. 3. Opportunities - Technological Advancement and Development of New Products. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- The global ink resins market was valued at US$ 3.0 Bn in 2018 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of more than 5.0% from 2019 to 2027, according to a new research report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR), titled 'Ink Resins Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20192027.' Printing ink manufacturers use ink resins as raw materials to impart significant characteristics to printing inks. These characteristics include high solid content, viscosity, gloss, and improved pigment wetting. Get Research Report Overview@https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ink-resins-market.html Increased use of packaging to boost ink resins market Packaging is an important requirement of all products. It protects products from a variety of factors such as incorrect handling and harsh environments. Attractive packaging also plays an important role in the sale of products. Good packaging can positively influence a consumer's purchasing decision. Manufacturers and consumers have started realizing these benefits of packaging. As a result, the global packaging industry has been expanding at a considerable pace over the last few years. All types of packaging require printing inks, while all printing inks require ink resins as one of the raw materials. Thus, growth of the packaging industry is expected to drive the global ink resins market during the forecast period. Digitization trend to negatively affect ink resins market Digitization can be defined as the development of pictures and texts in the digital form. The process of digitization started with the development of computers, mobile phones, and Internet. Several textbooks, novels, and illustrative books are currently available on the Internet. Even marketing campaigns at present require printed material in less amounts, as part of those campaigns can be conducted online. The trend of e-commerce is growing at a rapid pace across the world and this has hampered several industries including the publication & commercial printing industry. This, in turn, is likely to restrain the global ink resins market during the forecast period. Request A Sample https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=65594 Collaboration between ink resin manufacturers and printing ink manufacturers Various types of ink resins are available in the market. They include modified rosins, hydrocarbon resins, polyamides, acrylics, and polyurethanes. Different types of ink resins involve different advantages as well as disadvantages. Ink resins can be manufactured as per the precise requirement of the final printing ink. They can even be customized for specific applications such as packaging, publishing, and commercial printing. However, the development of such high-precision ink resins is only possible through close collaboration between printing ink manufacturers and ink additive manufacturers. Such collaborations also present lucrative opportunities for ink resin manufacturers. Global ink resins market segmented based on type, printing ink, printing process, application, and region In terms of type, the global ink resins market has been segmented into modified rosin, hydrocarbon resin, modified cellulose, acrylic, polyamide, and polyurethane. The modified rosin segment accounts for a prominent share of the market, due to low price and easy availability of modified rosins. Based on printing process, the market has been segregated into lithography, flexography, gravure, digital, and others. The lithography segment holds a key share of the market, primarily because lithographic printing is widely employed in end-user industries such as printing and publishing. In terms of printing ink, the global ink resins market has been classified into water-based, solvent-based, UV-cured, and oil-based. Solvent-based printing inks consume a large share of ink resins. In terms of application, the market has been divided into packaging, publishing, commercial printing, and others. Packaging is the primary application of printing inks and, in turn, that of ink resins. Furthermore, with rising awareness regarding the significance of packaging, the packaging segment is expected to gain market share by the end of the forecast period. Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=65594 In terms of region, the global ink additives 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). Asia Pacific is the leading consumer of ink resins worldwide, due to the large production of printing inks in the region. High level of competition in the market Ink resins is a moderately consolidated market with the presence of a few, key multinational players such as BASF SE, The Dow Chemicals Company, DIC Corporation, and Lawter Inc. It is also a mature market with the presence of established players, which makes the entry of new companies relatively difficult. Several large-sized companies operating in the market have adopted the strategy of new product development, especially the development of sustainable and eco-friendly ink resins, in order to compete effectively in the market. For example, BASF SE has launched several new ink resins under the brand name of Versamid. Furthermore, it is focused on the production of eco-friendly ink resins under the brand name of Joncryl. About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The company's exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. TMR's data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports. Contact 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Tackifiers are low-molecular-weight compounds which are used as additives for adhesive formulations in order to enhance the tack and peel adhesion. They disperse in the polymer matrix as their structure disintegrates. Due to this, they help in improving the tack and mobility of the base polymer. Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/tackifiers-market.html Tackifiers possess exceptional viscoelastic properties as they possess high glass transition temperature, high softening temperature, and low molecular weight. They assist in specific adhesion and bridging of base polymers. They also reduce molecular cohesion. These properties of tackifiers result in lowering the melt viscosity of the polymer system. Tackifiers can generally be resins such as aliphatic and aromatic resins, rosins and their derivatives, terpenes, terpene-phenol resins and modified terpenes, and hydrocarbon resins. The solubility of tackifier resins in the base polymer is determined based on factors such as their polarity and molecular distribution. If the resin is not compatible with the base polymer, it does not affect properties of the polymer. This may result in ineffective tack and adhesion for the base polymer. Selection of tackifier resin depends on the base polymer being used. For instance, resins with high aromaticity are favored to be used with polar polymers such as acrylics and urethanes. Similarly, aliphatic resins are typically preferred for use with non-polar polymers such as chloroprene and natural rubber. Tackifiers Market: Key Segments Based on resin, the market for tackifiers can be segmented into rosin resins, terpene resins, and hydrocarbon resins. Rosin ester resins are obtained from pine trees. They are one of the most commonly used, conventional tackifier resins. There are three types of rosin resins: tall oil resin, wood rosin, and gum rosin. Rosin resins are typically compatible with a majority of base polymers and they offer exceptional tack. They are inexpensive compared to terpene resins. Hydrocarbon resins are derived from petroleum feedstocks. They are generally synthesized from petroleum-based byproducts of naphtha crackers. There are three key classes of hydrocarbon resins: C5 aliphatic resins, C9 aromatic resins, and DCPD cycloaliphatic resins. Sometimes, hydrogenation of hydrocarbon resins is carried out in order to lower discoloration or yellowing of the resin. The hydrogenation also results in enhanced stability of resins against heat and UV rays. Hydrocarbon resins are inexpensive compared to rosin resins. Terpene resins are derivatives of turpentine oil, which is obtained from citrus fruits or pine wood. Different types of terpene resins are available in the market. Key grades comprise phenol-modified terpenes, styrene-modified terpenes, and pinene-based polyterpenes. Terpene resins are compatible with a wide variety of base polymers. They offer exceptional heat resistance along with peel adhesion to pressure-sensitive adhesive formulations and hot melt adhesive formulations. However, they are highly expensive compared to hydrocarbon resins and rosin resins. Tackifiers are primarily applied in sealants, pressuresensitive adhesives, contact adhesives, and assembly adhesives. Formulations of these adhesives and sealants wherein tackifiers are used can be solvent-borne, waterborne, hot-melt, or reactive. Key end-user industry segments of the market for tackifiers are packaging, building & construction, transportation, electrical & electronics, footwear & leather, road marking, and others. Tackifiers Market: Regional Outlook Based on geography, the global market for tackifiers can be divided into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. The Asia Pacific tackifiers market is anticipated to expand at a significant growth rate during the forecast period. Growth of the market in Asia Pacific can be attributed to development of manufacturing infrastructure, easy availability of raw materials, and technological advancements in the region. Additionally, countries such as China, India, South Korea, and Taiwan are projected to contribute to the market in the region in the near future. Moreover, Asia Pacific is projected to dominate the global market during the forecast period. The market in the region is likely to expand at a significant growth rate from 2018 to 2026. Furthermore, the market in North America is also projected to expand at a significant rate in the near future. Rapid growth of sectors such as automotive, aerospace, and construction and increase in the demand for adhesives and sealants in diverse manufacturing industries are estimated to propel the tackifiers market in North America between 2018 and 2026. Request to view Sample Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=50262 Tackifiers Market: Key Players Key players operating in the global tackifiers market include Exxon Mobil Corporation, Kraton Polymers, Eastman Chemical Company, and SI Group Inc. Selbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- This report studies the Haptics Technology market, Haptic technology,or haptics,is a tactile feedback technology which takes advantage of the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user. AAC Technologies, Alps Electric, Nidec Corporation, Cypress Semiconductor, Texas Instruments, Bluecom, On Semiconductor, Microchip, Johnson Electric and Immersion are major players in the Haptics Technology in 2016. AAC Technologies dominated with 21.26% revenue share. On the basis of region, China is the largest market segment of Haptics Technology, with a consumption market share nearly 29.92% in 2016; Asia region has great market potential in the future. Request a sample Report of Haptics Technology Market at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1630198?utm_source=Releasewire&utm_medium=VS Haptics Technology used in industry including Automotive, Medical, Mobile Terminal (Smartphone/Tablet), Home and Wearable. Report data showed that 36.04% of the Haptics Technology market demand in Mobile Terminal (Smartphone/Tablet) in 2016. According to this study, over the next five years the Haptics Technology market will register a 14.2% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach US$ 14100 million by 2024, from US$ 6370 million in 2019. In particular, this report presents the global revenue market share of key companies in Haptics Technology business. The Haptics Technology market research study is basically a gist of the preface of this business space that elaborates on the parameters of consumption value and volume as well as the identification of numerous subsegments in this industry. Alongside, the study also includes detailed information regarding the pivotal factors influencing the growth of the Haptics Technology market as well as challenges and risks prevailing across this vertical. Key questions answered in the report: The segmentation of the Haptics Technology market: Which among the product types of Haptics Actuators and Drivers & Controllers is slated to accumulate the maximum returns by the end of the forecast period? How much is the remuneration of each product type currently and what is the revenue that every segment is projected to procure? What is the consumption growth rate and sales price of each of those products over the estimated period? How much market share is presently accumulated by the application segments of Automotive, Medical, Mobile Terminal (Smartphone/Tablet), Home, Wearable and Others? What is the forecast valuation of each of the application types over the estimated duration? Ask for Discount on Haptics Technology Market Report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/1630198?utm_source=Releasewire&utm_medium=VS The competitive landscape of the Haptics Technology market: Who are the top competitors in Haptics Technology market? Which among the firms of AAC Technologies, Alps Electric, Nidec Corporation, Cypress Semiconductor, Texas Instruments, Bluecom, On Semiconductor, Microchip, Johnson Electric, Immersion, Jinlong Machinery & Electronics, Precision Microdrives and Novasentis are estimated to be the top-notch contenders of the Haptics Technology market Share? What are the products that each of the companies offer? How much is the sales estimate of every company in the Haptics Technology market? How much valuation does each participant account for in the Haptics Technology market? What are the price patterns and profit margins of each of the firms? Market Drivers & Challenges What are the major drivers impacting the revenue graph of the Haptics Technology market growth? How is the escalating product demand from pivotal geographies and end-use domains impacting the commercialization matrix of this sphere? What are the latest trends prevalent in the Haptics Technology market? What are the challenges that the Haptics Technology market is remnant of? Growth tactics undertaken by Haptics Technology market players to remain consistent in the industry What are the myriad strategies adopted by prominent industry contenders to retain their stance in the Haptics Technology market? What are the various sales channels that each firm opts for in order to advertise the product? Who are the top distributors of the manufactured products in Haptics Technology market outlook? A regional overview of the Haptics Technology market: Which one amid the numerous geographies of Americas, APAC, Europe, Middle East & Africa accounts for the maximum contribution in the Haptics Technology market? How much is the consumption rate of each of the topographies with respect to the product types and applications? How much is the current valuation and the forecast revenue of every region? How much is the consumption market share of each of the geographies in question? The Haptics Technology market Size report is also inclusive of numerous other aspects like the market concentration ratio over the estimated timeline, an analysis of the market concentration rate, and an evaluation of the competitive landscape. The report also elucidates details about the most recent companies penetrating the Haptics Technology market and the impact of these firms on the overall vertical. For More Details On this Report: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-haptics-technology-market-growth-status-and-outlook-2019-2024 Some of the Major Highlights of TOC covers: 2019-2024 Global Haptics Technology Market Report (Status and Outlook) 1 Scope of the Report 1.1 Market Introduction 1.2 Research Objectives 1.3 Years Considered 1.4 Market Research Methodology 1.5 Economic Indicators 1.6 Currency Considered 2 Executive Summary 2.1 World Market Overview 2.1.1 Global Haptics Technology Market Size 2014-2024 2.1.2 Haptics Technology Market Size CAGR by Region 2.2 Haptics Technology Segment by Type 2.2.1 Haptics Actuators 2.2.2 Drivers & Controllers 2.2.3 Haptics Software 2.3 Haptics Technology Market Size by Type 2.3.1 Global Haptics Technology Market Size Market Share by Type (2014-2019) 2.3.2 Global Haptics Technology Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2014-2019) 2.4 Haptics Technology Segment by Application 2.4.1 Automotive 2.4.2 Medical 2.4.3 Mobile Terminal (Smartphone/Tablet) 2.4.4 Home 2.4.5 Wearable 2.4.6 Others 2.5 Haptics Technology Market Size by Application 2.5.1 Global Haptics Technology Market Size Market Share by Application (2014-2019) 2.5.2 Global Haptics Technology Market Size Growth Rate by Application (2014-2019) 3 Global Haptics Technology by Players 3.1 Global Haptics Technology Market Size Market Share by Players 3.1.1 Global Haptics Technology Market Size by Players (2017-2019) 3.1.2 Global Haptics Technology Market Size Market Share by Players (2017-2019) 3.2 Global Haptics Technology Key Players Head office and Products Offered 3.3 Market Concentration Rate Analysis 3.3.1 Competition Landscape Analysis 3.3.2 Concentration Ratio (CR3, CR5 and CR10) (2017-2019) 3.4 New Products and Potential Entrants 3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion 4 Haptics Technology by Regions 4.1 Haptics Technology Market Size by Regions 4.2 Americas Haptics Technology Market Size Growth 4.3 APAC Haptics Technology Market Size Growth 4.4 Europe Haptics Technology Market Size Growth 4.5 Middle East & Africa Haptics Technology Market Size Growth 5 Americas 5.1 Americas Haptics Technology Market Size by Countries 5.2 Americas Haptics Technology Market Size by Type 5.3 Americas Haptics Technology Market Size by Application 5.4 United States 5.5 Canada 5.6 Mexico 5.7 Key Economic Indicators of Few Americas Countries Read More Reports On: https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/At-93-CAGR-Applicant-Tracking-Software-Market-Size-Set-to-Register-3080-million-USD-by-2024-2019-05-09 Contact Us: Corporate Sales, Market Study Report LLC Phone: 1-302-273-0910 Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150 Email: sales@marketstudyreport.com Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- The global iron and steel casting market was valued at US$ 130 Bn in 2017 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of more than 4% from 2018 to 2026, according to a new report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR) titled 'Iron and Steel Casting Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20182026.' The iron and steel casting process involves production of any object of desired shape and size by pouring or injecting molten iron and steel into a mold. Such products are manufactured on a large scale for a wide range of sectors such as oil & gas, agriculture, automotive, power generation, industrial units, and manufacturing machinery. Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/iron-steel-casting-market.html Market to be driven by growth of heavy industries such as construction, mining, and automotive Growth of heavy industries such as automotive, mining, and construction is a major driver of the iron and steel casting market. Especially, rising demand from the construction industry is likely to propel the demand for iron and steel casting products in the near future. Construction equipment need to be sturdy, strong, and long-lasting. They need to incur low costs for maintenance and withstand varying pressures and different climatic conditions. This type of equipment also requires raw materials with excellent properties. Iron and steel are among the most commonly used raw materials in the manufacture of equipment for heavy industries such as power generation, manufacturing machinery, oil & gas, electricals, and industrial equipment. Traditionally, the mining industry has been an important end-user of iron and steel casting products. The industry is focused on reducing its operational costs. The low-maintenance and long-lasting nature of iron and steel casting products make them suitable for use in the mining industry. The automotive industry uses iron and steel casting products to offer sturdiness and strength to auto components and parts, so that they can withstand varying temperatures and possible vehicle accidents. Availability of aluminum alloys as substitutes in the automotive industry to hinder market Automotive manufacturers have shifted their focus toward cast aluminum instead of the conventional iron and steel products. They want to benefit from superior properties of aluminum casting products such as corrosion resistance, lightness, and high performance. These products can also help manufacturers meet the emission limits set by different regulatory bodies. Furthermore, use of aluminum can reduce the total weight of a vehicle by 10% to 15%. Use of aluminum is preferred in electric vehicles to reduce the vehicle weight. This, in turn, increases the durability of batteries. There are several other factors that drive the use of aluminum in the automotive sector. Increasing adoption of aluminum casting products acts as a restraint of the iron and steel casting market. Request to view Sample Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=20456 Investments in infrastructure development by governments to drive market for iron and steel casting products Governments of developed countries such as Canada, the U.K., France, and the U.S. are planning to invest in the maintenance of infrastructure projects. On the other hand, governments of developing countries such as Brazil, South Africa, China, and India are planning to develop Greenfield projects. A few examples of such projects include the proposed bullet train in India; metro railways in several cities of India such as Pune and Nagpur; and the Belt and Road Initiative by China. Other countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, and Tanzania are also planning to take initiative for such projects. Such projects require iron and steel casting products in large quantities, which increases the demand for iron and steel casting products. Global iron and steel casting market segmented based on material, application, and region In terms of material, the global iron and steel casting market can be divided into gray iron, ductile iron, steel, and malleable iron. The gray iron segment holds the leading market share and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period, due to low manufacturing cost, high tensile strength, ductility, and impact resistance of gray iron. Based on application, the market can be segregated into automotive & transport, pipes & fittings, pumps & valves, machinery & equipment, and others. Various properties of iron and steel such as ductility, durability, and impact resistance make them highly suitable for use in the automotive & transport sector. The automotive & transport segment accounts for the leading share of the market. In terms of region, the global iron and steel casting market can be classified 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=20456 Medium degree of competition in the market A large number of iron and steel casting companies operate in the market. These companies range from small and local manufacturers to medium-sized national-level companies and even, multinational companies. While large companies such as ArcelorMittal and Tata Steel account for a considerable share of the global market, the rest of the market is fragmented. The level of expertise of iron and steel casting companies is a significant factor affecting the competitive ability of market players. In terms of expertise and use of technology, multinational companies are better than small- and medium-sized companies. Some of the important companies in the market include Tata Steel Limited, Kobe Steel, Ltd., ArcelorMittal, Nucor Corporation, and Hitachi Metals Ltd. Doylestown, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Jeffrey Greene Design Studio is proud to offer handmade rare wood slab dining tables to clients both nationally and internationally. Inspired by the innovative works of world-renowned furniture design legend George Nakashima, Greene has been producing superior hand-crafted furniture for over four decades. Working from his studio in Doylestown, PA, Greene sources the most exquisite, high-quality, and rare wood slabs and turns them into classic pieces of furniture, each one unparalleled in its uniqueness and all utilizing his years of innovation and experience. With an extensive portfolio accessible on the Jeffrey Greene Design Studio website, interior design enthusiasts and decorators alike can peruse his extensive collection of timeless furniture at just a click of a button. From hand finished rare wood slab dining tables to coffee tables, beds, consoles, and desks, his pieces can dramatically improve the aesthetics of a home or office instantaneously. Greene also works on special commissions, some of which can be seen in the gallery on his website. Although his design career started working primarily with just indigenous hard woods, he has evolved to include rare exotic hardwoods, mixed and precious metals, and other diverse materials that will achieve his individual design aesthetic. Indeed these classical contemporary designs are treasured pieces that are sought after from every corner of the globe. The artist has a rich history of participating in a number of prestigious shows, such as the Philadelphia Furniture Show, the International Contemporary Furniture Show, the Architectural Digest Show, and more, and has won several awards and prizes for design over the years. Greene later went on to train multiple artisans who would become prominent members of the woodworking community. For more information and to view his extensive portfolio, call Jeffrey Greene Studio today at 215-488-7802 or visit http://jeffreygreene.com/. About Jeffrey Greene Design Studio: For over four decades, Jeffrey Greene has been designing and constructing innovative and custom-made furniture. Offering rare wood slab dining room tables and a wide array of other impressive and elegant pieces, the artist utilizes everything from freehand conceptual drawings to models, all to bring his original concepts to life in his Doylestown, Pennsylvania studio. For more information, visit http://jeffreygreene.com/. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- The impending patent expiration has resulted in the sluggish growth rate of the adalimumab market in Latin America. The entry of biosimilars has further aggravated the market's concerns. Transparency Market Research (TMR) pegs the valuation of the Latin America adalimumab market at US$994.8 mn in 2014. Expanding at a weak CAGR of 0.4% from 2015 to 2023, the market is forecast to reach US$1,186.4 mn by the end of 2023. View Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/latam-adalimumab-market.html Despite its sluggish growth rate, the adalimumab market in Latin America will gain from the favorable government regulations in the region. Latin America also possesses an impressive pool of experienced research professionals, as leading companies operating in the market have been engaged in extensive researches on biologics. This translated into higher investment in the development of biologic drugs by both international and local players. Since Brazil is preferred by a majority of global players in the pharma industry for expanding their operations in Latin America, the country will continue exhibiting favorable prospects for the growth of the adalimumab market. However, the high cost of clinical trials and research and development is the key challenge witnessed by companies operating in the market. Irrespective of the high R&D expenditures, manufacturers are required to maintain a low price of their products, which further limits opportunities for growth of the adalimumab market in Latin America. Absence of reimbursement for biologic drug therapy also adversely impacts the market. Nevertheless, with multinational companies proactively investing to capitalize on the untapped opportunities in Latin America and Asia Pacific, some opportunities for the market's growth in the near future still exist. Request a Brochure of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=8716 Brazil Emerges as Most Lucrative Market for Adalimumab in Latin America Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina make the most lucrative countries for sale of adalimumab in Latin America. Among these countries, Brazil has emerged as the leading market because it has in place established regulatory policies for biologic drugs. Moreover, an increasing preference for biologic drugs has been noticed among the patients of this country as well, which puts Brazil at the fore of the adalimumab market in Latin America. As per TMR, the Brazil adalimumab market is poised to surge at a CAGR of 1.2% between 2015 and 2023. The market stood at US$276.7 mn in 2014 and is expected to reach US$352.8 mn in 2023. However, other countries such as Columbia, Peru, Venezuela, and Chile represent the middle or low income group among LATAM nations. Absence of established biosimilar regulatory policies in these countries, inadequate government support, and lack of native production facilities limits adoption of biologic drugs across these nations. Despite all odds, the LATAM adalimumab market is forecast to grow at a slow yet steady pace. The entry of adalimumab post patent expirations of blockbuster drugs would renew opportunities for leading enterprises in the market. Increasing Incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis to Boost Adalimumab Sales in Latin America The most common applications of adalimumab include psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and others. Of these, the application of adalimumab in rheumatoid arthritis contributed US$328.7 mn to the LATAM adalimumab market in 2015. The use of adalimumab has increased in response to the high incidence of rheumatoid arthritis. The medicine is used to reduce the signs of moderate to severe rheumatoid in adults. The rheumatoid arthritis segment is expected to continue holding the leading share in the market through the report's forecast period. The rising incidence of psoriasis, combined with the increasing healthcare expenditure in Latin America, will also boost sales of adalimumab in the region. Request a Sample of the Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=8716 Some of the leading enterprises operating in the LATAM adalimumab market include Pfizer, Inc., AbbVie, Inc. Amgen, Inc., and Novartis among others. About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge. Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMR's syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement. Contact Us Transparency Market Research 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Power to the constants! If you come across someone who can tell you by heart and without cheating what a kilogram is after 20 May 2019, beware! It is probably a particular kind of scientist, a metrologist, who is still overly enthusiastic about the fundamental change experienced by the International System of Units, the SI. From 20 May 2019 on (World Metrology Day 2019), things as abstract as natural constants will be the measure of all things when it comes to defining what exactly a kilogram, an ampere, a kelvin and a mole exactly are. After years of research at the major metrology institutes, and in particular at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the world community eventually agreed upon this revision of the System of Units - a revision that comes into force as of on World metrology Day. The 20th of May, 2019 marks a break in the development of physical and technical units of measurement. From this day on, the definitions of the units as we used to know them are a thing of the past. Gone are the times when a small metallic cylinder kept in a safe of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) in Sevres (Paris) represented the kilogram for the whole world. Also gone are the times when an idealized setup consisting of two strictly parallel conductors of infinite length and negligible diameter and with a distance of one meter between them had to be used to define what the unit of electric current was supposed to mean. On 20 May 2019, the units we use to measure the world were put on the most solid ground one can imagine from a physical point of view. A set of natural constants with defined values now represents the basis for the definitions of all units. In principle, the idea of defining units of measurement on the basis of natural constants is not new. What began 50 years ago with the definition of the second by means of atomic clocks, and continued over 30 years ago with the definition of the meter with the aid of the speed of light, will now continue for all of the units in the International System of Units (SI). Four other constants will be playing the leading roles: Planck's constant, h, the Avogadro constant, NA, the Boltzmann constant, k, and the charge of the electron, e. In metrology laboratories, extensive experiments have taken place over the past several years to measure these very constants as well as possible. These measurements, which were mainly carried out at the leading metrology institutes such as PTB (Germany), NIST (USA), NMIJ (Japan) and NRC (Canada), have been successful: the target measurement uncertainties have been achieved and the requirement that the experiments take place independently of one another has been fulfilled. Based on these measurements, it was therefore possible to determine the numerical values attributed to the fundamental constants concerned very accurately. The following applies to the new formulation of the SI: if measurements can be more precise, then the units can be realized with greater accuracy as well without changing the definition they are based on. In a high-tech world where neither length subdivision ends with nanometers nor time subdivision ends with femtoseconds, this technical openness of the new SI is a huge bonus for all future progress in terms of accuracy. The revision of the system of units thus provides better preconditions for innovation wherever very high accuracy is required, for example, when developing quantum technologies, enhancing diagnostic capabilities in the medical sector, improving the efficiency of energy harvesting or the analytical methods used in climate research. And this openness applies to the whole scale of the unit concerned, since the fundamental constants do not emphasize any particular section of a scale. This differs somewhat from the present situation, where the kilogram merely fixes one precise point on the mass scale, namely the 1 kg graduation mark, or where the triple point of water merely fixes a single value on the temperature scale, namely the 0.01 C graduation mark. The definitions in the system of units have been entirely revised in order to remedy the previous system's deficiencies. However, the changes will go unnoticed in everyday life. In technological fields, progress will become evident in the long run. In contrast, progress for the scientific community will take effect as soon as the new definitions enter into force. Another advantage speaks for itself: natural constants are universally valid. The new SI has thus established a universal language that the international community has now agreed to use. And why is this important for me? That's a legitimate question! Most people probably will not notice that the kilogram and a number of other physical units have had a new definition since May 2019. In the fields of science and industry, however, it is possible that doors to innovation and completely new discoveries have been opened. We need to back up, though. Who will be affected? The citizens: You haven't noticed any changes since the kilogram was redefined in May 2019? Just as before, one kilogram of apples weighs 1000 grams and the bathroom scale hasn't displayed any inexplicable changes? Wonderful, that was the plan! The new basis of the unit kilogram was chosen like that so that we would not notice any change from the transition in our daily lives. School students: As soon as the new System of Units has found its way into textbooks, the subject of "units of measurement" will become quite challenging for school students. The definition of the kilogram will become much more abstract. Whereas before, it was enough to know that the international prototype of the kilogram, stored in a Parisian safe, is the "mother" of all kilograms, natural constants will now play a greater role at school. The scientific and cultural history of the units should also be passed down to the general public in the form of museum displays. To this end, PTB and the Deutsches Museum in Munich have set up a permanent exhibition to meet these concerns. It is titled "Alles in Maen - Mae fur alle" (All in good measure - measurements for everyone). Science: Finally, the kilogram and all the other units have a stable basis! The natural constants, on which they are based, are unchanging according to modern knowledge. With the international prototype of the kilogram this was very different: Its mass changed over the course of the decades in comparison with its copies. And theft or damage would have been a catastrophe! The current "recipe" for a kilogram, however, is now valid forever and everywhere. Industry: It may not be obvious right away, but the new System of Units is more open for innovation than the previous one. In the past, the international prototype of the kilogram defined exactly one point on the mass scale. That meant that the regions to the left and to the right of this point became increasingly uncertain. In the future, any number of points can be realized anew on the respective scale. This could be the start for new developments in measurement and calibration. Extra-terrestrials: Mathematics and the natural constants are part of a world language which is understood everywhere - everywhere on earth just as in space. This language is universal in the truest sense of the word. It should now even no longer be a problem to share information and goods with our neighbours on Alpha Centauri! (PTB/jes/if) ### Contacts: Dr. Dr. Jens Simon, Press and Information Office of PTB Bundesallee 100, 38116 Braunschweig, Phone: +49 531 592-3005, Mail: jens.simon@ptb.de Further information: Decisions of the 26th meeting of the General Conference of Weights and Measures, Versailles, 13-16 November 2018, https:/ / www. bipm. org/ en/ measurement-units/ rev-si/ The International System of Units, 9th edition, Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), published at: https:/ / www. bipm. org/ en/ publications/ si-brochure "The new International System of Units (SI)", PTB Info Sheet, November 2017, https:/ / www. ptb. de/ cms/ en/ research-development/ research-on-the-new-si/ shortly-explained. html "Research on the new SI", an entire chapter of PTB's website dedicated to the new SI, with publications such as the PTB-Mitteilungen, facts and figures and much more information about the new SI: https:/ / www. ptb. de/ cms/ en/ research-development/ research-on-the-new-si. html This story has been published on: 2019-05-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The United States military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now it is an opportunity, a senior commander of Irans Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday, according to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA). The U.S. military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East to counter what U.S. officials have said are clear indications of threats from Iran to its forces there. The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month. An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now...the threats have switched to opportunities, Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards aerospace division said. He added, If (the Americans) make a move we will hit them in the head. The commander of the Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, said in a parliament session on Sunday that the United States has started a psychological war in the region, according to a parliamentary spokesman. Commander Salami, with attention to the situation in the region, presented an analysis that the Americans have started a psychological war because the comings and goings of their military is a normal matter, said Behrouz Nemati in a summary of the Salamis comments, according to parliaments ICANA news site. Salami was appointed head of the Guards last month. Separately, Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet on Sunday that U.S. national security adviser John Bolton had made plans for the United States to withdraw from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal and take a more aggressive posture toward the Islamic Republic even before he took up his current post. Zarif tweeted a link to a 2017 National Review article written by Bolton with the headline How to Get Out of the Iran Nuclear Deal. A detailed blueprint for #FakeIntelligence, #ForeverWar and even empty offers for talksonly phone numbers were not included, Zarif wrote in the tweet. CNN reported on Friday that the White House had passed a telephone number to the Swiss for contacting U.S. President Donald Trump in case Iranian officials want to hold talks. The Swiss embassy in Tehran represents U.S. interests in the Islamic Republic. Search Keywords: Short link: Maharashtra, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Metal Office Units Market This is an excellent research study specially compiled to provide latest insights into critical aspects of the Metal Office Units market. The report includes different market forecasts related to market size, production, revenue, consumption, CAGR, gross margin, price, and other key factors. It is prepared with the use of industry-best primary and secondary research methodologies and tools. The Metal Office Units market has witnessed growth from USD XX million to USD XX million from 2014 to 2019. With the CAGR of X.X%, this market is estimated to reach USD XX million in 2026. To get holistic SAMPLE of the report, please click: https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request_sample/476744 The Major Players Covered in this Report: KAPPLER, OFITA, Tayco, Maine, Palmberg, Della Rovere, ISKU, Versa Products, AIS, Caimi Brevetti, RAIO, ESTEL, Frezza, Mobles 114 editions, Dynamobel, Buronomic, Fantoni, USM Modular Furniture, Bene, JG Group, UDA Lockers, Actiu, Bretford & More. On the basis of types, the Metal Office Units market is primarily split into: Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 On the basis of applications, the market covers: Application 1 Application 2 Application 3 Regional Analysis For Metal Office Units Market: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.) Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) Market Segments: The global Metal Office Units market is segmented on the basis of type of product, application, and region. The analysts authoring the report provide a meticulous evaluation of all of the segments included in the report. The segments are studied keeping in view their market share, revenue, market growth rate, and other vital factors. The segmentation study equips interested parties to identify high-growth portions of the global Metal Office Units market and understand how the leading segments could grow during the forecast period. Grab Your Report at an Impressive Discount ! Please click Here@ https://www.reportsmonitor.com/check_discount/476744 Reasons to buy: In-depth analysis of market on global and regional level. Major changes in market dynamics and competitive landscape. Segmentation on the basis of type, application, geography and others. Historical and future market research in terms of size, share, growth, volume & sales. Major changes and assessment in market dynamics & developments. Industry size & share analysis with industry growth and trends. Emerging key segments and regions Key business strategies by major market players and their key methods. The research report covers size, share, trends and growth analysis of the Metal Office Units Market on global and regional level. Key Areas of Focus: Major trends Market and pricing issues Customary business practices Government presence in the market Extent of commerciality in the market Involvement of functional disciples in market performance Geographic limitations Distribution, scheduling, performance, and supplier requirements This report considers the below mentioned Marketing Questions Answered: Q.1. What are some of the most favorable, high-growth prospects for the global Metal Office Units market? Q.2. Which products segments will grow at a faster rate throughout the forecast period and why? Q.3. Which geography will grow at a faster rate and why? Q.4. What are the major factors impacting market prospects? What are the driving factors, restraints, and challenges in this Metal Office Units market? Q.5. What are the challenges and competitive threats to the market? Q.6. What are the evolving trends in this Metal Office Units market and reasons behind their emergence? Q.7. What are some of the changing customer demands in the Metal Office Units Industry market? Q.8. What are the new growth prospects in the Metal Office Units market and which competitors are showing prominent results in these prospects? Q.9. Who are the leading pioneers in this Metal Office Units market? What tactical initiatives are being taken by major companies for growth? Q.10. What are some of the competing products in this Metal Office Units market and how big of a threat do they pose for loss of market share by product substitution? Q.11. What M&A activity has taken place in the historical years in this Metal Office Units market? For More Details On this Report: https://www.reportsmonitor.com/report/476744/Metal-Office-Units-Market To conclude, Metal Office Units Industry report mentions the key geographies, market landscapes alongside the product price, revenue, volume, production, supply, demand, market growth rate, and forecast etc. This report also provides SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis. About Reports Monitor Reports Monitor is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. With an intrinsic understanding of many business environments, Reports Monitor provides strategic objective insights. Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Ready-to-use laboratory test kits are gaining increasing demand from healthcare providers as these kits offer innovative solutions combined with technical support. The ready-to-use laboratory test kits are precise, easy to handle, and allow rapid diagnosis of various infectious diseases. Increasing demand for preventive management of infectious diseases caused by bacteria and fungus across the world is likely to contribute to the development of ready-to-use laboratory test kits market. In the recent years, diagnostic testing for malaria before treatment has increased significantly which has largely contributed to the adoption of ready-to-use laboratory test kits. With rising scope of application in clinical testing, home-based testing, and veterinary testing, the ready-to-use laboratory test kits market is expected to witness significant growth in the recent years. Other major factors which could be attributed to the growth prospects of the market including increasing awareness about early diagnosis of diseases among wide range of populations. Further, technological advancements along with product innovation is expected to be highly impactful on the future expansion of ready-to-use laboratory test kits market. However, public unawareness of new medical kits in remote areas and high cost associated with these devices are likely to create hindrance in the growth of ready-to-use laboratory test kits market. Ready to use laboratory test kits are the rapid diagnostic kits used for detecting various infectious diseases without the use of automated equipment and without any requirement of time-consuming laboratory procedures. These kits are used to perform the preliminary screening test by physicians to diagnose a wide range of infectious diseases. These kits are also referred as quick diagnostic kits as they provide results within minutes or hours which helps physicians in expediting the treatment process and prescribe patients with appropriate medications within the short period of time. Request Free Sample Report@ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=1120 Ready-to-use Laboratory Test Kits Market: Drivers & Restraints Ready to use laboratory kits market is growing at a moderate pace and its demand will increase in the given forecast period for the management of various diseases and conditions. The growing incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, viral infections, gastrointestinal diseases and other infections are the key driving factors for the Ready to use laboratory kits market. Additionally, the Ready to use laboratory kits market is driven by factors such as improving healthcare facilities, growing demand for home healthcare and the overall rise in lifestyle induced disorder such as diabetes. Lack of public awareness, high cost, untrained professionals and lesser availability in the developing countries overall limits the growth of ready to use laboratory test kits market. Ready-to-use laboratory test kits Market: Segmentation The global market for ready to use laboratory test kits is segmented on the basis of application, technology, end users and geography. Based on the application, ready to use laboratory test kits market is segmented into: Clinical testing Infectious disease testing Cholesterol Monitoring Substance abuse testing Home-based testing Blood glucose monitoring Pregnancy and fertility testing Veterinary testing Based on the technology, ready to use laboratory test kits market is segmented into: Agglutination assays Immune-chromatographic techniques Immune-dot techniques Immune-filtration techniques Flow-through Lateral Flow Solid Phase Based on end-user, ready to use laboratory test kits market is segmented into: Hospitals Clinics Diagnostic Laboratories Forensic Laboratories Home Care Settings Request/View TOC@ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=1120 Ready-to-use laboratory test kits Market: Overview The global ready to use laboratory test kit market is expected to show noteworthy growth owing to increasing infectious diseases, the rise in the consumer awareness level about these ready to use laboratory kits. Moreover, change in the lifestyle also increasing lifestyle induced disorders such as diabetes rising the demand for the kits. These quick diagnostic kits provide results in the matter of minutes or hours and accelerate the treatment period. These kits are easy to use and can be used at home by an amateur without any medical background to monitor blood glucose level or to determine cholesterol level. The overall growth of ready to use laboratory test kits market is high but the lack of public awareness and high-cost limits the growth. Ready-to-use laboratory test kits Market: Regional Outlook Ready to use laboratory market is segmented on the basis of eight regions into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan and China (APECJ), Japan and Middle East & Africa (MEA). North America region is dominating the overall laboratory test kits market throughout the forecast period. The presence of better healthcare facilities, high patients awareness level, the high prevalence of infectious diseases are some of the leading factors accounting for the maximum market share in these regions. This is followed by Europe and Japan due to rise in the prevalence of infectious diseases. In developing regions such as Asia-Pacific, ready to use laboratory test kits market is expected to boost up over the forecast period due to rise in the lifestyle induced disorders and increasing awareness among the patients about these ready-to-use laboratory test kits. In addition, rise in the cases of infectious diseases in Africa is expected to grow the market of ready to use laboratory test kits over forecast period. Ready-to-use laboratory test kits Market: Key players Some of the leading players operating in the ready to use laboratory kits market are F. Hoffmann La Roche, Abbott Laboratories, Siemens Healthcare, Novartis International AG, Abaxis, Bio-Rad Laboratories, QIAGEN, Becton Dickinson & Company, Zoetis, and Danaher Corporation. The report covers exhaustive analysis on: Market Segments Market Dynamics Market Size Analysis Current Trends/Issues/Challenges Competition & Companies involved Value Chain Analysis The regional analysis includes: North America (U.S., Canada) Latin America (Mexico. Brazil) Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia) Asia-Pacific Excluding China and Japan (India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand) China Japan The Middle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa) 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, macroeconomic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies. Report Highlights: Detailed overview of parent market Changing market dynamics in the industry In-depth market segmentation Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value Recent industry trends and developments Competitive landscape Strategies of key players and products offered Potential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growth A neutral perspective on market performance Report Analysis@ https://www.factmr.com/report/1120/ready-to-use-laboratory-test-kits-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 Rohit Bhisey Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ Blog: https://factmrblog.com/ Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Global Respiratory Monitoring Devices Market: Analyst's Assessment Respiration is an irreplaceable process of human lives, which starts at birth and continues uninterruptedly until death. A healthy human body is capable of respiration process for several decades but, owing to escalating levels of pollution in urban cities and lifestyles involving tobacco smoking, clogging of airways and other structures of the lung is turning into a common concern across the world. As a result of increasing prevalence of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma, it has become imperative to frequently monitor respiration process. And the market for the devices that enable it, is flourishing. According to this business intelligence study, the demand in the global respiratory monitoring devices market will multiply at an impressive CAGR of 8.27% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2023. In terms of revenue, it has been estimated that the respiratory monitoring devices market, worldwide, will generate a demand worth of US$2,795.4 mn by the end of 2023, substantially more than the market's evaluated worth of US$1,735.7 mn in 2017. Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/respiratory-monitoring-devices.html Apart from the growing prevalence of COPD, which the WHO has projected to be the third largest cause of deaths across the world by 2030, the demand in the global respiratory monitoring devices market is expected to gain traction from recent technological advancements and improving healthcare infrastructure in a number of emerging economies. On the other hand, high cost of devices and undefined reimbursement policies in rural parts of the world are a few restraints mitigating the prosperity of the respiratory monitoring devices market. Pulse Oximeter & Spirometer In-demand Product Segments On the basis of product, this report segments the respiratory monitoring devices market into capnographs, pulse oximeter, peak flow meter, and spirometer. Among these, as of 2017, the pulse oximeter and spirometer segments were in highest demand, respectively. A pulse oximeter measures the saturation of hemoglobin in arterial blood, i.e., the average amount of oxygen bound to each hemoglobin molecule. It is one the most commonly used monitoring modalities in a critical care setting and are very useful for patients suffering from respiratory or cardiac problems, especially COPD. Simplicity in usage and display of result within a short span of time are some of the other drivers of the growing demand for the segment of pulse oximeter. By the end of the forecast period of this report, 2023, the global pulse oximeter market is estimated to attain a valuation of US$937.8 mn. Request A Sample Copy @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1415 On the other hand, spirometer, which is a device used by physicians to measure and assess lung functions regarding respiratory problems such as bronchitis and asthma, is projected to produce a demand worth of US$855.4 mn by the end of 2023. Spirometers are mostly utilized in physician offices and clinical laboratories, as these provide more accurate and effective diagnostic results quicker than all commercially available lung function testing equipment. Based on end users, the report bifurcates the respiratory monitoring devices market into laboratories, hospitals, and home use. The hospitals segment is expected to provide for the maximum chunk of demand until 2023, followed by laboratories. North America to Remain Most Profitable Region until 2023 Geographically, North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific have been identified as the three regions that will drive the demand in the respiratory monitoring devices market in the near future. In North America, the developed country of the U.S. is providing for the most prominent chunk of demand, which is a reflection of high awareness about spirometers and plethysmographs, and financial capability to purchase expensive machines. Moreover, prevalence of COPD, rising demand for technologically advanced and innovative products in hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, and outpatient ambulatory surgery centers would fuel market growth in the country. By the end of 2023, the North America respiratory monitoring devices market is estimated to be worth US$1,013.1 mn. While France, Germany, Spain, and the U.K. are the key countries in this market, vastly populated emerging economies of India and China are pushing the Asia Pacific respiratory monitoring devices market. Request Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1415 CareFusion Corporation, Smiths Medical, ResMed, Inc., Masimo Corporation, COSMED, GE Healthcare, MGC Diagnostic Corporation, and Medical Technologies, Inc. are some of the companies currently ahead of the curve in a largely fragmented competitive landscape of the global respiratory monitoring devices market. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Butylene carbonate is an organic compound containing double ester group as well as carbonate as a functional group. It widely used as polar solvent in organic and inorganic materials, inks, colors, agriculture, fibers, surfactants, dyes, and batteries. Additionally, butylene carbonate is employed as binder for foundry sand molds, gallant for clay, crosslinking agent for superabsorbent polymers, and additive in fuel and hydraulic fluids. It is also used for the separation of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and aromatic hydrocarbon in refinery operations. Butylene carbonate is extensively used in components of electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries due to its high polarity, solubility, and boiling point. Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/butylene-carbonate-market.html The global butylene carbonate market can be segmented based on form and end-user. In terms of form, the market can be bifurcated into solid and liquid. In terms of end-user, the market can be divided into automotive, oil & gas, industrial, medical, and personal care & hygiene. Automotive is the leading segment of the butylene carbonate market. Rise in demand for electric vehicles and consumer electronics is boosting the demand for lithium-ion batteries. This, in turn, is propelling the global butylene carbonate market. Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable and require less recharging vis-a-vis their counterparts such as lead batteries, which require high recharging time. Increase in demand for electrolytes with better efficacy and light weight batteries is driving the demand for butylene carbonate. Rise in demand for environmentally-safer solvents in various end-user industries such as oil & gas, automotive, and chemical is also augmenting the global butylene carbonate market. Butylene carbonate is an environmentally-safer solvent compared to methylene chloride, acetone, and aromatic solvents. It possesses excellent solvency properties, low VOC, low toxicity, low evaporation rates, and high boiling points. Thus, it is ideal for usage in many solvent applications. Fluctuation in prices of raw materials is expected to hamper the butylene carbonate market during the forecast period. However, rise in demand for hybrid solvents is anticipated to provide lucrative opportunities to manufacturers during the forecast period. Request to view Sample Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=50244 In terms of region, the global butylene carbonate market can be segregated into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of consumption, Asia Pacific dominates the market. It is followed by Europe. China is the leading consumer of butylene carbonate in Asia Pacific. Increase in demand for electric cars in China and South Korea; and rise in demand for automotive coatings in developing economies in Asia Pacific are estimated to boost the demand for butylene carbonate in the region during the forecast period. Implementation of stringent regulations on fossil fuel depletion is also propelling the demand for electric cars in North America and Europe. This is driving the demand for lithium batteries, and in turn, butylene carbonate in these regions. Germany is a hub of the automotive industry. Butylene carbonate is used in various end-user industries the country due to its properties such as high viscosity index, better thermal resistance, and optimum performance in wide rage on temperatures. This is augmenting the market in Europe. The market in Middle East & Africa and Latin America is expanding at slower pace compared to mature economies. GCC, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa are dependent on import of raw materials for manufacturing butylene carbonate and automotive. Increase in merger & acquisition activities among automotive manufacturers in regions such as GCC and Mexico is projected to fuel the demand for butylene carbonate in the near future. Request For Custom Research @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=50244 Key players operating in the global butylene carbonate market include Huntsman Corporation, BASF SE, Oriental Union Chemical Corporation, and Mitsubishi Chemical. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Sodium carbonate is an inorganic salt of Sodium and carbonic acid. It is also known as soda ash, soda crystals and washing soda. Sodium carbonate is a white, odorless, hygroscopic, amorphous solid soluble in water and most solvents. It has an alkaline taste and results into a strong alkaline solution with water. Sodium carbonate is often utilized domestically as a common water softener. Sodium carbonate occurs naturally across the globe and can be mined for cosumption. It can also be manufactured commercially from sodium chloride (common salt) and limestone through 'Solvay Process'. Sodium carbonate has low toxicity, however prolonged exposure to skin and eyes or inhalation of dust may cause irritation. Ingestion of sodium carbonate may cause vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache, and nausea. Sodium carbonate releases carbon oxides when reacted with acids or burned. Sodium carbonate is primarily used by the chemical industry for manufacturing glass, detergents, sodium chemicals and carbonate chemicals. It is also employed by the paper and pulp industry for paper production. Sodium carbonate is used in industrial and municipal waste water treatment because of strict regulations requiring dechlorination of the waste water treatment process. It is also employed for brine treatment, coal treatment and desulphurization of flue gas. Sodium carbonate finds major consumption in industries as well as households for removal of hardness in water and pH adjustment of water. Sodium carbonate is also used as a catalyst for resin regeneration through ion exchange. Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sodium-carbonate-market.html The sodium carbonate market is primarily driven by its demand in water treatment applications, paper and pulp applications and applications in chemical industry. However, difficult disposal of effluents from the production process and stringent regulations for effective waste management might hamper the market growth. Expanding industrial economies of Asia Pacific, Latin America and Africa are expected to bring prospective opportunities for future market growth of sodium carbonate. In terms of geography, Asia Pacific is the largest consumer as well as producer of sodium carbonate. Major industrial economies including China, India, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia and South Korea are the major consumers of sodium carbonate for application in waste water treatment, paper and pulp and chemical industry. Two of the most populated countries, China and India are situated in Asia. Both these countries are growing rapidly and witnessing rising disposable income and purchase power parity of the general population. This high growth has lead to growth of end use products of sodium carbonate such as detergents and glass. North America is another major consumer for sodium carbonate especially in the detergent and waste water treatment applications. In Rest of the World, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and South Africa contribute to major demand for the market, especially in the glass manufacturing industry. Europe is expected to witness comparatively slower growth than other regions owing to stringent regulations against environment polluting chemicals. There is very low scope of capacity expansion in the developed regions of North America and Western Europe due to over capacities, high land and labor costs and stringent regulations. China and India are the best prospects fro capacity expansion to serve the local demand. Request Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=7313 The market is consolidated with major players exploiting economies of scales at global scale production level. Some of the market players include Merck Millipore, Solvay, Tata Chemicals (Soda Ash) Partners and J M Loverridge plc. among many others. San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/13/2019 -- Global Subsea Well Access Systems Market: Snapshot Subsea well access system are critical equipment employed for carrying out subsea drilling and production operations successfully. The safety and reliability of subsea equipment is critical for the development of subsea oil and gas field. Get Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=437 In the life of a field, interventions and workovers are needed to improve and optimize field recovery. This requires scientific technologies for facing challenges pertaining to augmenting oil recovery from subsea wells. This includes Riserless Light Well Intervention that enables cost-effective intervention operations in existing subsea wells, which results in additional output from mature subsea fields. The use of subsea well access systems enhances production efficiency and safety measures. Subsea well access systems are available in a number of configurations. For instance, Slimbore subsea well access system provide smaller bore diameter for slender well designs. Slimbore wellhead allows the use of diameter riser systems of reduced size for drilling and production operations. Thus, early generation drilling vessels can drill in deep water and floating production facilities can augment the quantity of production risers held back to the host platform. Subsea well access systems are primarily of two types, viz. rig based well access system and vessel based well access system. The former is used for subsea tree installation and for well completion and for heavy well intervention activities. Moreover, rig based well access system are also used for providing open water tree on wire installation along with intervention workover control and support services for Well Plug and Abandonment for deep as well as shallow waters. Vessel based well access systems is one of the most cost-effective intervention techniques. Global Subsea Well Access Systems Market: Overview The worldwide subsea well access systems market is growing at a healthy rate while riding on the advantage that the systems provide with regard to the relatively easy and efficient execution of subsea activities. This aids in attaining maximum safety and reliability, which in turn promises maximum output during production. The global subsea well access systems market is gaining a strong foothold at a significantly rapid pace because of the heavy investments by exploration and production companies with a view to minimize capital and operational expenditures. Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=437 Global Subsea Well Access Systems Market: Trends and Segmentation On account of the competitive characteristic of the oil and gas industry, there has been a bright focus on the improvement of production efficiency. Out of all the primary drivers of the world subsea well access systems market, rising safety concerns and improvised production efficient equipment as a requisite have topped the list. The global subsea well access systems market has a couple of restraints, i.e. lack of technical expertise and high installation and operational costs, which could hamper its growth. Howbeit, the adoption of subsea well access systems has elevated considerably in the event of strict safety regulations and penalties for non-compliance implemented across the industry. The subsea well access systems market growth is expected to be enhanced by the need to maintain and surge recovery rates. On the basis of technology, the global subsea well access systems market could be classified into rig-based intervention and vessel-based intervention. Rig-based systems which are used for heavy intervention may be segmented into completion workover riser system and landing string system. Vessel-based intervention, also known as riserless light well intervention, is mainly used for medium to light intervention. The growth rate for rig-based intervention systems is predicted to decline due to their cost and time-consuming attribute. Contrastingly, the adoption of riserless light well intervention is foretold to increase exponentially. Global Subsea Well Access Systems Market: Geographical Study With the continued advancement of the exploration of reserves by oil and gas operators in deep water areas, the international subsea well access systems market is progressing at a rapid pace. Europe and South America, in particular, have expressed their rising requirement for intervention in subsea wells. This has further stimulated the adoption of subsea well access systems. On the back of a massive number of wells existing historically, which require significant overhaul, Europe has been the leader in the global subsea well access systems market. Furthermore, the market in the Europe region is anticipated to spread its wings even more expansively, especially in the U.K. and Norway. The demand in Asia Pacific and Africa regions is predicted to augment with the boosting amount of deep water discoveries in emerging countries. Likewise, subsea well access systems are likely to find application in the deep water discoveries of South and Central America. Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/subsea-well-access-system-market Some of the important players existing in the global subsea well access systems market are Weatherford Solutions, FMC Technologies, UZTEL Ltd., National Oilwell Varco, Proserv, Tenaris, Cameron International, Schlumberger, and Aker Solutions. About TMR Research TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in today's supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients' conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has delivered an unrivalled snapshot of the barred lenticular galaxy NGC 3384. NGC 3384 was discovered by the British astronomer William Herschel on March 11, 1784. This barred lenticular galaxy is located approximately 35 million light-years away in the constellation of Leo. It is a member of the Leo I group (M96 group), a group of about 24 galaxies, including three Messier objects (Messier 95, 96 and 105). Also known as LEDA 32292 or UGC 5911, NGC 3384 has many of the features characteristic of elliptical galaxies. Such galaxies glow diffusely, are rounded in shape, display few visible features, and rarely show signs of recent star formation. Instead, they are dominated by ancient red-hued stars. This stands in contrast to the sprightliness of spiral galaxies, such as our own Milky Way Galaxy, which possess significant populations of young, blue stars in spiral arms swirling around a bright core. However, NGC 3384 also displays a hint of disk-like structure towards its center, in the form of a central bar of stars. Many spiral galaxies also boast such a bar, the Milky Way Galaxy included. Such galactic bars are thought to funnel material through and around a galaxys core, helping to maintain and fuel the activities and processes occurring there. This color image of NGC 3384 was made from separate exposures taken in the visible region of the spectrum with Hubbles Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Two filters F465W and F850W were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Bald cypress trees (Taxodium distichum) over 2,000 years old grow in the forested wetlands along Black River south of Raleigh, North Carolina. One of the trees is at least 2,624-years old, making the bald cypress the oldest-known wetland tree species, the oldest living trees in eastern North America, and the fifth oldest known non-clonal tree species on Earth. Living trees over 2,000-years old are extremely rare worldwide, said University of Arkansas Professor David Stahle and colleagues. Many living bald cypress trees at Black River are over 1,000-years old and our research demonstrates that some are over 2,000-years old, making these trees the oldest in eastern North America and as a species the fifth oldest sexually reproducing non-clonal tree taxa on Earth. Only individual trees of Sierra juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) at 2,675-years, giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) at 3,266, alerce (Fitzroya cuppressoides) at 3,622, and Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) at 5,066-years old are known to live longer than Black River bald cypress. The scientists documented the age of the trees using dendrochronology, the study of tree rings, and radio carbon dating. The oldest known Black River bald cypress has an inner ring date of 605 BCE, based on crossdating with other trees at Black River back to as early as 70 BCE, but with four radii from just this one old tree from 70 to 605 BCE, they said. This means that the specimen is at least 2,624-years old in 2018. In addition to their age, the trees are a scientifically valuable means of reconstructing ancient climate conditions. The oldest trees in the preserve extend the paleoclimate record in the southeast United States by 900 years, and show evidence of droughts and flooding during colonial and pre-colonial times that exceed any measured in modern times. It is exceedingly unusual to see an old-growth stand of trees along the whole length of a river like this, Professor Stahle said. Bald cypress are valuable for timber and they have been heavily logged. Way less than 1% of the original virgin bald cypress forests have survived. The study was published in the journal Environmental Research Communications. _____ D.W. Stahle et al. 2019. Longevity, climate sensitivity, and conservation status of wetland trees at Black River, North Carolina. Environ. Res. Commun 1: 041002; doi: 10.1088/2515-7620/ab0c4a Four commercial vessels were targeted by sabotage operations near the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates without causing casualties, the foreign ministry said on Sunday, without giving details of the nature of the sabotage. The incident occurred near the UAE emirate of Fujairah, one of the worlds largest bunkering hubs which lies just outside the Strait of Hormuz, the ministry said in a statement. Trading and industry sources said operations at Fujairah port ran smoothly on Sunday. The strait, a vital global oil and gas shipping route, separates the Gulf states and Iran, which has been embroiled in an escalating war of words with the United States over U.S. sanctions and the U.S. militarys regional presence. Subjecting commercial vessels to sabotage operations and threatening the lives of their crew is considered a dangerous development, according to the statement that was carried by state news agency WAM. The statement, which did not identify the vessels beyond saying they were of various nationalities, said the incident did not result in spills. The UAE did not blame any country or other party for the operation. Regional tensions have increased, with Washington saying it was sending a U.S. aircraft carrier and other forces to the Middle East due to what it said were Iranian threats, while Tehran has called the U.S. military presence a target rather than a threat. The U.S. Navys Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet told Reuters it was aware of the UAE report but referred queries to the UAE authorities. Search Keywords: Short link: Iran said on Monday it had sentenced an Iranian national to 10 years prison for spying for Britain, as tension rise between Tehran and some Western countries over its nuclear and missile programme. "An Iranian who was in charge of Iran desk in the British Council and was cooperating with Britain's intelligence agency... was sentenced to 10 years in prison after clear confessions," Gholamhossein Esmaili, a judiciary spokesman, was quoted as saying by Fars news agency. Esmaili said the person who was sentenced was in charge of projects for "cultural infiltration" in Iran. He did not identify the person, and did not specify whether the person held British nationality. The British Foreign Office did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment. The British Council is Britain's cultural agency overseas. The arrest of Iranians accused of espionage has increased since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last year there had been infiltration of Western agents in the country. Search Keywords: Short link: Sudanese Rapid Support Forces and police used tear gas on Monday to disperse dozens of protesters in Khartoum North and removed barriers they had set up on a main street in the capital, a Reuters witness said. The ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) has repeatedly warned against blocking routes as it remains locked in negotiations with the opposition over a proposed joint civilian-military body to oversee the country. Search Keywords: Short link: Iran and the United States could trigger a conflict by accident in an already unstable Gulf region, Britains foreign minister said on Monday, as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held talks in Brussels with the main European powers on the crisis. President Donald Trump is seeking to isolate Tehran by cutting off its oil exports after pulling out of a 2015 deal aimed at curbing Irans nuclear program. Trump has also beefed up the U.S. military presence in the Gulf to pressure Iran. While the European Union shares some U.S. concerns about Iran, including over its involvement in the Syrian conflict, it still backs the 2015 nuclear deal, saying that it is in Europes own security interests. We are very worried about a conflict, about the risk of a conflict ... of an escalation that is unintended, Britains Jeremy Hunt told reporters in Brussels ahead of the talks with Pompeo. Britain, Germany and France are signatories to the 2015 deal and their foreign ministers were holding separate meetings in Brussels on Monday with Pompeo, who canceled a planned stopover in Moscow in order to brief the European allies on Washingtons latest moves. Trump, who wants to force Tehran to agree a broader arms control accord, has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Gulf in a show of force against what U.S. officials have said is a threat to U.S. troops in the region. Iran says the strategy amounts to psychological warfare and a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander on Sunday said Iran would retaliate to any aggressive U.S. moves. Taking Different Courses The U.S. State Department billed Mondays talks in Brussels as a chance to discuss recent threatening actions and statements by Iran. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he had told Pompeo during their Monday meeting: We do not want it to come to a military conflict (between the United States and Iran). Maas avoided any public criticism of Washington, saying both sides wanted to ensure peace in the Middle East. But he said it was clear that Europe and the United States were going about it in different ways ... taking different courses. Before his meeting with Pompeo, Frances Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian urged Europeans to remain united in support of the nuclear deal, which was signed by the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, and which the European Union helped to negotiate. For Europe, the tensions with the Trump administration mark a deepening split in transatlantic ties that were traditionally marked by close coordination on Middle East policy, despite sharp disagreements over the 2003 Iraq war. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned last week that Tehran could resume enrichment at a higher grade if the European powers, China and Russia did not do more to circumvent punitive U.S. measures on banking and energy to boost trade. Hunt, who held talks with Maas and Le Drian on the margins of a regular EU meeting in Brussels, expressed concern about the risks of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East if Iran were to acquire such weapons. We need to make sure that we dont end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearization, Hunt said, calling for a period of calm so that everyone understands what the other side is thinking. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the EU would continue to support the nuclear pact because Iran continued to comply with inspections and uranium production limits. The EU is trying to implement a new channel to allow Iran to sell its oil and circumvent newly-instated U.S. sanctions, but setting it up is proving complex. Spains Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said Madrid was considering joining the special trade channel, known as INSTEX, which so far counts France, Germany and Britain as shareholders and could be operational by the end of June. Search Keywords: Short link: The 100-passenger ship was built at De Hoop in the Netherlands. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman and CEO Richard Fain hosted the on-board ceremony for company executives and more than 70 crew, many Ecuadorians. Luxurious but energy-efficient 'Designing a new ship specifically for the Galapagos Islands was an exciting challenge and we think Celebrity Flora succeeded beautifully,' Fain said. 'It is, of course, luxurious but its also the most energy-efficient ship of its kind in the region, which further demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and protecting the vital ecosystem of this unique place.' Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo acknowledged the hard work of hundreds of architects, artisans, engineers and others, adding that Celebrity Flora will change the way travelers experience the Galapagos thanks to the 'largest and most luxurious all-suite accommodations' in the archipelago. Sky Suites with infinite verandas Flora reflects Celebrity's outward-facing design concept to give 360-degree views of the islands. Half the accommodations are Sky Suites with infinite verandas. An upper-deck glamping experience, stargazing platform and custom-designed Novurania yacht tenders are other features. According to Celebrity, Flora will have a high 1:9 ratio of Galapagos National Park-certified naturalists per passenger. Oceanscope Celebrity Flora is equipped with cutting-edge oceanographic research equipment known as Oceanscopein a program that builds on the company's more than 20-year relationship with the University of Miamis Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. This benefits from a consistent itinerary to create a cost-effective way for scientists to gather and measure ocean circulation dynamics. The system will track and map the region while measuring sea-surface temperatures and gathering data critical to research prediction of El Nino and La Nina. The findings gathered will become open source data that can be globally accessed for research. In another first, travelers will be able to view the data through compelling real-time visualizations on board. Year-round from Baltra Celebrity Flora will sail from Baltra year-round, making its initial cruise on June 30. Zhao Bangtao, general manager of Cosco Shipping Shanghai said that it established the new ship repair base is part of the companys business consolidation and optimisation plan. He said it would improve the companys integrated service capability and efficiency. The company started the construction of the ship repair yard in Liuhengdao, Zhoushan in December 2018. Cosco Shipping Shanghai is a regional company of Cosco Shipping Group, focusing on liquid chemical products transportation and storage. The company will also work with Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation to expand cooperation for the new ship repair yard. Zhoushan is one of the leading ship repair bases in China. The yards in Zhoushan repaired around 2,000 ships last year, accounting for 20% of the nations total ship repair volume. De Lima to vote in Paranaque on Election Day Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima will temporarily leave her detention quarters tomorrow (May 13), Election Day, to cast her vote at the polling precinct in Paranaque City where she is a registered voter. De Lima was allowed by the courts handling her trumped-up drug cases to vote under police escort at the Polling Precinct No. 0648A in the Saint Rita College, formerly Saint Rita School, in Paranaque City between 12 noon until 2pm. "Nagpapasalamat po ako sa pagkakataon na makaboto ngayong eleksyon, hindi lang para gampanan ang aking tungkulin bilang mamamayan, kundi upang isabuhay at patibayin pa ang diwa ng ating demokrasya," she said. Last April 30, Judge Liezel Aquiatan of the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 205, granted De Lima's urgent motion for furlough allowing her to vote under the Commission on Elections' "Escorted Detainee Voting System" on May 13. The lady Senator from Bicol, however, was ordered "to refrain from giving interviews before and after casting her vote" on Election Day. Judge Amelia Fabros Corpuz of Branch 256, meanwhile, has also granted De Lima's petition for furlough to vote under "Escorted Detainee Voting System" on May 13 midterm elections in an open court last April 12. Two of the three trumped-up illegal drug trade charges filed against De Lima are being handled by Branch 205 while the other one is in Branch 256. In exercising her right to suffrage, the former justice secretary committed to "bear all the necessary cost and expenses" for her transport to and from her polling place at Santa Rita College located at Dr. A. Santos Avenue, Sucat, Paranaque City. De Lima, a known election lawyer, also took the opportunity to remind the Filipino electorate to value their right to suffrage and help rebuild a more just and humane society by electing worthy leaders in the elections tomorrow. "Nananawagan po ako sa ating mga kababayan: Sa ating pagboto, piliin natin ang mga pinunong magtataguyod ng solusyon sa problema ng bayan, at tunay na maninindigan sa katotohanan, karapatang pantao at katarungang panlipunan," she said. De Lima, considered as a leading prisoner of conscience, has been detained for more than two years now for obviously ridiculous drug charges invented by the Duterte administration for political reasons and personal vendetta. Chorus has hired Downer EDI and Cimic Group's Visionstream to maintain its copper and fibre telecommunications network for the next three years at a cost of about $450 million. The new contracts cut out Broadspectrum, which along with Downer and Visionstream was one of Chorus's existing maintenance contractors. Under the new framework, Visionstream will cover Auckland and all areas north of Auckland, while Downer gets the rest of New Zealand. The maintenance deals are separate to the ultrafast broadband installation. Broadspectrum is still a contractor on the first tranche of the UFB build, which finishes this year, and the principal contractor on the UFB2 build, which runs to the end of 2022. The new arrangements come as Chorus overhauls its supply chain in response to a critical review of the way it managed the contracting out of most of its network UFB construction and maintenance. A MartinJenkins report in April found the model was appropriate to manage unexpected surges in demand and let the service firms scale up or down to meet the required work. However, the risk of migrant exploitation wasn't well-understood by any of the parties, and a Labour Inspectorate investigation discovered widespread issues. "These contracts are the first step in moving Chorus beyond the major UFB network build and connect programmes and into an operating model that provides the ongoing experience our customers expect," Chorus general manager of network and field management Andrew Carroll said in a statement. "We have chosen partners who we are confident will deliver the right overall results, not just the cheapest option." In 2009, Visionstream introduced the sub-contracting model to Chorus before it was carved out of Telecom Corp. The work had previously sat with Downer and Broadspectrum and largely relied on direct employees. Chorus said it expects there will be an opportunity for Broadspectrum staff on the maintenance contracts to move to Downer, which will need to hire new workers. The shares last traded at $6.28. They have climbed 29 percent so far this year, making them the third-best performance on the S&P/NZX 50 Index. (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 Rural Equities, the farming group majority-owned by the Cushing family, has agreed to sell its second-largest property as it rejigs its portfolio. Puketotara, a beef and sheep finishing operation near Huntly, covers 1,146 hectares and typically carries 12,000 stock. The company, which trades on the Unlisted exchange, said it expects about $11.7 million from the sale including livestock. The deal will settle on June 20. The sale is the sixth the Hastings-based firm has announced since June. Rural Equities portfolio has been shrinking as it sells down farms. The company, which also has a stake in listed Australian farming and horticulture business Webster, said in 2017 it would consider new long-term investment opportunities in other asset classes and potentially other jurisdictions to improve returns and portfolio diversification. Executives werent immediately available to comment on the recent sales. Rural Equities started the latest financial year with 22 properties around New Zealand with a total landholding of about 9,800 ha. The six properties sold accounted for more than 2,600 ha. Sales to date included the 101 ha Delorain operation in Taranaki, the companys smallest dairy farm and its only asset in the region. The other sales have been in Hawkes Bay and South Canterbury. While some of the earlier sales were completed at more than book value, Rural Equities said proceeds from the six sales, before commissions, are likely to be about $39.7 million. That is almost 6 percent less than their June 2018 carrying value of $42.1 million. The firms ordinary shares last traded at $4.76, valuing the business at about $152.6 million. (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 Infratil and Brookfield Asset Management's $3.4 billion purchase of Vodafone NZ will see them each pay $1.03 billion for a 49.9 percent stake. The balance will come from taking on about $1.34 billion of Vodafone New Zealand's debt, and the 0.2 percent equity set aside for the telco's executive team, Infratil said. Infratil expects to pay its share through a fully underwritten equity raising of up to $400 million to be undertaken by UBS New Zealand, $400 million of debt from a committed acquisition debt facility, and the use of existing debt facility headroom. "A significant proportion of any equity raising is expected to be directed towards existing shareholders," it said. "Infratil will continue to evaluate the optimal timing to undertake an equity raising. Timing and structure will be subject to market conditions." According to Infratil, there is an eight-month period to obtain regulatory approval, but it expects it by August, with completion of the deal expected by Aug. 31, it said. The deal requires Overseas Investment Office approval, given Brookfield's involvement, Infratil said. The OIO application was submitted in March 2019 and the consortium has assessed the likelihood of receiving OIO approval as "high". The consortium is confident of meeting the relevant criteria and notes that Brookfield has previously been granted consent to acquire sensitive New Zealand assets, Infratil said. It also said there is a "very strong basis for Commerce Commission clearance to be granted." However, Infratil owns 51 percent of Trustpower, which has a 5 percent fixed broadband market share by connection, while Vodafone New Zealand has a 26 percent fixed broadband market share and competitor Spark has 43 percent. If Infratil cannot obtain Commerce Commission clearance, "the acquisition agreement would require Infratil to divest its interest in the Vodafone transaction, or failing that, divest its stake in Trustpower, by the eight-month deadline. The NZCC clearance condition could also be satisfied if Trustpower had sold its retail business in the required time," it said. According to Infratil, the purchase "significantly strengthens the cash generative core of the portfolio." It increases exposure to long-term data and connectivity growth and complements the acquisition of Canberra Data Centres. Infratil underscored its experience in establishing and supporting a standalone New Zealand entity formerly held within a multinational and creating significant value for shareholders, pointing to Z Energy. Brookfield's prior local investments include Powerco - New Zealand's second largest electricity and gas distribution company sold in 2013, and C3, New Zealand's leading provider of forestry aligned logistics, Infratil said. The asset manager has over US$365 billion in assets under management. Infratil chief executive Marko Bogoievski, a former Telecom executive, said that Vodafone NZ has been "rigorously assessed over the past several months." He said "we have done an extensive amount of work to ensure we understand the opportunities available to the business, in particular, the ability to use next-generation 5G technology to significantly enhance network capability and future services to Vodafone NZ customers. We expect that this acquisition will create strong, long-term value for Infratil shareholders." According to Infratil, Vodafone New Zealand's forecast revenue for the 2020 financial year is $2 billion to $2.1 billion while underlying ebitda is expected to be in a range of $460 million to $490 million. It anticipates capital expenditure of $300 million to $350 million. The New Zealand business had revenue of $1.99 billion in the year to March 31, underlying ebitda of $463 million, capital expenditure of $253 million and an adjusted operating free cash flow of $210 million. Regarding its own guidance, Infratil said underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and fair value adjustments would be $635 million to $675 million in the March 2020 financial year, assuming the acquisition succeeds and including a seven-month contribution from Vodafone New Zealand, versus a prior forecast of $510 million to $540 million. It didn't change dividend guidance. It said post the equity raise, the acquisition is expected to lift per-share earnings by the 2022 financial year. Vodafone NZ chief executive Jason Paris, one of the executives who will own the residual shares, was positive about the deal. "We've got the backing of two new world class and long-term investors. Plus we can continue to tap into Vodafones global expertise, including all the services our customers value such as global roaming, global procurement and the worlds largest internet-of-things platform." Infratil also said a "highly experienced board of directors will guide Vodafone NZ through its next stage of growth. Marko Bogoievski will chair the board and governance rights will be shared with Brookfield." Infratil, which is managed by HRL Morrison & Co, was put on a trading halt by the New Zealand stock exchange on Friday when it announced it was in talks with another party to buy Vodafone's New Zealand business. The stock last traded at $4.60. (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 Vodafone Group has sold Vodafone New Zealand to a consortium comprising Infratil and Canada's Brookfield Asset Management for an enterprise value of $3.4 billion, it said in a press release. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals and completion is anticipated during Vodafone Group's 2020 financial year, it said. Upon competition, Vodafone Group and Vodafone New Zealand will enter a partner market agreement, which will include use of the Vodafone brand, preferential roaming arrangements, access to Vodafones global IoT platform and central procurement function, and a range of services for the business and consumer markets. An important aspect of our strategy is the active management of our portfolio and deleveraging, which this transaction further demonstrates." Vodafone chief executive Nick Read said. "We have always been proud of our Vodafone New Zealand business, which has a great team, and we look forward to a continued close relationship through our partner market agreement." Infratil, which is managed by Morrison and Co, was put on a trading halt by the New Zealand stock exchange on Friday when it announced it was in talks with another party to buy Vodafone's New Zealand business. The stock last traded at $4.60. Brookfield Asset Management has over US$365 billion in assets under management. According to Vodafone Group, the deal was struck at an implied multiple of 7.3 times adjusted March-year earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation and 16.2 times adjusted operating free cash flow. It said the New Zealand business had revenue of $1.99 billion in the year to March 31, adjusted ebitda of $463 million, capital expenditure of $253 million and an adjusted operating free cash flow of $210 million. As of Dec. 31, 2018, Vodafone New Zealand had a mobile customer base of approximately two million subscribers and a fixed customer base of approximately 500,000 subscribers. In November, Vodafone New Zealand's new chief executive Jason Parish said the plan was to float the company and the target for the initial public offering was 2020. That followed an earlier failed bid to sell the business for $3.44 billion to Sky Network Television. That was blocked by the Commerce Commission in early 2017. The latest deal comes after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recently blocked a A$15 billion merger of TPG Telecom and Vodafone's Australian business, arguing it would reduce competition. (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 U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Monday it would be a big mistake for Iran to try anything against the United States after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier and more jet fighters to the region over concerns about rising tensions with Tehran. Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said the United States would see what happens with Iran but it would be a big mistake for it to try anything. His comments came after the United Arab Emirates reported four commercial vessels had been sabotaged near Fujairah emirate just outside the Strait of Hormuz. Search Keywords: Short link: The New Zealand dollar rose against Chinas yuan as that country devalued its currency as part of its damage control in the wake of renewed trade hostilities with the United States. The kiwi was trading at 4.5101 Chinese yuan at 5.15pm in Wellington from 4.907 at 8am. The domestic currency was little changed against other major currencies, at 65.76 US cents from 65.80, but after peaking at 66.05 cents before the yuans devaluation. The trade-weighted index rose to 72.13 points from 72.03, again reflecting the change in the yuans value. Last week, US President Donald Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports and a Chinese delegation headed by Vice-Premier Liu He left Washington without a deal in sight. Earlier today, the central parity rate of the yuan weakened 42 basis points against the US dollar the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day. Its lost 2 percent against the US dollar so far this month and were not even half way through the month, says Peter Cavanaugh, the senior client advisor at Bancorp Treasury Services. Judging by the market pricing for the offshore yuan this afternoon, we could see a further devaluation of the official rate tomorrow, Cavanaugh says. China effectively runs two exchange rates, one inside China and the other outside it, often referred to as the renminbi. On Friday, Trump raised tariffs on US$200 billion of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent. It is now threatening to impose 25 percent on an additional US$300 billion of Chinese goods. While Trump talks as if tariffs are paid to the US by China, his chief economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, told Fox News on the weekend that it is US consumers and companies that pay the impost. Fox anchor Chris Wallace said to Kudlow: Its not China that pays tariffs. Its the American importers, the American companies that pay what, in effect, is a tax increase and oftentimes passes it on to U.S. consumers. Kudlow replied: Fair enough. In fact, both sides will pay. Both sides will pay in these things. Upon further pressing from Wallace, Kudlow acknowledged that while China may suffer from the tariffs, it is in fact US businesses and consumers that have to pay for them. Cavanaugh says that China is indirectly devaluating the yuan as a form of damage control to try to cushion the impact of the tariffs on its economy. But I dont think theres much the Chinese can do on the currency front. That will annoy the Americans more than they are already." The New Zealand dollar was trading at 94.25 Australian dollars from 94.23, at 50.57 British pence from 50.69, at 58.58 euro cents from 58.62, and at 72.20 Japanese yen from 72.29. The New Zealand two-year swap rate fell to 1.5936 percent from 1.6005 on Friday while the 10-year swap rate fell to 2.1050 percent from 2.1300. (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 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. Developers Astoria and Lerida, which have the same owner, are now insolvent, with accounting firm KPMG acting as the receiver. Singapore property developer has gone bust for the first time since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. 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. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared information on escalating threats from Iran with European allies and NATO officials during meetings in Brussels on Monday, the U.S. special representative for Iran said. Iran is an escalating threat and this seemed like a timely visit on his way to Sochi, Brian Hook told reporters, referring to Pompeos planned visit to Russia on Tuesday for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Pompeo canceled a visit to Moscow on Monday and stopped in Brussels instead, en route to Sochi. The secretary wanted to share some details behind what we have been saying publicly, Hook said. We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats. Hook said Pompeo, while in Brussels, also discussed reported attacks on several oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Asked if Pompeo was blaming Iran for the attacks, Hook said: We discussed ... what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels that were anchored off Fujairah ... we have been requested by the UAE to provide assistance in the investigation, which we are very glad to do. Asked if he himself believed there was the possibility of an Iranian role, Hook had no comment. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the worlds largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not describe the nature of the attack or say who was behind it. Saudi Arabia said Monday that two of its oil tankers were among those attacked and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran. The UAE on Monday identified the vessels as very large crude carrier (VLCC) tanker Amjad and crude tanker Al Marzoqah, both owned by Saudi shipping firm Bahri. The other two were UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge A. Michel and Norwegian-registered oil products tanker MT Andrew Victory. Search Keywords: Short link: Gunmen killed a priest and five churchgoers during mass Sunday in an attack on a Catholic church in Dablo, northern Burkina Faso, security sources and local official said. "Towards 9.00 am, during mass, armed individuals burst into the Catholic church," the mayor of Dablo, Ousmane Zongo, told AFP. "They started firing as the congregation tried to flee." The gunmen managed to trap some of the worshippers, he added. "They killed five of them. The priest, who was celebrating mass, was also killed, bringing the number of dead to six." The attackers set fire to the church, several shops and a small cafe before heading to the local health centre, which they looted and burnt the chief nurse's vehicle, said Zongo. A security source said between 20 and 30 gunmen carried out the attack. Sunday's attack was the latest of a series carried out against Christian churches in Burkina Faso. Last Sunday, gunmen killed five people in an attack on a Protestant church in the small northern town of Silgadji. Search Keywords: Short link: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a trade union leader in Mexicos central city of Salamanca, authorities said on Sunday, the latest outbreak of violence in an area plagued by a murderous struggle between gangs over fuel theft. Gilberto Munoz, a former federal lawmaker and the leader of the national chemical and petrochemical union, died after being shot on Saturday, the government of Salamancas home state of Guanajuato said in a statement. Salamanca is home to one of Mexicos six oil refineries, and the facility has been under the protection of the army since the start of the year after President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador launched a crackdown on fuel theft across the country. The motive for the attack on Munoz was unclear. A spokeswoman for Guanajuatos government said investigations were ongoing and that no further details could be revealed for now. The fight for control of access to pipelines has turned the once relatively peaceful state of Guanajuato, a center of the carmaking industry, into one of the most violent. Between 2007 and last year, the annual murder tally in Guanajuato leapt more than ten-fold to over 2,600. Taking office in December, Lopez Obrador pledged to reduce the violence in Mexico. So far, murders are still rising. A total of 969 murder investigations were opened in Guanajuato in the first four months of his administration, a jump of 50 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to figures published by the interior ministry. Search Keywords: Short link: Page Content Air Century made the statement this weekend when its top executives met with Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication (TEATT), the Honourable Stuart Johnson who is in the Dominican Republic on a working visit. The airline is looking towards the near future when it intends to offer more flights to the island and connect St. Maarten with the other destinations it services. At present, Air Century provides flights to Puerto Rico, Curacao, Haiti, Cuba, Aruba and St. Maarten and is based in the Dominican Republic. Johnson said on Sunday, "Air Century serves a very essential need for our island as a large number of our residents are from the Dominican Republic. The DR is a country which has a long history and shared a relationship with the people of St. Maarten." He said the need for additional airlifts to the St. Maarten has to continually be looked at from the perspective of what service is most needed. "That is the only way we will sustainably rebuild the airlifts to our island. The right connections create major marketing opportunities, along with the increased visitor arrivals and each route has to be beneficial for the airline itself as well so that they can provide service that we can rely on year round," said Johnson. Johnsons main goal when he met with Air Century Commercial Director Fabio Melo was to discuss increasing flight frequency and marketing opportunities for St. Maarten. I also wanted to solidify the Government of St. Maartens commitment to providing support. Naturally, supporting the airline is easier to agree upon since Air Century is very pleased with its load factor to St. Maarten, Johnson added. Minister Johnson along with his senior policy advisor in the TEATT Cabinet Ms Regina Labega and Head of Civil Aviation Louis Halley received a tour of Air Centurys operations base at the Dr Joaquin Balaguer International Airport La Isabela. Air Century flies four times weekly to St. Maarten using both the CRJ200 Jet with 45 seats available and the Saab 340B offering 27 seats. The airline has confirmed that it will increase from four to five flights weekly from St. Maarten starting this summer. Air Century began to fly to St. Maarten in 2018 and instantly filled a void left when Dominican Republic Airline PAWA halted its service. According to Air Century Commercial Director Fabio Melo, "our vision is to connect the Caribbean uniquely, offering the safest air transportation at very competitive prices." Air Century has been servicing St. Maarten since November 12, 2018. It is an international air travel company founded in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic on March 1992 by a pilot Captain Omar Chahin Lama. The airline provides regular flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico, Port-au-Prince Haiti, Aruba, Curacao, St. Marteen and offers charter flights to the entire Caribbean. While in the Dom Rep Johnson and his delegation along with Dutch Ambassador Mrs Annemieke Verrijp also attended the Agroalimentaria Fair. Air Century Airline says since it started flying to St. Maarten from the Dominican Republic in 2018, it has enjoyed a load factor of 70 per cent making St. Maarten its "top destination." Page Content From May 26 until May 29, Europeans elect a new European Parliament. These elections are important for countries associated with the European Union (EU), such as, Sint Maarten. The Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten will be organizing an information session, including a debate and Q&A session with candidates, for the European election on May 17 in The Hague. This event will also be livestreamed via Facebook. The event will be moderated by Sint Maarten student Sakir DeCastro and will be held between 3.30pm and 6.00pm at the Huis van Europa, Korte Vijverberg 5, Den Haag. Registration is possible via CDuijf@kgmsxm.nl . At the Huis van Europa, a show of ID is mandatory. Early April, Minister Plenipotentiary Jorien Wuite urged Sint Maarteners eligible to vote to register for the European elections. By hosting this information session, she hopes to increase the participation of Sint Maarteners. Minister Wuite emphasized that engaging and following political developments that directly or indirectly affect our country is of utmost importance for every Sint Maartener. Moreover, our aim is to get young Sint Maarteners studying in the Netherlands involved in the process. The Minister Plenipotentiary further highlighted that Sint Maarten students spend their formative years in the Netherlands. Through this platform the Minister said they would like to support them in getting acquainted with fundamental issues and enable them to bring that knowledge and experience back with them when they return to Sint Maarten. Additionally, our goal will be to inform them, and everyone interested, about the significance of the EUs relationship with Sint Maarten and the other Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. Finally, we would like to give everyone present the opportunity to ask questions and voice their opinion about the future of the EU, Minister Wuite said in a statement over the weekend. Several experts will provide introductions about the European elections and the importance of the Caribbean element within the EU. Marno de Boer (political correspondent for the Trouw newspaper) will bring everyone up to speed on the most pressing issues during these elections. Gohar Karapetian (lecturer Constitutional Law at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen) will address the significance of the European Union for Sint Maarten and the other Caribbean territories within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Carol Voges (senior policy advisor at the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary) will elaborate on OCT (Overseas Countries and Territories) representation in the EU. After the introductions, the candidates present will debate several EU issues pertaining to the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. Thus far, 50PLUS, CDA, ChristenUnie/SGP, D66, Denk and Partij van de Arbeid, have confirmed their attendance. Sint Maarten has the status of an OCT, as do the other Caribbean countries and special municipalities within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. OCTs enjoy a special relationship with the EU. For instance, Sint Maarten can benefit from special trade agreements and funding out of the European Development Fund. This amounts to around 1.5 million euro on an annual basis. The upcoming European Parliamentary elections are very relevant for the OCTs. Due to the upcoming departure of the United Kingdom from the EU, twelve out of twenty-five OCTs, among which Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands will no longer be part of the OCT association with the EU. For the remaining OCTs, it is of crucial importance that the new members of the European Parliament are aware of the OCTs position, in particular, their historical and special relationship with the EU. This will become even more relevant in the upcoming period, as the European Parliament will vote on regulations on financial support for the OCTs. PHOTO: Hon. Minister Plenipotentiary Jorien Wuite. Page Content A key finding of her research highlights the fact that Sint Maartens Carnival has managed to do something many national events in the Netherlands have failed to do. Without intention, Sint Maartens carnival embraces a multi- cultural setting by uniting people. It is a larger reflection of our economic and social reality of people with many different nationalities coming together and working together to keep the island afloat. Ms. Vlaun attained her Masters in International Affairs at the Graduate Institute of Internal and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. She is now resides in the Netherlands and works for World Press Photo in Amsterdam. During Ms Vlauns presentation to the Council of Ministers she explained, I wanted to explore the role of the St. Maarten government in constructing what is now the islands largest cultural event. The structure of carnival was implemented with a top-down approach but only managed this way for less than a decade before being handed over to civil society groups. And since Carnival is St. Maartens largest cultural event, I wanted to use it as a lens to understand conceptions of national identity. In order to do this, I had to first establish a point of entry as carnival has many moving parts that each would reflect different understandings, from calypsonians to troupe leaders to booth holders. I wanted to focus on the historical development of carnival as a whole and decided that the best focal point would then be the carnival committees charged with constructing carnival since its inception in 1970. In my research, I sought to explore the following questions: What factors contributed to the establishment of carnival under the Oranje Committee? How have subsequent Carnival committees further developed carnival and shaped its identity, whether as a site of Kingdom celebration, a manifestation of national identity, and/or an expression of Caribbean identity? How does the history of carnival in St. Maarten reflect or challenge broader debates surrounding national culture, nationalism, and transnationalism in the Caribbean? With this recent accomplishment of making her research in an accessible form Ms. Vlaun, has hopes to inspire other students abroad to share their research thesis projects. By printing my research in an accessible form, I hope to push forward the discussion and inspire others to share their work. It is a major pitfall of academia in general, that academics do not interact with the communities they write about once their research is completed. I hope I can call on people creating work about St. Maarten to break this cycle and find a way to engage communities and government entities here with their research. I strongly believe this is something that should be structurally encouraged, said Ms. Vlaun. The emphasis should be placed specifically on research projects that surround documenting St. Maarten development, in order for local students to have material that they can use as sources of information for their own research projects. In Photo L-R Front Row Minister ECYS Wycliff Smith, Author Carla Vlaun, Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin, Minister VSA Emil Lee Back Row Minister Finance Perry Geerlings, Minister VROMI Miklos Giterson, Minister Justice Cornelius deWeever Ms. Carla Vlaun author of Tis we ting, all a we presented signed copies to the Council of Ministers of her self-published research paper, which captures the historical development of Carnival on Sint. Maarten. Democrats are reluctant to impeach U.S. President Donald Trump, but he may provoke such a move by continuing to obstruct Congress efforts to oversee his administration, a senior Democratic lawmaker said on Sunday. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, told ABCs This Week that impeachment by the Democratic-run House would be politically divisive and unlikely to succeed in the Republican-run Senate. But he (Trump) may get us there, Schiff said. He certainly seems to be trying and maybe this is his perverse way of dividing us more ... he thinks thats to his political advantage, but its certainly not to the countrys advantage. Trumps stonewalling of congressional probes of his administration does add weight to impeachment, Schiff told ABC. But you know, part of our reluctance is we are already a bitterly divided country and an impeachment process will divide us further. Democrats have confronted the Republican president and his administration for refusing to cooperate with at least six separate congressional investigations of Trump, his turbulent presidency, his family and his business interests. A Democratic-led House committee on Wednesday approved a measure to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt for refusing to hand over an unredacted copy of the Mueller report on Russian election interference even as Trump invoked the legal principle of executive privilege to block its disclosure. Democrats are divided over how far to take their investigations with some calling for impeachment proceedings and others backing continued investigations. Republicans have accused Democrats of grandstanding for liberal voters. Some of Trumps allies believe any impeachment effort could prove unpopular and him as he seeks re-election in 2020. But even the Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee has subpoenaed the presidents son, Donald Trump Jr. Schiff reiterated his suggestion Sunday that Congress could levy fines of $25,000 a day on administration officials who refuse to cooperate with demands for witness appearances and documents in congressional investigations. Look, I think if you fine someone $25,000 a day to their person until they comply, it gets their attention. ...I dont know how many are going to want to take that risk for Donald Trump, Schiff said. 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Guterres travelled to New Zealand on Sunday, from where he is set to visit several Pacific islands where rising sea levels are threatening the very existence of those small countries. The stepped-up diplomacy will culminate with a climate action summit at the UN in September, an event billed as a last chance to prevent irreversible climate change, three years after the Paris agreement went into force. "We are seeing everywhere a clear demonstration that we are not on track to achieve the objectives defined in the Paris agreement," Guterres said on the failure to limit rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial revolution levels. In a strong message for action on climate change, Guterres said international political resolve was fading and it was the small island nations that were "really in the front line" and would suffer most. In Fiji, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, Guterres will meet with families whose lives have been upended by cyclones, flooding and other extreme weather events. Pacific island countries face an especially dire risk from climate change because of sea level rise. In some cases, low-lying countries could disappear completely. Fiji is working to build a coalition of more than 90 countries from the Caribbean, Africa and Asia facing climate crisis. "We hope that the secretary-general will draw far more inspiration from his first visit to go further, faster and deeper with the climate summit," Fiji's UN Ambassador Satyendra Prasad told AFP. "We are very hopeful that the climate summit will mark a turning point." - China: climate power - Guterres on Sunday praised New Zealand's "extremely important" leadership on climate change -- Wellington has introduced legislation to become carbon neutral by 2050 -- but warned that international political resolve was fading. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, speaking at the joint press conference in Auckland, called climate change "the biggest challenge" facing the global community and said it would be "gross negligence" to avoid the issue. But the UN push on climate change is shaping up amid geopolitical shifts: the United States under Donald Trump has decided to pull out of the Paris agreement to combat global warming, giving China more space to assert its views. "The Trump administration's disdain for climate diplomacy has left China looking like the main guarantor of the Paris agreement," said Richard Gowan, UN director for the International Crisis Group. "While China is increasingly active across the UN, other states are suspicious of its stances on human rights and development. But it is the indispensable power in climate talks now." Trump announced in 2017 that the United States would exit the Paris agreement, but under the terms of the deal the withdrawal will only become effective in 2020. The US administration is not taking part in summit preparations but has not said it will skip the event, according to UN officials. Guterres' mission may also be further complicated by Trump's nomination of Kelly Knight Craft as UN ambassador. Craft, who is married to a major coal magnate, raised eyebrows for declaring that she believed "both sides" of climate science, indicating she may well be out of sync with the UN on the issue. - Plans, not speeches - Guterres has told leaders to bring plans, not speeches, to the summit to be held in New York on September 23 during the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. The summit is seen as critical because of US resistance to discuss climate change at other forums including the G7 and G20, and again last week at a meeting of the Arctic Council in Finland. "What people are looking for is countries to commit to major ambition increases in 2025 and 2030 at the summit or in 2020," said Nick Mabey, head of the E3G climate think tank. This should include legally binding targets for countries to phase out coal, become climate neutral and invest in climate resilience, especially for the poorest countries, he added. A string of apocalyptic reports on the state of the planet is bringing home the need for concrete steps. One million species are on the brink of extinction. Carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise, pushing targets from the Paris accord further out of reach. UN climate envoy Luis Alfonso de Alba told AFP on Friday that he was optimistic about prospects for a breakthrough on climate, saying the dire predictions were having a galvanizing effect. "The situation worldwide is quite different from what it was five to 10 years ago. Five to 10 years ago, countries were looking at their neighbours before acting," he said. "Today, everybody has full conscience of the urgency to act, and they are not going to wait for their neighbours to act." Courtesy Kelly Walton(AUSTIN, Texas) -- A 14-year-old has pledged to eliminate the sizable lunch debt for a district of 129 schools in Texas. Ben Hofer, an eighth-grade student at St. Andrews Episcopal School, recently raised $8,000 for a project he's dubbed, "LunchCounts!" He plans on putting the money towards nearly $18,000 of school lunch debt in the Austin Independent School District (Austin ISD). "I was never expecting to raise this much money, really honestly," Ben told ABC News' Good Morning America of his crowdfunding success. "It's pretty crazy but the more the better, I guess, because it's more kids we could pay off." Ben kicked off his initiative on GoFundMe on April 21 as part of a semester-long school project in which students dig into a community issue. Ben took an interest in school lunch debt and so-called "lunch shaming" happening in some schools across the country. Lunch shaming includes serving cold food if a child's lunch account has not been paid in full, or denying lunch to the child altogether. Ben said Austin ISD does not engage in lunch shaming, but the debt is a burden none the less. "[Ben said] to me, 'you know they were throwing food out in front of a kid if they cant afford it?'" his mom, Kelly Walton, told GMA. "He did interviews then with cafeteria budget workers and [learned] every kid gets a lunch, but they rack up debt." "Their parents simply cannot pay it sometimes," she added. "I think it's good for him to realize that not everyone has [what he has]." In 2016, Pennsylvania cafeteria worker Stacy Koltiska made headlines when she quit her job at an elementary school after she said was required to take a hot lunch away from a student who had fallen behind on payments. One year prior, Dalene Bowden, an Idaho cafeteria worker, said she was fired for giving a free meal to a hungry student who was unable to pay for it. Austin ISD said it will never deny kids of a full lunch. "No child goes hungry and all students are offered the same foods," said Anneliese Tanner, executive director of Austin ISD Food Services and Warehouse Operations. "We aren't just focused on every student getting a meal, but it being the best quality meal." Tanner told GMA that 57 percent of the students in the district receive free meals as part of the national school lunch program -- but not all students qualify if their family's income does not meet the requirements for free and reduced price meals. "The cost of living in Austin is high so these families are struggling to make ends meet," Tanner added. "This is why its important we provide a free meal to our students every day." When he first launched "LunchCounts!" Ben's original goal was to raise $3,200 to pay off the lunch debts at three schools -- Blazier Elementary School, Paredes Middle School and Akins High School, since their campuses had the highest balances in the district. But in a matter of days, his GoFundMe page exceeded the initial goal. Ben has now raised nearly half of the district's overall lunch debt. "I think Ben is an amazing leader and is so compassionate," Tanner said. "Especially at his age, to recognize that there are students his age and younger who are struggling with food insecurities and facing hunger. He's taking steps to try and do something about it -- how admirable." Next week, Ben will present his project at school. He hopes to continue paying off the lunch debt every year. "If we could get to the whole debt, that'd be really cool. I don't think we'll get there by the end of the school year, but you never know," Ben said. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Eleven small Thai parties that each gained a parliamentary seat after a disputed electoral rule change will back the main pro-army party, leaders said on Monday, giving the ruling junta chief who launched a 2014 coup enough votes to stay in power. The move came after the opposition Democratic Front accused the Election Commission of rigging the system to ensure a win for former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha in the first election since the military seized power from an elected government. Ponlamuang Thai Party leader Sampan Lertnuwat said his party and 10 more would join a coalition with Palang Pracharat, the party led by junta loyalists that nominated Prayuth as its prime ministerial candidate. "After discussing among ourselves, we 11 members of parliament intend to raise our hands in support of Prayuth Chan-ocha," Sampan told a news briefing. "We also support Palang Pracharat to lead the formation of the next government." Palang Pracharat leader Uttama Savanayana appeared at the briefing to acknowledge the vow and take pictures with the parties' leaders. Uttama said the party was still working to court other parties to form a majority in the House. However, it will still take weeks before a new government can be formed, because the junta has not finished appointing the 250-seat Senate that will vote, along with the elected House of Representatives, to choose the prime minister. But the 11 votes of the small parties are likely to ensure Prayuth is the next prime minister. His Palang Pracharat, which won 115 seats in the House, needs 126 to get to the 376 majority required in the combined House-Senate vote to approve the prime minister, assuming the junta-appointed Senate backs Prayuth as expected. The Democratic Front of seven parties opposed to extension of military dominance in government won 245 seats. Initial results of the March 24 vote show the Democratic Front, led by the Pheu Thai party loyal to ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, expected to get 255 seats in the 500-seat elected House. That would be not enough to overcome the Senate votes to choose the prime minister, but a majority in the lower chamber would allow the opposition to block legislation and deny the military party unfettered power. However, the Election Commission announced soon after the preliminary results that it would use a new formula to allocate 150 "party seats" distributed according to the share of the nationwide popular vote secured. The new formula gave one seat to each of 11 tiny parties that would not have qualified under the original formula, with most of them taken from the anti-military Future Forward Party, part of the opposition alliance. The 11 parties won 548,208 votes from a total of about 35 million, or about 1.5 percent of votes cast. Search Keywords: Short link: Pompeo to visit Brussels as Europe meets on Iran Brussels, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Brussels on Monday to discuss "pressing matters" including the Iran nuclear deal, as the European signatories to the accord meet for talks on how to prevent its collapse. The EU reiterated its determination to save the 2015 agreement to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief, as tensions between the US and Iran rack up. Iran last week announced it was suspending some of its commitments under the agreement, a year after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord and imposed swingeing sanctions on the Islamic republic -- putting the deal in grave peril. Adding a military dimension to the diplomatic tensions, Washington is sending an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Gulf, having already deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers. The European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini stressed the need for dialogue as "the only and the best way to address differences and avoid escalation" in the region, as she arrived for a scheduled meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers. "We continue to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran, its full implementation," Mogherini said. "It has been and continues to be for us a key element of the non-proliferation architecture both globally and in the region." Alongside the meeting of all 28 foreign ministers, the representatives of Britain, France and Germany -- the three European signatories -- will meet Mogherini to discuss how to keep the deal going. "We in Europe agree that this agreement is necessary for our security. No-one wants Iran to come into possession of a nuclear bomb," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said as he arrived. "That is why we will continue to support the implementation of this agreement." Few details of Pompeo's agenda in Brussels have been announced, beyond the State Department saying talks would be held with officials from France, the UK and Germany. Mogherini gave a chilly response to news of Pompeo's visit, which she said was only communicated to Brussels at the last minute. "We'll be here all day with a busy agenda so we'll see during the day how and if we manage to arrange a meeting," she told reporters. President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum to the Europeans last week, threatening that Iran would go further if they fail to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. The European powers rejected that ultimatum. The US has continued to build pressure on Iran, with Pompeo accusing Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks and bolstering the military presence in the Gulf. Pompeo's visit to Brussels means he is scrapping a stop expected on Monday in Moscow. But he will still head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a State Department official added just before Pompeo left Washington. In recent days, Pompeo has already cancelled trips to Berlin and to Greenland to focus on the Iran issue. burs-pdw/dc/nla Pompeo visits Brussels as Europe meets on Iran Brussels, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Brussels on Monday to discuss the Iran nuclear deal, as Britain issued a stark warning about the risk of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. Pompeo is set to meet his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany -- the three European signatories to the 2015 accord that curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief -- on the sidelines of a regular EU foreign ministers' gathering. Iran last week announced it was suspending some of its commitments under the agreement, a year after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord and imposed swingeing sanctions on the Islamic republic -- putting the deal in peril. Adding a military dimension to the diplomatic tensions, Washington is sending an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Gulf, having already deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers. British foreign minister Hunt called for "a period of calm" as he arrived for talks, warning against the danger of pushing Iran back towards developing nuclear weapons. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," Hunt said. "Most of all we must make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation, because if Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers. "This is already the most unstable region in the world and it would be a massive step in the wrong direction." The European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini stressed the need for dialogue as "the only and the best way to address differences and avoid escalation" in the region. "We continue to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran, its full implementation," Mogherini said. "It has been and continues to be for us a key element of the non-proliferation architecture both globally and in the region." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian joined the criticism of the US, saying Washington's move to step up sanctions against Iran "does not suit us". - 'Nuclear bomb' - Alongside the meeting of all 28 foreign ministers, the representatives of Britain, France and Germany will meet Mogherini to discuss how to keep the deal going. "We in Europe agree that this agreement is necessary for our security. No-one wants Iran to come into possession of a nuclear bomb," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said as he arrived. "That is why we will continue to support the implementation of this agreement." Mogherini gave a chilly response to news of Pompeo's visit, which she said was only communicated to Brussels at the last minute. "We'll be here all day with a busy agenda so we'll see during the day how and if we manage to arrange a meeting," she told reporters. President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum to the Europeans last week, threatening that Iran would go further if they fail to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. The European powers rejected that ultimatum. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Pompeo would discuss "recent threatening actions and statements by the Islamic Republic of Iran". The US has continued to build pressure on Iran, with Pompeo accusing Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks and bolstering the military presence in the Gulf. Pompeo's visit to Brussels means he is scrapping a stop expected on Monday in Moscow. But he will still head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a State Department official added just before Pompeo left Washington. In recent days, Pompeo has already cancelled trips to Berlin and to Greenland to focus on the Iran issue. burs-pdw/rlp Europe warns US against Iran escalation as tensions mount Brussels, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 Europe on Monday urged the US not to further escalate tensions over the Iran nuclear deal, with Britain issuing a stark warning of the risk of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a last-minute visit to Brussels where he met his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany -- the three European signatories to the 2015 accord that curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief -- on the sidelines of a regular EU foreign ministers' gathering. Iran last week announced it was suspending some of its commitments under the agreement, a year after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord and imposed swingeing sanctions on the Islamic republic -- putting the deal in peril. Adding a military dimension to the diplomatic tensions, Washington is sending an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Gulf, having already deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers. Pompeo's visit to Brussels was announced at the last minute and if he came hoping for a show of transatlantic unity against Iran, he was disappointed, with Britain, France and Germany all publicly criticising the hardline US approach. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Berlin "still regards this nuclear agreement as the basis for Iran not having any nuclear weapons in the future and we regard this as existential for our security". Maas said he used his one-on-one meeting with Pompeo to stress that "we are concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation". As he arrived for the talks, British foreign minister Hunt called for "a period of calm" and bluntly warned of the danger of pushing Iran back towards developing nuclear weapons. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," Hunt said. "Most of all we must make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation, because if Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers. "This is already the most unstable region in the world and it would be a massive step in the wrong direction." The European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini stressed the need for dialogue as "the only and the best way to address differences and avoid escalation" in the region. "We continue to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran, its full implementation," Mogherini said. "It has been and continues to be for us a key element of the non-proliferation architecture both globally and in the region." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian joined the criticism of the US saying Washington's move to step up sanctions against Iran "does not suit us". - 'Nuclear bomb' - Mogherini chaired a meeting of the so-called E3 -- Britain, France and Germany -- to discuss efforts to keep the deal going, including the special trade mechanism called INSTEX the trio set up to try to enable legitimate trade with Iran to continue without falling foul of US sanctions. INSTEX was launched in January but is still not operational and has been dismissed scornfully by the Iranian senior leadership. Mogherini gave a chilly response to news of Pompeo's visit, which she said was only communicated to Brussels at the last minute. "We'll be here all day with a busy agenda so we'll see during the day how and if we manage to arrange a meeting," she told reporters. President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum to the Europeans last week threatening that Iran would go further if they fail to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. The European powers rejected that ultimatum. The US has continued to build pressure on Iran, with Pompeo accusing Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks and bolstering the military presence in the Gulf. Pompeo's visit to Brussels means he is scrapping a stop expected on Monday in Moscow. But he will still head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a State Department official added just before Pompeo left Washington. burs-pdw/dc/bp Arms on Putin's agenda before Pompeo meeting Moscow, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit a top military flight test centre and inspect new weaponry on Tuesday, hours before he meets US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the Kremlin said. Pompeo will visit Putin in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi for the highest-level talks between Moscow and Washington in nearly a year. Ahead of the negotiations Putin will visit one of Russia's leading military aircraft testing centres in the southern Astrakhan region, the Kremlin said on Monday. "The head of state will be shown aircraft already in production and prototype weapons," the Kremlin added. During the Sochi meeting, Pompeo is expected to push for progress on arms control as well as the Venezuela crisis. The two are expected to meet Tuesday evening, according to the current schedule. A key bilateral accord, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, has collapsed this year after the United States pulled out over charges that a Russian missile system violated it. Putin and Pompeo are also expected to discuss the fate of the New START treaty, which caps the number of nuclear warheads at well below Cold War limits. The agreement is set to expire in 2021 and Trump has called for a broader agreement to succeed it, to include a rising China. Last year Putin revealed a new generation of "invincible" nuclear weapons and warned of a new arms race if America pulled out of weapons treaties. This will be the highest-level US engagement with the Russian leader since a summit in July last year in Helsinki, after which US President Donald Trump faced widespread criticism at home for his conciliatory tone towards the Russian leader. Putin was also set to address defence issues on Monday, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, when he was scheduled to visit an aircraft manufacturer in the southwestern city of Kazan and then chair a government meeting. The country's aviation industry is under renewed scrutiny after 41 people died in a fire when a Russian-built Sukhoi Superjet passenger plane crash-landed in Moscow in early May. Venezuelan general calls for military uprising against Maduro Caracas, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 A Venezuelan air force general has called on his country's armed forces to rise up against President Nicolas Maduro, who remains in power with military support despite a sweeping economic crisis. "It's time to rise up, it's time to fight ... it's time that the armed forces became aware," General Ramon Rangel said in a video appeal issued Sunday on social media. Rangel -- who appeared in civilian clothes and whose location is unknown -- is the latest of several military figures to call on Venezuela's military to abandon Maduro. Another Air Force general, Francisco Yanez, pledged his allegiance to opposition leader Juan Guaido on February 2. Rangel did not however specifically call on the military to switch their allegiance to Guaido, who is recognized as interim president by much of the international community. The 35-year-old National Assembly speaker, who organized a failed uprising on April 30, has repeatedly called on the armed forces to abandon Maduro. A source close to Venezuela's military told AFP that Rangel has not been on active duty "for years," and at one point was manager of a Venezuelan state company in Cuba. The commander of the Air Force, General Pedro Juliac, denounced Rangel as a traitor on Twitter. Juliac's tweet carried a photo of Rangel with a cross over it, and the phrase: "Traitor of the people and of the Revolution." "Those without morals will never be able to damage the country, let alone the Bolivarian military aviation. We will win - Long Live the Revolution." Sweden reopened an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday and will seek to extradite him from Britain, a potential setback to efforts by the United States to put him on trial over a huge release of secret documents. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference in Stockholm she would continue a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought after Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange, who denies the accusation, was arrested in Britain last month after spending seven years hiding inside the embassy. The Swedish prosecutor said she would request Assange be detained in his absence on probable cause for an allegation of rape and that her office would issue a European arrest warrant - the start of the extradition process. The United States is also seeking to extradite him on conspiracy charges relating to the public release by Wikileaks of a cache of secret documents, including assessments of foreign leaders, wars and security matters. The British courts will have to rule on the two extradition requests, with Home Secretary Sajid Javid having the final say on which one takes precedence. I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US, Persson said. The 47-year-old Assange is currently in a London prison serving 50 weeks behind bars for jumping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in 2012. A British judge has given the U.S. government a deadline of June 12 to outline its case against Assange. The statute of limitation for rape in Sweden is 10 years - a deadline which would be reached in mid-August next year for that alleged incident, leaving prosecutors pressed for time should they decide to file any formal charge. Everything depends on how this will be handled by the British authorities and courts, said Mark Klamberg, a professor of international law at Stockholm University. There is a possibility, or risk depending on how you see it, that this is going to take a long time, he said. If Assange was taken to the United Sattes, this would likely rule out his facing trial in Sweden due to the statute of limitation. Persson said she would request to interview Assange while he was in British custody, but that this would require the consent of the Australian, who fought unsuccessfully through the British courts to avoid extradition before fleeing to the embassy. A lawyer representing the victim in the rape investigation urged Swedish prosecutors to move quickly. We are not going to give up until a charge is brought and the case goes to court, lawyer Elisabeth Massi Fritz told a news conference. My client feels great gratitude and she is very hopeful of getting restitution and we both hope that justice will win. Assanges supporters cast him as a dissident facing the wrath of a superpower over one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history. Clear Name Wikileaks said the reopening of the Swedish investigation would give Assange a chance to clear his name. Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case, Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, said in a statement. If convicted in Sweden, Assange could face a prison sentence of up to four years. His attitude is that he is happy to cooperate with Sweden and that he wants to be interviewed and that he wants to clear his name, Per Samuelson, a Swedish lawyer for Assange, told Reuters. How that will happen now, I dont know. He has his hands full with, for him, much more important issues, namely avoiding being extradited to the U.S. Nick Vamos, lawyer at London-based firm Peters & Peters and former head of extradition at Britains Crown Prosecution Service, told Reuters before Mondays decision that he expected a Swedish request would take supremacy. In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority, a Swedish prosecutors statement said. WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables that laid bare often critical U.S. appraisals of world leaders, from Russian President Vladimir Putin to members of the Saudi royal family. It also published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. Search Keywords: Short link: Togo says navy foiled oil tanker attack by pirates Lome, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 Police have arrested six Nigerian and two Togolese pirates over a foiled attack on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Guinea, Togo's security minister said Monday. "Pirates aboard a dugout canoe boarded the GDona1 tanker flying a Togolese flag and tried to divert it from its destination," Security Minister Yark Damehame said in a statement. "Happily, the Togolese navy foiled this attack," the statement said. The Gulf of Guinea is a hotbed of sea piracy. From the start of the year through April, more than 38 incidents have been reported,including 10 kidnappings. Most of the incidents have been blamed on armed Nigerian groups off the Niger Delta. "Recent attacks in Togo waters have been rare in 2019," Dirk Steffan of the consultancy Risk Intelligence told AFP. He described Sunday's foiled attack as "only one notable incident," adding: "We believe that it was involved in fuel smuggling and that the incident was related to illicit activity, rather than an outright piracy attack." UN chief worried by arms flows to Libya United Nations, United States, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told the Security Council he is deeply concerned by the battle for Tripoli and reports of fresh weapons supplies flowing into Libya, according to a report seen by AFP on Monday. Guterres reported to the council on the European Union's Operation Sophia to inspect vessels off Libya's coast to shore up the arms embargo. That military operation was authorized by a council resolution in 2016. EU vessels conducted three vessel inspections in September, November and January, but no arms were found onboard those ships, the report said. Libyan port and custom authorities, who are trained by the EU, seized armored vehicles in the port of Misrata in February and weapons in Khoms in January, according to the document. "I am deeply concerned by the current military operation in Libya, which, reportedly, is being reinforced by arms transfers into the country, including by sea," said Guterres in the report sent to the council on Friday. Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces hold the east of the country, launched the offensive on April 4 to seize Tripoli, seat of the UN-recognized government. The assault derailed a UN plan to hold a national conference that would have paved the way to elections aimed at ending the chaos that has reigned since the 2011 overthrow of Moamer Kadhafi. Libya remains divided between the Tripoli-based authorities and Haftar's supporters in the east. UN experts earlier this month said in a separate report to the council that missiles fired at pro-Tripoli forces in April pointed to a likely drone attack that could involve a "third party," possibly the United Arab Emirates. 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. Europe rejects US escalation strategy against Iran Brussels, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 Europe on Monday urged the US not to further escalate tensions over the Iran nuclear deal, with Britain issuing a stark warning of the risk of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a last-minute change of plan scrapping an expected Moscow trip to visit Brussels and meet his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany. The ministers from the European signatories to the 2015 accord that curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief all publicly criticised the hardline US approach. Iran last week announced it was suspending some of its commitments under the agreement, a year after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord and imposed swingeing sanctions on the Islamic republic -- putting the deal in peril. Adding a military dimension to the diplomatic tensions, Washington is sending an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Gulf, having already deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Berlin "still regards this nuclear agreement as the basis for Iran not having any nuclear weapons in the future and we regard this as existential for our security". Maas said he used his one-on-one meeting with Pompeo to stress that "we are concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation". British foreign minister Hunt called for "a period of calm" and bluntly warned of the danger of pushing Iran back towards developing nuclear weapons. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," Hunt said. "Most of all we must make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation, because if Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers. "This is already the most unstable region in the world and it would be a massive step in the wrong direction." The European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, who held her own meeting with Pompeo, stressed the need for dialogue as "the only and the best way to address differences and avoid escalation" in the region. "We continue to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran, its full implementation," Mogherini said. "It has been and continues to be for us a key element of the non-proliferation architecture both globally and in the region." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian joined the criticism saying Washington's move to step up sanctions against Iran "does not suit us". - 'Nuclear bomb' - Mogherini chaired a meeting of the so-called E3 -- Britain, France and Germany -- to discuss efforts to keep the deal going, including the special trade mechanism called INSTEX the trio set up to try to enable legitimate trade with Iran to continue without falling foul of US sanctions. INSTEX was launched in January but is still not operational and has been dismissed scornfully by the Iranian senior leadership. After talks with the E3, Mogherini said they aimed to get INSTEX up and running and have the first transactions "hopefully in the next few weeks". President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum to the Europeans last week threatening that Iran would go further if they fail to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. The European powers rejected that ultimatum. The US has continued to build pressure on Iran, with Pompeo accusing Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks and bolstering the military presence in the Gulf. Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, insisted the Islamic republic was itself an "escalating threat". "The secretary wanted to share some detail behind what we have been saying publicly. We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats," Hook told reporters. Pompeo was to head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a State Department official said. burs-pdw/dc/bp Yemen arms inquiry poses threat to French press freedom: NGOs Paris, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 Press freedom is under attack in France as three journalists face an inquiry over the leaking of a classified report on the use of French arms in Yemen, rights groups warned on Monday. The three journalists -- Geoffrey Livolsi and Mathias Destal from the Disclose website and Radio France's Benoit Collombat -- have been summoned to a hearing on Tuesday and Wednesday at the domestic intelligence agency DGSI, which is leading investigations into the leak. The inquiry was "an unacceptable attack on press freedom and the protection of journalists' sources", said a letter signed by 17 rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights and Sherpa. Investigative new media outlet Disclose obtained a military intelligence dossier, classified as confidential, dating from September 25 that details the French tanks, artillery and ships in Yemen. The information "is of essential public interest", the rights groups said, urging the French interior, army and foreign ministries to "cease intimidation against the press and respect the secrecy of sources". The 15-page dossier, which Disclose published last April 15, details weapons sold to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who have led a bloody campaign against Huthi rebels in Yemen. Under pressure for years by rights groups over the sales, Paris has always insisted the arms are only used in defensive circumstances to deter attacks by rebels. French President Emmanuel Macron last Thursday defended the arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with a new shipment expected to leave from the northern port of Le Havre. Some 10,000 have died in the Yemen war and millions have been forced to the brink of starvation Trump warns that if Iran 'do anything', they 'will suffer greatly' Washington, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 President Donald Trump warned Monday that Iran would "suffer greatly" were it to "do anything," amid US intelligence indications that Tehran was planning to attack US interests in the region. "I'm hearing little stories about Iran," Trump told reporters as he hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House. "If they do anything, it would be a very bad mistake," Trump warned. "If they do anything they will suffer greatly." The US has ramped up pressure on Iran in recent days, accusing Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks and bolstering the American military presence in the Gulf. The spike in tensions comes a week after Iran announced it was suspending some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear agreement, one year after Trump withdrew from the accord and slapped tough sanctions on the Islamic republic. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrapped an expected Moscow trip on Monday, heading instead to Brussels to discuss the crisis with his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany. Trump last week declared himself open to talks with the Iranian leadership, a position reiterated on Monday by Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran. "We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats," Hook told reporters. Europe rejects US escalation strategy against Iran Brussels, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 Europe on Monday urged the US not to further escalate tensions over the Iran nuclear deal, with Britain issuing a stark warning of the risk of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a last-minute change of plan scrapping an expected Moscow trip to instead visit Brussels and meet his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany. The ministers, from the European signatories to the 2015 accord that curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief, all publicly criticised the hardline US approach. Iran last week announced it was suspending some of its commitments under the agreement, a year after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord and imposed swingeing sanctions on the Islamic republic -- putting the deal in peril. On Monday US President Donald Trump warned that Iran would "suffer greatly" were it to "do anything," after US intelligence suggested Tehran was planning to attack US interests in the region. Washington is sending an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Gulf, having already deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers. - 'Most unstable region' - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Berlin "still regards this nuclear agreement as the basis for Iran not having any nuclear weapons in the future and we regard this as existential for our security". Maas said he used his one-on-one meeting with Pompeo to stress that "we are concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation". British foreign minister Hunt called for "a period of calm" and bluntly warned of the danger of pushing Iran back towards developing nuclear weapons. "Most of all we must make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation, because if Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers," Hunt said. "This is already the most unstable region in the world and it would be a massive step in the wrong direction." The European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, who held her own meeting with Pompeo, stressed the need for dialogue as "the only and the best way to address differences and avoid escalation" in the region. "We continue to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran, its full implementation," Mogherini said. "It has been and continues to be for us a key element of the non-proliferation architecture both globally and in the region." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian joined the criticism saying Washington's move to step up sanctions against Iran "does not suit us". - 'Nuclear bomb' - Mogherini chaired a meeting of the so-called E3 -- Britain, France and Germany -- to discuss efforts to keep the deal going, including the special trade mechanism called INSTEX the trio set up to try to enable legitimate trade with Iran to continue without falling foul of US sanctions. INSTEX was launched in January but is still not operational and has been dismissed scornfully by the Iranian senior leadership. After talks with the E3, Mogherini said they aimed to get INSTEX up and running and have the first transactions "hopefully in the next few weeks". President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum to the Europeans last week threatening that Iran would go further if they fail to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. The European powers rejected that ultimatum. The US has continued to build pressure on Iran, with Pompeo accusing Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks and bolstering the military presence in the Gulf. Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, insisted the Islamic republic was itself an "escalating threat". Pompeo was to head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a State Department official said. Pompeo's trip has been seen as a precursor to a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Putin at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, next month. Trump said Monday that he expects to meet with the presidents of both Russia and China on the sidelines of the G20 meeting. However the Kremlin swiftly countered that no such meeting had been arranged. "There haven't been any requests. There are also no agreements so far," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency. burs-pdw/pvh/dcr Trump says France did a "great job" freeing kidnapped tourists in Burkina Faso Washington, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 President Donald Trump said Monday that French special forces had done a "great job" in freeing a group of kidnapped tourists in Burkina Faso last week, including an American woman. "The French did a great job. We appreciate it very much. And I've already communicated that feeling," Trump told reporters during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House. Two French commandoes died in the raid last week to free the hostages -- two Frenchmen, one South Korean woman and an American -- from their kidnappers, who officials feared had been about to hand the captives over to an Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group. Trump said the US "worked with them on intelligence," without giving further details. The circumstances surrounding the American hostage's capture were still unclear Monday, with some officials speculating that she could have been in custody of captors for up to a month when she was rescued. The US government has declined to comment about its national, but the ABC News channel has reported she was a tourist, aged in her 60s. Three Nigerian soldiers killed in mine explosion: sources Kano, Nigeria, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 Three Nigerian soldiers, including an army commander, were killed on Monday when their truck hit a landmine planted by Boko Haram jihadists in troubled northeastern Nigeria, military sources told AFP. The military vehicle hit the mine while patrolling in a three-vehicle convoy in Damboa district, Borno state, two military sources said. "The 145 Task Force Battalion lost its commanding officer, a lieutenant colonel, and two soldiers after their vehicles stepped on an IED (improvised explosive device) buried by Boko Haram terrorists," one military officer said. "Four soldiers sustained serious injuries," said a second officer. The injured soldiers were evacuated by air to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, for medical care, he said. Both officers did not want to be named as they had not been authorised to speak to the media. Boko Haram has in recent weeks stepped up attacks on military and civilian targets, raiding bases and villages. The group's decade-long uprising to establish a hardline Islamic state in Nigeria's northeast has spilled into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon. A regional military coalition is battling the radical Islamist group. At least 27,000 people have been in killed in Nigeria alone, and some two million others from their homes. Three Nigerian soldiers killed in mine explosion: sources Kano, Nigeria, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2019 Three Nigerian soldiers, including an army commander, were killed on Monday when their truck hit a landmine planted by Boko Haram jihadists in troubled northeastern Nigeria, military sources told AFP. The military vehicle hit the mine while patrolling in a three-vehicle convoy in Damboa district, Borno state, two military sources said. "The 145 Task Force Battalion lost its commanding officer, a lieutenant colonel, and two soldiers after their vehicles stepped on an IED (improvised explosive device) buried by Boko Haram terrorists," one military officer said. "Four soldiers sustained serious injuries," said a second officer. The injured soldiers were evacuated by air to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, for medical care, he said. Both officers did not want to be named as they had not been authorised to speak to the media. Boko Haram has in recent weeks stepped up attacks on military and civilian targets, raiding bases and villages. On Saturday four gunmen broke into a house in Gambari neighbourhood on the outskirts of Maiduguri, killing four construction workers, militia sources said. A Boko Haram group was suspected of carrying out the attack, the sources said. Boko Haram's decade-long uprising to establish a hardline Islamic state in Nigeria's northeast has spilled into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon. A regional military coalition is battling the radical Islamist group. At least 27,000 people have been in killed in Nigeria alone, and forced some two million others from their homes. Retired Lebanese soldiers blockaded the central bank in Beirut on Monday in protest against draft state budget proposals they fear would curb military benefits, an escalation of demonstrations and strikes against the heavily indebted state's austerity plans. A central bank official told Reuters the central bank was operating as normal despite the protest outside its Beirut headquarters. The demonstrators blocked the main road outside the building, Hamra, choking rush hour traffic on one of Beirut's busiest streets. With Lebanon suffering from years of low economic growth, long-stalled reforms are seen as more pressing than ever to put the state finances on a sustainable path. Lebanon is saddled with one of the world's heaviest public debt burdens at around 150 percent of GDP. Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said last week Lebanon was far from bankruptcy but failure to pass a realistic budget would be tantamount to a suicide operation against the economy. Hariri has been critical of strikes and protests against the draft budget, saying last week they were based on unfounded rumours about its contents. The protesters began to gather on Sunday evening outside the central bank as Lebanons coalition government held its latest meeting to try to agree on the budget. "The protest will continue until there is a solution for the clauses concerning military personnel in the budget," said retired brigadier general Sameh Rammah, who was taking part in the protest, adding that they will keep escalating until their demands are met. Retired soldiers held similar protests on Monday outside regional offices of the central bank in the cities of Tripoli and Tyre. "The bank is operational and the market is proceeding as normal," a central bank official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. A central bank employee told Reuters workers had managed to enter the bank last night and would work as normal. Retired soldiers have been among the most vocal opponents of draft budget proposals, blocking roads with burning tyres on several occasions in recent weeks. Last week, central bank workers went on strike in protest against any cuts that would affect their pay, leading the stock exchange to halt trading for two days. Workers in other state bodies have also mounted strikes. The government said on Friday it had agreed to tighten the allocation of financial incentives that are intended for soldiers on frontline duty but applied more widely in practice. The public-sector wage bill is the governments biggest expense followed by debt servicing costs and the big subsidies paid annually to the state-owned power producer. The draft budget aims to reduce the deficit to below 9% of GDP from 11.2% in 2018, the finance minister has said. Search Keywords: Short link: President Maithripala Sirisena along with 25 "Sri Lankan delegates" took wing to China for a three-day visit today (May 13). President Sirisena is attending a Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilisations that will open on May 15 The President along with a delegation of 27 members will reach China via a transit flight after touching down first in Singapore. Coptic Solidarity Strongly Urges President Trump to Designate the Muslim Brotherhood a Terrorist Organization Muslim Brotherhood Supporters - Photo Credit Reuters News provided by May 13, 2019 WASHINGTON, May 13, 2019 / Standard Newswire / -- Coptic Solidarity welcomes the White House announcement on April 30, 2019 of the administration's intent to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. Coptic Solidarity strongly urges President Trump's administration to promptly issue such an executive order with the hope that it will put an end to the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been largely responsible for Islamic extremism across the globe for the past nine decades. The Muslim Brotherhood's ideology and structure has and continues to serve as a global powerhouse and gateway for all Sunni terrorist organizations seeking their place on the world terrorist stage. The majority of Islamic terrorist leaders were originally members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which shaped their ideology and trained them to enact mass violence fueled by hatred. The Muslim Brotherhood has produced world class terrorists, most notoriously: Ayman al-Zawahiri, founder of the Egyptian Jihad Organization, and current Al-Qaeda leader, was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood; Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh, founder of the Islamic Group, al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, in Egypt was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Guidance Bureau; Al-Qaeda founder, Bin Laden, admitted he was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jeddah; Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi acknowledged that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood; Mohammed Yusuf, the founder of the Nigeria-based terrorist organization Boko Haram, was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Nigeria, known in Hausa as the Yan Brothers; Abdullah Azzam, founder of Afghani Jihad and co-founder of Al-Qaeda, was schooled by Mohammed Qutb (the brother of the leading Islamic Jihad theorist, Sayyid Qutb) in Saudi Arabia, admitted he was inspired by Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt; Mohamed Kamal, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Guidance Bureau in Egypt, established the terrorist organization Hasm, which was designated by the US State Department as a terrorist organization. When the convicted terrorist, the Blind Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman al-Masry died in a US prison, the Muslim Brotherhood eulogized him as a heroic mujahid who died unjustly in America's jails. Finally, the prominent Muslim Brotherhood leader Sayyid Qutb's highly influential book "Milestones" has been considered the primer on Islamic terrorism during the past five decades. The Muslim Brotherhood has been practicing terrorism since the 1940s. They were responsible for setting Jewish homes and businesses in Egypt on fire to push Jews out of Egypt. The graffiti left on Jewish homes was very telling: "Saturday today and Sunday tomorrow," meaning that they have started with Jews and will finish off with Christians. They were also responsible for the 1951 Cairo fire, which targeted several banks and businesses intended to create chaos to supplant Egypt's monarchy. They have not renounced violence as a means to achieve their political goals of Islamist supremacy and the establishment of a global Caliphate. Their destruction and burning of 110 churches and Christian institutions in August 2013 in Egypt is just a recent example. Christians in the Middle East have been subjected to severe persecution for decades at the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliated organizations. American Christians of Middle Eastern descent, some four million Americans, welcome the prospect of seeing an end to Islamic terrorism. Coptic Solidarity strongly supports the Trump Administration's plan to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, and it is grateful that President Trump is aware of the danger posed by this organization and its affiliates worldwide. Coptic Solidarity deeply appreciates the decisive actions taken by the administration to protect the world against the dangers posed by Islamic terrorism with the Muslim Brotherhood organization at its top. Coptic Solidarity is an organization seeking to help minorities, particularly the Copts, of Egypt and we support those in Egypt working for democracy, freedom, and the protection of the fundamental rights of all Egyptian citizens. It advocates in cooperation with the affiliated organizations in Canada and in Europe (Solidarite Copte). For more information, contact Lindsay Griffin at 801-512-1713 or coptadvocacy@copticsolidarity.org SOURCE Coptic Solidarity Related Links Electricity subsidies will be cut in July as part of a five-year programme that went into effect in 2015 Egypt's Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker told MPs that a new cut in electricity subsidies will be introduced in July. This means that there will be an increase in electricity bills in July and as part of a five-year subsidy cut programme in this sector, said Shaker, adding that let me say that I am the first cabinet minister who decided to announce this step in public. In a meeting with parliaments industry committee, Shaker said that despite the repeated cuts that have been introduced since 2015, electricity prices in Egypt are still below the international rates. Shaker said that the Ministry of Electricity still owes the Ministry of Petroleum a staggering amount of EGP 145 billion worth of fuel supplies, and if electricity subsidies are kept in place in the new fiscal year, the deficit of the ministrys budget will increase by EGP 36 billion. Shaker said the subsidies allocated to the Ministry of Electricity this year will be cut down to just EGP 16 billion. "This comes at a time when we have to pay EGP 20 billion in debts in the new year," said Shaker, "so electricity prices must go up, not to mention that we all agree that all subsidies in this respect should be completely phased out by the end of 2022." Meanwhile, parliament's energy committee approved on Monday the budget of the National Authority for Electric Generation. "The budget is estimated at EGP 6.2 billion, compared to EGP 5.7 billion last year, and this increase comes to help the authority implement a number of projects, particularly the new nuclear power generation station at Al-Dabaa west of Alexandria," said committee chairman Talaat El-Sewedy. Mahmoud Khalil, the representative of the authority, told MPs that the actual construction of Al-Dabaa station will kick off in 2020. "The review of the station's contracts and designs usually take from one year to one year-and-a-half, and I can assure that the progress in the Al-Dabaa project in coordination with the Russians is going according to schedule and without any deviations," said Khalil. Search Keywords: Short link: Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Ramon Allones Specially Selected is a highly-regarded robusto from one of Cubas lesser-known trademarks. The brand hails all the way back to 1845 when it was created by brothers Ramon and Antonio Allones neither of whom is related to Antonio Allones, who brought El Rey del Mundo to fame in the late 19th century. According to legend, Ramon Allones was the first brand to have colorful lithographs for box art, the first brand to utilize bands on cigars, and the first to package cigars in the 8-9-8 style. (Although others also claim to be the first for each of the developments.) With a classic robusto shape (four and 7/8 inches by 50 ring gauge) and a slight box press, the Specially Selected is an attractive cigar. The wrapper is a nearly flawless medium-brown matte color. Prelight, I take a moment to appreciate its rich and earthy aroma before I clip the head and use a few matches to get a good light. I also notice that the Specially Selected is very firm to the touch and it is denser than most of the other Cuban robustos I have smoked. Immediately after lighting, I enjoy an abundant amount of leather flavors paired with pepper, earth, and even caramel. As the cigar progresses I find the spice fades out before coming back for a strong finish to this medium- to full-flavored smoke. The overall construction of the Ramon Allones is also impressive. The draw is firm, but not overly so, and the ash is very sturdy. The only downside is the burn starts off a bit uneven, but fortunately quickly corrects itself. Ultimately, this is one of the best Cuban cigars I have tasted, and it produced the same well-balanced flavors in each of the sticks I sampled for this review. Because it isnt as famous as many of its Cuban counterparts, this cigar is available at a reasonable price of just $7.50 per cigar when purchased in a box of 25. For attractive looks, solid construction, well-blended flavor, and a reasonable price, this Ramon Allones earns a rare rating of five out of five stogies. [To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.] Patrick S photo credit: Stogie Guys Potterman jumps the last in the Qatar Airways Handicap Hurdle. Photo: David Pratt / dwprattracingphotography HORSE RACING TRAINER Alan King and jockey Wayne Hutchinson continued their excellent start to the new jumps season when Potterman ran out a comfortable winner of Warwicks feature Qatar Airways Handicap Hurdle at a lively Ladies Night on Saturday, writes David Hucker. Although top-weight Sternrubin turned for home with plenty of petrol left in the tank, he was joined by Potterman at the final flight and Kings runner quickly asserted to finish five lengths to the good at the line, with Comrade Conrad a further 14 lengths back in third, having never got into contention. King has also been sending out plenty of runners on the flat and, in his post-race interview, made mention of Who Dares Wins, runner-up in Wednesdays Sportpesa Chester Cup, who could be going novice chasing seeking to add to his eight wins so far. Jockey Harry Skelton made the journey down the M6 after riding at Haydock Parks afternoon meeting to partner Bbold for his brother Dan in the opening Rybrook BMW Novices Hurdle over two miles and three furlongs. Bbold was well-supported in the betting, shortening to 15-8 before the off, and it looked as if his supporters were going to collect when he put in some good jumps down the back straight. But, Versatility was tracking him as they turned for home and, after jumping past Bbold at the final flight, he came right away under Jeremiah McGrath to post a quick double for trainer Nicky Henderson, who had been on the mark with Brave Eagle at Haydock five minutes earlier. Another trainer to notch a quick double was Jamie Snowden, whose Shantewe took the concluding race at Hexham before odds-on Thebannerkingrebel sauntered home in the McCoy Contractors Civil Engineering National Hunt Maiden Hurdle with jockey Gavin Sheehan able to ease his mount down on the run-in as Gateway To Europe could make no impression from the final flight. Champion jockey Richard Johnson took a tumble as Some Boy McCoy jumped the last flight awkwardly and forfeited his remaining rides, starting with Victarion in the following Join Racing TV Now Handicap Hurdle. The popular favourite here was Blairs Cove, a winner over over fences at the last meeting, and he did it again, with Harry Skelton sitting motionless as the combination had too much speed for Victarion, who just saw off Supakalanistic for second place. Although just five runners set off for the Ardencote Destination Spa Mares Novices Chase, it was run at a good pace set by Poppy Kay, with David England standing in for Johnson this time, and Vivant. It was Poppy Kay who went on down the back straight, but her jumping started to falter and she dropped back, being pulled up between the last two fences. Up front, Kentford Heiress had established herself at the head of affairs and she shook off the attentions of Grageelagh Girl to make it five wins in the last 14 days for trainer Seamus Mullins. The Boola Bee was given a patient ride by Tom Buckley in the long-distance Agetur UK Conditional Jockeys Handicap Chase but, once she hit the front going to the second-last fence, the race was all over bar the shouting and she put plenty of daylight between herself and her pursuers headed by Definately Vinnie and Culm Counsellor. Make a note of Phoenix Rock, having just her third run over fences, who was bang in contention when sending Connor Brace into orbit with a mistake at the third-last fence. The runners were tightly packed as they came into the straight for the concluding National Hunt Flat Race and it was 25-1 outsider Trincomalee who came out on top, getting up to beat 135,000 purchase Killer Clown, who dived to his left close to the line when looking the likely winner. The third leg of the Qatar May Racing Carnival is on Wednesday, 22nd May with Proudly Warwick Raceday, when the first race is due off at 2.20pm. For people without heart disease, taking a daily aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes may increase the risk of severe brain bleeding to the point where it outweighs any potential benefit, a research review suggests. U.S. doctors have long advised adults who haven't had a heart attack or stroke but are at high risk for these events to take a daily aspirin pill, an approach known as primary prevention. Even though there's clear evidence aspirin works for this purpose, many physicians and patients have been reluctant to follow the recommendations because of the risk of rare but potentially lethal internal bleeding. For the current study, researchers examined data from 13 clinical trials testing the effects of aspirin against a placebo or no treatment in more than 134,000 adults. The risk of intracranial hemorrhage, or brain bleeds, was rare: taking aspirin was associated with two additional cases of this type of internal bleeding for every 1,000 people, the study found. But the bleeding risk was still 37 percent higher for people taking aspirin than for people who didn't take this drug. "Intracranial hemorrhage is a special concern because it is strongly associated with a high risk of death and poorer health over a lifetime," said study co-author Dr. Meng Lee of Chang Gung University College of Medicine in Taiwan. "These findings suggest caution regarding using low-dose aspirin in individuals without symptomatic cardiovascular disease," Lee said by email. For people who have already had a heart attack or stroke, the benefit of low-dose aspirin to prevent another major cardiac event is well established, researchers note in JAMA Neurology. But the value of aspirin is less clear for healthier people, for whom bleeding risks may outweigh any benefit, the study team writes. Already, guidelines on aspirin for primary prevention of heart disease in the U.S., Europe and Australia have incorporated a need to balance the potential benefits against the risk of bleeding. For elderly people, who have a greater risk of bleeding than younger adults, the risks may be too great to recommend aspirin. For adults ages 50 to 59 considering aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes, for example, the U.S Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends the pill only for people who have at least a 10 percent risk of having a heart attack or stroke over the next decade and who don't have a higher-than-average risk of bleeding. (The American College of Cardiology provides an online risk calculator here: http://bit.ly/2VxbuAK.) One limitation of the analysis is that the smaller clinical trials examined a variety of aspirin doses up to 100 milligrams daily. The analysis also only focused on brain bleeds, and not on other types of internal bleeding associated with aspirin. We have long known that aspirin can precipitate bleeding, most commonly in the gastrointestinal tract, but most devastatingly in the brain," said Dr. Samuel Wann, a cardiologist at Ascension Healthcare in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who wasn't involved in the study. Despite the benefits for preventing heart attacks, the consensus on aspirin has changed over time, particularly for people without heart disease or hardening and narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis). "We have previously recommended aspirin to prevent platelets from sticking to the inside of an individual's arteries, but the benefit, while real, turns out to be small compared to the rare but devastating incidence of brain hemorrhage," Wann said by email. "We no longer recommend routine use of aspirin in individuals who have no demonstrable cardiovascular disease or atherosclerosis." Search Keywords: Short link: The Easter Sunday massacre A critique By Mohamed Liyawdeen View(s): View(s): In 2014 when Iraq was in turmoil, I was attached to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Baghdad. Unable to comprehend the rationale behind the numerous suicide bombings, I queried from one of the local staff members, Why were these suicide bombers bent on killing and maiming their own fellow citizens, and in the process killing themselves? She replied that most of the suicide bombers were forlorn drug addicts and did not see any purpose in life. When they were offered assurance of support for their immediate families by the ISIS, they accepted the offer gladly. A plausible reason, I thought. Then I wondered why the Easter Sunday suicide bombers, hailing from wealthy families and with prospects of a bright future, should commit this dastardly act. Were they psychopaths or brainwashed? Many shocked and bewildered Muslims and non-Muslims probing and speculating about the state of mind of these terrorists keep questioning: Why? In the aftermath of 9/11, US journalist Todd Gitlin expressed his bewilderment in the following words, How does a man convert himself into the instrument of a massacre? What goes on in his mind when he sets out to smash a jetliner into a skyscraper? How does it happen that they have been called in to demonstrate their piety by obliterating their enemies and nothing will stand in their way, not even their own earthly existence? Amin Maalouf, the Lebanese author, in his book In the Name of Identity endeavours to unravel this conundrum. If the men of all countries, of all conditions and faiths, can so easily be transformed into butchers, if fanatics of all kinds, manage to pass themselves off as defenders of identity, its because the tribal concept of identity still prevalent all over the world facilitates such a distortion through habit, from lack of imagination or resignation, thus inadvertently contributing to the tragedies by which, tomorrow we shall be genuinely shocked. Shocked indeed we are and remain. Perpetrators of this heinous crime were followers of a noble religion that preaches mercy, compassion, love and peace. In the Holy Quran, at the beginning of each chapter, the Lord calls Himself the Merciful, the Compassionate. Mercy is mentioned 167 times in the Holy Book. Almighty God reiterates in the Holy Quran To take the life of a human being is equivalent to having eliminated the whole of humanity; and restoring and safeguarding the life of one living being is tantamount to having restored the whole of humanity. Such is the importance attached to human life in Islam. The Prophet of Islam was sent as Mercy unto Gods creation. The Holy Prophets mercy and compassion was thus universal and permeated to all of creation. In a brief article it would suffice to mention a few instances of the Messengers mercy and kindness towards believers of other religions. The first ever recorded Declaration of Human Rights was issued by the Holy Prophet when he gave the right to Jews to practice their religion and the right to peaceful existence in the City State of Medina. History also records that the Holy Prophet bequeathed the covenant known as Asthinaime of Muhammed a charter granting protection and other privileges to the followers of Jesus Christ which was handed over to the Christian monks of St. Catherines Monastery. Professor Ramakrishna Rao in his book Muhammed the Prophet of Islam mentions as follows: During the time of the Holy Prophet, the battlefield itself was humanized. Strict orders were issued not to break trust, not to mutilate nor to kill a child or woman or an old man, nor hew down a fruit tree or burn, not to molest a monk and persons engaged in worship. His own treatment of his bitterest enemies was the noblest example for his followers. At the conquest of Makkah, he stood at the zenith of his power. The city which had tortured him and his followers, which had driven him and his people into exile and which had unrelentingly persecuted and boycotted him even when he had taken refuge in a place more than 200 miles away, that city now lay at his feet. By the laws of war he could have justly avenged all the cruelties inflicted on him and his people. But what treatment did he mete out to them? Muhammads heart overflowed with the milk of love and kindness as he declared: This day there is no reproof against you and you are all free. Another exemplary disposition by Muslim leaders towards other religions is the precedent set by the second Caliph of Islam, Umar. When Jerusalem was captured and Umar personally travelled to take over the city, whilst inside the Church of Resurrection, the call for prayer was pronounced. The Bishops in attendance requested Umar to conduct his prayers inside the church. But he politely turned down the offer stating that it could set a precedent and inconvenience Christian worshippers. Ali, the fourth Caliph of Islam once declared: Muslims are my brothers in faith. Non-believers are my equals in humanity. How then could these barbarians who killed the innocents, who are equals to us in humanity, be considered as our brothers in faith? (The writer is a former banker and diplomat. aroozeldeen@hotmail.com) : MBABANE Renowned gospel artists Make Maculuve and Scara Maziya were ordained as pastors over the weekend. The musicians were officially ordained by their fellow gospel artist and God Cares Christian Fellowship Bishop Vusumuzi Maculuve. The special ceremony took place on Sunday at Mbikwakhe where two other mothers of the church were ordained as pastors. This comes after five months since Bishop Maculuve was ordained by the prominent All Nations Christian Church in Zion Archbishop Bheki Lukhele, at the same venue. Maculuve confirmed that he had taken another step of ordaining workers of the gospel under his founded charismatic and fast-growing church based at Mbikwakhe. Maculuve came out clean and declared that he caould not do all the work alone hence other serving candidates were deemed fit to be hands of assistance to him. His wife, Nomvumelwano, an established crowd puller artist, who has all along been a pastor, was ordained as Lady President. While the Zion singing gospel artist, Scara Maziya, was ordained as a pastor after he publicly declared to be joining the bishops church late last year. Upon joining the church, Maziya made it clear that he loved bishop Maculuves leadership style and love for people. I will faithfully serve God under my Bishop. My life has changed in the past few months and I believe I am ready for this responsibility, an excited Maziya said. The other church members who were ordained are Sikelela Sithole who has been a pastor and the church's chairperson moved to being a President and lastly, upcoming artist, Ndumiso Hlophe, who had been an Evangelist, was ordained as a pastor. Make Maculuve said she was happy to be serving the church and following her true calling. In a brief interview, Bishop Maculuve confirmed the news of the ordination. We are glad to tell the nation that we trust them and we pray for them to work well, he said. Moreover, Maculuve announced that Maziya was also appointed as the churchs Public Relations Officer (PRO) for two years. Maculuve stated that the artist may be reinstated or reshuffled after this period. He said from now onwards, anything pertaining the media would be handled by Maziya. Rid Maziya recently got rid of his trademark Zion gowns for a suit. He is well known for producing hit songs such as Awphinduzame and he won the Best Zion award in the Mpumalanga Zion awards. When contacted for a comment, ACASWA Convener Mathokoza Mtetwa declined to comment as he said he was currently locked in a meeting. Celebrated gospel music artist and church founder, Mduduzi Gawuzela Simelane also asked not to make a comment on the matter. This did not stop Frans Dlamini from congratulating the artists for their newly-assumed duties. He wished them well. MANZINI - The alleged kingpin in the forging of government documents in Manzini has been revealed. Out of the three suspects who were rounded up by Manzini police last Tuesday and Wednesday, the law enforcers eventually charged Wandile Dlamini (34) of Gucuka with two counts. His alleged agents were however, released. In the first count, the accused person was charged with contravening Section 96 (2) (b) as read with Section 122 (1) and 122 (4) of the Road Traffic Act of 2007. This was after Dlamini, who was not a driver of any public transport, did wrongfully and unlawfully possess a counterfeited public driving permit No. 228639 purported to be of one Celumusa Thusi. Again, Dlamini was also charged with contravening the aforesaid Act after he was found to be in possession of a counterfeited public driving permit No. 228638 purported to be of one Themba Msholo Ndzabandzaba. The accused person appeared before Magistrate Sebenzile Ndlela on Friday and according to the charge sheet, he was arrested near Motsa Properties in Manzini on Wednesday. During his appearance, Dlamini was represented by Sipho Simelane from NE Ginindza Attorneys. Through his lawyer, the accused person told the court that he was intending to plead not guilty and he applied for bail. He was granted E4 000 bail and would appear before the same court on July 9, 2019 for trial. When he left the courtroom, he was seen carrying a printer which he allegedly used to printout the counterfeit government documents. Investigations by the police proved that the accused person allegedly sold public driving permits, birth certificates, identity documents and travel documents in the streets of Manzini. These documents are being sold between E300 E2 000. MALIBENI Is the north-eastern parts of the country quickly becoming a crime capital? This is probably the question members of the public are asking themselves following yet another robbery in that part of the country. The latest robbery took place in broad daylight on Friday, about a kilometre from Buhleni Police Post. This happened while police have intensified patrols in the area, following two successive attacks by an armed gang, which has left one person killed and at least five others seriously injured. Witnesses said robbers targeted a Mobile Money spaza operator, located by the roadside. Sedan The criminals were travelling in a VW Polo sedan, according to eyewitnesses, who asked not to be mentioned. Upon reaching the Mobile Money vendor, the robbers looked like normal customers. But while the operator was speaking to one of them, another jumped over the counter and grabbed several notes and coins, said the witness. There are suspicions that the robbers were armed. After grabbing the money, which totalled E1 800, the robbers fled. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the matter. She said police were still searching for the suspects. When asked if the latest robbery was related to the previous string of robberies committed by an armed gang, Vilakati said police were still trying to figure out if there was any connection. She said for now, investigators were treating the latest robbery as a separate matter. She further assured residents in communities located in north-eastern parts of the country that police were committed to fighting crime in the area and ensuring the safety of citizens. She stated that it was understandable for the targeted communities to be frustrated but she appealed to them to allow law enforcement agencies to deal with the seemingly escalating crime levels. Strategies We have come up with strategies which we hope will be effective. All we are requesting from residents is for them to cooperate with us. One way in which they could cooperate with us is to quickly share with us any information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects, Vilakati stated. She further mentioned that police would not sleep until the suspects were brought to book. Last Tuesday, one person was shot, a woman was raped and at least three others were seriously injured when an armed gang targeted businesses and communities in the north-eastern parts of the country. MATSAPHA Was it a man or a woman? This is the dilemma which is faced by members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), who are investigating the about E0.5million Swaziland Building Society (SBS) armed robbery. Impeccable sources have revealed that even though the bank teller who reported the robbery alleged that she was robbed by an armed man, it appears that the suspect is a woman. This information was gathered by the investigators after they watched the closed circuit television (CCTV) camera footage, of how the about E0.5m armed robbery took place. Again, it was gathered that some of the SBS staff members who saw the armed robber by the bank in Matsapha when they knocked off, suspected that she was a woman. This was because the robber had a tattoo on his/her leg, just above the ankle, something which is mostly done by females. Also, some of the people whove had a glimpse of the footage said the suspect had features that may lead one to think it was a woman. The source said this left the police wondering whether those who had given insight on the robbery were concealing evidence by stating, as a matter of fact, that the teller was robbed by a man. The CCTV camera footage also showed the armed robber boarding a white seven seater car near Star Paint, which is about 500 metres from the robbed bank. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said members of the public who wanted to assist the police should look at the features of the robber. It does not matter whether its a man or a woman, we just want to apprehend the suspect, she said. Others say the theory that the robber was a female may be used as a trick to throw investigators off trail of the real suspect. Accomplice On another note, it was gathered that the police were also trying to find the owner of a VW Polo which is suspected to have been driven by the robbers accomplice on the day. This comes after the CCTV footage showed the driver of the vehicle walking around the bank before the robbery and he was seen talking on his mobile phone. The source said the police managed to get the registration numbers of the vehicle but when they checked its owner, they found that the registration does not exist in governments car registration system. He said this made the law enforcers to believe that the driver of the car intentionally put counterfeit registration numbers in order not to be detected. Again, this publication gathered that after the robbery, the security guard knelt down and prayed due to trauma. Meanwhile, Tommy Kirk, the owner of the shopping complex which houses the robbed SBS branch said the businesspeople within his compound were living in fear of being robbed as well. However, he maintained that if the police could use the structure which he offered to them to use as a police post, the business community could do business without fear. On that note, the businessman reminded the police service that their mobile post which they were using, was allegedly sitting on his land illegally. He added that he was willing to engage the police in talks over the usage of the structure because his offer still stands. MBABANE Pupils from four schools in the country are currently learning under trees and temporary structures. This is as a result of the lack of classrooms, which are supposed to be constructed through the Ministry of Education and Training. With the winter season approaching, parents and teachers alike from the four schools, are wondering how the pupils will survive the winter chill while taking lessons either from inside the tents or from under trees. So serious is the situation, that Good Samaritans have donated tents for the pupils to take lessons in with the hope that government would come to the party. Makeshift A tent became the makeshift classroom for Grade II pupils at Bhadlane Primary School, while the school awaits approval from Micro Projects to construct classrooms. This is happening in the backdrop of the ministry spending E40 million on external examinations only, last year. The tent was donated by Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society and shelters a significant number of pupils. According to a parent who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity, they were distressed over the condition their children learnt under. She stated that the school had a limited number of classrooms before the humanitarian organisation donated the tent. Meanwhile, the parent mentioned that the school had applied for funding from Micro Projects, but they were unsuccessful for the past three years. Worried We are worried about the setup our children are currently learning in, it is not conducive for any learner. This is an indication of lack of development in the area and this will affect their performance, said another parent. She further specified that as parents, they had tried to communicate that they needed to contribute towards the construction of a classroom which could be used by the Grade II pupils, but this was futile since other parents could not afford to. Another parent mentioned that during hot days, her child complained that the tents were very hot and this made it uncomfortable and learning was disturbed. She added that on rainy days, the tents were flooded and lessons were disturbed further. She mentioned that pupils ended up not having lessons during rainy days. Due to the basic need for education, we cannot do anything about this, but continue to send our children to school, the parent said. The parents stated that this is the closest school which they could send their children to. Some children travel approximately eight kilometres to the school. Israel Fakudze, the Head teacher of the school, declined to comment. He, however, asked how the matter had reached the media and wondered if the source of the story was politically motivated. Fakudze pointed out that the school had engaged the Ministry of Education and Training regarding the building of the Grade II classroom. He said the ministry had promised to assist the school and stated that he was hopeful that it would aid the school once finances were available. Responding to the question of why Bhadlane Primary was approved without any funds for building, Lubombo Regional Education Officer (REO) Musa Mthupha said he had not anticipated that there would be financial challenges during the construction phase of the classroom. Inadequate The Lubombo REO further stressed that due to the inadequate infrastructure at the school, it was decided upon to make an improvisation of the tent which was donated by Red Cross. He said when the financial challenges improved, Micro Projects would be ready to assist the school. He said there was a building programme in place, which did not see the light of day due to the countrys economic turndown. Similarly, parents of a school in the same region expressed their grief over Grade III pupils who were learning under trees. Our children are taught in the scorching heat and now that winter is approaching, they will be exposed to the cold, she said. The parent pointed out that this was because they were overcrowded in the classrooms. As a result, she (parent) specified that teachers grouped them into three streams, which they alternated and shared equally by the pupils on different days. She added that it was difficult for the school to get help because it was remotely situated and people were not familiar with it. Meanwhile, the head teacher of the school refused to comment. He said he did not wish to be quoted, as the matter was currently being discussed by potential funders who were not under the ministry. Comment Cometh the hour, cometh the man in Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini and his team, as they launch the much anticipated Eswatini Strategic Roadmap 2019 -2023 in Ezulwini today. After six months of planning, with a nation anxious to see the blueprint, we hope to finally get a clearer picture of what form, shape or size the transformation propeller will take to drive this country out of the economic quagmire in which it is sinking. We challenge the PM to do the right thing and stick to what governments of highly successful nations do best govern. It is time to leave business to the businesspeople. For decades government has usurped the economy from the private sector to become the goose that lays the golden egg; breeding tenderpreneurs instead of businesses that could develop a resilient foundation for our economy. Dipping into the SACU receipts basket also rendered government lazy to diversify our income. Instead, it has only succeeded in making it harder to do business in Eswatini with countless regulations and red tape that have kept investors away. The new strategy must untangle all this to make it simple to do business here. Previous governments misinterpreted job creation to mean bulging the civil service, to top government expenditure gobble up 60 per cent of the budget. It became an estate agent of a mass civil servant housing project and only has a dilapidated property portfolio to show for it. The less said about fleet management, the better; CTA is the taxpayers biggest nightmare. Misguided priorities and luxury spending count among the biggest contributors to our economic downfall. We expect the new plan to correct this mismanagement by placing first things first. And when all is said and done, corruption will always be lurking in the vicinity to rob us of all the gains that come with grand plans. It becomes imperative that any strategy launched today has a very effective technique of succeeding where others have failed. Anything less would render the grand plan an exercise in futility. NHLANGANO At least three patients are thought to have died needlessly due to an ongoing shortage of medication in one health facility in the country. The nurses union believes the figures could even be much higher if cases can be investigated further. The three suspected cases are only confined to the Nhlangano Health Centre, where patients who have been suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure) eventually lost their lives. It should be noted that the patients did not necessarily die at the facilitys premises, but succumbed to their illnesses after failing to get access to critical drugs. One of the victims, according to a source at the health facility, is an elderly woman who frequented the hospital but could not get access to medication. Two other males, who recently collapsed and died around the same town, are also believed to have succumbed to complications with their blood pressure because they were no longer getting their medication. It has emerged that across the country, health facilities are struggling with a diminishing supply of critical drugs, but most affected are the elderly, who suffer from high blood pressure. At Nhlangano Health Centre for instance, the facility ran out of hypertension drugs around February, and since then, they have been turning patients away, according to a staffer. The source further revealed that just recently, they also ran out of medicine to treat chronic conditions like stomach ulcers, and that of people with mental illnesses. Its a very precarious situation. Doctors are now scared to admit patients in the absence of medicine because relatives may end shifting the blame to the hospital, yet the underlying problem is that of the drug shortage, explained the health worker. Despite the aforementioned chronic illnesses, it appears like the serious shortage of medicines will also render some hospitals, like the Nhlangano Health Centre, incompetent to treat even the mildest flu this winter season. flu This comes after dozens of patients suffering from flu symptoms complained that they were only given paracetamol (a painkiller), after being told that other prescribed medicines were in short supply. One interviewed patient said she spent over five hours waiting in the queue at the Nhlangano Health Centre yesterday, where she had gone to seek medical attention after she was attacked by what she thought was a bout of flu. She said the doctor indeed prescribed medicine for influenza, but her disappointment came when she reached the facilitys dispensary, where she was only given a packet of paracetamol or panado, which is a common painkiller used to treat mild pain. This was so sad. I just wished they had informed me early enough. I could have made plans to visit another facility straight away, she said. The woman told this publication that she ended up boarding a bus to another private clinic situated around Mahamba, where she eventually got some of the medicine she needed for her condition. But the treatment was just too expensive, she said. An investigation conducted by this publication discovered that its not just flu alone. Many other patients suffering from ailments like high blood pressure and diabetes were reportedly turned away at the same facility. Mothers also complained that they were not getting medicine prescribed for their children at the health centres pharmacy. President of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union Bheki Mamba conceded that several facilities across the country continued to face serious challenges because they have run out of medical supplies. Its just unfortunate that people are dying out there yet nothing tangible is being done to arrest the situation. Government has failed in its obligation to make health care accessible to the populace, and this has resulted in people losing trust in the health system. Even the road map that was being presented by the prime minister cannot bring hope if people continue to die or to be turned away from facilities because there are no drugs, he said. Meanwhile, Minister of Health Lizzy Nkosi said she was unaware of depleted drugs in local facilities. She said in as far as government was concerned, their purchasing of drugs was on point, which made her believe there was adequate medical supplies at the central medical stores. This could be an isolated problem. It could happen that it is an issue of logistics at that particular health facility, because what I know is that there was enough medicine at the central medical stores, she insisted. EZULWINI A core goal of the strategic road map is to end corruption and introduce a culture of excellence across all ministries where merit and delivery is rewarded. This is a stance collectively taken by Cabinet and shall be their bible for the next five years, in a quest to redeem the country from the fiscal doldrums. In so doing, Cabinet assigned the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs led by Pholile Shakantu and the Ministry of Public Service, which is currently led by Christian Ntshangase, to be in the driving seat of this ideal. The two ministries, through the assistance of other government departments and agencies, have been assigned to promote the culture of service excellence throughout the public service; strengthen organisational development; reinforce human resource development policies and implement change management approaches to change attitudes, behaviours and laissez-faire culture. Among the key pointers, they also have to improve industrial relations; build capacity in all courts; and qualify for MCC and Multilateral conditions for budget support. To this, some of the stakeholders that have been pin-pointed by government are public service associations (PSAs) which are the human resource government uses to deliver its services. The PSAs are: the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU); the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT); the Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP) and the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU). In the quest to improve relations with PSAs, there are expectations that the engagement of the two parties will result in improved relations with civil servants. This would in turn assist Cabinet and principal secretaries to engage employees across the public service to identify areas of concern. Sudanese protesters who drove President Omar al-Bashir from power last month are resuming negotiations with the ruling military council in renewed efforts to find common ground on forming a transitional government. Shams al-Deen al-Kabashi, a spokesman for the military council, says Monday\s meeting the first in over a week is being held "in a more optimistic atmosphere." The protesters are represented by the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, a coalition of opposition groups. The two sides are divided over what role the military, dominated by al-Bashir appointees, should play in the transitional period. The protesters demand a full transfer of power to a civilian government during this time. The military seeks a two-year transitional period during which army generals would retain most of the power. SOURCE:AP Sweden reopened an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday and said it would seek his extradition from Britain. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue and conclude a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought because Assange had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange was arrested in Britain last month after spending seven years hiding inside the embassy. The United States is also seeking his extradition on charges relating to the public release by Wikileaks of a huge cache of secret documents. The Swedish prosecutor said it would request Assange be detained in his absence on probable cause for an allegation of rape and that it would issue a European arrest warrant the process under which his extradition would be sought. The 47-year-old Australian is currently in prison in London after being sentenced to 50 weeks behind bars last month for jumping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy. The decision to reopen the investigation poses the question of whether Assange will be moved to the United States to face conspiracy charges for hacking into classified information or to Sweden. "I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US," Persson said. A British judge has given the U.S. government a deadline of June 12 to outline its case against Assange. The statute of limitation for rape in Sweden is 10 years a deadline which would be reached in mid-August next year for the alleged incident involving Assange, leaving prosecutors pressed for time to file any formal charge. CLEAR NAME Responding to the reopening of the Swedish investigation, WikiLeaks said it would give Assange a chance to clear his name. "Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case," Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks\ editor-in-chief, said in a statement. "Its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name." If convicted in Sweden, Assange could face a prison sentence of up to four years. Per Samuelson, a Swedish lawyer for Assange, told public service broadcaster the decision to reopen the case was "embarrassing for Sweden". The British courts will have to rule on any extradition request and Home Secretary Sajid Javid would decide which one takes precedence once Swedish prosecutors file theirs. Nick Vamos, lawyer at London-based firm Peters & Peters and former head of extradition at Britain\s Crown Prosecution Service, told Reuters before Monday\s decision that he expected a Swedish request would take supremacy. "In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority," a Swedish prosecutor\s statement said. Assange\s supporters cast him as a dissident facing the wrath of a superpower over one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history. WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables that laid bare often critical U.S. appraisals of world leaders, from Russian President Vladimir Putin to members of the Saudi royal family. It also published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. SOURCE: REUTERS By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 21 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on May 13, 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. By Azernews By Abdul Kerimkhanov Armenia does not withdraw its armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, thereby not eliminating the main reason hindering the establishment of peace in the region. The main reason that the ceasefire failed to turn into a sustainable peace for 25 years is the continuation of the Armenian occupation policy, Hikmet Hajiyev, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration told reporters in Baku on May 12. He was commenting on the statement of the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in connection with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of ceasefire regime. Hajiyev said Armenia occupied the territory of Azerbaijan with the use of force. He noted that more than a million Azerbaijanis in the occupied territories were subject to ethnic cleansing, and for more than 25 years they have to live as refugees and IDPs. Hajiyev added that the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan was also accompanied by numerous war crimes against the civilian population. "Four resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council in connection with the conflict condemned the use of force by Armenia against Azerbaijan, again confirmed the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, and the fact that Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan, requiring immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the invading forces from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," he stated. PA official stressed that the ceasefire is not peace. He noted the Armenian leadership also recognizes that although 25 years have passed, the ceasefire has not turned into sustainable peace. "The main reason why the ceasefire regime has not brought sustainable peace is the continuation of the aggressive policy of Armenia," Hajiyev added. He noted that the negotiation process format hasnt changed and is conducted between the conflict parties, namely Armenia and Azerbaijan. "If Armenia really wants to ensure sustainable peace in the region, then it should constructively participate in the negotiation process on the basis of the existing format, in accordance with requirements of the UN Security Council resolutions, withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and not hinder the return of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons to their native lands," he said. Only after that sustainable peace can be secured in the region, Hajiyev concluded. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries arose in 1988 due to the territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions - 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan - are under the occupation of the Armenian armed forces. In May 1994, the parties reached a ceasefire regime, and lauched peace negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group and with the co-chairmanship of Russia, France and the U.S. The four resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council on the liberation of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent territories have not yet been implemented by Armenia. Bahrain-based Bank ABC Islamic has posted a net profit of $9.6 million for the first quarter (Q1) of the year, 16.8 per cent higher than the profit of $8.2 million reported in Q1 2018. Net operating income rose to $11.6 million, 13.9 per cent higher compared to the first three months of last year of $10.2 million. Operating expenses were $1.9 million compared to $1.8 million for the same period of last year. Hammad Hassan, managing director of Bank ABC Islamic, said: The first quarter results are strong, considering the continuing general economic slowdown in our core markets. While demand for new financing by corporates and financial institutions remained low, capital markets activity in MENAT witnessed a healthy start in Q1 2019. The bank in collaboration with capital markets team of the Group was active in this area and successfully concluded a high profile sovereign Sukuk mandate. TradeArabia News Service Oman-based Galfar Engineering & Contracting Company said it has won a major road project contract worth RO86 million ($222 million) from the Ministry of Transport and Communications. A leading construction group Galfar said the scope of work includes the addition of two lanes for the dualisation of RusailNizwa road project in the sultanate. The ministry is currently working on finalising the contractual procedures and work on the project is likely to start in the last quarter of this year. Galfar said the mobilisation work will be completed within two months after it gets go-ahead from the ministry. The entire project will be completed within two-and-a-half years, the company stated in a filing to the Muscat Securities Market. "This is to inform our shareholders and investors that the Tender Board has awarded Galfar a tender on addition of two lanes (lane 3 and 4) to dualisation of RusailNizwa road from interchange of MEW to the interchange of Al Sharqiya road (part 1) vide the letter of the Ministry of Transport and Communications dated May 8," it added.-TradeArabia News Service Saudi-based Al Fouzan Trading and General Construction Company (FTCO) has been selected by Bahrain's Arabian Gulf University to build the multi-million-dollar King Abdulla Medical City under a 30-month contract in the kingdom. A specialist in the execution of medical city projects, hospitals, universities and educational institutions, Al Fouzan has several big developments under its name in Saudi Arabia. These include the 500-bed King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah, King Saud Medical City in Riyadh, the 500-bed Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Hospital, besides residential accommodation for Al Jouf University staff and the 400-bed Maternity and Children Hospital in Makkah. The Saudi contractor will be officially signing the deal for The King Abdulla Medical City project within the next few days. The mega development, being funded by a $1-billion grant from the late Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, will come up over a sprawling one-million sq-m area near Askar which has been donated by His Majesty King Hamad, according to an earlier BNA report. The hi-tech medical city will consist of a 288-bed medical centre that is in compliance with the highest international standards and specifications in this field. It will also include a number of research and excellence centres, as well as a college of medicine, making it a comprehensive centre for medical education and medical services that would offer its services to patients from Bahrain and neighbouring GCC states, it stated. AGU has already roped in Saud Consult, which will be in charge of the engineering designs for the mega project, while the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning has been tasked with the implementation of the infrastructure works and facilities for the project. The consultant will also follow up on the implementation of the infrastructure works as per the instructions of the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, reported the BNA, citing a senior ministry official. According to Ahmed Abdulaziz Al Khayat, the undersecretary of the ministry, the work on the medical city project will be implemented in four phases. "The first phase includes the implementation of electricity, water and sewage networks, and fire-fighting, irrigation and rainwater drainage networks, that is in addition to the construction of internal roads and installation of street lighting," he explained. The second phase will be the construction of a main power plant to supply the city with electricity, while the third and fourth phases will include the construction of a sewage plant and the development of the roads networks surrounding and leading to the city, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Utico, a utility firm based in the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, said it has submitted a binding offer to invest S$400 million ($293.42 million) in Singapores water treatment firm Hyflux. As part of the offer, the Emirati company will also provide working capital and any urgent interim funding to Hyflux, said its top official. "Both Utico and Hyflux being in the water industry there is tremendous synergy we could jointly leverage in turn positively impacting onward business operations," remarked CEO Richard Menezes. Utico will soon engage with Singapores water agency PUB and retail investors in Hyflux for the closing of the deal, he added. According to him, Utico possesses a reputable track record in the water and power industries which is anchored by a spirit of innovation, strong funding and a diversified investment and projects portfolio including municipal partnerships. We submitted the binding term sheet last week. We are looking for the right deal that provides all creditors and investors a satisfactory position in the company, he stated. The Singapore company said its legal and financial advisors are currently engaged in active discussions with Uticos counterparts on the terms of Uticos investment, to be set out in a binding term sheet for execution. Once the deal is done, the UAE utilities group - whose shareholders and investors include sovereign institutions of the governments of Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Brunei - plans to retain Hyfluxs current management. Meanwhile, Hyflux revealed that it is also in concurrent discussions with several other parties interested in investing in the group. Last week it had received another non-binding letter of intent for investment worth S$500 million in the group from Oyster Bay Fund, it added.-TradeArabia News Service Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africas leading low-cost carrier, has announced plans to launch a direct flight from Sharjah to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstans capital city, starting from July 4. The new flight will operate four times a week; on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The flights depart Sharjah International Airport at 21:30 hours local time arriving at Manas International Airport in Bishkek at 03:20 hours local time. The return flights depart Manas International Airport in Bishkek at 04:20 hours arriving in Sharjah at 06:40hours local time. Adel Al Ali, group chief executive officer, Air Arabia, said: Ensuring affordable travel to meet the aspirations of travelers has been key to our network growth strategy over the years. The direct flight to Bishkek is another testament to our efforts in connecting people across countries and cultures. We look forward to the start of service which we are confident it will positively contribute to the development of tourism and bilateral trade between both nations. Popular for its wide avenues and marble-faced public buildings, Bishkek is a melting pot of Eastern and Central European cultures. Boulevards follow a grid framework, with most bordered on both sides by tapered irrigation channels, watering countless trees to provide shade in the warm summers. Air Arabia currently serves over 170 international and domestic routes from its hubs in the UAE, Morocco and Egypt. - TradeArabia News Service UWs Shogren to Receive Honorary Doctorate from Swedish University UW Professor Jason Shogren will receive an honorary doctorate from Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet in Umea, Sweden, this fall. (Karine Nyborg Photo) University of Wyoming economics Professor Jason Shogren will receive an honorary doctorate from Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet (SLU) in Umea, Sweden, this fall. Shogren, the Department of Economics chair in the College of Business and the Stroock Chair of Natural Resource Conservation and Management, will receive the honorary degree at SLU (the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) in a ceremony in early October. As part of the ceremony, Shogren also will present a lecture, titled Commitment Toward the Public Good. Shogren has had a long connection to SLU, which focuses on the forest sciences in Umea, located in northeast Sweden. One of his best friends and colleagues, Bengt Kristrom, an SLU economics professor, nominated Shogren for the honorary doctorate. They have known each other since the late 1980s when, as a graduate student, Kristrom came to the United States to study and met up with Shogren, who was an assistant professor at that time at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. We have been friends ever since. We have worked together on projects and lectures and dissertation committees for more than three decades, Shogren says. I helped SLU and Umea University pull together a $40 million grant for a proposed Umea Center for Lands and People. Although the award eventually went to Stockholm, our work together created a foundation for other successful centers that work to integrate economics and the environment. Shogren previously spent the year in Umea when he was the King of Swedens professor in 2007, and he met his wife, UW economics Assistant Professor Linda Thunstrom, in Umea as well. Given that long history, the Department of Forest Economics nominated me this spring for this honorary doctorate. I am honored that SLU agreed, Shogren says. He is a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and served as professor to King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Shogren is a Fellow of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, and the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics. Shogren earned a bachelors degree (1980) in economics from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and his doctorate (1986) in economics from UW. In 1997, he was the White House senior economist for environmental and natural resource policy, Council of Economic Advisers. He was a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore, and he served on Wyomings Environmental Quality Council from 2000-04. He also received an honorary doctorate from the Aix-Marseille University in France in 2015. 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. China launches two Type 052D guided missile destroyers simultaneously on Friday in the Dalian Shipyard, Northeast China's Liaoning Province. The warships are decorated with Chinese national flags. Photo: IC China is expected to build even more guided missile destroyers, Chinese military analysts said on Sunday as China launched two Type 052D guided missile destroyers on Friday in Dalian, a coastal city in Northeast China's Liaoning Province. Decked with Chinese national flags, the two Type 052D destroyers were launched in the Dalian Shipyard on Friday with the assistance of tug boats, marking the 19th and 20th of launches of their kind, news website wenweipo.com reported on Friday. China now has 20 Type 052Ds either in active service or being fitted out for service soon, the report said. Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst, told the Global Times on Sunday that 20 would not be the end for the ship's development, and China might have more than 30 in the future. "The platform [of the Type 052D] is pretty reliable and it uses very mature technologies. These make it suitable for mass production," Wei said, noting that the destroyers will play crucial roles in China's fleet air defense system. The domestically developed Type 052D destroyer saw significant upgrades on its predecessor, the Type 052C. It is equipped with weapons and equipment including advanced active electronically scanned array radar systems and 64 vertical launch missile cells. The ship is capable of undertaking missions including escort and air defense, experts said. Dalian Shipyard's double launch of the Type 052Ds on Friday came after another double launch in July 2018. The vessels launched back then were two Type 055s, China's more advanced destroyer featuring a displacement of more than 10,000 tons and 112 vertical launch missile cells. China has planned eight Type 055s for the first batch, Upolitics, a WeChat account run by Beijing Youth Daily, reported. The Type 055 made its parade debut on April 23, when the People's Liberation Army Navy celebrated its 70th anniversary. Though the Type 055 seems superior to the Type 052D in all ways, Chinese analysts said the former would not replace the latter anytime soon. The Type 055 destroyer can provide stronger air defense umbrellas to, for example, an aircraft carrier combat group, but it is not necessary to dispatch a ship with its caliber for every single mission, because for many the smaller and less expensive Type 052D would suffice, Wei said. The US Navy currently operates more than 60 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and more than 20 Ticonderoga-class cruisers. The WCO contributes to the combating of environmental crime, in particular, illegal wildlife trade, illegal trade in hazardous and other waste, ozone depleting substances (ODSs) and illegal trade in timber through various activities falling under its Environment Programme. As such, WCO participated in meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (CoPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions held in Geneva, Switzerland over the period from 29 April to 10 May 2019. The theme for the meetings was Clean Planet, Healthy People: Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste". The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions are multilateral environmental agreements, which share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes. During the meetings, the WCO delivered a presentation on the recent and successful Operation DEMETER IV to combat illegal transboundary waste and on the plans to conduct a follow-up global, Customs-led enforcement operation, to which all WCO Members will be invited to participate. The WCO, the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, the European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) and other law enforcement agencies and interested parties will consider a joint plan of action for the future. Depending on the availability of funding, part of this plan will involve Customs officers in selected countries being trained on the technical identification of different types of waste and the procedures to be followed when waste is identified. Member administrations are encouraged to pay particular attention to illegal shipments of waste, and specifically plastic waste. The WCO plans to develop a questionnaire on the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, to be circulated for Members consideration in due course. One of the main areas of concern that received attention during the Basel Convention discussion was the growing problem of plastic waste. The scourge of plastic waste, and especially marine plastic litter, is present on a global scale and is on the increase. Continuous transboundary movements of plastic waste and micro plastics present a threat, due to the durability of plastic particles which remain in the environment for long periods of time. During the CoP meetings, emphasis was placed on the key role to be played by Customs in terms of enforcing Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedures for waste shipments and preventing waste being shipped illegally. A representative of the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions pointed out that the topic of illegal trafficking continues to attract interest and that there are a number of opportunities for collaboration. EL PASO, the United States, May 12 (Xinhua) -- A formal memorial service will be held Monday for 52 Chinese pilots killed during pilot trainings in the United States in the 1940s in a national cemetery in El Paso, Texas. Sixteen Chinese relatives of the killed pilots arrived in El Paso on Saturday, and paid respect to their ancestors buried in the Fort Bliss National Cemetery Sunday morning for the first time in more than 70 years since their death. According to Long Yue peace charity development center in China, organizer of the event, there are altogether 52 Chinese pilots buried in Fort Bliss. After a year of hard work, the organization has managed to match 24 deceased pilots with their family members. For Sunday's group, 11 people from five families came directly from China while five people from three families came from other places of the United States, the organizer said. At the cemetery, relatives placed flowers and gifts from hometowns at their elders' tomb. Li Shihua from China's Jiangxi Province came to the United States to pay respect to his uncle Li Yichang. He told Xinhua that his uncle came to the United States in 1943 and was killed in a training accident in February 1944. "My family then received a letter from U.S. military saying my uncle was killed but there was nothing else, not even a picture. For so many years, my family was skeptical about my uncle's death and has been making every effort to try to find him," Li told Xinhua. It was until last year when one of Li's family members stumbled across a TV program about attempts to look for lost relatives in war that finally led them to Fort Bliss National Cemetery. Xia Weifang, secretary general of Long Yue peace charity development center, said their mission is "to soothe the war wounds, advocate human care." "I'm very touched today to see these people are finally able to pay respect to their beloved ones," she said. "Every life in war needs to be respected." Xia said her organization is committed to finding relatives of other Chinese pilots buried in Fort Bliss. The Fort Bliss National Cemetery is a land of 83 acres (about 33.6 hectare) within the Fort Bliss Military Reservation located near El Paso, U.S. state of Texas on the Rio Grande river across the U.S.-Mexico border. The adjacent Fort Bliss Army Post, with its headquarters in El Paso, is the largest installation in United States Army Forces Command. By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 13, 2019 | 10:46 AM | MARSHALL COUNTY A Marshall County woman was arrested Friday on a theft charge. The Marshall County Sheriff's Office says a deputy was dispatched to Lovvo Lane in reference to a stolen vehicle. The victim told police he thought his girlfriend's daughter, 40-year-old Heather Groves of Benton, may have left with it while they were sleeping. The victim told deputies that Groves had taken the vehicle without permission a few nights earlier. He said Groves has never had permission to take the vehicle. While the deputy was gathering information from the victim, a call came in about a suspicious vehicle, and the description matched the vehicle in question. The deputy arrived at that scene and verified it was the vehicle in question, and found Groves sitting in the driver's seat. After further investigation, Groves was arrested and charged with theft by unlawful taking or disposition-auto $500 or more but under $10,000. She was lodged in the Marshall County Detention Center. New Year's Eve still on in Times Square, but with smaller crowd By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 12, 2019 | 09:38 PM | CALVERT CITY J-MACK BBQ recently received the Small Business Administration 2019 Kentucky Rural Small Business of the Year and The Kentucky Pacesetter Award at the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort. The U.S. Small Business Administration recognizes outstanding small businesses and entrepreneurs with annual awards. The Kentucky Small Business Development Center's Pacesetter Recognition Program honors high-performing second stage businesses that are producing innovative products, increasing sales, creating jobs, and serving communities of the Commonwealth. Jay and Michelle Tapscott, owners of J-MACK BBQ, have been in business in Calvert City since 2015. Getting their start at BBQ on the River and a combined 39 years of experience, Jay and Michelle say the trick to perfecting BBQ is low and slow. J-MACK serves fresh meat every day and takes pride in everything they sell. Jay is from Lone Oak and Michelle is from Bardwell. Nine years ago they moved to Gilbertsville with their four children. After a lot of thought and prayers, the Tapscotts decided it was time to open their restaurant. We threw around the idea for a BBQ restaurant for years," Michelle said. "We are proud to live in Marshall County and Calvert City seemed to be the perfect location and fit. The restaurant is just seven minutes from our home. We passed by the building every day and God finally nudged us into buying it." When Jay and Michelle decided to move forward with their dream, they reached out to Murray States Small Business Development Center. They knew the ins and outs of small businesses and had many resources to assist in business development. Michelle said the best part about working with Murray State was the services offered were free. For small business owners this is extremely important. Were just small people trying to make it in a big world and live out our dream. We love the people of Calvert City and look forward to the completion of the multi-use trail. We have great support and we appreciate all of our customers. We plan to stay here in Calvert City for many years, said Michelle. Outside of BBQ, Jay loves to hunt and fish on Kentucky Lake. Michelle scrapbooks and enjoys spending time with her friends. Our philosophy is God first, family second, and career third. When coming up with a name for the business they wanted to choose a name with meaning. J-MACK stands for Jay, Michelle And Crazy Kids. Jay and Michelle are humbled and grateful for receiving this state recognition for all their hard work. For those looking to open a business, Michelle says, Be committed! Pray about everything, treat others the way you want to be treated and take advice. Dont try to re-invent the wheel. J-MACK provides a great restaurant that is family friendly right off I-24," said Blair Travis, director of marketing and business development for Calvert City. "The BBQ and service are top-notch." By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 12, 2019 | 09:08 PM | MAYFIELD A single-vehicle crash in Mayfield Friday afternoon left the driver facing charges. The Mayfield Police Department said officers responded to Paducah Road where they found a vehicle in the grass, in front of a business. Police say the vehicle had nearly collided with the building. The driver, 68-year-old William Sherlin of Mayfield, reportedly admitted to drinking alcohol and taking his prescription medication. Witnesses said that Sherlin had struck a person on scene with his vehicle's door when the person tried to stop him from leaving the scene. Sherlin was also discovered to have a suspended driver's license. Sherlin was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs with aggravated circumstances and operating on a suspended or revoked operator's license. He was lodged in the Graves County Jail. By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 12, 2019 | 06:24 AM | MARSHALL COUNTY : According to the Marshall County Sheriff's Department Facebook page, Jonathan Rich has been found and is safely hone.Police in Marshall County are asking for the public's help in finding a missing teen. The Marshall County Sheriff's Office says Jonathan Rich was last seen at approximately 9:30 Saturday morning. Deputies say Rich should be in a silver 2005 Toyota Prius with KY registration 348-WVH. The car reportedly has front end damage and also has yellow and black safety tape on the rear. Deputies say Rich has no phone, or debit/credit card and has little money. Anyone with information on Rich's whereabouts is asked to contact the Marshall County Sheriff's Office. By MSU Public Relations May. 12, 2019 | 06:04 AM | MURRAY Murray State University celebrated Spring 2019 Commencement on Saturday. A total of 1,406 degree applicants made up the two ceremonies including doctoral, specialist, master's, baccalaureate and associate degrees with 31 states and 19 countries represented. Murray State University President Dr. Bob Jackson presided over the ceremonies. "Leave here motivated and inspired today," Jackson said. "You have a new responsibility to lead and work hard. Go out and make a difference in the world...be passionate about your calling no matter what it is, and remember to always give back." The first included degree candidates from the Bauernfeind College of Business, College of Humanities and Fine Arts and Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology. The second included degree candidates from the College of Education and Human Services, Hutson School of Agriculture, School of Nursing and Health Professions and Center for Adult and Regional Education. The outstanding seniors for spring, Morgan Pulliam and J.T. Payne, led the degree candidates for the conferral of degrees. Pulliam provided the morning ceremony valediction; she graduated with the honors medallion and a Bachelor of Arts degree in business. Payne delivered the valediction at the afternoon ceremony while receiving a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with an agricultural education track. Also featured during each ceremony was the Presentation of Colors by the Murray State University Army ROTC Color Guard, while Distinguished Professor Stephen Lacewell, professor of finance in the Department of Economics and Finance, served as the mace-bearer. Murray State faculty in attendance were led into the arena for both ceremonies by the recipients of the Regents Teaching Award for Excellence: Crystal Coel (also the Max Carman Teaching Excellence Recipient), Katherine Hancock, Michael Bordieri, Aaron Irvin, Yousif Abulhassan, Michelle Casey, Kathy Stanczyk and Jeffrey Henry. They were joined by the University Distinguished Mentor Daniel Wann, Distinguished Researcher Alexey Arkov, University Emerging Scholars Danielle Muzina and Bikram Subedi and Faculty Advisor of the Year Patty Parish. Faculty marshals assisting with the overall ceremonies included Susana Bloomdahl, Traci Byrd, Heath Keller, Michael Kemp, Robert Lyons, Melony Shemberger, Matthew Shultz and F. Gilland Welsch. By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 13, 2019 | 11:00 AM | GRAVES COUNTY A crash in a Graves County work zone injured two people who were later arrested, while another person fled the scene and has not been found.At around 8 am Monday, a paving crew was working at the intersection of of KY 303 and KY 94. Witnesses say the flagman had traffic stopped in both directions of KY 94 and was allowing a van driven by 61-year-old Jeffery Wheeler of Pilot Oak to pull out of KY 303. At that time a westbound vehicle approached on KY 94 at an extremely high rate of speed and struck Wheeler's vehicle, knocking it off of the road, then striking a vehicle waiting in traffic driven by 29-year-old Daniel Boyd of Sedalia, who had his 2-year-old daughter with him.According to witnesses, the driver gathered items from the car and fled south on KY 303 on foot and ran into a nearby woods. Two passengers in that vehicle, 32-year-old Samantha Peterman of Simpson, Illinois, and 44-year-old Brandy Arnett of Mayfield, were taken to the Jackson Purchase Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries. They were then arrested for possession of controlled substance 1st degree and possession of drug paraphernalia.Deputies say the driver that fled has been identified as 28-year-old Anthony Travis of Dukedom. He is wanted by Probation and Parole and has outstanding warrants. Travis also faces numerous charges from the accident, and because illegal drugs were found in the vehicle.Travis is a white male, 5' 7" tall and 165 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, blue jeans and a black hat.Anyone with information about Travis is encouraged to contact the Sheriff's Office at 270-247-4501.Original Story:Police in Graves County are searching for a man they say fled the scene of a crash. According to the Graves County Sheriff's Office, 28-year-old Anthony Travis was the driver of a vehicle that was involved in an injury collision Monday morning in the area of KY 303 and KY 94, near Cuba. Deputies say Travis fled the scene and has not yet been found. Travis is a white male, 5' 7" tall and 165 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, blue jeans and a black hat. Deputies say Travis fled the area of KY 303 and KY 94, running south toward Wiggles Road. Travis currently has warrants for his arrest through Graves County Circuit Court for failure to comply with supervision conditions. Anyone with information on Travis' whereabouts is asked to contact the Graves County Sheriff's Office at 270-247-4501. By The Associated Press May. 12, 2019 | 07:13 PM | FRANKFORT A federal judge on Friday struck down a Kentucky abortion law that would halt a common second-trimester procedure to end pregnancies. The state's anti-abortion governor immediately vowed to appeal. U.S. District Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr. ruled that the 2018 law would create a "substantial obstacle" to a woman's right to an abortion, violating constitutionally protected privacy rights. Kentucky's only abortion clinic challenged the law right after it was signed by Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. A consent order had suspended its enforcement pending the outcome of last year's trial in which Bevin's legal team and ACLU attorneys argued the case. The law takes aim at an abortion procedure known as "dilation and evacuation." The procedure was used in 537 of 3,312 abortions in Kentucky in 2016, according to state statistics. McKinley wrote that standard D&E procedures account for virtually all second-trimester abortions in Kentucky. The law would "unduly burden" women seeking the procedure, he said. "If the Act goes into effect, standard D&E abortions will no longer be performed in the Commonwealth due to ethical and legal concerns regarding compliance with the law," he wrote. The result, the judge said, would be that women lose "the right to obtain a pre-viability abortion anywhere in the Commonwealth of Kentucky after 15 weeks." ACLU attorney Alexa Kolbi-Molinas said the judge's ruling "affirms that health, not politics, will guide important medical decisions about pregnancy." "Laws like this are part of an orchestrated national strategy by anti-abortion politicians to push abortion out of reach entirely," she said in a statement. Bevin spokeswoman Elizabeth Goss Kuhn said the governor's legal team will appeal McKinley's decision to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. She predicted the law "will ultimately be upheld." "We profoundly disagree with the court's decision and will take this case all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary, to protect unborn children from being dismembered limb by limb while still alive," she said in a statement. Kentucky is one of many Republican-dominated states seeking to enact restrictions on abortion as conservatives take aim at the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Energized by new conservatives on the Supreme Court, abortion opponents in multiple states hope to ignite new legal battles that could prompt the justices to revisit Roe v. Wade. Steve Pitt, lead attorney for Bevin's legal team, described the second-trimester procedure as "brutal, gruesome and inhumane" during last year's trial over the law in Louisville. The state's lawyers say the law would still allow use of the D&E procedure, but only after doctors used other methods to induce fetal death. Abortion providers violating the law would be guilty of a felony. Women undergoing such abortions would not face prosecution. The judge said Friday the law would require women seeking a second-trimester abortion at and after 15 weeks to "endure a medically unnecessary and invasive procedure that may increase the duration of an otherwise one-day standard D&E abortion." McKinley said the plaintiffs "successfully showed the Act will operate as a substantial obstacle to a woman's right to an abortion before the fetus reached viability a violation of a woman's Fourteenth Amendment rights to privacy and bodily integrity." The case is part of a bitter legal fight in Kentucky over abortion policy. Kentucky Republicans have pushed through a series of measures putting limits and conditions on abortion since assuming complete control of the state's legislature in 2017. Those laws have triggered several legal challenges. BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China and Japan will hold their 11th round of high-level consultations on maritime affairs in Otaru, Japan, from May 10 to 11, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. Spokesperson Geng Shuang told a routine news briefing that officials from foreign ministries, defense ministries, maritime law enforcement and management departments of both counties will attend the talks. China expects to fully exchange views with Japan on maritime issues of common concern to strengthen mutual understanding and trust with Japan, Geng said. The China-Japan high-level consultations on maritime affairs were established in 2012. The last round of consultations was held in Wuzhen of eastern China's Zhejiang Province last December. Shi Ke hold her two boys relaxing at home. [Shanghai Daily] A mother of two kids will likely face more challenges and pressures than the mother of only one. If she is to continue her career, she needs the support of her family, especially her parents and parents-in-law. "I think the main problem for working couples with two kids is limited time," said Shi Ke, mother of two boys and editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine. "If I can have someone to take them to and from school and make dinner, I am able to handle other things, like their homework at night." Luckily Shi's kids have four grandparents at hand. Her husband, Yang Fan, runs four Western-style restaurants in town and is even busier than she is. Before the boys went to school, one was taken care of by Shis parents while the other lived with Yang's. Shi and Yang worked during the week and took the brothers on trips during vacations. "This continued for more than three years. My parents and my husbands worked so hard, and did a lot for us," Shi said. Fan Zhijuan, an office worker and mother of a 3-year-old boy and a 9-month-old girl, lives with her parents-in-law. "When my boy was little, I mostly took care of him myself. When my girl was born, he began to sleep at his grandparents' place," said Fan. "My mother would come over to help out sometimes, when all of us had to work during day," she added. If a mother of two is a stay-at-home mom, usually she can handle almost everything by herself. At the same time, a considerate husband who is willing to help after work is a super backup. Zhong Lijia, a former designer and now a full-time mother of two daughters, has an agreement with her husband Yu Bing that he must try his best to be at home and take care of the kids after work. Yu returns around 7pm and plays with the kids, helps them to have their bath and tells them stories after dinner. "I try to take some pressure off my wife and alleviate her stress after taking care of the kids all day," he said. "In my family, my husband comes home to take care of them if he is not on a business trip, and lets me have time to go to the gym," said Wu Yanqing, a stay-at-home mother of two boys. Wu's husband Zhang Peng, an executive at a foreign company, is in charge of feeding the younger boy, and helping the elder one with English and Math. Taking care of two at the same time brings more worries and anxiety than one might imagine. Fan listed four things which caused her anxiety, including preschool. She has different ideas about education from the grandparents who she thinks spoil their grandson. Wu who mostly takes care of her children on her own worried about not having enough time to herself. "No time to learn, no time to read," she said, "I want to return to the work one day. No matter when, it's never too late to chase your dreams." Zhong knows it is important for a mother to control her moods and has made friends with mothers living nearby who face many of the same issues as she does. "They say a problem shared is a problem halved. When you share your problem with someone and they share theirs with you, both problems seem easier to handle," she said. Knitting is a way of relaxation for Mao Wan, a 30-year-old mother with two kids. She even claims to have conquered postnatal depression by knitting. Mao, together with 20 other mothers across the country, used their knitting to decorate a street in the Pudong New Area and became a wanghong, or online celebrity. Three years have passed since China began to allow all couples in urban areas to have two children. Although the birth rate has fallen so far, over 50 percent of newborns each year have been second children. But is it is worth the time and effort to become a mother-of-two? "Be daring to welcome a second baby," said Zhong. "Having two kids is a good thing, but it is also very important to keep yourself happy no matter how hard your situation is." "I suggest they think about their realities and capabilities before they make up their mind. Do you have manpower to help you take care of two kids? Do you have enough energy to handle two? Do your family have enough financial resources to meet their needs? If yes to all, you should have your second, Shi said. Wu has a similar opinion to Shi. "It's not for others to ask you to have another baby, you should ask yourself if you really want to do it. The key point is whether you and your husband can come to an agreement," Wu said. Photo taken on Feb. 19, 2019 shows the night scenery at Wumen Gate of the Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China. [Xinhua/Chen Jianli] When Reginald Johnston, a British scholar, first walked into the Forbidden City in the spring of 1919, the vast walled enclosure in the heart of Beijing was "in the strictest sense 'forbidden' to all the world except those who had the entree." Now it holds the world's busiest museum, receiving more than 17 million visitors every year. In his memoir "Twilight in the Forbidden City," Johnston describes a world of turmoil, disruption, banditry, famine and civil war. A century later when the People's Republic of China is to celebrate its 70th founding anniversary in October, the 599-year-old palace complex flourishes in the world's second-largest economy and one of the largest tourist markets. Open to the public "All buildings in Beijing, official and private, were low, except for the Forbidden City guarded by high walls and a wide moat," said Li Wenru, former vice curator of the Palace Museum, depicting the old imperial capital. "From outside the walls with a glimpse of the golden roof, ordinary people could only imagine what it looked like inside." The public had their first view of the interior of the palaces in 1925 when the Palace Museum was established. The following years saw the museum struggling through tight budgets, political controversy and war threats. During the war against Japanese invasion, it was forced to send away and hide a large number of collections. In the spring of 1949, a critical moment made history at the Palace Museum. With the city of Beijing, then called Beiping, liberated peacefully, it was taken over by the People's Liberation Army without a scratch, a few months before Chairman Mao Zedong announced the founding of the People's Republic of China on the Tian'anmen Rostrum. "In the past seven decades, China has developed into a modern nation with a strong sense of mission," said Wu Shizhou, a historian and professor with the graduate school of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "It was in these years that the Palace Museum finally grew out of hardship and unrest and entered a new stage." With continuous support from the government, the Palace Museum has upgraded storage, conducted thorough examinations of its collections and launched large-scale restorations of ancient buildings, with conservation institutions established and research advancing. In the past few years, the museum has expanded the existing exhibition space and built new facilities so that more of its 1.86 million collections could be seen by visitors. "The museum has tried to stay relevant to contemporary visitors in every detail," said Ren Wanping, vice curator of the museum. Exhibitions are carefully organized to attract and resonate with the general public, instead of being too academic. Rarely used old characters are avoided in text introductions, while free audio guides and multimedia adopted to improve the visitor experience. The public now has access to 80 percent of the total area of the museum and it will increase to 85 percent in 2025. Zhang Jianhua, a 56-year-old retired Beijing resident and amateur photographer, paid 10 visits to the Palace Museum last year. "I might visit more this year," she said. "The palaces and halls are in better shape than years ago and look prettier in pictures." More chairs to rest in and places to eat within the walls also made her trips more comfortable. "Now I can spend the whole day inside, carrying only my camera and lenses," she said. "The museum upholds the people-first concept," Ren said, referring to a number of new service facilities installed in recent years, such as cafes, bookshops, souvenir shops, bigger toilets and baby care rooms. Embracing the world When Christopher Allen from Britain paid his first visit to the Palace Museum in 2008, he was overwhelmed. "It felt like you were hit by hundreds of years of history," he said. "With so much to see, one visit is not enough." Since then, the Beijing-based English teacher has paid more visits to the museum and grown to love its history and culture. "The Forbidden City is becoming more open and friendly to visitors," he said. As the world's largest and best preserved wooden palace complex, the Palace Museum attracted about 3.5 million visitors from abroad last year. The museum also sends its exhibitions overseas. More than 200 exhibitions and cultural events have been held by the museum in over 30 countries and regions, attracting over 100 million visitors as of now. Nine overseas exhibitions were held in 2018. "The Palace Museum exhibition becomes a cultural phenomenon everywhere it goes," said former curator Shan Jixiang. "It plays an irreplaceable role in promoting Chinese culture." Attracting the youth On the Palace Museum's online store on Taobao, China's largest e-commerce platform, the formidable emperors in history are given a cute and humorous spin. Products bearing their images and elements sell like hot cakes with tens of thousands of positive customer reviews. The museum now boasts more than 10,000 cultural products ranging from paintings and power banks to lipsticks. The popularity also goes offline. In the Corner Tower Cafe outside the museum's Gate of Divine Prowess, the "Kangxi Emperor's Favorite Chocolate," the most popular drink, always has people lining up to get a taste. "There was a long queue last time I came, so I had to give up," said Beijing resident Xu Jing, who managed to nab a cup on her second visit to the cafe. About 40 percent of the museum's total visitors last year were under the age of 30, and 24 percent were in their 30s. After the screening of the "Masters in the Forbidden City," a 2016 documentary series about the museum's relics restoration teams, these technicians have become pop cultural icons and the museum received over 10,000 job applications. As a child, Xu Jing often rode bicycles on the square in front of the Meridian Gate, the museum's front gate. "I had little memory of the museum behind the gate then, but now I feel an urge to visit it after watching several popular variety shows about the museum on TV," she said. Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou [For chinadaily.com.cn] A letter written by Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer for Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, was published online on Monday. The letter, reportedly penned in Vancouver on May 9, read, "My heart remains strong, no matter what difficulty and pressure I encounter at the moment." Although Meng's freedom of movement was limited to "only a few inches" during her house arrest in Vancouver, the color and scope of her heart had never been so rich and broad, Meng said in the letter. Everything has a positive side, she added, and the close connection between Meng and the 188,000 "Huawei people" made her feel close and warm. Meng couldn't help but burst into tears at the end of each court hearing, after seeing so many Huawei people who, despite being separated by vast oceans and time differences, stayed up to hear the latest news. She was also deeply touched by close friends and strangers alike who left well-wishes and encouragement at Xinsheng Shequ, an online community for Huawei employees, as well as those in Vancouver who attended her court hearing. Meng said she could feel the warmth of their concern and the power of their support, which makes them all stronger and Huawei's will even more powerful. Meng was detained in Canada at the request of the US Justice Department late last year. Meng's lawyer informed a Canadian court last week of his concerns the allegations against her were politically motivated. This letter was originally posted on Huawei's website to be accessed only by the company's employees. It was written to the 188,000 staff members working in Huawei as a signal of appreciation for their support, according to Meng. Huawei Technologies Co posted 179.7 billion yuan in revenue in the first quarter of 2019, representing a year-on-year growth of 39 percent, and the company's Q1 net profit margin stood at about 8 percent slightly higher than the same period last year, according to a statement from the company. The tech giant is also taking a leading role in global 5G patent applications, topping the list for the world's 5G Standards-Essential Patents according to a report by IPlytics, an authorized patent data company. 5G SEPs are patents any company must use when implementing standardized 5G technology, giving them key value among all patents. (Source: China Daily) Air ambulance called after crash in Johnstown This article is old - Published: Monday, May 13th, 2019 A male has been taken to hospital after a crash in the Johnstown area earlier this evening. The air ambulance was seen landing in the area at around 6:30pm, with police and the Welsh Ambulance Service also called to the scene. PC Thomas Hough has since confirmed that a male sustained minor injuries and has been taken to hospital by land ambulance. Just finished dealing with RTC in Johnstown and minor injuries male going to hospital via land ambulance, all vehicles and helicopters clear from scene #ThankYou @NWPolice @air_ambulance @wrexham pic.twitter.com/f13yZVZTmt PC Thomas Hough (@NWPThomasHough) May 13, 2019 *Picture sent to Wrexham.com by Sasha. Town set for 4th annual Bake Off event tomorrow evening This article is old - Published: Monday, May 13th, 2019 Wrexhams finest Bakers are preparing to see who will be crowned Star Baker at this years Wrexham Bake Off at the Bank Bar tomorrow evening. The event starts at 7pm with spectators invited to come along, have a drink and taste some of the best cake in town. Its a charity event with all monies raised going to the Mayors charities which include Nightingale House Hospice which all previous Bake Off events have supported, and Blood Bikes. Four categories will be judged: Category 1 Best Professional Show Stopper Category 2 Best Non-Professional Show Stopper Category 3 Matching Up where 12 items are judged on being as close to identical as possible. Category 4 Best Gluten-Free/VeganTreat! It is expected there will be a high level of competition this year from businesses, individuals and organisations from the area. Special engraved Welsh Dragon slate prizes have been created for the winners, kindly donated by Simon Morris of the Personal Present People you can discover more about them via their Facebook page here. The event is also being supported by Santander, as with previous Bake Offs in Wrexham. If you can support the event with a raffle prize please contact event organiser Andy Atkinson, or drop off at the Bank Bar. The declared contestants are as follows: King Street Coffee Bevs Been Baking Chris De Burger Crafty Creations by Liz Ella Mckevitt Emz Cakes Jen Cordt The Bakers Daughter Gateway Church Maybelyne Dela Cruz Jackson Megan Mills Olga Kalkwarf Greyling Cllr Phil Wynn The Lemon Tree Sharon Rogers Cllr Andy Williams, Mayor of Wrexham Sheila Wilcock Siaran Price Edwards Tracy Windram Wayne Price All are welcome to the Bank Bar in town at 7pm tomorrow (Tuesday) evening for the event. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 00:47:45|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, May 12 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's ruling party African National Congress's (ANC's) President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday thanked the people for voting for his party and promised to grow the economy, fight corruption and deliver service. He was speaking in Johannesburg at a rally to thank the South African for voting for his party. "We want to say thank you with humility to the people of South Africa for showing confidence in the ANC. We would like to thank you for showing that ANC is the only party that can take the country forward. You showed that the ANC is the victorious organization of our people," said Ramaphosa. He said while they were doing door to door campaigns, visiting churches and ranks and holding community meetings, people aired their grievances. People said they want service delivery, no corruption and jobs in the country. Some complained against gender based violence and unemployment. "We are going to work hard to create jobs for our people. We are going to build houses for our people and fulfill their dreams. ANC will run the government properly. State capture would be a thing of the past. We will end corruption. We will work to grow the economy, invite investors to invest in the country." He stated that they will appoint premiers, members of parliament including provincial legislators and president, who are "capable, visionary and forward looking leaders." He called on all the party leaders to be the servants of the people and not work to enrich themselves. "We want discipline in our organization. Those who do not want to serve our people must move away." The ANC got about 57.5 percent vote, beating all other parties in the just concluded election. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 01:07:50|Editor: ZX Video Player Close SANAA, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations monitoring team in Yemen on Sunday verified Houthi withdrawal from three ports of Hodeidah. "The first day of the redeployment of Houthi forces from the three ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras-Issa went in accordance with established plans," Michael Lollesgaard, chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, said in a statement. "All three ports were monitored simultaneously by UN teams as the military forces left the ports and the Coast Guard took over responsibility for security," Lollesgaard said in the statement by the office of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths. "The formal verification by the UN of this first redeployment will take place at the three ports on Tuesday," he added. On Saturday, the Houthi rebels unilaterally withdrew from the three ports of the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. UN spokesman Farhan Haq confirmed to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York on Saturday that the Houthi withdrawal "has begun." The long-delayed UN-sponsored Stockholm Agreement, the first step toward a comprehensive political solution, was reached in December 2018 and focused on the port city of Hodeidah, the lifeline for Yemen's most commercial imports and humanitarian aid. Hodeidah has been the focus of clashes since 2017. The government forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, have advanced to the southern outskirts of the port city, but the forces have halted a major offensive to recapture Hodeidah to pave the way for peace efforts. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 01:32:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The farm vehicle in a rollover accident in Wenling city, east China's Zhejiang Province, was illegally loaded with 22 people before it overturned halfway up a mountain in Songmen town Sunday, the traffic management bureau of the Ministry of Public Security said. Twelve people were killed and 11 others injured in the accident. The ministry said upon receiving the report, it dispatched a working group to Wenling to guide the investigation and the handling of the aftermath of the accident. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 01:58:09|Editor: ZX Video Player Close DUBLIN, May 12 (Xinhua) -- China has become a new growth market for Ireland's seafood exports, revealed a report obtained by Xinhua on Sunday. The report, prepared by BIM (Irish Sea Fisheries Board in English), a state agency responsible for developing the Irish marine fishing and aquaculture industries, showed that Ireland exported a total of 47 million euros (about 53 million U.S. dollars) worth of seafood products to China in 2018, up by 68 percent compared with a year ago. The growth in the Chinese market stood in sharp contrast with the performance of the other major export markets for the Irish seafood products. Last year Ireland's seafood exports to France (147 million euros), Britain (81 million euros), Spain (75 million euros), Nigeria (28 million euros), the Netherlands (23 million euros) and Germany (20 million euros) all fell down, said the report, adding that only the exports to Italy (60 million euros) went up by 29 percent while the exports to Japan (16 million euros) remained unchanged. The Chinese market was the fastest growing one among the top 10 markets for the Irish seafood exports, said the report, adding that China now ranks as the fifth largest export market for the Irish seafood products and the second largest export market for the Irish oysters in the world. The Chinese market accounted for nearly half of the seafood products that Ireland exported to Asia last year, said BIM in the report, adding that they see a further potential in the Chinese market in the years to come. Ireland is a net exporter of seafood products with a net export value totalling 322 million euros in 2018, making up over one-fourth of the GDP of the Irish seafood industry which stood at 1.25 billion euros last year, representing a 3.4-percent increase over 2017, said the report. Over 14,000 people are currently involved in the Irish seafood sector which boasts a fleet of over 2,000 registered fishing vessels, it said. (1 euro=1.123 U.S. dollars) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 03:08:25|Editor: ZX Video Player Close KHARTOUM, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) on Sunday denied attempts to disperse a sit-in by thousands of Sudanese protesters in front of the army's general headquarters in Khartoum. "A number of social media and local media outlets circulated reports that there were attempts by the armed forces and other regular forces to disperse the sit-in by force," the TMC said in a statement. "We reiterate to all the citizens and the protesters at the sit-in ... that this talk is completely baseless," the statement added. The council, however, warned some groups not to block major roads in the capital Khartoum, saying "such a matter is totally rejected as it creates a kind of chaos which needs the authorities concerned to decisively address." Meanwhile, the major opposition Freedom and Change Alliance accused regular forces of attempting to disperse the sit-in. "There are attempts to disperse the sit-in, where we reiterate that we will not allow that," the alliance said in a statement. The alliance called on the citizens in the neighborhoods of the capital and the neighboring areas to come out in rallies and head to the sit-in area in front of the army's headquarters. The TMC, chaired by Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, is tasked with running Sudan's affairs following the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir. Editor's Note: Andy Mok is managing director at Red Pagoda Resources and a non-resident fellow at Center for China and Globalization. The article reflects the author's opinion and not necessarily the views of CGTN. As the overall China-U.S. relationship is being tested in unprecedented ways, the recent passage of the Taiwan Assurance Act by the House of Representatives only serves to further strain this relationship while also threatening regional peace and stability. But from the broader perspective of global diplomacy, it also risks further eroding the U.S.' already diminished credibility and legitimacy in this larger arena. Like a gigantic battleship, the United States can absorb many blows, albeit mostly self-inflicted, to its global reputation and still continue, however limpingly, to navigate the high seas of international relations. However, even the mightiest of ships will sink when damaged enough. From Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. has embarked on a series of epic strategic misadventures of staggering financial cost. For example, the so-called War on Terror has cost the United States approximately 5.6 trillion U.S. dollars, according to the Costs of War Project at Brown University's Watson Institute. Besides the misspent monies, these misadventures have hardened global opinion against the United States and provoked it into alienating itself from some of the most crucial regions of the world. Discerning observers of geopolitics have noted the ease with which a seemingly insignificant non-state actor goaded the largest military power in the world into a strategic defeat of unprecedented scale. And it is in these circles in capitals around the world from Ankara to Brasilia, Nairobi, Seoul, and Riyadh that the fate of the United States as a meaningful actor in global diplomacy is being decided. Regarding China, the United States is suffering a similar fate. For example, the United States vociferously and strenuously attempted to arm-twist countries to boycott the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Yet despite its efforts, even the UK, the country with whom the U.S. shares a "special relationship" and elected a prime minister written into history books as "Bush's poodle," signed on. By doing so, it joined 56 other founding member countries with total membership at the end of 2018 reaching 93 countries. The United States has also attempted a campaign against China's Belt and Road Initiative with predictable results. Instead of demonstrating global leadership, this has only served to highlight the growing divergence between the United States and the countries on which it depends for diplomatic, military and intelligence support. Huawei's 5G exhibition at the China International Information Communication Technology Exhibition, September 28, 2018. /VCG Photo For example, even G7 and founding NATO countries like Italy have joined, with others soon to follow. Similarly, the United States has expended an astonishing amount of diplomatic energy promoting a transparently self-serving and self-defeating rationale to prohibit its allies and other countries from adopting Huawei gear for the transition to a 5G world, despite Huawei offering cheaper and more technologically advanced equipment than its competitors. The American message has been "Do what we want because, even if it's not in your interest, it is in ours." And countries around the world have been voting with their feet (and their pocketbooks). So far, dozens of countries have selected Huawei, including the UK, Germany, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and the ROK. The recent spate of Taiwan-focused legislation, including the Taiwan Assurance Act, will only continue this trend of alienating the United States from countries on which it depends and further marginalizing itself from the important affairs of the world beyond its borders. While these proposed laws may serve to temporarily unite Republicans and Democrats and the executive branch with the legislative one, the costs the country as a whole will face in the global community will be greater by far. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 03:28:31|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, May 12 (Xinhua) -- At least two Yemeni civilians were killed on Sunday in a bomb explosion near the local authority's building in the southwestern province of Taiz, a security official told Xinhua. An improvised explosive device exploded on Gamal Street near the temporary local authority's building, the security source said on condition of anonymity. The blast killed two civilians and wounded at least three others, including the local youth activist Bassem Mansour, he added. The injured were transferred directly by ambulances to Rawdah National Hospital in Taiz for treatment, according to the source. Local government sources confirmed to Xinhua that the security forces sealed off the blast site and started to search for other explosives at the scene. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing yet, although the Yemeni government believed "sabotage elements might be behind such attacks." Extremist elements linked to the Islamic State militant group or the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch are active in the center of Taiz, which is controlled by the government forces. The Yemeni government forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, have been locked in clashes with the Iran-allied Houthi rebels in the north, east and west parts of Taiz Province since April 2015. Yemen has been mired into a civil war since late 2014, when Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa. The civil war has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, displaced 3 million others, and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 07:29:30|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close EL PASO, the United States, May 12 (Xinhua) -- A formal memorial service will be held Monday for 52 Chinese pilots killed during pilot trainings in the United States in the 1940s in a national cemetery in El Paso, Texas. Sixteen Chinese relatives of the killed pilots arrived in El Paso on Saturday, and paid respect to their ancestors buried in the Fort Bliss National Cemetery Sunday morning for the first time in more than 70 years since their death. According to Long Yue peace charity development center in China, organizer of the event, there are altogether 52 Chinese pilots buried in Fort Bliss. After a year of hard work, the organization has managed to match 24 deceased pilots with their family members. For Sunday's group, 11 people from five families came directly from China while five people from three families came from other places of the United States, the organizer said. At the cemetery, relatives placed flowers and gifts from hometowns at their elders' tomb. Li Shihua from China's Jiangxi Province came to the United States to pay respect to his uncle Li Yichang. He told Xinhua that his uncle came to the United States in 1943 and was killed in a training accident in February 1944. "My family then received a letter from U.S. military saying my uncle was killed but there was nothing else, not even a picture. For so many years, my family was skeptical about my uncle's death and has been making every effort to try to find him," Li told Xinhua. It was until last year when one of Li's family members stumbled across a TV program about attempts to look for lost relatives in war that finally led them to Fort Bliss National Cemetery. Xia Weifang, secretary general of Long Yue peace charity development center, said their mission is "to soothe the war wounds, advocate human care." "I'm very touched today to see these people are finally able to pay respect to their beloved ones," she said. "Every life in war needs to be respected." Xia said her organization is committed to finding relatives of other Chinese pilots buried in Fort Bliss. The Fort Bliss National Cemetery is a land of 83 acres (about 33.6 hectare) within the Fort Bliss Military Reservation located near El Paso, U.S. state of Texas on the Rio Grande river across the U.S.-Mexico border. The adjacent Fort Bliss Army Post, with its headquarters in El Paso, is the largest installation in United States Army Forces Command. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 08:36:27|Editor: ZX Video Player Close A lowrider is on display at the Lowrider Celebration and Community Day in Santa Fe, the U.S. state of New Mexico, on May 11, 2019. The event celebrated the long history of the Chicano community in New Mexico. Lowriders are vehicles that have been lowered significantly, and generally have hydraulic or air bag systems that allow vehicles to be raised or lowered at the owners' command. (Xinhua/Richard Lakin) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 08:29:53|Editor: Liu Video Player Close WELLINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand diary company Fonterra has sold its ice cream company Tip Top for 380 million New Zealand dollars to British dairy giant Froneri. Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell confirmed the sale, saying it was a bittersweet moment for Fonterra. "Fonterra received a number of quality bids for Tip Top, we have secured a good price for our farmers and unit holders," Hurrell said. It is understood that Fonterra had signed an agreement with the new owner to supply milk which ensured Fonterra farmers would continue to contribute to Tip Top. Froneri Chief Executive Ibrahim Najafi said it expected the sale to be completed by the end of May. "Our vision is to build the world's best ice cream company; an important part of our strategy is to develop local market successes and roll them out across our other markets," Najafi said. Najafi also confirmed that the Tip Top name and its operations, including the Auckland factory at Mount Wellington will be maintained and its existing management team will also stay on. With a history of 83 years, Tip Top is widely acknowledged as New Zealand's iconic national ice-cream brand. Fonterra took ownership of Tip Top in 2001. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 09:05:08|Editor: ZX Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached an agreement on a bailout package for Pakistan, Adviser to the Pakistani prime minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Abdul Hafeez Shaikh announced on Sunday. Talking to the Pakistan Television Network (PTV), Shaikh said that the technical teams of Pakistan and the IMF have agreed on a bailout package for a period of three years under which Pakistan would receive 6 billion U.S. dollar assistance. The advisor said "after months of discussions and negotiations, a staff-level agreement has been reached between Pakistan and the IMF," which still needs approval from the IMF board of directors in Washington, but it shows that effective reforms are underway in Pakistan. A press release from IMF Mission Chief for Pakistan Ernesto Ramirez Rigo also confirmed the announcement by the Pakistani side as saying that Pakistan's economic policies could be supported by a 39-month Extended Fund Arrangement (EFF) for about 6 billion U.S. dollars. The IMF official added that the facility aims to support Pakistan's "strategy for stronger and more inclusive growth by reducing domestic and external imbalances, removing impediments to growth, increasing transparency, and strengthening social spending." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 10:05:52|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close A contestant gives a speech during the 18th Belgian "Chinese Bridge" competition in Bruges, the capital city of Belgium's West Flanders province, May 12, 2019. The 18th Belgian "Chinese Bridge" competition, an annual Chinese language and culture proficiency contest for college students, was held Sunday in Bruges, the capital city of Belgium's West Flanders province. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) BRUSSELS, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The 18th Belgian "Chinese Bridge" competition, an annual Chinese language and culture proficiency contest for college students, was held Sunday in Bruges, the capital city of Belgium's West Flanders province. Moira de Graef, a fifth-year student from KUL University (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), won the first prize. She was subsequently enrolled in a one-year Chinese program at Sichuan University in Chengdu, southwest China. Learning Chinese "is already useful now because it opens so many doors for me, and a lot of time I meet with people that I can talk to now because I know Chinese," said the winner. "It's a very good language to know." "I hope that the Chinese Bridge Competition will attract an ever greater number of Belgian friends to learn Chinese, understand and love China," said Zhang Chi, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium A total of eight candidates made it to Sunday's competition, which was divided into three parts: written comprehension, oral expression and artistic representation related to the Chinese culture. The participants expressed their understanding and love of the Chinese culture through varied artistic forms including singing, music, dancing, operas, theatre, literature, acrobatics, calligraphy, painting and martial arts. The Chinese Bridge Competition for International Students is an international competition organized by the Confucius Institute headquarters. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 11:21:38|Editor: ZX Video Player Close CANBERRA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Pet owners in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) who fail to treat their animals with compassion could face fines in an Australian-first. Under laws proposed by the ACT government, the territory would become the first jurisdiction in Australia to recognize animals as "sentient beings." It would acknowledge that "animals have intrinsic value and deserve to be treated with compassion" and "people have a duty to care for the physical and mental welfare of animals." Dog owners who keep their pets locked up without exercise or more than 24 consecutive hours will face fines of up to 4000 Australian dollars depending on the dog's age, size and physical condition. It would also establish a suite of additional offences, including hitting or kicking an animal, abandoning an animal and leaving an animal in a car that is likely to cause injury, stress or death such as in extreme heat. A person would be legally allowed to break into a car to protect an animal from injury or death in those cases. "The science tells us that animals are sentient," Chris Steel, the ACT's City Services Minister, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Having an animal in a moving vehicle without the proper restraints would be punishable by a fine of up to 16,000 AUD and a year imprisonment. Canberra veterinarian David Rizkalla said that he was broadly in favor of the laws but said it was important to clarify exactly what animals would be considered sentient. "It could get in the way of the economy," he said. "I think it has to be quite clear if you introduce that sort of thing to large animals, like cows. "Farmers spend money on the animal if it gets them more money, it's a profit thing, it's not a sentimental value, it's an economic value." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 11:57:07|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close CANBERRA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Welfare groups in Australia's Northern Territory (NT) have called for the sale household items containing alcohol to be regulated as alcoholism in the region continues to grow. Under the proposal put forward by the People's Alcohol Action Coalition (PAAC) and Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE), buying mouthwash could require photo identification. The NT Government has introduced its liquor bill to counter the rise of alcoholism by giving police the power to search, seize and dispose of substances including alcohol such as mouthwash. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) there were 16.7 alcohol-related deaths per 100,000 people in the NT in 2017 compared to 5.1 nationally. In its submission on the liquor bill, the PAAC and FARE called for all products containing alcohol to be kept behind the counter at stores in the NT and only sold to adults with identification. "Some of the heaviest drinkers will try and shift to products like mouthwash, that are freely available, that really sell at less than 20 cents a standard drink," PAAC's John Boffa told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday, referring to the minimum standard drink price legislated by the NT. According to the Central Australian Youth Link Up Service (CAYLUS) there has been a spike in methylated spirits sales with people inhaling the high-alcohol cleaning product for recreational purposes. "It's only in the last three months that there's been a really big spike in the council picking up metho in parks and places like that and telling us about it," Blair MacFarland from CAYLUS said. "By following those up, we've been able to ascertain that one particular person bought 21 litres of metho over a two-week period." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 12:42:33|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close LONDON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The community of a shared future, a concept initiated by China, is a crucial strategy to avoid conflicts between civilizations, chaos and tragedy of wars, a British business adviser and expert in public diplomacy and on China has said. Alistair Michie, secretary general of the London-based British East Asia Council, told Xinhua in a recent interview that the concept, which he thinks describes a world defined by mutual cooperation, is about promoting a community of shared future embracing projects like China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank. Michie made the remarks ahead of the coming Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC) which will start on May 15 in Beijing. The business adviser, who has been invited to attend the conference, said the event is a great opportunity to create fresh thinking and ideas about how to reform communications between Asia, China and Europe. "It was fresh thinking and policies that created the vast economic 'reform and opening,'" he said. "Now fresh thinking is needed to create a comparable communication 'reform and opening.'" Michie said the concept of the community of a shared future is the optimal path to create a peaceful and sustainable global future for the benefit of all mankind. "It is vital that this policy overcomes the growing nationalism, populism and self-interest arising in many nations," he said. More than 2,000 government officials and representatives of various circles from 47 Asian countries and countries outside the region are expected to attend the CDAC opening ceremony and forums. Michie said he hopes that CDAC will communicate its messages around the world and motivate billions of people. "The world faces immense challenges that will only by solved by all the people of the world acting in unison," he said. "For example, climate change, nuclear threats and the stability of the global financial system." "Mutual respect, mutual understanding and mutual learning about each other's civilizations is the path to tackle these immense problems," Michie said. "They are crucial steps if mankind is to deliver a sustainable and peaceful world." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 12:47:37|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- China has issued a provisional plan to enhance the reporting and management of data from hospitals nationwide. Hospitals are asked to report data on medical quality and security, medical services and hospital revenue, among others, according to the plan issued by the National Health Commission (NHC). Hospitals should also report their proportion of revenue from sales of medicines and the use of anti-bacterial medicines and basic medicines. The plan also asked hospitals to report data related to prescriptions, such as the number of prescriptions on anti-bacterial medicines, narcotic drugs and psychotropic drugs. Reporting of data on the use of hospital beds is also required. The collected data could play a big role in the future formulation of medical policies and the bidding and procurement of medicines, the NHC said. Source: South China Morning Post PLA soldiers prepare to fit a tank track at the Zhurihe training base in Inner Mongolia. For almost 60 years, China has been hosting exercises in its largest military training ground, the Zhurihe Combined Tactics Training Base, to prepare Chinese troops for future. During President Xi Jinpings visit to the military training base in a remote part of northern China, 400km northwest of Beijing, to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Liberation Army, he is expected to watch war games that will showcase Chinas ability to win in wars. Heres what we know about Zhurihe and the war games that have been taking place there. What is Zhurihe and what facilities does it have? The Zhurihe base is a massive military training facility located deep in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The PLAs largest and most advanced training base, it has been set up to provide realistic battle conditions for Chinese soldiers to enhance their combat skills. The training base covers an area of 1,066 sq km, almost the same as the land area of Hong Kong, and has its own hospitals and army logistic facilities. At Zhurihe, PLA troops have mock battles in grasslands, hills and deserts. Clips broadcast by state-controlled China Central Television have shown soldiers fighting near a building that closely resembled Taiwans Presidential Office Building, suggesting Taipei is a likely target of the PLAs urban combat training. What kind of drills take place at Zhurihe? Zhurihe has been hosting realistic combat exercises for about 10 years. Such drills, typically involving battles between red and blue units, are designed to get the soldiers used to fighting more skilful and better equipped foes. Besides the combat troops, PLA medics also undergo training at Zhurihe, working on battlefield surgery and medical evacuation procedures. In 2014, Zhurihe also hosted a six-day joint anti-terror drill, with forces from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan teaming up with PLA personnel. PLA troops launch an assault on a replica of Taiwans Presidential Office Building at the Zhurihe training base in Inner Mongolia. Who are the red and blue armies? Many countries have so-called opposing forces dedicated to playing enemy units in military training. In the West, the opposing force is usually called the red army, but that colour, highly symbolic for communist states, represents the PLA side in China. Chinas blue force, the 195th Mechanised Infantry Brigade, was officially set up at Zhurihe in 2014. In a series of battle exercises called Stride, PLA troops from different regions are organised into red units to battle the blue units. The blue force has adopted a command system and tactics similar to those of Nato forces. Colonel Xia Minglong, its first commander, said its job was to study the enemies and act like the enemies. How do the red and blue forces fight each other? During the war games, soldiers have laser receivers scattered all over their bodies, which detect when they are hit by enemy fire. The Zhurihe base allows the army to practise on different types of terrain and the exercises also include mock nuclear, chemical and biological warfare as well as urban combat. The tactics used by the red and blue armies can get creative. During a mock battle in 2014, some blue troops dressed up as local government officials came to offer the red unit cabbages and potatoes. After they were invited into the red forces command building, the blue soldiers kidnapped their enemys commander. What weapons are used in the exercises? In the mock battles, both sides can use regular weapons such as tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery. They also have equipment for electronic warfare and air surveillance. To better imitate the US army, the blue force has been given upgraded weapons and artillery, including the advanced ZTZ-96A battle tank, the Type-07 self-propelled artillery and an early warning system. PLA tanks and lorries at the Zhurihe training base in Inner Mongolia. Which force has won most battles? The red forces were given a drubbing during the Stride exercises in the past three years. In the 2014 drill, the red units won just one of the seven battles, and in 2015 they lost all the battles to the blue force. State media said the red force faced greater difficulty as it was supposed to invade the territory held by the blue force, which also had more high-tech weapons. Exercise directors sometimes give the red army extra challenges such as electromagnetic interference and mock chemical attacks. Has anyone died during the exercises? The PLA does not publish fatality records at Zhurihe, but at least two soldiers have reportedly died on duty there in the past three years. Disclaimer: This article was originally produced and published by South China Morning Post. View the original article at South China Morning Post. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 13:02:43|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have developed a new technology to produce artemisinin, the top choice for malaria treatment, on a large scale. Sweet wormwood was used in ancient Chinese therapy to treat various illnesses, including fevers typical of malaria. Nearly five decades ago, Chinese scientists identified its active ingredient, artemisinin. In 2005, the World Health Organization recommended Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) as the most effective malaria treatment available. Global demand for artemisinin then increased, but the quality and supply have not been stable. According to researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, due to its complex structure, artemisinin is currently difficult and not economically feasible to chemically synthesize. The traditional industrial method to produce artemisinin is to treat sweet wormwood leaves with organic solvents like petroleum ether. The extraction process is long, energy consumption is high and productivity is low. In the study, the IPE researchers proposed to enhance the contact between the solvent and the leaves by reflux to speed up the artemisinin extraction. The extraction time was reduced from seven hours to four and a half hours. After treating sweet wormwood leaves with solvents, they optimized the evaporation process with a thin film evaporator, an apparatus that provides a continuous evaporation process, especially for heat-sensitive products, to retrieve the solvents. Compared to the traditional process, the time it takes to produce the artemisinin concentrate is reduced by 87.5 percent. Meanwhile, the purity of the final product is increased to more than 99 percent, and energy consumption is also reduced. The new technology makes the recovery of the solvents reach 99.9 percent, energy consumption per ton of artemisinin drop by 43 percent and the product purity is higher than 99 percent, said Wang Hui from the IPE. "This technology solves the main shortcomings in the traditional artemisinin production process and could also provide ideas for other natural products production," said Zhang Suojiang, the director of IPE. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 13:17:46|Editor: ZX Video Player Close HANOI, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam earned over 3.1 billion U.S. dollars from exporting wood and wood-based products, mainly wooden furniture, in the first four months of this year, seeing a year-on-year rise of 17.8 percent, the Wood & Forest Products Association of Vietnam said on Monday. In April alone, the country made wood and woodwork export turnovers of 850 million U.S. dollars, surging 22.5 percent. Its main importers included the United States, Japan, China, South Korea and the European Union. The turnover surge was thanks to bigger global demand and higher export value compared to last year, the association said, noting that Vietnam raked in nearly 8.9 billion U.S. dollars from selling the products overseas in 2018, up 15 percent against 2017. Vietnam currently has some 4,700 wood processing enterprises, mainly in the southern region, of which nearly 1,900 specialize in making products for export, according to its Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 13:22:49|Editor: ZX Video Player Close CANBERRA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Around 550 people were evacuated from a library here in Australia after the smell of durian triggered fears of a gas leak, local media reported. Firefighters were called to the University of Canberra's library on Friday afternoon after reports of a strong smell of gas, the Australian Capital Territory Emergency Services Agency said. After searching the building, firefighters located the source of the smell. "The lingering gas-like smell in the building is completely safe -- someone left a durian fruit in one of our bins!" the university library said on Facebook. The library was soon reopened after the durian was removed from the building in a sealed bag and atmospheric testing was conducted. It added the university used to have rules against food but abolished them as many would still sneak it in. Originally found in Indonesia, the durian is known for its distinctive smell that evokes reactions from deep affection to intense disgust. It is banned from public transport and hotels in some Asian countries. "Its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away," said Richard Sterling, a travel and food writer. The incident is the second such false alarm reported in Australia in around a year. In April 2018, rotting durian caused hundreds to evacuate from a library in Melbourne's city center. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 13:42:56|Editor: ZX Video Player Close SYDNEY, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Inhabitants of Australia's Torres Strait Islands lodged a world first complaint with the United Nations on Monday, alleging that the government's inaction on climate change has threatened their existence and violated their human right to life and culture. The Torres Strait Islands are a low lying group of islands off Australia's north-eastern tip in the waters between Papua New Guinea and the State of Queensland. Although the islands are officially a part of Queensland State, they have been home to the Torres Strait Island people for thousands of years before colonisation. A group of eight representatives authored an official complaint to the Human Rights Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, alleging that the Australian government, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, has failed to adequately cut emissions and build defences such as sea walls. "We're currently seeing the effects of climate change on our islands daily, with rising seas, tidal surges, coastal erosion and inundation of our communities," one of the authors, Kabay Tamu said. Environmental law charity, ClientEarth, has adopted the case which is the first legal action worldwide brought by inhabitants of low-lying islands against a nation state, as well as being the first climate change litigation brought against the Australian government. "The predicted impacts of climate change in the Torres Strait, including the inundation of ancestral homelands, would be catastrophic for its people," ClientEarth's lead lawyer for the case Sophie Marjanac said. The group is seeking a commitment by the Australian government to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050 and contribute 14 million U.S. dollars for protective infrastructure such as seawalls and sustained investment in long-term adaptation measures to ensure the islands can continue to be inhabited. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 14:13:11|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close HANOI, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam values and gives priority to strengthening economic and trade cooperation with China, and hopes to receive greater investment from China and the overseas Chinese community, local daily newspaper Vietnam News on Monday quoted a local investment official as reporting. "I'm pleased to see that many leading Chinese corporations are expanding their investments in the fields of electronics, renewable energy and information technology (IT), applying modern technology and bringing more value in line with Vietnam's foreign investment orientation," said Nguyen Noi, deputy director of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment. In the first four months of 2019, China registered over 1.3 billion U.S. dollars of investment in Vietnam, becoming the biggest foreign investor by newly registered capital, according to the latest statistics from the agency. Noi highlighted Vietnam's new foreign investment policy which prioritizes projects with high added value, advanced technology, modern management, minimal environmental impact and spillover effects that support the country's sustainable development. He called on Chinese companies to increase investment in Vietnam's mechanics, electronics, new materials, pharmaceuticals, support industry, robotics, IT, infrastructure and clean energy. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 15:13:52|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Guests launch the opening ceremony during the celebration for the 150th anniversary of the completion of the first U.S. transcontinental railroad at the Golden Spike National Historical Park at Promontory Summit, the United States, May 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Ying) by Xinhua writers Sun Ding, Tan Jingjing, Xia Lin SALT LAKE CITY, the United States, May 13 (Xinhua) -- One hundred and fifty years ago, the completion of the United States' first transcontinental railroad drew attention of the whole nation and marked the start of an economic boom that lasted for generations. One hundred and fifty years later, as people in the state of Utah, where the eastern and western segments of the engineering feat connect, and the rest of the nation celebrate the historic moment, they also honor thousands of Chinese workers who made great contribution and sacrifice to make the project possible. The transcontinental railroad could not be completed without the sacrifice of Chinese workers, as local residents, politicians, and researchers told Xinhua. More importantly, that part of history, shared by both China and the United States, shows that the two peoples can cooperate to do great things, even make the impossible possible. TRANSFORMING UTAH The first U.S. transcontinental railroad, originally known as the Pacific Railroad, was completed on May 10, 1869, when the last spike, praised as the Golden Spike, was ceremonially driven in at Promontory Summit, an area of high ground roughly 100 km northwest of Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah State, to join the tracks of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific lines. The Central Pacific Railroad, which broke ground on the railroad in 1863 and worked eastward out of Sacramento, California, hired 12,000 or more Chinese migrant workers, who became the backbone of the Central Pacific Railroad Co.'s labor force. The working conditions were unimaginable. One example repeatedly cited is how Chinese workers blasted and chiseled their way through the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains. "Using manual hammer drills, pick axes and explosives, they dug 15 tunnels through hard granite," U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao told a commemorative event at Promontory Summit's Golden Spike National Historical Park on the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad's completion. "Snow fell so deeply in the mountains that they had to build roofs over 37 miles (roughly 60 km) of track so supply trains could make it through," Chao said. "The conditions were merciless, dangerous and harsh. An estimated 500 to 1,000 Chinese workers lost their lives." Their contribution and sacrifice made the transcontinental railroad a reality, which reduced the travel time to cross the United States from months to about a week and allowed goods, including produce and natural resources, to move more quickly and cheaply from coast to coast, as the nation and its economy recovered from the Civil War. "In the years that followed, this tremendous engineering feat helped revolutionize interstate travel and commerce," according to a presidential message released by the White House. "The completion of the transcontinental railroad catalyzed our country's development, empowered greater settlement of the American West, and expanded prosperity from the Atlantic to the Pacific," it stressed. Gary Herbert, governor of Utah, said the railroad had transformed Utah from an isolated post to a crossroads of the West. HONORED, REMEMBERED On the transcontinental railroad's 100th birthday, the Chinese workers were not honored. Fifty years later, many highlighted their role so that the mistake would not be repeated. "They were quiet and paid less, and the American society knew little about them back then," Val Potter, member of the Utah House of Representatives, told Xinhua at Promontory Summit, who was among tens of thousands of people attending a three-day celebration at the Golden Spike National Historical Park, with many dressed in clothing from the period. "Chinese workers were so dedicated and hardworking, focused to get their work done," said the lawmaker. "It is important to celebrate their great accomplishments." The celebration, which started on Friday, included speeches, music and a historical re-enactment of 1869's ceremonial driving of the Golden Spike, as well as two full-size working replicas of the two steam engines seen facing each other, nose to nose, in an iconic picture from that day, with crewmen around the locomotives toasting the occasion with whiskey. Scholars and historians previously believed that there were no Chinese workers in this photo, but researchers from San Francisco-based Stanford University identified two of them in the crowd, who were part of the crew that laid the transcontinental railroad's last rails. "Without the Chinese migrants, the transcontinental railroad would not have been possible," Gordon Chang, co-director of the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project, a Stanford research program, and professor of history of the Center for East Asian Studies at the renowned university, recently told Xinhua. As part of a state-wide commemoration in Utah, Stanford curated a photo exhibition, captioned both in English and Chinese, to tell the story of the Chinese railroad workers whose life details had remained largely unknown until Chang and other scholars launched the project in 2012. The exhibition is now running in Park City, east of Salt Lake City, and will travel to other parts of Utah. "People from all over the country and even the world have stopped in to see this exhibit," said Kate Mapp, a librarian of the Park City Library. "It aims to highlight the contributions of Chinese railroad workers, and let the public know more about that history." BEYOND THE RAILROAD In a video-recorded speech, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai called the transcontinental railroad "a telling example of how the Chinese and American people can come together to get things done, and make the impossible possible." Besides forging a path through and over the West's mountain ranges, a team of workers consisting mainly of Chinese set a record by building 10 miles (16 km) of track in a single day. "While we reflect the impact of the railroad, we should also look to the future," said Governor Herbert, while urging people of Utah to dream big, and remember that great things can be envisioned and accomplished even in difficult times. Howard Stephenson, former member of the Utah State Senate, said he thinks the Golden Spike celebration can have a profound effect on expanding the state's substantial cooperation with China. "It is a wonderful incubator for greater win-win results," said Stephenson, adding that he thinks "China is perhaps the most important nation for Utah's future and America's future." According to the World Trade Center Utah, China is one of Utah's most important trading partners and the state's trade with China totaled about 4 billion U.S. dollars in 2018. Chinese tourists bring more than 140 million dollars into Utah's economy each year, while Utah is a pioneer in Chinese language education in the United States. "Strong people-to-people ties are important all the time," said Miles Hansen, president and CEO of World Trade Center Utah. "Policymakers in national capitals make trade policy, while citizens across countries build the relationship that make it easier for commonsense solutions to be found for the challenges that exist." "China-U.S. relations are at a critical juncture and it is important that we remember that our two countries always stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation," Ambassador Cui said in a message to the Utah-China Trade and Investment Forum, which concluded in Salt Lake City at the past weekend. "There is no better option than continued cooperation. We need to work together to ensure the sound and steady development of China-U.S. relations continues along the right track," he added. (Xinhua reporters Zhang Yongqing and Ye Zaiqi also contributed to the story.) (Video reporters: Zhou Saang, Xia Lin, Zhang Yongqing, Sun Ding, Tan Jingjing; Video editor: Zhao Xiaoqing) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 15:39:10|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close TEHRAN, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday expressed concerns about recent actions against ships in the Sea of Oman. In a statement, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, called the Sunday attacks on a number of vessels in the Sea of Oman "alarming and regrettable." Mousavi warned about the maritime security and called for the clarification of the dimensions of the incident. On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates said four civilian trading vessels of various nationalities were subjected to "sabotage operations" near the country's territorial waters in the Sea of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 16:04:31|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close SANAA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A team of Yemen's Houthi rebels traveled to Jordan's capital Amman on Sunday night to engage in UN-sponsored economic confidence-building negotiations between the Yemeni rival parties, Houthi TV al-Masirah reported on Monday. The negotiations would focus on implementing economic terms in line with the agreed Stockholm Agreement, the TV said without giving further details. On Sunday, the United Nations monitoring team in Yemen verified Houthi withdrawal from three ports of Hodeidah. "The redeployment of Houthi forces from the three ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras-Issa went in accordance with established plans," Michael Lollesgaard, chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, said in a statement. The long-delayed UN-sponsored Stockholm Agreement, the first step toward a comprehensive political solution, was reached in December 2018 between the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and Iran-allied Houthi rebels. The agreement focused on the port city of Hodeidah, the lifeline for Yemen's most commercial imports and humanitarian aid. The rebels seized Hodeidah and much of the country's north, including the capital Sanaa in late 2014, forcing President Hadi along with his government into exile in Riyadh. The government forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, have advanced to the southern outskirts of the port city since June 2017, but the forces have halted a major offensive to recapture Hodeidah to pave the way for peace efforts. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 16:09:34|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close NANCHANG, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in east China's Jiangxi Province have issued a notice to continue efforts to transform about 20,000 rural villages. Each village will receive a subsidy of 300,000 yuan (43,758 U.S. dollars) this year to boost local development, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Government funds will allocated to build roads, renovate toilets and houses, and beautify villages by planting more trees, according to the department. By the end of 2018, 65 percent of all villages in Jiangxi had been transformed. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 16:09:35|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Former vice minister of finance Zhang Shaochun was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday for taking bribes worth 66.98 million yuan (about 9.8 million U.S. dollars). His illegal gains will be turned in to the national treasury. He was also fined 6 million yuan, according to a statement by the Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court. The court found that between 1995 and 2018, Zhang took advantage of his positions to benefit others in business, personnel promotion and school enrollment. In return, he accepted gifts and money worth 66.98 million yuan. The statement said the court handed down the sentence while taking into consideration the fact that Zhang confessed, showed repentance and was cooperative in returning his illegal gains. Credit: Travis ShinnGreta Van Fleet has announced a fall North American tour in continued support of the band's debut album, Anthem of the Peaceful Army. The headlining trek launches September 21 in Kansas City, Missouri, and will wrap October 15 in Philadelphia. Tickets go on sale this Friday, May 17 at 10 a.m. local time via GretaVanFleet.com. If you can't wait that long, you can catch the "Highway Tune" rockers on their current U.S. run, which continues Monday in Atlanta and stretches into June. Here are Greta Van Fleet's fall North American tour dates: 9/21 -- Kansas City, MO, The Starlight Theatre 9/23 -- Morrison, CO, Red Rocks Amphitheatre 9/27 -- Las Vegas, NV, The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas 9/29 -- San Diego, CA, Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre 9/30 -- Irvine, CA, FivePoint Amphitheatre 10/2 -- San Francisco, CA, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 10/5 -- Los Angeles, CA, Hollywood Palladium 10/9 -- Sugar Land, TX, Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land 10/11 -- New Orleans, LA, UNO Lakefront Arena 10/13 -- Nashville, TN, Nashville Municipal Auditorium 10/15 -- Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Special forces and sappers of Russia's Eastern Military District will take part in the international SMOA-plus counterterrorism drills of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) that will be held in November in China, the press service of the military district said on Monday Sourceurdupoint.com KHABAROVSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2019) Special forces and sappers of Russia's Eastern Military District will take part in the international SMOA-plus counterterrorism drills of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) that will be held in November in China, the press service of the military district said on Monday. As part of the preparation for the drills, a delegation of the Eastern Military District took part in the second planning conference that was held in Bangkok with participation of 19 ASEAN states and dialogue partners in late April, the press service said. The maneuvers will include joint actions of tactical groups to free administrative buildings seized by terrorists and the work of multinational command and control centers. Up to 40 Russian servicemen, including officers, are expected to ensure the operation of command and control centers during the drills. The particular tasks of Russian troops will be determined at the next planning conference, which will be held in China in June, the press service said. ASEAN, established in August 1967 in Bangkok, is comprised of 10 member states Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The organization's dialogue partners are Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States. (This article was originally produced and published by the urdupoint.com. View the original article at the urdupoint.com.) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 16:14:39|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close KUNMING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Police in southwest China's Yunnan Province have detained three people in connection with smuggling frozen chicken products into China, local authorities said Monday. A total of 27 tonnes of frozen chicken feet and chicken tendons have been confiscated in four smuggling cases, according to the public security bureau of Maguan County. In early May, border police received a tip-off about a large number of smuggled products to be transported into China illegally. Local police blocked key sections of the area, strengthened efforts against illegal border crossings and enhanced patrolling. Four smuggling cases were busted on May 8 and 9, and police also seized five vehicles. The frozen products were transported into the country from Vietnam, according to Maguan police. Further investigation is underway. It is not the first time chicken feet have been the center of public clamor. In January, police in Maguan confiscated more than 30 tonnes of frozen chicken feet smuggled to China. The suspects planned to transport the chicken feet to the provincial capital Kunming, as well as other areas in the country. Cooked chicken feet, often served as a cold dish, are popular in China. With supply hardly keeping pace with demand, chicken feet are being illegally imported, processed locally and sold to vendors across China. Frozen products like chicken feet may contain viruses and be a hazard to public health. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 16:19:47|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close NEW DELHI, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Indian delegation to the Cannes Film Festival, to be held in France on May 14-25, would popularise shooting of films in India through Film Facilitation Office that facilitates Single Window Clearance for film-makers, an official said on Monday. The delegation would also strengthen the steps by the Indian government to combat film piracy, Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Amit Khare added. The official further stated that India will be showcased as a post-production hub to promote collaborations for films with international production houses, in order to take advantage of availability of technicians and skilled professionals. A comprehensive Film Guide will also be distributed at the India pavilion to showcase the importance of the film ecosystem and government incentives to shoot in India. Elaborating further, Khare said the initiatives such as co-production and single window clearance would facilitate integration of the Indian filmmakers with production houses worldwide. He further added that "it would be possible for filmmakers of different countries to come together under bilateral co-production agreements. These arrangements would also forge new markets and wider audiences by making India a hub for shooting world class movies." The India Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival will showcase Indian cinema across linguistic, cultural and regional diversity, with the aim of forging international partnerships in distribution, production, filming in India, script development, technology, promoting film sales and syndication, said an official statement. The pavilion would also serve as a platform for the Indian delegates to meet international delegates attending the Film Festival to promote networking with other countries and organizations. Besides, it would serve as an information dissemination point about India and Indian cinema for the global film community. The Indian delegation to the film festival this year will be led by Khare, and would consist of Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) Prasoon Joshi, and acclaimed filmmakers Rahul Rawail, Shaji N. Karun and Madhur Bhandarkar. During the film festival, the Indian delegation members will be interacting with key stakeholders of Cannes as well as other members of the film fraternity. A key focus area of the Indian delegation this year will be to promote the Golden Jubilee Edition of the International Film Festival of India to be held in southern state of Goa later this year. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 16:19:48|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close VILNIUS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Referendums on constitutional amendments to expand dual citizenship for Lithuanians living abroad and to decrease the number of parliament members failed in Lithuania on Monday. After counting votes from all 1,972 polling stations, 52.58 percent of all registered voters participated in the referendum on the amendment to allow dual citizenship in Lithuania, according to data provided by the Central Electoral Commission (VRK) on Monday. Though 71.78 percent of the turnouts supported the expansion of dual citizenship and 26.04 percent voted against, the referendum failed to amend the constitution and implement the dual citizenship, since only 0.93 million citizens voted for the amendment. According to the Lithuanian laws, the necessary threshold to a constitutional amendment is more than half of all registered voters, or 1.24 million citizens, voting in favor of the proposal. "Probably we will have to do this again the same way. The ruling Farmers and Greens Union has discredited the referendum with their unpreparedness," said Gabrielius Landsbergis, the leader of the Homeland Union-Christian Democrats, the largest Lithuanian opposition party. The referendum on whether to downsize the number of the parliament members from 141 to 121 also failed due to a turnout result below the 50 percent threshold. According to data by the VRK, 47.25 percent of all registered voters attended the referendum, and 73.7 percent of them supported the proposal while 23.07 voted against. The two referendums in Lithuania, a small Baltic country with a population of almost 3 million, were held on Sunday alongside with the country's presidential election. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 16:19:50|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close LONDON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Organizers announced on Monday that the upcoming Clipper 2019-20 global sailing race will commence from St. Katharine Docks, London, on September 1, 2019. St. Katharine Docks will see three Chinese flags waving on the Qingdao, Visit Sanya and Zhuhai team yachts as they start the 40,000 nautical mile ocean racing adventure. The Clipper 2019-20 Race is the biggest yet in terms of Chinese involvement with all of the Chinese Partners both featuring as a Host Port and a Team Partner. St. Katharine Docks is the only marina in Central London and boasts a sought after location nestled close to some of the capital city's most famous landmarks of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. The eleven strong fleet of 70-foot ocean racing yachts will be berthed in the docks' Center Basin for a week-long event from 24 August, before they depart for their 40,000 nautical mile circumnavigation on September 1. This will be the third time the global sailing event's Race Start has been set here and for international and British crew alike, this will be a special place to sail from. Qingdao, the longest-serving Host Port and Team Partner in the history of the Clipper Race, broke its own records when its team entry finished third overall in the last edition. Eager for more success in its eighth race campaign, Qingdao will be led by 32-year-old British Skipper Chris Brooks. The 26-year-old Scottish yachtsman Seamus Kellock, who is the youngest among the eleven skippers will be at the helm for team Visit Sanya, the winner of the pervious Clipper Race. 52-year-old South African sailor Nick Leggatt, who has circumnavigated the globe three times and set five world speed sailing records, will skipper the Zhuhai team in its debut entry in the global sailing event. A record 48 Ambassador Crews for the cities of Sanya, Zhuhai, and Qingdao are training to be Ocean Racers and will promote their three Chinese cities around the world. The Clipper Race is one of the greatest ocean adventures on the planet. Founded in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who last month celebrated the 50th year anniversary since becoming the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world, it is the only event of its kind for non-professional sailors. Taking almost a year to complete, the Clipper Race consists of eleven teams, each made up of a skipper, a mate, and a crew who come from all over the globe and different walks of life, competing against each other on the world's largest matched fleet of 70-foot ocean racing yachts. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 16:24:52|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, attended a symposium in Beijing Monday on relations across the Taiwan Strait and national rejuvenation. Liu Jieyi, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, was also present at the symposium. Participants raised several joint proposals, calling on compatriots on both sides of the Strait to work together and achieve national rejuvenation. They also called for consolidating the political foundation of the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence." The two sides should deepen integrated development, enhance grassroots exchanges, expand sales of farm produce and fishery products from Taiwan on the mainland, and step up tourism cooperation, according to the participants. They also agreed that the two sides should encourage exchanges between young people, and expand cultural exchanges. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 16:45:07|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close TAIYUAN, May 13 (Xinhua) -- China Taiyuan coal transaction price index stood at 139.79 points, down 0.08 percent week on week. The index, released by China Taiyuan Coal Transaction Center (CTCTC) based in Shanxi, a coal-rich province, reflects the coal price levels and changes in the main production areas of China. It is published every Monday. Analysts said that the average daily coal consumption of China's main power plants continued to decline, resulting in insufficient coal demand. The transaction of power coal in northern ports fell short of expectation and coal prices edged down slightly. With more than 10,000 registered coal traders, the CTCTC is the largest coal trading center in China. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 16:50:15|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The declining palm oil stock in Malaysia is a slight positive for crude palm oil (CPO) prices, though this is offset by concerns about weakening soybean oil prices and slower global growth, a report said Monday. CGS CIMB said in the report that Malaysia's palm oil stocks fell 7 percent month-on-month to a six-month low of 2.73 million tonnes at the end of April, which is likely to be supportive of near-term CPO prices. Meanwhile, Malaysia's palm oil exports in April was slightly higher than forecast, and was the highest ever April exports recorded by Malaysia, suggesting that the low CPO price helped boost demand. Malaysia's palm oil exports rose 2 percent month-on-month and 8 percent year-on-year to 1.65 million in April, boosted by stronger demand from China and India. Malaysia's palm oil exports to China jumped 17 percent month-on-month, or 48 percent year-on-year to 201,000 tonnes. From January to April, Malaysia's palm oil exports to China surged 49 percent year-on-year to 772,000 tonnes. CGS CIMB projected Malaysia's palm oil stocks to fall 7 percent month-on-month to 2.54 million tonnes at the end of May as exports and consumption exceed production and imports. The research house also expected the CPO price to trade in the range of 1,900 ringgit to 2,300 ringgit per tonne in May, and maintains average CPO price forecast of 2,400 ringgit per tonne this year. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 16:55:20|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close WELLINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Egg price in New Zealand reached a record high of 4.43 New Zealand dollars a dozen in April 2019, said Statistics New Zealand on Monday. According to the statistics bureau, egg price in New Zealand has been rising since nine months ago. A national egg shortage may be one of the reasons for the rise in retail egg prices. Industry reports suggested that farmers were switching away from caged hens to more expensive free-range egg production, resulting in a downturn of egg supply. Consequently, the weighted average price of both caged and barn eggs increased to 4.43 dollars a dozen in April, up from 3.89 dollars a dozen in April 2018. "A decade ago, a single egg cost 28 cents, and in April this year it reached 37 cents an egg," consumer prices manager Gael Price from Statistics New Zealand said. However, seasonal falls in fresh fruit and vegetables resulted in overall fall in monthly food prices. Overall food prices in the country fell 0.1 percent last month. Vegetable prices fell 2.6 percent and fruit prices fell 2.1 percent, offsetting the price rises for ready-to-eat food, milk, cheese and eggs. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 17:05:37|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close PARIS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- More than a dozen sheep have been "registered" at a French primary school as pupils as it was feared that some classes might be closed due to lack of students. Some 50 sheep were brought to the school by a local farmer earlier this month and fifteen of them were "officially" signed up after showing their birth certificates. Their names, such as "Baa-bete" and "Saute-Mouton," were put on the register, the Independent reported. The move came after the school in Crets en Belledonne, a village of fewer than 4,000 people at the foot of the French Alps, was informed that one of its 11 classes would be shut down, after pupil numbers dropped from 266 to 261. Local officials have recognized the registry of the sheep, according to the report. "National education is unfortunately only numbers. And so now, with this surge in numbers, we are good," Gaelle Laval, one of the parents behind the initiative, told Le Parisien newspaper. "We can go see the director of academy to assert our rights and save our class." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 17:10:41|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close by Duncan Murray, Hao Yalin SYDNEY, May 13 (Xinhua) -- More Australians than ever are looking beyond modern medicine in their pursuit of wellness, with many now turning to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to supplement a healthy lifestyle or bring relief from ailments. The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement signed in 2015 included a Memorandum of Understanding between the Western Sydney University (WSU) and the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. The fifth anniversary of that agreement will be marked with the opening of a 71-million-U.S. dollar training and research facility run by the WSU, to advance the use of TCM in Australia and better understand it's efficacy and potential. "As an Australian university we're very committed to complementary medicine, very committed to understanding the scientific basis for complementary medicine, and in particular, Chinese medicine," WSU Vice-Chancellor and President Barney Glover said. The WSU is one of the few universities outside of China, which offers training in both Western medicine and TCM, taking a strictly integrative approach to combining the effects of old and new medicinal practices. "I think integrative medicine is getting increasing attention around the world. It's recognizing the importance of (modern) medicine in the treatment of acute and chronic diseases, but also recognizing the value to patients of a holistic approach to their health and that's where complementary medicines, particularly Chinese medicine, can be so effective," Glover said. Australia now has more than 4,800 registered TCM practitioners, and qualified and high quality graduates may have an expanding role to play in Australian healthcare with demand expected to grow as the population ages. Beata Pieczywek, a third year student studying TCM at the WSU said that her interest came from having used Chinese herbs herself and seeing the results firsthand. "I myself started to have a few serious problems with my health. I was trying, of course, the Western medicine approach but they unfortunately couldn't offer any cure for it -- there was no solution," she said. "And Chinese medicine just came up in a few places ... so I started participating in treatments for myself for those things that I couldn't cure. Yes, it cured me." What is firmly instilled by the university in its students and clearly affirmed by practitioners is that TCM should be used in conjunction with, or complementary to evidence-based treatment. Concerns have been raised by some in the Australian medical industry as to the safety and ethics of TCM, stemming from the administering of potentially toxic herbs to patients or from avoiding all together proven medical treatments in favor of TCM. Regulation of TCM by the Australian government and studies occurring at institutions such as the WSU seek to alleviate some of these risks by keeping practitioners accountable and properly trained. "There is skepticism in relation to complementary medicine, more generally and some of it is very valid. It's very important that we have the scientific evidence, that we have done the clinical trials, and that we understand the mechanisms that are bringing about the beneficial outcomes," Glover said. "Importantly, as well, we recognize the benefits of integrative health not to focus solely on complementary medicine, or on (modern) medicine, but to see how they can work together most effectively." The WSU students are focused on the additional relief, which TCM can bring to their patients safely and responsibly, often stemming from their own experiences with complementary medicine which instilled them with a desire to share its benefits. Erin Bayliss told Xinhua that she was prompted by her experience with TCM during pregnancy to dramatically shift her career from being a nurse working in a western hospital to using TCM to support women through the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth. "Chinese medicine has a long, long history of supporting women in a more holistic approach," Bayliss said. "For example, six weeks after a woman has a baby, they are nurtured, they are helped. The Chinese medicine helps to restore the woman so that she can be there, as a whole person, physically strengthened for her child and family." Student supervisor Lisa Holden said that TCM had radical effects in treating her son's lung disease, prompting her to enter the practice and continue his treatment herself. "His lung function went from (where it normally was), back up to 100 percent of predicted -- his doctor told me that was not possible, he would never get there." "And he's just kept getting better all the way through his adolescence and now he's doing extraordinarily well, so I'm very happy." Holden now supervises at the Chinese medicine center run by the WSU and tries to impart the harmony of old and new medicine and the part that different treatment types can play in keeping patients happy and healthy. "The analytical approach from Western medicine, and the approach of balance and harmony from Chinese medicine -- if you can put the two things together ... they complement each other so beautifully. And it really works, put them together and it really works well," Holden said. The greatest challenge for many WSU students is having to learn the Chinese names of remedies, which is one of the reasons why the university is engaging in extensive translation efforts to make sure that TCM is not just transferred to English but done so consistently and accurately. "One of the most important parts of being able to spread the important knowledge of Chinese medicine and its health benefits around the world, is to ensure that we can translate those great texts from Chinese into English and other languages," Glover said. "So there's a lot happening, it's a very exciting time for our joint venture with Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and our Chinese Medicine Center." By Wang Jiahui and Jia Fangwen TONJ, SOUTH SUDAN, May 13 (ChinaMil) -- The completion ceremony of upgrading the main supply route from Ajakuac to Mvolo undertaken by the 9th Chinese peacekeeping engineer contingent to South Sudan was held in Tonj, South Sudan on the morning of May 10, 2019. The upgraded route has been put into use. It is reported that the 567 km-long supply route is both the aorta of the local economy and the lifeline for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to carry out humanitarian assistance. Due to war damage, poor maintenance, and rain erosion, some roads in South Sudan were cut by ravines and gullies. Therefore, it was difficult for vehicles to travel, leading to serious impact on normal supply transportation. Wang Yanhui, deputy leader of the 9th Chinese peacekeeping engineer contingent, said that after being entrusted with the task, the contingent dispatched 5797 persons/times, 2773 vehicles and equipment/times and worked strenuously for 6 months at a stretch before the route was completely connected and upgraded. The upgraded route will further strengthen the connectivity of local traffic network, facilitate the travel of local people and promote local economic development. At the ceremony, the engineering chief of the Sector West of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) appreciated the Chinese peacekeeping engineers for upgrading the supply route from Ajakuac to Mvolo, since the route is of great significance to the development of South Sudan and the welfare of the local people. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 17:15:48|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Senior United Nations (UN) officials have voiced their outrage at an attack by unidentified militants on a Catholic church in Burkina Faso on Sunday, which killed six people. The attack took place in the town of Dablo in north Sanmentenga province. A group of gunmen broke into the church and opened fire on people who were attending Mass. The church along with other buildings were burned down after the gunmen set fire to nearby shops. In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged "all citizens of Burkina Faso to stand firmly with one another across communities and not to succumb to efforts to sow discord and breed further violence." He stressed the sanctity of all places of worship and expressed his hopes that the perpetrators be swiftly brought to justice. Maria Espinosa, president of the UN General Assembly, said on social network Twitter that the killers must be held accountable. "We cannot tolerate hatred. The fundamental right of religious freedom must be respected everywhere," he wrote. Metsi Makhetha, UN resident coordinator in Burkina Faso, condemned on Twitter the "heinous attacks" and offered her condolences to the families of the victims. The shootings came just days after warnings from top UN humanitarian officials of an "unprecedented" rise in "sophisticated armed attacks in the Sahel." Since 2015, the West African country has been faced with an unstable security situation. Last month, a pastor and four of his followers were slaughtered in a village in the northeastern province of Soum. According to the UN, risks have been spilling over into other West African countries, leading to a five-fold rise in the displacement of the local population in the last 12 months. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 17:20:54|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to pay an unannounced visit to Brussels on Monday to discuss "pressing matters" including Iran, media reported late Sunday, citing a U.S. State Department official. According to media reports, Pompeo are expected to hold talks with officials from France, Britain and Germany -- the three European signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from which the United States withdrew in May last year. Pompeo therefore would cancel his Monday visit to Moscow, media reported, adding Pompeo's Tuesday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi would not be impacted. Their discussions would touch on arms control issues and "a full range of global challenges" including the issues of Ukraine, Venezuela, Iran, Syria, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a senior state department official said in a briefing on May 10. It would be the third time for Pompeo to abruptly change his scheduled visit because of the Iran issue recently. Earlier last week, Pompeo made an unannounced trip to Iraq by canceling his visit to Germany. He then scrapped his planned trip to Greenland reportedly due to the escalation of tensions with Iran. Over the recent weeks, Washington has ratcheted up pressure against Tehran with a series of sanctions, designations and military threats. In response, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on May 8 announced Tehran's withdrawal from complying with the restrictions posed by the Iran nuclear deal on the country's enriched uranium reserves and heavy water supplies. Rouhani also set a 60-day deadline for the remaining parties to the deal to fulfill their obligations, particularly in preserving Iran's interests in the areas of banking and oil. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 17:20:55|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's natural rubber production slumped 16.2 percent month-on-month to 49,465 tonnes in March, official data showed Monday. Malaysian Statistics Department said in a statement that the production rose 6.6 percent year-on-year as compared to March last year. Malaysia's natural rubber exports jumped 29.6 percent month-on-month to 53,265 tonnes in March, led by exports to China, where accounted for 43.2 percent of the total exports. Other main exports markets included Germany where made up of 12 percent of the total exports and Finland that accounted for 7.8 percent. The United States and Turkey made up 4.8 percent and 4 percent of the total exports, respectively. Stocks of natural rubber recorded at the end of March dropped 6 percent month-on-month to 201,792 tonnes. Total domestic consumption of natural rubber in March stood at 43,770 tonnes, an increase of 9.1 percent against 40,121 tonnes as reported in February. Natural rubber is widely used in the manufacturing of rubber glove industry with a consumption of 32,848 tonnes or 75 percent of the total domestic consumption. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 17:41:05|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, will visit Japan from May 16 to 18 at the invitation of Japanese national security advisor Shotaro Yachi, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday. The two officials will also hold the sixth China-Japan high-level political dialogue. At this dialogue, which is an annual consultation plan agreed on by the two sides, the two sides will exchange views on China-Japan relations and issues of common concern, spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 18:06:23|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close GUIYANG, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A group of 29 young African diplomats to China began a tour in the southwestern province of Guizhou on Monday. The diplomats from 29 African countries will tour the province to discover stories about China's poverty-relief, ecological civilization, big data and young entrepreneurship. In the next few days, they will visit Meitan County to see the transformation of Guizhou's rural areas, learn about the development of digital eocnomy in the province, while also exploring a local "Red Culture" site, home to the early revolutionary activities of the Communist Party of China. A series of seminars will be held for them to communicate with local young people and people from companies doing business in Africa. The tour will allow the diplomats to experience the development stories in Chinese localities and build a bridge for communication, said Li Zhigang with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 18:06:26|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- China's private companies issued more bonds with lower costs in April amid government efforts to ease the financing strain of cash-starved firms. In April, China's private firms raised 66.1 billion yuan (9.7 billion U.S. dollars) through bond issuance, up 10 percent month on month, according to data from the People's Bank of China (PBOC). Net financing via bonds stood at 15.9 billion yuan in April, the first time this year that bond issuance surpassed repayment, indicating that policies to support private sector financing have gradually taken effect, according to the central bank. China's private companies are playing an increasingly important role in contributing to economic growth, but they have traditionally faced difficulties in getting bank loans. To tackle their financing bottleneck, authorities have rolled out a series of measures, including introducing credit risk mitigation warrants to support debt financing by private firms. In the first four months, the country's private firms issued bonds totaling 205.3 billion yuan, a relatively high number compared with the 2017 and 2018 levels, said Zou Lan, an official with the PBOC. In April, private companies issued bonds at a weighted average rate of 5.56 percent, 64 basis points lower than that in January. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 18:16:36|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close CAIRO, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit condemned on Monday the sabotage attack on four commercial vessels in the waters off the UAE coast. Aboul Gheit said that "these criminal acts represent a serious violation of the freedom and safety of trade and maritime transport routes, and would raise the level of escalation in the region." He also said that these threats to the land or sea borders, or the transport and trade routes of any member state of the Arab League, represent "an unacceptable violation of Arab national security." The secretary-general expressed his full solidarity with the UAE against any attempt to undermine the security and safety of its navigation. Four commercial civilian trading vessels of various nationalities Sunday morning suffered acts of sabotage off the UAE's eastern coast, its foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The attack came amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States. "The incidents in the Sea of Oman are alarming and regrettable," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in an English-language statement on the ministry's website, calling for a probe into the attacks and warning of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 18:16:37|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close CHANGSHA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Police in central China's Hunan Province have detained 44 people in connection to a fake cigarette case worth more than 400 million yuan (58 million U.S. dollars). Of all the suspects, 22 have already been officially arrested, according to the public security bureau of Yuanling County. In 2017, police caught one of the suspects, Huang, who sold fake cigarettes on messaging app WeChat, and later clamped down on the gang behind Huang. The gang was involved in making and selling fake cigarettes, according to a press conference held Monday by the Hunan Provincial Public Security Department. Since March 2017, police have confiscated more than 300 million fake cigarettes in the case, from which the suspects reaped a profit of more than 28 million yuan. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 18:26:45|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close HAIKOU, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, will work to have all buses in the city run on clean energy by 2020, according to Hainan Daily. Haikou is expected to have a total of 4,000 buses by 2020, and the city is striving to achieve "zero emissions" by then, said Wang Yanxiong, head of the local bus group. Currently, the city has 2,320 buses with 2045 of them being clean-energy ones, accounting for 88 percent. Wang said each clean-energy bus could save around 40,000 yuan (5835.2 U.S. dollars) on fuel costs. The move is in line with a broader push for green car use in the island province, which was announced as a pilot free trade zone last year. In March, Hainan required all government vehicles, except cars providing special services, to use clean energy by 2028. The province had previously announced the ban of oil-fueled automobile sales throughout the province by 2030. Hainan had 37,100 clean energy vehicles by the end of 2018, accounting for about 2.9 percent of the province's total, among which 22,800 were NEVs. More than 4,500 charging facilities for electric cars have been built. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 18:31:51|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close WINDHOEK, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Namibia has recorded 18 poaching incidences since January, spokesperson of the Environment and Tourism Ministry Romeo Muyunda said on Monday. Five rhino and four elephant poaching incidences were recorded since March, bringing the total number to 18. Muyunda said the poaching incidences were recorded from mainly private and custodian farms while no poaching was recorded in the national parks. Last year, a total of 57 rhinos and 26 elephants were poached while 120 suspected poachers were arrested. The ministry is currently lobbying for harsher punishments for those found guilty of poaching. Last year, the ministry established an Anti- Poaching Unit to help curb poaching. DAMASCUS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian Army has so far captured 13 villages and towns in the northern countryside of Hama province in central Syria following two-week long battles with the rebels, a war monitor reported on Monday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that intense battles are taking place in the northern countryside of Hama between the Syrian Army and the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the umbrella group of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front. The Britain-based watchdog group said the battles are part of the escalation that has started since April 30. Meanwhile, the battles between the rebels and the Syrian Army were also reported in the northern countryside of Latakia province near the northern countryside of Hama and Idlib provinces. Hundreds of rockets and shells targeted the rebel-held areas in the Akrad Mountain in the countryside of Latakia, said the observatory. The battles have killed 16 government soldiers and 19 rebels over the past 24 hours in Akrad Mountain. The Syrian Army has started an operation against the HTS in the northern countryside of Hama province in central Syria and the nearby Idlib province late last month. The Syrian government said the attacks are a response to the rebels' attacks and infiltration attempts into Syrian military sites in that region. Idlib is the last major rebel stronghold in Syria and is now controlled by the HTS. Areas in the countryside of Hama, Idlib and the western countryside of Aleppo are included in the de-escalation zones deal which was reached between Russia and Turkey in September 2018. The deal failed to materialize as the HTS expanded in Idlib and started attacks on Syrian military positions instead of withdrawing from the designated zone which combines Idlib with Hama and Aleppo countryside. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 18:36:56|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have developed a new technology to produce artemisinin, a top malaria treatment, on a large scale. Sweet wormwood was used in ancient Chinese therapy to treat various illnesses, including fevers typical of malaria. Nearly five decades ago, Chinese scientists identified its active ingredient, artemisinin. In 2005, the World Health Organization recommended artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) as the most effective malaria treatment available. Global demand for artemisinin increased, but the quality and supply have not been stable. According to researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, due to its complex structure, artemisinin is currently difficult and not economically feasible to chemically synthesize. The traditional industrial method to produce artemisinin is to treat sweet wormwood leaves with organic solvents like petroleum ether. The extraction process is long, energy consumption is high and productivity is low. In the study, the IPE researchers proposed enhancing contact between the solvent and the leaves by reflux to speed up the artemisinin extraction. The extraction time was reduced from seven hours to four and a half. After treating sweet wormwood leaves with solvents, they optimized the evaporation process with a thin film evaporator, an apparatus that provides a continuous evaporation process, especially for heat-sensitive products, to retrieve the solvents. Compared to the traditional process, the time it takes to produce the artemisinin concentrate is reduced by 87.5 percent. Meanwhile, the purity of the final product is increased to more than 99 percent, and energy consumption is also reduced. The new technology puts the recovery of the solvents at 99.9 percent, while energy consumption per ton of artemisinin drops by 43 percent and the product purity rises to higher than 99 percent, said Wang Hui from the IPE. "This technology solves the main shortcomings in the traditional artemisinin production process and could also provide ideas for other natural products production," said Zhang Suojiang, IPE director. The new technology has been deployed at a plant of Tianyuan Biotechnology in Yuzhou in Henan province. Jiang Hongge, manager of the company, said that the production line using the new technology had been in stable operation for a year at the plant with an annual production of 60 tons of artemisinin. Sixty tons of artemisinin corresponds to about 150 million treatment courses of ACT. The WHO says an estimated 409 million treatment courses of ACT were procured by countries in 2016. Artemisinin produced at the plant has been sold to India, Sudan and other developing countries. The company also plans to build artemisinin production lines in Ghana. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 18:42:04|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close DAMASCUS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The residents of Syria's northwestern province of Idlib reject to have their sons involved with the rebels in the battles against the Syrian Army, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper reported on Monday. The people have informed the militants of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the umbrella group of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, their rejection to have their sons involved in the current battles with the Syrian Army, said the paper. The newspaper said that the HTS is putting the rebels who sought refuge in Idlib on the frontlines in the current battles. The HTS had carried out an arrest campaign in Idlib to round up the men who refused to fight alongside its militants, according to the al-Watan. The Syrian Army has started an operation against the HTS in the northern countryside of Hama province in central Syria and the nearby Idlib province. The Syrian government said the attacks are a response to the rebels attacks and infiltration attempts to Syrian military sites in that region. Idlib is the last major rebel stronghold in Syria and is now controlled by the HTS. Areas in the countryside of Hama, Idlib and the western countryside of Aleppo are included in the de-escalation zones deal which was reached between Russia and Turkey in September 2018. The deal failed to materialize as the HTS expanded in Idlib and started attacks on Syrian military positions instead of withdrawing from the designated zone which combines Idlib with Hama and Aleppo countryside. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 18:52:10|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- China has sped up mixed ownership reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), with the fourth batch of pilot SOEs list soon to go public, according to the 21st Century Business Herald. The country has continuously pushed forward the mixed ownership reform of the SOEs, and the fourth batch will include over 100 enterprises, Peng Huagang, an official with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration of the State Council, told the newspaper. In 2018, a total of 2,880 central and local SOEs conducted mixed ownership reform, Peng noted, adding that about 70 percent of centrally-administered SOEs and their subsidiaries now have mixed equity ownership. The SOEs owned assets of 58.2 trillion yuan (8.56 trillion U.S. dollars) by the end of last year, with 7.2 trillion yuan belonging to minority shareholders. From 2013 to 2018, the central SOEs have absorbed social capital worth over 260 billion yuan and raised more than 1 trillion yuan through the securities market, the newspaper reported. Peng said that the country would expand the scale and field of the reform based on principles of marketing and protecting the property rights of all contributors. Since 2016, China has selected 50 SOEs in three batches to conduct the pilot reform in fields including power, energy, civil aviation, telecommunications and defense. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 18:57:17|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close NANCHANG, May 13 (Xinhua) -- East China's Jiangxi Province has been compensating local farmers for economic loss caused by migratory birds flying to the Poyang Lake during the winter every year. Since 2014 when a pilot wetland ecological compensation program was launched in the province, some 140,000 people were compensated for damage to 19,666 hectares of crops around the lake, according to the Poyang Lake national nature reserve. Some 14.38 million yuan of wetland ecological compensation has been given out by the province since 2014. The Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, is dubbed a "paradise for migratory birds." The migratory birds, including storks, cranes, egrets and wild geese, fly to Poyang from Siberia, Mongolia, Japan and northern China in October and stay until April. Some of them, such as oriental white storks, are on the country's top protection list for wild animals. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 18:57:19|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Beijing Municipality launched a one-month campaign Monday for regulating shared bikes in the city, according to the official micro-blog of Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport. The city has registered nine bike sharing companies and more than 1.9 million shared bikes as of the end of April. However, active bikes only account for less than 50 percent, according to April statistics. The campaign is directed towards areas with a large number of bikes and electric bikes, such as major avenues, subway stations, scenic spots and business districts. Bike sharing companies are required to recycle broken bikes and clear bikes that are parked against regulations. In September 2018, Beijing authorities set a limit on the number of shared bikes in the capital as the industry continued to grow. China's bike-sharing market has grown rapidly over the past few years as part of a booming digital economy. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:02:25|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close RIYADH, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia confirmed on Monday that two of its oil tankers were part of the sabotage attack on Sunday in the waters near the United Arab Emirates, off the coast of the emirate of Fujairah. The Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Khalid Al-Falih, confirmed in a statement through Saudi Press Agency that the two oil tankers were attacked while on their way to cross into the Gulf. The attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels, the minister said. He denounced this attack that aims to undermine the freedom of maritime navigation and the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world. The Saudi minister also emphasized the joint responsibility of the international community to protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets, and the danger they pose to the global economy. Meanwhile, an official source at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed Saudi Arabia's condemnation of the acts of sabotage. The source stressed the solidarity of the kingdom and its stand alongside the UAE in all measures being taken to safeguard its security and interests. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:07:34|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission has fined AB InBev, the world's biggest beer brewery, over 200 million euros (225 million U.S. dollars) for breaching EU anti-trust rules. The Commission said in a Monday statement that the fine, in the exact amount of 200,409,000 euros, is related to AB InBev's restriction of cross-border sales of its popular beer. Margrethe Vestager, the EU Commissioner in charge of competition policy, said: "Consumers in Belgium have been paying more for their favorite beer because of AB InBev's deliberate strategy to restrict cross border sales between the Netherlands and Belgium. Attempts by dominant companies to carve up the (European) Single Market to maintain high prices are illegal." AB InBev's most popular beer brand in Belgium is Jupiler. AB InBev also sells Jupiler beer in other EU Member States, including the Netherlands and France. Specifically, the European Commission found that in the Netherlands, AB InBev sells Jupiler to retailers and wholesalers at lower prices than in Belgium due to increased competition, and the beer giant pursued a deliberate strategy to restrict the possibility for supermarkets and wholesalers to buy Jupiler beer at lower prices in the Netherlands and to import it into Belgium. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:28:16|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close Visitors view tulips during the annual Tulip Time Festival in the city of Holland, Michigan state, the United States, on May 12, 2019. The festival was held from May 4 to May 12. (Xinhua/Wang Ping) File photo shows Zimbabweans participate in a music parade in University of Zimbabwe, Harare, capital of Zimbabwe. (Xinhua/Xu Lingui) HARARE, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Institute at the University of Zimbabwe has been commended for contributing to the growing of cultural ties between Zimbabwe and China. Speaking at the 18th Chinese Bridge -Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Friday night, acting UZ vice chancellor Paul Mapfumo said the Confucius Institute (CI) that was established in 2007 had become a center of excellence in the teaching and learning of Chinese language and culture in Zimbabwe. He said this year's competition, the seventh local edition, further contributes to the growth and cementing of cultural ties between the two countries. He said the significance and influence of Chinese as one of the languages of the future was steadily growing, stemming from China's unprecedented economic growth over the years as well as its great ancient civilization. "This competition is part of the Chinese Institute's strategic plan to promote and motivate students who are excelling in Chinese language and culture," he said. He said Zimbabwe has over the years produced students who have fared very well at the global competition. Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Guo Shaochun said through the teaching and learning of Chinese, the language was becoming a bridge that connects the people Zimbabwe and China. "By narrowing the bridge or gap of language, we create and take our mutual understanding to a new high and lay a more solid foundation for our future," he said. He said language was a carrier of culture and through learning Chinese, Zimbabweans will better understand China's cultural norms and values. Learning Chinese language will also enhance employment opportunities for learners as more Chinese companies come to invest in the country, he said. Six participants took part in the competition that was made up of a knowledge quiz, speech and talent show. The competition ran under the theme:" One road, one family." The knowledge quiz tested contestants on their knowledge of Chinese culture and conditions while the speech and talent show segments are designed to test contestants' proficiency in Chinese language and appreciation and competence in Chinese cultural skills and talents respectively. Second year Bachelor of Arts in English and Chinese student Amanda Chirambadare was the first winner and she will represent Zimbabwe at the world finals to be held in China in July. The runner up will attend the global finale in China as a spectator. The other four participants will participate in the tour of Nyanga in Zimbabwe's eastern highlands organized by the CI in June 2019. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:28:15|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Judiciary sentenced an Iranian national to 10 years in prison for spying for Britain, Tasnim news agency reported on Monday. The convict was in charge of the "Iran Desk" at the British Council in Iran, the Judiciary Spokesman Gholam Hossein Esmaili was quoted as saying on Monday. The person had been cooperating with the British espionage service and was tasked with designing, managing and planning cultural infiltration projects in Iran, said Esmaili. The convict has confessed about cooperating with the British Council, trainings he received from the British secret service, and his missions to carry out cultural projects in Iran, he added. The government appealed for restraint on Thursday after Evangelical groups pushed mass events in Jerusalem and several Korean missionaries were picked up in Afghanistan. "Some large churches and Christian missionary groups are promoting a mass event for about 2,500 people," a government official said. "They are planning an outdoor rally in Bethlehem's Manger Square and a march from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on Aug. 8-10." He said another event in Jerusalem sponsored by some missionary groups is scheduled for Aug. 15-17 and some 500 Christians from Korea and the U.S. are scheduled to attend. He said the evacuation of Jewish settlers from Gaza next month made disturbances "very possible," while rising tensions between the Palestinian Authority and the armed group Hamas over parliamentary elections turned Israel and the occupied territories into a "high-terror zone." "We asked the groups to cancel the events, but they are refusing." Meanwhile, there are dozens of Koreans in Afghanistan, which the government has designated a restricted travel zone, on missionary work. "On Monday, UN military forces discovered three Korean women traveling through the dangerous Baghlan Province," an official said. "They escorted them to the capital Kabul and turned them over to the Korean Embassy. In the process, the convoy came under attack by unknown assailants, but there were no losses." On Wednesday, UN forces reportedly escorted another four Korean women travelers to the embassy. The embassy and Foreign Ministry have asked them to go home and appealed to their families in Korea for help. "Legally, there's no way to stop them from traveling," a Korean official said. "We ask citizens to restrain themselves from visiting these dangerous areas." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:33:17|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close SEOUL, May 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Monday that Seoul would actively review its contribution to the World Food Program (WFP) food aid projects for babies and pregnant women of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Kim made the remarks during a meeting in Seoul with visiting WFP Executive Director David Beasley to discuss humanitarian assistance projects for the DPRK, according to the unification ministry. Beasley explained to Kim about the recent WFP report on the DPRK's food situation, saying humanitarian assistance should be separated from political situation. The top South Korean official in charge of inter-Korean relations shared the WFP chief's view, according to the Seoul ministry. Kim vowed to actively review South Korea's contribution to food assistance projects for babies and pregnant women in the DPRK, which the WFP called for. Kim and Beasley agreed to continue close consultation on the humanitarian assistance to Pyongyang. South Korea has been collecting public opinion about the size and the way to provide food aid for the DPRK people. During last week's phone talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed support for Seoul's food assistance to Pyongyang. The last South Korean food aid to the DPRK happened in 2010 when 5,000 tons of rice was delivered to the north. The Moon government announced a plan in 2017 to offer eight million U.S. dollars of assistance to the DPRK through international organizations such as the WFP. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 21:37:22|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close Suspected militants stand handcuffed after being arrested by Afghan security force members in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, May 11, 2019. Afghan security personnel have captured about 20 suspected militants during a military operation in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, a local official said on Saturday. (Xinhua/Sanaullah Seiam) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:38:24|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close BEIRUT, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's maritime security forces arrested Monday three Syrian nationals after their boat sank in Chekka, north of Lebanon, while trying to illegally entering Cyprus, the National News Agency reported. The report said that a total of eight people were on board. Three of them were arrested while the destiny of the other five remained unknown until this moment. Cyprus has become the destination of maritime smuggling from Lebanon for Syrian refugees to move to European countries. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:43:28|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian authorities have seized 3,300 kilograms of cannabis in a biggest major drug bust in years, the state affiliated media outlet Fana Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) reported on Monday. FBC reported the 3,300 kilograms of cannabis was being transported in the trunk of freight vehicle and was seized on Monday morning by a combined task force of federal police and customs officer in the outskirts of the capital city, Addis Ababa. FBC further reported the driver of the freight has been put in custody, pending completion of investigation into the origin of the cannabis. In recent years, Ethiopia has toughened its anti-illegal drug laws and cracked down on individuals trading in illegal drugs. In April 2019, Ethiopian authorities disclosed they have seized more than 48 kilograms of cocaine while being smuggled into a third destination country during an eight months period. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:43:29|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close JAKARTA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- One Indonesian soldier was shot dead in counter shootings with a rebel group in the country's eastern Papua province on Monday, Indonesian military said. The incident took place in Mugi of Nduga district where the construction of 4,600 kilometers Trans-Papua Highway project and 16 bridges is underway, spokesman of military Cendrawasih command Colonel Infantry Muhammad Aidi revealed. Twelve soldiers were suddenly ambushed by the rebels when they were securing the construction of a bridge, the spokesman said. The soldiers fought back and opened fire at the rebels positioned at a higher ground. The rebels escaped from the ground, but were chased by the soldiers, bloods were recovered on the ground, suggesting the rebels sustained from injuries, said Aidi. One of the soldiers was shot at his back and "died during evacuation with a helicopter to a hospital in Timika," he said in a statement. The armed group was led by Egianus Kogoya, who has masterminded a series of attacks against soldiers and construction workers of the Trans-Papua highway construction, according to the spokesman. Experts said Kogoya's group is part of the rebel group headed by Kelly Kwalik, who led the Free Papua Movement (OPM) insurgency which has been seeking an independent state through guerrilla wars. Kwalik died in a military crackdown in 2009. Last month three Indonesian soldiers and 10 rebels were killed when about 70 rebels ambushed 25 soldiers in Nduga district, following the massacre of 17 construction workers by the armed group in December. The military has recently deployed a total of 600 soldiers, consisting of 150 combat engineers, to help complete the construction work. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:43:31|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Finance has allocated 1.985 billion yuan (about 292 million U.S. dollars) in a special fund to support the training of village teachers in middle and primary schools and kindergartens. The ministry urges educational departments to make proper use of the funds to better support training programs in poverty-stricken regions. Various training means including off-site training and online courses will be used to enhance the teaching faculty in central and western China, the ministry said. The arrangement was made to implement a national plan aiming to support village teachers from 2015 to 2020. From 2010 to 2019, the central government has earmarked more than 15.78 billion yuan for such training programs. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:43:32|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close DHAKA, May 13 (Xinhua) --- Access to Information (A2I) is a special program of Bangladeshi prime minister's office that catalyzes citizen-friendly public service innovations simplifying governance and bringing it close to people. Recently the assisted rural e-commerce platform of a2i, "EkShop," won gold award in the International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) 2019. Furthermore, this ground-breaking innovation from Bangladesh achieved the best international innovation trophy among 21 countries. EkShop is a platform developed by a2i Bangladesh to facilitate rural entrepreneurs and also dissolve the gap of communication between industry stakeholders. Also, four innovations of a2i's innovation Lab (iLab) received silver awards in ITEX which is Malaysia's longest-running invention, innovation and technology exhibition. On Sunday a2i organized a panel discussion on occasion of winning the ITEX award and showcased its innovation products in capital Dhaka. The notable innovations showcased in this event were Digital Financial Service Nagad by Bangladesh Postal Division, IMEI Database & NOC Automation and Central Biometric Verification Monitoring Platform by Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) Dialer by BTCL and Online Admission System and Verification of Result and IVR messaging for disaster notification by state-run cellphone operator Teletalk. The discussion followed by an iftar party, the evening meal when Muslims break their fast in the holy month of Ramadan, was held at National Museum of Science and Technology in Dhaka on Sunday. Organizers said the goal of the event is to have fruitful discussions with the attendees on how to popularize the achievements of digital Bangladesh related activities by sharing each party's knowledge and experiences. iLab incubates and accelerates innovations to tackle large scale problems of the society by leveraging technology, particularly electro-mechanical devices, Internet of Things and renewable energy. It also provides 360-degree support to individual innovators, students, and start-ups including seed funding, access to a Maker Lab, and mentorship by experts from the industry and academia. The incubation process comes with guidance to the young innovators to turn a prototype into a practical and viable solution. Innovators are further supported through copyright and patent filing to protect intellectual property of the innovation. Minister of Science and Technology Yeafesh Osman stressed the importance of piloting innovative projects. He called a2i's innovation Lab (iLab) a new Eye Opener Lab. Minister of Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology Mustafa Jabbar said the nation will not get the benefit of the discovery if it does not preserve the intellectual property. This is a requirement for innovation, he said. Intellectual preservation must be ensured for all inventions in a2i's innovation Lab (iLab), he added. The minister said the education system of the country should be consistent with the concept of Digital Bangladesh. State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak said that by encouraging the youth, they will have to solve the problem, innovate and create the mindset of the entrepreneur. He also said to achieve the desired benefits of Digital Bangladesh, "we should make a coordination between the entrepreneurs and the University level innovation." With this combination, creativity and joint investment should be arranged. And through this, Bangladesh will become an innovative nation within the next 20 years. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:53:42|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close BRUSSELS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned on Monday morning that the standoff between Iran and the United States could trigger an unintended conflict. Arriving for a European Union foreign affairs meeting, Hunt told reporters that "We are very worried about a conflict, about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended on either side." "We'll be sharing those concerns with my European counterparts, with (U.S. Secretary of State) Mike Pompeo, and I think what we need is a period of calm, to make sure everyone understands what the other side is thinking and most of all we need to make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearization," he said. "I think there is a real concern that escalation is unintended could end up with a much more serious situation," he said. The U.S. administration, under President Donald Trump, withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. The deal, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, was reached in 2015 between Iran, China, France, Russia, Britain, United States, Germany and the European Union. The European signatories still support the deal and have vowed to sidestep U.S. sanctions re-imposed after its withdrawal. Tensions have been rising lately in the Gulf, with the U.S. sending an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the region. The EU's top diplomat Federica Mogherini said earlier that she was notified during the night that Mike Pompeo would pay a visit to Brussels on Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:53:43|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close MOSCOW, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia's trade surplus surged 5.8 percent year-on-year to 51.1 billion U.S. dollars in the first quarter of this year, the Russian Federal Customs Service said Monday. Russia's trade turnover amounted to 158.6 billion dollars in the January-March period, up 0.1 percent from the same period last year, the agency said in a statement. Russian exports were equal to 104.9 billion dollars, having increased 1.4 percent, while imports were down 2.4 percent year-on-year to 53.8 billion dollars. Fuel and energy products accounted for 66.4 percent of the Russian exports. The volume of such products increased by 6.2 percent from the same period a year ago and their value grew by 3.6 percent. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:58:46|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close COLOMBO, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan police imposed a curfew in several towns in northwestern Kurunegala district on Monday following clashes which erupted between minority Muslims and majority Buddhists. Police spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara said the curfew had been imposed in Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Dummalasuriya, Hettipola, Rasnayakapura and Kobeigane from Monday afternoon and would remain in place till 4 a.m. local time Tuesday. Eyewitnesses said several properties and mosques were damaged by mobs, while the police said additional security had been deployed on the streets to prevent further clashes. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a statement urged citizens to remain calm and not be swayed by false information. "Security forces are working tirelessly to apprehend terrorists and ensure the security of the country, but each time there is civil unrest, we increase their burden and hamper ongoing investigations," he said. Meanwhile the Information Department said several social media apps, including Facebook and Whatsapp, had been blocked from Monday morning to prevent the spread of misinformation. Sri Lanka has been facing a threat of violence following the explosion attacks on April 21 which killed over 250 people and injured over 500. The explosions targeted three churches and four luxury hotels. The National Thawheed Jammath, a local radical group, has been blamed for the deadly attacks. A Defense Ministry official on Sunday said it would. "The latest Patriot PAC-3 MSE anti-missile system operated by U.S. troops in South Korea is capable of shooting down North Korea's latest missile." South Korea was confused last week whether it would be able to shoot down the short-range Iskander-class missiles North Korea tested. The Patriot PAC-3 CRI anti-missile systems currently in use by the South Korean and U.S. militaries can engage targets at a maximum altitude of 15 to 20 km, while the Patriot PAC-3 MSE systems can engage targets flying up to an altitude of 40 km. But a military source said Iskander missiles can engage in evasive maneuvers at an altitude of less than 15 to 20 km. "At an altitude of more than 20 km, Iskander missiles move in the same trajectory as typical ballistic missiles and are capable of being shot down," he added. North Korea's Iskander missiles, which are based on the Russian version that was developed in the 2000s specifically aimed at thwarting the U.S. missile defense system, reach a maximum altitude of 40 to 50 km. But it is unclear if the U.S. conducted interception tests on missiles engaging in evasive maneuvers at that altitude when it developed the MSE system. The engagement ceiling of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery deployed by U.S. Forces Korea is also too low. Although government officials say USFK's Patriot PAC-3 MSE system can be used, its purpose is to defend U.S. military bases here, while Seoul's own system will not arrive until 2021, leaving the South vulnerable in the meantime. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 19:58:47|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close JERUSALEM, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A 66-year-old Israeli worker was seriously injured on Monday in the Eurovison Song Contest venue in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, during the preparations for competition which will take place from May 14 to 18. The worker, from the town of Pardes-Hanna, was unloading an equipment truck in the "Expo Tel Aviv" center when a lighting-fixtures cart fell off the truck and hit him. The injured man received treatment from the compound's clinic staff and was rushed to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, where he underwent an urgent surgery. Following the incident, a representative of the Israeli Ministry of Welfare and Social Services arrived at the site to find out details and check the working procedures. The construction of the temporary hall in which the competition will be held has been going on for almost two months. It includes the installation about 2,100 lighting fixtures, which will operate with 80,000 meters of lighting cables. The Eurovision Song Contest, in which 41 countries are participating this year, takes place for the third time in Israel, and for the 64th time in all. The two semi-final events will be held on May 14 and 16, and the final on May 18. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni visits a Chinese factory in Mukono, Uganda, March 9, 2019. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni toured four Chinese factories in the central Ugandan district of Mukono, promising to lower the cost of production in a bid to benefit those doing business in this east African country. (Xinhua) KAMPALA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has recently hosted for the fourth year a Chinese language competition for college students amid an growing interest among Ugandans to learn the Chinese language. The 18th "Chinese Bridge" competition, an annual Chinese proficiency contest for foreign college students, was on Saturday concluded in Kampala, capital city of Uganda. Under the theme "One World, One Family," the final round of the competition held under the guidance of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University was featured by presenting speeches in Chinese, question and answer session on China and talent shows on Chinese culture. Seven finalists from Makerere University, Kyambogo University and Ndejje University competed in the final round. The winner will travel to China to participate in the global competition while the first runner up will get an opportunity to watch the competition in China. Other competitors won prizes and also were given certificates. This is the fourth time the competition is held in Uganda. File photo shows a Chinese teacher at a Chinese language class for Ugandan students. (Xinhua/Zhang Gaiping) There is increasing interest among Ugandans to learn the Chinese language, and several schools in Uganda have started teaching the Chinese language, said Yang Yehua, director of administration at the Chinese embassy. According to the National Curriculum Development Center (NCDC), the Ugandan and Chinese government have an understanding to train over 100 Ugandan language teachers, who are trained under the guidance of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University. The first batch graduated last December after a nine-month course of learning Chinese. The teachers are the pioneers of Ugandan Chinese language teachers. After their graduation, the country early this year rolled out the Chinese language syllabus for secondary schools. The NCDC estimates that within the next four years about 60,000 students would have learned how to speak Chinese. At the Confucius Institute at Makerere University, many university students and business people are enrolling to learn Chinese. "Chinese is bringing us closer, serving as a platform of mutual understanding," said Xia Zhuoqiong, Chinese director at the Confucius Institute at Makerere University. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 20:09:03|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on Monday said it has only received 14 percent of the 346.5 million U.S. dollars it requires to meet the needs of refugees in Ethiopia. In a press statement sent to Xinhua, the UNHCR said 346.5 million dollars are needed to meet the basic nutritional, educational, health, clean water, sanitation and shelter needs of refugees in Ethiopia. The UNHCR has registered 915,073 refugees as of Aug. 31, 2018 in Ethiopia, most of whom are housed in refugee camps in six regional states. Ethiopia hosts the second largest refugee population in Africa, next to Uganda. Refugees in Ethiopia primarily come from Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan, according to the UNHCR. Conflict and drought in neighboring countries continues to force people to seek refuge in Ethiopia, which has a long tradition of hosting refugees. Ethiopia has also in recent years hosted an increasing number of refugees fleeing conflicts in Yemen and Syria. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 20:19:12|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close PARIS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A French woman was put under formal investigation by magistrates last week on charges of belonging to a terrorist cell, local news channel reported on Monday. A female national from Moroccan origin had expressed, on social media, her willingness to carry out a suicide attack and had been on a list of volunteers who wanted to act, new channel BFMTV reported, citing a judicial source. The 27-year-old suspect was arrested on May 6 after being expelled from Turkey and was convicted for "criminal conspiracy in relation to a terrorist company", it added. She joined fighters in the conflict zones in Syria in 2014 and surrendered to Turkish authorities in October 2018. A wave of attacks, claimed by the Islamic State, had broken the calm several times in France. The bloodiest terror attack took place in Paris in November 2015, when a series of explosions and shootings left 130 people dead. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 20:24:14|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close by Levi J Parsons SYDNEY, May 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. protectionist policy is "definitely not good news for Australia's economy" and worries many in the global community, said an Australian economist. "In terms of spill-overs ... it's clear we're going to see some negativity coming through," said Sarah Hunter, chief economist at BIS Oxford Economics, Australia's leading provider of industry research, analysis and forecasting services. "But the immediate impact is absolutely, definitely going to be negative, both in terms of financial markets and more generally, economic sentiment, and also very likely in terms of commodity prices," she told Xinhua in a recent interview, expecting a "downward correction" of the country's commodity prices. Hunter warned that global supply chains may also come under fire. "It'll have a direct negative impact on U.S. bilateral trade, but that will then spill over through to supply chains in particular through to Asia," she said. "It will ripple across the global economy and that will definitely be a drag on growth." As a resource-based, export-driven economy which relies on trade, Australia could undergo a weaker jobs growth, or even upward pressure on the unemployment rates in the face of a slowdown in global growth, Hunter said. According to the Australian Export Council, international trade supports one in five jobs in the country. The United States now appears solely focused on further isolationism, leaving many in the global community concerned, Hunter added. In the name of national security and protecting domestic industries, the White House has placed steep tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of products from its major partners, raising trade tensions around the world and shaking the foundation of global trading system. Washington's tariff hikes on steel and aluminum from Europe have been disturbing the cross-Atlantic ties, which are also clouded by tariffs threatened between Brussels and Washington over subsidies in the aviation industry. Also, the United States on Friday increased additional tariffs on 200 billion U.S. dollars' worth of Chinese imports from 10 percent to 25 percent, a move Beijing said it deeply regrets and will be forced to respond to with necessary countermeasures. While the situation appears fragile, Hunter holds out some hope for a resolution. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 20:29:22|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close JUBA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- There should be no further delay in forming a new unity government in South Sudan beyond the six-month extension period, the UN, African Union (AU) and east African bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have told parties to the fragile 2018 peace pact. A joint UN-AU-IGAD delegation led by UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix concluded a two-day visit to the conflict-torn east African country on Saturday to push for the implementation of the September 2018 peace deal. The team said while they remain supportive of the six-month extension, the rival groups in South Sudan should redouble efforts in implementing the pact and avoid further delays. Lacroix urged the warring factions to use the six-month period to move the pact forward and end the crisis facing the world's youngest nation. "Our purpose is to be supportive so that the next six-month after this extension of the pre-transitional period will be used to generate substantial advances in the implementation of the peace agreement, in the improvement of the lives of millions and millions of South Sudanese," Lacroix said. "We wanted also to say quite clearly that this extension should be the last one. We are expecting the parties now to do every effort possible, every sacrifice, so that we have the transitional government in place next November," said Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security. Signatories to the 2018 peace agreement on May 3 agreed to extend formation of the transitional government by six months following delays in the implementation of the pact. But South Sudan's President Salva Kiir last week called for one-year delay instead, arguing that the six months may not be enough to implement the outstanding issues such as security arrangements that continue to threaten the fragile peace deal. South Sudan descended into civil war in late 2013 and the conflict has created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world. The UN estimates that about 4 million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally. A peace deal signed in August 2015 collapsed following renewed violence in the capital Juba in July 2016. Under the 2018 peace deal, opposition leader Riek Machar will once again be reinstated as Kiir's deputy. Ismail Wais, IGAD special envoy to South Sudan, said more challenges awaits the peace deal in the coming months, urging the signatories to join hands and bring lasting peace to South Sudan. "We have a lot to do and a long way to go. We are not at the end of the process. In fact, we are starting with very challenging activities," Wais said. "We still urge the political parties, the mechanisms, also to do the rest at their level best to implement this process so that at least the people of South Sudan deserve what they really earned and that is, at least, peace in this country," he added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 20:49:30|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has urged more efforts to enhance employment services and boost entrepreneurship to add more jobs. Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks in a written instruction to a video and telephone conference on national employment and entrepreneurship work on Monday. Supporting employment and entrepreneurship, especially for college graduates, is an important guarantee for achieving sustainable and healthy development of the economy, improvement in people's livelihood, as well as social stability, Li said. Noting that the country faces employment pressure this year as the number of college graduates is set to hit a new high, Li said the country will implement the "employment first" policy, put stable employment in a more prominent position, and ensure that the employment target for the year is met. The country should enhance employment services and take targeted measures to assist college graduates, veterans, and migrant rural workers in finding jobs, Li said. China will also push entrepreneurship to develop new industries in a bid to create more jobs, Li stressed. Sun Chunlan and Hu Chunhua, both vice premiers and members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the conference and made remarks. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 21:10:47|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Wang Junzi exchanges with his apprentice Song Zhaobing on the traditional firing skills of Ru porcelain at the heritage site of Ru porcelain kiln in Qingliangsi Village, Baofeng County of central China's Henan Province, May 8, 2019. Ru porcelain, one of the five famous kinds of porcelains during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in ancient China, is known for its azure color, light body, filmy grain and gentle textile. Wang Junzi, born in 1960, is a Ru porcelain firing craftsman in Qingliangsi Village of Baofeng County in central China's Henan, where the ancient official Ru porcelain kiln in Song Dynasty is located. In order to reproduce the beauty of "celestial blue" of Ru porcelain, Wang Junzi has devoted himself to tackling the key problems for more than 30 years. Influenced by his family and the culture of Ru porcelain, Wang Junzi has devoted himself to studying Ru porcelain since young. In order to solve a series of technical problems such as the preparation of azure glaze, Wang Junzi went to many porcelain producing places for advice, and through thousands of experiments, finally grasped the key technology of Ru porcelain firing and formed unique technical characteristics. Now he has gained the unique skills of Ru porcelain firing and has become the representative inheritor of firing skills of Ru porcelain, a national intangible cultural heritage. In order to carry forward the culture of Ru porcelain and inherit its skills, Wang Junzi has successively accepted nearly 20 apprentices since 2003. He has taught young people the traditional technological processes and methods of firing Ru porcelain, such as manual casting, glaze ingredients preparing, glazing and firing. With his efforts, Ru porcelain culture has become a symbol for the development of local cultural industry. "My dream is to recover, pass on and carry forward the art of firing Ru porcelain." Said Wang Junzi. (Xinhua/Li An) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 21:09:38|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a meeting Monday, deciding that an education campaign on the theme of "staying true to the Party's founding mission" will start in June. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. A plan for integrated regional development of the Yangtze River Delta was also reviewed at the meeting. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 21:09:40|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- China can achieve the bottom line requirement of "basic self-sufficiency of cereal grains and absolute food security," said a senior agricultural expert Monday. "Food supply can ensure the construction of a moderately prosperous society in all aspects by 2020 and the basic realization of socialist modernization by 2035 in China," said Mei Xurong, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, at the 2019 China and Global Agricultural Policy Forum held in Beijing. According to the "China Agricultural Sector Development Report 2019" released by Mei, the agriculture-food system contributes about 23.3 percent of the country's gross domestic product and 36.07 percent of employment in China, acting as a "ballast stone" in the Chinese economy. The report analyzes the new situation and problems facing China's agricultural development and assesses the possible impact of agricultural policy adjustments and the outside world on the development of China's agricultural industry. The year 2018 marked the 40th anniversary of rural reform in China and saw the implementation of a rural revitalization strategy. The agricultural sector has seen a positive overall trend in development, with total grain output reaching 658 million tonnes, the report says. The gross cropped area and total yield of rice, wheat and corn decreased in 2018. As corn consumption showed rapid growth, corn imports grew significantly, by 25.2 percent for the year. Soybean imports declined for the first time in seven years, and the annual import volume was 88.03 million tonnes, down 7.9 percent. Affected by the African swine fever epidemic, China's stock of live pigs decreased by 4.8 percent year on year in 2018. The consumption of livestock products and aquatic products showed growth, except for pork. Imports of beef and milk increased significantly. More than 98 percent of lamb imports were from New Zealand and Australia. The trade surplus of aquatic products continued to shrink, as the Belt and Road Initiative offered new opportunities for trade in aquatic products, the report says. China's potato production exceeded 100 million tonnes for the first time and maintained a net export trend. The gross cropped area and output of cotton in China declined in 2018, with cotton imports reaching 1.57 million tonnes, up 35.3 percent year on year. China continued to rank the first in the world both in planting area and output of vegetables. The report says the epidemic of African swine fever has accelerated the pace of industrial restructuring and promoted the optimization of China's meat consumption structure. It will lead to a 10.3 percent drop in domestic pork production and a 2.19-fold increase in net imports to 4.96 million tonnes. The increase in pork imports will reduce the demand for feed grains such as rice, wheat, corn and soybean meal. It's estimated that when China's pork net imports increase from 1.55 million tonnes to 4.96 million tonnes, net grain imports will decrease by 13.39 million tonnes. At Monday's forum, Fan Shenggen, head of the International Food Policy Research Institute, released the "2019 Global Food Policy Report," which spotlights the urgent need for rural revitalization to address persistent crises in the world's rural areas. The report predicts 2019 may be another difficult year. Global economic growth is projected to slow over the next two years. The worrying trends will undoubtedly affect rural areas most. The report points out that in just under a decade, rural areas could become the primary hubs of innovation, not only in agriculture but also in manufacturing and services, providing a means for many rural residents to move out of poverty, malnutrition, and a low quality of life, and perhaps even to stem the flow of rural-urban migration. The potential is vast. "With perseverance, 2019 can be the year when the will to eliminate hunger and malnutrition finally gathers momentum, forging a bright future for poor people around the world," Fan said. Samsung performed well in the North American market in the first quarter of this year thanks to its latest Galaxy S10 smartphone series. According to analysts Canalys on Sunday, Samsung sold 10.7 million Smartphones in the first quarter in North America, up three percent from a year ago. Its market share rose by six percent to 29.3 percent. On the other hand, Apple's sales in the first quarter dropped significantly. Canalys said Apple sold 14.6 million iPhones over the period, down 3.3 million from a year ago. The gap in market share between the two giant companies narrowed from 17.1 percent to 10.7 percent. Apple struggled with the latest iPhone XS series, launched in the second half of last year with a very high price tag. LG's sales in the first quarter of this year, meanwhile, were 4.8 million handsets, down 25 percent from a year ago. Industry insiders say doing well in advanced market such as North America certainly helps boost profitability. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 21:14:44|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Wang Yang (back, 2nd R), 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 (CPPCC), presides over a biweekly session of the CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, capital of China, May 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese political advisors gathered Monday to discuss the revision of the country's copyright law during a biweekly session in Beijing. Held by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the session was presided over by Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee. Wang noted that copyright law was the pillar of legislations on intellectual property, and significant to the creation and distribution of cultural and intellectual products, improving Chinese people's literacy in science and culture, and building the country into a global leader in innovation. He called for adherence to a people-oriented philosophy of development to properly deal with the relationship between the creation, protection and utilization of copyright, and establishing a copyright system with Chinese characteristics in the new era. A total of 12 CPPCC members and scholars put forward their suggestions on the revision, while over 160 political advisors shared their thoughts via the mobile platform of the top advisory body. With the rapid development of the economy, the society and science and technology, especially with the popularity of the Internet, the current copyright system faces a lot of new circumstances and problems, which makes the revision of the law imperative, according to the political advisors. Some stressed the importance of both taking into consideration China's national conditions and learning from the common practice abroad in the revision, and asked for the balance of speed and quality in legislation, as well as the proper handling of the relationship between copyright creators, distributors and users in terms of interests. Others suggested tougher punishment against infringement of copyright, with the establishment of a punitive compensation system, to solve problems such as the low costs of violations of the law, and the high costs for copyright protection. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 21:14:45|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday congratulated South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) on its sixth win in national elections. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a news briefing, adding that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has sent a congratulatory letter to the National Executive Committee of the ANC. South Africa is a major developing country in Africa with important influence in regional and international affairs, Geng said. China highly values its ties with South Africa and is willing to work with the new South African government led by the ANC to deepen mutual political trust, strengthen pragmatic cooperation and push forward the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to make bigger headway, Geng said. File Photo: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivers a speech at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 10, 2019. (Xinhua/STR) WASHINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to pay an unannounced visit to Brussels on Monday to discuss "pressing matters" including Iran, media reported late Sunday, citing a U.S. State Department official. According to media reports, Pompeo are expected to hold talks with officials from France, Britain and Germany -- the three European signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from which the United States withdrew in May last year. Pompeo therefore would cancel his Monday visit to Moscow, media reported, adding Pompeo's Tuesday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi would not be impacted. Their discussions would touch on arms control issues and "a full range of global challenges" including the issues of Ukraine, Venezuela, Iran, Syria, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a senior state department official said in a briefing on May 10. It would be the third time for Pompeo to abruptly change his scheduled visit because of the Iran issue recently. Earlier last week, Pompeo made an unannounced trip to Iraq by canceling his visit to Germany. He then scrapped his planned trip to Greenland reportedly due to the escalation of tensions with Iran. Over the recent weeks, Washington has ratcheted up pressure against Tehran with a series of sanctions, designations and military threats. In response, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on May 8 announced Tehran's withdrawal from complying with the restrictions posed by the Iran nuclear deal on the country's enriched uranium reserves and heavy water supplies. Rouhani also set a 60-day deadline for the remaining parties to the deal to fulfill their obligations, particularly in preserving Iran's interests in the areas of banking and oil. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 21:29:51|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close MANILA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Monday's mid-term elections were mostly peaceful except for "very minimal breach of peace and order" to intimidate voters. "The conduct of the national and local elections was generally peaceful," AFP public affairs chief Col. Noel Detoyato said in a statement, adding that "the expected violence did not happen." "The months of preparations through coordination and conferences by the PNP (Philippine National Police), AFP and the Comelec (Commission on Elections) have been effective in ensuring that the Filipino people can exercise their right to vote free from intimidation, threats, and harassment," Detoyato said. "There were last-minute attempts to disrupt the conduct of elections but these were immediately addressed by our security forces," he said. Nine people were slightly injured in a shooting incident Monday morning in front of a polling station in Tiptipon, a remote village in Sulu province, said Gerald Monfort, Lieutenant Colonel of the military's joint task force Sulu. Four blasts rocked the southern Philippines on the eve of and during the elections. AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said the explosions were meant to scare people from casting their ballots. One explosion in Cotabato City and two others in Maguindanao province in the southern Philippines took place but did not cause any casualties. A fourth explosion occurred in Marantao town in Lanao del Sur around on Monday afternoon. Col. Romeo Brawner, commander of the Army's 103rd Brigade, said one of the suspects tried to hurl the grenade on the soldiers from their parked van but the grenade caught the window and bounced inside their van. "It exploded inside the van, wounding the one who hurled it," Brawner said. The injured and his two cohorts were later detained. A search of the van yielded an improvised explosive device, Brawner added. The PNP has recorded 17 election-related deaths in at least 40 cases of election-related violence before Monday's elections. Nearly 62 million Filipinos have registered to choose among 43,500 candidates vying for about 18,000 congressional and local posts, including 81 governors, 1,634 mayors and more than 13,500 city and town councilors across the country. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said the midterm elections' results can be seen as a crucial referendum on his leadership. Duterte's single, six-year term ends in June 2022. The Comelec is expected to declare the final results in at least a week for national posts and a few days for local positions. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 21:33:23|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Workers inspect a photovoltaic power plant built on barren mountains at Xishacheng Village of Huai'an County in Zhangjiakou City, north China's Hebei Province, May 13, 2019. In recent years, Zhangjiakou city has vigorously developed and utilized new energy, with installed new-energy capacity surpassing 12 million kilowatts. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) SourceXinhua| 2019-05-13 21:51:17|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close Local people visit the exhibition of old Kuwait City reconstruction project, in Farwaniya Governorate, Kuwait, on May 12, 2019. Organized by a local team named "The Virtual Kuwait City Team", the exhibition presents a project of "Virtual Reconstruction of 1951 Kuwait City", which aims to digitally display the vanished Old Kuwait City in three-dimensional manner. The exhibition lasts till May 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Asad) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 21:55:01|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close NAIROBI, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A Kenyan living in Zambia, Mozambique, Ethiopia or the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) would be able to easily transact banking business from their favorite home-grown banks as the east African nation's top financial institutions go for the regional markets. The customers would be able to make deposit or withdraw cash, remit cash back home and access mobile banking services affordably and just as easy as they do while at home, thanks to an ongoing expansion drive by banks in the east African nation. Top Kenyan banks, namely Equity Group and Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Group, after conquering the Kenyan market, and extending to the larger East African Community countries, are now following in the footsteps of their South African and West African peers, which have branches in various African countries. KCB Group on May 7 announced that it is in buyout talks with a bank in the DRC as it seeks to enter the market. The bank had earlier declared that it is in talks with authorities in Ethiopia to enter the market and it is also eyeing Somalia. KCB chief executive Joshua Oigara said, once completed, the new branches would facilitate deals in syndicated lending and trade finance. "Ethiopia is a restricted market but there are reforms going on. We are optimistic they will allow Kenyan banks," said Oigara. By eyeing DRC, KCB is following in the footsteps of its rival Equity Group which already operates in the market, having entered some two years ago by buying a lender. Similarly, Equity Group on May 1 announced plans to enter the Mozambique and Zambian markets in a deal with London Stock Exchange-listed banking group, Atlas Mara. Equity Group chief executive said the buyouts would help them build economies of scale and make it a Pan African bank. The expansion puts Kenyan banks in direct competition with South African lenders like Stanbic and Nigeria's Ecobank, all which are operating currently in east Africa's biggest economy and other nations in the continent. Kenya has aggressively sought to bolster ties with Ethiopia ever since Premier Abiy Ahmed took over and started reforms. President Uhuru Kenyatta in March led a delegation into the country seeking to enhance economic partnership with Ethiopia, with a focus on trade and investment. Besides banks, Kenya's leading telecom Safaricom is also eyeing the Ethiopian market. The expansion drive would see the Kenyan banks "significantly increase size, placing them in a position to leverage on economies of scale in the rollout of their digital platforms in the region," noted Cytonn, a Nairobi-based investment firm on Monday. Kenya's trade with several African counties is on the rise, one of the reasons analysts said, is making the banks go continental. Ernest Manuyo, a business management lecturer at Pioneer Institute in Nairobi, noted that the expansion drive is in line with Africa's one-continent dream and the soaring trade puts Kenya banks at a pole position to settle financial deals across the region. However, the Kenyan banks are not only eyeing the continental market, KCB is also working on plans to open a representative office in China as it seeks to reap from the growing trade between the Asian nation and Africa. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 22:00:08|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close GAZA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations peace envoy Nikolay Mladenov on Monday called on Israel and Palestinian factions to intensify their efforts to stabilize the cease-fire, which was brokered by Egypt, the United Nations and Qatar. "We hope that all parties will abide by calm, so as not to collapse the calm in Gaza and to be able to proceed with the implementation of humanitarian support projects," Mladenov told the reporters in a news conference, while he is following up the solar energy project carried out by the World Health Organization at Nasser hospital in southern Gaza strip. "We need the cooperation of all, including the Palestinian Authority, Egyptians and Israelis, to improve the lives of Palestinians in Gaza so that they have hope for a better future," Mladenov said. He noted that Gaza was close to a real war last week, voicing his worries about the situation and vowing to do his best to restore calm between Israel and Palestinian factions. "No one wants to invoke war because it will bring destruction to Israelis and Palestinians," he added. Qatar's position is very important to stabilize the truce and the Gaza, and the United Nations has worked well to ease the suffering of Gaza people and to make a breakthrough in lifting the blockade, he added. The UN envoy said that he is focusing now on creating temporary jobs in cooperation with the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program. A meeting will be held Monday between Mladenov and Islamic Hamas movement in Gaza to discuss mechanisms to strengthen the cease-fire understandings with the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip. On Friday, the office of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh said in a press statement that Haniyeh spoke with the UN envoy on telephone and discussed the implementation of the understandings that were reached with Israel. In a related context, the Qatari Gaza reconstruction committee began distributing cash aid to more than 100,000 people through local post offices. Earlier on Monday, the Qatari envoy Mohammed al-Ammadi arrived in the Gaza Strip to supervise the distribution of financial aid. Egypt, the United Nations and Qatar brokered a new cease-fire agreement between Palestinian factions and Israel to end the round of tension. The cease-fire agreement was reached last Monday between Israel and the Palestinian factions after three days of tensions. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 22:10:15|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close BAGHDAD, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Provincial Council of Nineveh on Monday elected Mansour al-Mareed as the new governor of the province, after the former head was sacked over the deadly ferry sinking in the provincial capital Mosul, the official television reported. Up to 28 out of the 39 members of the provincial council voted in favor of al-Mareed, while the rest 11 walked out of the session, the state-run Iraqiya channel said. The council members also voted in favor of Sirwan as the first deputy governor with 26 votes, but the council postponed the vote for the second deputy until next session, it added, without giving further details. Al-Mareed is an engineer and a businessman, who was born in 1965 in the town of al-Qayyara, some 50 km south of Nineveh's provincial capital Mosul. The voting for new provincial governor came after the Iraqi parliament unanimously voted to sack the former governor Nawfal al-Akoub and his two deputies on March 24. On March 21, a ferry boat carrying dozens of people capsized when crossing from the bank of the river to a small tourist island called Um al Rabeein in northern Mosul, some 400 km north of the capital Baghdad. The accident, which killed some 100 people, was the gravest accident in Mosul since the city was liberated from extremist Islamic State militants in late 2017. Angry residents of Mosul blamed the negligence of the local government for the incident, accusing the government of corruption and mismanagement. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 22:10:16|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) will solicit public opinion on media for judicial interpretation concerning vital interests of the people, according to a revised regulation on making judicial interpretation. The regulation, issued by the SPP Monday, demands consultation from local and special procuratorates as well as related departments when drawing up exposure drafts of judicial interpretation. Opinions from the members of people's congress, political advisors and scholars should be considered in exposure drafts if necessary, said the regulation. It requires approval from the Procurator-General before soliciting public opinion on media. Local and special procuratorates are not allowed to make judicial interpretations or documents in the nature of judicial interpretations, said the regulation. The regulation consists of 28 articles in six chapters. The event, which is organized by the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, will take place on May 23 at Roh's grave in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province. Former U.S. President George W. Bush is in talks to attend a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the death of former President Roh Moo-hyun. In a telephone interview with the Chosun Ilbo on Sunday, an official at the foundation said, "We were made aware of Bush's plan to visit Seoul during that time, so we reached out and asked if he could come to the ceremony. Bush and Roh were presidents at the same time, and Bush expressed his willingness to come, so we are negotiating the details and whether he is to make a speech." Bush is making a private visit to Seoul on May 21. Bush was U.S. president from 2001 to 2009 and Roh's counterpart for five years from 2002 to 2007. During this period, both countries sent troops to Iraq, and signed a bilateral free trade agreement. However, they were at odds over their stance on North Korea, as Bush maintained a hardline policy while Roh was a proponent of appeasement. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang will also attend the memorial. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 22:10:18|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close STOCKHOLM, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Sweden will request to extradite Julian Assange from the UK, a Swedish chief prosecutor said on Monday. Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson issued a press release on Monday stating that she has decided to reopen a previously discontinued investigation into the alleged rape of a woman in 2010. "On account of Julian Assange leaving the Ecuadorian embassy, the circumstances in this case have changed. I take the view that there exists the possibility to take the case forward," Persson said. Once found guilty, Assange could be sentenced to a maximum of four years in prison for the crime. "In my opinion a new interview with the suspect is required. It may be necessary, with the support of a European Investigation Order, to request an interview with (Julian Assange) be held in the UK. Such an interview, however, requires (Assange's) consent," Persson said. "I will then proceed to issue a European arrest warrant, which means that he will be extradited to Sweden after he has served his current punishment, for a total of 50 weeks, in the UK." Assange is currently held in Belmarsh high security jail in the UK, where he is serving a 50-week sentence for breaching bail. Assange's Swedish lawyer was surprised by the decision to reopen the case. "I was very surprised. I think Sweden is disgracing itself by resuming the investigation in this flippant way," Assange's Swedish lawyer, Per E Samuelson, told Swedish Television (SVT). "We are talking about events that happened 10 years ago." The investigation dates back in 2010, when Assange was accused of sexual molestation, coercion and rape. At the time, Assange denied the accusations but refused to be questioned in Sweden, fearing that Sweden would then extradite him to the U.S. to face conspiracy charges. Assange fled to Britain soon after and was granted political asylum by the Embassy of Ecuador, where he had lived until April 2019. The misconduct and coercion cases were dropped in 2015 when the statute of limitations expired. The investigation into the alleged rape does not expire until August 2020, but was closed in 2017 after an assessment that Assange could not be extradited to Sweden for the foreseeable future. In April 2019, Assange lost diplomatic immunity and was arrested by UK authorities, making it possible for Sweden to resume the investigation. The UK is also currently pursuing an extradition request made by the U.S., in relation to Wikileak's release of a number of military and diplomatic documents. "I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the U.S.," Persson said. "In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the U.S., UK authorities will decide on the order of priority." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 22:15:20|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close TOKYO, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Panasonic Corp. plans to team up with Chinese photovoltaic module manufacturer GS-Solar (China) Co. in expanding solar panel business, local media reported Monday. "GS-Solar has achieved a high level of technological results and synergy is expected," Panasonic spokesman Joe Flynn said. The partnership will allow Panasonic to "optimize the development and production capability of its photovoltaic business while continuing to procure and sell photovoltaic modules produced at the Malaysian factory," the company said in a statement. Panasonic said that it will transfer its solar manufacturing subsidiary Panasonic Energy Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. to GS-Solar which is based in Quanzhou of southeast China's Fujian Province. The company will also set up a joint venture with GS-Solar in Japan by spinning off its photovoltaic research and development unit. "Panasonic and the new company will provide technical support for its factories in Japan and the United States," Flynn said. According to Panasonic's statement, the new research and development venture will be owned 90 percent by GS-Solar and 10 percent by Panasonic. It is scheduled to be located in the Osaka Prefecture, but details including its name, establishment date and investment amount have not been decided. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 22:30:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, May 13 (Xinhua) -- At least two civilians were killed in an attack by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, while Iraqi forces arrested 12 IS militants in Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk, an official and Iraqi military said on Monday. In the early morning, IS militants attacked a car near the city of Khanaqin, some 165 km northeast the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing the driver and his son and set fire to their car, Sameer Mohammed Nour, head of Khanaqin city council, told Xinhua. Afterwards, a force from the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi units rushed to the scene and clashed with the attackers, leaving two Hashd Shaabi members wounded, Nour said, adding that the security forces launched after the incident a search operation looking for the extremist militants. Despite repeated military operations in Diyala, some IS militants are still hiding in some rugged areas near the border with Iran, and in the sprawling areas extending from the western part of the province to the Himreen mountain range in the northern part of the province. Separately, in Kirkuk province, an intelligence force dismantled an IS cell and arrested 12 militants who believed to be responsible for preparing hideouts and other logistic services, according to a statement by the Iraqi Defense Ministry. The security situation in Iraq was dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017. IS remnants, however, have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas as safe havens, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 22:35:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close SOFIA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A photo exhibition entitled "Magic of the East" opened here on Monday on the Lovers' Bridge near the National Palace of Culture. The two-week event features nearly 70 breathtaking photo shoots showing culture, everyday life and nature of 17 countries including China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Kuwait, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Mongolia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Pakistan, Palestine, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the Philippines and Japan. A fashion show in an ancient residence, a dance, a Tai Chi performance and a stone bridge over a river in an ancient Chinese city are the four photos from China. The viewers can also see photos of Taj Mahal Mausoleum in India, rice terraces in Indonesia, a family walk in Japan, horses in snow blizzard in Mongolia, traditional wedding ceremony in Pakistan, Chocolate Hills in the Philippines, sand desert in Saudi Arabia, traditional market in Thailand, falconry in the UAE, and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City at night among others. Todor Chobanov, deputy mayor of Sofia, said at the opening ceremony that it was the most suitable place for the exhibition because Bulgaria was a bridge between the East and the West, a crossroad of civilizations, and a place where people from all over the world met. On behalf of the participating countries and regions, Sri Astari Rasjid, the Indonesian Ambassador to Bulgaria, said she hoped the exhibition would build many more bridges of love and partnership between Asian countries and Bulgaria -- not only in the field of culture but also in tourism, trade and investment. China's Ambassador to Bulgaria Dong Xiaojun was also present at the ceremony. The photo exhibition is part of the preliminary events promoting the Asian Festival Sofia 2019, which will be held in June for the third year in a row. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 22:50:29|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Zambia's first President Kenneth Kaunda (C) and other guests lay the foundation for the construction of a memorial park in Chongwe, Zambia, on May 13, 2019. Zambia on Monday held a groundbreaking ceremony to commence the construction of a memorial park that will commemorate the Chinese who died during the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway. (Xinhua/Peng Lijun) CHONGWE, Zambia, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Monday held a groundbreaking ceremony to commence the construction of a memorial park that will commemorate the Chinese who died during the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA). The TAZARA Memorial Park will be constructed on a land about two hectares in Chongwe district of Lusaka Province. The ceremony was attended by both Zambian and Chinese government officials, including Zambia's first President Kenneth Kaunda and China's Minister of Veteran Affairs Sun Shaocheng. In his remarks, the Chinese minister commended the Chinese workers who sacrificed their lives and died during the construction of the project. Sun said about 50,000 Chinese workers at the time came to Africa to work in various projects and worked hard despite harsh conditions. He said Zambia and China have never forgotten the sacrifice of the martyrs, adding that their sacrifice to duty will motivate the two countries to work harder to cement the ties. According to Sun, the decision of the two governments to embark on a joint project to construct the memorial park was a mark of genuine friendship between the two countries. China, he said, was committed to making joint efforts with Zambia to carry forward the spirit of TAZARA and collaborate more in various areas for a shared future. Li Jie, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, said in his remarks that over 160 workers, including 69 Chinese nationals, sacrificed their lives during the construction of the 1,860-km railway line and deserved to be well remembered by the younger generation of the two countries. "In order to permanently commemorate the Chinese heroes who sacrificed their lives in Zambia and the history of friendly cooperation between China and Zambia, through friendly consultations, our two governments have decided to build a TAZARA memorial park." "We highly value the gesture of the Zambian government and people to make this great project happen," Li said. The Chinese envoy said the memorial park will be a history book for the younger generation of the two countries and that once completed, it will be a free park open to all and will also become a new landmark building to promote tourism. According to Li, TAZARA deserves to be regarded as an enduring monument as it has made indelible, historical monument contributions to the anti-imperialist and anti-colonial struggles and to the development and revitalization of eastern and southern Africa. Li said in building TAZARA, the people of the three countries forged the great TAZARA spirit which has left an invaluable asset for the future generations. Kaunda said Zambia will never forget the sacrifice shown by China over the years and that the southern African nation will forever be grateful. Kaunda said the memorial park will go a long way in reminding people of the two countries of what happened in the past and that it will act as a symbol of enhanced cooperation between the two countries. Zambian President Edgar Lungu commended the collaborative efforts of the two countries to construct the memorial park, saying it shows the unwavering relations between the two countries. Lungu said in a speech read by Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji that the construction of the memorial park was a hallmark in the history of the friendship between the two countries. The Zambian president said the people of Zambia will always be grateful and remember the selflessness and generosity exhibited by China by providing various assistance. The president commended Chinese nationals who died during the construction of the railway line, adding that it was appropriate that a tribute was paid to them through the construction of the memorial park. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 22:50:31|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close NAIROBI, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The East African Community (EAC)'s member states are set to meet next week in Uganda to discuss harmonization of higher education standards, officials said on Monday. Alexandre Lyambabaje, executive secretary for Inter University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), told Xinhua in Nairobi that it will be the second time for the regulators of higher education in the regional bloc to have face to face talks to review modalities for regional cooperation. "We hope that the EAC member states will sign the Regional Accreditation System Framework by June 2020 in order to achieve mutual recognition of higher education throughout the economic bloc," Lyambabaje said. The EAC partner states include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. Lyambabaje said that a number of steps have to be followed before mutual recognition of higher education is attained. He noted that once the regulators of higher education in each member state agree on a final document, it will then be forwarded to the EAC council of ministers for endorsement. "The last procedure will be the ratification of the higher education agreement by each of the partner states," Lyambabaje said. He observed that all the member states are committed to make the trading bloc, a common higher education area. The IUCEA official said that mutual recognition of higher education standards will ensure that tertiary certificates granted by one member state are recognized in all other member states. He noted that reciprocal recognition will also promote the free movement of labor across the EAC by enabling professionals recognized in one partner state to work in other member state. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 23:10:55|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Israel's President Reuven Rivlin announced Monday that he has accepted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request for a two-week extension until May 28 to form his new government, following the general elections held on April 9. The Likud party headed by Netanyahu, and Blue-White party, headed by former Army Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, earned each 35 of the 120 seats in the Israeli parliament (the Knesset), despite the tied results, Rivlin nominated Netanyahu to form the next government. According to Israeli law, the president must impose the task on the party's leader who has the best chance of forming a government, even if it is not the largest party. The Israeli right-wing parties, including the Likud, won 65 Knesset seats in total, so Netanyahu will be able to form a majority coalition. The rest, center-left parties, won only 55 seats in total. Netanyahu has been given by law 28 days to form the government, as Rivlin granted him with the task on April 17. The president can extend this period for an additional period of up to 14 days. In his official letter to the president, Netanyahu wrote that there had been significant progress in negotiations with the various parties, but due to the tight schedule, which included the recent fighting in Gaza, holidays and memorial days, he needed another 14 days. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 23:16:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MOSCOW, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday denied media reports that Moscow attempted to buy in Malta tear gas and riot gear meant to be transported to Venezuela by military ship. "We believe that the misinformation that was widespread in the Maltese media is an example of lack of professionalism and an echo of anti-Russian hysteria, the swelling of which is not in the interests of Russian-Maltese friendship," it said in a statement. In April, a number of Maltese media outlets quoted the London edition of the U.S. BuzzFeed Internet portal as saying that Russia attempted to buy tear gas and riot gear from a local supplier, with the involvement of the Russian embassy. The Russian foreign ministry noted that the Russian diplomatic mission based in the Maltese capital Valletta works in strict accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and that Russian diplomats do not take part in any secret special operation. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 23:16:06|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close NICOSIA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Cypriot rescuers picked up 14 migrants from a small boat drifting off the southeast cost of Cyprus overnight on Sunday, the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) said on Monday. They said the migrants were 10 men, one pregnant woman and three minors, all from Syria. The JRCC said it was alerted by a commercial ship which reported that it had spotted a small boat with a large number of people aboard several kilometers off the coast. A rescue vessel with medical staff and a helicopter were dispatched to the area, where they met the boat early in the night, as it was drifting after its engine broke down. The woman and the three minors were dehydrated and were rushed to hospital, while the migrants were taken to a refugee centre near the capital Nicosia for processing. The migrants said they paid about 500 euros each to buy the boat and had made the 200-km long trip from the Syrian-Lebanon border on their own. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 23:21:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Delegates representing Yemen's two warring factions participated in fresh talks sponsored by the United Nations in Jordan's capital of Amman on Monday, a government official told Xinhua. The two delegations are expected to engage in direct talks to discuss the country's collapsing economy and managing the separated branches of Yemen's Central Bank, said the official, who asked to remain anonymous. "They will discuss a number of economic issues including the management of the central bank with the presence of senior officials from its two branches in Aden and Sanaa," the source said. "Revenues of Hodeidah's key ports will also be discussed during the talks, particularly after the Houthis' withdrawal from the city's strategic locations," he added. Earlier in the day, Mohammed Ali Al Houthi, head of the group's Supreme Revolutionary Committee, confirmed in a brief statement posted on his Twitter account that "the UN and its special envoy are sponsoring talks in Amman." The Houthi leader said that the UN-sponsored talks focus on "discussing the issue of salaries and ways to neutralize the economic situation." Delivering salaries is a legitimate right for all employees and officials working in the country's civil or military administrations, according to the Houthi leader's statement. The UN-sponsored talks came just two days after the unilateral Houthis' withdrawal from the key ports of the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. Michael Lollesgaard, chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, confirmed the withdrawal in a statement. "The first day of the redeployment of Houthi forces from the three ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras-Issa went in accordance with established plans," he said. However, Yemen's internationally-recognized government slammed the Houthis' unilateral withdrawal from Hodeidah's three key ports under a United Nations-brokered peace deal and described it as "an inaccurate and misleading offer." The government reaffirmed its rejection to any unilateral withdrawal of rebel forces from Hodeidah without a joint monitoring and verification of implementing the Stockholm Agreement. The country's Foreign Minister Khaled Alyemany said that "tripartite mechanism for Hodeidah Redeployment committee means that the Yemeni government, the UN and the Houthis must verify any pullout from the city." The Yemeni foreign minister said in a tweet on Sunday that "neither the Stockholm Agreement nor the understanding of International Law includes a unilateral pullout." On Saturday, the Houthi rebels unilaterally withdrew from the three ports of the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. UN spokesman Farhan Haq confirmed to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York on Saturday that the Houthi withdrawal "has begun." The long-delayed UN-sponsored Stockholm Agreement, the first step toward a comprehensive political solution, was reached in December 2018 and focused on the port city of Hodeidah, the lifeline for Yemen's most commercial imports and humanitarian aid. The Iran-allied Houthi rebels control the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah that has been the focus of intense clashes since 2017. The government forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, have advanced to the southern outskirts of the port city, but the forces have halted a major offensive to recapture Hodeidah to pave the way for peace efforts. North Korea's state-run media condemned South Korean joint military drills with the U.S. and even claimed the South's individual military exercises are a "challenge against the yearning by the Korean people for peace." They demanded Seoul "completely halt" the import of strategic and conventional weapons by the U.S. military. The comments came only days after it launched what were likely to be Iskander-class missiles with a complex trajectory that can shift direction during descent, making it impossible for existing anti-missile systems to intercept. Military experts said they are aimed directly at South Korea. The joint military maneuvers were aimed at boosting readiness to defend the country against a possible North Korean attack. Large-scale joint military drills with the U.S. have already either been halted or drastically downsized following the U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore in 2018, while no drills have taken place focusing on retaliatory maneuvers. One former U.S. military commander voiced "concern" over the measures. Yet a spokesman for North Korea's Foreign Ministry made a fine distinction, referring to the joint military drills as "war games" but his own country's missile provocations as "self-defense drills." North Korea's state propaganda also criticized South Korea's intention to offer food aid as "empty rhetoric and boastful behavior" and called on the South to live up to its end of inter-Korean agreements to pursue joint economic projects. In other words, North Korea is demanding that South Korea take charge of easing U.S.-led sanctions that were put in place precisely due to the North's nuclear and missile provocations. North Korea has begged international aid agencies for 1.4 million tons of food aid and allowed World Food Programme inspectors to visit. The state-run Rodong Sinmun daily said "rice is more precious than gold" and even urged North Koreans to raise rabbits and other herbivores for meat. That is how desperate they are for food. But the regime is scoffing at South Korea's kind offer of food aid, because it knows the South will send aid without any conditions anyway. That takes some nerve. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 23:26:21|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close COLOMBO, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A nationwide curfew was imposed across Sri Lanka late Monday, as violent clashes erupted in the North Western Province followed by clashes in Gampaha, in the outskirts of capital Colombo, police said. The curfew was imposed from 9:00 p.m. local time (1530 GMT) and would be lifted at 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday (2230 GMT Monday). Earlier on Monday, violent clashes erupted in several towns in the Kurunegala District in northwestern Sri Lanka when angry mobs took to the streets and destroyed shops, houses and mosques. A curfew was imposed immediately in the region and security had been heightened across the district. Later, mobs also damaged shops and houses in Gampaha with security forces rushing in to restore normalcy. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in a statement urged citizens to remain calm and not be swayed by false information. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 23:31:25|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 839 measles cases have been confirmed in 23 states of the United States as of May 10 since the beginning of this year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Monday. A total of 75 new cases were reported in the week ending May 10, among which 41 were reported in New York City and 25 in nearby Rockland County. Measles is a virus that causes fever and rash. It is highly contagious and anyone who is not vaccinated against the virus can get it at any age. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has declared a state of emergency and ordered residents of a neighborhood in Brooklyn to get the vaccine or face a 1,000 U.S. dollar fine. Experts believe the resurgence of measles cases in the United States is due to reintroduction by international travelers from countries experiencing measles outbreaks, coupled with low vaccination rates in certain localities. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-13 23:56:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BERLIN, May 13 (Xinhua) -- German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze called for "better national climate protection measures" at the 10th Petersberg Climate Dialogue held in Berlin on Monday and Tuesday. Topping the agenda of the conference, hosted jointly by the German Ministry for the Environment and the government of the Republic of Chile and attended by ministers from around 35 countries, is the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. The motto of this year's Climate Dialogue is that "it is time that we fulfilled the promise we made in Paris," Schulze said. "In my view, 2019 marks the beginning of a new phase in international climate protection. In future, the focus will be less on negotiating rules," Schulze stated, stressing that the focus should be shifted to cooperation and the implementation of climate protection measures. Schulze hopes that "clear rules for the use of international market mechanisms" to tackle CO2 emissions could be adopted at the 25th United Nations (UN) climate conference in Santiago, Chile, in December. Following the failed international climate negotiations in Copenhagen in 2009, the Petersberg Climate Dialogue was launched at the initiative of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2010. The aim of the dialogue is to "create a space for trusting and constructive exchanges between ministers," according to the German ministry. The Petersberg Climate Dialogue serves to prepare for major climate meetings, including this year's UN climate conference hosted by Chile. Chilean Environment Minister Carolina Schmidt was also present in Berlin. She opened the climate dialogue alongside her German counterpart, calling for more ambitious climate protection targets. Schmidt advocated for a stronger engagement of non-state actors in climate protection, stressing the need for more effective climate change adaptation. In her opening address at the Berlin conference, Germany's environment minister said that increasing the cost of emitting greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, was "only one instrument" in a comprehensive package of climate action measures. Schulze said she had "great sympathy" for a CO2 tax scheme in which citizens would get their money back, similar to the one in force in Switzerland. The German government's climate cabinet includes the federal ministers for transport, buildings, industry and agriculture. The ministers are due to present plans to reduce CO2 emissions in their respective sectors at the end of May. By the end of the year, the German climate cabinet is expected to have passed a binding climate protection law. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-14 00:01:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close Wang Yang (R), a Standing Committee member 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 a delegation of personages from various circles in Taiwan led by Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party, in Beijing, capital of China, May 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Top political advisor Wang Yang met with a delegation of personages from various circles in Taiwan led by Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party, here on Monday. Wang is a Standing Committee member 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. Wang said he appreciates Hung's long-term adherence to the 1992 Consensus and opposition to "Taiwan independence" as well as her contributions to the development of relations across the Taiwan Strait. "National rejuvenation and the reunification of the motherland have a bearing on the future of Taiwan and the Chinese nation," he said. Wang said people across the Strait should take safeguarding the interests and well-being of the whole nation as the goal of developing cross-Strait relations, take upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence" as the banner to unite people on both sides, and regard jointly exploring a new road of integrated development as an important way to jointly seek national rejuvenation. "On the common political basis of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing 'Taiwan independence,' we are willing to conduct dialogues and consultations with various political parties, organizations, and personages in Taiwan in various forms and on wide-ranging topics to build consensus and iron out differences," Wang noted. Hung said people on both sides of the Strait should uphold the 1992 Consensus and oppose "Taiwan independence," promote exchanges, enhance mutual trust, and contribute to the integrated cross-Strait development and the realization of peaceful reunification. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-14 00:11:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RAMALLAH, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians condemned on Monday the Israeli Justice Ministry's decision to hand a light sentence to an Israeli who pled guilty to murdering a Palestinian family in the West Bank in 2015. The Human Rights and Civil Society Department in Palestine Liberation Organization said in a press statement that "the 'acquittal' of the murderer of Dawabsha family is a legislation to kill the Palestinians by the Israeli judiciary." "The Israeli judiciary proves once again that its real role ... is to provide cover and protection to murderers in accordance to the racist and fascist occupation laws" the Israeli parliament has enacted against the Palestinians, it added. A day earlier, the Israeli Ministry of Justice announced that it reached a deal with the Attorney General to give the Israeli man involved in the attack on the Palestinian family a 5.5-year imprisonment sentence. "This decision is an explicit call on the Israeli settlers to continue their crimes against the Palestinians and to expropriate their blood in all ways and methods, including burning them alive," said the PLO statement. According to Israeli Radio, the Justice Ministry said the young man was a teenager when the incident occurred, adding he admitted that he threw flammable materials on the home of the Dawabsha family in Nablus in July 2015. The attack killed Ali Dawabsha, an 18-month-old infant, and his parents. Only the 4-year-old Ahmad survived. Aerial photo taken on June 14, 2018 shows people participating in a dragon boat race to greet the Dragon Boat Festival in Wenzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Su Qiaojiang) WASHINGTON, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The recent public invoking of "clash of civilizations" worldview by a high-ranking U.S. diplomat failed to capture the essence of U.S.-China relations and should raise concerns, U.S. experts told Xinhua. At a security forum last week, U.S. State Department Director of Policy Planning Kiron Skinner analogized the unfolding China-U.S. competition to "a clash of civilizations," claiming it is "the first time we will have a great-power competitor that is not Caucasian." Skinner's remarks were immediately met with criticisms at home as U.S. experts blasted her remarks for being deeply flawed and dangerously misleading. Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told Xinhua that the "clash of civilizations" frame is unproductive and "risks sounding arrogant and hostile." "There are cultural and political and religious and other differences (between the United States and China). But we have many common interests, and most of the differences aren't absolute," said O'Hanlon. The problem with the "clash of civilizations" worldview is that the idea puts an explicit emphasis on what divides different peoples, suggesting that the division is intractable, said the expert. Rather, the United States and China share common interests in improving prosperity of their people, O'Hanlon added. "We should give the Chinese governments of recent decades credit for improving the quality of life of their citizens and alleviating poverty," he said. "Like the Chinese, we also value economic prosperity and progress, and a reduction in poverty rates." According to Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington should not put Skinner's thinking into policy making; otherwise, it would be "truly unhelpful." "The (U.S.) administration has struggled to identify a strategy rather than to list its complaints. I do not know whether they are capable of organizing a strategy with any chance of viability," said Paal. The prestigious China expert suggested that where possible, Washington should "employ cooperation" with Beijing. He also urged all observers to "remain calm and offer constructive suggestions" for the sake of U.S.-China relations. Darrell West, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, noted that the United States has dealt with many countries with differing backgrounds and cultures and not turned it into a cultural fight. It is crucial that Washington and Beijing let dialogues flow between the two sides to make sure that current disputes would not further escalate. Escalation "would be harmful to both countries," West warned. A number of U.S. experts have also voiced online their disagreement with Skinner's remarks. Abraham Denmark, director of the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, tweeted that if Skinner's remark "accurately reflects the State Department's thinking on China, it suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of both China itself and the challenge we face." "There seems to be an assumption of competition as an end in itself, which is not a good recipe for an effective strategy," Denmark added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-14 00:32:01|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen (2nd R) shakes hands with visiting Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli (2nd L) at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 13, 2019. Cambodia and Nepal signed on Monday two pacts to boost bilateral trade and investment, a Cambodian senior official said. (Xinhua/Sovannara) PHNOM PENH, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Nepal signed on Monday two pacts to boost bilateral trade and investment, a Cambodian senior official said. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and visiting Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli presided over the signing ceremony after holding a bilateral meeting in Phnom Penh, said Kao Kim Hourn, a minister attached to the Cambodian prime minister. According to the minister, during the meeting, the two sides agreed to work together to enhance bilateral cooperation in all fields, especially in economics, trade, investment, tourism and culture. Trade and investment volumes between Cambodia and Nepal are currently relatively small. On the tourism side, some 3,100 Nepalese visitors came to Cambodia in 2018, a 10-percent rise year-on-year, according to Cambodian tourism data. Oli arrived in Phnom Penh on Monday for a three-day visit. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-14 00:37:09|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a meeting Monday, deciding that an education campaign on the theme of "staying true to the Party's founding mission" will start in June. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. The top-down campaign among all Party members will be conducted in two separate batches, especially targeting officials at and above the county level, according to a statement issued after the meeting. The statement stressed the importance of the campaign, saying it is a major arrangement by the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core to "command the great struggle, great project, great cause, and great dream." The fundamental task of the campaign is to conduct in-depth studies on and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, forge the political character of loyalty, integrity and a keen sense of responsibility, and unite the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and lead them to strive together for the realization of the great dream. Fighting formalities for formalities' sake and bureaucratism should be taken as an important part of the education, it read. Leading organs and officials should set an example in the campaign, it demanded. The evaluation of the campaign's effect should be based on improving the quality of officials, solving problems, and the appraisal and opinion of the general public, according to the statement. The statement called for efforts to make good use of the experiences and practices in the education campaign to improve the Party system. A plan for integrated regional development of the Yangtze River Delta was also reviewed at the meeting. As one of the regions boasting the most robust economic growth, the highest level of opening up and strongest innovation capability, the Yangtze River Delta plays an essential role in promoting the Chinese economy, according to the statement. The Yangtze River Delta should play an exemplary role in seeking regional integration and high-quality development to boost the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and east China and build a regional cluster of high-quality development. It stressed that elevating the integration plan to a national strategy is a significant policy decision by the CPC Central Committee. Shanghai Municipality and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui should strengthen cooperation in various spheres, making solid steps towards integrated development, it added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-14 00:52:25|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, May 13 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), blaming its electoral decline on the rise of populism and nationalism, said on Monday it will restructure. The DA got 20.77 percent of the votes in May 8 elections, down from the 22.2 percent it garnered in 2014. "We were faced with internal challenges and significant changes in the political landscape, the rise nationalism on both the left and the right," DA Federal Chairperson Athol Trollip said. "Both internally and externally there were matters we had to grapple with." "We will be the first to state that these factors had a role to play in our electoral fortunes," he said. "We are holding the moderate non-racial center ground, an important position in the rise of populism," Trollip said. The party leadership takes collective responsibility for the outcomes of elections, he said, adding that some organizational structuring will be taken to revive the party. "There will be a review of the organizational structure and how we can best operate as a party that occupies governments that serve around 15-million people, and the way we campaign," Trollip said. He said the DA will start preparing for the next local government elections, scheduled for 2021. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-14 01:02:30|Editor: Liu Video Player Close BLANTYRE, Malawi, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) has temporarily withdrawn two of its long-term election observers following an attack on them on Sunday in Chikwawa district, south of Malawi. In a statement issued on Monday, the press office for the mission confirmed that two members of the team on assignment in the lower Shire district, almost 45 km from Malawi's commercial capital, Blantyre, were attacked, with one sustaining injuries. "One of the team members sustained some injuries which have now been treated and he has been discharged from hospital. The affected observers are now in Blantyre for the time being. "This incident is now being handled by the Malawi Police Service, which has provided great support to the mission, and we are liaising closely with them," the statement said. The mission will continue with its work on the Malawi election without alterations, it said. "We are here in the country to support Malawi at this important time. The well-being of our observers is of course a major priority, so we will continue to liaise with the police in the areas where our observers are based to ensure their well-being," the statement said. Confirming the development, Chikwawa police public relations officer Foster Benjamin said the law enforcers have made the apprehension of the suspects a priority. Tripartite elections are slated for May 21 in Malawi. A total of 28 election observers were sent out to anchor 14 operation points around the country to oversee the period before, during and after elections. EU EOM will deploy an additional 32 short-term observers across Malawi on Friday. They will join, according to the mission, the 28 long-term observers already on the ground since April 18. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-14 02:08:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BRUSSELS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Europeans Union (EU) and member states' foreign ministers told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any escalation on the military side with Iran, the EU's top diplomat Federica Mogherini said. "Mike Pompeo heard that very clearly from us, not only from myself, but also from the other ministers of EU member states, that we are living in crucial, delicate moments, where the most responsible attitude to take is -- and we believe should be -- maximum restraint, and avoiding any escalation on the military side," she told an evening press briefing. During a meeting between France, Germany and the United Kingdom, "we discussed the ways in which we can further advance on for instance the operationalisation of INSTEX to have first transactions in the hopefully next few weeks," Mogherini added. INSTEX, short for the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges, is established by three shareholders -- France, Germany and the United Kingdom -- and backed by the EU to overcome U.S. sanctions and conduct trade with Iran. "There is full determination on the EU side, and also all the member states expressed that today very clearly, on continuing to implement in full the nuclear deal with Iran," she said. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said in the White House that "What they (Iran) should be doing is calling me up, sitting down; we can make a deal, a fair deal." Pomepo didn't request the Europeans to tell Iran to make phone calls to the U.S., Mogherini said at the press briefing when asked by a reporter. Earlier on Monday morning, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned in Brussels that the standoff between Iran and the United States could trigger an unintended conflict. "We are very worried about a conflict, about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended on either side," Hunt told reporters, adding "I think there is a real concern that escalation is unintended could end up with a much more serious situation." Tensions have been rising lately in the Gulf, with the U.S. sending an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the region. The U.S., under President Trump, withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. The deal, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, was reached in 2015 between Iran, China, France, Russia, Britain, United States, and Germany. The European signatories still support the deal and have vowed to sidestep U.S. sanctions re-imposed after its withdrawal. File Photo: A Palestinian protester holds a tear gas canister fired by Israeli troops in his mouth during clashes on the Gaza-Israel border, east of al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, on April 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Yasser Qudih) UNITED NATIONS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, warned on Monday that its ability to continue providing food to more than 1 million Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip will be severely challenged, if it cannot secure at least an additional 60 million U.S. dollars by June. In a report of UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the agency said that currently more than half the population in Gaza depends on food aid from the international community. From fewer than 80,000 Palestine refugees receiving UNRWA social assistance in Gaza in the year 2000, there are today 1 million people who need emergency food assistance without which they cannot get through their day, said the report. "This is a near ten-fold increase caused by the blockade that lead to the closure of Gaza and its disastrous impact on the local economy, the successive conflicts that razed entire neighborhoods and public infrastructure to the ground, and the ongoing internal Palestinian political crisis that started in 2007 with the arrival of Hamas to power in Gaza," said Matthias Schmale, Director of UNRWA Operations in Gaza. According to the report, in Gaza, there are some 620,000 "abject poor" who cannot cover their basic food needs and who have to survive on 1.6 U.S. dollars per day. Moreover, there are nearly 390,000 "absolute poor" who survive on about 3.5 U.S. dollars per day. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support. Amber piece shows largest inclusions (Credit: NIGPAS) WASHINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- An international group led by Chinese scientists identified the first known amber encasing an ancient sea animal called ammonite about 100 million years ago. The study published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences described the 6.08 gram amber, which is 33 mm long, 9.5 mm wide and 29 mm high. The discovery provided a clue to ancient coastal forest ecology. While many terrestrial plants and animals are preserved by amber inclusions, it is rare to find sea life trapped in amber, according to the study. The researchers from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) used X-ray to obtain high-resolution three-dimensional images of the ammonite including its convoluted sutures, key features for identifying the ammonite. They found that the ammonite is a juvenile one, belonging to a group of ammonite living about 105 million to 93 million years ago. It is a rare example of dating of sea animal using amber inclusions. The shells are all empty with no soft-tissue, revealing that the organisms were long dead and removed away by the time they were engulfed by resin. Wang Bo, a researcher from NIGPAS and the paper's corresponding author, told Xinhua that the ancient coastal forest in Myanmar produced resin and encased the dead ammonite in the beach before becoming the amber. The authors also included researchers from National Museum of Scotland, Oxford University and Indiana University. Sea snails and sea slaters are included by the amber. The amber also engulfed some terrestrial animals including spiders, cockroaches, beetles and wasps, most of which would have lived on the forest floor, according to the study. The most likely explanation for the appearance of both marine and terrestrial organisms within the amber is that a sandy beach covered with shells was located close to resin-producing trees, according to the researchers. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-14 03:59:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) announced on Monday that it will distribute food to needy people in 15 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East during Ramadan. The distribution would benefit up to 100,000 people, KRCS Chairman Hilal Al-Sayer said in a statement. The food would be distributed to people in countries including Mauritania, Uganda, Kenya, Palestine, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Yemen and Iraq, as well as Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, he noted. Kuwait is playing a prominent and increasing role in providing relief for countries facing humanitarian crises and natural disasters, Al-Sayer said. The crisis of refugees and displaced people represents a global challenge, he added, noting the humanitarian response should be a global collective action. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-14 04:19:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RABAT, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan Minister of Energy Aziz Rabbah and his Guinean counterpart Abdoulaye Magassouba signed on Monday in Rabat a cooperation agreement in the area of mining and geology, the Moroccan news website hespress.com reported. After the meeting, Rabbah said the agreement offers the opportunity to draw a roadmap for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of mining and geology. He said his meeting with Magassouba also discussed sharing expertise within the framework of the partnership between Morocco and Guinea. For his part, Magassouba said the meeting is part of strengthening bilateral partnership in the mining sector to turn the two countries' historical and strategic cooperation into concrete projects. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-14 05:04:33|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close U.S. President Donald Trump (L) welcomes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Ting Shen) WASHINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he will meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the summit of the Group of 20 (G20) in June. "I will be meeting with President Putin," Trump told reporters at the White House during his meeting with visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The announcement of their meeting at the G20 summit, which will be held in Osaka, Japan, at the end of June, came as the two countries are still at odds over issues including arms control, Venezuela, Ukraine and Iran. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to meet with Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Russian city of Sochi on Tuesday, after skipping a stopover in Moscow for meetings with European and NATO officials in Brussels over Iran. Pompeo will discuss "the full range of bilateral and multilateral challenges" with Putin and Lavrov, said the U.S. State Department last week. In early May, Trump spoke over phone with Putin for more than an hour, a conversation which Trump touted later in a tweet as "very productive." Trump canceled a formal meeting with Putin in Buenos Aires in December last year, citing mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-14 06:15:09|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Coast guards check a car at the entrance of the Hodeidah port in Hodeidah, Yemen, on May 13, 2019. Yemen's Houthi group announced on Monday that the first phase of redeployment in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah was completed under the UN supervision. (Xinhua) ADEN, Yemen, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group announced on Monday that the first phase of redeployment in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah was completed under the UN supervision. The Houthi-affiliated Masirah television network confirmed that the rebels' forces quit the city's key ports with the presence of the UN supervising teams. "The redeployment took place without any hindrances as the Sanaa representatives (Houthi officials) provided us with all necessary facilities," the Houthi TV channel cited a UN official at the Salif port as saying. A Houthi member of the joint Redeployment and Coordination Committee (RCC) said the United Nations will ask Yemen's government to implement its obligations by withdrawing its troops from Hodeidah as the rebels did. On Saturday, the Houthi rebel forces withdrew from the three ports of the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, which was verified by the UN monitoring team. UN spokesman Farhan Haq confirmed to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York on Saturday that the Houthi withdrawal "has begun." However, Yemen's internationally-recognized government described the Houthis' withdrawal under a UN-brokered peace deal as "an inaccurate and misleading offer." "Tripartite mechanism for Hodeidah Redeployment committee means that the Yemeni government, the UN and the Houthis must verify any pullout from the city," said Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Alyemany. "Neither the Stockholm Agreement nor the understanding of International Law includes a unilateral pullout," he said in a tweet on Sunday. The long-delayed UN-sponsored Stockholm Agreement, the first step toward a comprehensive political solution, was reached in December 2018 and focused on the port city of Hodeidah, lifeline for Yemen's most commercial imports and humanitarian aid. The Iran-allied Houthi rebels control the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah which has been the focus of intense clashes since 2017. The government forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, have advanced to the southern outskirts of the port city, but the forces have halted a major offensive to recapture Hodeidah to pave the way for peace efforts. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-14 06:40:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close KHARTOUM, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) said on Monday that unidentified groups attacked protesters at the sit-in site in Khartoum, killing an army officer and injuring three others and a number of civilians. "There are parties targeting the revolution as they are disturbed by the results reached today, where they are working to foil any agreement reached and push the country into a dark tunnel," said the TMC in a statement. The unidentified groups shot guns and created "security disturbances in and outside the sit-in site," while "assaulting the citizens and the regular forces performing the duty of protecting the protesters," it added. The council also vowed to work with the opposition the Freedom and Change Alliance to adopt measures to prevent a recurrence of such incident. The TMC, chaired by Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, is tasked with running Sudan's affairs following the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir. Giorgiana Radu-Avramescu: Scrisoare catre tine (X) Dragul meu, e duminica, din nou. Cinci dimineata. M-am trezit la ora trei, cand altadata auzeam tastele laptopului. Acum se-aude ploaia. Somnul nu ma vrea. E drept, nici eu pe el. Ma gandesc ca in urma cu doua saptamani, acum, la ora la care scriu inca te aveam. Nici atunci nu dormeam, te tineam strans [citeste mai departe] Iskander missiles have long been a source of tension in Europe, and only take a few minutes to reach their targets North Korean missile launch dw.com The three new missiles North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has tested over the past week are eerily familiar to military experts: They look just like a controversial and widely copied missile the Russian military has deployed to Syria and has been actively trying to sell abroad for years. Ending a pause in ballistic missile launches that began in late 2017, and alarming North Korea's neighbors, Kim personally supervised the launch of the first missile from the country's east coast on Saturday and two more from the west on Thursday. All splashed down in the Pacific. The missiles were short-range and the launches do not mean Kim has decided to end his self-imposed moratorium on testing long-range missiles that could reach the United States mainland. They do indicate, however, that Kim is methodically expanding the battle readiness of his missile forces and that could have a major impact on the safety of American allies and U.S. forces in the region. The missiles bear a strong resemblance to the Russian-designed Iskander, a short-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile that has been in Moscow's arsenal for more than a decade. "There are Russian technology fingerprints all over it," said Marcus Schiller, a leading expert on North Korean missiles who is based in Germany. He added that short of actually procuring the missiles from Russia, the North could have had key parts delivered from somewhere else, perhaps not directly from Russia, while making components such as the outer shell, or airframe, domestically. The Iskander, or something like it, would be of particular interest to North Korea. It's designed to fly at a flattened-out altitude of around 25 miles and to make in-flight guidance adjustments. Both capabilities exploit weaknesses in the U.S. and South Korean missile defenses that are now in place, primarily Patriot missile batteries and the THAAD anti-missile defense system. The Iskander is also quicker to launch, and thus harder to destroy on the ground, because of its solid fuel engine and more accurate because of its advanced guidance system. Despite claims by senior members of the Trump administration that the missiles aren't a threat to the United States, in a battle scenario, they would likely be used to attack targets well behind the front-lines, such as the U.S. military bases in South Korea. There are roughly 28,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and tens of thousands more family members and civilian Department of Defense employees. The North first displayed a mock-up of an Iskander-like missile at a military parade in 2018. This week's launches mark its first known flight tests. Michael Elleman, director of the Nonproliferation and Nuclear Policy Program at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said further analysis of the missiles' performance will provide clues as to whether it was produced by Russia. "If its flight path and accuracy were marginal or inconsistent with known Iskander trajectories and performance, then I think some form of local development with external technical assistance is more likely," he said. "The key here is that one cannot make a new system without undertaking certain development steps. I have seen no evidence of such activity." Initial reports suggested at least one of the tests did involve an Iskander-like trajectory. The Iskander missile system has been part of the Russian arsenal since 2006. The Iskander-M version used by the Russian military is more than 7 yards long, can weigh more than 9,000 pounds and has a range of about 250 to 310 miles. Russia first tested the Iskander in combat in 2008, against Georgia. The Iskander missiles have long been a source of tension in Europe and were cited by President Donald Trump as a key reason behind his decision in February to break with the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which bans the production, testing and deployment of land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 310 to 3,410 miles. Such missiles only take a few minutes to reach their targets, leaving no time for decision-makers and raising the likelihood of global nuclear conflict over a false launch warning. Moscow claims the Iskander-M's range is just below the operational limit and should not be considered a treaty violation. From the start, Russia has seen the Iskander missile as a potential export. To avoid running afoul of international non-proliferation restrictions, Russia produces a less-formidable version that has a reduced range and is designed to carry a smaller payload for sales abroad. So far, it has sold that missile called Iskander-E to Algeria and Armenia. It has reportedly discussed exports to Iran, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. According to Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which tracks the global arms trade, Russia has used the Iskander missile in Syria. He said Syria has expressed interest in buying its own Iskanders, but Russia has declined. Wezeman stressed Russia cannot legally sell Iskanders of any variety to North Korea. A United Nations embargo in place since 2006, when the North conducted its first nuclear test, prohibits supplying the North with major arms, including ground-to-ground missiles, and U.N. sanctions prohibit the transfer of ballistic missiles and related technology. If North Korea is producing an Iskander clone, it would not be the first country to do so. South Korea has what many believe is its own Iskander-inspired missile the Hyunmoo-2. China also has a similar missile, called the DF-12 or M20 that was also configured with exports in mind. One of its buyers, Qatar, put them on display at a parade in 2017. Read the full story here. The Russia-backed militants violated the ceasefire regime in the Donbas conflict zone four times today, May 13. They used the grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and small arms. The press service of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) HQ posted on Facebook. In Donbas region, the enemy fired three times at the positions of the Joint Forces operation: with the easel anti-tank grenade launchers and heavy machine guns near Bohdanivka settlement, with automatic grenade launchers and heavy machine guns near Marinka village, with the manual anti-tank grenade launchers and small arms near Avdiivka village. In Luhansk region, the occupant opened fire with small arms the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Luhanske settlement, the report said. No casualties among the Ukrainian servicemen have been recorded, as a result of the attack. Earlier, Over the last 24 hours, Russian occupants opened fire on Ukrainian positions 16 times. These attacks, in particular, included one case of use of Minsk-banned 120 mm mortar. Two Ukrainian fighters were wounded in combat over the mentioned period. Two hostile troopers sustained combat wounds as well. Schiff said "we cannot make this the new norm, where if you cannot win an election on your own, it's fine to seek help from a foreign power." House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff ABC News House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said Sundaythat President Donald Trump and his allies are only pushing alleged conflict of interest questions involving former Vice President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden and Ukraine because Trump thinks Biden "is his most formidable opponent." The alleged Biden conflict of interest questions that Giuliani and the president have referenced involves the then-vice president's 2016 call for Ukraine to crack down on corruption, including removing a Ukrainian prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, seen as ineffective. Shokin had investigated energy company Burisma Holdings, where Biden's son was a board member. "I don't know the circumstances in which [Hunter Biden] took the job, but I can say this vis-a-vis Joe Biden: We're providing generous support to Ukraine; we're providing defensive weapons to Ukraine; we want Ukraine to be successful in its conflict against Russia," Schiff, D-Calif., told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "But part of that is having a government that the people of Ukraine are willing to fight for and protect. And they've had a corruption problem. That's what Joe Biden was trying to address. So going after his son is just a method of going after someone the president believes is his most formidable opponent." The Biden-Ukraine nexus came into focus within the past 10 days as Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, began discussing it. On Thursday, Giuliani told The New York Times he planned to visit Ukraine soon to push the incoming administration there to move forward with investigations involving Biden's son as well as inquiries related to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign. "We're not meddling in an election, were meddling in an investigation, which we have a right to do," Giuliani told The Times, which reported that he planned to ask Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian comedian elected as that country's president last month, to move ahead with the investigations. But in an interview with Fox News on Friday, Giuliani said he was no longer planning to travel to Ukraine. News of the trip led Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., to call for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee probe into Giuliani's efforts in Ukraine, citing "the implications of this for United States foreign policy" in a letter to the committee's chairman. The Times reported that Bidens campaign said he acted to carry out U.S. policy "without regard to any activities of his son, that he had never discussed the matter with Hunter Biden and that he learned of his sons role with the Ukrainian energy company from news reports." Hunter Biden said in a statement to the Times that he has had "no role whatsoever in relation to any investigation of Burisma" and "explicitly limited my role to focus on corporate governance best practices to facilitate Burismas desire to expand globally. Burisma has disputed accusations against it related to former prosecutor Shokin's investigation, the newspaper reported. Bloomberg News, citing documents and a former Ukrainian official, reported last week that the Burisma investigation was dormant for more than a year before Biden called for Shokin to step down. PolitiFact reported it found no evidence to "support the idea that Joe Biden advocated with his son's interests in mind." Schiff echoed that point Sunday, saying, "There's no evidence, nor has there ever been any evidence, that he was doing anything but trying to get the Ukraine government to crack down on corruption." And while both Giuliani and the Times said Ukrainian prosecutors have reopened the Burisma investigation, a spokesperson for those investigators told Bloomberg they had not done so. That spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from NBC News. Pointing to Giuliani's conversations with Ukrainian officials and his planned, but then canceled, trip, Schiff said, "Don't seek the help of a foreign government" in the 2020 election. "If this isn't criminal and Bob Mueller said he could not prove all the elements of a crime then maybe we need to change the elements of that crime, because we cannot make this the new norm, where if you cannot win an election on your own, it's fine to seek help from a foreign power," he said. Elsewhere in his Sunday interview, Schiff said he didn't think the U.S. "could survive another four years with" Trump. "He doesn't seem to understand that a fundamental aspect of his job is to try to make us a more perfect union," Schiff said, adding that he believes Trump is "going to be defeated." "He has to be defeated because I don't know how much more our Democratic institutions can take," Schiff said. Read the original text here. President of Russia Vladimir Putin Reuters Trump administration officials and their hawkish domestic allies sound increasingly strident alarm bells about foreign meddling in Venezuelas internal political turmoil. They contend that Russia, China, Cuba, and Hezbollah are especially active in supporting leftist president Nicolas Maduros beleaguered government. Indeed, some U.S. analysts insist that without outside backing, especially by Russia and Cuba, pro-democracy opposition forces likely would have forced him to relinquish power already. When anti-government demonstrations erupted in Caracas on April 30, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that Maduro had been ready to board a plane to fly to exile in Havana but changed his mind at Russias urging. U.S. leaders appear to exaggerate the extent of Moscows meddling. Given Maduros uncompromising behavior throughout the most recent demonstrations, the notion that he was ready to flee the country absent Russian intervention seems far-fetched. The loyalty of Venezuelas military has not yet wavered, and he continues to draw support from left-wing citizens militias. Those factors have been more relevant to his continued grip on power than Russian (or any other foreign) support. Nevertheless, Russia definitely has meddled in Venezuelas political turbulence. Moscow is a major financial prop for Maduros government, and the Kremlin has provided tangible military backing as well. In December 2018, Russia deployed two nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela, and in March 2019, it sent some 200 military personnel to help Caracas refurbish its air defense system. Several hundred Russian mercenaries also appear to be operating in the country to assist Maduros security forces deal with regime opponents. Maduros foreign minister fanned the flames of Washingtons worry and anger by stating that Russias military involvement in his country might even increase. The United States has insisted on maintaining a sphere of influence in the Western Hemisphere since the proclamation of the Monroe Doctrine in the 1820s. Russias policy in Venezuela represents a direct challenge to that doctrine, and U.S. leaders should make it clear that a continuation of such behavior will have a markedly negative effect on bilateral relations. Cuba has been a foreign political and military client in the hemisphere for decades, precisely the situation the Monroe Doctrine aimed to prevent. The United States has no right or justification to dictate Venezuelas internal governance, but it would be unwise to tolerate the establishment of a second hostile foreign client state. The Trump administration should insist that Russia respect the Monroe Doctrine and confine its Venezuelan ties to normal diplomatic and economic relations. At the same time, it is essential for U.S. officials to acknowledge that the United States and its NATO allies have shown contempt for Russias sphere of influenceand even its core security zonein Eastern Europe. Azerbaijan is disappointed with the current edition of the document, and its status may be demoted to a so-called chairmans statement, reporter Rikard Jozwiak explains Eastern Partnership jubilee summit is possible to be over without any concluding statements made by EU Foreign Ministers. This is due to Azerbaijan's dismissive position. Rikard Jozwiak, the correspondent of Radio Liberty tweeted that Monday. 'EU ambassadors are meeting this morning ahead of the foreign ministers meeting to discuss the Eastern Partnership declaration. Seems like it will be downgraded to a so-called chairmans statement as Azerbaijan is unhappy about the text'. Later, Jozwiak confirmed that the status of the document was actually downgraded. No information has been immediately available regarding the reason why Azerbaijan is disappointed about the document. In March, the European Parliament has approved the resolution on the state of EU-Russia political relations, which states that the 1994 Agreement on Partnership in Cooperation should be reconsidered as parliamentarian website reported. The resolution notes that illegal occupation and annexation of Crimea, its direct and indirect participation in the armed conflicts in the eastern part of Ukraine and its constant violation of the territorial integrity of Georgia and Moldova represent its intentional violation of the international law. The European Parliament emphasized that the EU cannot return to business as usual until Russia does not fulfill Minsk Agreements and restores the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Columbia RecordsWe now pronounce you number-one. Vampire Weekend's new album, Father of the Bride, has debuted atop the Billboard 200 -- their third-straight chart-topping album release. It's a decent debut, too. The project earned 138,000 album units for the week ending May 9, according to Nielsen Music figures reported by Billboard, of which 119,000 were physical sales. Both of those album numbers are the biggest of any rock act this year. The last rock act to post bigger numbers was Mumford & Sons' Delta, which debuted in the top spot early last December with 230,000 total units. Vampire Weekend previously topped the Billboard 200 with 2013's Modern Vampires of the City and 2010's Contra. The band will launch a North American headlining tour in support of Father of the Bride June 5 in Toronto. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. In the second round of the presidential election, Zelensky voted, quit the voting cabin and showed the bulletin in front of the press, which is a breach of the electoral law Zelensky showing his bulletin after voting on April 21, 2019 Open source Obolon district court judge Vladyslav Devyatko is to hear the case of Volodymyr Zelensky; the president-elect breached the electoral law by showing the bulletin in front of the press in the second round of the election on April 28. The court hearing in this particular case is to start at 12.45 a.m. May 13, the court's press office reported. Zelensky faces administrative responsibility for this infringement; the police report appeared immediately after the incident on April 28. The president-elect might have to pay a fine, the amount of which is to be defined by the court. Zelensky, the popular comedian and actor won the presidential election in Ukraine in both rounds, held on March 31 and April 28. He scored almost 75 percent of all votes, while his opponent, the incumbent President Petro Poroshenko collected 25 percent. This week, Zelensky's inauguration date is one of the key topics discussed by the MPs of the Ukrainian Parliament. The budget of the EUAM in Ukraine is increased up to 54 million euros Open source The EU extended the mandate of the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) in Ukraine until April 2021, as the European Council reported. According to the decision of the Council of the EU, the missions budget will also be increased by 25%, up to 54 million euros. This decision demonstrates the more active work of the mission, including through the creation of a second mobile unit that will be deployed in the east and south-east of Ukraine. The EU extended the mandate of the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) in Ukraine until May 31, 2019, and approved the budget in the sum of 32 million euros for the next 18 months. The EU advisory mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform Ukraine, EUAM Ukraine was deployed since December 2014 to support the Ukrainian state agencies in the reform of the civilian security sector. EUAM aims to strengthen and support reform in state agencies such as the police, other law enforcement agencies and the judicial sector, particularly the prosecutor's office. EUAM is an unarmed, non-executive civilian mission with its headquarters in Kyiv and regional presences in Lviv and Kharkiv and the new will be opened soon in Odesa. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko awarded President of the European Council Donald Tusk with the order of the Yaroslav the Wise. Poroshenko reported on Facebook. I am proud to award the great friend of Ukraine, President of the European Council Donald Tusk with the high state award the order of the Yaroslav the Wise, Poroshenko wrote. The Ukrainian President thanked Tusk for the deep understanding and reliable support of Ukraine and Ukrainians on the way of returning to the only European family and for the protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity (of Ukraine), the head of state added. Earlier today, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko held the meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on May 13 as presidential press service reported. Poroshenko emphasized the consistency of the Euro-Atlantic course of Ukraines integration defined by law. It is highly supported by Ukrainian society as the press service noted. The sanctions can be extended on the EU summit in June The current President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko korrespondent.net There is a great chance that the sanctions against Russia will be extended. Incumbent President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stated this in Brussels, as the press service of the head of state reports. The situation and our work, which we have done over the month, give us the reasons to be optimistic. Not just to be slightly optimistic, but to be very optimistic about the fact that the sanctions against the Russian Federation will be extended by the European Union during the next summit in June, Poroshenko pointed out. Earlier, it was reported that the EU does not intend to impose new sanctions against Russia for its decision to issue Russian passports to Donbas residents. In particular, Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek stated that. According to his, the EU is aware of Russias decision, but it does not want to pressure Moscow for it. Romanian Minister Teodor Melescanu confirmed the position of the Europeans. He assured the journalists that Ukrainians do not need the new anti-Russian sanctions. The regulations on holding of the inauguration on May 19, 20 are registered in the Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will appoint the date of the inauguration of President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky during current plenary week as 112 Ukraine reported citing Parliaments Speaker Andry Paruby. This week we should consider the regulation on the appointment of the inauguration. As for today, four regulations are registered; there were five of them but one of them was withdrawn on Saturday. I think it will be one of the most key decisions of the whole week during the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada, Paruby said. Current President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko does not stand against any of the dates as Artur Herasimov, the Head of Petro Poroshenko Bloc. I would like to emphasize that Petro Poroshenko is ready to hand over power any moment and he does not stand against any of the dates, Herasimov noted. According to him, t Petro Poroshenko Bloc has not decided yet for what date to vote. Not only May 19 may by the date of the inauguration of the new president as Head of Narodny Front Maksym Burbak said. We think that new president Volodymyr Zelenksy should take an oath of the head of the state in the solemn atmosphere. Another day will also fit for it, Burbak said. Samopomich stood for the holding of the inauguration on Sunday, May 19. What is the problem concerning the inauguration? Were we chosen by 72%? President-elect promised, got the support and we are obliged to support the date desired by him. He wants to do it sooner? Let him to fulfill his responsibilities and promises. It is his work. Everything else is from devil, Samopomich official said. The issue of the appointment of the date of the inauguration should be solved as soon as possible. Co-Chairman of Vidrodzhennia MP group Vitaly Khomutynnyk said. Our faction will support any of the regulations agreed between President-elect and the parliament. The Head of the Verkhovna Rada should become the moderator of the communication with newly elected president and convene the meeting with the president and his team to define, what date will be acceptable and solve this issueLets solve this issue today and make such decision tomorrow, Khomutynnyk said. He expressed the belief that in the case of the inauguration on Thursday all other dates will be changed. Zelensky, the popular comedian and actor won the presidential election in Ukraine in both rounds, held on March 31 and April 28. He scored almost 75 percent of all votes, while his opponent, the incumbent President Petro Poroshenko collected 25 percent. As we reported earlier, President-Elect Volodymyr Zelensky recorded a message to the parliament, where he called on the MPs to appoint the date of the inauguration on May 19 in order to cease the staff activity of the current President Petro Poroshenko. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko respects the choice of Ukrainians and the positions of the highest legislative body. He will accept any date of inauguration, which the Verkhovna Rada will appoint. Chernobyl mini-series in media 112 International Chernobyl is a historical drama TV miniseries created and written by Craig Mazin and directed by Johan Renck. The series is a co-production between the American cable network HBO and the British television network Sky. The first episode was shown in both the United States and the United Kingdom on May 6, 2019. The series depicts the Chornobyl nuclear disaster that occurred in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in April 1986. The series will have in total five episodes. Interesting Engineering article screenshot Interesting Engineering The agency describes the Nuclear Power Plant and reactors it had, mentioning that "certain aspects of the design contributed to the Chernobyl disaster, and there were calls for the reactors to be decommissioned." It is also explained about the aftermath of the accident with the total of 31 firemen and plant workers dying. A report by the World Health Organization estimated that 600,000 people within the Soviet Union were exposed to high levels of radiation, and of those, 4,000 would die. Anatoly Dyatlov and the director of the Chernobyl plant, Viktor Bryukhanov, were sentenced to ten years each in prison for their roles in the disaster. The people stepped up to contain the disaster came to be called the "Liquidators." The article lists categories of people who are the "Liquidators." Mashable article screenshot Mashable Mashable agency notes that there is no way to prepare yourself for what awaits for you in the series and even "knowing how this story ends does not in any way lessen the terror of watching it unfold in real time." The author tries to analyze why Chernobyl is so fearsome and states that "there are several contributing factors recency, realism, hindsight, hubris. The men in power deal in denial and deception; their worst fear is not widespread and gruesome death, but humiliation for them and their nation... If nothing else, you go into Chernobyl knowing the answer to its central thematic question: "What is the cost of lies?" In this case, it is the steepest cost of human life." One of the episode's most chilling moments, according to the article, is a wordless scene of children dancing and playing in snowy ash raining down from the expanding cloud above their home. Some of the most outlandish and ironic moments are drawn from actual fact, such as firemen dousing the flame in water and one of them touching a piece of exposed graphite with his bare hands. The New European article screenshot The New European The author mentions that in Ukrainian, the word 'chornobyl' means 'wormwood', the bitter-tasting plant. But, wormwood is also the name given to a devastating star, or meteorite, in the Book of Revelation: "A great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water - the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter." So there you have it, if you want it, the bleak poetry in the name of the town where the world's worst nuclear disaster took place 33 years ago; nature turned bitter, an apocalyptic catastrophe, death from the fusion found in stars. Here are some reactions on the Chernobyl series in the media. Igor Bobic, a reporter at HuffPost, wrote in Twitter: So I watched the HBO series on Chernobyl tonight and as a result Ive been stuck in a radioactive rabbit hole for hours reading the very, very technical Wikipedia page on the causes of the disaster Also, Im now a nuclear engineer AMA Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) 8 2019 . Journalist Charles Arthur shared his openinion in Twitter: Chernobyl is great TV, but the reality of the radiation risk if you werent a firefighter, nuclear worker or other person too close to the explosion isnt what you might expect. pic.twitter.com/4wPlNU32KH Charles Arthur (@charlesarthur) 7 2019 . Britain's Got Talent winner 2016 Richard Jones wrote: The parliament was urged to liquidate the National Committee of Financial Services due to it Open source The mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will arrive in Ukraine on May 21. It will work there during two weeks as 112 Ukraine reported citing First Deputy of Financial Committee Mykhailo Dovbenko. From the next week, from May 21, the IMF mission comes to Ukraine and will work during two weeks, he said. Dovbenko urged to adopt the regulation #2413a, which provides the liquidation of National Committee of Financial Services due to it. Earlier IMF Spokesperson Gerry Rice stated that the Fund maintains communication with President-elect of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and the IMF mission will come to Ukraine soon. As we reported President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko had a phone conversation with Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, during which she expressed the concern concerning the courts decisions on the nationalization of the PrivatBank. In December 2018, the IMF Directors Board approved the 14-months-long of cooperation with Ukraine within the stand-by program. The overall sum of loans makes 3.9 billion U.S. dollars, which makes 139 percent of the quote of Ukraine in the Fund. The investigator and prosecutor did not agree the beginning of the works at Instytutska Street as the scaling experiments still continue and should last for at least two weeks The cobblestone is removed at Instytutska Street, Kyiv for the construction of the memorial dedicated to the Heavenly Hundred. It threatens the finish of the holding of the scaling experiments during the investigation of the shooting at Instytutska Street in 2014 as Hromadske reported. Serhiy Horbatyuk, the director of the special investigations department of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, noted that the investigator and prosecutor did not agree the beginning of the works at Instytutska Street as the scaling experiments still continue and should last for at least two weeks. It became known from the museum workers that Anzhela Stryzhevska, the Deputy Prosecutor General provided such permission. We have not seen such letter and it was provided without the knowledge of the investigator and prosecutor and it is illegal with the signs of the interference in the activity of the investigator and prosecutor, Horbatyuk emphasized. He added that he prepare the letters to the developer about stop of the works until the end of the scaling experiments. Earlier the Prosecutor Generals Office stated that nine people were sentenced for the crimes committed during the Revolution of Dignity. Totally, 52 people were recognized guilty on the results of the indictments considered by the courts. Besides, Horbatyuk stated that over 30 people, accused of committing crimes during Euromaidan, still work in law enforcement agencies, ten of them hold senior positions. Moreover, Horbatyuk claimed law enforcers have served 442 people with charge papers concerning the crimes committed against Euromaidan participants. Indictments against 279 people were sent. Open source Eight hotels, three shopping malls, and an airport were mined in Odesa, as the press service of the National police of Odesa region reported. Today, the police received the message that eight hotels, three shopping malls and the International airport of Odesa were mined at 4:45 p.m., the report said. Explosives technicians, investigative task forces and workers of the State Emergency Service arrived at the spots. The passengers, visitors, and workers were evacuated. As we reported earlier, law enforcers check the information about explosives planted at Kyiv's Sikorsky airport and Odesa international airport. Operative units - explosive experts, K-9 crews, workers of the territorial departments of the State Emergency Service and investigators reached the sites to check the premises. The passengers and the crew were evacuated. The sides noted the importance of the further development of the practical cooperation of Ukraine with NATO Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine and Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary-General 112 Agency President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko held the meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on May 13 as presidential press service reported. President of Ukraine thanked NATO and Jens Stoltenberg for his consistent consolidated support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as practical assistance in the strengthening of the country's defense capability, the message said. Poroshenko emphasized the consistency of the Euro-Atlantic course of Ukraines integration defined by law. It is highly supported by Ukrainian society as the press service noted. The head of the state expressed the hope that the state-members of the Alliance would support the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Ukraine, which is ready to begin the fulfillment of the Membership Action Plan. The necessity of the next NATOs summit in London for recording of Euro-Atlantic ambitions of Ukraine was emphasized. The sides also noted the importance of the further development of the practical cooperation of Ukraine with NATO, first of all, to strengthen the security of the waters of Black and Azov Seas. Moreover, the necessity to increase the pressure put on Russia to release the captured Ukrainian sailors was emphasized. Poroshenko and Stoltenberg also discussed the issues of the preparation to the visit of NATO Council to Ukraine as it is planned for July. Jens Stoltenberg noted the reforms in Ukraine carried out under the leadership of President Petro Poroshenko, including the reforms that approached Ukraine to the NATO membership, the message said. Earlier, President Poroshenko signed the program of intensification of Ukraine-NATO partnership. On April 4, the head of the state congratulated on the 70th anniversary, posting the respective message on Facebook. The President stated that Ukraine highly evaluates the NATO's solidarity and its stable support in view of the Russian aggression. He stressed that all these years, Ukraine confidently made its way to the North Atlantic Alliance, and it is now 'ready to take the long-anticipated commitments and begin to implement the Action plan to join the NATO'. Following the consideration of the judges appeals, the Prosecutor General Office included the information to the Unified Registry of Pre-trial Investigations The current President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko korrespondent.net Prosecutor General Office launched an investigation on alleged pressure put by President Poroshenko on judges of PrivatBank case, as Kyiv District Administrative Court reported. It was reported that following the consideration of the judges appeals, Prosecutor General Office included the information to the Unified Registry of Pre-trial Investigations and launched a probe on alleged interference in the work of the judges on PrivatBank case. In particular, it is about elements of a crime provided by the article No.2 of Ukraines Criminal Code (on interference in the operation of the judicial bodies). As we reported earlier, oligarch Ihor Kolomoysky filed another five lawsuits against the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and PrivatBank to Kyiv Economic Court. On April 18, Kyiv-based court ruled that the nationalization of Privatbank in late 2017 was 'conducted with multiple law breaches.' The court, thus, granted the motion by Ihor Kolomoysky, the oligarch who appealed against the nationalization of the bank he had owned. District Administrative Court of Kyiv granted the claim of Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoysky against the National Bank of Ukraine and Ukraines Government on nationalization of PrivatBank. Pryluky missile boat of the Ukrainian Naval Forces held the number of training in the waters of the Black Sea along with the spy ship HMS Echo (H87) of the British Royal Navy as the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Facebook. The Ukrainian missile boat and the British ship fulfilled the tasks on the tactical maneuvering, drills on the air defense and held the communication training in accordance with the NATO standards. Moreover, the helicopter of the naval aviation team joined the drills. Particularly, the shore-based nuclear-capable amphibious anti-submarine helicopter Mi-14 fulfilled the tasks on the lighting of the above-water situation in the training area. Besides, it worked out the actions during the rescue operation and the further evacuation of an affected person as well as the ships, the message said. According to trainer of the paratroopers' team Serhy Kartel, the military faced the task to lift an affected person from the board of the British vessel. Particularly, the task supposed the air-assault of the rescuers to the board in the conditions of the lowering of the helicopter up to the superstructures and antennas of the vessel. As we reported, the spy ship HMS Echo (H87) of the British Royal Navy entered the Black Sea through the Bosphorus on December 17, 2018. 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. The judicial establishment also explained that Zelensky pleaded guilty Obolonsky District Court of Kyiv found President-elect of Ukraine Zelensky guilty of illegal propaganda. In particular, showing his ballot during the second round of the presidential elections, and fined him for $32,6, as judge Vladyslav Devyatko said, Ukrainian News reported. The court found Zelensky guilty of committing a crime provided by the Code of administrative violations and fined him. The court ruled that Zelensky conducted agitation, showed his ballot. The judicial establishment also explained that Zelensky pleaded guilty. Zelensky, the popular comedian and actor won the presidential election in Ukraine in both rounds, held on March 31 and April 28. He scored almost 75 percent of all votes, while his opponent, the incumbent President Petro Poroshenko collected 25 percent. This week, Zelensky's inauguration date is one of the key topics discussed by the MPs of the Ukrainian Parliament. 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Named after the wounded Fisher King of Arthurian Legend, A Prairie Fisher King espouses the notion of home as both a site of idealization and a locus for wounding. Drawing from memory, a narrative is woven in the form of photographs and text of the rural Iowa countryside where my family has lived for generations. A Prairie Fisher King is an ongoing body of work reflecting on the nature of familial hardship and generational connection through the lens of place. An undertone of violence embodies the emotional distress accumulated with age as well as a looming threat posed upon the landscape. Initially conceived as a bittersweet love letter to home, A Prairie Fisher King considers the various myths we construct in order to survive in the face of inevitable change. Through the accumulation of intimately described detail a search for reconciliation becomes palpable. I assume the role of reluctant hero and return to seek the damaged king, to seal old wounds and to salve the land. __________________________________________ Chelsea Darter received her MFA at Columbia College Chicago in 2018 and her BFA from The University of Iowa in 2013. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and featured online by Light Leaked, Aint-Bad, and Fraction Magazine. Her personal work explores themes of place attachment, class, familial connection and local mythologies. She lives and works in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 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 ABC/Lou RoccoDolly Parton expects to start shooting the sequel to 9 to 5 very soon. The country music icon will reunite with co-stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin to play three former secretaries who took on a horrible boss to create a more female-friendly work environment in the classic comedy from 1980. In the new film, a younger group of women reaches out to the original three characters for help. Actress, writer and producer Rashida Jones is working on the update with Patricia Resnick, who wrote the original screenplay. Weve got two scripts and were waiting for the last rewrite, Dolly told HLNs Robin Meade. So as soon as we all sign off on that, Id say in the next few months well be in production. This weekend, Dolly opened Wildwood Grove, the new expansion of her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Indias Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had some unusual crew resource management advice for Air India Express after a seasoned captain dumped a Boeing 737-800 in a drainage ditch at Cochin Airport in April of 2017 despite repeated warnings from his much younger female first officer. In its report, the DGCA tribunal said the airline shouldnt put old left seaters in the cockpit with young FOs. Air India Express shall ensure proper crew pairing taking into consideration age factor, experience etc., the DGCA said in its safety recommendations in the report. What the recommendations didnt say is that while the 28-year-old FO had only a fraction of the time the 59-year-old captain had, she had regularly flown into Cochin over the previous eight months while it was just the fifth trip there for the captain. The captain was pilot flying when the aircraft touched down in heavy rain just after 11 p.m. The ground controller told the crew to take Taxiway Foxtrot to go to their gate. The FO told the captain she was having a hard time seeing the taxiway markings and signs. She recommended they call for a follow me vehicle to lead them to the gate. The captain pressed on and the FO told him when hed passed Taxiway Echo and that Foxtrot was next. About 200 feet before Foxtrot, the captain turned left and put the Boeing into the concrete drain, collapsing the nosegear and coming to rest on its engines and tail with the mains hanging in the channel. Despite the FOs pleas, the captain added power three times to try to bull out of the ditch but finally gave up. No one was hurt but the aircraft was heavily damaged. Cause of the crash was the incorrect judgment of the PIC in turning before the taxiway. It also said fatigue and poor visibility were contributing factors along with disagreement of PIC with co-pilot for requesting Follow Me jeep at Taxiway C. . , , , , , ? ... 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. : () "" : - , () . ? : , , , , , . , , , . , . , , . , , , . : , , ? : , . , - . , , . , - , , . , . : , ? : . , . , , . , , , . : , , , ? : , . , . . . , , . , - . , , , . This Blog AMICOR is a communication instrument of a group of friends primarily interested in health promotion, with a focus on cardiovascular diseases prevention. To contact send a message to achutti@gmail.com http://achutti.blogspot.com Presidente @MartinVizcarraC: Nuestro compromiso es seguir alentando las inversiones que generen desarrollo y bienestar a los ciudadanos. Este acuerdo es un acto de confianza en el presente y futuro del Peru, que ratifica y respalda la estabilidad economica que posee nuestro pais. pic.twitter.com/JJOhzz5kjC A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression. YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. Sri Lankan authorities have temporarily blocked some social networks, including Facebook and WhatsApp, following the fatal attacks on mosques and Muslim-owned businesses during Easter celebrations, Reuters reports. The island nation has ramped up security as fears grow that minority Muslims among its population of 22 million could face sectarian violence after Islamist bombers blew themselves up in four hotels and three churches, killing more than 250 people. Several dozen people threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores and a man was beaten in the Christian-majority town of Chilaw on the west coast on Sunday in a dispute that started on Facebook, police sources and residents told Reuters. Authorities said they arrested the author of a Facebook post, identified as 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar, whose online comment 1 day u will cry people said was interpreted as threatening violence. YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. The Healthcare Ministry plans to include more funding for psychiatry in next years state budget, Minister Arsen Torosyan told a press conference today. Torosyan was speaking at a news conference dedicated to his 1st year in office as minister, and he even chose the Nubarashen National Center of Mental Health Preservation as the venue for the briefing, emphasizing its importance. Weve decided to organize our event in different medical facilities regularly. The National Center for Preservation of Mental Health is one of our largest psychiatry clinics, where hundreds of citizens are receiving treatment and care, he said. Speaking about the sectors funding, Torosyan said starting from 2018 the healthcare ministry has allocated additional funds for psychiatry clinics, which enabled a certain improvement of technical conditions. We are joining the No Health Without Mental Health worldwide call and we are heading towards the development of community mental health, conceptually-wise enabling patients to receive treatment in their own community, not isolated, he said. Torosyan didnt rule out the possible existence of corruption in the sector, but emphasized that authorities are doing their best to eradicate it. We are combating corruption through prevention, introduction of systems and accountability, he said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. Expo Beijing 2019 International Horticultural Exhibition has kicked off in China on April 29. Armenia is also presented at the exhibition in a pavilion titled Harmonized to Nature, the ministry of economic development and investments told Armenpress. The pavilion includes horticultural crops brought from Armenia, such as two apricot trees and 2 grape vines. Armenias best wines, brandy and fruit dishes, whole range of dried fruits, lavash, carpets, souvenirs and other items are presented in the pavilion. Videos introducing Armenias culture, tourism attractions and winemaking industry are being screened. Karen Khachatryan, head of the Armenian pavilion, says they host an average of 40.000-42.000 visitors daily. Various international conferences and discussions are taking place on the sidelines of the exhibition. In addition to other media outlets, the Chinese CCTV made a special report on the Armenian pavilion. 97 countries and international associations are participating in the Expo. The exhibition will operate until October 7. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was attended by Armenias deputy minister of agriculture Garnik Petrosyan and Ambassador to China Sergey Manasaryan. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. Cervical cancer kills 120 women yearly in Armenia, according to Healthcare Minister Arsen Torosyan. Speaking at a news conference today, Torosyan emphasized that Armenia will continue fighting cervical cancer with the Gardasil 4 vaccine, despite criticism and accusations. The first batch of Gardasil 4 was donated to us by our international partners, and they are ready to supply Armenia the vaccines provisioned for the next few years 25 times cheaper than the market price, Torosyan said, assuring that Gardasil 4 is safe and effective, both for men and women, in fighting Human papillomavirus infection (HPV infection), which is the cause of cervical cancer in women and other types of cancer in men. I myself have been vaccinated and weve had 1500 vaccinations last year. We will achieve the conviction, that our mothers and girls will understand that this vaccine is decisive for them to be protected and treating cancer, he said, calling for the ungrounded criticism to end because Gardasil 4 is proven to be safe. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Photo: Swiss ex-president Micheline Calmy-Rey YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. Visiting members of the Global Leadership Foundation delegation say they are fascinated by the 2018 Armenian Velvet Revolution. The delegation arrived to Armenia at the invitation of President Armen Sarkissian. Yesterday we met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, we are planning to have meetings with other officials, the Speaker of Parliament, representatives of the civil society, said Micheline Calmy-Rey, a former President of Switzerland, who is a member of the delegation. We are former officials whove been in Armenia on different occasions, so we all have information about the country, we all love the country, we are all fascinated by what you did. A peaceful revolution, where no one was killed, and now you are trying to build a truly wonderful democratic state. We are fascinated by this, and that is why we are here, Micheline Calmy-Rey. Herve Ladsous a former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said they are visiting Armenia to understand how they can support the government and the people. We are here at the request of the President, first of all to hear out what is happening, and to understand how we can support in order for you to maximally benefit from what took place last year, Ladsous said. Thomas Pickering, a retired American diplomat who served as US envoy to the United Nations from 1989 to 1992, said its too early to speak about the results of the trip. We are here to be as useful as possible, but after all this is your country, and it is your people and leaders who decide what to do, we can only help with new ideas, that will help them discover old ideas, he said. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian himself was member of the board of the Global Leadership Foundation from 2006 to 2013. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. A soldier of the Artsakh Defense Army has regained consciousness nearly ten days after being heavily wounded by Azerbaijani gunfire at the Line of Contact. Soldier Aganik Zoroglyan was on-duty around 16:05, May 4, in the south-eastern direction of the Artsakh military when Azerbaijani troops breached the ceasefire. He was transported to Yerevan in a critical condition. Ministry of Defense spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan told ARMENPRESS the soldier has recognized his parents after waking up from the comatose condition. He is doing very well. He regained consciousness yesterday, he is speaking, he recognized his parents, he said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. Foreign minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan participated in the ministerial meeting in Brussels dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Eastern Partnership, Armenian MFA spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan said on Facebook. The Armenian FM is in Brussels on a working visit together with the delegation led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. During the visit FM Mnatsakanyan will take part in the events dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Eastern Partnership. The foreign minister will deliver remarks at the High Level conference and discussion titled 10th Anniversary of Eastern Partnership: The Opinion of Civil Society. Meetings with a number of counterparts are also scheduled. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of foreign affairs of the Republic of Artsakh issued a statement on the 25th anniversary of the ceasefire agreement signed by Artsakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia. ARMENPRESS presents the Artsakh MFAs full statement: 25 years ago, the trilateral Agreement on the full cessation of fire and hostilities, signed by Artsakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia with the mediation of Russia, entered into force. On 26-27 July 1994, having signed an additional agreement, all the three parties confirmed the termless character of the cease-fire regime until a final settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict. The Agreement of May 12, 1994 is of key importance, as it put an end to the war unleashed by the Azerbaijani authorities, transferred the conflict to the political-diplomatic track and created conditions for the parties to focus their efforts directly on finding ways for the final settlement of the conflict through negotiations, with the support of the international mediators. The signing of this Agreement, which remains so far the only real achievement in the conflict settlement process, was made possible due to some factors. First, the Artsakh Defense Army managed to repel the armed aggression of Azerbaijan, to seriously undermine the military potential of Baku and to force it to negotiate. Second, facing considerable military defeats, the leadership of Azerbaijan not only ceased to hinder the full-fledged involvement of Artsakh in the negotiation process as one of the main parties to the conflict, but had also repeatedly initiated direct contacts with official Stepanakert, including at the top level. Thanks to these contacts, about ten agreements were reached on limitation of hostilities, temporary ceasefire or its expansion, which ultimately led to the signing of the termless Agreement on the full cessation of fire and hostilities. Today, 25 years later, the Agreement of May 12, 1994 continues to remain the legal basis for preserving the cease-fire regime and maintaining regional peace and security in the South Caucasus. This fact is unconditionally recognized by the international community, as evidenced by the reaction to the April war of 2016 unleashed by Azerbaijan of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing states - Russia, the United States and France, as well as the UN Secretary General, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe who called on the parties to strictly adhere to the Agreement of May 12, 1994 on the full cessation of fire and hostilities and the Agreement of February 6, 1995 on the strengthening of the ceasefire regime. The effectiveness of the Agreement on the full cessation of fire confirms that the achievement of real progress in the settlement process is possible in the full-fledged trilateral format of negotiations, which, in accordance with international law, provides for the interests and concerns of all the parties to the conflict. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh believes that for giving the appropriate impetus to the conflict settlement process it is necessary, on the one hand, to resume the direct trilateral negotiations, and on the other hand, to consistently strengthen the ceasefire regime, including through the establishment of an international mechanism for monitoring its maintenance, provided for by the Vienna and St. Petersburg Agreements of 2016. It is also important to restore the line of separation of the conflicting forces, which had been agreed and fixed through the mediation of the Russian Ministry of Defense by all the three parties as part of the ceasefire by the cessation of the hostilities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh reiterates the commitment of official Stepanakert to the exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict and calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to abandon its unpromising policy of forced resolution, which will allow to make the peace process irreversible and to establish lasting peace and stability in the South Caucas YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian hosted the delegation of the Global Leadership Foundation who arrived in Armenia at the Presidents invitation, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The delegation includes Thomas Pickering, former US special envoy to the United Nations, former President of Switzerland Micheline Calmy-Rey, Herve Ladsous, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and the Foundations Projects Director Amitav Banerji. The President welcomed the visit of the representatives of the leading international consulting structure to Armenia and introduced the recent changes that have taken place in Armenia. Development in all directions, strengthening of democratic institutions and values are important for our country. In this sense the consulting support of the Global Leadership Foundation will be useful and valuable for Armenia which is on the path to democratic development, President Sarkissian said. The guests thanked the President for the invitation and expressed readiness to provide support for Armenias development as much as possible. They stated that during the visit they will try to get maximum information on which areas and how they can have their investment. You now are seeking to build a really wonderful and democratic country. We all are impressed with your country, and therefore we are here, former Swiss president Micheline Calmy-Rey said. The Global Leadership Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation registered in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland. It is independent of any private, corporate or commercial interest. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has been member of the board of the Foundation from 2006 to 2013. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. On 13-14 May, the European Union, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine will mark the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership with a number of events in Brussels, the EU Delegation in Armenia told Armenpress. They will provide the opportunity to celebrate a partnership that has proven to be mutually beneficial and has been delivering concrete results for citizens. To mark the 10th Anniversary of Eastern Partnership, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, are hosting a series of high-level gatherings in Brussels with the participation of the six Eastern partner countries, EU Member States and stakeholders. On Monday 13 May, High Representative /Vice-President, Federica Mogherini, will chair the annual Eastern Partnership Foreign Affairs Ministerial Meeting with the 28 EU Member States, the EUs six Eastern partners and key stakeholders, and the Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn. The meeting will take stock of the progress made under the ambitious 20 Deliverables for 2020 work plan. This common agenda was adopted at the last Eastern Partnership Summit of November 2017 and aims to bring tangible benefits to the lives of citizens across the region through working towards stronger economies, stronger governance, stronger connectivity and stronger societies. In the evening of 13 May, President Tusk will host a celebratory dinner for the six Heads of State or Government of the EaP partner countries. President Juncker, High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini and Commissioner Hahn, as well as Radosaw Sikorski and Carl Bildt, former Foreign Ministers of Poland and Sweden respectively and initiators of the Eastern Partnership framework back in 2008, will also attend. In parallel, the Creating Together concert will take place at the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts, BOZAR. The concert will bring together on one stage the well-known Brussels Jazz Orchestra and musicians from the six Eastern partner countries. On Tuesday 14 May, President Juncker will host a High-level Conference in the European Commissions Charlemagne building. This conference will bring together Heads of State or Government of the partner countries, Foreign Ministers of the European Union Member States, civil society representatives, business leaders, young people and journalists from across the 34 countries High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini, Commissioner Hahn and the Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmstrom, will also participate. The event will be an opportunity to discuss the developments of the partnership during this first decade and exchange on its future among a wide audience of key stakeholders active in the region or directly involved in this policy framework. LUXEMBOURG, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel is impressed with the recent political events in Armenia. During todays meeting with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, PM Xavier Bettel expressed confidence that the great trust received from the people of Armenia will enable Pashinyan and his government to achieve success and implement the outlined projects, the initiatives and reforms directed for Armenias development, Armenpress correspondent reports from Luxembourg. The Luxembourg PM expressed confidence that the governments of the two countries will continue the cooperation in the future for the benefit of the development of the bilateral relations and strengthening of the ties between the peoples. In his turn the Armenian PM attached importance to the development of economic partnership and expansion of commercial ties. He highlighted the necessity to boost the partnership between the governments of the two states and take concrete actions. According to the PM, the ongoing reforms in Armenia greatly contribute to improving the business climate and create favorable conditions for the effective implementation of investment programs. Nikol Pashinyan said the first stage of revolution is over in Armenia and now the government is taking actions to implement an economic revolution in the country. Pashinyan informed that the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) will be held in Yerevan this year in autumn and attached importance to the participation of Luxembourgs companies to this important event. The PMs of Armenia and Luxembourg also discussed the cooperation prospects in various branches of the economy, including IT, reprocessing industry, agriculture and tourism. The sides highlighted holding business forums aimed at boosting the business ties. Nikol Pashinyan and Xavier Bettel also toured Luxembourg, visited the City Hall where the Armenian PM had a brief meeting with Mayor Lydie Polfer. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has met with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel during a working visit to the country. PM Bettel welcomed his Armenian counterpart and thanked for paying the visit. He said he is impressed with the political developments in Armenia and expressed conviction that the Armenian peoples great confidence given to the Pashinyan government will enable achieving success and accomplish the outlined plans, reforms and initiatives aimed at the development of the country. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg expressed conviction that the two countries will continue cooperation in the future for the benefit of developing bilateral relations and strengthening the ties between the peoples. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan thanked for the reception and added that the Government of Armenia attaches importance to the development of bilateral ties in different directions. Pashinyan attached importance to the development of economic partnership and enhancement of commercial ties. In this context he noted the necessity of boosting partnership between the governments of the two countries and implementing concrete actions. Pashinyan noted that the ongoing reforms in Armenia also greatly contribute to the improvement of the business climate and create favorable conditions for implementing productive investment programs. According to PM Pashinyan, the first phase of the revolution has been completed in Armenia, and now the Government of Armenia is carrying out steps for realizing an economic revolution. Pashinyan told Bettel about the upcoming World Congress of Information Technologies that will take place in Yerevan in autumn 2019 and attached importance to the participation of Luxembourgish companies in the event. Prospects of cooperation in IT, processed industry, agriculture, tourism and other economic branches were discussed. The prime ministers highlighted the organization of business forums for boosting business ties. Both sides emphasized that a great untapped potential exists in the economic relations of the two countries and that through joint work it will be possible to significantly enhance ties and increase turnover volumes. PM Bettel noted that Luxembourg is ready to actively cooperate and assist the Armenian government for advancing reforms in different sectors. He suggested to also boost cooperation in the education sector, particularly between universities and to carry out student exchange programs. The sides also exchanged ideas over Armenia-European Union relations and other topics of mutual interest. Pashinyan invited Bettel to visit Armenia and noted that high-level mutual visits will contribute to further development and strengthening of relations. Bettel and Pashinyan toured Luxembourg City together, visited the City Hall, where the Armenian PM had a short meeting with Mayor Lydie Polfer. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, 13 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 13 May, USD exchange rate is down by 0.84 drams to 481.33 drams. EUR exchange rate is down by 0.65 drams to 540.97 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is down by 0.03 drams to 7.37 drams. GBP exchange rate is down by 0.76 drams to 626.74 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price is down by 19.26 drams to 19918.02 drams. Silver price is down by 0.79 drams to 228.95 drams. Platinum price is up by 69.87 drams to 13262.18 drams. YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel discussed a broad scope of cooperation, including issues of organization of business forums and cooperation in education, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyans spokesperson Vladimir Karapetyan told the reporters. The visit had an important goal, that is to develop political dialogue, emphasize our attitude towards Luxembourg, also discuss bilateral economic relations. I can say that the overall atmosphere of the meeting was very positive. There is mutual understanding between the two Prime Ministers, Karapetyan said. There are already a number of agreements. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg is also responsible for the sphere of technologies and he gladly responded to the invitation of our Prime Minister to participate in the World Congress on Information Technology that will take place in October. We expect Luxembourg to participate with an adequate delegation, Karapetyan said. It was mentioned that Armenia positively assesses Luxembourgs assistance to Armenia in a number of directions, particularly in the political direction. It became particularly obvious when last year in summer Luxembourgs parliament ratified the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, also it recognized the Armenian Genocide 2 years ago. PM Pashinyan is in Luxembourg on a working visit. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. There is no agreement on organizing a meeting between Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and president of Azerbaijan Ilham ALiyev in Brussels, but its not ruled out that an informal meeting may take place, the correspondent of ARMENPRESS informs Pashinyans spokesperson Vladimir Karapetyan told the reporters in Luxembourg. There is n o agreement at the moment. A very important event will be held the 10th anniversary of the Partnership (Eastern Partnership-edit), which will be attended by the initiators, high ranking EU officials and the heads of the 6 Eastern Partnership participant countries. I assume that Azerbaijans leader will be there too, but there is no agreement on organizing a meeting at the moment, he said. To the question if a non-formal meeting is possible, Karapetyan answered that he does not rule out such a meeting. Its difficult to say if there will be such an opportunity. The Heads of States will give speeches during the official dinner. I am confident there will be some type of contact, but its difficult to say now what kind of contact it will be, Vladimir Karapetyan said. PM Pashinyan is on a working visit in Luxembourg. He has already met with the Prime Minister and parliamentarians of that country. Afterwards, PM Pashinyan will participate in the event dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Eastern Partnership in Brussels. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. The Group of Friendship with Artsakh at the Flemish Parliament of Belgium issued a statement on May 12 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Agreement on the full cessation of fire and hostilities signed by Artsakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Artsakh , the statement, in particular, reads that the Agreement of May 12, 1992 put an end to the bloody war unleashed against the people of Artsakh who struggled to live free and in dignity in their ancestral homeland. The fragile peace established by the Agreement prevented further human losses and laid the foundations for peace talks aimed at finding a just and lasting solution to the conflict. At the same time, the statement expresses regret that no tangible progress has been achieved to broker a comprehensive Agreement on establishing lasting peace over the last 25 years, as evidenced by the resumption of the large-scale hostilities unleashed against Artsakh by Azerbaijan in April 2016. The members of the Friendship Group stress that the conflict must be resolved by exclusively peaceful means, as well as noted the need to establish an international mechanism to investigate the ceasefire violations and to control the situation on the border. We are convinced that a genuine peace process that bears fruits requires a direct dialogue with the people of Artsakh and the full-fledged participation of the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities - one of the signatories of the Ceasefire Agreement, in the negotiation process, the statement reads. The police asked us to run a story scotching the rumour about the "death". After consulting with District Commissioner Bill Brown I decided a news report would exacerbate rather than assuage fears. So we canned the story. It will be used later if a deteriorating situation makes it necessary. Theres a rumour abroad that a Highlander was shot and killed with a bow and arrow by a Dapera villager. It is unfounded but 30 Highlanders went to Arawa Hospital and demanded to see the body. Arawa market was tense during the morning and police were present. There were also reports of conflict but nothing happened. Lyall Newby, Director of the Department of Information and Extension Services (DIES), rang and, amongst other matters, complained that other Territory departments were starting to take over traditional functions of DIES and that staff from our department were transferring to these better paid positions. I suppose he needed someone to grumble to but we havent experienced the problem at Radio Bougainville. Barry Middlemiss, Australian-born secretary of secessionist group Napidakoe Navitu, told me MP Paul Lapun had been foolish in taking a stand against Navitus resolutions opposing Michael Somares pending visit. He expects demonstrators would meet Somare wherever he went in the Kieta-Arawa area. I also believe Navitu officials are trying to organise protests at Boku and Wakunai. FRI 6 JAN Middlemiss rang and said Napidakoe Navitu had reversed its decision on not wanting Somare to visit. Demonstrations, he said, would be silent protests. SAT 7 JAN Kieta Council president John Dakeni gave me a press release on meetings hed had with Napidakoe Navitu about Somares visit. However, he would not detail what plans had been made for action against Somare. Middlemiss had told me such plans would be passed by word of mouth not through the media. MON 9 JAN The Chief Minister is now in Bougainville. Joseph Kariup, our freelance correspondent in Buka, rang through with a first class voice report of Somares arrival and first day in Buka. I decided to pay him a bonus at the equivalent rate for three stories ($2.25). TUE 9 JAN To Aropa airport in the afternoon. Somare arrived at about a quarter to four. There were no demonstrators. Met our reporter Luke Umbo, who is travelling with him, and arranged to have a discussion with Somare at Davara Motel later in the day. When I did, Somare agreed to give a talk on Radio Bougainville on Saturday reviewing his visit. I was told of an incident where a Bougainville Copper village relations officer, Bill Birkett, gate crashed a cocktail party for Somare at Buka and abused him for not opening the mine. Birkett, who is leaving the company next month, will be flown to Kieta to apologise to the Chief Minister. WED 10 JAN An estimated 2,000 people attended a fiery four-hour meeting with Somare outside Kieta sub-district office. I was there for the duration and phoned a story to Moresby. More stories were sent through during the afternoon. I wrote a 68-liner for our local bulletin and Aloysius Nase prepared a 40 minute special program put to air at 8 pm. A Wabag man has been found murdered near Nairovi. Seems like a payback by Tolais for a man who was killed in Kieta at Christmas. THU 11 JAN Controller of Broadcasting Jim Leigh rang about the killing of the Wabag man. I told him we had run facts of the story but would not be revealing ethnicity of killer(s) if and when they were found. Weve had so many rumours recently that it pays to run factual stories when theyre available. At the same time it seems like good policy to ignore rumours except where they pose a threat to public order. It was a dramatic afternoon with Somare flown out of Panguna by helicopter after MP Paul Lapun and Father John Momis expressed fears for his safety. I got the story from Gus Smales of the Melbourne Herald and an AAP journo and phoned it to Central News Room in Port Moresby in time for the afternoon transmission to all stations. It seems 80 villagers carrying weapons had appeared at the Panguna minesite and the meeting was cancelled. Somare departed leaving behind many resentful people. The men said they intended the Chief Minister no harm and the weapons were symbolic. The more considered view now is that the cancellation of the Panguna meeting and Somares premature departure was a mistake. FRI 12 JAN Early call from headquarters about my story on Somare at Panguna. HQ concerned about inconsistencies with the ABC version. These were more apparent than real and the Post-Courier report seemingly confirms my report. Leigh rang and said a contact of his in Moresby told him that Western Highlanders here are planning payback for death of a Laiagam man. Checked with the acting District Officer but he had heard nothing. SAT 13 JAN Arrived at Davara Motel about 11.15 am preparatory to arrival of Chief Minister Somare who was about two hours late. Eventually he turned up and I had lunch with him and recorded a 12 minute talk reviewing his visit to Bougainville. He also invited me to dinner and drinks tonight. As Somare entered the Davara dining room he was angered when a European called out, Look at that kanaka in a laplap. It did not develop into more of an issue although it easily could have. Some of the expats brought in by the copper company are deadbeats. Later in 1973 Dr Alexis Sarei became Bougainville's first indigenous district commissioner. Read his obituary here I sat next to Alexis Sarei at dinner. We had an animated discussion about many different things including Kivung Bilong Wailis (our radio forum devoted entirely to listeners' letters on current political and social issues) which he said was sometimes unnecessarily harsh. I said this was true, but that was also how people wrote. I told him I was reluctant to censor listeners, especially given the stations previous reputation, but that there is a standing instruction that letters be toned down if necessary. This is done from time to time but I suppose it could be exercised with more precision. Alexis was a wonderful dinner companion; we had a great discussion about politics, with self-government now just around the corner. Part way through our conversation, I headed for the toilet. Midstream, a guy I didnt know sidled alongside me and said hoarsely, Be careful what you say, youre a government officer and quickly disappeared. I presumed he was a spook, but he wasn't either of the two Kieta-based officers, who I know well. Footnote: More than 46 years later I still don't know the identity of my pissoir visitor. There were three intelligence agencies in Papua New Guinea at the time - Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Police Special Branch and an outfit operating within the kiaps' department. I must remember to ask Bill Brown - KJ Backpacker checks flight board. Source: Getty Flights abroad can break the bank, especially if theyre during the peak months of European summer, which can be anywhere between May and August. But, while it feels like that island getaway youve been dreaming of is simply too pricey, there are ways to save you time, stress and most importantly, heaps of cash when youre booking your next flight. 1. Are you flexible? If youre going alone, or your travel buddy is flexible with time, one of the easiest ways to save money on your flight abroad is to play around with different departure dates. For example, Skyscanner shows a one-stop Emirates return flight to Athens on 6 July with Emirates will set you back a cool $2,634. Qatar Airways only varies slightly, with a one-way flight to Athens costing $1,047, and $1,818 to return. But, if you rescheduled to head off a little earlier, flying out on 1 June this year (and returning four weeks later) will only set you back $1,891 in total. Thats a whopping $700 in savings for just for changing your date, and the bonus? Your flights is four weeks closer. 2. Your destination matters Internal flights in Europe are dirt cheap, so you could find a good way to save a little more cash on your overseas dash is to switch up your destinations. For example, flying to Amsterdam on 1 June (and out four weeks later) can cost you just $1,335 return with China Southern, which is $556 cheaper than a flight into Athens on the same date. But, if Athens is still your ultimate destination, an internal flight from Amsterdam to Athens with Aegean Airlines is not only a quick three hour flight, but will also cost you just $175. That means your total is still $381 less than a one-stop flight to Athens, and youre only three hours late to the (toga) party. Story continues 3. Explore hidden cities If you hadnt heard of hidden cities, and your first thought was the Lost City of Atlantis, youre not alone. But a far cry from a magical underwater realm, hidden city flights (or point beyond flights) are flights that connect in a city you want to go, and theyre often a lot cheaper than directly flying to it. Its heavily opposed by airlines as it can deprive full-leg travelers of seats they need, or delay the travel plans of others, but if youre keen to do it anyway, Skiplagged is a website that can show you the best hidden city deals. According to travel news site, Travel and Leisure, while youll be saving on flights, youll be spending on travel necessities when you arrive at your destination, because hidden city flying prevents you from checking in any luggage (as your ditching the flight mid-way). 4. Book with the best There are countless search engines out there to book your flights, and they all have slightly inflated costs to account for airline cuts. They all fluctuate, so it pays to keep tabs on all of them so you know when the best deals are out. Budget travel site, Thrifty Nomads rates Skyscanner at the top of its list, followed by Momondo and AirFare Watchdog. While they all have their peaks and pits, no site gets it 100 per cent right, so its best that travellers try a combination of search engines to ensure theyre getting the best deals. 5. Turn on incognito mode Internet cookies arent as sweet as the edible kind. Theyre messages that web servers pass to your web browser when you visit Internet sites, and they get stored in your browser so that when you request another page from the server, it sends the cookie back to them. So, what does this mean for you? Well, based on the cookies in your browser, flight prices will increase when a particular route is repeatedly searched, which scares you into booking flights quickly before prices get even higher. The solution is to simply hit incognito mode (or private browsing) on your computer or phone, which opens a new browser where your information is not tracked. This means all your cookies will be reset each time you re-open an incognito window, and you can browse with a clean slate. 6. Fly for free with airline points The best price is always free, and believe it or not, theres actually a way to do it. Most credit cards these days earn you frequent flyer points, and some even for you stacks of points just for signing up. Finder.com.au reported Virgin Australias Velocity Flyer Card can earn you 75,000 ($129) when you spend $1,500 per month. A Westpac American Express card can earn you 120,000 Qantas points if you spend $3,000 within the first 90 days from card approval, and can get you up to 2 points per dollar spent. According to Australian Business Traveler, with that amount of points, youd be able to snag a return economy class ticket from Australias east coast to London or New York, or if youre a big spender anyway, upgrade 24 times to business class. So, while technically you still have to spend to receive, your flights are on the house. What are you waiting for? Make your money work with Yahoo Finances daily newsletter. Sign up here and stay on top of the latest money, property and tech news. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will find a nanny for their newborn. Photo: Getty Ahead of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs son Archie, there were reports that the couple are looking to hire an American nanny. They are said to have instructed a recruitment agency in Kensington to find a suitable candidate to start within the next three months. A source reportedly told The Mirror: Meghan and Harry have clear ideas on how to bring up their children. Meghan was clear in telling recruiters she favours an American over a Brit and wants them to feel part of the family rather than a uniformed member of staff. That is important to her, shes never hidden the fact she is fiercely proud of her American roots. They are keen to explore the possibility of a male nanny. Royal author Katie Nicholl thinks it will be probably be somebody who has been recommended by one of their good friends. Speaking on Yahoo UKs The Royal Box, Nicholl said: I think weve come to expect that this is a couple that will do things differently, theyll shake up tradition, theyll push those royal boundaries. I think theres every chance that the nanny could be American. The couple have named their baby Archie. Photo: Getty Meghan and Harry have plenty of A-list friends to choose from if they need recommendations. Their pals George and Amal Clooney, who have toddler twins Alexander and Ella, reportedly enlisted the services of Hollywood nanny Connie Simpson. The American super-nanny has written a book called The Nanny Connie Way: Secrets to Mastering the First Four Months of Parenthood and has worked with over 250 babies in her 30 year career. In comparison, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hired Norland nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, when Prince George was eight months old. Training at the prestigious Norland college in Bath will set you back 12,000 a year, but employees can expect to earn 26,000 a year from the get go. Its unknown how much Kate and William pay their nanny but likely a substantial amount. Norland nannies also wear distinctive brown uniforms and a bowler hat. Story continues Nicholl says: I dont think that sort of traditionalism, that perhaps weve seen with the Cambridges, is the way the Sussexes want to go. I certainly hear that Harry, not just Meghan, would like to have a more relaxed approach to their parenting, perhaps a bit more modern and progressive in that respect. So it could be a Manny and it certainly could be American, but I dont expect it will be a Norland nanny. Meghan and Harry welcomed their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6, 2019. He was born at 05:26, weighing 7lb 3oz, reportedly at a London hospital, but this has not been confirmed by the palace. The proud new parents made their public debut with their baby boy on Wednesday during a brief photocall at Windsor Castle, close to their home Frogmore Cottage. If the couple are waiting to enlist the help of a nanny, in the meantime they have the help of Meghans mother Doria Ragland, who is staying with them. Reporting by Danielle Stacey - Yahoo Style UK Royal Correspondent 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. Prince Charles has reportedly not met his grandson Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, almost one week after his birth. Photo: Getty Images Prince Charles is reportedly yet to meet his newest grandchild Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, almost a week after the world first caught a glimpse of the baby royal. The heir to the throne has a few reasons for not dropping by sooner, the first of which being the fact the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall were thousands of miles away when Archie was born. Both Charles and Camilla were on a four-day offical tour of Germany when Meghan and Harry welcomed baby Archie on May 6, but were told of the birth before the public announcement. "We couldnt be more delighted at the news and were looking forward to meeting the baby when we return," Prince Charles told well-wishers in Berlin. Upon the release of the first official photos later that week, the grandparents were shown the snaps by royal photographer, Arthur Edwards - which appeared to be the first time theyd seen them. [#NEWS] Royal Sun photographer Arthur Edwards shows today Camilla an image of Meghan and Harry new baby on his phone during the visit to Leipzig. Camilla said: Oh yes, I see it now. Thank you for showing it to me, now take it to the boss. pic.twitter.com/dfy5FukA31 Camilla Updates (@updatescamilla) May 8, 2019 "Oh, yes, I see it now," Camilla Parker Bowles reportedly said after seeing Archie and his parents portrait. "Thank you for showing me. Now, take it to the boss," she added, in reference to her husband. Since returning to the UK on Friday, Prince Charles has kept busy, attending an engagement honouring fallen World War I soldiers in London over the weekend. However, a Clarence House spokesperson confirmed to The Sun Charles and Camilla would visit Frogmore - and Archie - early this week. Story continues Unlike his royal grandad, Archies maternal grandmother Doria Ragland has appeared to be very hands on since flying into the UK before the baby even arrived. She is said to be staying at Harry and Meghans home, Frogmore Cottage, and was present when the bub was introduced to The Queen and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle last week. 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. German chemical giants Bayer admitted Monday its subsidiary Monsanto could have kept lists of key figures -- for or against pesticides -- "in other European countries", and not just in France. Bayer apologised Sunday after it emerged that Monsanto had a PR agency collate lists of French politicians, scientists and journalists, with their views on pesticides and GM crops. "I think it's very likely that such lists also exist in other European countries," Matthias Berninger, Bayer's head of Public Affairs, told journalists in a conference call. Berninger said he "firmly believes that other countries in Europe will be affected. "It is clear that we apologise for what has come to light in France," he added. "We consider what we have seen so far to be completely inappropriate. Of course, we were not able to see everything. "However, we were of the opinion that the reports of these dealings with journalists, politicians and activists are not in order and not in agreement with what Bayer stands for." The German agro-chemicals and drugs giant finalised the acquisition of the US company Monsanto last year for $63 billion. But the deal has turned out to be plagued with other massive costs. Just two months after the acquisition was completed, Monsanto lost a case to a school groundskeeper suffering from terminal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He had sued the company over the glyphosate weedkillers Roundup and Ranger Pro. Monsanto was initially ordered to pay $289 million to Johnson, before the damages were reduced to $78.5 million. In March, the company lost another case to an American retiree who blames his cancer on the weedkiller, and was ordered by a court to pay $80 million to the plaintiff. Bayer announced last month that more than 13,000 lawsuits related to the weedkiller had been launched in the US. French authorities have opened a preliminary enquiry into claims Monsanto had information illegally collected on the views and pliability of hundreds of high-profile figures and media outlets. Monsanto allegedly had public relations agency FleishmanHillard draw up files on their opinions on the controversial weedkiller glyphosate and on genetically modified crops. On Sunday, Bayer said it had pledged to ask a law firm to evaluate the allegations, to fully inform all the persons involved, and to "fully support" the French public prosecutor's office. The story broke last Thursday after revelations in a programme broadcast by the France 2 television channel. Paris police said it would carry out the probe following a complaint by the daily Le Monde and one of its journalists, whose names appear on the list, the Paris prosecutor's office said. Two anti-pesticide NGOs, Foodwatch and Generations Futures, and two French research institutes, the CNRS and INRA, were also preparing to lodge legal complaints. (FILES) In this file photo taken on March 14, 2019, activists stage a flash protest organised by the international movement Attac at the offices of Bayer - which recently acquired Monsanto - in La Garenne Colombes near the financial district of La Defense on the outskirts of Paris.Germany's Bayer apologised on May 12, 2019 after revelations in France that its subsidiary Monsanto had a PR agency collate lists of politicians, scientists and journalists and their views on pesticides and GM crops. Polls show his Brexit Party easily winning next week's European Parliament polls and edging ahead of Theresa May's Conservatives in a UK general election. Nigel Farage is channelling Donald Trump's brand of angry populism to help turn British politics on its head. "You are in denial, the BBC is in denial, the Tory and Labour parties are in denial," the nationalist poster boy of the 2016 campaign to get Britain out of the European Union told the broadcaster in a feisty interview. "I think you are all in for a bigger surprise than you can even imagine," he said of the May 23 elections. The rise and rise of the 55-year-old former commodities trader is one of the most immediate and striking consequences of May's failure to lead Britain out of the European Union on time. Britain was meant to have split away after 46 years on March 29. May's inability to force her EU divorce deal through parliament has pushed that back until October 31. Some think the date may have to be delayed further still -- giving EU supporters time to reverse Brexit. All this has fuelled voter suspicions of politicians and turned Farage into a voice of the disaffected who has both May's government and Brussels on edge. - 'More than a flash in the pan' - A May 8-9 YouGov survey showed his three-month-old Brexit Party winning 34 percent of the UK vote in the European Parliament poll. The opposition Labour Party was second with just 16 percent. May's Conservatives trailed in fifth with 10 percent after the Liberal Democrats and the Greens. Voting intentions in any general election that might result from the current political impasse make equally grim reading for May's team. A poll taken for Saturday's edition of The Daily Telegraph showed the Brexit Party on 20 percent and the Conservatives on 19. YouGov has the Conservatives coming first in the general election but losing nearly half their parliamentary seats. The question now is whether the Brexit Party is a passing phenomenon or a new force that breaks Britain's existing political order. "The Brexit Party has the potential to be much more than a flash in the pan," said UK national populist movement analyst and author Matthew Goodwin. "The rise of the Brexit Party is deeply problematic for the Conservative Party because it is eating away at Conservative Party support, making a radical left Labour government much more likely." - 'The enemy' - The parallels between Farage and Trump are striking. They doubt the science behind climate change and embrace gun rights. They both blame social ills on migrants and support strong borders. Farage also appears to have taken a page out of the US president's playbook by portraying himself as the victim of a biased and out-of-touch media. The BBC "now behave with outrageous bias," Farage told the PoliticsHome.com website a few hours after his spat with the venerable UK broadcaster. "The BBC are now the enemy." It was a familiar echo of Trump's "enemy of the people" refrain that has him and much of the US media exchanging daily blows. "Farage certainly exhibits elements of Trumpism," the analyst Goodwin said. May's government never expected to do well in a European vote. But a potentially disastrous showing in a general election that could set Conservatives back many years has members of her party on edge. "People mocking, denouncing or vilifying Nigel Farage are missing the point," junior Brexit minister James Cleverly, the deputy party leader, tweeted on Sunday. "Rather than say 'people are wrong to vote for him & his party' we should ask ?why are people voting for him & his party?'" - 'Fighting the political class' - Voters in southeast England have actually been re-electing Farage as their European Parliament representative since 1999. He has used the time to make numerous enemies in Brussels -- perhaps none as vocal as the European Parliament's Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt. The Belgian accused Farage on Sunday of having "one of the lowest attendance rates" in the chamber. "He would rather sign in & go to the pub than fight for British interests in Europe," Verhofstadt tweeted. "Sending him back would be insane!" Farage did not respond to his Brussels nemesis. But he did pin a clip of his exchange with the BBC to the top of his Twitter account. "We are not just fighting the political class, but the BBC too," Farage wrote. Nigel Farage is channelling Donald Trump's brand of angry populism to help turn British politics on its head The rise of former commodities trader Nigel Farage is one of the striking consequences of government failure to lead Britain out of the European Union on time The question now is whether the Brexit Party is a passing phenomenon or a new force that breaks Britain's existing political order Voters in southeast England have been re-electing Farage as their European Parliament representative since 1999 The Cannes film festival is not just about killings made on big-money movie deals sealed over champagne in hotel suites and on luxury yachts. It is a goldmine too for many locals in the French Riviera resort. "For my boss the festival is the goose that lays golden eggs," a hotel receptionist called Herve told AFP. The proof, he declared, is that a room in his two-star hotel goes "from 40 euros ($45) a night to 260" as soon as the red carpet is rolled out. It is not the only establishment to rake it in when the population of the town almost triples for the festival. A few minutes walk away, the price of a room in a rival three-star hotel rockets five times from 71 euros a night to 350 -- without breakfast. "The six rooms that we put aside for the very last minute will be filled very rapidly" at the very top price, said the receptionist at the hotel, which is officially fully booked. Even if the four days in March when MIPIM, the world's leading property congress, is held in Cannes are more profitable day-for-day for the conference town, the film festival fortnight with its 40,000 accredited movers and shakers is on an entirely different scale. - Town makes $200 million - For hotels close to the giant Palais des Festivals, where the red carpet premieres are held, the festival accounts for nearly a sixth of their annual turnover, said the Cannes hoteliers union, UMIH. The festival was worth an astonishing 197 million euros to the town in 2017, according to official municipal figures. Even so, hoteliers insist there is still room for improvement. "Everything fills up for the first week of the festival but the second is more difficult," said Christine Welter of UMIH. "For several years now people are not staying as long as they did," she added. She also warned that "the cards are also being reshuffled" by the possible defection of people working with Netflix, whose films are barred from competing in the festival because it refuses to release them in French cinemas. "When suddenly demand falls the market has to adjust," Welter cautioned, pointing the finger of blame partly at what she regards as the unfair competition of people letting out their homes and apartments. Just as many homes in Cannes are being rented now out as hotel rooms -- "6,000 of each," she revealed. - Locals cashing in - It has become something of a racket, Welter complained, with some people renting out several flats. Airbnb alone claims between 2,500 and 4,000 arrivals a night, peaking with 4,600 on Friday May 17 -- nearly 10 times the number of Cannes homes it is handling on the Friday before the festival. With that amount of fast money to be made, "some locals don't think twice about going and sleeping in a campsite along the coast so they can rent their places out for a fortune," quipped Herve, the hotel receptionist. For the resort's restaurants -- some of whom put up their prices -- the festival is also a boon. "May is the biggest month in the year for us: the place is jammed. We can do 5,000 covers in 11 days," said Pascal Hamard, who runs an Italian restaurant. However, he has noticed a drop off in recent years, which he blames on people trying to cash in. "You feel some of the clientele have become ultra suspicious and are worried about being ripped off," the restaurateur added, with taxis and hotels hiking up their rates. "Now people coming to Cannes for the festival are more careful -- we can feel that they have been warned by their bosses -- and budgets are that much tighter," Hamard said. The Cannes film festival is a goldmine for many locals in the French Riviera resort with hotel prices rocketing as much as five times for the fortnight Many locals hope to profit from the Cannes film festival when the population of the French Riviera resort triples Queensland's public guardian has expressed grave concerns about children being "held like caged animals" in police watch houses intended for adult offenders, often for weeks at a time. The ABC's Four Corners program has obtained hundreds of documents that detail cases of children enduring lengthy periods in adult holding cells because the state's youth detention centres are full. "We have significant numbers of kids, from traumatised backgrounds, held like caged animals in concrete pens," Public Guardian Natalie Siegel-Brown told the ABC. Hundreds of children are enduring lengthy periods in adult holding cells because Queensland's youth detention centres are full. Source: Four Corners, ABC She cited one particularly alarming case where a girl was accidentally put in with two alleged male sex offenders. Four Corners has obtained 516 files, including reports to Ms Siegel-Brown's office, about the treatment of children in Queensland's criminal justice system. They detail how kids as young as 10 have been held in watch houses, sometimes in isolation, sometimes in so-called suicide smocks. Children incarcerated in adult facilities with sex offenders More than 70 files related to children who spent 10 or more days in adult watch houses. Two children were held for 33 days or more. One was an Aboriginal boy who had been deemed permanently unfit to plead and assessed as having the cognitive function of a child aged younger than six. The investigation details how children as young as 10 have been held in watch houses, sometimes in isolation, sometimes in so-called suicide smocks. Source: Four Corners, ABC In another case, a girl was put into a pod with two alleged male sex offenders at the Brisbane City Watch House. At the same watch house, a different girl was held 25 days, during which time she discovered she was about 11 weeks pregnant. She was later transferred to a youth detention centre. Queensland's youth detention centres are full after state government reforms mandating that 17-year-olds be dealt with in the youth justice system, not the adult system. This has resulted in children being held for long periods in adult watch houses because there's nowhere else for them to go. Labors $150m pledge for Wacol youth detention centre Last month, the state Labor government said it would spend $150 million on a new 32-bed youth detention centre at Wacol, and $27 million on 16 more beds at the existing Brisbane Youth Detention Centre. It's also funding diversion programs aimed at preventing youth crime. Story continues Queensland Child Safety Minister Di Farmer says there's no doubt that adult watch houses are poor environments for young people. But she won't say when kids will stop spending long stints in adult holding centres. "I don't like to give a definite date. I would hope by the second half of next year we can see that there are only kids in watch houses who are really just there as the general process of things," she told Four Corners. Do you have a story tip? Email: y7newsroom@yahoo7.com.au. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here. Seven foreign women and girls murdered, some dumped in a toxic lake -- the "first serial killings" in Cyprus have provoked horror and sparked accusations of police racism. Since mid-April, the Mediterranean island's press has slammed official failings over the murders, which 35-year-old army officer Nicos Metaxas has allegedly confessed to carrying out. Andreas Kapardis, a criminologist and emeritus professor at the University of Cyprus, said the killings were first such case since the island won its independence in 1960. "For Cypriots, discovering a serial murderer in their own society is... unique", he said. The victims were four Filipinas, including a mother and her six-year-old daughter, a Romanian woman and her eight-year-old daughter, and a woman reported to be Nepalese. All the women had been reported missing, but police failed to follow up the cases, allowing the alleged killer to carry on for nearly three years. "The more the investigation advanced, the more it became clear that the police botched the searches because these were immigrant women," said Maria Mappouridou, who has organised protests over authorities' handling of the cases. The killings "hit many of our weak spots -- our relationship with women, immigrants and the lack of care of the police," she said. The discovery of five bodies in just a few weeks has shaken the popular holiday island's normally stable political landscape. The justice minister has been forced to resign and President Nicos Anastasiades has fired the police chief. The head of state criticised the police for "apparent negligence and dereliction of duty" and acknowledged that better initial investigations could have prevented some of the killings. The Cyprus Mail has reported that police fobbed off pleas to investigate individual disappearances by claiming the women had left the island via the north -- a breakaway Turkish-backed republic that remains unrecognised by the international community. "If the police had done their job... five lives could have been spared," the paper said in a recent editorial. "Perhaps the police's utter disregard... reflects the attitude of our society." - 'Wake-up call' - For Lissa Jataas, founder of Obreras Empowered, an NGO that promotes the rights of housemaids, the murders were a "wake-up call". "Now we need to talk -- to make government and immigrants sit at the same table" to discuss sexual and physical violence, she said. In late April, as police trawled the toxic waters of a manmade lake near Nicosia, Mappouridou took to social media to call for a protest outside the presidential palace. Hundreds of people, both Cypriots and foreigners, gathered at the site in the capital on consecutive Fridays. Among them was Nicoletta Georgiou, an event organiser who voiced anger that authorities had failed to protect the women. "You have to remember migrants are part of our society," the 26-year-old said. Mappouridou said she didn't "know a family here who doesn't have a nanny, a cleaner." But, she said, "the victims were doubly invisible -- female and foreign." - 'Isolated and vulnerable' - Mappouridou has been digging back into unresolved disappearances on the island, and has found 35 dating back to 1990. Most were foreign women, several adolescents. She is now campaigning to "ensure that the police do their job properly" and investigate the cases. But criminologist Kapardis cautioned that the police are often faced with "disappearances of foreigners that are very difficult to resolve". The killer chose "immigrant women, isolated and vulnerable", he said. If he had targeted "a Cypriot woman, her family and friends would have rallied to find her... and the police investigation would have been easy." With 864,000 residents, Cyprus has a reputation as an oasis of peace in a troubled region. The sunny tourist hotspot attracted nearly four million visitors last year. Yet it has one of the highest murder rates in the European Union, according to the most recent figures from Eurostat. After the killings, "Cypriots seem to have discovered that immigrant women are not safe here", said one Ethiopian domestic worker, who asked not want to be named. "But we knew it from the beginning," she said. Shock at series of grisly killings in Cyprus has turned to anger at alleged police mishandling of the cases Two of the bodies were found in an acidic manmade lake at Mitsero, southwest of Nicosia Cypriot Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou has resigned over authorities' handling of the cases The Cypriot police have faced intense criticism over their handling of the missing women In an ancient ceremony that occurs only once every imperial era, Japanese palace courtiers in traditional robes and hats decided on Monday where best to grow royal rice -- using shells from endangered turtles. Two thin plates made from turtle shells were heated over a flame to produce cracks then used to determine where rice should be grown for a key autumn ceremony presided over by new emperor Naruhito. The cracks "told" officials to grow the rice in the ancient capital of Kyoto and north of Tokyo in Tochigi prefecture. For the ceremony -- which Naruhito did not attend -- officials clad in long black robes and ornate black hats were seen walking slowly into a striped tent. The rare ritual is conducted only after a new emperor takes the throne. It was last seen in 1990 about a year after Naruhito's father, Akihito, ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne. While the shells are harvested from rare green sea turtles, they are procured as part of a conservation scheme, officials said. The turtles come from the Ogasawara, a Pacific island chain that lies 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) south of central Tokyo but is administratively part of the capital. People in the region have been eating sea turtles since the mid-19th century and are allowed to catch up to 135 of them annually. Around 100 turtles are used for meat -- often consumed raw -- while the shells are used for craft objects. Eggs are harvested from the others to keep the population stable and managed. These turtles are then released back into the sea. Shells from eight turtles are provided to the palace but they are not killed specifically for the ritual. Ogasawara town official Takeshi Ando told AFP that "earnest conservation efforts" were being made, noting that the number of eggs hatched there was increasing. The village only catches big turtles with shells bigger than 75 centimetres (30 inches) as mandated by the Tokyo metropolitan government, he added. A palace spokesman said the tradition had been in place "since ancient times". The palace "must pass this on (to the future)" although it is aware that some believe it should not use the endangered animal, he told AFP. Many on Japanese social media voiced surprise over the ancient rite. "Too rare and too much fun to make a decision by fortune-telling with turtle shells in modern-day Japan," said one tweet. Another Twitter user wrote: "I feel sorry for green sea turtles even though they were not killed only for their shells. We should carry on this tradition with something else." The rice grown in the selected provinces will be used in a ceremony in mid-November, where the emperor will give thanks and pray for rich harvests, as well as peace for the country and people. The rare Japanese ritual is conducted only after a new emperor takes the throne Emperor Naruhito took the throne at the beginning of May after the abdication of his father Akihito Armenia's jailed former president goes on trial Monday over what prosecutors describe as a coup that led to bloody protests but he insists is a politically motivated case. Robert Kocharyan led the ex-Soviet nation for a decade up to 2008 when his hand-picked ally Serzh Sarkisian was elected. Kocharyan is accused of tipping those presidential polls in Sarkisian's favour and faces charges of "overthrowing the constitutional order". The 64-year-old, however, told AFP the case was brought against him because of a new leadership that pushed out his successor in a popular uprising last year. "What is happening to me is nothing less than lawlessness," he told AFP from prison in written comments sent via representatives. "The current Armenian political authorities have declared me guilty, and the judicial system now serves this political master." The former head of state faces up to 15 years behind bars if convicted. After the 2008 election, tensions erupted into violent clashes between riot police and supporters of the defeated opposition candidate, who denounced the vote as fraudulent. Eight protesters and two officers were killed. Sarkisian led the South Caucasus nation until April last year when he was forced to resign because of mass protests against his rule, spearheaded by current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. In 2009, Pashinyan was arrested for organising the 2008 post-electoral protests and sentenced to seven years in prison, but was released as part of an amnesty in 2011. Kocharyan was arrested in July last year, then briefly released but re-arrested again in December and has since then remained in pre-trial detention. "I was a non-partisan president who acted without favour or prejudice," Kocharyan told AFP. - Anti-corruption crackdown - Kocharyan claimed that Armenia's current authorities "are not especially enthusiastic to find out" who bears the responsibility for the deaths for "fear of revealing extremely undesirable facts for the current government." "They have focused instead all their efforts on the fabrication of politically motivated charges against me." He said Pashinyan "has a direct motivation to rewrite history in order to whitewash himself and shift responsibility for the events of 2008 to others." Pashinyan launched a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown on former elites when he came to power last May. Critics accuse pro-Russian politician Kocharyan of amassing an immense fortune through corruption, an allegation he denies. In February, prosecutors charged Kocharyan's son with tax evasion and money laundering using companies owned by the Kocharyan family. Kocharyan's presidency saw one of the bloodiest events in Armenia's post-Soviet political history -- a terrorist attack on the Armenian parliament in 1999. Opposition parties have accused Kocharyan of organising the attack in which five gunmen killed his political foes, prime minister Vazgen Sargsyan and parliament speaker Karen Demirchyan, among others. Armenian riot police are seen patrolling Yerevan in March 2008 after a night of violent clashes with supporters of the defeated opposition candidate Armenia's former head of state Robert Kocharyan (C) is accused of tipping the 2008 presidential polls in Serzh Sarkisian's (R) favour US President Donald Trump on Monday praised Hungary's hardline authoritarian Viktor Orban as a leader respected throughout Europe who kept his country safe with his crackdown on immigration. "Viktor Orban has done a tremendous job in so many different ways," Trump told reporters ahead of Oval Office talks with the controversial prime minister. "Respected all over Europe," Trump said, adding: "Probably like me a little bit controversial, but that's okay. You've done a good job and you've kept your country safe." Trump gave Orban a warm welcome at the White House, where they were planning discussions on European regional issues, NATO, energy and trade. The two share similar stances on immigration and both are critics of NATO and the European Union, while seeking better ties with Moscow. "I know he's a tough man, but he's a respected man, and he's done the right thing, according to many people, on immigration," Trump added. "You look at some of the problems they have in Europe that are tremendous, because they have done it a different way than the prime minister." The one-on-one talks with Trump offer the eurosceptic Orban a podium less than two weeks before EU parliamentary elections in which far-right parties are expected to make a strong showing. "I would like to express that we are proud to stand together with the United States on fighting against illegal migration, on terrorism and to protect and help the Christian communities around the world," Orban told reporters. Trump replied: "You have been great with respect to Christian communities. You have really put a block up, and we appreciate that very much." - Controversial visit - The runup to the visit drew strong criticism from Democrats and activists who accused Trump of giving a platform to an anti-democratic leader. US ties with Budapest were chilly under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, who often chided Orban for cracking down on civil liberties and freedom of the press in Hungary. But Washington reversed course under Trump, whose anti-immigration campaign echoes Orban's, as well as what his critics say is an alignment with white Christian nationalists. Trump has shown a preference for authoritarian leaders over Washington's traditional Western allies, as underscored by his warm welcomes for Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House. "Hungary's prime minister does not belong in the Oval Office," Rob Berschinski, of Human Rights First, and Johns Hopkins professor Hal Brands wrote in a Washington Post opinion column. "The visit is a grievous mistake -- not just because it will be seen as an endorsement of a leader who has successfully dismantled a democracy, but also because it will signal affirmation of an agenda that is fundamentally threatening to transatlantic security." In a letter ahead of the visit, several Democratic lawmakers said Trump should postpone their meeting until Orban "returns his country to the path of democracy and respect for human rights." Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban (L) and US President Donald Trump shake hands before a meeting in the White House Oval Office The death toll from a major cyclone that hit eastern India and Bangladesh in early May rose to 77 on Monday as anger grew over millions of people still without power and water. Cyclone Fani, the first summer cyclone to hit India's Bay of Bengal coast in 43 years, made landfall in Odisha state on May 3 packing winds up to 200 kilometres (125 miles) per hour. The winds damaged half a million houses, uprooted hundreds of thousands of trees and knocked out power, telecommunications and water for millions of people in one of India's poorest states. The Indian death toll, which earlier stood at 41, shot up with fresh casualties reported from Puri and Khurda districts on Sunday. Thirteen people also perished in Bangladesh after Fani barrelled northwards. "The toll has gone up to 64 with maximum deaths (39) reported from Puri," an official at the State Emergency Operation Centre told AFP. India initially won praise, including from the United Nations, for moving some 1.2 million people to safety before the storm arrived, in what Odisha's chief minister called the "biggest human evacuation in history". But this praise has turned to anger for many local people at what they see as the slow pace of reconstruction and apathy from the authorities. "I have lost my thatched house in the cyclone. No one from the government has come to see my damaged house," Shantilata Mishra, a resident in the Puri district, was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency. "I do not know when they will assess the damage and give me assistance to construct my house," she said. Angry survivors have even been taking to the streets to protest the slow pace of relief as well as high prices of essential food items and water. On Sunday, demonstrators blocking roads in Odisha's state capital Bhubaneswar said a lack of coordination among various government agencies was compounding their misery. "There is a limit to our patience. We are being made to spend sleepless nights. We have to purchase drinking water at exorbitant prices," a protester told PTI. Another protester said the government had failed to provide "basic necessities such as water and power despite having promised to restore power supply by Sunday". Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has said the assessment of damaged houses would begin on May 15 and promised financial help to affected families. Senior officers will supervise the assessment process and "all efforts will be made to ensure that not a single beneficiary is left out", his office tweeted Sunday. On Sunday a nine-member team from Delhi arrived to take stock of the damage. Normally the storms hit around October and November and Fani was only the third cyclone to come off the Bay of Bengal in the summer months in 150 years. In 1999 the same state was hit by a super-cyclone that left nearly 10,000 dead. Cyclone Fani was the first summer cyclone to hit India's Bay of Bengal coast in 43 years A judicial inquiry into whether New Zealand's police and intelligence services could have prevented the Christchurch mosque attacks in which 51 worshippers died began taking evidence on Monday. The royal commission -- the most powerful judicial probe available under New Zealand law -- will examine events leading up to the March 15 attack in which a lone gunman opened fire on two mosques in a mass shooting that shocked the world. "This is a critical part of our ongoing response to the attack -- the commission's findings will help to ensure such an attack never happens here again," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. New Zealand's spy agencies have faced criticism in the wake of the attack for concentrating on the threat from Islamic militants while underestimating the danger posed by right-wing extremism. The Christchurch victims were all Muslims and the massacre was allegedly carried out by a white supremacist fixated on the belief that there was an Islamist plot to "invade" Western countries. The commission is jointly headed by Supreme Court judge William Young and former diplomat Jacqui Caine. It is due to report its findings by December 10, although it may release interim recommendations before then if it regards them as crucial to public safety. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a self-avowed white supremacist, has been charged over the attacks and is currently undergoing psychiatric testing to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial. The royal commission will examine Tarrant's activities before the attack, including how he obtained a gun licence, weapons and ammunition, and his use of social media. Since the attacks, the government has tightened the country's gun laws and is reviewing legislation dealing with hate speech, as well as pressuring social media giants to do more to combat online extremism. Armed police stand guard outside the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, where most of the victims of a mass shooting on March 15 died A man who was abandoned at an airport as a baby 33 years ago has finally found his parents. Steve Hydes, who was known as Gatwick Gary after the airports teddy bear mascot in Englands southeast, had spent 15 years trying to find his family. Through the help of genealogists, who used DNA samples, he was able to identify his parents. Mr Hydes was ten days old when he was discovered by a duty-free sales assistant, Beryl Wright, at the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, on April 10, 1986. He was wrapped in a tartan shawl and dressed in two baby onesies. Steve Hydes, who was known as 'Gatwick Gary' after the airports teddy bear mascot in Englands southeast, was abandoned as a baby at the airport in 1986. Source: Facebook/ Gary gatwick airport baby abandoned He was eventually fostered before being adopted into a family and grew up with three sisters. However, Mr Hydes discovered that his mother had passed away before he could meet her. He added for this reason he may never know exactly what happened and why. Mr Hydes has made contact with his father and his siblings, who had no idea he existed. Before his search for his parents ended, he said he bared no ill-will and is not angry about what happened. Mr Hydes still has the Gatwick Gary bear given to him by staff after he was discovered there. Mr Hydes said he's finally tracked down his parents. Source: Facebook/ Gary gatwick airport baby abandoned As you can imagine this is quite a sensitive issue to all involved and very new to us all, but I wanted to take this time to thank everyone for their continued support over the years, he wrote on Facebook. The work the genealogists do is incredible and for years they have worked so hard and it is thanks to them they are solving cases like mine. More people are having their DNA tested every day and I hope this and my story can help raise awareness and prevent other babies from being abandoned. In January, a DNA test reunited a mum and a daughter who was given up for adoption after 52 years apart. A Queensland woman recently met her family in Zimbabwe but the reunion left her with many questions. 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. Victoria's corruption watchdog is investigating why police raided a Melbourne property, resulting in serious injuries to an innocent man who might lose the use of his arm. Nik Dimopoulos was arrested outside the Hares and Hyenas gay bookshop in Fitzroy in the early hours of Saturday after officers mistook him for a carjacker they had been pursuing. It's alleged police failed to identify themselves when they raided the flat attached to the book store. Mr Dimopoulos was arrested after he fled the premises, "thinking that it was an anti-gay home invasion". Nik Dimopoulos could lose the use of his left arm after he was wrongly arrested outside the Hares and Hyenas gay bookshop in Fitzroy in the early hours of Saturday. Source: 7News His lawyer Jeremy King said he's had surgery but is unlikely to regain the full use of his arm, which sustained multiple breaks. "The major injury was to his right shoulder and he's undergone surgery for that," Mr King told the ABC. "But because of the serious nature of that shoulder surgery and injury he's had to have bone grafts from his knee and his hip put in there together with pins." The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission confirmed late on Monday it will investigate the case. "IBAC performs a critical role in independently oversighting Victoria Police to ensure officers are accountable and conduct themselves in a way consistent with the community's expectations," the commission said in a statement. Police on Monday apologised for the botched raid and say it was in no way targeted at the gay community. "(It's) very clear to us that police stuffed this one up," Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said. It's alleged police failed to identify themselves when they raided the flat attached to the book store. Source: 7News "I'm deeply sorry on behalf of Victoria Police he's been injured in this way and injured to the extent he's been. "It's very clear to us this is not a matter which has involved police targeting members of the LGBTI community in any way. "We clearly entered that premise in error, we arrested Mr Dimopoulos in error and his serious injuries require ... thorough and independent investigation." Mr King said two other people in the home at the time were "whipped from their beds in the middle of the night to have torches, guns, boots all over their property." Story continues He said Hares and Hyenas is one of the few sacred grounds of Melbourne's LGBTI community and the "traumatic and horrific incident" could not have happened in a worse place. "I'm not suggesting they were being targeted ... I'm just trying to say this needs to be viewed in context that anybody having their home invaded, particularly this one, is especially bad," he said. Police representatives have spoken to Mr Dimopoulos and Mr Cornelius intends to visit the owners of the raided property to apologise. 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. WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT: The mother of a teen construction worker who was killed when scaffolding collapsed has revealed details of his horrific death, describing how his lungs were crushed under the rubble. In April the 18-year-old Sydney apprentice Christopher Cassaniti was crushed to death at a construction site in Macquarie Park after a 15-metre scaffolding tower collapsed on top of him. The man reportedly screamed for 20 minutes, asking for help and crying out for his mother. Teen construction worker Christopher Cassaniti was killed when a scaffolding tower collapsed on top of him. Source: 60 Minutes His lungs were crushed and he died of asphyxiation, so he wasnt able to breathe, Patrizia Cassaniti told 60 Minutes on Sunday night. I asked the coroner did he suffer? And they said apparently he would have had so much adrenaline that he may have felt some pain but because he wasnt able to breathe he would have gone in and out of consciousness. Paramedics were initially unable to reach the formworker, who was trapped under rubble with another colleague. He was pronounced dead at the scene a few hours after the incident. Parents of young tradie killed at work share grief When she was told her son had died, Mrs Cassaniti said she was in denial. I just screamed, because I thought, it's not possible that he has died," she said. Patrizia Cassaniti shares the moment she learned her boy didn't make it. Source: 60 Minutes His father Rob Cassaniti said viewing his son's body was "the toughest thing I've ever done". "He still looked beautiful... But as a parent you don't want that, you don't want to see that, but unfortunately, we had to," Mr Cassaniti said. Darren Greenfield, the NSW state secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), described the aftermath of the collapse as a war zone. Speaking to 60 minutes, Mr Greenfield said he had been told Mr Cassaniti could be heard "asking for help, asking for his mum" as he lay trapped under the rubble. I mean you see grown men crying, and you just think not again, not another one, not another person not going home tonight, Mr Greenfield said. Apprentice Christopher Cassaniti was crushed to death after 15-metre high scaffolding collapsed on him and a co-worker at a construction site in Macquarie Park. Source: 9 News Parents call for harsher penalties for workplace deaths Story continues Earlier in May, the couple called for harsher punishments for employers whose employees die in industrial incidents, with the introduction of "Christopher's Law". Workers in the construction industry are calling for uniform industrial manslaughter laws, 60 Minutes reported on Sunday. Teen apprentice Christopher Cassaniti with his parents Patrizia and Rob Cassaniti. Source: Facebook "I promise you to continue until it's done because Christopher and all the others that have died on job sites will not have died in vain," Ms Cassaniti said in footage shown by 60 Minutes. "It's just going to be a law, and I'm going to call it Christopher's Law," she said. The circumstances of his death are being investigated by SafeWork NSW and police. 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. Chris Coleman is battling to save himself from the sack after angry fans of struggling Hebei China Fortune demanded the former Wales manager be fired. The 48-year-old's side have won only once in nine Chinese Super League (CSL) games this season and languish one place off bottom spot. A Hebei team containing former Barcelona star Javier Mascherano lost 3-2 at home to mid-table Henan Jianye at the weekend and had a man sent off for the fourth time in all competitions this year. Coleman, who took Sunderland down into England's third tier in his previous job, is under intense pressure from Hebei fans who want him removed. A section of disgruntled supporters held aloft a banner during Saturday's defeat that said in English: "Hello Mr. Coleman, please go home! You're fired!!!" In Chinese it read: "Coleman, your mum wants you home for dinner." Coleman was a defender for Crystal Palace, Swansea City, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham during his playing days, and later became then-Premier League Fulham's manager. He was sacked after four years in the hot seat at Craven Cottage and then had a spell with Real Sociedad in Spain. But he enjoyed his most successful time in charge of his native Wales, taking them to a shock semi-final place at Euro 2016. Coleman succeeded West Ham United-bound Manuel Pellegrini at Hebei in June 2018, but has won only seven of his 28 games after making a decent start. Last week, after a 2-0 defeat to Marouane Fellaini and Shandong Luneng, Hebei issued an open letter to fans apologising and saying that it has been "the toughest start (to a season) in the club's history". "We let you down and we can't make any excuses for the recent performances," said a statement. "We have to say to you: sorry." Hebei, who are above rock-bottom Beijing Renhe only on goal difference in the CSL, travel to seventh-placed Tianjin Teda on Sunday. Former Wales manager Chris Coleman is battling to save himself from the sack in China Europe on Monday urged the US not to further escalate tensions over the Iran nuclear deal, with Britain issuing a stark warning of the risk of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a last-minute change of plan scrapping an expected Moscow trip to instead visit Brussels and meet his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany. The ministers, from the European signatories to the 2015 accord that curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief, all publicly criticised the hardline US approach. Iran last week announced it was suspending some of its commitments under the agreement, a year after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord and imposed swingeing sanctions on the Islamic republic -- putting the deal in peril. On Monday US President Donald Trump warned that Iran would "suffer greatly" were it to "do anything," after US intelligence suggested Tehran was planning to attack US interests in the region. Washington is sending an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Gulf, having already deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers. - 'Most unstable region' - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Berlin "still regards this nuclear agreement as the basis for Iran not having any nuclear weapons in the future and we regard this as existential for our security". Maas said he used his one-on-one meeting with Pompeo to stress that "we are concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation". British foreign minister Hunt called for "a period of calm" and bluntly warned of the danger of pushing Iran back towards developing nuclear weapons. "Most of all we must make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation, because if Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers," Hunt said. "This is already the most unstable region in the world and it would be a massive step in the wrong direction." The European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, who held her own meeting with Pompeo, stressed the need for dialogue as "the only and the best way to address differences and avoid escalation" in the region. "We continue to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran, its full implementation," Mogherini said. "It has been and continues to be for us a key element of the non-proliferation architecture both globally and in the region." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian joined the criticism saying Washington's move to step up sanctions against Iran "does not suit us". - 'Nuclear bomb' - Mogherini chaired a meeting of the so-called E3 -- Britain, France and Germany -- to discuss efforts to keep the deal going, including the special trade mechanism called INSTEX the trio set up to try to enable legitimate trade with Iran to continue without falling foul of US sanctions. INSTEX was launched in January but is still not operational and has been dismissed scornfully by the Iranian senior leadership. After talks with the E3, Mogherini said they aimed to get INSTEX up and running and have the first transactions "hopefully in the next few weeks". President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum to the Europeans last week threatening that Iran would go further if they fail to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. The European powers rejected that ultimatum. The US has continued to build pressure on Iran, with Pompeo accusing Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks and bolstering the military presence in the Gulf. Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, insisted the Islamic republic was itself an "escalating threat". Pompeo was to head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a State Department official said. Pompeo's trip has been seen as a precursor to a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Putin at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, next month. Trump said Monday that he expects to meet with the presidents of both Russia and China on the sidelines of the G20 meeting. However the Kremlin swiftly countered that no such meeting had been arranged. "There haven't been any requests. There are also no agreements so far," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency. burs-pdw/pvh/dcr US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi to meet President Vladimir Putin Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was "very worried" about the risk of a conflict in the Gulf EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini gave a chilly response to news of Pompeo's visit Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last week issued an ultimatum to the Europeans to press them for sanctions relief Four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, were damaged in mysterious "sabotage attacks" that have inflamed Gulf tensions amid a standoff between the United States and Iran. In the face of growing international concern, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned visit to Moscow and headed to Brussels instead for talks Monday with European officials, as Britain warned of the danger of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. Turning up the pressure on Tehran after the United States deployed B-52 bombers and an assault ship to bolster an aircraft carrier in the region, President Donald Trump warned that Iran would "suffer greatly" were it to "do anything" to threaten US interests. "If they do anything, it would be a very bad mistake," Trump warned at the White House. "If they do anything they will suffer greatly." Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan proposed a revamped military plan at a meeting with senior national security aides that would send up to 120,000 US troops to the Middle East were Iran to attack American forces or speed up nuclear weapons development, The New York Times reported. Other options have been floated, and this one includes the highest number of troops. Tehran meanwhile called for an investigation into Sunday's "alarming" attacks off the Emirati coast and warned of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security. A UAE government official said the Saudi oil tankers Al-Marzoqah and Amjad were attacked off the emirate of Fujairah along with the Norwegian tanker Andrea Victory and an Emirati ship, the A. Michel. Saudi Arabia, the Islamic republic's regional arch-rival, condemned "acts of sabotage" and a "criminal act", a foreign ministry official said. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE gave details on the nature of the attacks or accused anyone of responsibility. - 'Exercise restraint' - No link has officially been drawn between the incidents and US accusations that Tehran was planning "imminent" attacks against US interests in the region. Asked whether the United States believed Iran played a role, Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, declined to comment, saying only that US authorities would be assisting the investigation at the request of the UAE which has called the incidents "deliberate sabotage." Describing Pompeo's talks with his European counterparts, Hook said they had discussed "what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels." Underscoring the international concern, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he used his one-on-one with Pompeo to stress that "we are concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation". British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt called for "a period of calm". "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," he said as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. And in New York, the United Nations called on all sides to "exercise restraint for the sake of regional peace." Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom's two tankers suffered "significant damage" but there were no casualties or any oil spill. The Andrea Victory's managers, Thome Group, said the tanker had a hole in the hull area "after being struck by an unknown object on the waterline". The crew were unharmed and the ship was in no danger of sinking, it said. Fujairah port is the only Emirati terminal located on the Arabian Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Gulf oil exports pass. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait in case of a military confrontation with the United States. "If, and it's an 'IF', there really has been a deliberate attempt to damage these oil tankers, then it's possibly a warning from Iran about the consequences of anybody taking military action against Iranian targets anywhere in the region," said Middle East analyst Neil Partrick. Oil prices rose on world markets on Monday but stocks fell. The spike in tensions came after Tehran said Wednesday it had stopped respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 deal that has since been abandoned by Washington. - Iran sees plots - Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi called the incidents "alarming and regrettable". He "warned against plots by ill-wishers to disrupt regional security" and "called for the vigilance of regional states in the face of any adventurism by foreign elements", a statement said. Almost all the oil exports of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Iran itself, at least 15 million barrels per day, are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Karen Young, a resident scholar at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute think tank, said the incidents were "clearly... more than a one off attack, but something more coordinated." "Tensions are high and have been escalated by the US as well. We have to be wary of tit for tat provocations, and those that may be misinterpreted or even false flag actions," she told AFP. The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council -- which includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE -- condemned the incident while Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit denounced "criminal acts". Shiite-majority Iran rivals Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia for influence in the Middle East, with the two taking opposing sides in multiple regional conflicts including in Yemen. Saudi Arabia said two of its oil tankers, including the Al-Marzoqah pictured here, suffered significant damage in sabotage attacks The managers of the Norwegian tanker Andrea Victory said it had a hole in the hull after being struck by an unknown object The US has sent an aircraft carrier task force to the Gulf Fujairah has the only port in the UAE located on the Arabian Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz The City of Sydney will consider introducing new trading hours for businesses in a bid to make the inner city a 24-hour precinct. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore says the council is responding to feedback from thousands of residents calling for a better night-time economy. The changes include extending hours for unlicensed businesses, late-night trading areas in fast-growing neighbourhoods such as Barangaroo and Green Square, additional hours for performance and culture, and a new 24-hour cultural precinct in Alexandria. Changes to Sydney's trading hours could see 24-hour shopping in the city. Source: Getty, file Some changes are subject to the NSW government's lockout laws. The development control plan will be considered by the City of Sydney on Monday night at its monthly council meeting. If the plan is approved by council, businesses will be able to apply for the new trading hours through a development application process. Do you have a story tip? Email: y7newsroom@yahoo7.com.au. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here. Vietnamese police have seized half a tonne of ketamine worth $21 million in Ho Chi Minh City, a key transit hub that has seen record busts of synthetic drugs in recent weeks as narcotics gangs use its ports and air links to shuttle drugs across the region. Three Taiwanese citizens and one Chinese man were arrested in the weekend bust at a warehouse in the southern city according to state-run Thanh Nien newspaper on Monday. More than 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of ketamine was found stashed in industrial-grade machinery, in an operation carried out after months of surveillance. The ketamine was brought in overland to Vietnam and was destined for Taiwan, Thanh Nien reported. State media said the cartel leader had received overland shipments from China, but the police would not confirm where the ketamine originated. "The luxury drug is five times more expensive than other synthetics and is often consumed by the rich," major general Pham Van Cac was quoted as saying. The bust follows several other massive hauls in recent weeks of drugs believed to have been shuttled into the country from neighbouring Laos. Police seized more than one tonne of highly addictive crystal meth -- or "ice' -- and around one tonne of ketamine in Ho Chi Minh City last month, arresting two Taiwanese and one Vietnamese man in the sting. Earlier in the month a separate bust of 1.5 tonnes of meth was discovered in central Nghe An province. From meth cooks to traffickers, Taiwanese have long been active in Southeast Asia's narco trade, shifting drugs -- many from the lawless Golden Triangle region straddling Myanmar, Laos and Thailand -- across the region and beyond. Vietnamese police have said Ho Chi Minh City is increasingly becoming a hub for drug gangs as transport infrastructure has improved in recent years. Synthetic drug use is on the rise in Vietnam, especially among hard-partying youth increasingly turning to meth, ecstasy and ketamine. Seven people died at a music festival in Hanoi last year of suspected overdoses, which sent shockwaves through the conservative communist capital. The one-party state has some of the toughest drug laws in the world. Anyone caught with more than 600 grams (21 ounces) of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine can face the death penalty. Six people are currently on trial in Ho Chi Minh City for producing 120 kilograms of ecstasy pills, and last week prosecutors requested they be sentenced to death. On guard: Vietnam police on duty in Hanoi A Norwegian woman has died from rabies after rescuing a puppy she found while on holidays. Birgitte Kallestad, 24, was holidaying in the Philippines when she found the dog, and couldnt resist picking it up off the side of the road. She brought the puppy back to her resort, where she washed and played with it. According to BBC.com, Kallestads family said she received small scrapes by the puppy as she played with it, but sought no more medical attention. The young woman's family said she had received small scrapes by the puppy but hadn't sought medical attention. Source: Facebook It was only after Kallestad had returned to her home country that she began to fall ill. According to her family, doctors couldnt initially determine what was the cause of her illness, despite several trips to the emergency room. She was admitted to a hospital on April 28, when physicians determined she had rabies after being bitten by the dog while on vacation, reports Verdens Gang, a Norwegian publication. Birgitte Kallestad was holidaying in the Philippines when she found and adopted the stray puppy. Source: Facebook The patient was admitted to our intensive care unit, and died peacefully with the closest family around her, Trine Hunskar Vingsnes, director of health at Helse Forde hospital, told VG. Our dear Birgitte loved animals. Our fear is that this will happen to others who have a warm heart like her, the Kallestad family said in a statement. They suggested that a rabies vaccine should be added to a list of inoculations for people traveling to the Philippines. A veterinarian injects a dog with an anti-rabies vaccine in suburban Manila. Rabies is nearly always fatal without vaccinations and kills thousands of people every year, mostly in Asia and Africa. Source: AFP/Getty Images) Its really important to stress that even if youve been vaccinated before you travel, if you do have contact [with a potentially infected animal] you need to go to a local health clinic for a second vaccination, Siri Feruglio, Senior Medical Officer at the Norways Institute of Public Health, told the BBC. This is a disease thats endemic in 150 countries and its a huge health problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the rabies virus is transmitted in the saliva of rabid animals. It generally enters the body via virus-laden saliva from a rabid animal into a wound, like a scratch, or through bite wounds that provide direct exposure of mucosal surfaces to saliva from an infected animal. Story continues The virus cannot infiltrate intact skin.WHO added 95% of cases are reported in Asia and Africa. 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. New Zealand's leader Jacinda Ardern will join other world leaders in launching a "Christchurch call" to curb online extremism at an international meeting in Paris on Wednesday, following the worst mass killing in her country's recent history. Participants will be asked to commit to pledges to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content on social media and other online platforms. The move was prompted by the massacre in March at two Christchurch mosques by a self-described white supremacist, who broadcast live footage on Facebook from a head-mounted camera as he gunned down 51 people. Arden has been the driving force behind the Paris summit, co-hosted with French President Emmanuel Macron, following the tragedy. "Macron was one of the first leaders to call the prime minister after the attack, and he has long made removing hateful online content a priority," New Zealand's ambassador to France, Jane Coombs, told journalists on Monday. "It's a global problem that requires a global response," she said. In an opinion piece in The New York Times over the weekend, Ardern said the Christchurch massacre underlined "a horrifying new trend" in extremist atrocities. "It was designed to be broadcast on the internet. The entire event was livestreamed... the scale of this horrific video's reach was staggering," she wrote. Ardern said Facebook removed 1.5 million copies of the video within 24 hours of the attack, but she still found herself among those who inadvertently saw the footage when it auto-played on their social media feeds. Since the attack, Ardern has strongly criticised tech giants for not doing enough to combat online extremism. Attendees at the Paris summit will include heads of state or government from Britain, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Jordan, Senegal and Indonesia. Top executives from Twitter, Microsoft, Google and Amazon will also attend, though Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg will be represented by another executive from the social media giant, after meeting with Macron last Friday. "We deliberately limited the number of participants to ensure we can move forward quickly, but the idea is to create something that we can open up to as many people as possible," a source in the French presidency said. - 'Practical outcomes' - "Terrorists have always been a step ahead of us when it comes to the online techniques they use," the source said, adding that companies needed to "anticipate how their features will be exploited." Firms themselves will be urged to come up with concrete measures, he said, for example by reserving live broadcasting to social media accounts whose owners have been identified, to avoid bad surprises from newly created anonymous accounts. "No company wants their platforms to become a pool of hateful content, nor do their advertisers or most of their users," he said. Running alongside the G7's "Tech for Humanity" meeting in the French capital, Ardern said the Christchurch Call was a voluntary code aimed to stop terrorist content being uploaded to social media platforms. "(We're) asking both nations and private corporations to make changes to prevent the posting of terrorist content online, to ensure its efficient and fast removal and to prevent the use of live-streaming as a tool for broadcasting terrorist attacks," she wrote in The Times. She added: "This is not about undermining or limiting freedom of speech. It is about these companies and how they operate." While some -- such as Zuckerberg -- have called for better regulation to address the issue, Ardern said governments could not succeed without help from the tech sector. "Practical outcomes are what we're seeking from this work," she told New Zealand's Newshub. "Not just governments regulating, but actually tech companies taking ownership and responsibility over their platforms and the technological solutions that they hold the key to." Ardern said New Zealand had been "left reeling" by the Christchurch massacre, and it wanted to prevent similar atrocities happening elsewhere. "We have a reluctant duty of care, a responsibility that we now find ourselves holding," she said. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been the driving force behind calls for tech firms to tackle online extremism after the Christchurch massacre, when 51 people were killed by a white supremacist Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, (L), met with French President Emmanuel Macron (R) to discuss ways to swiftly remove hateful content from the social media giant 51 Muslims were killed in the Christchurch mosque attack, carried out by a self-described white supremacist A coalition of New York business groups is urging state legislators to oppose a bill that would grant labor rights, including overtime pay and collective bargaining, to farmworkers. Unshackle Upstate, the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce and 16 other organizations sent a letter Monday explaining their opposition to the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act, a bill sponsored by state Sen. Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Cathy Nolan. If the legislation is enacted, farmworkers would have collective bargaining rights and could form unions. They would receive at least one day off each week and overtime pay if they work more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. Laborers would be eligible for unemployment insurance and workers' compensation. The bill is supported by Democratic lawmakers and several advocacy groups, including the Workers' Center of Central New York. Proponents of the measure say it will end a Jim Crow-era exclusion that prevents farm employees from receiving the same benefits available to other workers. They also argue it would help address poor conditions on farms and prevent retaliation against farmworkers. But pro-business organizations believe the measure would hurt New York farms. In the letter to legislators, the groups cited Census of Agriculture data that found New York lost roughly 2,100 farms over a five-year period. The letter also references a Farm Credit East study that estimated the overtime pay mandate would increase labor costs for farms by nearly $300 million. "These mandates, coupled with the recently enacted minimum wage hike and other costly legislative mandates familiar to New York employers, will jeopardize New York's robust agriculture industry and the nearly 200,000 jobs it supports across the state," the business organizations wrote. Ramos, D-Queens and state Sen. Jen Metzger, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, held three hearings on the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act in late April and early May. At the SUNY Morrisville hearing last month, farmers said the overtime pay and collective bargaining provisions were the most troubling to them. Several farmers said the overtime pay mandate would increase their labor costs and hurt their ability to compete with out-of-state producers. The Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act isn't a new proposal. It was first introduced two decades ago, but it hasn't advanced in the state Legislature. With the exception of the 2009 and 2010 sessions, Republicans controlled the state Senate. While the bill received support in the Democratic-led state Assembly, it was blocked in the Senate. Now that Democrats hold a majority of seats in the Senate, the farm labor bill is a priority. With Ramos as the sponsor and 31 cosponsors, there are enough votes to pass the bill if it's brought to the Senate floor for consideration. However, business groups hope Democrats will reconsider. "As was evident by the testimony from farm owners and workers at recently held Senate hearings, this proposal represents an existential threat to New York's agricultural industry," the coalition wrote. "Given the exodus of jobs and population in New York, the last thing we should be doing is adding more burdens to businesses especially in such a critical industry." Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. 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. This months Book Report features the most recent domestic suspense novels from two writers who have written popular mystery series, as well as standalone novels. Alafair Burke has authored 18 books, five of them the Under Suspicion series with the legendary Mary Higgins Clark, two series of her own, and five standalone books. Her latest standalone, The Better Sister, is thematically related to her two most recent successful books, The Ex and The Wife, but with different characters. In The Better Sister, Chloe, the executive editor of the highly acclaimed feminist magazine Eve, returns home from an awards banquet where she was the honoree to find that her husband, Adam, has been murdered. Chloe knew that the spouse was the first suspect in the mind of the police, so she did everything in her power to be helpful. Things become complicated when the police turn their attention to Adams teenage son, Ethan. Ethan is the son of Adam and his first wife, Nicky, Chloes older sister. When Ethan was a toddler, Adam returned home to find Nicky face-down in their pool, with Ethan by her side. He divorced Nicky and moved to New York, where he and Chloe eventually fell in love, married and raised Ethan. Nicky was out of the picture until Adams death. Since Chloe was not Ethans legal mother, Nicky returns to take custody of her son. Chloe and Nicky revert back to their familial roles: Chloe was the good girl who followed the rules and worked hard, Nicky was the partier with little sense of responsibility. Can they work together to clear Ethan? Burke is a former prosecutor, and she knows how to write a courtroom scene that rings with truth and tension. And every parents heart will sink at the thought of their child in the situation that Ethan finds himself in. The Better Sister is the perfect blend of character and plot. The characters drive the plot, and each character has secrets they are hiding that show they are not the person others believe them to be. This is a book youll want for a long airplane trip time will fly as you furiously flip the pages to find out who did it. Lisa Scottoline has written 41 books, including two series, several humorous nonfiction books and 15 standalone mysteries. Her newest standalone, Someone Knows, also deals with a big secret that drives the plot. Allie comes back to her hometown for the funeral of a man she had a crush on in high school 20 years ago. No one knows why David killed himself, but Allie is sure it has something to do with a tragedy that she, David, Sasha and Julian have lived with for the past 20 years. After Allies sister died of cystic fibrosis, her family fell apart. Her mother couldnt get over her grief, and her father couldnt help her. When three of the cool kids in school bring Allie into their small group, she hopes that David will be her boyfriend. Something bad happens one day in the woods, and the group breaks apart. Allie goes away to college, and marries a great guy, but cant get over her guilty feelings. It drives a wedge between her and her loving husband, and Allie realizes she must find out the truth about what exactly happened if she is ever to find peace in her life. But the two remaining people who know, Sasha and Julian, dont want to talk about it. They have moved on, and don't want Allie to stir up the past. The end of the book is filled with suspense, and youll be biting your nails and holding your breath, especially as everything comes to a furious conclusion. I found myself screaming, Dont go there, what are you thinking? at one point. If it was a movie, Id be peeking between my hands covering my eyes. (And it should be a movie.) Scottoline really nails the teenage mind: The inability to think things all the way through, the longing to be part of a group, and the willingness to follow instead of doing what you know is right. She also brings great empathy to Allies family situation when her sister dies. The family cant find their way to grieve together, and its heartbreaking. Scottolines books get better with each one, and Someone Knows is among her very best. Diane La Rue is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and blogs about books at http://bookchickdi.blogspot.com. You can follow her on Twitter @bookchickdi, and she can be emailed at laruediane2000@yahoo.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 May was declared National Military Appreciation Month by Congress in 1999, making it a month-long observance honoring the sacrifices of the U.S. Armed Forces. There are more military-related observances during the month of May than any other month, so it is an appropriate time to celebrate the men and women in uniform. During May, we recognize Loyalty Day (May 1), V-E Day (the end of World War II in Europe on May 8, 1945), Armed Forces Day (the third Saturday in May), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (the Friday before Mothers Day) and Memorial Day (the last Monday in May). Loyalty Day is a day for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States and for the recognition of the important heritage of American freedom. Originally known as Americanization Day, Loyalty Day was first officially observed on May 1, 1959. V-E or Victory in Europe, denotes Germanys unconditional surrender of its armed forces to the Allies of World War II. Armed Forces Day is set aside to pay tribute to the men and women of all branches of the service. Military Spouse Appreciation Day honors the contributions and many sacrifices of the military spouses. They're often called the silent heroes for the support they provide not only to their soldier/sailors, but to their families as well. They, too, serve our country, though without pay or recognition. As we commemorate these various holidays and the service of our military, the story of women serving their country is under-reported or overlooked all together. According to the historians, since 1775, women have played a role in the U.S. military, though as civilians in support roles such as nurses or cooks. It wasnt until a law was passed in 1948 that women were made a permanent part of the military services often, however, in differing categories, such as the Womens Army Corps. In 1976, the first group of women entered a U.S. military academy, with the first graduates in 1980. Approximately 40,000 military women served in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991. Women continue to break through gender barriers in the military and serve around the world. Nonetheless, there are few monuments or museums to capture these contributions. There is the Vietnam Womens Memorial in Washington, D.C. There is the New York State Women Veterans Memorial in Albany. Closer to home, on the TC3 Dryden campus is a statue dedicated to four Tompkins County women who tended solders during the Civil War (one, Sophronia Bucklin, has ties to Auburn) and more generally to the thousands of women who served in that role. Their stories remained hidden until the formation of the Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration Commission uncovered their contributions. Today, there is one national museum seeking to capture the stories and honor all servicewomen, past, present and those yet to serve: the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. The memorial serves as the ceremonial gateway to Arlington National Ceremony. The memorial honors the nearly 3 million women who have served or are serving, beginning with the American Revolution. One of the important rooms at the memorial is the computerized register. All servicewomen are encouraged to register and to share their stories so that their story achieves permanent recognition in Americas history. You can register if you visit in person or you can register using the website. Eligible for registration are living or deceased veterans: active duty, reserve, guard and U.S. Public Health Service uniformed women and women in the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Civil Air Patrol. Also honored are women who served overseas in conflicts, in direct support of the armed forces, in organizations such as the Red Cross, USO, Special Services; as well as members of the Public Health Service and Cadet Nurse Corps. Family members and friends are encouraged to register deceased servicewomen. Theres just over 300,000 registrants at the memorial. Dont let your story, or that of your family, go untold. And sometime this month, take time to thank those who serve in the armed forces, along with their families. For more information on the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, 200 N. Glebe Road, Suite 400, Arlington VA, 22203, call (800) 222-2294 or visit womensmemorial.org. Karen A. Macier, of Auburn, has spent 20 years working and volunteering in the not-for-profit sector. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Cayuga County man is the new deputy director of the Small Business Administration's Syracuse district office. Daniel Rickman will supervise staff and help oversee the SBA's programs in 34 upstate New York counties. The agency assists small businesses with counseling and funding opportunities. Rickman has been employed with SBA since 2013. He was an economic development specialist and branch manager of the agency's office in Elmira. He most recently served as branch manager of the Albany office. Rickman's past work experience includes a stint at a bank in Texas assisting small businesses. He founded his own payroll processing firm to assist small business clients, according to a news release. He also volunteered as a mentor and trainer with SCORE's chapter in Lubbock, Texas. SCORE is a nonprofit organization that offers business mentoring services to small business owners. Rickman is a U.S. Army veteran. He enlisted in 2000 and served in combat during the Iraq War. He now lives in Cayuga County. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 It's that time of year again and the county fair is on the horizon. The county fair is successful due to the army of staff and volunteers who spend countless hours in meetings,emailing, organizing and scheduling. I want to express my own gratitude to Kim Horn who was the Flagstaff 4H coordinator and her office for their time and effort to help all of our 4H families, the members of NAJLA (Northern Arizona Junior Livestock Association), Laura Kelly of the Parks in the Pines swine leader and Sandy Engelke the swine barn leader and President of NAJLA, and Amberly Bradford a NAJLA board member who is always there to help us out. Many of the leaders in 4H are former 4H participants, parents of the participants in the program &those who simply love the program 4H is not just about bringing livestock to the county fair. 4H has taught me life skills that will be with me all my life. Many people make this 4H program the success that it is. For each breed of animal at the fair there is an impressive group of people volunteering their time to teach the kids about their projects and to become responsible and successful adults in their community. The amazing 4H sponsors and livestock buyers are the heartbeat of the livestock show and auction. Their generous support allows 4H to grow and allows us to keep coming back as participants year after year. Thank you 4H family. See you all soon. Sincerely, BLAKE BOWDON Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In order to maintain this blog I have to pay for its upkeep including a hosting company, support services, virus and other malicious hackers. If you appreciate what I write please make a donation. Healthy snacking brand Graze is launching a new range of snacks called Wow Bakes. They will be available in four flavours; chocolate sea salt, honeycomb crumble, sticky toffee and lemon drizzle. Graze said the NPD, which contains less than 100 calories per serving, had been created in response to growing consumer demand for healthy lower-calorie and sugar options that are both satisfying and nutritious. Wow Bakes also contain less than 4g of sugar per bake, working in line with Grazes sugar reduction initiative, which will see the business significantly reduce the sugar content across its entire cereal bar range by 2020. The introduction of our new sub-100 calorie Wow Bakes is just another step in our mission to help consumers enjoy healthy eating, said Pia Villa, chief brand officer at Graze. Following the launch of our initiative to significantly reduce the sugar content across our entire cereal bar range last month, we plan on continuing to push the boundaries of healthy snacking innovation in order to provide delicious, nutritious products for our grazers. The new bakes will launch at Tesco this month and roll out into other UK retailers over the summer. Robert De Niro is the latest Hollywood A-lister to star in a Warburtons advert as he has been recruited to promote the Bolton-based brands latest piece of NPD. The two-time Oscar winner plays the leading role in the gangster-themed Goodbagels advert, which draws inspiration from his iconic 90s film Goodfellas. He follows in the footsteps of Hollywood heavyweight Sylvester Stallone, Bolton-born comedian Peter Kay and The Muppets, who have starred in Warburtons adverts in recent years (see below). The advert sees De Niro and his goons head over from New York to confront Jonathan Warburton after hearing Warburtons is rising to the top of the bagels business. They paint a picture of a world where De Niro passes off the new Warburtons bagels as his own Goodbagels a move that Jonathan Warburton mistakes as a movie pitch rather than a threat. It is set to premiere on ITV 1 on Friday 17 May, during Gogglebox. It was a pleasure to fly to the UK to film this ad with the Warburtons family, and star alongside Jonathan. Getting into the bagel business has been great fun, and I hope everyone enjoys the final cut, De Niro said. As an iconic New Yorker, Robert De Niro knows his way around a bagel so its great to have his seal of approval. Weve spent months perfecting the recipe and process to ensure we delight families up and down the country with the best thing since sliced bread, added Jonathan Warburton, chairman of Warburtons. The brand unveiled its full-sized pre-sliced bagels last month. They come in two variants plain and cinnamon & raisin in packs of five with an rsp of 1.60. A short history of Warburtons celebrity-backed ad campaigns Sylvester Stallone The Rocky actor became the new face of Warburtons ad campaign, which first aired in April 2015. Called The Deliverers, Stallone played a tough, uncompromising Warburtons delivery driver who helped deliver their freshly-baked loaves daily. The Muppets Warburtons employed the help of The Muppets to promote its Giant Crumpets towards the end of 2015. As part of the 25m campaign, Jonathan Warburton was joined by Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the rest of the gang in a singing and dancing extravaganza. It was even crowned 2015s most successful Christmas campaign by market research agency Millward Brown. Peter Kay Bolton born and bred Kay was recruited in 2017 to star in Warburtons Pride and Breadjudice campaign. It featured Kay pitching a concept for a romantic television drama to Jonathan Warburton about a tale of passion, flour and a woman stood on a hill which provided an insight into the companys 141-year history. Oregon Coast's Heceta Head Lighthouse Changes and Challenges During 125-Year Anniversary Published 05/12/2019 at 11:53 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Florence, Oregon) Shes 125 years old but doesnt look a day over 80. One the big beauties of the Oregon coast is the Heceta Head Lighthouse, just north of Florence and not far south of Yachats. This year, the guiding light celebrates 125 years, with one more big event coming up, but lots to talk about on those daily tours. Theres many changes brewing in the ancient structure as well. Ben Ervin is a volunteer park ranger at the lighthouse and head of its interpretive program, among other things on the grounds. Technically its all managed by the Siuslaw National Forest and the feds, in concert with Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department, sitting in what is known as Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint and Devils Elbow State Park. He is often at the helm, certainly when it comes to dealing with the public. Ervin offered some insights into this anniversary and other aspects of the lighthouse. The largest celebration just ended: the day-long festival that included the lighthouse keepers quarters (which is a separate bed and breakfast operation.) Still coming up, however, is a special spot on May 19. Next well be a big part of the parade at Florences Rhododendron Festival, Ervin said. We were made the grand marshal of that parade, so well be there with our replica of the Heceta Head lighthouse marching in the parade. Except for mentions during the daily tours (which are weather- and staff-dependent), thats about it for the birthday parties. Those interpretive tours, which happen 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will hopefully soon have some new life. For a few months, access to the inside of the lighthouse has not been available. Ervin said its been about a few maintenance issues, which included replacing some lights and an inspection from a structural engineer that revealed some parts needed replacing. That may change very soon. Were hoping in the next two weeks, Ervin said. Ervin said its been a few years since officials stopped giving tours to the very top where the light is, and that is not likely to return once access to the lower interior is granted again. The big issue is the spiral staircase going all the way up, which can only handle so much stress. But theres a lot of wear and tear on the stairway, Ervin said. It wasnt built to accommodate thousands of people a year. Its rather unique, and not like a lot of other lighthouses, in that the spiral stairway is only connected at the top. Theres not more than one landing along the way. Its that stairway that helps perpetuate a constant rumor about the lighthouse: that it vibrates just a little when the winds hit it. Things do vibrate and shake a little, but thats only the stairway, as people walking on it cause it to jiggle. This gives the impression the entire structure is moving. Theres no way the tower moves, Ervin said. Indeed, there is kind of a psychological trick the top of the lighthouse can play on you when the winds get stirred up. But its only an illusion. Ive been up there too, and when the wind is really blowing, and theres puffs of air that come through, and you swear its moving, he said. Meanwhile, the Heceta Head Lighthouse is still a working light, actually used for navigation, Ervin said. While all mariners these days utilize GPS and other forms of electronic navigation, if their gear goes out while in the area the lighthouse can still be used for getting around. In fact, Ervin said, if for some reason the light goes out they are required to notify maritime authorities. Heceta Head Lighthouse Fun Facts: Construction was started in 1892 and the light went live on March 30, 1894. During those two years, the lighthouse was built in phases, starting with the lighthouse keepers home. Its one of the rare lighthouses on the Oregon coast still with its keepers quarters. During World War II, the Navy was stationed here with a heavy presence. They built their own fort here, complete with barracks, a mess hall and more. 75 men lived and worked here. They had a pack of dogs which they used to patrol the beaches of the central Oregon coast. The last lighthouse keeper retired in 1963: since then the whole operation has been automated and run by electricity. Heceta Head Lighthouse website. 541-547-3416. Lodgings in Yachats - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Beatrices American Legion Riders and other organizations have collaborated to help a veteran in need, and gained a new friend in the process. While looking for a project they could help out with, the Gage County veterans services officer Phil Dittbrenner told the Legion Riders about Al Kriks, a marine veteran that fought in Vietnam. Kriks rotting porch was causing his troubles, and due to problems with his knees and back, he was unable to fix it himself. It took roughly one week with eight people helping to demo the old porch, build a new one and clean up the mess. There was no time that I can remember that everyone was not working It was almost like being back in the service again, all the camaraderie, Kriks said. Kriks admitted that he was stubborn to accept the project at first, because he had always done for himself in the past. The next project that we do, were going to figure out how to get the veteran, Neal Ostermann, a member of the Legion Riders, said. Were either going to have to handcuff him in his house or something, because we all but crippled [Kriks] just because he wouldnt sit still. He had to be out there being part of it. Ostermann said that the project was really fun to do. The guys were all having a good time, and we all got a good friend out of it, Ostermann said. None of us knew Al before we started that project, and all of us are pretty fond of him now. Ostermann explained that another Legion Rider, Jim Jameson, is a general building contractor, so he oversaw much of the project. They purchased the materials from Mead Lumber, who after hearing what the project was about offered to cover half the cost. Its nice to see that from the community, see businesses and people recognize the needs of veterans and participate that way, Ostermann said. The Legion Riders covered the rest of the cost through fundraisers aimed towards these kind of projects. Their biggest fundraiser is the Armed Forces Day celebration, where they have a car and bike show, silent auction, food vendors, a live band and Quilt of Valor celebrations. This year, the celebration will be on May 18 starting at 9a.m. at the American Legion Post 27 on 701 Dorsey Street. Ostermann said the Legion Riders also make donations towards the Quilts of Valor, Blue Star Mothers of America and other organizations that help children and veterans. Kriks said that he is a member of the American Legion, but was unaware of everything they do. I suppose Ill get my bike running sometime and join up with you guys, Kriks told Ostermann. Anybody that can join the legion, boy I would recommend it. Kriks recalled that his wife was not around when the porch was being built, and that she was almost in tears when she saw it. So was I, Kriks said. Its really hard for me to express my feelings, but I can tell you that I have never been around a bunch of guys that were more willing to do the work that they did. Its like a big family, and I think that speaks a lot for the Riders themselves. Theres just no way I could ever repay them. 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. 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. Have Sheriff Offices in North Carolina, possibly even Beaufort County's Sheriff Office, become too political in the discharging of their sworn constitutional duties? No, the sheriff is a constitutional officer. Yes, the Sheriff Office, on strong occasion, often reverts back to political patronage in the dispensation of their sworn constitutional duties. N.C. teachers protest at the May 2018 Red for Ed demonstrations in Raleigh. Provide enough school librarians, psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses, and other health professionals to meet national standards Provide a $15 minimum wage for all school personnel, 5% raise for all ESPs (non-certified staff), teachers, admin, and a 5% cost of living adjustment for retirees Expand Medicaid to improve the health of our students and families Reinstate state retiree health benefits eliminated by the General Assembly in 2017 Restore raises for teachers with advanced degrees ended by the General Assembly in 2013 More than 500,000 N.C. students won't be in class May 1 as school districts across the state close so teachers can attend a planned rally in downtown Raleigh.As of Tuesday, April 16, 11 school districts and two charter schools will be closed for the May 1 Day of Action . At least 40 school districts cancelled classes so that thousands of teachers could participate in the event last year.The school districts closing include Chapel-Hill/Carrboro, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Durham, Guilford, Kannapolis, Lexington, Mooresville, Orange, Wake, Wilson, and Winston-Salem/Forsyth. Central Park Charter School for Children in Durham and Raleigh Charter High School will also close May 1.The N.C. Association of Educators is sponsoring the rally.NCAE President Mark Jewell said in a news release.This year's rally will focus on five demands from the event organizers:Terry Stoops, vice president of research and director of education studies at the John Locke Foundation, said the list of demands - particularly Medicaid expansion - is a nod to the Democratic Party.Stoops said in a video for Carolina Journal Radio.Stoops questioned the timing of the rally, which falls on an instructional day.Stoops said.Stoops suggested the event organizers pick a day to hold the rally when school isn't in session but lawmakers are still at the General Assembly. Closing schools on a school day only serves to inconvenience parents and negatively impact student learning, Stoops said.Stoops said.Some school districts decided against canceling classes, including Craven County Schools and Union County Public Schools. Officials with Craven County Schools, per reports from WCTI , said they can't cancel classes during the first part of May because of the number of school days already missed.Hurricane Florence battered the region last year, forcing the school district to close schools while the storm raged.David Hale, chairman of the Craven County Board of Education, told WCTI.Union County Public Schools announced on Facebook plans to operate on a normal schedule May 1.the post reads.Craven County Schools is also working to send a delegation of teachers to the rally instead of closing the entire school district.The announcements that certain school districts won't close for the rally has raised the ire of some, including Justin Parmenter, an advisory board member of Public Schools First N.C. and Red 4 Ed N.C. Parmenter wrote on his blog Others have praised the school districts deciding not to close May 1.Pat Ryan, a spokesman for Senate leader Phil Berger, told the News & Observer The Old Well on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill. (Photo Courtesy of Good Free Photos) Palestinian rapper Tamer Nafar said those words March 22 as he performed on a stage at UNC Chapel Hill's Global Education Center.Nafar's statements, captured on a phone camera and published by documentary filmmaker Ami Horowitz , were part of a three-day academic conference called "Conflict Over Gaza: People, Politics, and Possibilities." Now, in a "Conflict Over Chapel Hill," the campus is facing questions about the university's use of taxpayer money to host the event. The incident also raises more concerns about the protection of free speech on campuses - even when that speech is offensive. In an April 10 YouTube video about 3 1/2 minutes long, Horowitz details several instances of anti-Israel rhetoric, all of which were caught on a seemingly hidden microphone. The video splices together bits and pieces of conversation and includes an edited take of Nafar's concert.the film shows Nafar telling his audience.he jokes as the crowd sings along.The video ends with a shot of a security guard asking Horowitz to leave. Anti-Semitic posters, Horowitz reports in the last few seconds of the film, were found on campus days after the event.Such posters were found in Davis Library, but there was no evidence of a link to the "Conflict Over Gaza" conference, university officials said.Since Horowitz's report, condemnation and calls for investigation have reached the halls of Congress and the U.S. Department of Education. The DOE provided a $235,000 grant to the Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies - the organization responsible for the conference - for use in international and foreign education, Rep. George Holding, R-2nd District, wrote in an April 16 letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.Holding wrote to DeVos.Holding's letter demands an investigation into UNC's use of the money, the content of discussions at the event, and the DOE's policies for organizational accountability, among other things.Holding wrote.contacted the DOE for more information about non-discrimination rules for federal grants.also asked if DeVos would investigate and inquired after possible courses of action.DOE Press Secretary Liz Hill replied.UNC officials reported that $5,000 of the DOE grant helped underwrite the conference. Leaders at UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University also released statements strongly renouncing anti-Semitism.Guskiewicz told faculty members during a meeting that same day.Holding, Guskiewicz, and others should be careful not to jump to conclusions - and should consider the constitutional rights of everyone on campus, even those who perpetuated offensive speech, said Robert Shibley, executive director of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.Though unsavory, nothing about Nafar's performance can be considered unprotected or illegal, Shibley told. It didn't incite immediate violence or illegal actions, and therefore it legally falls under the First Amendment umbrella.Shibley said.It would be wise for universities to make extra effort to seek out people on both sides of a topic - especially one as controversial as Gaza, Shibley said.But UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University are entitled to have a conference about any topic, from any angle, he said. Universities aren't doing themselves any favors by continually practicing political bias, but there's nothing illegal about what happened at the Chapel Hill conference.Additionally, no one should assume they know exactly what occurred, Shibley said, since outrage currently rides on one short video - from one source.he said, pointing to the social media hailstorm of vitriol against a group of Catholic high school boys who were falsely accused of racial harassment after being misrepresented on a viral, short video.Before politicians or university administrators get too carried away with demands for retracted funding or promises to block certain kinds of speech, they should take a step back and look at the bigger picture, Shibley said.UNC Global, a main sponsor of the conference, initially released a statement to ABC 11, statingHorowitz reported he was barred by UNC officials from bringing his camera into the event. The filmmaker instead wore a recording device.If UNC is going to claim the Horowitz took statements out of context, then the university must provide missing information, Shibley said.Whenreached out to UNC Chapel Hill and UNC Global officials for more information, the organization sent a link to a previously published statement part of UNC Global's statement reads.reached out again to ask if any other video of the conference was available.UNC Global spokeswoman Katie Bowler Young said. An Indianapolis man has been arrested in a quadruple homicide that followed an alleged argument over a stimulus check, according to a probable cause affidavit. State bear managers had to kill a young grizzly in the Blackfoot Valley on Sunday after it repeatedly raided a barn in search of grain. In 2018, we had the highest bear conflict year on record in the Blackfoot, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks bear management specialist Jamie Jonkel said in a release. Some of what were seeing now is young bears that were taught bad behavior last year, returning and looking for livestock feed and other attractants. This bear was showing food-conditioned behavior, which Jonkel said is a very difficult habit for a grizzly to unlearn. That can result in their hanging around homes and agricultural operations and getting bolder in their attempts to acquire livestock or human food supplies. Fires in 2018 and last winters heavy snowpack have displaced some high-country bears into lower elevations along the Blackfoot River drainage in search of food this spring. Jonkel said a good berry crop along the valley bottoms also drew bears to the area last fall. It is important to keep bear attractants such as garbage, pet and livestock food and chickens, behind electric fences or inside a secure structure, Jonkel said. If bears are able to find these things easily, then they tend to stay in the area looking for more. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 A plan to feed the thousands of Japanese confined at Wyoming's Heart Mountain Relocation Center during World War II will be the topic of a talk on Monday, May 20, in Cody, Wyoming. Dakota Russell, museum manager for the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, will talk about how Glenn Hartman and Alden Ingraham were drafted out of the University of Wyoming by camp administrators to develop an agriculture plan for the Heart Mountain Relocation Center. The talk is part of the meeting of the Pahaska Corral of Westerners at the Governors Room in the Irma Hotel. The event begins with a no-host dinner at 6 p.m. followed by the presentation around 7 p.m. Both the meal and the program are open to the public. Due to limited seating, RSVP by emailing Lynn Houze ljhcody@tctwest.net Hartman and Ingraham worked in tandem with camp residents, who included seasoned farmers, and James Ito, a soil scientist, to develop and execute the camp's agricultural plan. The process was not smooth and included completing the Heart Mountain Canal and tilling fields with tractors that proved too weak to break the tough Wyoming soil, which precipitated a strike. BISMARCK, N.D. A Lincoln man is "absolutely disappointed" after the North Dakota Game and Fish Department declined to recognize his walleye as a new state record. Tom Volk caught a 16-pound, 9-ounce walleye April 21 from the shore of the Heart River in Mandan. Game and Fish investigators on Monday determined his walleye "was foul-hooked and, therefore, cannot be recognized as a state record." North Dakota Chief Game Warden Bob Timian said eyewitnesses' statements and other information contributed to the finding. By rule, a foul-hooked fish is one hooked behind its gill plates, such as in the tail, back or belly. Timian also said the fish was not intentionally snagged, which is illegal but for paddlefishing. "A third party" netted and unhooked Volk's fish, he added. Volk disputes the department's "unfortunate" finding and has consulted his attorney "for an appeal process of some sort," but can find nothing in administrative code, rules or law to appeal the conclusion by Game and Fish. He maintains the fish was caught by the mouth and cited evidence for his side. A Lincoln man is "absolutely disappointed" after the North Dakota Game and Fish Department declined to recognize his walleye as a new state record. Tom Volk caught a 16-pound, 9-ounce walleye April 21 from the shore of the Heart River in Mandan. Game and Fish investigators on Monday determined his walleye "was foul-hooked and, therefore, cannot be recognized as a state record." North Dakota Chief Game Warden Bob Timian said eyewitnesses' statements and other information contributed to the finding. By rule, a foul-hooked fish is one hooked behind its gill plates, such as in the tail, back or belly. Timian also said the fish was not intentionally snagged, which is illegal but for paddlefishing. "A third party" netted and unhooked Volk's fish, he added. Volk disputes the department's "unfortunate" finding and has consulted his attorney "for an appeal process of some sort," but can find nothing in administrative code, rules or law to appeal the conclusion by Game and Fish. He maintains the fish was caught by the mouth and cited evidence for his side. "There's a hole in the mouth of the fish," Volk said. "There's string burn on the side of the fish's cheek. There is no indication of any damage to the body of the fish." He said he's disappointed from the official finding and added he hopes for witness statements to come forward to bolster his claim. Timian said the state record book is not in law and is kept at the department's discretion. Private entities usually track records. "We wouldn't even have to keep a record book, quite frankly," Timian said. Despite his disappointment, Volk said he still plans to send the fish to a taxidermist and celebrate "the fact that I caught the official unofficial state record walleye in North Dakota." Timian said Volk's fish should have been returned, but Game and Fish won't contest his keeping it. North Dakota's state record walleye stands as a 15-pound, 13-ounce fish caught by Neal Leier, of Bismarck, in May 2018 on the Missouri River near the Fox Island boat ramp. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 3 Funny 14 Wow 2 Sad 5 Angry 16 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. Wearing garbage bag ponchos and blue rubber gloves, students of Sweet Briar School gathered around Sheri Johnson as she began to inflate a beef lung. "Isn't that just the coolest thing, you guys?" she said after blowing air into the organ. The lung was the last of the morning's dissecting lesson, which used a heart, diaphragm, trachea and other organs donated from the butcher shop in Glen Ullin. "We thought we had an eyeball ordered, too, but that didn't come," Johnson said, keeping a close watch on her students using scalpels from a local veterinarian. The lesson will be one of her last at Sweet Briar School, a rural school about 12 miles west of Mandan on the rolling prairie. Johnson is retiring after 38 years of a diverse career in education. Her wide interests led her to the teaching profession from high school, she said. "From forestry to oceanography to being an astronaut to anthropology, child psychology; I just was interested in all those things," Johnson said. "Art, music and all that." Her long career has taken her from teaching in western Minnesota to two years' missionary work in Papua New Guinea to a variety of roles in rural North Dakota schools. She's continued her education along the way, earning her master's degree in health science and other credentials over the years. Johnson has been at Sweet Briar for 11 years as the principal and one of two teachers, and 13 years before that at Almont Public School in several roles: elementary principal, leading K-8 music and teaching health, science and math. "This is many chapters of my life, but this is a new chapter coming," the International Falls, Minn., native said. Johnson looks forward to spending time with her husband, Grant, and their children, 28-year-old Andrew and 15-year-old Claire. There also are household projects to do on their Almont-area farm and ranch and activities to keep up with in town and at church. And some substitute teaching here and there, of course. "I can still keep my feet in education," Johnson said. Sweet Briar's K-3 teacher, Katie Dahly, said she leaned on Johnson in her first years of teaching at the small school, from working with students in several grades to getting to know the local families. "She's just a good leader," Dahly said. "Coming into teaching is a brand new world. Coming into a scenario like this when I've never heard of a school like this. I didn't grow up in a multi-grade, small, rural school." She and Johnson both credit a "strong, motivating, supportive" school board helping to bolster the rural school and allow the teachers to continue their education. Dahly holds a master's degree in differentiated education. Sweet Briar has seen growing enrollment in recent years a record 22 students this year. Sweet Briar School Board President Travis Wolf said enrollment will likely plateau for the near future. Johnson has been "a great teacher" for Sweet Briar, he said. "Shes been a major asset," Wolf said. "Were sure going to miss her, but wish her the best of luck in her retirement." There's still work to do this school year, finishing reading and math, but some fun left as well. Sweet Briar's students will take a field trip to Medora and put on a spring concert for their last day of school, May 23. "It's all about the people, especially the students," Johnson said. "And I will be so thankful if I have influenced kids in a positive way. That's kind of the bottom line." Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 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. Debating North Dakota's cottage foods law in the recent legislative session came down to canned green beans and botulism. State lawmakers in 2017 passed sweeping legislation that expanded direct-to-consumer sales of mostly home baked and canned items. A bill meant to clarify legislative intent and definitions in that law failed in the Legislature's final days this year. Now, the state Department of Health is reviving a rule-making process that paused in 2018 after cottage food proponents objected. "They can try to promulgate rules, and we will oppose it," said LeAnn Harner, who runs a goat dairy northwest of Mandan. She organized a stream of testimony from "food freedom" proponents against the 2019 bill. "We just firmly believe that they do not have the legal right to promulgate rules," she said. Liberty vs. safety Core to the dispute is what food items are covered in the cottage food law, especially low acid canned foods, such as green beans, which the ultimate 2019 bill would have prohibited. Some lawmakers in the state House, where the bill failed, invoked the risk for botulism from low acid canning, while other House members sharply defended cottage foods as a liberty issue and trusting "Grandma's apple butter." "This isn't in my opinion a question about food freedom or liberty," said Julie Wagendorf, director of the state Division of Food and Lodging. "This is a question about a complex food processing method that requires preventative controls, such as heat treatment under pressure, properly functioning equipment and time and temperature controls." The health department will draft proposed rules to be available for public comment perhaps as early as September, she added. Lori Martin, a founding board member of the BisMarket farmers market in Bismarck, said she would like to participate, but wonders how the discussion may go after the previous rules process and bill were unsuccessful. "I think that the legislative process worked because what was broken, honestly?" Martin said. Current law could use "some cleanup," she added, but the intent is clear: for cottage food producers to be able to sell a variety of homemade goods from their kitchens directly to interested consumers. 'We have an obligation' Wagendorf said the cottage foods law extends to baked goods, jams, jellies and "other food and drink products" as the law describes, but not low acid canned foods. "We have an obligation as the Department of Health," she said. "There's definitely a lot of uncertainty and unclarity to the existing cottage food law. We have tons of questions that come in and people are not sure what is considered a cottage food product and what is not and that needs to be clarified." Harner said cottage foods allowed for sale should be "everything that isn't specifically exempted." Red meats and raw milk, she gave as examples, have specific provisions under law and are not considered cottage foods. Current law is "pretty good," she added. Martin said the BisMarket allows vendors to sell low acid canned foods as "it's permitted by law." Wagendorf said that's not the health department's stance. "I would really just like to understand what Food and Lodging is trying to fix," Martin said. Botulism 'boogeyman' Seeing botulism invoked as a "boogeyman" has been "disconcerting," Harner said. "I just think when people get sick in restaurants and from corporate foods that are all inspected every single day in this country, why are we so afraid of buying something from our neighbor, that we're going to kill masses of people?" she said. "It just isn't realistic." North Dakota has had several cases of foodborne botulism in state history, according to the state Division of Disease Control: In 1930, four Golden Valley County residents died after eating home-canned beans. In 1931, 13 people from Grafton died after eating home-canned peas, carrots and beans. A 75-year-old woman died in 1982 after eating home-canned beans. A 26-year-old man fell ill in 1999, presumably from a home-canned zucchini and pineapple mixture. Martin said low acid canned foods aren't the only sticking points in current law. She and Harner each pointed to refrigerated food items as another issue. The original 2019 bill sought to freeze refrigerated foods for transport to sale. Martin added she would like the Division of Food and Lodging "to bring everyone to the table" in further discussing cottage foods. Sen. Jerry Klein, R-Fessenden, who brought the 2019 bill as a "facilitator" in the cottage foods dispute, said he now considers himself an "onlooker" to the issue. He also said he hopes the Department of Health considers discussion from the legislative session when drafting rules, which he expects will be successful this time. "It's now certainly up to the agency, and they've got quite a guideline now," Klein said. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. 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. Proposed administrative rules for North Dakota's disputed cottage foods law are about to enter the oven. The State Health Council will review the proposed rules at its meeting on Wednesday. North Dakota's cottage foods law has been in dispute since mid-2018 when cottage food proponents clashed with state health officials over a rule-making process on the 2017 law that expanded direct-to-consumer sales of home baked and canned items. A bill in the 2019 state legislative session meant to clarify the law's definitions and intent. But it failed in the session's final days as House lawmakers sparred over low acid canned foods, such as green beans. "Food freedom" proponents and state health officials differ on low acid canned items as allowed for sale. The proposed rules outline a bevy of definitions and food items not allowed for sale, including low acid canned foods, and requires frozen transport and labeling for refrigerated foods. The 2019 bill originally sought those regulations. Upon review, the State Health Council will decide to proceed with or amend the rules, according to Pamela Thompson, executive assistant with the state Department of Health. After the council's OK, the proposed rules would enter a public hearing process at a later date. No public comment will be taken at Wednesday's meeting. "All what they're looking at is they're going to look through the rules to make sure they believe they look good to go," Thompson said. Some cottage food proponents have indicated their interest to oppose or participate in the public hearing process. LeAnn Harner, who led opposition to the 2019 bill, disputes state health officials' legal right to promulgate rules. "I think we're pretty good," Harner said. "We thought the legislation that was passed two years ago was fairly clear." Julie Wagendorf, director of the state Division of Food and Lodging, said health officials will consider "dialogue" from the 2019 bill's legislative process in the new rules. The State Health Council meets 9 a.m. Wednesday in Conference Room 212 of the Judicial Wing of the state Capitol at Bismarck. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. This is Up and Down, where we give a brief thumbs up and thumbs down on the issues from the past week. Up A group of Century High School students developed a user-friendly website to provide classmates with mental health and addiction resources. The recently launched CHS Corner includes tips for students on topics such as effectively managing stress, an information section containing articles for students and a school and community resources page. The CHS group was one of 17 student groups in the state to receive funding through North Dakota first lady Kathryn Burgum's Youth Ending Stigma Challenge -- a program that awarded up to $1,000 to student-led projects aimed at getting rid of the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction. The CHS project demonstrates how students can work to help their peers. Projects like this will improve students lives. Down Its unfortunate that Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed legislation last week requiring Washington refineries and other facilities that offload or load crude oil from a rail car to meet lower vapor pressure standards than what North Dakota requires. The standard would take effect if the state has an increase in rail traffic or if new facilities are constructed. Inslee also signed legislation banning hydraulic fracturing in Washington. Washington legislators didnt show a desire to work with North Dakota on the rail car bill, now there likely will be legal action. Up During the school year MDU Resources Group Inc. and the Bismarck Tribune honored 32 students as a Teen of the Week. On Thursday, Bismarck High Schools Naomi Hegwood was named Teen of the Year. Hegwood and the 31 other students are examples of the best of the best. They excel in the classroom and outside it and have earned their accolades. Harry Pearce, who is retiring as MDU Resources board of directors chairman, also merits our thanks. MDU Resources awarded a $5,000 scholarship to Hegwood and Pearce personally added $5,000. That was more than generous. We have no doubt the 32 seniors are on the path to greater successes. Down Its understandable that testimony at public hearings can sometimes get heated. People can get passionate about issues that impact their lives. However, those attending need to control their emotions, especially elected officials. At a recent meeting over wind turbine regulations, Rep. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, reportedly confronted and yelled at Rep. Mike Brandenburg, R-Edgeley. Those in attendance were surprised by incident. Magrum later said he "didn't act appropriately." Hopefully, hes better behaved in the future. Up Ten nurses were honored last week at the first "Nurses: The Heart of Health Care" luncheon at Bismarck State College. The event put the focus on a profession thats essential for the health of every community. The 10 who were honored reflect the variety of tasks that nurses must handle. They all merit our thanks. Down Theres nothing funny about counterfeit money. Bismarck and Mandan police said reports of counterfeit bills often come in streaks and there have been recent reports of counterfeit $100 bills in both cities. Those who receive the fake bills usually lose money. Its important that everyones alert for the bad bills. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Only a couple weeks ago, the University of Mary graduated its first class of engineering students, highlighting a new opportunity for students to earn an engineering degree in western North Dakota. Since 2010, two of every three new North Dakotans have moved to western North Dakota, totaling more than 55,000 new residents and largely due to the growth of the Bakken. Such growth has obviously demanded significant new investments in transportation, water infrastructure and K-12 school systems. The University of Mary is serving a similar gap caused by our expanding population and economy whereby our state needs new opportunities in education closer to hometown communities and the job market after graduation. Consider for a moment, that the closest two choices for a young adult in Dickinson seeking a degree in civil engineering were previously limited to North Dakota State University (4.25 hours) and South Dakota School of Mines (3.5 hours). While both are great schools (the latter is my own alma mater), more choice will only breed more opportunity to recruit young adults from the region into engineering, encourage out-of-state students to move to North Dakota, and connect all students with companies in western North Dakota. The University of Mary has set bold goals for itself that are based on meeting the needs of our region. I appreciate its leadership and congratulate it for graduating its first class of engineers. Brian J. Zuroff, Bismarck Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Across 27 countries surveyed, more people think religion plays a less important role than a more important role compared with 20 years ago, notes a new report from Pew Research. But around the world, more people also favor an increased role for religion in their country than oppose it. Majorities in the U.S. (58 percent), Canada (64 percent), and Europe (a median of 52 percent) say religion has a less important role than it did 20 years ago. Whether thats viewed as a positive or negative trend, though, varies by country, age, and religiosity. In the U.S., more than half (51 percent) want a more important role for religion, while about one in five (18 percent) oppose. In Canada, only 37 percent are supportive while 29 percent oppose. Roughly one-third of adults in Europe (median of 32 percent) favor a more important role for religion, while a similar percentage (33 percent) are opposed. Amongst Europeans, the percentage of those opposed is highest in Sweden, where halfe of adults (51 percent) are particularly concerned about the more important role of religion. A near majority in both France (47 percent) and the Netherlands (45 percent) are also concerned about the influence of religion. Older adults are more supportive of a more important role for religion in 10 countries. Between those ages 18 to 29 and those 50 and older theres a 22 percent age gap in the U.S. and 19 percent in Canada. The biggest age difference is in Italy, where there is a 25 percentage point gap between older and younger Italian adults. Not surprisingly, those who say that religion is very important in their lives are especially in favor of a major role for religion in society. In the U.S., 69 percent of those who say religion is very important favor a larger role for religion in society. Similar percentages say the same in Australia (69 percent), South Africa (68 percent), Brazil (67 percent), and Greece (66 percent). Donald Trump, a garbage person, promised the credulous dunces in his "base" that he would build a wall along the US southern border at a cost of $12b (the DHS said it would cost $21.6b) and then failed to do so, despite controlling Congress, the Senate and the White House. He blamed the opposition for this failure. In response, a fellow promised that he would raise the money for the wall through a crowdfunding campaign that the credulous dunces could send money to. He estimated that he could build it on private land for a mere $1b, because why not. They raised more than $20m, less than one thousandth of the DHS estimate of the cost of doing so, and, with less than 1% of the total cost in hand, the crowdfunder was shut down. Now, the credulous dunces would like to know the what Brian Kolfage, the fellow who started the campaign, is doing with their millions. Mr Kolfage created a nonprofit to receive the money, but its records are sparse and mysterious. Mr Kolfage became very upset when the Daily Beast's Will Sommer published an article pointing out that no evidence of progress has been made available, and Mr Sommer countered that he had repeatedly asked Mr Kolfage for a status update, to no avail. In lieu of evidence, Mr Kolfage offered this assurance: "I guaranteed we would build the wall . . . and I'll leave it at that!" Mr Kolfage has variously promised start-dates of April, May, or June. He will not say where he plans to build "because of the ACLU, these other liberal groups who want to sue us and impede our progress." Mr Kolfage's advisory board includes such worthies as the Nazi Stephen K Bannon and the Kris Kobach, an expert in voter suppression. Mr Kolfage has previously raised thousands through crowdfunders to help veterans, though the hospitals the funds were earmarked for told Buzzfeed that the money never materialized and that they had no connection to him. In his defense, Mr Kolfage said Buzzfeed "100 percent lied." Reporting on the apparent lack of progress on the private wall, published early Friday by the Daily Beast, drew criticism from Kolfage. The veteran called out the story's author, Will Sommer, who indicated he's repeatedly asked Kolfage for proof they were close to a groundbreaking. "Omg this is PERFECT timing by the liberal rag news site. They are about to look more stupid than @hillaryclinton on election night 2016!" Kolfage wrote. "I guaranteed we would build the wall . . . and I'll leave it at that!" Kolfage did not respond to an email and message from The Washington Post requesting comment Friday. While the nonprofit has floated various groundbreaking dates in the past, it's not exactly clear when, or if, construction will begin. "We should be turning dirt on this thing by May 1, June 1 at the latest, according to our experts," Kolfage told Politico in February. In a March 21 interview with American Family Radio, however, the veteran asserted they were going to "start breaking ground" in April. A group raised over $20 million to 'build the wall.' Now its supporters want answers. [Michael Brice-Saddler/Washington Post] Julian Assange originally fled to Ecuador's London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden and may be headed there after all. Eva-Marie Persson, the director of public prosecutions in Stockholm, has re-opened his rape case and signaled that a new extradition request is coming. UK authorities will have to decide which extradition request to prioritise if Sweden, too, issues a request. "I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US. In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority," Persson said. "The outcome of this process is impossible to predict. However, in my view the Swedish case can proceed concurrently with the proceedings in the UK." News / Africa by Staff Reporter The African Union Observer Team which recently visited the Pan African Parliament (PAP) on the eve of South Africa's General Elections 2019 expressed satisfaction on the progress of the elections describing it as "best democracy pioneered by a young country".South Africa is the second youngest country after attaining it's independence in 1994, while South Sudan became independent in 1994."The way South Africa conducted it's elections is outstanding," said the head of the African Union Observer team, former Tanzanian President, Hon Jakaya Kikwete, on the sidelines of the current underway Second Ordinary Session of the fifth Parliament in Midrand, South Africa."We need more African countries to emulate South Africa in conducting perfect elections. There is no violence, but competition and more competition. We are impressed with the situation on the ground."Meanwhile, Kikwete expressed his happiness towards PAP."I am very impressed that the idea of the PAP is working for the continent," said Kikwete."We are impressed with the progress we are seeing here. We are very impressed and proud of our growing institution which brings together African legislators as the quest for a better Africa continues. We appeal to everyone to work hard so that the PAP lives on for generations to come." News / Africa by Staff Reporter African Union-International Centre for Girls and Women's education in Africa (AU/CIEFFA) is seeking to partner Pan-African Parliament (PAP) as they want to achieve gender friendly culture in the continent.AU/CIEFFA is a specialised institution of the African Union since 2004, dealing with women and girls' education.Its centre is located in Ouagadogou, Burkina Faso.They advocate for gender equality and sensitivity throughout the education and training while also accelerating gender parity and equity in the society.During an AU/CIEFFA technical meeting held on the margins of the 2nd ordinary session of the 5th Pan-African Parliament in Midrand, South Africa, Dr Yankey-Outtara Simome, AU/CIEFFA senior policy officer, said partnering Pan-African Parliament will help them understand the different approaches legislators use in their respective countries to promote gender sensitive culture."The reason why we want to partner Pan-African Parliament is because we want to understand the mechanisms put in place by different countries towards realisation of a gender friendly culture."To inculcate this culture Dr Yankey-Outtara believes the starting point should be the classroom."A gender friendly cultures entails gender friendly classrooms, gender friendly materials and textbooks, gender friendly schools and facilities and gender friendly community.If these are not met we will have high drop out cases particularly among girls," she said.In the same meeting Dr Rita Bissoonauth, AU/CIEFFA coordinator, said a lot needs to be done in schools as girls continue to face discrimination and abuse which threatens to undermine the potentially transformative power of the education they receive.While giving a situational analysis of Africa she said millions of children particularly girls are denied the right to education and are unable to access the knowledge,skills and capabilities necessary to take an empowered and equal role in society.Hence she suggested that African educational systems must be encouraging to both boys and girls." African educational systems must encourage both boys and girls in STEM subjects at all levels.'STEMitizing' curricula, learning content and teachers training is required," she said. News / National by Staff reporter ROLLING power cuts have intensified across the country despite repeated denials by Zesa that it has re-introduced load-shedding.Zesa last week issued a statement where it distanced itself from a load-shedding schedule that was circulating on social media.The power utility, which announced that Kariba Power Station would soon be operating at half capacity with electricity generation set to be reduced to 358 megawatts from 542 megawatts, claimed supplies remained normal.However, Harare and Bulawayo residents, especially those living in high-density suburbs, said they were now going for over 12 hours a day without electricity on a regular basis.Harare Residents' Trust (HRT) director Precious Shumba said Zesa was not being truthful about the "load-shedding"."The HRT urges the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) to be honest and accountable to electricity consumers," he said."The reality on the ground is that residents are spending longer times than usual without electricity supplies. Most of the day residents are going without electricity."It is irresponsible for the national power supplier to feign ignorance of something that they are in control of."Shumba said consumers that had no pre-paid meters were suffering the most."(Zesa) should learn to respect their clients who pay in advance for electricity supplies, and the hardest hit are those electricity consumers who are on the post-paid metering system who are being forced to pay huge amounts of money for electricity that has not been provided," he added."The ZETDC must genuinely appreciate the expectations and demands of the electricity consumers and stop playing mind games while people suffer daily."Tawanda Chirindo from Marondera said electricity in the town had become a "rare commodity".He said they had lost a lot of perishables due to the power cuts, which happened without any prior warning.Trynos Mabvazuva from Harare said the power cuts were causing huge losses for businesspeople."Critical industries incur huge costs by using expensive alternatives such as generators, which is even trickier because of unavailability of fuel," he said."Those lacking capacity to use generators have to stop production."Zesa spokesperson Fullard Gwasira was not forthcoming when contacted for comment retorting: "Where did you see it?" when asked whether the utility was implementing load-shedding.The country is already grappling with acute fuel shortages due to lack of foreign currency.Food and medicines are also in short supply in a country that is also struggling with various economic challenges.Zimbabwe produces 915 megawatts of electricity against peak demand of 2 100 megawatts. News / National by Staff reporter Zpra war veterans have established a committee on Gukurahundi to address issues specific to them after indications the government is now ready to address the 1980s killings.The Zpra Veterans' Trust Association an independent body representing ex-combatants of Zapu's military wing accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of mishandling the Gukurahundi issue.Mnangagwa, through the Justice ministry, last month announced a cocktail of measures to address the emotive issue after meeting Matabeleland clergy and civic society leaders under the Matabeleland Collective banner.Among some of the processes prescribed is to allow exhumations and reburials and issuance of birth and death certificates, but Zpra said these processes were meaningless without acknowledgement, an apology and justice system similar to the Rwandese Gacaca system of dealing with a genocide.The Rwandan government embarked on an ambitious and unprecedented approach to delivering justice after the 1994 genocide, using both conventional domestic courts and community-based Gacaca courts.In the late 1990s and early 2000s, in particular, thousands of people were arrested, and many were charged and tried under the Gacaca system for the genocide that killed an estimated 800 000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus."When that (acknowledgement and an apology) has been done, those that are responsible for having killed people should be identified as in Rwanda, where they had the Gacaca system of processing these people who had maimed, traumatised and killed other people during their genocide," Baster Magwizi, the Zpra Veterans' Trust spokesperson, told The Standard.Gacaca took its name from a community-based dispute resolution mechanism traditionally used to resolve minor disputes, but drew heavily on a more conventional model of punitive justice.Its objectives included not only delivering justice, but also strengthening reconciliation, and revealing the truth about the genocide."Why can't we do the same, and then a fate is decided for them by the community, which was injured or maimed? We cannot have a process of healing where the butcher becomes the healer and reconciler."We say that the process has been mishandled. We think the agenda is no longer to heal the community, but to sanitise the current government of Gukurahundi.This issue will not go away until Mnangagwa comes out openly and says he is apologising and acknowledges that this thing happened," Magwizi added.A Gacaca pilot phase began in 2002, but it was not until 2005 that the courts began functioning. Gacaca courts then processed almost two million cases until their closure in June 2012.Mnangagwa has been mum on issuing an apology or making an acknowledgement. News / National by Staff reporter THE bodies of 13 of the 14 Zimbabweans who died in a Marsmery bus accident in South Africa on May 6 arrived in the country yesterday through Beitbridge.Initially 10 of the 13 bodies were brought in yesterday afternoon while SA officials sought clarification on the three which were expected later last night.The fate of the 14th victim remained unclear.A sombre mood hung over the border post as officials from the Registrar-General's Office processed paperwork of the deceased.The names of some of the 13 brought in yesterday were given as Patience Nyathi (35) born in Chiredzi, Thabile (5) and Nokuthaba Ncube both born in Johannesburg and travelling with Patience Nyathi, Nyarai Chisaka (24) a lady from Chipinge and her child Tharia Zvotoona (1), Dakarai Makuyana (29) of Chipinge and Chipo Munjokodi (46) also of Chipinge.Others are Priscillah Madhoji, Female (29) of Mwenezi and her year-old child Dalene Shonhayi who was undocumented and Salome Chipatiso (1) of Chivi both whose parents survived. The remains of Sekai Madhuviko (42) of Masvingo were also brought in.A church service for the deceased was held at Elim Hospital, Louis Tritchardt, about 15km off the N1 highway along which the accident occurred.The bodies were brought aboard hearses from Nyaradzo Funeral Services, Zororo-Phumulani (Doves), Kings and Queens and Batanai Funerals ."The identification process for the 12th Zimbabwean was done after 1600hrs on Friday and the identification process for the 13th was only done on Saturday.Since the SA Department of Home Affairs was closed on Saturday and Sunday, their paperwork will only be processed starting tomorrow (today) and will be repatriated during the course of the week," said the accompanying document seen by the NewsDay.The last two to die in the accident were identified as Luke Mangoma (40) of Chivi and Titos Maluleke (70) of Chiredzi.The bus reportedly hit a railing before flipping over and landing on its side. The deceased were coming from shopping trips in SA and the accident blocked the N1 for more than seven hours as rescue workers tried to clear the highway. News / National by Staff reporter INTERNATIONAL money transfer service, WorldRemit, has seen a 40% surge in customers sending money to Zimbabwe for cash collection through ZB Bank.In a statement, country director of Zimbabwe and head of sub-Saharan Africa at WorldRemit, Pardon Mujakachi said diaspora contributions are vital to upholding the education of children across Zimbabwe and they will continue working with their trusted partners in the country."As thousands of children in Zimbabwe go back to school, the contributions of the diaspora are vital to upholding the education of children across the country. Switching to digitalservices to send money back home will make this money go even further," he said."We will continue working with our trusted partners, such as ZB Bank, so that we can guarantee Zimbabweans can collect their money as cash in USD when they need it most."Commenting on the issue, ZB Bank chief executive officer, Ronald Mutandagayi said the group was excited with the progress made by WorldRemit so far."ZB will continue to leverage on our money transfer partners including World Remit as we also focus on our Diaspora Banking which we will be formally launching this year in line with our key strategic pillar to increase foreign currency earnings."Earlier this year, WorldRemit launched international money transfers from South Africa. News / National by Staff reporter Government has castigated Ntabazinduna Chief Nhlanhla Felix Ndiweni for calling on Western countries to impose more sanctions against the country to consolidate the existing embargoes, which he claimed were "tiny".Chief Ndiweni bizarrely argued at the Bulawayo Press Club last week that the sanctions "serve as measures to make those in authoritative positions see sense".In a statement the Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana said Chief Ndiweni's utterances were inhuman and against our cultural beliefs.''Chief Ndiweni sentiments are deplorable, parochial and ignorant coming from a traditional leader,'' he said.''It is tragic that one of those constitutionally expected to uphold our customary values and community cohesion has chosen to not only be a controversial political player but to repeat a shameful familial history by calling for suffering to be visited upon the people of Zimbabwe.''Mr Mangwana added: ''It is unfathomable that a community leader from a deprived section of the community has chosen the path of underdevelopment by calling for the escalation of sanctions against the country in the misguided and futile hope that it will help collapse President's Mnangagwa's Government."Mr Mangwana also said sanctions have so far failed to bring down the Zimbabwean Government in the last 18 years of their existence and they are not going to succeed now just because one of our chiefs has chosen the quisling route and be a relentless fraterniser."What sanctions have succeeded in doing is to bring untold suffering upon the poor sections of our communities and increasing the gap between the haves and have nots," he said."Empirical evidence has shown that Zimbabwe has lost over $50 billion worth of development, thanks to sanctions, and this reversal has disproportionately affected the poor and rural folk." Mr Mangwana urged chiefs to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner since they are the custodians of our cultural norms and values.''Chiefs should be spearheading development in their communities and not embracing poverty and using it as a political tool against the people of Zimbabwe," he said."We expected Chief Ndiweni to know this. Alas, he is back in familiar territory as it will also be recalled that his family has a history of collaborating with the enemy and waging this anti-people war from as far back as the liberation struggle."Those who know history would be awake that certain statements are informed by the seating configurations that obtained at the Lancaster House Conference with some on the side of the people and others on the side of the intrusive Western powers."In view of Chief Ndiweni's remarks and others, especially in the opposition who have invited sanctions on Zimbabwe, Mr Mangwana said it was time Zimbabwe considered legislative solutions to deal with such acts of treachery.''For, how different are sanctions imposed by foreign powers and the same powers coming to invade our shores? " he asked."Both kill the innocent and vulnerable and both debilitate the economy and both terrorise the innocent. Why then do we have laws against one and not the other?''May we remind Chief Felix Ndiweni that Government and the people of Zimbabwe are watching and watching closely as he goes on with his politics that are clearly not guided by the national and community interests but inspired by some dubious narrow, parochial interests."Chief Ndiweni, who has openly declared support for the opposition MDC Alliance, has on numerous occasions been caught out on some mischief since he returned home from the United Kingdom where he stayed for about 40 years.In 2017, he allowed one political party to hold a rally in his area against police decision barring the party to proceed with the rally in Ntabazinduna because the police did not have enough manpower. Chief Ndiweni also had a standoff with the then Umguza MP Obert Mpofu accusing him of meddling in his and other chiefs affairs.Last year, he took the Chiefs Council President Chief Fortune Charumbira and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to court seeking nullification of provincial assembly and national chief council election results held in 2017, arguing that the whole process was marred with irregularities.He was also fingered as the one behind the revival of the Ndebele Kingdom after he presided over the secret installation of King Bulelani Khumalo. Government has since declared the push for the Ndebele Kingdom illegal. News / National by Mandla Ndlovu The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation has come under fire over its story that said spike in fuel demand a reflection of increase in industrial productivity.The story quoted on Mr Everton Mlalazi the CEO of Sakunda Holdings who said, "What the increase in demand means is that government has opened up space for business and industry is now working."Award winning entrepreneur and Forbes listed businessman Nkosana George Mazibisa said the story was full of lies because developed countries do no lack fuel like Zimbabwe.Said Mazibisa, "It is this level of idiocy that I can't tolerate and later alone ignore to challenge. How can a national broadcaster lie blatantly without facts."There are many classical examples of highly industrialised nations both in Africa and abroad whose economies cannot be compared to this Msikeni or Spaza of ours. Yet they don't experience/use fuel queues as indicators of a growing/viable economy. Actually our fuel consumption can be compared to a mere "district or province " in those countries.Recently the Minister of Energy Dr Joram Gumbo told Cavinet that the lack of fuel was attributed to the delay of payment to the fuel suppliers by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.He revealed that the country will be buying fuel from Mozambique after RBZ managed to release some funds.Zimbabwe has been experiencing acute fuel shortages since December 2017. News / National by Mandla Ndlovu Mthwakazi Republic Party Mbonisi Solomon Gumbo has blasted Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Nick Mangwana over his remarks that Chief Khayisa Ndiweni's views on the looting of Matabeleland resources and arbitrary prepossession of land from White people in Matabeleland by people from Mashonaland are not shared by majority.We would like to state categorically clear that we support Chief Khayisa's statement fully." Gumbo said. "If he thinks that Chief Khayisa's views on the looting of Matabeleland resources and arbitrary prepossession of land from White people in Matabeleland by people from Mashonaland are not shared by majority then he doesn't know what he is talking about."Chief Khayisa is not acting individually, he acted on behalf of Mthwakazi and we are fully behind him. Nick Mangwana is a fool if he thinks removing and replacing productive White commercial farmers with ZANU PF connected thieves from Mashonaland is development."Gumbo said the people of Matabeleland were watching the government to see if they will attack the firebrand Chief."While the people from Zimbabwe are watching our chief closely whatever that means, we the people of Mthwakazi are also watching the government closely. Hands off our chiefs. We will not be killed in silence this time around. Mthwakazi is under ZANU PF imposed sanctions already if getting our freedom back demands that the international community add sanctions on Zimbabwe so be it."You Nick Mangwana and your government take responsibility for killing through the Gukurahundi genocide thousands of our people or just shut up and stop threatening our chief." News / National by Mandla Ndlovu Sandton based leader of the Imperial City Church Prophet Isaiah Brian Sovi will be in Bulawayo on the 25th of May where he will holding a Prophetic and Impartation Service.The event which will be held at Homestead Conference Centre Main Auditorium will commence at 11AM.Speaking to this publication Sovi said, "We are very excited about our upcoming event for the first time ever in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on the 25th of May 2019. I and my team are looking forward to the event! We believe God will deliver, heal and set His people free. God has a special word for his people in Bulawayo."Prophet Sovi, who is the spiritual son of Emeritus Uebert Angel, leads a growing church that has presence in Southern Africa, the Americas and the Middle East.He is known for issuing prophecies that come to pass and rare miracles which include healings of incurable diseases and resurrections.Recently the Office of the President of Botswana Mokgweetsi Masisi and the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS) invited Sovi to come and resume his church and philanthropic work after he was unceremoniously barred from the country during the tenure of President Seretse Khama Ian Khama.He was the first Prophet to be invited by the Mayor of Lusaka to come and bless his office when he was inaugurated.Last week a Prince of one of the leading tribes in Namibia visited his service in Sandton where he gave a testimony of how Prophet Sovi prayed for him and caused his bank accounts to be unfrozen after three years of being locked by the government. Opinion / Columnist "A divorce wrangle pitting Mohadi and his former wife Tambudzani has helped to lift the lid on the VPs' benefits with a payslip attached to a court application revealing the veteran politician from Beitbridge earns $7 000 in basic salary and a similar amount in allowances," reported Bulawayo 24."Tambudzani is demanding a $13 394 monthly maintenance from Mohadi, whom she says earns "quite a substantial amount" including dividends from businesses that he operates.""During the subsistence of the marriage, we always maintained a high standard of living due to our high-earning capacity," Tambudzani said."However, my monthly income is insufficient to pay for all my monthly expenses and sustain the lifestyle I am accustomed to. As such, it is the legal duty of the respondent to contribute maintenance for my monthly expenses until I die or remarry."Zanu PF leaders, their families, friends and cronies have enjoyed absolute power and the influence and vast economic benefits it brought for the last 39 years. They are now addicted to the power, influence economic luxuries giving it up is simply unthinkable. Yes they can see the sorry, sorry state of the country's economy, the decay and rot and the tragic human suffering it has brought to the overwhelming majority of the people. What they have refused to see is the connection between their insatiable greed for loot and power and the country's economic meltdown.Formers Mrs Mohadi, her former husband and the rest of the Zanu PF extended filthy rich ruling elite family will never ever give up Zanu PF's dictatorial powers, how else would they secure and guarantee their absolute power, the influence and the fabulous wealth it brought and to which they are now addicted.The country's economic meltdown has been a rising tide that caught first povo, then the low ranking Zanu PF members and has moved up the ranking. Stories of Zanu PF grandees like the late Nathan Shamuyarira and Enos Nkala dying paupers have left everyone in the party worried about holding on to their position. But as the economy sunk deeper and deeper and the national cake to shrink smaller and smaller, the fight for a piece has become more vicious and claimed more Zanu PF bigwig scalps.In 2014 Zanu PF booted Joice Mujuru and a number of her supporters out of the party. Load-shedding! Within a few months of losing their privileged party positions, Didymus Mutasa and many others were coughing blood, they could not sustain the extravagant lifestyles of their party days and soon had stress related health problems.In 2017 there was yet another load-shedding with many Generation 40 (G40) faction members being haunted out of the party following the November 2017 military coup. Although Mugabe and his wife, the G40 faction leaders, were spared the humiliation and death, still their looted wealth taps were turned off. Mugabe's business empire is falling apart, last week the former dictator auctioning his farming plant and equipment.Mnangagwa and his Lacoste faction who stage the November 2017 coup knew if G40 had won the day they are the ones who would have joined Mujuru et al in singing the blues. Having risked life and limb to wrestle power from Mugabe the Lacoste gangsters were not going to risk losing it again in a free, fair and credible elections and hence the reason Zanu PF rigged last year's elections. Mnangagwa promised to end corruptions but that too fall by the way side- how could he turn off the looted wealth knowing his Zanu PF cronies, their families, small-house and everyone in the ruling elite exclusive family are all addicted to the extravagant lifestyles!Still, as long as Zimbabwe remain a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs there will be no meaningful economic recovery. Investors and lenders do not do business in pariah states, period.Zimbabwe's economic meltdown is causing serious economic hardships many people are now dying for want of food, US$5 per month medicine, clean water, etc. The economic situation is politically, morally and socially unsustainable. And since Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies are cannot implement the necessary democratic reforms to end the corruption and vote rigging the regime must step down to create the political space to appoint an interim administration that will implement the reforms. - T. S. Eliot Thoughts After Lambeth "The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide." Four girl friends withdrawing money from credit card at ATM Considerable hype is being generated after legendary investor Steve Eisman of Big Short fame announced he is targeting Canadian banks. He believes the major banks will tumble in value as the bad credit cycle worsens because of poorly underwritten mortgages, heavily indebted households, and as tepid economy which will cause more borrowers to default. The largest lender, Royal Bank (TSX:RY)(NYSE:RY), is attracting the most negative attention. Its ranked as the most shorted stock on the TSX. It is followed by Bank of Montreal (TSX:BMO)(NYSE:BMO) in fourth place, Toronto-Dominion in seventh, and Scotiabank (TSX:BNS)(NYSE:BNS) as the ninth most shorted stock on the exchange. Shorting Canadas banks is risky It isnt only Eisman shorting Canadas banks; they have long been targets of U.S. hedge funds and traders all betting on a housing meltdown and imploding credit bubble. So far, those short-sellers have lost tremendous amounts of money with Canadas banks going from strength to strength since the global financial crisis, which was triggered by the U.S. housing and credit bubbles bursting. Undeniably, there are headwinds facing Canadas banks, key being a lack of growth prospects domestically because of a softer housing demand and a saturated financial services market. Nonetheless, there is little to no evidence to indicate that a catastrophic decline in credit quality will occur, nor that a U.S.-style housing meltdown is likely. This is because of stricter prudential regulation in Canada, especially in relation to the underwriting of mortgage, which has prevented even a moderate volume of subprime loans being underwritten. In fact, the Big Five possess high-quality credit portfolios, as underscored by their low gross impaired loan ratios. For the latest quarter, Royal Bank reported a ratio of a mere 0.46%, whereas for Bank of Montreal it was 0.48%. Even Scotiabank, which has established a sizable footprint in the high-growth but risky Latin American markets of Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Chile, disclosed a ratio of 0.9%. Story continues Those ratios are well below the level required to indicate there are issues with credit quality and illustrate that it would take a substantial, if not unimaginable volume of defaults to seriously damage what are sound, high-quality balance sheets. Then you have compulsory mortgage insurance for all loans underwritten with a loan-to-value ratio (LTV) of less than 20%. During economic downturns and times when loan defaults are rising, this forms an important backstop for lenders with the insurer taking over payments when borrowers default. At the end of the first quarter, 38% of Royal Banks Canadian mortgages were insured, whereas for Bank of Montreal and Scotiabank, that was even higher at 44% and 42%, respectively. The conservative nature of the big banks approach to credit management is underscored by the low LTVs for the proportion of their mortgage portfolios which are uninsured. Royal Banks uninsured housing loans, including HELOCs, had an average LTV of 51%, whereas for Bank of Montreal and Scotiabank it was 50% and 64%, respectively. Such conservative ratios indicate that there is plenty of room to maneuver should dire economic conditions trigger an uptick in defaults from already financially stretched households. Furthermore, because of stricter prudential standards, all of Canadas major banks are more than adequately capitalized with common equity tier one capital (CET1) ratios well in excess of the regulatory minimum. Royal Bank finished the latest quarter with a CET1 of 11.4%, which was higher than Scotiabanks 11.1% and equal to Bank of Montreals ratio of 11.4%. For these reasons the banks wont suffer as substantially as Eisman and other short-sellers believe if there is a decline in the credit cycle sparking a greater surge in default and impaired loans. Scotiabank, which has established a sizable presence in Latin America, wont be as sharply impacted by the headwinds facing those banks that are more domestically focused. Scotiabank generates 40% of its net income from international banking and is experiencing strong growth in Latin America, where first quarter loans grew by 44% year over year. Revenue earned by the banks operations in those nations surged by a remarkable 31%. This robust growth will continue for the foreseeable future, as Scotiabank beds down recent acquisitions that were completed in the region and unlocks further efficiencies. Putting it together The banks most vulnerable to an economic slowdown and uptick in impaired loans are those with the greatest domestic focus. Despite the views expressed by Eisman, who is, by all accounts, a legendary investor, I believe that Canadas major banks will continue to deliver value for the foreseeable future. Of the Big Five, it is Scotiabank that stands out as having the strongest growth potential because of its extensive Latin American exposure. More reading Fool contributor Matt Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Bank of Nova Scotia is a recommendation of Stock Advisor Canada. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2019 A super lorry truck leaves the Jupille brewery site of brewery group Anheuser-Busch InBev. Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD), the worlds largest brewer, has been fined 200m by the European Commission for keeping prices on its Jupiler beer brand higher in the Belgium market. Jupiler is one of the most popular beer brands in Belgium, representing approximately 40 per cent of the total Belgian beer market in terms of sales volume. The beer maker abused its dominant market position in Belgium by deliberately restricting the ability for supermarkets and wholesalers to buy Jupiler beer at lower prices in the Netherlands and import it into Belgium. It also changed the packaging of some of its Jupiler products supplied to retailers and suppliers in the Netherlands to make these products harder to sell in Belgium. This included removing the French version of mandatory information from the label, as well as changing the design and size of beer cans "Consumers in Belgium have been paying more for their favourite beer because of AB InBev's deliberate strategy to restrict cross border sales between the Netherlands and Belgium, said Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner in charge of competition policy. Read more: AB InBev is said to target July listing in $5 Billion Asia IPO Attempts by dominant companies to carve up the Single Market to maintain high prices are illegal. Therefore we have fined AB InBev 200 million for breaching our antitrust rules. The Commission opened up an antitrust investigation three years ago to assess whether AB InBev abused its dominant position on the Belgian beer market by hindering imports of its beer from neighbouring countries, in breach of EU antitrust rules. Although market dominance is not illegal under EU antitrust rules, companies have a responsibility not to abuse their market power by restricting competition, either in the market where they are dominant or in separate markets. In a statement, the European Commission said that AB InBev had deprived European consumers of one of the core benefits of the European Single Market, namely the possibility to have more choice and get a better deal when shopping. (Bloomberg) -- A Spotify-backed music streaming company will be exposed to hundreds of thousands of potential new customers through a tie-up with U.S. speaker manufacturer Sonos Inc. Soundtrack Your Brand Sweden AB licenses its music catalog of 50 million songs to be played in public venues such as shops and restaurants for about $30 a month. The service will now be available to as many as 300,000 businesses using Sonos speakers, Soundtrack Chief Executive Officer Ola Sars said in an interview. The Sonos deal could also channel more money to music companies and artists. Commercial streaming commands much higher price than the consumer equivalent -- $30 a month versus the industry standard of $10 a month, in this instance, for access to a broadly similar catalog of songs. Store owners are obliged to pay for a commercial music license if they play songs in public, but rates often vary based on complicated factors, such as the square-meter size of a venue. The growth of the music streaming market created an opportunity for companies like Soundtrack to simplify the system with flat-rate packages. The former chief operating officer of Apple Inc.s Beats Music, who co-founded Soundtrack in 2013, said revenue from businesses taking advantage of the product would be split between the two companies. He declined to specify the ratio of the split. Soundtrack, which counts Adidas and McDonalds as customers, used Spotify Technology SAs catalog for its first 18 months of operations, but has since moved to build its own library of music. It now has 50 million songs after the company secured some 6,500 licensing deals with rights holders including Sony/ATV Music Publishing. For Sonos, offering legal streaming music with its business-focused speaker setups could add a recurring revenue stream and help the company diversify from its main business of selling premium home speakers to consumers. Soundtrack estimates that 21.3 million businesses worldwide arent paying for licensed music, which at $30 a month for a licensed service represents a shortfall of $7.7 billion. Story continues That potential has attracted new players, and rumors that Apple may be getting in to the fray has been circulating since it was reported last year that the company had registered the trademark Apple Music for Business. A push by the iPhone maker could move the market to become more tightly regulated and increase takeover interest for Soundtrack Your Brand, Sars said. If Apple chooses to do this, others will look at it too, and then it may be a good idea to look at us instead of building it yourself, Sars said. I have no interest in selling the company, but that is a good development. Santa Barbara, California-based Sonos went public in August, and has also partnered with IKEA to offer speakers doubling as furnishing. Soundtrack Your Brands investors include Balderton Capital, Northzone and Swedish carrier Telia Co. (Updates with CEO quotes in 8th, 9th paragraph.) To contact the reporter on this story: Niclas Rolander in Stockholm at nrolander@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Rebecca Penty at rpenty@bloomberg.net, ;Niklas Magnusson at nmagnusson1@bloomberg.net, Nate Lanxon, Nick Rigillo For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Female friends enjoying their dessert together at a mall Restaurant Brands International (TSX:QSR)(NYSE:QSR) remains an incredible investment option worthy of consideration for long-term portfolios, and despite the fact that the stock has already surged over 22% year to date to flirt with its 52-week high, theres still plenty of growth potential to realize. Market fluctuations work in favour of RBI Theres no denying the fact that the market is becoming increasingly volatile. Whether its the incredible rally weve seen since the lows of last Christmas or the on-and-off real estate market, few would argue the fact that a correction of some sort is around the corner. When slowdowns in the economy occur, discretionary spending such as eating out is often one of the first things to get removed from the budget. That being said, when it comes to fast-food restaurants such as those owned by Restaurant Brands, their sales numbers have been known to improve during those belt-tightening periods. To be clear, Im not saying that Restaurant Brands is going to start printing money if the economy starts to slow, but more that consumers will choose the frugal option to cut back on expenses wherever they can, and that might mean grabbing a whopper instead of a steak and a medium double-double instead of the large latte. Innovation and expansion go hand in hand In the most recent quarterly announcement, both Burger King and Popeyes continued to show strong growth prospects, with system-wide sales growth of 8.2% and 6.8%, while Tim Hortons continued to frustrate with system-wide sales growth coming at just 0.5%. Cold weather and lagging promotional tactics were the reasons attributed to the weakness realized by Tim Hortons, which has been plagued with a host of issues in recent years, ranging from a lack of international expansion opportunities to disgruntled franchisees in the domestic market. Restaurant Brands has been addressing those issues at a steady pace. Tim Hortonss expansion into the markets of the U.K., Spain, Mexico, the Philippines, and most recently into China should address the need of growing the brand outside Canada while establishing a route to long-term growth through its planned 1,500 store network in China. Story continues Turning to the innovation front, Burger King is at the forefront of two iconic changes that could prove lucrative. First, theres the prospect of a plant-based burger appearing on the menu at Burger King. These meatless burgers are devised to taste exactly the same as the meat burgers, which could help open a segment of the market that has steered clear of burger restaurants in the past while touting a healthy alternative. Finally, we come to delivery services. Few people may realize this, but Burger King is actively testing delivery services in different markets. In addition to offering delivery in the traditional sense, Burger King is also testing something thats never really been done before: delivering your whopper to you while youre stuck in traffic. The Traffic Jam Whopper, as its being called is the brainchild of using online ordering, GPS mapping, and traffic congestion patterns to allow patrons to receive their burgers delivered by a motorbike while waiting in traffic. Incredibly, during a trial phase in congested areas of Mexico City, Burger King saw delivery orders surge over 60%, while app downloads surged over 40%. Why should you buy RBI? As innovative as it may sound, getting a whopper delivery while in traffic isnt going to push RBI to the next level, but it will provide some help, and this is a key point that prospective investors need to know about Restaurant Brands. The company is well known for taking winning elements from one brand and applying to another; the key example here being Tim Hortonss international expansion being modeled after Burger King. Finally, theres RBIs dividend. The company currently offers a quarterly dividend with a respectable 3.07% yield that has seen several large hikes in recent years. Again, on its own, the dividend is decent, but package it with everything else that RBI offers, and you have a unique long-term opportunity for growth and income generation. More reading Fool contributor Demetris Afxentiou has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC and has the following options: short October 2019 $82 calls on Restaurant Brands International. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2019 Asia Bibi held the unfortunate distinction of being the first Pakistani woman sentenced to death for insulting Islam under that country's blasphemy laws. She spent eight years on death row before her conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in October 2018. Last week, as Bibi began to settle into her new life in Canada, after arriving on Wednesday, her lawyer turned his focus to his next court battle against Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Speaking from his home in Lahore, Pakistan, Saiful Malook said he knows that even acting as a lawyer for someone accused of blasphemy in Pakistan could be a death sentence for himself. "When you start this type of case, you better start developing a close relationship to God because you can go to God at any given moment with 100 to 50 bullets," he said. 'A lot of injustice' Malook's new case involves a dispute over a text message a man received that allegedly insulted the Prophet Muhammad. Like Bibi, Malook's new client, Shagufta Kausar, is Christian. The text allegedly came from a SIM card issued to Kausar. Despite the fact that she doesn't read or write, Kausar and her husband were sentenced to death for the message in 2014. Adrees Latif/Reuters Pakistani human rights lawyer Sarah Suhail says the blasphemy laws are often used against minorities and other vulnerable people to settle scores and disputes in the predominantly Muslim country. According to Amnesty International, between 2011 and 2015, at least 1,200 people were accused of blasphemy in Pakistan. "The phrasing of the law, and the way in which evidence about it is collected, is really highly questionable and it leads to a lot, a lot of injustice," Suhail said. Bibi's case would appear to be an example of that. 'Pressure from the religious right' The confrontation that started the ordeal occurred in 2009, while Bibi was employed as a farm worker. For some Muslims in Pakistan, drinking or eating from the same dish or cup as a Christian is taboo. During a meal at the farm, Bibi touched the cup that her Muslim co-workers used for water. A heated argument erupted, Malook says, and two of Bibi's co-workers accused her of insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Story continues She was convicted of blasphemy in 2010 and spent the next eight years on death row. Ultimately, the case made it to the country's Supreme Court, which last October overturned Bibi's conviction, citing inconsistencies in the testimony against her. Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images Religious extremists shut down parts of Pakistan in protest that day, and threatened to carry out Bibi's death sentence themselves. Prime Minister Imran Khan appealed to protesters to respect the rule of law, but he has not addressed calls to actually do away with the blasphemy laws. "The blasphemy law is definitely a really, really big and important issue that the Pakistani state needs to address," said Suhail. "But so far, the pressure from the religious right has been so strong that nobody is even willing to touch this law." The blasphemy laws started under the British rule of India and Pakistan in 1860. The government said its goal was to prevent religious violence between Hindus and Muslims. "The language of the law was deliberate and [it outlawed] malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class by insulting their religious beliefs," said Suhail. Since the 1980s, the blasphemy laws in Pakistan have been revised to make the punishment harsher. The consequences for those who have opposed the laws publicly have also been grave. "Two very important people were murdered over this that's why this case became so important," Malook said of Bibi's case. Bilawal Arbab/EPA-EFE In 2011, Salman Taseer, the governor of the province of Punjab, denounced Bibi's death sentence. His bodyguard later shot him dead. Just three months later, Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian federal minister in Pakistan at the time, was also killed after speaking out against the laws. "Four people with shotguns came out from their car, and from both sides they start shooting him in the daylight," recalled his brother, Peter Bhatti, who lives in Brampton, Ont. "Then the word spread that this was the punishment of whoever do the blasphemy against our Prophet, that is the kind of punishment he will get." Peter Bhatti had lobbied for Bibi's release since his brother's death. He says he breathed a sigh of relief when he learned of Bibi's arrival in Canada last week. "We are thankful that at least she is free and my brother's sacrifice did not go in vain." This Friday, May 10, 2019, photo provided by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows Michael Cummins. Cummins, 25, has been charged in connection to the murder of at least seven people at two different locations in Sumner County, Tenn., on April 27. Cummins was charged May 10 after being released from a hospital. Cummins was shot during his arrest. (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation via AP) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Authorities revealed Friday that there was an eighth victim in a mass killing last month in rural Tennessee and his head was found 25 yards from his body. Seven warrants were filed Thursday and Friday on first-degree murder charges against 25-year-old Michael Cummins, who has a criminal record and a history of court-ordered mental illness evaluation. A criminal homicide warrant was filed earlier. According to the newest affidavit, an officer was dispatched to investigate a fire and a missing resident on April 17, 10 days before the discovery of the other bodies. The officer found Jim Dunn's headless body about 75 yards away from a burned cabin. His head was about 25 yards away from his body, it says. Cummins was later seen with a rifle that looked like one of Dunn's that had gone missing, and on April 27, authorities discovered Dunn's missing rifle at a home where six of the bodies were found, including Cummins' parents, it says. Footprints in blood found inside that home matched a pair of girl's shoes that Cummins admitted to wearing and leaving at his uncle's trailer, the affidavit says. The eight victims died from blunt force head injuries, the affidavit states. The youngest was a 12-year-old girl. Another person was injured but alive. Cummins is charged with criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder in that case. Once the bodies were found, Cummins fled into the woods the night of April 27, and was shot and wounded by law enforcement officers after brandishing a hatchet, another affidavit says. He also had stolen the car belonging to one of the victims and abandoned it in a creek bed, according to court records. Cummins was arrested and hospitalized. He was released from the hospital Friday and charged. He is being held in the Tennessee Department of Corrections Special Needs Unit, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. He had been within days of being arrested for probation violations when the bodies were discovered April 27 at two of the Sumner County homes. Story continues Cummins, 25, had been on probation after serving just 16 months of a 10-year sentence for attempting to burn down a neighbor's house in September 2017 and assaulting her when she tried to put out the fire. He was released on probation in January, but his probation officer had been preparing an arrest warrant for probation violations, Sumner District Attorney Ray Whitley has said. Cummins violated a no-contact order with the neighbor whose home he tried to burn and failed to get a required mental health evaluation, a previous affidavit says. Cummins faced a string of charges beginning in February 2017 with the theft of a neighbor's turkey and game camera, court records show. In April, he was sentenced to probation and ordered to seek mental health treatment, but less than a month later he assaulted his grandmother while stealing his mother's purse, the records show. Back in court in August, he was again given probation and this time ordered to attend domestic violence classes. It was just the next month that he tried to burn down his neighbor's mobile home by stuffing garbage between the insulation and the floorboards and setting it on fire. Chief and Tribal Chair of the Tsilhqot'in First Nation, Joe Alphonse, welcomes the news that the statue of B.C.'s first chief justice, Matthew Begbie, will be removed from outside a New Westminster courthouse. However, he would like to see more First Nations perspectives included in how the history of Begbie and the Chilcotin War are told in B.C., including in places like Barkerville. The historic town and park is a Government of Canada national historic site that teaches people about the gold rush era, including Begbie's role in the region's history. "I think Barkerville should maybe have a sit-down with First Nations and get from their perspective the history of British Columbia," said Alphonse. "There's huge things that went on when contact happened and our war chiefs were protecting our nation." New Westminster council's recent decision to move Begbie's statue was because of his role in overseeing a trial in the 1860s that lead to the hanging of six Tsilhqot'in chiefs. "If they move [the statue] that's fine, but wherever they move it to, tell the full story," Alphonse told Daybreak North's Wil Fundal. In November, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally apologized to the Tsilhqot'in community for the hangings of the chiefs and fully exonerated them. "I think we need to tell the full and complete history of British Columbia ... and honour the First Nations role in the creation of British Columbia, where we live, and how we look at British Columbia today," said Alphonse. Barkerville welcomes consultation James Douglas, public programming and global media development lead for Barkerville, said they are open to consultation with First Nations communities about how the museum tells Begbie's story. "We're always looking to tell the complete story of British Columbia, or as complete a story as we can," he said. "It's quite an honour to be invited to have this conversation to see how we can continue to partner with our First Nations communities and continue to move forward from all of this." Story continues Portrayal of Begbie The museum has a program that focuses on how early western-style justice developed in B.C., which includes the role Begbie played in it. However, he is one of many judges discussed, said Douglas. "We definitely do not shy away from some of the more controversial aspects of not only judge Begbie's life, but of the colonial justice system in general." The hangings and Begbie's trial are also brought up in the town tour, he said. "We do talk a little bit about the difficulties that must have been faced by these colonial judiciaries as well in particular circumstances, as to try and avoid any further conflict. But we certainly admit flat-out that the decision was controversial and, in retrospect, probably was not the right decision to be made." Programming changes Douglas believes they should be able to make changes to how they tell Begbie's story before their summer season begins. "In fact, this timing is quite perfect. We've been in consultation with a number of our First Nations partners throughout the years," he said. The museum has hosted an Indigenous celebration every July for the past six years and this past year, they hired two Indigenous liaison officers to help them create a permanent First Nations interpretive program. "We have time to ... help continue this story and to have this consultation, and then also work it in not only to the existing program that we have, but this brand new Indigenous interpretation program that we have too." Conservationists are demanding Ottawa do more to protect the spotted owl, and are threatening legal action against the federal government if it doesn't take more steps to save one of the most endangered animals in Canada. Environmental advocate group Ecojustice says that there are an estimated six spotted owls left in the wild in Canada all in B.C. and the animals are at risk of being completely wiped out. Ecojustice and the Wilderness Committee want the federal government to come to the rescue of the birds by committing to a tougher plan for the spotted owl in southwestern B.C. The group recently sent a letter to Catherine McKenna, minister of the Environment and Climate Change, demanding she fulfill obligations to protect and restore species under the federal Species at Risk Act. "Time is running out," said Ecojustice lawyer Kegan Pepper-Smith in a release. "We are looking to Minister McKenna to produce a science-based habitat action plan as soon as possible or Ecojustice and the Wilderness Committee will consider taking legal action." Ecojustice Ecojustice argues that McKenna is required by law to take action under the act, which is designed to prevent wildlife species from becoming extinct. Northern spotted owls have been defined as endangered since 1986 and are under pressure due to habitat loss. They thrive in old, mature forests and help maintain the biodiversity of those areas. The birds also face other threats, including competition from other species of owls, the effects of climate change and diseases such as West Nile virus. Pepper-Smith says logging is mostly to blame for destroying the birds' habitat. "We should never feel comfortable condemning a species to extinction in the name of short-term economic gain and this is something I don't think anyone would be comfortable putting their name on," Pepper-Smith said. Ecojustice says in order to restore the species, more old growth forests need to be protected from logging. Story continues Habitat protection Ecojustice wants the federal government to step in because it says the provincial government has not done enough to help the species by allowing logging in areas critical for spotted owls. "If you don't protect the spotted owl's habitat, you're not going to recover the population. It's as simple as that," said Pepper-Smith. Breeding program B.C.'s Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development says it spends $400,000 a year on spotted owls recovery programs. That money funds the world's only captive breeding program, field research, monitoring and conducting habitat assessments. Ecojustice Meanwhile, this week the captive breeding program for spotted owls in Langley celebrated the birth of a new chick. The breeding program hopes to restore B.C.'s wild population to more than 200 adults over the next 10 to 15 years. The province says as part of its recovery action plan, 303,850 hectares of forests are protected for spotted owls within provincial and regional parks, Greater Vancouver watersheds and wildlife habitat areas. Princess Martha Louise of Norway is sharing her new love with the world. Three years after the royal divorced husband Ari Behn after 14 years of marriage, Martha Louise confirmed she was in a new relationship with American Shaman Durek by sharing a series of photos on her Instagram account on Sunday. When you meet your twin flame, you know. I have been lucky enough to have met mine, she captioned the couple shots. @shamandurek has changed my life, like he does with so many. He has made me realize that unconditional love actually exists here on this planet. He embraces all of me without question or fear. He makes me laugh more than anyone, has the most profound wisdom to share and all the bits in between from the diversity of his being. Princess Martha Louise continued, I feel so happy and blessed that he is my boyfriend. Thank you my love, for including me so generously into your family. I love you from this eternity to the next. Rune Hellestad - Corbis/Corbis via Getty; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty The 47-year-old royal, whose parents are King Harald V and Queen Sonja, also had a message for would-be critics: Hold your horses. It is not up to you to choose for me or to judge me, she wrote. I dont choose my man to satisfy any of you or the norms or boxes you have chosen in your mind for me to be in. I dont thrive there, nor do I exist in your illusion about me. I choose from love. And thats it. Martha Louise added, Shaman Durek is merely a man I love spending my time with and who fulfills me. So thank you for respecting my actions and my choice of partner. All I know at this moment is that we love each other and I am super happy. Princess Martha Louise and her ex-husband, Ari Behn | Patrick van Katwijk/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Durek also shared the snaps, taken by photographer Daryl Henderson, on his own Instagram page along with a sweet message. There is a grace and beauty about life when you fall in love. Something softens in you thats unspeakable, however felt in the very depth of your soul. Then your eyes see more clearly yourself and everyone else with the same reflection the heart feels. To be loved or not to be loved for Id rather be loved unconditionally then not to be loved at all, he wrote. This is what I feel from @princessmarthalouise, pure acceptance of my multidimensional self. Not just the Shaman, however the woman in me, the strong man in me, the little boy, ET, the jaguar, the scientist and the angel and more. All loved by this Goddess, who I honor and worship. Where I can cry in her arms when Im sad or hurt and laugh about life and its many complexities. A strong woman who lets me be me without judgement or confinement. Story continues Im free when Im with her, free to be me and love a women who is a bright light of wisdom and profound grace and immense beauty, he continued. Happy Mothers Day powerful women of the world. I honor you and your devotion to life. Princess Martha Louise | Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock Princess Martha Louise, who has three daughters from her marriage, shared a meme asking Santa Claus to bring her a boyfriend in Dec. 2017. I want a unicorn for Christmas, reads the funny image, to which Santa responds: Be realistic. Me: Okay, I want a boyfriend, the meme continues, Santa: What color do you want your unicorn? She captioned the post, #ChristmasWishes, with a few laughing emojis. A Dunn County couple will host an Open Woods event Saturday, open to anyone interested in woodlands, tree identification or conservation. Brian and Mary Blakeley of Boyceville will host the Dunn County Open Woods event on Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m., as part of the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Associations 40th year anniversary celebration. The event is free and open to the public. Are you a woodland owner who would like to learn more about caring for your woodlands and keeping it healthy? Perhaps youre thinking of purchasing woodlands? Or maybe you would just like to spend a beautiful spring day in the woods with your family? Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Foresters Rob Strand and Matt Molback and Jordan Forestry Consulting Forester Jay Jordan will be leading tree identification walks in the woods at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Join representatives from the Lower Chippewa Invasives Partnerships at 11 a.m. to walk and walk about invasive species. If attendees arent up for a walk, stick around the yard and try your best to guess the age of tree cookies and identify different trees around the yard. The Blakeleys invite attendees to bring a picnic lunch to complement the provided snacks and take in the sights and sounds of nature while you eat. The Blakeley property is located at E5228 920th Ave. near Boyceville. To get to the property from Menomonie, go north on Highway 25 for seven miles, turn west (left) on 920th Ave. and go 1/2 mile to the big red barn and silo. Look for the WWOA Open Woods signs to help you find the location. The Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association is a nonprofit, educational organization established in 1979 for and by Wisconsins private woodland owners interested in becoming better stewards of their woodlands. WWOA offers year-round educational opportunities for novice and experienced private woodland owners who want to improve the health of their woods. The WWOAs website is wisconsinwoodlands.org. For a free informational packet, contact WWOA at wwoa@uwsp.edu or 715-346-4798. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As part of the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporations annual meeting, five Chippewa Valley Youth Apprenticeship students signed their letters of intent for continuing employment with their Youth Apprenticeship employers from Grassland Dairy, Hovlands, JF Ahern, McDonough Manufacturing, and Rohde Inc. They were all part Cooperative Educational Service Area 10, which is made up of the school districts of Chippewa Falls, Greenwood, Menomonie and Stanley-Boyd. Two of the students present will also be moving to Registered Apprenticeship with their employers after graduation this spring. Wisconsins Youth Apprenticeship program is part of a statewide School-to-Work initiative designed for high school students who want hands-on learning in an occupational area at a worksite along with related classroom instruction. The one- or two-year elective program combines academic and technical instruction along with mentored on-the-job learning. Chippewa Valley Youth Apprenticeship was also honored with the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporations 2019 Economic Development Partnership Award for 2019, and recognized for their record number of 406 students participating in Youth Apprenticeship this year. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 With the church and state separated, there is a stigma regarding how involved Christians should be in politics. Ive often heard that Christians should not be involved in politics at all. This is absurd. God has never called Christians to have no say in politics. Jesus himself would comment on political matters. This false idea that Christians should not be political should be reversed to be the following: Christians not only can be political, but ought to be involved in politics. Interested in politics Over the past year or so I have become deeply interested in politics. After doing research into both parties and their agendas, I quickly knew which party I subscribed to. I also formed an opinion as to what party every other fellow Christian should belong to. Many developed nations government is built in a way where there are two major parties fighting for power. In America, there are democrats (left leaning) and republicans (right leaning). These two sides often differ on policies regarding guns and the control or lack of, immigration, taxes, and plenty more. Most of these issues are not moral issues at heart they have plenty of nuances, and to see which policies are the best for each nation, there requires intense debate and dialogue being backed up by logic, facts, and reason. The most frightening topic discussed is abortion. Sadly, abortion over the years has been disguised as a political topic, and not a moral one. The pro-choice side has said abortion is dealing with womans reproductive rights; they say woman should have the right to kill an unborn child. Killing an unborn child is not a political issue with pros and cons to be explored. Rather, it is a moral issue. Put simply, it is morally wrong. Each party in every country will obviously have flaws, the pro-life side will inevitably stand for things we dont care for; the politicians are not our God, and they will mess up, they will create legislation from time to time that we disagree with. Because of this, many Christians say they are undecided, in the middle, or independent. Balancing the pros and cons of each party is smart, but when one party supports abortions, the decision of who to vote for becomes clear. Abortion Abortions are surprisingly not rare. The statistics are scary and show that abortions are happening frequently. According to the Guttmacher Institute, from 2010 to 2014, 25% of all pregnancies worldwide ended in abortion; that is 56 million abortions every year to be put into perspective, that is more than 9 times the amount of Jews killed during the holocaust. This matter is not small or insignificant in any way; it must be combatted, protested, and in the very least, voted against. Pro-life With this being said, I belonged to the Republican Party in America. I belonged to the party that was against abortion, I always will be; no matter what country I live in. I will always support the party that is against abortion. We as Christians should make a decision on which candidate to vote for according to what party is pro-life. God calls his people to help and care for the less fortunate; to be like the Good Samaritan and sacrifice much for others. Not everybody is in a position to travel to poor countries and help famished kids in need the sacrifice for these people is massive as they often give up their own safety. The sacrifice to vote pro-life is almost non-existent. Voting is easy, but with time, could potentially save millions of lives. Voting for a pro-life party will not instantly enforce legislation banning abortion. The process of banning abortions and making them illegal will take time, no matter what country. As Christians, we should stand up for the innocent unborn children being slaughtered. We should vote for parties and candidates that are pro-life. Jackson Laninga is a student at Auckland University of Technology. He grew up in Arizona, but moved to New Zealand to study communications. The CAO brand is one that has been around for well over two decades. While it is now a brand under General Cigars portfolio, it had never produced an exclusive cigar for the Tobacconist Association of America (TAA). That changed in 2018 with the release of the CAO Esteli as a part of the 2018 TAA Exclusive Series of Cigars. CAO Esteli was one of three cigars released as a part of CAOs Pan American Tour promotional campaign. The other two cigars in the series included the limited edition CAO Zocalo (a nod to Mexico as it featured CAOs first release with a Mexican wrapper) and the regular production CAO Nicaragua (which made its debut at the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show). Today, we take a closer look at the CAO Esteli). The TAA Exclusive Series consists of cigars made by leading manufacturers that are exclusively sold at TAA member retailers. The TAA is a small group of retailers. At press time the number of retailers is approximately 80. The TAA has defined itself as: The Tobacconists Association of America, Ltd. is a trade organization established in 1968 by visionary retail tobacconists. By providing education, communication, research, advocacy, and member discount programs, The TAA works with our members and the industry they support to offer the tools and relationship building opportunities needed to maximize professionalism and success. Since 2018 was the 50th anniversary of the Tobacconist Association of America, there were a large number of releases as part of the 2018 TAA Exclusive Series: While CAO Esteli was the first release by CAO for the TAA, General Cigar has already announced a second cigar that would be a part of the 2019 TAA Exclusive Series, the CAO Brazilia Select. 2018 CAO Esteli 2019: CAO Brazilia Select Without further ado, lets break down the CAO Esteli and see what this cigar brings to the table. SPECIFICATIONS Blend and Origin While the cigar is called CAO Esteli, it is a multi-national blend highlighted by tobaccos from four countries. The cigar is highlighted by a Nicaraguan wrapper that comes from the Jalapa region. The tie to Esteli is that the cigar is produced out of the STG Esteli factory. Wrapper: Nicaraguan Jalapa Binder: Honduran Filler: Nicaraguan Seco, Honduran and Dominican Ligero Country of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: STG Esteli Vitolas Offered The CAO Esteli was made available in one size a 6 x 54 Toro. The cigars were presented in ten-count boxes with a total production of 1,500 boxes made available to TAA retailers. Appearance The Jalapa grown wrapper of the CAO Esteli had a milk chocolate brown color to it. The wrapper itself had an oily complexion. This was a wrapper on the smoother side. There were some thin visible veins, but the wrapper seams were well hidden. The band to the CAO Esteli had a white, gold, and black color scheme. The background color of the center of the band was white. A gold panel is on the upper center of the band with the CAO logo in black font. Just below the panel was the text ESTELI in large black font with the text TAA EXCLUSIVE 2018 just below it in a smaller white font. The left and right side of the band is gold with white trim. On the near left and right side of the band is the logo for the 50th anniversary of the TAA in black font. PERFORMANCE Pre-Light Draw Prior to lighting up the CAO Esteli, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. After removing the cap, it was on to pre-light draw tasting. The cold draw delivered satisfying earth, berry, and a slight amount of spice. At this point, it was time to light up the CAO Esteli and see what the smoking phase would have in store. Tasting Notes The CAO Esteli kicked off with notes of chocolate, nut, berry, earth, and red pepper. There was no dominant note during the early phases. The chocolate, nut, and pepper eventually surfaced as the primary note with the earth and berry notes second. The pepper diminished into the background leaving the nut and chocolate notes primary. Meanwhile, the retro-hale produced a combination of mixed pepper with some berry sweetness mixed in. During the second third of the CAO Esteli, the nut and chocolate notes remained primary. During this phase, there was a gradual increase in the pepper on the tongue. The red pepper notes present early on morphed into a black pepper varietal. In between the one third and midway point, the berry sweetness occasionally surfaced in the forefront. Just past the midway point, the berry notes grounded themselves in the background and the earth notes dissipated. While the chocolate and nut remained primary during the last third, the pepper notes were now a close secondary note. By this point, the pepper notes leveled off and no longer increased in intensity. The berry notes now were more distant. This is the way the CAO Esteli finished up. The resulting nub was slightly soft to the touch but cool in temperature. Burn While the burn of the CAO Esteli started out relatively straight, as the cigar went on, this was a burn that became more jagged along the way. As a result, this was a cigar that needed touch-ups along the way. While the touch-ups did the trick, the cigar required more touch-ups than I would expect. The burn temperature remained ideal. In general I found the CAO Esteli burn rate to be slow (one of the samples took 2 hours to smoke). Draw The draw to the CAO Esteli proved to be a little snug. A couple of the samples did require a re-light along the way. It also could be the reason why the cigar had a slower burn rate. Strength and Body The CAO Esteli started out as a medium strength, medium to full-bodied cigar. Both attributes had an increase in intensity in the second half and by the last third, this was a cigar that was medium to full in strength and full in body. The retro-hale played a key role in the depth of the flavors delivered. In terms of strength versus body, the body maintained a slight edge throughout the smoking experience. OVERALL ASSESSMENT Final Thoughts With the CAO Esteli, the best part of this cigar was the first third. The remaining two-thirds still produced some very nice flavors. In terms of burn and draw, while they were satisfactory in terms of performance, they werent excellent, so there was a slight loss of points here. This is a cigar I would position to a more seasoned cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would purchase again. However as I have said with the TAA Exclusive Cigars, I was still expecting more in the performance category for a TAA cigar. Summary Key Flavors: Chocolate, Nut, Berry, Pepper, Earth Burn: Good Draw: Very Good Complexity: Medium Plus Strength: Medium (1st 2/3), Medium to Full (Final Third) Body: Medium to Full (1st 2/3), Full (Final Third) Finish: Very Good Rating Value: Buy One Score: 89 References News: CAO Esteli Heading to TAA Retailers Price: $8.99 Source: Purchased Brand Reference: CAO TAA Exclusive Series 2018 Reference: 2018 TAA Exclusive Series Photo Credits: Cigar Coop Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Bogota, May 13, 2019 Colombian authorities should conduct a swift and comprehensive investigation into the killing of documentary filmmaker Mauricio Lezama Rengifo and ensure those responsible are brought to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 9, two gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed Lezama in the village of La Esmeralda, a violence-plagued region near the Venezuelan border in Arauca department, while the filmmaker was conducting interviews, according to news reports. A camera operator, Ricardo Llain, was grazed by a bullet in the attack and was transferred to a hospital; he was later released, according to those reports. The killing of Mauricio Lezama Rengifo is the latest and most alarming incident in a pattern of threats and violence against those reporting near Colombias border with Venezuela, said CPJ South and Central America Program Coordinator Natalie Southwick in New York. Colombian authorities must undertake a thorough investigation into Lezamas death and ensure that journalists are able to report safely in this tense region. Lezama was working on a film about Mayo Villareal, a political activist and nurse from the region who treated victims during Colombias long-running guerrilla conflict, according to the Arauca newspaper El Mirador. Lezama also worked as a film consultant to the Arauca government, according to the newspaper. In a video posted on Twitter, Arauca Governor Ricardo Alvarado blamed the killing on members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). After a decades-long insurgency, the leftist FARC disarmed under a 2016 peace treaty, but several thousand of its former fighters have since re-armed, with an estimated 1,700 now operating in Arauca, according to news reports. Alavarado told reporters that the FARC may have mistaken Lezama for a government informant, according to those reports. Colombian Defense Minister Guillermo Botero condemned the attack on Twitter and said that additional government troops as well as investigators from the attorney generals office have been dispatched to the area. CPJ emailed the attorney generals office in Arauca for comment on the case and did not immediately receive a response. Arauca has long been a dangerous area for journalists due to the presence of guerrillas and drug trafficking groups, according to CPJ research. Daniel Martinez, Arauca correspondent for Colombian broadcaster RCN Television, told CPJ that he fled the region on May 1 after receiving a death threat from the National Liberation Army, a local guerilla group. Editors Note: This text has been modified in the fifth paragraph to correct the spelling of El Mirador. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Bangkok, May 13, 2019 Myanmar authorities should immediately cease harassing and threatening to arrest Aung Marm Oo, editor-in-chief of the privately owned Rakhine state-based news agency Development Media Group, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Aung Marm Oo went into hiding after authorities filed a complaint on May 1 seeking his arrest for unspecified violations of the colonial-era Unlawful Association Act, which can result in up to five years imprisonment and fines, according to independent news outlet The Irrawaddy and the journalist, who corresponded with CPJ. The Unlawful Associations Act is often used by Myanmar authorities to stifle news coverage of armed conflicts, CPJ reporting shows. Development Media Group, based in Rakhine states capital of Sittwe, reports regularly on politics, society, and security in western Rakhine state, where government forces are locked in conflict with insurgents. Myanmars press freedom situation has deteriorated to such an extent that a journalist is now in hiding to avoid arrest on undisclosed accusations, said Shawn Crispin, CPJs senior Southeast Asia representative. Myanmar authorities should stop harassing Aung Marm Oo and allow his independent media group to continue reporting without fear of reprisal. Special Branch police under the military-controlled Home Ministry have questioned Aung Marm Oos colleagues and family members about his whereabouts, including his wife, mother, and brother, the journalist told CPJ by email. He said police searched his home earlier this month and he only narrowly escaped arrest at the time. Development Media Group reporters Nay Win San and Thet Naing were interrogated about the case at the No. 1 Sittwe police station in Rakhine on May 5 and 6, respectively, Aung Marm Oo said. During those interrogations, police did not indicate what news stories or reporting prompted the accusation, Aung Marm Oo said. CPJ called the militarys public relations arm, the True News Information Team, for comment but did not receive a response. On May 8, Aung Marm Oo sent a letter to the Myanmar Press Council, an independent body tasked with resolving media disputes, requesting mediation on the case, as permitted under the countrys Media Act to prevent frivolous lawsuits against journalists, he said; as of today, the council had not replied. Aung Marm Oos harassment comes amid rising pressure on the nations press by the military; on April 1, Myanmars military filed an online criminal defamation complaint against The Irrawaddys Burmese-language editor Ye Ni under the Telecommunications Laws Section 66(d), which carries a possible two-year prison sentence, over the news publications reports on armed clashes in Rakhine state that allegedly caused civilian casualties, CPJ reported at the time. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram The Committee to Protect Journalists and 37 other non-governmental organizations today sent a letter to member and observer states of the United Nations Human Rights Council, asking them to address the crackdown on human rights in Tanzania at the 41st session of the council. Journalists, opposition and dissenting voices, human rights defenders, and LGBTI people have come under increasing pressure as the government enacts draconian laws, threatens independent journalism, and restricts freedoms of opinion and expression, the letter said. Last year, CPJ and a coalition of non-governmental organizations wrote to member and observer states about the situation in Tanzania. However, conditions in the country under the presidency of John Magufuli have continued to deteriorate, CPJ has found. Read the letter in full here. Lawmaker Offers New Hope for ICOs in South Korea Another glimmer of hope has appeared for South Koreas crypto-community, with politicians set to debate a law that could open the door for conditional initial coin offerings (ICOs). South Korean National Assembly building. Source: iStock/AaronChoi South Korea imposed a blanket ban on all forms of ICO in 2017, and earlier this year decided to uphold its decision, following a lengthy deliberation period. However, a number of senior parliamentarians on both sides of the political divide have since launched campaigns to end the ban, with many decrying an ongoing exodus of South Korean companies to nearby countries that allow ICOs, including Singapore. The most recent proposal comes from Lee Eon-joo, an MP for the right-wing opposition Bareunmirae Party, who has tabled a motion for the National Assembly to amend the Electronic Financial Transaction Act (2008). Lee Eon-joos proposal includes provisions for regulated ICOs, as well as a series of strict punishments for crypto-fraudsters. Media outlet Dailian reports that Lee Eon-joos proposal calls for the following: -Legal/financial recognition of cryptocurrencies and crypto exchanges -ICOs to be legalized -Would-be ICO issuers with more than 50 investors must obtain regulatory permission from the Financial Services Commission -Would-be ICO issuers must keep updated records of their terms & conditions and financial records on their websites homepages -Financial regulators may conduct spot-checks and on-site audits on exchanges and ICO issuers -Offenders found guilty of market manipulation and other cryptocurrency-related financial crimes may be subject to heavy fines. -In the case of fraudulent cryptocurrency-related activity leading to damages worth over USD 423,600, offenders may face imprisonment terms of anything between three years to life. A rival bill has also been tabled by Lee Sang-min, of the ruling Democratic Party. Lee Sang -min is the chairman of his partys Committee on Science and Technology, and an influential pro-blockchain activist. The South Korean parliament will likely debate both bills in the coming weeks, although parties are unlikely to comment publically on whether or not they will support either bill. Last month, yet another potential lifeline materialized when the port city of Busan was chosen as the governments preferred bidder for a blockchain free economic zone project. Busans proposals include allowing regulated ICOs. Seoul will make its decision on the project public in July. Cyclone Idai struck central Mozambique in March, killing more than 600 people and leading to thousands of cases of cholera and malaria, according to Associated Press reports. U.S. Navy Cmdr. Brian Patterson, a 1998 graduate of Cedar Cliff High School, stepped into the aftermath, serving as lead operations officer in charge of the U.S. military activities in Mozambique during relief efforts. For me, and the other U.S. service members, this was a very rewarding experience, Patterson said in an email to The Sentinel. During the three-week mission, Patterson and his colleagues with Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa delivered more than 2 million pounds of food, services and medical equipment on 125 military flights. The combined effort from the U.S. Department of Defense, USAID and U.S. Embassy teams allowed us to directly make a positive impact on over 1 million displaced Mozambicans, something we can all be very proud we were able to accomplish, Patterson said. Patterson served seven years on active duty, and is approaching nine years of reserve duty. In his civilian career, Patterson is the North American director of operations for DSM, a life and material science company headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Q. How did Cyclone Idai affect Mozambique? A. Cyclone Idai was devastating to the people in central Mozambique. It was estimated 1.8 million people were displaced from their homes with an estimated 1,000 deaths between Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Whole villages were destroyed, along with significant impact to infrastructure of the country to include bridges and roads. Several major roads and bridges that connected towns and villages were closed for over a week, crippling the ability to transport goods to people in need. The heavy rainfall also occurred at the peak time for the growth of their crops that will result in a significant impact to their food supply for the remainder of the year. The medium- to long-term effects the people of Mozambique will experience for the remainder of 2019 are still being evaluated. Q. What is the role of the Department of Defense in the relief efforts, including your role specifically? A. The role of the Department of Defense in Mozambique was to support the government of Mozambique and the United States Department of State, specifically the United States Agency for International Development and their Disaster Assistance Response Team. The USAID and DART teams worked closely with the government of Mozambique and other nongovernment organizations such as the World Food Program and the United Nations to see where the unique capabilities of the United States Department of Defense could best support aid efforts. After this initial assessment between all parties was completed, it was identified that the strategic airlift capability of the U.S. military was the best option to provide relief and aid support to those impacted by Tropical Cyclone Idai. Using a hub and spoke concept, our military service members used large, strategic aircraft such as C-17s to deliver goods from Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of Africa to the Mozambique capital of Maputo. From Maputo, smaller strategic aircraft such as C-130s were used to deliver supplies ranging from food to vehicles to medical supplies and much needed rebuilding equipment to smaller inland airports. I served as the lead operations officer in charge of the U.S. military activities in Mozambique. I spent three weeks in Mozambique, first as the member of a small four-person team that completed an initial assessment of the impacted areas and worked closely with the government of Mozambique and USAID members to see how U.S. military assets could best be deployed to support aid efforts. At the peak of operations, we had approximately 100 U.S. service members on the ground and operating aircraft that delivered 800 tons of goods and supplies on 125 military flights. Q. What is the greatest challenge in getting materials and personnel to where they are needed? A. We encountered several challenges, but the biggest challenge was prioritizing what goods to send and how we could efficiently and safely deliver them to areas in need. Our aircraft have great capabilities, but there are limits to how much the planes can carry and the ability for airfields to offload goods safely and efficiently. With many airports closed, the airports we used were congested and we had to ensure our crews could safely operate. This type of congested operations is to be expected in a catastrophe such as this. I am proud that our team worked as quickly as they could, in close collaboration with the government of Mozambique and members from USAID, to safely deliver as much relief aid and support that we did. Q. Why is it important, or necessary, for the military to be involved in relief efforts like this? A. The U.S. Department of Defense has many unique capabilities, but not all of these capabilities are a good fit for every situation. For the Tropical Cyclone Idai humanitarian assistance effort specifically, the need to deliver large amounts of relief aid to impacted areas was needed, and the U.S. Department of Defense has the unique capability for large, strategic aircraft to transport goods over long ranges. Another unique capability the U.S. military was able to meet in this situation was our close proximity to the impacted area. I am currently serving on a nine-month deployment as a Navy Reserve officer with Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa based on Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, the only permanent U.S. military installation on the continent of Africa. I, and others from our command, were able to quickly deploy to the impacted area and offer support within days. Q. What is the most rewarding aspect of doing this work? A. For me, what was most rewarding was being able to work with almost 100 U.S. service members who were on the ground in Mozambique, and the many commands that supported us from Africa, Europe, and the United States. Their support are what enabled the team to complete the mission in Mozambique. The proudest moment for me was one of the days we were at the Beira, Mozambique International Airport, one of the hardest hit areas by Cyclone Idai. That day on the ground at the airport, we had one U.S. Air Force C-17, multiple C-130s, and approximately 50 U.S. service members from all branches of the military off-loading and moving material. I was so proud to see U.S. service members, planes and equipment in this part of the world making such a big impact for thousands of people. It showed what is possible when we combine our best capabilities and people to quickly and successfully accomplish a mission like this. Email Tammie at tgitt@cumberlink.com. Follow her on Twitter @TammieGitt. 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. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Midway through its flight from idea to prototype, the Disaster Relief Unit hit severe turbulence. Seniors Colin Deming and Lance Miller had doubts their drone could be ready in time for the end of the Da Vinci class at Red Land High School. Sometimes plans do not go as we hope, said Miller, adding that a hard lesson on customer service nearly grounded the project permanently. The outputs we were reading, in the case of our old system, were too good to be true, As partners in the design, they researched and ordered online components for DRU and its airborne infra-red camera. Their goal was to develop a user-friendly platform that could scout ahead of first-responders and pinpoint the location of survivors. The drone could be programmed to transmit to the ground controller the coordinates of heat signatures picked up by the camera. This would free up rescuers from having to spend precious time searching for people amid rubble and debris. The Da Vinci class is an outgrowth of a pilot program from 2017-18 where a group of Red Land students used their study hall to build devices for statewide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) competitions. They liked it so they turned it into an official class, said Deming, a West Shore School District student. Work on DRU began early this school year after the teacher challenged the Da Vinci students to work alone or in groups to design and build a device to solve a problem in society. Deming partnered with Miller. Miller got the idea for DRU from media coverage last fall of relief efforts following hurricanes in Texas and Florida. We wanted something to search for survivors, Deming said. We bounced ideas around on what key features we needed to have. From there, they had to figure out what size drone was needed to carry the equipment and what size power plant was needed for lift and aerial maneuvers. They wanted DRU to be able to fly a pre-programmed course with an operating system that was easy to use for someone not trained in drones. DRU became a composite of parts ordered from different brands and manufacturers. A Chinese firm offered what seemed to be a nicely priced bundle of good design features for the main flight controller of the drone. But that product proved unusable and any attempt to obtain a refund was stonewalled by a supplier that kept increasing the price tag of offering a solution. Through research, the partners found a different company offering a similar product but, by then, they were running short on funds they had raised online. It was the third marking period and they were so discouraged, they split up the partnership and started work on separate projects. Just when it seemed that DRU was finished as a concept, district Superintendent Todd Stoltz arranged a talk with the two seniors. He asked us what it would take to make this project happen, Deming said. We gave him the price. The district purchased the replacement component allowing Deming and Miller to resume work on the project. They were working to perfect the navigation controls when they were interviewed by The Sentinel. At that point, the boys had no set plans for DRU beyond graduation. They were going to gauge their progress in the final few weeks of the school year and then decide what to do next with the drone. If we have a couple breakthroughs it might be finished, Miller said. Meanwhile, they have to be ready for end-of-the-year presentations and final exams. The midterm exam for the Da Vinci class involved a Shark Tank like format where the students had to present and sell their ideas for prototypes to a panel of teachers playing the role of investors. Aside from ordering parts online, Deming and Miller used computer-aided design to fabricate some of the components they used in the development of DRU. Along the way, they documented the steps in the process. Both seniors plan to attend college this fall. Deming will major in aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at its Daytona Beach campus. Miller will go to Carnegie Mellon University to study engineering. He has yet to decide which type but is interested in chemical, civil or environmental engineering. Email Joseph Cress at jcress@cumberlink.com. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 50 Years Ago Carlisle Borough Council issued a public statement outlining what constitutes civil disorder. The statement was the result of recent turmoil on local streets involving confrontations between police, dissident groups of the community and the local African-American population. There were reports of arson and of groups gathering in sections of town that had to be dispersed. The statement identified unlawful loitering, failing to disperse and throwing objects tending to do bodily injury as examples of civil disorder in Carlisle Borough. In other news, Dickinson College announced that the first Roman Catholic nun to join its faculty will start to teach courses in the fall as an assistant visiting professor of religion. Sister Sara Butler of the Missionary Servants of the Blessed Trinity will teach courses in Catholicism, the History of Christian Thought and Western Religion and Contemporary Thought. She will wear no habit or veil and, at her own request, will reside in a womans dormitory during her year on the Dickinson College faculty. International Nurses Day was observed globally on 12 May 2019. It is celebrated every year on birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the foundational philosopher of modern nursing. About International Nurses Day Background: The first proposal for Nurses Day was made in 1953, by an officer with US Department of Health, Education and Welfare Dorothy Sutherland and first proclaimed by President Dwight D Eisenhower. In 1965, it was first celebrated by the International Council of Nurses (ICN). Later, in 1974 ICN established 12 May as International Nurses Day, to be celebrated every year to highlight important role played by nurses in providing best healthcare services. The first proposal for Nurses Day was made in 1953, by an officer with US Department of Health, Education and Welfare Dorothy Sutherland and first proclaimed by President Dwight D Eisenhower. In 1965, it was first celebrated by the (ICN). Later, in 1974 ICN established 12 May as International Nurses Day, to be celebrated every year to highlight important role played by nurses in providing best healthcare services. Aim: It is celebrated to honour, contributions made by nurses in societies around the world. It is celebrated to honour, contributions made by nurses in societies around the world. Organised: It is organised each year by the International Council of Nurses, which is group of more than 130 national nurses associations, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It is organised each year by the International Council of Nurses, which is group of more than 130 national nurses associations, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Role played by Nurses: IND acknowledges various roles played by nurses which includes providing and managing personal care and treatment, working with families and communities, & playing a central part in public health & controlling disease & infection. IND acknowledges various roles played by nurses which includes providing and managing personal care and treatment, working with families and communities, & playing a central part in public health & controlling disease & infection. Theme for International Nurses Day 2019 was Nurses A Voice to Lead Health for All. This year the Nurses Day coincided with Mothers Day. About Florence Nightingale She was a British national and born on 12 May in 1820. She was a reforming spirit in nursing who organised nursing for wounded and sick soldiers, at the same time served as manager and trainer of other nurses during Crimean War in 1850s. She is also known as Lady with the Lamp. Moreover, her far-sighted ideas and reforms have greatly influenced modern healthcare. Achievements Simply put, data recorded over time in the monthly budget implementation published by the Ministry of Finance indicate a share of staff costs in total budget expenditure somewhere around 20% after the decrease forced by circumstances (to be read the need for budgetary adjustment) during the crisis period, about 25% afterwards, and an increase toward 30% at present after a slight rebounding below 27% in 2018. * Evolution of staff costs share in total budget expenditure in the first quarter of the year (2012 2019, % in total) Year Personnel costs * With the current collection rate, raising taxes is inevitable Obviously, if the share of 20% registered during the crisis was not enough, neither the 30% reached now can be sustainable in the context of a budget revenue collection around 70% of EU standards (as a share of GDP). We recall that reporting is made at the level of expenditure in GDP, at around 35% of GDP, well below the level of over 45%, the European average, as we ultimately talk about the level of budget money collection. By a simple arithmetic correlation, if we want to go with the expenses with wages in public sector above the 10% of GDP threshold (level of 7% of GDP was recommended during the crisis, given the budget capabilities at that time), which would not represent a big value from the European perspective, then we should also increase the expenditure to 42% of GDP (if we apply the rule of three). On the same logic, we will also have somehow to comply with budget revenues above 40% of GDP, which implies an increase in the level of taxation (beyond the eternal promise, desirable and less fulfilled, of increasing the collection rate). Otherwise, we cannot go on a long-term basis both with revenues between 32% and 33% of GDP (the collection rate compared to the EU average of 42%), and the part representing the salaries in the public sector at 30% in order to obtain in the end the level of 10% of GDP (some even say that will be about 11% in 2019). 50% pay gap between public and private sector will not work An important indicator that shows the major problem of wage strategy at the level of the whole economy is the atypical positioning between the EU states in terms of the ratio between salaries in the public sector and the competitive sector. From + 28% in 2017, we jumped to + 34% in favour of the budget sector in 2018 and we are heading (according to the official forecast covering the period until 2022) towards a stabilization around 45%. * Gross average wage by sectors Year Total in economy percentage change Public sector percentage change Competitive sector percentage change * Please note that we have not mentioned yet the data for 2017 because they are not comparable due to the transfer of social contributions from the employer to the employee and the statistics are accurate including in the education sector (where 4.6% of the personnel work in the private sector) and health and social assistance (12.5% of personnel in the private sector) and, beware, do not include salaries for armed forces and personnel treated as such (MapN, SRI, MAI, etc.). Incidentally, if we also include them, the budget/private ratio would go up to + 50%. * Relative evolution of salaries by sectors Year Budget/competitive Budge competitive (RON) * Of course, given that the public sector is a market-maker on the Romanian labour market and drags wages in the private sector along with it, it is quite difficult to say why wages in the private sector would have to be held back by about seven percentage points below the national average, while in the public sector the level goes with + 35% over the same average, while the relative differences will systematically increase in nominal terms. It should also be noted that increases in the public sector will be halved in percentage terms in three years after 2019, despite the expectations raised, and the official forecast sees a timid relative rebound of the wage growth in the private sector only around 2021-2022 and we are still to see how it will actually translate into reality. It is certain that a 45-50% gap between the public and private sector in terms of payroll will be very difficult to maintain for a simple reason: No one, anywhere in the world, can work that way, as benefits of job stability and long-term careers are much clearer in the budget sector. However, we do NOT have too many employees in the public sector In the context, it can be claimed that we have too many employees in the public sector and that salaries in this sector can be maintained by decreasing the numbers of employees: Nothing is more false, according to the same European customs. Eurostats infographic in the field is as clear as possible, with Romania ranking by far last in the EU in terms of the budgetary staff share. Contrary to a cliche already set in the common consciousness (perhaps to channel dissatisfaction with the quality of public services), instead of decreasing, the number of state employees will have to increase. And not in any way, but by about 50% if we want to move toward the EU average to which Hungary got close, or at least by a third, to align ourselves with the 20% achieved by Poland. We are not talking here about developed and super-technological northern states, where no one is wondering why over 30% of employees work in the budgetary sector (Sweden, Denmark, Belgium or France). And where the link between the human factor involved (with related costs) and the quality of social services is obvious. Aboneaza-te la newsletter aici. Iti multumim ca citesti cursdeguvernare. More seriously, we also have relatively few employees, with an employment rate of the working age population just reaching close to the 70% threshold, while the reference country Sweden has exceeded 80%. In other words, if we have had more employees, we would have needed even more public sector employees, in order to maintain European proportions. Of course, not necessarily with the same occupations and productivity as at the present, with improvements in the selection and structure of the activity. Which should be adapted, the same as the number of employees in the public sector, to the populations needs and not the personal needs or all sorts of sinecures. Situated still in too many cases, by the model of the socialist period, when PCR was in power (PCR as in the Romanian acronym for Connections, Acquaintances, Relationships). India: Developing nations to discuss trade moves as US resets rules by D. Ravi Kanth May 13,2019 | Source: Live Mint India attempts to build a strong coalition of like-minded developing countries for reclaiming the developmental" dimension of global trade, the central challenge remains how to stop unequal" multilateral and bilateral trade treaties being demanded by the US, say trade envoys. Trade ministers from more than a dozen developing countries will congregate in New Delhi on Monday to discuss problems confronting the multilateral trading system, especially the World Trade Organization, due to inequities and imbalances" in existing global trade rules. The US under the leadership of President Donald Trump has unabashedly sought market access and favourable rules for its industry and agriculture on my way or highway" basis both bilaterally and multilaterally at the WTO, said a trade envoy from South America who asked not to be named. On 9 May, the US suffered a major setback bilaterally when China refused to agree to what it reckons as an unequal treaty with the US. China needs a cooperative agreement with equality and dignity" but not one-sided trade treaties, said Chinas vice-premier Liu He, after the US-China trade talks collapsed in Washington. At the WTO, the US is seeking to change multilateral trade rules selectively so that the burden of new commitments are shifted to developing countries. The US wants ambitious disciplines on fisheries subsidies that would deny any room for developing countries such as India and South Africa to support their fishermen. The US, however, does not want credible multilateral rules for reducing its trade-distorting farm subsidies for agriculture or reducing the hurdles for the movement of short-term services providers. Ominously, the US seeks to terminate the existence of the highest adjudicating body or the Appellate Body at the WTO for resolving global trade disputes so to ensure that there is no independent and impartial judicial mechanism that rules against the USs trade measures that are inconsistent with global trade rules, said several trade envoys, who asked not to be named. The US and other industrialized countries are also seeking to introduce what is called differentiation" among developing countries to deny special and differential treatment for India, South Africa, Indonesia, and China. The US and its allies also want to eliminate the principle of consensus-based decision-making at the WTO after having junked the Doha development agenda trade negotiations. Against this backdrop, India is working with developing countries to keep development" at the core of the global trading system. India says developing countries must work together to preserve the fundamental rules of the WTO, namely, non-discrimination, decision-making by consensus and special and differential treatment for developing countries and LDCs (least-developed countries)" In a concept paper issued ahead of the two-day ministerial meeting, India says developing countries must press for balanced reforms at the WTO so that developing countries have enhanced stake in the system." New Delhi says resolution of the issue of appointment of Appellate Body members" must remain the top most priority. The Dispute Settlement Mechanism enables effective enforcement of WTO rules and is the central pillar system," India has argued. The US-China trade war has also impacted the WTO negatively as the US is increasingly seeking unilateral reforms/changes in the trade body through notification requirements and special and differential flexibilities. Odisha: Fani wipes out houses, livelihood from villages along Chilika coast by Hemant Kumar Rout May 13,2019 | Source: The New Indian Express Suchitra Behera has not yet recovered from the shock of devastation that cyclonic storm Fani unleased at her village Sipakuda on the banks of Chilika lake. With her house damaged, she and her family of three have taken shelter in the village club. Having lost everything, they now stare at a bleak future. Her family depends on fishing but they have not been able to trace their boat since May 3. Though relief has reached them, it is meagre. Sipakuda is a sight of devastation. It is one of the worst-hit coastal villages, nearly 14 km south of Puri coast where as per IMD the near super cyclone possibly had made its landfall.Recounting the horror of the black Friday, a resident Digambar Jena said the intensity of the wind was so high that the boats anchored along the coast flew like papers and a couple of those were later found resting on the top of casuarina trees. Of around 350 houses, nearly 320 have been either damaged or flattened. The village having a population of around 1200 lives at the mercy of nature as frequent sea surge is proving disastrous for them for the last several years now. Everything was okay till a decade ago. We have been bearing the brunt after one mouth of Chilika was opened as salinity of the lake declined. Since the village is close to the lake, we need one sea embankment that might save us from the frequent sea ingression, said Pradipta Jena, another villager. Though they have a cyclone shelter in the middle of the village where they had taken refuge during the storm it is not in livable condition. Besides, without water and toilet, the building is too small to accommodate all. Since many residents are landless, they are deprived of housing aid under the Governments housing scheme. The Government should now think of constructing disaster-resilient homes as we are becoming victims of cyclone and sea surge often, Jena added. Close to Sipakuda is another village Baghamunda which too is badly damaged. More then 70 per cent houses in the village have been damaged. Only the pucca houses have withstood the storm. Roads connecting the villages are still splattered with uprooted trees and hanging electric wires make it difficult to navigate through the habitations. People are busy demolishing their houses which are in unsafe condition after the cyclone. Several villages along the coast in Brahmagiri block took a battering. Almost all of them are littered with damaged houses, with roofs collapsed or missing altogether. Fishermen community have been adversely affected as their boats are either missing or damaged. Many coconut trees have fallen and a few that remain have fronds twisted. A number of cashew nut and Polanga orchards, which were only source of income for many, have been destroyed. People have lost livelihood and the rural economy has crumbled which may take a decade to revive. I have lost property worth over `50 lakh. A cashewnut orchard of 12 acre has been destroyed, our ITI building with built up area of 8000 sq feet collapsed and a school partially damaged. The loss is enormous, said Kelu Charan Jena, former sarpanch of Satapada panchayat. A 6-year-old lawsuit that claims high heat indexes on Louisiana's death row subjects 3 ailing condemned killers to cruel and unusual punishment, and leaves them at risk of serious illness or even death, has been conditionally dismissed by a federal judge in Baton Rouge. U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson's final dismissal of the suit is conditioned upon the state remaining in "substantial compliance" for one year with a settlement agreement signed last November by attorneys for the three prisoners and the state Department of Corrections. Jackson, who last month granted a joint request to conditionally dismiss the 2013 civil rights lawsuit, could make that dismissal final this November. The settlement agreement calls for daily showers for the three Angola inmates of at least 15 minutes; individual ice containers that are timely replenished by prison staff; individual fans; water faucets in their cells; "IcyBreeze" units or so-called "Cajun coolers"; and the diversion of cool air from the death-row guard pod into their cells. Most of those measures have been in use for months. "The plaintiffs are happy that the parties could come together and find an agreement that keeps them in constitutional conditions," Mercedes Montagnes, the inmates' lead attorney, said Thursday. The Louisiana Attorney General's Office, which is representing the state in the case, is withholding comment until the suit's dismissal is final, spokesman Jacques Ambers said. Department of Corrections spokesman Ken Pastorick also declined comment, citing the ongoing case. The case has been the subject of intense litigation for the past 6 years and has made several trips to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The appellate court ruled in early 2018 that the state doesn't have to prevent heat indexes on death row at the Louisiana State Penitentiary from topping 88 degrees (31C) as Jackson previously ordered. Louisiana doesn't have to keep heat index below 88 degrees on Angola's death row, court says The appeals court, however, said inmates Elzie Ball, Nathaniel Code and James Magee still must be protected from excessive heat during the sweltering summer months, but the judges gave state corrections officials more latitude to decide how to keep them cool. FIND related content here Attorney General Jeff Landry has said previously that the Constitution "does not require prisons to be comfortable; it requires them to be humane." Ball, Code and Magee have high blood pressure and other health conditions that their attorneys say are exacerbated by high heat. Under the settlement agreement, the state will continue to monitor on a daily basis from April through October the heat and humidity in the tier where the three inmates are housed. When the heat index a measure of temperature and humidity within their cells reaches or exceeds 88 degrees, the measures that include ice, fans and "IcyBreeze" units will be provided, the agreement states. IcyBreeze is a brand name, but the modified ice chests also have been referred to in court documents as "Cajun coolers," essentially ice chests equipped with fans and ducting to blow cool air. Paul Hebert, the court-appointed special master in the case, stated in his final report last November that the remedial measures are working to prevent the heat index from topping 88 degrees in the area where the 3 inmates reside. Jackson and the 5th Circuit both found that subjecting the ailing inmates to excessive heat constitutes cruel and unusual punishment, and that some remedies are necessary to protect their health and safety. The appeals court, though, has said on more than one occasion that Ball, Code and Magee aren't entitled to air conditioning on Angola's death row. Ball was condemned to die for the 1996 shooting death of beer deliveryman Ben Scorsone during an armed robbery of a Gretna lounge. Magee received the death penalty for the shotgun slaying of his estranged wife, Adrienne Magee, and their 5-year-old son, Zach, in a subdivision near Mandeville in 2007. Code was sentenced to death for killing 4 people at a house in Shreveport in 1985. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde The inmate's attorney asked to halt the execution while a court weighs the appropriateness of the death penalty for people under 21 at the time of the crime An Alabama inmate's attorney has asked the governor to halt his Thursday lethal injection while a Kentucky court weighs the appropriateness of the death penalty for people who were under 21 at the time of their crimes. Michael Brandon Samra was 19 when he participated in the 1997 slayings in Shelby County of 4 people, including 2 children. Samra was convicted of helping friend Mark Duke kill Duke's father, the father's girlfriend Dedra Mims Hunt, and her 2 daughters, 6-year-old Chelisa Hunt and 7-year-old Chelsea Hunt. Prosecutors said the teens plotted the slayings after Duke became angry when his father wouldn't let him use his truck. Duke's death sentence was overturned because he was 16 at the time of the crime. Samra's attorney, Steven R. Sears, sent a letter to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey asking for a temporary reprieve. The U.S. Supreme Court prohibits the death penalty for defendants under 18, and he argued there is growing concern about the appropriateness of the death penalty those under 21 because of brain development and issues of maturity. A Kentucky judge in 2017 ruled the death penalty is unconstitutional for defendants younger than 21. Sears asked the governor for a reprieve until the Kentucky Supreme Court decides the appeal. According to a state summary of the case included in court filings, Mark Duke killed his father, Hunt and the 6-year-old girl and that Samra slit the throat of 7-year-old Chelsea at Duke's direction while the girl pleaded for her life. The letter to Gov. Ivey also argued that Duke, who had his death sentence overturned because of age, was the more culpable defendant. He also notes Samra confessed to the crimes. "His culpability paled in comparison to that of Mark Duke, who plotted, planned and killed 3 of the victims, including his own father, for revenge" the letter states. Attorneys for Samra have also asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay. The Alabama attorney general's office is opposing the request. The U.S. Supreme Court has a "bright line" of age 18 for eligibility for the death penalty and state and federal appellate court have consistently refused to extend it beyond that age, attorneys for the state wrote in court filing with the Supreme Court. State attorneys said the teens entered the home that night with a plan to kill everyone in the house and argued there is no consensus against executing inmates younger than 21 at the time of their crimes. "Of the 30 states that retain the death penalty, the number that have passed statutes specifically barring the execution of persons who committed murder between the ages of 18 and 21 stands at zero," attorneys for the state said. The lethal injection is scheduled for Thursday night in Atmore. | 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 Associated Press, Staff, May 12, 2019 The Florida Supreme Court on Friday rejected a stay of execution and turned down a series of legal arguments made on behalf of condemned killer Bobby Joe Long. Gov. Ron DeSantis last month signed a death warrant for Long and scheduled the execution for May 23. Long was sentenced to death in the May 1984 murder of Michelle Simms after picking her up on Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa. In 1985. Long, now 65, also pleaded guilty to seven additional first-degree murder charges and numerous charges for sexual batteries and kidnappings in the Tampa Bay region. Longs attorney this week requested a stay of execution and filed what is known as a petition for writ of habeas corpus that raised a series of legal arguments in support of Long. As an example, the petition argued that Long should be spared from execution because of a significant history of mental illness and the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Given his severe mental illness and in light of the evolving standards of decency, Long must be exempt from execution pursuant to the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the petition said. Justices, however, issued 2 orders unanimously rejecting the request for a stay of execution and the issues raised in the petition. | 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 news4jax.com, Staff, May 11, 2019 Nearly a year in office, Datuk Liew Vui Keong acknowledges that Pakatan Harapans pledged legislative reforms will take time to realise but pointed out the complexity of the task. The minister in Prime Ministers Department in charge of legal affairs noted that some traced back to British colonial days and, in all, there were over a hundred individual pieces of legislation that would be affected by the pledge in some way. Despite the size of his undertaking, Liew said they were making progress. To date, we have identified 126 Acts that need to be amended or repealed so the process will take time as many of these laws belong to their respective ministries so we need to get the policies from the ministers, whether they want to repeal or amend specific Acts This is a starting point for us when we took over the government in May and when I was appointed in July, he said in a special press interview commemorating PHs first anniversary at his office here on Tuesday Liew added that it will take from 1 to 5 years for each ministry to either repeal or amend laws under their purview. Doing away with irrelevant and oppressive laws Liew said among the priorities of the PH administration was to repeal or amend oppressive laws that were either enacted during the colonial era or under the Barisan Nasional government. These include the Sedition Act, the Anti-Fake News Act, The National Security Council Act, Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, Prevention of Crime Act (Amendment) and abolishing the death penalty. It became our first agenda to abolish laws that are not relevant in accordance with the aspirations of the PH manifesto," he said. RELATED | 'Malaysia's new government failed to deliver on most of its human rights reform promises' Liew said they had attempted to repeal the Anti-Fake News Act through Parliament in July last year but noted that this was defeated by the Opposition-dominated Senate later. Liew also said the government will prioritise the National Security Council (Amendment) Bill in the next parliamentary session since this already had its first reading on April 9. Another major milestone in legislative reform was the Cabinets decision to abolish the mandatory death penalty for 11 offences under two laws: nine under the Penal Code and 2 under the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971. We have taken the steps to abolish mandatory death sentences from all laws whereby we give the courts the authority to decide whether to sentence out executions or life imprisonment to those who are guilty," he said. However, Liew explained the proposal to abolish the death penalty is still work in progress as they must consider the views of all stakeholders, given the complexity and sensitivity of the issue. Reviewing the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 Liew, who is federal lawmaker for Batu Sapi, said the PH administration is working hard to honour the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 (MA63) that is the basis for the formation of the country with three equal partners, namely the Federation of Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak. We have successfully formed a Cabinet Committee to oversee the execution of the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 and this coincide with Tun Dr Mahathirs statement that Sabah and Sarawak is an equal partner, he said, referring to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. On April 4, Liew tabled The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Parliament that sought to undo a previous change to the Federal Constitution that put Sabah and Sarawak on par with an individual peninsular state. However, it fell short of the two-thirds support required to alter the Federal Constitution. Despite the failure, Liew said he is not giving up. I think the most important thing is that we returned to this article 1(2) of the Constitution. The significant implication is the recognition that Malaysia is made up of 3 entities. This recognition of equal entities is quite significant because at this moment the present Constitution talks about the Federation of Malaysia where Sabah and Sarawak is just part of the 13 states," he said. New anti-stalking law Among new laws the government is considering is one against stalking, the minister said. The proposed law would punish those who stalk, peep or pry upon another person, he explained. Currently, authorities use laws related to criminal intimidation or assault for which they must prove an offender either made physical contact or threatened their victim, making convictions challenging. Before it will become a problem, we need to ensure that legal action can be taken against the stalker and this is one of the law that we are looking at but of course there are many other laws that we are looking at as well," he said. | 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 malaymail.com, Staff, May 11, 2019 More than 300 tiny pieces of human tissue from prisoners executed by the Nazis have been buried in Berlin. The samples were found in microscopic slides at a property that belonged to Hermann Stieve - an anatomy professor at the Charite university hospital. Heirs of the doctor, who died in 1952, discovered the collection in 2016. Researchers say Stieve systematically collaborated with the Nazis to receive the bodies of 184 people, mostly women, executed for political resistance. The tissue pieces - most less than a millimetre long - were discovered at Stieve's estate, stored in small black boxes, including some labelled with names. Once found, they were handed to Berlin's Charite university hospital, who tasked staff at the German Resistance Memorial Center (GDW) to research their history. The burial ceremony on Monday took place at Berlin's Dorotheenstadt Cemetery. The grave is near an existing memorial to victims of the Nazis. The samples were interred in one small coffin measuring 30cm x 30cm x 40cm (12ins x 12ins x 16ins), GDW director Johannes Tuchel told the BBC. Some of the people dissected by Stieve were high-profile - including 13 women from the Red Orchestra anti-Nazi resistance group. Bodies cremated Research under Prof Tuchel shows that bodies were picked up by a driver and taken to Stieve, sometimes just minutes after they were killed at Berlin-Plotzensee prison. He then dissected them for research, before discreetly cremating and interring their bodies anonymously. Prof Tuchel told the BBC that Stieve's dissections took place in 1942-1943. He sent the bodies to Wilmersdorf for cremation and later sent the victims' ashes to Parkfriedhof Marzahn, a Berlin cemetery. "He did not deal with concentration camp victims," Prof Tuchel said, adding that Stieve "did not work with Nazi doctors". Almost 3,000 people were executed at Plotzensee by beheading or hanging while Hitler was in power. "We have discovered that (Stieve) systematically aided the (Nazi) Reich justice ministry in obliterating the traces of these criminal acts," Prof Tuchel told German newspaper Bild. Stieve served as the director of the Berlin Institute of Anatomy from 1935 until he died following a stroke in 1952. Detailed records The anatomist's use of the prisoners' corpses had been kept almost in plain sight, because he kept meticulous records of his work. He had a particular interest in reproductive anatomy. His work was some of the first research to suggest that stress - in the form of being sentenced to death - could disrupt a woman's menstrual cycle. One of the Charite researchers, Andreas Winkelmann of Brandenburg Medical School, told the AFP news agency that burial of such small specimens was highly unusual. "But this is a special story, because they came from people who were actively denied graves, so that their relatives would not know where they are buried," he added. Dr Sabine Hildebrandt is a German-born anatomist who published a book about ethical transgressions and anatomical science in the Nazi period. In 2013 she explained to the BBC that Stieve exploited their policies, including the increased use of the death penalty as a punishment. "Before 1933, he was able to source the bodies of executed men, but no women; Germany was not executing women," she said. "Then, suddenly, during the Third Reich, women were being executed too." Because he was not a member of the Nazi party, Stieve was not prosecuted after World War Two. In a statement, Dr Karl Max Einhaupl, CEO of the Charite, said the burial was part of an effort by the hospital to confront its - and German medicine's - difficult relationship with Nazism. "By burying the microscopic specimens at the Dorotheenstadt Cemetery, we want to help restore to the victims some of their dignity," he said. | 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 (CN) Echoing concerns she has raised in other capital cases, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Monday slammed her colleagues decision not to hear the appeal of a Tennessee inmate set to be executed next year. Abu-Ali AbdurRahman was convicted in 1987 of first-degree murder for stabbing a drug dealer to death in Nashville. After losing appeals based on claims of ineffective counsel and prosecutorial misconduct, AbdurRahman alleged cumulative error affecting his sentencing and improper jury instructions about accomplice testimony. The Sixth Circuit rejected his appeal in 2015. His execution is scheduled for April 9, 2020. Last October, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Tennessee to execute double murderer Edmund Zagorski by electric chair because he argued the states lethal injection protocol constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Justice Sotomayor dissented in that case, saying she takes issue with the perverse requirement that inmates offer alternative methods for their own executions. Tennessee is one of many states that has struggled in recent years to find alternative drugs for its execution protocol in the wake of pharmaceutical shortages driven by protests against the death penalty. The barbiturate pentobarbital is widely regarded as a humane method of execution for its ability to render the subject fully insensate, but Sotomayor noted that Tennessee was noncommittal about pentobarbitals availability after scheduling Zagorskis execution last year. The Supreme Court similarly declined Monday to take up AbdurRahmans case, drawing a single-page dissent from Sotomayor. Today, the court again ignores the further injustice of state secrecy laws denying death-row prisoners access to potentially crucial information for meeting [the alternative-method] requirement, she wrote. Because I continue to believe that the alternative-method requirement is fundamentally wrongand particularly so when compounded by secrecy laws like TennesseesI dissent. | 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 Death row inmate Donnie Edward Johnson is scheduled to be executed on May 16. But with days to go, he still hasn't decided how he wants the state to kill him. Because Johnson, 68, was convicted of a murder that took place before 1999, he can choose between two methods: lethal injection, Tennessee's primary method, or the electric chair, the back-up option. Eligible inmates typically make their choice a month before their execution date. If they don't choose, the state plans for a lethal injection. Johnson is on death row for the 1984 murder of his wife Connie Johnson. He has filed a clemency application asking Republican Gov. Bill Lee to grant him mercy and stop the execution. Prison officials will continue preparations for the execution until a decision is announced. Johnson's lawyers say he has intentionally withheld his execution method decision for now. That is because the U.S. Supreme Court is considering a challenge to Tennessee's lethal injection drugs. Johnson doesn't plan on making a choice until the nation's high court has spoken. Supreme Court to weigh in on lethal injection challenge The challenge, brought by Johnson and 22 other death row inmates, argues that the state's 3-drug protocol does not keep inmates from feeling excruciating pain as they die. The pain is so severe, they say, that it is unconstitutional. Tennessee courts rejected the inmates' lethal injection challenge in 2018, but the inmates are asking the Supreme Court to revive the challenge based on state law that they said hamstrung their constitutional right to challenge "cruel and unusual punishment." The justices were slated to debate the case Thursday. Johnson's attorneys expect a ruling Monday, three days before the scheduled execution. Federal public defender Kelley Henry said they would discuss a choice with Johnson then. A wave of executions began in Tennessee last year, including one lethal injection. But the same argument has derailed executions in Ohio. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, delayed lethal injections earlier this year after a federal judge fiercely criticized the trio of lethal injection drugs used in Ohio, which are the same ones that are used in Tennessee. Experts say the first of the three drugs, the sedative midazolam, does not dull the pain caused by the following 2. Inmates say Tennessee law violates constitutional rights Tennessee courts said that, regardless of the pain, the inmates had failed to prove other execution drugs were readily available. In their challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court, the inmates' lawyers argue Tennessee law shielding details about lethal injection drug procurement made it impossible to say what alternative drugs might be available to the state. The inmates argued the law doomed their efforts and violated their due process. "Tennessee law ensured that petitioners claim would fail," the inmates attorneys argued in their petition to the high court. "Tennessees execution secrecy statute barred discovery into the states communications with 10 concededly willing suppliers. It also barred petitioners from exploring the details of the suppliers offers by deposing those suppliers or even the state officials with whom they interacted." State lawyers are opposing the effort to revive the lethal injection challenge, saying the inmates never raised this issue before and that other rulings have maintained the constitutionality of state shield laws for executions. Last year, 2 death row inmates in Tennessee chose the electric chair over lethal injection amid fears that the injection led to several minutes of torturous pain before death. | 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 Commercial Appeal, Staff, May 10, 2019 A man convicted of brutally murdering an elderly woman more than 2 decades ago has received another execution date. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has set 41-year-old Ruben Gutierrezs execution for July 31. Gutierrez murdered 85-year-old Escolastica Harrison at the Harrison Mobile Home Park on Morningside Road in 1998. A Cameron County jury convicted Gutierrez based off evidence that he befriended Harrison so he could rob her of some $600,000 in cash she had hidden in her home. According to police, Harrison had an aversion to banks and hid her money inside a suitcase within her trailer home. An autopsy revealed she had been stabbed 13 times with 2 different screwdrivers and had also been beaten. According to TDCJ death row information, Gutierrez and co-defendants Rene Garcia and Pedro Garcia Jr. entered the residence and struck Harrison once in the head with the intent of knocking her out. However, Harrison struggled and was repeatedly hit and stabbed multiple times in the head. Gutierrez had initially been scheduled to die on Sept. 12 for the murder, but on Aug. 22 Senior U.S. District Judge Hilda Tagle granted a stay of execution. That August new lawyers were appointed to represent Gutierrez and they argued that they needed more time to learn about Gutierrez and to examine the massive case record. Not only that, Gutierrezs previous attorney said in court documents that she didnt believe she had the expertise to represent the man at this stage of his death penalty litigation. | 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 themonitor.com, Staff, May 10, 2019 The U.S. Supreme Court's internal divisions over the death penalty were exposed again on Monday in fresh wrangling over how the justices handled a bid by a convicted murderer in Alabama to put off his execution. Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the nine-member court's five conservatives, wrote a 14-page opinion explaining his views on the court's early-morning decision on April 12 to pave the way for the execution of Christopher Price, 46. The court's order was released too late for the execution to take place and Price remains on death row. RELATED | Alabama: Christopher Lee Price granted 60-day stay over nitrogen execution request Thomas, joined by fellow conservatives Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, took aim at liberal Justice Stephen Breyer, a frequent critic of the death penalty, who had dissented from the Price decision along with the court's three other liberals. Price had a weak legal argument, Thomas wrote, meaning "it is difficult to see his litigation strategy as anything other than an attempt to delay his execution. Yet four members of the court would have countenanced his tactics without a shred of legal support." READ: Justice Clarence Thomas' opinion in Alabama death penalty case In the April vote, the court reversed two lower court decisions that delayed Price's execution so he could proceed with his request to be executed by lethal gas instead of lethal injection. The Thomas opinion on Monday was issued as the court rejected Price's underlying appeal. The April decision in Price's case was the third time in recent weeks the court has divided along ideological lines on a death penalty case, with the conservatives in the majority each time. Price was convicted and sentenced to death in 1993 in the killing of William Lynn, a minister, in his home in Bazemore, Alabama, in 1991. Source: Reuters, Staff, May 13, 2019 | 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! FOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIA Two fundraising efforts have been launched to help the family of a local farmer and former Oregon State Police trooper who died in a farm accident on Saturday. The Santiam Christian School board of directors has set up a scholarship fund to assist in the education of Kirk Burkholder's three children, said board member emeritus Howard Ropp. Burkholder, a Santiam Christian graduate, leaves behind his wife, Amanda, and their children, ages 7, 5, and 3. Those contributions should be made directly to Santiam Christian School, with a notation directing the funds to the Burkholder account, Ropp said. "I hope to see the account make it so the kids can finish their schooling at Santiam Christian, so Amanda doesn't have to worry about where the funds for their education are coming from," Ropp said. A second account, on the fundraising site, GoFundMe, account has been set up to support Amanda Burkholder and her family's personal needs. "We created the GoFundMe at the request of several individuals looking for a way to support Amanda and her family," said Katie Boshart Glaser, a friend of the couple and a member of the Fairview Mennonite Church, where the Burkholders attended. "Kirk was the sole provider for them," Boshart added. "The money raised will help give a measure of relief during this time of processing and grief." A funeral for the 38-year-old Burkholder is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Fairview Mennonite Church, 35100 Goltra Road SE in Albany. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 1 Oregon's junior U.S. senator, Jeff Merkley, flirted publicly over the last few months with the idea of whether he would join the crowded Democratic field jostling to win the party's presidential nomination. (The field already features more than 20 candidates.) Merkley eventually made what we thought was the right decision, choosing to stay out of the presidential race. Among the reasons why he decided to take a pass was the fact that Oregon law bars candidates from running for more than one paid office in the same election. Merkley apparently made some discreet inquires with legislators about changing the law and found little enthusiasm for doing so. Since Merkley faces a re-election campaign in 2020, he would have been forced to choose between a Senate race in which he is the heavy favorite and a presidential run in which he would be a long shot. In addition, although Merkley has emerged as a consistent voice in opposition to President Donald Trump and has made some national news, he would face name recognition and fundraising challenges in the crowded presidential field. But maybe there's another reason why Merkley decided to steer clear of a presidential run in 2020. If he's a student of history, he might know that Democratic presidential candidates from the West face long odds. It's an amazing bit of political trivia that you can use to astonish your friends, but it might also say something about the political structure of the United States: The Democratic Party has never nominated, for either president or vice president, a candidate who rose to political prominence in a state west of the Central time zone. The Republican Party has done so 15 times. (We are indebted to "Smart Politics," a nonpartisan website run by the University of Minnesota's Eric Ostermeier, for unearthing this historical nugget. We initially stumbled upon it while reading a New York Times profile about another long-shot Democratic candidate, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. You may be raising objections: You might be asking, "What about Barack Obama?" He was born in Hawaii or, depending on your political leanings, in Kenya. Those of you with deeper political memories might be raising the case of John Kerry, who was born in Colorado. But the question here isn't where a candidate was born: It's where he (and, of course, in this case, almost all the candidates are men) rose to political prominence. Obama first found political success in Illinois. Kerry rose to prominence in Massachusetts. According to Ostermeier's research, the closest Democrats have come to nominating a Western presidential nominee are Williams Jennings Bryan (Nebraska), Lyndon Johnson (Texas) and George McGovern (South Dakota) close, but no cigar in terms of the West. Democrats never have nominated a vice-presidential candidate from the West unless you choose to count the Southern Democratic ticket in 1860, in which U.S. Sen. Joseph Lane (from Oregon!) was nominated as the running mate on the pro-slavery ticket headed by John Breckinridge. (Yes, this is the Lane after whom Lane County is named.) Republican presidential nominees include Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan and John McCain. The Republicans' first nominee, back in 1856, was former California Sen. John Fremont. By our count, at least eight of the announced Democratic candidates would qualify as westerners and therefore, if history is any guide, have no shot at the nomination. And a glance at the Electoral College map starts to suggest why: A Democratic presidential candidate would have to run a positively inept campaign to lose any of the West Coast states in 2020. In fact, only two Western states (Colorado and Nevada) typically are competitive in national races, and they only have 15 electoral votes between them. Democrats will be looking for a candidate who can win in the heartland, and that might once again freeze out candidates who hail from the West. (mm) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 But I dont want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you cant help that," said the Cat: "were all mad here. Im mad. Youre mad." "How do you know Im mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldnt have come here. Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland With freedom comes responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt This morning'scarried a review of last night'sthat might make someone in a Trumpian world mindset think Pakistan and India were at war again or that China just finally got even with Japan for World War II. "Dany had a hissy fit," wrote Matthew Gilbert, "and it turned Kings Landing into a charred and dead-main-character-filled mess. She even managed to make Cersei cry real tears-- no easy feat-- as the pregnant monarch saw her dreams come down to smoke and ash before her very eyes. Girl, you lost it-- your temper, your dignity, and your humanity. Put a messianic wannabe on the back of a presumably grieving dragon, and the result was an episode that doubled as a kind of apocalyptic battle of the queens, as Daenerys and Cersei faced off-- one atop her only winged child, the other atop her tower-- without ever facing each other, a pair of fierce rulers whove chosen fear over love." I hope you enjoyed the second-to-last episode. If you did, you might also enjoy reading Chris Cillizza's CNN piece comparing the 2020 candidates withcharacters. Perhaps, though, you'd be offended that he casts Status Quo Joe as Cersei Lannister . "Both," wrote Cillizza, "are theincumbents, relying on their inherent knowledge of the system and an air of inevitability to stay on top. But both know their enemies are coming for them-- and that doubts remain as to whether they can hang onto power." Sounds about right... But why not Trump? That's just another thing he and Biden have in common. Last week Biden actually was in Hollywood, collecting money from the rich and brainless-- raked in close to a million dollars at his big Jeffrey Katzenberg/Peter Chernin/Rob Reiner fundraiser at the home of Michael Smith and James Costo last Wednesday. On Friday,published a piece by Bob Borosage, Joe Biden Is a Bad Bet , making the point that "far from being the safest choice, Biden lacks the economic vision necessary to counter Trump." As Courtenay Brown wrote for Axios yesterday America's booming economy is Trumps 2020 tailwind . "Every incumbent president since FDR who has avoided a recession in the lead-up to an election year was re-elected. More Americans are saying they approve of President Trump's handling of the economy, even though they disapprove overall. 51% of people disapprove of Trump's job performance in a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll out last week, but 51% approve of him on the economy. If he loses, it would be a big break with recent history." Lobbyist Bruce Mehlman remarked that "Many voters are willing to forgive the noise (political incorrectness, tweets, Mueller) as long as the signal (economy) stays strong." With the Republicans claiming credit for the economy, Borosage wrote that "the Democrats lining up to support former vice president Joe Biden as the most electable opponent to Trump have got it wrong." Trump cant resist exaggerating the economic news, but there is much to boast about. Unemployment is at its lowest level since 1969, with job openings exceeding the numbers looking for work. Hispanic and African-American unemployment rates, while still dramatically higher than the white rate, have hit record lows during Trumps tenure. Trump, of course, is a bit like a drunk jumping on a street car headed downhill who thinks hes driving with his foot on the gas. He claims that his deregulation, his tax cuts, and his trade policies have made the difference. With the China trade deficit reaching a new height last year, the tax benefits going overwhelmingly to the already rich, and the deregulation blitz only beginning to take effect, his claims are a reach. But whether from good fortune or good policy, he can and will take credit from voters. As Trump barrels forward, Democrats are engaged in a furious argument over how to stop him. Many Democratic primary voters indicate they are ready to support the candidate most likely to defeat Trump, even over their personal favorite. Joe Biden has become the early front-runner because of a widespread sense that he is the safest bet to defeat Trump. Experienced and moderate, Scranton Joe is credited with having a special appeal to the white working-class voters that went to Trump, particularly in the key swing Midwestern states. Making the case for Biden, Andrew Sullivan dismisses arguments that he is too white, too old, too handsy, and too compromised to win. Sullivan maintains that Trump will turn out the Democratic base for any candidate, while Biden can appeal to moderate voters, notably non-college-educated white men. Biden enjoys the imprimatur, if not the endorsement, of one of the most popular Democrats, Barack Obama. A good portion of the partys institutional centers-- the money, the operatives, the union and establishment leaders-- are rallying to his banner. In fact, rather than the safest bet, Biden is more likely to end up the worst of all worlds-- unable either to excite the emerging Democratic coalition of young people, minorities, and women or to win back the Obama-Trump working-class voters. He could easily become the Democratic equivalent of Bob Dole, the hapless Republican Senate leader who lost badly to Bill Clintons reelection bid. If the growing economy is Trumps calling card, it is also his greatest vulnerability. This economy is about as good as it gets, and it still doesnt work for most Americans. Wages have begun to stir but arent close to making up for the stagnation of the past decades. The costs of basics-- health care, prescription drugs, housing, child care, college-- are all rising faster than wages. College debt now totals over $1.6 trillion, with more and more families simply unable to afford to send their kids to school. Nearly 30 million lack health coverage, an increase of at least 7 million since Trumps election. Tens of millions more cant afford the care they need. Nearly one in five black families and one in seven Latino families are in debt or have zero net wealth. Trump chose to pass top-end tax cuts instead of rebuilding our decrepit and increasingly dangerous infrastructure. For all of his posturing, his 2016 jibe-- that now we build cars in Mexico and you cant drink the water in Flint-- is still true. Beneath the populist packaging, Trumps basic policies-- top-end tax cuts, deregulation driven by corporate lobbyists, and a government open for business-- are standard Republican fare, feeding inequality and corporate plunder. The central task of the Democratic standard-bearer in 2020 will be to expose Trumps con by showing that even in the best of times, the economy is still rigged against most Americans-- and Trump is adding to the fix-- while offering a compelling agenda for change. The essence of the Biden candidacy, however, is restoration-- a promise of a return to the normalcy of the Obama years. That appeals to centrist Democrats, but it also makes Biden the perfect foil for Trump to run against. To counter Biden, Trump could position himself once more as the insurgent, the agent of change against a failed establishment. On the stump, Trump brandishes his aggressive trade policies as proof of his populist credibility. The era of economic surrender is over, he claimed at his recent rally in Panama City, Florida, indicting the Obama administration and its predecessor for decades of calamitous trade policies that enrich Wall Street at the expense of Main Street. In contrast to Trumps isolationist rhetoric, Biden is an avowed free trader and has supported NAFTA, the TPP, and China in the WTO. Given his record, he has little choice but to try to defend the indefensible. This wont go well. Already at a stop in Iowa, Biden lamely dismissed the Chinese challenge, arguing that it was implausible that Beijing would eat our lunch and that China was not competition for us. Trump offers a populist explanation about why this economy is rigged against what he calls the invisible people. Echoing Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, he rails against the entrenched elite who rigged the rules and allowed other countries-- China, NATO allies, NAFTA partners Mexico and Canada-- to rip off the US. In his first public rally at a Teamsters hall in Pittsburgh, Biden tried out his populist voice, scorning Trump for the tax cuts, indicting CEOs for their greed, voicing his solidarity with unions, and pledging to rebuild the middle class. How did we get to this place, he asked, where so many people across America dont think we see them? He never answered the question. Instead, he reiterated that were tearing America apart instead of lifting it up and suffering from a broken political system thats deliberately being undermined by our president to continue to abuse the power of the office. But Trump is a symptom, not the source of Americas political and economic problems-- and surely those who chose to vote for Trump after voting for Obama know it. Worse, Biden really doesnt have much to say about how to make the economy work for working people. Its still early, but Biden isnt a big policy maven and isnt likely to lay out a bold agenda for the future. Hes already suggested that all Democrats agree on basically everything, all of us running-- all 400 of us. He embraces the $15 minimum wage from Bernies agenda, calls for reversing Trumps tax cuts, touts a public option for health insurance over Medicare for All, and waves vaguely at making college and training affordable. His agenda will fill out over time, but his appeal is less about the future than about ending the Trump aberration and returning to the status quo. But elections, in the end, are always about the future. Democrats wont beat Trump simply because of his personal corruptions, nor can they count on demography to carry their cause. They would be ill-advised to pick a candidate who champions a restoration to the past. Democrats need a leader who can puncture Trumps populist con and lay out a bold vision and agenda for change. Joe Biden has many strengths, but that isnt among them. A Vietjet aircraft is seen at Noi Bai International airport in Hanoi, January 2018. Photo by Reuters/Kham Low-cost carrier Vietjet sold aircraft purchase options after acquiring them for 40-60 percent discounts by making bulk orders. In its first quarter 2019 financial statements, Vietjet Aviation JSC (stock code: VJC) has reported revenues of over VND3.57 trillion ($153 million) from sale of options to purchase aircraft. According to securities firm Ho Chi Minh City Securities JSC (HSC), Vietjet made $5 million from each option, or one aircraft. The gross profit recorded from selling options in the first three months for Vietjet was VND924 billion ($39.56 million). "Vietjet received discounts of 40-60 percent of an aircrafts listed price by placing bulk orders of 50 to 100 aircraft per order. For instance, according to Airbus' price list last year, each A321 neo costs $129.5 million, but Vietjet acquired them for just $42-45 million each, equivalent to a 65 percent discount," HSC said. Vietjet had ordered 50 A321neo in November last year, raising the total number of A320 Family aircraft ordered by the carrier to 171, of which 46 have already been delivered. This leaves the airline with 125 aircraft on order with Airbus for future delivery, and these are also a potential source of revenue if Vietjet decides to resell them instead. "Because of these discounts, Vietjet was able to sell the rights [to receive and possess the said aircraft] to partners at higher prices. It is estimated that options to buy 8 aircraft were sold in the first quarter," HSC said. Overall, the company generated a net revenue of VND13.64 trillion ($586 million), an increase of more than 8 percent year-on-year as a result of higher passenger numbers and revenue from auxiliary services. In the first quarter of the year, Vietjet made over VND1.46 trillion ($63 million) in profit after tax, achieving 26 percent of their annual profit target. After being introduced as a more environmentally friendly option in late 2017, E5 biofuel consumption has fallen. Low consumption and low profit margin have been blamed for the situation. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai told VnExpress that sales of E5 RON 92 bio-gasoline (E5) has dropped since the end of 2018. According to statistics released by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in 2018, Vietnam consumed over 3.1 million tons of E5 gasoline, equivalent to 42 percent of all gasoline in the market. However, in the first quarter of 2019, this number fell to 38 percent. Moreover, after over one year of mass selling bio-fuel, a number of petrol stations are beginning to switch back to selling RON 95, as a result of low sales and meagre profit margins. "Most of our customers are asking for RON 95 fuel now, so after a long time of selling E5 we are switching back to mineral gasoline," said a private gas station worker in Hanois Ha Dong District, saying her station had removed some E5 cylinders to make space for RON 95. Binh, a gas station owner in Hanoi, said that his outlet also switched to selling RON 95 a month earlier due to low E5 consumption. "There are months where we only sold several hundred litres of E5. This is small so it is difficult to store this type of biofuel," Binh said. Since E5 is a biofuel, if left for long, water will separate from the fuel, causing it to spoil, he explained. According to fuel traders, the amount of E5 bought by distributors has also dropped sharply since the beginning of 2018. The head of a trading firm who did not wish to be named said that the proportion of biofuel sold to outlets have dropped from 50 at the end of 2018 to only 30 percent in April. "We can only ensure biofuel sales to outlets in our system, but sales to private distributors will depend on demand and supply of the market. It is difficult to sell to these clients because the profit margin is so low," he said. Given the recent rise in global oil price and Vietnam's price cap on fuel, enterprises are actually making heavier losses selling E5 than RON 95 fuel this April. Specifically, VND3,540 (15 cents) is taken out of enterprises' price stabilization fund to subsidize every litre of E5 RON 92, while only VND2,045 (8.8 cents) is needed for RON 95. E5 fuel does not sell well also because consumers still have doubts about its quality. They lack information and prices are not attractive enough for them to make the switch, said the owner of a gas station in Saigon. "A difference of just VND200 (0.9 cents) per litre is not nearly enough to encourage consumers to use biofuels, given that many consumers are still not confident about the quality of this petrol" conceded Deputy Minister Hai. In order to achieve a larger difference, enterprises have suggested a reduction or even abolition of the environmental tax charged on biofuels. The retail price of E5 should be VND2,000-2,500 (8.6-11 cents) lower than RON 95 to encourage consumption of biofuels, they say. "The current tax rate of E5 being equivalent to 95.1 percent of RON 95 is not appropriate. The rate should be readjusted instead based on how much the fuel emits. The figure should be 75-80 percent," Hai said. The current environmental tax rate for gasoline of all types, except for E5, is VND4000 (17 cents) per litre. As of now, Vietnam primarily uses two types of gasoline. Before 2017, Vietnam mainly consumed RON 95, an unleaded high-octane mineral gasoline, that burns more efficiently for higher-performance car/motorbike engines that require it, and RON 92, a lower-grade mineral gasoline used for ordinary gasoline engines. In January 1, 2018, the government replaced RON 92 with E5, a mix of RON 92 petrol (95 per cent) and E5 bio-fuel ethanol (5 per cent). "The shift will contribute to ensuring energy security, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and implementing the commitments made by the Vietnamese government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, among others," the government said then in a statement. A group of Vietnamese suspects are held at a police station in the northern Lang Son Province for impersonating police officers to kidnap Chinese nationals. Photo by VnExpress/Binh Minh Police in the border province of Lang Son have arrested 10 Vietnamese found kidnapping Chinese nationals and demanding ransom. The Friday arrest happened more than a week after the police received information that four Chinese citizens were tricked to entering the border district of Loc Binh in Lang Son and kidnapped by a group of people who demanded huge ransoms from the victims' relatives. Police officers swung into action and arrested 10 men, between 17 and 27 years of age, and are still searching for two other suspects. No further details were given about the hunt. Col. Nguyen Dinh Khai, head of the provinces police department, said the group of Vietnamese suspects used Chinese messaging service WeChat to get acquainted with the victims and tricked them into crossing Vietnamese border. When the victims entered Vietnam, the kidnappers were handcuffed and arrested by fake police officers who asked the victims to contact with their families to pay the ransom fee through WeChat. Police said the group had kidnapped seven Chinese nationals and appropriated VND215 million ($9,209) between April 21 to 28. "The victims were very scared because they did not know they had been cheated. All of them had entered Vietnam illegally, and this forced them to comply with the requirements of the kidnappers to get back home safely," Khai said. HCMC to set up official databases for use by public, investors Ho Chi Minh City plans to become a smart city by November, with major data made available to the public. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran HCMC will make data on inspections, projects, schools, health facilities, and land administration publicly available as it pursues smart city vision. Speaking at a conference on becoming a smart city on Sunday, the city Party Secretary, Nguyen Thien Nhan, called on the Department of Information and Communications to soon provide the addresses of its data centers to the public. He insisted that HCMC's smart city plan be a reality by November, with conclusions of all government inspections since 2016 be uploaded onto the common database for the public and the media to monitor. Nhan also asked for data sought by investors to be uploaded, such as on ongoing projects, schools, medical facilities, and cadastre and other land-related information. City Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said that a number of government departments and state-owned companies have failed to cooperate and refused to add their data to the common database. While not identifying them by name, he warned that this behavior is unacceptable and should not occur again. Duong Anh Duc, director of the Department of Information and Communications, said a city database is available at Quang Trung Software Park in District 12 and was created by combining data from the Departments of Planning and Investment, Tax, Health, Natural Resources and Environment, and Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. Important databases integrated into the Quang Trung database include those on electronic public service delivery, denunciation, hotline numbers, business registration, foreign investment, taxpayers, foreign workers, and land. The city has started extracting and using data from the common database for administrative tasks. At the command and operation center for the planned smart city, HCMC has trialed integration of data from the security cameras belonging to the Department of Transport and the administrative People's Committees of Districts 1, 12, Phu Nhuan, and Go Vap. "Over 1,000 cameras have been integrated into the operating center, and enhanced data analysis can be performed simultaneously on 50, including face recognition, vehicle identification, detection of crowds and traffic, security, and law and order incidents," Duc said. As for the planned Center for Socio-Economic Simulation and Forecasting, the city has completed the system of methodologies to serve as scientific and empirical basis for researches and advisories on socio-economic forecasting. The establishment of a company to operate the Center for Information Safety has also been approved by the city authorities. Duc said the establishment of a smart city is a continuous and open process, requiring the cooperation of public and private resources, and so the city hopes to continue to receive comments and contributions from the public and businesses. Hoi An yet to decide how to save degraded 400-year-old bridge Bridge Pagoda, an icon of Hoi An Ancient Town in central Vietnam, is on the verge of collapsing. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh Authorities in Hoi An have yet to decide how to save the towns iconic 400-year-old bridge that has become dilapidated and threatens to collapse. Pagoda Bridge, built by Japanese traders in the 17th century and appearing on VND20,000 (nearly $1) currency bills as a national relic, has a pier built of bricks and mortar while the rest is made of wood. Many of the connectors between the roof support and the column have rotted, and some beams that support the tiled roof have cracked and warped. There are many cracks in the abutment section and chunks of mortar have peeled off. The bridge and a pagoda at one of its ends are separated by a few centimeters and here the roof is leaking, and rainwater has affected the wooden structure of the building. Nguyen Chi Trung, director of Hoi An Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation, said two of the bridges beams almost collapsed recently, and the center has reinforced them with wooden abutments. "This is just a temporary solution to save this relic from collapsing. As for solutions to renovate the structure, they need approval from higher authorities." In 2016 town authorities had planned to completely dismantle and rebuild the bridge after international experts agreed it was the best way to save it. The bridge has undergone renovations seven times. But authorities have yet to decide how to save the landmark, which attracts 4,000 visitors every day. Authorities in Hoi An now have to use wooden reinforcements to keep up the Pagoda Bridge. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh Nguyen Van Son, deputy chairman of Hoi An, said many international experts have been consulted but no solution is in sight yet. "This is a special relic, so we have to ask for permission from higher authorities. For now we could only stop at supporting the structure." Pagoda Bridge was recognized as a national, cultural and historical relic in 1990. It spans some 18 meters (59 feet) over a canal that runs into the Thu Bon River. Hoi An in central Vietnam was recognized as a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 1998. It is one of the most popular destinations in Vietnam, attracting nearly five million visitors last year, including 3.7 million foreigners. Buddhists monks and nuns attend a ceremony to mark the U.N. Day of Vesak at Tam Chuc Pagoda, Ha Nam Province, May 12, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh The Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam announced the launch of its own social network Saturday at the Tam Chuc Pagoda. The announcement came on the sidelines of the pagoda in the northern province of Ha Nam hosting the U.N. Day of Vesak, drawing thousands of international delegates. Butta, Vietnams first social network dedicated to Buddhism, has Buddhist followers as its target demographic, providing information about Buddhism in Vietnam and the world, said Thich Thien Nhon, head of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha's executive council. "[The social network] will be an address from which Buddhist principles and practices can spread among people, guiding them towards goodness and divinity," said Nhon. Butta is now available on iOS and Android. Vietnam is a predominantly Buddhist nation. It is estimated that over 70 percent of the Vietnamese population either are Buddhist or follow Buddhist practices. Around half Vietnams population get online. An April report by social media marketing and advertising agency We Are Social showed that Vietnamese are online seven hours a day and spend a daily average of 2.5 hours on social networks. Per capita liquor consumption in Vietnam increased 90 percent in 2010-2017, surpassing regional giants and against drops in Europe. The Lancet medical journal recently released a study of alcohol consumption in 189 countries and territories from 19902017 and estimated rates through 2030, showing people around the world are steadily upping their drinking game. The study found a 90.2 percent uptick in Vietnamese alcohol intake per capita between 2010 and 2017, the worlds fifth highest, following Timor-Leste (246 percent), Niger (137 percent), Comoros (122 percent) and Seychelles (91.3 percent) In comparison, the overall rise in Southeast Asia was 34 percent, while Europeans drank less in the same period with a decline of 12 percent. Vietnam, which consumed 8.9 liters of pure alcohol per person in 2017, also surpassed Japan (7.9 liters), China (7.4 liters) and India (5.9 liters). 5.9 liters of pure alcohol per year would be roughly one can of 330 ml beer per day per adult. Jakob Manthey, the first author of the study, told the U.K.s Medical News Today: "Before 1990, most alcohol was consumed in high-income countries, with the highest use levels recorded in Europe. However, this pattern has changed substantially, with large reductions across Eastern Europe and vast increases in several middle-income countries, such as China, India and Vietnam." Global exposure to pure alcohol increased from 5.9 liters a year per adult in 1990, to 6.5 liters in 2017. The authors predicted that this would grow to 7.6 liters by 2030. More specifically, by 2030, half of all adults will drink alcohol, and almost a quarter (23 percent) will binge drink at least once a month, the study estimates. The likely reason for this is increased alcohol use in low- and middle-income countries as their financial status gets higher. Dr Jurgen Rehm, one of the authors, told VnExpress International that the association between increases in GPD and increases in adult alcohol per capita consumption was "almost perfect" in Vietnam. While affordability was the biggest factor, Rehm also attributed Vietnam's astounding alcohol indulgence to weak alcohol control policy. "Vietnam still has a lot of unrecorded alcohol, and any policy would need to reduce this volume, and at the same time make recorded alcohol less affordable and less available," he said. Vietnam is famous for its beer drinking culture. It is widely believed that business deals in Vietnam tend to go more smoothly over a few drinks at the negotiating table. Vietnam is the biggest beer market in Southeast Asia, consuming nearly four billion liters in 2017. The country spends on average $3.4 billion on alcohol each year, or 3 percent of the governments budget revenue, according to official data. The figure translates to $300 per capita, while spending on health averages $113 per person, according to the Ministry of Health. 40 percent of traffic accidents in Vietnam are linked to excessive drinking, according to the WHO, which it says is an alarming rate for a country where road crashes kill a person every hour, on average. WHO sent a letter to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc last year, asking Vietnamese government to tighten controls over the production, sales and advertising of beer and alcoholic beverage to discourage drinking and protect consumers health. Also last year, Vietnam's health ministry proposed an advertisement ban on beer. World Health Organization has set out global strategies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol by at least 10 percent by 2025, which is not likely to be achieved, author Manthey told EurekAlert of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The European Union Ambassador to Uganda, Attilio Pacifici, has on Monday written to Matia Kasaija, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, informing him of the release of Shs84 billion (EUR 20 million) to the Treasury for the Fiscal Year 2018/19 under the Financing Agreement for Justice and Accountability Reform, a sector budget support programme for a total value of EUR 66 million. The programme aims to improve the governance of public funds and the management of taxpayers money for improved service delivery. It is implemented through the Justice, Law and Order and Accountability sectors and is expected to enhance their synergies. According to the EU press release, the disbursement of the funds followed an extensive dialogue between the Government of Uganda and the EU on the progress of policy reforms in the two concerned sectors. An important milestone was reached with Minister Kasaijas announcement on 21 February 2019 that Uganda will join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The EU continues to work with the Government of Uganda to support progress towards the objectives of the National Development Programme II (NDP II), reads part of the press release. Stories Continues after ad The Justice and Accountability Reform (JAR) programme is aligned in particular with the fourth objective of the NDP II in its quest for effective and efficient service delivery. JAR is composed of sector budget support of EUR 60 million and complementary measures of EUR 6 million, mostly consisting of technical assistance to the line ministries and agencies. The five areas in which JAR seeks to achieve results are domestic revenue mobilisation and management for sustainable development, strategic planning and budgeting for enhanced service delivery, public investment management, service delivery in the Justice, Law and Order sector (JLOS) and institutional capacity to reduce public sector corruption. JAR reinforces the collaboration between the accountability sector and JLOS for more effective anti-corruption measures. It links the different parts of the accountability chain, such as transparency, audit, investigations, sanctions, and prosecution. Other expected key outcomes are a reduction in case backlog and an increased automation of courts in the judiciary. JAR also supports Ugandas preparations for membership in the EITI. The programme will increase competition in public procurement, enhance the quality of public investment projects and improve access to legal services. Other tangible outcomes will be a lower number of un-sentenced detainees and a reduced backlog in the reporting on international human rights treaties Uganda has signed up to. Ambassador Pacifici congratulated the Government of Uganda, stating: The European Union is delighted that the Government of Uganda has met the ambitious pre-conditions for the transfer of these funds, including a substantial increase in the budgets of the JLOS and Accountability Sector and the decision to join EITI. We are looking forward to continued progress in the two sectors and to working with the Government towards meeting the conditions for the next payment. King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Eswatini formall Kingdom of Swaziland has declared that men will from March 2019 be required to marry at least five wives or be jailed if they fail to do so. The king, who has 15 wives and 25 children. His father and predecessor has more than 70 wives and 150+ children revealed that Swaziland is facing a very serious problem as there are more women than men in his country. Men are therefore required and expected to take more wives so that every woman gets a husband. The country which is known to be full of virgins, is also said to have more women than men. So, in a statement, king Mswati called for all men in the country to marry at least five wives and the government assured the men that it would pay for the marriage ceremonies and buy houses for them. King Mswati warned that any man or woman who opposes the decision will face a life sentence. Stories Continues after ad King Mswati III also invited South African men and men from other countries who feel they can manage more than one wife to come over to his country and get wives for themselves, FREE of charge. The department of Home Affairs in South African revealed that it has seen an increasing number of men coming to get their passports sorted so they can travel to the country of Swaziland to get wives for themselves. This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 14 years and 30,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going. Cloud Peak Energy Inc. (OTC: CLDP) ("Cloud Peak Energy" or the "Company"), the only pure-play Powder River Basin ("PRB") coal company, announced today (5/10) that it has filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Cloud Peak Energy intends to continue a marketing process for all of its assets. Cloud Peak Energy expects its mines will continue normal operations throughout the process, safely and efficiently meeting all customer commitments. Colin Marshall, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cloud Peak Energy, commented, "Over the past several months, Cloud Peak Energy has thoroughly evaluated strategic alternatives to address the challenging market conditions in our industry. We believe, at this time, that a sale process in Chapter 11 will provide the best opportunity to maximize value for Cloud Peak Energy." Mr. Marshall continued, "While we undertake this process, Cloud Peak Energy remains a reliable source of high-quality coal for customers. We thank our employees for their continued hard work and dedication, and appreciate the cooperation of our business partners and support of our customers as we work through this process." In conjunction with the filing, and subject to court approval, Cloud Peak Energy has received a commitment for approximately $35 million in debtor-in-possession ("DIP") financing from certain of the Company's prepetition secured noteholders. The Company expects $10 million of the total DIP financing will be available on an interim basis. The DIP financing, combined with the Company's cash on hand and funds generated from ongoing operations, are expected to provide sufficient liquidity for the Company to continue operating in the ordinary course during the sale process. The Company also announced that it has entered into an Amended and Restated Sale and Plan Support Agreement (the "Support Agreement") with holders of approximately 62% in dollar amount of the Company's secured notes due 2021 (the "2021 Notes") and more than 50% in dollar amount of the Company's unsecured notes due 2024. The Support Agreement reflects, among other things, the support from two of the Company's key creditor constituencies for the Company's sale process, as well as the consent of the holders of the 2021 Notes to the Company's use of cash collateral and priming liens to allow for the DIP financing. Cloud Peak Energy has filed a number of customary motions with the court seeking authorization to support its operations while this process is ongoing, including authority to continue payment of employee wages, salaries and benefits without interruption. The Company intends, subject to court approval, to pay vendors, suppliers and other providers essential to the Company's business in full for goods and services provided after the filing date. The Company also expects to continue entering into and fulfilling orders under sales contracts with customers in the ordinary course of business. The Company expects to receive court approval for these requests. Additional information is available at Cloud Peak Energy's website at https://cloudpeakenergy.com. Court filings and information about the claims process are available at https://cases.primeclerk.com/cloudpeak, by calling the Company's claims agent, Prime Clerk LLC, toll-free at 844-217-3067 or local at 347-761-3264 or emailing cloudpeakinfo@primeclerk.com. Vinson & Elkins LLP is serving as legal advisor, Centerview Partners LLC is serving as investment banker and FTI Consulting, Inc. is serving as financial advisor to Cloud Peak Energy. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is serving as legal advisor and Houlihan Lokey, Inc. is serving as financial advisor to the ad hoc group of holders of 2021 Notes and the DIP lenders. About Cloud Peak Energy Cloud Peak Energy Inc. (OTC:CLDP) is headquartered in Wyoming and is the only pure-play Powder River Basin coal company. As one of the safest coal producers in the nation, Cloud Peak Energy mines low sulfur, subbituminous coal and provides logistics supply services. The Company owns and operates three surface coal mines in the PRB, the lowest cost major coal producing region in the nation. The Antelope and Cordero Rojo mines are located in Wyoming and the Spring Creek Mine is located in Montana. In 2018, Cloud Peak Energy sold approximately 50 million tons from its three mines to customers located throughout the U.S. and around the world. Cloud Peak Energy also owns rights to substantial undeveloped coal and complementary surface assets in the Northern PRB, further building the Company's long-term position to serve Asian export and domestic customers. With approximately 1,300 total employees, the Company is widely recognized for its exemplary performance in its safety and environmental programs. Cloud Peak Energy is a sustainable fuel supplier for approximately two percent of the nation's electricity. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical facts and often contain words such as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "estimate," "seek," "could," "should," "intend," "potential," or words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, beliefs, assumptions and estimates regarding our company, industry, economic conditions, government regulations and energy policies and other factors. Forward-looking statements may include, for example, statements regarding the Board of Directors' strategic evaluation process, our operational and financial priorities, our responses to the structural changes in the U.S. coal industry, our efforts to position our company for future growth opportunities, and other statements regarding our plans, strategies, prospects and expectations concerning our business, operating results, financial condition, liquidity and other matters that do not relate strictly to historical facts. These statements are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties regarding our ability to continue as a going concern, our ability to successfully complete a sale process under Chapter 11; potential adverse effects of the Chapter 11 cases on our liquidity and results of operations; our ability to obtain timely approval by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (the "Court") with respect to the motions filed in the Chapter 11 cases; objections to our sale process, DIP financing or other pleadings filed that could protract the Chapter 11 cases; employee attrition and our ability to retain senior management and other key personnel due to the distractions and uncertainties, including our ability to provide adequate compensation and benefits during the Chapter 11 cases; our ability to comply with the restrictions imposed by our Accounts Receivable Securitization Program (the "A/R Securitization Program"), the DIP financing and other financing arrangements; our ability to maintain relationships with suppliers, customers, employees and other third parties and regulatory authorities as a result of the Chapter 11 filing; the effects of the bankruptcy petitions on our company and on the interests of various constituents, including holders of our common stock; the Court's rulings in the Chapter 11 cases, including the approvals of the Support Agreement, an amendment to the A/R Securitization Program and the DIP financing, and the outcome of the Chapter 11 cases generally; the length of time that we will operate under Chapter 11 protection and the continued availability of operating capital during the pendency of the proceedings; risks associated with third party motions in the Chapter 11 cases, which may interfere with our ability to consummate a sale; and increased administrative and legal costs related to the Chapter 11 process and other litigation and inherent risks involved in a bankruptcy process. Forward-looking statements are also subject to the risk factors and cautionary language described from time to time in the reports and registration statements we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those in Item 1A - Risk Factors in our most recent Form 10-K and any updates thereto in our Forms 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Additional factors, events, or uncertainties that may emerge from time to time, or those that we currently deem to be immaterial, could cause our actual results to differ, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We make forward-looking statements based on currently available information, and we assume no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any obligation to, update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements made in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Elective classes for elementary students at Tulsa's Wayman Tisdale Fine Arts Academy, called Club Friday, received a big boost today (5/10) with a $4,500 donation from Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO). The donation, which will be paid over the next three years, was made today during a special presentation at the school. Club Friday is a unique program that allows Tisdale students to choose a different elective each semester, and has become an instant success. The one-hour classes, which are held every Friday morning, are created by teachers and staff members based on their own interests. In just its first year, the school offered 27 elective classes with topics ranging from jewelry-making to fashion design, photography and robotics. School officials say Club Friday is a way to expose kids to nontraditional art forms and give them confidence to learn new skills. But beyond that, Tisdale Principal Elaine Buxton says Club Friday is part of a three-year plan designed to assure the school lives up to its name as a fine arts academy by ensuring students are receiving teaching in the arts. "If we want our kids to feed into Central (Jr. and Sr. High School) and be ready to attend Central, then we have to be able to offer them all of these things," said Buxton. PSO External Affairs Manager Carole Huff Hicks says the connection to Central, known as Tulsa's fine and performing arts school, is an important factor in leveraging the success Tisdale students achieve at an elementary level and building on it throughout their public school education. "With Tisdale being a feeder school to Central Jr. and Sr. High School, with which we have been formal partners since 1984 through Tulsa Public Schools' Partners in Education program, our contributions and efforts help establish a strong foundation for the students to build on as we encourage their growth and academic development throughout their entire elementary and secondary education. "As one of our partner schools, we already have employee volunteers at Tisdale who are tutoring students in reading and math. Providing support for Club Friday is another way we can strengthen that partnership and help the school and its students build on their success," said Huff Hicks. Public Service Company of Oklahoma, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving more than 550,000 customer accounts in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. Based in Tulsa, PSO has more than 3,800 megawatts of generating capacity and is one of the largest distributors of wind energy in the state. News releases, community & educational activities and other information can be found at www.PSOklahoma.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PSOklahoma. The National Safety Council, Nebraska Chapter (NSC, NE) is once again recognizing several Nebraska companies for outstanding safety initiatives and performance; among those being honored for many consecutive years of outstanding safety performance is Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD). "Keeping NPPD colleagues safe at work and at home has been, and will always be, a core NPPD value. This and other similar industry awards, along with all of the great safety practices we see in the NPPD workplace, reinforce that our efforts to help each other work and live safely are paying great dividends each and every day," says NPPD Director of Human and Safety Performance Chris Overman. The NSC, NE has collected incident, lost time and days away restricted or transferred (DART) rate data from the past three years and established an average. Companies whose average was 50 percent better than their industry average, are being recognized as a Nebraska Safest Company with Distinction. "It is vital and extremely valuable for all industries and employers to establish and maintain a continuous, positive emphasis on safety," added Overman. "We know that the organizations with the very best safety performance are the organizations with high levels of trust, communication, mutual respect and shared accountability. That means actively watching out for each other, listening to each other, helping each other, holding each other accountable to the highest standards, having organizational pride, and turning your workplace safety practices into daily habits that you can then share with your families, friends and communities." NPPD will be recognized along with Nebraska's other safest companies May 15 during the 36th Annual Celebration of Safety Luncheon at the Embassy Suites, LaVista Convention Center. More details on the event and NSC can be found at https://www.safenebraska.org/conferences-events/celebration-of-safety. Always there when you need us, NPPD's mission is to safely generate and deliver reliable, low-cost sustainable energy and provide outstanding customer service. Working in partnership with the state's rural public power districts, cooperatives and municipalities, NPPD helps serve an estimated 600,000 Nebraskans in 86 of the state's 93 counties with retail or wholesale electric power and energy-related products and services. "This exciting transaction will create a global energy leader with a world-class portfolio, proven operational capabilities and industry leading free cash flow metrics," said Vicki Hollub, President and Chief Executive Officer of Occidental. "This transaction further establishes Occidental as a premier operator in prolific global oil and gas regions with the ability to deliver production growth of 5% through investment in projects with industry-leading returns. With greater scale, an unwavering focus on driving profitable growth, and our commitment to growing our dividend, we are creating a unique platform to drive meaningful shareholder value." The transaction provides compelling strategic and financial rationale for all stakeholders as it: Applies Occidental's proven operational and technical excellence to Anadarko's portfolio; Enhances Permian leadership position of Occidental and bolsters portfolio with additional free cash flow generating assets; Creates a global energy leader with enhanced scale and expertise to lead energy into a low carbon future; Provides expected accretion year one, generating even stronger financial returns; and Presents opportunities for high impact synergies and capital spending efficiency. Total S.A. Transaction As announced on May 5, 2019, Occidental has entered into a binding agreement to sell Anadarko's Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa assets to Total S.A. ("Total") (NYSE: TOT) for $8.8 billion. The sale is contingent upon Occidental completing its acquisition of Anadarko, and would be expected to close simultaneously or as soon as reasonably practicable afterwards. Financing Occidental expects to fund the cash portion of the consideration through a combination of cash from its balance sheet and fully committed debt and equity financing, including proceeds from the previously announced $10 billion equity investment by Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition. Occidental is confident in its ability to realize the full potential of the transaction while maintaining a strong balance sheet, investment grade credit rating and its current dividend. Occidental expects to reduce debt over the next 24 months through free cash flow growth, realizing identified synergies and executing a planned portfolio optimization strategy with $10-15 billion of divestitures over the next 12-24 months; $8.8 billion of which has already been agreed through the transaction with Total. Integration Glenn Vangolen, Occidental's Senior Vice President of Business Support, will lead an integration team that will include representatives from both Occidental and Anadarko. Approvals and Timing Occidental's acquisition of Anadarko has been unanimously approved by the Boards of both companies, and the Anadarko Board of Directors unanimously recommends that Anadarko shareholders approve the transaction with Occidental. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2019 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval from Anadarko's shareholders and the receipt of regulatory approvals. Advisors Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Citi are acting as Occidental's financial advisors. Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is serving as legal counsel. About Occidental Occidental is an international oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, Middle East and Latin America. Headquartered in Houston, Occidental is one of the largest U.S. oil and gas companies, based on equity market capitalization. Occidental's midstream and marketing segment purchases, markets, gathers, processes, transports and stores hydrocarbons and other commodities. The company's wholly owned subsidiary OxyChem manufactures and markets basic chemicals and vinyls. Occidental posts or provides links to important information on its website at oxy.com. Forward Looking Statements Any statements in this press release about Occidental's expectations, beliefs, plans or forecasts, including statements regarding the proposed transaction between Occidental and Anadarko or the proposed sale of Anadarko's assets in Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa to Total S.A., benefits and synergies of the proposed transactions and future opportunities for the combined company and products and securities, that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are typically identified by words such as "estimate," "project," "predict," "will," "would," "should," "could," "may," "might," "anticipate," "plan," "intend," "believe," "expect," "aim," "goal," "target," "objective," "likely" or similar expressions that convey the prospective nature of events or outcomes. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from anticipated results, sometimes materially, and reported or expected results should not be considered an indication of future performance. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to: Occidental's ability to consummate the proposed transaction with Anadarko or the proposed transaction with Total; the conditions to the completion of the proposed transactions, including the receipt of Anadarko stockholder approval for the proposed transaction between Occidental and Anadarko; that the regulatory approvals required for the proposed transactions may not be obtained on the terms expected or on the anticipated schedule or at all; Occidental's ability to finance the proposed transaction with Anadarko, including completion of any contemplated equity investment; Occidental's indebtedness, including the substantial indebtedness Occidental expects to incur in connection with the proposed transaction with Anadarko and the need to generate sufficient cash flows to service and repay such debt; Occidental's ability to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the transaction contemplated by the binding agreement with Total or the proposed transaction with Anadarko; the possibility that Occidental may be unable to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies within the expected time-frames or at all and to successfully integrate Anadarko's operations with those of Occidental; that such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; that operating costs, customer loss and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers or suppliers) may be greater than expected following the proposed transaction or the public announcement of the proposed transaction; the retention of certain key employees of Anadarko may be difficult; that Anadarko and Occidental are subject to intense competition and increased competition is expected in the future; general economic conditions that are less favorable than expected. Additional risks that may affect Occidental's results of operations and financial position appear in Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors" of Occidental's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, and in Occidental's other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Additional risks that may affect Anadarko's results of operations appear in Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors" of Anadarko's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, and in Anadarko's other filings with the SEC. Because the factors referred to above could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release and, unless legally required, Occidental does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No Offer or Solicitation This press release 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. Additional Information and Where to Find It In connection with the proposed transaction, Occidental will file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a preliminary prospectus of Occidental 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 press release is not a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or other document Occidental and/or Anadarko may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, REGISTRATION STATEMENT, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OCCIDENTAL, ANADARKO AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Any definitive proxy statement/prospectus (when available) will be mailed to stockholders of Anadarko. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain copies of these documents (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by Occidental and Anadarko free of charge through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed by Occidental and Anadarko (when available) will also be available free of charge by accessing their websites at www.oxy.com and www.anadarko.com, respectively. Participants This press release is neither a solicitation of a proxy nor a substitute for any proxy statement or other filings that may be made with the SEC. Nonetheless, Occidental, Anadarko and their directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about Occidental's executive officers and directors is available in Occidental's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on February 21, 2019, and in its proxy statement for the 2019 Annual Meeting which was filed with the SEC on March 28, 2019. To the extent holdings of Occidental securities have changed since the amounts printed in the proxy statement for the 2019 Annual Meeting, such changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Information about Anadarko's executive officers and directors is available in Anadarko's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on February 14, 2019, and in its proxy statement for the 2019 Annual Meeting which was filed with the SEC on March 29, 2019. To the extent holdings of Anadarko securities have changed since the amounts printed in the proxy statement for the 2019 Annual Meeting, such changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants will be included in the registration statement, proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents filed with the SEC when they become available. These documents will be available free of charge from the sources indicated above. The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has signed an agreement with Tucson Electric Power (TEP), a recognized leader in renewable energy, to participate in the Western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) beginning in April 2022. The Western EIM has delivered substantial cost savings to participants in addition to reducing carbon emissions. Earlier this month, the ISO announced that since 2014 total gross cost benefits to EIM participants had reached $650 million. But most significantly, the $85.3 million in benefits posted last quarter had more than doubled when compared to the same time in 2018. "For current EIM participants, the real-time market has generated meaningful economic and energy resource benefits," said Steve Berberich, ISO President and CEO. "We are optimistic Tucson Electric Power will experience similar results and welcome their participation in the Western EIM." "The EIM will help TEP save money for customers by expanding our real-time access to renewable power and other low-cost energy resources across the Western grid," said Erik Bakken, Vice President of System Operations and Environmental for TEP. TEP estimates that participation in the EIM will generate approximately $13 million in annual energy cost savings for customers. "The EIM supports our plan to provide affordable, reliable and increasingly sustainable service to our customers," said Michael Bowling, TEP's Director of Wholesale Marketing. In the EIM, participating utilities and their customers benefit when the market automatically draws on the least-cost generating option available to meet short-term variations in their customers' power use. This also allows participants to maximize their use of renewable resources, by taking advantage of available wind and solar generation anywhere in the system while efficiently integrating their variable output with other dispatchable resources. Current EIM participants include PacifiCorp, NV Energy of Nevada, Arizona Public Service, Puget Sound Energy of Washington, Portland General Electric, Idaho Power, Powerex, and the Balancing Authority of Northern California/Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Other entities scheduled to begin participation include Seattle City Light and Arizona's Salt River Project (2020); Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Northwestern Energy of Butte, Montana, and Public Service Company of New Mexico (2021); and Avista (2022). For more information, visit the Western EIM site at www.westerneim.com TEP provides safe, reliable electric service to approximately 425,000 customers in Southern Arizona. For more information, visit tep.com. TEP and its parent company, UNS Energy, are subsidiaries of Fortis Inc. (TSX/NYSE: FTS), which owns utilities that serve more than 3 million customers across Canada and in the United States and the Caribbean. For more information, visit fortisinc.com The California ISO provides open and non-discriminatory access to one of the largest power grids in the world. The vast network of high-voltage transmission power lines is supported by a competitive energy market and comprehensive grid planning. Partnering with about a hundred clients, the nonprofit public benefit corporation is dedicated to the continual development and reliable operation of a modern grid that operates for the benefit of consumers. Recognizing the importance of the global climate challenge, the ISO is at the forefront of integrating renewable power and advanced technologies that will help meet a sustainable energy future efficiently and cleanly. Contact: Vonette Fontaine | vfontaine@caiso.com Anne Gonzales | agonzales@caiso.com Joseph Barrios | jbarrios@tep.com On 10 May WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson spoke at TenneT's offshore wind event in Schiedam. The TSO's event marked the setting sail of both the topside for the Borssele Alpha substation and the jackets for the Borssele Beta substations. Borssele Alpha, scheduled for completion by August, will collect the electricity generated by rsted's Borssele 1 and 2 offshore wind farm and feed it into the Dutch grid. Borssele Beta is scheduled to be completed in 2020, connecting Borssele 3 and 4 ahead of schedule. The two platforms are the first large-scale grid connections to be constructed under the National Energy Agreement for offshore wind farms in the Netherlands. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and TenneT, the early launch of the substation was achieved thanks to the successful team work of TenneT with the wind industry, the local authorities, the different technology suppliers and the local communities. The occasion comes at a time when offshore wind is set to grow. There are now 189 GW of wind energy in Europe, making up 14% of the EU's power demand, and 18.5 GW of this is in Europe's offshore fleet, whose 105 wind farms and 4,500 turbines now provide 40,000 jobs. Offshore wind, Dickson said, is a European success story. Turbines are getting bigger and now wind farms can be active system supporters. An example of this is the capability of turbines to remain connected during grid fault and to provide voltage stability support by controlling reactive power (i.e. either injecting or absorbing power, depending on the needs of the grid). Dickson noted that it is important for TSOs to remunerate reactive power control, because its activation leads to active power losses. These are just some of the capabilities that are leading to ever higher capacity factors in offshore wind, contributing to an overall reduction of LCOE for offshore wind. The current reduction in offshore wind CAPEX, Dickson said, has created a major opportunity to decrease grid-connection costs. This is particularly important, he said, when we consider future transnational projects to connect offshore wind farms to different countries. He gave the example of Kriegers Flak (currently in construction), and Ijmuiden Ver Nordfolk, an offshore hybrid project of interest between the Netherlands and the UK. Aligning regulation will be crucial here. Dutch ports are set to heavily invest in infrastructure over the coming years to deliver the high volumes of offshore wind outlined in the Netherlands' current National Energy and Climate Plan. Dickson also stressed the importance of a happy coexistence' between offshore wind and other users of the sea: "Offshore wind only works if there's happy coexistence with fishing, shipping, military interests and biodiversity interests." Dickson encouraged attendees to vote in the upcoming European elections (23-26 May), stating that the biggest impact we can make against climate change right now is by voting for more renewables in Europe. He directed attendees to WindEurope's EU elections campaign page for more information. After the L train's meltdown on Friday morning, the line went into its regularly scheduled weekend of reduced service for tunnel work, only to return with another round of delays on Monday morning. L train riders were once again greeted by extensive (and ongoing) delays, dangerously packed platforms, and yet more silence from the MTA about the line's terminally broken countdown clocks. Maybe we all just go back to bed and try again tomorrow? "I had to wait an hour to get on a train," said commuter Jake P, a Williamsburg resident who was trying to get on an L around 8:30 a.m. at Bedford Avenue. "You couldnt even leave the platformpeople were crowding all the way up the stairs. Not only is it physically dangerous, but the mental toll this takes, every week, is exhausting." Magnifying the exasperation, riders were kept in the dark about when the next train was actually coming0 minutes, according to the flashing countdown clocksand about the cause of the delays. "What was infuriating was the MTA saying that there was a train with brakes activated at Bedford," fumed the rider. "I was standing at Bedford for an hour, and there was no train there." Jake P. said it took him over an hour to finally get on an L train, at 9:40 a.m. This is a bold faced lie!!! Its not some delays.....its EXTENSIVE delays disrupting everyones Monday commute. Do better. jakey (@jakep211) May 13, 2019 WTF is wrong with the L train today. @MTA . 3 Rockaway trains have passed thru Jefferson, 0 Manhattan bound. Can we fucking NOT on this here gloomy Monday. My emotions are already a wreck from #gameofthrones Vanna (@VannaChin) May 13, 2019 The L train (which has CBTC) has me really questioning Andy Byford's promise that modern signals are the solution to most our transit problems. @NYCTSubway no trains and a dangerously crowded platform. pic.twitter.com/bL9uASVGSi Eric Butler (@codebutler) May 13, 2019 A spokesperson for the MTA, Shams Tarek, told Gothamist that the chaos was caused by two separate issues this morninga train that stopped communicating with the signal system at Wilson Avenue; and an emergency brake activation on the Manhattan-bound track between between Lorimer and Bedford Avenue. Despite some riders' speculation, Tarek told Gothamist that the brake activation was most likely not related to ongoing construction in the L train tunnel, which will limit service on nights and weekends for the next 15 or so months. Still, following the repeated assurances from Governor Andrew Cuomo and the MTA that the L would work fine during rush hour, recent days have not inspired confidence. This is the third AM rush in a row with issues on the L Train. The email notification classifies this as debris on tracks, so its quite possible this is construction-related. https://t.co/HRL0VWfQba Chris O'Leary (@ohhleary) May 13, 2019 Some trains did seem to be running again by about 9:30 a.m. After spending close to 30 minutes waiting for a train at Bedford Avenue, Ellie Rountree tells Gothamist she was able to escape the packed platform onto a Manhattan-bound train. "Made it to Union Square, but the 4/5/6 are having delays?" she reported. "Fml." We the Commuters is a weekly newsletter about transportation from WNYC and Gothamist. Sign up below for essential commuting coverage delivered to your inbox every Thursday. Loading... May 12 Kasey L. Crawford, 43, of Jesup, Georgia was arrested at 1276 Idaho St. for trespassing and destroying the property of another. Bail: $1,340 ------ Cory S. Gandolfo, 28, of Elko was arrested at 440 Grant Ave. on a warrant for failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime. Bail: $955 ------ Jesse R. Garcia, 33, of Salt Lake City was arrested in the 200 block of Wendover Boulevard for trafficking a controlled substance and two counts of use or possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail: $21,480 ------ Ira Kelly, 47, of Battle Mountain was arrested in Battle Mountain on a BIA/tribal charge. Bail: $500 ------ Aaron D. Lester, 25, of Elko was arrested at Third and Idaho streets for driving under the influence and headlamps not illuminated when required. Bail: $1,755 ------ Ashley N. McKinney, 22, of Owyhee was arrested in Owyhee on a warrant for failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime. Bail: $1,545 ------ Samantha L. Neaman, 29, of Salt Lake City was arrested at Pilot Travel Center for criminal contempt. No bail ------ Cindy A. Robles, 33, of Elko was arrested at 131 Copper St. for domestic battery. Bail: $3,140 ------ Rick M. Robles, 46, of Elko was arrested at High Desert Hotel for second-offense domestic battery, resisting a public officer, and use or possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail: $6,920 ------ Jonathan C. Smart, 26, of Elko was arrested at Roys Market for urinating in public. Bail: $355 ------ Stanett N. Thompson, 38, of West Valley, Utah was arrested in the 200 block of Wendover Boulevard for felony possession of a controlled substance, and two counts of use or possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail: $21,480 The charges above do not imply guilt. Under the law, everyone is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Love 1 Funny 6 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 May 10 Richard J. Adams III, 24, of Elko was arrested at 1730 Mountain City Highway for trespassing. Bail: $195 ------ Bryant W. Donahue, 31, of Elko was arrested on Interstate 80 for violation of probation or condition of suspended sentence; failure to maintain lane or improper lane change; operating an unregistered vehicle, trailer or semi; use or possession of drug paraphernalia; destroying or concealing evidence; and felony possession of a controlled substance. No bail ------ Amya Moore, 20, of Elko was arrested in the 500 block of the downtown corridor for minor purchasing or consuming alcoholic beverage in premises where sold. Bail: $355 ------ Corey A. Pavlinek, 29, of Spring Creek was arrested on Lamoille Highway for driving under the influence, speeding 16-20 mph over limit, and driving without a drivers license. Bail: $1,610 ------ Yordani Ramirez-Delossantos, 25, of Salt Lake City was arrested in West Wendover for driving under the influence and headlamps not illuminated when required. Bail: $1,290 ------ Anamaria Robles, 18, of Elko was arrested in the 500 block of the downtown corridor for minor purchasing or consuming alcoholic beverage in a premises where sold. Bail: $355 ------ Wade L. Smith, 37, of Owyhee was arrested in Owyhee for failure to drive on right half of road, reckless driving, careless driving, speeding 1-10 mph over limit, driving with a suspended drivers license, driving without a drivers license, no proof of insurance, and failure to wear seatbelt. Bail: $1,233 ------ Stephen R. Street, 25, of Monument Valley was arrested at Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital for driving under the influence, open container of alcohol in vehicle., and failure to maintain lane or improper lane change. Bail: $1,610 ------ Neil L. Williams, 43, of Wells was arrested at Mountain View Motel for two counts of fugitive felon from another state. No bail The charges above do not imply guilt. Under the law, everyone is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The charges above do not imply guilt. Under the law, everyone is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LINCOLN, Neb. -- A pair of Boyd County brothers are facing more than 50 criminal charges half of them felonies after authorities found hundreds of dead cows, calves and bulls on their land and seized about 700 more animals they said were suffering. Carl Schuman, 78, and Thomas Schuman, 72, each face 13 counts of felony animal abuse and 13 counts of improper disposal of carcasses, a misdemeanor. This is the worst one Ive ever seen, Sheriff Chuck Wrede, a law officer for more than 40 years, said Friday. This is number one. He discovered the dead cattle March 28, two weeks after Boyd County was hit hard by flooding along the Niobrara River and Ponca Creek. Wrede was responding to complaints of animal abuse, and from public roads, spotted about 50 cow and calf carcasses in various stages of decay, he wrote in an affidavit for a search warrant. And he was troubled by the hundreds of live animals he saw. I believe that many of the live cows and calves are malnourished, he wrote. Many of the live cows are emaciated, and have hip and rib bones noticeably showing and protruding. Wrede ran into Carl Schuman, operating a tractor with a single hay bale. He told Schuman to bury the carcasses, and that hed be back, according to the court documents. On April 1, he returned with Boyd County Attorney Brent Kelly. They could tell some of the carcasses had been buried, but they decided to get a court order allowing them to enter the property with a veterinarian. Wrede also inspected the propertys hay supply, and deemed much of it outdated, up to a couple of years old, and the remaining hay represented a one- or two-day supply. They searched the property April 8 and counted about 150 dead cows, calves and bulls, and nearly 700 live animals, according to court documents. Ten days later, a judge ordered the sheriffs office to seize and sell the surviving animals, with the proceeds paying for the sale, the care of the animals and, if any money was left over, to the owners. The Nebraska Brand Committee, Wrede and his hired hands got to work. It took more than a week and a half to collect all the cattle from the Schuman properties, and they found more dead animals as the days unfolded. It was busy, the sheriff said. We kind of put everything else on hold and thats all we did. Most of the surviving animals sold April 25 at Shamrock Livestock Market in ONeill. But so far, nobody including Carl or Thomas Schuman has claimed ownership of the seized cattle or any of the sale proceeds, Kelly said in a news release. The brothers werent arrested, but theyre scheduled to appear in court next week. And Thomas Schuman has been there before. In 2008, he was charged with 20 counts of misdemeanor animal neglect and ultimately pleaded guilty to five counts of improper disposal of a carcass. Carl Schumans lawyer, Rodney Palmer of Ainsworth, said he and his client are at odds with law enforcement over what happened. Many Nebraska producers struggled to take care of their animals after the rivers and creeks rose. A lot of it was related to the flood and we had two major storm events that went through, Palmer said. Numerous farmers and ranchers lost lots of cattle. But Wrede wasnt buying it. It was clear the animals were suffering before the flood, he said. He can say what he wants to. Our vet tells us different. Reach the writer at 402-473-7254 or psalter@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSPeterSalter. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Thousands of people this weekend visited Spains lower house of parliament, the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, to pay their respects to Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, the former Socialist Party (PSOE) politician who died on Friday after having suffered a cerebral stroke on Wednesday afternoon. Thousands of citizens waited in line to file past the body of Rubalcaba, many with flowers in their hands and tears in their eyes As well as members of the public, politicians of both sides of the political divide, King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and former Spanish King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were among those to visit the ex-deputy prime ministers coffin, which was installed in a mortuary chapel within Congress. Former prime ministers Mariano Rajoy of the Popular Party (PP), Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (PSOE) and Felipe Gonzalez (PSOE) were also present, Thousands of citizens waited in line to file past the body of Rubalcaba, many with flowers in their hands and tears in their eyes. Some 8,000 people in total came to pay their respects. One particularly touching moment was seen when an elderly man approached the coffin. He stopped and was asked by the heads of protocol in the room to keep moving. But he asked if he could stay a little more time, and was allowed to stand before the casket of the former leader of the PSOE for several minutes. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia pay their respects. JP Gandul (Pool) That kind of emotion characterized the entire day on Saturday, with the respectful reverence only briefly interrupted when a man threw some papers into the air in front of the coffin, and demanded to speak to the head of Spains CNI secret service or the prime minister. Pedro Sanchez, the acting prime minister, acted quickly, getting up out of his seat and escorting the man to an adjacent room in order to speak to him. He was later escorted from the building by two police officers. The respectful reverence only briefly interrupted when a man threw some papers into the air in front of the coffin, and demanded to speak to the prime minister Also forming the vigil around the casket were the speaker of Congress, Ana Pastor, and the acting Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska. Rubalcabas wife, Pilar Goya, was present throughout the morning and was accompanied by the closest family members of the politician. The couple had no children. Antonio Costa, the Portuguese prime minister and one of the major icons of European social democracy, made a special trip to pay tribute to Rubalcaba. He served Spain but above all he served the values of freedom and solidarity, he said, after highlighting the courage that Rubalcaba had shown in the fight against Basque terror group ETA. The PSOE veteran played a key role in the process of bringing about an end to the Basque terrorist group, which killed 854 people during its nearly six decades of existence. Madrid Mayor Manuela Carmena (l) speaks to Rubalcabas widow, Pilar Goya in Congress on Saturday. JP Gandul (EFE) While the majority of the politicians who came to pay their respects were from the PSOE, there were also key figures from other political parties, including current PP leader Pablo Casado and leftist mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena. Albert Rivera, the leader of center-right Ciudadanos (Citizens), came to Congress on Saturday, and paid tribute to Rubalcabas sense of state. David Bonvehi, Marta Pascal and Josep Lluis Cleries from the Catalan European Democratic Party (PdeCat) were also in attendance, as was the spokesperson for the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Aitor Esteban. His colleagues from the Basque wing of the Socialist Party recalled the pain and tears expressed by Rubalcaba in the wake of every terrorist attack carried out by the group. English version by Simon Hunter. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of the Socialist Party (PSOE) coolly responded to a protester who on Saturday staged an impromptu protest as people were paying their respects to Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, a key figure in Spanish politics who died on Friday after having suffered a cerebral stroke on Wednesday afternoon. A mortuary chapel was installed within Congress to allow politicians, heads of state and members of the public to pay their respects to the former PSOE leader and deputy prime minister. As mourners filed past, footage from Congress shows a man stopping before Rubalcabas coffin and throwing a handful of papers up into the air. According to government sources cited by Europa Press, the protester wanted to talk to the prime minister about a legal issue I am not moving from here until I see the defense minister or the prime minister, he said. I want to speak with the head of the CNI, he is heard to say, in reference to Spains intelligence service. Responding to the disruption, Sanchez rose from his seat next to the casket and said: I am the prime minister, come with me. The acting prime minister then took the protester to another room, accompanied by speaker of Congress Ana Pastor, as Rubalcabas family looked on, clearly distressed by the situation. Sanchez returned to the mortuary chapel moments later. According to government sources cited by the news agency Europa Press, the protester wanted to talk to the prime minister about a legal situation in which he is involved. Police estimate that around 8,000 people visited the mortuary chapel between Friday and Saturday 2pm to pay their respects to Rubalcaba. English version by Melissa Kitson. Julian Assange inside a police van after his arrest on April 11. Reuters The government of Ecuador has taken one more step in its offensive against cyberactivist Julian Assange. The Ecuadorian attorney general has greenlighted an operation to search one of the rooms that the WikiLeaks founder used during his prolonged stay at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, and agreed to turn over to US authorities any documents, cellphones, digital files, computers, memory drives, CDs and any other devices that may turn up during the search, according to an official notice that EL PAIS has seen. The US government wants Assange to be extradited from the United Kingdom so he can be tried for the release of classified military material in 2010. He is being charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion in the US, and faces up to five years in prison if found guilty of leaking 450,000 internal documents about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to the media. The systematic violation of Assanges rights is going beyond the limits of whats conceivable Baltasar Garzon, Assanges lawyer The search of Assanges sealed-off room will take place on May 20 as part of a petition for judicial assistance issued by the US Department of Justice to the government of Ecuador. The request says the search will take place at 9am London time, under the oversight of police chief Diego Lopez and second sergeant Milton Jaque, a computer forensic expert. The decision to confiscate Assanges belongings has been communicated to his lawyer in Ecuador, Carlos Poveda. The 47-year-old activist was arrested on April 11 at the embassy in London and turned over to British authorities after Ecuador withdrew its asylum. Assange was granted political asylum in June 2012, by the leftist government of Rafael Correa after all his legal efforts to fight extradition to Sweden had failed. He was wanted in that country on two sexual assault charges. But Correas successor, Lenin Moreno, considered Assange an inherited problem and a stone in the shoe. The new administration in Ecuador improved its relations with the US, and Moreno introduced tougher visiting rules and living conditions for Assange at the diplomatic mission in London. On April 11 Ecuador revoked its protection, allowing British authorities to arrest the activist, and now the Moreno administration is agreeing to turn over his personal computing devices and files to the US government. Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorean embassy. Baltasar Garzon, a former crusading judge from Spain who is now Assanges lawyer, has described this latest decision as an absolute violation of the institution of asylum by Ecuador. It is incomprehensible that the country that afforded him protection is now taking advantage of its privileged position to turn over his belongings to the country that is persecuting him. These belongings will be seized without a court warrant, without protecting the rights of political refugees, without respecting the chain of custody, added Garzon. And this is made worse by the system of illicit recordings that went on at the embassy, and over which a complaint has already been filed. The systematic violation of Assanges rights is going beyond conceivable limits. The judicial cooperation between the current government of Ecuador and the US began months ago. The Ecuadorian justice system allowed US authorities to take statements from diplomatic personnel at the London embassy, and Assanges lawyers are not ruling out the possibility that recordings, audio files and documents taken from the activist and one of his lawyers during an alleged spy operation may have ended up in the hands of the United States government. This is confidential material that will allow the US to come up with new charges to request his extradition Aitor Martinez, lawyer Meanwhile, Assange has also filed a complaint with Spains High Court, the Audiencia Nacional, against a Spanish journalist and four computer programmers who attempted to sell him hundreds of videos and documents depicting private moments of his last few years at the embassy. This group was asking for 3 million in exchange for not releasing this material to the media. The United Nations special rapporteur on privacy is also analyzing this alleged case of spying. Aitor Martinez, one of the lawyers in the legal team defending the Australian activist, says that Ecuadors recent initiatives are a manifest and radical violation of the right to a defense, since those documents and devices contain all of [Assanges] communications with his lawyers and his legal documents. This is confidential material that will allow the US to come up with new charges to request his extradition. The WikiLeaks founder has formally told a London court that he does not wish to surrender to extradition to the US. Days before that, another British court sentenced him to 50 weeks in prison for jumping bail in 2012, at the time when he was facing extradition to Sweden on rape and sexual assault charges. English version by Susana Urra. Of all the hype blasting from all the big-name restaurants that opened simultaneously in the Hudson Yards mega-mall nearly two months ago, the most exciting news of all was the arrival of the expansive food hall Mercado Little Spain, the first ever New York City operation from superstar chef and humanitarian Jose Andres, along with his creative collaborators Ferran and Albert Adria, the brothers behind El Bulli. Only thing is, Mercado Little Spain didn't really open back then. Not all of it, anyway. And though Andres has been slowly been rolling out all 15 different areas within his 35,000-square-foot Spanish food wonderland, it was only last week that the biggest, most accessible sit-down restaurant in the market, called Spanish Diner, finally started serving meals every day (breakfast and lunch, for now). So I parked myself on 30th Street and 10th Avenue for a good chunk of the weekend, eating my way through as much of the wide-ranging menu as possible. The first thing to know about Spanish Diner is that you can enter directly from the street like any normal NYC restaurant, no need to step foot in the gleaming mall above. You don't even have to mess around with the often-chaotic but fun scene at Mercado Little Spain to eat here. Although it shares a commissary kitchen (and a bathroom) with everything else, and the menu borrows freely from various counters and kiosks inside, for the customer Spanish Diner effectively operates as a separate entity. The restaurant itself is huge, with seating for well over 100 at comfortably-spaced tables, a trio of circular banquettes, a row of stools at the bar, and two converted foosball tables (which are clearly meant for kids). The Mercado's flower shop is cleverly located right near Spanish Diner's front desk, so a cascade of blossoms greets you along with your friendly, efficient hosts. The staff's warmth and eagerness to help extends to everyone working here, and the service is all very high-end feeling, though the restaurant itself is anything but. Breakfast is served from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., and it is a glorious thing to behold. There are lots of egg-based dishes, stews and tortillas, tons of sausages and hams, and a whole page devoted to various fresh-baked breads and pastries. The best thing I ate all weekend was possibly the platter of Huevos Rotos, or runny fried eggs set upon on a pile of excellent french fries, encircled by thin slices of chewy Jamon iberico. I also added a juicy, first-rate Pork Sausage, and I suggest you do the same. Or was the best thing I ate the Torrija? It's possible: this lovely little brick of "Spanish Style French Toast" is crisp with a sugar-cinnamon on the outside, and a creamy, almost custard-like interior. No syrup necessary, just a drizzle of honey. Also very good was the High Life egg, ham, and cheese sandwich, the runny yolk seen through a hole in the top slice of bread. The Callos a la Madrilena is, according to the menu, a thick "Madrid-style tripe stew" with chickpeas, some supremely funky chorizo, and bits of blood sausage in a lively tomato sauce. I thought it was delicious, but offal-phobes should definitely avoid. Some of these dishes can also be found on the Spanish Diner's lunch menu (most notably those Huevos Rotos, though that may change), which kicks in at 11 a.m and runs until 3 p.m. There are plenty of dishes here you don't often come across in NYC, like the preserved mussels on potato chips with Espinaler sauce, and Salmorejo Cordobes, a dense chilled tomato soup with hard-boiled eggs and tiny cubes of pork shoulder. Various cheese and ham platters are also available, as are salads, more stews, sandwiches (the bikini pressed ham and mahon cheese, topped with honey, was perfect), and a whole section of hearty Spanish comfort food called La Concina de la Abuela. From this latter category I wolfed down three plump Canelones, pasta stuffed with a formidable mixture of ground chicken, pork, and duck liver, then baked with both bechamel sauce and cheese. It was a bit much for a meal before noon, but it was extremely good. For dessert there's ice cream, churros, goat cheesecake, cookies, and puddings, but flan fans need to look no further than the dish called "Pijama, Restaurant les 7 Portes, Barcelona, 1951." This elaborately-named homage stars Andres's flan with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, and a preserved peach providing able complements. It's all great, and I'll definitely be back when they finally start the Spanish Diner dinner service in a couple of weeks. Spanish Diner is located at 10 Hudson Yards, with a entrance on West 30th Street just west of 10th Avenue. You can enter through the mall (follow the signs to 10 Hudson Yards), and also via Mercado Little Spain, if you prefer. (littlespain.com) The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has started the second stage of the resilience assessment of banks the asset quality review (AQR) confirmed by an external auditor and started stress testing of 29 banks, according to a survey of the banking sector posted on the website of the NBU. According to preliminary estimates, the number of banks requiring capital injections in the baseline and negative stress test scenario will decrease compared to the previous year, the central bank said in the survey. As the regulator recalled, by the end of 2019, banks need to form a capital conservation buffer in the amount of 0.625%. It will become mandatory for each bank from the beginning of 2020, when the first stage of the introduction of the capital conservation buffer will begin. In the future, the size of the buffer will increase gradually every year and will reach 2.5% from January 1, 2023. The formation of the corresponding buffer will ensure that banks create a stock of capital in excess of the minimum requirements. In the future, this will provide an opportunity of absorbing the possible losses that may arise in a general economic recession, without violating the capital adequacy ratio. The NBU also announced that during the second quarter the method for determining systemically important banks will be changed and an updated list of such banks will be made public. In the future, the NBU will require them to form a buffer of system importance. As reported, in 2019, 29 banks that account for 93% of the banking system will undergo stress testing in addition to the AQR. These 29 banks were rated as the largest ones as of November 1, 2018 by three indicators: risk-weighted assets, retail deposits, and retail loans. The following banks will be tested: state-owned PrivatBank, Oschadbank, Ukreximbank and Ukrgasbank, private Alfa-Bank, Raiffeisen Bank Aval, FUIB, UkrSibbank, OTP Bank, Credit Agricole Bank, Pivdenny Bank, TAScombank and Kredobank. The list also includes Sberbank, ProCredit Bank, Ukrsotsbank (the results of stress testing for the bank will be assessed taking into account the dynamics of its joining Alfa-Bank), Megabank, Credit Dnipro Bank, Universal Bank, A-Bank, Prominvestbank, Idea Bank, Bank Vostok, MTB Bank, Bank of Investments and Savings, Industrial Bank, Bank Globus, International Investment Bank and Bank Forward. According to the resilience assessment findings, the regulator will determine the required levels for the regulatory capital adequacy ratio (N2) and the common equity adequacy ratio (N3). The required level of the capital adequacy ratios will be estimated in order to ensure banks compliance with the minimum requirements of N2 and N3 according to the baseline scenario (10% and 7%, respectively) and less strict requirements to the said ratios under the adverse scenario (5% and 3.5%, respectively) throughout the entire forecast period. In 2018, the NBU has launched resilience assessment of banks that includes stress testing a list of banks defined by the NBU. Almost all judges of the Kyiv District Administrative Court, including its chief justice Pavlo Vovk and judges, who ruled the nationalization of PrivatBank illegal, failed to appear at a mandatory qualification session, claiming illness, Kyiv-based ezine Hromandske.ua has reported, citing the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine. "Seven judges came, 34 were absent. Failure to appear for the appraisal without providing a reason is grounds for dismissal. However, the commission determined what happened to the missing judges: they all got sick on the same day and sent sick slips. The commission is not in a permission to revoke or check the sick slips. This explains what the reason is accepted, and for those judges a new day for appraisal has been scheduled," a member of the commission, the secretary for selection and public service Mykhailo Makarchuk, told the ezine. According to Makarchuk, the judges have been rescheduled to appear on May 21. A list of the judges who failed to appear was made public by a member of the public ethics council Roman Maselko. As reported, Kyiv's District Administrative Court on April 18, 2019 proclaimed the nationalization of PrivatBank to be illegal, as demanded by Ihor Kolomoisky. The National Bank and the Finance Ministry said they would appeal the ruling after it was officially posted and insisted on the correctness of the privatization decision. In the evening of April 18, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko asked the heads of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office and the Ukrainian Security Service at a session of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council to look into the possibility of holding the judges of Kyiv's District Administrative Court responsible for declaring that the nationalization of PrivatBank was illegal. "I call on Ukraine's SBU State Security Service and [Prosecutor General] Yuriy Vitaliyovych [Lutsenko] after these necessary legal procedures have ended to look into opening a criminal case into the illegal ruling made by judges who made this ruling, without getting involved in analyzing the essence of the ruling," Poroshenko said. The president also called for speeding up the appraisal of judges of the court. Ze!Team will have to play subtle game with U.S. officials Permanent representative of Ukraine's mission to Council of Europe Permanent Representative of Ukraine's mission to the Council of Europe Dmytro Kuleba has said the team of President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky (Ze!Team) will have to make complicated decisions in its relations with U.S. officials. "The dramatic statement of [U.S. President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy] Giuliani is dangerous. Keeping and expanding U.S. support [for Ukraine] is in the fundamental interests of Ukraine. This is a subtle game, in which the president-elect's team will have to make complicated decisions," Kuleba said on Twitter on Saturday, commenting on the reasons explained by Giuliani for cancelling his visit to Ukraine. As reported, Giuliani in an interview with The New York Times said he planned to visit Ukraine to convince new officials not to end investigations, which, according to him, benefit Trump. According to the newspaper, Giuliani intended to meet in Kyiv with Zelensky in order to convince him to support the investigations, which can give new information about two cases important to Trump. The first case involves the investigation of U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the U.S. elections. The second involves the son of ex-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, who hired by a Ukrainian gas company. Later, during an interview with the television program Fox News @ Night, Giuliani said he had decided to cancel the visit. "I'm convinced from what I have heard from two very reliable people tonight that the president [President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky] is surrounded by people who are enemies of the president [U.S. President Donald Trump] and people, who are, at least in one case, clearly corrupt and involved in this scheme," Giuliani said. The lawyer said he feared Ukraine's new president would "be walking into a group of enemies of President [Trump] and in some cases enemies of the United States." Giuliani said his decision to cancel the visit has nothing to do with 2020 U.S. presidential elections. Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 16 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in past 24 hours, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action, the press service of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) has reported. "On May 12, the armed forces of the Russian Federation violated the cease-fire regime 16 times, of them once - using 120 mm mortars forbidden by the Minsk agreements. As a result of the attacks, two soldiers of the Joint Forces were injured, one soldier was injured as a result of the explosion of an enemy mortar mine," the JFO staff said in its update on Facebook on Monday morning. Russian occupation forces opened fire from 120mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms. Ukrainian positions near the town of Avdiyivka, the villages of Hnutove, Kamianka, Novotroyitske, Talakivka, Bohdanivka, Starohnativka, Hranytne, Lebedynske, Novotoshkivske, and Zaitseve were under attacks. According to Ukrainian intelligence, two militants were injured on May 12. "Since Monday midnight, Russia-led forces attacked Ukrainian positions near Bohdanivka, using tripod-mounted man-portable antitank guns and heavy machine guns in the Skhid (East) sector," the message said. There were no casualties among the Ukrainian military. U.S. officials are satisfied with the level of defense and military-technical cooperation with Ukraine and are counting on the continuity of Kyiv's policy in this area, including in personnel matters, said Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Serhiy Kryvonos. Speaking to the U.S.-government Voice of America media outlet, Kryvonos said meetings with representatives of the U.S. military-political leadership confirmed that bilateral defense cooperation "is actively continuing." "Developments over the last five years have produced fairly good results," he said, adding, "There is no such understanding that something will get worse. Of course, time will tell," Kryvonos said the future nature and level of partnership with the United States in the defense sector will depend, first of all, on the personnel decisions of President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky. "It will depend on what people will join the team, how much they understand the situation and how professional they are," he said. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine deputy (Bloc of Petro Poroshenko) Serhiy Leshchenko has said he would publish documents, which were allegedly given to U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani by Ukraine's Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko on Monday. He said he would also publish a page from the so-called "black ledger" of the Party of Regions mentioning Trump's ex-2016 Presidential Campaign Manager Paul Manafort. Leshchenko said on Facebook on Sunday that he would publish the information after Kyiv District Administration Court ruled on his appeal to a verdict in a case initiated by parliament deputy (Bloc of Petro Poroshenko) Boryslav Rozenblat, which is scheduled for 11:20 on May 13. Leshchenko said Lutsenko gave Giuliani false information about the case, namely that he was "convicted of interfering in U.S. presidential elections." The deputy called on all journalists, "western and Ukrainian" to attend the court hearing on Monday. "Afterwards, I will give a briefing and a script-plan that Lutsenko passed on to Giuliani, as well as a full page from black ledger mentioning Manafort. The court hearing starts at 11:20 on Moskovska Street 8, Building 30. Judge Hubska is the presiding judge," Leshchenko said. Member of Parliament Serhiy Leshchenko claims Ukraine's Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko invented a conspiracy around ex-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and ex-Ukrainian Ecology Minister Mykola Zlochevsky for Lutsenko to remain prosecutor general under Volodymyr Zelensky's future presidency. Personal lawyer to U.S. President Donald Trump Rudolph ("Rudy") Giuliani was allegedly involved in the Lutsenko scheme, the Ukrainian MP said. "I can assume Lutsenko's plan is simple: spinning a story around Biden and Zlochevsky. It also turns out that [ex-U.S. State Department Secretary John] Kerry and his stepson are involved in order to show that there is a person in Ukraine who helps current U.S. officials to spot corrupt American officials. This is the story that will be hyped... Lutsenko began to apply all levers of pressure on the new president [Volodymyr Zelensky], so that he would not ask for Lutsenko's dismissal, so that he would not be forced to leave, so that he would stay and keep the situation under control," Leshchenko told journalists at the Kyiv District Administrative Court on Monday. The case the court had been scheduled to hear was cancelled, because the presiding judge was transferred to the Supreme Court. Leshchenko also claims that the so-called "black ledger" of the Party of Regions, in which Trump's 2016 U.S. election campaign manager Paul Manafort's name appears, is a genuine document. "It is part of the evidence of corruption in Ukrainian politics. Unfortunately, the prosecutor general constantly tells lies to earn points, hoping to stay in office," he said. "They agreed to use Ukraine as a bargaining chip ... in the battles that are now taking place in U.S. politics between Democrats and Republicans. In particular, an internal memo was prepared, which was handed over to Giuliani, with many facts they established relating to Biden receiving certain material benefits, to his certain collusion with Ukrainian politicians." Leshchenko says the memo was sent via unofficial channels from Lutsenko's allies to Giuliani. "In March 2014, through lobbying channels that Zlochevsky allegedly offered Kerry and Biden to share profits from [Zlochevsky's] company Burisma. The money was allegedly paid to Biden's son and a close friend of Kerry's stepson," Leshchenko said, citing the memo. According to the memo, in exchange for guarantees from Ukrainian officials, Joe Biden suggested that "he would try to be a mediator between the Ukrainian authorities and the new president of America," Leshchenko says. The memo also says that during Joe Biden's last visit to Kyiv in January 2017, he tried to get guarantees from Ukrainian officials that there were no claims against Burisma. Leshchenko said the accuracy of the facts laid out in the internal memo is doubtful, and that Lutsenko has "pulled Ukraine into a dirty game." "The prosecutor general with the help of his friends, contacts and intermediaries contacted Giuliani, and they built that logic. From the point of view of banal political logic, it doesn't look like a truthful story, but it's been prepared and it is loaded. That's the first part of a scenario, which Lutsenko offered Trump's personal lawyer," the MP said. Leshchenko said MP Boryslav Rozenblat was "a tool used in the scenario played out by Lutsenko and [outgoing President Petro] Poroshenko." Lutsenko said Rozenblat is "on the hook over a criminal case against him." "In a normal country, he would be jailed. But, to avoid jail, Rozenblat became an instrument for playing out the scenario and filed this lawsuit," Leshchenko said. Rozenblat, in turn, told journalists that the situation shows "Ukraine has meddled in another country's elections." "I could care less about the fate of Manafort and those who represent American politics. What's important to me is my country," he said. Asked where he received audio recordings of National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine Director Artem Sytnyk talking about meddling in U.S. elections, Rozenblat said, "This package was brought to me in the reception room. There were transcripts of the conversations and a flash drive." Explaining why he is the plaintiff in the case, Rozenblat said, "I'm a victim as a parliamentarian who cares about the future of Ukraine." "The 'black ledger' is just one more leak of the mass media circus in order to give a signal. And the person who was in charge of Trump's election campaign has suffered That was a deliberate, premeditated act to involve Ukraine in a scandal," Rozenblat said, adding that the case against him brought by NABU was the result of "deliberate persecution for [my] political activities." Interfax-Ukraine to host press conference 'Ensuring Transparency in Conduct of Electronic Auctions in Accordance with Requirements of New Ukraine's Code on Bankruptcy Procedures: Challenges and Risks' On Thursday, May 16, at 12.30, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Ensuring Transparency in Conduct of Electronic Auctions in Accordance with Requirements of New Ukraine's Code on Bankruptcy Procedures: Challenges and Risks." Participants include Director of the Association "Exchange and Electronic Platforms" Oleh Padalka, First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Maksym Nefyodov, Acting Director of the State Enterprise "Prozorro. Sales" Oleksiy Sobolev, member of the board of the Ukrainian Bar Association Julian Khorunzhyi (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation. KYIV. May 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) Ukrsadprom and Ukrainian Berries have filed an appeal against the decision of Kyiv's Pechersky District Court to seize accounts of more than 20 berry enterprises for the amount of VAT. "An appeal has been filed. Now it is necessary either to get an order of the court of appeals on this issue or to withdraw [the seizure] in Kyiv's Pechersky District Court. According to an optimistic forecast, the court of appeals may consider the case in less than two weeks. In a pessimistic scenario, this may take six months," Zlata Symonenko, the partner of the Solodko and Partners law group representing the interests of berry producers, said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine. According to Head of the Ukrsadprom association Yuriy Vakhel, the associations intend to seek assistance in resolving the current situation with the Business Ombudsman Council. "We can easily reach six- or seven-digit numbers in currency in losses of berry enterprises. We plan to contact the business ombudsman for assistance in resolving the situation in the near future," he said. As reported, the associations Ukrsadprom and Ukrainian Berries declared the seizure of accounts of over 20 berry enterprises in the VAT electronic administration system for the amount of VAT on April 24-25, 2019 in connection with which enterprises cannot carry out monetary and commodity operations. Iran's Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raeesi says officials in a meeting last week have discussed the Iranian Parliament's bill to prevent violence against women. However, he added it takes a few weeks before the bill is finalized. The bill to prevent violence against women has been awaiting endorsement by the Judiciary since for the last five years. Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament (Majles) Speaker at a joint meeting with Judiciary officials on Sunday May 12 called for prompt action on the part of the Judiciary as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was, in his words, "sensitive" about the matter. Speaking at the meeting Raeesi said "Today, many forms of violence against women are imposed by the West," adding that measures must be taken to prevent violence against women. As an example of violence against women, Raeesi said some airlines force their female employees to stay single or not to have children if they are married. A deputy Judiciary chief has charged that the bill prepared by the Majles is "too sexist," adding that it calls for imprisonment of the husband even as a result of slightest tensions between a couple. Cases of domestic violence, including child abuse have been on the rise in Iran in recent years. Iran has been criticized by human rights watchdogs several times during the past 40 years for discrimination against women. The long-awaited disciplinary trial starts today for the white New York City police officer accused of using an illegal chokehold to kill Eric Garner, an unarmed black man, on Staten Island nearly five years ago. The administrative proceeding will determine whether Officer Daniel Pantaleo will keep his job at the NYPD. Garners death sparked massive protests after video surfaced of the altercation with police in the Tompkinsville neighborhood of Staten Island on July 17th, 2014. Pantaleo is seen in the video gripping Garner across the neck and pulling him down from behind. But a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict Pantaleo. The U.S. Justice Department also investigated the case for possible civil rights violations, but has not announced the outcome. Pantaleo faces no criminal charges. His administrative trial is expected to last two weeks and will take place at police headquarters in Lower Manhattan. Judge Rosemarie Maldonado will hear the case. As Deputy Commissioner of Trials, she is the highest-ranking judge within the NYPD. The case will be prosecuted by lawyers from the Civilian Complaint Review Board, or CCRB, an outside agency that investigates complaints against police officers made by the public. Through a memorandum of understanding with the police department, the CCRB handles disciplinary proceedings involving the most serious allegations against officers. Pantaleo is charged with violating the NYPDs patrol guide by using a chokehold, a banned procedure, and by restricting Garners breathing. To win their case, prosecutors will have to prove he committed the crimes of attempted assault and strangulation by a preponderance of the evidence, instead of the much higher standard used in criminal court of beyond a reasonable doubt. On that July afternoon, officers approached Garner on a sidewalk on Bay Street to arrest him for allegedly selling loose cigarettes, as they had many times before. The video showed Garner shouting at police to leave him alone, and Pantaleo jumping on Garners back and throwing his arm around Garners neck to take him down. Pantaleo can be seen shoving Garners face into the sidewalk while several other officers hold him down. Garner, who was 43, repeated the words I cant breathe 11 times before appearing to lose consciousness. His dying words quickly became a rallying cry for the emerging Black Lives Matter movement. Pantaleo and other officers who engaged in misconduct related to Eric Garner should have been fired years ago, said Loyda Colon, co-director of the police reform group Justice Committee, in a statement. She added it was shameful that Mayor Bill de Blasio allowed the case to drag on so long. The case against Pantaleo will include findings from the medical examiners office which concluded that Garner died of a homicide from "compression of neck (choke hold), compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police." The defense plans to call a medical expert from St. Louis to challenge that evidence. They have argued that Garners own health problems, including chronic asthma, contributed to his death. We will fly him in, and he will testify that the ME's report is inaccurate, said Pantaleos attorney, Stuart London. The defense has argued that Pantaleo used a move that he was taught at the police academy which involves placing one arm over the suspects shoulder and the other coming in under the suspects opposite arm. A retired instructor who taught Pantaleo the so-called seatbelt maneuver will also be called as a witness. Four months after Garners death, the NYPD began the process of retraining 22,000 officers on the use of force, including training on de-escalation techniques and controlling officers adrenaline. William Bratton, the commissioner at the time, said the training was in the works before Garners death. But the incident created new urgency for changes at the department. Around the same time, the NYPD also launched its first pilot with body-worn cameras. As of March of this year, the police department has outfitted all patrol officers with body cameras. Reports show that some NYPD officers still use chokeholds. Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner (Bebeto Matthews/AP/Shutterstock) Since Garners death, Pantaleo has been on modified desk duty. He joined the police department in 2007 and spent his career mostly policing street crime in lower-income neighborhoods. A WNYC analysis of courts records in 2014 showed that Pantaleos career embodied the philosophy of broken windows policing: The vast majority of his arrests were for low-level offenses, such as marijuana possession or trespassing. Less than 10 percent of cases where Pantaleo was the arresting officer were for felony offenses. Pantaleos disciplinary trial was delayed for years because the NYPD said it was waiting for the Justice Department to complete its investigation into Garners death. But in July 2018, the NYPD announced it would allow disciplinary proceedings to go forward, saying there is no end in sight to the federal probe. At a recent press conference, de Blasio said he keeps asking the Justice Department for an update on the case but never receives an answer. I dont understand how so much time could pass, de Blasio said. Theres nothing. Theres no indication of a decision or whether there will ever be a decision. Besides Pantaleo, Sergeant Kizzy Adonis, the supervisor on site, is the only other officer to face disciplinary charges. Adonis's trial date has not yet been set. Gwen Carr, Garners mother, has accused de Blasio of a failure to hold more police officers accountable for her sons death. Pantaleos lawyers have mounted several legal challenges to the trial. Just this month, they argued in state court that the CCRB lacked jurisdiction to prosecute the case. A state judge ruled last week that the trial can move forward. Disciplinary proceedings are open to the press and public in real time, in the police departments small trial rooms, but recording is not allowed, and no records of the proceeding will be released. In the end, Judge Maldonado will issue a report and recommendation on whether Pantaleo should lose his job. She will submit that recommendation to Police Commissioner James ONeill, who has final say on whether to punish Pantaleo and what the punishment is. Maldonados recommendation may not become public because a section of state civil rights law, known as 50-a, makes police personnel records confidential. The New York Civil Liberties Union sued the city to make all disciplinary recommendations public. But last year, the states highest court ruled against them. The irony of the situation is that the hearing is a public hearing the public can attend and hear the evidence, said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the NYCLU. But when it comes down to a decision on the evidence, there is no sunlight. Transparency is shut down. For more, listen to reporters Cindy Rodriguez's & Yasmeen Khan's WNYC segment: Cindy Rodriguez is an investigative reporter for New York Public Radio. You can follow her on Twitter at @cynrod. Yasmeen Khan is a reporter covering crime and policing at WNYC. You can follow her on Twitter @yasmeenkhan. A fierce fight broke out on Monday May 13 between students at the University of Tehran who had gathered to protest compulsory hijab, and Basij militia and pro-government plainclothes vigilante groups, reports from Tehran say. The protest gathering started from the streets of the campus near the Faculty of Fine Arts and continued at the university's main auditorium where a deputy chancellor of the university tried to calm down the protesters and those who attacked them. Reports say protests started in particular against the "Hijab and Chastity" campaign launched by the vigilante groups on the occasion of the month of Ramadan. Posts by students on social media reported that pressures on female students have been redoubled during recent days as the beginning of Ramadan coincided with the start of an early summer weather. Both occasions usually trigger vigilante groups to campaigns for strict Islamic dress code. Vigilantes invade the auditorium and attack students. Videos on social media show students chanting slogans about their rights to choose what to wear and generally about freedom of choice. The videos show clerics, vigilante groups and Basij members chanting Islamic slogans such as Allah-u Akbar while calling the students to respect the law and if not happy, leave the university. This comes while there are no laws in Iran about hijab and what is usually called "Islamic dress code" is largely discretionary. After the vigilante groups dispersed the students who had gathered in front of the Faculty of Fine Arts, went into the auditorium and subsequently, violent Basij militia and vigilante groups stormed the auditorium, attacking the student. At the auditorium, the students also chanted slogans against unemployment and abuse of women while some carried pictures of jailed student Marzieh Amiri. Some students also carried signs demanding free elections and freedom. The hardliner website Students News Network has characterized protesting students as "a number of leftist activists" and labelled the attackers as the students of the University of Tehran. Meanwhile, the state-owned Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) quoted the university's vice-chancellor Majid Sarsangi as saying that "There has been no change in the university's dress code." He also denied claims by students about the presence of the "Dress Code Patrols" at the university, adding that "disciplinary forces warned students to respect the rules about Ramadan." Sarsangi claimed that two opposing groups of students with different ideologies have clashed with each other. Iran's Police Chief Hossein Ashtari had said in late April that a new patrol will control dress code in order to bring about what he called "ethical security." He added that this will be done in collaboration with the Basij. Human rights watchdogs in Iran and abroad have always criticized the activities of the dress code patrol as invasion of privacy. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 21 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on May 13, 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 13 Trend: The Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson, in accordance with its mandate, plans to conduct the next ceasefire monitoring on the line of contact on May 14 in the direction of the Goranboy district, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The Personal Representative's field assistants Mihail Olaru and Simon Tiller will carry out the monitoring on the territory of Azerbaijan. The Personal Representative's field assistants Ghenadie Petrica and Ognjen Jovic will carry out the monitoring on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan occupied and controlled by the armed forces of Armenia. 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 13 By Leman Zeynalova - Trend: Pakistan stands for Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan Ali Alizada said in an interview with Pakistan Observer, Trend reports. He pointed out that Pakistan does not even recognize Armenia and has no diplomatic ties with it and this way Pakistan has proved to be a very dear friend and brother. Pakistan and Azerbaijan are brotherly countries. Our relations are warm and cordial based on trust and respect. We grieve together, we share our joys together, he said. The envoy went on to add that a lot of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan has been there during the times of emergencies: the 2005 earthquake and the flood in 2010 that badly affected Pakistan. Azerbaijani government as well as many organizations in Azerbaijan were quick to respond to the emergencies and extended their support in the time of crisis. The government of Azerbaijan has generously assisted in the earthquake hit areas, said Alizada. 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 the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 Trend: The City of Irvine in California has proclaimed May 28, 2019 as Azerbaijan National Day in the city, Trend reports with reference to Azerbaijans Consulate General in Los Angeles. The relevant proclamation was signed by the Mayor of Irvine Christina Shea. In the proclamation, which was sent to the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles, it is mentioned that Azerbaijani-Americans living in the city have made and continue to make immeasurable contributions to the socio-economic life of the cornmunity. It also states that Azerbaijani-Americans have settled and thrived in the United States through their strong family ties, community support, and rich cultural heritage. The document notes that on May 28th Azerbaijanis around the world celebrate Azerbaijan National Day and on this occasion, we take the opportunity to recognize the valuable contributions of the greater Azerbaijani-American community. In conclusion, the City Council of the City of Irvine proclaims May 28 to be the Azerbaijan National Day in the City of Irvine. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 Trend: Helicopters of Azerbaijans Air Forces have arrived at Turkeys Konya air base to participate in the Anatolian Phoenix-2019 international search and rescue exercises, Trend reports with reference to Azerbaijans Defense Ministry. In accordance with the plan, Azerbaijani military pilots will begin preparatory training for the exercises May 13. Two Mi-35 and two Mi-17 helicopters are involved in the exercises that will last until May 24. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 Trend: Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan is trying to cover up the aggressive and occupation policy of Armenia by talks about democracy, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said, Trend reports May 13. She was commenting on Mnatsakanyans interview with the Armenian website tert.am. She said that from Mnatsakanyans interview it becomes clear that his words are addressed mainly to the Armenian public. Speaking vaguely about democratic tendencies, he apparently tries to cover up the aggressive and occupational policy of Armenia with democracy, Abdullayeva noted. Discussions about the democratic system and rules from an official representative of Armenia, a country which, having occupying Azerbaijani territories, carried out ethnic cleansing by breaking norms and principles of international law, violates the UN Charter, the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act, resolutions of the UN Security Council, are false and ridiculous. She stressed that what Mnatsakanyan said about the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict shows that Armenia is far from showing respect for the principles of international law, first of all, for the territorial integrity of states within internationally recognized borders, from the intention to establish normal relations with its neighbors, which provides for the rejection of aggression and occupation policy that has lasted for decades. If the Armenian foreign minister is really interested in building democracy, the prosperity of his people and security and the progress of the region, the Armenian armed forces should be immediately withdrawn from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, and there should be no obstacles for the return of IDPs to their homes, Abdullayeva added. Only after that will it be possible to talk about human values, democracy and the importance of human life. 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 13 Trend: The issues related to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the role of international organizations, in particular the UN, the OSCE Minsk Group, which are directly related to the settlement of the long-term problem, were considered during the roundtable discussions in the press-center of Trend news agency. During the roundtable discussions, the experts assessed the recent provocation of the Armenian side, in particular, the provocative report of the unrecognized "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" which was posted on the UN website. The experts also expressed the views on the degree of protection of the legal framework of the adopted documents from the Armenian sides attacks and assaults and the reason of Armenias current intensification. Moderator of the roundtable discussions, Head of the Expert Council of the Baku Network and Deputy Director General of Trend News Agency Elkhan Alasgarov said that Armenias provocative attacks in the UN, its use of procedural moments, attempts to change the structure and format of the negotiation process are different forms of the same policy. The moderator offered the participants of the roundtable discussions to express their views on the intensification of provocations of the Armenian side through international organizations, as well as the ways of settlement of a long-term problem. Armenias current intensification is associated with the failures in diplomacy and certain losses in the conflict settlement in terms of diplomatic activity, one of the participants of the roundtable discussions, Professor Namig Aliyev said. "The documents that have been adopted by the international organizations are quite important and interrelated, that is, they have a fairly solid legal base, which has been proven for more than a quarter of a century, he said. As for the recent provocation of the Armenian side in the UN, of course, the efforts must be made for the document to be removed from the UN website because to legitimize the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic goes beyond the UN goals, Aliyev said. Azerbaijans territorial integrity is recognized by everybody, namely, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and international organizations, he said. The Armenian sides attempts to involve the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the negotiations are doomed to fail, he said. I think that Azerbaijan must intensify its steps and actions on this issue legally. For example, it is necessary to establish a dialogue with the OSCE Minsk Group, Aliyev said. I think that our public must ask it questions in open air. We must remind that in 1991 the European community adopted two declarations, where principles for recognizing independent countries that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the countries of Eastern Europe were adopted. According to the declarations, these countries will be recognized only within the borders that existed during the period of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. So why is this not fulfilled? That is, it is not clearly declared by the countries that voted for this provision and made a decision, he said. Why do not they unequivocally state that Armenia committed aggressive acts against Azerbaijan and as a result, the corresponding steps are not applied to the aggressor? Why is the aggressor not required to withdraw troops from the territory of other country? Following these two resolutions, a statement was made by 12 EU countries at the level of foreign ministers, he said. According to the statement, the countries created as a result of aggression will not be recognized and this provision is in principle one of the fundamental ones to resolve the conflict. Why do not the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs follow these principles in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict? Someone says that they do not have a mandate for certain actions, he added. Meanwhile, the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group can be improved if the entire Minsk Conference gathers. So why is not the Minsk Conference gathering for so many years? Why do only the co-chairs act, while the rest members of the Minsk Conference do not take any part in resolving this conflict? I think that the Azerbaijani side should more focus on all these issues, Aliyev added. While speaking of the provocation of the Armenian side in the UN, other participant of the roundtable discussions, Azerbaijani ex-Foreign Minister Tofig Zulfugarov stressed that Armenia, as a UN member-state, took advantage of procedural opportunities and it resorted to such fraud several times. As for the settlement of the conflict, the negotiation process within the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group is not the tool through which the occupied territories can be liberated, he said. "The country that occupied the territories must be ready for this process for the occupied territories to be liberated. Armenia is not ready for that and this is obvious. We must clearly understand that the Armenians will not withdraw its troops from the occupied territories peacefully, Zulfugarov added. Azerbaijan also clearly understands that it will be able to force the aggressor to peace through the strength and its defense capabilities. According to the UN standards, there are several forms of impact on the conflicts, he said. Among them are conflict prevention, mediation, peace enforcement, and so on. We see that in this case it is impossible to use mediation towards the aggressor because the mediators do not want to change the structure of the impact on the conflict. I dont think that the UN will suddenly change its attitude to the conflict, start to force Armenia to peace and impose sanctions against it, Zulfugarov said. Therefore, Azerbaijan, in accordance with its rights and the UN Charter, must repel the aggressor, force it to peace and eliminate the consequences of Armenias armed aggression against it," he added. He stressed that the conflict occurs between the two countries and covers all spheres, including defense, economic and diplomatic spheres. The process of political settlement of negotiations is only part of the conflict confrontation that we are experiencing, Zulfugarov said. We should intensify the work on specifying the relations with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries, for example, with Russia. It is a mediator in the OSCE Minsk Group, but we know that it is also the guarantor of the security of the Republic of Armenia. The Republic of Armenia unilaterally declared itself the guarantor of security of the so-called occupied territories. Therefore, we must clarify one issue with Russia, he added. Does the security guarantee towards Armenia apply to its unilaterally stated claims to ensure the security of the occupied Azerbaijani territories? I think that we must focus on a dialogue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and ask how long we have to endure the occupation of our territories, rather than focus on dialogue with the Armenians. The same dialogue must be held in the US and France, he said. It is very important to take into account that Russia, France and the US are interested in the Azerbaijan public to have a favorable attitude towards each of these countries." 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 13 Trend: Azerbaijan received observer status at the Pacific Alliance, following the meeting of the Council of Ministers held on May 10 in Mexico City, Trend reports referring to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. The report notes that Azerbaijan attaches special importance in its foreign policy to cooperation with Latin American countries, and therefore actively cooperates with organizations and economic associations of the region. The Pacific Alliance is an economic bloc that unites Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile, which was established in June 2012. The Alliance has 57 observers, including Azerbaijan. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 Trend: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov expressed hope that the democratic development of Armenia willmove it towards substantial talks with Azerbaijan, which means that Azerbaijanis, who were subject to brutal ethnic cleansing, would manage to return back to the places of their origin, Trend reports. Mammadyarov made the remarks at the Eastern Partnership (EaP) Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels on May 13. Azerbaijan has proved itself as a reliable partner in the region, just as it did so in its relations with the EU, the minister said. Unfortunately, the EUs and Azerbaijans neighbourhoods have things to get improved. Some regional perspectives such as regional connectivity, trade projects, and few other initiatives remain a hostage to unresolved conflicts. The ongoing occupation by Armenia of the territory of Azerbaijan prevents us from taking the whole region to another level of cooperation. We need to unlock a whole potential of the region, Mammadyarov added. If we are to move together with EaP, so as to help the EU realize its neighbourhood policy objectives, the issues of resolution of conflicts and de-occupation must be addressed. As the European Parliament resolution of October 2013 on the European Neighbourhood Policy condemned that, EUs one partner country cannot occupy the territories of its another partner country. So, this is not only the UNSC, the UN Charter or OSCE documents this is EUs legislative body calling things with its own names. We believe that the future and success of EaP depends on maintaining security and stability in the region. Therefore, full support and compliance by all EaP stakeholders, including the EU and its member states, to the principles of territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders should be preserved and streamlined in all documents on all levels and in all frameworks, he said. When Jumaane Williams won a crowded, contentious special election in February to become the citys next public advocate, one of his closest allies, Rodneyse Bichotte, took the stage with him. Bichotte, an Assemblymember from a neighboring Brooklyn district, was the chair of the campaign, and aggressively defended Williams when a female rival suggested he had a problem with women. Less than three months later, with an even more bitter special election being waged to fill Williams's old City Council seat, Bichotte has a new take: Williams might be problematic after all. Ive been on the front lines speaking for Jumaane on womens issues and here he disrespected two women who had his back he didnt give a crap about me, about our community or the things weve done for him, Bichotte said in an interview. What does this say about how you feel about women? Its horrible. Ive spoken to other women. Theyd had that same experience with Jumaane. Ive never had that experience until now. While the nonpartisan special election to replace Williams on May 14th boasts eight candidates, most political observers see it coming down to two women, each featuring a bevy of support in the district and beyond: Monique Chandler-Waterman, recently endorsed by Williams, and Bichottes own candidate, Farah Louis. Both women worked for Williams. Louis was a Williams staffer for nearly six years, rising to be his deputy chief of staff. Chandler-Waterman, the executive director and CEO of a local nonprofit, East Flatbush Village, served in Williams's office for a two-year stint from 2012 to 2014. The race between the two well-funded candidatesChandler-Waterman has almost $77,000 in the bank, compared to Louis's nearly $119,000was already heated before Williams's endorsement came down on April 16th. Shortly after, Louis went on a local radio station and attacked Williams's record, arguing the district doesnt have the resources anymore to ensure we can thrive and move forward. In an interview with Gothamist, Williams, who insisted he encouraged Chandler-Waterman to run and initially considered staying neutral, said he waded into the race when it turned nasty and divisive. Do I encourage a black woman to run and not support her when the race gets nasty? he asked. Williams didnt single out any one moment that drove him to dive into the race, but Bichotte did. She claimed Williams brought Chandler-Waterman to speak at a community event for Haitian doctors last month (Louis and Bichotte are Haitian-American) and tried to get her to speak there. Bichotte, who had long been supporting Louis, took umbrage, and Williams in turn decided to make his support for Chandler-Waterman formal, even as other community leaders in the district, including Bichotte, expected him to not back any single candidate. Williams disputes that version of events and said he had long planned to support Chandler-Waterman in one form or another. He questioned why another elected official would be trying to pick a successor for his seat without his input. A great elected official can be nothing without staff, Williams said. Monique Waterman is the one. She was part of the early staff that helped build the foundation when no money was involved, to figure out how to address issues on the ground. When I was out in the streets at one in the morning, Monique was there, speaking to young people about gun violence. Williams on the night of his special election victory (Brigid Bergin) Williams represented the 45th Council District, which spans the heavily Afro-Caribbean neighborhoods of East Flatbush, Flatlands, and Canarsie, as well as parts of Orthodox Jewish Midwood, for nearly a decade, unseating an incumbent in 2009. He became one of the highest profile city councilmembers, challenging the Bloomberg administration on stop-and-frisk, getting arrested at Occupy Wall Street and protesting the detention of immigration activist Ravi Ragbir, and making two unsuccessful bids for City Council speaker. In 2018, he ran for lieutenant governor and lost, but won decisively in Brooklyn, setting up a dominant citywide victory for public advocate in February. The district, the candidates and Williams agree, is still facing challenges. Crime and gun violence are down, but gentrification and the displacement that comes with it remains a top concern. As more residents are priced out of other parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan, they have been migrating to the eastern end of the borough, where home prices continue to soar and real estate speculators hungrily eye a region they see as ripe for development. What you find happening over there is wholesale gentrification coming into play, said Lupe Todd-Medina, a Democratic strategist who has worked on many campaigns in central and eastern Brooklyn. These new residents are coming in already armed with their registration to vote. Gentrification doesnt necessarily mean just an explosion of white residents, Todd-Medina explained. Its also the arrival of upwardly mobile black renters and homeowners, which has led to rising rents and home values. Louis and Chandler-Waterman, like most of the other candidates in the raceAnthony Alexis, Victor Jordan, Jovia Radix, Xamayla Rose, Adina Sash, and L. Rickie Tullochagree on most issues of policy. Both women want to prioritize the construction of affordable housing and expressed concerns about a federally-mandated formula, known as Area Median Income (AMI), that determines what housing is deemed affordable. (AMI ropes in other counties, not just local neighborhoods.) If elected, Chandler-Waterman said she would fight to reform the police department so more mental health professionals, and not cops, are called to care for mentally ill people who are in distress. The NYPD should not be responding to those who have mental health illnesses; there should be professionals who deal with mental health, she said. There should be a different number, not 911 but maybe 811, that a loved one can call when a loved one is in crisis. Louis said she would hope to change the AMI formula and, in the meantime, find funding to assign urban planners to community boards so locals can be better informed when developers propose new projects in the community. The issues Im trying to work on are decreasing foreclosures in our district and minimizing the displacement of tenants, she said. Endorsements have poured in for both women and are indicative of the fault lines in the district and beyond. In addition to Williams, Chandler-Waterman has the backing of State Senators Zellnor Myrie and Kevin Parker, Councilmember Laurie Cumbo, and Assemblymember Nick Perry, as well as the Working Families Party. Louis has drawn the support of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Brooklyn Democratic boss Frank Seddio, and the United Federation of Teachers, in addition to Bichotte. The Patrolmens Benevolent Association, a frequent antagonist of Williams, also recently backed Louis. Notable among her backers is the number of Jewish elected officials and leaders, which has been viewed in the district as a clear rebuke of Williams. The Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition, as well as Assemblymember Helene Weinstein and the late former Councilmember Lew Fidler, endorsed Louis. Williams's relationship with the Orthodox Jewish community in particular has been strained, according to community insiders, over Williams's decision to abstain from a City Council vote condemning the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Williams hopes that after the campaign, the community can unite and move forward, no easy task in a district where as little as 5,000 votes could determine the next councilmember. Elections come and go and we have to do our best to remain unified because this area is ripe for gentrification and everyone has to be focused on preserving this district, he said. Bichotte, who once nominated Williams for lieutenant governor at the state Democratic convention, may not be so willing to move on. He will be in for a rude awakening in the future, she said. People will remember what he did. Thats not a good person to be. Thats not a good human being to be. Find out more about the candidates and details for Tuesday's special election in City Council District 45. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 14 Trend: A dinner reception has been hosted on behalf of President of the European Council Donald Tusk in honor of heads of state and government of the Eastern Partnership countries. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the reception. Prior to the reception, President Ilham Aliyev and President Donald Tusk posed together for photographs. Heads of state and government of the Eastern Partnership countries then posed for official photos. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 Trend: Azerbaijan's Norm Cement Plant is the largest cement producer in the South Caucasus with production capacity of 5,000 tons of clinker per day and 2 million tons of cement per year. At present, 5 types of cement products are manufactured at the plant. Produced CEM II/A-P 32,5R brand KLASS A, CEM II/B-L 32.5R brand KLASS B, CEM II/A-P 42,5 R brand KLASS C500, CEM II / A-P 42,5N brand KLASS S (sulphate-resistant Portland cement) and CEM I 52.5N brand KLASS 1 products are provided for sale in bulks and sacks. Despite several years of production experience, Norm Cement got access to foreign markets along with local cement market during the period of its activity. The plant has been exporting cement and clinker products to neighbouring Georgia for many years. Currently, the company explores export opportunities to other countries. Norm Cement, which has an indispensable role in the development of the non-oil sector, continues to make innovations of economic importance in 2019. Thus, for the first time in the field of concrete industry in Azerbaijan, an international conference on "Modern concrete technologies and construction directions in Azerbaijan" will be held jointly organized by Norm Cement, International CPI Worldwide journal and ICCX (International Concrete Conference and Exhibition) Academy. The event will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel on June 20, 2019 with participation of representatives from more than 100 local and foreign companies. Representatives of the German Progress Group, Rekers, Kraft Curing Systems, Ha-Be Betonchemie, Polish Arcen, Danish Hawkeye Pedershaab and Spanish Lausanne companies will make speeches in the event. As one of the prestigious agencies in Europe, ICCX organized international conferences in the field of concrete in many developed countries around the world about 20 years. The ICCX trademark is a unique combination of conference and trade exhibition covering all aspects of modern concrete production and technology. The main purpose of holding the international concrete conference in Azerbaijan is to stimulate use of reinforced concrete frames on all types of construction, including local infrastructure, housing construction, restoration works in urban and suburban areas, and to benefit from European experience. Thus, new trends in modern concrete technology will pave the way for the wider use of long-term and high quality concrete structures in private buildings, as well as in industrial and agricultural projects. Norm Cement Plant pays particular attention to the quality of cement. For this purpose, cement and concrete laboratories meeting modern standards established in the plant. Regular quality test is conducted in cement laboratories, chemical and mineralogical composition of product samples is analyzed. Testing of concrete filler, chemical additives and various types of concrete suitable for different application area is carried out in the concrete laboratory of the plant based on the requirements of relevant applicable standards (AZS - Azerbaijan, EN-Europe, ASTM-USA and GOST-Russia), composition of concrete mix is prepared by selecting optimum ratio of fillers. Norm continues cooperation with the companies and organizations of international reputation in the field of cement and concrete production. The Company is a full member of the European Cement Research Academy (ECRA). Another organization which Norm Company collaborates with in the international level is the German VDZ Scientific Research Institute. Highly qualified specialists of the VDZ visit the plant and conduct technical audit of the production process. The VDZ presents conformity certificates for Norm cement products according to DIN EN 197-1:2011 standard. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: UEFAs Europa League final in Baku will be a memorable occasion, UK ambassador to Azerbaijan Carole Crofts said, Trend reports referring to the Facebook page of the UK embassy in Baku. Congratulations to Arsenal and Chelsea on reaching UEFAs Europa League final on 29 May! Both teams have played in Baku before but not against each other, she said. For the first time two clubs from the Premier League will be playing each other in Bakus magnificent stadium and I am sure it will be a memorable occasion. We are expecting more British fans to travel to Baku than ever before and I am sure they will enjoy their stay in this lovely city, Crofts added. Azerbaijan is famous for its excellent hospitality and I know they will be guaranteed a warm welcome. Later this week advance teams from the UK police, Arsenal and Chelsea will be arriving in Baku and we are all working closely with the Azerbaijan authorities in preparation for the match, she said. I would like to thank all those involved for their support and I wish both teams the best of luck for this special occasion. -- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 Trend: EU is still the main trade partner of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said, Trend reports. Mammadyarov made the remarks at the Eastern Partnership (EaP) Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels on May 13. EU is still the main trade partner of Azerbaijan, taking approximately 42 percent share of our foreign trade turnover, he said. The EU is also the biggest investor in Azerbaijan. I am proud to say that a traditional joint EU-Azerbaijan Business Forum attracts many representatives of EUs various industries and services sector. The next business forum will be held in Baku on June 13, 2019. I believe that various companies from some, if not many, countries of the EU will represent Europes industry and its business objectives in Azerbaijan. The last Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels in 2017 suggested that cooperation within EaP should be based on realistic considerations of various challenges in the region, the minister said. Focus must be made on the benefits and potential value-added for countries, which have different degrees of political and trade cooperation with the EU. Last Summit endorsed 20 Deliverables for 2020 document with concrete objectives to achieve. We believe that once implemented, those deliverables will have a potential to bring a greater degree of resilience, prosperity, development and connectivity to our region, he added. But the discussions on 20 Deliverables for 2020 must take place as in between equal partners. Success of that process will depend on tangible results. Some of those goals are also in line with Azerbaijans strategic roadmaps on key sectors. Institutional and structural reforms are being continued in order to ensure a sustainable economic development and socio-economic growth in Azerbaijan, Mammadyarov added. As the result of reforms carried out and the improved business climate, Azerbaijan ranks 25th in the world, according to the latest 'Doing Business Report' published by the World Bank. Also, according to the assessment of Davos World Economic Forum, Azerbaijan is ranked 34th with respect to the quality of growth. The Azerbaijani government continues to carry out large-scale programs to ensure that our citizens fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms, he said. In this regard, it is necessary to highlight the recently adopted State Program on the Development of Justice in 2019-2023, which aims at further legislative and structural measures to improve performance of judiciary. In the field of transport, the extension of the indicative maps of the Trans-European Networks to Azerbaijan and further to Asia can provide a solid platform to promote regional trade corridors together, the minister said. In fact, port and rail administrations, as well as some private logistics companies from Georgia, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Austria, and Germany are already there with Azerbaijan in some regional trade corridors. That list continues to grow. Many from Europe are interested to partner with Azerbaijan in this strategic trade area, he said. Azerbaijan shares own opportunities and infrastructure with neighbors and the countries in Asia and Europe. East-West, North-South and some synergies are possible here as well, especially if we take note of EUs various cooperation strategies with some Asian countries. Azerbaijan goes beyond its land borders to create more trade dynamic across the wider region, and is doing so despite being a land-locked country. Therefore, we have established credible partnerships with the ports in the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Romania, just to name a few. Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is in the very final stage of construction, Mammadyarov added. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 Trend: Starting from May 16, flights will be operated from Astrakhan to Baku twice a week. Embraer-190 (E90 class) airliners with a capacity of 100 people will deliver passengers to the Azerbaijani capital in about one hour, Trend reports referring to the website of the government of the Astrakhan Region of Russia. Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), headquartered at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, acts as the carrier. The price of one-way tickets will range from 2,500 to 6,000 rubles. The opening ceremony of the flight will be held at the Astrakhan airport. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 By Fakhri Vakilov- Trend: Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), originating from the coast of East China and running through the territory of Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, as well as the territory of Azerbaijan and Georgia, provides Kazakhstan an access to European markets, a representative of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan told Trend in an interview. Today, Kazakhstan is actively working on the development of transcontinental transport between Europe and Asia. The trans-Caspian international transport route is the most important link in the formation of the Eurasian transport system. Kazakhstan proposed the implementation of this project and this decision was made by Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia with the support of China in Astana in 2006. The project stimulates cargo flows to the Caspian infrastructure of Kazakhstan, forming optimal logistics and generating trade in the region. The Coordination Committee for Development of TMTM was established to simplify administrative procedures, create a competitive environment and ensure maximum efficiency for companies from different countries, including geographically not located directly on TITR, the ministry noted. In addition, the representative said that to date, Working Group of the TITR Association has established and applies competitive integrated rates for such goods as petroleum products, grain, coal, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, chemicals, zinc, sulfur. It has approved integrated rates for the transportation of universal containers on fitting platforms (up to 15 meters) from China to Europe and back. A unified technology of interaction between transport companies on the transit of container trains via China-Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey was approved as well. The geography of participants is also expanding, for example, in 2018, Turkish Railways JSC, Ukrainian Railways JSC, NMSC Kazmortransflot LLP (Kazakhstan), Anaklia Development Consortium LLC (Georgia), GRAMPET S.A. (Romania), Eastcomtrans LLP (Kazakhstan) entered as permanent and associated members of TITR. I can say with confidence that our infrastructure and existing logistics services will give impetus to trade relations, ensuring the loading of transport and logistics infrastructure on the Trans-Caspian route, the representative stated. The results of 2018 shows that transit traffic on the TITR route increased more than 13 times and amounted to 3,900 containers (2017 0,300 containers). The volume of transit traffic in January-March 2019 on this route amounted to 41,300 tons of cargo, which shows an increase of 3 times over the same period last year (January-March 2018 14,100 tons). The representative of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development stressed that it is necessary to make joint efforts in the framework of the International Association to promote and increase the volume of cargo transported along the TITR route in the future. In this regard, it seems promising to attract additional cargo flows from China and Europe to promote TITR, including through the Kazakh port of Kuryk. Kazakhstan is also ready to take an active part in ensuring freight traffic along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway corridor, which has the ability to provide a significant increase in freight traffic from Europe to Central Asia and China, as well as in the opposite direction. --- Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 By Leman Zeynalova - Trend: Azerbaijan and Pakistan are exploring further possibilities in the energy sector, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan Ali Alizada said in an interview with Pakistan Observer, Trend reports. We have excellent bilateral relations as well as strategic relations. We support each other in many different ways. As far as the economic and trade relations are concerned, we are trying to boost our trade relations and striving to increase them in the future. Our trade volume has increased 25 percent in 2018 and we expect it to go much further, he said. The envoy went on to add that the potential of trade between Azerbaijan and Pakistan is enormous. In 2017 we signed an agreement for cooperation in the energy sector. The most important area is of course is the Energy sector. There is big demand in the energy sector and oil and gas products and we are exploring further possibilities in the energy sector. Thankfully, the Economic Coordination Committee ECC has allowed Pakistan State Oil for trade agreements with oil companies in Azerbaijan. This would greatly help increase the trade turnover in the future, he said. Alizada said the two countries also have cooperation in defense production field. Azerbaijan is also buying Mushaq aircrafts from Pakistan. Other than that there is cooperation in agriculture sector also and there is interest in fruits and vegetables of Pakistan for us, especially mangoes, kinos and potatoes. Azerbaijan is selling chemicals, dry fruits, canned juices and many other products in Pakistan. So the trade is healthy and growing well, he added. Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: The exit of some foreign brands from Iran has created an opportunity for local producers, Fereydoun Ahmadi, member of the Iranian Parliament Committee on Industries and Mines, told ISNA, Trend reports. According to Ahmadi, domestic producers can use this opportunity to win customer satisfaction. He added that some companies are unable to operate in Iran due to the problems with the delivery of foreign currency to Iran as a result of the sanctions. In his words, the Iranian Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade tries to address these issues. However, Ahmadi stated, no steps should be taken to force foreign companies to leave the Iranian market altogether, as these companies also have their own customers. According to him, conditions should be created for the activities of foreign companies. "Due to the problems with local production, the clients purchase foreign goods. Therefore, important steps must be taken to increase and strengthen the country's production," he said. The US imposed sanctions on Iran in November 2018. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: A company violating the law in Irans Ardabil Province has been fined 146 billion rials ($3.47 million according to official exchange rate and $1 million in black market), under the rule tazir, Ali Rahimi Azar, head of the Ardabil branch of the Governmental Discretionary Punishments Organization, told journalists, Trend reports referring to IRNA. Rahimi Azar informed that a criminal case was filed based on the information about smuggling of 125 tons of granulated polyethylene from the Bileh Savar Customs and Security Department of Ardabil Province. He added that the company's executive director was fined after the investigation of the criminal case in Bileh Savar County. Rahimi Azar did not disclose the name of the petrochemical company. Tazir is a term in Islamic law referring to punishment for offenses at the discretion of the judge or ruler of the state and applying to offenses for which no punishment is specified in the Qur'an or the Hadith. In Iran, a separate judicial institution, the Governmental Discretionary Punishments Organization, deals with such cases. Iran insists on exporting at least 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil, triple Mays expected levels under U.S. sanctions, as a condition for staying in an international nuclear deal, sources with knowledge of Iran-EU talks said, Trend reports citing Reuters. The figure was communicated in recent meetings between Iranian and Western officials, including Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, but has not been set down in writing, four European diplomatic sources said. The United States reimposed sanctions in November on exports of Iranian oil after U.S. President Donald Trump last spring unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 accord between Iran and six world powers to curb Tehrans nuclear program. In an attempt to reduce Irans crude exports to zero, Washington ended at the beginning of May waivers that had allowed the top buyers of Iranian oil to continue their imports for six months. The sanctions have already more than halved Iranian oil exports to 1 million bpd or less, from a peak of 2.8 million bpd last year. Exports could drop to as low as 500,000 bpd from May, an Iranian official told Reuters this month. Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz - a major oil-shipping route - and disrupt crude shipments from neighboring countries if Washington succeeds in forcing all countries to stop buying Iranian oil. Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei set out last year a series of conditions for European powers if they wanted Tehran to stay in the nuclear deal, including continued purchases of Iranian oil. Khamenei did not specify which minimum level of oil sales Iran would accept to stick with the deal, or keep the Strait open. According to one European Union official, the Iranians have not been specific, but they wanted to ensure production returned to pre-sanctions levels. Other sources said Irans demand seemed to be in a general range of 1.5 million to 2 million bpd. Zarif said specifically that they want to sell 2 million barrels of oil (per day), basically the level Iran was exporting before Trump withdrew from the deal, said a source present at the New York meeting in which the minister made the statement. But I dont think it is a serious demand. It isnt possible and the Iranians know it isnt possible. Zarif also said during the same visit to New York in April that Iran could only sell 500,000 to 700,000 bpd of oil. Irans oil ministry and foreign ministry were not available for comment. South Africa: SA attends WTO Ministerial meeting in India Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies will this morning attend the World Trade Organisations (WTO) Ministerial Meeting in India. The aim of the ministerial meeting is to exchange views and ideas on how to best address the challenges facing the Multilateral Trading System (MTS), as well as discuss issues of concern to developing countries. The two-day meeting which gets underway today, is taking place in New Delhi. This as there are different diagnoses of problems facing the MTS. The meeting will provide an opportunity for the exchange of views among participating countries on current developments in the Multilateral Trading System with a view to promote inclusive growth and development. We need to shape a multilateral trade environment that is conducive and supportive of industrialisation, and supports structural transformation and economic diversification. This includes recognising the necessity of policy space for developing countries, especially African countries to pursue our development objectives and promote regional integration, said Davies. The Minister further highlighted that the meeting is taking place at a time when global trade is going through a period of uncertainty with an increase in protectionism in some countries and a backlash against trade agreements and globalisation due to lack of inclusive growth. The Government of India that is organising this meeting, expressed the hope that this meeting will provide a direction on how to constructively engage on the various issues facing the WTO. These include the current challenges in the appointment of Appellate Body Members in the build up to the next WTO Ministerial Council meeting that will take place in 2020. The meeting in Delhi will conclude tomorrow. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-05-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Tehran, Iran, May 13 Trend: Minister of Industry Mine and Trade of Iran Reza Rahmani has rejected the idea of importing second-hand cars into Iran, because of foreign currency issues, Trend reports via ILNA. The minister said, instead, the local manufacturers should increase their production. "It's not a good suggestion and it cannot be turned to reality with the current foreign currency resources, said Rahmani. Rahmani's comments came as a reply to the suggestion of Iran's ambassador to the UK, Hamid Baedinejad. Speaking of cars being stuck at Iran's customs, he said the issue has been resolved to some extent. "The major problem in this case were legal issues, as well as issues with foreign currency," he said. "These issues have been discussed by the market adjustment task force," Rahmani said. Vehicles sales in China, the worlds largest auto market, fell 14.6% in April from the same month a year earlier, the countrys biggest auto industry association said on Monday, marking the 10th consecutive month of decline, reports Trend citing to Reuters Sales fell to 1.98 million vehicles, said the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). That followed declines of 5.2 percent in March and 14 percent in February, as well as the first annual contraction last year since the 1990s against a backdrop of slowing economic growth and crippling trade war with the United States. Automakers have been lowering prices in China after the government introduced tax cuts to spur consumer spending. Sales of new energy vehicles (NEV), however, remain a bright spot, rising 18.1% in April to 97,000 vehicles, CAAM said. NEV sales jumped almost 62 percent last year even as the broader auto market contracted. NEVs include petrol-electric hybrids vehicles, plug-in hybrids, battery-only electric vehicles and those powered by hydrogen fuel cells. China has been a keen supporter of NEVs and has implemented sales quota requirements for automakers. Japan Display Inc said on Monday that a planned investment of up to 80 billion yen ($729.33 million) from a Chinese-Taiwanese group could be delayed, reports Trend citing to Reuters The buyer group has informed the company that they will make internal decisions about investment after re-examining the prospects for Japan Displays business performance, the smartphone screen maker said. The group includes Taiwanese flat screen maker TPK Holding and Chinese investment firm Harvest Group. Iran said on Monday it had sentenced an Iranian national to 10 years prison for spying for Britain, reports Trend citing to Reuters An Iranian who was in charge of Iran desk in the British Council and was cooperating with Britains intelligence agency... was sentenced to 10 years in prison after clear confessions, Gholamhossein Esmaili, a judiciary spokesman, was quoted as saying by Fars news agency. He did not identify the person who was sentenced. The British Council is Britains cultural agency overseas. Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) and 12 other companies were selected to build a $6.8 billion high-speed train project that will link three major airports in the country, reports Trend with reference to Reuters The committee, chaired by Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, chose a joint investor for the public-private partnership that required the lowest amount of investment from the government, the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy (EEC) office said in a statement. The governments decision came in following months of negotiations after CP and 12 other companies jointly submitted a bid for the $6.8 billion project last year. The rail link will connect Thailands main international airport Suvarnabhumi to low-cost carrier airport Don Muang and U-Tapao airport in eastern Thailand. The proposal will be sent for cabinet approval on May 28, EEC Secretary-General Kanit Sangsubhan told reporters. The high-speed train project is slated to be completed in five years, and will be operational for 45 years under the partnership, according to the EEC portal. The EEC project, worth $45 billion, is the centerpiece of the governments policy to boost investments in hi-tech industrials, as it transitions from those reliant on cheap labor. The goal is to make the east a center for hi-tech industries such as robotics and electric vehicles as well as a regional hub for aircraft maintenance. The EEC managed to draw 297 billion baht ($9.3 billion) in promised investment in 2017. CP is headed by Thailands richest man, Dhanin Chearavanont, who has a net worth of $16.5 billion, according to Forbes latest estimates. CP, not known for its expertise in rail engineering, had previously said its consortium and strategic partners include Chinas CITIC Group Corp, China Railway Construction, South Koreas Hyundai, Germanys Siemens, Italian-Thai Development Pcl and Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Dhanins businesses include pork and poultry farms in CP Foods Pcl and convenience stores in CPALL Pcl. Other interests span from a stake in Ping An Insurance Group, telecommunications, real estate and partnerships with Chinese auto-maker SIAC Motor Corp and Japans Itochu Corp. A French probe into alleged emissions cheating by Renault is a step closer to possible court action, Le Monde reported on Monday, after a technical report confirmed that some of its diesel engines were configured to emit more pollutants outside official test conditions, reports Trend citing to Reuters Following Volkswagens 2015 admission that it had rigged engine software with defeat devices to cheat U.S. diesel tests, several European states launched investigations. They found on-the-road nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions more than 10 times above regulatory limits for some Opel, Renault and Fiat Chrysler models, and widespread use of devices that reduce or shut down exhaust treatment during normal use. French prosecutors opened criminal probes into Volkswagen, Renault, PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler in 2016-17 that remain ongoing. A Renault spokesman said the company could not comment on the latest report because it had not seen its findings. Renault vehicles are not equipped with defeat devices and are homologated in conformity with the regulations in force, the spokesman said. The study by ISAT, a French transport research institute, confirmed earlier findings that engine software in Renaults Clio and Captur models shut down one form of emissions control outside a range of air temperatures covering official tests but not everyday use, Le Monde reported. Another anti-pollution technology, the NOx trap, did not run cleaning cycles below speeds of 50 kilometers per hour (31 miles per hour), according to the French daily. Without such periodic purges, the filters become clogged and ineffective. When Emmanuel Macron became French president two years ago he promised a clean break with the past. Within months of taking office he had cut tax on companies and investors and made hiring and firing easier via changes to labor laws, reports Trend citing to Reuters Two years on, and after six months of yellow vest street protests against his pro-business reform drive, the 41-year-old former investment banker is steering the economy with a new focus on households and boosting their incomes. His juggling act - keeping his reform drive alive while making concessions to protesters - has boosted growth, economists say, while investment is firm and unemployment down. Faced with the protesters accusations that he was ignoring workers and pensioners, and with the sometimes violent demonstrations causing weekly disruption in cities across France, Macron changed tack. After a package of concessions in December worth more than 10 billion euros ($11.23 billion), Macron announced income tax cuts last month worth a further five billion euros. To pay for it, he aims to delay tax cuts for some companies and close corporate tax loopholes. Spending cuts have also been promised, although no details have been given. Public policy is swinging back to supporting demand and households to the detriment of competitiveness because we dont have any extra margin to do both at the same time, said economist Emmanuel Jessua with think-tank Rexecode. Frances international partners say that is a fair price to pay if it helps keep the peace and allows Macron to push ahead with further reforms. Overall France needs to consolidate because the deficit and debt are too high, a senior IMF official said in Paris last week, adding: There could be some flexibility to respond to social concerns and to find a renewed consensus to continue pushing the reform process forward. STRIKE A BALANCE Macrons concessions, made up mainly of tax breaks targeting low-income workers and pensioners, could push growth to 1.5% this year, the OFCE economics think-tank estimates. Without that public money, growth would be closer to 1%, OFCE economist Mathieu Plane said. But the fiscal stimulus risks pushing the budget deficit further than planned over a 3% limit, which the government expects to temporarily overshoot this year due to a long-planned tax change. By contrast Germany, ever hesitant to loosen the purse strings even as a slowdown in international trade weighs on its economy, is expecting growth of only half a percent this year. If Emmanuel Macron is able to get out of the domestic social crisis, there are some sources of growth, Plane said. Mixing supply-side policy with measures focused on boosting demand and purchasing power can help strike the right balance. As Macron begins the third year of his five-year term, he can claim his policy steps are beginning to bear fruit, though economists caution it will take years before their success or failure is fully clear. The labor market is looking its perkiest in years, with unemployment at a near 10-year low and the employment rate at its highest since 1980. Youth unemployment has fallen sharply. The percentage of new workers hired on permanent contracts, which employers avoided until Macron eased rules on firing, has risen to a record high of nearly 50 percent. People are starting new businesses in record numbers and the business climate has changed enough in two years to make France a top destination for foreign investment, according to U.S. consulting firm ATKearney. It ranked France fifth worldwide as a place for foreign investment, up two spots from last year despite the images of yellow vest street clashes and vandalism beamed around the world. With major overhauls to the unemployment and pensions systems due this year, big foreign companies like staffing company ManpowerGroup, which has its biggest market in France, are convinced Macron will stick to his reform program. Overall, the French government is intent on making France more competitive as a place to invest and as the place to grow. And I dont see that changing, ManpowerGroup CEO Jonas Prising said in a recent earnings call. The Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab states condemned sabotage operations of commercial vessels near UAE territorial waters on Sunday, Trend reported citing Reuters. That would increase tensions and conflict in the region and jeopardize the interests of their peoples, Abdul Latif Al Zayani, the GCC secretary general, said in a statement. Four commercial vessels were targeted by sabotage operations near the territorial waters of the UAE without causing casualties, the UAE foreign ministry said on Sunday, without giving details of the nature of the sabotage. Militants have attacked four settlements in the Syrian province of Latakia over the past 24 hours, the head of the Russian Defence Ministry's Centre for Syrian Reconciliation, Maj. Gen. Viktor Kupchishin said, Trend reported citing Sputnik. "Over the past 24 hours, illegal armed groups have bombarded [four] settlements in Latakia province within the Idlib de-escaltion zone", Kupchishin said. Kupchishin added that a total of 57,925 Syrians who evaded military service had been granted amnesty by the Syrian authorities as of Saturday. Over the past two weeks, terrorists have reportedly increased the number of shelling attacks on the Syrian provinces of Hama, Aleppo and Latakia. They have also been attempting to attack the positions of the Syrian army in the region. Government forces have responded by boosting their attacks on terrorists in Idlib. Syrian forces are targeting depots, artillery positions and observation posts of the Nusra Front terrorist group. Russia, Turkey and Iran are the guarantors of the ceasefire in the conflict-affected Syria. Russia carries out humanitarian operations across the country on a regular basis and helps Damascus in providing safe passage for the return of Syrian refugees. According to the UN Refugee Agency data, about 5.6 million Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring states and beyond since 2011, while millions more remain displaced inside Syria. Voting results from Lithuania's presidential election indicate a prominent economist and a former finance minister will advance to a runoff ballot later this month to pick a successor to incumbent Dalia Grybauskaite, Trend reported citing AP. With 1,631 of the country's 1,972 voting districts counted by early Monday, results provided by Lithuania's Central Electoral Commission show banker-turned-politician Gitanas Nauseda leading the nine-candidate field with 31.2% of the votes cast Sunday. Lawmaker and former finance minister Ingrida Simonyte is second with 27.2%. A candidate needed to win more than 50% of the votes to avoid a runoff. Grybauskaite has served two maximum five-year terms as Lithuania's head of state since 2009. Sri Lanka said on Monday it was temporarily blocking some social media networks and messaging apps, including Facebook and WhatsApp, after mosques and Muslim-owned businesses were attacked in the wake of Easter bombings by Islamist militants, Trend reported citing Reuters. Several dozen people threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores and a man was beaten in the town of Chilaw on the west coast on Sunday in a dispute that started on Facebook, sources told Reuters. Authorities said they arrested the author of a Facebook post, identified as 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar, whose online comment 1 day u will cry locals said was interpreted as threatening violence. Authorities arrested a group in the nearby areas of Kuliyapitiya and Dummalasuriya later on Sunday and early on Monday for allegedly attacking Muslim-owned businesses, a police source told Reuters. Military spokesman Sumith Atapattu said people in the area then demanded the arrested men be released. To control the situation, a police curfew was imposed during the night, Atapattu said. The flare-up in violence came three weeks after Sri Lankan Islamist bombers blew themselves up in four hotels and three churches, killing more than 250 people. Since then, Muslim groups say they have received dozens of complaints from across the country about people being harassed. Other communities say they are fearful that the government, which failed to act on successive warnings about looming Islamist attacks, has not caught all potential militants. Sri Lanka has used temporary bans on social media in an attempt to curb misinformation and rumors. Social media blocked again as a temporary measure to maintain peace in the country, Nalaka Kaluwewa, the director general of the Department of Government Information, told Reuters on Monday. A violent clash erupted a week ago in Negombo, where more than 100 people were killed during Easter prayers, between Muslims and Christians after a traffic dispute. The government also imposed a ban on social media after that clash. Libyan navy said it rescued 147 illegal immigrants in two separate operations off the country's western coast, Trend reported citing Xinhua. The first rescue operation took place some 68 miles off the coast of the city of Zawiya, 45 km west of the capital Tripoli. A total of 96 illegal immigrants, including 16 women and 4 children, have been rescued in this operation, according to the Libyan navy's information office . The second operation took place 50 miles off the coast of Khoms city, some 120 km east of Tripoli, rescuing 51 others, the office said in a statement. The rescued refused to leave their boat and threaten to burn it, the statement revealed. However, they finally agreed to board the navy's vessel after negotiations. The rescued immigrants have been taken to reception centers after being provided with medical and humanitarian assistance, the statement added. Due to the insecurity and chaos following the 2011 uprising that toppled the late leader Gaddafi's regime, Libya became a preferred point of departure for thousands of illegal immigrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean toward European shores. Argentinas military and federal police scrambled to secure the presidential palace in Buenos Aires on Monday after a bomb threat made while President Mauricio Macri was in the building, just hours after a man was arrested trying to enter with a gun, Trend reports citing Reuters. The threat against Casa Rosada was made via a phone call in which a person indicated a plan to put a bomb inside a car, the office of Argentinas Secretary General told Reuters. The military activated its protocol for such threats, and a team was dispatched to check and secure the entrances of Casa Rosada, the presidential palace and seat of national government. No car containing explosives was found, and the building was not evacuated. There is no possibility of a bomb entering without detecting it, an official from the office of the secretary general said. Local media reported that another threat was made against a congressional office and a response team was also on the scene there. The city has faced false bomb threats before, including ahead of a meeting of the Group of 20 nations last year. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkey is moving military equipment to Hatay Province, located on the border with Syria, Trend reports referring to Turkish media. This measure is being taken as part of the fight against PYD / YPG, the Syrian wing of terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). It is also reported that part of the military equipment will be redeployed to northern Syria, in the territories liberated as part of the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch military operations. In early May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish Armed Forces will begin operations in northern Syria around the city of Manbij in the near future. According to the head of state, the Turkish Armed Forces will also launch operations in the east of the Euphrates River against the militants of PYD / YPG, the Syrian wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party. On December 12, 2018, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish armed forces will launch a new military operation in northern Syria against PYD / YPG. Erdogan said that there are the US soldiers in the ranks of the terrorists in Syria. "Despite the US promised Turkey not to support the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist organization - PYD / YPG, Washington did not keep its word," the president added. On Jun. 4, 2018, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed a roadmap on Syria's Manbij during talks in Washington. On Jan. 20, 2018, Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: As part of the fight against the FETO terrorist movement, 46 law enforcement officers have been detained in Ankara and 4 provinces of the country, Trend reports with reference to the Turkish media. During the investigation it was established that they all had close ties with the FETO terrorists. Over the past seven months, 1,076 servicemen have been dismissed from the Turkish armed forces within the fight against the FETO. Reportedly, 624 servicemen dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces, served in the army ground forces, 107 servicemen - in the navy and 345 servicemen - in the air force. A group of rebels attempted a military coup in Turkey on the night of July 16, 2016. The main confrontation broke out in Ankara and Istanbul. More than 250 Turkish citizens were killed, over 2,000 people were injured, the mutiny was suppressed --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will cancel the Moscow leg of his Russia trip, but will meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi as planned on Tuesday, a State Department official said, Trend reported citing Reuters. Pompeo, who departed from Joint Base Andrews near Washington en route for Brussels, will hold talks with European officials on Iran and other issues on Monday before heading to Russia, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity. Last week, European countries said they wanted to preserve Irans nuclear deal and rejected ultimatums from Tehran, after Iran eased curbs on its nuclear program and threatened moves that might breach the 2015 international pact. Irans announcement on Wednesday, related to curbs on its stockpiling of nuclear materials, was in response to U.S. sanctions imposed following President Donald Trumps withdrawal of the United States from the accord with Tehran a year ago. The United States has asked Turkey to delay taking delivery of the S-400 Russian missile defense system, currently scheduled for July, in return for potentially approving the formation of a working group that Ankara has sought to establish, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday, Trend reports citing Reuters. But a senior Turkish official reiterated Ankaras position that it would not back down from its planned purchase of the system, a procurement that has widened a diplomatic rift between the two NATO allies. We will buy the s-400s in July. Our position has not changed, he said. But the source said talks on the issue continued. U.S. officials have called Turkeys planned purchase of the S-400 missile defense system deeply problematic, saying it would risk Ankaras partnership in the joint strike fighter F-35 program because it would compromise the jets, made by Lockheed Martin Corp. The United States and other NATO allies that own F-35s fear the radar on the system will learn how to spot and track the jet, making it less able to evade Russian weapons. KYODO NEWS - May 13, 2019 - 19:10 | All, Japan An imperial turtle-shell divination rite was held Monday to prepare for the most important ceremony to be performed by new Emperor Naruhito upon his enthronement. In the "Saiden Tentei no gi" ritual at the Imperial Palace, diviners observed the cracks that appear on heated turtle shells and selected two prefectures -- Tochigi from eastern Japan and Kyoto from western Japan -- that will supply crops for the upcoming "Daijosai" thanksgiving ceremony in mid-November. The Daijosai is performed by a new emperor only once during his reign. The emperor will offer newly harvested rice to his imperial ancestors and the deities of heaven and earth, while also partaking of the rice himself, and pray for peace and abundant harvests for the country and its people. (Turtle-shell divination rite held on May 13, 2019.) [Photo courtesy of the Imperial Household Agency] In the morning, the robe-wearing diviners entered a tented structure set up in front of the sanctuary dedicated to the deities to begin the fortune-telling process, conducted for the first time in 29 years. The Imperial Household Agency said the carapaces of three green turtles from the Ogasawara island chain in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, had been prepared to create eight pieces for the divination rite. While international trade in green turtle is banned under the Washington Convention, shells of animals captured from the Ogasawara island chain with special permission were used in the ceremony, according to the agency. The shells were shaped to measure 24 centimeters in length and 15 cm in width, with a thickness of 1 millimeter. Japanese bird cherry was used as firewood. Other details of the ceremony, including how the cracks are assessed, are kept a secret. The imperial household is said to have used turtle-shell divination, originally from China, more often in the past, such as in the Heian period (794-1185), to decide the date of imperial rites. (Processed turtle shells used for the "Saiden Tentei no gi" ritual.) [Photo courtesy of the Imperial Household Agency] Currently, it is only used to designate the two prefectures that will provide rice for the Daijosai ceremony, according to the agency. Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, welcomed the announcement that it would have the honor of growing the rice, with an official in charge of agriculture saying, "We are surprised but honored." With artisans who worked on preparing the turtle shells in the wake of the previous era change having either passed away or retired, the role went to Tokyo-based tortoiseshell craftsman Takao Morita. "I had to learn through trial and error as it was my first time (making them)," the 68-year-old said. Morita received a request from the agency around March last year, after then Emperor Akihito indicated his desire to step down in a rare televised video message citing concern he might not be able to fulfill his official duties due to his advanced age. Emperor Akihito, 85, became the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in 202 years, giving way for his elder son Emperor Naruhito to succeed the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1 this year. (Tortoiseshell craftsman Takao Morita) Morita said he usually handles the shells of hawksbill sea turtles, which are about 40 centimeters in size, to manufacture eyeglass frames and decorative items. But the carapaces delivered to him from the agency were 1-meter-long. It was also his first experience of processing the bones underneath the shells, rather than the surface of shells to which he is accustomed. "It differed from my usual work, but I thought I could do it," Morita said. With the agency not giving any specific instructions, he looked through old documents to research the shells. He crafted the bones into elongated pentagons and carefully shaved the pieces with a machine, creating a number of prototypes. With Morita having to work on the special order at the same time as his usual business, he only fully began processing the shells from this year. He managed to deliver the final pieces to the agency in April amid a growing celebratory mood for the era change, but said he did not feel nervous undertaking the task. "I worked carefully with each individual piece," the craftsman said. "Although it was the same day-to-day operation, I felt a weight left my shoulders after they were delivered." The previous "Saiden Tentei no gi" was held in 1990 following the enthronement of then Emperor Akihito the year before, and Akita and Oita prefectures were given the rice-growing role through it. Imperial rites are usually carried out using the imperial family's money. But the expenses linked to the turtle shells, as well as payments for the rice to be harvested, are covered by taxpayers as court expenses because they are part of a series of imperial succession events. Some, however, have questioned the significance of the fortune-telling tradition. "No one in this modern day believes that it can really determine (the prefectures)," the late Shinobu Kobayashi, who served as a chamberlain for Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, wrote in his diary. A total of about 2.7 billion yen ($24.6 million) is expected to be spent from state coffers for activities related to this year's Daijosai, according to the government. KYODO NEWS - May 13, 2019 - 21:16 | World, All Japan and China are making arrangements for Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Japan as a state guest next year, rather than this year as initially planned, due to a tight schedule, sources familiar with the situation said Monday. During his visit to China last October, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sounded out Xi about the possibility of visiting Japan in June for a Group of 20 summit in Osaka and then in fall as a state guest, diplomatic sources said earlier. But Beijing was reluctant to accept the proposal for Xi to visit Japan two times within the year, despite a time of improving bilateral relations, making a request that Abe instead visit China, according to the sources. China plans to host a trilateral summit with Japan and South Korea by the end of the year. Abe is now likely to visit China before receiving Xi as a state guest. Japan also has a series of events this fall in connection with the imperial succession, including "Sokuirei Seiden no gi," a key ceremony on Oct. 22 to proclaim Emperor Naruhito's accession. A visit by a foreign leader as a state guest involves a meeting and banquet with the emperor, who ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1. "It's difficult to receive President Xi as a state guest before the year's end because the schedule is tight," a senior Japanese government source said. The postponement is also under consideration as Tokyo has apparently judged it can wait until next year to realize Xi's visit, provided that Sino-Japanese relations have been steadily improving. Despite outstanding issues related to territory and wartime history, Japan and China have been warming to each other while Beijing has been locked in a trade war with Washington. In October, Abe became the first Japanese leader in nearly seven years to make an official visit to China. London/New Delhi: A United Kingdom (UK) court awarded life time imprisonment to a man for stabbing his Indian-origin wife 59 times to death after an argument on Christmas last year. In 2018, Laurens Brand (47-year-old) killed his wife Angela Mittal (41-year-old) in their bedroom. On Friday, he was sentenced for life imprisonment with a minimum sentence of 16 years and eight months. also read: Girlfriend sends gang over to abduct and rob BF when he refused to delete selfie After stabbing his wife for more than 59 times - Brand tried to clean the spot and then called on the emergency number, asking for the police claiming that it was already late for Angela. "This was a brutal assault carried out by Laurens Brand on his wife, Angela Mittal, during which she suffered 59 separate injuries," Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Mike Roddy, of the Thames Valley Police Major Crime Unit told media after the sentencing. According to the UK police reports, Brand used two kitchen knives to repeatedly stab her. At some point, one knife got broken, so he fetched another one from the kitchen and then again resumed stabbing her. During the court hearing, UK police claimed that forensic evidence suggested that the victim was alive throughout most of the attack. also read: Kashmir man raped a 3-year-old girl Lisbon, Portugal - 12 May 2019: Machine learning is overtaking humans in predicting death or heart attack. That's the main message of a study presented today at ICNC 2019.1 The International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT (ICNC) is co-organised by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC), the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), and the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM). By repeatedly analysing 85 variables in 950 patients with known six-year outcomes, an algorithm "learned" how imaging data interacts. It then identified patterns correlating the variables to death and heart attack with more than 90% accuracy. Machine learning, the modern bedrock of artificial intelligence (AI), is used every day. Google's search engine, face recognition on smartphones, self-driving cars, Netflix and Spotify recommendation systems all use machine learning algorithms to adapt to the individual user. Study author Dr Luis Eduardo Juarez-Orozco, of the Turku PET Centre, Finland, said: "These advances are far beyond what has been done in medicine, where we need to be cautious about how we evaluate risk and outcomes. We have the data but we are not using it to its full potential yet." Doctors use risk scores to make treatment decisions. But these scores are based on just a handful of variables and often have modest accuracy in individual patients. Through repetition and adjustment, machine learning can exploit large amounts of data and identify complex patterns that may not be evident to humans. Dr Juarez-Orozco explained: "Humans have a very hard time thinking further than three dimensions (a cube) or four dimensions (a cube through time). The moment we jump into the fifth dimension we're lost. Our study shows that very high dimensional patterns are more useful than single dimensional patterns to predict outcomes in individuals and for that we need machine learning." The study enrolled 950 patients with chest pain who underwent the centre's usual protocol to look for coronary artery disease. A coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) scan yielded 58 pieces of data on presence of coronary plaque, vessel narrowing, and calcification. Those with scans suggestive of disease underwent a positron emission tomography (PET) scan which produced 17 variables on blood flow. Ten clinical variables were obtained from medical records including sex, age, smoking and diabetes. During an average six-year follow-up there were 24 heart attacks and 49 deaths from any cause. The 85 variables were entered into a machine learning algorithm called LogitBoost, which analysed them over and over again until it found the best structure to predict who had a heart attack or died. Dr Juarez-Orozco said: "The algorithm progressively learns from the data and after numerous rounds of analyses, it figures out the high dimensional patterns that should be used to efficiently identify patients who have the event. The result is a score of individual risk." The predictive performance using the ten clinical variables alone (similar to current clinical practice) was modest, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.65 (where 1.0 is a perfect test and 0.5 is a random result). When PET data were added, AUC increased to 0.69. The predictive performance increased significantly (p=0.005) when CCTA data were added to clinical and PET data, giving an AUC 0.82 and more than 90% accuracy. Dr Juarez-Orozco said: "Doctors already collect a lot of information about patients - for example those with chest pain. We found that machine learning can integrate these data and accurately predict individual risk. This should allow us to personalise treatment and ultimately lead to better outcomes for patients." ### Authors: ESC Press Office Tel: +33 (0)4 8987 2499 Mobile: +33 (0) 7 8531 2036 Email: press@escardio.org Follow us on Twitter @ESCardioNews The hashtag for ICNC 2019 is #ICNC2019. Notes to editor Sources of funding: This work was supported by The Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence on Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease, Helsinki, Finland and the Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research. Disclosures: None. References and notes 1 The abstract 'Refining the long-term prognostic value of hybrid PET/CT through machine learning' will be presented during the Young Investigator Awards session on Sunday 12 May at 09:00 to 10:00 WEST in room Faro. About the International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT (ICNC) The International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT (ICNC) is held every two years and is co-organised by the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC), and the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM). About the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) ASNC, located in Fairfax (Virginia, USA) is committed to excellence in imaging. Representing over 4,500 nuclear cardiologists, radiologists, technologists, scientists and academics all over the world. ASNC is the leader in the development of established standards of care and guidelines in nuclear cardiovascular imaging. ASNC continuously supports the advancement of the profession through education, research, and advocacy. About the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) The European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) - a branch of the ESC - is the world leading network of Cardiovascular Imaging (CVI) experts, gathering four imaging modalities under one entity (Echocardiography, Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac Computed Tomography). Its aim is to promote excellence in clinical diagnosis, research, technical development, and education in cardiovascular imaging. The EACVI welcomes over 11,000 professionals including cardiologists, sonographers, nurses, basic scientists and allied professionals. About the European Society of Cardiology The European Society of Cardiology brings together health care professionals from more than 150 countries, working to advance cardiovascular medicine and help people lead longer, healthier lives. About the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) The European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) is the largest organisation dedicated to nuclear medicine and multimodality imaging in Europe, with a strong focus on interdisciplinary. This is especially reflected in the educational offers of the European School of Multimodality Imaging and Therapy (ESMIT) and the programme of the EANM Annual Congress. Information for journalists attending ICNC 2019 ICNC 2019 will be held 12 to 14 May at the Lisbon Congress Centre (CCL) in Lisbon, Portugal. Explore the scientific programme. Description "A combined team of U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) members from Virginia Beach, Va. and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron NINE (HSC-9), known as the Tridents, from Norfolk, Va. will present a fast rope demonstration showing how a four-member EOD team can be inserted via a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter into an area too dangerous for a ship to navigate, while another MH-60S provides security. After the air and land demonstration, helicopters will land and be available for public tours along with various informational static displays." - Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums Sex Shut-Down Due to some state laws regarding abortion in Georgia and elsewhere there is a movement afoot for women to withhold sex from their husbands or boyfriends. Not sure how much of an impact this will have on my life at this point. I first saw the suggested abstinence being discussed by Alyssa Milano who is a pro-womans rights advocate and I find her to be reasonable and intelligent in most matters. She might be off-base here. I mean, how does it work? Im sure that there are a lot of men who find the Georgia law that threatens jail for a woman who may miscarry as a tad crazy. I havent read the specific law, but there is chatter about questioning the woman to see if she may have somehow been responsible for the miscarriage. I cant imagine a more cruel law! I know of some who have suffered a miscarriage and I understand that their first question is: Did I somehow cause this? Imagine, in the moment after it happens, if they are suddenly being grilled by someone to see if they belong in jail because they didnt deliver. Couple this with the straight-up, disgusting lie that Brokeahontas is yelling at his rallies that mothers and doctors are consulting on whether or not to execute the newborn child and I see Alyssas frustration. Old white men are threatening to make decisions for women in moments following the worst minutes of their lives... ...and theyre threatening jail time! But what did I do? If women do band together and start using sex as a weapon... ...well, men, were cooked! Think of all the things that have gotten done in homes all across this great land because of the promises made by the women in charge. Its a motivating tool, my wife explains. Its why you win arguments, I answer. You know how many times youve been dead wrong and Ive decided to let it slide? And, I believe, that every good married woman knows it. Im not sure that it will work, but I am concerned about the recent chatter about eventually repealing Roe V Wade. There is no doubt that its in the cross-hairs of some prominent groups who are greatly concerned of the rights of the unborn, but immediately lose interest in the welfare of the child once its born. Its almost as if they want more children alive so they can be gunned down at school. Or so they can starve to death. Its another battle for the soul of the nation, and I have always backed away from being sucked into what is normally a passionate personal discussion. The whole thing will evolve into an absolute mess... ...like everything else these days... ...and if the shutdown takes hold... ...were going to be truly suffering. TWEET ME DISCLAIMER *COMMENTS, LINKS, AND CUT AND PASTE ARTICLES, ARE NOT ALL ENDORSED BY THE PUBLISHER. THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed. MORE DISCLAIMERS This is a commercial free blog. Money is nice, but being able to speak my mind is better. "Real talk: Daniel Rubin has a great little piece up wherein he chats with The Field Negro, the Philly-based blogger who sharply ponders all things black on a daily basis. (Seriously, if youve never checked in with TFN, you should: Its author, Wayne Bennett, is a fantastic read who can cut through bullshit like a hot knife through butter, which is a far grosser analogy than I wanted to make, but there you have it.)" ~Philebrity~ "One of the most precocious and hilarious Black political minds on the net. Ive been a long-time fan!" ~Asad Malik~ "..While most of what he writes is tongue-in-cheek, his space is a safe house for candid discussions about race, especially in the comments section, where people of all colors meet." ~~Daniel Rubin, "The Philadelphia Inquirer"~~ "To white people, Bennett's musings are like kitchen-table talk from a kitchen they may otherwise never set foot in. To African Americans, he is part of a growing army of black Internet amateurs who have taken up the work once reserved for ministers and professional activists: the work of setting a black agenda, shaping black opinion and calling attention to the state of the nation's racial affairs." ~~Richard Fausset, "L.A. Times"~~~ ~Erik Hare, "The Twin Cities Daily Planet"~ "That's why I love the blog " Field Negro " so much. Field, as he's known to his fans, has the sense of reality that it takes to call out the ( CowPuckey ) of blame beating by those who are in positions of power and their lackeys. Because of his handle and his unabashed way of writing about racial issues, Field is often cited as a "Black blogger." What he is, however, is a first-class detector of blame deflection and an excellent student of history. If you want to write about the past and future of repression there's really no other perspective to take - which is why everyone should read Field."~Erik Hare, "The Twin Cities Daily Planet"~ 411 On The Field field negro Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Raised in the house, but field certified. Jamaica is the land of my birth, but I consider myself a citizen of the world. I currently practice law in the city of "brotherly love". View my complete profile "Half a century after Little Rock, the Montgomery bus boycott and the tumultuous dawn of the modern civil rights era, the new face of the movement is Facebook, MySpace and some 150 black blogs united in an Internet alliance they call the AfroSpear. Older, familiar leaders such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, are under challenge by a younger generation of bloggers known by such provocative screen names as Field Negro, thefreeslave and African American Political Pundit. And many of the newest struggles are being waged online." ~Howard Witt-The Chicago Tribune~ "I had no idea, for example, of the extent of the African-American blogging world out there and its collective powers of dissemination.But now, after reading thousands of anguished, thoughtful comments posted on these blogs reflecting on issues of persistent racial discrimination in the nation's schools and courtrooms, what's clear to me is that there's a new, "virtual" civil rights movement out there on the Internet that can reach more people in a few hours than all the protest marches, sit-ins and boycotts of the 1950s and 60s put together." ~Chicago Tribune Reporter, Howard Witt~ IF YOU ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO FLAUNT IT. Come visit my store on CafePress! NFC technology for mobile wallet market in Asia Pacific region is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 29% during the forecast period led by growing adoption of non-contact payment solutions along with the integration of NFC chips into smart devices. Selbyville, Delaware, May 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Asia Pacific mobile wallet market is anticipated to rise from USD 35 billion in 2017 to over USD 140 billion by 2024, according to a 2019 Global Market Insights, Inc. report. The increasing penetration of smartphones and the widespread adoption of the internet are the primary factors accelerating the demand for mobile wallet market in the region. China and India are home to more than 50% of the smartphone population across the globe. The number is projected to increase during the forecast period due to the decline in the price of smartphones and the increasing disposable income of the middle class in the Asia Pacific region. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/3290 Moreover, the changing customer demand and market dynamics also act as major drivers for the mobile wallet market. As the competition among market players is increasing, customers are becoming more empowered. As a result, financial institutes start to focus more on providing better customer experience and developing more customer-centric products. These companies are leveraging on mobile solutions to reach unbanked & underserved customers in remote areas. NFC technology is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 29% during the forecast period. The growing adoption of non-contact payment solutions along with the integration of NFC chips into smart devices (such as smartphones and wearables) is driving the market growth. Moreover, the increasing interest of the top smartphone manufacturers, such as Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, in the mobile wallet solutions is presenting a huge opportunity for the NFC technology market. Story continues Browse key industry insights spread across 140 pages with 144 market data tables & 28 figures & charts from the report, Asia Pacific Mobile Wallet Market Size By Type (Open, Semi-closed, Closed), By Ownership (Banks, Telcos, Device, Tech Companies), By Technology (Near Field Communication (NFC), Optical/QR Code, Digital Only, Text-Based), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (Australia, China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines), Growth Potential, Growth Potential Analysis, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 2024 in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/asia-pacific-mobile-wallet-market The India mobile wallet market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of approximately 30% over the forecast period. The growth of the market is driven by supportive government initiatives and policies. In 2015, the government of India launched the Digital India Campaign to deliver government services via digital channels. This promotes banks and other financial institutes to deliver financial services via digital channels. Moreover, in 2016, the government also demonetized its currency, resulting in a swift rise in the mobile wallet transaction in the country. The key players operating in the Asia Pacific mobile wallet market are Alipay, Wechat Pay, Paytm, Union Pay, Google, Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, Huawei, Rakuten Pay, Paypal, Amazon Pay, and Vodafone pay. These players are leveraging on collaboration activities to gain a competitive edge. For instance, in 2017, Vodafone Group partnered with Ridlr app to offer a seamless BEST Bus ticket booking service. This partnership is aimed at competing with its local competitors such as Jio Money and Paytm. Make an Inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/3290 Browse Related Reports: Global Mobile Wallet Market Size By Type (Open, Semi-closed, Closed), By Ownership (Banks, Telcos, Device, Tech Companies), By Technology (Near Field Communication (NFC), Optical/QR Code, Digital Only, Text-Based), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Russia, Australia, China, India, Japan, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa), Growth Potential, Growth Potential Analysis, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 2024 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/mobile-wallet-market Restaurant POS Terminals Market Size By Product (Fixed POS Terminals, Mobile POS Terminals) By Component (Hardware, Software, Services) By Application (FSR [Fine dine, Casual Dine/Fast Casual], QSR, Bars & Pubs, Cafes & Bistros), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil), Growth Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 - 2024 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/restaurant-pos-terminals-market About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights, Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: sales@gminsights.com Web: https://www.gminsights.com TAIPEI, Taiwan, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Asia Pacific Wire & Cable Corporation Limited (APWC) (the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of wire and cable products for the telecommunications and electric-power industries in the Asia-Pacific region, today announced that the Company will host its 2019 Annual General Meeting (the "Meeting") for shareholders at its headquarters located at Room B, 7th Floor, No. 132, Min-Sheng East Road Section 3, Taipei, 105, Taiwan on Friday, August 30, 2019 at 9 am EDT. The Meeting is being held for the purposes below, and additional information, including the agenda of all matters being put to a vote of shareholders, will be provided in the Notice of Meeting (the "Notice of Meeting") and related proxy statement that will be provided to shareholders. As of the date hereof, the agenda is intended to include for voting by shareholders the matters set forth below. The Company reserves the right to finalize the meeting agenda in its discretion. To approve the written record of the last Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company held on August 31, 2018 To approve the minimum number of directorships at two (2) and the maximum number of directorship at nine (9) To elect up to nine (9) directors To approve the compensation to be paid to each of the directors To present before the Meeting the audited financial statements of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 To approve the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers Taiwan as the independent auditor of the Company for the 2019 fiscal year, and to authorize the Board of Directors of the Company acting through its Audit Committee to determine the remuneration of the independent auditors for the 2019 fiscal year To consider such other matters as may be appropriately brought before the shareholders The record date for shareholders wishing to vote in the Meeting is planned to be set as June 28, 2019. All shareholders of record as of the record date shall be entitled to one vote per share on all matters put to shareholders at the Meeting, all as shall be more fully described in the Notice of Meeting and related proxy statement that will be provided to shareholders of record. Story continues Shareholders not able to attend the Meeting in person will be invited to participate by conference telephone by dialing in to the Meeting on one of the conference call-in numbers that will be provided in the Notice of Meeting. About Asia Pacific Wire & Cable Corporation Asia Pacific Wire & Cable Corporation is principally engaged in the manufacture and distribution of telecommunications (copper and fiber optic) and power cable and enameled wire products in the Asia Pacific region, primarily in Thailand, China, Singapore and Australia. The Company manufactures and distributes its own wire and cable products and also distributes wire and cable products ("Distributed Products") manufactured by its principal shareholder, Pacific Electric Wire & Cable Company, a Taiwanese company ("PEWC"). The Company also provides project engineering services in the supply, delivery and installation ("SDI") of power cables to certain of its customers. Safe Harbor Statement This release contains certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the Company, its business, and its subsidiary companies. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", anticipates, "expects" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or to persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors other than as required under the securities laws. The Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements. Contact: Investor Relations Contact: Asia Alpha Investor Relations Lisa A. Gray Partner & Senior Account Manager Phone: +1-212-989-9899 Email: lisa@asiaalphair.com Web: https://asiaalphair.com/ Pat Cummings was one of my first illustration mentors, through the SCBWI Illustration Mentorship Program, and I've valued her friendship ever since. She's smart, funny, honest -- and incredibly experienced in the world of creating children's books. I'm thrilled to have her visit my blog! Author and/or illustrator of over 40 books, Pats Pratt and Parsons classes and Childrens Book Boot Camp have put writers and illustrators together with publishers. Shes a board member of the Authors League Fund, Authors Guild and SCBWI, and member of WGAE. Trace, her first middle grade novel, was published by HarperCollins. You can find Pat Cummings via her website, Twitter and Facebook. TRACE by Pat Cummings (see more info about TRACE on the HarperCollins website). Cover illustrator: Erwin Madrid Synopsis: When thirteen year-old Trace moves to Brooklyn following his parents death, hes haunted by dreams of the car accident he alone survived. A ghostly encounter at the New York Public library challenges his understanding of family in a story based on two true events that occurred over 150 years apart. Q. Could you please take a photo of something in your office and tell us the story behind it? This is a corner of my workspace that haunts me. It's overrun with books. Many moons ago, I thought that if only I had a comfy couch I could sit and read every evening. (Cup of tea, soft pillow, cat purring nearby). But as much as I weed the picture books on my shelves (giving them to kids or my students at Pratt and Parsons) I cant help bringing in more. The books are winning. Most days, the comfy couch is merely a staging area: I stack up books for class or for speaking engagements. Shelves and tables have been added, stacks on the floor and around the loft lurk outside this area. But I dont seem able to give a book away until I've read it. You see the problem. Q. What advice do you have for young writers? ADVICE FOR ILLUSTRATORS: Join SCBWI. Immediately. It is the closest youll come to taking a course in EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHILDRENS BOOKS. Trim your portfolio to be sure that your work is consistent in quality. I see portfolios that may be 70% gorgeous and perfect for picture books but 30% not as proficient. Ive heard from editors, art directors and agents that when they see portfolios like that, they think the illustrator just isnt ready. Its not that 30% of the work is necessarily bad its just that the illustrator didnt realize it isn't up to the level of their other work. It becomes a question of judgement. And most editors dont have time to worry whether an artist will deliver a book that is only 70% fabulous. Get the Society of Illustrators catalogue for the annual Original Art Show that happens every fall. That catalogue is, hands down, the most valuable publication any illustrator can use if they want to find out who is behind the picture books they love. It is the only resource I know of that gives the names of the art director and editor for some of the best books of the year. Its handy to promote your work to someone who shares your tastes for what constitutes a great picture book. I encourage my students to not only get the book every year but to prepare promotional cards and be ready to target those editors and a.d.s who theyve identified as being behind their favorite books. SOI sells the catalogue inexpensively on their site. Make sure that your promotional pieces and imagery on the web are narrative and directed at young readers. If you can tell a story visually, if you employ dynamic elements like scale, color, perspective, texture.whatever, in a unique way, your imagery will stand out. Publishers receive hundreds of promotional cards every week. Its not enough to be able to paint a gorgeous picture of a dog, for example. If you can capture a moment in that dogs story when something is about to happen, then publishers will know you can create an image that will make a child want to read that story, want to turn the page and find out what happens next? Keep good records. I think its wise to target editors and art directors and publishing houses you want to work with. Recording info about what you sent, when you sent it and to whom you sent it is important. I think promotional cards should go out three to four times a year. Not hearing back from someone the first time you do a mailing doesnt mean they arent interested. So plan for a campaign: keep showing the range of what you can do and that you take the work seriously. Persistence and patience are invaluable in this business. ADVICE FOR WRITERS: Join SCBWI. Duh. For all the reasons above. Form a writers group. It is so easy to be distracted by the time-consuming demands of real life. So carving out time to write can be difficult. With a group youll set a self-imposed deadline for producing work. And knowing that a meeting is coming up can make you sit down, even if its at midnight the day before, and get some words down on paper. Working with other writers, regardless of what their projects entail, can help keep you more focused and productive than you might be on your own. Stay positive. There are so many naysayers who will tell you why you cant do something or how hard it is to get your work published. Dont be one of them. If this is what you want to do, this is what you do. Period. The biggest problem I see at workshops, in class and in the consultations I do with writers and illustrators is fear: fear that work will be rejected (it will, keep submitting), fear that their story has been done (it has. There are only a handful of story themes if you analyze them) and fear that their story isnt good enough (keep working to make it better). Every project Ive ever worked on began with a certain amount of fear: fear of the blank page. It is daunting to wrestle a story out of the ether, out of your psyche. Turning that page into a story is the most exhilarating, fun, horrifying, challenging, lovely, agonizing thing ever. Q. What are you excited about right now? Trying something new is a bit scary but thoroughly delicious. Ive got two books out this year and both were exciting to work on for different reasons. Both took massive amounts of time and energy because, in large part, I didnt know what the hell I was doing. But my general policy about making books is: If its not fun, I'm not doing it right. And both books were huge fun to do. My first middle grade novel, Trace, was just published by HarperCollins. I now find myself totally in LOVE with being able to tell a long story. Picture books are wonderful and are the bulk of what Ive done over the years. But having so much room for subplots and characters and mood-setting descriptions is luxurious and Im completely hooked. Yet as much as I want to pursue writingmore middle grade, a teen novel or (gasp) even an adult novel?my overstuffed files of picture books started, stopped and waiting in the wings constantly call to me. Where is Mommy? a picture book that's coming out from Holiday House is my first partially digital book. Launches from Holiday House on Nov. 12, 2019 And the learning curve was quite steep. After painting and coloring the illustrations by hand, I scanned and finished them in Photoshop. When the publisher asked for files to be scanned at 300 dpi, I scanned them at 600 dpi to give myself some wiggle room. And when I saw the paintings on my screen they were massive. In alarming detail, I could see all of the cat hair that was mixed into my paints. During the weeks spent cleaning up the art, I admit I considered caticide. But it finally occurred to me that if I couldnt even see the cat hairs with the naked eye, that might not be the issue I thought it was. The art got finished. The cat survived. The other thing Im excited about is that so many of my former students and workshop participants are coming out with new books and have gotten started on what I think will be amazing careers. I love seeing the inventive, thoughtful and absolutely gorgeous books theyre all producing. And, of course, its always exciting to see the books in the hands of kids. At my bookstore launch for Trace, I warned a little 7 year-old who wanted an autographed copy that it was 300 pages at least. She politely told me that she was just finishing a book that was 380 pages long and it was the thirteenth one shed read in the series. Yowie. With little readers like her out there, its easy to be excited about getting to the next story. ------ For more interviews, see my Inkygirl Interview Archive. Also see Advice For Young Writers and Illustrators, a compilation of tips generously offered by children's book creators I've interviewed over the years. OTTAWA, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 13, 2019 / The Canadian Chamber of Commerce today launched its election policy website, VoteProsperity, to highlight the needs of Canadian businesses to all parties in the upcoming federal election. An open letter, published today in National Newswatch, formally challenged all party leaders and caucuses to embrace all seven priorities and 45 recommendations outlined in VoteProsperity. "Today, we published an open letter to all of Canada's federal party leaders, challenging them to give our 200,000 business owners what they must have: a fighting chance to compete and grow. Canada's businesses have every right to expect a level playing field with the countries they compete against. We call on all party leaders to build their business policy proposals around the Vote Prosperity checklist, which outlines what Canada's job creators themselves have identified as mission critical," said the Hon. Perrin Beatty, PC, OC, President & CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The VoteProsperity website focuses on a small number of big issues that are crippling the ability of Canadian businesses to compete, grow, and innovate. While our economy faces many headwinds that are out of our control, there is much we can, and should, do. Some of the solutions outlined by the Canadian Chamber include: A regulatory system that works for everyone, including business; A tax system that is fair, efficient and modern; Greater access to new markets around the world, and the breaking down of domestic trade barriers; Helping SMEs in a way that's meaningful to them so that they can grow and succeed at home and abroad; Helping Canada seize the power of the digital age, while also investing in more traditional trade-enabling infrastructure; Helping grow a 21 st century workforce with the skills, education and training required to prosper; and An affordable approach to filling the gaps in pharmacare without disrupting today's employment provided plans. "Without a thriving business sector, Canada's economic growth suffers, our prosperity declines, and our governments can afford fewer roads, hospitals, and schools. When business succeeds, Canada succeeds. Our businesses needs the next government to be a forward-looking partner that helps them build a stronger and more innovative Canada for all," added Beatty. Story continues The platform was developed in partnership Canada's provincial and territorial chambers of commerce. The entire network of 450 chambers of commerce will be working together throughout the election period to keep our nation's political leaders focused on taking bold steps to protect and strengthen Canada's competitive position. "For all of our challenges, we Canadians remain among the most fortunate people in the world. All we need is the vision and determination to create the opportunity for ourselves and our families," concluded Beatty. The Canadian Chamber is strictly apolitical, and its policy analysis should never be taken as partisan or endorsement. The Canadian Chamber bases its analysis solely upon whether a policy aligns with the Canadian Chamber's existing platform. The VoteProsperity website will be updated on a regular basis until a new cabinet is sworn in. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the vital connection between business and the federal government. It helps shape public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families across Canada with a network of over 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 200,000 businesses of all sizes in all sectors of the economy and in all regions. News and information are available at Chamber.ca or follow us on Twitter @CdnChamberofCom. For more information, please contact: Phil Taylor Senior Director, Strategic Communications and Public Affairs ptaylor@chamber.ca (preferred and fastest response time) 613.238.4000 (2231) SOURCE: Canadian Chamber of Commerce View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/545043/Canadas-Chambers-of-Commerce-Challenge-Party-Leaders-on-Business-Issues-Launch-Election-Website View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/545043/Canadas-Chambers-of-Commerce-Challenge-Party-Leaders-on-Business-Issues-Launch-Election-Website Hollywood star Charlize Theron has confirmed that her first child Jackson identifies as a girl (VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images) Charlize Theron has opened up about the time her eldest child, Jackson, explained to her that she was not a boy, and how she is wholeheartedly raising her as a girl following the sweet admission. While promoting her upcoming film Long Shot, the South African-born actor candidly told the Daily Mail: I thought she was a boy, too, until she looked at me when she was three years old and said [she wasnt]. Theron went on to clarify that she has two beautiful daughters who she wants to support and celebrate just like any parent should do. Read more: The Addams Family teaser trailer gives a nod to Pennywise the Clown She added: They were born who they are and exactly where in the world both of them get to find themselves as they grow up, and who they want to be, is not for me to decide. My job as a parent is to celebrate them and to love them and to make sure that they have everything they need in order to be what they want to be. I will do everything in my power for my kids to have that right and to be protected within that. Theron adopted Jackson back in March 2012 and three years later, welcomed four-year-old August into the family. Shes always been very vocal about both the challenges and the delights of motherhood, as well as quick to dismiss any assumptions that she may feel like shes missing out by raising children that are not biologically her own. In an interview conducted by Chelsea Handler on behalf of Elle last year, the 43-year-old explained: In South Africa, orphanages were everywhere, and I wanted a brother or sister. I was always aware that there are so many children in this world who dont have families. Adoption is a very personal thingI know people whom I love dearly who dont feel that they could raise another child as their own. I respect that. Read more: Charlize Theron is shockingly available to date as she opens up about trying to find love But for meand I cant be the only person out thereI never saw a difference in raising an adopted child versus my own biological child. I dont feel like Im missing out on something. This was always my first choice, even when I was in a relationship. Theron dated musician Stephan Jenkins from 1998 to 2001. From 2002 to 2010, she was in a relationship with Irish actor Stuart Townsend. More recently however, she dated and then later got engaged to Sean Penn before they called quits on their romance in June 2015. By Jeff Mason and Se Young Lee WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping next month, as the trade war between the world's two largest economies intensified, sending shivers through global markets. Earlier, China announced it would impose higher tariffs on a range of U.S. goods including frozen vegetables and liquefied natural gas, a move that followed Washington's decision last week to hike its own levies on $200 billion in Chinese imports. The U.S. Trade Representative's office later said it planned to hold a public hearing next month on the possibility of raising duties of up to 25% on a further $300 billion worth of imports from China. Cellphones and laptops would be included in that list, but pharmaceuticals would be excluded, the office said. The prospect that the United States and China were spiraling into a no-holds-barred dispute that could derail the global economy has rattled investors and led to a sharp selloff on equities markets in the past week. A gauge of global stocks shed a further 1.9% on Monday, its biggest one-day drop in more than five months. China's yuan currency fell to its lowest level since December and oil futures slumped. Trump, who has embraced protectionism as part of an "America First" agenda, said he would talk to Xi at a G20 summit in late June. "Maybe something will happen," Trump said in remarks at the White House. "We're going to be meeting, as you know, at the G20 in Japan and that'll be, I think, probably a very fruitful meeting." U.S. farmers are among those most hurt by the trade war, with soybean sales to China plummeting and U.S. soybean futures hitting their lowest level in a decade. Trump said on Monday his administration was planning to provide about $15 billion to help farmers whose products might be targeted. Farmers, who are a core political constituency for Trump's Republicans heading into the 2020 presidential and congressional elections, are growing increasingly frustrated with the protracted trade talks and the failure to reach an agreement. Story continues "What that means for soybean growers is that we're losing," Davie Stephens, president of the American Soybean Association, said in a statement. STEADY DRUM BEAT China said on Monday it plans to set import tariffs ranging from 5% to 25% on 5,140 U.S. products on a $60 billion target list. It said the tariffs will take effect on June 1. "China's adjustment on additional tariffs is a response to U.S. unilateralism and protectionism," its finance ministry said. "China hopes the U.S. will get back to the right track of bilateral trade and economic consultations and meet with China halfway." In the middle of the negotiations last week, Trump hiked tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25% from 10%. The move affected 5,700 categories of Chinese products, including internet modems and routers. Sources have said talks stalled after China tried to delete commitments from a draft agreement that its laws would be changed to enact new policies on issues from intellectual property protection to forced technology transfers. Beijing said on Monday it would "never surrender" to external pressure, and its state media kept up a steady drum beat of strongly-worded commentary, reiterating that the door to talks was always open, but vowing that China would defend its national interests and dignity. In a commentary, state television said the effect of the U.S. tariffs on the Chinese economy was "totally controllable." Trump has said he is in "no rush" to finalize a deal with China. He again defended the move to hike U.S. tariffs and said there was no reason why American consumers would pay the costs. Economists and industry consultants, however, maintain that it is U.S. businesses that will pay the costs and likely pass them on to consumers. U.S. tariffs last year triggered retaliation by China, which imposed 25% levies on $50 billion worth of U.S. products including soybeans, beef and pork and lower tariffs on a list of $60 billion in goods. In a research note, Goldman Sachs economists said new evidence showed the costs of Washington's tariffs on China last year had fallen entirely on U.S. businesses and households, with no clear reduction in prices charged by Chinese exporters. They added that the effects of the tariffs had spilled over noticeably to the prices charged by U.S. producers competing with goods affected by the levies. (Reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington and Se Young Lee in Beijing; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Makini Brice, Doina Chiacu, David Lawder, Jeff Mason and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington and Alden Bentley in New York; Writing by Paul Simao and Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Susan Thomas and Lisa Shumaker) BEIJING (Reuters) - China's iron and steel futures mixed on Monday as investors continued to fret about slowing economic growth amid escalated trade tension between Washington and Beijing. The world's two largest economies appeared at a deadlock over the trade negotiations on Sunday as Washington demanded promises of concrete changes to Chinese law and Beijing said it would not swallow any "bitter fruit" that harmed its interests. Benchmark Shanghai rebar prices dipped 0.5 percent to 3,716 yuan ($544.70) a tonne as of 0150 GMT. Hot-rolled coil futures dipped 0.8 percent to 3,642 yuan a tonne. "Supply remains staying at a high level as mills dash to cash in fat profit, meanwhile production restriction in Tangshan is lenient than market expectation," said analysts from CITIC Futures in a note in Mandarin. Government of Tangshan, China's top steelmaking city, ordered steel mills to halt operations by an average of 30 percent in May in order to improve air quality in the region. Analysts also warned of waning demand in the coming weeks as southern part of China will soon enter the raining season. Jiangsu Shagang Group, the biggest private-owned steel maker in the country, lowered spot prices of some steel products by 50 yuan a tonne for June delivery, while Wuhan Iron and Steel, a subsidiary of China Baowu Group, maintained its May prices for June. The most-traded iron ore contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange rose 1.1 percent to 654 yuan a tonne. Chinese steelmakers are regaining their appetite for high-grade iron ore despite record-high ore prices, mill managers and traders say, as recovering profit margins spur plants to seek efficiency gains and ramp up output. Inventory of imported iron ore has fallen to their lowest since October 2017 to 133.6 million tonnes, according to data from consultancy SteelHome. Dalian coking coal prices stayed little changes at 1356.5 yuan a tonne, while Dalian coke fell 0.6 percent to 2,146.5 yuan. ($1 = 6.8221 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Muyu Xu and Shivani Singh; Editing by Rashmi Aich) (Bloomberg) -- Ubers bruised investors have had the weekend to prep for what looks like a rough Monday for markets, partly because the escalation of President Donald Trumps tariff spat with China is set to hammer sentiment. Shares of Uber Technologies Inc. resume trading Monday 7.6% below their offering price after Fridays flop. Among the factors that buffeted the biggest IPO of the year: a broad stock market selloff in the morning and a weak earnings report posted by Ubers primary rival, Lyft Inc. Uber opened at $42, or 6.7% below its $45 IPO price. Shortly after, it slid to $41.06. While the company briefly reclaimed almost all its losses by early afternoon, the comeback proved short-lived. While the trade war has caused overall stock market volatility, we believe that the poor trading in Lyft was the major factor impacting Uber, said Kathleen Smith, co-founder of Renaissance Capital and manager of the IPO exchange-traded fund. Investors are applying the valuation multiples of Lyft to Uber. And as the Lyft stock dropped, so did Uber." Over the last three trading days, Lyft retreated 13.9% to an all-time low. Meanwhile, the Renaissance IPO ETF added 0.5%, outpacing the S&P 500. So while Uber and Lyft are going through some "tough price discovery," and may continue to do so in the coming days, the rest of the IPO market appears to be healthy, Smith said. In the first hour of the ride-sharing companys IPO, retail investors at TD Ameritrade executed 1.8-times more trades than in Lyfts first 2.5 hours, according to TD Ameritrades Alyson Nikulicz. Uber had made up 10% of Fridays equity trades as of 1:28 p.m. in New York at TD Ameritrade. Before Ubers debut, out of a total of 60 companies, only four IPOs of a billion dollars or more had a decline of at least 5% since the start of the decade. Only seven ended the first day of trading in the red. "We believe this is kind of a near-term speed bump, we dont view this as a Lyft 2.0," Dan Ives, Wedbush Securities managing director said on Bloomberg TV. "This continues to be a show me story." Story continues For now, the story is set to be one of volatility as traders dump equities and other riskier assets. The weekends back-and-forth between Trump and China suggests U.S. Treasuries and currencies such as the yen and Swiss franc will be seeing a lot of action on Monday. --With assistance from Sarah Ponczek. To contact the reporter on this story: Carolina Wilson in New York City at cwilson166@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Ludden at jludden@bloomberg.net, ;Brad Olesen at bolesen3@bloomberg.net, Matthew G. Miller For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. On May 10, we issued an updated research report on Owens-Illinois, Inc. OI. Growing preference for glass packaging, continued focus on cost reduction and acquisitions is likely to drive growth for the company. Further, its ongoing successful joint venture (JV) with Constellation Brands, Inc. (STZ) and new capacity additions will aid growth. However, unfavorable foreign currency, persistent decline of beer consumption in the domestic market and high debt levels remain concerns. Tepid Q1 But Poised for a Better 2019 Owens-Illinois reported first-quarter 2019 adjusted earnings of 51 cents per share which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 53 cents. The bottom line also declined 14% from the prior-year quarter figure of 59 cents. Net sales declined 6% year over year to $1,638 million, as favorable pricing was offset by decline in shipments and unfavorable currency translation. The top line lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,637 million. Backed by favorable market trends, growth opportunities, and continued focus on structural cost reductions, the company anticipates higher earnings and cash flow generation in 2019 compared with the prior year. Owens-Illinois guides adjusted earnings to be around $3.00 per share, projecting year-over-year growth of 10% from 2018. Volume growth, improved pricing and cost performance augmented by strategic initiatives will drive earnings growth. It also includes the impact of ongoing share repurchases. Segment operating profit margin is projected to be 50 basis points higher. It anticipates growth of about 1.5% in volumes, a combination of core organic growth and new business from strategic customers. Robust End Markets Bode Well In Europe, wine sales will be higher in 2019 due to strong grape harvest in 2018. Further, glass packaging in Western Europe has been growing for last two years in line with total packaging. Premium products in Europe are growing significantly faster than overall market. The company has been outperforming the European beer market over the past five years, and this trend is anticipated to continue. Overall the glass container market in Europe is healthy and continues to improve at about 1% per year. The companys efforts to add capacity in Europe, supply chain performance, focus on growing strategic relationships and footprint optimization poises it well for improving volumes and expanding margins in the region. Taking into account the rising market demand in Mexico and Brazil, the company is adding capacity. In the United States, demand for glass is improving on the back of favorable consumer trends and increased preference of customers for glass packaging. Non-beer categories in the United States continue to grow at low-single digits over time. Consequently, the company has been focusing on these categories by improving customer relationships, commercial and design capabilities, and converting almost 20% of its beer capacity into flexible capacity to meet non-beer customer demand. Overall, Americas are expected to generate higher sales, profit and margin in the coming year. Story continues In Asia Pacific, growing demand in emerging markets will drive volumes. Owens-Illinois has completed its asset improvements program in the region, and expects higher volumes and lower manufacturing expense to drive margins higher going forward. Further, there exists opportunities to grow premium products in Australia and New Zealand markets. Successful JV: A Key Catlyst Owens-Illinois JV with Constellation Brands has exceeded expectations so far productivity has been higher than anticipated, capital costs were considerably lesser than initially expected and earnings have been growing every year. The company has built four furnaces at the JV in just four years and is currently building a fifth furnace that is expected to come on line by 2019 end. The fifth furnace will help cater to the rising demand from Constellation`s adjacent brewery. With the installation of the fifth furnace, the Nava plant will be the largest and most modern glass container factory globally. The total cost of approximately $140 million, will be financed by equal contributions from both partners. Acquisitions to Support Growth Owens-Illinois has acquired 49.7% interest in Empresas Comegua S.A. for $119 million from Fabricacion de Maquinas, S.A. de C.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of Vitro, S.A.B. de C.V. Empresas Comegua S.A. is the leading manufacturer of glass containers, which operates two glass manufacturing facilities one in Costa Rica and another in Guatemala. Empresas caters to the companys global strategic customers and various segments, including food, soft drinks, beer, spirits and pharmaceuticals. The buyout will help Owens-Illinois expand presence into new and growing glass markets in Central America, and extend market presence in the Caribbean. Owen-Illinois previous acquisition of Vitro's food and beverage business has provided the company a competitive edge in the attractive and growing glass segment of the packaging market in Mexico, further reinforcing its position as the world's leading glass container producer. High Debt Levels, FX a Concern Despite Owens-Illinois deleveraging and refinancing actions in the past 12 months, its debt-to-capitalization ratio remains high at 85%. Higher interest levels will impact margins. Further, its margins will bear the impact of the companys incremental investments in R&D in the near term. Unfavorable foreign currency impact is also expected to affect the companys earnings. Further, persistent decline in beer consumption in the domestic market remains a major headwind. Share Price Performance Shares of Owens-Illinois have dropped 7% in the past year, compared with the industrys decline of 8%. Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider Owens-Illinois carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked stocks in the Industrial Products sector are DMC Global Inc. BOOM, Lawson Products, Inc. LAWS and Roper Technologies, Inc. ROP, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), at present. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. DMC Global has an estimated earnings growth rate of 79.7% for the ongoing year. The companys shares have soared 69%, in the past year. Lawson Products has a stellar expected earnings growth rate of 24.5% for the current year. The stock has appreciated 42% in a years time. Roper Technologies has a projected earnings growth rate of 7.9% for 2019. The companys shares have gained 28%, over the past year. Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year? Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%. See Latest Stocks Today >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Owens-Illinois, Inc. (OI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Roper Technologies, Inc. (ROP) : Free Stock Analysis Report DMC Global Inc. (BOOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lawson Products, Inc. (LAWS) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research After a rough 2018, precious metals and energy products streaming company Franco-Nevada (NYSE: FNV) started off 2019 on the right foot. That might be an understatement. The business reported record quarterly revenue, net income, adjusted net income, and adjusted earnings per share (EPS). Operations churned out the highest volume of gold equivalent ounces (GEO) in over one year. And the most important growth project, the Cobre Panama copper mine owned by First Quantum, is on track to begin deliveries in the second half of this year. The strong performance was delivered despite several headwinds, including lower average selling prices for all but one precious metal in the portfolio and weaker energy prices. Here's what investors need to know. A trophy on top of a wooden table. Image source: Getty Images. By the numbers Franco-Nevada has worked to diversify revenue by both product and geography. It owns interests in precious metals streams including gold, silver, and platinum group metals (PGMs) produced in South America, Canada, and the United States. It also owns interests in American oil and gas production fields. The strategy is working. There were two driving forces behind the company's strong Q1 performance. First, the McCreedy mine in Canada resumed extracting higher-grade ore. That led to a 54% year-over-year increase in production volumes from Canada, whereas all other major regions were stable or saw production decline. However, the benefit might be short-lived. Franco-Nevada agreed to pay more for each GEO produced from McCreedy through 2021, while the production increase will be offset by the decision of the owners to take another asset off line at the end of March. Second, Franco-Nevada realized a huge increase in PGM production -- from 6,900 GEOs last year to 14,600 GEOs in the first quarter of 2019 -- and a 39% increase in selling prices of palladium (the most important PGM). That helped to nudge several financial metrics into the record books. Story continues Metric Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Year-Over-Year Change Average gold price ($/ounce) $1,304 $1,329 (2%) GEOs 122,049 115,671 5% Revenue* $179.8 million $173.1 million 4% Cash costs per GEO $254 $241 5% Adjusted EBITDA $140.9 million $139.9 million 1% Net income* $65.2 million $64.6 million 1% Adjusted EPS* $0.35 $0.34 3% Data source: Franco-Nevada. *Record quarterly performance. The business reported $20.8 million in energy revenue in Q1, compared to $19 million in the year-ago period. Franco-Nevada expects full-year 2019 revenue from the segment to decline compared to last year, but that assumes West Texas Intermediate prices average $55 per barrel. That may prove to be an underestimation based on current prices, but management opted to maintain initial guidance. Of course, investors were most eager to learn the latest news from the Cobre Panama project. Franco-Nevada is eligible to receive gold and silver produced from the copper mine, based on the output of copper. The mine is expected to be the single-largest driver of the company's growth through 2023, when the asset is expected to deliver 160,000 GEOs. A very large earth mover truck. Image source: Getty Images. First Quantum started processing ore in February. Since then, the miner has reiterated guidance to produce 140,000 to 175,000 metric tons of copper from the mine this year. That would result in 20,000 to 40,000 GEOs for Franco-Nevada based on the streaming agreement in place. This gold streamer just got back on track Given the poor performance last year, weary investors have to be pleased with the strong start to 2019. The performance in Q2 might not be quite as strong given changes in Canadian mining output, lower precious metals selling prices since the end of Q1, and much higher oil prices in Q2 2018. Then again, with Cobre Panama on pace to begin deliveries in the second half of the year, that might not matter much. More From The Motley Fool Maxx Chatsko 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. Forty-three states are suing some of the largest generic drug manufacturers in the U.S., accusing them of conspiring to inflate prices for more than 100 widely-used medications, including antibiotics and treatments for arthritis, depression, high cholesterol, diabetes and cancer.Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said that the firms worked together to raise prices on similar drugs while agreeing to maintain market share and avoid competing on price. As a result of what Tong called an industry-wide conspiracy, prices for many generic drugs skyrocketed. In one year alone, between July 2013 and July 2014, the prices of more than 1,200 generic medications increased an average of 448 percent, the suit says. Some individual drug prices rose by more than 1,000%. (The 524-page lawsuit filed Friday is available here.) Some key details from the suit: * The drugs named in the suit produce billions of dollars in sales annually, in a generics market worth $100 billion. * Most of the collusive activity occurred between July 2013 and January 2015, but the pricing effects persist. * Medicare and Medicaid, health insurers and individuals were all affected. * The 20 companies named in the suit include Teva, Novartis, Sandoz, Mylan and Pfizer. * The suit also names 15 individual executives at the firms responsible for sales, marketing, pricing and operations. * The accused companies have denied the charges.Tong told CBS News 60 Minutes on Sunday that this may be the largest case involving a cartel in U.S. history. He also said that, in his view, the drugmakers were too big care about hurting consumers in a market in which theres just too much money to be made.Tong said that state prosecutors have hard evidence to back up their claims: "We have emails, text messages, telephone records, and former company insiders that we believe will prove a multi-year conspiracy to fix prices and divide market share for huge numbers of generic drugs. The documents, Tong said, show that the enormous price hikes on generic drugs American consumers have been dealing with had nothing to do with market forces or product shortages. Instead, Tong said, It was about profit. It was about cold, hard greed.Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. Forty-three states are suing some of the largest generic drug manufacturers in the U.S., accusing them of conspiring to inflate prices for more than 100 widely-used medications, including antibiotics and treatments for arthritis, depression, high cholesterol, diabetes and cancer. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said that the firms worked together to raise prices on similar drugs while agreeing to maintain market share and avoid competing on price. As a result of what Tong called an industry-wide conspiracy, prices for many generic drugs skyrocketed. In one year alone, between July 2013 and July 2014, the prices of more than 1,200 generic medications increased an average of 448 percent, the suit says. Some individual drug prices rose by more than 1,000%. (The 524-page lawsuit filed Friday is available here.) Some key details from the suit: The drugs named in the suit produce billions of dollars in sales annually, in a generics market worth $100 billion. Most of the collusive activity occurred between July 2013 and January 2015, but the pricing effects persist. Medicare and Medicaid, health insurers and individuals were all affected. The 20 companies named in the suit include Teva, Novartis, Sandoz, Mylan and Pfizer. The suit also names 15 individual executives at the firms responsible for sales, marketing, pricing and operations. The accused companies have denied the charges. Tong told CBS News 60 Minutes on Sunday that this may be the largest case involving a cartel in U.S. history. He also said that, in his view, the drugmakers were too big care about hurting consumers in a market in which theres just too much money to be made. Tong said that state prosecutors have hard evidence to back up their claims: "We have emails, text messages, telephone records, and former company insiders that we believe will prove a multi-year conspiracy to fix prices and divide market share for huge numbers of generic drugs. The documents, Tong said, show that the enormous price hikes on generic drugs American consumers have been dealing with had nothing to do with market forces or product shortages. Instead, Tong said, It was about profit. It was about cold, hard greed. Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. NASA Satellite imagery has captured a rapid change in a remote ice cap in northern Russia which is moving at a rate that researchers describe as nuts. Landsat imagery showed that the Vavilov Ice Cap moved at around 60 feet per year between 1985 and 2013. Glaciologists say that since that point it has begun moving at up to 60 feet per day. What makes the find so strange is that its a so-called cold based glacier, thought to be more resistant to melting, according to IFLScience. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Motorists pull passengers from burning plane wreckage Tories in FIFTH place according to EU elections poll Transgender Lotto winner dies 18 months after 4m win The fact that an apparently stable, cold-based glacier suddenly went from moving 20 meters per year to 20 meters per day was extremely unusual, perhaps unprecedented, said University of Colorado Boulder glaciologist Michael Willis. The numbers here are simply nuts. Before this happened, as far as I knew, cold-based glaciers simply didnt do thatcouldnt do that. If this continues, we could be witnessing the demise of this ice cap. Already, Vavilov has thinned enough that snow has stopped accumulating on its upper reaches, and it is a small ice cap in the first place. Nasa wrote: Hundreds of cold-based glaciers line the coasts of Greenland, Antarctica, and islands in the high Arctic. Together they cover hundreds of thousands of square kilometres of land. The events at Vavilov suggest that these glaciers may be less stable and resilient and more capable of collapsing and affecting sea level. The Goldman Sachs Group GS is likely to strike a deal soon with United Capital Financial Partners, per The Wall Street Journal. Addition of United Capital, a California-based investment advisory firm, would be Goldmans biggest deal post 2008 financial crisis. Notably, the deal value is anticipated to be between $700 million and $750 million, as reported by CNBC. With about $24 billion in assets under management, United Capital offers financial life and investment management services through its subsidiary, United Capital Financial Advisers. It also offers wealth management services through FinLife Partners, which is currently used by 46 registered investment advisers with $25 billion in assets. Founder Joe Duran had announced plans to have a single partner in January 2019. This deal marks progress in Goldmans decision to bolster private wealth management division. The company at present offers services to the ultra-rich. However, post-acquisition it would have exposure to affluent and high net worth clients as well. Of late, Goldman has been focused on diversifying sources of revenues and bolster its financial performance. In March, it launched a first ever credit card in partnership with Apple. Also, it bolstered ETFs sales by agreeing to acquire Standard & Poor's Investment Advisory Services LLC. Moreover, Goldman is tapping into the large addressable market of consumer deposits with its digital consumer lending platform Marcus. However, it continues to face probes and queries from several federal agencies, which remains a concern. Shares of the company have witnessed slight fall in the past six months compared with 1.4% decline of its industry. Goldman currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked stocks in the same space are Stifel Financial Corporation SF, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), E*TRADE Financial Corporation ETFC and Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc LTS, carrying a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Story continues Over the past 60 days, Stifel Financial has witnessed 2.9% upward earnings estimate revision for the current year. Its shares have gained 12.1% in the past three months. E*TRADEs earnings estimates for 2019 have been revised 4.1% upward over the past 30 days. Shares of the company have gained 6.6% in the past three months. Ladenburg Thalmanns earnings estimates for the current year have remained stable over the past 30 days. Shares of the company have gained 23.7% in the past three months. Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year? Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%. See Latest Stocks Today >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report E*TRADE Financial Corporation (ETFC) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Stifel Financial Corporation (SF) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc (LTS) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research TORONTO, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gran Colombia Gold Corp. (TSX: GCM; OTCQX: TPRFF) deeply regrets to report that a miner has succumbed to injuries suffered in an accident at its Segovia Operations last Thursday when a cable on an elevator transporting 20 miners from level 8 to level 12 in the Providencia mine failed. The Companys Emergency Response Team was immediately activated. The appropriate government authorities were also immediately notified and an investigation into the incident has been initiated. The Company is working with the local authorities to determine the cause of the incident. Lombardo Paredes, Chief Executive Officer of Gran Colombia, said, Our thoughts are with the family, friends and co-workers of our colleague and we are offering support at this difficult time. We are also providing support and assistance to the other 19 workers and their families as they recover from injuries suffered in the incident. About Gran Colombia Gold Corp. Gran Colombia is a Canadian-based mid-tier gold producer with its primary focus in Colombia where it is currently the largest underground gold and silver producer with several mines in operation at its Segovia and Marmato Operations. Gran Colombia is continuing to focus on exploration, expansion and modernization activities at its high-grade Segovia Operations. Additional information on Gran Colombia can be found on its website at www.grancolombiagold.com and by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . (Bloomberg) -- The Chinese owner of Grindr is required to sell the popular gay-dating app by June 2020 under an agreement with U.S. officials who raised national security concerns about the apps ownership. Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. said in a statement Monday that it reached a May 9 agreement that prohibits the company from accessing information about Grindrs users and requires the sale of the app before June 30, 2020. Grindr also wont be able to transmit any sensitive information to any entities based in China. The national security agreement was reached with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which vets overseas acquisitions of American businesses for risks to national security. Among the risks the panel considers is whether a deal gives foreigners access to sensitive information about U.S. citizens. Kunlun completed its acquisition of Grindr in January 2018 and said April 1 that it was in talks with Cfius about the app. If Kunlun doesnt manage to sell Grindr by the June 2020 date, it would sign the app over to a trustee, under terms of the agreement with Cfius. --With assistance from David Ramli. To contact the reporters on this story: David McLaughlin in Washington at dmclaughlin9@bloomberg.net;Linly Lin in London at llin153@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sara Forden at sforden@bloomberg.net, Andrew Pollack For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Paris Cour d'appel veers away from a FRAND rate, heading straight towards essentiality and trade secrets In the second case, Conversant (formerly Core) holds a patent portfolio of which more than a thousand patents have been declared essential to 2G, 3G and 4G standards at ETSI. Core negotiated for several years with LG to license this portfolio; these negotiations failed. In September 2014, Core sued LG at the Paris High Court (Tribunal de Grande Instance) for damages, on the one hand, and to fix the royalty rate for telecommunication devices in France, on the other hand. Five European patents were invoked. Judging that no evidence of infringement had been made, the Court dismissed these claims in April 17, 2015. Similar issues were raised on appeal, except that Conversant was only relying on two of the original five patents. It was always alleged that LG infringed both patents and Conversant was asking for the setting of the worldwide royalty rate. LG argued that the patents were invalid, that there was an absence of a FRAND offer and the exhaustion of rights by producing a Nokia - Qualcomm license. Although the Paris Court of Appeal did not ultimately decide on the setting of the FRAND royalty rate, its judgment is nevertheless interesting because of the analysis of the essentiality that it offers and in that it is, to our knowledge, the first to apply the Trade Secrets Act of July 30, 2018, in litigation related to patent law. You cant always get what you want In the decision, it was precisely the lack of essentiality of the patents which put a (premature) end to the further discussions by the Court. Claim 1 of the first patent, EP 0978210, relates to a "method for selecting a base station in a mobile communication system" comprising the two following steps: "identify a bad radio connection between a second base station and a multimode terminal" and "select one of the first base stations according to the measurement of at least one base station signal in the multimode terminal". According to the relevant technical provisions in the UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G) standards, if a radio connection with a quality below a threshold is identified, a measurement step as claimed shall be performed. On the other hand, the terminal may decide not to carry out said measurement if the quality of the radio connection is greater than the threshold. The Court concluded that a terminal that also performs the measurement when a good connection exists would be in accordance with the standards, but would not infringe the patent, so the patent would not be essential to those standards. Claim 1 of the second patent, EP 0950330, relates to a "user terminal having a wireless interface and a formatting device for formatting a signal to be transmitted on said wireless interface in accordance with a protocol low-level signal formatting apparatus, characterized in that it comprises means for receiving a type signal, said type signal indicating a high level signaling protocol to be used for transmitting said signal, and for formatting said signal in accordance with to this high level signaling protocol". LTE terminals are able to access both "IPv4" and "IPv6" network protocols, which implies, according to the plaintiff, implementing the selection step targeted by this claim. The Court ruled that the patent itself did not distinguish between IPv4 and IPv6, but only referred to th Internet Protocol (IP). In addition, the standard does not explicitly state that the terminal must choose between IPv4 and IPv6 when both are available. It is therefore not possible to consider that such a selection step is required by the standard and therefore that the patent claiming it is essential. But what about royalties if the patent is indeed infringed, but not essential? A priori, the patentee would no longer be bound by a FRAND commitment. The patentee could then be free to set the royalties of his choice. But before getting to that point, the patentee proves infringement independently of the sole implementation set out by the standard. The French courts would therefore return to the rules of "standard" patent law, as in the case in Vringo judgment. Trade secrets, NDAs and FRAND licences Following an interim order issued in October 2018 (what did the interim order, the Paris Court of Appeal had decided to apply the Trade Secrets Act of July 30, 2018, and more particularly the new article L 153-1 of the French Commercial Code. This In the second case, Conversant (formerly Core) holds a patent portfolio of which more than a thousand patents have been declared essential to 2G, 3G and 4G standards at ETSI. Core negotiated for several years with LG to license this portfolio; these negotiations failed. In September 2014, Core sued LG at the Paris High Court (Tribunal de Grande Instance) for damages, on the one hand, and to fix the royalty rate for telecommunication devices in France, on the other hand. Five European patents were invoked. Judging that no evidence of infringement had been made, the Court dismissed these claims in April 17, 2015. Similar issues were raised on appeal, except that Conversant was only relying on two of the original five patents. It was always alleged that LG infringed both patents and Conversant was asking for the setting of the worldwide royalty rate. LG argued that the patents were invalid, that there was an absence of a FRAND offer and the exhaustion of rights by producing a Nokia - Qualcomm license.Although the Paris Court of Appeal did not ultimately decide on the setting of the FRAND royalty rate, its judgment is nevertheless interesting because of the analysis of the essentiality that it offers and in that it is, to our knowledge, the first to apply the Trade Secrets Act of July 30, 2018, in litigation related to patent law.In the decision, it was precisely the lack of essentiality of the patents which put a (premature) end to the further discussions by the Court.Claim 1 of the first patent, EP 0978210, relates to a "method for selecting a base station in a mobile communication system" comprising the two following steps: "identify a bad radio connection between a second base station and a multimode terminal" and "select one of the first base stations according to the measurement of at least one base station signal in the multimode terminal". According to the relevant technical provisions in the UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G) standards, if a radio connection with a quality below a threshold is identified, a measurement step as claimed shall be performed. On the other hand, the terminal may decide not to carry out said measurement if the quality of the radio connection is greater than the threshold. The Court concluded that a terminal that also performs the measurement when a good connection exists would be in accordance with the standards, but would not infringe the patent, so the patent would not be essential to those standards.Claim 1 of the second patent, EP 0950330, relates to a "user terminal having a wireless interface and a formatting device for formatting a signal to be transmitted on said wireless interface in accordance with a protocol low-level signal formatting apparatus, characterized in that it comprises means for receiving a type signal, said type signal indicating a high level signaling protocol to be used for transmitting said signal, and for formatting said signal in accordance with to this high level signaling protocol". LTE terminals are able to access both "IPv4" and "IPv6" network protocols, which implies, according to the plaintiff, implementing the selection step targeted by this claim. The Court ruled that the patent itself did not distinguish between IPv4 and IPv6, but only referred to th Internet Protocol (IP). In addition, the standard does not explicitly state that the terminal must choose between IPv4 and IPv6 when both are available. It is therefore not possible to consider that such a selection step is required by the standard and therefore that the patent claiming it is essential.But what about royalties if the patent is indeed infringed, but not essential? A priori, the patentee would no longer be bound by a FRAND commitment. The patentee could then be free to set the royalties of his choice. But before getting to that point, the patentee proves infringement independently of the sole implementation set out by the standard. The French courts would therefore return to the rules of "standard" patent law, as in the case injudgment.Following an interim order issued in October 2018 (what did the interim order, the Paris Court of Appeal had decided to apply the Trade Secrets Act of July 30, 2018, and more particularly the new article. This article provides that provides that a judge of the French court should take procedural steps to protect trade secrets referred to and disclosed during during litigation. Access to certain documents (including license agreements) were thus limited to the parties' lawyers and certain designated persons who have signed confidentiality agreements (in particular interpreters and economists). Two versions of written court submissions are also routinely filed. In this case a full written submission was filed, together with a version which omits any reference to confidential information relating to the various license agreements in question. Companies patentees and licensees often do not want to disclose comparable licensing rates in licence agreements, which are the results of lengthy negotiations. Much of the time the negotiations leading up to licence and the licence itself are subject to confidentiality restrictions, with the negotiations often being governed by a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and the licence terms including a non-disclosure provision. Thus, parties will be reluctant to disclose such documents in proceedings if the court in question The NDA at issue in Conversant governed the Nokia-Qualcomm licence and information, and was governed by German law. German courts have been famous for not protecting confidential documents at all or to the same extent as other jurisdictions in litigation. At the time of the decision, the transposition of the EU Trade Secrets Directive had not yet been completed in Germany. On the issue of confidentiality in the SEP context, the Oberlandesgericht Dusseldorf stated, in the Sisvel v. Haier decision in 2017, that a SEP was required to produce comparable license agreements, despite being covered by a NDA. In another decision also issued in 2017 - Unwired Planet v. Huawei - the same Court stated that the plaintiff's refusal to produce an NDA could lead to the presumption of discriminatory practices while the refusal of the alleged infringer could lead to the conclusion that they were not a willing licensee. The hearing, which took place over three days, had to be managed to address these confidentiality issues. During the first day, access to the courtroom was restricted to the parties' lawyers and some representatives of the parties. This session was devoted to the most sensitive parts (notably the Nokia-Qualcomm agreement). On the second day, the assessment of the FRAND rate was discussed. Again, access to the courtroom was limited to the above-mentioned individuals, and - when discussing comparable licence agreements - a number of designated experts were permitted access. On the third day, the validity, essentiality and infringement of the patents were discussed, without any access restriction this time.Companies patentees and licensees often do not want to disclose comparable licensing rates in licence agreements, which are the results of lengthy negotiations. Much of the time the negotiations leading up to licence and the licence itself are subject to confidentiality restrictions, with the negotiations often being governed by a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and the licence terms including a non-disclosure provision. Thus, parties will be reluctant to disclose such documents in proceedings if the court in questionThe NDA at issue ingoverned the Nokia-Qualcomm licence and information, and was governed by German law. German courts have been famous for not protecting confidential documents at all or to the same extent as other jurisdictions in litigation. At the time of the decision, the transposition of the EU Trade Secrets Directive had not yet been completed in Germany. On the issue of confidentiality in the SEP context, the Oberlandesgericht Dusseldorf stated, in thedecision in 2017, that a SEP was required to produce comparable license agreements, despite being covered by a NDA. In another decision also issued in 2017 -the same Court stated that the plaintiff's refusal to produce an NDA could lead to the presumption of discriminatory practices while the refusal of the alleged infringer could lead to the conclusion that they were not a willing licensee. In Conversant, the French Court was first and foremost bound by the EU Trade Secrets Directive and its implementation under national French law. The French Judge therefore applied the provisions of the Trade Secrets Act transposing the EU Trade Secrets Directive to protect the confidential information subject to the NDA. This was particularly important since a German Judge would not have been able to provide such a solution at the time. Not only were the confidentiality provisions set out in an NDA not called into questioned, but the parties are still able to discuss royalty rates with all the necessary elements without destroying the confidence of the regime established by the NDA. This position adopted by the French courts is commercial and constructive. Parties litigating in the French courts will be reassured that their NDAs will remain in force, while still being able to rely on comparable royalty rates as a benchmark for their damages arguments. So, although we did not get what we want (i.e, an actual FRAND calculation), the recognition, introduction and application of the procedure for protecting confidential information in licences and negotiations gives parties some satisfaction. With this regime in place, it won't be too long before the French courts and the new (and increasingly patentee-friendly) judges, discuss (and determine) a FRAND royalty rate" it is important to remember that other jurisdictions are issuing as interesting decisions in other FRAND/SEP cases. Two weeks ago, on 16 April 2019, the Paris Court of Appeal issued its decision in- the "first noteworthy" decision on FRAND, but one which did not set the FRAND rate. However, as Kat friend Matthieu Dhenne explains in the following guest report, it nevertheless provides interesting discussions on essentiality and the application of the new French Trade Secrets Act (following the implementation of the EU Trade Secrets Directive - see Kat posts here ).Over towho reports from Paris:While there are some French decisions that deal with SEPs, none of them have decided on the FRAND royalty rate. Indeed, the decision in(December 8, 2011), seemed to indicate that a decision on the merits could only decide whether a license is FRAND or not - not what the rate is. Since then, only two cases have been determined:andIn the first case,initiated an infringement action before the Paris High Court based on two patents declared essential to the UMTS standard. Vringo also sought preliminary injunctions against ZTE. The Court rendered its decision on this injunction on October 30, 2015. Besides challenging validity and essentiality of the two patents asserted, ZTE also argued that Nokia had undertaken through a contractual provision to grant a license to any person wishing to implement said standard, on [FRAND] terms and that Vringo was bound by such undertaking. ZTE requested that the Paris High Court appoint at least one expert to calculate the FRAND royalty rate for the license in France. Neither party asked the Court to calculate the appropriate FRAND royalty rate itself. Eventually, ZTE claimed that Vringo had committed an abuse of dominant position by (i) breaching the obligations undertaken within the framework of European Telecommunications Standardization Institute (ETSI) to grant a license under FRAND terms, (ii) practicing tied selling, (iii) and proceeding to privateering. The Court succinctly ruled the first patent was invalid and the second one was not essential. * China-Taiwan group was to pump in 80 bln Y as part of rescue plan * Japan Display said group wants to re-examine its business performance * Japan Display's finances have changed since deal agreed -source (Adds analyst comment, more context) By Makiko Yamazaki TOKYO, May 13 (Reuters) - A Chinese-Taiwanese group is delaying an up to 80 billion yen ($729.33 million) investment planned as part of a rescue deal for Apple Inc supplier Japan Display as it wants to reassess the target's prospects, the Japanese firm said. A prolonged delay could put at risk the survival of the cash-strapped smartphone screen maker, which has been hit by Apple's slowing iPhone sales and a late shift to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens. The buyer group, which includes Taiwanese flat screen maker TPK Holding and Chinese investment firm Harvest Group, had planned to formalise the investment decisions by mid-June. The bailout deal, announced a month ago, would allow the buyers to become Japan Display's biggest shareholders with a 49.8 percent stake, replacing the Japanese government-backed INCJ fund. But the group has informed the company that they will make such decisions "after re-examining the prospects for Japan Display's business performance", the company said on Monday, adding there was no time frame for the review. TPK and Harvest did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. A source familiar with the matter said that Japan Display's financial situation has changed since the deal was agreed, prompting the group to reassess the business. The source declined to elaborate on the change in the situation. Japan Display has estimated it will post its fifth straight year of net losses for the year ended in March, as disappointing sales of Apple's iPhone XR, the only model with a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, dashed hopes for a turnaround. The company will announce its financial results on Wednesday. Some analysts said the move could be deal tactics. "The buyer group is apparently pressurising Japan Display to sweeten the offer," said Masayuki Otani, chief market analyst at Securities Japan, who is not involved with the deal. "It's a good deal for the group as it gets solid panel technologies, but the cheaper the better." Story continues The Chinese group's investment is part of a 232 billion yen ($2.1 billion) bailout plan, in which INCJ will accept a debt-to-preferred equity swap totaling 75 billion yen and extend senior loans worth 77 billion yen. Japan Display said INCJ has told the company it would not change the plan, although the final agreement will be made in line with the buyer group's investment decisions. Japan Display was formed in 2012 by combining the LCD businesses of Hitachi Ltd, Toshiba Corp and Sony Corp in a deal brokered by the government. ($1 = 109.6900 yen) (Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Additional reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) As the relationships between countries shift over the next few decades, expect trade to remain a hot button issue, according to one analyst. "As we start to move toward a multi-polar world, I think we have to recognize that these trade conversations are not fits and starts," said James Sullivan, head of Asia ex-Japan equity research at J.P. Morgan. Sullivan's prediction comes as the U.S. and China continue to square off in a trade war that has roiled global markets. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump hiked tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods, and China threatened to retaliate. As the relationships between countries shift over the next few decades, expect trade to remain a hot button issue, according to one analyst. That prediction comes as the U.S. and China continue to square off in a trade war that has roiled global markets. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump hiked tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods, and China threatened to retaliate. Those developments which followed speculation that the world's top two economies had been close to inking a trade agreement sent shockwaves through global markets. As countries, including China, accrue more power on the global stage, investors should expect more trade arguments ahead, according to James Sullivan, head of Asia ex-Japan equity research at J.P. Morgan. "As we start to move toward a multi-polar world, I think we have to recognize that these trade conversations are not fits and starts," Sullivan told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday. "I think we have to recognize as equity investors, in particular, this is now the new normal." "These trade conversations are now part of the backdrop of global markets for the next ... 10 to 20 years as these countries and economies work out their relative place in the world and how we reorder the overall global structure to account for the rise of China, to account for a multi-polar environment," he said. Story continues Last Friday, Washington raised tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. Beijing responded immediately after the deadline that it would take countermeasures against the move, but has yet to provide specifics on what those might entail. Major markets across the globe, however, appeared to shrug that off as shares mostly advanced. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday , White House Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow said U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are likely to meet at the upcoming June G-20 summit in Japan. Kudlow said the chances of such a meeting "were pretty good," but he said there are "no concrete, definite plans" for when U.S. and Chinese negotiators will meet again. The White House economic advisor also told Fox News that China needs to agree to "very strong" enforcement provisions for an eventual deal, with the sticking point being Beijing's reluctance to put into law changes that had been agreed upon, Reuters reported. For its part, Beijing responded in a commentary on Monday in the People's Daily: "At no time will China forfeit the country's respect, and no one should expect China to swallow bitter fruit that harms its core interests." The publication is controlled by China's ruling Communist Party. CNBC's Spencer Kimball, and Reuters contributed to this report. More From CNBC PRESS RELEASE KLEPIERRE AND GROUPE RENAULT SIGN AN ORIGINAL PARTNERSHIP TO OFFER INNOVATIVE MOBILITY SERVICES IN SHOPPING CENTERS Paris, May 13th, 2019 In the run-up to VivaTech, Klepierre, the pan-European leader in shopping malls, and Groupe Renault, the European leader in electric and shared mobility, announce a long-term partnership combining their strengths to offer innovative mobility services to their customers. This will reinforce their local presence in the heart of their regions along with their environmental commitments. RENAULT MOBILITY Renault MOBILITY will be offering a 100% digital shared mobility experiment starting in June in Klepierre shopping centers car parks at Val dEurope (Paris region), Blagnac (Toulouse) and Begles Rives dArcin (Bordeaux). Customers at these shopping centers will be able to benefit from an innovative carsharing solution accessible via the mobile app Renault MOBILITY*. The vehicles used in this experiment will be both internal combustion and electric to address different mobility requirements. Deployment will then be extended across France in the months to come. Renault MOBILITY is delighted to commit to this partnership with Klepierre, which makes a strong contribution to its aim of offering a mobility solution positioned as close to the needs as possible. CHARGING HOUSES As part of their partnership, Groupe Renault and Klepierre are also developing multi-use charging hubs for electric vehicles to be known as charging houses. These stations will be installed by Groupe Renault in the car parks of shopping centers located in high population density areas and will be used primarily by visitors during the day and residents at night and on weekends. Groupe Renault has developed a solution ensuring intelligent management of these hubs according to customers charging needs, including the ability to reserve electric spots. The service will be launched in thirteen malls in France by the end of the year and will then be rolled out across Europe. For Klepierre, the local solution available to visitors and locals addresses a major commitment to the regions where the Group operates: to involve local actors in development projects. The Group has also committed to equipping 100% of its shopping centers with electric charging stations by 2022. Story continues AN UNPRECEDENTED PARTNERSHIP TO MEET NEW NEEDS Through this unique partnership, Klepierre and Groupe Renault are shedding new light on their complementary relationship. These offers address both the growing demand for new forms of mobility and environmental issues. In shared electric mobility, cars address the changing needs of users and open up to new sectors of activity in the same way as Klepierre. With its aim to develop new mobility services that everyone can access, Groupe Renault has to offer services as closely as possible to users wherever they may be. Similarly, Klepierre has been developing new services and uses that address its visitors expectations with responsible malls facing environmental, social and labor issues. Klepierre shopping centers are places for shopping, but above all for living, for meeting up, experiencing and sharing. They bring the city inside their walls and make ease of access a priority. Groupe Renault and Klepierre plan over the longer term to develop usage cases jointly focusing on connected and autonomous cars, to enhance their service offering aimed at customers and to optimize the design of car parks and means of access, which will be significantly impacted by the advent of new types of vehicle. Groupe Renault has been pushing back the boundaries of its business for ten years in standing out as a leader in shared, electric mobility. Thanks to partnerships like the one we are forging with Klepierre today, we are pursuing our strategy of going beyond simple vehicles to offer a form of mobility that is easy to live with, accessible and sustainable and which already meets the expectations of our customers and heralds tomorrows mobility, stated Gilles Normand, Senior Vice President, Electric Vehicle of Groupe Renault. We are proud to team up with Groupe Renault to offer our visitors and the people living around our shopping centers a new offer focusing on new forms of mobility. This contributes to the very ambitious commitments we made as part of our Act for Good CSR policy in mobility and environmental protection terms and innovates in sustainable mobility in the regions where we are present, stated Jean-Marc Jestin, Chairman of the Klepierre Executive Board. About Klepierre Klepierre, the pan-European leader in shopping malls, combines development, property and asset management skills. The companys portfolio is valued at 24.4 billion at December 31, 2018 and comprises large shopping centers in 16 countries in Continental Europe which together host 1.1 billion visits per year. Klepierre holds a controlling stake in Steen & Strm (56.1%), Scandinavias number one shopping center owner and manager. Klepierre is a French REIT (SIIC) listed on Euronext Paris and included in the CAC Next 20, EPRA Euro Zone and GPR 250 indexes. It is also included in ethical indexes, such as DJSI World and Europe, FTSE4Good, STOXX Global ESG Leaders, Euronext Vigeo France 20 and World 120, and figures in CDPs A-list. These distinctions underscore the Groups commitment to a proactive sustainable development policy and its global leadership in the fight against climate change. For more information, please visit the newsroom on our website: www.klepierre.com KLEPIERRE MEDIA CONTACTS Helene SALMON, Group Head of Corporate & Internal Communications +33 (0)1 40 67 55 16 helene.salmon@klepierre.com Benjamin GANDOUIN / Camille PETIT, Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW) +33 (0)1 56 03 12 12 klepierre.media@bcw-global.com About Groupe Renault Groupe Renault has manufactured cars since 1898. Today it is an international multi-brand group, selling close to 3.9 million vehicles in 134 countries in 2018, with 36 manufacturing sites, 12,700 points of sales and employing more than 180,000 people. To address the major technological challenges of the future, while continuing to pursue its profitable growth strategy, Groupe Renault is focusing on international expansion. To this end, it is drawing on the synergies of its five brands (Renault, Dacia, Renault Samsung Motors, Alpine and LADA), electric vehicles, and its unique alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors. With a 100% Renault owned team committed to the Formula 1 World Championship since 2016, the brand is involved in motorsports, a real vector for innovation and awareness. Groupe Renault is the leader of shared electric mobility in Europe. In France, Renault has developed a comprehensive shared mobility offering, ranging from very short-term rental (notably with the Moovin.Paris service) to short-term rental with Renault Rent, including an hourly rental service, Renault MOBILITY. Today, the latter service includes more than 2,000 cars, making it a key player in the carsharing market in France. Leader of the European electric vehicle market, Groupe Renault is launching a comprehensive range of accessible electric vehicles and is breaking new ground in ecosystems in support of the large-scale launch of electric mobility. For more information: www.renault.com GROUPE RENAULT MEDIA CONTACTS Celine Farissier, Press Officer +33 (0)6 35 14 22 75 celine.farissier@renault.com Attachment While the trade spat between China and U.S. takes center stage the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is in jeopardy. In an interview with Yahoo Finances On The Move, former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman blamed Robert Lighthizer, the United States Trade Representative. I think USTR actually bungled this, Heyman said, adding that if the Trump administration had managed their calendar properly the USMCA would have been passed in Congress by now. The problem is that they kicked the can down the road. They were being hostile toward the Canadians and the Mexicans alike. And the deal got signed late, he said, noting that the deal should have been signed in early 2018, the latest. So, now he has to face the Democratic Congress. Another challenge facing USMCA, Heyman pointed out, under TPA [Trade Promotion Authority], this negotiating strategy which was given to the administration by Congress, it requires consultation consultation with Democrats, consultation with unions, consultation with stakeholders. They didn't do that either. So now they have an agreement that's all signed off, and they're trying to push it through and get it passed. The issue with facing a Democratic Congress is that the majority in the House of Representatives and Speaker Nancy Pelosi are against bringing the agreement for a vote until theyre able to enforce the deal. Diplomacy is under threat President Donald Trump touches the shoulder of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as they prepare to sign a new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that is replacing the NAFTA trade deal, during a ceremony at a hotel before the start of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018.The USMCA, as Trump refers to it, must still be approved by lawmakers in all three countries. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) Heyman, the author of a new book called The Art of Diplomacy is critical about how President Donald Trump manages relationships with other countries, I think the art of the deal, from Donald Trump's perspective, is, I win, and if I win, somebody has to lose. So it's a binary outcome, arguing that the strategy is one of the reasons the U.S. has failed to reach a resolution on trade with China. Heyman said diplomacy is about finding paths to reaching agreements with counter parties that you can both win, an approach that has been historically taken by the U.S. with its allies. I think what has happened now is, he's taken this alternative approach, which has now left him alone in his negotiations with China. And this could have been done differently, said Heyman, referring to Trump. Story continues Regarding the relationship between Canada and the U.S., Heyman said nobody has done more damage to that relationship than Trump. According to Heyman, Canada was the U.S.s best trading partner in the world. We had a trade surplus with them. Prior to the steel and aluminum tariffs, we had 15 consecutive years of a surplus with Canada the United States. Guess what. The last 12 months, we now have a deficit in our steel trade with Canada, he said. So something is wrong here. Yvette Killian is a producer for Yahoo Finances On The Move. READ MORE: All signs suggest more stock buybacks at Berkshire Hathaway CBS has a white problem: former executive Khan Academy CEO discusses the non-level playing field amid the college admissions scandal Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit. Includes Licensing Rights for Chongs Choice Brand Products VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovative Properties Inc. d/b/a Nabis Holdings (CSE: NAB; OTC: INNPF; FRA: 71P) (Nabis or the Company), is pleased to announce that it, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, has signed a definitive agreement to purchase certain assets from PDT Technologies LLC (PDT), including extraction and production equipment and rights to lease its current production facility in Port Townsend, WA. In addition, the Company will purchase the exclusive licensing rights throughout the state of Washington to Chongs Choice brand products, one of the leading and most recognizable brands in the cannabis space. PDT owns and operates an already-established production facility that produces high grade cannabis concentrate. The Company is planning to spend approximately USD $3 million to further expand the existing facility with new highly specialized equipment, two new extraction lines, an extraction clean room and lab facility, capable of producing up to 20,500 KG of cannabis concentrate on an annual basis. The facility will be subleased to a licensed Washington cannabis processor. The Chongs Choice brand, as one-half of the legendary comedy duo Cheech & Chong, is a well-known brand in the cannabis space. The Company expects that the rights it will acquire to the Chongs Choice brand will provide it with new opportunities to forge licensing relationships with state-licensed Washington processors. Our agreement with PDT stands to dramatically expand our footprint and licensing capabilities in the well-established, state of Washington, said Shay Shnet, CEO and Director of Nabis. In connection with the acquisition, our expansion of the existing facility with a new ISO designed extraction clean room and GMP lab facility falls squarely within our aggressive expansion plans. Additionally, the included licensing rights for the Chongs Choice brand represents a compelling addition to the recreational and lifestyle aspect of the Companys investment portfolio in intellectual property. Story continues As Washington State is a relatively mature state with proven metrics, the Company will continue to evaluate opportunities within the state, along with many other limited license states in the near term as part of the Companys multi-state cannabis expansion strategy. About Innovative Properties Inc. (dba Nabis Holdings) 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, where permitted, 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: FILE PHOTO: South Korea's top refiner SK Energy's main factory is seen in Ulsan, about 410 km (256 miles) southeast of Seoul, February 25, 2009. REUTERS/Jo Yong-Hak/File Photo By Jane Chung and Florence Tan SEOUL/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - South Korea will likely return to a familiar game plan to replace Iranian oil it will no longer have access to after May now that the United States intends to tighten sanctions on Iranian exports. South Korea is the biggest buyer of Iranian condensate, an ultra-light oil prized by the country's refiners as a raw material for petrochemicals manufacturing. SK Incheon Petrochem Co Ltd, Hyundai Oilbank Corp and Hanwha Total Petrochemical are set to once again scan the world for alternative, but more expensive, condensate supplies and snap up heavy naphtha oil products for their processing units, known as splitters, industry sources and analysts said. Last year, South Korea bought and tested as many as 23 different types of condensate from 15 countries as possible substitutes for Iranian condensate, at a cost of about $9 billion (7 billion), government and trade data analysed by Thomson Reuters showed. South Korean petrochemical makers bought condensate from gas fields in Africa and Europe and even picked up an obscure cargo from Tunisia, in addition to tapping more supplies from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Australia. South Korean splitters are designed to process condensate from Qatar and Iran which are low in sulphur and produce no residue. These grades also have a bigger yield for heavy naphtha, a raw material for the production of petrochemicals such as paraxylene, used in making plastics bottles. South Korean buyers have preferred Iranian condensate over Qatari condensate because of its relatively cheaper price. "Those who can bear the cost would make investments and switch their import sources, those who can't have to bite the bullet and use Qatari condensate," said Kim Jae-kyung, research fellow at the Korea Energy Economics Institute. This year South Korean refiners did not have to hunt as they made full use of the Iranian oil volumes allowed under the U.S. waivers by importing only Iranian condensate. Those waivers will expire on May 1. Chart on South Korean condensate imports: https://tmsnrt.rs/2XDyNpf Story continues South Korea is on track to import about 249,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian South Pars condensate by the end of April, 70 percent of the total volume of condensate it imported last year, the data showed, much more than it needs in the first half of 2019. The country's condensate demand has also fallen in the first half of this year as refiners cut runs at splitters on poor naphtha margins and as Hanwha Total shut a splitter for maintenance, the sources said. South Korea scours the world for Iran oil replacement: https://tmsnrt.rs/2IDibKC TO PULL IN MORE NAPHTHA SK and Hanwha Total may replace condensates by buying more heavy naphtha, a raw material for petrochemicals. Low naphtha prices could help repeat a spike in imports that happened in late 2018. Hanwha Total, which operates two condensate splitters, last year raised its monthly average imports of heavy naphtha to 400,000 tonnes from 250,000 tonnes in the absence of Iranian condensate. Spot premiums of the fuel rose to multi-year highs last year after South Korea imported a record 20 million barrels of naphtha in December. "Stronger demand for heavy full-range naphtha should happen although it could happen at a lesser extent versus last year because refineries in general are using more light crude. Buyers in South Korea may also have gotten some alternative condensates to Iranian grades," said an industry source who tracks both markets. South Korea's naphtha imports jump in Q4 2018 on Iran condensate supply disruption: https://tmsnrt.rs/2IALtJV ARBITRAGE SUPPLIES To help refiners source alternative supplies, the South Korean government plans to extend freight rebates for shipments of non-Middle East crude to the end of 2021, South Korea's energy ministry said on its website in mid-April. The United States, with its record growth in light oil production, would be an ideal supplier to replace condensates but quality issues have thrown South Korean buyers off. "They've (South Korean refiners) raised some issues with respect to quality control in the context of U.S. production and in the way U.S. condensates are marketed," Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Frank Fannon told reporters on Thursday. "We would really encourage the respective companies at issue, or other exporters, as well as the potential buyers in the private sector in Korea to engage one another." To import more U.S. oil, SK Energy has expanded its trading team in Houston to three staff while Hyundai Oilbank plans to start an office there, three trade sources said. Still, buyers are concerned that the end of U.S. waivers on Iran will drive up production costs for their petrochemicals, making South Korea less competitive in the face of rising supplies from China. Lee Myoung-young, the head of the finance division at SK Innovation, owner of SK Incheon Petrochem, said in a call with analysts on Thursday that the company would not have any issues sourcing feedstocks, although prices may increase on tighter supply. Another source at a Korean petrochemical company who declined to identified due to the sensitivity of the matter said: "If we can't pass higher raw material costs to customers, it'll be a problem for us." South Korea's 2018 condensate imports by country: https://tmsnrt.rs/2XyP0fi (Reporting by Jane Chung in SEOUL and Florence Tan in SINGAPORE; additional reporting by Seng Li Peng in SINGAPORE; editing by Christian Schmollinger) Pumpjacks are seen against the setting sun at the Daqing oil field in Heilongjiang province, China December 7, 2018. Picture taken December 7, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer By Stephanie Kelly NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil futures fell on Monday with Wall Street, as the negative turn in the U.S.-Chinese trade talks spooked investors, who had sent oil higher in early trade on concerns about reports of sabotage attacks on tankers in the Middle East that could disrupt supplies. Brent crude futures for July delivery fell 39 cents to settle at $70.23 a barrel. The global benchmark earlier hit a session high of $72.58 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 62 cents to settle at $61.04 a barrel, after previously hitting $63.33 a barrel. Oil was pressured by a slump in stocks and other risk assets as investors moved into safe havens like Treasury bonds in response to the intensifying U.S.-China trade war. [.N] China defied a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump and moved to impose higher tariffs on a range of U.S. goods including frozen vegetables and liquefied natural gas. The action was widely expected after Washington last week raised tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports. Investors fear the trade war between the world's two largest economies could escalate further and derail the global economy. "The significant sell-off in the equity market has dragged crude oil down with it," said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates in Houston. "However, crude oil would have been far lower had it not been for the sabotage impacting tankers in the Middle East." Oil prices earlier had risen more than $1 a barrel after Saudi Arabia said two Saudi oil tankers were among vessels attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. It was unclear how the attacks occurred. On Sunday, the UAE said four commercial vessels were attacked near Fujairah, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs. The port lies near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil export waterway. Iran's foreign ministry described the incidents as "worrisome and dreadful" and called for an investigation. Story continues The U.S. Energy Department said on Monday, after the sabotage of the four vessels, it is confident that global oil markets are well supplied. Saudi Arabia is the largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the UAE is third. The U.S. Maritime Administration said in an advisory on Sunday that the incidents off Fujairah, one of seven emirates in the UAE, had not been confirmed and urged caution. Oil prices have risen around 30 percent this year, supported by supply concerns as the United States imposed sanctions on Iran and Venezuela. Washington reimposed oil sanctions on Iran in November after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and world powers. Iran insists on exporting at least 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil, triple May's expected levels under U.S. sanctions, as a condition for staying in an international nuclear deal, sources with knowledge of Iran-EU talks said. Meanwhile, U.S. oil output from seven major shale formations is expected to rise by about 83,000 barrels per day in June to a fresh peak of about 8.49 million bpd, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its monthly drilling productivity report on Monday. (Additional reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar in London, Colin Packham in Sydney and Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo; Editing by David Gregorio and Alistair Bell) FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform in the Soroush oil fields is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Persian Gulf, Iran, July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/File Photo By Nidhi Verma NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Only one Indian buyer of Iranian oil has taken up Saudi Arabia's offer of additional oil to make up for the loss of supplies from Tehran due to U.S. sanctions, taking an extra 2 million barrels from the Kingdom for June shipment, industry sources said. Last month, Saudi Arabia approached Indian buyers offering them additional supplies to compensate for loss of Iranian oil after the United States threatened to sanction entities buying oil from Tehran, the sources said. The United States had imposed new sanctions on Iran in November last year, but gave a six-month waiver to eight countries, including India, which allowed them to import some Iranian oil. India was able to buy about 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian oil under the waiver. But last month, Washington ended the waivers and said buyers should stop Iranian oil purchases or face sanctions. Only state refiners - Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals and Hindustan Petroleum Corp - accounting for about 60 percent of India's 5 million bpd refining capacity had purchased oil from Iran since November. In January-April 2019 India received about 304,500 bpd Iranian oil. In June, Saudi Arabia will supply an additional 250,000 tonnes (2 million barrels) of oil to Mangalore Refinery (MRPL) on top of its normal requirement of about 320,000 barrels (about 2.5 million barrels), one of the sources familiar with the matter said. Another source said MRPL might not lift the additional Saudi oil as the refiner had declared force majeure and shut half of its plant due to water shortages. Mangalore Refinery declined to comment. There was no immediate comment from IOC, HPCL, BPCL and Saudi Aramco. "In our system, UAE and Iraq oil turned out to be better than Saudi oil," a source at one of the Indian refineries said. IOC, BPCL and HPCL have not placed a request for extra Saudi oil for June after the Kingdom raised official selling price for Asia, the sources said. Story continues "Saudi OSPs for June have been very strong, so Indians may have taken extra from others at competitive rates," said Sri Paravaikkarasu, director for Asia oil at Singapore-based consultancy FGE. When Iran was under sanctions in 2012, Saudi Arabia and Iraq had raised market share in Asia. But since that time trade routes have shifted with new supplies, including from the United States, coming on to the markets. "Saudi will have to fill some of the void left by Iran but it will not be a one to one replacement," Paravaikkarasu said. "Indian refiners' oil import policy is very flexible now and they are no longer relying on one or two particular producers." Indian refiners have raised optional volumes under annual contracts with key producers as well as testing new grades and origins to make up for loss of Iranian oil. Also, U.S. crude's widening discount to Brent has strengthened demand for U.S. crude exports. "India wants to diversify away from Middle East because of lots of geopolitical issues relating to the region," Paravaikkarasu said. "The Middle East will continue to be the mainstay for Indian refiners but they would like to tap new stable areas when it comes to requirement of incremental barrels." (Reporting by Nidhi Verma. Editing by Jane Merriman) Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Does the May share price for Uni-President China Holdings Ltd (HKG:220) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. I will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Uni-President China Holdings Step by step through the calculation We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. 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 discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 Levered FCF (CN, Millions) CN1.81k CN1.68k CN2.09k CN2.21k CN2.44k CN2.62k CN2.77k CN2.90k CN3.02k CN3.12k Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x10 Analyst x10 Analyst x7 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 7.47% Est @ 5.83% Est @ 4.68% Est @ 3.88% Est @ 3.32% Present Value (CN, Millions) Discounted @ 6.77% CN1.70k CN1.47k CN1.72k CN1.70k CN1.76k CN1.77k CN1.75k CN1.72k CN1.67k CN1.62k Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF)= CN16.88b 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. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 10-year government bond rate (2%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 6.8%. Terminal Value (TV) = FCF 2029 (1 + g) (r g) = CN3.1b (1 + 2%) (6.8% 2%) = CN67b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV) = TV / (1 + r)10 = CNCN67b ( 1 + 6.8%)10 = CN34.62b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is CN51.49b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. This results in an intrinsic value estimate in the companys reported currency of CN11.92. However, 220s primary listing is in China, and 1 share of 220 in CNY represents 1.151 ( CNY/ HKD) share of SEHK:220, so the intrinsic value per share in HKD is HK$13.72. Relative to the current share price of HK$8.28, the company appears quite undervalued at a 40% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. SEHK:220 Intrinsic value, May 13th 2019 The 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 Uni-President China Holdings 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 6.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. 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: Although the valuation of a company is important, 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. What is the reason for the share price to differ from the intrinsic value? For Uni-President China Holdings, There are three essential factors you should further examine: Financial Health: Does 220 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 220'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 220? 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 HK 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. Nepalis flying to third countries via India facing hassles at airports Neither the embassy nor the ministry has properly disseminated information regarding the no-objection certificate for Nepalis flying via Indian airports. * Total Eren targets 3,600 MW of capacity by 2022 * Energy giant Total increased stake to 30% By Bate Felix PARIS, May 13 (Reuters) - Total Eren could surpass its target of more than 3.6 gigawatts (GW) of installed renewable solar, wind and hydropower capacity by 2022, from about 2.2 GW today, as it continues to grow faster than expected, CEO David Corchia said. A previous venture led by the former JP Morgan banker, along with veteran renewables investor Paris Mouratoglou, was ultimately taken over by state-controlled French utility EDF , but the second has grabbed the attention of another French energy giant. Total spent 237.5 million euros ($267 million) on a 23% stake in 2017, with an option to take full control in 2022, and recently increased its holding to 30% after a capital increase to fund Total Eren's acquisition of NovEnergia. "When we started with EREN RE in 2012, we mapped the countries that had only recently started on renewables. We thought our development would take time, but we have been growing much faster than expected," Corchia told Reuters. The independent power producer, which has also raised capital from state-owned bank Bpifrance and Tikehau Capital , has wind and solar projects across the globe, from Brazil and Argentina to Greece, Ukraine, India and Australia. Corchia said that changes in the renewables market over the past ten years necessitated a different approach to that on their first renewables venture, EDF Energies Nouvelles, which has been renamed EDF Renewables since EDF took full control. Renewables are becoming a more viable option for many countries, said Corchia, given rising demand for energy and how new technologies are pushing down development costs. Corchia said Eren took the risk of investing early in targeted countries, moving fast to build well structured projects with acceptable returns before other players crowded the market. Betting that Greece would make it through the financial crisis in 2012, Eren developed one of its first projects there at a time when many investors were leaving because access to financing had become almost impossible. Story continues "We took the risk of going in when others were moving out," said Corchia. "We first developed several solar farms. No bank financing was available, so we did it with our own funds. Then we developed onshore wind projects." The company operates 250 MW of solar and wind assets in Greece, with 40 MW under construction and a further 300 MW in the pipeline. Total Eren's revenue grew 29% to 99.4 million euros in 2018. ($1 = 0.8900 euros) (Reporting by Bate Felix Editing by David Goodman) FILE PHOTO: A view shows a one Russian rouble coin inside a bulb with crude oil at a laboratory in the Yarakta Oil Field, owned by Irkutsk Oil Company (INK), in Irkutsk Region, Russia in this picture illustration taken March 12, 2019. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko/Illustration/File Photo By Olesya Astakhova, Gleb Gorodyankin and Olga Yagova MOSCOW (Reuters) - About 6% less oil was pumped through the pipeline network of Russia's Transneft from May 1 to May 12 compared with April's average, two sources familiar with the data said on Monday. They said oil intake in Transneft's nationwide network, which handles about 85% of Russia's total crude output, was about 8.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in the 12-day period, citing data that included oil used at home and export volumes. The sources did not say whether the drop was due to an oil contamination issue last month that disrupted flows through the Druzhba pipeline which supplies oil to refineries in East European and as far west as Germany. At least 5 million tonnes of oil, or about 36.7 million barrels, was tainted with organic chloride, a compound used to boost oil extraction but which needs to removed before being pumped to refineries to avoid damaging processing equipment. Transneft has proposed mixing contaminated oil with the clean crude at the Russian Black sea port of Novorossiisk, which was not initially affected by the issue, so that it can be sold, after some international traders refused to take tainted oil. Industry sources said separately on Monday that levels of the organic chloride in oil loading from Novorossiisk have started to rise since early May but remained inline with allowed maximum norm of 10 parts per million (ppm). Russian officials and Transneft had promised to fix the contamination issue by May 6, but the date has been pushed back. Total Russian oil production has also slipped, declining to 11.16 million bpd from May 1 to May 12 from an average of 11.23 million bpd in April, the sources said. This is the lowest output level since June, when it was 11.06 million bpd. Russia has agreed with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers to lower its output in a bid to shore up global prices, which have partly been supported by the disruption to the Druzhba pipeline. Story continues Its target level in the deal is 11.18 million bpd, so the data provided by the sources indicates Russian volumes at the start of May were lower than those required under the deal. The Energy Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. (Reporting by Gleb Gorodyankin, Olesya Astakhova and Olga Yagova; Writing by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Katya Golubkova and Edmund Blair) There is an immense scope for opportunities in travel tourism and sector in Nepal: Ramesh Poudel In this interview with Krishana Prasain, Poudel discusses the current situation for workers and employment opportunities in the travel and tourism sector. With more than two decades experience, Poudel lays out the basic skills required to make it in the travel industry. By Geoffrey Smith Investing.com -- The U.S. is now preparing to widen 25% tariffs on all imports from China. Will Europe be next? Autos arent the only sector faring badly after early trade Monday in Europe, but theyre clearly in the firing line after the U.S. demonstrated its willingness to use tariffs so forcefully over the weekend. A decision on whether to impose tariffs on European autos is due on Saturday and the signs arent good, with the U.S. administration's action against China over the weekend showing no sign of accepting conventional wisdom that tariffs choke growth and leave consumers worse off. The reason autos are very important to our trade picture is about half of our trade deficit comes from the single product, automotive, and about the other half of our trade deficit comes from a geographic area and thats called China, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told a press conference in Luxembourg on Friday. All of Europes big carmakers are down over 1% this morning, with Daimler (DE:DAIGn) down 2.8%, Volkswagen (DE:VOWG_p) down 1.4%, Peugeot (PA:PEUP) down 1.7%, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (NYSE:FCAU) down 1.2% and BMW (DE:BMWG) down 1.1%. Renault (PA:RENA) is faring slightly better, down only 0.5% as a result of separate news of it making a formal merger proposal to Nissan (T:7201). The escalation of the trade war is hitting markets generally, with the benchmark Euro Stoxx 600 down 0.7% at 374.86 points, while the U.K. FTSE 100 is down 0.1%, Germanys Dax is down 0.9% and the French CAC 40 is down 0.7%. The extent of the threat is best seen, however, in its impact throughout the supply chain. Parts maker Valeo (PA:VLOF) is at the bottom of the CAC 40, down 3.5%, tiremakers Continental (DE:CONG) and Michelin (PA:MICP) are also down sharply, and even chipmakers Infineon (DE:IFXGn) and STMicroelectronics (PA:STM) are being affected by the general malaise, due to their exposure to the auto sector. All that said, the sector may get a stay of execution. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in an interview with the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung that there are signs that (the deadline) could be extended because of the talks between the U.S. and China. Story continues Were prepared for the worst, she added, noting that the EU has drawn up a list of U.S. products that would also have tariffs imposed on them if the U.S. goes ahead with its threat Related Articles Euronext wins clearance from Norway government to buy Oslo Bors EssilorLuxottica acts to end Franco-Italian leadership row China stocks fall, yuan at four-month low as U.S. trade talks stall FILE PHOTO: The logo of Toshiba Corp is seen at its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan January 23, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai By Makiko Yamazaki TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp bowed to pressure from activist investors and said it would overhaul its board to include non-Japanese directors for the first time in 80 years, marking a dramatic shift at a cornerstone of corporate Japan. The company, in the throes of a turnaround after being roiled by a crisis stemming from the bankruptcy of its U.S. nuclear power unit, said it would hike the number of external directors on its 12-member board to 10 from seven in June. Toshiba nominated three non-Japanese directors as part of the board overhaul, while also forecasting a four-fold jump in annual operating profit to a previously flagged level. The board shake-up comes after U.S. hedge fund King Street Capital Management, one of Toshiba's largest shareholders, last month said it planned to nominate independent directors to replace a majority of the board. Activist investment, mainly from foreign players, has been gaining momentum in Japan with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocating strengthening corporate governance. "We have received many proposals and advice through dialogue with our shareholders," Toshiba CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani told a news conference on Monday. "We believe our selection of new directors would get their approval." It was unclear whether the new board would appease the fund, which had previously proposed its co-founder, Brian Higgins, to the board. Higgins was not one of the three non-Japanese named. Toshiba, with businesses spanning power systems, semiconductors and home appliances, has faced calls to boost lacklustre share performance from activist shareholders, who participated in a 600 billion yen share issuance in late 2017. King Street has previously said Toshiba is "severely undervalued" and should boost share repurchases. RETAINS ANNUAL OUTLOOK Toshiba sees a profit of 140 billion yen (982 million pounds) for the year to March 2020, versus 35.4 billion yen a year earlier, in line with the target the company set in its five-year plan. Story continues The outlook compared with the 116.35 billion yen average of 16 analyst estimates compiled by Refinitiv. Toshiba's share price shot up after the firm announced the five-year plan in November, but has since lost 15% partly due to concern over the impact of Sino-U.S. trade friction. The stock, down 3.5% at Monday's midday trading break, turned positive after the earnings announcement in early afternoon. Toshiba is hoping to return to sustainable growth after conducting a number of restructuring measures last year, including the liquidation of its British nuclear power unit and sale of its laptop and television set businesses. It is now seeking new profit generators, after the crisis linked to the bankruptcy of U.S. nuclear power unit Westinghouse forced Toshiba to sell its prized memory chip unit and left it with low-margin social infrastructure businesses. Threatening to derail Toshiba's turnaround is its U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) business, which is locked into a contract that requires Toshiba to pay a fixed processing fee for LNG over 20 years from Freeport LNG - regardless of whether Toshiba can later find buyers for the fuel at prevailing rates. (Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Himani Sarkar and David Dolan) President Donald Trump warned Iran against a military provocation and said the country will suffer greatly if hostilities break out with the U.S. Well see what happens with Iran. If they do anything itll be a very bad mistake, if they do anything, Trump told reporters on Monday during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House. Im hearing little stories about Iran, Trump added. If they do anything they will suffer greatly. Saudi Arabia claimed that two of its oil tankers were attacked on Sunday while sailing toward the Persian Gulf. The U.A.E. foreign ministry on Sunday reported that four commercial ships were attacked by an unknown adversary. The precise nature of the incident remained unclear. Saudi Arabias state run Saudi Press Agency described it as a sabotage attack. Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi described the maritime incident as concerning and regrettable and called for efforts to shed light on what exactly happened, the semi-official Tasnim News reported. He warned against foreign seditious plots to upset the regions security and stability. Tensions are rising between the U.S. and Iran after the Trump administration earlier this month ended exceptions to U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil sales. The Islamic Republic has threatened to block oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and has said it may increase uranium enrichment beyond limits allowed under the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump abandoned. U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said last week that an aircraft carrier and bombers would be deployed to the region to counter unspecific Iranian threats. Asked what Iran should be worried the U.S. might do, the president said: You can figure it out yourself. They know what I mean. Aviation diplomacy The history of aviation in Nepal dates back to 1949 with the landing of a Beechcraft Bonanza carrying the then Indian ambassador to Nepal. The first jet aircraft to land at Tribhuvan International Airport was a Lufthansa Boeing 707 in 1967. Five years later, the then Royal Nepal Airlines commenced jet operations with Boeing 727 aircraft. Latest Product Feature Aims to Inspire Industry Standards and Best Practices for Datacenter Power Management and Sustainable Computing SAN FRANCISCO, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VMware, Inc. (VMW), a leading innovator in enterprise software, today announced the Carbon Avoidance Meter (CAM), to provide data center operators with near-real time carbon scores determined from the level of ones carbon footprint1 and energy usage and recommendations for reducing this footprint. The CAM bases carbon scores on telemetry data sent to VMware through VMware Skyline, a proactive support technology, in order to encourage energy reduction and inspire sustainable best practices for the industry. CAM was announced at RADIO (Research and Development Innovation Offsite), VMwares annual three-day technical conference bringing together more than 1,800 of the companys worldwide employees to share innovative ideas and learn about technical strategies and projects happening across VMwares research and development. VMware's R&D organization developed CAM as a proof of concept through its internal product incubator, xLabs, which aims to take innovative projects through VMwares product lifecycle and gives VMware employees a platform to bring ideas to life. Most data centers today consume power from grids sourced with a mix of power generation sources such as coal, nuclear or wind. VMware customers who subscribe to VMware Skyline can use CAM to quantify the level of VM density and, if viable, recommend higher levels of virtualization density to further reduce energy use and carbon emissions. The meter will also enable customers to analyze their power consumption in near-real time and to understand what amount of carbon offset credits should be purchased, or what times of day workloads can be shifted to utilize more sustainable energy sources. With this information, customers can elect to consume power from a more sustainable source, or shift workloads to more sustainable power sources during off-hours. Story continues The product represents another key step toward VMwares ambitious 2020 sustainability goals and commitment to creating transformative technology to power a better future for the planet. In 2015, the company launched the VMware 2020 goals to reduce carbon emissions through energy efficiency efforts and procurement of renewable energy and carbon offsets, and to bridge the digital divide for businesses and non-profits.2 Beyond these ambitious goals for its own business practices, VMware also aims to incorporate sustainability features into future product releases, including CAM, to offer solutions that help customers positively impact the environment and society, as well as provide customers and partners with data that enable informed choices around cleaner technology. An increasing reliance on technologies such as mobile and cloud computing has led to significant energy generation from data centers. To mitigate their impact on the environment, companies need to assess their contributions to climate change and implement products and services that automate and optimize this process, thereby reducing energy outputs, said Ray OFarrell, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, VMware. At VMware, we are committed to empowering our customers with the resources and tools they need to ultimately reduce environmental impact across our vast customer and partner ecosystem. Additional capabilities and features of CAM will include near-real time dynamic computation of load based on CPU types, load calculation3 of monitored systems and carbon footprint calculation based on consumption for the given geographies of the data centers. The product also aims to help customers create best practices and set standards for data center energy reduction and green computing. CAM will be available to VMware Skyline customers later this year via the VMware Skyline Advisor, an innovative, proactive support service, developed in-house at VMware. The Skyline services bring high-performing technology and tools to VMware customers, providing proactive, predictive, and prescriptive recommendations that will ultimately help our customers improve overall stability and reliability of data center operations across the VMware portfolio of products and solutions. Adding CAM now allows customers to monitor their carbon scores as they proactively optimize their environment. About VMware VMware software powers the worlds complex digital infrastructure. The companys cloud, networking and security, and digital workspace offerings provide a dynamic and efficient digital foundation to over 500,000 customers globally, aided by an ecosystem of 75,000 partners. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, VMware is committed to being a force for good, from its breakthrough innovations to its global impact. For more information, please visit https://www.vmware.com/company.html . VMware, Skyline, and Skyline Advisor are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other jurisdictions. Media Contact: Michael Thacker VMware Global Communications 650-427-4454 mthacker@vmware.com 1 Carbon footprint is defined as the amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted due to the consumption of fossil fuels by a particular person, group, etc.(Oxford Dictionaries, n.d.) 2 VMware has already committed to powering 100 percent of its global operations with renewable power by 2020. The company achieved carbon neutrality in 2018, two years ahead of its scheduled goal. 3 Load calculation in kWh FILE PHOTO: A Vodafone logo is seen on a mobile internet dongle in this photo illustration, November 9, 2010. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/Illustration/File Photo (Reuters) - Vodafone Group Plc said on Monday that it had agreed to sell its New Zealand business for about 2.1 billion euros ($2.36 billion) to a consortium comprising of New Zealand-based Infratil Ltd and Canada's Brookfield Asset Management. Vodafone is looking to consolidate its businesses in Australia and New Zealand, with an $11 billion deal underway to merge its Australian joint venture business with TPG Telecom. Australia's antitrust regulator already blocked that merger bid. Deutsche Bank and Deutsche Craigs Limited are acting as financial advisers to Vodafone, the company said. Vodafone, in 2017, had tried to sell Vodafone NZ to Sky Network Television for NZ$3.44 billion ($2.3 billion) but failed to get regulatory clearance because of monopoly concerns. The business, since then, axed thousands of jobs and restructured itself in preparation to a stock market float that never saw the light of the day. Its newly installed Chief Executive Officer Jason Paris had said in November that the company would look to go public in 2020. In May 2019, utilities investor Infratil had said that it was in talks with Vodafone to buy, along with another unnamed party, the telecom giant's New Zealand operations. Vodafone on Monday said that, on completion of the deal, it would enter into a deal with Vodafone New Zealand to allow it to use its brand name and certain services. The completion of the deal is still contingent on necessary regulatory approvals. Vodafone New Zealand has about two million mobile customers compared to about 700 million for parent Vodafone Group as of December 31, 2018. ($1 = 0.8902 euros) (Reporting by Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Rishika Chatterjee; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Grant McCool) Chinese firm signs contract to build dry port in Timure Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board on Sunday signed an agreement with Tibet Fuli Construction Group Company Limited, a Chinese company, to construct the inland container depot at Timure of Rasuwa district. The facility, which will be built with Chinese aid, is expected to cost 124 million Yuan. Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 13, 2019) - White Metal Resources Corp. (TSXV: WHM) ("White Metal" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into two binding letters of intent ("LOI"), each subject to an exclusive 90 day due diligence period, to purchase a 95% interest in certain prospective copper properties in Namibia, Africa. The two LOIs refer to four Exclusive Prospecting Licenses ("EPL") that cover historical copper-silver resources (Kalahari Copper Belt and Kaoko Belt) and prospective targets for further mineral exploration. Michael Stares, a Director of the Company, stated, "We are very excited to have been presented this opportunity to work on developing these projects in Namibia, an excellent jurisdiction in which to explore for and develop economically viable copper deposits. All known copper deposits on the licenses contain copper and/or copper-silver mineralization that reports to surface. With the upward trend in copper prices and positive projections for near-future growth in its demand, we see great opportunities to create shareholder value in the Company. It should also be noted that in 2016, the Fraser Institute of Canada listed the Namibian Geological Survey as the best geological survey in the World." Three of the four licences are located approximately 150 km from Windhoek, Namibia's capital. These licences (EPL 7028, 7029, and 7030) cover about 65 km of prospective stratigraphy in the Kalahari Copper Belt which extends eastward into Botswana where several major copper deposits occur and are being financed at present (e.g., Cupric Canyon Capital news release dated February 25th, 2019). Two core licences (EPL 7028 and 7029) are located near the village of Witvlei, on the main paved highway to Botswana, covering about 60 km of prospective strike length in the Kalahari Copper Belt. A rail line and power lines cross these two licences and gravel roads extend across the licences from the paved highway. Story continues These three licences cover approximately 78865 ha; putting this into perspective, the area covered by the three licenses is large enough to cover more than 75% of the historic Noranda Mining Camp in Quebec, Canada. There are six copper deposits encompassed by these three licences along with other zones with anomalous copper drill core intercepts that we believe can be expanded upon through future exploration. Historical resources (Table 1) are contained within these three mining licenses and were published by the Geological Survey of Namibia (Resources of Namibia, 1999). Under the terms of the LOI associated with licenses EPL 7028, 7029, and 7030, and subject to the satisfactory completion of its due diligence, White Metal is to pay the vendor Altan Minerals and Investments CC ("Altan") US$37,500 and issue 8.0 million common shares of WHM. In conjunction with this, Aloe Two Hundred and Thirty Seven (Proprietary) Limited ("Purchaser A"), a Namibian private company owned 100% by White Metal, will issue to Altan a sufficient number of shares of Purchaser A to give Altan a 5% equity interest in Purchaser A. Licences EPL 7028, 7029, and 7030 have no associated royalties. In addition to the three licenses in the Kalahari Copper Belt, a fourth license (EPL 7071), located in the northwest part of Namibia and covering approximately 19805 ha, includes the Okohongo Copper-Silver Deposit which is known to extend over 600 metres in strike length and up to 400 metres down-dip (see INV Metals news release dated August 3, 2011). Situated within the Kaoko Belt and hosted by metasedimentary strata, the deposit is considered analogous with the stratiform sediment-hosted Central African Copperbelt deposits of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Okohongo deposit contains historical Inferred mineral resources reported as 10.2 million tonnes grading 1.12% Cu and 17.75 g/t Ag, using a 0.3% Cu cut-off (Table 2; INV Metals Inc. NI 43-101 Technical Report, Effective Date March 31, 2011). Under the terms of the LOI related to this license, White Metal is to pay the vendor Taranis Resources and Investments CC ("Taranis") US$12,500 and issue 4.5 million common shares of WHM. In conjunction with this, Aloe Two Hundred and Thirty Eight (Proprietary) Limited ("Purchaser B"), a Namibian private company owned 100% by White Metal, will issue to Taranis a sufficient number of shares of Purchaser B to give Taranis a 5% equity interest in Purchaser B. Licence EPL 7071 has no associated royalties. Table 1. Historical Mineral Resources from the Witvlei-Dordabis Areas, Namibia. Deposit Tonnes Cu (%) Ag (g/t) EPL Dordabis98 290,000 1.70 - 7030 200,000 0.50 - 7030 Gemsbokvley214 447,000 1.75 - 7028 Christiadore104 1,200,000 2.27 - 7028 Highlight drill holes: 2.5% Cu over 9m; 2.9% Cu over 7m; 3.7% Cu over 5m Deposit Tonnes Cu (%) Ag (g/t) EPL Okasewa 6,000,000 1.85 7.00 7028 Malachite Pan 2,625,300 1.36 7.47 7029 2,368,400 1.11 6.19 7029 Witvlei Pos 2,850,000 1.52 - 7029 Witvlei Pos* 9,510,000 - - - *global resource tonnage based on 300m hole spacing and an extrapolated zone Table 2. Historical Mineral Resources from the Okohongo Copper-Silver Project, Namibia. Cut-off SG Tonnes Cu (%) Ag (g/t) Cu (tonnes) Ag (ounces) CATEGORY 0.0 2.45 11,691,539 1.01 15.85 117,645 5,957,874 Inferred 0.1 2.45 11,682,796 1.01 15.86 117,640 5,957,640 Inferred 0.2 2.45 11,453,414 1.02 16.13 117,219 5,940,047 Inferred 0.3 2.45 10,196,456 1.12 17.75 114,046 5,818,534 Inferred 0.4 2.45 9,535,538 1.17 18.66 111,731 5,719,226 Inferred 0.5 2.45 8,705,239 1.24 19.73 107,993 5,522,454 Inferred 0.6 2.45 8,142,684 1.29 20.50 104,877 5,366,572 Inferred 0.7 2.45 7,366,110 1.35 21.61 99,810 5,116,714 Inferred 0.8 2.45 6,379,793 1.45 23.16 92,402 4,750,190 Inferred Source: Technical Report on the Okohongo Copper-Silver Property in Northwest Namibia, INV Metals Inc.; Prepared By: Caracle Creek International Consulting Inc., Effective March 31, 2011. The Company is treating the above reported tonnages and grades as historical mineral resource estimates. These historical estimates do not use categories that conform to current CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves as outlined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and have not been redefined to conform to current CIM Definition Standards. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources. Investors are cautioned that the historical estimates do not mean or imply that economic deposits exist on the properties. The Company has not undertaken any independent investigation of the historical estimates or other information contained in this press release nor has it independently analyzed the results of the previous exploration work in order to verify the accuracy of the information. The Company believes that the historical estimates and other information contained in this news release are relevant to continuing exploration on the properties. Management of the Company is relying on the historical estimates reported for the Okohongo Copper-Silver Deposit as it was prepared by expert and qualified authors and used industry standard procedures (NI 43-101) at that time. All the historical estimates presented herein are relevant to the Company's future exploration programs as they identify significant mineralization that will be the target of future exploration and development. The two LOIs contemplate certain requirements of the purchaser upon delivery of a pre-feasibility report ("PFS") by the purchaser to the vendor. Until delivery of a PFS on either or both properties to the appropriate vendor, White Metal shall be responsible for all costs, including but not limited to exploration, reclamation or taxes for the properties. Upon delivery of a PFS to the appropriate vendor by the appropriate purchaser and White Metal, the vendor shall have 90 days to elect to: a) participate in further costs relating to the further development of their respective property on the basis of 95% to the account of the purchaser and 5% to the account of the vendor pursuant to a joint venture agreement to be entered into by the Parties at that time; or b) the vendor can elect to exchange their 5% interest in the purchaser for a 5% Net Profits Interest as defined in the LOI. The Company also announces the resignation of Jean-Pierre "JP" Colin as President and CEO of WHM. We would like to thank JP for his guidance and hard work he has provided the Company. JP will remain as an independent member of the Board of Directors. Michael Stares will assume the role of interim President and CEO. White Metal continues to focus on its Canadian gold projects and specifically the Little Joanna Gold Property, located in Central Newfoundland, Canada. The Company will shortly commence an exploration program including prospecting, mapping, and soil geochemistry sampling surveys, with follow up trenching and drilling on any favourable targets. The exploration program will begin as soon as weather conditions improve and the spring snow melt allows for better access to the Property. Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo.), Vice President Exploration and a Director of White Metal, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by the National Instrument 43-101. The transaction described herein is pending TSX-V approval. About White Metal Resources Corp (TSXV: WHM) White Metal Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company currently exploring in Canada and looking for opportunities world-wide. For more information please visit the Company's website at www.whitemetalres.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors of White Metal Resources Corp. "Michael Stares" Michael Stares, Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information contact: Michael Stares 684 Squier Street Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7B 4A8 Phone: (807) 628-7836 Fax (807) 475 7200 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44747 - Yuenglings Ice Cream continues to execute on its expansion plans ATLANTA, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ACCESSWIRE -- Aureus, Inc. (OTC PINK: ARSN), www.AureusNOW.com , a food brand development company that exclusively operates the online sales of Yuenglings Ice Cream brand, as well as select Yuengling retail distribution, is excited to announce the relaunch of the Yuenglings Web site. In addition to the basic web site information, such as history and flavors, we will provide information on some of the new products Yuenglings is working on, said Everett Dickson, Aureus CEO. The newest product introduced on the web site is the Companys High Protein/Lite Ice Cream. Yuenglings is finalizing details on up to six flavors and expects them to be ready in late fall. The Company also is working on several new super premium flavors, but we are not quite ready to release that information yet, added David Yuengling, President of Yuenglings Ice Cream. Yuenglings is also thrilled to announce that it is now on the shelves at Redners Warehouse Markets. Redners 64 stores are in our core market area (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware) where demand has always been high for our ice cream. We are thrilled to work with Redners to make our ice cream even more available to our customers, commented Rob Bohorad, Yuenglings CFO. In addition to Redners, Yuenglings is working with SuperValu/UNFI, Redners distributor, to target other grocery chains and independent stores. About Aureus, Inc. Management and ownership recently changed hands. The new focus is on acquiring specific assets in and related to the food industry, with a focus on ice cream. Aureus holds certain exclusive marketing rights to the Yuengling Ice Cream brand, and additional acquisition rights for further business elements of the brand. The goal of Aureus in the operation of these rights is to consolidate all factors that are positive for the Yuengling brand into a synergistic success for Aureus shareholders as well as the next generation of Yuengling consumers. Story continues About Yuengling's Ice Cream Developed by American businessman Frank D. Yuengling, as a dairy business to help support the Yuengling family brewery during the 1920s Prohibition period, Yuengling's Ice Cream has a strong tradition of making exceptional gourmet ice cream products in central Pennsylvania. The fan-favorite brand continues advancing its legacy and its renowned dairy quality, by using locally sourced dairy ingredients that contain no added hormones. David Yuengling and Rob Bohorad revived the brand in 2014 and an American classic was re-born. In 2018, positioned for the brands next stage of development, Yuengling's Ice Cream forged a partnership with YIC - Online Distributors, to distribute the iconic ice cream brand online, now via Aureus. Today, Yuengling's Ice Cream is delivered directly to the doorsteps of its consumers across the nation. The Yuengling's Ice Cream Corporation- as it has been since 1935- is stand alone, and separately owned and run companies from D. G. Yuengling and Sons, Inc Brewery Safe Harbor Statement This communication contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of US Highland, Inc and members of its management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-statements include fluctuation of operating results, the ability to compete successfully, and the ability to complete before-mentioned transactions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results. For More Information Contact & Media Inquiries: Aureus.now@gmail.com 404.885.6045 www.AureusNow.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/AureusNow ISLAMABAD -- Pakistans lower chamber of parliament has approved a bill that would grant more representation in a provincial legislature to seven former tribal districts near the border with Afghanistan. The bill was unanimously approved by the 342-member legislative chamber on May 13. It will be moved to the upper chamber, the Senate, where it also must be approved before it can be signed into law by Pakistans president. The seven former tribal agencies -- - Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, North Waziristan, and South Waziristan -- were merged into the nearby Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in 2018. But there have been complaints that the 16 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwas provincial assembly for lawmakers from the former tribal areas is not sufficient representation. The bill passed on May 13 calls for the number of seats to be increased to 24. With the addition of six reserved seats, the former tribal areas will have a total of 30 representatives in the provincial assembly. In the lower house of Pakistans national parliament, the seven former tribal districts are now represented by 12 lawmakers. There are eight lawmakers representing the former tribal areas in Pakistans Senate. With reporting by Dawn.com and The Tribune.com 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: Consolidating bilateral ties Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is on a visit to Vietnam and Cambodia at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguy n Xuan Phuc and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Nepal has many things to learn from Vietnams rapid economic growth over the past 30 years following several wars. Nepal and Vietnam established diplomatic relations in 1975. Graduations at colleges and universities are underway. Heres a look at the events. Air Force Academy Free tickets to this years U.S. Air Force Academy graduation May 30, featuring President Donald Trump as the keynote speaker, were distributed in less than 10 minutes last week to the public. About 1,000 seniors will graduate and become 2nd lieutenants. The ceremony starts at 9 a.m. at Falcon Stadium on base and lasts until 1:15 p.m. The Air Force Thunderbirds are scheduled to perform an air show at the conclusion. Trump bumped expected speaker Vice President Mike Pence, the White House announced last month. Hes likely to talk about plans for a separate Space Force. Typically, the president addresses graduating classes at military academies every four years in a rotation that includes the vice president, secretary of defense and secretary of each service. The academy graduation draws as many as 30,000 spectators when the president is the speaker. Those attending should be prepared for airport-like security checks and traffic congestion. Colorado College Colorado Colleges commencement is on a new day and requires tickets, which are not available to the public. The ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m. May 19 at Tava Quad, formerly Armstrong Quad, and will be live streamed at https://www.coloradocollege.edu/live. Television and film star Oprah Winfrey had attended CCs graduation ceremony in 2017 and planned to be at CCs ceremony again this year, to support former students from her South African school, The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. Knowing that, CC President Jill Tiefenthaler asked Winfrey if she would deliver this years commencement address, said college spokeswoman Leslie Weddell. Winfrey agreed. In recent years, Winfrey has addressed graduating seniors at colleges throughout the nation where former students of her academy were graduating. The changing of the ceremony from the traditional Monday morning to Sunday morning is not due to Winfreys appearance, Weddell said. The move had been planned for years, she said, to better accommodate family and friends attending commencement and reduce the time they had to take off from work. Cascade Avenue will be closed at Cache la Poudre Street during the event. Pikes Peak Community College Pikes Peak Community College was the first in the region to hold commencement ceremonies this year. Of the 2,760 graduates, 690 walked during Saturdays event. Half earned an associate degree and half earned a program certificate. The youngest graduate was 15, as a result of concurrent enrollment programs that enable high school students to simultaneously take college courses, and the oldest was 73. Eleven percent of graduates were also high school students. About half of this years graduates are the first in their family to go to college, one-third are minorities and one quarter are affiliated with the military. Several students were honored during the ceremony: Monique Jentzen and Nicole Ceballos Basulto for Outstanding Student Leadership, Sharbel F. Dagher for Inspirational Achievement, Jordan Wright for Outstanding Service to the College and AjaDae Trent for Outstanding Service to the Community. Keynote speaker Jessie Pocock, executive director of Inside Out Youth Services, vice chair of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and PPCC graduate, talked about how her road to success started from a dead end. She lived on the streets and struggled with alcoholism and substance use after high school. Community and education changed the trajectory of her life, she said, crediting two PPCC professors with helping create that community. They were determined to make sure I didnt fail, she said. Their support helped me to discover the transformative power and freedom provided by education. After graduating from PPCC, she graduated with distinction from Colorado College in 2008 and was named the 2014 Graduate of the Year at UCCS, where she earned her master of public administration degree. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs UCCS will have two commencement ceremonies on Friday at The Broadmoor World Arena, 3185 Venetucci Blvd. More than 1,000 students are expected to participate. Parking is free, and no tickets are required. The morning ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. for graduates of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. The afternoon ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m., when the remaining UCCS schools will walk: College of Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences College of Business and Administration School of Public Affairs College of Education College of Engineering and Applied Science Two members of the Class of 1969 will return for their golden anniversary: Linda Case, a graduate of the College of Education, and Mark Swan, an engineering graduate, who worked for Colorado Springs Utilities for 31 years. As Swan is recognized as a golden graduate during the morning commencement ceremony, his son, Thaddeus, will earn his masters degree in applied geography. Contact the writer: 719-476-1656. You probably havent heard of Steve Stermers sport. The hardest sport youve never heard of, its been described. Tower running. Stair racing. Call it what you prefer. Its been going on in this country in an organized manner since 1978, when an eccentric New Yorker named Fred Lebow invited 15 vertical pushers to the base of the Empire State Buildings 1,576 steps. (The first winner set the standard at 12 minutes, 32 seconds.) Thats where Stermer, 61, will be Tuesday. Of the thousands who put their name in the lottery, the Colorado Springs man was one of the lucky ones drawn for the Empire State Building Run-Up. Lucky? Stermer considers himself that, but you should see the scene at the end of these races. Theres a lot of carnage, he says. People cross (the finish line) and collapse in heaps. He loves it. Thats why hes on the Manitou Incline every morning. All the top climbers in the U.S. are kind of envious of me because I have this in my backyard, he says. Hes among them, by the way, perennially one of the top 15 or 20 stair-running men. Towerrunning USA currently has him No. 2 in his age group. Stermer was No. 1 in 2016, the last time he ran the Empire State Building as one of the few elites invited. Among the dozen-plus tower races he does every year, this ones special. For the exclusiveness, yes. And yes, for the historic element. But also for its uniqueness: Unlike every other race where they dash up the staircase in waves, all 200 here start at the same time, causing a great, jumbled mess at the doorway. Also unlike every other race, the Run-Up starts at night, leading to an unforgettable, shimmering view of the city. Stermer will take off with the others at 8 p.m. local time Tuesday, a five-day vacation he has planned all for the sake of a brutal 15 minutes. Thats what hes aiming for, anyway. Three years ago he finished in 15 minutes, 21 seconds, good for 34th place. He fully expects this to be his last attempt in the Empire State Building. This whole age thing is no joke, he says. But if you saw Stermer on the Incline, you wouldnt think he was slowing. Twice a day he ascends the railroad ties that gain nearly 2,000 feet in less than a mile. Make that three or four times on Saturdays and Sundays. He got serious about the Incline after 2009. That year he got a company email asking employees to join the team for the annual race in Denvers tallest skyscraper, Republic Plaza. I thought, Its just climbing stairs. How hard could that be? About 15 floors into the race, I realized it was not easy. I started looking where other races in the country were, and I found out they have them in almost every state. All these big, iconic buildings have races. I thought thatd be cool to say I climbed the biggest buildings in the United States. The biggest, One World Trade Center, all 2,226 of its steps. The 105 floors of the next biggest, Chicagos Willis Tower. Buildings in Los Angeles, Dallas, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Las Vegas. Stermer has scaled them and many more, 28 towers in 12 states. The Empire State Building will be his 81st race. The reason I keep doing it is just the community of people and the friends that you make, he says. He always has a place to stay when he travels, because he always knows some fellow tower runner. Of course, its usually him doing the hosting. They all wanna climb the Incline, he says. Hayden Stone, WPHS senior, signs with Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, where he is receiving a full academic and music scholarship. Stone is the son of Erik and Jennifer Stone of Woodland Park. Rochelle Galindo, the Greeley Democrat who resigned her seat in the Colorado House of Representative on Sunday, is the subject of an active police investigation, a spokesman for the Greeley Police Department told Colorado Politics on Monday. Paperwork surrounding the complaint that started the investigation is under seal, the spokesman said. Police on Monday would not provide any details about the complaint but confirmed that it had come to the attention of the department sometime last week. They said its contents are being kept confidential due to the nature of the complaint. Sunday, in announcing her resignation, Galindo issued a statement saying that "the allegations against me are false," without saying what the allegations were. Galindo who had been the subject of a recall campaign said Sunday that she was resigning her seat because the allegations "will make our fight against the pending recall effort untenable. I will not put my constituents through what will clearly be a recall campaign based on political smear tactics and false allegations." Monday, she did not respond to Colorado Politics' repeated requests for comment. Galindo, a former member of the Greeley City Council, won election in November to the Democratic-leaning House District 50 in Weld County, with a 6.7 percentage point margin over Republican Michael Thuener. That win came after she defeated former state Rep. Jim Riesberg in the June primary. Her resignation now, instead of waiting for a possible recall election, means a Democratic vacancy committee will name Galindo's replacement. If Galindo had stayed in office, both Republicans and Democrats could have run for the seat in a recall election. A Democratic vacancy committee will name a replacement sometime within the next 30 days, according to election officials. Backers of the recall told Colorado Politics on Sunday that they had gathered nearly enough signatures to put a recall on the ballot. Galindo's resignation, however, means that the recall effort cannot proceed. In a statement Sunday, House Democratic leaders KC Becker, the speaker, and Alec Garnett, the majority leader, said: Today Rep. Galindo submitted a letter of resignation. We agree with Rep. Galindo's decision to step down at this time and allow someone else to serve the people of House District 50." A spokesman said Sunday that Becker "can confirm she has not received a workplace harassment complaint." A bus carrying more than two-dozen asylum-seeking families from the U.S.-Mexico border arrived in Denver about 2 a.m. Monday, courtesy of the New Mexico governor's office. The bus included 55 people, mostly from Central America, a portion of the spillover population from the churches and homeless camps filled with about 1,000 immigrants a day arriving in El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, N.M., said Ruben Garcia, founder and executive director of Annunciation House, an El Paso organization that helps immigrants. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham made the bus available Sunday for the 10-hour drive, because U.S. immigration officials refuse to transport those allowed into the country more than eight hours from their entry point, Garcia said. Besides helping house, clothe and feed the asylum-seekers for a few days, volunteers in Denver will help them connect with relatives and find transportation to their next destination. "It would be totally coincidental if any of those 22, 23 families has relatives in Denver and stay there," he said, predicting that most will be gone from Denver by about Wednesday. Garcia said there is no plan to send more buses to Denver; the offer of a bus from Grisham was an opportunity volunteers couldn't turn down. "We hope the governor will make other buses available, but, obviously, it's expensive," Garcia said, adding that it's the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement's responsibility to accommodate those granted asylum. "ICE is the one that's supposed to take them," he said. "ICE won't do it, so this was a one-time opportunity and we wanted to test it out." Lujan Grisham spokesperson Claudia Tristan said the Colorado governor's office was notified, but not until after the bus had arrived in Denver. "Since this was handled by NGOs [non-governmental organizations], basically a group of churches, that wasn't necessary," she said, adding that the two governors' staffs have since talked. "It wasn't a state-to-state operation." One of the destinations is the First Unitarian Society of Denver. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' office so far hasn't responded to a request for a comment. Tristan said the bus cost the state of New Mexico about $4,000. State and local leaders were forced to do something after federal agents dropped off the asylum-seekers at a bus stop in Las Cruces, about 45 miles north of the border, on Friday. The shelters there already were full, Tristan said. Future buses to relieve overcrowding at the border would be dependent on donations made to the nonprofit Santa Fe Community Foundation, which already has a fund to help refugees and asylum-seekers, she said. The Annunciation House in El Paso also is raising money to help those stuck without money or food at the border. Stephanie Donner, a former legal counselor to Gov. John Hickenlooper and a member of his presidential campaign, took a group of about 35 Denver leaders to the border at El Paso in March. The women -- professionals in business, politics and philanthropy -- saw families living under bridges and fed dinner to the asylum-seekers through the Annunciation House. "It's unsustainable in terms of processing these people," said Donner, who grew up in El Paso. A Spanish speaker, she is informally helping the immigrants who came to Denver, delivering them breakfast Monday morning. "The 55 won't be here very long, but one of the things they need help with is transportation, getting people to the airports or to a bus station," Donner said. "That's already in motion. It'll be quick. It's just like in El Paso. All these people passing through, they don't stay there. El Paso is just a gate-keeper." The family of a woman who died in October is threatening to sue El Paso County and the jails health care provider for $5 million, saying she would still be alive if the facilitys staff hadnt abandoned her in the middle of a medical crisis. Susan Cespedes cries for help went unheeded in the weeks leading up to her death, even though the jails medical team was aware that she suffered from diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure and other medical issues that could be deadly if untreated, her attorney said in a letter of claim that the county received last month. All this could have been prevented, her son Jonathan Cespedes told The Gazette. She had so much more in life to give. The threat of a multimillion dollar lawsuit comes as the Sheriffs Office struggles to address lapses by its medical contractor that county officials say have subjected the jails inmates to significant physical and psychological danger, according to documents obtained by The Gazette. A hepatitis A outbreak, which sheriffs officials say infected four inmates at the jail, began when an Armor Correctional Health Services employee didnt follow contagious disease protocols, the county informed the inmate medical contractor in an April 3 letter. There were other alleged blunders and missteps, too. Practitioner vacancies have gone unfilled and staff members havent been showing up for work. In one instance, a mistake by a nurse left an inmate without prescribed medications for 10 days this year, the county said in the letter, provided to The Gazette by the Sheriffs Office. After positive tests for hepatitis A in March, the Sheriffs Office worked with public health officials to administer more than 1,600 vaccinations to staff and inmates. The efforts cost nearly $100,000, according to the countys letter. Armor said in a statement that it is committed to serving the needs of all patients in its care and takes any claim or complaint very seriously. Hepatitis A is hard to control because people who are infected dont show symptoms right away, said company spokeswoman Melisa Mendez Chantres. Two inmates who entered the jail in recent months had hepatitis A before they were booked into the facility, Chantres said. The cases at the jail came as local public health officials grapple with a surge of the disease thats infected more than 40 people in the county. The county also stated that alarming Armor staffing deficiencies have put inmates in jeopardy in the April 3 letter to the company. The Sheriffs Office reviewed 30 weekdays in 2019 and found that, on average, six members were absent each day, wrote county Contracts and Procurement Division Manager Eileen Gonzales. On some dates, nearly a dozen employees were out, the countys letter says. However, Armor disputed that contention. The company attributed the staffing issues, in part, to a nationwide nursing shortage in an April 16 response to the county, also provided to The Gazette by the Sheriffs Office. Armor has recently hired additional employees for the jails health care team, including 11 nursing staff members, to help address the shortfalls, Senior Vice President Vickie Freeman said in the letter. At the countys request, the company later replaced Freeman so that the Sheriffs Office would no longer have to work with her, said sheriffs spokeswoman Jacqueline Kirby. County officials had complained in another letter to Armor that she was unprofessional and uncooperative in efforts to address the problems. There continue to be discussions with Armor, with one being as recent as yesterday, which included their Chief Executive Officer and Sheriff Elder, Kirby said in a Tuesday email. We are the largest jail in the State of Colorado and we remain committed to the health, wellbeing and security of the inmates at the El Paso County Jail. The Sheriffs Office is working with Michigan-based Health Management Associates to find out how the agency can work with community partners to improve health care for inmates, Kirby said. County commissioners have approved up to $85,000 to pay the consulting firm to conduct an assessment. The county hasnt pursued its legal right to terminate the contract with Armor, which has cost taxpayers more than $11 million since the Miami-based company replaced its past health care provider in summer 2017. Commissioners are set to meet with the County Attorneys Office on Tuesday to discuss the agreement in a closed-door session. Armor, like other for-profit players that dominate the correctional health care industry, has defended dozens of lawsuits nationwide alleging substandard care. The Gazette chronicled the claims that the company has put profit over patient care in a July 2017 article. The county jails transition to Armor led to a nearly 40 percent increase in the cost of providing inmate care. Sheriffs officials, however, assured that the switch would provide better care for inmates. But just months into the companys contract, an audit of the jail in fall 2018 highlighted a litany of lapses, including a backlog of medical requests that left more than 300 inmates without prompt access to medical care. Those problems, the company has said, were left over from its predecessor. The Sheriffs Office threatened Armor with a $100,000 fee for contract violations that fall, and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care warned it would yank the jails accreditation if the issues werent addressed. About a year into the new contract, the county again notified Armor, concerned that an inmate with large open wounds who needed to be taken to an area hospital hadnt been referred for transport. In a response, Armor said a nurse wasnt able to reach a doctor to discuss the situation but still directed the person to be taken to the hospital. As problems with the jails health care provider have proliferated, the Sheriffs Office has faced mounting liability. Last year, the county received a notice of intent to sue for nearly $400,000 from the family of a woman who gave birth into an isolation cell toilet after her calls for medical attention went ignored. In another claim letter, a man demanded up to $15 million from the Sheriffs Office after his leg had to be partially amputated when a dog bite he suffered during his arrest festered with gangrene while he was behind bars. The jails medical staff ignored red flags in the days leading up to the Oct. 18 death of 55-year-old Susan Cespedes, Denver attorney Dan Weiss alleged in the claim letter he sent to the county last month on her familys behalf. The El Paso County Coroners Office attributed her death to complications related to obesity and diabetes, including kidney failure, according to an autopsy report. Spokeswoman Kirby declined to comment on Cespedes death, saying the Sheriffs Office does not discuss ongoing legal matters. Armor, too, refused to comment on the specifics of the claim, citing patient confidentiality laws. Our sympathies are with the Cespedes family as they grieve the loss of their loved one, Chantres said. Cespedes was arrested about a month before she died on suspicion of a fugitive charge that was later dismissed by the 4th Judicial District Attorney, court records show. Weeks into her stay at the jail, her blood pressured plummeted to dangerously low levels, Weiss alleged. She struggled to eat. She told her son four days before she died that she was nauseous and vomiting, with sharp pains in her right side. When she complained to the jails medical staff, they only gave her ibuprofen, she said to Jonathan Cespedes during a phone call. By the time she was taken to the hospital, her organs were failing. Her body had gone into shock, according to the familys claim. She sounded like she was aching, but I didnt think she was going to pass away, said Jonathan Cespedes. Next thing you know, shes gone. Cindy Sovine-Miller went to bed on election night thinking the initiative she and others worked on for 17 months, to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms, had gone down in defeat. It had garnered a decent-enough 9 percentage-point loss for a long-shot, first-in-the-nation measure, but it was still a defeat. Or so she thought. But when the political consultant and lobbyist on Colorado marijuana laws awoke May 8, she found that overnight, Initiative 301 had rallied on a surge of mail ballots turned in at the last moment. With each batch of updated results, the gap between a win and a loss narrowed. Oh my gosh! she recalled with delight. We had volunteers out there pushing because those (ballots) were the ones who voted yes. We were driving those millennials to show up, and heres where you put the stamp, and dont forget to sign. That was what it really came down to. And they did. News of the measures narrow, unofficial 1,979-vote win subject to a count of overseas votes that ends this week spread quickly around the world. Stories appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and Rolling Stone. Sovine-Miller found herself being interviewed twice on BBC. All this attention, and lingering questions about the initiative, have created concerns among opponents who fret that Denver between mushrooms and the states booming legal marijuana business will become a hub for tourists seeking to dabble in recreational drug use. I love Denver, said Peter Droege, a fellow at the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University who specializes in drug addiction policy. But like many people, I think the direction that were going in is really harmful to our future. Droege, who also opposed the legalization of recreational marijuana, said Denver has made great visionary strides over the past few decades with Denver International Airport, light rail and the improved Colorado Convention Center. And with the states natural beauty, Denver can position itself as the new city of the new millennium. I think we have too much to offer to allow a city to be characterized as simply a place where people can go and use drugs, Droege said. Its the wrong brand for the city. But Kevin Matthews, who helmed the campaign for 301, said such critics fears are misplaced. I understand the concern, Matthews said. However, my question is, where are these tourists going to get mushrooms? The initiative decriminalizes possession, cultivation and personal use of psilocybin by making it the lowest law enforcement priority. It does not legalize the sale or distribution of magic mushrooms, nor does it set up any medical framework to allow people to sell or buy the drug. It sends a very clear signal that Americans are ready for this conversation, Matthews said. Id like to create a new perception around Denver. Lets consider Denver as a Geneva or a sanctuary for people who choose to use naturally occurring compounds like psilocybin that have tremendous medical potential without these radical side effects. From vortex to ballot box To understand the impact of 301 and its surprise victory, it helps to know more about how the referendum got on the ballot. The story began 15 years ago in a high school debate class and led to meetings in coffee shops, a debate over how to word the measure and some clever borrowing of language from an unexpected source. Tyler Williams was a 15-year-old student who by had smoked marijuana and questioned why it was illegal. He persuaded his high school classmates to debate the merits of legalization and thus launched what would become an abiding interest in drug policy reform. As a math major at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2017, Williams started the Denver Psychedelic Club. He was the only person at the first meeting, but through Facebook he found enough people with similar interests to start a chapter. At one of the groups early meetings, the question raised was: What should we do? Williams said some suggested a book club, others a movie series and one participant the author of several book on vortexes in Sedona, Ariz. suggested they try to decriminalize magic mushrooms. The group had barely gotten started, so the idea went on a back burner, he said. In the months that followed, Williams said, he worked on other Denver initiatives, to establish cannabis social clubs and to encourage energy-efficient green roofs in the city. Emboldened by some success with those measures, he returned to the idea of decriminalizing magic mushrooms. He looked at similar efforts in California and Oregon. But the California group seemed too hands-off and had one supporter who claimed magic mushrooms were a way to communicate with space aliens, he said. The Oregon approach, by contrast, seemed too regimented and dependent on a medical model. So he tried crafting a Denver initiative and organized a meeting in January 2018 in the basement of an East Colfax coffee shop. It was the best-attended meeting that the chapter had so far. Fifty or 60 people, from lawyers to medical professionals to mental health professionals. A lot of our people as well, and some people who were just interested in mushrooms. That was definitely the biggest momentum swing, Williams said. A lot of people could be serious about this. Debate over a medical model Sovine-Miller was at that meeting. The former lobbyist for hospitals and pharmaceutical companies said she had become interested in marijuana legalization while seeing how the drug had helped her father cope with lymphatic cancer. I watched what years of chemo and surgery and radiation did to him, and then I watched what cannabis did to him, she said. She also began talking with people who were advocating for psilocybin to treat depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. I decided to use my skills and experience working on medical freedom, she said. Sovine-Miller said she was not pleased with how people were being prosecuted for growing and using marijuana outside of the commercial industry that sprang up after Colorado voters legalized recreational marijuana. So when she saw Williams proposed medical model to legalize mushrooms, she wanted nothing to do with it. He and I most definitely disagreed on that particular point. He was very much interested in pursuing a medical option, and I was like, well now, at least not with my help, youre not. So Sovine-Miller stepped away. Meanwhile, Matthews contacted Williams after finding him on Facebook. Matthews was a cadet who left West Point after being diagnosed with depression. He says psilocybin helped him with that affliction. The men met at a coffee shop. Williams remembers being so impressed that, by the end of that first meeting, he asked Matthews to be the campaigns co-manager. Eventually, Matthews became the sole campaign manager. By then, advocates had failed twice to get language for the measure on the ballot. Matthews approached Sovine-Miller for help. Kevin reached out to me, she recalled, and said, OK, what do we do to have you help us move this forward? And I said, Do decriminalization. He agreed, and she enlisted help from people she knew. They borrowed language for the measure from an unlikely source, Sovine-Miller said. They worked with me to draft the language, which they then modeled off of Denvers sanctuary city policy. It was brilliant because they put a bunch of the terms in the sanctuary city policy that said we will not use any city resources enforcing this mandate against these people, and we will not do that. We replicated the language almost entirely except where we retrofitted it to psilocybin. That became the language Denver voters approved by just over 50%. Thats more people than voted for Mayor Hancock, she quipped. The next step Mayor Michael Hancock, who says he started in politics as a teenager on Nancy Reagans just say no anti-drug policy, opposed the initiative. But after the vote, his office said, Mayor Hancock respects the decision of the voters, and the Denver Police Department will enforce the law accordingly. Police spokesman John White said the department is waiting to see if as expected the vote outcome is certified this week by the Denver Elections Division. Were working closely with the city attorneys office, asking for assistance in interpretation, White said. Once the department has that feedback, it will train its officers. The initiative calls for Hancock to appoint a panel to oversee implementation of the measure by Dec. 31. Members would consist of one representative each from the Denver police and sheriffs departments, two City Council members, and two citizens from the group that petitioned to put the measure on the ballot. Also, a criminal defense attorney, a certified addiction counselor, a harm reduction advocate and one representative each from the city attorneys office and the district attorneys office. Critic Droege said the panels work to address unanswered questions about the initiative will be an important next step. Just because the initiative passed doesnt mean that its like a new amusement park for people to come to experiment with psilocybin mushrooms, he said. And until they address those issues, then this initiative really cannot be enacted. Art Way, Colorado director for the Drug Policy Alliance, said the initiative wont change much. Its a great victory ... but its more symbolic when it comes to actual differences on the ground, when it comes to arrests and incarceration, Way said. The panel could be significant though, he added. I think that review panel thats set up is the biggest fundamental practical difference that was the result from 301, Way said. And hopefully those type of panels and that type of stakeholder development and discussion could be a part of a broader policy reform. Gautam Buddha airport contractor stops work after not getting paid The contractor for Gautam Buddha International Airport being built in Bhairahawa has stopped work complaining that it has not been paid. The stoppage has dealt another blow to the national pride project which has been facing endless delays since construction started in 2013. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. paired with the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) to bring their 10,000 Small Businesses class to Iowa for the first time. Weston Lohry from Coloff Digital in Forest City is included in the first class of 37 scholars. Inaugural class members, who come from 20 different Iowa counties, represent a diverse range of business and industry. According to the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businessess website, the class is offered for free and meant to help small businesses create growth, jobs and economic opportunity through education, capital and business support services. Lohry said the class, which started Jan. 15, is half in person and half online with 100 hours of coursework covering money and metrics, marketing and selling, risk assessment, growth forecasting, operations evaluation and a growth plan. The objective of the class is to identify an opportunity, identify and write an opportunity statement and then put steps in place in order to grow and achieve that, those goals that we set in place, Lohry said. Babson College in Massachusetts made the curriculum and based it off their MBA program, according to Lohry. There are no grades, Lohry said. Its the type of class that is focused on your particular business. So, instead of putting together a curriculum that only focuses on certain businesses or certain types of business, this really allows each scholar to apply these concepts to their own business. Lohry said he was initially interested because he does not have a formal business education, but after being in the class, he is taking a critical look at what concepts in the class could be applied to Coloff Digital, including a mission statement and core values. Those are things that many small businesses overlook as their primary concern is running and growing a business, Lohry said. So its really given me time to focus on those things and then focus on narrowing down what is the best opportunity for our business, where do we see the most growth, and how can we provide the most jobs for this area and how do we provide the most value that we can to this community that were in, Forest City. After presenting his growth plan pitch to the class during the last session, Lohry will graduate and join more than 7,600 business owners who have graduated from the program across the United States. Its just an incredible opportunity and Im really thankful to Goldman Sachs and Babson and DMACC and everyone in this first Iowa-cohort in getting this off the ground because it gives Iowa small businesses, the 37 of us at least, a chance to have a stronger impact in our communities, Lohry said. 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. WATERLOO -- Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-1st District, toured five minority-owned businesses in the Cedar Valley Saturday. She started at El Patron in Waterloo and then went to Spellers True Value, Earth's Beauty Supply, 2 Scoops and ended at Cottonwood Canyon in Cedar Falls. While at Cottonwood Canyon, Finkenauer spoke with Ajeh Agbese of Catch A Ride or C.A.R. Services about being a minority business owner. Often people choose other services which cost more, Agbese said. "You almost have to prove yourself before people give you the business." Finkenauer presided over a portion of the National Small Business committee hearing titled Honoring Our Nations Small Business Heroes" this week. She wants to make sure small business leaders know about opportunities and programs on the local, state and federal level. "One of things that we heard often was that there are programs available and some folks were able to access those and it helped them grow and then others said there are issues with making sure that those programs are being connected to the community and that folks know that they even exist," Finkenauer said. "Often time that connection to the folks that actually need them has been missing." She wants to work on getting small business owners familiar with beneficial programs so they stay in Iowa and not move to another state for want of an opportunity. "Low unemployment sounds great, but when you're back here and talking to folks in our community it's often times a different story especially in our rural communities," she said. "You've got our farmers being hurt every single day because of a trade war started a year ago where there doesn't seem to be a real resolution coming anytime soon." During her conversation with Allen Speller at Spellers True Value she and Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart talked about those programs like Small Business Development Center. Finkenauer wanted to know what her Small Business Committee could do better to reach people like Speller. He suggested a program to help people out of their brain storming stage. "You don't learn a lot of the ins and out until you're in an actual business setting," Speller said. "I heard all the stories about how East Fourth Street used to be a very economical area for the community and I'd like to build that back up. I'd like to see that again." Speller also worked with a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program out of Ames. "It takes folks willing to come back home and invest in the community and start businesses where they're needed," Finkenauer said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WINDSOR HEIGHTS --- It was outside the district, but the four Republicans running for Congress in western Iowa traveled Saturday to this Des Moines suburb to make their pitches to a gathering of Christian conservatives. Congressman Steve King and the three candidates running against him in the Republican primary in Iowas GOP-leaning 4th Congressional District --- state legislator Randy Feenstra, county supervisor Jeremy Taylor, and former mayor Bret Richards --- spoke at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalitions annual spring fundraiser. King is running for a 10th term in Congress. He is facing more primary challengers than usual after he barely survived the 2018 general election, beating Democrat J.D. Scholten by just 3 percentage points. King received the loudest ovation of the four speakers when introduced, and the most applause during his remarks. He spoke of advocating for conservative issues in Congress and fighting off swamp rats, and said he pitched state legislation that prohibited abortions after a fetus heartbeat can be detected. The bill was approved by the Republican-led Iowa Legislature and signed by GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds, but was struck down by state courts. You know what you believe in and you know what I believe in. You know that Ive stood before you for years, and I took a position on every possible issue. And wherever I took a stand it was consistent with full-spectrum Christian constitutional conservatism and I have never let you down. And I will not, King said. Feenstra talked about his experience heading international sales for a candy company and as an economics professor at Dordt College in Sioux Center. He called on Christian conservatives to be lights in a fight against darkness. I want to be passionate in Congress, Feenstra said. Let us be lights and let us further Gods kingdom. Taylor said he has supported King but became concerned by his narrow margin of victory in 2018, saying Republicans cannot afford to lose Iowas 4th District if the GOP is to win back control of the U.S. House. Heres the reality: if we dont take back the House of Representatives from the likes of (Democratic Congresswomen) Nancy Pelosi, Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, I dont believe our children are going to recognize the country that our parents and our grandparents and our founding fathers left to us, Taylor said. Its absolutely important that we understand what the stakes are. Richards said he is running to get more common sense and more accountability in the nations capital. Many candidates will boast about their achievements and what they can do for you, Richards said. What they really need to do is show their heart and character to the voters. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 So, with all eyes on Eritrea, the detente became more than just a bilateral affair; for these countries to achieve their strategic objectives, Eritrea had to be brought back into the fold. The U.S. and UAE both encouraged the thaw in relations, reportedly by passing messages between Eritrean and Ethiopian diplomatic installations. Saudi Arabia, which has long had close relations with Ethiopia, jumped into the fray, brokering a second peace agreement last September. The implicit trade-off of the detente was this: In exchange for Ethiopias and its allies access to Eritrean ports, Eritrea would get relief from international sanctions and the threat on its western border. Indeed, in November 2018, the United Nations Security Council lifted sanctions on Eritrea as recompense for it improved relations with Ethiopia. Acts of Subversion What interest could Ankara possibly have in trying to undermine this newfound peace if, in fact, Eritreas accusations are true? The answer may lie in the other two countries Eritrea accused of participating in these acts of subversion Sudan and Qatar. Distrust between Eritrea and Sudan is nothing new. In January 2018, Sudan reportedly deployed thousands of soldiers to its border with Eritrea to stem the inflow of Eritrean refugees. Sudan fears a united, Ethiopia-led bloc in the Horn, given Ethiopias history of interference in Sudanese affairs, so renewed ties between Eritrea and Ethiopia are worrying. Still, late last year, Sudan announced that it would seek to normalize relations with Eritrea. Sudan has bigger fish to fry, however, and to handle its current domestic unrest, it has called in outside powers for support. Since late 2018, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has faced nationwide protests , sparked by a spike in bread prices, that have posed a serious challenge to his rule. Al-Bashir has sought external support as he tries to maintain his grip on power. Saudi Arabia, which has since 2016 provided financial and military aid to Sudan, failed to support al-Bashir in his time of need. Instead, the Sudanese president got on a plane to Doha, Qatar, where he requested financial support, so his government could subsidize food prices and quell protesters frustrations. Saudi Arabia had led a blockade of Qatar since 2017 that was backed by just about every other Middle Eastern capital, so this move was in clear defiance of al-Bashirs patron. Qatar wasnt the only one to support al-Bashir during the protests. Photos leaked of private Russian security contractors in Sudan. Their presence was later confirmed by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which said the contractors were training Sudans military and law enforcement agencies. Enter Turkey. In December 2017, Ankara announced that it would partner with Sudan to revive the historical Ottoman port of Suakin in Sudan, which would give Turkey an excellent strategic foothold on the Red Sea from which to challenge Saudi Arabia. Then in January 2019, following the onset of protests against al-Bashir, Sudans oil minister revealed that Turkey, along with Russia and the UAE, had provided the government with aid, further undermining Saudi Arabias patronage. The rivalry between Ankara and Riyadh is playing out in political disputes such as the murder of exiled Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. But the competition runs much deeper; they are angling for position as leader of Sunni Muslims across the Middle East . By checking Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, and perhaps interfering with the Ethiopia-Eritrea peace deal, Turkey can limit the broader Saudi-U.S.-Ethiopian alliances power in the Red Sea. Suakin port, once functional, could constrain Saudi ships passage through the Red Sea and Riyadhs power more broadly. Sudan seems a willing partner in this Turkish venture. While Saudi Arabia eventually issued tepid statements in support of al-Bashir, it provided no financial or military assistance (at least, not publicly). It did, however, seem to try to undermine the new partnership between Sudan and Turkey. Shortly before al-Bashirs trip to Doha, a Sudanese National Congress Party leader claimed in an interview with Turkish publication Yeni Safak that an unnamed country had offered to provide financial support to Sudan to subsidize food prices, but only if it cut ties with Turkey. It was a barely-veiled reference to Saudi Arabia. (Perhaps Saudi Arabia sees the writing on the wall; it knows that Sudans allegiance can be bought, since its own investments managed to lure Sudan away from its long-standing alliance with Iran.) Sudan may be trying to play the bigger powers in the region against one another, but it may find that its actually a pawn in a larger game. In the Other Corner But its not just Turkey, Sudan, Russia and Qatar taking sides; there are other regional and global powers lining up in support of Eritrea, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and even the United States all of whom stand to benefit from the Ethiopia-Eritrea peace agreement. An Ethiopian newspaper claimed that the January 2018 deployment of Sudanese troops to the Eritrean border was in response to Egypt sending its own forces to the Eritrean side. Whether Egypt really sent military assets to the Eritrea-Sudan border is unclear, but Egypts interests are not. It sees both Sudan and Ethiopia as potential threats to its lifeblood. Egypt is almost entirely reliant on the Nile River for its fresh water supply, and the Nile runs through Sudan and Ethiopia en route to Egypt. Either of the two countries could cut off Egypts access to the river. Egypt can tolerate a stable perhaps even strong Ethiopia, which could contribute to regional security. A strengthened Sudan, bankrolled by Turkey, is another story; Egypt sees Turkey as too close for comfort to the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist party that briefly held power in Egypt following the ouster of long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak. " " Language and perception of time are more linked than you may think. JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD/AFP/Getty Images Scientists have explored the concept of time in countless ways, but what about how time relates to one's lingo? According to a recent study, the language you speak may affect your perception of the passage of time. Swedish and English speakers tend to refer to time by distance, noting a walk, for instance, as short or long. Greek and Spanish speakers tend to reference time by volume, so a walk would be small or big. And bilinguals can switch quickly between languages, often subconsciously. Advertisement The researchers in charge of the study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, observed the responses of 40 Swedish speaker and 40 Spanish speakers to both a container filling and a line growing across a screen. The aim was to test participants' perception of time by distance (the line growing) and by volume (the container filling). Not sure if either test was more exciting than watching grass grow, though. Via computer animation, the line either grew to, say, four inches or to six inches. The span of time was only three seconds for both lengths, but the key measurement was how much time each group thought had passed. The Swedish speakers thought that more time had passed when the line was longer, while the Spanish speakers determined that three seconds had flown by, regardless of line growth. These results line up with the way each group speaks about time Swedish speakers' estimates were off because they tend to measure time by distance. And the outcome was similar for the container test: Swedish speakers easily estimated time passage regardless of whether the container was full or half full, but the Spanish speakers believed more time had passed when the container was fuller. To test the effect of any other variables besides language, the researchers conducted a similar experiment with 74 Spanish-Swedish bilinguals. Only this time, participants were prompted to estimate the passage of time with the word for "duration" either in Spanish (duracion) or in Swedish (tid). The researchers found that the patterns still conformed to preferred expressions of duration Spanish cues made it hard for participants to guess the correct amount of time it took the container to fill, while Swedish cues made it difficult for them to guess the time it took the line to grow. The bilinguals breezed through the experiment when their ability to accurately estimate duration wasn't hampered by language context. The bilinguals demonstrated a heightened level of cognitive flexibility, or the ability to shift thoughts among different concepts. According to a Lancaster University press release, their capacity to switch quickly between their spoken languages, often subconsciously, shows not only how language impacts emotions, visual perception and sense of time, but also how switching between languages has benefits for learning, multitasking and overall well-being. But how exactly this perceptual advantage affects bilinguals? Only time will tell. Now That's Interesting People who use an Amazonian language called Nheengatu don't use words to talk about time of day they point to the place in the sky where the sun would be to tell time. " " Georgios Nikolaou Papanikolaou presented the findings of his first cervical smear tests in 1928, forever changing the course of female reproductive health screening and cancer prevention protocols. traveler1116/Getty Images/HowStuffWorks For better or worse, few of us have inherently positive associations with routine medical exams. But while you'd be hard pressed to find any woman super stoked to receive a cervical cancer screener known as the Pap smear (or Pap test), learning about the procedure's game-changing introduction into modern medicine might give you a newfound appreciation for its significance. And behind the unprecedented test is a man who collaborated with his wife in an effort to save women's lives: Georgios Papanikolaou. Born on the Greek island of Euboea in 1883, Papanikolaou followed in his doctor dad's footsteps and graduated from medical school with top honors at the age of 21. Compassion played a major role in Papanikolaou's professional endeavors from the start; after working as an assistant surgeon in the military, he spent two years caring for socially isolated leprosy patients outside of his hometown. In 1910, he received a Ph.D. in zoology from Germany's University of Munich and married Andromache Mavroyeni (Mary), the daughter of a famous military family, soon after. The couple moved to the U.S. in 1913 and desperate to make ends meet, Papanikolaou temporarily strayed from medicine to sell carpets and play violin in restaurants while his wife sewed buttons for $5 a week. Advertisement It didn't take long, however, for Papanikolaou to land a research position in the pathology department of New York Hospital and the department of anatomy at Cornell University. With his wife by his side as a technician and sometimes-test-subject, Papanikolaou began studying sex determination in guinea pigs, and quickly found that some cells in the vagina and uterus changed throughout the menstrual cycle. Curious to know if the same changes could be observed in humans, he performed the same examinations on his wife and several (clearly very trusting) female friends, collecting cell samples from the outer opening of each test subject's cervix. After scraping a few cells from the area, Papanikolaou smeared the samples onto a glass slide and examined them under a microscope. What the doctor observed through his lens changed the landscape of female health care: One of the friend's samples was made up of mutated, malignant cancer cells. In 1928, Papanikolaou presented the findings at a medical conference, a year after a Romanian scientist named Aurel Babes had demonstrated a similar technique. But because Papanikolaou implemented the method first and introduced a unique way of applying the cells to slides, he's the one credited with the innovation (although in Romania, the test is called Methode Babes-Papanicolaou). Scientific circles weren't quick to accept Papanikolaou's modern ideas, though due to widespread skepticism, it took a full decade for a clinical trial to take place at New York Hospital. The results of the study, however, were undeniable: Papanikolaou was able to detect a significant number of early cancers with his method, and in 1952, the first mass screening program launched in Tennessee (773 of 10,000 women were diagnosed with cancer thanks to that test). The Pap smear remains an important staple of female health care, typically performed every three years for women ages 21 to 65. During the short and simple test, a doctor gently inserts a speculum into the vagina to hold the vaginal walls apart and expose the cervix before using a soft brush and flat scraping device to painlessly swab cervical cells. The whole procedure is completed within minutes, but the impact can be profound: the test is the only way to detect cervical cell changes that may indicate the development of future cancer. According to research, women with cervical cancer who were diagnosed via Pap smear had a 92 percent cure rate, while those diagnosed by symptoms alone only had a 66 percent cure rate. Although it took years for the medical community to widely accept Papanikolaou's groundbreaking work, his contribution to medicine (and the contributions of his wife and friends) continues to affect the lives of patients and their loved ones to this day. Learn more about the Pap test in "Your Cervix Just Has a Cold: The Truth About Abnormal Pap Smears and HPV" by Dr. Brandie Gowey. HowStuffWorks picks related titles based on books we think you'll like. Should you choose to buy one, we'll receive a portion of the sale. Now That's Interesting Before becoming a doctor, Papanikolaou felt drawn to the arts, studying French and later violin for eight years. New York City, Oregon and Washington have all been affected by measles outbreaks in the last few months, and Lewis and Clark County and Helena Public Schools are working to help prevent something similar from happening here. Measles is a highly infectious disease that causes a high fever, coughing and runny nose, and in some cases it can become pneumonia. This is when measles can turn deadly. If someone who is infected with measles sneezes or coughs, the virus can live in the air for up to two hours, which makes it easily transmittable. And at highly frequented places like schools, that longevity makes measles incredibly dangerous. Barb Ridgeway, chief of staff for Helena Public Schools, said the schools have been working on plans for the last few months to keep children safe. About 98% of Helena's 8,000 students have received vaccines, a highly effective treatment given to children between 1 and 12 years old. The vaccine has cut measles cases by 99% since it was first introduced in the 1960s. Ridgeway said school nurses have been speaking with parents about immunizing their children and working with administrators and staff to "stress the importance of immunizations." But if a case of measles does show up in Helena Public Schools, nonimmunized students will be "excluded from school until 21 days after the last documented case." Ridgeway said parents of nonimmunized children have been notified of the possibility their children could have to stay home for weeks. Any nonimmunized staff would also be sent home. While the school system is preparing for a possible outbreak, Lewis and Clark County Disease Control and Prevention Division administrator Eric Merchant said the county is more worried about adults than children catching the measles. "Children are fairly well covered," Merchant said, referring to the vaccination rate in Helena Public Schools. "There are other segments we're more concerned about, as we don't have a great understanding about the (county's) overall vaccination rate." Merchant suggested the greatest chance for an outbreak is in small collections of nonvaccinated adults. "That's where an outbreak takes hold," Merchant said. "It's our primary concern." The county has been working with local health partners and the Department of Public Health and Human Services to make sure everyone knows how best to respond to a measles outbreak in the county. "We included a bunch of information in coordination with the school district," Merchant said. "We're seeing a bump in people getting MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccines." Merchant said Walgreens, Wal-Mart, CVS, hospitals and clinics provide basic vaccinations for most people. The county provides services at the "Open Clinic" from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and operates as a backstop for immunizations, which means the county will provide services for anyone living in Lewis and Clark County regardless of their ability to pay. "Whether uninsured or underinsured, low-income or well-to-do, we will not turn anyone away," Merchant said. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 3 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. State environmental regulators say the location of a Helena Valley sewage lagoon permitted in 2006 near several water wells and homes did not comply with regulations at the time, but they also do not believe it poses a threat to groundwater and do not have the authority to regulate how sewage is discharged into the lagoon. Michael Kilbey bought his house on Valley View Road in 2015. Across the street from his home and wellhead is a large berm, which represents the southern edge of the sewage lagoon serving North Star Subdivision. For years, he's lived there without any issues. At one point he thought the facility was not in use, but he later found out waste is being carried into the pond by underground pipes to be exposed to air and sunlight as part of the treatment process. The waste is then piped underground again through a gravity-fed system to another pond well away from his and other homes. The issue began this March, he says, when a sewage pump truck began discharging waste into the lagoon from along the berm. Sometimes twice a day or more, the truck would return and spray a pressurized arc of human waste into the center of the pond. Disgusted and worried for his familys safety, Kilbey approached the operator and was told a hose could not be used due to freezing weather. With his house downwind, Kilbey became concerned about airborne contamination drifting onto his property and home as well as entering groundwater given how close the facility is to his well. He contacted Lewis and Clark County, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency, elected officials and the Independent Record. He spoke to the truck driver, the company contracted to run the facility, and eventually the owners of the facility, North Star Water & Sewer LLC, which is a wholly separate entity from the subdivision, providing its water and sewer services as a state regulated utility. Current officials at DEQ, who were not in place at the time the lagoon was permitted, reviewed the complaints raised by Kilbey. In an interview with the Independent Record, Tim Davis, who heads the Water Quality Division, said the review showed that the facilitys location did not comply with regulations in place at the time mandating it be at least 500 feet away from water supplies. We were made aware that it is not 500 feet and we dont know why that setback wasnt enforced, but it did not comply with standards at the time, he said. Were not sure how that happened and why that decision was made, but it was an oversight. Doug Peterson is part owner of North Star Water & Sewer. He attended the 2006 meeting when DEQ permitted the lagoon and said he believes officials at the time told him the 500-foot regulation pertained to future wells, but acknowledges the difficulty in recalling the details of a meeting so many years ago. Among state permitting records for the sewage lagoon is a 2007 letter stating that DEQ became aware of the situation but did not believe it posed a concern to human health. After construction of the North Star lagoons was substantially complete, DEQ discovered that there were five residential wells within 500 feet of the lagoons, the letter states. A provision in the Montana Water Quality Act requires that wastewater lagoons be located at least 500 feet from existing wells. The letter goes on to point out that regulations differ for public drinking water wells, which demand a 100-foot setback. Because the lagoon does not discharge into the ground, DEQ maintained it would have no impact on groundwater. Davis echoed the assertions made in the letter. While he thinks the 2006 setback regulation is clear, he also says that 500 feet was an arbitrary number and does not believe the lagoon poses a risk to nearby wells. A 2017 law also called on DEQ to scientifically justify setbacks based on potential contamination to groundwater. New regulations in their final stages of adoption put the minimum lagoon distance at 1,000 feet from wells, but given the groundwater formation in the Helena Valley, the lagoon could be located within 100 feet of wells and residences and still comply, he said. Lagoon setbacks in the new regulations rely on a pathogen analysis, which looks at the potential for contamination to enter groundwater. A major consideration in permitting a site is the depth of unsaturated soil beneath the facility, with 4 feet of soil being the smallest amount allowed. At the Helena Valley site, there is about 80 feet of unsaturated soil, which is why the lagoon could be as close to 100 feet to wells. But Kilbey is less concerned about his water after a recent test came up clean. His issue is centered on external discharge by the pump truck into the pond, which he believes may cause fecal matter to become airborne and enter his property. He wants his property and home tested for contamination and says a string of illnesses in his family has him concerned. Kilbey is abrupt and acknowledged his confrontational demeanor as he became increasingly frustrated with various government officials and operators of the treatment plant. Something about this seems way, way, way wrong, he said, but everyone we go to wants to keep sandbagging us until I go away. This is not a personal vendetta but about whats right and wrong. Kilbeys frustration escalated a few weeks ago when a malfunction on the pump truck caused it to leak and leave a stream of waste along the dirt road outside his and several other homes. He again called DEQ, which responded to the site while the pump truck driver shoveled some of the larger pieces out of the road, he said. Kilbey says he became angry when DEQ enforcement staff deemed the cleanup sufficient despite waste that could still be seen in the road. He then became infuriated, he said, when told that lye could be used but could also pose human health concerns. We feel like were being poisoned. At the end of the day they cant just keep turning a blind eye to this, he said. Lewis and Clark County Commission Chairman Jim McCormick said in an interview that he took Kilbeys concerns to several county departments, but they lacked jurisdiction because they had not permitted the facility. Even so, McCormick says he is interested in acting as an intermediary to help resolve the conflict. DEQ permitted the lagoon, but officials there say that permitting laws do not include an air quality consideration, nor does licensing of a pump truck operator regulate the manner in which sewage is discharged. There are no specific regulations, for DEQ, for regulating the trucks discharging into lagoons, DEQ Communications Director Kristi Ponozzo said. It is a private contract or agreement between the two companies, meaning the owner of the facility and the contractor discharging. Interestingly DEQ does have authority to regulate spraying of treated sewage onto agricultural lands but not into treatment facilities, she added. DEQ enforcement reports responding to Kilbeys complaints obtained by the Independent Record also say that discharging into the pond without a hose does not violate the permit. The reports also suggest contacting local or state health departments or legislators to encourage a legal change granting DEQ authority to regulate the spraying of human waste. Peterson says that when he became aware of the pump truck spraying waste without a hose, he went to Kilbeys house and said he would address it, which could include voiding the contract with the pump truck contractor if necessary. In 2006, North Star Water & Sewer overbuilt the facility and in addition to North Star subdivision, a second subdivision had hooked into the facility to address its failing waste water system, he said. In recent weeks, the discharge practice of the pump truck has changed to now hook into a pair of hoses farther away from Kilbeys house, which Peterson says he hoped would alleviate concerns. Gates have also been locked and new warning signage posted. Even with the change, Kilbey remains concerned that the dumping has been allowed to continue, and that it is sometimes happening up to five times per day, and noting that the hoses dangle through a gate on the facility. I mean, you cant reasonably expect two subdivisions to disconnect, but stop the dumping, he said when asked what would resolve the issue. (The lagoon) was never supposed to be here." Kilbey has hired an attorney in part to pursue nondisclosure claims about the facility with his real estate company, which he acknowledges is a private civil matter. This story has been changed to remove a reference to a potential lawsuit against the state, which Kilbey has clarified he is not considering. Reporter Tom Kuglin can be reached at 447-4076 @IR_TomKuglin Love 2 Funny 12 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 10 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. For the first time since 1982, the Berkeley Pit is not collecting water. About three million gallons a day are being pumped out, which is roughly the equivalent of the groundwater and stormwater that goes in. Montana Resources started pumping and treating the most contaminated water body in the nation last week. Mark Thompson, MR vice president for environmental affairs, said the mine company has been testing the pumping and treating of Berkeley Pit water since sometime in March, but last week was the first time the mine has let the water run through the mines new wastewater treatment system consistently. Atlantic Richfield Company turned off the groundwater pumps on the Berkeley Pit, a large copper mine operation, on Earth Day in 1982. The 900-foot hole in the ground has been slowly filling with water ever since. Thompson said it contains about 45 billion gallons of water. It is water saturated in metals of all stripes and hazard levels, plus sulfur. Because the entire system isn't fully up and running yet, MR is planning to stop the pumping and treating around the end of May because the water is currently collecting in Yankee Doodle Tailings Impoundment, where tailings are stored. We dont want more water in Yankee Doodle tailings impoundment, he said. The mine is running out of storage space at Yankee Doodle. So after a few weeks, MR will stop pumping and treating and wait till the entire system is a go to start again. MR is currently in the process of trying to permit raising the tailings impoundment another 50 feet to expand its capacity. As for the polishing plant, it is still under construction. Michael Abendhoff, Atlantic Richfield's Chicago-based spokesperson, said the release to Silver Bow Creek may not happen until July. The companies intended to have the system up and running earlier this year. But despite the delay, the project is still four years ahead of schedule. MR and Atlantic Richfield didn't have to start pumping and treating the water until 2023, which was the deadline the Environmental Protection Agency originally set. "Construction activities at the polishing plant and on the various pipelines are proceeding with crews working six days per week," Abendhoff said in writing. "We expect to complete construction in June, and to begin to treat water to the standard needed to release it to Silver Bow Creek in June or July. All equipment and pipelines will be tested, and the test results will be approved by EPA, before any water is released to the creek." MR started running the Berkeley Pit water through the precipitation plant in mid-March. The precipitation plant enables the mine to recover the copper from the water. But because the rest of the system wasnt quite ready to go, MR put the pit water back into the pit after the copper had been recovered from it. Now, after going through the copper recovery process, the water is going off into two different directions. The Berkeley Pit water is getting mixed with Horseshoe Bend water. That 3.5 million gallons of contaminated water is partly seepage from the Yankee Doodle tailings dam and runs through old Berkeley Pit waste rock, so it, too, is highly polluted. Of the approximately six million gallons of mixed water, about three million goes to the Horseshoe Bend Water Treatment Plant, where it is treated with lime. The lime causes the metals to drop out. A polymer gets mixed in at the plant to encourage the metals to settle faster when it reaches one of the two large tanks that the water travels through. From there, the three million gallons goes through the mill, where the water helps the mining operations. It then travels through the mills regular circuit to Yankee Doodle Tailings Impoundment. The other three million gallons of mixed water is being piped through new 24-inch thick pipes. It is mixed with slurry waste rock and waste water and journeys through the 24-inch pipes to a pump house and a booster station which sends it 700 feet to the impoundment. Both the pump house and the booster station contain two 800 horsepower engines made of special stainless steel that wont corrode when in contact with the acidic water and were specially built for this project. Thompson declined to divulge the cost, but he said they are very expensive. One pump is idle but is available in case the other one goes down for any reason. A computer controls the flow rate and automatically adjusts the system as needed. That three million gallons of mixed water travels through the pipes and goes straight to Yankee Doodle Tailings Impoundment. It gets mixed with lime injected in with the slurry. By the time the slurry mixture reaches the impoundment, the metals drop out when it gets to the beach. That is what the miners call the brown muck on the south portion of the tailings impoundment, and it is where the contaminated sediment lands. Eventually, the water will filter through to the relatively clear water pond at the north side of the tailings impoundment. Thompson said the velocity is too high for the metals to drop out within the pipe system itself. About 50,000 tons of rock travels through the pipes each day. That is the equivalent weight of about 25,000 very large sport utility vehicles, he said. Ed Simonich, a member of Butte's Restore Our Creek Coalition, said it's a good thing that as much water is now leaving the Pit as is entering it. But he wasn't entirely satisfied and expressed hope that the water will eventually be discharged at Texas Avenue to help create the man-made meandering creek the community group continues to fight for. Its a very important step for Butte that theyre beginning to treat the water and get the plant going and hopefully, one day, it can be put in at Texas Avenue, Simonich said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Anil Giri is a reporter covering diplomacy, international relations and national politics for The Kathmandu Post. Giri has been working as a journalist for a decade-and-a-half, contributing to numerous national and international media outlets. Actions speak louder than words. But words create the environment and world in which we live. Our actions and words matter greatly -- and the actions and words of the Montana State Legislature in the 2019 session were clear: Montana will not allow sexual abuse, especially abuse of children, to continue. We removed the statute of limitations allowing for criminal prosecution of sexual abuse against children and established a Sexual Assault Survivors Day. Sexual assault, including crimes such as rape and incest, is a cancer in society that for too long has gone inadequately addressed, unnoticed, and blatantly ignored. This has happened unfortunately at all levels, including within our schools, our families, and our court systems. The Centers for Disease Control estimate one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually assaulted before they turn 18. A unified Montana made a statement with our actions and our words. We want to change the cultural norms that allow sexual assault and abuse to occur. During the 2019 legislative session, the Legislature came together in a bipartisan way and sent a clear message that we value the safety of children and do not tolerate children being sexually abused. By removing the criminal statute of limitations, this means that when an adult sexually abuses a child, they can never escape criminal liability. Every day for the rest of that adult's life they are at risk of being arrested, having criminal charges filed, and being put in prison after they are convicted in court of the crime against the child. The Legislature set the bar even higher, leading the nation by being the first state to establish Sexual Assault Survivors' Day, occurring on the first Thursday in April (Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month). This day will not only honor survivors but, in addition, raise awareness of sexual assault, sexual harassment and discrimination. It is a chance for communities to raise awareness and increase education about these problems and how to prevent them. I was honored to carry House Resolution 4, cosponsored by numerous democrats and republicans, establishing this special day. We as Montanans are fiercely independent and we require accountability from all individuals. This session, our collaborative actions made a statement: Montana will not allow sexual assault and sexual abuse to go unnoticed. Unreported. Ignored. We hold other members of society accountable for their actions and will work to make our community safer. No child should have to fear she or he will be sexually abused by anyone. No perpetrator of this crime should be able to mark a day on a calendar knowing they have no more responsibility after that date because the criminal statute of limitations has ended. Montana has emerged as the national leader by declaring Sexual Assault Survivors Day. Hopefully other states will follow suit, learn a little from Montana law, and the rest of the nation will look a bit more like Montana. Rep. Kimberly Dudik, D-Missoula, represents House District 94 in the Montana Legislature. She is running for Montana attorney general. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The 66th legislative session is completed. I was humbled by the opportunity to serve the citizens of Flathead County in my first session. Now that the session is over, it is right and proper that I detail for my constituents my observations. Montana, like America throughout its history, has a two-party political system. Since the battle over the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, there have been two parties battling over the right to exercise the peoples sovereignty in the government. The Republican Party is the younger of the two current parties and was founded in 1854 to oppose the institution of slavery. Since its inception, the Republican Party has stood for human freedom, private property rights and a favorable environment for business, commerce, trade and industry so that everyone can prosper in pursuing their personal "American dream." As the 66th legislative session began, I optimistically hoped that all my fellow Republicans were of like mind. I was wrong. A political party without an ideology is just a party of political expediency and intellectual knavery. When politicians succumb to the temptations of those that create "rights" in the name of equality or fairness, offer benefits that must be forcibly extracted from others, and abandon the principles outlined in the constitutions of the U.S. and the state of Montana; social discord, economic sluggishness and alienation will result. There were 58 declared Republicans when the session began. It soon became apparent that 20 of them were willing to abandon some core Republican principles. That, combined with the governors veto pen, meant that a Republican agenda was not going to be successful. Much of what the 66th Legislature enacted into statute had little to do with the principles upon which the Republican Party was founded. There were accomplishments of which to be proud, however. And in three areas defense of life, pro-Second Amendment and support for veterans all Republicans stood united and strong. Since people dont work to pay taxes but work to keep what is left over after taxes, over 40 taxes that did nothing to improve life for Montanans were defeated in the House Tax Committee, of which I was a member. Some tax reductions were passed, but the governor has yet to accept the fact that before a government can do good for some people it must first do harm to others. Scores of proposed bills that would have adversely affected the freedom of Montanans were defeated in other committees. Montanas energy production was defended and remains stable. And many other bills that seemed like a good idea at the time were given serious scrutiny and debate before being voted on. Sitting in the chamber of the House every day was an experience that I will always treasure. I am grateful and honored to be one of Kalispells representatives. Being entrusted with the exalted responsibility of sitting in judgment of the proposed laws that govern us all was not to be taken lightly. I look forward to conversing with anyone who desires to evaluate my performance. Since I used to teach high-school seniors at 8 oclock in the morning, I am used to blunt comments. God bless the great state of Montana. Rep. John Fuller, R-Kalispell, represents House District 8 in the Montana Legislature. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DECATUR -- Reiss Financial Group is celebrating its 10th year of providing financial education, customized solutions and lifelong financial planning. Kip Reiss, president of Reiss Financial Group has been in practice for 23 years as an investment advisor representative and the last 10 with LPL Financial, one of the largest independent broker/dealers in the country. As a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, Kip has received specialized training to help clients define a roadmap to retirement, focusing on their pre-and post-retirement needs, as well as issues related to asset management and estate planning. He also holds a bachelors degree in finance with a minor in economics from Eastern Illinois University. For more information about Reiss Financial Group, stop by the office at 147 N. Water St., visit them at www.reissfiancialgroup.com or call (217) 330-6125. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advice offered through Cornerstone Wealth Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor. Cornerstone Wealth Management, LLC and Reiss Financial Group, LLC are separate entities from LPL Financial. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This is one in a series of profiles published Sunday as part of our "NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE" section. To become a Herald & Revie CHICAGO Some of Illinois' largest companies would have to take a critical look at who's calling the shots in their boardrooms if a bill making its way through the state legislature becomes reality. The legislation, which narrowly passed the House last month, would require any publicly traded company with an Illinois headquarters to have at least one woman and one African-American on its board of directors by the end of 2020 or face a fine of $100,000. Last week, the Senate version of the bill added an amendment requiring a Latino board member. The legislation, which experts say could face a legal challenge if it becomes law, comes on the heels of a bill passed last year in California that required public companies headquartered in the state to have at least one woman on their boards by year's end. While some companies are taking steps themselves to improve their diversity, advocates for the bill say Illinois companies need an extra push to add new faces, experiences and backgrounds to weigh in on matters like a company's strategic direction, senior leadershipand finances. A Chicago Tribune review of the state's 30 largest companies, as measured by their May 3 stock market valuations, found that when it comes to recruiting minorities for their boards, there would be a lot of work to do before the end of next year. The review found African-American directors hold 9 percent of the seats and Latinos, just 2 percent, though not all companies responded to questions about their board's ethnic makeup. Female directors hold 26 percent of the board seats. Supporters of the Illinois measure say boardroom diversity is not only the right thing to do, but the diverse perspectives are crucial to companies' bottom lines. A McKinsey report found that in 2017, companies with the most ethnically and culturally diverse boards worldwide were 43 percent more likely to report higher profits. It's a finding embraced by advocates. "Diversity from ethnicity, gender, age, all make a difference in a management team and in a boardroom," said Sam Scott III, former chairman and CEO of Corn Products International (now Ingredion). Scott, who is African-American, is a member of several publicly traded corporate boards including Abbott Laboratories, Motorola Solutions and Bank of New York Mellon. "Most businesses are dealing with customers who are from those diverse groups." In the Tribune's review, all but one company CNA Financial had at least three women on their boards. CNA had one female director. Others, such as Chicago-based CME Group and Vernon Hills-based CDW had four women. Abbott and Ulta Beauty had five female directors. Meanwhile, half of the 30 corporate boards had only one African-American member and seven of them including Walgreens, Kraft Heinz (which has headquarters in both Chicago and Pittsburgh), Oreo cookie-maker Mondelez and insurance company Arthur J. Gallagher had no African-Americans. CME Group had four women on its 21-member board, but no African-Americans. However, Phyllis Lockett was elected to the board at the company's annual shareholders' meeting Wednesday, said spokeswoman Laurie Bischel. Lockett is the first African-American board member in the company's 170-year history, Bischel said. Lockett, the CEO of education curriculum provider Leap Innovations, said her background in entrepreneurship and education make her uniquely suited for the CME board. "This movement toward more diversity on boards is important progress," she said in an email. "As corporate boards increasingly focus on diversity, the companies they serve will only become stronger by being informed with, and challenged by, a variety of leadership perspectives and life experiences." Statehouse Insider: Illinois did better than Minnesota in windfalls? Yep That was some good financial news Illinois received last week after seemingly decades of nothing but bad news. John Rogers, chairman and CEO of Ariel Investments, co-founded the Black Corporate Directors Conference in 2002 as a way to foster diversity in corporations' managerial and boardroom ranks. He supports the Illinois legislation as a means of ensuring boards have people of diverse backgrounds. "The vast majority of these companies have put in writing they are committed to diversity and inclusion, but in reality they are not living the values they have said they believe in," said Rogers, an African-American who serves on the boards of McDonald's, Nike and The New York Times Co. Diversity at the board level trickles down to employees and customers. While national data show that last year, women and minorities made up half of new directors on boards, one fact of boardroom life that has slowed diversity efforts is the long tenure of board members, said Julie Hembrock Daum, a consultant at executive search firm SpencerStuart. Because retirement age on most boards, if they have one, can be age 75 or older, board membership turnover is just 8 or 9 percent annually. "That means year in and year out, only a few (seats) are turning over, so change is slow," Daum said. The Illinois measure would allow a company to expand its board to comply. Recruiting people of color is particularly difficult, proponents say, because boards have historically looked to the C-suite chief executive officers, chief marketing officers and chief financial officers instead of searching for specific skill sets. Since there are few blacks and Latinos at the top of America's executive ladder, that approach to board recruitment leaves the pickings slim. "The whole misnomer that you have to be a CEO to be those things makes the pool impossible, because there are just not that many CEOs and CFOs of color in those positions," said Skipp Spriggs, president and CEO of the Executive Leadership Council, an 800-member group focused on increasing the number of African-Americans in C-suites and boardrooms. "When you start to focus on skill sets and look beyond recruiting a CEO or CFO, we have found there's an amazing pipeline of talent," he said. Added Scott, "If they say they can't find diverse talent, they aren't looking." Latinos and Latinas should also have a seat at the table, according to Esther Aguilera, president and CEO of the Latino Corporate Directors Association. "Illinois has the fifth-largest population of Latinos, representing $14 billion in purchasing power and over 70,000 business owners," she said. Board diversity isn't just an issue for Illinois companies. Last year, more than 1,000 board seats were filled by directors new to the boards of Fortune 500 companies. The vast majority of those seats were filled by white men and women. Nearly 60 percent were filled by white men, according to the Alliance for Board Diversity/Deloitte study. In the Fortune 100 company category, more than 77 percent of the board seats were filled by white men and women. Just over 51 percent were filled by white men. Minority corporate directors are slowly yet steadily gaining ground. Black women gained 13 seats. Still, the 42 seats held by black women comprise only 3.4 percent of all board seats in the Fortune 100. Black men gained 4 seats. In total, black men hold 84 board seats among Fortune 100 companies, representing 7.7 percent of all board seats, according to the Alliance for Board Diversity. Nationally, Hispanic/Latino men gained 21 board seats in 2018, the research found. Hispanic/Latina women didn't fare as well, gaining four seats in 2018. If the Illinois legislation is signed into law, some legal experts expect the law to be challenged on constitutional grounds. "It's fundamentally undemocratic. By mandating (board seats) you you create the problem of reverse discrimination," said Charles Elson, the Edgar S. Woolard Jr. chair in corporate governance and the director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware. "It's the shareholder's role, not the government's, to decide who is elected to the board." Also, companies that are headquartered in Illinois but were incorporated in another state have legal grounds to challenge the law, said H. Todd Henderson, a law professor at the University of Chicago Law School. There's another reason why the proposed measure could face a legal challenge, experts say. A company's so-called internal affairs are organized in the state in which it was incorporated, raising the question of whether one state's laws would apply to the internal affairs of a business set up in another state. "It's a bad idea and they'll just move," Elson said. The California law however, has not been challenged in the courts, according to Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, CEO of nonprofit 2020 Women On Boards, an advocacy group which supported the California legislation. Proponents of the bill say they are less worried about lawsuits than they are about leveling the playing field for talented minority executives and raising awareness of the issue. "We are not asking companies to lower the bar," said Billy Dexter, a partner at executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles and co-chair of the Executive Leadership Council's corporate board initiative. "All we want is the opportunity to be considered." LISTEN: Illinois political reporters on the final rush to the end of session and Pritzker's tax plan This weeks episode of the Capitol Cast podcast includes a roundtable talk with Capitol News Illinois reporters and a discussion about the gra Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 SPRINGFIELD A bill that would require Illinois-headquartered corporations to include women and minorities on their boards of directors is now being considered in the Senate, where a committee chairwoman on Thursday suggested changes could be applied. House Bill 3394 stirred heated debate when it passed out of the House last month. In its original form, it would have required every publicly traded corporation that has its main executive headquarters in Illinois to have at least one African-American and one woman on its board of directors, and it would impose financial penalties on corporations that fail to comply. So far in the Senate, it has been expanded to include Latino representation as well, and it now provides that one person can serve to fill two or more categories. Speaking to the Senate Commerce and Economic Development Committee, Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Cahokia, a sponsor of the bill in the Senate, said it is not intended to be punitive. The intent of it is to look at the disparities on these boards, he said. Women, who make up 50 percent of the population nationally, and I think 32 percent on corporate boards; African-Americans, who make up 13.4 percent nationally and only make up 6.3 percent on boards; and Latinos, who are 18.1 percent of the population nationally but they only make up 2.0 (percent) on boards. Belt cited studies showing that corporations with diverse boards of directors tend to outperform those that dont. The studies that Ive read, that Ive been reading, it really underscores the fact that diversity does well for businesses. The corporations that have diversity do well, they do better profit-wise, he said. Also testifying Thursday was Larry Ivory, president and CEO of the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce, who said the bill would strengthen black communities, which in turn would help strengthen the entire state. For our members, we have a saying. If youre not at the table, then guess what. Youre on the menu, Ivory said. If were not sitting at corporate boards and having input, were on the menu. The bill is modeled after a law California enacted last year that requires all corporations headquartered there to have at least one woman on their boards. The bills House sponsor, Rep. Emmanuel "Chris" Welch, D-Hillside, said in a separate interview that he expanded on that concept by including ethnic minorities. If enacted into law, it would apply to any publicly traded corporation that is headquartered in Illinois, regardless of the state in which the original articles of incorporation were filed. It would also apply to any entity incorporated in Illinois, even if the business is headquartered elsewhere. But some legal scholars have said that raises a number of legal issues, including a principle known as the internal affairs doctrine, which generally holds that only one state can have authority to regulate the internal affairs of a corporation. Sen. John Mulroe, D-Chicago, raised the latter issue when he asked the question about corporations that might be organized in one state but have their corporate headquarters in another. That subject has come up and weve tried to address it in this bill, Belt said. If they file in Illinois, we would consider them also subject to the legislation that were pushing. Several members of the committee, including Chairwoman Laura Murphy, D-Des Plaines, said she agreed with the principle and the intent of the bill. But we have a lot of people that have expressed some concerns here that this bill really is not as inclusive as some would like it to be, Murphy said, because there are various groups that are left out of the discussion. Murphy suggested the bill might need further revision before it could gain enough support to pass the full Senate. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 ICYMI: Here are our top stories from Monday, May 13 Here are some of the top stories from The Kathmandu Post (May 13, 2019). Did you know that one in six kids in the U.S. faces hunger? It's even worse in the summer because they might not have access to free or reduced-price school meals. You and I both know that kids should never go hungry. This is a crucial time for their development. Thats why America's dairy community is doing even more this year for World Milk Day and National Dairy Month. Building on its commitment to nourish people, it is joining forces with Feeding America and local communities to help provide nutritious food for kids facing hunger. Dairy farmers have a 100-year legacy of making childrens health and wellness a priority through National Dairy Council (NDC). The commitment remains strong today with Fuel Up to Play 60, founded by NDC and the NFL, with support from USDA. Fuel Up to Play 60 is in more than 70,000 U.S. schools with an aim of improving nutrition and physical activity. The program receives additional support from GENYOUth, an organization founded through the dairy checkoff with Fuel Up to Play 60 serving as its flagship program. So how can you help kids? Food banks provide critically needed nourishment including milk and dairy foods to millions of Americans, but they are struggling to meet demand. On average, food banks are only able to provide the equivalent of less than 1 gallon of milk per person per year. On June 1 World Milk Day we would like you to help bring awareness to childhood hunger by sharing our promotional materials (they are available in the Dairy Hub) and asking your friends and family to donate milk in your community through www.giveagallon.com. When people give through this site, the Great American Milk Drive will provide fresh, wholesome milk with its high-quality protein to kids and families in need. Donations can even be localized by adding your zip code so you can make a difference within your own communities. Don't wait. On #worldmilkday, please give a gift of nutritious food to those most in need and then share this with everyone you know. The author is a Senior Vice President of Digital Initiatives at Dairy Management Inc. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ How quickly will Antarcticas massive Thwaites Glacier melt, and what will that mean for global sea levels and coastal cities? Researchers recently spent several weeks studying Thwaites as part of a five-year, international effort to try to answer those pressing questions. Credit: Carolyn Beeler/The World Top video: The view of Thwaites Glacier from the deck of the Nathaniel B. Palmer. Peter Sheehan, an oceanographer on the Nathaniel B. Palmer, was one of the first people on Earth to get this view of Thwaites Glacier the part that juts out to sea. Hes pored over plenty of Google images of ice shelves, but theres nothing like the real thing. It looks kind of mystical, Sheehan whispered as he gazed out from the ships bridge before dawn on a quiet, late February morning. Its like standing in a cathedral; you feel that hush of reverence. Credit: Carolyn Beeler/The World Oceanographer Peter Sheehan looks out at Thwaites from the bow of the Nathaniel B. Palmer before sunrise on the day of arrival. The craggy face of Thwaites loomed a few hundred feet away, but seemed almost close enough to touch, or at least within shouting distance. Thwaites was nearly seven stories high here, at its eastern edge, and the bluish cliff glowed against the grayscale sky. It was snowing, and foggy, and the glacier appeared like something out of this world. The expedition to Thwaites is part of the race to discover how fast the massive glacier is melting and what that will mean for global sea level rise over the next century. Scientists ultimate goal is to develop more accurate global sea level rise models so coastal residents and governments have enough time to plan for future changes. In cities like Miami, possibly the American city most vulnerable to rising seas, infrastructure decisions are made as early as 50 years out. Around daybreak, many of the Palmers roughly 60 scientists, staff and crew headed to the upper deck to admire a view that nobody else in the world had ever seen. This is the first in a series, Into the Thaw: Decoding Thwaites Glacier. Part 2: This submarines historic tour under Thwaites Glacier will help scientists predict sea level rise Part 3: On a journey to Antarctica, a New Orleans chef awakens to the threat of melting ice Part 4: These high-tech seals are charting future sea level rise | How can a seal track climate change? Its fantastic, this is a critical boundary in the world today, said Rob Larter, the ships chief scientist, upon their arrival at Thwaites. This is where rapid change is really happening, and were actually standing and looking at the bit thats rapidly changing. Normally, most of Thwaites is enshrouded by ice and is totally inaccessible to ships. In fact, some said there was only a 50/50 chance that the Palmer would even get this close to the West Antarctic glacier. But the timing was right the winds were good; they blew sea ice and broken bits of glacier out of the way so the research vessel could get through. And when the ship reached Thwaites after a month at sea, the mood on deck was celebratory, with scientists snapping photos and giddily watching penguins swim near the ships bow. Credit: Carolyn Beeler/The World The Nathaniel B. Palmer navigates along the eastern tongue of Thwaites glacier. Some, like Ali Graham, had prepared for a trip like this for years. Ive been working on this area and thinking about it for a third of my life so far, said Graham, a marine geophysicist at the University of Exeter. To actually come down and see it up close, you cant really put into adequate words how special it is. Inevitable collapse? The Florida-sized Thwaites Glacier originates in Antarctica and extends into the Amundsen Sea. Its melting fast. And by itself, it contains enough ice to raise sea levels by about 2 feet. Thwaites Glacier is one of the worlds most unstable glaciers. It's also massive. Thwaites and the ice of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could have a dramatic impact on global sea level rise. But that isnt the worst of it. Thwaites sits at the center of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and if it breaks off into the sea, it would destabilize nearby glaciers that could, in turn, raise sea levels by roughly 11 feet. Without new infrastructure to protect them, coastal cities around the world would be flooded. Hundreds of millions of peoples homes would be inundated, one study suggests. Lower Manhattan would look something like it did when Hurricane Sandys storm surges flooded its streets. Scientists have known for decades that Thwaites is unstable. The bedrock underneath much of the glacier slopes down toward the continents interior, meaning if the ice starts to retreat, theres little to stop it. And recent modeling incorporating the inherent instability of ice cliffs of a certain height suggest it could collapse much faster than previously thought. Some scientists argue the glaciers demise is already inevitable. The glacier has already entered the early stages of collapse, and rapid and irreversible collapse is likely in the next 200 to 1,000 years, wrote University of Washington scientist Ian Joughin and his co-authors in a 2014 paper published in Science. Larter, the Palmers chief scientist and a marine geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey, says if thats the case, the question then becomes, how fast is it going to retreat? How fast are we going to lose that ice? Answering those questions is the goal of a five-year, roughly $50 million research collaboration funded by US and UK science agencies that begins with this research cruise to Thwaites. Eight teams of researchers, led by British and American scientists, will study warm water melting the underside of the glacier; how pinning points, or ridges in the ocean floor underneath the land-based portion of the glacier will impact its destabilization; and how to forecast or model the glaciers collapse. Because as important as Thwaites is to coastal cities from Miami to Mumbai, few people have ever set foot on the glacier, and until now, no one had ever sailed along its face. Thwaites is remote, even by Antarctic standards. With delays, detours and research conducted en route, it took the Nathaniel B. Palmer, the 300-foot icebreaker chartered by the National Science Foundation, a month to get there. Carolyn Beeler/The World Huge waves crash up onto the deck of the Nathaniel B. Palmer as it crosses the Drake Passage. 'The Drake is getting the best of us' When the Palmer set out from Punta Arenas, Chile, on Jan. 31, it was already behind schedule. A broken rudder kept the ship docked for two days of repairs. After navigating through the Strait of Magellan, the ship slowed to dodge a storm in the Drake Passage, a strip of open ocean between the bottom of South America and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula known for its tumultuous weather. When the ship entered the passage, 20-foot swells knocked it from side to side and crashed onto its lower deck. Inside the ship, chef Julian Isaacs braced himself against the kitchen counter while making meatballs for dinner. Right now, the Drake is getting the best of us, Isaacs said on the second day in the passage, as pots and pans clattered against each other, and an avocado rolled from port to starboard and back again. We had a lot of things crash to the floor today. Down the hall in the ships main lab, desk chairs were laid on their sides and lashed to poles to keep them from skittering across the room, while scientists sitting at computers held onto ropes tied to their desks. Five decks up, Sheehan clung to the metal railing in the stairwell. Carolyn Beeler/The World Huge swells on the Drake Passage require crew and passengers on the Nathaniel B. Palmer to sway with the ship in order to stay upright. The passage is one of the roughest stretches of ocean anywhere. As a grown adult, you never envisage a situation where you need to cling on with both hands, because walking stairs, I can do stairs, Sheehan said from the bridge where the ships bucking was most pronounced. But no, you cant do stairs. Youve got both hands, and you go really slowly. That night, in her cabin down on the main deck, Victoria Fitzgerald had a hard time sleeping. We were sliding head to toe in the bed, said The University of Alabama PhD student. I clung to my sheets like a baby koala, just hanging on for dear life. Carolyn Beeler/The World The view from a bedroom porthole looking out on Drake Passage. The same ocean that tossed the Palmer around as it traveled, slowly, toward Thwaites, is thought to be responsible for melting the glacier. Warm ocean water is reaching the part of the glacier that extends out into the sea, and its disappearing twice as fast as it did two decades ago. Thwaites currently contributes roughly 4% to global sea level rise, according to NASA, and over the past four decades has spit more than 600 gigatons of ice out into the sea. Changing winds are now pushing this warm water up onto the continental shelf in front of West Antarctica, where its eating away at the regions ice shelves. Scientists believe the main culprit is a warm, salty mass of deep water that starts in the North Atlantic and rides the ocean currents toward Antarctica. Changing winds are now pushing this warmer water up onto the continental shelf in front of West Antarctica, where its eating away at the regions ice shelves. Previous expeditions have found this warm water in front of nearby glaciers, but this trip marks the first time scientists will directly measure if, and how much, of it is reaching Thwaites. Basically, we [had] no idea what the ocean looks like there, said Sheehan, who works at the University of East Anglia in the UK and was embarking on his first trip to Antarctica. So, that is really exciting. Thats kind of like harking back to the ancient age of Antarctic exploration; were going somewhere that no ones ever been before. Changing winds here may be linked to climate change, but a lack of long-term data in the region and a poor understanding of the processes at work means scientists are hesitant to draw a direct connection. Essentially, you need 30 years of data before you talk about climate, said Lars Boehme, an oceanographer and ecologist from Scotlands University of St. Andrews who attached sensors to seals near Thwaites that will record ocean temperatures and salinity as the animals swim. Separately, data gathered from sensors on a robotic submarine, deployed by a team led by Anna Wahlin from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, will begin to reveal the fine-scale processes pushing warm ocean water up toward Thwaites. To read into the glaciers past, University of Alabama sedimentologist Becky Minzoni is examining samples from the seafloor in front of Thwaites. To understand present changes and [predict] future changes, you really need to have an understanding of the past, Minzoni said. Once Minzoni and colleagues look for markers of warm water in the sediment cores they bring home, theyll begin to unravel the puzzle of how long this warmer water has been reaching Thwaites, and whether it drove past ice retreat. This data will help modelers improve predictions of sea level rise, and give places like New Orleans, Minzonis hometown, an idea of how to plan for the future. Nothing goes as planned in Antarctica Before the research in front of Thwaites could begin, the ship had to get there. As the Palmer sailed through the Southern Ocean and drew nearer to the Amundsen Sea, marine geophysicists Graham and Kelly Hogan, from the British Antarctic Survey, paid close attention to satellite ice images of the area in front of Thwaites. They hoped to sail right up to the glaciers face and map the seafloor there for the first time, in part to identify the underwater trenches and channels bringing warm, deep water up to the glaciers face. In early February, images showed the sea there was still almost entirely covered in ice. But a few days later, the researchers spotted dark splotches of open water in front of Thwaites. Thats the very best situation for us to survey and look at the seafloor, Hogan said while looking at the black-and-white image in the ships main lab. Its really good conditions, and its just getting better, so its really exciting. Carolyn Beeler/The World The Nathaniel B. Palmer anchored off the Rothera research station near the Antarctic Peninsula. Nearing its destination offshore of the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica, the ship had to divert back north to the station for a medical emergency. But nothing ever goes according to plan in Antarctica. Just hours before arriving at the face of Thwaites, the Palmer reversed course for a medical evacuation. The 10-day round trip to the nearest science base where a plane could take a sick passenger to a hospital reminded oceanographer Sheehan of how foreign Antarctica is to humans. This isnt our part of the world, Sheehan said. For me, this [medical evacuation] just underlines that fact, and how difficult it is to get here, and how difficult it is to understand anything about it at all. Carolyn Beeler/The World The front face of Thwaites Glacier rises an estimated 60 feet to 75 feet above water in the areas where it is most intact. Roughly 90% of an ice shelf typically sits below the water line. Is Thwaites doomed? When the ship finally reached Thwaites at the end of February, it traveled along the roughly 75-mile glacier face to map the previously uncharted seafloor at its edge. In places like this where glaciers meet the sea, they typically resemble tall cliffs, nearly ruler-straight across the top and uniform in height, like the surface of a butcher-block table. Small parts of the eastern ice shelf where the ship first arrived at Thwaites matched that description. But as the journey went on, the glaciers appearance changed and the upbeat mood on the bridge became more somber. "It doesn't look like ice shelves I've seen before." Lars Boehme, University of St. Andrews It doesnt look like ice shelves Ive seen before, said Boehme, the oceanographer and ecologist from the University of St. Andrews. Carolyn Beeler/The World The irregular shapes and downward slope characteristic at the face of much of Thwaites Glacier are signs of its instability. Crevasses and low points mark sites where future icebergs may calve, or where ice has broken off and frozen back together. The top of the ice shelf was wavy and formed an overhang, like a house with snow hanging off its eaves. In some places, instead of ending in a sheer cliff, the ice shelf gently tapered down toward the sea like a sledding hill. In the late afternoon, jagged peaks stuck out of the ice shelf at weird angles, making the glacier look like a giant pile of rocks covered in snow. [It] looks like big icebergs and ice cubes frozen together, Boehme said. It looks very chaotic. This strange-looking ice face which the Palmer was sailing across is vital to the entire glaciers stability. Its where land-based ice flows off the continent of Antarctica and into the sea, forming a floating ice shelf at the edge of the glacier. This ice shelf gets stuck on high points on the seafloor and squeezed from the sides, and acts like a wine cork, slowing the flow of land-based ice from hundreds of miles inland out into the sea. But as this stabilizing ice shelf thins, it lifts off so-called pinning points on the seabed and provides less resistance. If the shelf thins too much and lifts completely off the seafloor, its like the cork is pulled out of the wine bottle, allowing the Florida-sized piece of ice to flow faster and break off into giant icebergs. This is already happening. Over the last several years, radar imagery shows that warm water eating away at the western part of the ice shelf created a cavity two-thirds the size of Manhattan, big enough to hold 14 billion tons of ice. As the cavity formed, the ice shelf started melting faster, thinning by nearly 700 feet a year between 2014 and 2017. When scientists saw the ice front in this region up close for the first time, they were surprised by how fractured and fragmented it looked. But they cautioned against drawing any conclusions based solely on appearances. When scientists saw the ice front in this region up close for the first time, they were surprised by how fractured and fragmented it looked. But they cautioned against drawing any conclusions based solely on appearances. It might be that even though the ice shelf looks visually quite different than how I expected it to, that actually it hasnt changed the way its stabilizing the glacier behind, marine geophysicist Graham said. Larter, the Palmers chief scientist, said at the beginning of the cruise he wasnt necessarily convinced the collapse of Thwaites was inevitable. Theres still a lot of uncertainties, theres a lot we dont know about Thwaites Glacier, and thats why its worth doing this research, Larter said. Journalists group begins struggle against Media Council Bill The Federation of Nepali Journalists has said its struggle against the governments plan to control the media has started and that it will continue its fight until the Media Council Bill is withdrawn from Parliament. Welcome, Neighbor! Thank you for sharing my journey with me. It's a bumpy ride, but hopefully you'll find it worthwhile! To reach out to me, send me an e-mail at jamesbradfordpate@yahoo.com. Malone receives Gateways to Opportunity credential MATTOON Deborah Malone of Mattoon has received a Gateways to Opportunity Family Child Care Credential Level 2. Gateways credentials are recognized by the state of Illinois and are awarded through the Illinois Department of Human Services, Bureau of Child Care and Development. On January 21, 2010, the Gateways to Opportunity Credentials were signed into law and are now an important part of professional development. The Gateways Family Child Care Credential is awarded based on the education level, knowledge, skills and experience of family child care professionals. Gateways to Opportunity is a system where early care and education, school-age, youth development, and family services practitioners are recognized for their professional development and achievements. Chris Hall earns CAWC designation MATTOON Chris Hall of Mattoon has been awarded the Certified Authority on Workers Compensation (CAWC) designation. This program targets specific aspects of workers compensation and prepares the agents to help manage workers compensation more efficiently and cost-effectively. Hall is a producer for InsureChampaign one of the largest independent agencies in East Central Illinois and with business in all 48 states. Wolke joins Craig & Craig as associate MATTOON Steven R. Wolke of rural Sigel has joined the law firm of Craig & Craig, LLC as an associate in the Mattoon office. Wolke is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University and the Southern Illinois University School of Law. He had previously been employed as a clerk at Craig & Craig, LLC and served as a legal intern at Heartland Dental, LLC. He also formerly worked at Wolke Nursery of rural Sigel. Mattoon Rehabilitation honors Aleshire MATTOON Amber Aleshire has been honored as the employee of the month for March at Mattoon Rehabilitation & Health Care Center. Aleshire has been a certified nursing assistant for more than five years at the center, 2121 S. Ninth St. I enjoy taking care of all my residents, they are like family to me. They know I will always be there for them when they need something or even if they just need a listening ear. I enjoy working at Mattoon Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, Aleshire said. "I have been accepted into the nursing program this fall and I look forward to becoming a nurse." Mattoon Rehabilitation & Health Care Center reported that Aleshire is a team player and was voted employee of the month by her peers. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Mattoon Chamber of Commerce wants to remind everyone how critically important it is to support your local businesses. One of the best ways is through our Chamber Buck$ program. Shopping locally helps to keep and create employment opportunities in our community. The tax dollars generated from buying locally are used for improvements to city streets, police and fire protection and overall infrastructure enhancements. Your friends, family and neighbors who work for or own these local businesses reap the benefits since Chamber Buck$ can only be spent in our community. The Mattoon Chamber of Commerce has offered the Chamber Buck$ program for over 20 years. Our program helps keep tax dollars in our community. The Chamber Buck$ program is being used by nearly 70 Mattoon Chamber member businesses. How does it work? Any business or individual simply stops by the Chamber office and purchases Chamber Buck$ to be given away as gifts, employee incentives, employee bonuses, etc. These Chamber Buck$ are then used just like cash at any of the participating member establishments with no cost to the individual or the member businesses. We handle all the costs of running the program to make sure everyone has the full dollar for dollar benefits of the program. Most of the Chamber Buck$ are purchased by area businesses as rewards for their employees and associates. Many of our local industries have invested in our community in a big way since we started the program by purchasing $10,000 or more in Chamber Buck$ each and every year. These companies provide Chamber Buck$ to their employees for many reasons including work anniversaries, achieving production goals, perfect attendance, etc. These businesses understand and appreciate the importance of having their associates and vendors reinvesting in the Mattoon community. Recently LSC Communications purchased over $55,000 in Chamber Buck$ as incentives for their employees. This was a major investment in our local community and we appreciate their support of shopping local. Chamber Buck$ are available in increments of $5, $10, $20, and $25. They are dollar-for-dollar! In other words, if you purchase $20, you receive $20; if you redeem $20, you are reimbursed $20. There are no hidden fees or costs; it is a service provided by the Chamber. Participating businesses simply turn in the Chamber Buck$ they receive to the Chamber office for reimbursement. If you have any questions regarding our Chamber Buck$ program, you can contact us by calling 217-235-5661. You can also e-mail us at director@mattoonchamber.com. We also have a link on our website, www.mattoonchamber.com, which highlights the participating Chamber members where the Buck$ can be spent. Always remember to shop local, invest locally and support local businesses! Ed Dowd is the executive director of the Mattoon Chamber of Commerce. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 MATTOON -- Joseph Edward Fuesting, age 58, of Mattoon passed away on May 12, 2019 at Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital. Funeral Services honoring his life will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at Schilling Funeral Home with Pastor Ken King officiating. Burial will follow at Dodge Grove Cemetery. Visitation for family and friends will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service on Tuesday at the funeral home. Schilling Funeral Home is assisting the family. Joe was born on February 6, 1961 in Mattoon the son of Frank and Geraldine Gerry (Wilson) Fuesting Jr. Survivors include his brother, Mark Alan Fuesting of Mattoon, IL; sister, Angela Kay (Tim) Diltz of Naples, FL; nephews, Clayton Diltz and Tyler Diltz both of Naples, FL; and numerous cousins. Joe was preceded in death by his parents. Joe graduated from Mattoon High School class of 1980. He worked in parts distribution for Hewlett Packard from 1985 until 2003. Joe later worked for Kraft Foods in Champaign, Illinois. Joe was baptized and attended the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Mattoon. He was an avid diver and enjoyed traveling to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Egypt and the United States. Joe had a love for animals, especially his Collie, Sonny. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in his honor may be given to the Coles County Animal Shelter. Online condolences may be expressed at www.schillingfuneralhome.net or Schilling Funeral Homes Facebook page. 1. Comments must not be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted. 2. Comments must not involve little more than name-calling and insulting remarks. 3. Comments must not be made by "anonymous" or "unknown". 4. Comments must not try to sneak in some free advertising for themselves (like spam). I invite anyone who wishes to comment on this blog to do so. I enjoy the comments, whether you agree with what I have said or not. But some people want to abuse the right to comment, and since this is my blog, I have decided to lay down the following rules. If your comment violates these rules, it will not be published. Legislation to enact a new business tax incentives package that would succeed the expiring Nebraska Advantage Act appears to be in some jeopardy. The bill (LB720) may have become ensnared within the rural-urban differences that are apparent in the developing battle over property tax relief in the Legislature and it might struggle to command the 33 votes that would be required to jump a filibuster if opponents choose to try to trap it. Failure to enact a new package in advance of next year's demise of Nebraska Advantage would send a negative signal to business leaders who usually plan new developments or expansion a couple of years or more in advance, supporters of the new proposal note. A one-year extension of the current act remains available as a backup legislative plan. Nebraska Advantage is set to expire at the end of 2020. Debate on the new incentive package, called Imagine Nebraska, is scheduled to begin on Wednesday and Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward, sponsor of the bill, said Monday he's on the cusp of compiling a filibuster-proof majority. Kolowski, a retired school administrator, also questioned whether LB670 would be constitutional under Nebraska law. Public funding can only go to schools run or controlled by the state or a local political subdivision, he said. "LB670 is an end run around these provisions," he added, using public tax dollars for private gain by reducing the amount of income taxes collected by the state to be used in the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act, better known as TEEOSA. Lincoln Sen. Kate Bolz also said she was concerned LB670 would have a significant effect on the state's budget, making it harder for the state to pay its obligations in the coming decade. An analysis by the Legislative Fiscal Office estimated $10 million in tax credits would be claimed in LB670's first year. By 2030, the tax credits claimed would potentially rise to $93 million. Linehan said she disagreed with Kolowski's view that the bill was unconstitutional, as well as Bolz's concerns over the fiscal analysis: "We are not giving private schools any state funding, it's the donors who are giving the money. We are giving a tax credit." An amended version of a bill that would allow landowners a foot in the courthouse door if eminent domain is threatened was sent to Gov. Pete Ricketts on Monday. The Legislature passed a bill (LB155) that had been changed as part of a compromise. It addresses the use of eminent domain for private industrial wind farms. The bill doesn't do what was originally intended, but it opens the ability to fight an eminent domain issue and whether it is in the public interest to allow it, said Sen. Tom Brewer, who introduced the bill. "We didn't have that before. And that's huge," Brewer said. "Because before it was given if it was a wind farm, and they wanted the right of way, all they had to do was ask (Nebraska Public Power District) or (Omaha Public Power District) and it was automatic (that) it was considered for the use of the public." The choices were to take this or have nothing, Brewer said. It's halfway to what Brewer and landowners in the Sandhills wanted, and he will work on it again next year, he said. An 82-year-old man serving a life sentence for second-degree murder died at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution on Saturday evening. Jerry Hansen died at 5:13 p.m. at the prison. He started his sentence on May 20, 1965, at the age of 28 after his conviction in Saunders County. Hansen's next parole date would have been in January. A cause of death has not been determined. As is the case whenever an inmate dies in custody in Nebraska, a grand jury will conduct an investigation. Reach the writer at 402-473-7241 or cspilinek@journalstar.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 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. Parents and teachers offer a support system for students, he said. District builds 'ACT culture' to aid kids on college exam OMAHA An Omaha school district has built an "ACT culture" to aid students in doing well on the college entrance exam. But thats not all that may be going on, officials added. Since 2017, Nebraska has been giving the ACT to all juniors. The test is used in lieu of a state assessment test in high school, and the change means that schools have aligned their curriculum to make sure theyre teaching material that appears on the test. As part of the states contract with ACT, districts can offer either free online test preparation or offer the pre-ACT test to students. Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt said the state has also made a concerted effort to make state standards more rigorous, and that creates higher expectations, which students tend to meet. Students and parents may also be more focused on the ACT because of the scholarship advantages that a good score offers, he said. As is typical with states who give the ACT to all students, Nebraskas composite score has gone down slightly. It is one of just 19 states where all juniors take the test, and in 2018, just four of those states had a better composite score than Nebraska's. Slavery isnt an isolated thing, its in every part of the city the Navy Yard and across from the White House and you have these reverberations of this legal actions taken by enslaved people, he said. Its not an unknown factor. While slavery is generally thought of in abstract terms, or as an institution that just happened to a mass of people for a time in U.S. history, Thomas said, the O Say Can You See project is helping redefine the history as one of individuals and families. I think Americans need to begin thinking about slavery in family terms, as the enslavement of particular families, he said. Thats what this project really aims to do, to highlight the particularity of the family experience and to put new families into American history. A few years ago, Amari Jackson, a journalist, writer and researcher from Atlanta, began tracing the history of the 100-acre farm that has been in his family since 1906, as well as his family lineage. But he hit a roadblock several generations back on his fathers side, unable to locate much information about the Shorter family until he found a listing of the more than 30 freedom lawsuits the enslaved Shorter family filed as documented in the UNL project. Province 1 sets up government liaison office in Dhankuta Chief Minister of Province 1 Sherdhan Rai inaugurated the provincial governments liaison office in Dhankuta on Sunday. The office has been set up in the building of the then regional administration office. However, the incident raises questions about maritime security in the UAE, home to Dubai's Jebel Ali port, the largest man-made deep-water harbor in the world that is also the U.S. Navy's busiest port of call outside of America. From the coast, AP journalists saw an Emirati coast guard vessel patrolling near the area of one of the Saudi ships in Fujairah, some 130 miles (210 kilometers) northeast of Dubai on the Gulf of Oman. Fujairah also is about 140 kilometers (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. The alleged sabotage caused jitters in global oil markets, as benchmark Brent crude rose in trading to over $71.50 a barrel Monday, a change of 1.3%. Al-Falih, the Saudi energy minister, said the attacks on the two Saudi tankers happened at 6 a.m. Sunday. He said "the attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill," though he acknowledge it affected "the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world." Only about a third of people say the general quality of health-care coverage in America is good, and this worries them a great deal. But they tend to think that they themselves are doing just fine. Arguably, the reason they hate the system so much is that they're fond of their own coverage and fear losing it. It's nice, of course, that most Americans are reasonably happy with their insurance. However, if you agree with them that the health-care system desperately needs a gut renovation, their satisfaction is something of a problem. Consider the political explosion when the Affordable Care Act went into effect, and a relatively small number of people lost their insurance plans. In vain did the Obama administration shout that the old insurance was "junk" and consumers would like the new plans much better; livid citizens stormed the offices of their nearest representative. Within weeks, the administration was scrambling to allow existing insurance to continue under Obamacare, and President Barack Obama was forced to apologize. RACINE SC Johnson has announced it is continuing to address the plastic waste crisis by expanding and widening access to its concentrate offerings. The Racine-based consumer products company said 1 million plastic bottles are reportedly bought around the world every minute of each day. Plastic waste is becoming a bigger and bigger environmental problem, stated SCJ Chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson. We hope more people can give concentrates a try, as every single time you use a concentrate bottle you use nearly 80% less plastic waste. Since the unveiling of Windex concentrates in 2011, SCJ has steadily expanded its refill options to other cleaning brands including Pledge, Scrubbing Bubbles, Shout and Fantastik. The new line of SCJ concentrates will begin rolling out in the United States and Canada this month, with Scrubbing Bubbles, Windex and Fantastik bottles and two-count refills set to hit Amazon and other e-commerce retailers including Target and Walmart websites first. The next wave of concentrate refills including Scrubbing Bubbles, Windex and Mr. Muscle will be available for purchase online in Mexico this July and in the United Kingdom starting in August. China and Japan will follow in September. SCJ said its trigger bottles deliver more than 10,000 sprays and can be refilled dozens of times. The companys Windex bottles have been made with 100% post-consumer recycled plastic since 2015, and this spring the company introduced the first-ever 100% recycled ocean plastic bottle from a major home cleaning brand with its Windex Vinegar line. Plans are underway to launch a 100% Social Plastic Windex bottle with partner Plastic Bank by this fall; the bottle is designed to help the environment and address poverty at the same time. For more information on SCJs commitment to addressing plastic pollution, visit www.scjohnson.com/plastic Love 2 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. ELMWOOD PARK The Village Board unanimously adopted a 5-year strategic plan for the operations and success of the village after a 45-minute presentation Thursday by Administrator Christophe Jenkins, who facilitated the process. The Strategic Planning Committee was comprised of eight members four village trustees and four village residents and met from December through this month. In a room packed with residents at Thursdays board meeting, Jenkins highlighted the new mission statement for the village and five values the village government will hold itself accountable to for its residents: The mission statement read: The Village of Elmwood Park is committed to providing a high standard of living to all residents by offering quality municipal services along with creating a safe, healthy and active environment in a park-like setting. The five adopted values are: A strong sense of community. A safe and healthy community. A park-like atmosphere. Strong infrastructure. Fiscally responsible community for both residents and government. Each of the values were supported by detailed statements and bullet points on ways they could be achieved. Also adopted Thursday was a new organizational chart for the village, allocating more of the day-to-day operations to the village administrator while giving vital supporting roles to the Village Board of Trustees. This new line of communication holds people accountable and gives a clear direction for addressing villagers concerns as they arise, Jenkins said. Infrastructure upgrades On the infrastructure side, estimates for tackling four road projects over the next five years were detailed. Oak Tree Lane, East Elmwood Drive, South Elmwood Drive and Elm Tree Court were proposed for upgrading at a total estimated cost of $350,000. Jenkins stressed the importance of applying for grants to aid in the funding of these projects. A villagewide LED streetlight conversion program also was recommended. Jenkins said that working with Focus on Energy grant savings, the village could implement this cost-saving measure for just $10,000. The presentation concluded with maintenance items recommended for the village-owned Taylor Complex and Beebe School buildings, totaling an estimated $50,000. Maintaining revenue Jenkins stressed the importance of continuing the revenue streams maintained from hall and gym rentals, leased buildings and grants before approaching village residents with any sort of request for additional tax dollars. Elmwood Park is a unique village. The income streams outside of the general tax levy is not a common feature in municipal government, so it provides us with a unique opportunity to tackle these objectives, Jenkins said. Newly elected Village President Ernie Rossi praised the efforts of residents, the Strategic Planning Committee and Village Board. I am pleased that not only the Village Board unanimously approved this huge step forward, but that the residents who attended this meeting were engaged and supportive of the village moving in this direction, Rossi said. Our goals and values are now clear, and we hope to utilize these to keep Elmwood Park in a positive direction. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 RACINE North Pointe United Methodist Church wants the public to know that it welcomes members of the LGBT community into all aspects of its ministry, even if the United Methodist Church as a whole does not. In February the General Conference, an international body made up of 1,000 delegates that sets policy and speaks for the United Methodist Church, voted to maintain restrictions for its LGBT members. This means self-avowed practicing homosexuals cannot be ordained as ministers in the UMC. The leaders and the congregation at North Pointe, 3825 Erie St., are not OK with that. Its not right, said church member Paula Thorson. Its not the United Methodist Church that I want to be a part of. The United Methodist Church I want to be a part of is inclusive of everybody. Although UMCs Book of Discipline, its international rules of conduct, says LGBT people are welcome at its churches, can receive sacraments and be baptized, it also says the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Several of North Pointes leaders said they wept when they learned of the General Conferences decision to maintain restrictions on LGBT members. The decision also means that UMC ministers are not allowed to officiate same-sex marriages and gay members of the clergy may be stripped of their credentials and lose their jobs. The decisions made by the General Conference were upheld by the churchs Judicial Council basically UMCs Supreme Court in late April, and the rules are now set to be put into place Jan. 1, 2020. I think we forget that Christ tells us that we should love everyone, said Ron Morishita, co-chair of North Pointes leadership board. North Pointe has yet to vote to become a reconciling congregation or one that seeks full inclusion for LGBT people in the United Methodist Church, but its members are overwhelmingly in favor, with 91 percent voting to make a public statement of welcome to the LGBT community. Historical split The Methodist church has a history of division over issues of equality, splitting in the 19th century over disagreements regarding slavery. Women in the United Methodist Church fought for years to be allowed full clergy rights before they were granted in 1956. We can see that mistakes were made in the past, and we need to unshackle ourselves from them and move forward through Jesus Christ, our Lord, said Pauline Mitchell, co-chair of North Pointes leadership board. For some of North Pointes leaders, this issue hits close to home. Charlie Bauer-King, North Pointe pastor emeritus, and his wife Nancy Bauer-King have a lesbian daughter and a transgender grandchild. This stuff, for me, just feels really personal, Nancy Bauer-King said. Martha Jackson Oppeneer, UMC minister and counselor, said she has a sister who left the ministry after coming out. We all have our stories of family members and friends who have suffered greatly and the church has suffered because weve lost their talent, weve lost their voices, Jackson Oppeneer said. Mitchell believes that every member of the congregation needs to stand up for whats right. North Pointe is far from the only United Methodist Church to speak out against the General Conference decision, and Mitchell said its largely been a grassroots effort. The people on top dont necessarily change anything until the people on the bottom force them to, and thats what were doing, she said. The group of eight representatives from North Pointe that sat down with The Journal Times on Sunday agreed that there could be another split coming in the United Methodist Church over LGBT issues, with the more liberal Reconciling Congregations in favor of full equality and the more conservative Wesleyan Covenant Association backing the General Conference decision. Commentary from North Pointe United Methodist clergy: Saying no to discrimination How is it that some people still find it necessary and appropriate to judge another? In the last 100 years the church has recognized the sin o Love 1 Funny 2 Wow 2 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. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Carpetland USA Just adding interesting stuff to the blog in my spare time, so pardon the miscellany and lack of any organization. If you need to email about something (not hood ornaments) that isn't relevant to the comment section, e mail me at jbohjkl@yahoo.com, which will be responded to pretty fast on weekdays Images used IAW Title 17 U.S. Code 107 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107 This is under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial License, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non commercial and is otherwise in compliance with the license.See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/legalcode - Former VP Jojo Binay's vote got rejected 8 times due to a vote-counting machine error - According to Principal Jina Iligan of San Antonio National High School, it was due to a paper jam caused by the machine - Iligan added that Binay's vote will be counted once the machine gets fixed 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! Former Vice President Jejomar "Jojo" Binay went to his poll precinct early Monday morning in Makati City, as KAMI found out from the report. However, the machine reportedly rejected his ballot 8 times. According to Principal Jina Iligan of San Antonio National High School where Binay voted, it was due to a paper jam caused by the vote-counting machine. She said to an interview with CNN Philippines: "Nag-bog down, paper jam ang ating machine. Inaayos ngayon ng technician." Nevertheless, the vote of former VP Binay will be counted once the machine gets fixed. "(Ang balota niya) safe na naka-folder... Ifi-feed po ulit mamaya ang kaniyang balota kasi hindi siya marked, walang sira. Kapag maayos mamaya ang machine, ifi-feed ulit 'yon." Former Vice President Jejomar "Jojo" Binay reportedly said that he will go to the Commission on Elections to complain about the incident. Binay is also running as 1st District Rep. of Makati City. Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Our team went out to the streets again to ask Tricky Questions to our fellow kababayans. Get more exciting, fun, insightful, and hilarious videos by clicking here - HumanMeter YouTube channel Source: KAMI.com.gh - According to the latest update on Bingbong Crisologo's arrest, a certain Renato Echas got apprehended in Brgy. Bahay Toro - The voter reportedly was found to have alleged 800-peso money and a volunteer card with the QC mayoral candidate picture - Police reportedly told the reporters that around 7:30 p.m. they conducted an anti-vote buying operation in a house in Brgy. Bahay Toro 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! KAMI learned the latest update on Quezon City's mayoral candidate Vincent "Bingbong" Crisologo's arrest. CNN Philippines reported that the police said they conducted an anti-vote buying operation in a house in Barangay Bahay Toro, and a certain Renato Echas got arrested. Echas reportedly was found to have alleged 800-peso money and a volunteer card with Bingbong Crisologo's face which apparently led to the arrest of 43 others. The report added that Crisologo got arrested after an altercation with the police in relation to the alleged vote-buying incidents that happened on election eve. According to the news source, and we quote: "When the operatives were supposed to bring out the nabbed people, mayoralty bet and 1st District Rep. Crisologo arrived. The report claimed Crisologo humiliated the police operatives. The police operations leader, PCMS Luisito Maninang, was injured after he was pulled by Crisologo and house owner Arturo delos Reyes inside the house." This reportedly led to Quezon City's mayoral candidate Vincent "Bingbong" Crisologo's arrest and detention with his son Atty. Frederick William "Edrix" Crisologo in Quezon City Police Department Headquarters. In the most recent report, Larry Gadon just confirmed that he's now the lawyer of QC mayoral candidate Crisologo. Earlier, we reported about 'Vincent "Bingbong" Crisologo arrested for his group's alleged vote buying in QC. Latest Update: We just learned that Quezon City mayoral candidate Vincent "Bingbong" Crisologo is now free after being issued released order by the QC Prosecutor's Office. Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Our team went out to the streets again to ask Tricky Questions to our fellow kababayans. Get more exciting, fun, insightful, and hilarious videos by clicking here - HumanMeter YouTube channel Source: KAMI.com.gh Authorities have released the name of the Sauk City, Wis., man who was killed Thursday in a two-vehicle crash on Hwy. 71 in Monroe County. James Heine, 30, was driving a 1991 Dodge Caravan eastbound about 1:30 p.m. when his vehicle crossed the centerline near Hwy. W, east of Kendall, striking a semi-truck traveling westbound, according to the Monroe County Sheriffs Office. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck was driven by Steven Kast of Tomah. He was not injured. The crash is being investigated by the Monroe County Sheriffs Office, Wisconsin State Patrol and the Monroe County Medical Examiner. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 5 Angry 0 Raging forest fire that claimed a life and destroyed 10 houses in Salyan is yet to be contained The raging forest fire in a community forest of Chhatreswori Rural Municipality-6, Salyan, has not come under control yet. Six months after a mining company said it had scrapped plans for a contested frac sand operation in western Wisconsin, a lawsuit is still lingering as the company refuses to relinquish a key permit. In 2016, three families sued to stop Terracor Resources from opening a 1,018-acre mine, processing and loading facility on nearby land in Jackson County. Their case was based on the assumption that a mine would inevitably infringe on the peaceful enjoyment of their land, a legal principal largely untested in Wisconsin. Terracor was later bought by OmniTRAX, a Colorado shipping company. In November, after a circuit court judge refused to throw out the complaint, an attorney for OmniTRAX said the project was dead, and the plaintiffs attorney said they would be dropping the lawsuit. But the parties were unable to agree on terms for a temporary injunction. Earlier this spring, OmniTRAX filed a new motion to dismiss, arguing that it is not moving forward for business and financial reasons as well as logistics and therefore the complaint is moot. OmniTRAX says it has yet to post the required reclamation bond with the county, has terminated its mining agreement with the town, and has released its options to purchase necessary land. As speculative and premature as the request for an anticipatory nuisance declaration may have been three years ago, the company argues, it is multiple times more so at this juncture. Attorney Tim Jacobson said his clients will not agree to drop the case so long as OmniTRAX holds a permit from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources allowing it to fill about 4 acres of wetlands for the rail loading facility. Issued last year, the permit gives OmniTRAX until April 2021 to fill the wetlands, although the DNR can also grant an extension for good cause. This fact seems to contradict OmniTRAXs expressed intentions to not proceed with frac sand mining, Jacobson said. We are concerned that a voluntary dismissal by us would pave the way for OmniTRAX to advertise the site as being free of litigation and ready for a new mining company to sweep in and try to re-establish mining rights. OmniTRAX attorney Richard White did not respond to a request for comment. Judge Scott Horne has scheduled a hearing on the matter for July 29. Horne last year dismissed a similar nuisance case against AllEnergy Sands, which is seeking to build a 750-acre mine and processing operation several miles away. That decision was later upheld by an appeals court, which said the plaintiffs did not provide enough evidence to show they would be harmed but ruled that anticipated private nuisance is recognized under Wisconsin law. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Representative Travis Tranel, R-Cuba City, and I officially introduced Senate Bill 186, the Dairy Innovation Hub bill this week. This bill is also co-sponsored by Representative Tony Kurtz, R-Wonewoc, and Rep. Todd Novak, R-Dodgeville. Wisconsin has long been known as a dairy superpower worldwide. We have always been on the cutting edge of dairy innovation, research and technology. We have been proud of this distinction. Unfortunately, the dairy industry and agriculture is in crisis. Declining milk prices and financial hardship are a constant worry for our farmers. As a result, we are often asked to do something about the ag-industry crisis! I believe the Dairy Innovation Hub bill has real potential to answer this call. This bill allocates $7.9 million to create a Dairy Innovation Hub at UW-Madison, UW-Platteville and UW-River Falls to re-prioritize and restore focus on dairy innovation in Wisconsin. UW-Madison will receive 52 percent of the money, while UW-Platteville and UW-River Falls will each receive 24 percent. This investment represents less than 0.02 percent of Wisconsins dairy economy. This Dairy Innovation Hub idea is a direct result of the hard work of the Dairy Task Force 2.0, which was revived by Gov. Scott Walker in June 2018 to maintain a viable and profitable dairy industry in Wisconsin. Task Force membership includes farmers, milk processors and marketers, allied organizations, legislators and university leadership. This bill is the top recommendation of this task force so far. More ideas and initiatives will be coming in the future. The goal of this investment is to attract and support world-class researchers to lead focused research in four sectors: 1. Steward land and water resources. 2. Enrich human health and nutrition. 3. Ensure animal health and welfare. 4. Grow farm businesses and communities. It is important to point out that the Dairy Innovation Hub is NOT about increasing production. We are already really good at this. Instead, we will be dedicating the same caliber of effort, research and innovation we have given to production to new priorities. Dairy Innovation Hub research will: Address water quality issues. Develop new and unique dairy products. Examine new, non-food uses for dairy products. Apply dairy research to real-life issues. Open new markets for Wisconsin dairy products. Actively deploy research discoveries to the dairy industry. Each campus will be given flexibility to use the funding in its own way to achieve the goals of the Dairy Innovation Hub. This can include hiring faculty and staff researchers, empowering students to conduct research and providing support for research facilities and infrastructure. Last week the Joint Finance Committee concluded its public hearings on the state budget. At every public meeting held around the state, we heard requests to include the Dairy Innovation Hub in the budget. Overall, I am confident that this recommendation from the Dairy Task Force 2.0 is a strong, powerful step toward real results that will help the dairy industry and agriculture overall. Republican Howard Marklein, Spring Green, represents the 17th state Senate District. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Nicholas C. Meeusen, 34, of Tomah passed away Wednesday, May 8, 2019, at the William S. Middleton Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wis. He was born March 5, 1985, to Craig and Jane (Ternes) Meeusen in Madison. Nick is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he earned several medals throughout his lifetime. Nick enjoyed spending as much time outdoors as possible, especially hunting, fishing and camping. Nick had a very soft heart, especially when it came to the family pets. When he was growing up, Nick had a few different pets, including a hamster and a lizard. He always enjoyed spending time with both of the family cats as well (his favorite was Tiger). Nick joined the Army a few years after graduating high school in Tomah. He was stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany, for two years during which, he was deployed to Ramadi, Iraq. After being discharged from the service, he pursued higher education at Richland Center. During this time, he was called back into service from an Inactive Readiness Reserve status, for an additional deployment to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Upon returning home, Nick studied environmental science at UW-Stevens Point and welding at Wisconsin Technical College. He also spent time working at Mathews Archery, Inc., in Sparta, where he was able to work with bows, which fed into his passion of bow hunting. Nick was a hard worker who applied himself wholeheartedly into his passions. He will live on in memories and be sorely missed. He is survived by his parents, Craig and Jane Meeusen; brothers, Chris (Lindsay) Meeusen, Mike (fiance, Jess Herrmann) Meeusen; nieces, Haileigh and Harper Meeusen; along with many other aunts, uncles, cousins; and his battle buddies. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Clarence and Elsie Meeusen and Myron and Dorothy Ternes; and an aunt, Joan Meeusen. Nicks family would like to thank the doctors and staff at the VA Hospital in Madison, for the wonderful care they provided for him while he was under their care. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 14, at the Bible Evangelical Free Church in Tomah. Pastor Tim Erickson and Pastor Neil Nelson will officiate. Family and friends are invited for visitation from 9 a.m. until the time of service Tuesday at the church. Burial with full military honors will follow at Mount Vernon Cemetery in Tomah. The Torkelson Funeral Home of Tomah is assisting the family with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to The Wounded Warrior Project or the National Center for PTSD. Online condolences are available at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com. The Wisconsin dairy industry, challenged in numerous ways, remains an inescapable presence in the state from the remaining number of small family farms dotting the landscape from county to county to the sprawling mega-farms housing thousands of cows. Not as apparent, though, is the moneymaking magnitude of a business sector that contributes nearly $44 billion annually to the states economy. And, industry experts say, with that powerful economic punch comes the need for continued research to fuel the dairy industry. Its really scary how few people in Wisconsin really know the impact that the dairy industry has on the entire state, said Chad Vincent, CEO of the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, which is the marketing and promotion arm of the states dairy farmers. The Wisconsin Legislature is considering a bill introduced late last month by Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green; Rep. Travis Tranel, R-Cuba City; and 26 other Republicans that asks the state to spend $7.9 million a year to fund dairy research at three UW-System campuses. Proponents say the bill is aimed specifically at improving every aspect of the struggling dairy industry. It calls for all-encompassing research to take place at a Dairy Innovation Hub within the campuses of UW-Madison, UW-River Falls and UW-Platteville, with a goal of finding solutions to problems that have frustrated the industry and its critics for decades. The hub includes four research spokes: Improving the industrys negative effects on the environment. Protecting the health and welfare of cows. Enhancing health and nutritional benefits for people. Strengthening the industrys businesses and the rural communities in which they are located. Its about how do we produce whatever amount of milk we need more efficiently with less manure, less land resources needed, less methane without damaging the water supply, said Kent Weigel, chairman of the dairy science department at UW-Madison. Its about doing it in a way that the consumer finds acceptable. Plans also include an academy that would provide dairy professionals throughout the state with ongoing training to keep them updated on new technology and other industry information. Marklein believes the research hub would strengthen Wisconsins leadership position within the global dairy market. I think its going to be a way to reinvigorate our dairy industry and, if nothing else, to let our industry know that we havent forgotten them, he said. Sen. Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, said some in his caucus think Marklein jumped the gun with his proposal. Smith, a first-term senator, said he was unaware that Marklein was working on the legislation, even though Smith is on the Committee for Agriculture, Revenue and Financial Institutions, which Marklein chairs. It would have been nice to have been given a heads-up and an opportunity to work with him on it, said Smith. The expectation was that something like this should come out of a task force that was bipartisan. Beacon of hope Shelly Mayer, a Washington County dairy farmer and the executive director of the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, called the bill a beacon of hope at a time when the industry and the world most needs it. When we start talking about water and soil health and food safety and animal health and all of that, were not just talking about how it affects dairy, thats all of us, she said. A reduced number of faculty researchers has made it difficult for dairy research at UW-Madison to keep pace with the growth of the industry. Budget cuts within the universitys College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and UW-Extension are the culprit, according to CALS senior associate dean Richard Straub. However, CALS funding for the Center for Dairy Research also has been declining since 1999-2000, even though state money the college received for all of its research went up during that period, UW budget data show. Vincent, from the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, said he has grown frustrated with UW-Madisons refusal to spend more money on dairy research. That includes not filling positions or buying equipment needed for the CDRs $47 million addition that the state is helping finance. I look at the UW and I hope they want to be known as a dairy university, Vincent said. But theres this huge business school and all this other stuff there. And sometimes I wonder if dairy isnt quite as sexy for them as they would hope it to be. I mean, theres a lot of competing forces in terms of resources in the state. Mayer said UW System President Ray Cross has sent mixed signals about using state funding for the Dairy Innovation Hub since he was first made aware of the idea in 2017. While he has told dairy leaders and others that he understands the importance of the dairy industry to the state and the need to make a reinvestment, Cross has not put any of the Systems available state funds toward it, she said. In a statement, UW System spokesman Mark Pitsch said, President Cross worked closely with dairy leaders and lawmakers to help craft this legislation. He recognizes the importance of the dairy industry to the state of Wisconsin. In recent years, the UW System has faced challenges seeking funding for a wide array of worthy projects and programs, Pitsch said. President Cross will happily work with the Legislature and the governor to secure additional funding to support the dairy hub. Filling positions Marklein wants the UW System to do more than just talk. The bill he authored orders the Board of Regents and UW System to use the $7.9 million annually specifically to fill more than 60 positions and handle infrastructure needs for the hub at all three campus sites. The institutions, the campuses need to recognize the importance of dairy and that dairy needs to be a priority for their ag departments, Marklein said. Mayer cautioned that while people from around the world continue to look to Wisconsin for its food industry and leadership related to dairy, other countries are poised to pass it by. As a dairy farmer, I rely on new discoveries and new research so I can continue to do things better. Its as simple as that, Mayer said. After the UW System declined to fund the Dairy Innovation Hub starting in 2017, it was introduced as the signature recommendation for long-range improvements of the dairy industry from a group of state dairy leaders and farmers earlier this year. Vincent and Mayer were among the 31 voting members of the group called the Dairy Task Force 2.0. Cross was one of eight non-voting governmental members on the panel. Gov. Tony Evers and Brad Pfaff, the new secretary of the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, have supported the recommendation made by the group. Markleins bill closely follows the groups recommendation that includes creating positions for 25 faculty members in the four spokes of the research hub, as well as 20 graduate students, 16 post-doctoral fellows and five staffers. UW-Madison would receive 52 percent of the funding while UW-Platteville and UW-River Falls would each receive 24 percent. 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 If L.A. is going to stop burning fossil fuels by 2045 -- a key goal of Mayor Eric Garcetti's proposed Green New Deal -- it must store a lot more of the excess solar and wind energy it produces during the day so it doesn't have to rely on gas and coal energy to power the city when the sun sets and the wind dies. There's a growing focus on building big batteries -- for example, the kind that use lithium ions. But L.A. needs energy storage that is far bigger than any traditional battery. And it's found one. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has turned two big lakes into a monster battery capable of storing enough energy to power tens of thousands of homes. It involves using the excess wind and solar power L.A.'s renewable energy sites produce during the day to pump water from Castaic Lake uphill 7.5 miles to Pyramid Lake. Then, late in the day, when the sun goes down and the city's energy demand spikes, the water gets run downhill through hydroelectric generators at Castaic Lake. The next day, the cycle starts over again. The same 10,000 acre-feet of water can recirculate over and over, getting pumped uphill during the day and coming downhill at night to power the city. It's called pumped storage, and the plant at Castaic is one of the largest such plants in the western United States, but maybe not for long. LADWP is looking at building an even larger plant at Hoover Dam, so this form of energy storage, if replicated, could be a key to L.A. weaning itself off of fossil fuels. SO LET'S TOUR THE CASTAIC PUMPED STORAGE PLANT It's hidden away -- kind of like a superhero's secret lair -- behind locked gates at the end of a winding mountain ridge road off I-5. Castaic Pumped Storage plant seen from a mountain ridge near Ridge Route Road. (Sharon McNary/KPCC/LAist) Once you're inside the gates, the first thing you notice are six gargantuan pipes that flow water from Pyramid Lake 7.5 miles down to Castaic Lake. Water is pumped back uphill in the same 30-foot-diameter pipes. The pressure is 25 times the force of the water coming out of your home faucet. Here's another look at those massive pipes from a different perspective, way up on the mountain looking down at Castaic Lake. These massive pipes, called penstocks, move water up and down between Castaic and Pyramid Lakes. This is a view looking downhill at Castaic Lake. The Elderberry Forebay at the base of the pipes is part of Castaic Lake. It holds up to 10,000 acre-feet of water that can be recirculated between the two lakes. (Andrew Cullen for LAist) Time to head down into the guts of the plant. We step off the elevator to a balcony overlooking a giant windowless chamber four stories tall. The six turbines are in a vast windowless chamber. The pressure of the water coming downhill in the giant pipes spins the hydroelectric turbines, generating power for Los Angeles. More than 50 LADWP employees keep the plant running. Below you can see two of the six turbine units. Unit 3 on the left, is covered and is ready to produce electricity as water spins the turbines inside it. Unit 4, on the right, is open for maintenance. Unit 3, left, produces electricity while Unit 4 sits open for maintenance at Castaic Hydroelectric Power Plant in Castaic, California. (Andrew Cullen for LAist) The six turbine units look like giant spools sunk into the floor. They put out enough energy, when they are all spinning, to power 83,000 homes over the course of a day. Their output is huge in comparison to LADWP's largest chemical battery, which is a 20 megawatt lithium ion battery, which can power about 600 homes over a day. Here is a view of the turbine in Unit 5. It's been lifted partially above the floor of the turbine room. Each turbine weighs 550 tons. To lift them up takes two cranes that move the length of the room. Castaic Hydroelectric Power Plant in Castaic, California has six reversible 250,000 kilowatt turbines. The plant provides power for Los Angeles during peak use periods. (Andrew Cullen for LAist) It takes a lot of pipes and plumbing to control the flow of water in this pumped storage plant. We descend several flights of stairs to get to the bottom of the plant to see the pumps. At the very bottom of the plant, we're 90 feet under the water level of the lake. Massive machinery controls the flow of water through the hydroeletric plant at Castaic Hydroelectric Power Plant in Castaic, California. (Andrew Cullen for LAist) The pumps are what makes this plant different from an ordinary hydroelectric plant. There are six giant pumps -- each with a shiny silver piston arm. They are pushing water back up the mountain to Pyramid Lake in the same 30-foot-diameter pipes that brought it down to Castaic Lake. Recirculating the water like this takes a lot of energy -- but that's okay. DWP has more wind and solar energy during the day than it can use. So rather than disconnect the solar panels and windmills, or sell the energy cheaply to someone else, DWP uses the extra energy to move the water uphill to Pyramid Lake. Once the water is waiting uphill at Pyramid Lake, it's stored energy, ready to flow back downhill to generate energy when L.A. needs it, late in the day. A pump pulls water from 90 feet under Lake Castaic into the Castaic Hydroelectric Power Plant in Castaic, California, and sends it uphill to Pyramid Lake. (Andrew Cullen for LAist) This battery-like combination -- pumps and turbines -- can be built very big. And they use the most reliable force on Earth -- gravity. Elderberry Forebay is a section of Castaic Lake that holds the water that gets recirculated between Pyramid Lake and Castaic to produce electricity. Runoff from Castaic Hydroelectric Power Plant enters Elderberry Lake, which holds water that can be pumped back up to Pyramid Lake and reused to produce electricity. (Andrew Cullen for LAist) Assistant general manager Reiko Kerr says they could pump water from Lake Mohave 20-some miles upstream to Lake Mead to run through Hoover Dam's giant hydroelectric turbines. "You already have the dam, you have the generators, you have the transmission lines -- you basically need a set of pumps and pipelines," Kerr said. The eventual size depends on the number of other agencies that might invest in the project. "That upper reservoir is huge -- Lake Mead -- so you could store power in the form of water up there for potentially months, and seasonally," she said. The Hoover Dam pumped storage project could come online by 2030, adding to the energy storage L.A. needs to get to 100 percent renewable energy. This story is part of Elemental: Covering Sustainability, a multimedia collaboration between Cronkite News, Arizona PBS, KJZZ, KPCC, Rocky Mountain PBS and PBS SoCal. 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 THIS STORY IS PART OF HOW TO L.A., OUR ONGOING SERIES OF PRACTICAL GUIDES FOR DAY-TO-DAY LIVING IN LOS ANGELES. Los Angeles is no Miami but it has a long history of welcoming Cuban exiles. The first wave of Cubans came to L.A. in the 1960s, fleeing the Cuban revolution and Fidel Castro's regime. Many of them settled in Echo Park. In 1976, the city named the intersection of Echo Park and Park avenues Jose Marti Plaza and erected a bust of the beloved Cuban poet and journalist, who led the 1895 insurrection against the Spanish government in Cuba. Today, about 50,000 Cubans live in Los Angeles. Many have left the Echo Park area and spread out to cities like Downey, Burbank and Glendale. They still celebrate their roots and, as with every culture, food is a major part of that. Cuban cuisine is a combination of Taino (native Cubans), European (Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese), African and Chinese food. I grew up eating staples such as white rice, black beans, roasted pork and guava pastries. I didn't realize how much I would miss it when I left South Florida, so I've made it my mission to find Cuban food that reminds me of my late grandmother's cooking. The city hasn't let me down. Although I've encountered some spots that were laughably inauthentic (one sold clam chowder... what?!), there are some gems waiting to be found. The pan con lechon at La Cubana in Glendale. (Jacqueline Fernandez/LAist) La Cubana Tucked in a Glendale strip mall, La Cubana is a no nonsense restaurant offering classic dishes. The ten tables are surrounded by framed black and white photos of Cuba. At the counter, there's an espresso machine where a barista will make you Cuba's most popular coffee drink, a cortadito, a shot of espresso topped with steamed milk. One of La Cubana's best dishes is the pan con lechon, a sandwich of succulent shredded pork and onions marinated in mojo, a sauce of garlic and citrus. Their croqueta de jamon is a filled with ham and coated in crisp breadcrumbs. Eat with one of the Cuban sodas, like Materva, Iron Beer or Malta. La Cubana also has lots of dessert options including guava shells (eat them with cream cheese for a nice sweet and savory balance), bread pudding, rice pudding, tres leches (sponge cake with literally three kinds of milk), natilla catalana (Spanish creme brulee) and several flans. You can purchase $4 Cuban crackers to go (the bags are on the counter). The food is a steal, $7.95 for a sandwich and only $.90 for a croqueta. Parking is easy too, at least for L.A. They have their own lot and if that's full there's free street parking. 801 S. Glendale Ave. #3, Glendale. 818-243-4398. Filete de pollo a la plancha with plantains, rice and beans at El Floridita Cuban Restaurant in Hollywood. (Jacqueline Fernandez/LAist) El Floridita Cuban Restaurant Located in a strip mall off Fountain and Vine, El Floridita has been serving Cuban dishes in Los Angeles for 32 years. Inside, wallpaper with green palms and pink bird of paradise flowers lines the walls. Large red curtains hang over the wooden dance floor and lights are strung around. Two beautiful stained glass windows featuring palm trees and a couple dancing on the beach. Arroz con pollo (chicken with rice), masitas de puerco (fried pork chunks) and the filete de pollo a la plancha (grilled chicken breast) are favorites. The latter comes with white rice and fried maduros (ripe plantains). In a very homestyle approach, the server appeared with a bowl of black beans and scooped a big helping onto my rice. Everything on the platter was first-rate. Flavorful chicken and. Perfectly cooked plantains. Warm black beans soaking into buttery rice. The prices are on the moderate side. Appetizers range from $11 to $15. Main courses start at $15. 1253 Vine St., Hollywood. 323-871-8612. The frita cubana at Don Francisco, a Cuban cafe near downtown L.A. (Jacqueline Fernandez/LAist) Don Francisco's Coffee Casa Cubana In downtown L.A.'s Spring Street Arcade, you'll find Don Francisco's Coffee Casa Cubana. It opened in 2017 but the roaster behind the restaurant, the the Gavina family, has been in the coffee business since the 1800s. The hip cafe serves papas rellenas (meat filled potato balls), Cuban-style pressed sandwiches and variety of pastelitos, like the popular guava and cheese combo. Their Cuban Frita Burger, a patty of ground sirloin, chorizo and sometimes pork, served on a brioche bun topped with crispy shoestring potatoes, is very close to ones I've had at popular Miami spot El Rey de Las Fritas (The King of Fritas) -- and, at $8.50, it's a deal. The mariquitas (plantain chips) are the perfect, crisp complement to the burger. Don Francisco's is a great spot for breakfast or lunch -- they close at 7 p.m. Parking is difficult, so take public transit or a rideshare. 541 S. Spring St., downtown L.A. 213-537-0323. Vegan nachos encubanizados at Equelecua in Inglewood. (Jacqueline Fernandez/LAist) Equelecua Cuban Cafe Equelecua (pronounced eh-keh-LEH-kuah) is an expression that means "I found it!" and as the only vegan Cuban restaurant in the country, it's something of a "eureka" moment. Chef Caro Lafaurie, a vegetarian since she was 13, reimagined her grandmother's Cuban recipes. She makes her arroz con pollo with soy chicken instead of chicken while her "cubanized nachos" feature a mound of roasted plantain chips piled with black beans, bell peppers, non-dairy sour cream, a sweet and spicy agave sauce and your choice of a vegan protein. I opted for the lechon asado, made from pea and wheat protein combination, which looked and tasted much like the real deal. The saffron rice here is on flaky side--unlike how my family makes arroz con pollo with the rice being more is like risotto--wet and creamy. Prices won't break the bank with most menu items ranging from $8 to $10. Equelecua is easy to miss but once you're there, head to the outdoor patio with colorful accents like blue and red chairs. 1120 W. Florence Ave, Inglewood. 323-741-2822. The bistec de pollo empanizado at Cuban restaurant Florida, in Downey. (Jacqueline Fernandez/LAist) Florida Restaurant Florida Restaurant in Downey reminds me of so many Cuban restaurants I've been to in the Sunshine State. From posters of the island to the country's coat of arms on the tables, its decor screams Cuba. It's a popular spot, so you'll usually face a short wait before you're seated. Then, you might end up next to a group of older Cuban women, who are notoriously picky when it comes to authenticity. The moros y cristianos, (literally Moors and Christians), a mix of black beans and white rice, were my favorite part of the meal. The soft rice and al dente beans make an addictive texture combo. The breading on the bistec de pollo empanizado (breaded chicken steak) wasn't too heavy. The maduros (sweet plantains) were sweet and ripe while the sofrito, a condiment made from onions, garlic and bell peppers, added a kick to the meal. Entrees cost about $10 but you can expect to wait for them because the service here is slow. The parking lot, next to a huge mural of Cuban art, often fills up and there's no street parking nearby. 10025 Lakewood Blvd., Downey. 562-869-7847. A pan con bistec from Porto's in Glendale, 2011. (JOHN JOH/Flickr Creative Commons) Porto's Bakery and Cafe The most famous Cuban bakery in Southern California, Porto's is busy almost any time you come in. You'll avoid the worst crowds if you visit on a weekday afternoon. On the savory side, the papas rellenas, chicken croquetas and empanadas are a must. For those looking for a more substantial meal, there's the ropa vieja sandwich, shredded flank steak with bell peppers in a tomato-based sauce. When it comes to sweets, the guava pastellitos are a must. The bakery calls them "strudels," a concession that makes some Cubans cringe, but Porto's founder Rosa Porto wanted to translate these for the American palate. She left Cuba with her husband and they opened their first location in Echo Park in 1976. Since then, the bakery has expanded to four locations and launched a home delivery service for their most popular pastries. 3614 West Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. 818-846-9100. 315 North Brand Blvd., Glendale. 818-956-5996. 8233 Firestone Blvd, Downey. 562-862-8888. 7640 Beach Blvd., Buena Park. 714-367-2030. 584 S. Sunset Ave., West Covina. A Cuban sandwich with fried yuca at El Cochinito in Silver Lake. (Jacqueline Fernandez/LAist) El Cochinito You can't miss the huge trophy by the counter of El Cochinto (aka "the little pig"), which holds the title of World's Best Cuban Sandwich. For $10, you get Cuban bread, toasted to a perfect crunch and layered with lechon asado (slow-cooked pork). The sammie doesn't come with a side so make sure you get an order of fried yuca ($5). Neither fibrous nor rock hard, it's the best I've had in California. The family-owned shop is a cozy, stylish space where you can spend a few hours chatting and sipping your coffee. Owner Gladys Gutierrez was following in the footsteps of her father, who ran a restaurant in Havana, Cuba, when she opened El Cochinito in 1988. It has been going strong ever since. 3508 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. 323-668-0737. The pollo, with plantains, rice and beans, at Cuban restaurant Versailles. (Jacqueline Fernandez/LAist) Versailles Cuban Restaurant The local Cuban mini-chain, named after one of the most famous Cuban restaurants in Miami, is known for a handful of dishes, most famously the roasted garlic chicken that's drenched in tart mojo and sliced onions. It comes with plantains and plenty of white rice to soak up the garlicky goodness. The roasted pork and oxtail stew are runners-up for top dishes. Dinner portions at Versailles are large enough to share (or to make a second meal out of) while the lunch specials offer a smaller version of their classics. 1215 S. La Cienega Blvd., Pico Robertson. 310-289-0392. 17410 Ventura Blvd., Encino. 818-906-0756. 10319 Venice Blvd., Culver City. 310-558-3168. Unemployment high among qualified nurses Many students graduating as medical nurses in Nepal are unemployed due to a lack of proper plans and policies by the government to provide them with employment opportunities. In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask you enter in the text you see in the image below so we can confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation. A Corvallis man with a history of fleeing from law enforcement was arrested by the Lebanon Police Department after a vehicle pursuit on Sunday night that included a detour through a grass seed field. Randy Edward Drake, 54, has a lengthy criminal history, including 13 previous convictions for felony attempt to elude in Linn and Benton counties. The most recent convictions came in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018. On Sunday, he was arrested on charges of felony attempt to elude, delivery and possession of methamphetamine, first-degree criminal mischief, second-degree trespass, reckless driving, two counts of reckless endangering, reckless endangering the welfare of a minor, and driving while suspended or revoked. He also had multiple warrants for his arrest. Drake was scheduled to be arraigned in Linn County Circuit Court on Monday afternoon on charges of third-degree assault and attempted unauthorized use of a vehicle from a New Years Eve incident. The state has filed a motion to seek an enhanced sentence in the case. He also is set to be charged with fourth-degree assault in a separate case from March 1. A passenger in the vehicle, Bobby Mary Lorraine Horner, 41, was also taken into custody on an outstanding warrant, cited and released. The chase started at 10:07 p.m. on Sunday, when an officer attempted to stop a 2002 Honda Civic on Oak Street when the vehicle took off at a high rate of speed, turning onto 12th Street, according to a news release. The car left the city limits and continued north on multiple roads. Near the intersection of Tallman Road and KGAL Drive, the Honda left the roadway and entered a grass seed field. The car made a loop through the field, then returned to the roadway and continued, the news release said. Several Linn County Sheriffs Office deputies and an Albany Police Department K9 officer assisted with the pursuit. Deputies attempted to deploy spike strips to stop the car, but were unsuccessful, according to the news release. Due to mechanical failure, the vehicle eventually came to a stop on Spicer Drive near Spicer School Road. Drake was taken into custody without incident. Lebanon police dog Taz was deployed and alerted on the vehicle, and a search yielded evidence of methamphetamine crimes, according to the news release. Kyle Odegard can be reached at kyle.odegard@lee.net, 541-812-6077 or via Twitter @KyleOdegard. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Lenovo has been selling a line of ThinkCentre Tiny desktops with compact designs for years. Now the company is thinking smaller. The new Lenovo ThinkCentre Nano line of devices are just one-third the size of a ThinkCentre Tiny. Lenovo plans to launch two models in August: the ThinkCentre M90n Nano will sell for $639 and up, while the ThinkCentre M90n Nano IoT will go have a starting price of $539. Both systems are small form-factor computers designed to take up as little space as possible. You can stick one behind a PC monitor, on a bookshelf, or under your desk and power by a USB Type-C charger. Lenovo notes that if you have a compatible docking station or USB Type-C monitor, you dont even need a wall charger. Just run a USB cable from your dock or display to the PC and youre good to go. The ThinkCentre M90n Nano is a mini desktop computer with a small fan, support for up to an 8th-gen Intel Core i7 processor with vPro, up to 16GB of RAM, and a range of ports including DisplayPort 1.2, Ethernet, two USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 2 ports, three USB 3.1 Type-A Gen 2 ports, and an audio jack. It also features two PCIe slots for solid state storage, and the computer measures 7 x 3.5 x 0.9 and weighs about 1.1 pounds. Lenovos ThinkCentre M90n Nano IoT is a fanless model thats a little larger to accommodate the passive cooling. Its 1.4 thick and weighs about 1.7 pounds. The IoT model is meant for use in manufacturing or other industrial environments and it supports temperature ranges from 0 to 50 degrees Celsius (32 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit). It also has two RS-232 COM ports, but no audio jack. via Lenovo When youre shopping for a laptop you typically have to choose between thin and light design or high-performance hardware. You dont usually get to have both. But thats been changing in recent years, with some big-screen laptops with gamer-friendly (or maybe workstartion-like) hardware featuring relatively compact designs. The latest example? Lenovos new ThinkPad X1 Extreme G2. Its a notebook with a 15.6 inch display, support for up to an octa-core 9th-gen Intel Core i9 H-series processor, up to 64GB of RAM, up to 4TB of solid state storage, and up to NVIDIA geForce GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics. But the laptop measures just 14.2 x 9.7 x 0.7 and has a starting weight of less than 3.8 pounds. As the G2 in the name suggests, this laptop is a follow-up to a model that first launched in 2018. Its about the same size and weight, but Lenovo has given it a pretty nice spec bump, with support for newer, more-powerful chips and twice as much maximum storage. The starting price has also dropped while the original ThinkPad X1 Extreme sold for $1860 and up at launch, the new model will go for $1500 and up when it hits the streets in July. Lenovo will offer several 15.6 inch display options: 4K OLED HDR touchscreen display 4K IPS HDR display (500nit) 1080p IPS HDR (500nit) 1080p IPS (300nit) Other features include two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB 3.1 ports, an SD card reader, an 80 Wh battery, a 135W power supply, a fingerprint reader, Windows Hello-compatible IR camera, a backlit keyboard, and support for WiFi 6 (802.11ax). 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 Paul Horwitz (University of Alabama School of Law) has posted A Close Reading of Barnette, in Honor of Vincent Blasi (13 FIU L. Rev. 689 (2019)) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: This article, written for a symposium marking the 75th anniversary of West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, offers a close reading of Justice Jackson's opinion for the Court. In doing so, it offers an implicit and explicit tribute to Vincent Blasi, whose teaching and writing have emphasized the value of deep, careful engagement with the language and arguments of a single text, such as a judicial opinion, and who has been an inspiration to me and many other contemporary First Amendment scholars. This close reading explores a gallery of passages from Barnette that have received relatively little scholarly attention, largely because Jackson's arresting "fixed star" passage has monopolized much of the discussion. But other passages in the opinion help reveal additional important points about the case with important broader implications. They suggest something about why Jackson treated this as a speech rather than a religion case and as an individual liberty case rather than an equal treatment case. They have implications for arguments about third-party harms, "government nonendorsement," student speech, and heckler's veto doctrine. And they underscore the importance of Jackson's description of an autonomous "sphere of intellect and spirit" and of the limits of state power in this area. Perhaps much more than has been recognized, Barnette is a paean to the sovereignty of the mind, and in doing so it treats this realm as much or more as a matter of state non-interference than as a subject for measured judicial balancing. Although I focus closely on the text of the opinion itself, I offer some larger assessments of Barnette's condition today. I make two general observations. First, on the one hand, Barnette had an excellent 75th anniversary year, with citations and discussions in major Supreme Court decisions suggesting its stock is high. On the other, I suggest that it is in much poorer health in academic circles. A striking number of scholarly discussions of current issues, such as the wedding vendor cases, omit Barnette altogether. I suggest that these omissions are evidence of a deeper discomfort with Barnette. And for good reason: As this close reading reveals, the words and deeper music of Barnette are in genuine tension with current popular positions on these issues, and suggest that at some point these scholars need to engage directly and seriously with Barnette. Second, I argue that in interesting ways Barnette is a kind of "pre-capitulation" of much that happened in First Amendment law in the 75 years that followed it. This is true not just in the sense that Barnette positively inspired a great deal of First Amendment doctrine, but also in the sense that much of the jurisprudence that followed consisted of efforts to cabin Barnette and its implications and to build safety valves around it. Highly recommended. Line of Duty has to be the most generic name for a police drama I can think of, which is all the more striking because the hit British show is so distinctive and instantly addictive. Creator Jed Mercurio also made the thriller series Bodyguard, which was the top British show of 2018 and a hit stateside when it came to Netflix. The fifth season of Line of Duty, which premiered all six episodes Monday in the United States on the streaming site Acorn, is currently the most-watched show in Britain of this year, and you can see why. Mercurio knows how to hook an audience and keep them on the line. Line of Duty follows a team of anti-corruption police officers, known as AC-12, in an unnamed city in northern England. The team had its hands full in the last four seasons rooting out corrupt cops in its ranks, but Commander Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) feels confident hes caught all the bad ones led by the mysterious figure known as "H" when Season 5 starts. And then everything goes immediately wrong. In a gripping opening heist scene reminiscent of the Michael Mann movie Heat, a police convoy carrying confiscated drugs is ambushed on a remote stretch of road. Three officers are killed, and the van full of drugs is stolen. State Sen. Robyn Vining, a Wauwatosa Democrat, writes in a column that appears on WisOpinion that Republican legislators prefer the "special interest" budget over the "people's budget." For one, she notes, 70 percent of Wisconsin people say they want Medicaid expanded and the first thing the GOP does is axe it from Gov. Tony Evers' proposed budget. Concordia College professor and Thiensville village president Van Mobley discusses the irony of Donald Trump's tariffs in a piece for WisOpinion. He claims that while at first glance tariffs look bad, in this era of the U.S. economy they are actually good, not only for the U.S, but the Chinese, too. The Badger Institute's blog carries a piece by Ryan Berg of the conservative American Enterprise Institute that calls upon people to exhibit courage as a modern virtue. Time to quit running to "safe" places and invoking political correctness, he says, learn how to disagree better. Morris told me hes sensitive to the fact that some people have received a large amount of misinformation on this topic. One thing he keeps in mind is that, as a doctor, his job is to educate patients about whats best for them. Sometimes, whats best is something a patient isnt enthusiastic about eating better, exercising more or quitting smoking, for example. Vaccines can also fall into that category but they can offer a lifetimes worth of protection.. From an ethical standpoint, the responsibility is twofold, said James Conway, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and associate director for health sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. As a society, we have an obligation to protect children from debilitating and life-threatening diseases but we also have an obligation to protect those among us whose own medical conditions prevent them from receiving immunizations. That protection comes from something called herd immunity. Put simply, the more people in a community are immune from a disease, the greater the chances are that those who arent immune will be shielded from it. He characterized the Trump administration as an aberration, adding that this is not the Republican Party. The New York Times said Bidens approach showed a fault line in Democratic politics between those who see Trump as a singular scourge and others who see an essentially corrupt party whose leaders deny science, attack respected institutions, demonize the free press and stoke racial hatred. Bidens apparently Pollyannaish attitude comes at a moment when Trump claims he is above any law and has turned Attorney General William Barr into a sycophantic personal lawyer. In considering the GOPs evil brilliance, just look at the judiciary. It has effectively turned both the U.S. Supreme Court and the Wisconsin Supreme Court into arms of the Republican Party. At the federal level, jamming through deeply flawed nominees like Brett Kavanaugh assures that Supreme Court votes will be reflexively conservative for years, maybe decades, to come. Lament all you like the story of Merrick Garland, who had every right to be seated but was blocked. His name is now a political footnote. Dear Editor: National security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are beating the Iran war drum loudly. The Bolton/Pompeo drum beating along with an embittered president who is looking for distractions from his current public relations debacle could well lead to another disastrous war in the Middle East. We have an insane commander-in-chief who is unpredictable. We have no comprehensive foreign policy. We have two ultra-hawkish advisers in Bolton and Pompeo who are very dangerous. This is a disaster waiting to happen shades of Bush/Cheney all over again. We dont need another shock and awe for purely political purposes. It was Trump who unilaterally withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal. Iran, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany are still trying to salvage the deal. But salvaging the Iran nuclear deal is becoming less and less a possibility as additional United States sanctions are imposed on Iran. Iran was in complete compliance with the nuclear deal. RANDOLPH Two men are in custody after allegedly robbing a Randolph man on Saturday afternoon in an alley in the village. According to a press release from Randolph Police Chief Michael Klavekoske, police were dispatched to the alley near Williams Street at 2:15 p.m. A Randolph man reported two men had robbed him. According to the victim, physical force was used to take money from him. No weapons were displayed and no threats of weapons were made. The victim was able to provide a description of the vehicle the suspects were driving and the license number for the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped in Dane County on Highway 151. Both suspects were taken into custody. The victims cell phone was found inside the vehicle. Money, believed to belong to the victim, was also recovered. During the search, a small amount of marijuana was found in the vehicle. Both men were booked into the Dodge County Jail. Randolph police are requesting charges of strong armed robbery, possession of marijuana and bail jumping. The victim was familiar with one of the suspects and there is no danger to the public, according to the press release. Randolph police were assisted by town of Fox Lake Police, city of Fox Lake Police, Wisconsin State Patrol and Dodge County Sheriffs Office. Follow Terri Pederson on Twitter @tlp53916 or contact her at 920-356-6760. LANSING, Iowa When the Black Hawk Bridge connecting Lansing to De Soto opened in 1931, some thought the new cantilever through-truss bridge over the Mississippi River would make La Crosses old wagon bridge obsolete. La Crosse with its 39,868 people will have to start a definite and enticing campaign to induce tourist traffic to pass through and stop in the city, city leaders said, according to the Feb. 8, 1931, edition of the La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press. Then La Crosse replaced its old wagon bridge with a new crossing on Cass Street in 1939, after a fatal car crash demolished part of the old structure. Today, its the existing Black Hawk Bridge, also known as the Lansing bridge, thats about to become obsolete. The Iowa Department of Transportation is taking the lead on weighing four bridge replacement options against major repairs that would extend the useful life of the Black Hawk Bridge by 20 to 30 years maximum. Without intervention, the bridge will have to close by 2028. Daily traffic on the Black Hawk Bridge one of three Mississippi River crossings within the almost 70 miles from Prairie Du Chien to La Crosse and a critical route for local commuters averages about 1,910 vehicles, almost 400 fewer than projected in the original 1931 prospectus used to raise funds for the bridge. By comparison, 16,500 vehicles use the Cass Street bridge per day, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. While the Black Hawk Bridge might be best known for its 7.18% incline, which gives motorists a rollercoaster-like feel, its also a historic bridge eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. As an older bridge, the Lansing bridge wasnt built to accommodate todays traffic. At 25 feet wide, it has two 10-foot lanes and no shoulders. Traffic is closed to one lane when extra-wide trucks go through or the bridge requires repairs, and the bridge is off limits to cyclists and pedestrians. The Lansing bridge is also one of the trickier Mississippi River crossings to navigate from below. The bridge stretches about 650 feet over the main navigation channel where the river bends, short of the 770-feet span between piers now required by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard has recorded six tow collisions with the bridge between 1987 and 1991, and the River Industry Action committee ranked the Black Hawk Bridge the 12th most difficult upper Mississippi River bridge to navigate in an 1991 survey, according to the 2004 DOT bridge replacement feasibility study. The new bridge would have a main span of at least 770 feet and be built wider to accommodate two 12-foot travel lanes and 8-foot shoulders on either side, according to the DOTs 2018 bridge project display. Three of the four new bridge locations being considered by the DOT are within blocks from the current Ballou Street approach from the Iowa side, and would reuse the Big Slough Bridge over the back channels on the Wisconsin side. A fourth option that connects from downtown John Street, closer to more businesses and homes, would require a new slough bridge, but disturb fewer historic resources and archaeological sites. Possible bridge designs, developed during a 2004 feasibility study, include arch and simple span truss bridges (between $60 million and $70 million), a continuous truss bridge (between $70 million and $80 million), and a cable stay bridge (more than $80 million.) Because of the bridges historic value, the Iowa DOT is also considering a major rehabilitation at a cost of almost $30 million. This option, which would close the bridge to traffic for about a year and a half, would include replacing the stringers, floor beams, and deck, as well as stabilizing pier 3. The work would need to take place by 2024, and would extend the bridges remaining service life to 2048 at most. Because a new bridge will still need to be built, the DOT estimated the total cost to range between $107.7 million and $136.8 million. If the bridge were left as is until 2028, it would cost $125,000 each year to inspect, as opposed to $75,000 for a new bridge. Approximately $1 million would also be required to maintain the bridge until 2028, at which point the bridge would be closed. Either way, the current bridge could not be left as a bike or pedestrian walkway, the DOT said in its project display. Because of the anticipated cost, neither the Iowa or Wisconsin DOTs nor the city of Lansing would be able to maintain the condition of the bridge for continued use, even by only pedestrians or bicyclists. The DOT is conducting an environmental assessment to look at how each option affects factors including land use, wetlands and waterways, floodplains, wildlife, plants, noise and light emissions, and historic, architectural and archaeological resources. The findings will help the DOT narrow its options, said Krista Billhorn, Iowa DOT transportation planner. The environmental assessment will be shared in a public meeting held in June or July, Billhorn said, at which point the project will be open again to public comments. The community is very attached to this bridge, its very iconic, Billhorn said. Plans for a Lansing bridge date back to the turn of the 20th century at least, but it wasnt until 1916 that Congress granted the Interstate Bridge Company a charter to build one. Construction didnt take place until 1929 because of World War I. By then, the original charter had expired and a new contract was granted to the Iowa-Wisconsin Bridge Company. The bridge, named for Sauk leader Chief Black Hawk to commemorate the centennial of the nearby Bad Axe Massacre, was designed by chief engineer Melvin B. Stone of Minneapolis. It cost $75,000 to build, spanned 1,623 feet, and the original bridge floor was asphalt plank on treated timber supported by steel beams. When complete, the bridge will sustain a maximum load of 30 tons in transit, the La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press reported ahead of the bridges June 17, 1931, opening. The bridge was reinforced in the 1950s during a $1.3 million rehabilitation project to handle heavier truck loads, after it closed in 1945 due to ice dam damage. Further strengthening of the bridge would be very challenging from a technical perspective, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. This bridge has a finite service life because of fatigue caused by the flexing of steel members under load. The bridge was closed for repairs after its 2011 inspection found cracks in the beams under the floor deck. This April, the bridge was closed to replace deck panels and repair other steel structures. Jennifer Lu is the La Crosse Tribune environmental reporter. You can reach her by phone at 608-791-8217 and by email jennifer.lu@lee.net. By Benjamin Jumbe. President Yoweri Museveni has called for patience from nurses and midwives among other public servants with assurances that government is committed to gradual enhancement of their remuneration. Presiding over International Nurses Day celebrations at Kyamate Secondary School grounds in Ntungamo Municipality, the President said it was not wise for government to spend the biggest proportion of the national revenue on salaries and forget developing the countrys infrastructure that forms the backbone of the national economic development. He reminded them that salary increment cannot be done at the expense of the countrys development programmesarguing that only a better national economy can guarantee the sustainability and progress of any nation. He advised civil servants to stop clamouring for comparable remuneration of all Civil Servants noting that government had made a decision to give enhanced payment to scientists to save the country from brain drain. The President also pledged that government will give lunch allowance to all nurses and midwives in government hospitals as a way of motivating them and enhancing health service delivery. The Mexican restaurant La Hacienda on Park Street is closed while public health officials investigate a potential foodborne outbreak that has sickened about 25 people, according to a public health official. The 23-year-old Madison restaurant at 515 S. Park St. has been closed since Thursday night as investigators gather information, said Doug Voegeli, environmental health director for Public Health Madison and Dane County. Voegeli said the number of people affected was approximately 25. Because the investigation is ongoing, the department couldnt give an exact number yet, he said. The investigation was expected to wrap up Monday, but the report will take a few more days, he said. La Hacienda owner David Herrera didnt respond to voice or text messages Monday. Voegeli was unable to say what caused the outbreak, nor could he identify the type of illness that occurred. We dont know. We need to get more information, he said. In terms of the condition of those sickened, or whether anyone was hospitalized, Voegeli said he is unable to give out health information. Q: How did the Beltline get its name? A: The term beltline is a fairly common one, says Wisconsin Historical Society archivist Lee Grady. Many cities, including Atlanta and Eugene, Oregon, refer to roads and trails that encircle their cities as beltlines or belt lines. In the archives of Frank Custer, a former Capital Times reporter who kept detailed notes on the citys history until his death in 2000, Grady found several references to what would become todays Beltline. According to Custers notes, city residents were initially supportive of the idea. A State Journal article published on Aug. 14, 1937, reports that Randall Avenue property owners petitioned the City Council for the creation of an outer belt line to solve the heavy truck problem. The property owners wanted to prevent the headache of drivers (who) roar through with their exhausts open and who park their trucks on the avenue to sleep at night, leaving their motors puttering. Later, though, strong opposition to the Beltline emerged, led by local business owners who worried that the highway would divert tourist traffic from the city. A 51-year-old man was awoken in his Madison apartment early Sunday to three men knocking at his door, one with a gun. When officers arrived at the North Hamilton Street apartment around 3:15 a.m. Sunday, the three assailants had already fled the scene, according to Madison Police Chief Mike Koval's daily blog. After the victim opened his door to the knocking, one of the assailants held a handgun to the victim's stomach and directed him to another unit in the apartment complex. The victim knocked on his neighbor's door, who answered. When the three assailants saw that resident, they all fled. The Madison Police Department is continuing to investigate the incident. 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 42-year-old white man was arrested Saturday after fighting, punching and using racial slurs toward passengers on a Madison Metro bus, police said. The man fought with two passengers and bumped another before officers arrived at the scene near the intersection of East Washington Avenue and East Johnson Street, according to Madison Police Chief Mike Koval's daily blog. According to Koval: The first fight occurred after the man had been directing racial slurs at passengers. A fight broke out between him and a black passenger. The passenger exited the bus when it made a stop. Koval did not specify who started the fight. During the altercation, a 46-year-old man was bumped, which he said caused him some pain. After the first passenger left, the suspect punched a 22-year-old man on the bus. Officers arrested the suspect on alleged charges of felony battery to a transit passenger, disorderly conduct, and bail jumping, and took him to jail. 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. I think its a very important institution and it needs support, Kohl said. I wanted to make a significant contribution. Kohl is a Milwaukee businessman and philanthropist who owned the Milwaukee Bucks and Kohls, a chain of department and grocery stores. He also provided the lead donation for the Kohl Center arena at UW-Madison. His donation to the La Follette School of Public Affairs, called the Kohl Initiative, will allow the school to educate more students, support undergraduate internships, fund more research, expand partnerships with nonpartisan organizations, host conferences, and teach more high-demand classes. Kohl said he had spoken with Webb Yackee and UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank about the donation on several occasions. Blank was not at the ceremony but said in a statement that the funds will help the school expand its impact in Wisconsin and the nation. Senator Kohl has shown lifelong dedication to UW-Madison, and this gift will provide tremendous opportunities for our students, faculty, staff, and community, Blank said. The utility, which has committed to cutting 80 percent of carbon emissions by 2050 and has increased its renewable capacity six-fold in the past four years, argues there is little difference between the shareholders request and what the company is already doing. MGE spokesman Steve Schultz said renewable energy is not the only path to meeting carbon-reduction goals, which will rely on technology not yet commercially available. We are committed to working with all customers to meet their own renewable energy and carbon-reduction goals, Schultz said. We support the clean energy goals set by many of the communities we serve and continue to work with these communities to help reach our shared energy goals. Formed in 2014 over concerns about rising fixed fees and the utilitys heavy reliance on fossil fuels, Shareholders for Clean Energy has about a hundred members who say the company needs to go further to help avoid a potentially catastrophic rise in global temperatures. They contend that MGEs part ownership of the Columbia and Elm Road coal plants accounting for nearly two-thirds of the companys generation capacity constitutes a financial risk. As of early Monday evening, the survey had registered 620 votes in favor and 9 against. 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. OmniTRAX says it has yet to post the required reclamation bond with the county, has terminated its mining agreement with the town, and has released its options to purchase necessary land. As speculative and premature as the request for an anticipatory nuisance declaration may have been three years ago, the company argues, it is multiple times more so at this juncture. Attorney Tim Jacobson said his clients will not agree to drop the case so long as OmniTRAX holds a permit from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources allowing it to fill about 4 acres of wetlands for the rail loading facility. Issued last year, the permit gives OmniTRAX until April 2021 to fill the wetlands, although the DNR can also grant an extension for good cause. This fact seems to contradict OmniTRAXs expressed intentions to not proceed with frac sand mining, Jacobson said. We are concerned that a voluntary dismissal by us would pave the way for OmniTRAX to advertise the site as being free of litigation and ready for a new mining company to sweep in and try to re-establish mining rights. OmniTRAX attorney Richard White did not respond to a request for comment. For the first time since 2016, Madison has a liberal talk-radio station on the local airwaves. TALK 92.7 FM went live Saturday, said longtime Wisconsin liberal radio host Mike Crute. Crute co-hosts the daily program that will anchor the new stations lineup, The Devils Advocates Radio Show. He also runs the entity that will oversee its programming. In launching TALK 92.7, Crute is betting the left-leaning politics and high political engagement in the Madison area will make for a winning market for liberal talk radio, a format that unlike its conservative counterpart has struggled to gain traction outside of the nations largest metro areas. The last liberal talk-radio station in Madison was The Mic 92.1, which featured The Devils Advocates and other shows before switching formats just after the 2016 election. Madison is the best liberal talk-radio market in the nation, Crute said. TALK 92.7 FM will partner with two other Crute-run stations, WRRD-1510 AM Waukesha/Milwaukee and WTTN-1580 AM Columbus, to create a combined listener market he estimates covers two-thirds of the Democratic voters in Wisconsin. The party had about $142,000 in debt at the end of March, according to federal campaign finance filings. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported the state partys problems with debt based off a leaked version of an earlier draft of the report. That report, according to the newspaper, showed the party went so far in debt it missed payments to insurers and accrued almost $600 a month in interest on a maxed-out credit card. The more recent version of the report the Republican Party provided to the State Journal does not include details of the partys missed payments. Instead, the version says that while the party was accruing debt by financing campaign expenditures, it was also accruing debt by not paying its own bills. More in-house The report says there was an unsatisfactory effort to inform party leadership about party debt, and that questions about finances were deflected by pointing to a positive cash balance the party held. By Ritah Kemigisa. The people power movement has been challenged to copy lessons from the South African poll and work harder if they are to catch up with the huge and loyal voters of President Yoweri Musveni. Despite the huge supporters the popular Julius Malema had under his far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, the party only neared 10% of the total vote with African national congress (ANC) taking the lead. Now Siraje Nsanja, a political scientist says much as the recent opinion pollranked the people power movement leader Bobi Wine highly among the opposition, Musevenis still ranks higher. He says the movement currently has very many supporters because they are filling up the vacuum in the opposition but doubts if they have actual voters. Bobi Wine has been rallying people to get national IDs as one of the strategies to ensure they vote in 2021. Related Stories. People power spokesperson explains Bobis meetings Madison-based Care Wisconsin, one of six managed care organizations that oversee long-term care for frail elderly people and adults with disabilities in the states Family Care program, lost at least $10.6 million last year and saw the departure of its top two executives last month. The interim CEO said the financial losses stem from the cost of new enrollees in Dane County and northeast Wisconsin, among the last parts of the state to join Family Care as required under a 2015 law. Care Wisconsin issued rate cuts and new requirements this year for some providers, leading about six providers of services for adults with developmental disabilities in Dane County to terminate their contracts with Care Wisconsin, said Melissa Mulliken, advocacy coordinator for the Developmental Disabilities Coalition of Dane County. Before the county switched to Family Care last year, county officials ran the programs. A provider must be able to offer each and every individual they serve support that is community based, that is high quality and that protects that persons health and safety, Mulliken said in a statement. In this 28th month governed by a man of low character who disrespects the rule of law while lying, hiding conflicts of interest, promoting his private business, dividing the country and insulting a long list of the nations best values, we must acknowledge: For 27 months, the American job creation engine has performed well. This solid economy is Donald Trumps economy. Trump, who as a private citizen cast cheap doubt on Labor Department numbers that told the story of an economy healing under Barack Obama, can now proudly point to an official unemployment rate of 3.6%, the lowest level since December 1969. With joblessness so low, with trade policies so counterproductive, it is a real achievement that the economy continues to add new jobs: In April, businesses overall added 263,000 new positions. Have we, under Trumps tax and trade policies, suddenly entered a whole new economic world? Hardly. Wages for the average American are still growing too slowly. And looking at mid-April-to-mid-April job production totals, 2018-19s healthy job-creation total is below those of 2014-15 and 2016-17, when Trump considered the economy in ruins. Obama eventually put in place arcane requirements to issue public reports on civilian death tolls (but just in certain military theaters), to limit targets to high-level militants (again, in certain battlefields), and require interagency approval (also only for certain targets). Trump has peeled back all of those requirements because, well, he can. We now know more than we did about U.S. drone wars when Obama first took office, but less than when he left. You can also blame cowardly, partisan politics for hearing little from lawmakers about these escalations. Republicans, of course, no longer criticize these sorts of things even if they subscribe to Trumps Obama-rebuking, America First isolationism. And Democrats who might take issue with unaccountable wars and civilian deaths know to do so theyd have to acknowledge Obamas role in the mess, and so Trumps tax returns it is. You cant, however, blame the media for this one. Refreshingly, many mainstream outlets have been reporting on this escalation for months if not years. From Foreign Policy to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal to Fox News, The Washington Post to CNN, the issue is getting coverage. Whether Americans care or not is another story. Following last weeks heralded announcement that Madonna will perform a series of rare and intimate performances exclusively in theatres, Madonna, Live Nation and Maverick today unveiled the dates for her appearances at the iconic London Palladium giving fans the opportunity to see her like never before with shows confirmed on 26, 27, 29, 30 January and 1 and 2 February 2020. To ensure fans have the best access, Verified Fan is in effect for Madonnas Madame X tickets at the London Palladium. Fans may unlock ticket access by registering today through Thursday, 16 May (4pm BST) at ticketmaster.co.uk/Madonna. With Verified Fan, a simple registration is all it takes to get verified for the opportunity to access tickets when they become available to Verified Fans on Friday, 24-May at 9am BST. Verified Fan does not guarantee a ticket but does enable all fans an equal chance to access on a first come, first-served basis. Tickets will be limited to 4 tickets per person. Get more details on Verified Fan. ICON is Madonna's official fan club. Lifetime Legacy members of ICON may register from Monday, 13 May (6AM BST) through Thursday, 16 May (4PM BST) to become a Verified Fan and receive first access to tickets when they become available to Verified ICON members on Monday, 20 May at 9AM BST. Icon presale runs through Tuesday, 21 May (4PM BST). Complete details at: www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Madonna Citi is the official presale credit card of the Madame X tour. As such, Citi credit and debit cardholders can take advantage of a special Citi Presale powered by Verified Fan opportunity for tour dates in the United Kingdom. Citi cardholders can register now through Thursday, May 16 at 4PM to unlock access to tickets and use their Citi card to complete the ticket purchase if verified. The Citi Presale begins Tuesday May 21 at 9AM and will continue through Thursday, May 23 ant 4PM. To register for the Citi Presale powered by Verified Fan visit Citibank.co.uk. Tickets for these very special Madame X performances will be scaled between 60.00 - 480.00 (plus applicable service fees). Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to enter to purchase tickets at 10.00 at Madonna.com. There will be 10 tickets available per show and fans will be notified on show date if they have been selected for this unique opportunity. Madame X VIP & Hotel Packages will be available for all Verified Fans. VIP packages may include great seat locations, exclusive backstage tour, photo opportunity on stage, VIP pre-show reception, limited edition Madonna gift item, photo opportunity at the VIP red carpet and more! Additionally, fans can access Ticket & Hotel packages which include great ticket locations, exclusive merchandise, hotel accommodations and more. All fans wishing to access VIP & Hotel Packages may register now through Thursday, 16-May (4PM BST) and find full details more info at ticketmaster.co.uk/Madonna The tour is presented by Live Nation Global Touring. MADONNA MADAME X 2020 TOUR DATES Sunday 26 January London, U.K. The London Palladium Monday 27 January London, U.K. The London Palladium Wednesday 29 January London, U.K. The London Palladium Thursday 30 January London, U.K. The London Palladium Saturday 1 February London, U.K. The London Palladium Sunday 2 February London U.K. The London Palladium The Madame X Tour will also visit Lisbon, and Paris in 2020. Show information to follow. Doris Day, the honey-voiced singer and actress whose film dramas, musicals and innocent sex comedies made her a top star in the 1950s and '60s and among the most popular screen actresses in history, has died. She was 97. BOISE Two of Boise State Universitys Top Ten Scholars for the class of 2019 hail from the Magic Valley. Janice Witherspoon of Jerome and Jaraka Ball of Paul were among the honorees during an awards ceremony May 9, the university announced. Each student, along with university officials, spoke during the event. Awards are presented by the Boise State Alumni Association and Boise State Honors College. Students were nominated by their academic dean and have at least a 3.8 GPA. Nominees are then reviewed based on academic breadth of coursework, research, creative works and publications, presentations at professional meetings or conferences, and extracurricular community and campus service, BSU said in a statement. Ball, 23, grew up in Paul and is a 2014 Minico High School alumna. In high school, she was a cheerleader and member of National Honor Society. She graduated Saturday from BSU with a bachelors degree in elementary education and a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages certificate. Alongside student teaching, Jaraka has conducted significant research including, response to intervention and the impact of mindfulness in the classroom for sixth-grade students, according to her biography from BSU. After graduation, Ball plans to finish out the school year at Jefferson Elementary School in Boise where she did her student teaching even though shes not required to do so. And for a second summer, shell be a teacher assistant for the six-week Boise State Summer Academy. Its a summer camp for children that focuses on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and art. Ball wants to spend next school year abroad as an English as a second language teacher. She doesnt have plans set in stone yet, but is considering an offer in Shanghai, China. As a BSU student, Ball was involved with the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Through there, weve gotten to volunteer in the community, Ball told the Times-News during a phone interview Friday. One of the main places they volunteered was for Boise Rescue Mission Ministries. She also was part of the Delta Delta Delta fraternity for two years and the big philanthropic activity was raising money for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. Ball worked at the BSU provosts office for four-and-a-half-years. She was involved with TRIO, a program that helps low-income, first-generation students. And she participated in the Disney College Program in spring 2017 in Orlando, Fla. The Magic Valleys other honoree, 22-year-old Witherspoon, grew up in Jerome and attended Kimberly High School until she was 16. Then, she completed her junior and senior years of high school in the Treasure Valley, where she graduated in 2015 from Vallivue High School in Caldwell. Shell graduate from BSU with two bachelors degrees: communication, and political science, public law and political philosophy. After graduating, she plans to take a gap year to prepare to take the Law School Admission Test, with the goal of attending law school. I would like to eventually end up in public service, she told the Times-News during a phone interview Friday. Witherspoon was president of Talkin Broncos, BSUs speech and debate team, this school year. The team won its fifth consecutive national title in March. Thats probably where Ive spent most of my time on campus and its been a deeply rewarding experience to be part of that, she said. Witherspoon also volunteered for the Prison Debate Initiative, teaching a weekly class to inmates about argumentation and presentation. And she co-founded an organization called Students Against Misogynistic Establishments, which received national recognition from the Anti-Defamation League. And Witherspoon presented communication research at conferences and was a research assistant for a political science professor. As for her time growing up in the Magic Valley, Witherspoon recalls waking up early on school days to make a 30-minute drive from Jerome to Kimberly for school. One of her best memories of Kimberly High was being on the schools debate team, under the direction of teacher Julie Underwood. Outside of academics, Witherspoon said she loved going to the Jerome County Fair every summer. As a child, she participated in events such as mutton busting. And when she was older, she and a group of friends created matching T-shirts and competed as a team in pig wrestling. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 TWIN FALLS Josefina Naveros embodies the idea that its never too late to go back to school. The 60-year-old Twin Falls mother of three and grandmother of nine graduated May 11 from the College of Southern Idaho with her General Educational Development (GED) certificate, a measure of high school equivalency. Naveros is among 86 people who signed up to participate in CSIs GED graduation ceremony, although many more people earned a GED certificate throughout the school year. Her advice to others: You cant let nothing stop you from getting your GED not blindness, deafness, disability or any other life circumstance, she told the Times-News on Wednesday. Now, Naveros is figuring out what to do next. Growing up, she always wanted to be a teacher, but said she thinks it would be a very difficult job. Shes interested in working in an office setting and enjoys paperwork. Community members often have an uphill battle to earn a high school equivalency certificate. Under nationwide changes that took effect in 2014, students must pass more rigorous GED tests in four subject areas than in years past. Tests are taken on computers, rather than with pencil and paper. Plus, theyre a reflection of Common Core Standards, and require more writing and critical thinking. Naveros journey toward finishing her education began about four decades ago. She was in her senior year at Valley High School in Hazelton when her mother pulled her out of school to help raise two younger siblings. Naveros single mother was raising five children. I kind of missed going back to school and seeing her friends, Naveros said. If she had graduated with her class, she would have been in the class of 1977. She started working and later moved to Twin Falls, but the thought of finishing her high school education never faded. Over the years, she worked at a potato plant and as a courier. The thought of going back to school was always in the back of my head, Naveros said, adding she wanted something better for her children. Over the years, she started partially losing her hearing and ran into difficulties at work because she had trouble hearing instructions from her managers and coworkers. They were saying I didnt hear them right, she said. A sister told her about GED preparation classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights at CSI. Naveros started attending around 1979 or 80, but it wasnt a good experience. She later tried again with night classes, but ran into the same experience. A teacher tried to give her a spelling test, but she couldnt hear the words being read aloud. She kept telling teachers she was deaf, but their focus was on the younger students and it seemed they didnt want to pay attention to me, she said. It was discouraging. Somehow, it wasnt for me at that time, she said. Years later, she kept running into a friend who working toward a GED certificate through CSI. Her daughter, Victoria Martinez, also encouraged her mother to go back to school. My daughter said, If I can graduate, you can graduate, Naveros said. But Naveros told them she was too old and wouldnt be able to remember what she learned. She took the plunge after losing her courier job following an on-the-clock car crash. This time, her experience taking basic skills classes was totally different and not just because computers were now in every classroom. These people were nicer, she said, and helped her. She sat in the front of classrooms so she could read her teachers lips. And her teachers made her feel good about her abilities. First semester was great fun, Naveros said. I loved it. But there were challenges left to overcome. Still, it was my deafness that was interfering. She got a cochlear implant on her left side and hopes to do the same for her right side in the future. The implant helped her understand her teachers. Her friends in the program graduated and she didnt have anyone to talk to in class. But her teachers continued to push her to finish and would even call to ask if she was coming to class. CSI basic skills instructor Amelia Mott had Naveros in at least two of her classes. I was just struck with the level of dedication and determination she displayed, Mott said Wednesday, saying she has a pretty indomitable spirit. For some people who have a hearing impairment, it could lead to them giving up on earning a GED certificate or deciding the process was too arduous, Mott said. But Naveros was extremely regular in her attendance and with completing homework assignments. And she wasnt hesitant to ask questions in class, if needed. It took about a year or two of taking basic skills classes and test taking to earn a GED certificate and attend her first-ever graduation day. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Justice Presby Velasco, Jr., governor-elect of Marinduque. Will the coming years be a period of magnificent transformation for the province? BOAC, Marinduque - Its a resounding triple victory for the Velascos in Marinduque. Incumbent congressman Lord Allan Velasco (PDP-Laban) won almost uncontested the race for representative of this island-provinces lone district. This was so because Marinduque's longest serving political matriarch, Carmencita Ongsiako-Reyes who was with the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), and was running against Velasco in this midterm election suddenly withdrew her candidacy. She was substituted by Harold Lim (UNA), an almost unknown entity. Carmencita did not finish her term as she passed away in January this year. In almost the same manner, Carmencitas daughter Ma. Violeta Reyes (UNA), ran against former Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, Jr. (PDP-Laban), in the gubernatorial race. Four days prior to election the Reyes family issued a statement via social media announcing the withdrawal of Dok Violet Reyes candidacy. She reportedly made a formal withdrawal before Comelec. A former provincial board member, Reynaldo Salvacion (IND.), remained as the senior Velasco's only official opponent. Justice Presby on the campaign trail. Newly elected governor, Justice Velasco won in all of Marinduque's six towns. He was appointed associate justice in 2006 until the mandatory age of retirement in August of last year. He was engaged in private law practice for 20 years and became president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), among other government positions until he became a regular member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) in 1993. This is his first elected position. 'Justice Presby' is married to Lorna Quinto-Velasco (PDP-Laban), the beauteous incumbent mayor of Torrijos municipality. Lorna ran unopposed as mayor in yesterday's election. Taken during Justice Presby's retirement last year. From left, son-in-law Sherwin Catera, Party list representative Trish Nicole Velasco-Catera, Justice Velasco, his wife, Mayor Lorna Quinto-Velasco, son Mike, municipal admin and Cong. Lord Allan Velasco. Lorded it over local politics It was the Reyeses who lorded it over Marinduque's local politics for nearly 5 decades. Carmencita was first elected as a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention ratified during the Marcos regime to which she was a close ally. She was assemblywoman of Marinduque from 1985 to 1986, congresswoman from 1978 to 1998 and 2007 to 2010, and governor from 1998 to 2007 and 2010 until her death. Luisito Reyes, her brother-in-law was governor from 1988 to 1995. Her son Edmund Reyes, Jr. was congressman from 1998 to 2007. In the case of Regina Ongsiako-Reyes (LP), she was the opponent of Lord Allan in the 2013 congressional race. House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte (LP) did not implement a High Court decision issued in 2013 to have him installed as congressman. Comelec had already cancelled Reginas COC then in view of her US citizenship by the time she took her oath as congresswoman. HRET eventually ruled that Comelecs decisions in two resolutions in 2013, upheld by the High Court were final and executory. It also ruled that Reyes had no valid COC nor a valid proclamation. Lord Allan was installed as congressman only in February 2016. Cong. Lord Allan Velasco Younger Velasco as Speaker? The very popular younger Velasco who garnered about 95% of the votes will most probably aspire to be Speaker in the next Congress as media reports keep saying that he has the backing of President Duterte and his influential daughter, Davao CIty Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. Lord Allan is married to Wen Velasco, a staunch Duterte ally. Sara, who graced Lord Allan's birthday party in Marinduque last November had said before a huge audience that it would be a "great pride for the people of Marinduque to have for the first time in your history a Speaker of the House". The local electorate after a hard day's night are forward-looking now to a period of positive changes for the island-province, and for the coming years to be a fresh and new period of magnificent transformation starting this July. Screenshots of Marinduque Election 2019 Results from Halalan 2019 ABS-CBN: A sinner saved by the grace of God given to those with faith in the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. Period. 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. (HealthDay)You would have to be living in a cave to have missed the CBD craze that is sweeping across America: New products are cramming store shelves as the market explodes for what many Americans believe to be a miracle cure-all. Everything from oils to gummies to pills, creams and ointments are now for sale at supermarkets and specialty chains. You can even get massages infused with CBD, or cosmetics laced with the drug. All of these products contain cannabidiol but not THC, the ingredient in pot that provides a "high." But what do scientists really know about the health benefits and risks of CBD? Precious little, experts say, and consumers should take care that they aren't wasting their money. "You have a flood of CBD products that are coming from hemp that are going out onto the market, and you've got all sorts of claims being made about those from people are trying to sell them," said Timothy Welty, chair of the department of clinical sciences at Drake University's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, in Des Moines, Iowa. The flood of CBD products has become so overwhelming that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently stepped into the fray. The agency has whipped out a flurry of warning letters to companies marketing CBD products, telling them to stop making unfounded health claims for the substance. Companies have falsely claimed that CBD can stop cancer cells, slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, ease nerve pain and fibromyalgia, and curb withdrawal symptoms for people undergoing substance abuse treatment, the FDA letters state. What started the craze? The agency will hold a public hearing on May 31 regarding CBD products and their safety, and it has formed a working group to consider new laws and regulations to govern this Wild West market. CBD products have swamped the market not because of any new medical evidence, but because of a change in federal law, Welty noted. Late last year, Congress passed a farm bill that lifted a decades-old ban on growing hemp. As long as the plant contains less than 0.3% THC, hemp can be grown legally anywhere in the United States by licensed farmers. The bill specifically said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency cannot regulate hemp products like CBD, Welty said. So, it's now up to the FDA to regulate the CBD craze. The body contains a system of receptors that respond to the compounds in marijuana, including both THC and CBD, noted Dr. David Copenhaver, director of cancer pain management and supportive care for the University of California, Davis Health Center. Because of this, researchers have been highly interested in the potential benefits of CBD regarding a number of different health problems. Little evidence of medical benefits To date, there's only one use for CBD that has significant scientific evidence behind itcurbing the symptoms of rare forms of epilepsy. The FDA last year approved the drug Epidiolex to treat two forms of childhood epilepsy. The medical evidence has shown that the highly purified CBD in Epidiolex can ease seizures. For the rest of CBD's potential uses, there is simply too little evidence to make a firm conclusion. The next potential medical use for CBD could be for the symptoms of anxiety disorder, said Welty and Yasmin Hurd, chair of translational neuroscience and director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai. Clinical trials suggest that CBD could help treat anxiety, but Welty feels there needs to be more study. Hurd is slightly more convinced, but agrees more study is needed. "There is published evidence that CBD does decrease anxiety," Hurd said. "That's another indication where I can say I can believe the data; however, we still don't know the dosing regimen that would be effective for anxiety. Those are studies that are ongoing." Other usesas an anti-inflammatory, an aid for substance withdrawal, a sleep aid, a pain relieverhaven't been conclusively proven. In some cases, the evidence runs counter to what people might suspect. There's not much reason to believe CBD would be an effective means of pain relief, said Dr. Ajay Wasan, vice chair for pain medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "If you think of it as a medicine, it would be a weak analgesic," Wasan said. "It's really the THC component of medical marijuana which is the compound that gives you pain relief." Possibility of harm CBD might actually make the eye disease glaucoma worse, according to a study published last December in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Researchers found that CBD eye drops increased ocular pressure in mice, even as THC appeared to reduce pressurewhich might explain why medical marijuana has had mixed results when it comes to studies on glaucoma treatment. "I've been surprised how much CBD has taken off and exploded with very little data," Wasan said. "Most of the other herbal supplements, there are at least some studies on it before it becomes really popular. But for this, I haven't seen anything." The bottom line, researchers said, is that people who want to try CBD for one reason or another should talk with their doctor first. Welty noted that Epidiolex can be put to "off-label" use for other conditions if a doctor feels it might work. Besides that, consumers might consider buying CBD products from a state-run program. Some states like Iowa have established such programs to make CBD available medicinally, Welty said. "Those products are more reliable, because they have a system to monitor the purity of content," Welty said. "You're a little more sure that you're getting what you're paying for." Many unregulated products Welty is much less sure of the "artisanal products" containing CBD that are available in stores and dispensaries, and for good reasonstudies have shown that most of these products fail tests for content and purity. A 2017 study concluded that nearly 7 of 10 CBD products didn't contain the amount of cannabidiol promised on the label, according to findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Nearly 43% of the products contained too little CBD, while about 26% contained too much. Worse, about 1 in 5 CBD products contained the intoxicating pot chemical THC. "The CBD products that come through that route, there's essentially no control, and you as a consumer have no way to know what you're getting," Welty said. Copenhaver believes other legitimate uses for CBD could be found, but it will require a more extensive knowledge of the way the human body responds to marijuana's different compounds. People might do best to wait until the dust settles regarding the medical evidence, rather than being caught up in the CBD craze, Hurd said. "It's like we do this every 30 years or so," Hurd said. "We romanticize something, that this is going to be the cure-all for every disorder. We've never found that." Copyright 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Credit : Susanna M. Hamilton, Broad Communications Large libraries of cancer cell linescollections of cells that represent tumor types seen in cancer patientscan yield profound insights into tumors' unique genetic features and their sensitivities to current and potential treatments. The data produced by these libraries is invaluable for developing new therapeutic options for patients. Such is the case with the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), a collection of more than 900 cell lines assembled starting in 2008 by the Broad Cancer Program in collaboration with the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. In 2012, the CCLE collaborators took a deep dive into the genomic features and drug sensitivities of these cells, cataloging gene expression, chromosomal copy number, and targeted gene sequencing data from all 947 lines and a number of drug-response profiles. This information has transformed how cancer scientists characterize drug targets and measure drug activity. For instance, the CCLE collection was instrumental in pinpointing the gene PRMT5 as a promising target in certain brain, lung, pancreatic, ovarian, and blood cancers; and WRN in cancer cells lacking a key DNA proofreading mechanism. A multi-center research team has now greatly augmented this cancer research resource by incorporating new cell lines and adding new data spanning the molecular spectrum from sequence to expression to protein. Writing in Nature, the teamled by core institute member William Sellers, institute member on leave Levi Garraway, and Broad alumni Mahmoud Ghandi and Franklin Huangreport a major expansion of the CCLE dataset, which now includes: RNA sequencing data for 1,019 cell lines microRNA expression profiles for 954 lines protein array data (899 lines) genome-wide histone modifications (897) DNA methylation (843) whole genome sequencing (329), and whole exome sequencing (326) The new dataset, which is freely available at https://depmap.org/portal/ccle/, also blends in CRISPR and RNA interference gene dependency data from the Broad's Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) team and drug sensitivity data from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute's Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer project. "We suspect that there are ways of looking beyond pairwise correlations like expression and protein levels to identify states of cancer that only reveal themselves when you see all the data in aggregate," Sellers explained. "We hope that with all of the data available, the community will help draw those macro-level pictures, enabling improved drug discovery efforts broadly in industry and academia." In a companion paper in Nature Medicine, another team led by Sellers, Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program graduate student Haoxin Li, and institute scientist and Metabolomics Platform senior director Clary Clish also opened a new view into cancer biology by probing the abundances of 225 metabolites of 928 of the CCLE linesthe first such systematic metabolomic survey of a cell line collection of this size and diversity. "These data, along with statistical models, allow us to see otherwise-hidden connections between genetic and epigenetic errors in cancer cells and changes in those cells' metabolic profiles," Li said. "The data reveal metabolic dependencies that, for instance, point to opportunities to expand the use of the anti-cancer drug asparaginase, and to exploit levels of a metabolite called kynurenine as a prognostic biomarker for certain kinds of immunotherapy." The CCLE collection provides the backbone for two large-scale cancer discovery efforts. One is the DepMap project, an effort being undertaken at the Broad Institute and at the Sanger Institute to systematically identify genetic dependencies (vulnerabilities that might serve as targets for designing new therapies or repurposing existing ones) across hundreds of cancer cell lines using RNA interference, CRISPR, and drug screens. The second is PRISM, a system that uses genetically-barcoded versions of the CCLE cell lines to identify biomarkers that could be used to predict tumors' responses to different drug compounds. "Taken together, these datasets constitute a massive community resource for anyone in the cancer research field using cell line models," Sellers said. "It's hard to underestimate the data's power for discovery and for understanding cancer biology mechanisms across tumor types." Explore further Editing false positives from cancer dependency maps drawn with CRISPR More information: Mahmoud Ghandi et al. Next-generation characterization of the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia, Nature (2019). Mahmoud Ghandi et al. Next-generation characterization of the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1186-3 Haoxin Li et al. The landscape of cancer cell line metabolism, Nature Medicine (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-019-0404-8 Journal information: Nature , Nature Medicine Credit: CC0 Public Domain Cavity-conscious mothers can rest assured their children will not be at increased risk of tooth decay if they can't breastfeed or they want to breastfeed their children for longeras long as they have access to fluoridated water, research from the University of Adelaide has found. The new research, led by Dr. Diep Ha of the University of Adelaide in collaboration with dental and nutrition experts from Australia and UK, published in the Journal of Dental Research, looked at cavities in five and six-year-olds, whether they had been exposed to fluoridated water, and if they had been breastfed as infants and for how long. The study used data collected in one of the largest and most comprehensive population-based studies of child oral health : the National Child Oral Health Study 2012-14. Results indicated a sweet spot for breastfeeding and good dental health more than one month and up to 24 months. Minimal breastfeeding (no breastfeeding or breastfeeding for less than one month) and extended breastfeeding beyond 24 months were both associated with increased dental cavities. But these effects were lessened if children were exposed to fluoridated water. Senior author Professor Loc Do, from the University of Adelaide's Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, said dental decay is the most prevalent chronic condition in children. "Breastfeeding is important not only for general health but also for the dental health of young children,'' said Professor Do. "Minimal breastfeeding can increase risk for having dental decay in children, as can sustained breastfeeding beyond 24 months. "However, potential risk can be reduced by drinking fluoridated water in formula or ensuring that breastfed children are given fluoridated water to drink after the age of 6 months." Professor Do said, in fluoridated areas, breastfeeding can be recommended beyond the age of 24 months. In non-fluoridated areas, breastfeeding for up to 24 months is recommended not only for child general health and development but also for child dental health. A dialogue between health organisations should be established to maximise benefits of both breastfeeding and water fluoridation. "The use of fluoridated tap water should be recommended for young children,'' he said. "The dental profession should support and encourage mothers of infants to breastfeed." Explore further Making the case for fluoridated water More information: D.H. Ha et al. Fluoridated Water Modifies the Effect of Breastfeeding on Dental Caries, Journal of Dental Research (2019). Journal information: Journal of Dental Research D.H. Ha et al. Fluoridated Water Modifies the Effect of Breastfeeding on Dental Caries,(2019). DOI: 10.1177/0022034519843487 Associate Professor Kate Schroder and Dr. Rebecca Coll from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience are working towards the anti-inflammatory drugs of the future. Credit: University of Queensland Treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases are one step closer as University of Queensland researchers discover a way to stop inflammation in its tracks. Associate Professor Kate Schroder and Dr. Rebecca Coll from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Professor Avril Robertson from UQ's School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences led the study, which will inform the design of new drugs to stop the formation of a protein complex, called the inflammasome, which drives inflammation. Dr. Coll, who is now a Lecturer at the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen's University Belfast, said the inflammasome was important in protecting our bodies from infection, but is also a key driver of unhealthy inflammation. "Inflammation helps our bodies heal following infection, but when the inflammasome is not switched off, inflammation becomes damaging. "Uncontrolled inflammation results in chronic diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and respiratory diseases such as asthma," she said. Associate Professor Schroder said the team's exciting discovery gave new insight into how to stop inflammation at the molecular level. "We previously identified a small molecule, MCC950, that inhibits the inflammasome to block inflammation in disease but, until now, we did not understand how it worked," she said. "We discovered that MCC950 binds directly to the inflammasome and inactivates it, turning off inflammation. "Now that we understand how a small molecule can inhibit the inflammasome, we are very excited about the potential of inflammasome inhibitors as anti-inflammatory drugs. Professor Robertson said "UQ start-up Inflazome Ltd, which is developing targeted therapies for inflammatory diseases, had announced its plans to commence clinical trials of their inflammasome inhibitors in 2019, and other companies are competing in this space. "We are keen to see results of these trials and hope that our discovery can lead to the efficient design of new molecules as anti-inflammatory drugs of the future," she said. The research was published in the scientific journal Nature Chemical Biology. Explore further In mice, eliminating damaged mitochondria alleviates chronic inflammatory disease More information: MCC950 directly targets the NLRP3 ATPhydrolysis motif for inflammasome inhibition, Nature Chemical Biology (2019). www.nature.com/articles/s41589-019-0277-7 Journal information: Nature Chemical Biology MCC950 directly targets the NLRP3 ATPhydrolysis motif for inflammasome inhibition,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41589-019-0277-7 Widespread calcifications may underlie the behavioral deficits observed. Credit: Snyder-Keller et al., JNeurosci (2019) Mice exposed to the Zika virus during later stages of gestation present behaviors reminiscent of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to a study of genetically diverse animals. The findings, published in JNeurosci, suggest children exposed to the virus during the 2015-16 epidemic may harbor increased risk for developmental disorders. Microcephalya smaller than normal headis the most well-known and visible consequence of Zika virus exposure. Recent research, however, has found brain and behavior abnormalities in Zika-exposed infants without microcephaly. Abigail Snyder-Keller and colleagues at the New York State Department of Health and the University of Albany School of Public Health examined these more subtle disruptions in male and female mice of four distinct genetic backgrounds. The public health researchers exposed mice to the virus during a period analogous to the third trimester in humans and report different effects depending on the sex and strain of the mouse. This research provides a first step toward studying the full range of possible outcomes in individuals exposed to the Zika virus in the womb. Explore further Dengue virus infection may cause severe outcomes following Zika virus infection during pregnancy More information: Mouse Stain and Sex-Dependent Differences in Long-Term Behavioral Abnormalities and Neuropathologies After Developmental Zika Infection, JNeurosci (2019). Journal information: Journal of Neuroscience Mouse Stain and Sex-Dependent Differences in Long-Term Behavioral Abnormalities and Neuropathologies After Developmental Zika Infection,(2019). DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2666-18.2019 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Children's brains are sponges. These voracious little learners glean all kinds of information from the people around them. In particular, children mimic and learn speech patterns from their family. Previous work has shown that infants attend selectively to their mother's voice over another female's voice. But new research suggests that children learn new words best from other children. "Much of what we know about the world is learned from other people," said Yuanyuan Wang from Ohio State University who will present research findings from a collaborative work with Amanda Seidl from Purdue University at the 177th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. "This is especially true for young children." According to Wang, speech is loaded with important paralinguistic information about the speaker including age, gender and even social class. Children learn and process this information in speech to understand and integrate speaker-specific information. The research team wanted to determine what age group was most influential to 2-year-old toddlers based on how they pick up new words. To evaluate this, they set up two experiments. In the first experiment, toddlers watched side-by-side video clips of two speakers reciting a nursery rhyme while listening to speech that matched either the age or gender of one of the two speakers. The toddlers were successful at matching the vocal age and gender they heard to visual attributes on the screen. In the second experiment, toddlers were taught new words during a learning task using speakers of different ages. The researchers found the toddlers learned new words more effectively from other children. In the study the child talkers were slighly older, between 8-10 years old. "It is fascinating to learn children showed selected learning from other child talkers," Wang said. "This has implications for social cognition and selective social learning." Wang believes that toddlers are interested in the development of their own speech patterns and may be more attuned to the sound of other child speakers that resemble their own. This ability to learn selectively from a particular social group may serve as a foundation for developing preferences among social groups later in life. "Sensitivity to talker properties is found to be related to speech processing and language development," Wang said. "These are related to later personal, academic, social and overall achievements." Explore further Some children find it harder to understand what strangers are saying More information: Presentation #1pSC8, "Toddlers' sensitivity to talker age in novel word learning: Children are better teachers," will be at 4:05 p.m., Monday, May 13, in the Combs Chandler room of the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. Presentation #1pSC8, "Toddlers' sensitivity to talker age in novel word learning: Children are better teachers," will be at 4:05 p.m., Monday, May 13, in the Combs Chandler room of the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/ Photo of Ngawai Moss. Credit: Queen Mary University of London A new risk calculator for pregnant women with epilepsy, developed by researchers from Queen Mary University of London, has been found to accurately predict the risk of seizures during pregnancy and up to six weeks after delivery, and could save the lives of mothers and babies. The EMPiRE tool has been made freely available online to help clinicians identify women at high risk of seizure, and inform their care through close monitoring and anti-epileptic drug management. Women with epilepsy are ten-times more likely to die in pregnancy than those without the condition, with seizures as the main cause of death. It has been consistently highlighted that the main factor behind these deaths is a lack of recognition of the women's high-risk status by health professionals. Pregnant women with epilepsy are advised not to alter their treatment without specialist advice. However, up to four in ten women discontinue their anti-epileptic medication in pregnancy due to concerns about the effects of drugs on the unborn baby, thereby increasing their risks of seizures. Ngawai Moss, 38, has epilepsy, and is the mother of two children. She said: "Every woman experiences epilepsy differently in their day to day life but it is a source of worry not knowing when you might have a seizure. Pregnancy makes you actively question how best to manage your epilepsy. Our medication can help prevent seizures, but it can also potentially be harmful to the health of the baby. "This dilemma can make the decisions around continuing to take medication during pregnancy difficult. You want to do the right thing for the baby, but it's also important to be practical. If you have a seizure there is a possibility of drowning or sustaining a serious injury, like falling down the stairs which can also harm or kill the baby. "Many women will place priority on the advice of obstetrics and gynaecology teams but they generally have a limited understanding of epilepsy particularly as it is not their specialty. Better advice and management is needed for pregnant women with epilepsy." The new prediction model, which has been published in the journal PLOS Medicine and online by the research team, is able to generate accurate estimates of seizure risk at any time in pregnancy in women with epilepsy who are on anti-epileptic drugs, to help inform their care. The model uses information which can be routinely collected during an antenatal appointment, such as age at first seizure, type of seizure, seizures in the three months before pregnancy, seizures requiring hospital admission, and current dose of anti-epileptic drugs. It then processes the data to predict the likelihood of a seizures not only in pregnancy, but up to six weeks after delivery, a period with increased risks to the mother and baby. Lead researcher Professor Shakila Thangaratinam from Queen Mary University of London said: "The EMPiRE tool is the first ever to predict the risk of seizure in pregnant women with epilepsy who are on anti-epileptic drugs. Our model gave accurate predictions regardless of the type of care the woman received, and we're now making it freely available online via a web-based calculator so that any clinician in any part of the world can use it with their patients. "By identifying the women who are at greatest risk of seizures, we can monitor them more closely during pregnancy, labour and childbirth, or consider increasing their anti-epileptic drug dose to reduce that risk." Screenshot of EMPiRE online risk calculator. Credit: Queen Mary University of London Dr. John Allotey, research team member from Queen Mary University of London said: "Such a tool can empower women to make informed decisions on their care, including shared decision making between the woman and their healthcare professional on the level of support needed in pregnancy and after childbirth. By being aware of their risk status, women's anxiety from the unpredictable nature of seizures could be reduced, and they may also be more likely to adhere to their medication if needed." The team of researchers developed and validated the model using datasets from the EMPiRE cohort study which looked at 560 pregnant women with epilepsy on medication from 50 hospitals in the UK. By testing the predictive model against the data collected in the study, the team was able to show that the model accurately predicted the risk of seizures. The model discriminated well between those with and without seizures, with good agreement between predicted and observed risks across both low and high-risk women. The freely available online calculator is aimed at general practitioners, epilepsy specialists, obstetricians, and midwives. Ngawai Moss added: "The model will be an asset for women living with epilepsy, like me, who are looking to get pregnant or already are. It will help us make informed decisions on how we manage our epilepsy and that in itself is extremely reassuring and empowering." The work was carried out at Barts Research Centre for Women's Health, based at Queen Mary University of London, which is funded by Barts Charity. Victoria King, Director of Grants at Barts Charity, said: "Barts Charity invested in the Barts Research Centre for Women's Health to help research lead to tangible improvements in the health of women and their babies and this freely available tool has the potential to do just that for pregnant women with epilepsy. "The tool can help pregnant women with epilepsy work with their healthcare team to make empowered and make informed decisions about what is right for them and their treatment during pregnancy and Barts Charity is very proud to support this." The limitations of the model include that it is mainly applicable to high-income countries due to the source of data it is based upon, its clinical utility is restricted to thresholds above a 12 per cent risk of seizure, and the small validation cohort sample size may have affected the robustness of the external validation. Explore further Some types of epilepsy pose more risks during pregnancy More information: John Allotey et al, Predicting seizures in pregnant women with epilepsy: Development and external validation of a prognostic model, PLOS Medicine (2019). John Allotey et al, Predicting seizures in pregnant women with epilepsy: Development and external validation of a prognostic model,(2019). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002802 The online risk calculator is available from: www.evidencio.com/models/show/1799 Journal information: PLoS Medicine University of Montana chief information officer Renae Scott appreciates the way technology connects students to learning. A remote student taking an online course can participate in the classroom through a "telecommuter robot," for instance. "They have a presence in the classroom, and that's phenomenal," Scott said. And technology has made it possible for students who have disabilities to be part of higher education in ways they previously couldn't. "It tears me up just to think about a little bit," she said last week. UM recently tapped Scott to serve as permanent CIO after she led the department in an interim role since September. She'll oversee a budget that runs from roughly $6.5 million to $8 million depending on fees, and direct an estimated 55 full-time equivalent staff. In an interview last week, Scott said the Missoula flagship stands on solid footing when it comes to technology. She said she plans to enhance technology and ensure she and her team are good partners who are listening to the needs of others on campus. In the most recent school year, Provost Jon Harbor launched an initiative to expand online education at UM, and the IT department will play a role. Updated classrooms at UM already offer "technology teaching podiums," large wall-mounted displays, and videoconferencing capabilities, and Scott said she's excited to continue to augment offerings at UM. "The modern classroom is all about the technology in there," said Scott, hired at UM in 2017 as assistant CIO. UM has experienced a persistent enrollment slide, and last school year, President Seth Bodnar restructured units and brought on a vice president for enrollment and strategic communications. Scott said her department has been working to fine-tune the customer relationship management system at UM so prospective students receive communications from the campus. "It's humming now," said Scott, who worked at Rice University in Houston for 27 years before coming to UM. Already, Scott has gone on a "CIO listening tour" to hear the technology priorities of deans, chairs and other faculty members. She said the tour was "exhaustive," and she learned invaluable information that will help her team steer UM toward its strategic priorities. For instance, UM aims to put student success at the heart of its activities, and Scott said innovative technology can support advising and tell students the current menu of the Food Zoo on their cell phones. "Everything is in the palm of their hand," Scott said of the way students operate. Accessibility is key Abbigail Belcher, president of the Associated Students of the University of Montana, said the biggest concern for students when it comes to technology is accessibility. "That can mean anything ranging from usable hardware to reliable email accounts," said Belcher in an email. "Students need access to the correct solutions in a timely manner in order to complete a 21st century education. "In today's day and age, a significant portion of a student's learning takes place outside of the classroom and on a computer. We are excited to see how Renae Scott maintains and improves services for students on the UM Campus." Mark Pershouse, incoming chair of the Faculty Senate, said Scott is a "wonderful" colleague, and he appreciates her leadership style. "She's straightforward. She's honest. She doesn't have any agendas. She just tells you like it is, tells you what she's hoping for. I hope to be like that someday. She's just not going to sugarcoat things," Pershouse said. "We need more of those." Even in her interim capacity, he said Scott has had a positive effect on the IT department, which experienced some staff departures through voluntary buyouts. "She's done a great job with a very unwieldy group that was seeing a lot of losses," Pershouse said. Collaboration Scott said she does intend to build on UM's network and enhance wireless and wired access for students. Generally, she also said she wants to be sure the IT team is pulling together and equipped to help make decisions on campus. Our networking team is working on a road map and plan for expanding the wireless on campus and in the residential areas, Scott said in an email. The plan should be completed by early summer and execution of the plan started by late summer. In the past, IT people worked more "behind the curtain," but their roles are changing, Scott said. "They lead discussions and bring people from across campus to collaborate." UM has tapped several women to lead units in interim capacities, and in a news release about the new chief information officer, UM noted Scott is the first woman to be named to the permanent post in Information Technology. In a statement, Bodnar said he's grateful for Scott, and information technology touches "virtually every area of the campus." "It is integral to our ability to deliver programs, support our students and employees, and enable all of our campus operations," Bodnar said. UM has experienced significant staff reductions and leadership churn as a result of the enrollment slide, but Scott said she's optimistic about the future of the flagship. She said she's honored to be chosen to lead the department, and she's been amazed at the work and energy of her staff. "They all have shown so much grit," Scott said. Please sign up on Missoulian.com to subscribe to Under the M, the weekly email about the University of Montana and higher education news in Montana. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins announced Monday that he will seek the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate next fall, becoming the first to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Steve Daines. Ive traveled this state, from every corner of this vast, rugged state. And what remains consistent is that for far too long and far too often, we have had politicians representing us in D.C. and not public servants, Collins told a midday crowd at Performance Square on Helena's downtown Walking Mall. I think its time we restore the real and true meaning behind public service. Collins teased Monday's special announcement on Twitter late last week. "They say it could never be done. A Liberian refugee elected to office in Montana. Let's prove them wrong again," Collins wrote in the tweet. Helena's mayoral elections are nonpartisan, and Collins did not mention a party affiliation in Mondays speech. However, campaign manager Trent Bolger confirmed Collins will seek the Democratic nomination and continue to serve as mayor while campaigning. Collins filed his statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission just prior to Mondays announcement. Collins and his wife, Maddie, fled Liberia in the midst of civil war. She came to the United States first, and their daughter was born as he awaited refugee status in Africa before they were reunited in 1994. That story was generating headlines even before Collins defeated four-term incumbent Jim Smith in 2017 to become the first black mayor of a Montana city since statehood. When I flew into Helena and saw the community with open arms ready to embrace me, when I looked into the eyes of my wife, when I looked into the eyes of my nearly 2-year-old daughter who ran into my arms for the first time, I knew at this very moment that this road was in fact meant for me, Collins said Monday, and I was simply coming home. Collins interwove that story with what he saw as the power of a collective voice favoring his platform. I want you to join me as one collective voice to make it heard loud and clear that no longer, I repeat, no longer is it acceptable for a young mother to have to make a choice between paying her bills and getting to see a doctor, Collins said. Health care is a right for all. Collins also called on that collective voice to help tackle the many faces of economic insecurity, protect collective bargaining and fight for reform of lobbying and campaign finance in the wake of the Citizens United decision, something the city itself addressed in recent months. Last November, the Helena City Commission passed a resolution calling on Montanas congressional delegation to pursue an amendment to the United States Constitution affirming that constitutional rights extend only to natural persons and that money does not constitute free speech. From there, Collins called on Washington to believe in science in the face of climate change and prioritize health care and homelessness of American veterans both issues close to Collins, who served as an Army and Navy reservist, and his wife, who has served as a registered nurse at the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center. As a state, Montana was second only to Alaska in percentage of veterans among the adult civilian population from 2009-2013, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Addressing another issue dear to Montana, Collins asked his proponents to tell Washington the states vast public lands have never been and will never be for sale. Hundreds will question the feasibility of this candidacy, Collins said. But what they fail to realize is that this campaign is not about me. This campaign is for all Montanans. Though Collins is the first to declare a campaign to unseat Daines, Politico reported Friday that Michael Punke of Missoula could seek the Democratic nomination for governor or U.S. Senate. Punke, currently vice president of global public policy for Amazon, has not held public office before but served as U.S. ambassador to the World Trade Organization under the Obama administration. Punke worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Montana in the past and is the author of three books. The 2015 film adaptation of his novel The Revenant won three Academy Awards. After one term in the U.S. House, Daines defeated then-state Rep. Amanda Curtis, D-Butte, in 2014 to cross over to the Senate. Curtis replaced incumbent John Walsh late in the election cycle after Walsh dropped out amid a New York Times report that he plagiarized part of a 2007 research paper submitted to the U.S. Army War College. Whether having a candidate with a longer-running campaign makes a difference for Montana Democrats against the incumbent Daines remains to be seen. It is true, a more established campaign, that certainly gives a Democratic candidate more time to raise money and to get their argument, their narrative they want out, Carroll College associate professor of political science Jeremy Johnson said Monday. On the other hand, that will probably not be sufficient for any Democrat. They need some luck and they also need to really connect with the voters and make arguments and make clear why Daines should not be elected. Regarding Collins campaign announcement, a spokesperson for Daines' campaign said Monday that the senator looks forward to having thoughtful conversations during this campaign on how to best protect our Montana way of life and create good-paying Montana jobs. Wasting no time, the Montana Republican Party sent out a fundraising email Monday afternoon calling Collins a media sensation and nothing short of a DREAM candidate for Montana Democrats but also claiming he would be a rubber stamp for the far-left's radical agenda in Washington. He'll stand against President Trump every chance he gets and be in lockstep with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders and not with Montanans, the email read. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Not a lot is known about the high-flying turkey vultures that sometimes soar above the Bitterroot Valley. But, with a little help from the Florence-Carlton School District, MPG Ranch researcher Kate Stone may have taken a step forward in unlocking some of those secrets Friday. After two weeks of trial and error, the researcher and her helpers finally got lucky when a turkey vulture flew into her trap in the pines just north of the districts administrative office, and someone pulled the string that slammed the door shut. The 4-pound bird with sharp beak, distinctive red head and a wingspan of nearly 6 feet was fitted with a tiny radio transmitter and wing tags before it was released. Some of the school districts students and staff had a chance to get a close-up view before it left. When I was holding it, it kind of felt like one of my chickens, Stone said. And then when it came time to release and it started flapping its wings, I was amazed at how long they were. Researchers with the MPG Ranch and Raptor View Research Institute are working together to attempt to trap 10 turkey vultures this spring. That decision came after they noticed the unusual birds were starting to pop up in photographs taken by trail cameras used in an ongoing scavenger ecology study. There is so little known about them, especially here in the inter-mountain west, she said. It also seemed like a perfect fit for our study on scavenger ecology. Initially, the researchers homed in on a turkey vulture roost in West Carlton Creek near Florence and another in the giant spruce trees that surround an old funeral home building just two blocks south of downtown Hamilton. Not all that many people in Hamilton know that its even there, Stone said. Turkey vultures normally arrive at their roost close to sunset and then leave a couple of hours after sunrise. A lot of what they do happens when people arent around. In Missoula, theres a roost near the Coca-Cola plant. A few weeks back Stone discovered the turkey vulture roost in Florence. I saw them sitting outside the school, she said. When I started talking with people from the school and neighbors, they told me they were there all the time. This was the second vulture that MPG Ranch researchers have captured and fitted with a transmitter. The first was caught in West Carlton Creek. It didnt stick around the Bitterroot for long. It flew from Florence to Frenchtown, where it spent a couple of nights, Stone said. And then it flew to St. Ignatius where it stayed a couple of days. Its now headed north along the Clark Fork. At this point, Stone has no way of knowing if some the vultures call the Bitterroot home or if all are just migrating through. Every fall, they count 2,000 to 3,000 turkey vultures at the MPG Ranch during their annual raptor count. They do know that some turkey vultures migrate as far south as Brazil to winter. While vultures have been the focus of studies on the East Coast, Stone said not much is known about their nesting locations, population numbers or their range on this side of the country. We know that they need some security during nesting seasons, but otherwise they tolerate people pretty well, she said. We also know that as conditions change, their population respond. As climate and habitat changes, we might see them react to that, too. People seem to be interested in learning more. Ive been amazed at how people will stop and talk to us in the school parking lot or at Glens (restaurant in Florence) to tell us what theyve seen, she said. As a scientist, I want to be connecting with people and hearing about they know as much as possible. We are looking for additional roost sites in the Bitterroot Valley, Stone said. We are interested in both documenting the numbers and behavior at the sites, collecting pellets from the ground, and, if people are willing, setting up additional capture sites. Anyone with information to share can call Stone at 406-381-1115 or email at kstone@mpgranch.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Actions speak louder than words. But words create the environment and world in which we live. Our actions and words matter greatly and the actions and words of the Montana Legislature in the 2019 session were clear: Montana will not allow sexual abuse, especially abuse of children, to continue. We removed the statute of limitations allowing for criminal prosecution of sexual abuse against children and established a Sexual Assault Survivors Day. Sexual assault, including crimes such as rape and incest, is a cancer in society that for too long has gone inadequately addressed, unnoticed and blatantly ignored. This has happened, unfortunately, at all levels, including within our schools, our families and our court systems. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually assaulted before they turn 18. A unified Montana made a statement with our actions and our words. We want to change the cultural norms that allow sexual assault and abuse to occur. During the 2019 legislative session, the Legislature came together in a bipartisan way and sent a clear message that we value the safety of children and do not tolerate children being sexually abused. Removing the criminal statute of limitations means that when adults sexually abuse a child, they can never escape criminal liability. Every day for the rest of those adults' lives, they are at risk of being arrested, having criminal charges filed, and being put in prison after they are convicted in court of the crime against the child. The Legislature set the bar even higher, leading the nation by being the first state to establish Sexual Assault Survivors' Day, occurring on the first Thursday in April (Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month). This day will not only honor survivors but, in addition, raise awareness of sexual assault, sexual harassment and discrimination. It is a chance for communities to raise awareness and increase education about these problems and how to prevent them. I was honored to carry House Resolution 4, cosponsored by numerous Democrats and Republicans, establishing this special day. We as Montanans are fiercely independent and we require accountability from all individuals. This session, our collaborative actions made a statement: Montana will not allow sexual assault and sexual abuse to go unnoticed. Unreported. Ignored. We hold other members of society accountable for their actions and will work to make our community safer. No child should have to fear she or he will be sexually abused by anyone. No perpetrator of this crime should be able to mark a day on a calendar knowing they have no more responsibility after that date because the criminal statute of limitations has ended. Montana has emerged as the national leader by declaring Sexual Assault Survivors Day. Hopefully other states will follow suit, learn a little from Montana law, and the rest of the nation will look a bit more like Montana. Rep. Kimberly Dudik, D-Missoula, represents House District 94 in the Montana Legislature. She is running for Montana Attorney General. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 After extensive deliberation and disagreement between two board members, the Montana State Parks and Recreation Board decided to delay a decision on Hell Creek State Park to May 20 while gathering more information. At issue was an appeal of a Montana State Parks decision to build new potable water and fish cleaning wastewater treatment systems at the park. The board, which held its hearing Friday in Helena, got hung up on whether the project's appeal by the nonprofit Friends of Hell Creek had followed the proper process. "I am not sure ... conflict resolution was addressed," said board member Mary Sheehy Moe. "To say that this person is getting his day in court before us ... I think that is not the case." Board chairman Angie Grove and the board's legal representative, Becky Dockter, disagreed, saying the appellant was given ample opportunity as the issue was reviewed by the state parks director and director of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, both of which denied the appeal. They also agreed that the appeals process was not the issue before the board. They were to decide if the agency's decision failed to comply with the law, was arbitrary and capricious, or it was based on invalid or incomplete information. Still, the board seemed unswayed by the duo's arguments. "It's not a decision I feel really good about," said board member Erica Lighthiser. "I really feel a responsibility to the local community and the public." Unable to reach a compromise between the opposing views, and out of concern that the discussion between the members could affect litigation, the board decided to ponder the issue for another 10 days, which will also give the agencies more time to find documentation to support their arguments. Appealed In its appeal Friends of Hell Creek had argued, among other issues, that building the new facilities would limit the availability of land for the parks concessionaire, Clint and Deb Thomas, who operate Hell Creek Marina through a lease with the state. State Fish, Wildlife and Parks attorney Aimee Hawkaluk said the contract with the Thomases clearly allows construction on the 55 acres included in their lease. Quite frankly the petitioner is incorrect, she said. I dont think it could be much clearer than it is. She added that the state had followed all applicable procedures in reaching its decision by soliciting and considering public opinion and dealing with the appeal. This is a very standard health and safety project, she said. The aging infrastructure has been in need of replacement for nine years and has suffered numerous breakdowns in the interim, Hawkaluk said. Delaying the work only drives up the cost, she added. When it went out for bid, the project was estimated to cost $773,000. Disagreement The Thomases attorney, Chris Gallus, disagreed with Hawkaluks interpretation of the lease contract regarding construction, saying he did not think it was so clear cut. It is not abundantly clear to me or my clients that you would occupy what you construct, Gallus told the board. Youre putting something on the property thats staying there. The Thomases portion of the lease where the new structures would be located eliminates the opportunity for the couple to use that 10 acres for dry storage, such as boats and trailers, to help increase their income at the site located north of Jordan on the remote shore of Fort Peck Reservoir. Options Jim Gustafson, president of the Friends of Hell Creek, said other options were disregarded when Montana State Parks made the decision to proceed with the improvements, such as removing the fish cleaning station entirely or locating it somewhere that it wouldnt impact the Thomases lease. He also questioned how well a new wastewater treatment system would work, asserting that fish remains run through the stations garbage disposal would quickly clog the drain field. Clearly we thought that was the most feasible (option) at the time, and we still believe that, Hawkaluk said. Grove, chair of the parks board, reminded members that they could not redesign the decision by exploring placing the improvements elsewhere, a point emphasized by Dockter. Your authority in this circumstance is either to agree or disagree with the decision of the department, Dockter said. It really is kind of a yes or no in this circumstance. The decision was already upheld by the directors of Montana State Parks and FWP. The boards decision was the last stop for the appeal unless the plaintiffs or the Thomases take the issue to court. Process Gustafson complained to the board that the agencies had taken an adversarial stance with him in responding to his appeals and had made no effort to negotiate, a claim Hawkaluk denied but could not provide proof of. So the board recessed to give the agency time to find emails reportedly sent to Gustafson or his attorney by the Montana State Parks and FWP directors, who were both out of town. I dont have it, but I believe it exists, Hawkaluk said. Upon reconvening, Hawkaluk could produce only one email that seemed to address a separate issue. "I'm still not satisfied with that element of it," Sheehy Moe said, noting it was only one email with no apparent followup. "In the absence of documentation to the contrary, that's a problem for me." Gallus said he and the Thomases had meetings with FWP but the agencys attorneys specifically requested that Gustafson be excluded as they felt that wasnt proper, he said. Dockter stepped in to halt a question regarding FWP director Martha Williams letter to Gustafson in which she referenced a paperwork error in the agencys delayed response to his appeal. That information could only be discussed with the board in closed session, Dockter said without further explanation but possibly related to a chance of legal proceedings regarding the issue. In the letter, Williams was referencing the reason that work had started on the Hell Creek project last August even though the state had not responded to Gustafsons appeal. In order to halt the work, he sought a temporary restraining order. When the state was notified of the legal maneuver, the agency stopped construction and the parks director, Beth Shumate, wrote a letter to Gustafson denying his appeal. Since the work was discontinued no TRO was ever issued. Williams also denied Gustafsons appeal. Future? Separate from the issues before the board but on the minds of all who use the park is where the state stands on extending Hell Creek State Parks lease with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers past 2021, which is when the current lease expires. The directors of state parks and FWP have said informally that the state is not leaving Hell Creek. We have no plans to close Hell Creek, Hawkaluk also told the board. Yet the previous parks board adopted a letter of intent to do just that if partners could not be found to reduce costs, since Hell Creek operates at a loss. That decision has never been formally rescinded. The uncertainty surrounding the future at Hell Creek has left the Thomases unsure about the future of the business they developed at the remote site. It also hampers any ability by them to make improvements to their facilities since banks wont make loans until a lease is signed. Gallus told the board that it would benefit all parties involved if they would address the issue. Sooner rather than later is better, he said. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SWAN VALLEY, IDAHO Patrick Kennedy cradled a massive trout, the kind of fish an angler can remember forever. Every bit of 4 pounds and easily clearing 20 inches long, the ruddy-cheeked spotted wild salmonid had been subdued with electricity and then strategically hoisted with a net from the prized waters in the South Fork of the Snake River. Its next stop, before a dinner plate, was a decidedly tamer environment: the oval-shaped Trail Creek Fishing Pond dug from the base of Teton Pass near Victor. This is a nice fish, said Kennedy, a new regional fisheries biologist for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. And its an important fish for the guides. If a client caught that fish, they wouldnt want to bonk it, thats for sure. You can understand the controversy, he said. The life history of the trophy trout sealed its fate. Every spring, cutthroat and rainbow trout mingling in the South Fork spawn batches of fry that hybridize. The strain of fish that results including the one in Kennedys hands is a cross called a cutbow, a variation of native and exotic trout that now must go, at least when Idaho Fish and Game fisheries crews get ahold of them. On a recent trip that happened 338 times to cutbows and full-blooded rainbows in a stretch of the South Fork just downstream of where Highway 26 climbs up onto the agricultural plain leading out of Swan Valley. Over the course of this spring perhaps 5,000 rainbows will be immobilized with electricity, netted and hauled away to six put-and-take fishing ponds that dot southeast Idaho. The effort to selectively remove rainbow trout is the next step of a controversial, challenging and likely long-lasting effort to prop up the Yellowstone cutthroat, the South Forks native trout that dominated the fishery as recently as the turn of the century. For 15 years South Fork anglers have been able to keep unlimited numbers of rainbows and cutbows. Fisheries biologists have even implanted imperceptible $50 to $1,000 money tags into the snouts of swarms of the exotic trout to incentivize the cull. Nevertheless, the catch-and-release ethic thats pervaded fly-fishing for decades has held on, and the South Forks rainbow population was able to withstand the blow of more fish ending up on anglers smokers and grills. When Idaho electrofishing boats set out to gauge populations at a historic monitoring stretch near the Conant Boat Ramp last fall, there were more rainbow trout than ever before: an estimated 3,000 per mile, and at a proportion of more than three rainbows for every two cutthroat sampled. Frankly, we failed as outfitters, said Justin Hays, general manager of the fishing outfit for the Lodge at Palisades Creek. We were tasked by Idaho Fish and Game with helping remove the hybrids and the rainbows, and our guests didnt want to kill fish. Our guides are troubled that theyre killing this nonnative species that they make their tips on. But at the end of the day, he said, we support the movement. Exotic fish Anglers revere rainbow trout because theyre hard-charging and high-flying. Rainbows are adaptable found in the wild in every U.S. state outside of Florida and theyre a go-to stocker trout for fishery managers around the country, even being turned loose below Palisades Dam into the South Fork as recently as the 1980s. The species is native to Pacific coastal watersheds, including portions of the Snake River watershed downstream of the natural barrier posed by Shoshone Falls. Unlike rainbow and brown trout, cutthroat on the broader landscape are declining, having even been proposed for protective status under the Endangered Species Act in the early 2000s. The subspecies endemic to the Northern Rockies range exists today in only about a third of its historic five-state range. Habitat loss, climate change and introduction of exotic competitors are all factors in the long-term decline. Anglers neednt drive farther than the Snakes equally famous Henrys Fork to see an example of a fishery where cutthroat are gone and their exotic comrades are thriving. It was the cutthroat, reputed for indiscriminately eating dry flies off the surface, that made the South Fork into the Yankee Stadium of fishing, longtime South Fork angler and News&Guide columnist Paul Bruun said. Its big water, and its got the fish per mile, and its got multiple species, Bruun said. Ive seen this coming for a while. You see these mob scenes of all these rainbows where you dont see any cutthroat. Bruun for years was an outspoken critic of lethal intervention to help native cutthroat trout at the expense of non-native fish, such as killing lake trout in Yellowstone Lake or remnant rainbow trout populations that still linger today in Flat Creek and the Gros Ventre River. He has since changed his tune, publicizing the about-face in the September 2015 column, Its hard to admit my poor trout thinking. Its anglers continued reluctance to kill, in Bruuns view, thats crippling Idahos efforts to knock back the South Forks rainbows. The only problem is the outfitters think that the rainbows are just fine, he said. Theyre not killing them. Its a conundrum. Even fishing outfitter Hays who champions the states suppression efforts said he wont make his employee guides kill rainbows. And so they dont. Out of the 32 licensed Lodge at Palisades Creek guides whose clients ply the South Forks waters all summer, perhaps just eight encourage killing, he said. Its a hard sell, man, Hays said. We are a business that provides memories of moments for people. Killing a fish is not the memory that gets those guests to come back to us. After South Fork stocking stopped more than three decades ago, native Yellowstone cutthroat trout, for a while, were king. Rainbows for years were all but absent, but via natural reproduction they gradually rose back to prominence. By 2002 there started to be years in which the exotic trout was just as prevalent as the homegrown fish. Non-native brown trout, too, have held on in the South Fork, even increasing in number over the years, though theyre considered less of a threat because theyre fall spawners that dont taint the genetics of the natives. Fisheries managers saw trouble brewing a long way out, and way back in 2004 changed the fishing regulations to allow anglers to bag an unlimited number of rainbow trout year-round. By 2010 the angler incentive program had been conceived. By the thousands, money fish were caught, tagged and turned loose. The program is simple: Anglers can net a cash reward in exchange for the head of a rainbow trout. But the low-odds program appeared to be having an insignificant effect the return was only 1,500 to 2,000 rainbows a year and was about to be discontinued, Idaho Fish and Game regional fisheries manager Brett High said. There was a horrible chance of winning half a percent so we lost a lot of participants, High said. Anything helps Based on the most recent creel survey, just 13 percent of caught and kept rainbows decapitated heads were being turned in and scanned. A research project around that time concluded angler harvest was a big factor in holding the rainbow trout population back. Managers changed their minds and kept the incentive program afloat. The fight to save the South Forks cutthroat isnt limited to killing and relocating competitors. Every major spawning stream that feeds into the river downstream of Palisades for miles is now outfitted with a weir that captures fish migrating upstream. The structures on Pine, Palisades, Rainy and Burns creeks are checked daily during the spring spawning run, and only pure cutthroat are let through. Consequently, the South Forks rainbow trout have lost their institutional knowledge of these important upstream spawning grounds on Caribou-Targhee National Forest streams. We know that were having success there, Kennedy said. We think that weve eliminated the rainbow trout life histories that used to run into the tributaries, but we still see rainbow trout trying to pioneer that good habitat. Idaho Falls-based Trout Unlimited employee Chris Hunt, a rabid native trout proponent who once ran a blog called Eat More Brook Trout, underscored the importance of the weirs. Im not a biologist, but I do know that whats saving the genetic integrity of the South Forks cutthroat is the series of weirs along the tributaries, Hunt said. Thats the saving grace, right there. Im pleased that Fish and Game has kept that effort up, despite seemingly losing the battle in the main river. The federal agency that makes decisions about water releases at Palisades Dam could also take a big swipe at the South Fork rainbows, which spawn a few weeks earlier than cutthroat. A strategically timed torrent of water from the Bureau of Reclamation could cause ruin to entire age classes of the non-native fish by sweeping their eggs downstream, but the flushing flow tactic probably isnt on the table. The modeling suggests that we need about 25,000 [cubic feet per second] out of the dam, Kennedy said. Flood stage is 22,000 cfs. The reality is that it might not be a tool. Water managers are helping, however. The Bureau of Reclamation is underwriting Kennedy and his crews efforts to selectively catch and haul rainbows to six fishing ponds in Fish and Games Upper Snake region. Its a big task. Nineteen weekdays this spring state jetboats will be out on stretches of the South Fork dangling electrical anodes into the water. The goal is to catch and move 3,000 rainbows and cutbows, a threshold that was achieved this week with nearly half the electrofishing season to go. The South Forks impressive productivity as a below-dam tail water fishery is obvious seeing and participating in the selective fishing firsthand. As the jetboats powered past cutbanks and through eddies, clouds of whitefish, suckers and all three types of trout would go belly up, sporadically twitching this way or that in the current. Quickly they bounced back to life, though at least twice bald eagles took advantage of the floating dinner plate, one fisheries technician joked. It was equally obvious that rainbow and cutbows were a large part of the fish assemblage. When a boat would hit a rainbow redd on suitable cobbles for spawning, oftentimes theyd surface in bunches. The nonnatives netted and let loose in tubs onboard were big, too: The average rainbow relocated this spring has stretched the tape to 16 inches, and the largest measured a pinch shy of 2 feet, Kennedy said. A long slog Even while the state's catch is outpacing expectations twofold, theres a good chance that Idaho Fish and Game will need to up the effort to meaningfully affect the population. The numbers are grim. The state agencys best though admittedly rough estimate for the total number of rainbow trout in the South Fork is 90,000 fish. Were trying to remove 3,000, but is that a big deal? Kennedy said. It might not be to the population, but it is to the public. Weve got to ease our way into this. The advocacy world largely stands in support. Trout Unlimiteds Hunt said he has no criticism whatsoever of the state biologists efforts. I know a lot of anglers dont, but I applaud Fish and Game for going after rainbows on the South Fork, Hunt said. This is one of the last big water habitats for native Yellowstone cutthroats. The Henrys Fork Foundation is also contributing resources, recently starting up a South Fork Initiative to improve the watershed, including its native fishery. Convincing the angling community and cultivating a generation of shameless South Fork rainbow killers is the next challenge. South Fork Lodge fly shop manager and fishing guide Chris Conant is skeptical of what he sees as an arbitrary and poorly communicated effort to treat rainbow trout as a blight. Hed rather see the fishery managed for trophy trout regardless of the species, but if Idaho Fish and Game is going to target rainbows, they ought to really go after them. Were not against the effort on the whole, but at some point its got to get to the point where this is going to be effective or not, Conant said. If we can get back to it being just cutthroat in there that would be pretty awesome, but Im not sure thats in the realm of possibility. Hunt urged the Idaho fisheries managers to keep at it. All I can say is I dont want them to give up, he said. Please dont give up. That was Bruuns take, too. I think theyve got to do something, even though its going be very unpopular with a lot of people, he said. None of this is ever going to be popular. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 " " Some Youtubers have made a fortune by sharing their innermost thoughts. Could you be so lucky? Fuse/Thinkstock YouTube took in around $5.6 billion in advertising revenue in 2013 not too shabby for a website less than a decade old. Even with the company hanging on to roughly half of all ad income, that's still a pretty nice chunk of change left for content creators [source: Kaufman]. Before 2012, you could place ads on videos you uploaded to the site, but you had to find these advertisers yourself and the process was a bit convoluted. The launch of the YouTube Partner program in 2012 made it incredibly easy for anyone to slip a few ads into their videos, and share in the revenue, with YouTube doing all the legwork of actually finding these online advertisers. Within just a few short years, the company could claim more than 1 million partners content creators who incorporated ads in their videos to earn a share of YouTube's profits and some of these video savants are living the high life [source: Kaufman]. Korean musician Psy earned a cool $2 million after more than 2 billion YouTubers watched his catchy "Gangnam Style" video, released in 2012 [source: McIntyre]. Video maker Jenna Marbles likely earned in excess of $300,000 in 2012, thanks to silly pop culture videos she added to the site [source: O'Leary]. Olga Kay manages five YouTube channels with a total of a million subscribers, creating around 20 videos a week to earn a six-figure salary [source: Kaufman]. Swede Felix Kjellberg earns $4 million a year with videos that show him commentating as he lounges around playing video games under the name "PewDiePie" [source: Smith]. Advertisement Reading stories of these "normal" folks pulling in big bucks for seemingly simple work can tempt anyone into the world of online content creation, but can you really make a living on YouTube? Sure, but don't count on it. Expecting to launch a content channel that pulls in millions a year or even a living wage is like going into acting expecting to earn as much as George Clooney. Just like there are countless actors out there earning virtually nothing from their craft, there are also hundreds of thousands of YouTube users who would be lucky to squeeze out enough income from the site to pay for groceries. Jack Conte, who creates video mashups of songs on the site, earns about $400 for the 4 million views his videos garner each month [source: Luckerson]. Engineer Scott Driscoll estimates that he's earned less than $6,000 total after more than 4 million views over the course of six years [source: Driscoll]. While YouTube owner Google keeps earnings figures quiet, the company says that thousands of content creators earn a six-figure salary with at least a million partners, that means there are a lot more who aren't earning anywhere near this level [source: Kaufman]. And it appears that YouTube earnings are going down. In 2012, the average user made $9.35 every thousand times a video ad played before one of his uploaded videos. Today, that figure has dropped to $7.60 [source: Kaufman]. That means that 100,000 people could check out your video in a month no small feat and you'd still pull in only around $760 ... not insignificant, but not enough to live off, either. This summer, the Mother Lode Theatre will be offering free tours of the historic theater, one of Montanas iconic theaters, at 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, or by appointment. The theater is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Walk-ins welcome. Built in 1923 by the Masonic Bodies to conduct their services, but by 1929 the Masons converted and leased the theater as a movie house that operated under names that included the Fox and Bow Theaters. Whether it was called the Bow, the Fox, or the Mother Lode, the theater has played host to numerous plays and concerts, and a number of entertainers have graced its stage. In the midst of World War II, A-list actors Joan Leslie, Walter Pidgeon and Adolph Menjou were at the Fox on Sept. 10, 1942, to encourage residents to buy war bonds. The following month, Sonja Henie, John Payne and Jack Oakie were back on the same stage to made similar pleas. Sylvia Sidney portrayed Jane Eyre in 1944, and that same year, legendary actress Ethel Barrymore wowed the crowds in The Corn is Green. Harpo Marx had theater-goers laughing Oct. 23, 1950, with his stand-up show, Harpos Concert Bazaar. Louis Armstrong performed June 7, 1951, with the main floor ticket costing $3. Tex Ritter, along with his Western Swing Band, took to the stage July 12, 1956. The event coincided with the release of his film, The Devils Trail. In the 1990s the theater was donated to the City of Butte and in 1996, after renovations, the theater was renamed Mother Lode Theatre and is now leased and managed by the Butte Center for the Performing Arts, a non-profit organization, to serve as a venue for the Mother Lode Series, Butte Symphony, Butte Community Concert Series, Orphan Girl Childrens Theatre, and other local and national shows For more details, contact the theatre at 406-723-3602. 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. In 1884, the northeast corner of Washington and Galena Streets was close to the western edge of Butte. There was a cow corral across Washington Street to the west, and the old city jail was a block west on Jackson. The new St. Patricks Church loomed directly to the south. The corner held two small dwellings, probably log cabins, a shed, and an outhouse. By 1888, one of those houses had added a second floor and an ornate mansard roof, a front porch, and was part of the then new address scheme: 321 West Galena Street. The block didnt change much until after 1900, although the neighborhood was growing dramatically. St. Patricks Parochial School had replaced the cow corral, and the Butte Public School occupied the corner of Park and Idaho, a stones throw from these old homes. In 1903, the six-year-old Congregation Bnai Israel began construction of the synagogue that still stands in that block. Ex-Senator Lee Mantle spoke at the dedication in February 1904 which was led by Rabbi Harry Weiss. The first Jewish organization in Butte, the Hebrew Benevolent Association, began in 1878 (some sources say 1881), a year before Butte City was incorporated and elected Henry Jacobs, a Jewish immigrant from Germany, its first mayor. In 1892 the Baron de Hirsch Lodge of the Bnai Brith was formed. They met at the Mountain View Methodist Episcopal Church in 1893, and after Congregation Bnai Israel was organized they met in various places, including a boarding house on West Granite east of the present Carpenters Union Hall, and probably in the predecessor to the present Carpenters Union Hall as well. Bnai Israel was a Reformed congregation, and in 1902 Orthodox Jews formed the Adath Israel Congregation. They purchased a church from the German Lutherans at 65 West Silver and met there for the next 50 years. The building was damaged by subsidence in shallow drifts of the nearby Emma Mine and was ultimately demolished, and about 1969 Adath Israel merged into the Bnai Israel group. In 1907, Montanas Jewish population was estimated at 1500, with 400 in Butte and 300 in Helena. In addition to Buttes two primary congregations, a second short-lived Orthodox group, the Montefoire Independent Congregation, operated in the mid-1920s, renting space at 229 South Main Street. The large round window in the Bnai Israel Temple commemorates Elias and Mina Oppenheimer, parents of sons who partnered with members of the Symons family in Symons Department Store. Although the synagogue in Helena is about 12 years older than the Bnai Israel Temple, it is the oldest temple in Montana still in use. 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 6 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Tom Elpel has done things his way. In less than a month hell be floating the Missouri River in a hand-made canoe built from a Douglas fir tree. Elpel wont stop until he reaches St. Louis. Thats 2,300 river miles. He predicts itll take him and a handful of friends about six months to get there. Along the way the group hopes to eat fresh road kill, plus forage, hunt and fish. Elpel sees traveling in the opposite direction of the iconic trip made by the 1803 explorers Lewis and Clark as a journey of rediscovery. It will enable him and his group of five to reconnect with the land and reconnect with its inhabitants. If that sounds unusual, nothing about Elpel is ordinary. At 51, he says he held down a regular job for perhaps one year in his life. He didnt go to college. He writes books that he publishes himself through his own Pony-based publishing house called Hops Press. His books, Botany in a Day, Foraging the Mountain West, and Green Prosperity, are popular enough that he can support himself. The books have also supported his venture of buying a piece of land south of Cardwell where he teaches kids and adults survivalist skills with mountains to the east. The programs are called OWLS (Outdoor Wildnerness Living School) and Green University. Recently, a group of Butte Central students learned how to burn a cavity into a block of wood and turn it into a bowl for meals. Some of the kids slept in a structure made of sticks and bark that looks like a tepee. Other kids slept in another handmade structure called an earth lodge. As president of the Jefferson River Canoe Trail Chapter, Elpel raises money for land purchase along the Jefferson River to increase public access to the river that Lewis and Clark once paddled. Born in northern California, Elpel traveled back to Virginia City to spend time with his grandmother, Josephine Jewett, as a kid. Jewett was a native Montanan. Elpel took survivalist skills classes as a teen with his grandmother. He says it was she who inspired his love for and curiosity about edible plants. He used to collect herbs with her for the daily pot of herbal tea that would later be boiling on the stove and sending a trail of steam up from his cup. Now, Elpels full-time job is teaching others through his books, plant family patterns. One of his ventures, a childrens book called Shanleyas Quest, helps kids identify 45,000 plant species through understanding plant family patterns. It also teaches kids how to identify 3,000 edible plants, he says. He says he wrote his own botany book, Botany in a Day, to answer his own questions about plants. The usual way to look at our dreams you go to college and earn money to do what you want to do, Elpel said outside his house on a hill in Pony. I was focused on not needing a job. I built my dream house myself. He and his then wife lived in a tent on their land. He built the house to be so energy efficient, he says his monthly utility bill is generally only $5 a month. Solar panels in the yard help to keep his power bill down. The back of his house is built into the hillside. To provide guests with a place to stay, he built a second structure on his land. To get to it, Elpel led the way through the grass where chickens peck and cluck. Elpel built the secondary structure from cement blocks that came from a junk pile. The roof is made from an old satellite dish turned upside down to make a dome. To top off the satellite dish, Elpel used a glass salad bowl and then a glass plate on top of that to insulate but also to let light in through the top of the dome. Inside is a bed and a woodstove. But such projects are not enough. Elpel says he decided to travel the Missouri River because, for a while now, hes wanted to do something really big. Different dreams merged and this is it, he said. But, he says, his trip will be a little different than what Lewis and Clark did. For one thing, Elpel built his own box that houses a built-in solar panel. He can use it at night to plug in his electronic devices but with the lid on, it can double as a desk. He also plans to keep anyone interested in the journey somewhat abreast of the trip. A GPS will mark the mens campsites so the public can follow along. There may be the occasional social media post as well. As sheets of rain and low-hanging clouds obscured the Bridger Mountains in the far distance, Elpel checked on his chicken coop and found the hens eggs. The family cat waited outside for his share of attention. I just always loved Montana and I wanted to live here, he said. Love 0 Funny 2 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. Most high school students apply to college in the fall and hear back in the spring. May 1 is a milestone: the deadline to commit to a school, thus ending the college application frenzy. But two dozen schools in Illinois and Iowa are still accepting applications for the fall, according to a survey from the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Many of those schools are still offering financial aid and housing. Of course, the fact that schools are still accepting applications does not guarantee a student who applies will be accepted. Below is a list of many of the colleges and universities within a three-hour drive of the Quad-Cities that are still accepting applications for freshmen: Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.) Private, enrollment: 1,000-4,999 Financial aid: yes Housing: yes augustana.edu Black Hawk College (Moline, Galva, Ill.) They would ask me what actors I saw in the roles. I would tell them, and theyd say Oh thats interesting. And that would be the end of it. --Elmore Leonard, in 2000, on the extent of his input for Hollywood's adaptation of his novels Vodacom released its financial results for the year ended 31 March 2019 which showed that its service revenue in South Africa increased 2.1% to R55.7 billion. The companys data revenue in South Africa grew by 3.9% to R24.3 billion and now contributes 43.5% to service revenue. While the company grew its top line over the past year, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) declined 1.3% to R27.7 billion. The company explained that its EBITDA margin of 38.9% contracted by 1.2% partially as a result of the roaming agreement with Rain. This affected margins by 0.7%, as we continue to scale up on the roaming agreement, and move cost of capacity from depreciation to direct expenses, Vodacom said. This result is not surprising. Vodacom is increasingly using Rains network for 4G roaming as data demand increases on its own network. As it needs to pay Rain for data roaming, its margin on data used on the Rain network is much lower than data used on its own network. The data roaming charges paid to Rain also make it more difficult for Vodacom to reduce data prices, especially on larger data bundles with lower per-MB rates. Vodacom asking for more spectrum The EBITDA hit partly explains why Vodacom is asking for more spectrum, which will allow it to increase 4G capacity on its own network and alleviate the need to roam on Rains network. Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub called on President Cyril Ramaphosas new administration to release high-demand wireless spectrum. A quick win for the presidency in terms of helping restore investor confidence in South Africa and the growth of the economy is to prioritize its policy direction for the telecommunications industry, said Joosub. The most significant obstacle to reducing input costs and, by extension, data prices is the fact that no new spectrum has been allocated in South Africa in the last 14 years, which has curbed the pace at which data prices couldve fallen. Vodacom is in the process of acquiring IoT.nxt, a development company that delivers software and hardware solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT.nxt was founded by Nico Steyn in 2015 and quickly grew to become a leading provider of IoT solutions in South Africa. Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub said the acquisition will help the company to enhance its IoT offering. He explained that IoT.nxt offers unique edge technology and a tech-agnostic platform which can play a significant role in solving the challenges of legacy systems that have integration limitations. This acquisition, Joosub said, will position Vodacom well in being the digitalisation partner of choice for customers. Global leverage Steyn told MyBroadband that the acquisition of the company will not change the way it operates, and they will maintain their agility in the market. The IoT.nxt brand will also remain, added Steyn. IoT.nxt currently has numerous clients in the South African IT and telecoms market, including Telkom, Cell C, Fastnet and T-Systems. Our brand stays the same, and we are still able to do business with anyone, said Steyn. Besides a capital injection, the deal with Vodacom will give the company strategic leverage including access to Vodacom and Vodafones global operations, concluded Steyn. Now read: The South African IoT company making it big in the USA Breezy Point is beautiful in the summertime, a quaint neighborhood sitting on a slim peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic just south of New York City. In a storm, though, that dreamy setting can become a nightmare. Breezy Point was devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Flooding, high winds and fires destroyed more than 300 homes, with many more left damaged and unlivable. Now, seven years later, architect Illya Azaroff has designed and built a home there he says can withstand a storm even more powerful than Sandy, maintaining operation, even if all else fails. Welcome to the home of the future in a time of climate change. As weather gets wilder and less predictable, firms that design, construct or improve housing with storm safety and resiliency in mind are increasingly in demand, said Matt Belcher, a builder in tornado-prone St. Louis. Its a powerful marketing message that cuts across the political divide, he said. The frequency and severity of the storms are increasing, said Belcher, who builds houses designed to withstand 140 mile-an-hour winds. Whether people credit it to climate change or think its cyclical, it doesnt matter if your house is destroyed. Either way, resiliency applies. In 2008, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, an industry research group, created a set of construction standards that generally exceed local building codes, certifying that a home is likely to survive hurricane-force winds and rain. The needle barely moved on the number of homes meeting the designation in a handful of hurricane-prone states from 1,122 in 2008 to 1,638 in 2014. By 2018, the number jumped ten-fold to 11,031 homes, and its moved to 12,530 in the first four months of 2019. The fortified designation is provided by trained evaluators primarily based in Texas, Florida, the Carolinas and Alabama, though the institute is now expanding the numbers of states they serve. In some areas, the designation can help homeowners with insurance and renovation costs. When the consumer has a different perception of the risk, it changes the demands they make on home builders, said Roy Wright, the groups leader and a former head of risk mitigation at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The home building industry will respond to the market, they always do. The Breezy Point design by Brooklyn-based Azaroff, who also serves as the New York disaster coordinator for the American Institute of Architects, keeps Sandys devastation in mind, from the bottom up: The house is elevated more than 3-feet above average flood elevation, with open concrete posts sunk deep into the ground and vents that let flowing water easily escape underneath the house. The walls and floor are made with concrete-filled forms made from polystyrene and recycled plastic that can withstand driving rain and 300-mile per hour winds. It has fire-resistant fiber cement-board siding, and inflexible, interlocking polymer roof shingles locked in with screws. Safety glass in the windows can withstand a 9-pound piece of wood flying at 34 miles per hour. And the roof is held in place with ultra-strong connectors. Cost remains key for homeowners. The hurricane-strong house, as Azaroff has labeled it, is about 7% to 9% more expensive to build. But with energy and insurance savings, the upgrades should pay for themselves in 8-10 years, according to Azaroff. While the Breezy point house is built to withstand hurricanes, architects elsewhere face other issues. Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska are the center of a region sometimes called Tornado Alley, and other times known as Hail Alley. Extreme weather there can can mean violently rotating winds that move in excess of 110 miles per hour. Q4 Architects Inc., a Canada-based group, has designed a home that will not only keep residents safe during a tornado, but allow them to live at home for months, even if basic services are cut off. At the houses center is a concrete and steel reinforced space that includes the kitchen, bathroom, laundry and an emergency supply closet. Theres a cistern that captures rainwater and filters it, solar panels for electricity, a sun tunnel that can be opened or closed for natural light and Murphy beds. A tornado can destroy a home in four seconds, said Jason Sampson, an architect at Canada-based Q4. The initial ideal was to ensure some sort of comfortable living situation while disaster relief was put into place, he said. This could take months, so lets make sure they have the right systems in place to live there. Rima Taher, a civil and structural engineer who teaches at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, has published the textbook Building Design for Wind Forces. The strategies behind recent improvements in housing resiliency can be attributed to improved building codes based on research in wind engineering that started back in the 1960s, she said. We have more knowledge in this field now, and building codes and standards are stronger, Taher said by telephone. Taher frequently gets calls for advice, she said, noting that a couple of important things to focus on are roof design and strong connections between walls, between the walls and the roof, and between the structure and its foundation. Taher advises hurricane ties, or straps, to join the roof tightly to walls, and says roofs should be designed with multiple slopes with overhangs limited to less than 20 inches. The roof can be the first thing to go, she said. Architects and builders are searching out materials designed for every environment, said Wright, the insurance institute chief executive officer. The group tests home designs in a giant wind tunnel that can simulate hurricanes, rain, hail and flying fire embers, he said. Products made by some of the worlds largest businesses for years are increasingly coming into play, he said, as builders and architects move to meet consumer demands. A DowDupont Inc. roof membrane that keeps the indoors cooler is being tested in brutal heat in India. LafargeHolcim Ltd. makes a lightweight concrete cladding that was used on a shoreline museum in Miami to add strength to window casings and walls. While few of these materials are new, they are more frequently being experimented with in designs for new homes in storm-prone areas. But its not just new houses being worked on with extreme weather in mind. Older houses on the East Coast offer other opportunities for builders. In the Carolinas and on New Yorks Long Island, local contractors have raised hundreds of houses six-to-eight feet higher within the past few years, taking advantage of government programs that popped up after major hurricanes. Mike Roms company, Long Island House Lifting, now raises 45 to 50 homes a year at a cost of between $150,000 and $300,000 apiece. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, he said, every other house is up in some neighborhoods. But its not just the big storms that are a problem, according to to Rom. Shoreline areas that used to see street flooding at most two or three times a year now see it monthly, he said. Billy Ward, co-owner of AABC House Moving in Camden, South Carolina, used to raise only one or two homes a year. Thats changed in the wake of hurricanes Matthew, Irma and Florence in 2016, 2017 and 2018. We all talk about it, Ward said. How things have gotten a lot worse. Now read: South Africans creating amazing electronic systems Jazmin Baltodano is only 9, but she could already teach you a thing or two about whipping up a killer guacamole. Baltodanos Nicaraguan guacamole, which uses hard-boiled eggs and is based on her dads recipe, was the top winner at Thursdays second annual salsa contest at the St. Helena Public Library. Its something my dad makes a lot, Baltodano said, adding that it took 20 minutes to prepare. The judges were Mayor Geoff Ellsworth, Norma Ferriz of the UpValley Family Centers, Ernesto Martinez of Market restaurant and German Bogarin of Azteca Market, which also provided chips. Guests were also given tokens to vote on the Peoples Choice Award. As the votes were being counted, Martinez demonstrated how to make guacamole and red salsa. Heres a tip: Use the stems of the cilantro. Overall Winner and Peoples Choice Award: Jazmin Baltodano Peoples Choice Award Runner-up: Cheri Cassedy Best Guacamole: Jazmin Baltodano Best Very Hot Salsa: Sandra Tellez Best Green Salsa: Jesus Ruvalcaba Share Article A USAF B-52H Stratofortress aircraft assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron takes off from Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on May 12, 2019. Air Force photo by TSgt. Nichelle Anderson. A B-52 from the recently deployed Bomber Task Force to the Middle East flew its first mission on May 12, alongside F-15Cs and F-35s to defend American forces and interests. Air Forces Central Command posted imagery of the B-52s taking off from Al Udeid AB, Qatar, and the three types of aircraft refueling from a KC-135 over an undisclosed location in CENTCOM. AFCENT did not expand on the mission, saying the B-52H offers diverse capabilities including the delivery of precision weapons to support security and stability. AFCENT, in an email to Air Force Magazine, would not elaborate on the specific mission but emphasized that the aircraft are flying deterrence missions in the region, including over the Persian Gulf. Photographs showed empty bomb pylons under the bombers wing, along with a targeting pod. The four bombers deployed to Al Udeid from Barksdale AFB, La., last week in response to credible threats from Iran, according to Defense Department and White House officials. The Pentagon on May 10 also approved the deployment of a Patriot missile defense battery and the amphibious transport dock USS Arlington to the region, in addition to the bombers and the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike group. The Pentagon noted in a statement the Defense Department is closely monitoring the Iranian regime. The United States does not seek conflict with Iran, but we are postured and ready to defend US forces and interests in the region, according to the statement. California, as we all should know by now, has the nations highest rate of poverty as measured by the Census Bureaus supplemental and most accurate methodology. The primary reason is Californias horrendously high cost of living, particularly for housing, that overwhelms the relatively meager incomes of millions of California families. Even more troubling is a calculation by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), using similar methodology, that another 20 percent of Californians are living in near-poverty. Thus, about 40 percent of the states population, some 16 million of us, are in deep financial distress. Two other pertinent data points: A third of Californians are enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state-federal system of health care for the poor, and 60 percent of Californias kindergarten-12th grade students are deemed at risk of academic failure due to poverty, lack of English skills or both. Only a few million Californians receive welfare, so the vast majority of our poor are in working families, giving rise to another feature of Californias economic stratification big gaps in incomes. Jonathan Lansner, an economics writer for the Orange County Register and its sister newspapers, plumbed that phenomenon by feeding 2018 federal data on wages and salaries into a spreadsheet. His findings, published last month, were that wages for those in the 75th income percentile ran 72 percent greater than the median in California, a spread that topped all states ahead of No. 2 New York at 68.1 percent and No. 3 Virginia at 67.7 percent. And it was far above the 50-state median of 57 percent. Furthermore, Lanser wrote, this wage gap is rising, especially in California. A decade earlier, the 75th percentile job statewide paid 66 percent more than the median wage. Lansners research underscored the irony of a deep blue state, whose politicians constantly express sympathy for the poor, having the widest income disparity in the nation, far more than those in more conservative states. The political response to Californias income gap has largely been confined to efforts to raise incomes of the poor through such gestures as raising the minimum wage and creating a state-level earned income tax credit that sends checks to low-income working families. But Lansners data indicate that the gap is still widening, and another new report implies that raising the minimum wage may be backfiring by reducing job creation. The UC-Riversides Center for Economic Forecasting and Development studied recent increases in the minimum wage at the behest of the California Restaurant Association and concluded that it has markedly slowed job growth in that industry. Data analysis suggests that while the restaurant industry in California has grown significantly as the minimum wage has increased, employment in the industry has grown more slowly than it would have without minimum wage hikes, the report concluded. The slower employment is nevertheless real for those workers who may have found a career in the industry. And when the next recession arrives, the higher real minimum wage could increase overall job losses within the economy and lead to a higher unemployment rate than would have been the case without the minimum wage increases. Christopher Thornberg, the centers director and author of the study, said the rapid pace of minimum wage increases is creating certain negative consequences for smaller businesses and people who need the most help rising out of poverty. That captures the dilemma of Californias persistent poverty and demonstrates the unintended consequences of trying to reduce it by political decree rather than by encouraging job creation and work-oriented education and reducing housing costs. 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. Constitutional crisis looms, preceded by constitutional illiteracy and confusion, which now hang like a thick fog over Washington. President Donald Trump's administration refuses to cooperate with any congressional investigations he disfavors, drawing a curtain over the executive branch and blockading our oversight work: His treasury secretary has declined to produce the president's tax returns, as demanded by the House Ways and Means Committee under federal statute; his attorney general has refused to comply with a House Judiciary Committee subpoena for special counsel Robert Mueller's unredacted report and the evidence underlying his findings, and has ordered Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Gore not to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee (without even bothering to assert a legal privilege); Trump is suing House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., for seeking documents from one of the president's accounting firms; and the White House has directed former counsel Donald McGahn and other witnesses not to appear before Congress. "Congress shouldn't be looking anymore," the president-king proclaims. "This is all. It's done." Oversight isn't the only area where the president thinks he can supersede and supplant Congress. He believes he can declare a national security emergency when lawmakers reject funding for his border wall - and then reprogram money Congress has appropriated for other purposes to build the wall behind our backs. And despite the fact that his main job is to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed," as the Constitution's Article II provides, he routinely sabotages the effective administration of the Affordable Care Act (by starving recruitment efforts and promoting"junk" plans) and encourages government officials at the border to violate the law on asylum seekers. All this falls outside of his constitutional power. Whenever the president commits a new offense against the Constitution, one of my Democratic colleagues will inevitably rise on the House or Senate floor and implore the president to remember that we are a co-equal branch of government. This is a straightforward and intuitive concept: When our kids were little, my wife and I taught them that the separation of powers is like rock-paper-scissors. Sometimes this branch ends up on top, sometimes that branch wins - but the three have equal weight. This analogy appeals to our sense of fairness, and there is a kernel of truth in the idea that each branch has its limits: Congress cannot pass laws that violate the Constitution and will be checked by the Supreme Court if it does; the president can recommend laws to Congress but cannot force their passage; and the courts interpret what the law means when there are conflicting views. But this naive cliche is now the heart of our current troubles. Congress was never designed as, nor should it ever become, a mere "co-equal branch," beseeching the president to share his awesome powers with us. We are the exclusive lawmaking branch of our national government and the preeminent part of it. We set the policy agenda, we write the laws, and we can impeach judges or executives who commit high crimes and misdemeanors against our institutions. As James Madison observed in the Federalist Papers, "In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates." Congress is first among equals. The founders replaced the intertwined monarchical and theocratic forms of government that prevailed in the 18th century with representative democracy so the people could govern, which is why our Constitution begins with those three magic words: "We the People." It then establishes Congress in the very next sentence, placing our representative institutions, "a Senate and House of Representatives," right after the sovereign people and way ahead of everything else. The House, in which I serve, was designed as the people's body, based on the principle of equal representation for the populations of different states and, with two-year terms, closely tethered to public sentiment. The Senate would attain a more deliberative character. Article I, the Constitution's first section, confers upon us "All legislative Powers" and describes our lawmaking authority in vast terms, from regulating domestic and international commerce to setting up a capital city for the seat of governmentto declaring war. On a day-to-day basis, our greatest tool is the power of the purse, which allows Congress, and only Congress, to appropriate money for public purposes. In funding each executive-branch agency, Congress dictates the emphasis of that agency's work. Of course, the president can veto legislation, but we can override him. It is the president's main task to see that laws are "faithfully executed," not thwarted, sabotaged or violated. Indeed, the danger of presidential abuse of office is precisely why the people's House has the "sole Power of Impeachment" - to guarantee that we have a final instrument of self-defense against a leader who tramples the rule of law and acts like a king. (Congress can remove the president, but he cannot remove us, because we answer to the people themselves. "The people are the only legitimate fountain of power," as Madison put it in the Federalist Papers.) And our deliberations in Congress are protected by the speech and debate clause, just as the First Amendment protects the robust debates of the people. Trump now seeks to disable major House investigations, but our "power of inquiry" also flows straight from Article I, and the specific "power of the Congress to conduct investigations is inherent in the legislative process," as the Supreme Court found in Watkins v. United States in 1957. "That power is broad" - broad enough to include "probes into departments of the Federal Government to expose corruption, inefficiency or waste." As the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuitobserved in 1938, "A legislative inquiry may be as broad, as searching, and as exhaustive as is necessary to make effective the constitutional powers of Congress." Congressional supremacy has been tested time and again. A crucial showdown took place in 1952, when President Harry Truman directed his commerce secretary to take over the country's steel mills. The president thought the power to keep the steel factories humming during the Korean War was self-evident and inherent in his role as commander in chief. But in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, the Supreme Court held that the president's authority to act "must stem either from an act of Congress or the Constitution itself." The Constitution says nothing about giving the president power to seize private property, and Congress had specifically rejected the idea of the president taking over the steel plants. The steel seizure case stands for the proposition that the president's powers are constitutionally limited and usually reliant on congressional policymaking - a proposition refuting Trump's claim that he can declare a national emergency to spend billions of dollars more on his fantasy border wall when Congress has soundly rejected the idea. Ever since President George Washington expressed surprise that the first Congress would not automatically accept his plans and nominees, presidents have sought to establish both their privileged place in our constitutional firmament and a realm of executive decision-making off limits to the supervision of the other branches. They have been especially eager to resist scrutiny by the judicial branch: When Watergate special prosecutor Leon Jaworski moved to subpoena President Richard Nixon's tapes and documents, Nixon appealed the subpoena up to the Supreme Court, which ruled against the claim of an "absolute, unqualified" executive privilege covering all presidential communications. In other periods of American history, it was taken for granted that, as the body closest to the people, Congress provided essential direction for the national agenda. As House speaker in the early 1800s, Rep. Henry Clay of Kentucky worked out the public philosophy of the "American System," which featured massive federal infrastructure investment and the use of a national bank to promote commerce. Before, during and after the Civil War, it was the Radical Republicans in Congress who drove the abolitionist and Reconstruction agendas, pushing President Abraham Lincoln and then President Andrew Johnson to confront the political power of the slave-master aristocracy. Democratic-controlled Congresses during the New Deal and Civil Rights eras pressed for sweeping social change. And what helped make President Lyndon Johnson one of the most effective presidents of the 20th century was that he knew how to build consensus in the Senate. The presidency in the modern era has been inflated and aggrandized beyond anything the founders might have wished for or even recognized. The growth of the national security state after World War II gave the president a massive apparatus for practicing foreign intervention and waging unilateral, undeclared wars. Television and social media have exaggerated the natural political advantages of the branch of government defined by a single leader. Even a run of Supreme Court justices who made their careers in the White House and the Justice Department, like William Rehnquist and Antonin Scalia, have played a part in swelling executive powers, especially in the foreign policy field. As presidential power has grown, congressional power has been eroded through a combination of legislative-branch passivity and executive-branch power grabs. Lawmakers stood by, never voting to declare war or demanding an end to hostilities, as armed conflicts like the Korean and Vietnam wars raged for years. The current president is not the first to confuse himself with a monarch, but he has taken contempt for our lawful powers to unprecedented levels. When a president makes a blanket announcement that he won't honor subpoenas or document requests from Congress, he isn't only defying the separation of powers but also declaring that he'll operate without any legislative or popular check at all. But legislators aren't consigned to watch the president trample our constitutional structure. This past week, the House Judiciary Committee (on which I sit) voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt for ignoring our subpoena. The Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committeesaid it will compel Donald Trump Jr. to testify. Members of both parties have voted to claw back our war powers by trying to block the national security "emergency" at the border and the administration's support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. It's tempting to think of the president as the main actor in the story of America, because he (or she) is a cast of one. But as the great Rep. Thaddeus Stevens reminded Americans during Reconstruction, "The sovereign power of the nation rests in Congress," and its members stand around the president "as watchmen to enforce his obedience to the law and the Constitution." The three branches have different functions and different powers, and we operate in a dynamic relationship with one another. But the forward motion and energy must be provided by Congress, and Congress must protect our national values. For government to work as the Constitution's framers intended, lawmakers must assert our proper role. And that means we must lead. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat, represents Marylands 8th District in the U.S. House of Representatives and serves on the Judiciary and Oversight Committees. He is an emeritus professor of constitutional law at American Universitys Washington College of Law. he wrote this for The Washington Post. Napa Police Chief Robert Plummer Chief Plummer has headed the Napa Police Department since 2018. Prior to that, he served 27 years in the Las Vegas Police Department, retiring as a captain in charge of the forces homicide and sex crimes bureau, where he investigated a number of high profile cases, including the 2017 Route 91 Harvest festival shooting. Napa Mayor Jill Techel Mayor Techel has served as head of the city since 2005, where she has presided over an era of growth and dramatic change in the downtown. Since coming to Napa almost four decades ago, she has served on a variety of boards and worked for community-building organizations, including the Napa Valley Unified School District and Leadership Napa Valley. Napa Valley College President Ron Kraft Ron Kraft has been head of Napa Valley College since 2012, first in an interim capacity and later as president. Prior to coming to NVC, he had worked more than 20 years in a variety of higher education-related positions, including serving as CEO of companies specializing in community college management. He also has served as president and CEO of Southern California University of Health Sciences in Whittier. Napa Valley Register Publisher Davis Taylor Davis Taylor has been publisher of the Register since 2018. Previously, he was publisher of the Hanford Sentinel, a post he still holds. Prior to joining parent company Lee Enterprises in 2013, he served as sales and marketing director for Gannett Co., Inc.s Times-Delta Media Group. His publishing career of 36 years includes sales and marketing executive positions at the Oakland Tribune and Media News Group, San Jose Mercury News and Harte-Hanks Communications. Napa Valley Register Editor Sean Scully Sean Scully has been editor of the Register and director of news content for its associated weeklies since 2014. He has worked nearly 30 years in journalism, including working for the Press Democrat of Santa Rosa and The Washington Times and teaching journalism at Cal Poly Pomona. Napa Valley Register Advertising Director Norma Kostecka Norma Kostecka has headed the Registers advertising department since 1998. She has more than three decades of sales experience. Before coming to Napa, she was retail ad director at the Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff and a sales representative at the North County Times in San Diego. April 24, 2019 (North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center) Executive Summary OVERVIEW OF Q1 2019 POLICY ACTION In the first quarter of 2019, 43 states plus DC took a total of 160 actions related to distributed solar policy and rate design (Figure 1). Table 1 provides a summary of state actions related to DG compensation, rate design, and solar ownership during Q1 2019. Of the 160 actions cataloged, the most common were related to DG compensation rules (47), followed by residential fixed charge and minimum bill increases (32) and community solar (25). TOP FIVE SOLAR POLICY DEVELOPMENTS OF Q1 2019 Five of the quarters top policy developments are highlighted below. Maine State Legislature Restores Retail Rate Net Metering The Maine State Legislature passed L.D. 91 in March 2019, which restores traditional retail rate net metering in the state and prohibits the buy-all, sell-all successor tariff adopted by the Public Utilities Commission in 2017. The Governor signed the bill in early April 2019, and the Commission opened an emergency rulemaking to amend the states net metering regulations. Kentucky Lawmakers Initiate Development of Net Metering Successor Kentucky legislators enacted S.B. 100 in March 2019, directing the Public Service Commission to establish new monetary credit rates for energy exported to the grid. The bill also allows utilities to implement rates to recover fixed and demand-based costs of serving customer-generators. Customer beginning to net meter before the new credit rates are established will be grandfathered for 25 years. Arkansas Legislature Legalizes Solar Leasing and Addresses Net Metering Arkansas lawmakers enacted S.B. 145 in March 2019, which legalizes solar leasing, increases the net metering system size limit, and allows solar-plus-storage systems to net meter. The bill also requires utilities to offer retail rate net metering to DG customers that are subject to rates that include demand charges, and directs regulators to establish a netting period and credit rates for DG customers served on rates that do not include demand charges. Colorado Regulators Open Rulemaking on Community Solar and Net Metering The Colorado Public Utilities Commission opened a rulemaking in February 2019 addressing several of the states electric rules, including community solar and net metering. The proposed rules include provisions related to net metering under time-of-use rates, installation of additional meters, and contribution of excess community solar credits for low-income energy assistance. Sacramento Municipal Utility District Proposes Grid Access Charge In March 2019, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) proposed a new Grid Access Charge for customers with on-site generation. The charge would begin at $8.00 per kW of DG system capacity in 2020 and increase to $11.00 per kW by 2025. Existing systems would be grandfathered for a period of 10 to 20 years from the initial billing period after installation. SMUD withdrew the proposed charge in a revised proposal filed on April 22, 2019. THE BIG PICTURE: INSIGHTS FROM Q1 2019 State Legislatures Weigh in on DG Rate Design Several state legislatures are considering bills either authorizing or prohibiting additional fees for DG customers. A bill enacted in Arkansas in March 2019 allows the Public Service Commission to establish a per-kWh fee to recover quantifiable, direct demand-related distribution costs from net metering customers, while a bill enacted in Virginia allows electric cooperatives to adopt demand charges for net metering customers. A bill pending in Iowa would establish four alternatives to the states current net metering policy, one of which includes a minimum bill and one including a demand charge. On the other hand, bills pending in Kansas and Texas prohibit additional charges for DG customers. A Kentucky bill would have limited the types of costs that may be recovered through fixed charges, while a South Carolina bill takes a study approach, directing regulators to consider the cost of service impacts of customer-generators on other customers within the same rate class. States Move in Different Directions on Net Metering The first quarter of 2019 was characterized by states moving in very different directions regarding net metering. Kentucky lawmakers enacted a bill that will move the state to a net billing regime, while Maine legislators voted to restore net metering in the state after regulators adopted a buy-all, sell-all compensation framework in 2017. Arkansas also established certain guidelines for net metering successor tariff development, while other states, such as New Hampshire and Washington, moved forward bills that expand net metering by increasing system size limits or aggregate capacity limits. While many states are actively considering net metering successor tariffs, it is worth noting that two states that had previously adopted particularly dramatic policy changes Maine and Nevada have now reversed course and reimplemented traditional net metering. New States Eye Community Solar Programs A number of states without community solar enabling legislation considered major community solar bills during Q1 2019. Among these states are Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Each states proposed legislation would establish community solar guidelines that allow participation by third-party developers. Notably, these bills all also include provisions to encourage participation by low-income customers, such as carve-outs. Low-income access is a program design consideration that is starting to become standard practice in community solar policy. The Michigan Public Service Commission is also conducting a stakeholder proceeding to consider barriers to third-party community energy projects in the state. Tweet Armenian President congratulates Justin Trudeau Macron calls launch of the James Webb telescope a historic event Iran closes land border with neighboring countries due to omicron strain Ariane successfully launches with latest James Webb telescope Turkey and Azerbaijan Foreign Ministers discuss situation in South Caucasus Pashinyan congratulates Trudeau on his anniversary Flight to Yerevan cancelled due to plane engine fire Yerevan ex-mayor Marutyan submits letter of resignation from his city council seat Artsakh Prosecutor's Office: Chartar village resident killed by long-range shot by Azerbaijan 4 dead after Sri Lanka policeman opens fire on fellow officers Newly appointed Yerevan mayor takes oath of office At least 16 people die after boat full of migrants capsizes off Greece coast of Amirabdollahian: Iran Azerbaijan charted roadmap to further enhance ties Christmas Eve does not pass without incident for Biden 118 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia New mayor of Yerevan to swear in today Huge ichthyosaur fossil reveals new theories about evolution speed Rare walking fish spotted off Tasmania coast for first time in 22 years Rice-sized microchip placed under skin can become Covid vaccination passport Thailand authorities seize $30M of crystal methamphetamine hidden in boxing punch bags Newspaper: No contract signed with any lobbying organization since Makunts appointment as ambassador to US Newspaper: Armenia ex-President Kocharyan to also hold press conference Newspaper: Armenia authorities instruct but investigative body can no longer continue Armenia PM: There are no legal grounds for existence of enclaves Armen Ashotyan to Pashinyan: Real catastrophe took place when a nincompoop like you came to power in Armenia Armenia PM: Catastrophe took place in Karabakh negotiations in 2016 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 Armenia health, labor inspectorate to inspect 700 economic entities in 2022 Russia peacekeepers ensure safe travel of more than 2,000 people to, from Karabakh in one day Azerbaijan's Aliyev celebrates 60th birthday in occupied Armenian city of Hadrut Russia MFA: Not only Turkey ready to hold 3+3 regional consultative mechanism meeting Maria Zakharova wishes Yerevan and Baku peace and patience Valerie Pecresse posts comment on Facebook: I visited Armenia - France's fraternal country Putin, Aliyev confirm readiness to strengthen Russia-Azerbaijan strategic partnership Middle East Eye: Turkey encouraged by Armenia PM Pashinyan's reelection, aims to normalize relations Armenia government: Constitutional Court decision does not lift requirement for employees to submit PCR test result New program shall develop Armenia metrology Armenia opposition MP: Corridor is spoken of as established fact in Azerbaijan Armenia Constitutional Reform Council to include 2 representatives of international organizations Putin expresses Aliyev readiness to continue dialogue, joint work to strengthen regional stability, security 1 more person dies of coronavirus in Karabakh 135 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Lavrov: Involvement of Kiev in NATO poses serious risks, even large-scale conflict in Europe Newly elected Vanadzor city council first session not convened NATO to approach Russia borders in case of aggression against Ukraine President thanks Russia peacekeepers, Putin in terms of Artsakh security Newspaper: What is actual Covid death toll in Armenia? Newspaper: Details became known from closed meeting between Armenia PM, parliament majority faction US arms exports fall 21% in 2021 Diaspora Commissioner: More than 1.5 million people left Armenia in 30 years High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs: Armenia won't build relations with Turkey at expense of interests of nation High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs: Fifth Turkish Column is very active in Armenia Armenia High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs: We Armenians don't know our enemies well Biden administration welcomes 'small' steps toward diplomacy with Russia Blinken, Stoltenberg discuss NATO's 'dual-track approach' to Russia Armenia ruling faction MP: Talks in Brussels were discussed during meeting with PM Armenia Health Ministry responds to Constitutional Court's decision on COVID-19 testing Armenian High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs: Living in Armenia is safer than in developed countries Analyst shares information about growth of sales of Armenian wines Analyst: Artsakh wine export indicators have dropped Karabakh President: Presence of Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh needs to be guaranteed and termless Iraq calls for launch of direct talks between US and Iran Hayk Marutyan bids staff of Yerevan Municipality farewell Moscow State Institute of International Relations to introduce Armenian language courses Armenia PM: Digital processes should have daily practical significance for people WhatsApp, Viber and Facebook are again temporarily banned in Sri Lanka, Ada Derana portal tweeted referring to the the government information department,. "NEWS ALERT WhatsApp, Viber & Facebook social media platforms blocked temporarily - Govt. Information Department- http://adaderana.lk," the tweet noted. Earlier, the portal reported on the aggravation of the situation in the city of Chilaw. The tense situation was the result of the reaction of residents to the post in social networks about the disunity between races. The police detained the author of the post, and a curfew was imposed in the city until 6:00 am on Monday. On April 21, in various parts of Sri Lanka, a series of eight explosions thundered, killing, nearly 250-260 lives. ISIS claimed the responsibility for the incident. According to the latest information from the Sri Lankan authorities, 42 foreigners are among the dead. According to the Sir Lankan government, about 130-140 ISIS members are active in the island state. As chief of the police of the republic Chandana Wickramaratne reported earlier, all the alleged organizers and executors of the Easter explosions have been either detained or eliminated. The US Defense Department sent $ 1.5 billion from the funds earmarked for financing, the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) modernization program, as well as airborne early warning and control (DRLO) aircraft, to build a wall on the border with Mexico, The Washington Post reported. The funds allocated will go to the construction of about 130 km of the wall. The department said that the transfer of funds will not have a negative impact on combat readiness. Earlier, officials of the Washington administration recognized that the money could be spent on other military projects that lacked funding. The leadership of the US Air Force have repeatedly stated the need to modernize Minuteman III in connection with its outdated ground infrastructure. The modernization plan for the ICBM command center is slightly delayed, so the Pentagon transfers some of the funds allocated for the improvement of the ICBM program. According to the source, the defense ministry also uses the funds that were supposed to go to finance operations in Afghanistan. The document does not indicate how much money from each program was redistributed. In addition to $ 1.5 billion, the Pentagon allots about $4.6 billion for the construction of the wall that were aimed to be spending on the construction of military facilities. Such a move by the American government caused discontent among Democrats in Congress. The US leader Donald Trump on February 15 signed a declaration on the introduction of the state of emergency on the southern border of the country. As explained in the White House, this will allow the head of state to accumulate a total of about $ 8 billion. The US administration intends to spend all of these funds for the construction or repair of fences on the 376.5 km border with Mexico. The government believes that this will help the authorities curb illegal immigration and drug smuggling. The revolution that took place in Armenia in 2018 was the victory of romanticism over pragmatism, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with RBC TV of Russia. Nevertheless, it was necessary to spend money for that, he said, responding to the reporters remark that any revolution is always funded by someone. But the Armenian PM noted that he has no shadow commitments before anyone, since he has received the money for this revolution from ordinary people. We have spent about $200,000 for our revolution, Pashinyan said. Where did that money come from? We have asked [ordinary] people. We had an e-wallet and Armenians from all over the worldthe great part from Russia, in thatwere donating us money; we spent that money. And during the revolution, we were publicizing every week how much money we have spent and why. In Pashinyans words, such an approach has enabled the Armenian revolutionaries not to be indebted to any circles. As per the PM, as a result, the situation in Armenia has changed in a way that now there are no monopolies here. Nikol Pashinyan added that this revolution would have been impossible without the social media. He said the latter were the other important condition for the victory of the Revolution of Love in Armenia. 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. The most important achievement over the past year is that Armenia has become a democratic country, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview to RBC TV. The prime minister recalled the early parliamentary elections held in December. According to him, it is the only parliamentary elections in the history of the country when the election results were not challenged in the Constitutional Court. All the results of the elections have begin rigged since 1995, Pashinyan noted, adding that "if we had told someone a year ago that unsophisticated elections are possible in Armenia, no one would have believed it." Asked to comment, whether Pashinyan has the opposition, his answer was affirmative. "Sometimes we have debates with the opposition force, but this is normal for a democratic country. I can guarantee that there are no restrictions for opposition activities. In Armenia, the press is free as ever, there is no censorship at all," Nikol Pashinyan noted. Asked to comment on the initiative to ban Russian channels, the prime minister assured that there is no such initiative. The European Court of Human Rights has received a total of 385 complaints sent on behalf of residents of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) in relation to the human rights violations committed during the Four-Day Artsakh War in April 2016. The statement issued by lawyer-human rights activists reads as follows: Out of the mentioned complaints, 22 complaints have been submitted on the ground of inhumane treatment against the applicants as a result of torturing the bodies of victims, respect to the personal right of the victims, lack of a legal protection measure and violation of the rights to not be subjected to discrimination on the ethnic ground. Issues on violation of the right of military servicemen to life and the right to not be subject to torture have been raised in three of those complaints. A complaint has been submitted on behalf of the relatives of the residents of Talish, challenging their murder and interference against their bodies, the inhumane treatment against the applicants, the legal protection measure and violations of the rights to not be subject to discrimination on the ground of ethnic belonging. These 22 cases against Azerbaijan have been declared as acceptable and have been communicated to the Government of Azerbaijan for objections. The Government of Azerbaijan has submitted objections, and responses have been given to those objections. Currently, all the procedures are over, and judgments are expected. The European Court has not provided any information about the date of announcement of a judgment. We also deem it necessary to mention that the 22 cases are being examined through an accelerated procedure since the European Court prioritized those cases a short while after they were submitted. The remaining 363 complaints concern harm to or elimination of the properties of civilians, as well as potential violations of their right to life caused by bombardments of cities and villages located near the line of contact. It is also known that, on the ground of the events of April 2016, residents of Azerbaijan have submitted a large number of complaints against the Republic of Armenia. The European Court of Human Rights has selected one complaint from the two batches of cases filed against the Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan, including Khudunts vs Azerbaijan and Amrahov vs Armenia, and declared them as unacceptable upon two decisions rendered on 26 February 2019, concluding that even though Khudunts has submitted documents related to his home and land plot, he has failed to substantiate that his property was damaged as a result of bombardment, and Amrahov has not submitted documents substantiating his right of ownership. The Court applied the prima facie standard for both cases. It is necessary to state the fact that the cases regarding the violations of human rights during the war in April 016 are similar to the large number of cases that the European Court of Human Rights received in relation to the conflicts of South Ossetia and Ukraine, and during examination of those cases, the Court has already established principles, including the evidentiary threshold and the standard of evidence of the damage caused as a result of the conflict. From this perspective, the Courts decision on the case of Khudunts vs Azerbaijan is within the scope of the policy of the European Court of Human Rights and there are no purposeful deviations. It should also be mentioned that declaring the aforementioned two complaints as unacceptable does not mean that the remaining cases will also be declared as unacceptable. The European Court examines all cases based on facts and evidence, taking into account the fundamental principles of the European Convention on Human Rights. The working group will regularly provide additional information regarding further developments of each complaint that is communicated, as well as in the stage of being accepted." STEPANAKERT. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh issued a statement on the 25th anniversary of the agreement signed by Artsakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia in Bishkek back in 1994. Twenty-five years ago, the trilateral Agreement on the full cessation of fire and hostilities, signed by Artsakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia with the mediation of Russia, entered into force. On 26-27 July 1994, having signed an additional agreement, all the three parties confirmed the termless character of the cease-fire regime until a final settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict. The Agreement of May 12, 1994 is of key importance, as it put an end to the war unleashed by the Azerbaijani authorities, transferred the conflict to the political-diplomatic track and created conditions for the parties to focus their efforts directly on finding ways for the final settlement of the conflict through negotiations, with the support of the international mediators. The signing of this Agreement, which remains so far the only real achievement in the conflict settlement process, was made possible due to some factors. First, the Artsakh Defense Army managed to repel the armed aggression of Azerbaijan, to seriously undermine the military potential of Baku and to force it to negotiate. Second, facing considerable military defeats, the leadership of Azerbaijan not only ceased to hinder the full-fledged involvement of Artsakh in the negotiation process as one of the main parties to the conflict, but had also repeatedly initiated direct contacts with official Stepanakert, including at the top level. Thanks to these contacts, about ten agreements were reached on limitation of hostilities, temporary ceasefire or its expansion, which ultimately led to the signing of the termless Agreement on the full cessation of fire and hostilities. Today, 25 years later, the Agreement of May 12, 1994 continues to remain the legal basis for preserving the cease-fire regime and maintaining regional peace and security in the South Caucasus. This fact is unconditionally recognized by the international community, as evidenced by the reaction to the April war of 2016 unleashed by Azerbaijan of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing states - Russia, the United States and France, as well as the UN Secretary General, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe who called on the parties to strictly adhere to the Agreement of May 12, 1994 on the full cessation of fire and hostilities and the Agreement of February 6, 1995 on the strengthening of the ceasefire regime. The effectiveness of the Agreement on the full cessation of fire confirms that the achievement of real progress in the settlement process is possible in the full-fledged trilateral format of negotiations, which, in accordance with international law, provides for the interests and concerns of all the parties to the conflict. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh believes that for giving the appropriate impetus to the conflict settlement process it is necessary, on the one hand, to resume the direct trilateral negotiations, and on the other hand, to consistently strengthen the ceasefire regime, including through the establishment of an international mechanism for monitoring its maintenance, provided for by the Vienna and St. Petersburg Agreements of 2016. It is also important to restore the line of separation of the conflicting forces, which had been agreed and fixed through the mediation of the Russian Ministry of Defense by all the three parties as part of the ceasefire by the cessation of the hostilities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh reiterates the commitment of official Stepanakert to the exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict and calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to abandon its unpromising policy of forced resolution, which will allow to make the peace process irreversible and to establish lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus region, the statement reads. YEREVAN. The Prosecutor General of Armenia, Artur Davtyan, is in attendance to Mondays first open court hearing of the trial of the criminal case against second President Robert Kocharyan and some other former officials. Davtyan is among those defending the charges that have been brought along the lines of this case. The court on Monday is addressing the pretrial measures of the defendants, and it will decide whether to commute, overturn, or sustain the court ruling on remanding Kocharyan in custody. The matter is being examined publicly, and with the attendance of the trial participants. 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 has filed 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. President Armen Sarkissian on Monday received a delegation from the Global Leadership Foundation (GLF), and which is in Armenia at his invitation. The President provided the guests details about the changes that have taken place in Armenia over the past one year. He stressed that development as well as the strengthening of democratic institutions and values is important to Armenia. In this connection, Sarkissian stated that the GLFs advisory assistance can be useful and valuable to Armenia, which has adopted a path of democratic development. The guests, in turn, expressed their readiness to assist as much as possible in Armenias development. They highlighted that during their stay in the country they will strive to determine to the utmost in which domains and how they can contribute to this task. As reported earlier, Armen Sarkissian was a GLF Board member, from 2006 to 2013. Upon the decision of Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, Vahe Budumyan has been dismissed from the office of Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Armenia. This is posted on the Facebook page of Vahe Budumyan. Dear friends, I would like to inform that I am dismissed from the office of Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Armenia starting from May 15. I know my statement will spark many questions, and I will respond to them below. Before that, I would like to thank all the employees of the Ministry of Culture and cultural figures, journalists and everyone with whom I have worked with. It was a great honor for me to work with you. Why was I dismissed? I resigned because my candidacy for deputy minister was not considered in the context of the joining of the Ministry of Culture with the Ministry of Education and Science, and my resignation was approved. Who will replace me? I dont know, but I hope the new deputy minister fully and effectively implements the ministrys policy. What will happen to the programs? All the current and approved programs are in effect and cant be terminated. In any case, they can and must be revised, taking into account the year-end results. Once again, I am more than grateful to all of you for the effective cooperation and apologize for not being able to inform most of you about my dismissal in person, wrote Budumyan. On May 13, the delegation led by Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan participated in the solemn event dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the EU Eastern Partnership in Brussels. The heads of states of the Eastern Partnership arriving in Brussels were greeted by President of the European Council Donald Tusk. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will also be participating in the event. President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky isnt participating in the event since he still hasnt officially assumed office. Presidetn of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko also wont be participating in the event. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the EU Eastern Partnership, an official dinner will be served on behalf of Donald Tusk, and welcoming remarks will be delivered by Donald Tusk, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radoslav Sikorsky and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Karl Bildt. Vice-President of the European Commission, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Junck will give speeches. There are six post-Soviet countries that are member countries of the EU Eastern Partnership, including Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine. In 2017, Armenia signed the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement that has already been ratified by several member states of the European Union. On May 13, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, who is on a working visit to Brussels, met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ireland Simon Cowen. Foreign Ministers Mnatsakanyan and Cowen highlighted the existing great potential for the deepening of cooperation between Armenia and Ireland in different sectors and stressed the mutual commitment to take active steps for further intensification of the dialogue and for enrichment of the bilateral agenda. The initiation of programs for exchange of experience in high technologies, innovation and creative education was set aside as a major direction for cooperation. The interlocutors also expressed satisfaction with the existing cooperation and mutual support of the two countries within international organizations. In this context, they also highlighted the International Organization of La Francophonie as a format for the establishment of multilateral cooperation and mutually beneficial ties. The foreign ministers of Armenia and Ireland also exchanged views on the 10th anniversary of the EU Eastern Partnership and the discussions held during the ministerial meeting, highlighting the fact that the anniversary event serves as a good opportunity to address the recorded achievements and outline the perspectives for future joint activities. On May 13, Armenias Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan participated in the meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership. The meeting began with opening remarks by High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini and Commissioner of the European Commission for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn. Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan delivered a speech in which he highlighted the fact that the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership serves as a good opportunity to assess the achievements of the Eastern Partnership over the first ten years and to discuss the perspectives for cooperation. There are different views on, assessments and perceptions of the EaP among the six partners and EU member states. Nevertheless, the Eastern Partnership was also marked by the high level of progress made for the enhancement and deepening of relations between the European Union and the six Eastern Partnership countries. The Eastern Partnership is growing as a multilateral format for the partner countries having selected different paths and levels of involvement with the EU. The Eastern Partnership also serves as a major and strong platform for our bilateral cooperation with the EU, Mnatsakanyan said. In the context of Eastern Partnership for Armenia, Minister Mnatsakanyan set aside three factors, the first of which is the recognition and perception of the special position of Armenia as a country seeking more flexible and enlarged circles of cooperation based on the EU policy on differentiation, and this was marked by the signing of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. The second factor that Mnatsakanyan set aside is the importance of common values of Europe and Armenia hinged on a common heritage of civilization, as well as mutual aspirations for sustainable democracy, freedom, dialogue and cooperation. The third factor that Zohrab Mnatsakanyan set aside is the special contributions that Armenia makes to the development of democracy and human rights protection in Europe that were fully expressed through the Velvet Revolution that took place in Armenia last year. We are committed to strengthening our relations with the EU that are hinged on mutual respect, acknowledgement of interests and security considerations and acceptance of our responsibility for democratic governance and accountability, and at the same time, we expect the support of the EU to the promotion of our reforms, sustainable development and human contacts, including the ensuring of movement without a visa and cultural, educational and academic exchanges. Zohrab Mnatsakanyan voiced hope that the EU can play a major role in the development and implementation of more inclusive transport and energy projects with and between partners. In this context, Minister Mnatsakanyan attached more importance to the expansion of the digital, environmental, financial and other sector-specific agendas of the EaP. Armenias foreign minister also stressed that devaluation of the priorities for promoting respect for and protection of human rights and the supremacy of democracy and law in the territory of the Eastern Partnership will hinder and cause severe damage to the concept paper and value-based relations of the Eastern Partnership, and so, Armenia is willing to work together to expand the capacities of the Eastern Partnership to ensure rule of law, sustainability of democratic institutions and human rights protection. Touching upon the current challenges, Minister Mnatsakanyan emphasized that it is necessary to deepen the potential and capacities for cooperation in Europe in order to resist geopolitical competition and confrontation. Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the foreign minister attached importance to the ongoing support of the EU to the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination and the peaceful settlement of the conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. The foreign minister emphasized that these principles and positions have been reaffirmed in the signed EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. 18:08 Referring to Modi's reported "tapasya" (hardwork) remark, the Congress general secretary said "tapasya" destroys arrogance, but the "arrogance" of the Modi government had grown "too big". Gandhi Vadra alleged Modi did not find even five minutes in his tenure to solve problems faced by the poor in his constituency, Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh. In an interview to a leading English daily, Modi had recently said that his image was not created by the " Khan Market gang" (located in Delhi), but his 45-year tapasya (hard work). "Normally, political leaders should talk about real issues during campaign, like what are your problems, how it can be solved, what they will do in next five years, what they did in last five years," Gandhi Vadra told a poll rally. "But in the last five years a strange silsila (series) is on. Only campaigning is going on, no actual work was done," she said. Gandhi Vadra said there has been a difference in the BJP's campaigning and reality and assured that the Congress will realise promises. She alleged that the "tapasvi" prime minister did not secure farmers, youth, the weak and others of the country. "This government's arrogance has grown so much that he reaches out to you only during rallies. He did not find even five minutes in five years to go to the home of a poor person or farmer in his own constituency Varanasi to tell them what he could do to solve their problems through his government," she charged. She accused the prime minister of talking "big and random" things and not about the BJP's unfulfilled poll promises. "Be alert, an effort is on to delude you, you are being used politically. You have made all the politicians. Hence, try to understand your strength. Your vote is important, don't waste it," she told the gathering. Gandhi Vadra also criticised the government on the issues of note ban, alleging that it caused huge job losses and other hardships. She dubbed the PM-Kisan Yojana as the 'Kisan Apman Yojana' and claimed the Congress' NYAY scheme, under which people will get Rs 6000 per month, was better. She said the PM-Kisan Yojana (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) only allocated Rs 2 per day per family member which was completely inadequate. -- PTI Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying his five-year tenure saw only "campaigning" and no work. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] (Updates with details) By Jonathan Allen NEW YORK, May 13 (Reuters) - The disciplinary trial of the New York City policeman who fatally choked an unarmed black suspect in 2014 opened on Monday with the officer's lawyer shredding a copy of the autopsy report that concluded the man, Eric Garner, was killed by a chokehold. The trial of the white officer, Daniel Pantaleo, comes nearly five years after widely seen video of Garner's death sparked a national outcry about the treatment of black suspects by law enforcement. The clips, recorded on the cellphones of bystanders, showed Garner saying "I can't breathe" 11 times before he died. In the first day of the trial, Stuart London, one of Pantaleo's lawyers, dramatically tore up a copy of the official autopsy report by the chief medical examiner's office. It ruled that Garner was killed in part by a chokehold compressing his neck. The New York Police Department has banned its officers from using chokeholds for decades. "The evidence will show that the ultimate autopsy was wrong," London said, at times saying the officer used a "neck hold" rather than a chokehold. "Officer Pantaleo was justified in using physical force to make this arrest," he said, noting that Garner can be seen in video shouting and arguing with the officers trying to arrest him. Garner, who was 43, died after he argued with officers trying to arrest him on suspicion of selling loose cigarettes in front of a shop on the New York City borough of Staten Island. "His last words, 'I can't breathe,' tell you who caused his death," Jonathan Fogel, a prosecutor for the Civilian Complaint Review Board, said during opening statements. The phrase became a rallying cry in the early days of the Black Lives Matter movement, formed to end the disproportionate use of deadly force against nonwhite people by U.S. police departments. Pantaleo, 33, who has been assigned to a desk job since the deadly encounter, could lose his job after the conclusion of a trial at the New York Police Department's Manhattan headquarters, which is expected to last 10 days. The ultimate decision will rest with Police Commissioner James O'Neill. Story continues Fogel said Pantaleo "gave his victim a death sentence over loose cigarettes because he disregarded his training." A grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against Pantaleo later in 2014, prompting the U.S. Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation into the death. Garner's family has criticized that investigation as it has stretched into its fourth year without resolution. The city's Civilian Complaints Review Board, which prosecutes certain violations of police rules, determined in 2017 that Pantaleo used excessive force. London blamed Garner's death on paramedics, who he said did "almost nothing" once they arrived, and on Garner's health problems, including hypertension and asthma. The trial is being closely watched by civil rights activists who say few police officers face consequences for using deadly force. Meanwhile, New York's powerful police officers' union and others have defended Panteleo and other officers who they say have to make instant decisions while doing a dangerous job. Garner's mother, Gwen Carr, started loudly sobbing as the footage of her son's final moments was played at the opening of the trial. She left the room with a tissue over her mouth, accompanied by civil rights activist Al Sharpton. London said Pantaleo did not use a chokehold, but rather a "seat belt" maneuver that goes around the torso. The hold slipped into what London called a "neck hold" because of Garner's size. Garner was considered medically obese at 400 pounds (181 kg). The police department's internal affairs bureau determined that Pantaleo used a chokehold and referred the finding in January 2015 to the department's advocate's office, an investigator testified during the hearing. Fogel said that a doctor with the medical examiner's office will testify during the trial that there was hemorrhaging and trauma to the muscles in Garner's neck and will show some two dozen autopsy photos that illustrate his injuries. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen, additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; editing by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis) * Extra 25%, 20% to be levied on nearly 3,600 U.S. goods * Trump earlier warned China not to retaliate * Beijing says hopes Washington will meet it halfway * U.S. threatens more new tariffs (Updates with details of China's tariffs list, Trump comments) By Se Young Lee and Lusha Zhang BEIJING, May 13 (Reuters) - China said on Monday it would impose higher tariffs on most U.S. imports on a revised $60 billion target list, hitting back at a tariff hike by Washington on $200 billion of Chinese goods in a further escalation of a bitter trade war. The retaliation comes as U.S. President Donald Trump signals his intent to slap tariffs on all Chinese imports if Beijing does not give in, suggesting a prolonged standoff between the world's two largest economies that could roil global markets for weeks or months to come. A total of 5,140 U.S. products will be subject to additional tariffs of 5%, 10%, 20% and 25% starting June 1, the finance ministry in Beijing said in a statement. The escalation, from rates of 5% and 10%, was announced hours after Trump warned China not to retaliate against the latest U.S. tariffs hike. The additional tariff of 25% will be levied against 2,493 goods including liquefied natural gas, soy oil, peanut oil, petrochemicals, frozen vegetables and cosmetics, the ministry said, and of 20% on 1,078 products. Beijing had set additional rates of 5% and 10% on 5,207 U.S. products worth $60 billion in September, in response to the U.S.'s initial 10% duty on the $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, and warned at the time that it would counter any higher tariffs imposed by Washington. "China's adjustment on additional tariffs is a response to U.S. unilateralism and protectionism," the ministry said. "China hopes the U.S. will get back to the right track of bilateral trade and economic consultations and meet with China halfway." The United States on Friday activated a new 25% duty on more than 5,700 categories of products from China, even as top Chinese and U.S. negotiators resumed trade talks in Washington. Story continues Trump had ordered the new tariffs, saying China "broke the deal" by reneging on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations. China has denied the allegations. Trump last week also ordered U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to begin imposing tariffs on all remaining Chinese imports, which would affect an additional $300 billion worth of goods. China's revised target list on Monday still left out products such as crude oil and large aircraft. The finance ministry said in a separate statement that firms can seek remedies from the additional tariffs by applying for waivers. (Reporting by Lee Chyen Yee in Singapore and Meg Shen in Hong Kong, Beijing Newsroom and Shanghai Newsroom; editing by Darren Schuettler and John Stonestreet) (Adds background, detail) By Tom Miles GENEVA, May 13 (Reuters) - China said on Monday U.S. policies are threatening the existence of the World Trade Organization, setting out a string of grievances in a WTO "reform proposal" published by the WTO on its website. Since entering office, Trump has taken a tough line on the WTO, accusing it of unfairly penalizing U.S. trade while being soft on China, which was a far smaller economy when it joined the WTO in 2001. He has threatened U.S. withdrawal unless the WTO can "shape up" and has blocked judicial appointments at the WTO's Appellate Body, effectively the supreme court of world trade, meaning that trade disputes could go into legal limbo from December. China did not name the United States in the document, but referred to the block on the appointment of WTO appeals judges and "national security" tariffs on aluminum, steel and cars, policies uniquely associated with Washington. The document was posted just as China and the United States ratcheted up their trade war. Beijing said on Monday it would impose higher tariffs on a range of U.S. goods including frozen vegetables and liquefied natural gas, defying a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump not to retaliate after Washington raised tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports. China said a "certain member" of the WTO had unilaterally raised trade barriers and imposed import tariffs in an arbitrary way and without authorisation from the WTO. "The abuse of national security exception, unilateral measures inconsistent with the WTO rules, as well as misuse or abuse of existing trade remedy measures have severely damaged the rules-based, free and open international trade order," China's document said. Trump has criticized the way the WTO gives special treatment to any country that declares itself to be "developing" - including China - and its perceived failure to root out subsidies for Chinese state-owned firms. Story continues China said it was "crucial" to safeguard the rights of developing countries, although the rules should be clearer. The WTO is unlikely to be involved in any resolution of the highly political tariff battle. Washington says its tariffs are not subject to WTO rules, and any Chinese attempt to argue the case legally would take years, even if the WTO's legal system continues functioning. On subsidies, where the European Union and Japan have joined U.S. criticism, China said WTO reform should not discriminate against companies "with different ownership structures." The WTO was not impeccable but it was the most desirable channel for liberalizing and facilitating trade and investment on a global scale, it said. Reform should cover four areas of concrete action, it said, including "resolving the crucial and urgent issues threatening the existence of the WTO"; increasing its relevance in global economic governance; improving its operational efficiency and enhancing the inclusiveness of the multilateral trading system. (Reporting by Tom Miles Editing by Frances Kerry and Alison Williams) * EU trying to save Iran deal after US withdrawal * US Sec of State Pompeo meets EU ministers on Iran * Talks come as Trump beefs up US military presence in Gulf * Spain to join special Iran trade channel (Adds comments from U.S. special representative for Iran) By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS, May 13 (Reuters) - Iran and the United States could trigger a conflict by accident in an already unstable Gulf region, Britain's foreign minister said on Monday, as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held talks in Brussels with the main European powers on the crisis. President Donald Trump is seeking to isolate Tehran by cutting off its oil exports after pulling out of a 2015 deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program. Trump has also beefed up the U.S. military presence in the Gulf to pressure Iran. While the European Union shares some U.S. concerns about Iran, including over its involvement in the Syrian conflict, it still backs the 2015 nuclear deal, saying that it is in Europe's own security interests. "We are very worried about a conflict, about the risk of a conflict ... of an escalation that is unintended," Britain's Jeremy Hunt told reporters in Brussels before talks with Pompeo. Britain, Germany and France are signatories to the 2015 deal and their foreign ministers held separate meetings in Brussels on Monday with Pompeo, who canceled a planned stopover in Moscow in order to brief the European allies on Washington's latest moves. Pompeo also met NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Pompeo shared information on "escalating" threats from Iran during the meetings, the U.S. special representative for Iran Brian Hook told reporters. Hook said Pompeo also discussed reported attacks on several oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Asked if Pompeo was blaming Iran for the attacks, Hook said: "We discussed ... what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels that were anchored off Fujairah ... we have been requested by the UAE to provide assistance in the investigation, which we are very glad to do." Story continues Asked if he himself believed there was the possibility of an Iranian role, Hook said: "Don't have any comment." Trump, who wants to force Tehran to agree a broader arms control accord, has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Gulf in a show of force against what U.S. officials have said is a threat to U.S. troops in the region. Iran says the strategy amounts to "psychological warfare" and a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander on Sunday said Iran would retaliate against any aggressive U.S. moves. "TAKING DIFFERENT COURSES" German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he had told Pompeo during their Monday meeting: "We do not want it to come to a military conflict (between the United States and Iran)." Maas avoided any public criticism of Washington, saying both sides wanted to ensure peace in the Middle East. But he said it was clear Europe and the United States were "going about it in different ways ... taking different courses." Before his meeting with Pompeo, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian urged Europeans to remain united in support of the nuclear deal, which was signed by the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, and which the EU helped to negotiate. For Europe, the tensions with the Trump administration mark a deepening split in transatlantic ties that were traditionally marked by close coordination on Middle East policy, despite sharp disagreements over the 2003 Iraq war. Hook said the bilateral meeting had been "very good." "We agree on much more than we disagree ... We share the same threat assessment," he said. "We are very concerned about Iran's - a lot of the multiple threat streams that have been reported over the last three or four days." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned last week Tehran could resume enrichment of nuclear fuel at a higher grade if the European powers, China and Russia did not do more to circumvent punitive U.S. measures on banking and energy to boost trade. Hunt, who held talks with Maas and Le Drian on the margins of a regular EU meeting in Brussels, expressed concern about the risks of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East if Iran were to acquire such weapons. "We need to make sure that we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation," Hunt said, calling for "a period of calm so that everyone understands what the other side is thinking." EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the EU would continue to support the nuclear pact because Iran continued to comply with inspections and uranium production limits. The EU is trying to implement a new channel to allow Iran to sell its oil and circumvent newly-instated U.S. sanctions, but setting it up is proving complex. Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said Madrid was considering joining the special trade channel, known as INSTEX, which so far counts France, Germany and Britain as shareholders and could be operational by the end of June. (Reporting by Robin Emmott, additional reporting by Francesco Guarascio and Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels and David Brunnstrom in Washington Editing by Gareth Jones and Rosalba O'Brien) (Adds comment from President Donald Trump) By Alex Dobuzinskis May 13 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter fell and broke his hip on Monday as he was preparing to leave his home in Georgia for a turkey-hunting trip, and underwent successful surgery to repair the injury, a representative said. Carter, 94, a Democrat who was elected president in 1976, was accompanied by his wife, Rosalynn, 91, while recovering from the operation, which doctors said was successful, according to a statement from his nonprofit organization, the Carter Center. "Wishing former President Jimmy Carter a speedy recovery from his hip surgery earlier today," President Donald Trump said on Twitter. "He was in such good spirits when we spoke last month - he will be fine!" The surgery was performed at a medical center in Americus, Georgia, about 10 miles (16 km) east of the Carters' home in Plains. "President Carter said his main concern is that turkey season ends this week, and he has not reached his limit," the Carter Center said in its statement. "He hopes the state of Georgia will allow him to roll over the unused limit to next year." Carter, who was governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975, served a single four-year term in the White House as the nation's 39th president. He was defeated in his re-election bid by Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980. The former peanut farmer-turned-politician received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his humanitarian work. He disclosed in August 2015 that he had been diagnosed with a form of skin cancer called melanoma. In 2017, Carter was briefly hospitalized after suffering dehydration during a trip to Canada. Carter has lived longer after leaving the White House than any former president in U.S. history. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Steve Gorman, Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler) (Updates with Sunday election data) By Ashutosh Sharma NEW DELHI, May 13 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When Ishwar Chand Sharma, a farmer in northern India, committed suicide days before the start of the country's general elections, police found a note in his pocket with a plea: "Don't vote for the BJP." While police worked to authenticate the note, Sharma's son told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that his 65-year-old father blamed the policies of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the debt that drove him to reportedly drink poison. Extreme weather, rising operating costs and plunging food prices has thrown millions of farmers into crisis, leading to more than 300,000 suicides over the past two decades, according government data, and making farming a key election issue. In response to the criticism, BJP spokesman Gopal Krishna Agarwal said the party has taken significant steps over the past five years to improve the lives of the country's farmers, who make up almost half of India's working population. He pointed to the government's announcement last year that it would raise the guaranteed minimum profit farmers make if market prices fall, by buying crops from farmers for 50% more than what it cost to produce them. "Our government has also done remarkable work on risk mitigation (for farmers)," he said. As Indians vote for the lower house of parliament in a month-long election that ends on May 19, the plight of farmers has become a key battleground for the leading BJP and its main opposition, the Indian National Congress, or Congress. More than 100 million people in seven states voted on Sunday. The BJP, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came to power in 2014, when its promise to improve farmers' lives earned it a landslide victory against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). But farmer rights groups say few farmers are any better off than they were before that election and current polls predict the BJP's ruling alliance will beat Congress but by a thinner margin than in the past. Story continues This time, said Ashok Dhawale, president of the All India Kisan Sabha farmers' association, many are giving their votes to Congress, drawn by its manifesto focusing on the farming crisis, climate change and the environment. LOAN DEFAULTS One of the main complaints farmers say they have against the BJP is what they see as the party's failure to implement the recommendations of the so-called Swaminathan Commission - something it and Congress have now promised to do. Farmers have held several large protests in Mumbai and Delhi since the last election, calling for the government to institute the commission's policies in full. Set up by the UPA government in 2004, the commission made recommendations on how to make farming more sustainable. They included improved access to resources such as clean water, technology and credit; a guaranteed minimum selling price for most food crops; and policies to help "drought proof" farmers in dry regions. But so far, no government has fully implemented the recommendations, said Satnam Singh Behru, president of the Consortium of Indian Farmers Association, and farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to earn a living. Recent data from the Reserve Bank of India show that the share of loans in default in the agriculture sector has been rising since 2011. By September 2018, the total amount of unpaid farming loans had jumped to 1 trillion rupees ($14 billion) from around 700 billion rupees at the same time the year before. The government announced last year that it would institute one of the Swaminathan recommendations and raise the guaranteed minimum profit farmers make if market prices fall. Agarwal highlighted changes the party made to crop insurance so that farmers should now get payouts if they lose at least 30% of crops when previously the threshold was 50%. "There are still a lot of issues," he said. "It's a work in progress." CLEAN POWER, CLEAN WATER Congress has dedicated a large part of its manifesto to a new climate action plan designed to protect and restore India's natural resources and help farmers cope with the country's increasingly intense droughts. The BJP's manifesto "is either vague or mum (silent) on climate issues," said Indian social and environmental activist Medha Patkar. Among Congress' green campaign promises are dedicated funding to develop a state-of-the-art climate information system and to increase the share of solar and wind in India's energy supply. The party's platform also includes plans to clean up water bodies and restore forests by tapping into existing legislation that guarantees people in rural areas at least 100 days of paid, unskilled work every year. The party also wants to replace the country's various environmental bodies with an independent Environment Protection Authority to establish and enforce environmental standards and regulations. Tariq Anwar, a member of parliament and former junior agriculture minister in the second Congress-led UPA government, said Congress had "laid out a broader vision" for farmers. There are signs that vision is pulling in voters. After supporting the BJP in the last election, Gurdial Singh Virk, a 58-year-old farmer from Punjab, said he is switching his vote to Congress. He said he is not sure whether Congress will be able to live up to its promises but he and many of the farmers he knows are desperate for something to change. "As a prime minister, Modi has duped the farmers of the country. We will never vote for him or his party again," he said. "We're not very optimistic about the Congress either, but then there are no alternatives." (Reporting by Ashutosh Sharma ; editing by Jumana Farouky : (Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate) (Updates with hearing details) By Brendan O'Brien May 13 (Reuters) - A Massachusetts man was charged on Monday with murder and assault in a machete attack that killed a hiker and severely wounded another along the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, according to papers filed in federal court. The suspect, James Jordan, 30, of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, was charged with a single count of murder and one count of assault with intent to murder in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Virginia. During a brief hearing on Monday, Magistrate Judge Pamela Meade Sargent ordered Jordan to be detained and to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, according to a court document. On Friday evening in Smyth County, Virginia, Jordan was acting disturbed and unstable as he approached four hikers, playing his guitar and singing, an FBI agent said in an affidavit filed in federal court. Later that night, the charging document said, Jordan approached the hikers again after they made a camp in Wythe County, and threatened to pour gasoline on their tents and burn them to death. According to the affidavit, the hikers, fearing for their safety, began packing up to flee the scene. After two of the hikers ran away, Jordan attacked the remaining two with what one of them described as a machete, the affidavit said. One of the victims, a woman, played dead, later managed to flee the scene and caught up with the other two hikers, the document said. The three hiked six miles (10 km) into Smyth County where they called authorities early on Saturday. Authorities took Jordan into custody and found the other victim dead at the scene of the attack. Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive, or whether they believe the attack was targeted or random. The female victim was being treated at Bristol Regional Medical Center in Bristol Tennessee. Designated a national scenic trail, the rugged 2,200-mile (3,540-km) footpath runs along the ridgeline of the Appalachian Mountain range through 14 states, from Georgia to Maine. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Scott Malone, David Gregorio and Jonathan Oatis) (Corrects surname in paragraph 15) WELLINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - An inquiry into Christchurch's mosques shooting massacre began hearing evidence on Monday, as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern prepared to co-host a meeting in France that seeks global support to tackle online violence. A lone gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15 while livestreaming the massacre on Facebook. It was New Zealand's worst peace time shooting. New Zealand's Royal Commission inquiry will look into the suspected gunman's activities, use of social media and international connections, as well as whether there was inappropriate priority settings in counter terrorism resources. "The commission's findings will help to ensure such an attack never happens here again," Ardern said in a statement announcing a second commissioner to the inquiry. The Royal Commission's website said it would gather information until August. It will report its findings to the government on December 10. Some in the Muslim community called for better communication about the inquiry. "Many of us in the Muslim community have not received any information about the process for hearings.....so many of us in the community very much feel out of the loop," said Wellington-based community advocate Guled Mire. "Ultimately, we want our voices to be heard and to no longer be ignored, so hopefully steps are taken to ensure information is directly communicated to members of the Muslim community." The Royal Commission did not immediately respond to request for comment. Ardern is in Paris this week to co-chair a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday that seeks to have world leaders and chiefs of tech companies sign the "Christchurch Call," a pledge to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. In an opinion piece in The New York Times on Saturday, Ardern said the "Christchurch Call" will be a voluntary framework that commits signatories to put in place specific measures to prevent the uploading of terrorist content. Story continues "This is not about undermining or limiting freedom of speech. It is about these companies and how they operate," Ardern said her column. Representatives from Facebook, Google, Twitter and other tech companies are expected to be part of the meeting, although Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg will not be in attendance. Facebook said Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister of the U.K., and currently Facebook's Vice President for Global Affairs and Communications would attend the meeting. "These are complex issues and we are committed to working with world leaders, governments, industry and safety experts at this week's meeting and beyond on a clear framework of rules to help keep people safe from harm," Clegg said in a statement emailed to Reuters. The meeting will be held alongside the Tech for Humanity meeting of G7 Digital Ministers, of which France is the chair, and Frances separate Tech for Good summit. Australian Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with multiple counts of murder for the mass shooting and is next due to appear in court on June 14. (Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Michael Perry) (Adds words in quote, paragraph 6) BRUSSELS, May 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared information on "escalating" threats from Iran with European allies and NATO officials during meetings in Brussels on Monday, the U.S. special representative for Iran said. "Iran is an escalating threat and this seemed like a timely visit on his way to Sochi," Brian Hook told reporters, referring to Pompeo's planned visit to Russia on Tuesday for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Pompeo canceled a visit to Moscow on Monday and stopped in Brussels instead, en route to Sochi. "The secretary wanted to share some details behind what we have been saying publicly," Hook said. "We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats." Hook said Pompeo, while in Brussels, also discussed reported attacks on several oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Asked if Pompeo was blaming Iran for the attacks, Hook said: "We discussed ... what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels that were anchored off Fujairah ... we have been requested by the UAE to provide assistance in the investigation, which we are very glad to do." Asked if he himself believed there was the possibility of an Iranian role, Hook had no comment. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not describe the nature of the attack or say who was behind it. Saudi Arabia said Monday that two of its oil tankers were among those attacked and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran. The UAE on Monday identified the vessels as very large crude carrier (VLCC) tanker Amjad and crude tanker Al Marzoqah, both owned by Saudi shipping firm Bahri. The other two were UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge A. Michel and Norwegian-registered oil products tanker MT Andrew Victory. (Reporting by Makini Brice and David Brunnstrom; Editing by David Alexander and Jeffrey Benkoe) * Riyadh says attack undermines oil supply security * UAE launches probe without blaming any state or party * Iran calls incident "worrisome," asks for investigation * Attack was off major bunkering hub of Fujairah * Graphic on oil tankers attacked: https://tmsnrt.rs/2W4yczs (Adds U.S. suspects Iran of attacks but cannot prove that) By Rania El Gamal and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin DUBAI/LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two of its oil tankers were among those attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not describe the nature of the attack or say who was behind it. The UAE on Monday identified the vessels as two crude oil tankers owned by Saudi shipping firm Bahri, a UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge and a Norwegian-registered oil products tanker. The owner of the Norwegian vessel, Thome Ship Management, said the vessel was "struck by an unknown object." Footage seen by Reuters showed a hole in the hull at the waterline with the metal torn open inwards. A Reuters witness said divers were inspecting the ships. The UAE's state news agency said Fujairah port was operating normally. Iran, embroiled in an escalating war of words with the United States over sanctions and the U.S. military presence in the region, moved to distance itself on Monday. Iran's Foreign Ministry called the incidents "worrisome and dreadful" and called for an investigation. A senior Iranian lawmaker said "saboteurs from a third country" could be behind it, after saying on Sunday the incident showed the security of Gulf states was fragile. A U.S. official familiar with American intelligence said Iran was a leading candidate for having carried out the attacks but the United States does not have conclusive proof. Story continues "It fits their M.O. (modus operandi)," said the official on condition of anonymity, suggesting Iran's statements distancing itself from the incident were an attempt "to muddy the waters." POMPEO WARNS OF ESCALATING THREATS U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared information on "escalating" threats from Iran during meetings with EU counterparts and the head of NATO in Brussels, the U.S. special representative for Iran Brian Hook told reporters. Hook declined to say whether he believed Iran played a role or if Pompeo blamed Iran. He said the UAE had sought U.S. help in the investigation and Washington was glad to provide this. The U.S. Maritime Administration said in an advisory on Sunday that incidents off Fujairah, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, had not been confirmed and urged caution. Last week the Maritime Administration said Iran could target U.S. commercial ships including oil tankers sailing through Middle East waterways. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said the UAE incident "has a negative impact on maritime transportation security" and asked regional countries to be "vigilant against destabilizing plots of foreign agents," the semi-official ISNA news agency reported. Before talks with Pompeo in Brussels, Britain's Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt warned of the risks of "a conflict happening by accident" with an unintended escalation between Washington and Tehran over an unraveling nuclear deal. CHOKEPOINT Washington withdrew last year from a 2015 pact between Iran and global powers aimed at reining in Tehran's nuclear plans. Since then, Washington has ratcheted up sanctions on Tehran, saying it wanted to reduce Iranian oil exports to zero. U.S. President Donald Trump wants to force Tehran to agree a broader arms control accord and has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Gulf in a show of force against what U.S. officials have said are threats to U.S. troops in the region. Trump on Monday said Iran would "suffer greatly" if it targeted U.S. interests. Tehran has called the U.S. military presence "a target" rather than a threat and has said it will not allow its oil exports to be halted. A fifth of global oil consumption passes through the Strait of Hormuz from Middle East crude producers to major markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond. The narrow waterway separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula. Iran's Revolutionary Guards, designated a terrorist organization by Washington, threatened last month to close the chokepoint if Tehran was barred from using it. Oil prices rose more than $1 a barrel on Monday but then fell with Wall Street as the negative turn in U.S.-Chinese trade talks spooked investors. Brent futures closed down 39 cents at $70.23 a barrel. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said one of the two Saudi vessels was attacked in the UAE economic zone on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude from Ras Tanura port for delivery to state-owned Aramco's customers in the United States. No oil was spilled but the attack did significant damage to the vessels' structures, he said. Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock markets suffered their biggest single-day declines in years on Monday, with Dubai falling 4%. Saudi shares lost 3.6%. Sunni Muslim allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE have backed U.S. sanctions against Shi'ite Iran, a fellow OPEC producer but regional foe. After the United States ended sanctions waivers that had allowed some nations to continue importing Iranian crude, Washington said Riyadh and Abu Dhabi would help compensate for any oil shortage. Falih said the attack aimed to undermine maritime freedom and the security of oil supplies. "The international community has a joint responsibility to protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets and the danger they pose to the global economy," he said. (Reporting by Rania El Gamal and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Additional reporting by Jonathan Saul and Robin Emmott in London; David Brunnstrom, Idrees Ali and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Saeed Azhar in Dubai and Oslo newsroom; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Edmund Blair, Mark Potter and Lisa Shumaker) (Recasts with details on load, ship leaving, adds) By Vincent West and Belen Carreno SANTANDER/MADRID May 13 (Reuters) - A Saudi ship that was blocked from loading a weapons cargo in France left the Spanish port of Santander on Monday carrying material destined for Saudi Arabia that could be used in military ceremonies, but not wars, a Spanish government source said. On Friday, rights groups prevented the Bahri-Yanbu from receiving arms at the French port of Le Havre due to concerns they would be used by Saudi Arabia against civilians in Yemen's war. The vessel, that carries a separate consignment of arms loaded in Antwerp, set sail from Santander at 1:50 p.m. (1150 GMT) bound for Genoa, Italy, according to ship tracking data. The Spanish source said the material could be used for cannon salutes in military ceremonies in Saudi Arabia. The vessel was also carrying exhibition materials for the United Arab Emirates. "There are two loads," the source said. "They comply with all the norms, they are not for the war in Yemen, they are not for use in war." The equipment was made by Spanish firm Instalaza, according to the source. The company was not immediately available for comment. Santander port authorities could not immediately be reached. Ara Marcen Naval, Deputy Director for Arms Control and Human Rights at Amnesty International, said the ship's journey was a test. "No EU state should be making the deadly decision to authorize the transfer or transit of arms to a conflict where there is a clear risk they will be used in war crimes and other serious violations of international law," Naval said in a statement on Monday. French rights group ACAT argued in a legal challenge on Thursday that the arms consignment contravened a U.N. treaty because the weapons might be used against civilians in Yemen, though the case was thrown out by a French judge. A classified report written by France's DRM military intelligence agency and published by investigative website Disclose in April showed French arms were being used against civilians in the civil war in Yemen. Story continues In Yemen, tens of thousands of people have been killed by fighting in a war pitting a Saudi-led military coalition against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. The war has spawned what the U.N. calls the world's most dire humanitarian crisis. Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists have in the past backed arms sales to Riyadh, though the issue remains divisive in Spain amid concern over the casualties of the war in Yemen. Last year, the government announced it would halt the sale of 400 laser guided bombs to Saudi Arabia only to reverse its decision a few days later. (Reporting by Vincent West in Santander, Additional reporting by Belen Carreno, Paul Day and Joan Faus Writing by Paul Day Editing by Ingrid Melander and Toby Chopra) (Adds details of banned entities, commerce secretary quote) WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Commerce Department said on Monday it banned six Chinese technology entities, one Pakistani firm and five based in the United Arab Emirates from exporting sensitive U.S. technologies and other goods. In a statement, the Commerce Department said four of the Chinese firms, also with offices in Hong Kong, attempted to procure U.S.-origin commodities that would have supported Iran's weapons of mass destruction and military programs in violation of U.S. export controls. The Commerce Department said two other Chinese firms were added to the banned "Entities List" because they participated in the export of controlled technology, which was then supplied to organizations affiliated with the People's Liberation Army. The export bans come as the United States and China have escalated their trade war following difficult negotiations last week. The United States has increased tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25 percent from 10 percent, while China has raised tariffs on a target list of $60 billion in U.S. imports The banned Chinese entities are Avin Electronics Technology Co Ltd, based in Shenzhen; Longkui Qu of Linhai, Zhejiang province; Multi-Mart Electronics Technology Co of Nanhai, Guangdong province; Taizhou CBM-Future New Material Science and Technology Co Ltd of Linhai, Zhejiang province; Tenco Technology Co Ltd, Shenzhen; and Yutron Technology Co Ltd of Shenzhen. Avin, Mult-Mart, Tenco and Yutron all have offices in Hong Kong, Commerce said. "We are putting individuals, businesses, and organizations across the world on notice that they will be held accountable for supporting Irans WMD activities and other illicit schemes, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement. "Moreover, we cannot allow Chinas civil-military integration strategy to undermine U.S. national security through prohibited technology transfer plots orchestrated by state actors." (Reporting by David Lawder; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Susan Thomas) * Worst outbreak since Easter bombings * Social media networks shut down after clashes * Many Muslims stay at home as tensions rise (Adds death and details) By Alexandra Ulmer and Omar Rajarathnam KINIYAMA, Sri Lanka, May 13 (Reuters) - One person was killed in Sri Lanka on Monday as police fired tear gas at mobs attacking mosques and Muslim-owned shops and imposed a curfew after the worst outbreak of sectarian violence since the Easter bombings by Islamist militants. The April 21 attacks, claimed by Islamic State, targeted churches and hotels, mostly in Colombo, killing more than 250 people and fueling fears of a backlash against the island nation's minority Muslims. An officer at the Marawila hospital police said a 42-year old man admitted to the hospital with stab wounds had died. A Resident from the area who helped transport the victim to hospital identified him as Mohamed Ameer Mohamed Sally. Residents in Muslim parts of North Western Province said mobs had attacked mosques and damaged shops and businesses owned by Muslims for a second day. "There are hundreds of rioters, police and army are just watching. They have burnt our mosques and smashed many shops owned by Muslims," a resident of Kottampitiya area told Reuters by telephone, asking not to be identified for fear of reprisals. "When we try to come out of our house, police tell us to stay inside." Police imposed a nationwide curfew until from 9 p.m. (1530 GMT) to 4 a.m., spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a statement that acts of sabotage were hampering an investigation by security forces and warned that "if the racism rises up ... and peace is disturbed the country will be destabilized." "The intention of these groups who are causing violence is to cause disruption in public life, and destabilize the country," he said. Wickremesinghe said he had given powers to the security forces to take strong action against those disturbing the peace. Story continues Authorities also imposed a temporary ban on social media networks and messaging apps including WhatsApp after a clash in another part of the country was traced to a dispute on Facebook. A police source said police had fired tear gas to disperse mobs in some places in North Western Province. Muslims make up nearly 10 percent of Sri Lanka's 22 million people who are predominantly Sinhalese Buddhists. A Reuters reporter saw a mob of several dozen young Sinhalese men wielding sticks and rods in what appeared to be a standoff in the town of Madulla in North Western Province. Many anxious Muslims were hunkering down at home but young men, some of them carrying rods, were still zipping around on motorbikes, despite regional curfews from 2 p.m. before the nationwide curfew was imposed. MOSQUE RANSACKED Glass was strewn across the Abrar mosque in the town of Kiniyama that was attacked overnight. All the windows and doors of the soft-pink building were smashed and copies of the Koran were thrown onto the floor. A mosque official said the attacks were triggered when several people, including some Buddhist monks, demanded a search of the main building after soldiers had inspected a 105-acre (43-hectare) lake nearby. Authorities suspect lakes and wells are being used as hiding places to conceal weapons. A 34-year-old man who was at the mosque said about 150-200 came towards the mosque with rods and swords on Sunday but the Muslims who were in the mosque persuaded them to go away with the help of the police. But they came back and this time there were about 1,300 people. The Muslims, huddled in the mosque, asked the police to fire in the air to disperse the mob, but the police said the people wanted to inspect the mosque for weapons. Then the crowd surged into the mosque and ransacked it, the witness said. "They destroyed and burned Korans, broke every glass window and door and urinated on the water storage which Muslims used to take ablution," he said. Police spokesman Gunasekera did not respond to a request for comment on the incident. But in an emailed statement he said there had been some damage to property in Hettipola area of Kurunegala district but no injuries reported. The police source said police also fired in the air the Hettipola area. Several dozen people threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores and a man was beaten in the Christian-majority town of Chilaw on the west coast on Sunday in the dispute that started on Facebook, police sources and residents told Reuters. Authorities said they arrested the author of a Facebook post, identified as 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar, whose online comment "1 day u will cry" people said was interpreted as threatening violence. "Social media blocked again as a temporary measure to maintain peace in the country," Nalaka Kaluwewa, director general of the government information department, told Reuters on Monday. On Twitter, Sri Lanka's leading mobile phone operator, Dialog Axiata Plc, said it had also received instructions to block the apps Viber, IMO, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube until further notice. (Additional reporting by Shihar Aneez, Ranga Sirilal; Writing by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Alison Williams) (Adds details, background) KHARTOUM, May 13 (Reuters) - Sudanese police and Rapid Support Forces used tear gas on Monday to disperse dozens of protesters in Khartoum North and removed barriers they had set up on a main street leading to the heart of the capital, a Reuters witness said. The dispersal came as stalled talks between the opposition and the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) resumed. The protesters had gathered to pile pressure on the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) to hand power to civilians. The forces moved against the demonstrators after they had blocked a road leading to al-Mek Nimir Bridge, a main artery of Khartoum. A Reuters witness said police, backed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, dismantled barriers that were erected by protesters at the entrance to the bridge, causing traffic jams. The forces also dispersed about 100 protesters, but there were no reports of casualties. Traffic in the capital had come to a near standstill, the Reuters witness said. The Sudanese Professionals' Association, which spearheaded demonstrations that led to the ousting on April 11 of long-time president Omar al-Bashir, has been locked in negotiations with the TMC over a proposed joint civilian-military body to oversee the country. Protesters, demanding a swift handover of power to civilians, have been camped out outside the Defence Ministry compound in central Khartoum since April 6. (Reporting by Khartoum bureau; Writing by Yousef Saba; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Ed Osmond) * Prosecutor to reopen preliminary investigation * Says no decision made yet whether to indict Assange * Will ask court to detain Assange, seek extradition from UK * Britain must decide on extradition to U.S. or Sweden (Adds lawyer of alleged victim, detail) By Niklas Pollard and Anna Ringstrom STOCKHOLM, May 13 (Reuters) - Sweden reopened an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday and will seek to extradite him from Britain, a potential setback to efforts by the United States to put him on trial over a huge release of secret documents. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference in Stockholm she would continue a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought after Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange, who denies the accusation, was arrested in Britain last month after spending seven years hiding inside the embassy. The Swedish prosecutor said she would request Assange be detained in his absence on probable cause for an allegation of rape and that her office would issue a European arrest warrant - the start of the extradition process. The United States is also seeking to extradite him on conspiracy charges relating to the public release by Wikileaks of a cache of secret documents, including assessments of foreign leaders, wars and security matters. The British courts will have to rule on the two extradition requests, with Home Secretary Sajid Javid having the final say on which one takes precedence. "I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US," Persson said. The 47-year-old Assange is currently in a London prison serving 50 weeks behind bars for jumping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in 2012. A British judge has given the U.S. government a deadline of June 12 to outline its case against Assange. The statute of limitation for rape in Sweden is 10 years - a deadline which would be reached in mid-August next year for that alleged incident, leaving prosecutors pressed for time should they decide to file any formal charge. Story continues "Everything depends on how this will be handled by the British authorities and courts," said Mark Klamberg, a professor of international law at Stockholm University. "There is a possibility, or risk depending on how you see it, that this is going to take a long time," he said. If Assange was taken to the United Sattes, this would likely rule out his facing trial in Sweden due to the statute of limitation. Persson said she would request to interview Assange while he was in British custody, but that this would require the consent of the Australian, who fought unsuccesfully through the British courts to avoid extradition before fleeing to the embassy. A lawyer representing the victim in the rape investigation urged Swedish prosecutors to move quickly. "We are not going to give up until a charge is brought and the case goes to court," lawyer Elisabeth Massi Fritz told a news conference. "My client feels great gratitude and she is very hopeful of getting restitution and we both hope that justice will win." Assange's supporters cast him as a dissident facing the wrath of a superpower over one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history. CLEAR NAME Wikileaks said the reopening of the Swedish investigation would give Assange a chance to clear his name. "Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case," Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief, said in a statement. If convicted in Sweden, Assange could face a prison sentence of up to four years. "His attitude is that he is happy to cooperate with Sweden and that he wants to be interviewed and that he wants to clear his name," Per Samuelson, a Swedish lawyer for Assange, told Reuters. "How that will happen now, I don't know. He has his hands full with, for him, much more important issues, namely avoiding being extradited to the U.S." Nick Vamos, lawyer at London-based firm Peters & Peters and former head of extradition at Britain's Crown Prosecution Service, told Reuters before Monday's decision that he expected a Swedish request would take supremacy. "In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority," a Swedish prosecutor's statement said. WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables that laid bare often critical U.S. appraisals of world leaders, from Russian President Vladimir Putin to members of the Saudi royal family. It also published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. (Additional reporting by Simon Johnson, Johan Ahlander and Helena Soderpalm in Stockholm, and Guy Faulconbridge in London; Editing by Angus MacSwan) (Adds government spokesman's comment on policy, job creation, trade deals, paragraphs 7-10) By Fergal Smith TORONTO, May 13 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's strategy to prioritize spending on the middle class at the beginning of his four-year term will not keep growth humming ahead of a general election in October, some economists said. Canada led the G7 with 3% growth in 2017, but the boost from fiscal stimulus in 2016 has since faded, with the Bank of Canada expecting growth to slow to a 1.2% pace this year. In 2016, Trudeau made a tax cut that was aimed at the middle class and began a major increase in child benefits for families. At the same time, he raised levies on Canada's wealthiest 1%. Trudeau has said that economic policy should be more concentrated on helping the middle classes and those striving to join it. David Rosenberg, chief economist & strategist at Gluskin Sheff + Associates Inc, said the government's spending plan has had a one-off effect and will not lead to additional growth. "The first move to play Robin Hood by raising top marginal income tax rates in the personal sector was a huge mistake ... this is a government that got elected on social policies as opposed to economic growth policies," Rosenberg said. Three years later, Trudeau of the Liberal Party is lagging his Conservative Party rival Andrew Scheer in opinion polls and the outlook for growth has darkened considerably, also because of a global slowdown. But in a statement, the government defended its policy, saying fewer Canadians live in poverty and that the middle class has more money to spend. Despite slower growth, the economy added a record number of jobs in April, and during his mandate Trudeau's government signed new major trade agreements with Europe, major Asian nations excluding China, and Mexico and the United States, the statement said. "Middle-class Canadians can see first hand that our plan is working," said Pierre-Olivier Herbert, a spokesman for Finance Minister Bill Morneau. "The Conservatives still have no plan for the economy." Story continues Conservative leader Scheer has said he would outline his economic strategy during a speech in Toronto on Thursday. In Trudeau's last budget before the election in March, he announced additional spending on middle class voters in the hope of easing the financial squeeze on heavily indebted Canadians, who are dealing with high housing costs and tepid wage gains. But some economists say a better policy mix would have put more focus on the kind of tax cuts that stimulate investment. Investment tends to boost productivity, which could raise wages and the economy's capacity to grow. "Potential growth is no higher, that's the issue," said Stephen Brown, senior Canada economist at Capital Economics. "The balance of the stimulus could have been tilted toward more private investment." Canadian business investment growth slowed to 0.3% in 2018 from 2.3% in 2017, data from Statistics Canada showed, as the economy contended with lower oil prices, trade uncertainty and a slowdown in the housing market. Of more concern has been the low composition of Canadian investment in the sectors that tend to be important for productivity. Information and communication technology accounted for about 9% of investment in 2017 versus more than 16% for the United States, data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed. The U.S. has slashed corporate taxes in the hope of stimulating investment and data this month provided evidence that the strategy is working. U.S. productivity rose in the first quarter at the fastest pace in more than four years. Finance Minister Morneau has said it would not be responsible to match U.S. corporate tax cuts because it would add "tens of billions in new debt." While the government has allowed businesses to write off additional capital investments to bolster Canada's competitiveness some economists say that much more could be done. "I think that we simply have no choice but to raise productivity in this country (Canada) and I think that investing in start-ups and high tech is crucial for that," said Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist at CIBC Capital Markets. "From a taxation perspective, we should encourage risk taking." (Reporting by Fergal Smith, editing by Steve Scherer and Grant McCool) (Adds quote, background) WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Monday Iran would "suffer greatly" if it targeted U.S. interests after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier and more jet fighters at a time of rising tensions with Tehran. "We'll see what happens with Iran. If they do anything, it will be a very bad mistake," Trump told reporters at the White House. "If they do anything they will suffer greatly." Trump's comments came after the United Arab Emirates reported four commercial vessels had been sabotaged on Sunday near Fujairah emirate just outside the Strait of Hormuz. Iran sought to distance itself from the incident. Washington withdrew last year from a 2015 pact between Iran and global powers aimed at reining in Tehran's nuclear plans. Since then, the United States has ratcheted up sanctions on Iran, saying it wanted to reduce its oil exports to zero. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled a trip to Moscow on Monday and instead stopped in Brussels to share information on "escalating" threats from Iran with European allies and NATO officials, the U.S. special representative for Iran said. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by David Alexander; Editing by Richard Chang) (Adds name for new NASA moon program in final paragraph) By Joey Roulette WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - The Trump administration asked Congress on Monday to increase NASA spending next year by an extra $1.6 billion as a "down payment" to accommodate the accelerated goal of returning Americans to the surface of the moon by 2024. The increased funding request, announced by President Donald Trump on Twitter, comes nearly two months after Vice President Mike Pence declared the objective of shortening by four years NASA's previous timeline for putting astronauts back on the moon for the first time since 1972. The proposed increase would bring NASA's total spending level for the 2020 fiscal year to $22.6 billion. The bulk of the increase is earmarked for research and development of a human lunar landing system, according to a summary provided by NASA. "Under my Administration, we are restoring @NASA to greatness and we are going back to the Moon, then Mars," Trump tweeted on Monday. "I am updating my budget to include an additional $1.6 billion so that we can return to Space in a BIG WAY!" NASA previously aimed to return crewed spacecraft to the lunar surface by 2028, after first putting a "Gateway" station into orbit around the moon by 2024. The newly accelerated goal - an endeavor likely to cost tens of billions of dollars - comes as NASA has struggled with the help of private partners to resume human space missions from U.S. soil for the first time since the shuttle program ended in 2011. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine called the revised funding request a "down payment of confidence" from the White House. "Our goal here is to build a program that gets us to the moon as soon as possible," Bridenstine told reporters on a telephone conference call late on Monday. "In the coming years, we will need additional funds," he said. "But this is a good amount that gets us out of the gate in a very strong fashion." Story continues 'RISKY TIMELINES' Phil Larson, a former space policy adviser under Trump's Democratic predecessor, President Barack Obama, questioned whether Congress had fully embraced Trump's ambition to speed up human lunar exploration. "Im worried that without proper congressional buy-in, this budget amendment is at best, a massive waste of time, and at worst, pushing risky political timelines that could set NASA back for years," Larson told Reuters. Bridenstine said $651 million of the extra funding would go toward NASA's Space Launch System the super-heavy rocket whose decade-long development led by Boeing Co has been hampered by delays and cost overruns as well as design and construction of a new crew capsule called Orion. The U.S. Apollo program, NASA's forerunner to the effort at returning humans to Earth's natural satellite, tallied six manned missions to the moon from 1969 to 1972. So far, only two other nations have conducted controlled "soft" landings on the moon - the former Soviet Union and China - but those were with unmanned robot vehicles. Bridenstine said he was optimistic that Trump's request would draw bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. The amendment envisions a simplified blueprint for the Lunar Gateway, the planned space outpost in lunar orbit that will serve as a stepping stone for sending astronauts to the moon's surface. NASA officials said they would turn to private companies such as Lockheed Martin Corp, Boeing and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin for proposals on the design of Gateway and the human landing system. Bezos, the richest person in the world and founder of Amazon.com Inc, unveiled last Thursday his space company's mock-up of a lunar lander being built by Blue Origin. Bridenstine capped Monday's media call by announcing that NASA's latest lunar initiative would be named Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and of the moon in Greek mythology and the twin sister of Apollo. (Reporting by Joey Roulette in Washington Editing by Steve Gorman and Peter Cooney) (Adds details, background) By Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - Turkey is assessing whether to delay taking delivery of the S-400 Russian missile defense system, currently scheduled for July, after a new request from the United States, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday. The move would be a rare pause in months of escalating tensions between the two NATO allies, which have been at loggerheads over Turkey's planned purchase of the Russian system, which the United States opposes. Washington requested last week that Ankara consider postponing taking delivery of the system, a source familiar with the matter said on the condition of anonymity. There was no immediate response from Turkey, which has said repeatedly it was not going to back down from its planned purchase. Last week, Fahrettin Altun, spokesman for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, said the procurement of S-400s was a 'done deal.' The source said talks on the issue continued. U.S. officials have called Turkey's planned purchase of the S-400 missile defense system "deeply problematic," saying it would risk Ankara's partnership in the joint strike fighter F-35 program because it would compromise the jets, made by Lockheed Martin Corp. The United States and other NATO allies that own F-35s fear the radar on the Russian S-400 missile system will learn how to spot and track the jet, making it less able to evade Russian weapons. Ankara has also been pushing Washington to establish a working group to assess the risks the system would be posing to the F-35 jet. The United States has so far been reluctant to accept. The disagreement is the latest in a series of diplomatic disputes between the United States and Turkey. They include Turkish demands that Washington extradite cleric Fethullah Gulen, differences over Middle East policy and the war in Syria, and sanctions on Iran. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Peter Cooney) (Adds rejection of appeal on presidential elections) ISTANBUL, May 13 (Reuters) - Turkey's High Election Board (YSK) has rejected bids by opposition parties to annul all votes in the Istanbul local elections, as well as last year's nationwide elections, broadcaster NTV said on Monday. The YSK last week ordered a re-run of the Istanbul mayoral election, citing irregularities in the appointment of polling station officials after appeals by President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party (AKP), but did not cancel votes for district administrators, mayors, and municipal councils. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Iyi (Good) Party argued that if the mayoral vote - which the CHP won - was canceled then all the other votes in Istanbul, as well as Erdogan's victory in a presidential election last year, should also be annulled because the same flaws took place in those elections. After weeks of appeals by the AKP and its nationalist MHP ally, the election board ruled last week for a re-run of the Istanbul mayoral election which the CHP's Ekrem Imamoglu won by a narrow margin. It was the first time in 25 years that the AKP or its Islamist predecessors had failed to win control of Istanbul, Turkey's largest city with a budget of close to $4 billion. Erdogan launched his own political career as Istanbul mayor. (Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Dominic Evans) (Adds comment from American Petroleum Institute) By Scott DiSavino May 13 (Reuters) - China said on Monday it would raise tariffs on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from the United States amid a series of additional levies, a move that could further reduce U.S. LNG shipments to the world's fastest growing importer of the fuel. So far this year, only two LNG vessels have gone from the United States to China, versus 14 during the first four months of 2018 before the start of the 10-month trade war. On Monday, China said it would boost the tariff on U.S. LNG to 25% starting June 1 versus the current rate of 10%. That move came in retaliation for a U.S. increase on Friday in tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25% from 10%. Between February 2016, when the United States started exporting LNG from the Lower 48 states, and July 2018, when the trade war started, China was the third biggest purchaser of U.S. shipments of the supercooled fuel. So far this year, China is not even in the top 15. "I expect they will have a hard time landing a tanker carrying U.S. LNG in China if they impose a 25 percent tariff on it," said Jack Weixel, senior director at IHS Markit's PointLogic analytics arm. Stephen Comstock, a director at the American Petroleum Institute, which represents the oil and gas industry, said the retaliatory tariffs "dampen the prospects for the growing U.S. LNG investment, hurt U.S. workers, and benefit Americas foreign competitors." Natural gas is seen as a bridge fuel between current worldwide use of much dirtier coal for power generation and industrial consumption, and renewable fuels, because it burns cleaner. It has seen massive growth in sales in recent years, particularly to Asian nations seeking to reduce their dependence on coal. The United States, meanwhile, is the fastest-growing LNG exporter in the world, and is expected to rank third in exports in 2019 behind Qatar and Australia. China is the second biggest LNG importer in the world behind Japan. Story continues For a graphic on U.S. LNG shipments to China, see: https://tmsnrt.rs/2W29f88. So far, the biggest U.S. LNG producer, Cheniere Energy Inc , has not expressed major concerns about the trade war. Last week, Cheniere, which owns two of the three big operating U.S. LNG export terminals, said the trade war is "unproductive and creates some added costs for our Chinese consumers," but it has not yet materially affected sales. Shares of Cheniere were down 3.9% to $65.24 on Monday. The United States and China started imposing tariffs on each other's goods in July 2018. As the dispute heated up, China added LNG to its list of proposed tariffs in August and imposed a 10% tariff on LNG in September. U.S. LNG sales had already been affected by a 60 percent collapse in Japan Korea Marker (JKM) LNG prices seen since September. "Weaker JKM spot prices in Asia already killed most of the commercial reasoning for U.S. LNG sales to China. The tariff is the knockout blow," said Ira Joseph, head of global gas and power analytics at S&P Global Platts. (Reporting by Scott DiSavino; additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Susan Thomas) 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 * Prosecutor to reopen preliminary investigation * Says no decision made yet whether to indict Assange * Will ask court to detain Assange, seek extradition from UK * Britain must decide on extradition to U.S. or Sweden (Adds Swedish lawyer, legal expert, detail) By Niklas Pollard and Simon Johnson STOCKHOLM, May 13 (Reuters) - Sweden reopened an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday and will seek his extradition from Britain, potentially delaying efforts by the United States to bring him to its courts to face trial over a huge release of secret documents. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought because Assange had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange was arrested in Britain last month after spending seven years hiding inside the embassy. The United States is also seeking his extradition on conspiracy charges relating to the public release by Wikileaks of a cache of secret documents, including assessments of foreign leaders, wars and security matters. The Swedish prosecutor said it would request Assange be detained in his absence on probable cause for an allegation of rape and that it would issue a European arrest warrant - the process under which his extradition would be sought. The 47-year-old Australian - who denies the allegations - is currently in a London prison serving 50 weeks behind bars for jumping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in 2012. The decision to reopen the investigation poses the question of whether Assange will be moved to Sweden or to the United States. "I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US," Persson said. A British judge has given the U.S. government a deadline of June 12 to outline its case against Assange. The statute of limitation for rape in Sweden is 10 years - a deadline which would be reached in mid-August next year for the alleged incident involving Assange, leaving prosecutors pressed for time should they decide to file any formal charge. Story continues "Everything depends on how this will be handled by the British authorities and courts," said Mark Klamberg, a professor of international law at Stockholm University. "There is a possibility, or risk depending on how you see it, that this is going to take a long time," he said, adding that a U.S. extradition of Assange would likely rule out him being tried in Sweden due to the statute of limitation. Assange's supporters cast him as a dissident facing the wrath of a superpower over one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history. CLEAR NAME Responding to the reopening of the Swedish investigation, WikiLeaks said it would give Assange a chance to clear his name. "Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case," Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief, said in a statement. "Its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name." If convicted in Sweden, Assange could face a prison sentence of up to four years. Per Samuelson, a Swedish lawyer for Assange, told public service broadcaster the decision to reopen the case was "embarrassing for Sweden." "His attitude is that he is happy to cooperate with Sweden and that he wants to be interviewed and that he wants to clear his name," Samuelson told Reuters. "How that will happen now, I don't know. He has his hands full with, for him, much more important issues, namely avoiding being extradited to the U.S." The British courts will have to rule on any extradition request and Home Secretary Sajid Javid would decide which one takes precedence once Swedish prosecutors file theirs. Nick Vamos, lawyer at London-based firm Peters & Peters and former head of extradition at Britain's Crown Prosecution Service, told Reuters before Monday's decision that he expected a Swedish request would take supremacy. "In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority," a Swedish prosecutor's statement said. Assange's supporters cast him as a dissident facing the wrath of a superpower over one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history. WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables that laid bare often critical U.S. appraisals of world leaders, from Russian President Vladimir Putin to members of the Saudi royal family. It also published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. (Additional reporting by Anna Ringstrom, Johan Ahlander and Helena Soderpalm in Stockholm, and Guy Faulconbridge in London; Editing by Angus MacSwan) HAMPTON, N.H. (AP) Joe Biden said Monday that he would be open to breaking up Facebook, a sign of the deep skepticism among many Democratic presidential contenders about the power of massive technology firms. In an interview with The Associated Press, the former vice president, who is now running for the White House, said that dismantling large technology companies including Facebook is "something we should take a really hard look at." His 2020 rival, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, has been the most outspoken Democratic presidential candidate to press for greater regulation of Silicon Valley's most prominent companies. While Biden didn't fully embrace her proposal saying it's "premature" to make a final judgment he praised Warren and said she "has a very strong case to be made" for cracking down on tech giants. The comments demonstrate how Facebook is increasingly a flashpoint in the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, with some candidates arguing the influence of such companies is unchecked, allowing misinformation to poison the public debate. Sen. Kamala Harris of California said this weekend that she was open to revamping Facebook, telling CNN the company is essentially a public utility. But Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey told ABC that such calls aren't very different from the tough tactics President Donald Trump takes against his enemies. Regardless of whether Facebook is ultimately broken up, Biden told the AP, the Trump administration hasn't done enough to enforce antitrust laws in a variety of industries. The former vice president is making his first trip to New Hampshire this week as a declared candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination. He's dominating the early polls but faces questions about whether he can keep the momentum going after two previous presidential campaigns faltered. The New Hampshire swing comes amid a rapidly escalating trade war between the U.S. and China that has left financial markets spinning and many observers uncertain about what will happen next. Biden's past support for free trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement could prove to be a vulnerability among the blue-collar union workers he's targeting, especially in the upper Midwest, where such pacts have become unpopular. Story continues Biden said he didn't regret voting for NAFTA during his time in the Senate. "Fair trade is important," Biden said. "Not free trade. Fair trade. And I think that back in the time during the Clinton administration, it made sense at the moment." Biden is competing in a field that's been celebrated for its historic gender and racial diversity. He said there are women currently running for president who would be qualified to lead the presidential ticket next year, but he wouldn't fully commit to selecting a woman as his running mate if he becomes the Democratic presidential nominee. "I wouldn't hesitate to pick a woman if that person is the most qualified person available," Biden said. "I would place no restriction, were I the nominee, on anyone I'd pick, assuming they had the same basic philosophic view of the world as I do." It's important, Biden said, for the nominee to pick a running mate "in line with what they believe ... so you can work as a team." And if he doesn't get the nomination, Biden didn't dismiss the idea of working in a future Democratic administration. "I learned a long time ago, don't rule out anything," Biden said. "If I can be helpful if I weren't the nominee, I would do whatever I could." Biden also addressed questions about a potential conflict of interest stemming from his son's work for a Ukrainian gas company while Biden was vice president. The New York Times has reported Biden pressured Ukraine's government to dismiss a top prosecutor believed to be tolerating corruption. The prosecutor was looking into the firm, Burisma Holdings. Biden denied Hunter Biden's work for the company had anything to do with the effort. "We never once discussed it when he was there," the former vice president said of his son. "There's not a single bit of evidence that's been shown in any reporting that's been done that he ever talked about it with me or asked any government official for a favor. ... I have great confidence in my son. He's a man of great integrity." Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, scrapped plans this week to visit Ukraine in part to find information that could damage political rivals, including Biden. The former vice president dismissed such efforts. "When folks like the president and Rudy Giuliani roll through one time selling snake oil, maybe people buy it," he said. "Second time around, they kind of catch on." POYNETTE, Wis. (AP) Police in Wisconsin have arrested three juveniles for an alleged social media threat against the local school district. District officials contacted police on Saturday to report a possible school shooting threat in Poynette, about 100 miles northwest of Milwaukee. The Poynette Police Department and the Columbia County Sheriff's Department investigated and arrested the three youths on charges of making terroristic threats. Authorities did not release any other details but did say there is no danger to the community, students or the school. School officials say they'll have additional staff Monday to offer support to students. They also requested a police presence to provide further reassurance. All scheduled activities will go on as usual. Photo: iSAW Company/Unsplash From an art exhibition to a black runners event, there's plenty to enjoy in New York City 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. In Conversation: 'Soto. Vibrations 19501960' Curated by Jean-Paul Ameline From the event description: Please join us in for a conversation in celebration of 'Soto. Vibrations 1950 1960,' curated by Jean-Paul Ameline and on view through the end of July. This is the first exhibition to focus on the first decade of Sotos life in Paris, during which his work transitioned from abstraction to optic and ultimately kinetic art. The conversation will be moderated by Edward J. Sullivan, Executive Director of The Bronx Museum of the Arts. When: Tuesday, May 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Where: Hauser & Wirth, 32 E. 69th St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Music of War and Peace: Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of D-Day From the event description: Join The Mendelssohn Glee Club of New York City, the country's oldest independent men's chorus, for a concert marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The program will feature works by Claude Debussy, Felix Mendelssohn, George Gershwin and more. When: Tuesday, May 14, 7-9:30 p.m. Where: Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, 30 W. 68th St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets NYC Rat Academy: Harlem From the event description: Join us in Harlem to learn about rat prevention methods for your home and community at our free Rat Academy training! The NYC Rat Academy is a free course offered by the city for community members interested in learning about rat prevention and management. This training is open to all. When: Thursday, May 16, 6-8 p.m. Where: Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church, 15 Mount Morris Park West Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Story continues Black Runners Summit From the event description: The Black Runners Summit is an information and networking event that focuses on the Black Running community. Networking will take place first and be followed by a Panel Discussion. When: Thursday, May 16, 6-10 p.m. Where: The Brooklyn Bank, 896 Dekalb Ave. Admission: Free-$15 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. When you're plugging away at your job day after day, year after year, early retirement may sound like a dream. And for a good chunk of workers, that dream may become a reality. Roughly 43% of workers end up retiring earlier than they had expected, according to a report by Employee Benefit Research Institute. However, of those who retired early, only about one-third said they did so because they could afford it. The most common reasons people gave for leaving their job earlier than they had anticipated were health issues or a shift in their company, such as downsizing or reorganization. A woman in bed at 7:00 Image Source: Getty Images If you're forced into early retirement, it can throw off all your retirement plans. If you were expecting to leave your job at, say, age 67 but get laid off at 62 and can't find another job, the disadvantages are twofold. First, you miss out on five years of potential savings. Second, you're spending more time in retirement, so you'll need even more money to last the rest of your life. Now, a few years may not sound like a big deal. When you've been working the last 40-odd years, what's wrong with retiring a few years earlier than you'd planned? The truth is it can make a bigger difference than you may think. To see just how much of an impact early retirement can make on your savings, let's look at a hypothetical example. Say you're 40 years old with $25,000 saved for retirement. You're currently saving about $200 per month, and you plan on retiring at age 67. At that rate, you'd have around $334,000 saved, assuming you earned a 7% annual return on your investments. However, say you're forced into an early retirement at 62. You were still saving $200 per month up to that point, but without that extra five years to save, you ended up with only around $228,000 saved. In other words, retiring just five years early could potentially cost you more than $100,000 in savings. Story continues In addition, because you started using your savings earlier, your retirement money won't last as long -- meaning you'll either run out of money soon, or you'll need to live on less each month to stretch every dollar. And when you're already starting out with less money than you'd hoped in your retirement fund, pinching pennies may prove difficult. Preparing for the unpredictable So how can you prepare when you never know if you'll be forced into an early retirement? After all, when you set a retirement goal and start saving, you usually have a retirement age in mind. If you end up losing your job before retirement age and have no other sources of income, there's little you can do to save more. That being said, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself against potentially unpredictable situations. The first option is the most obvious yet also the most difficult: Save more while you can to cushion the blow in case you have to retire early. Figure out how much you want to have saved and by what age, then see what it would take to have that much saved a few years earlier. If you start saving early enough, you won't need to boost your savings too dramatically each month to see them add up significantly over time. For example, say you want to have $500,000 saved by age 67. If you're 30 years old now with nothing yet saved for retirement, you'll need to save around $250 per month to reach that goal, assuming you earn a 7% return on your investments. But if you wanted to have, say, $650,000 saved by age 62, all other factors remaining the same, you'd need to save around $500 per month. If you plan for retirement assuming you'll need more money with less time to save, you're automatically setting yourself up to save more. Then even if you're not forced into retirement, you may still be able to retire early simply because you can afford to do so. Making the most of Social Security Another option for those who may not be able to afford to save more is to use Social Security to your advantage. How much you receive in benefits depends on when you claim. The only way to receive 100% of the benefits you're entitled to is by claiming when you reach your full retirement age (FRA) -- which is between age 66 and 67 depending on the year you were born. If you claim before your FRA (you're eligible as early as 62), your benefits will be reduced. If you wait beyond your FRA to claim (up to age 70 when the bonus for waiting maxes out), you'll receive a bonus on top of your full amount to make up for the time you weren't receiving benefits. You also don't have to claim when you retire; in fact, if you're forced into an early retirement, it may be wise to wait as long as you can to claim. Say your FRA is 67, and if you claim at that age, you'd be receiving $1,500 per month in benefits. If you claim at 62, your benefits would be reduced by 30%, leaving you with just $1,050 per month. Delay claiming until age 70, though, and you'd receive a 24% boost on top of your full amount, bringing your checks to around $1,860 per month. Of course, that means you'd need to survive on your personal savings until you claim Social Security. But if you can afford to delay claiming benefits until age 70, you'll be receiving those bigger checks for life. So even if your retirement fund runs dry, you'll still have those fatter checks coming every month for the rest of your life. Planning for retirement can feel like a guessing game -- and a lot of the time, it is. Life will always throw curveballs, and even if you do all your homework and save diligently for decades, your plans may be thrown out the window if you end up retiring earlier than you'd expected. But just because you can't predict the future doesn't mean you can't do your best to prepare for any hurdles that may arise. More From The Motley Fool The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Photo: Krists Luhaers/Unsplash From a "John Wick" double feature night to an indoor beer festival, there's plenty to enjoy in Chicago 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. Cinema Double Feature: John Wick + John Wick: Chapter 2 Before the anticipated release of the third John Wick installment, catch this action-packed double feature of the first two chapters at Thalia Hall. Moviegoers can check out One Tail at a Time, a dog adoption pop-up that will be on site. When: Monday, May 13, 6 p.m. Where: Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St. Admission: $8 (GA Seated) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets The Other Art Fair Chicago Need more art in your life? Check out over 120 independent artists at this four day showcase in Pilsen, catering to everyone from first-time buyers to seasoned collectors. Also, enjoy tours, live DJ sets and Bombay Sapphire cocktails. When: Thursday, May 16, 5 p.m.-Sunday, May 19, 6 p.m. Where: Mana Contemporary Chicago, 2233 S. Throop St. Admission: $15 (Friday - Adult Advanced Ticket); $13.50 (Friday, 3-10 p.m. - Student/Senior Advanced Ticket). More ticket options available. Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Crying Out Loud: The Bridge 2.1 Calling all jazz enthusiasts! French and American musicians join forces for an experimental performance at Stony Island Art Center. The lineup features Dan Bitney on drums, Rob Frye on woodwinds, Olivia Scemama on double bass and more. When: Thursday, May 16, 5-8 p.m. Where: Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S. Stony Island Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets AIA Chicago's 9th Annual Small Project Awards & Exhibit - FREE! Not everyone needs a skyscraper. That's the philosophy behind this exhibit of 80 Small Project Awards entries. Come out and mingle with Chicago's architecture community, learn about disruptive design and new solutions to affordable housing and enjoy small bites and Lagunitas brews. Story continues When: Thursday, May 16, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Where: Artifact Events, 4325 N. Ravenswood Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Hops For Hope If you're a beer enthusiast, come out this Thursday for Hops for Hope. Sample pours from more than 20 local breweries and cider houses at this festival, with proceeds supporting the nonprofit, Hope for the Day, and its mental health education. When: Thursday, May 16, 6-9 p.m. Where: Old Irving Brewing Co., 4419 W. Montrose Ave. 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. After a federal judge struck down a Kentucky abortion law that would halt a common second-trimester procedure to end pregnancies, the states anti-abortion Republican governor immediately vowed to appeal. Related: All the presidents judges: how Trump can flip courts at a record-setting pace The US district judge Joseph H McKinley Jr ruled on Friday that the 2018 law would create a substantial obstacle to a womans right to an abortion, violating constitutionally protected privacy rights. Kentuckys only abortion clinic challenged the law immediately after it was signed by Governor Matt Bevin. A consent order suspended its enforcement pending the decision. The law attempted to halt an abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation that was used in 537 of 3,312 abortions in Kentucky in 2016, according to state statistics. In his ruling, McKinley wrote that standard dilation and evacuation procedures accounted for virtually all second-trimester abortions in Kentucky. The law would unduly burden women seeking the procedure, he said. If the act goes into effect, standard D&E abortions will no longer be performed in the Commonwealth due to ethical and legal concerns regarding compliance with the law, he wrote. The result, the judge said, would be that women would lose the right to obtain a pre-viability abortion anywhere in the Commonwealth of Kentucky after 15 weeks. Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said the judges ruling affirms that health, not politics, will guide important medical decisions about pregnancy. In the US, women have a constitutional right to obtain an abortion up to the point when the fetus can survive outside the womb, which is generally understood to be 24 weeks into a pregnancy. Full term is 40 weeks. Laws like this are part of an orchestrated national strategy by anti-abortion politicians to push abortion out of reach entirely, Kolbi-Molinas said. Story continues A spokeswoman for Bevin, Elizabeth Goss Kuhn, said the governors legal team would appeal McKinleys decision and predicted the law will ultimately be upheld. We profoundly disagree with the courts decision, Goss Kuhn said, and will take this case all the way to the supreme court, if necessary, to protect unborn children. Kentucky is one of many Republican-dominated states seeking to enact restrictions on abortion as conservatives take aim at Roe v Wade, the 1973 supreme court decision that legalized abortion. Energized by Donald Trumps appointment to the supreme court of two conservatives, abortion opponents hope to ignite legal battles which could prompt the justices to revisit Roe. Lawyers for the Kentucky state government say the law there would still allow use of dilation and evacuation, but only after doctors used other methods to induce fetal death. Abortion providers violating the law would be guilty of a felony. Women undergoing such abortions would not face prosecution. According to the judge, that would lead women to endure a medically unnecessary and invasive procedure that may increase the duration of an otherwise one-day standard D&E abortion. McKinley said the plaintiffs successfully showed the act will operate as a substantial obstacle to a womans right to an abortion before the fetus reached viability, a violation of a womans 14th amendment rights to privacy and bodily integrity. Kentucky Republicans have pushed through a series of measures putting limits and conditions on abortion since assuming complete control of the state legislature in 2017. Those laws have triggered several legal challenges. Elsewhere, Georgia and Ohio have enacted six-week abortion bans, which are blatantly unconstitutional, as part of a group of at least 15 states to consider the bans. Alabama is expected to vote on a total abortion ban as soon as next week. Alyssa Milano urged women in her tweet to stop having sex Actress Alyssa Milano ignited social media with a tweet on Friday night calling for women to join her in a sex strike to protest against strict abortion bans passed by Republican-controlled legislatures. The former star of "Charmed" and current cast member of "Insatiable," which is filmed in Georgia, urged women in her tweet to stop having sex "until we get bodily autonomy back". Her tweet came days after Georgia became the fourth state in the US this year to ban abortions once a foetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant. "We need to understand how dire the situation is across the country," Milano told The Associated Press on Saturday. "Its reminding people that we have control over our own bodies and how we use them." She noted that women have historically withheld sex to protest or advocate for political reform. She cited how Iroquois women refused to have sex in the 1600s as a way to stop unregulated warfare. Our reproductive rights are being erased. Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy. JOIN ME by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back. Im calling for a #SexStrike. Pass it on. pic.twitter.com/uOgN4FKwpg Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) May 11, 2019 Most recently, she noted that Liberian women used a sex strike in 2003 to demand an end to a long-running civil war. Milano received support from fans and fellow actress Bette Midler joined her in also calling for a sex strike with her own tweet. I hope the #womenofGeorgia stop having sex with men until these indignities are overturned. Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) May 11, 2019 But both liberals and conservatives also lampooned her idea, with conservatives praising her for promoting abstinence and liberals saying she was pushing a false narrative that women only have sex as a favour to men. Story continues 2. This idea frames sex as something that hetero women are subjected to rather than enthusiastic participants in. Lara Witt (@Femmefeministe) May 11, 2019 Milano said the criticism didnt bother her and that her tweet was having her desired effect, "which is getting people to talk about the war on women." She said she feared one of the laws could eventually be decided by the conservative-leaning US Supreme Court, which Republicans hope will overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalising abortion. "That is absolutely horrifying to me," Milano said. "Anyone who is not completely and totally outraged by this and doesnt see where this is leading, I think is not taking this threat seriously." Milano said people had to determine for themselves how long the sex strike should last. For her part, she hasnt decided yet how long she will forgo sex. "I mean I dont know," she said. "I sent a tweet last night I havent really thought much past that this morning." KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Three explosions ripped through an Afghan provincial capital, Jalalabad, killing three people and wounding another 20 on Monday. All of the casualties were believed to be civilians, said Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for eastern Nangarhar's governor. No one claimed responsibility for the attack which came as the United Nations expressed grave concerns about the increase in violence around the country during the first week Ramadan, the ongoing Muslim month of fasting from sunrise to sunset. Both the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate operate in Nangarhar province. Over the past year, the U.S. has stepped up its air strikes in the area to try to dislodge IS fighters. The explosions took place in Jalalabad's city center, but the target was not immediately clear. In a statement earlier Monday, the U.N. Mission in Afghanistan pointed out two major Taliban attacks in the past week an assault in the capital, Kabul, on a non-governmental agency that killed five and an attack in northern Baghlan province that struck a police headquarters, killing 13 officers. "There can be absolutely no justification for deliberate or indiscriminate attacks against civilians," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative, was quoted as saying. Late Sunday, Taliban targeted security checkpoints in Afghanistan's northern Sari Pul province, killing at least seven members of the country's security forces, provincial officials said Monday. The insurgents also abducted two members of the force and left five wounded in the attacks near the provincial capital, said Mohammad Noor Rahmani, head of the provincial council. The troops were in charge of providing security for fuel wells in the area. Zabi Amani, the provincial governor's spokesman, said four Taliban fighters were killed in what he said was a gunbattle that lasted several hours. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but provincial officials blamed the Taliban insurgents who repeatedly target Afghan security forces in the province. Story continues In recent months, the Taliban have stepped up their attacks, inflicting staggering casualties on Afghan forces, and now hold sway over half the country. The U.S., meanwhile, has accelerated efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the 17-year war America's longest conflict and has pressed for direct talks between the Taliban and Kabul. The Taliban have rejected an offer by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government for a cease-fire during Ramadan. ___ Associated Press writer Amir Shah in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report. After going through something as life-altering as a car accident, the best thing you can get out of it is... 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 are building a properly diversified stock portfolio, the chances are some of your picks will perform badly. But the long term shareholders of amaysim Australia Limited (ASX:AYS) have had an unfortunate run in the last three years. Sadly for them, the share price is down 64% in that time. And more recent buyers are having a tough time too, with a drop of 34% in the last year. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 30% in the last 90 days. View our latest analysis for amaysim Australia In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. amaysim Australia saw its share price decline over the three years in which its EPS also dropped, falling to a loss. This was, in part, due to extraordinary items impacting earnings. Since the company has fallen to a loss making position, it's hard to compare the change in EPS with the share price change. But it's safe to say we'd generally expect the share price to be lower as a result! The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers). ASX:AYS Past and Future Earnings, May 12th 2019 It's probably worth noting we've seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.. A Dividend Lost It's important to keep in mind that we've been talking about the share price returns, which don't include dividends, while the total shareholder return does. In some ways, TSR is a better measure of how well an investment has performed. Over the last 3 years, amaysim Australia generated a TSR of -57%, which is, of course, better than the share price return. Even though the company isn't paying dividends at the moment, it has done in the past. Story continues A Different Perspective amaysim Australia shareholders are down 26% for the year, but the broader market is up 7.1%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. The three-year loss of 24% per year isn't as bad as the last twelve months, suggesting that the company has not been able to convince the market it has solved its problems. We would be wary of buying into a company with unsolved problems, although some investors will buy into struggling stocks if they believe the price is sufficiently attractive. Investors who like to make money usually check up on insider purchases, such as the price paid, and total amount bought. You can find out about the insider purchases of amaysim Australia by clicking this link. amaysim Australia is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on AU 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. Amazon announced plans to help existing employees start their own small delivery businesses. On Monday, the e-commerce giant said that it's expanding its Delivery Service Partner program to include an incentive for current Amazon workers, promising up to $10,000 in startup costs for employees who partake in the program. Amazon is also throwing in the equivalent of three months of an employees most recent salary to help soon-to-be entrepreneurs get their fleet of delivery cars off the ground. We received overwhelming interest from tens of thousands of individuals who applied to be part of the Delivery Service Partner program, including many employees, said Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations, in a statement. Weve heard from associates that they want to participate in the program but struggled with the transition. Now we have a path for those associates with an appetite for opportunities to own their own businesses. Small business impact Amazon says small business owners make $90,000 a year from selling in its stores Privacy concerns: Amazon secretly recording and storing what your kids say, complaint says The program is Amazon's solution to its last-mile delivery problem where the company is trying to compete with legacy players like UPS and FedEx. For the program, drivers will wear Amazon-branded uniforms and the vans will sport Amazon Prime logos but the business will be owned by the entrepreneurs themselves and contracted by Amazon to complete deliveries. The Seattle-based company says that since its debut last June, the Delivery Service Partner program has kickstarted the creation of 200 logistics-based businesses. Amazon also says it's working with more than 1.9 million small businesses in the U.S. Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amazon wants to help employees start their own delivery businesses Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Assessing American Electric Power Company, Inc.'s (NYSE:AEP) past track record of performance is a valuable exercise for investors. It enables us to reflect on whether the company has met or exceed expectations, which is a great indicator for future performance. Today I will assess AEP's recent performance announced on 31 March 2019 and evaluate these figures to its longer term trend and industry movements. Check out our latest analysis for American Electric Power Company Commentary On AEP's Past Performance AEP's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 March 2019) of US$2.0b has jumped 15% compared to the previous year. Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has exceeded its 5-year annual growth average of 1.8%, indicating the rate at which AEP is growing has accelerated. What's enabled this growth? Let's take a look at whether it is only because of an industry uplift, or if American Electric Power Company has experienced some company-specific growth. NYSE:AEP Income Statement, May 13th 2019 In terms of returns from investment, American Electric Power Company has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 11% instead. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 4.3% is below the US Electric Utilities industry of 4.4%, indicating American Electric Power Company's are utilized less efficiently. And finally, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for American Electric Power Companys debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 5.7% to 4.7%. This correlates with an increase in debt holding, with debt-to-equity ratio rising from 118% to 143% over the past 5 years. What does this mean? While past data is useful, it doesnt tell the whole story. While American Electric Power Company has a good historical track record with positive growth and profitability, there's no certainty that this will extrapolate into the future. I suggest you continue to research American Electric Power Company to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at: Story continues Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for AEPs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for AEPs outlook. Financial Health: Are AEPs operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 31 March 2019. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. While debates rage about how to restore Americas manufacturing, military, and even moral foundations to periods of perceived glory, little attention is being given to the crisis in shipping. This aspect of national decline is a grave issue for more than the pinch to patriotic pride that comes from the loss of the stars and stripes on the worlds oceans, but also for crucial geostrategic reasons. When 90% of international trade measured by volume is transported on ships, a healthy merchant marine is in the countrys vital economic interests and, as has always been the case, it is the foundation for a strong coast guard and navy. Just 75 years ago, at the end of World War II, the U.S. boasted the worlds largest commercial fleet, owning 60% of total tonnage. Today, the top three fleets in the world are Greek, Chinese, and Japanese, each of which are three times larger than the shrinking American fleet. The nation that invented the clipper ship, the application of the steam engine at sea, and the venerable shipping container has become a laggard in virtually every aspect of marine innovation, still using outmoded technologies, for example, on coastwise and ferry trades with what decrepit vessels are left. One of the ships that transports goods from the West Coast to Hawaii for example, the 46-year-old Matsonia, is older than the median age of residents of Hawaii. One need look no further than the constant need for waivers to the Jones Actthe law requiring domestic goods to be transported on ships owned, flagged, crewed, and built in the U.S.on the heels of hurricanes to appreciate the dire condition of the American fleet. Puerto Rico, Alaska, and Hawaii have become Jones Act hostages. Countless other examples of the rot abound, such as the fact that there are no American-flagged liquefied natural gas carriers, leaving American shale gas stranded on the Gulf Coast and unable to get to American consumers on the Atlantic seaboard. Hawaiian ranchers are flying cattle to the mainland because of the expense and substandard quality of Jones Act ships. Story continues Because of the sharp lobby of entrenched interests quietly enriching themselves from this economic rent, the topic of the Jones Act has become a third rail in Washington, D.C. Along the way, the U.S. has slipped from the worlds greatest seafaring nation to a second-rate shipping power. Our nation once invested in vibrant marine infrastructure: During its peak in World War II, the Brooklyn Naval Yard employed 75,000 people. Bethlehem Steel was once a world leader in building supertankers. The Jones Act has caused the nations shipbuilders to become uncompetitive and has nearly totally wiped out labor onshoreincluding steelworkers, pipe fitters, and weldersand offshore, leaving fewer American ships to crew with American sailors. As recently reported, the Philadelphia Shipyard is on death watchagain. The law has made the cost to produce an American merchant vessel three to five times more expensive than what it takes to build a comparable hull in any other country. The reality is American yards today can really only construct relatively small tugs and barges capable of steaming near the coast, leaving larger oceangoing container ships, oil tankers, and dry bulkerswhich can carry much greater amounts of cargoto be constructed by Asian competitors for international routes. American seaports also used to be models of efficiency humming with trade; now the creaky waterfront is a vulnerable spot in a brittle supply chain. In the wake of 9/11, for example, Congress passed legislation requiring 100% of imported containers to be checked for weapons of mass destruction. According to a 2016 Congressional Budget Office report, the U.S. scans the roughly 5% of incoming containers that are deemed high risk. From port operations to labor and shipbuilding, the U.S. maritime sector is in serious trouble. As a result of the decimation of the American merchant marine, the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy are left to fend for themselves, captive to a military industrial complex selling overly expensive ships always over schedule and over budget. In the latest head scratcher, a yard that has never launched an icebreaker before was just awarded a $750 million contract to try its hand building a desperately needed new polar security cutter in Mississippi. This ship will be at least four times more expensive and take years longer to build than more advanced icebreaking technology offered to us by our Scandinavian NATO allies. The military industrial complex hijacking naval shipbuilding should cause outrage and soul-searching about how our maritime sector has gotten into such a funk, but as a nation we barely notice. Government officials need to wake up to the dire predicament facing our shipping sector. While the journey to reclaim the countrys maritime heritage will be a long one, there are three relatively easy policy actions that can be taken immediately to kickstart things in the right direction. First, the U.S. should posthaste repeal the Jones Act, a failed experiment which has choked innovation in domestic waters with the consequence of killing American shipping across the board. This would not only provide a needed jolt to American cabotage, it would be good for the environment: Putting cargo on a marine highway and taking it off of clogged roads is a more efficient mode of transportation, and it will reduce highway traffic along the Interstate 5 and 95 corridors. The centennial of the Jones Act next year is the perfect anniversary to end this crony capitalist policy feeds like a parasite off of the public interest. Next, and requiring simply the Senates advice and consent, the U.S. should finally join the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. This will give the nation a literal seat at the table in the delineation of the Arctic, a legal bulwark against Russian and Chinese encroachments in the Kerch Strait and South China Sea, and needed leadership to protect international freedom of navigation. The treatys ratification might also get Americans thinking about their country as a seafaring nation again. Third, and similar to how cellphones have let developing countries leapfrog antiquated communication networks, there is an extraordinary opportunity for American companies to digitize shipping. (My company, CargoMetrics Technologies, collects and analyzes big shipping data.) American startups have harnessed the Internet to remake other analog industries, and the nation can become relevant in shipping again by using Yankee ingenuity to disrupt what remains a completely manual and voice-brokered business. Six centuries ago, a Chinese admiral named Zheng He led the greatest fleet then ever assembled at a time when Europeans could barely navigate out of sight of land. China made a strategic blunder soon after, however, in abandoning the sea, choosing to face inward instead. As a result, in the centuries that followed, China suffered a series of humiliating invasions by nations that built boats instead of burning them. With hindsight, China could have easily colonized Eurasias coasts. Today, a resurgent China is pursuing a maritime Silk Road, expanding its strategic presence around the Spratly and Paracel Islands, making its shipbuilding industry a priority, and otherwise pursuing a number of maritime endeavors reminiscent of the spirit that initially launched Zheng Hes treasure fleet. What will America do? History teaches us a clear lesson. Fail to face the sea, and the U.S. will suffer the fate of other nations that have before abandoned shipping: a fate of losing relevance on the worlds oceans, and ultimately becoming relegated to a lesser role on the world stage. Ask a Brit how they feel about their once-proud fleet and the current state of their island nation. But a different outcome is possible if the U.S. revitalizes its shipping, especially if it is part of a broader foreign policy strategy. There are a number of relatively easy policy decisions that can nourish the American economy with renewed seaborne arteries pumping with tradeand this could stimulate economic growth while simultaneously restoring the core nucleus around which naval might is anchored in times of war. While American politicians are fixated on the southern land border, they are ignoring a vitally important issue: reversing the long decline of American shipping. Scott Borgerson, a former Coast Guard officer and fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, is the CEO of CargoMetrics Technologies. More opinion in Fortune: Why you should pay less attention to all those IPOs What it means when A.I. can read your thoughts The U.S. needs responsible capitalism, not socialism Making the case for companies to disclose their workforce policies Disneys CEO deserves his $66 million pay package. Heres why LONDON (AP) The founder of anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, is wanted by prosecutors in two countries - the United States and Sweden - and he is currently imprisoned in a third - Britain. The tug-of-war stems from different alleged criminal acts. This is how Assange ended up with legal woes on multiple fronts: ___ WHAT IS ASSANGE'S LEGAL STATUS? The 47-year-old Assange is locked up at Belmarsh Prison on the outskirts of London serving a 50-week sentence for jumping bail in Britain. But his legal problems do not stop there. U.S. prosecutors want him brought to the United States to face charges of allegedly conspiring with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pentagon computer system. Swedish prosecutors said Monday they are reviving a rape investigation of Assange and will also seek his extradition. ___ WHY IS SWEDEN'S RAPE INQUIRY ACTIVE AGAIN? Swedish officials started investigating in 2010 and dropped the case in 2017 because Assange had avoided extradition by obtaining political asylum inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, making it difficult for prosecutors to move the case forward. Ecuador's government withdrew his political protection in April and British police arrested Assange at the embassy hours later. Swedish officials now believe they can extradite Assange to Sweden for questioning and a possible trial. ___ WHICH COUNTRY WILL GET ASSANGE FIRST? That's not clear yet. Sweden hasn't yet made a formal extradition request. It will be up to a British court and ultimately, Britain's home secretary, a senior Cabinet official who has the government's final say on extradition matters to determine which claim takes priority. British officials will consider several factors, including the seriousness of the charges and the order in which the requests were received, when deciding which case takes precedence. Some British lawmakers argue that Sweden's claim must receive top priority, but the decision is not up to Parliament. Story continues ___ HOW WILL THE COURT DECIDE WHETHER TO GRANT THE EXTRADITION REQUESTS? The extradition proceeding will not be an evaluation of the evidence against Assange. Instead, the British judge will focus on whether the offenses he is accused of would be a crime in Britain along with other factors, including human rights considerations and how long it's been since the illegal acts allegedly took place. British courts will not extradite a person who could be sentenced to death for an alleged crime, but that won't be a factor in this case unless additional charges are filed since the U.S. charge carries a maximum prison term of five years and Sweden does not impose capital punishment. ___ ISN'T ASSANGE'S WORK PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT? A grand jury indicted Assange on a charge of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion. If the case goes to trial, U.S. officials are expected to argue the alleged plot with Manning to break into a classified Pentagon computer system threatened national security and was not directly related to his publishing activities. Assange's defense lawyers are likely to claim his actions were those of a legitimate journalist dealing with a source and are thus protected by the First Amendment. NEW YORK (AP) President Donald Trump, in what's become a staple of his rallies, accuses doctors of executing babies who are born alive after a failed abortion attempt. His comments, meant to taint Democrats, have been embraced by many anti-abortion activists, and assailed as maliciously false by many medical professionals. What's clear is that he is oversimplifying a deeply complex issue. It's already a crime to kill babies, but not necessarily a crime to forgo sophisticated medical intervention in cases where severe fetal abnormalities leave a newborn with no chance of survival. A look at his rhetoric, similarly framed from one event to the next, and the reality behind it: TRUMP: "Democrats are aggressively pushing late-term abortion allowing children to be ripped from their mother's womb, right up until the moment of birth. The baby is born and you wrap the baby beautifully and you talk to the mother about the possible execution of the baby." rally in Panama City Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. THE FACTS: Federal data suggests that very few U.S. babies are born alive as a result of a failed abortion. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 143 deaths between 2003 and 2014 involving infants born alive during attempted abortions. Anti-abortion politicians and activists have been pushing for state and federal legislation this year that would impose criminal penalties on doctors who fail to give medical care to babies born alive after a failed abortion. Organizations representing obstetricians and gynecologists say existing laws already provide protections to every healthy newborn, whether born during a failed abortion or under other circumstances. "We would never do anything to actively hasten the passing of the infant," said Dr. Cara Heuser, a maternal fetal medicine specialist in Salt Lake City. She and other physicians say the rhetoric coming from Trump and anti-abortion activists fails to reflect the wrenching circumstances underlying most abortions performed late in a pregnancy. According to the CDC, only 1.3% of abortions take place after 21 weeks, and these often involve either severe fetal anomalies or conditions that endanger the mother. Story continues When anomalies are so severe that a newborn would die soon after birth, a family may choose what's known as palliative care or comfort care. This might involve swaddling the newborn in a blanket and allowing the baby to die naturally without medical intervention. "The medical standard is to give hospice type care, not futile medical interventions, when the baby has a terminal diagnosis with no chance of surviving," said Dr. Diane Horvath, a Baltimore-based obstetrician-gynecologist. "This is a deeply personal decision and it allows families to follow their own beliefs and faith traditions." Horvath is a fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health and medical director of Whole Woman's Health, which operates abortion clinics in several states. Cheryl Sullinger of Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion organization, argued in a recent online commentary that lack of medical intervention in such circumstances could be considered criminal. "If abortionists do not supply medical care for premature babies that survive abortions, their intent is for the baby to die, even if he or she might be saved with a little medical assistance," she wrote. "This is to actually kill the baby through a crime of omission." However, Heuser said doctors in such cases often determine that medical intervention is not only futile in the long run but would in fact prolong a newborn's pain. "The baby is not ignored comfort care includes things like food, oxygen, pain medication, and skin-to-skin contact," she said. "Everyone's goal is to make the newborn as comfortable as possible, respect the time the family has with their child, and avoid interventions that would cause additional suffering without changing the outcome." The legal situation in such cases varies from state to state. In some states, women whose own health is not in danger are barred from having abortions at late stages of their pregnancy even in cases of severe fetal anomalies. "Those mothers would be forced to carry a baby to term that they know is going to die," said Heuser, who cited cases where women with sufficient money have traveled to other states with less-stringent laws. That was the case for Kate Carson, a teacher in the Boston area who had an abortion late in pregnancy in 2012. She has shared her experience in recent radio interviews and newspaper opinion pieces. In the 35th week of her pregnancy, Carson says, an ultrasound determined that the baby girl had a catastrophic brain malformation that would probably make her permanently unable to talk, walk, swallow or even to sleep comfortably. In an appearance on the Washington-based radio station WAMU, Carson explained how she and her husband then reached the difficult decision to opt for an abortion. "If we had to choose between the two beautiful and precious gifts of peace and life, for us and our values and our family we wanted to give our daughter peace," Carson said. In her home state of Massachusetts, abortions that late in pregnancy are allowed only if the mother's health is at risk; Carson had to travel to Boulder, Colorado, to undergo the costly procedure. In past years, anti-abortion activists have often cited the case of a Philadelphia doctor, Kermit Gosnell, as part of an effort to stigmatize other abortion providers across the country. Abortion-rights advocates say the Gosnell case proves their contention that existing laws are adequate. He performed extremely late-term abortions, then snipped the spines of infants born alive during the procedures. In 2013, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the chance for parole. ___ 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 WASHINGTON President Donald Trump threatened Iran with a "bad problem" Monday following news that Saudi Arabian oil tankers were sabotaged near the Persian Gulf. It's going to be a bad problem for Iran if something happens, I can tell you that," the president told reporters in the Oval Office. "They're not going to be happy." Asked to clarify what he meant by a "bad problem," Trump responded: You can figure it out yourself. They know what I mean by it. Trump's remarks come amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The Trump administration has warned ships that "Iran or its proxies" could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. And the Pentagon is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran. More: Aircraft carrier, bombers shifted to Middle East to send message to Iran Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused "significant damage" to the vessels, one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States. Trump administration officials have not said whether they think Iran is behind the sabotage. But the United Arab Emirates has asked the U.S. to help with an investigation of the incident. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the developments with European allies in Brussels on Monday. "We did discuss the reported attacks on the two Saudi tankers," Brian Hook, the State Department's special envoy on Iran, told reporters in Brussels where he was traveling with Pompeo. Hook said Pompeo also discussed a similar attack on a Norwegian tanker and an Emirati ship. Pompeo made the surprise stop in Brussels specifically to talk to European allies about the new threats posed by Iran, Hook said. The secretary of state had been scheduled to be in Moscow on Monday but diverted to visit with EU officials instead. Story continues "The secretary shared information and intelligence with allies and discussed the the multiple plot vectors emerging from Iran," Hook said. "We know that Europe shares our concerns about stability in the Gulf and the Middle East." The Trump administration has made isolating Iran a centerpiece of its foreign policy, withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear agreement and imposing a series of crippling sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Critics fear that hawks inside the Trump administration, including Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton, are pushing the U.S. toward a military conflict with Iran. President Donald Trump meets with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Oval Office on Monday. Contributing: Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'They're not going to be happy.' Trump threatens Iran over reports of sabotaged oil tankers New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has decided to challenge President Donald Trump, at least when it comes to the pollution thrown off by buildings that bear his name. The Democrat, who is still mulling a potential 2020 White House run, staged a rally in the lobby of Trump Tower where the president famously launched his first campaign to drum up publicity for the citys effort to slow the pace of global warming. Hell decide upon his own presidential candidacy by the end of this week, he said. At least eight New York City buildings that are owned by President Donald Trump or use his brand name could be fined $2.1 million a year by 2030 if they remain out of compliance with recently enacted energy conservation laws, de Blasio said. The law, which takes effect May 17, compels owners of residential and commercial buildings larger than 25,000 square feet (2,300 square meters), to install new boilers, air conditioners, windows and insulation in order to meet sharp carbon-emission reductions. This sends a message to landlords across this city that no one is exempt from this bill; not even the president of the United States, de Blasio said during a rally inside the midtown tower where the president has his home and business headquarters. Trump Tower would face $470,000 a year in fines if he doesnt meet the laws emission standards by 2030, the mayor said. While acknowledging that the city had worse polluting landlords, de Blasio, 58, denied he chose the Trump Tower site for political reasons. The mayor hasnt ruled out joining the crowded Democratic field, he told reporters Monday. Trumps worst offending building, according to de Blasio, is the Trump International Hotel & Tower at 1 Central Park West, which would pay more than $850,000 if it remains out of compliance with the law in 2030. In total, the eight Trump buildings de Blasio cited account for 27,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases, equal to 5,800 cars, according to the mayors office. Story continues More must-read stories from Fortune: How New York could become a factor in the 2020 presidential race This proposed legislation could light up the pot business What exactly is ranked-choice voting? Bill and Melinda Gates top Fortunes 2019 Worlds Greatest Leaders list Get up to speed on your morning commute with Fortunes CEO Daily newsletter President Donald Trumps latest appointee to the Supreme Court joined with liberal justices on Monday to green light a consumer class action accusing Apple (AAPL) of monpolizing the market for iPhone apps. That appointee, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, wrote the majority opinion holding that iPhone owners qualified as direct purchasers with the right to sue Apple for allegedly monopolizing the market for apps through its App Store. Apples stock fell 6% on Monday. We got an unexpected boost to antitrust enforcement from Justice Kavanaugh, says John Kirkwood, a professor of law at Seattle University School of Law and an adviser to the American Antitrust Institute. Kirkwood noted that Kavanaugh has in the past been pro-defendant in antitrust cases, as are many conservative judges. Hes shaken things up here. Hes not a reliable vote with the other four conservatives, Kirkwood said. Theres more chance of future antitrust enforcement victories. Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, arrives to hear President Donald Trump deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) The dispute stems from Apples policy of charging a 30% commission fee on every single app sale and barring developers from selling their apps elsewhere. The iPhone consumers who sued claimed that Apple effectively passed that 30% fee onto consumers, who had no choice but to buy those apps on the App Store. A win for common sense For its part, Apple contended that the iPhone consumers couldnt file an antitrust lawsuit because they were not direct purchasers of the apps. Rather than buying apps from Apple, they purchased them from developers because it was those developers that set the prices for the apps. Apple tried to dismiss the suit, claiming it was merely the sales and delivery agent through the App Store. Justice Kavanaughs majority opinion takes down that argument, contending, The iPhone owners pay the alleged overcharge directly to Apple. It doesnt matter that the Apple lets developers set the prices, the justice said, noting such a rule would draw an arbitrary and unprincipled line among retailers based on retailers financial arrangements with their manufacturers or suppliers. The opinion affirms an appellate courts decision and paves the way for consumers to band together in a class action to continue their lawsuit against Apple. Story continues The courts reasoning got it right this time, according to Randy Stutz, vice president of legal advocacy for the American Antitrust Institute. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook poses for a picture with a customer at the grand opening of the new Apple Carnegie Library store in Washington, U.S., May 11, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts The important takeaway is that a retail monopolist cannot escape antitrust liability for overcharging its customers by choosing to adopt an agency business model rather than a wholesale model, Stutz added, in an email message. Particularly in an era of powerful internet platforms, this is a win for common sense. The App Store has changed our daily lives While a lower court still has to decide the merits of the case, the stakes for Apple here are high since its App Store represents a major part of the services business that its increasingly relying on as iPhone sales slow down. In its latest earnings report last month, Apple reported that iPhone sales were down while its services segment had grown 16% year-over-year to $11.5 billion. In a court filing, Apple acknowledged the importance of the store that now offers more than 2 million apps. The App Store has been so successful in facilitating app development that some commentators argue it was as much or more important than the iPhone itself to the way that smartphones changed our daily lives, Apple said. If Apple loses in the lower court, it may have to pay damages to iPhone users and may also not be able to charge its full 30% commission anymore. Considering that App Store revenue is expected to top $46 billion in 2019, Apple has a lot to lose if a court finds it has an illegal monopoly on that service. Apple released the following statement after the Supreme Courts decision: Today's decision means plaintiffs can proceed with their case in District court. Were confident we will prevail when the facts are presented and that the App Store is not a monopoly by any metric. Were proud to have created the safest, most secure and trusted platform for customers and a great business opportunity for all developers around the world. Developers set the price they want to charge for their app and Apple has no role in that. The vast majority of apps on the App Store are free and Apple gets nothing from them. The only instance where Apple shares in revenue is if the developer chooses to sell digital services through the App Store. Developers have a number of platforms to choose from to deliver their software from other apps stores, to Smart TVs to gaming consoles and we work hard every day to make our store the best, safest and most competitive in the world. A lawyer for the consumers, David Frederick, released this statement: Were gratified the Supreme Court today recognized the right of consumers to sue Apple for the damages they sustain from Apples monopoly control over the distribution of applications on iPhones. The decision is important for upholding consumer protections against the dangers of monopoly retailers like Apple. Apples monopoly control has distorted the prices for apps and its time for that abuse of monopoly power to end. Erin Fuchs is deputy managing editor at Yahoo Finance. At one point, scented candles showed a reading 14 times higher than a busy road. (Getty) Burning scented candles in your home could cause worse pollution than standing next to a busy road. New research has revealed that, in one instance, the candles created four times the safe levels of one particularly harmful pollutant. The study, by Kings College London (KCL), looked into the ways people could cut down on pollution in their daily lives and asked six volunteers to detect levels of black carbon in their homes. Black carbon is a type of PM2.5, a group of air pollutants that scientists are particularly worried about as it can travel deeply into lungs and cause harmful effects such as lung disease. EU standards for PM2.5 state there should be no more than 25 micrograms per cubic metre of air (25 mcg/m). In the investigation, one of the women said she liked to relax by lighting a scented candle. However, it pushed the average pollution level in her home up from 1.5 to 37mcg/m, with a peak of 99mcg/m. Many scented candles are made from paraffin wax, which emits harmful particles, and the wicks can produce soot. Andrew Grieves, senior air quality analyst at KCL, told Yahoo News UK: While these figures werent surprising to me, they may shock the everyday person. It is also important to note that the monitor was right next to the candle and it was burning in an enclosed space, which is why we had such a high reading. Black carbon is just one type of pollution, by standing on the side of the road, youre going to be breathing in not just black carbon but nitrogen dioxide, sulphates and other things. I dont want to be a killjoy and say people must stop using candles, this is just the data that we found. The average concentration of black carbon in London is 6.9 mcg/m. Studies by the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health found sufficient evidence that long-term exposure to black carbon led to increased risk of heart and/or lung related death. In 2016, the Royal College of Physicians found that pollution causes 40,000 premature deaths a year. BUENOS AIRES, May 12 (Reuters) - Argentine lawmaker Hector Olivares died on Sunday after he was shot in what authorities called a "mafia-style" attack outside Congress in downtown Buenos Aires on Thursday, according to state-run news agency Telam. Olivares underwent surgery after being shot and had been listed in "serious condition," officials said. But he died at Ramos Mejia hospital in Buenos Aires, Telam reported, citing police and judicial sources. Government aide Miguel Yadon was also shot in the attack and died at the scene. Argentine authorities announced the arrests of members of a mafia gang on Friday. Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said that all members of the group had been detained, including one who had fled across the border to Uruguay. Local officials and media have indicated the motive was personal, rather than political, and that the gang had targeted Yadon specifically. (Reporting by Hernan Nessi and Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Will Dunham) BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentine lawmaker Hector Olivares died on Sunday after he was shot in what authorities called a "mafia-style" attack outside Congress in downtown Buenos Aires on Thursday, according to state-run news agency Telam. Olivares underwent surgery after being shot and had been listed in "serious condition," officials said. But he died at Ramos Mejia hospital in Buenos Aires, Telam reported, citing police and judicial sources. Government aide Miguel Yadon was also shot in the attack and died at the scene. Argentine authorities announced the arrests of members of a mafia gang on Friday. Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said that all members of the group had been detained, including one who had fled across the border to Uruguay. Local officials and media have indicated the motive was personal, rather than political, and that the gang had targeted Yadon specifically. (Reporting by Hernan Nessi and Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Will Dunham) MOSCOW (AP) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's first trip to Russia is scheduled to start Tuesday in Black Sea coastal city of Sochi, where he and Russian Foreign Minister are sitting down for talks and then having a joint meeting with President Vladimir Putin. A look at the top issues Pompeo and Lavrov are expected to discuss before briefing Putin: ___ ARMS CONTROL The state of arms control treaties between the United States and Russia is likely to feature prominently in the talks. The U.S. unilaterally pulled out of a 1987 nuclear missile pact this year, accusing Russia of violations. Putin responded in kind, saying he was suspending Russia's participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty and accusing Washington of making false allegations. Trump has said he wants to negotiate new arms control accords that reflect current conditions and to bring in other nations, notably China. The U.S. president said after he and Putin spoke by phone last week they were considering a deal that would "get rid of some of the tremendous firepower that we have right now" and also include China. Speaking ahead of Pompeo's visit, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Monday that Moscow wants to focus on extending the START treaty, another key arms control deal between Moscow and Washington which runs out in 2021. Ryabkov added that Moscow wants to focus on bilateral commitments first before bringing China into treaty negotiations. ___ ELECTION INTERFERENCE Pompeo's sit-down with Putin and Lavrov will be the highest-level, face-to-face talks between Washington and Moscow since the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Trump has downplayed the Russian interference and insisted Mueller's report cleared him of wrongdoing. U.S. officials acknowledge Russia inserted itself in the 2016 campaign and think it will try to do so again in the United States and elsewhere. Story continues While Putin has repeatedly denied Russia played any role in other countries' elections, U.S. officials say Pompeo will raise the subject of election meddling in Sochi. At a meeting in Finland earlier this month, Pompeo said he told Lavrov the interference is "not appropriate and that we're going to do everything we can to deter it." ____ SYRIA The United States has urged Russia to end escalating airstrikes in the last Syrian province under rebel control. U.S. Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey is accompanying Pompeo to Sochi to get a sense of Russia's long-term plans for Idlib. The Russian military has described its current operations there as limited and solely in response to frequent rebel attacks on its air base. But U.S. officials appear concerned that Russia could be laying the groundwork for a full-on offensive by Syrian government forces. Russia and Turkey struck a cease-fire deal for Idlib in September, averting what was then seen as an inevitable offensive on the rebel stronghold. Syrian and Russian military planes started bombing the province on April 30. Russian officials publicly expressed their impatience with Idlib's rebels, but said they oppose a major offensive. Lavrov is likely to press Pompeo on the U.S. military presence in Syria as well as the international sanctions on Syria President Bashar Assad's government. Russia argues the sanctions hamper the much-needed reconstruction efforts for the war-battered country. ___ IRAN Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have spiked since Trump withdrew a year ago from a 2015 nuclear agreement between six world powers and Tehran while reinstating economic sanctions on Iran's energy and finance sectors. Russia is one of the remaining signatories, and Lavrov is likely to stress to Pompeo the deal's importance for international security. Iran said this week it would partially end its compliance with the agreement unless the European parties are able to circumvent the U.S. sanctions and preserve the benefits the Middle East country expected to see from the accord. Pompeo scrapped the short visit to Moscow on his trip itinerary Monday and made an unplanned stop in Brussels to discuss the future of the Iran nuclear deal with European officials. Last week, the U.S. said it was dispatching an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Middle East in response to intelligence that Iran was preparing to retaliate for the sanctions with attacks on American interests in the region. Trump also said he would like to meet Iranian leaders "someday" to "work out an agreement." ___ NORTH KOREA Pompeo is coming to Sochi likely wanting to know if Moscow can do more to get North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to abandon his arms buildup. Russia is likely to press the U.S. to provide more security guarantees to North Korea as a first step to break the diplomatic stalemate. Kim traveled to Russia last month to meet with Putin, who appears to be eager to play a bigger role in solving the security dilemma of the Korean Peninsula. With no formal agreements signed or announced, Putin said Kim was willing to give up nuclear weapons, but only if he gets ironclad security guarantees supported by a multinational agreement. North Korea tested three new missiles last week. The launches were seen as a possible warning to Washington over deadlocked nuclear negotiations as the two sides continue to struggle with mismatched demands on sanctions relief and disarmament. North Korea has contended that it needs a nuclear arsenal to defend itself against what it sees as U.S. hostility and wants concrete reassurances of its safety, including the removal of the American nuclear threat. A summit between Trump and Kim in February failed. Kim later criticized Washington for taking a "unilateral attitude in bad faith," causing a diplomatic standstill. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Pompeo's sit-down with both Putin and Lavrov, not just Lavrov, will be the highest-level face-to-face meeting of U.S. and Russian officials since the Mueller report came out. ___ Matthew Lee contributed from Washington. BERLIN (AP) The bodies of two women have been found at the apartment in Germany of one of three people who died at a hotel several hundred kilometers away in a mysterious case involving crossbows, police said Monday. Police said they didn't immediately have details of the identity of the women found in a search of the apartment in Wittingen, in northern Germany, and what happened to them. They said in a statement that they are investigating possible links to the three people found dead in Passau, near the Austrian border, on Saturday. The discovery added a new level of mystery to that case. Investigators were still trying Monday to determine the relationship between the three people whose bodies shot with crossbow bolts were found in Passau. Bavarian police spokesman Stefan Gaisbauer said earlier Monday there are no indications that anyone other than those found dead were involved but that it is not yet clear what happened. "We assume that no other people were involved in the deaths of the three," he said, adding that autopsy results were expected Tuesday. The dead, a 53-year-old man and two women aged 33 and 30, are all German citizens. The man and the older woman are from the village of Berod in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in southwestern Germany, while the younger woman was last registered as living in Wittingen. Police didn't release further details on the identities of the three. The bodies were found at the hotel in Passau on Saturday morning by an employee who opened the door to their three-bed room when they didn't respond to repeated knocking. The man and the older woman were lying together in bed, while the younger woman was lying on the floor. Passau prosecutor Walter Feiler told the German news agency dpa later Monday that the couple on the bed had several bolts in them and was found holding hands. The woman on the floor had one bolt in her body. Two crossbows were found Saturday. Police said Monday they had found a third, unused crossbow inside a bag. Story continues Crossbows can be purchased legally in Germany by all people aged 18 or older. ___ Geir Moulson contributed to this report. Holly Willoughby at the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards The 'This Morning' presenter wore a midnight blue gown by Maria Lucia Hohan at the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards at The Royal Festival Hall on May 12, 2019 in London, England. [Photo: PA] Last nights British Academy Television Awards saw the best and brightest of UKs telly stars take to the red carpet at the Royal Festival Hall. Team Killing Eve ended up taking away the most shiny BAFTA TV awards, but who won out in the style stakes? From Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid and This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby to woman-of-the-moment Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Killing Eve actresses Fiona Shaw and Jodie Comer, the fashion bar was set high. As for the gentleman, the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Graham Norton and Ben Whishaw looked suave as they got suited and booted for the big event. Take a look and see what everyone wore on the star-studded red carpet. 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. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Balfour Beatty plc (LON:BBY). Do Insider Transactions Matter? 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 equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. 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 Balfour Beatty The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Balfour Beatty The Group Chief Executive & Executive Director, Leo Quinn, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK946k worth of shares at a price of UK2.81 each. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of UK2.43. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. 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. Over the last year, we note insiders sold 552k shares worth UK1.6m. Insiders in Balfour Beatty didn't buy any shares in the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! Story continues LSE:BBY Recent Insider Trading, May 13th 2019 For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Does Balfour Beatty Boast High Insider Ownership? Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. From our data, it seems that Balfour Beatty insiders own 0.3% of the company, worth about UK5.5m. Whilst better than nothing, we're not overly impressed by these holdings. So What Does This Data Suggest About Balfour Beatty Insiders? There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. Our analysis of Balfour Beatty insider transactions leaves us unenthusiastic. And we're not picking up on high enough insider ownership to give us any comfort. 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. SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Balkan telecoms and media company United Group B.V. plans to expand in its markets in southeastern Europe and invest 700 million euros ($786.4 million) over five years there, the company's CEO told Reuters in an interview. "Our plans have accelerated, so we've been investing (at an) even ... higher (rate) than we originally planned in (the) telco business," CEO Victoriya Boklag said in a phone interview. The company's revenues grew 20 percent to nearly 650 million euros in 2018, she said. Founded in 2000, the group operates in the six ex-Yugoslav nations and has nearly 3.8 million active accounts in its television, internet and telephony segments. It employs 4,500 people, 70 percent of whom work in its telecoms division. Private equity firm BC Partners in March completed the acquisition of a majority stake in United Group from KKR, in one of the biggest private equity deals in the region. KKR retained a substantial minority stake. The company operates fixed networks in four out of its six markets, a mobile network in one and is looking to boost distribution of its content through digital platforms such as YouTube. The company, however, faces challenges in obtaining licences in both its media and telecoms business as it goes up against government-owned rivals, Boklag said.($1 = 0.8902 euros) (Reporting by Maja Zuvela, editing by Deepa Babington) Berlin (AFP) - German chemical giants Bayer admitted Monday its subsidiary Monsanto could have kept lists of key figures -- for or against pesticides -- "in other European countries", and not just in France. Bayer apologised Sunday after it emerged that Monsanto had a PR agency collate lists of French politicians, scientists and journalists, with their views on pesticides and GM crops. "I think it's very likely that such lists also exist in other European countries," Matthias Berninger, Bayer's head of Public Affairs, told journalists in a conference call. Berninger said he "firmly believes that other countries in Europe will be affected. "It is clear that we apologise for what has come to light in France," he added. "We consider what we have seen so far to be completely inappropriate. Of course, we were not able to see everything. "However, we were of the opinion that the reports of these dealings with journalists, politicians and activists are not in order and not in agreement with what Bayer stands for." The German agro-chemicals and drugs giant finalised the acquisition of the US company Monsanto last year for $63 billion. But the deal has turned out to be plagued with other massive costs. Just two months after the acquisition was completed, Monsanto lost a case to a school groundskeeper suffering from terminal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He had sued the company over the glyphosate weedkillers Roundup and Ranger Pro. Monsanto was initially ordered to pay $289 million to Johnson, before the damages were reduced to $78.5 million. In March, the company lost another case to an American retiree who blames his cancer on the weedkiller, and was ordered by a court to pay $80 million to the plaintiff. Bayer announced last month that more than 13,000 lawsuits related to the weedkiller had been launched in the US. French authorities have opened a preliminary enquiry into claims Monsanto had information illegally collected on the views and pliability of hundreds of high-profile figures and media outlets. Story continues Monsanto allegedly had public relations agency FleishmanHillard draw up files on their opinions on the controversial weedkiller glyphosate and on genetically modified crops. On Sunday, Bayer said it had pledged to ask a law firm to evaluate the allegations, to fully inform all the persons involved, and to "fully support" the French public prosecutor's office. The story broke last Thursday after revelations in a programme broadcast by the France 2 television channel. Paris police said it would carry out the probe following a complaint by the daily Le Monde and one of its journalists, whose names appear on the list, the Paris prosecutor's office said. Two anti-pesticide NGOs, Foodwatch and Generations Futures, and two French research institutes, the CNRS and INRA, were also preparing to lodge legal complaints. (Reuters) - Bed Bath & Beyond Inc's long-time Chief Executive Officer Steven Temares stepped down on Monday, following pressure from a group of activist investors that had been pushing for his ouster and a shakeup of the furnishing retailer's board. The group, comprising Legion Partners Asset Management LLC, Macellum Advisors GP LLC and Ancora Advisors LLC, had piled pressure on the company since March, citing the company's inability to grow sales and margins. The retailer has struggled to keep pace with changing consumer tastes and shopping habits, reporting 1.1% growth in sales last year compared with over 22% in 2003, when Temares took over as CEO. The company's shares have lost nearly 80% in the past five years. The stock was up 3% on Monday. The retailer named Mary Winston, currently a board member, as interim CEO. The Board has started a search for a permanent CEO, the company said in a statement. The investor group did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Winston was one of the five newly appointed independent members on the company's board. The shake-up, however, did not please the investors, who declined an invitation to participate in the transformation of the board. (Reporting by Soundarya J in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty) By Tom Wilson LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - Bitcoin hovered above $7,000 on Monday, close to nine-month highs, as the biggest cryptocurrency's 2019 rally gathered steam. Bitcoin was last up 1.1% at $7,056 on the Bitstamp exchange after soaring 14% on Saturday - its second largest daily jump this year - to its highest since early August. Analysts and traders said the outsized move over the weekend did not appear to be the result of any immediate news factors. David Thomas, of London-based cryptocurrency broker GlobalBlock, said the breaching of a key $6,000 support level last week had fueled interest among investors. Other market participants said perceptions of bitcoin's resilience in the wake of last week's $40 million theft from the major Binance exchange was supporting sentiment. Cryptocurrency markets have previously fallen after high-profile security breaches. Bitcoin has almost doubled in price this year, underscoring its volatility after a bruising 2018. Last year it lost some three-quarters of its value amid tighter regulation across the world. (Reporting by Tom Wilson Editing by Tommy Wilkes) QUETTA, Pakistan, May 13 (Reuters) - An improvised bomb rigged to a motorcycle and apparently targeting a police vehicle exploded near a mosque in the western Pakistani city of Quetta on Monday, killing at least four policemen and wounding 11, officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which came amid high security during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Quetta police chief Abdul Razzaq Cheema said the four dead were all police and there were two police among the wounded. Last week, at least 10 people were killed in a suicide attack on a police van guarding a major Sufi shrine in the eastern city of Lahore. Ziaullah Langove, home affairs minister in the province of Balochistan said Monday's bomb targeted police guarding the mosque, where people were performing evening prayers. (Reporting by Gul Yousafzai; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Alison Williams) The Boston Beer Company, Inc. SAM has entered into a merger agreement with Dogfish Head Brewery in a cash and stock deal worth about $300 million. The transaction, which is likely to close late in second-quarter 2019 and conditioned upon the satisfaction of customary conditions, will bring a strong and dynamic American-owned platform for craft beer and beyond. As the deal is expected to be neutral to slightly accretive in 2019, it will not have a significant impact on Boston Beers full-year earnings. Dogfishs shareholders will get $173 million in cash, excluding certain transaction-related expenses. Additionally, the founder of Dogfish Head, Sam Calagione, and his family will obtain nearly 406,000 Boston Beers shares at a share price of $314.60. While Sam Calagione will join the companys board of directors in 2020, Dogfishs off-centered co-workers will be part of the Boston Beers team. Boston Beer expects its existing cash on hand and available line of credit to be sufficient for funding the cash part of this transaction. Per the Brewers Association, the merged company will be an independent craft brewery, well-positioned to compete with the leading beer conglomerates in the craft beer space. The newly-formed company will also boast a balanced portfolio of major beer and "beyond beer" brands as well as leadership in expertise, innovation and quality. Furthermore, the merged entity, to be led by Boston Beers CEO, will combine a portfolio of Boston Beer's craft beer and strong sales team with Dogfishs popular IPA and session sour brands. This, in turn, will help the new company to gain leadership in the high-end U.S. beer market. In the meantime, Dogfish Head remains on track to sell about 300 thousand barrels in 2019, which represents high single-digit improvement over 2018. Its current years net sales are projected in the band of $110-$120 million. Dogfish Head produces beer, mostly at its brewery in Milton, DE, and sells its beer in more than 40 states. Boston Beer expects to consolidate Dogfishs results, beginning late in the second quarter. We expect Boston Beer to gain from the afore-mentioned merger, thus contributing to its top and bottom line performance. Meanwhile, the company is benefiting from sturdy depletions growth and robust portfolio of globally recognized brands. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock also remains committed to its three-point growth plan, focused on the revival of its Samuel Adams and Angry Orchard brands, cost-saving initiatives and long-term innovation. Story continues In the past three months, shares of Boston Beer have gained 29.1%, outperforming the industrys 5.9% growth. 3 Better-Ranked Consumer Staples Stocks Ambev S.A. ABEV has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 7.2% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Helen of Troy Ltd. HELE is also a Zacks Rank #2 stock, which delivered average positive earnings surprise of 15.9% in the last four quarters. Medifast, Inc. MED delivered an average trailing four-quarter positive surprise of 9.1% and a Zacks Rank #2. Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year? Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%. See Latest Stocks Today >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Ambev S.A. (ABEV) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (SAM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Helen of Troy Limited (HELE) : Free Stock Analysis Report MEDIFAST INC (MED) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned US officials about what he says could become an unintended escalation of conflict in the Persian Gulf. "We need to make sure that we dont end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation, he told reporters on Monday, before meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and EU foreign ministers. The meeting was scheduled to reportedly discuss the possibility of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East shortly after Donald Trump ordered US warplanes and an aircraft carrier to the increasingly unstable region. We are very worried about a conflict, and the risk of a conflict of an escalation that is unintended, Mr Hunt said after arriving in Brussels, according to Reuters. Mr Hunt also called for a period of calm so that everyone understands what the other side is thinking. Despite US efforts to dismantle the Iran Nuclear Deal under Mr Trump, EU and German officials said on Monday they remained committed to the pact so long as Iran continued complying with international inspections. No one wants Iran to be in possession of a nuclear bomb, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said, describing the deal as necessary for our security. The EU has reportedly faced difficulties establishing a process for Iran to continue selling its oil under recent US sanctions. Additional details surrounding the bilateral meetings on Monday were not immediately clear. Iran, meanwhile, has decried the Trump administrations move to send bombers to the region, saying it amounts to psychological warfare. Mr Pompeo is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after the meetings in Brussels with EU officials. London (AFP) - Polls show his Brexit Party easily winning next week's European Parliament polls and edging ahead of Theresa May's Conservatives in a UK general election. Nigel Farage is channelling Donald Trump's brand of angry populism to help turn British politics on its head. "You are in denial, the BBC is in denial, the Tory and Labour parties are in denial," the nationalist poster boy of the 2016 campaign to get Britain out of the European Union told the broadcaster in a feisty interview. "I think you are all in for a bigger surprise than you can even imagine," he said of the May 23 elections. The rise and rise of the 55-year-old former commodities trader is one of the most immediate and striking consequences of May's failure to lead Britain out of the European Union on time. Britain was meant to have split away after 46 years on March 29. May's inability to force her EU divorce deal through parliament has pushed that back until October 31. Some think the date may have to be delayed further still -- giving EU supporters time to reverse Brexit. All this has fuelled voter suspicions of politicians and turned Farage into a voice of the disaffected who has both May's government and Brussels on edge. - 'More than a flash in the pan' - A May 8-9 YouGov survey showed his three-month-old Brexit Party winning 34 percent of the UK vote in the European Parliament poll. The opposition Labour Party was second with just 16 percent. May's Conservatives trailed in fifth with 10 percent after the Liberal Democrats and the Greens. Voting intentions in any general election that might result from the current political impasse make equally grim reading for May's team. A poll taken for Saturday's edition of The Daily Telegraph showed the Brexit Party on 20 percent and the Conservatives on 19. YouGov has the Conservatives coming first in the general election but losing nearly half their parliamentary seats. Story continues The question now is whether the Brexit Party is a passing phenomenon or a new force that breaks Britain's existing political order. "The Brexit Party has the potential to be much more than a flash in the pan," said UK national populist movement analyst and author Matthew Goodwin. "The rise of the Brexit Party is deeply problematic for the Conservative Party because it is eating away at Conservative Party support, making a radical left Labour government much more likely." - 'The enemy' - The parallels between Farage and Trump are striking. They doubt the science behind climate change and embrace gun rights. They both blame social ills on migrants and support strong borders. Farage also appears to have taken a page out of the US president's playbook by portraying himself as the victim of a biased and out-of-touch media. The BBC "now behave with outrageous bias," Farage told the PoliticsHome.com website a few hours after his spat with the venerable UK broadcaster. "The BBC are now the enemy." It was a familiar echo of Trump's "enemy of the people" refrain that has him and much of the US media exchanging daily blows. "Farage certainly exhibits elements of Trumpism," the analyst Goodwin said. May's government never expected to do well in a European vote. But a potentially disastrous showing in a general election that could set Conservatives back many years has members of her party on edge. "People mocking, denouncing or vilifying Nigel Farage are missing the point," junior Brexit minister James Cleverly, the deputy party leader, tweeted on Sunday. "Rather than say 'people are wrong to vote for him & his party' we should ask why are people voting for him & his party?'" - 'Fighting the political class' - Voters in southeast England have actually been re-electing Farage as their European Parliament representative since 1999. He has used the time to make numerous enemies in Brussels -- perhaps none as vocal as the European Parliament's Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt. The Belgian accused Farage on Sunday of having "one of the lowest attendance rates" in the chamber. "He would rather sign in & go to the pub than fight for British interests in Europe," Verhofstadt tweeted. "Sending him back would be insane!" Farage did not respond to his Brussels nemesis. But he did pin a clip of his exchange with the BBC to the top of his Twitter account. "We are not just fighting the political class, but the BBC too," Farage wrote. A plan by Californias biggest utility to cut power on high-wind days during the onrushing wildfire season could plunge millions of residents into darkness. And most people arent ready. The plan by PG&E Corp. comes after the bankrupt utility said a transmission line that snapped in windy weather probably started last years Camp Fire, the deadliest in state history. While the plan may end one problem, it creates another as Californians seek ways to deal with what some fear could be days and days of blackouts. Some residents are turning to other power sources, a boon for home battery systems marketed by Sunrun Inc., Tesla Inc. and Vivint Solar Inc. But the numbers of those systems in use are relatively small when compared with PG&Es 5.4 million customers. Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom said hes budgeting $75 million to help communities deal with the threat. Im worried, Newsom said Thursday during a budget briefing in Sacramento. Were all worried about it for the elderly. Were worried about it because we could see peoples power shut off not for a day or two but potentially a week. Six of the 10 most destructive wildfires in California history have come in the last 18 months, killing 123 people, and often shutting down large sections of the states electrical grid. The wildfire season usually starts around June and runs through December, exacerbated by strong winds that race through the state and dry conditions that turn brush and plants into tinder. PG&E has warned the city of Calistoga that it could cut service as many as 15 times this fire season, said Chris Canning, mayor of the Napa Valley town scarred by wildfires two years ago. But in an interview, the companys vice president of electric operations, Aaron Johnson, said the number will depend on how extreme the weather is. The utility also plans to set up dozens of so-called resiliency centers, Johnson said by telephone, where backup generators can be brought in to run essential services. An initial pilot center is being built near Calistoga, he said. Story continues Canning said his community is working on its own solution. Hes looking at developing a small network of microgrids consisting of solar panels and batteries, which would allow his community to function when PG&E pulls the plug. Streetlights Dark The Calistoga mayor started seriously exploring the option after PG&E, fearing wildfire risk, cut power for nearly two days last fall, plunging his town into darkness. The outage meant assisted living facilities were crippled, streetlights were dark and gas pumps wouldnt work. At the time, hardly anyone in the town had a backup generator, he said. If this is the new normal, we have to accommodate for it, Canning said. The Camp Fire in November, along with fires from the prior year, exposed PG&E to an estimated $30 billion or more in claims from blazes, hastening its January bankruptcy. Since then, the utility giant has been under pressure to better ensure that its equipment wont spark fires. Earlier this year, PG&E said it would widen the scope of its power shutoffs to include high-transmission power lines, potentially impacting nearly 10 times the number of customers compared to an earlier plan. The states other investor-owned utilities also have shutoff programs, but on a smaller scale than PG&E. Challenging Program Its a very challenging program and not a decision that we take lightly given the safety risks that exist on either side, PG&Es Johnson said. Its also part of a larger utility program designed to reduce the likelihood of wildfires including stepped up tree trimming, inspections, grid repairs and hardening, he added. PG&E has been holding meetings and planning exercises with local and state officials as part of its preparations, Johnson said. The utility aims to give at least two days warning about a shutoff and has embarked on a public awareness campaign including mailing letters to customers and is working to identify vulnerable residents. It also will be working to get power restored in a day after a shutoff, though its customers could be out for as many as five days, according to Johnson. State regulators, meanwhile, have said theyre developing shutoff notification guidelines for PG&E and all of the states utilities, requiring them to coordinate with state and local agencies. They want PG&E to use shutoffs as a last resort. We dont have a lot of practical experience with power shutoffs impacting a large number of people in California except during the last electricity crisis, said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University, referring to the rolling blackout triggered by soaring power prices in 2000 and 2001. This is uncharted territory. Solar-Battery Combinations At the same time, the prospect of power outages is driving up interest in solar-battery combinations, said Sunrun Chief Executive Officer Lynn Jurich in an interview this week. Wildfire outages are going to continue to happen, she said. Its not just a this-year thing. Melvin Hoagland is already sold. He lost power for seven days at his home on the edge of Sonoma, California from the 2017 wildfires. All the food in the house rotted, causing a terrible smell that lasted for months. So he had Sunrun install a 9-kilowatt system comprised of 27 solar panels and one battery for his 2,100 square-foot home. The system will power four rooms for about 8 to 12 hours during a power outage, according to Sunrun. In 2016, less than 400 homeowners had a home battery system, according to BloombergNEF. Almost 10,000 units were in place last year. The average cost: About $16,400 with incentives. Hoagland said he opted for a zero-down, 20-year home-solar and battery-service agreement. Hes glad he did, given PG&Es blackout warnings. We were interested in becoming more independent, he said. Its a very insecure feeling when theyre going to cut power off. More must-read stories from Fortune: Oil and gas are out: How energy firms are rebranding for the climate change era Saudi Arabia says oil tankers damaged in sabotage attack as Middle East tensions rise Central banks are the worlds newest climate change activists Experts on 3 habits that could help save the planet Follow Fortune on Flipboard to stay up-to-date on the latest news and analysis By Allison Lampert and Debroop Roy (Reuters) - Billionaire Gerry Schwartz pounced on Canada's WestJet Airlines on Monday as his private equity firm Onex Corp offered to buy the struggling airline for C$3.5 billion ($2.6 billion), betting it can turn around its recent decline by taking the company private. The surprise offer for C$31 a share, a 67% premium to their closing price on Friday, sparked a surge in WestJet shares, which closed up 60% at $29.61. If completed, it would be the biggest private equity deal ever for an airline, according to Refinitiv data. If Onex obtains shareholder and regulatory approvals, the deal would help Schwartz get his hands on an airline two decades after he missed out on buying Air Canada, WestJet's bigger rival. Air Canada shares rose more than 5%. WestJet shares, which touched a record high of C$34.95 in December 2014, have recently been trading at almost half that level. The airline has reported declining net profit for each of the last three years, hurt by rising fuel costs, pressure on ticket prices and other issues. Even before the global grounding of Boeing's 737 MAX jets in March, WestJet's earnings had slipped as it worked to contain costs as its workforce unionized and was spending money on bold growth plans to expand international travel, introduce first class cabins and launch a budget carrier called Swoop. Up to Friday's close, WestJet shares had fallen 5.5% in the last 12 months while Air Canada shares gained 58%. American rival United Continental Holdings, the company that owns United Airlines, rose 28% in the same period. "The 'why now?' is valuation," said AltaCorp Capital analyst Chris Murray. Onex, founded in 1984 by Schwartz who started out at Bear Stearns & Co in the 1970s, approached WestJet's board in March. Neither Schwartz, nor any other Onex executive was available to comment. WestJet Chief Executive Ed Sims said on BNN that the deal will allow the company to execute on its long-term growth strategy without the constraints of quarterly scrutiny. It is "a reaffirmation that the path were on is actually a path towards long-term profitability irrespective of the sort of headwinds that you refer to that we saw regularly in 2018. Story continues LONG HISTORY With about $31 billion of assets under management, Onex is not new to investing in the aerospace industry. It bought Spirit AeroSystems from Boeing Co in 2005 and exited its investment in 2014 after making $3.2 billion. Under Schwartz, who remains CEO, Onex tried to buy Air Canada in 1999 and merge it with now defunct Canadian Airlines, but that attempt failed. Onex shares closed up 4% in a broadly lower market. Air Canada Chief Executive Calin Rovinescu declined to comment on the Onex deal, telling Reuters "it's business as usual," on the sidelines of the Air Transport Action Group conference in Montreal. The Onex bid follows a deal last week where low-cost Latin American airline Viva Air received a $50 million investment from U.S. capital fund Cartesian Capital Group that it will direct toward expansion. And the parent company of Montreal-based Air Transat has said it is in talks with more than one party regarding a potential transaction, although it is not yet clear what group might buy it. Onex could "ultimately look" to also acquire Transat to "complement WestJet's offering," wrote Desjardins analyst Benoit Poirier in a note to clients. Transat AT stock was up 4 percent in afternoon trading. The WestJet purchase will be led by Onex Partners, Onex's private equity platform focused on larger investments. The airline's board has urged shareholders to vote in favor. The deal is subject to a number of conditions, including court and shareholder approval and receipt of certain regulatory approvals, including under the Canada Transportation Act. In Ottawa, Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau said at first glance the proposed takeover looked fairly standard in terms of an acquisition. I am not going to prejudge until I see the details whether there are any regulatory obstacles at first glance it doesnt seem to be anything special, he told reporters. NO CHANGE TO 'COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE' Alberta's Premier said on Monday that WestJet and Onex have assured him the carrier's headquarters will remain in Calgary after the deal. Chris Rauenbusch, president of the union local representing WestJet flight attendants, said he supports the deal after being informed by company executives that it would not lead to any layoffs among the carriers 14,000 employees, while permitting the continuation of its growth strategy. "We do not believe this transaction dramatically alters the competitive landscape, at least negatively," Canaccord Genuity analyst Doug Taylor said. A spokesman for Delta Air Lines said the proposed transaction does not impact plans to implement a U.S-Canada trans-border joint venture with WestJet. The deal, which has a value of $5 billion including debt, is expected to close in the latter part of this year or early next year. CIBC Capital Markets and BofA Merrill Lynch were the financial advisers to WestJet, while Barclays, Morgan Stanley and RBC Capital Markets advised Onex. (Reporting by Debroop Roy in Bengaluru and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris, David Ljunggren in Ottawa and Nia Williams in Calgary; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Dan Grebler) By Sarah White and Johnny Cotton CANNES, France, May 13 (Reuters) - Cannes Film Festival organizers on Monday defended handing an honorary prize to French screen legend Alain Delon, saying the actor, who has courted controversy with his views on women and homosexuals, was "not perfect" but entitled to his opinions. "We're not giving him the Nobel Peace Prize," festival director Thierry Fremaux told a news conference, asked whether the award was appropriate at a time when the cinema showcase, like other film industry events, has supported campaigns for greater respect and representation for women. "We're giving him the honorary Palme D'Or for his career as an actor." Delon, 83, one of Europe's most acclaimed actors for over five decades, has starred in films including Luchino Visconti's "The Leopard," which won the top prize at Cannes in 1963. He has had a fraught relationship with the French cinema festival over the decades - once declaring he would never return after missing out on an invitation to its 50th anniversary celebrations - but is now set to take the spotlight in this 72nd edition, which runs from May 14-25. Particularly admired in France as one of the country's top movie stars of the 1960s and 1970s, Delon has also inflamed public opinion over the years, including by declaring his friendship for far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen. He told a French talk show in 2013 that same-sex couples should not be allowed to adopt children and has admitted to slapping women in interviews. The move to recognize Delon has been criticized by women's rights advocates such as Women and Hollywood founder Melissa Silverstein. "He's allowed to express his opinions. Personally, I don't agree," Fremaux said, adding however that Delon's life was full of contradictions and that nothing was completely clear cut. Fremaux noted that Delon had starred in a film by Joseph Losey, who was known for his communist politics. "Nowadays it's difficult to give awards, to honor someone, because the political police immediately appear," Fremaux said. "Alain Delon is not perfect. I'm not perfect." (Editing by Mark Heinrich) Cannes (France) (AFP) - The Cannes film festival is not just about killings made on big-money movie deals sealed over champagne in hotel suites and on luxury yachts. It is a goldmine too for many locals in the French Riviera resort. "For my boss the festival is the goose that lays golden eggs," a hotel receptionist called Herve told AFP. The proof, he declared, is that a room in his two-star hotel goes "from 40 euros ($45) a night to 260" as soon as the red carpet is rolled out. It is not the only establishment to rake it in when the population of the town almost triples for the festival. A few minutes walk away, the price of a room in a rival three-star hotel rockets five times from 71 euros a night to 350 -- without breakfast. "The six rooms that we put aside for the very last minute will be filled very rapidly" at the very top price, said the receptionist at the hotel, which is officially fully booked. Even if the four days in March when MIPIM, the world's leading property congress, is held in Cannes are more profitable day-for-day for the conference town, the film festival fortnight with its 40,000 accredited movers and shakers is on an entirely different scale. - Town makes $200 million - For hotels close to the giant Palais des Festivals, where the red carpet premieres are held, the festival accounts for nearly a sixth of their annual turnover, said the Cannes hoteliers union, UMIH. The festival was worth an astonishing 197 million euros to the town in 2017, according to official municipal figures. Even so, hoteliers insist there is still room for improvement. "Everything fills up for the first week of the festival but the second is more difficult," said Christine Welter of UMIH. "For several years now people are not staying as long as they did," she added. She also warned that "the cards are also being reshuffled" by the possible defection of people working with Netflix, whose films are barred from competing in the festival because it refuses to release them in French cinemas. Story continues "When suddenly demand falls the market has to adjust," Welter cautioned, pointing the finger of blame partly at what she regards as the unfair competition of people letting out their homes and apartments. Just as many homes in Cannes are being rented now out as hotel rooms -- "6,000 of each," she revealed. - Locals cashing in - It has become something of a racket, Welter complained, with some people renting out several flats. Airbnb alone claims between 2,500 and 4,000 arrivals a night, peaking with 4,600 on Friday May 17 -- nearly 10 times the number of Cannes homes it is handling on the Friday before the festival. With that amount of fast money to be made, "some locals don't think twice about going and sleeping in a campsite along the coast so they can rent their places out for a fortune," quipped Herve, the hotel receptionist. For the resort's restaurants -- some of whom put up their prices -- the festival is also a boon. "May is the biggest month in the year for us: the place is jammed. We can do 5,000 covers in 11 days," said Pascal Hamard, who runs an Italian restaurant. However, he has noticed a drop off in recent years, which he blames on people trying to cash in. "You feel some of the clientele have become ultra suspicious and are worried about being ripped off," the restaurateur added, with taxis and hotels hiking up their rates. "Now people coming to Cannes for the festival are more careful -- we can feel that they have been warned by their bosses -- and budgets are that much tighter," Hamard said. A crocodile-like beast the length of a Volkswagen Beetle terrorized prey in the late Triassic oceans about 210 million years ago, a new study finds. Researchers excavated the remains of four of these now-extinct sea monsters from the rocky slopes of the Austrian Alps. But even at 13 feet long (4 meters), these creatures known as phytosaurs weren't fully grown. The phytosaurs were only about 8 years old when they died, and they were "still actively growing," according to a bone analysis, said study lead researcher Richard Butler, a professor of paleobiology at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. [Photos: Early Dinosaur Cousin Looked Like a Croc] Given the difficulty of bringing these fossils to light, it's remarkable that this new species dubbed Mystriosuchus steinbergeri is finally being introduced to science. Its species name honors Sepp Steinberger, a member of a local caving club, who discovered the fossils while climbing the "dead mountains," a remote area of the Austrian Alps, in 1980. A team from the Natural History Museum in Vienna excavated the remains two years later and had to use a helicopter to transport the fossils off the mountain, which was nearly 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) high. The excavation team including (left to right) Johann Segl, Sepp Steinberger, Georg Sverak and Walter Prenner collected the fossils in July 1982. Ortwin Schultz The museum cleaned off the fossils and put them on display. But "because there are very few specialists on phytosaurs this particular group of fossil reptiles it took many years before they were studied," Butler told Live Science. Finally, in 2013, a team of British, French, Austrian and Swiss researchers began examining the ancient remains. Phytosaurs look like a mix of the modern crocodile, alligator and gharial, although they lived long before those animals and are not particularly close relatives of them, Butler said. "This is an example of 'evolutionary convergence,' where distantly related groups evolve to look alike because they live in similar environments," he said. Story continues An illustration of the newly discovered phytosaur species Mystriosuchus steinbergeri, a crocodile-like beast that lived 210 million years ago in what is now Austria. Copyright Mark Witton The phytosaur is a semiaquatic reptile whose remains are usually found near freshwater lakes and rivers. (Although it lived during the early dinosaur age, the phytosaur is not a dinosaur.) However, these particular fossils were found in sediments from an ancient ocean environment, tens of miles from the Triassic shoreline. It's unlikely that all four of these phytosaurs died on land and then were washed out to sea, Butler said. "Therefore, we think this provides the best evidence to date to support the idea that some phytosaurs lived in marine environments," he said. This newly named species, as well as fossils from a few other phytosaur specimens found over the years in marine deposits, suggests that some of these animals could live in, or at least pass through, saltwater environments, the researchers said. The study was published online May 8 in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. Originally published on Live Science. Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela reacted with outrage Monday after the opposition openly courted US military support, with the regime denouncing what it called a "repugnant" attempt to plot an armed intervention in the crisis-torn country. Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez lambasted the move by opposition leader Juan Guaido's representative in Washington, accusing him of paving the way for a US "military intervention." Guaido's envoy Carlos Vecchio sent a letter to US Southern Command Chief General Craig Faller requesting a meeting to discuss closer cooperation "with the aim of alleviating the suffering of the Venezuelan people and restoring democracy," his aides said Monday. Faller last week warned the Venezuelan army it must decide whether to support the people or a "tyrant" -- a reference to embattled President Nicolas Maduro. Despite economic collapse and international isolation, the embattled socialist president has to date retained the support of the powerful military. Guaido, locked in a power struggle with Maduro since he declared himself interim president in January -- winning recognition from more than 50 countries -- has sought to ratchet up pressure on the regime abroad as his support at home has waned. - Bold step - However, his open courting of the US Southern Command, responsible for the Latin American region, is a bold new step for Guaido, following the failure of an April 30 uprising. It comes after Faller said in a tweet on Friday that he was at Guaido's disposal to discuss "support" for military leaders who abandon Maduro. Vecchio's office said the meeting could take place in the coming days. "We read and we reject this repugnant letter, in which one of the coup leaders hiding today in Washington, asks for military intervention in Venezuela," Rodriguez said in her speech. Alongside Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, she said such a "submissive" stance was not only to be condemned but was "doomed to failure." Story continues Padrino and army chiefs have made repeated public pledges of support for Maduro and high-profile defections have been few and far between. In a video message posted late Sunday on Twitter, the Venezuelan air force's General Ramon Rangel urged the military to forsake Maduro. "It's time to rise up, it's time to fight," he urged. Rangel -- who appeared in civilian clothes and whose location is unknown -- is the latest of several military figures to call on Venezuela's military to abandon Maduro. Army sources in Caracas dismissed Rangel as irrelevant, saying he had not been active in the military for years. Another air force general, Francisco Yanez, pledged his allegiance to opposition leader Juan Guaido on February 2 -- but with few exceptions, the army has remained in Maduro's corner. The highest-profile defector has been intelligence chief Cristopher Figuera, who joined the opposition last month. Figuera and 55 other officers have been expelled from the Venezuelan armed forces, and Maduro has followed up with a crackdown on lawmakers who backed Guaido's uprising, chipping away at his support base inside the country. - Waning Support- At his weekly anti-government rally on Saturday, Guaido urged his supporters to maintain nationwide protests in the face of the crackdown, in which his deputy Edgar Zambrano and nine others have been arrested for treason. Some 1,500 to 2,000 people filled a square in an opposition-friendly part of eastern Caracas to hear Guaido, but that was far fewer than the several thousands who took part in earlier protests. Maduro, re-elected last year in elections widely seen as rigged, has presided over the collapse of once-rich Venezuela, which sits on the world's biggest oil reserves. The country has suffered more than four years of recession marked by shortages of basic necessities such as food and medicine. The United Nations says a quarter of Venezuela's 30 million population are in urgent need of aid, and more than 2.7 million have fled the deprivation. The United States, Guaido's main international backer, has not ruled out a military intervention to resolve the Venezuelan crisis, which Maduro said is a naked attempt to appropriate the country's vast oil reserves. In his letter, Vecchio said "the conditions in Venezuela are worsening, as a consequence of the corrupt, incompetent and illegitimate regime of the usurper Nicolas Maduro." Talking with Luke Irwin, the British guru of handmade carpets, about his aesthetic genre is a bit like attending a tutorial with the most exciting professor on campus. The history of weaving is passionately explored, from traditional knotting techniques to the characteristics of organic dyes to the arcana of yarns, from grades of softness to the expressiveness of lengths. The lives of weavers, past and present, are examined and weighed, their talents admired and exalted. Theres also a charming humility in Irwins enthusiasm, an acknowledgement that although his name emblazons a very popular companyfounded in 2003, its headquarters is a smart shop in Londons style-magnet Pimlico Road Design Districtits the Indian, Nepalese, and Pakistani craftspeople behind Luke Irwin Rugs that matter most. Im not the high priest of taste, insists Irwin, whose professional stature belies a mixed-bag CV with stints as a porter at Christies, a public relations agent, and an antiques shop employee. Everybody has taste, and just because its not my taste doesnt mean its bad if it gives one pleasure, he says. LukeIrwinRugs03.jpg Photo by Derry Moore Perhaps not, but he is a preacher of textiles, one who is particularly passionate about the narratives that are woven into every handcrafted floor covering that bears his name and even those that dont. Small wonder that his cashmere, wool, and silk masterworks have captivated the international bon ton, including the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cambridge, members of the Rolling Stones and U2, and dozens of AD100 interior designers and architects. For Irwin, history has always been key to his oeuvre and his life. I like living where other people have lived before, with the textures of what came before, he explains as he enthusiastically checks off the places where hes been lucky enough to reside, from Dublin, his birthplace, to Eton College in Berkshire, England, to Londons Trevor Square. Annie Chapman, one of Jack the Rippers victims, lived on the other side of the wall I kicked my ball against, he cheerfully reveals. Story continues Since 2012, home base has been a stone and redbrick farmhouse in the picture-postcard Wiltshire village of Brixton Deverill, festooned with roses and shared with his wife, Alicea niece of H.R.H. the Duchess of Cornwalltheir children, Otis and Violet, plus dogs, cats, sheep, and more. Begun in 1730 as a cottage and elegantly expanded a century later, its a rambling building with a Jane Austen air and a Grade II preservation listing from Historic England. The decor is a funky, family-friendly take on English country style. Sunlight streams across rooms splashed with enticing shades of blue (curtains here, walls there), a four-poster bed that Alice designed, and a new kitchen where brightly colored pottery sits on shelves. Theres no such thing as a finished house, Irwin explains of a mixed decor that encompasses a Cameroon headdress, a 19th-century suzani, and sturdy antiques. Its an ongoing organism where you make room for new things as you find them. Still, he admits, Sometimes one longs to live in a new house with no drafts, thats warm in winter and cool in summer. LukeIrwinRugs02.jpg Photo by Derry Moore If he and his family did, however, they might not have discovered that they were living atop the remains of a three-story Roman house that would inspire Luke Irwin Rugs most famous range. In 2015, the couple, who were renovating a barn (now used as Irwins studio) on their bucolic seven acres, came across the remains of a circa 200 A.D. villa. The subsequent headline-making excavation of what is now known as Deverill Villa revealed portions of a dazzling mosaic floor. Given Irwins floor covering entrepreneurship and love of the past, the polychrome mosaic expanses could not have been a more appropriate find. Look at me, Im the daddy, Irwin says with a laugh, by way of explaining what a monied Roman householder might have thought in ordering such an underfoot extravaganza made up of thousands of tiny marble tiles. In ancient times, mosaic floors were a symbol of power, luxury, and connoisseurship, a show me the money moment. The Roman floor, now re-covered with soil for conservation purposes, led Irwin to launch the Mosaic Collection, a 2016 range that includes some of his best-known hand-knotted creations, among them rugs evocatively dubbed Claudius and Taormina. LukeIrwinRugs07jpg Photo courtesy Luke Irwin LukeIrwinRugs04.jpg Earlier this year, Irwin released the Rug-in-Rug Collection, organic, chemical-free, custom-made carpets distinguished by geometric patterns that are inspired by Native American horse blankets; they are woven in Ghazni wool from Afghanistan that has been left in its natural, undyed state. The next great step in the textile industry, which can be pollution heavy, will be to return to the ecological, says Irwin, noting that his new diffusion range for John Lewis & Co., the venerable English department store, features a carpet that utilizes recycled sari silk, as did one of his custom collections. Today, Irwin is exploring more of what he describes as overt human displays of status, where craft, culture, power, and refinement intersect: brilliantly colored Inca and Aztec feather garments, from 500 A.D. onward. Its an unusual inspiration, but its pure Irwin: I have a picaresque imagination, slightly irreverent, he says. More than 40 designs have been developed to date, though only seven or eight will ultimately be produced. The Mosaic Collection was very structured, but the Feather collection will be more luxurious and looser in form, says Irwin. Its taking a long time to work out how to slightly replicate the feathers feel. Rest assuredgiven Irwins track recordthat the world will be carpeting its floors with fluffy floor coverings, steeped in history as always, in no time. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest A brazen moped gang has been jailed for a string of bold "professional, planned and organised" high profile raids across London. Police claim taking the gang off the streets has helped cut moped crime in the capital by 52% in the space of a year. Among the "bold" crimes committed by the gang between July 2017 and June 2018 was the theft of BBC camera equipment filming the Oxford versus Cambridge boat race. (Top row left to right) John McFadyen, Aaron Pask, Issac McFadyen and Joshua Strong-Myers. (Middle Row left to right) Mitchell Leaver, Kian Taylor, Omar Tafat and Ram Monk. (Bottom row left to right) Scott Leaver, Ryan Moran, Steven Weller and Terry Marsh. They are all part of a moped gang who have been jailed for a string of bold "professional, planned and organised" high profile raids across London. (PA) Judge Georgina Kent said the gang carried out its crime spree described as an "exceptionally serious and shocking attempted robbery" four gang members were caught on CCTV targeting a woman with a young child in daylight in Sandpits Road in Richmond. CCTV video grab issued by the Metropolitan Police of a moped gang during a Kensington High Street ram raid, the gang have been jailed for a string of bold "professional, planned and organised" high profile raids across London. (PA) Pheobe Ruele was walking hand-in-hand with her son when two motorcycles road past, pulled into the road and waited for her on June 21 last year. Footage shows the "terrified" woman dragging her child into the road before builders, armed with scaffolding poles, chase the gang away,. The defendants, who are aged between 19 and 36, also used their mopeds to block traffic before taking an angle grinder to cameras rigged up to capture the boat race on March 22 last year - eventually making off with a BBC camera worth around 180,000. CCTV video grab issued by the Metropolitan Police of a moped gang during a Kensington High Street ram raid, the gang have been jailed for a string of bold "professional, planned and organised" high profile raids across London. (PA) The gang, who were all linked to ringleader Terry Marsh, 32, were sentenced for offences including conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to burgle,conspiracy to steal, criminal damage and handling stolen goods. The gang first came to police attention on December 31 2017 when they carried out a ram-raid on high-end outdoor clothing company Altimus Ltd in High Street Kensington using a stolen Range Rover and several mopeds. They returned the following month and assaulted a security guard, the two raids cost the business 43,000 in lost goods, and 80,000 in repairs. In April they raided three businesses stealing electronic equipment - and taking 83,000 of MacBooks and other Apple products from one firm alone. Exterior of Kingston Crown Court. (Kingston-upon-Thames) Detectives said the gang managed to carry out a number of raids without leaving any DNA evidence, forcing police to analyse huge volumes of mobile phone data to link the defendants and the offences. Story continues Marsh alone had three handsets and 20 different SIM cards in a bid to avoid being tracked down by mobile phone data. Following the arrest of Tafat, Myers and Taylor in May, five more gang members were arrested in July last year, with the remaining defendants caught after evidence seized from their fellow conspirators was analysed. Tafat, 22, of Fulham, was jailed for a eight years and five months for conspiracy to steal, attempted robbery, theft and attempted theft of BBC cameras, going equipped to steal, criminal damage to a police car and breach of a criminal behaviour order. Myers, 19, of Shepherds Bush, was sentenced to eight years in a young offenders institution and disqualified from driving. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Motorists pull passengers from burning plane wreckage Tories in FIFTH place according to EU elections poll Transgender Lotto winner dies 18 months after 4m win He pleaded guilty to attempted theft, going equipped to steal, criminal damage to a police car, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, possession of an offensive weapon and conspiracy to steal. He was also found guilty of two further counts of robbery and possession of an offensive weapon at trial. Taylor, of no fixed address, admitted attempted theft, going equipped to steal, criminal damage to a police car, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and possession of an offensive weapon, and was found guilty of robbery after trial. He was sentenced to nine years and four months at a young offenders institution and given a driving disqualification. Exterior of Kingston Crown Court. Steven Weller, 36, of Ealing, was given consecutive sentences of 49 months for conspiracy to rob, four month for conspiracy to steal and 26 months for conspiracy to burgle, and was sentenced to a total of six years and seven months. The court heard Marsh was "supremely organised and diligent" in rotating the sim cards in the telephones he used and was "the common denominator in the crime spree". Marsh, of Fulham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to burgle. The 32-year-old was jailed for 13 years and two months. He was given consecutive sentences of 54 months for conspiracy to rob, 48 months for conspiracy to steal and 56 months for conspiracy to burgle. After admitting a series of offences, Moran, 36, of Fulham, was give concurrent suspended sentences of two months for conspiracy to steal, 24 months for conspiracy to burgle and a month for handling stolen goods. He was given a total sentence of 24 months, suspended for 18 months with a six-month curfew. John McFadyen, 24, of Feltham, was jailed for 32 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to rob, while his brother Isaac, 19, admitted conspiracy to rob was sentenced to 32 months in a young offenders institution. Mitchell Leaver, 18 of Battersea, was given a 12-month suspended sentence and and a three-month curfew after admitting conspiracy to burgle. Scott Leaver, 25, of Lambeth, was sentenced to 56 months' imprisonment after being found guilty of the same charge after trial. Aaron Pask, 27, of White City, to a total of six years and eight months after his convictions for conspiracy to burgle, conspiracy to steal and burglary. Ram Monk, 23, of no fixed address, was sentenced to two years and eight months after being found guilty of conspiracy to burgle. Conor McGregor won't face charges for allegedly smashing a man's phone. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images) Prosecutors in Miami have dropped all criminal charges against MMA star Conor McGregor over an alleged phone-smashing incident that took place in March. The Miami Herald reported that the two charges against McGregor criminal mischief and robbery by sudden snatching were dropped because the victim, Ahmed Abdirzk, had stopped cooperating with investigators. McGregor was accused of stealing and destroying Abdirzks phone when he approached him for a photo outside a Miami nightclub. Prosecutors released footage of the incident that appears to show Abdirzk raising his phone ostensibly to take a photo or video, and McGregor stretching out his hand as if to greet the fan. Instead, McGregor knocked the phone out of Abdirzks hand and stomped on it while his security detail held Abdirzk back. McGregor then pocketed the phone and left in a chauffeured SUV. In addition to the criminal charges against McGregor, Abdirzk also filed a civil suit, suing McGregor for $15,000. At the time, he said that he was unsure if he would be able to recover multiple photos of his son that were stored on the phone. TMZ reported in April that Abdirzk had settled his suit against McGregor for an undisclosed amount, which might be why he stopped cooperating with investigators. McGregor didnt appear in court on Monday and neither did Abdirzk. According to the Herald, the prosecutor said that Abdirzk does not wish to return to the United States and prosecute this case. More from Yahoo Sports: The US expects China to retaliate over the Trump administrations latest tariff hike, chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Sunday. Related: Tariffs: Donald Trump's trust in trade war tactic is big electoral gamble The expected countermeasures have not yet materialized, Larry Kudlow told Fox News Sunday. We may know more today or even this evening or tomorrow. As markets digested the comments, futures trading pointed to a drop in Wall Street stocks on Monday while Asian shares slipped in early trade. Talks ended on Friday and Trump raised the spectre of a full-blown trade war when he ordered that tariffs on Chinese imports worth around $200bn be raised from 10% to 25%. Beijing retaliated for previous tariff hikes by raising duties on $110bn of US imports. Chinese officials have also targeted US companies by slowing customs clearance and stepping up regulatory scrutiny. On Saturday he had tweeted saying Beijing had deliberately sought to delay negotiations. China felt they were being beaten so badly in the recent negotiation that they may as well wait around for the next election, 2020, to see if they could get lucky [and] have a Democrat win, he said. Kudlow told Fox no more talks were planned but also said there was a strong possibility Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping will meet in Japan at [the] G20 summit at the end of June. In China, state media said the door to talks was always open but China would not yield on important issues of principle. In a commentary carried by the official Xinhua news agency, the ruling Communist Partys Peoples Daily said there are no winners in any trade war and China did not want to fight but would not be afraid to do so. China and the US are sparring over allegations that China steals technology and pressures US companies into handing over trade secrets, as part of a campaign to turn Chinese companies into world leaders in robotics, electric cars and other advanced industries. Story continues Kudlow said China had not implemented changes Washington wanted, including strong enforcement provisions on issues such as forced technology transfer and intellectual property. We have to have a very strong agreement, he said, to correct, to right these wrongs before we will be satisfied. Kudlow also said Trumps plan to raise tariffs across the board could take a couple of months. Call it three months. I dont know. That will take some time and then of course the presidents going to have to make the final decision on that. The face-off with China has proved tricky political territory for Democrats, given Trumps framing of his stance as a defence of American workers. On Sunday the California senator Kamala Harris, a leading contender for the presidential nomination, was asked on CNNs State of the Union if she agreed with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, who this week told Trump he should hang tough in his dispute with Beijing. Harris dodged the question, choosing instead to criticise Trump for not working with allies and for conducting trade policy, economic policy, foreign policy by tweet. Thats irresponsible, she said. It is a display of a president who thinks that unilateral action is better than working with the friends to address issues that not only impact our country, but impact the globe. And I think it puts us in a weaker position. Continuing his Twitter thought on Saturday, Trump said the only problem with Chinas approach to talks is that they know I am going to win (best economy & employment numbers in US history, & much more), and the deal will become far worse for them if it has to be negotiated in my second term. Would be wise for them to act now, but love collecting BIG TARIFFS! Many observers have suggested Trump seems not to understand the economic impact of tariffs. One study released this week said that as companies which import steel absorb the cost of tariffs by passing it on to their customers, American consumers and businesses are paying $900,000 a year for every job created or saved by the US action. Related: Even Trump may ultimately retreat from the cost of the China trade war On Sunday evening Trump returned to Twitter to claim the US was right where we want to be with China, and would be taking in tens of billions of dollars in tariffs from China. He added that buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-tariffed countries. In a confused pair of tweets, the president also claimed the US would spend (match or better) the money that China may no longer be spending with our Great Patriot Farmers (Agriculture), which is a small percentage of total tariffs received, and distribute the food to starving people in nations around the world! GREAT! #MAGA. On Sunday, Kudlow conceded to Fox that China does not actually pay tariffs, but claimed the Chinese will suffer GDP losses and so forth with respect to a diminishing export market. On Sunday the Republican Kentucky senator Rand Paul warned that Trumps policies could damage his claim to the best economy in US history, a key line of attack as the 2020 election approaches. Speaking to ABCs This Week, Paul advised the president to finalise a deal with China soon, because the longer were involved in a tariff battle or a trade war, the better chance there is that we could actually enter into a recession because of it. By Jeff Mason and Se Young Lee WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping next month, as the trade war between the world's two largest economies intensified, sending shivers through global markets. Earlier, China announced it would impose higher tariffs on a range of U.S. goods including frozen vegetables and liquefied natural gas, a move that followed Washington's decision last week to hike its own levies on $200 billion in Chinese imports. The U.S. Trade Representative's office later said it planned to hold a public hearing next month on the possibility of raising duties of up to 25% on a further $300 billion worth of imports from China. Cellphones and laptops would be included in that list, but pharmaceuticals would be excluded, the office said. The prospect that the United States and China were spiralling into a no-holds-barred dispute that could derail the global economy has rattled investors and led to a sharp selloff on equities markets in the past week. A gauge of global stocks shed a further 1.9% on Monday, its biggest one-day drop in more than five months. China's yuan currency fell to its lowest level since December and oil futures slumped. Trump, who has embraced protectionism as part of an "America First" agenda, said he would talk to Xi at a G20 summit in late June. "Maybe something will happen," Trump said in remarks at the White House. "We're going to be meeting, as you know, at the G20 in Japan and that'll be, I think, probably a very fruitful meeting." U.S. farmers are among those most hurt by the trade war, with soybean sales to China plummeting and U.S. soybean futures hitting their lowest level in a decade. Trump said on Monday his administration was planning to provide about $15 billion to help farmers whose products might be targeted. Farmers, who are a core political constituency for Trump's Republicans heading into the 2020 presidential and congressional elections, are growing increasingly frustrated with the protracted trade talks and the failure to reach an agreement. Story continues "What that means for soybean growers is that we're losing," Davie Stephens, president of the American Soybean Association, said in a statement. STEADY DRUM BEAT China said on Monday it plans to set import tariffs ranging from 5% to 25% on 5,140 U.S. products on a $60 billion target list. It said the tariffs will take effect on June 1. "China's adjustment on additional tariffs is a response to U.S. unilateralism and protectionism," its finance ministry said. "China hopes the U.S. will get back to the right track of bilateral trade and economic consultations and meet with China halfway." In the middle of the negotiations last week, Trump hiked tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25% from 10%. The move affected 5,700 categories of Chinese products, including internet modems and routers. Sources have said talks stalled after China tried to delete commitments from a draft agreement that its laws would be changed to enact new policies on issues from intellectual property protection to forced technology transfers. Beijing said on Monday it would "never surrender" to external pressure, and its state media kept up a steady drum beat of strongly-worded commentary, reiterating that the door to talks was always open, but vowing that China would defend its national interests and dignity. In a commentary, state television said the effect of the U.S. tariffs on the Chinese economy was "totally controllable." Trump has said he is in "no rush" to finalise a deal with China. He again defended the move to hike U.S. tariffs and said there was no reason why American consumers would pay the costs. Economists and industry consultants, however, maintain that it is U.S. businesses that will pay the costs and likely pass them on to consumers. U.S. tariffs last year triggered retaliation by China, which imposed 25% levies on $50 billion worth of U.S. products including soybeans, beef and pork and lower tariffs on a list of $60 billion in goods. In a research note, Goldman Sachs economists said new evidence showed the costs of Washington's tariffs on China last year had fallen entirely on U.S. businesses and households, with no clear reduction in prices charged by Chinese exporters. They added that the effects of the tariffs had spilled over noticeably to the prices charged by U.S. producers competing with goods affected by the levies. (Reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington and Se Young Lee in Beijing; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Makini Brice, Doina Chiacu, David Lawder, Jeff Mason and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington and Alden Bentley in New York; Writing by Paul Simao and Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Susan Thomas and Lisa Shumaker) Morocco and Rwanda signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in fields relating to nuclear and radiological safety. The agreement was signed in Kigali last week between Moroccos Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA). Under the agreement the two parties shall exchange information and experiences in terms of regulating and installing nuclear security systems and managing nuclear and radioactive waste, Moroccos news agency MAP reported. Nuclear technology is key to pharmaceutical industry, agriculture, mining, health and other industrial sectors in Morocco. The agreement comes in a context in which Rwanda plans to set up a center for nuclear technology and research for purposes of mining, agriculture and health. In this regard, Rwandan officials said they were looking to learn from Moroccos experience in using nuclear technology for sustainable development and industrial purposes. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Examining China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited's (HKG:2319) past track record of performance is a valuable exercise for investors. It enables us to understand whether the company has met or exceed expectations, which is a powerful signal for future performance. Below, I will assess 2319's latest performance announced on 31 December 2018 and weigh these figures against its longer term trend and industry movements. Check out our latest analysis for China Mengniu Dairy Could 2319 beat the long-term trend and outperform its industry? 2319's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 December 2018) of CN3.0b has jumped 49% compared to the previous year. Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has exceeded its 5-year annual growth average of -3.5%, indicating the rate at which 2319 is growing has accelerated. How has it been able to do this? Let's take a look at if it is solely a result of an industry uplift, or if China Mengniu Dairy has experienced some company-specific growth. SEHK:2319 Income Statement, May 12th 2019 In terms of returns from investment, China Mengniu Dairy has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 11% instead. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 4.1% is below the HK Food industry of 5.5%, indicating China Mengniu Dairy's are utilized less efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for China Mengniu Dairys debt level, has increased over the past 3 years from 6.5% to 8.0%. This correlates with a decrease in debt holding, with debt-to-equity ratio declining from 66% to 48% over the past 5 years. What does this mean? Though China Mengniu Dairy's past data is helpful, it is only one aspect of my investment thesis. While China Mengniu Dairy has a good historical track record with positive growth and profitability, there's no certainty that this will extrapolate into the future. You should continue to research China Mengniu Dairy to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at: Story continues Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for 2319s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for 2319s outlook. Financial Health: Are 2319s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 31 December 2018. 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. China announced that it will increase tariffs imposed on about $60 billion of U.S. goods in retaliation for President Donald Trumps latest escalation of the trade war. The tariffs will take effect on June 1, according to a statement on the Ministry of Finances website on Monday. The charges will thereby be raised on most of the goods listed on a previous retaliation list effective last September. The yearlong trade frictions between the worlds two biggest economies worsened last week when the Trump administration announced an extra 25% tariff on thousands of Chinese products worth about $200 billion. The U.S. is set to release a plan to levy a 25% additional tariff on all remaining imports from China later on Monday. Chinas retaliatory tariffs will be imposed at the following levels: 25% tariffs on 2,493 items from current 10% 20% tariffs on 1,078 items from current 10% 10% tariffs on 974 items from current 5% 5% tariffs to continue on 595 items. Auto parts, which were initially on the list but have been exempted since December, are still excluded The Ministry also said in another statement that importers and associations can apply for exemptions for goods on the tariff lists. Once approved, the goods will be excluded and wont be subject to the punitive tariffs for one year. Companies can also get a rebate of already paid tariffs. Chinas tariff move is in response to the U.S. unilateralism and trade protectionism, the ministry said in a separate statement on Monday. China hopes that the U.S. will return to the right track of bilateral trade talks, work together with China and meet each other halfway, to reach a win-win and mutually beneficial agreement on the basis of mutual respect. China may be ready to play the nationalism card in its trade war with the U.S. a rhetoric it has refrained from using since trade negotiations began last May. The nations most-watched news program Xinwen Lianbo on the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) network addressed the trade tension in a rare hawkish tone in an editorial segment on Monday. The shift came after President Donald Trump raised tariffs to 25% on $200 billion worth of imported goods from China and the latest round of trade talks in Washington, which many had expected to close the deal, ended with little progress. For the trade war initiated by the U.S, China has long indicated its attitude: were unwilling to fight, but were not afraid to fight, the broadcaster said. If the U.S. wants to talk, the door is open; if they want to fight, well fight til the end. A similar message was first communicated by Chinas Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen last April, following Trumps first round of tariffs. But China soon walked back and stated no trade war is a China-US consensus as both sides came to the negotiation table. Since then, China has been censoring domestic medias coverage of Trumps tariffs and tempering down hostile sentiments towards the U.S. on social media. The latest message on Monday suggests the year-long negotiations have hit a dead end and China feels the need to engage its people. It makes some sense to appeal to more nationalistic view if the state expects that a tough period for the economy and the country could be coming. Appealing to sticking together and defending the nation, said Allan von Mehren, chief analyst and China economist at Danske Bank. U.S.-imposed trade war is no big deal An elderly couple rests under a screen showing Chinese soldiers posing with the Communist Party flag at an exhibition highlighting China's achievements under five years of his leadership at the Beijing Exhibition Hall in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) The aired program on Monday also tracked Chinas history and characterized U.S.s latest trade moves as a way to contain Chinas development, resembling many historical battles with foreign countries it has fought before. After in the all the 5,000 years of ups and downs of the Chinese nation, what kind of battle havent we seen?! In the great process of realizing national rejuvenation, there will inevitably be difficulties, obstacles and even storms. The US-imposed trade war with China is just a hurdle in China's development process. It is no big deal. China will surely strengthen its confidence, overcome difficulties, turn crisis into opportunity, and fight for a new world, said the broadcaster. Story continues The hostility towards the U.S. has been circulated on social media but its rare to see a state-run media like CCTV to convey such a strong message. Beijing has always been wary of stirring up nationalist sentiments, in fear that it could backfire, since one of its top focus is social stability. News about Trumps tariffs have been largely censored by domestic media outlets, unless they report on responses from the Chinese government. Mondays message has been resonated by many users on Weibo, Chinas Twitter-like social media, where the video has been viewed over 450 million times and received 1.5 million likes. It also emphasized China is fully prepared. For the next step, whether the U.S. wants to talk, fight or to take other actions, China has prepared a policy toolbox and is ready to respond comprehensively. Whats next in the trade war On Monday, three days following the U.S.s additional tariffs, China announced retaliatory tariffs on another $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, effective June 1, including 25% on agricultural products such as honey, vegetables, coffee and meat. Societe Generale says the latest round of tariffs could lower China's GDP by 0.5% and the U.S. by 0.25%. Xi is preparing the Chinese people for an all-out economic war with the United States, said Gary Hufbauer, a China expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He pointed out the chances of a global recession could sharply increase if Trump adds another round of tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods. But if need be, Chinese leaders are willing to endure a downturn sparked by the trade conflict. Write to Krystal Hu via krystalh@yahoofinance.com or follow her on Twitter. Read more: Jack Ma to Alibaba employees: Have more kids Here are all of Uber's worldwide competitors Huawei is still winning 5G contracts around the world despite the U.S. ban Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! As China State Construction Development Holdings Limited (HKG:830) released its earnings announcement on 31 December 2018, it seems that analyst forecasts are fairly in-line with historical trends, with earnings growth rate expected to be 19% in the upcoming year, relative to the past five-year average earnings growth of 20% per year. With trailing-twelve-month net income at current levels of HK$149m, we should see this rise to HK$177m in 2020. Below is a brief commentary on the longer term outlook the market has for China State Construction Development Holdings. For those keen to understand more about other aspects of the company, you can research its fundamentals here. View our latest analysis for China State Construction Development Holdings Exciting times ahead? Over the next three years, it seems the consensus view of the 2 analysts covering 830 is skewed towards the positive sentiment. Since forecasting becomes more difficult further into the future, broker analysts generally project out to around three years. To understand the overall trajectory of 830's earnings growth over these next fews years, I've fitted a line through these analyst earnings forecast to determine an annual growth rate from the slope. SEHK:830 Past and Future Earnings, May 13th 2019 This results in an annual growth rate of 18% based on the most recent earnings level of HK$149m to the final forecast of HK$261m by 2022. This leads to an EPS of HK$0.12 in the final year of projections relative to the current EPS of HK$0.069. Margins are currently sitting at 4.1%, which is expected to expand to 4.6% by 2022. Next Steps: Future outlook is only one aspect when you're building an investment case for a stock. For China State Construction Development Holdings, I've put together three key aspects you should further examine: Financial Health: Does it have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for China State Construction Development Holdings's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. Other High-Growth Alternatives : Are there other high-growth stocks you could be holding instead of China State Construction Development Holdings? Explore our interactive list of stocks with large growth potential to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. Geneva (AFP) - China on Monday blamed US policies for creating an "existential crisis" at the World Trade Organization, and urged reform of the body to help it withstand the pressure from Washington. In a document posted on the WTO website, China cautioned that a range of recent "unilateralist and protectionist practices" had "undermined the authority and efficacy of the WTO". "As a consequence, the organisation is facing an unprecedented existential crisis," it said. China did not mention the United States by name, but it referred to a number of policies clearly associated with Washington. Among other things, it warned that the decision by a "certain member" to use its national security as a pretext to impose "unwarranted tariffs on steel and aluminium", had "disturbed the international trade order and international market... and undermined the relevant rules of the WTO". It also slammed the unnamed WTO member for taking "unilateralist measures of raising trade barriers and imposing import tariffs in an arbitrary way and without authorisation from the WTO". The document was released amid new eruptions in the US-China trade war, despite ongoing discussions aiming to resolve the two countries' differences. Beijing said earlier Monday it would raise tariffs on $60 billion worth of US goods from June 1 in retaliation for the latest round of US tariff hikes on $200 billion worth in Chinese products. US President Donald Trump had also ordered the start of a process to impose new duties on another $300 billion worth of Chinese items. Trump, who began the standoff last year complaining about unfair Chinese trade practices, has specifically blasted the WTO for slighting US trade interests to the benefit of China. In the document filed to the WTO, China said it supported "necessary reform of the WTO so as to overcome its existential crisis, enhance its authority and efficacy, and increase its relevance in terms of global economic governance." Story continues It stressed the need to resolve several "urgent issues threatening the existence of the WTO". In addition to the issues related to tariffs, it decried the blockage of the appointment of new judges to the appellate chamber at WTO's Dispute Settlement Body. The appellate body, which offers a last resort to settle international trade disputes and avoid escalation between countries, normally counts seven judges. But the number has gradually dwindled amid Washington's refusal to agree to fresh appointees, amid US complaints the body's arbitrators treat the US unfairly. The Chinese document warned that if the blockage continues, there will be only one WTO appeals judge left in office by December. "Such a situation would severely threaten the proper functioning of the dispute settlement mechanism and therefore pose an imminent and institutional risk to the Organization," it said. GENEVA, May 13 (Reuters) - China warned on Monday that U.S. policies are threatening the existence of the World Trade Organization, setting out a string of grievances in a WTO "reform proposal" published by the WTO on its website. China did not name the United States in the document, but referred to the block on appointment of WTO appeals judges and "national security" tariffs on aluminum, steel and cars, policies uniquely associated with Washington. (Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Catherine Evans) Good morning. Heres the most stunning statistic from our new Fortune 500 CEO Poll: 50% of the CEOs surveyed believe Facebook has grown so large and influential that it needs additional regulation. Understand these captains of industry are not usually inclined toward regulation. Indeed, in the same survey, 69% of them say increased regulation is either a very big or somewhat big challenge for their companies. But Facebook has crossed a line, in their minds. And Amazon and Google are not too far behind: 40% of the CEOs favor additional regulation of Amazon, and 38% of Alphabet. In comparison, only 7% favor increased regulation for AT&T, 5% for Microsoft and Apple, and 2% for Disney. This comes on top of the extraordinary essay penned by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes for the Sunday New York Times (released online Thursday.) Hughes goes a step further than the CEOs, saying that Facebook not only needs to be regulated, it also needs to be broken up. As he points out in the essay, antitrust practice since the 1970s has focused on consumer harm through inflated prices as the justification for breaking up companiesand Facebook isnt guilty, under that paradigm, since most of its services are free. But Hughes argues that we pay for Facebook with our data and our attention, and by either measure it doesnt come cheap. (You can read Facebooks response here.) What makes all this particularly interesting is Zuckerbergs announcement earlier this year of plans to integrate Instagram, which the company bought in 2012, and WhatsApp, which it bought in 2014, into Facebook. Hughes believes it was a mistake for the FTC to approve both mergers, and argues its not too late to undo the mistake. But the clock is ticking. If Facebook succeeds with its integration plans, a breakup will become increasingly difficult. For what its worth, I think Hughes has a pointeven though it may stretch existing antitrust law to get there. Zuckerberg had his chance to show he could handle the responsibility that comes with running such a powerful information platformand he failed. Separating Instagram and WhatsApp would give someone else a chance. Story continues Separately, Im interviewing another Zuckerberg friend-turned-foeventure capitalist Roger McNamee, author of the book Zuckedtonight at the Greenwich Library. With Hughes, McNamee, and half the Fortune 500 against him, Zuckerberg must surely feel his back is against the wall. Thats a remarkable turnaround for a company that just a few years ago was celebrated for connecting friends, families, and freedom fighters. More news below. And more results from the Fortune 500 CEO Poll tomorrow, as well as in the June issue of Fortune magazine. Alan Murray @alansmurray alan.murray@fortune.com Mike Pence has warned Christian graduates of an evangelical university that they should prepare to face ridicule for their beliefs. The deeply religious vice president told Liberty University students that some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs. In a commencement address at the college founded by right-wing preacher Jerry Falwell, he said: Throughout most of American history, its been pretty easy to call yourself Christian. It didnt even occur to people that you might be shunned or ridiculed for defending the teachings of the Bible. But things are different now. Youre going to be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith, youre going to be asked to endorse them. Youre going to be asked to bow down to the idols of the popular culture. As an example, he cited attacks on his wife Karens decision to begin teaching at a school that bans LGBT pupils. And Mr Pence, who has said he would like to see the landmark Roe vs Wade decision overturned, reaffirmed the Trump administrations anti-abortion stance, adding that it stood without apology for the sanctity of human life. Both the president and vice president have been vocal in their support for anti-abortion activists over the last two years, and have both previously visited Liberty University. The late Mr Falwells son, Jerry Jr, has provided advice to Mr Trump on faith matters and, during his speech, Mr Pence revealed that four Liberty University graduates worked in his White House office. To the graduates of @LibertyU: As your own founder, Dr. Falwell, often said, No one ever achieved greatness without experiencing opposition. You will face opposition for holding to your faith. pic.twitter.com/XJhHn9OgEd Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) May 11, 2019 The vice-presidents comments on Saturday came a day after a judge struck down a Kentucky law that would have restricted access to terminations after 15 weeks by cracking down on the so-called dilation-and-evacuation procedure. The states governor vowed to appeal. Story continues State governments across the southern US are considering or have passed so-called heartbeat abortion laws that prohibit terminations after a fetal heartbeat can be detected which often occurs before a woman knows she is pregnant, at about six weeks gestation. Such restrictions in Georgia, in particular, have sparked threats of boycotts by Hollywood production companies. Actor Alyssa Milano called for a sex strike in protest. Bishop David Oginde of CITAM church was an architect before turning to the more fulfilling Gods work. He recalls questioning Christianity and God before finding his answers in the Bible. He had finished studying for a degree in architecture at the University of Nairobi and had just started working for Fellowship of Christian Unions (FOCUS). Then I began to wonder if God is not real, where did everything come from? The Bible made more sense than anything else because without the story of creation and reality of God, everything else does not make sense, said Oginde in an interview with Standard. Mr Oginde also talked about claims that CITAM is the richest church in Kenya, politicians giving money to churches, and more. Have you ever put your architectural degree into use? Yes, I have. I have done several buildings on the side. I dont miss it though because that would imply that I lost the knack for it somehow. If I wanted to design a building today, I would do it. I enjoyed it when I was a student. I still love it when I see good designs and love analysing buildings when I walk into some. But I also enjoy what I do now so I would say I miss it. I dont have any regrets over the path I chose. As a Christian, I believe that our lives are in the hands of God. We may have our own plans but if you put your life in his hands, he has the prerogative to craft your path and I see this one as a path he charted out for me. You are known to drop wisdom bombs. Pray do tell, how does one live a productive life? We all have 24 hours in a day with a lot of things to do. How you budget your time will determine how much you accomplish. I work a lot with schedules and diaries, and it works. Its all about setting priorities and disciplining yourself. There are things I wont do, places I will not go, and parties I will not attend because they are not priorities. When I was appointed bishop, someone asked me how I was going to manage it all and I said if Barrack Obama (he was still President at the time) can spend time with his family and run America at the same time, then surely I can run CITAM. Obama could be president, play with his children and still take his wife out, which I find hard sometimes. How often do you take your wife out? Once in a while. We tend to go out more as a family than just the two of us. We spend most of our time doing church activities and occasionally go on holiday. With my children a 21-year-old girl and 14-year-old boyI enjoy watching movies with them, going out and so on. I love listening to gospel music and reading. Most of the material I read falls under my area of interest, which is leadership. After my Bachelors degree, I got a masters degree in leadership and later a PhD in organisational leadership.So we should call you Dr Oginde. Youve been married for 30 years. What can we do to make our relationships last?Trust and love go a long way. Live one day at a time and enjoy it. Dont pick fights over insignificant things, like the amount of salt in food. Get to know your partner and what they love and work on giving them that. My wife Nancy likes scenic places, so once in a while we go to places with beautiful sceneries, just for her to revel in. How did you meet her? She was my vice chairperson in the Christian union at the University of Nairobi. She was studying law and it took fewer years to complete than my course did. She graduated before me and as we were parting ways, I realised I was going to miss her and wanted to keep her. So I proposed to her. Very quickly (laughs). What has parenting together taught you? Parenting is a very humbling responsibility because we try and help our children the best way we can but how they turn out is their responsibility. I teach them the same things I practice honesty, integrity, forthrightness. My prayer is that they will uphold the same in all spheres of life. I remind them over and over again that the worst thing they can do is to lie. What has life and age taught you? I enjoy life. One of the things I decided a long time ago was that life is short, so I should enjoy it as much as I can. This means I dont let many things trouble my mind. I dont get into controversies. I dont keep enemies and harbour bitterness. If you do me wrong I will tell you and try to iron things out. The next time we meet I will not be dealing with you on the basis of our disagreement the last time we met. In that sense, I live my life as a happy person. I try to be as honest as possible with people.And if I was to give life advice to someone, It would be that they should live a life of integrity, that fears God and respects people. What would you say is your greatest accomplishment yet? Having the privilege and honour to lead a church like CITAM. It has presented a unique opportunity to apply my leadership skills. By Gods grace Ive seen the ministry grow to the level where people think were doing something good.And it is also the richestThats propaganda. We are not the richest. The acronym CITAM represents our core values community, integrity, transformation, accountability and ministry. Under accountability we are deliberately and committed to accountability to God, the government and to one another. Accountability to the government means we do everything according to what the law requires. For two consecutive years, we received awards from the Kenya Revenue Authority as the most accountable church in the country. Not because we are the best but because we do things according to what the law requires. And the reason people think CITAM is the richest church in Kenya is because when we hold our annual general meetings, we give an account of all the money we have received in a particular year, and an account of how we spent it, and all this information is published. When people see that they think it is a lot of money. It is just that most churches dont do that, so they dont know what other churches have. Why did you decide to become a pastor? I didnt decide, it happened. My father was setting up churches when I finished high school, and one church did not have a pastor. He asked me to go to Bible school but that was not in my plans. When I finished my architecture degree, I was invited to work for FOCUS, an organisation that supports Christian unions in universities and colleges. I was a leader of the Christian union in university and because I had personally benefited from the organisations work, I decided to do it. My plan, though, was to work there for three years and move on to architecture.But three years turned to three more and another three and in the end I worked there for 11 years. When I was leaving, the church I was attending (Nairobi Pentecostal Church, now CITAM) asked me to join as an administrator. I said yes. When I reported, they told me the position was a pastoral one I was to be a pastor who oversaw administration. That wasnt a problem for me because I loved administration. Four years later a senior pastor left, and I was asked if I would take up the role. Thats how I got into mainstream pastoral work, serving as senior pastor for about four years at CITAM Karen and moved to CITAM Valley Road and the rest as they say is history. Whats your stand on dirty money from politicians to the church? This is a dilemma that CITAM doesnt suffer because we dont hold fundraisers. We dont invite guests and announce their contributions. When we have a project, we will tell our members what it is and how much it costs and pass the offering basket around and whoever can give does so. No one knows what anyone has contributed. The same with offerings. We dont know who has given and the amount given. When politicians come to our church, what they give is between them and God. And if the money they give is stolen money, again, that is between them and God.Money is not evil, people are. The concept of giving tithes and offerings is a part of the worship of God and has been there since time immemorial. This became dramatised with the rich displaying their offerings. When Jesus observed people putting in their offerings, he said the widow who gave two coins put in more because she gave all she had. And Jesus said your giving should be in secret, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Churches should institute systems where people dont display what they give.What happened to teaching brethren about being good people? Does everything have to be about the gospel of prosperity?The gospel of prosperity is not a new thing. Paul talks about it in the Corinthians where he says, We do not peddle the word of God for profit. Thats how old the gospel of prosperity is. In other words, the gospel is not for sale. You dont have to pay something to receive something. But unfortunately, there are people who have entered the so-called service of Godand I call it so-called because I doubt that they are serving Godwhose only interest is money, and they come up with lots of gimmicks to get more and more of it. Its very unfortunate because they are taking advantage of the poverty and desperation of people. Does one have to pay to receive blessings? Youll find that those who push this message attract large crowds. Sometimes people believe you get what you pay for. Thats why some people may find it odd when I say God paid for everything, so you dont have to pay for anything. Jesus died for your sins and you dont have to pay to get saved. Do you feel the preachers of prosperity gospel discredit your work? No. If you have a product and someone releases a counterfeit, the public will identify the counterfeit products in time. I dont even bring up the people doing gimmicks in church because people soon discover them. Our focus is on the truth because the truth never rots.Sometimes a member will leave and go to those churches that seem to offer what they want and after a while they come back and when they do, they find us still preaching the same thing. Thats how to win. Someone said the only way to know a fake dollar is to know the genuine one. You study the genuine one and know all its features and when you see a fake note, youll know right away. We dont spend time telling them about the fakes; we tell them the truth thats written in Gods word and once they know it, they can identify the fakes. Citroen is due to present its 19_19 Concept in a world premiere at the Viva Technology event, held May 16-18, 2019, in Paris. While marking the brand's 100th anniversary, the concept also expresses Citroen's vision of extended mobility to escape the city, prioritizing comfort, electric power and autonomous driving functions. The Citroen 19_19 Concept represents the brand's future vision of ultra-comfort and extended mobility. While the concept's name nods to Citroen's 100th anniversary (1919-2019), this car is decidedly focused on the future with its all-electric drivetrain, autonomous driving technologies and proactive personal assistant. This fully electric vehicle has a 340kW motor (equivalent to 462 horsepower), promising 0-100km/h acceleration in five seconds and a top speed of 200km/h. Citroen also announces a range of 800km. The autonomous driving functions are particularly focused on taking over during phases such as motorway driving and traffic jams. Visually, the 19_19 Concept mainly stands out with its gigantic wheels, measuring 91cm in diameter, developed in collaboration with Goodyear, and its LIDAR laser-detection measurement systems, clearly visible on the roof. On the inside, the absence of screen is striking. Instead, driver and vehicle information is projected onto the windshield in the driver's field of vision. Everything relating to onboard infotainment is visible on a transparent strip just below the dashboard. The cabin has also been designed for optimal comfort, echoing a home living room, featuring different types of seats. While the driver's seat has a raw, protective structure, the front passenger has a veritable chaise longue and there's a couch-style rear seat. This concept car complements the Ami One, unveiled in Mach 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show, which focuses on the brand's vision of all-electric mobility in urban environments. Viva Technology takes place May 16-18, 2019, at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. website: vivatechnology.com Beirut (AFP) - Clashes on the edge of a jihadist bastion in northwestern Syria have killed at least 42 fighters in 24 hours, a monitor said Monday, after regime bombardment on the region devastated health services. The northwestern region has come under increasing fire by the regime and its ally Russia in recent weeks, despite a months-old buffer zone deal intended to shield it from any government offensive. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, controls most of Idlib province as well as parts of neighbouring Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 16 loyalists and 19 jihadists died from Sunday to Monday in clashes in the area of Jabal al-Akrad in Latakia province, which lies on the bastion's northwestern edge. Russian and regime aircraft bombarded the area on Monday, while they also hit southern parts of the jihadist stronghold, said the Britain-based war monitor. Russian air strikes hit a branch of the White Helmets rescue volunteers in the town of Kafranbel, rendering it unable to operate, the Observatory and a rescue worker said. At the White Helmets facility, an AFP correspondent saw a concrete roof had collapsed in on a bulldozer and other vehicles, and the ground was covered with rubble. "Two high-explosive missiles hit the centre" just minutes after its personnel had headed out to the site of strikes in a nearby village, Oneida Zikra, the civil defence chief for the area, told AFP. To the south, rocket fire killed one child in the regime-held town of Suqaylabiyah in Hama province, the Observatory and the state news agency SANA said. HTS and its allies launched a counter-attack late Monday, bombing areas in the north of the province and sparking fierce clashes on the ground, according to the Observatory. - 'Brutal offensive' - Idlib's three million inhabitants are supposed to be protected from a massive regime assault by a September buffer zone deal signed by Russia and rebel backer Turkey. Story continues But an uptick in air strikes and shelling displaced 180,000 people between April 29 and May 9 alone, the United Nations says. The Observatory says 119 civilians have been killed in the bombardment since late April. On Monday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 18 health facilities had been knocked out of service in a little over a fortnight, two of them hit twice. "Attacks on health facilities in northwest Syria continue to exact a devastating toll on the civilian population," said OCHA spokesman for Syria David Swanson. "Such violence is appalling. Hospitals are and must remain a place of sanctuary and unequivocal neutrality," he told AFP. UN-linked aid groups on Saturday said they had suspended activities in parts of the region, as the violence has jeopardised the safety of humanitarian workers. In a filmed interview released on Sunday night, HTS chief Abu Mohammad al-Jolani urged supporters to "take up weapons" to defend Idlib. The spike in violence signalled "the death of all previous agreements and conferences", he said. In a joint statement on Monday, Britain, France and Germany said the military escalation in northwestern Syria "must stop". "The current brutal offensive by the Syrian regime and its backers on millions of civilians living in the area is not about fighting terrorism. It is about pushing forward the ruthless reconquest by the regime," they said. Damascus has not announced a wide offensive, but analysts believe there could be a limited military operation. The civil war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. (The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters) By Peter Apps LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - This week, dignitaries and Western military veterans celebrated the seventieth anniversary of the Berlin airlift, the mammoth year-long effort to break a ground blockade by the Soviet Union. Whether the United States and its allies would go to the same length to support an ally today, however, remains a very open question. That, at least, appears the growing belief in Moscow and Beijing, both intent on pressuring their neighbors who are also U.S. allies. It's a perception the U.S. military is going to increasing lengths to counter, despite or perhaps in some respects because of questions over where President Donald Trump himself stands. That uncertainty, however, risks opening the door to ever more dangerous confrontation. The question goes to the heart of the always messy paradox of deterrence. The readier countries are to band together against an aggressive but powerful state determined to get its way, the less likely such a conflict is to happen. But it also points to a way in which the world has changed. Even the most powerful nations, whether U.S. allies or adversaries, are increasingly tied into a globalized supply chain beyond anyones control. That makes Berlin-style blockades much harder to envisage but it also means nations lack the military or other resources to get around them if they happen. The Berlin airlift crisis itself arose, of course, from very specific circumstances. Ever since the end of World War Two, West Berlin had been run separately as an enclave within communist East Germany, connected to the West by road and rail links through Soviet-dominated territory. By closing those routes, Moscow hoped to demonstrate the inability of the United States and its NATO allies to support West Berlin, potentially as a precursor to annexing it entirely. The Western effort to get around the blockade by air, meanwhile, was also only possible due to similarly unique circumstances particularly that it took place so soon after World War Two. While the task of flying supplies was already far too great for air forces of the era, a huge stock of war surplus transport aircraft and crew remained. Through a gargantuan effort to tap those resources and a host of private contract firms, the effort was sustained. Story continues FUNDAMENTALLY COMMITTED Perhaps equally importantly, the Kremlin was persuaded that the United States was fundamentally committed to the defense of West Berlin, even at the cost of triggering a wider war in Europe. The Soviet Union would not have the atomic bomb until August 1949, and could not risk an open conflict. Even once it did, Moscow could never risk grabbing West Berlin without triggering atomic Armageddon. The United States, Britain and its allies maintained just enough troops there the Berlin Brigade so that while West Berlin remained militarily indefensible, it still could not be taken without a fight. Fast-forward seven decades, and the question now preoccupying strategists in Washington and Western European capitals is how to achieve that same effect against increasingly assertive Moscow and Beijing. Unsurprisingly, when it comes to confronting Russian President Vladimir Putin, NATO powers have taken their cues from the past. As soon as Moscow moved against Ukraine in 2014, the United States sent small detachments of troops to eastern NATO members, particularly the former Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Once part of the Soviet Union but now NATO and European Union members, those states were deemed vulnerable to Russian land grabs, not least because of the presence of significant Russian-speaking populations. In 2017, those forces were replaced by NATOs enhanced Forward Presence, a rotating selection of battle groups from Britain, Germany, Canada and elsewhere, based in the Baltic states and Poland. While considerably overmatched by the volume of forces Moscow could push across the border at short notice, they are designed to guarantee a fight. The United States and NATO allies have also mounted exercises designed to show they can get reinforcements on the ground quickly, including flying paratroopers directly from the United States to Latvia in an exercise earlier this year. Should Russia attempt a Berlin-style blockade, most U.S. allies in Eastern Europe could simply be resupplied by road. Even if Russia cut off the Baltic states by seizing the Suwalki Gap, the thin strip of land between Moscows ally, Belarus, and the coastal Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, they would be relatively easy to reach by short Baltic sea routes from Finland, Sweden and beyond. ARMED CONFRONTATION Whether private shipping would be prepared to take that risk at a time of armed confrontation is a different matter. In the years since 1949, the global supply chain has become much more the preserve of multinational, often offshore companies. As seen during preparations for Brexit, when British officials tried sometimes unsuccessfully to contract ferry firms to replace highly complex international supply chains, that might be no simple matter. A much greater question mark, however, lies over the ability of the United States and its allies to similarly support, Taiwan, increasingly nervous about an aggressive China. President Xi Jinping has pledged to return the island which Beijing sees as a rogue province to mainland rule within a generation. Chinese anti-air and anti-ship systems already dominate the region. U.S. warships and planes have dramatically stepped up their own operations there in response to Chinese posturing, but it is unclear how survivable they would be in a genuine shooting war. Any such conflict, however, would risk wrecking the supply chains on which most major economies depend. China needs resources from the rest of the world, the West needs that as well as manufactured goods. Neither really has the ability to assert military control over those global supply routes in the way countries did during World War Two. The greater question, however, is over political will. The Berlin crisis erupted because Moscow wanted to test the West, and America in particular. Moscow and Beijing, some strategists believe, suspect they might be now able to force the United States to abandon key allies without firing many shots. They may well be wrong, but the suspicion alone ratchets up the prospect of dangerous mistakes. *** Peter Apps is a writer on international affairs, localisation, conflict and other issues. He is the founder and executive director of the Project for Study of the 21st Century; PS21, a non-national, non-partisan, non-ideological think tank. Paralyzed by a war-zone car crash in 2006, he also blogs about his disability and other topics. He was previously a reporter for Reuters and continues to be paid by Thomson Reuters. Since 2016, he has been a member of the British Army Reserve and the UK Labour Party, and is an active fundraiser for the party. (Editing by Giles Elgood) 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. Just take a look at Costa Group Holdings Limited (ASX:CGC), which is up 75%, over three years, soundly beating the market return of 17% (not including dividends). View our latest analysis for Costa Group Holdings To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. During the three years of share price growth, Costa Group Holdings actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) drop 4.6% per year. Given the share price resilience, we don't think the (declining) EPS numbers are a good measure of how the business is moving forward, right now. Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics. It could be that the revenue growth of 8.2% per year is viewed as evidence that Costa Group Holdings is growing. In that case, the company may be sacrificing current earnings per share to drive growth, and maybe shareholder's faith in better days ahead will be rewarded. The chart below shows how revenue and earnings have changed with time, (if you click on the chart you can see the actual values). ASX:CGC Income Statement, May 12th 2019 We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think Costa Group Holdings will earn in the future (free profit forecasts). What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. 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. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. As it happens, Costa Group Holdings's TSR for the last 3 years was 88%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! Story continues A Different Perspective The last twelve months weren't great for Costa Group Holdings shares, which cost holders 28%, including dividends, while the market was up about 7.1%. Of course the long term matters more than the short term, and even great stocks will sometimes have a poor year. Investors are up over three years, booking 23% per year, much better than the more recent returns. Sometimes when a good quality long term winner has a weak period, it's turns out to be an opportunity, but you really need to be sure that the quality is there. It is all well and good that insiders have been buying shares, but we suggest you check here to see what price insiders were buying at. There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on AU 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. BERLIN (AP) Germany's environment minister on Monday backed a European proposal to virtually eliminate man-made greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century, deepening divisions within the German government over how to tackle climate change. French President Emmanuel Macron and eight either EU countries pitched the plan at a summit of European leaders last week, but Germany was a notable holdout. "I don't think this decision is final," said Environment Minister Svenja Schulze of the center-left Social Democrats, the junior partners in Merkel's government. "I think we should talk about it again. Because I think it's very sensible to stand alongside France and work to say at the EU-level that we want to implement Paris." The 2015 Paris climate accord, approved by almost all countries around the world, set a target of keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial times. Scientists say this is only possible if emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide are drastically reduced in the coming decades. Speaking to reporters ahead of a climate change meeting of 35 countries in Berlin, Schulze also favored the introduction of a carbon tax to discourage fossil fuel use. The leader of Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union party, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, has instead favored expanding an EU-wide carbon trading system. A recent poll for public broadcaster ZDF found environment topped immigration as the issue Germans are most concerned about. But the survey of 1,357 phone respondents, conducted May 7-9, also found 61% oppose a carbon tax on fossil fuels, even if other taxes are cut. Only 35% were in favor, according to the Forschungsgruppe Wahlen polling agency. Despite its much-vaunted plan for an "energy transition" away from fossil fuels and nuclear energy to renewable power sources, Germany has struggled to lower its emissions in recent years, particularly in the area of transportation. Story continues Germany is set to miss its reduction target for 2020 and under EU rules it could be forced to buy billions of euros (dollars) worth of carbon credits from other countries starting in 2021. A report published Monday by the Carbon Disclosure Project, a London-based research firm, listed 43 cities around the world that are leading on environmental action. None of them are in Germany. Schulze said she wants Cabinet to pass a "strong" climate law this year. "This is about big investment decisions that affect all of society, each and every one but also industry," she said. "We need certainty about where the journey is going." ___ Carbon Disclosure Project report on cities: https://www.cdp.net/en/cities/cities-scores Nicosia (AFP) - Seven foreign women and girls murdered, some dumped in a toxic lake -- the "first serial killings" in Cyprus have provoked horror and sparked accusations of police racism. Since mid-April, the Mediterranean island's press has slammed official failings over the murders, which 35-year-old army officer Nicos Metaxas has allegedly confessed to carrying out. Andreas Kapardis, a criminologist and emeritus professor at the University of Cyprus, said the killings were first such case since the island won its independence in 1960. "For Cypriots, discovering a serial murderer in their own society is... unique", he said. The victims were four Filipinas, including a mother and her six-year-old daughter, a Romanian woman and her eight-year-old daughter, and a woman reported to be Nepalese. All the women had been reported missing, but police failed to follow up the cases, allowing the alleged killer to carry on for nearly three years. "The more the investigation advanced, the more it became clear that the police botched the searches because these were immigrant women," said Maria Mappouridou, who has organised protests over authorities' handling of the cases. The killings "hit many of our weak spots -- our relationship with women, immigrants and the lack of care of the police," she said. The discovery of five bodies in just a few weeks has shaken the popular holiday island's normally stable political landscape. The justice minister has been forced to resign and President Nicos Anastasiades has fired the police chief. The head of state criticised the police for "apparent negligence and dereliction of duty" and acknowledged that better initial investigations could have prevented some of the killings. The Cyprus Mail has reported that police fobbed off pleas to investigate individual disappearances by claiming the women had left the island via the north -- a breakaway Turkish-backed republic that remains unrecognised by the international community. Story continues "If the police had done their job... five lives could have been spared," the paper said in a recent editorial. "Perhaps the police's utter disregard... reflects the attitude of our society." - 'Wake-up call' - For Lissa Jataas, founder of Obreras Empowered, an NGO that promotes the rights of housemaids, the murders were a "wake-up call". "Now we need to talk -- to make government and immigrants sit at the same table" to discuss sexual and physical violence, she said. In late April, as police trawled the toxic waters of a manmade lake near Nicosia, Mappouridou took to social media to call for a protest outside the presidential palace. Hundreds of people, both Cypriots and foreigners, gathered at the site in the capital on consecutive Fridays. Among them was Nicoletta Georgiou, an event organiser who voiced anger that authorities had failed to protect the women. "You have to remember migrants are part of our society," the 26-year-old said. Mappouridou said she didn't "know a family here who doesn't have a nanny, a cleaner." But, she said, "the victims were doubly invisible -- female and foreign." - 'Isolated and vulnerable' - Mappouridou has been digging back into unresolved disappearances on the island, and has found 35 dating back to 1990. Most were foreign women, several adolescents. She is now campaigning to "ensure that the police do their job properly" and investigate the cases. But criminologist Kapardis cautioned that the police are often faced with "disappearances of foreigners that are very difficult to resolve". The killer chose "immigrant women, isolated and vulnerable", he said. If he had targeted "a Cypriot woman, her family and friends would have rallied to find her... and the police investigation would have been easy." With 864,000 residents, Cyprus has a reputation as an oasis of peace in a troubled region. The sunny tourist hotspot attracted nearly four million visitors last year. Yet it has one of the highest murder rates in the European Union, according to the most recent figures from Eurostat. After the killings, "Cypriots seem to have discovered that immigrant women are not safe here", said one Ethiopian domestic worker, who asked not want to be named. "But we knew it from the beginning," she said. The county government of Narok has announced free entry into the world renowned Maasai Mara Game Reserve on Madaraka Day. The announcement was made by governor Samuel Tunai after a consultative meeting with leaders and national government officials. He said that the move was aimed at those who have never been to the Mara, to have a taste of it. Those who have never had chance of meeting a Maasai Moran in real life, apart from seeing photos in newspapers, will have an opportunity to interact with them one on one during that day, he said. Kenyans are normally charged Sh2,000 per person to enter the park while foreigners pay Sh8,000. Narok is home of the eighth wonder of the world, the annual Wildebeest migration to and from Mara and Serengeti in neighboring Tanzania, said Mr Tunai.We have decided to waive park fees to celebrate Kenyas attainment of self-rule and mark our (Maasai) culture. The governor further revealed that his government was in talks with hoteliers around the area to subsidize accommodation fees on the said date. Maasai Maras move to waive entry fees follows in the footsteps of Nairobi National Park, which did the same lat month. PRAGUE (Reuters) - Thousands protested in the Czech capital Prague for a third week running on Monday against a new justice minister who they fear could meddle in a criminal case against the prime minister. Protesters complain of Marie Benesova's past comments supportive of billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who has been charged with illegally tapping 2 million euros in European Union funds a decade ago when he was in business. He denies the charges. Benesova's predecessor resigned without giving a clear reason a day after police wrapped their investigation and recommended that Babis stand trial. Prosecutors have yet to decide on the case. Babis has called the case a political ploy and said the demonstrations amounted to theater before European Parliament elections this month. Benesova has denied planning to push for personnel changes, such as that of the chief prosecutor, to alter the course of the investigation, which has worried protesters. "We are demonstrating against (the fact) that a woman with such a history as her own becomes justice minister a day after the police proposed the prime minister be indicted," a protest organizer, Mikulas Minar, said on Monday on a Czech Radio debate show. "That is an unacceptable coincidence for us." Benesova was part of a caretaker government in 2013, appointed by President Milos Zeman, a Babis ally. As a member of parliament in 2017, she was among a small minority who did not back lifting Babis's parliamentary immunity in the subsidy case. Monday's protest turnout matched last week's when at least 20,000 protested in Prague's Old Town Square, CTK news agency estimated. Police do not give estimates. CTK also estimated 2,000 marched in Brno, the country's second largest city. The demonstrations come after politically-charged overhauls to justice systems in fellow central European countries Hungary and Poland led to protests and disputes with the European Union, which said the changes threatened the rule of law. Czech chief prosecutor Lenka Bradacova said in a newspaper interview on Monday the protests might be expressing concern about a repeat of what happened in Hungary and Poland. "The Czech justice (system) is in a way concerned about the situation that has arisen in neighboring countries," she told daily Hospodarske Noviny, adding there was no guarantee a similar development could not transpire in the Czech Republic. "I don't want to speculate but I think the public is making it known that it is sensitive to these issues," she said. Babis, the country's second richest person, has long fought conflict of interest allegations and put his Agrofert empire of chemicals, farming, media and other firms into trusts in 2017 to comply with new legislation. Despite the allegations and conflict of interest accusations against Babis, his ANO party, which was a runaway winner in the 2017 election, remains the country's clear leader in the polls. (Reporting by Robert Muller and Jason Hovet; Editing by Jan Lopatka and Mark Heinrich) Danny Baker (Credit: Yui Mok/PA via AP) Danny Baker was overwhelmed by support from fans at his first live show since being sacked from the BBC. The BBC terminated his contract last Sunday, after he tweeted a black and white picture of a chimpanzee in a suit, with a smartly-dressed man and woman, captioned 'Royal baby leaves hospital'. Many accused the Radio 5 Live veteran of racism, and though he deleted the tweet and apologised, the Corporation confirmed that Baker 'will no longer be presenting a weekly show with us'. Read more: Danny Baker apologises for racist tweet But on appearing on stage at the Nottingham Theatre Royal last night, fronting his stand-up show Good Time Charlies Back, he was received with a standing ovation from the audience. I genuinely didnt know what the atmosphere would be like tonight. You wouldnt believe how I was feeling 20 minutes ago but Im so pleased so lets do this, Baker said, (via the Huffington Post). Later in the show, he added: Ive never been a sentimental sort. But Im numb with gratitude tonight, I caught my wife in the break and you reduced her to a pile of tears. I do want to say this and Im not milking it but its been one of the best nights of my career tonight. It really has. Baker's sacking came up at last night's BAFTA TV Awards too, with host Graham Norton making reference to the headline-grabbing incident with a Great British Bake-Off gag. Every week after an error of judgement a baker gets kicked out, he said. This week it was Danny. Literally a showstopper. Baker apologised for the tweet soon after he posted it, telling fans: Sorry my gag pic of the little fella in the posh outfit has whipped some up. Read more: Stan Collymore accuses BBC of hypocrisy over Baker sacking Never occurred to me because, well, mind not diseased. Soon as those good enough to point out its possible connotations got in touch, down it came. In later messages, he accused the BBC of throwing him 'under the bus'. Some have stuck up for him, however. Comedian Dara O Briain said: What? Danny Baker got fired? But he immediately apologised and deleted the tweet! I mean, literally, in the event of mistakenly causing offence, what else can you do? Genuinely amazed by that. Story continues Also amazed by how many thought that by posting this, I was excusing the original tweet. Of course I wasnt. The Irish had a century of that monkey sh*t too, yknow (cf Punch magazine). Ultimately, though, Id like that to hope if/when I f**k up, you might accept an apology (Reuters) - ION Investment Group, the owner of data provider Dealogic, on Monday bought a controlling stake in financial news and data firm Acuris, known for its Mergermarket and Debtwire brands, for 1.35 billion pounds ($1.76 billion), including debt. ION will buy the stake in London-based Acuris from BC Partners and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC, making the Irish firm Mergermarket's fourth owner in 13 years. Big buyout funds struggled to match BC Partners' price expectations and while most investors have walked away, sources told Reuters last month, adding that some funds were allowed to progress in the auction. Moody's was one of the strongest contenders to win the deal, Reuters reported last month, after credit rating agency Fitch pulled out of the bidding. Moody's failed to buy Acuris in 2013 when Mergermarket, a former subsidiary of the Financial Times Group, was sold by Pearson to BC Partners for about 380 million pounds. Acuris, led by Chief Executive Hamilton Matthews, has a sprawling portfolio of financial news outlets and data products. It employs about 1,300 staff and counts big investment banks among its most loyal subscribers. "When we invested in Acuris in 2014, we saw an opportunity to accelerate its growth and to build a strong franchise, in partnership with Hamilton and the management team," said Nikos Stathopoulos, partner at BC Partners and chairman of Acuris. Under BC's ownership, Acuris bought a series of news outlets including private equity publication Unquote. In 2017, GIC bought about 30 percent of Acuris. BC Partners will retain a minority stake of 25 percent in Acuris, while GIC will sell out its stake, Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing people with knowledge of the deal. UBS Investment Bank was financial adviser to ION, while J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs advised Acuris on the deal. ($1 = 0.7686 pounds) (Reporting by Justin George Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty) New Delhi suffered a rare summer air pollution alert Monday as dust storms and heat over northern India took smog to hazardous levels. The world's most polluted capital city is blanketed in a toxic smog of car fumes, agricultural smoke and factory waste most winters, but it is less severe in summer months. On Monday, the Indian government's air quality index hit "very poor" with PM 2.5 particles, the most harmful, at 154 micrograms per cubic metre, five times the normal safe level. Clouds of dust swirled around the streets and many people brought out masks generally used in winter. "Right now we are in the thunderstorm season. High speed winds are raising a lot of dust but we think it is only transient and will change in a day or two, when it rains," V.K Soni, an India Meteorological Department official, told AFP. Pollution levels started rising the day after a top minister promised that Delhi's air would be clean in three years because of action taken by the government. "Our government has done 100 per cent corruption-free, transparent, time-bound, result-oriented and quality work and that is why Delhi will be free of air and water pollution in the next three years," Transport and Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari told an election-campaign press conference last Thursday. Indian authorities have unsuccessfully tried to curb pollution in recent years. Indian cities made up 14 of the world's 15 most polluted cities in a UN survey released in 2018. Air pollution contributes to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year in India, according to the United Nations. The Delhi region has been described as a "gas chamber" by the state's incumbent chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal. By Tim Reid LOS ANGELES, May 13 (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren pledged on Monday that if she wins the White House in 2020, her education secretary will be "a former public school teacher who is committed to public education." In remarks Warren planned to deliver to a teachers union in Philadelphia, the U.S. senator from Massachusetts described Republican president Donald Trump's education secretary, Betsy DeVos, as "the worst secretary of education we've seen." DeVos is a reviled figure among many Democrats and teachers unions. She is a proponent of school vouchers, school choice and charter schools, options critics see as undermining public education. DeVos, who has no teaching experience, has also eased regulations on for-profit colleges. Warren, a former educator, vowed to take a different course. "Lets get a person with real teaching experience," Warren said in an email ahead of the town hall. "A person who understands how low pay, tattered textbooks, and crumbling classrooms hurt students and educators. A person who understands the crushing burden of student debt on students and young professionals and who is committed to actually doing something about it." The Education Department did not immediately respond to Warren's comments. Warren was appearing before a gathering of the American Federation of Teachers, the country's second-largest teachers union. Her remarks come as many of her Democratic rivals court America's teachers, an important constituency in the party's nominating contest, in their battle to become the candidate to take on Trump in next year's presidential election. U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California, another Democratic candidate, has pledged $315 billion over 10 years to increase teacher pay. It was the first major policy proposal Harris rolled out after she declared her candidacy. (Reporting by Tim Reid Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Jonathan Oatis) By Arno Schuetze and Angelika Gruber FRANKFURT/ZURICH (Reuters) - Talks have stalled between Deutsche Bank and UBS on a tie up of their asset management businesses due to differences over who would control the combined entity, people familiar with the matter said. Such a tie-up still made strategic and financial sense and they did not rule out that talks may eventually be revived, three sources said, but both banks had wanted to drive the venture. Deutsche Bank, its asset management arm DWS, and UBS declined to comment. DWS shares were down 3% at 1447 GMT, rebounding slightly from sharper losses after the news of the stalled talks emerged. The idea of merging the businesses mushroomed in recent months as Deutsche Bank discussed a possible merger with smaller rival Commerzbank. A deal for Deutsche's DWS unit could have been a way to finance that merger, but with the Commerzbank talks ending in failure, the urgency to do an asset management deal fizzled out. Any deal to merge DWS with a peer and give it additional scale could also be presented as a strategic revamp of Deutsche Bank after the failure of the Commerzbank talks. A GOOD FIT A combined UBS asset management unit and DWS would have just more than 1.4 trillion euros ($1.58 trillion) in assets under management and was considered a good fit as the two are roughly the same size. DWS chief executive Asoka Woehrmann has said he wants to actively participate in consolidation in asset management and early last year Deutsche Bank listed it as part of a broader overhaul to help Germany's largest bank move on from a string of lawsuits and trading scandals. A structure under consideration was for UBS to hive off its asset management business and fold it into DWS, which is 79.5 percent owned by Deutsche Bank. A deal could have led to more than 1,000 job cuts, one banker said. Deutsche Bank had also approached Allianz and Amundi, the French asset manager mostly owned by Credit Agricole, over a possible deal for DWS, other people close to the matter said. Story continues As with the UBS talks, issues over who would be in driving seat of a merged entity led to the failure of the Allianz talks, two people close to the matter said. Allianz's interest in medium-sized deals such as this one was limited, one added. Allianz declined to comment. (Reporting by Arno Schuetze in Frankfurt and Angelika Gruber in Zurich; Additional reporting by Alexander Huebner in Munich and Pamela Barbaglia in London; Writing by Tom Sims; Editing by Michelle Martin and Alexander Smith) A man has been jailed for 34-weeks after eating in Frankie and Benny's in Cambridge for six hours and then refusing to pay. Stock image. (PA) A diner who spent more than six hours eating in a restaurant and then refused to pay the bill has been jailed for 34 weeks. Paul Rockett, 64, ordered dishes including crab bites, penne meatballs and a peach sundae at a Cambridge branch of Frankie & Bennys, Cambridgeshire Police said. He washed them down with drinks including two double whiskeys and two bottles of cider, with the bill totalling 52.91. He entered the restaurant at 4.40pm on December 27 and at 11pm he refused to pay the bill as he claimed it showed an incorrect date, police said. He left when the restaurant manager called site security. Paul Rockett's food order at Frankie & Benny's in Cambridge. (SWNS) Read more from Yahoo News UK: Motorists pull passengers from burning plane wreckage Tories in FIFTH place according to EU elections poll Transgender Lotto winner dies 18 months after 4m win He was later interviewed by police and claimed he went to the restaurant to survive, the force said. Rocket, of no fixed address, was found guilty of making off without payment during an earlier trial at Cambridge Crown Court, police said. He was also found guilty of breaching an order banning him from entering any restaurant in Cambridge without the means to pay. Rockett, who was also convicted of failing to comply with a sex offenders notification requirement, was jailed for 34 weeks and given a two-year order banning him from entering any restaurant in Cambridge without the means to pay. PC Brad Munday said: Rockett never had any intention, or means, to pay for his food and knew the consequences of dining in Frankie & Bennys. Dubai-based BitOasis has cleared a regulatory hurdle as it aims to operate as a licensed exchange in the Midldle East. | Source: Shutterstock By CCN: The United Arab Emirates has granted crypto exchange BitOasis a preliminary license which allows it to operate a digital asset wallet and a trading platform in the region. According to Dubai-based BitOasis, this will make the firm Middle Easts first regulated bitcoin exchange. The preliminary license was granted by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority. This is one of the three independent authorities of UAEs international financial center, the Abu Dhabi Global Market. BitOasis secures its regulatory In-Principal Approval, aiming to become the first regulated crypto asset exchange in the Middle East @business https://t.co/WYqmgSdmKK BitOasis (@bitoasis) May 13, 2019 Per a Bloomberg report, in the past two years, BitOasis has handled trading volumes totaling approximately $1.6 billion. This makes it one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in the Middle East. Currently, some of the cryptocurrencies that are available for trading on BitOasis include BTC, ETH, XRP, BCH, LTC and XLM. Others that are available for trading include ETC, BSV, XMR, XLM and ZEC. More Hurdles to Cross for Crypto Exchange According to BitOasis CEO and co-founder, Ola Doudin, a full license will be granted once certain operational and technical requirements are satisfied. The crypto exchange intends to fulfil this in the second half. Doudin has stated that the license will enhance the companys growth prospects: Overall, it will boost our growth in the region, legitimize the space and expand our reach in the market. While this is just an interim license, Doudin had expressed confidence earlier in the year that BitOasis will be fully licensed before the close of 2019. Read the full story on CCN.com. Kenyan authorities have made another major marijuana bust in their renewed war against drug trafficking. Police nabbed the marijuana with an estimated street value of Sh6 million in Kirimon area of Samburu County on Saturday. The consignment which was packed in 113 bales was on transit to an unknown destination in two vehicles. It was reportedly being transported from Ethiopia through Moyale in Marsabit County and Kirimon in Samburu County. Just like the February recovery of 1,140 kgs of marijuana in Kahawa Sukari, police in Samburu acted on a tip-off from members of the public. PHOTOS: 1 Ton of Weed Nabbed after Neighbours Snitch to Police in Kahawa Sukari According to police, one of the vehicles being used to transport the marijuana developed a mechanical problem, forcing traffickers to seek help from a nearby home at Kirimon area on Friday evening. They(suspects) told the man that, this vehicle has developed a mechanical problem, let it remain here we will come for it tomorrow morning. They were offloading some things from the vehicle and when asked what was being transported, the suspects lied to him that it was medicine to cure cancer disease but he doubted and reported them to police officers at Kirimon Police Patrol base, said Samburu County Police Commander Karanja Muiruri. The officers visited the mans home and confirmed his report before laying an ambush for the suspects. Saturday morning, they laid an ambush and owner of those vehicles came back in another Prado and they were arrested, he said. We have three suspects including a woman in the police station, officers from the DCI are steering investigations as it seems there is a big chain of people in this illicit business, Mr Muiruri told journalists outside Maralal Police Station. The suspects are set to be arraigned today, May 13. The drug bust came just a day after police in Kasarani intercepted marijuana worth an estimated Sh8million. Kasarani OCPD Peter Kimani said the Cannabis was being transported in a petroleum tanker and was concealed in 50kg packs. Preliminary investigations showed that the marijuana originated from Moyale and was to be distributed in Kasarani, Juja, Githurai and parts of Nairobi. Two suspects were arrested. Stefen Wisniewski re-signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. NFL Network reported Wisniewski signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract, with $500,000 in additional incentives. A guard and center, Wisniewski has been a capable and valuable fill-in up front, starting at least six games each of the past three seasons. Guard Brandon Brooks is recovering from a torn Achilles, and Wisniewski could open training camp with the first unit. The Eagles declined a $3.7 million option in Wisniewski's contract in March. The 30-year-old tested free agency but opted to return to Philadelphia. Originally a second-round pick by Oakland in 2011, he started 61 games with the Raiders (2011-14) and 16 games with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2015) before joining Philadelphia. --Field Level Media Panama City (AFP) - A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit Panama on Sunday, injuring at least five people and causing damage to businesses and homes, officials said. The strong quake struck at a depth of 37 kilometers (23 miles) in the far west of the country near the Costa Rican border, according to the US Geological Survey. It was followed by a smaller 5.4-magnitude quake in Colon province, on central Panama's Caribbean coast, according to the country's National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc). Five people were injured in the first quake, which hit 22 km from the town of Puerto Armuelles, said Sinaproc. Four homes were damaged, including two that collapsed, it said. President Juan Carlos Varela had said on Twitter earlier that just one person was hurt, in Puerto Armuelles. He reported damage to homes and businesses in the Central American nation. School classes were suspended for Monday in Baru district, where the first quake struck. There was no tsunami alert issued from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The second quake occurred late Sunday and was not related to the afternoon quake near Puerto Armuelles, Sinaproc said. So far no damage has been reported from the second quake, it added. In November 2017 a 6.5-magnitude quake on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica left buildings swaying in the capital San Jose and contributed to the deaths of two people who had heart attacks. Further north, two months earlier in September 2017 a 7.1-magnitude earthquake killed more than 300 people in Mexico. Butembo (DR Congo) (AFP) - Police and soldiers repelled an attack on an Ebola treatment centre in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo overnight, killing one assailant, a government official said Monday. The dead man was a member of the Mai-Mai rebel group, Sylvain Kanyamanda, the mayor of Butembo in the North Kivu province, told AFP. "The security forces prevented the attackers from crossing a 40-metre (130-foot) perimeter" around the centre where Ebola patients were being treated. North Kivu province is at the centre of a new outbreak of the viral disease which has killed more than 1,100 people since last August out of about 1,600 infected, according to the authorities. Among these, 99 health workers have been infected, and 34 have died. The Ebola fightback in the region is hampered by the presence of warring armed groups, including the Mai-Mai, and by locals in denial who refuse treatment and ignore prevention advice. Last week, the UN special representative to the DRC blasted rumours that the world body was trying to cash in on Ebola. Leila Zerrougui, head of the UN mission to the sprawling central African nation, slammed as "sheer madness" local speculation that "there is no illness, that they want to poison us because they are trying to cash in on us." The outbreak is the biggest on Congolese soil since the disease was first recorded in the country, then Zaire, in 1976. An epidemic in 2014-16 killed 11,300 people in West Africa. Madrid (AFP) - Ecuador will hand over to the United States documents and computer hardware which Wikileaks founder and whistleblower Julian Assange left behind at its London embassy, his lawyers said Monday. Ecuadoran public prosecutors have authorised police next Monday to search the room which the Australian occupied for seven years and seize his personal belongings, they said. They cited an e-mail from the public prosecutors dated May 8 but AFP was not able to confirm its authenticity. The belongings, including computers, mobile phones, memory sticks and other electronic devices, will then be sent to the United States as part of Ecuador's response to a request from the US Department of Justice for cooperation into its investigation into Assange, according to the e-mail. This is an "absolute violation of the right of defence, because they will hand over to the United States all his communications with his lawyers, which are confidential," Assange's lawyer in Madrid, Aitor Martinez, told AFP. Assange, 47, is currently in a London jail. A US indictment charges him with "conspiracy" for working with former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password stored on Department of Defense computers in March 2010. Manning passed hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, exposing US military wrongdoing in the Iraq war and diplomatic secrets about scores of countries. Assange could face up to five years in jail if found guilty, although his team is fighting his extradition and the process could take years. His lawyer in Ecuador, Carlos Poveda, told AFP that he was "never" notified of the public prosecutors' decision. Poveda said he had appealed the permission to seize Assange's belongings be suspended. If public prosecutors do not reverse their decision, he has asked that Assange be present when the room is searched. According to Ecuadoran judicial sources, the public prosecutors' office has not made the decision public because it is part of a confidential international cooperation document. Story continues Assange, who holed himself up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London in June 2012 to avoid a British extradition order to Sweden over an allegation of rape, was arrested on April 11 after Ecuador gave him up. A London court sentenced him on May 1 to 50 weeks in jail for breaching bail when he took refuge in the embassy. Swedish prosecutors decided Monday to reopen his investigation for alleged rape in 2010, which he denies and says is a pretext to transfer him to the United States. * Once elegant Cairo exploded into sprawling conurbation * New city aims to have Africa's tallest skyscraper * Major UAE, Chinese contracts fell through * President showed off site to French counterpart By Aidan Lewis and Mohamed Abdellah CAIRO, May 13 (Reuters) - Egypt's government wants to start running the nation from a new capital in the desert from mid-2020, but the $58 billion project is struggling to raise funds and needs to overcome other challenges after investors pulled out. Workers are rushing to build core areas of the new city to replace Cairo, the existing capital on the Nile that has become a traffic-clogged, urban sprawl of more than 20 million people. The project, launched in 2015 by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi a year after he was first elected president, aims to offer a clean and efficient base for the government and finance industry, as well as homes for at least 6.5 million people. But the project, which also seeks to lift an economy dented by political turmoil after 2011, lost a lead investor from the United Arab Emirates and is now being run by the Housing Ministry and the army's Engineering Authority. "There is very strong interest from the political leadership in the project," said Ahmed Zaki Abdeen, a retired general who heads the company building the new city, told Reuters. But he said "the large scale of the work leads to large scale problems," such as finding enough skilled labor to wire up the "smart city" and raising about 1 trillion Egyptian pounds ($58 billion) in financing over coming years from land sales and other investment. "We need very extensive financing and the state doesn't have money to give me," said Abdeen, adding that about 20% of investment so far had come from abroad, including up to $4.5 billion from China. A promotional video depicts a green city, running on cashless systems for transport and other services, that contrasts with Cairo, much of whose elegant 19th and early 20th century architectural heart has fallen into disrepair. Story continues The new city, known for now as the New Administrative Capital, is eventually expected to cover about 700 square km. The first phase, covering about 168 square km, will have ministries, residential neighborhoods, a diplomatic quarter and a financial district. A large mosque and cathedral, as well a hotel and conference center, have already been built. With parks and tree-lined avenues, the city will consume an estimated 650,000 cubic meters a day of water from the North African nation's scarce resources. LAYING FOUNDATIONS At the construction site, about 45 km (28 miles) east of Cairo, diggers and cranes clutter the landscape and wide roads run between empty plots and part-finished buildings. Workers for China State Construction Engineering Corp (CSCEC) lay foundations for the business district, where 21 skyscrapers including Africa's tallest at 85 stories are planned. Abdeen said he hoped a $1.2 billion electrified train link from Cairo to the city, also being built by a Chinese firm, would be ready in 18 months. Before then the city would be served by electric buses, he said. However, a $20 billion deal for the second project phase agreed in 2016 with China Fortune Land Development Co. Ltd fell through over financial terms. The second and third phases had been "postponed," he added. Despite setbacks, Egypt's general-turned-president has been keen to show off the project, taking visiting French President Emmanuel Macron on a helicopter tour of the site in January. David Sims, author of Egypt's Desert Dreams, a book on development projects, said the backing of Egypt's presidency and military made the project "too big to fail," although he said that did not guarantee people would want to live there. "It's one thing to have an army of laborers and lots of machinery out there pushing dirt around but it will be another thing to see if it all comes together," he said. (Writing by Aidan Lewis Editing by Edmund Blair) PRISTINA (Reuters) - Environmentalist groups on Monday filed a complaint with the European Union's energy watchdog challenging the legality of a power purchase agreement for a planned $1.3 billion coal-fired power plant in Kosovo. Kosovo and London-listed power firm ContourGlobal picked on May 3 a consortium of General Electric subsidiaries to build the 500-megawatt plant, which is designed to meet nearly half of Kosovo's power demand. The Kosovar government has committed to buying the total output of the plant and the 20-year power purchase contract awaits ratification by the Balkan republic's parliament. But environmental activists fear the deal would strain the state budget and lead to higher costs for consumers. In the complaint to the Vienna-based Energy Community body, five local and international environmental groups said the deal does not comply with the body's rules on state aid "because it provides ContourGlobal a range of benefits that give it an unfair advantage over other energy producers". Kosovo's Economy Minister said the contract was made in compliance with the Energy Community's requirements and local laws. "In our view it is a well-argued issue (based) on entirely legal grounds," Valdrin Lluka told Reuters. The groups also said it guaranteed that a state-owned company would buy all the electricity generated by ContourGlobal at a target price of 80 euros ($90) per megawatt hour (MWh) - much higher than current electricity prices in the region. The state would also guarantee an "availability payment" to the company even when the power is not needed, as well as pay ContourGlobal's network fees, reimburse it for a take-or-pay agreement that it signed with the state-owned lignite mine and provide the land for the plant "for a token fee of 10 euros". "To say the Kosovar government has made a terrible mistake would be an understatement, said Pippa Gallop of CEE Bankwatch Network, one of the five groups that filed the complaint. Story continues "Whatever caused them to sign this absurd contract, it is up to Kosovo parliamentarians, the Kosovar public and international bodies like the Energy Community and European Commission to make sure it doesn't get ratified, for the sake of Kosovo's consumers and taxpayers," she added. Construction of the plant is expected to start this year. Currently around 90 percent of Kosovo's electricity is produced by two ailing coal-fired plants -- Kosova A and Kosova B -- which are among Europe's worst polluters. But the government earlier said the new plant, which will replace Kosova A, would burn 40 percent less coal and release 20 times less emissions. ($1 = 0.8903 euros) (Reporting by Maja Zuvela and Fatos Bytyci, editing by Deepa Babington) Photo: iStock Looking for an adventure in one of the worlds great megacities, but without the hassle of flying halfway around the world? Mexico City is North Americas largest, at over 8 million people (and more than twice that number in the greater metro area). It's the oldest capital city in the Americas, rich in history and culture, and a major economic center in the region today. In addition to Aztec ruins, the city has the worlds largest single-metropolitan concentration of museums, plus extensive art galleries, concert halls and theaters. And the citys 16 boroughs and many colorful neighborhoods offer an abundance of shopping, restaurants, bars and nightlife. Thankfully, there are plenty of regular, relatively inexpensive flights between Denver and Mexico City. We pulled from travel site Skyscanner to provide you with a short list of flights and hotels handpicked with the trendy adventurer in mind. (Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in the articles may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Prices and availability are subject to change.) Flight deals to Mexico City The cheapest flights between Denver and Mexico City are if you leave on Aug. 16 and return from Mexico on Aug. 19. Volaris currently has roundtrip tickets for $238. There are also deals to be had in November. If you fly out of Denver on Nov. 7 and return from Mexico City on Nov. 10, Volaris can get you there and back for $239 roundtrip. Top Mexico City hotels To plan your accommodations, here are two of Mexico Citys top-rated hotels, according to Skyscanner, that we selected based on price, proximity to things to do and customer satisfaction. The St. Regis Mexico City (Paseo de la Reforma 439) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner If you're looking to splurge on top quality, consider The St. Regis Mexico City. The hotel has a five-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $255. The Condesa DF (Avenida Veracruz 102) Story continues Photo: Trip by Skyscanner If you're looking to indulge, try The Condesa DF, which has rooms for $265/night. It checks in with 4.6 stars. This 40-room luxury hotel is located in Mexico City's Condesa district, close to many restaurants, bars and cafes. Top picks for dining and drinking Don't miss Mexico City's food scene, with plenty of popular spots to get your fill of local cuisine. Here are a few of the top-rated eateries from Skyscanner's listings. El Moro (Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas 42) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner One of Mexico City's most popular restaurants is the El Moro, which has an average of 4.8 stars out of 17 reviews on Skyscanner. "This 1930s churreria is a must-visit," wrote visitor Harold. Panaderia Rosetta (Colima 179) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner Another popular dining destination is the Panaderia Rosetta, with 4.9 stars from 11 reviews. "It's a very cozy breakfast spot with only a few bar stools for seating. Get there early to get your hands on the good pastries," wrote Leila. Restaurante El Cardenal (Calle de la Palma 23) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner Also worth considering is the Restaurante El Cardenal, with 4.6 stars from 22 reviews. "The food was super fantastic here. The eggs at breakfast were perfect," wrote Frank. Featured local attractions Mexico City is also full of sites to visit and explore. Here are two popular attractions to round out your trip, again from Skyscanner's listings. The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Av. Juarez) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner First up is The Palacio de Bellas Artes, with 4.8 stars from 74 reviews. Inaugurated in 1934, the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City is a major cultural center where you can attend poetry readings, operas, dance recitals, art shows and more. El Zocalo (Plaza de la Constitucion S/N) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner Then, there's the El Zocalo, with 4.7 stars from 98 reviews. El Zocalo in Mexico City is known as the third-largest square in the world. It is the main plaza in the middle of Downtown. This site has strong historic significance to the local people. Zocalo has been used as a central gathering place since the rule of the Aztecs. This story was created automatically using flight, hotel, and local attractions data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. BRUSSELS, May 13 (Reuters) - European Union finance ministers are set to remove this week the British overseas territory of Bermuda, the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba and Barbados from the bloc's blacklist of tax havens, an EU official said on Monday. The three islands were added to the list in March because the EU found shortfalls in their tax rules that could favor tax evasion in other states. The decision, which is due to be formalized by EU finance ministers in a meeting on Friday, will remove from the list the only EU territories that are currently on it. EU countries are not even screened as they are deemed compliant, although the EU Parliament has accused seven of them of acting as tax havens. They are Luxembourg, Cyprus, Ireland, Malta, Hungary, Belgium and the Netherlands. Listing decisions are made by the 28 EU governments. Each one of them has the power to veto any decision on the matter. Jurisdictions are removed from the blacklist when they address their main shortfalls and commit to further reforms to increase tax transparency. With this week's removal of the three islands, the blacklist will shrink to twelve jurisdictions. It will still include the United Arab Emirates, Oman and the three U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Other jurisdictions on the list are Belize, Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, Dominica, Samoa and Trinidad and Tobago. Blacklisted states face reputational damage and stricter controls on transactions with the EU. The EU set up the blacklist in December 2017 after revelations of widespread tax avoidance schemes used by corporations and wealthy individuals to lower their tax bills. The list initially comprised 17 jurisdictions, but it is subject to regular reviews. Countries with legal shortfalls are added if they do not amend their rules by set deadlines. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Toby Chopra) By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Iran and the United States could trigger a conflict by accident in an already unstable Gulf region, Britain's foreign minister said on Monday, as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held talks in Brussels with the main European powers on the crisis. President Donald Trump is seeking to isolate Tehran by cutting off its oil exports after pulling out of a 2015 deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program. Trump has also beefed up the U.S. military presence in the Gulf to pressure Iran. While the European Union shares some U.S. concerns about Iran, including over its involvement in the Syrian conflict, it still backs the 2015 nuclear deal, saying that it is in Europe's own security interests. "We are very worried about a conflict, about the risk of a conflict ... of an escalation that is unintended," Britain's Jeremy Hunt told reporters in Brussels before talks with Pompeo. Britain, Germany and France are signatories to the 2015 deal and their foreign ministers held separate meetings in Brussels on Monday with Pompeo, who canceled a planned stopover in Moscow in order to brief the European allies on Washington's latest moves. Pompeo also met NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Pompeo shared information on "escalating" threats from Iran during the meetings, the U.S. special representative for Iran Brian Hook told reporters. Hook said Pompeo also discussed reported attacks on several oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Asked if Pompeo was blaming Iran for the attacks, Hook said: "We discussed ... what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels that were anchored off Fujairah ... we have been requested by the UAE to provide assistance in the investigation, which we are very glad to do." Asked if he himself believed there was the possibility of an Iranian role, Hook said: "Don't have any comment." Trump, who wants to force Tehran to agree a broader arms control accord, has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Gulf in a show of force against what U.S. officials have said is a threat to U.S. troops in the region. Iran says the strategy amounts to "psychological warfare" and a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander on Sunday said Iran would retaliate against any aggressive U.S. moves. "TAKING DIFFERENT COURSES" German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he had told Pompeo during their Monday meeting: "We do not want it to come to a military conflict (between the United States and Iran)." Maas avoided any public criticism of Washington, saying both sides wanted to ensure peace in the Middle East. But he said it was clear Europe and the United States were "going about it in different ways ... taking different courses." Before his meeting with Pompeo, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian urged Europeans to remain united in support of the nuclear deal, which was signed by the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, and which the EU helped to negotiate. For Europe, the tensions with the Trump administration mark a deepening split in transatlantic ties that were traditionally marked by close coordination on Middle East policy, despite sharp disagreements over the 2003 Iraq war. Hook said the bilateral meeting had been "very good." "We agree on much more than we disagree ... We share the same threat assessment," he said. "We are very concerned about Iran's - a lot of the multiple threat streams that have been reported over the last three or four days." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned last week Tehran could resume enrichment of nuclear fuel at a higher grade if the European powers, China and Russia did not do more to circumvent punitive U.S. measures on banking and energy to boost trade. Hunt, who held talks with Maas and Le Drian on the margins of a regular EU meeting in Brussels, expressed concern about the risks of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East if Iran were to acquire such weapons. "We need to make sure that we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearization," Hunt said, calling for "a period of calm so that everyone understands what the other side is thinking." EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the EU would continue to support the nuclear pact because Iran continued to comply with inspections and uranium production limits. The EU is trying to implement a new channel to allow Iran to sell its oil and circumvent newly-instated U.S. sanctions, but setting it up is proving complex. Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said Madrid was considering joining the special trade channel, known as INSTEX, which so far counts France, Germany and Britain as shareholders and could be operational by the end of June. (Reporting by Robin Emmott, additional reporting by Francesco Guarascio and Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Gareth Jones and Rosalba O'Brien) A pharmaceutical company has started manufacturing ARV drugs marking the first time commercial ARVs are being manufactured in the country. Universal Corporation, based in Kikuyu, last week produced 3 million tablets and has a capacity to produce 1 million tablets a day. CEO Perviz Dhanani said the factory got its final certification from the World Health Organization (WHO) last year, allowing it to begin commercial production. We have the capacity to produce one million tablets a day. The WHO certification means we can receive orders from governments and global agencies such as Unicef and Global Fund. the CEO said. In 2016, the company sold a majority share (51%) to Bangalore-based Pharma Strides Shasun for Sh1.1 billion. It produces about 100 different pharmaceutical products sold in Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone. The first batch has already been ordered by Cote dIvoire, and is a combination of Nevirapine, Lamivudine, and Zidovudine. While this may come as great news to Kenyan HIV patients, our supply of the drugs may still continue to be sourced from other countries, since our government does not foot the bill. About Sh38 billion is spent on the drugs in Kenya, translating to about Sh1,800 per patient per month. However, most of this money comes from organizations such as the Global Fund and the US Presidential Emergency Fund for Aids Relief. They source their supply cheaply from India. However, the Kikuyu factory has received necessary approvals to start supplying to these bodies, and time will tell whether they actually get orders. Health CS Cecily Kariuki visited the facility last week and lauded this new development. This will boost the capacity of local manufacturers and create more employment opportunities for the economy and facilitate technology and skills transfer, the CS said. FRANKFURT (Reuters) - European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem expects U.S. President Donald Trump to delay a May 18 deadline for U.S. tariffs on cars imported from the European union, according to an interview published in the Sueddeutsche newspaper on Monday. Trump, who raised tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports earlier this month, is due to make a decision about European cars which could affect some 47 billion euros ($53 billion)worth of car and auto part exports. Malmstroem said it was possible the deadline could be extended as Washington focuses on its ongoing negotiations with Beijing. "There are signals that it could be extended - because of the negotiations between the U.S. and China," Malmstroem was cited as saying. Should Trump go ahead with tariffs on May 18, the EU had a list of U.S. products worth 20 billion euros on which retaliatory tariffs could be levied, she said. European leaders and officials had long said they would not discuss trade arrangements under threat of action from Trump, which some likened to negotiating with a gun to the head. ($1 = 0.8901 euros) (Reporting by Vera Eckert; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) BRUSSELS (Reuters) - All warring groups in Libya must commit to a ceasefire and return to U.N.-led mediation, the European Union said on Monday, calling the situation a threat to international security. "The EU calls on all parties to immediately implement a ceasefire and to engage with the United Nations to ensure a full and comprehensive cessation of hostilities," EU foreign ministers said in a statement after meeting U.N.-backed Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj in Brussels. "It also calls on them to dissociate themselves both publicly and on the ground from terrorist and criminal elements involved in the fighting, and from those suspected of war crimes, including individuals listed by the U.N. Security Council," the statement said. The latest flare-up of violence in Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011, began a month ago when eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar's forces advanced to the outskirts of Tripoli. More than 440 people have died and tens of thousands have been displaced, according to the U.N. (Reporting by Robin Emmott; Editing by Catherine Evans) Yerevan (AFP) - Armenia's jailed former president goes on trial Monday over what prosecutors describe as a coup that led to bloody protests but he insists is a politically motivated case. Robert Kocharyan led the ex-Soviet nation for a decade up to 2008 when his hand-picked ally Serzh Sarkisian was elected. Kocharyan is accused of tipping those presidential polls in Sarkisian's favour and faces charges of "overthrowing the constitutional order". The 64-year-old, however, told AFP the case was brought against him because of a new leadership that pushed out his successor in a popular uprising last year. "What is happening to me is nothing less than lawlessness," he told AFP from prison in written comments sent via representatives. "The current Armenian political authorities have declared me guilty, and the judicial system now serves this political master." The former head of state faces up to 15 years behind bars if convicted. After the 2008 election, tensions erupted into violent clashes between riot police and supporters of the defeated opposition candidate, who denounced the vote as fraudulent. Eight protesters and two officers were killed. Sarkisian led the South Caucasus nation until April last year when he was forced to resign because of mass protests against his rule, spearheaded by current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. In 2009, Pashinyan was arrested for organising the 2008 post-electoral protests and sentenced to seven years in prison, but was released as part of an amnesty in 2011. Kocharyan was arrested in July last year, then briefly released but re-arrested again in December and has since then remained in pre-trial detention. "I was a non-partisan president who acted without favour or prejudice," Kocharyan told AFP. - Anti-corruption crackdown - Kocharyan claimed that Armenia's current authorities "are not especially enthusiastic to find out" who bears the responsibility for the deaths for "fear of revealing extremely undesirable facts for the current government." Story continues "They have focused instead all their efforts on the fabrication of politically motivated charges against me." He said Pashinyan "has a direct motivation to rewrite history in order to whitewash himself and shift responsibility for the events of 2008 to others." Pashinyan launched a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown on former elites when he came to power last May. Critics accuse pro-Russian politician Kocharyan of amassing an immense fortune through corruption, an allegation he denies. In February, prosecutors charged Kocharyan's son with tax evasion and money laundering using companies owned by the Kocharyan family. Kocharyan's presidency saw one of the bloodiest events in Armenia's post-Soviet political history -- a terrorist attack on the Armenian parliament in 1999. Opposition parties have accused Kocharyan of organising the attack in which five gunmen killed his political foes, prime minister Vazgen Sargsyan and parliament speaker Karen Demirchyan, among others. Tom Glocer, the former CEO of Thomson Reuters. Photo: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan The former CEO of financial data giant Thomson Reuters said on Monday that big banks are experimenting with blockchain but are unlikely to use the technology on a large scale any time soon. Tom Glocer, who ran Thomson Reuters between 2008 and 2011, told the Conensus conference in New York on Monday: The big banks all feel they can be fast followers. The right strategy at the moment is not to take your entire equities franchise and suddenly push it onto the blockchain because of the inefficiency, because of the security issues, because of the environmental impact as well. But rather to run a series of controlled experiments. Glocer sits on the board of Morgan Stanley but said he was not speaking on behalf of the bank. Since leaving Thomson Reuters, Glocer has focused on investing in areas including financial technology and was an early investor in US cryptocurrency company Coinbase. READ MORE: How to invest in Blockchain without buying any Bitcoin If you ignore it forever, one day it sneaks up on you and it may be too late so I think what we see lots of banks doing are running lots of small experiments, Glocer said. Societe Generale did a small Eurobond doing the whole issuance on blockchain, not because theyre about to turn over their entire fixed income business but because they want to understand how it works, they want to play with the technnology, they want to question. I think for the moment thats what youll see the large institutions do. Blockchain is a form of shared database technology first popularised as the underpinning of bitcoin. It can be used regulate things like transactions and information security and allows people to cut out middle men. The Consensus conference Glocer appeared at is an annual gathering for the cryptocurrency sector. Photo: iStock Looking for a trending new city to explore? Consider Austin, Texas, one of the fastest growing large cities in the country and U.S. News & World Report's #1 place to live in the U.S. for the past two years running. The self-proclaimed "Live Music Capital of the World" is home to many students, artists and musicians, along with a booming tech industry and a classic Texas barbecue and Tex-Mex food scene. Despite its growth, Austin seeks to maintain its eccentric local vibe, with plenty of independent businesses and a strong commitment to the local environment. Austin hosts numerous festivals throughout the year and boasts more music venues per capita than any other city in the U.S. The list of local attractions also includes extensive theaters, museums and outdoor spaces like parks, lakes and waterways. Using travel site Skyscanner, weve sifted through the cheapest flights between Fresno and Austin in the next few months, including some standout hotel options and favorite local attractions. (Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in the articles may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Prices and availability are subject to change.) Flight deals to Austin Currently, the cheapest flights between Fresno and Austin are if you leave on June 10 and return from Texas on June 13. Allegiant Air currently has tickets for $267, roundtrip. There are also deals to be had in July. If you fly out of Fresno on July 31 and return from Austin on Aug. 4, Allegiant Air can get you there and back for $322 roundtrip. Top Austin hotels To plan your stay, here are some of Austins top-rated hotels, that we selected from Skyscanner's listings based on price and customer satisfaction. The Driskill in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt (604 Brazos St.) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner For an all-around top recommendation, consider The Driskill in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt. The hotel has a 4.5-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $129. Story continues A landmark in downtown Austin, this legendary hotel was built in 1886 as the showplace for cattle baron Jesse Lincoln Driskill and has since become synonymous with traditional Texas hospitality. The AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center (1900 University Ave.) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner There's also the 4.8-star rated The AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center. Rooms are currently set at $129/night. Expect luxury hotel amenities and full conference center facilities, including intimate meeting rooms with arena seating and smart classroom technology. The Hotel Ella (1900 Rio Grande) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner If you're looking to treat yourself, try The Hotel Ella. The 4.8-star hotel has rooms for $199/night. Top picks for dining and drinking If you're looking for a popular spot to grab a bite, Austin has plenty of excellent eateries to choose from. Here are a few from Skyscanner's listings to help you get started. Uchi (801 S. Lamar Blvd.) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner One of Austin's most popular restaurants is Uchi, which has an average of 4.9 stars out of 104 reviews on Skyscanner. Uchi invites diners to explore their gastronomic boundaries by pairing traditional Japanese offerings with new and refreshing flavors and textures. "Amazing sushi!" wrote visitor Katie. Franklin Barbecue (900 E. 11th) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner Another popular dining destination is Franklin Barbecue, with 4.9 stars from 100 reviews. "All the hype for this all-American meal," wrote Helena. "It was the No. 1 thing to do while visiting Austin." Hopdoddy Burger Bar (1400 S. Congress Ave.) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner Also worth considering is the Hopdoddy Burger Bar, with 4.7 stars from 127 reviews. "I highly recommend the ahi tuna burger here," wrote Wendy. Home Slice Pizza (1415 S. Congress Ave.) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner Finally, there's Home Slice Pizza, with 4.7 stars from 122 reviews. "Whether you're into spinach pizza or the traditional cheese pie, this place is funky and fun," wrote Tiffany. Featured local attractions Not sure what to do in Austin, besides eat and drink? Here are a few recommendations, provided by Skyscanner. Barton Springs Pool (2201 Barton Springs Road) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner First up is the Barton Springs Pool, with 4.8 stars from 343 reviews. As one of Austin's finest attractions, the Barton Springs Pool provides the perfect outing for those hot Texas days. It maintains a comfortable temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. The grassy hillsides and moss-covered rocks are perfect for sunbathing. Zilker Metropolitan Park (2100 Barton Springs Road) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner Then, there's the Zilker Metropolitan Park. It checks in with 4.8 stars from 269 reviews on SkyScanner. "This is a great place to take a break from the bustling downtown scene," wrote visitor Tyson. Lady Bird Lake Hike-and-Bike Trail (Lady Bird Lake) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner Finally, spend some time at the Lady Bird Lake Hike-and-Bike Trail, with 4.9 stars from 183 reviews. "This is a wonderful body of water for paddleboarding and kayaking in the center of the city," wrote visitor Nici. This story was created automatically using flight, hotel, and local attractions data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Warning: This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones season 8. As Daenerys set Drogon loose on Kings Landing and its civilians in The Bells, the fifth episode of Game of Thrones eighth season, it became pretty clear that she has officially turned into the Mad Queen she long feared becoming. But amidst the bursts of dragonfire, there were also explosions of green flames that may hint at a tragic ending for both Dany and Jon in the finale. Throughout the course of Game of Thrones, Daenerys has always been fearful of becoming the same type of ruler as her father, Aerys II The Mad King Targaryen. But When Jaime told Brienne the truth about the day he murdered the Mad King in season 3, he revealed that the reason he did it was to prevent the Mad King from burning down Kings Landing and all the citys people with wildfire. undefined Helen SloanHBO If Daenerys is so far gone that the sight of her fathers wildfire stores exploding throughout Kings Landing didnt get her to rein in her vengeful mission, then its possible that its time for a new monarch slayer to follow in Jaimes footsteps. As for who that might be, there was no one who appeared more horrified by the dragon queens actions on Sunday than Jon except for maybe Arya. Helen SloanHBO After seeing the carnage that Daenerys unleashed on the city, Jon may finally be convinced that, just as his sisters Sansa and Arya and not to mention Varys tried to warn him, Daenerys is not be the right person to rule the Seven Kingdoms. But at this point, it seems like the only way he will be able to remove her from the Iron Throne is to kill her. A major aspect of the Azor Ahai legend thats part of the Prince That Was Promised prophecy in George R.R. Martins A Song of Ice and Fire book series was that Azor Ahai was forced to stab his wife with his sword, Lightbringer, in order to impart the blade with its full power. So Jon killing Dany may lend credence to the theory that Jon is, in fact, the Prince That Was Promised. Story continues Helen Sloan/HBO According to the prophecy, the Prince is destined to lead the people against a darkness with a flaming sword called Lightbringer. There will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world, it reads. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him. Its important to note that while some think Lightbringer is a physical sword, others believe it could be metaphorical. But if the darkness mentioned is actually a reference to Daenerys rather than the Night King, as many fans assumed, Jon being the one to kill Daenerys would also square with Melisandres prediction that both Daenerys and Jon would have a role to play in the prophecy. Maybe Daenerys role just didnt quite turn out to be what she thought it would. May 13 (Reuters) - China on Monday raised tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. goods in retaliation for President Donald Trump's decision to increase tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports last week, escalating the trade war between the world's two largest economies. 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 bulk of Trump's tariffs have been aimed at China, covering $250 billion worth of Chinese goods so far. He also has directed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to launch the process of imposing tariffs on all remaining imports from China, another $300 billion worth of goods. The latest tariff increases mark an end to a more than five-month truce after Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed in December 2018 to try to negotiate an end to the dispute. U.S. TARIFFS ON CHINA - 25% 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. - 25% tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods including computer modems and routers, printed circuit boards, chemicals, building materials and furniture. A 10% tariff on these goods was imposed on Sept. 24, 2018 as a response to Chinese retaliation. Trump increased the tariff rate to 25% on May 10 after accusing China of backtracking on earlier commitments in the talks. - Trump also on May 10 directed USTR to start a public comment process for imposing 25% tariffs on remaining Chinese imports. This $300 billion category of goods would hit consumer products hard, including cell phones, computers, clothing, toys and other consumer products. CHINESE TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - China on May 13 announced it would increase tariffs on a revised list of 5,140 U.S. products, worth about $60 billion, after Trump's latest move. The additional tariff of 25% will be levied on 2,493 products, including liquefied natural gas, soy oil, peanut oil, petrochemicals, frozen minerals and cosmetics. Other products will see tariffs of 5%-20% - 25% 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 had suspended a 25% 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. - 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% tariffs on imported steel and 10% tariffs on imported aluminum, imposed on March 23, 2018 on national security grounds. Exemptions have been granted to Argentina, Australia, Brazil and South Korea in exchange for quotas, and negotiations over quotas continue with Canada, Mexico and the European Union. - 20% to 50% 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% 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% on imported cars and auto parts, based on a U.S. Commerce Department study of whether such imports threaten U.S. national security. He faces a May 18 deadline to act on Commerce's recommendations. - The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement protects Canadian and Mexican production in the event of such tariffs through a quota system. Trump has pledged not to impose auto tariffs on Japan and the European Union while trade negotiations with those partners are underway. CANADIAN TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - Canada on July 1 imposed tariffs https://tinyurl.com/y8w5g895 on $12.6 billion worth of U.S. goods, including steel, aluminum, coffee, ketchup and bourbon whiskey in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. MEXICAN TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - Mexico on June 5 imposed tariffs of up to 25% 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% on a $2.8 billion range of imports from the United States in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on European steel and aluminum. Targeted U.S. products include Harley-Davidson motorcycles, bourbon, peanuts, blue jeans, steel and aluminum. INDIA TARIFF THREAT - India, the world's biggest buyer of U.S. almonds, has threatened to raise import duties on the nuts by 20% and increase tariffs on a range of other farm products and U.S. iron and steel, in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Indian steel. These tariffs have been delayed several times, but an Indian Finance Ministry notice shows that they could be imposed as early as May 16. - Trump has said that he intends to end preferential trade treatment for India, which would result in U.S. tariffs on up to $5.6 billion of imports from India. This has not happened, but if it does, India is expected to retaliate with tariffs on U.S. goods. DUELING TARIFFS WITH TURKEY - Trump in August 2018 doubled U.S. duty rates on steel and aluminum from Turkey to 50% and 20%, respectively, citing national security and currency concerns in an escalating trade spat between the NATO allies. - Turkey hit back by sharply increasing tariffs on $1.8 billion worth of U.S. goods, including a 120% duty on motor vehicles, 140% on alcoholic beverages, 50% on rice, 50% on structural steel and 60% on beauty products. - Trump also has said he will end preferential trade treatment for Turkey, a move that would impose tariffs on about $1.66 billion of Turkish imports. (Compiled by David Lawder; Editing by Simon Webb and Susan Thomas) NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling coalition is confident of a second term in office but opposition parties are talking to each other to seal an alliance, hoping to topple him after general election results are announced on May 23. The seven-phase election started on April 11 and ends on May 19. Below is how India's biggest parties are aligned. - NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE (NDA) BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP): Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP leads the NDA and won 282 seats in the last election five years ago. There are 545 seats in the lower house of parliament, two of which are nominated by the president from the Anglo-Indian community. ALL INDIA ANNA DRAVIDA MUNNETRA KAZHAGAM (AIADMK): The third-biggest party and Modi's biggest partner in the south of the country, the BJP's weakest region. The AIADMK won 37 of the 40 seats it contested the last time, but the death of its charismatic leader, J. Jayalalithaa, in 2016 could affect its performance. SHIV SENA: The hardline Hindu party, based in India's financial capital Mumbai, is in an on-off relationship with the BJP. The parties sealed an alliance before this election, with the construction of a Hindu temple at a controversial site in the north being one of Shiv Sena's key demands. Shiv Sena won 18 seats the last time, making it the sixth-biggest party. LOK JAN SHAKTI PARTY: The party mainly represents lower caste Hindus and won six of the seven seats it contested the last time. - UNITED PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE (UPA)/LIKELY PARTNERS INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS: The main opposition party, which has ruled India for much of its independent history, received a thrashing at the hands of the BJP in 2014, managing to win only 44 of the 464 seats it contested. Congress - headed by Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty - is hoping to win more than 100 seats this time. ALL INDIA TRINAMOOL CONGRESS: The party, formed by potential prime ministerial candidate Mamata Banerjee after leaving Congress in 1997, is the fourth biggest in parliament with 34 seats. Banerjee, along with N. Chandrababu Naidu of the regional Telugu Desam Party (TDP), is one of Modi's biggest critics and has been trying to get an opposition alliance going. Story continues The TDP won 16 seats in 2014. SAMAJWADI PARTY (SP) + BAHUJAN SAMAJ PARTY (BSP): The caste-based parties have alternately ruled India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, and have formed an alliance to fight this election. Uttar Pradesh sends the highest number of lawmakers to the lower house of parliament of all states, and the parties are expected to do much better than they did the last time. There are 80 constituencies in the state, and the SP won five seats the last time. The BSP drew a blank. - LIKELY KINGMAKERS BIJU JANATA DAL (BJD): Based in the eastern state of Odisha, the BJD is currently the fifth-biggest party with 20 seats. TDP's Naidu has been negotiating with the BJD, which is also being wooed by the BJP. Modi recently effusively praised BJD chief Naveen Patnaik for the state's preparedness during a deadly cyclone. The BJD says it will take a call after the results. TELANGANA RASHTRA SAMITHI: The eight-biggest party has 11 seats and is exploring the possibility of forming an alliance of regional blocs, keeping both the BJP and Congress out. (Reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Nick macfie) NRM General Miguna Miguna is a household name, thanks in part to his anti-Raila book some years back and his antics in the 2017 general election. The man with the same name twice sure knows how to bring attention to himself. He falls out with friends as easy as he wins them back. After writing Peeling Back the Mask in 2012, no one could have imagined that he would be back in Railas camp. However, that is exactly what happened in 2017, when the Kenyan-Canadian not only got into Railas close circle, but was central in the mock swearing in. He was eventually driven out of the country in a dramatic way, and has been unable to return since. The public image of Miguna Miguna is one of a loud and combative person. It therefore came as a surprise on Sunday, when the lawyer exposed his soft side on Twitter. To mark Mothers day, Miguna posted a picture of his wife on Twitter wishing her a happy birthday and a happy mothers day. Jane Miguna has been married to the controversial lawyer for 17 years, and together they have been blessed with 5 children. Miguna had another wife in the early 90s, but they separated. Here are some other pictures of his wife and family. Luxury online fashion retailer Farfetch is encouraging shoppers to part with their unwanted handbags in the name of sustainability. The platform has unveiled Farfetch Second Life', a service that allows shoppers to use pre-loved designer bags as a way to earn store credit, as reported by WWD. The initiative will let customers upload photos of their bags, whereby they will be quoted a price within two days that will be immediately converted to credit if the offer is accepted and the piece validated after being collected by the company for free. The service, which is currently being tested out as a pilot scheme in the UK and select European countries, is available for a select number of brands ranging from Louis Vuitton and Mulberry to Hermes and Chanel. However, the brand's website states that it is "working on a broader initiative" to allow shoppers to trade in other items. Reselling is fast becoming a major area of focus within the fashion industry, as consumers become increasingly environmentally conscious of the impact the fast fashion industry is having on the environment. Last month, fashion brand & Other Stories began trialing a secondhand clothing initiative in partnership with Sellpy in Sweden that saw pre-loved pieces from the label collated into a shop-in-shop' on the reselling website, to encourage a more circular fashion industry. US label Guess Jeans also recently announced the launch of #GUESSVintage,' a limited-edition reselling event featuring more than 150 authenticated pieces, while last December British designer Stella McCartney renewed its partnership with The RealReal, rewarding shoppers purchasing Stella McCartney pieces from the secondhand retailer with $100 in-store credit to use at Stella retail stores or online. BROWNSVILLE, Texas (Reuters) - Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert Kaplan on Monday said he is "extremely vigilant" on the escalating trade tensions between the United States and China, though it could take months before there is more clarity on how the talks are shaping up. "I think well have to be patient in seeing how this is going to unfold over the next number of weeks and months," Kaplan told reporters after a talk at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. "What we dont know right now is how long these issues will persist, how far will they go, will these tariffs, that have just been put on, and counter tariffs, will they be with us for months, weeks, or longer," he said. "The trade situation creates uncertainty -- creates uncertainty for businesses, it creates uncertainty generally -- and uncertainty by and large, if it goes on for an extended period of time, probably is not helpful if you are a business and trying to manage your business ... it has some chilling effect on business." (Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli) Cannes (France) (AFP) - From a zombie flick starring Iggy Pop to a tale of Chinese gangsters who decide to take over a city, these are the films vying for the top prize at the Cannes film festival: - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Quentin Tarantino apparently slaved for four months straight in the editing room to get his odyssey through Tinseltown's darkest year in as a late entry for Cannes. This panorama of 1969 has Brad Pitt as the stunt double to Western star Leonardo Di Caprio and takes in everything from Bruce Lee to the sinister tale of cult leader Charles Manson. Margot Robbie plays actress Sharon Tate, who was murdered by Manson's followers. - The Dead Don't Die - The poster for Jim Jarmusch's zombie comedy claims to have a "cast to wake the dead" -- and they are not kidding. Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Selena Gomez, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover and Chloe Sevigny starred in the opening film alongside musicians Iggy Pop, Tom Waits and RZA. US indie icon Jarmusch uses the zombie format for a dark indictment of Donald Trump's America and its many addictions, from opioids to consumerism and social media. - Sorry We Missed You - Having won the Palme d'Or two years ago with "I, Daniel Blake", which showed the devastation caused by austerity in Britain, veteran director Ken Loach is back with an indictment of the gig economy. Written by his long-time collaborator Paul Laverty, it is the powerful story of our times, with another Newcastle family battling to keep their heads above water on zero-hour contracts or slaving as a self-employed delivery driver. - A Hidden Life - Two decades after "The Thin Red Line", American master Terrence Malick returns to World War II with a haunting story of an Austrian conscientious objector guillotined by the Nazis in 1943. Goosepimples also seem guaranteed with the final screen performances of the late actors Michael Nyqvist and Bruno Ganz of "Downfall" and "Wings of Desire" fame. Story continues It is the first time Malick has premiered a film at Cannes since he won the Palme d'Or with "The Tree of Life" in 2011. - Parasite - Korean master Bong Joon-ho of "Okja" and "Snowpiercer" fame is another Cannes regular, famous for his dark, gripping, genre-bending creations. This time he tells a tragicomic tale of a poor family's obsession with a rich one after their son gets a job as a tutor to the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. The tale has echoes of another South Korean movie, "Burning", which became an arthouse hit last year after showing at Cannes. With Bong regular Song Kang-ho ("The Host" and "Snowpiecer") in the lead, it also stars Choi Woo-shik of the cult horror hit "Train to Busan". - Matthias & Maxime - French Canadian wunderkind Xavier Dolan wrote, directed and plays the lead in his latest drama about a group of late twentysomethings in his native Quebec. Of late, the prolific young auteur -- who made a big splash with "Mommy" and "I Killed My Mother" -- has divided critical opinion. Cannes will be hoping this is a return to form. - The Traitor - A biopic of Tommaso Buscetta, the first high-ranking member of Cosa Nostra to break the Sicilian Mafia's oath of silence, it stars Brazilian actress and model Maria Fernanda Candido as his third wife, who convinces him to spill the beans to US prosectors. Veteran Italian auteur Marco Bellocchio shot the film in Sicily, Rome, London and Rio de Janeiro. - Young Ahmed - Three times Palme d'Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne return to the scene of their greatest triumphs with "Young Ahmed", a tight and tense tale of a teenager who embraces Islamic extremism. It is set like the Belgian brothers' previous gritty slices of working-class life in their native French-speaking Wallonia, an area that served as the base for the terrorist cell who carried out the November 2015 Paris attacks. - Pain & Glory - Cannes usually only shows world premieres, but the festival has made an exception for Pedro Almodovar's most personal film. Released in Spain and Mexico in March to almost universal acclaim, it is a psychodrama about the past catching up with a film director. With a bearded Antonio Banderas playing the auteur, and Penelope Cruz his mother, it's no wonder this is the biggest Spanish film of the year so far. - Nighthawk - Having wowed Cannes in 2016 with "Aquarius", in which the amazing Sonia Braga shone, Brazilian director Kleber Mendonca Filho is back with a hard-hitting story of a human safari in the Amazonian interior. - Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo - The second instalment of "Blue is the Warmest Colour", director Abdellatif Kechiche's trilogy in homage to Sete, his hometown on the French Mediterranean. Critics were divided on whether the first part was a sensual feast or just leery. At four hours, they will have plenty of time to mull their verdict on this one. - Portrait of a Young Lady on Fire - Celine Sciamma, who won rave reviews for "Girlhood", her 2014 tale of young black girls growing up in the gritty French suburbs, returns with the story of a painter commissioned to do the portrait of a young woman in the 18th century. The film stars Adele Haenel, one of France's most sought-after young actresses. - The Wild Goose Lake - Diao Yinan, who won the top prize at the Berlin film festival in 2014 for another crime story -- "Black Coal, Thin Ice" -- is the sole Chinese contender with this noir thriller. A pair of young lovers end up being chased by both the police and a group of gangsters who have taken control of a city. - Oh Mercy! - Arnaud Desplechin, the whimsical French director of the 2004 film "Kings & Queens", is back exploring his northern home town of Roubaix in his latest feature starring Roschdy Zem, Lea Seydoux and Sara Forestier. - Little Joe - Austrian-born director Jessica Hausner's sci-fi chiller from the near future is a twisted genetic modification fairytale featuring rising British star Ben Whishaw and Emily Beecham. - Les Miserables - French actor-director Ladj Ly, who grew up filming his high-rise Paris suburb and has previously worked with street art megastar JR, makes a striking Cannes debut with this moving story set in the deprived neighbourhood where the 2005 Paris riots began. - It Must Be Heaven - Palestinian director Elia Suleiman, who was nominated for the Palme d'Or in 2002 with "Divine Intervention" about a love affair across the Israeli-Palestinian divide, travels to Paris, New York and other cities for this rumination on a life lived in exile. - Frankie - US director Ira Sachs casts Isabelle Huppert, Brendan Gleeson and Marisa Tomei in a film about three generations of a recomposed family coming to terms with the impending death of its matriarch during a final holiday in Portugal. - The Whistlers - Romanian new wave director Corneliu Porumboiu has a detective fly from Bucharest to La Gomera in the Canary Islands to help a criminal escape from prison. - Atlantics - The debut feature of Mati Diop -- the first black African woman director to compete for the Palme d'Or -- is a ghost story set on a Senegalese building site where the workers decide to take to the seas in search of a better life. - Sibyl - French director Justine Triet depicts a burnt-out psychotherapist who becomes inspired by working with a distressed young actress played by Adele Exarchopoulos, star of the Cannes-winning 2013 lesbian drama "Blue is the Warmest Colour". Duncan Muturi suffers from ectodermal dysplasia, a rare inherited multisystem disorder that typically affects the hair, teeth, nails, sweat glands, and/or skin. He shared his story with Sunday Magazine: ********************* I was born completely bald and seemingly healthy at 3.8kg. My mother tells me that I would experience high fevers often and soon we were fixtures at the local clinic. I also wasnt adding any weight. She was advised to take me to Kenyatta National Hospital where I was diagnosed with acute calcium deficiency. They said my situation was so bad that I had rickets which had affected my digestive system and that my body was unable to absorb calcium from the breast milk. All the nutrients, they explained, were discharged in the stool. That explained the oily substance that my mother saw in my bath water every time she bathed me. At six-months-old, I was so wasted that bones protruded beneath my wrinkled skin. My mother was admonished for not feeding me well. A number of medics hinted at my having one deadly disease or the other. After I was diagnosed with acute calcium deficiency at KNH, doctors prescribed medication to help my body absorb calcium. My mother also started feeding me with supplements until I started gaining weight. I started walking after age two. When my sister was born, the last born in our family, she teethed before I did. A dentist told my mother that I didnt have any teeth in my gums. And it was difficult for the doctor to construct dentures since my gums werent growing. All the while my mother thought that my poor milestones were linked to calcium deficiency as the doctors had said. But despite all this, I went to school at age 5 where I proved to be very smart. At Standard Six, it was evident to me that I was different from other children. They also noticed this and started calling me little old man because I didnt have teeth. I was different. I also had a problem regulating my body temperature and later learnt I didnt have sweat glands for this. When it got really hot, I would run to the tap to pour water on my whole body because I would feel like I was burning up. I experienced a lot of pain when swallowing solid foods. I learnt this was because I didnt have salivary glands to lubricate my food. Neither did I have mucus glands along my digestive tract to further lubricate solid food for ease of swallowing. While visiting someone in Botswana, I met a relative who had been diagnosed with ectodermal dysplasia. I was able to relate to most of his features including lack of teeth and very scanty hair on the scalp. Just like me, his eyebrows and eyelashes were also missing. We also had extremely dry skin. My skin sometimes cracks and I have to use special cream to keep it lubricated. I researched and found out that ectodermal dysplasia sometimes runs in the family. My relative in Botswana confirmed this. My mother also has the condition though hers isnt as severe. She has very few teeth and has had to insert a bridge. My youngest sister also has distorted teeth. I secured a denture shortly before I joined high school which was placed in my upper gum. The lower gum couldnt hold it. Doctors say I need four teeth implanted in my lower gum to hold a bridge. My biggest struggle at the moment is adjusting my lifestyle to regulate my body temperature mechanically. I cant stay in a congested room and my mother has had to rent for me a spacious apartment near the school so that I dont stay in the hostels. I choose to travel in evenings when it is cooler. I thrive in cold weather. I also eat early in the mornings, usually liquids and fruits and at night to avoid generating a lot of heat. In school, I can also play indoor games to avoid heat from the sun. I wish there was enough information about this condition out there. It isnt just the medics who fumble with misdiagnosis but also the caregivers. Few doctors have told me I have ectodermal dysplasia without proper tests. They admitted to their lack of knowledge about the condition. Unfortunately, doctors claim Kenya is still grappling with non-communicable diseases and has no thought for such rare conditions as ectodermal dysplasia. It doesnt help that people with the condition arent recognised as people living with disability. Once, my mother needed a new set of teeth and was turned away by a medical insurance fund on claims that the organisation didnt fund people for beauty. Elsewhere, people with the condition are given special vests to help regulate their body temperatures. Not being able to smile because one doesnt have teeth is difficult to handle. I know a young man who quit school because his classmates couldnt understand why he didnt have teeth. I am also fortunate to belong to a support group of people living with ectodermal dysplasia where we encourage each other to face life positively. KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian police have detained four men suspected of plotting a wave of killings and attacks in and around the capital during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, police said on Monday. The Southeast Asian nation has been on high alert since gunmen allied with Islamic State carried out a series of attacks in Jakarta, the capital of neighbouring Indonesia, in January 2016. The four suspects are two Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, an Indonesian and a Malaysian, Inspector General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador told reporters. Dubbed the "wolf pack" cell, he said its members had planned to launch large-scale attacks during the first week of Ramadan to avenge a Muslim fireman who was allegedly beaten to death during a racially charged riot at a Hindu temple in November. The fireman's death angered majority Malay Muslims, some of whom had accused Hindu leaders of inciting the riot through racial remarks. "This cell had also planned an operation to assassinate high-profile personalities accused of insulting and failing to uphold Islam," Abdul Hamid said in a video recording of a press conference seen by Reuters. He declined to identify the targets of the planned killings. Muslims all over the world fast during daylight hours during Ramadan. One of the Rohingya suspects, a 20-year-old waiter, told police he was a supporter of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), an insurgent group said to be behind a number of killings and attacks in Myanmar's Rakhine state, Abdul Hamid said. The man possessed a UNHCR identification card issued by the U.N. refugee agency, he said. Police also seized a gun and six homemade explosives during the arrests. The Rohingya have for years fled persecution in Myanmar, which denies them citizenship as they are seen as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. They often arrive on Southeast Asian shores in rickety boats seeking asylum. More than 90,000 Rohingya are registered with the United Nations in Malaysia but non-profit groups estimate as many as 200,000 Rohingya are living in the country. (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Nick Macfie) Four police were killed and nine other people wounded when militants detonated a bomb hidden under a motorbike in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, police said on Monday. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Two police were among the wounded, senior police official Abdul Razaq Cheema told AFP. "Two of the injured are critical," he added. The motorbike was parked outside a mosque where police personnel were posted in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province. Forensic investigators worked at the scene, placing evidence markers around a car, one door of which was open and partially shredded. What appeared to be a pool of blood stained the ground in front of the car. The attack came two days after Baloch separatists attacked a luxury hotel in the province's second city, Gwadar, where development of a port is the flagship project of a multi-billion dollar Chinese infrastructure initiative in Pakistan. Five people including a soldier died in the hotel attack, which also left all three militants dead. The violence came during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and poorest province which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is rife with Islamist, separatist and sectarian insurgencies. The Pakistani military has been waging war on militants there since 2004, and security forces are frequently targeted. Rights activists accuse the military of abuses, which it denies. Balochistan is key to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of Beijing's Belt and Road initiative. CPEC seeks to connect China's western province of Xinjiang with Gwadar, giving Beijing access to the Arabian Sea. By Yimou Lee TAIPEI (Reuters) - Foxconn is poised to nominate chip unit boss Liu Young to succeed Terry Gou as chairman in a surprise choice by the iPhone assembler, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. The nomination of Liu, 63, who is also a board member of Foxconn's Japanese electronics unit Sharp Corp, would come after Gou, 68, said last week he would resign to demonstrate his determination to run in Taiwan's presidential election. Foxconn-founder Gou told Reuters in April that he planned to step down as chairman of the world's largest contract manufacturer, so that younger talent could move up the ranks. Liu's possible appointment came as a surprise for many at Foxconn due to his relatively junior rank among the Taiwanese firm's top executives, the people said on Monday. The firm Gou founded, whose full name is Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, is trying to cut its dependence on Apple Inc and smartphone assembly by expanding into areas such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things. Gou has repeatedly said that he wants someone "younger" to run Foxconn, one of the people said, adding that Liu has gained great trust since joining as a special assistant to Gou in 2007. Liu has led Foxconn's nascent semiconductor business, dubbed the S sub-group, since 2017, the person added. Through Liu, Gou would likely retain behind-the-scenes influence in strategic decisions, the person said. Such an appointment, however, is likely to have limited impact on day-to-day business because Foxconn's group companies have been operating independently for years, the person added. Foxconn said in an emailed reply to Reuters that announcements of senior management appointments would be made according to the regulations of the Taiwan Stock Exchange. "The operations of individual business groups remain unchanged and they will continue to operate under the leadership of their respective management teams," it said. A stock exchange filing last week showed proposed candidates for a new board included Gou and Liu, as well as other executives widely linked to the group chairmanship such as Tai Jeng-wu, chairman at Sharp, and Lu Sung-Ching, chairman at Foxconn Interconnect Technology Ltd. The board proposal is subject to approval at an annual shareholder meeting in June before a chairman can be elected. Foxconn's share price fell 3% on Monday, while the benchmark share price index dropped by 1.4%. The stock is up about 17% this year, after falling 30% in 2018. (Reporting by Yimou Lee and Taipei newsroom; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Alexander Smith) Mobs slashed to death a Sri Lankan Muslim man despite a nationwide curfew imposed Monday night after anti-Muslim riots spread to three districts north of the capital in a violent backlash against Easter suicide bombings. The 45-year-old man died shortly after admission to a hospital in Puttalam district during the rioting which began Sunday in the area, a police official told AFP. "Mobs had attacked him with sharp weapons at his carpentry workshop," the official said. "This is the first death from the riots." Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the curfew was declared to prevent unidentified groups destabilising the country by orchestrating communal violence. "At several places in the North-Western Province these groups created trouble, damaged property," Wickremesinghe said in a televised address to the nation. "Police and security forces have contained the situation, but these (unidentified) groups are still trying to create trouble." Wickremesinghe said the unrest would hinder investigations into the April 21 attacks that targeted three Christian churches and three luxury hotels, killing 258 people and wounding nearly 500. In a separate TV address, Police Chief Chandana Wickramaratne warned police will take stern action against rioters, and constables have been issued orders to use maximum force. Residents in the North-Western Province were ordered to stay indoors after Christian-led mobs torched dozens of Muslim-owned shops, vehicles and mosques on Sunday and Monday. The attacks came during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. Later the curfew was extended to cover the entire country of 21 million people. Police said there were sporadic incidents of mobs throwing stones and torching shops, motorcycles and cars owned by Muslims. In the town of Hettipola, at least three shops were torched. In the town of Minuwangoda, just north of Colombo, a Muslim-owned hotel and a mosque were attacked by stone-hurling mobs armed with sticks. Story continues "Several shops have been attacked," a senior police officer told AFP. "When mobs tried to attack mosques, we fired in the air and used tear gas to disperse them." The officer added that "there are people trying to make political capital out of this situation." - PM warns against rumours - Earlier Monday, authorities banned Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media platforms. Platforms were similarly blocked after the Easter attacks. The prime minister urged the public not to believe rumours and warned that civil unrest will stretch the already thinly deployed security forces. "I appeal to all citizens to remain calm and not be swayed by false information," Wickremesinghe said on Twitter, which was not targeted in the social media blockade. A state of emergency has been in place since the bombings -- which the Islamic State group claims to have helped -- and security forces have been given sweeping powers to detain suspects. The latest wave of unrest started when a mob targeted Muslim-owned shops in the town of Chilaw, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Colombo on Sunday in anger at a Facebook post by a shopkeeper. "Don't laugh more, 1 day u will cry," he wrote, which local Christians took to be a warning of an impending attack. The group smashed the man's shop and vandalised a nearby mosque prompting security forces to fire in the air to disperse the crowd, but the violence spread. There had already been clashes last week between Christians and Muslims in Negombo, the town north of Colombo that was targeted by the suicide attackers. The main body of Islamic clerics, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), said there was increased suspicion of Muslims after the Easter Sunday killings. "We call upon the members of the Muslim communities to be more patient and guard your actions and avoid unnecessary postings or hosting on social media," the ACJU said. Internet service providers said they have been instructed by the telecommunications regulator to block access to Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram. -Schools reopen - The latest unrest came as Catholic churches resumed public Sunday masses for the first time since the bombings. Dozens of people have been detained since the Easter attacks, and with security heightened students are only allowed into schools after checks for explosives. But attendance has been extremely low, according to education authorities. Muslims make up around 10 percent of Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka's population and Christians about 7.6 percent. Prague (AFP) - Thousands of people rallied in Prague on Monday in fresh protests against the new justice minister over concerns she could clear the prime minister of fraud allegations. Some 20,000 people gathered in the capital's historic Old Town Square for a third week in a row, according to Czech media, and thousands of others protested in the second city of Brno. Police charged billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis in connection with a two-million-euro EU subsidy scam last year and called on prosecutors to indict him last month. The protesters are concerned that Justice Minister Marie Benesova, named last month, might try to clear Babis of the accusations. If found guilty, Babis could be jailed for up to 10 years. He has repeatedly rejected the allegations against him as a plot and politically inspired. Protesters blew whistles, rang bells and jangled keys, chanting "step down" and "shame". "You lie, you steal, and you are called Bures," read one banner referring to a nickname Babis was given when allegedly serving as a Communist secret police agent in the 1980s. Babis is the Czech Republic's second wealthiest man, according to Forbes. Benesova, 71, was the Czech justice minister in 2013-2014 and the country's chief prosecutor in 1999-2005. Babis is 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. "This goes beyond any ethical boundaries," said Filip Chmel, a young civil engineer on a bike, clutching a sign reading "justice". "I disagree with people like Benesova holding a public post. And I don't like the prime minister's conflict of interest and his arrogance," he said. 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. ANO joined forces with the CSSD Social Democratic party to form a minority government, supported by the communists. ANO boasts 30-percent support, according to opinion polls. By Andrius Sytas VILNIUS (Reuters) - Pre-election favorites Ingrida Simonyte and Gitanas Nauseda will face off in the second round of Lithuania's presidential election as Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis conceded defeat in Sunday's vote and said he would resign his post. Lithuanians voted in large numbers in the contest to succeed outgoing President Dalia Grybauskaite, the Baltic nation's "Iron Lady," who was one of the European Union's most outspoken critics of Russia. Simonyte won the round with 31.4 percent, only a 2,647-vote advangate over Nauseda who had 31.2 percent, according to election authority data. Skvernelis had 21 percent. Simonyte, 44, a former finance minister in a center-right government, and Nauseda, 54, a former senior economist at a top bank, will compete in a May 26 runoff. Both candidates promised the voters to work with political parties to increase social spending and to ask NATO and the United States to up security measures in the region to better protect it from Russia. Both told Reuters they do not want to meet Russia's president Vladimir Putin unless his country withdraws from Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014. "I would like to be the president who initiates national agreements, to find solutions on many, many questions, which are very complicated and were not solved for many years, especially in education and healthcare," Nauseda told reporters after the voting. "My message in the second round will be that we need to care not only for big cities but also for smaller towns, so that we don't have two Lithuanias, but one Lithuania, which is successful and strong," Simonyte told reporters. Skvernelis, 48, conceded defeat in front of disappointed supporters in the capital, Vilnius, and said he would resign as prime minister on July 12. Skvernelis' Farmers and Greens party, which has 51 seats in the 141-member parliament, said they would move to opposition if it does not win European Parliament elections on May 26, a likely outcome, according to polls. An early general election, a minority government or a caretaker government have been discussed in the local media as most likely outcomes of the Skvernlis resignation. The next general election is due on October 2020. INEQUALITY, CORRUPTION MAIN ISSUES Still very popular, Grybauskaite, 63, is not eligible to run again after two terms. The top three candidates vying to succeed her had pledged to maintain a tough stance against Vilnius' former Soviet master, as well as hefty military spending. Five years after Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine that sparked fears of further Russian aggression across Eastern Europe, the election campaign in Lithuania was dominated by voter anger over economic inequality and corruption. Income inequality is among the highest in the European Union, second only to Bulgaria. Both Nauseda and Simonyte say tax income should be raised to fund more state spending, although Skvernelis has introduced a tax cut as a signature policy of his government. "I try to appeal to people by saying, look, there are no simple answers, and there are many headwinds," said Simonyte, the finance minister when the government cut public-sector wages and pensions in 2009 as a state default loomed. Nauseda, a household name from his role as an economic commentator, said he would use the president's position to help business expand in emerging markets, especially China, and ask the government to increase revenues and better fund social services, such as pensions. (Reporting by Andrius Sytas; Writing by Johan Ahlander; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Peter Cooney) Lena Headey as Cersei WARNING: There are huge SPOILERS ahead for The Bells, the fifth episode of the eighth season of Game Of Thrones. Please dont read ahead if you havent watched the penultimate ever episode of the hit show. Well, I suppose the clues were there all along, werent they? Rather than being the ruler that finally brought the seven kingdoms together, Daenerys used her last remaining dragon to burn Kings Landing to the ground and leave the best laid plans of Jon, Tyrion, Ser Davos and all of the people that she had brought together over the previous eight seasons in ruins. But how did it get to this? Well, in The Bells, it all began with Varys being burnt alive for going straight to Jon Snow and plotting to have the King Of The North usurp Daenerys . Obviously the preposterously loyal Jon immediately said no, leading Tyrion to tell Daenerys of Varys treachery. This only increased Danys loneliness, especially after she was once again rejected by Jon. With Tyrion obviously worried by her actions, he decided to break the recently captured Jaime free, hoping that he could sneak into the city to convince Cersei to leave quietly so Dany wouldnt be tempted to kill thousands of innocent people in order to take over. Read More: Game of Thrones cast members feud over rogue coffee cup At the same time, Arya and The Hound got into Kings Landing, too, with the Night King slayer declaring that she was going to murder Cersei. But just as tantalising as that promise was the tease of The Cleganebowel, as the fight between The Hound and The Mountain, who, lest we forget, protects Cersei, has been anticipated for pretty much all of the series. Then the fighting commenced. Drogon made little work of the Iron Fleet, which is understandable as they did just kill his brother, Rhaegel, in the previous episode. By attacking from the rear, Dragon and Daenerys also destroyed most of the Lannister army, to as well as all of the scorpions that took down Rhaegel, which made it rather easy for her troops, led by Jon and Greyworm, to just break through the gates. Story continues But then, with the Lannister army having placed down their weapons and surrendered, the tease of Dany emulating her deranged father and burning the entire city down and its inhabitants alive actually came to fruition. Over the next 45 minutes we just saw dragon fire raining down on Kings Landing and everyone inside, whether they were previously deemed a hero or villain, running for cover. Daenerys on top of Drogon In the midst of Danys destruction, Cleganebowl finally unfolded. It began gloriously, too, with The Mountain destroying Qyburn in one swift move, which provoked a now terrified Cersei to quietly move out of the way. Then The Hound realized that even shoving a sword all the way through the zombified version of his big brother wouldnt bring him down. In fact, The Mountain, whose helmet had now been knocked off, was quickly on top in the duel. He even had The Hounds head in his hands and was about to repeat the finishing move he perfected on Oberyn Martell back in season 4, only for his younger brother to knife him in the eye, and then push them both off of the collapsing tower into the fiery pit that Daenerys had created. Arya didnt get the chance to kill Cersei, though. Instead, after some advice from The Hound, she chose to try and get the hell out of a quickly crumbling Kings Landing while she still had a chance. This allowed Cersei to reunite with Jaime. However, even that moment was fleeting, as Jaimes planned escape route for the pair turned out to be blocked off leaving them trapped right at the bottom of the Red Keep. So trapped that it literally collapsed on top of them as they shared one last kiss and died. Considering the amount of villainy Cersei has committed thats bound to be a controversial way for her and Jaime to bow out. In fact, probably all of the episode, especially Danys turn to evil, will leave a large portion of viewers cold, even though the breadcrumbs have been there all along. This is nothing new, though, as the sheer size and scale of Game Of Thrones and its ensemble has always meant that certain character turns havent been embraced or quite had the impact desired. Read More: Fans mercilessly mock new waxwork of Daenerys from Game of Thrones Yet, the fact it had the sheer gall to turn Dany bad so late into the series, and the sight of such carnage and bloodshed unfolding was undoubtedly impressive to behold. The set up for next weeks final ever episode of Game Of Thrones is nice and simple, too, as Jon, Sansa, Tyrion, Arya and whoever is left remaining will look to take down the Dragon Queen somehow. At the same time, though, there is an awful lot to squeeze in and justify in just 82 minutes. Unfortunately, Game Of Thrones has never done well when rushed, so whether audiences will be left happy as a dying Euron believing he had killed Jaime or as crushed as Cersei very much remains in the balance. By Margarita Antidze DUSHETI, Georgia, May 13 (Reuters) - Former presidents often take to the lucrative global lecture circuit, join the boards of major corporations, or set up their own foundations. Georgia's low key ex-president has taken a different path: becoming an Airbnb landlord. After five years in office, Giorgi Margvelashvili, ex-Soviet Georgia's fourth president, has also returned to his former life as a politics teacher. Turning his back on frontline politics at the end of last year, the 49-year-old and his young family live in the provincial town of Dusheti, 60 kilometers (37 miles) north-west of the capital Tbilisi, where he has started renting out a cottage near his own house to supplement his income. "It's quite an enriching experience emotionally," Margvelashvili told Reuters in an interview. "Their (guests') comments about how they like it, or how they think that I've crafted something well, or how they've enjoyed the view...is very exciting for me personally." Margvelashvili, who has no state pension to fall back on, has also turned to carpentry, making furniture and other objects, some of which he uses to furnish his rental property located in a peaceful countryside setting. The ex-politician started letting out the cottage to tourists around two months ago. Since then, a couple of dozen people have stayed in the one-bedroom property. He said some visitors, mainly Georgians, knew that he used to be the country's president, while for others, such as tourists from other former Soviet republics or from European countries, it came as a surprise. It's a far cry from his old life as a pro-Western non-partisan politician whose presidential powers were limited and who often had tense relations with both the country's ruling party and the opposition. He and his wife and two young children live in a modest two-story house near the rental property. His own home is also furnished with many things that he made and is decorated with paintings by Maka Chichua, his wife. Story continues "My retirement from politics...is also a way of trying to create a precedent in this country where there is a life after politics," he said. Strolling through a courtyard which enjoys spectacular views of the surrounding landscape, he said he was considering adding a horse riding business and gin distillery to his small estate. When asked whether he missed his old job as president he was unequivocal: "Not at all." "It was a pretty intensive five years," he said. "Now, I just enjoy the easy and peaceful way of life here." (Editing by Andrew Osborn and Marie-Louise Gumuchian) Munich (Germany) (AFP) - German police said Monday two more female bodies had been found during investigations into the deaths of three people discovered in a Bavarian hotel room and killed by crossbow bolts. The latest macabre finds were uncovered in the north German town of Wittingen, while detectives probed the mysterious deaths of a man and two women discovered over the weekend in the Bavarian town of Passau, close to the Austrian border. The two crime scenes are around 660 kilometres (410 miles) apart at opposite ends of Germany. Police made the latest discovery of two female bodies when they went to the home of one of the women discovered dead in the hotel room in Passau. A police spokesperson confirmed that the two corpses in Wittingen, Lower Saxony, had not been killed by crossbow bolts, "the modus operandi cannot be compared". "Further details and identities of the two women are still unknown - possible connections to the dead found in Passau are currently the subject of investigations," added police in a statement. Forensic police officers were combing both crime scenes on Monday for clues. - 'Strange group' - Hotel staff in Passau had on Saturday discovered the three dead Germans in their room around noon alongside two crossbows. A third crossbow was later found packed inside a bag, police said. The three were a 33-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man from Rhineland-Palatinate state and a 30-year-old woman from Wittingen, who had arrived Friday. Local media reported that the man and the 33-year-old woman were found dead in bed holding hands, with bolts in their heads and chests. The other woman was lying on the floor with a bolt in her chest. Reports said the three had arrived Friday from different parts of Germany and had all checked in without luggage. The man, who was dressed in a suit had a long, white beard, while the two women were dressed in black, witnesses told German daily Bild. Police were also inspecting a pick-up truck on Monday, reportedly belonging to one of the deceased, which had an archery logo stuck on it. Story continues One of the women had booked the triple room for 85 euros a night, without breakfast, for three nights. "It was a strange group," a guest recalled, according to the newspaper Bild. They had all wished a "good evening", taken glasses of soft drink and water, and then disappeared into the second-floor room as rain fell outside. Police said the town's prosecutor had ordered autopsies which aimed to ascertain the cause and circumstances of the deaths. Initial results from the post-mortem investigations were expected by Tuesday morning, police said. According to a spokesman for the German Shooting Federation in Wiesbaden, anyone over the age of 18 can purchase a crossbow in Germany, the news agency DPA reported. Google has given tens of thousands of dollars in free advertising to an anti-abortion group that runs ads suggesting it provides abortion services at its medical clinics, but actually seeks to deter abortion-minded women from terminating their pregnancies. Related: Abortion: judge strikes down Kentucky restriction but governor to appeal The Obria Group, which runs a network of clinics funded by Catholic organisations, received a $120,000 Google advertising grant in 2015, according to a public filing. In 2011, it received nearly $32,000. Such grants are designed to support and expand the reach of non-profits around the world. Obria was awarded the 2015 grant despite the fact Google had faced intense criticism a year earlier, after a pro-choice group found the platform was running deceptive ads for clinics that appeared to offer abortions and other medical services, but instead focused on counseling and information on alternatives to abortion. In some cases, such clinics, known as crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), are located close to Planned Parenthood clinics and provide some medical treatment, such as pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and prenatal counseling. But they also seek to deter women who enter from seeking abortions and do not offer referrals for alternative treatment. Google should not allow CPCs to use its platform to serve misinformation to pregnant women Alice Huling, Campaign for Accountability Obria runs a network of clinics across the US, many of which suggest on their websites that they offer abortion. The clinics are actually opposed to abortion and all forms of contraception. Obrias use of Google grants underscores how Google has become a vital marketing tool for such organisations. A group called Choose Life Marketing, which helps CPCs market their services, encourages its clients to apply for Google grants. The Guardian obtained a screenshot of an exchange in January in which a Choose Life Marketing employee sought assistance in an open online chatroom for not-for-profit organizations seeking assistance for Google ad grant applications. In the exchange, a Google employee explains that two centers websites were rejected because they were not secure, not because of their content. They were encouraged to re-apply. Story continues Alice Huling, counsel for the Campaign for Accountability, a watchdog fighting a recent change in federal rules on what kinds of clinics can receive federal funds for healthcare services, said Google was usually the first resource for a woman with an unplanned pregnancy. Google should not allow CPCs to use its platform to serve misinformation to pregnant women, she said. Googles business model is predicated on serving ads to customers, and the company is clearly uninterested in taking the steps necessary to crack down on misleading ads placed by CPCs. Google said it made ad grants available to a diverse group that represents many different views and different causes and both groups that provide abortions and those that are opposed to abortions are given grants. Google would not comment on the Obria grant, but said all recipients have to comply with its policies. One such policy prohibits misrepresentation in ads as well as ads that intend to deceive users by excluding relevant information or giving misleading information about products, services, or businesses. Google awarded the Obria grant as part of a program to support nonprofit organisations around the world with in-kind donations worth up to $10,000 a month. It is not clear which precise ads were published through Obrias grants, because the information is not public. Obria did not return a request for comment. The group recently faced scrutiny after it was awarded $1.7m in federal funds known as Title X funding meant to support healthcare providers that offer family planning services. Obria does not offer birth control, including condoms, in its clinics, offering natural family planning methods instead. When the Guardian presented Google with a host of other examples of ads for clinics that appear to offer abortion services but do not, the company declined to comment, saying only that any ads that violated its policies would be taken down. Those ads were still available online several days later. Google promised to address the issue in 2014. But the problem resurfaced in 2017, when the company was forced to remove more misleading ads. In 2018, Google was criticized for pointing women seeking abortions in Silicon Valley to CPCs through its maps service, while demoting results for Planned Parenthood clinics. Google continues to feature ads for the clinics that appear to violate its policies. In one such case, an ad for a Texas clinic called the Grapevine Womens Clinic pops up if a user does a local search for abortion clinic. At first glance, the Grapevine clinic appears to offer abortion services: it emphasizes a womans choice, provides detailed information about the abortion pill and recommends that women call insurance providers to pay for their procedures. The clinic also says it provides post abortive counseling. In a statement, Google said: The Google ad grants program is open to qualified non-profits regardless of their position on abortion and we give grants to nearly 50 thousand organizations globally that represent a wide spectrum of views and causes. All grant recipients have to abide by our ad policies, which prohibit misrepresentation in ads. If we find ads that violate our policies, we remove them. Athens (AFP) - When George Balafoutis returned home from New York two years ago, he was shocked to see what little impact nearly a decade of anti-smoking laws had made on stubbing out Greece's favourite guilty pleasure. It was then that Balafoutis, now 38, decided to build a website dedicated to informing non-smokers where they could enjoy a meal or coffee unmarred by other patrons' cigarette smoke. "After so many medical studies on (the harmful effects of) passive smoking, it's unacceptable for smokers to keep on ignoring the health of pregnant women and children," he told AFP. Balafoutis' website, akapnos.gr, currently lists more than 400 smoke-free establishments but he acknowledges that the movement has yet to gather steam. "Restaurant and club owners are afraid of losing smoking customers, and politicians are afraid of losing votes," fumed the cybersecurity architect who came back to work in Greece because he missed his homeland, family and friends. And with Greece headed for local elections on May 26, officials are unlikely to press the point, he conceded. In 2009, Greece banned smoking in indoor public places, instituted stiff fines and created a complaints hotline. However, in practice, the law is still rarely enforced. - 'Should have the choice' - Nikos Louvros, an Athens bar owner and proponent of smokers' rights, proudly provides ashtrays on the tables of his Booze Cooperativa venue, where customers can puff away at ease. "It makes sense not to smoke in a hospital but when you're having fun, you should have the choice of going somewhere where you can smoke," he said. Louvros even founded a smokers' political party in the wake of the 2009 legal clampdown, so strongly did he feel about people's right to smoke. In Greece, 72 percent of licensed establishments are restaurants that allow smoking, the highest figure in the European Union, according to a 2017 Eurobarometer study. Story continues Some 37 percent of Greeks smoke, compared to an EU average of 26 percent, it found. - 'I'll quit when I choose' - Earlier this year, the issue sparked a row when European health commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis reacted with disdain to a 2016 photo of Greek junior health minister Pavlos Polakis smoking inside the ministry. "Its shameful! This guy knows nothing about health," Greek daily Kathimerini quoted Andriukaitis as saying. Polakis, a veteran surgeon, scornfully replied on Facebook: "I'll quit when I choose to... ok "guy"???". Anti-smoking laws in Greece date back to the mid-19th century. An 1856 royal decree issued by the country's first post-independence monarch, king Otto of Bavaria, forbade the use of pipes and cigarettes in public offices and shops. The 2009 anti-smoking law carries a fine of 50-500 euros ($56-$560) for an individual, and 500-1,000 euros for the establishment where the infraction occurred. "In the end, we will join the ranks of civilised nations... what are we, the idiots of Europe?" then health minister Dimitris Avramopoulos -- now EU migration commissioner -- said, at the time the law was tightened. Few people are reported to the police, however. When the economic crisis hit Greece a year later, few could argue with business owners complaining that their livelihood depended on placating a paying majority of smoking patrons. Even today, "most owners prefer to risk it and flout the law," admits Yiorgos Kavvathas, head of the GSEVEE confederation of small enterprises. - Flouting the law - Local council initiatives to discourage smoking remain few and far between, prompting the mayor of Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki, Yannis Boutaris -- another chain smoker -- to protest in March: "We are the only country in the world where laws are not respected because that's just how we feel like." Authorities have had more success in eliminating tobacco products from public view. Adverts have been blacklisted since 2005, a ban upheld by Greece's top administrative court last week. But Kavvathas argued that there ought to be more public messages on the harmful effects of tobacco, including school campaigns. In the meantime, smokers like Maria Triantafyllou, 36, are undeterred. "When I go out with friends to a cafe or bar, I spend some hours there and for me, that's time spent smoking. "It's a habit that I would find hard to give up if the anti-tobacco law was really respected," she said. The Venezuelan politician fighting to depose Nicolas Maduro has accused his rival of attempting to obliterate the opposition challenge to his rule with a campaign of state terrorism. Speaking to the Guardian nearly two weeks after his failed uprising against Maduro, Juan Guaido claimed Venezuelas strongman president was illegally targeting opposition leaders who took part. At least 10 Guaido allies are facing years in jail for their role in the abortive 30 April insurrection with three seeking refuge in diplomatic compounds and one fleeing to Colombia in recent days. The current location of Edgar Zambrano, the vice-president of Venezuelas opposition-controlled parliament, is unknown after he was seized by intelligence agents last Wednesday. Today what we are seeing is terror, the sowing of terror, which is all the Maduro regime has left, Guaido said during an interview at his party headquarters in Caracas. What they are doing right now is basically state terrorism because they are using the state apparatus to spread fear. Venezuelas foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, has rejected international criticism of his governments clampdown, asking critics how they would respond to a similarly foolhardy operation to remove their leader. Maduro and his backers describe the botched mutiny as a US-backed coup attempt that was defeated thanks to the loyalty of Venezuelas armed forces. But Guaido, the 35-year-old president of Venezuelas national assembly, claimed Maduros pursuit of opposition lawmakers reflected the desperation of a regime in its final moments. All that he has left, regrettably, is persecution, Guaido said of Maduro, who took power after Hugo Chavezs 2013 death and was returned to office last year in elections widely denounced as a fraud. Several key Maduro confidants were reportedly involved in the plot against him including the defence minister and the head of the supreme court and Guaido said he believed Maduro was now racked with paranoia. I think he mistrusts everyone even the person who serves him coffee. Story continues He called the defection of Venezuelas top spy who Maduro has accused of being a CIA mole proof of a deep split within the military and predicted: There will be more and more [defections]. Despite the recent upheaval, Guaido cut a confident and carefree figure during the half-hour interview, at one point spontaneously breaking into a falsetto rendition of his campaign jingle: Vamos bien! (Were doing good!). As the Guardian left his office, Guaido beamed and flashed a V sign with his left hand. But for all that outward bounce the politicians life has been upended since he launched his campaign against Maduro in January by declaring himself Venezuelas rightful interim president a decision now endorsed by 54 governments, including the US and Britain. Thickset security guards prowl the corridors of his offices with walkie talkies strapped to their hips. Guaidos wife and baby daughter have reportedly left Venezuela. There have been lots of threats, he said, calling recent days very complicated. Guaido has yet to be detained or charged something many attribute to Maduros reluctance to provoke the White House. But several close allies have gone into hiding or fled abroad after being stripped of their parliamentary immunity and accused of crimes including treason, civil rebellion and instigating insurrection. On Saturday, Venezuelas El Nacional newspaper said Zambrano faced up to 30 years in prison for his role in the so-called Operation Freedom against Maduro. Guaido recalled feeling great expectation as he headed to Caracas La Carlota airfield to launch the rebellion in the early hours of 30 April. But by noon it was clear crucial support from top military and political figures had not materialised. We needed more, Guaido admitted. Despite the setback which some view as a calamitous defeat and others a temporary hitch - Guaido insisted the opposition was close to achieving its objective. He hinted secret negotiations aimed at securing Maduros departure continued and said he would talk to any civil or military figure prepared to back his cause. Asked how long Maduro had left, Guaido said he hoped it was nanoseconds. They have already lost. Venezuela hasnt won yet [but] I believe it is just a matter of time. Maduro loyalists see the uprising as part of a gringo plot masterminded by Donald Trumps White House. Pedro Carreno, a top Maduro ally, branded Guaidos movement a despicable jukebox that would play whatever tune it was paid to. Guaido rejected his depiction as a diabolical imperialist puppet and urged foreign critics to consider how Chavista criminality not US sanctions had caused Venezuelas collapse. It wasnt a tornado. It wasnt a hurricane. It wasnt an earthquake. It wasnt a fire that spread uncontrollably, Guaido said. No it was caused by the corruption of this regime. Additional reporting by Patricia Torres in Caracas A group, Access to Justice, on Sunday asked President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, to step down from the Election Tribunal hearing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Atiku Abubakars petition against the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari. This was contained in a statement on by its Convener, Joseph Otteh. The justice advocacy group said this had become necessary as Bulkachuwa is married to a Senator-elect on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mohammed Bulkachuwa. Ottehs statement read: Of late, there have been strong speculations that the Buhari government is heavily invested in efforts to achieve the best possible outcomes from electoral courts in any election litigation involving the ruling party through any means possible. Many believe this is the reason the government worked hand in glove with the Code of Conduct Tribunal and removed Justice Walter Onnoghen from office as Chief Justice of Nigeria applying bizarre legal procedures. The dust has not settled from that incident. The Court of Appeal President, Hon. Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa is married to a Senator of the ruling APC and she has not publicly denied this claim. We note that the Court of Appeal President is not however sitting on an election petition involving her spouse personally but that involving her spouses political party and platform. In ordinary circumstances, there would be no question of whether the President of the Court of Appeal can, or should participate in tribunals adjudicating election petitions involving her spouses party. But these are no ordinary or normal times. The Nigerian judiciary is facing very heightened levels of public scrutiny, and the performance of some judicial bodies have raised red flags concerning judicial independence and integrity. There are now far more than normal anxieties about the Judiciarys strength of character. Many keen observers of the Judiciary are already worried that the Judiciary has been overawed by the government given, particularly, the example of the bizarre way the removed Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen was guillotined by a supposedly judicial body. Given the present context, it may be difficult for judicial officers to bank on the moral capital of the Judiciary as an institution as a basis of comfort when they sit on cases where some familial, fiduciary or other interests are implicated, for the stock value of that capital has descended a few notches over time and survives mostly through its cliches than its substance. Maybe at some time in the future, it will not be a problem for a Justice of the Court of Appeal to adjudicate cases where his or her significant other has some immediate or remote interest, but, at this time, there will be conflicting perceptions, even of reasonable people, given the prevailing context, of whether justice will impartially be done in such a case. 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 introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. We'll look at Gujarat State Petronet Limited's (NSE:GSPL) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. Gujarat State Petronet has a P/E ratio of 9.89, based on the last twelve months. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 10%. See our latest analysis for Gujarat State Petronet How Do I Calculate Gujarat State Petronet's Price To Earnings Ratio? The formula for price to earnings is: Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Gujarat State Petronet: P/E of 9.89 = 175.15 17.71 (Based on the year to March 2019.) Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good? The higher the P/E ratio, the higher the price tag of a business, relative to its trailing earnings. That is not a good or a bad thing per se, but a high P/E does imply buyers are optimistic about the future. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings. Gujarat State Petronet increased earnings per share by a whopping 35% last year. And its annual EPS growth rate over 5 years is 19%. So we'd generally expect it to have a relatively high P/E ratio. Does Gujarat State Petronet Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry? The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (16.3) for companies in the gas utilities industry is higher than Gujarat State Petronet's P/E. Story continues NSEI:GSPL Price Estimation Relative to Market, May 12th 2019 This suggests that market participants think Gujarat State Petronet will underperform other companies in its industry. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. You should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling. A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings. Spending on growth might be good or bad a few years later, but the point is that the P/E ratio does not account for the option (or lack thereof). Is Debt Impacting Gujarat State Petronet's P/E? Gujarat State Petronet has net debt equal to 28% of its market cap. You'd want to be aware of this fact, but it doesn't bother us. The Verdict On Gujarat State Petronet's P/E Ratio Gujarat State Petronet trades on a P/E ratio of 9.9, which is below the IN market average of 15.3. The company hasn't stretched its balance sheet, and earnings growth was good last year. If it continues to grow, then the current low P/E may prove to be unjustified. When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. As value investor Benjamin Graham famously said, 'In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine.' So this free report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock. 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. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. The Duchess of Sussex marks Mother's Day with her newborn son - Instagram/SussexRoyal The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to visit Windsor on Monday to meet their newborn nephew for the first time, a week after his birth. It comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex paid a poignant tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales yesterday, by honouring mothers lost but forever remembered on international Mother's Day. The message was accompanied by a photograph of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsors tiny feet cradled in his mothers hand against a backdrop of forget-me-nots, one of the late princess's favourite flowers. Baby Archie has already met the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, while early visitors are known to include Lady Jane Fellowes, Dianas sister. His grandmother, Doria Ragland, is also on hand to help out at Frogmore Cottage. But neither the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, nor the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have yet managed to fit a cuddle with the latest addition to the family into their diaries. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who have been on tour in Germany, are said to be planning a visit to Windsor within the next few days. The Duke and Duchess pose with their newborn son Credit: DOMINIC LIPINSKI/PA A source said the Cambridges were hoping to visit on Monday or Tuesday but both have engagements on Tuesday; when the Duchess is due to visit a D-Day Exhibition at Bletchley Park and the Duke will speak at a United for Wildlife event. Veteran royal reporter Phil Dampier, author of Prince Philip: A Lifetime of Wit and Wisdom, said: It seems a bit strange that William and Kate have not yet been to see Archie. Im sure for many, it will feed into the recent narrative that Harry and William have grown apart. That said, they are expected to visit imminently and of course, it was Harry and Meghans decision to move away from Kensington Palace, which does make the logistics a bit more difficult. The latest glimpse of newborn Archie was accompanied by a touching message posted on the Sussexs new Instagram page. It read: Paying tribute to all mothers today - past, present, mothers-to-be, and those lost but forever remembered. We honour and celebrate each and every one of you. Story continues Today is Mothers Day in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya, Japan, and several countries across Europe. This is the first Mothers Day for The Duchess of Sussex. It goes on to quote from the poem Lands by Nayyirah Waheed: my mother was my first country; the first place i ever lived. The Duchess is known to be a fan of Waheed, having previously posted a line from one of her poems on her now defunct personal Instagram page in 2017 to mark International Women's Day. She is believed to have written the latest post, as it featured the American spelling of honor. The touching photograph is believed to have been taken in the grounds of the family's new home, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. The Duke spoke referenced the loss of his mother when discussing the birth of his son with a former soldier in The Hague last week, as he launched a countdown to the Invictus Games. Dennis van der Stroom, 31, said; He said missing a mother is like missing some kind of security, how you need that as a son and it falls away when you lose your mother. Who is Nayyirah Waheed? Very little is known about Nayyirah Waheed, a US-based artist and writer who appears keen to stay out of the public eye. She has self-published two books, salt and nejma in 2013 and 2014 respectively, and is famed for a stark style that forgoes capital letters and features little punctuation aside from the erratic use of full stops. Recurring themes in her work are female empowerment, the recognition of self-worth and resilience built up from her experiences as an immigrant. After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex highlighted her work yesterday, she posted two lines on Twitter: let a new life happen to you. every once and a while. take off your life. and rest. Need a better way to start your day? For your essential rundown from The Telegraph, sign up to our free Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings on WhatsApp. We live in an unusual time. Just at the moment when federal courts from multiple points of the ideological compass are granting ever greater protections for key American liberties, American citizens feel far less free than they did even a few short years ago. The reason is obvious. While the law still protects individual liberty from government interference, powerful private actors are increasingly punitive against even mainstream political positions they dislike. Online boycott and shame mobs, for example, constitute a direct frontal attack on the culture of free speech. Silicon Valley censorship isnt unlawful, but it still has a profoundly chilling effect on free speech. There are many, many people who dont share their sincere and loving religious beliefs, for example, for fear of lost jobs and online attacks. But free speech isnt the only important constitutional value in cultural peril. Due process is in the crosshairs, and last week Harvard University provided a disturbing and textbook example of the power of private actors to punish the exercise of vital American freedoms. In a letter dated May 11, Harvard College notified the residents of Winthrop House, a residential house for undergraduates, that their Faculty Deans Ronald Sullivan and his wife Stephanie Robinson were effectively terminated. Though they both still teach at Harvard Law School (Sullivan runs its Criminal Justice Institute), Harvard was not renewing their deanship. This internal personnel decision was national news for a clear and simple reason: Sullivan came under fire when he joined Harvey Weinsteins defense team. As the New York Times wrote, many students expressed dismay, saying that his decision to represent a person accused of abusing women disqualified Mr. Sullivan from serving in a role of support and mentorship to students. Students launched a petition demanding his removal as dean. Dozens of protesters demonstrated outside an administration building, holding up signs that said Remove Sullivan and #MeToo. The editors of the Harvard Crimson attacked his decision to defend Weinstein. And graffiti was sprayed on Harvard buildings, including statements such as Our rage is self-defense and Whose side are you on? Story continues Rather than defending the embattled dean Harvards first black faculty dean the university initiated a climate review, and the results of that review provided the pretext for his termination. Harvard claimed that concerns about the climate in Winthrop House were serious and numerous, and the actions taken to improve the climate were ineffective. The Harvard Crimson reported on claims that Sullivans leadership at Winthrop was toxic regardless of his representation of Weinstein, but its hard to escape the conclusion that but for the student protests, hed still be a dean. Moreover, its unclear if his supporters felt free to speak. Sullivan told Sean Illing at The New Yorker that many of his supporters feel as though they cannot say anything publicly because they will be tarred and feathered as rape sympathizers and that theyre disinclined to step out publicly. Ironically enough, the activists cultural triumph comes exactly at the moment when progressive judges especially progressive judges in California are handing campus #MeToo activists a series of stinging legal defeats. Courts are rejecting university efforts to strip students accused of sexual assault of fundamental due process rights, and in California, a series of rulings brought 75 campus adjudications to a screeching halt. In California, fundamental fairness requires that accused students have a right to a hearing and to cross-examine their accusers. But theres more than one way to damage due process, and if social pressures make it difficult for defendants to retain good representation, then courts can protect due process all they want defendants will still face a serious disadvantage. Writing in The New Yorker, Harvard Law School professor Jeannie Suk Gersen observes that the climate for those who defend clients accused of sexual misconduct has changed. She says there is such a stigma attached to people accused of sexual misconduct that anyone who defends legal principles on their behalf risks being mistaken, in the public mind, for a defender of sexual violence. Gersens correct to note that lawyers have always been vilified for taking on unpopular clients, but defense lawyers are now endangering their good standing even in the most liberal communities, Harvard being only one example. This is an ominous development for American liberty. Even a well-designed justice system is only as good as the people who populate it, and systems that vilify defense lawyers can deter the best attorneys from the field. Rights to fair hearings and cross-examination are less valuable when your representation is less competent. Gersen is spot-on: As a matter of constitutional law, denying someone a defense lawyer is depriving that person of their rights, especially if the risk of punishment is involved. Just as crucially, a world in which lawyers are afraid to defend people against a certain kind of accusation is a world in which those accusations can never really be tested or verified, where guilty verdicts bear the whiff of a sham. In February, I wrote a short piece expressing the hope that the legal victories for due process on campus would help build momentum for a cultural revival. Im less optimistic now. Harvards action shows that the culture war still rages, and when one of the worlds most elite and most powerful institutions imposes sanctions after students demand punishment for the crime of representing a criminal defendant in court, it looks as if the forces of liberty are losing momentum. I confess (much to my shame) that when I was a student I had a very different view of the defense bar. I wrongly idealized prosecutors, and I failed to appreciate the vital need to defend the Constitution and constitutional processes even when a defendant is guilty as sin. I was educated out of my error, in the classroom and through lived experience. But faced with its own teachable moment, Harvard chose not to educate but to capitulate. The students are in charge now, and they want to teach us their own intolerance. Its a lesson our culture is learning all too well. More from National Review Photo: Erik Witsoe/Unsplash Looking to mix things up this week? From a Bollywood-inspired fitness class to a purse party benefiting women in need, here's a roundup of 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. Bolly X- Dance Workout Class From the event description: Come enjoy a free workout class hosted at Bollywood beats dance studio. BollyX is a Bollywood-inspired dance and fitness program that combines dynamic choreography with the hottest music from around the world. Its 50-minute cardio workout combines higher and lower-intensity dance sequences to get you moving, sweating and motivated. When: Monday, May 13, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Where: Bollywood Beats, 305 Main St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' Film Screening From the event description: Check out a 21-and-over screening of "A Nightmare on Elm Street." A group of teenagers are terrorized by Freddy Krueger, an evil being from another world who gets to his victims by entering their dreams and killing them with gloves that have knife blades attached to each finger. Themed drink specials, Upland Brewery Co. draft specials and door prizes will be available. Doors open at 7 p.m. When: Tuesday, May 14, 8-11 p.m. Where: White Rabbit Cabaret, 1116 Prospect St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Linking Indy Women Presents: You Are Enough From the event description: Check out guest speaker Gretchen Schott, vice president of learning and development at trueU. She is responsible for thought leadership, leadership development and learning strategy for trueU and its member organizations. The event will kick off at 7:30 a.m. with coffee and bagels. A question-and-answer session will follow the lecture. When: Wednesday, May 15, 7:30-9 a.m. Where: The Hatch, 6161 Hillside Ave. Admission: Free Story continues Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Distinguished Speakers: Photojournalism and World Affairs From the event description: Since 1955, the Indiana Council of World Affairss Distinguished Speaker Series has brought some of the worlds best minds to Indianapolis for a dinner presentation to discuss international topics. Check out a lecture by Steven Raymer, a photojournalist and editor at "National Geographic." Raymer is also the author and photographer of "Somewhere West of Lonely, My Life In Pictures," a visual memoir published in April 2018 by Indiana University Press. When: Thursday, May 16, 5:30-9 p.m. Where: Willows on Westfield, 6729 Westfield Blvd. Admission: $5-$10 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Reverse Purse Party From the event description: Please join us for a Reverse Purse Party at Triton Brewing Company this Thursday. We request that you bring a gently used purse and any other items that you'd like to contribute to the cause. Not sure what to bring? PPI is most in need of feminine hygiene products, dental products, lip balm, first aid items, tea sachets and single servings of instant coffee. Project Purse Indianapolis is a nonprofit focused on providing women with basic necessities, beauty products and hope. When: Thursday, May 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Where: Triton Brewing Company and Bistro, 5764 Wheeler Road 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: Jared Erondu/Unsplash From a rock supergroup to a farm and ranch fest, there's plenty to enjoy in San Francisco 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. Filthy Friends, Eyelids at Swedish American Hall From the event description: Filthy Friends (members of R.E.M., Sleater-Kinney, The Fastbacks, King Crimson) is the product of like-minded individuals with nothing to prove getting together and making a heroic racket that finds space for their many influences and interests. When: Monday, May 13, 7 p.m. Where: Swedish American Hall, 2174 Market St. Admission: $28 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Global Challenge to Prevent Breast Cancer Idea Showcase and Competition From the event description: Dont miss this exciting event at which the finalists from the Global Challenge to Prevent Breast Cancer present their bold ideas for breast cancer prevention research in a live competition. This competition is the culmination of a months-long challenge, sponsored by the California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP), to surface ground-breaking prevention research ideas. Two grand prize winners (one advocate and one researcher) will be selected by a panel of respected experts and announced at the event. When: Wednesday, May 15, 9 a.m.noon Where: Public Policy Institute of California, Bechtel Conference Center, 500 Washington St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to register Picture This at Slim's, with Future Feats (solo-acoustic) From the event description: The biggest-selling Irish act in both 2017 and 2018, and the nations hottest musical export in decades, Picture This arrived as a phenomenon with their self-titled 2017 full-length debut, "Picture This." Certified triple-platinum in Ireland, it held the no. 1 spot overall in the country for four weeks, while topping the streaming chart for seven weeks. Story continues When: Wednesday, May 15, 7 p.m. Where: Slim's, 333 11th St. Admission: $15 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Farms and Ranches Forever Fest From the event description: The Bay Area's best farms and ranches are coming to downtown San Francisco for our annual happy hour, Farms and Ranches Forever Fest. Join us to enjoy local food and drinks while supporting local farmers. Local farmers and ranchers will share samples from cured meats to locally sourced cocktails and interactive demonstrations of their work. As you explore the space, enjoy tastings of our lead sponsor McEvoy Ranch's acclaimed wines, olive oil and other locally grown items. You'll also be treated to live music, hors d'oeuvres, wine, beer and cocktails. When: Thursday, May 16, 5:307:30 p.m. Where: 633 Battery St. Admission: $75 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets IIDA San Francisco Forums | Design for the Future: Space Unprecedented From the event description: International Interior Design Association (IIDA) San Francisco City Center is proud to present our annual Forums panel discussion. This year's conversation centers on designing for the future and unprecedented built environments in this world and beyond. Come and engage with our esteemed panel of designers and researchers as they bring their various areas of expertise and viewpoints to this conversation around the frontier of design as we know it. The out-of-this-world evening is complete with drinks and light hors d'oeuvres. When: Thursday, May 16, 6-8 p.m. Where: Gensler, 45 Fremont St., Suite 1500 Admission: $10 students; $15 IIDA members; $25 nonmembers. More ticket options available. Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Better dentistry does exist Not all dentists in San Francisco provide you with the same experience, which is why we make your life easier by rewarding you with a $50 gift card for visiting one of the top rated dentists in your area on Opencare. Don't believe us? Opencare is also proud to offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, so if your new dentist doesn't live up to the hype, we'll also reimburse you up to $100 to cover your appointment costs! Click here to book an appointment and claim your $50 reward 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. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it completely lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' In the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, my choice may seem old fashioned; I still prefer profitable companies like Polypipe Group (LON:PLP). Even if the shares are fully valued today, most capitalists would recognize its profits as the demonstration of steady value generation. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath. See our latest analysis for Polypipe Group How Fast Is Polypipe Group Growing? The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so share price follows earnings per share (EPS) eventually. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. Over the last three years, Polypipe Group has grown EPS by 13% per year. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up. One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. While we note Polypipe Group's EBIT margins were flat over the last year, revenue grew by a solid 5.2% to UK433m. That's a real positive. You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart. LSE:PLP Income Statement, May 13th 2019 In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of Polypipe Group's forecast profits?. Story continues Are Polypipe Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? It makes me feel more secure owning shares in a company, if insiders also own shares, thusly more closely aligning our interests. So it is good to see that Polypipe Group insiders have a significant amount of capital invested in the stock. Indeed, they hold UK30m worth of its stock. That shows significant buy-in, and may indicate conviction in the business strategy. Even though that's only about 3.6% of the company, it's enough money to indicate alignment between the leaders of the business and ordinary shareholders. It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but I find myself wondering if remuneration policies are shareholder friendly. A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. For companies with market capitalizations between UK307m and UK1.2b, like Polypipe Group, the median CEO pay is around UK848k. Polypipe Group offered total compensation worth UK637k to its CEO in the year to December 2017. That comes in below the average for similar sized companies, and seems pretty reasonable to me. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. I'd also argue reasonable pay levels attest to good decision making more generally. Should You Add Polypipe Group To Your Watchlist? As I already mentioned, Polypipe Group is a growing business, which is what I like to see. Earnings growth might be the main game for Polypipe Group, but the fun does not stop there. Boasting both modest CEO pay and considerable insider ownership, I'd argue this one is worthy of the watchlist, at least. Now, you could try to make up your mind on Polypipe Group by focusing on just these factors, or you could also consider how its price-to-earnings ratio compares to other companies in its industry. Although Polypipe Group certainly looks good to me, I would like it more if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, too, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction 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! Today we'll take a closer look at Hindalco Industries Limited (NSE:HINDALCO) from a dividend investor's perspective. Owning a strong business and reinvesting the dividends is widely seen as an attractive way of growing your wealth. If you are hoping to live on your dividends, it's important to be more stringent with your investments than the average punter. Regular readers know we like to apply the same approach to each dividend stock, and we hope you'll find our analysis useful. A slim 0.6% yield is hard to get excited about, but the long payment history is respectable. At the right price, or with strong growth opportunities, Hindalco Industries could have potential. Before you buy any stock for its dividend however, you should always remember Warren Buffett's two rules: 1) Don't lose money, and 2) Remember rule #1. We'll run through some checks below to help with this. Click the interactive chart for our full dividend analysis NSEI:HINDALCO Historical Dividend Yield, May 13th 2019 Payout ratios Dividends are usually paid out of company earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable. In the last year, Hindalco Industries paid out 4.4% of its profit as dividends. We like this low payout ratio, because it implies the dividend is well covered and leaves ample opportunity for reinvestment. In addition to comparing dividends against profits, we should inspect whether the company generated enough cash to pay its dividend. Hindalco Industries's cash payout ratio last year was 3.7%, which is quite low and suggests that the dividend was thoroughly covered by cash flow. Is Hindalco Industries's Balance Sheet Risky? As Hindalco Industries has a meaningful amount of debt, we need to check its balance sheet to see if the company might have debt risks. A rough way to check this is with these two simple ratios: a) net debt divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation), and b) net interest cover. Net debt to EBITDA is a measure of a company's total debt. Net interest cover measures the ability to meet interest payments on debt. Essentially we check that a) a company does not have too much debt, and b) that it can afford to pay the interest. With net debt of 2.86 times its EBITDA, Hindalco Industries's debt burden is within a normal range for most listed companies. Story continues We calculated its interest cover by measuring its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), and dividing this by the company's net interest expense. Interest cover of less than 5x its interest expense is starting to become a concern for Hindalco Industries, and be aware that lenders may place additional restrictions on the company as well. We update our data on Hindalco Industries every 24 hours, so you can always get our latest analysis of its financial health, here. Dividend Volatility From the perspective of an income investor who wants to earn dividends for many years, there is not much point buying a stock if its dividend is regularly cut or is not reliable. Hindalco Industries has been paying dividends for a long time, but for the purpose of this analysis, we only examine the past 10 years of payments. Its dividend payments have fallen by 20% or more on at least one occasion over the past ten years. During the past ten-year period, the first annual payment was 1.35 in 2009, compared to 1.20 last year. This works out to be a decline of approximately -1.2% per year over that time. Hindalco Industries's dividend has been cut sharply at least once, so it hasn't fallen by -1.2% every year, but this is a decent approximation of the long term change. Dividend Growth Potential With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share (EPS) are growing. Why take the risk of a dividend getting cut, unless there's a good chance of bigger dividends in future? Hindalco Industries has grown its EPS 12% over the past 12 months. We're glad to see EPS up on last year, but we're conscious that growth rates typically slow as companies increase in size. Earnings per share are growing at a solid clip, and the payout ratio is low. We think this is an ideal combination in a dividend stock. Any one year of performance can be misleading for a variety of reasons, so we wouldn't like to form any strong conclusions based on these numbers alone. Conclusion Dividend investors should always want to know if a) a company's dividends are affordable, b) if there is a track record of consistent payments, and c) if the dividend is capable of growing. First, we like that the company's dividend payments appear well covered, although the retained capital also needs to be effectively reinvested. Unfortunately, earnings growth has also been mediocre, and the company has cut its dividend at least once in the past. Overall we think Hindalco Industries is an interesting dividend stock, although it could be better. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 23 Hindalco Industries analysts we track are forecasting continued growth with our free report on analyst estimates for the company. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of dividend stocks yielding above 3%. 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 (AFP) - US President Donald Trump on Monday praised Hungary's hardline authoritarian Viktor Orban as a leader respected throughout Europe who kept his country safe with his crackdown on immigration. "Viktor Orban has done a tremendous job in so many different ways," Trump told reporters ahead of Oval Office talks with the controversial prime minister. "Respected all over Europe," Trump said, adding: "Probably like me a little bit controversial, but that's okay. You've done a good job and you've kept your country safe." Trump gave Orban a warm welcome at the White House, where they were planning discussions on European regional issues, NATO, energy and trade. The two share similar stances on immigration and both are critics of NATO and the European Union, while seeking better ties with Moscow. "I know he's a tough man, but he's a respected man, and he's done the right thing, according to many people, on immigration," Trump added. "You look at some of the problems they have in Europe that are tremendous, because they have done it a different way than the prime minister." The one-on-one talks with Trump offer the eurosceptic Orban a podium less than two weeks before EU parliamentary elections in which far-right parties are expected to make a strong showing. "I would like to express that we are proud to stand together with the United States on fighting against illegal migration, on terrorism and to protect and help the Christian communities around the world," Orban told reporters. Trump replied: "You have been great with respect to Christian communities. You have really put a block up, and we appreciate that very much." - Controversial visit - The runup to the visit drew strong criticism from Democrats and activists who accused Trump of giving a platform to an anti-democratic leader. US ties with Budapest were chilly under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, who often chided Orban for cracking down on civil liberties and freedom of the press in Hungary. Story continues But Washington reversed course under Trump, whose anti-immigration campaign echoes Orban's, as well as what his critics say is an alignment with white Christian nationalists. Trump has shown a preference for authoritarian leaders over Washington's traditional Western allies, as underscored by his warm welcomes for Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House. "Hungary's prime minister does not belong in the Oval Office," Rob Berschinski, of Human Rights First, and Johns Hopkins professor Hal Brands wrote in a Washington Post opinion column. "The visit is a grievous mistake -- not just because it will be seen as an endorsement of a leader who has successfully dismantled a democracy, but also because it will signal affirmation of an agenda that is fundamentally threatening to transatlantic security." In a letter ahead of the visit, several Democratic lawmakers said Trump should postpone their meeting until Orban "returns his country to the path of democracy and respect for human rights." Immigration offenses became the biggest category of federal crime in fiscal year 2018, surpassing the number of drug offenses. Crimes relating to immigration comprised 34.4 percent of all federal sentencing cases, an increase from last years 30 percent, according to the United States Sentencing Commissions annual report. While the vast majority of crimes in the U.S., including most violent crimes, are dealt with at the state level, immigration offenses stand out as as category under the purview of federal authorities. 96.3 percent of the 23,883 immigration cases recorded in the report involved Hispanics, 92.7 percent of them male. Approximately 94.7 percent of the cases led to prison sentences, and 13,500 led to supervised release. Only 866 cases involved a defendant under 21 years old. In fiscal year 2018, 54.3 percent of all offenders were Hispanic, 21.2 percent were white, 20.6 percent were black, and 3.8 percent were of another race. Non-U.S. citizens accounted for 42.7 percent of all federal offenders, the report stated. Drug offenses were the second most common type of federal crime in fiscal year 2018, at 28.1 percent of all cases. Firearms offenses placed third at 10.8 percent and fraud-related crimes came fourth at 9.5 percent. The new numbers coincide with an increasing flood of migrants at the southern border, including a record number of families in March, a crisis the Trump administration has attempted to address with its no tolerance policy for those who cross the border between ports of entry. Earlier this month, the White House asked Congress for $4.5 billion in emergency funds to deal with the crisis, including $3.3 billion for humanitarian assistance and $1.1 billion for law-enforcement operations. Democrats have objected to the request, but the White House Budget Office has warned that the Office of Refugee Resettlement and other programs are at risk of running out of funding by the beginning of the summer. More from National Review Indigenous residents of low-lying islands off northern Australia will submit a landmark complaint with the United Nations on Monday accusing the government of violating their human rights by failing to tackle climate change. The Torres Strait Islanders will tell the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva that rising seas caused by global warming are threatening their homelands and culture, lawyers representing the group said. The lawyers, from the non-profit ClientEarth, said the case was the first of its kind to be lodged with the UN equating government inaction on climate change to a human rights violation. In their complaint, the islanders ask the UN to find that international human rights law requires Australia to reduce its emissions to at least 65 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The country should become carbon neutral by 2050, phasing out its use and export of coal completely, they say. The complaint also demands the government allocate Aus$20 million (US$14 million) for emergency infrastructure like sea walls to protect Torres Strait communities. "Advancing seas are already threatening homes, as well as damaging burial grounds and sacred cultural sites," the claimants said in a statement. "Many Islanders are worried that their islands could quite literally disappear in their lifetimes without urgent action." Kabay Tamu of Warraber island said that his community had a "right to practice our culture in our traditional homeland". "Our culture starts here on the land. It is how we are connected with the land and the sea. You wash away the land and it is like a piece of us you are taking away," he said in a statement. The complaint is being lodged just days before Australian elections in which the conservative government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison trails in opinion polls. Climate change has been a key campaign issue, with Morrison's government accused of dragging its feet on emission reduction efforts while backing the expansion of coal mining. Story continues John Knox, a law professor at Wake Forest University in the US and a former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights, called the Torres Islanders claim "potentially groundbreaking". The UN committee late last year determined that states' duty to safeguard human rights also meant protection against environmental harm, including climate change, Knox said on Twitter. "This case gives the Human Rights Committee its first chance to give specific application" to that determination "by assessing and explaining what Australia should do to protect the human rights of the Torres Strait islanders," he said. While the UN committee's rulings are non-binding, "its decision may increase pressure on Australia to do the right thing", he said. While fox hunting across the fields of Villanovaa stretch of countryside on the Philadelphia Main Linein the early 20th century, a young investment banker named Colonel Robert Leaming Montgomery fell from his steed and was knocked out cold. When he regained consciousness, a sweep of rolling hills, old-growth forests, and snaking streams came into focus. Arcadia, he thought. So he bought it. In 1911, he hired celebrated Gilded Age architect Horace Trumbauer to design a three-story, fifty-room Georgian Revival mansion, framed by flagstone terraces and a carpet-like bowling green. Down the hill, he set up a dairy, with nine Ayrshire cows imported from Scotland, and a broodmare stable, with seven mares and a stallion from Ireland. He named the whole lot Ardrossan, after the Scottish town from which his ancestors had emigrated. For more than a century, the 850-acre idyll served as the family seat of the Montgomery Scott clan of financiers, lawyers, and horsewomen. Cafe society, one set of future in-laws sniffed when their daughter married a Colonel Montgomery descendent. A family friend, the playwright Philip Barry, later immortalized the estate and its saucy, upper-crust inhabitants in his 1930s drawing room comedy, The Philadelphia Story. Photo: Ardrossan: The Last Great Estate of the Philadelphia Main Line, Bauer and Dean Publishers As a child growing up there, I couldnt have told you which direction was north, when looking across the vast patchwork of farms, fields, and woods that made up the place, as the family called it, writes the colonels great-granddaughter Janny Scott in The Beneficiary: Fortune, Misfortune, and the Story of My Father, recently published by Riverhead Books. Ardrossan was land and a house to match his ambition. And what a joy it was for Scott to grow up there. I would come home from school, saddle up my pony, and ride a mile and a half without crossing a road, she tells AD. On steamy Philadelphia summer days, wed head to the cold pool: a swimming pool a good quarter of a mile away in the woods, built in the 20s and fed by a spring. It was surrounded by vegetation and ferns, and the sun would come in over the tops to the trees. I remember it more vividly than anything else. Story continues Photo: Courtesy of Janny Scott In 1969, when Scott was 14, her father, Robert Montgomery Scott, was appointed special assistant to Walter H. Annenberg, U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. The family of five moved to London for four years, Janny leaving Ardrossan, it turned out, for good. She completed her studies in England, and after college, she pursued a career in journalism, much of it at The New York Times. After the diplomatic posting came to an end, her parents returned to their stone farmhouse on Ardrossan, and her father became a local eminence grise, serving as president of Philadelphias Academy of Music and Museum of Art. One day, when she was in her twenties, Scotts father told her he was entrusting his diaries to herbecause, he said, youre the writer. Years later, she learned there was an extensive family archive, much of it housed in the ironing room of the Big House, as the mansion was called. She pushed it to the back of her mind until 2011, following the completion of her first book, A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obamas Mother. I thought, I have a little time now. Why dont I go check it out? she recalls. Going through all those letters, telegrams, bills, receiptsthey kept everythingwas intoxicating. I said to myself, Surely there is a book here. I wanted to write about this world that I had been exposed to as a child but had left, and these archives were a way to understand all I didnt knowhow it came about, and who those people really were. Photo: Steve Gunther from Ardrossan: The Last Great Estate of the Philadelphia Main Line, Bauer and Dean Publishers She attacked the subject like a reporter, interviewing relatives and historians, poring over town records and photo albums. She discovered long-hushed secretsa suicide, love affairs, a tragic young death that reverberated through the family for at least a generation, maybe more. What tied it all together was a collection of grandiose houses that were completely impractical, she says. This cache of real estate included Woodburne, a spread designed by Trumbauer in Landsdowne, Pennsylvania, for her paternal great-grandfather, Edgar T. Scott, an investment banker. It was so humongous that even its chatelaine found it oversized and pretentious, Scott writes. There was Chiltern, a summer palace, built for the same great-grandfather on the coast of Maine; it was where her father spent every summer until World War II. I knew nothing about Chiltern until my great-aunt showed me a photo, she says. It was wiped off the face of Bar Harbor, because they couldnt even sell it. Photo: Courtesy of Janny Scott There was Mansfield, a southern plantation near Georgetown, South Carolina, that belonged to the Montgomery side of the family. That was later unloaded to an engineer whod helped design the interstate highway system, she writes. When she visited decades later, it was in a state of Southern Gothic rot. And then there was Ardrossan, the gem that at one point counted more than 60 outbuildings, including stables, cottages, and gatehouses, most inhabited by relatives. For a deep-dive on its architectural history, there is historian David Nelson Wrens Ardrossan: The Last Great Estate on the Philadelphia Main Line, a rich and exhaustively researched illustrated book published in 2017 by Bauer and Dean. But to understand the places resilience, Scott turned to kith and kin who, at one time or another, had called it home. Photo: Ardrossan: The Last Great Estate of the Philadelphia Main Line, Bauer and Dean Publishers In my fathers generation, there were powerful inducements to settle on Ardrossan, she writes. It was a full-service, cradle-to-grave operation. In return for living there, a descendant of the colonel would have not only a house but a place in a web of colorful clansmen and retainers. During holiday dinners in the Big House, a few fractious, fourth-generation, undergraduate cousins might be thinking dark thoughts about cultural hegemony, Thorstein Veblen, and social stratification. But most of those in attendance believed down deep that they were the beneficiaries of something rare and worth preserving. And so they did, until they couldnt anymore. In the years since Scotts father died, in 2005, many of the old cow fields and horse pastures have been carved into residential lots. And if the current plans of development are carried out, all the land except 15 acres around the Big House will be subdivided, she says, somewhat forlornly. What will happen to Colonel Montgomerys ambitious, impractical manse is still up in the air, she adds. But werent we lucky to keep it all intact for so long. Dana Thomas is the author of Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes, to be published by Penguin Press in September. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Passive investing in an index fund is a good way to ensure your own returns roughly match the overall market. Active investors aim to buy stocks that vastly outperform the market - but in the process, they risk under-performance. Investors in Adelaide Brighton Limited (ASX:ABC) have tasted that bitter downside in the last year, as the share price dropped 47%. That's well bellow the market return of 7.1%. Even if you look out three years, the returns are still disappointing, with the share price down (the share price is down 34%) in that time. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 27% in the last 90 days. See our latest analysis for Adelaide Brighton There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. Even though the Adelaide Brighton share price is down over the year, its EPS actually improved. Of course, the situation might betray previous over-optimism about growth. It seems quite likely that the market was expecting higher growth from the stock. But other metrics might shed some light on why the share price is down. Adelaide Brighton's dividend seems healthy to us, so we doubt that the yield is a concern for the market. From what we can see, revenue is pretty flat, so that doesn't really explain the share price drop. Unless, of course, the market was expecting a revenue uptick. You can see how revenue and earnings have changed over time in the image below, (click on the chart to see cashflow). ASX:ABC Income Statement, May 13th 2019 We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. You can see what analysts are predicting for Adelaide Brighton in this interactive graph of future profit estimates. Story continues What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Adelaide Brighton the TSR over the last year was -44%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective While the broader market gained around 7.1% in the last year, Adelaide Brighton shareholders lost 44% (even including dividends). Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 4.1% per year over half a decade. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. It is all well and good that insiders have been buying shares, but we suggest you check here to see what price insiders were buying at. Adelaide Brighton is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on AU 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. LONDON (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday it had sentenced an Iranian woman to 10 years prison for spying for Britain, as tension rises between Tehran and some Western countries over its nuclear and missile programmes. "An Iranian who was in charge of Iran desk in the British Council and was cooperating with Britain's intelligence agency... was sentenced to 10 years in prison after clear confessions," Gholamhossein Esmaili, a judiciary spokesman, said on the state television. Esmaili said the woman was in charge of projects for "cultural infiltration" in Iran. He did not identify her, but said she was a student in Britain before being recruited by the British Council. Esmaili said the woman had been in custody for almost a year. He did not specify whether she held British nationality. The British Foreign Office did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment. The British Council is Britain's cultural agency overseas. The arrest of Iranians accused of espionage has increased since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last year there had been infiltration of Western agents in the country. Iran has been increasingly at odds with Western countries since the United States withdrew from a deal Tehran signed with global powers to curb its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions. Britain is a signatory to the nuclear deal. Like other European signatories, it supports maintaining the deal. The United States has ratcheted up sanctions against Iran this month, revoking waivers that had permitted some countries to continue buying Iranian oil. Tehran has responded by reducing curbs on its nuclear programme, although steps it has taken so far stop short of violating the agreement. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Peter Graff) Undated handout photo issued by Metropolitan Police of Australian Sara Zelenak, 21, who has been named as one of the victims in Saturday's London Bridge terrorist attack. The youngest victim of the London Bridge attack was fatally stabbed in the neck after she fell over in her high heels, an inquest heard. Australian Sara Zelenak, 21, appeared to lose her balance just at the terrorists crashed their hire van into railings on the bridge and got out armed with 12 inch ceramic knives. Briton James McMullan, 32, rushed to help her up but they were both set upon, the Old Bailey was told. Ms Zelenak suffered deep gashes to her neck and Mr McMullan was stabbed once in the chest. Screengrab taken from CCTV dated June 3 2017 issued by the Metropolitan Police of Australian au pair Sara Zelenak, 21, walking in front of One London Bridge on the night of the London Bridge terror attack. An inquest at the Old Bailey has been told that Ms Zelenak fell over in her high heels and was being helped up by a Good Samaritan when they were both fatally stabbed. (PA) Police officers found Ms Zelenak mortally injured still clutching her mobile phone and immediately started CPR. However, the court heard there were only three paramedics around as the scene was made safe, and one of them decided she could not be saved. Erick Siguenza filmed terrified people screaming and running away as Ms Zelenak and Mr McMullan were attacked. He told the court: "As soon as the van crashed they stepped out and the driver stabbed the woman that had jumped out to get out of the way of the van crashing. That's when they started stabbing her. I believe there was a gentleman trying to help her get up and he was stabbed as well. Screengrab taken from CCTV dated June 3 2017 issued by the Metropolitan Police of Australian au pair Sara Zelenak, 21, walking in front of One London Bridge on the night of the London Bridge terror attack. An inquest at the Old Bailey has been told that Ms Zelenak fell over in her high heels and was being helped up by a Good Samaritan when they were both fatally stabbed. (PA) "As I was recording there was a lot of screaming and just people realising what was going on and just shouting in general." Gareth Patterson QC, representing the victims' families, said: "We know Sara Zelenak was found within minutes at the top of the steps and we know the young white woman with long hair had stab injuries. "We also know she was wearing high heels and on the ground it was quite wet that night. "From what you saw of this man helping her, did you get the impression she lost her balance?" The victims of the London Bridge terrorist attack (top row left to right) Christine Archibald, James McMullan, Alexandre Pigeard, Sebastien Belanger, (bottom row left to right) Kirsty Boden, Sara Zelenak, Xavier Thomas and Ignacio Echeverria as an inquest intio their deaths is due to open at the Old Bailey, London. The witness said: "Yes. She was completely on the ground. He just grabbed her left arm and gently tried to pick her up but by then the attackers were in close proximity and that's when they started attacking. "There was no time for him to be able to help her up because the driver and the other terrorists were already running towards them." Story continues The inquest heard how Ms Zelenak had been out for a drink with her friend Priscila Goncalves on the evening of June 3 2017. CCTV footage showed Ms Zelenak in blue jeans, white shirt, leather jacket and black lace-up high heel shoes. Giving evidence, Ms Goncalves told how they were heading to a bar by London Bridge when they heard a "crash". Read more from Yahoo News UK: Motorists pull passengers from burning plane wreckage Tories in FIFTH place according to EU elections poll Transgender Lotto winner dies 18 months after 4m win She told the court: "When we were going down the stairs and then I heard something and then we went up the stairs to see what happened and people started saying 'run' and that's what we did. Ms Golcalves tried to contact her friend on Facebook after she took refuge in a hotel but she was unable to get a response. Mr Patterson QC, suggested that Ms Zelenak's high heels coupled with wet weather might have caused her to suffer an ankle injury. He said: "Maybe those two factors contributed to make her less stable than she might otherwise have been when this sudden attack came on her." Detective Constable Alastair Hutchison said: "Yes, that's a possibility." Ms Zelenak and Mr McMullan were among eight people killed when Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, launched their van and knife rampage on London Bridge and in Borough Market. Xavier Thomas, 45, Christine Archibald, 30, Alexandre Pigeard, 26, Kirsty Boden, 28, Sebastien Belanger, 36, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, also died in the atrocity before their attackers were shot dead by armed police. * Extra time traditionally granted * Netanyahu won fifth term as prime minister in April * May 29 is new deadline to form government By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM, May 13 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received extra time on Monday to form a new government, Israel's president announced, granting the right-wing leader a two-week extension until May 29. In office for a decade, Netanyahu won a record fifth term in an April 9 parliamentary election, largely seen as an effective referendum on his leadership since he faces possible indictment in three corruption cases. He denies the charges. Netanyahu is negotiating terms with nearly all the right-wing, nationalist and religious parties that form his outgoing government. No party in Israel has ever won an outright majority in the 120-seat Knesset, making coalition governments the norm with political negotiations often dragging on. One issue in the current talks is the Gaza Strip. Former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, whose ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party is negotiating with Netanyahu, said on Monday after the extension was announced that talks would continue, but strategy over the Gaza Strip remained a sticking point. "WIDE RIFTS" Accusing Netanyahu of appeasing Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers by allowing Qatari donations into the enclave, Lieberman said in public remarks: "On the matter of the Strip I think that our stance is very clear and to my regret the rifts there are still very wide." Lieberman, whose party has five seats in parliament, said he wanted to be reappointed defense chief. In accordance with Israeli law, Netanyahu received an initial 28-day period to form a government, with a 14-day extension possible and traditionally granted. The initial period ends on Wednesday. On Saturday, a spokesman for Netanyahu said the prime minister would seek the extra time, citing a heavy schedule that included Jewish holidays, national memorial days and a surge of deadly fighting with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip earlier this month as some of the reasons for the delay. Story continues "Meeting with ... Netanyahu today, who explained the need for additional time to form a government, I acceded to his request and granted an additional 14 days to the time allocated," President Reuven Rivlin wrote on Twitter, setting May 29 as the new deadline. If Netanyahu fails to put together a coalition by then, Rivlin can ask another member of parliament to try. Benny Gantz, a former military chief whose centrist Blue and White party won 35 seats in the 120-member legislature, would likely be next in line. Netanyahu's right-wing Likud also captured 35 seats but has more political allies in parliament than does Blue and White, and Rivlin subsequently tapped him to form an administration. In a letter to Rivlin requesting the extension, Netanyahu wrote that his negotiating team had already made "significant progress" towards forming a government. Among the most pressing issues awaiting the new government will be U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Washington has said it will be unveiled in June. So far prospects for the plan appear dim. A right-wing coalition in Israel would likely oppose any proposed territorial concessions to the Palestinians, who are boycotting the Trump administration over what they see as its pro-Israel bias. Netanyahu's desired coalition would also be less likely to pressure him to step down if he is eventually indicted for corruption. The prime minister is under no legal obligation to resign if charges are brought against him. (Editing by Stephen Powell) A judicial inquiry into whether New Zealand's police and intelligence services could have prevented the Christchurch mosque attacks in which 51 worshippers died began taking evidence on Monday. The royal commission -- the most powerful judicial probe available under New Zealand law -- will examine events leading up to the March 15 attack in which a lone gunman opened fire on two mosques in a mass shooting that shocked the world. "This is a critical part of our ongoing response to the attack -- the commission's findings will help to ensure such an attack never happens here again," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. New Zealand's spy agencies have faced criticism in the wake of the attack for concentrating on the threat from Islamic militants while underestimating the danger posed by right-wing extremism. The Christchurch victims were all Muslims and the massacre was allegedly carried out by a white supremacist fixated on the belief that there was an Islamist plot to "invade" Western countries. The commission is jointly headed by Supreme Court judge William Young and former diplomat Jacqui Caine. It is due to report its findings by December 10, although it may release interim recommendations before then if it regards them as crucial to public safety. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a self-avowed white supremacist, has been charged over the attacks and is currently undergoing psychiatric testing to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial. The royal commission will examine Tarrant's activities before the attack, including how he obtained a gun licence, weapons and ammunition, and his use of social media. Since the attacks, the government has tightened the country's gun laws and is reviewing legislation dealing with hate speech, as well as pressuring social media giants to do more to combat online extremism. Paris (AFP) - Jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is facing extradition to the United States over the 2010 publication of thousands of leaked classified documents. Swedish prosecutors decided Tuesday to drop a separate rape investigation against him. Here is a recap of Assange's battle to avoid extradition. - 2010: assault charges - Between July and October 2010, Assange's WikiLeaks whistleblowing website releases 470,000 classified military documents concerning US diplomacy and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It later releases another batch of more than 250,000 classified US diplomatic cables. In November a Swedish prosecutor issues a European arrest warrant for Assange over sexual assault allegations involving two Swedish women. He denies the claims, saying they consented. But he turns himself in to police in London in December and is arrested pending a ruling on the Swedish request for his extradition. A week later he is released on bail. - 2012: embassy refuge - In February 2011 a British judge rules that Assange can be extradited to Sweden. He launches an appeal, claiming the Swedish allegations are a pretext to transfer him to the United States. In June 2012 he takes refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London to avoid extradition. Ecuador, then ruled by left-wing president Rafael Correa, grants him asylum in August. In May 2017 Swedish prosecutors drop the sex assault investigation, frustrated by the failure to have Assange transferred. In December Ecuador grants Assange nationality but is blocked by Britain from according him diplomatic status. - 2019: arrest, prison - In January 2018 Ecuador, now ruled by right-wing President Lenin Moreno, says its hosting of Assange has become "untenable". In March it temporarily cuts off his communications, including use of the internet or a mobile phone. Tensions peak in April 2019 when Moreno says Assange has "repeatedly violated" the conditions of his asylum. Story continues Ecuador cancels his citizenship on April 10. The next day British police drag Assange out of the embassy, having been informed that his asylum has been withdrawn. He is arrested on a US extradition request. In May Assange is sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for having breached bail in 2010. The legal process for his extradition to the United State begins. Swedish prosecutors also say they are reopening the 2010 rape investigation. - US charges - On May 23 the US Justice Department formally charges Assange with having violated the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010. UN rights experts Nils Melzer says Assange had been subjected to drawn-out "psychological torture" that had seriously affected his health. Assange makes his first appearance since being jailed on June 15, telling a court via videolink that WikiLeaks is "nothing but a publisher". The judge says his full extradition hearing will start in February. Back in court again on October 21, Assange appears frail and confused. - Swedish charge dropped - On November 19, Swedish prosecutors say they have dropped their rape investigation because "the evidence is not strong enough", despite "credible" claims from the woman who filed the complaint. London (AFP) - A fearless campaigner for democratic openness, or a criminal trying to avoid justice: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a highly polarising figure who finds himself once again at the centre of global attention. The 48-year-old Australian is the figurehead of the whistleblowing website that exposed government secrets worldwide, notably the explosive leak of US military and diplomatic files. But he has spent most of the past decade either in custody or holed up in Ecuador's London embassy as he has tried to avoid extradition -- first to Sweden and then to the United States. Now, he will finally get his day in court as a British judge will this week hear the case for sending him to the US to face charges relating to his WikiLeaks work. If found guilty of the espionage charges filed there, Assange could be jailed for 175 years. Transparency and anti-war campaigners have hailed him for revealing the deaths of civilians, torture and clandestine military operations with the release of 500,000 US documents on the Iraq and Afghan wars. But Washington and its allies have accused him of risking lives by sharing information on sources, intelligence techniques and key infrastructure sites. He has been held at the high-security Belmarsh prison in southeast London since he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy ten months ago. His team have repeatedly warned about his health and an independent UN rights expert said in November that his continued detention was putting his life at risk. Meanwhile, the Council of Europe rights group was last week the latest such organisation to warn that Assange's extradition would have a "chilling effect" on press freedoms. - Space station life - The saga began in 2010 when Assange faced allegations of sexual assault and rape in Sweden, which he always denied, saying they were a pretext and the ultimate goal was to transfer him to the US. He was in Britain at the time but dodged an attempted to extradite him to Sweden by claiming political asylum in Ecuador's embassy in London. Story continues For seven years he lived in the small apartment in the embassy, exercising on a treadmill and using a sun lamp to make up for the lack of natural light in a situation he compared to living in a space station. But after a change of government in Quito, Ecuador lost patience with its guest and turned him over to British police in April. He was arrested for jumping bail and jailed. After his arrest it was revealed that the US were charging him with violating the US Espionage Act with the 2010 leaks, and he is now fighting extradition. However, Swedish prosecutors confirmed last year they had dropped the rape investigation, saying that despite a "credible" account from the alleged victim there was insufficient evidence to proceed. - Ties with Russia? - Assange was initially supported by human rights groups and newspapers that once worked with him to edit and publish the war logs. But many were horrified when WikiLeaks dumped unredacted documents online, including the names of informants. When a UN panel declared in 2016 that Assange had been detained arbitrarily, one of his previous media partners, the Guardian, dismissed the idea and said he should face justice. There have since been questions about his relationship with Russia. Robert Mueller's probe into interference in the 2016 US presidential election found that Russian government actors hacked candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign "and publicly disseminated those materials through various intermediaries, including WikiLeaks". In a preliminary court hearing in London last week, Assange's lawyer alleged US President Donald Trump had promised a pardon if he denied that Russia leaked the emails that damaged his rival, Clinton. The White House denied the claim. - War logs exposed - Born in Townsville, Queensland, in 1971, Assange has described a nomadic childhood and claims to have attended 37 schools before settling in Melbourne. As a teenager, he discovered a talent for computer hacking and although he has since pleaded guilty to 25 such offences he has never been jailed. He has only ever walked away with fines. He created WikiLeaks in 2006 with a group of like-minded activists and IT experts to provide a secure way for whistleblowers to leak information. A confident speaker, he became its figurehead and a lightning rod for criticism. The most damaging leaks emerged in 2010, beginning with a video showing a US military Apache helicopter firing on and killing two journalists and several Iraqi civilians on a Baghdad street in 2007. It was followed by more than 90,000 classified US military files from the Afghan war, 400,000 from Iraq, and in November that year, around 250,000 US diplomatic cables covering almost every country in the world. A band of traders looking to bring rules to the crypto market continues to pick up steam, and now they're toying with the idea of a 'white list' to separate the wheat from the chaff. The group, dubbed CORA, has been meeting in recent months to create new standards for the over-the-counter (OTC) trading in cryptocurrency. Jump Trading, Mike Novogratz's Galaxy Digital, and DRW's Cumberland are among some of the participants in the 50-member group. Previously, the group met in Singapore to discuss building out a clearing house for the market. In an interview with The Block, Simon Nursey, co-founder of CORA, discussed the group's recent meeting in Chicago and the idea to create a so-called "white list" for the market. "The issue is that there aren't any good standards," Nursey said. "Think of it more like an ISO certification to trade. We want to grow the market by bringing together professional dealers. Think of it as more of a white list." Indeed, cryptocurrency markets are a "Wild West" when it comes to trading standards. When a large desk wants to trade with another desk, they're typically not on the same page about documenting those trades, what would constitute a default, and what the floor is for know-your-customer procedures. OTC firms that meet the minimum standards across these different verticals could be added to such a white list. To be clear, it's not a sure thing the list will come to fruition. "The idea isn't to restrict dealers from engaging with the counter-parties they want to engage with, but to have a standard to fall upon and will allow the market to scale," Nursey added. When settlement? Settlement is one area the group is considering creating standards around. In crypto, different brokers have different expectations for when counter-parties' funds should settle. It is also not always clear when it is appropriate to default on a counter-party and what the penalties for defaulting are. Story continues "What constitutes default? It's not always clear," Nursey said. "The idea of having definitions is a starting point." Those definitions exist on Wall Street, says Larry Tabb, founder of consultancy Tabb Group. "Stocks now settle T+2. Two days after they trade," he said. "And the morning of T2 cash and securities move." The lack of trading standards hasn't been given the same attention as other market structure deficiencies in crypto, such as the lack of prime-brokers and proper custodians in the market. But it is something that could help lure in new market participants, including large Wall Street investors, Nursey said. Brooklyn-based startup Kadena will launch a public blockchain this October, the company announced Monday at CoinDesks Consensus 2019 conference in New York. Founded in 2016, Kadena raised over $14 million last year to develop a new proof-of-work (PoW) blockchain network called Chainweb that would seek to offer users high transaction volumes without slowing down network speed and ramping up network cost for users. Speaking to CoinDesk, CEO of Kadena Will Martino, said: Microsoft Makes JPMorgans Quorum the Preferred Blockchain for Azure Cloud Chainweb is built to align the incentives of everyone involved in the network. For the first time, miners, users and businesses can all agree on what network success means and how to get there from launch. Chainwebs protocol, the company said, links multiple blockchain networks to run concurrently and split up large computation loads. As previously reported, these different chains share information through Merkle roots to achieve cross-chain consensus. Chainweb design. Courtesy of Kadena. JPMorgan Exec Joins Blockchain Gold-Trading Firm Tradewind as CEO The envisioned goal of Chainweb is to produce roughly 1,000 different blockchains and reach networks speed of up to 10,000 transactions per second. According to Kadena CEO Will Martino, Chainweb has been running on a test network since March. Later this summer in May, the test network will be opened up to preliminary users. We have a mining queue that we will slowly begin on-boarding to test the user experience and the process of hooking up to the network, said Martino to CoinDesk. Martino stressed that miners would not be earning tokens ahead of their market release by engaging in the preliminary test network. Todays press release notes that miners will strictly get to learn how Chainweb works and collaborate with our team to scale the network. Along with todays announcement, the team at Kadena further revealed a partnership with commodities and alternative investment products provider USCF Investments, a manager of approximately $3 billion in assets. Story continues John Love, president and CEO of USCF, told CoinDesk: One of the things that attracted us to Kadena was their expertise beyond just blockchain and fintech includingregulatory understanding. To our business, this [partnership] wasnt something coming from left field. This collaboration makes a lot of sense to tie our respective areas of expertise together. As Martino put, the two will be working together to build the next generation of fintech by leveraging Kadena products like Chainweb. The key is that USCF brings this history of innovating in financial markets and a vision for how a new technology [like blockchain] could fundamentally advance how these systems and these products are built [in fintech], said Martino to CoinDesk. Team photo courtesy of Kadena Related Stories 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 take a closer look at KAR Auction Services, Inc. (NYSE:KAR) from a dividend investor's perspective. Owning a strong business and reinvesting the dividends is widely seen as an attractive way of growing your wealth. Yet sometimes, investors buy a popular dividend stock because of its yield, and then lose money if the company's dividend doesn't live up to expectations. Investors might not know much about KAR Auction Services's dividend prospects, even though it has been paying dividends for the last six years and offers a 2.5% yield. While the yield may not look too great, the relatively long payment history is interesting. The company also bought back stock during the year, equivalent to approximately 2.0% of the company's market capitalisation at the time. Some simple analysis can offer a lot of insights when buying a company for its dividend, and we'll go through this below. Click the interactive chart for our full dividend analysis NYSE:KAR Historical Dividend Yield, May 13th 2019 Payout ratios Dividends are usually paid out of company earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable. KAR Auction Services paid out 59% of its profit as dividends, over the trailing twelve month period. A payout ratio above 50% generally implies a business is reaching maturity, although it is still possible to reinvest in the business or increase the dividend over time. In addition to comparing dividends against profits, we should inspect whether the company generated enough cash to pay its dividend. KAR Auction Services's cash payout ratio in the last year was 39%, which suggests dividends were well covered by cash generated by the business. Story continues Is KAR Auction Services's Balance Sheet Risky? As KAR Auction Services has a meaningful amount of debt, we need to check its balance sheet to see if the company might have debt risks. A rough way to check this is with these two simple ratios: a) net debt divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation), and b) net interest cover. Net debt to EBITDA measures a company's total debt load relative to its earnings (lower = less debt), while net interest cover measures the company's ability to pay the interest on its debt (higher = greater ability to pay interest costs). With net debt of more than 5x EBITDA, KAR Auction Services could be described as a highly leveraged company. While some companies can handle this level of leverage, we'd be concerned about the dividend sustainability if there was any risk of an earnings downturn. We calculated its interest cover by measuring its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), and dividing this by the company's net interest expense. With EBIT of 3.06 times its interest expense, KAR Auction Services's interest cover is starting to look a bit thin. Low interest cover and high debt can create problems right when the investor least needs them. We're generally reluctant to rely on the dividend of companies with these traits. Remember, you can always get a snapshot of KAR Auction Services's latest financial position, by checking our visualisation of its financial health. Dividend Volatility One of the major risks of relying on dividend income, is the potential for a company to struggle financially and cut its dividend. Not only is your income cut, but the value of your investment declines as well - nasty. Looking at the data, we can see that KAR Auction Services has been paying a dividend for the past six years. The company has been paying a stable dividend for a while now, which is great. However we'd prefer to see consistency for a few more years before giving it our full seal of approval. During the past six-year period, the first annual payment was US$0.76 in 2013, compared to US$1.40 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 11% per year over this time. KAR Auction Services has been growing its dividend quite rapidly, which is exciting. However, the short payment history makes us question whether this performance will persist across a full market cycle. Dividend Growth Potential Examining whether the dividend is affordable and stable is important. However, it's also important to assess if earnings per share (EPS) are growing. Growing EPS can help maintain or increase the purchasing power of the dividend over the long run. It's good to see KAR Auction Services has been growing its earnings per share at 37% a year over the past 5 years. Earnings per share are sharply up, but we wonder if paying out more than half its earnings (leaving less for reinvestment) is an implicit signal that KAR Auction Services's growth will be slower in the future. Conclusion When we look at a dividend stock, we need to form a judgement on whether the dividend will grow, if the company is able to maintain it in a wide range of economic circumstances, and if the dividend payout is sustainable. First, we think KAR Auction Services has an acceptable payout ratio and its dividend is well covered by cashflow. We were also glad to see it growing earnings, although its dividend history is not as long as we'd like. Overall we think KAR Auction Services is an interesting dividend stock, although it could be better. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 12 KAR Auction Services analysts we track are forecasting continued growth with our free report on analyst estimates for the company. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of dividend stocks yielding above 3%. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during a visit to Newborough Beach in North Wales last week [Photo: PA] The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their baby boy Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor last week. While the couple posted a beautiful photo of the moment the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh met their eighth great-grandchild, alongside Meghans mother Doria Ragland, they are expecting more royal visitors this week. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to meet their nephew this week, according to royal commentator Omid Scobie. He told Good Morning America: Archies first week at home with mum and dad was quiet, they wanted that personal time with their newborn. "This week it's all about the visitors with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visiting tomorrow [Tuesday] and the Prince of Wales visiting later this week. Sources confirm that Prince William and Duchess Kate will be meeting baby Archie for the first time early this week. Grandfather Prince Charles will be paying a visit a few days later. https://t.co/WWvQf4506n Omid Scobie (@scobie) May 13, 2019 Kate and William had joint engagements in London and Wales last week, while the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were on a four-day visit to Germany. READ MORE: Meghan shares new photo of baby Archie to celebrate Mother's Day During an engagement at the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, William said he was thrilled about his new nephew. He joked: I'm very pleased and glad to welcome my own brother into the sleep deprivation society that is parenting. When asked if he had any pearls of wisdom for his younger brother as a father of three, William laughed and said, "Plenty of advice, plenty of advice, but no I wish him all the best and I hope the next few days they can settle down and enjoy having a newborn in their family and the joys that come with that." Story continues Mum-of-three Kate added: "It's such a special time, obviously with Louis and Charlotte just having had their birthdays. It's such a great time of year to have a baby, spring is in the air. READ MORE: Meghan and Harry's son Archie has no title 'to give him a normal life' On Tuesday 14 May, the Duke of Cambridge will attend a joint meeting of the United for Wildlife taskforces for the financial and transport sector in London, while the Duchess will visit Bletchley Park to view a special exhibition, marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The Duke of Sussex will also break his paternity leave for a day of engagements in Oxford. The 2019 BAFTA TV Awards delivered several multi-award winners, with Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer darkly comic spy thriller "Killing Eve" and Ben Whishaw political drama "A Very English Scandal" among them. "Killing Eve" left the 2019 BAFTA TV Awards with accolades for Best Actress (Jodie Comer as Russian assassin Villanelle), Best Supporting Actress (Fiona Shaw as British spy chief Carolyn Martens), and overall Best Drama Series. Semi-autobiographical drama "Patrick Melrose" scooped two BAFTAs through best Miniseries and Benedict Cumberbatch's Best Actor win, while Ben Whishaw received Best Supporting Actor for his performance in political true crime caper "A Very English Scandal". A public vote led to "Bodyguard" netting the Must-See Moment trophy. Other winners at the May 13 ceremony included corporate dynasty drama "Succession" (the International award) and relationship comedy "Sally4Ever" (Scripted Comedy). Jessica Hynes won the Female Comedy Performance BAFTA for "There She Goes" and Steve Pemberton the Male Comedy Performance award for "Inside No. 9." Photo credit: Alex Conley - Car and Driver From Car and Driver The 20112016 Ford Fiesta and the 20122016 Focus have a dual-clutch automatic transmission that is the subject of a class-action lawsuit and many individual lawsuits. Nearly two million people who have owned or leased one of the cars with the PowerShift transmission stand to get at least some repayment for their trouble. The settlement is currently being appealed in federal court. UPDATE 7/11/19: According to internal documents, as reported today by the Detroit Free Press, Ford knew of the PowerShift transmission's inherent problems before production started but went ahead with it, telling dealers "to tell customers that the cars operated normally" when it knew they were problematic. The paper published an email sent in August 2010 by a product development engineer to his supervisors and colleagues in which he said that testers could not "achieve a drivable calibration that will get us to production. The clutch torque delivery MUST BE IMPROVED!" That was six months before the 2012 Focus went on the market, the paper noted. By now it is a well-publicized issue that Ford's PowerShift dual-clutch automatic transmission has caused problems for owners of several model years of its Fiesta and Focus cars. Now, nearly two million customers stand to get repayment for their trouble in a class-action lawsuit settlement currently before the U.S. Court of Appeals, and it could cost Ford in the billions. The Ford PowerShift transmission in question is found in 20112016 Fiesta and 20122016 Focus cars. As described by owners of the vehicles, the primary, recurrent issues are a shuddering feeling while accelerating from a stoplike someone who can't feather the clutch properly on a stick shiftfollowed by a rough 1-2 upshift that again sends a vibration throughout the vehicle. Owners have reported replacing clutches, output shafts, and entire transmissions. They've come back for software updates. More often than not, as described by owners we've spoken to and on forums across the internet, the problems reappear even after service technicians claim the transmission is within normal factory limits. Story continues What's the Problem? In place of a conventional automatic's torque converter, this dual-clutch six-speed transmission uses two clutch packs to couple the engine to the transmissionone that's engaged when an odd gear is selected, the other for evens. Dual-clutch gearboxes typically deliver improved fuel economy and faster shifts than a traditional automatic. But these transmissions also tend to slip the clutch like a manual when getting off the line and can shift rougher than a torque-converter automatic. Exacerbating these undesirable traits, the Ford uses dry clutches in the interest of efficiency. Wet clutches, which bathe the friction discs in hydraulic fluid, offer smoother engagement. It's no coincidence that the better dual-clutch transmissionssuch as those used by Audi, BMW, Porsche, and Volkswagenuse wet clutches. In the case of the Ford transmission, many owners simply werent used to dual-clutch transmission feel. But in the U.S. and across the world, this transmissions history of needing frequent repairs has been well documented. What Has Ford Done about It? Since its European introduction 10 years ago, Ford has issued more than 20 technical service bulletins addressing problems with the PowerShift, code-named DPS6. In 2014, Ford extended the powertrain warranty on affected Fiesta and Focus models by an extra two years or 40,000 miles, to seven years or 100,000 miles total. Ford first modified the PowerShift transmission in 2012 after the automaker's scores in J.D. Power and Consumer Reports surveys dropped. But these issues didn't go away until Ford began getting sued in 2017. According to then Ford Australia president Graeme Whickman, speaking to CarAdvice in July 2017, Ford made several improvements to the PowerShift transmission on vehicles after the 2016 model year. That's not to say customers have never since reported a similar issue, but by and large, it hasn't affected a dramatic spread of owners as did earlier models. Legal Action With $35 million involved in the pending class-action settlement in California, that's not much money in the pipeline for the estimated 1.6 million current and 400,000 former owners of these cars in the United States, many of whose vehicles have needed multiple service visits and sometimes, multiple new transmissions. Most owners affected by these transmission problems might get a few hundred dollars and a coupon toward the purchase of a new Ford. The public interest group Public Citizen argued that the proposed $35 million figure is too low, representing a "sweet deal" for the automaker. However, the maximum $4 billion liability Ford faces from this lawsuit is theoreticalevery owner would have to file, and each of their cars would have had to be repaired eight times to be eligible for the maximum cash payment, which is capped at $2325 per class-action suit member. That's why a Michigan firm is suing Ford individually for roughly 20,000 owners who opted out of that original class-action lawsuit. The firm, Stern Law, has based its suits on consumer protection legislation, including state lemon laws and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and claims it will deliver more money per person than the class-action suit. The cases are pending. Individuals have indeed sued Ford for the PowerShift transmission, as reported by the Free Press, and have won settlements of amounts of three times or more what their cars were worth brand new. The majority of these individual state lawsuits have been transferred to the California class action as part of multi-district litigation rulings. The automaker failed to overturn a class-action lawsuit in Thailand in September 2018reportedly the first class-action suit against a foreign company in Thai historythat paid nearly 300 owners a combined $730,000 for defective Focus and Fiesta transmissions. Ford also issued a formal apology for "the inconvenience caused by the PowerShift transmission problems" and promised to "work earnestly to take responsibility for fixing them according to our customer service procedures," according to the Detroit News. Earlier in 2018, Ford was fined $7.5 million by Australia's consumer protection division for "unconscionable and misleading or deceptive conduct" relating to repairs for the PowerShift. When the case was filed in 2017, Whickman admitted to CarAdvice that the company didn't help its customers the way it should have. "We dont set out to give [a] poor experience to our customers," he said. What Owners Can Do It's too late to join the Michigan lawsuit unless you had already elected to opt out of the pending Ford class-action settlement before September 5, 2017. By default, everyone named in a class-action lawsuit is assumed to accept all of the terms, with or without their knowledge, so once a settlement is paid an owner cannot later sue individually for the same allegations. Any individual suit at this point is likely to be transferred to the class-action suit. However, regardless of whether you had warranty service done or you paid out of pocket, the class-action suit will award between $200 and $2375 per person and between $400 and $4650 in discounts toward the price of a new Ford, depending on how many service visits the car needed for parts replacements within the transmission. For software updates only, the settlement will pay $50 for each service visit up to $600. Ford will also buy back certain cars if the settlement arbitrator approves the claim, although it will not buy back cars older than six years. If you own or lease (or ever owned or leased) one of the subject vehicles, you need to file a claim, as you are automatically part of the class if you have not previously opted out. You Might Also Like (Reuters) - The United States so far this year has recorded 839 cases of measles in 23 states, its largest outbreak since public health officials in 2000 declared the disease eradicated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. The following are key facts about the outbreak: * Public health officials blame the measles resurgence on the spread of misinformation about vaccines. A vocal fringe of parents opposes vaccines, believing, contrary to scientific studies, that ingredients in them can cause autism. * The largest outbreaks are concentrated in New York City, which has recorded at least 466 cases, primarily in the Orthodox Jewish community in the Williamsburg neighborhood, and Rockland County north of New York City, which has recorded at least 224 cases. Those figures include infections from last year and are not directly comparable to the CDC numbers. * Other outbreaks are ongoing in California, Michigan, New Jersey, Georgia and Maryland. * The disease is highly contagious and can be fatal, killing one or two of every 1,000 children who contract it, according to the CDC. It can also cause permanent hearing loss or intellectual disabilities. It poses the greatest risk to unvaccinated young children. * The United States' 2000 declaration that measles was eradicated meant that the disease was no longer present in the country year-round. Measles remains common in some countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, and unvaccinated travelers to those countries can bring it back to the United States. The current outbreaks are believed to trace back to visits to Israel and Ukraine. * New York City officials said 22,833 people have received the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in affected areas since the outbreak began in October. The city has begun fining unvaccinated adults. * Lawmakers in Oregon, New Jersey, New York, Iowa, Vermont and Minnesota are considering bills to eliminate non-medical exemptions that allow unvaccinated children to attend public schools. Only three states currently bar all non-medical exemptions: California, Mississippi and West Virginia. * To achieve herd immunity that protects those unable to get the measles vaccine, such as infants and people with compromised immune systems, 90% to 95% of the population needs to be vaccinated. Sources: U.S. CDC, World Health Organization, public health offices in New York State and City, California and Michigan, National Conference of State Legislatures (For a graphic on the outbreak, see: https://tmsnrt.rs/2GJgoBt). (Reporting by Scott Malone; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Kylie Jenner has spilled the beans on her upcoming skincare line. The reality TV star and founder of the makeup empire Kylie Cosmetics took to social media on Friday to announce the launch of Kylie Skin,' her latest beauty venture. The new brand, which will launch on May 22, will focus on cruelty-free, vegan, gluten-free, paraben and sulfate-free skincare suitable for all skin types, the star informed her 135 million followers. "I've been working on this for what feels like a lifetime so i can't believe I'm finally announcing!" she posted. On Sunday, Jenner dropped a few more hints about what fans can expect from the new line, unveiling her first six-piece collection to her followers. The first Kylie Skin launch will consist of a Foaming Face Wash,' Vanilla Milk Toner,' Walnut Face Scrub,' Moisturizer,' Eye Cream' and Vitamin C Serum,' all of which will be priced at under $30 and will come presented in uniform pink packaging. Skincare is the next logical step for Jenner, whose Kylie Cosmetics brand has achieved global success since its launch in 2015 as the purveyor of the label's signature "Lip Kits" and which now spans products for eyes, lips and face, as well as tools such as makeup brushes. The brand has achieved cult status in the space of a few short years, earning Jenner the 27th spot on Forbes's "America's Richest Self-Made Women" list last year. The star isn't alone in eyeing up the skincare industry -- pop sensation Madonna runs the prestige beauty brand, MDNA Skin, while Paris Hilton unveiled her skincare line, "ProD.N.A.," last year. Her big sister Kim Kardashian expressed an interest in developing skincare products during an interview with Fashionista last year, while Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Lopez have also hinted that they would like to move into the sector. HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (AP) A memorial service for a student hailed as a hero for tackling one of the gunmen who attacked his suburban Denver school will be held Wednesday. A celebration of life will be held at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch for 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo, a senior who was just days from graduating when he was fatally wounded in Tuesday's shooting. The service is planned just a few hours before the two suspects are due back in court. Castillo along with classmates Brendan Bialy and Joshua Jones are credited with helping minimize the bloodshed by charging at one of the suspects in a classroom. According to Bialy, Castillo sprang into action against the shooter "and immediately was on top of him with complete disregard for his own safety." Jones said he was shot twice in the leg during the ordeal. Bialy said he was able to take the gunman's weapon. Castillo was a member of the school's robotics club who loved to tinker. He worked part-time at a manufacturing company that had offered him a job after an internship because he was such a standout employee. Friends say he had an infectious smile, a gentle sense of humor and was excited to help people. Eight students were wounded in the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting and the last hospitalized one was released on Sunday. Investigators have said Devon Erickson, 18, and 16-year-old Alec McKinney, who is listed in court records as Maya, walked into their school with handguns and opened fire. Investigators have offered no motive and refused to discuss how the students obtained the weapons. They were arrested Tuesday and are being held on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Commissioners in the county took the first step Monday toward committing $10 million to pay for security upgrades and mental health services at all public schools in the area. A vote is scheduled for May 28; commissioners said they want to talk with experts, residents and students about how to use the money before that meeting. Commissioners said the one-time payment would come from reserve savings and higher income from property values. The Douglas County School District received a $1.5 million grant from the Colorado Department of Public Safety in February under a program to upgrade security in school buildings and vehicles and train school personnel. District spokeswoman Paula Hans said Douglas County schools would use the money to update the school communications system, including replacing radios. It was one of 95 grants to schools or school districts totaling more than $29 million. STOCKHOLM (AP) The Latest on Swedish prosecutors' decision whether to reopen a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (all times local): 2 p.m. The lawyer for a Swedish woman who reported being raped by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2010 says "today we got great news." Elisabeth Massi Fritz says the decision by Swedish authorities to open the rape case against Assange "signals that no one stands above the law," and that "the legal system in Sweden doesn't give a special treatment to anyone." Massi Fritz told reporters Monday she spoke with her client, who is not named, by phone. She said her client "feels great gratitude." Earlier in the day, Swedish prosecutors said they will seek Assange's extradition to Sweden. Massi Fritz said she hoped justice would prevail, and "we believe the evidence is good enough that it must be tested." Assange denies wrongdoing. He is serving a 50-week prison term in London for jumping bail in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face the allegations. ___ 11:45 a.m. WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief says the Swedish decision to reopen a rape case against Julian Assange "will give Julian a chance to clear his name." Kristinn Hrafnsson said in a statement Monday that Swedish prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson had been under "intense political pressure" to reopen the case. He also asserted that the case has been "mishandled" from the start. Persson announced the Swedish decision a month after Assange was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Assange's Swedish lawyer, Per E. Samuelsen, said that his client is innocent and he doesn't understand the reasoning for reopening a 10-year-old case. ___ 11:35 a.m. Julian Assange's Swedish lawyer says he is "very surprised" by prosecutors' decision to reopen a rape case against the WikiLeaks founder and says that his client is innocent. Story continues Prosecutors in Stockholm announced the decision on Monday, a month after Assange was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. They said they would seek Assange's extradition from Britain. Lawyer Per E. Samuelson told Swedish broadcaster SVT: "I do not understand the Swedish prosecutor's ... reasoning for reopening a 10-year old case." Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange in 2010. Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which couldn't be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August 2020. ___ 11:25 a.m. Swedish prosecutors say they will seek the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Assange after he has served his 50-week prison term in Britain for jumping bail. Prosecutors in Stockholm said Monday that they will reopen a rape case against Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Assange denies wrongdoing. Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference that "in order to execute the arrest warrant, the prosecutor will issue a so-called European arrest warrant." The Swedish move would leave Britain to decide whether to extradite Assange to Sweden or to the United States, where he is wanted for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. ___ 11:15 a.m. Swedish prosecutors are reopening a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference in Stockholm that "there is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape." She added: "It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required." Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010. Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which couldn't be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August 2020. ___ 9:25 a.m. Swedish prosecutors plan to say Monday whether they will reopen a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, is scheduled to hold a news conference in Stockholm. If Sweden relaunches the case, that could leave Britain deciding whether to extradite him to the Scandinavian country or the United States. Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010. Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which couldn't be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August 2020. ___ This story has been corrected to spell the name of Assange's lawyer as Samuelson, instead of Samuelsen. At least three people were killed and another 20 wounded in a series of blasts in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Monday, an official said. Nangarhar provincial spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said three blasts rocked the city centre, and had taken place near an armoured police vehicle. "The nature of explosions is not clear, but it could be IEDs," Khogyani said, using the acronym for improvised explosive devices. "So far we can confirm three people have been killed and 20 wounded." No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the area around Jalalabad is home to fighters from both the Taliban and the Islamic State group's Afghan affiliate. On March 6, at least 16 people were killed in a suicide attack on a construction company in Jalalabad, which is near the Pakistan border. Violence in Afghanistan has continued apace even during the holy month of Ramadan, and despite government calls for a ceasefire. Beirut (AFP) - A pale woman rides through the desert, flanked by armed men on camels, a palace shimmering in the distance. This is Lebanon -- or so someone thought in the 1950s. At a Beirut cultural centre, Lebanese film buff Abboudi Abu Jawdeh is exhibiting vintage film posters from his collection that show off a lost art, but also offer insight into decades of Western cliches of the Arab world. On a guided tour, the collector gestures towards the desert scene, which is an Italian poster for the 1956 French movie "The Lebanese Mission". "This is from the artist's imagination," the 61-year-old says, standing beside the image featuring the camel riders and a palace resembling India's Taj Mahal. "He knew Lebanon was in the East, so he did this," he says, despite the country having ski slopes and sand only on its Mediterranean beaches. Abu Jawdeh moves along to another poster for the same film, this time featuring an oil well. "I hope we will have some," he says, as his country only this year starts exploration for the hydrocarbon off its coast. A glance at the film's synopsis reveals more inconsistencies. A Frenchman falls for the daughter of a Lebanese nobleman while in Lebanon hunting for uranium, a metal not mined in the country. - 'Orientalists' - Abu Jawdeh first began collecting posters in his teens, starting with films starring American actors Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood. Visiting old cinemas in Lebanon and across the region, he unearthed a world of images -- for more foreign films, but also thousands of prints advertising films from the Arab world. Some of his finds in this rare collection date back to 1930s Egypt or Lebanon in the late 1950s. Today he owns some 20,000 posters, stacked up to the ceiling at his publishing house, their bright colours shielded from the sunlight. Different versions of the same poster are especially revealing -- indicating which country required a change in a film title or a bra to be painted over a naked back to avoid offence. Story continues But as he collected, Abu Jawdeh also started noticing a trend in some of the Western posters for films set in the Middle East. They "resembled the paintings that Orientalists painted of the region in the 18th and 19th centuries," he says. Dozens of these images are on show until May 25 at the Dar El-Nimer cultural centre in Beirut. Titled "Thief of Baghdad", after a much-remade fantasy film from 1924, the show is replete with turbaned men, flying carpets, snake charmers and belly dancers. There is Elvis Presley starring in a film called "Harum Scarum", and a British-Egyptian comedy reportedly inspired by late Egyptian king Farouk's unrequited passions for a belly dancer. With captions summarising often outlandish screenplays, the posters show a fantastical world far removed from the modern Middle East, but also gross misrepresentation. - 'We're not all belly dancers' - "Come to savage seething Arabia on a terror search for forbidden treasures of the ages," reads the tagline for the 1957 action film "Forbidden Desert". Late Lebanese-American academic Jack Shaheen analysed portrayals of Arabs in Hollywood films. He watched more than 900 movies spanning a century to the early 2000s, and found only five percent showed Arab roles as "normal, human characters". Instead, a whole people was systematically dehumanised or vilified. Often, all Arabs were Muslims, and all Muslims were Arabs, wrote the researcher of Christian descent. Female characters were largely belly dancers or enchantresses, silent "bundles of black" or "terrorists". Abu Jawdeh says that he and others may not have always rejected such depictions. "We too liked seeing a belly dancer," he says. But the public now will likely see the posters differently, he adds, welcoming a fresh-eyed reevaluation of how the West has viewed the Arab world. "They need to see them to re-examine these human relations," he urged. Round the corner, Rabbah Faqih, a masters student in archive management, looks at a poster featuring a skimpily dressed actress. "I'm all for a good expressive poster to draw people in, but I'm against commodifying women like this," she says. "We're not all belly dancers in Lebanon," says the 30-year-old, dressed in a long black robe, her hair covered. Beirut, May 13 (Reuters) - Lebanon's central bank is operating despite blocks at its entrances by retired soldiers protesting over pension or benefit cuts as the government debates a draft budget, a central bank official told Reuters on Monday. At least 100 protesters gathered outside the central bank late on Sunday, while Lebanons coalition government held its latest meeting to try to agree a budget that would reduce the fiscal deficit in the heavily indebted state. A central bank employee told Reuters workers had managed to get in the bank last night and would work as normal. (Reporting by Alaa Kanaan, Laila Bassam and Amina Ismail Editing by Clarence Fernandez) Jon Lester pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and Kris Bryant slugged a two-run homer as the host Chicago Cubs defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1 on Sunday evening. Lester (3-1) limited the Marlins to one run (none earned) while allowing nine hits, walking one and striking out six. Bryant went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs. In the past eight games, he has five homers and 11 RBIs. Cubs shortstop Javier Baez went 2-for-3, including his go-ahead RBI double in the fifth. In addition, Milwaukee nearly tied the score at 2 in the sixth, but Baez threw out Jesus Aguilar at the plate as he tried to score from third on a grounder. Jhoulys Chacin (3-4) took the loss. He allowed six hits, one walk and two runs (one earned) in six innings. Chacin also made a diving catch of an Albert Almora bunt in the fourth inning, throwing to second to complete a spectacular double play. Both teams were without a key player in their starting lineup: Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (back), who is a three-time All-Star and a two-time Gold Glove winner; and Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun (hamstring), a six-time All-Star and the 2011 NL MVP. Braun grounded out as a pinch hitter in the seventh. Rizzo is day to day. Chicago opened the scoring with an unearned run in the first. Bryant reached on a one-out throwing error by shortstop Orlando Arcia and advanced to second on Baez's single. Both runners advanced when Chacin bounced a wild pitch, and Bryant scored on Willson Contreras' RBI groundout. Milwaukee tied the score in the fourth. Christian Yelich sliced the ball to left fielder Kyle Schwarber, who started back before going forward. Schwarber then dove for the ball, and it went off his glove for a wind-blown, three-base error. Aguilar's single drove home Yelich. Chicago took a 2-1 lead in the fifth. With two outs and nobody on, Byrant pulled a singled through a three-infielder shift and scored when Baez drilled a double to right-center. Story continues Bryant's two-run homer in the seventh gave Chicago a 4-1 lead. The Cubs enjoyed scoreless relief pitching from Brandon Kintzler and Steve Cishek, who posted his second save. --Field Level Media By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday, describing him as "like me, a little controversial," and brushing off concerns about threats to democratic norms in Hungary during Orban's tenure. Welcoming the right-wing Hungarian leader for a meeting in the Oval Office, Trump lauded him for being tough on immigration, a policy area in which the two leaders have similar visions. "He's a respected man. And I know he's a tough man, but he's a respected man," Trump said, when asked whether he had concerns about a weakening of democracy in Hungary. "He's done the right thing, according to many people, on immigration. And you look at some of the problems that they have in Europe that are tremendous because they've done it a different way than the prime minister," said Trump, who is often accused by critics of being too close to authoritarian leaders. Orban, a nationalist, has often had conflicts with the European Union over his anti-immigration campaigns and judicial reforms. He clashed with the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, over what critics said was an erosion of democratic values by his government. Trump has also pushed what critics consider an anti-immigrant policy agenda, calling for a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico and banning travelers from several Muslim-majority countries at the beginning of his time in office. Orban noted that his government had been elected several times. "From the people, by the people, for the people. This is the basis for the Hungarian government," he said, adding, when pressed about the issue: "We have a new constitution accepted in 2011 and it's functioning well." He said Hungary was proud to stand with the United States on "fighting against illegal migration" and other issues. Senior Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. Congress told Trump in a letter on Friday they were concerned about Hungary's "downward democratic trajectory" and its close relationship with Russia. Hungary is a NATO ally. Trump is often accused of cozying up to autocratic leaders. He has sought a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin despite Russian meddling in the 2016 election and has praised his own relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with whom he has held summits in Singapore and Vietnam. Trump projected an air of kinship with Orban. "Highly respected. Respected all over Europe," Trump said. "Probably, like me, a little bit controversial, but that's okay. That's okay. You've done a good job and you've kept your country safe." (Additional reporting by Timothy Ahmann and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Alistair Bell) On May 2nd, voters across the U.K. went to the polls to vote in local elections. Given the Conservative governments continued failure to deliver Brexit, the Tories were long expected to lose big in the vote. Brexit Minister James Cleverly predicted that the party could lose 800 seats of the more than 5,000 it won in 2015. Conversely, many predicted that the opposition Labour party and its hard-left leader, Jeremy Corbyn, would capitalize on Prime Minister Theresa Mays weakness to win scores of seats across the country. But in the early hours of Friday morning, the biggest losers were both main parties. Surpassing even Cleverlys dire prediction, the Conservatives awoke to losses of 1,335 seats and control of 49 local councils. Labour lost 86 seats and control of six councils. The far-right United Kingdom Independence party (UKIP) also failed to capitalize on pro-Brexit sentiment, losing 145 seats. The biggest winners? The staunchly pro-Remain, center-left Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems), who won 704 seats and control of twelve councils. The Green party and independents also scored important victories, winning 194 and 661 seats, respectively. The disastrous results for the Conservatives and tepid support for Labour reflect an electorate growing frustrated with the dysfunction of the political class. The inability of the Conservatives to deliver Brexit and the ongoing turmoil in Mays cabinet amid countless leaks, firings, and turnover no doubt contributed to scores of voters defecting. The Lib Dems managed to make huge inroads in affluent, predominantly Tory-leaning strongholds across southern England, both among pro-Leave and pro-Remain voters. Even in Windsor and Maidenhead, home to Theresa Mays constituency, the Tories lost 15 seats to the Lib Dems and independents. Not all was disastrous for the Tories, however. The party managed to take some important victories from Labour, notably in pro-Leave, one-time Labour heartlands like the Midlands and North East Lincolnshire, reflecting ire at Labours noncommittal, neither-Leave-nor-Remain Brexit stance. The Lib Dem victories are no doubt impressive, but they are not necessarily indicative of growing support for Remain. Just as independents saw wins across the country, Lib Dem wins likely stemmed from a combination of soft-left Remain supporters and a pox-on-both-their-houses attitude from frustrated Conservative and Labour voters alike. After near total wipeout in 2015, the Lib Dems were always expected to make major gains this election, and have traditionally done well in many of the southern shires where they won seats. Success at the local level has not always translated to parliamentary seats for third parties. Story continues Instead, the biggest takeaway from Thursdays election is the realignment of British party politics. Party strength in the U.K. has traditionally broken down along geographic and class lines, but with growing discontent with the status quo, both parties will have opportunities for electoral success amid the realignment. The once-solidly Labour North hemorrhaged support to the Conservatives, while true-blue Tory heartlands flipped to the Lib Dems and independents. The Green partys increased vote share across the country also bodes poorly for Corbyn; an ascendant, leftist Labour party would be expected to sweep up those who voted Green, and these dissatisfied voters could cost him crucial votes at the next general election. Nigel Farages new Brexit party is predicted to top all major parties in the European Parliament elections at the end of May; should it stand in domestic parliamentary elections, both Conservatives and Labour alike can expect to see defections. In short, Labour still faces an uphill battle to win in a snap general election. While ChangeUK, the coalition of pro-Remain Labour and Conservative defectors, has failed to galvanize much support, the resurgence of the Liberal Democrats and the Greens and the gradual defection of Labour-voting Leave supporters in the North will likely force Corbyn to clarify the partys hazy Brexit stance. Deputy Leader Tom Watson and other Labour grandees are already clamoring for a second Brexit referendum, yet formally adopting such a policy would likely bleed further support to pro-Brexit parties. Corbyn will still have to battle the Lib Dems for Remain supporters, especially in London and the South, and must still contend with the SNP in Scotland. That he managed to botch these local elections against a historically dysfunctional government also raises further questions about his electability. No doubt, these results are a damning indictment of Theresa Mays premiership and her governments handling of Brexit. That said, Labour has failed to capitalize on the electorates displeasure with May, and the growing Tory support in the Midlands and North gives Conservatives a way forward. Just as Margaret Thatcher managed to win over the average Essex man and lead her party to three successive victories, the Tories would have a real opportunity under a new, pro-Leave leader to sweep up dissatisfied former Labour voters, halt the defections to Farages Brexit party, and restore confidence in conservatism. They might have been this elections biggest losers, but they could be the biggest winners at the next election if they play their cards right. More from National Review For Immediate Release Chicago, IL May 13, 2019 Zacks.com releases the list of companies likely to issue earnings surprises. This weeks list includes Macys M, Nordstrom JWN and Wal-Mart WMT. Whats Weighing on Department Store Stocks? The earnings focus shifts to the Retail sector this week as traditional brick-and-mortar retailers come out with their quarterly results. Most of these stocks have struggled this year, with Macys underperformance particularly notable. Macys shares are down -25.2% this year, lagging the S&P 500 indexs +14% gain. The stock has underperformed the Zacks Department Store industry as well as peers such as Nordstrom. The issues plaguing Macys outlook are longstanding and not new. These include the companys struggles with adjusting to the changed retail landscape characterized by consumer dollars steadily shifting to the online medium. Macys and other department stores have made good progress in recent years through their so-called omni-channel offerings that integrates the brick-and-mortar infrastructure with the digital offering. For Macys, store pickups accounted for 7% of total online sales in Q4, reflecting consumers growing embrace of the companys omni-channel capabilities. The challenge for Macys and other department stores is to hold onto their revenues and margins as they bring their operations in-line with the changed ground realities. But transitions are never smooth, easy or cheap. It is the inherent difficulties of this transition that explains the performance challenge facing Macys and other department store companies. Q1 estimates for Macys, which reports quarterly results before the markets open on Wednesday May 15th, have steadily come down. The company is expected to earn 36 cents on $5.5 billion in revenues, down -25% and -0.21% from the year-earlier period, respectively. The current 36 cents estimate is down from 37 cents a month back and 49 cents three months back. Story continues Given Macys recent underperformance and these lowered estimates, the bar is likely fairly low for the company to surprise to the upside. The stock was up in response to the last quarterly release on February 26th, which followed two back-to-back releases that pushed the stock lower. The other major retailer releasing results this week is Wal-Mart, which reports Thursday May 16th before the markets open. Wal-Marts travails are not as severe as Macys, but it is going through its own transition that requires active investments and that is weighing on its margins. The stock has lagged the market this year, up +9% vs. +14% for the S&P 500 index. In total, we have almost 250 companies releasing results this week, including 9 S&P 500 members. Q1 Earnings Season Scorecard (as of Friday, May 10th) We now have Q1 results from 450 S&P 500 members or 90% of the indexs total membership. Total earnings for these 450 companies are up +0.6% from the same period last year on +5% higher revenues, with 77.1% beating EPS estimates and 59.3% beating revenue estimates. The proportion of these companies beating both EPS and revenue estimates is 51.3%. Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates. Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer. 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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 Nordstrom, Inc. (JWN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Walmart Inc. (WMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Macy's, Inc. (M) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research For the past couple of weeks, hikers along the Appalachian Trial had been warning each other about a hiker who was threatening other hikers with a large knife. The man, who had the trail nickname of "Sovereign," was arrested in North Carolina last month after some hikers reported him to authorities. But he was released after pleading guilty to possession of marijuana and other minor charges. Over the weekend, matters turned deadly in southwestern Virginia, where he is accused of stabbing one hiker to death and seriously injuring another. James Jordan, 30, of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, is charged with murder and assault with intent to commit murder. During his initial appearance Monday in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Virginia, a judge ordered him to be held in custody and to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Jordan repeatedly threatened four hikers late Friday and early Saturday before attacking them, according to federal authorities. An FBI agent said in an affidavit filed in court that when Jordan initially approached the hikers he was acting in a "disturbed and unstable" manner while playing a guitar and singing. Later that night, Jordan began randomly approaching the hikers' tents, making noises and threatening them. "Jordan spoke to the hikers through their tents, and threatened to pour gasoline on their tents and burn them to death," FBI Special Agent Micah Childers wrote in the affidavit. Fearing Jordan, all four hikers decided to pack up and leave their campsite. Two of them were chased by Jordan as they tried to leave, but managed to escape by turning off the lights they had strapped to their heads and veering off the trail into the woods, said Sheriff Thomas Roseberry of Bland County, Virginia, whose deputies interviewed the couple after they walked off the trail to report the incident. "They described this guy as talking crazy and following them down the trail," he said. Story continues The other two hikers also ran to get away from Jordan, but he caught the man first and stabbed him until he collapsed onto the ground, Childers wrote. Jordan then stabbed the woman repeatedly. She fell to the ground and played dead, and Jordan then left to find his dog, Childers wrote. She remained hospitalized Monday. Her condition could not immediately be determined. Authorities did not release the names of the victims. The attacks took place where a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) length of the trail passes through Wythe County. Jordan was arrested and taken into custody by deputies with the Wythe County Sheriff's Office. Brian King, a spokesman for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, said that at this time of the year the section of the trail in southwestern Virginia is usually packed with hikers making their way along the entire 2,100-mile length of the trail, from Georgia to Maine. "We give a lot of safety advice, which people tend to follow, but with someone with an intent to do evil, how do you guard against that?" King said. Sheriff Mike Hensley of Unicoi County, Tennessee, said he and his deputies did everything they could to keep Jordan locked up after he threatened hikers there and in other communities along the trail last month. Hensley said hikers called his office in late April and said a man was threatening them and said: "It's going to be a bad day for hikers on the trail." He said he sent officers to the trail location described by the hikers, but the man was no longer there. The next day, some other hikers complained about a man threatening them. Hensley said his officers found Jordan, who was intoxicated, and gave them a fake name and a fake identification. He was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and criminal impersonation. Jordan pleaded guilty to the drug charges and was later released. Hensley said the judge ordered Jordan not to return to the Appalachian Trail, but he was not held in custody because none of the hikers were willing to testify in court. "The fact is nobody wanted to step up to the plate and press charges," Hensley said. "They were on the trail walking and they didn't want to come back they told my investigators that." "It's just heartbreaking that this happened, and our prayers go out to the victims' families and to this young girl that was stabbed," he said. "I did everything that I could do. I did get this man off the trail. That's all I could do." By Steve Gorman May 12 (Reuters) - A man accused of attacking hikers with a machete on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, killing one person and severely injuring another, has been arrested on murder and assault charges, federal and state authorities said on Sunday. The suspect, James Jordan, 30, from the Cape Cod town of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, was taken into custody early on Saturday on a portion of the trail that runs through Wythe County, Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, officials said. The arrest came shortly after two hikers reported to local authorities that "there was a man with a machete assaulting people on the Appalachian Trail in Wythe County," the county sheriff's office said in a statement. The sheriff's statement said a male and a female were injured in the attacks but gave no further information. A separate statement issued by the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia said the attacks left one person dead and another severely injured. Federal prosecutors said Jordan had been charged with one count of murder and one count of assault with intent to murder within the jurisdiction of the United States. No mention was made of a possible motive, or whether investigators believe the attack was targeted or random. A section of the trail remained closed. Wythe County Sheriff Keith Dunagan told CNN affiliate station WSLS-TV that authorities managed to locate the man who was attacked using global positioning satellite (GPS) technology after he sent an emergency notification on his phone. The injured woman was found only after she had walked 6 miles (10 km) while bleeding and found other hikers to assist her, Dunagan told WSLS. Jordan was due to make his first court appearance on Monday in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Virginia, about 240 miles (386 km) southwest of Charlottesville, Virginia. The case is under investigation by the sheriff's office, state police, the U.S. Forest Service and FBI. Story continues Designated a national scenic trail, the rugged 2,200-mile (3,540-km) footpath runs along the ridgeline of the Appalachian Mountain range through 14 states, from Georgia to Maine. It is jointly administered by the Forest Service, the National Park Service, the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy, various state agencies and thousands of volunteers. More than 3 million people walk a portion of the trail every year and over 3,000 attempt to hike the entire footpath annually, according to the conservancy. The total elevation gain along the entire trail route, completed in 1937, is equivalent to climbing Mount Everest 16 times, the conservancy said. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Cooney) By Brendan O'Brien May 13 (Reuters) - A Massachusetts man was charged on Monday with murder and assault for allegedly killing one person and severely injuring another in a machete attack on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, according to papers filed in federal court. The suspect, James Jordan, 30, of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, was charged with one count of murder and one count of assault with intent to murder. Jordan was scheduled to appear in court on Monday morning in the U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Virginia. On Friday evening in Smyth County, Virginia, Jordan was acting disturbed and unstable as he approached four hikers, playing his guitar and singing, a FBI agent said in an affidavit filed in federal court. Later that night, the charging document said, Jordan approached the hikers again after they made a camp in Wythe County, Virginia, where he threatened to pour gasoline on the hikers' tents and burn them to death. According to the affidavit, the hikers, fearing for their safety, began packing up to flee the scene. After two of the hikers ran away, Jordan is accused of attacking the other two with what one of them described as a machete, the affidavit said. One of the victims, a woman, played dead, then fled the scene and caught up the other two hikers when Jordan left to go find his dog, the affidavit said. The three hiked 6 miles (10 km) into Smyth County where they called 911 early on Saturday. Authorities took Jordan into custody and found the other victim dead at the scene of the attack. Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive, or whether they believe the attack was targeted or random. The female victim was being treated at the Bristol Regional Medical Center in Bristol Tennessee. Designated a national scenic trail, the rugged 2,200-mile (3,540-km) footpath runs along the ridgeline of the Appalachian Mountain range through 14 states, from Georgia to Maine. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Scott Malone and David Gregorio) Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast A man who calls himself Sovereign was charged with attacking two Appalachian Trail hikers with a machete, killing one of themjust weeks after he pleaded guilty to threatening other trekkers and was set free, authorities said on Sunday. James L. Jordan, 30, from West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, allegedly knifed an unidentified man and woman early Saturday morning in an isolated stretch of the 2,190-mile hiking trail that runs through Wythe County, Virginia. The man died and the woman was seriously wounded. The U.S. attorneys office for the Western District of Virginia called it a senseless and brutal attack but did not provide any other details. A criminal complaint will be filed Monday as Jordan makes his initial court appearance. He faces one count of murder within the special maritime territorial jurisdiction of the United States and one count of assault with the intent to murder within the special maritime territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Jordan has allegedly been menacing people on the trail, which is in the midst of its high season, for weeks. He was well-known, said Brian King, a spokesman for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, which manages the trail through 14 states with two federal agencies. The trail has always had a fantastic grapevine. Larry Smith, a hiker from Charleston, South Carolina, told The Daily Beast that he ran into Jordan at a trail shelter in Atkins, Virginia, in early April. Smith said hed gone to bed after feasting on hamburgers and beer with fellow hikers but awoke to someone entering the shelter and starting a fire at about 10 p.m. He was ranting and raving, Smith said. After disappearing upstairs for a moment, Smith added, the man returned, and said, Im gonna burn this shelter down. When Smith asked if he was alright, the man jumped up on a table, threw his cigarette in Smiths face, and challenged him to a fight. Smith said when retreated to the parking lot to call 911, the man followed, then disappeared into the frigid night. Story continues At that time, I thought he was just another hiker whod gotten drunk, or one of the locals whod gotten a little drunk, he added. But when another trail blogger posted Jordans mug shot a few weeks later, he realized that he looked just like the guy who had threatened to burn down the shelter. On April 21, Unicoi County, Tennessee, Sheriff Mike Hensley raised the alarm about the erratic figure nicknamed Sovereign, writing that he ran hikers out of shelters with a shovel and brandished a knife and machete and stated it was going to be a bad day for hikers. Several days later, Jordan was arrested after an altercation with hikers on the Tennessee/North Carolina border; police found he was carrying a knife with a 20-inch blade. He reportedly pleaded guilty to several charges, was sentenced to a fine, and was then released. When he was arrested a few weeks ago, the hikers did the right thingthey called 911 and went to the sheriff and got him arrested, King said. The problem is when you are thru-hiking, you are on a timetable, and they couldnt or wouldnt go in to testify, and thats why he went through the system so fast. The Washington Post reported Jordan apparently resurfaced in Virginia and went after a group of four hikers camped out for the night. They fled, but the knife-wielding attacker caught up to two of them and began slashing away. The woman pretended to be dead and when [Jordan] walked away after his dog, she took off running, Wythe County Sheriff Keith Dunagan told the newspaper. She managed to walk six miles and get help. Deputies in Bland County, Virginia, began looking for the assailant, Sheriff Thomas Roseberry II told The Daily Beast. But it was deputies in Wythe County, reportedly following an SOS signal activated by the male victim before he died, who found Jordan and the knife. I'm very appreciative that they acted as quick as they did, and apprehended him as quickly as they did, and that no one else was hurt, Roseberry said. The Appalachian Trail runs from Georgia to Maine, and an estimated 2 million people hike at least part of it each year. At the moment, many thru-hikerswho try to go from end to end in one tripwould have been passing through the area where the murder took place. Everybody is sad and sick to their stomach, King said. But the message is that this is rare and an aberration. The trail is still a refuge, and you cant guard against every evil in the world. Read more at The Daily Beast. You might not know Georgios Papanikolaous name, but you certainly know his most famous creation. The scientist is being celebrated in Mondays Google Doodle for what would have been his 136th birthday, along with his invention of the Pap smear. Papanikolaou was a cytopathologist who worked alongside his wife to come up with the test that enabled the early discovery of cervical cancer and other diseases. Today, its one of the most common cancer tests, with doctors ordering the simple, low cost test 28.5 million times in 2015. (Other tests are now being offered that replace the Pap smear.) The son of a doctor, Papanikolaou initially considered another field, but by the age of 15, he was starting medical school. Six years later, he graduated with top honors. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1913, initially working as a carpet salesman and playing violins in restaurants until Cornell recruited him to join their staff. He was nominated for the Nobel prize twice and has been featured on a U.S. postage stamp as well as the Greek 10,000 drachma note. To conduct a study for his research, he not only convinced his wife (and lab technician) Mary to be a test subject, but also a group of close friends, taking vaginal smears and studying them under a microscope for malignant cells. In conducting that research, he found that one of his wifes friends had cervical cancer. (Its unclear if that detection came in time to cure the disease.) Papanikolaou initially introduced the test in 1928, but the medical community was skeptical of its accuracy initially. Undeterred, he continued research and in 1941 published a paper backing up the test that led to greater acceptance. Known for putting in grueling hours, Papanikolaou died in 1962 of a sudden heart attack at the age of 78. Mary continued his work until her own death in 1982. Follow Fortune on Flipboard to stay up-to-date on the latest news and analysis Mel B and her eldest child Phoenix have spoken about the damage they suffered from the Spice Girls marriage to Stephen Belafonte, with Phoenix saying she cant be a wimp as Scary Spices daughter. Their 10-year marriage lasted from 2007 to 2017, but since they split Mel has written a book about the abuse she says she suffered from Belafonte and her overdose during the relationship, while he denies the allegations against him. Read more: Mel B and Geri Horner have moved on from fling reports Appearing on ITVs Lorraine, Mel spoke about the PTSD and anxiety that she is still in therapy for while Phoenix shared her own experiences of living with the relationship for 10 years. Phoenix said: It was pretty hard watching my mom go through that...we grew up pretty fast. (ITV) Every kid going through a traumatic experience will blame themselves, just because they feel somewhat responsible - thats your mom, thats your family, you only get one, youll do anything to try to help them if you can. Youre like, damn, this is partly my fault. But its never the kids fault. She continued: It wasnt easy, but I have my family, and Ive stayed pretty strong. Having my mom as Scary Spice Mel B, you cant be a wimp. My mom is such an independent woman, it shocks me. She can be amazing on TV but be so nervous, and you wouldnt even think she would be nervous, shes a natural. Shes a good mom and a good friend. I love you and youre doing great. Read more: Geri responds to Mel B fling claims Mel, who watched her daughters pre-recorded interview from the studio, was clearly emotional at what she heard. She said: We have a really good relationship and a good understanding of each other because I was married for 10 years, so Phoenix did see a lot. When youre in that kind of relationship it affects everyone around you, especially your kids, and your friends who are isolated from you because thats part of the cycle of abuse. Story continues It is an epidemic, it really, really is and its not getting any better...it is in baby steps. Read more: Mel B says Eddie Murphy was the love of her life Mel is now a patron of Womens Aid, but still has regular therapy for the after effects of PTSD and anxiety that she is dealing with. She said: I still woke up this morning with a lot of anxiety and the shock of no, Im not with that person any more, Im fine. Im building myself and healing myself. Mid-May marks two key anniversaries in the conflict between the United States and Mexico that set in motion the Civil Warand led to California, Texas, and eight other states joining the Union. On May 13, 1846, the United States Congress declared war on Mexico after a request from President James K. Polk. Then, on May 26, 1848, both sides ratified the peace treaty that ended the conflict. The conflict centered on the independent Republic of Texas, which opted to join the United States after establishing its independence from Mexico a decade earlier. The new U.S. president, James K. Polk, also wanted Texas as part of the United States, and his predecessor, John Tyler, had a late change of heart and started the admission process before he left office. Polk and others saw the acquisition of Texas, California, Oregon, and other territories as part of the nations Manifest Destiny to spread democracy over the continent. The U.S. also tried to buy Texas and what was called Mexican California from Mexico, which was seen as an insult by Mexico, before war broke out. Mexico considered the annexation of Texas as an act of war. After a series of border skirmishes, President Polk asked Congress for the war declaration because, under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, only Congress could declare a war. In the fighting that followed, the mostly-volunteer United States military secured control of Mexico after a series of battles, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on February 2, 1848. It was the first large-scale success of a United States military force on foreign soil. Mexico received a little more than $18 million in compensation from the United States as part of the treaty. The pact set a border between Texas and Mexico, and ceded California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming to the United States.Their transfer to the United States control also cut the territorial size of Mexico in half. Story continues On the surface, the wars outcome seemed like a bonanza for the United States. But the acquisition of so much territory with the issue of slavery unresolved lit the fuse that eventually set off the Civil War in 1861. The underlying issue was how adding new states and territories would alter the balance between free and slave states was critical. The Missouri Compromise of 1850 attempted to appease Southern concerns about the shifting balances between free and slave states caused by the addition of so much territory, but the die was cast as the nation headed toward the Civil War in 1861. On the battlefield, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and Stonewall Jackson were among the dozens of commanders in the war against Mexico who would later gain prominence in the American Civil War. Berlin (AFP) - More than seven decades after World War II ended, over 300 tiny pieces of human tissue from political prisoners executed by the Nazis will be buried Monday at a Berlin cemetery. The samples -- each a hundredth of a millimetre thin and about a square centimetre in size -- were uncovered on microscopic glass plates by the descendants of the Third Reich anatomy professor Hermann Stieve. Stieve dissected and researched the bodies of inmates killed at the Berlin Ploetzensee jail, including those of executed resistance fighters -- in part to examine the physical impact of fear experienced by women. A ceremony will be held, with descendants of the victims expected to attend, before the remains are finally laid to rest at 1300 GMT at the Dorotheenstadt cemetery in central Berlin with a Catholic and a Protestant priest and a rabbi present. "With the burial of the microscopic specimens... we want to take a step toward giving the victims back their dignity," said Karl Max Einhaeupl, the head of Berlin's university hospital Charite. He said the burial was part of a historical project by the hospital to confront its role in the medical profession's difficult relationship with Nazism. The burial site had been picked as there are many graves and memorials for the victims of Nazism there, said Johannes Tuchel, director of the German Resistance Memorial Centre, which is organising the special event with Charite. Tuchel said the human tissue samples were among "the last remains of people who were victims of the Nazis' unjust justice system... They were denied a grave at that time, and so today, a burial is a matter of course." - Noose and guillotine - More than 2,800 people held at Berlin-Ploetzensee prison were put to the guillotine or hanged between 1933 and 1945, and most were then sent for dissection at the Berlin Institute of Anatomy. Stieve was the institute's director from 1935 to 1952 and carried out controversial research on the female reproductive system. Story continues Most of the 300 specimens found in Stieve's estate stemmed from women, adds a plaque to commemorate them, which does however not list the names of individual victims at the request of relatives. Among those executed at Ploetzensee were 42 resistance fighters from the Berlin group Red Orchestra. Stieve is believed to have dissected at least 13 of 18 executed female Red Orchestra fighters. He was never charged with a crime and continued his medical career after the war like many other scientists who collaborated with the Nazis. Only the highest-ranking physicians under the Third Reich were prosecuted at Nuremberg in the so-called Doctors' trial for grotesque human experimentation and mass murder under the "euthanasia" programme. Berlin (AFP) - More than seven decades after World War II ended, more than 300 tiny pieces of human tissue from political prisoners executed by the Nazis were finally buried Monday at a Berlin cemetery. The samples -- each a hundredth of a millimetre thin and about a square centimetre in size -- were uncovered on microscopic glass plates by the descendants of the Third Reich anatomy professor Hermann Stieve. Stieve dissected and researched the bodies of inmates killed at the Berlin Ploetzensee jail, including those of executed resistance fighters -- in part to examine the physical impact of fear experienced by women. "With the burial of the microscopic specimens... we want to take a step toward giving the victims back their dignity," said Karl Max Einhaeupl, head of Berlin's university hospital Charite. Descendents of the victims attended a multi-religious ceremony, before the remains were finally laid to rest at Berlin's Dorotheenstadt cemetery. The burial site had been picked as there are many graves and memorials for Nazi victims there, said Johannes Tuchel, director of the German Resistance Memorial Centre, which organised the event with Charite. Tuchel said the human tissue samples were among "the last remains of people who were victims of the Nazis' unjust justice system ... They were denied a grave at that time, and so today, a burial is a matter of course." Saskia von Brockdorff, whose mother Erika von Brockdorff was murdered at Ploetzensee, told AFP the burial provided "good closure". "Now I know where I can mourn my mother, because she was executed on May 13, 1943, and we always went to Ploetzensee (to mourn her). But that's not really a good place to remember her, at least not for my soul. I'm now glad I can come here," said the 81-year-old. - Noose and guillotine - More than 2,800 inmates of Berlin-Ploetzensee prison were put to the guillotine or hanged between 1933 and 1945. Most were then sent for dissection to the Berlin Institute of Anatomy. Story continues Stieve was the institute's director from 1935 to 1952 and carried out controversial research on the female reproductive system. Most of the 300 specimens found in Stieve's estate stemmed from women, says a plaque to commemorate them which will be laid over the grave. The plaque however does not list the names of individual victims at the request of relatives. Andreas Winkelmann, who was tasked by Stieve's heirs to determine the origin of the histological samples, said it was unclear how many individuals' remains were included in the batch of specimens. Some 20 specimens came with names, others only numbers. The clues have however helped draw a firm link with the Ploetzensee victims. - Humiliating the victims - Crucially for the history books, the microscopic remains provided rare concrete proof that prisoners' bodies were sent for dissection. Winkelmann said the Nazis had sent the bodies to Stieve for dissection "not because they wanted to back Stieve's research, but because it was a way to humiliate the victims once again". "First, by sending them to anatomy -- something that not everyone wants... and it was also a way to deny the victims a grave," Winkelmann, a professor at Brandenburg Medical School's Institute of Anatomy, told AFP. Adolf Hitler's regime sought to dump the remains of executed prisoners in unmarked mass graves because it did not want sites where relatives could mourn the victims, and from where political demonstrations could ensue. Among those executed at Ploetzensee were 42 resistance fighters from the Berlin group Red Orchestra, among them von Brockdorff's mother Erika. Stieve is believed to have dissected at least 13 of 18 executed women belonging to the group. He was never charged with a crime and continued his medical career after the war like many other scientists who collaborated with the Nazis. Only the highest-ranking physicians under the Third Reich were prosecuted at Nuremberg in the so-called doctors' trial for grotesque human experimentation and mass murder under the "euthanasia" programme. Fashion brand Monki is opening up the conversation around mental health with its latest collection. The label, which is part of the Swedish H&M Group, has teamed up with the non-profit organization Mental Health Europe for a second time in a bid to encourage discussion about the topic. The collaboration comprises a series of three short films based on different emotions, spanning feeling happy, feeling sad and feeling everything simultaneously. The videos, which offer practical tips aimed at improving mental well-being, are accompanied by four limited-edition t-shirts emblazoned with the statement Embrace your feels' and a longer message focusing on self-care. The shirts will launch in Monki stores worldwide and online from mid-May. "Empowering young women is at the core of everything we do at Monki," said Jennie Dahlin Hansson, Managing Director, Monki, in a statement. "We are very proud to continue our collaboration with Mental Health Europe, and hope to encourage our community to express themselves and their feelings without fear." Mental health is becoming an increasingly mainstream topic of conversation among fashion and beauty brands. Earlier this year, the cosmetics giant Revlon also joined the conversation when it teamed up with supermodel Adwoa Aboah's Gurls Talk' platform to launch three self-care Revlon X Gurls Talk' makeup kits. San Francisco (AFP) - A jury in California on Monday ordered Bayer-owned Monsanto to pay more than $2 billion damages to a couple that sued on grounds the weed killer Roundup caused their cancer, lawyers said. The award was the latest in a series of court defeats for Monsanto over Roundup. The company insists the glyphosate-based product is not linked to cancer. The couple's legal team described the damages award as "historic," saying it totaled $2.055 billion after adding in slightly more than $55 million in compensatory damages. "The jury saw for themselves internal company documents demonstrating that, from day one, Monsanto has never had any interest in finding out whether Roundup is safe," said plaintiff's counsel Brent Wisner. "Instead of investing in sound science, they invested millions in attacking science that threatened their business agenda." In a statement, Bayer said it was disappointed with the jury's decision and would appeal the verdict, which it argues was at odds with a recent US Environmental Protection Agency review of glyphosate-based weed killers. "The consensus among leading health regulators worldwide is that glyphosate-based products can be used safely and that glyphosate is not carcinogenic," Bayer said. The verdict was the third courtroom defeat for Bayer in cases accusing the chemicals in Roundup of causing cancer. Glyphosate developer Monsanto was convicted in the United States in 2018 and 2019 of not taking necessary steps to warn of the potential risks of Roundup -- their weedkiller containing the chemical, which two California juries found caused cancer in two users. "Unlike the first two Monsanto trials, where the judges severely limited the amount of plaintiffs evidence, we were finally allowed to show a jury the mountain of evidence showing Monsantos manipulation of science, the media and regulatory agencies to forward their own agenda despite Roundups severe harm to the animal kingdom and humankind," said attorney Michael Miller, who was co-lead trial counsel along with Wisner. Bayer announced last month that over 13,000 lawsuits related to the weedkiller had been launched in the US. By Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal COLOMBO (Reuters) - Several dozen people threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores and a local man was beaten in the town of Chilaw on Sri Lanka's west coast on Sunday in a dispute that started on Facebook, sources told Reuters. Three weeks ago in Sri Lanka Islamist bombers blew themselves up in four hotels and three churches, killing more than 250 people. Since then Muslim groups say they have received dozens of complaints from across the country about people being harassed. "A police curfew has been imposed in Chilaw Police area with immediate effect until 6 a.m. tomorrow to control the tense situation," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera told Reuters. The police later said the curfew would be lifted at 4 a.m. A screenshot of the alleged Facebook exchange seen by Reuters showed a user had written in Sinhalese "It is difficult to make us cry" and added a local slur against Muslim men. A Facebook user identified as Hasmar Hameed, whom two locals said was the man later arrested, replied in English: "Dont laugh more 1 day u will cry." Authorities said they arrested the author of a Facebook post, identifying him as 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar. Locals in Chilaw, a majority Christian town, said Hasmar's post was interpreted as menacing and an angry crowd beat him. Reuters was unable to determine what the original conversation was about or to contact Hasmar for comment. "Later they pelted stones at three mosques and some Muslim-owned shops. Now the situation has calmed down, but we are scared of the night," said one local Muslim man who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons. One mosque suffered extensive damage, he said. Video footage circulating online shows several dozen young men shouting and throwing stones at a clothes store called New Hasmars, which locals said belonged to Hasmar. Some communities say they are fearful that the government, which failed to act on successive warnings about looming Islamist attacks, has not caught all potential militants. A week ago in Negombo, where more than 100 people were killed during Easter prayers, a violent clash erupted between local Muslims and Christians after a traffic dispute. Unlike after the Negombo clashes, the Sri Lankan government did not impose a ban on social media platforms on Sunday. (Writing by Alexandra Ulmer; editing by Jason Neely) 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. OSLO (Reuters) - The hull of a Norwegian-registered product tanker was damaged by an unknown object off the cost of the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah on Sunday, ship management company Thome Ship Management said on Monday. "The master of MT Andrea Victory reported the crew were unharmed but there was a hole in the hull area of the aft peak tank. The ship is not in any danger of sinking," Thome said in a statement. The vessel is 47,210 deadweight tonnes, according to Refinitiv data. (Reporting by Oslo newsroom, editing by Louise Heavens) All Soviet dissidents are legendary, to one degree or another. Vladimir Bukovsky is especially so. He is held in awe by people whom the rest of us hold in awe. Im speaking of his fellow dissidents. Bukovsky is a dissidents dissident, so to speak. A book of his, which originally appeared in 1995, is now being published in English for the first time. On his back patio, amid chirping birds, I talk with him about this and many other subjects. And where is the back patio? In Cambridge, England, where Bukovsky has lived since the mid-1970s. Bukovsky has had mighty health struggles but he indulges his listener, his interviewer, gladly and ably. He was born in 1942 and quickly became dissident. Enrolled at Moscow State University for biology, he was kicked out at age 19. He had criticized the Komsomol, i.e., the Young Communist League. I ask him, Do you think you were born this way? Born to stick your neck out, born to get into trouble? Yeah, he says. Theres nothing you can do about it. I would feel uncomfortable if I tried to hide what I believe. Its against my nature. Last September, I talked with Bukovsky by phone. At that time, he made this statement: My formative years were post-Stalin. We learned that enormous crimes had been committed in the country: Millions of people were tortured and killed. Millions of people were rotting in the Gulag. This would be a shock for anyone to learn. I felt I had to say something and do something. Here in Cambridge, he tells me about an encounter he had with a KGB general. The general interrogated him when he, Bukovsky, was very young. The general tried to get him to turn to inform on the dissident movement. With the recklessness of youth, Bukovsky told him off. Well, forget the recklessness of youth: I think Bukovsky would do the same at any age. Anyway, Bukovsky told him off in foulest terms. These terms are untranslatable, he tells me. Perhaps surprisingly, the general was not offended. He just looked at me, Bukovsky says. Story continues And this saved me a lot of trouble, he continues, because I learned much later that, as a result of this encounter, I had in my personal file an entry that said, Not suitable for recruiting. So they never tried to recruit me again. I offer the opinion that not suitable for recruiting is a great compliment. Have people said to you over the years, Thank you for doing what I should have and could not, or did not? I put this question to Bukovsky. There were people like that, he answers. But there were more people who thought that. I could see that message in their eyes. But they would not say it openly. And I would not mind, says Bukovsky. When you live in a totalitarian country, you learn not to be judgmental. You learn to be very cautious in your judgments because you know that people sometimes find themselves in hopeless situations. Bukovsky spent twelve years in the Gulag: prisons, labor camps, and sadistic psychiatric hospitals. I ask him, Did you ever think you would not survive? Oh, yeah, he says. It was the dominant idea. He thought they would kill him. Most of my friends never expected to live to the age of 30. We all thought it was a given. It was just luck that I survived. Most of my friends were killed. I recall something that Charles Krauthammer said about Natan Sharansky, who (as Anatoly Shcharansky) was in the Gulag for nine years. He said that Sharansky emerged unscathed. He was in mental and emotional balance. It was like he had gone to the Caribbean to lie on the beach for nine years, said Krauthammer. Bukovsky says, Its very simple: If you are not broken, you are unscathed. They failed to break him, therefore he is unscathed. Its very personal. This strikes me as something you have to know from experience and if you dont have the experience, lucky you We talk for a while about his parents. Both of them, initially, thought he was mad, challenging the Soviet state as he did. The state would crush him. By the end, however before he was out of the Gulag they understood and admired. In 1976, Bukovsky was released, exchanged at the Zurich airport for Luis Corvalan, the head of the Chilean Communist Party. What was that like? It was a very good day, says Bukovsky, but if you asked me was I jubilant or something no. I suddenly felt how tired I was. Until then, you keep fighting, and therefore your tiredness is at bay. You dont allow it to rule your life. You go on. Then suddenly Early in 1977, shortly after Inauguration Day, Bukovsky met with the new American president, Jimmy Carter. What did he think? Naive, he says, in a word. He found President Carter naive, and uncomprehending. He was just a blank. Bukovsky further says he has a funny story to tell me. Before I went to see Carter, I went to see Solzhenitsyn in Vermont. He was with his fellow dissident and fellow exile, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, for three days, talking almost non-stop. Solzhenitsyn asked Bukovsky to call him after the meeting with Carter, to tell him how it went. So, I called him. The first thing he asked was, How long was the meeting? I told him I was with the president for 40, 45 minutes. Forty-five minutes! Solzhenitsyn said. You should not have gone for so short a meeting. You should have refused. What the great man, Solzhenitsyn, did not know is that 45 minutes is an eternity of a presidents time. Very few people and even fewer private citizens and even fewer foreign private citizens get 45 minutes of a presidents time. Solzhenitsyn could not understand this, says Bukovsky. His idea was that Carter and I should go somewhere in the countryside, sit down, and talk half the night as Russians do, with a bottle of vodka, and then we would understand each other. Wonderful. In our earlier conversation September Bukovsky told me this: Jimmy Carter was an honest and sincere man, but he had no idea what he was doing. He was incredibly naive for an American president. His attitude changed after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. At the beginning of his presidency, Bukovsky said, Carter had a human-rights approach, which was helpful. But he quickly dropped it in favor of traditional aims, especially arms control. That was a pity, because arms control was a bugaboo, a fantasy, a figment of the Western imagination. Reagan? He was more realistic, Bukovsky told me in September. He had above all a sense of mission: a sense of his mission to finish off Communism. He probably didnt throw Communism on the ash heap of history, but he helped it get there. He speeded up the collapse of the Soviet Union. Here in Cambridge, he tells me, We called him Grandpa Grandpa Reagan. (When Bukovsky says we, he means Soviet dissidents in general.) He was a member of the family. He loved Russian political jokes. Whenever he saw one of us, he would immediately ask, Got any new jokes? Reagans favorite joke, says Bukovsky, was this one: A man stands in line for buying a car. He puts down the money for his new car. Hes told to come and pick it up on a particular date, ten years away. Morning or afternoon? he says. What difference does it make? says the person in charge. Well, Im expecting the plumber in the morning. Bukovsky has favorite jokes of his own. One of them goes like this: In the morning, Brezhnev goes out on his balcony and says, Good morning, sun! The sun says, Good morning, Comrade Brezhnev, General-Secretary of the Communist Party of the Glorious Soviet Union! After lunch, Brezhnev goes out on the balcony and says, Good afternoon, sun! The sun replies, Good afternoon, Comrade Brezhnev, General-Secretary of the Communist Party of the Great, Historic Soviet Union! Later, as the sun is setting, Brezhnev says, Good evening, sun! The sun says, F*** you, Leonid. Im in the West now. Says Bukovsky, Reagan was great. He was a man of intuition. I was a close friend of Margaret Thatcher, and she was very cerebral. She had no intuition. She said she could do business with Gorbachev and all that stuff, and I had to argue with her about it for several years. Reagan was the only Western politician who did not swallow Gorbachevs disinformation campaign. Ladies and gentlemen, I could go on and will. Ill see you tomorrow for Part II of this encounter with Vladimir Bukovsky. 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! NovaGold Resources Inc. (TSE:NG) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 11% in the last month. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last five years have been pleasing. It has returned a market beating 56% in that time. Check out our latest analysis for NovaGold Resources With zero revenue generated over twelve months, we don't think that NovaGold Resources has proved its business plan yet. So it seems that the investors focused more on what could be, than paying attention to the current revenues (or lack thereof). It seems likely some shareholders believe that NovaGold Resources will find or develop a valuable new mine before too long. As a general rule, if a company doesn't have much revenue, and it loses money, then it is a high risk investment. You should be aware that there is always a chance that this sort of company will need to issue more shares to raise money to continue pursuing its business plan. While some such companies go on to make revenue, profits, and generate value, others get hyped up by hopeful naifs before eventually going bankrupt. Some NovaGold Resources investors have already had a taste of the sweet taste stocks like this can leave in the mouth, as they gain popularity and attract speculative capital. NovaGold Resources has plenty of cash in the bank, with net cash sitting at US$62m, when it last reported (February 2019). This gives management the flexibility to drive business growth, without worrying too much about cash reserves. And with the share price up 9.3% per year, over 5 years, the market is focussed on that blue sky potential. The image below shows how NovaGold Resources's balance sheet has changed over time; if you want to see the precise values, simply click on the image. TSX:NG Historical Debt, May 13th 2019 In reality it's hard to have much certainty when valuing a business that has neither revenue or profit. However you can take a look at whether insiders have been buying up shares. It's usually a positive if they have, as it may indicate they see value in the stock. Luckily we are in a position to provide you with this free chart of insider buying (and selling). Story continues A Different Perspective Investors in NovaGold Resources had a tough year, with a total loss of 18%, against a market gain of about 2.2%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 9.3% per year over half a decade. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. Most investors take the time to check the data on insider transactions. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on CA 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. ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis on Monday said claims of price fixing against its Sandoz generics unit amid a U.S. probe of 20 drugmakers are without merit, with the Swiss company vowing to fight allegations in a lawsuit filed last week. "We believe that these claims are without merit and will vigorously contest them," Novartis said. "Sandoz takes its obligations under the antitrust laws seriously. We will continue to be committed to providing high-quality, affordable medicines to U.S. patients, and conducting business with customers and the government with integrity." The 500-page lawsuit, filed by U.S. states on Friday, contends drugmakers conspired to inflate drug prices, sometimes by more than 1,000% or more, as well as stifle competition. (Reporting by John Miller; Editing by Michael Shields) Eight years on from the tsunami and nuclear meltdown, much of Japans Fukushima province remains derelict and deserted. But are the radiation fears stopping people returning misplaced? - 2018 Simon Townsley Ltd There was a chilling silence in the town of Tomioka in the days after the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Shoes were left in porches, half-read newspapers lay abandoned next to cups of tea, long gone cold. As night closed in on the seaside town, lights glared out from a few bare windows, while news of the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant just six miles away drifted from a solitary radio. Nobody was home. Eight years on, little has changed. Before March 11, 2011 the day the tsunami engulfed the nuclear facility, forcing the evacuation of more than 150,000 residents across the region the town had a population of 15,960. Now, just a few hundred people have returned despite the lifting of the evacuation order in April 2017. During the day, some residents wander around Sakura Mall, a publicly-funded shopping centre opened in the hope of jump-starting a mass repatriation. But as night falls its almost like going back to 2011. Just a scattering of homes have lights on. Half-drunk cups of tea litter the tables. Officially 835 have returned, but many are plant and other clean-up workers who are renting out abandoned houses, says Takumi Takano, a local councillor who splits her time between Tomioka and temporary digs in Koriyama an hours drive away that she and her husband Kenichi have lived in since evacuating. The swimming pool ladders at Namie Elementary School are bent at a 45 degree angle from the force of the tsunami Credit: Simon Townsley Of the remaining locals most are either elderly, or only return during the day, she says. Most worryingly, just 14 are children. When night falls, they return to temporary homes elsewhere, she says. Its like a ghost town. A similar situation is found throughout the entire evacuated region, where only 12,859 of the 100,510 residents who were living in the zone before the disasters have returned, a Cabinet Office official says. Like Tomioka, many of them are clean-up workers, local residents say. The reasons are threefold, says Kenichi, a former worker at the devastated nuclear plant Story continues After almost eight years, residents, especially those with young families, have settled elsewhere, securing new jobs and starting new schools or moving out of Fukushima entirely, he says. Many are put off returning by the severe shortage of medical facilities in the region. Then theres the radioactivity, he says, as the couple sit outside their caravan, set up on the land of their recently demolished home, which backs on to a 130-square-mile difficult-to-return-zone that is still considered too highly contaminated to inhabit. Eight years on, radioactivity levels have fallen in the reopened parts of Tomioka, though remain 20 times higher than before the disaster. Its much higher over there, he says, pointing to the blockaded zone, where radiation levels exceed 3.8 microsieverts per hour the designated threshold for issuing evacuation orders. Tree stumps on land that has been decontaminated in Namie Town Credit: Simon Townsley That zone is a legacy of the nuclear disaster, when multiple reactor meltdowns and explosions, triggered by a magnitude nine earthquake and towering tsunami, spread radioactive materials for hundreds of miles around. Over the past two years the government has reopened two-thirds of the original evacuation zone a mountainous, mostly rural area 160 miles north of Tokyo thats about the size of Greater Manchester. And last month the workers have begun removing nuclear fuel from one of the reactors a job that is expected to take two years, although decommissioning the entire plant will take at least 40 years. Yet despite clean-up operations there to reduce radiation levels below the government-set target of 0.23 microsieverts (Sv) per hour, other legacies of the disaster the crumbling houses and shops, corroding vehicles and overgrown fields, not to mention 16.5 million containers of contaminated earth collected at some 140,000 sites around the region are impossible to avoid. The 0.23 Sv figure is significant in that it adds up to an annual dosage level of one millisievert (mSv) (calculated on the premise that a resident spends eight hours a day outdoors), stipulated by the International Atomic Energy Agency as being safe for members of the public. But while maintaining that level is complicated by recontamination from surrounding woodland, some experts argue the figure says little about the true dangers, or safety, of radiation exposure. That the Japanese government raised this to 20 mSv in the aftermath of the disasters adds weight to their argument. One of the many classrooms which lay undisturbed since the disaster Credit: Simon Townsley In fact, doses were reportedly nowhere near that for Fukushima residents, even in the months following the disaster, when many were below five millisieverts (mSv) a year. By comparison, according to Public Health England, the average annual exposure to naturally occurring radiation in the UK is about 2.7 mSv. Wade Allison, an Oxford University emeritus professor of physics and founder of a group disseminating what they say is accurate science-based information about radiation, argues the outcome of nuclear disasters such as Fukushima and even Chernobyl are proof that nuclear power is given a raw deal. Nuclear is not especially dangerous its not as dangerous as fire, Id suggest, said Prof Allison during a presentation in Tokyo in 2014. Indeed, reports of fatalities resulting from the Fukushima meltdowns vary, but overall their numbers appear to be low. One TEPCO official told The Telegraph only three onsite deaths among nuclear plant workers had been registered since March 2011, none of which resulted from radiation exposure, while other sources suggest the figure could amount to dozens. While Japans health ministry would not divulge any data on fatalities, to date only one death, that of a man in who worked at the Fukushima plant for more than 30 years, has been recognised by the government as being directly related to radiation exposure. Meanwhile, as of September last year, 17 cancers among plant workers had been confirmed. Cancers are among the long-term consequences of the disaster most widely debated, largely because of uncertain health effects of low-dose radiation exposure. An abandoned lunch box shop in Okuma, Fukushima Credit: Simon Townsley Others, such as Dr Jun Shigemura, a psychiatrist at Japans National Defence Medical University, believe dose levels to have been too low to cause the malignant disorders suffered by plant workers. After Chernobyl, people thought cancer and other malignant disorders would be the main long-term health issue and some children did develop thyroid cancers, but for other cancers there was no evidence of increase in the rates, said Dr Shigemura, who conducted a post-disaster study of Fukushima plant workers mental health. In fact, in the end the biggest issue was mental health problems (among) clean-up workers and mothers of young children. The Fukushima workers, too, are at very high risk of developing long-term mental health issues. Gerry Thomas, a cancer specialist in the department of molecular pathology, Imperial College, London says: What we need is more evidence-based, measured discussions about the real health effects of energy generation. Prof Thomas is equally skeptical of other reported health issues, among them the 202 confirmed and suspected thyroid cancers detected among 380,000 schoolchildren. She believes it unlikely these cancers were connected to radiation because the levels of exposure were too low and, unlike after Chernobyl in 1986, Japan managed to successfully prevent the spread of contaminated food. This [the cancer numbers] is not surprising, says Prof Thomas. But its not due to radiation, its due to finding incidences of thyroid cancer that are in the population anyway. Because of the screening they find them much earlier than they would normally. Noriko Tanaka has her thyroid checked by Misao Fujita Credit: Simon Townsley Many tumours found are too small and low risk to require the treatment they almost certainly will get, she adds. However, Misao Fujita, a doctor who performs thyroid scans at a clinic in Iwaki, about 30 miles south of the nuclear plant, says a connection between the cancers and radiation exposure cannot be ruled out and the screening effect is no reason to disregard the examinations. What we do know is that after Chernobyl, many children developed thyroid cancer, and if you take that into account and consider the high risk that Fukushima children were exposed to radiation then I think we should carry out such tests, Dr Fujita says, adding that thyroid cancer normally occurs in one in one million children. Noriko Tanaka, whose son is one of Dr Fujitas patients, says exams revealing cysts in her sons thyroid are a concern, not least because iodine-131 a substance that causes thyroid cancer was contained in the plume released by the Fukushima plant that landed on Iwaki after the disasters. At the time, she was pregnant with her son. I worry because nobody knows for sure what the future holds, she says. Such uncertainty about the future has been shown to be a major cause of psychological stress among Fukushima residents, especially the tens of thousands stuck in temporary housing. One 2018 study undertaken by researchers at Hirosaki University showed stress levels of evacuees increased with the length of time spent in interim accommodation while also indicating that evacuees in radiation disasters have different stressors from other natural disasters, which may accelerate mental and physical stress. A yacht lies in the backyard of an abandoned home inside the contamination zone Credit: Simon Townsley Profs Allison and Thomas believe it is for this reason that residents should have been allowed to return home within weeks of the disaster, but excessively strict regulations prevented this from happening. Those tough regulations are also found in the monitoring of Fukushima produce, and official tests at Fukushimas Revitalization Station in Koriyama have come up with surprising results. According to facility head Kenji Kusano, only six of the 13,765 items scanned in 2018 exceeded standard limits, which are tens and even hundreds of times stricter in Japan than the European Union. Last year Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori visited the UK to convince consumers Fukushimas produce is safe. In a show of solidarity, Boris Johnson, then Foreign Secretary, even drank a can of Fukushima peach juice. And yet, embargoes on Fukushima produce persist in dozens of countries, including South Korea and Hong Kong. And there is scepticism among many consumers in Japan itself. The issue of the one million tons of contaminated water being stored at the stricken nuclear plant is another worry for residents. After receiving assurances from Fukushima plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO ) that the water had been successfully treated and stripped of all but one radioactive material, tritium, the government announced in 2017 it would start releasing the water into the ocean, despite protests, especially from local fisheries. TEPCO released convoluted data to demonstrate the waters safety, but was forced to backtrack last September when further tests showed the sums didnt add up and 80 per cent of the water was in fact up to 20,000 times higher than the official safe threshold. Furthermore, it contained harmful radionuclides such as iodine, caesium and strontium. Kaori Suzuki, manager of NPO Tarachine, casts a bucket into the sea about a mile from Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant to collect samples for analysis Credit: Simon Townsley Moreover, while the initial suggestion was that tritium was relatively harmless some studies have shown it to be a cause of infant leukaemia, says Ayumi Iida of NPO Tarachine, which independently analyses seawater samples taken from the ocean near Fukushimas two nuclear plants. Tritiated water is easily absorbed and hazardous when inhaled or ingested via food or water, she says. Theres already data indicating infant leukaemia rates are higher near to nuclear plants, and tritium is known to cause DNA damage, so while there are claims that tritium is harmless, there are counterclaims it can adversely affect health, especially among young children. Some TEPCO advisors, such as Lake Barrett, who previously worked as a nuclear waste management specialist during the cleanup of the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear accident in the United States, have argued that discharging tritiated water is of small public health significance and the alternative of continuing to store the ever-increasing buildup of contaminated water onsite is potentially much more hazardous, especially considering Japans susceptibility to strong quakes and tsunami. Shaun Burnie, a nuclear expert with Greenpeace, disagrees, saying discharging the water into the ocean is the worst option available, and one whose main consideration is economic. The only viable option, and its not without risks, is the long-term storage of the water in robust steel tanks over at least the next century, and the parallel development of water processing technology, he says. The initial water discharge plan was touted by the Japanese governments Tritiated Water Task Force as the cheapest (between US$15 million to US$30 million) and quickest (between 52 and 88 months) of five water treatment scenarios, which also included underground burial and injecting the water into the geosphere, 2,500m underground. However, a number of proposals to strip tritium from the water were submitted to the same task force by nuclear companies, with estimated costs ranging from US$2 billion to $180 billion, depending on the technology used. All of those proposals were dismissed as being impracticable. The reality is there is no end to the water crisis at Fukushima, a crisis compounded by poor decision-making by both TEPCO and the government, says Mr Burnie. A spatula of substances taken from seawater near the Fukushima No. 2 Nuclear Power Plant is readied for analysis Credit: Simon Townsley Among more pressing issues, Mr Burnie says, is 400,000 cubic meters of sludge being stored within the Fukushima plant grounds that contains high concentrations of strontium known as a bone-seeker because, if introduced into the body, it can accumulate in the bones in the same way as calcium does. With the plant still generating waste, this sludge is expected to nearly double over the next 10 years, he adds. Strontium releases into the environment from the plant were relatively small following the 2011 disaster, but significantly greater 30 months later, when in 2013 a large strontium-laced plume contaminated land as far away as Minamisoma a city about 20 km from the plant, Mr Burnie says. Such an event could re-occur, he says. Is it a good idea to lift the evacuation orders? Absolutely not. The public are right to be concerned about the possibility of further offsite releases. They can also be forgiven for being sceptical over official reassurances that foodstuffs are safe, says Ms Iida of Tarachine, which also runs a produce-testing laboratory and has found plenty of items with levels of contamination exceeding the safe limits. Meanwhile tests on samples of soil which has no official safe threshold in Japan have also revealed high levels of radiation in the area, she adds. Namies Obori district, about six miles northwest of the nuclear plant and within the difficult-to-return-zone, is one place where soil radiation levels remain high. In woodland backing the pretty hamlet, which is famed for its pottery but has slowly surrendered to nature, the Telegraph recorded up to 127 Sv per hour over 350 times the IAEAs safe threshold. Ceramic artist Keiko Onoda holds up one of her husband Kanjiro's pottery works inside their atelier in Namie, The Onodas fled to Tokyo over radiation fears and have remained there since, occasionally returning to collect their belongings Credit: Simon Townsley Residents have contrasting views on the levels and the health implications. Keiko Onoda, a ceramics artist now living in Tokyo who had returned to Obori with her family to retrieve pieces of her husbands pottery from their crumbling atelier inside the zone, says she is heartbroken at not being able to return permanently. We were told to evacuate to avoid getting sick, and in so doing we became sick with worry, she says, tears running down her cheeks. One of my sons once visited Chernobyl and said one day we might face a similar situation. Just thinking about his words makes me well up. Her other son, who works at the stricken nuclear plant, says his parents are victims of the harmful rumours that are the biggest health fallout of the Fukushima disasters. They were so frightened (of radiation) that they evacuated to Tokyo, says Hiroyuki, who eschews mask and other protective clothing as he wonders through the workshop and quake-wrecked family home he grew up in. Radioactive materials did fall on this village, but they dont understand that you no longer need all that protective clothing... The fear is disproportionate to the actual risk. Prof Thomas says that such an irrational fear of radiation and the misleading claims regarding its impact on health are blinding society to the benefits of nuclear power, a much cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. Without scientific evidence to back up these claims, this can lead to unwise political decisions that have huge societal impact, she says Japans closure of all its 54 nuclear reactors and its increasing reliance on coal-powered plants after the disasters being a case in point. We have become focused on a single risk that is, in comparison with others, tiny and in doing this we have considerably increased other risks to society, she says. New York (AFP) - New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, seen as a potential Democratic presidential hopeful in 2020, on Monday organized a protest inside Trump Tower, charging that President Donald Trump's buildings are among the city's worst polluters. De Blasio led about 70 demonstrators chanting "our planet is not your profit," and charged that former developer Trump's buildings emitted as many greenhouse gases as 5,800 cars each year. Three weeks after the adopting a law that requires buildings of more than 2,300 m2 to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent by 2030, De Blasio looked to be positioning himself at the head of the fight against global warming. "Clearly, the Trump Organization is a little sensitive to the fact that we're calling them out for what they are doing to the climate and the way this building is a part of the problem. But we will not back down. We don't back down in New York City, do we?," De Blasio asked, stirring the crowd to reply "No." "My message to the president is simple - respect New Yorkers, pay attention to what your own home town is going through, fix your buildings, and while you are at it, fix your policies, rejoin the Paris Agreement, make the United States of America a leader on fighting global warming, not a follower," the mayor said. The demo location was beside the same golden escalators where Trump launched his campaign for president in June 2015. De Blasio said Trump Tower, where the president lived before moving to the White House, could be fined up to $500,000 a year if it does not respect the new law. Indeed, his eight New York skyscrapers could cost him up to $2.1 million in fines, the mayor said. At times it was difficult to hear the mayor: his protest was countered by a score of pro-Trump protesters who shouted "This is not my mayor!" and waved banners reading "Trump 2020" and "worst mayor ever" as they went up and down the escalators. De Blasio said he will announce this week whether he will take part in the Democratic Party's presidential primaries. He is not wildly popular in this tough home town; an April poll showed 76 percent of New Yorkers said they did not want him to run for president. WELLINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - An inquiry into Christchurch's mosques shooting massacre began hearing evidence on Monday, as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern prepared to co-host a meeting in France that seeks global support to tackle online violence. A lone gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15 while livestreaming the massacre on Facebook. It was New Zealand's worst peace time shooting. New Zealand's Royal Commission inquiry will look into the suspected gunman's activities, use of social media and international connections, as well as whether there was inappropriate priority settings in counter terrorism resources. "The Commissions findings will help to ensure such an attack never happens here again," Ardern said in a statement announcing a second commissioner to the inquiry. The Commission will report its findings to the government on December 10. Australian Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with multiple counts of murder for the mass shooting. Ardern is in Paris this week to co-chair a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday that seeks to have world leaders and chiefs of tech companies sign the "Christchurch Call," a pledge to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. In an opinion piece in The New York Times on Saturday, Ardern said the "Christchurch Call" will be a voluntary framework that commits signatories to put in place specific measures to prevent the uploading of terrorist content. "This is not about undermining or limiting freedom of speech. It is about these companies and how they operate," Ardern said her column. Representatives from Facebook, Google, Twitter and other tech companies are expected to be part of the meeting, although Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg will not be in attendance. Facebook said Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister of the U.K., and currently Facebook's Vice President for Global Affairs and Communications would attend the meeting. "These are complex issues and we are committed to working with world leaders, governments, industry and safety experts at this weeks meeting and beyond on a clear framework of rules to help keep people safe from harm," Klegg said in a statement emailed to Reuters. The meeting will be held alongside the Tech for Humanity meeting of G7 Digital Ministers, of which France is the chair, and Frances separate Tech for Good summit. (Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Michael Perry) On Monday, Omarosa Manigault Newman, an entrepreneur and former political aide to President Donald Trump, filed a motion to join collective legal action against the Trump campaign for allegedly violating the Equal Pay Act. Manigault Newman filed the motion in the U.S. District Court For The Middle District of Florida. Earlier this year, former Trump campaign staffer Alva Johnson filed a lawsuit against the president in federal court accusing him of sexual assault during his 2016 campaign. Johnson also said she and other women of color were paid less than white men with similar or less professional responsibilities on the campaign trail. The motion filed Monday requests conditional certification of collective action against Donald J. Trump For President, Inc. (DJTFP) for violating the Equal Pay Act. Johnson alleged in the suit that she and similarly situated women employees of the national campaign were paid less than their male counterparts for performing substantially similar work. The motion added that this pay disparity was the result of a common scheme carried out by DJTFPs male-dominated management and upheld via DJTFPs centralized decision-making and policies. Manigault Newman joined the collective action Monday, writing in a Declaration that she was paid less in her role as Director of African American Outreach by DJTFP, than men performing similar work. While I strongly suspected I was subjected to pay discrimination while with the Trump Campaign, I have since seen expert analysis confirming this to be true. The numbers dont lie, Manigault Newman said in a statement to Fortune. After nearly 20 years inside the beltway, working for two white houses and countless political campaigns, Ive never witnessed such egregious violations as I did during my time under the leadership of Donald Trump and Mike Pence, she said. An analysis of data from the Federal Election Commission by economist Phillip Johnson showed that from May to December 2016, women staffers of the Trump campaign were paid 18.2% less than men. The data shows, for example, that in May 2016 while women staffers were paid an average of $3,609, men were paid $4,624. Story continues This case is about two things: Donald Trumps predation, and his campaigns discrimination against women and people of color, said lead attorney Hassan Zavareei in a statement to Fortune. Our filing today advances our claim for sex discrimination by seeking collective action certification on behalf of female campaign staffers. Johnson was paid $3,000 per month between January and August 2016 and received a $1,000 bonus at the end of that month, according to the motion. She was then paid $4,000 per month from September 2016 until she left the campaign. According to the motion, Sidney Bowdidge, a former massage therapist who was part of the National Strike Team with Johnson, was paid $3,500 per month from March through August 2016 for his duties managing and recruiting campaign volunteers. From August until the end of the campaign, Bowdidge was paid $7,000 per month. If the motion is granted, the plaintiffs hope other women will join the lawsuit. It is time for all of us to blow the whistle on the wrongdoings of this Campaign, said Manigault Newman. Crowded into "ghettos" surrounded by armed checkpoints, Pakistan's Shiite Hazara minority say they are being slaughtered by sectarian militants in the southwestern city of Quetta, with authorities seemingly unable to halt the killings. For years, hundreds of thousands of the Shiite community's members have been hemmed into two separate enclaves cordoned off by numerous checkpoints and hundreds of armed guards designed to protect the minority from violent militants. "It's like a prison here," said Bostan Ali, a Hazara activist, about conditions inside the enclaves. "The Hazaras are experiencing mental torture," he added, complaining the community has been effectively "cut off from the rest of the city" and "confined" to such areas. The Shiite community's presence is particularly strong in Quetta -- the uneasy capital of impoverished Balochistan province where sectarian violence, suicide bombings, and banditry are common. Hazaras are technically free to roam around Quetta at their will, but few do, fearing attacks. To further protect the group, day traders and market vendors are also given armed escorts when they leave their neighbourhoods, while ongoing military operations are said to be targeting militants in the restive province. But even these measures have proven inept at stopping major attacks on Hazaras. Just last month a bombing at a vegetable market left 21 dead and 47 more wounded -- with the majority of the victims identified as Hazara. The incident is all the more disturbing considering the group was under the protection of Pakistani paramilitary forces, who failed to stop the suicide bomber from detonating in the crowd. The attack -- claimed by the Islamic State and its local anti-Shiite affiliate Lashkar-e-Jhangvi -- is just the latest in a long series of assaults targeting the group, including back-to-back bombings in early 2013 that killed nearly 200 of its members. Story continues The situation across the border in Afghanistan is equally if not more dangerous, with Hazara mosques, schools, and community events regularly attacked by insurgents. - 'Prison' - Pakistan has long been a cauldron of unrest and sectarian violence, with the officially Islamic Republic home to myriad sects of Islam and religious minorities that have been targeted by violent extremists for decades. The Hazara have proven to be particularly vulnerable with their distinct Central Asian features making the members of the community easy targets for Sunni militants who consider them heretics. At the entrance to Hazara town -- one of the two enclaves in Quetta -- a grim scene plays out every day as Hazara men squeeze into the backs of a long line of trucks headed in the city to buy food from the markets. Once there, they are flanked by soldiers as they buy supplies before heading back to their homes in a heavily armed convoy. Authorities insist the measures are a necessity. In the last five years, 500 Hazaras have been killed and another 627 wounded in Quetta alone, according to a Pakistani security source familiar with the situation who asked not to be named. "We know that we are passing through a killing field" explained Nauroz Ali, about life outside the enclaves. He added: "But we have to earn a living for our families." Criticised for their inability to stop the attacks, officials point to their own casualties in the fight against sectarian extremists as proof that they are trying their best. Over the past six years, in their efforts to protect them "more police officers have died than Hazaras" says local police officer Abdur Razzak Cheema, adding that many terrorists have been arrested and others eliminated due to their efforts. He explained: "New groups emerge. We're trying to track them down and eradicate the threat." - 'No escape' - There are also plans to begin installing surveillance cameras at markets to improve security but Hazara community leaders are sceptical of the plans saying the existing measures have failed to stem the bloodshed. "If three checkpoints in 3 km cannot keep (us) safe, can escorts, barriers and CCTV do any better?" wrote Muhammad Aman, a professor and activist, in a recent editorial in the Pakistani daily newspaper, Dawn. "It seems that the terrorists are winning this war... there is no escape," he added. Even the enclaves are not safe, as the bloody bombings in 2013 that struck inside the protected areas demonstrated. As a result between 75,000 and 100,000 Hazaras have fled violence elsewhere in the country or abroad in recent years, according to the Hazara Democratic Party, "We are hopeless," said Tahir Hazara, describing their neighbourhoods as nothing more than "ghettos". He asked: "From whom should we expect protection to save our lives?" Most crypto companies avoid comparisons to traditional banks. But Chad Cascarilla, CEO of the stablecoin issuer Paxos, welcomes the analogy. Its akin to a bank account, Cascarilla said, describing the new integration of Paxos wallets to the sister company itBit, a crypto exchange. It has the look and feel in part of a bank account, in part of a custody account. As part of this new user interface, Paxos accounts now allow users to instantly redeem PAX dollar-backed stablecoins, which were previously only redeemable a few hours a day. The Paxos team said so far this stablecoin has facilitated $19.5 billion worth of transactions. Binance, Bitfinex and Tether: Whats the Worst That Can Happen? Stepping back, in 2018 Paxos and Gemini both ran incentive programs for their rival stablecoins, PAX and GUSD. Despite discounts on their dollar-pegged tokens, both assets failed to claim much market share from the godfather stablecoin, the partially dollar-backed token called Tether, and its scandal-riddled sister exchange Bitfinex. Although so far Tethers reign appears impervious to setbacks and continues to trade at high volumes, Paxos is focusing on making it easier to redeem PAX. I would say that recently it hasnt been too bad to redeem, an OTC trader, who asked to remain anonymous in order to protect his relationship with Paxos, told CoinDesk. At the begining there was some pushback on it but its died down. Traders told CoinDesk in February 2019 that both Gemini and Paxos, to a lesser degree, were making it difficult to redeem their respective stablecoins for fiat. A Loan Shark Situation: MakerDAO Is Leaving Crypto Borrowers With Rising Bills Especially now with the automated feature, traders are able to redeem much faster and without the hindrance of internal politics. A second anonymous OTC trader said: I really appreciate that [PAX] is easily convertible to dollars. Perhaps there never was much competition between Tether more heavily regulated stablecoins. The second OTC trader said most Tether users arent looking for the architecture and the framework of a traditional bank like Paxos has. On the other hand, both institutional traders found Paxos level of security and compliance very appealing. Story continues Geminis platform was deemed equally reliable. (The exchange company declined to comment for this article.) Yet the first OTC trader said there is hardly any appetite in the market for either GUSD or the newest contender in the stablecoin wars, the ethereum-backed DAI token. GUSD is basically dead in the water, the trader said. DAI hasnt been doing well for a long time. You can see this in its liquidity, which is truly atrocious. DAI order books are really, shockingly thin. Speaking of the rare DAI traders, he added: Those are OGs who want to hold their DAI contracts and do it for political reasons. The dark horse in this stablecoin race has always been Coinbases dollar-backed token, USDC. The second OTC trader said over the past several weeks, since New York regulators clashed with Bitfinex over undisclosed documents related to Tether, there has been some modest increase in demand for both PAX and USDC. I think that the people that use Tether and that whole ecosystem have shown to be pretty resilient, he said. But there are people who use the other stablecoins on more regulated trading markets. Chad Cascarilla image via CoinDesk archives Related Stories WARSAW, Poland (AP) The Polish government canceled a visit by an Israeli delegation that had been planned for Monday, saying the Israeli government made last-minute changes that suggested it would focus on the issue of the restitution of former Jewish property. The delegation was to have been headed by Avi Cohen-Scali, director general of the Israeli Ministry for Social Equality, Poland's Foreign Ministry said as it announced the cancellation Sunday. It said without elaborating that "the Israeli side made last-minute changes in the composition of the delegation suggesting that the talks would primarily focus on the issues related to property restitution." The issue of former Jewish property in Poland is emerging as an emotional issue during campaigning before European elections this month and national elections in the fall. Poland was once home to 3.3 million Jews, but most were murdered by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. Their properties were often looted by Germans and later nationalized by the communist regime. The World Jewish Restitution Organization has been seeking compensation on behalf of families who lost property. On Saturday, thousands of nationalists marched in Warsaw to the U.S. Embassy to protest Washington's pressure on Poland to settle the outstanding matter of unpaid restitution. Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II, suffering extensive material losses, and those protesting argued that it isn't fair to ask Poland to compensate Jewish victims when the country has never received adequate compensation from Germany. But Gideon Taylor, head of the World Jewish Restitution Organization, told The Associated Press on Monday that there is a huge misconception about his organization's campaign and it is being manipulated for political reasons. "The reality is that Poland was a victim country. But what we are talking about here is not property that the Nazis confiscated. We are talking about confiscation after the war, after the Holocaust by the communist government," Taylor said. "We are not seeking what was taken by the Germans. We are seeking compensation for what was taken by Poland and I think this issue has been lost." Story continues Poland is the only European Union country that hasn't passed legislation regulating the compensation or restitution of property lost as a result of the war and communism. A string of Polish governments has said that it can't afford to do so. Poland's right-wing government had been vowing to made demands on Germany and saying that it wouldn't pay any compensation for Jewish claims. The nationalists who protested on Saturday said that Poland would be forced to give $300 billion to Jewish organizations. Taylor said that this number is based "on nothing." "Our priority is to deal with people who have individual claims," he said. "No one has any idea what the value of the properties is. What we want is a fair process that would address it. We are not looking for a sum of money." ___ Aron Heller in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Warsaw (AFP) - Poland on Monday said it had scrapped a visit by Israeli officials over their intention to raise the issue of the restitution of Jewish properties seized during the Holocaust, a matter Warsaw insists is closed. "Poland decided to cancel the visit of Israeli officials after the Israeli side made last-minute changes in the composition of the delegation suggesting that the talks would primarily focus on the issues related to property restitution," the foreign ministry said in a statement posted to its website. It said a delegation headed by Avi Cohen-Scali, the director general of the Israeli Ministry for Social Equality, had been due in Warsaw on May 13. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli foreign ministry had no immediate comment. Nor did the social equality ministry, which was to have sent a delegate due to its role in safeguarding benefits for senior citizens. Yair Lapid, co-leader of the main opposition Blue and White party, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Israel Katz should stop debating Holocaust issues with Poland. "The Polish government is again embarrassing Israel over the memory of the Holocaust," he Tweeted. "If Netanyahu and Katz do not halt this and stop negotiating on the subject the world will know that the memory of the Holocaust is not sacred to the government of Israel." "Those who are prepared to negotiate with the Poles on the very memory of the Holocaust should not be surprised that in the end it places them in a shameful position," Labour party MP Itzik Shmuli wrote on his Twitter account. Several thousand nationalists rallied in the Polish capital on Saturday against a US law on the restitution of Jewish properties seized during the Holocaust, an issue which has surfaced ahead of parliamentary elections later this year. The governing right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party as well as the centrist and liberal opposition have downplayed the law signed by US President Donald Trump in May 2018, insisting that it will have no impact on Poland. Story continues The US Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act -- known as the 447 law -- requires the State Department to report to Congress on the progress of countries including Poland on the restitution of Jewish assets seized during World War II and its aftermath. On Monday the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) said it was "disappointed in the tone and language in Poland regarding property restitution in recent weeks." "We hope for a renewed dialogue with Poland so that they can address this historical injustice," WJRO chair of operations Gideon Taylor added in a statement. Pre-war Poland was a Jewish heartland, with a centuries-old community numbering some 3.2 million, around 10 percent of the population. Anti-Semitic concerns regarding Poland have recently resurfaced. Last year, Warsaw passed a law that made it illegal to accuse the Polish nation or state of complicity in Nazi German war crimes. The move sparked an outcry from Israel, which saw it as an attempt to ban testimonials on Polish crimes against Jews. In response, Warsaw amended the law to remove the possibility of fines or a prison sentence. In February, Katz drew Poland's ire by saying "Poles suckle anti-Semitism with their mothers' milk". In April, the World Jewish Congress condemned a Polish town after reports that residents burnt an effigy "made to look like a stereotypical Jew" in a revival of an old Easter tradition. LUBLIN, Poland (Reuters) - A Polish artist has brought the horrors of the Holocaust to life in a graphic novel based on survivors' testimonies, published to mark the 75th anniversary of a museum on the site of the concentration camp where they were interned. "Chleb wolnosciowy", or "The bread of Freedom", combines the accounts of 11 prisoners at the Majdanek camp in eastern Poland, where 80,000 people, mainly Jews, are estimated to have died. In all, more than 3 million Polish Jews perished in the Holocaust. "I wanted it to tell real stories, just like ...how today we also often don't want to see things that concern us. Similarly in those days, the world didn't want to see what was happening in the camps," the book's creator Pawel Piechnik told Reuters. The phrase "Chleb wolnosciowy" was used by camp prisoners to refer to bread baked outside, evoking their yearning for home. "(The book) shows the bestial conditions in which the captives were held, but it also shows that even in the face of hunger, they were able to demonstrate empathy, cooperation (and) compassion," said Agnieszka Kowalczyk-Nowak, press officer of the State Museum at Majdanek. The museum was founded in November 1944, just months after the Nazis liquidated the camp, on the outskirts of Lublin, as Soviet forces neared. Fifteen placards with pages from the book have been erected in Lublin's city centre, and the graphic novel format caught the eye of young passers-by. "People need to be reached by means of images... Text might not be interesting to (the younger generation)," said 18-year-old high school graduate Paulina Szyszko. "...Maybe it has the potential to stay in their memory and reach them deeper in its own way." (Reporting by Robert Furmanczuk; writing by Alan Charlish; editing by John Stonestreet) WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared information on Iranian threats with NATO officials during a meeting in Brussels after canceling a stop in Moscow, a State Department official said on Monday. "Iran is an escalating threat and this seemed like a timely visit on his way to Sochi," said Brian Hook, the special representative for Iran. "The secretary wanted to share some detail behind what we have been saying publicly. We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats." (Reporting by Makini Brice and David Brunnstrom; Editing by David Alexander) Brussels (AFP) - Europe on Monday urged the US not to further escalate tensions over the Iran nuclear deal, with Britain issuing a stark warning of the risk of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a last-minute change of plan scrapping an expected Moscow trip to instead visit Brussels and meet his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany. The ministers, from the European signatories to the 2015 accord that curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief, all publicly criticised the hardline US approach. Iran last week announced it was suspending some of its commitments under the agreement, a year after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord and imposed swingeing sanctions on the Islamic republic -- putting the deal in peril. On Monday US President Donald Trump warned that Iran would "suffer greatly" were it to "do anything," after US intelligence suggested Tehran was planning to attack US interests in the region. Washington is sending an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Gulf, having already deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers. - 'Most unstable region' - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Berlin "still regards this nuclear agreement as the basis for Iran not having any nuclear weapons in the future and we regard this as existential for our security". Maas said he used his one-on-one meeting with Pompeo to stress that "we are concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation". British foreign minister Hunt called for "a period of calm" and bluntly warned of the danger of pushing Iran back towards developing nuclear weapons. "Most of all we must make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation, because if Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers," Hunt said. Story continues "This is already the most unstable region in the world and it would be a massive step in the wrong direction." The European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, who held her own meeting with Pompeo, stressed the need for dialogue as "the only and the best way to address differences and avoid escalation" in the region. "We continue to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran, its full implementation," Mogherini said. "It has been and continues to be for us a key element of the non-proliferation architecture both globally and in the region." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian joined the criticism saying Washington's move to step up sanctions against Iran "does not suit us". - 'Nuclear bomb' - Mogherini chaired a meeting of the so-called E3 -- Britain, France and Germany -- to discuss efforts to keep the deal going, including the special trade mechanism called INSTEX the trio set up to try to enable legitimate trade with Iran to continue without falling foul of US sanctions. INSTEX was launched in January but is still not operational and has been dismissed scornfully by the Iranian senior leadership. After talks with the E3, Mogherini said they aimed to get INSTEX up and running and have the first transactions "hopefully in the next few weeks". President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum to the Europeans last week threatening that Iran would go further if they fail to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. The European powers rejected that ultimatum. The US has continued to build pressure on Iran, with Pompeo accusing Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks and bolstering the military presence in the Gulf. Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, insisted the Islamic republic was itself an "escalating threat". Pompeo was to head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a State Department official said. Pompeo's trip has been seen as a precursor to a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Putin at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, next month. Trump said Monday that he expects to meet with the presidents of both Russia and China on the sidelines of the G20 meeting. However the Kremlin swiftly countered that no such meeting had been arranged. "There haven't been any requests. There are also no agreements so far," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency. burs-pdw/pvh/dcr Washington (AFP) - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to visit Brussels on Monday to discuss "pressing matters" including Iran, a State Department official said Sunday. As a result, the top US diplomat is scrapping a stop expected on Monday in Moscow. But he will still head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the official added just before Pompeo left Washington. An EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting is scheduled in Brussels on Monday, but the State Department did not offer specific details of Pompeo's revised agenda. It simply said talks would be held with officials from France, the UK and Germany -- the three European signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Iran announced on May 8, one year after the US withdrew from the deal, that it was suspending some of its commitments under the agreement. President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum to the Europeans, threatening that Iran would go further if they fail to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance US President Donald Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. The European powers rejected that ultimatum. The US has continued to build pressure on Iran, with Pompeo accusing Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks. The Pentagon announced Friday that it is deploying an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to bolster an aircraft carrier force sent to counter alleged threats from Iran. Pompeo has already canceled in recent days trips to Berlin and Greenland to focus on the Iran issue. In Moscow, Pompeo had been due to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier dedicated to Soviet troops killed in World War II -- an era when Moscow and Washington were allied. ROME (AP) Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has taken aim at a Vatican cardinal who climbed into a utility manhole to restore electricity to squatters in a state-owned building, pitting far-right Italian politics against Pope Francis' humanitarian agenda. Salvini was incensed by the take-charge action of Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who is the pope's official almsgiver. A rising force in Europe's far-right politics, Salvini is insisting that Krajewski pay 300,000 euros (about $340,000) in back electricity bills for the Rome palazzo, tweeting Monday that Italians who pay for their own power must be "fools." Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano rallied to the cardinal's side, equating what Krajewski's did on Saturday night for about 450 homeless people, among them nearly 100 children, to a "gesture of humanity." Krajewski, a Polish prelate who was elevated to cardinal's rank last year by Francis for championing the needs of society's poor, said he'd pay the bill that is being run up now that he has switched back on the building's electricity meter. "I'll even pay his utility bills," Krajewski told Corriere della Sera in an interview, referring to Salvini. But the cardinal, who goes around town in street clothes delivering hot food and sleeping bags to Rome's homeless and has in the past arranged for them to have private viewings of Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, prefers to move the matter to a higher plane. "One talks about money, but that's not the first problem. There are the children. So the first question to be posed is why are they there, for what reason?" In a text message to The Associated Press, the cardinal, declining an interview, said of his actions: "The gesture speaks for itself." Salvini had already railed against Francis for telling governments they mustn't close their borders to those in need like migrants. Eager to be Italy's next premier, he is working to unite far-right parties for the upcoming European Parliament elections, and in working the crowds at his rallies, he rails against what he mockingly calls Italy's do-gooders. Story continues Among his targets are charities operating rescue boats in the Mediterranean, saving thousands of migrants from foundering, unseaworthy human traffickers' vessels. Salvini's campaign cry, both now, and in the run-up to the 2018 Italian parliamentary election that brought Europe's first-all populist government to power, is "Italians first." But many of those who have been living in the building since October 2013, largely before the first waves of hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers rescued at sea were brought to Italy's shores, are Italians. The seven-story building, a short walk from St. John in Lateran Basilica, is property of a state-run pension agency. Among the homeless there is Andrea Alzetta. He called what Krajewski did "an act of courage." "Someone, in this case, the pope's almsgiver, has taken on the task of getting his hands dirty, standing up and connecting the electricity again," Alzetta said. Taped on the door of one of the families who live there is a photo of Francis. Krajewski says he'll pay any fine for putting his hands on the electricity meter. "What do you want? It was a particular, desperate situation," the cardinal said. On May 6, the utility company had cut off the power because of the unpaid bill. A nun who volunteers there had alerted the cardinal to the power cutoff. Lately, some of Italy's politics have turned ugly. Last week at the Vatican, the pope greeted a Roma family, with 12 children, who recently were given Rome public housing. Encouraged by small, pro-fascist party, CasaPound, angry local residents had taunted the family, with one protester shouting if they didn't leave, the mother would be raped. On Sunday, on a boulevard leading to St. Peter's Square, a handful of supporters of the extreme-right party Forza Nuova hoisted a banner denigrating the pope and demanding a stop to immigration. ___ Paolo Santalucia and Alessia Melchiorre contributed to this report. ___ Frances D'Emilio is on twitter at www.twitter.com/fdemilio WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Monday criticized Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., for comments she made about the Holocaust, calling them "horrible and highly insensitive." "She obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people," said Trump. Tlaib maintained that she has no such negative feelings and that her comments were being misconstrued by Trump and others as a means to attack her and other Democrats politically. Tlaib has also talked in the past of the need to address human rights concerns in Palestinian territory. "This behavior by a bankrupt Republican leadership is dangerous and only increases hateful rhetoric from those who want to cause harm to oppressed people," Tlaib said in a statement Sunday night. "The Republican Party has reached a new low." Democrat Rep. Tlaib is being slammed for her horrible and highly insensitive statement on the Holocaust. She obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. Can you imagine what would happen if I ever said what she said, and says? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2019 A Palestinian-American and one of the first Muslim women to serve in Congress, Tlaib has been under attack by Republican commentators because of remarks she made regarding the Holocaust on an episode of Yahoo News' "Skullduggery" podcast aired last week. While Tlaib was speaking of the need for a solution to human rights concerns among Palestinians living in Israeli territory, she mentioned that a recent Holocaust remembrance had a "kind of calming feeling" for her because of the role her ancestors played in providing a "safe haven" for Jews whether they did so willingly or not. "When I think of the Holocaust and the tragedy of the Holocaust and the fact that it was my ancestors, Palestinians, who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence, in many ways have been wiped out, all of it was just in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews post the Holocaust, post the tragedy and horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time," she said, according to a transcript provided by her office. "And I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right? ... But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away and it was forced on them." Story continues Tlaib went on to say that she is "coming from a place of love, for equality and justice" for all people and that she wants "a safe haven" for Jews. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., and Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., were among those criticizing Tlaib for the comments, with Cheney urging House Democratic leadership to punish her in some way. The flap over the comments comes after another Muslim member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was sharply criticized for remarks about people pushing for loyalty to Israel, which some felt were antisemitic. On Sunday, Tlaib tweeted, "Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win." Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win. Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 13, 2019 Tlaib and Trump have been fighting since she came into office in January. She introduced a resolution calling for an investigation into whether Trump should be impeached and invoked a curse word when speaking of him early this year. Contact Todd Spangler at tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: President Trump slams Rep. Rashida Tlaib for Holocaust comments Large parts of Indian-administered Kashmir erupted in protest on Monday over the rape of a three-year-old child, leaving at least a dozen people injured in clashes with government forces, police said. Last Wednesday, a car mechanic -- a neighbour of the victim's family -- allegedly lured the child into the toilet of a nearby school and sexually assaulted her. The accused, from the Sumbal area north of the main city of Srinagar and thought to be 20 years old, has already been arrested. On Monday, allegations emerged that the principal of another school issued a certificate for the accused that he was a minor, sparking anger and triggering protests across the Kashmir valley. At least a dozen people, including government forces personnel, were injured when tear gas and pellet shotguns were fired to quell the protests in many towns, top police officer Swayam Prakash Pani told AFP. "One of the injured protestors is critically wounded," Pani said. "We have registered a separate case against the school principal and detained him for questioning." Thousands also protested in Srinagar and clashed with government forces. Across the Kashmir Valley, thousands of security forces wearing riot gear were deployed to contain the spreading protests, officials said. A police statement later Monday said that protests had spread to northern Baramulla district where 47 security personnel and seven protestors were injured in the clashes. The security personnel used tear gas on the angry stone pelting protestors in the region. Schools across the valley shut spontaneously as did shops and businesses. Hundreds of students at three university campuses also protested, demanding capital punishment for the alleged perpetrator and action against the school principal. Lawyers abstained from work in the courts on Monday to express solidarity with the victim. Condemnations of the crime poured in from leaders from across the political spectrum appealing for calm, with a top separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq saying on Monday the incident was "a crime against humanity". Story continues Another separatist leader with a wide following in Kashmir, Syed Ali Geelani, said the alleged crime was "a black stain on the social fabric" of Kashmir. Baseer Ahmad Khan -- the region's top administrator -- also appealed for calm and said in a statement that the "enquiry of Sumbal incident is being conducted on a fast-track basis". In January 2018, an eight-year-old girl was abducted, starved for a week and murdered after she was raped by several people in the southern Kathua area of Jammu & Kashmir. That incident caused widespread outrage and protests in Kashmir and many Indian cities and towns. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Puerto Rico officials announced on Monday that they are investigating an alleged scheme in which elderly people are placed into certain care homes in exchange for money. At least one employee of the island's Department of Family has been suspended, the agency's secretary, Glorimar Andujar, said. She spoke during a legislative hearing and declined further comment, saying it would put the investigation at risk. It is unclear how many care homes or elderly people were allegedly involved. Andujar said that depending on what the investigation yields, her department could transfer the elderly people involved and terminate a care home's license. Puerto Rico Rep. Jacqueline Rodriguez, who oversees a legislative commission looking into the allegations, said it is important to protect the elderly people that might be involved. "This could affect the health, security and stability of these people and the services that they receive," she said. Andujar said that overall, her agency investigated 975 complaints tied to 719 establishments in fiscal year 2018. She said that so far this year, officials are investigating 423 complaints involving 259 places. Puerto Rico's Department of Justice confirmed it also is investigating the most recent allegations. TOKYO (AP) Nissan is seeing sales and profits tumble, as its once revered former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, awaits trial on charges of financial misconduct. Nissan Motor Co. says it is beefing up corporate governance and sticking with its alliance with French partner Renault SA and smaller Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. That's critical to getting sales back on track, analysts say. But the way forward is clouded by questions about setting strategy without a visionary Ghosn there to guide it. Some issues critical for Nissan's future: WHO'S IN CHARGE? Nissan veteran Hiroto Saikawa took over as CEO in 2017. But Ghosn remained chairman until he was dismissed after his Nov. 19 arrest. Saikawa has said an internal investigation found Ghosn amassed too much power and engaged in unprofessional and unethical dealings. Ghosn says several Japanese executives at Nissan plotted against him in what he calls "a conspiracy." Regardless of the blame game, the maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models got approval at a shareholders meeting in early April to appoint Renault's new chairman Jean-Dominique Senard as chairman to succeed Ghosn. It's unclear who is making calls on strategically vital decisions, such as where to make certain model vehicles. "Mr. Saikawa may have been overseeing the day-to-day operations, but all the big decision-making lay with Mr. Ghosn," said Koji Endo, auto analyst with SBI Securities Co. in Tokyo. The scandal remains a distraction and several Nissan executives, including Saikawa, have been called in for questioning by prosecutors. The CEO has dodged calls for his resignation, saying getting the automaker back on track is his priority. Ghosn's detractors say his main contribution to Nissan's revival was cutting jobs, which he did with zeal while restructuring the automaker early in his nearly 20-year tenure. But he also is credited with spearheading Nissan's move into electric vehicles with the Leaf, now the best-selling pure electric car, and pursuing growth in China, whose market is slowing but is still the world's biggest for vehicle sales. Story continues HOW ARE THINGS GOING? Nissan's vehicle sales in Japan tumbled 18% in March compared to a year earlier, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association. Nissan's overall sales fell 10% in the first quarter. In the U.S., Nissan's first quarter sales fell 12%, while Toyota's slipped 5% and Volkswagen's rose 2%. Endo said buyers in Japan and France are concerned about resale value, which tends to go down when automakers encounter scandals. Nissan has logged 9.2 billion yen ($83 million) in costs from alleged underreporting of Ghosn's compensation. It has downgraded its profit forecasts for the fiscal year through March twice and now projects a 319 billion yen ($2.9 billion) profit, down from its initial projection for a 500 billion yen ($4.5 billion) profit. Nissan shares, which have stagnated somewhat in recent years, have dropped about 10 percent since Ghosn's arrest. And the company recently has lost several other strong executives, including Jose Munoz, a Ghosn ally who had been Nissan's chief performance officer and has moved to Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. Nissan's Executive Vice President Daniele Schillaci, in charge of global marketing and zero-emission vehicles, left to become chief executive at Italian brake-maker Brembo. Still, the automaker remains strong: its Note compact, an electric car equipped with a small gas engine to charge its battery, was Japan's No. 1 selling car for the fiscal year through March. It was the first time in 50 years that a Nissan model won the honors, beating powerful local rivals Toyota and Honda Motor Co. WHAT ABOUT THE ALLIANCE? Renault owns 43% of Yokohama-based Nissan. Nissan owns 15% of Renault with no voting rights. Ghosn, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, was chairman of Renault, of Nissan and of their alliance in short, the cement holding it together. At a recent Nissan shareholders' meeting, where Ghosn was ousted from the board, a Japanese investor suggested waiting on approving Senard in Ghosn's place, arguing that while everyone knew Ghosn, no one knew Senard. When Renault sent in Ghosn, Nissan was on the brink of bankruptcy. These days, Nissan is Renault's cash cow. Ghosn's arrest brought to the surface disgruntlement in Japan over a perceived power imbalance. But analysts say the automakers need each other because of shared parts, engineering, markets and suppliers. WHERE IS GHOSN? Ghosn was released on bail late last month, three weeks after his re-arrest on fresh allegations. He was first detained for interrogation in November and released on bail for the first time in early March. He is in Tokyo awaiting trial, subject to restrictions on his movements and contacts. Ghosn says he is innocent of charges he under-reported his retirement compensation and that the transactions prosecutors say amount to breach of trust were legitimate business payments that caused no losses to Nissan. He has hired a strong legal team, vowing to clear his name. It will likely be months before his trial begins. GHOSN'S LEGACY: At one time, Ghosn's no-nonsense managerial style was revered as an antidote for this nation's traditionally insular and consensus-driven ways of doing business. His success in helping transform Nissan from near bankruptcy into a leading automaker was a textbook example for international collaboration. Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, said the ups and downs of the Ghosn affair aren't as critical as Nissan's need to focus on products, especially as competition intensifies over electric vehicles and autonomous driving. The focus, Brauer says, needs to be on enhancing efficiency and improving sales. Nissan has declined comment on Ghosn's criminal case. "The company's focus is on stabilizing operations and strengthening its management structure, while addressing the weaknesses in governance that enabled this misconduct," said company spokesman Nicholas Maxfield. WORD ON THE STREET: Nissan's dealers are hoping the whole drama will just blow over. Customers coming into showrooms do talk about Ghosn's case, said Akio Yoshida, a spokesman for Nissan dealerships in Tokyo. "The damage to our sales is not zero," he said of the Ghosn saga. "But now it's more a tabloid drama. And we are focused on selling good products." ___ Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yurikageyama/?hl=en "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. BEIRUT, May 13 (Reuters) - Rebels said they mounted a counterattack on Monday against government forces in northwestern Syria, ramping up battles in the country's last major insurgent stronghold. Britain, Germany and France called on Monday for an end to a renewed wave of violence in northwestern Syria which has killed more than 120 civilians. An offensive by the Syrian army and its allies, backed by Russia, has uprooted more than 150,000 people, the biggest escalation in the war between President Bashar al-Assad and his enemies since last summer. The fighting has also hit parts of a buffer zone agreed in September under a Russian-Turkish deal that spared the region and its 3 million residents from an assault. The Turkish military has established about a dozen military positions in the region under its agreements with Russia. An array of insurgents have a foothold in northwest Syria - Idlib province and a belt of territory around it. The most powerful is the jihadist Tahrir al-Sham, the latest incarnation of the former Nusra Front which was part of al Qaeda until 2016. Syrian state media said the army was thwarting attacks by militants in the Hama countryside near Idlib. "A military operation began targetting the northern Hama countryside today" said a statement from the media office of the Jaish al Izza rebels. It said other factions taking part were Tahrir al-Sham and the Turkey-backed National Liberation Front. (Reporting by Khalil Ashawi; Editing by Toby Chopra) BEIRUT (Reuters) - Retired soldiers in Lebanon, concerned about any pension or benefit cuts as the government debates a draft budget, started picketing the Central Bank building late on Sunday, saying they aimed to stop workers from entering on Monday morning. As about 100 protesters gathered outside the Central Bank, Lebanon's coalition government held its latest meeting to try to agree a budget that would reduce the fiscal deficit in the heavily indebted state. General Sami Ramah, a spokesman for the retired soldiers, said they would stay at the bank, stopping employees from entering, until their demand of no cuts to the military budget was met. Information Minister Jamal Jarrah said after the meeting that the level of public sector salaries in the draft budget was not discussed on Sunday, but that decisions were made on "significant cuts" in the budgets of government departments. The retired soldiers have blocked the Central Bank's three entrances, including the one for vehicles, said a Reuters video journalist at the site. There was no immediate comment from the bank, but Abbas Awada, the head of its workers' syndicate, told Reuters that Monday is supposed to be a normal work day for his members. "The soldiers are blocking the doors of the bank and this obstructs the arrival of employees, but God willing there will be another way for employees to get in," he said. Retired soldiers have been among the most vocal opponents of reported cuts in the draft budget, blocking roads with burning tyres to protest any cuts to their pensions and benefits. The government said on Friday it had agreed to tighten the allocation of financial incentives that are intended for soldiers on frontline duty but applied more widely in practice. Central Bank workers went on strike early last week over proposed cuts in the wage bill, causing the Beirut Stock Exchange to suspend trading for two days because the transaction clearance and settlement process could not be completed on time. Story continues Workers at other state institutions including the national power producer, telecom firm Ogero and the port of Beirut held strikes for several days last week. With Lebanon suffering from years of low economic growth, long-stalled reforms are seen as more pressing than ever. But the strikes and protests point to the political difficulties facing Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri's unity government as it seeks to craft a budget to narrow a gaping deficit. The public-sector wage bill is the government's biggest expense followed by debt servicing costs and the big subsidies paid annually to the state-owned power producer. Lebanon has public debt equivalent to 150% of gross domestic product (GDP). The draft budget aims to reduce the deficit to below 9% of GDP from 11.2% in 2018. Cabinet talks on the draft budget will continue on Monday, Jarrah said. (Reporting by Laila Bassam, Angus McDowall and Issam Abdallah; Editing by Will Dunham, Peter Cooney and Daniel Wallis) Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Exclusive: Philip Morris suspends social media campaign after Reuters exposes young 'influencers' Cigarette maker Philip Morris International Inc has suspended a global social media marketing campaign in response to Reuters inquiries into the companys use of young online personalities to sell its new "heated tobacco" device, including a 21-year-old woman in Russia. The company's internal "marketing standards" prohibit it from promoting tobacco products with youth-oriented celebrities or "models who are or appear to be under the age of 25." Teva Pharm CFO says company did not conspire to fix prices Teva Pharmaceutical Industries' chief financial officer on Sunday reiterated that the company has done nothing wrong in the wake of a price-fixing lawsuit filed by 44 U.S. states. Mike McClellan told a conference in Israel that the suit was an amended one and not new, while stressing it was civil and not criminal. Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Vietnam culls 1.2 million pigs as African swine fever spreads nationwide Vietnam has culled more than 1.2 million farmed pigs infected with African swine fever, the government said on Monday, as the virus continues to spread rapidly in the Southeast Asian country. Pork accounts for three-quarters of total meat consumption in Vietnam, a country of 95 million people where most of its 30 million farm-raised pigs are consumed domestically. African swine fever outbreak spreads to fourth province An outbreak of African swine fever, a severe hemorrhagic disease of pigs, has spread to a fourth province in South Africa, the agricultural ministry said on Monday, following a spate of outbreaks last month. The ministry said the latest outbreak of the disease was reported in the Heilbron area of the central Free State Province, after the disease was detected in the country's North West, Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces last month. Exclusive: Philip Morris suspends social media campaign after Reuters exposes young 'influencers' Cigarette maker Philip Morris International Inc has suspended a global social media marketing campaign in response to Reuters inquiries into the companys use of young online personalities to sell its new "heated tobacco" device, including a 21-year-old woman in Russia. The company's internal "marketing standards" prohibit it from promoting tobacco products with youth-oriented celebrities or "models who are or appear to be under the age of 25." Novartis vows to fight U.S. price-fixing claims against Sandoz unit Novartis on Monday said claims of price fixing against its Sandoz generics unit amid a U.S. probe of 20 drugmakers are without merit, with the Swiss company vowing to fight allegations in a lawsuit filed last week. "We believe that these claims are without merit and will vigorously contest them," Novartis said. "Sandoz takes its obligations under the antitrust laws seriously. We will continue to be committed to providing high-quality, affordable medicines to U.S. patients, and conducting business with customers and the government with integrity." Story continues Factbox: What you need to know about the U.S. measles outbreak The United States so far this year has recorded 764 cases of measles in 23 states, its largest outbreak since public health officials in 2000 declared the disease eradicated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC on Monday is due to release updated figures on the number of cases recorded so far this year. Israel's Zebra Medical gets FDA ok for AI chest X-ray product Israel's Zebra Medical Vision said on Monday it received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its artificial intelligence-based chest X-ray triage product. The FDA approval focuses on an alert for urgent findings of pneumothorax, which the company said has demonstrated potential to reduce turnaround time and increase the radiologists confidence in making this diagnosis.Pneumothorax is an accumulation of gas within the space between the lung and the chest wall that can lead to total lung collapse. It is usually diagnosed by chest X-ray scan but is difficult to interpret. Teva Pharm CFO says company did not conspire to fix prices Teva Pharmaceutical Industries' chief financial officer on Sunday reiterated that the company has done nothing wrong in the wake of a price-fixing lawsuit filed by 44 U.S. states. Mike McClellan told a conference in Israel that the suit was an amended one and not new, while stressing it was civil and not criminal. Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Houston Ship Channel reopens to vessel traffic following tanker collision The Houston Ship Channel was reopened with restrictions to shipping on Sunday as emergency officials worked to clear the channel following a collision between a tanker and two barges containing gasoline. About 9,000 gallons of gasoline spilled into the Houston Ship Channel near Bayport, Texas, following a collision on Friday between Genesis River, a 755-foot (230-m) tanker, and a Kirby Inland Marine tug boat towing two barges, each containing about 25,000 gallons of gasoline. Actress Felicity Huffman to plead guilty to U.S. college cheating scam Actress Felicity Huffman is due to plead guilty on Monday to paying to have someone cheat on her daughter's behalf on a college entrance exam, part of a wide-ranging scandal in which wealthy parents used bribery and fraud to secure their children spots at prominent U.S. universities. The onetime star of the television series "Desperate Housewives" is set to plead guilty in Boston federal court to a conspiracy charge for paying $15,000 to have someone secretly correct her daughter's SAT college entrance exam answers. Man arrested in deadly attacks on Appalachian trail hikers in Virginia A man accused of attacking hikers with a machete on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, killing one person and severely injuring another, has been arrested on murder and assault charges, federal and state authorities said on Sunday. The suspect, James Jordan, 30, from the Cape Cod town of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, was taken into custody early on Saturday on a portion of the trail that runs through Wythe County, Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, officials said. Pentagon eyes longer-term support on U.S.-Mexico border Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan made his second trip to the U.S.-Mexico border on Saturday as the Pentagon looks to develop a longer-term plan to support President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Shanahan traveled to McAllen, Texas, to meet with officials and visit a migrant processing facility and Border Patrol station, two days after the White House announced Trump's intention to nominate the former Boeing Co executive as defense secretary. Story continues Defective fuel tube caused September F-35 crash in South Carolina: report A failed fuel tube caused the first crash of an F-35 jet in September of last year, U.S. government investigators said in a report issued this week. "An investigation determined a manufacturing defect caused an engine fuel tube to rupture during flight, resulting in a loss of power to the engine," the Government Accountability Office said in a report issued this week. Exclusive: Philip Morris suspends social media campaign after Reuters exposes young 'influencers' Cigarette maker Philip Morris International Inc has suspended a global social media marketing campaign in response to Reuters inquiries into the companys use of young online personalities to sell its new "heated tobacco" device, including a 21-year-old woman in Russia. The company's internal "marketing standards" prohibit it from promoting tobacco products with youth-oriented celebrities or "models who are or appear to be under the age of 25." Connecticut man faces up to 140 years in prison for threatening to kill Trump, others A Connecticut man has been indicted after prosecutors say he threatened to kill U.S. President Donald Trump and sent others bomb threats and mail containing suspicious white powder, according to court documents. Gary Gravelle, 51, was indicted on 16 counts, including that he threatened the president in September 2018 by sending an envelope containing white powder and the handwritten message "You Die." Alleged New York sex cult portrayed leader as 'some kind of god' -witness An alleged New York sex cult shielded its founder from new recruits, building the man up as a genius of unparalleled insight whose followers came to view him as "some kind of god," according to a 12-year veteran of the group. The longtime member, filmmaker Mark Vicente, is due to resume testifying on Monday at the criminal trial of Keith Raniere, whom federal prosecutors have accused of using his organization Nxivm to facilitate sex trafficking and child pornography. U.S. states accuse Teva, other drugmakers, of price-fixing: lawsuit U.S. states filed a lawsuit accusing Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc of orchestrating a sweeping scheme with 19 other drug companies to inflate drug prices - sometimes by more than 1,000% - and stifle competition for generic drugs, state prosecutors said on Saturday. Soaring drug prices from both branded and generic manufacturers have sparked outrage and investigations in the United States. The criticism has come from across the political spectrum, from President Donald Trump, a Republican, to progressive Democrats including U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is running for president. Years after chokehold death, New York police officer's disciplinary trial to begin The disciplinary trial of the New York City police officer who put Eric Garner, an unarmed black man, in a fatal chokehold will begin on Monday, nearly five years after widely seen video of the death sparked a national outcry about policing tactics. Daniel Pantaleo, who is white, could be fired after the conclusion of what is expected to be a 10-day trial at the New York Police Department's headquarters in Manhattan. The ultimate decision will rest with New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill. Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Houston Ship Channel reopens to vessel traffic following tanker collision The Houston Ship Channel was reopened with restrictions to shipping on Sunday as emergency officials worked to clear the channel following a collision between a tanker and two barges containing gasoline. About 9,000 gallons of gasoline spilled into the Houston Ship Channel near Bayport, Texas, following a collision on Friday between Genesis River, a 755-foot (230-m) tanker, and a Kirby Inland Marine tug boat towing two barges, each containing about 25,000 gallons of gasoline. Pentagon eyes longer-term support on U.S.-Mexico border Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan made his second trip to the U.S.-Mexico border on Saturday as the Pentagon looks to develop a longer-term plan to support President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Shanahan traveled to McAllen, Texas, to meet with officials and visit a migrant processing facility and Border Patrol station, two days after the White House announced Trump's intention to nominate the former Boeing Co executive as defense secretary. Defective fuel tube caused September F-35 crash in South Carolina: report A failed fuel tube caused the first crash of an F-35 jet in September of last year, U.S. government investigators said in a report issued this week. "An investigation determined a manufacturing defect caused an engine fuel tube to rupture during flight, resulting in a loss of power to the engine," the Government Accountability Office said in a report issued this week. Exclusive: Philip Morris suspends social media campaign after Reuters exposes young 'influencers' Cigarette maker Philip Morris International Inc has suspended a global social media marketing campaign in response to Reuters inquiries into the companys use of young online personalities to sell its new "heated tobacco" device, including a 21-year-old woman in Russia. The company's internal "marketing standards" prohibit it from promoting tobacco products with youth-oriented celebrities or "models who are or appear to be under the age of 25." Story continues Connecticut man faces up to 140 years in prison for threatening to kill Trump, others A Connecticut man has been indicted after prosecutors say he threatened to kill U.S. President Donald Trump and sent others bomb threats and mail containing suspicious white powder, according to court documents. Gary Gravelle, 51, was indicted on 16 counts, including that he threatened the president in September 2018 by sending an envelope containing white powder and the handwritten message "You Die." U.S. states accuse Teva, other drugmakers, of price-fixing: lawsuit U.S. states filed a lawsuit accusing Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc of orchestrating a sweeping scheme with 19 other drug companies to inflate drug prices - sometimes by more than 1,000% - and stifle competition for generic drugs, state prosecutors said on Saturday. Soaring drug prices from both branded and generic manufacturers have sparked outrage and investigations in the United States. The criticism has come from across the political spectrum, from President Donald Trump, a Republican, to progressive Democrats including U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is running for president. Harvard professor loses house dean role after joining Weinstein defense A Harvard law professor who joined the legal team defending Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein against sexual assault charges will not be allowed to continue as dean of a residential house on campus, a university official said on Saturday. The Ivy League university's move to end the role of law professor Ronald Sullivan Jr and law school lecturer Stephanie Robinson, Sullivan's wife, at Winthrop House follows protests over his representation of Weinstein. King Mohammed VI inaugurated Saturday in the Youssoufia neighborhood in Rabat a medical center, built by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity for a global investment of 63 million dirhams. The hospital, which required a 63 million dirhams investment, translates the Kings resolve to reinforce the health offer via community-based and quality medical services that meet the needs of citizens, mainly the underprivileged, knowing that geographical proximity is a strong catalyst for health care seeking. The facility includes an emergency room, a ward for specialized consultations (general medicine, endocrinology, nephrology, cardiology, ophthalmology, pediatrics, and gynecology), an orthopedic rehabilitation unit, a mother-child health center, a medical imaging unit, a medical analysis laboratory, a sterilization unit, and a medical laboratory, in addition to a pharmacy and a morgue. The new health facility, which will be open around the clock, will ease the pressure on the emergency units of the other hospitals of the capital and will provide periodic consultations to patients requiring regular medical follow-up. The new center to serve over 160,000 inhabitants brings together 24 general practitioners, emergency physicians, specialists, 27 nurses, and paramedical staff, in addition to managerial staff. The Mohammed VI Foundation for Solidarity has plans to establish similar medical centers in Temara, Casablanca, and Tangier to improve the populations access to medicare. Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Brexit talks between UK government and Labour to resume on Monday Talks between the British government and the opposition Labour Party to try to find a Brexit consensus will resume on Monday, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said. The discussions, which the spokesman said were serious and had covered many issues, were due to start at 1600 GMT. Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition Sweden reopened an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday and will seek his extradition from Britain, potentially delaying efforts by the United States to bring him to its courts to face trial over a huge release of secret documents. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought because Assange had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Britain warns of Iran-U.S. conflict, EU to meet Pompeo Iran and the United States could trigger a conflict by accident in an already unstable Gulf region, Britain's foreign minister said on Monday, urging a period of calm ahead of talks between the European Union and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. President Donald Trump is seeking to isolate Tehran by cutting off its oil exports after pulling out of a 2015 deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program. Trump has also sent U.S. warplanes and an aircraft carrier to the Gulf. Iran says it has sentenced Iranian woman to 10 years for spying for UK Iran said on Monday it had sentenced an Iranian woman to 10 years prison for spying for Britain, as tension rises between Tehran and some Western countries over its nuclear and missile programs. "An Iranian who was in charge of Iran desk in the British Council and was cooperating with Britain's intelligence agency... was sentenced to 10 years in prison after clear confessions," Gholamhossein Esmaili, a judiciary spokesman, said on the state television. Story continues Two years into presidency, Macron refocusing economic reform drive When Emmanuel Macron became French president two years ago he promised a clean break with the past. Within months of taking office he had cut tax on companies and investors and made hiring and firing easier via changes to labor laws. Two years on, and after six months of 'yellow vest' street protests against his pro-business reform drive, the 41-year-old former investment banker is steering the economy with a new focus on households and boosting their incomes. India's Congress party vows to "clean up" economic data gathering if wins election India's main opposition Congress party will review how economic data is collected and interpreted if it wins a general election this month, a senior party official said, amid doubts over the reliability of official data. Economists and investors are increasingly showing that they have little or no confidence in India's official economic data presenting whoever is elected as the next prime minister with an immediate problem. And then there was light: Cardinal breaks law to restore power for homeless A close aide to Pope Francis has drawn the ire of Italy's anti-immigrant Interior Minister Matteo Salvini by climbing down a manhole to restore electricity to hundreds of homeless people living in an occupied building. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, 55, whose job is to distribute the pope's charity funds, went to the disused state-owned building near a Rome cathedral on Saturday night and broke a police seal to re-connect electrical circuit breakers. UK PM May's party slumps to fifth place as pressure mounts for her to go British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives have fallen to fifth place in an opinion poll ahead of the May 23 European parliamentary election as pressure grows for her to set a date for her own departure. Nigel Farage's Brexit Party was in the lead, up four percentage points, on 34% while May's Conservative Party had just 10%, the YouGov poll for the Times newspaper showed. The opposition Labour Party was down five points on 16%. Duterte expected to strengthen clout after Philippine mid-term 'referendum' Voting was underway in the Philippines on Monday in mid-term elections seen as a referendum on the rule of maverick President Rodrigo Duterte, who looks set to strengthen his grip on power and further marginalize a dwindling opposition. Nearly 62 million of the country's 107 million population are registered to vote in a massive nationwide ballot for 18,000 posts, among them more than 200 mayors and governors and 245 seats in a lower house in which Duterte is all but certain to retain his huge majority. Pompeo to hold talks on Iran in Brussels en route to Russia U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will cancel the Moscow leg of his Russia trip, but will meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi as planned on Tuesday, a State Department official said. Pompeo, who departed from Joint Base Andrews near Washington en route for Brussels, will hold talks with European officials on Iran and other issues on Monday before heading to Russia, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity. Following is a summary of current world news briefs. UAE says four vessels subjected to 'sabotage' near Fujairah port Four commercial vessels were targeted by "sabotage operations" near the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates without causing casualties, the foreign ministry said on Sunday, without giving details of the nature of the sabotage. The incident occurred near the UAE emirate of Fujairah, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs which lies just outside the Strait of Hormuz, the ministry said in a statement. Argentine lawmaker Olivares dies from injuries after 'mafia-style' shooting Argentine lawmaker Hector Olivares died on Sunday after he was shot in what authorities called a "mafia-style" attack outside Congress in downtown Buenos Aires on Thursday, according to state-run news agency Telam. Olivares underwent surgery after being shot and had been listed in "serious condition," officials said. But he died at Ramos Mejia hospital in Buenos Aires, Telam reported, citing police and judicial sources. Retired Lebanese soldiers picket central bank over cuts Retired soldiers in Lebanon, concerned about any pension or benefit cuts as the government debates a draft budget, started picketing the Central Bank building late on Sunday, saying they aimed to stop workers from entering on Monday morning. As about 100 protesters gathered outside the Central Bank, Lebanon's coalition government held its latest meeting to try to agree a budget that would reduce the fiscal deficit in the heavily indebted state. Iran commander calls U.S. military in Gulf a target not a threat: ISNA A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said on Sunday the U.S. military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now represents a target, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported. The U.S. military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East in a move that U.S. officials said was made to counter "clear indications" of threats from Iran to American forces in the region. Story continues Quake of 6.1 magnitude in Panama injures one, no initial reports of deaths A 6.1 magnitude earthquake rattled homes in southwest Panama on Sunday near the border with Costa Rica, damaging buildings and injuring at least one person, but there were no immediate reports of fatalities, authorities said. The quake struck some 4 miles (7 km) southeast of Plaza de Caisan, Panama, at a depth of 23 miles (37 km), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported. Panamanian authorities said there was no tsunami alert from the quake. China defiant toward U.S. on trade, Kudlow urges strong enforcement steps The United States and China appeared at a deadlock over trade negotiations on Sunday as Washington demanded promises of concrete changes to Chinese law and Beijing said it would not swallow any "bitter fruit" that harmed its interests. The trade war between the world's top two economies escalated on Friday, with the United States hiking tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods after President Donald Trump said Beijing "broke the deal" by reneging on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations. Brexit anger makes European vote 'difficult' for Conservatives: UK minister European elections will be difficult for Britain's governing Conservatives, their education minister said on Sunday, after the party slumped into fourth place in an opinion poll and a new Brexit Party took top spot. Almost three years since Britain voted to leave the European Union, the country's Brexit process has become mired in chaos with Prime Minister Theresa May's inability so far to get a deal through parliament fueling anger among voters. Simonyte, Nauseda reach second round of Lithuanian presidential election Ingrida Simonyte and Gitanas Nauseda will face off in the second round in Lithuania's presidential election after Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis conceded defeat in Sunday's vote and said he would resign his post in July. Simonyte, 44, a former finance minister in a center-right government, and Nauseda, 54, a former senior economist at a top bank, were favorites ahead of the election. Skvernelis says he is unlikely to reach second round of Lithuanian presidential election Ingrida Simonyte and Gitanas Nauseda both told Reuters on Sunday they expected to go through to the second round of Lithuania's presidential election, while Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said it was unlikely he would clinch one of the two top places. Simonyte, 44, a former finance minister in a center-right government, and Nauseda, 54, a former senior economist at a top bank, were favorites ahead of the election. Facebook takes down fake Italian accounts ahead of EU election Facebook said on Sunday it had taken down numerous Italian accounts on its platform that were false or were spreading fake news ahead of a European parliamentary election later this month. The European Union has warned of foreign interference in campaigning for the vote of May 23-26, and in April the European Commission urged Google, Facebook and Twitter to do more to tackle fake news before the poll. Former U.S. Congressman and Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul joined Consensus 2019 in New York City today, where the libertarian discussed his belief that the federal government should keep its hands off cryptocurrency. He dismissed a move by U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) to ban crypto purchases, calling the congressman, just another thug in Washington," adding "people like him are driven by power." Shermans call for the ban came during a May 9 House Financial Services Committee meeting. At Consensus, Paul said crypto is challenging the United States traditional monetary system, which contributes to the increased attention from regulators and lawmakers. He called the current monetary system "out of control," and pointed to crypto as a possible prevention method since, for him, it is important that people can develop and utilize alternatives. If he were running for president, Paul said his crypto-policy would have little government interference. He said he would decentralize regulation, limiting agency control over U.S. startups. MOSCOW, May 13 (Reuters) - The impact on Rosneft of oil contamination in the Druzhba pipeline will become clearer in the coming weeks as the company evaluates its consequences, its first vice-president Pavel Fedorov told a conference call on Monday. He said it was too early to make any comments on the tainted oil. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Olesya Astakhova; Editing by Jan Harvey) (Adds woman's name, Foreign Office, British Council comment) LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday it had sentenced an Iranian woman to 10 years prison for spying for Britain, amid rising tension between the Islamic Republic and some Western countries over its nuclear and missile programs. Gholamhossein Esmaili, a judiciary spokesman, said on state television that the woman worked for the British Council cultural agency and was cooperating with Britain's foreign intelligence service, but did not identify her. A friend of the sentenced woman named her as Aras Amiri and said was arrested while on a visit to Tehran in March 2018. The friend told Reuters that Amiri, 33, was resident in Britain but did not have British nationality. She had gone on trial recently and was waiting a verdict, according to the friend. The British Foreign Office said it was "very concerned" at the reports. "We have not been able to confirm any further details at this stage and are urgently seeking further information," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said. Esmaili said the sentenced woman was a student in Britain before being recruited by the British Council to run its Iran desk, and was in charge of projects for "cultural infiltration" in Iran. He said the woman had been in custody for almost a year. The British Council is the UKs international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities, working in arts and culture, the English language, education and civil society. The Council told Reuters it did not have offices or representatives in Iran, and did no work in the country. It also said "our colleague who was detained last year is not head of 'the Iran desk', (but rather) worked in Britain in a junior role to support and showcase the Iranian contemporary art scene to UK audiences." The arrest of Iranians accused of espionage has increased since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last year there had been infiltration of Western agents in the country. Story continues Iran has been increasingly at odds with Western countries since the United States withdrew a year ago from a deal Tehran signed with global powers in 2015 to curb its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions. Britain is a signatory to the nuclear deal. Like other European signatories, it supports maintaining the deal. The United States has ratcheted up sanctions against Iran this month, revoking waivers that had permitted some countries to continue buying Iranian oil. Tehran has responded by scaling back some curbs on its nuclear program, although the steps it has taken so far stop short of violating the agreement. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Guy Faulconbridge in London Editing by Mark Heinrich) Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! In 2014 Lance H. Batchelor was appointed CEO of Saga plc (LON:SAGA). This report will, first, examine the CEO compensation levels in comparison to CEO compensation at companies of similar size. Next, we'll consider growth that the business demonstrates. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO. View our latest analysis for Saga How Does Lance H. Batchelor's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? At the time of writing our data says that Saga plc has a market cap of UK603m, and is paying total annual CEO compensation of UK1.1m. (This is based on the year to January 2018). We think total compensation is more important but we note that the CEO salary is lower, at UK690k. As part of our analysis we looked at companies in the same jurisdiction, with market capitalizations of UK307m to UK1.2b. The median total CEO compensation was UK848k. So Lance H. Batchelor receives a similar amount to the median CEO pay, amongst the companies we looked at. While this data point isn't particularly informative alone, it gains more meaning when considered with business performance. You can see, below, how CEO compensation at Saga has changed over time. LSE:SAGA CEO Compensation, May 13th 2019 Is Saga plc Growing? On average over the last three years, Saga plc has shrunk earnings per share by 36% each year (measured with a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is down -3.0%. Few shareholders would be pleased to read that earnings per share are lower over three years. This is compounded by the fact revenue is actually down on last year. It's hard to argue the company is firing on all cylinders, so shareholders might be averse to high CEO remuneration. Shareholders might be interested in this free visualization of analyst forecasts. Story continues Has Saga plc Been A Good Investment? Since shareholders would have lost about 71% over three years, some Saga plc shareholders would surely be feeling negative emotions. So shareholders would probably think the company shouldn't be too generous with CEO compensation. In Summary... Lance H. Batchelor is paid around the same as most CEOs of similar size companies. Returns have been disappointing and the company is not growing its earnings per share. Suffice it to say, we don't think the CEO is underpaid! CEO compensation is one thing, but it is also interesting to check if the CEO is buying or selling Saga (free visualization of insider trades). Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out 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. DUBAI, May 13 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia expressed support on Monday for the United Arab Emirates, following attacks targeting two Saudi tankers and two other vessels off the UAE coast, its state news agency SPA said, citing a foreign ministry statement. The attacks constitute a "dangerous threat to the safety of navigation and affects negatively regional and international security," the ministry added. On Monday, Saudi Arabia said two of its oil tankers were among vessels targeted by a "sabotage attack" off the UAE coast, condemning the episode as a bid to undermine security of global crude supplies. The UAE said four commercial vessels were hit on Sunday by sabotage near the emirate of Fujairah, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for the global oil market. (Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) By Rania El Gamal and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two of its oil tankers were among those attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not describe the nature of the attack or say who was behind it. The UAE on Monday identified the vessels as two crude oil tankers owned by Saudi shipping firm Bahri, a UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge and a Norwegian-registered oil products tanker. The owner of the Norwegian vessel, Thome Ship Management, said the vessel was "struck by an unknown object". Footage seen by Reuters showed a hole in the hull at the waterline with the metal torn open inwards. A Reuters witness said divers were inspecting the ships. The UAE's state news agency said Fujairah port was operating normally. Iran, embroiled in an escalating war of words with the United States over sanctions and the U.S. military presence in the region, moved to distance itself on Monday. Iran's Foreign Ministry called the incidents "worrisome and dreadful" and called for an investigation. A senior Iranian lawmaker said "saboteurs from a third country" could be behind it, after saying on Sunday the incident showed the security of Gulf states was fragile. A U.S. official familiar with American intelligence said Iran was a leading candidate for having carried out the attacks but the United States does not have conclusive proof. "It fits their M.O. (modus operandi)," said the official on condition of anonymity, suggesting Iran's statements distancing itself from the incident were an attempt "to muddy the waters." POMPEO WARNS OF ESCALATING THREATS Story continues U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared information on "escalating" threats from Iran during meetings with EU counterparts and the head of NATO in Brussels, the U.S. special representative for Iran Brian Hook told reporters. Hook declined to say whether he believed Iran played a role or if Pompeo blamed Iran. He said the UAE had sought U.S. help in the investigation and Washington was glad to provide this. The U.S. Maritime Administration said in an advisory on Sunday that incidents off Fujairah, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, had not been confirmed and urged caution. Last week the Maritime Administration said Iran could target U.S. commercial ships including oil tankers sailing through Middle East waterways. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said the UAE incident "has a negative impact on maritime transportation security" and asked regional countries to be "vigilant against destabilising plots of foreign agents", the semi-official ISNA news agency reported. Before talks with Pompeo in Brussels, Britain's Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt warned of the risks of "a conflict happening by accident" with an unintended escalation between Washington and Tehran over an unravelling nuclear deal. CHOKEPOINT Washington withdrew last year from a 2015 pact between Iran and global powers aimed at reining in Tehran's nuclear plans. Since then, Washington has ratcheted up sanctions on Tehran, saying it wanted to reduce Iranian oil exports to zero. U.S. President Donald Trump wants to force Tehran to agree a broader arms control accord and has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Gulf in a show of force against what U.S. officials have said are threats to U.S. troops in the region. Trump on Monday said Iran would "suffer greatly" if it targeted U.S. interests. Tehran has called the U.S. military presence "a target" rather than a threat and has said it will not allow its oil exports to be halted. A fifth of global oil consumption passes through the Strait of Hormuz from Middle East crude producers to major markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond. The narrow waterway separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula. Iran's Revolutionary Guards, designated a terrorist organisation by Washington, threatened last month to close the chokepoint if Tehran was barred from using it. Oil prices rose more than $1 a barrel on Monday but then fell with Wall Street as the negative turn in U.S.-Chinese trade talks spooked investors. Brent futures closed down 39 cents at $70.23 a barrel. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said one of the two Saudi vessels was attacked in the UAE economic zone on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude from Ras Tanura port for delivery to state-owned Aramco's customers in the United States. No oil was spilled but the attack did significant damage to the vessels' structures, he said. Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock markets suffered their biggest single-day declines in years on Monday, with Dubai falling 4%. Saudi shares lost 3.6%. Sunni Muslim allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE have backed U.S. sanctions against Shi'ite Iran, a fellow OPEC producer but regional foe. After the United States ended sanctions waivers that had allowed some nations to continue importing Iranian crude, Washington said Riyadh and Abu Dhabi would help compensate for any oil shortage. Falih said the attack aimed to undermine maritime freedom and the security of oil supplies. "The international community has a joint responsibility to protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets and the danger they pose to the global economy," he said. (Reporting by Rania El Gamal and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Additional reporting by Jonathan Saul and Robin Emmott in London; David Brunnstrom, Idrees Ali and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Saeed Azhar in Dubai and Oslo newsroom; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Edmund Blair, Mark Potter and Lisa Shumaker) Police in Dublin have launched an investigation into the killing of a Moroccan teenager stabbed to death last week in Dublin, as he was in his way to mosque, Morocco World News reports. An unknown assailant attacked and stabbed Azzam Ragragui to death in the Irish capital, on Friday as the Moroccan young man was reportedly on his way to a local mosque to break the fast. Ragragui died of his wounds at the St Jamess Hospital shortly after he was admitted, the Moroccan media said citing the BBC. Police are investigating the attack with assistance of another teenager. The police has however ruled out racial motivation was behind the killing. By Rania El Gamal and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two of its oil tankers were among those attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not describe the nature of the attack or say who was behind it. The UAE on Monday identified the vessels as two crude oil tankers owned by Saudi shipping firm Bahri, a UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge and a Norwegian-registered oil products tanker. The owner of the Norwegian vessel, Thome Ship Management, said the vessel was "struck by an unknown object". Footage seen by Reuters showed a hole in the hull at the waterline with the metal torn open inwards. A Reuters witness said divers were inspecting the ships. The UAE's state news agency said Fujairah port was operating normally. Iran, embroiled in an escalating war of words with the United States over sanctions and the U.S. military presence in the region, moved to distance itself on Monday. Iran's Foreign Ministry called the incidents "worrisome and dreadful" and called for an investigation. A senior Iranian lawmaker said "saboteurs from a third country" could be behind it, after saying on Sunday the incident showed the security of Gulf states was fragile. A U.S. official familiar with American intelligence said Iran was a leading candidate for having carried out the attacks but the United States does not have conclusive proof. "It fits their M.O. (modus operandi)," said the official on condition of anonymity, suggesting Iran's statements distancing itself from the incident were an attempt "to muddy the waters." POMPEO WARNS OF ESCALATING THREATS U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared information on "escalating" threats from Iran during meetings with EU counterparts and the head of NATO in Brussels, the U.S. special representative for Iran Brian Hook told reporters. Hook declined to say whether he believed Iran played a role or if Pompeo blamed Iran. He said the UAE had sought U.S. help in the investigation and Washington was glad to provide this. The U.S. Maritime Administration said in an advisory on Sunday that incidents off Fujairah, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, had not been confirmed and urged caution. Last week the Maritime Administration said Iran could target U.S. commercial ships including oil tankers sailing through Middle East waterways. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said the UAE incident "has a negative impact on maritime transportation security" and asked regional countries to be "vigilant against destabilizing plots of foreign agents", the semi-official ISNA news agency reported. Before talks with Pompeo in Brussels, Britain's Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt warned of the risks of "a conflict happening by accident" with an unintended escalation between Washington and Tehran over an unraveling nuclear deal. GRAPHIC-Oil tankers attacked - https://tmsnrt.rs/2W4yczs CHOKEPOINT Washington withdrew last year from a 2015 pact between Iran and global powers aimed at reining in Tehran's nuclear plans. Since then, Washington has ratcheted up sanctions on Tehran, saying it wanted to reduce Iranian oil exports to zero. U.S. President Donald Trump wants to force Tehran to agree a broader arms control accord and has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Gulf in a show of force against what U.S. officials have said are threats to U.S. troops in the region. Trump on Monday said Iran would "suffer greatly" if it targeted U.S. interests. Tehran has called the U.S. military presence "a target" rather than a threat and has said it will not allow its oil exports to be halted. A fifth of global oil consumption passes through the Strait of Hormuz from Middle East crude producers to major markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond. The narrow waterway separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula. Iran's Revolutionary Guards, designated a terrorist organization by Washington, threatened last month to close the chokepoint if Tehran was barred from using it. Oil prices rose more than $1 a barrel on Monday but then fell with Wall Street as the negative turn in U.S.-Chinese trade talks spooked investors. Brent futures closed down 39 cents at $70.23 a barrel. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said one of the two Saudi vessels was attacked in the UAE economic zone on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude from Ras Tanura port for delivery to state-owned Aramco's customers in the United States. No oil was spilled but the attack did significant damage to the vessels' structures, he said. Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock markets suffered their biggest single-day declines in years on Monday, with Dubai falling 4%. Saudi shares lost 3.6%. Sunni Muslim allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE have backed U.S. sanctions against Shi'ite Iran, a fellow OPEC producer but regional foe. After the United States ended sanctions waivers that had allowed some nations to continue importing Iranian crude, Washington said Riyadh and Abu Dhabi would help compensate for any oil shortage. Falih said the attack aimed to undermine maritime freedom and the security of oil supplies. "The international community has a joint responsibility to protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets and the danger they pose to the global economy," he said. (Reporting by Rania El Gamal and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Additional reporting by Jonathan Saul and Robin Emmott in London; David Brunnstrom, Idrees Ali and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Saeed Azhar in Dubai and Oslo newsroom; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Edmund Blair, Mark Potter and Lisa Shumaker) Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were damaged in "sabotage attacks" in the Gulf as tensions soared in a region already shaken by a standoff between the United States and Iran. It came as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned visit to Moscow to head to Brussels instead for talks with European officials on Iran. Tehran called for an investigation into the "alarming" attacks and warned of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security. The United States has already strengthened its military presence in the region, including deploying a number of strategic B-52 bombers in response to alleged Iranian threats. Saudi Arabia, the Islamic republic's regional arch-rival, condemned "the acts of sabotage which targeted commercial and civilian vessels near the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates," a foreign ministry source said. "This criminal act constitutes a serious threat to the security and safety of maritime navigation and adversely impacts regional and international peace and security," the source added. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels of various nationalities had been targeted by acts of sabotage off the emirate of Fujairah. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the two tankers suffered "significant damage" but there were no casualties or any oil spill. "Two Saudi oil tankers were subjected to a sabotage attack in the exclusive economic zone of the United Arab Emirates, off the coast of the Emirate of Fujairah, while on their way to cross into the Arabian Gulf," the SPA state news agency quoted Falih as saying. Fujairah port is the only terminal in the UAE located on the Arabian Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Gulf oil exports pass. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait in case of a military confrontation with the United States. Story continues One of the two tankers that was attacked was on its way to be loaded with crude oil from a Saudi oil terminal for customers in the United States, Falih said. - 'Serious development' - The UAE did not accuse anyone of responsibility but warned that "carrying out acts of sabotage on commercial and civilian vessels and threatening the safety and lives of those on board is a serious development". No one was hurt and Abu Dhabi called on world powers to help keep maritime traffic safe. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi expressed concern over the incident and its possible consequences. "The incidents in the Sea of Oman are alarming and regrettable," Mousavi said in an English-language statement on the ministry's website. He also "warned against plots by ill-wishers to disrupt regional security" and "called for the vigilance of regional states in the face of any adventurism by foreign elements", the statement added. Almost all the oil exports of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Iran itself, at least 15 million barrels per day, are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. The Saudi minister denounced the attack on the vessels, saying it "aims to undermine the freedom of maritime navigation and the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world." He also urged the international community to "protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets, and the danger they pose to the global economy." The UAE had earlier categorically denied reported on social media of massive explosions in oil tankers in the emirate. The Pentagon said Friday that it was deploying an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to bolster an aircraft carrier force sent to counter alleged Iranian threats. The increasing tensions come after Tehran said Wednesday it had stopped respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 deal with major powers. Iran said it was responding to the sweeping unilateral sanctions that Washington has reimposed since it quit the agreement one year ago, which have dealt a severe blow to the Iranian economy. Pompeo revised his travel plans to include a visit to Brussels on Monday to hold talks with French, British and German officials on "pressing matters" including Iran, a State Department official said As a result, the top US diplomat is scrapping a stop expected on Monday in Moscow, but will still head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Fujairah (United Arab Emirates) (AFP) - Four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, were damaged in mysterious "sabotage attacks" that have inflamed Gulf tensions amid a standoff between the United States and Iran. In the face of growing international concern, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned visit to Moscow and headed to Brussels instead for talks Monday with European officials, as Britain warned of the danger of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. Turning up the pressure on Tehran after the United States deployed B-52 bombers and an assault ship to bolster an aircraft carrier in the region, President Donald Trump warned that Iran would "suffer greatly" were it to "do anything" to threaten US interests. "If they do anything, it would be a very bad mistake," Trump warned at the White House. "If they do anything they will suffer greatly." Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan proposed a revamped military plan at a meeting with senior national security aides that would send up to 120,000 US troops to the Middle East were Iran to attack American forces or speed up nuclear weapons development, The New York Times reported. Other options have been floated, and this one includes the highest number of troops. Tehran meanwhile called for an investigation into Sunday's "alarming" attacks off the Emirati coast and warned of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security. A UAE government official said the Saudi oil tankers Al-Marzoqah and Amjad were attacked off the emirate of Fujairah along with the Norwegian tanker Andrea Victory and an Emirati ship, the A. Michel. Saudi Arabia, the Islamic republic's regional arch-rival, condemned "acts of sabotage" and a "criminal act", a foreign ministry official said. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE gave details on the nature of the attacks or accused anyone of responsibility. Story continues - 'Exercise restraint' - No link has officially been drawn between the incidents and US accusations that Tehran was planning "imminent" attacks against US interests in the region. Asked whether the United States believed Iran played a role, Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, declined to comment, saying only that US authorities would be assisting the investigation at the request of the UAE which has called the incidents "deliberate sabotage." Describing Pompeo's talks with his European counterparts, Hook said they had discussed "what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels." Underscoring the international concern, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he used his one-on-one with Pompeo to stress that "we are concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation". British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt called for "a period of calm". "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," he said as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. And in New York, the United Nations called on all sides to "exercise restraint for the sake of regional peace." Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom's two tankers suffered "significant damage" but there were no casualties or any oil spill. The Andrea Victory's managers, Thome Group, said the tanker had a hole in the hull area "after being struck by an unknown object on the waterline". The crew were unharmed and the ship was in no danger of sinking, it said. Fujairah port is the only Emirati terminal located on the Arabian Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Gulf oil exports pass. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait in case of a military confrontation with the United States. "If, and it's an 'IF', there really has been a deliberate attempt to damage these oil tankers, then it's possibly a warning from Iran about the consequences of anybody taking military action against Iranian targets anywhere in the region," said Middle East analyst Neil Partrick. Oil prices rose on world markets on Monday but stocks fell. The spike in tensions came after Tehran said Wednesday it had stopped respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 deal that has since been abandoned by Washington. - Iran sees plots - Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi called the incidents "alarming and regrettable". He "warned against plots by ill-wishers to disrupt regional security" and "called for the vigilance of regional states in the face of any adventurism by foreign elements", a statement said. Almost all the oil exports of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Iran itself, at least 15 million barrels per day, are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Karen Young, a resident scholar at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute think tank, said the incidents were "clearly... more than a one off attack, but something more coordinated." "Tensions are high and have been escalated by the US as well. We have to be wary of tit for tat provocations, and those that may be misinterpreted or even false flag actions," she told AFP. The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council -- which includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE -- condemned the incident while Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit denounced "criminal acts". Shiite-majority Iran rivals Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia for influence in the Middle East, with the two taking opposing sides in multiple regional conflicts including in Yemen. SANTANDER, Spain, May 13 (Reuters) - A Saudi ship, prevented by rights groups from loading an arms cargo at the French port of Le Havre on Friday, arrived at the Spanish port of Santander early on Monday. French rights group ACAT argued in a legal challenge on Thursday that the arms consignment contravened a U.N. treaty because the weapons might be used against civilians in Yemen, though the case was thrown out by a French judge. The Saudi vessel Bahri-Yanbu set course for Santander shortly after the ruling but without the weapons it was charged with collecting. (Reporting by Vincent West Writing by Paul Day Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) By Vincent West and Belen Carreno SANTANDER/MADRID (Reuters) - A Saudi ship that was blocked from loading a weapons cargo in France left the Spanish port of Santander on Monday carrying material destined for Saudi Arabia that could be used in military ceremonies, but not wars, a Spanish government source said. On Friday, rights groups prevented the Bahri-Yanbu from receiving arms at the French port of Le Havre due to concerns they would be used by Saudi Arabia against civilians in Yemen's war. The vessel, that carries a separate consignment of arms loaded in Antwerp, set sail from Santander at 1:50 p.m. (1150 GMT) bound for Genoa, Italy, according to ship tracking data. The Spanish source said the material could be used for cannon salutes in military ceremonies in Saudi Arabia. The vessel was also carrying exhibition materials for the United Arab Emirates. "There are two loads," the source said. "They comply with all the norms, they are not for the war in Yemen, they are not for use in war." The equipment was made by Spanish firm Instalaza, according to the source. The company was not immediately available for comment. Santander port authorities could not immediately be reached. Ara Marcen Naval, Deputy Director for Arms Control and Human Rights at Amnesty International, said the ship's journey was a test. "No EU state should be making the deadly decision to authorize the transfer or transit of arms to a conflict where there is a clear risk they will be used in war crimes and other serious violations of international law," Naval said in a statement on Monday. French rights group ACAT argued in a legal challenge on Thursday that the arms consignment contravened a U.N. treaty because the weapons might be used against civilians in Yemen, though the case was thrown out by a French judge. A classified report written by France's DRM military intelligence agency and published by investigative website Disclose in April showed French arms were being used against civilians in the civil war in Yemen. In Yemen, tens of thousands of people have been killed by fighting in a war pitting a Saudi-led military coalition against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. The war has spawned what the U.N. calls the world's most dire humanitarian crisis. Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists have in the past backed arms sales to Riyadh, though the issue remains divisive in Spain amid concern over the casualties of the war in Yemen. Last year, the government announced it would halt the sale of 400 laser guided bombs to Saudi Arabia only to reverse its decision a few days later. (Reporting by Vincent West in Santander,; Additional reporting by Belen Carreno, Paul Day and Joan Faus; Writing by Paul Day; Editing by Ingrid Melander and Toby Chopra) By Vincent West and Belen Carreno SANTANDER/MADRID (Reuters) - A Saudi ship that was blocked from loading a weapons cargo in France left the Spanish port of Santander on Monday carrying material destined for Saudi Arabia that could be used in military ceremonies, but not wars, a Spanish government source said. On Friday, rights groups prevented the Bahri-Yanbu from receiving arms at the French port of Le Havre due to concerns they would be used by Saudi Arabia against civilians in Yemen's war. The vessel, that carries a separate consignment of arms loaded in Antwerp, set sail from Santander at 1:50 p.m. (1150 GMT) bound for Genoa, Italy, according to ship tracking data. The Spanish source said the material could be used for cannon salutes in military ceremonies in Saudi Arabia. The vessel was also carrying exhibition materials for the United Arab Emirates. "There are two loads," the source said. "They comply with all the norms, they are not for the war in Yemen, they are not for use in war." The equipment was made by Spanish firm Instalaza, according to the source. The company was not immediately available for comment. Santander port authorities could not immediately be reached. Ara Marcen Naval, Deputy Director for Arms Control and Human Rights at Amnesty International, said the ship's journey was a test. "No EU state should be making the deadly decision to authorise the transfer or transit of arms to a conflict where there is a clear risk they will be used in war crimes and other serious violations of international law," Naval said in a statement on Monday. French rights group ACAT argued in a legal challenge on Thursday that the arms consignment contravened a U.N. treaty because the weapons might be used against civilians in Yemen, though the case was thrown out by a French judge. A classified report written by France's DRM military intelligence agency and published by investigative website Disclose in April showed French arms were being used against civilians in the civil war in Yemen. Story continues In Yemen, tens of thousands of people have been killed by fighting in a war pitting a Saudi-led military coalition against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. The war has spawned what the U.N. calls the world's most dire humanitarian crisis. Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists have in the past backed arms sales to Riyadh, though the issue remains divisive in Spain amid concern over the casualties of the war in Yemen. Last year, the government announced it would halt the sale of 400 laser guided bombs to Saudi Arabia only to reverse its decision a few days later. (Reporting by Vincent West in Santander,; Additional reporting by Belen Carreno, Paul Day and Joan Faus; Writing by Paul Day; Editing by Ingrid Melander and Toby Chopra) MADRID, May 13 (Reuters) - A Saudi ship left the Spanish port of Santander on Monday carrying material that could be used in military ceremonies, destined for Saudi Arabia, a Spanish government source said. The source said the material could be used for cannon salutes. The same source had earlier said the vessel, the Bahri-Yanbu, was carrying exhibition materials for the United Arab Emirates. "There are two loads," the source said. "They comply with all the norms, they are not for the war in Yemen, they are not for use in war." The vessel, the Bahri-Yanbu, was prevented by rights groups from loading an arms cargo at the French port of Le Havre on Friday. (Reporting by Belen Carreno Writing by Ingrid Melander Editing by Catherine Evans) 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 introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. We'll show how you can use Seaspan Corporation's (NYSE:SSW) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Seaspan has a price to earnings ratio of 4.01, based on the last twelve months. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 25%. View our latest analysis for Seaspan How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio? The formula for P/E is: Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Seaspan: P/E of 4.01 = $9.8 $2.44 (Based on the year to March 2019.) Is A High P/E Ratio Good? A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each $1 of company earnings. That isn't necessarily good or bad, but a high P/E implies relatively high expectations of what a company can achieve in the future. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings. In the last year, Seaspan grew EPS like Taylor Swift grew her fan base back in 2010; the 122% gain was both fast and well deserved. And earnings per share have improved by 23% annually, over the last three years. So we'd absolutely expect it to have a relatively high P/E ratio. Unfortunately, earnings per share are down 1.3% a year, over 5 years. Does Seaspan Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry? The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. If you look at the image below, you can see Seaspan has a lower P/E than the average (18.4) in the shipping industry classification. Story continues NYSE:SSW Price Estimation Relative to Market, May 13th 2019 Seaspan's P/E tells us that market participants think it will not fare as well as its peers in the same industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with Seaspan, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling. Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash). While growth expenditure doesn't always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores. Seaspan's Balance Sheet Seaspan's net debt is considerable, at 208% of its market cap. This level of debt justifies a relatively low P/E, so remain cognizant of the debt, if you're comparing it to other stocks. The Bottom Line On Seaspan's P/E Ratio Seaspan's P/E is 4 which is below average (18) in the US market. While the EPS growth last year was strong, the significant debt levels reduce the number of options available to management. If the company can continue to grow earnings, then the current P/E may be unjustifiably low. When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. So this free report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock. Of course you might be able to find a better stock than Seaspan. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly. 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. Sensing the heat after Morocco scored successive diplomatic victories at the UN, Latin America, Europe and Africa, the Polisario separatist group, supported by Algeria, sent lately a delegation to Berlin in a bid to coax Germany as this country is seeking to obtain the veto rights at the UN Security Council and expand its international influence. The Polisario delegation, which traveled to Berlin, was led by Khatri Addouh, the representative of the separatists in Europe. He met with some German MPs with a view to gain their sympathy and support for their crumbling and lost cause, and lead them to exert some pressure on the UN Secretary Generals personal envoy for the Sahara, Horst Kohler, a German national. According to some analysts, the growing interest of the Polisario and their Algerian supporters in Germany and their orchestrated diplomatic campaigns staged in this country come to counter the strong French support to the Moroccan stand on the Sahara issue. Realizing the goals of the moves of its territorial enemies, Morocco had rebuffed twice the calls of UN envoy for the Sahara Horst Koehler for a meeting in Berlin, proposing instead Paris as a venue. This means that Rabat sticks to its traditional French ally as South Africa, another arch-rival of Morocco and Polisario supporter, takes over its non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Thus, in preparation for the Geneva roundtable, Mr. Koehler met a Moroccan delegation, led by Foreign minister Nasser Bourita, in Lisbon, while he hosted in Berlin delegates of the other parties to the Sahara conflict. According to university professor Hisham Motadad, the Polisario tactical move in Germany seeks to deceive the Sahrawis sequestered in the Tindouf camps (Southern Algeria) and divert their attention following the successive heavy defeats they suffered at the United Nations and on the international scene, triggering the wrath of the Sahrawi inhabitants. These Sahrawis are held against their will in the polisario-run camps. They have been living in lamentable conditions for over four decades, while the corrupt, feckless and repressive leaders of the Polisario separatists, are getting richer and richer. The anger, fury and resentment of sequestered Sahrawis are building up. They have organized many sit-ins lately and their protest movement is gaining momentum. They demand urgent resolution of their decades-long predicament and trial of the polisario embezzlers, torturers, executioners, war criminals and human rights abusers, who are armed, funded and sheltered by the Algerian regime. By Erwin Seba and Collin Eaton HOUSTON (Reuters) - Shipping along the Houston Ship Channel was limited to one-way traffic on Monday after a barge collided with a deep-draft ship that spilled petrochemicals into the waterway over the weekend, officials said. About 9,000 barrels of gasoline spilled into the channel near Bayport, Texas, when a 755-foot (230-m) tanker collided with a Kirby Inland Marine tugboat towing two barges containing the fuel. One barge ruptured and the other capsized. The one-way traffic limitation is due to the barges blocking part of the channel. Kirby Corp shares fell 3.9 percent on Monday. No injuries were reported from the collision, but it could take days to remove both vessels and reopen full traffic. Officials expect to finish siphoning fuel from the first barge by Tuesday and then begin emptying the capsized, second barge, said J.J. Plunkett, port agent for the Houston Pilots Association, which guides ships through the channel. Salvage efforts could last through the weekend to remove both barges and allow for a resumption of two-way traffic, Plunkett said. It was the second time in five years that a Kirby Corp-operated vessel collided with a larger ship in the Houston Ship Channel. In 2014, two Kirby-towed barges crossed in front of a container ship and the resulting collision spilled 4,000 barrels of marine fuel into the channel. The likely cause of that accident was the towboat captain's decision to cross the channel ahead of the container ship, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a 2015 report. Kirby, which operates more than 1,000 tank barges and 340 tug boats across the United States, later agreed to settle U.S. Clean Water Act civil charges by paying a $4.9 million penalty and making operating improvements. Kirby Corp declined to comment on the cause of the weekend incident. Spokesman Matt Woodruff said the company was cooperating with investigations by the U.S. Coast Guard and NTSB. Story continues Forty-five ships exited the channel on Sunday and 65 were waiting on Monday morning to enter the 53-mile (85 km) waterway connecting the refining hubs of Houston and Texas City, Texas, to the Gulf of Mexico, Plunkett said. On a normal day, 55 to 65 ships will be piloted through the channel, he added. Kirby shares were off 3.9 percent at $79.85 in early afternoon trading. The Houston-based company reported a 2018 profit of $78.5 million on revenue of $2.97 billion. (Reporting by Erwin Seba and Collin Eaton; Editing by Bill Rigby and David Gregorio) By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Patpicha Tanakasempipat BANGKOK (Reuters) - Eleven small Thai parties that each gained a parliamentary seat after a disputed electoral rule change will back the main pro-army party, leaders said on Monday, giving the ruling junta chief who launched a 2014 coup enough votes to stay in power. The move came after the opposition Democratic Front accused the Election Commission of rigging the system to ensure a win for former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha in the first election since the military seized power from an elected government. Ponlamuang Thai Party leader Sampan Lertnuwat said his party and 10 more would join a coalition with Palang Pracharat, the party led by junta loyalists that nominated Prayuth as its prime ministerial candidate. "After discussing among ourselves, we 11 members of parliament intend to raise our hands in support of Prayuth Chan-ocha," Sampan told a news briefing. "We also support Palang Pracharat to lead the formation of the next government." Palang Pracharat leader Uttama Savanayana appeared at the briefing to acknowledge the vow and take pictures with the parties' leaders. Uttama said the party was still working to court other parties to form a majority in the House. However, it will still take weeks before a new government can be formed, because the junta has not finished appointing the 250-seat Senate that will vote, along with the elected House of Representatives, to choose the prime minister. But the 11 votes of the small parties are likely to ensure Prayuth is the next prime minister. His Palang Pracharat, which won 115 seats in the House, needs 126 to get to the 376 majority required in the combined House-Senate vote to approve the prime minister, assuming the junta-appointed Senate backs Prayuth as expected. The Democratic Front of seven parties opposed to extension of military dominance in government won 245 seats. Initial results of the March 24 vote show the Democratic Front, led by the Pheu Thai party loyal to ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, expected to get 255 seats in the 500-seat elected House. Story continues That would be not enough to overcome the Senate votes to choose the prime minister, but a majority in the lower chamber would allow the opposition to block legislation and deny the military party unfettered power. However, the Election Commission announced soon after the preliminary results that it would use a new formula to allocate 150 "party seats" distributed according to the share of the nationwide popular vote secured. The new formula gave one seat to each of 11 tiny parties that would not have qualified under the original formula, with most of them taken from the anti-military Future Forward Party, part of the opposition alliance. The 11 parties won 548,208 votes from a total of about 35 million, or about 1.5 percent of votes cast. (Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) WASHINGTON The near-total ban on abortion awaiting Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey's signature is but the latest example of red-state governors and legislators seeking a path to a more conservative Supreme Court. Legislation passed by the state Senate Tuesday criminalizing abortion except when the life of the mother or fetus is in danger follows a flurry of anti-abortion action, mostly in the form of "fetal heartbeat laws" that ban abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. Such laws have been enacted this year in Ohio, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi. The goal is to produce lawsuits that work their way through lower courts and, ultimately, to the nation's highest court. That didn't work in North Dakota, where a fetal heartbeat law that was struck down failed to gain Supreme Court review in 2015. And despite President Donald Trump's additions of conservative Associate Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, the newly constituted court isn't likely to reverse its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruling allowing abortion anytime soon, experts say. Anti-abortion activists protest outside of the Supreme Court during the March for Life on Jan. 18, 2019. "It is not clear that the current justices who have expressed doubts about the correctness of decisions like Roe and Casey will want to take up a case that squarely presents the question whether these decisions should be overruled," says Richard Garnett, director of the Notre Dame Program on Church, State & Society. "Instead, they might well prefer to first consider less sweeping abortion regulations and to uphold them even under the current doctrine." That still worries proponents of abortion rights, who fear lesser Supreme Court rulings could lead to relitigating Roe. "Legislatures feel emboldened by this change on the court," said Caitlin Borgmann, a former law professor leading the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana. "They're going to be willing to try to push the envelope even more than before." Story continues Conservatives' hopes focus on Kavanaugh, who succeeded retired Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy in October. Kennedy cast deciding votes to uphold abortion rights in a landmark case in 1992 and to strike down state restrictions in a Texas case three years ago. Kavanaugh's only brush with abortion on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit came in 2017, when he dissented from a decision allowing an undocumented teenager in federal custody to get an abortion. Kavanaugh wanted to allow more time for the girl to find a private sponsor, so the government was not involved. During his contentious Senate confirmation battle last year, he referred to the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide and subsequent rulings as "precedent on precedent." That won him the crucial support of moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. "Justice Kavanaugh owes his seat to Sen. Collins," said David Garrow, a Pulitizer Prize-winning historian who wrote a book on Roe v. Wade. "Is he going to publicly humiliate Sen. Collins in advance of the 2020 election?" Lesser restrictions stand a chance Women dressed as handmaids protest against a near-total abortion ban outside the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Ala., on April 17, 2019. What the high court is more likely to do is whittle away at abortion rights by upholding laws that impose lesser restrictions on women seeking abortions or the doctors and clinics that provide them. Among the laws pending before or approaching the justices: An Indiana law, struck down in lower courts, that would ban abortions based on sex, race or disability and set standards for disposing of fetal remains. Another Indiana law that would require women to view ultrasound images at least 18 hours before an abortion, unless they specifically declined to do so. Laws in Alabama and Texas banning dilation and evacuation, or D&E, abortions. Laws in Louisiana and Missouri imposing restrictions on doctors and clinics. Laws banning abortion after a certain number of weeks 15 in Mississippi and Louisiana, 18 in Arkansas and Utah. Bans at 20 weeks or later generally have been upheld. State laws directly challenging the right to abortion stand little chance of reaching the justices, according to experts on both sides of the issue. Those laws have yet to withstand lower court scrutiny. 'Political optics' stand in the way New Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, right, listens to President Trump's State of the Union address in February along with Chief Justice John Roberts, left, and Associate Justices Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch. One indication of the court's reluctance to enter the abortion wars came in February, when Chief Justice John Roberts joined four liberal justices in blocking implementation of a Louisiana law requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. The court may consider that case next term. Chief Justice Roberts is acutely aware of the political optics of overruling Roe in a 5-4 opinion, with all the women in dissent, said Teresa Collett, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minnesota. That would be Associate Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, all liberals who have voted to uphold abortion rights. Kavanaugh sided with the court's other three conservative associate justices against blocking Louisiana's abortion restrictions. He wrote separately to suggest that implementing the law would determine whether it imposed too much of a burden on women's rights an indication he remains on the fence. Read even more: Download the USA TODAY app Another sign of the court's reluctance came in December, when only three conservative justices dissented from its refusal to consider efforts by Republican-led states to defund Planned Parenthood. Roberts and Kavanaugh did not join the dissent. The justices may get another chance to decide that issue soon. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled in March that Ohio can deny government funding to private groups that provide abortions, such as Planned Parenthood. It seems unlikely that the Supreme Court justices will be able to avoid all abortion cases for long or even until the 2020 presidential election. That won't stop them from trying. If there are five votes to fully overturn Roe," said Cornell Law School professor Michael Dorf, "at least one of those, namely Roberts, is going to want to go slowly." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Strict anti-abortion laws like Alabama's are aimed at Supreme Court, which may prove to be an obstacle Tehran (AFP) - Clashes erupted between Iranian students at Tehran University on Monday during a demonstration against the enforcement of wearing hijab or Islamic veil, media reports said. "A number of students gathered... claiming that morality police and security forces had entered the university" to warn students against failing to observe compulsory hijab laws, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported. The agency reported that a vice president in charge of cultural affairs at the university had attempted to speak to the students but was "physically prevented" from doing so. The vice president, Majid Sarsangi, denied any police or security forces had entered the university grounds. But he said "two groups of students with opposing thoughts and ideals unfortunately clashed with each other while we tried to calm down the enraged students." ISNA published parts of a statement issued by the students protesting enforcement methods that said female students faced "severe checks when entering the university". "The imposition of one type of attire on students... is a direct violation of their human rights," it added. Fars news agency, which is close to ultra-conservatives, said scuffles broke out between the protesters and other students who supported the enforcement of hijab when demonstrators began marching in the grounds and shouting what it called "law-breaking slogans". They "were shouting slogans against attire laws and observance of hijab," Ali Tolouie, the head of Tehran University Student Basij Organisation, told Fars, adding the protesters' statement "shows they are against Islam itself". There were no reports of any casualties or arrests. Following the 1979 Islamic revolution compulsory hijab was enforced throughout Iran with women forced to dress modestly and cover themselves with the Islamic veil. Every year with the advent of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan authorities strictly enforce the mandatory Islamic dress code. There have been a number of protests, mostly by women over the years, with the latest major protests being the "Dokhtaran-e enghelab", or the Girls of Revolution Street. That particular protest began after an Iranian woman stood on a pillar box on Enghelab Avenue in December 2017 without the mandatory long coat and raised her white veil on a stick, an act that was copied by women in different cities in spite of arrests that followed. Khartoum (AFP) - Five Sudanese protesters and an army major were shot dead Monday in the capital, hours after protest leaders and the ruling generals reached a breakthrough agreement on transitional authorities to run the country. The latest developments came as the prosecutor general's office said ousted president Omar al-Bashir had been charged over the killings of protesters during anti-regime demonstrations that led to the end of his rule last month. The major and a protester were killed at a sit-in outside the army headquarters in Khartoum where thousands of protesters remain camped for weeks, demanding that the army generals who took power after ousting Bashir step down. Three soldiers and several protesters and civilians were also wounded when "unidentified elements" fired shots at the Khartoum sit-in, the ruling military council said. A doctors' committee linked to the protest movement later said four more protesters had been shot dead, but did not specify if they were actually killed at the sit-in. The military council said in a late night press conference that it had "noticed some armed infiltrators among the protesters". The umbrella protest movement the Alliance for Freedom and Change said Monday's violence was to "disturb the breakthrough in the negotiations" with army generals as it blamed the bloodshed on the former regime's militias. Earlier on Monday, the generals and the protest movement said a breakthrough had been reached in their talks over handing of power to a civilian administration. "At today's meeting we agreed on the structure of the authorities and their powers," Taha Osman, a spokesman for the protest movement, told AFP. "The authorities are as follows -- the sovereign council, the cabinet and the legislative body," he said. Osman said another meeting would be held on Tuesday "to discuss the period of transition and the composition of the authorities". Story continues - Talks to continue Tuesday - The military council confirmed an accord had been reached. "We agreed on forming the transitional authority on all three levels -- the sovereign, the executive and the legislative," council spokesman Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi told reporters. "Tomorrow we will continue to discuss the percentage of participation... and the transitional period." The generals insist the transitional period should be two years, while protesters want it to be four years. The crucial talks between the two sides follow a deadlock in negotiations. The apparent breakthrough came as Sudan's acting prosecutor general Al-Waleed Sayyed Ahmed said Bashir "and others have been charged for inciting and participating in the killing of demonstrators". The charges form part of an investigation into the death of a medic killed during a protest in the capital's eastern district of Burri, his office said in a statement. Ninety people were killed in protest-related violence after demonstrations initially erupted in December, the doctors' committee said last month. The official death toll is 65. Mass protests which drove Bashir from office on April 11 are still being held outside the army headquarters, vowing to force the military council to cede power. Prior to Monday's talks, dozens of protesters blocked Nile Street, a major avenue in the city, for the second consecutive day, an AFP correspondent reported. Pressing their demand for a handover to civilian rule, protesters also blocked a road leading to the capital's northern district of Bahari. Three protesters were wounded by "live ammunition" when security personnel tried to dismantle blockades put by demonstrators in parts of the capital, the doctors' committee said. "We reject using force against the civilians ... we are calling on the military council to take its responsibility in protecting the peaceful protesters," the Alliance for Freedom and Change said. - 'Optimistic atmosphere' - Following a deadlock in negotiations, the protest alliance on Saturday said the army generals had invited the movement for a new round of talks. The generals in earlier talks had proposed the new council be led by the military, while the protest leaders want a majority civilian body. Late last month, the alliance -- which brings together protest organisers, opposition parties and rebel groups -- handed the generals its proposals for a civilian-led transitional government. But the generals pointed to what they call "many reservations" over the alliance's roadmap. They have singled out its silence on the constitutional position of Islamic sharia law, which was the guiding principle of all legislation under Bashir's rule. Demonstrators converged on the military complex last month seeking the army's help in ousting Bashir. Days later the army ousted the veteran leader, but a 10-member military council took power and demonstrators have kept up their sit-in against the generals. Although crowds have dwindled during the day due to the scorching heat, protesters gather in their thousands after breaking the daytime fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. By Nadine Awadalla KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Violence flared in Sudan's capital Khartoum late on Monday after the military council and opposition groups said they had agreed to a power structure for the country's transition following the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir last month. Heavy gunfire was heard late into the evening, and the council said a military police officer had been killed and many protesters wounded. Local doctors said some were in serious condition. The council accused armed groups unhappy with progress towards a political deal of opening fire at protest sites. Protesters said counter-revolutionaries linked to the former regime were inciting violence. Earlier, paramilitary forces patrolled the streets, using tear gas and gunshots to disrupt protests blocking roads. The Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces opposition alliance were due to meet on Tuesday to discuss two key sticking points: the military-civilian balance of power in transitional bodies, and the length of the transition before elections. Protesters are pushing for a civilian-led transition and have kept up demonstrations against the council since military officers on April 11 removed and arrested Bashir, who is now facing multiple criminal investigations. On Monday morning, police and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) dismantled barricades and dispersed about 100 protesters who had blocked a road leading from Khartoum North to al-Mek Nimir Bridge and the centre of the capital. For a second day demonstrators blocked Nile Street, a major avenue running south of the Blue Nile, placing burning branches and stones across the road, as well as several other streets north and south of the river. Later, RSF men used gunfire to disperse protesters next to Blue Nile bridge and thick clouds of tear gas were fired near Jumhuriya Street south of the river, where the RSF were seen beating a rickshaw driver as they patrolled in vehicles armed with sticks and guns, witnesses said. Story continues SIT-IN Protesters demanding a swift handover of power to civilians have been camped at a sit-in outside the Defence Ministry compound in central Khartoum since April 6, as the military has negotiated with the opposition alliance over the transition. Talks resumed on Monday, and both sides said they had produced agreement on the duties and authorities of sovereign, executive and legislative bodies. "We discussed the structure of the transitional authority and agreed on it completely, and we also agreed on the system of governance in the transitional period," said TMC spokesman Lieutenant General Shams El Din Kabbashi. "We will continue tomorrow with talks on the ratio of participation on the sovereign level ... and the length of the transitional period," he said. "God willing, we will agree on these two points." The Sudanese Professionals' Association, which leads the opposition alliance, has accused the TMC of expanding its powers as talks over the transition have stalled, threatening a campaign of civil disobedience to up pressure on the military. "The situation now on public roads, bridges and in neighbourhoods expresses the state of popular discontent with the procrastination and the consumption of time by the military council," the SPA said on Monday. The TMC has said it is not seeking power and is open to further dialogue. General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the RSF and deputy head of the TMC, told a military meeting on Monday that the armed forces and RSF were working to protect "security and stability" in Sudan. Also on Monday, Sudan's public prosecution said it had charged Bashir and others with incitement and involvement in the killing of protesters. Earlier this month, the public prosecutor ordered Bashir to be interrogated on charges of money laundering and financing terrorism. There has been no comment from Bashir, who is in prison in Khartoum. (Additional reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz, Yousef Saba and Nayera Abdallah; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Alison Williams, Lisa Shumaker and Richard Chang) A member of the Tunisian parliament has called on Prime Minister Youssef Chahed to walk away from a trade deal with the European Union (EU) or face execution for treason should the deal go ahead, The New Arab reports. The threat came from Faicel Tebbini, head of the Farmers Voice Party, in connection with a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), currently in discussion between the North African country and the European bloc. If the deal is signed the head of the government will be shot to death for treason in Habib Bourguiba Avenue in the capital in front of all Tunisians, Tebbini said in a video post on facebook. This deal is a new form of colonialism.. if it is signed Tunisians will become slaves, he added. The EU argues that the DCFTA would allow the Tunisian economy a better integration into the blocs common market. Tunisian farmers have been weary of the deal, which they believe will pave the way for an invasion of the Tunisian market by European competitors with cheaper products and therefore a decay of the farmers livelihood. Tahya Tounes, Chaheds party, Saturday chided the threat that it branded scandalous and irresponsible, The New Arab reports. On Sunday, Youssef Chahed made it clear that No agreement that does not preserve the interest of Tunisia, farmers and fishermen will be signed, denying the existence of an agreement or final decision on the DCFTA. In an address at the 55th anniversary of the Agricultural Evacuation Day and the celebration of the National Day of Agriculture, Chahed said the negotiations are currently limited to the general criteria and principles and statistical data on the level of trade, TAP reported. That agreement must take into account the differences in development between the two sides, he pointed out, insisting that favorable conditions for win-win cooperation between the two sides, with a fair approach for the Tunisian farmer, must be guaranteed. A group of farmers, who were attending the anniversary celebration shouted slogans, including DCFTA a fatal blow to agriculture and import is subsidy for European farmers, while calling for developing a new vision to reduce the cost of production, TAP said. DETROIT (AP) The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a dispute over a coat that belonged to civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. The court rejected an appeal Monday. A lawyer for the trustee of Parks' estate says relatives reneged on a deal to turn over a wool coat that Parks wore when she was arrested on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus in 1955. But a niece insists she doesn't have the coat. Steven Cohen turned to the Supreme Court after exhausting appeals in Michigan courts. Despite the loss, he predicts the "controversy will continue." In 2014, the foundation of philanthropist Howard Buffett purchased hundreds of Parks' personal belongings for $4.5 million, without the coat. Cohen says Buffett subsequently donated them to the Library of Congress. Parks died in 2005. WASHINGTON The Supreme Court opened the door Monday for iPhone users to sue Apple over excessive prices on its exclusive App Store. Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the court's newest member, wrote the 5-4 antitrust opinion and was joined by the court's four liberal justices. The other four conservatives dissented. The question before the court was whether consumers' beef over prices is with Apple directly or the app developers who pass along the tech giant's 30 percent commission, as well as its rule that prices end in .99. "Our cases have consistently stated that direct purchasers from alleged antitrust violators may maintain a suit against the antitrust violators," Kavanaugh wrote. "Ever since Congress overwhelmingly passed and President Benjamin Harrison signed the Sherman Act in 1890, protecting consumers from monopoly prices has been the central concern of antitrust," he said. "That is why we have antitrust law." The ruling theoretically could affect millions of iPhone app purchasers, but it's not clear how many would qualify as plaintiffs. It's also not clear how the law's triple damages for antitrust violations would be apportioned if Apple loses. President Donald Trump's other high court nominee, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, wrote the dissent. He said app developers, not purchasers, have the more legitimate claim against the tech giant. "If the commission is in fact a monopolistic overcharge, the developers are the parties who are directly injured by it," Gorsuch wrote. "Plaintiffs can be injured only if the developers are able and choose to pass on the overcharge to them in the form of higher app prices that the developers alone control." Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the senior justice in the majority, presumably chose Kavanaugh to write the opinion. He noted from the bench that after more than a decade, iPhone apps now let iPhone owners watch videos, order food, donate to charities and more. Story continues "'There's an app for that' has become part of the 21st-century American lexicon," Kavanaugh said. Apple released a statement in which the company expressed confidence it eventually will prevaile. The App Store, it said, "is not a monopoly by any metric." "Developers set the price they want to charge for their app, and Apple has no role in that," it said. "The vast majority of apps on the App Store are free, and Apple gets nothing from them. The only instance where Apple shares in revenue is if the developer chooses to sell digital services through the App Store." At oral argument in November, the court's four liberal justices clearly were skeptical of Apple's monopoly. "It just seems to me that when you're looking at the relationship between the consumer and Apple, that there is only one step," Associate Justice Elena Kagan said, referring to the way iPhone users buy apps. More from the court: Strict state anti-abortion laws aimed at Supreme Court, justices not eager to consider them David Frederick, the lawyer representing consumers, agreed that "there's no middleman in this particular transaction," as Apple had maintained. The company's antitrust violation, he said, was the App Store itself. But company attorney Daniel Wall contended that under Supreme Court precedent, the app developers are the ones setting prices charged consumers. If the commission affects those prices, he said, that's between Apple and the developers. In his ruling, Kavanaugh rejected that argument. He said it would allow lawsuits when retailers mark up manufacturers' prices but not when manufacturers charge commissions to retailers, though the result may be the same higher price. Apple also claimed that calculating damages would be complicated, but Kavanaugh said that should not be a "get-out-of-court-free card for monopolistic retailers." A federal district judge initially ruled in Apple's favor. But a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco overruled that decision last year and held that consumers were direct purchasers of iPhone apps. The Supreme Court's ruling upheld that verdict. Chief Justice John Roberts, who joined the dissent, had warned during oral argument that both consumers and app developers should not be able to sue the company for the same alleged violation. Gorsuch said only one of those groups can be paying what he called the "monopoly rent." But Kagan said the two groups suffer different losses consumers through higher prices and developers through reduced sales. The company heralds the App Store for fueling "competition and growth in app development, leading to millions of jobs in the new app economy and facilitating more than $100 billion in payments to developers worldwide." The Trump administration sided with Apple, as did the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several computer and software industry groups. On the other side were 31 states and groups opposed to antitrust activities. More: Finally over: Samsung and Apple settle longstanding patent dispute More: Samsung wins Supreme Court fight with Apple This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court says iPhone users can sue Apple for excessive prices on its App Store Stockholm (AFP) - Swedish prosecutors said Monday they were reopening a 2010 rape investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, hoping to bring him to justice before the statute of limitations expires in August 2020. "I have today decided to reopen the investigation... There is still probable cause to suspect that Mr Assange committed rape," the deputy director of public prosecutions, Eva-Marie Persson, told reporters. "The previous decision (in May 2017) to close the investigation was not based on difficulties related to evidence, but on difficulties that blocked the investigation." The Australian whistleblower, who holed himself up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London for seven years to avoid a British extradition order to Sweden, was arrested on April 11 after Ecuador gave him up. A London court sentenced him on May 1 to 50 weeks in jail for breaching the British order. "Now that he has left Ecuador's embassy, the conditions in the case have changed and I am of the opinion that the conditions are in place once again to pursue the case," the prosecutor said. The 47-year-old has always claimed the Swedish allegations were a pretext to transfer him to the United States, where he fears prosecution over the release by WikiLeaks of millions of classified documents. Stockholm (AFP) - Swedish prosecutors said Monday they were reopening a 2010 rape investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, hoping to bring him to justice before the statute of limitations expires in August 2020. The 47-year-old has claimed the Swedish allegations were a pretext to transfer him to the United States, where he fears prosecution over the release by WikiLeaks of millions of classified documents. "I have today decided to reopen the investigation... There is still probable cause to suspect that Mr Assange committed rape," the deputy director of public prosecutions, Eva-Marie Persson, told reporters. "The previous decision (in May 2017) to close the investigation was not based on difficulties related to evidence, but on difficulties that blocked the investigation." The Australian whistleblower, who holed himself up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London for seven years to avoid a British extradition order to Sweden, was arrested on April 11 after Ecuador gave him up. A London court sentenced him on May 1 to 50 weeks in jail for breaching the British order. Now that Assange has left Ecuador's embassy, "I am of the opinion that the conditions are in place once again to pursue the case," the prosecutor said. Persson said she hoped Assange could be questioned again, adding that she would ask a Swedish court to remand him in custody in absentia, and that a European arrest warrant would be issued. Assange's Swedish lawyer, Per E Samuelson, said Sweden was "embarrassing itself" by reopening a decade-old case. "I'm not in the least concerned about the question of guilt," he told Swedish television. - 'Clear his name' - Assange's spectacular arrest revived his Swedish accuser's hopes of seeing him brought to justice, and her lawyer had asked prosecutors to reopen the rape investigation. The alleged victim, who says she met Assange at a WikiLeaks conference in Stockholm, filed a complaint in August 2010. Story continues She accused him of having sex with her -- as she slept -- without using a condom despite repeatedly having denied him unprotected sex. Assange has always denied the allegations. WikiLeaks's editor, Kristinn Hrafnsson, said Monday the reopening of the investigation would give him "a chance to clear his name". Meanwhile, the lawyer for the plaintiff, Elisabeth Massi Fritz, told reporters that Monday's decision sent "a very important signal: that everyone is equal before the law. No one is above the law, even if your name is Julian Assange." With the Australian in the Ecuadoran embassy, the Swedish case dragged on for years over procedural difficulties and prosecutors were never granted permission to question him directly. In testimony released in December 2016 -- after an Ecuadoran prosecutor grilled him over questions supplied by Swedish prosecutors -- Assange insisted the sex was consensual. In May 2017, Sweden's director of public prosecutions Marianne Ny decided to close the preliminary investigation into the rape allegations. She argued that since Assange could not be reached after taking up residence in the embassy in London in 2012, it was not possible to proceed with the probe -- but left open the possibility that it could be reopened if Assange were to become available again. The statute of limitations on the rape allegation expires on August 17, 2020. If the legal process drags on past that date, then the case would have to be closed, the prosecutor said. In 2015, Swedish prosecutors dropped a separate sexual assault probe into Assange, filed by another woman, after the five-year statute of limitations expired. - US extradition request - Assange's biggest concern, however, remains an extradition request from the United States where he is wanted for hacking. That request was only revealed following his dramatic arrest in London when police dragged him out shouting from the embassy. A US indictment charges him with "conspiracy" for working with former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password stored on Department of Defence computers in March 2010. Manning passed hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, exposing US military wrongdoing in the Iraq war and diplomatic secrets about scores of countries. Assange could face up to five years in jail if found guilty, although his team is fighting his extradition and the process could take years. The charge has raised serious concerns among free speech advocates. The Swedish prosecutor said that if Britain were faced with both a European arrest warrant and a US extradition request, it would be the British authorities' prerogative to determine which has priority. Julian Assange is taken from court, where he appeared on charges of skipping bail seven years ago. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Sweden is reopening the rape investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, prosecutors announced today. Mr Assange is accused of raping a woman in 2010. After the accusation was first made he took shelter in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid being deported to Sweden, and remained in the building for seven years before his forced removal last month. The case was first opened following complaints from two Swedish women who said they were the victims of sex crimes committed by Assange. The second allegation was dropped in 2017 because the statute of limitations had expired. He has denied the charges, asserting that they were politically motivated and that the sex was consensual. The case was dropped while Mr Assange was sheltering in the Ecuadorean embassy because the court was unable to proceed without his presence. Kristinn Hrafnsson, Editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks and barrister Jennifer Robinson, centre, address the media at Westminster Magistrate Court in London after Mr Assange was jailed for 50 weeks for skipping bail. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) After he was arrested last month it was decided the investigation could be reopened, Swedens deputy director of prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson announced this morning. The move opens the question of whether the UK will agree to deport Mr Assange to Sweden to face the charges. The Government is also considering whether to extradite the WikiLeaks founder to the US, where he is accused of hacking into a Pentagon computer and conspiring to release confidential material about the US security services. Home Secretary Sajid Javid is expected to have the final say over which claim takes priority. Mr Assange, an Australian citizen, is currently being held in Belmarsh prison serving a 50-week sentence for skipping bail in 2012. He took refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden. Statement regarding the reopening of a preliminary investigation in Sweden. Facts on the Swedish Investigation:https://t.co/5J1PtxWXgX pic.twitter.com/VbhBAON1ek WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) May 13, 2019 He was arrested by UK police on 11 April after Ecuador revoked his political asylum, accusing him of everything from meddling in the nations foreign affairs to poor hygiene. Story continues Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks said: Assange was always willing to answer any questions from the Swedish authorities and repeatedly offered to do so, over six years. The widespread media assertion that Assange evaded Swedish questioning is false. This investigation has been dropped before and its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name. The French Foreign Ministrys updated travel warning states that areas at risk are expanding in Africa, on the backdrop of rising terrorist threats, and that only one country on the continent is considered safe: Morocco. This update comes after the kidnapping of French tourists in Benin and whose release in Burkina Faso resulted in the death of two members of the French Special Forces. The French Foreign Ministry has thus revised the level of vigilance to be observed in several regions, especially on the African continent where the risk is gaining ground with rising terrorist threats. The French ministry ranks the countries of the world in four colors according to their risk: Red for formally inadvisable; orange for not recommended except for imperative reason; yellow for enhanced vigilance; and green for normal vigilance. At the African scale, Morocco is the only country classified in the Green or normal vigilance level, in the same way as the European countries, the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, and Japan, countries that are declared secure and safe for tourists. It should be noted that in November 2018, Morocco ranked 8th in the world as the safest destinations, according to the British magazine Which Travel. The magazine ranks each year the 20 safest tourist destinations in the world based on three basic criteria, namely crime rate, terrorist threat and catastrophic risk. The French travel advisory considers the Sahel-Sahara zone as the most risky in the African continent, especially the area going from Mauritania to Somalia, via Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Libya and part of Algeria. The presence of jihadist groups in this region is a source of concern for the French authorities. Thus, the territories of Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Somalia are classified Red and therefore French travelers are strongly discouraged to go there. Meanwhile, the areas classified Orange and not recommended unless for an imperative reason continue to expand. They now cover a large part of Algeria, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Chad and the countries of Central and Eastern Africa. In this connection, the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, invited Saturday (May 11) French tourists to utmost caution in the Sahel. The yellow or reinforced vigilance is recommended for Mauritania (a large part of the territory), Senegal, Cote dIvoire, Guinea, Southern Africa, etc. In many countries, red areas coexist with orange or yellow zones, as is the case for Algeria, where no zone is classified risk-free. Yellow, orange and red cover the whole territory. By Beh Lih Yi KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Taiwan's lawmakers must back the government's draft same-sex law and make the self-ruled island the first place in Asia to allow such unions, LGBT+ campaigners said on Monday, ahead of a key vote in parliament this week. Taiwan has until May 24 to legalize same-sex marriage after a 2017 ruling by the island's top court. The court did not give specific guidance on how laws regulating such unions should be drawn up. Parliament will vote on Friday on same-sex marriage but there are three bills that have been proposed - one by the government and two by lawmakers which LGBT+ groups have described as discriminatory. "We won't accept any more compromise because the (government's) bill is already our bottom line," said Jennifer Lu, the chief coordinator of Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan, an alliance of groups that support gay rights. "If one of the two other bills is passed, we will launch another constitutional court challenge," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Despite some limitations on adoption and foreign spouses, Lu said the government's draft law would give same-sex couples similar legal protections for marriage as heterosexuals. The coalition is urging supporters to gather outside the parliament on Tuesday and Friday ahead of the vote. Legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan has become complex after voters opposed marriage equality in a series of referendums last November, dealing a blow to the island's reputation as a beacon of liberalism in Asia. More than two-thirds of those who voted in the referendum wanted to retain the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman under the civil law. The government's bill proposed same-sex marriage to be legalized under a separate law - a move it said respected both the court ruling and the referendum results. The two other bills - proposed by a ruling and an opposition legislator respectively - offer less protections, does not recognize a gay partner as a spouse, or give relatives the right to ask for an annulment of the marriage. Story continues "A child will not be protected if their parents are not seen as spouses under the law," said Reese Li, a spokeswoman from the lobby group LGBT Family Rights Advocacy, which assists same-sex families with children. "We will only support the government's bill," added Li, who estimates there are at least 300 same-sex families in Taiwan. The same-sex marriage issue has been a challenge for President Tsai Ing-wen, who campaigned on a promise for marriage equality in the run up to 2016 polls. Conservative groups that have opposed same-sex marriage have accused the government of ignoring the referendum results and said the government's draft law was unacceptable. (Reporting by Beh Lih Yi @behlihyi; Editing by Michael Taylor. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org) By Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala DAR ES SALAAM, May 13 (Reuters) - Tanzania plans to introduce a new auctioning system for big game hunting blocks next month, in a move aimed at enhancing transparency and curbing corruption in that part of the tourism industry. Allocation of hunting blocks by government officials to tourist companies has been dogged by allegations of impropriety and loss of revenues. But in a new initiative, the state-run Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) will next month auction 26 hunting blocks for the first time. "TAWA invites applications ... for the allocation of tourist hunting blocks through electronic auctioning (e-auctioning)," the authority said in a statement on Monday. "Auctioning will commence on 10th June 2019 and will last for seven consecutive days." Eligible hunting companies will be allocated a maximum of five hunting blocks, each of different categories. Most of the hunting blocks are allocated within the 50,000 square-kilometer Selous Game Reserve ecosystem, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its elephants, lions, zebras, black rhinos, giraffes and other species. Tourism is the main source of hard currency in Tanzania, best known for its beaches, wildlife safaris and Mount Kilimanjaro. Revenues from the sector fetched $2.43 billion last year, up from $2.19 billion in 2017, according to official data. Tourist arrivals totalled 1.49 million last year, compared with 1.33 million a year ago. President John Magufuli's government said it wants to bring in 2 million visitors a year by 2020. (Writing by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala, editing by Hereward Holland and Ed Osmond) 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. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Taylor Wimpey plc (LON:TW.). Our data shows Taylor Wimpey has a return on equity of 20% for the last year. That means that for every 1 worth of shareholders' equity, it generated 0.20 in profit. See our latest analysis for Taylor Wimpey How Do You Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for return on equity is: Return on Equity = Net Profit Shareholders' Equity Or for Taylor Wimpey: 20% = UK657m UK3.2b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.) Most readers would understand what net profit is, but its worth explaining the concept of shareholders equity. It is all the money paid into the company from shareholders, plus any earnings retained. Shareholders' equity can be calculated by subtracting the total liabilities of the company from the total assets of the company. What Does Return On Equity Mean? Return on Equity measures a company's profitability against the profit it has kept for the business (plus any capital injections). The 'return' is the yearly profit. That means that the higher the ROE, the more profitable the company is. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing. Clearly, then, one can use ROE to compare different companies. Does Taylor Wimpey Have A Good ROE? One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. However, this method is only useful as a rough check, because companies do differ quite a bit within the same industry classification. As you can see in the graphic below, Taylor Wimpey has a higher ROE than the average (16%) in the Consumer Durables industry. Story continues LSE:TW. Past Revenue and Net Income, May 13th 2019 That is a good sign. I usually take a closer look when a company has a better ROE than industry peers. For example, I often check if insiders have been buying shares . Why You Should Consider Debt When Looking At ROE Virtually all companies need money to invest in the business, to grow profits. That cash can come from retained earnings, issuing new shares (equity), or debt. In the case of the first and second options, the ROE will reflect this use of cash, for growth. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but won't affect the total equity. That will make the ROE look better than if no debt was used. Taylor Wimpey's Debt And Its 20% ROE While Taylor Wimpey does have a tiny amount of debt, with debt to equity of just 0.036, we think the use of debt is very modest. The fact that it achieved a fairly good ROE with only modest debt suggests the business might be worth putting on your watchlist. Judicious use of debt to improve returns can certainly be a good thing, although it does elevate risk slightly and reduce future optionality. But It's Just One Metric Return on equity is useful for comparing the quality of different businesses. A company that can achieve a high return on equity without debt could be considered a high quality business. All else being equal, a higher ROE is better. Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, you'll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. The rate at which profits are likely to grow, relative to the expectations of profit growth reflected in the current price, must be considered, too. So I think it may be worth checking this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. But note: Taylor Wimpey 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. Police have arrested a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of drug offences after another teenager died after taking MDMA in North Yorkshire. Stock image (PA) Police investigating the death of a 15-year-old girl believed to have taken MDMA have arrested a teenage boy on suspicion of drugs offences. The girl, who has been named as Leah Heyes, died after she collapsed in a car park in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, at about 9.30pm on Saturday night. North Yorkshire Police issued a warning about MDMA to drug users and said they had not ruled out making further arrests. A force spokesman said: Police are now in a position to name the 15-year-old girl who died in hospital after collapsing in the Applegarth car park, in Northallerton, on the night of Saturday 11 May. Her name is Leah Heyes from Northallerton. A police officer with ecstasy pills seized from gangs. Stock image. (AP) He continued: We believe that Leah had taken the drug MDMA also known as ecstasy or a bomb prior to collapsing and we reiterate our warning to anyone who uses drugs of the potential consequences. At this stage, one teenage boy has been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. However, officers have not ruled out making further arrests as the investigation continues. Police said the boy who is being questioned is 17 years old. The force said officers are continuing to investigate to determine the circumstances surrounding Leahs death on Saturday night. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Motorists pull passengers from burning plane wreckage Tories in FIFTH place according to EU elections poll Transgender Lotto winner dies 18 months after 4m win A post-mortem examination will be carried out to determine the cause of her death. On Sunday, Detective Inspector Jon Sygrove advised anyone who had bought MDMA recently to be cautious about taking it. He urged anyone who had taken the drug and was feeling unwell to seek medical help immediately. Police have asked anyone who was in the area at the time, or has any information about the events on Saturday night, to come forward if they have not already done so. Anyone with information is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for Northallerton CID, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. Owner Chai Saechao at the original location of Plant Therapy. | Photos: Carrie Sisto/Hoodline A Tenderloin-based shop specializing in apartment-ready plants and do-it-yourself houseplant care will be expanding to the Castro later this year. Chai Saechao and his partner, Tony Stapor, first opened Plant Therapy, near the corner of OFarrell and Hyde, in August 2018, not far from their Tenderloin home. Now, they're moving into the former Apothecarium space at 2097 Market St. Plant Therapy's first location is already open at 687 O'Farrell St. Saechao, who previously managed the Castro Starbucks, has deep ties in the neighborhood. He was once a member of the Castro Merchants, and "knows all the residents and shopkeepers in the area already," he said. "Theyve all been telling me how excited they are to have us in the neighborhood. Plant Therapy already has a presence in the Castro: members of its team recently installed the new living walls at Cook Shoppe, which opened in the former Chow on Church space earlier this month. Plant Therapy will continue to maintain the walls from its new location, which is just around the corner. Living wall on Cook Shoppe's patio. | PHOTO: COOK SHOPPE/FACEBOOK Saechao first learned about the Market Street space from his Tenderloin landlord, real estate investment firm Veritas. When they heard he was hoping to expand, they offered him "a pretty good deal," he said. At 1,200 square feet, Plant Therapy's new location is more than triple the size of the existing Tenderloin store, according to Saechao. That means more space to host events and classes, such as the regular Plants and Wine night that draws sellout crowds at the original location. Once the Market Street location is up and running, the store will launch a schedule of classes a month or two in advance, with an online sign-up form for customers. The Tenderloin shop is filled to the brim with plants and pots. Veritas is renovating the space to suit Plant Therapy, Saechao said, removing the back, mirrored wall to expose some southern-facing windows and make the space brighter. Because water and dirt are part of the equation for a plant store, the hardwood floors are being replaced with laminate. Story continues Plants spilling onto the sidewalk of Plant Therapy's Tenderloin location. | Photo: Plant Therapy/Instagram The hope is to open the second location by the end of this summer, Saechao said. He'll manage the new location initially as it gets up and running, but hes confident that it will stand on its own fairly quickly. Weve definitely gained experience, having just launched the first store, he said. FILE PHOTO: British Conservative London 2016 mayoral candidate, Zac Goldsmith (L), shakes hands with British Labour party London 2016 mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan (R) as they attend to address a rally. Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images) Only six of the largest political donations in 2018 went to a party that wasnt the Conservatives, according the Sunday Times Rich List. Every year, the Sunday Times calculates who are the richest people in Britain and release dozens of lists, according to identifiable wealth including land, property, other assets such as art, and shares in companies. The calculations do not include the amount contained in people's bank accounts. One of the lists rank the top political donors in Britain individuals or companies who made donations of at least 10,000 ($12,997) in 2018. The Sunday Times ranked 67 individuals and companies overall. The largest donation overall was from Broadway-based theatre producer and financier John Gore, who gave more than 1.5m last year. The only other two donations that came in above 1m was made by serial Tory donors David Brownlow and Lord Bamford. READ MORE: Asians most heavily represented minority in UK rich list Five political donors all gave 100,000 each while there were 45 donors that gave under that amount. Among those was Zac Goldsmith the British politician and journalist who is the Conservative MP or Richmond Park. In 2016, he made a bid to become the mayor of London but lost out to Sadiq Khan. He was the 41st largest political donor naturally to the Conservative party with 39,550. The largest donation that did not go to the Tories was from David and Heather Stevens, the founders of the Admiral insurance business. They gave 150,000 to the Liberal Democrats. Lady Edwina Snow from the Grosvenor family gave 25,000 to the Womens Equality Party, heiress and Swedish philanthropist Sigrid Rausing donated 10,000 to the Green party, while the remaining non-Tory donations went to the Liberal Democrats. Not a single one of the 50 biggest donations was to the Labour party. Here are the top 17 political donors: Source: Yahoo Finance UK/Infogram/Sunday Times READ MORE: Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley lost 461m last year The case was heard in a family court (File picture posed by models: PA) A three-year-old transitioned to being a girl at the age of three while living with foster parents whose own son, aged seven, had also changed gender. The younger child was dressed in girls clothes against the wishes of teachers, the Sunday Times reported. It was reported that another foster child who the couple had looked after also had gender identity issues. The foster parents, known only as CP and TP, were investigated by social services at Lancashire County Council amid concerns they had manipulated their childrens gender and actively encouraged them to change. But a judge dismissed those concerns at a closed hearing in Preston family court last month, clearing the parents to continue caring for the children. Mr Justice Williams said the evidence from almost all sources of how the children are prospering in the care of CP and TP provides very powerful support to the contention that CP and TP are good parents. One of the gender identity experts in the case, Dr Vickie Pasterski, said gender dysphoria had biological foundations that could not be altered by interpersonal influence or environmental interference. The judge said her evidence compellingly rebuts claims from social services and made it overwhelmingly obvious that neither have suffered or are at risk of suffering significant emotional harm arising from their complete social transition to females occurring at a very young age. Dr Paterskis opinion is disputed by the NHSs gender identity development service clinic at Tavistock Square in London, where at least one of the children was treated. Bernadette Wren, head of clinical psychology at the clinic, wrote last month: Younger gender-atypical children are likely to be more easily influenced by their parents view about gender, even to the point of assuming an absolute, long-term commitment to a binary gender identity and a social transition. She said the clinic preferred that children under the age of 10 did not make a full, legally confirmed social transition. Story continues Read more Brexit Party overtakes Tories for first time in general election poll Police slam time-waster for dialling 999 about a wasp in her house Mum left shocked after buying loaf of bread full of crusts The courts judgment said that TP and CP had been foster carers for 16 years and that five children, now aged between four and 17, were involved in the proceedings. Two were the couples natural children and three are foster children. Their youngest natural child, known as R, now 13 years old, transitioned from a boy to a girl aged seven, the judgment said. Her parents changed her name by deed poll and got her a new passport, but R was unhappy, the ruling said, telling a staff member at her school a few months later that she did not think life was worth living. At the same time, a foster child, a boy known as H, arrived with the family. H, who is now six, was being dressed in girls clothes at the age of three. The mother, TP, reportedly told a teacher: Heres another one for the Tavistock. The school requested that H wear a boys uniform from the age of four, but attended in a girls one. Social services said: TP and CP are highly manipulative people. There are significant concerns that parents/carers have manipulated childrens gender and diagnosis of additional needs, which is considered the highest level of emotional abuse. It said TP and CP consistently sought to have additional foster children placed in their care in order to meet their own needs, whether financial or emotional. But Lancashire County Council decided not to remove the children from their parents, the Sunday Times reported. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo News UK BEIJING (AP) Sending Wall Street into a slide, China announced higher tariffs Monday on $60 billion worth of American goods in retaliation for President Donald Trump's latest penalties on Chinese products. Duties of 5% to 25% will take effect on June 1 on about 5,200 American products, including batteries, spinach and coffee, China's Finance Ministry said. With investors worried about the potential economic damage on all sides from the escalating trade war, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 617 points, or 2.4%, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq plunged 270 points, or 3.4%, its biggest drop of the year. Earlier, stocks fell in Europe and Asia. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is warning Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) that China "will be hurt very badly" if they don't agree to a trade deal. Trump tweeted Monday after the countries failed to reach a deal in recent talks. The Trump administration has raised tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports after charging that China had backtracked on commitments it made in earlier negotiations. Trump tweeted China "had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out!" Trump insisted the tariffs the U.S. has placed on Chinese goods don't hurt American consumers, saying there is "no reason for the U.S. CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday visited the two New Zealand mosques where 51 worshippers were killed by a gunman in March. Guterres spent about 30 minutes inside the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch talking to Muslim leaders and survivors of the attacks. Outside the mosque, he told reporters that like many people around the world, he had been moved by the poignant stories of compassion and grace. "I know there are no words to relieve the hurt and sorrow and pain," Guterres said. "But I wanted to come here personally to transmit love, support, and total and complete admiration." Guterres then traveled to the Linwood mosque where he laid a wreath and met with survivors including Abdul Aziz, who is considered a hero for chasing the gunman and throwing a credit card machine and a discarded gun at him. Story continues MANILA, Philippines (AP) Filipinos voted Monday in midterm elections highlighted by a showdown between President Rodrigo Duterte's allies who aim to dominate the Senate and opposition candidates fighting for checks and balances under a leader they regard as a looming dictator. Nearly 62 million Filipinos have registered to choose among 43,500 candidates vying for about 18,000 congressional and local posts, including 81 governors, 1,634 mayors and more than 13,500 city and town councilors in 81 provinces, in one of Asia's most rambunctious democracies. Final results are expected to be declared in at least a week for national posts and a few days for local positions unless specific outcomes come under protest. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lanka's government imposed a nationwide curfew Monday and temporarily blocked social media following a flare-up of communal violence in apparent response to last month's Easter attacks that killed more than 250 people, officials said. Acting police chief C.D. Wickramaratne said the violence started with a few shops being stoned in the North Western town of Kuliyapitiya on Sunday. It was soon brought under control, but on Monday mobs carried out violence on a bigger scale, he said. "This small group must stop the dangerous game they play against the lives and property of innocent people," Wickramaratne said in a televised statement. PARIS (AP) The wife of Meng Hongwei, the former Interpol president jailed in China for what she believes are political reasons, said Monday that France has saved her life and the lives of their two young boys by granting her asylum request. The French government office that rules on asylum requests rendered its decision last week, granting her refugee status, Grace Meng's legal team said. The asylum office didn't respond to Associated Press contacts by phone and email, and the French Interior Ministry said it doesn't comment on individual cases. Grace Meng told the AP that the guarantee of being able to stay in France, where Meng Hongwei was stationed with Interpol, offers her family greater security while she pursues her struggle to get information from China about her husband's whereabouts and even whether he is still alive. NEW DELHI (AP) For years they've been told about the power they can wield with their votes, and how elections can bring so much change to this sprawling, often-chaotic nation. But few of these women, marooned at the fringes of Indian society, believe such talk anymore. They've been hardened by decades of forgotten promises, and by the countless politicians who showed up before elections with flowery words only to disappear as soon as the votes were cast. As India heads toward the end of its seven-phase national election, with voting that began April 11 and ends May 19, it's hard for them to summon much optimism. BANGKOK (AP) Eleven small political parties in Thailand announced Monday they will support the military-backed candidate to form the next government, seven weeks after the country's first general election in five years of army rule. Their announcement came after no single party won an absolute majority in the March 24 polls. The military-backed Palang Pracharath party won 115 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives, while its rival, the Pheu Thai party associated with self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, won 136. Palang Pracharath is seen as a proxy for the military, which seized power in a 2014 coup. Coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha has been prime minister in the military government, and is Palang Pracharath's candidate to remain in office as head of an elected government. QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) Pakistani police say a powerful bomb attached to a motorcycle has killed four policemen guarding a mosque in the southwestern city of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. City police chief Abdur Razzaq Cheema says 10 people were also wounded in Monday's bombing. The Pakistani Taliban quickly released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. The bombing came two days after another insurgent group, the Baluch Liberation Army, stormed a luxury hotel in the coastal town of Gwadar, triggering a shootout that left all three assailants, a special forces soldier and four hotel employees dead. Baluchistan province has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatists demanding more autonomy and a greater share in the region's natural resources such as gas and oil. TOKYO (AP) Japanese palace officials used an ancient turtle-shell divination Monday to choose sites to harvest sacred rice to be used in an upcoming harvest ritual the most important one new Emperor Naruhito will perform after enthronement. Naruhito succeeded the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1, the day after his 85-year-old father, Akihito, abdicated. The mid-November Daijosai, or Great Thanksgiving Ceremony, will be Naruhito's first as emperor to pray for a good harvest for his people. A group of officials in traditional outfit and headdress who took part in the turtle divination originally used in ancient China chose the prefectures of Kyoto in western Japan and Tochigi in the east to grow the rice. French judicial authorities announced this Monday that security services had seized on Friday 11 tons of cannabis in the region of Besancon. The record-setting dismantling operation was possible thanks to massive support from Moroccan and Spanish investigation teams. France, Morocco, and Spain have cooperated on various criminal investigations, but the latest is the biggest operation of its kind that involved a tight cooperation between the three allies. A statement from the public prosecutions office in Nancy said Monday that police intercepted several vehicles, including a truck on the A36 motorway toward Paris in the area of Besancon. Police arrested four suspects, including an Italian national during the operation, reported AFP. Frances Minister of Interior Christophe Castaner expressed pride about the security collaboration between France and its two partners, highlighting how information from Spain and Morocco have been helpful in other criminal cases in France. Castaner said in a tweet: Congratulations to the judicial police of Strasbourg and the Central Office for the repression of the illicit trafficking of drug on this record seizure, realization of an exemplary investigation carried out with their Moroccan and Spanish counterparts. The operation was the culmination of a judicial investigation opened in 2017. The prosecutors office said in the statement that investigations revealed the existence of huge trafficking between Morocco, Spain, France, and Belgium, according to AFP. French Central Directorate of the Judicial Police launched the investigation in collaboration with Moroccos security services and Spanish police, which provided valuable elements for the investigation, added the statement. The amount of the cannabis seized on Friday is a record since 1999. Police had then seized 23.5 tons of cannabis in Boulogne-sur-mer, in northern France, added AFP. Morocco maintains strong diplomatic ties with France and Spain, with which the North African country share a counterterrorism collaboration. Throughout the year, Moroccos police raided on several drug trafficking networks, seizing big amounts of multiple sorts of drugs, including cocaine, and cannabis. Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage while on the European Election campaign trail in Durham. The head of a leading British business group has warned against complacency among firms about the risk of Britain crashing out of the EU without a deal. Edwin Morgan, interim director general of the Institute of Directors, told Bloomberg a no-deal Brexit was still a real threat, warning that many firms may still be unprepared in October. He suggested Britain may fall out of the EU, whose member states make up its largest trading partner, by accident or European leaders could even be so frustrated by the political deadlock in Britain they let it happen. Parliament has repeatedly voted down a no-deal outcome, but it has also voted down several possible forms of Brexit over the past few months. The legal default remains Britain leaving with or without an agreement in October this year. Morgan also said the Conservatives could replace their leader in the coming months with a politician committed to leaving the EU with or without a deal. READ MORE: Ex-PM Tony Blair warns no-deal Brexit risks a silent revolution Prime minister Theresa May is under unprecedented pressure from her backbenchers and party member to break the Brexit deadlock or quit. The agreement she reached with Brussels on the terms of divorce has been repeatedly rejected by MPs, and few observers hold out much hope of ongoing cross-party talks leading to a breakthrough. Morgan did not explicitly mention the looming European elections, but a poor showing for the Conservatives could up the pressure still further on May to stand down. Momentum appears to have grown in recent weeks for Nigel Farages Brexit party. Some polls have put it out front as the likely victor in the European parliamentary elections next month, with one at the weekend giving it a 34% share of the vote - more than the projected Labour and Conservative vote combined. READ MORE: These are Europes fastest-growing economies in 2019 But it is the governing Conservatives who are widely seen as most likely to suffer from any Brexit party surge, after pro-Brexit voters seemingly punished them in the recent local elections for failing to deliver Brexit as promised on 29 March. Story continues A Brexit party surge at the expense of the Conservatives, who appear so resigned to big losses they did not even hold an official campaign launch, could embolden leadership candidates prepared to leave the EU without a deal. Morgan told Bloomberg: We do have the risk of no deal happening by accident and businesses still being unprepared. Theres a bit of a feeling of complacency. He said a no-deal Brexit was a higher possibility than parliament is currently saying, Photo: James Willamor/Flickr Here's what you need to know about what's happening in Jacksonville. Large police presence near Jacksonville National Cemetery News4Jax is working to get more information on a large police presence near the Jacksonville National Cemetery. Read the full story on News 4 JAX. Passengers weighing options after plane mishap at NAS Jacksonville It's been more than a week since the 737 Miami Air flight skidded off the runway and into the St. Johns River with 136 passengers on board. Passengers who could be considering filing lawsuits about the close call. Read the full story on News 4 JAX. Semper Fi Society plans memorial at Jacksonvilles Evergreen Cemetery for 241 killed in Beirut attack The Lebanon bombing was the largest loss of life in a single action since the Vietnam War of the 1960s and the worst for the Marines since World War IIs Iwo Jima assault. Read the full story on FIRST COAST NEWS. Man dies after being shot multiple times in street of Downtown Jacksonville JSO said that the incident happened near Church and Ocean Streets. Read the full story on FIRST COAST 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. In Kenya, Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC Group) has pledged to invest about $67 million in the Malindi solar project. The project with an expected capacity of 52 MWp is developed by Malindi Solar Group, an ad hoc company created by an independent power producer [IPP] in the East Africa nation. Earlier this year Jeremy Hunt, the British Foreign Minister, announced a series of investments in Kenya, including in the Malindi solar project, which has received about $66 million. The innovative Malindi solar project, run by British-headquartered power company, Globeleq, and funded by the UKs development finance institution, will bring clean power to the Malindi region in South East Kenya, which currently struggles with regular power shortages and relies largely on expensive thermal plants. According to the Commonwealth Development Corporation, the project is set to transform the local economy, with up to 250 direct jobs and a further 5,600 jobs in the wider economy supported thanks to the availability of power. The loan for the project is refundable over 16 years. The sale of electricity from the Malindi solar park will be made through Kenya Power and Lighting Company, which provides public electricity service in Kenya. The public company has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Globeleq. Washington (AFP) - The US Supreme Court ruled Monday that a consumer lawsuit accusing Apple of illegally monopolizing the company's App Store may proceed, opening a new avenue of antitrust litigation against the iPhone maker. In a 5-4 ruling, the justices rejected Apple's argument that consumers lacked standing to proceed with their lawsuit because it was merely an intermediary with app developers. The class-action lawsuit maintains that Apple, which takes a 30 percent commission on app sales, abuses its monopoly position, resulting in higher prices. The opinion written by the newest court member, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, said consumers had a right to pursue their case because they have a direct relationship with Apple. "If a retailer has engaged in unlawful monopolistic conduct that has caused consumers to pay higher-than-competitive prices, it does not matter how the retailer structured its relationship with an upstream manufacturer or supplier," the opinion said. Kavanaugh was joined by liberal justices Ruth Ginsburg, Elena Kagan, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor. A dissenting opinion written by Justice Neil Gorsuch and joined by other conservatives on the court agreed with Apple's argument that developers, not the company, sell to consumers and that the lawsuit is based on "pass-on" liability. "The problem is that the 30 percent commission falls initially on the developers," Gorsuch wrote. "So if the commission is in fact a monopolistic overcharge, the developers are the parties who are directly injured by it. Plaintiffs can be injured only if the developers are able and choose to pass on the overcharge to them in the form of higher app prices that the developers alone control." Apple's online marketplace is the sole avenue for apps for its iPhone and other mobile devices, and the company has paid out more than $100 billion to developers since launching the store a decade ago. Apple did not immediately respond to an AFP query on the decision. Struggling Japanese engineering firm Toshiba on Monday reported improved full-year net profit thanks to the sale of its chip business, but said operating profit was sharply down. In the year that ended March, Toshiba's net profit jumped 26.0 percent to 1.01 trillion yen ($9 billion), chiefly because of "profit from completion of the sale of the Memory business," it said in a statement. Toshiba "achieved a healthier financial condition by closing the sale of the Memory business, advancing structural reforms that included finalising the sale of the PC business and decided to withdraw from a nuclear power construction project in the UK," the company said. But the firm said its operating profit dropped 58.9 percent to 35.4 billion yen, partly due to restructuring costs, on sales of 3.69 trillion yen, down 6.4 percent. For the current year to March 2020, it forecast a jump of 295 percent in operating profit to 140 billion yen, after the completion of restructuring and other projects, on sales of 3.4 trillion yen. It did not provide net profit forecast, saying it did not have sufficient information on the chip business -- which remains an affiliate. The Tokyo-based company used to sell everything from rice cookers to nuclear plants and has long been a household name. But a series of scandals and business losses in recent years have forced the company to withdraw from many operations, such as appliances and personal computers that gave it brand recognition. To stay afloat, the cash-strapped group sold its lucrative chip business for $21 billion to K.K. Pangea, a special-purpose company controlled by a consortium led by US investor Bain Capital. By Fergal Smith TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's strategy to prioritize spending on the middle class at the beginning of his four-year term will not keep growth humming ahead of a general election in October, some economists said. Canada led the G7 with 3% growth in 2017, but the boost from fiscal stimulus in 2016 has since faded, with the Bank of Canada expecting growth to slow to a 1.2% pace this year. In 2016, Trudeau made a tax cut that was aimed at the middle class and began a major increase in child benefits for families. At the same time, he raised levies on Canada's wealthiest 1%. Trudeau has said that economic policy should be more concentrated on helping the middle classes and those striving to join it. David Rosenberg, chief economist & strategist at Gluskin Sheff + Associates Inc, said the government's spending plan has had a one-off effect and will not lead to additional growth. "The first move to play Robin Hood by raising top marginal income tax rates in the personal sector was a huge mistake ... this is a government that got elected on social policies as opposed to economic growth policies," Rosenberg said. Three years later, Trudeau of the Liberal Party is lagging his Conservative Party rival Andrew Scheer in opinion polls and the outlook for growth has darkened considerably, also because of a global slowdown. In Trudeau's last budget before the election in March, he announced additional spending on middle class voters in the hope of easing the financial squeeze on heavily indebted Canadians, who are dealing with high housing costs and tepid wage gains. But some economists say a better policy mix would have put more focus on the kind of tax cuts that stimulate investment. Investment tends to boost productivity, which could raise wages and the economy's capacity to grow. "Potential growth is no higher, that's the issue," said Stephen Brown, senior Canada economist at Capital Economics. "The balance of the stimulus could have been tilted toward more private investment." Story continues Canadian business investment growth slowed to 0.3% in 2018 from 2.3% in 2017, data from Statistics Canada showed, as the economy contended with lower oil prices, trade uncertainty and a slowdown in the housing market. Of more concern has been the low composition of Canadian investment in the sectors that tend to be important for productivity. Information and communication technology accounted for about 9% of investment in 2017 versus more than 16% for the United States, data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed. The U.S. has slashed corporate taxes in the hope of stimulating investment and data this month provided evidence that the strategy is working. U.S. productivity rose in the first quarter at the fastest pace in more than four years. Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau has said it would not be responsible to match U.S. corporate tax cuts because it would add "tens of billions in new debt." While the government has allowed businesses to write off additional capital investments to bolster Canada's competitiveness some economists say that much more could be done. "I think that we simply have no choice but to raise productivity in this country (Canada) and I think that investing in start-ups and high tech is crucial for that," said Benjamin Tal, senior economist at CIBC Capital Markets. "From a taxation perspective, we should encourage risk taking." (Reporting by Fergal Smith, editing by Steve Scherer and Grant McCool) "Glass has been our material of choice from the beginning," Josh Metersky, cofounder of Trueing, tells AD PRO of his design studio. But while the raison d'etre of Trueing has from its inception been a focus on furniture and lighting, this NYCxDesign, Metersky and partner Aiden Bowman will unveil a truly bright idea. "We've been interested in using chain links before," Metersky says, noting that the metal parts are not uncommon in lighting. However, in this specific instance, Metersky and Bowman wanted to "transform [the structure] with our material of choice, and make it more decorative." The result is a series of memorable light fixtures, available in sconce, pendant, and floor lamp varieties. The fixtures in question are available in four metal finishes and in seven hueswhich vary from pink to amber to a translucent clear. Each one of the designs will debut this Wednesday in the gallery-meets-store setting of SoHo's Pas de Calais. Photo: Lauren Coleman "Rarely do you get something that feels both delicate and functional at the same time," Metersky says of the light fixtures, which are, as both men point out, reminiscent of ship anchors. (The beautiful photographs produced of the collection appear to extend this allusion further, by their use of intertwined flowerswhich seem to hint at tangled sea kelp.) Nevertheless, the heart of Cerine may lie less in the various dual properties the products possess, and more in the intricate production processes it took to make these fixtures a reality. Metersky and Bowman worked on the collection for just under a year, relying on the knowledge of skilled glassblowers throughout. "Their work is extremely precise," they note of their artisan collaborators, explaining that scientific calculations and an assessment of weights and variables were key. However, figuring out how to hook each link around another, while the glass was still liquid, proved to be a difficult feat. (The carefully crafted link shapes, made with a lampwork technique, could also not be disrupted in the process.) Story continues Photo: Lauren Coleman Photo: Lauren Coleman The launch of Cerine is also an exciting moment for Trueing in that it is the first time that Metersky and Bowman have shown a collection on their own. (During their first two New York design weeks, the duo presented at ICFF and Sight Unseen Offsite.) Pas de Calais is also a fitting atmosphere, thanks to its ten-foot-tall windows that will allow the glowing works to be viewed throughout the night. Onlookers drawn in by their luminescent quality are also in luck: The fixtures on display are in fact not prototypes, but are instead available for immediate purchase. The perfect unifieror anchorfor any room. Photo: Lauren Coleman Photo: Lauren Coleman Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest Donald Trump has again defended tariffs as his dogged, often self-contradictory pursuit of a trade war with China put allies and opponents alike in a difficult spot. Related: China hits back at US with tariffs on $60bn of products Stocks tumbled after China said it would impose higher tariffs on US goods including frozen vegetables and liquefied natural gas, in retaliation for America raising tariffs on $200bn in Chinese imports. Trump has threatened to extend tariffs to the remaining $300bn or so in Chinese imports that have not been targeted yet, but told reporters on Monday: I have not made that decision yet. As the clash of the worlds two biggest economies raised fears of global shockwaves, Trump denied American consumers would pay the price. There is no reason for the US consumer to pay the tariffs, which take effect on China today, Trump tweeted, before offering a convoluted explanation. That put him at odds with his own national economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, who was asked on Fox News Sunday: Its US businesses and US consumers who pay, correct? Kudlow replied: Yes, I dont disagree with that. He also acknowledged that both sides will suffer. Not for the first time, Trump is scrambling political allegiances. It is especially awkward for Republicans. The presidents protectionist America first agenda flies in the face of the partys free market principles and threatens to hurt voters in red states. Farmers are one example. At a news conference organised by the campaign group Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, in response to the raising of tariffs to 25%, Brent Bible, a soybean and corn farmer in Lafayette, Indiana, said: Our competitive advantage has always been we are a reliable source of product. This has taken that away. It has made it so uncompetitive that other countries are willing to now take the risk that some of the South American countries have in terms of logistics, safety and being reliable. China and others are now willing to take that risk since we are priced so far out of the market. Story continues Trump has promised to make it up to farmers hurt by Chinese tariffs against soybeans and other agricultural products. Previously set at $12bn, on Monday he suggested the compensation could go even higher. He said: Were going to take the highest year, the biggest purchase that China has ever made with from our farmers, which is about $15bn, and do something reciprocal to our farmers so our farmers can do well. The bailout programme, which has been slow to take effect because of bureaucratic hurdles, threatens to wipe out whatever financial rewards Trump claims tariffs have reaped. Were taking in billions of dollars of tariffs, he insisted at the White House, dangling the prospect of yet more. But Republicans have become accustomed to twisting themselves into unexpected positions to support Trump on all kids of issues. This is no different. Last week the White House issued a list of those who back Trump for taking a hard line after China allegedly reneged on commitments made during months of talks. It included Senator Marco Rubio of Florida: Not surprised #China is trying to go back on changes they had previously agreed to. For years they have had counterparts so desperate for a deal they allowed them to get away with this. [Trump] is the first to ever pose a credible threat to walk away from a bad deal. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said: I completely support President [Trump]s approach in trade negotiations with China. This is the last, best chance for America and the world to get China to play by the rules. Intriguingly, the roll call also quoted Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader in the Senate: Hang tough on China, President [Trump]. Dont back down. Strength is the only way to win with China. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, another Democrat, said: Chinas cheating has hurt American workers for far too long. Tariffs brought China to the negotiating table and now that were there, the president must secure real changes to level the playing field. The remarks illustrate the dilemma facing Democrats. Former vice-president Joe Biden, the frontrunner for 2020, was recently condemned for remarks that played down Chinese competition. China is going to eat our lunch? he said. Come on, man. Bernie Sanders has pledged to label China a currency manipulator, a stand Trump vowed he would make but was talked out of by advisers. Sanders and another progressive candidate, Elizabeth Warren, share Trumps distaste for Republican worship of the free market. But centrist Democrats are going on the offensive. Another 2020 contender, the Massachusetts congressman Seth Moulton, told Fox News Sunday:Wielding tariffs like a cudgel because it makes the president look tough? That only hurts American families. Related: Apple's iPhone cost faces sharp increase as US-China trade dispute worsens Many feel Trump has hit upon an important theme the threat posed by China and its long history of flouting rules. A few Republican voices have warned against a prolonged dispute. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky told ABCs This Week he advised the president to finalise a deal with China soon, because the longer were involved in a tariff battle or a trade war, the better chance there is that we could actually enter into a recession because of it. Trump said on Monday he plans a meeting with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, next month at the G20 summit in Japan. He insisted: Were in a great position right now, no matter what we do. I think China wants to have it. The Associated Press contributed reporting Post-boomlet Beto in California late last month. Photo: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images Texas congressman Beto ORourke is planning what one adviser called a reintroduction of his presidential campaign after failing to sustain the attention of Democratic voters on the national stage. ORouke, who climbed onto the top counter of the Democratic Party with his inspired (but unsuccessful) Senate run last year, has seen his poll numbers plummet in recent weeks. A South Carolina poll published Sunday showed a seven-point drop from a month ago, with ORourke now tied with entrepreneur Andrew Yang at just two percent. Overall, Beto is doing terribly in just about every metric the polling analysts can examine, including national polls, google searches, and media mentions. ORourke launched a makeshift presidential campaign in mid-March in the hope that the enthusiasm that he generated across Texas would catch on nationally, but his hot (and undoubtedly over-hyped) start didnt last. According to the Associated Press, Beto and his advisers have since realized that their initial strategy was not well suited to competing in such a crowded field of contenders: [ORourke has] made few promises that resonated or produced headline-grabbing moments, instead driving around the country meeting with voters at mostly small events. In a tacit recognition that this approach isnt working, ORourke is planning to try again, taking a hands-on role in staging a reintroduction ahead of next months premier Democratic presidential debate. As he finalizes his plans, ORourke has entered an intentional quiet period to build out campaign infrastructure, according to an adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the campaigns strategy. ORourkes hot hand, GOTV success, and Betomania-attracting charisma earned him some praise and free advice from Obama-world veterans after the midterms, and almost two weeks after launching his presidential bid he brought on former Obama 12 deputy campaign manager Jen OMalley Dillon to run the show. The campaign has also recently hired one of the architects of Barack Obamas victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primaries, delegate strategist Jeff Berman (and the campaigns may all need expert help on that front). But otherwise, two months in, Beto for America has 16 (recently hired) staffers in Iowa, and none in New Hampshire, where the campaign has been relying on grassroots organizers. But while ORourke has been staffing up and figuring out how his visit-every-county strategy of his Texas Senate campaign may not translate to national politics, the dynamics of the race have shifted away from him. Beto isnt the only fresh-faced, hope-emphasizing candidate in the race anymore, thanks to the rise for now of South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. And then there is recent entrant Joe Biden to compete with for the Obama donors, the Obama mantle, and the centrist vote. Beto has also had little to add to the nomination debate on the policy side, while others, like Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, and most prominently, Elizabeth Warren, have been rolling out a range of ideas for fixing the countrys ills. Beto, whose primary established skill is as a communicator, has not even been in the conversation, except for his sort-of-okay proposal about what he says is his signature issue, climate change. When Beto has gotten a news blip, its been over novelties like his tabletop speechifying, his membership in a famous hacker group, a bad joke he made about housework, or, over the past week, how poorly his campaign is going. The conversations ORourke has been in have been with small groups of voters, and his aides insisted to the AP that he wouldnt stop doing that, and that Beto rebooted wont be Beto 2.0. Whatever version does or doesnt come next and we may see it soon as ORourke is going on a mini media blitz this week even an ex-punk rocker who has helped Texas lean purple future is going to have trouble getting a third chance to make a better first impression. Donald Trump showered praise on Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban for a tremendous job and shrugged off complaints that his White House visit represents a reward for the erosion of democracy in Hungary and Orbans close ties to the Kremlin. Related: Trump to meet Hungary's nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban live Sitting alongside Orban in the Oval Office, Trump declared it a great honour to host Orban, who he claimed was highly respected all over Europe, particularly for his anti-immigration policies. Youre respected all over Europe. Probably, like me, a little bit controversial, but thats OK, Trump said. Youve done a good job and youve kept your country safe. Orban said his government and the Trump administration were aligned on some global issues. He said: I would like to express that we are proud to stand together with United States on fighting against illegal migration, on terrorism, and to protect and help Christian communities all around the world. Trump quickly picked up on his visitors last claim, saying: You have been great with respect to Christian communities, you have really put a block up. And we appreciate that very much an apparent reference to the barrier the government has erected along Hungarys border with Serbia and Croatia. The White House said Orban visit was aimed and deepening US re-engagement in central Europe, and negotiating trade in arms and energy. A White House readout after the meeting said: The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Nato alliance and to their democratic systems of government, which safeguard the freedom and cultivate the prosperity that the United States and Hungary enjoy. But the administrations critics portrayed Orbans access to the Oval Office as the latest display of Trumps preference for doing business with foreign strongmen, irrespective of their record on civil liberties. Orban represents so many things that are antithetical to core American values, a group of congressional Democrats, led by Eliot Engel, the head of the House foreign affairs committee, said in a letter to Trump that called for the visit to be canceled. Story continues He has overseen a rollback of democracy in his country, used antisemitic and xenophobic tropes in his political messaging, and cozied up to Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. He has overseen a rollback of democracy, used antisemitic tropes in his political messaging, and cozied up to Putin Eliot Engel It troubles us to see the president of our country, which has historically supported the protection and promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide, meeting with a man who so regularly disregards these values. Heather Conley, director of the Europe programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said Orbans government has repeatedly thwarted US interests in the region: by cultivating a close relationship with Vladimir Putin; allowing the Russian International Investment Bank (widely viewed as an instrument of Russian intelligence) to set up headquarters in Budapest; refusing to extradite two suspected Russian arms dealers; and blocking Ukrainian talks with Nato because of Kievs language laws. Yet we reward this obstruction with the honor of an Oval Office meeting? Conley wrote. It is difficult to see how one can make US foreign policy great again when the United States incurs policy failure after policy failure; if anything, this is humiliating for the United States. The Trump administration has largely defended Orbans nationalism and his anti-immigrant policies. The appeal that he makes within his own domestic politics are not ones that resonate more broadly in the rest of Europe. He very much focuses on Hungary for Hungarians, and very specifically on Magyars. I think thats pretty well known and pretty well documented, a senior administration official said. Related: Jeremy Corbyn has to get off the fence for Labour to see off the Faragists | Polly Toynbee If youre talking about border management and questions about how you handle legal migration, a lot of these discussions have been perfectly sensible, frankly, with our Hungarian counterparts. Orban has been frozen out from high-level contacts with the US for many years. His last visit to the White House was in 1998 to see Bill Clinton, while Mike Pompeos visit to Budapest in February was the first visit by a serving secretary of state to Hungary since 2011. Zsolt Nemeth, chair of the foreign affairs committee in the Hungarian parliament and a long-standing political ally of Orban, said in an interview in Budapest on Monday that under the Obama administration, senior officials thought the job of the American state department was to educate Europe. He said: This educative approach characteristic to the Obama administration is over. Nemeth noted the role of ambassador David Cornstein, a jewellery magnate and longstanding friend of Trump appointed to the post last year, in the restarting of friendly relations. Cornstein has dismayed many critics of Orban with public declarations of support for the Hungarian government. Its very unfortunate that weve lost America, said one western diplomat based in Budapest, about the new line taken under Cornstein. Elements of the state department hierarchy have also been deeply unhappy with the new role pandering to Orban. Hes struggling with his own diplomats, said Nemeth, of Cornsteins attempts to build a friendly personal relationship with Orban and restart bilateral relations. We are trying to accommodate Hungarian foreign policy to the intentions of the president, not the state department, he said. Donald Trump has been accused of attempting to provoke the Democrats into impeaching him for political advantage, allowing him to cultivate his Witch Hunt narrative in the wake of the Mueller report and illicit sympathy from voters in time for the 2020 presidential race. He certainly seems to be trying and maybe this is his perverse way of dividing us moreHe thinks thats to his political advantage, but its certainly not to the countrys advantage, said Adam Schiff, Democratic chair of the House Intelligence Committee. The president has meanwhile lashed out at Democrat Rashida Tlaib over comments she made about the Holocaust, claiming she has "tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people," while continuing to play hardball with China over ongoing trade tariff negotiations as far-right Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban flies in to meet him at the White House. The Michigan Democrat told a Yahoo News podcast that she gets "a calming feeling" when she thinks of "the tragedy of the Holocaust" and how the suffering of her Palestinian ancestors helped in trying to create "a safe haven" for Jews in the new state of Israel. The remark instantly ignited an online fight, with Republicans incorrectly describing Ms Tlaib's words as reflecting her feelings about the genocide itself that cost millions of lives, including those of 6 million Jews. It was the latest upheaval over the words of some of the first Muslims in Congress after Ilhan Omar questioned Israel's influence in Washington. Senior Democrats rebuked her, and Ms Omar eventually apologised. A Democratic leader has instead demanded an apology to Ms Tlaib. "If you read Rep. Tlaib's comments, it is clear that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are taking them out of context," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland. He added, They must stop, and they owe her an apology." "Obviously I don't think that she hates Israel or hates Jews," Dan Kildee, also a Michigan Democrat, on Fox News. "She's not a hateful person. She's not a bigoted person." Additional reporting by AP. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is warning Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) that China "will be hurt very badly" if they don't agree to a trade deal. Trump tweeted Monday after the countries failed to reach a deal in recent talks. The Trump administration has raised tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports after charging that China had backtracked on commitments it made in earlier negotiations. Trump tweeted China "had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out!" Trump insisted the tariffs the U.S. has placed on Chinese goods don't hurt American consumers, saying there is "no reason for the U.S. Consumer to pay the Tariffs." White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow acknowledged Sunday that U.S. consumers and businesses pay the tariffs. "Both sides will pay," he told Fox News. Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump on Monday warned China not to retaliate after Washington raised punitive duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25 percent from 10 percent. "China should not retaliate-will only get worse!" Trump wrote in a flurry of tweets on trade. The tariffs were imposed on Friday after two days of talks to resolve the US-China trade battle ended with no deal, however negotiations will continue. Trump also addressed Chinese President Xi Jinping and warned that companies would leave China if a trade deal was not reached. "I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you don't make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries." "Too expensive to buy in China. You had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out!" Trump tweeted. In Trump's view, "Tariffed companies will be leaving China for Vietnam and other such countries in Asia. That's why China wants to make a deal so badly! ... There will be nobody left in China to do business with. Very bad for China, very good for USA! "But China has taken so advantage of the U.S. for so many years, that they are way ahead (Our Presidents did not do the job)." Research shows that Americans will bear the brunt of the impact from the tariffs, as the levies are paid by importers and ultimately passed on at least partially to consumers. Global markets remain on red alert over a trade war between the two superpowers that most observers warn could shatter global economic growth, and hurt demand for commodities like oil. By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When he ran for president in 2016, Donald Trump delighted crowds with his harsh rhetoric on China. As he runs for re-election in 2020, he is likely to keep talking tough, but the reception - at least in some key states - may not be as euphoric. Trade talks between the United States and China ran into serious trouble last week as Beijing backtracked on some key agreements and Trump placed higher tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods, with more to follow. The trade war could continue for some time, bleeding directly into Trump's efforts to win a second four-year term. Some states that helped propel him to victory in 2016, including farmer-heavy Iowa, have been hit hard by the trade dispute. "If ... he doesn't resolve this by the time we get deep into the presidential campaign and we have pain in the soybean parts of the country ... it's going to be a real problem for him," said one former Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Soybeans are the most valuable U.S. farm export but shipments to China dropped to a 16-year low in 2018. The failure to reach a deal that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other advisers had recently suggested was close also casts a shadow on Trump's self-proclaimed deal-making prowess. The president himself said recently that Chinese President Xi Jinping would be in Washington soon, presumably to celebrate a deal. Not having an agreement, though, also underscores Trump's commitment to walk away from a deal that does not meet his objectives. He walked away from face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this year when Kim wanted economic sanctions lifted in exchange for partial denuclearisation. Trump's advisers are confident, particularly with regard to U.S.-China policy, that a show of strength will play well with his base. "By and large I think his tough stance on China benefits him overall," said Sean Spicer, Trump's former White House spokesman and a former official in the U.S. Trade Representative's office under Republican President George W. Bush. "He has shown that he is truly willing to go out and fight." Story continues Trump's top trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, has pushed for China to change its practices on intellectual property, forced technology transfer, currency manipulation, and other areas of policy. Trump, though delighted when China agreed to make large purchases of U.S. products such as soybeans, backed Lighthizer's tough approach and has insisted on more sensitive structural reforms. GRAPHIC: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/7/4402/4390/Pasted%20Image.jpg That determination has garnered support from both major U.S. political parties. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer last week urged Trump to "hang tough" with Beijing. "Don't back down. Strength is the only way to win with China," he said in a tweet. Clete Willems, until recently a senior adviser to the president on trade and economic policy who took part in the China trade talks for months, said Democrats and Republicans are "pretty united" on the trade issue. "My expectation is that you won't see people out on the campaign trail saying 'Back down on China!'" he said. DEAL-MAKER? But Democratic candidates are almost certain to criticize Trump's handling of negotiations even if they agree on the need for significant changes to the trade relationship with China. "He just doesnt know how to cut a trade deal ... Trade by tweets does not work," Senator Elizabeth Warren said at a weekend campaign stop in Cincinnati, Ohio. Trump's administration and campaign team are aware of the pain the tariffs have already caused farmers and are seeking to blunt the impact of that with government support and by appealing to farmers' patriotism. "Farmers are patriotic and understand that someone had to finally call China to account," Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign's communications director, said in an emailed statement. "Farmers understand the long game, because long-term planning is what they do, and they know that the end result will be better for the agricultural economy." The economy will be key in the end. If it remains strong, Trump will have a record that resonates with voters, even in states affected by tariffs. If the economy falters, however, Trump's record will be undercut and Democrats will have a greater chance of beating him in critical states such as Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. With his hopes for a deal suffering a setback, Trump is again talking up the benefits of tariffs. "Tariffs will make our Country MUCH STRONGER, not weaker. Just sit back and watch!" Trump tweeted on Friday. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Kieran Murray and Lisa Shumaker) Kinshasa (AFP) - Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi on Monday cautioned the country's newly elected provincial governors, many allied to his predecessor Joseph Kabila, to align themselves to his vision and steer clear of corruption. "First of all, I would like to remind you that you are the worthy representatives of the president of the republic in your respective provinces. This requires you to adopt exemplary behaviour in the management of your respective entities," Tshisekedi told a seminar for 23 governors elected last month. "This also means you must develop your programmes... by incorporating my vision which seeks the comprehensive development of our country." Most of the 23 governors come from the pro-Kabila Common Front for Congo (FCC) coalition. Kabila, who had been in power for 18 turbulent years, yielded power to Tshisekedi after December elections in the first peaceful change of power since the country's independence from Belgium in 1960. Another opposition candidate, Martin Fayulu, disputes the legitimacy of the December 30 elections and claims his rivals stitched up a deal to keep him out of power. Tshisekedi won the presidential election, but a parliamentary vote held the same day left the 500-seat legislature dominated by Kabila-allied parties. The imbalance has left Tshisekedi, inaugurated on January 24, unable to appoint a prime minister of his choosing, and delayed planned policy changes. Tshisekedi and Kabila have agreed to form a coalition government. "I will fight with all my energy against corruption, the misappropriation of public money, tribalism, nepotism (and) bribery," Tshisekedi told the governors. Having visited several provinces recently, he said he was "shocked by the administrative, police, and military harassment facing the population." By Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has asked Turkey to delay taking delivery of the S-400 Russian missile defense system, currently scheduled for July, in return for potentially approving the formation of a working group that Ankara has sought to establish, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday. But a senior Turkish official reiterated Ankara's position that it would not back down from its planned purchase of the system, a procurement that has widened a diplomatic rift between the two NATO allies. "We will buy the s-400s in July. Our position has not changed," he said. But the source said talks on the issue continued. U.S. officials have called Turkey's planned purchase of the S-400 missile defense system "deeply problematic," saying it would risk Ankara's partnership in the joint strike fighter F-35 program because it would compromise the jets, made by Lockheed Martin Corp. The United States and other NATO allies that own F-35s fear the radar on the system will learn how to spot and track the jet, making it less able to evade Russian weapons. Ankara has been pushing Washington to establish a working group to assess the risks the system would be posing to the F-35 jet. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had dismissed the proposal but there has been renewed effort in Washington to try to use the offer to open a channel for further dialogue with Ankara, another source briefed on the matter said. The disagreement is the latest in a series of diplomatic disputes between the United States and Turkey. They include Turkish demands that Washington extradite cleric Fethullah Gulen, differences over Middle East policy and the war in Syria, and sanctions on Iran. In protest at Ankara's planned Russian missile defense system purchase, the United States in late March halted delivery of equipment related to the stealthy F-35 fighter aircraft to Turkey. On Monday, the top civilian in the U.S. Air Force, Secretary Heather Wilson, confirmed to reporters in Washington on Monday that shipments of F-35 support gear to Turkey were still halted. She added that discussions were ongoing regarding those shipments. But Wilson said Turkish pilots continued their F-35 training program in Arizona. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Additional reporting by Orhan Coskun in Ankara and Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney) ISTANBUL, May 13 (Reuters) - A Turkish court on Monday handed down 53 life sentences without parole to a man who authorities said planned a 2013 bomb attack near the Syrian border that killed dozens of people, state-owned Anadolu agency said. Twin car bombs ripped through the border town of Reyhanli in Hatay province on May 11, 2013. At the time, Turkey accused a group loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of carrying out the attacks. Damascus denied any involvement. Yusuf Nazik, a 34-year-old Turkish national, was sentenced to one count of life in jail without parole for disrupting the unity of the state and 52 counts for killing 52 people, Anadolu said. He was also sentenced to an additional 5,306 years and six months for various other crimes including the attempted murder of 130 people, being a member of an armed terrorist organization and keeping unauthorized explosives for terrorist organization activities, it said. Nazik was captured inside Syria, in the government-controlled region of Latakia, by members of the Turkish Intelligence Agency (MIT), a Turkish security official said last September. Anadolu reported at the time that Nazik had confessed to receiving orders from Syrian intelligence to plan the attack in Turkey and having arranged the transport of explosives. Twenty-two people had already been jailed earlier last year in connection with the bombing. Reyhanli is home to thousands of Syrian refugees. Following a series of bombings in the region in 2013, Turkey tightened controls along its 900-km (560-mile) border with Syria. Turkey has been one of the biggest supporters of the rebels fighting Syrian government forces during the eight-year conflict in Syria. It hosts some 3.5 million Syrian refugees. (Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen Editing by Dominic Evans and Alison Williams) NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio holds a rally at Trump Tower. Photo: Michael Appleton/NYC Mayors Office As president, Donald Trump cares very little about climate change and the pollutants that make it worse. As a businessman, hes no different. According to a report in the Guardian Monday, eight Trump Organization buildings in New York City are pumping out roughly 27,000 tons of greenhouse gases every year. Thats the equivalent of 5,800 cars. Each of those buildings would have to cut emissions by 40 percent, relative to 2005 levels, by 2030 to avoid major fines. Thats part of last months landmark New York City Council bill aimed at slashing greenhouse gases. Part of the legislation calls for buildings of 25,000 square feet or more, which account for nearly a third of the citys carbon emissions, to increase their energy efficiency. After hitting the 40 percent mark in 2030, buildings will be required to cut emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Buildings that fail to meet the marks will be punished by major fines. The city says the Trump Organization would be hit with $2.1 million in fines every year if it doesnt make any improvements. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, whos no friend of the president, sought to highlight the Trump Organizations poor environmental track record on Monday by holding a rally at Trump Tower. The landmark Trump property has been called one of the citys least energy-efficient buildings. In front of signs reading NYC Green New Deal, de Blasio said, His buildings are one of the biggest polluters in New York City. Cut your emissions or well cut something you really care about. De Blasio, who is expected to jump into the Democratic primary any time now, also brought out some Trump supporters who rode the infamous Trump Tower escalator with some homemade signs for the mayor. Scene in lobby of Trump tower as Trump supporters try to drown out de Blasio rally with signs saying worst mayor ever pic.twitter.com/5xo7wYpHKI Melissa Russo (@MelissaRusso4NY) May 13, 2019 ISTANBUL (AP) Turkey's electoral board has rejected a demand by opposition parties to annul local election results in Istanbul's 39 districts, following the board's decision to strip the opposition of its victory in the mayoral race. The Supreme Electoral Board on Monday also turned down the opposition's request to annul the results of last year's presidential and parliamentary elections, which further solidified President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's grip on power. The board ruled in favor of Erdogan's party last week, ordering a re-run of the mayoral race on June 23, saying some officials overseeing the election weren't civil servants as required by law. The opposition had argued that the board's decision on ballot box committees should apply to all results in Istanbul, where Erdogan's party won a majority of districts. In this article: Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz was scheduled for an MRI on his left wrist Monday. The six-time All-Star was injured on a swing and miss during Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Cruz, 38, is hitting .270 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 35 games this season. He signed a one-year, $14.3 million deal with Minnesota in January, joining his fifth team in 15 seasons. Cruz is a .274 career hitter with 367 homers and 1,033 RBIs in 1,604 games with the Milwaukee Brewers (2005), Texas Rangers (2006-13), Baltimore Orioles (2014), Seattle Mariners (2015-18) and Twins. --Field Level Media Saudi Arabia said its tankers were targeted in a The US and Iran are in serious danger of stumbling into a war by accident, Jeremy Hunt warned Monday, as tensions continued to mount and Saudi Arabia claimed two of its oil tankers were damaged in a mysterious attack in the Persian Gulf. Tensions between the US and Iran are at their highest point in years, with the White House deploying growing numbers of American forces to the Middle East in response to what it says are threats of Iranian attacks. Iran has said that in 60 days it will violate the 2015 nuclear agreement and resume enriching high-grade uranium needed for a nuclear weapon unless the world finds a way to ease the impact of US sanctions that have devastated its economy. Mr Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, called for a period of calm to avoid an unintended escalation between the two sides. We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict, he said in Brussels. What we need is a period of calm to make sure everyone understands what the other side is thinking and most of all we need to make sure we dont end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation. Because if Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers, this is already the most unstable region in the world and this would be a massive step in the wrong direction. Mr Hunt spoke hours after Saudi Arabia and the UAE announced that four of their oil tankers were damaged in a sabotage attack off the east coast of the UAE, near the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway. The two Arab states, who are fierce opponents of Iran, did not say who was responsible for the attack nor provide any evidence of damage to the ships. This criminal act poses a serious threat to the security and safety of maritime traffic, which reflects negatively on regional and international peace and security, the Saudi foreign ministry said. Story continues The White House began warning last week that it was picking up signals that Iran was preparing to attack US interests in the Middle East. Although the US has not made its evidence public, American officials said they were concerned that Iran might try to fire ballistic missiles off of ships at US vessels in the region and that Shia militias in Iraq might mount attacks. The US ordered an aircraft carrier and a task force of B-52 bombers and then later reinforced them with a Patriot battery, designed to shoot down incoming missiles, and an assault ship carrying US Marines. The US already has a wide array of forces in the region, including a vast Air Force base in Qatar and a large naval facility in neighbouring Bahrain, which houses the US 5th Fleet. The newly deployed B-52s began their first patrols over the weekend. The military build up has been accompanied by a flurry of diplomatic activity. Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, abruptly changed his travel plans Sunday to fly to Brussels to meet European diplomats about Iran. Skeptics of the Trump administrations policy towards Iran have warned that US officials may be hoping for an opportunity for military confrontation as American sanctions have so far failed to force Iran to capitulate. Some in Washington and the region would welcome, or try to provoke, a confrontation with Tehran in an effort to achieve what sanctions have failed at so far - cutting Iran down to size, Ali Vaez, director of the Iran programme at the International Crisis Group, told the New Yorker. Charles Hollis, a former UK diplomat who worked in Iran and is now managing director of the Falanx Assynt consultancy, said he thought that was less likely. I think you would get a stronger signal from Washington if it were a deliberate policy. I dont think the US policy establishment as a whole has an agenda for war, he said. European diplomats urged Mr Pompeo to avoid any escalation that could lead to war and said they remained united in their support for the 2015 nuclear agreement, which the US withdrew from last year. We do not want it to come to a military conflict, said Heiko Mass, the German foreign minister. Riyadh (AFP) - Two Saudi oil tankers were damaged in a "sabotage attack" off the United Arab Emirates coast, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday, quoting the Saudi energy minister. "Two Saudi oil tankers were subjected to a sabotage attack in the exclusive economic zone of the United Arab Emirates, off the coast of the Emirate of Fujairah, while on their way to cross into the Arabian Gulf," SPA cited Khalid al-Falih as saying. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels of various nationalities had been targeted by acts of sabotage off Fujairah. The incident comes amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States which has strengthened its military presence in the region, including deploying a number of strategic B-52 bombers in response to alleged threats from Tehran. It also comes as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is headed to Brussels to discuss Iran with French, British and German officials. Falih said the sabotage did not result in any casualties or an oil spill but "it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels." One of the two tankers was on its way to be loaded with crude oil from Saudi Ras Tanura oil terminal in the Gulf for customers in the United States, the minister said. UAE did not name who was responsible for the Sunday morning attacks on the vessels but warned that "carrying out acts of sabotage on commercial and civilian vessels and threatening the safety and lives of those on board is a serious development". No one was hurt and Abu Dhabi called on world powers to help keep maritime traffic safe. Fujairah port is the only terminal in the UAE located on the Arabian Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Gulf oil exports pass, and which Iran has repeatedly threatened to close in case of a military confrontation with the United States. The small emirate has an oil terminal and a pipeline that delivers crude oil from Abu Dhabi which sits on the majority of UAE oil reserves. Story continues The Pentagon said Friday that it was deploying an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to bolster an aircraft carrier force sent to counter alleged threats from Iran. The increasing tensions come as Tehran said Wednesday it had stopped respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 deal with major powers. Iran said it was responding to the sweeping unilateral sanctions that Washington has re-imposed since it quit the agreement one year ago, which have dealt a severe blow to the Iranian economy. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - The Trump administration said Monday it will drop rules first proposed in 2012 that would have required automakers to install brake-throttle override systems to prevent runaway vehicles. The regulation was proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in response to a series of unintended sudden acceleration incidents in Toyota Motor Corp vehicles. It would have required that all motor vehicles' brakes be able to override the accelerator pedal. The proposal was aimed at ensuring the driver could halt a vehicle by applying the brakes if a throttle pedal was trapped by a floor mat, shoe or other obstruction. In 2012, NHTSA said some automakers had not yet made the systems standard. On Monday NHTSA said all automakers have voluntarily installed brake throttle override systems on all new vehicles and the agency does not anticipate any automakers removing the system. But in dropping the proposed rule, NHTSA will not set braking distance requirements for the systems and other performance requirements. Gloria Bergquist, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group representing General Motors Co, Toyota, Volkswagen AG and others, said the rule was no longer necessary. "When the technology is in widespread use now, there is no need to continue a rulemaking," she said. Brake throttle override systems work by the vehicle software cutting power to the throttle if both pedals are depressed. NHTSA had also proposed extending its rules to require vehicles to return to idle when a driver stops pressing on the accelerator pedal or in response to a "failsafe operation" to include electronic throttle control systems. On Monday, NHTSA said a "broader understanding of safe design of vehicle electronic control systems is needed to make an informed decision on regulating return-to-idle." It said there were "substantial challenges" in designing objective tests for the operation of brake throttle override systems. Story continues The agency in 2012 cited the August 2009 sudden acceleration crash that killed four people when a California Highway Patrol officer was driving a loaner Lexus ES350 that had the wrong floor mat installed. Toyota recalled more than 10 million vehicles worldwide because of unintended acceleration issues in 2009 and 2010. Several government reviews found no evidence that electronic glitches were to blame for unintended acceleration but blamed the issues on mechanical interference like floor mats. In 2014, Toyota paid a $1.2 billion Justice Department fine after it admitted it misled U.S. consumers by concealing and making deceptive statements about the extent of sudden acceleration problems. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Andrea Ricci) May 13 (Reuters) - China said on Monday it would raise tariffs on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from the United States amid a series of additional levies, a move that could further reduce U.S. LNG shipments to the world's fastest growing importer of the fuel. So far this year, only two vessels have gone from the United States to China, versus 14 during the first four months of 2018 before the start of the 10-month trade war. On Monday, China said it would boost the tariff on U.S. LNG to 25% starting June 1 versus the current rate of 10%. That move came in retaliation for a U.S. increase on Friday in tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25% from 10%. Natural gas is seen as a bridge between current worldwide use of much dirtier coal for power generation and industrial uses, and renewable fuels, because it burns cleaner. It has seen massive growth in sales as LNG - the supercooled form of the gas - in recent years, particularly to Asian nations seeking to reduce their dependence on coal. The United States, meanwhile, is the fastest-growing LNG exporter in the world, and is expected to rank third in exports in 2019 behind Qatar and Australia. Abundant supplies of natural gas have kept prices low, feeding demand for projects for both domestic consumption and export. For a graphic on U.S. LNG shipments to China, see: https://tmsnrt.rs/2W29f88. So far, the biggest U.S. LNG producer, Cheniere Energy Inc , has not expressed major concerns about the trade war. Last week, Cheniere, which owns two of the three big operating U.S. LNG export terminals, said the trade war is "unproductive and creates some added costs for our Chinese consumers," but it has not yet materially affected sales. Shares of Cheniere were down 3 percent to $65.87 on Monday. The United States and China started imposing tariffs on each other's goods in July 2018. As the dispute heated up, China added LNG to its list of proposed tariffs in August and imposed a 10% tariff on LNG in September. U.S. LNG sales jumped 61 percent in 2018 versus 2017, while China, the world's second-biggest buyer of the fuel behind Japan, increased its purchases by 39 percent last year, according to data from the International Gas Union. (Reporting by Scott DiSavino; editing by Jonathan Oatis) WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will cancel the Moscow leg of his Russia trip, but will meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi as planned on Tuesday, a State Department official said. Pompeo, who departed from Joint Base Andrews near Washington en route for Brussels, will hold talks with European officials on Iran and other issues on Monday before heading to Russia, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity. Last week, European countries said they wanted to preserve Iran's nuclear deal and rejected "ultimatums" from Tehran, after Iran eased curbs on its nuclear program and threatened moves that might breach the 2015 international pact. Iran's announcement on Wednesday, related to curbs on its stockpiling of nuclear materials, was in response to U.S. sanctions imposed following President Donald Trump's withdrawal of the United States from the accord with Tehran a year ago. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) By Gabriella Borter (Reuters) - U.S. health authorities recorded 75 new cases of the measles in the latest week, mostly in New York state, bringing the nationwide total to 839 cases in the country's worst outbreak of the virus since 1994, federal health officials said on Monday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 9.8% increase in measles cases as of May 10, a resurgence that public health officials have attributed to the spread of misinformation about the measles vaccine. Data are updated every Monday. In New York, 66 cases were reported according to CDC spokesman Jason McDonald, with 41 in New York City and 25 in Rockland County, about 40 miles (64 km) north of New York city. Health experts say the virus has spread mostly among school-age children whose parents declined to give them the vaccine, which confers immunity to the disease. A vocal fringe of U.S. parents, some in New York ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, cite concerns that the vaccine may cause autism. Medical science has debunked those concerns. While the 2019 outbreak has spread rapidly within New York, the virus has not spread to any additional states since the previous week, when Pennsylvania became the latest state to confirm at least one case. Experts warn that the outbreak is not over as the number of cases approaches the 1994 total of 958. That was the highest number since 1992, when the CDC recorded 2,126 cases. Although the virus was eliminated from the country in 2000, meaning the disease was no longer a constant presence in the country, outbreaks still happen via travelers coming from countries where measles is still common, the CDC says. More than 40 people in 2019 brought measles to the United States from other countries, most frequently Ukraine, Israel and the Philippines, federal officials said. (Reporting by Gabriella Borter in New York, Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago and Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru; editing by Susan Thomas and Phil Berlowitz) By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court's internal divisions over the death penalty were exposed again on Monday in fresh wrangling over how the justices handled a bid by a convicted murderer in Alabama to put off his execution. Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the nine-member court's five conservatives, wrote a 14-page opinion explaining his views on the court's early-morning decision on April 12 to pave the way for the execution of Christopher Price, 46. The court's order was released too late for the execution to take place and Price remains on death row. Thomas, joined by fellow conservatives Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, took aim at liberal Justice Stephen Breyer, a frequent critic of the death penalty, who had dissented from the Price decision along with the court's three other liberals. Price had a weak legal argument, Thomas wrote, meaning "it is difficult to see his litigation strategy as anything other than an attempt to delay his execution. Yet four members of the court would have countenanced his tactics without a shred of legal support." In the April vote, the court reversed two lower court decisions that delayed Price's execution so he could proceed with his request to be executed by lethal gas instead of lethal injection. The Thomas opinion on Monday was issued as the court rejected Price's underlying appeal. The April decision in Price's case was the third time in recent weeks the court has divided along ideological lines on a death penalty case, with the conservatives in the majority each time. Price was convicted and sentenced to death in 1993 in the killing of William Lynn, a minister, in his home in Bazemore, Alabama, in 1991. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham) Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images Florida, if handled improperly, could become a great source of anxiety for Republicans hoping to defend the presidents electoral victory there in 2020. Despite sporting above-average polling numbers in the state though still a net-negative approval rating Trump will have to build on his 100,000 vote win over Hillary Clinton as new voting laws allow up to 1.2 million former felons, who skew toward Democratic values, to cast a ballot in 2020. In addition to that challenge, which Florida Republicans are combating by nullifying ex-convicts voting rights, the state party apparatus now fears that Trumps policy toward Venezuela could stifle their coming electoral prospects. According to a report from the Washington Post, Florida Republicans are worried that the presidents decision to back opposition leader Juan Guaido could become a political liability among the states 200,000 Venezuelans. This could be another Bay of Pigs as far as Cuban sentiment is concerned, Al Cardenas, former chairman of the Florida Republican Party, told the Post. Trumps name is gold in South Florida if president Nicolas Maduro is toppled. If not, its going to hurt him. Other Hispanic leaders in the state, like former Congressman Carlos Curbelo, were frustrated by Secretary of State Mike Pompeos recognition of the administrations work with Cuba to convince Maduro to leave Caracas. The administrations actions with regard to Venezuela could make all the difference, either in getting the president across the finish line in Florida, or, if this effort stalls, it could also cost him, Curbelo told the Post. In a February speech in Miami, Trump sounded as confident on the topic as any, claiming that a new day is coming in Latin America, and that in Venezuela and across the Western Hemisphere, socialism is dying. The president attempted to connect the political reality of the failing state to the rise of the left within the Democratic party since 2016. To those who would try to impose socialism on the United States, we again deliver a very simple message: America will never be a socialist country, he said. According to Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh, the 2020 team will hammer that especially poignant point home in Florida. It is never a mistake to stand for freedom against tyranny, Murtaugh told the Post, responding to the topic of Republican concerns regarding Venezuela and Florida. For both parties, the state will be an essential stepping stone on the path to 2020 victory. Florida is the largest swing state in play, with 29 electoral votes the fourth-most of any state. Since 1996, the candidate that has won Florida has won the White House. To ensure that it goes red, the Trump campaign has assigned a political director to exclusively handle Florida the only state given that designation by the Trump campaign. As the Post notes, Trumps Venezuela policy adds to a growing list of problems among Hispanic voters in Florida, who make up one in six of the states voters: His new restrictions on Cuba win praise from older Cuban Americans, but polls in recent years show a younger generation favors more open relations. Many Hispanics are recoiling from Trumps hard-line immigration policies, as well as his widely criticized response to Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico. After the failed power grab by Juan Guaido at the end of April, its clear that the leadership crisis in Venezuela will not end as promptly as the Trump administration expected it to. But with each passing day, the likelihood that Trump sticks to his pro-Guaido position deteriorates. As the Post reported last week: Trump has said that Maduro is a tough cookie and that aides should not have led him to believe that the Venezuelan leader could be ousted. If Trump administration policy toward the South American country could threaten the GOPs chances in Florida, the best strategy could just be to wait a week or two in the hopes that hell change it. WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - Iran is a leading candidate for having carried out attacks on four tankers near the United Arab Emirates but the United States does not have conclusive proof Tehran was behind them, a U.S. official familiar with American intelligence said on Monday. "This is what Iran does ... The sort of thing you could see Iran doing ... It fits their M.O. (modus operandi)," said the official on condition of anonymity, saying the most obvious explanation for Iran's statements distancing itself from the incident was that Tehran was "trying to muddy the waters." (Reporting By Mark Hosenball; Writing By Arshad Mohammed; Editing by David Gregorio) Team Uber: Im looking forward to being in front of you at the All Hands tomorrow, but I wanted to send you a quick note in the meantime. First off, I want to thank you all for your passion for and commitment to Uber. We simply would not be here without you. Like all periods of transition, there are ups and downs. Obviously our stock did not trade as well as we had hoped post-IPO. Today is another tough day in the market, and I expect the same as it relates to our stock. But it is essential for us to keep our eye on the long-term value of Uber for our customers, partners, drivers and investors. Every stock is valued based on the projected future cash flows/profits that the company is expected to generate over its lifetime. There are many versions of our future that are highly profitable and valuable, and there are of course some that are less so. During times of negative market sentiment, the pessimistic voices get louder, and the optimistic voices pull back. We will make certain that we communicate our incredible value as a company that is changing the way the world moves, but also the value that we are building for our owners. But there is one simple way for us to succeed focus on the work at hand and execute against our plans effectively. Remember that the Facebook and Amazon post-IPO trading was incredibly difficult for those companies. And look at how they have delivered since. Our road will be the same. Sentiment does not change overnight, and I expect some tough public market times over the coming months. But we have all the capital we need to demonstrate a path to improved margins and profits. As the market sees evidence, sentiment will improve, and as sentiment improves, the stock will follow. We will not be able to control timing, but we will be able to control the outcome. We will be judged long-term on our performance, and I welcome that. Its all in our hands. I look forward to being there at the All Hands to answer Qs and tell you more. Onwards, DK BRUSSELS, May 13 (Reuters) - Britain's Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt warned on Monday of the risks of an unintended conflict between the United States and Iran over the unraveling nuclear deal. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended," Hunt told reporters in Brussels, adding that it was crucial not to put Iran back on the path of re-nuclearisation. (Reporting by Robin Emmott, editing by Francesco Guarascio and by Alissa de Carbonnel) LONDON (Reuters) - Britain, Germany and France called on Monday for an end to the military escalation in north western Syria, saying they were gravely concerned at recent violence which had led to the death of more than 120 civilians. Last week, Syria's army, backed by Russian air power, launched ground operations against the southern flank of a rebel zone consisting of Idlib and parts of adjacent provinces. "This military escalation must stop," the joint statement from the three countries, issued by Britain's Foreign Office, said. "Airstrikes on population centers, indiscriminate bombardment and use of barrel bombs as well as the targeting of civilian and humanitarian infrastructures, notably schools and health facilities, are blatant violations of International Humanitarian Law." (Reporting by Michael Holden, Editing by Kylie MacLellan) LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May spoke to the leaders of Northern Irish parties on Monday about talks to try to restore a devolved government in the province, her spokesman said. The British-run province has been without a devolved executive for more than two years since Irish nationalists Sinn Fein withdrew from the compulsory power-sharing government with the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, Editing by Elizabeth Piper) GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) The U.N. envoy to the Mideast said Monday that the recent ceasefire between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel was the "last chance" to prevent an all-out conflict. A Qatari envoy arrived the same day in the Palestinian enclave with cash to help cement the truce, which halted the worst round of fighting between the two sides in years. After a spate of violence killed 25 Palestinians, including 15 civilians, as well as four Israeli civilians earlier this month, Nickolay Mladenov, the U.N. diplomat, said he hopes all parties see that "the risk of war remains imminent." Mladenov, inaugurating a solar power plant for a Gaza hospital, said the parties must "consolidate the understandings" of the cease-fire. He said "the next escalation is going to be probably the last one" before the sides descend into a full-fledged war. The latest bout of fighting was the worst since a deadly and destructive war between Israel and Hamas in 2014. It ended with a cease-fire brokered by Egypt and helped by the U.N. and Qatar. The most recent ceasefire deal promises to let fuel and humanitarian aid into Gaza, as well as ease the movement of people from the blockaded territory. Among its terms is a program to create jobs for thousands of graduates. Unemployment in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since the militant Hamas group seized power 12 years ago, is over 50%. Qatari envoy Mohammed al-Emadi arrived in Gaza with a $30 million cash infusion meant for tens of thousands of needy families as part of the cease-fire understandings. Hours later, beneficiaries lined up outside post offices to cash the $100 checks. Mohammed Abu Eida, 30, stood in the queue, a pair of crutches propping him up as he recovers from an injury. "We want them to lift the siege so we can work. I have rent for my home and I'm married and have a daughter; what is $100? It's insufficient." Story continues The oil-rich Persian Gulf country stepped up its financial support to Gaza last year in order to defuse tensions that have mounted and, in several cases, erupted into cross-border fighting, after Hamas launched weekly protests along the Gaza-Israel perimeter fence. Qatar had previously provided millions of dollars for Hamas government salaries, but, after Israeli protestations over funds going to the militant group, the money now goes to relief operations. Since 2012, Qatar has financed over $750 million in housing, infrastructure projects and relief operations in the Gaza Strip. Though Doha doesn't pay directly to Hamas, which the United States and the European Union classify as a terrorist organization, the cash infusions relieve Hamas from having to fund such vital projects. Last week, Qatar pledged another payment of $480 million to the Palestinians, but this time shifted most of it $300 million to Hamas' rival in the West Bank: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party-run Palestinian Authority. This support for Abbas's government, which is also engulfed in a severe financial crisis, situates Qatar as a welcome broker in both Gaza and Ramallah for reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas. Meanwhile, the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, has warned that food supplies for more than half of Gaza's population "will be severely challenged" if the agency doesn't get at least $60m in additional funding by June. UNRWA said that it provides food among other services like education and health care to more than 1 million Palestinians in Gaza, including some 620,000 of "those who cannot cover their basic food needs and who have to survive on US $1.6 per day." United Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN officials will meet with Yemen's government and Huthi rebels in Amman on Tuesday to discuss managing revenues from Red Sea ports after the Huthis agreed to pull out of those facilities. The meeting in Jordan comes as a UN mission is to verify the redeployment of the rebels form the ports of Hodeida, Saleef and Ras Issa. The talks will focus on using revenues form the ports to pay public sector salaries in Hodeida province and throughout the country, a UN statement said. Most of Yemen's public workers have gone unpaid for months as the country's finances and economy collapsed in the war, which has dragged on for at least four years. The Huthis agreed to begin a withdrawal from the ports on Saturday, turning over control to a coast guard to ensure security at those facilities. The government says the coast guard is close to the Huthi militias. The United Nations has brushed aside government complaints that the withdrawal was flawed, insisting that it was proceeding as planned. "This is redeployment activity that's being monitored and verified by the United Nations, and it is going according to procedure," UN spokesman Farhan Haq said. "I'm well aware that there are contradictory points of opinions from the opposing sides." Hodeida is the main entry point for the bulk of Yemen's imports and humanitarian aid, providing a lifeline to millions of people who are on the brink of famine. If the redeployment is confirmed, it could provide a boost to UN efforts to end the war in Yemen, which has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to push back an advance by the rebels, who continue to hold the capital Sanaa, and to restore to power President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. The conflict has killed tens of thousands people, many of them civilians, relief agencies say. The UN's Afghanistan mission said Monday it was probing allegations of civilian casualties resulting from US air strikes against purported drug-making facilities in western Afghanistan. The allegations centre on strikes conducted earlier this month in Farah and Nimroz provinces, where dozens of structures said to have been used to produce heroin and other illegal drugs were destroyed. According to interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi, "150 Taliban terrorists were killed, 40 wounded" in the Farah operations. But the Taliban have denied the facilities were used for drugs and claimed "up to 100" civilians were killed. In a statement, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it was "actively looking into allegations of civilian casualties resulting from International Military Forces' aerial operations in Farah and Nimroz provinces against reported drug manufacturing facilities". "The locations are not easily accessible and there are numerous operational challenges to the verification" of civilians being harmed, UNAMA added. The US-led NATO mission in Kabul did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last month, UNAMA published a report saying Afghan civilians are for the first time being killed in greater numbers by US and pro-government forces than by the Taliban and other insurgent groups. It also chastised the Taliban for an increase in deadly violence across Afghanistan during Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. The war-torn nation has seen continued violence since the start of Ramadan last week as the Taliban and the US were engaged in talks to try to find an end to the war. The Taliban claimed responsibility for a May 8 attack on a US-funded aid group in Kabul that claimed the lives of nine civilians and Afghan security officials. "There can be absolutely no justification for deliberate or indiscriminate attacks against civilians," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, said in the UNAMA statement. "It is particularly egregious that a premeditated act of extreme violence was conducted against a development agency where civilians were striving to improve the lives of all citizens." An earlier attack by the Taliban just before Ramadan saw at least 13 people killed and dozens more wounded after a suicide bomber and several gunmen attacked a police headquarters in Pul-i-Khumri in northern Afghanistan. Seoul (AFP) - Ever more South Koreans prefer peaceful co-existence with the nuclear-armed North to reunification of the peninsula, a survey found Monday. Despite sharing a common language and ethnicity and centuries of history, North and South Korea have become radically different societies in recent decades. Ruled with an iron grip by three generations of the Kim family, the North has turned itself into a nuclear power -- at the cost of international isolation -- while the South has embraced democracy and risen to become the world's 11th-largest economy. The South's President Moon Jae-in regularly affirms unification as an eventual goal, but the picture in his country is far more nuanced, the survey by Seoul's Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) showed. A total of 65.9 percent of South Koreans saw unification as necessary, it said, down from 70.7 percent last year as inter-Korean engagement and nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington stall. But when offered an alternative, 49.5 percent of Southerners favoured peaceful co-existence with the North with only 28.8 percent preferring unification, the biggest difference the survey has shown. The differences are larger among younger people, with those in their 20s having spent their adult lives living with and sometimes threatened by a nuclear North. If given a choice between unification and the economy, 70.5 percent put a higher priority on the economy, with just 8.3 percent backing unification. A year ago the preferences were 60.7 and 12.8 respectively, but discontent over the South Korean economy is rising amid persistent unemployment and faltering growth. The researchers carried out just over 1,000 face-to-face interviews last month, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump failed to reach a deal over denuclearisation and sanctions relief in Hanoi in February, and before North Korea last week carried out its first missile launches for more than a year. Representative Rashida Tlaib. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images The Republican Party, which has a hair-trigger sensitivity to left-wing anti-Semitism as censorious as any social justice warrior, has whipped itself into its latest frenzy over comments by Representative Rashida Tlaib. To understand the genesis of this bizarre controversy, lets begin with Tlaibs comment itself: Theres always kind of a calming feeling I tell folks when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors Palestinians who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some peoples passports. And just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. And I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways. But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away and it was forced on them. I dont agree at all with Tlaibs view of the Middle East (she is in favor of the one-state solution, which would almost certainly lead to endless bloodshed) nor do I especially endorse this comment in particular. But what she is saying here is not very hard to understand: While she regrets the establishment of the state of Israel, it did bring a benefit to Jewish refugees. Republicans are twisting the comment in two ways. The first charge is that she says Palestinians somehow willingly donated the land to Jews. What shes attempting to say is that she feels proud that the Palestinians opened their arms to victims of the Holocaust and gave up their land to do so, says RedState. Rashida Tlaib says thinking of the Holocaust provides her a calming feeling, shockingly claims Palestinians created safe haven for Jews, blares the headline in the conservative Washington Examiner. Tlaib does say Palestinians provided the land for Israel. But she doesnt say anything about them opening their arms. Indeed, she says later in the interview that it was forced on them, making it perfectly clear that she is describing a land transfer that occurred against their wishes. Conservatives are angrily pointing out that Palestinians opposed the Zionist project, which is something Tlaib did not in any way deny. The second, even wilder charge against Tlaib is for supposedly minimizing the evils of the Holocaust. Tlaib invoked the Holocaust in a positive light, saying she felt a calming feeling knowing her ancestors helped create a safe haven for Jews, claims the Washington Free Beacon. There is no justification for the twisted and disgusting comments made by Rashida Tlaib just days after the annual Day of Holocaust Remembrance. More than six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust; there is nothing calming about that fact, says House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, who once met with white supremacists and reportedly pitched himself as David Duke without the baggage. The claim that Tlaib said the Holocaust itself was calming is a pure lie. Tlaib was using the term calming in reference to a tragedy, but the tragedy is the loss of Palestinian Arab land. She is arguing that the loss to Palestinians that was offset by a gain for Jews is calming to her. Amazingly, her positive comment about the establishment of the state of Israel is being twisted into a positive comment about the Holocaust. Of course, it is true that the Holocaust is what led to the establishment of Israel. The causal relationship between the two events is an undeniable historical fact, one that Jews frequently observe. Tlaib is repeating the same basic observation that Jews habitually make out of the darkness comes light. It is particularly Orwellian that they have twisted this element of her statement into some kind of tacit endorsement of Hitlerism. Students in Australia were in for a smelly surprise when a suspected gas leak at a university library turned out to be just a particularly pungent fruit. The University of Canberra's library evacuated late last week after a suspected gas leak, a statement on the library's Facebook page read, forcing about 550 people to leave the building in less than six minutes. But soon after, the library provided an update to the situation, explaining a durian caused the stir. "And we're open!" the edited post read. "Fortunately the suspected gas leak turned out to be a part of a durian the offending fruit has now been removed." The confusion unfolded Thursday as classes were ending for the semester and students were preparing for an exam period, which began Monday. The day after the evacuation, the library ensured students still had a place to study, even if it was a bit stinky. Durians are a divisive fruit from Asia and known for their strong aroma. To some, the fruits have a pleasant smell and taste, but others get more of a "turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock," food writer Richard Sterling once wrote, according to Smithsonian Magazine. A mixture of chemicals in the fruit creates its unique scent, according to Smithsonian. In Singapore, the fruit is banned on some trains. And it has caused problems in public places before. In November, an Indonesian flight was delayed after passengers complained of a foul smell from the fruit. Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: University evacuates for fear of gas leak. The alarming smell was actually a really stinky fruit It costs as little as $600 for a suicide bomber to kill dozens of people and cryptocurrencies make it easy to fund those attacks, according to Sigal Mandelker, the U.S. Treasury Departments Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. She spoke to thousands of people gathered in New York for the annual CoinDesk Consensus. Its an annual conference of the biggest names in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Mandelkers message was a warning to the industry to comply with regulations designed to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Nobody here wants to see innovative products and services misused to support terrorism and weapons proliferation, she said. Sigal P. Mandelker, the undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the U.S. Treasury, listens to questions at a press briefing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, July 12, 2018. A top U.S. official focused on sanctions on Iran linked American financial pressure on Tehran with the ongoing economic protests roiling the Islamic Republic. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) The Treasury Department has received more than 47,000 SARs or suspicious activity reports, since 2013, citing bitcoin or other virtual currencies. Mandelker says, Half of these SARs were filed by virtual currency exchangers or administrators themselves. It should be viewed as a duty serving our national security. Threats every day Mandelker starts every day with a briefing on the latest threats to the United States. It requires vigilance. In February, Hamas, which several governments worldwide list as a terrorist organization, began accepting bitcoin donations. Some of the features that appeal most to users and businesses, like speed of transfers, rapid settlement, global reach, and increased anonymity can also create opportunities for rogue regimes and terrorists, according to Mandelker. Treasurys Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCen, says hackers stole $1.5 billion from virtual currency exchanges over the last two years. Mandelker says the industry must develop new ways to detect illegal activity. It is to ensure that you establish a reporting system that keeps bad actors away from your businesses and protects our national security, she said. Industry crack down The Treasury Department points to security markers developed by the private sector that have helped crack down on hackers and money laundering. Mandelker praises tools like device identifiers, IP addresses with associated timestamps, virtual currency wallet addresses, and transaction hashes as tools that she says help the U.S. government track down some of the biggest non-compliant actors in this industry. An example is the case of Alexander Vinnik. Story continues Vinnik was arrested in Greece back in 2017 on 17 counts of money laundering and two counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transaction. The U.S. claimed Vinnik laundered more than $4 billion through the BTC-e trading platform. The U.S. Department of Justice fined BTC-e $110 million and leveled a $12 million fine against Vinnik. He insists he is innocent but is being held in Greece awaiting extradition to the U.S. to stand trial. Mandelker urged cryptocurrency exchange operators to increase efforts to comply with regulations or face a similar fate. Treasury is laser focused on pursuing those who disregard their obligations. A global fight It is Mandelkers job to enforce sanctions against state sponsors of terrorism and individuals who break the law. She says Iran, Venezuela and Russia are launching cryptocurrencies to evade U.S. sanctions. Requiring anti money laundering standards around the world is vital for creating a level playing field and ensuring that bad actors dont just gravitate to jurisdictions that have no safeguards, Mandelker says. In June, the Financial Action Task Force, FATF, the international organization that sets global standards to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, will adopt updated guidance. Mandelker says it is critical that the crypto currency industry comply with its obligations. She calls it a duty to serve the interests of national security. She told those gathered at the Consensus conference If your business is to succeed and thrive, then your business model needs to be built on a strong foundation of anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance from the very beginning. Adam Shapiro is the co-host of Yahoo Finance On the Move. By David Lawder and Eric Beech WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A list of products subject to possible U.S. tariffs on about $300 billion of Chinese imports will include cellphones and laptop computers but not pharmaceuticals and rare earth materials, the U.S. Trade Representative's Office said on Monday. It said a public hearing will be held on June 17 on its list of 3,805 product categories that could be subject to tariffs of up to 25%. Final rebuttal comments are due seven days after the end of the hearing, USTR said, marking a much shorter public comment period than previous rounds. Initial tariffs on a $200 billion list of Chinese imports received about 71 days of public scrutiny during the summer of 2018, versus as little as 42 days for the latest $300 billion round of tariffs. The comment period would likely be completed before U.S. President Donald Trump goes to a G20 leaders summit in Japan on June 28-29, where he said he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The timing would allow him to be in a position to order the tariffs to be activated around that date. The proposed list would cover nearly every consumer product left untouched by previous tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports, including cellphones, laptops and tablet computers. Apple Inc, whose products had escaped prior rounds of tariffs, saw its shares plunge 5.8 percent on Monday, taking U.S. stocks broadly lower. The nearly 140-page list covers a wide variety of consumer products such as clothing, shoes, pencil sharpeners, books, bedsheets, and lawn mowers. It also includes fresh produce, meat, watches, pesticides, motorcycles, cocoa, infant formula, fireworks, yarn, baby pacifiers, and musical instruments. "The latest tariff escalation is far too great a gamble for the U.S. economy," National Retail Federation President Matthew Shay said in a statement. "Slapping tariffs on everything U.S. companies import from China goods that support U.S. manufacturing and provide consumers with affordable products will jeopardize American jobs and increase costs for consumers." Story continues The list excluded Chinese-made pharmaceuticals, inputs for pharmaceuticals and select medical products, and rare earth minerals. Some of those are considered important for the electric vehicle, defense and drug industries. Product exclusions granted by USTR from prior rounds of tariffs will not be affected, including a group of exclusions announced earlier on Monday for small electric motors, water filters and other components. (Reporting by David Lawder and Eric Beech, additional reporting by David Shepardson and Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall and Rosalba O'Brien) Caracas (AFP) - A Venezuelan air force general has called on his country's armed forces to rise up against President Nicolas Maduro, who remains in power with military support despite a sweeping economic crisis. "It's time to rise up, it's time to fight ... it's time that the armed forces became aware," General Ramon Rangel said in a video appeal issued Sunday on social media. Rangel -- who appeared in civilian clothes and whose location is unknown -- is the latest of several military figures to call on Venezuela's military to abandon Maduro. Another Air Force general, Francisco Yanez, pledged his allegiance to opposition leader Juan Guaido on February 2. Rangel did not however specifically call on the military to switch their allegiance to Guaido, who is recognized as interim president by much of the international community. The 35-year-old National Assembly speaker, who organized a failed uprising on April 30, has repeatedly called on the armed forces to abandon Maduro. A source close to Venezuela's military told AFP that Rangel has not been on active duty "for years," and at one point was manager of a Venezuelan state company in Cuba. The commander of the Air Force, General Pedro Juliac, denounced Rangel as a traitor on Twitter. Juliac's tweet carried a photo of Rangel with a cross over it, and the phrase: "Traitor of the people and of the Revolution." "Those without morals will never be able to damage the country, let alone the Bolivarian military aviation. We will win - Long Live the Revolution." RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - A veteran Palestinian negotiator said on Monday she had been denied a U.S. travel visa for the first time, and viewed it as retaliation for her criticism of the Trump administration and Israel. Asked about Hanan Ashrawi's allegations, a U.S. State Department official did not comment directly, but said visas are not refused on the grounds of an applicant's politics if those political statements or views would be lawful in the United States. Since they boycotted the Trump administration over its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in late 2017, the Palestinians have seen cuts to U.S. funding that have contributed to their economic distress in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. "It is official! My US visa application has been rejected. No reason given," Ashrawi said on Twitter. She is a member of the executive committee of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and took part in interim peace talks with Israel dating back decades. She posited that "this administration has decided I do not deserve to set foot in the U.S." and gave as possible reasons her "vocal critic(ism) of this administration & its underlings" and her "(zero) tolerance for the Israeli occupation in all its manifestations as a most pervasive form of oppression, dispossession & denial". The rancor between the United States and the Palestinians has deepened as Washington prepares to unveil a long-awaited plan for restarting peacemaking, possibly next month. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said last week that the United States seems to be crafting a plan for a Palestinian surrender to Israel instead of a peace deal. Ashrawi has sparred publicly with Jason Greenblatt, a Trump envoy and an architect of the peace plan, saying on Twitter on Sunday that he is a "self-appointed advocate/apologist for Israel". In February, Greenblatt tweeted that Ashrawi was "always welcome" to meet him at the White House. A month later, after Ashrawi condemned Israeli military strikes in Hamas-ruled Gaza, he tweeted to her: "Stop hurting Palestinians w/bad judgment". Speaking to Reuters, Ashrawi said she had applied for a B-1/B-2 visa, which is for either business or tourism travel to the United States. She described the rejection as a first for her. "Most of my life, I've been going back and forth, meeting people, speaking everywhere. This is new," she said. "They (the Trump administration) are trying to punish us." A State Department official declined to respond to a Reuters query about Ashrawi's statements, citing confidentiality for visa records. But the official said: "U.S. law does not authorize the refusal of visa based solely on political statements or views if those statements or views if those statements or views would be lawful in the United States. Visas may be denied only on grounds set out in U.S. law." Those grounds, the State Department website says, include concerns about an applicant's health, criminal or security background, his or her labor status or incomplete documents. Last month, Omar Barghouti, a Palestinian leader of an international campaign to boycott Israel, said he was refused a U.S. travel visa as "part of Israel's escalating repression". U.S. officials declined to respond to his allegations. (Writing by Dan Williams and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Frances Kerry) Vietnamese police have seized half a tonne of ketamine worth $21 million in Ho Chi Minh City, a key transit hub that has seen record busts of synthetic drugs in recent weeks as narcotics gangs use its ports and air links to shuttle drugs across the region. Three Taiwanese citizens and one Chinese man were arrested in the weekend bust at a warehouse in the southern city according to state-run Thanh Nien newspaper on Monday. More than 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of ketamine was found stashed in industrial-grade machinery, in an operation carried out after months of surveillance. The ketamine was brought in overland to Vietnam and was destined for Taiwan, Thanh Nien reported. State media said the cartel leader had received overland shipments from China, but the police would not confirm where the ketamine originated. "The luxury drug is five times more expensive than other synthetics and is often consumed by the rich," major general Pham Van Cac was quoted as saying. The bust follows several other massive hauls in recent weeks of drugs believed to have been shuttled into the country from neighbouring Laos. Police seized more than one tonne of highly addictive crystal meth -- or "ice' -- and around one tonne of ketamine in Ho Chi Minh City last month, arresting two Taiwanese and one Vietnamese man in the sting. Earlier in the month a separate bust of 1.5 tonnes of meth was discovered in central Nghe An province. From meth cooks to traffickers, Taiwanese have long been active in Southeast Asia's narco trade, shifting drugs -- many from the lawless Golden Triangle region straddling Myanmar, Laos and Thailand -- across the region and beyond. Vietnamese police have said Ho Chi Minh City is increasingly becoming a hub for drug gangs as transport infrastructure has improved in recent years. Synthetic drug use is on the rise in Vietnam, especially among hard-partying youth increasingly turning to meth, ecstasy and ketamine. Story continues Seven people died at a music festival in Hanoi last year of suspected overdoses, which sent shockwaves through the conservative communist capital. The one-party state has some of the toughest drug laws in the world. Anyone caught with more than 600 grams (21 ounces) of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine can face the death penalty. Six people are currently on trial in Ho Chi Minh City for producing 120 kilograms of ecstasy pills, and last week prosecutors requested they be sentenced to death. British telecoms giant Vodafone announced the sale of its wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary to an investment consortium Tuesday in a deal worth NZ$3.4 billion (US$2.2 billion). It said Vodafone New Zealand -- the country's second-largest telecoms carrier and its biggest mobile phone operator -- would be sold to Canada's Brookfield Asset Management and Wellington-based infrastructure operator Infratil. It said the New Zealand firm would continue to use the Vodafone brand and have preferential agreements with the British telecom firm in areas such as global roaming, procurement and access to tech platforms. "We have always been proud of our Vodafone New Zealand business, which has a great team," Vodafone Group chief executive Nick Read said. "We look forward to a continued close relationship through our partner market agreement." Vodafone began operating in New Zealand in 1998 and currently has more than 40 percent of the mobile market, according to data from the Commerce Commission. The watchdog in 2017 barred a planned merger between Vodafone NZ and pay-TV operator Sky Network Television, arguing the combined entity would have too much market power. Under that deal, Sky -- which is not part of the European media group of the same name -- would have paid Vodafone NZ$3.4 billion but the British company would have held 51 percent of the merged company and retained operational control. Infratil said the move into the telecoms sector was "transformational" for the company, which is currently focused on transport, energy and property infrastructure. "The Vodafone NZ acquisition is consistent with our plan to reshape our portfolio and maintain a balanced growth profile," chief executive Marko Bogoievski said. It said the planned deal needed approval from the Commerce Commission and Overseas Investment Office, both of which were expected to clear it by the end of August. The deal was announced early Tuesday, before Infratil shares began trading on the New Zealand stock exchange. (Corrects paragraph 7 to say Wells Fargo may need to match stock-based compensation a candidate has at a current employer, not that company may need to match vested shares) By Jessica DiNapoli and Imani Moise NEW YORK, May 10 (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co's hunt for a new CEO is being impeded by limits on how much the bank can pay its next leader, a person close to the search and several industry insiders told Reuters. A handful of top candidates have already said they would not pursue the job because Wells Fargo is unlikely to meet their pay requirements, said the person, who spoke about private negotiations on the condition of anonymity. Wells Fargo declined to comment on the search process. The San Francisco-based bank has been looking for a new leader since March, when Tim Sloan became the second CEO to abruptly depart in the wake of a sales scandal that has badly bruised the bank's reputation and crimped its financial performance. Wells Fargo's CEO pay package has trailed peers in recent years in the aftermath of a wide-ranging sales practices scandal. Wells Fargo is also the smallest of the top four retail banks by assets. The board will likely pay the next CEO $15 million-$20 million a year, said Robin Ferracone, the chief executive of compensation consultancy Farient Advisors LLC. That compares with the $25 million that CEOs of top retail banks earned last year on average. Wells Fargo may also need to set aside funds to match stock-based compensation a candidate has at a current employer, compensation consultants and recruiters said. That could be difficult in an environment where politicians, regulators and investors are closely scrutinizing Wells Fargo. "If you think about the Wells situation, it has a lot of distressed features to it," Ferracone said. The banking industry faces special restrictions on compensation that regulators imposed after the 2007-2009 financial crisis. Relative to other sectors, a bigger portion of executive pay comes in deferred stock, and contracts feature clawback provisions, which require money to be paid back under certain circumstances. Story continues Among peers, Wells Fargo's CEO pay package is at the bottom of the pack. Sloan's $18.4 million pay package last year compared with $31 million for JPMorgan Chase & Co's Jamie Dimon, $26.5 million for Bank of America Corp's Brian Moynihan and $24 million for Citigroup Inc's Michael Corbat. Executives in other industries, and even other parts of Wall Street, get paid significantly more. Blackstone Group LP CEO Stephen Schwarzman, for instance, earned $69.1 million last year. Alphabet Inc Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat, a former Morgan Stanley executive considered a solid candidate for a bank CEO role, earned $47.3 million. Wells Fargo Chair Betsy Duke has said the board wants to attract the "top talent in banking." Directors want the next CEO to be an outsider, following critiques from lawmakers that company veterans are incapable of turning things around. The board has discussed approaching JPMorgan's finance chief, Marianne Lake, as well as Citigroup's head of Latin America, Jane Fraser, Reuters previously reported https://reut.rs/2PvxOo0. They have unvested stock awards worth $18.4 million and $11.2 million, respectively, according to recent filings. Offering a signing bonus to cover such awards is harder at banks than other types of companies because of heightened scrutiny on the sector, industry experts told Reuters. Last year, UBS Group AG's Andrea Orcel left the Swiss bank to run Banco Santander SA. But the deal fell apart after Santander refused to pay Orcel $50 million in deferred compensation he accrued at UBS. There may be even bigger hurdles in Wells Fargo's case because of the sales scandal that erupted in late 2016. Regulators including the U.S. Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are also closely monitoring progress of its operational overhaul, including executive changes. The new CEO's pay package is sure to be "very carefully scrutinized," said Evan Stewart, who litigates compensation disputes as a partner at the law firm Cohen & Gresser. (Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli and Imani MoiseEditing by Lauren Tara LaCapra and Cynthia Osterman) Hungarian president Viktor Orban with Donald Trump in the White House, May 13, 2019. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images Imagine if President Bernie Sanders invited the left-wing Nicolas Maduro to the White House after previous administrations had shunned the Venezuelan strongman. Imagine Sanders then praised Maduro, not only as an ally to the United States but as a wise ruler, and compared Maduro to himself. Then you might begin to understand the chilling message delivered by President Trump through his friendly meeting with Hungarian president Viktor Orban. The darkest nightmare haunting liberals since Trumps rise has been the specter of authoritarianism. The most plausible fear is not a sudden, fascistic crackdown but a gradual upward ratchet of the governing partys hold on the political system what political scientists call democratic backsliding. And when they cast about the globe for a model of democratic backsliding, the one that always seemed most frighteningly plausible was Hungary. Hungary possessed the most salient traits of a future Trumpian dystopia. It was a well-functioning democracy hijacked by a right-wing party that gained power by seizing on ethnonationalist resentment and slowly strangling its opposition. The tools Orban has used to build what he half-euphemistically calls illiberal democracy bear a certain eerie familiarity: an electoral system that gives Orbans rural base disproportionate clout, his intimidation of independent media and construction of a state news propaganda machine, and the relentless sowing of xenophobic fear. American presidents have frequently made pragmatic alliances with foreign despots. But Trump has actually praised dictators for their brutality, a habit reflected in his comments going back decades and spanning such regimes as communist China, Saddam Husseins Iraq, North Korea, and Russia. Trumps ambassador to Hungary recently told Franklin Foer, I can tell you, knowing the president for a good 25 or 30 years, that he would love to have the situation that Viktor Orban has, but he doesnt. If Trump had not numbed our sensibilities, his comments about Orban would be shocking. He praised Orban as a tough man, but he is a respected man toughness being Trumps way of praising the contempt for democratic niceties. And Trump endorsed not only Orbans foreign policy but his autocratic governing style. Orban has done a tremendous job in so many different ways, highly respected, respected all over Europe, said Trump, adding that his counterpart was probably, like me, a little bit controversial, but thats okay. Youve done a good job, and youve kept your country safe. Orbans naked sectarianism forms one of the underpinnings of his political style. He has demonized Muslim immigrants, rehabilitated his countrys anti-Semitic ancien regime, and turned George Soros, an obsessive hate figure among white supremacists, into a public fixation. In all these ways he has prefigured Trumps own style. Rather than put any distance between himself and Orban, Trump singled out his sectarianism for special praise. You have been great with respect to Christian communities, Trump said in the Oval Office. You have really put a bloc up, and we respect that very much. Theres nothing wrong with helping Christians, of course, but Orbans political relationship with Christianity is pointedly directed against non-Christians. The American foreign-policy apparatus has not been fully assimilated into Trumps authoritarian worldview, and many of its members have either strained against the presidents impulses or deluded themselves about their nature. In the run-up to the meeting, news accounts emphasized that Trump would not necessarily reward Orban with a fulsome endorsement. White House advisers are cautioning Trump against a full embrace of Orban, despite the presidents own affinity for the leader, reported Politico. Rather than a reward or an affirmation, the meeting can instead be framed as a carrot an attempt to persuade Mr. Orban to buy American weapons and give greater priority to American foreign-policy interests, said the New York Times. That Trump instead treated Orban as an ideological comrade is deeply revealing. It is not a calculated foreign-policy maneuver but an expression of Trumps worldview and still-forming domestic ambitions. That Trump admires Orbans methods and would like to replicate them is not to say he will succeed. He is, among other things, far less knowledgeable and disciplined than his Hungarian counterpart. But there can hardly be any more question that what Orban has done to his country, Trump aims to do to ours. Cannes (France) (AFP) - After a female-majority jury last year when the festival was dominated by the #MeToo movement, five men and four women will decide this year's winner of Cannes' top Palme d'Or prize on Saturday. - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - He may now have five Oscars under his belt for the likes of "Birdman" and "The Revenant", but it all began for the Mexican director at Cannes way back in 2000 with "Amores Perros". A regular on the Croisette since that staggering debut -- although he has never picked up the Palme -- this year he returns as the head of the jury. Now 55, Inarritu is one of the "three amigos" of Mexican auteurs with Alfonso Cuaron of "Roma" fame and Guillermo del Toro ("The Shape of Water") who have been lording it over arthouse cinema lately. Like them, he is a director with a strong social conscience, bringing a virtual reality installation on the migrant crisis to Cannes in 2017 that went on to win a special Oscar. - Elle Fanning - At 21 the American actress may be the baby of the jury, but the sometime model has a long career behind her. She made her Cannes debut at just eight in Inarritu's "Babel", six years after making her screen debut as a toddler in the Oscar-nominated "I Am Sam" alongside Sean Penn and her older sister, Dakota Fanning. A regular for Cannes favourite Sofia Coppola, appearing in "Somewhere" and "The Beguiled" in 2017, she turned up on the Riviera again the following year in Nicolas Winding Refn's "The Neon Demon" as a teenage model whose beauty sparks not just jealousy among her peers but a veritable bloodbath. Despite her status as a screen and catwalk queen, the young star has been spotted queueing up with the hoi-polloi for an ice cream at Cannes when not on red carpet duty. - Maimouna N'Diaye - Best known to millions of children as the voice of the mother of the heroic little boy from the animated classic "Kirikou and the Sorceress", N'Diaye is one of west Africa's biggest stars. Story continues A documentary maker and activist as well as actress, she grew up in Guinea, but her parents hail from Senegal and Nigeria. She has also has spent large parts of her life working in neighbouring Ivory Coast and in Burkina Faso after studying in France. She first came to notice in Georgian Otar Iosseliani's "Chasing Butterflies" in 1992 and won the African Academy best actress award in 2015 for "Eye of the Storm", where she played a lawyer defending a former child soldier on war crimes charges. - Kelly Reichardt - The queen of US indie "slow cinema" made a big critical splash -- ever so quietly -- with her last film, "Certain Women", a restrained but heartfelt portrait of women in small-town Montana with Michelle Williams, Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart. It won the top prize at the London film festival with The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw marvelling at how even an opening hostage drama never ruffled its quiet force. "It's directed so calmly it feels as if we're watching a mild disagreement at a church coffee morning," he wrote. Williams was also the lead in Reichardt's first film at Cannes, "Wendy and Lucy", which was also widely acclaimed, and her next movies, "Meek's Cutoff" and "Night Moves" were both premiered at the rival Venice film festival. Many had predicted that her latest film, "First Cow", might make the Cannes' line-up this year, but it is still in post-production. - Yorgos Lanthimos - The Greek director who scored a huge hit this year with his Oscar-winning "The Favourite", scored his first big international success with "Dogtooth" at Cannes in 2009. He was back to win the jury prize in 2015 with another original off-kilter look at the world in "The Lobster", his first film with Rachel Weisz and Colin Farrell. He teamed the Irish actor with Nicole Kidman in his even freakier "The Killing of a Sacred Deer", which also made its bow at the festival, where he explored family and power relationships with an unforgettable twist. - Pawel Pawlikowski - The passionate Polish director, who won best director last year for his black-and-white love story "Cold War" which went on to get three Oscar nominations, made his name with a string of brilliant documentaries for the BBC about post-Soviet Russia and the war in the former Yugoslavia. He switched to fiction in 2001 with the acclaimed "Last Resort" which he followed up with "My Summer of Love". He made his dark masterpiece "Ida" after moving back from Britain to his native Poland. His story of a nun who discovers she was born Jewish during World War II won him the best foreign language film Oscar but the wrath of some conservative Catholics at home. But few -- even hardened hearts -- could resist the romantic force of "Cold War", which was based on his own parent's stormy relationship, and which made a star of actress Joanna Kulig. - Alice Rohrwacher - The great female hope of Italian arthouse cinema won best screenplay at Cannes last year for "Happy as Lazzaro" having won the grand prix (second prize) three years earlier for "The Wonders" starring her sister Alba Rohrwacher and Monica Bellucci. The 36-year-old philosophy graduate made her Cannes debut in 2011 with "Heavenly Body" about a teenage girl going through a religious crisis. - Robin Campillo - The writer of the Oscar-nominated "The Class", which also won the Palme d'Or in 2008, created something of a sensation at the festival two years ago with "120 BPM (Beats per Minute)", his sweeping portrayal of AIDS activism during the darkest years of the crisis in Paris. It was a huge hit and France and proved a big international break-out for the screenwriter, who came to directing rather late. Campillo, 56, also wrote and directed "Les Revenants" which was later turned into an acclaimed television series, "The Returned". - Enki Bilal - The Belgrade-born author of futuristic and apocalyptic graphic novels is something of a legend in his adopted home of France, where his books are often instant bestsellers. At 67, he has also directed three feature films including "Bunker Palace Hotel" (1989) with Jean-Louis Trintignant and Carole Bouquet and "Tykho Moon" (1996). U.S. tech giants shed hundreds of billions of dollars in market value on Monday after the U.S. and China escalated their ongoing trade war. And tech companies can do little about it. On Friday, the Trump Administration announced $200 billion in new tariffs on Chinese imports after accusing China of backing away from a possible trade deal. On Monday, China president Xi Jinpings government countered by raising tariffs on $60 billion in U.S.-produced batteries, coffee, and other products starting June 1. Worried about the trade wars impact on the U.S. economy, investors have been unloading their shares, including those of tech companies, in recent days. On Monday. Apple shares tumbled more than 5% in mid-day trading on Monday to $186.61 while Teslas stock dropped nearly 6% to $225.70. Investor concerns are well-founded, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in an interview on Monday, because Silicon Valley is a major target in this trade war. And even tech companies as powerful as Apple and Intel cant do much to avoid being hit. China represents the hearts and lungs of the tech food chain for U.S. semiconductor companies, as well as tech bellwethers like Apple, Ives said. U.S. tech players (and investors) are caught in the crossfire with minimal leverage. Apple is arguably one of the biggest losers in the U.S.-China trade war. The company relies on Chinese manufacturing for most products, including its iPhone and Macs. China is also a critical market for Apple, accounting for billions of dollars in quarterly sales. Its hard to put a figure on the impact a China trade war would have on Apple. But in a note to investors last week, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Hubert said tariffs could cut Apples earnings per sharea measure of the companys profit on each outstanding shareby as much as 24%. Since 2015, Apple has worked with manufacturing partners like Foxconn to move some production to India, partly to reduce some of Chinas government control over its product pipeline. But since the U.S. and China ramped up their trade rhetoric, Apple has reportedly accelerated its move to India, including switching production of the iPhone SE, the companys $249 budget-friendly iPhone, to there from China. Story continues Ives cautioned that a full shift to India-based Apple hardware manufacturing is unlikely. Indias still onerous regulatory climate, coupled with easier access to a skilled workforce in China, means that Apple would only be able to move up to 10% of its total hardware production to India, Ives said. Semiconductor companies like Qualcomm, Intel, and Nvidia are also feeling the trade wars effects. Higher tariffs mean higher component costs that may ultimately push prices higher on smartphones, tablets, and computers. As a result, consumers may buy fewer tech products, hurting the semiconductor industry. Companies havent said how much component cost increases would affect their bottom lines, but Huberty told investors last week that a 25% tariff on Apples goods would force Apple to increase its iPhone XS price by $160 to maintain its current per-unit profit margin. The iPhone XS currently starts at $999, and such an increase would push its starting price to $1,159. How Tech Companies Respond Apple CEO Tim Cook and other executives have cautioned that the U.S.-China trade war could hurt their businesses. In a letter to shareholders in January, Cook said that trade tensions between the United States and China put additional pressure on the Chinese economy and ultimately affect Apples sales. Last year, Apple sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer pushing the Trump Administration to reconsider its tariffs. It is difficult to see how tariffs that hurt U.S. companies and U.S. consumers will advance the Governments objectives with respect to Chinas technology policies, Apple wrote. At a conference last year, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang put a finer point on the importance to U.S. tech companies of avoiding a trade war. He said in no uncertain terms that there cannot be a war. It is definitely better, it is actually vitally important, that the world continues to have a collaborative trading and open business relationship, Huang said. Nvidia has a few thousand China-based employees, he added, and like it or not, the United States needs China. Nvidia shares fell 5.34% to $159.80 in mid-day trading Monday. Not surprisingly, companies across several industries, including tech, oil, and retail have ramped up their lobbying in Washington to push lawmakers on ending the trade war. Earlier this year, the Chicago Tribune reported that more than 100 business executives would lobby lawmakers on ending the trade war. Trump Responds But those lobbying efforts, along with words of caution by tech CEOs and leaders in other industries, have done little to change the Trump Administrations policies. In a series of tweets on Monday, President Trump suggested he wouldnt reverse course. The tariffs can be completely avoided if you buy from a non-tariffed country, or you buy the product inside the USA (the best idea), Trump said. Thats Zero Tariffs. He then turned his attention to China, which he said, would ultimately lose this war. There will be nobody left in China to do business with. Very bad for China, very good for USA! he said. But China has taken so advantage of the U.S. for so many years, that they are way ahead (Our Presidents did not do the job). Therefore, China should not retaliatewill only get worse! Contrary to Trumps claim, Ives told Fortune that investors believe no one wins in a trade war. And regardless of whether Trump acknowledges it, U.S. companiesand especially tech companieswill lose. The victims are up and down Silicon Valley, Ives said. Theyre getting gut punched by the trade wars. More must-read stories from Fortune: Why nearly two-thirds of U.S. households are at risk of identity theft The company using A.I. to improve security at a Christchurch mosque What would a world without likes be like? Airbnb could escape the Uber trap in Europe. Heres how Get Fortunes Eye on A.I. newsletter, where artificial intelligence meets industry 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 are an income investor, then Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) should be on your radar. Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in integrated energy, chemicals, and petroleum operations worldwide. Over the past 10 years, the US$232b market cap company has been growing its dividend payments, from $2.72 to $4.76. Currently yielding 3.9%, let's take a closer look at Chevron's dividend profile. See our latest analysis for Chevron What Is A Dividend Rock Star? It is a stock that pays a reliable and steady dividend over the past decade, at a rate that is competitive relative to the other dividend-paying companies on the market. More specifically: It is paying an annual yield above 75% of dividend payers It has paid dividend every year without dramatically reducing payout in the past Its dividend per share amount has increased over the past It can afford to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings It has the ability to keep paying its dividends going forward High Yield And Dependable Chevron currently yields 3.9%, which is high for Oil and Gas stocks. But the real reason Chevron stands out is because it has a high chance of being able to continue to pay dividend at this level for years to come, something that is quite desirable if you are looking to create a portfolio that generates a steady stream of income. NYSE:CVX Historical Dividend Yield, May 13th 2019 If there's one type of stock you want to be reliable, it's dividend stocks and their stable income-generating ability. In the case of CVX it has increased its DPS from $2.72 to $4.76 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 CVX a true dividend rockstar. Chevron has a trailing twelve-month payout ratio of 62%, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. In the near future, analysts are predicting a payout ratio of 62% which, assuming the share price stays the same, leads to a dividend yield of 4.1%. Moreover, EPS should increase to $7.92. Story continues When assessing the forecast sustainability of a dividend it is also worth considering the cash flow of the business. A company with strong cash flow, relative to earnings, can sometimes sustain a high pay out ratio. Next Steps: There aren't many other stocks out there with the same track record as Chevron, so I would certainly recommend further examining the stock if its dividend characteristics appeal to you. However, given this is purely a dividend analysis, I urge potential investors to try and get a good understanding of the underlying business and its fundamentals before deciding on an investment. Below, I've compiled three essential aspects you should further examine: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for CVXs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for CVXs outlook. Valuation: What is CVX 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 CVX is currently mispriced by the market. Other Dividend Rockstars: Are there strong dividend payers with better 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. 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. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Intertek Group plc (LON:ITRK). Our data shows Intertek Group has a return on equity of 34% for the last year. Another way to think of that is that for every 1 worth of equity in the company, it was able to earn 0.34. See our latest analysis for Intertek Group How Do I Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for ROE is: Return on Equity = Net Profit Shareholders' Equity Or for Intertek Group: 34% = UK284m UK908m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.) It's easy to understand the 'net profit' part of that equation, but 'shareholders' equity' requires further explanation. It is all the money paid into the company from shareholders, plus any earnings retained. Shareholders' equity can be calculated by subtracting the total liabilities of the company from the total assets of the company. What Does Return On Equity Mean? ROE measures a company's profitability against the profit it retains, and any outside investments. The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. That means that the higher the ROE, the more profitable the company is. 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 Intertek Group Have A Good ROE? Arguably the easiest way to assess company's ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. However, this method is only useful as a rough check, because companies do differ quite a bit within the same industry classification. Pleasingly, Intertek Group has a superior ROE than the average (14%) company in the Professional Services industry. Story continues LSE:ITRK Past Revenue and Net Income, May 13th 2019 That is a good sign. In my book, a high ROE almost always warrants a closer look. For example you might check if insiders are buying shares. How Does Debt Impact Return On Equity? Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the first and second cases, the ROE will reflect this use of cash for investment in the business. In the latter case, the debt required for growth will boost returns, but will not impact the shareholders' equity. Thus the use of debt can improve ROE, albeit along with extra risk in the case of stormy weather, metaphorically speaking. Intertek Group's Debt And Its 34% ROE Intertek Group clearly uses a significant amount of debt to boost returns, as it has a debt to equity ratio of 1.08. There's no doubt its ROE is impressive, but the company appears to use its debt to boost that metric. Debt does bring extra risk, so it's only really worthwhile when a company generates some decent returns from it. But It's Just One Metric Return on equity is one way we can compare the business quality of different companies. In my book the highest quality companies have high return on equity, despite low debt. All else being equal, a higher ROE is better. Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, you'll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. It is important to consider other factors, such as future profit growth -- and how much investment is required going forward. So you might want to check this FREE visualization of analyst forecasts for the company. But note: Intertek Group 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. 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 are going to look at Median Polska S.A. (WSE:MDN) to see whether it might be an attractive investment prospect. 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 up, we'll look at what ROCE is and how we calculate it. Next, we'll compare it to others in its industry. And finally, we'll look at how its current liabilities are impacting 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.' So, How Do We Calculate ROCE? 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 Median Polska: 0.06 = z297k (z7.9m - z2.9m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.) Therefore, Median Polska has an ROCE of 6.0%. Check out our latest analysis for Median Polska Is Median Polska's ROCE Good? One way to assess ROCE is to compare similar companies. Using our data, Median Polska's ROCE appears to be significantly below the 9.6% average in the Commercial Services industry. This performance is not ideal, as it suggests the company may not be deploying its capital as effectively as some competitors. Aside from the industry comparison, Median Polska's ROCE is mediocre in absolute terms, considering the risk of investing in stocks versus the safety of a bank account. Readers may find more attractive investment prospects elsewhere. Story continues As we can see, Median Polska currently has an ROCE of 6.0%, less than the 14% it reported 3 years ago. So investors might consider if it has had issues recently. WSE:MDN Past Revenue and Net Income, May 13th 2019 It is important to remember that ROCE shows past performance, and is not necessarily predictive. ROCE can be misleading for companies in cyclical industries, with returns looking impressive during the boom times, but very weak during the busts. ROCE is only a point-in-time measure. If Median Polska is cyclical, it could make sense to check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. Median Polska's Current Liabilities And Their Impact On 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 check the impact of this, we calculate if a company has high current liabilities relative to its total assets. Median Polska has total assets of z7.9m and current liabilities of z2.9m. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 37% of its total assets. Median Polska has a medium level of current liabilities, which would boost its ROCE somewhat. What We Can Learn From Median Polska's ROCE With this level of liabilities and a mediocre ROCE, there are potentially better investments out there. You might be able to find a better investment than Median Polska. If you want a selection of possible winners, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20 (but have proven they can grow earnings). If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. The long-term cant get here quick enough for Uber (UBER) CEO Dara Khosrowshahi after its hotly anticipated IPO got relegated to the embarrassing column amid a terrible first day of trading Friday on the New York Stock Exchange. In hindsight, ousted founder Travis Kalanicks decision to reportedly watch some of the early trading with friends and current/former Uber employees over coffee around the block of the NYSE was a wise one who would want to see a day one bloodbath of a company once believed to be worth $120 billion plus? What happened With President Donald Trump dropping trade war bombs on the heads of Chinese officials via Twitter and rival Lyft (LYFT) continuing to be a disaster, post its late March IPO, Ubers IPO day for lack of better words stunk. The ride-hailing business priced its stock at $45 a share on Thursday, giving the company a valuation of $82.4 billion. Uber began trading on Friday morning at about $42 a share. By the time the market closed, Ubers stock had nosedived 7.6% from its IPO price to $41.57. We believe Uber is off to a choppy trade on the heels of the Lyft train wreck out of the gates and general investor nervousness on the U.S./China [trade war], risk-off worries in this market, Uber bull and Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives tells Yahoo Finance. Ives says many investors he spoke to were hesitant to buy Uber out of the box given the beating Lyft has taken since its IPO. Investors are waiting to see the stock settle before accumulating significant positions, according to Ives. It will be interesting to see when Ubers stock does decide to settle. The company isnt expected to be profitable anytime soon. Concerns continue to mount on Ubers ability to sustain its independent contractor model for its drivers. And the business arguably has no moat around it capital is simply being invested to drive quarterly market share in the ride-hailing battle with the smaller Lyft. Wall Street reacts Story continues Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi arrives at the New York Stock Exchange for his company's initial public offering, Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) Wall Street analysts mostly came out bullish on Uber ahead of its IPO. Its unlikely this influential crowd will shift their views due to what may be a sluggish first few days of trading. But if the stocks weakness does persist into June in the lead-up to Ubers first earnings report, the analyst community may have no other choice but to change their tune. For now, a bull such as Ives is staying the course. We are not worried the stock is turbulent today on its first day of pricing and we continue to believe on a sum of the parts valuation this stock is worth a $100 billion+ and we would be buyers here despite the choppy tech tape and general market worries, Ives contends. We believe this weakness in shares of Uber will be not be elongated as the core value of this franchise is markedly higher than these levels in our opinion. Ives believes that Uber is not unlike Amazon or Facebook a true number one player in an industry its pioneering. That, Ives reasons, is why Ubers long-term valuation is probably higher and one day of soft bids for the stock is nothing. Others on the Street are unsure. The message from Wall Street is clear that investor appetite for ride hailing firms is not what the hype expected it to be, says Jasper Lawler, head of research at London Capital Group. Even Lyft management proclaiming on its first earnings call with analysts this month that 2019 would mark peak losses didnt jump-start the sagging stock. Given Lyfts inability to convince people to jump into the stock 23% lower from IPO day, its hard to see how Uber management wins over a chorus of early bears. Good luck to you, Mr. Khosrowshahi. Read Brian Sozzis latest: Lyon (AFP) - The wife and children of former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei, who vanished while visiting China in September last year, have been granted political asylum in France, the family's lawyer told AFP on Monday. Grace Meng, who was given police protection after she alleged an abduction attempt at the start of the year, was granted asylum on May 2 along with the couple's two children, their lawyer Emmanuel Marsigny said. Meng Hongwei disappeared last September after leaving the French city of Lyon, where Interpol is based, for China. He later sent his wife a social media message telling her to "wait for my call," and then a knife emoji signifying danger. A few weeks later Interpol was informed that Meng, the first Chinese president at the international police agency, had resigned, with China later saying he was being held on suspicion of taking bribes. He was officially charged this month with accepting bribes that allowed him to illegally obtain several properties while Marine Police chief and vice minister in China. But his wife said recently that Chinese officials had presented "no proof whatsoever to back up their charges." In French media interviews she has said she fears for her life, and was afraid she and her seven-year-old twins would be the targets of kidnapping attempts. In January, when she lodged her asylum request, she told Liberation newspaper that two Chinese businessmen, one of whom she knew, visited her at home in October and invited her to travel with them by private jet to the Czech Republic. She also said that later that month, the Chinese consulate in Lyon said they had a letter for her from her husband, but insisted she show up in person to collect it. She also reported receiving "strange phone calls" and said she was once followed into a hotel by a Chinese couple who attempted to gather information about her. Meng Hongwei is among a growing group of Communist Party cadres caught in President Xi Jinping's anti-graft campaign, which critics say has served as a way to remove the leader's political enemies. He has since been replaced as president of Interpol by South Korea's Kim Jong-yang. New York (AFP) - Just months before the much-touted Woodstock 50th anniversary celebration is set to go on, the festival's organizers and its former financier on Monday began battling over its future in New York court. Woodstock 50 sued investor Amplifi Live last week, accusing it of sabotaging the event by saying it was canceled and wrongfully withdrawing more than $18 million in funds earmarked for the weekend currently slated for August 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York. W50 Attorney Marc Kasowitz -- who for a time defended Donald Trump regarding investigations into the US president's ties to Russia -- demanded that the NY Supreme Civil Court in Manhattan force the return of those funds to the festival bank account so W50 could go on planning the commemoration. Calling the celebration "an iconic and historic event" -- it would mark half a century since the 1969 weekend of peace, love and music that's considered a major milestone in pop culture history -- W50 managing member Gregory Peck told the court that "I feel, personally, we need Woodstock now as much as we did 50 years ago." But its former financial backer said in court documents that "misrepresentations, incompetence, and contractual breaches" by Michael Lang -- a mastermind behind the original weekend who is working as a promoter for the 2019 event -- "have made it impossible to produce a high-quality event that is safe and secure for concertgoers, artists, and staff." "The production company has quit, no permits have been issued, necessary roadwork has not begun, and there is no prospect for sufficient financing," wrote attorney Marc Greenwald -- who represents Amplifi Live, an investing arm of the Japanese marketing firm Dentsu -- in the memorandum. "As much as the parties might wish it otherwise, the festival contemplated by their agreement cannot happen and allowing it to go forward would only put the public at risk." Story continues In court Monday the primary point of dispute was the festival's anticipated capacity, with an initial plan to host 150,000 people in bucolic upstate New York. But production company Superfly said the location -- some 155 miles (250 kilometers) away from the original site at Bethel Woods, where a separate, smaller commemoration event is planned -- would be incapable of accommodating more than 65,000 festival-goers, court documents say, a concern that ultimately led the firm to back out. Peck said W50 has offers from other financial backers and production companies that could take over putting on the festival, whose 80-strong lineup is stacked with contemporary heavyweights including Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus and The Killers along with Woodstock veterans Santana, John Fogerty and Canned Heat. But he said unless Amplifi Live returns the $18 million soon, taking up those proposals would prove difficult. The hearing is set to continue Tuesday. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images During last weeks seemingly random escalation of the trade war with China, President Trump claimed that the increase in tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion of Chinese-made products will force the country to pay $100 billion to the U.S. Treasury. But like so many tweets from the Donald J. Trump account, thats not exactly how tariffs work: the levies will be paid by U.S. importers of tariffed Chinese goods, who will take a hit on their profit margins, or, more likely, push those costs onto consumers. According to an Oxford Economics estimate, the tariff increase will cost the U.S. economy $62 billion by 2020, breaking down to up to $800 per household. Unlike his boss, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow presented the whole picture of the tariff hikes impact during his interview on Fox News on Sunday. Both sides will pay, Kudlow said, referring to Chinas expected losses in GDP due to a diminishing export market. Chris talks to @larry_kudlow about who actually pays the tariffs with China if they were to be imposed #FNS pic.twitter.com/cwl89OyLDK FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) May 12, 2019 Because of retaliatory tariffs levied on U.S. products by China, some American producers, particularly farmers, could face increased economic difficulties. Maybe the toughest burden is on farmers, and the agriculture sector, we get that, Kudlow said. Weve helped them before on lost exports. I think we had an authorization of $12 billion. We will do it again if we have to, and if the numbers show that out. Despite the presidents trade war casting doubt into an already tumultuous year hundreds of millions of dollars of crops were lost in the historic Midwestern flooding in March farmers still want to back the president, according to a New York Times report, providing further evidence that the industrys support of Trump is based more in cultural positions than economic ones. Many people are just torn because people want to support the president of the United States, Nancy Johnson, the executive director of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association, told the Times. But its very stressful to be in the middle of these very challenging negotiations. Because youre the person who cant take hope to the banker to get his loans for operating. 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 introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. We'll show how you can use The Boston Beer Company, Inc.'s (NYSE:SAM) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. What is Boston Beer Company's P/E ratio? Well, based on the last twelve months it is 37.96. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 2.6%. See our latest analysis for Boston Beer Company How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio? The formula for price to earnings is: Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Boston Beer Company: P/E of 37.96 = $347.83 $9.16 (Based on the year to March 2019.) Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good? A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each $1 of company earnings. All else being equal, it's better to pay a low price -- but as Warren Buffett said, 'It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.' How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases. Boston Beer Company saw earnings per share improve by -6.6% last year. And its annual EPS growth rate over 5 years is 10%. Does Boston Beer Company Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry? We can get an indication of market expectations by looking at the P/E ratio. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (29.7) for companies in the beverage industry is lower than Boston Beer Company's P/E. NYSE:SAM Price Estimation Relative to Market, May 13th 2019 That means that the market expects Boston Beer Company will outperform other companies in its industry. The market is optimistic about the future, but that doesn't guarantee future growth. So investors should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling. Story continues Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth. Spending on growth might be good or bad a few years later, but the point is that the P/E ratio does not account for the option (or lack thereof). How Does Boston Beer Company's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio? The extra options and safety that comes with Boston Beer Company's US$72m net cash position means that it deserves a higher P/E than it would if it had a lot of net debt. The Verdict On Boston Beer Company's P/E Ratio Boston Beer Company has a P/E of 38. That's higher than the average in the US market, which is 18. Earnings improved over the last year. And the healthy balance sheet means the company can sustain growth while the P/E suggests shareholders think it will. When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. So this free visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision. Of course you might be able to find a better stock than Boston Beer Company. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly. 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. By Jonathan Allen NEW YORK, May 13 (Reuters) - The disciplinary trial of the New York City police officer who put Eric Garner, an unarmed black man, in a fatal chokehold will begin on Monday, nearly five years after widely seen video of the death sparked a national outcry about policing tactics. Daniel Pantaleo, who is white, could be fired after the conclusion of what is expected to be a 10-day trial at the New York Police Department's headquarters in Manhattan. The ultimate decision will rest with New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill. The case will be closely watched by civil rights activists who say too few police officers face consequences for using deadly force and those, including New York City's powerful police officers' union, who defend officers for doing a dangerous job. Pantaleo, 33, has been assigned to a desk job since the deadly encounter on a sidewalk in the borough of Staten Island in 2014, when he and other officers tried to arrest Garner on suspicion of selling loose cigarettes. In videos recorded on bystanders' cellphones, Garner can be seen arguing with the officers before Pantaleo puts his arm around Garner's neck and brings him down to the sidewalk as other officers move in to restrain Garner. Garner, who was 43, can be heard saying "I can't breathe" 11 times before he dies. The phrase became a rallying cry in the early days of the Black Lives Matter movement, which seeks to end the disproportionate use of deadly force against nonwhite people by U.S. police departments. A Staten Island grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against Pantaleo later in 2014, prompting the U.S. Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation into the death. Garner's family has criticized that investigation as it has stretched into its fourth year without resolution. The city's Civilian Complaints Review Board (CCRB), which prosecutes certain violations of police rules, determined in 2017 that Pantaleo used excessive force. Story continues Last July, the city said it would no longer wait for the Justice Department investigation to conclude before beginning the disciplinary trial. CCRB prosecutors will argue the case before a judge from the office of the police department's deputy commissioner of trials. "We are confident that, once all the evidence has been presented, the Police Commissioner will find Officer Pantaleo guilty of misconduct and ultimately terminate him from the Department," CCRB Chairman Fred Davie said in a statement last week. Although New York City's chief medical examiner ruled that Garner was killed in part by a chokehold compressing his neck, Pantaleo's lawyer and his union have said it was not a chokehold as defined by the police department, which has long banned the maneuver. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen; editing by Jonathan Oatis) ADEN, May 13 (Reuters) - Yemen's warring parties started fresh U.N.-sponsored talks in Jordan on Monday, Yemeni officials said, two days after Houthi forces began withdrawing from the ports of Hodeidah, breaking a six month stalemate. The talks will focus on sharing out revenues from Hodeidah's three Red Sea ports to help relieve an urgent humanitarian crisis, they said. The Iran-aligned Houthi group began on Saturday a unilateral pullout from the ports of Saleef, Ras Isa and Hodeidah, handing them over to U.N.-supervised local forces as agreed under a pact with the Saudi-backed government last December that had stalled for months. "The U.N. and its special envoy are sponsoring talks in Amman ... to discuss the issue of salaries and to make the economic situation neutral," Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said in a tweet. A Yemeni government official confirmed the talks to Reuters. A U.N. official said the office of U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths was facilitating the meeting. Hodeidah, the main entry point for Yemen's commercial and aid imports, became the focus of the four-year conflict last year when the Saudi-led coalition tried twice to seize the port to cut off the Houthis' main supply line. Under the Stockholm agreement for a truce and troop withdrawal by both sides from Hodeidah, the ports' revenues would be gathered in the Hodeidah branch of the central bank to help pay public wages. HUMANITARIAN CRISIS The war has devastated Yemen's economy, exacerbating an urgent humanitarian crisis with millions of Yemenis on the brink of starvation. Soaring prices have put basic commodities out of reach for many Yemenis and the central bank has struggled to pay public-sector salaries as foreign exchange reserves evaporated. The United Nations will help in the management of the Hodeidah ports, which will be under control of Yemen's Red Sea Port Corporation and local coast guards, and assist in inspection of ships. The Sunni Muslim military alliance led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in Yemen in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognized government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which was ousted from power in Sanaa in late 2014 by the Houthi movement. The group, which says its revolution is against corruption, holds the biggest urban centers. (Reporting By Mohamed Ghobari and Aziz El Yaakoubi Editing by Gareth Jones) By Daniel Trotta NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is considering a run for the White House in 2020, on Monday threatened to fine the Trump Organization $2.1 million a year starting in 2030 unless the president's business reduces emissions from its buildings. "It doesn't matter who you are, even the president of the United States, you have to obey the laws of New York City," de Blasio said at a rally in the lobby of Trump Tower, the site of President Donald Trump's private home and business headquarters. As the Democratic mayor spoke, counter-demonstrators raised signs behind de Blasio calling him a "failed mayor" and supporting the president's re-election campaign with "Trump 2020." A New York City law due to take effect on May 17 sets emissions standards for large buildings like Trump Tower, a 58-story skyscraper on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. Buildings are responsible for nearly 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the city, the mayor's office said in a statement. But the mayor so far has named only the Trump Organization as a potential offender. De Blasio is considering joining more than 20 other Democrats in a run for the 2020 presidential nomination. He said the decision to hold a rally in the lobby of Trump Tower was independent of any presidential ambitions and he promised to name other potential violators publicly in the future. Eight of Trump's buildings in the city fail to meet the 2030 emissions standards, releasing about 27,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases each year, or the amount produced by 5,800 cars, de Blasio's office said. The Trump Organization, which includes about 500 businesses in which the president is sole or majority owner, did not immediately respond to a request for comment or to address the level of emissions purported by the city. After his 2016 election, Trump stepped down from his executive positions at the company but retained his financial stakes. Story continues Trump Tower faces a fine of $469,848 per year if no improvements are made, the mayor's office statement said. Another Trump property, the Trump International Hotel & Tower, faces fines of $850,871 per year. The law on buildings emissions is part of the city's Green New Deal initiative, which aims to reduce emissions 30 percent by 2030 and adhere to the standards of the Paris Agreement, an international pact on climate change from which Trump withdrew the United States. Trump rejects climate science that links rising temperatures to human consumption of fossil fuels. Instead, he has promoted deregulation of the energy sector, which the president says will foster economic growth. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta in New York; Editing by Frank McGurty and Dan Grebler) New York (AFP) - Five years after an African American father of six died after being apparently held in an illegal police chokehold, a video of which triggered the Black Lives Matter Movement, a disciplinary trial of the policeman accused of killing him got underway Monday in New York. "I Can't Breathe! I Can't Breathe!" Eric Garner cried out with his last breaths as five police officers tried to handcuff him. This was caught in a video shot by a friend that was viewed around the world. The 43-year-old, who was unarmed and accused of illegally selling cigarettes, died minutes later. His death, listed as a homicide by the medical examiner, triggered the Black Lives Movement denouncing police violence against unarmed African American men. His death in July 2014 was the first of a wave of high-profile, racially charged incidents in the United States in which officers have been accused of using unreasonable force or being too quick to fire at black suspects. For years, New York police held back from proceedings to try Daniel Pantaleo -- the officer who appeared to hold Garner in a chokehold -- on the grounds that they had to wait until a federal civil rights investigation first ended. The federal case has yet to produce its conclusions. Although he has been restricted to administrative duties, Pantaleo is still a member of New York police. - Was it intentional? - The police department finally launched its disciplinary proceedings, which led to the trial, set to end May 24. A dozen protesters gathered in front of police headquarters as the first hearing began, demanding that Pantaleo be fired -- the harshest punishment possible. "It's been five years. Five years we've been on the frontlines trying to get justice and they're still trying to sweep it under the rug," Garner's mother Gwen Carr said on the sidelines of the hearing, referring to the ultimately failed efforts by the policeman's lawyers to have the hearing scrapped. Story continues "We've seen the video, we've all seen him being murdered... and they're still playing games." The proceedings aim to determine whether the officer did in fact place Garner in a chokehold, a technique that the New York Police Department has banned since 1993. "Right from the get go he went for his neck," said Jonathan Fogel, a representative of the plaintiffs led by the Civilian Complaint Review Board, an independent body that reviews claims against police. The video shows Pantaleo apparently holding his forearm against Garner's throat for a little more than 15 seconds, at one point clasping both his hands to maintain his hold. "It was intentional," Fogel said, calling on Rosemarie Maldonado, the deputy commissioner presiding over the trial, to provide "some measure of justice" and hold Pantaleo "accountable." Pantaleo's lawyer Stuart London insisted that his client "just did his job" and that "the result would have been the same if he had not touched his neck at all" since Garner was already in poor health, suffering from asthma and obesity. London also insisted that Garner only began complaining he could not breathe after Pantaleo let go. In 2015, Garner's family reached a settlement with New York, which agreed to pay $5.9 million in damages. There are plenty of reasons millennials and Gen Zers arent saving for retirement in large numbers: They want to enjoy life while theyre young. They view their golden years as unimaginably far away. And theyre burdened by student debt. Heres another: They see social media posts of their friends enjoying extravagant cars, dinners and vacations, and they want in on it. Call it keeping up with Instagram. Thirty-five percent of Americans admit they feel pressured to spend more than they can afford after seeing images of their friends lives on sites like Facebook and Instagram, according to Schwabs 2019 modern wealth survey. The FOMO effect is most dramatic for young adults. About half of millennials and 44% of Generation Z (those born approximately between 1995 to 2015) acknowledge their spending habits are at least partly shaped by social media. More: Would you want to discuss money on a first date? Millennials may, a survey suggests More: Forget the dream wedding. Gen Z-ers are planning to own homes before they're 30, survey finds Thats clearly having an influence on one the most important issues, which is balancing between spending today and accumulating wealth for later, says Rob Williams, vice president of financial planning for the Schwab Center for Financial Research. The urge to keep up with the Joneses is not new, Williams says. And 35% of Americans also concede to spending too much, not out of envy but to take part in experiences with friends, the survey shows. But social media and the fear of missing out have ratcheted up the pressure to splurge, says Terry Kallsen, executive vice president of Schwab Investor Services. Yet the images, videos and descriptions posted on social media sites dont necessarily reflect reality. We see the public face of our friends, Williams says. We dont have a full picture of their financial life. Sixty percent of those surveyed -- including 72% of millennials and 74% of Gen Zers wonder how their friends can afford the expensive escapades they depict online. Story continues On average, the Americans polled spend nearly $500 a month on nonessential items. The online survey of 1,000 people aged 21-75 was conducted by Logica Research in February. Williams says theres nothing inherently wrong with splurging, whatever the reason, but it should be offset by saving and investing for retirement. Yet 59% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck; 44% typically carry a credit card; and only 38% have an emergency fund, the survey shows. A Navient survey last year found just three in 10 adults aged 22 to 35 have retirement savings. Asked what they would do with a $1 million windfall, 54% of Schwab survey respondents said they would spend it, largely on a house, cars and travel. Twenty-eight percent said they would pay down debt while just 21% said they would save it and 23% would invest it. At the same time, 59% of Americans consider themselves savers and 65% say theyre willing to sacrifice spending on experiences now to save money for later in life, according to the Schwab survey. More: Retire early: Can ordinary Americans find financial independence and stop work by 50? Theres the aspiration but when life gets in the way, its very difficult, Williams says of the disparity between Americans' self-image and reality. Adults who draw up financial plans are in better shape. Just 28% of Americans have such a written road map. But 60% of those who do feel financially stable compared to just a third of those with no plan, the survey shows. Americans on average believe it takes $2.3 million in net worth to be considered wealthy more than 20 times the actual median net worth of U.S. households, according to the survey. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Young people, scrolling their friends' Instagram feeds, feel pressure to overspend New Zealand's leader Jacinda Ardern will join other world leaders in launching a "Christchurch call" to curb online extremism at an international meeting in Paris on Wednesday, following the worst mass killing in her country's recent history. Participants will be asked to commit to pledges to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content on social media and other online platforms. The move was prompted by the massacre in March at two Christchurch mosques by a self-described white supremacist, who broadcast live footage on Facebook from a head-mounted camera as he gunned down 51 people. Arden has been the driving force behind the Paris summit, co-hosted with French President Emmanuel Macron, following the tragedy. "Macron was one of the first leaders to call the prime minister after the attack, and he has long made removing hateful online content a priority," New Zealand's ambassador to France, Jane Coombs, told journalists on Monday. "It's a global problem that requires a global response," she said. In an opinion piece in The New York Times over the weekend, Ardern said the Christchurch massacre underlined "a horrifying new trend" in extremist atrocities. "It was designed to be broadcast on the internet. The entire event was livestreamed... the scale of this horrific video's reach was staggering," she wrote. Ardern said Facebook removed 1.5 million copies of the video within 24 hours of the attack, but she still found herself among those who inadvertently saw the footage when it auto-played on their social media feeds. Since the attack, Ardern has strongly criticised tech giants for not doing enough to combat online extremism. Attendees at the Paris summit will include heads of state or government from Britain, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Jordan, Senegal and Indonesia. Top executives from Twitter, Microsoft, Google and Amazon will also attend, though Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg will be represented by another executive from the social media giant, after meeting with Macron last Friday. Story continues "We deliberately limited the number of participants to ensure we can move forward quickly, but the idea is to create something that we can open up to as many people as possible," a source in the French presidency said. - 'Practical outcomes' - "Terrorists have always been a step ahead of us when it comes to the online techniques they use," the source said, adding that companies needed to "anticipate how their features will be exploited." Firms themselves will be urged to come up with concrete measures, he said, for example by reserving live broadcasting to social media accounts whose owners have been identified, to avoid bad surprises from newly created anonymous accounts. "No company wants their platforms to become a pool of hateful content, nor do their advertisers or most of their users," he said. Running alongside the G7's "Tech for Humanity" meeting in the French capital, Ardern said the Christchurch Call was a voluntary code aimed to stop terrorist content being uploaded to social media platforms. "(We're) asking both nations and private corporations to make changes to prevent the posting of terrorist content online, to ensure its efficient and fast removal and to prevent the use of live-streaming as a tool for broadcasting terrorist attacks," she wrote in The Times. She added: "This is not about undermining or limiting freedom of speech. It is about these companies and how they operate." While some -- such as Zuckerberg -- have called for better regulation to address the issue, Ardern said governments could not succeed without help from the tech sector. "Practical outcomes are what we're seeking from this work," she told New Zealand's Newshub. "Not just governments regulating, but actually tech companies taking ownership and responsibility over their platforms and the technological solutions that they hold the key to." Ardern said New Zealand had been "left reeling" by the Christchurch massacre, and it wanted to prevent similar atrocities happening elsewhere. "We have a reluctant duty of care, a responsibility that we now find ourselves holding," she said. The president has a lifetime of experience dodging accountability. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images President Trumps efforts to resist congressional oversight are obstructing more than 20 separate investigations, according to a new analysis by the Washington Post. With the steadfast support of his GOP allies, the president and his administration have blocked or somehow hampered at least 79 requests for information regarding a wide range of issues pertaining to everything from Trump and his familys businesses financial records, to the Mueller report, to immigration policy, to his administrations handling of security clearances and the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Trump aides have been instructed not to testify or hand over documents, companies have been sued to prevent them from sharing subpoenaed information, and document requests have been ignored, denied, or stalled. The unprecedented blockade seems to have also flummoxed Democrats. Politico reported on Sunday that House Judiciary chairman Jerry Nadler is actively weighing the pros and cons of using inherent contempt power to fine or jail people for refusing to comply with a subpoena, which hasnt been done in more than 80 years. That would be a political nightmare in the minds of some Democrats, while others want to be more aggressive against the Trump administrations obstruction. They, including members of the Judiciary Committee, are anxious to shift from threats to action despite the very real risks of adopting Trumps all-out war mindset. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, still reportedly thinks that impeaching Trump is too risky politically, and Democratic voters havent exactly been clamoring for it either. Then again, impeachment could provide a way for House Democrats to gain the information the Trump administration is denying them. House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, who has already signaled his willingness to levy large, daily fines on any Trump administration members who dont comply with House committee subpoenas, suggested on Sunday that Trump may be trying to use the blanket obstruction to force his own impeachment in order to divide Democrats. After Republicans lost the House of Representatives in November, Trump warned that he would adopt a war-like posture if newly reempowered House Democrats used their constitutional authority to investigate him and his administration, boasting that, they can play that game, but we can play it better. Democratic lawmakers have since done what everyone including the countrys founders would have expected them to do: their jobs during the most scandal-packed, norm-demolishing U.S. presidency in memory. But Trump and his allies response has not just been a war on Democrats, it has been a denial of the very existence of their congressional power. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin articulated as much last week when he denied the House Ways and Means Committees request for the IRS to turn over President Trumps tax returns, claiming the request didnt serve a legitimate legislative purpose. And when the Trump team repeatedly calls Democrats attempted oversight unlawful, they may very well be predicting the future in light of the current makeup of the Supreme Court. But no one really knows how all of this is going to play out, other than the near certainty that the Trump administration will continue to stonewall the House and force everything into what may effectively be court purgatory. Donald Trump has a been a pressure test for Americas system of government since before he was even elected, and that pressure has only continued to build. If you're like most Americans, your retirement savings are probably looking a little sparse. Only a quarter of baby boomers think they're saving enough for retirement, according to a report from the Insured Retirement Institute, and 42% of boomers have nothing at all stashed away for the future. As a result, more people end up depending on Social Security to get them through retirement. But when the average Social Security check amounts to just $1,300 per month, that doesn't leave you much to work with. While relying on Social Security to make ends meet isn't ideal, it doesn't mean you have to give up your retirement dreams. If you've always envisioned yourself spending retirement relaxing on the beach sipping a cold drink, that could still be a reality even if you're short on savings. If you're willing to pack up and move, you could be sitting beachside for less than $1,500 per month in these cities. Man and woman sitting in lounge chairs on the beach Image source: Getty Images 1. Pensacola, Florida Pensacola is more than just a popular tourist destination. With loads of restaurants, museums, and, of course, miles of sugar-white beaches, it's a retirement haven for those who are looking for a place to relax yet still explore. The best part, though, is the city's relatively low cost of living. The median home value is just $145,000, and the average renter pays around $950 per month. Home values are quickly rising, though, according to predictions from Zillow, so if you're thinking about buying a home in Pensacola, now is the time. And if home values continue to increase, you may be able to make a nice profit if you decide to sell later -- boosting your retirement income even more. There's also a major tax advantage to living here: Florida residents don't have to pay income tax, which also applies to retirement income. If your savings are already stretched thin, saving some money on income taxes can help stretch every dollar. Story continues 2. Corpus Christi, Texas Tucked away off the Gulf of Mexico, Corpus Christi offers both a quiet retreat on the beach as well as a bustling city life with plenty of activities. From the Texas State Aquarium to the Art Museum of South Texas to a busy restaurant scene, the city has something for everyone. Mustang Island State Park is just a short drive away, and it offers nearly 4,000 acres and 5 miles of beachfront. Padre Island National Seashore is another popular destination for beach lovers, with 70 miles of coastline, prairies, and dunes with wildlife galore. Texas residents are also exempt from income taxes, making it another ideal retirement location for those on a budget. The median home value hovers around $150,000, and the average rent is around $975 per month. 3. Bay St. Louis, Mississippi Bay St. Louis is a quaint city with a population of roughly 13,000 people, and it has plenty of small-town charm. It also has the 400-acre Buccaneer State Park right off the gulf, perfect for beachgoers and nature enthusiasts. As a bonus, it's also only about an hour's drive from New Orleans. The median home value in Bay St. Louis is around $155,000, and you can find apartments right off the beach for less than $1,000 per month. Mississippi is also tax-friendly for retirees, and you won't need to pay taxes on any type of retirement income. The city also offers milder temperatures than some of the other beach towns out there, with the average temperature in the warmest part of the year hovering around the 80s, while the colder months see average temperatures in the 50s and 60s. Before you start packing your bags... Think you're ready to pack up and move to the beach? Make sure you think through the decision first, because there's more to choosing a retirement destination than just price alone. Think about what type of environment you're looking for. If you're dreaming of spending your evenings at different restaurants, theaters, and concerts, a small, quiet town may make you miserable -- even if it's right within your budget. On the other hand, if all you want is to relax on the beach, the hustle and bustle of a busy city may cause more stress than it's worth. Also don't forget about factors like healthcare, visiting family and friends, and potential part-time work. If you have significant health issues, it's a good idea to look for a destination with quality hospitals. If you're moving far from home and expect to fly back to visit friends and family often, living close to an airport may save you some time and money. And for those hoping to pick up some part-time work during retirement, check out the job market in your potential new city before you move to see what your options look like. You don't have to be a millionaire to enjoy a sun-soaked retirement on the beach. Even if most of your retirement income comes from Social Security benefits, if you're strategic about it, you can still live the beach life you've been dreaming about. More From The Motley Fool The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Photo: Dreamworks Pictures If the emergence of Sasha Flute or the popularity of Lizzo has inspired you to take up the flute, we say go for it the woodwind instrument is surprisingly easy to learn. Heres the funny thing about the flute, says Carol Wincenc, a Grammy-nominated flutist and Juilliard professor, who was hailed Queen of the Flute by New York in 1984. You know how they say, Just hang it outside of a moving vehicle, like a car going 70 miles per hour, and it will play itself? Its for real. Thats how basic the flute is. But which one to get? To find the best flutes for beginners, we spoke with Wincenc, orchestra flutists, and resident artists. Below, their 11 picks. Best flute for beginners Yamaha YFL-222 Intermediate Flute for Student $568 Most of the flutists we spoke with named Yamaha as the go-to brand for a high-quality flute for beginners. Wincenc says that for the serious student, Yamaha would be the most reliable flute in the $300 to $500 range. In terms of a solid instrument for your money, its the best for your buck, she says. The Yamaha has closed hole keys, an offset G key, and a C foot joint, which are all specifications that Kim Lewis, resident flutist at the Flute Center of New York, suggests beginners look for in a flute. $568 at Amazon Buy $568 at Amazon Buy Flutes with closed hole keys Eastman Student Flute Model $998 Lewis also recommends beginner flutes from Gemeinhardt, Trevor James, Eastman, Pearl, and Di Zhao, which all have closed hole keys, an offset G key, and a C foot joint, like the Yamaha. Beyond those basic features, it comes down to personal sound preferences. Each company has their own idea of sound and mechanism design, so every flutist can find a flute that fits them well, Lewis says. $998 at Flute Center of New York Buy Gemeinhardt 2SP Flute with Straight Headjoint $478 The positioning of the keys on flutes like the Gemeinhardt 2SP helps teach beginners where to hold their hands on the instrument. Lewis explains: Intermediate and advanced flutes have open holes in the keys that are pressed with the players fingers. Until a student develops proper hand position, it is difficult for them to be able to cover these holes, so beginner flutes do not have holes in the keys. Additionally, offset G refers to the G key on the flute (which is played by the left-hand ring finger). This key is set forward from all of the other keys so it is easier to reach, as the left arm has to stretch across the body to get to its position on the flute. $478 at Amazon Buy $478 at Amazon Buy Pearl PF500 500 Series Student Flute with Case $547 The flutes Lewis named also have C foot joints, whereas a more advanced flute would have a B foot joint. The difference is in the flutes ability to create low notes. Intermediate and advanced flutes have a B foot joint, allowing one to play a low B, Lewis says. The C foot joint is shorter by having one less key, and only allows to play down to a low C. The shorter foot joint makes the flute lighter for beginner players, and often these lower notes are not frequently utilized in the repertoire until the intermediate and advanced playing levels. $547 at Amazon Buy $547 at Guitar Center Buy Bart Feller, who is principal flute of the New Jersey Symphony, New York City Opera Orchestra, and Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and teaches in Julliards Pre-College Division, recommends Di Zhao, Trevor James, and Aizumi as some of his favorite brands for beginners. All three brands beginner flutes play well in tune, and have a substantial, not tinny, sound, he says. Best beginner flute for kids Least expensive flutes for beginners If youre just looking to dabble in the flute and want to try something inexpensive that wont necessarily last forever, there are some options. Ten years ago there was a Walmart $79 flute, Wincenc says. And I havent investigated it as of late, but there are the plastic flutes. Im a backpacker and Im thinking of buying one of these things, and they come in all kinds of fun colors, like hot pink, royal blue I mean, yes, you can make a sound on those things. Higher-end flute for beginners Burkart Resona 300 Flute $4,880 It wouldnt be fair for me to not mention the Burkart Resona flute, says Wincenc (full disclosure: Wincenc is a Burkart artist, meaning that she is sponsored by the company). She calls this model a high-end beginner to intermediate flute. The name Resona implies resonance, she says, which is the monkey on the back of every flute player, is how beautiful and resonant is their sound. If you have the budget to splurge, this might be the flute for you: The adult beginner whos like an M.D. you know, like my hand surgeon is an amateur for their buck, oh my God that Resona flute is extraordinary. $4,880 at Guitar Center Buy Flute for graduating to the next level Yamaha YFL-362 Intermediate Flute Offset G B-Foot $1,537 Maxim Rubtsov, the principal flute of the Russian National Orchestra, also says he would highly recommend Yamaha flutes for beginner students. They are made well and have an excellent sound. It was a formative flute for Rubtsov: My father brought me a Yamaha flute from his work travels in Asia, and I played this flute through my formative years, he recalls. I auditioned for university, and even won my first orchestral seat playing on my Yamaha flute. (Rubtsov is a Yamaha piccolo artist currently.) This model is one step above the beginner Yamaha 222 it still has the offset G, which is recommended for beginners, but has open key holes and a B foot, which allows intermediate and advanced players to play lower notes. $1,537 at Amazon Buy $1,537 at Amazon Buy get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. What about her husband? He is also directly involved in this, no Reply Thread Link Apparently he was only directly involved in the plan to do this for their second daughter but since they changed their mind and didn't go through with it he wasn't charged. Reply Parent Thread Link He must be so happy that she's smarter than her older sister. Reply Parent Thread Link https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/us/felicity-huffman-admissions-plea.html no one really knows yet Reply Parent Thread Link Felicity is only being charged for doing this with their eldest daughter (which she did alone). Both FH and WHM discussed rigging it for their youngest daughter but changed their mind. Thats why he isn't being charged with anything. Reply Parent Thread Link I don't think they ever got any direct evidence on him, but he definitely knew all about it and was involved. Reply Parent Thread Link He pulled a Frank Gallagher. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I mean imo its not at all believable that he only knew a little bit/only knew about one of them just that he was smart enough to not involve himself enough to cop what FH is copping rn Reply Parent Thread Link so damn dumb lol like I knew people did this but the schools that they were doing it for...lol Reply Thread Link she will have a better chance coming back from this than lori loughlin and her dumb husband Reply Thread Link Exactly. She'll be seen as owning up to her mistake and taking responsibility for her actions. Lori on the other hand isn't. Though I think what will also help Felicity with the GP is that she never had an overly "wholesome" image to uphold. Though I am wildly amused that it's the so-called wholesome one who's doing everything wrong. Reply Parent Thread Link they come across as incredibly arrogant and unremorseful and it's just not a good look. she's lost everything. they also have a lifestyle to ~maintain~ so i hope they saved all their coin. they're fucked. u can hire felicity again and whm will be on shameless until he dies lol. but lori's entire brand is gone i think. and i know people have come back from way worse in hollywood but i just don't see it for her. that hallmark brand isn't coming back. Reply Parent Thread Link I wonder what their family dynamics are now & if that will recover. Its clear that WHM knew even if he didnt actively participate. If she goes to jail & he doesnt, what does that do to their marriage? Is she bitter hes not shouldering the blame too? Or relieved at least one of them will be free to take care of everything while shes in the clink? If the daughter didnt know about it, how does she recover from not only the humiliation of the scandal but also knowing her parents didnt think she was smart enough to go to college on her own? Theyve compromised her integrity & reputation too. I dont know if I would be able to forgive them. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link People probably aren't following this as closely as ONTD is but I think the fact that she did less than Lori will also probably help. Everyone (well...mostly) hates cheaters but I think the disparity in the punishments will kind of show that one was a bit worse than the other. Plus going to trial is going to drag it out forever and it's not like any positive details will come out of that for them. Reply Parent Thread Link I honestly still dont know her daughters name despite all this, what is she doing? Is she still in school? Reply Thread Link No idea about the older daughter but the youngest daughter is 17 so she was applying to colleges this year. The younger one is the one that Felicity was like "Never mind, she's smart enough to do it on her own" Reply Parent Thread Link She's a senior in high school. A few months before all this came out, William H Macy gave an interview where he said she's in the middle of the college application process but once she gets accepted into college she's probably going to take a year off and try a bit of acting while she's still young enough to get teenage roles. It's funny because even in that interview, he notes that the younger daughter attends a more academic school and was focused on and doing well with her schoolwork. Reply Parent Thread Link i would die of embarrassment if i were any of the grown adults involved w this Reply Thread Link throw the book at ha. Reply Thread Link I will be highly surprised if she served a full 4 months tbh. She seems remorseful, so I'm sure the judge will be lenient. Aunt Becky however. Electric Chair. Reply Thread Link is aunt becky still pleading not guilty? Reply Thread Link Not guilty. Still confident that she will avoid jail time. The latter is kind of crazy. The tabloids are saying that Aunt Becky has told her daughters to flee the country. LOL! Reply Parent Thread Link Olivia Jade is partying with Youtubers still which like...those hos ain't loyal. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link she is such a dumbass Reply Parent Thread Link I saw a magazine with her face on it at CVS recently and cringed. The headline was something like Inside the fallen stars demise or whatever and Im just like ??? This entitled white woman spent a million dollars to get her dumbass kids into school, shes not a fallen star shes an entitled asshole. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link She paid only $15k? Woah the others that paid so much more must be so pissed. Still, LOLLLLL serve all of them right. Eat shit. Reply Thread Link I mean she just got someone to cheat the SAT for the daughter. The people paying a lot were paying to actually get their kids accepted into schools by bribing coaches. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah the others had their money going into bribes to get the kid on the soccer team and then suffering a career ending injury the day before practice started or something Reply Parent Thread Link Bloop Reply Thread Link This is so embarrassing lol Reply Thread Link at least she's doing the smart thing NOW and pleading guilty unlike aunt becky Reply Thread Link WHDH cut into Family Feud with this "breaking news" meanwhile, we've got a body found at the transfer station in Auburn, but nooo the actress walking out of court is the story worth interrupting regularly scheduled programming. Reply Thread Link does anybody know why zyuranger deleted? Reply Thread Link bitch what Reply Parent Thread Link I saw that! I was wondering the same thing Reply Parent Thread Link Wait what??? Reply Parent Thread Link an update was in the roundup! he's just taking a break, he's fine Reply Parent Thread Link Yeezus_christ and that one user that had the creepy baby from Toy Story drinking a bottle deleted too. I wish I could remember their name. I feel like a lot of people are deleting lately. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link What Reply Parent Thread Link Y_C's journal is showing up as suspended so I have no idea what's going on there. :-/ Reply Parent Thread Link wtf yeezus is gone?! omg Did Kanye get ha? Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah it was so sudden too regarding yeezus_christ, they were here as of Friday. Wonder what happened? Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah a lot are. I miss flawedinsomniac :( Reply Parent Thread Link Second time I heard this and no one knows. Reply Parent Thread Link Him too???? Reply Parent Thread Link waitWHAT Reply Parent Thread Link toxic said in Roundup he's fine, just taking time off. Reply Parent Thread Link If I decide to do some thru-hiking, I choose Altra Lone Peak trail runners, says Jennifer West, who is a positive-movement coach and EGCM/MCT-MovNat Level 2 trainer. First, theyre whats called zero drop, meaning the elevation of the toe of my foot in the shoe is the same elevation as the heel, she says. This gives me a more natural gait and is so much better for the knees, back, and hips. They also have a wide toe box. Plus, unlike other trail runners, these shoes have lots of cushioning, which protects the soles of my feet from bruising over long distances and really rugged terrain. Lastly, they have crazy-good lugs for gripping the trail. I actually have to admit that when I was looking at these shoes I noticed that Trail Claws was printed on the lugs, and I really liked that. Iraq regards the U.S.s refusal to extend waivers for countries importing oil from Iran as a tacit endorsement for it to pump its own oil to the maximum. This dovetails neatly into its Oil Ministrys internal targets conveyed last week to OilPrice.com by a source who works closely with the Ministry - of increasing crude oil production to at least 6.2 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of 2020 and at least 9 million bpd by the end of 2023. At around the same time, the Oil Ministry announced that it had agreed preliminary terms with ExxonMobil and PetroChina to rollout the South Integrated Project (SIP), an important infrastructure project that should result in some degree of output increase. This deal, though, is far from certain, said the Iraqi source, and critically - does not necessarily include the contract for the full-scale Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP). This would involve taking and treating seawater from the Persian Gulf and then transporting it to oil production facilities in order to be used for water injection to boost pressure at southern Iraqs Big Four oil fields: Rumaila, Majnoon, Zubair, and West Qurna. The CSSP is regarded by traders, analysts and politicians alike as being the key to unlocking all of Iraqs massive oil potential, the top-case production scenario according to the International Energy Agency being at least 12 million bpd. Russia, whose corporate proxy Rosneft already controls Iraqs oil and gas industry in the north through a deal done in November 2017 with the government of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan (KRG) - wants to consolidate its position in the south as well. Last week, it instructed its main corporate vehicle in the region Lukoil to dramatically increase the pace of its development of the supergiant West Qurna 2 oil field, in which it holds a 75% stake, with the remainder held by Iraqs state-run North Oil Company. Related: Debunking The Oil Industry Cash Flow Myth There is huge political pressure from the Kremlin for Russian oil companies to maintain, and where possible expand their presence across all of Iraq, in light of recent moves by U.S. companies to re-establish the U.S. footprint across the country, the Iraqi source told OilPrice.Com last week. Russia regards moves being made by U.S. companies in Iraq as being similar to the way in which the British used the East India Company to consolidate its economic and political grip over India, he said. This increase in pressure was the result of a recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putins Special Envoy to the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov, and Iraqs nominal Prime Minister, Adil Abdul Al-Mahdi. Present at that meeting as well were senior representatives of the real power in Iraq, the ultra-nationalist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Al-Sadrs policy is to play off all sides against each other, making a deal recently with Iran to jointly develop shared oilfields but also allowing for the involvement of ExxonMobil in the SIP, and encouraging Russia to increase its presence on the oil fields, said the Iraqi source. In this way, he thinks he will get the best from each, and will also live up to his election promise of not allowing Iraq to become dependent on any one country again, he added. In line with this, Lukoil recently announced that it is set to increase the output from the West Qurna 2 field to 480,000 bpd in 2020 and then to 800,000 bpd in 2025. Given that the current production from the field is around 400,000 bpd - about 9% of Iraqs total oil production - this latter figure may look like a tall order. The truth, though, is very different. Located 65 kilometres northwest of the southern port of Basra and with roughly 14 billion barrels of reserves in place, West Qurna 2s initial production target was 120,000 bpd. The target for the second phase was 480,000 bpd, based largely on developing the Mishrif formation. Phase 3 will focus on the deeper Yamama formation, to add another 650,000 bpd to the mix, and from there the intention is still to reach the plateau target of 1.8 million bpd. So far, Lukoils apparent progress has been mixed. It took longer than the government expected for it to hit the Phase 1 target, particularly in light of the relatively easy geology attached to the field. Specifically, according to the IEA, the operating cost (lifting cost) per barrel in West Qurna 2 is US$2 per barrel. This includes all expenses incurred by the operator during day-to-day production operations but excludes taxes or royalties levied by the government as well as other compensation to the operator. The capital cost of development of West Qurna 2 is also relatively low, estimated to be US$7,000-12,000 per barrel. Given these extremely low-cost parameters, Lukoils remuneration per barrel of US$1.15 looks justified. However, the rate has caused ongoing disagreements between the government in Baghdad and Lukoil, as it is the lowest for any field development by some margin. The next lowest was for Shells agreement to develop Majnoon at US$1.39 per barrel, from which it has now withdrawn. By direct contrast, and particularly galling for Lukoil, Exxons original contract for developing the adjunct West Qurna1- with exactly the same geology was US$1.90 per barrel remuneration. The latest flare-up came late last year. According to Oilprice.coms source, Iraqs Oil Ministry found out that the Russia had not only hit 650,000 bpd production over various extended periods in the prior two months, but also that it could sustain production of at least 635,000 bpd it was just choosing not to do so because of the low per barrel remuneration rate. Related: Oil May Hold The Secret To Ending The Trade War At that point, given the lack of other international oil companies wanting to take part at such a low rate, the Oil Ministry agreed to extend the timeframe of the contract to 25-30 years, effectively reducing the daily cost of capital per barrel of oil recovered and to also allow Lukoil the option of increasing its stake from the present 75% to 80%, the Iraqi source told OilPrice.com. In return, Lukoil agreed to invest an extra US$1.4 billion in the short-term and a further US$3.6 billion down the line, depending on variables including OPEC quotas, Iran export levels, and the continued development of export capacity in the south, he said. Given this, not only is 635,000 bpd achievable almost immediately but, according to the Oilprice.com source, Lukoil believes that it can reach 700,000 bpd by the end of next year, not 480,000 bpd, and 800,000 bpd by the end of 2021, not 2025. As an adjunct to this, Chinese contractors have also been told by Iraq and Russia to expedite their drilling work. In this context, Chinas Bohai Drilling Engineering Company earlier this year agreed a deal with the Oil Ministry under which it would drill 28 new production oil wells at West Qurna 2 by the end of 2020. The additional incentive for Lukoil to pick up the pace on West Qurna 2 is that Iraqs Oil Ministry is unimpressed by ExxonMobils progress on West Qurna 1, and is considering encouraging the company to leave the field. It depends on whether it [ExxonMobil] agrees to the final terms of the SIP and takes on the full CSSP at a reasonable price, said the Iraqi source. West Qurna 1 has expected recoverable reserves of over 20 billion barrels, according to Japans Itochu, which bought Shells stake last year for US$406 million via its subsidiary, CIECO West Qurna Limited. Again, in order to encourage ExxonMobil to increase its pace of development on the field after Shell left, it was offered an official commencement date for the West Qurna 1 contract of two years after the actual date but with no increase in required investment. This meant that ExxonMobil would have more time to recoup money and make more profits over time. Despite this, though, there has been no progress for some time on the field, which is still producing around 400,000 bpd, with no signs of progress on the horizon. Achieving plateau production of 2.825 million barrels per day for West Qurna 1 and 1.8 million barrels per day from West Qurna 2 is absolutely vital to Iraqs long-term plans to overtake Saudi Arabia as the worlds biggest oil producer, as it could do, said Oilprice.coms source. He then added that if Exxon doesnt make real progress soon then the Oil Ministry will offer the field to another firm, maybe Lukoil if it has done well on West Qurna 2,. This would be a key advance in Russias policy of cementing its presence in the two central areas in the Shia arc of power that runs from Syria in the north, through Iraq and then Iran, and into Yemen in the south, he concluded. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Saudi Arabia has said two of its oil tankers were attacked by saboteurs near the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reports, adding a statement by the UAE that a total four vessels were attacked off its coast at the port of Fujairah. The AP quoted a Saudi statement as saying the damages sustained by the two tankers were significant. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE, however, said who was or is most likely to have been behind the attack. The UAE also did not provide any details about the attack saying only that there were no casualties and the port of Fujairah was operating as usual. Saudi Arabias Energy Minister Khalid- al-Falih said in a statement that one of the two vessels attacked at the Fujairah port was en route to Ras Lanuf where it was supposed to load crude oil for the United States. However, TankerTrackers.com co-founder Samir Madani in a tweet said there were three Saudi tankers docked at Fujairah: one empty after returning from China, another one returning from the Saudi port of Yanbu loaded, and a small petrochemicals tanker. The AP notes the reports of the attacks came on the heels of a warning issued by the United States to ships in the Persian Gulf regarding possible attacks by Iran or its proxies on vessels in the area. The warning came as a U.S. aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers are traveling to the Gulf in pre-emptive response to a possible Iranian move in the region after Tehran once again said it would close the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. tries to squeeze its oil exports further. Related: Chinese Oil Majors Backtrack On Pledge To Buy Iranian Oil The Strait of Hormuz is a major oil chokepoint accounting for some 17 million barrels of crude daily. The strait is only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, but is wide and deep enough to handle even the worlds largest tankers. Alternate routes for oil normally going through this strait are several pipelines, but capacity is limited. Most of the oil exports traveling through this strait are bound for Asian markets. Iran has threatened to close it off more than once during the years but has never before acted on this threat. However, if the tension between Tehran, its Arab neighbors, and Washington continues to deepen this might change, effectively starting yet another war in the Middle East. Later in the day, Iran condemned the attack on the vessels in the UAE and called for an investigation into the event, Reuters reported. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: Oman has made some major moves to diversify its energy mix, as indicated by the commissioning of new renewable energy (RE) projects. The sultanate has set a precedent by bringing RE into the oil and gas upstream via new innovative schemes. One of these new schemes involves Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), which announced on October 29, 2018 that it had contracted Omani-Japanese Marubeni consortium to construct a 100-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant under an independent power producer (IPP) model. The facility will generate power for PDOs own use and will be located in the Amin oilfield region of southern Oman, where the company has operational concessions. It will be the first plant of its kind in Oman and the worlds first utility-scale solar project to have an oil and gas company as its sole client. Marubeni consortium, which comprises Japanese multinational Marubeni and Oman Gas Company, will undertake the design, procurement, construction, commissioning, financing, operation and maintenance of the plant, which will supply electricity to PDO under a 23-year power purchase agreement. Solar & Steam The announcement follows the February 2018 launch of stage one of another PDO RE project, the 1000-MW Miraah solar facility, which is located at the Amal oilfield. This project combines both renewable and non-renewable energy sources, using solar power to create steam, which in turn will be used to extract oil from nearby deposits. The use of steam injection is expected to extend the lifespan of the field, which has been in operation since 1984, with the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology allowing for the extraction of natural deposits too difficult or too costly to penetrate through conventional techniques. The plant uses a technology developed by GlassPoint Solar, which has previously built a 7-MW thermal pilot project in the sultanate. The solar facility uses an enclosed trough technology, with large mirrors set up within a self-cleaning, greenhouse-style structure, which focus the suns rays on boiling oilfield water to create steam. This is then injected into the reservoirs for EOR, pushing out more of the heavy, viscous oil that remains. When there is no sun, a gas-fired system takes over to keep the steam in production. Following the pilot projects success, GlassPoint was commissioned for Miraah, which is a 36-block facility, eventually capable of delivering 6000 tonnes of steam per day for EOR in the field. The first four blocks were inaugurated in February 2018, delivering a combined total of 660 tonnes. Related: The Race For An Oil Spill Solution In November 2018 GlassPoint signed with oil company Occidental Oman to build a 2-GW plant for the Mukhaizna oilfield in the central Al Wusta Governorate. Engineering work on defining the scope of the proposed facility and field integration plans were under way in late 2018, with the facility likely to be a similar design to the Miraah project. Expanding the Mix Using steam generated by the sun is a more sustainable alternative to using steam produced by natural gas. It also cuts emissions significantly, with GlassPoint calculating that the Occidental project alone could save 800,000 tonnes of CO output per year. This dovetails well with Omans broader objectives for the environment and commitments under the Paris Agreement, to which it is a signatory while it also aligns with the sultanates goal of using less of its own natural gas resources in energy production, freeing up the reserves for more lucrative uses, such as the manufacturing of petrochemicals and other, higher-value-added industries. The projects initiated by PDO and Occidental Oman come amid broader nationwide strategies to expand the contribution of renewables to the mix to ensure more sustainable sources of energy. This ambition has taken concrete form now in a range of smaller-scale projects, such as rooftop PV panels, as well as in larger, commercial utilities. In May 2018 the state-owned Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) unveiled plans to develop six new commercial utility-scale IPPs three solar facilities and three wind farms by 2024. They will have a combined installed capacity of 2650 MW. The three solar PV parks will be located at Ibri, Manah and Adam, while two of the wind facilities will be in Dhofar and the remaining one will be located in the port town of Duqm. With the government having committed to ensuring at least 10% of electricity output is produced from renewable sources by 2025, OPWP is ramping up efforts to meet this target, Yaqoob bin Saif Al Kiyumi, the companys CEO, told OBG. That will mean more than 2500 MW of installed renewable capacity by 2025, he said. This will likely consist of a combination of solar and wind resources, both of which Oman is well placed to utilise. The solar PV power plants will be developed as large-scale facilities, each with a capacity of 500 MW. They have been provisionally named Solar IPP 2022, Solar IPP 2023 and Solar IPP 2024, after their expected years of commissioning. Pre-qualification for two of the upcoming wind farms, with capacities of 150 MW and 200 MW, are expected to start in late 2019, with the plants due for commissioning in 2023. Meanwhile, the sultanate announced in August 2018 that it would be developing the countrys first wind farm, worth an estimated $54.7m. The turbines for the RE project are supplied by Frances GE Renewable Energy, and construction of the facility will be carried out by Spains TSK. Related: Exxon Presents Its Very Own Solution To Climate Change The 50-MW wind-powered facility is located at Harweel in the southern governorate of Dhofar, and is jointly owned by Abu Dhabis renewable energy firm Masdar and Omans Rural Areas Electricity Company, with commissioning due in early 2019. An extension of 150 MW of installed capacity is expected to become operational in 2023. Technology The Harweel wind farm deploys high-tech solutions to the challenges of a desert environment. Extreme heat and sandstorms characterise the area where the farm is located, with both posing a danger to electronic and mechanical systems. To accommodate such an environment, the facility features an adapted version of GEs standard turbine, which is capable of working in temperatures ranging from 35C to 55C. OPWP is also assisting the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW) in the Wind Resources Atlas study, the second phase of which began in February 2018. The phase comprises a wind resource assessment programme that will help determine available resources at specific locations more accurately. Key to this evaluation stage will be wind masts, which can reach heights of 80 metres, and generate information on wind speed, availability, direction and other related indicators. Additionally, PAEW is monitoring the development of alternative technologies to expand the range of generational and storage options in the future. In October 2018 PAEW issued two tenders for consultancy services to develop IPP projects that assess the potential of converting waste to energy. These innovative projects are aimed at both diversifying energy sources and reducing pressure on existing landfill capacity. The waste-to-energy facility is expected to treat around 2200 tonnes of municipal solid waste from the Muscat and South Al Batinah catchment areas per day. Heat generated from incinerated waste will be used to boil water, creating steam to drive a turbine and produce electricity. The generated electricity will in turn be used to power a thermal desalination plant, which is expected to produce approximately 75m cu metres of potable water each year for the sultanates inhabitants, helping to reduce Omans dependence on gas for the production of water. By Oxford Business Group More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil prices jumped on Monday on news that two Saudi oil tankers were supposedly attacked near the Persian Gulf, raising fears that supply may be at risk. Two Saudi oil tankers were reportedly hit with explosions over the weekend near the Strait of Hormuz, according to Saudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih. While the exact cause remains unknown, al-Falih said it was an act of sabotage. The attacks occurred in the Gulf of Oman, and resulted in significant damage to the structures of the two vessels, al-Falih said. The incident comes against a backdrop of rising U.S.-Iran tension, although there was no evidence of Iranian involvement at this point. A Saudi official told the Wall Street Journal that while the attackers are unknown, they doubted that Iran was behind it because of the risk of setting off a larger conflict. An American official agreed, telling the WSJ: It would be very clumsy from the Iranians. Iranian officials denounced the act of sabotage. Such incidents have negative impact on maritime transportation security, a spokesman for Irans foreign ministry said, before adding everyone should be vigilant against destabilizing plots of foreign agents. Nevertheless, oil prices shot up on Monday. The price increase was especially notable since the U.S.-China trade war sent global financial markets into a downward spiral at the same time. Even as the S&P 500 was down more than 2 percent during midday trading on Monday, Brent crude was up 1.5 percent. Not even the decision by the US to slam 25% tariffs on all goods from China has been able to push oil lower, Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB, wrote in a statement. The oil market is getting very bullish signals from spot prices at the moment which are countering the growth blues from the escalating US China trade war. Related: Libyas $60 Billion Push To Double Oil Production As Schieldrop notes, the front end of the Brent futures curve has moved into backwardation, a clear sign that the market is experiencing tightness. Outages in Venezuela, Iran and some supply disturbances related to pipeline outages in Nigeria and contamination in Russian oil are holding the physical market in a tight grip, Schieldrop said. The Strait of Hormuz also has a unique ability to scare oil traders. Roughly 30 percent of the global seaborne crude oil trade passes through the Strait, as well as a third of the global LNG trade, with exports coming from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar. Iran has repeatedly threatened to interrupt oil flows through the narrow strait if it is not allowed to export oil, though such threats have consistently proven to be bluster. One of the ships that suffered damage was heading for the UAE port of Fujairah, which, crucially, is situated on the UAEs east coast, outside of the Strait of Hormuz. It has the advantage of allowing ships to load up and drop off crude oil without needing to pass through Hormuz at all. The bottom line is that oil markets are tight enough that such an incident which wont have a significant effect on supply rattled traders. In the past few years, supply was ample enough that flare ups such as the latest incident barely moved the needle. But minor outages can have big impacts on prices when supply is tight. Related: Is This The Most Underrated Upstream Player In The Industry? The oil market is reacting very sensitively to supply disruption risks considering the market is already tight, said Giovanni Staunovo, an analyst at UBS Group AG, according to Bloomberg. Any additional disruption would further tighten the oil market. Any significant outage would come on top of declining output in Iran and Venezuela. It is unclear how OPEC+ will react next month in Vienna, but for now, they are sitting tight and letting the supply curbs prop up prices. U.S. shale production may have slowed but it is still expected to grow. On Monday, the EIA released new data with estimates for shale growth in June, but the increase is unlikely to be sufficient to plug the supply gap caused by OPEC, Commerzbank said in a note ahead of the EIA publication. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Supply disruptions in the Middle East on top of an already tight crude market could send oil prices violently upward, according to Rystad Energy. Two Saudi Arabian oil tankers were reportedly attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this weekend, sending crude futures sharply up Monday morning. Commenting on the incident, Bjrnar Tonhaugen, Head of Oil Market Research at Rystad Energy, says: In the short term, the perceived risk of supply disruptions from the area will only add to the premium of short-dated oil contracts compared to deferred contracts on the futures curve, which are already trading at a high premium. The tightness in prompt supplies is caused by declines in production from Iran and Venezuela, along with ongoing OPEC cuts, outages in Russia owing to the Urals contamination, maintenance in Kazakhstan, plus planned maintenance in the North Sea during the summer months. The oil market is reacting today not because the physical market suddenly has lost more oil supplies, but because of risks that the market may lose more oil in the coming weeks and months given the heightened risk of supply disruptions from the critical Persian Gulf region. Raising tensions even higher, news flows suggest the latest incident might be related to the conflict between Iran and the US, which puts the Strait of Hormuz in play, Tonhaugen said. Related: The Race For An Oil Spill Solution The incident occurred near the Strait of Hormuz, the worlds most important oil artery. Around 40% of the worlds traded crude oil is transported through the waterway between Iran to the north and UAE/Oman to the south. Approximately 90% of Saudi Arabian crude exports and 75% of Iraqi exports pass through this shipping lane, in addition to all oil exports from Iran, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. The US announced last month that buyers of Iranian oil must stop purchases by 1 May 2019 or face sanctions. The termination of the so-called Iran sanction waivers program prompted Iran to renew its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has repeatedly threatened to block the strait as a weapon, but due to the importance of the waterway for the global economy and the price of oil, the strait is also protected by the US Navys Fifth Fleet and other allies, Tonhaugen remarked. Needless to say, if the strait was to be blocked or disrupted, even only for a short period of time, oil prices would react violently upwards. There are limited bypass options to export crude, although Saudi Arabia and the UAE do have limited pipeline capacity to shift some crude exports to the Red Sea or the Gulf of Oman. However, any disruption to the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz would have unknown consequences for the stability in the region. The risk of sparking an escalating conflict implies that the threats being expressed lately are probably of the rhetorical kind, with less likelihood of the oil weapon actually being set in motion. By Rystad Energy More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: U.S. liquefied natural gas exports have been on a steady rise over the past year, especially to Europe, where they surged by 272 percent since July last year. However, this years hurricane season could interfere with the trend and compromise the flow of U.S. LNG to Europe and Asia. While early forecasts for this hurricane season are favorable for the LNG industry, with overall expectations being for an average to below-average hurricane activity in the Atlantic, surprises can never be ruled out especially when so much is at stake. In an article for Forbes, one of the worlds few certified consulting meteorologists, Jim Foerster, notes that the LNG companies in the U.S. are watching all hurricane season forecasts particularly closely due to the problems hurricanes could cause for the industry ranging from higher prices because of shipment delays to loss of equipment and revenues as a result of necessary evacuation. Foerster says that the mild hurricane season expectations are based on the continuing El Nino making the Atlantic warmer, with a warmer ocean meaning fewer hurricanes. However, this El Nino is a weak one and it could weaker further as hurricane season progresses, according to Foerster. Still, early forecasts suggest at least three hurricanes will be of major size this season with at least one of these occurring in the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, there is little anyone could do to avoid the consequences of extreme weather although some advance planning could reduce the risk of the worst of these consequences playing out. This is what LNG producers are already doing, says Foerster: they are planning how to handle any unpleasant surprises this hurricane season. And this is one extra concern they do not need at this moment. Last Friday, President Trump raised the 10-percent tariff rate on US$200 billion worth of Chinese products to 25 percent and threatened more goods to be added to the tariff list. China said it would retaliate, which may translate into higher tariffs on U.S. LNG, which is already subject to a 10-percent tariff. U.S. LNG shipments to the worlds largest consumer are already on the decline and have been for quite a while. A recent Reuters report said these shipments have been falling since the start of the trade war last year, with the total in 2018 down to 27 tankers from 30 in 2017. In March and April this year, according to Reuters Eikon data, no U.S. LNG shipments arrived in China, although there are a few U.S. LNG tankers sailing right now through the Pacific that may be bound for China. Related: Occidental Petroleum, Anadarko Seal The Deal And then there is a bigger problem: BloombergNEF this month forecast that global LNG supply will swing into a sizeable surplus that will certainly drive prices lower. This years expected excess supply of 16MMtpa will be hard for the market to absorb, unless we get a dose of wild demand for either a hotter summer or colder winter in North Asia or Europe. If not, pressure will be on LNG prices, said the head of commodities at BloombergNEF, Ashish Sethia, in the analysts latest LNG Outlook. Depending on wild demand is hardly a best-case scenario for U.S. LNG producers, but like hurricane season, this is out of their control. The best they can do is hope for the best and prepare for the worst. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Juan Guaido, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, has instructed his envoy to the United States Carlos Vecchio to start talks with the U.S. military for help in overthrowing the Nicolas Maduro government, the Associated Press reports, citing a statement by Guaido. In his statement, the self-declared interim president of Venezuela referred to the talks as direct communications on a possible military coordination, in the latest sign that his efforts and those of his compatriots are not having the desired effect despite weeks of protests and a takeover of the U.S. business of Venezuelas PDVSA, Citgo. At the end of April, Guaido declared what he called the final phase in the oppositions battle against the incumbent government, saying some in the Venezuelan military had switched allegiances and now supported the opposition. He called on the rest to drop their loyalty to Maduro and join the oppositions fight. However, the phrase final phase turned out to be a little exaggerated with a few soldiers joining in the protests and nothing definitive resulting from them. The opposition leader has said he considers that he has the right to invite foreign military forces to intervene in Venezuela in a way similar to how Simon Bolivar, the leader of the Venezuelan revolutionary movement, invited British mercenaries to oust the Spaniards from the country. What he may have neglected, however, is that there is a difference between ousting a foreign ruler and removing a local government despite the less than flattering track record of that same government using the military of a country that is unlikely to be a favorite with many Venezuelans suffering the consequences of U.S. sanctions. In other words, the situation in the troubled country will likely continue to deteriorate, and as a direct result of this, Venezuelas oil production will continue to suffer, supporting international prices. A direct U.S. military intervention--which, the AP notes, has not been seriously considered so far despite general statements to the tune of every option being on the table--would undoubtedly push prices even higher. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Just one Indian refiner has agreed to buy additional crude oil supply from Saudi Arabia to compensate for the loss of Iranian barrels, as Indias firms have been looking for months to diversify their crude sources and as the Kingdom raised its prices to Asia to take advantage of the supply crunch. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL) is the only Indian refiner out of four state-held companies that had bought Iranian oil under the sanction waivers to have taken up the Saudi offer for additional crude supplies, and will lift around 2 million barrels in June on top of its normal purchase of 2.5 million barrels, industry sources told Reuters on Monday. Under its exemption from the U.S. sanctions on Iran that ended at the beginning of May, India was allowed to buy some 300,000 bpd of Iranian oil. Now that the waivers are over, just one of the four Indian refiners has requested more Saudi oil for June, according to Reuters sources. There are two key reasons for the lukewarm reception of the extra Saudi supplyhigh Saudi official selling prices (OSPs) for its Asian customers for June, and the greater diversification of the Indian refiners who are looking to other suppliers from the Middle East and to other countries, including Mexico, Brazil, and the United States. Related: Oil Opens Higher After Saudi Arabia Reports Attacks On Oil Tankers Indias four state-held oil refiners who were Iranian customers until last month have been diversifying suppliers to offset possible tighter U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil, and all four were certain that they wont have trouble replacing any loss of Irans oil with more supplies from the Arab Gulf OPEC members, from Mexico, and the United States, company officials told Reuters before the U.S. announced the end of all sanction waivers for Iranian customers. In our system, UAE and Iraq oil turned out to be better than Saudi oil, a source at an Indian refinery told Reuters today. Earlier this month, American officials said that the United States was working with oil producers like Saudi Arabia and the UAE to ensure India has enough crude supply after the end of the sanction waivers, but the U.S. cant ensure its own oil will be sold to India at preferential prices. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: . ---- Oklahoma State is proud to celebrate more than 40 years of rich softball tradition and its 20th season of play at Cowgirl Stadium this year. To purchase your tickets for the 2019 campaign, visit okstate.com/tickets or call the OSU ticket office at 877-ALL-4-OSU. Print Friendly Version The Oklahoma State softball team was announced as the No. 13 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament, meaning that the Cowgirls will host one of the 16 regionals across the country next weekend.It is the first time OSU has hosted a regional since 1998, a year in which the Cowgirls swept their competition and made the program's sixth trip to the Women's College World Series. The Pokes will be joined in Stillwater by Arkansas, Tulsa and BYU.Cowgirl Stadium previously played host to a super regional in 2011, but next weekend's competition will mark the ballpark's first four-team regional since it was renovated in 2000.Oklahoma State enters the NCAA Tournament with 39 wins on its resume thus far - the most by a Cowgirl team before the NCAA Tournament since 2010, when the Pokes entered with 43.The 2019 Cowgirls have tackled one of the nation's most challenging schedules this season, facing teams that were either ranked or receiving votes in at least one of the national polls on 29 occasions.OSU won 20 of those matchups, which includes eight wins over top-15 opponents.Oklahoma State's 11 wins over ranked opponents this season is the program's highest total since defeating 11 ranked foes in 2011. It is tied for the program's fourth-highest total since 1995.Getting to play in the friendly confines of Cowgirl Stadium should be a massive boost for the Pokes next weekend, as OSU has gone 15-3 in games at its home park this year.Oklahoma State's 15 home victories is tied for the program's fifth-highest single-season total in school history. The team's .833 winning percentage is its top mark since winning 19 of 22 games (.864) in Stillwater back in 2010.In its final home game of the regular season - a Bedlam matchup against No. 1 Oklahoma on May 5 - OSU shattered the Cowgirl Stadium attendance record, as 1,374 of the nation's rowdiest fans packed the stands and tailgaters lined the outfield wall.The NCAA Stillwater Regional will mark the Cowgirls' 22nd all-time postseason appearance and the first time that OSU has competed in four-straight NCAA Tournaments since an 11-year run that ended in 1998.Oklahoma State has made seven appearances at the Women's College World Series, most recently making the 60-mile journey in 2011.Arkasnas and Tulsa open the Stillwater Regional on Thursday, May 16, at 5 p.m. CT, followed by the Cowgirls' clash with BYU at 7:30 p.m. CT.For a full schedule and further details about the NCAA Stillwater Regional, visit okstate.com/ncaasoftball Outgoing Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has claimed that the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, once sent his DSS detail to insult him. Okorocha said he had gone to interact with his party Chairman about issues relating to happenings in the party when he (Oshiomhole) sent his DSS personnel to push him out of his office. Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, Okorocha said the incident happened in the presence of the APC governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Ekere Nsima. The Governor, however, said he was not considering leaving the ruling party, at least for now. Asked if he still feel comfortable in the APC, Okorocha, whose son-in-law, Uche Nwosu joined the Action Alliance, AA, prior to the general elections, said: I am APC. I have never thought of leaving the party for now and I have no reason because I won under the platform of APC. Where will I go to? I have to be in the APC, I formed the APC. Asked if he was stranded, he added: I am not stranded, I remain in APC and I have not indicated that Im going to leave APC. Remember that the intention of these people is to frustrate me out of politics and out of APC so that they can have a field of play. But all I advise today is that let no institution or organization allow themselves to be used as an instrument to destroy somebody politically, who has committed no offence. On what he will do if by chance he meets Oshiomhole today, Gov. Okorocha said: These Levis Wedgies Are the Cheapest Weve Ever Seen Them These Levis Wedgies Are the Cheapest We The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Imo says road accidents in the state have been on the decline in recent times due to the strict enforcement of traffic rules by the command. Mr Evarustus Ebeniro, the Head of Operations of the corps in the state, said this on Sunday during a thanksgiving mass held at St. Mulumba Catholic Church, Owerri to mark the end of the fifth United Nations Global Road Safety Week. Although, Ebeniro did not give details, he said that recent statistics showed that accident rate is on the decrease in Imo. He charged motorists to ensure strict compliance with traffic rules, adding that the corps had initiated a new roadmap designed to mitigate road crashes. He said the thanksgiving mass and the sensitisation roadwalk by the command was part of its activities for the week-long celebration. Ebeniro said to the congregation: We are celebrating a global road safety week and we are using this opportunity to educate motorists on the dangers of driving against traffic rules. The essence of continuous sensitization is to work on the orientation of drivers and I assure you that this command is out to do the job. He listed human factor as the major cause of read accidents and admonished motorists to guide against speed, drunk driving and over loading. He charged motorists to install the speed limiting device in their vehicles for their safety and that of their passengers. He warned that the command would go after defaulters, adding that those arrested would be made to pay appropriate sanctions. (NAN) Wudil indigenes in Kano State have appealed to the State House of Assembly to revisit the recent creation of Gaya Emirate Council under which they have been grouped. Alhaji Yawale Muhammad-Idris, spokesman of the indigenes made the call shortly after a stakeholders meeting on Sunday in Wudil, headquarters of Wudil Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. Muhammad-Idris further appealed to the State Government to return them to the old Kano Emirate where they rightly belong. According to him, the current arrangement is not backed by historical antecedents and is of no benefit to the affected communities. He said the stakeholders meeting was attended by various groups of indigenes of the LGA pointing out that Wudil town has a different historical background from Gaya. We cannot afford to exist under Gaya Emirate, he said. According to Muhammad-Idris, during the Jihad of Shehu Usman Danfodio, Wudil was one of the five royal hubs that were presented with flags. He said that the people of Wudil are not happy with the new arrangement. If Wudil LGA will not have a first class emir, we prefer to remain under Kano Emirate. So for God sake why should government demean us by grouping us under Gaya instead of merging us with the Kano Emirate with which we have the same historical relation. We reject this arrangement, he said. Dr Baba Sani-Wudil, the secretary of the group also said government did not consult with the people of the area before grouping them under Gaya Emirate, describing the arrangement as inappropriate. You can find out, neither our representative at the House of Assembly nor any elder or member of National Assembly was consulted on the issue, he said. He said the group would present its grievances to the state government and the State House of Assembly.(NAN) Its Director Corporate Communications, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, clarified this in a statement on Sunday, while reacting to a recent article and audio clips in which the CBN Governor and other senior officials were heard discussing discrepancies in the banks accounts. Okoroafor said that the audio was distorted in a manner which creates a different impression of the matter being discussed, which was to proffer solutions to a misunderstanding that affected the Banks balance sheet. As publicly known the CBN was approached in 2015 by the National Economic Management Team and the National Economic Council chaired by the Vice President, to assist State Governments with Conditional Budget Support. This happened in the aftermath of the significant nose-dive in global oil prices and associated FAAC allocations. In order to ensure that ordinary Nigerian workers got their salaries, pensions and gratuities, and that the economy continued to recover from recession, the Bank provided about N650 billion in loans at 9 per cent with a two-year grace period to 35 States of the Federation. These monies were distributed to the states monthly with documented approval of the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Presidency. READ ALSO: Buhari reappoints CBN Governor Emefiele for second term In closing the Banks 2018 accounts, external auditors in their Draft Account, erroneously classified about N150 billion of these loans as bad, which negatively affected the Banks Balance Sheet and shareholders fund. The selective conversation being circulated was simply a discussion to ascertain why the auditors took that position and next steps to resolving it. Obviously, it soon became clear that a State Government loan cannot be classified as bad or irrecoverable when the State still exists and getting FAAC allocations. The Bank then reached out to the Federal Ministry of Finance and they jointly gave comfort to the auditors who accepted in writing that these monies would be repaid. On this basis, the auditors reversed the negative entry and the certified that the CBNs 2018 accounts were a true reflection of the State of Affairs, he said. Okoroafor urged Nigerians to disregard the audio and continue to trust that the Bank is doing everything it could to represent their interests in the best possible way. Under the leadership of Governor Emefiele, the CBN has always stood for, and vigorously pursued transparency in its stewardship of public resources and policies. The integrity of the CBN Governor remains unassailable. He has no account in Dubai or anywhere in the world and would never convert the funds of CBN for personal use. Not in the past, not now and not ever. The use of selective wiretapped conversations of the Banks Management, to malign his character and integrity will never stand. The Bank will pursue every legal means to bring the perpetrators to justice, he said. (NAN) Manchester Citys victorious players were adamant on Sunday amidst the celebrations that greeted the completion of their magnificent English Premier League (EPL) triumph on the English south-coast. The players, led by team captain Vincent Kompany, insisted that this was still just the infancy of their era of dominance. After Manchester Citys 4-1 win at Brighton & Hove Albion sealed the successful defence of their crown, the Belgian and his men already had their eyes on a unique English treble. They said they must win the English FA Cup final against Watford next weekend. Not only that, Pep Guardiolas insatiable team were already thinking beyond the magnificent 2018/2019 campaign. They are contemplating a third straight English title win next season, with the Spaniard having said they would get even better. Trophy-hunting had now become, explained one of their young luminaries Leroy Sane, like a kind of addiction You just want to win it again and again. Read also: Manchester City, Liverpool dominate PFA team of the year Manchester Citys Captain Marvel Kompany, whose thunderbolt against Leicester City on Monday for a 1-0 win was critical to their title push, echoed his teams feelings, saying: Im desperate, desperate, desperate to win the FA Cup next week. You dont even know how much its a priority. Well celebrate tonight and then after that itll be all about (the final next Saturday) and well do everything we can to win this game which is so important to us. Guardiola will then become the first manager to complete the single-season English domestic treble of league, FA Cup and League Cup titles with a win at Wembley. But he was already thinking beyond that to next season. Its the toughest title Ive won in all my career, by far, said the 48-year-old Spaniard after praising his pursuers Liverpool, who finished just a point behind in the highest-quality English title race ever witnessed. It will be tougher next season but well be stronger too. I have a feeling next season we will try to be where we are this year. If City were to win a third straight title, it would be the first time since Manchester United achieved the feat between 2007 and 2009 under Alex Ferguson. We have to congratulate Liverpool and say thanks because they pushed us so much. For us, its incredible 198 points (in two seasons) and (to) make back-to-back wins, added Guardiola. The 33-year-old Kompany, who joined in 2008 from Hamburg, felt it was the best triumph of his storied Manchester City career. This was by far the hardest title, the most draining one. Just constantly knowing that you have to win, you have to perform, and we defeated one of the all-time greatest teams in England and Im proud of that, he said, after Manchester City notched up 14 straight wins in the league. The Belgian said he had never wanted to know what was happening at Anfield on Sunday. There was a time when Liverpool were leading Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 and Manchester City went a goal behind at Brighton, shifting the title balance towards Merseyside. I had no absolutely no interest in what Liverpool were doing. If anyone had told me about what they were doing, I would have lost my head, Id have lost my mind, he said with a smile. Im just so happy that when we conceded, the team just kept coming back, he added, referring to Sergio Agueros equaliser within 90 seconds of Glenn Murray scoring for Brighton and goals from Aymeric Laporte, Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan.(Reuters/NAN) The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has warned President Muhammadu Buhari against favouring a section of the country at the expense of others. While lamenting the atrocities allegedly carried out by herdsmen, Gani Adams in a statement on Sunday warned President Buhari against treating the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) with kid gloves. Adams noted: In Akokoland, in Ondo State, which happens to be my hometown, there were series of attacks and kidnapping that had been raging and still on the increase. People have been killed, and kidnapped at will, and the situation still continues till the present moment. Last year, Chief Olu Falaes farm was invaded and destroyed by this group of herdsmen; Chief Alani Akinrinade also suffered the same fate. In Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, a prominent Yoruba son lost several millions to the activities of these killer herdsmen Several other people in the South-West had had the bitter experience. A situation whereby an Oba in Akokoland, and a lecturer from Obafemi Awolowo University were kidnapped along Ilesha-Ife road, and released after paying huge five million naira as ransom is pathetic and not too good for the nation. ALSO READ : APC Governors bestow award on Buhari for outstanding leadership The Aare Onakakanfo, also urged the Federal Government, to as a matter of urgency, extend the new security arrangement to other zones assuring that, in South-West, there are groups that are keen to support governments initiatives on reducing insecurity. He, however, commended President Muhammadu Buhari on his views about true federalism. With the new situation, I think Mr. President has an idea of what we have been saying all these days about true federalism and restructuring. Nigerias problems can only be solved with true federalism, he said. Many of the problems plaguing our nation, especially, insecurity can be addressed through federalism. For example, if all the regions develop at their own pace, every other issues, including security, power, and health would be taken care of at the state level. The President will be in the best position to coordinate the affairs, and efforts could be made to get the country back on the right track. The Police Command in Anambra said it has arrested 95 suspected cultists and three suspected members of an armed robbery syndicate in the state. The commands Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, a superintendent of police, disclosed this in a statement in Awka on Sunday. He said that the suspects were nabbed between May 4 and Saturday. Mr Mohammed said the arrests were the result of intensive raids on criminal hideouts in various communities carried out by the commands Special Anti-Cult Unit (SPACS) to stem the tide of cultism in the state. He said that 32 of the suspects were released after screening, while 28 were charged to court and 10 placed under police supervision for being under-age. The spokesman added that 25 suspects were under investigation and that the suspected cultists were arrested at Okija, Ekwulobia, Nteje, Awkuzu, Nkpor-Uno, Ifite-Awka, Oko, Nanka, Enugwu-Ukwu, Nimo and Nise communities. On May 10, at about 4.30 p.m., police detectives attached to Isiuwulu Division arrested a three-man robbery syndicate Friday Okpe, 24; Peter Ochai, 21 and Chukwuebuka Okafor, 23. The suspects had on April 19 conspired and snatched a bag belonging to one Mercy Anekwe, containing the sum of N15, 000 and a Canon Xpro valued at N75, 000. Also in the bag was a TECNO 66I telephone valued at N7, 800 and a power bank valued at N3, 500, he added. Mr Mohammed said that the robbery victim was inside a commercial tricycle along Limca Road, Nkpor, near Onitsha, when she was robbed. He said that Mercys SIM card was later recovered from the suspects, adding that efforts were on to recover other stolen items and prosecute the suspects. He further said that four persons were arrested for alleged conspiracy, kidnapping, extortion and obtaining under false pretence, the sum of N1.4 million from their victim. On May 6, Rita Madubuonu, 30, reported at Inland Town Division, Onitsha, that sometime in 2012, her brother, Chinedu Madubuonu, got missing and all efforts made to locate him proved abortive. However, she was later contacted via phone call in 2013 by one Caroline, surname unknown, that her brother was at Owerri Prison and that his release will be secured only if she made payment into two bank accounts. Preliminary investigation revealed that the complainant was deceived by the syndicate and used as a conduit to extort money from her under false pretence of securing the release of her missing brother, whose whereabouts is still unknown, he said. Mr Mohammed listed the names of the four suspects in connection with the alleged crime as Obierika Tochukwu, 40; Godstime Okhae, 26; Chinedu Madufor, 20 and Celestine Chukwuemeka, 35. He said that the suspects defrauded their victim of N1.4 million, which she deposited into their bank account in various instalments between 2013 and 2016. The case has been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for discreet investigation, he added. Post Views: 14 The U.S. military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East in a move that U.S. officials said was made to counter clear indications of threats from Iran to American forces in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month. An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now it is a target and the threats have switched to opportunities, said Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards aerospace division. Greenbelt Police Department has revealed that Bettie Jennifer, the wife of popular Ghanaian actor, Chris Attoh, is still married to a notorious drug lord currently serving a 20-year jail term. The revelation is coming following an investigation by the Greenbelt Police Department over the death of Bettie Jennifer, who was murdered on Friday by an unknown gunman while leaving her office in Maryland, US. Recall that an Unconfirmed report claims that Bettie was allegedly murdered by a hired gunman of her ex-husband who is sitting in jail for drug offenses. According to the police, Bettie was still legally married to 47-year-old Kedrick Jenifer, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for importing large amounts of cocaine into Baltimore from Texas. Kedrick ran a drug trafficking organization that distributed at least 450kg of cocaine in Baltimore and Woodbridge, Virginia. The drug lord and Bettie were not divorced before she went on to marry Chris in a ceremony that happened in October last year. The police disclosed that Kedrick filed for divorce on April 9th this year. Bettie Jenifer then filed for divorce six days later. Police have not named a suspect or motive in the case. The tourist city of Agra will soon be connected to the Metro transport system, a project which is estimated to cost around Rs 8,415.63 crore in the course of the next five years. Agra sees tourist footfall of around 2 crore per year, and traffic congestion is a big problem for the local authorities. The Union Cabinet gave the approval for the Agra Metro Rail project in April. As per the final report, the Agra Metro project will comprise two corridors, connecting famous tourist destinations like Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Sikandra, and highly populous places like ISBT, Raja Ki Mandi railway station, medical college, Agra Cantt railway station, and the Collectorate, reported Financial Express. The corridor 1 from Sikandra to Taj East Gate would be 14 km long while the corridor 2 from Agra Cantt to Kalindi Vihar would stretch on 15.4 km route. The corridor 1 would comprise six elevated stations and seven underground stations. Another corridor will be completely elevated with total of 14 stations. Both the state as well as the Centre will contribute Rs 1,466.2 crore each for the project, while the rest of the amount would be raised through loans. Several banks have been roped in to fund the project, which has also got the necessary approval from the state government. The Yogi Adityanath government had approved Rs 175 crore for the Metro project in its Budget in February. Agra is the third most populous city of Uttar Pradesh with over 15.9 lakh people (as per the 2011 census) living in the tourist city. Its population is expected to touch 25 lakh in 2020. As traffic congestion, parking problems and rising accidents become a headache for locals, an efficient public transportation system is the need of the hour for the Agra authorities. Agra is one of the three cities that are part of the Golden Triangle Tourist Circuit along with Delhi and Jaipur. Apart from Taj Mahal, the city is also famous for world-famous destinations like Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. The challenge before the authorities is to execute the project in such a way that it does not harm the beauty of its monuments, suggest experts. Edited by Manoj Sharma PM Modi says he used digital camera, e-mail in 1988, and social media is having none of it SEBI sends show cause notices to HDFC AMC on FMP rollovers ITC posts 10.69% growth in FY19 profit at Rs 13,162.30 crore Amid jubilations Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state has finally presented Staff of Office to the newly appointed First Class Emirs, in Kano, which started with the Emir Aminu Ado Bayero, one of the eldest sons of the late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, who is the newly appointed Emir of Bichi Emirate Council. He presented the Staff of Office to them in this sequence, after Bichi Emir, he proceeded to Karaye Emirate Council, when he presented to the new Emir, Alhaji Dr Ibrahim Abubakar II, followed by Emir of Rano Alhaji Tafida Abubakar Ila and finally presented to the Emir of Gaya, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulkadir. In each of the Emirate Councils, the Governor with his large entourage were greeted by thousands of people who came from all the Districts that make up the Councils, as they who showered encomiums to the Governor and rejoicing with the newly installed Emirs. After the presentations, he congratulated them for being appointed as leaders of their people. Urging them to always abide by what the Staff of Office symbolically represents. Explaining that, This Staff of Office represents dedication and commitment to serve your subjects in the areas of security, health care delivery system, education and environment among others. We, as a government, are always ready to work with you hand in hand for the growth and development of our state in particular and the nation in general. He Added that they should always be ready to see that their people were their major concern, insisting that, You should place greater priority on education, health and the security of your domains. As government would always respond positively to your people-oriented yearnings and aspirations. Ganduje urged the new Emirs to strive hard in the area of security, emphasising that, As leaders who are closer to your subjects, you should join hand with government and other security agencies to make sure that, security is not only improved but maintained. Efforts towards strengthening community policing, as practice globally, should form part of your commitment. Ours is to, together, ensure that global best practices are observed. Highlighting that, New security strategy should be looked at. That is why I am calling on our Emirs to always consider workable and viable synergy with all the stakeholders in your domains, with the singular reason of making our societies safer. Security is on the shoulders of all of us. Government alone cannot tackle the issue of security. And traditional institution plays vital role in this area. All the Emirs assured Ganduje of their support in his bid to develop the state, assuring him that, all the areas he highlighted would be given special consideration, for the overall development of the state. They made it categorically clear that regular meetings between them and other stakeholders in their domains would strategically be designed in order to discharge their responsibilities diligently. Emirs promised to give special priority and attention to the education of all, particularly girl child education. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has moved a step forward to ensuring that stakeholders are sufficiently enlightened on the commodity trading ecosystem. The Acting Director-General of SEC, Ms Mary Uduk, noted that there exists knowledge gap within the ecosystem, hence, the need for capacity building on the Commodities Trading ecosystem. Represented by the Acting Executive Commissioner Operations, Mr. Isyaku Tilde, the SEC boss explained that, The Technical Committee set up to develop a roadmap for reviving the Commodities Trading Ecosystem came up with over forty (40) recommendations to be implemented in 4 phases between 2018 and 2025; the report also observed the knowledge gap that exists within the ecosystem and recommended the need for capacity building on the Commodities Trading ecosystem to stakeholders and to the general public. Uduk made this known in her address during a capacity building workshop for Judges and top management of the Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST) on the implementation of the Commodities Trading Ecosystem, at the Nigerian Capital Market Institute (NCMI) in Abuja on Monday. According to her, The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as part of its implementation of the 10-year Capital Market Master Plan, constituted a Technical Committee on Commodities Trading Ecosystem. The mandate of the Committee was to identify challenges of the existing framework/infrastructure and develop a roadmap for a vibrant ecosystem. The IST statutorily has jurisdiction over securities related matters and this includes the commodity trading market. The successful implementation of the Technical Committees report will undoubtedly lead to more activities in the market and this will result to disputes. Therefore, to effectively make informed decisions on commodities market related disputes, the judicial and non-judicial staff of the Tribunal requires the basic knowledge on the Commodities Trading Ecosystem. She further added that: The Ecosystem is an organized commodities market consisting of multiple players that interact to form the agricultural value chain. They include commodity exchanges, farmers, merchants, aggregators, processors/producers, commodity market operators, warehouse operators, collateral managers, banks, insurance companies, clearing houses, and logistic companies. It is important to organize this market to enhance its efficiency, growth and competitiveness which will better position it to play a strong enabling role in food security, employment generation and economic diversification which is the main trust of this government. The Commodity Trading ecosystem provides a sophisticated human interaction of which the inevitable disputes will call upon the IST. The Chairman, IST, Mr. Isiaka Isaiah Idoko, commended the SEC for this timely and laudable intervention to bridge the lacunae in knowledge that exists amongst his members, and to ensure that they continue to improve in the performance of their statutory functions. Eddie Ugbomah Eddie Ugbomah was notable for his contribution to the Nigerian movie industry with 13 celluloid films and active building of the industry. On Saturday, May 11, 2019, a month after his failing health made headlines, Ugbomah was announced dead. With 13 celluloid films to his credit, Ugbomah first called the nations attention to his frail health in October 2018. Here are 7 things you need to know about late filmmaker and actor, Eddie Ugbomah 1. Eddie Ugbomah made his mark in the Nigeria movie industry with 12 movies which were directed and produced by him. He starred in some of the 12 productions. 2. Eddie Ugbomah is a native of Ashaka, Aboh in East Ndokwa Local Government, Delta State. 3. In 1988, Ugbomah was appointed chairman of the Nigerian Film Corporation. 4. Ugbomah was born and raised in Obalende area of Lafiaji, Lagos Island, Lagos State. 5. Ugbomah attended the St. Matthias school, Lafiaji, Lagos and City College school. He traveled to London for his college education and attended various colleges studying journalism, drama and film. 6. As a journalist, Ugbomah worked briefly with the BBC. 7. 12 of Ugbomahs most famous films are Rise and Fall of Oyenusi (1977), The Mask (1979), Oil Doom (1980), Bolus 80 (1982), The Boy is Good (1982), Vengeance of the Cult (1984), Death of a Black President (1984), Esan (1985), Apalara (1986), Omiran (1986), The Great Attempt (1988), Toriade (1989), and America or Die (1996). *** CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has requested an independent probe into a story of huge financial fraud, theft and official documents manipulation to the tune of about N500bn which was purportedly ploughed into a Dubai investment and had gone awry. The media has been awash with so many revelations concerning Emefiele, ranging from the role he played in the money illegally approved for a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki to the recent revelation by Dr George Uboh-led Whistleblowers Network, where it was alleged that $2.5billion disappeared under his watch. But in a release issued by its Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran, CACOL stated, We would recollect how a popular Online Newspapers, reported a scoop involving Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and his Deputy Edward Lametek Adamu and the Director for Finance Dayo M. Arowosegbe including one of the Special Advisers to the CBN Governor, Emmanuel Ukeje who were caught on tape discussing how to cover up the loss of over N500billion stolen from the apex bank in a private investment that went bust. According to the online newspapers, In the two authentic telephone audio tapes exclusively obtained by Sahara Reporters, the governor and top officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria haggled over plots to conceal the loss of huge sums of monies in a Dubai investment according to sources at the bank. Emefiele is heard saying in the audio to the deputy governor Adamu: To avoid any serious problem is just, the government just needs to agree to give us at least 100 billion cash but the government will not agree. They will kick against it. The tapes revealed how the top officials managing Nigerias central bank connived and conspired to cover up financial fraud which has affected the Nigerian economy. As conversation rages on about the heist and Emefiele was discussing extensively with top officials of the bank to conceal the loss made with the shareholders funds from commercial banks (the monies were reportedly diverted to invest in Dubai to the tune of N500 Billion sometimes towards the end of 2018 and they reportedly lost that investment), Sahara Reporters quoted their CBN sources that, Mr. Emefiele and others in the bank eventually found a way out of their dilemma by diverting funds in possession of the CBN and also printed hard cold cash. Though, the CBN, through one Issac Okorafor, its director, corporate communications, has confirmed the authenticity of the selective conversation which it claimed was just a routine conversations amongst Senior Management of many agencies and should not be misconstrued as anything but that, there are threads of conversation in the tape that simply does not tally with such hand waive of the CBN Management, especially coming against the backdrop of widespread allegations of financial scams including foreign currency manipulation, money laundering and round-tripping to favor a group of politically exposed persons close to the Presidency. Hence, CACOLs calls for the two anti-graft agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to immediately wade into the matter by thoroughly investigating all allegations surrounding this story and bringing culprits (if any) into justice so as to save this nation from further embarrassment and arrest the drift into financial chaos which the alleged heist was capable of throwing the country into. A fresh crisis has broken out in the African Action Congress (AAC), one of the parties that participated in the 2019 elections. Omoyele Sowore, its presidential candidate, and the leadership of the AAC, engaged in what could be described as a show of strength on Monday. The party led by Mazi Okwy, a member of the partys National Executive Committee (NEC) had earlier announced Sowores suspension from the party. According to the party, it has suspended its national chairman and 2019 presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and its Deputy National Chairman (South West), Ogunlana Rotimi Jacob and eight other members of the party. Okwy said the party had appointed Leonard Ezenwa as acting national chairman, with one Abayomi Olufemi as his deputy. Okwy said the suspension was based particularly on inflow of illegal foreign funds into the party and personally retaining same in contravention of Section 225 (3)(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), together with eight others. However, in reaction, Sowore announced the suspension of top members of the party and expulsion of Nzenwa. In a statement he personally signed as national chairman of the party, Sowore described those suspended as misguided individuals. It has come to the notice of the office of the Chairman of the African Action Congress that a group of suspended members, induced by financial reasons and anti-progressive politics, gathered in Abuja today, 13th May, 2019, and purportedly held a NEC meeting, the statement read. These members, led by Leonard Nzenwa, former national secretary, who was suspended for financial impropriety and anti-party activities, have demonstrated by their actions that they have never been, and have never shared, the core beliefs that those of us in the African Action Congress hold. Leonard Nzenwa is hereby expelled from the party, and the misguided individuals who participated in the Abuja meeting are suspended from the party until investigations reveal the extent of their involvement. This crisis comes after the controversy which broke out as a result of the endorsement of the party by Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, in the Rivers governorship election. Akpo Yeeh, deputy governorship candidate of the AAC in Rivers, had resigned his membership of the party over what he described as undue interference by Amaechi. 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? 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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! " " On a rainy day, graduates of the Morehouse College Class of 2013 cheered the commencement speech given by President Barack Obama, one of the 10 on our list. JASON REED/Reuters/Corbis "I have a dream." "Four score and seven years ago." Advertisement Some speeches are so memorable we can quote them at will. But few of them are commencement speeches. How many of us can recall the commencement speech at our college graduation? What if a commencement speech was not something to be endured, but to be treasured? And what if, instead of the same tired sentiments to "go forward and seize the day," the 20-minute address dispensed a glimpse of humanity's higher self? Thankfully, some of those exist. But it's not all rainbows and butterflies. Many memorable speeches have a touch of the macabre that foreshadow the underbelly of adulthood. After reading dozens of transcripts and viewing hours of footage, we've distilled 10 famous commencement speeches to their essence. Some speeches are memorable because of their time in history or because millions watched it online. Some were later published as books. At least one became a hit song. Here they are, in chronological order. The finance ministry has invited applications from eligible candidates to fill the vacancy of deputy managing directors of three state-owned financial institutions including Exim Bank and IFCI. India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL) and IFCI require to fill one post of deputy managing director (DMD) each, while Exim Bank has two such vacancies. The maximum permissible age for eligible candidates is 55 years as on the date of vacancy which in case of IFCI dates back to December 12, 2016, as per the public notice. The maximum age of entry for both internal as well as other candidates shall be 55 years as on the date of vacancy (August 16, 2017) for the first and July 21, 2019 for second vacancy for the Exim Bank, it said. With regard to educational qualification, it said, candidates should have a post graduate degree preferably in economics, commerce, business administration or finance or a graduate degree with professional qualification of chartered accountancy, cost accountancy of chartered financial analyst. Candidates should have a minimum 18 years of experience as on the date of vacancy in different verticals or domain in banks or financial institutions with at least 2 years at the highest level below the board level, it said. The positions are open for All India Service officers on deputation basis with minimum 15 years of experience of which 2 years as director or deputy secretary to Government of India in relevant filed. The last date for submission for these applications is May 27, 2019. The Finance Ministry will screen applications and the shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by panel headed by the Financial Services Secretary. " " In 1978, Congress adopted House Joint Resolution No. 638 to extend the ERA's ratification deadline to June 30, 1982. Here, then-President Jimmy Carter signed the resolution. National Archives Nearly 100 years after it was first floated before Congress, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has been given new life. That's because on Jan. 15, 2020, the state of Virginia provided the ERA just what the bill needed. Virginia became the pivotal 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and approve the change to the U.S. Constitution. A constitutional amendment can only become law of the land only after passage buy three-quarters of the states. Rounded up, that'd be 38 states. Virginia is now officially No. 38. Does that mean something officially, constitutionally could come of the ERA? Final approval wouldn't be quite that easy, of course. Not after all this time. Hurdles lay ahead. Ignorance and opposition will have to be overcome. Some legal and procedural challenges certainly remain. But for something that's been fighting for its life since suffragettes gained the right to vote, for an amendment that finally was approved by Congress and turned over to the states for passage coming up on 50 years ago Congress overwhelmingly OK'd the ERA on March 22, 1972 these are some heady times. Energized by the #MeToo and Time's Up movements, women are closer than ever to getting equal rights recognized in no less of a venue than the founding document of the country. "Today is an absolutely historic day for our Commonwealth and a major milestone in the fight for equality in this nation. Women in America deserve to have equality guaranteed in the Constitution and Virginians should be proud that we will be the state that makes it happen," Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring said in a statement. "As we continue to move swiftly toward ratification, I am preparing to take any steps necessary to ensure that Virginia is recognized as the 38th ratifying state, that the will of Virginians is carried out, and that the ERA is added to our Constitution, as it should be." Advertisement What the ERA Says and Can Do The wording of the ERA is simple and straightforward. In its entirety: Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification. The language may be short and sweet. But the ramifications of securing equal protection for women under the law not spelled out now in the Constitution will be far-reaching, activists like Alyssa Milano say. "What we're seeing is the message ... is now resonating very strongly," Carol Robles-Roman, the co-founder and CEO of the ERA Coalition, said the day after a "shadow" hearing on Capitol addressed the ERA Hill. (The hearing was held by Congresspeople but not officially recognized by the body.) "This is the logical next step: Constitutional equality and that culture shift that will come from getting that in the U.S. Constitution is critical." When the ERA was first getting kicked around by the states after Congress passed it in 1972, conservative activists like Phyllis Schlafly worried publicly that guaranteeing equal rights to women would lead to all sorts of problems. Women would be forced to fight in wars. Use the same bathrooms as men. Work, unwillingly, outside the home. "Since the women are the ones who bear the babies and there's nothing we can do about that, our laws and customs then make it the financial obligation of the husband to provide the support," she said in 1973, as NPR reported upon her death in 2016. "It is his obligation and his sole obligation. And this is exactly and precisely what we will lose if the Equal Rights Amendment is passed." Objections like that have been largely quelled over the decades. The idea of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would protect women from sex discrimination, that would provide a legal basis for guaranteeing equal pay for equal work, evidently has caught on. According to the ERA Coalition, which represents some 76 organizations in matters concerning the ERA and its passage, polling shows that Americans overwhelmingly support a constitutional amendment that provides equal protection for women. Some 96 percent of women are for it, the polls show, and 90 percent of men. It's also backed across party lines, with more than 90 percent of Democrats, Republicans and independents in favor of an amendment. " " On April 6, 1921, President Warren G. Harding met with 60 women from the National Womans Party, promising to work toward legislation guaranteeing equality for women. He failed to follow through. Library of Congress Advertisement What Happens Now? Even though the amendment has the required 38 states approval, there's one persnickety detail that could still derail its final enshrinement into the Constitution. When the resolution passed through Congress in 1972, it had an expiration date attached. The three-quarters of states it needed to pass had to do so within seven years or the amendment would not be added to the Constitution. When only 35 states voted for it in that time, Congress tacked on a few more years to allow three other states to sign on. None did. In fact, five rescinded their approval, though that will now certainly face a legal challenge. Opponents of the ERA there are still many say that the blown deadline put an end to any possibilities of the ERA's survival. But proponents say that Congress still can extend or eliminate the deadline. However, on Jan. 6, 2020, the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion saying that Congress could not change the deadline, and temporarily restricted the National Archives and Records Administration (the agency that validates ratification of amendments) from doing so. Some say the government was wrong to impose a deadline in the first place, something it famously did not do for the 27th Amendment. And both the House and Senate have bills on their docket that would eliminate the time restriction, despite the DOJ's recently issued opinion. Another nagging problem backers have is that most people 80 percent according to polling believe that women already have equal protection under federal law. Essentially, many see no need for the ERA. "That's something I hear over and over again. It's apathy. It's complacency. I call it a 'cultural complacency,'" Robles-Roman says. "'Why now? What's the big deal? We've learned to live with it.' Well, it is a big deal. That's the thing that we have to combat." But now that Virginia has become that critical 38th state, the ERA is on a roll like it hasn't been since it first passed through Congress 46 years ago. "I see this happening within two or three years. I see an Equal Rights Amendment. I see constitutional equality in our future," Robles-Roman says. "I see a culture shift taking place. And I see the 'culture of complacency' being a thing of the past." Now That's Interesting Several states have added equal rights amendments to their state constitutions, but rights backers point to one big reason the ERA is needed on the federal level: If it's embedded in the U.S. Constitution, it's not subject to the whims and changing politics of specific states. Once it's in, it's likely in for good. Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, only one eventually has been rescinded. In 1933, Congress passed the 21st Amendment calling for the repeal of Prohibition, covered in the 18th Amendment. The 21st Amendment was ratified by states in December 1933. " " Marie Antoinettes wedding dress was extravagant, adorned with wide pannier hips and white diamonds. DEA / G. NIMATALLAH/De Agostini Picture Library/Getty Images Poor Marie Antoinette. Trouble did seem to follow her, fairly or not. Consider the "let them eat cake" proclamation, the queen's alleged response after hearing that poor Parisians had no bread. While now there's serious doubt that Marie Antoinette ever really said those words, the statement's long been trotted out to demonstrate her supposed lack of concern for France's suffering masses. The nickname she earned in France does seem legitimate, though: "Madame Deficit," for her willingness to throw money at whatever she fancied [source: Durant]. It's hard out there for a primping dauphine, in other words, and Marie Antoinette probably didn't make it easier on herself. But when it came to the "scandal" her wedding dress caused, she wasn't to blame. Contrary to her reputation for frivolity and lavish spending, Marie Antoinette did nothing to encourage this minor gossip. Advertisement First, let's establish that Marie Antoinette was forced to play the part of the decadent royal, to a certain extent. When she first made her way from Austria to marry Louis XVI, she was re-dressed at the border of France to look like a French noble. Namely, she was primped, powdered, wigged and outfitted to the lavish expectations of the court [source: Weber]. The lesson was clear: You're in France now, lady. Act the part. Her wedding gear (worn just days later) was no different. She was outfitted with an enormous white and silver dress, decorated with clumps of white diamonds to show her prestige [source: Weber]. Although like most of Marie Antoinette's wardrobe the dress no longer exists, it seemed to befit a queen, judging by descriptions of its wide pannier hips and striking silver color. There was just one small problem. It was, in fact, small. Miscalculating her measurements, the dressmakers had constructed the gown so that it did not fit the new dauphine. No matter how tightly they tried to cinch the body of the dress, it didn't properly cover the lacing and shift poking out from the back, which meant there was a strange gap between the rows of diamonds. There was little to do about it, however, since she was pretty much obligated to walk out of the door that moment, and there weren't swaths of pretty silver cloth around to fix the gap. But all's well that ends well, right? Uh, perhaps in the short-term sense that she did get married. Not so much in the long term. It took Marie Antoinette and Louis seven years to consummate their marriage, and the story ends with her head chopped off. So let's give Marie Antoinette a little credit where we can: It was pretty darn brave of her to meet the crowd of snooty courtiers, dress half-done, on her wedding day. The United States Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced that the 2019 Mazda 3 hatchback and sedan have both earned its Top Safety Pick awards. The hatchback earns the award with standard equipment, while the sedan qualifies when equipped with optional front crash prevention technology. To qualify as a 2019 Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as a good or acceptable rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test. It also needs an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention and a good or acceptable headlight rating. The Mazda 3, redesigned for the 2019 model year, was rated for the first time in the newest IIHS crash test configurationthe passenger-side small overlap front test. Both the hatchback and sedan earned good ratings in this test. Standard in the 2019 Mazda3 hatchback, and all Select, Preferred, and Premium packages for the sedanat least for the United Statsis Mazdas superior-rated front crash prevention system, Smart Brake Support, which detects and responds to vehicles and pedestrians. The system avoided collisions in 12 mph (19 kph) and 25 mph (40 kph) IIHS track tests. Also built-in is Mazdas prominent line up of Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, and Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go, automatic on/off LED headlights with High Beam Control, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. A new feature, Driver Attention Alert, has also been added. This system alerts the driver when it detects driver fatigue or decreased attentiveness. Mazda constantly has an eye on the future, and we are dedicated to providing our drivers with advanced vehicles that build driver confidence, said Mazda North American Operations President Jeff Guyton. This IIHS recognition is a testament to the efficacy of Mazdas Proactive Safety Philosophy and we will continue to strive to meet the highest safety standards. Story continues The IIHS is an independent, non-governmental safety-testing organization, funded by the insurance industry. The post 2019 Mazda 3 Earns Insurance Organizations Top Safety Pick Award appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. SIX persons were wounded in an armed confrontation between supporters of two rival parties in Panglima Estino, Sulu on Monday morning, May 13.A report from the Sulu police regional office identified the SIX persons were wounded in an armed confrontation between supporters of two rival parties in Panglima Estino, Sulu on Monday morning, May 13. A report from the Sulu police regional office identified the wounded persons as Asiri Sajaani, 65; Ibno Sahipa, 64; Barree Abih, 46; Ommal Hasan, 57; Nadzra Munib, 41; and a certain Aduwin. Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Colonel Gerry Besana said the armed confrontation ensued between the supporters of two mayoralty candidates of the said town around 6:35 a.m., half an hour after voting opened for the midterm National and Local Elections. Besana said troops from the Marine Battalion Landing Team 3 responded to the incident and pacified the parties involved. Besana said the Wesmincom recorded 24 election-related violence in their area of responsibility. On Monday, May 13, alone, the military recorded eight election-related incidents in Sulu, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte. (SunStar Philippines) Senatorial bet Christopher Lawrence Bong Go waiting for his turn to vote DAVAO CITY, Philippines Former Special Assistant to the President and now Administration senatorial bet Christopher Lawrence Bong Go on Monday cast his vote for the 2019 Midterm National and Local Elections. Go arrived at the Buhangin Central Elementary School around 9 a.m. onboard his motorcycle. The former aide of President Rodrigo Duterte had waited in line for three hours before he was able to vote inside his assigned precinct. While waiting for his turn, Go was swarmed by his supporters who wanted to talk and take a picture with him. Go, although a political neophyte, has been staying in top 12 in succeeding pre-election surveys. In the latest survey conducted by the Pulse Asia just days before the May 13 polls, Go ranked 3rd to 7th with a voting preference of 42 percent. Gos high preferential survey rankings were credited to Dutertes all-out support for his Senate bid. Aside from Go, other Davao City voters also patiently waited in long queues at polling precincts for their turn to vote. Many of them waited under the hot sun after delays in voters registration verification and glitches in vote-counting machines marred the election. Other voters were also unable to find their names on the list of registered voters. To address these concerns, a public assistance desk was put up to assist voters who have forgotten their precinct numbers or in need of help in casting their votes. Thousands of voters were at the school grounds as early as 6 a.m. Election inspectors hope all voters will be able to cast their ballot before the voting closes at 6 p.m. (with details from Marisol Montano) The post Bong Go casts vote after queueing for three hours appeared first on UNTV News. PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, May 13, publicly warned daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio against taking on the presidency in 2022 as called for by some sectors."Inday, I am publicly warning her, PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, May 13, publicly warned daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio against taking on the presidency in 2022 as called for by some sectors. "Inday, I am publicly warning her, the presidency will not educate you. It will just destroy you, especially with the kind of media ngayon (that we have now, they are) paid hacks," he said. "And they (paid media) themselves know that they're dishing (a) lie. They proclaim to the world with protestations that they are the victims," Duterte added. This was the message of President Rodrigo Duterte to his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara "Inday" Duterte-Carpio, when asked by reporters about some sectors floating Sara's name as a presidential candidate. Duterte-Carpio, who is seeking reelection, has quashed rumors that she would run for the highest executive post in the land in 2022, when her 74-year-old father steps down from office. Apart from Duterte-Carpio, two other presidential children are also running for various positions in Davao City. Paolo, the President's eldest son, is seeking a seat at the House of Representatives representing Davao City's first dstrict, while Sebastian is running unopposed for vice mayor of Davao City. The President, who reiterated that he is ready to vacate his post any time soon, advised his children that it would better to retire from politics early. "The earlier they go out of the politics, the better," Duterte said. (SunStar Philippines) Senator Leila de Lima MANILA, Philippines Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Monday afternoon cast her vote for the 2019 midterm elections after she was granted furlough by a Muntinlupa court. Under heavy security, De Lima cast her ballot at Sta. Rita College in Paranaque at past noon. Nearly 100 policemen from Camp Crame and Paranaque escorted De Lima to the polling center where she spent around 15 minutes. Police lined the hallway to her precinct and guarded the doors while others were stationed on the school grounds and outside of the gate. The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 last week granted De Limas request for furlough to vote during the elections as allowed under the Commission on Elections Escorted Detainee Voting System. The court said in its order that De Lima will shoulder all costs for her transport from her detention facility in Camp Crame in Quezon City to her precinct in Paranaque City. She was also banned from giving any media interviews before and after voting. According to De Limas legal counsel, her client wanted to exercise her right to suffrage and vote for her supported candidates. Tuwang-tuwa kami na at least napagbigyan kami [sa] ganitong kahilingan at sana nga yung mga sunod na kahilingan ni Senator De Lima ay mapagbigyan din, Atty. Boni Tacardon told UNTV News and Rescue in an interview. The senator, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, was detained since February 2017 over illegal drug-related charges. She was also accused of accepting drug money from convicted drug lords when she was still Justice Secretary. However, De Limas camp had repeatedly denied the allegations, insisting that charges against her are only fabricated in a bid to silence Dutertes critics. (with details from April Cenedoza) The post Heavily guarded De Lima votes in Paranaque appeared first on UNTV News. HTC pulls smartphone sales from Tmall and JD.com in China after falling behind domestic players Taiwanese handset maker HTC Corp has decided to pull phone sales from Chinas two largest e-commerce platforms after struggling to find a significant share of the worlds largest smartphone market. Due to consideration of HTC Chinas long-term business strategy, we will temporarily close the HTC flagship mobile phone stores on JD.com and Tmall, HTC said on its official Sina Weibo account, Tmall being the business-to-consumer platform of Alibaba Group Holding. Consumers can still purchase HTC smartphones and accessories through HTCs self-run online sales platform and its bricks-and-mortar HTC VIVE Flagship Store in Shenzhen, according to the company, without further elaborating on the reasons for scaling back its sales platform in China. HTC, which made the first-ever Android phone in 2008 and was once a popular phone brand in China, has been edged out of the mainstream market in recent years with domestic vendors including Huawei, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi rising to the top and securing about 80 per cent total market share in the country. Shipments of HTC mobile handsets to China are unknown, and the vendor has been classified into the others sector in research agency reports, which includes other small players in China such as Samsung and Meizu. The struggling Taiwanese consumer electronics firm, which slashed almost a quarter of its workforce in 2018, is betting that blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies represent the next wave of innovation for the smartphone market, and it launched the HTC Exodus blockchain phone in May last year. The blockchain phone features a built-in digital wallet application that enables users to securely store and use cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin and ethereum, in daily transactions. The handset can serve as a node, which connects to certain blockchain networks to enable trading of tokens between users. It can also act as a so-called mining rig for users to earn new tokens tied to the Exodus blockchain. Story continues Over the weekend, HTC unveiled the new HTC Exodus 1s smartphone, a cheaper version of the Exodus 1 phone, which is expected to be shipped at the end of the third quarter. For US$1,000, would you buy an iPhone or HTC's latest crypto phone? But the new-concept crypto phones have yet to help HTCs sales and it has even been edged out of the top five brands in terms of sales volume in its home Taiwan market, which is currently dominated by Apple, Samsung, Oppo, Asus and Huawei, according to Statista.com. In March 2017, HTC announced it was selling a plant in Shanghai for 630 million yuan (US$92 million) in a strategic move to fund expansion of its fledgling virtual reality (VR) unit the HTC Vive. Searches on Tmall and JD.com in China on Monday showed that HTC is now concentrating on its VR headset sales while smartphone sales segments have already gone. High-performance VR headsets increased 60 per cent to 3.9 million in 2018 from 2017, research firm IDC said in a report last week, adding that the number of hard core VR users are growing even though the overall market still has major challenges to overcome. Sony is the worlds largest seller of VR devices, followed by Oculus and HTC, with the three together controlling a total market share of 80 per cent globally. This article HTC pulls smartphone sales from Tmall and JD.com in China after falling behind domestic players first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. Europe on Monday urged the US not to further escalate tensions over the Iran nuclear deal, with Britain issuing a stark warning of the risk of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a last-minute change of plan scrapping an expected Moscow trip to instead visit Brussels and meet his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany. The ministers, from the European signatories to the 2015 accord that curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief, all publicly criticised the hardline US approach. Iran last week announced it was suspending some of its commitments under the agreement, a year after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord and imposed swingeing sanctions on the Islamic republic -- putting the deal in peril. On Monday US President Donald Trump warned that Iran would "suffer greatly" were it to "do anything," after US intelligence suggested Tehran was planning to attack US interests in the region. Washington is sending an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Gulf, having already deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers. - 'Most unstable region' - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Berlin "still regards this nuclear agreement as the basis for Iran not having any nuclear weapons in the future and we regard this as existential for our security". Maas said he used his one-on-one meeting with Pompeo to stress that "we are concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation". British foreign minister Hunt called for "a period of calm" and bluntly warned of the danger of pushing Iran back towards developing nuclear weapons. "Most of all we must make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation, because if Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers," Hunt said. "This is already the most unstable region in the world and it would be a massive step in the wrong direction." The European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, who held her own meeting with Pompeo, stressed the need for dialogue as "the only and the best way to address differences and avoid escalation" in the region. "We continue to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran, its full implementation," Mogherini said. "It has been and continues to be for us a key element of the non-proliferation architecture both globally and in the region." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian joined the criticism saying Washington's move to step up sanctions against Iran "does not suit us". - 'Nuclear bomb' - Mogherini chaired a meeting of the so-called E3 -- Britain, France and Germany -- to discuss efforts to keep the deal going, including the special trade mechanism called INSTEX the trio set up to try to enable legitimate trade with Iran to continue without falling foul of US sanctions. INSTEX was launched in January but is still not operational and has been dismissed scornfully by the Iranian senior leadership. After talks with the E3, Mogherini said they aimed to get INSTEX up and running and have the first transactions "hopefully in the next few weeks". President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum to the Europeans last week threatening that Iran would go further if they fail to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. The European powers rejected that ultimatum. The US has continued to build pressure on Iran, with Pompeo accusing Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks and bolstering the military presence in the Gulf. Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, insisted the Islamic republic was itself an "escalating threat". Pompeo was to head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a State Department official said. Pompeo's trip has been seen as a precursor to a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Putin at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, next month. Trump said Monday that he expects to meet with the presidents of both Russia and China on the sidelines of the G20 meeting. However the Kremlin swiftly countered that no such meeting had been arranged. "There haven't been any requests. There are also no agreements so far," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency. burs-pdw/pvh/dcr Social media is having a field day at the expense of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A day after his 'cloud cover' comment created uproar, another video clip surfaced on Monday where Prime Minister claimed that he used a digital camera, and suggested that he transmitted the image via e-mail. "I used a digital camera for the time around 1987 or 1988. Very few had e-mail at that time. Advani ji was holding a public meeting in Viramgam tehsil in Gujarat. Back then I took pictures of him on a digital camera. I clicked the photo and transmitted it to Delhi, which was published the next day. Advani ji was very surprised how his colour photo was published within a day," PM Modi said during an interview with News Nation. In 1995 VSNL started Internet services in India, which was available to limited and @narendramodi used it in 1987 ? Digital camera was launched by Nikon in 1986 and it came to India post 1990. How Modi ji used it in 1987? Kya fakeeri hai! pic.twitter.com/dLLGsbvF3i Prashant Kanojia (@PJkanojia) May 13, 2019 Shortly after, social media was flooded with posts calling out PM Modi over his claims. The users pointed out that the first digital camera was developed in 1987, whereas commercial e-mail services became available after 1995. Modi: "I used Digital Camera and Email in 1987-88." Fact: Kodak unveiled the first consumer digital camera (model DC 40) on March 28, 1995 in US Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) launched public Internet access in India on August 15, 1995 Modi is a pathological liar. pic.twitter.com/cCPEUigpNV Rofl Republic (@i_theindian) May 12, 2019 According to @narendramodi , he was begging for 35yrs. That means till 1986 he was begging for living N suddenly in 1986 the 1st digital camera was launched n He bought it in India in 1988 though 1st launch in India was in 1991 n commercially sold from 1991 by Kodak for $13,000 pic.twitter.com/wgaNGCLE1Z RiA (@RiaRevealed) May 13, 2019 Poor @narendramodi had digital camera when world could not have and would use email service when no Indians could. Secondly he transferred photo from a tehsil to Delhi which got printed next day in 1987-88. To transfer that size of file he used cloud cover.#____pic.twitter.com/DD8gO97Mbm Sachin Sawant (@sachin_inc) May 12, 2019 Is there no end to Modis lies? He says a took a digital photograph in 1988 and transmitted it by email. (First digital camera was sold by Nikon in 1987 and commercial emails were introduced in 1990-95) pic.twitter.com/3kKazQAMGQ RKHuria #ChowkidarChorHai (@rkhuria) May 12, 2019 Internet in India was made publicly available in 1995 by VSNL but Modi was sending emails in 1987 Oh, and he was sooo poor that he owned a digital camera in 1987; most of the households purchased it 20 yrs later Modi is the biggest embarrassment for India! pic.twitter.com/gYDuuCVvxJ Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) May 13, 2019 The interview was broadcasted on Saturday. In the same interview, PM Modi claimed that he advised the Indian Air Force to use clouds to hide from Pakistan's radars during the Balakot air strikes. ALSO READ:'Cloud, Rain, Radar': Twitterati poke fun at PM Modi's retelling of Balakot airstrikes "The weather suddenly turned bad, there were clouds... heavy rain. There was a doubt about whether we can go in the clouds. During a review (of the Balakot plan), by and large, the opinion of experts was - what if we change the date. I had two issues in mind. One was secrecy... second, I said I am not someone who knows the science. I said there is so much cloud and rain. There is a benefit. I have a raw vision, the clouds can benefit us too. We can escape the radar. Everyone was confused. Ultimately I said there are clouds... let's proceed," he had said. Opposition parties had ridiculed PM's 'cloud cover' claims, with some leaders terming the statement as "ridiculous and false". The CPI(M) also moved the Election Commission of India, alleging that Modi had revealed "operational details of a sensitive military mission" in a television interview with a purpose to influence voters. ALSO READ:Lok Sabha election 2019 LIVE updates: PM Modi to hold multiple rallies, Rahul Gandhi to visit Madhya Pradesh A LEGISLATOR who is running for mayor Quezon City was arrested after he figured in a scuffle with the police over alleged vote-buying activities Sunday, May 12, the eve of the midterm National and Local A LEGISLATOR who is running for mayor Quezon City was arrested after he figured in a scuffle with the police over alleged vote-buying activities Sunday, May 12, the eve of the midterm National and Local Elections. The Quezon City Police Office (QCPD) is set to file charges of obstruction of justice, direct assault and unjust vexation against Quezon City First District Representative Vincent "Bingbong" Crisologo and his son Edrix, a lawyer. Crisologo was brought to the Quezon City Prosecutors Office for inquest proceedings Monday morning, May 13. The Crisologos were arrested Sunday evening along with at least 40 people in Barangay Bahay Toro, Quezon City over alleged vote-buying activities. QCPD Director Joselito Esquivel said a commotion ensued when the Crisologos tried to stop the arresting officers from apprehending the 40 civilians. At that instance, mayoralty candidate Bingbong Crisologo arrived and shouted on top of his voice humiliating the police operatives and questioned their presence thereat. PCMS Maninang, the team leader was pulled by Bingbong Crisologo and the house owner Arturo Delos Reyes inside the compound causing some injuries upon his person. All the police operatives were held inside the padlocked gate and prevented by the group of Congressman Crisologo from going outside, Brigadier General Esquivel said. The padlock was removed and the gate opened by reinforcement officers. Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde, who visited Crisologo in Camp Karingal along with Esquivel and National Capital Region Police Office Director Guillermo Eleazar on Monday morning, assured that the congressman's allegations of irregularities will be investigated. Crisologo alleged that the arresting policemen were not in uniform and that they did not have any search warrant. Well una titingnan naman natin yung punto nya. I am sure sabi ko nga kanina there must be a compelling reason kung bakit sya inaresto ng kapulisan knowing na very famous sya na isang congressman dito sa Quezon City and of course kasama nya yung anak nya na abugado so there must be something wrong sa nangyari doon sa insidente kung bakit talagang inaresto sya ng ating kapulisan. Kung meron naman sya nakitang irregularities or pang aabuso ng ating mga kapulisan we will gladly entertain his complaint, he said. Story continues (We'll look into his allegations. I am sure, as I have said before, that there must be a compelling reason why he and his son were arrested. We will gladly entertain his complaint about irregularities or abuses that our men allegedly committed.) Esquivel, for his part, confronted Crisologo for cursing the police officers. Here at Camp Karingal where Albayalde visits QC mayoralty candidate Bingbong Crisologo who was arrested yesterday for alleged obstruction of justice Posted by SunStar Philippines on Sunday, May 12, 2019 Albayalde said they will also look into the claim of Crisologo that television host Willie Revillame distributed money in a campaign event of their rival party. If they see that activity going on they should have filed complaints already. Bakit ngayon lang nila sinasabi yan? Dapat nung nakita nila finilan sila ng kaso. In fact that's a very good incident sana kung sila mismo ang nagfile ng kaso. Kailangan dito kasi may complainanant. Kung sila gusto nila magcomplain during that time then we could have assisted them na binigyan sana sila ng pagkakataon na magfile ng kaso, he said. In an interview, Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez said Crisologo's arrest does not automatically disqualify him from the mayoralty race. An investigation will have be conducted first. "It will not affect his candidacy in the short term," said Jimenez. He said they did not see anything irregular about Crisologo's arrest. "His arrest is part of the operation against the vote buying that was witnessed there," said Jimenez. (With HDT/SunStar Philippines) THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their WE are issuing this statement in reaction to the article posted on the Philippine News Agency website on May 8, 2019. We deem this malicious and misleading article of the Duterte government as another cheap stunt to malign and smear the legitimate human rights work and activities of Karapatan, amid the spiralling attacks on human rights defenders in the Philippines and the worsening human rights situation in the country. While the registration of the former entity Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples Rights was revoked, without proper notification from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in 2005, Karapatan has remained operational and had secured a new registration under Karapatan Alliance Philippines Inc. (CN201306418, March 27, 2013) as a non-stock, non-profit, non-governmental organization with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Since then, we have consistently submitted all SEC reportorial requirements. Even as we abide by government laws on registration of legal entities such as non-profit organizations, we strongly assert too that operations and activities of NGOs and peoples organizations do not and must not require government approval or regulation, in order to freely do our work and conduct our advocacies as human rights monitors. At present, we continue to conduct advocacy on human rights and peoples rights, monitor and document rights violations, and provide services to victims and their kin and platforms for public education on human rights issues and principles. Our human rights workers especially in the provinces remain steadfast in conducting their work, despite the perils of martial law in Mindanao and militarization in Negros, Samar and Bicol. At least 58* of our human rights workers have been assassinated, with city councilor Bernardino Toto Patigas as the latest victim. Karapatan Chairperson Elisa Tita Lubi, Vice Chairman Reylan Vergara and Secretary General Cristina Palabay, and almost all our human rights workers in the provinces have all experienced threats and harassment. Despite and because of these, we are determined more than ever to overcome the challenges and attacks of this government. While we remain vigilant in upholding our legal status to operate as a human rights organization, we will not think twice in continuing our work even with threats or in the event that the Duterte government does its legal hocus-pocus in the SEC. The fake news machine of the Duterte goverment has been churning one laughable matrix after another, one idiotic statement of military officials after another, one lunatic rave of the president after another. Such desperate stunts however do not deter groups and peoples in seeking accountability on the crimes of this government. On the contrary, such acts embolden the people to speak truth to power. *We have previously issued statements on the 48 Karapatan human rights workers killed. Upon closer examination in our database, there were in fact 58 victims. Credit: CC0 Public Domain During World War I, William Lawrence Bragg led a team of engineers in the development of an acoustic method to locate enemy artillery, work that was so successful that it was soon used widely throughout the British army. The method, known as sound ranging, was also adopted by the U.S. Army when they joined the war, and earned Bragg a military decoration from the British armed forces. Bragg's story will be presented at the 177th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America by ASA Fellow Dan Costley, a researcher in sound ranging with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. The ASA meeting runs May 13-17, at the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1914, two researchers in Paris had begun working on the idea that the difference in the time that sound arrived could be used to precisely locate artillery batteries: Charles Nordmann, an astronomer, and Lucien Bull, a medical researcher who at the time was working on a method to record heart beats. The pair had already conducted experiments in the woods near Paris, when Australian-born Bragg was shifted from his post in the British cavalry to work on the problem in 1915. Over the next few years Bragg built a team that improved the technique until it was able to pinpoint the location of enemy guns to within 10 meters. "It's impressive the way they innovated and solved problems," Costley said. Some of their creative innovations included wrapping the microphone in camouflage netting to cut wind noise and turning an ammunition box into a microphone that was well-tuned to the low frequencies of the artillery explosions. The new Tucker microphone, named after its inventor William Tucker, a member of Bragg's team and London University physicist, was a major advance for the system. A heated platinum wire over the mouth of the ammunition box was the active element. The resonance from low-frequency booms disturbed the air around the wire, cooling it, changing its resistance and creating the signal pulse. Unlike the previous carbon microphones, it could distinguish between the launch explosion of the gun and the sonic boom it generated as it traveled overhead, and even distinguish between the types of artillery. Another innovation was the "harp" galvanometer: Its strings were an array of copper wires between magnets, each connected to separate microphones hidden across a kilometer or more in either direction. When an electrical signal came from the microphones, the current would cause the wire to move due to the interaction with the magnetic field. A continuous roll of film underneath the wires recorded the exact timing of the pulse from each microphone much more accurately than earlier methods based on human observationsan approach the Germans used until the end of the war. Mere minutes after the attack the film could be developed and the calculations completed to reveal the enemy location. "People have digitized the films and can play them backyou can hear the cannons," said Costley. Ultimately the success of the group was due to Bragg's scientific leadership, explained Costley. He was familiar with working collaboratively, having worked with his father, William Henry Bragg, on X-ray diffraction. The pair's insights into X-rays earned them the 1915 Nobel Prize in physics. William Lawrence Bragg was 25 years old at the time and remains the youngest person to win the physics Nobel. "Bragg encouraged the innovation that solved a lot of the practical problems. He was really good about giving credit to people on his team," said Costley. Explore further Continuing Bragg legacy of structure determination More information: Presentation #1aPA1, "Artillery location: Battlefield acoustics in the First World War," will be at 8:45 a.m., Monday, May 13. Presentation #1aPA1, "Artillery location: Battlefield acoustics in the First World War," will be at 8:45 a.m., Monday, May 13. acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/ In this Aug. 3, 2017, file photo, packages ride on a conveyor system at an Amazon fulfillment center in Baltimore. Amazon, which is racing to deliver packages faster, is turning to its employees with a proposition: Quit your job and we'll help you start a business delivering Amazon package. The offer, announced Monday, May 13, 2019, comes as Amazon seeks to speed up its shipping time from two days to one for its Prime members. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) Amazon, which is racing to deliver packages faster, is turning to its own employees with a proposition: Quit your job and we'll help you start a business delivering Amazon packages. The offer, announced Monday, comes as Amazon seeks to speed up its shipping time from two days to one for its Prime members. The company sees the new incentive as a way to get more packages delivered to shoppers' doorsteps more quickly. Amazon says it will cover up to $10,000 in startup costs for employees who are accepted into the program and leave their jobs. Those who participate will be able to lease blue vans with the Amazon smile logo stamped on the side. The company says it will also pay them three months' worth of their salary. The offer is open to most part-time and full-time Amazon employees, including warehouse workers who pack and ship orders. Whole Foods employees are not eligible to receive the new incentives. Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. declined to say how many employees it expects to take them up on the offer. The new employee incentive is part of a program Amazon started a year ago that let anyone apply to launch an independent Amazon delivery business and provided $10,000 in reimbursements to military veterans. In this Oct. 10, 2018, file photo Amazon Prime boxes are loaded on a cart for delivery in New York. Amazon, which is racing to deliver packages faster, is turning to its employees with a proposition: Quit your job and we'll help you start a business delivering Amazon package. The offer, announced Monday, May 13, 2019, comes as Amazon seeks to speed up its shipping time from two days to one for its Prime members. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) The expansion is part of the company's plan to gain more control over its deliveries rather than rely on UPS, the post office and other carriers. It also gives Amazon a way to grow its delivery network without spending the money needed to buy vehicles or hire workers, says Barb Ivanov, director of University of Washington's Urban Freight Lab, a research lab that focuses on logistics and supply chain transportation. "The wage problem won't be Amazon's problem," says Ivanov. Overall, more than 200 Amazon delivery businesses have been created since it launched the program last June, says John Felton, Amazon's vice president of global delivery services. One of them is run by Milton Collier, a freight broker who started his business in Atlanta about eight months ago. Since then, it has grown to 120 employees with a fleet of 50 vans that can handle up to 200 delivery stops in a day. It has already been preparing for the one-day shipping switch by hiring more people. "We're ready," says Collier. But Amazon is still far posing a threat to UPS and FedEx, says Beth Davis-Sramek, a supply chain management professor at Auburn University. Those carriers have thousands of trucks and hundreds of planes to get packages where they need to go. And they're doing more than just delivering boxes to doorsteps, she says; they're also transporting packages between warehouses and businesses. "UPS and FedEx will be just fine," says Davis-Sramek. Explore further Amazon to bring 1-day delivery to Prime members 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. What does it mean for a citizen to be literate in astronomy? Astronomers who participate in outreach to the general public experience various degrees of astronomical knowledge among people. But so far, there had not been a systematic evaluation and definition of what astronomical literacy actually means. Astronomers including Pedro Russo from the Leiden Observatory therefore published the first global document that proposes a definition for astronomy literacy. Throughout history, astronomy has revolutionised the way humankind sees its place in the universe, from knowing only a handful of planets in the solar system, to the billions of galaxies currently known. But to what extent has this knowledge been integrated into society? The International Astronomical Union (IAU) wanted to find a way to determine how astronomically literate the public is. But before it is possible to assess this, you need to determine what literacy means: What should citizens, anywhere on the planet, know about astronomy? For that reason on 3 May, they published the first global astronomy literacy document, titled "Big Ideas in Astronomy: A Proposed Definition of Astronomy Literacy." Russo was one of the leaders of the project. The document presents eleven big ideas in astronomy, such as "We are all made of stardust" or "We may not be alone in the universe," each structured in seven to ten supporting concepts. The 65 pages cover a wide range of aspects of astronomy, from history to technology and from theory to observations. Also, the social and philosophical dimensions are covered, all anchored in topics that stretch from the Earth to the edge of the cosmos. "Big Ideas in Astronomy aims to be both informative and inspiring, showing the importance of astronomy to the society we live in," says Joao Retre from the Instituto de Astrofisica e Ciencias do Espaco (IA). "It was designed to have a range of applications, such as aiding in the development of new resources for astronomy education, influencing school curricula, and providing a framework for governmental policy recommendations." The open-access document draws a roadmap to the astronomy literacy goals. It is intended for use by the astronomy education and outreach community, but also to evolve with their contributions. For this reason, the document is published under a Creative Commons license that allows anyone to share and adapt it, as long as appropriate credit is given. Explore further A study of almost 2600 IAU members shows that astronomers have a remarkable drive for public engagement More information: Read "Big Ideas in Astronomy: A Proposed Definition of Astronomy Literacy" at Read "Big Ideas in Astronomy: A Proposed Definition of Astronomy Literacy" at www.iau.org/static/archives/an ts/pdf/ann19029a.pdf This image shows sites where beach sands were collected, and the area that was devastated by the Hiroshima A-bomb blast. Credit: Google Earth; Anthropocene, Volume 25, March 2019, DOI: 10.1016/j.ancene.2019.100196 Mario Wannier, a career geologist with expertise in studying tiny marine life, was methodically sorting through particles in samples of beach sand from Japan's Motoujina Peninsula when he spotted something unexpected: a number of tiny, glassy spheres and other unusual objects. Wannier, who is now retired, had been comparing biological debris in beach sands from different areas in an effort to gauge the health of local and regional marine ecosystems. The work involved examining each sand particle in a sample under a microscope, and with a fine brush, separating particles of interest from grains of sediment into a tray for further study. A surprise in the sand grains: glassy particles "I had seen hundreds of beach samples from Southeast Asian, and I can immediately distinguish mineral grains from the particles created by animals or plants, so that's very easy," he said. In the Motoujina sands, collected by Wannier's colleague, Marc de Urreiztieta, he found familiar traces of single-celled organisms known as foraminifera, which come in a variety of forms. They typically have shells and reside in and around seafloor sediment. "But there was something else ... it's so obvious when you look at the samples," he said. "You couldn't miss these extraneous particles. They are generally aerodynamic, glassy, roundedthese particles immediately reminded me of some spherule (rounded) particles I had seen in sediment samples from the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary," the so-called K-T boundary now referred to as the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary that marked a planetary mass extinction event, including the dinosaurs' die-off, about 66 million years ago. In 1980, Luis Alvarez, a Nobel Laureate who worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley, together with his son, geologist Walter Alvarez, proposed a theory, based on a high concentration of iridium in deposits at the K-Pg boundary, that a large meteorite impact caused this massive die-off. Coupled with more recent evidence, scientists now believe that the impact occurred in the region of the Yucatan Peninsula. In meteorite impacts, liquified ground material is ejected into the atmosphere, forming droplets of glassy material that fall back to the ground. Some of the glassy spheres that Wannier examined appeared to be fused together with other spheres, and others exhibited taillike features. While some of the glassy particles resembled those associated with meteorite impacts, others that Wannier found were not so familiaramong them were particles with a rubber-like composition and particles featuring a variety of materials coated in a layer or multiple layers of glass or silica. Many of the particles measured about 0.5 millimeter to 1 millimeter across. Wannier had no idea at the time that this glassy menagerie of particles he encountered would lead to a years-long research effort that would involve scientists and experiments at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley. The effort would ultimately reveal the diversity and uniqueness of the studied particles, including unusual chemical and mineral mixes; the exotic high-temperature and high-pressure environment in which they formed; and the potential for new discoveries in further explorations. Concentration, volume of material points to A-bomb blast After this initial finding in 2015, Wannier traveled to Japan to collect more beach sand samples from the same region, near the city of Hiroshima. In all of these samples, there were between 12.6 to 23.3 grams of these spheroids and other unusual particles for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of sand. This odd assortment of glassy particles accounted for between 0.6 percent to 2.5 percent of all of the grains that were examined. Wannier plucked about 10,000 of these particles from the sands and sorted them into six different groups according to their physical traits. The consistently high concentrations of this strange assortment of particles in beach sands collected about 4 to 7 miles from the city of Hiroshima raised his suspicions that they may be related to the atomic bomb blast that devastated Hiroshima on the morning of Aug. 6, 1945. That bomb had instantly killed 70,000 or more people, with a final death toll accounting for the associated radiation effects possibly exceeding 145,000. The bomb and resulting firestorms mostly leveled an area measuring more than 4 square miles, and destroyed or damaged an estimated 90% of structures in the city. Based on the volume of the glassy debris found in the beach sands, Wannier and his colleagues estimated that a square kilometer, or roughly 0.4 square mile of beach sand in the area, collected from its surface to a depth of about 4 inches, would contain about 2,200 to 3,100 tons of the particles. A study detailing the analyses of the material, published in the journal Anthropocene, provides an exhaustive exploration of the many possible sources for the unusual particles, and concludes that they are A-bomb fallout from the destroyed city of Hiroshima. "This was the worst manmade event ever, by far," Wannier said. "In the surprise of finding these particles, the big question for me was: You have a city, and a minute later you have no city. There was the question of: 'Where is the city - where is the material?' It is a trove to have discovered these particles. It is an incredible story." Sorted samples of particles found in beach sands in the Hiroshima area. Credit: Mario Wannier Connecting with Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley for detailed analyses Wannier and de Urreiztieta wanted to learn more about the samples, so they contacted Rudy Wenk, a professor of mineralogy at UC Berkeley and a longtime Berkeley Lab affiliateWannier and Wenk had both studied geology at the University of Basel, Switzerland, decades earlier. Wenk first studied the Hiroshima-area samples using an electron microscope. This enabled a detailed exploration of their composition and structures. He observed a wide variety in the chemical composition of the samples, including concentrations of aluminum, silicon and calcium; microscopic globules of chromium rich iron; and microscopic branching of crystalline structures. Others were composed mostly of carbon and oxygen. "Some of these look similar to what we have from meteorite impacts, but the composition is quite different," Wenk said. "There were quite unusual shapes. There was some pure iron and steel. Some of these had the composition of building materials." To gather further details about the samples, Wenk turned to Berkeley Lab, where he and his students have conducted many electron microscopy and X-ray experiments over the years. He took selected samples to Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source (ALS) and conducted a number of measurements there. Nobumichi "Nobu" Tamura, a staff scientist at the ALS who Wenk had worked with before, along with then-ALS colleagues Camelia Stan and Binbin Yue (Stan and Yue have since left Berkeley Lab), assisted in analyzing the samples at a scale of less than 1 micron, or 1 millionth of a meter, using a technique known as X-ray microdiffraction. Both of Tamura's parents were born in Japan, and he said that he was personally interested in participating in the study because of his family ancestry. "My dad was 12 years old when the bombing happened, and lived just 200 miles north of Hiroshima, so he witnessed directly the news and outcomes of these terrible events," Tamura said. The experiments and related analyses determined that the particles had formed in extreme conditions, with temperatures exceeding 3,300 degrees Fahrenheit (1,800 Celsius), as evidenced by the assemblage of anorthite and mullite crystals that the researchers identified. Tamura noted that the unique microstructure of the studied particles and the sheer volume of melt debris present also provide strong evidence for how they were formed. "The atomic explosion hypothesis is the only logical explanation for their origin," he said. Study details researchers' findings Many of the sphere-shaped particles and other bits likely formed at a high elevation around the rising fireball of the blast. The materials swept up from the ground bubbled and mixed in this turbulent environment before cooling and condensing and then raining down. Wannier explained the processes that likely formed the materials in an atomic cloud: "The ground material is volatized and moved into the cloud, where the high temperature changes the physical condition," Wannier said. "There are a lot of interactions between particles. There are lots of little spheres that collide, and you get this agglomeration." Researchers also found that the composition of the debris particles corresponds closely with materials that were common in Hiroshima at the time of the bombing, such as concrete, marble, stainless steel, and rubber. Examples of the broad range of particles that were collected from beach sands in Japan's Motoujima Peninsula. Credit: Anthropocene, Volume 25, March 2019, DOI: 10.1016/j.ancene.2019.100196 Other studies have analyzed melt debris from the Trinity test site in New Mexicowhere the first nuclear explosion was triggeredand from underground nuclear test sites in Nevada. But those samples have a distinctly different composition that is associated with their local geological environment. The Trinity debris is dubbed trinitite, and researchers in the latest study have dubbed the melt particles they studied as Hiroshimaite to highlight their distinct characteristics and their likely origin in the Hiroshima A-bomb explosion. "Hiroshimaite particles are much more complex and diverse than trinitites," Tamura said, owing to their likely genesis in Hiroshima's urban center. While there had been concerted international efforts to aid survivors suffering from radiation effects, to measure the radiation levels, and to assess the overall damage caused by the 1945 atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the study noted that the melt debris associated with these bombings had apparently not been previously studied. The latest study encourages additional tests to find out if any samples carry radioactive elements, and to conduct further studies in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki areas. Plans for follow-up studies Wannier said he has received soil samples from ground zero at Hiroshima and may look for debris samples from deeper underground there, and he has also received a soil sample containing glassy debris from a streambed about 19 miles northwest of where the Hiroshima A-bomb struckhistoric records show that area was in the path of the atomic cloud. He said he also hopes to explore whether the melt debris exhibits similarities to materials associated with volcanic eruptions. Tamura and Wenk noted that this initial study focused on just a small number of melt debris particles, and it may be worthwhile to pursue a larger study to learn more about the extreme conditions that produced the debris and to possibly reveal more unique chemistry or mineralogy. Wenk added, "It was quite fascinating to look at all of these materials. What we hope is to get other people interested in looking at this in more detail, and in looking for examples around the Nagasaki A-bomb site." Wenk sent a copy of the latest study to Jun-Ichi Ando, a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Systems Science in the Graduate School of Science at Hiroshima Universitythey had met while Wenk was serving as a visiting professor at Hiroshima University in 1998. "I think this kind of research is very important for Hiroshima University, as a university located at the A-bomb site," Ando said, noting that he shared the study with a colleague who is a mineralogist and studies the Yucatan-region's meteorite impact. He also shared it with Rebun Kayo, a research fellow at the university who leads an outreach group that raises awareness about nuclear weapons by sharing bomb-scarred Hiroshima roof tiles and bricks with institutions around the world. In an unrelated effort, Ando has studied a large chunk of granite associated with the Atomic Bomb Dome structure in Hiroshimait was the only building that remained standing near ground zero. Kayo found and recovered the piece of granite from a local riverbed near the domed building in 2017. It is also known as the Genbaku Dome or Hiroshima Peace Memorial. "I tried to find evidence of melting and the shock wave recorded on the surface of the granite pillar" using electron microscopy, Ando saidhis own research typically focuses on microstructures of rocks in seismic faults. Wannier said the debris study has been an enlightening journey for him, and he hopes to continue with the research. "For 70-plus years this material has been there and was never studied in detail. We hope this raises attention among the scientific community," he said. "We hope people take advantage of this opportunity." Explore further Japan A-bomb survivors hail ICAN Nobel Peace Prize win More information: Mario M.A. Wannier et al, Fallout melt debris and aerodynamically-shaped glasses in beach sands of Hiroshima Bay, Japan, Anthropocene (2019). Mario M.A. Wannier et al, Fallout melt debris and aerodynamically-shaped glasses in beach sands of Hiroshima Bay, Japan,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.ancene.2019.100196 Mural in Melbourne shows Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison holding a lump of coal as it advertises a rally by students around the world to protest climate change Indigenous residents of low-lying islands off northern Australia will submit a landmark complaint with the United Nations on Monday accusing the government of violating their human rights by failing to tackle climate change. The Torres Strait Islanders will tell the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva that rising seas caused by global warming are threatening their homelands and culture, lawyers representing the group said. The lawyers, from the non-profit ClientEarth, said the case was the first of its kind to be lodged with the UN equating government inaction on climate change to a human rights violation. In their complaint, the islanders ask the UN to find that international human rights law requires Australia to reduce its emissions to at least 65 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The country should become carbon neutral by 2050, phasing out its use and export of coal completely, they say. The complaint also demands the government allocate Aus$20 million (US$14 million) for emergency infrastructure like sea walls to protect Torres Strait communities. "Advancing seas are already threatening homes, as well as damaging burial grounds and sacred cultural sites," the claimants said in a statement. "Many Islanders are worried that their islands could quite literally disappear in their lifetimes without urgent action." Kabay Tamu of Warraber island said that his community had a "right to practice our culture in our traditional homeland". "Our culture starts here on the land. It is how we are connected with the land and the sea. You wash away the land and it is like a piece of us you are taking away," he said in a statement. The complaint is being lodged just days before Australian elections in which the conservative government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison trails in opinion polls. Climate change has been a key campaign issue, with Morrison's government accused of dragging its feet on emission reduction efforts while backing the expansion of coal mining. John Knox, a law professor at Wake Forest University in the US and a former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights, called the Torres Islanders claim "potentially groundbreaking". The UN committee late last year determined that states' duty to safeguard human rights also meant protection against environmental harm, including climate change, Knox said on Twitter. "This case gives the Human Rights Committee its first chance to give specific application" to that determination "by assessing and explaining what Australia should do to protect the human rights of the Torres Strait islanders," he said. While the UN committee's rulings are non-binding, "its decision may increase pressure on Australia to do the right thing", he said. Explore further Australia on track to miss climate targets by wide margin 2019 AFP Concurrent extreme heat over South Korea and southern-central Japan. Credit: Ruidan Chen Global climate change has strongly increased the worldwide frequency of extreme heat (EH) in recent decades. South Korea and southern-central Japan are also frequently affected by extreme heat, and the extreme heat in these two regions tend to occur simultaneously. A scientific collaboration of climatologists examined the large-scale circulation leading to the concurrent extreme heat over South Korea and Southern-Central Japan. Their results have been published in Journal of Climate recently. "The concurrent extreme heat result from a deep anomalous anticyclone over East Asia, which induces anomalous subsidence and consequent higher surface temperature," said Ke Xu, the first author on the paper, who is a postdoc working with Prof. Riyu Lu and Prof. Jiangyu Mao in the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Xu also noted that the anomalous anticyclone is initiated by wave trains originating from upstream regions, which propagate eastward along the Asian westerly jet in the upper troposphere. "These wave trains can be categorized into two types that are characterized by the precursor anticyclonic and cyclonic anomalies, respectively, over central Asia," Xu said. "The two types of wave pattern are indicative to the occurrence of EH over South Korea and southern-central Japan." The researchers further found that the distinction between these two types of wave train is modulated by the Asian westerly jet. "The Asian westerly jet, as the basic flow, can determine not only the propagation, but also the horizontal structure of the Rossby wave in terms of spatial scale and geographical distribution." Xu said.This work reveals the unique characteristics of the circulation responsible for extreme heat in South Korea and southern-central Japan. The wave patterns identified in this study are different from the patterns associated with the extreme heat in some other regions such as Europe, North America and China. Other contributors include Prof. Baek-Jo Kim of the National Institute of Meteorological Sciences in South Korea, Prof. Jong-Kil Park and Prof. Jae-Young Byon of the Inje University in South Korea, Dr. Ruidan Chen of Sun Yat-sen University in China and Dr. Eun-Byul Kim of the Inje University in South Korea. Explore further What causes extreme heat in North China? More information: Ke Xu et al, Large-Scale Circulation Anomalies Associated with Extreme Heat in South Korea and SouthernCentral Japan, Journal of Climate (2019). Journal information: Journal of Climate Ke Xu et al, Large-Scale Circulation Anomalies Associated with Extreme Heat in South Korea and SouthernCentral Japan,(2019). DOI: 10.1175/JCLI-D-18-0485.1 This prominent thrust fault is one of thousands discovered on the moon by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). These faults resemble small stair-shaped cliffs, or scarps, when seen from the lunar surface. The scarps form when one section of the moon's crust (left-pointing arrows) is pushed up over an adjacent section (right-pointing arrows) as the moon's interior cools and shrinks. New research suggests that these faults may still be active today. Credit: LROC NAC frame M190844037LR; NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University/Smithsonian A 2010 analysis of imagery from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) found that the moon shriveled like a raisin as its interior cooled, leaving behind thousands of cliffs called thrust faults on the moon's surface. A new analysis suggests that the moon may still be shrinking today and actively producing moonquakes along these thrust faults. A team of researchers including Nicholas Schmerr, an assistant professor of geology at the University of Maryland, designed a new algorithm to re-analyze seismic data from instruments placed by NASA's Apollo missions in the 1960s and '70s. Their analysis provided more accurate epicenter location data for 28 moonquakes recorded from 1969 to 1977. The team then superimposed this location data onto the LRO imagery of the thrust faults. Based on the quakes' proximity to the thrust faults, the researchers found that at least eight of the quakes likely resulted from true tectonic activitythe movement of crustal platesalong the thrust faults, rather than from asteroid impacts or rumblings deep within the moon's interior. Although the Apollo instruments recorded their last quake shortly before the instruments were retired in 1977, the researchers suggest that the moon is likely still experiencing quakes to this day. A paper describing the work, co-authored by Schmerr, was published in the journal Nature Geoscience on May 13, 2019. New surface features of the Moon have been discovered in a region called Mare Frigoris, outlined here in teal. This image is a mosaic composed of many images taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).Credit: NASA "We found that a number of the quakes recorded in the Apollo data happened very close to the faults seen in the LRO imagery," Schmerr said, noting that the LRO imagery also shows physical evidence of geologically recent fault movement, such as landslides and tumbled boulders. "It's quite likely that the faults are still active today. You don't often get to see active tectonics anywhere but Earth, so it's very exciting to think these faults may still be producing moonquakes." Astronauts placed five seismometers on the moon's surface during the Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15 and 16 missions. The Apollo 11 seismometer operated only for three weeks, but the four remaining instruments recorded 28 shallow moonquakesthe type produced by tectonic faultsfrom 1969 to 1977. On Earth, the quakes would have ranged in magnitude from about 2 to 5. Using the revised location estimates from their new algorithm, the researchers found that the epicenters of eight of the 28 shallow quakes were within 19 miles of faults visible in the LRO images. This was close enough for the team to conclude that the faults likely caused the quakes. Schmerr led the effort to produce "shake maps" derived from models that predict where the strongest shaking should occur, given the size of the thrust faults. The researchers also found that six of the eight quakes happened when the moon was at or near its apogee, the point in the moon's orbit when it is farthest from Earth. This is where additional tidal stress from Earth's gravity causes a peak in the total stress on the moon's crust, making slippage along the thrust faults more likely. Scientists have discovered these wrinkle ridges in a region of the Moon called Mare Frigoris. These ridges add to evidence that the Moon has an actively changing surface. This image was taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).Credit: NASA "We think it's very likely that these eight quakes were produced by faults slipping as stress built up when the lunar crust was compressed by global contraction and tidal forces, indicating that the Apollo seismometers recorded the shrinking moon and the moon is still tectonically active," said Thomas Watters, lead author of the research paper and senior scientist in the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. Much as a grape wrinkles as it dries to become a raisin, the moon also wrinkles as its interior cools and shrinks. Unlike the flexible skin on a grape, however, the moon's crust is brittle, causing it to break as the interior shrinks. This breakage results in thrust faults, where one section of crust is pushed up over an adjacent section. These faults resemble small stair-shaped cliffs, or scarps, when seen from the lunar surface; each is roughly tens of yards high and a few miles long. The LRO has imaged more than 3,500 fault scarps on the moon since it began operation in 2009. Some of these images show landslides or boulders at the bottom of relatively bright patches on the slopes of fault scarps or nearby terrain. Because weathering gradually darkens material on the lunar surface, brighter areas indicate regions that are freshly exposed by an event such as a moonquake. Other LRO fault images show fresh tracks from boulder falls, suggesting that quakes sent these boulders rolling down their cliff slopes. Such tracks would be erased relatively quickly, in terms of geologic time, by the constant rain of micrometeoroid impacts on the moon. With nearly a decade of LRO imagery already available and more on the way in the coming years, the team would like to compare pictures of specific fault regions from different times to look for fresh evidence of recent moonquakes. "For me, these findings emphasize that we need to go back to the moon," Schmerr said. "We learned a lot from the Apollo missions, but they really only scratched the surface. With a larger network of modern seismometers, we could make huge strides in our understanding of the moon's geology. This provides some very promising low-hanging fruit for science on a future mission to the moon." More information: Shallow seismic activity and young thrust faults on the Moon, Nature Geoscience (2019). www.nature.com/articles/s41561-019-0362-2 Journal information: Nature Geoscience Shallow seismic activity and young thrust faults on the Moon,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-019-0362-2 Artist's rendering of an advanced commercial transport aircraft concept utilizing CHEETA systems. Credit: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Aerospace Engineering Researchers at the University of Illinois are leading a newly funded project from NASA to develop a novel approach for all-electric aircraft. Although improvements in vehicle configurations and engine systems have increased flight efficiency over the past few decades, the continued dependency on hydrocarbon fuels makes aircraft operation costs volatile. It also means that commercial aviation will continue to contribute a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions across the national and international transportation industry. And the forecast for air travel in the United States is expected to increase 90 percent within the next 20 years, leading to even greater emissions. In an effort to address these issues, this research proposes a fundamental shift away from jet fuel towards more sustainable energy sources for aviation, and the introduction of new electrically-driven propulsion systems for commercial aircraft systems. It's called CHEETAthe Center for Cryogenic High-Efficiency Electrical Technologies for Aircraft. NASA will provide $6 million over the course of three years. "Essentially, the program focuses on the development of a fully electric aircraft platform that uses cryogenic liquid hydrogen as an energy storage method," said Phillip Ansell, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Urbana-Champaign and principal investigator for the project. Concept sketch of a fully electric aircraft platform that uses cryogenic liquid hydrogen as an energy storage method. Credit: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Aerospace Engineering "The hydrogen chemical energy is converted to electrical energy through a series of fuel cells, which drive the ultra-efficient electric propulsion system. The low temperature requirements of the hydrogen system also provide opportunities to use superconducting, or lossless, energy transmission and high-power motor systems. "It's similar to how MRIs work, magnetic resonance imaging," Ansell added. "However, these necessary electrical drivetrain systems do not yet exist, and the methods for integrating electrically driven propulsion technologies into an aircraft platform have not yet been effectively established. This program seeks to address this gap and make foundational contributions in technologies that will enable fully electric aircraft of the future." The co-principal investigator on the project is Associate Professor Kiruba Haran in U of I's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. University of Illinois Assistant Professor or Aerospace Engineering Phillip Ansell. Credit: University of Illinois Department of Aerospace Engineering. "Advances in recent years on non-cryogenic machines and drives have brought electric propulsion of commercial regional jets closer to reality, but practical cryogenic systems remain the 'holy grail' for large aircraft because of their unmatched power density and efficiency," Haran said. "The partnerships that have been established for this project position us well to address the significant technical hurdles that exist along this path." Phase 6 of the Lok Sabha Election 2019 concluded on Sunday with a voter turnout of 63.3 per cent. Elections were conducted across 59 parliamentary constituencies in seven states. The highest voter turnout was recorded in West Bengal with 80.35 percent, while Delhi recorded a low turnout of 59.74 per cent. Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh recorded 68.17 per cent, 54.72 per cent, 59.29 per cent, 64.50 per cent and 64.55 per cent respectively. At a rally in Basanti, West Bengal Mamata Banerjee attacked PM Modi and said that she will take revenge 'inch-by-inch'. Meanwhile, the Election Commission issued a show cause notice to BJP's candidate from Begusarai Giriraj Singh for violating poll code. Follow the Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE updates on BusinessToday.In blog: 9.40 PM: "The comments of the philosopher and guide of the Congress President (Sam Pitroda) have angered Punjab," says PM Modi. The comments of the philosopher and guide of the Congress President have angered Punjab. The memories of 1984 massacres haunt several people and our Government has worked towards ensuring justice by punishing the perpetrators. pic.twitter.com/GZIZN84NpE - Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 13, 2019 9.33 PM: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Indore: "He (Modi) is such a defence expert that he himself decided who will manufacture planes, he decided those who have never made a plane in their lives will make it...he thought, weather is cloudy, it won't come on radar." 7.14 PM: "State leaders will be the heroes after #23May2019," says Saravanan Annadurai, DMK spokesperson. Our leader @mkstalin persuades Telengana CM KCR to support the congress alliance in a crucial meeting today! #Elections2019 State leaders will be the heroes after #23May2019 - Saravanan Annadurai (@asaravanan21) May 13, 2019 7.11 PM: Tamil Nadu Minister KT Rajendra Balaji: "Kamal Haasan's tongue should be cut off for his remarks on Hindu terror." Tamil Nadu Minister K.T. Rajendra Balaji: Kamal Haasan's tongue should be cut off for his remarks on Hindu terror. He made these remarks to gain votes of minorities. We can't blame entire community for act of 1 individual. EC should take action against the actor & ban his party. pic.twitter.com/2O3nypPOtu - ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 6.55 PM: BJP protests in front of West Bengal Chief Electoral Office after Amit Shah was denied permission to hold rally & land chopper in Jadavpur. #WATCH Kolkata: BJP protests in front of West Bengal Chief Electoral Office after Amit Shah was denied permission to hold rally & land chopper in Jadavpur; Sunil Deodhar says, "Police, admn, DM Ratnakar Rao have become 'dalal' of TMC. EC is being partial & doing 'dalali' of TMC" pic.twitter.com/DXOPPdX0B0 - ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 6.50 PM: Akhilesh Yadav on who will be the next PM of India? "We (I and Mayawati) will sit together and make this choice after May 23, but yes we would like the next PM to be from UP." 4.53 PM: TRS leader and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao meets DMK President MK Stalin at the latter's residence. Chennai: Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader & Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao, meets Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin at the latter's residence. #TamilNadupic.twitter.com/z1JdRFUrhn - ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 3.15 PM: More than 64.5 per cent of total 10.1 crore voters exercised their franchise in phase 6 of the Lok Sabha election 2019. 2.48 PM: Mayawati tells India Today: "My alliance with Akhilesh is here to stay. The Cong did not really want an alliance with me, see how they dealt with us in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Our sole aim is to remove the Modi government." 2.44 PM:Mayawati to India Today TV: "I have only responded to the personal attacks on me by Mr Modi; why doesn't PM speak up when his party activists commit atrocities on Dalits like in Una." 1:29pm: At a rally in Joynagar, BJP President Amit Shah said, "I was to visit 3 places today, but Mamata's ji's nephew is contesting from one of the seats so she is scared her nephew will lose, and that's why she cancelled the permission for our rally." 1:25pm: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao offers prayers at Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli. Tamil Nadu: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao offers prayers at Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli. Rao is scheduled to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin in Chennai later today. pic.twitter.com/MoQXeL2aoj ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 1:15pm: At a rally in Joynagar, BJP chief Amit Shah said, "In Bengal, Mamata didi does not allow the people to enjoy the benefits of any of Modi ji's schemes. This is because she thinks that if these schemes start here, he will become more popular than she is." 1:05pm: BSP supremo Mayawati said at a rally in Gorakhpur that those who chant Namo Namo will be defeated. She said, "After independence, the Congress party was in centre and most of the states for the longest time. However their bad policies and misgovernance has resulted in its debacle. The same condition will happen of the BJP. Chowkidaari is not going to help them." 12:55pm: Addressing an election rally in Khanna, Punjab, Captain Amrinder said, "Promise loan waiver in election manifesto besides jobs. We are committed for that. New industrial units in many parts will generate employment opportunities. We are giving plots and houses to the homeless." 12:35pm: Ram Vilas Paswan attacked BSP supremo Mayawati for her remarks against PM Modi. He said, "What is her status, she is saying that she would wait for investigation result, what does that mean? She is making baseless and senseless remarks against PM, She is making absurd personal attack against PM." 12:20pm: Supreme Court vacation bench dismissed the petition filed by lawyer, Nizamuddin Pasha, challenging the ECI's decision refusing to reschedule voting commencement time from 7 am to 5 am for the last phase of voting to, 'ease difficulty for Muslims during the holy month of Ramzan'. 12:06pm: Congress President Rahul Gandhi to hold rallies in Ludhiana and Hoshiarpur. 12:04pm: BJP MP Ananth Kumar Hegde said, "In one year we will have gram panchayat elections but before that, in June - July the suicidal coalition govt will take it's own course. There'll be fresh elections in Karnataka in August. Our MLA should win Karwar assembly seat." 12:15pm: A national traders' board will be set up for the businessmen of the nation, PM Modi said. 12:15pm: Taking at a dig at Congress leader Digvijay Singh's not casting his vote, PM Modi said, "Tomorrow their arrogance was seen in Bhopal too. I myself went tto Ahmedabad to cast my vote. The President and Vice President of the nation stood in queues to cast their ballot. And 'Diggy Raja' (Digvijay Singh) was not concerned about democracy or his responsibility as a voter." 12:00pm: Tamilisai Soundararajan calls Kamal Haasan's comments on Hindu terror political posturing. "Kamal Haasan has no right to call himself as great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. It's a well known fact that Kamal has not led a disciplined life. What's the point in advising the world? Is it mere political posturing?" 11:55am: "The 'Naamdar' family of Congress uses a battleship for picnic and then shamelessly reply when questions are raised - what happened has happened," PM Modi said in Ratlam. 11:45am: PM Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting in Ratlam Madhya Pradesh. 11:45am: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said BSP president Mayawati is suffering from "political depression" as she fears defeat of her party's candidates in the general election under way and as a result, she is losing her temper and patience. Sharma claimed Mayawati is showing weakness and her memory is fading. "All these symptoms are clearly visible in the statements of the BSP supremo," he told PTI in an interview. 11:30am: Dharmendra said if he had known that Sunil Jakhar's son was Sunny Deol's opponent, he would not have allowed his son to contest. 11:15am: Amit Shah to hold rallies in Jaynagar and Barasat in West Bengal. 10:59am: DEO Faridabad has reported that a polling agent was arrested yesterday and FIR has been lodged. He was trying to effect at least 3 women voters. Observer visited the booth at Asawati in Prithla constituency of 10, Faridabad PC. He is satisfied that voting was never vitiated: ECI. 10:50am: Supreme Court agrees to hear tomorrow the plea filed by Priyanka Sharma, BJP youth wing worker who was arrested for sharing a morphed picture of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. 10:45am: Priyanka Gandhi responded to PM Modi's Khan Market gang comment and said, "Agar pachas ghante ki tapasya karli hoti tho, is tarah se nafrat bari baaten nahin karte (Even if he had meditated for 50 hours, he would not be speaking this way)." PM Modi had said, "Modi ki chhavi, Delhi ke Khan Market ke gang ne nahin banayi hai, Lutyens Delhi ne nahin banayi hai. 45 saal ki Modi ki tapasya ne chhavi banayi hai. Achchi hai ya buri hai (Modi's image has not been created by the Khan Market gang, or Lutyens Delhi, but 45 years of his toil. good or bad)." 10:30am: Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa confirmed that the polling agent who was seen trying to influence voters inside a polling booth in Faridabad has been arrested. His actions were captured in a video. "DEO Faridabad reported that the observer, Sanjay Kumar investigated the entire matter. Report of the observer will be examined by ECI and action will be taken against those found wanting in their duty," Lavasa tweeted. 10:20am: Bhojpuri star and BJP candidate from Gorakhpur Ravi Kishan said that he will make Modi biopic in Bhojpuri. "I have several projects in mind, including Modiji's biopic in Bhojpuri, so that people get to know more about him. Apart from this, I am also planning to make biopics of Swami Vivekananda and Atal Bihari Vajpayee," Kishan told PTI. 10:17am: Congress leader Siddaramaiah called Narendra Modi a 'liar'. He said, "Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Gandhiji were killed. Was any BJP man killed for the sake of the country? Then where's the truth of calling themselves desh bhakt. Everything is just a lie , another name of Modi is liar." 10:13am: Kamal Haasan said at a rally in Tamil Nadu's Aravakurichi, "I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India's first terrorist was a Hindu, his name was Nathuram Godse. There it (terrorism) started," he said. "Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that," he added. 10:10am: BSP supremo Mayawati said, "Narendra Modi was silent on Alwar gangrape case. He's trying to play dirty politics over it. So that in the elections his party can be benefited. It is extremely shameful. How can he respect others' sisters and wives when he has left his own wife for political gains?" 9:55am: "Congress leaders must stop their mischievous attitude. They must stop trying to sabotage coalition govt. They can do all this politics in 2022, this isn't the time. We had brought Siddaramaiah to Congress, we created situation that made him the CM," said Karnataka JDS leader H Vishwanath. 9:41am: According to BJP, party President Amit Shah was denied permission to hold rally as well as land chopper in Jadavpur. 9:40am: Himanta Biswa Sarma on BJP's youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma's arrest for sharing a morphed picture of Mamata Banerjee: If this continues, freedom of speech will not be left. BJP strongly condemns it. We will try to file an application in Supreme Court tomorrow. 9:35am: Telangana Rashtra Samiti leader and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin, in Chennai, today. 9:30am: Addressing an election rally at West Bengal's Basanti, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attacked PM Modi and said, "One day will come when I will take revenge inch by inch, what you have showed today, you will see the same, you have insulted Bengal and me. I have tolerated it enough by not saying anything and showing decency. Don't take my decency as my weakness." Opportunities and challenges of the PIB. (A) Comparison of LIB, SIB, and PIB in terms of energy density. (B) Abundance of lithium, sodium, and potassium metal in Earths crust (wt %). (C) Stokes radius of Li+, Na+, and K+ in PC. (D) Number of publications on PIBs according to Google Scholar (as of January 2019). (E) Summary of challenges and their relationships for the PIB. Credit: Science Advances (2019). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav7412 A trio of researchers with the University of Wollongong, in Australia, has published an outline of the current state of potassium-ion battery technology. In their Review piece published in the journal Science Advances, Wenchao Zhang, Yajie Liu, and Zaiping Guo highlight the current roadblocks that are preventing widespread use of the battery technology and possible workarounds for them. Lithium-ion batteries have proven to be very useful, particularly in recent times as they are used to power a wide range of devicesfrom smartphones to electric cars. But lithium is rather rare, which means costs for it is going to go up as supplies tighten. For that reason, scientists have been searching for an alternative. One alternative that has been getting a lot of attention of late is potassium-ionit is plentiful and cheap. But it also has five main roadblocks, the researchers note. The first roadblock is low diffusion, which means the potassium ions move slowly through a solid electrode. The researchers suggest that advances in nanomaterials and nanostructures may lead to ways to solve this problem. The second roadblock has to do with the changes in volume that potassium undergoes as it first accepts a charge and then as it releases it. Repeated cycles lead to breakdown of the material, which results in the development of dead areas and ultimately, battery failure. Possible workarounds include using nanoparticle clusters. The third problem involves the side reactions that take place that can lead to degradation. The researchers expect that additives will soon be found to prevent them. The fourth problem is the growth of dendrites that can lead to short circuits. Again, the researchers suggest that the introduction of the right solvents should be able to prevent them from occurring. And finally, the fifth problem is poor heat dissipation, which can result in very hot batteries or even thermal runaway. The researchers suggest that study of electrode materials, cell configuration and electrolytes should at some point lead to a way to solve the problem. The researchers conclude by suggesting that the problems inherent with using potassium in batteries do not appear to be insurmountable, but acknowledge that it could take as long as 20 years to figure them all out. More information: Wenchao Zhang et al. Approaching high-performance potassium-ion batteries via advanced design strategies and engineering, Science Advances (2019). Journal information: Science Advances Wenchao Zhang et al. Approaching high-performance potassium-ion batteries via advanced design strategies and engineering,(2019). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav7412 2019 Science X Network Fine grains of dolomite form on anaerobic microbial mats under various environmental conditions. Credit: Lauren Hinkel When it comes to making a lasting impression in geological history, the medium makes all the difference, especially in the Earth's paleo-oceans. Here, during the Archean Eon (4,000-2,500 million years ago) and at times during the Proterozoic (2,500-541 million years ago), when oxygen in the atmosphere and oceans was much lower than today, sedimentary minerals preserved signatures of biological activity in the form of fine textures created by microbial communities. The environmental conditions under which rocks like these form dictate how the crystal structure developsthe more orderly and fine-grained, the better the preservation. Understanding, and better yet, replicating how these ancient minerals grew provides information about Earth's past environments, and how organisms developed and behaved. One of these fossil-bearing rocks has proven difficult to copy in the labuntil now. Researchers from MIT and Princeton University have found a way to emulate a part of ancient Earth in the lab by reproducing one of these weathering-resistant, information-carrying minerals, dolomite, whose formation has long perplexed scientists. A close relative to, and which can be created from, minerals that make limestone, dolomite was pervasive in the past; however, researchers rarely find it in modern environments. While it's created from components commonly found in seawater, there are physical and kinetic barriers preventing the formation of dolomitelayers of carbonate (CO3-2) ions with alternating central atoms of calcium and magnesium. Alternatively, studies have reported protodolomitea rock with a disordered crystalline structure, occurring only in very salty modern environmentsbut this mineral does not preserve the same fine microbial textures as its more ordered brother. "To look for evidence of ancient life and old processes, you have to look at microbial structures. That's where the information is. Some of that information is preserved in the form of very finely-grained dolomite, which precipitates almost as the microbes grow. It preserves the lamina of these microbial mats," says Tanja Bosak, associate professor in the MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) whose lab led the research. Her group uses experimental geobiology to explore modern biogeochemical and sedimentological processes in microbial systems and interpret the record of life on the early Earth. However, "there's a big problem about the origin of finely-grained dolomite in a lot of microbial structures through time: There was no clear way of making dolomite under Earth's surface conditions." Their results published in the journal Geology report the first creation of ordered dolomite and find that the trick to capturing these textures may be a slurry of manganese ions, seawater, light, and a biofilm of anaerobic, sulfur-metabolizing, photosynthetic microbes in an oxygen-free environment. The study's co-authors are former EAPS postdoc Mirna Daye and Associate Professor John Higgins from Princeton University. Dolomite problem and the importance of order Since the first identification of dolomite in the 18th century in what is now known as the Dolomite Mountains of Northern Italy, scientists have been stumped by how dolomite forms, and why there is so much ancient dolomite and so little of the mineral in modern times. This issue was dubbed "the dolomite problem." Fine grains of dolomite form on anaerobic microbial mats under various environmental conditions. Credit: Lauren Hinkel Scientists have found that modern dolomite can form in two main ways. It precipitates when shallow, hypersaline seawater is heated, and when limestone encounters magnesium-rich water, like a deep reef that's invaded by seawater solutions. However, both methods make large crystals that obscure much of the biological information. In modern seawater, however, aragonite and calcite (different crystalline structures of calcium carbonate) are more likely to precipitate out than dolomite. "It's not hard to make dolomite if you heat up a beaker of seawater to very high temperatures, but you'll never get it at the Earth's surface temperature and pressure just on its own," says Bosak. "It's really hard to get magnesium into the minerals; it doesn't really want to go into the crystal lattice." That's a portion of the larger picture. Additionally, these mechanisms do not account for mineral variations (manganese or iron-rich dolomite) seen during the Archean and Proterozoic periods that preserved these textures. "You see that seawater is saturated with respect to dolomite, [but] it just doesn't form, so there's some kinetic barrier to that." It wasn't until the turn of the 20th century that a Russian microbiologist demonstrated the potential for anaerobic bacteria to cause dolomite to form from minerals in ocean water, a process called biomineralization. Since then, researchers have found that in modern environments, biofilmscontaining photosynthetic microbes and the slimy organic matrix that they excrete for their home (exopolymeric substances)in highly evaporative pools of salty water can provide a surface on which dolomite can nucleate and grow. However, these biofilms are not photosynthetic. In contrast, many microbial structures that were preserved before the rise of oxygen grew in less-salty marine environments and are thought to have been produced by photosynthetic microbial communities. Additionally, the location of ions and microbes thought to be involved in this process likely differed in the past. The past microbes relied on sulfide, hydrogen, or iron ions for photosynthesis. Researchers suspect that more than 2 billion years ago, manganese and iron ions were present higher in the ocean sediments or even the water column. Today, because of the oxygenated atmosphere, they're buried deeper in sediments where anaerobic conditions can occur. However, the lack of sunlight means that microbial mats don't grow here, so neither does dolomite. While the suggestion of microbial involvement was a strong step to solving the dolomite problem, the matters of crystal ordering and formation in the sunlit marine zone, where microbes colonize sediments, were still unresolved. Reproducing the past While investigating early sedimentological preservation, the group performed a series of experiments replicating the conditions of these ancient oceans with an anaerobic atmosphere. They used a combination of modern biofilms, light/dark environments, and seawater modified to mimic early Earth conditions with and without manganese, one of the metals often found in the mineral and thought to facilitate bacterial growth. The researchers used microbes from a lake in upstate New York, from depths that lack oxygen. In their experiments, the researchers noticed something unexpectedthat the most abundant mineral in the biofilms was highly ordered dolomite, and the vials that produced the most contained photosynthesizing microbes and manganesea result consistent with field reports. As the mats grew up toward the light, crystals accumulated on them, with the oldest on the bottom capturing tiny wiggles where now degraded microbial mats used to be. The more extensive the coverage, the smaller the porosity, which reduced the chances of fluids infiltrating them, interacting with and dissolving the minerals, and essentially erasing data. The experiments lacking manganese or performed in the dark (not photosynthesizing) developed disordered dolomite. "We don't understand exactly why manganese and the microbes have that effect, but it seems like they do. It's almost like a natural consequence of those types of conditions," says Bosak. Nonetheless, "It was a big deal to show that that can actually happen." Now that the team has found a way to make ordered dolomite, they plan to look into why it forms, variations, and how the rock records the environmental conditions it forms in. After seeing the effect that manganese had on dolomite, the researchers will look at iron ions, which integrated into these ancient rocks. "Iron also seems to stimulate the formation of the incorporation of magnesium into this mineral, for whatever reason," says Bosak. They'll also investigate the unique microbial interactions and physical properties present to see what components are essential to precipitating dolomite. The individual niches that each anaerobic organism occupies seem to help the community grow, cycle elements, degrade substances, and provide a surface for crystals. The Bosak group will do this by fossilizing various organisms under the same or different environmental conditions to see if they can produce dolomite. During these experiments, they will monitor how well dolomite records the temperature at which it was made, as well as the chemical and isotopic composition of the surrounding solution, to understand the process better. "I think it tells us thatwhen we are trying to interpret the pastit's a really different planet: different types of organisms, different types of metabolisms that were dominant," says Bosak, "and I think we are just starting to scratch the surface of what possible mineral outcomes, what kind of textural outcomes we can even expect." Explore further How does dolomite form? Scientists show the influence of marine bacteria on mineral formation More information: Mirna Daye et al. Formation of ordered dolomite in anaerobic photosynthetic biofilms, Geology (2019). Journal information: Geology Mirna Daye et al. Formation of ordered dolomite in anaerobic photosynthetic biofilms,(2019). DOI: 10.1130/G45821.1 This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching. In this Oct. 31, 2018, file photo, a man, who declined to be identified, has his face painted to represent efforts to defeat facial recognition during a protest at Amazon headquarters over the company's facial recognition system, "Rekognition," in Seattle. San Francisco is on track to become the first U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition by police and other city agencies as the technology creeps increasingly into daily life. Studies have shown error rates in facial-analysis systems built by Amazon, IBM and Microsoft were far higher for darker-skinned women than lighter-skinned men. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File) San Francisco is on track to become the first U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition by police and other city agencies, reflecting a growing backlash against a technology that's creeping into airports, motor vehicle departments, stores, stadiums and home security cameras. Government agencies around the U.S. have used the technology for more than a decade to scan databases for suspects and prevent identity fraud. But recent advances in artificial intelligence have created more sophisticated computer vision tools, making it easier for police to pinpoint a missing child or protester in a moving crowd or for retailers to analyze a shopper's facial expressions as they peruse store shelves. Efforts to restrict its use are getting pushback from law enforcement groups and the tech industry, though it's far from a united front. Microsoft, while opposed to an outright ban, has urged lawmakers to set limits on the technology, warning that leaving it unchecked could enable an oppressive dystopia reminiscent of George Orwell's novel "1984." "Face recognition is one of those technologies that people get how creepy it is," said Alvaro Bedoya, who directs Georgetown University's Center on Privacy and Technology. "It's not like cookies on a browser. There's something about this technology that really sets the hairs on the back of people's heads up." Without regulations barring law enforcement from accessing driver's license databases, people who have never been arrested could be part of virtual police line-ups without their knowledge, skeptics of the technology say. They worry people will one day not be able to go to a park, store or school without being identified and tracked. Already, a handful of big box stores across the U.S. are trying out cameras with facial recognition that can guess their customers' age, gender or mood as they walk by, with the goal of showing them targeted, real-time ads on in-store video screens. If San Francisco adopts a ban, other cities, states or even Congress could follow, with lawmakers from both parties looking to curtail government surveillance and others hoping to restrict how businesses analyze the faces, emotions and gaits of an unsuspecting public. In this Oct. 31, 2018, file photo, demonstrators hold images of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos near their faces during a Halloween-themed protest at Amazon headquarters over the company's facial recognition system, "Rekognition," in Seattle. San Francisco is on track to become the first U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition by police and other city agencies as the technology creeps increasingly into daily life. Studies have shown error rates in facial-analysis systems built by Amazon, IBM and Microsoft were far higher for darker-skinned women than lighter-skinned men. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File) The California Legislature is considering a proposal prohibiting the use of facial ID technology on body cameras. A bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate would exempt police applications but set limits on businesses analyzing people's faces without their consent. Legislation similar to San Francisco's is pending in Oakland, California, and on Thursday another proposed ban was introduced in Somerville, Massachusetts. Bedoya said a ban in San Francisco, the "most technologically advanced city in our country," would send a warning to other police departments thinking of trying out the imperfect technology. But Daniel Castro, vice president of the industry-backed Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, said the ordinance is too extreme to serve as a model. "It might find success in San Francisco, but I will be surprised if it finds success in a lot of other cities," he said. San Francisco is home to tech innovators such as Uber, Airbnb and Twitter, but the city's relationship with the industry is testy. Some supervisors in City Hall are calling for a tax on stock-based compensation in response to a wave of San Francisco companies going public, including Lyft and Pinterest. At the same time, San Francisco is big on protecting immigrants, civil liberties and privacy. In November, nearly 60% of voters approved a proposition to strengthen data privacy guidelines. The city's proposed face-recognition ban is part of broader legislation aimed at regulating the use of surveillance by city departments. The legislation applies only to San Francisco government and would not affect companies or people who want to use the technology. It also would not affect the use of facial recognition at San Francisco International Airport, where security is mostly overseen by federal agencies. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the bill Tuesday. In this photo taken Tuesday, May 7, 2019, is a security camera in the Financial District of San Francisco. San Francisco is on track to become the first U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition by police and other city agencies as the technology creeps increasingly into daily life. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) San Francisco police say they stopped testing face recognition in 2017. Spokesman David Stevenson said in a statement the department looks forward to "developing legislation that addresses the privacy concerns of technology while balancing the public safety concerns of our growing, international city." Supervisor Aaron Peskin acknowledges his legislation, called the "Stop Secret Surveillance Ordinance," isn't very tech-friendly. But public oversight is critical given the potential for abuse, he said. The technology often misfires. Studies have shown error rates in facial-analysis systems built by Amazon, IBM and Microsoft were far higher for darker-skinned women than lighter-skinned men. Even if facial recognition were perfectly accurate, its use would pose a severe threat to civil rights, especially in a city with a rich history of protest and expression, said Matt Cagle, attorney at the ACLU of Northern California. "If facial recognition were added to body cameras or public-facing surveillance feeds, it would threaten the ability of people to go to a protest or hang out in Dolores Park without having their identity tracked by the city," he said, referring to a popular park in San Francisco's Mission District. Local critics of San Francisco's legislation, however, worry about hampering police investigations in a city with a high number of vehicle break-ins and several high-profile annual parades. They want to make sure police can keep using merchants and residents' video surveillance in investigations without bureaucratic hassles. Joel Engardio, vice president of grassroots group Stop Crime SF, wants the city to be flexible. "Our point of view is, rather than a blanket ban forever, why not a moratorium so we're not using problematic technology, but we open the door for when technology improves?" he said. This photo taken Tuesday, May 7, 2019, shows a security camera in the Financial District of San Francisco. San Francisco is on track to become the first U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition by police and other city agencies as the technology creeps increasingly into daily life. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) Such a moratorium is under consideration in the Massachusetts Legislature, where it has the backing of Republican and Democratic senators. Often, a government's facial recognition efforts happen in secret or go unnoticed. In Massachusetts, the motor vehicle registry has used the technology since 2006 to prevent driver's license fraud, and some police agencies have used it as a tool for detectives. "It is technology we use," said Massachusetts State Police Lt. Tom Ryan, adding that "we tend not to get too involved in publicizing" that fact. Ryan and the agency declined to answer further questions about how it's used. Massachusetts Sen. Cynthia Creem, a Democrat and sponsor of the moratorium bill, said she worries about a lack of standards protecting the public from inaccurate or biased facial recognition technology. Until better guidelines exist, she said, "it shouldn't be used" by government. The California Highway Patrol does not use face recognition technology, spokeswoman Fran Clader said. California Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman Marty Greenstein says facial recognition technology "is specifically not allowed on DMV photos." State Justice Department spokeswoman Jennifer Molina said her agency does not use face ID technology, and policy states "DOJ and requesters shall not maintain DMV images for the purpose of creating a database" unless authorized. Legislators also sought a face recognition moratorium this year in Washington, the home state of Microsoft and Amazon, but it was gutted following industry and police opposition. Microsoft instead backed a lighter-touch proposal as part of a broader data privacy bill, but deliberations stalled before lawmakers adjourned late last month. Explore further Microsoft unveils facial recognition principles, urges new laws 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Credit: CC0 Public Domain The level of scientific literacy in the United States is low by so many measures there isn't a reason to rollout the data on science education in the United States to make the point. With a determined effort, we could overcome our science literacy problem, but I see no sign of deep concern about the state of science education. The impact of our lack of science literacy can be seen in decision making in the White House and in regulatory agencies like EPA that are aggressively resisting science. Environmental science is seen as biased and even anti-capitalist. I'm certain this is the result of climate and other environmental scientists expressing their alarm about the impact of pollution on the planet and their effort to communicate that threat. Instead of debating the validity of scientific findings on scientific grounds, some people reject environmental science entirely. This exacerbates our science literacy problem and is profoundly troubling. We live in a complex world, built by centuries of scientific advances from the Enlightenment to the present. That world provides enormous benefits like the computer I am writing this on, but also creates enormous risks ranging from global warming to biodiversity loss to exposure to toxic substances. We rely on science for our comforts and economic advances, but also for the analysis of risk and methods of mitigating or reducing risk. To some, the science that yields economic benefit seems pure but the science that identifies potential costs seems biased. Science is not without value choices and ideology. The problems that scientists choose to study reflects what they consider important and what they consider to be important reflects their values. An earth scientist's values may simply be the advance of human knowledge about how the earth works and may have little connection to any concerns about the impact of humans on the planet's well-being, but even the goal of advancing knowledge must also be seen as a value choice. While values play a role in science, the scientific method places a high value on the role of measurement and observations. In other words, a high value is placed on verified facts and observations. Good science tries to reduce bias. The scientific method itself, the importance of replicability, peer review and other standards of scientific inquiry are designed to make it possible to establish facts. These methods are reasonably clear, and most scientists and students of science know how to distinguish sound science from unsound science. But scientific illiterates, like President Donald Trump and a number of other government and business leaders, can't distinguish sound science from unsound science and they assume that environmental science reflects the biases of the "ideological" scientists who choose to study environmental issues. Some political leaders assume that scientific analysis is like political analysis, subject to spin and a wide range of interpretations. While new discoveries and observations may be interpreted in a variety of ways, the goal of science is to achieve consensus. Scientists read the challenges to their work and learn from critiques and from each other. That is a key way that scientific knowledge expands. A competent doctor will encourage patients to get a second opinion of a diagnosis. In fact, they will engage colleagues in that effort before informing a patient of their diagnosis. While science operates according to a carefully constructed and reasonably well understood set of norms, it can and has been corrupted by economic power. Tobacco interests were famous for paying scientists to downplay the connection between smoking and lung cancer. Most recently we saw the conflict between sound science and economic interest in EPA as that agency tried to decide how to regulate asbestos. Lisa Friedman of the New York Times reported last week that: "Senior officials at the Environmental Protection Agency disregarded the advice of their own scientists and lawyers in April when the agency issued a rule that restricted but did not ban asbestos, according to two internal memosAndrew Wheeler, the E.P.A. administrator, said when the rule was issued that it would significantly strengthen public health protections. But in the memos, dated Aug. 10, more than a dozen of E.P.A.'s own experts urged the agency to ban asbestos outright, as do most other industrialized nationsIt was not the first time administration has sidelined government scientists. Under President Trump, the E.P.A. has rolled back environmental protections and come under criticism for relaxing rules on toxic chemicals. Last month, the agency weakened a proposed standard for cleaning up groundwater pollution caused by toxic chemicals. In March, it scaled back a proposed ban on a deadly chemical in paint strippers. And it has rejected a proposed ban on the use of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that has sickened farm workers and been linked to developmental disabilities in their children" The Trump EPA rarely misses an opportunity to tilt a regulation away from human and environmental safety toward a narrow but well defined, economic benefit. During the 2020 presidential campaign, we will hear that this anti-regulatory zeal has contributed to the business confidence that has contributed to the economic growth we have seen during the Trump Administration. While the idea horrifies me, business antipathy to regulation seems hard-wired into America's culture. The counter to that cultural norm takes place when there has been an empirical demonstration of harm. When the same type of Boeing jet crashes twice within months for reasons that seem suspiciously similar, business leaders join the public in a call for greater government oversight. We put our faith in companies and governments to protect us against potential risks we don't understand in order to benefit from products and services that provide benefits we want. It is science that creates the technologies we don't understand but benefit from and it is science that must be relied on to alert us to the risks of these technologies. But the system breaks down if the science is not objective, not understood, or ignored. The risks caused by toxic substances in our environment, or by pollutants like greenhouse gasses are complicated. Sometimes causality is difficult to prove. Sometimes danger is in the future and models must be developed to project future harm. The danger to children of lead in water is long term and may not be immediately obvious. The impact of smoking on your lungs is also not immediate. The danger of flawed software in an airplane is sadly more immediate and the outcome more dramatic. Biodiversity, on the other hand, is maintained by a complex web of biological and chemical relationships that scientists can spend a lifetime studying and still know only a fraction of the reality of risk posed to any given ecological system. What decision makers need is at least a minimal understanding of chemistry, biology, physiology, physics, and ecology to undertake sophisticated and effective environmental decision making. They also need to value the preservation of the planet for posterity. The need for a viable planet is obvious to many people, but not to everyone. Jeff Bezos recently presented his vision of space travel that would create artificial environments in outer space for a trillion earthlings. I guess a trillion would include a lot of Amazon Prime customers. According to a recent piece by Kenneth Chang of the New York Times: "Mr. Bezos described on Thursday a dreamy, ambitious vision of the future: a trillion people in space, living not on moons or planets, but bucolic space coloniesHe spent the first half of the presentation selling the idea of space and countering criticisms that space exploration is a frivolous pursuit that diverts people's attention from pressing problems on Earth. But he argued that humanity must eventually push into space. Rising energy consumption is crucial to raising the standard of living for more people, but "We will run out of energy," Mr. Bezos said. "This is just arithmetic. It's going to happen."At that point, to remain on Earth would require rationing and declining opportunities. But the rest of the solar system offers virtually limitless resources. "Do we want stasis and rationing or do we want dynamism and growth?" he asked rhetorically. "This is an easy choice. We know what we want. We just have to get busy." It may be that someday we will develop the technology to live in outer space, it may be that we will so poison the planet that we'll have no choice. But the scientific case made by Bezos claims that we will run out of energy. That is a scientific conclusion that may well be worthy of study. But Bezos cites no study when he makes the claim. He might want to take a closer look at the sun as a source of energy. Other decision makers have dismissed climate change, the impact of asbestos, smoking and countless other dangers. They assert scientific conclusions that fit into their plans to accumulate money, power or both. We need to do a better job of integrating scientific knowledge into management decision making. If we don't we will leave ourselves open to sales pitches ranging from Bezos futuristic vision to Trump's more nostalgic rap. The world is too complicated, interconnected and dangerous to act without real scientific observations and analysis. Explore further As air pollution increases in some US cities, the Trump administration is weakening clean air regulations Provided by Earth Institute, Columbia University This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Over the course of a school year, elementary school children lose confidence that they can "be scientists," but remain more confident that they can "do science," finds a new psychology study by researchers at New York University and Princeton University. The work, which appears in the journal Developmental Science, also found that children think more adults in their community can "do science" than "are scientists," suggesting that children have more inclusive views of who can do science, even while they might hold stereotypes about who can be a scientist. "Action-focused languageinstead of identity-focused encouragementleads children to hold more inclusive beliefs about who can succeed in science and bolsters science efficacy and interest, particularly among children from ethnic minority groups that are underrepresented in science," explains Marjorie Rhodes, an associate professor in NYU's Department of Psychology and the senior author of the study. The results are consistent with those reported earlier this year by Rhodes' research team. In a February study that appeared in the journal Psychological Science, the researchers found that asking young girls to "do science" leads them to show greater persistence in subsequent science activities than does asking them to "be scientists." The samples in these previous studies were primarily white, however, and the researchers hypothesized that the benefits of action-focused language would extend more broadly (to children of both genders) in more racially, ethnically, and economically diverse samples. In the new Developmental Science study, which was led by Ryan Lei, an NYU post-doctoral research fellow, and also included Sarah-Jane Leslie, a professor of philosophy and dean of the Graduate School at Princeton University, and Emily Green, an NYU research scientist, the researchers studied more than 300 elementary-school children in Brooklyn and the Bronx over the course of the school year. Children in the study were primarily Hispanic, but reflected the racial diversity of their surrounding communities and were roughly evenly split between boys and girls. "Studying a more diverse population is crucial if we want to understand and ensure efforts to improve science engagement work for everyone," says Lei. "That we see similar effects across children of different backgrounds in these communities suggests that using action-focused language could be a promising strategy to help a large number of children stay engaged in science." The researchers measured children's interest and self-efficacy in science three times across the course of a school year (once in the fall, once in the middle of the school year, and once in the late spring). Half of the children were asked at each point how interested they were in "being a scientist" and how good they thought they were at "being a scientist," whereas the other half were asked how interested in and good they thought they were at "doing science." The questions may be viewed at https://osf.io/56fg9/. The results showed that, over the course of the school year, children's confidence and interest in "being a scientist" declined. By contrast, they maintained confidence and interest in their capacities to "do science," thereby showing that persistent curiosity in science is linked to messages about actions and not identity. The researchers also examined what might underlie these effects by asking how children see the group of people who "do science" or "are scientists." To measure this, Rhodes and her colleagues asked the children to think of all the parents of the kids at their school and to judge how many of those parents either "were scientists" or "did science." Results showed that children thought more adults in their community "did science" than "were scientists," and these beliefs partially accounted for the effects of language on their own interest and efficacy. "These finding suggest that using identity-focused language with children, such as asking them to 'be a scientist,' can, in fact, backfire whenever children have reason to question if they are really a member of the group," explains Rhodes. "Such reasons to question can come from social stereotypessuch as a belief that few people from a child's community can grow up to be a scientist." "This research indicates that a subtle change in how we talk about science with childrenusing more action-oriented languagecan potentially guard against declines in children's science interest and self-efficacy," she adds. More information: Ryan F. Lei et al, Children lose confidence in their potential to "be scientists," but not in their capacity to "do science", Developmental Science (2019). Journal information: Psychological Science , Developmental Science Ryan F. Lei et al, Children lose confidence in their potential to "be scientists," but not in their capacity to "do science",(2019). DOI: 10.1111/desc.12837 Credit: CC0 Public Domain New research from King's College London finds that teacher assessments are equally as reliable as standardised exams at predicting educational success. The researchers say their findings, published today in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, question whether the benefits of standardised exams outweigh the costs. Teacher assessments were found to correlate strongly with exam scores across English, mathematics and science from age 7-14, with both measures equally as powerful at predicting later exam success. Teacher assessments predicted around 90% of the differences between pupils in exam performance at GCSE and A-level. Co-lead researcher Dr. Kaili Rimfeld, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), said: 'We have shown for the first time that teacher assessments predict GCSE and A-level results just as well as earlier exam scores. The fact that exam scores correlate so highly with the teacher assessments raises questions about the value of the testing culture that characterises compulsory education in the UK.' Co-lead researcher Dr. Margherita Malanchini, from the IoPPN and the University of Texas at Austin, said: 'While testing can stimulate both pupils and teachers to focus their efforts, high-stakes exams may shift the educational experience away from learning towards exam performance. For these reasons, we suggest that teacher assessments could be relied on for monitoring progress, instead of exam scores, in particular during earlier school years.' Previous research has looked at how either exam scores or teacher assessments predict educational success, but not compared the two. The researchers were able to make the comparison by linking data from over 5,000 twin pairs in the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) with teacher assessments and exam scores in the National Pupil Database. Previous research from King's College London has established that genetic factors are the major influence on exam results for GCSEs and A-levels. Using data from TEDS, the researchers showed a strong genetic correlation between teacher assessments and exam scores, confirming that both measures were identifying the same pupils and largely measuring the same ability. Teachers in the UK are required to assess their pupils until age 14, and children sit standardised exams throughout school education in the UK, including SATS at age 7 and 11, GCSEs at age 16 and A-levels at age 18. Dr. Rimfeld said: 'We are not arguing against testing in general, or that teachers should increase their workloads by adding further assessments. On the contrary, we have demonstrated that current methods of teacher assessment are powerful predictors of success, allowing schools to reduce testing and still monitor progress effectively.' Dr. Malanchini said: 'Our results should inform the debate about testing during both primary and secondary education. Trusting teachers to implement the curriculum and monitor progress could benefit the wellbeing of pupils and teachers and help to bring joy back to the classroom.' Previous research has suggested high-stakes exams can impact teachers' morale as well as pupils' wellbeing and mental health. The researchers are now looking to study the links between school experiences and mental health among young people. Explore further Children's genes uncover potential school league table bias More information: Kaili Rimfeld et al, Teacher assessments during compulsory education are as reliable, stable and heritable as standardized test scores, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (2019). Journal information: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Kaili Rimfeld et al, Teacher assessments during compulsory education are as reliable, stable and heritable as standardized test scores,(2019). DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13070 A sounder of wild pigs roaming in Saskatchewan, Canada. The photo shows mature females and their litters of various ages feeding on harvested crop residue. The hybrid wild pigs -- a mix of wild boar and domestic pigs -- have lighter colored fur than true Eurasian wild boar. Credit: Dan Sakar Wild pigsa mix of wild boar and domestic swineare spreading rapidly across Canada, threatening native species such as nesting birds, deer, agricultural crops, and farm livestock, research by the University of Saskatchewan (USask) shows. The first-ever published survey of the wild pig distribution in Canada has found a rapid expansion in the invasive species' range, which is increasing by nine per cent a year. "Wild pigs are ecological train wrecks. They are prolific breeders making them an extremely successful invasive species," said Ruth Aschim, a Ph.D. student who led the research published today in Nature Scientific Reports. "Wild pigs can cause soil erosion, degrade water quality, destroy crops, and prey on small mammals, amphibians and birds." Wild boar were brought from Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s to diversify Canadian livestock production. Others were imported as 'penned game' for shooting. The hybrid wild pigs have rapidly multiplied and spread, making them the most prolific invasive mammal in Canada. By 2017, they had spread exponentially across Canada, from British Columbia to Ontario and Quebec, with the majority in the south-central half of Saskatchewan. Their territory has increased by 88,000 square kilometres per year, on average, over the last decade. A mature adult wild pig photographed at night in Saskatchewan, Canada. Both males and females have large tusks. The territory of a male wild pig can be as large as 300 square kilometers in the summer, with sows covering up to 230 kilometers. Credit: Klint Brownridge Concentrated on the Canadian prairies, wild pigs currently have a range of over 750,000 square kilometres, the USask research found. The researchers found the territory of a male wild pig can be as large as 300 square kilometres in the summer, with sows covering up to 230 kilometres. The research team, based in USask's animal and poultry science department in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, has mapped the pigs' range as it expands since their initial introduction onto the landscape in the early 1990s. Their maps, published alongside the USask research, show that wild pigs are now firmly established in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba, with populations scattered in B.C., Ontario and Quebec. Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, the North West Territories, the Yukon, and Nunavut do not currently host wild pig populations. A group of escaped wild pigs in the Yukon were removed last summer. Wild pigs typically weigh between 120 and 250 pounds. They have around six piglets per litter, per year. They are adapted to very cold temperatures, and can breed in any season, living in 'pigloos' burrowed into the snow. Sexually mature within four-to-eight months, they feed on all common types of farmers' crops, including corn, wheat and canola. They also eat insects, birds, reptiles and small mammals. A sounder of wild pigs, including piglets, roaming in Saskatchewan, Canada. Credit: Ryan Brook, University of Saskatchewan "The growing wild pig population is not an ecological disaster waiting to happenit is already happening," said USask's Ryan Brook, lead researcher for the Canadian Wild Pig Project, a Canada-wide research program, and Ruth Aschim's supervisor. "Wild pigs are so widespread that they are a major challenge to control in Canada and eradication is only possible with a comprehensive plan to deal with this highly efficient invasive species. In Saskatchewan they are already posing significant risks to agriculture and livestock production. Our mapping of their expanding territory shows just how quickly they are spreading. This is a rapidly emerging crisis." The USask research team surveyed the pig distribution using eight different complementary monitoring methods, including capturing and fitting tracking collars to wild pigs, trail cameras, surveying hunters, government staff, and farmers, and getting the public to report sightings. The team did not record wild pig numbers in this project. "Wild pigs are able to survive and thrive in a wide range of environments and climates," said Aschim. "They are omnivores, very adaptable and are able to rapidly expand their range into unoccupied areas." Farmers have reported wild swine raiding farms, scattering, frightening, and interacting with livestock, destroying crops and eating hay bales and grain. They can also be destructive and use their long noses and thick strong necks to root up soil and vegetation, degrading habitat, and tearing up ground set aside for conservation purposes. Their main range is on agricultural areas south of Saskatchewan's boreal forest. Wild pigs can adapt to almost any climate, from North Africa to Russia and Canada, and now have the widest distribution of any large mammal on earth. They thrive in the U.S. and Australia and have been documented in the Galapagos Islands. They cost U.S. agriculture more than one billion U.S. dollars per year. Explore further Invasive wild pigs leave a growing swath of destruction across U.S. More information: Ruth A. Aschim et al. Evaluating Cost-Effective Methods for Rapid and Repeatable National Scale Detection and Mapping of Invasive Species Spread, Scientific Reports (2019). Journal information: Scientific Reports Ruth A. Aschim et al. Evaluating Cost-Effective Methods for Rapid and Repeatable National Scale Detection and Mapping of Invasive Species Spread,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43729-y Stenhouse Drives SunnyD Ford to an 11th-Place Finish After Leading at Kansas Posted by: newsla on May 13, 2019 - 06:31 AM Stenhouse Drives SunnyD Ford to an 11th-Place Finish After Leading at Kansas After leading 11 laps in Saturday nights Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Kansas Speedway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. drove his SunnyD Ford to an 11th-place finish after the race was sent into overtime. My guys gave me a really good car, Stenhouse said. Yesterday we struggled with the balance and I think they changed everything on our SunnyD Ford before qualifying. After our last couple of weeks, it was good to run up front, lead laps, and contend for the win. After posting the 21st fastest lap on Friday evening, the Olive Branch, Miss. native lined up 14th for the 267-lap race after seven cars of the top-20 failed post-qualifying tech. Stenhouse quickly worked his way inside the top-10 and was scored in the seventh position when the competition yellow waved on lap 30 for rain overnight. Despite battling a loose handling machine, Stenhouse ended stage one in the third position gaining seven valuable stage points. With a caution free stage two, the two-time Xfinity champion steadily ran in the top-10 for the 80-lap stage. Crew chief Brian Pattie chose to long pit allowing Stenhouse to be on point before relinquishing the lead for a scheduled two-tire stop. The gamble paid off allowing Stenhouse to take the second green-checkered in the fifth position and once again picking up valuable stage points. For the final stage, the Roush Fenway Racing driver lined up in the sixth position and quickly maneuvered his SunnyD Ford up to the second position within 15 laps. When the yellow flag waved on lap 217, Pattie called him to pit-road for four tires, fuel, and a chassis adjustment in hopes to help the loose handling condition. After the caution flag waved on lap 240, Stenhouse lined up in the third position for the final 27 lap shootout. With the restarts being dicey, Stenhouse dove to the bottom taking the lead with 19 laps remaining. While racing for position, Stenhouse made slight contact with the outside wall costing him a few positions. When the final caution flag waved on lap 263 sending the race into overtime, Pattie called Stenhouse to pit-road for four tires, fuel, and to clear the fenders for the final shootout. Stenhouse lined up in the 13th position for the final restart and was able to pick up two positions in the final two laps to take the checkered flag in the 11th position. PaddockTalk Perspective Sometime in 2008, more people began moving into the cities and suburbs of southwestern Pennsylvania from other parts of the country than were leaving for places and opportunities elsewhere. It was a watershed moment, the long-awaited reversal of a decades-long trend of being on the losing end of U.S. migration patterns. It proved to be short-lived. Within five years, the region fell back to losing more residents than it was attracting, raising concern that the trend is a deep-rooted threat that the region cannot shake. But is it? It turns out that recent migration gains and losses in southwestern Pennsylvania are more of a reflection of hiring trends in a single industry, demographic and labor data suggest. The boom in Marcellus Shale natural gas production some 10 years ago kicked off a five-year trend during which the region attracted more people than it lost. When shale gas employment flattened in 2014 then declined, the regions migration gains disappeared. Thats the reason. There is no mystery here, said Chris Briem, regional economist at the University of Pittsburgh University Center for Social and Urban Research. The Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area is also not alone in losing more residents than it gains from other places in the country. Only four of 16 Pittsburgh Today benchmark regions posted domestic migration gains in each of the last 10 years. And the biggest loser among U.S. metro areas year in and year out is New York City, hardly the definition of a failing region. Traumatic past Its not that concern over the regions ability to attract and retain more people than it loses to other U.S. cities has never been unwarranted. The collapse of Pittsburghs steel industry in the 1980s triggered a mass exodus. Domestic migration is the flow of people into and out of cities and regions within a country. That flow includes a high rate of young adults, who typically move for employment or education. And when they leave, they take their future families with them. The severe hemorrhaging that southwestern Pennsylvania endured in the wake of steels decline slowed to a trickle within a few years. But the loss of tens of thousands of young adults over that brief period profoundly reshaped the demographic makeup of the region in ways that continue to be seen. It also led to lingering anxiety over the migration trends and extraordinary efforts to staunch the flow of young adults to other places. They included Border Guard Bob, the fictional star of an aborted ad campaign whose idea of retaining young adults who couldnt be persuaded to stay was to attach a bungee cord to the back bumper of their cars and proclaim, Theyll be back. But recent migration losses pale in comparison with those the region endured in the 1980s. In 1984, during the height of the exodus, southwestern Pennsylvania lost 50,000 more residents than it gained; roughly 70 percent were 18 to 39 years old. The single-year loss was more than six times greater than the net loss of residents in 2017, which was the regions worst year in more than a decade, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Peaks and valleys Migration in southwestern Pennsylvania over the past 10 years is characterized by steady gains from 2008 to 2013, followed by a string of net losses in subsequent years. Employment trends were behind those peaks and valleys, particularly in the shale gas industry, which blossomed when energy companies were able to extract tremendous volumes of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation that lies beneath the region. Unemployment in the Pittsburgh MSA was lowersometimes much lowerthan the national rate from January 2007 to March 2015. Hiring was brisk in the shale gas industry for much of that period, especially early on when companies drilling at a feverish pace were importing thousands of workers from Texas and other more mature oil and gas regions to supplement a local gas and oil workforce too lean to meet the demands of rapid expansion. But by 2016 the number of active gas rigs in Pennsylvania was down 80 percent from its peak in 2011, rig count data show. By 2017, the number of gas extraction workers the industry employed had fallen 15 percent from its peak three years earlier, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Unemployment in the region had climbed above the national rate. And the brief trend of attracting more people than the region lost each year did an about-face. Other evidence underscores the impact of shale gas employment on the regions migration flow. In 2015-2016, the largest net losses were to Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, two oil-and gas-rich Texas regions, and Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., which reflects the fact that 19.5 percent of the Pittsburgh MSA population is old enough to retirethe highest such rate among benchmark regions. Drilling operations have regained their footing over the past 18 months. But changes in the industry temper expectations that greater activity in the gas fields will fuel future regional migration gains. The once-insufficient local natural gas workforce has grown more capable of meeting demand after a decade of development. Advances in technology and practice and other factors have led to stunning efficiencies in shale gas extraction that also apply downward pressure on the industrys labor force. The reach of a single well has greatly expanded, lessening the need to drill more. Production has steadily increased, even during recent years when natural gas prices slumped. Today, for example, Pennsylvania produces about 1 billion cubic feet of gas per extraction workera volume that took 2,300 workers to produce 10 years earlier. If you compare production to the rig count, it shows theyre much more efficient than theyve previously been, which might explain why we havent seen as big of an employment bump that some might have expected, especially of late, said Corey Young, director of the Center for Energy Policy and Management at Washington & Jefferson College. An emotional issue Whether shale gas or another economic factors conspire to steer southwestern Pennsylvania on a course toward gaining residents or whether the region continues to lose them to other places in the country remains to be seen. But domestic migration flow will likely remain a concern, if history is a guide. Its an emotional issue, said Jim Russell, a northern Virginia-based geographer who studies migration flow, including its impact on southwestern Pennsylvania. Our sons and daughters are leaving. Why would someone want to leave a great place? Migration flow alone tends to be a fickle indicator of the health and potential of a place. No U.S. metro region loses more U.S. migrants than it attracts than New York City. From 2016 to 2017, its net losses totaled 209,000 residents. Yet, the metro area was a winner in the fiercely competitive bidding for Amazons second headquarters late last year. New York grows its population by having more births than deaths each year and large numbers of immigrants arriving on its shorestwo characteristics lacking in Pittsburgh. Moreover, its a place where people go to acquire human capital to be successful. New York is an engine of prosperity, Russell said. People move there in large numbers and move out in a better station. Its an escalator city: You move in, up and out. I think thats a marker of vibrancy. Boston and Philadelphia are among Pittsburgh Today benchmark regions that have found themselves on the losing end of domestic migration in the past four years. In some cases, the circumstances that lead people to leave are far from an indictment of the region. People with higher levels of education tend to be more mobile. And Pittsburgh does a good job educating its citizens compared with other regions. Nearly 94 percent of the Pittsburgh MSA population has at least a high school degree, one of the highest rates in the nation. More than 46 percent have at least a bachelors degree, up from 31 percent five years ago. Even much-coveted gains in domestic migration can be misleading economic measures. Reading, Pa. recently reversed a long trend of losing more residents than it gained, largely by attracting sizable numbers of people struggling to live in New York. But in Reading, only 66 percent of the citys population has a high school degree or higher. In the city of Pittsburgh, its more than 92 percent. In Reading, the median household income is $28,755 a year. In Pittsburgh, its $44,092. In Reading, nearly 40 percent of the population lives in poverty. In Pittsburgh, the poverty rate is almost half of that, according to 2013-2017 Census data. Keeping residents is less of an issue for southwestern Pennsylvania than attracting them. Tepid job growth over the past 10 years has been a considerable headwind when it comes to drawing workers from other places. And while the regions attributes are many, word hasnt reached large numbers of highly mobile young workers, Russell said. Low crime, housing thats more affordable than in many other major cities, increasingly vibrant city neighborhoods and a growing innovation economy are assets that catch the eye of young workers. Being able to own a house is attractive to some with advanced skills who cant afford to buy in a growing region where prices have escalated. But you have to get on their map. They go to cities that are on the map for them. Its that appeal that Duolingo, maker of a popular language-learning platform, exploited to lure Silicon Valley talent to Pittsburgh when it leased a billboard along San Franciscos Highway 101 last year with the simple message, Own a home. Work in tech. Move to Pittsburgh. Michael Holland is vice chancellor for science policy and research strategies at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the first to hold the new appointment. His duties include developing and implementing university research policies and strategies to support collaborations across a range of disciplines. He also oversees the creation of major research initiatives. Holland, a native of Asheville, N.C., earned a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and bachelor degrees in electrical engineering and chemistry from North Carolina State University. He arrived in Pittsburgh from New York University, where he was executive director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress. His resume includes positions at the U.S. Department of Energy and the White House Office of Science and Technology. Tony Beltran is president and chief executive officer of Pittsburgh Mercy Health System. He succeeds Sister Susan Welsh, who retired. Before coming to Pittsburgh, Beltran was in Chicago, where he was the vice president for Safety Net Transformation at Trinity Health. In that position, he guided efforts to provide care for vulnerable populations and worked to address social issues that impact health in communities that Trinity Health serves. Beltran was the executive director of the Lake County Health Department in Chicago prior to joining Trinity Health and served as the first deputy commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health. Jonathan Lee is director of surgery and director of surgical oncology at the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute and the AHN Surgery Institute. He oversees the Cancer Institutes 13 disease sites in addition to the surgical oncology program. Before joining AHN, Dr. Lee was medical director of the Melanoma and Sarcoma Program at the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute in Atlanta, Ga. There, he developed and led multidisciplinary clinical cancer programs centered on community outreach and disease prevention, care optimization and advancing standards through clinical cancer research. Dr. Lee earned his medical degree at New York University and completed his residency at the University of Rochester. Cain Hayes is president and CEO of Gateway Health. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the nonprofit managed care organization, which serves more than 500,000 members in six states with a network that includes some 78,000 doctors and health care providers, 475 hospitals, and more than 85,000 pharmacies and clinics. Hayes moved to Pittsburgh from Eagan, Minn., where he was president and chief operating officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesotas health business, responsible for its commercial and government markets, provider relations, network management, care management, clinical innovation, pharmacy, service operations and marketing. Andy C. Kiser is chief of cardiac surgery at St. Clair Hospital. Dr. Kiser is a recognized heart surgeon and innovator. His expertise includes minimally invasive valve and coronary artery surgery. He is the inventor of a number of medical devices and the founder and CEO of the Advanced Cardiac Access Training Institute, which offers education and advanced training to surgeons worldwide. Dr. Kiser joined St. Clair from the East Carolina Heart Institute, which is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., where he was chief of cardiac surgery and the John Mark Williams Distinguished Professor in Cardiac Surgery. He earned his medical degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Gabriel Welsch has been named vice president for marketing and communications at Duquesne University, a newly created position hell assume in March. He is coming to Pittsburgh from Huntingdon, Pa., where he is vice president of strategic communication and marketing at Juniata College, overseeing marketing, branding and communications, digital and emerging media and public relations. He previously had been the interim vice president of enrollment management and vice president of advancement and marketing at the college and had taught English at Pennsylvania State University. Bartley P. Griffith Jr. has been named president of Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel. He will succeed the schools interim president, Amy Nixon, in July. Griffith is currently the assistant head of Gilman School, an independent K-12 day school that enrolls 1,000 boys in Baltimore, Md. In that position, he oversees academic affairs and assists overall operations. He also is a dean and faculty member of the Penn Independent School Teaching Residency, a collaborative program between the University of Pennsylvania and 10 independent day schools. In taking the position, Griffith is coming home. He grew up in Fox Chapel and attended Shady Side Academy for grades 6-12. TICONDEROGA A Ticonderoga man who allegedly shot a passing motorcyclist is in Essex County Jail, facing two felonies. Ticonderoga Police said Joseph N. Kish, 60, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and first-degree reckless endangerment following the Friday evening incident. Sgt. Adam Hurlburt said the motorcyclist, who was not identified, was riding near 1249 State Route 9N when Kish shot him in the leg with an unknown projectile from a long gun. The motorcyclist was treated for minor injuries at University of Vermont Health Network, Elizabethtown Community Hospital's Ticonderoga Campus and released. Kish had allegedly complained of noise from passing motorcycles. The Tri-County Special Response Team went to Kishs home to assist in his arrest by Ticonderoga Police on Friday a lengthy standoff ensued. Kish was finally taken into custody without injury at 12:50 a.m. Saturday. He was arranged in Moriah Town Court and sent to the Essex County Jail in Lewis when he didnt pay $100,000 bail. Hurlburt said the investigation was continuing, and there may be additional charges. Ticonderoga Police received assistance from the Tri-County Special Response Team, New York State Police and the Essex County Sheriffs Department. WASHINGTON It was the peak week for cherry blossoms. During the first week of April, while the North Country was barely beginning to bud, the trees around Capitol Hill were resplendent in pink and white blooms. Outside, tourists posed for just the right Instagram photo. Inside, U.S. Rep. Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, joined her House colleagues in the daily business of governing. Like many policy makers I start my day by reading the news, consuming the news, and also getting an update from staff members on any pending issues or constituents that have reached out, Stefanik said. Usually the first meeting is at eight, but again, Ive read the media and am up to speed beforehand. Once past the obligatory security check, it is easy to not set foot outside again for the rest of the day. The shiny marble exteriors and airy committee meeting rooms of the Capitol and congressional offices are connected by a sub-basement of mundane tunnels, all cast concrete, and overhead pipes. There are cafeterias, drug stores and coffee shops branching off, like some subterranean airport terminal. Two kinds of meetings Business in Washington is split between two main kinds of meetings committee work, the process by which almost all bills come to the floor, and constituent meetings. Id say committee work takes up about 60 percent of the time in Washington, and thats a way to make sure members remain focused and are able to become experts in certain areas, Stefanik said. Committee meetings are generally like committee meetings anywhere, and members during hearings may come and go, check their phones, or speak to aides while waiting for their allotted five minutes of questioning. On April 2, Stefanik joined the House Armed Services Committee for the Fiscal Year 2020 defense authorization requests from the Air Force and Army, hearing from the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army Mark T. Esper and Gen. Mark A. Milley and Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Heather Wilson and Gen. David L. Goldfein. Each member of Congress had their own area that they wanted to focus on NATO allies, audits, climate change, robotic fighting vehicles, the border wall. Tennessee Democrat James Cooper pushed both Wilson and Gen. Goldfein on their support for the proposed Space Force. I want to know whether the Air Force will be enthusiastic about the Space Force proposal, or are you being dragged, kicking and screaming, to support this? he asked. I am hearing some gritting of teeth. There is no gritting of teeth here, Gen. Goldfein replied. Stefanik used time yielded to her by another member to ask Esper and Gen. Milley about why upgrades to Fort Drums railhead were not included. Can you explain why infrastructure projects such as this railhead at Fort Drum did not make it into the budget request and what you are doing in the interim to insure units like the 10th Mountain Division can rapidly deploy? she asked. Stefanik: Fort Drum railhead project included in military spending bill U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, announced Thursday afternoon that the Fort Drum railhead has been included in the House version of Esper and Milley said it was related to risk assessment. It was just below the cutline on the $182.3 (billion requested), but if additional moneys became available we would like to see it funded if possible, Gen. Milley said. With 30 seconds left in her time, Stefanik asked for written replies later to a question about the Defense Health Agency. Later, she asked a question about research and development collaboration between the Army Futures Command, focused on modernizing the army, and universities and business. In between votes In the afternoon, Stefanik met with three representatives of the Alzheimers Association Cathy James, the CEO of the Central New York chapter, Beth Smith-Boivin, CEO of the North Eastern New York chapter, and Joan Tarantino, the Alzheimer Ambassador from Glens Falls. Tarantinos father was diagnosed with Alzhiemers in the early 1990s. My mom kept him at home, so our entire family was affected, she said. Six of his nine siblings had Alzheimers. As an ambassador, Tarantino reached out to Stefaniks office with concerns throughout the year, as well as during this annual legislative visit to D.C. It was a cordial visit, and one with a group that Stefanik clearly had a history of supporting. The advocates had three legislative requests an additional $350 million in National Institute of Health funding for Alzheimers and co-sponsoring the Improving HOPE for Alzheimers Act and the Younger-Onset Alzheimers Disease Act. Stefanik quickly agreed to all three, and had already helped introduce the last bill, which allows younger people with Alzheimers to receive the same benefits as older Americans. Thank you for talking to other offices about this, because the more cosponsors we have the better chance we have to get this through, Stefanik said. With the quick agreement on the legislative agenda, the three visitors and the congresswoman talked about the expanded programming from the Alzheimers Association. Stefanik said most of the non-committee meetings she has in D.C. are meetings like this, from lumber retailers to veterans groups. The policy I like to use is if were in session and Im in D.C. and Im not in committee, and sometimes even if I am in committee, I always like meeting with constituents in person if theyre advocating on a particular policy issue, she said. I also like greeting families, there was a young family that was here from Potsdam today. The days are punctuated with votes on the floor, which are announced with a buzzer, giving members 15 minutes to hurry down elevators and through the tunnels to the Capitol to cast their votes. But the vote times shift throughout the day, so as much as we like to predict it, sometimes its two hours after the fact, or its earlier votes, Stefanik said, adding with a laugh that was something I had to get used to. Then there are caucus meetings Stefanik co-chairs five and is a member of 29 others and constituent services, in addition to her own legislative agenda. My best ideas come from the district and they come from constituents, she said. To support all this work, Stefanik has a staff of 10 in the office. Of these, two staffers are focused on military issues, including Maj. Cheryl Shefchik, a defense fellow from the Army. They are the ones that take the ideas from district visits and translate it into policy. I work with my legislative team here, Stefanik said. I work with the legislative counsel, a nonpartisan part of Capitol Hill that actually helps write the laws so that youre able to get the language in the way it needs to be written. And then we try to build coalitions of support. No coherent thread The hectic schedule leaves little time for socializing in D.C., although Stefanik does look forward to the Library of Congress dinners, held every six weeks for all members of Congress where an author will come and speak about a book. But even for coffee, Stefanik does not usually leave the Capitol complex. I go to Dunkin Donuts in Longworth House Office Building, my order is an iced coffee with skim milk and two pumps of coconut caramel, she said, laughing. Adding to the mayhem is the fact that there is no coherent thread between any two subjects. The day after the Alzheimers Association meeting, Stefanik started her morning at a 9 a.m. Education and Labor Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment hearing on accountability in higher education. She ducked out of the meeting for about 20 minutes before re-appearing to ask a question about the growth of non-traditional students returning for career specific education. You discussed in your testimony how states are looking to hold institutions accountable for the performance of specific student subgroups in meeting the states post-secondary career goals, she said. What do some of these efforts look like in practice? After a brief answer from Noe Ortega, deputy secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Stefanik yielded back her time. At 11:10 Stefanik was in the Capitol for a rare joint meeting of the House and Senate to hear an address from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking ahead of the 70th anniversary of the alliance the next day. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence welcomed the Secretary at the front of the House. Our alliance was created by people who had lived through two devastating world wars, Stoltenberg said, as he laid out the history of the alliance to frequent applause. They made a solemn promise, one for all and all for one. Stefanik appeared to be the first member of Congress to rise from her seat to give that statement a standing ovation. Stoltenberg went on to deliver a hawkish speech on Russia and explicitly echo President Donald J. Trumps call for more spending by allies outside the United States. But he ended on a message of unity. We are stronger and safer when we stand together, he said. Madam speaker, Mr. Vice President, it is good to have friends. Stefanik joined the final standing ovation. Later that day, Stefanik addressed the House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities, where she serves as the ranking senior Republican, during the open half of a hearing on countering weapons of mass destruction. Inside the Department of Defense and especially within the special operations command we often hear of no-fail missions, and I can think of no mission more appropriate for this designation than countering weapons of mass destruction, she said. This is especially appropriate in reasons years as Syria, North Korea and Russia have all used chemical weapons. Her committee questions here were about the intelligence of the inter-agency alphabet soup tasked with countering weapons of mass destruction. Then it was off to a closed door meeting with the same agencies for further questions. I think in my first term I learned so much, I compared it to drinking from a fire hose, Stefanik said. As I look at my new colleagues who are freshman I can sort of see it, a familiar look, theyre drinking from a fire hose, theyre adjusting to this job. Future in Washington Stefanik keeps returning. She won re-election last November by a solid margin and plans to run again in 2020. Well, theres so much work to be done, theres important priorities that we need to get done, on behalf of the region, she said. And I have a lot of constituents who have encouraged me because of the job Ive done representing them. I mean, if you look back, electorally, at 2009, 2010 or 2012, this was a district that had very, very close elections with very slim margins. Im very proud of our very large margins. As for how long she will do the job, Stefanik said shes taking it term by term. She initially promised to run for just five terms and said she still believes in term limits, but is unsure of how long she will do the job. I think theres a balance, there are members who have been here 20 years that I deeply respect, she said. But I do think that institutionally, if you want Congress to be reflective of sort of, new generation ideas, turnover is a good thing in Congress. Stefanik said she has no specific ambitions after she leaves the House, whenever that may be. I dont know, I want to have a family, in terms of kids, I hope to have a fulfilling job, and I hope public service will be part of that, Im not sure in what respect, she said. Politics is hard to predict. As long as the days are in D.C., visits back to the district can run just as long especially in the 21st District, where breakfast meetings may be a three hour drive away. Stefanik thinks there is more interest in Washington among the constituents she meets with now than when she was first elected. Stefanik prides herself on the bipartisan work she has been able to do, and included it prominently in her campaigning material last year, even alongside nakedly partisan attacks on her Democratic opponent. In terms of how I like to spend my time from when I was a young staffer to now, she said, chuckling. I much prefer spending time outside of Washington, in the district. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 2 The day also will feature a eulogy and invocation by Steven Pressly, the longtime owner of Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Homes; a flag presentation by the Rock Island Fire Department Honor Guard and retirees; recognition of the widows of the deceased; a bell ceremony; bagpipes; and the playing of taps by Tracy Hepner. The flag flying over Central Station Sunday will be the flag awarded to Rock Island firefighters by late U.S. Rep. Lane Evans. It waved over the U.S. Capitol in 1980, the year the Association of Retired Firefighters of Rock Island was formed. "This is a great way to share a day of honor and respect,'' Rogers says. "There are names of guys we knew that went before us and names of guys we spent a lot of years working alongside. The guys in there (on duty) work as a team, and the rest of us do the same when we get together.'' Stout has high praise for former state Sen. Denny Jacobs, who sponsored Resolution No. 280 during the 85th General Assembly, making the third Sunday in May Illinois Firefighter Memorial Day. "Give him credit for some forward thinking,'' Stout says of Jacobs. "It gives us a great chance to honor, remember and reflect on those who have served and gone before us. It truly is a unique brotherhood.'' And it's a brotherhood that will honored Sunday in a right and proper manner. Columnist John Marx can be reached at 309-757-388 or jmarx@qconline.com. 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. Menard Finishes 24th At Kansas Posted by: newsla on May 13, 2019 - 06:31 AM Menard Finishes 24th At Kansas Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Mustang had a fast start but ended up with a frustrating 24th-place finish in Saturday nights Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway. Menard qualified 16th but started 10th after six drivers ahead of him in qualifying failed a pre-race inspection. He quickly drove up to fourth place and remained in the top five through a competition caution at Lap 30. The Menards/Dutch Boy team opted for four fresh tires during the caution period while others took just two, which dropped him to 14th place for the restart. But he drove his way back into the top 10 before contact with the outside wall near the end of Stage One knocked him of the top 20. The team made repairs during the caution period following the first 80-lap Stage, and Menard quickly drove from the back up to 15th place and maintained his position through the end of Stage Two. Menard continued to run in or around the top 15 until a round of green-flag pit stops with about 40 laps remaining. Just after Menard made his stop, the caution flag flew, trapping him a lap down. The bad luck got worse when a tire blew with six laps remaining, forcing an unscheduled pit stop that left him 24th at the finish. We were really good at the start of the race, Eddie Wood said. And even after hitting the wall, we ran good again. It looked like we were going to be OK, but it was tough back there in traffic, and then we had a flat tire late. Paul was able to make up some of the spots we lost changing the tire, so well take that, head home and spend Sunday with our mom and wish all the other moms out there a Happy Mothers Day. Menard and the Wood Brothers team return to the track next week for the Monster Energy All-Star weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. PaddockTalk Perspective The illegal chemical carbofuran has been confirmed to have killed some of the birds, including one sent from Maryland to a lab in Oregon to be tested this year, Natural Resources Police Lt. Roy Rafter said. Authorities say they think old stocks of the banned pesticide are being used to kill foxes and other farm pests, but is so toxic to birds that it is sickening the eagles that scavenge the dead animal remains. It's illegal to kill or harm a bald eagle by any means. A symbol of the nation, they are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which carries penalties up to a $250,000 fine or two years in prison. The federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act also protects great horned owls and hundreds of other bird species. Authorities say they are at a loss to solve the mystery of the killings, after a fruitless investigation into the 2016 eagle deaths. They asked for anyone with information to contact them, offering a $10,000 reward. The American Bird Conservancy said it will add $5,000 to that. "At best, it's reckless, and, at worst, it could be a deliberate crime," Parr said. U.S. employers currently must first make the jobs available to workers who have filled the positions before, alert union workers if the jobs are covered by a labor contract, and notify the general public through two Sunday local newspaper ads in the area where the job is available. Its that final requirement that would be eliminated under rules the Trump administration is currently considering. Instead, the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Labor are proposing to allow employers to simply place an ad on a website that is widely available. Theres no question that the job offerings should be posted online. But newspapers also provide a critical role. Abandoning the print option would greatly reduce the number of U.S. citizens who learn about the work before its given to foreign workers. If U.S. workers dont step forward, then the employers can hire workers through the H-2A visa program for seasonal farm workers and the H-2B program for temporary non-farm jobs with, for example, landscaping companies, restaurants, hotels and amusement parks. Heres further proof that Jessica Rothe is one of the most talented young actresses around. And even more proof that every movie doesnt need a big-name director or cast to be memorable. Tater Tot & Patton, a quiet character study of two lost people thrown together, is a smart movie that lingers on little moments and its environments: Cattle grazing. A South Dakota field in the wind. That makes its characters and situations all the more realistic. Rothe plays Andie, aka Tater Tot, who decides to go visit her aunt instead of going to rehab. Bates Wilder plays Andies beer-swilling Uncle Erwin, who explains to Andie that her aunt is away at the moment. Now the two of them are stuck out at the isolated farmhouse. Erwin remembers Andie as a little girl the family called Tater Tot. Andie is bored and restless out in the country. Erwin, who starts his days with a beer before he goes out to tend a herd of cattle, keeps drinking and grousing. Both are headstrong and resent each others presence almost immediately. Seventeen animals were relocated to another facility Sunday afternoon after a dryer fire at the Quad City Animal Welfare Center's Spay/Neuter & Wellness Clinic, at 612 1st St. W., Milan. QCAWC executive director Patti McRae said fire crews were dispatched around 2 p.m. Sunday. No one was at QCAWC when the fire started. When I got here, you could see the smoke pouring out of the top of the building, McRae said. The fire department went into the building, and they were able to put the fire out that was in the dryer. The department also was able to get all of the animals seven dogs and 10 cats out of the building. The staff and volunteers, who are the best in the world, all rallied together, came and got the animals (and) got them over to our adoption facility, at 724 W. 2nd Ave., Milan. A Davenport woman is facing drug trafficking charges after police allege she sold crystal methamphetamine to undercover officers in December and January. Jamie Lynn Hubbs, 33, of 2003 W. 1st St., Davenport, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute 15.1 grams of methamphetamine. The charge is a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of up to 25 years. Hubbs also is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, each of which is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. She also is charged with violating Iowas drug tax stamp law, a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of up to five years. According to the arrest affidavits filed by agents of the Quad-City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, or Q-CMEG, on December 28, Hubbs made arrangements to sell crystal methamphetamine to an undercover agent. When the agent arrived at the agreed on place of the sale, Hubbs sent someone else out to conduct the transaction in which 3.8 grams of crystal methamphetamine were exchanged for cash. On Jan. 3, Hubbs sold 4.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine to an undercover agent in return for cash. A good Monday to all. Better weather is returning to the Quad-Cities. Plus the Mississippi River has finally fallen below flood stage after 51 days. Here are the weather details from the National Weather Service. 1. A high in the mid-60s Today we'll see increasing clouds with a high near 66 degrees and a low around 46 degrees. Tuesday brings a slight chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1 p.m. The high will be near 67 degrees and a low around 52 degrees. A flood warning for the Mississippi River in the Quad-Cities remains in force until further notice. But the good news is that the Mississippi River has fallen below major flood stage of 18 feet. Scott County added to federal emergency declaration Scott County was added to the Presidential Disaster Declaration for severe storms and flooding, granted March 23, 2019. Residents in Scott County impacted by flooding can apply for FEMA's Individual Assistance Program, which provides aid to eligible homeowners, renters, and businesses. The federal Individual Assistance program can provide homeowners, renters, and businesses grants and low-interest loans to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs, and other disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other aid programs. To apply, register online at disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 TTY, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Central Standard Time seven days a week. Scott County residents who have already registered for federal Individual Assistance do not need to re-apply. For more information on flood recovery resources available to Iowans, visit www.floods2019.iowa.gov or contact 2-1-1. Unemployment Assistance Cable, who is on site with both crews every day, said he hopes his students recognize the other skills they learn, such as leadership and teamwork. "So many times students are presented with opportunities to learn, but they don't know why they need to learn them ...," he said. "In this environment they experience why they need to know it because it is so hands-on." Simmons said the district previously sent 12 students each year to participate in Davenport's program, but when they had 25 applicants and "we had to tell half they couldn't go, we looked at doing our own," the contractor turned educator said. The program is a partnership with Building and Trades Inc., a subsidiary of the Quad-City Area Realtor Association, which finances the construction and handles the sale so the school does not take on the risk, Simmons said. The program also receives support from the Quad-Cities Builders & Remodelers Association, whose members provide technical support for instructors and students. Both associations also award student scholarships at year-end. The program also relies on support from a number of area vendors which offer discounted services and products as well as instruction. CTD arrested facilitator of Data Sb blast The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Sunday arrested a suspected facilitator of the suicide blast in Lahore from Gujranwala.The CTD raided a house in Aim naabad area of Gujranwala and arrested a man named Zeeshan, who is accused of being one of the facilitators of the Data Darbar suicide blast which claimed the lives of 13 people, including five police officials and a security guard. In his video statement, Zeeshan, however, said he is a grocer and that he is not involved in the Lahore attack. The alleged facilitator further said that at the time of the blast he was inside the shrine and that he ran out as soon as he heard the explosion. I was accused of being a facilitator after being seen in the video, he said. Earlier this week, the security forces arrested five suspected facilitators from Garhi Shahu area after a raid on a tea stall. The suspects are believed to have been in contact with the individuals behind the suicide blast which targeted a police van stationed outside the entrance of Data Darbar. On Thursday, an image of the alleged suicide attacker was released by the police. The image showed the attacker next to the right side of the Elite Force police van and 8:54am. He is facing the main gate of Data Dabar and is wearing a shalwar kameez while carrying a bag. According to Shahbaz Gill, spokesperson for Punjab chief minister, the suicide bomber was 15 years old. He had exited a shop selling fruits just before making his way to the Elite Force van. On Saturday, Prime Minister Imran Khan during a day-long visit to Lahore got a briefing from Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on investigation into the incident. He reportedly directed the chief minister to bring the culprits to book at the earliest and enhance security in the province to avert any such incidents in the future. Meanwhile, death toll in Data Darbar blast climbed to 13 as another injured of the incident succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. According to details, a wounded victim of the blast succumbed to his injuries at Lahores Mayo Hospital. If you listen closely to what Democratic state Reps. Sam Yingling and Jonathan Carroll are saying in public about their opposition to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's graduated income tax proposal, they appear to believe that Pritzker's proposed tax rates aren't high enough. Yingling and Carroll are both demanding significant property tax relief. "In Illinois," Yingling wrote in the Chicago Tribune last week, "the disproportionate reliance on and financial burden of property taxes to fund government roads and bridges, education, police, fire and other essential services is devastating." "My constituents are concerned that their taxes will go up without essential property-tax relief," Carroll was quoted as saying. No sane person would argue that property taxes are too low in this state. Yingling didn't mention school spending in his letter to the Tribune, but that's by far the largest item in the local levies. And that's why both Yingling and Carroll signed on to a resolution during the last General Assembly opposing a proposed shift of pension costs from the state to local school districts, which would've driven up property taxes much higher than they already were. Trump's hard-nosed and sometimes erratic bargaining tactics have roiled financial markets this week. But as the Lee case shows, the Chinese are hardly innocent victims. They have been burrowing deep into the CIA to steal its most precious secrets, as well as pilfering corporate data wherever they can. Lee pleaded guilty to only one count of conspiracy, and prosecutors said his plea agreement and an accompanying statement of evidence were "not intended to be a full enumeration of all of the facts surrounding the defendant's case." Asked if Lee had agreed to cooperate with the CIA in sharing additional details, his attorney, Edward B. MacMahon Jr., responded: "There is nothing in the plea agreement that deals with his cooperating." The hunt for a Chinese mole began after the CIA started losing its key sources in China in 2010. Lee, who first met with Chinese intelligence officers in April 2010, according to prosecutors, soon came under suspicion. Another suspect was a former senior case officer who had served in China when the blown network of spies was recruited. The intensely partisan and politicized national debate over immigration policies has cast a cloud of uncertainty over guest worker programs that for years have helped provide employees to seasonal South Dakota businesses that cannot find enough American workers. The viability of some businesses in the tourism, agricultural and construction industries are at stake if federal programs that bring foreign workers to South Dakota each summer are not stabilized soon. With the unemployment rate at 2.8% in South Dakota one of the lowest rates in the nation hundreds of businesses and farms cannot hire enough people to get them through the summer tourism, harvest and construction seasons. Last year, guest worker programs run by the U.S. departments of labor and state brought about 4,400 people from other countries to South Dakota. Most visitors stay about six to 10 months and are paid a fair wage set by the federal government. The majority arrive from Mexico, Central America and sometimes South America or Asia on temporary visas granted through the federal H-2A and H-2B seasonal employment programs. Employers provide them housing while workers build homes and businesses, clean hotel rooms, work in restaurants or help harvest crops. The program has been successful in fulfilling critical staffing needs at businesses around the country; about 66,000 visas are granted nationally under the H-2B program each year, and 134,400 H-2A visas were granted in 2016. Sioux Falls, which had a 2.4% unemployment rate in February, was the South Dakota city with the most H2-B visas granted in 2018 with 346, followed by Custer and Arlington. Sioux Falls also led the state with 447 H-1B professional visas issued in 2018. But staunch partisanship in Congress and a strong stance against illegal immigration by the Trump Administration have hampered efforts to reform, strengthen and streamline guest worker programs. Uncertainty over getting workers, delays in when promised workers arrive and logistical issues have reduced the effectiveness of some guest worker programs. A resort owner in the Black Hills couldnt open her business on schedule and is turning away reservations. One South Dakota dairy operator is unable to get guest workers to keep his operation running efficiently year-round. Members of the South Dakota congressional delegation are working to cut through the partisanship, educate colleagues on the need for guest workers, and improve the logistics and stability of the programs. But several recent reform efforts have been stymied by congressional gridlock and a reluctance by the Trump Administration to prioritize improvement of legal immigration programs that aid states like South Dakota. Its been several years in a row that weve had this challenge, Sen. Mike Rounds said. Wed sure like to get it back to where it was a stable program and one in which people recognized the need for it and understood that this is a legal visa system that actually works and that it is not part of the illegal immigration problem. Losing money In a typical April, Dani Banks would already be making money by providing housing to the tourists who visit Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. Banks operates the Holy Smoke Resort, a seasonal Keystone business with 26 full-service cabins and 21 sites for recreational vehicles that is usually open from April to October. Due to delays in getting workers under the H-2B visa program, Banks has been unable to open the resort. Well get open almost a month late this year, she said. Im not open because I cant get my cabins ready to go with just me and one employee. For nearly two decades, Banks has used the H-2B visa program to hire up to five housekeepers from Mexico who live in RVs on her property and keep her cabins clean and ready to rent. This year, if they come, they will be paid $10.55 an hour, a wage set by the government. Banks has had success with the H-B2 program, but in recent years she has been anxious due to uncertainty over if and when she will get guest workers. The situation worsened a couple years ago when Congress changed the rules regarding returning workers, making it more difficult to bring back a honest, steady crew of housekeepers. Those employees are critical and we cant run our businesses like this every year, Banks said. You just cant do it. Like other South Dakota employers who use guest worker programs, Banks needs foreign workers because locals arent interested in the jobs she has open each summer. In order to qualify to get guest workers, Banks spends about $2,500 per employee before they begin work to pay for visa and broker fees, travel costs and to advertise for open jobs in a local newspaper and online. In 16 years of advertising locally for housekeepers, Banks said only two people have applied. One didnt show up for the interview and the other was arrested on drug charges during the hiring process. With uncertainty hovering over the H-2B program and the lottery-based system of connecting employers with workers, Banks expects it will only get tougher to run her business at a profit. Its been really awful, and this is no way to run a business, she said. At one point, we stopped taking reservations for the summer last year, and pretty doggone quick, were going to have to close off units this year. Temporary, non-immigrant guest worker programs run by the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of State provided about 4,400 workers to South Dakota employers in 2018, according to federal data. The J-1, Exchange Visitor Program brought 1,517 temporary workers to the state in 2018. That year, 1,414 workers came on H-2B temporary non-agricultural visas, 863 arrived on H-2A temporary agricultural visas, 599 on H-1B temporary professional visas and 61 on permanent visas. In 2018, the top five industries seeking workers under the H-2B visa program were for construction laborers, cement masons and concrete finishers, maids and housekeepers, landscape workers and food preparation employees. The top five applications for H-2A agricultural visas in 2018 were for equipment operators, construction of livestock buildings, grain workers, beekeeping and livestock handling. Agricultural needs Tom Peterson, director of the South Dakota Dairy Producers, said some agricultural industries that run at full speed all year long are unable to benefit fully from guest worker programs that place a time limit on the visas. While some dairy operators participate in the H-2A visa program, it doesnt provide them with as much help as it could, Peterson said. Its the only avenue, so some must utilize it, but in terms of securing a labor force, its really a challenge for them, Peterson said. The biggest challenge now is establishing continuity and having a workforce you can count on and know that its going to be there long term. Peterson said the intensity and partisanship in the ongoing immigration debate in Congress and the U.S. as a whole has hampered efforts to incorporate meaningful reform of guest worker programs that could aid South Dakota producers. Peterson pointed to the omnibus immigration reform bill put forth in early 2018 by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia that would have expanded the guest worker visa program for the dairy and the meatpacking industries. The bill sought solutions for many hot-button immigration issues, including providing amnesty for some children of immigrants born in the U.S., expanding security at the border, and cracking down on sanctuary cities. But the compromise bill fizzled, and the expanded guest worker program for dairies went down with it. Republican U.S. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota introduced a measure earlier this year to grant 2,500 more H-2B visas to states with unemployment rates of 3.5% or lower. This is a time-sensitive matter for employers in South Dakota to ensure they can secure temporary, supplemental workers to help with their operations, Thune said in an email to News Watch. Without the extra labor, businesses cant run at full capacity, and some may face challenges opening at all. So far, Thunes bill has not been acted upon. Progress has also stalled on a congressional effort to grant H-2B visas to 30,000 more guest workers this fiscal year. More than 90,000 employers applied to get more workers under that proposal, but the effort has stalled due to delays created by the recent resignation of former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Rounds said. The Department of Homeland Security plays a critical role in vetting potential visa holders and in administering the visa program. In his email to News Watch, Sen. Thune said he is seeking a long-term legislative solution to fix problems with the H-2 visa programs and to remove some authority from the homeland security agency. Rounds said fixing any problems in the guest worker programs has been slowed by the Trump Administration, which he said has not put a priority on dealing with visa and legal immigration programs. This could work a lot smoother than what it does, but it will require the administration to do that in a more timely basis, Rounds said. And while we authorize it, we cant make them do it, we can direct them to do it, but they still have to actually execute it, and if its not a priority for them, it makes it more difficult to get it done on time. Lynn Boadwine is a dairy farmer from Baltic who often struggles to find enough qualified workers. Over the years, Boadwine said he has had success with the H-2A guest worker visa program and the use of immigrant labor in general. Boadwine has about 3,200 milking cows in two separate operations and runs a farm. The H-2A program helps Boadwine get workers for his seasonal go time on the farm, a stretch in the summer where he needs help pumping manure, harvesting alfalfa, managing his hay fields and cleaning hundreds of fans that keep his cows cool. Boadwine is anticipating the arrival of seven to 10 H-2A guest workers in May who will make about $14 an hour and be allowed to stay until December. Boadwine advertises locally for open positions at the dairy but doesnt have much success. Theres not a lot of U.S.-based employees that want to milk cows for a living, he said. In our dairies, we milk 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its hard work, its rapid paced, and when we put out an advertisement, we dont have a lot of people that are interested in doing that kind of work. But current immigration rules prevent him from obtaining guest workers for his dairy operations because existing visa programs do not allow for stays beyond one year. Of the roughly 134,400 H-2A visas granted in 2016, the average stay in the U.S. was for seven months. Challenges for Keystone The potential for a prosperous high season has dimmed for some employers in Keystone, the small town at the foothills of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which drew about 2.3 million visitors in 2017. Ive heard a lot of fear and concern over not being able to staff for the summer because of problems with the visa programs, said Richard Greene, president of the Keystone Chamber of Commerce and manager of the Rushmore Express hotel. We have 500 or more jobs open and we have a town of only 325 people, so a lot of the businesses really rely on bringing in that summer help. Greene said H-2B workers also cant stay long enough to get him through the spring and fall tourism shoulder seasons. A lack of stability in the H-2B program. Greene said, puts a burden on employers, the locals who work for them, and on customers. During the summer high season, occupancy at the 84-room hotel a half-mile from Mount Rushmore can reach 95 percent. If you dont get the workers, you end up working extra hard and sometimes you dont get to do what you want, he said. Just around the corner in Keystone, David Holmgren has found great success with the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program run by the State Department that brings college students to the United States to work and travel. In partnership with Jesus Roman, Holmgren owns and operates a Subway restaurant in Hill City and a Subway, Dairy Queen and the Holy Terror Coffee & Fudge shop in Keystone. Holmgren has only two full-time employees, so he relies extensively on the J-1 non-immigrant Work & Travel program to provide him with employees during the high season. This year, Holmgren is hosting about 35 student workers under the program, and he promotes their presence on video screens in his restaurants that show a photo and give some background on the guest workers. About 265 of the J-1 participants will work in Keystone this summer, he said. There is no simple answer to this complex issue of seasonal employment, but its very clear if we lose support of this resource in South Dakota, we will see small service retail and industry fail, Holmgren said. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Speeding and running the stop signs at Mountain View Road and Arrow Street have been a problem for 25 years since I've lived in this neighborhood, even though this has been reported not just by me, but several neighbors. Now a car was speeding down the street and ran through a house, and fortunately no one was hurt in the house but what is it gonna take to solve this ongoing problem? And by the way, a warning ticket isn't working. I heard Senator Thune very concerned about the national debt five years ago when he appeared in Spearfish. The National debt has grown dramatically under the current leadership. What is the difference now?? If you do not think China with its government-backed companies are taking unfair advantage of world economies and are working to dominate all that gives us our freedom, then you are naive. Thankfully, President Trump is a businessman with the skills to fight for our best interests and not a clueless politician who is owned by foreign lobbyists. If we do not address the China tariff issue now, when will we? You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Editor's note: Helping Hands is a weekly series profiling nonprofits in western South Dakota. About 14,000 children in Western South Dakota need mentors to help them navigate the challenges of life. One way to boost youth development is to enroll them in programs that help them learn and grow. Youth and Family Services has been serving children and their families since 1965. They have grown to become one of the largest, most comprehensive youth development programs in western South Dakota, providing services to children of all age groups in the community. YFS has nine different programs designed to meet the needs of children and families in the area, including Child Development Center, Counseling Center, Girls Inc., Fatherhood First, Nutrition Services, Rapid City Head Start, Rural Head Start, Stronger Family Program and Western Prevention Resource Center. We want to have a center where those kids can come together and have lots of strong mentors to help them. The more trusted adults that are involved in the child's life, the more likely they are to be successful, said Connie Olsen, development director. YFS is currently working on an expansion project that will provide even more resources for children. These resources will fill in gaps of services or provide for ones that had long waiting lists. The hope is to have the expansion finished by February 2020. The expansion will provide care for infants and toddlers and programs for middle school-aged children involved in high-risk behavior. The most significant time in a child's life as far as brain development is those first three years. The second most significant time is as they are entering early adolescence or middle school age. So, we're really focusing on those two areas because that's when the most significant brain development is happening and where we think we will be able to help keep kids on the right trajectory toward being successful, Olsen said. Currently, they are about $2 million away from their goal. The expansion will allow them to have a longer lasting impact on the youth in the community, to better address and work on relationship building, and provide more outdoor space for children to play. Community efforts are much needed for helping out the communitys youth. Since many of the programs are supported by donations, financial support makes a huge difference. Volunteers are also needed to help. Olsen said that the support they receive from the community is what keeps the doors open. We have some programs like Head Start that are federally funded, but that funding is fairly stable. There are other programs like our Girls Inc. program where girls pay a membership fee, but that doesn't begin to cover that cost. We also need donations for things that we use in our programs such as school supplies, office supplies, things that we would have to purchase with program money to operate, she said. For more information, or to help, call 605-342-4195, or visit youthandfamilyservices.org. This story has been updated to correct a quote from YFS CEO Susan Fedell. She said, We have some programs like Head Start that are federally funded, that funding is fairly stable." You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Trump antithesis of leadership After reading a few recent letters to the editor supporting Trump, I can no longer hold my tongue. To deter any assumptions, I must preface this letter by stating I am not a Democrat; I repeat, not a Democrat. I was a lifelong Republican until the GOP lost its collective mind and nominated Trump to be their candidate. I have since been registered as independent. As a well-educated person with a masters degree in leadership, I can tell you Trump is not a leader. In fact, he is the antithesis of leadership. Leaders dont mock others as Trump does regularly. Leaders dont divide a country as Trump has. Leaders dont lie as Trump does on a daily basis. Leaders dont hide behind lawyers and fire people for having differing opinions. A true leader knows how to unite people. A true leader knows how to accept responsibility for their actions. And, a true leader leads by example. It should concern us all Russia played a role in our election process (read the Mueller report). Treason. Trump has no respect for the rule of law nor our Constitution. He is shockingly ignorant, grossly incompetent, and wholly-unqualified for the office he holds. Howard Scow Sturgis Predator trapping plan wrong What in the world is going on in South Dakota? Gov. Kristi Noem decided to kill small predators of nesting birds for the purpose of increasing the number of pheasants that can be killed in the fall. From articles in the Rapid City Journal and the Dakota Free Press, it even seems that she implemented the program using an underhanded if not illegal process. The South Dakota GFP website reports that declines of pheasant since peak levels are due to habitat loss. Killing fox, badger, raccoon, skunk and opossums while they are having their babies will not increase habitat. Decorating this kill off with the idea that it is a good opportunity to get kids outside is pretty cynical thinking. Do we chop off the tails for $10 before or after we read our children a story about baby animals in the spring? Is this before or after we read a scripture that commands us to be good stewards of all of Gods creation? This is a greedy, thoughtless and cruel plan. Perhaps real sportsmen and women will decide to boycott pheasant hunting in South Dakota. Call your representatives and get this stopped. Candace Forrette Billings, Montana You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Stevensville residents will have an opportunity to meet the candidates that the Stevensville Town Council is considering to fill a vacancy on the Town Council left by Jerry Phillips tonight, Monday, May 13. Jerry Phillips resigned from the Stevensville Town Council on April 18th. In his resignation letter, Phillips stated he had been threatened by community members and could no longer serve in the position. Since then, the vacancy has been advertised and two candidates have submitted applications for the position that will expire December 31, 2019. The applicants are Jim Crews and Dempsey Vick. Crews served on Stevensvilles Town Council from 2014 until he was appointed as Mayor in 2016 to fill the vacancy left by Paul Ludington. Crews then served as Mayor of Stevensville until he lost election to current Mayor Brandon Dewey. Vick currently serves as an EMT with the Stevensville Fire Department. He is a trustee of the Stevensville Firefighters Relief Association and is completing a degree in resource conservation. Vick also states on his application that he has formal training from the University of Montana understanding business management, collaboration and conflict resolution. The Town of Stevensville will host a meet and greet event at Town Hall on Monday, May 13th at 6:30pm to give citizens a chance to ask questions and meet the candidates for the position prior to the Town Council making its selection for appointment. While this type of event hasnt been organized by the Town in the past, Dewey said: Its certainly our goal, as an administration, to facilitate a transparent and interactive government. We want citizens to have the opportunity to engage with their representatives and have an influence in the decision that will choose their representative. Immediately following Mondays meet and greet, the Town Council will hold a special meeting to decide if both applicants will be interviewed. This is a decision that the Council needs to make, Dewey said. Logically both candidates will be interviewed, but thats a formal decision that only the Town Council can make. Interviews of the position are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14th. The Town Council will meet again on Thursday to appoint a candidate to fill the un-expired term. Love 1 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Navigant Consulting, Inc. provides professional services worldwide. It operates through three segments: Healthcare, Energy, and Financial Services Advisory and Compliance. The Healthcare segment offers consulting and business process management services to healthcare providers, payers, and life sciences companies. This segment helps clients respond to market legislative changes, such as the shift to an outcome and value-based reimbursements model, ongoing industry consolidation and reorganization, Medicaid expansion, the implementation of a electronic health records system, and product planning and commercialization expertise. The Energy segment provides life-cycle solutions that help clients businesses in changing energy environment, manage complexity, accelerate operational performance, and meet compliance requirements, as well as transform its organizations and systems; and various benchmarking, and data and market research services. This segment serves utility and energy companies, government and nongovernmental organizations, large corporations, product manufacturers, and investors. The Financial Services Advisory and Compliance segment provides strategic, operational, valuation, risk management, investigative, and compliance advisory services to financial services industry, including financial and insurance institutions. This segment also offers anti-corruption solutions and anti-money laundering consulting, litigation support, and tax compliance services. Navigant Consulting, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Read More No one can defeat Pakistan as courageous women are present in this country: Qamar Bajwa Javed Bajwa, on Sunday, paid accolades to the sacrifices rendered by mothers of martyrs. He said that no one could defeat Pakistan until such courageous women were present in this country. The army chief also acknowledged the mothers of Pakistan for the countrys progress. Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor also took to Twitter to express his sentiments, Salute to brave mothers of our brave martyrs. He added, Mother is not just a physical entity. If so, their departure to heaven wouldve been an end to the relationship, Maj Ghafoor wrote. 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 The Bank of East Asia, Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking and related financial services. Its personal banking services include corporate, individual, savings, current, time deposit, and supreme accounts; and fixed and call deposits, foreign currency deposits, MAS services, and auto-payroll products, as well as safe deposit boxes and remittance services. The company also provides corporate banking services, such as SME loans and financing guarantee schemes; corporate and commercial financing products, including syndicated and construction loans, acquisition and structured financing, working capital financing, share financing and IPO-related loans, and commercial mortgages; trade finance services and expert trade solutions; factoring services; import trade finance; guarantee services; eTradeConnect that allows buyers and sellers to connect, transact, share information, and submit applications for financing through a single platform; cash management services; corporate wealth management products; foreign exchange and treasury products; trade settlement and financing services; onshore and offshore loans; and marine cargo, property, trade credit, employee compensation, pet, medical, life, savings, and endowment insurance plans. In addition, it provides private banking services comprises investment advisory services; investment solutions, such as unit trusts, linked deposits, currency trading and management, global equities and bonds investments, structured products, and options and derivatives; portfolio management services; securities and futures broking services; cyber banking, credit cards, and ATM; and various international services. The company operates approximately 170 outlets in Hong Kong, Mainland China, other Asian countries and regions, and internationally. The Bank of East Asia, Limited was incorporated in 1918 and is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong. Read More 1+ days ago What Should You Invest in During the New Year? Investing Strategies for 2022 Going into the new year, you may wonder what you should invest in: artificial intelligence, cyclical stocks, health care? A combination of these or something else entirely? It's a great question. Read Article Intro Greetings! I am a political scientist , specializing in International Relations , my research and teaching focus on ethnic conflict and civil-military relations . I watch way too much TV, and I like movies as well so I tend to write about both and find IR stuff in pop culture. I rant alot about American politics and sometimes about Canadian politics. I like to take ideas I once learned a long time ago and apply them to whatever strikes my fancy. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. " " The smell we associate with freshly cut grass is actually a chemical distress call. What if we could hear it? Michael Blann/iStock/Thinkstock Few moments evoke a sense of summer like catching a whiff of freshly cut grass. For many people, it's a pleasant sign that warmer temperatures are here to stay. For the grass, however, this scent signals an entirely different story. The smell we associate with freshly cut grass is actually a chemical distress call, one used by plants to beg nearby critters to save them from attack (usually it's an affront by insects, but in this case, it's lawnmower blades). After all, when danger strikes -- whether it's landscaping equipment or a hungry caterpillar -- plants can't lift their roots and run. They must fight where they stand. Advertisement To protect themselves, plants employ a volley of molecular responses. These chemical communications can be used to poison an enemy, alert surrounding plants to potential dangers or attract helpful insects to perform needed services [source: Krulwich]. Sometimes, a plant's molecular defense plays double-duty. For example, plants that produce caffeine use the chemical as self-defense, but it also gives bees a caffeine buzz. The caffeinated bees treat the plant like it's the corner coffee shop, returning again and again and leaving their pollination services as payment. Clearly, plants can communicate. But does that mean they can feel pain? It's a troubling scenario for salad lovers squeamish at the thought of eating foods with feelings, and for them the answer may not be that appetizing. According to researchers at the Institute for Applied Physics at the University of Bonn in Germany, plants release gases that are the equivalent of crying out in pain. Using a laser-powered microphone, researchers have picked up sound waves produced by plants releasing gases when cut or injured. Although not audible to the human ear, the secret voices of plants have revealed that cucumbers scream when they are sick, and flowers whine when their leaves are cut [source: Deutsche Welle]. There's also evidence that plants can hear themselves being eaten. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia found that plants understand and respond to chewing sounds made by caterpillars that are dining on them. As soon as the plants hear the noises, they respond with several defense mechanisms [source: Feinberg]. For some researchers, evidence of these complex communication systems -- emitting noises via gas when in distress -- signals that plants feel pain. Others argue that there cannot be pain without a brain to register the feeling. Still more scientists surmise that plants can exhibit intelligent behavior without possessing a brain or conscious awareness [source: Pollan]. As they grow, plants can alter their trajectories to avoid obstacles or reach for support with their tendrils. This activity stems from a complex biological network distributed through the plants' roots, leaves and stems. This network helps plants propagate, grow and survive. Trees in a forest, for instance, can warn their relatives of insect attacks. One scientist injected fir trees with radioactive carbon isotopes and saw that within a few days the carbon had been sent from tree to tree until every tree in the 30-meter-square area was connected. The scientist learned that the mature trees "communicated" to the network to share nutrients through their root systems to feed nearby seedlings until they were tall enough to take in light for themselves [source: Pollan]. Advertisement Originally Published: Oct 3, 2014 SHC gave life imprisonment to Shahrukh Jatoi KARACHI: Shahrukh Jatoi and Siraj Talpur the two accused in the Shahzeb murder case were excused from capital punishment and given sentence for life imprisonment on Monday by the Sindh High Court. Life imprisonment was maintained for Sajjad Talpur and Ghulam Murtaza. The verdict came in the wake for review petitions filed by the accused. The counsel representing the State highlighted that Shahrukhs case cannot be tried under juvenile system. Shahrukhs lawyer further added that an agreement had been reached between the families of the accused and the victim. There was no longer anyone fighting against the accused as the victims father has passed away while his mother and sisters have moved abroad. Shortly after the verdict was announced, their names were placed on the ECL. After Jatoi gunned down 20-year-old son of a Deputy Superintendent of Police Aurangzeb Khan, in Karachis Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area on the night of December 24, 2012, he was arrested together with two prime suspects after a SC verdict. Split Sixth Circuit panel finds statutory max sentence substantively unreasonable(!) for felon-in-possession with long criminal history | Main | No new grants, but lots of notable chatter on criminal cases in latest SCOTUS order list May 12, 2019 "Next Steps in Federal Corrections Reform: Implementing and Building on the First Step Act" The title of this post is the title of this terrific new Urban Institute issue brief authored by Julie Samuels, Nancy La Vigne and Chelsea Thomson. This webpage provides this abstract: Advocates and legislators across the political spectrum celebrated the passage of the First Step Act in December of 2018, the first large federal prison reform bill in nearly a decade. This research brief reviews key measures in First Step, describes the actions and oversight needed for faithful and vigorous implementation of the act, and highlights some of the laws limitations. Working from the original set of recommendations made by the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections, we then describe additional measures that represent the next logical and evidence-based steps in federal corrections reform. These steps include expanding eligibility for earned time credits, making all sentencing provisions retroactive, further reducing mandatory minimum penalties, and creating a second look provision for people serving extremely long sentences to petition the court for sentence reductions. May 12, 2019 at 11:30 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment "Next Steps in Federal Corrections Reform: Implementing and Building on the First Step Act" | Main | Is the latest SCOTUS sparring in capital cases only likely to get worse and worse? May 13, 2019 No new grants, but lots of notable chatter on criminal cases in latest SCOTUS order list It seems like a while since the Supreme Court has granted certiorari in an interesting criminal case, but today's SCOTUS order list has intrigue in the form of four interesting opinions regarding other dispositions in criminal cases. The opinion that will likely garner the most attention is the lengthy one by Justice Thomas, joined by Justices Alito and Gorsuch, in a capital case from Alabama, Price v. Dunn. That opinion gets started this way: I concur in the denial of certiorari. I write separately to set the record straight regarding the Courts earlier orders vacating the stays of execution entered by the District Court and the Court of Appeals in this case. See Dunn v. Price, 587 U. S. ___ (2019). In a late-night dissenting opinion accompanying one of those orders, JUSTICE BREYER asserted that petitioners death sentence was being carried out in an arbitrary way and that Members of this Court deviated from basic principles of fairness. Id., at ___, ___ (slip op., at 1, 7). There is nothing of substance to these assertions. An accurate recounting of the circumstances leading to the now-delayed execution makes clear that petitioners execution was set to proceed in a procedurally unremarkable and constitutionally acceptable manner. For First Amendment fans concerned about speech rights in prison, the next opinion on the order list may be event more interesting. This one comes in Dahne v. Richey, and involves a dissent from the denial of cert authored by Justice Alito and is joined by Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh. Here is the start and end of the opinion: Does the First Amendment require a prison to entertain a prisoner grievance that contains veiled threats to kill or injure a guard? Or may the prison insist that the prisoner rewrite the grievance to eliminate any threatening language? In this case, respondent Thomas Richey, an inmate currently serving a sentence for murder in Washington state prison, submitted a written prison grievance complaining that a guard had improperly denied him shower privileges. His grievance not only insulted the guard, referring to her as a fat Hispanic, but contained language that may reasonably be construed as a threat..... In the decision below, the Ninth Circuit doubled down on its earlier ruling, holding that prisoners have a clearly established constitutional right to use disrespectful language in prison grievances and that Richey was entitled to summary judgment on his First Amendment claim. We have made it clear that prisoners do not retain all of the free speech rights enjoyed by persons who are not incarcerated. See, e.g., Shaw v. Murphy, 532 U. S. 223, 229 (2001). Prisons are dangerous places. To maintain order, prison authorities may insist on compliance with rules that would not be permitted in the outside world. See Turner v. Safley, 482 U. S. 78, 8991 (1987). Even if a prison must accept grievances containing personal insults of guards, a proposition that is not self-evident, does it follow that prisons must tolerate veiled threats? I doubt it, but if the Court is uncertain, we should grant review in this case. Perhaps there is more here than is apparent on the submissions before us, but based on those submissions, the decision of the Ninth Circuit defies both our precedents and common sense. In addition, we get an opinion in an ACCA case, Myers v. US, a case which is GVRed back to the Eighth Circuit but which prompts a short statement from the Chief Justice in dissent joined by Justices Thomas, Alito, and Kavanaugh. That opinion starts this way: I dissent from the Courts decision to grant the petition, vacate the judgment, and remand the case. Nothing has changed since the Eighth Circuit held that Myerss conviction for first-degree terroristic threatening qualifies as a violent felony under the Armed Career Criminal Act, 18 U. S. C. 924(e). The Government continues to believe that classification is correct, for the same reasons that it gave to the Eighth Circuit. But the Solicitor General asks us to send the case back, and this Court obliges, because he believes the Eighth Circuit made some mistakes in its legal analysis, even if it ultimately reached the right result. He wants the hard-working judges of the Eighth Circuit to take a fresh look at the case, so that they may consider the substantial body of Arkansas case law supporting the conclusion that the statutes death-or-serious injury language sets forth an element of the crime, and then re-enter the same judgment the Court vacates today. Brief for United States 9, 11. I see no basis for this disposition in these circumstances. Finally (and not noticed by me when I did this post too quickly while on the move this morning), Justice Sotomayor has a two paragraph dissent from the denial of certiorari in Abdur-Rahman v. Parker at the very end of the order list. (Thanks to the helpful reader who made sure I caught this.) Here is this opinion's closing paragraph: The Court has recently reaffirmed (and extended) the alternative-method requirement. See Bucklew v. Precythe, 587 U.S. ___, ______ (2019) (slip op., at 1420). And today, the Court again ignores the further injustice of state secrecy laws denying death-row prisoners access to potentially crucial information for meeting that requirement. Because I continue to believe that the alternativemethod requirement is fundamentally wrong and particularly so when compounded by secrecy laws like Tennessees I dissent. The substance of each of these opinions could merit additional commentary (and readers are urged to use the comments to do so). But I find especially interesting which of the conservative justices are NOT among those supporting each of the opinions authored by other conservative Justices. In the big capital case, it is the Chief and Justice Kavanaugh not signing on with Justice Thomas; the the First Amendment prisoner case, it is the Chief and Justice Gorsuch not signing on with Justice Alito; in the ACCA case, it is only Justice Gorsuch not signing on with the Chief Justice. Hmmm. May 13, 2019 at 09:59 AM | Permalink Comments Post a comment (Adds statement from Singapore central bank) BEIJING, May 13 (Reuters) - China and Singapore have renewed a bilateral currency swap agreement worth 300 billion yuan ($43.98 billion) for three years, the central banks of the two countries said on Monday. Under the arrangement, the People's Bank of China and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) can access foreign currency liquidity to support trade and investment financing needs, including projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, and to stabilise financial markets, the MAS said. The agreement could be extended again, China's central bank said, without giving further details. The original arrangement between the two central banks was established in 2010. It was renewed in 2013 and 2016. ($1 = 6.8217 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by China monitoring desk, Kevin Yao and Aradhana Aravindan in SINGAPORE; Editing by Sam Holmes) IKEA perseveres in attempts to collect $1.2 mln from ex-presidential candidate Grudinin RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 11:53 13/05/2019 MOSCOW, May 13 (RAPSI) - IKEA's Russian division IKEA Mos has appealed against a courts refusal to recover 79.5 million rubles ($1.2 million) from ex-presidential candidate Pavel Grudinin's TT Development company, according to court records. The Commercial Court of Moscow Region dismissed the IKEA Mos claim on April 25. IKEA Mos is seeking from TT Development about 79.5 million rubles ($1.2 million) in penalties for the alleged breach of its obligations in connection with a land sale deal that was entered into on December 30, 2015. TT Development guaranteed that there were no obstacles to the deal that was invalidated by Commercial Court of Moscow Region in March 2018, claims IKEA Mos. The multi-million-ruble deal was unfavourable for the farm shareholders, and Grudinin acknowledged that he had no right to conclude it, the court ruled. Representatives of TT Development blame IKEA Mos for excessive use of right saying that the company does not possess the disputed land anymore. Once again, the quarterly earnings season is in full swing. As companies release their results, analysts are on the streets are also busying themselves with revising their estimates. For better or worse, it has become more prevalent that companies are increasingly being judged by stacking their quarterly results against the consensus estimates. The ability to exceed expectations is usually rewarded with a jump in share price. Conversely, if a company falls short of expectations, analysts would downgrade the stock to reflect the lowered new estimate. This growing focus on quarterly earnings has often than not led to over-reaction in stock valuations and hence heightening investors susceptibility to fear and the herd mentality. The temporal blip in the business nonetheless creates a distortion between the share price and its long-term intrinsic value. After all, is hitting quarterly targets more important than a companys ability to increase shareholder value long term? For long-term investors though, quarterly misses can be wonderful buying opportunities for quality companies. With that said, in this issue, we look to three quality stocks with great long-term intrinsic value despite having an unimpressive quarter. CapitaLand Capitaland The largest developer listed on the Singapore Exchange, CapitaLand posted a dismay quarter that missed the streets expectations in 1Q19. Revenue plunged 23.8 percent to $1 billion due mainly to lower contributions from its residential projects in Singapore and China, partially offset by higher handover of residential units in Vietnam and higher rental revenue from the portfolio of properties in the US and Europe acquired in 2018. Bottom line-wise, CapitaLand reported net profit of $295.6 million, a fall of 7.4 percent. After adjusting for divestment gains and losses, revaluations and impairments, operating net profit actually fell by a cringy 20.5 percent to $181.9 million. That said, CapitaLand could be looking at a backend-loaded year. As management has cited, in 1Q19, CapitaLand only handed over 328 residential units in China with a total value of Rmb1.2 billion. However, new sales were up 22 percent to 1,218 units with sales value rising even more by 53 percent to Rmb2.6 billion. Take-up rates were going strong, with 91 percent of the Groups launched units in China already sold. In addition, there are still over 5,000 units to be launched in China for the remainder of FY19. If that is not enough, 60 percent of Rmb17.2 billion for some 7,800 units previously sold, are expected to be recognised from 2Q19 to 4Q19. Story continues China aside, Vietnam, another of CapitaLands core growth market, continues to be supported by strong fundamentals of a young and growing middle class. As of 1Q19, 98 percent of launched units in Vietnam have already been sold. In a similar fashion, the Group expects to recognise 31 percent of the $732 million in total sales value for the 2,371 sold units already sold in the remainder of the FY19. Lastly, the opening of Jewel Changi Airport (jointly developed with Changi Airport Group) is a timely reminder of the kind of quality CapitaLand delivers. The new retail podium, with a committed occupancy of 98 percent as of 1Q19, has attracted an average 400,000 shopper traffic per day in the opening week. With a revamped Funan mall slated to be opened in 2Q19, we can further expect a boost in rental income going forward. Overall, we find it rather undemanding for the stock to trade at 0.78 times its book value at the current share price of $3.51, considering that Jewel Changi Airport and the revamped Funan Mall could see some upsized revaluation gains in the future. Raffles Medical Group Raffles Medical In the latest 1Q19, the homegrown Raffles Medical Group (RMG) generated revenue of $128.3 million and net profit of $13.6 million. This represented an increase of 6.7 percent in the top line and a decline of 13.7 percent for the bottom line. This was the first quarter where Raffles Hospital Chongqing, opened on 2 January 2019, made its maiden contribution. Performance was mainly impacted by start-up costs relating to RMGs first hospital in China, as management quipped that the approximately $2 million loss attributable to Raffles Hospital Chongqing was well within expectations. Excluding the start-up loss, net profit would have grown by 2.1 percent while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) would have been 9.3 percent higher. Nonetheless, there are still bright spots to suggest that RMG is executing its growth strategy well. For a start, revenue growth was spurred by 8.9 percent growth in the healthcare services division and 3.2 percent growth in the hospital services division. These were brought about by the increase in premium from existing and new clients, the Groups Primary Care Network Scheme and higher utilisation of hospitals inpatient capacities. On Raffles Hospital Chongqing, the Group has seen some 500 patients in 1Q19 so far. Though not impressive for a three month period, we believe that ramp up will increase pace going forward. As management has explained, the first quarter which coincides with the Chinese New Year festive period is typically soft. Nonetheless, the Group is in the process of being appointed by international insurance companies and has since secured a number of corporate contracts. With its good brand name, scaling up would be a matter of time. Further in its pipeline, RMG is slated to add Raffles Hospital Shanghai to its China portfolio. Construction works on the next Chinese hospital remains on track and preparatory works for commissioning and operational phase have begun and is expected to be completed by 4Q19. In the local space, the extension of Raffles Hospital Singapore has been completed and the new block, Raffles Specialist Centre, was officially opened in March 2019. Currently trading at $1.02, RMG is changing hands at 27.4 times price-to-earnings and a hair breath away from its 5-year low of $0.98. Taking into account the future value of its long-term investments, the current valuation is not an expensive price to pay for RMG. China Aviation Oil China Aviation Oil For the latest 1Q19, China Aviation Oil (CAO) saw its revenue tumble 9.4 percent to US$3.7 billion while net profit slipped 2.1 percent to US$26.3 million. The underperformance in the quarter arose from a moderate 8.9 percent decrease in contributions from its largest associate, Shanghai Pudong International Airport Aviation Fuel Supply Company (Shanghai Pudong). In the period, the share of profits from Shanghai Pudong fell to US$17.2 million, mainly due to the lower average oil prices in 1Q19. Excluding results of associates, CAOs operating profit of US$8.3 million, actually represented growth of 11.1 percent despite a weaker top line. This further indicated the companys ability to navigate through challenges. Disregarding its 1Q19 results, CAO remains a great proxy to Chinas sky. As the jet fuel supplier to 17 international airports across Mainland China, CAO is expected to ride on the tremendous growth in Chinas air traffic. With only 120 million Chinese citizens (10 percent of its population) owning a passport, 30 million more passports are expected to be issued this year alone. Lastly, long-term investors would like CAO for its pristine balance sheet where CAO carries zero debt and US$379.2 million in cash. The stock, at the current share price of $1.29, is trading at book value and just 8.8 times its earnings. On top of the attractive valuation, a sustainable 3.5 percent yield definitely sweetens the deal. SINGAPORE (May 13): Sinarmas Land has reported 54.6% higher 1Q earnings of $43.3 million from $28 million in 1Q18, which came on the back higher revenue and margins as well as lower expenses. Revenue for the quarter grew 6.9% y-o-y to $199.9 million from $187 million on the back of higher sales of commercial land plots, as well as growth in sales of residential units in BSD City, Indonesia. This, along with a higher overall gross profit margin of 73.7% compared to 69.5% a year ago, has helped to boost 1Q19 gross profit to $147.4 million from $130 million a year ago. Selling expenses, on the other hand, decreased 12.2% to $19.9 million from $22.7 million due to lower promotion and marketing expenses incurred. General and administrative expenses also fell 11.8% to $32.9 million from $37.3 million previously due to lower depreciation and amortisation expense, as well as lower salaries and related expenses. As such, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew 30.3% to $133.4 million over the quarter, while EBITDA margin rose 12 ppt to 66.7% from 54.7% in 1Q18. Over the quarter, Sinarmas Land also recorded a share of profit in joint ventures of $6 million as opposed to a $3 million loss a year ago, mainly due to higher sales of residential units in certain joint ventures in Indonesia. Other operating income rose 52.9% to $11.1 million mainly due to higher estate management fees and fair value gains on financial assets. As at end-March, cash and cash equivalents stood at $1.06 billion, up from $984.1 million in the previous year. Looking ahead, Margaretha Widjaja, executive director and vice chairman of Sinarmas Lands SML Indonesia Division, says the Indonesia property division remains cautious for the rest of the year amidst ongoing economic challenges and trade war tensions between China and the US. She nonetheless expects the groups listed subsidiary, PT Puradelta Lestari Tbk, to help cushion expected weakness in other segments of the property market. For our International property division, we continued to expand our presence in China, having invested in a 30% stake in a residential development project in Taicang city, located about 50km north-west of Shanghai Hongqiao airport, she adds. Shares in Sinarmas Land closed 1.92% lower at 26 cents on Monday. The medical cannabis market in Asia could exceed US$5.8 billion by 2024 if it is legalised across the region, but further legalisation is not likely in China and Hong Kong in the near future, according to a new research report. While attitudes are changing in Europe and the United States, Asian countries remain quite conservative when it comes to the use of marijuana, with China, Japan and South Korea all warning citizens not to indulge when they travel to countries where it is legal, according to Prohibition Partners, a research firm focused on the cannabis industry. Despite conservative attitudes in Asia, Prohibition Partners said momentum among consumers and businesses for legalisation of marijuana for medical use is reaching critical mass globally and consumption of medical cannabis in Asia is likely to increase faster than in other early-adopter regions. In our view, while Asian investors and start-ups continue to keep an eye on legal developments in Europe and North America, western-based cannabis companies are getting ready to explore new opportunities in the Asian market, the research firm said. Attitudes about the use of marijuana for treatment of cancer, epilepsy and other ailments have been changing in recent years in the West, where medicinal cannabis is now legal in 33 American states and a number of European countries, including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The World Health Organisation recommended in January that cannabis be removed from the most restrictive schedule of a 1961 treaty designed to combat drug abuse internationally. Bank of America Merrill Lynch even began research coverage of several firms in the cannabis industry in April. However, the International Narcotics Control Board, an independent, quasi-judicial expert body that helps implement United Nations drug rules, said in March weak regulation of medical cannabis could potentially have adverse effects on public health and may increase non-medical cannabis use among adults. Story continues They may also contribute to the legalisation of non-medical cannabis use by weakening public perceptions of the risks of using cannabis and reducing public concern about so-called recreational cannabis use, particularly among young people, the board said. In its report, Prohibition Partners noted that cannabis was largely legal and used in traditional medicines throughout Asia until the 1930s and attitudes now appear to be changing in the region, with Thailand legalising medical cannabis and Singapore considering changing its laws. If legalised across Asia, China and Japan would potentially be the biggest markets in terms of value, accounting for an estimated 75 per cent share in 2024, according to Prohibition Partners. That could quadruple by 2027, the research firm said. Cultivating and consuming marijuana in China remains illegal, but the country has become the worlds largest producer of industrial hemp for uses such as clothing and rope. China produced US$1.1 billion of hemp in 2017, according to Prohibition Partners. Current legislation in China makes no distinction between medical and recreational cannabis, Prohibition Partners said. There is currently no indication that this is likely to change, despite positive developments elsewhere in the region. However, as Chinese companies begin to explore business opportunities in the medical cannabis sector for investment purposes, there may be increased support for a review of the current legislation. Prohibition said China is not likely to fully legalise cannabis in the next five to 10 years. In Hong Kong, the manufacture of cannabis or other drugs is deemed the most serious of all offences and trafficking carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to Prohibition Partners. Hong Kong and Macau are likely to keep step with developments in neighbouring China, the research firm said. However, we predict that given its high level of western exposure, Hong Kong is likely to act as a testing ground for the legalisation and regulation of cannabis. More from South China Morning Post: This article Asias medical cannabis market could eclipse US$5.8 billion by 2024, report says first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. Boeing plane abandoned in Hong Kong by bankrupt Russian airline up for sale for US$795,000 but is it worth it? An old Boeing plane abandoned in Hong Kong four years ago by a bankrupt Russian carrier is now available to any buyer willing to stump up US$795,000 (HK$6.2 million). The Airport Authority Hong Kong has sought submissions from parties to purchase and remove the 27-year-old Boeing 767. In its tender invitation, the authority stated that the plane had no maintenance records and was not in good condition. It added that the successful bidder was required to remove the aircraft within three months, whether as a whole or in parts. In October 2015, Russias one-time biggest private airline Transaero collapsed under a mountain of debt. That year, flight UN965 took off from Domodedovo Moscow Airport for Hong Kong, arriving on October 26, a day after the airlines operating licence was revoked. It was Transaeros last flight, leaving the 767 plane stranded ever since. In December 2015, the Airport Authority detained the plane over the non-payment of parking fees. In July 2016, the operator sought to claw back money by using the Airport Authority Ordinance for the first time. However, the authority has since obtained a court order to sell the plane on an as-is basis, according to the tender. With no maintenance records and a low likelihood of ever flying again without millions being spent on repair works on top of tracing original documents the plane is destined for the scrapyard, according to aircraft leasing experts. Having previously reviewed Boeing 767 aircraft and worked on the ones that came out of the Transaero bankruptcy in mainland China, David Yu, the only independent International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading appraiser in China, said the reserve price for the plane set by the authority seemed to be above its scrap value. He said the sale would be a difficult one without any documentation of the plane, parts or its current state. Story continues Even though its an old aircraft past the normal 25-year assumed lifespan, no records is what will kill it. It would take a lot of additional capital to make it flyable again, including reconstructing records and other maintenance, Yu said. Peter Huijbers, a former aircraft leasing executive who runs PH Aviation Asia, which advises on leasing, financing, investment and procurement, said the planes future would come down to the value of its spare parts or viability as a cargo craft. He added that both options came with major hurdles. The requested deposit would, in my view, only be sensible if the engines can be brought back to life. Even if the airframe and gear are serviceable, it would have a value less than the deposit, Huijbers concluded. Laying out what a buyer could do with the plane, Huijbers said substantial money had to be put in to make it fly, as this required a recertification of all parts, including an overhaul, and some pieces might have already been subjected to regulatory warnings, needing replacement. With no records, it would be a costly exercise. It might be more worthwhile going to Macau and taking a gamble there Peter Huijbers, PH Aviation Asia He added that a pre-purchase inspection might not reveal corrosion in the plane, which could be present, given it had been idle in an environment that was both saline and humid, conditions not ideal for aircraft metal. It smells like throwing good money after bad, Huijbers concluded. It might be more worthwhile going to Macau and taking a gamble there. It is unclear why the Airport Authority has only acted now to get rid of the Transaero plane. Having been abandoned in the maintenance hangars of Hong Kongs airport, the Boeing 767 is expected to be in a questionable condition. Huijbers said the aircraft could be converted for other uses, such as letting aviation engineering students from Polytechnic University work on its machinery for experience. The tender closes on August 9. More from South China Morning Post: This article Boeing plane abandoned in Hong Kong by bankrupt Russian airline up for sale for US$795,000 but is it worth it? first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. A quick drug-moving jaunt to Korea was foiled by Malaysian police this week, after they apprehended two women, and a man at a Kuala Lumpur-area hotel in the early hours of Sunday morning. Both females were scheduled to take a flight to Busan, Korea later that day, and were caught red-handed with drugs strapped to their bodies. Bukit Aman Narcotic Crime Investigation Department investigators believe that the man attached the goods to their bodies with using tape found in the room. Estimates put the hail of narcotics, believed to be syabu in the RM8.16 million (US$4.4 million) ballpark. Police describe the male suspect as being 21 years old, and a member of a local syndicate associated with drug smuggling. The female, aged 26 and 31, were found laden with 5.1kg of syabu between them, and were reportedly paid a deposit of RM1,000 (US$250), along with flight and accommodation, for their services. Upon successful delivery and return to KL, both would be given an additional RM15,000 (US$3,600) each. Explaining that the street value of the drug was much higher abroad, officers compared an RM50,000/kg (US$12,000) price tag in Malaysia to a purported US$400,000/kg that syabu nets on the streets of South Korea. Officers went on to add that since the beginning of 2019, 30 Malaysians have been arrested both here and overseas attempting to smuggle drugs while traveling. Locally, seven arrests were made recently in Negri Sembilan, just outside of Kuala Lumpur, in connection with drug mule syndicates. In 2018, 71 Malaysians were arrested in connection with illegal drug mule activities. While many will transport the narcotics using their bodies, others will travel abroad and collect the goods via courier that a gang has had sent to them. This article, Busan-bound drug mules busted by police with syabu strapped to their bodies, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! President Rodrigo Duterte casting his vote for the 2019 midterm national and local elections DAVAO CITY, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday cast his vote for the 2019 midterm national and local elections in his bailiwick just hours before the voting closes at 6 p.m. Surrounded by presidential security group, Duterte arrived at the Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School (DRANHS) in Matina, Davao City at 4:42 p.m. He was accompanied by his partner, Honeylet Avancena. He and Honeylet first greeted officials at the schools entrance before proceeding to his designated voting precinct. After shading his ballot, Duterte was assisted by an election officer in feeding his ballot to the vote-counting machine. He also checked the voting receipt before dropping it into a receptacle and getting his finger marked with indelible ink. Duterte took a total of 21 minutes in casting his vote. After voting, the President faced reporters to answer some questions but he forewarned them that he wont be answering questions related to the oust Duterte matrix recently released by the Malacanang. Duterte said he will leave presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo to explain the matter. When asked about his assessment on Mondays election, the President said he has yet to receive any information on election-related violence. In terms of technical glitches and alleged vote-buying incidents that marred the voting process, Duterte said he will let the Commission on Elections address the issue before launching any investigation into the issue. DRANHS was the same school where the President voted during the May 2016 elections. This was the first time that the 74-year old Duterte voted as a President because he skipped the May 2018 barangay elections. His daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, also voted in this school earlier in the day. READ: Sara Duterte casts vote, calls on Filipinos to vote wisely Meanwhile, Dutertes youngest son, Sebastian Duterte cast his vote around 3:20 p.m. at his precinct in Catigan Elementary School in Toril. Story continues Duterte, a political neophyte, is running unopposed as Davao City Vice Mayor. While the Presidents eldest son, Paolo Duterte, voted in Catalunan Grande Elementary School around 5 p.m. Paolo is gunning for a congressional seat this election. (with details from Janice Ingente) The post Duterte casts vote in Davao bailiwick appeared first on UNTV News. Filipinos in Sydney, Australia cast their votes for the Philippine elections on May 13, 2019. By Annalisa Burgos For love of the Philippines it was the resounding reason for many Filipinos who voted in the May 13th midterm election at the consulate in Sydney, Australia, exercising their right to determine the direction of their country. Among them: Jhoanne Monta, a 26-year-old first-time voter who has lived in Australia for three years and says she wanted to have a voice. I wanted to be part of the change that we want, especially for the millenials, Monta said. We still have high hopes for the Philippines, that our country will have a better future. The Commission on Filipinos Overseas estimates the global Filipino diaspora at around 12 million, from temporary overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Filipinos who permanently reside outside the Philippines. In Australia, more than 14,000 Filipinos registered to vote in Canberra and Sydney in the midterm elections, one of the largest to date. They voted for 12 senators out of a list of 62 candidates and one partylist among a whopping 181 choices. As last-minute voters submitted their sealed ballots in the front office, embassy officials were busy feeding ballots mailed and hand-delivered into a machine in another room. Voters had until 8pm Sydney time on May 13 to turn in their ballots, with preliminary results expected a few hours after polls close. In the feeding room, three volunteers were observing on behalf of various parties, including Sharon Novilla Benasa, for the Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino (KDP). My heart belongs in the Philippines. I love my people. I love my country as much as I love Australia, explains Benasa, a soon-to-be dual citizen who has family and friends in the Philippines. I believe that I am fighting for their rights and fighting for a better future for them. I want them to feel the same democracy, the same freedom that I have taken for granted here in Australia. The sentiment is echoed by Melissa Chan, who says she deeply cares for her home country and wants to make it better, even if shes not physically there. Story continues A volunteer observer for the opposition senatorial slate Otso Diretso, Chan says she is generally apolitical but wanted to take an active role in this election. I just want to make sure and do my bit in ensuring that checks and balances are in place in our democracy, she said. For those who think theyre all the same, they all cheat, theyre all liars, theyre all corrupt plunders, etc, you have no cause to complain if you dont do something to change that. We cannot change the whole system, but I think in our own little way, we can make a difference, and that one, put all together, will cause a wave of change. Bobby Lastica, a long-time Filipino community leader in Australia, is less enthusiastic that the election will spark real change for the Philippines, noting Filipinos have not learned from history and participation of the overseas electorate is too low. How can you say you love your country when you dont participate in the democratic process of electing leaders. Thirty percent, or 50 percent, is not enough. One missing ballot is a sign of indifference, he said, adding: It will be the next generations fight. At least 1.8 million Filipinos overseas registered to vote in the 2019 midterm elections, considered a referendum on the Duterte administration and pivotal in setting the priorities for the remainder of his term. Mobs slashed to death a Sri Lankan Muslim man despite a nationwide curfew imposed Monday night after anti-Muslim riots spread to three districts north of the capital in a violent backlash against Easter suicide bombings. The 45-year-old man died shortly after admission to a hospital in Puttalam district during the rioting which began Sunday in the area, a police official told AFP. "Mobs had attacked him with sharp weapons at his carpentry workshop," the official said. "This is the first death from the riots." Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the curfew was declared to prevent unidentified groups destabilising the country by orchestrating communal violence. "At several places in the North-Western Province these groups created trouble, damaged property," Wickremesinghe said in a televised address to the nation. "Police and security forces have contained the situation, but these (unidentified) groups are still trying to create trouble." Wickremesinghe said the unrest would hinder investigations into the April 21 attacks that targeted three Christian churches and three luxury hotels, killing 258 people and wounding nearly 500. In a separate TV address, Police Chief Chandana Wickramaratne warned police will take stern action against rioters, and constables have been issued orders to use maximum force. Residents in the North-Western Province were ordered to stay indoors after Christian-led mobs torched dozens of Muslim-owned shops, vehicles and mosques on Sunday and Monday. The attacks came during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. Later the curfew was extended to cover the entire country of 21 million people. Police said there were sporadic incidents of mobs throwing stones and torching shops, motorcycles and cars owned by Muslims. In the town of Hettipola, at least three shops were torched. In the town of Minuwangoda, just north of Colombo, a Muslim-owned hotel and a mosque were attacked by stone-hurling mobs armed with sticks. "Several shops have been attacked," a senior police officer told AFP. "When mobs tried to attack mosques, we fired in the air and used tear gas to disperse them." The officer added that "there are people trying to make political capital out of this situation." - PM warns against rumours - Earlier Monday, authorities banned Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media platforms. Platforms were similarly blocked after the Easter attacks. The prime minister urged the public not to believe rumours and warned that civil unrest will stretch the already thinly deployed security forces. "I appeal to all citizens to remain calm and not be swayed by false information," Wickremesinghe said on Twitter, which was not targeted in the social media blockade. A state of emergency has been in place since the bombings -- which the Islamic State group claims to have helped -- and security forces have been given sweeping powers to detain suspects. The latest wave of unrest started when a mob targeted Muslim-owned shops in the town of Chilaw, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Colombo on Sunday in anger at a Facebook post by a shopkeeper. "Don't laugh more, 1 day u will cry," he wrote, which local Christians took to be a warning of an impending attack. The group smashed the man's shop and vandalised a nearby mosque prompting security forces to fire in the air to disperse the crowd, but the violence spread. There had already been clashes last week between Christians and Muslims in Negombo, the town north of Colombo that was targeted by the suicide attackers. The main body of Islamic clerics, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), said there was increased suspicion of Muslims after the Easter Sunday killings. "We call upon the members of the Muslim communities to be more patient and guard your actions and avoid unnecessary postings or hosting on social media," the ACJU said. Internet service providers said they have been instructed by the telecommunications regulator to block access to Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram. -Schools reopen - The latest unrest came as Catholic churches resumed public Sunday masses for the first time since the bombings. Dozens of people have been detained since the Easter attacks, and with security heightened students are only allowed into schools after checks for explosives. But attendance has been extremely low, according to education authorities. Muslims make up around 10 percent of Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka's population and Christians about 7.6 percent. Ex-Russian penitentiary official charged with bribery goes on trial RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 13:01 13/05/2019 ST. PETERSBURG, May 13 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov) A criminal case against ex-deputy director of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) Nikolay Barinov charged with receiving about 110 million rubles (about $2 million) in bribes during the construction of a detention center has reached court, the United press service of St. Petersburg courts has told RAPSI. Earlier, the defendants detention was extended until May 25. Barinov pleaded guilty. According to investigators, between May 2007 and December 2012, Barinov acting as the FSIN deputy director and supervisor of building a detention facility in St. Petersburg, regularly received bribes from top managers of firms engaged in the construction. In particular, he promised two businessmen, Ruslan Khamkhokov and Viktor Kudrin, to assist in the execution of necessary documents on rendered services for the money reward in the amount of not less than 12% of each funds transfer of funds allocated for the work performance to the companies accounts. The construction companies heads transferred the money through ex-deputy chief of the FSIN St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region directorate Sergey Moiseyenko. Allegedly, Barinov received around 110 million rubles in total. Khamkhokov and Kudrin, who stand charged with corruption and economic crimes, as well as Moiseyenko charged with bribery and murder organization, have been earlier put in detention. Facebook photo of Joel Rasis Ismail. (PHOTO: Facebook) SINGAPORE A National University of Singapore (NUS) undergraduate caught on CCTV filming a female student in a hostel has been charged for the offence on Monday (13 May), in the latest in a string of cases involving voyeurs in universities. Joel Rasis Ismail, 26, was charged with one count of criminal trespassing into a bathroom in Kuok Foundation House - a building within Raffles Hall - and one count of insulting the modesty of a 23-year-old female student, who was showering at the time. Joel, who is a Raffles Hall resident himself, was arrested on Saturday (11 May) after the police were alerted to the case at 8.08am. He filmed the student showering at about 6.30am. Police officers arrested him and seized his laptops, mobile phones and other storage devices for investigations. According to the police, Joel attempted to avoid identification by changing his attire after the alleged offences. He is also believed to be involved in other similar cases, said the police. Joel will be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for psychiatric evaluation for two weeks. His case will be heard again on 27 May. Four peeping tom cases at unis in a month Joel's case is the fourth reported case involving voyeurs at universities since NUS undergraduate Monica Baey took to Instagram last month to vent her frustrations after being filmed while showering in NUS' Eusoff Hall. Three peeping tom cases were reported to have taken place at Nanyang Technological University halls in recent weeks, according to local media reports. Baey had called for tougher action to be taken against the perpetrator, who was made to write an apology letter and undergo mandatory counselling, in addition to being banned from entering Eusoff Hall and suspended from school for a semester. Her Instagram posts caused a public outcry, leading to NUS announcing measures to boost security on its campus. One of these measures include installing new CCTV cameras, which captured Joel, in its residential halls. Story continues Other measures include upgrading shower cubicles and toilet locks to make them more secure, and to increase patrols by campus security officers. Related stories: NUS hears students' grievances on sexual misconduct issue, promises immediate change Over 300 NUS students issue letter to criticise town hall meeting on sexual harassment NUS student leaves Great Eastern after being suspended for 'inappropriate misconduct' NUS to hold town hall this week to address concerns of sexual misconduct on campus Filipinos headed to the polls on Monday in a vote that is expected to strengthen President Rodrigo Duterte's grip on power, opening the way for him to deliver on pledges to restore the death penalty and rewrite the constitution. More than 18,000 positions are at stake, including half of the seats in the upper house Senate, which has served as a bulwark against some of Duterte's most controversial policies. Duterte is known internationally for his foul-mouthed tirades and deadly drug war, but remains hugely popular among Filipinos fed up with the country's general dysfunction and leaders who have failed to fix it. He wants to bring back capital punishment for drug-related crimes as part of his narcotics crackdown, in which thousands of alleged pushers and users have already been killed by police. His tough-on-crime platform -- which also includes lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 -- was key to his landslide election victory in 2016. Crowds gathered at voting centres in the capital Manila even ahead of polls opening at 6:00 am (2200 GMT Sunday) in an election where some 61 million are registered to cast ballots. "I voted for many of the candidates endorsed by President Duterte because his government is doing its job," said Myrna Cruz, 51. "I support their programmes, including the anti-drug campaign... but I wish the bloodshed would stop," she added, echoing many Filipinos' nuanced backing of the crackdown. Voters across the country flooded social media with images of their ink-stained fingernails, which are daubed blue as a protection against voter fraud. The opening of the polls saw isolated outbursts of violence, which is not unusual in the Philippines' frequently bloody competition for elected posts. At least 20 people were killed and 24 wounded in election-related violence in the run up to the vote, according to an official count. The military said nine people were shot and wounded Monday during a confrontation at a polling station on the restive southern island of Jolo, which is home to insurgents and powerful local clans. Several other small clashes were reported in the south, including one in which two men were wounded by gunfire in Maguindanao. The violence is more frequent in lower level races and will not likely be a major feature in the election's main contest for the Senate. Winning a Senate majority, something that independent national surveys indicate is well within reach, would give Duterte legislative backing for his anti-crime proposals and his plan to rewrite the constitution. Historically, the nation's 24 senators -- who serve six-year terms -- have had a reputation for being more independent-minded than the lower house. The opposition warns that could lead to the single-term limit for the presidency being lifted, allowing him to seek re-election despite his repeated statements that he would stand down at the end of his mandate. It would also allow him to expand his internationally condemned anti-drug crackdown by bringing back the death penalty, a pledge that the UN Human Rights Council said caused it "deep alarm". The Philippines outlawed capital punishment in 1987, reinstated it six years later and then abolished it again in 2006. - Heir apparent - Duterte, 74, hit the campaign trail to get his supporters into the Senate, giving two-hour speeches at late-night rallies and routinely insulting opponents. Results for local races are expected hours after polls close at 6:00 pm Monday, with winners for the Senate and congressional seats likely to be declared from Friday. Even if the presidential term limit is not lifted, the Duterte family looks well-placed to prolong its political power. The president's daughter Sara -- eyed by some as the president's potential successor in the 2022 vote -- is running to keep her post as mayor in its southern bailiwick of Davao city. Her younger brother Sebastian is running unopposed for the city's vice-mayoral seat, while Duterte's eldest son Paolo is standing for a seat in the lower House of Representatives. bur-strs-jm/gle Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's allies were poised for victory in midterm polls, unofficial results showed Tuesday, signalling firm approval of his rule and clearing a path for his most controversial plans. Duterte's deadly crackdown on narcotics has drawn international censure, but is central to the populist appeal that has buoyed his remarkable popularity among Filipinos since taking the presidency in 2016. In Monday's vote, administration loyalist candidates for the Senate were headed for a resounding election win, according to data released by the PPCRV, a Catholic-run poll monitor accredited by the government to tally votes. With 94 percent of ballots counted early Tuesday, Duterte allies were on track to take nine of 12 open seats in the upper house, which has been a bulwark against some of the president's most controversial proposals. Official, complete results from the nation's elections commission are expected in the coming days. Historically, the nation's 24 senators -- who serve six-year terms -- have had a reputation for being more independent-minded than the lower house. As part of his drug crackdown that has killed more than 5,000 people, Duterte has pledged to bring back the death penalty and lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12. The Philippines outlawed capital punishment in 1987, reinstated it six years later and then abolished it again in 2006. He also promised to rewrite the nation's constitution to create a federal republic where regions would be given more power to tackle the nation's deep rooted poverty. However, opponents see those plans as an effort to extend his hold on power or weaken the nation's democratic institutions. "This election just gave Duterte carte blanche to push his brand of governance to its logical conclusion: complete transformation of the nation's political system," analyst Richard Heydarian told AFP. More than 18,000 positions were at stake in the vote, primarily local posts, but also half the Senate and nearly 300 seats in the lower House of Representatives. The polls saw isolated outbursts of violence, which is not unusual in the Philippines' frequently bloody competition for elected seats. At least 20 people were killed and 24 wounded in election-related violence in the run-up to the vote, according to an official count. The military said nine people were shot and wounded Monday during a confrontation at a polling station on the southern island of Jolo, which is home to insurgents and powerful local clans. Turnout was steady throughout the day and voters across the country flooded social media with images of their ink-stained fingernails, which are daubed blue as a protection against voter fraud. "I voted for many of the candidates endorsed by President Duterte because his government is doing its job," voter Myrna Cruz, 51, told AFP in Manila. "I support their programmes, including the anti-drug campaign... but I wish the bloodshed would stop," she added, echoing many Filipinos' nuanced backing of the crackdown. Duterte, 74, hit the campaign trail to get his supporters into the Senate, giving two-hour speeches at late-night rallies and routinely insulting opponents. The opposition warns constitutional change could lead to the single-term limit for the presidency being lifted, allowing Duterte to prolong his rule despite his repeated statements that he would stand down at the end of his mandate. Even if the presidential term limit is not lifted, the Duterte family looks well-placed to prolong its political power. The president's daughter Sara -- eyed by some as his potential successor in the 2022 vote -- was poised to keep her post as mayor in the family's southern bailiwick of Davao city. Her younger brother Sebastian ran unopposed for the city's vice-mayoral seat, while Duterte's eldest son Paolo was on track for a seat in the House of Representatives, PPCRV data showed. "If you agree with me then you can vote for my candidates," Rodrigo Duterte, who was not on the ballot, told reporters after casting his vote. "If I am repudiated by the loss of all my candidates... that's that", he added. Famous stylist fined for illegal picket against plant construction at Russia's Lake Baikal RIA Novosti, Alexander Wilf 14:56 13/05/2019 MOSCOW, May 13 (RAPSI) Moscows Tverskoy District Court on Monday fined Russian celebrity and prominent hairstylist Sergey Zverev 15,000 rubles ($230) for illegal single-person protest against the construction of a drink water bottling plant at Lake Baikal in the Irkutsk Region, RAPSI was told in the courts press service. As previously reported, in March 2019, Zverev went on a picket on the Red Square. However, protest actions are prohibited there, according to Russian legislation. The court found Zverev guilty of violating an authorized order of organizing or holding meetings, rallies, protests, demonstration and pickets. In March, a court granted a lawsuit filed by the West Baikal trans-regional environmental prosecutor's office and suspended the construction of the drink water bottling plant at Lake Baikal until violations revealed during the checks are remedied. The prosecutors office found serious violations of environmental legislation obstructing the construction. The plant's construction began in January 2019. The cumulative investment is about 1.5 billion rubles ($23 million). MANILA, Philippines The Philippine National Police (PNP) has apprehended at least 321 individuals in Metro Manila for violating the liquor ban in relation with Mondays midterm elections. The liquor ban is effective from 12:01 a.m. of May 12 until midnight of May 13. The ban includes drinking and selling of alcohol in stores. READ: PNP: Liquor ban for May 13 polls to start on Sunday The PNP said most of those arrested were from Quezon City with 200 apprehensions; 46 from Caloocan, Malabon, Valenzuela and Navotas; 28 others were netted in Pasay, Makati, Las Pinas, Paranaque, Taguig and Pateros while the rest were nabbed in Manila, San Juan, Pasig and Marikina. Most of the persons arrested were caught in the act of engaging in a drinking session. Aside from liquor ban, police also monitored alleged vote-buying incidents in parts of Metro Manila. Around 134 persons were arrested for alleged vote-buying, and more than half a million pesos were recovered in seven operations that were launched by authorities. (with details from Asher Cadapan Jr.) The post PNP apprehends over 300 liquor ban violators appeared first on UNTV News. Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte DAVAO CITY, Philippines Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Monday morning cast her ballot at the Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School in Matina. The presidential daughter arrived at 8:34 a.m. and immediately proceeded to her designated polling precinct. Duterte was able to complete the process of voting within ten minutes without any problem. In a brief interview with the media after voting, the mayor expressed hope that all Hugpong ng Pagbabago party bets will win despite some of them ranking high in voter preference surveys. In the past weeks, several of the Hugpongs senatorial candidates pierced the magic 12 based on surveys conducted by Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations. She also called on Filipino registered voters to go out and exercise their right to suffrage. Duterte also advised Filipino voters to think and vote wisely in order to elect those who deserve to lead the local government. (with details from Janice Ingente) The post Sara Duterte casts vote, calls on Filipinos to vote wisely appeared first on UNTV News. Four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, were damaged in mysterious "sabotage attacks" that have inflamed Gulf tensions amid a standoff between the United States and Iran. In the face of growing international concern, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned visit to Moscow and headed to Brussels instead for talks Monday with European officials, as Britain warned of the danger of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. Turning up the pressure on Tehran after the United States deployed B-52 bombers and an assault ship to bolster an aircraft carrier in the region, President Donald Trump warned that Iran would "suffer greatly" were it to "do anything" to threaten US interests. "If they do anything, it would be a very bad mistake," Trump warned at the White House. "If they do anything they will suffer greatly." Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan proposed a revamped military plan at a meeting with senior national security aides that would send up to 120,000 US troops to the Middle East were Iran to attack American forces or speed up nuclear weapons development, The New York Times reported. Other options have been floated, and this one includes the highest number of troops. Tehran meanwhile called for an investigation into Sunday's "alarming" attacks off the Emirati coast and warned of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security. A UAE government official said the Saudi oil tankers Al-Marzoqah and Amjad were attacked off the emirate of Fujairah along with the Norwegian tanker Andrea Victory and an Emirati ship, the A. Michel. Saudi Arabia, the Islamic republic's regional arch-rival, condemned "acts of sabotage" and a "criminal act", a foreign ministry official said. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE gave details on the nature of the attacks or accused anyone of responsibility. - 'Exercise restraint' - No link has officially been drawn between the incidents and US accusations that Tehran was planning "imminent" attacks against US interests in the region. Asked whether the United States believed Iran played a role, Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, declined to comment, saying only that US authorities would be assisting the investigation at the request of the UAE which has called the incidents "deliberate sabotage." Describing Pompeo's talks with his European counterparts, Hook said they had discussed "what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels." Underscoring the international concern, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he used his one-on-one with Pompeo to stress that "we are concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation". British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt called for "a period of calm". "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," he said as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. And in New York, the United Nations called on all sides to "exercise restraint for the sake of regional peace." Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom's two tankers suffered "significant damage" but there were no casualties or any oil spill. The Andrea Victory's managers, Thome Group, said the tanker had a hole in the hull area "after being struck by an unknown object on the waterline". The crew were unharmed and the ship was in no danger of sinking, it said. Fujairah port is the only Emirati terminal located on the Arabian Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Gulf oil exports pass. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait in case of a military confrontation with the United States. "If, and it's an 'IF', there really has been a deliberate attempt to damage these oil tankers, then it's possibly a warning from Iran about the consequences of anybody taking military action against Iranian targets anywhere in the region," said Middle East analyst Neil Partrick. Oil prices rose on world markets on Monday but stocks fell. The spike in tensions came after Tehran said Wednesday it had stopped respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 deal that has since been abandoned by Washington. - Iran sees plots - Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi called the incidents "alarming and regrettable". He "warned against plots by ill-wishers to disrupt regional security" and "called for the vigilance of regional states in the face of any adventurism by foreign elements", a statement said. Almost all the oil exports of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Iran itself, at least 15 million barrels per day, are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Karen Young, a resident scholar at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute think tank, said the incidents were "clearly... more than a one off attack, but something more coordinated." "Tensions are high and have been escalated by the US as well. We have to be wary of tit for tat provocations, and those that may be misinterpreted or even false flag actions," she told AFP. The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council -- which includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE -- condemned the incident while Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit denounced "criminal acts". Shiite-majority Iran rivals Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia for influence in the Middle East, with the two taking opposing sides in multiple regional conflicts including in Yemen. Vice President Leni Robredo (center) | Courtesy : PVI-PRESS/ Rodel Acuvera Luminares MANILA, Philippines Senator Cynthia Villar on Monday morning cast her vote in Las Pinas City along with her husband, former Senator Manny Villar. The Villar couple voted around 9 a.m. at their assigned voting precinct in Las Pinas Science BF Resort in Talon 2. They were wearing orange, their familys signature political campaign color. Accompanying them were their children, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, Paulo, and Camille, who is gunning for a congressional seat. (Upper photo L-R) Senator Cynthia Villar with her husband, former Senator Manny Villar. (Lower photo L-R) congressional candidate, Camille Villar, Paulo Villar and Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar Courtesy : PVI PRESS / Rey Calinawan Vercide Cynthia Villar, who is seeking reelection, has been topping political survey polls before the elections. In the recent Pulse Asia pre-election survey, she enjoyed a solo lead edging out Senator Grace Poe. Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo also voted in her bailiwick in Naga, Camarines Sur on Monday morning. She arrived at 9:52 a.m. in her designated polling precinct in Tabuco Central School Cluster 112 together with her two daughters, Tricia and Aika. No special treatment was given to the Robredos who fell in line outside of the polling precinct as they waited for their turn to cast their votes. After successfully casting her vote around 10:42 a.m., Robredo briefly talked to reporters where she admitted that she feels nervous for this midterm elections. She also described the opposition slates bid to win the polls as an uphill battle. Napaka-uphill nung battle pero in the last several weeks nakita namin yung passion ng mga volunteers, ano yun unrivaled, she said. Parang pinakahuli kong nakita yung ganun na passion nung 1986 pa kahit noong pagtakbo ko noong 2016 kahit marami kaming volunteers iba yung passion ngayon. Parang kabado para sa bansa hindi naman for the individual candidates we are supporting, she added. Robredo has been campaigning for the opposition slate Otso Diretso. But of the eight senatorial bets, only Senator Bam Aquino was able to enter the so-called winning circle. Aquino got in 9th to 15th place in the latest Pulse Asia Pulso ng Bayan Pre-Electoral Nationwide Survey on the May 2019 Senatorial and Party-List Elections. The post Villar family, VP Robredo cast vote in bailiwicks appeared first on UNTV News. Italy's Elia Viviani was denied a home win on Monday with the Team Deceuninck rider stripped of the Giro d'Italia third stage win for swerving in front of another competitor in the final sprint on Monday. Colombia's Fernando Gaviria of UAE Team Emirates was awarded victory with race organisers demoting the 30-year-old Viviani, who had been wearing the Italian colours of red, white and green, after reviewing footage. Colombian Gaviria was declared the stage victor with France's Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) moving up to second and Germany's Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) third. For 24-year-old Gaviria it was a fifth Giro victory, having won four stages the last time he competed in 2017. But the Colombian insisted: "Whoever crosses the line first is the winner. "He's (Viviani) the winner, I'm second, that's how it is." "I am sorry for Elia, I would like to win differently. "I sent him a message after I was declared the winner." Viviani, who finished second in Sunday's stage behind Ackermann, had remained winner for only a few minutes to the disappointment of the home crowd. The Olympic omnium champion was penalised for impeding fellow Italian Matteo Moschetti by cutting in front of him after a gruelling 5hr 23min 19sec in the saddle. "I'm sorry for Elia who is a great rider, and a fair sprinter," added the Colombian. "Today was a complicated stage. There was a lot of stress, we knew there was a strong headwind at the finish and no team wanted to take the lead too early because of the head wind at the very end." Jumbo-Visma's Slovenian rider Primoz Roglic holds the overall leader's pink jersey for the third day, 19sec ahead of Britain's Simon Yates of Mitchelton-Scott with Italy's Vincenzo Nibali of Bahrain-Merida third at 23sec. The 219km stage got underway in Vinci, to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Italian master painter Leonardo da Vinci, who was born in the Tuscan town. Despite fears of strong wind, it was a calmer than expected start with just one solo breakaway rider, Sho Hatsuyama of Nippo-Fantini, battling alone in front and the first 140km passing without the predicted stress. The stage was marked by numerous falls with Britain's Tao Geoghegan Hart losing more than one minute and a half. "With only one rider in the breakaway, it made it a very long stage," said Roglic. "It enabled me to enjoy the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey) a bit more. I wasn't really scared of the crosswinds at the end because we are a team from Holland so we know how to deal with the wind." Tuesday's fourth stage, one of the longest in this year's race, covers 235km from Orbetello to Frascati, south of Rome, with undulating twisting roads with the closing kilometres uphill. Travelers looking to head from the U.S. to charming cities in Scandinavia can now book a trip through early 2020 for under $400 round-trip. Scandinavian Airlines is running a sale through May 19, offering a variety of round-trip flights from the U.S. to Scandinavian stops starting at $355 round-trip. The deals are available from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Miami, and Washington, D.C. to European cities that include Swedens capital of Stockholm and Denmarks capital of Copenhagen and cities in Norway like Bergen, which sits surrounded by fjords. From New York, travelers will find $365 round-trip flights to Oslo in Norway throughout the majority of year, in addition to $378 round-trip flights to Norways city of Bergen in December and January and $385 round-trip flights to Norways city of Haugesund in December. There are also $387 round-trip flights to Gothenburg in Sweden in December and January and $397 round-trip flights to Billund, Aalborg, and Copenhagen, Demark throughout the year. From Washington, D.C., top deals include $363 round-trip flights to Oslo in December, $395 round-trip flights to Gothenburg in October, $397 round-trip flights to Copenhagen from September through February, and $398 round-trip flights to Bergen in September. Deals from Boston include $372 round-trip flights to Bergen in September, $387 round-trip flights to Copenhagen in the fall, $395 round-trip flights to Gothenburg from August through September, and $398 round-trip flights to Oslo from August through October. From Chicago, some of the top deals include round-trip flights to Oslo ranging from $355 to $360 from September through February, round-trip flights to Bergen ranging from $370 to $389 from August through February, and $397 round-trip flights to Copenhagen from September through February. Miami travelers can book $397 round-trip flights to both Oslo and Copenhagen and flights under $410 round-trip to Bergen and Aarhus. And don't worry west coast, there are some deal for you, too. These include $397 round-trip flights to Oslo and Copenhagen from Los Angeles and $301 round-trip flights to Stockholm, Sweden from San Francisco in November. The lowest fares are available for the airlines Go Light category, which allows for one carry-on bag not exceeding 18 pounds. The fares do not include a checked bag, which costs $60 on international routes. Go to a street market in any major city and youll be met by the sight of people hopping from food truck to food stall, gathering a variety of savory dishes and sweet treats to take to the nearby waterfront or park to share with their friends and family. You might even see someone elses plate and think, That looks amazing, I have to find out where they bought it. But you wont see this in Kamakura, Japan, a seaside city in Kanagawa Prefecture known for surfing, Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, and the Great Buddha of Kamakura. It all comes down to a new, official policy that asks tourists and residents to refrain from eating while walking around the city, in effect since April 1. However, tourists who break the new ordinance will not be issued fines or citations, CNN reported. The policy, posted on signs around the city, is not a warning, but a way to encourage good manners. Although litter is cited as one reason why the new ordinance has gone into effect, the Japan Times says that its also because food spillage has become a public nuisance since it gets on peoples clothes and stains them. This is especially the case on Komachi-dori, a 1,200 foot-long street that sees up to 60,000 visitors a day. CNN adds that the problem goes beyond making a mess. In Japan, food is meant to be fully enjoyed and appreciated, something that many believe is impossible to do while they are on the move. Norikazu Takahashi, president of the Komachi store association, disagrees, reaffirming that it is a merely a polite suggestion that visitors follow. We cant ban the act of eating while walking, as this is one of the ways to enjoy sightseeing, he told the Japan Times. We want to make the street a place where both travelers and residents can feel good. Kamakura is not the only city in Japan requesting people to eat their food where they bought it. For Kyotos Nishiki Market, litter is an all-too-common problem as many of its 120 shops offer street food style options, like shichimi ice cream, senbei, and fried fish on sticks. The latter in particular has become an issue due to worry that market-goers welding food sticks could injure others in the crowded space. In October, the market put up signs telling people no eating while walking to combat these concerns. Like Kamakura, the policy is a request and not a rule. Florence, Italy, on the other hand, has been banning eating on streets near the Uffizi Galleries and the Palazzo Vecchio since September. Anyone who breaks the rule could face fines between 150 to 500 (approximately $174 to $580). The ordinance was intended to cut down on the amount of trash and make the narrow streets easier to navigate. Chef Gaggan Anand -- four-time number one in the "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" ranking with his eponymous restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand -- has surprised fans by announcing on Instagram that he is launching a monthly supper club in his own home, promising food cooked by the chef and family banter. Sitting down to eat in the home of a world-renowned chef may sound like an unusual or even surreal experience. And yet, that's exactly what Gaggan Anand is offering, according to a post on the chef's Instagram page. The chef, who is particularly active on social media, frequently keeping followers amused with personal snaps, has revealed plans to start a monthly supper club, giving 10 diners the opportunity to enjoy a meal prepped by the chef and to dine alongside his family in his home. While the project already sounds like a dream, Gaggan Anand has also announced that the meal will be free. The chef does, however, impose other conditions on his guests, who are asked to bring a bottle of natural wine or whiskey as well as a vinyl of music of their choice and to make a donation to the chef's chosen charity, Farm Africa. Gaggan Anand states that the donation can even be as little as a dollar. For a chance to take part, prospective diners are asked to send the chef a direct message on Instagram explaining why they want to come to his home. He will then select 10 diners (with a maximum of two from the same acquaintance) with whom to share the experience. Gaggan Anand held the top spot in the ranking of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants for four years, until the latest list was released in March. The chef's Bangkok eatery was knocked off the top by "Odette" in Singapore, helmed by French chef Julien Royer. Gaggan Anand plans to close his "Gaggan" restaurant in 2020. Elderly scientist detained on treason charges placed in hospital following ECHR decision RIA Novosti, Vladimir Pesnya 18:09 13/05/2019 MOSCOW, May 13 (RAPSI) Viktor Kudryavtsev, a 74-year-old scientist of the Central Research Institute for Engineering Technology (TsNIImash) charged with treason, has been transferred from a detention center to a municipal hospital for health examination following a decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), his attorney Ivan Pavlov has told RAPSI. According to Pavlov, ECHR has obliged Russian authorities to conduct a medical examination of Kudryavtsev in a clinic independent of the penitentiary system. However, the lawyer claims, that the hospital where the researcher was placed in, does not fully meet the criteria specified in the ECHR ruling. In March, the Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow extended detention of Kudryavtsev until May 20. Earlier, Pavlov told RAPSI that investigators banned visits to the researcher after Kudryavtsev refused to make a deal with them envisaging guilty plea and testifying against his student. Kudryavtsev is accused of disclosure of classified information to the Belgian Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamic, his another attorney Yevgeny Smirnov told RAPSI previously. Investigators claim that the researcher has transferred information via email from an unmarked computer. However, the scientist has not worked with such secret documents since late 90s, according to the lawyer. The researcher pleaded not guilty and refused to testify in the case, Smirnov added. Getting around Japan has always been a breeze thanks to the country's bullet train system. But soon, you may be able to get around even faster thanks to a new train that could reach speeds up to 249 miles per hour. The East Japan Railway Company began testing the ALFA-X, which could soon become the fasted bullet train in the world, last week. As Japan Station, a Japanese transportation guide explained, the ALFA-X is a version of the countrys Shinkansen train, which debuted for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. That train is still operational around the country and includes stops in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. It can travel at speeds up to 199 miles per hour. The ALFA-X train is simply a prototype for use in test runs for the development of a possible future train, Sanshiro Iwamoto, a researcher at the railway company, told USA Today. The projected speed should be 249 mph per hour maximum, but, again, speed will only be determined during testing. Testing, CNN explained, will likely last for at least three more years. The goal for the train is to have it fully operational for commercial use by 2030. At that time, CNN noted, it will likely cruise around 224 miles per hour rather than pushing its limits of 249. But, even at its cruising speed, it will still be the fastest train in the world just ahead of China's Fuxing Hao train, which currently reaches speeds of 217 mph. Part of the reason Japans new train can go so fast is thanks to its design, USA Today reported. The train comes with a 72-foot sleek nose, which is built to combat wind resistance. Behind it, the train carries 10 cars. Japan is also testing another high-speed train model, the Shinkansen N700S. That train is expected to reach speeds of 190 miles per hour and will also be commercially available just in time for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 13 May TVB actor Lai Lok Yi recently revealed that he will be flying off to Malaysia again to reshoot his travel show, "Men's Kitchen", following the viral scandal involving his guest host Jacqueline Wong. As reported on Mingpao, the actor, who had already completed taping the show with Jacqueline in April around Penang, stated that fellow actor Mat Yeung will be following him this time, and that the actress' scenes in the show will be completely removed. "Mat and I have known each other for many years since filming "Ten Brothers" together. We have also hosted a travel show before, so let's see if we can recreate that chemistry again," he said. Lai also revealed that the five-day trip will be partly sponsored by Tourism Malaysia. "Since this show uses my name, I have to take all aspects into account, including the country's own position about the issue. I think a reshoot is the best solution," he said. Asked if he has been in contact with Jacqueline or if the actress has apologised to him, Lai said that everybody should give her some time and space. (Photo Source: Lai Lok Yi Instagram) The woman tried to open the plane door (pictured by stock image) and jump out. [Photo: Getty] Words: Megan Johnson Passengers aboard a Delta flight headed to New York City's LaGuardia airport experienced quite the shock when a "mentally ill" woman attempted to open the plane door mid-flight. "Young woman just tried to jump out of our plane," fellow passenger Stacy Herbert tweeted. "Couldnt get door open, of course." According to Herbert, the twenty-something woman "became suicidal and tried to open the door of plane as we descended into LGA. Her father pulled her from door. She was screaming her head off that she needed to open the door and die." The pilot declared an emergency, telling live air traffic control transmission The forward service door has been opened. Well need crash and fire rescue. READ MORE: Pilot flew unconscious for 40 minutes Along with her father, flight attendants managed to subdue the woman. The pilot updated their status, cancelling the crash fire rescue. We just had a disturbed passenger, mentally disturbed passenger, trying to open the forward door, he said. Everythings under control now. Were going to be taxing to the gate. The flight, Delta 5935, which was operated by Republic Airways, was headed from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to LaGuardia International Airport in the New York City borough of Queens. The plane landed at LaGuardia, and was greeted by a bevy of police vehicles and ambulances. The woman, who continued screaming after she had exited the plane, was led to protective custody. "I wasnt scared as I knew the door could not be opened but her shrieks were terrifying. And she was sitting behind us so when she was pulled back to her seat it was awful to see her suicidal distress," Herbert tweeted. READ MORE: Cabin crew member raps safety demo She added that passengers had to remain to provide statements about the incident. CBS2 reported that the distraught passenger was a young woman attending college in the South who was the victim of a crime. "Were aware of the social media report related to the flight and are looking into it, but what I can tell you now is that the flight landed uneventfully and proceeded to its gate," a Republic Airways spokesperson told NBC New York. The F&B scene is buzzing once again, with rumors of yet another cult fave American burger joint coming to our shores. Weve already got Shake Shack at Jewel Changi which, if you havent tried, you should be prepared to wait two hours. Londons Burger & Lobster is also opening at the new airport multiplex this month, and now it seems Five Guys wants a bite of the burger scene in Singapore, too. In an exclusive revealed by 8 Days, an anonymous but credible F&B industry source apparently told the publication that Five Guys has plans in the pipeline for an outlet in Singapore and Malaysia, possibly opening towards the end of 2019. If youre a fan, you may know its already been dishing out burgers and fries in Hong Kong, its first Asian outpost, since late last year. For some background info, the brand was established in 1986 in Virginia as a family business, and stayed in the family until 2003, when it started franchising. Those who havent sunk their teeth into a Five Guys burger should know that its signature is the double beef patty burger, which you can customize with any number of the 15 toppings, including pickles, grilled onions, mushrooms, and mustard. Other items on the menu include hotdogs buns, grilled cheese or veggie sammies, regular or Cajun fries, milkshakes, and free peanuts to munch on so you dont get hangry while waiting for your burger. This article, Rumor has it: Cult favorite American burger chain Five Guys may be coming to Singapore, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! LE MARS, Iowa -- Every day of cool, rainy weather this spring has meant delays for Siouxland farmers itching to get in their fields and get their crops planted. A wet fall followed by a wet spring saturated the soil. There's been little wind, and temperatures haven't consistently been high enough to dry out the ground and enable farmers to get in their fields. It's entering crunch time, when every day lost can mean lower yields in the fall. It's why the promise of sunny skies and temperatures rising into the 70s for the week ahead has so many farmers hopeful. "This next week is an important week for us. This is probably the most hopeful forecast we've seen in six weeks," said Joel DeJong, a field agronomist in the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach office in Le Mars. The May 6 crop report from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service showed that 36 percent of Iowa's corn crop had been planted, but less than 20 percent in Northwest Iowa. Only 1 percent of planted corn had emerged, putting this year's crop a week behind average. Eight percent of soybeans in Iowa had been planted. With warmer, drier weather in the forecast, farmers will race against time. The ideal corn planting window is April 25-May 9. For every day after May 10 that corn is planted, yields can decline by up to a bushel an acre, said Paul Kassel, an ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomist in Spencer, Iowa. "A good week or 10 days of good weather, and we'd forget about all this," Kassel said. Planting delays not only affect yields, but farmers' ability to obtain federal crop insurance coverage to ensure a minimum price they will receive when they contract sales of their crops. To be fully covered, Iowa farmers cannot plant corn later than May 30. In Nebraska and South Dakota, the last planting date is May 25 and May 31, respectively. DeJong, who covers an area from Monona County to the Minnesota border, said planting progress varies across the region. "I can get south of Sioux City and there's a lot of corn that's already planted," he said. "There are producers in the north that have done almost nothing." Cool, wet conditions have kept much of that corn that's already in the ground from emerging, Kassel said. While farmers in and around Clay County are probably about half done planting corn, there's not much evidence yet. "There's some corn that was planted two weeks ago, it's sprouted but hasn't emerged yet," Kassel said. That leads to concern about seed rot, especially for corn planted before Wednesday, when an inch or more of rain fell across Northwest Iowa. "There's always concerns until it's out of the ground. The fact that it's cold and wet raises more concerns," DeJong said. "The good news is today we have hybrids that tolerate that stress better." On the positive side, the soil moisture profile is full because of all the rain. Once crops are planted, there is adequate moisture stored to help them weather dry spells this summer. Of course, that doesn't matter if you can't get into the field to plant, but it can dry out pretty fast this time of year, Kassel said. That's what farmers are hoping for with a few days of good weather in the forecast. "They really are hoping that we have a good window of opportunity this week," DeJong said. "If we can avoid rainfall events, it will help significantly." 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 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. SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- A man who was killed in a shootout with South Sioux City police Saturday was wanted in Missouri on an outstanding arrest warrant for violating terms of his probation for a drive-by shooting conviction. An arrest warrant for Luis Quinones Rosa had been issued in a separate Missouri county for failing to show up in court to answer to traffic violations. Quinones Rosa, 25, of South Sioux City, was killed early Saturday after exchanging gunfire with Officer Brian Van Berkum. An officer for nearly 19 years, Van Berkum was struck by two shots and underwent surgery Saturday. He was in stable condition and doing well Monday, Dakota County Attorney Kim Waston said in an email. A search of Missouri court records showed that Quinones Rosa pleaded guilty in October 2016 in Buchanan County, Missouri, to unlawful use of a weapon. In July 2016, he drove by a St. Joseph, Missouri, residence and fired multiple shots from a handgun into a parked Chevrolet Suburban parked in front of a house, which also was struck by several rounds. Both the vehicle and house were unoccupied. Approximately 40 shell casings from 9mm, .40-caliber and .357 weapons were found at the scene. Quinones Rosa was arrested four days later, and police found a handgun under the seat of the car he was driving. Quinones Rosa received a suspended sentence and was placed on probation for four years. An arrest warrant was issued two months later after he did not meet with probation officers. Buchanan County Prosecutor Ron Holliday said Quinones Rosa's probation was suspended at that time. Among the terms of his probation were that he not frequent establishments where alcohol is sold and he was not to buy, own or possess firearms. An arrest warrant was issued in Atchison County, Missouri, in January 2018 after Quinones Rosa did not appear for an arraignment. He had been charged in December 2017 in Rock Port, Missouri, with speeding, driving with a revoked/suspended license and operating without maintaining financial responsibility. Holliday said Monday that he had received a death notice for Quinones Rosa because of his outstanding warrant. Quinones Rosa died at a Sioux City hospital from extensive blood loss, Watson said in an email releasing new details of the shooting. His fiancee told the Journal on Saturday that Quinones Rosa, whom she said was a native of Puerto Rico who moved to the U.S. mainland in 2012 and most recently worked as a deliveryman at a local furniture store, died before he arrived at the hospital. According to Watson, a witness contacted Van Berkum early Saturday, reporting a man in possession of a gun inside of Los Amigos, a bar and liquor store at 1313 Dakota Ave. Van Berkum radioed dispatch at approximately 2:08 a.m. and requested additional officers to assist him. Van Berkum found the man, later identified as Quinones Rosa, who matched the witness' description. According to Watson, Van Berkum confronted Rosa, who displayed a gun and opened fire. Rosa shot Van Berkum twice, once in the leg and once in the abdomen. Van Berkum returned fire, striking Rosa once in the leg, severing his femoral artery. When other officers arrived on the scene, they located an unresponsive Rosa in a nearby vehicle with a .357 Magnum handgun in his possession, Watson said. Under Nebraska law, a grand jury must be impaneled within 30 days after someone is shot while being apprehended or in police custody to review evidence and determine if law enforcement officers acted appropriately. Journal reporter Earl Horlyk contributed to this report. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 2 Funny 4 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. CHEROKEE, Iowa -- A Marcus, Iowa, man has pleaded not guilty to having sexual contact with a female child. Ryan Simons, 30, entered his written plea Monday in Cherokee County District Court to one count of second-degree sexual abuse. According to court documents, Marcus police in March took a report of possible sexual abuse that had occurred in prior months. A girl under age 12 reported that she had been asleep on Nov. 1, and when she woke up, Morris was using her hand to touch himself. He stopped after the girl looked at him, court documents said. Morris was sentenced to a deferred judgment and probation in January after pleading guilty in Cherokee County to one count of lascivious acts with a child for having sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl while she was asleep in February 2018. 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 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. SIOUX CITY -- The U.S. Marshals Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force is seeking the public's help in locating the following person: * George Nelson, 41. He is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. He has been known to go by such names as "Frosty" or "Buddy" Nelson. He also has several tattoos, including a circle with "Nevermore" on his left hand. Nelson is wanted by the United States Marshals Service for violation of his pretrial release. He was on release after being charged with conspiracy to possess stolen firearms and possession of a firearm by a felon. 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 TIP411. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- It is not a call for a boycott, but a Democratic state lawmaker has urged people to "beware" when they consider buying Blue Ribbon Classics brand ice cream, since the Wells family business owners have given financial donations to U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. State Sen. Claire Celsi, of Des Moines, earlier this month tweeted a picture showing a Blue Ribbon Classics mint chocolate chip ice cream she pondered buying. She added her comment, "Id considered buying this new brand of ice cream. I flipped it over to see what company manufacturers it. Wells - the same family business that makes Blue Bunny and supports Steve King. Buyer beware!" Wells Dairy has been headquartered just north of Sioux City, in Le Mars, Iowa, since 1913. The Wells family has long owned the dairy business, and current President and CEO Mike Wells has been a financial donor to King. The Iowa Informer earlier this year reported that since King first ran for the U.S. House in 2002, Mike Wells and wife Cheryl Wells have donated $39,150 to King, with the last contribution coming in 2016. On Friday, Wells Enterprises Spokeswoman Lesley Bartholomew said the company is "extremely disappointed in Iowa Senator Claire Celsis tweet telling Iowans not to purchase our Iowa based product. Wells employs over 2,000 Iowans, and invests heavily in the local Siouxland economy and community. We are one of the largest employers in the state of Iowa and are proud of our employees and community." Bartholomew added that Mike Wells did not contribute to King in 2018, and noted the business does not support any political campaigns or individuals in public office positions, whether through endorsement or financial contributions. Also on Friday, King in a statement said, Im a loyal supporter of Wells Blue Bunny and its the only brand of ice cream that comes into my house. A person who replied to Celsi's tweet asked what she bought instead, and the lawmaker wrote, "Ben and Jerry's. My husband asked me why I bought him the hippie ice cream. LOL" Some replies to Celsi's tweet were critical. One person wrote, "Im not a fan of Rep King, but 'Wells' employs a lot of Iowans, many of which have few options of where to be employed. Ben & Jerrys is tasty, but lets try to consider Iowa made options. Thelmas, Whiteys, AE, and others." Last October, King pushed back against a specialty ice cream flavor being created for his political opponent by the founders of the national Ben & Jerry's brand, saying Le Mars-based Blue Bunny ice cream is better. King won re-election in Iowa's 4th Congressional District against J.D. Scholten, a Democrat from Sioux City. King tweeted his view on ice cream: "No way does Ben & Jerrys ice cream beat Wells Blue Bunny, (maybe in Bernie Sanders Vermont) but NEVER in OUR Iowa. Sweet Freedom makes Bunny Tracks all over JDs B&Js." Back in July 2011, a boycott aimed at Blue Bunny products was launched via Facebook account, over outrage that Mike Wells and other Wells family members donated a combined $430,000 to the three (2002, 2006 and 2010) gubernatorial campaigns of Bob Vander Plaats, a Republican who at the time lived in Sioux City. That movement by the Boycott Blue Bunny Facebook account was aimed at Vander Plaats because he leads a group that led the push to unseat three Iowa Supreme Court justices. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 12 Funny 12 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 18 SGGP Investment & Finance presents some excerpts of Nguyen Thien Nhans analysis on the many advantages that Ho Chi Minh City could offer investors. Besides a favorable investment environment, enterprises also need a large enough consumer population which will later use their products and services. This already is an advantageous factor in Ho Chi Minh City for serious investors. Mr. Nguyen Thien Nhan, Secretary, Central Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, gave a speech at the Investment Conference held last week in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: VIET DUNG Huge purchasing power Ho Chi Minh City population is around 9.5mn people with current GDP per capita of USD 6,000, which is 2.5 times higher than the countrys average. The GDP per capita is expected to reach USD 7,000 by 2020. This means that the income of 9.5mn people in Ho Chi Minh City is equal to the income of 23mn Vietnamese people. This is a huge number of buyers. Hence, if products of enterprises are good quality they will sell to a large number of willing customers or in case of product surplus, Ho Chi Minh City can even export them. Ho Chi Minh City population is around 9.5mn people with current GDP per capita of USD 6,000, which is 2.5 times higher than the countrys average. The GDP per capita is expected to reach USD 7,000 by 2020. This means that the income of 9.5mn people in Ho Chi Minh City is equal to the income of 23mn Vietnamese people. This is a huge number of buyers. Hence, if products of enterprises are good quality they will sell to a large number of willing customers or in case of product surplus, Ho Chi Minh City can even export them. Ho Chi Minh City will simultaneously implement many projects such as six routes of the metro, a ring road and a high way. If the transportation constraints are not resolved, economic growth will be impacted. The population density of Ho Chi Minh City is six times higher than the countrys average. The GDP per sq. km is 14 times the countrys average. Vehicular traffic and product transportation is very high, hence any bottlenecks in transportation will consequently lead to congestion and slow economic growth. Within a radius of 100km from Ho Chi Minh City Center, there are other 8 provinces which make up the key national economic zone in the South. These 8 provinces have population of 20mn people, and GDP per capita 2.1 times higher than the countrys average. The income of these people is equivalent to the income of about 42mn Vietnamese people. This is another advantage of Ho Chi Minh City. Within a radius of 100km from Ho Chi Minh City Center, there are other 8 provinces which make up the key national economic zone in the South. These 8 provinces have population of 20mn people, and GDP per capita 2.1 times higher than the countrys average. The income of these people is equivalent to the income of about 42mn Vietnamese people. This is another advantage of Ho Chi Minh City. If we assume that about 20% of these 8 provinces population are middle class, having average income of USD 10,000 per year, we will have 4mn of high-income people. This is the potential clientele for enterprises that are considering investing in Ho Chi Minh City for consumer products and services. Abundant labor resources The first benefit for enterprises investing in Ho Chi Minh City as well as Vietnam is cheaper and abundant labor force. Vietnams work force is around 54mn people, equivalent to 55% of the countrys population which is 97mn people. Furthermore, over the last 14 years Vietnam has successfully been able to maintain the ratio of two babies per family. Note that in other countries, this ratio can only be maintained for three years. Three years ago, the Political Bureau issued a resolution on methods to build a sustainable growth in population, create a good living environment to encourage people to continue delivering two babies per household in next sixteen years, so as to meet a plan for a golden population structure. By 2030, Vietnams population is estimated to reach 103mn people with approximately 58mn in the labor force. Labor cost in Vietnam is cheaper than in other countries. Ho Chi Minh City currently has 59 universities and colleges with about 600,000 students. Every year about 150,000 students graduate from these universities. Ho Chi Minh City also has 535 science and technology research units. This is also another benefit for investors. However, though Ho Chi Minh really wants to build some national and regional level projects, it is a pity that the City is running out of land. Hence, the City is finding ways to incorporate people who own land with investors, to complete some projects. We need big land banks in the inner City areas to develop. Mr. Nguyen Thien Nhan, Secretary, Central Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, visited the enterperises in Saigon Hi-Tech Park. Photo: HOANG HUNG Smart digital city Ho Chi Minh City is building a strategy to develop into a modern digital smart city with a vibrant economy. The hope is that whenever people talk about Ho Chi Minh City they will immediately think of a modern digital smart city with happy residents. Ho Chi Minh City is building a strategy to develop into a modern digital smart city with a vibrant economy. The hope is that whenever people talk about Ho Chi Minh City they will immediately think of a modern digital smart city with happy residents. Ho Chi Minh City plans to build more high-tech industrial zones to meet with increasing investor demand. This year, construction will begin at one 600ha industrial zone with target for completion by 2020. To achieve this objective, Ho Chi Minh City has to provide the best infrastructure at the earliest and apply 5G telecommunication technology by next year. Accordingly, Ho Chi Minh City has to lead in digitalizing all City resources to meet the demand of both investors and residents and thereby also improve productivity. To achieve this objective, Ho Chi Minh City has to provide the best infrastructure at the earliest and apply 5G telecommunication technology by next year. Accordingly, Ho Chi Minh City has to lead in digitalizing all City resources to meet the demand of both investors and residents and thereby also improve productivity. Currently, Ho Chi Minh plans to construct a highly creative city hub in the east of downtown area. The current plan has begun by choosing a consultor for this project. There are six foreign and one domestic consultor already lined up for consideration in the first round. The City targets to retain one or two of the best and most suitable consultors. By the beginning of 2020, Ho Chi Minh City is scheduled to present a master plan to develop this smart city hub in the east. The area covers 22,000ha and will serve one million people. It will be the biggest area in Vietnam in terms of university community, with 12 universities, 70,000 students and 5,000 lecturers. Ho Chi Minh City plans to make this area as the most sophisticated high-tech zone in Vietnam, and a move has already been made to study and incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all systems as well. In all its endeavors to develop into a smart digitalized society, Ho Chi Minh City will not forget basic needs of its people, their need for a better environment and quality of life, hence a study is ongoing on how to grow more trees appropriate for the location and weather conditions, and also plans for more nature parks to make it a green city. DO TRA GIANG (reported) SIOUX CITY -- U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, will appear in two Siouxland public events on Saturday. Ernst is continuing her annual project to have stops in all 99 Iowa counties. She will hold a town hall meeting, with questions coming from the audience, at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Storm Lake High School auditorium, 621 Tornado Drive, in Storm Lake. Later in the day in Sioux County, Ernst will participate in the Orange City Tulip Festival. The festival parade begins at 2:15 p.m. Ernst, who was elected in 2014, will also tour a facility in Le Mars, but that is not a public event. 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 -- Thirty years ago, a one-time Missouri River tow boat became one of Iowas most unique welcome centers. The Sergeant Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center will host two events in conjunction with its May 15, 1989, opening. An open house will be held on Wednesday with cake and refreshments from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. At noon Saturday, Tom Munson, Sioux City Public Museum Archives Manager, will present The History of the M.V. Sergeant Floyd. The M.V. Sgt. Floyd was built in 1932 to perform light towing, survey and inspection work along the Missouri River. After the boat was decommissioned, city leaders brought it to Sioux City. It became a state tourist welcome center and river museum in 1989, according to a news release from the Sioux City Public Museum. The Welcome Center saw 20,434 visitors from every U.S. state and Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, China and Spain in Fiscal Year 2018. The Sergeant Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center is located on the riverfront at 1000 Larsen Park Road, Exit 149, Sioux City. It is a site of the Sioux City Public Museum. For more information, contact the Sergeant Floyd River Museum and Welcome Center at (712) 279-0198 or visit siouxcitymuseum.org. 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 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. EAST HARLEM, NY (WPIX) -- Armando Markaj, a waiter at Patsy's Pizzeria in East Harlem for nine years, returned a cashiers check worth nearly $424,000 to the retired social worker who lost it even though she failed to tip him after her meal. While Markaj was working last Saturday, May 4, the woman, who was eating lunch at the restaurant, had an issue with the restaurant's famed photo wall, he told PIX11 News. "She goes, 'Question. Why is there not too many women on the wall?'" Markaj recalled. Not sure how to react, Markaj said he jokingly replied to the woman, "Well, maybe women don't eat pizza. Summer is coming." The customer apparently didn't find Markaj's response amusing. When he returned to clean off the table he discovered she had stiffed him on the tip, writing "well women don't tip, either," on the bill. Markaj also found a bank envelope left behind on the table. The waiter ran outside but the customer was gone. He opened the envelope and got a shock, seeing the cashiers check worth nearly half a million dollars. The waiter said he brought the check to the restaurant's owner. At first they waited for the woman to return looking for the check, but when she didn't, they managed to track her down a few days later. A relieved Karen Vinacour was reunited with her check on Wednesday. It contained proceeds from her apartment sale, earmarked for a down payment on a new home. "She got here within 10, 15 minutes. She was here actually crying, she was like, nervous," the owner told PIX11. Vinacour had not tipped the waiter after her meal. She tried to rectify that but he graciously declined. "She apologized. The apology was accepted," said Markaj, who's working his way throughs school. "She offered to tip me, but it was... You know what, I did it for the sake of myself, so I'm not taking the tip now," he added. PIX11's Alicia Nieves spoke to the woman who lost the check and she said last Saturday was a stressful day for her. She said she regrets not tipping the waiter, but is very grateful that he did the right thing. The woman added that, in a twist of fate, she thinks she'll now be friends with the waiter for life. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In recent days, land prices have skyrocketed in many provinces, as investors are affected by uncertain news spread by real estate agents, convinced of a profitable outcome when they buy the lands near public structures that are planned to be built. Land prices in areas neighboring HCMC skyrocketed The Northwestern area of HCMC recently saw a rise in land prices, namely areas around district 12 and many areas along Highway 22. In particular, a front-street housing project called Shophouse project, announced by My Van Real Estate Company in An Suong crossroads, has seen the highest rate of VND103 million (US$4,402) a square meter. According to Sai Gon Giai Phong reporters, this development is merely due to the news that the construction of HCMC - Moc Bai (Tay Ninh province) Highway was discussed among the citys leaders. On the Eastside of town, lands prices also rose sharply after words got out that a meeting was held between city officials to discuss the Cat Lai bridge project connecting District 2 in HCMC with Nhon Trach District in Dong Nai province. The current price for residential land along Cat Lai Port and Dong Van Cong Street is VND25-40 million a square meter, and VND8-10 million a square meter on average in Nhon Trach district. Agricultural land price in the same area ranges from VND2.5-3 million a square meter. Around the Long Thanh airport project which covers an area of 100 square meters, each lot costs from VND 700 million to VND 1 billion. In Thuan An town, Binh Duong province, real estate prices skyrocketed when people heard that this town was to be promoted to provincial level. Most areas at the center of the town have their prices increased by 20- 40 percent. The current price ranges from VND27-40 million per square meter. At locations adjacent to supermarkets and industrial parks, the price is VND37 million per square meter. The prices of areas adjacent to the National Highway 13 increased to 150 percent after only a few months. In Tan An City, Long An province, a standard lot for residential use (5m wide, 20 - 30m long) costs from VND1-1.8 billion. Lands and pre-built houses in residential and urban projects can cost from VND 2.5-6 billion and still see a large number of buyers. In the districts of Ben Luc, Duc Hoa, and Can Giuoc, just to name a few, land prices still continue to rise. Even lots located in undesirable spots are suddenly being sought after due to rumors that lands in these districts, along with future major traffic projects such as the Ben Luc - Long Thanh highway, will be assigned to HCMCs territory. Land prices in many other provinces also skyrocketed In Lam Dong, the Ministry of Transport has just agreed to deploy the Dau Giay - Lien Khuong expressway with a total length of over 200 kilometers, starting at Dau Giay, Thong Nhat district (Dong Nai province) and ending at Prenn Pass, Da Lat city (Lam Dong province). The project has a capital investment of VND 65 trillion. Despite the news on the position of the expressway being unfixed, real estate investors have begun to promote areas that they speculate the highways to pass through, causing land prices around here to be raised. Being a coastal town with plenty of room for development, the Ba Ria - Vung Tau real estate market has experienced doubled the number of business dealings on lands. According to experts of Binh Dinh Real Estate Association, the price of lands in Quy Nhon City has become 5 times their actual value. The area with highest prices is currently lands facing streetfronts, with a starting price of VND200 250 million per square meter. In Nhon Ly beach commune, the land price in 2006 was only VND1 - 3 million per square meter with almost no potential buyers; now it is VND30 - 35 million per square meter. Since Lunar New Year, Da Nang city has continuously experienced price fever, especially in Golden Hills ecological urban area in Lien Chieu district. According to real estate consultants, the value of 125 per square meters of land is between VND28-30 million per square meter. Real estate agents, however, has boasted prices up to nearly VND5 billion per lot. Reasons for this are that the key projects in the area, such as Lien Chieu Port, Information Technology Park, and High-Tech Park are all being initiated. In Dien Ban town, Quang Nam province, news about the governments plan to launch plans for university complex, or the new Dien Nam - Dien Ngoc urban area has also become an opportunity for speculators to boast land prices. In Hue, the proposal of To Huu road project extending to Phu Bai airport was approved by the Thua Thien - Hue Provincial People's Committee in 2017. Though the project has not yet commenced, real estate agents have since exploited this info to boast land prices in zoned areas adjacent to the project, raising prices up to VND20 million per square meter. In northern provinces, the Van Don area in Quang Ninh has been the "focal point" of the real estate market. After the government requested for special economic zones to be constructed, Van Don real estate market soared. This flux temporarily cooled down around July 2016, when the Congress decided to delay the passing of Special Zone Law. However, the rush started again from the beginning of 2019, because a series of transport infrastructure works have been built, including Van Don international airport, and Ha Long - Van Don - Mong Cai international highway. Many more projects are also being planned, such as Van Don main road with a width of 58 meters, and the deep-water industrial port near Cai Bau island. Investors are at real risks during this real estate gold rush, especially ones investing in foundation lands. According to experts, after years of focusing on investing in major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, the inner urban land budget of these areas has become very limited. Moreover, prolonged investment procedures also cause difficulties in supply. By staff writers Translated by Thao Nhien Battle Analysis: The Battle of Kings Landing The Battle of Kings Landing has ended with the city in ruins and Targaryen Restorationist forces triumphant. The Targaryens (Team Dragon) won a decisive victory primarily through the use of a dragon to first destroy the fortifications of the city, then to incinerate its defenders (and other inhabitants). Lannister forces (Team Lion) were completely defeated despite access to elite infantry, an effective naval force, and substantial anti-air artillery. Team Dragons victory was as impressive in its speed as in its completeness. Assaulting the walls of fortified cities rarely goes quickly and rarely goes well. Stannis Baratheons forces failed to breach Kings Landing during the Battle of the Blackwater, despite a crushing numerical advantage. Real-world situations have played out in similar fashion; during the 1453 Siege of Constantinople, the Ottomans enjoyed a 9:1 advantage, and yet the battle still lasted 53 days. The 1099 Siege of Jerusalem lasted 37 days, despite a similar Crusader advantage. Team Dragon, on the other hand, appears to have won the battle in one morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What happened after that battlethe sack and burning of Kings Landinghas been the subject of much morning-after debate. Many ascribe the actions of the leader of Team Dragon, Daenerys Targaryen, to a kind of madness. Yet as we teach at the United States Army War College, political considerations infuse military strategy: Viewing her actions through that lens suggests the destruction of Kings Landing may serve Targaryen purposes. Team Dragon Team Dragon entered the fight battered and bruised from the Battle of Winterfell. Much of the Dothraki cavalry had fallen in the fight against the Night King, although a larger portion seem to have survived than initial estimates allowed. Team Dragon also had access to well-trained, disciplined infantry in the form of the Unsullied, and experienced feudal infantry drawn from the North and elsewhere in the Seven Kingdoms. Most importantly, Team Dragon had possession of the dragon Drogon, the last such creature to survive after Euron Greyjoy and the Iron Fleet pulled off an improbable (some would say absurd) ambush of Rhaegal off Dragonstone. Advertisement Advertisement Team Dragons ground forces stormed the city and induced the civilians and the remnants of Team Lions infantry to surrender. Then things got complicated. Normally, such a force would be expected to undertake a siege, forcing Kings Landing to surrender without an assault or at least weakening the resolve of the defenders. However, Team Lion had won control of the sea and could maintain supply lines to the city indefinitely. This necessitated an assault, although normally a lengthy artillery barrage against the walls and works of the city would have preceded such an attack. An alternative strategy would have involved attempting to undermine the financial stability of Team Dragon by undercutting its credit, but this effort would have taken time, and it is unclear whether Team Dragon gave it serious consideration. Finally, Team Dragon defectors infiltrated the city, intending to either decapitate or demoralize Team Lion; though they were not working on Team Dragons behalf, their objectives aligned with Team Dragons goals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Given the decision to assault, Team Dragons primary tactical problem was to use Drogon to destroy or disrupt for the fortifications of the city, and kill or panic as much defending infantry as possible. Scorpions, ballistae developed by Hand of the Queen Qyburn, posed the primary threat to Drogon. Friendly forces would need to eliminate or neutralize these weapons as rapidly as possible in order to ensure Drogons safety. Team Lion Team Lions most important asset was the walls of Kings Landing, which were not impervious to assault but nevertheless posed a formidable obstacle. Team Lion also controlled extensive elite infantry, embodied in the sworn swords of House Lannister, the Gold Cloaks of Kings Landing, and the mercenary Golden Company. This gave Team Lion enough confidence to deploy its infantry outside the city wallsprepared to offer battle against the conventional forces of Team Dragon but able to retreat if such combat went poorly. Advertisement Advertisement Earlier in the campaign, Kings Landing was extremely vulnerable to a siege. But the victories of the Iron Fleet over the naval forces of Team Dragon mean that Team Lion could maintain maritime access to the city, thus keeping it supplied. Moreover, the Iron Fleet had demonstrated a sufficiently lethal air defense to resist dragon attacks. Consequently, Kings Landing would remain fed as long as Team Lion could pay for food. Advertisement Advertisement Team Lions anti-aircraft artillery offered an answer to the problem of Drogon. This artillery, equipped on the ships of the Iron Fleet, had slain one dragon and deterred further immediate attacks. The artillery was also effective against ships and presumably against siege engines. A killing shot against Drogon would probably end the war, eliminating Team Dragons most lethal asset and also likely killing Queen Daenerys Targaryen. Advertisement Advertisement Get Slate Culture in Your Inbox We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. The Course of Battle In the event, Daenerys Targaryen decided to tackle the problem of the scorpions head on. The tactics that had worked so well in ambush of Rhaegal failed to defeat a prepared opponent. Drogon approached the Iron Fleet out of the sun, then maneuvered at low altitude to limit the ability of scorpion operators to track and fire. The ships of the Iron Fleet could not resist dragonfire. Drogon then worked his way along the city walls, destroyed the main gate, and incinerated a large contingent of Team Lions infantry in the field. The walls breached and the defenders in disarray, Team Dragons ground forces stormed the city and induced the civilians and the remnants of Team Lions infantry to surrender. Then things got complicated. Advertisement In his seminal work Arms and Influence, Thomas Schelling cites the aftermath of fall of Jerusalem in 1099, when a Crusader chronicler related that the slaughter was so great that our men waded in blood up to their ankles. Similar stories of brutal sacks abound in medieval and ancient literature, to the point that Shakespeare (also cited by Schelling) dramatizes Henry Vs threats against the town of Harfleur: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whiles yet my soldiers are in my command; Whiles yet the cool and temperate wind of grace Oerblows the filthy and contagious clouds Of heady murder, spoil and villany. If not, why, in a moment look to see The blind and bloody soldier with foul hand Defile the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters; Your fathers taken by the silver beards, And their most reverend heads dashd to the walls, Your naked infants spitted upon pikes, Whiles the mad mothers with their howls confused Advertisement Advertisement Sacks, in short, are nothing new. Even Cersei spoke to Sansa about the horrors of a sack during the Battle of the Blackwater. But what happened to Kings Landing went rather beyond a sack. Team Dragons forces entered the city in good order and appeared on the verge of accepting Team Lions surrender. At this point, Queen Daenerys Targaryen determined to refuse the surrender, and burned large parts of the city to the ground. Team Dragons ground forces followed suit, slaughtering the surrendered soldiers of Team Lion and massacring unfortunate civilians. By midday, the city was in flames and ruins. Why Destroy Kings Landing? To appreciate what happened to Kings Landing, we need to move beyond the tactical and operational levels and think strategically. At the Army War College we think about strategy within an Ends-Ways-Means framework. Team Dragons Means include the army and the dragon; its Ways involve a siege or assault to destroy Cerseis forces. But its Ends are not just the capture and defeat of Cersei Lannister: They are installing Daenerys Targaryen on the Iron Throne and giving her the ability to rule all of Westeros. Advertisement Political considerations necessarily infuse strategic calculations. For Queen Daenerys Targaryen, seizure of Kings Landing and the deposition of the usurper Cersei no longer cuts it. Aegon Targaryen (Jon Snow) has a better claim to the throne; he has a base of operations, a narrative of legitimacy, and his own army. Even if Jon doesnt want to be King, people who dislike Daenerys will fight in his name. Dany is no longer the presumptive Targaryen heir and can no longer rely on her familys right to the throne. Advertisement Advertisement She can rely on Drogon, however. Her claim to the throne rests on demonstrating the power of her dragon. With Rhaegalthe dragon Jon had riddendead, she is uniquely capable of making such a claim. Daenerys need not be mad in order to see political value in burning Kings Landing to the ground. We impute a desire to burn things to hereditary mental instability in the Targaryens, but rational political calculation can lead her (and perhaps her Targaryen forebears) to the same conclusions. In terms that Thomas Schelling would surely appreciate, the destruction of Kings Landing represents a message of commitment on the part of Daenerys Targaryen to the Seven Kingdoms. It also represents her political maturation insofar as she is willing to do to Kings Landing what she could not imagine doing to the slaver-cities of Astapor and Yunkai. Wrap Thus, we cant think of the destruction of Kings Landing as an undisciplined sack in the same sense as Jerusalem in 1099. It is a purposeful act, meant to demonstrate the queens power in service of securing her claim to rulership over Westeros. Ironically, Kings Landing served as the first base and seat of power for Aegon the Conqueror, founder of the Targaryen dynasty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Daenerys Targaryens destruction of the city may win her the Iron Throne, but it has ominous implications for her future rule. Given that her power depends utterly on Drogon, it may also bode ill for the dragon. This article has been approved for public release in accordance with Carlisle Barracks Regulation No. 360-1 (Public Release of Information and Engagement) to ensure that it accurately portrays official policy and does not include classified information. The views expressed here are the personal views of Farley and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army, or the Army War College on the Battle of Kings Landing. Avast! Spoilers! From the moment the first shaky reports of a massacre in Kings Landing showed up in American newspapers, the usual college malcontents and professional bleeding hearts have been urging the United States to cut off military and financial aid to the Targaryen forces for their alleged human rights abuses. But taking the advice of these overly credulous left-wingers would be fatal to our efforts to promote democratic reforms in Westeros, and there are reasons to have serious doubts about the official story being promoted by pro-Lannister forces and their willing dupes in the media. Its more important now than ever that the United States stand strong with the common people of Westeros in their brave fight for freedom, no matter what the the common people of Westeros have to say about it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If a massacre on the scale that left-wing outlets are reporting had occurred, it would be understandable to put some of the blame on the U.S. After all, the Unsullied were trained at the School of the Americas, and the Dothraki learned to fight by carefully studying the way our film industry depicts Native Americans. Still, to proceed from the premise that the School of the Americas is some kind of a torture academy besmirches the reputation of illustrious graduates like Heriberto El Verdugo Lazcano, Roberto Blowtorch Bob DAubuisson, and Ramsay Bolton. And if theres anything wrong with basing your entire personality on a bunch of old westerns, its a good thing for all of us that nobody told Ronald Reagan. Still, tracing the causes of the so-called massacre is very much beside the point, because as this declassified cable from our embassy in Westeros shows, its not at all clear that it ever happened: Advertisement Advertisement Although it is not possible to prove or disprove excesses of violence against the civilian population of Kings Landing by Targaryen troops or dragons, it is certain that the Lannister forces who established defensive positions in the city did nothing to remove them from the path of battle, which they were aware was coming and had prepared for. Nor is there any evidence that those who remained attempted to leave. Civilians did die during the operation. But no evidence could be found to confirm that Targaryen forces systematically massacred civilians in the operation zone, or that the number of civilians killed even remotely approached the number being cited in other reports circulating internationally. Advertisement Theres nothing in that cable that suggests that the United States conducted a deliberately cramped investigation of the incident at Kings Landing, either out of a Peggy Noonanstyle belief that some things in life need to be mysterious or because making even a minimal effort to look into the situation would reveal evidence of a coldblooded slaughter that would make continued U.S. support of the Targaryens a political impossibility. It would be the height of political naivete to place more credence in the eyewitness accounts of the residents of Kings Landingknown Lannister sympathizersthan in the carefully vetted reports from the United States own intelligence services, which are much more trustworthy. Otherwise, we risk being manipulated into acting against our own interests and the interests of the residents of Kings Landing, who are the main people were concerned with hereby the Lannisters sophisticated, raven-based PR operation. Whatever happened at Kings Landing is being significantly misused, at the very least, by the Lannisters and their supporters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Get Slate Culture in Your Inbox We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. The conditions on the ground are complicated, we assume, although we will not be sending anyone to look into this in more detail. We know that many innocent civilians have been murdered by the Lannisters. We know that many have been murdered by the Targaryens and by the Starks. Anyone who studies the conditions of life in Westeros comes away sick at heart. Whos to say whats right and whats wrong anymore, really? Its important to keep in mind these wise words from Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Elliott Abrams prepared statement at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing about human rights abuses under the Targaryens: Advertisement Advertisement Our goal is not purity. We do not live in utopia. Our goal is effectiveness in a violent and bitterly divided area of the world. Once again, I would never argue that all those opposed to Queen Daenerys are Communists. I do argue, however, that extremists would take power and a regime would emerge which would impose a Communist dictatorship. Advertisement Advertisement Democracy in Westeros will not come without cost, and the growing pains will undoubtedly be painful, especially for alleged civilians who were allegedly in the wrong place at what allegedly turned out to be the wrong time and allegedly ended up burnt to an alleged crisp by an alleged dragon. But if the United States sticks to its principles, primarily the principle that sometimes its better to pretend that you dont realize youre propping up a murderous psychopath, we may one day see a new Westeros, a free Westeros, a Westeros that gives the United States access to a workforce of peasants wholl happily accept wages of pennies a day in exchange for not being burned alive by a dragon. And that will be a fabulous achievement. This recipe originally appeared on Food52. Is there a better way to start the day than buttered toast? Of course not. Maybe because it tastes sooo good. Or maybe because its the kind of recipe that requires next to no thinking. Or does it? The obvious instructions for buttered toast are: Butter toast. But what temperature is the butter? And what tool do you use to spread? And when do you spread? And when do you toast? If youre like us here at Food52, you have a lot of feelings about all of this 1. Toast the bread, then spread with straight-from-the-fridge butter. Use a butter knife. I grew up in a cold-butter house (and my parents have yet to change their ways). Letting the cold butter pat sit between two pieces of warm toast lessens toast damage. But, either way, youre gonna end up with torn-up toast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pretend the butter stick is like a glue stick. This idea came by way of our brilliant assistant editor of partner content Erin Alexander. Wait, you actually do this? I wondered. Maybe, she said. But does it work? Kind of! Good enough for me. Use a cheese slicer. According to the internet, this is a thing. A shaved sheet of butter will melt easier than a chunky hunk, sure. But do people actually do this in real life? You tell me. Use a cheese grater. Apparently also a thing. Ive grated cold butter in bakingfor flaky pastries like scones, pie crust, etc. But for toast? What a world. Use a Japanese butter knife. Now were talking. See those tiny holes? Those turn cold butter into softened curls, ready to glide onto warm toast. Plus, if youre having people over for brunchtalk about a party trick. Advertisement Advertisement Use a butter curler. Like the Japanese butter knife, this encourages cold-ish butter to spread onto toast with grace. Cute butter orbs: coming right up. 2. Toast the bread, then spread with room-temperature butter. Use a butter dish. Nothing fancy here. Think of it as a little butter houseusually fits one stick, stays on your countertop for when toast time strikes. My current go-to method. Advertisement Use a butter keeper. Its no secret that we here at Food52 love butter keepers. If youre wondering, Wait, whats a butter keeper? its a two-piece magician that holds butter over a little dish of water, which helps the butter stay silky-smooth and ultra-spreadable. 3. Spread the bread with room-temperature butter, then toast it. Follow the same room-temperature butter strategies listed above, but flip the order of application. This was the sworn-by strategy when I worked at Scratch Baking in Durham, North Carolina (and, let me tell you, a lot of buttered toast came out of that kitchen). Epicurious Digital Director David Tamarkin also preached the pros of this method in a recent article, saying the results are richer and crispier. (Think: more butter-soaking! A good thing.) The con? This method only works in a toaster oven, extra-hot oven, or broiler. 4. Melt the butter in a pan, then add the bread. Is this really toast? Or is it just fried bread? Who cares, says Senior Editor Eric Kim. Its good is what it is. I love melting butter in a pan (like, apply cold stick of butter to pan and melt off a tablespoon) and just toasting the bread in that, he told me. Its a certain taste, reminds me of the buttery toast they gave out with canned chicken noodle soup in elementary school. More from Food52: How Do You Like Your Butter? A Heated Debate The Bell-less, Whistle-less, Damn Good French Toast Beloved by 3,208 of Us 3 Simple (And Colorful) Spruce-Ups for Plain Old Toast Avocado + Crispy Kale + Tahini + Seasoning Salt Toast Pomegranate + Lox Toast Roasted Grape + Ricotta + Thyme Toast This post is part of Outward, Slates home for coverage of LGBTQ life, thought, and culture. Read more here. Its time to talk about Pap smears, guys. More specifically, if youre a man who has sex with other men, or MSM, you should consider talking to your medical provider about getting an anal Pap smear. Most men outside the medical profession probably have only a vague idea at best of what a Pap smear is in the first place. Its a screening test first developed for cervical cancer, known by a shortened version of its discoverers name. Its performed by collecting a small sample of cells from the cervix, which are then examined for changes in their structure that might be signs of precancerous states. By routinely screening and initiating treatment early, what was once a leading cause of death among women of childbearing age now ranks 14th in cancer frequency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent decades, the link between human papillomavirus and cervical cancer has been clearly established. The overwhelming majority of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV infection, with two strains of the virus causing over 70 percent of them. Which brings us back to the guys. We know that HPV infects cells that line the anal canal the same as it infects cells that line the cervix, Dr. Stephen Abbott told me. Abbott is a physician specializing in infectious diseases at Whitman-Walker Health, which offers comprehensive health and wellness services to LGBTQ people throughout the D.C. area. Abbott credits researchers in San Francisco and New York for recent efforts to promote early detection of anal cancer in patients who may be at increased risk, and for training medical providers in the procedures involved. But there isnt a clear consensus about which patients should be getting anal Pap smears. Advertisement Advertisement Routine screening is controversial, and there are no universally accepted guidelines, said Dr. Alfred Torrence, site medical director for Howard Brown Health, which serves LGBTQ patients at numerous locations throughout Chicago. Howard Brown Health has made the decision to screen certain subgroups of patients because we believe that early detection of anal cancer or precancerous areas will potentially circumvent greater morbidity and mortality associated with advanced anal cancer, Torrence told me. HPV is like glitter. It goes everywhere. Dr. Stephen Abbott While the idea of getting a Pap smear may be off-putting to a man, its not as alarming as it may sound. The patient lies on his side, and a swab is inserted a few centimeters into the anus, rotated, and then put into a liquid medium for later examination. Abbott hastened to assure me that its not painful. Advertisement When it comes to precisely which patients should get an anal Pap smear and when, there is some variation from center to center. Advertisement Advertisement I would definitely recommend it for any man who has sex with men or any woman (cis or trans) who has HIV, said Abbott. We know for sure that the risk of developing cancer when HIV-positive, regardless of whether youre MSM, cis, or a trans woman, is high enough that you should at least get an anal Pap once a year. Torrence told me, however, that Howard Brown Health doesnt routinely screen patients living with HIV under the age of 30, both because detected abnormalities do not tend to progress until that age, and because the recommended follow-up testing every six months can generate anxiety and what he called butt fatigue. Guidelines from Howard Brown Health from last year also recommend anal cancer screening for any woman over 30 who has had a high-grade precancerous lesion in her cervix, vulva, or vagina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While both centers recommend anal Pap screening even for HIV-negative MSM starting at age 40, they vary about which patients they advise to get it. Howard Brown Healths guidelines recommend screening more specifically for men who have had anally receptive sex (more commonly referred to as bottoming). Abbott, however, does not make that distinction. HPV is like glitter, he told me. It goes everywhere. Theyve done studies of women who have never had anal sex that have had HPV in their anal canal, probably just from friction and moisture. Exchange of fluid during any type of rigorous sex can lead to HPV getting in the anal canal. So, particularly if youre HIV-positive, even if you are a total top, you should still get an anal Pap because HPV could have made its way up there somewhere along the line. Advertisement One area of agreement is that anal Pap smears should not be offered by providers who cannot refer patients with positive findings for follow-up testing, known as high-resolution anoscopy. If there are cellular changes of concern, anoscopy allows for direct visualization and possible biopsy of any suspicious lesions. Advertisement The follow-up procedure sounds very invasive, but its not. You dont need local or general anesthesia, said Abbott. Its not like getting a colonoscopy. The person doing the procedure is only going 5 to 7 centimeters into the anal canal. I think a lot of people avoid it because theyre afraid of pain or discomfort and are unaware that its minimally invasive. Advertisement Of course, not everyone who could benefit from early screening has access to places like Howard Brown or Whitman-Walker, or providers trained in proper follow-up procedures. Men who are over 35 and HIV-positive and want to find someone close to them who is trained to perform appropriate screening tests for anal cancer can get more information by visiting the website for the Anchor Study. Advertisement Though there is not yet consensus on anal Pap screening for MSM, awareness of the issue is necessary for those who deliver medical care to the LGBTQ community. It highlights the need for LGBTQ health literacy to be included in medical school curricula, and for clinicians to keep abreast of our specific medical needs. Sexual or gender minorities can get wonderful care from a straight, cis medical provider; I have wonderful straight colleagues, and have gotten great care from straight doctors myself. But when those providers dont have access to new information about the needs of our community, their ignorance can cause our health to suffer. Worse, if doctors and other clinicians make LGBTQ patients too uncomfortable to even mention their sex lives, they are doing those patients harm. Advertisement With the advent of a safe, effective vaccine that can substantially reduce the risk of cancers caused by HPV, the recommendations for screening may change even more over time. (If you are a man who has sex with other men, even if youre older than the usual time frame for getting the HPV vaccine, ask your own medical provider if you would benefit from it anyway.) But for now, MSM should consider asking their doctors or other providers if anal Pap smears are appropriate for them. And if they dont feel comfortable asking about it, then they deserve better providers. Last week, Georgia passed the nations most extreme attack on Roe v. Wade, prohibiting abortion after six weeks and granting full legal personhood to fetuses. It is currently set to take effect in 2020. After Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the law, HB 481, I explained how it would allow prosecutors to file criminal charges against women who get abortions and even target women who miscarry. A number of prominent figures in politics and law, including Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, also described the dangers of this bill, with Harris correctly calling it a blatant attempt to criminalize a womans constitutionally protected right to make her own health care decision that would threaten women with years of jail time. But others on both sides of the partisan spectrum have suggested that this characterization was alarmist and incorrect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a technical matter, these criticisms are wrong: The law as written would do exactly what Harris and I described. Those who claim otherwise have either not read and understood the bills language or have other motivations for downplaying what this law would do if the courts dont strike it down firstwhich is the likely, but not inevitable, outcome. Journalists, though, should resist the temptation to uncritically adopt the narrative, pushed by both sides of this debate, that this bill cant possibly be as horrific as it sounds. As Georgia state Sen. Jen Jordan, an attorney and a Democratic opponent of the bill, told me on Friday, HB 481 is like a puzzle you have to put together by looking at the entire statutory regime. Journalists, scholars, and advocates on both sides cannot rely on the truisms and talking points that dominated the abortion debate for decades. HB 481 is a new and dangerous weapon, and it requires willful naivete to believe that it wont be used against women. Advertisement Advertisement The bills unprecedented nature has been dismissed by respectable publications for reasons that do not withstand scrutiny. On Saturday, Deanna Paul and Emily Wax-Thibodeaux published a Washington Post article describing my article as incorrect. Paul and Wax-Thibodeauxs piece is an excellent example of the muddled and credulous reporting over HB 481, and it is worth correcting their erroneous claims to illustrate the extreme nature of the Georgia bill in comparison with earlier abortion restrictions. At the start, its important to recognize that HB 481 is a radical departure from historical anti-abortion legislation. Before Roe, most laws regulating abortion penalized individuals who performed the procedure. Women were rarely prosecuted, but they were often threatened with imprisonment unless they testified against the provider who terminated their pregnancy. Fetuses were not considered persons, so abortion was not charged as murder; discrete statutes in each state created specific penalties for those found guilty of performing abortions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HB 481 is not a typical abortion ban. HB 481 is a different beast, in two major ways. First, the law explicitly expands the definition of abortion to encompass self-termination. Georgias earlier abortion law defined abortion as something that one person administers to or performs upon any woman. It was, in other words, something that one person does to another. HB 481 redefines abortion to be the act of using, prescribing, or administering any instrument, substance, device, or other means with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy. That means abortion includes something one person does to herself. A woman who takes misoprostol to induce miscarriage is administering a substance to terminate a pregnancy and is therefore liable under the law. This change is significant because self-termination is increasingly common: Women can easily purchase misoprostol, a drug designed to treat stomach ulcers that also ends pregnancies, on the internet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In case there were any doubt about the purpose of this revision, HB 481 includes a provision creating a defense for women who might be prosecuted under the law. It shall be an affirmative defense to prosecution under this article if [a] woman sought an abortion because she reasonably believed that an abortion was the only way to prevent a medical emergency, it declares. To state what should be obvious, women charged for undergoing abortions would not need an affirmative defense to prosecution if they could not be prosecuted in the first place. Paul and Wax-Thibodeaux do not explain why, exactly, they believe HB 481 immunizes women from prosecution. Instead, they cite Staci Fox, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast, and Carol Sanger, a scholar and reproductive rights advocate, to assert that HB 481 could not be used to successfully prosecute women. (There is no legal analysis to support this conclusory statement.) Moreover, Paul and Wax-Thibodeaux defer to Sangers speculation that if a woman had a miscarriage, she could be pulled into an investigation looking at whether someone performed an illegal abortion on her. Sangers concern was true of the older generation of abortion restrictions. But it fundamentally misapprehends HB 481, overlooking its direct impact on women. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Writing in National Review, David French, meanwhile, mounts a better-informed argument that the Georgia bill would not be used to prosecute women, but his argument fails as well. French points out that in Hillman v. State, the Georgia courts interpreted the abortion law to bar the prosecution of women suspected of self-terminating. Truebut Hillman involved the old law, which, again, criminalized the act of performing an abortion on someone else. HB 481 revises this definition to criminalize the act of self-termination too. Hillman can no longer be used to block the prosecution of women, because HB 481 supersedes it, redefining criminal abortion to encompass something a woman does to herself. French next cites Georgias feticide statute, which imposes special penalties on any individual who causes the death of a fetus by injuring a woman. This law, he points out, states that nothing in this Code section shall be construed to permit the prosecution of [a]ny woman with respect to her unborn child. French seems to believe that this immunity extends to any woman who ends her own pregnancy. But note the limiting language: Nothing in this Code section can be used to punish women with respect to her fetus. The law does not grant pregnant women immunity from prosecution under all circumstances; it grants immunity exclusively with regard to the feticide statute. Other sections of the code can still be used to prosecute womenlike the newly enacted provisions of HB 481. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now lets turn to the broader consequences of the Georgia law. Fox told the Post that news headlines that speculate about the bills unintended consequences areat the very leastnot productive. At most, theyre harmful. There is, however, a difference between harmful and untrue. And while Planned Parenthood has been in damage control mode since HB 481s passage, downplaying the effects of the bill in an apparent effort to calm Georgians, that does not mean journalists should unquestioningly repeat the organizations claims. Advertisement Advertisement The most startling provision of HB 481 grants full legal personhood to fetuses after about six weeks of pregnancy. It states that fetuses must be afforded due process and equal protection, and notes that they shall be included in population based determinations. The Georgia Office and Legislative Counselthe office that houses the state Legislatures own lawyershas already acknowledged some of the sweeping ramifications of this shift, writing that the fetuses of undocumented women may be entitled to state benefits that their mothers cannot legally use. Advertisement But there are other, more dire repercussions of granting personhood to fetuses: If fetuses are humans for the purposes of Georgia law, then abortion, including self-termination, is murder. A woman who plans and carries out the termination of her own fetus has caused the death of another human being in violation of Georgias murder statute. The penalty for this crime is life imprisonment or death. A woman who seeks out an illegal abortion from a provider may be party to a murder (penalty: life in prison); a woman who causes her own miscarriage from drinking or drugs may have committed second-degree murder (penalty: 10 to 30 years in prison); a woman who travels out of state to obtain a legal abortion may have engaged in a conspiracy to commit murder (penalty: 10 years in prison). Absolutely nothing in HB 481 clarifies that the killing of a human being does not constitute murder when that human is a fetus. To the contrary, the law erases the legal distinction between humans and fetuses. Advertisement Advertisement The argument that no woman suspected of self-termination would ever be charged with murder seems to assume that no prosecutor would dare use the law this way. This trust is misplaced. In 2015, a Georgia prosecutor charged a woman with malice murder, which is punishable by life in prison or death, after she used black-market misoprostol to induce a miscarriage; he only dropped the charges after deciding that the law on the books did not support the prosecution. At the time, after all, a fetus wasnt a human. Now a fetus will be a human under Georgia law. There is no legal reason why prosecutors cannot charge women who self-terminate with murder, exactly as one tried to do just a few years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Finally, lets turn to the Post articles most astounding claim: that HB 481 cannot possibly take effect because Roe v. Wade remains good law and thus cannot be overturned. I happen to agree that the courts will likely block the bill, as does state Sen. Jordan. But it is absurd to say that the bill cannot take effect because the Supreme Court is not permitted to overturn Roe. And yet, thats exactly what the Post incorrectly stated, writing, According to a doctrine known as stare decisis, judges are bound by precedent. They cannot overturn a case simply because new justices have joined the court. (The sentence was later changed without any noted correction). Ultimately, the belief that the Supreme Court cannot overturn a case simply because new justices have joined the court appears to lie at the core of the Posts assertion that HB 481 is really no threat at all to women who self-terminate. (Paul and Wax-Thibodeaux might be surprised to learn that SCOTUS overturned a 40-year-old precedent on Monday simply because new justices have joined the court, as Justice Stephen Breyer noted in dissent.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its important to ask: Why is the Post piece so riddled with errors? And why is Planned Parenthood taking the same view of HB 481 as David French, a fierce foe of abortion? The problem here seems to be that neither pro-choice or pro-life advocates want to recognize the potential repercussions of the bill, for very different reasons. Pro-life advocates recognize that the prosecution of women for abortion is public relations poison, and many earnestly wish to avoid that outcome. Pro-choice advocates like Planned Parenthood are contending with panicked, terrified patients, and seem to be seeking to soothe their fears. But journalists should not bury their heads in the sand and parrot activists dubious claims. HB 481 is not a typical abortion ban. The bill marks an effort to overhaul Georgias legal regime to grant fetuses the same protections as regular humans. It is foolish to pretend that the extreme provisions of this legislation could not lead to extreme results. The Georgia bill means what it says. And what it says opens the door to prosecution and imprisonment of Georgians who dare exercise control over their reproductive rights. During his tour of South Carolina last week, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg held a town hall at North Charleston High School, where the student body is 83 percent black in a city that is 47 percent black. According to a Politico reporter who was on the scene, very few people of color showed up in the sizable crowd. At a separate event in Orangeburg, where 76 percent of the population is black but 76 percent of Buttigiegs audience was not, the candidate acknowledged the obvious. Advertisement I need help, he said, just as in North Charleston when he implored attendees to find people who perhaps do not look like you and make sure that they are aware of this message and they are communicating to us how this campaign can best speak to them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The list of Democratic candidates who need to do a better job reaching black voters, who will play a major role in determining the presidential nominee once the opening contests in New Hampshire and Iowa have concluded, is pretty long. It includes, well, just about all of the candidates except for Joe Biden, whose dominant polling lead rests on an enviable coalition of African Americans and whites without college degrees. But the disparity in support is particularly acute for Buttigieg. Advertisement In a new poll of South Carolina Democratic voters conducted by the Post and Courier, Buttigieg grabs 8 percent of the vote, tied with Elizabeth Warren for fourth place. Kamala Harris, meanwhile, earns 10 percent and Bernie Sanders 15 percent, while Biden leads overall with 46 percent. Buttigiegs support, though, was at 18 percent among white votersand zero among black voters. Post & Courier SC Dem poll by race: White Biden 38% Buttigieg 18% Sanders 16% Warren 11% Harris 9% Booker 2% Klobuchar 2% ORourke 2% Bennet 1% Delaney 1% Gabbard 1% Yang 1% Black Biden 58% Sanders 15% Harris 12% Warren 5% Booker 5% Yang 3% Abrams 2% ORourke 1% Buttigieg 0% Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) May 13, 2019 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You cannot win a Democratic presidential primary if you do poorly among black voters, and the prevailing mathematical consensus holds that zero is a poor polling number. A South Carolina Democratic primary trouncing, regardless of how well a candidate did in Iowa or New Hampshire, is often the prelude to a permanent delegate hole, as it was for Hillary Clinton in 2008 and Bernie Sanders in 2016. Super Tuesday arrives just three days after next years South Carolina primary, and its top prizes will include California, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Alabama. Someone will find him or herself with a nice little delegate lead following Super Tuesday, and its probably going to be the candidate who earns significantly better than zero-percent support among nonwhite voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Buttigieg says, correctly, that he needs to put in far more time earning the trust of South Carolina voters (though this is not just a South Carolina problem for him). He also says that he starts from an inherently weaker position than Biden, Harris, or Cory Booker. If Im a black voter, I am going to have more trust automatically with a candidate who is a candidate of color, and some candidates, Im going to feel like I know because Ive observed them over 10, 20 or 30 years, he said in South Carolina, according to CNN. To have somebody who comes on the scene who is not a candidate of color and who has also not been a national figure for years, it means weve got to do in a matter of months, that same kind of trust building and relationship building work. Indeed, it will take a little more work than lunching with Al Sharpton. On Monday, in a 54 ruling, the Supreme Court overturned a 40-year-old precedent for the simple reason that five conservative justices didnt like it. The decision itself is unfortunate, allowing states to duck lawsuits filed against them in other states courts at the expense of wronged plaintiffs. But the most significant aspect of the ruling may be its cavalier treatment of precedent, whichas the dissenting justices noted in a not-so-veiled warningsignals how the majority seems to be laying the groundwork for the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Advertisement Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt, Mondays case, revolves around a California auditors disturbing investigation of Gilbert P. Hyatt. The California Franchise Tax Board alleged that Hyatt lied about the date of his move from California to Nevada to escape California income taxes. It sent an auditor, Sheila Cox, to his home in Nevada, where she peered through his windows, scrutinized his trash, and examined his mail. Cox allegedly became obsessed with Hyatt and vowed to get that Jew bastard. She enlisted his ex-wife and estranged members of his family against him. Meanwhile, the board released his address and Social Security number to several newspapers, and sent 100 letters to third parties demanding information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tax dispute is (somehow) still pending before the California Office of Tax Appeals. But in 1998, Hyatt sued the board in Nevada state court for its abusive actions in the course of the audit. A jury eventually awarded Hyatt $490 million in damages, which the Nevada Supreme Court reduced to $1 million. The board appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, urging it to overrule Nevada v. Hall, a 1979 decision holding that individuals can sue a state in the courts of a different state. But after Justice Antonin Scalia died, the court split 44 on overturning Hall, keeping it on life support. Instead, it directed Nevada courts to apply the same damages cap to the California board that it would to a Nevada agency: $50,000. Advertisement Advertisement After Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh joined the court, the California board appealed again, begging the conservative majority to kill Hall once and for all. And on Monday, in an opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas, it did just that. Throwing 40 years of precedent out the window, Thomas wrote that states have sovereign immunity from private lawsuits brought in courts of other states. Nevada courts thus have no authority to try the California board, a state agency, or impose penalties for its abuses. Hyatt is out of luck. Thomas opinion is remarkable for two reasons. First, it fails to identify a specific provision in the Constitution to support this sweeping new grant of sovereign immunity. Thats because there is none. This new rule may please supporters of states rightsbut as Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted at oral arguments, the Framers didnt put it in the Constitution. Advertisement Remember these words, because they will surely be rehashed if the same five justices decide to overturn Roe. To locate it, then, Thomas relied not on the plain text of the Constitution but upon its history and structure. Americas founding charter, Thomas wrote, imposed implicit alterations to the States relationships with each other. It embeds interstate sovereign immunity within the constitutional design. Thomas cited numerous provisions [that] reflect this reality, a smorgasbord of clauses that do not directly support interstate sovereign immunity. Yet taken together, he insisted, the text, history, and structure of the Constitution bestows equal dignity and sovereignty to states. And this sovereignty includes immunity from private lawsuits brought in other states courts. Advertisement Advertisement It is unusual, to say the least, for conservative justices to rely upon the Constitutions penumbras and emanationsimplicit constitutional protections derived from explicit guaranteesto fashion a legal rule. But the second noteworthy aspect of Hyatt may overshadow its atextual analysis. Thomas cast aside Hallwhich, again, has been the law of the land for four decadeswith startling indifference. Noting that stare decisis, or adherence to precedent, is not an inexorable command, Thomas devoted just three paragraphs to his dismissal of Hall. The decision, he wrote, failed to account for the historical understanding of state sovereign immunity and failed to consider how the Constitution reordered the States relationships with one another. Its also an outlier in our sovereign immunity jurisprudence, particularly when compared to more recent decisions, which renders it suspect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for the concern that Americans have relied upon Hall for 40 years? We acknowledge that some plaintiffs, such as Hyatt, have relied on Hall, Thomas wrote, and now Hyatt unfortunately will suffer the loss of two decades of litigation expenses and a final judgment against the Board for its egregious conduct. But thats just too bad, because in virtually every case that overrules a controlling precedent, the party relying on that precedent will incur the loss of litigation expenses and a favorable decision below. Those case-specific costs are not among the reliance interests that would persuade us to adhere to an incorrect resolution of an important constitutional question. Remember these words, because they will surely be rehashed if the same five justices decide to overturn Roe. In dissent, Justice Stephen Breyer acknowledged as much. Overruling precedent typically requires a special justification, Breyer wrote, but the majority does not find one. Instead, it merely decides that Hall was wrongly decided and should go. The law has not changed significantly since this Court decided Hall, Breyer pointed out, nor has our understanding of state sovereign immunity evolved to undermine Hall. All that has changed is the composition of the court. He added: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To overrule a sound decision like Hall is to encourage litigants to seek to overrule other cases; it is to make it more difficult for lawyers to refrain from challenging settled law; and it is to cause the public to become increasingly uncertain about which cases the Court will overrule and which cases are here to stay. It is dangerous, Breyer concluded, to overrule a decision only because five Members of the court disagree with it. Todays decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the Court will overrule next. And if there were any doubt which cases Breyer was alluding to in this dark denouement, he cited the portion of Planned Parenthood v. Casey that explained why Roe should be upheld. The justice has hoisted a red flag, alerting the country that the courts conservative majority is preparing an assault on the right to abortion access. Advertisement At his confirmation hearings, Kavanaugh touted the importance of precedent, declaring that stare decisis is rooted right into the Constitution itself. He also described Roe as precedent entitled to respect. But on Monday, he demonstrated just how much respect he affords to precedent he disagrees with: none at all. Hall was just a few years younger than Roe and has been subjected to far less conservative criticism and attack in the lower courts. If Kavanaugh wont uphold Hall, why should we expect him to uphold Roe? The answer, of course, is that we shouldnt. Thomas opinion in Hyatt, which Kavanaugh joined in full, puts Roe in imminent danger by reducing stare decisis to a meek suggestion to be jettisoned at the majoritys whim. As Breyer implies, the court seems to be readying its rollback of Roe. The question now is just how far the conservatives will go. Prosecutors in Sweden have reopened the rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the request of the alleged victim a month after Assange was forcefully removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and jailed in the United Kingdom, prosecutors announced Monday. The move could make it harder for the U.S. to extradite Assange on hacking-related charges. Assange, who from 2012 until April had been living in the embassy to avoid extradition on rape charges, is currently serving a 50-week prison sentence in London for jumping bail in that case seven years ago. The Swedish prosecutors have said they will seek extradition after Assange has finished that sentence. The U.K. will then have to decide whether to extradite Assange to Sweden or the United States. Advertisement The rape and sexual assault allegations stem from Assanges visit to the country in 2010. Swedish prosecutors filed the preliminary charges in 2010, but when it sought Assange for questioning, Assanges legal team said it believed he would be passed along to the U.S. on charges related to WikiLeaks. Assange then sought political asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy. The rape allegation couldnt be pursued while he was living in the embassy, and eventually Sweden dropped the charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But on Monday, Eva-Marie Persson, Swedens deputy director of public prosecutions, said in a press conference that there is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape and that it was my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required. Advertisement The rape charge expires in August 2020a deadline that could be missed if Assange is extradited to the U.S. An alleged sexual misconduct charge against Assange was already dropped when the statute of limitations expired. Assange insists he is innocent on both charges. In the U.S., Assange faces charges of hacking into a Pentagon computer in connection to the 2010 publication of a trove of Iraq war documents and diplomatic cables leaked by Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. While Assange is not being charged for the publication of the leaked documents, prosecutors have argued that he broke the law when he helped Manning crack a password on Defense Department computers in order for her to gain access to the classified documents. For the charge of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, he would face a maximum of five years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement But the U.K., in weighing whether to extradite Assange to the U.S., could become less inclined to prioritize the United States extradition request if it finds the charges to be politically motivated or if it believes the U.S. will charge Assange with additional crimes related to his publication of U.S. secrets. Assange had been under investigation for potentially more severe crimes such as espionage, the publication of sensitive government documents, and coordination with Russia after WikiLeaks released thousands of stolen emails from the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta, Hillary Clintons campaign chairman. The emails were obtained by Russian hackers under the supervision of the Russian government for the purpose of influencing the outcome of the 2016 election. Listen to the show in Apple Podcasts, another podcast player, or the player below. Linda Taylor was surrounded. On Feb. 25, 1976, a phalanx of cameras converged on the Cadillac-driving welfare queen outside her latest court hearing. Taylor, whod been charged with dozens of counts of theft and perjury, was wearing a full-length black fur coat as she strode purposefully away from the Chicago Civic Center. A member of the press shouted, Howd you do, Linda? She hesitated for a second before spitting back her answer: Well, compared to some of you white people, I think I done pretty damn good to be black. Advertisement The transaction was complete. Taylor got to show she was unbowed. The camera crews got the sound bite they needed from the nations most colorful villainthe woman who, Ronald Reagan declared repeatedly during his 1976 presidential run, had stolen an astounding $150,000 in public aid money in a single year. What the cameras didnt see was the detective trailing behind the crowd. Jack Sherwin was planning to arrest Taylor for burglary. When the detective entered Taylors South Side apartment later that day, he found an electric can opener and a portable color television, both of which had been reported stolen. He also found a pair of children, a 7-year-old and a 5-year-old, who were dressed in tattered clothes and appeared downcast and dirty. They were obvious victims of neglectthere werent even beds for them to sleep in. Advertisement Advertisement Sherwin had been on Taylors trail for more than a year. Hed been the one to find multiple welfare identification cards in her home, instigating her arrest and prosecution for stealing government checks. Sherwin had also suspected that Taylor was responsible for more serious crimes. But despite what he saw in her apartment that day, Sherwin wouldnt be able to change the public narrative around the Chicago welfare queen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These two scenes, the one caught by the cameras and the one the detective found behind closed doors, capture how the story of Linda Taylor was and wasnt told. Taylors brash attitude and flashy clothes made her an easy target for politicians and journalists. And yet, her most troubling acts drew little interest or attention. Advertisement Linda Taylor was a villain and a victim, and she abused others just as she was abused. The more I learned about these distortions and elisions, the more important I thought it was to assemble a fuller, more honest account of Taylors life. In 2013, I published a piece in Slate laying out how shed been fashioned into the welfare queen, and how her non-welfare-related crimeskidnappings and even possibly murderswere ignored. That essay left a bunch of big questions unresolved. Why was it this woman who became the template for a vicious, racist stereotype? Where did she come from, and what were the forces that shaped her? Who was the real Linda Taylor? Ive spent the past six years trying to answer those questions. My new book The Queen, as well as my podcast of the same name, explains how the Taylor legend began and fleshes out the real person behind one of our countrys most enduring symbols of sloth and greed. In the podcast, youll hear how a journalist who specialized in exposing government corruption introduced Taylor to the world, causing more damage with his coverage than he may have ever realized. Youll also hear how Taylor made life difficult for those trying to defend her. As one of the attorneys who represented her in the 1970s told me, She needed to be able to thumb her nose at society. There was this need to be defiant. Advertisement Advertisement Taylor never gave a full accounting of who she was and what shed done, and her chroniclers showed more interest in caricaturing Taylor than in finding her humanity. This podcast is an attempt to address those gaps in the historical record. Taylor was bold: She once made a brazen play for a Chicago gambling kingpins fortune. She was cruel: She kidnapped her husbands niece, a little girl whod loved and trusted her Aunt Linda. She could also be heroic, as I found in speaking to a family she helped rescue from the indignities of the Jim Crow South. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Linda Taylor was a villain and a victim, and she abused others just as she was abused. When she was cast as a public enemy, her villainy assumed a very specific form. The welfare queen was a lazy, black con artist getting rich on the public dimea symbol of unearned prosperity and of the injustices being perpetrated against hardworking, law-abiding American taxpayers. In reality, Taylor wasnt emblematic of anything. The truth about her is messy, and it doesnt lend itself to simple lessons. But her story is still worth telling, no matter how messy it may be. At this point, its hard to be surprised when President Donald Trump gets chummy with an authoritarian leader. After he applauded Kim Jong-uns leadership at various points last year, praising Viktor Orbans doesnt seem that shocking. Still, it would be a mistake to dismiss the significance of the Hungarian prime ministers visit Monday to the White House. (Trump said Orban is doing a tremendous job and that hes probably, like me, a little bit controversial, but thats OK.) Hes the first Hungarian leader to step foot in the Oval Office since 2005. President George W. Bush declined to invite Orbanduring his first stint as prime ministerafter the 9/11 attacks because Orban had failed to denounce a far-right politician who said the U.S. had deserved them. Orban reportedly believed that the snub had something to do with his election defeat soon after. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This visit comes two weeks before European Parliament elections, in which Orbans Fidesz party is expected to perform well, campaigning on opposition to migration. Fidesz, which has slid from the center to the far right under Orban, was recently suspended from the European Parliaments center-right grouping, so the embrace from the leader of the free world is a major international vote of confidence, not only for the Hungarian but for the European far-right in general. Orban clearly has more to gain from this meeting than Trump does, but in some ways hes the senior partner in the relationship. Not only was he the first world leader to endorse Trumps candidacy in 2016, hes been at the vanguard of the global wave of right-wing populism years before Trump brought it to Washington. Not for nothing has noted admirer Steve Bannon described Orban as Trump before Trump. Orban pioneered many of the zero tolerance anti-immigration policies that Trump has been working to implement in the United States. Activists accused Hungary last month of systematically denying food to asylum-seekers. Trump praised him today for having done the right thing, according to many people, on immigration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Orban has framed these efforts as an attempt to preserve Hungarys Christian civilization. Hes vilified academia and done more than anyone to turn Hungarian-born financier George Soros into a global political boogeyman for the right. Hes a close ally of Russias Vladimir Putin, and despite allegations of anti-Semitism over his anti-Soros fearmongering, hes on good terms with Israels Benjamin Netanyahu as well. At the same time, Orbans party has worked to consolidate its power by undermining the independence of the judiciary, cracking down on free media, and sidelining opposition parties. Orban has described his preferred political system as illiberal democracy. Ideology aside, has this made the Trump administration any more cautious about backing Orban? Not judging from U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Cornstein, a New York jeweler and longtime friend of Trumps, who recently told Franklin Foer of the Atlantic, I can tell you, knowing the president for a good 25 or 30 years, that he would love to have the situation that Viktor Orban has, but he doesnt. Critics of Trump often accuse him of using the power of his office to boost tyrants and authoritarians in other countries. In this case, however, the bigger concern is that hes taking notes. If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). Monday afternoon Facebook announced a rare bit of positive news: Everyone who does contract work at Facebook in the U.S. will now earn a wage thats more reflective of their local costs of livingand those that do the hard and sometimes psychologically costly work of content moderation will be paid a little more. In real terms, that means that means a run-of-the-mill non-employee contract worker at Facebook will make a minimum of $15 per hour in all U.S. metropolitan areaswith rates as high as $20 in San Francisco, New York, and Washington, D.C. Perhaps more importantly, Operations team membersthe people who are on the front lines of screening graphic contentwill earn between $18 and $22 per hour across the country. Theyll also get new levels of technical support in how they review content and more psychological support if theyre affected by the aftermath. According to Facebook, this includes onsite trained professionals for individual and group counseling during all hours of operations and new programs and tools such as adding preferences that let reviewers customize how they view certain content, including being able to temporarily blur graphic images by default before reviewing them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But what has pushed Facebook toward these big (and costly) changes? After all, humans have been doing content moderation for the site since it began in 2004, and contract labor has been used since 2010. Some credit undoubtedly has to go to the steady drip of reporting in the last five years on just what the job of content moderation entails and the risks it presents. Adrian Chen seminally wrote about this in a 2014 Wired article titled The Laborers Who Keep Dick Pics and Beheadings Out of Your Facebook Feed. Since Chens piece, there have been similar exposes that look at the real, murky, often brutal world of working as a content moderator: a 2016 story in the Verge by Catherine Buni and Soraya Chemaly; a 2017 article in the Guardian by Olivia Solon; the 2018 documentary The Cleaners; and in February, another piece in the Verge, this one by Casey Newton. Among other things, each documented, some in horrifying detail, the psychological toll that moderators faced with work often entailed daily exposure to sexual and graphic violence and hateful contentbeheadings, bestiality, child sexual abuse, disturbing hate, and more. Advertisement Advertisement But perhaps the person who deserves the most credit is someone who doesnt work in tech journalism: Sarah Roberts, an information studies professor at UCLA who has doggedly covered content moderation and its associated labor and economic issues for almost a decade, and been a constant force agitating for better working conditions for moderators. Advertisement In 2010, Roberts was an information science graduate student in Illinois when she came across the New York Times article Concern for Those Who Screen for Barbarity. The article, one of the earliest on the topic, describes individuals in Iowa working in a call center and screening content for websites. Roberts couldnt believe she didnt know such a job existed. I had 20 years on the internet as a user and I was a low-level technologist, she told me recently. I felt like I was pretty aware of big-picture issues that existed, and in that moment I realized that it never occurred to me how these major corporate entities might be contending with the issues around soliciting content from users. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roberts started to ask people with possible expertise in the field. Everyone she mentioned it to had never heard of it, and most replied with, Dont computers do that? Roberts spent the next several yearsall of her Ph.D.trying to figure who did do that. Along the way, she met with a surprising amount of skepticism. It was shocking how many peoplepeople with no apparent motivationwould just tell me, Theres no way theres legions of people doing that job. Youre lying. Thats not true, she said. The fact that people doubted that humans were doing this messy job instead of computers was fascinating in itself. [What] exactly is going on in terms of peoples aspirational relationship to these platforms where they dont want [human content moderation] to be the reality? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the more high-profile news stories on content moderation labor are powerfully compelling stories that provide an Upton Sinclairlike look into the jobs behind this harsh industry, they often failed to take on more systemic issues like why a market for such work existed at all, or where that market was developing. Roberts work quickly moved in these bigger directions. She watched how different types of online platforms sourced different kinds of firms to do their labor, and from where. Some were boutique firms specializing in soup to nuts moderation, others aimed to target only mom and popsize platforms. They also differed geographically. Early content moderation for U.S. platforms, for example, was based in the Philippines and India. Roberts theorizes that is because they were formerly dependent on the United States. In contrast, Western European content moderation happened in places in Eastern Europe like Poland. It was pure globalization. The textile industry is a good analogy, says Roberts. Except with content moderation, people are led to believe theres no material cost. Advertisement Advertisement But in fact, the costs of content moderation to these companies is enormous. Though they increasingly hope to depend on A.I., they are coming to terms with the fact that right now more human moderators are neededand the treatment of those moderators is of public concern. Facebook says it employs more than 15,000 people worldwide doing this work on its operations teamand while Mondays announcement only relates to the United States, Roberts is optimistic. When they told me what they were doing, she says, I read it and said, This is great. This is just great. It is also just the beginning. At least, thats what Roberts hopes. Just last month, Google announced better benefits for contract workers, but Facebooks new hourly wages outstrips it already. Facebook is really leading something with thisso how are the other firms going to respond to this? Because theyre going to have to move now that the bar is set in a new place. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Watch the visualisation. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Slovak Egyptologists, archaeologists and other experts have been researching the archaeological locality Tell el-Retaba since 2007. They decided to present the most interesting results through a digital 3D model and visualisation in which they show how the ancient settlement looked 3,500 years ago. The almost 4-minute long animation captured the development of the locality from the turbulent Second Intermediate Period until the New Kingdom (17th to 12th century BC). This shows interesting parallels to present times Tell el-Retaba experienced a social crisis, climate change and the migration of the citizens, said Renata Rabekova of the Aigyptos Foundation, which supports the archaeological research in Egypt, as quoted by the TASR newswire. The visualisation has been processed based on documented findings of architecture and its development from regular houses to the Pharaohs fortress. Polish-Slovak research Read also: Read also: Slovak archaeologists will work in Sudan, China and Kuwait in 2019 Read more Since 2013, Polish and Slovak researchers have cooperated with the Aigyptos Foundation and Institute of Oriental Studies of the SAS for the Slovak side and Archaeological Institute of Warsaw University and the Polish Centre for Mediterranean Archaeology for the Polish side. The archaeological locality Tell el-Retaba is located in the northeast part of Egypt in Wadi Tumilat, between the cities of Zagazig and Ismailia, about 100 kilometres east from Cairo. Wadi Tumilat guarded access to the oldest ancient-Egypt centres of Memphite and Heliopolis, since trade caravans, Beduins and Egyptian military units passed through the area on the way to Syro-Palestine. It was accommodated also by Asian citizens, so-called Hyksos, who were in charge of a large part of the country, even before the Second Intermediate Period (17th to 16th century BC). Mysterious Hyksos The newest findings show that the history of the settlement of Tell el-Rataba was significantly influenced by the mysterious Hyksos. After their defeat and during the era of the New Kingdom (16th to 11th century BC), an ancient-Egyptian settlement was established. At the end of this era, Pharaohs Ramesses II, Merneptah and Ramesses II ordered that a monumental military fortress be built to protect Egypt from the attack of the so-called sea nations, said Rabekova, as quoted by TASR. According to stone blocks with relief decoration, it is possible to assume that there was a temple of God Atum in the fortress. Rabekova said that during ten years of archaeological research, there were several unique buildings discovered in the locality. From 17th to 12th century BC, there were brick Hyksos graves, buildings, workshops, a fortress with walls and a monumental gate. There are also older monuments buildings, stables and temple blocks from 11th to 7th century BC. The locality was intensely settled until the Roman dominance in Egypt and the turn of the eras, said Rabekova. The simulated election took place at 206 schools across Slovakia. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Seven parties would pass the 5-percent threshold if the upcoming EP election took place at Slovak schools. Students older than 15 years of age would give their votes to the candidates of the far-right Peoples Party Our Slovakia (LSNS) of Marian Kotleba, the coalition of Progressive Slovakia (PS) and Spolu (Together), the Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLaNO), Sme Rodina (We Are Family), Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), Smer and Priama Demokracia (Direct Democracy). Read also: Read also: Slovaks like the EU but they are not motivated to vote Read more This stems from a simulated student election organised by the civic association Pre Stredoskolakov (For Secondary School Students) on May 2-3 and May 6-7 on 204 secondary schools and two universities across Slovakia. The schools delivered altogether 101 valid reports. There were 25,674 eligible voters. Opposing moods among young people There was a 40.62 percent turnout in the simulated election, with 10,010 valid ballots being processed. Who would make it to the EP? LSNS: Milan Mazurek Marek Kotleba Milan Uhrik Progressive Slovakia & Spolu: Michal Simecka Dominik Hatiar Lucia Klestincova OLaNO: Igor Matovic Michal Sipos Sme Rodina: Eva Hudecova Petra Kristufkova SaS: Lucia Duris Nicholsonova Smer: Monika Benova Priama Demokracia: Ibrahim Maiga The turnout was not affected by the regions, founders of schools or the type of education. As a result, other factors had an impact, such as the support of the schools management, the recognition of teachers, the promotion at schools and the way the student elections were organised. However, there were differences when it comes to preferences. While the secondary vocational schools and other specialised schools preferred LSNS, students at grammar schools voted mostly for the coalition of PS and Spolu. It can also be expected that an important factor when choosing the candidates was whether they are recognisable, Karolina Schwabova, spokesperson for the Student Elections project, wrote in a press release. This is reflected in the fact that actor Ibrahim Maiga received many votes despite a weak campaign, she added. Another important factor was whether students know what the EU is doing and how it works. The results indicate the suggestibility of students by a populist anti-EU campaign, Schwabova added. The fact that two contrary parties clinched the first two spots suggest opposing moods among young people. Some feel resigned and fearful while others are hopeful and in need of positive change, she said. Its Slovak branch ended 2017 with a loss exceeding 4 million, despite the increasing revenues. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The chain of clothes shops Zoot offered a unique project: customers could choose goods on their online shop, order it and then try then on in a brick-and-mortar issuing premises. After this process, they could decide whether or not they would buy the items. However, the company faces several financial problems in the Czech Republic and is awaiting restructuring. This model is popular among customers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, said Zoots media representative Karel Samec, as quoted by the Sme daily. However, it is hard to keep it in the black. Restructuring plan approved Zoot currently owes 752 million Czech crowns (nearly 30 million). Its Slovak branch ended 2017 with a loss exceeding 4 million, despite the increasing revenues. The company agreed with most of its creditors on the change of structure, during which it plans to eliminate its debts and prepare for growth. The restructuring process has already been approved by the court in Prague, Sme wrote. The rescue plan involves the arrival of a new investor, who will reportedly come from the Natland investment group, Zoots biggest creditor. Impact on Slovakia To save money, Zoot closed three of its 11 brick-and-mortar premises in Slovakia. As a result, there are still three in Bratislava and one in Nitra, Trencin, Zilina, Banska Bystrica and Kosice. In the Czech Republic, the company closed 10 of 28 premises, Sme wrote. Despite the changes, it still plans to keep its business model. It will remain necessary to try the product in the fashion industry, Samec told Sme, adding that after extending the assortment, the issuing premises will become ordinary brick-and-mortar shops. The online shop will not undergo any changes, Samec added for Sme. The parliament overrode the presidents veto and passed the law, despite the criticism of embassies. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled It will now be possible to file a lawsuit to renew the proceedings in the case concerning a return of a minor to a foreign country. This stems from the amendment to the civil out-of-court procedures law, which was criticised by both the president and foreign ambassadors in Slovakia, the private TA3 news channel reported. The parliament overrode the presidents veto and once again approved the amendment authored by non-affiliated MPs Martina Simkovicova and Peter Marcek. Its aim is to make it possible to submit a lawsuit to renew the proceeding if the ruling is valid. The draft law arises from a natural need to protect the lives of minors and act in compliance with their best interest and belief, the MPs said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. Ambassadors critical President Andrej Kiska vetoed the amendment as a whole and recommended MPs not to approve it again. However, they did not accept his reservations, TASR wrote. Ambassadors of 13 countries were critical of the amendment, claiming that the law does not take the best interest of children into consideration. They worry that the appeals against decisions will enable the parties in the proceedings to continue postponing the return of children to their countries. We believe this does not represent the best interest of the child that Slovakia pledged to protect when it joined the Hague Convention, said US Ambassador to Slovakia Adam Sterling, as quoted by TA3. He appreciated the current valid law, which limits possibilities to appeal and thus abuse the system. Were worried that the approval of the law in its current version would be a step back, he said, as quoted by TA3. The nationals of Cyprus, Estonia and Malta did not register. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Altogether 824 foreigners will vote for Slovak candidates in the May 25 election for the European Parliament. Read also: Read also: European Parliament elections often not a priority for Slovak political parties Read more Most of them come from the Czech Republic: 264. In addition, there will be 122 Poles and 118 Hungarians, the TASR newswire reported. Also, 83 Germans, 47 Britons, 36 Romanians, 32 Italians and 15 French asked for the possibility to vote in Slovakia. These are foreigners who have permanent residence in Slovakia and asked to be enrolled in the voters list. Voting only in one country The Interior Minister accepted the requests from citizens of almost all EU countries except for Cyprus, Estonia and Malta. Read also: Read also: EP elections 2019: Slovak parties and their European families Read more Foreigners with permanent residence in Slovakia can choose whether to vote for Slovak MEPs or MEPs of their home country. In the latter case, they can vote by mail, at the embassy or a different way. It is possible to vote only for the MEPs of one country. Otherwise, they will be fined. The EP election will take place in Slovakia on May 25. Voters elect 14 MEPs for five years. The results will be known after May 26 23:00, when the elections will be over in the last country, Italy. Police published the photos of murder weapon on Facebook. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Read also: Read also: One of the people accused of Kuciaks murder has confessed guilt Read more Tomas Szabo and Miroslav Marcek, who have been accused in the case of murdering investigative reporter Jan Kuciak and his fiancee, Martina Kusnirova, face further charges. The investigator of the National Anti-Crime Unit of the National Criminal Agency (NAKA) charged them with the first-degree murder of entrepreneur Peter Molnar from Kolarovo (Nitra Region). The police published the pictures of the discovered murder weapon of their Facebook page. The accused men murdered the aggrieved P.M. after a mutual agreement in December 2016, by using a firearm, after they violently invaded his family house with the aim of gaining a property benefit, the police wrote on the Facebook. Found gun Read also: Read also: Police have found part of the gun that may have killed Kuciak Read more Marcek showed the police officers where to search for the murder weapon in Kolarovo. Police subsequently found the German gun in the Little Danube River on April 16, and the barrel in the Vah River. The experts will show if these are the parts of the gun that also murdered the journalist and his fiancee. Driver Guy Gagnon and trainer Jamie Copley teamed to dominate another program at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday, May 12, with Guy Gagnon winning five of the 14 races of the cardthree of which conditioned by Copleyincluding the $8,100 Preferred Pace with his own pupil Saulsbrook Peach. Leading for every step, Saulsbrook Peach posted fractions of :27, :56.1 and 1:23.3 on the lead. He endured minor first-over pressure from Stonebridge Beach, who sat sixth by 14 lengths at the quarter, passing the half but faced little challenge through the stretch. The Gagnon-trained 10-year-old Royal Mattjesty gelding cruised to a two-and-a-three-quarter length victory in 1:51.4 while Musselsfrmbrussels overtook pocket-sitter Bestofbest Hanover for second. Owned by Catheline Pelletier, Saulsbrook Peach won his third race from nine starts this season and his 31st from 192 overall, earning $199,162. He paid $6.30 to win. Gagnon's other winnersof the Copley traineescame with The Mighty Marner ($4.70), who won a $5,600 conditioned pace on the front; Pick Up Man ($4.00), who kicked off cover from second over to win a $6,000 conditioned pace; and Hp Pandora ($9.60), who wired a $4,800 claiming pace in the nightcap. Gagnon also steered another of his own trainees, E R Rhonda ($5.40), to a 1:55.3 victory in a $6,000 conditioned pace. In the co-featured $8,100 Preferred Trot, Lmc Mass Gem led the field the whole way and pulled an 11-1 upset in 1:54.4. Leaving from post three, driver Jacques Beaudoin controlled the tempo through fractions of :27, :56.3 and 1:25.3. Revenue Agent drafted from the pocket while Neon Lights, sitting third, edged off the pylons moving into the final turn and attempted to cut into the leader's margin. However Lmc Mass Gem remained clear through the stretch to win by two-and-a-half lengths over Neon Lights with Revenue Agent three lengths father back in third. Returning $25.10 to win, Lmc Mass Gem is trained by Johanne Begin for owners Jacques Beaudoin, Maurice Houle, Ronald Charette and Andre Beaudoin. The five-year-old Muscle Mass gelding won his second race from 13 starts this season and his 16th from 74 overall, earning $314,415. To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway. Filly pacer DD Delicious made a good impression on trainer Travis Alexander last season as a two-year-old. Unfortunately for Alexander and the horses owner, the Mark Wasserman-led Fiddlers Creek Stables, physical maturity issues prevented her from making an impression beyond the training centre at Mark Fords farm in upstate New York. But by starting this spring with wins in her first two career races, DD Delicious looks as though she is out to remedy that situation. Her next opportunity to continue making a name for herself will come on Tuesday (May 14) when she steps up from conditioned classes to state-bred stakes action. The step-up will take place at Yonkers Raceway, as the track is set to host the first round of the New York Sire Stakes for three-year-old female pacers. It will not be an easy test. DD Delicious will compete in the first of two $85,250 divisions and will face a field that will include Zero Tolerance and St Somewhere, who were both winners on the Grand Circuit in 2018, as well as So Awesome, who lost last years New York Sire Stakes final by a nose to Money Shot Hanover. DD Delicious and driver Matt Kakaley are 5-1 on the morning line. Zero Tolerance, with David Miller driving for trainer Joe Holloway, is the 5-2 early favourite. In her most recent start, DD Delicious won in 1:54.1 at Yonkers with Scott Zeron in the sulky. The filly won her debut in 1:53.3 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono with Kakaley at the lines. Im looking forward to seeing what my filly can do, Alexander said. I know Matt thinks a lot of her. Shes been a nice filly all along; I was really high on her last year. Shes not a flashy filly, she just goes about her work. The best thing about her (previous race) at Yonkers was Scott said she got around the turns as quick as the straightaway. For her, thats a little bit of an advantage. All the fillies in that race are very nice fillies. If I can get close, Im not saying I can beat them, but Ill be happy with a cheque. DD Delicious, a daughter of Art Major out of D D Delightful, was bred by Fiddlers Creek Stables. She impressed Alexander with her speed last year while training down, but needed more time to mature physically before she could get to the races. She had some growing-up issues with her knees, Wasserman said. We try not to rush our horses. When a horse says theyre ready, then we do it. We turned her out and she came back great. She just needed time to grow up. In addition to the New York Sire Stakes, DD Delicious is staked lightly on the Grand Circuit. Sometimes hindsight is 20/20, Wasserman said. We didnt stake her heavy but were very happy with where we are. I want to see if weve got a nice stakes filly. One step at a time. Im really excited about (Tuesday). This is her first real challenge. Its only her third race, but shes been racing really well. She likes her job. She wants to go; she wants to race. I was very fortunate that Fiddlers Creek Stables had the patience to wait on her, said Alexander. Shes starting to show what I believed in all along. Tuesday racing at Yonkers will begin at 6:50 p.m. The New York Sire Stakes divisions have been carded as Race 9 and Race 10. Money Shot Hanover, with Tim Tetrick driving for trainer Mark Harder, is the 5-2 morning line favourite in the second division. (USTA) The Congo governments and the UN (WHO) Ebola virus epidemic containment effort in eastern Congo has been generally successful. So far confirmed cases have been confined to North Kivu and Ituri provinces. However, the provinces are large and populous and the epidemic has not abated. Moreover, attacks by violent militias have damaged clinics and disrupted logistical support for medical aid agencies. The ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) Islamist rebel group is likely responsible for some of the worst attacks but local Mai-Mai militias and other armed groups have also launched attacks. The city of Butembo is a frequent target of attacks and has been the scene of several firefights pitting soldiers and police against militia fighters. Local authorities in Butembo report the militia fighters motives for launching attacks are not clear, but banditry is a possibility. The eastern Congo epidemic officially began August 1, 2018, so it has lasted ten months. In the last 40 years, Congo has had ten known Ebola virus epidemics and, statistically, the current epidemic is the worst in terms of confirmed cases and deaths. Over 1,600 cases have been confirmed, though higher figures (1,800 to 2,000) may be more accurate. The eastern Congo epidemic has killed over 1,300 people. International aid agencies believe the eastern Congo epidemic is the second-deadliest in recorded history. It is surpassed only by the 2013-2016 outbreak in West Africa, in which more than 28,000 cases were reported and at least 11,300 people died. In mid-April WHO announced that the eastern Congo epidemic did not yet warrant a global emergency declaration. However, new cases continue to appear. In the last ten days, WHO and the UN Security Council have called for more vigorous efforts and additional resources (to include medical personnel) to contain the virus, keep it from spreading to neighboring countries and ultimately end the outbreak. Uganda is particularly worried that Congolese fleeing violence will seek refuge in Uganda and some of the refugees will have the virus. The UN and aid agencies have demanded better security for humanitarian workers and healthcare facilities, particularly the Ebola Treatment Centers (ETCs) in North Kivu and Ituri. The truth is, political and cultural issues also impede medical services. Many eastern Congolese do not trust the national government. The pervasive corruption of the government led by former president Joseph Kabila is one good reason. Some residents doubt western medicine and have turned to faith healers and folk doctors. Medical workers and Congolese political leaders are trying to convince the doubters to get vaccinations and help identify people who have contracted the disease. (Austin Bay) May 10, 2019: The fraudulent December 2018 presidential vote count has not been forgotten.. Former presidential candidate Martin Fayulu continues to claim the December presidential election was stolen and he has evidence that he got over 59 percent of the popular vote. In several recent interviews he has described himself as the president-elect and his tone is measured, not bitter. He has also discussed with journalists a proposal to correct the fraud: Congo should conduct another election in 12 to 18 months. Fayulu argues that former president Joseph Kabila will eventually undermine President Felix Tshisekedi and this will lead to another national crisis. To paraphrase, Kabila will never let another Congolese leader succeed where he failed. Best to conduct a new and clean election. Fayulu also openly discusses the agreement (the deal) that Tshisekedi accepted in order to be declared the election winner. According to Fayulu, Kabila demanded Tshisekedi give him (Kabila) control of Congos economic bureaucracies (mining and finance). Kabila also has loyalists in the security services. (Austin Bay) May 8, 2019: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province), a Mai-Mai militia launched another attack in Butembo. Observers reported the attack specifically targeted an Ebola Treatment Center. The militia fighters withdrew after exchanging fire with security forces. In eastern Congo (North Kivu province), a militia associated with ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) claimed that on May 7 it launched an attack on a military position in Bunduguya near the Ugandan border. The propaganda release added that the attackers fought for ISILs Central Africa Province affiliate, the Islamic State Central African Province (ISCAP). Congolese authorities said the attack occurred and the ADF rebel group was responsible. This is the third time since April 18 ISIL has claimed responsibility for an attack in the region. Two escaped prisoners accused of killing two UN investigators were recaptured by police. The men escaped on May 7 from a prison in southwest Congo (Kananga). A third prisoner being held on murder charges did not escape, despite reports that he had. May 6, 2019: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province), over 12,000 people have fled to areas near the Uganda border to escape armed attacks elsewhere in the province. Ongoing military operations have made it difficult to provide humanitarian aid for the IDPs. Some aid has been routed through Uganda. May 5, 2019: Rwanda officially buried (reinterred in most cases) 84,437 victims of the 1994 genocide. The burial took place in the Nyanza Genocide Memorial in the capital, Kigali. May 4, 2019: China has agreed to let the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) restructure its debt. It is believed Congo-Brazzaville owes China and Chinese entities over nine billion dollars. International agencies believe that is over a third of the countrys foreign debt. May 3, 2019: In Congo, the Ministry of Public Health reported that 1,510 confirmed cases of Ebola have been reported in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. April 30, 2019: Congolese judicial officials have agreed to end a Kabila-era investigation into charges that opposition political leader Moise Katumbi hired mercenaries with the intent of toppling the government. Katumbi has been in exile. With the charges dropped, Katumbi will likely return to Congo in May. April 29, 2019: Congo opposition leader Martin Fayulu called on his supporters to help remove president Felix Tshisekedi from office. In Uganda, police arrested opposition political leader Robert Kyagulanyi. He is a member of parliament but also a well-known musician who performs under the name Bobi Wine. He was charged with conducting an illegal assembly (protest) of the government. He is a vocal opponent of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and is regarded as a likely presidential candidate in the next election. April 25, 2019: In Central African Republic (CAR), the UN peacekeepers awarded the Senegalese Attack Helicopter Unit a UN medal for professionalism and laudable work in fulfilling the peacekeeper's mandate. The Senegalese Attack Helicopter Unit conducted reconnaissance and intelligence missions and air strikes when necessary which contributed to protecting CAR civilians and UN peacekeepers. April 24, 2019: In Congo, the UN peacekeeping force will soon face another round of personnel and funding cuts. The UN is finalizing a new peacekeeping budget which goes into effect July 1. Some details are known, mainly that 764 civilian jobs will be eliminated. Most of these jobs are held by Congolese citizens. Eight UN regional offices will be closed. April 19, 2019: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province), militiamen armed with machetes launched another attack on an Ebola Treatment Center clinic in Butembo. The attack killed a WHO epidemiologist working with the facility. Police killed one attacker and arrested five others. April 18, 2019: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province), ADF attacked an army base leaving three soldiers dead and five wounded. April 17, 2019: A German court announced that Rwandan Ignace Murwanashyaka, a former senior leader of the notorious FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) rebel group, died in prison while awaiting a new trial on war crimes charges. He had been in poor health. The charges he faced stem from FDLR attacks in eastern Congo in 2009. His original conviction was overturned in 2018 and the court ordered a new trial. Murwanashyaka was nominally president of the FDLR. April 16, 2019: In Congo, president Felix Tshisekedi declared that he and his government want to join the U.S.-led global coalition battling ISIL. Tshisekedi said that ISIL has ties to the ADF jihadist terror group which since the mid-1990s has launched attacks in eastern Congo. There are rumors that the ADF has offered to help Islamic State fighters slip into central Africa. UN peacekeepers estimate that since 2014 terrorists and rogue militias have killed over 1,000 people in and around the city of Beni in North Kivu. UN officials believe that ADF terrorists are responsible for the bulk of the murders. Also on April 16, while visiting Beni, Tshisekedi called the current Ebola epidemic the worst one to ever strike Congo. He urged residents of North Kivu and Ituri provinces to trust health workers and understand the it is not an imaginary disease. Tshisekedi said that there is a lot of misinformation, some of it spread by community leaders. He said that if everyone follows health worker instructions in two or three months Ebola will be finished. April 15, 2019: Russia announced it will deploy up to 30 military personnel to the Central African Republic to serve with the UNs peacekeeping mission. The contingent will include military observers and communications specialists. Russia already has a training base in Bangui with several hundred soldiers who are training CAR security personnel. April 14, 2019: The UN (WHO) announced that the Ebola epidemic in eastern Congo does not yet warrant a global emergency declaration. But new cases are appearing in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. With 1,206 confirmed deaths, the current epidemic is now the second deadliest Ebola epidemic in history. Ebola isn't the only epidemic afflicting central Africa. The Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) is confronting a Chikungunya epidemic. The disease first appeared in January. So far the disease has afflicted over 4,000 people. April 12, 2019: In eastern Congo (South Kivu province), soldiers killed 36 Burundian rebel fighters in two separate operations. The largest clashes occurred April 6 and April 8. Three soldiers died in the battles. The Burundian fighters belonged to the FNL (National Liberation Forces) and FOREBU (Burundian Republican Forces) rebel groups. Both are predominantly Hutu organizations. It is believed senior FNL commander Aloyse Zabampema was wounded in one of the firefights. April 9, 2019: In Congo, president Felix Tshisekedi continues to have trouble with Joseph Kabila, his predecessor. Kabila wants Tshisekedi to appoint his close ally, Albert Yuma, as chairman of Gecamines (Congos national mining company). So far Tshisekedi has refused. He regards Yuma as compromisedand he is. Yuma has been accused of corruption involving several state ministries. Control of Gecamines goes a long way to controlling Congos valuable mining industry. Kabila would continue to have an extraordinary influence on contracts and potentially access to Gecamines coffers. [May 13, 2019] Omar Javaid Named President of Vonage's API Platform Group HOLMDEL, N.J., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage (NYSE: VG), a global business cloud communications leader, announced that Omar Javaid has been named President of the Company's API Platform Group. In this role, Omar will drive the vision and development of Vonage's communications APIs via Nexmo, the Vonage API Platform and will continue to provide strategic oversight of the Company's product portfolio. Vonage's Nexmo continues to be integral to accelerating the Company's One Vonage strategy of delivering fully integrated cloud communications solutions to help enterprises improve how business gets done. Nexmo APIs provide businesses and developers alike with tools that allow them to build innovative and contextual communication experiences (via SMS, voice, video and messaging) directly into their applications, giving companies the freedom to innovate in ways that are critical to their success. "I am thrilled to congratulate Omar and to recognize the significant impact he has made on the Company's success in driving the growth of our API Platform strategy," said Alan Masarek, Vonage CEO. "Omar has been a key driver in bringing our product portfolio to where it is today and we will continue to rely on his guidance as we accelerate the evolution and growth of our product roadmap." As Mr. Javaid moves into his new role, Jay Patel, Vonage's Senior Vice President of Portfolio Planning and Strategy over the last three years, has been promoted to Chief Product Officer. He will continue to report to Mr. Javaid. In this role, Mr. Patel will leverage his more than 20 years ofexperience building and guiding top-performing product development teams, with a focus on advancing product strategy, defining and executing on the Company's product roadmap. Prior to Vonage, he served as Vice President of Engineering for consumer electronics and telecommunications company, Motorola Mobility, where he was responsible for driving product and technology development. Vonage owns the entire communications stack - from carrier to application. With One Vonage, a microservices-architected platform, the Company provides a powerful combination of unified communications, contact center and communications APIs capabilities. Under Mr. Javaid's leadership, Mr. Patel's product team has worked to position Vonage as the first provider to bring these technologies together in one portfolio - all on a single platform. In his new role, Mr. Patel will lead the product team to continue to build and innovate on top of the One Vonage platform to help businesses create better employee and customer experiences. "Jay's vast experience in product development and cloud services, as well as his proven leadership skills, will help Vonage to drive further innovation in our product development timeline," said Mr. Javaid. "Since joining Vonage, Jay has made a tremendous impact on our product strategy, helping us to become a global leader in business cloud communications. I look forward to his continued success in leading our product teams." 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. (vg-a) View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/omar-javaid-named-president-of-vonages-api-platform-group-300848563.html SOURCE Vonage [ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ] In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation. In which a veteran of cultural studies seminars in the 1990's moves into academic administration and finds himself a married suburban father of two. Foucault, plus lawn care. For private comments, I can be reached at deandad at gmail dot com. The opinions expressed here are my own and not those of my employer. The US Special Representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, has said that Iran's presence in Syria threaten neighboring countries like Israel and creating an unstable atmosphere writes Asharq al-Awsat. James Jeffrey, the US Special Representative for Syria Engagement and the Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, said that his country wanted a full Iranian withdrawal from Syria and would not allow Iran to fill the void in the northeast of the country. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Jeffrey said Washington would continue to pressure Damascus and its allies through economic sanctions, a military presence in northeastern Syria and a halt to Arab and Western normalization until a new political government is formed. We will continue to find different ways to pressure [Syria] until the regime decides to cooperate on the political process, he said. The solution is political; not military. Asked about Washingtons position towards the current escalation in Idlib, he said that the US administration was against such escalation. He stressed that US President Donald Trump had stated in September that a comprehensive attack on Idlib would constitute a reckless act, not only out of concern over the possible use of chemical weapons, but also because it would lead to a flow of refugees and displaced. He noted that the US administration was using political, economic and military tools to deter dangers that might emerge from the Syrian conflict. In this regard, he pointed to the continued US military presence to fight ISIS in northeast Syria and to prevent the filling of the vacuum by other parties, in addition to the US support of the Israeli campaign against the Iranian hegemony in the country. Jeffrey went on to say that the Syrian regimes access to reconstruction funds has stopped, adding that his country was obstructing the recognition of the regime in the Arab League and was working on a coordinated sanctions program with the Europeans. The US envoy refrained from giving details on the security zone currently studied by the US and Turkey, but only said that the zone would extend along the Turkish-Syrian borders east of the Euphrates. We have not yet agreed on the depth of the area We are still talking about how we will provide security and Turkish and American presence in the region. These are things we are negotiating and we have made a lot of progress and we want to achieve more, he said. Back to Iran, Asharq Al-Awsat asked Jeffrey about the recent deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the region and whether the military escalation was serious. He explained that US data from the White House, the Defense Department, and Minister Mike Pompeo were clear about the situation with Iran and the deployment of US naval power. We came because we found serious signs of Iranian threats. So we have to take it seriously about the American position, he underlined. He went on to say that the American deployment had different missions and objectives, including the fight against ISIS, containment of Iran, and other military missions that might be decided by the US president. Jeffrey emphasized that Iran was active in the region and the US policy was aimed at facing Iran in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Yemen. This is no secret. We look at all these areas as one theater of [Iranian] operations, he said. Commenting on the Israeli strikes in Syria, the US envoy said his country wanted the presence of the foreign forces to return to what it was before 2011, and a new Syrian government to be formed with different behavior. He stressed that Iranian forces were among the forces that must withdraw from Syria, especially as they threatened neighboring countries like Israel and contributed to instability in Syria. We want all troops to withdraw, he stated. On the US position towards Syrian regime President Bashar al-Assad, Jeffrey said that his country did not have a policy of regime change for Assad, but was committed to UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which provided for changes in the Constitution, UN-sponsored elections and change in the governance. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. General Suhail al-Hassan, commander of the Tiger Forces and once a rising star, has been forced to curtail the activities of his smuggling network writes Al-Modon. In the cities of Lattakia and Tartous, the best-known vehicles that were smuggling goods and foodand sometimes even peoplehave disappeared. These are the vans of General Suhail al-Hassan, commander of the Tiger Forces, which are loyal to Russia. The smuggling operations, which were using the Tiger forces vehicles, suddenly stopped, after they started to be pursued by state authorities. Since he appeared in the Syrian military arena in 2015, Suhail al-Hassan has worked to establish economic projects that befitted his rising status. In the city of Lattakia, al-Sham vans began to appearHyundai vans driven by military drivers who did not stop at military or security checkpoints. The al-Sham vans can travel at high speed, compared with the transport trucks. Hassans project began with just five vans and now there are around 50, according to Al-Modons sources, transporting passengers to and from the coast without stopping. In addition to transporting passengers, the al-Sham vans serve a wide smuggling network. The goods are smuggled from Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq and are transported to the coast through Hassans van network. This network has smuggling routes in opposition areas, to secure Turkish goods for the local market. These activities pushed the regime to open an investigation into Hassans s muggling activities, in which it concluded that Hassans vehicles are smuggling a portion of the goods into Syria. The rest were trafficked by the Assad and Shaabo families. The prosecutions of Suhail al-Hassans smuggling activities began after store owners confessed that they had obtained goods from officers working in vehicles owned by the Tiger, according to Al-Modons sources. Customs patrols were placed on the al-Ziraa roundabout, where Hassans vans begin the journey to transport passengers. But Hassans vehicles changed their routes and were able to circumvent the limited and lame custom checks. But the message had reached the Tiger: There would be no more freedom given to his vans. The Tigers fleet of vehicles were not subject to inspection, and taxes and tolls were not collected for their activities. Before that, various security and party reports had been circulated referencing the increase of Hassans wealth, raising resentment and questions among his supporters in poor villages. The recent pursuit of Hassans vehicles seems to be contrived by the regime, perhaps only to dampen the aura surrounding the Tiger on the coast. Hassans wealth from his smuggling activities has smeared his image as a humble and trustworthy fighter. The smuggling operations and his new real estate holdings have been used to degrade him, even if he has not been seriously prosecuted. The story began a bit before that, with Russias support for Hassan, which led him to keep a distance between himself and the regime and its popular base. This was a real mistake by Hassan. His relationship with the Alawite community was disrupted, and he was no longer involved in the selection of his fighters, and his Alawite tribal and sheikh relations were no longer involved in forming his forces. He lost his usual populist image among the Alawites. His private visits became limited to high-level officers and Russian officers, and he no longer celebrated with the Alawite public in his house or received the families of those in his forces who were killed. The Tigers increasing value among the Russians was accompaniedwith great happiness among Assads authoritiesby the degradation of his value among the regimes popular base. The Assad regimes confrontation with Hassan was done quietly and is only just beginning to appear now. Hassan, according to Al-Modons sources, will end the work of the 50 al-Sham vehicles, to get rid of the authoritys pretextsespecially after military checkpoints on the Damascus road stopped more than five of Hassans vehicles and arrested their drivers. Al-Modons sources indicate that Hassan no longer enjoys any government support for his unmonitored commercial activities, but it is clear that he now has enough wealth to conduct work silently in other illegal forms that could remain out of sight. However, during the Assad authorities silent war against the Tiger, Hassan has lost an essential part of his identity. In the eyes of the people, he is no longer a man wearing military uniform who resembles them and who shares their sorrows and concerns. Instead, he has become a child of power, wearing a uniform of gold. This is what the regime wants most at this moment: To turn the Tiger into just another corrupt figure, like any member of the ruling family. 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. As the regime continues its assault on Idleb, questions are being asked about what happens next and how Turkey and the US will come into play writes the Omran Center for Strategic Studies. The Russian-Syrian escalation in Idleb comes amid hesitant American-European condemnation and a notable silence from the Turkish guarantorthe relevant party to the Sochi agreement. Coinciding with the Russian escalation, Turkey and its allied factions have begun military actions, which appear to be limited to the northern Aleppo countryside against the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), which suggests that there have been agreements about what is occurringor what some consider to be a barter deal between Moscow and Ankara. No one can predict what the situation on the ground will lead to in the fourth de-escalation zone, or the precise extent of the incursion that Moscow wants into this region. But through what has been put forward, one can reach the following conclusions, which may draw an approximate picture of the likely events: 1. The military campaign being carried out by Russia and the regime is considered the last stop of the Astana track, which has achieved Moscows military aims and failed to achieve any political results in terms of a solution, as a result of the divisions between the three parties overseeing the track (Russia, Turkey and Iran), and the UN obstacle represented by the reactivation of the Geneva track. 2. Progress in Ankaras talks with Washington with regards to the buffer zone have apparently changed Ankaras priorities, represented by their coordination with Moscow in clearing the YPG pocket in the northern Aleppo countryside and leaving the implementation of the items of the suspended Sochi agreement to Russia. 3. The withdrawal of the National Army forces backed by Turkey from three villages they controlled in the northern Aleppo countryside, along with the failure of the regime forces to advance during the first day of the campaign in the Hama countryside indicates that Turkey obtaining any new territory in the northern Aleppo countryside is subject to regime forces taking territory inside the demilitarized zone at a depth specified by the two parties. 4. It appears that in the statements and positions of the rebel groups operating in the demilitarized zone and the battles which they are still fighting against the regime forces and their allies, that they are not party to Ankaras agreements with Moscow. Hayat Tahrir al-Shams position is still ambiguous, and it is the force with greatest control in the area and the most flexible position regarding the entry of Russian patrols into the buffer zone, as it has not rejected Russia patrols entirely, but it has made it a condition that it accompany them, along with a number of other conditions. 5. The conditions surrounding the political battles (Ankara and Moscows agreements) and military battles (the regimes insistence on land incursions) indicates that the operation is not just to put pressure to allow Russian patrols and open international roads and secure Russian military bases in the area. Rather, the aim is to eliminate the rebel groups who rejected the Russian patrols by gnawing at their territory and incurring to a depth which, according to experts, could reach up to 25km to secure international roads. They would then stop at this point, which would achieve Moscow its aim of securing the Hama and Lattakia countryside, including Russian military bases and airports, and opening and securing international commercial routes. Moscow has seized plains in Idleb and surrounded Tahrir al-Sham and other groups in a narrow mountainous pocket with a high civilian density. Finally: The fourth de-escalation zone is today paying the price that other areas did for the accumulation of political and military errors, primarily the error of getting involved in the Astana track, which gave the regime a chance to catch its breath and to gather its strength and isolate the de-escalation zones one after the other. Todayeven with the signs of the end of this path as a result of the divisions of those responsible for itthe regime and Russia are still benefiting from these divisions, which have secured and continue to secure it a number of margins to move between. The regime today is still living off of the divisions between the forces involved in Syria and their conflicting interests. 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. Russia blocks a report on Idleb at UN, Haftar militias to return refugees, regime officers reported killed and France insists that there mustn't be another Aleppo. Catch up on everything that happened over the weekend. 1. Moscow blocked a report at the Security Council on Syria that had attempted to distort facts about the situation in Idleb province. Russias Deputy Representative at the UN was quoted by SANA as saying that following closed discussions regarding Syria at the Security Council on Friday, Russia blocked the publication of a press statement drafted by Belgium, Germany, and Kuwait, the contents of which distorted facts regarding the situation in Idleb. He said that Western states must admit that armed groups affiliated with Jabhat al-Nusra are active in Idleb under various names. 2. The Haftar Libyan militias have decided to prevent Syrian refugees from entering the country by land and only allow those who come through Damascus International Airport. The decision, reported by Zaman al-Wasl, calls for the deportation of those who enter by land on the first Syrian Airlines plane to Damascus International Airport, meaning that they will be handed over to the authorities of the regime for an unknown fate. Activists say the move indicated the strong security cooperation between Haftar militias and the Assad regime. 3. At least 20 troops from coastal Lattakia province have been killed since Apr. 1, 2019, pro-regime media activists said, Zaman Al Wasl reported. The death toll included 13 army officers. The Alawites-dominated areas are still the main manpower supply for Bashar al-Assads regime. More than 130,000 pro-regime forces have been killed in seven years of brutal war, according to local monitoring groups. 4. At least 565 civilians have been killed in attacks carried out by regime forces, Iran-backed terror groups and Russia in Idlebs de-escalation zone in Syria since since Sept. 17, 2018, according to a rights watchdog on Saturday. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) reported that 163 minors and 105 women were among the victims. 5. A repeat of the bloody Syrian battle that devastated Aleppo must be avoided at all costs, Frances UN ambassador said Friday, as the Security Council met to discuss escalating fighting in northwestern Syria. Ambassador Francois Delattre was quoted by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed as saying: A new Aleppo must, at all costs, be prevented in Idleb, Delattre told reporters ahead of the closed-door council meeting. We need to send a very clear message to all those who might be tempted by an escalation in Idleb, Delattre said. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. During the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Syria said that China will play a role in Syria's reconstruction and that it was pleased to be part of the Belt and Road initiative reports SANA. The Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was successfully hosted by China in Beijing on Apr. 26-27, 2019, under the theme Building the Belt and Road and Creating a Beautiful Future. During the Forum, a round table meeting, high-level meetings, 12 sub-seminars and business conferences were held. The roundtable meeting was attended by 40 leaders, including 38 heads of state and government, the UN Secretary-General and the Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Presidential Political and Media Adviser Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban represented Syria at the Forum. During the Forum, Chinese President, Xi Jinping, attended the opening session, delivered a keynote speech, presided over all roundtable meetings and exchanged views with all parties participating in the building of the Belt and Road. All agreed that the Belt and Road was an opportunity-filled initiative as they reached a wide consensus on the merits of the Belt and Road and achieved 283 achievements from six categories. The Chinese President presented the importance of the initiative to build the Belt and Road based on his vision, which is consistent with the reality of Chinese development and international cooperation. It is a call by China for all countries to meet common challenges and complement global economic governance. It aims to push countries to promote the harmonization of development strategies, focus on communication, deepen practical cooperation and to achieve common development. Since its inception in 2013, the Belt and Road initiative has received positive support and a warm response from the international community. Over the last six years, tangible and fruitful achievements have been achieved. More than 150 countries and international organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China under the Belt and Road initiative. All the results of the first session of the Forum were carried out smoothly. The trade volume between China and the countries participating in the construction of the Belt and Road has exceeded 6 trillion dollars, investment exceeded 80 billion dollars and 82 regions of cooperation between China and the participating countries have created 300,000 jobs for local communities. The Forum is the highest platform for international cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road. It aims at crystallizing international consensus on the initiative and mapping cooperation. Syria has been of an important part of the Silk Road since ancient times, through which Chinese products such as silk and porcelain were sold to Western Asia. The connection between China and Syria dates back a thousand years, when Tadmour (Palmyra) operated as an important trade center between East and West. Therefore, China and Syria are natural partners and there is a solid foundation and a promising horizon for cooperation between the two countries under the Belt and Road initiative, due to the historical friendship linking them. Although the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries still faces some real difficulties resulting from the crisis in Syria, the Chinese side always follows the developments of the situation in Syria and calls upon all parties concerned to achieve peace and security in Syria, through the process of a comprehensive political solution. Today, the pace of communication between the two countries has gradually returned and great efforts were made to promote economic development in Syria, improve the lives of its people and support its efforts to combat terrorism through numerous the humanitarian assistance and training projects provided . In the future, China will actively participate in the economic and social reconstruction of Syria and make its contribution to the security, happiness and welfare of the Syrian people. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on May 13, 2019 2019/05/14 At the invitation of head of Japan's National Security Council Shotaro Yachi, Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee will pay a visit to Japan from May 16 to 18 and co-host the sixth round of China-Japan high-level political dialogue with Mr Yachi. The dialogue is an annual consultation mechanism upon agreement by the two sides, where they will exchange views on bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interest. Q: Two questions about the China-US trade frictions. Can you tell us why China has not yet retaliated with its own measures against the additional US tariffs? And the second question is, a Trump adviser yesterday said that it was most likely President Xi and President Trump will meet at the G20 summit in Japan next month. Is China currently preparing for the two presidents to hold a bilateral meeting there? A: On your first question, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce has made a statement about that. We will have to take necessary countermeasures to the additional tariffs imposed on some Chinese goods by the US. You may follow up on more details. To borrow the words of the US side, let's "wait and see". (The journalist laughed.) On your second question, the two Presidents have maintained contact through various means. I don't have any specifics to update you at the moment. Q: In a recent interview prior to the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, Greek President Prokopios Pavlopoulos pointed out that the "clash of civilizations" argument is a huge mistake. As he noted, global peace depends on the dialogue, exchange, communication, contact and mutual understanding between civilizations. China and Greece, as two important ancient civilizations, can play important roles in promoting dialogue between civilizations. Do you agree with him? A: We highly endorse and applaud President Pavlopoulos's remarks. Respect for the diversity of civilizations is an important precondition for world peace and harmony. Dialogue between civilizations is an essential guarantee for the peaceful co-existence of countries. We believe every country has the right to choose a development path that suits its national conditions. Countries should champion the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness between civilizations and reject the misguided and wrong belief of "clash of civilizations" or the superiority of one civilization over others. The Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations offers a platform to showcase the charms of Asian civilizations, promote exchange and mutual learning among civilizations and enhance friendship and cooperation between countries. China and Greece are both inheritors of civilizations characterized by originality, and share much in common in culture and philosophy. Our relationship is setting an example of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries different in system and culture. China stands ready to work with the international community, Greece included, to engage in more dialogue and cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect, openness and inclusiveness. It is important that we overcome cultural misunderstanding, clash and supremacy through exchanges, mutual learning and coexistence. By so doing, we will be able to find solutions to modern problems in ancient civilizations and shoulder our due responsibilities to advancing world peace and development and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Q: The Pearl Continental Hotel in the port city of Gwadar, Pakistan was attacked by a terrorist group on May 11. The Majeed Brigade of the Baluch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it targeted Chinese and other foreign investors in the hotel. I wonder what is China's comment? Are there Chinese citizens among the casualties? A: China strongly condemns the terrorist attack targeting the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar. We express our condolences to the Pakistanis who sacrificed their lives in the attack and our sympathy to the bereaved families and the injured. As we know from the Pakistani side, so far there is no Chinese citizen among the casualties. We commend and thank the Pakistani security forces for safeguarding peace and stability in Gwadar and the security of Chinese personnel and institutions by taking swift measures to eliminate the terrorists. China will remain a staunch supporter of Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts. We believe the Pakistani government and military are capable of upholding its national security and stability. As we noted, Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned this attack, saying that it attempted to sabotage Pakistan's economy and prosperity. He emphasized that Pakistan will not allow these agendas to succeed. As a supporter of Pakistan's national development, we will continue to back its efforts to achieve economic growth, social development and people's wellbeing. Q: China has invited the Greek president for a visit here this week. Recently there have been quite some meetings between leaders of the two countries. Why is China attaching so much emphasis to relations with Greece? How significant is Greece's role in the Belt and Road cooperation? A: Like I said earlier, China and Greece are both inheritors of civilizations characterized by originality and share much in common in culture and philosophy. Our relationship is setting an example of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries different in system and culture. In recent years, our cooperation has achieved remarkable progress under the Belt and Road Initiative. The Port of Piraeus, which has won extensive acclaim, is an exemplar of successful cooperation between China and Greece. The Greek President will meet with Chinese leaders during this visit. More specifics will be released in due course. We believe his visit and attendance at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations will further our comprehensive strategic partnership and bring more benefits to our peoples. Q: According to reports, on May 11 local time, South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission released the official result and declared the victory of the ruling party African National Congress in the sixth general election. What's your comment? A: South Africa is a major developing country in Africa with important influence in regional and international affairs. This general election has drawn much attention from various sides. It was well-organized and carried out in a peaceful and orderly manner. China congratulates the African National Congress (ANC) for winning the majority of the votes. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has sent a congratulatory letter to the ANC National Executive Committee. China highly values relations with South Africa. We stand ready to work with the South African government in its new term led by the ANC for greater political mutual trust, deeper practical cooperation and more progress in our comprehensive strategic partnership. Q: The US intends to raise tariffs on over $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, which means all its Chinese imports. What is your comment on that and what measures will you take? A: As we repeatedly noted, raising tariffs won't solve any problem. China never succumbs to external pressure. We have the resolve and capability to defend our lawful and legitimate rights and interests. Like I said before, we hope the US can work with China to meet each other halfway, address each other's legitimate concerns and strive for a mutually beneficial agreement on the basis of mutual respect and equality. It will serve the interests of both China and the US and is the shared expectation of the international community. Q: Can you tell us more about the delegates from various countries attending the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations? A: The Information Office of the State Council held a press briefing on the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations last week. Those who will attend the event include leaders from Cambodia, Greece, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Armenia, Mongolia and Uzbekistan, and heads of international organizations including UNESCO. This is the information I have on hand. I don't have a full list of delegates at all levels, but I will try to check on that for you after the press conference. There is not enough analysis data for Track Group. 4.3 Community Rank Outperform Votes Track Group has received 100 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Track Group has received 54 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Track Group has received 64.94% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Track Group and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe TRCK will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe TRCK will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next iPay88 has announced that they have become one of the 60+ partners to support Google Pay and they are planning to introduce the payment system to various e-commerce platforms in Malaysia such as Shopee, Lazada, 11street, and more. During the Google I/O 2019 which was held in California, United States of America. Google has hinted that 70% of customers did not complete their transactions, due to the checkout being too complicated or troublesome to fill in. That being said, Google Pay aims to simplify and streamline the process by helping the customer autofill payment credentials. It can also be supported by multiple vendors to make payment easier on their platform as well. Google Pay could also be used to make payments at physical stores, through contactless payment via your phone. That being said, I have a very good feeling that in the future, companies such as TMnet, TNB, Astro, Shopee, Digi, Grab and more will be quick to adopt the new payment system introduced by iPay88. For more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com. Concept renders of the OnePlus 7 on the left and the OnePlus 7 Pro on the right Dubbed the flagship killer, the OnePlus 7 series is set to be launched globally tomorrow, the 14th of May. We now have a Malaysia release date for the OnePlus 7 series which is on the 21st of May. The smartphone comes with many interesting features and powerful tech specs such as the Snapdragon 855 chipset and more. The OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro is set to launch together. However, as far as leaks and teasers have gone, the OnePlus 7 Pro has been getting more attention and with good reason. The device will be released free of notches and with super slim bezels thanks to the pop up selfie camera. The display comes with a 90Hz refresh rate and as for the camera, a triple rear camera setup with 3x optical zoom, NFS 3.0 and an in-display fingerprint scanner. The OnePlus 7 Pro Ahead of its launch, the full spec list was leaked and it does seem to match all the leaks weve been getting so far. The OnePlus 7 Pro may be released with 48MP (Sony IMX586) + 16MP (wide-angle) + 8MP (telephoto lens) and a 16MP (Sony IMX471) sensor for the selfie camera. In addition, it may also be powered by a decent 4000mAh battery capacity with 30W Warp fast charging and a 6.67 inch display. The device is expected to be launched in 3 variants: 6GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB and 12GB + 256GB with prices starting from 699 Euro (~RM3261) which is pretty steep. As for the OnePlus 7, it lacks a lot more features that the Pro has but would definitely be more wallet friendly overall. It comes with a waterdrop notch on the display with 60Hz refresh rate which isnt bad. The earpiece on top of the device is much wider than usual as it also doubles as one of the dual speakers on the device. On the back, well find a dual camera setup with a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor with a circle shaped LED flash. The OnePlus 7 The device may be a little smaller compared to the Pro with a 6.41 FHD+ display, Snapdragon 855 chipset, 6GB/8GB + 128GB/256GB of internal storage, NFS 3.0 and 4150mAh battery capacity with 30W Warp Charge fast charging technology. However, as these specs are just leaks, lets just take a moment to lick some salt while we wait for the official Malaysia launch and Malaysia price. Would you upgrade your device to the OnePlus 7 series? For the latest OnePlus news and updates, stay tuned to TechNave.com! Smartphones can be divided into three basic categories entry-level, mid-range and flagship. The differences between Samsungs entry-level and mid-range phones are very subtle, like the Samsung Galaxy J series (J1 to J8) offers entry-level and mid-range models. On the other hand, the Samsung A series features IP68 water-resistance and dual selfie cameras, but spec-wise they are still very similar to the Galaxy J5 and above. In 2019, Samsung decided to reposition its phone product categories. Their Galaxy J series has been discontinued and replaced by the Galaxy M series, whereas the Samsung Galaxy A series has been repositioned with different specs and features. Lets have a look at the Samsung Galaxy A50 (officially priced at RM 1199) and see where it is positioned. Design Looks and feels like a flagship Mobile phone designs these days are nearly and practically identical. Unless one is very familiar with different brands and models, it is quite challenging to tell them apart. The Samsung Galaxy A50 faces this exact predicament. However, the flagship style design and feel with its thin body and glass-like back design are all positive points. The rainbow-like reflection is amazing A view from a different angle Infinity-U Display The bottom comes with an audio jack, USB Type-C and speaker grill The power and volume buttons are set on the same side SIM Tray is set on the left The in-display fingerprint sensor and Infinity-U display greatly improve the screen ratio while also removing the fingerprint reader at the back. Overall, it is an aesthetically pleasing phone. Other noteworthy changes include the repositioning of the volume button to the right side of the phone above the power button and the removal of the Bixby key. However, it still supports Bixby's voice. Further information on Bixby can be read below. Tech Specs and Features For the mid-range with some flagship features The Samsung Galaxy A50 comes with an Exynos 9610 chipset. Many may mistake the 9610 to be an Exynos flagship processor but you would be mistaken, as the performance is still of the mid-range level. A detailed performance review will be shared below. While it sounds like I am displeased with the processor performance, this not the case as it performs satisfactorily for a mid-range smartphone. Throw in the 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM with expandable memory up to 512GB SD card (an independent 3rd card slot) makes the A50 a very compelling mid-range phone. The Samsung Galaxy A50 is also equipped with a 25MP main camera, an 8MP ultra wide-angle lens with a 5MP depth sensor (for Live Focus), as well as a 25MP front camera with beauty mode and other features that cover most camera needs of a mid-range smartphone. The camera interface, the wide-angle camera on the rear, Live Focus on the front I think the primary selling point of the Samsung Galaxy A50 lies within its optical in-display fingerprint sensor which is a rare configuration for its price point of RM 1199. While testing the fingerprint sensor, it is accurate but rather slow. There was also the issue of difficulty to unlock the phone under low screen brightness setting in a dark environment, I know it's weird, and I believe Samsung is already aware of the issue as they released an update package to improve the sensitivity. However, I had already returned my test unit to Samsung at this time of posting hence I was unable to confirm the improvement. With the absence of the dedicated Bixby key, I was led to believe that Bixby was no longer supported, but it turns out that Bixby can be awakened by a long-press of the power button, so this will definitely appeal to Bixby fans. You can set up to call Bixby and also have hidden navigation key settings Performance Average mid-range performance The Antutu results were slightly below expectations, particularly the Exynos 9610 chipset. Fortunately, the 3DMark scores were within an acceptable range which made gaming a decent experience. As far as gaming goes, the Samsung Galaxy A50 performed well. PUBG Mobile can be adjusted to the highest HDR quality and Ultra FPS by the user. Under those settings, the phone performs smoothly, though it does heat up a little. Similar results were seen in Honkai Impact 3 where the graphics were sharp and gameplay was smooth. Antutu benchmark score: 143,599 3DMark score Quite amazing that I can set up to Ultra and HDR setting! Honkai Impact 3 performs well on this phone Powered by a 4000mAh battery, it doesn't have any issue lasting for 12 hours under daily use and mobile gaming. It comes with a 15W charger capable of going from 20% to 100% in 1 hour 30 minutes. I am quite satisfied with the camera performance of the Samsung Galaxy A50. The primary camera handles light well and provides sharp details, while the super wide angle camera gives us different perspectives which makes shooting an absolute joy. Check out the photo samples below! Normal shot Ultra wide-angle from the same spot Sunset shot Let's see it in the ultra wide-angle shot Close up of the dog's eye Its Live Focus does fairly well Colour contrast is mostly alright Like most phones, the colours tend to lose out in ultra wide-angle mode Low light shot, you can see the noise in the darker area are more fuzzy Normal selfie and selfie in portrait mode Another pair of selfie pics Conclusion Best Value for Money among Samsungs New Mid Range Phones Looking at the past models of Samsung's mid-range mobile phones, I found them to have a slightly lower price to performance ratio. This has changed with the new Samsung Galaxy A50. Never have we seen an in-display fingerprint sensor, triple rear cameras with an ultra-wide sensor, a 4000mAh battery capacity, an AMOLED screen, 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM, all for the price of RM1199! In the mid-range space, there are plenty of competitors but only a few really stand out. Among them would be the OPPO F11 Pro and Vivo V15, both priced under RM 1299, of which the A50 outperforms them in all aspects other than photo imaging effects. The Huawei Nova 4e (RM1199) carries very similar specs and it really boils down to users brand preference. Personally, the closest competitor would be the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE (from RM1299). Other than the smaller 64GB ROM and 3070mAh battery capacity, the Xiaomi Mi 9SEs triple rear camera setup with an ultra-wide sensor, in-display fingerprint sensor and AMOLED screen is comparable with the A50. For a more detailed comparison and the latest on mobile phones, stay tuned to TechNave.com. Con 10.977 milioni di ascolti streaming in tutto il mondo la canzone e diventata la piu ascoltata nelle 24 ore E uscita da poco piu di un giorno, eppure I Dont Care, la canzone che segna la nuova collaborazione tra Ed Sheeran e Justin Bieber, ha gia iniziato a mietere i primi record. Su Spotify, nelle specifico, dove - con 10.977 milioni di ascolti streaming in tutto il mondo - e risultato il brano piu ascoltato nelle 24 ore. Superato di oltre 100 mila stream il precedente record di 10.819 milioni, detenuto dalla regina del Natale Mariah Carey e realizzato proprio lo scorso 25 dicembre grazie ad All I Want For Christmas Is You. Sheeran e Bieber: la prima collaborazione Come anticipato, non e la prima volta che le due stelle del pop collaborano assieme, anche se e assolutamente la prima in cui assieme cantano. Gia nel 2015, infatti, ai tempi di Purpose, Sheeran aveva scritto per Bieber (QUI, le foto piu belle della moglie Hailey Baldwin) - con laiuto di Benjamin Levin, che, in quelloccasione, si era occupato anche della produzione - il brano Love Yourself, che si e poi rivelato uno dei maggior successi del cantautore canadese. Sheeran e Bieber: il testo di I Dont Care Intanto, in attesa di impararla a memoria, come richiede ogni tormentone che si rispetti, ecco il testo completo della canzone. Im at a party I dont wanna be at And I dont ever wear a suit and tie, yeah Wonderin if I could sneak out the back Nobodys even lookin me in my eyes Can you take my hand? Finish my drink, say, Shall we dance? (Hell, yeah) You know I love ya, did I ever tell ya? You make it better like that Dont think I fit in at this party Everyones got so much to say (Yeah) I always feel like Im nobody, mmm Who wants to fit in anyway? Cause I dont care when Im with my baby, yeah All the bad things disappear And youre making me feel like maybe I am somebody I can deal with the bad nights When Im with my baby, yeah Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh 'Cause I dont care as long as you just hold me near You can take me anywhere And youre making me feel like Im loved by somebody I can deal with the bad nights When Im with my baby, yeah Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh We at a party we dont wanna be at Tryna talk, but we cant hear ourselves Press your lips, Id rather kiss em right back With all these people all around Im crippled with anxiety But Im told its where were sposed to be You know what? Its kinda crazy cause I really dont mind And you make it better like that Dont think we fit in at this party Everyones got so much to say, oh yeah, yeah When we walked in, I said Im sorry, mmm But now I think that we should stay Cause I dont care when Im with my baby, yeah All the bad things disappear Yeah, youre making me feel like maybe I am somebody I can deal with the bad nights when Im with my baby, yeah Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (Oh yeah, yeah, yeah) 'Cause I dont care as long as you just hold me near You can take me anywhere And youre making me feel like Im loved by somebody I can deal with the bad nights when Im with my baby, yeah Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (No) I dont like nobody, but its like youre the only one here I dont like nobody but you, baby, I dont care I dont like nobody but you, I hate everyone here I dont like nobody but you, baby, yeah Cause I dont care (Dont care) When Im with my baby, yeah (Oh yeah) All the bad things disappear (Disappear) And youre making me feel like maybe I am somebody (Maybe Im somebody) I can deal with the bad nights (With the bad nights) When Im with my baby, yeah Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (Oh yeah, yeah, yeah) 'Cause I dont care as long as you just hold me near (Me near) You can take me anywhere (Anywhere, anywhere) And youre making me feel like Im loved by somebody (Im loved by somebody, yeah, yeah, yeah) I can deal with the bad nights When Im with my baby, yeah Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh The Undead Archives I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world. RTHK: Sweden reopens rape probe against Assange Swedish prosecutors said on Monday they were reopening a 2010 rape investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, hoping to bring him to justice before the statute of limitations expires in August 2020. "I have today decided to reopen the investigation... There is still probable cause to suspect that Mr Assange committed rape," the deputy director of public prosecutions, Eva-Marie Persson, told reporters. "The previous decision (in May 2017) to close the investigation was not based on difficulties related to evidence, but on difficulties that blocked the investigation." The Australian whistleblower, who holed himself up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London for seven years to avoid a British extradition order to Sweden, was arrested on April 11 after Ecuador gave him up. A London court sentenced him on May 1 to 50 weeks in jail for breaching the British order. "Now that he has left Ecuador's embassy, the conditions in the case have changed and I am of the opinion that the conditions are in place once again to pursue the case," the prosecutor said. The 47-year-old has always claimed the Swedish allegations were a pretext to transfer him to the United States, where he fears prosecution over the release by WikiLeaks of millions of classified documents. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-05-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. (AP) Pete Buttigieg (BOO-tuh-juhj) drew a sold-out crowd to a fundraiser at an iconic West Hollywood gay bar, providing an intimate moment with the first Democratic White House contender who is a member of the LGBT community. Attendees at The Abbey each paid about $25 to attend the South Bend, Indiana, mayors grassroots event. Buttigieg was introduced by his husband, Chasten. "Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, right, shares a light moment with husband, Chasten Glezman, while waiting to be introduced at a campaign event Thursday, May 9, 2019, in West Hollywood, Calif." (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Its just one of a crush of fundraisers he has in the coming days, with actress Gwyneth Paltrow holding a high-dollar fundraiser later Thursday. Buttigieg told the audience to ignore skeptics who say change is impossible: Tell them you saw ... a top tier presidential candidate on his way to the White House moments after his husband introduced him. (WB) Martin Marty Chernoff, a Denver-based businessman who is credited with employing state-of-the-art technology in video, lighting, and sound systems for the gay nightclubs called Tracks that he opened in Denver, D.C. and other cities, died May 3 in Denver. He was 76. People who knew him said Chernoff, who was straight, hired a cadre of gay managers and employees who he mentored in the art of operating large-scale nightclubs. Many of them went on to open their own successful gay clubs. Using the business model and amenities he created for his first Tracks nightclub in Denver, Chernoff opened Tracks D.C. in 1984 in a large warehouse building at 1111 First St., S.E. in the then-warehouse district that has since disappeared following the construction of Washington Nationals Stadium. Nightlife advocates familiar with Tracks D.C. say that in its 15-year lifespan it closed in 1999 after Chernoff sold the building to a developer it brought to D.C. a gay nightclub that offered features no other nightclub offered in the region, gay or straight. Ed Bailey, who worked at Tracks D.C. as a DJ and later as its director of promotions, said the sprawling warehouse buildings main room or hall included the D.C. areas largest dance floor at the time. He noted that Chernoff installed the same state-of-the-art theatrical lighting and sound system he had been using in the Denver Tracks. Unlike most other clubs at the time, Chernoff had a large outdoor space as part of the Tracks property in which he installed a volleyball court with beach sand rather than a paved cement surface. He also built an 18-inch-deep pool surrounded by a large deck with chairs and an outdoor bar and grill, where hot dogs and hamburgers, among other food items, were served. The outdoor space also featured yet another dance floor and sound system that became highly popular during the warm weather months. I built what I thought would work well, including some things where people said, Are you crazy? Who ever heard of a volleyball court in a nightclub? Chernoff told the Washington Blade in a 2013 interview on the occasion of a Tracks D.C. reunion party. And I said, Well, I tried it in Denver and it worked pretty well. Lets give it a try here. Bailey and others familiar with Tracks said the volleyball court along with the numerous other amenities at the club worked very well, as capacity crowds exceeding 1,000 or more patrons came to the club on most weekends. Under Chernoffs direction, Tracks D.C. also featured nationally known live performers almost one a month for several years. Among them were Gloria Gaynor, Thelma Houston, Crystal Waters, The Village People, Martha Washington, and CeCe Peniston. Chernoff told the Blade in the 2013 interview that he was proud that Tracks drew a diverse cross section of the LGBT community, including whites, blacks, men and women, Latinos and Asians. He noted that as word spread about Tracks grand scale, straight customers began to come to the club at various times. Before long, people familiar with the club said, Friday nights became known as straight night, even though gays continued to come to Tracks on that night. It was the biggest, coolest club in the city, so other people started going, Bailey said at the time of the 2013 Tracks reunion. The straight crowd knew it was a gay club but they couldnt find anything like it anywhere else. Chernoff told the Blade he and his staff welcomed the diversity of the crowds. But he said he made it clear in no uncertain terms on a sign posted at the entrance that while everyone was welcome, Tracks was a gay club and if that is a problem for you then you shouldnt come in. In a joint statement to the Blade this week, Bailey and John Guggenmos, a former Tracks manager who, along with other partners, later bought Tracks D.C. from Chernoff, said Chernoff changed their lives by teaching and mentoring them in the nightclub business. After envisioning a potential nightclub in an abandoned building in Southeast D.C., Marty created a remarkable facility, and laid the foundation for what most who experienced it would call the single greatest nightclub in all D.C. history, Bailey said in the statement. John and I are immensely proud of our time at Tracks and I know that Marty was proud to see how Tracks grew and evolved during our time there, Bailey said. Marty should be revered for what he did to create such a remarkable nightclub space and John and I will always owe him a debt of gratitude for allowing us to launch our careers in the process. Mark Lee, a former D.C. nightclub event producer and current nightlife business advocate, said Chernoffs innovative approach to the nightclub business opened doors for others to build on D.C.s nightlife scene. D.C. nightlife owes a special place in history to Marty Chernoff, alongside the gratitude of the gay community, Lee said. He initiated one of the most momentous and memorable local dance club venues and fostered a legacy of new expectations, Lee said. He engendered professional opportunities and creative possibilities for men and women, gay and straight, who made continuing contributions to the nighttime culture here and elsewhere, and which enliven our city and other places to this day. Andrew Feinstein, Chernoffs business partner at Tracks in Denver, which is still operating, and in the Denver based EXDO Event Center, posted a Facebook remembrance of Chernoff, who he called his best friend. Our Tracks and EXDO family has lost our founder and fearless leader Martin Chernoff, Feinstein wrote in his post. For those of us who had the privilege of getting to know Marty over the 76-plus years of his life, you know he was truly one-of-a-kind and had the biggest heart imaginable, Feinstein said. Marty recognized in the very early days of Tracks Denver (opened in 1980) how important it was to have a welcoming venue that accepted all people of all sexual orientations, races, religions, ages, and so forth, Feinstein said. As a man who grew up without even a modicum of pretentiousness, there was no judgement from Marty about who walked through our doors. Feinstein said in his post that Chernoff is survived by his wife Kay and his daughters Lisa and Linda. He said a grand celebration of Chernoffs life is scheduled to be held Aug. 4 at Tracks in Denver. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Randy Burton has been following the excruciating saga of AJ Freund from his home state of Texas. Burton is a former assistant district attorney in Harris County. He founded the nonprofit Justice for Children in 1987 after prosecuting child abuse cases and watching, time and again, children returned to violent homes. The system fails systematically, he told me, the day after 5-year-old AJs body was found buried in a shallow grave. AJs parents, JoAnn Cunningham, 36, and Andrew Freund, 60, face murder charges in his death. I called Burton because Ive followed his work for years. Hes a prolific advocate for rescuing and protecting children from abuse. His organization provides free guidance and legal services to adults who fear a child is being allowed to remain in an abusive home. Sometimes that adult is a neighbor, sometimes its a teacher, sometimes its a parent trying to protect his or her own child from another parent or relative. I called him because Im hungry for fresh ideas. Im hungry for something other than after-the-fact checks and balances on a bureaucratic system tasked with an incredibly difficult job: protecting a child from monsters. Monsters who are, all too often, that childs family. Monsters who, it must be remembered, that child loves. Stories like AJs defy our understanding of family. They defy our understanding of humanity. They are shocking in both their depravity and their frequency. The litany of horrible things done to small children, Burton said, its never ending. Investigators with DCFS had contact with AJs family for years, even before the boy was born with drugs in his system. The DCFS Office of Inspector General is investigating the agencys handling of AJs case, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday, which its mandated to do in all cases of child death and injury when the family was involved with DCFS within the last year of the minors life. Burtons not impressed. Or hopeful. Its not enough. He pushes for wholesale changes in the way child protective service agencies approach their entire reason for being. He advocates for a shift away from the long-time goal of keeping families together. The notion that its more harmful to remove a child from a family than it is to leave a child in an abusive home, he says, is outdated and scientifically unproven. A childs safety, he says, has to be paramount. The fact that children love their parents unconditionally does not mean thats an excuse to leave them in a home where their bones are being broken or theyre being starved of theyre being raped, Burton said. To me, its just beyond comprehension how one could justify leaving a child in an environment like AJs. In 1980, The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act was passed, requiring child protective services agencies to avoid unnecessary removal of children from their homes. All too often, Burton said, that backfires. As we can see in this case involving AJ, he said, case workers make preposterous decisions and bend over backwards to leave the child in the home, under this family preservation idea. Child abuse, by definition, is a crime. Burton argues law enforcement should have the primary authority for receiving and investigating child abuse complaints. He would like to see federal legislation that strengthens child abuse and neglect laws. Hed like to see children who are victims of crimes treated like all other victims of crimes. If Im an adult and Ive been raped, I dont call adult protective services, he said. I call the police. And they measure their response time in minutes, not days. His position, he said, is based on decades of watching thousands of children be murdered by their family members or guardians. People will say its easy to second guess the situation and look back at what should have been done in this case or that case, Burton said. Ive got several hundred boxes of cases, field studies, stories, investigations, newspaper series from every major city Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Houston that have informed my opinion. I dont say these things lightly. I dont want to break up families, he continued. I know how important a family is and I know all families have stresses and there are times when things are better than other times. But when you look at the files Ive looked at, when you read these investigations, when you read what happens to these children, there just simply is no excuse for leaving them in their homes. A Tribune investigation of DCFS files and police reports show the agency found ample evidence of squalid living conditions in AJs home: an overwhelming smell of feces, no power for weeks, damaged floors and ceilings. AJ often had bruises. A few days before Christmas, my colleague Christy Gutowski reports, AJ told a doctor who asked about a bruise on his hip, Maybe someone hit me with a belt. Maybe Mommy didnt mean to hurt me. In 2016, a nationally estimated 1,750 children died of abuse and neglect in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I asked Burton if critics argue that removing children from abusive homes simply puts them in harms way inside a different home. I know foster care has had its own set of problems, he said. But there are also many great foster families out there. Are there crappy ones? Yes. And part of the problem is theyre not monitored the way they should be. I understand the resignation. But to me, any removal is better than leaving someone like AJ in that home. And, of course, its not just AJ. Its thousands of children. An agency tasked with preserving and reunifying families, he said, cant possibly investigate families effectively. Its a professional schizophrenia, he said. Theyre told to protect children and preserve families. When youre dealing with felony crimes committed against children, you can not satisfy both of those. You have to protect the child first. You dont have a choice, in my opinion, but to remove the child when theres evidence of an arguable crime. Hes tired of waiting for change. Ive talked about this family preservation issue till Im blue in the face, he said. Ive talked about it on 20/20 and Good Morning America and a BBC series called, Americas Child Death Shame. Ive written about it extensively. Whenever I get a chance, I try to remind people that there are solutions. His solutions are controversial. Critics will find all sorts of reasons to dismiss them out of hand. But can we keep pretending the current system is enough? When we look at photos of AJ and reconcile that smile with the fate we know he met? When we know he died close to the two-year anniversary of the death of 17-month-old Semaj Crosby, the Joliet Township toddler found under a couch, whose death was ruled homicide by asphyxia? When the number of children killed by abuse nationally creeps toward 2,000 a year? I cant. If we have sufficient, admissible evidence, we need to aggressively intervene, Burton said. That doesnt necessarily mean you wont ever reunite. That doesnt necessarily mean youre going to have parental rights terminated. But AJ lived in a dangerous home. And I have no doubt in my mind that little boy couldve been saved. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 A Carbondale man has been charged after allegedly firing into a crowd at a nightclub in the early morning hours Sunday. A news release from the Carbondale Police Department said officers were monitoring a crowd outside of the Hollywood Lounge in the 100 block of West Jackson Street when they allegedly saw 21-year-old Jermaine Ross fire a gun into the crowd. The release said Ross fled when police attempted to apprehend him. He was later found after a chase and was arrested in the 300 block of East Jackson Street. The weapon was recovered from the scene of the incident. Ross has been charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of weapons, reckless discharge of a firearm, resisting arrest and unlawful use of weapons by a felon. Ross has several felony charges in both Williamson and Jackson Counties. According to court document website Judici, Ross has a 2015 burglary charge in Jackson County as well as 2018 burglary charge in Williamson County. Ross is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail. The Southern Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 CARBONDALE After May 25, SIU Carbondale students will have just one brick and mortar bookstore to get textbooks for the semester. In a Facebook post made Sunday, the day after graduation on campus, the store announced it was closing after more than 50 years. Old Carbondale Water Treatment Plant is getting new life as next home of 710 Bookstore CARBONDALE A locally owned bookstore that has been ingrained in the fabric of Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the community will We want to thank all of Saluki Nation and Southern Illinois for your decades of support and allowing us to serve the needs of students, faculty, fans and the public, the post says. The store was purchased by Randy Johnson, and Dwayne and Kim Summers in 2014 after being sold by the original owners, Kennedys Books Inc. out of Lexington, Kentucky. 710 was the last bookseller operating off campus, leaving only University Bookstore in the SIU Student Center. You never want to see a business close in our community, Tena Bennett, director of the Student Center, said Monday. She said the current owner of University Bookstore is textbook publisher Follett they contracted with the university in 2013 to operate the store Bennett said. In its third location in the last decade, 710 moved into the old water treatment plant near the SIU Rec Center last year. At the time, Johnson said the move from Saluki Plaza was to increase the business's offerings. Carbondale's 710 Bookstore relocating to South Wall Street CARBONDALE After the recent closure of Bookworm, the appearance of the For Lease sign on 710 Bookstore at 819 S. Illinois Ave. was likely "The days of people just walking in the front door is just not realistic, so we want to be able to have activities and stuff going on, especially in the fall, he told the Southern last May. 710 Bookstore moved into Saluki Plaza in April 2014 from its original, namesake location at 710 S. Illinois Ave. to make room for the Evolve apartment complex. In his talk with The Southern in 2018, Johnson was optimistic about the new location in part because of the density of student housing nearby. We kind of like the location, because theres an awful lot of student housing behind us. With the trend right now and the way things are going, we think it actually puts us in a little better situation in terms of that," he said. Johnson has had a long history with 710 and community engagement. In 2012, he received Carbondales Chamber of Commerce Presidents Award for community service. At the time, just the general manager of the shop, he said he felt blessed to have the freedom there to get involved with community events and scholarships. On Facebook, there was an outpouring of support and well wishes in the comment section of the announcement, some broadly directed at the store but some to Johnson himself. Randy, thanks for ALL the trips you made north for events in Chicago, bringing an amazing abundance of SIU apparel and accessories each time, one person wrote. Another noted that 710 was interwoven in a lot of her coming of age memories in the 1960s. I first stepped into 710 in June 1969. I saw the windows smashed by bricks in May 1970. I bought the (Beatles Abbey) Road album at 710 when it was first released, she wrote, adding that the 710 Bookstore calendars were always a favorite as well. There is a large liquidation sale happening at the store. The closure announcement says everything, except textbooks, are 50 percent off. Students who still have outstanding book rentals and have questions about their return are asked to email the store at: seventen@seventen.com. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 17 Angry 0 An Orangeburg County jury awarded a father and son a total of $35 million in a lawsuit over injuries they received in an August 2015 accident involving a commercial trucking company. Willie Glover and his 23-year-old son, Brandon Glover, were injured Aug. 4, 2015 on Interstate 26 in Orangeburg County when a JHOC, Inc. commercial truck driven by David Hill rear-ended the vehicle the Glovers were in, according to court documents. The accident resulted in the Orangeburg County men receiving severe permanent neck, back and other injuries, requiring hospitalization and significant medical expenses, according to the complaint filed by Brandon Glover. After a five-day trial and about 1-1/2 hours of deliberation, a 12-person jury came back with the verdict on April 26 that JHOC, Inc. will have to pay both men $33.6 million. The jury determined JHOC, Inc., doing business as Premier Transportation, and Hill were 90 percent responsible for causing the accident. Brandon Glover was awarded $4 million in actual damages and $16 million in punitive damages for the company and driver acting with a reckless, willful, wanton, ... conscious disregard to the rights of ... Glover, according to the verdict. The jury said Willie Glover, who was a cross-claimant in the case, was 10 percent responsible for causing the accident and needed to pay Brandon Glover $400,000 in actual damages and $1 million in punitive damages. Willie Glover was also awarded $4 million in actual damages and $10 million in punitive damages. "The jury spoke loudly, telling trucking companies like Premier Transportation not to break the rules," Orangeburg attorney David Williams said. He represented Willie Glover in the case. Brandon Glover, who is now 26, was represented by Allendale attorney Mark Tinsley. JHOC and Hill were represented by Georgia attorney Robert Shannon. "Anybody who sat in that courtroom for the five days of the trial cannot say they predicted this outcome," Shannon said in an emailed response. "We should always have respect for the citizens of Orangeburg for giving up their time to sit through a trial. Though I disagree with the decision, I respect their service and decision, he said. Shannon did say he was puzzled by the jury's findings. "Of the $35 million awarded, the jury allocated fault to Mr. Willie Glover and assessed $1 million in punitive damages against him," Shannon wrote. "Therefore, he was assessed $1.4 million in favor of his son." "Still the jury awarded him $14 million in actual and punitive damages where they found by clear and convincing evidence his own actions were willful and wanton in causing the accident," he continued. "We intend to file post-trial motions and we will see what happens." The post-trial motions could include a request for a new trial. Circuit Court Judge Ed Dickson presided over the case. According to court documents, the collision occurred as Willie Glover was traveling west on I-26 in Orangeburg County near Exit 165. Evidence presented during the case revealed traffic was moving at about 60 mph at the time of the collision. Glover was travelling behind a vehicle that became disabled and stopped to avoid hitting it. Hill, an employee of Premier Transportation, struck Glover's vehicle. The impact of the collision caused Glover's vehicle to strike a tree, according to Willie Glover's court filings. The plaintiffs argued Hill was traveling too fast for conditions and was driving too close to Glovers vehicle. Evidence showed the truck was going about 45 mph at the time of impact. Williams also noted Hill had a history of knee and shoulder problems and said he was taking narcotics for these health issues. Shannon disputed the allegations. "Mr. Hill had knee surgery and was out of work to recover for some period," Shannon said. "Prior to his return he stated he was on Advil for the pain and to my knowledge it is not a narcotic. A doctor cleared him to return to work." "Three weeks prior to his return to work he was given a pre-employment drug test as required by the FMSCA," Hill said. "He cleared that drug test. There was no evidence he had medical issues or was on narcotics at the time of the incident." In answer to the plaintiff's complaint, JHOC said while Hill was traveling behind Glover, a sudden emergency occurred through no fault of Hill, which resulted in a collision. The company said both Willie Glover and the driver of the disabled vehicle were at fault for the accident. According to the plaintiff's complaint, Orangeburg County residents Bobby Boneparte and Anthony Frazier were also passengers in Glover's vehicle at the time of the collision. Both Boneparte's and Frazier's cases were resolved prior to the trial, Williams said. Williams said the settlement for Boneparte and Frazier is confidential, but he said the men did not have serious injuries like the Glovers. Williams said Premier Transportation also sued Willie Glover, but the company's claims were dismissed due to failure to establish any damages. Contact the writer: gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5551. Check out Zaleski on Twitter at @ZaleskiTD. Love 7 Funny 0 Wow 5 Sad 3 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. BAMBERG -- The SouthernCarolina Alliance will work to improve everything from rural broadband to the regions brand image, Executive Director Danny Black told Bamberg County Council last week. Bamberg County has already applied for a $3 million grant from USDA Rural Development's Community Connect Grant Program to expand broadband access to underserved rural areas. It is partnering with Orangeburg Broadband to build the system. "We're going to ask for money across the region, too. There's $600 million out there for broadband coverage for the nation. We certainly want to get our share," Black said. The SCA is a regional development group serving seven counties, including Bamberg. Those counties contain areas designated as federal Opportunity Zones, which are able to give tax incentives to encourage long-term, private investment in low-income communities. Black said the SCA is seeking a grant to allow it to, "come in with a team of experts that will look at all the Opportunity Zones in the seven-county region and choose the one they think has the most value and will have the best return to the counties." He said he hopes the process will begin in May. Black said the Bamberg-Barnwell-Allendale-Hampton region has particularly been hit hard by several factors, including low per-capita income rates and population loss. "We are going to do some very positive marketing in the four-county area. We're starting out with Bamberg and Allendale first. We're bringing in an expert team to advise us, or try to offset some of the negative things that are going on in the counties," he said. "Both Bamberg and Allendale have high poverty levels. The median income in Bamberg County is $19,000 and in Allendale it's $13,000," he said. While people are working, they are not making as much as those in larger neighboring counties. "Weve got to turn that around," he said. Black said a CNN report on Denmark's water system did not help. He said, "When CNN says that we have a poisonous water system in one of our towns, people pay attention to that. Whether it's true or not - obviously we don't think it is true - if it shows up on that kind of media, we're in trouble. "We had a very large (food processing) company looking at one of our locations, and we feel certain the reason they have not chosen us is because of that article. ... We believe that we're going to probably lose that company to a neighboring county. We're still fighting for it, but we know it's in a tough situation," Black said. "We'll have marketing people in here hopefully by the end of the month that will be interviewing you again," he added, noting that he'd also like input from members of the Concerned Citizens of Bamberg County. Also during the meeting, county residents aired their concerns. Ken Ahlin said he had not yet received requested information on when public hearings were held regarding a USDA loan application for courthouse renovations. "How are we really going to get to the nuts and bolts of what is being proposed aside from a press release? ... We would like some more specifics," Ahlin said. He suggested the county notify residents of meetings and hearings by email. John Gleaton asked why a new county courthouse annex was built instead of the existing courthouse being repaired. When county voters approved the 1 percent capital projects sales tax in 2012, the courthouse renovation was listed as one of the projects funded by the tax. Council Chairman Trent Kinard said he agreed. While he wasn't on council at the time, he did request a copy of the referendum question, which he said also provided for the construction of "additional buildings." It doesn't do the taxpayers justice. That's the problem weve got now," Gleaton said, adding that population loss and lack of industry are creating a greater tax burden on residents. "We're fixing to add on more if we have to do what Mr. Preston tells us to do. That's what I'm not happy with," Gleaton said. Dean Fralix said, "Were spending too much money. ... A lot of us think that the leadership is trying to spend more money to fix problems, ... but if you continue to spend money we don't have, you just dig the hole deeper." He asked that council meet with the public more to discuss issues. Gerald Maynor said the lack of a grocery store in the city of Bamberg still bothers him and asked if his idea of developing a food cooperative was considered. Kinard said he and the administrator talked with several companies, but to no avail. "It's a tough sell. It's a tough sell with the number of people weve got. It's a tough sell when they say, 'Youve got a grocery store seven miles away.' ... It's a lot to us because youve got a lot of people here that do not have vehicles. And it worries me," Kinard said. The council chairman said he would be reaching out to Columbia Mayor Steven Benjamin, who Maynor said had opened a food co-op in a community that lost a Bi-Lo. Kim Compton thanked council for setting up chairs in the hallway for residents to sit during the meeting and for also having the meeting displayed on TV screens in that area. "I really do appreciate that. That's working together. ... And we've got to do that in bigger ways as well," she said. In other matters: Council approved a resolution thanking retiring Bamberg County Chamber of Commerce Director Jerry Bell for his service. A member of the chamber since 2008, he has served as director since 2013. He said he will still be around to work with the Edisto River Paddle Trips. "I've had a blast at the chamber. Ive still got a month to work. It has been a pleasure, it really has. Every little, small thing we can do, I think, makes a difference, and I hope we've made a little bit of a difference," he said. Preston reported the Lower Savannah Council of Governments will hold one of three long-range transportation planning meetings from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, in the cafeteria of Mellichamp Elementary School at 350 Murray Road SW in Orangeburg. He also reported that the county has been approved for a loan through the U.S. Department of Agricultures Rural Development Facilities Program for the addition of a substation in the Rivers Bridge community. "With that, we'll be able to ... reduce some insurance rates for those citizens in that district," he said. The administrator said the county is waiting on the delivery of granite before it completes its Veterans Memorial project. "Each marker, of course, has granite and it's being cut right now. I was told last week they expect a delivery probably in the next couple of weeks," he said. Following a public hearing on the matter, council gave final third-reading approval to an ordinance enlarging a joint industrial park shared by Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell and Hampton counties to include Project Can Can (EOC Naturals). The company is located in Allendale County. The Canadian-based company is set to bring 76 jobs into the area with a capital investment of $3.3 million. Bamberg County will receive 10 percent of tax revenues paid from the industry as soon as the company is operational within the next month or two. Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 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. Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship. (WB) Cuban police on Saturday arrested several people during an unsanctioned LGBTI march in Havana. The march began in Havanas Central Park near the Cuban Capitol shortly after 4 p.m. Videos that independent Cuban journalists and activists posted online showed dozens of people some with Pride flags marching down Havanas Prado Avenue towards the oceanfront. Videos posted to social media show police officers arresting march participants. Maykel Gonzalez Vivero, publisher of Tremenda Nota, the Washington Blades media partner in Cuba who was covering the march, said police arrested five people. Independent LGBTI activists organized the march less that a week after the National Center for Sexual Education, a group directed by Mariela Castro, the daughter of former President Raul Castro, announced it had cancelled its annual International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia march in Havana that was to have taken place on Saturday. Mariela Castro earlier this week said the opposition in Miami was organizing the unsanctioned march. Mariela Castro on Sunday in a Facebook post described it as a show organized from Miami and (the Cuban city of) Matanzas, backed by officials at the U.S. embassy and covered by the foreign press. Independent activists in the days leading up to the march received text messages from state security officials that told them not to attend it. Police on Saturday also prevented some of them from leaving their homes in order to attend the march in Havana and other unsanctioned IDAHOBiT marches that were scheduled to take place elsewhere in the country. The Blade later confirmed authorities detained Juana Mora Cedeno, an independent LGBTI activist who met with then-President Obama in Havana in 2016, and others to prevent them from attending the Havana march. Sources who attended CENESEXs annual IDAHOBiT gala in Havana on Friday where San Francisco-based activist Cleve Jones was honored said the organization encouraged attendees to attend a party that was to have begun on Saturday at 4 p.m., the same time the unsanctioned march was to have begun. Francisco Rodriguez Cruz, a pro-government gay Cuban blogger who writes under the pen name Paquito el de Cuba, posted onto his Facebook page a picture of him and his family with Jones at the event. With Cleve Jones, one of the historic leaders of the LGBTI movement in the United States and CENESEX honoree this year, after speaking to the crowd about the rights of all human rights and committing to fight against the U.S. embargo against Cuba, wrote Rodriguez. This years IDAHOBiT commemorations in Cuba are taking place against the backdrop of increased tensions between Havana and Washington over the governments continued support of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The countrys worsening economic situation has also prompted food rationing, a shortage of fuel and blackouts. Authorities on Wednesday arrested Luz Escobar, a reporter for 14ymedio, an independent website founded by Yoani Sanchez, a prominent critic of the Cuban government, as she tried to interview victims of a freak tornado that tore through parts of Havana in January. Authorities on the same day did not allow this reporter into country after his flight from Miami landed at Havanas Jose Marti International Airport. This reporter spoke with Jones at the airport before he learned the Cuban government. Luxembourg's annual Octave pilgrimage begins and lasts for two weeks as of Sunday 12 May. But what is this religious tradition seemingly unique to the Grand Duchy all about? The Octave marks one of Luxembourg's most significant annual religious celebrations and honours Our Lady of Luxembourg ( Our Lady of Luxembourg, Maria Mutter Jesu, Consolatrix Afflictorum, Patrona Civitatis et Patriae Luxemburgensis), the patron saint of the Grand Duchy. The celebration is one steeped in Luxembourg's history, but also slightly transcends the religious connotations with its popular two-week market. Whilst the Octave officially begins on Saturday 11 May, the pilgrimages start on the Sunday. When and what The Octave celebration takes place on the third Sunday following Easter and lasts two weeks. The tradition is one in which pilgrims from all over Luxembourg flock to the Notre-Dame Cathedral in the capital throughout the two weeks. The tradition ends after two weeks with the Octave procession: the statue of the Virgin Mary is taken through the streets of Luxembourg City (and is especially dressed for the occasion), often accompanied by public figures including the Grand Ducal family. Throughout the two weeks, there will also be a host of masses organised for the period. Some pilgrims also come from the surrounding areas outside of Luxembourg, notably the Luxembourg province in Belgium, the Eifel region in Germany, and the Lorraine area in France. This is possibly due to the tradition existing longer than Luxembourg's current borders. Pilgrims arriving in the capital form processions towards the Cathdral whilst praying. For the duration of the Octave period, the statue of the Virgin Mary stands on a special votive altar. History The Octave celebration's history is closely linked to the Jesuits. The Jesuit college in Luxembourg was founded in 1603, at the beginning of the century which would mark the roots of the Octave pilgrimage and procession. Starting in 1613 and lasting until 1621, the Jesuit Church was built. This is a key moment as that church later became the Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City. The Octave celebration's history is deeply affected by major events that occurred in the surroundings areas in the 17th century - both the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) and the Plague (1626-1636) had effects on the population of Luxembourg, which coincided with the Jesuit mission to make Catholicism attractive to the population. This also had a component of countering the rise of Protestantism. The roots of the pilgrimage go back to 1624, when students from the Jesuit carried a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary in front of the city walls on the Glacis. At this point, the statue received its title of Consolatrix Afflictorum (Comforter of the Afflicted). Some forty years later, the provincial council chose the Virgin Mary/Comforter of the Afflicted to be the country's patron saint as a means to protect the people from a further outbreak of the plague. The Jesuits transferred the wooden statue of Mary from the Glacis chapel to the then-Jesuit church, now the Notre Dame Cathedral. The church became a cathedral in 1870 when Luxembourg became a bishopric. In 1921, an extended Octave celebration took place as the belated 250th anniversary of the election of the patroness upon the initiative of Bishop Pierre Nommesch - the actual anniversary was in 1916 and the Octave celebration did not take place due to the First World War. At this point, the Octave took place over two weeks rather than one week. The Oktavmaertchen The market's history returns to that of the pilgrimages, with pilgrims heading to the market for food and drink or to buy trinkets and ornaments after mass. Today, the market remains a cornerstone of Luxembourg's festivities, with many taking advantage of the market stalls and food on offer. The market, which takes place on Place Guillaume II every year, is similar to local Kiermes festivals, except larger. On average, 90,000 people take advantage of the market. For those of us fond of Gromperekichelcher, the market is yet another opportunity to feast on the tasty snack. The market is open for the duration of the celebration from 8am to 10.30pm each day. Armenia's jailed former president goes on trial Monday over what prosecutors describe as a coup that led to bloody protests but he insists is a politically motivated case. Robert Kocharyan led the ex-Soviet nation for a decade up to 2008 when his hand-picked ally Serzh Sarkisian was elected. Kocharyan is accused of tipping those presidential polls in Sarkisian's favour and faces charges of "overthrowing the constitutional order". The 64-year-old, however, told AFP the case was brought against him because of a new leadership that pushed out his successor in a popular uprising last year. "What is happening to me is nothing less than lawlessness," he told AFP from prison in written comments sent via representatives. "The current Armenian political authorities have declared me guilty, and the judicial system now serves this political master." The former head of state faces up to 15 years behind bars if convicted. After the 2008 election, tensions erupted into violent clashes between riot police and supporters of the defeated opposition candidate, who denounced the vote as fraudulent. Eight protesters and two officers were killed. Sarkisian led the South Caucasus nation until April last year when he was forced to resign because of mass protests against his rule, spearheaded by current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. In 2009, Pashinyan was arrested for organising the 2008 post-electoral protests and sentenced to seven years in prison, but was released as part of an amnesty in 2011. Kocharyan was arrested in July last year, then briefly released but re-arrested again in December and has since then remained in pre-trial detention. "I was a non-partisan president who acted without favour or prejudice," Kocharyan told AFP. - Anti-corruption crackdown - Kocharyan claimed that Armenia's current authorities "are not especially enthusiastic to find out" who bears the responsibility for the deaths for "fear of revealing extremely undesirable facts for the current government." Armenia's former head of state Robert Kocharyan (C) is accused of tipping the 2008 presidential polls in Serzh Sarkisian's (R) favour / ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/AFP "They have focused instead all their efforts on the fabrication of politically motivated charges against me." He said Pashinyan "has a direct motivation to rewrite history in order to whitewash himself and shift responsibility for the events of 2008 to others." Pashinyan launched a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown on former elites when he came to power last May. Critics accuse pro-Russian politician Kocharyan of amassing an immense fortune through corruption, an allegation he denies. In February, prosecutors charged Kocharyan's son with tax evasion and money laundering using companies owned by the Kocharyan family. Kocharyan's presidency saw one of the bloodiest events in Armenia's post-Soviet political history -- a terrorist attack on the Armenian parliament in 1999. Opposition parties have accused Kocharyan of organising the attack in which five gunmen killed his political foes, prime minister Vazgen Sargsyan and parliament speaker Karen Demirchyan, among others. The TransGriot is available for speaking engagements, college lectures, panel discussions, media interviews, conferences or Trans 101 education efforts for your school, business or professional organizations. For local Houston area, Texas or national events, you can e-mail me at transgriot@yahoo.com For events outside the Houston metro area, I ask that my travel and lodging expenses be covered. This is separate from my speaking fee. If you are interested in having me appear as a speaker or panelist, you can e-mail me with the date and details of your proposed event. Please book as early as possible because my speaking and event calendar slots during the year rapidly fill up. Tuesday support meetings Alcoholics Anonymous: 6:30 a.m., 917 N. Beech; 8:30 a.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 10 a.m., 328 E. A; noon, 500 S. Wolcott; 2 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 5:30 p.m., 1124 Elma, Imitate the Image Church; 5:30 p.m., 328 E. A; 7 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott, closed; 7 p.m., 520 CY; 8 p.m., 328-1/2 E. A; 8 p.m., 328 E. A; 8 p.m., 917 N. Beech. Douglas: 7:30 p.m., 628 E. Richards (upstairs in back). Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open. Casper info: 266-9578; Douglas info: (307) 351-1688. Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 7 p.m., 15th and Melrose, at the church. Web site: http://www.urmrna.org. Sharing Meeting: 8 p.m., 328-1/2 E. A St. upstairs. Non-smoking. Featuring AA and Al Anon participation in the solution. Wyoming Reads celebration The 21st annual Natrona County celebration will be held at the Natrona County Library and Nicolaysen Art Museum at 11 a.m. Over 1,050 Natrona County first-graders from public, private, and home schools will attend. In addition, nearly 7,500 books will be distributed to first-graders at Wyoming Reads literacy celebrations held in each of the states 23 counties. In addition, 250 Natrona County first-graders will receive their first library card. Celebrity readers from the community will be stationed at the library to read books to the children, who will also enjoy a picnic lunch and a special fairy tale about The Good Queen Sue, a tribute to Sue Jorgensen, in whose memory this event was established. The fairytale is presented as a play performed at the Nicolaysen Art Museum, featuring students from the Natrona County High School Theatre department. Music will be provided by Richard Turner, Bucky Walker, and Bill Hunt. Earlier this year, children had the opportunity to choose which book they would like to receive from the following options: Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings; We Dont Eat Our Classmates! by Ryan T. Higgins; The Princess and the Pit Stop, by Tom Angleberger; Twig, by Aura Parker; Detective Dog, by Julia Donaldson and Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur, by Cirocco Dunlap. Wyoming Reads celebrations focus on the joy of reading, highlighted by each child receiving a hardback book with their name printed inside the cover, donated by the Sue Jorgensen Library Foundation. For more information on Wyoming Reads, please visit wyomingreads.org. Salisbury, Kemper receive award To make a nonprofit successful, it takes dedication and leadership, two things do-gooders Rene Kemper and Margaret Salisbury have done for years. Both are tireless forces in the Casper and Douglas communities, and both will be presented with the Tony Cate Award. Anyone wishing to celebrate them is invited to join the Casper area local board from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Lyric. Food and beverages will be available. Contact Vickery Fales Hall with questions: 307-250-6808 or vickery@wycf.org. The Tony Cate Award was created four years ago by the Wyoming Community Foundations Casper Area Local Board to honor nonprofit leaders. Those selected for the award approach their work with care, integrity and a goal to build a better community. For most of the last four decades, Salisbury has been putting her considerable talent and expertise into the nonprofit sector. In 2001 Salisbury, alongside a team of volunteers, started Wyoming CARES, which helps Wyoming infants, children, youth, adults and senior citizens with medical and non-medical needs who often fall through the cracks of available assistance. Kemper has been working at Youth Development Services (YDS) in Douglas, which provides a long-term group home and short-term crisis shelter program for abused, neglected and delinquent youth, since 1990. She has been the director of YDS since 1992. The lives she has touched in this arena alone are too numerous to count, say Diane Harrop and Kellie Clausen, who both nominated Kemper. In her free time, Kemper also serves as mayor of Douglas. Parkinsons support Please join us for our Parkinsons Support Group Meeting at 5:30 p.m. This support group is open to anyone with Parkinsons or caring for someone with Parkinsons. Support group members understand your struggles because they face or have faced the same challenges. Our guest speaker will be Victoria Ziton, with the Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies. We will meet at the Rocky Mountain Therapy Annex Building at 120 S. Forest in Casper. Please RSVP or if you have any questions please call 577-5204 or 337-1200 and ask for Jerri. Dem men meet Please join the Natrona County Democratic Mens Group at 5:30 p.m., at Yellowstone Garage, 355 W. Yellowstone Hwy. Attendees can order from the menu. The agenda is planning for next season, giving feedback and have some open discussion. For more information, please call Robert at 307-702-0546. Fly Casters take field trip Wyoming Fly Casters meeting is at 6 p.m., at the new gazebo by Jessicas Pond adjacent to the Speas Fish Hatchery. There will be a live presentation on still water fishing. Bring your fly rod and favorite flies as there will be hungry trout willing to be caught. 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. Have an event, trend or general energy happening youd like to see in the Energy Journal newsletter? Send it to editors@trib.com. Sign up for the newsletter at trib.com/energyjournal A hiatus Happy Monday! Note that this will be the last Energy Journal Newsletter for a few weeks as the Star-Tribune seeks a new energy and natural resources reporter. Heather Richards, who covered energy for the Star-Tribune for three years, has taken a position at E&E News in Washington D.C. The newsletter will be back soon! If you have suggestions for how this newsletter could improve, please send to editors@trib.com Cloud Peak files for bankruptcy Wyoming's third-largest coal producer, Cloud Peak Energy, filed for bankruptcy Friday after weeks of treading water on unpaid debt payments. The company, one of the largest employers in coal country, failed to pay about $8.3 million in taxes that were due Friday. Cloud Peak's bankruptcy follows Westmoreland Coal's bankruptcy in October which cast uncertainty over the local community in southwest Wyoming. Cloud Peak is the first of the large coal firms in the Powder River Basin, in northeast Wyoming, to face crisis in the new normal for coal. The Chapter 11 filing was expected for some time given the company's poor financial results, thinning margins and falling production. It paid land taxes in Campbell County earlier in the week, but left production taxes unpaid. In other news... A liquefied natural gas terminal proposed for the West Coast has been blocked by Oregon regulators who have denied a water permit. The state's refusal echoes similar decisions regarding water certification and energy projects which have irked Wyoming, such as a proposed coal export terminal in Washington. U.S. uranium production hit a 70-year low in 2018. Wyoming uranium producers have struggled with low prices, beaten out by competitors overseas where production costs are far cheaper. Follow energy reporter Heather Richards on Twitter @hroxaner Love 0 Funny 1 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. The Nerd Family YMCA hosts its third Wall of Honor luncheon on Thursday, and the community is welcome. Donations are requested toward the Strong Communities campaign, but there is no ticket charge for the 11:15 a.m. event. We chatted with interim CEO Glenda Thomas about the event. You have a new title? Yes, Brent Kleinjan, who was our CEO, has moved back to North Dakota and I am the interim as of last Friday. Im also working part-time for the Wold family, running the Wold Foundation. Who are you honoring at the lunch? We have three honorees the City of Casper, Scott Sissman and Bobbie and Dick Lisco (both posthumously). The partnership between the YMCA and the city started in the 1950s, when city leaders were looking for more recreational opportunities for community members. The city then set aside the 7-acre parcel of land south of downtown to build the original Y. Most recently, the city allocated $2 million from 1-cent funds to help with needed infrastructure that were critical to the completion of the new Y in January 2017. Scott is the second generation in his family to be heavily involved as a contributor and user of the Y. His father, Clyde W. Sissman, was an original board member. Scott is at the Y exercising most mornings and has been a Y member for over 60 years. The Liscos were active community volunteers and philanthropists during their lives. Dick was an active fundraiser and major gifts co-chair for the Ys expansion in the late 1970s. Bobbie was board secretary and spent countless hours volunteering. Growing up in the neighborhood, the entire Lisco family participated at the Y. And you are honoring a volunteer of the year as well? Yes, Konrad Kriegh is a member of the board of directors and a longtime Y member. He works for BNSF Railroad and is incredibly handy. He loves to come in and donate his time and his tools to anything that needs done and he also comes in and works out every day. Do you need reservations to attend the Thursday lunch? Yes, please RSVP Monday or Tuesday at the latest so we have enough food. Just call the front desk at 234-9187. The buffet is from Cottage Cafe and wed love for folks to be able to come at 11:15 to lunch and mingle so we can start the program at noon and have everybody back to work by 1 p.m. And the money raised at the luncheon is critical. This is for our operations campaign. We gave over $400,000 in member scholarships last year, which equates to one in five members being scholarshipped to be here. The Ys goal is to not turn anyone away based on their ability to pay. We had over 100,000 visits last year, thats 100,000 times people are making healthy choices for their families and themselves. And you have good news about the Phase I financing? We have completely paid off the entire Phase I campaign from the new building that opened in January 2017. We made final payments earlier this year and that goes to the huge support of donors in this community who believe in the Ys mission and cause and providing a place for so many people. Follow community news editor Sally Ann Shurmur on Twitter @WYOSAS 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. JACKSON (AP) A Wyoming man has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty in the killing of his pregnant ex-girlfriend. Erik Ohlson, of Jackson, pleaded guilty in February to the murder of Jennifer Nalley and the involuntary manslaughter of Nalley's fetus. He was sentenced Friday to life in prison with a chance of parole after 25 years. The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that Teton County District Court Judge Bruce Pickett told Ohlson that he "ruined" multiple lives. Authorities have said Ohlson shot Nalley multiple times at her cabin in Idaho in July 2016 and was arrested after crashing his truck a few miles away. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 With Sen. Mike Enzis announced retirement 18 months ahead of the 2020 elections, the stage has been set for what could become a primary contest as crowded as the one seen in the 2018 governors race. Afforded a year-and-a-halfs time to plan and fundraise, plenty of dreamers and prospective candidates have ample time to prepare themselves for campaign season, assemble teams and identify potential financiers. While last years governors race may appear to provide the perfect template for a modern, open-seat race in Wyoming, two staffers on Sen. John Barrassos losing 1996 campaign (the one he lost to Enzi) say that the lessons of that year should not easily be forgotten. When Al Simpson announced his retirement in Nov. 1995 following the election of Sen. Craig Thomas the year before a stampede of nine candidates put their names forward for the 1996 Republican nomination, said longtime GOP strategist Dave Picard, creating a large and enthusiastic field. It was a huge field of candidates, said Picard. One, because the president was still the president so you could still run against the president in Wyoming, much like you could in 1994. And its a winning message. There were numerous well-spoken statesmen around the state and ultimately, what it created was a nine-person Republican primary. Barrasso announced relatively early and, as the state partys national committeeman to the RNC since the late-80s, had begun crafting a team well ahead of the primary. Enzi, a Simpson recruit and the former mayor of Gillette, also threw in his hat, as did Goshen County Republican Curt Meier. While Meier was in the running, it was Enzi and Barrasso who were the clear favorites, with proven track records and years of service to the state party. Thats when Meier decided to go on the offensive, looking to cut the legs out from underneath Barrasso. Unfortunately for Meier, the strategy ultimately helped push Enzi not Meier over the finish line. He did Enzis dirty work, Rob Jennings, a GOP fundraiser who worked on Barrassos campaign, said. Something similar happened during the 2018 campaign, he noted, when businessman Sam Galeotos one of the early favorites in the race attempted something similar. Rather than helping himself by going negative, his poll numbers dropped, helping to boost the profile of Harriett Hageman and Foster Friess in what was essentially a cannibalistic conservative electorate. Jennings said there are two lessons to be learned from both campaigns: that there is a hardline conservative base in the state, and that someone could potentially take advantage of it to some success. The key though, is to make sure that base is united. In the governors race, the states conservatives essentially cancelled themselves out, said Jennings. They had Taylor Haynes, Harriet Hageman, Foster Friess and Sam Galeotos, arguably, all aiming for the same voters. Thats going to be the real challenge how to coalesce all the states conservatives behind one candidate, he added. However it may seem like it, though, the Republican primary is not the same as the general election and, if Republicans really want to beat the Democrats, they need a candidate who can appeal to moderates as well as be palatable enough to conservative voters to win the primary. Im a conservative. But Im also pragmatic, said Jennings. What I would really like to see is someone who could bridge the gap like Mike Enzi. I want a guy that can talk to a Anthony Bouchard or a Charlie Scott, all while staying on principle. Thats the role of a real leader inside the state party. These guys now in the Republican Party who are trying to run all these purity tests thats not the way to go. You turn people off more than you bring them into the fold. Wyoming one of nine states to see a decrease in tax collections since the recession: According to new data from the Pew Charitable Trusts, Wyoming is currently one of just a handful of states taking in less revenue than it had prior to the Great Recession of 2008. Only Alaska has done worse, the data shows. Last weeks information comes at an interesting time for Wyoming. While most states around the nation are seeing higher revenues than they ever have, Wyoming lawmakers are currently struggling to find solutions to pay the states bills, coming off a session filled with failed proposals to raise revenue and facing a budget session in 2020 likely to be marred by additional budget cuts on top of millions of dollars in spending reductions several years ago. The lag might be explained by Wyomings energy-heavy revenue streams: according to Pew, states who lagged below recession-era peaks did so for a variety of reasons, including tax cuts, weak economic growth, volatile energy prices or unusually high tax revenue peaks just before the downturn. The Week Ahead Monday: Joint Corporations Committee meets in Casper. Gov. Mark Gordon signs a proclamation declaring Military May Armed Forces Day in Cheyenne. Tuesday: Joint Committee on Transportation meets in Gillette. Wyoming Oil and Gas Commission meets in Casper. Wednesday: Gordon joins the Wyoming Sage Grouse Implementation Team meeting in Cheyenne to discuss planning for a new Executive Order. Thursday: University of Wyoming Board of Trustees meets in Laramie. Gordon will be in attendance. Friday: None. Weekend: Gordon delivers the commencement address to graduates of Laramie Community College in Cheyenne on Saturday. Have an event youd like highlighted here? Email me with the date, time, and place! Wyoming Politics Wyoming Department of Homeland Security Director Lynn Budd was in Washington D.C. this past week to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on Wyomings relationship with federal partners like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as it relates to flooding and other water related issues. In her testimony, she highlighted three areas around the state the Snake River System, the Glendo Reservoir and the Big Horn Reservoir as areas where there could be improved collaboration between the state and federal government, and emphasized the importance of adequate funding to address threats like invasive species and flood prevention. You can read her entire testimony here. Wyoming governor seeks solution on quandary over big game migration corridors: Gov. Mark Gordon is pulling together a citizens group to help find a happy medium between energy and conservation interests seeking regulatory certainty around migration corridors in the southwestern quadrant of the state, his office announced Tuesday. (via Trib.com) Nichols ouster continues pattern of secrecy for UW trustees: Cloaked in a veil of secrecy that the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees shows no signs of lifting, the decision to demote President Laurie Nichols has driven frustration and rumors on campus and around the state. (via The Laramie Boomerang) Former Wyoming Rep. Cynthia Lummis considering 2020 Senate bid to replace Enzi: Former Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis is seriously weighing a bid to replace outgoing Sen. Mike Enzi in the 2020 elections, several sources told the Star-Tribune this week. (via Trib.com) Around Wyoming Converse County destroys property valuation record, up 150% over last year: Due to increased activity in the oil and gas sector, Converse County has broken its all-time valuation record, reporting a valuation of $2.05 billion 150 percent above last years $1.36 billion. However, the boom times have also had downsides, doubling the burden on emergency services in the area from the bust times of 2016. (via The Douglas Budget) Classical Academy advances modular school plan: The Jackson Hole Classical Academy is taking steps to build a temporary modular campus in South Park, with plans to open to students in the fall. The Academy has been searching for a permanent home for years and, after Teton County commissioners rejected the schools request to amend its zoning laws to allow a gym and auditorium, the Academy successfully pushed Wyoming state legislators to approve a law that exempts private schools from county zoning authority. (via The Jackson Hole News & Guide) UW board announces names of three interim presidential candidates: The University of Wyoming board of trustees announced three candidates all current or former UW vice presidents Friday morning to take over on an interim basis for President Laurie Nichols after her contract expires June 30. (via Trib.com) After Shopko: Can local businesses fill the void? On June 16, Powells Shopko will close its doors for good. However, the Wyoming Business Council, Powell Economic Partnership and others are developing a plan to help existing local businesses and new entrepreneurs in the community satisfy the retail vacuum that will follow the Shopko closure. (via The Powell Tribune) Eye On Washington After years as a political afterthought, the Rocky Mountain region is finally starting to gain notice on the national stage. Several Democrats from states like Colorado and Montana have jumped into the presidential race and states like New Mexico and Nevada thought to be safely in Democratic hands are now branded by President Donald Trumps 2020 campaign as flippable. While coastal concerns will dominate the conversation with candidates reliably appealing to the rust belt sensibilities of voters in the Great Lakes states like Utah and Idaho continue to grow at a rapid pace, with their rise likely to shift additional political power westward following the 2020 census. The Mountain West marked by its different philosophical outlook seems to be a hot ticket, Liz Mair, a Republican political strategist, wrote in the New York Times this past week. This presidential election will give the parties a chance to figure out how to appeal to the areas voters instead of just being the less bad option for them in that particular cycle. Meanwhile, at least one of the East Coast presidential candidates have floated policies tailored to appeal to voters in Rocky Mountain states. Several weeks ago, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren released an extensive public lands plan the first mainstream presidential candidate to do so that, among other things, would place a moratorium on drilling on public lands and emphasize conservation over development. Sen. John Barrasso held a hearing on tribal issues in the Senate, asking questions about transportation programs and health care options in Indian country. He also co-sponsored several bills, including the Rural Physician Workforce Production Act of 2019 which provides invaluable new federal support for rural residency training, which will help alleviate physician shortages in rural communities. Sen. Mike Enzi co-sponsored a resolution condemning all forms of anti-Semitism. Rep. Liz Cheney spent most of the week fighting off questions about a potential run to replace outgoing Sen. Mike Enzi in the U.S. Senate. Despite the distraction, the Congresswoman had time to co-sponsor several bills on various public lands issues as well as get into a Twitter spat with Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, calling her an anti-Semitic Socialist who slanders US troops and carries water for Hamas and Maduro. Have any tips or suggestions to make this newsletter better? Let me know! Call me at 307-266-0634, email me at nick.reynolds@trib.com or follow me on Twitter, <&underline>@IAmNickReynolds Follow politics reporter Nick Reynolds on Twitter @IAmNickReynolds Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A pair of failed bills from the 2019 general session intended to improve the integrity of Wyoming elections will be getting a second look from state lawmakers this interim. The two bills one to require photo identification at the polls, the other to limit the practice of crossover voting in the states primary elections will be reworked by the Wyoming Legislatures Joint Committee on Corporations, Elections, and Political Subdivisions and potentially, introduced during the 2020 budget session, committee members decided at its Monday meeting in Casper. Versions of both pieces of legislation were backed by an enthusiastic coalition of conservative voters throughout the 2019 general session, and received significant amounts of support from lawmakers. Voter I.D. at the polls Sponsored by Rep. Chuck Gray, R-Casper, HB-192 which would have required voters to present a form of photo identification at the polls came within one vote of passing the House of Representatives in this winters legislative session. The bill was opposed by groups like the Wyoming ACLU and the Equality State Policy Center, and many argued it would have disenfranchised impoverished voters or tribal members on the Wind River Indian Reservation. A representative from the Secretary of States office, meanwhile, told lawmakers during the session that she was unaware of any recent reported cases of voter fraud in Wyoming. Some who voted against the bill did so largely because of uncertainty of what an acceptable form of photo identification actually was, leaving open the possibility of otherwise eligible voters being barred from casting their vote. I think people were supportive of it, said Gray. Some had concerns, and if it went through the committee process, I think those concerns could have been addressed. In response to a request from Gray, the Legislative Service Office drafted a memo last month specifying the forms of identification that the Secretary of States office considers acceptable at the polls, as well as offering guidance to election officers and voters who may have their identification challenged or rejected. I think theres really widespread support for this bill, he added. If youre asking for proof, I can get you the metrics on that, but I think it transcends party affiliation this is about confidence in our system and about voter fraud. I think the committee should take this on and discuss it with vigor. Several members of the public in attendance were supportive of the bill. Max Morton, from Natrona County, argued the nation was being invaded as we speak, an apparent reference to a narrative pushed by conservative media over migrant caravans approaching the southern border of the United States, and that photo identification requirements would prevent them from voting illegally: a narrative often pushed with no evidence available to support it. Speaking as a conservative, the ACLU opposes voter I.D., so Im for it, said Mike Pyatt, a former Mills Town Council member. Others, like Fremont County Democratic Committee Member Bruce Palmer, felt the bill was a solution in search of a problem, and was not actually needed to address voter fraud. While numerous studies have shown photo identification requirements at the polls have little to no impact on voter turnout (an argument often made by opponents of photo I.D. requirements) the laws have little impact on reducing instances of voter fraud, which are also rare. As I was listening to testimony, I was making a list of actual problems Ive seen over the years with voter fraud, and theyre very sparse, said Sen. Charlie Scott, R-Casper, who voted to bring the bill back. We just dont have a real problem. What were thinking about is preventative measures and I support that but I think it should be a general session and not a budget session issue. Its just not a crisis-level issue right now. Crossover voting returns Ending the practice of crossover voting or switching ones political party in order to vote in the opposing partys primary election has been considered the state Republican Partys chief priority since last years primaries. In the governors race, many conservatives accused Democrats and moderate voters of interfering in the election by changing parties to support the moderate GOP candidate, now Gov. Mark Gordon, over more conservative candidates. Others, meanwhile, argue that Wyoming politics which have long been dominated by Republicans has ceased to be competitive and voters often switch parties in order to have a voice, and have their vote count. Sen. Charlie Scott, R-Casper, voted against reviving the bill, arguing that it would disenfranchise newcomers to his district who may have been drawn to the area by jobs in the oil and gas sector. At least in my district, we get a fair amount of turnover people moving in and out of state who might not be familiar with the parties, and may not declare one, he said. This would prevent them from voting in the primary. Thats a mistake, and will offend people quite rightly who feel they would be left out. Others voting against the bill included Rep. Dan Furphy, R-Laramie, Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, and Sen. Wendy Davis Schuler, R-Evanston. The 2020 legislation, said committee co-chairman Rep. Tyler Lindholm, R-Sundance, will likely be based off of a version of a crossover voting bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Blackburn, R-Cheyenne, during the last session. That bill, HB-106, ended up passing in the House of Representatives before failing in the Senate. Follow politics reporter Nick Reynolds on Twitter @IAmNickReynolds 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. State lawmakers and the Wyoming Secretary of States office are working on legislation to limit the influence of corporate money on state-level elections in Wyoming. Though no bill recommending specific changes to state law has been drafted yet, the proposed law which was brought to the committee as a slate of election code changes from the Secretary of States office would seek to prohibit corporations from donating to political parties or political action committees in coordination to back a specific candidate in an election. This is a method often used by corporate donors which are currently prohibited from donating directly to candidates under state law to circumvent restrictions on political contributions. This is meant to address the issue of coordination, said committee co-chair, Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander. Corporate expenditures are permitted for non-coordinated activities, non-coordinated independent expenditures. They can still express their free speech, but this is trying to prevent corporations coordinating with parties or political action committees to elect a candidate. The motion was approved unanimously by members of the Legislatures Joint Committee on Corporations, Elections, and Political Subdivisions at its Monday meeting in Casper. If passed into law, the proposed legislation would be considered a state-level response to the United States Supreme Courts ruling in the landmark Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, which deemed that corporations political contributions were treated similarly to a citizens right to free speech under federal campaign finance law. This is the one piece we wanted to make clear, because we had that one opinion that [corporations] could participate in the process through these entities, who could then give to candidates, Kai Schon, director of the states Elections Division, said. We wanted to raise that, because thats the new understanding weve been working under. We dont think that was the intent to have happen. Schon could name no specific instances of corporations engaging in the states elections in recent years, calling Mondays proposal more of a preemptive measure to close a loophole in the states sometimes porous campaign finance laws. If politicians started to solicit donations from corporations, thats sort of a game changer being able to funnel a bunch of money to your candidates, said Schon. This was just to close that up before it could be exploited. Though a step forward, Schon noted that the law depends on the honesty of candidates, PACs, and political parties in reporting their contributions as well as their expenditures, particularly as they relate to specific candidates. Essentially, unless somebody tips off the Secretary of States office, Schon told committee members, theres no way to really know if the law has been broken. What people do with their money, hopefully they remain honest, Schon told the Star-Tribune after. You cant monitor everything 24/7, so there is that piece about honesty that I dont think we can ever get away from. There are laws, and people choose to follow them or break them. Follow politics reporter Nick Reynolds on Twitter @IAmNickReynolds Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 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. July 20, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, the first time humans walked on the Moon. Coming this summer, NASA Explorers: Apollo is a commemorative audio series that examines the Moon's cultural and scientific influence over the last half century, while also peering into the future of planetary exploration. Listeners will meet a Moon detective, tour a lab for space rocks and hear from scientists whose lives and work have been shaped by the Apollo program. As a part of this series, NASA invites you to contribute to an oral history project celebrating giant leaps and exploration of all kinds. You can help NASA tell the Apollo story by sharing your own perspective on lunar exploration, or by interviewing a loved one who lived during the Apollo era. NASA will select some submissions to feature in the audio series, on its website and/or social media. More information at https://www.nasa.gov/apollostories Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. For all those who keep saying it cant get any weirder, this is on you. Havent we learned not to taunt the gods? Like those good people whose only motivation for voting for Donald Trump was to shake things up. Are we shook up enough yet? But who would have thunk the new man in charge of the Justice Department could establish a world record for shameless obsequiousness this fast? Hes put the ole in grovel and makes Rudy Giuliani look like a blundering, bumbling bungler. Well, he is, but in contrast, the distinction is even more acute. In less than 10 weeks, Attorney General William Barr has defied subpoenas, Congress, the Constitution, common sense, good practices, good grammar and good grooming all to protect the president of the United States from being held responsible for his actions. Appearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Donald Trumps handpicked replacement for Jeff Sessions proved to be such a presidential lapdog, he should be recognized by the American Kennel Club as the 194th breed. Listen close and you can hear the wailing from Hollywood publicists who realize Barr has lowered the bar and theyre going to have service their clients with even more excessive sycophantic subservience. The phrase bow and scrape will take on asphalt-scuffing connotations. A problem with this new breed of cur is theyre not very housebroken, as hes refused to appear in front of the junior chambers version of a Judiciary Committee, objecting to having committee staff lawyers interrogate him. Answering questions from Congress members is one thing, but actual lawyers? Thats another. Some of those people are smart. He said when the president told former White House counsel Don McGahn to tell Sessions to fire the special counsel that didnt mean Trump wanted to fire the special counsel. He also believes a president can terminate any proceeding he wants. Because he is The Law. Sylvester Stallone would be so proud. Barr has effectively created a Catch-22: implying that the president cannot commit a crime, hence he cant be subject to a criminal investigation. Funny, he doesnt look like a Norman Mailer fan. Under questioning by California Senator Kamala Harris, Barr then claimed he couldnt remember if the White House ever asked or suggested that the Justice Department investigate anybody, you know, like an enemies list. Dodging Richard Nixons playbook he stole a page from Bill Clintons, saying he was confused by the word suggest. He seems perplexed by quite a few words like truth, justice and the American Way. The House plans to initiate contempt proceedings unless Barr hands over the full unredacted version of Muellers report, but enforcement of a contempt charge is the purview of the Justice Department. Headed by the aforementioned William Barr. So chances of him throwing himself in the hoosegaw are somewhere between less than none and dream on big river. Now, calls for the attorney general to resign or threats to impeach him are competing directly with the presidents sticky situation. Maybe the Democrats can set up an abbreviated process. Impeachment: The Short Form. What the hell, throw Mike Pence on the fast- track as well. Get some Silicon Valley venture capitalist to fund a start-up. Launch an Impeachment IPO. As Hunter S. Thompson once said, When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. Will Durst is a nationally acclaimed columnist and comedian. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The city of Erie, Pa. is a tourist magnet, thanks to the lovely lakeshore at Lake Erie. Downtown, the streets are lined with little cafes and restaurants and shops. But like a lot of older cities and towns, Erie has a common problem: Its losing population. At its peak, Erie had a population of about 140,000 people. Its since dropped to less than 100,000, according to an analysis by Stateline.org. But it could have been even worse. Without a stream of immigrants and refugees, and their children arriving to work in the citys plastics and biofuels plants on Lake Erie ... the citys population might have dropped as low as 80,000, Stateline.org reported recently, citing information provided by a senior aide to Eries Democratic mayor, Joe Schember. That would mean a lot less federal funding, a lot less tax dollars, a lot more difficulty filling job openings and a lot more deteriorating housing stock, the aide, Renee Lamis, told Stateline. We are a perfect example of a place in need of immigrants and refugees. And Erie isnt alone. According to Stateline, an influx of immigrants prevented or significantly softened population loss last year in more than 1 in 5 U.S. counties, including Erie County. According to Statelines analysis of new Census data, immigration either prevented population decline or cut it by at least 10 percent in those areas. And while President Donald Trump may have recently declared the country full, thats hardly the case. In fact, without the 879 people from other countries who arrived in Erie from 2017 to 2018, the countys total population loss of 1,831 people would would have been almost 50 percent worse, Stateline reported. As is the case elsewhere in the country, refugee resettlement slowed in Erie under the Trump White House. For instance, more than 1,000 people from Somalia, Syria and the Congo were resettled in the city in 2015 and 2016, but that number dropped to fewer than 250 in the past two years, Stateline reported, citing federal resettlement statistics. We have literally hundreds of job openings, and our landlords have vacancies, Lamis said, The city had to raise income taxes and raid reserve funds to make ends meet, Stateline reported. Thats a direct result of White House policies. During the 2018 midterms, Trump tried to stoke fear of undocumented immigrants, making repeated false claims about the migrant column that was then slowly making its way to Americas southern border. At a rally in Florida this week, Trump laughed off a suggestion from the crowd that migrants approaching the border be shot. Trump employed those same scare tactics at a campaign rally in Erie last October, warning the crowd that Democrats, including Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, supported deadly sanctuary cities that release thousands upon thousands of violent criminal gang members to prey on Pennsylvania citizens. The fact of the matter is, however, that immigrants legal and undocumented alike pump billions of dollars a year into the American economy. As PBS NewsHour reports, citing a 2017 study by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, while its true that first-generation immigrants cost the government about $1,600 more per-person annually than native-born Americans, that cost disappears by the second generation. Second-generation immigrants are among the strongest fiscal and economic contributors in the U.S., the report found, according to PBS. Those immigrants contribute about $1,700 per-person a year, compared to $1,300 a year for all other native-born Americans and their generation immigrants, the report concluded. Nonetheless, Trumps White House has pursued policies that have driven down legal immigration. That includes the reduction in refugee admissions, as well as an executive order toughening up visas for skilled immigrants. There is also his push for merit-based immigration and proposals to reduce public benefits for legal immigrants. In Erie last year, I listened as Trump made a pitch for the hearts and minds of northwestern Pennsylvania voters. Now theres not only documented proof that his policies are getting in the way of the economic success of that lovely city on the lake. Theres also a roadmap to solving it: by rejecting his discriminatory and backward-looking immigration policies. All elections have consequences. In 2016, Erie voters were among those who helped deliver Pennsylvania to Republicans for the first time in three decades, putting Trump in the White House. In 2020, they have a chance to send a clear message to Trump that his policies have held back the city and county they call home. They should take it. John Micek is the opinion editor and political columnist for PennLive/The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A stretch of North First Avenue is in the top 10% for pedestrian crashes citywide and was meant to be made safer in the coming years, but a funding gap has put it at risk. Tucson-based copper producer Asarco LLC has filed an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn lower-court rulings that it must pay bonuses based on the price of copper to hundreds of union workers. The company met a deadline on Friday to ask the high court to review the case, after winning a 30-day extension of the initial deadline to file its appeal. Asarcos opponent in the case, a group of unions led by the United Steelworkers, has 30 days to file a reply. It takes the Supreme Court an average of about six weeks to decide whether to review a case, and the high court agrees to review only about 1% of the roughly 8,000 cases annually it is asked to hear. Asarco, part of Grupo Mexico, has been fighting to avoid paying the bonuses since 2014, when an arbitrator ruled that newer workers not eligible for the companys pension plan should get the bonuses because that provision was mistakenly left out of a collective-bargaining agreement signed in 2011. The bonus payments were upheld by a federal district court, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Asarcos appeal for a second time in January. Tucson Electric Power Co. will join a Western wholesale power market it says will save the company and its ratepayers $13 million a year. TEP said the California Independent System Operator, which oversees the states wholesale power markets, has signed an agreement with TEP to participate in the Western Energy Imbalance Market, or EIM, beginning in April 2022. Eight utilities, including Arizona Public Service Co., now participate in the Western Energy Imbalance Market, which automatically draws on the least-cost generating option available to meet short-term variations in their customers power usage. TEP spokesman Joe Barrios said that while system operators now manually transmit data every hour, the EIM will automatically transmit pricing information every five minutes, allowing utilities to benefit from price swings. The EIM will help TEP save money for customers by expanding our real-time access to renewable power and other low-cost energy resources across the Western grid, said Erik Bakken, vice president of system operations and environmental for TEP. Flowing Wells will serve breakfast every Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. until 8:15 a.m. and lunch from 10:50 a.m. until 12 p.m. June 3 through July 11. Sentinel Peak will serve breakfast every Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 9 a.m. and lunch from 12 p.m. until 12:30 p.m. June 3 through July 11. Call Flowing Wells at 520-696-8622 with any questions. Local charter to open fifth Southern Ariz. campus in 4 years The Leman Academy of Excellence plans to open a fifth K-6 campus in Southern Arizona by school year 2020. The school will be in the Grace to the Nations church plaza near North Wilmot Road and East Pima Street, according to Leman head of schools Dennis OReilly. It will serve between 400 and 500 students and could feature a preschool. Like the other campuses, it will incorporate the philosophies of psychologist Kevin Leman into a classical education, OReilly said. A classical education prepares students for success by teaching students in three phases: grammar, logic and rhetoric. The biggest challenge was finding the fossil in the first place, she said. We look for bones and jaws and teeth and things like that that might be preserved in those layers that way, Stocker said. This part of the frog, that hip bone that we found, is really distinctive for the group. Stocker and Marsh found the fossil by washing the rocks through metal screens, then using a microscope to determine what was in the rock. The fragments were discovered in the Chinle Formation, rocks that were deposited more than 200 million years ago, putting the frogs in the late Triassic, a time when the area supported rivers and lakes rather than the desert seen today. So theyre (the frogs) living in somewhat wet environments, Marsh said. In the Triassic here in Arizona, all the rocks are deposited by rivers, lakes, streams. Sharks, reptiles and other creatures lived along with the frogs, he said. Marsh and Stocker plan to return to the park in early June to hunt for more fossils. Officers will also lookout for speeders in areas that can get busy, like near Marana High School, Pridgett said. If we know that school is going to be let out for spring break, well do deployments then, or the first week going back to school well do deployments for speeding, being very proactive to make sure people arent speeding through a school zone. Its also to enforce and educate the students, Pridgett added. You have the high schoolers, some of them are brand-new drivers, and theres a long stretch of roadway; Twin Peaks is a road that has east- and westbound one lane, so we go out there to make sure we get the students to slow down to prevent any collisions and them possibly getting injured as a result. Educating drivers In the past several months, grant money has been used for issues related to public safety, like an education campaign by the Tucson Police Department that focused on pedestrian safety. In April, TPD representatives were out near East Grant Road and North Alvernon Way handing out water and talking to pedestrians and cyclists about staying safe. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Copenhagen Imports NASA and Northrop Grumman technicians in Promontory, Utah, have applied insulation to the final booster motor segment for the second flight of NASA's deep space rocket, the Space Launch System, and NASA's Orion spacecraft. The insulation, applied to the interior of each steel motor segment, protects the casing from the heat generated by the propellant during launch and flight. The twin, five-segment solid rocket motor boosters for SLS are the largest, most powerful solid propellant boosters ever built. SLS uses both liquid and solid propellant to provide the thrust needed to launch the vehicle and send it to space. The boosters provide more than 75% of the total thrust at launch and into the first two minutes of flight. Five motor segments are stacked together to create a single, very large motor for each booster. The manufacture and checkout of all 10 motor segments for the first test flight of SLS and Orion were completed earlier this year. NASA is charged to get American astronauts to the surface of the Moon by 2024. SLS and the Orion are our backbone for deep space exploration. SLS and Orion will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on missions to the Gateway in lunar orbit. NASA is targeting 2022 to test SLS with astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. Image Credit: Northrop Grumman Photo Larger image Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. SINGAPORE When she was eight, Lisa Padua lost everything after her father died, forcing her to leave school in her mid-teens to work as a maid in Qatar and then in Singapore. Twenty one years later, she still works in Singapore as a domestic helper but now owns three businesses and earns enough to send six nephews and nieces to college in the Philippines. Padua says she owes her success to Aidha, a micro school in Singapore that trains women like her in wealth and business management so they can build a better future back home in the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar. "I'm a farmer's daughter," she told Reuters. "So I said one day I want to have my own farm, my own house, my own water buffalo. And I said because I didn't go to college, I want my nephews and nieces to have their dreams come true." Aidha offers a nine-month course for S$350 ($280) that emphasises computer, communication and financial skills. The three-hour classes run two Sundays a month to accommodate the days off of the women who work as family maids, nannies and caregivers to the old and ill. Ambitious students can then take a more intense nine-month module that helps them launch their businesses. "This journey of transformation allows them to stand up by themselves financially," Veronica Gamez, Aidha's executive director, told Reuters. Gamez, who holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and worked at Credit Suisse and Boston Consulting Group, uses her experience to make the modules practical for the real world. Saving for the future is the crux of the course. The biggest challenge in breaking the cycle of poverty is finding a productive use for the money the women send home, Gamez said, rather than having it spent on items that do not ultimately help their families. Ripple effect At least 211,000 foreign domestic helpers work in tiny, wealthy Singapore for about S$300 to S$600 a month. Hong Kong and Taiwan also have large concentrations of these women. The money they send home is modest on a personal scale but the overall remittances from hundreds of thousands of women working abroad are enormous, ploughing billions of dollars into the economies of the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar. A recent World Bank report on remittances said $26 billion has flowed into the Philippines so far this year, making up almost 10 percent of the country's gross domestic product. Directing those funds into entrepreneurial projects could have an even bigger multiplier effect for developing countries, especially in rural areas. The objective is not just to impart business skills, Gamez said, but to turn the women into "agents of positive change". In villages like the one where Padua grew up, farms without funds are left barren and abandoned, and people are left without work. But the farm Padua bought using her savings is now managed by her brother. They employ up to 18 farm hands, providing her neighbours with jobs and income. Padua also rents out a house to families and invested in a friend's business that delivers frozen food to local shops. That spirit of sharing extends to many of the women who enrol in Aidha. Almost half of the 500 students this year are supported by their employers, who pay all or some of the fees. "People are more generous than we think," Gamez said. "If you have a domestic worker, create a difference in your own home first." ($1 = 1.2417 Singapore dollars) Read what is in the news today, May 13! Politics -- Vietnam welcomes Indias investment in the fields of information technology, infrastructure, energy and hi-tech agriculture, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said as he received Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in Hanoi on Saturday. Society -- The 16th annual United Nations Day of Vesak, which celebrates the birth of Buddha, opened at the Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam Province of northern Vietnam on Sunday, joined by more than 1,650 international delegates from 112 countries and territories and over 20,000 Vietnamese Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns and followers. -- Rains are forecast to continue affecting the southern region of Vietnam this week while sunny days are to be expected in the central and northern regions, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting. Business -- Vietnams real estate market will likely remain stagnant this year, unlike in 2017 when price hikes were rampant in popular land spots around the country, said deputy director of the Housing and Real Estate Management Department Nguyen Manh Khoi. Lifestyle -- The National Committee for Traffic Safety and the Peoples Committee of Hanoi jointly launched a walking event in the capital city on Sunday to call for actions against drunk driving, following multiple accidents involving intoxicated drivers in Vietnam recently. -- The ending point of the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail, which played a vital role in Vietnams victory over the Americans during the war that ended in 1975, in the southern province of Binh Phuoc has been recognized as a special national relic. -- An exhibition is being held in the Canadian city of Toronto by the Canada-Vietnam Society to introduce paintings that feature late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh in commemoration of his 129th birth anniversary (May 19). -- More Vietnamese think of South Korean food than they do K-pop and K-dramas when asked what comes first on their mind when they think about South Korea, according to a survey on 917 Vietnamese adults conducted by market research company Q&Me. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The UN Day of Vesak 2019 commenced in the northern Vietnamese province of Ha Nam on Sunday morning, attracting the attendance of over 21,000 local and international delegates. Themed Buddhist Approach to Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies, the event kicked off at 8:30 am at Tam Chuc Pagoda in Kim Bang District, Ha Nam Province. Delegates arrive at the pagoda to participate in the UN Day of Vesak. Vesak is the most important holiday in the Buddhist calendar that celebrates three important events, namely the birth, full awakening, and passing away of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. The United Nations recognized an international day of Vesak in December 1999, and the day has been internationally celebrated every year since 2004. Delegates arrive at the pagoda to participate in the UN Day of Vesak. This years UN Day of Vesak is joined by over 20,000 Vietnamese delegates and 1,650 international delegates from 112 countries and territories. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Myanmar President Win Myint, Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, Chairman of the National Council of Bhutan Tashi Dorji were among the participants at the kick-off event. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc arrives at the venue. During his speech at the opening ceremony, PM Phuc believed that the UN Day of Vesak means beyond a religious and cultural festival as it sends a long-lasting message on peace, harmony, tolerance and kindness to all people. The agenda of the celebration reflects the goals of the UNs Agenda 2030 for sustainability and prosperity, the premier continued. Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli By hosting the event, Vietnam reiterates its respect for cultural and ethic values of all religions, as well as its policies on international cooperation and integration, he added. This is the third time Vietnam has hosted the UN Vesak Day, following celebrations in 2008 and 2014. The UN Day of Vesak 2019 will last until the end of May 14. President of Myanmar Win Myint Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the opening ceremony. Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Executive Council and head of the UN Day of Vesak 2019 organizing committee Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit, president of the International Council for the UN Day of Vesak Delegates attend the opening ceremony. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Your browser does not support the audio element. Vietnamese maids face harsh conditions in Saudi Arabia, including the unbearable heat, long working hours, high demands, and cultural differences. Yet, many women still choose to work as housemaids in this country. In addition to the harsh conditions, the housemaids face loneliness, culture shock, and mistreatment by the employer families. While some families treat these women well, others pay salaries below the agreed wage, exploit, and maltreat the maids. Unfavorable working conditions Every day I sleep for around six hours. I wake up at 6:00 am and work until midnight, Le Kim Dung, 42, one of the Vietnamese maids in Saudi Arabia, said. Weekend was the only time she could call to talk to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, as this was the only day when her employer's family went out. Despite having worked here for almost 1.5 years, Dung still has trouble getting accustomed to the food which is mostly chicken and bread, as well as the weather which can reach up to 60 degrees Celsius in the summer. Nguyen Thi Him, 48, a single mother, feels like she is trapped in her employers house without anyone to talk to. I do not know Arabic to talk to others so I long for a conversation, Him said. Once I heard there are Vietnamese in the neighborhood, I tried my luck one night and shouted, Is there any Vietnamese? Please speak up!', but there was no response." A Vietnamese maid in Saudi Arabia is seen fully covered as she leaves the house. Photo: Supplied Another problem Vietnamese maids face is not being paid properly, with some employers refusing to pay the agreed amount and others owing the employees a few months worth of salary. One of such cases is Vo Thi Thuy Trang, 27, whose boss has not paid her for the past three months. I have worked here for 13 months but I was only paid for 10, she said. When I asked, the owner of the house told me he didn't have the money, Trang told Tuoi Tre, adding that contacting the employing company was no use either and her lack of Arabic language skills prevents her from running away. The contract states that I am going to be paid 1,500 riyal [US$400], but they only paid me that amount for the first three months, and the following months I was paid 1,000 riyal [$267]. My contract ends in 11 months, so I am just hoping they are going to pay me for the time I will have worked so that I can come home, she said helplessly. Poverty is the main reason Despite the harsh working conditions, difference in culture, and low salary, many Vietnamese still choose to leave their hometowns to work for Saudi Arabian families, who usually have many children but only one maid. At first I wanted to go to Taiwan, but I heard that if I went here I would receive financial support and wouldnt have to pay extra fees so I just agreed, a 37-year-old Vietnamese maid, H.T.L. from Nghe An, said, indicating that money and expenses were her utmost concerns. Not being in a position to choose, L. agreed to a low salary of around VND7 million ($300) a month after her husband left her in debt and with three children to raise on her own. Me and my ex-husband borrowed money to invest in a business, but then he got to know someone else so he just ran away with the money leaving me with a debt of VND160 million ($7,000), L. said in despair. I came here to earn money to pay off the debt and raise my children, she added. A Vietnamese maid (second left) poses for a photo with other maids in the neighborhood in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Supplied Another Vietnamese maid who had no choice but to leave her hometown is N.T. Lien, 28. Having graduated from the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City and able to speak English, Lien was under an impression that she would land herself another job other than a maid in Saudi Arabia. However, she was mistaken. Lien used to have a regular white-collar job in Vietnam but with her father being a gambler, her family soon found themselves in debt. In addition, her mother was diagnosed with a deadly illness, forcing Lien out of her comfortable workplace to come to Saudi Arabia for a better salary to pay off the debts and medical expenses of her family. The employing company promised me VND25 million [$1,100] as starting financial support and a salary of VND10 million [$430] a month, without having to pay a fee, Lien said. Seeing that I was properly educated, the company pledged to give me a job at an office, but instead I was brought to a family of 10, including seven children, with the youngest being one year old, and other elderly family members, Lien said. After three months working in Saudi Arabia, Lien's mother passed away. I begged to go home, but the company said they'd only allow me to go if I paid them VND60 million [$2,600], Lien recalled. I implored the owner of the house to let me go home, insisting that ten days later I would come back. They already paid over VND100 million [$4,300] to hire a maid so they were worried I'd not come back, but eventually they gave in." Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! 10 is making a bold return to Election Night coverage this Saturday, with dedicated coverage from 3 11pm. The line-up sees the Studio 10 crew from the special time of 3pm with an Aussie Poll Party, followed by 10 News First Your Vote, hosted by Sandra Sully, Hamish Macdonald and Chris Bath. Coverage will continue with various commentators & guests through until 11pm. With the race to the PMs Office coming down to the wire, 10s extensive, multi-program, multi-platform election coverage will deliver the most up-to-date information from around the country, direct to you on election night, Saturday, 18 May 2019. From 5pm, 10 News First Your Vote, hosted by Sandra Sully, Hamish Macdonald and Chris Bath, with key insights from Waleed Aly and Peter van Onselen, will deliver a smart conversation with results as they happen. Christopher Pyne, Kristina Keneally, Sam Dastyari and Trent Zimmerman will bring political firepower to a coverage that also includes exclusive predictions, supported by the latest immersive graphics technology. From the outback to the beaches, you will see just how Aussies are celebrating democracy where they are, while back in the studio, Hugh Riminton will work through the numbers with experienced pollster, James Stewart, including a result prediction. And as the night unfolds, Natarsha Belling will keep us updated with the latest breaking news. But before all the number crunching begins, 10 is bringing a little bit of sizzle to election day with the Studio 10 Aussie Poll Party, which kicks off at 3pm. Hosts Sarah Harris, Joe Hildebrand and Angela Bishop will throw a snag on the barbie as they check in with how Australians are voting from the city to the heart of the country. Music stars John Williamson, Missy Higgins and San Cisco will take the stage with special performances to help farmers in need, while Im a CelebrityGet Me Out of Here!s King of the Jungle, Richard Reid, will be bringing the party to the Apple Isle when he is reunited with Jacqui Lambie in Tasmania. Their former campmate Yvie Jones will be gate-crashing a special event and we also cross to Denise Drysdale who will be on the tongs beachside at the Gold Coast with her own take on election day. Saturday 18 May 3pm. Studio 10: Aussie Poll Party 5pm. 10 News First: Your Vote. 6pm Your Vote: Polls Close 7:30pm Your Vote: Results 9pm Your Vote: The Decision 10:30pm Your Vote: Wrap Up Good news for Pose fans with the show returning from June 16, as the timeline moves forward into the 1990s. Sandra Bernhard will reprise her role of Nurse Judy and Patti LuPone will reportedly guest star in Season 2. This will air 4 days after the US return. Pose explores the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society: the underground ball culture, the rise of the luxury Trump-era universe and the downtown social and literary scene that came to define New York in the 1980s. The ground-breaking first season of Pose was named an AFI TV Program of the Year and earned two Golden Globe nominations and a Writers Guild of America nomination. Season 2 flashes forward in time to 1990. On the heels of the ballroom community establishing itself in pop culture and going mainstream, the House of Evangelista is forced to re-evaluate their goals. Meanwhile, the AIDS crisis worsens and the reaction from a group of activists reaches a fever pitch. Making television history, Pose features the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles, as well as the largest recurring cast of LGBTQ actors ever for a scripted series. The transgender cast includes Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Hailie Sahar and Angelica Ross, who co-star alongside, Tony Award winner Billy Porter, Charlayne Woodard, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Dyllon Burnside and Angel Bismark Curiel. Mj Rodriguez stars as Blanca Rodriguez, who breaks from the House of Abundance and her former house mother Elektra (Dominique Jackson) to form her own house, a self-selected family that provides support to LGBTQ youth rejected by their birth families. Indya Moore plays Angel, a streetwalker with modelling aspirations. Ryan Jamaal Swain plays Damon Richards, a dancer who joins Blancas house. Together they compete in the Ballswhere house members challenge each other in various categories and are judged on their outfits, attitude, or dance skills. Under the watchful eye of Billy Porter as Pray Tell, Grandfather to all the children who compete in the house balls. Pose was co-created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals. The series is executive produced by Murphy, Falchuk, Canals, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall and Sherry Marsh. Janet Mock is co-executive producer, Our Lady J is supervising producer, and Erica Kay serves as a producer. The ten-episode second season is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions. Sunday June 16 at 9:30pm on FOX Showcase. Evergreen Hollywood legend Doris Day, best known for Calamity Jane and romantic comedies with Rock Hudson, has died aged 97. The Doris Day Animal Foundation announced in a press release late yesterday, Doris Day passed away early this morning at her Carmel Valley home, having celebrated her 97th birthday on April 3 of this year. Nearly 300 fans gathered in Carmel last month to celebrate Days birthday. Day had been in excellent physical health for her age, until recently contracting a serious case of pneumonia, resulting in her death. She was surrounded by a few close friends as she passed. Day began her professional singing career at age 15, and she had her first hit, Sentimental Journey, with Les Browns band in 1945. That tune, and her signature Que Sera Sera, became her biggest hits. She appeared in 39 films, including Tea for Two, Storm Warning, The Man Who Knew Too Much, On Moonlight Bay, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, Pillow Talk, Calamity Jane, Young at Heart, The Pajama Game, Please Dont Eat the Daisies, Do Not Disturb, and With Six You Get Eggroll. Although she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement and the Cecil B. Demille Award at the Golden Globes, she never won an Oscar. But there were also doubts she would ever turn up if one had been honoured in recent years, having largely lived as a recluse. Day starred in The Doris Day Show sitcom from 1968 1973 which helped restore her finances after discovering she was bankrupt due to mismanagement. She later revealed her husband Martin Melcher had signed her to do the series without her knowledge. Day was an advocate for animal welfare, running the Doris Day Animal Foundation, adopting stray pets and owning a hotel where animals socialised alongside humans during a daily Yappy Hour. In a rare interview with The Hollywood Reporter last month she named Calamity Jane as her favourite film but added she also had such fun working with my pal, Rock (Hudson). We laughed our way through three films we made together and remained great friends. 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A Paris court will spend six weeks wading into the financial morass shell companies in Panama and the Seychelles, bank accounts in Lichtenstein and Singapore, and Swiss trustees and loyal front men that investigators say the couple used to hide over 13 million euros in assets.The investigation into Patrick and Isabelle Balkany Les Republicains mayor and deputy mayor of Levallois-Perret, a wealthy town west of Paris began in 2013 after another corruption investigation into a former political ally turned up evidence of the couples financial manoeuvresTwo luxury properties are central to the investigation. The first, the Pamplemousse villa on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, was acquired by a Swiss trust in 1997. The couple initially denied owning the property, but Isabelle Balkany, 71, has now acknowledged that she bought it with an undeclared inheritance.The second property, the Dar Gyucy Villa in Marrakech, is held by a Moroccan trust operated by Panamean company Hayridge, which is in the name of the couples right-hand man, Jean-Pierre Aubry.The Balkanys denied that they are the real owners despite their regular visits. But they were found to be the sole beneficiaries of the home, where investigators found bathrobes embroidered with their initials.The deception hid more than just a 2.75 million euro asset. Investigators found that the villa was paid for by Moroccan businessman Mohamed Al Jaber while he was negotiating a real-estate development deal in Levallois.In another incident of corruption, a Panamean shell company paid 2.5 million euros to a Singaporean account. Investigators say the money is a commission paid to Patrick Balkany by a Belgian industrialist George Forrest for his help securing a mining contract in Namibia. Balkany denies the charges.A network of offshore shell companiesThe Balkanys political lives have spanned four decades in their fiefdom in the Hauts-de-Seine, west of Paris.Friends and foes have described Patrick and Isabelle, 70 and 71, as two parts of a whole. He is the actor on stage, and she is the director; He is the marketer, and she is the back office; He the legs and she the head.Born one year apart after the war, they married in 1976. He, the son of Hungarian Jewish immigrants gave theatre a go before joining the family textile business. She, born Isabelle Smadja, grew up in a family that made its fortune in rubber.Together they launched a campaign for councilor-at-large in the Hauts-de-Seine and later for mayor of Levallois, which had been until their victory a communist enclave. He was elected at the same time Nicolas Sarkozy was elected mayor of neighboring Neuilly. Isabelle is godmother to Sarkozy's son.Patrick Balkany went on to serve simultaneously as a Les Republicains MP in the National Assembly.But prosecutors say their criminal careers may be as long as their political ones.While the trial will focus on the period from 2007 to 2014, investigators cooperated with European authorities to look much further back in the couples affairs, tracing bank accounts that migrated from Switzerland to Lichtenstein, Malta, and Singapore.They were unable to trace all the assets, but judges say that Patrick Balkany was the head of a network of offshore shell companies put in place at the end of the 1980s (around the time he was first elected to the National Assembly).Patrick Balkany admitted in 2016 that he had undeclared assets in Switzerland. He claims they are part of an inheritance.They investigation also revealed that the couple spent significant sums of cash, including 87,000 euros paid to a travel agency.The couple is accused jointly of fiscal fraud and aggravated and habitual money laundering and Patrick Balkany of passive corruption and illegal taking of interest.(FRANCE 24 with AFP) A political power couple mayor and deputy mayor of a wealthy town west of Paris go on trial Monday on suspicion of hiding more than 13 million euros of ill-gotten assets, including two luxury villas, from the French state. A Paris court will spend six weeks wading into the financial morass shell companies in Panama and the Seychelles, bank accounts in Lichtenstein and Singapore, and Swiss trustees and loyal front men that investigators say the couple used to hide over 13 million euros in assets. The investigation into Patrick and Isabelle Balkany Les Republicains mayor and deputy mayor of Levallois-Perret, a wealthy town west of Paris began in 2013 after another corruption investigation into a former political ally turned up evidence of the couples financial manoeuvres Two luxury properties are central to the investigation. The first, the Pamplemousse villa on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, was acquired by a Swiss trust in 1997. The couple initially denied owning the property, but Isabelle Balkany, 71, has now acknowledged that she bought it with an undeclared inheritance. The second property, the Dar Gyucy Villa in Marrakech, is held by a Moroccan trust operated by Panamean company Hayridge, which is in the name of the couples right-hand man, Jean-Pierre Aubry. The Balkanys denied that they are the real owners despite their regular visits. But they were found to be the sole beneficiaries of the home, where investigators found bathrobes embroidered with their initials. The deception hid more than just a 2.75 million euro asset. Investigators found that the villa was paid for by Moroccan businessman Mohamed Al Jaber while he was negotiating a real-estate development deal in Levallois. In another incident of corruption, a Panamean shell company paid 2.5 million euros to a Singaporean account. Investigators say the money is a commission paid to Patrick Balkany by a Belgian industrialist George Forrest for his help securing a mining contract in Namibia. Balkany denies the charges. Story continues A network of offshore shell companies The Balkanys political lives have spanned four decades in their fiefdom in the Hauts-de-Seine, west of Paris. Friends and foes have described Patrick and Isabelle, 70 and 71, as two parts of a whole. He is the actor on stage, and she is the director; He is the marketer, and she is the back office; He the legs and she the head. Born one year apart after the war, they married in 1976. He, the son of Hungarian Jewish immigrants gave theatre a go before joining the family textile business. She, born Isabelle Smadja, grew up in a family that made its fortune in rubber. Together they launched a campaign for councilor-at-large in the Hauts-de-Seine and later for mayor of Levallois, which had been until their victory a communist enclave. He was elected at the same time Nicolas Sarkozy was elected mayor of neighboring Neuilly. Isabelle is godmother to Sarkozy's son. Patrick Balkany went on to serve simultaneously as a Les Republicains MP in the National Assembly. But prosecutors say their criminal careers may be as long as their political ones. While the trial will focus on the period from 2007 to 2014, investigators cooperated with European authorities to look much further back in the couples affairs, tracing bank accounts that migrated from Switzerland to Lichtenstein, Malta, and Singapore. They were unable to trace all the assets, but judges say that Patrick Balkany was the head of a network of offshore shell companies put in place at the end of the 1980s (around the time he was first elected to the National Assembly). Patrick Balkany admitted in 2016 that he had undeclared assets in Switzerland. He claims they are part of an inheritance. They investigation also revealed that the couple spent significant sums of cash, including 87,000 euros paid to a travel agency. The couple is accused jointly of fiscal fraud and aggravated and habitual money laundering and Patrick Balkany of passive corruption and illegal taking of interest. (FRANCE 24 with AFP) Earlier this Tuesday, Cedric de Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello, the two French marine commandos who died last Friday in the effort to free hostages in Burkina Faso, were buried with full military honours after a ceremony at Les Invalides in Paris.Left-leaning Liberation chooses to mark the occasion with a front-page story devoted to the dangers of tourism to certain destinations. You will know that there has been a heated debate about the wisdom of the two French nationals involved in last weeks tragedy, kidnapped in Benin in a zone which, because of a resurgence of Islamist militancy, has been considered as high risk for French tourists since December when it was formally categorized as dangerous by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.Libes editorial is clear. The anonymous Twitter campaign against the two travelers, inspired by some political figures, is cowardly and unfair. No one could doubt the sincerity of their grief at the deaths of two of their saviours.And Liberation goes on to say, without recommending any suicidal ventures into the planets many dangerous zones, that such gestures by those who continue to visit countries under attack can be seen as an act of resistance against terrorism.Local communities need such brave expressions of solidarity, says Libe, both economically and psychologically.And the military authorities have already ended the senseless debate with the simple statement, If we had to do it again, we would.To live and die like heroesIn the course of this mornings ceremony, President Emmanuel Macron praised the two men who, he said, had given their lives like heroes. He promised that their names will never be forgotten, before naming them knights of the Legion dhonneur.In an interview in Le Figaro, the chief of staff of the French navy, Admiral Christophe Prazuck, says the courage shown by the two men makes all additional commentary superfluous.Army chief General Bruno Dary describes Fridays action to free the hostages as a bitter victory, reminding us that the heroism of the two dead soldiers is considered ordinary, normal in the elite group among military elites of which they were members.An essay in the same Le Figaro wonders if we are worthy of such heroes.The writer reminds us of the sacrifice of Arnaud Beltrame, the police officer who took the place of a hostage and lost his life 15 months ago, of the 25 anonymous firemen who went into the inferno of Notre Dame at the height of the blaze, and now of Cedric de Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello.Le Figaro goes on to contrast that sort of heroism with the dying but still dangerous violence of some radical Yellow Vest protestors and the Black Bloc anarchists who have attached themselves like parasites to the citizens movement.And the right-wing daily goes on to castigate those who use social media as a vector for hatred; those who are actively campaigning against the very idea of the French nation in their efforts to win seats in the European parliament; those who are incapable of stepping outside the box of their own judicial and financial interests to recognise that there are French co-citizens living in real difficulty just around the corner. Problems on every street cornerLe Figaro doesnt mention them but we should, I suppose, spare a thought for those living just around the corner, on the pavement in fact, also in real difficulty, who are not French but Eritrean, Ethiopian, Syrian, Kurdish or Afghan, refugees attracted here by economic need and by the sort of security which Cedric de Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello died defending.France and the losing strategy of Operation BarkhaneLe Figaro continues its analysis with a look back at six years of French military involvement in Mali.The idea of Operation Barkhane was to soften up local militant groups and help the various national armies to confront them directly. According to Le Figaro, its simply not working out like that. The armies in question are not up to the job of following the French spearhead. The Burkinabe military have still not recovered from the disorganisation which followed the end of the Campaore era; in Mali, the ranks are predominantly filled with soldiers from the south of the country, but the action is in the north meaning these men are virtually strangers in their own land. There have been clashes with local civilians, instead of with the enemy Islamists. The contributions of the other members of the so-called G5 Sahel, they are Mauritania, Niger and Chad, have not been at the level hoped for by the French planners of the combined action.And so the French remain in the frontline. As Le Figaro reports, huge swathes of central Mali remain under Islamist control. While the French patrol, the holy warriors fade into the landscape, only to emerge once the armoured vehicles have moved on.Sadly, we can expect more military funerals. A North Korean cargo ship seized by the US on suspicion of violating international sanctions will undergo an inspection after it arrived at the capital of American Samoa. The Wise Honest was towed to the port of Pago Pago on Saturday morning and docked that afternoon. The trip from Indonesia took about three weeks, with the US territory of American Samoa chosen as a destination because of its central strategic location in the South Pacific, a US coast guard spokeswoman said. Amanda Wyrick added: We also have a good strong relationship and partnership with the American Samoan government. The Wise Honest is suspected of being used to violate international sanctions (AP) With that being said, we also already have the resources that are able to ensure the security of the vessel but most importantly the Port of Pago Pago. Indonesian authorities detained the ship in April 2018. US justice department officials announced on Thursday that the US has now seized the ship. Asked about how long the vessel will be in American Samoa, Ms Wyrick said the US department of justice is leading the investigation so they will be conducting that. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the ship will be moved. She said the next destination is not yet known. Officials are also making sure the port is protected. US coast guard spokeswoman Amanda Wyrick (AP) We, especially in the Coast Guard, understand the importance of the port. Its a lifeline in getting goods to the islands, Ms Wyrick said. So we want to make sure that were doing everything we can, to make sure that theres absolutely no disruption to the flow of commerce coming in and out. The US government dispatched an inspection team to the ship before it docked in Pago Pago, she said. Ms Myrick noted there was an inspection conducted before the vessel left Indonesia and, because the ship has been at sea for three weeks, its subject to the elements. She said investigators had to make sure the structural integrity of the ship is still intact. US officials made the announcement of the ships seizure hours after North Korea fired two suspected short-range missiles towards the sea, the second weapons launch in five days and a possible signal that stalled talks over Pyongyangs nuclear weapons programme are in trouble. Ireland's climate change minister Richard Bruton criticised what he described as the world's 'love affair' with plastics. Irelands climate change minister has said the public will have to adopt a new set of beliefs in a bid to fix the Earths climate. Richard Bruton criticised what he described as the worlds love affair with plastics adding that the effort needed to tackle climate change has been underestimated. Speaking at the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA) in Co Wicklow, the Climate Action Minister said that governments and people of influence will have to lead by example. His comments come days after Ireland became the second country in the world to declare a climate emergency. The BIPA event promotes co-operation between politicians in the UK and Ireland. The bi-annual event took place on Monday at Druids Glen Hotel. Addressing climate action, Mr Bruton said: We do underestimate it and we havent even thought through the sort of things we need to do. Honesty and information is key to it. If it becomes the elite versus the ordinary person we are lost. We need to get the right information out as I know that two thirds of the plastics people put in the green bin in good faith are not recycled. We have a love affair with plastics. He said that the European Parliaments plan to ban single-use plastic from 2021 was ambitious but added that more can be done. I think thats where we can work with suppliers, not just supermarkets but the whole supply chain, to ensure that plastic is less used and when it is used its not single use, he added. We have a big battle on our hands. Story continues It is like a new set of beliefs that we have to adopt. If we are not seen to be making changes in our areas of influence, if we are not out there influencing our supply chain, we wont do it. Laura Burke, director general of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said: Ireland experienced an extraordinary time during 2017 and 2018 where our environment and climate reminded us of the fragile nature of our infrastructure, our economy and food production systems. It was a year which nature reminded us of who is in charge. We do know that with our changing climate the confident predictions are that we can expect such extreme events at greater frequency into the future, and there will be economic and social costs as well as environmental costs. Mitigation is essential, adaptation is equally as essential, anything less is unsustainable indeed irresponsible given what we now know are the impacts of climate change. Targets and limits and standards we now recognise are no longer sufficient, we need people to want to do this, to work towards what will be considered a new normal. Helen Jones, Labour MP for Warrington North, said that now is the time for politicians to tell the public about the real truth about what is needed to save the planet. We can no longer expect all different kinds of fruit and vegetables to be flown around out-of-season. We are going to have to make real changes. A new government department should be created in Northern Ireland to specifically deal with tackling sectarianism, an academic report has urged. Ending the scourge of religious bigotry should top any future executives priority list and must be given the same political focus as other key policy areas, such as economic development, the Ulster University study recommended. Progress can be better monitored if an accountable department takes ownership of the issue, the report said. As well as the executive department, the academic review also proposes establishing a new civic body to help shape community efforts toward reconciliation. The report also recommends setting up a fund to enable businesses to sponsor cross-community projects. A department focused on ending sectarianism would be held to account by the Stormont Assembly (Steve Parsons/PA) The study, which was commissioned by the Sir George Quigley Fund, also proposes the creation of a Youth Assembly to give young people a voice and says consideration should be given to lowering the voting age to 16. Penned by UU professor Duncan Morrow, the report does not suggest how the new executive department would be structured and whether the ministry would be allocated under the conventional dhondt process or, like the Stormont justice department, be filled by a politician that does not belong to either of the two main parties, the DUP and Sinn Fein. The proposals will be considered at a special conference in Belfast on Tuesday which will be addressed by a range of high-profile guests, including the US diplomat that brokered the Good Friday Agreement, Senator George Mitchell. Comedian Patrick Kielty, whose father was murdered during the Troubles, will also speak at the event. Politicians have been invited to attend, as have church, business and community leaders. Young people from across Northern Ireland will also join the audience at the UUs Belfast campus. Ronnie Kells, chair of the Sir George Quigley fund committee; Lady Moyra Quigley; and Professor Duncan Morrow, Ulster University. (Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye/PA) The report launch comes amid renewed efforts at Stormont to restore the powersharing institutions after more than two years without a functioning government. Story continues Professor Morrow said the recent murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry should focus minds on the need to act. The deeply tragic events of recent weeks sharpen the focus on just how dangerously close we remain to this residual threat, he said. The young people taking part reflect the hope and optimism that we all hold for Northern Ireland, but we have a duty of care and leadership to ensure that the expectation, aspiration and potential of the next and future generations is met and not stifled by sectarian polarisation. We hope that the reviews recommendations will make possible the step change needed. The Sir George Quigley Fund was set up by the Ulster Bank in honour of its former chairman. The leading civil servant and businessman was a strong advocate of initiatives to tackle sectarianism. Ronnie Kells, chair of the Quigley Fund committee, said: We acknowledge the extremely positive contribution made over the years by many individuals and organisations to address sectarianism, often working silently and unrecognised. Regrettably, sectarianism still lingers at the heart of our society and acts as a barrier to prosperity and as an insult to a civilised community. This scourge of several generations will persist unless resolute and sustained action is taken to address it. Everyone has a role to play in addressing this problem it is not the sole responsibility of government or the political parties in Northern Ireland. Civic society needs to work with them to ensure it is placed at the top of the public agenda alongside the economy as a key priority. We trust that our conference will help to establish the foundations for a credible solution driven by collegiate and concerted civic leadership and action. Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation in 2017 because they were unable to proceed while he remained inside the Ecuadorian embassy. (Adds Home Office source quotes in final 3 pars) Swedish prosecutors are to reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, deputy director of prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson announced. She told a press conference in Stockholm that circumstances had changes following Assanges arrest last month when he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he had lived for almost seven years. Swedish prosecutors dropped the rape investigation in 2017 because they were unable to proceed while he remained inside the embassy. Assange had also faced investigation for a second sex-related allegation in Sweden, which was dropped in 2017 because the statute of limitations had expired. He denied both allegations. Eva-Marie Persson said: The prosecutor will shortly request that Julian Assange be detained in his absence suspected on probable cause for an allegation of rape from August 2010. To be able to execute a detention order, the prosecutor will issue a European Arrest Warrant. An application for a detention order will be submitted to Uppsala District Court, as the suspected crime took place in Enkoping municipality. On account of Julian Assange leaving the Ecuadorian embassy, the circumstances in this case have changed. I take the view that there exists the possibility to take the case forward. Julian Assange has been convicted of a crime in the UK and will serve 25 weeks of his sentence before he can be released, according to information from UK authorities. I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US. In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority. The outcome of this process is impossible to predict. However, in my view the Swedish case can proceed concurrently with the proceedings in the UK. Reopening the investigation means that a number of investigative measures will take place. Story continues In my opinion a new interview with the suspect is required. It may be necessary, with the support of a European Investigation Order, to request an interview with Julian Assange be held in the UK. Such an interview, however, requires Julian Assanges consent. Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks said: Since Julian Assange was arrested on April 11 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case. Recall that it was initially dropped in 2010 when a prosecutor concluded that, no crime at all had occurred. It was reopened as WikiLeaks prepared to publish the Iraq War Logs. This case has been mishandled throughout. After the Swedish prosecutor refused to question Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy for years, it was only when forced by Swedish courts that she travelled to London to finally question Assange. Then Sweden wanted to drop its arrest warrant for Assange as early as 2013. It was the British government that insisted that the case against him continue. Since the investigation was closed in 2017, we have received reports of the destruction of records and correspondence on behalf of UK and Swedish authorities, surely an impediment to a thorough investigation. Assange was always willing to answer any questions from the Swedish authorities and repeatedly offered to do so, over six years. The widespread media assertion that Assange evaded Swedish questioning is false. This investigation has been dropped before and its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name. Home Secretary Sajid Javid could ultimately play a role in deciding whether Assange faces courts in the US or Sweden. It is understood that the Extradition Act says that where there are requests for extradition from both a non-EU state and an EU member the Home Secretary may order proceedings on one of the requests to be deferred until the other has been disposed of, a Whitehall source said. The Home Secretary would take into account factors including the relative seriousness of the offence, whether a person has been convicted and the date of the request for assistance but the source said I would suggest we are not at that point yet. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been advised to remain cautious when making outward investments because the possibility of success is low. Discussing measures to reform the state-owned sector, some economists said SOEs need to practice by making investment in other countries, where they have to compete with foreign companies rather than enjoy preferences from the State as they do in Vietnam. Many SOEs have made outward investment However, the failure of many SOEs in implementing investment projects overseas has made them rethink. Nguyen Van Ngai, vice rector of Hoa Sen University, cannot see high success. Even in home market, where SOEs can enjoy preferences, they are still short of breath when competing with foreign invested enterprises, let alone foreign markets. Vietnams SOEs can only think of making investment in underdeveloped countries. However, even in the markets, they will meet difficulties, because they have to compete with other foreign investors, Ngai commented. He believes that it would be better for SOEs to gather strength to improve competitiveness in the home market. If SOEs cannot well manage the capital abroad, this will harm the national economy, because SOEs use the states money. If SOEs cannot well manage the capital abroad, this will harm the national economy, because SOEs use the states money. There have been so many bitter lessons about outward investments for SOEs to learn, Ngai said, mentioning the failure of the oil exploitation at Junine 2 Block in Venezuela. He went on to say that Chinese businesses have gained big successes with their outward investments, but Vietnamese SOEs cannot follow the same way, because Chinese and Vietnamese enterprises have different strengths. They have technologies and business methods which are by far superior to Vietnam, Ngai commented. In the long term, the private sector which will act as the major driving force of the national economy Ngai urged accelerating the SOE equitization process and changing their management model. Sharing the same view with Ngai that private enterprises would be the major force of the national economy in the future, Dinh Trong Thinh, a respected economist, is more optimistic about SOEs outward investments. He said Vietnam is still not a developed country with big forex reserves, or high productivity surplus, and the national economy relies heavily on the foreign sector. However, Vietnamese enterprises still can enter the world market through niche ways to optimize their profits. Thinh believes that Vietnams SOEs should pioneer the movement of making outward investment, because SOEs have bigger capital and use higher technologies than private enterprises. However, Thinh warned that SOEs would face difficulties and high risks, partially because Vietnams SOEs do business based on short-term calculations rather than long-term development plans. RELATED NEWS Circular leverages foreign investors in SOE equitization Fiscal deficit to stay high in 2019 due to delayed SOE divestment Chi Nam While some economists warned of the possibility of Vietnam lagging further behind regional countries, others believe that Vietnam will still perform well. Vietnams GDP growth rate was impressive in the first quarter of the year, 6.79 percent, the highest in the world. Analysts were more impressed by the way the growth was obtained. Vietnam did not rely on credit growth and natural resources exploitation to gain the high growth rate, but on reforms and business environment improvement which affected production fields, especially manufacturing. The growth bears special significance if noting that while other export countries had minus growth rates, Vietnam kept its positive growth trend and trade surplus. However, some economists have warned of the risk of Vietnam lagging behind other countries in the coming years. They even think that Vietnam may even lose to Laos and Cambodia despite high economic growth rates. The GDP growth rate is believed to be dependent on Formosa and Samsung, the two big foreign investors. Over many years, the major driving force of the economy came from large foreign invested enterprises. In 2017, for example, Vietnam generated $220 billion worth of GDP, of which Samsung alone made up $60 billion. They cited a report of the World Bank as showing that Vietnams GDP per capita is even lower than Laos. Meanwhile, Laos and Cambodia have attracted Vietnamese workers in recent years. Commenting about the warning, Nguyen Dinh Cung, head of the Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM), said he doesnt believe Vietnam will lag behind the two countries. Vietnam is undergoing very intensive reform. Its GDP growth rates in the next 5-10 years will still be the highest in the region, Cung said in an interview to Tri Thuc Tre. Cung said Vietnam may not see Formosa and Samsungs sharp increases in productivity which contributed to the nations economic growth as in previous years, but the country has all necessary conditions to obtain a high GDP growth rate. The necessary conditions include macroeconomic stability, business environment reform, economic restructuring acceleration, and encouragement to the private sector. Over many years, the major driving force of the economy came from large foreign invested enterprises. In 2017, for example, Vietnam generated $220 billion worth of GDP, of which Samsung alone made up $60 billion. Experts pointed out that the economic growth relying on foreign invested enterprises, not on powerful domestic enterprises, would not be sustainable Dinh The Hien, an economist, in an VTC News interview, commented that Vietnam should put high hopes on medium sized enterprises. However, the enterprises are at a disadvantage compared with large state-owned corporations which enjoy monopolies and preferences in accessing land and capital. RELATED NEWS Will Samsung set up a third smartphone facility in Vietnam? Where will Samsung go after leaving China India or Vietnam? Thanh Lich Loc Troi Group and Tan Vuong Food Joint Stock Company will export 84,000 tonnes of rice per year to China. Two Vietnamese companies will export 84,000 tonnes of rice to China this year. Photo gaosachcaocap.vn The export of rice is under five memorandums of understanding signed between the two companies and their Chinese partners during a seminar on rice trade co-operation between Viet Nam and China held in the southern province of An Giang last week. An Giang annually exports more than 400,000 tonnes of rice to foreign countries, earning about US$220 million. The provinces rice products have been shipped to 63 countries, including the US, Germany, Spain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines and several Middle Eastern countries. According to figures from Chinas Customs Office, China spent $1.6 billion importing rice in 2018, of which $740 million comprised Viet Nams rice, occupying 45 per cent of the total. Earlier this year, Viet Nam Southern Food Corporation (Vinafood 2) and Food Valley of China (FVC) inked a memorandum of understanding on rice trade, in which China will import 100,000 tonnes of rice from Viet Nam. VNS Longtime western New York harness horseman John P. Cummings Sr. passed away on Saturday (May 11) after a lengthy illness. Cummings first got involved in harness racing in 1968 at the age of 22 through his brother-in-law, Steve Flanigen. Cummings started jogging and training horses with Flanigen while working full time at both Trico Products and Bethlehem Steel (where he was a tradesman bricklayer). He soon found that working with Standardbreds would become a lifelong vocation. He started out with a couple homebreds named Clippers Classic and Windjammer Munk and soon added overnighters like Don J and Jack Flood to build his stable. Then, through his 42-year career, Cummings went on to train horse that included Pembroke Primo (1:55.4, $341,026), Mr Casanova (1:53.2, $274,073), Cambestion (1:52.4, $184,892), Good Evening Smile (1:57.3, $89,219), Solitaire Hanover (1:53.2, $63,953), Pitch The Prez (1:54.4, $89,396) and New York Sire Stakes winner Pass Now (1:55.2, $81,918). Cummings most notable horse was Arm And A Leg (1:54, $320,791) who, in 2009, won 13 out of 39 starts and $86,000 to be named the western New York Horse of the Year in a ceremony held at Batavia Downs. Over the years, Cummings amassed 3,779 training starts with 731 wins, 574 seconds and 466 thirds and earnings in excess of $1.8 million. Although he did also drive, it wasnt too often. Early on, he used Flanigen who had more experience in the bike, and then later he had several more viable options that provided him the luxury of staying solely in the jog cart. Cummings was not only known as a trainer at the track: he also has the distinction of being the patriarch of one of the largest family of drivers in New York State (four of his five children were boys who were brought up in the business since they could walk). John Cummings Jr., Tony Cummings, Todd Cummings and Kevin Cummings were taught the ropes by their father and have all been training and driving since they were old enough to get their licenses. And now Todds son, Kyle Cummings, has made his grandfather proud by breaking out on the racing scene earlier this year with his first driving win. Cummings impact on harness racing through himself and his family has been 54,387 starts with 8,272 wins and over $38 million in earnings. Although his wife, children and horses were his primary passion, when Cummings had any free time, he enjoyed playing cards and was also an avid bowler. He did roll a 300 game and proudly wore the ring he received indicating that milestone everyday. Harry, as he was affectionately known by everyone, had an affable personality and the ability to make people laugh in any situation throughout his entire life and his presence will be sorely missed by all that knew him. John Cummings Sr. was the beloved husband of Lallah (nee Flanigen) Cummings; devoted father of John Jr. (Megan Wilson), Anthony (Barbara), Colleen (Tim) Gallagher, Todd (Tammy), and Kevin (Rhonda) Cummings; son of the late Edward and Dorothy (nee Pike) Cummings; loving brother of Edward (late Clara), Frank, late Dorothy Snookie, and late Peter Cummings; cherished grandfather of 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; also survived by many nieces and nephews. Friends will be received on Tuesday (May 14) from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home, 4199 Lake Shore Road (corner of Camp Road and Route 5) Hamburg, NY. A mass of Christian burial will be held Wednesday (May 15) at 12 noon at Saint John Paul II Parish 2052 Lakeview Road, Lakeview, NY. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association. Donations and condolences may be left online at lakesidefuneralhome.com. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of John Cummings Sr. (Batavia Downs) No new credit from Japan was committed for Vietnam in fiscal year 2018 due to Vietnamese policies on public debt limits and delay in administrative procedures. Chief Representative of JICAs Vietnam Office Konaka Tetsuo. Photo: Lao Dong The hurdles have prevented Japan from making new loan commitments for Vietnam despite the need for funding to key projects which Hanoi has expressed and Tokyo has in-principle approved, according to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Noticeably, the delayed payment for some ongoing projects, typically Metro Line project in Ho Chi Minh City, has remained much to say, said Chief Representative of JICAs Vietnam Office Konaka Tetsuo. Obstacles relating to the ODA disbursement might cause concerns over Vietnams investment environment amid efforts to improve its competitiveness, the chief representative warned in a press release that was made public last week. He emphasized the need of tackling problems for the continuity of ODA and smooth disbursement as JICAs preferential loans remain the crucial capital channel for Vietnam in the context of falling soft loans from international donors. However, it will take time to conduct legal reforms, mostly regulations on the public-private partnership (PPP) and to make policies practical and fruitful whileJapans high technologies and standards are pressing for Vietnams socio-economic development in the short term. To have a better path ahead, he said that JICA would discuss with the government of Vietnam to sign credit agreements for the debated projects and work with local authorities for removing barriers in receiving foreign capital inflows. Solutions for next fiscal year JICA suggested some drastic measures to tackle the problems and promote the ODA disbursement, as follows. Firstly, JICA would boost the use of its foreign investment capital together with conducting business surveys, extend support in building e-government, and cooperate with the Vietnam Japan Institute for Human Resources Development (VJCC) for development of supporting industries. Secondly, JICA would pilot locality characteristics-based development plans after 2020 for prominent provinces and cities in cooperation with research institutes. Thirdly, JICA would insert rule of law and connectivity in its supporting programs in Vietnam. The two concepts are from the Japanese governments Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy which enhance connectivity between Asia and Africa through a free and open Indo-Pacific to promote the stability and prosperity of the regions as a whole. In terms of rule of law, JICA would support the comprehensive development of manpower by continuing projects on law making and boosting those on training senior officials. Meanwhile, connectivity would be done by the mobilization of all financial sources for key infrastructure projects in Vietnam, such as expressway, express railway, seaport, and bridges under the connection with Mekong region. Carrying out the aforementioned would take efforts which should be contributed by both Japanese state agencies and businesses and multilateral international lenders which share the same viewpoint on the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) for the further development of Vietnam, Konaka Tetsuo noted. Japan the main ODA supplier for Vietnam for years Since 1992, Japan is one of the largest ODA suppliers for Vietnam. As of June 30, 2018, Japans total credit pledged for Vietnam hit US$23.76 billion, accounting for 26.5% of Vietnams foreign debt. Vietnam signs credit agreements worth US$1.5-U$1.7 billion with Japan per year. The figures make up roughly 37% of the Vietnamese governments foreign loans annually. Linh Pham The recent land prices rush in Vietnam is mainly caused by real estate wholesalers, who boast prices and make people believe that prices would continue to rise if they dont make investment soon enough. This leads real estate investors to purchase lands in order to try and cash in on the waves of upcoming infrastructure projects. Real estate Kiosks appears everywhere in Quang Nam province and Da Nang city (Photo: SGGP) There are a multitude of real estate websites that provide analysis and articles on the potentials of land plots after major infrastructure works are completed and put into use. They however do not give specific details about the date and time projects are expected to be completed. Many real estate middlemen even blatantly fake documents with the seal and signatures of functional agencies to trick buyers into thinking some projects are due in the near future. The wholesalers cash cow Many real estate experts based in Quy Nhon warned our journalists against rumors that real estate wholesalers are spreading in order to benefit themselves. In early 2018, real estate business and authorities in Phu Yen province had their hands full as prices of coastal lands in Hoa Hiep Trung town, Tuy Hoa City and Tuy An District suddenly escalated. During this time, there was a group individuals scattering rumors to bait potential real estate investors. In a coffee shop, Sai Gon Giai Phong reporters overheard a 37 years old wholesaler flaunting his techniques to an underling. The man was bragging that he can boast the price of any piece of land, by sending out his stooges to roam around coffee stands in the area to spread fake news on land prices. They even pretend to make transactions to trick people into actually purchasing land. The man said: Just do this for a couple of years and youll make a ton. I managed to sell three lots just last month and got more than VND100 million (US$4,283)." According to an unnamed government official and real estate middleman in Long An, he has earned tens of millions of dong each month thanks to the recently dynamic housing market. He can talk investors into buying and reselling a single piece of land several times, boasting its price from VND1.2 billion to a whopping VND6 billion (US$51,393 - US$256,967). An anonymous investor admitted that most of the time, they only knows vaguely of future infrastructure projects through the news, but not the how and when of the whole process. They quote their prices when everyone else does, and suffers from the same mentality as they do. A confident investor named Lan said: I only seek to buy projects at affordable prices, with transparent legal documents, where people are allowed to start constructions right away. I always ignore rumors and carefully refer to different sources and analyze the outcome by myself. Thanks to all that, I managed to make a profit of about 7 percent per month, which is not much but still my hard-earned money. The authoritys assessment On the subject of Cat Lai Bridge and HCMC - Moc Bai Expressway mentioned in the previous article, these projects do exist, but there is a long way to go from blueprint to construction. These projects are an essential for the public, but necessary procedures are painstakingly slow, having to wait for the Ministry of Transport to submit them to the Government for approval. According to Mr. Le Hoang Chau - Chairman of HCMC Real Estate Association, in Nhon Trach district real estate has the potential for price boasting, if the Cat Lai bridge and Long Thanh airport projects are commenced. However, investors need to carefully review the zoning plans for pieces they want to purchase, avoid purchasing what most people buy or hogging cheap land lots, as these are usually marketing ploys to trick them. Many plots are labeled as lands for projects but are actually allotted agricultural and forestry land. In addition, real estate brokers sometimes impersonate project investors in order to scam buyers. Mr. Tran Uc, Chairman of Dien Ban Town People's Committee, Quang Nam province affirmed that all projects in Dien Nam - Dien Ngoc are just at their beginning phase, and there are many procedures to be completed. He also warned people to stand their grounds against false news on governmental plans for these areas. In the face of land price boasting, the Chairman of Da Nang City People's Committee has ordered the city Police Department, the Department of Construction, Department of Information and Communications, Department of Justice, and People's Committees of districts to closely manage real estate transfers in the area. According to the Department of Construction of Long An, many housing projects are deployed, then advertised on websites without completing the legal procedures. There are projects that have not even been licensed but still see acres being sold. The Department of Construction has advised Long An Provinces People's Committee to rectify real estate business activities that are not in accordance with local regulations, said Mr. Nguyen Minh Hung, deputy director of the agency. Preventing real estate bubbles According to the Prime Minister's Directive No. 11 / CT-TTg dated April 23, 2016, on solutions to encourage stable and straightforward development of the real estate market, the People's Committees of central level provinces shall promptly and strictly implement provisions related to the real estate market; to monitor and control information of market movements and implement timely measures to stabilize the market, preventing price boasting and real estate bubbles in the area. SGGP Some retail chains are seeking hundreds of workers as they plan to open more shops to scale up their business. Thu Hang in district 5, HCM City, said she received many emails about job opportunities at retail chains in recent days. About four or five emails a week, she said. Hang has been recruited by a supermarket in district 3, but she said she would apply for a foreign invested retail chain. Anh Tuan, who has applied for the post of a manager at a supermarket in district 1, said there are many job opportunities in the retail industry which has had high growth rates in recent years. He said he has received many offers with the promised salary of VND25 million a month. The economy is warming. Businesses, especially in the retail sector, are all hurrying to employ workers, he said, adding that ads about job opportunities can be found on all job websites. The retail industry is seriously lacking workers because retail chains all want to enlarge their networks. The labor force in the industry is unstable as workers change their jobs regularly. Big C, Mega Markt, VinMart, Lottemart and Bach Hoa Xanh, for example, have been seeking workers for many posts, from cashiers to sellers and managers. Big C wants to employ hundreds of workers within one month. The notices about job opportunities appear regularly on official websites of Lotte Mart and Bach Hoa Xanh. Uniqlo, the high-street fashion brand from Japan, is also seeking personnel for its first shop to open in HCM City. The candidates for the post of shop officer must have bachelors degree and good English communication skills. The plan on opening a shop in HCM City this autumn was also mentioned in Fast Retailings annual report, the owner of Uniqlo. The Japanese brand registered to set up a business, two-member limited company, in Vietnam in October 2018. The HR manager of a retail chain in HCM City confirmed that the retail industry is seriously lacking workers because retail chains all want to enlarge their networks. The labor force in the industry is unstable as workers change their jobs regularly. Saigon Co-op, for example, plans to open 400 more supermarkets by the end of 2019, while The Gioi Di Dong plans to have 300 more Bach Hoa Xanh shops this year. Nguyen Thu Trang from Manpower Group Vietnam noted that most of the worlds biggest retail groups are present in Vietnam, including regional retailers from Thailand, Japan and South Korea who have deep understanding about the Vietnamese market, and investors from the west. RELATED NEWS Some retail brands disappear quietly, others expand to great fanfare Who is the most profitable retailer? Chi Bao Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung has stressed that Vietnam strongly supports the development of technologies and business models such as fintech and ride sharing app. Besides, in 2019, the government allows, on a trial basis, the payment with mobile phones. Payment with smartphones (mobile money) might be in conflict with the banking system and few countries in the world are willing to apply. Overview of the forum. Photo by Cafef The Vietnamese government is ready to experience new things such as fintech, high-tech taxis and even looking forward to the Sandbox framework. Thus, Vietnam is not conservative. Adopting new things is a fierce fight that not everyone is willing to take, Hung said at the national tech forum with the slogan Make in Vietnam held in Hanoi earlier this week. From the view of a regulator, the minister said that the adoption of new technologies needs open-minded management, Such is our mindset for development. Obsolete legal framework is not appropriate to regulate innovative things. However, the majority of people think the opposite and their mindset has to be changed, he said. However, the minister acknowledged that most of the time, new things have to struggle to superimpose the old-fashioned ones. He cited the typical competition between ride sharing service and traditional taxis. The rapid development of ride-hailing firms namely Uber and Grab, which own no vehicles or drivers but have threatened the long- lasting business of a number of domestic transportation enterprises and are posing headache for regulators. The yet to end issue has been put on the table with the question how to address the new business models in terms of policies. According to Minister Hung, the policy discussion about Grab is not over yet, but there have been great strides on both sides, the government and the enterprises, in the understanding of the issue. Hanoitimes Ha An Welcoming foreign investments, economists have once again warned about the negative impact that Chinese investments have had on Vietnams economy. The concern about Chinese investments were raised after the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) released a report showing that China is standing firmly in the No 1 position on the list of leading foreign direct investors in Vietnam. Chinese registered $1.3 billion worth of FDI in the first four months In the first four months of 2019, Chinese investors registered $1.3 billion worth of FDI in 187 projects. The investments mostly were for the processing & manufacturing industry, real estate and distribution. Recent reports all show increasingly high Chinese FDI in Vietnam. Experts began paying attention to the upward tendency in Chinese investments in 2016, when Chinese FDI climbed to $1.26 billion, accounting for 8.3 percent of total FDI capital to Vietnam. Pham Pho, a respected economist, noted that Chinese mostly eye infrastructure projects and input material production. It cannot expect technology transfer from Chinese investors because they mostly use outdated technology in Vietnam. The projects do not generate more jobs, because the investors bring workers from China to the project sites. They also are interested in textiles & garments, footwear, yarn, civil engineering, thermopower and mining, labor intensive industries which have a negative impact on the environment and can be exploited by Chinese to boost their exports to other countries. In infrastructure development, Chinese capital has gone to Thai Nguyen Cast Iron & Steel, bauxite mining in the Central Highlands and the Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated railway. While appreciating the positive impact of FDI on the national economy, Pho said that a poor consequences remain unsolvable. The Thai Nguyen Cast Iron & Steel project, with outdated technology, cannot operate, the bauxite mining project in the Central Highlands runs ineffectively and the elevated railway has become famous because of an industrial accident. An analyst, agreeing with Pho, said Vietnam has not had much benefit from Chinese invested projects. It cannot expect technology transfer from Chinese investors because they mostly use outdated technology in Vietnam. The projects do not generate more jobs, because the investors bring workers from China to the project sites. Meanwhile, the Chinese investors presence in the retail market has raised concern that low-quality and counterfeit goods will flood Vietnam and corner the market. These projects are a part of the Chinas one belt, one road strategy, under which Chinese is accelerating outward investments to export labor, capital and backward technologies to developing countries, the analyst said. Chinese havre recently poured capital into the real estate, consumer goods and retail sectors. Analysts have repeatedly warned about Chinese presence in key real estate projects in Vietnam, located in important positions in coastal areas of Van Don, Nha Trang, Da Nang and Hai Phong. Remember that many countries in the world have refused Chinese capital for fear of long-term consequences, Pho commented. RELATED NEWS Vietnam surpasses China in FDI prospects China becomes Vietnams largest investor in Q1 Ha Dung Installation of bins part of initiative by group of foreigners living in city to protect the local marine environment. Bamboo garbage bins in the shape of giant Goby fish have been placed along Da Nangs long stretch of beach in an initiative by a group of foreigners living and working in the central city. Goby Open Day took place on the morning of May 11, with a group of foreign and local volunteers launching the environmental protection project and placing the Goby fish bins on the beach at the junction of Nguyen Van Thoai and Vo Nguyen Giap Streets. The Goby Project was born amid an environmental protection movement in the city, to cut waste and use natural friendly materials. Such efforts are being replicated throughout Asia. There are two ways to view the meaning of the Goby garbage bins on the beaches. The first is the image of a fish swallowing a lot of different waste. Through the image of a Goby with a bulging stomach filled with waste and plastic bottles, people will be more aware of the seriousness and environmental impact of leaving plastic bottles on the beach. The second is the image of a friendly, kind-hearted Goby helping to protect the sea by collecting waste instead of leaving it scattered around to be then washed out to sea. According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Vu, Head of the Son Tra Peninsula Management Board and Da Nang Tourism Beaches, Vietnam has a long coastline but plastic waste is a problem for the marine environment. Looking to doing something for the marine environment, Ms. Sarah Field, an English teacher in Da Nang, proposed the Goby project with the slogan Feed Goby Plastic And Not Ocean!. The management board immediately agreed and provided major assistance to get the project going. On April 22, a group led by Ms. Field with the participation of Mr. Tyler Smith (teacher and deputy leader), Mr. Hoang Phuc Lam (officer and project advisor), Ms. Robynn Louw (teacher and project design architect), Mr. Chris McBrideo (painter and project designer), and student Nguyen Diem My (head of volunteers and logistics), together with volunteer students, embarked on implementing the project. Building the Goby fish is a meaningful activity that helps raise awareness among local people and visitors, while feeding Goby with plastic waste is a great opportunity for everyone to interact and work together for a better community and a cleaner environment, said Mr. Vu. VN Economic Times Jessica Nguyen Most construction works use illegally exploited sand because legal sources can satisfy only 20 percent of total 120 million cubic meters of sand needed every year. Making artificial sand is feasible in Vietnam because of plentiful input materials, while the production process is simple sorting, washing, removing impurities and grinding to create grains of sand with different sizes for different purposes. Scientists say that artificial sand grains are more uniform, while it is possible to adjust the proportion of grains. It helps save other building materials such as cement and bitumen, and shortens the execution time and lengthens construction works life. Experiments In 2012, the Son Truong Corporation in Hai Phong City tried to use fly ash to make centrifugal concrete, but the result was unsatisfactory. The use of unsorted fly ash resulted in products with unstable quality, while the use of selected fly ash the production cost as high as cement. Making artificial sand is feasible in Vietnam because of plentiful input materials, while the production process is simple sorting, washing, removing impurities and grinding to create grains of sand with different sizes for different purposes. In late 2018, Son Truong began using the slag from Hoa Phat Plants blast furnace after a successful try. The concrete made of slag is 10 percent cheaper than the concrete made in accordance with traditional methods. The Minh Duc I Concrete Plant belonging to Son Truong began its operation in early 2005, making retensioned spun high strength concrete and square piles. Every year, when the dry season comes, the Lo River sand supply declines. In late 2015, the sand shortage became more serious, which pushed the prices up, and the plant began the R&D process to create ground sand. After two months of work, it successfully created a product satisfying the requirements. The Ministry of Construction (MOC) has encouraged and given guidance on the production and use of artificial sand instead of natural sand for construction works. The ministry, together with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE), is drafting a government decree on river sand management with provisions on encouraging the use of artificial sand instead of natural sand. The required standards on artificial building materials were shown in MOCs Decision No 430 released in 2017. Experts have urged the government to reconsider the plan on exploiting and using natural sand to use sand in the most effective way. As for artificial sand, the experts said it is necessary to develop artificial building material plants to satisfy the high volume of materials needed. Artificial sand is crushed from natural rocks such as limestone, laterite, granite and gravel with modular particles equivalent to natural sand. The Japanese began using artificial sand 40 years ago to protect resources and to be environmentally friendly. Laos construction works are mostly built with sand made from stone. RELATED NEWS Sand mining destroying rivers in Central Highlands, causing landslides Sand mining erodes farm land Thien Nhien A new Buddhism-themed stamp and calendar has just been released to celebrate the Vesak event held in the northern province of Ha Nam. Minister of Information and Communications presents the new stamp to a representative of the Vietam Buddhist Sangha on May 11. The stamp was co-designed by the Vesak organising board, the Ministry of Information and Communications and Vietnam Post and Post Stamp Ltd Company. The stamp features a solemn Buddha statue with the background of a Bodhi leaf as designed in Ly dynasty (1010-1225). The image of Tam Chuc Pagoda, which hosted the Vesak event 2019, is also printed with the image of a dragon from the Ly Dynasty. The background also features lotus and clouds representing peace between earth and heaven. The stamp will cost VN4,000 (US$0.16). The calendar is decorated with the Gem Tower inside Tam Chuc Pagoda complex. The tower is located on the peak of That Tinh Mountain at the site. The calendar will cost VN15,000. The collection was designed by painter Pham Trung Ha from the VN Post. The stamp collection will be in circulation between May 11, 2019 and December 31, 2020. A silver coin to celebrate Vesak Day has also been issued. Vesak-themed coin. Photo Vesak Organising Board The coin, which measures 32mm in diameter and weighs 13 grams, features a Buddha statue on the background of a lotus. The other side of the coin has the image of Chakra, lotus and traditional Vietnamese bronze drum, which represents Buddhism. A silver charm with decorative patterns like the coin, which measures 26mm in diameter and weighs 7.5 grams is also included in the gift collection. Vesak-themed charm. Photo Vesak Organising Board The collection of the silver coin and charm will be a meaningful gift bringing peace, health and prosperity to the owners, said painter oan Xuan Phong, who is responsible for designing the gift set. People can get the stamp at three places: Stamp Company office, 14 Tran Hung ao, Phan Chu Trinh Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi; Stamp Company Branch Office, 18 inh Tien Hoang, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City; and Stall No 94 at Buddhism Culture Products Fair, Buddhism Culture Centre, Tam Chuc Pagoda, Ha Nam Province. VNS The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has set a regulation which would prohibit teachers and students from disseminating, propagating, making comments and showing the images that may adversely affect the education environment. Headmaster of Einstein High School in Hanoi Dao Tuan Dat expressed doubts about the legality of the regulation. Legally, I wonder if the regulation violates the laws on personal freedom and privacy, he said. Culturally, does the regulation offend people? He went on to say that the regulation prohibits a high number of behaviors, but the definitions about the behaviors remain unclear. Offend, hurt, bully and preconception, for instance, are general descriptions. Moreover, the regulation doesnt say how violators will be punished, or which agency will be in charge of supervising and imposing sanctions. The problems are the dark side of the market economy. As education becomes commercialized, founders of schools want to make more money, and more problems will arise. Behaviors must be analyzed in actual cultural context to judge if they are correct or incorrect, Dat said. If the issues cannot be clarified, MOETs (Ministry of Education and Training) purposes when setting the new regulation will be out of reach, he concluded. A high school teacher in Hanoi commented that MOET wants to prevent people from speaking against the national education system when setting the regulation. Does MOET only want to hear compliments, not criticisms? he said. However, it will violate the laws if it prevents people from expressing their viewpoints. Meanwhile, Nguyen Tung Lam, a respected educator in Hanoi, expressed his doubts about the feasibility of the regulation and the way to implement the regulation. Which agency will come forward and take responsibility for the implementation of the regulation and which agency will be in charge of supervising the implementation? How can transparency of the enforcement be ensured? The answers to the questions cannot be found in the regulation. Former Director of Vietnam Institute of Agricultural Genetics Tran Duy Quy said it is difficult for MOET to adjust behavior by imposing bans. In developed countries, teachers and students can maintain civilized culture without bans and can access social networks. MOET needs to apply comprehensive measures to improve the school environment which has witnessed many scandals recently, including child abuse, exam cheating, suspicious relations between teachers and students, and school violence. The most important task is fighting against school violence - a dangerous phenomenon that erodes the moral foundation, he said. The expert believes that the problems are the dark side of the market economy. As education becomes commercialized, founders of schools want to make more money, and more problems will arise. RELATED NEWS Strict punishments called for school managers and bullies after pupil's assault Students idolize undesirable man, a worrying sign Lan Anh Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Vu Chien Thang on May 12 received delegates from China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand who are in Vietnam to attend the United Nations Day of Vesak 2019. Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Vu Chien Thang speaks at the reception for Buddhism delegations from China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand During the reception, Thang highlighted the sound relations between Vietnam, China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. The countries have joined hands to build peace in the region and nurture the humanitarian spirit of Buddhism, he added. While underlining the development of Vietnam and Vietnamese Buddhism, Thang called on the countries to forge ahead with cooperation and mutual assistance in various aspects. The guests highly appreciated Vietnams hosting of Vesak 2019 and expressed their appreciation for the countrys beauty and hospitability. The celebration shows the participation of the Vietnamese Government and Buddhism in the implementation of the UN Millennium Development Goals, and is an opportunity for Buddhism countries to increase exchanges and contribute to their common cooperation, they agreed. Heads of the foreign delegation said hosting Vesak 2019 in Vietnam not only contributes to peace for one country but also brings peace and solidarity for all of humanity.-VNA International delegates, monks and Buddhist followers are together enjoying the festive atmosphere and beautiful landscape of Tam Chuc pagoda, where the celebration of the 16th UN Day of Vesak 2019 is taking place. Most Venerable Karchung from Bhutan Bangladeshi Sanjoy Barua Chowdhury, who attended the event, said he is impressed with the landscape of Tam Chuc pagoda, highlighting the place as a spiritual space and a tourist attraction. Tam Chuc pagoda looks just like a paradise. Actually, it is like the best paradise. I believe this place has much potential for tourism. Anyone would like to visit such a place like this, said Sanjoy Barua Chowdhury. He expressed his impression of how well Vietnamese Buddhist followers of different sects, and non-religious people get along with each other. This is the first time I have visited Vietnam and a religious festival. Before I came here, I thought different Buddhist sects have different traditions. But I have to change my idea when I see them all unite and enjoy the rituals and religious activities together, the Bangladeshi delegate said. Enjoying the venues beauty, Most Ven. Karchung from Bhutan said its a fortune for him to attend the 16th UN Day of Vesak in Ha Nam as he can meet Buddhist followers from all over the world and see them all get together and enjoy the festival. This is the first time I have ever attended a Vesak Day. Im highly appreciated Vietnam and the organising Committee for this opportunity. You bring so many Buddhist followers around the world here. Actually, you help bring happiness to many people and peace to the world. Meanwhile, Venerable Jnanasrer Bahkku from Thailand said he is most impressed with the safety and security at the 16th UN Day of Vesak in Vietnam. This place is tremendous. Religious people come here from all over the world, obtain and observe different culture, philosophy at peace. We face no difficulties at all during our stay here, said Venerable Jnanasrer Bahkku. The Thai monk also expressed his appreciation for the logistic staff, particularly the volunteers, saying they were very much helpful at the airport and the festival venue. The volunteers are very helpful. They took their responsibility very seriously. They are like ambassadors to tourists and guests, he said. "Vesak", the Day of the Full Moon in the month of May, is the years most sacred day to the millions of Buddhists around the world. It was on the Day of Vesak two and a half millennia ago that the Buddha was born. It was also on the Day of Vesak that the Buddha attained enlightenment, and it was on the Day of Vesak that the Buddha passed away. The UNs commemoration of Vesak has been held for three times in Vietnam so far. Previously, it took place in Hanoi in 2008 and the northern province of Ninh Binh in 2014. The 16th United Nations Day of Vesak 2019 brings together 1,650 international delegates from 112 countries and territories worldwide. According to the organisation, free tours will be offered to international delegates to Vietnams iconic spiritual and natural landscapes, namely Trang An-Bai Dinh, Yen Tu, Fansipan Sapa after the festival, aiming to showcase Vietnams tourism potential to international friends.-VNA Stunned by a series of child abuse cases discovered recently, parents are registering abuse prevention training courses for their children. The classes that teach skills to prevent child abuse became overloaded within a short time after the former Deputy Head of the Da Nang Procuracy was found sexually abusing a girl in a lift at Galaxy 9, a residential quarter in district 4, HCM City. A life skill class Luong Thi Nguyen Thao in Phu Nhuan district, the mother of twins, said she has decided to send the children to a life skill class. Previously, I thought that it is too early for them to learn abuse prevention skills at the age of 5 because they may not understand the lessons. However, I am convinced that such lessons need to be provided very soon, Thao said. Her husband agrees with her that children need the skills to protect themselves before they can get support from adults. I feel worried as so many child abuse cases have been discovered recently, he said. No Go Tell teaches children to say no to strangers who attempt to touch them, run away to safe places, and tell trustworthy people about what happened and ask for support. Nguyen Trung Hieu, a parent in Hoc Mon district, also registered his son for a child abuse prevention class. We talk to our son every day about how to protect themselves. However, we still feel worried about the risks. We decided to bring him to a class. The teachers there are professional and skills are taught in a scientific way, he explained. Asked if he thinks the risks are higher for girls than for boys, Hieu said that child abuse may happen with both girls and boys. Other parents also understand this. Nearly half of the children in my sons class are boys, he said. A class teaching children to protect themselves from abuse, of 1,000 children, has opened at Hoang Phap Pagoda in Hoc Mon district, HCM City. In the class, experts introduce No Go Tell, a method applied for children to prevent abuse. No Go Tell teaches children to say no to strangers who attempt to touch them, run away to safe places, and tell trustworthy people about what happened and ask for support. According to Nguyen Thi Hong Tuyen from Tomato Children Home, the program written by an US organization has been adapted by Tomato for use in the Vietnamese community for the last six years. Nguyen Thuy Uyen Phuong, a child psychology education specialist, said parents should also be taught what they need to do in case their children are hurt physically. RELATED NEWS Student sexual abuse goes unreported, students scared to talk: experts Covering up child sex abuse is as low as it gets Kim Chi Phu Quoc Express JSC has announced the launch of the Can Tho-Con Dao express ship will be delayed, as it has yet to complete the relevant legal procedures, the representative of the firm said. File photo of the double hull high-speed ship Con Dao Express 36. Phu Quoc Express JSC has announced the launch of the Can Tho-Con Dao express ship, called Trung Trac Express, will be delayed. The ship will the second-largest high-speed ship in Vietnam, after Con Dao Express 36 The firm had earlier said that the launch ceremony for the ship would take place on May 12 at Ninh Kieu Wharf and that the firm would begin selling tickets on May 13, Phap Luat Online newspaper reported. However, the launch of the ship was put on hold. Nguyen Ngoc Thuy, director of the Port Authority of Inland Waterway Area 4, under the Vietnam Inland Waterway Administration, said that the authority had received the application from Phu Quoc Express but was waiting for higher authorities to make a decision. The authority is facing a bottleneck as the Can Tho-Con Dao route is set to run from the coast to the island, Thuy said. However, in line with Circular 15 on inland waterway routes, the route between Ninh Kieu Wharf and Con Dao Island, off Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, is not included on the list of approved routes. As such, Phu Quoc Express has yet to be licensed to operate the ship. Besides this, as the number of passengers visiting Con Dao Island is skyrocketing by 40% year-on-year, the Con Dao District authority has sent a notice to the Ba Ria-Vung Tau government and the provincial Department of Transport, reporting Ben Dam Ports capacity to handle passenger ships. Accordingly, Con Dao District proposed the provincial government and the department temporarily suspend the arrivals of new passenger ships. The Con Dao District authority explained in its proposal that Con Dao is currently operating only one port, Ben Dam Port, which is under repair and unable to receive new passenger ships. Three berths at the port accommodate cargo vessels, passenger ships, fishing boats and other specialized ships, acting as both a seaport and an inland waterway port. The Con Dao authority pointed out that the arrival of two Superdong speedboats and Con Dao Express 36, with a total of 900 passengers on board, as well as oil and cargo vessels has been overloading Ben Dam Port. Apart from the forecast undersupply of water and power services due to rising demand for ship arrivals, Ben Dam Port is facing high risks of pollution from wastewater and daily waste discharged by passengers. Trung Trac Express is said to be the second-largest high-speed ship in Vietnam, after Con Dao Express 36. The ship was designed to accommodate 600 passengers. It takes 3.5 hours to travel from Can Tho to Con Dao. Ticket prices are expected to range from VND660,000 to VND1.2 million per passenger. SGT Vietnam's largest city a pocket-friendly destination according to GOBankingRates list. Ho Chi Minh City ranked second on a list of the top 3 incredible destinations in the world where travel dreamers dont have to worry their money wont go far enough, by GOBankingRates, a US-based finance site providing news and advice on saving, managing, and making money. After analyzing 50 cities around the world based on average costs for hostels, food and transport, GOBankingRates released its list of the 15 most inexpensive and exotic locales that can be enjoyed for $15 a day, with the first three needing less than $10 a day. Ho Chi Minh City mixes the old and the new to transport visitors to a dynamic metropolitan area filled with bustling energy where you can visit for $9.38 a day, with hostels costing an average of $4 per night, two meals a day costing an average of $4.34, and four one-way tickets on local transport costing an average of $1.04, according to the site. It also recommended travelers walk off their meals by exploring the citys many free Buddhist temples, such as Jade Emperor Pagoda and Cao Dai Temple. And if youre a history buff, the War Remnants Museum has exhibits relating to the American War. You can also visit Cu Chi Tunnels, where Vietnamese soldiers dug tens of thousands of miles of tunnels to house troops and supplies and conduct surprise attacks on US forces. Bali in Indonesia topped the list at only $9.05 a day, with about $4 for a hostel near the beach per night, less than $2 for an inexpensive meal, and some $1 for transport. Sri Lankas capital Colombo ranked third, at $9.78 a day, with an average of $5.42 per night for a hostel, about $2 a meal, and just a few cents for one-way tickets on local transport. With Hanoi in seventh place, Ho Chi Minh City was listed in ninth place last year in the Cost of Living Index 2018 conducted by Numero, a global database providing indexes on living standards in major cities around the world. It also ranked third on a list of best destinations in Asia in 2018 from renowned travel site Lonely Planet, with aging apartment blocks being colonized by vintage clothing stores and independent coffee shops, while innovative breweries like Heart of Darkness and East West Brewing are fueling one of the best craft beer scenes in Southeast Asia and a selection of eclectic venues are strengthening the local music scene, it wrote. Ho Chi Minh City is also known for its French colonial landmarks, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, made entirely from materials imported from France, and the 19th-century Central Post Office. Known as a city that never sleeps, it boasts pedestrian malls with fountains and beautiful views and all-night coffee shops, while the backpackers area around Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien Streets has a range of pubs, bars, street food, and live music cafes. The city welcomed 29 million domestic visitors and 7.5 million foreign arrivals in 2018, for year-on-year growth of 16 per cent and 17.4 per cent, respectively. VN Economic Times Vietnamese applying for a South Korean tourist visa now have to wait longer than usual due to the overwhelming number of five-year visa applications pending. Tourists ask for tour programs at a travel company in HCMC. The longer visa processing time has affected many tour operators who received a high number of tour bookings for South Korea this summer Many local tour operators told the Saigon Times that companies accredited by South Korea to filter out visa applications typically need up to five days to receive visas for their customers, but it now takes up to eight days. Many travel firms in Hanoi have even had to wait more than two weeks to complete visa procedures, while tourists applying for the visa themselves have had to wait up to three weeks. The surging number of five-year visa applications by individual tourists has extended the time needed to process the applications, said Tu Quy Thanh, director of Lien Bang Travelink. As a result, the longer visa processing time has affected many tour operators who received a high number of tour bookings for South Korea this summer. Thanh added that his company had seen twice as many tour bookings for South Korea this summer compared with last year. The firm operates four weekly tours to the country, serving some 25-30 tourists on each tour. Five-day tours to South Korea are now offered at some VND12 million, but tourists have to wait a while to start their trip due to the visa application backlog, said Tran Thi Bao Thu, marketing and communications director at Fiditour. Accordingly, some accredited travel firms have jointly arranged a schedule for applying for visas for their customers, aiming to partially address the application overload. Data from the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in Vietnam shows that over 170,000 Vietnamese tourists visited South Korea during the first four months of the year, up over 30% year-on-year. KTO Vietnam confirmed that it had received plenty of feedback from travel agencies in HCMC and Hanoi regarding the longer visa processing time. South Korea started on December 3 last year to issue five-year visas to Vietnamese passport holders who reside in or have temporary residences in HCMC, Hanoi and Danang. These visa holders do not have to prove their sources of incomes. However, other conditions may be taken into account to grant the visa. Since the new visa policy took effect, pending applications have backed up. South Korea welcomed some 450,000 Vietnamese tourists last year, up 40% against the 2017 figure. In 2019, the figure is expected to double. SGT Dao Loan Vietnamese escort warship 016-Quang Trung has completed its participation at the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus maritime security field training exercise, which concluded in Singapore on May 12. Vietnamese escort warship 016-Quang Trung (Photo: zing.vn) Co-organised by Singapore and the Republic of Korea (RoK) under their co-chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Maritime Security, the exercise, the fourth of its kind, took place from April 30, with a closing ceremony slated for May 13. The exercise began in the RoKs Busan and closed in Singapore. It featured a series of maritime security drills such as boarding operations and protection of key installations. Participating navies also practiced the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, shared information to track vessels-of-interest, and conducted helicopter cross-deck landings, among others. Vietnams 016-Quang Trung vessels with 137 officers and sailors on board set sail from Cam Ranh port for Singapore on May 8 to join the military exercise. The warships attendance is to realise the Vietnams foreign policy of proactive international integration, implement the agreements signed among ADMM defence leaders, while affirming Vietnam Peoples Navy responsibility as a member of the ASEAN Navy Chiefs Meeting. The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the RoK, Russia and the US to strengthen security and defence cooperation.-VNA Julie Duetschs intended career path did not initially include aerodynamics, compressibility, or computational modeling of turbulent flows. In fact, it did not include engineering at all. But now, Duetsch is graduating this spring with a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering and has been named this years Outstanding Senior in the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering. A native of Blacksburg, Virginia, Duetsch envisioned she would major in English once she came to college. At age 16, she took a flight alone from Los Angeles to Sydney on a Boeing 747. Having only flown on smaller domestic planes in the past, she was astounded by the sheer size of the 747. Her mind wandered, full of questions during the 16-hour flight. How is this plane going to get off the ground? How could such a huge plane fly across the Pacific? I need to know how all of this works. Her trajectory shifted significantly during that trip, giving her new focus and a newfound clarity about her future: she wanted to become an aerospace engineer. With a determination to catch up to her fellow engineering students who had heavily studied math and science in high school, Duetsch immersed herself in her chosen field and within Virginia Techs College of Engineering. She chose to live in the Hypatia Living-Learning Community for female engineers, knowing that her classes were going to be heavily male dominated. She was drawn to the built-in community and their impressive studio space. She also joined the Society of Women Engineers and was elected vice-president her freshman year, chaired the Evening with Industry event for two years, and currently serves as treasurer. Eager to network with her fellow aerospace engineering students, she also joined Virginia Techs student chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. A natural leader, Duetsch has now served as the organizations president for the past two years. Pat Artis, professor of practice in the aerospace and ocean engineering department, recalls arriving on the first day of his Introduction to Aerospace Engineering class in 2016. Duetsch had arrived early and was ready and eager to learn. While many students do not have the intellectual capabilities or dedication to realize their dreams, it soon became clear that Julie was an outstanding student capable of focusing on and mastering aerospace engineering, Artis noted. Moreover, she was clearly the most organized and disciplined student I have ever encountered. By her sophomore year, Duetsch felt more confident in her place within the college had experienced successes in her coursework and established a supportive network of peers through her involvement with various extracurricular activities. In the spirit of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), she felt called to serve and assist incoming students, who like her felt uncertain of their role and their place in engineering. She joined the aerospace and ocean engineering student ambassador program, representing the department to both prospective high school students and freshmen who were interested in the curriculum. Today, Duetsch is still relentlessly motivated and filled with an unstoppable energy, pushing herself to take advantage of more opportunities for growth. She applied to and was selected to join the College of Engineering Deans Team, where she felt she could make a broader impact on engineering students and the college as a whole. She enthusiastically jumped into this new role, hosting information sessions and helping to organize the colleges open house event. She had found her home, and wanted to help others envision how they could also succeed in engineering. In terms of academic research, Duetsch deliberately sought out technically diverse professional and research experiences. Throughout her time at Virginia Tech, she completed internships for the National Science Foundation, Pratt & Whitney, and Boeing that focused on design and operations. She also participated in research, using computational methods for aerodynamics and chemical modeling of polymers for unmanned aerial vehicle materials. During her senior year, she joined a research team under William Devenport, professor of aerospace and ocean engineering and director of the Stability Wind Tunnel. Along with several graduate students, she began work on high-profile research projects in the tunnel associated with the NASA Transformational Tools and Technologies Program and the Office of Naval Researchs Basic Research Challenge in turbulent shear flows. Despite being the junior member of the group, Julie immediately demonstrated a grasp of the bigger picture and a natural aptitude for leadership, said Devenport, who was impressed with her extraordinary leadership ability and potential. As such she has been a critical contributor to the strategic planning phases of both efforts. I would rate her as one of the most promising candidates for graduate work and research I have seen in the last 10 years. Duetschs hard work and breadth of experience has earned her well-deserved accolades on a national level. As a member of the national aerospace engineering honor society, Sigma Gamma Tau, Duetsch represented Virginia Tech as the Mid-Atlantic regional winner in the societys Annual Undergraduate Award competition. More recently, she was named the national winner amongst the nine regional winners and was awarded Sigma Gamma Tau's top honor, the Ammon S. Andes National Award. Duetschs impressive record of research and dedicated service as a Hokie is not yet complete. As a participant in the accelerated undergraduate/graduate degree program, she has already begun to earn credits toward her graduate degree and plans to stay at Virginia Tech to earn her doctoral degree in aerospace engineering, specializing in aero-hydrodynamics. Duetsch plans to return to Boeing for another internship this summer and dreams of working there as an aerodynamics engineer in the future. She is excited by the prospect of working in research and development, brainstorming new aircraft configurations that could revolutionize aviation. Written By Jama Green It seems to go without saying, but wildfires do not respect city, county, or state lines, said Velez. So when a fire crosses over local, state, and federal jurisdictions, how do responders at each level work together to manage the wildfire effectively? Thats the question that Velez was invited to speak on at the California Interagency Incident Management Team Workshop in Sacramento, California, last month. Comprised of state and federal agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the annual meeting brings leaders in wildfire management together so that they can collaborate more effectively when managing fire incidents. Velezs presentation focused on the research that Fire Chasers conducted over the past two fire seasons. Through case studies and time in the field, Velez and her fellow researchers looked at fifteen fires in 2017 and 2018 that were considered jurisdictionally complex. They found that fires at the national and state level often have three to four jurisdictions involved, crossing over three or more levels of government. Weve found that this is the new normal, but that means we need to develop ways for responders to deal with this complexity, Velez said. In addition to the challenge of managing a wildfire with multiple agencies, each organization comes to the table with different goals and concerns. Several decades ago, different agencies fought fires in similar ways, but wildfire response practices have diverged in recent years. Now each agency is left with the mission to fight fire but may have different, and occasionally conflicting, ideas about how and where it is best done. Specific recommendations to improve communications among disaster responders include sharing the decision space and aligning objectives across agencies. Something as simple as a holding a daily meeting with agency administrators during a wildfire can keep communications open. Many things need to be improved in order for us to fight wildfire better. But the first and most simple step is to get people to work better together, and that starts with communication before, during, and after a wildfire incident, said Velez. The problem of wildfire cannot be solved easily, but Velez and the Fire Chasers Team believe that communication and cooperation across agencies will improve our ability to fight a problem that continues to worsen each year. Wildfire is a moving target, and we have to be adaptive, said Velez. Our goal is to draw people together and help agencies communicate, both during a wildfire and well before one starts, so that they can understand each others interests and together be more effective in managing wildfires. By Gemma Handy CARNIVAL cruise ships illegally dumped waste, including treated sewage, into TCI waters twice in two weeks, the Weekly News can reveal. The accidental discharges within 12 miles of the Islands coastline were listed among more than 800 infractions committed by Carnival worldwide over a 12-month period and recently made public via a court order. More than eight cubic metres of greywater and treated sewage were released by the Royal Princess ship on its way from Grand Turk to the Bahamas on November 13, 2017, after an engineering officer "misunderstood directions. "He had not sailed in the area before and did not understand the restrictions around the Turks and Caicos Islands, the report states. Ships are banned from dumping within 12 nautical miles of the TCI by both local law and Carnival Corporation policy. The second incident happened on November 27, 2017, when the Carnival Sensation discharged almost nine cubic metres of greywater too close to shore when officers failed to close relevant overboard valves in line with TCI regulations. "This was despite the local environmental restrictions being reviewed and discussed during the voyage overview meeting, the report continues. Waste from sinks, dishwashers, showers, basins and washing machines known as greywater contains chemicals, bleaches and germs which can adversely affect aquatic life and human health. And even properly treated sewage can harm the environment, such as via the microscopic plastic fibres it contains. The TCI makes two other appearances in the 205-page document when items from ships accidentally fell overboard, including part of a life raft which was later recovered. All four mentions are trivial compared to those in neighbouring Bahamas, where almost half a million gallons of treated sewage were dumped in a single month, as reported by the Weekly News a fortnight ago. But they are likely to cause dismay among those who have long questioned if the economic contribution the cruise industry brings to the TCI outweighs the grim environmental impact. The report was compiled by Washington DC lawyer Steven Solow who had been appointed to monitor Carnival Corporations activities after the company pleaded guilty to illegal dumping of oil and a subsequent cover-up in 2016. It was released by a Florida court last month. Carnival says the bulk of the offences, which occurred in several countries between April 2017 and April 2018, were self-reported, most related to equipment rather than discharges, and none intentional. Others included dumping of food waste and illegally burning heavy fuel oil in protected areas. Eco laws The scandal caused outrage in the Bahamas where millions of cruise passengers flock annually to experience the archipelagos crystal-clear ocean and tiny cays. Government chiefs there have dubbed it "environmental savagery and vowed they will not allow the countrys most famous asset to be compromised. A joint task force has been set up to probe the matter while the Attorney Generals Office looks into possible legal remedies. The Bahamas is poised to bring new environmental protection legislation into effect within months. The controversy has prompted renewed calls for beefed-up eco laws in the TCI too. Carnival Cruise Line, the worlds biggest cruise company, ferries thousands of passengers to Grand Turk each week. Don Stark, of the TC Reef Fund, says tough minimum standards should be applied to all ships entering the country. "The biggest threats are from sewage and oily bilge water which can contaminate swimming areas and reefs. Even when its 12 miles offshore, God knows where it drifts to before it dissipates, he told the Weekly News. "Different companies have different ways of treating waste before discharge. I would think we would only want ships coming in that have the highest level of sewage treatment available. "And it would be ideal if they only used high grade fuel or at least had scrubbers in place to take out some of the nastiness in the exhaust emissions which can affect coral reefs and wildlife, Stark continued. "Many ships use high sulphur oil which produces acid rain. We certainly dont need to acidify the ocean any more than is already happening thanks to excess carbon dioxide, he added. PNP leader Washington Misick called for more resources to be set aside to help safeguard the Islands precious marine world. "Our ecosystem is fragile and we can no longer take things for granted, he said. "And we cant really trust other people to have the same level of concern for our environment as we at least profess to have. "It means we have to invest more resources to be able to monitor whats happening with cruise ships coming into our waters. He suggested bolstering funds allocated for detecting illegal immigration to include an environmental component. "We can use some of the same assets to check for things like illegal dumping, Misick said. "We have to start treating both the protection of our borders and our environment as a chronic illness. More money needs to be put into what is a vital part of what we are selling internationally. Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson did not respond to requests for comment. Carnival spokesman Roger Frizzell previously told the Weekly News the firm was working to address the issues raised in Solows report through additional training, better oversight and new technology. "We look forward to announcing several new initiatives designed to improve our fleet operations, ensure compliance and continue our efforts to be best-in-class with respect to environmental responsibility, he said. "Sustainability remains our top priority. We have an obligation to our company, our guests and the more than 700 destinations we visit around the world to protect the environment in which we live, work and travel, Frizzell added. Justin Bieber's Peaches was one of 2021s most dominant songs. It's among the best songs of the year, as selected by AP entertainment writers. WATERLOO The Waterloo Noon Kiwanis will meet Tuesday at the Elks Lodge for a noon luncheon. The program will be include Lindsey Leseman on the Van G. Miller Adult Learning Center and Family Literacy Program. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers. Service-minded individuals are welcome to join the Tuesday meetings. Call Larry Cain at 231-9871 for more information. Woodworkers meet Tuesday WATERLOO The Cedar Valley Woodworkers will meet Tuesday at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. The business meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. At 7 p.m. the program speaker will be Dean Schmitt demonstrating a Legacy ornamental mill that can execute a huge variety of complex woodworking milling techniques. Guests and woodworkers at all skill levels are welcome to benefit from the program. For more information, call President Steve Crouse, 230-3447. Sullivan VFW sets events WATERLOO The Sullivan Brothers VFW Post 1623, 1406 Commercial St., is open to the public. The meal from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday includes hot roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetable, dinner roll and dessert for $5. On Wednesday pool is free, and Thursday snacks and bingo will be 5 to 7 p.m. Friday offers $3 chili dogs with chips. Karaoke will be provided by Caseys Music to Go and hosted by Dave from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Games and snacks will be Saturday, and a pepper tournament runs 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Moose Lodge plans events WASHBURN The Moose Lodge, at 6636 La Porte Road, has several events planned. Taco Tuesday is planned from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, and chicken salad, macaroni salad and dessert by Janet are on the menu Wednesday. Tenderloin baskets are set for 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, with all-you-can-eat fish from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday. An omelet and waffle breakfast is planned from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday. Blood drive set in Oelwein OELWEIN A community blood drive is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday at the Community Plaza, 25 W. Charles St. For an appointment, go to lifeservebloodcenter.org or call (800) 287-4903. Civil War group plans meeting WATERLOO The Cedar Valley Civil War Roundtable will have its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at Veterans Memorial Hall, 104 W. Fifth St. Mike Morrell will give a talk on the Sultana disaster a steamboat that exploded and burned on the Mississippi River in 1865 while returning Union soldiers to the north. The public is welcome. Quota meeting set for May 28 CEDAR FALLS -- Quota of Waterloo will meet on May 28 at Lifestyle (formerly Clarion), 5826 University Ave., to help celebrate Quota Internationals 100 years of service and friendship. A social begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m. Call Pat at 233-4635 by Sunday for reservations or more information. There will be a special donation in honor of Quota to the community, along with preparations for participation in the My Waterloo Days Groovyloo Parade on June 7. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHARLES CITY A Charles City man who was convicted in a string of burglaries in 2017 is now facing federal weapons charges. Prosecutors filed a charge of felon in possession of a firearm against Justin Allen Bryce Gulian, 28, on Friday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. Court records allege Guilian, who is barred from handling firearms because of a 2014 burglary conviction in Colorado, possessed a .17-caliber Savage Model 93R17 rifle on June 6, 2017. Details werent available, but the date corresponds with his 2017 arrest in connection with break-ins at the YMCA and Trinity United Methodist Church in Charles City. He pleaded guilty to the Charles City burglaries and was sentenced to up to five years in prison in October 2017. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WATERLOO Dr. Violet Mwanje had planned to someday work in an emergency room after moving to the United States from her native Uganda for a residency program. But the death of her infant son at the hands of an intoxicated driver while she was working sidelined those aspirations. Now, the sights and sounds of an emergency room are a reminder of what she lost, and she has panic attacks if she goes near the unit or hears sirens. And after her residency, she will concentrate her practice on adult patients, because it is difficult for her to take care of sick children, she said. Over and over again, I asked myself what I could have done differently to protect my son. After all, that is what a mother is supposed to do, and that is one of the reasons I moved to this country to give my children the future they never had only to lose him, Violet Mwanje said Monday. The parents of 7-month-year-old Liam Mwanje told the court about their struggles since the fatal Aug. 2, 2017, crash in Waterloo as the man convicted in the collision was sentenced to prison. Derrick Earl Johnson, 37, of Waterloo, was sentenced to up to 25 years in prison, which is the mandatory punishment for homicide by vehicle while intoxicated. He was also ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to Liams estate. Johnson, who had apologized to Violet Mwanje following his March trial, declined to comment in court on Monday. Violet Mwanje on Monday asked him to seek his own peace through Jesus. You asked for my forgiveness, and I gave it. What I did not say that day was I forgave you a year ago just for my peace of mind, but I will not tell you that its OK. Its not, and it will never be, she said. Liams father, Dr. Bright Anderson Mwanje, wasnt in court but submitted a letter that was read into the record. He was finishing a surgery residency in Uganda at the time and had plans to come to the United States. In his letter, he recalled getting a 3 a.m. phone call about the crash because of the time difference, and seeing the CT scan of his sons head injury, knowing what the outcome was going to be. The grief was overwhelming for Violet and I, but also for our families back home. I didnt know what to do or how to help my partner get through this, the father said. Like his wife, he suffered from depression following Liams death. It took its toll on his licensing process in America, and he decided to return Uganda in December 2017. The marriage fell apart. When I left, her situation worsened and it seemed like I abandoned her, yet none of us could fix the other, he said. At the time of the collision, Liam was with his babysitter and other children in a van on First Street during construction when Johnson ran a stop sign at Sycamore Street. Police said Derrick Johnson was going about 55 mph in a 25 mph zone, and investigators estimated Johnsons blood alcohol was around .089 to .120 at the time of the collision. He also had cocaine in his system. Love 0 Funny 4 Wow 1 Sad 10 Angry 3 CEDAR RAPIDS Some students graduating from an Iowa college or university this month will have to pay off debts that could be close to $100,000. Other loans facing college students are far lower and a lot of students have avoided debt. But for many, taking out loans remains necessary in order to go to college, an IowaWatch College Media journalism project showed. I dont wanna be in debt, but I made the decision to come to school and I think for most students, when they make that decision, its kind of already married to the decision to take student loans as well, said Nick Hodges, finishing his senior year in communication studies and writing at Coe College. Hodges, 28, from Crawfordsville, Ind., was one of several students interviewed at eight Iowa college campuses this spring for the IowaWatch project. Brady Tobin, who just finished his senior year in math education at Cornell College, a private not-for-profit university, said he will leave the Mount Vernon college with nearly $100,000 debt. I come from a middle-class family home and we did not have enough money to flat-out pay for my education so we need my parents to take out some more loans in order to pay for college, said Tobin, 22, of Erie, Colo. Average debt for Cornell College graduates was $34,130 in 2017, the most recent year reported to the Iowa College Student Aid Commission. Yearly tuition at Cornell College will be $43,550 for the 2019-20 academic year, nearly twice that of a nonresident student at Iowas three state universities. Tuition at the University of Northern Iowa was $8,938 for Iowa residents and $19,480 for non-residents in the 2018-19 school year, and nearly 70% of UNI graduates had debt upon graduation in 2017. Resident undergraduate tuition at Iowa State University ranged from $7,740 to $8,237, depending on the major. Nonresident tuition at ISU ran from $22,144 and to as high as $22,678, depending on the major, for the 2018-19 academic year. I dont have any rich family members that would help me, so that was the only option if I wanted to continue my school, said Marissa Jerinnie, 21, who is finishing her sophomore year at ISU, about taking out loans that she anticipates will leave her $30,000 to $40,000 in debt when she graduates. Complete debt data for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years dont exist yet, but students graduating from not-for-profit, four-year universities in Iowa faced an average of $30,595 in student loan debt in 2017, according to the Iowa College Aid Commission. This number is nearly as high as the median per capita income of $30,865 in Iowa in 2017, according to the Iowa Data Center. Average debt carried by students graduating from a private, not-for-profit university in Iowa was $33,878 for the same year. The average when graduating from the University of Iowa, ISU and the University of Northern Iowa, run by the states Board of Regents, was $27,313 in 2017, according to the Iowa College Aid Commission. That was a decrease from the average of $27,575 in 2016. But the average debt for students graduating from private, not-for-profit universities has increased steadily each year from 2013 through 2017, resulting in a 7% total increase in that time. While tuition differed between private and public institutions in Iowa, the reasons for borrowing for college were the same at campuses where IowaWatch spoke with students: The cost was too high for students and their families to pay out of pocket. I didnt have access to that large sum of money upfront, and that was the main motivator for borrowing the amount of money per semester, said Madelyn Orton, 21, of West Point, who is finishing her junior year in English and communications at Mount Mercy University. Orton said she only spent money from loans on books and tuition. Still, Orton said she will have an estimated $25,000 in student loan debt upon graduation. Jerinnie, of Minneapolis, grew up in a single-parent household, she said, She said ISU was one of her top choices when picking a college but paying out-of-state tuition has become so burdensome she is transferring to a school in her home state of Minnesota. I know if I did go to a community college or school in Minnesota ... I wouldnt be in as much debt as I am right now, Jerinnie said. But, I dont regret it (going to Iowa State) because I also did want to get away from home to just kind of be on my own and so it did teach me a lot. While the average debt on graduation at ISU was lower than the average at private schools in Iowa, the number still sat at $27,643, as of 2017. An IowaWatch survey of Iowa State students done with the Iowa State Daily showed anecdotally that seven of every 10 among the 136 responding had debt related to being in college. Peyton Gries, 23, of Cedar Rapids and graduating this month in enterprise leadership and the University of Iowa, said she has $42,300 in student loan debt. Her original major, human physiology, was demanding so she put off getting a job her freshman and sophomore year to focus on school, she said. Gries worked two jobs after changing her major, which has helped. However, I wish that Id been more adamant about getting a job freshman and sophomore year, she said. Average debt for graduating seniors was $28,405 at the University of Iowa in 2017. In-state tuition at Iowa was $9,492 for the 2018-19 academic year, and $31,458 for out-of-state tuition. The following student journalists contributed to this Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism report: Lauren Wade and Molly Hunter, University of Iowa; Matthew McDermott, Cornell College; Lily Bohlke, Grinnell College; Omar Alcorta, Guy Tannenbaum, Cooper Maahs, Allyssa Ertz, Iran Carlos, Tyler Brunner, Tanner Frost, Job Saunders, all of Buena Vista University; Logan Schroeder, Mount Mercy University; Claudia Chiappa and Antonio Perez, Coe College; and Oliden Herrera, St. Ambrose University. Read more at www.IowaWatch.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DES MOINES Iowa schools are creating new school emergency plans or updating existing plans to satisfy the requirements of a new state law before its June 30 deadline. But those emergency plans will not be reviewed by the state or anyone else, as the new law contains no such requirement. The new law, passed in 2018, requires public and private school districts to have emergency response plans for responding to natural disasters and active shooters. The plans must be unique for each building in the school district, and each building must conduct annual emergency response drills. The plans, under the new law, must be high quality, developed in conjunction with local law enforcement and emergency response agencies, and confidential. The plans must be completed by June 30. But they will not be verified or vetted for their quality. Districts will simply report to the state education department whether they have completed their plans. In essence, the law requires district leaders be taken at their word that they have completed the plans and met the laws requirements since they will not be vetted by the state or subject to public review for safety reasons. Concerns were raised about the lack of oversight when the law was being debated by state lawmakers, although it ultimately passed both the Iowa House and Senate with unanimous votes of support. It does absolutely nothing, Cindy Winckler, a Democratic state legislator from Davenport, said during the lawmakers debate. It is hard to take a positive vote on such incomplete work. Skyler Wheeler, a Republican state legislator from Orange City, said he disagreed with the assertion that the bill was nothing more than a feel-good proposal. Staci Hupp, a spokeswoman for the state education department, said the new law is part of a holistic approach to school safety taken by the state. In addition to the new law for school emergency response plans, the department has offered resources to districts to help ensure their plans are high quality, and the department has provided or sponsored training for school officials, for example, to recognize behavioral issues and potentially violent behavior, Hupp said. We really are doing our best as an agency to support schools as they develop these plans, as we ultimately try to keep our kids safe, Hupp said. Its a piece of the overall picture. Roark Horn, executive director of the organization that represents school administrators across the state, praised the state education department, state lawmakers, Gov. Kim Reynolds and local school leaders for working together to enhance school safety. Undoubtedly, the collaborative efforts of all these entities have made schools even safer learning environments for our students and teachers, Horn said in an email. Most local school leaders contacted for this story said they have long had in place emergency response plans. Some said their plans already met the requirements established in the new law; others said their plans needed minor updates or tweaks to satisfy the new law. But the state education department in 2018 said while 88 percent of Iowa school districts reported having security plans, fewer than 10 percent were high-quality plans that included drills for school staff. Those plans didnt necessarily meet the law because we were finding variability in quality, and the plans werent always tailored to every school in a district as they need to be now, Hupp said. Districts will report to the state education department whether their emergency response plans meet the new state requirements during the departments annual spring collection from districts of myriad data. Local work Emergency plans were already in place at schools across the Cedar Valley when the governor signed the bill mandating them throughout the state. Dan Conrad, Cedar Falls Community Schools director of secondary education, facilitates the districts safety committee. He said they had to do very little to update the plan. Weve got a pretty wide-ranging committee that helped initially develop the plan a number of years ago and kept it current. Everything that was required was in our plan, said Conrad, except for a procedure allowing students to anonymously report a threat. Were looking right now at potential vendors that would allow for that to happen. The threat would be reported through a phone app sent to an outside agency that contacts the school and law enforcement. Currently, the state requires four drills each for fires and tornadoes plus two bus evacuation drills. But Dan Huff, Waterloo Community Schools safety officer, said district policy already calls for a number of others. Once a year, each district school holds drills for students concerning evacuation to an alternative site and dangerous intruder/active shooter. The evacuations could relate to a number of situations like a suspected gas leak or other building safety concerns as well as a fire, for example. Prior to the active shooter drill, said Huff, each level elementary, middle and high school has age-appropriate lesson plans for three-four days and then do the drill. Staff members at the elementary schools do a missing child drill each year, where they go through the steps that would be required in that situation. Two table top exercises on various situations are also required for district staff annually. Its preparation, but its not a full drill, said Huff. Each district school building has a designated safety chairperson, responsible for coordinating drills. The people in those positions across Waterloo Schools meet monthly. Drill completion dates are entered into a Google document and safety chairs can expect follow-up from Huff if any are missed. Weve got people who work pretty hard at it, he noted. Its just a priority here at Waterloo Schools to stay on top of our safety drills. Superintendent Ed Klamfoth has headed up the effort to create safety plans in the Waverly-Shell Rock Community Schools, with review done by the principals. Weve got a draft plan pretty much for every building now, he noted. I would say its an update and more comprehensive than we had before. There isnt a lot of change. He has sat in on a number of webinars done by the Iowa Department of Education about creating the plans and attended other meetings face-to-face. You take a look at whats mandated and try to figure out how it fits into your plan, said Klamfoth. The reality is you need to have it, he added, of the emergency plan. You hope you never have to use it. All of the districts are working with emergency management and law enforcement personnel in completing their plans. The state requirements are to make the creation of the plans a more collaborative effort with local emergency management and services, said Sarah Smith, advancement director for Cedar Valley Catholic Schools in Waterloo. The school system has used a state template for developing this latest version of its emergency plan. After each monthly webinar, a section of the plan is completed, said Smith. Then the team comes together to review the progress made that month on the plan. Roughly four to six hours each month has been devoted to this learning and planning process. Waterloo Community Schools has seven police officers, referred to as school resource officers, in its three high schools and four middle schools. The officers assignments also include the districts 11 elementary buildings. In addition, the Waterloo Police Department has an officer assigned to the citys five Catholic schools. One officer serves all of Cedar Falls Schools 10 buildings. Hes housed out of the high school, but is available to all our buildings, said Conrad. No police officers or security guards are stationed at Waverly-Shell Rocks six schools. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Erin Murphy State house reporter for The Courier/Lee Enterprises. Follow Erin Murphy Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Honor Flight CRAIG WHITE EVANSDALE -- May 7 was the 24th Cedar Valley Honor Flight out of Waterloo honoring 97 veterans for their service. It was another successful day spent with a grandson or son or a new friend. And it was another great welcome home. It makes me tear up every time I shake the hands of my brothers and sisters in arms and welcome them home. A special thanks to all who came out to give them a big welcome home, and a special thanks to the Girl Scouts from Cedar Falls who passed out cookies to the vets; to the two Dolph boys on passing out the pillowcases to our vets and the ladies who sewed them. I always will remember the Korean vet who, when he was given the pillowcase, said it stay with him forever. "Now I can go home and have good dreams." And lastly, thanks to the great board members and our robotics team from La Porte City who with the Knights of Columbus led the procession of the veterans, along with all our vet riders with Ol' Glory. God bless to those men and women who served. CAFOs and water RENATA E. SACK WATERLOO -- Iowa is proliferated with thousands of confined animal feeding operations, and the matrix, designed at the very beginning of this huge business, is not working. The authors at the time they formulated a matrix for CAFOs could not imagine or foresee what dimensions it has taken on. Today Iowa has 750 severely impaired waters and Iowans are warned not to swim, canoe, kayak, fish or do anything in line with enjoying our streams, rivers and lakes. There are an accumulation of factors contributing to this situation, but CAFOs are definitely a major source of the pollution. Even Black Hawk County has seriously polluted private wells. This is a serious problem since private wells are not required to be tested, so only a fraction of families using their own well water know to what extent they are drinking pollutants. Black Hawk County wells tested positive for coliform bacteria as well as nitrate. Thousands of Iowans rely on private wells for their household drinking water. Over 4,300 wells measured positive for bacteria every time they were tested. Please support a resolution for a moratorium on CAFOs. Selling parks HAROLD TUCHEL WATERLOO -- Of course builders are clamoring for property from city parks. Who wouldn't want a building lot for "hey hey, ONLY a dollar, hey hey what a deal!"? You don't see citizens get a lot for a dollar, only builders. It's insane the city gives away property for only a dollar without bids or profit sharing, especially to former city officials. The director of leisure services complains about mowing these lawns; what a farce. Get some backbone! City foresters cut down ash trees on the Miriam park property transferred to Waterloo Schools. Who paid for that? This is NOT about parks. This is about getting cheap land for favored contractors. Editors note: The city of Waterloo has not proposed selling park land for $1 to anybody at this point. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Supreme Court of the United States was an exclusively male preserve for 192 years. Not until 1981, when President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day OConnor to be the first woman justice, did the Court gain the benefit of a womans perspective and expertise. In the fall of 1983, in an article poking fun at government acronyms, The New York Times wrote, The chief magistrate responsible for executing the laws is sometimes known as the POTUS (President of the United States). The nine men who interpret them are often the SCOTUS. OConnor wrote to the Times, reminding them that for two years SCOTUS has not consisted of nine men. She signed the letter FWOTSC First woman on the Supreme Court. (Thomas pg. 203) First: Sandra Day OConnor is an intimate and compelling biography by Evan Thomas. He celebrates OConnors achievements and traces her unlikely trajectory from a dusty ranch in the Arizona desert to the Supreme Courtthe pinnacle of the legal profession. As the first woman on SCOTUS, she opened the door for women like Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Madeleine Albright and Hillary Clinton to reach places previously reserved for men only. OConnor was born in a remote farmhouse that had no indoor plumbing, running water, and electricity. She was firing rifles and branding calves before she was ten years old. When she was six, her parents sent her to El Paso for the school year because the nearest schools were an hour away and not great. Homesick and lonely, she felt like an outsider. She missed her parents, the horses and wild animals, and her playmates at the ranch. Having skipped two grades, OConnor was sixteen when she entered college. Smart and studious, she finished college and law school at Stanford in six years, ranking third in her class. Former Chief Justice William Rehnquist was in the same class, graduating one or two places ahead of her. After Stanford, Rehnquist took a clerkship at the Supreme Court. OConnor, on the other hand, was overlooked or turned down by almost every law firm in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Her friends father, a partner at a top Los Angeles firm, told her they had never hired a woman lawyer. But if you type well enough, we might be able to get you a job as a legal secretary. (Thomas, pg. 43) That was 1952. OConnor didnt know that professional women historically had faced more opposition from the bar than in any other field. The law is at the center of power; men, therefore, had a vested interest in excluding women from their ranks. Thomas writes in the book of the impact of this on OConnor, It just came as a real shock, because I had done well in law school, and it never entered my mind that I couldnt get an interview. (Thomas, pg. 44) That experience undoubtedly influenced her decisions at the Supreme Court to expand and protect the rights of women. In 1952, Sandra Day married John OConnor and soon became pregnant. Determined to practice law, she set up shop in a mall and took whatever case walked in. She had grit. On the ranch she had learned that life, like the desert, could be unforgiving, and that hard work did not always produce the desired result. When she was pregnant again, her babysitter quit and so did she. OConnor spent the next five years at home, raising three boys, doing volunteer work and expanding the couples social circle with politicians and influencers. She worked on Barry Goldwaters campaign for the U.S. Senate. In 1964, there were still no jobs for women in desirable Phoenix law firms, and OConnor began working local politics. These contacts were useful when in 1969 she was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Arizona state senate. 1972 was an important year: OConnor was elected majority leader, the first woman in any state. Congress submitted the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the states for ratification, and President Richard Nixon nominated Rehnquist for the Supreme Court. OConnor swung into action, calling on her connections to lobby for her friends confirmation. OConnor initially didnt support the ERA. She believed that a few victories in federal courts would suffice to establish the equality of women. But as the U.S. Senate passed it with overwhelming bipartisan support, she saw the way the wind was blowing and immediately proposed ratification in the Arizona senate. The Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, however, was in no hurry, and she relented. The decision to delay ratification was fatal. Her friend and counselor, Barry Goldwater, by then Republican Senator from Arizona, had voted against it and advised her to do so as well. Some suspect it was OConnors political ambition that kept her from crossing a powerful senator and temporarily cooled her desire to advance the cause of womens rights. In First: Sandra Day OConnor, Thomas succinctly credits her shrewd political skills. Always practical and cautious, OConnor knew how to count votes and realized the rapidly growing Christian right would likely defeat the ERA in Arizona. She calculated that defying Goldwater was not worth the probable political cost. Nine years later, she was proven right. Goldwater was one of the strongest supporters of her nomination to the Supreme Court. With no knowledge of constitutional law and no experience on the federal bench, OConnors nomination to the Supreme Court would have been extremely unlikely without the support of her influential Republican friends, including Goldwater and especially Rehnquist. Years before, OConnor had declined Rehnquists proposal of marriage, but the two remained close. She benefited from her and her husbands wide social network, and it didnt hurt that Reagan believed appointing a woman to the Court would be politically advantageous. Harvard University Graduate School of Design (Harvard GSD) has announced Polish-born and U.S.-based architect Aleksandra Jaeschke as the winner of the 2019 Wheelwright Prize. Established in 1935, a $100,000 grant supports investigative approaches to contemporary architecture, with an emphasis on travel-based research. Jaeschkes winning proposal, UNDER WRAPS: Architecture and Culture of Greenhouses, aims to explore the culture and architecture of greenhouses around the world, focusing on the spatiality of horticultural operations, as well as the interactions between plants and humans across a spectrum of contexts and cultures. Jaeschke was among three remarkable finalists selected from more than 145 applicants, hailing from 46 countries. The 2019 Wheelwright Prize jury commends finalists Maria Sheherazade Giudici and Garrett Ricciardi for their promising research proposals and presentations. I Ramarri (Siracusa, Italy, 2012), terraced houses overlooking an agrarian landscape framed by the sea. Project by AION (Aleksandra Jaeschke and Andrea Di Stefano). Image courtesy of Harvard GSD. "With her pioneering work on greenhouses, Aleksandra Jaeschke reasserts that the field of architecture can and should continue to engage deeply with nature, with horticulture, and with ruralism and the countryside," said Mohsen Mostafavi, Dean and Alexander and Wiley Professor of Design, Harvard GSD. "As we applaud Aleksandra and look forward to her project, I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate the other two finalists, Maria Sheherazade Giudici and Garrett Ricciardi, for their outstanding proposals, which made the decision about this years award exceedingly challenging for the jury." Periscope House was proposed in Siracusa, Italy, 2012. Image courtesy of AION Jaeschke is a graduate of Harvard GSD (Doctor of Design, 2018) and the Architectural Association in London (AA Diploma, 2005), she is an architect licensed in Italy and an Assistant Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Design at the University of Texas at Austin. She was one of the 2014 Kosciuszko Foundation Fellows and will be the Meadows Foundation Centennial Fellow, at the Center for American Architecture and Design at the University of Texas at Austin, from September 2019 to August 2021. She previously taught at the Woodbury School of Architecture in Los Angeles. Jaeschkes Wheelwright proposal, UNDER WRAPS, stems from her fascination with the multifaceted nature of greenhouses and the very act of sharing a roof with plant life. Her goal is to investigate the impact of spatial arrangements and speculate about strategies for a more equitable "greenhouse ruralism" and an engaged "urban (horti)culture"the former to empower farmers, and the latter to engage urban dwellers in the act of caring for plants, which she calls our living substrate and the ultimate Other." A brick dome pavilion was built in Siracusa, Italy in 2011 with a man-controlled revolving compass. The project was led by by professor Luigi Alini and AION (Aleksandra Jaeschke and Andrea Di Stefano). Image courtesy of AION Jaeschkes intention is to spend extended periods of time in a number of regions with a high concentration of greenhouse agriculture and visit remarkable urban and rural greenhouses that are unique for their singular architecture, adaptive approach to technology, or extraordinary function. She will travel to the Netherlands, Spain, Israel, Morocco, Mexico, and South Korea, and will also visit significant sites in Canada, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Poland. Her goal is to catalog and compare various greenhouse types, from farm-hoop houses to botanical conservatories; operations, from farming to hospitality; and locations, along a rural-urban transect. Jaeschke also hopes to use her travels to launch collaborative projects. As with past Wheelwright winners, the $100,000 prize is intended to fund two years of Jaeschkes research travel. Lost Highway (Siracusa, Italy, 2009), a live-work space set in an agrarian landscape. By AION (Aleksandra Jaeschke and Andrea Di Stefano). Image courtesy of Harvard GSD. Jaeschke previously practiced at AION, an architectural firm she co-founded and co-directed with Andrea Di Stefano. As part of AION, she managed numerous design workshops and contributed to various publications. She participated in the 27/37 Exhibition of Young Italian Architecture at the Italian Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010, and was part of the ARCHITEKTUR! conference series held at the MAXXI Museum in Rome in 2012. In 2013, AION held a solo exhibition, Eco-Machines, in the Wroclaw Museum of Architecture in Poland. In 2011, Jaeschke received the Europe 40 Under 40 Award conferred by the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design & Urban Studies and Chicago Athenaeum. Jaeschke follows 2018 Wheelwright Prize winner Aude-Line Duliere, whose Wheelwright project Crafted Images: Material Flows, Techniques, and Uses in Set Design Constructionis in its travel-research phase. Now in its seventh year as an open international competition, the Wheelwright Prize supports travel-based research initiatives proposed by extraordinary early-career architects. Previous winners have circled the globe, pursuing inquiries into a broad range of social, cultural, environmental, and technological issues. Top image: Aleksandra Jaeschke, image Fabrizio Darold > via Wheelwright Prize By Delana Isles COMMISSIONER of Police James Smith is retiring when his tenure with the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) comes to an end in July. Taking his place will be the current Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Trevor Botting. Late on Thursday (May 9) the Governors Office announced the new post, stating that Botting won the appointment following "an open competition and assessment. Just before the Governors Office made the announcement, Commissioner Smith made a similar one at the TCI conference for travel partners at The Shore Club. Smith told the audience that he will be retiring. He later said the following to the press in a brief statement: "Still a couple of months and a half to go so I will be continuing to work on behalf of the country and the police force. "I am delighted that Mr Botting has been successful in becoming the next commissioner for Turks and Caicos in the face of strong local and international competition. "We have, and will continue to work well, as part of the senior team and his appointment will provide much needed continuity for officers and staff as well as members of the Government and community. Smith noted that the transition will be a smooth process ensuring that the strategic goals of the force remain focused. "Mr Botting is a first-rate deputy and I am confident will be a successful commissioner bringing knowledge, passion and commitment to the post. "It would be premature at this stage to comment on my own departure until nearer the time. Botting is a former chief of police of St Helena and implemented many new strategies within the police directorate there. He served in that post from September 2013 to May 2017. Prior to that he was in the Sussex Police for 29 years and six months; there he held the post of police superintendent responsible for crime and operations; chief inspector responsible for neighbourhood policing; chief inspector of operations; temporary superintendent of Gatwick Airport, commander and other policing roles for 22 of those years. by Joshua Wilbur As you read these words, someone (or some thing) could be creeping up behind you. Maybe youre sitting at your desk. Or at your kitchen table. Or on a half-empty train. Behind you looms an encroaching presence, a silent observer. I picture a middle-aged man in a black suit a tired and unfeeling assassin but imagine whatever or whomever you like. A mythical monster, a scorned lover. Someone might just be there. Right behind you. You wont know for certain until you look. * * * We humans dont have eyes in the back of our heads. Evolution didnt budget for that luxury. Some animalsdeer, horses, cowshave eyes on the sides of their heads, allowing them a wide field of vision. Other animalshumans, dogs, catshave their eyes closer together and facing forward, allowing them to better judge depth and distance. So while grass-grazers enjoy peripheral, panoramic vision their hungry hunters quickly spot them through dense forest. This suggests a simple rule of thumb for distinguishing the skulls of predators from those of prey: Eyes in the front, the animal hunts. Eyes on the side, the animal hides. Eyes in the back, though, would require too many complex mutations, and we do well enough craning our necks to find food. Our bodies have been molded over millions of years to fulfill carnal desires, desperate for whats in front of us: arms stretching out, noses protruding, mouths gnawing ahead. Biology has determined our fate as forward-oriented creatures and given us a great fear of that which lies outside our perception. Because the total field of human visioneverything we can see along a horizontal axis is approximately 200 degrees, much of our environment goes by undetected. Half the world is always out of view. Like a car without mirrors, you have a massive, permanent blind spot. Turn in any direction, and the blind spot shifts with you. Now, this may sound painfully obvious to you. Of course we cant see everything. No, theres not a monster behind me. But, if you let your imagination wander, you might consider the netherworld lurking just over your shoulder. Horror films certainly have. The wiki site TV Tropes, a goldmine of pop-culture analysis, includes an entry called Enemy Rising Behind, dedicated to a particular type of camera shot. It reads: Bob is facing the camera. Unknown to him, an enemy is rising up behind him. It may be a giant monster whose head is rising up to his level, an enemy in an aircraft, or a much smaller enemy rising up right behind Bob. The important details are that Bob has no idea of the danger coming, and that the shot is continuously from in front of Bob until he has some inkling of the danger. Watching enemies rise behind in the Alien, Jaws, or Jurassic Park movies, we want to shout at the screen: Look, behind you! But its usually too late. A characters been gobbled up, and he never saw it coming. This is the danger of the blind spot at its most basic: death from behind. Stay aware, or get eaten yourself, as predator becomes prey. Theres a great episode of Doctor Who that explores the dread of the unseen from another, Lovecraftian angle. In Turn Left, Donna, the Doctors time-travelling companion, is assailed by a Time Beetle. This alien creature attaches itself to Donnas back, sucking away her time energy and creating a parallel universe in which she never meets the Doctor. Mainly, the Time Beetle is a plot device. Its also extremely unnerving. Throughout the episode, Donnas friends catch momentary glimpses of the Time Beetle, which seems to shift between universes. Theres something on your back, they tell her. But whenever Donna looks, it disappears. The Time Beetle becomes a part of her, an unconscious beast that manipulates from the darkness. Donna is plagued by the sense that some hidden force is corrupting her life. Brian Coldrick, a web artist, has created a webcomic called Behind You that often plays on the same idea. In his words, Each page is simply a character with someone, or something, behind them and one line of text. While some of them touch on well worn horror tropes, none are direct adaptations of existing stories. The images are fantastic, each one telling a contained story and invoking the uncertain terror of being watched. This uncanny feeling is familiar to scopophobes. Scopophobia is the fear of being seen or stared at. Freud called scopophobia the dread of the evil eye and associated it with the egos never-ending project of self-criticism. You are afraid to be seen because some part of you feels ashamed. Cameras, windows, and mirrors become malevolent objects to the scopophobic. For some, the worst possibility of all is being gazed upon without knowing it, as in Jeremy Benthams Panopticon, a circular prison that allows a single watchman to monitor all prisoners without them knowing if theyre being watched at any given moment. Critical theorists have written at length (at times, incomprehensibly) about the powerful influence of the Other and the strange force of the Gaze. In short, human beings are startled by the fact that we are not only producers of subjective experienceconstantly dreaming the world into existencebut also visible objects ourselves. The sensation of being seen unsettles our experience of ourselves, driving a wedge between our mental existence and our physical being. The evil eye reminds us that we are material: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. In the meantime, you keep a vigilant watch for the stranger who stares at you, who stands too close, who follows you down the street. I once had a strange experience walking home from work. It was late at night, and I was alone on an empty avenue. I suddenly had a strong feeling that someone was behind me, no more than a few feet away. I turned around with bated breath. But, of course, no one was there. by Ashutosh Jogalekar On a whim I decided to visit the gently sloping hill where the universe announced itself in 1964, not with a bang but with ambient, annoying noise. Its the static you saw when you turned on your TV, or at least used to back when analog TVs were a thing. But today there was no noise except for the occasional chirping of birds, the lone car driving off in the distance and a gentle breeze flowing through the trees. A recent trace of rain had brought verdant green colors to the grass. A deer darted into the undergrowth in the distance. The town of Holmdel, New Jersey is about thirty miles east of Princeton. In 1964, the venerable Bell Telephone Laboratories had an installation there, on top of this gently sloping hill called Crawford Hill. It was a horn antenna, about as big as a small house, designed to bounce off signals from a communications satellite called Echo which the lab had built a few years ago. Tending to the care and feeding of this piece of electronics and machinery were Arno Penzias a working-class refuge from Nazism who had grown up in the Garment District of New York and Robert Wilson; one was a big picture thinker who enjoyed grand puzzles and the other an electronics whiz who could get into the weeds of circuits, mirrors and cables. The duo had been hired to work on ultra-sensitive microwave receivers for radio astronomy. In a now famous comedy of errors, instead of simply contributing to incremental advances in radio astronomy, Penzias and Wilson ended up observing ripples from the universes birth the cosmic microwave background radiation by accident. It was a comedy of errors because others had either theorized that such a signal would exist without having the experimental know-how or, like Penzias and Wilson, were unknowingly building equipment to detect it without knowing the theoretical background. Penzias and Wilson puzzled over the ambient noise they were observing in the antenna that seemed to come from all directions, and it was only after clearing away every possible earthly source of noise including pigeon droppings, and after a conversation with a fellow Bell Labs scientist who in turn had had a chance conversation with a Princeton theoretical physicist named Robert Dicke, that Penzias and Wilson realized that they might have hit on something bigger. Dicke himself had already theorized the existence of such whispers from the past and had started building his own antenna with his student Jim Peebles; after Penzias and Wilson contacted him, he realized he and Peebles had been scooped by a few weeks or months. In 1978 Penzias and Wilson won the Nobel Prize; Dicke was among a string of theorists and experimentalists who got left out. As it turned out, Penzias and Wilsons Nobel Prize marked the high point of what was one of the greatest, quintessentially American research institutions in history. I drove up Crawford Hill with a cousin on a bright May Sunday, half-expecting a chain link fence to block us. But the path was wide open and there wasnt a soul in sight. As we approached the antenna we saw dilapidated shacks and sheds with equipment strewn around. A tractor hung there with its axel visible and rusting. The pigeon droppings were back. The antenna is not completely forgotten because the National Park Service has a plaque there designating it as a National Historic Landmark, but theres nothing else; no account of the discovery itself expect a recognition that it happened. At the foot of the antenna is more equipment cables, tanks of liquid nitrogens with their function and fate uncertain. A few dozen yards from the horn antenna is another Bell Labs installation, this one looking like something straight out of Greek or Roman ruins, a crumbling monument to lost glory. Rusty gas tanks and scaffolding, more cables and wooden structures in various degrees of decay and neglect surround the engineering artifact. As you walk away you cant help but feel a profound sense of loss and sadness. Echoes of a distant past impinge on your heavy heart, much like the radiation that Penzias and Wilson discovered here that will continue to quietly fill the ever-expanding void long after we have all disintegrated into our atomic essence. With everything going on, this distant memory from the era of American innovation seems like a timekeeping ghost that will continue to haunt the future. Bell Labs was the most productive research laboratory in the world for almost five decades. A Member of Technical Staff title there was probably the most prestigious professional job title anywhere. As Jon Gertner so ably describes in his biography of the laboratory, The Idea Factory, not only did the lab invent revolutionary commercial products like the transistor and satellite communications that completely transformed our way of life, but it also produced a dozen Nobel Laureates like Penzias and Wilson who completely transformed our view of the cosmos. As if to drive home the stunning fall of this giant of American science and technology, the sign in front of the modest, gray building bids you farewell Nokia Bell Labs. Fifty years from now, would we see that beautiful little hill as the hill on which American innovation chose to die? Drive west about fifteen miles and you see another kind of death. Its the death of two friends who are buried only a few feet from each other. There are hundreds of beautiful gravestones in Princeton Cemetery, and I realized that unless I asked someone, I would end up wandering around for hours looking for what I wanted. The groundskeeper drove me around in his little cart This is where the scientists are all buried, he said. Is there a plot expressly reserved for the scientists, I asked. No, he said, but sometimes they like to be near each other. The sun was still shining bright on a beautiful day, and I could take my time. Among the several similar-looking gravestones was the one I was looking for. John von Neumann, 1903-1957. Right below is the name of Margaret von Neumann, 1881-1956. The dates are instructive. John von Neumann mathematician, child prodigy who knew calculus and six languages by the time he was ten, computer scientist, economist, physicist, polymath, widely deemed to be the fastest and most wide-ranging mind of the 20th century. His mother Margaret married to Johnnys father Max, a rich banker in glittering, turn of the century Budapest. Both refugees from fascism. When Margaret died in 1956 Johnny was heartbroken. His mother had doted on him. This first-generation immigrant who was a patriot, who had created game theory, modern computing and the mathematical underpinnings of quantum theory, who had presidents and generals and senators eagerly seeking his every word; this titan of modern science was just Jancsi for her. When Jancsi heard of his mothers death, it compounded his own tragedy, for he was then less than a year away from the cancer that would kill him at age fifty-four, while he was still at the height of his powers. Five years later his wife Klara would walk into the Atlantic Ocean, bedecked in fine jewelry. Now I stood in front of his grave, the fastest thinker of his time having consigned his body and soul to the limitlessly slow processes of disorder and geological time. Just a few feet away from von Neumanns resting place lies an owlish, elfin man who arrived in the United States in the spring of 1940 after taking a long route through Siberia and the Pacific to avoid the difficulties of crossing a U-boat-riddled Atlantic. Kurt F. had finally deemed the situation in Europe too dangerous to continue living in Vienna, that now crumbling cradle of mathematical, philosophical and artistic thought. His friend Johnny who had come to the country seven years before had written several letters petitioning his employer, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, to help Kurt Godel obtain a visa and flee from the Nazi menace. The institute had become a haven for von Neumann, Einstein and others persecuted in Europe, providing them with the land of liberty that had beckoned the Pilgrims of Massachusetts three hundred years ago. In his letters Johnny said that Godel was the most accomplished logician of the century and that he would be a wholly unique addition to the institute faculty. Later, when Godels eccentricities throughout his life he was plagued by deep insecurities and paranoia and an insufficient appreciation of his work led to delays in his promotion, von Neumann asked, How can any of us call ourselves Professor if Godel cannot?. A year before von Neumann died, Godel wrote him a letter in which, after expressing shock about his cancer and hope that he would be cured, he conjectured what is considered the first description of the famous P=NP problem in computer science, a reference all the more remarkable given that Godel had never expressed any serious interest in Johnnys pioneering computing work. More than ten years before, Godel had made a mathematical announcement which was every bit as important as Penzias and Wilsons announcement of the universes birth. While the Big Bang theory told us the near certainty of how the universe was born, Godels announcement told us about the fundamental uncertainty of knowledge itself. His famed incompleteness theorems drove a nail into the coffin of a grand project of axiomatizing all of mathematics and showed that every mathematical system without exception had a kernel of either incompleteness or inconsistency at its core. In other words, every mathematical system contained statements that would be both true and false, whose truth value could never be determined. What was even more damning was a parallel finding; that there would also be statements which would be true but which could not be proved to be so in the same mathematical system. As with many seminal scientific advances, Godels announcement at a 1929 Konigsberg conference caused hardly any ripples. But there was one person in the audience who understood the profound implications of his work for the fundamental uncertainty of knowledge John von Neumann. After the talk von Neumann spoke to Godel, and in a few days his lightning-fast mind had expanded Godels initial idea to what was called the Second Incompleteness Theorem, a conclusion which young Kurt had already derived. Since then the two had become friends, and von Neumann was instrumental in getting the institute to hire Godel. However, it wasnt he who was Godels best friend. That honor belonged to a fading icon who was considered too behind the times by mainstream physicists because of his unhappiness with the meaning of quantum theory. Einstein was more of an institution than an active physicist in the 40s and 50s the sharp-tongued Robert Oppenheimer who was the institutes director called him a lighthouse, not a beacon but Princetonians still saw him walking to and back from the institute in his baggy trousers and hat. They also noticed his daily walking companion, an owlish man who seemed to dress in heavy woolen coats even in the balmiest of summers. In his later years, Einstein said that his own work didnt mean much to him, and that he came to work mainly for the privilege of walking home with Kurt Godel. Godels gravestone is a little more ornate than von Neumanns; perhaps his family wanted it that way or perhaps it spoke to his whimsical love of ordinary, earthy things like childrens fairy tales. It lists the name of his beloved wife Adele, a nightclub dancer who was deemed too ordinary and unsophisticated for Kurt by his family. But Adele nurtured Kurt through his many imagined and real illnesses and once defended him with an umbrella from Nazi hecklers. In Princeton Adele became his caretaker, guiding him through a deeply insecure, literal view of the world which gradually turned into paranoia that there were dark forces at work threatening to poison him. Soon he would only eat food that his dutiful wife had prepared for him. After Adele herself had to spend an extended spell in the hospital because of an illness, Kurt stopped eating altogether. In 1978 he entered Princeton Hospital, weighing not more than eighty pounds, and died essentially of starvation and self-neglect. For the man who had discovered the most rational uncertainty at the heart of the most rational field of human inquiry, his own end was tragically irrational. Johnnys end was even more heartbreaking. A man whose only purpose in life seemed to be to think, when he found out he had cancer, he realized that one day his mind would simply cease to think. This he simply could not fathom. Johnny had been instrumental in the United States supremacy in both atomic weapons and ballistic missile technology, and because of his importance to national security he was given a special hospital suite at Walter Reed Hospital near Washington D.C., and a coterie of air force officers was posted round the clock, tending to his every need; part of the reason for the armed guard was to ensure he would not give out secrets in his sleep, even as the cancer had relentlessly spread to his brain. He had been recently appointed to the prestigious Atomic Energy Commission and had received the Medal of Freedom from President Eisenhower, but the hand of death tugged at him with relentless certainty. Another high-ranking atomic energy commissioner named Lewis Strauss remembered an unforgettable scene in the hospital this first-generation immigrant surrounded by the secretaries of the army, navy and air force and the joint chiefs of staff, hanging on to his every word before it disappeared into historys scorecard. The end when it came was cruel. To feel reassured that his mind was still working, von Neumann would ask his daughter Marina and his friends Edward Teller and Stanislaw Ulam to ask him simple arithmetic questions, such as the sum of four and seven. They would come out of his suite shaken and heartbroken. Just like his friend Kurt, Johnnys ultra-rational mind succumbed to the irrationality of believing that he would be saved by religion, and he asked a Catholic priest to convert him to religion and carried out learned discourses with him in Latin and Greek, the kind of discourses which he had awed his fathers friends with as a child prodigy in Budapest. When he asked his brother to read to him from Goethes Faust, his photographic memory would start reciting the next few sentences. John von Neumann died in February 1957; on his hospital bed lay a set of notes comparing the brain with the computer and proposing new directions for neuroscience and computing. At his burial in Princeton Cemetery were both Robert Oppenheimer and Lewis Strauss, sworn enemies of each other; somehow Johnny always managed to be friends with people who were each others enemies. But none of that mattered in Princeton Cemetery. As I stood there, I could not help but notice something striking that Godel and von Neumanns graves were basically indistinguishable from those of hundreds around them; two of the most important minds in scientific history lying in the middle of other merely very good ones. Men and institutions have an expiry date, just like civilizations. Its the one certainty that even Godel cannot overturn. Ultimately the universe exerts a great leveling effect and we are all the same, beginning and ending in the same way. But our ideas are what make the difference. Godel discovered a paradox at the heart of seemingly certain mathematical knowledge: he found that permanence is transient. And yet his and von Neumann and Bell Labs lives, vanishingly brief compared to the intervals between stars, showed us the opposite: that transience can lead to permanence through ideas. Ultimately we may begin and end in the same way, but whether its Godel or von Neumann or a little antenna on the top of a hill, its our middles that distinguish us. And over those middles we seem to be able to exercise an inordinate degree of control. by Jeroen Bouterse In the school vacation, I finally decided to go on what is probably my only-ever academic pilgrimage: I visited Max Webers tombstone in the Bergfriedhof cemetery in Heidelberg. I had intended to go for some time. In my original plans, Id go on foot (from the Netherlands) like a proper pilgrim, but after years of failing to go through I had come to realize that was not going to happen anytime soon. So I went by train. Which was too easy; I stood next to the monument before I knew it. Im still coming to grips with the fact that only on the first time can you do a thing like this properly that is, with enough ascetic self-denial to mark the purposefulness of your actions and that I messed up that one chance. Oh well. Isnt it fitting to feel the charismatic potential of this particular relic being sapped by the very efficiency of modernity the stahlhartes Gehause of the InterCity Express, working unfailingly to disenchant this tiny part of the world, too. Except for one detail, which Ill get to later. I fell in love with Weber as a history undergraduate. We read a fragment of the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. The combination of a big and, not unimportantly, Western-centered thesis with detailed, painstaking social and historical explanations seemed a best of two worlds. More than that, Webers explanations, rather than reducing the ideas and deepest convictions of the people and movements he studied to some other variable, gave center stage to those convictions. He demonstrated that historical explanation involved understanding the beliefs and values laid down in historical texts, thereby at least partly justifying what I felt most comfortable doing. Later, I moved on to Webers methodological essays. With their long, complex sentences (complex because they expressed complex thoughts) they take effort to read, but never does that effort go unrewarded. Webers essays, I felt, came close to the ideal academic argument: abstracted, critical and theoretical but rooted in a desire to understand the world, extremely patient, leaving no stone unturned, but also always keeping his eye on the ball; making sure that the sum of all his smaller scholastic points worked to advance a larger perspective on how to study people and societies in history. I said ideal just now, in a careless sort of way that Weber would have a lot to say about. In his methodological essays, Weber devoted a lot of space to the role of concepts, ideals, and values in social scientific methodology. Influenced by the neo-Kantian philosophers Wilhelm Windelband and Heinrich Rickert, Weber was keenly aware that concepts formed some sort of problem. To Kantian-minded thinkers, reality itself is always an elusive thing: it is so big, and so much can be said about even its smallest components, that it seems to defy description by language or abstract concepts. It was a source of great stress for the neo-Kantians that the humanities, including what we would now call the social sciences, have to zoom in on specific (temporal, local) aspects of reality, while reality failed to provide any clues as to how to do this in a non-arbitrary way. What does success in these sciences even mean? Weber, I believe, solved that problem for them. He did it by biting the Kantian bullet and swallowing unflinchingly. All knowledge is conceptual; very well then, let us talk about concepts. Individualism is a concept; imperialism is a concept; feudalism is a concept. So lets define, precisely, what we mean by each of those concepts. To Weber, this doesnt mean listing some essential properties so that we can check boxes later; no, it means mapping out the whole thing. Feudalism in its purest form, what does that look like, in our minds? How does it work? What does it do? Whatever we define that to be, that is now the ideal type of feudalism. What are its implications? What other things would we expect to see in a world that is thoroughly feudal? But we will never see this pure feudalism in reality. Indeed we wont. What did you expect? Its a concept; concepts dont mirror reality, they select or highlight or transform aspects of it. That was the whole point, wasnt it? Thats how our concepts help us more-or-less dimly understand whats going on: by being at the same time clear and distinct to our minds, and vaguely discernible in reality. Everything in this infinitely complex, ever-changing, Heraclitean river we live in might, temporarily, more or less, resemble some ideal type. If we understand the ideal type well, those resemblances are informative. Thats it, no more. This has a Platonic, idealistic ring to it. The Copernican turn, though, is that these concepts, these ideal types, are subjective only; they are not the real thing. Reality doesnt contain Protestantism or Capitalism, so defining these ideal types cannot be the end-goal. To the extent that they are not arbitrary, it is because they reflect what interests us; they inherit something of our perspective on the world, our values. And only subjects assign value. Weber never loses sight of the principle that science can, at its best, tell us what the world is like; it can never tell us what it ought to be like. There is a certain heroism, more than a little Nietzschean machismo, to Webers views on science, as well as on ethics and politics. Both facing reality and meaningfully acting in it require acts of asceticism; of self-effacement. The effort not to let your judgment of the facts be clouded by wishful thinking is only one way in which this requirement manifests itself. Both science and politics are a vocation, a calling to serve a higher god than yourself. But, in politics, that vocation is thoroughly polytheistic; which god or gods you serve, that is up to you alone you, as a responsible subject in an immensely complex, terrifyingly enchanted or suffocatingly rationalized world. Partly because of his rigid adherence to this is/ought-distinction, and the way in which it informed his views on ideal-typical science and ideal-typical politics, Weber has come to be regarded as a quintessentially modern thinker: a strong believer in scientific objectivity, individual responsibility, and the uniqueness of Western civilization. And indeed, a summary of his thought quickly tends to boil down to that. But that abstraction tells us too little about the real thinker. The real Weber was immensely more complicated than that. Weber-biographer Joachim Radkau, writing about later attempts to enlist Weber to one side of two cultures-controversies, complains (translation inadequate, German below): Weber has often been cut in half, or quartered. This may bring short-term tactical gains, but it hasnt been good for the reception of Webers liveliness. In dismembering him, what is genuinely fascinating about him gets lost. This lies not in ideal types or value-free science, but in his style of thinking: his skillful jumps over the borders of disciplines and over the gap between theory and colorful reality, his own life experience and alien worlds, rationalization and the discovery of irrational passions []. (835) If we agree with Radkau, that it is Webers style of thinking rather than his terminological and methodological inventions and historical theses that merit our fascination, then his death was an irreplaceable loss. Into one side of Webers tombstone, his widow Marianne had written Alles Vergangliche ist nur ein Gleichnis Everything transient is just a likeness, from Goethes Faust. As if commenting on the idealistic metaphysics suggested by this quotation, she added Wir finden nimmer seinesgleichen We will never see one like him again. Marianne abruptly ended her biography of her husband at the very moment of his departure, providing only one comment on its meaning when she wrote: he has been carried off into unreachable distant places (unerreichbare Ferne). The world has changed. (712) She may have intended this to drive home the point that her husband was an epoch-defining genius; but these words can also be read as a comment on our different relations to the living and the deceased. Living, Weber could direct and exercise his characteristic mental agility; dead, he immediately becomes an object of interpretation, our access to which is mediated by words and concepts, by the (unfinished) books and theses he left behind, and simultaneously fixed and blurred by them. Webers death changed the world the way the death of any individual changes the world; by transforming him from something real and complex into an abstraction. Neither the InterCity Express nor a proper pilgrimage on foot will overcome the distance to those unerreichbare Ferne where the thing-(or-person-)itself resides. When I traveled to Webers tombstone, everything I knew and respected about his thought should have prepared me for a sobering experience. That it was not completely so, was because of Mariannes well-chosen epitaphs, and because I found, to my delight, that I wasnt the only person who had visited the place recently: I found a small bouquet of fresh flowers on the grass in front of the monument. Although I cant be sure to which of the Webers they were dedicated, I like to think that this persons motivations have had something in common with mine maybe even enough to resemble the same ideal type. References and original quotation Joachim Radkau, Max Weber: Die Leidenschaft des Denkens (Carl Hanser: Munchen 2005). Marianne Weber, Max Weber: Ein Lebensbild (J.C.B. Mohr: Tubingen 1926) Der in den Streit der Fakultaten hineingezogene Weber ist dabei oft halbiert, ja gevierteilt worden. Dies mochte einen kurzfristigen taktischen Nutzen bringen, ist dem Fortwirken der Weberschen Lebendigkeit jedoch nicht gut bekommen. Bei der Zerstuckelung geht das wahrhaft Faszinierende an Weber verloren, das weder im Idealtypus noch in der Wertfreiheit besteht, sondern in seinem Denkstil, seinem gekonnten Hin- und Herspringen uber die Grenzen der Spezialdisziplinen und uber die Kluft zwischen Theorie und farbiger Wirklichkeit, eigener Lebenserfahrung und fremden Welten, Rationalisierung und Entdeckung irrationaler Leidenschaften by Thomas ODwyer The enigma of the castaway existed long before Robinson Crusoe was published 300 years ago in April 1719, but nothing had ever enthralled the growing reading public of his time like Daniel Defoes now classic novel. And, thanks to Defoe, the curse of the desert-island cartoon remains with us a circular sandbank, a palm tree, a ragged castaway. All thats required is for a New Yorker magazine funnyman to append an enigmatic or incomprehensible caption. The castaways too sometimes called Robinsonades but dont encourage it are still with us. Tom Hanks communes with a volleyball in a film named, yes, Cast Away, and Matt Damon goes one-up on him in The Martian by claiming to be the first person to be alone on an entire planet. New movie variants on the theme have been released almost every year since the 1954 Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Luis Bunuels first colour film. So who reads the original Robinson Crusoe today? This book has been called the first English novel, or imperialist propaganda, or a textbook of capitalism. Since the nineteenth century, it has been a childrens book more specifically, a boys adventure book, sitting on the same shelf as Treasure Island. A cursory search of Amazons statistics yields a surprise. Among many editions still on sale, the novel ranks number 358 in the Classic Action & Adventure genre, number 615 in Childrens Classics, and number 202 in the Kindle stores Fiction Classics. Those are impressive rankings for an archaic seafaring tale that was first published 103 years after the death of William Shakespeare. In academia, Robinson Crusoe has long been part of the debate on the origins of the first English novel. Of course, in Western literature, Don Quixote is the outstanding claimant, but Crusoe did set up the English narrative structure that authors have riffed on ever since. When Crusoes ink supply runs out on the island, the author noticeably transitions from writing a journal to crafting a novel. John Bunyans Pilgrims Progress was published forty years before Crusoe and was probably the last fictional, albeit devotional, work approved of by the various churches. After Crusoe came the deluge Moll Flanders, Fanny Hill, Tom Jones, Vanity Fair, and hundreds more. To hell with devotion. The novels teem with flawed and moral castaways who must find salvation within themselves, if ever. Crusoe is at least the first realistic novel. No one can dispute its importance in the history of world literature or its durability in the popular cultural imagination. It is still surprisingly readable, with a captivating rhythm that is most apparent in some of the audio recordings that are now available. It is a story with a complex and compelling plot, high drama and an emotional impact. It introduced many techniques of novelistic realism journal entries, descriptions of scenery, quotidian details and believable narratives of its characters thinking. Before Defoe, the thoughts of such ordinary people as a sailor and a native American tribesman would not have been deemed worthy subjects for literature. Of course, there are the jarring elements of the world three hundred years ago that a modern reader must glide past. There is slave trading, cannibalism, the invisibility of half the worlds population. (Of his life after his rescue from the island, Crusoe tells us that he married a woman. We know his parrots name was Poll, but his wife didnt merit a name, much less a description). So the book is rife with the assumptions of its time and slavery is fine so long as you convert the savages to Christianity. As the plot and his battles against adversity carry us along, it is easy to miss that fact that this Crusoe, whose name has been known around the world for 300 years, is a pretty dull fellow. Adventure seems to be his aim, but mediocrity and the accumulation of stuff is his practice. He refers again and again to his fathers Goldilocks philosophy of life, which he admires. My Father bid me observe it, and I should always find that the calamities of life were shared among the upper and lower classes of mankind; but that the middle station had the fewest disasters, and was not exposed to so many vicissitudes as the higher or lower part of mankind. Daniel Defoe was nearly 60 when the novel was published and even he was amazed by its success. Four English editions rolled off the presses and translations into French German, Dutch and Russian followed. The full title of the first edition probably qualifies as flash fiction a story in itself: The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Of York, Mariner: Who lived Eight and Twenty Years, all alone in an Uninhabited Island on the Coast of America, near the Mouth of the Great River of Oroonoque; Having been cast on Shore by Shipwreck, wherein all the Men perished but himself. With An Account how he was at last as strangely deliverd by Pyrates. Written by Himself. At the heart of the novel is an intersection of three associated characters Alexander Selkirk, Defoe and Crusoe. In a time of booming sea traffic and multiple shipwrecks, there were plenty of real-life castaway stories Defoe could have drawn on. The most likely was the experience of the Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk, who spent four years on an uninhabited island in the Juan Fernandez atoll, off Chile. He asked to be put ashore there, after refusing to continue a voyage on a leaky ship. (The ship later sank). Selkirk, the son of a tanner, was unpleasant and quarrelsome from a young age. He eventually went to sea on a pirate ship that preyed on merchant vessels of Englands enemy Spain. Unlike Crusoes island, Selkirks was reasonably abundant and he survived at a basic level of existence, making no great effort to improve his situation. An English vessel rescued Selkirk in 1709 and, in 1712, members of the expedition which rescued him published his adventures in A Voyage to the South Sea and Round the World and A Cruising Voyage Around the World. His experience mellowed him and the captain who rescued him wrote: One may see in him that solitude and retirement from the world is not such an insufferable state of life as most men imagine. The calm didnt last. Back in England, Selkirk was charged with assaulting a shipworker and was jailed for two years. He returned to a pirate ship and died of yellow fever off the west coast of Africa in 1721. He was buried at sea. In 1966, Chile renamed the Juan Fernandez island as Robinson Crusoe Island somewhat confusing, since it was Selkirk who was marooned there. The fictional Crusoe was shipwrecked on an unnamed Caribbean island north of Venezuela. The author Daniel Foe was the son of a London candle-maker. He was a lifelong hack, a hopeless entrepreneur, and a bankrupt. His failed schemes included selling marine insurance (during a war), breeding civet cats, collecting taxes on glass bottles and making tiles and bricks. He changed his name to Defoe to imply a higher social status. Mercantilism was the rising economic force in his time, generating a new spirit of capitalist individualism which is clearly reflected in his and Crusoes characters. Defoe produced more than 600 journals, pamphlets and books under many pen names, and for years published The Review, a weekly journal. Robinson Crusoe was his outstanding success, and he capitalised on it with two follow-ups in 1719, The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, and in 1720, Serious Reflections During the Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. He also had some success with two picaresque novels, Moll Flanders and Roxana, but he accumulated massive debts all his life and was often imprisoned for it before his death in 1731. Filtered through Defoe, there is a crucial difference between the real and fictional castaways. Selkirk was a buccaneer, ruthlessly looting and raiding coastal settlements. The economic philosophy of the Crusoe book is the opposite. Pirates raid, loot, rape and frequently drink themselves to death on their takings. Not Robinson hes your capitalist imperialist; his world, even in miniature, is one of trade, exploitation and profit. Hes the master of his own domain and Friday, the only other human he meets on the island, is told to call him Master. Now, what on earth has this fiction about a dull merchant stuck on an island got to do with 2019? In one of the masses of scribblings marking the books anniversary, The Guardians Charles Boyle wrote an article titled Robinson Crusoe at 300: Why its time to let go of this colonial fairytale. He wrote: Defoes book has inspired novels, Hollywood movies and games but the shipwrecked slave-trader should never have become a role model. But for whom is he a role model? Could it be the white male imperialist capitalist who demeans women and thinks people of colour are savages? Aha! Yes, lets ditch that one. And yet, a digitized Robinson Crusoe is now wafting through the cloud. A Google search for the word Crusoe returns 18 million hits covering every imaginable topic far beyond books and movies. Now it is most often listed as a childrens book. (Even in the nineteen century, women authors started to write stories of girl Crusoes for the sisters of the little imperialists). Over the years, almost any person of opinion has had something to say about the book and the academic papers would fill a warehouse. Virginia Woolf said Robinson Crusoe was so ubiquitous that it was one of the anonymous productions of the race rather than the effort of a single mind. The American comic writer Will Cuppy mocked Crusoes supposed survival skills: Most people, it seems, think that Robinson Crusoe when he landed on his island had nothing to keep him from starvation or anything else. As a matter of fact, he had twelve raft loads of supplies that he took off the wrecked ship. He had as much food and furniture as if he had had a delicatessen store and Fifth Avenue outside his hut. Ah yes, sneered Carlos Fuentes, Robinson Crusoe! The first capitalist hero, a self-made man who accepts objective reality and then fashions it to his needs through the work ethic, common sense, resilience, technology, and, if need be, racism and imperialism. Jean-Jacques Rousseau differed: There exists one book, which, to my taste, furnishes the happiest treatise of natural education. What then is this marvelous book? Is it Aristotle? Is it Pliny, is it Buffon? No. It is Robinson Crusoe. Perhaps the desert-island cartoonists will be the first to let us know when Crusoes days are finally done, as The Guardian columnist suggested they should be. After all, they quietly killed off the white explorers stewing in cannibal cauldrons in Africa, and we havent seen ragged figures crawling towards a desert mirage for some time. Now that we have satellite maps and GPS, have we not squeezed this castaway meme dry? William Shawn, who edited The New Yorker from 1952 to 1987, once banned desert-island cartoons. But they are still here and everywhere, now incorporating useless email messages in bottles (You have no new mail), surveillance cameras on the palm tree, and even bemoaning the lack of Wifi. Bob Mankoff, who retired as The New Yorker cartoon editor in 2017, told Vanity Fair in an interview some years ago that the desert-island cartoon definitely came out of desert-island literature namely, Robinson Crusoe. Its the classic thing of tragedy plus time equals comedy, Mankoff said. In the 17th and 18th centuries, shipwrecks were common and people actually were stranded on desert islands. Originally the desert island in cartoons was quite large, and the ship is sinking in the background, so there was a narrative. You understood how they got on the island. Later, the island shrank to an icon, the tiny island with a single palm tree But the genre keeps morphing, if you will, to change with the times. Mankoff said the original cartoons portrayed isolation from the restrictions of society, especially the moral strictures of the time. If a man and a woman were on the island in the 30s or 40s, the cartoon probably has sexual content. The woman might be asking the man, How can I be sure youre a millionaire? Of course hes a millionaire; hes the final culmination of Crusoe capitalism. by Carol A Westbrook Medicare for All is a battle cry for the upcoming national elections, as voters health care costs continue to skyrocket. Universal Medicare, they believe, will provide free health care, improve access to the best doctors, and lower the cost of prescription drugs. Is it a dream, or is it a nightmare? I am 100% in favor of universal health care, but believe me, it aint gonna be free. True, Im not an economistIm a doctorbut I can do the math. Ive had years of experience, both practicing under Medicares system and as a Medicare patient, and I understand something about health care costs. Few voters under age 65 understand what Medicare provides, and even fewer have a grasp on what it will cost the governmentand ultimately the taxpayerto extend it to all. What Medicare provides for free is Medicare A insurance, which covers inpatient hospital, costs. To cover outpatient and emergency room visits, the senior must purchase Part B, which covers 80% of these charges. Medicare B costs $135/month plus a sliding scale based on income. Prescription drug coverage requires purchasing Medicare D from a private company. (Medicare C is alternative private insurance). Medicare A, B and D premiums are all deducted from the monthly Social Security check. Additionally, a senior may purchase a Medicare Supplement from a private insurance company, which covers the un-reimbursed Part A, and B costs. Confusing? Here are two examples. The first example is a senior whose only income is Social Security and a small pension. Medicare A & B insurance could be had for $135/month ($1,620/year), providing bare bones coverage for hospital and outpatient. Hed have to pay his 20% co-pays, and rely on generic prescription drugs. His medical costs would be low unless he contracted a serious chronic disease, required expensive medications, or had a long hospitalizationthese charges would be catastrophic. Its a risky business to go only with minimal coverage, but about of half of Medicare recipients live like this. The second example is a retired professional, age 69, living comfortably on retirement savings and consulting income. The monthly, income-adjusted costs for Medicare A, B, and prescription drug coverage D, come to $475, or $5700 per year, which is $11, 400 for a family of two. To this add private supplemental insurance and dental, bringing this to $8136/year or $16,272 for the couple. This is comparable to what an average non-senior family of four pays yearly for health insurance. The retiree in example two has excellent coverage, with few co-pays and good prescription drug options. Shes driving the Cadillac of Medicare; the poor fellow in the first example is driving an old Chevy, hoping it doesnt break down! If it does break down, he has the option to increase his coverage, but he has to wait until open enrollment in November. The value of Medicare goes beyond the fiscal, though. It gives all seniors the reassurance that they have health care. They can go to (almost) any doctor or hospital, or walk into any emergency room, knowing that they can get care if, and when, they need it. It means anyone over 65 will be able to get affordable health insurance after they retire, regardless of pre-existing conditions. It reassures children that their ailing parents will have access to medical care. It is truly security social security. Sounds too good to be true! Why dont we give Medicare to all, by starting Medicare at birth instead of age 65? That would be a great idea, except for a minor detail: money. Last year, Medicare spent about $585 million to provide healthcare to its 44 million enrollees, about $13,250 per person. Thats quite a bargain, especially considering that seniors have the highest health care expenses of any age group. But as the graph below shows, only a small fraction came from the recipients premiums; most comes from US general funds (tax revenue) and Medicare payroll taxes, all of which are paid primarily by younger wage earners. If you were to divide this pool of dollars among the 350 million people that comprise the US population, it would only provide $1,650 per person barely enough to pay for a years supply of band aids and Tylenol! That is because health care spending in the US is about $10,000 per person, which is double what most first-world countries spend. Thats correct; the US spends about $3.4 trillion per year on health care, which is close to the $3.7 trillion that the Federal Government collects on income taxes the entire Federal budget! If we provided free insuranceMedicare for all these funds would come from taxes. How much tax? If you were to distribute the health care budget among 138.5 million taxpayers in the US, it comes to a whopping $24,550 per person in extra taxes each year! I have no idea where to get these extra fundsas I said earlier, Im a doctor, not an economistbut its clear that Medicare for all will be an expensive proposition for tax-paying Americans, however much it might lower out-of-pocket health costs. But supposing we could lower the cost of health care to be comparable to what an average European country spends$5,000 per person. If so it might just be possible to use federal dollars to support Medicare for all. So thats it problem solved. Increase taxes modestly and cut the cost of health care by half. Where do we make these cuts? First, lets understand why we pay so much for health care compared to European countries. Basic costs include the salaries of the doctors, nurses and receptionists, as well as the operating costs of the facilitymortgage, carpets, maintenance, heating and air conditioning, parking lots, and so on. These costs should be about the same for all. But the American system has added so much more: Salaries are needed for non-medical staff, like billing specialists, accountants, administrators, greeters, patient hosts, and others that would make your clinic visit easier to bill, and possibly pleasanter. Operating expenses also include executives salaries, malpractice insurance, and advertising. Collections above this amount this might go into profits, which a non-profit organization like a hospital would have to apply to charity care and capital expenses, like expansion and newer equipment, nice chairs and chandeliers in the lobby. And of course, our health care dollars pay for profits reaped by pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies. Decades of unrestricted health care payments have allowed these non-essential services to expand and take up more health care dollars than go into actual patient care. Cutting costs should be straightforward because Medicare sets the price of what it will pay based on a published set of standard fees for the service. If the facility accepts any Medicare patients it has to accept Medicares payments, and cannot charge anything extra. Because it is not practical for a clinic to exclude all patients over 65, Medicare is accepted, and the clinic finds another way to cover their inflated costs. This is done by increasing the costs to non-Medicare customers. Here is a true example of how this dual-price system works. After my recent clinic visit, a bill for $1,408.00 was sent to Medicare. Medicares amount for this service was $249; they paid 80% of the $249, while the remaining 20% ($49.31) was my 20%, paid by my supplemental insurance. The clinic collected $249 and I paid nothing. If I were a younger person with health insurance Id pay a lower, negotiated amount, perhaps $600. If I had no medical insurance Id be liable for the entire $1408! It is hard to imagine that a single clinic visit costs as much as round-trip airfare to London, where I could get the same care for a fraction of the cost. What did it really cost to pay for my clinic visit? Its impossible to determine, though many economists have tried. But under our current health care system, the cost is considerably more than Medicare paid. And if every doctor, clinic, hospital, emergency room and health care facility suddenly had to rely only on what Medicare reimbursed, the results could be disastrous. Picture what it would be like if. First of all, many clinics would go bankrupt and have to close. Whole communities would find they had no local clinics, and emergency care would be miles away. Waiting times for admissions would be high. Hospitals would be dangerously overcrowded and understaffed, leading to more errors and complications. The remaining facilities would be shabby, poorly maintained, with outdated equipment and inadequate staffing. Patient satisfaction scores would go downbut then, few facilities could afford to fund these surveys so there would be no patient feedback. Millions of jobs would be lost, because one in eight Americans is employed in the health care sector. And residency positions for physicians-in-training would disappear, because Medicare earmarks funds for these jobs. Without these subsidies there would be no future generations of physicians, and we would have to rely on foreign-trained, poorly-licensed doctorsif they even wanted to practice in these shabby facilities. STREET lamps in Grand Turk and Salt Cay are finally going to be repaired after they were damaged in the 2017 hurricanes. The replacement arms have arrived in Providenciales and will be on their way to the outer islands soon. The Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing, Planning and Development and the Public Works Department issued an update on Tuesday (May 7). It apologised for the long delay which is said was down mainly to "circumstances beyond our control. The ministry thanked members of both communities for their continued patience and understanding throughout the process. Once the arms are cleared through the Customs Department, they along with the lights will be turned over to FortisTCI. "so that the replacement process can continue, as a result of the damages sustained following the passage of hurricanes Irma and Maria. It's a big week for major events. Gear up for annual doozies such as Bay to Breakers and Maker Faire, as well as graduation art and fashion shows for SFAI and CCA. Plus, eat your hearts out at Presidio Twilight and various special dinners, and learn some moves from the cast of Hamilton. Have a good one! Monday, May 13th See on Instagram Gus's comes to SoMa. 7am to 10pm Gus's, 1101 4th St. (Mission Bay), gussmarket.com Fans of the family-owned Gus's Community Market now have a fourth location, opening today in the Mission Bay, for shopping locally sourced groceries and goodies. Eat dinnerand maybe go to Paris. Dinners in May The Saratoga, 1000 Larkin St. (TenderNob), thesaratogasf.com Book a table at the Saratoga, order the housemade Cracker Jack, and look for the golden ticket: This month, the restaurant is offering up prizes including cocktail coins, bottles of specialty booze, dinner for four, and one grand prizeroundtrip airfare for deux to Paris. Feeling lucky? Dance Like Hamilton 7:30pm to 9pm Alonzo King Lines Ballet, 26 Seventh St. (SoMa), linesballet.org For the bargain price of $25, you can learn some serious moves a la the Broadway hit Hamilton at this repertory master class with actual cast members from the SHN show. // Tickets are available at linesballet.org. CCA's Fashion Experience 7:30pm to 10pm Minnesota Street Project, 1275 Minnesota St. (Dogpatch) Grab a seat for a presentation of original looks created by California College of the Arts' graduating fashion designers. // Event is free to attend; register on eventbrite.com. Tuesday, May 14th Image courtesy of Kathleen Sheffer Photography Veuve Clicquot's Yelloweek Through May 17 Various venues in SF, veuveclicquot.tumblr.com/seasons Lovers of the popular French Champagne brand are queuing up for a week of sparkling events, including today's bubbly seafood lunch at Waterbar (11:30am to 5:30pm, 399 The Embarcadero) and happy hour at Hotel Vitale (4-7pm, 8 Mission St.). Later this week, dip into caviar at the new DecantSF, swing by a dance party at Harlot, and catch live music at the Tonga Room. See the complete schedule of events online. KQED's Check, Please! Taste & Sip SF Design Center Galleria, 101 Henry Adams (Potrero) TV personality Leslie Sbrocco hosts tonight's gala tasting of more than 50 Bay Area culinary makers from the likes of Lers Ros, Bar Crudo, and Plaj, alongside wines from Charles Krug, Berryessa, Long Meadow Ranch, and several more. The Nomad Band will be playing live jazz, and VIP ticket holders are invited to arrive early for caviar. // Tickets ($85-$135) are available at eventbrite.com. The Music of Prince 8pm The Masonic, 1111 California St. (Nob Hill) Relive the late artist's most moving and memorable hits in symphonic form tonight. // Tickets ($50-$160) are available at concerts1.livenation.com. Wednesday, May 15th See on Instagram A Mindful Supper 5:30pm Scoma's Restaurant, 1965 Al Scoma Way (Embarcadero), scomas.com Spend the evening at this classic SF restaurant where they're offering a special, five-course dinner spotlighting ingredients from Bay Area farmers and artisansthink Mariquita Farm, Recchiuti Chocolates, Rossotti Ranch, The Sea Forager, Sonoma Poultry, and Wine Forest Mushrooms. Bonus points for the live band. // Tickets ($150) are available on scomas.com. Book Club Dinner 6pm Flora Restaurant & Bar, 1900 Telegraph Avenue, (Oakland), floraoakland.com Bring your copy of The Portable Dorothy Parker (a witty read if ever there was one) to Oakland's Flora a boozy book club that starts with cocktails and includes a four-course meal themed around the bookdishes will include popovers with celery and ham; gem salad; sirloin steak, and a chocolate-y dessert. The exec chef will lead the evening's chatter; look out for more book club dinners planned through September. // Tickets ($55) can be purchased by calling (510) 286-0100 or in person; for more details, go to floraoakland.com. Thursday, May 16th See on Instagram Let there be pastries. One65, 165 O'Farrell St. (Union Square), one65sf.com You may have heard a little something about the epic culinary project coming to downtown called One65. The six-story foodie destination, led by a James Beardaward winning chef, will eventually include an upscale restaurant, lounge, and a bar. Until then, One65 Patisserie is now open on the first floor; stop in for French pastries and coffee for an ooh-la-la start to the day. Free Ice Cream! 5pm until sold out Humphry Slocombe, 2948 College Ave. (Berkeley), humphryslocombe.com There's just one thing we love more than ice cream, and that's free ice cream. Stop by Humphry Slocombe's Berkeley location today for complimentary scoops of their Brown Butter with organic OCHO peanut butter candy bars, plus get a free OCHO mini candy. Sweet and salty never tasted so good. Presidio Twilight returns (with a glow). 5pm to 9pm, Thursdays through June 27 Main Parade Ground, Sheridan Ave (Presidio), presidio.gov Longer days mean more time for eating. Hit up Presidio Picnic's evening sister event, Presidio Twilight, where the usual food trucks are teamed with live DJ beats, cozy fire pits, a full bar, and new glowing lawn domes. Your weekday date nights just got a little more fun. // Free to attend; check out the food lineup on offthegrid.com. ***UPDATE: Due to inclement weather, Presidio Twilight has been postponed until Thursday, May 23.*** Max 2019: A Space Festival Through May 18th Various venues in SF Dive deep into the mysteries of outer space at this three-day event across various local museums and performance venues. Special programming with events will include augmented reality storytelling, an extraterrestrial drag show, a celestial fashion presentation, a robot pas de deux, and more. // Festival-wide passes ($99) can be purchased at mediaartexploration.org . Friday, May 17th See on Instagram Maker Faire Bay Area 1pm to 5pm, Friday; 10am to 7pm, Saturday; 10am to 6pm, Sunday San Mateo County Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Drive (San Mateo) Head south for the annual three-day Maker Faire, a festival for creative types and tinkerers who dig things like robotics, cosplay, kinetic art, tools, and crafts. Check out the list of drop-in workshops. // Tickets ($25 and up) can be found on Eventbrite; get more event details at makerfaire.com/bay-area. Rare Wines Dinner 7pm to 10pm Ram's Gate Winery, 28700 Arnold Dr. (Sonoma), ramsgatewinery.com Kick off the weekend at Sonoma's Ram's Gate where 30 top wineries will be pouring new and very limited-production wines teamed with a masterful dinner prepared with locally sourced ingredients by Taylr Behnam, the property's executive chef. // Tickets ($250/person) are available at tickets.sonomavalleywine.com; for more info, go to sonomavalleywine.com. SFAI's MFA Exhibition Opening 7pm to 9pm SFAI Fort Mason Campus, 2 Marina Boulevard, Pier 2 (Marina), sfai.edu See what the talented students at SFAI have been up to this year as more than 50 MFA graduates show their work in this annual exhibition of contemporary installations, paintings, sound works, videos, sculptures, photography galleries, and performances. // Free to attend, RSVP via Eventbrite. Visions Festival 5:30pm Friday until 3pm Sunday Kelly Cullen Community, 220 Golden Gate Avenue (Tenderloin), abdproductions.org This three-day festival offers a glimpse at Tenderloin life. Tonight's opening reception kicks off a series of performances, art exhibits, talks, a parade, and a free community dinner hosted by Imperfect Produce with support from Glide's Daily Free Meals program. All programming is put together by the Skywatchers Ensemble, a group of artists who are also residents of the Tenderloin. // Free to attend performances, register via Eventbrite. Saturday, May 18th See on Instagram Blue Bottle Dripper Brew Class 12pm Blue Bottle Coffee, 115 Sansome St. (FiDi), bluebottlecoffee.com Love yourself a good cuppa joe? Cruise over to Blue Bottle's downtown location for a special hands-on session with one of their baristas who will teach you the fine art of making a good pour over. Your class and ticket comes with a bag of coffee beans to practice what you've learned. // Tickets ($20) can be found on Eventbrite. Afternoon Winemaker Series 2pm to 5pm Verjus, 528 Washington St. (North Beach), verjuscave.com Pop by the wine bar from the Quince and Cotogna team for afternoon pours from Dani Rozman of La Onda. The three to four glass flight tasting takes place in the cave, so you know it'll be fun. // Wine flights are $15; keep up with event info on verjuscave.com/events. Day Dance on Treasure Island 1pm to 9pm The Lawn on Treasure Island, 699 Ave of the Palms (Treasure Island) Get down at Hacienda, a new daytime dance party on Treasure Island featuring music by Hot Since 82, Doc Martin, and Thugfucker. There will also be a silent disco with six DJs bringing the jams. Bars, food, art, and a chill lounge will also be part of the day. // Tickets ($35 and up) are available at Eventbrite. Che Fico, Che Fico, Che Fico. If you've haven't heard about San Francisco's hottest restaurant (and its celebrity following), then you've been living beneath a rock and it's time to dig out of your hole and get some sustenance. You could queue up at the Divisadero Street resto before it opens at 5:30pm if you hope to snag a table without a reservation. Or, you could swing into the just-opened Che Fico Alimentari downstairs where, even if there's not a table at the ready, you could grab some handmade pasta, salumi, and Sicilian wine to go. The shelves at Che Fico Alimentari are stocked with Italian grocery staples including dry pastas, wine, olive oil, and other goods. (Sarah Chorey) If you've visited this address in recent history then you remember Theoritathe Che Fico team's modish, bright green diner starring burgers and pies; but with a step inside the newly sexed up Roman-style wine bar, you might wonder why they didn't go this route this before. DLC-ID's Jon de la Cruz was once again tapped to manage the design, infusing this new Italian-style grocery-slash-eatery with warmthin the form of velvet seating roughly the same hue as soppressata, rich wood floors and furnishings, and green plantsand humor (try not to lick the meat-patterned wallpaper). "In terms of the space, we really wanted to lean on the natural intimacy of it, the cave-like feel," says chef/partner David Nayfeld. "We felt it was very important to keep the feel that you're in a bit of a hideaway." For sure we could hide out in here for hours ordering up plate after plate of so many tasty snacks, because unlike the more formal restaurant upstairs, Che Fico Alimentari channels Italian wine bar vibes with a focus on a variety of meats, cheeses, breads, marinated antipasti, and a few pasta dishes all designed for grazing...and to pair well with vinothere are more than 200 wines here, largely from Piedmont, Tuscany, and Sicily, curated by wine director Francesca Maniace. It's how Nayfeld and chef de cuisine Evan Allumbaugh enjoyed eating during their travels in Italy. And if you've been upstairs, you know the salumi is the real deal; Alimentari capitalizes on the crave-worthiness. "By the nature of Che Fico's menu, we weren't tapping into the full potential of our salumeria upstairs, so it made perfect sense for us to showcase it this way," he says. Be sure to take some to go, and pocket a chunk of cheese while you're at it. The shelves are lined with all the makings of an artful Italian picnicincluding baker/partner Angela Pinkerton's fresh breads, olive oils, dry pastas, and more. (Sarah Chorey) Dimly lit, romantic vibes reign in the redesigned space, now channeling a Roman wine bar with plush banquettes, red walls, rich wood, and brassy accents. // Che Fico Alimentari, 834 Divisadero St. (NoPa), cheficoalimentari.com En espanol | When most people think of yoga, they think of wellness and relaxation, not fitness. While yoga involves plenty of gentle stretching, deep breathing and meditation (which have been shown to do everything from alleviating stress to lessening chronic pain), its also an effective total body workout for people of all ages and fitness levels. A series of movements or asanas that began in India more than 5,000 years ago, yoga derived from the Sanskrit word yuji, meaning yoke or union of mind and body is a low-impact workout that gets results. Getty Images A New Jersey man who defrauded Medicare by using the promise of ice cream to lure older adults into genetic testing has been sentenced to more than four years in prison. Seth Rehfuss had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. U.S. District Judge Anne Thompson also ordered Rehfuss to pay restitution of about $435,000 and forfeit more than $66,000. Prosecutors alleged the 44-year-old Somerset resident and others used a nonprofit, the Good Samaritans of America, to gain access to older adult housing complexes where they would persuade residents to submit to genetic tests. Rehfuss would advertise he was serving free ice cream to lure residents to the presentations, according to a criminal complaint. The residents were told the tests would help them guard against heart attacks, cancer and other illnesses. Rehfuss and his fellow conspirators paid health care providers to authorize the tests even though the providers hadn't examined the patients. Prosecutors alleged they found the providers by placing ads on Craigslist. The group allegedly defrauded Medicare out of $430,000 and made more than $100,000 in commissions from laboratories. Sheila Kahl, 47, of Ocean County, N.J., and Kenneth Johnson, 39, of Lorton, Va., also have pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced this month. According to the U.S. attorney's office, the group had planned to expand the scheme to other states. By Olivia Rose THE BRAND new state-of-the-art Post Office in Downtown Providenciales is officially open for business. The strikingly impressive facility was declared open at a well-attended ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday (May 7). The modern structure cost $1.5 million and is being hailed as a major step forward by the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) Government. Members hope it will breathe new life into the island by transforming the Downtown area into a central hub for business and government activity. The new building sits on the site of the old Post Office which was in dire need of upgrades. For years postal workers bemoaned the lack of proper facilities at the dangerously dilapidated property. Delivering brief remarks at the auspicious ceremony, Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson thanked Post Office staff for their dedication, commitment and vision for a better working environment. She said: "I believe we visited the Post Office the most while we were in the Opposition and certainly when we came to Government...because we were really apologetic for the working conditions that the Post Office staff were working under over the last years. "So when we came to office, Liz of course continued to roll out her vision - this is really the vision of the staff of the Post Office. "It was certainly no argument on the part from our minister when he came to us that the Post Office an important part of tradition, an important service delivery to the people of Turks and Caicos. Cartwright Robinson expressed her satisfaction with the project and the progress of other structures being established by her administration. "This is the second project that weve laid blocks for. We agreed that as a Government we will not be doing ground breaking we were tired of that. "So we decided that when youre ready to build and youre laying blocks thats when we will come in. "We are here in bright colours because this is the first building that were opening and were grateful for the opportunity, she added. The premier received gifts from Hon. Vaden Williams and the Ministry of Home Affairs. She was given two commemorative pins; one of the first Chief Minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Right Honourable JAGS McCartney and the other of herself, making history as the first female Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Post Office officials thanked the premier and the Office of the Premier for the contributions and assistance in the completion of the building. The premier was subsequently honoured with a plaque that reads: "The opening of the George Brown Post Office building. "Opened by: Honourable Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, Premier, and Honourable Vaden Delroy Williams, Minister of Home Affairs, Transportation and Communication, 7th May 2019. New name The Post Office was named in honour of George Brown, one of the first district commissioners for Providenciales and the first recorded post master in the TCI. Brown who also served as preacher at the Methodist Church was also the district constable for Blue Hills. Brown, a passionate son of the soil, registered births and deaths, was the foreman for government works and the paymaster; he was also the custodian of several government properties, and chairman of the District Board. Several members of the Brown family attended the ceremony on the late post masters behalf and were gifted with special tokens by outgoing Minister of Home Affairs and Transportation, Hon. Delroy Williams, in memory and appreciation of his contribution to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Browns only surviving son, Charles Brown was the guest of honour of the ceremony and was invited to help cut the ribbon to the main entrance of the building as a symbolic gesture to officially open the facility. Brown also received a very sentimental photograph of his fathers old home in Blue Hills which doubled as a Post Office before the Islands were developed. Last June, at the block laying ceremony, Williams said the new Post Office would be regarded as a culturally historical site. He stressed the importance of Government maximising the benefits of a Post Office on Providenciales. "We should be in a position to capitalise on the lucrative and rapidly growing e-commerce industry. "If other large developed countries have not abandoned Post Offices, why should we? "It is also very important to know that although many private delivery services are operating in the Turks and Caicos, there is still a very strong demand for Post Office boxes and the postal services in this country. "We have seen this from the activity at the temporary location in the Town Centre Mall and the boxes in Grace Bay. "We cannot run away from technology. We must embrace it, Williams said. He said the Government is committed to offering quality customer service and ensuring that the Post Office remains relevant, reliable and competitive. The new Post Office was designed to be fully computerised and replete with a sorting room with mail sorting facilities, credit card machine service, a stamp shop, and up to 3,500 more mail boxes. There are also plans for a stamp machine which will make postal services accessible after working hours. Construction work on the new building commenced in June 2018 and was contracted to JamalCo. Several Government officials attended the event on Tuesday including Deputy Governor Anya Williams, MP for Cheshire Hall, Hon. Doug Parnell, Education Minister Hon. Karen Malcolm and others. 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. A group of U.S. lawmakers and tribal leaders has called attention to a government watchdog report that says federal agencies need to improve their consultation process with tribes on major infrastructure projects that could have an impact on Native Americans land and cultural resources. The Government Accountability Office began its review of federal agencies at the request of Democratic lawmakers three years ago after criticism over the approval of the heavily protested Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. The Standing Rock Sioux complained, among other things, that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed to properly consult with them before initially approving a pipeline route that ran beneath Lake Oahe, a primary source of drinking water for the tribe. The recently released watchdog report found several dozen tribes told federal officials following the start of the pipeline protests in 2016 that they were consulted only during the late stages of a major project. Consultation with tribes should not be an afterthought, said Thora Padilla, director of the Division of Resource Management and Protection for the Mescalero Apache Tribe in southern New Mexico. It validates and verifies what weve been hearing from Indian Country for a long, long time, Rep. Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, said of the report. Avoiding conversations until after decisions are made is not consultation. Grijalva, Padilla, tribal leaders and others held a news conference earlier this month in Washington to highlight the report. Grijalva also announced he is sponsoring legislation to establish a mandatory tribal consultation process for federal agencies. The GAO said federal agencies generally agreed with its recommendations, which did not directly reference disputes over the Dakota Access Pipeline, built by Energy Transfer Partners. One of the key recommendations calls for agencies to update tribes on the bearing their input may have on final infrastructure decisions. The reports authors also recommended that the government create a central system that officials could reference to determine whether tribes need to be consulted. The system could include data on geographic locations that hold religious or cultural significance for tribes. Federal agencies are often required by laws, treaties and executive orders to consult with tribal leaders on major projects planned for reservations and other lands where their constituents may have special hunting and fishing rights, though the mandates for how those conversations occur can vary. Grijalvas bill would essentially make recommendations in the GAO report into law. Holy Ghost Catholic School in Albuquerque was honored Friday as the first school in the state and first Catholic school in the country to earn a National Certificate for STEM Excellence from the National Institute for STEM Education in Houston. A school must have at least five teachers earn the National Certificate for STEM Teaching in order to qualify for this ward. At Holy Ghost, 10 teachers earned this certification, school officials said. Based on professional development curriculum originally created at Rice University, these particular campus and individual certifications recognize implementation of evidence-based STEM instructional strategies. Working with the National Institute for STEM Education has moved our school to the next level of excellence, Dr. Noreen Duffy Copeland, Holy Ghost principal, said in a statement. STEM refers to the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math. Mayor Tim Keller, in a statement about the award, said, Our ability to prepare the next generation of Albuquerques workforce our future leaders, workers, and entrepreneurs is a significant factor in what this community can become. Our young people need to have all the skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics that will equip them to succeed in an economy that is rapidly changing and innovative. NMPED Cabinet Secretary Karen Trujillo, also in a prepared statement, said, Effective STEM Education isnt just about the content we teach, but how we teach it. How the teacher guides discussion and how students build understanding are key components of effective teaching and learning in STEM. I am excited to see what they are doing at Holy Ghost. Invited guests to the ceremony included Trujillo; Aaron Nieto, representing Mayor Tim Keller; Sofia Sanchez, representing U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland; State Auditor Brian Colon; state Sens. Mimi Stewart and Gerald Ortiz y Pino; Susan Murphy, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Catholic School superintendent; Dr. Judy Zimny, vice president of the National Institute of STEM Education; and Rev. Hyginus Anuta, pastor of Holy Ghost. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal A former Las Cruces physician, Pawankumar Jain, 66, who was charged with illegally prescribing opioids that led to the deaths of several patients, was sentenced last week by Senior District Judge Robert C. Brack to nine years in federal prison for illegally dispensing drugs and health care fraud. Jain, who has been held in federal detention since his indictment five years ago, sought a sentence of time served because of his age and ill health. According to his 2016 plea agreement, Jain admitted he operated a high-volume pain management practice in Las Cruces, and frequently performed only cursory examinations of his patients before prescribing narcotics to them. Federal prosecutors argued that Jain should receive a sentence of nine years because he pleaded guilty to a serious drug trafficking offense and four people died as a direct result of his prescriptions. U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson said, Doctors who betray our trust and put their own financial gain ahead of the well-being of their patients by prescribing narcotics without medical justification are directly fueling our nations opioid crisis. In his plea agreement, Jain admitted giving one patient a superficial examination, then prescribing the patient, identified as M.E.B. in court records, two prescriptions for methadone that were outside normal medical practice. Each prescription was for 270 tablets of 10 mg methadone and M.E.B. died two days after filling the second prescription from methadone-related respiratory depression. Jains health care fraud charge stems from his admission that he knew the illegal prescriptions would be submitted to Medicare for payment and he intended that Medicare pay for the prescriptions. Jains attorney, Mary Stillinger, argued that Jain lived many years as a law-abiding, contributing member of society. His first offense came in the later years of his career, under the stress of an overburdened practice. Doctors take an oath to treat and care for patients who come to them for help, stated Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson of the Drug Enforcement Administrations El Paso Division. Dr. Jain ignored this oath and continued to overprescribe, which eventually resulted in the deaths of four patients. Jain was educated in India and Europe before coming to the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen. His medical license was suspended in June 2012, and revoked in December 2012 by the New Mexico Medical Board. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal Chemo and Romeo were buddies, living at the Bow and Arrow Lodge on East Central a spot well known to Albuquerque police officers who responded to almost 200 calls there in 2018. Both men shared a history of felony convictions and had the tattoos to prove it. But what brought Jose Chemo Gallegos and Rogelio Romeo Loera to the attention of federal firearms agents were the types of guns the men were showing potential customers: Glock semi-automatic pistols that had been converted to fire in full automatic mode like machine guns. Some of the weapons could accommodate clips with up to 30 rounds, and there are drum magazines that hold 50 rounds. To federal agents and local police, the area around the motel is well known for shootings, drug dealing, stolen cars and the sale of stolen property, including firearms of all sorts. The last thing they wanted was a bunch of machine guns on the street adding to the mayhem. Making matters worse, undercover officers who have worked cases in the area said converted fully automatic handguns are almost impossible to aim once the trigger is pulled, putting not just the intended target but other people in a wide area at risk of injury or death. Making a machine pistol Conversion kits that allow some Glock pistols to be fired as a normal semi-automatic or on fully automatic mode originate outside the United States in this case China. Such kits can be found on the Internet for $70, according to federal court records. But they can sell for up to $200 on the street. Conversion devices vary by design and appearance, but all, when properly installed on a semiautomatic Glock pistol, will allow the firearm to theoretically fire approximately 1,200 rounds a minute. The number of rounds is limited by the size of the firearms magazine and how quickly it can be changed out. Installation of conversion devices is fast and simple and requires no technical expertise. But it is illegal to have a conversion kit, even if it is not attached to a firearm, unless the owner is registered with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to own a machine gun. Nationwide, ATF has been tracking the importation of conversion kits from China, both locally and nationally. One company, based in Shezhen, Guangdong, China, has shipped more than 2,900 packages to various locations in the U.S., including Albuquerque, which contained conversion kits described as a Multitool Switch. When agents intercepted and searched some of those packages, they found conversion kits to make Glock pistols fully automatic. Glock doesnt make the kits and tries to shut down advertisements for the kits when they appear on different internet sites. Heroin and guns Chemo Gallegos, 31, was living in Room 6 at the Bow and Arrow, dealing heroin and methamphetamine, according to court records. He has three prior felony convictions for possessing and selling drugs and an impressive list of arrest warrants for failure to appear in court. Romeo Loeras criminal past was more diverse and includes convictions for burglary, auto theft and other crimes. Loera, 38, was living in Room 3. Around the time of the investigation, Gallegos became a suspect in an armed robbery of someone at the Bow and Arrow, and police believe Loera was involved in a shootout in the parking lot, according to court documents. The same court records claim the two men were in constant contact and appeared to share customers. They report that Gallegos had set up surveillance cameras in the windows of his room to keep track of who came and went from the motel parking lot. ATF agents used two different confidential informants to target them. In November, the first confidential informant tried to make contact with Gallegos, who was too busy to handle a new customer, but Loera showed up outside Gallegoss room. The informant and Loera began discussing drugs and guns, and, after a brief conversation, Loera sold the federal informant a small amount of heroin and a 9mm pistol, two magazines and ammunition for $350. In early December, the informant returned to meet with Gallegos. The informant wore a hidden body camera during the meeting in which he bought 4 grams of heroin for $200 and a Glock .45 caliber pistol for $600 that Gallegos told him could be converted to fully automatic. Neither man was willing to sell their own fully automatic Glocks to the informant. In mid-December, ATF sent in a second informant who managed to buy a pistol converted to fully automatic from Loera for $700. After that purchase, agents served search warrants on both motel rooms, confiscating weapons and arresting both men. One of the weapons was a fully automatic Glock .45-caliber handgun with a 30-bullet magazine. According to court records, Gallegos told agents he purchased his fully automatic handgun for $400. Loera and Gallegos both face federal weapons charges and are being held in federal detention awaiting trial. They each face up to 10 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm and Gallegos faces additional prison time for possessing a machine gun. In February, the city filed court proceedings to have the Bow and Arrow Lodge fix safety violations and change the way it operates. The motel has 120 days to comply with city safety codes. China intercept In another case involving conversion kits, Homeland Security agents earlier this year intercepted a package labeled Multitool Switch en route from China to Albuquerque as part of ATFs national investigation into conversion kits coming out of China. The package was addressed to Rodney Segura, 30, who was on probation for a state battery conviction. Customs Border Protection agents searched the package and found conversion kits for Glock pistols, but they allowed the package to be delivered. Agents interviewed people who knew Segura, and, according to court records were told he was trading guns to local gang members for marijuana. They then served a search warrant on a storage unit Segura rented and visited almost daily. Agents found 13 rifles, four handguns, a Glock conversion kit and 14 pounds of marijuana. Segura, who was on probation following two guilty pleas to misdemeanors, was arrested for violating his probation and is in state custody. He also has a felony conviction as a juvenile for second-degree murder. Court records show he received a sentence of probation. According to state court documents, federal authorities were finalizing their investigation and expect to move forward with federal charges. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration is moving to unwind former Gov. Susana Martinezs order that consolidated all human resources functions within New Mexico executive branch agencies into a single agency. The move had been touted as a cost-saving measure by Martinez, but top Lujan Grisham administration officials say it was poorly executed partly due to a lack of communication and caused hundreds of employees to leave state government. It wasnt a success as a consolidated model, said State Personnel Director Pam Coleman, a Lujan Grisham appointee. People had anxiety about what was going to happen next. However, Coleman said, the Lujan Grisham administration plans to take a methodical approach to undoing the consolidation order. Human resources employees for the Children, Youth and Families Department will be returned to the agency at offices in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque this month, and other departments are likely to follow, depending on the availability of office space and how the initial effort goes. Eventually, more human resources employees could also be hired or shifted back into their old jobs, Coleman said. There are currently fewer than 200 human resources employees across state government down from more than 400 several years ago. The agencies are so excited and keenly happy to get their human resources employees back, she told the Journal. The recent developments mark a full retreat from the February 2017 executive order signed by Martinez that was touted as a way to centralize a disjointed human resources system and save millions of dollars. The state has 23 Cabinet-level departments and more than 40 administrative agencies. Until the 2017 order, many of them had their own human resources offices to handle internal policies, rules and personnel directives, among other duties. Under Martinezs order, all personnel functions for state-funded agencies were shifted to the State Personnel Office, which also oversees hiring and disciplinary matters for the roughly 18,000 rank-and-file state employees. Ive made my commitment clear: Its up to state government to tighten our belts, not our families, Martinez, a Republican who was governor from 2011 through last year, said in 2017 after issuing the executive order. Her administration also claimed the order had generated cost savings of roughly $10 million as of last November, just before Martinez left office. But the consolidation order worried some legislators and labor union officials, who immediately raised questions about whether it could lead to more employee grievances being filed. It also stoked concern about possible layoffs of state human resources employees, although the state personnel director under Martinez vowed that layoffs would be a last resort. During a Legislative Finance Committee hearing last week, some lawmakers expressed concern that the consolidation had left the states human resources ranks in tatters. We need to focus on filling positions and making sure were competitive with salaries, said Sen. Carlos Cisneros, D-Questa. Current state personnel boss Coleman, who also served on a Lujan Grisham transition team before being appointed to head the State Personnel Office by the Democratic governor in January, said she interviewed many state employees and ex-employees before deciding to undo the consolidation order. What I found out pretty early on is that the human resources plan hadnt hit the mark, she told the Journal. Consolidation did not treat people with the kindness they deserve to be treated with. Meanwhile, another Cabinet member in Lujan Grishams administration, Finance and Administration Secretary Olivia Padilla-Jackson, told lawmakers that most state agencies would get back their human resources positions and staffers by as early as June. Its unclear how much the move to unravel the consolidation order and subsequently hire additional human resources officials will cost the state, but Coleman suggested that it will make state government more functional and boost morale. Theyre going to go back home, Coleman said. Eloquent middle schoolers came before the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education on Thursday, requesting that board members stick a fork in plastic utensils at Jefferson Middle School. Born from a class research project, the young activists shared with the board the information they have gleaned. In their presentation, the group estimated 720 people typically eat school lunches at Jefferson, which they believe equates to 1,440 utensils each day. Armed with stats, pictures of sea life entangled in plastic picture a seagulls beak entrapped in plastic soda can rings and cost charts, Jefferson students Morgyn Judkins-Cooper, Penelope Loyd Sment, Emily Watkins and Sidney Vance gave their pitch to switch to reusable utensils. They argued that the school should do its part to reduce plastic pollution. A petition they started has hundreds of signatures, they said. WORK OF ART: Eight APS schools will get special access to some artsy learning opportunities next school year. This week, seven elementary schools and a middle school were dubbed Elevated Arts Schools for the 2019-20 school year. Alamosa, Alvarado, Dolores Gonzales, Helen Cordero, Lew Wallace, Montezuma, Sombra del Monte and Van Burren Middle School made the list. Born through city and community partnerships, the schools will be able to learn from teaching artists and see demonstrations from community arts organizations. Field trips and hands-on experiences are also afforded to the schools. The idea of an Elevated Arts School is to emphasize arts throughout curricula. We have always known students who participate in fine arts benefit academically, Superintendent Raquel Reedy said. In her statement, the superintendent goes on to say the Elevated Arts Schools are part of a 10-year plan to ramp up the focus on arts in and out of the classroom. The Elevated Arts model is a focus of a multi-partner initiative called Any Given Child Albuquerque, which aims to boost access to arts education for kids. SEAL OF APPROVAL: Many APS graduates will have a bilingual seal on their diplomas this year. According to the district, 266 high school seniors earned the honor by completing coursework to maintain, develop and advance in two languages. To get the seal, a student must take eight core credits such as arts, math and sciences in English and eight in their additional language and earn at least a 2.0 grade point average. A written and oral portfolio is also required. Most kids are getting their seal in Spanish while some others are getting it for French or German. In a newsletter to the community, Reedy said for the first time one student got a Chinese bilingual seal. Most APS graduations will take place this week. In addition to the seniors, about 100 fifth and eighth graders will move onto the next level of their education careers with a bilingual seal of their own. Shelby Perea: sperea@abqjournal.com FORT COLLINS, Colo. Police say a northern Colorado middle schooler reported a fake threat against her school. A Fort Collins Police statement says the student used Colorados Safe2Tell program, which was set up to accept anonymous tips about concerns or threats following the 1999 Columbine shooting that killed 12 students and a teacher. The Coloradoan reports that the girls school, Preston Middle School, was on lockout for about an hour Wednesday after the two Safe2Tell reports about a threat. During a lockout, students continue normal activities but the schools outer doors are locked. Police say the students name will not be released because she is a juvenile. It was not clear Sunday if she has been formally charged. It is no secret New Mexico has high-performing schools and low-performing schools, just like every other large public school system or sector with 800-plus options. Whether restaurants, health care, hotels, universities or cars, we rely on the government or third-party organizations to provide more information than we would be able to get on our own, allowing us to make more informed decisions. Yet, over the past few weeks, our political educational leaders have muddled this by making consequential decisions on how we name the performance of our states schools. First, they repealed New Mexicos A-F grading system for schools, a naming system that over the past seven years had become familiar to our educators, parents and families. Schools advertised and celebrated their As and they entered turnaround programs to improve their Fs. Best practices were shared, and districts like Gadsden celebrated their success in beating the odds for a population of students 100 percent below the poverty line. Next summer, however, there will be new names for school performance: Comprehensive Support School, New Mexico Spotlight School, More Rigorous Intervention School and Targeted Support School. Tell me, which one of these is the best? Which is the worst? As for our historically low-performing schools, a few weeks ago, new leadership at the New Mexico Public Education Department announced the four most chronically underperforming elementary schools will no longer be named More Rigorous Intervention (MRI). These schools altogether serve 1,300 of New Mexicos youngest and most vulnerable learners. The schools will now be named Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) alongside 86 other schools that are also struggling but hadnt earned five to seven consecutive Fs. Regardless of the words we use, they wont undo the years of measurable success or failure our students have experienced. Whether a school had earned seven straight As or five or six Fs in a row, the performance and impact of the school remains, even if we change what we call it. On the other hand, an F or a designation of MRI underscores an undeniable sense of urgency. Its a red flag for serious accountability and intervention. Its a way to capture adults attention and make it clear that things need to change. And if no attention is paid, our students and families trapped in a school that isnt serving its students deserve the freedom to go elsewhere. The PED claims the change in status will reinforce the responsibility of the district for improving outcomes at each identified school. But instead it feels like a diluted approach an experiment in semantics. On average, less than 6 percent of students in the four MRI schools were able to demonstrate proficiency in reading, English language arts and math in 2017. That means, of the 1,300 students in these schools, only 78 were meeting grade-level standards. It is very hard to catch up in middle and high schools. We are setting a course for these 5- and 6-year-olds, robbing them of their potential. I cant imagine an outcome worse than a promise broken to our children. (Amanda Aragon is the executive director of NewMexicoKidsCAN and a 2005 graduate of Rio Rancho High School.) PAYSON, Ariz. Authorities in Payson say two students were injured when a school bus crashed. The Gila County Sheriffs Office says the incident happened shortly before 8 a.m. Monday while a bus was en route to Payson High School. Sheriffs officials not say whether another vehicle was involved in the collision with the Payson Unified School District bus. Upon arrival, first responders and deputies determined two students were in need of transportation to a hospital. Their conditions were not immediately known. The remaining students were placed on a new bus that took them to school. The investigation into the crash remains ongoing. SANTA FE Santa Fe-based WildEarth Guardians, an environmental nonprofit prominent in New Mexico and around the West, has reported alleged fraudulent overbilling by a long-term employee and an outside contractor for work performed under state and federal government contracts. WildEarth Guardians informed the U.S. Attorneys Office in Albuquerque of the scheme last week and transmitted a forensic auditors report to the office over the weekend. John Horning, executive director of the non-profit, said in a meeting with reporters that the fraud took place in government contracts awarded to WildEarth Guardians to restore the water quality of rivers and streams. The work includes planting native cottonwoods and willows to provide shade, reduce water temperatures and prevent damaging algae that reduces oxygen levels. All the contracted work was completed, but charges for fake work were added on, said Horning. He identified the now-fired employee as Jim Matison, who was director of the restoration program, and the contractor involved as Jeff Hamm of Colorado-based Timberline LLC. He said Hamm brought the scheme to light by informing a third party, which led to an attorney contacting WildEarth Guardians on April 2. I am shocked, saddened and dismayed that a person I knew for 17 years and to whom we entrusted so much healing, restorative work, would betray us all so brazenly, said Horning said of Matison. Horning described the fraud as a kick-back scheme where Hamm would submit an invoice which was partially honest, for the work performed, and partially fraudulent, with dollar amounts added on for made-up work that were then paid, in all or in part, to Matison. They figured out a way to get the work done and still skim off the top, Horning added. Hamm, reached by phone Monday, had no comment. Horning said Hamm is remorseful and really sort of heart-stricken by the fact he participated in this and allowed it to happen. Efforts to reach Matison and his Albuquerque attorney were unsuccessful Monday. Horning couldnt say how long the fraud had been going or how much money was stolen. Horning said stream restoration work for agencies such as the state Environment Department, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Parks Service makes up about $1 million of WildEarth Guardians $4.7 million budget. Horning said WildEarth Guardians has informed the government agencies it works for about the embezzlement. To the agency and the person, they have been kind, compassionate and supportive in ways that kind of restored my faith in (the) human condition during a time when you lose a little faith, he said. He said WildEarth Guardians is likely to be hurt by news of the fraud scheme, but cutting against that is a lot of belief in the quality of the work and a desire from the people with whom we work to carry it forward. Horning said the case has also been reported to the inspector generals for the federal Interior and Agriculture departments and the Environmental Protection Agency. He said his organization wants to assure taxpayers that we will do everything we can to reclaim every last penny stolen from federal and state agencies and supporters and donors that none of their contributions were affected. Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect that the PRC has moved the hearing to Thursday. The state Public Regulation Commission will discuss this Thursday whether it should reconsider its decision to charge Facebook nearly half the cost of a new $85 million transmission line. The PRC ordered Public Service Company of New Mexico in April to bill Facebook $39 million for the line and recover the remaining costs from wholesale customers, prohibiting any charges on general ratepayers. Thats because a PNM executive testified during hearings in February that the line would only serve Facebook by carrying electricity from a new wind farm near Encino to its data center in Los Lunas, plus wholesale customers who sell to markets outside the state. But PNM has since corrected that testimony, calling the line a network upgrade that benefits everybody. It requested a re-hearing on April 30, arguing that the costs should be shared equally among wholesale and retail customers. The line, which will run between Clines Corners and a new substation in Sandoval County, will carry electricity from the forthcoming La Joya wind farm now under construction to Facebooks data center. But at Thursdays open public meeting, PNM will discuss a new 140 MW wind project its planning in eastern New Mexico that will also use the transmission line, known as the BB2 project, to transport renewable electricity to all customers. The company needs that wind energy to meet the states current renewable portfolio standard, which requires public utilities to derive at least 20 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2020. PNM has finalized a contract to purchase 140 MW of renewable energy from a New Mexico wind project, at one of the lowest rates seen across the country, said PNM spokesman Ray Sandoval in an email to the Journal. This contract would rely on the BB2 transmission project to deliver energy to PNM customers PNM anticipates executing the contract in May and filing for PRC approval of this new renewable resource by June 1st. The BB2 line is the first of what could be many transmission projects to bring more wind power from New Mexicos gusty eastern plains to customers throughout New Mexico and elsewhere. More transmission capacity is critical to meet mandates under the states new Energy Transition Act, which requires public utilities to derive 50 percent of their electricity from renewables by 2030 and 80 percent by 2040. Even without PNMs new 140 MW project, the BB2 line still benefits all customers by strengthening grid capacity and reliability, according to the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy and New Mexico Industrial Energy Consumers, both of which petitioned the PRC re-hear the case. Only transmission lines built specifically to connect an individual customer to PNMs grid can be billed exclusively for construction, not projects that serve the grid in general, they said in filings at the PRC. HOUSTON The mother of a missing 4-year-old Texas girl was heckled outside a courtroom on Monday by people who questioned if she had done enough to protect her daughter before her disappearance. Brittany Bowens, Maleah Daviss mother, along with her spokesman, community activist Quanell X, showed up for a scheduled court hearing for Derion Vence, her former fiance who is charged in connection with the girls disappearance. The hearing was canceled, though, and Vences next hearing was scheduled for July 10. Tom Burton, Vences attorney, said he couldnt comment because he hadnt seen any of the evidence in the case. Vence, 26, has been charged with tampering with evidence, specifically a human corpse, though Maleah is still missing and authorities have declined to say whether they believe she is dead or Vence may have killed her. Prosecutors, though, have said in court documents that Vence eventually could face additional charges, including murder. Bowens declined to speak after the canceled hearing, but Quanell X told reporters that Bowens is focused on finding out what happened to her daughter. The main thing right now that all of us want to know is what did he do with Maleah, he said. Where is Maleah? As Quanell X spoke to reporters, he was drowned out by a group of people, including some of Maleahs fathers family members, who yelled she let it happen and Brittany knew all along. Quanell X previously alleged that Vence might have abused Maleah and that Bowens should have told police about it. Child Protective Services removed Maleah and her brothers from the apartment Vence and Bowens shared in August after the girl suffered a head wound, but the children were returned in February, according to an agency spokeswoman. When asked by reporters why if she had concerns about Vence Bowens had left her daughter in Vences care while Bowens attended her fathers funeral out of state, Quanell X declined to comment, saying, Im not going to speak to that. As Bowens and Quanell X headed to an elevator, they were followed by the hecklers, who yelled, Justice for Maleah and murderer. Tamisha Mendoza, a cousin of Maleahs father, Craig Davis, said she questioned why Bowens stayed with Vence if she suspected he was hurting her daughter. Youre just as guilty as (Vence). She needs to be locked up along with him, Mendoza said. Craig Davis didnt attend the scheduled hearing because he is devastated about what happened to his daughter, Mendoza said. Maleah was a happy little girl, she said. The things that happened to her, she didnt deserve. According to police, Vence told officers that he, Maleah and his 2-year-old son were abducted on May 4 by a group of men in a truck. He said he and his son were freed the next day but the kidnappers kept Maleah and his silver Nissan Altima. Police said Vences story kept changing and didnt add up. The Nissan was found on Thursday and trained dogs detected the scent of human decomposition in the trunk. Vence was seen on surveillance video taking a large laundry basket with a trash bag as well as cleaning supplies from his apartment on May 3. A basket similar to the one seen on the surveillance video was found in the Nissans trunk. Investigators also found blood in the hallway and bathroom of Bowens and Vences apartment. The blood is consistent with DNA samples taken from Maleahs toothbrush, authorities said. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 PAGO PAGO, American Samoa A North Korean cargo ship seized by the U.S. because of suspicion it was used to violate international sanctions arrived at the capital of this American territory, where it will undergo inspections. The Wise Honest was slowly towed to the port of Pago Pago during a cloudy Saturday morning and docked at the main docking section of the port that afternoon. The trip from Indonesia took about three weeks and American Samoa, in the South Pacific, was chosen because of its central strategic location, U.S. Coast Guard public affairs officer Amanda Wyrick said. We also have a good strong relationship and partnership with the American Samoan government, Wyrick said. With that being said, we also already have the resources that are able to ensure the security of the vessel but most importantly the Port of Pago Pago. Indonesian authorities detained the ship in April 2018. Justice Department officials announced Thursday the U.S. had seized the ship. Asked as to how long the ship will be in the territory, Wyrick said the U.S. Department of Justice is leading the investigation so they will be conducting that. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the ship will be moved. But she said the next destination is unknown. I do know that Justice Department is going to do the investigation as fast as they can, Wyrick added. She said she didnt have the exact number of U.S. Coast Guard personnel or people from other federal agencies who have traveled to American Samoa for the investigation. We have a marine and safety security team here from Honolulu, Wyrick said. Were conducting random patrols, also conducting inspection of the vessel and the Port of Pago Pago, keep an eye on things such as security breaches or vandalization of the ship itself. Officials are also making sure the port is protected, she said. We especially in the Coast Guard, we understand the importance of the port. Its a lifeline in getting goods to the islands, Wyrick said. So we want to make sure that were doing everything we can, to make sure that theres absolutely no disruption to the flow of commerce coming in and out. The U.S. government dispatched an inspection team to the ship before it docked in Pago Pago, she said. Wyrick noted there was an inspection conducted before leaving Indonesia and, because the ship has been at sea for three weeks, its subject to the elements. The inspection of the ship before entering the harbor is to make sure the structure integrity of the boat is still intact. In that way, once we get the thumbs up, and the green light, and the inspectors deem it safe, then it will enter the port, Wyrick said. U.S. officials made the announcement of the ships seizure hours after North Korea fired two suspected short-range missiles toward the sea, the second weapons launch in five days and a possible signal that stalled talks over its nuclear weapons program are in trouble. WASHINGTON A former campaign staffer who accused President Donald Trump of sexual misconduct and pay discrimination in a lawsuit earlier this year filed a motion on Monday asking a judge to formally expand the scope of her suit so that others, including former campaign and White House aide Omarosa Manigault, may sign on. Alva Johnson, an Alabama woman who worked for the Trump presidential campaign for all of 2016, alleged in February that President Trump kissed her without her consent at a campaign rally in Florida. Johnson, who is black, also alleged in the original lawsuit that Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. paid her less than her white and male colleagues with similar job titles and responsibilities. The White House previously dismissed Johnsons sexual misconduct allegation as absurd on its face. In a separate motion filed last week, the campaign and President Trump asked the court to dismiss Johnsons pay discrimination lawsuit because it lacked substantive evidence for its claims, including proof that the only factor separating staffers was their sex. Mondays filing by Johnsons attorneys, which asks the judge to certify the suit as a collective action, provides more information about those pay-discrimination allegations. It includes an initial pay study conducted by Phillip Johnson, a economist and managing director of Econ One Research, Inc., which found that, on average, female campaign staffers were paid 18.2 percent less than their male counterparts between May and December 2016. That analysis, which excluded a smaller cohort of higher-paid employees in senior leadership roles so as not to skew the data, was conducted using publicly available pay data maintained by the Federal Election Commission, according to court documents. It looked at pay for 77 female and 151 male staffers. The motion notes that more-detailed payment data could be obtained through discovery, such as job description, race, gender, age and payment justification. This case is about two things: Donald Trumps predation, and his campaigns discrimination against women and people of color, Hassan Zavareei, the lead attorney representing Johnson, said in a statement. Mondays filing is the next step toward proving the campaign participated in sex discrimination, Zavareei said, which is a violation of the Equal Pay Act. The pay study also observed a pay gap of nearly 50 percent among male and female staffers in top-ranking jobs. In an interview with The Post, Zavareei called pay discrimination one of the most insidious problems in our society. The fish rots at the head here, Zavareei said. If you have the president and his campaign discriminating against women . . . then that sets the tone for what happens in the commercial world and other sectors of government. He said Manigaults willingness to join the lawsuit as a high-ranking female campaign staffer strengthens the case. Zavareei said he is hopeful her participation will empower other female staffers to join as well. In a statement, Manigault said the suit addresses the gender pay gap which exists not just between women, but between people of color and their white counterparts. She joined, she said, to level the playing field in the political arena. While I strongly suspected I was subjected to pay discrimination while with the Trump Campaign, I have since seen expert analysis confirming this to be true. The numbers dont lie, Manigault said. After nearly 20 years inside the beltway, working for two White Houses and countless political campaigns, Ive never witnessed such egregious violations as I did during my time under the leadership of Donald Trump and Mike Pence. If the judge grants their motion, Johnsons legal team will be able to obtain contact information for all the Trump campaigns female staffers and invite them to participate in the suit. Zavareei said it is his understanding the Trump campaign required some, if not all, staffers to sign non-disparagement agreements as a prerequisite to employment and has pressured them to keep quiet. Other staffers, he said, are working in the White House or for the presidents re-election campaign and may not be inclined to join. Were hopeful there will be others, he said. By Delana Isles OVER the course of four days, local and international travel and tourism stakeholders connected, networked and relaxed. The four day event - dubbed the Turks and Caicos Conference (TACC) - is hosted annually by the TCI Tourist Board, and has been on for 15 years. Event goers included local industry partners and wholesalers from the United States, Brazil and Italy this year. During the course of the conference (which ran May 8 to 11), they were provided an opportunity to network and conduct important contracting and production business in the territory, as well as explore the Islands. On Wednesday, attendees were first treated to a luxury cruise, before the opening ceremony was hosted at Solana restaurant at Ocean Club West. During the opening ceremony Minister of Tourism, Hon. Ralph Higgs, Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA) president Stacy Cox and Tourist Board Director Ramon Andrews each brought brief remarks. Minister Higgs said: "Ive had the distinct pleasure over the last 14 years to welcome you to TCI for TACC, and I see faces that have been with us from the start, and I want to say that this years no exception. "I am overjoyed, I am proud, my Government is ecstatic by what is happening in the sector, the continued growth we are seeing in the sector. "I know that your commitment, your friendship and your support over the years have brought us this far and I assure you over the next days that you are here with us, youre going to hear how we are going to continue on this growth path that we have been on for the last several years. He further thanked the attendees for all that they have done over the years and their faith in the territory. He added: "For everything that is forecast for the Turks and Caicos Islands in the short, medium and long term, as I have always said to you, dont give up on us, Turks and Caicos is a sleeping giant and its gradually becoming awakened, and if we continue on the path that were on the sky is the limit. Andrews told the travel partners: "We want to talk about the commitment that you guys have to the destination and the relationship that weve built over the years and we just want to say thank you so very much for that. During Thursdays conference sessions presentations were made by Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, Minister of Tourism, CEO of TCHTA, Commissioner of Royal TCI Police Force, CEO of TCI Airport Authorities, CEO of Invest Turks and Caicos and the Director of Tourism. The four day event allows top travel professionals to see the Islands first hand, along with hotels, resorts and facilities that they offer to their clients. It is also an opportunity for them to meet with all of the top hoteliers, discuss marketing strategies and organise promotions for 2020 and beyond. EL PASO, Texas The girlfriend of a man charged in the fatal shooting of a Texas sheriffs deputy during a traffic stop has also been charged in the officers death, authorities said. An arrest affidavit alleges that Arlene Pina, 20, can be heard on police video saying beat that (expletive) in Spanish after her boyfriend, Facundo Chavez, started striking El Paso County Sheriffs Deputy Peter Herrera following the gunshots. At the time (of the shooting), we released the passenger, because we were not sure of her involvement in the case, said Sheriff Richard Wiles. However, after some really great detective work by our supervisors and detectives out of our Crimes Against Persons section, we were able to establish and believe that that female was actively involved even though she didnt pull the trigger in the death of Deputy Herrera. Pina was charged with capital murder on Saturday and is jailed on $1 million bond. Online jail records dont list an attorney for her. Chavez, 27, was charged with capital murder after being accused of firing 15 shots at Herrera in March after the deputy asked Chavez to exit a car in San Elizario, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of El Paso. Herrera died two days later. Pina originally told investigators there was a third person in the vehicle and blamed the shooting on that person, which was proven false by dashcam film. She subsequently admitted to investigators that she fabricated the story. An arrest affidavit shows that Pina also told investigators that she wanted to get out of the vehicle because (Chavez) told her that he was going to shoot the cop. But Chavez alleged that Pina tried to take Herreras handgun, according to the affidavit. Investigators said that the blood on Pinas hands revealed that she had contact with the deputy during the course of the assault. Wiles noted that Pina and Chavez should both be held accountable and receive the maximum penalty. Quite frankly, I believe that both individuals should be subject to the death penalty because I believe strongly this is a death penalty case, he said. A San Francisco teacher who is on medical leave has to worry about more than just battling breast cancer. On top of footing medical bills, she has to pay for a substitute teacher at Glen Park Elementary School. All teachers receive 10 paid days of medical leave a year in the San Francisco Unified School District. If a teacher needs more time, they can get another 100 sick days -- at a price. Under a 1976 California law, the cost for the substitute teacher will be deducted from the teacher's salary. The average daily cost of a substitute teacher in San Francisco is $203.16, San Francisco Unified School District spokeswoman Laura Dudnick said. In 2018, the average teacher salary in the school district, excluding benefits, was $82,024.37. "This reflects California Education Code language related to extended sick leave that applies to all other school districts in California," Dudnick said in a statement. "This is not unique to San Francisco. This is not a district-only rule." Teachers who require additional medical leave can draw from a Sick Leave Bank for up to 85 days without any deduction from their paycheck. Teachers donate unused sick days to the bank to help their colleagues. Parents say it's unfair The Glen Park teacher has chosen to remain anonymous, but parents at the school are speaking out about what they think is an unfair policy. Parent Elia Hernandez told CNN affiliate KGO that the teacher deserves better treatment. "She's an incredible teacher and that's not fair," Hernandez said. "That's crazy!" Another parent, Abby Hipps, told KGO that the the teacher is "one of the best teachers" in the school and called her situation "terrible." Susan Solomon, president of United Educators of San Francisco, said her teachers union is hoping to negotiate better sick leave policies next year. "The issues involving teachers' use of extended sick leave and the catastrophic sick leave bank, as well as the school district's use of a daily substitute dock rate, are governed by law and the collective bargaining agreement," Solomon said in a statement. "UESF is consulting with our members on their priorities for contract negotiations next year. As always, we look forward to making improvements in this and other parts of the contract." A GoFundMe for the teacher that has now stopped collecting donations received $13,000. Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the name of the school district. It is the San Francisco Unified School District. HOUSTON, Texas - Crews are working to contain a massive chemical spill in Houston's shipping channel. The channel is still partially closed. It is one of the world's busiest waterways. Salvage crews are scrambling to contain the mess. The spill occurred on Friday when a tug boat pushing two barges collided with an oil tanker. One barge capsized. The other was damaged. It was carrying 25,000 barrels of a chemical called reformate. The chemical is found in gasoline and is extremely flammable. It can also be deadly to marine life and to humans, if swallowed. People who live nearly are worried about the impact this could have on their health. Brittany Kelly lives two blocks from the channel and she says she is keeping her four kids and her dogs far, far away. She said her kids and her husband like to go fishing in the area. Luis Marteniz is worried about his children and his pets and says he is not taking any chances. He explained that they are using bottled water. He said he and his wife are still traumatized by a chemical fire that occurred in bearly Deer Park less than two months ago. Air monitoring in the area by the EPA and local government is continuous. Authorities have asked locals to call 9-1-1 if they experience health concerns, but they say so far they have not identified any health risks. FEATHER FALLS, Calif. - Butte County Search and Rescue and the CAL FIRE Butte Unit worked together to rescue a hiker that found himself stranded on the Feather Falls trail Saturday. First responders got a call just before 2:00 in the afternoon saying that a man in his 60s had started out on a hike, but the heat got to him so he could not make it back down the trail. The Butte County Sheriff's Office brought in their helicopter to help with the search. The hiker was flown to Enloe Medical Center by helicopter to be checked out. European denim brand ONLY has signed nations newest heart throb Ananya Panday as their brand ambassador in India. Ananyas unique fashion aesthetics, confidence, and charisma make her the perfect face for ONLYs newest Spring Summer 2019 collection! The collection is all about denims, comfort and athleisure brought to life in style. The pieces talk to young, creative, progressive millennials inspiring them to experiment with fashion and yet, be themselves and stand out. Speaking on the announcement, Vineet Gautam, CEO & Country Head, BESTSELLER India, said, We are thrilled to have Ananya Panday as the ONLY Girl. She embodies the ONLY spirit of being trendy and edgy, not only with her fashion sense but also with her personality and attitude. This makes her the perfect fit to represent our brand in India. We are very excited about this association and have some really cool engagements lined up Equally ecstatic, the Student of the Year Ananya Panday commented, Im a complete ONLY girl and am thrilled at this seamless partnership! Having just started out in the industry, its a dream come true to be part of a global brand that vibes with my personality. Ananya features in the brands Spring Summer 2019 Campaign, launched today on May 11th featuring t-shirts, tops, sweatshirts and denims. ONLY also launches ONLY featuring Ananya Panday limited edition collection on the 17th of May, 2019. The collection is priced between Rs. 999 to Rs. 1699. To pre order now, log on www.only.in For more information, visit www.only.in Join the conversation on Instagram via @onlyindia Consumer brand Veeba Foods has forayed into child nutrition segment with its new brand, V-Nourish, a nutrition supplement for kids above 5 years. The kids health beverage market is estimated to be around Rs 7,000 crore, out of which premium nutrition is growing at 12 per cent year on year. The company has partnered with Shahrukh Khan for VNourishs launch campaign, Shaitan ki Jaan. Childhood today is driven with a lot of choice and pressure of tomorrow, rather than the experiences and discoveries of today. Breaking this conventional mindset, V-Nourish stands strong with its core philosophy of allowing children to experience the real childhood and fuel curiosity and creativity in every child. The marketing campaign reinstates this belief that children should be active, healthy, energetic and brimming with ideas and curiosity. The journey of V-Nourish started with my desire to give the best-in-class nutrition to my children. While we parents are always concerned about our childs nutrition, they are driven by taste. After 3 years of R&D, we are proud to announce V-Nourish, which perhaps has the highest nutrition in the category. As a parent myself and a responsible food researcher and developer, I can assure you that making your child finish the glass of milk will no longer be an everyday struggle, said Viraj Bahl, Founder & MD of Veeba and V-Nourish. Speaking about the partnership, Bollywood icon and father of three, Shahrukh Khan, said, I have been a first-hand observer of the struggles faced as a parent in ensuring that my children receive the right nutrition. When I met Viraj for the association, the fact that he has designed the product for his own children struck an immediate chord with the parent in me. In fact, I was so impressed with the passion and hard work put behind the product that I even agreed to lend my voice to the brand song. Im really happy to become a part of this promising brand that aims to deliver on nutrition and taste to keep both parents and children delighted. The brand campaign, Real Ingredients and Wholesome Nutrition for Shaitaan Ki Jaan, will be live across top cities in India across print, television and online mediums. V-Nourish is being manufactured in a new integrated facility in Keshwana, Rajasthan and is spread over 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space. The plant currently has around 300 workers engaged in production. Launched in 4 variants Choco-Cookie flavour, Strawberry flavour, Badam flavour and Kesar Pista flavour V-Nourish is available in modern trade and general trade stores across top 100 cities in the country. We here in Connecticut face the loss of our religious right to say no to a vaccine required for school attendance. TOMORROW, Monday, 5/13. Matt Ritter, Liz Linehan and Josh Elliott have been successful in creating an emergency bill to strip the religious exemption in CT. WE NEED YOU TO TESTIFY AGAINST IT--IN PERSON!! WHEN: Monday May 13th at 9:30am-3pm sign ups to testify begin at 8am WHERE: Legislative Office Building (LOB) 300 Capitol Ave Hartford. Room 2E. Parking is free and behind the LOB in a parking garage. WHAT TO DO: SHOW UP, this is the time to take the day off of work, have your significant other come too, bring the kids. Bring your friends! If you don't show up for this one, there might not be another chance to show up. Please submit 30 copies of testimony to the staff when signing up. Testimony received after the start of the Informational Hearing may not be distributed until after the hearing. The first hour will be reserved for invited speakers. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes of testimony. Unofficial sign-up sheets have no standing for the Informational Hearing. IF YOU CAN'T COME: Please submit written testimony via email to: phtestimony@cga.ct.gov AND kidtestimony@cga.ct.gov From a March article in The CT Mirror, with my version below each para in red. Here is the situation were faced with: You have hundreds, if not thousands, of kids with compromised immune systems who are entering kindergarten with no knowledge of who sitting beside them has not been vaccinated, he said. Who is going to speak for those kids? Here is the situation we're faced with: You have hundreds, if not thousands of kids with vaccine injuries who are entering kindergarten with no knowledge if the next vaccine we demand go into their bodies could cause further adverse reaction. Who is going to speak for those kids? You have the medical community coming to us saying, Why do you have this exemption when other states are getting rid of it? You have the parents of vaccine compromised children and their healthy siblings coming to us saying,"Why can't we have the exemption to protect our children, even if 0ther states are getting rid of it? State Rep. Josh Elliott, D-Hamden, said a contingent of the skeptics are vaccine averse they arent opposed to immunizations, but they need more information. Parents say that they are vaccine educated, they aren't all, 100% opposed to vaccinations as a medical choice, but they need to know they can say "no" to one of more vaccines and the timing of administration if their child(ren) have a history or possibility of injury. There's an elephant in the classroom. Last week, I wrote about the UNC shooter, whose father recorded his son's autism in a letter to his daughter. Our AofA readers have children across the length and breadth of the spectrum, no matter what we call it. We work hard to protect our kids, and to teach those who are able to participate in the mainstream world, how to navigate in a way that they can keep themselves safe. It seems the Colorado STEM school was a perfect example of the state of education that our Anne Dachel records in her website Loss 0f Brain Trust. Boys, young men, and in this latest shooting, a gender-fluid female who prefers a male identification. Read the clip below. No matter how smart, how savvy in math, technology and science, if the students have significant behaviors and aggression, what is their future? And how to we protect those around them? I hope some brave journalist (Oh, Dan Olmsted, how we miss you) will find a way to access health records for diagnoses and medications. Mostly medications. ### STEM School Parents Warned The District Of Their Security Concerns Months Before Shooting In a 242-page document submitted to the school board and to Douglas County Superintendent Thomas Tucker in December, a group of parents allege there was inadequate attention paid to the needs of students with behavioral and other special needs. The document cites severe student safety and mental health concerns in the 2018-2019 school year, but because of confidentiality, it doesnt provide more details. It claims that students with potential behavioral challenges, such as autism, dont have appropriate accommodations including supervision and that this inherently puts other students at risk. The document was authored and compiled by current STEM School parents. The school has an unusually high number of gifted students, who often require higher levels of mental and social health support. 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. Congress is turning to the power of the purse in its efforts to force Turkey to choose between the US F-35 jet and a Russian missile-defense system. The House foreign aid spending panel last week advanced annual spending legislation that would prohibit the Donald Trump administration from transferring the fifth-generation stealth aircraft to Turkey unless Secretary of State Mike Pompeo certifies that Ankara has scrapped plans to buy the S-400 from Russia. Lawmakers in both chambers have previously sought to block the F-35 sale as stand-alone bills, but including the language in the foreign aid spending package increases the likelihood that it will become US law. Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, joined Reps. Paul Cook, R-Calif., and John Garamendi, D-Calif., to introduce legislation blocking the sale earlier this month: the Protecting NATO Skies Act. Senate foreign aid panel members James Lankford, R-Okla., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., have introduced the same bill in the upper chamber. Turkey is choosing to jeopardize its F-35 partner status for dealings with the Russian Federation, Turner said in a statement introducing the bill. It is imperative that we prevent our superior F-35 capabilities from falling into the wrong hands. Both Congress and the Trump administration argue that operating the S-400 alongside the F-35 would compromise the aircraft and its sensitive technology and impact interoperability among NATO allies. The Trump administration has already suspended the F-35 delivery. Turkey produces the fuselage and other components for the F-35, and would likely pull out if banned from acquiring it. Current law already prohibits the transfer of F-35s to Turkey at least temporarily. The spending bill for fiscal year 2019, which Congress belatedly passed in January, bans their delivery until the State Department submits a report on mandatory Russia-related sanctions that would be triggered by the S-400 sale. The report is due between July and November. Ankara has called on President Donald Trump to waive sanctions that the sale would trigger under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which Congress passed in 2017 despite the presidents objections. Congress retroactively added a limited a waiver authority, but it is intended to apply to US allies in Asia with longstanding defense ties to Moscow not fellow NATO members such as Turkey. In the meantime, Congress continues to pile on. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., and top Republican Mike McCaul, R-Texas, introduced a resolution last week expressing concern for the United States-Turkey alliance over the S-400 sale. The nonbinding resolution calls on the Trump administration to implement the sanctions called for under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act should Ankara proceed with the sale. The resolution also warns that the sanctions could impede Turkeys acquisition of other US weapons: the Patriot missile defense system, CH-47F Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters as well as the F-16 fighter jet. House leaders Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., have also signed onto the bill alongside the heads of the Appropriations and Judiciary committees: Reps. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., Kay Granger, R-Texas, Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Doug Collins, R-Ga. Notably, Lockheed Martin assembles the F-35s in Grangers district. WASHINGTON While Secretary of State Mike Pompeo may have been hoping that a hastily arranged stop in Brussels today would allow for photos and headlines showing American and European unity and joint resolve in the face of rising tensions with Iran, European allies did not seem interested in playing along. We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said as he arrived at a meeting in Brussels with his French and German counterparts and the EU foreign policy chief today. The American position to increase pressure and sanctions [on Iran] doesnt suit us, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said frankly as he arrived for the meeting. Pompeo at the last minute decided to fly to Brussels, scrapping earlier announced plans for a visit to Moscow, where he had been due to meet US Embassy staff and business leaders. Pompeos eleventh-hour Brussels stopover was made en route to his first visit as secretary of state to Russia, where Pompeo is scheduled to meet with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Sochi tomorrow. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini did little to hide her irritation that the Americans had abruptly decided to make a show of consulting the Europeans on rising Iran tensions. Europeans had repeatedly warned the Donald Trump administration that such tensions would be a likely consequence of Trumps decision to quit the 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year. We were told during the night that [Pompeo] was planning to change his travel plans and to have a stopover here in Brussels, Mogherini told journalists ahead of the EU foreign ministers meeting. We will be here all day with a busy agenda so we will see during the day how and if we manage to arrange a meeting. He is always welcome, obviously, but there are no precise plans for the moment. Any escalation should be avoided, she said. Mogherini said at a press conference that she was urging both the United States and Iran to exercise maximum restraint. European officials also said they would redouble efforts to get the INSTEX special purpose vehicle up and running to enable a payment system for Iran to purchase humanitarian and other goods not prohibited by US sanctions. We need to push, we need to push, a European diplomat told journalists after the meetings in Brussels. "We do not want it to come to a military conflict [between the United States and Iran], German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he had told Pompeo in their meeting. Secretary Pompeo has always been diligent about sharing information with our allies as threats to peace and security warrant, US special representative for Iran Brian Hook told journalists traveling with Pompeo. Iran is an escalating threat, and this seemed like a timely visit on his way to Sochi." The secretary wanted to share some detail behind what we have been saying publicly, Hook added. We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats." European leaders are understandably frustrated that escalation scenarios are now materializing, said former senior US Defense Department and State Department policy adviser Kori Schake. The worst case scenarios are not yet playing out, but plenty of bad things are, and they are entirely predictable things, and, in fact, they are things that advocates of the nuclear agreement, including the British, French, Germans and EU, predicted could happen, Schake, now deputy director-general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London, told Al-Monitor. They were not only predictable, but they were predicted, Schake said. European governments and supporters of the Iran nuclear accord had warned the Trump administration that it could not expect to keep all the advantages of Iran abiding by the current agreement while the United States reimposed draconian sanctions to try to leverage Iran into more limits on its ballistic missile program, on its destabilization of regional allies and support for terrorism. Pompeos Brussels stop came amid reports that four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers and a Norwegian vessel, were damaged off the UAE port city of Fujairah on Sunday, in what the UAE called an act of sabotage. It also came after the United States last week said it was speeding up the deployment of a US aircraft carrier, B-52 bombers and a Patriot missile battery to the region, to deter a possible Iranian threat to US forces in Iraq or US allies in the region. Trump warned today against Iran acting to sabotage any oil vessels or disrupting maritime traffic. If that happens, Iranian officials wont be happy people, Trump told pool reporters ahead of a meeting with Hungarys Viktor Orban at the White House. It's going to be a bad problem for Iran if something happens, I can tell you that. They're not going to be happy they know what I mean by it. Iran announced last week that it was suspending caps on its stockpiles of low enriched uranium and heavy water to pressure the remaining five parties to the nuclear deal to find concrete ways for it to get the economic incentives to stay in the deal, after the Trump administration last week cut all waivers for countries to receive imports of Iranian oil. While Pompeo is expected to get a warmer reception from Putin in Sochi tomorrow, after Trump and Putin rekindled their warm consultations in a 90-minute phone call late last month celebrating the end of Robert Mueller's Russia probe, Russia has also expressed exasperation about the Trump administrations hard-line position on Iran. The Russian side will try to get Pompeo to explain how the United States plans to get out of this crisis its created with Iran by its unilateral decisions, Lavrov was cited by the BBC today. He reportedly added that he expects a frank conversation, and is sure that the United States will put colossal pressure on the Europeans to back the United States against Iran, which he said the Europeans should withstand. European governments are pushing back diplomatically against Washington amid rising US-Iran tensions, even as they have been unable to do much to keep Iran receiving economic benefits to stay in the deal, said Sanam Vakil, senior Gulf researcher at Chatham House. Europe is so frustrated with the United States for taking this unilateral action with regard to the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action], Vakil told Al-Monitor. It has blocked Europe from addressing the outstanding issues they all share with regard to Iran. In a way, the US actions have stalled European engagement efforts on the ballistic missile file and on regional issues. Because they have been trying to band-aid over and trying to hold on to this deal. The question is until when. The Europeans are signaling that they at least privately blame the Trump administration for any rise in Iranian misbehavior in the region or the nuclear file in response to US actions, said Schake. My guess is that Secretary Pompeos hope was that the [alleged] attack on the Saudi vessels in international waters would provide support for the American position that Iran needs to be more tightly constrained on all of these other areas where it poses a regional threat, Schake said. But Americas European allies believe we [the United States] caused this problem by withdrawing from the agreement. They are not sympathetic to letting the Iran deal collapse and the US saying, We need you to stand beside us and threaten a military response. They are not going to show up for us on this, Schake assessed of the Europeans. Its been clear for some time. I think the stridency of Brian Hook and of Secretary Pompeos diplomacy on this has not made it more likely that the Europeans will line up with us. A sense of growing bitterness by European allies toward the Trump administration was evident in both public and private comments in Brussels. Pompeo "wanted a photo-op, a senior unnamed European diplomat told the Wall Street Journals Laurence Norman of Pompeo crashing the EU Iran meeting in Brussels. We declined and stuck to the plan." The Europeans are deeply angry, Chatham Houses Vakil said. They are deeply distressed. The worry here in particular is that [US-Iran escalation] could lead to some sort of crisis that would impact European security in a serious way. CAIRO Egypts government is planning on turning over 150 rundown heritage buildings in central Cairo to the private sector in a bid to have them refurbished and then rented out for profit. Egyptian Minister of Public Enterprise Hesham Tawfik announced the governments plan April 23; it hopes to save a wide repertoire of buildings of neoclassical, art nouveaux, beaux arts, art deco and early modern styles, many built in the early 20th century and nationalized in the 1960s, Reuters reported. Due to a major lack of funding and maintenance, as many tenants living in old rent-controlled units pay a pittance without landlords being able to raise the amount due, these buildings have suffered from various degrees of dilapidation. Tawfik said April 24 on the TEN channel talk show that the purpose of renting these buildings out is to preserve their historic value, as most of them require restoration. He said that not all 150 buildings would be turned over to the private sector at once, but rather only four or five buildings at a time for starters to try how things would go. According to a government report May 2, there are 351 such unexploited historical buildings across the nation that are owned by the state. These include 150 heritage buildings that date back more than 120 years. The report said a plan is being devised for the development and renovation of the buildings in a bid to rent them out for adequate sums of money and use the proceeds for maintenance and preservation. The government has no intention of selling any of the properties, the report said. The governments plan would follow the model of the privately owned Al-Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment, which took over 23 historic buildings that have been under incremental renovation. The company would negotiate and settle with unit owners inside a building, buy and renovate the units and then rent them out to private sector companies. According to Tawfik, in the case of government-owned buildings, the private sector would act as a partner handling the development and restoration but the buildings will remain the property of the state. The renting proceeds would go to the private sector. Suheir Hawas, a professor of architecture and urban design at Cairo University and a member of the National Organization for Urban Harmony, told Al-Monitor via phone that there are five criteria to classify a building as a heritage building. A heritage building should have a distinctive architectural style of construction, be the work of a pioneering architect, include physical reminders of historical events, represent a specific era in history or be considered as a tourist attraction. Once a building is listed as a heritage building, it cannot be demolished or have its architectural style altered but it can be restored or revamped at the hands of specialized experts and under the supervision of the state-owned National Organization for Urban Harmony. Hawas said Law No. 144 of 2006 on the regulation of heritage buildings does not prevent the sale, purchase, rent or change of the purpose of use of heritage buildings in line with their historical value. The government is considering to benefit from this heritage wealth in partnership with the private sector. Hawas added that the government is working on vacating historic buildings housing government departments to be moved to the new administrative capital east of Cairo near the Cairo-Ain Sokhna Road. She noted that renting out these buildings will do no harm as long they are used safely and not turned into stores or workshops. Hawas said that in the Khedival Cairo project, buildings have been renovated only on the exterior. But in this new partnership with the private sector, the entire buildings will be revamped. On April 30, Taleet Khalil, a member of parliament for the Conservative Party, proposed a motion to Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli, Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anany and Tawfik to turn over historic buildings to the private sector for renovation. Khalil called on the government to set the necessary regulations to preserve the historical value of these buildings with guarantees that they will be restored to better conditions to last for generations to come. For his part, the dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Ain Shams University in Cairo, Ayman Ashour, told Al-Monitor via phone that restoring and properly reusing historic buildings would preserve their historical and cultural values. He said they can be turned into museums, art galleries, music centers or libraries, which would at the same time serve the people in the surrounding areas. Ashour added that these buildings could also be turned into companies headquarters or hotels, which would be a good return on investment instead of closing or vacating them. Yomn al-Hamaqi, a professor of economics at Ain Shams University in Cairo, told Al-Monitor via phone that revamping historic buildings in central Cairo and giving a facelift to the area would help boost the countrys tourism sector. She added that this is an opportunity to attract Arab tourists, especially since the government has been interested in doing so as reflected in the Ministry of Tourisms promotional campaign for the month of Ramadan that was launched May 1, inviting tourists to visit Egypt to enjoy the unique atmosphere of the holy month and celebrate it with Egyptians. Amid the Trump administration's all-time high pressure on Iran, manifested in its decision not to extend sanctions waivers granted to Tehran's key oil customers, Iran-US tensions are reaching levels unseen in recent decades. To alleviate the burden on its shoulders, Iran might not be fully capitalizing on China as its leading oil buyer. Yet Beijing could continue to be a key part of Iran's solution to mitigate the impacts of biting US sanctions. There is a lot about China to make it a valuable ally for Iran: It is Tehran's top trade partner, receives the largest share of Iran's crude exports and is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Above all, China is one of the committed signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and one of Tehran's major political allies. Iran-China relations have in recent decades been more trilateral than bilateral, as the United States has imposed its presence to shape those ties one way or another. Washington's pressure on Beijing has placed restrictions on those relations, but shared concerns about US foreign policy have also brought Iran and China closer together, creating grounds for further cooperation. US measures meant to minimize interaction between Iran and China are no novelty. Such policies date to the 1980s, when Washington relentlessly opposed Chinese arms sales to Iran as the latter was busy waging a protracted war initiated by neighboring Iraq. The US pressure on China in the mid-1990s over its nuclear cooperation with Iran worked to the point of bringing the collaboration to a complete halt. Nonetheless, despite ups and downs, China and Iran have over time maintained an overall close relationship. Under the current global circumstances, the US-Iran-China triangle is being reshaped. Beijing and Washington are inching closer to a settlement in their trade war, which is crucial to China. The agenda of those talks includes a US request for China to stop buying Iranian oil. If reached, a US-China trade deal could thus deal a blow to Tehran-Beijing relations and hit Irans crude exports to its principal customer. But with recent changes in the positions of the United States and China in trade talks, a prompt end to their trade war is unlikely. Still, much depends on how China will meet US conditions set on oil purchases from Iran. Beijing has a record of complex responses to International crises, especially when the United States is involved. The latest example was the Chinese stance toward President Donald Trump's overtures to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and how it left the US president with mixed feelings of gratitude and criticism. On technical grounds, a suspension of oil imports from Iran would not be a simple decision for China. It would harm Chinese interests because Iran remains an important supplier at a time of international crises, which has seen producers such as Libya plunge into chaos. Elsewhere, Algeria suffers from instability, the US sanctions on Venezuela are complicating the oil market and output from Angola which feeds a significant portion of China's demand is declining. Meanwhile, by ending oil purchases from Iran, China would be risking the support of a major player in regional energy security. Furthermore, among China's Middle Eastern suppliers, Iran is the sole country that stays outside the radius of US influence. Given the heated-up Washington-Beijing strategic rivalry, this grants Iran a special status in China's foreign policy. Zeroing out Iran's oil exports could be associated with other political and security implications as well, among them anticipated fresh tensions in the Middle East, especially in the Persian Gulf and the strategic Strait of Hormuz. China imports nearly half its oil from the Persian Gulf, meaning any disruption in crude transits there would cost Beijing dearly. Additionally, in the worst-case scenario, possible unrest in Iran as a result of US pressure could harm Chinese interests. From the bird's-eye view, it could also alter the power balance in the Middle East against China. Instability in the region would affect Beijing's dividends from its international megaproject, the Belt and Road Initiative, which includes a number of Middle Eastern nations. On a larger scale, the US banning of Iran's oil exports is an act of unilateralism that jeopardizes China's interests. In parallel with that policy, Washington is pressing different countries to cut off business with Huawei, a Chinese tech giant that serves as the icon of the country's export-oriented economy. The US government has already launched a legal campaign against the wealthy corporation. It also keeps warning China's partners against involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative. Setting all those unilateralist precedents, Washington is rapidly closing in on China. On the other hand, by maintaining its oil imports from Iran but keeping them at a minimum level, Beijing would be able to maintain its leverage over Tehran. If those imports are fully halted and consequently Beijing loses its status as Tehran's top trade partner, China's influence would decline. Furthermore, continued Chinese imports from Iran could serve as encouragement for the Islamic Republic not to depart from the JCPOA, a deal that promises great value to China's multilateral foreign policy. Within that very framework, and ignoring US pressure, China has in recent months decided to augment its oil purchases from Iran. Nevertheless, in the medium to long term, Iran cannot simply lean toward China to avert US pressure. Tehran only makes up 1% of Beijing's total foreign trade, while the United States is China's leading business partner, dominates the global financial system and remains the world's biggest market. In addition, the Trump administration's pressure on cooperation with Iran has proven to be working on Chinese firms. Notwithstanding all that, Tehran can still expect Beijing to be an important part of a strategy against Washington's unyielding pressure. China is likely to ignore US punitive measures on trade with Iran, but at a minimum level, slightly below the threshold where it will be careful not to trigger any penalty. Put another way, Iran could still pin its hopes on China as a safety valve, but one that might exhibit less willingness to step up than expected. The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) decided May 4 to open an economic representative office in Iraq. The decision was made during a meeting bringing together executives at Iraqs Oil Ministry and Iranian oil industry equipment producers, on the sidelines of the Iran Oil Show 2019. Ramin Gholampour Dezfouli, NIOC's director for support, construction and goods supply, said only Iranian companies approved by the NIOC will be able to partake in Iraqi Oil Ministry projects. Since the second wave of the US sanctions against Iran in November, Tehran has focused its attention on promoting economic cooperation with Iraq to mitigate the US blockades impact on Iran's economy. Nada Shaker, a member of the parliamentary committee of economy and investment, told Al-Monitor, Iraq is also interested in expanding economic relations. She added, It is only normal for Iran to open an economic representative office in Iraq, given the strong cooperation in the oil sector between the two countries. [This cooperation] includes, for instance, exploration projects and having Iranian companies set up refineries, which has nothing to do with the sanctions, she added. Shaker said that such offices are line with efforts to exempt Iraq from the oil and energy sanctions. This dovetails with the May 8 announcement from Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdis media office about extending the Iranian oil sanctions waiver for Iraq. Ali al-Abboudi, a member of the parliamentary oil, energy and natural resources committee, told Al-Monitor that the promotion of economic ties, particularly in the oil and energy sector, would allow Iraq to meet its "needs for Iranian gas through which the Iraqi power plants generate 3,600 megawatts. It is necessary to open an office, which we are keen on, just as the US is also keen on its interests. According to reports, Tehran is promoting its economic, political and military influence in Iraq in order to mitigate US sanctions and threats. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy commander, Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, spoke May 1 with the Iraqi naval forces commander, Rear Adm. Ahmad Jassim Maarij, about conducting joint naval exercises. Saeed Mohammad, the head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, an Iranian organization under the IRGC involved in economic and finance projects, said May 2 that a study is being conducted on setting up a joint Iraq-Iran-Syria bank and establishing financial ties among the countries central banks. Mohammad Kareem, a member of parliament for the Fatah Alliance, told Al-Monitor, It is a necessary and anticipated thing to see the NIOC opening a [representative] office, or to see other offices being opened in the future. He added, This is because the Iraqi-Iranian ties in the oil sector will neither be halted nor be affected by the sanctions against Iran. Kareem also said, The government is oriented toward reaching an understanding with the US on the continuation of such ties. The presence of the NIOC in Iraq is a part of such orientation as well. Nevertheless, Iraqi political figures and parties warned Abdul Mahdi on April 23 against failing to abide by the US sanctions against Iran. Many Iraqis demanded that their countrys interests be given priority over those of other countries. Hamza Jawahiri of the Iraqi Oil Ministry said, Dozens of foreign companies have their [representative] offices in Iraq, where many Iraqi investors work and the states relations with the companies are organized. He added, An office in Iraq would imply that such company has large-scale business [here]. The opening of the Iranian office means that there is intention to expand its initially extensive activities in Iraq. Jawahiri said that because of the US sanctions, The role of [the representative] office will be limited to technical and engineering services, such as establishing pipelines and engineering equipment, which Iraq favors given their very low prices. It will not involve oil trade. He added, It will also help coordinate the work of Iranian manufacturers. He stressed the importance of the office in organizing explorations in the 12 joint Iraq-Iran fields, and in oil exploration, which are not banned under the sanctions against Iran. Jawahiri said opening the office is an annoying political message to the US that Iran will maintain its activities in Iraq and promote its ties with [Baghdad], which the US dislikes. This is particularly true when taking into account that in May, Iraqs parliament embarked on examination of a bill to supply Syria, Irans ally, with fuel. This provides the office with an exceptional political dimension. There is no doubt that the office is a source of concern for Washington, when taking into account a New York Times May 7 report. It wrote, Many of these groups have large numbers of representatives in the Iraqi Parliament, where the power to designate ministers is divided among the political blocs. If a bloc or a party controls who becomes a minister, they have a chance to influence who gets valuable contracts or jobs. Iraqi economic expert Salam Sarhan also wrote about the matter, saying, Iraqs Oil Ministry has started to take actions that intersect with Irans interests. Most notably among these is doubling the drilling of wells of Iraq's Majnoon field, whose reserve overlaps with Iranian fields, and pushing the Popular Mobilizations Units away from the largest gas field, paving the way for its commissioning. Isam Jihad, a spokesman for the Oil Ministry, told Al-Monitor that he sees things differently. He said, There are joint MoUs [memorandums of understandings] and agreements with Iran which the ministry is committed to. The international companies under contract with the Oil Ministry have [representative] offices in Baghdad and some provinces. The same applies to the [Iranian] companies. The offices mission undoubtedly exceeds the technical task of coordinating and managing the business of Iranian companies in Iraq. It expresses Irans insistence on fortifying its political influence in Iraq via the oil and economic sectors. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is busy these days with negotiations to form the next government. Israeli law offers the person tasked with forming the government 28 days to negotiate, and he can ask from the president for another two weeks to complete his task. Netanyahu just asked President Reuven Rivlin for these extra 14 days. The 28-day period is ending May 15, and no coalition agreement has been signed yet. So when the extra time that Netanyahu requested in order to form his government finally runs out, it will be his old coalition partners who will give up a significant portion of their demands and ask to join his government. Almost none of them could find a better government for themselves, but they will still try to pressure Netanyahu to give them the best Cabinet portfolios and agree to their other demands, knowing that Netanyahu tends to fold under pressure. They realize that he is especially pressured this time around, facing an indictment. Netanyahu himself is not very excited about the new government he is about to form. He would rather take advantage of an amendment to the law, which he introduced in 2009, just a few months after he was reelected prime minister. Until then, it required one-third of a Knesset factions members to be allowed to leave their faction without receiving the partys approval and without infringing on their rights as Knesset members. Netanyahus amendment allowed for a group of seven Knesset members to leave their party, even if they do not constitute one-third of all its members. At the time, he argued that this was one of a series of new laws intended to improve governability in Israel. Actually, he was trying to lead a group of at least seven Knesset members under Shaul Mofaz from the now-defunct Kadima party to leave their party and join his coalition. Though Mofaz did not leave Kadima, the amendment remained in place. Now, it could help Netanyahu if at least seven members of opposition party Blue and White quit their faction and join his coalition. While Netanyahus representatives are involved in intense discussions with representatives of the ultra-Orthodox, right-wing and far-right parties, the prime minister has also been sending signals to various Knesset members from Blue and White. The first name released in this context was ultra-Orthodox Knesset member Omer Yankelevich (No. 23 on the Blue and White Knesset list). On the other hand, it will not be easy for the Likud to convince anyone from Blue and White to leave their current political home and commit to a vote that would allow Netanyahu to avoid a trial and punishment. In contrast, Netanyahus natural partners have long given him their promise on this issue. The United Right party even went so far as to list a change to the Knesset Member Immunity Law as one of its own conditions for joining the coalition. In other words, even if Netanyahus emissaries manage to find seven righteous people in Blue and White, who would agree to quit their brand-new party and join the Netanyahu coalition, if they will not swear under oath to vote for any law that would keep Netanyahu out of criminal court, Netanyahu will have no choice but to prefer his current immunity coalition. In that case, he will have to grant its members the kind of concessions that will leave him sick to his stomach. In the event that Netanyahu is forced to recreate his outgoing coalition, and if Blue and White manages to maintain its current size, Benny Gantzs party will have to focus on one single issue: impeding every attempt by Netanyahu to avoid standing trial. Presumably, this should not be too difficult. After all, its the only thing that holds the partys members together. This became very obvious during the last round of violence in the Gaza Strip on May 4-5. The main criticism voiced by most members of the faction honed in on the alleged anemic Israeli response, rather than on Netanyahus vision of avoiding any agreement with the Palestinians no matter what the cost, and of his preferring Hamas over the PLO. The people speaking most on behalf of Blue and White happened to be its more familiar members such as former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and former Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser and their views hadnt changed since their days in the Likud. Yair Lapid was right behind them, sharing their views so as not, God forbid, to sound too far to the left. Ofer Shelah may be a voice of reason, who is intimately familiar with the situation, but in this case, he sounded like a minority of one in his own party. Gantz himself was less conspicuous than the others, and less decisive when he did speak out. Opposition to Netanyahu was and remains the one real common denominator shared by this group of individuals (members of Blue and White). It desperately needs to bring this common bond to the forefront. This is why investing most of the partys energy in preventing the transformation of Israels fragile democracy into a kind of authoritarian regime would be a natural course of action. The Blue and White party must invest its efforts in preventing Israel from becoming like the governments in power in Hungary or Turkey. In both those cases, there may be an election every few years, but whoever is elected runs the government as he sees best fit, silences opponents, controls the media and rewrites the law so that he can continue to rule, despite constitutional and judicial restrictions. This is the meeting point between the clear political interests of a party with no significant common denominator uniting its members, and the very serious threat to the character of the State of Israel as a nation in which the law is more than just a recommendation and in which leaders are expected to be subject to decisions by those official bodies charged with ensuring that the law is implemented. Blue and White will be doing the right thing, not only for itself but also for the country as a whole, if it moves past idle threats such as Lapid's We will make things miserable for the government, and focuses on the political and particularly the public struggle to prevent Netanyahu from carrying out his plans. Netanyahu is expected to be indicted pending a hearing. If Netanyahu cant get out of the hearing, and if after that hearing Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit decides not to indict him, I can only assume that there will be a big legal battle, culminating in an appeal to the Supreme Court over an unreasonable decision. If that appeal is rejected, the whole Netanyahu affair will be over. On the other hand, if the new Netanyahu government rushes to amend the law pertaining to the immunity of Knesset members, or if, in the name of government reform, it tries some other ploy, it will be necessary to appeal to the millions of people who voted against Netanyahu in the last April election, and bring hundreds of thousands of them to Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to scream out in horror at what is happening to Israels democratic form of government. These screams could turn into a roar, and that roar could instigate change. There was no way that Blue and White could have become the ruling party. That was true the minute they announced that they would not cooperate with the Israeli Arab population in any way to form a government, just as they would not cooperate with Netanyahu. Nevertheless, it won a very respectable number of seats, largely because so many people in Israel wanted to see Netanyahu out of office. It is quite possible that historians will say that the partys only role was to force Netanyahu to face the same legal processes that anyone else in his situation would. Then the party could break apart, just like all the other centrist parties that preceded it. On the other hand, it is also possible that a successful struggle, which brings the masses to an empty Rabin Square, will cause the Knesset members from Blue and White to undergo a kind of political boot camp together. It could even energize them and get them involved in other vital issues, which would bring about the kinds of political and social change that Israel so desperately needs. RAMALLAH Jamil Mahmoud Suleiman, 83, is still waiting in Jordan for a permit from the Palestinian civil liaison office to enter Jerusalem and pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque. His brother applied for the permit, taking advantage of Israel's temporary permission for Palestinians to enter Jerusalem and pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan. Suleiman hopes his request wont be rejected like last year. On April 22, Israel announced that 700 Palestinians living in Arab countries would be granted permits to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan. Suleiman believes this is his last chance to visit Palestine since he left for work in Kuwait in 1965. Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip after that. He was not included by the West Bank census that Israel took soon after and was therefore denied a residence permit. I hope I will be given access to Al-Aqsa one day, Suleiman told Al-Monitor. Suleiman is one of hundreds of Palestinians who were displaced from the West Bank in 1967. If he does get the permit, it would only be for one day, and he would not be allowed to travel about in the West Bank to see his brothers or visit his native city of Nablus. I just want to make it to Palestine. I can ask my brothers to come to Jerusalem on Friday, he added. Ten years ago, Israel started to allow Palestinians in the West Bank to enter Jerusalem to pray at Al-Aqsa during the month of Ramadan. Eligibility is generally determined by age group and depends on Israel's political relationship with the Palestinian Authority. This year, men who are under 16 and over 40 years old are allowed to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque. Women of all ages are allowed to visit the mosque on Fridays. However, men aged between 30 and 40 need permits to do so, and those 16-29 are ineligible to apply. There were 150,000 openings made available for Palestinians to visit their relatives in Israel from Sunday through Thursday during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. Another 700 visitor permits were announced for relatives living in Arab countries to visit Al-Aqsa, and 700 permits for Palestinians to travel abroad through the Ben-Gurion Airport. These measures only apply to Palestinians in the West Bank. There are no official criteria for the permits, only conditions for consideration. Applicants go to the Civil Liaison office and may or may not be accepted. Palestinians eye the measures with suspicion, wary of empty gestures that far below demand for access. Jihan Awad dismissed the offer as a lie. Last year, Awad went from Ramallah to Jerusalem through the Qalandiya checkpoint in the north to celebrate Laylat al-Qadr. As she was on her way back to Ramallah, Israeli soldiers searched the bus she was on and asked her for her permit. She tried but failed to convince them that she had entered legally. I was detained until the end of the day and was forced before my release to sign a paper stating that I would never enter Jerusalem illegally, she said., adding that she also faced delays at the checkpoints leading to Jerusalem. On Fridays and on Laylat al-Qadr, hundreds of us women line up under the sun as officials slowly processed us, she added. Still, Awad prays at Al-Aqsa every Friday and every Laylat al-Qadr because they are the only days she is allowed in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, hundreds of young men are are excluded from these easements. Ahmad Ibrahim, a 34-year-old man from the town of Kafr Rai near Jenin, told Al-Monitor, I have never visited Jerusalem in my life. I have mixed feelings. Jerusalem is only an hour away from my house, but it somehow feels like it is very far. He added, We watch the prayers performed at Al-Aqsa on TV. We imagine the old city's streets based on the descriptions of friends. After Israeli announced that men under the age of 40 needed a permit, Ibrahim went to the Palestinian Civil Liaison office and requested a pass. He was not given one. They announce the permits, but they dont always issue them, he said. Abdel Hadi Azzam, 46, is from Nablus. Although his age group was included in the easement last year, the Israeli soldier who examined his identity card when he reached the checkpoint stopped him from entering. Just because I was once arrested, I am excluded and not allowed to get a permit to pray at Al-Aqsa, which I only entered once in my life at the age of 10, he told Al-Monitor. Azzam was released in 2009 after four years of detention over to his activity in the Fatah movement. Spokesman for the Civil Affairs Ministry Walid Wahdan told Al-Monitor that Palestinians consider access to Al-Aqsa a right. UN Resolution 194 of 1948 stipulates that the holy places, religious buildings and sites in Palestine be protected and free access to them assured in accordance with recognized rights and historical practice. The Israeli side has been declaring such measures on religious occasions for 10 years now, but it has now linked them to a set of requirements, he added. According to Wahdan, the set of conditions for eligibility can vary. Sometimes applicants must be married, and widowers or divorcees are excluded. Thousands of others are denied permits for security reasons. With regard to expatriate permits, Wahdan said, Last year, they said 700 permits would be issued, but only half of them were. While some Palestinians wait for this chance every year, thousands are saddened when they find themselves unable to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan. Libyan military strongman Khalifa Hifters westward offensive, which began last month, has dramatically heated up the Libyan civil war. In a statement issued today, European Union foreign ministers warned that the attack could further destabilize the country and said it threatens international peace. "The LNA military attack on Tripoli and the subsequent escalation in and around the capital constitutes a threat to international peace and security and further threatens the stability of Libya," the statement read. Fighting between his Libyan National Army and its enemies since early April has killed roughly 400 Libyans, displaced at least 50,000 and severely damaged several of Tripolis southern districts. Despite the EU warning and calls earlier this month from the United Nations for a weeklong cease-fire on humanitarian grounds, Hifter does not believe that the holy month of Ramadan is reason for a temporary truce. In fact, the eastern commander is now invoking Islamic references in calling for a jihad against the Libyan National Armys enemies in order to rally his forces for an intensified period of fighting during Ramadan. This religious language from Hifter, who is allied with Libyas secular Tobruk-based House of Representatives, must be largely understood within the context of the commander attempting to reach out to and mobilize more Salafists/Madkhalis against militias in Misrata and Tripoli that are loyal to the UN-recognized Government of National Accord. Hifters rhetoric and alignments are illustrative of the countless contradictions and complicated dynamics shaping the Libyan civil war. That a host of states namely the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have backed Hifter on the premise that only his forces can counter violent extremism is unquestionably paradoxical. Important to note is that there are major differences between Libyan Salafi groups, with some in Hifters camp and others against him. Assuming the Libyan National Armys offensive on Tripoli fails to result in a decisive victory for Hifter, who seems determined to capture control of every inch of Libyan soil, a bloody stalemate may ensue in the beleaguered Maghrebi country. Both sides will attempt to sell the world their version of reality in a war of narratives about which side in the conflict is truly fighting extremism and terrorism. Increasingly clear is that Hifter may conduct himself in manners that do not reflect the ideological agendas or preferences of some of his state sponsors. To be sure, Egypt has never enthusiastically welcomed the incorporation of armed Salafi groups into Operation Dignity, which Hifter launched in mid-2014. At the same time, it is difficult to imagine officials in Abu Dhabi appreciating the commanders rhetoric about Ramadan being the month of jihad in Libya. Nonetheless, to Hifters credit he has thus far been rather successful in downplaying the Salafists major roles in his military operations. This has been necessary for the commander mainly because of his efforts to sell himself as leading a legitimate Arab army fighting to eradicate radical Islamists in order to establish a secular Libya. Nonetheless, the reality is that pro-Hifter Salafi fighters have done a lot of heavy lifting for the Libyan National Army and endured a high number of casualties throughout this five-year civil war. Moreover, these Salafists have integrated themselves into the Libyan National Armys regular units as well as the security apparatus in Benghazi. Yet from the standpoint of those interested in a pluralistic, tolerant, and democratic future for Libya, it is alarming that in mid-2017 the UN Panel of Experts on Libya documented how certain Salafists fighting in the ranks of Hifters coalition had called for executing apostates. If true, the accusations that the Libyan National Army permitted Islamic State (IS) fighters to quietly escape from Benghazi to Bani Walid as well as Hifters recent admission in a France 24 interview that he used to order his forces to return Tunisian IS fighters to their countries of origin must alarm Hifters foreign sponsors, which, to varying degrees, have bought this notion that the Libyan National Army is Libyas sole force to combat terrorism. Such confusion and blurry lines on the ground highlight how difficult it is for foreign powers to control their allies and clients in Libya. This lack of clarity also demonstrates the need for nuance when discussing Libyas myriad actors as terms such as secular need to be defined within this countrys context, as even Hifter invokes religious rhetoric for political purposes. Concerns about excessive Salafi influence in the Libyan National Army already prompted Hifter to dismantle one eastern Salafi group, Tawhid, which previously belonged to his coalition. But looking ahead, it is questionable whether Hifter can continue such a delicate balancing act. Clashing visions on the part of Libyan National Army allied Salafists and the Libyans who began supporting Hifter because they wanted an end to Ansar al-Sharia, as well as the foreign states that have backed the Libyan National Army in order to eradicate Islamist militias from the scene in Libya, could be extremely difficult for Hifter to manage politically. In this chaotic and multifaceted civil war, the dividing lines between legitimate or regular fighters and illegitimate or irregular militants/terrorists are far from clear. Doubtless, as Salafists continue challenging state institutions in Libya while imposing their beliefs on communities that practice more tolerant and peaceful versions of Islam, it is almost inevitable that such ultra-conservative groups will seek to transform Libya in many ways, stretching across the domains of religion to security and politics. For now, these Salafists on Hifters side have earned the eastern commanders praise for their courage and discipline in past battles. But these groups are also perceived as a major threat to various ethnic, religious and political groups in the North African country, including Sufi Muslims, the Amazigh community and the Muslim Brotherhood. As the Libyan war rages on, Salafists under the Libyan National Army umbrella will probably become increasingly difficult for Hifter to mask. The odds are good that fears of pro-Hifter Salafists will further mobilize actors loyal to the Government of National Accord to prevent the Libyan National Army from achieving further gains. Regardless of the outcome of Operation to Liberate Tripoli, the Salafi phenomenon in Libya is set to continue and become an issue that Hifters regional and international allies will likely have to eventually address. Sooner rather than later the Libyan National Armys backers in Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Paris and Riyadh should begin asking themselves whether Hifter is combating, or absorbing, dangerous extremists. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Gazans can now search for their preferred Islamic preachers and rate their Friday sermons. The Information Technology Department at the Hamas-affiliated Ministry of Religious Endowments in the Gaza Strip launched April 29 Al-Khotaba wal-Wiaz ("Preachers and Sermons") smartphone application. The app, which is currently only available on Google Play, allows users to assess the performance of preachers and post feedback on Friday sermons, which are considered the most significant weekly religious event for Muslims. Efforts are currently underway to make the app available for iPhone users in the App Store. According to Nael al-Dahshan, planning and policy director at the Ministry of Religious Endowments, the app allows users to track their preferred preachers and locate the mosque in which they are leading Friday prayers. Dahshan told Al-Monitor that preachers are evaluated by a system of one to five stars: unacceptable (one star), acceptable (two stars), good (three stars), very good (four stars) and excellent (five stars), which is also available on the platform Khotaba that was launched by the ministry in January 2018. App users can also receive a reminder on Thursday evening of Friday prayers and the name of the mosque where their favorite preacher will deliver the sermon. In addition, a reminder of the five daily prayers can be activated, with the option to set the azan (call to prayer) as the reminder ringtone. Attending the Friday sermon is a religious obilgation in Islam. Yousef Farhat, director of the ministry's Department for Preaching and Guidance, told Al-Monitor that the app includes a biography of each preacher indicating his certificates of Islamic studies and years of experience, "which helps worshippers choose a preferred preacher. He said, Most importantly, the app aimed at improving preachers performance allows the Ministry of Religious Endowments to learn more about each preacher and how the public is receiving the weekly religious sermons. When a preacher gets more than one negative feedback at more than one mosque, the ministry will form a special committee to follow up on the evaluation." Farhat added, When a preacher fails to deliver a strong, convincing sermon and gets negative feedback on the app, the ministry will surely let him go. We will not keep any unqualified preachers." He explained that Friday sermon preachers ought to demonstrate in-depth knowledge in Islamic and general culture, a high-level of memorization of the Quran and the prophet's hadith or sayings, a convincing eloquent style and a complete distance from partisan and political speeches in favor of certain political parties. This app is great as it allows worshippers to rate preachers and give feedback of their performance right after the end of the sermon to the Ministry of Religious Endowments, Ismail al-Aklouk told Al-Monitor. Sometimes during the sermon, preachers provide false historical or Islamic information. Many worshippers feel the urge to correct them but interrupting the sermon is not permissible. Aklouk believes that the app serves both worshippers and preachers, as it allows users to assess sermons and it is an opportunity for the preachers to see the worshippers' ratings and feedback. Sameh al-Bazm told Al-Monitor, "The internet has contributed to the enrichment of religious content on religious websites. Preachers are no longer the only source of religious and faith information. Today worshippers look for distinctive preachers who manage to reinvent themselves and with a deep Islamic culture [whose sermons they decide] to listen to during Friday prayers. Bazm said, There is growing dissatisfaction among worshippers toward preachers who mix politics and religion and use their platforms to support or defend a certain political party from a very personal perspective, which is getting really annoying." He added that the app is very useful to track the best-ranking preachers who distance themselves from partisan and political discourse and to submit a complaint about politically charged sermons or extremist and hate speeches upholding negative messages, such as ostracizing non-Muslims, for instance. Kayed Murtaja, a resident of Gaza City, told Al-Monitor that he is surprised by the Gaza authorities interest in launching an app to assess the religious performance of preachers and to develop religious institutions. However, he would like to see apps developed for other government services, too. I am all for a religious app given the religious nature of Palestinian society, but why not launch similar apps to develop other government services and to assess the performance of public workers in the different public departments, especially in the ministries of Education and Health, he noted. According to the Department for Preaching and Guidance, the Gaza Strip has 888 mosques and 1,341 preachers, 965 of whom hold Islamic religious certificates and 376 various other academic degrees. RAMALLAH, West Bank The Palestinian Energy and Natural Resources Authority, representing the Palestinian Authority (PA), and the National Electric Power Co., representing Jordan, are finalizing an agreement on a comprehensive project to be signed before May 20 to increase imported power from Jordan to the Palestinian territories. The project comes as part of the PAs efforts to diversify electricity sources rather than rely on only one. The PA imports more than 90% of its electricity needs from Israel. For the rest, it relies on a Jordanian line that feeds Jericho and on solar energy. The new project will serve the West Bank only excluding the Gaza Strip. The energy authority's acting chairman, Zafer Melhem, told Al-Monitor, There are no restrictions on Palestine to import electricity from anywhere outside the country. The agreement confirms our intention to decrease reliance on one source of energy and to promote diversification. Melhem noted that the strategic aim of the project is to diversify sources of energy and decrease reliance on Israel. The plan is underway, especially as the Palestinian territories are producing 40 megawatts of power locally and through solar energy. This would not be the first time the PA and Jordan coordinate in the field of electricity importation. Melhem said that in February 2008, Jordan began supplying electricity to Jericho and al-Aghwar governorates through the Sweimeh station that has a 26-30 megawatt capacity. He said the aim of the project is to maximize the amount of energy and electricity imported from Jordan. He added that a joint Palestinian-Jordanian team is currently working on completing the project paperwork and documents such as plans and specifications. Then the agreement would be signed between the two sides to organize the projects technical and commercial aspects. Melhem said the new agreement with Jordan will include increasing electricity importation through Sweimeh station and through a new connecting point that was recently inaugurated, al-Karama station, between the Jordanian Karameh town and the Palestinian al-Auja town in Jericho. Melhem said the amount of electricity involved in the project will feed Ramallah and Jerusalem, in addition to Jericho. He said funding for the extension of transport and connection lines will be sought after the papers are finalized. Melhem said that if all parties, including Israelis, give their approval for the project to begin after funding is in hand, the project would start operations a year after work begins. He said the financial value of the project is estimated at $12 million. Melhem added, Some donors promised to study the project, and some financial allocations are provided by global banks, including the World Bank and the European Investment Bank. We will resort to them to discuss the possibility of funding the project. He did not name the donors. After the project is completed, it is supposed to cover 10% of the electricity needs of the West Bank, and as a result, electricity prices for citizens could drop. He said, In any project, we mainly care about the electricity price, which should be less than the Israeli price. He said the PA buys each kilowatt hour from Israel at the price of 38 agoras (11 US cents). Melhem expressed his hope to receive lower prices from Jordan, saying, We look forward to lower prices from Jordan at less than 10 cents for each kilolwatt hour. Israel is the main electricity supplier for the West Bank, via medium-voltage lines through more than 235 medium-voltage connection points supplied from main Israeli transmission stations, such as Atarot and East Jerusalem station, according to Melhem. Electricity is distributed to Palestinians through local distribution companies such as the Jerusalem Electricity Distribution Co. and the North Electricity Distribution Co. The monthly consumption bill ranges between 170 million shekels [$47 million] and 200 million shekels [$55.5 million] per month, he said. The PA, represented by the public Palestinian Electricity Transmission Co., signed an agreement with Israel on May 1, 2018, enabling the Palestinian government to invest in and build modern electrical transmission grids in the West Bank. This agreement allows energy-generating projects to be connected with the Israeli grids as well as with Palestines neighboring Arab countries such as Jordan and Egypt. The energy authority is working on completing the power plant in Jenin in the northern West Bank, which is slated to produce 455 megawatts, or 40% to 50% of the electricity consumed in the West Bank and Gaza. Work on the Jenin plant began in November 2016. The Palestine Power Generation Co., in cooperation with the Palestine Investment Fund, the Palestine Company for Investment and Development and the Palestine Telecommunications Company, have funded the $620 million project to build the Jenin power plan, which will be operational in 2021. We are in dire need of this project because it serves the area under our jurisdiction, said Ali Hamouda, the Jerusalem Electricity Distribution Co. assistant general manager for strategic development and planning. This project is a continuation and development of the connection line between us and Jordan, inaugurated in 2008, and which will provide us with about 30 megatt capacity , he told Al-Monitor. He added, The new project meets the growing demand for electric loads in the Jericho area in light of major projects being constructed in the governorate, such as industrial projects, Al Istiqlal University, which is opening new buildings, and the Jericho Agro-Industrial Park. These projects now need a capacity of 50 megawatts. Hamouda said the new project is expected to provide an additional 140 megawatts, about 50 megawatts of which will be allocated to the governorate of Jericho and added to 30 megawatts of the old connection line. The rest will be allocated to the areas of al-Azariya and al-Zaim in Jerusalem and the villages and towns east of Ramallah. A small-scale tremor shook relations between NATO and its increasingly rogue member Turkey on May 3 when a Cyprus delegation was included on a ceremonial guest list. The incident provides a glimpse into the challenging future awaiting Turkey's ties with the alliance once Russia delivers its controversial S-400 missile-defense systems. The fuss arose around a May 3 ceremony for US Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, who was assuming his position as NATOs new supreme allied commander for Europe. The event was held at NATO's military headquarters in Belgium. Military personnel and civilians from across NATOs 29 allied nations and various partners attended the ceremony with one exception: Turkey. Turkish officials refused to join the ceremony because Greek Cypriots were invited. Turkey claims the northern third of the disputed island of Cyprus. Although NATO officials said the incident was an error of protocol, they didnt retract the invitation sent to all European Union member-states along with Cyprus. Turkeys military and diplomatic representatives, in response, didnt join the ceremony. According to Turkish diplomatic sources who spoke with Al-Monitor, NATO's center of military operations, known as the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, could not have made such a mistake innocently. The same sources pointed out how Wolters predecessor, Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, tried to maintain good ties with Turkey during his term, but unexpectedly had a change of heart in March and advised the US Congress that as long as Turkey insists on acquiring S-400s, Ankara should not be allowed to purchase the F-35 jets it wants from the United States. The same sources said the big mistake over the invitation marred Wolters arrival and would result in a confidence crisis between Turkey and NATO's military headquarters that would take a long time to overcome. Turkeys Foreign Ministry echoed a similar sentiment in its statement after the incident, describing it as a gross blunder that cannot be explained in good faith. We condemn this irresponsible behavior. The necessary steps have been taken to bring to light how [NATO's military headquarters] committed this unforgivable mistake, the statement said. According to the same sources, more than 100 Turkish military and civilian personnel working at NATO's military headquarters are being kept out of critical meetings on air defense, reconnaissance and intelligence. Three days after the incident, NATOs supreme decision-making body the North Atlantic Council, led by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg of Norway met May 6-7 in Istanbul for its Mediterranean Dialogue summit. On the sidelines of the NATO meeting, Stoltenberg met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This visit by the NATO chief was actually intended to persuade Ankara to safeguard the alliance and regional security. Stoltenberg is known to have expressed his concern about possible adverse effects of US sanctions arising from the S-400 purchase, and how such sanctions could weaken the alliance. Stoltenberg has been against member-states imposing sanctions on each other. Sources in Ankara say Stoltenberg is worried that the tension in NATO regarding Russia because of the S-400s could undermine NATOs stance against Moscow, and has so warned his interlocutors in Ankara. However, at least for now it's difficult to say that Stoltenbergs effort has been fruitful, as Ankara is sticking with the S-400s as a reflection of its sovereign rights. A Turkish source with knowledge of the matter told Al-Monitor that a Russian team of soldiers and technical personnel is expected in Turkey in early June for a field study on possible deployment locations for S-400 batteries. According to the source, Turkey will receive two S-400 battalions, each consisting of four companies, and each battalion will have 72 missiles. There will also be 48 reserve missiles, bringing the total being delivered to Turkey to 192. Under Russian military structure, an air-defense company has nine batteries; the four companies would have 36 batteries. Each S-400 battery is made up of three mobile vehicles: a launching pad, a radar and a command unit. As such, at the beginning of August the missiles and about 10 vehicles would start arriving in Turkey. In short, in June, Turkeys purchase of the S-400s would become an institutional cooperation between two countries. Although this has not been confirmed yet, Russian media also report that at the end of May about 100 Turkish soldiers from air-defense, signals, artillery and radar classes and some civilian technical personnel will begin a five-month training program in Russia. Thus, Stoltenbergs visit to Ankara could be summarized as too little, too late in fending off the growing military cooperation between Turkey and Russia. This in turn should cause Turkey to be excluded from some critical NATO units particularly from the military headquarters intelligence, air and missile-defense meetings with the reason given as information security. NATO would likely also cancel the security clearances of Turkish military personnel who work with S-400 systems. In other words, whether it was a blunder in good faith or a tacit rebuke to Ankara, the invitation incident at the military headquarters provides a road map of the bumpy relationship awaiting Turkey and NATO in June. A social media campaign calling for parents "to ensure that their daughters dress modestly in public so that citizens can fast" has sparked wide controversy in Egypt. The online campaign, launched days ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, provoked a backlash from liberal activists and women's rights advocates. It was, however, supported by conservatives in the patriarchal society. The campaign's proponents believe that immodest or revealing clothes worn by women during Ramadan distract men from their fast, an assumption that many women found insulting. "The campaign is in fact a call for sexual harassment under the guise of fake piety," wrote Rabab Kamal, a radio broadcaster and Facebook user, in a comment published May 6 on her page. Her comment has been "liked" by more than 400 followers who clearly oppose the "modesty" push. "It reflects a real-life situation where men give themselves the right to approve of or punish women for what they wear," tweeted Cairo-based journalist Amira El-Fekki in criticism of the campaign's message. Several other internet users chose to offer advice to campaign supporters who believe the sight of an uncovered woman can evoke lust that would ruin their fast. "This is wrong. The campaign should instead call for men to be human beings, not animals, and for them to control their sexual urges," suggested one tweet. "Are you concerned about your fast? Are you provoked by the way she dresses and find it hard to control yourself? Do you always blame women and their clothes? Try wearing 'a morality face mask' that will cover your eyes and protect you against temptation. It will help you fast without the need to preach morality to others. The face masks come in two colors: black and brown!" was another tweet ridiculing the controversial campaign. Below the comment were pictures of the brown and black "face masks": blinkers worn by horses to prevent them from seeing to the rear or to the side. Azza Kamel, founder and chairwoman of Appropriate Communication Techniques for Development, a Cairo-based nongovernmental group, told Al-Monitor, "Ramadan is a time of fasting and reflection. It is a time for heightened spirituality and for purifying the body and soul. The people behind the campaign have closed minds and are clueless about the true meaning of the fast. Instead of focusing on worldly matters, they should focus on spiritual growth during the holy month." Member of parliament Mohamed El Husseiny, meanwhile, posted an online video urging those behind the campaign to "stop attacking girls. He said, "Rather than tell girls what to wear and what not to wear, each person should distinguish between what's right and wrong based on their conscience. I'm not waiting for someone to tell my daughter what she can or cannot wear. Sexual harassment is commonplace in Egypt despite a law in place since mid-2014 outlawing all forms of harassment. A 2017 study by the international research organization Promundo and UN Women found that 60% of Egyptian women have been subjected to harassment, most commonly on public transportation or on the street. According to the report, 75% of men and 84% of women interviewed in the poll agreed that "women who dress provocatively deserve to be harassed." In February 2016, talk show host Reham Saeed was sentenced to 18 months in prison for shaming a sexual assault victim who was a guest on her show. Saeed had suggested that the woman "deserved her fate" and showed private photos of her in revealing clothes, including a bikini. The woman said the pictures had been stolen by a member of the show's production team from her phone, which she had left with the TV crew before entering the studio. Three months later, however, Saeed was acquitted on appeal of libel, slander and violating the woman's privacy by airing the pictures. This unfortunately seemed to back the message that victims of harassment or assault invite harassment by what they wear. Two women who complained about sexual harassment have been made to pay a dear price for speaking out. One of the women, Amal Fathy, a 35-year-old Egyptian pro-democracy activist and former member of the April 6 youth group that mobilized for the 2011 mass protests, has been detained since May 2018. She was arrested in a predawn raid on her home two days after posting an online video criticizing the authorities for failing to tackle sexual harassment. In the 12-minute video posted on her Facebook page, Fathy described how she was sexually harassed twice on the same day and criticized the deteriorating socio-economic conditions in the country. Four months later, she was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of "spreading false news that harms national security" and ordered to pay a fine of $560 and $1,120 in bail. In the case involving the second woman, a man was sentenced to a mere two weeks in prison on assault charges in 2017 but was acquitted of harassment charges even though the incident had been caught on surveillance cameras in a mall two years earlier. Upon his release from prison, he took revenge on his accuser by slashing her face with a knife, inflicting a 20-centimeter-long (8-inch) wound on her right cheek. Two months later, the woman, emotionally exhausted by the ordeal, attempted suicide on live video by overdosing on anti-depressant pills but was rescued by a friend who rushed her to hospital. In June 2018, her attacker was sentenced to one year in prison. There have only been a few rare cases in which men have been actually punished for the crime of harassment. In August 2017, a tuk tuk driver was handed a five-year jail sentence and ordered to pay a fine of 1,000 Egyptian pounds (about $59) after he was convicted in a sexual harassment case, the first such harsh ruling for harassment in Egypt. The online campaign urging women to cover up during Ramadan also sparked a heated public debate about hijab, the headscarf traditionally worn by some Muslim women. In a TV interview broadcast on the private channel CBC, Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand sheikh of Al-Azhar, said that while Muslim women were not obliged to wear the full face veil, or niqab although wearing it is "permissible" they are required to cover their hair. "The Quran tells Muslim women to wear a headscarf but those who choose not to should not be considered deviants from the faith; labeling them as such is in itself a sin," he told the interviewer. "There are bigger sins than not wearing hijab," he added, citing lying and gossiping as two such "major sins. His remarks prompted a backlash from Amna Nosseir, a member of parliament and professor of jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University. "Women do not need guardianship," she said in a telephone interview broadcast on the privately owned channel Al Hadath Al Youm. "A woman's modesty is not just in her appearance or style of dress. She should pay equal attention to her behavior and manners and dress according to the times we live in. That said, modesty is part of a woman's beauty and dignity; she should wear what she likes without attracting too much attention. No one is our guardian save for our Lord who will judge us on Judgment Day." But despite the denunciation of the campaign by rights advocates, critics feel that more can be done to address Egypt's "harassment epidemic. Women's awareness of their rights, continued coverage by the media and enforcement of the anti-harassment law are key in curbing harassment," Kamel told Al-Monitor. Four months after being picked to finish just No. 8 in the SEC, Alabama has again been classified as a No. 8 seed. This time though, its for the NCAA tournament. The 52-7 Crimson Tide is the No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament and will host a regional in Tuscaloosa beginning Friday, it was announced Sunday evening. The other teams at the Tuscaloosa Regional will be Arizona State (33-18), Lipscomb (41-13-1) and Alabama State (24-23). The winner of the Tuscaloosa Regional will face the winner of the Austin Regional being hosted by No. 9 Texas. Alabama, the SEC regular season champions, came close to being seeded much higher. Florida, the team that beat the Tide 2-1 in the SEC tournament title game Saturday night, is a No. 5 seed. Still, its yet another NCAA tournament appearance and yet another top-16 seed for Patrick Murphy and Alabama. The Tide has made the tournament every year since 1999 and has been a top-16 seed each of the last 15 years. Matt Zenitz is an Alabama and Auburn reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz. The number of measles cases in the U.S. has topped 830 cases across 23 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control. From Jan. 1 to May 10, 839 individual cases of measles have been confirmed, an increase of 75 cases from the previous week. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000, the CDC said. The vast majority of the cases more than 80 percent have been reported in New York, introduced by people who returned to unvaccinated communities after traveling to foreign counties. Other states reporting measles cases are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington. Measles in Alabama As of May 8, the Alabama Department of Public Health said it has conducted 252 investigations related to measles; 82 of those investigation remain open as of May 13. ADPH announced Friday, a 5-month old Pell City baby who initially was thought to have the measles tested negative under a CDC evaluation. Health officials continue to recommend that infants and children be vaccines at 12 months and 4 years of age. Adults born before 1957 are considered to have immunity from the virus. Adults born after 1957 who received one dose of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine are considered adequately protected unless they are in high-risk, such as those working in healthcare or international travelers. Those people are recommended to receive a booster. Alabama and 43 other states have filed suit against a host of drug makers accusing them of artificially inflating and manipulating prices and conspiring to reduce competition. The 510-page suit against 20 drug companies, including Teva Pharmaceuticals, alleges the producers conspired to raise prices, sometimes by as much as 1000 percent, on more than 80 generic drugs between July 2013 and January 2015. The suit was first reported by Reuters. You can see a complete lists of the states filing suit and the drug makers here. The suit was led by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong. "We have hard evidence that shows the generic drug industry perpetrated a multi-billion dollar fraud on the American people, Tong said. We have emails, text messages, telephone records, and former company insiders that we believe will prove a multi-year conspiracy to fix prices and divide market share for huge numbers of generic drugs. We all wonder why our healthcare, and specifically the prices for generic prescription drugs, are so expensive in this countrythis is a big reason why. Drugs involved in the suit cover all classes, including statins, ace inhibitors, beta blockers, antibiotics, anti-depressants, contraceptives, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and treat a range of diseases and conditions from basic infections to diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, HIV, ADHD, and more. In a statement, a representative of Teva USA denied the allegations. The allegations in this new complaint, and in the litigation more generally, are just that allegations, TEVA told Reuters. Teva continues to review the issue internally and has not engaged in any conduct that would lead to civil or criminal liability. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, also named 15 individual senior executive defendants prosecutors allege were responsible for the sales, marketing, pricing and operations. Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth is urging lawmakers to pass an abortion ban without exceptions for victims of rape or incest. Ainsworth, a Republican, posted a 35 second video to Twitter urging Alabamians to call their State Senators to ask them to pass the House version of the abortion bill, which backers said is worded to set up a Supreme Court challenge to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. Abortion is murder, Ainsworth writes in the video. Those three simple words sum up my position on an issue that many falsely claim is a complex one. Senators are set to return on Tuesday to take up the bill. A short but highly contentious debate on the matter stirred controversy in the Senate Thursday when some lawmakers said Ainsworth cut off debate. Ainsworth denied those allegations in a statement. Since taking the gavel, I have always followed both the spirit and letter of the Senate rules and I will continue that practice as long as I am presiding officer, Ainsworth said, adding it is important that we pass this statewide abortion ban legislation and begin a long overdue effort to directly challenge Roe v. Wade. The nomination of Alabama native Jeffrey Byard to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been sent to the Senate, the White House announced. Byard is currently Associate Administrator for the Office of Response and Recovery. Prior to joining FEMA in 2017, Byard served in several roles with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, including as Executive Operations Officer. He began his career with AEMA in 2002 as the Mitigation Division Planner. If confirmed, Byard would replace former FEMA chief Brock Long, who resigned in February. During his tenure in Alabama, Byard helped oversee Alabamas role in the countrys first large-scale state evacuations during Hurricane Gustav in 2008, recovery operations after 2010s Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill and efforts following the 2011 Super Tornado Outbreak that hit the Southeast. Byard served in the U.S. Marines from 1990-1994 and later received his bachelors degree from Troy University. Sen. Bernie Sanders is bringing his 2020 presidential campaign to Alabama on Sunday with a rally in Birmingham. The rally, at Kelly Ingram Park at 500 17th St. North, is set to get underway at 4 p.m., according to the campaigns website. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. You can RSVP to the event here. The independent Vermont senator enters the massive 21-candidate Democratic primary field as one of the frontrunners. He was the lone serious challenger to eventual nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. Sanders, a Democratic socialist, is known for his campaign platform of Medicare for all and free college tuition. The senator will look to win over black voters in 2020. In 2016, Sanders fared poorly in the South, including Alabama, where he lost the Democratic primary to Clinton, 78 percent to 19 percent. Sanders also made a stop in Birmingham during the 2016 campaign, when he addressed a packed crowd at Boutwell Auditorium in January 2016. A Savannah, Georgia police officer who served 21 years in the U.S. Army was shot and killed Saturday during a robbery investigation. Sgt. Kelvin Ansari, 50, was investigating a call when he walked by a vehicle occupied by a robbery suspect, later identified as Edward Fuller III, 49, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. GBI said Fuller began firing, striking Ansari and Officer Douglas Thomas before fleeing. Fuller was later found and shot when police said he pointed a handgun at the officers. Fuller died from his injuries and police said a stolen handgun was found at the scene. The officers were taken to the hospital where Ansari died. Douglas was treated and released. Savannah Police Chief Roy Minter described Ansari as a great man. We lost a man who spent a substantial portion of his life protecting the country and protecting the community. We lost a husband, we lost a father, and we lost a leader, Minter said. Ansari was a graduate of Troy University in Alabama with a degree in criminal justice, according to CNN. After his tenure in the Army, he joined the Savannah Police Department in 2008, working his way from a patrol officers to investigator to sergeant. At the time of his death, Ansari was working as a precinct supervisor. He is survived by his wife, Charlotte, and four children. Jefferson County officials plan a series of events this summer to mark Jefferson Countys 200-year history. Jefferson County will turn 200 years old on Dec. 13., one day before Alabama turns 200. The county was established on Dec. 13, 1819. A display outlining important milestones in Jefferson Countys history will be installed at Vulcan Park. A traveling historical display will also be visiting different areas of the county. Jefferson County Commissioners and other county leaders revealed the countys bicentennial logo at Vulcan Park Monday morning. Our future is on firm ground. Im excited about the next 200 years. Its in our hands to forge and cover the right path going forward," said Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens. Its a beautiful day in Birmingham. Im at Vulcan for the kickoff of the Jefferson County Bicentennial Celebration. pic.twitter.com/ykv9rePAiF Anna Beahm (@_AnnaBeahm) May 13, 2019 The county is asking residents to submit their stories about the people and places of Jefferson County history on the county website. More information on community events will be available in the coming weeks. Lord knows how many times in the 113-year-old history of the University of West Georgia that students have picnicked, played Frisbee or casually walked across a small, grassy plot of land in the middle of the campus. The school west of Atlanta was once the home of Thomas Bonner, one of the 19th century's largest Carroll County slaveholders. In 1906, the former Bonner Plantation was turned over to the state where it eventually became the core of what today is the university. Few visible remnants of the plantation remain, most notably the Bonner House, which serves as the university's welcome center. But recent archaeological tests suggest the long-forgotten remains of Bonner's slaves might be buried here. If true, UWG will be added to a long list of colleges and communities who find themselves challenged with questions on how to deal with newly discovered remains of former slaves and Reconstruction-era African Americans. There had always been whispers that there may have been a slave cemetery on campus near Melson Hall, the oldest building on campus. As far back as the 1940s, Abe Bonner, a former slave who died in 1947 at the age of 107, pointed to a spot near Melson Hall and said slaves were buried there. "When you have been here a while you hear stories," said Ann McCleary, who has taught history at the school for 22 years. "But you don't know unless you look. The idea of doing an archaeological study and trying to figure it out was a good one." Last fall, at a community meeting, the possibility of the cemetery came up again so the school commissioned a study. In December, tests revealed something in the ground on a plot of land the size of an average backyard next to Melson Hall. "It is actually really exciting for a lot of different reasons, particularly the possibility of knowing a little bit more about what is there and doing more with the information," said Yves-Rose Porcena, the university's chief diversity officer. "When we found out, the leadership was very clear that we wanted to do this the right way. No matter the process." UWG is still in the early stages of figuring out what they have in the ground and what to do with it. Ya'Ron Brown, who graduated from the university in 2007 with a master's degree, said he hopes UWG, Carrollton and the county make a concerted effort to honor any slaves buried on campus and look at restitution for any families who worked the land. "It is not surprising that slaves would be buried unmarked because they were seen as property, not people," Brown said. Students and graduates of the University of Georgia also are exploring ways to address a 2015 discovery of 100 remains in an area on campus known to be a former slave burial site. It may never be known how many hidden or paved-over slave burial sites and black cemeteries are scattered across the South. But they keep getting discovered. "After Reconstruction, there were thousands of black communities that sprung up and they all had cemeteries," said Nadia K Orton, a genealogist and public historian who has studied and written extensively about the subject. Orton, who began writing about cemeteries as an extension of a family genealogical project, sees them as a barometer of the local black community. She said through decades of neglect, African American burial grounds have become endangered sites as thousands of them have been destroyed by development, while many others are overgrown, abandoned and forgotten. "With these cemeteries, the people have been removed, displaced and died off," Orton said. "Where did the communities go?" Thomas Bonner was the scion of a prominent family that owned hundreds of acres across Carroll County with plenty of slaves to tend to the land. In 1860 Bonner was the county's fourth-largest slave owner with 24 on 350 acres, according to documents from the Georgia Historical Society. After the Civil War, Bonner moved to Alabama and his former slaves were disbursed across the county, McCleary said. The university also is researching if the plot was used after the war as a burial site for free blacks. The school hired Southern Research, Historical Preservation Consultants Inc. to do the archaeological survey. After several rounds of testing, including the use of ground-penetrating radar, they found anomalies in the soil suggesting possible graves. The university says no remains have been disturbed. After the discovery, the university began contacting descendants of people enslaved by Bonner who could possibly be buried there, including relatives of Abe Bonner. While there are several white Bonners still in the Carrollton area, the school says it hasn't identified any direct descendants of Thomas Bonner. "The school will want to honor and respect those who are buried there," Porcena said. "This is a topic that could have been very divisive. But we have captured something. We are on the right path." Orton, the genealogist, is hopeful that UWG will do the right thing in recognizing and honoring those buried at the site. Even though it wasnt seen as sacred, because someone knew they were there when they built over it, they have an opportunity to redress that wrong by making it a memorial park or putting up a monument, Orton said. And by finding out who they are. Honor them by who they were. A man who was reported missing in Huntsville has been found safe, police said. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on Tuesday canceled a statewide missing senior alert for Edward Lamar Ramey. ALEA is canceling the Missing Senior Alert on behalf of Huntsville Police Department. Mr. Ramey has been located. pic.twitter.com/csvOx69ye6 AL Missing Person Alerts (@AMBERAlert_AL) May 14, 2019 Ramey, 63, had been reported missing since Sunday morning, and police believed he might be traveling to Georgia. He was found locally, said Lt. Michael Johnson. Updated May 14, 2019 at 10:43 a.m. A month before Marco Perez was charged with capital murder in the January killing of a Mobile police officer, a federal prosecutor tried in vain to keep him locked up on gun charges. Perez, 19, was too dangerous to be let out, said Michele OBrien, the Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, during a hearing on Dec. 17, 2018. The judge, who was beholden to a set of specific and detailed rules regarding bail, disagreed. Perez was let out because he had shown some signs that he was willing to turn his life around, according to audio records obtained from his federal court appearance. A month later, authorities say Mobile police officer Sean Tuder was killed while attempting to arrest Perez. While Perez has yet to stand trial in Tuders death, he was already shaping up as the newest face in the revolving door of crime in Mobile. From petty crimes as a troubled juvenile, Perezs criminal activity as an adult had evolved to burglary and handling stolen guns two crimes that he has now plead guilty to, according to court records. Had Perez been in an Alabama state court in December 2018 on those same gun charges, he would have also likely been granted bail. Under the Alabama Constitution, a suspect is generally entitled to bail in Alabama unless they are charged with a capital offense. There are some exceptions for people who fail to appear in court or if they get in trouble for something else while awaiting trial. But that law could soon change. A proposed constitutional amendment that would give judges greater leeway to keep suspects in jail if they are deemed a danger to the public has already made progress in the Alabama legislature. While the law would bring Alabama in line with some of its southern neighbors, there are concerns that the amendment could be unconstitutional and lead to greater overcrowding in county jails. Last week, the bill unanimously passed through the House Judiciary Committee and will be voted on in the House sometime this week, according to the bills sponsor, Rep. Chip Brown. After that it still has to be voted on by the Senate Judiciary Committee and then go to a full vote on the floor. It would then be voted on in a 2020 referendum. Brown said he shaped the bill after hearing repeated concerns from sheriffs, police chiefs, district attorneys and judges all around the state that the current law was too weak. It came out of conversations with law enforcement and especially after officer Tuder was killed, he said. I started thinking about the possibility of the accused shooter being let out had he not been charged with a capital crime. Ultimately, he was, but what if he wasnt? He would have got bond. After hearing the same discussions repeatedly about people being let out on bond and then re-offending, I knew something had to change. He added: In conversations with judges they told us that if we want them to protect the public then we have to amend the state constitution. Browns first version of the bill sought to allow judges to withhold bail in cases where the charges against the suspect involved a possible sentence of life without parole and life imprisonment, in addition to capital offenses. That bill has now been altered to apply to anything that is a class A felony and above, which includes rape, murder, kidnap, arson, sexual abuse, robbery and burglary, among others. It gives judges even greater powers than the previous bill. Although Brown said these new powers would only be used in the most extreme cases, such guarantees are not spelled out in the bill. The judge could always deny the no bail request and set the suspect a bond, but it also gives the judge that opportunity to make the choice. It will keep our citizens safe, he said. An Increase In Jail Populations Although the Mobile and Baldwin County Sheriffs have thrown their support behind the bill, they are ultimately the ones that will have to find space for any influx of pretrial detainees. And as of now, theres no telling if that will be hundreds of extra people a year or just a dozen of the very worst and most dangerous people. I do think it could lead to us having a growing jail population, said Baldwin County Sheriff Hoss Mack. Currently I have 650 bed facility that is at about 575-580 people on average. And we dont really know what the judges will decide to do if the law is changed, but I think one important consideration to keep the jail population down is by working with the DA to prioritize these cases, the people who are a danger to the public, and looking at other ways to make sure the jail doesnt go over capacity. Sheriff Mack also said that because of the fast-growing civilian population in Baldwin County he could face an organic growth in his jail population in addition to those who he might receive should the new bail law pass. Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran also supports the bill even though his jail is currently about 30 percent overcapacity. About a month ago, the Mobile Metro Jail had about 1,540 people locked up, according to a representative from the Sheriffs Dept. Its total capacity is 1189 beds. I dont expect that if this law passes it will require that many more on an annual basis being held, said Sheriff Cochran. Just the bad ones, the really bad. Were talking about the murderers, and not all murderers, the armed robbers, rapists, and maybe the real serious attempted murder cases. He added: I would just speculate, but maybe it would be a dozen or so more a year. So, if someone gets out on a murder case or an attempted robbery and two months later they get rearrested, we probably will get to hold them from that point forward. Pre-Trial Neighbors and the U.S. Constitution Should the bill pass Alabama will come in line with many of its neighboring states. Rep. Brown said that his model was loosely based on Floridas pretrial detention laws, which can keep someone locked up ahead of a trial for anything from capital offenses and offenses punishable by life to manufacturing controlled substances and various serious driving offenses, according to the National Conference of State Legislators, which keeps an up-to-date record of states pretrial laws. Suspects in Georgia can be denied bond for a serious violent felony if the defendant has a previous conviction for a serious violent felony, and a family violence crime involving serious injury. In Mississippi, pretrial release can be denied for capital offenses, crimes punishable by life in prison or by 20 or more years, if the defendant has a previous conviction for a capital offense, and felonies committed while on pretrial release. Tennessee allows bail for anything other than capital offenses, the same as Alabamas current law. While many states have nuanced stipulations regarding bail, Rep. Brown said that Alabamas new potential law does not fall foul of the U.S. Constitutions 8th Amendment, which states that excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. From an 8th amendment stand point, it musters up, said Rep. Brown. Ive had attorneys look at this, Ive even had the Governors attorneys look at this, and everyone says its constitutionally sound. But not everyone agrees that the new law is a step in the right direction. Smaller communities could end up having to foot the additional judicial costs of having more people locked up in county jails, according to Micah West, a staff attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center. He also said that the bill in its current form doesnt offer any guarantees that the law wont be abused by overzealous judges. Pretrial detention is permissible, but it should be the exception and not the rule, said West in an interview with AL.com. In that case it examined the Bail Reform Act, which totally limits who can be detained pretrial to the most severe crimes and only after a bail hearing and a lot of procedural protection, none of which they are providing in this Alabama bill. The Bail Reform Act is a detailed piece of federal law that in many respects is very similar to the one proposed by Rep. Brown, but it goes into specific detail about what circumstances its appropriate to detain someone and when its not. What Alabama should do is follow what the Bail Reform Act does: that the only people who can be detained pretrial are those accused of the most violent crimes and then pass a law that describes the robust procedural protections to assure that people arent inappropriately detained. It requires counsel at a bail hearing, opportunity to present evidence and the defendant to explain he shouldnt be detained and why there are alternatives. Birmingham made history this year by enacting a policy allowing its employees who wish to donate an organ paid leave, making the Magic City the only municipality in Alabama with such a program. Mayor Randall Woodfin enacted the new city policy earlier this year, which gives employees up to four weeks of paid leave if they donate a kidney or a portion of a liver. Those who donate bone marrow will get up to one week of leave. The policy came after Woodfin saw two city employeesone firefighter and one special projects liaison in his officedonate organs to their family and friends, and wanted to learn more about what the city could do. Woodfin said, Living organ donors sacrifice so much to save lives, and this new policy is just one way I want to show how, we as a city, applaud our employees sacrifice and stand with them in their decision. It was the right thing to do for our city and our employees. The leave is for employees who have worked for the city for at least one year and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the last 12 months. According to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Living Donor Navigator Program, more than 110,000 people in the United States are on waiting lists to receive lifesaving organs. Nearly 100,000 of those on the transplant lists are awaiting a kidney. Daagye Hendricks and Beverly Berry, who work with the UAB Navigator program, helped educate the mayor and city council about living organ donors and about policies, like the one UAB offers for its employees, that help people who want to donate. According to Berry, the program helps families identify living donors and educate people about the process. Most of their program focuses on kidney donations, because thats the most common organ for living donors to give. Hendricks said live donors can reduce wait time for those awaiting a transplant from four to ten years to just six months to a year. In the past 18 months, she said 30 people have received kidneys from live donors at UAB The goal is to reduce the wait time as much as possible, Hendricks said. Since the living donor navigator program was started about two years ago, Hendricks said she and Berry have been able to track the needs of both patients and donors. One obstacle theyve come across is the financial burden of a donor taking time off work. We realized there were several disparities one of which is a financial barrier, she said. While the cost of the surgery and hospital stay is covered by insurance, donors still have to take off work and suffer those lost wages. While federal laws require their job be secure while theyre out, no laws allowed the donors to be paid for that time. Until now. UAB started their paid leave program for employees about five years ago, Hendricks said, and realized they wanted to help educate other companies and municipalities about their policy and about living donors. And, they knew two Birmingham employees who had given kidneys to family members and friends. Hendricks said the mayor expressed interest in the program and she met with him to talk about his concerns and shared UAB policies. Their talk went well, and the policy was signed and made effective in April. Theyre the first Alabama municipality to allow [paid leave] now, Hendricks said. We would love to have other corporations and other municipalities join on this fight for life. A former Oneonta police sergeant was sentenced to prison Monday on multiple sex crimes involving a teen boy. Nicholas Shane Osborn, 40, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on convictions for electronic solicitation of a child and second-degree sodomy. He also was sentenced to 10 years for enticing a child for immoral purposes and one year for reckless endangerment. The sentences are to run concurrently. Osborn pleaded guilty in March. He was initially arrested in 2017, first on a DUI charge and four months later on a six-count indictment charging him with electronic solicitation of a minor, enticing a child for immoral purposes, two counts of second-degree sodomy, second-degree sexual abuse and reckless endangerment. He had been with the Oneonta Police Department since 2001 at the time of his arrest. As the case was set to go to trial in March, Osborn entered a blind plea to electronic solicitation of a child, second-degree sodomy, reckless endangerment, and enticing a child for immoral purposes. According to court documents, Osborne met a 15-year-old boy on the internet via the Grinder App in May 2017. Later that evening, Osborne met the boy while Osborne was on duty and drove him to a church parking lot in Osborns police cruiser where Osborn engaged in deviate sexual intercourse with the minor child. In September 2017, the incident was referred to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency for investigation. SBI Agent Justin Kinney was in charge of the investigation. Following Mondays sentencing, Osborns bond was revoked, and he was remanded into the custody of the Blount County Jail pending transfer to state prison. Upon his release, he will be required to register as a convicted sex offender. Cullman County Circuit Judge Greg Nicholas was appointed to preside over the case. Blount County Assistant District Attorney Scott Gilliland prior to sentencing asked that Osborn be sentenced to 51 years on the crimes. Gilliland asked the court to consider the nature of the offenses, the abuse of the power and authority of a police officer to exploit a child and the use of public assets to prey upon the child. He also pointed out the danger to the health and safety of the public that resulted from Osborns reckless behavior. Protecting our children remains a top priority for my office, said District Attorney Pamela Casey. If you perpetrate a crime upon a child, you will be prosecuted. People want to raise children in places like Blount County, so our children can grow up in safe schools and neighborhoods, Casey said. As a community, we must continue to work together to insure the safety of our children. If you hear something, say something. If you see something, say something. An Alabama inmate set to die on Thursday asked the governor for clemency, arguing his age at the time of the quadruple slaying he was convicted of should prohibit him from being executed. Michael Samra, 42, is set to die by lethal injection at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore for his role in the 1997 slayings of two adults and two children at their Pelham home. He has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of execution and a review of his case, but the nations highest court has not yet ruled. Last week, one of Samras attorneys sent a letter to Gov. Kay Ivey asking for a reprieve until another states supreme court can decide whether offenders who committed their crimes under the age of 21 should be eligible for the death penalty. Samra was 19 when he and his co-defendant, then 16-year-old Mark Duke, were charged with killing Mark Dukes father Randy Duke, his fiancee Dedra Mims Hunt, and her two daughters, 6-year-old Chelisa Nicole Hunt and 7-year-old Chelsea Marie Hunt. Samra was convicted of capital murder in 1998 and was sentenced to death for his role in the killings. Samras attorneys Steven Sears and Alan Freedman have argued in court filings that the Eighth Amendment bans the execution of offenders- like Samra- who were under the age of 21 at the time of their crimes. Sears wrote in a letter to Ivey, The question of whether the U.S. Constitution permits the execution of 18-to-21-year-old offenders is percolating in the courts and is currently pending in the Kentucky Supreme Court. The Kentucky case arose after a trial court judge ruled that the reasoning supporting the U.S. Constitutions ban on executing juvenile offenders extends to those over the age of 21. To prevent a miscarriage of justice and ensure that Alabama does not carry out an unconstitutional execution, Samra respectfully requests a reprieve until the Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled on the question that would determine whether Samra is categorically eligible for the death penalty. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court banned execution for people who were under the age of 18 at the time of their crimes. Sears has said this ruling should be modified due to evolving standards of decency. In his latest petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, Samras attorneys argue the 2005 rule should be extended to 21 and again mention the Kentucky case. The mitigating qualities of youth do not dissipate the day a youthful offender turns 18 years old, the petition states. Since [the 2005 decision], scientific studies have shown that during a persons late teens and early 20s, the brain continues growing and undergoes rapid changes in self-regulation and higher-order cognition. The petition continues, Also, there is a burgeoning national consensus against executing young adult offenders. Since [the 2005 ruling] was decided, only 13 states have handed down 4 new death sentences to offenders under 21, and a majority of states, 30, would not permit the execution of a youthful offender. Notably, one Kentucky court, surveying the scientific research and national consensus, has concluded that Eighth Amendment line drawn in Roper must now be drawn at 21. In the 14 years since this Court decided [case law], societys standards have evolved rapidly to the point that the line drawn [in the 2005 case] can no longer be justified. Accordingly, Samra has shown a reasonable likelihood that he will prevail on his Eighth Amendment claim... Before it is too late, this Court should ensure that the Eighth Amendment does not categorically preclude him from receiving the laws most severe and irreversible penalty. The state has replied to the petition in the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing about the high courts jurisdiction over the claim and calling Samras argument meritless. Finally, to the extent that Samra relies on a supposed national consensus against imposing capital punishment on persons who were under the age of twenty-one when they committed capital murder, his claim is meritless. There is no such consensus, which is made most obvious by Samras failure to point to a single state that has specifically eliminated the death penalty for defendants who are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one when they murder their victims, the Alabama Attorney Generals Office wrote. Simply put, Samras allegation does not withstand scrutiny. His national consensus and clear and growing trend are made up out of whole cloth. Rather than citing to any instance in which any state has adopted his position, Samra points to two red herrings What Samra ignores is that all of the states that fall in these categories still retain the death penalty as a sentencing option for persons who committed capital murder between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one. At bottom, Samra has failed to show a clear and growing trend because there is none. According to a spokesperson, the governor has received the request and is carefully reviewing it. The execution is set to take place at 6 p.m. Thursday. Four people are sought in a robbery at a Birmingham business during which shots were fired and a witness was struck by one of the suspects. The holdup happened Thursday, May 9, at Metro PCS on Avenue F in Ensley. Sgt. Johnny Williams said three men entered the store at 7:12 p.m. Once inside, the suspects brandished weapons at an employee and a customer and demanded money. The suspects gathered money from the register and fled on foot eastbound toward an alley. Williams said an armed citizen outside the store confronted the suspects and fired at them. As he chased them on foot, he was hit by a vehicle driven by a fourth suspects. Investigators determined that vehicle had transported the robbers to the store. Anyone with information is asked call Birmingham police robbery detectives at 205-540-7019. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. If the tip to Crime Stoppers leads to an arrest, Crime Stoppers will provide a cash reward. Gina Gregory expected to see boarded up windows, tall grass and a property that looks awful when she arrived at 1400 Roderick Road on Monday. Instead, she saw a home that doesnt present a negative aura that abandoned homes often give to the surrounding neighborhood. No plywood was hammered to the homes exterior, and the grass was cut. The window openings were filled with colorless clear plastic sheeting, a shatter-resistant alternative to glass. Having that (plastic sheeting) looks better than the boarded-up condition, said Gregory, the councilwoman for Mobiles western-most edge where the home is located. It served as a backdrop to a news conference about declining blight in Mobile, and the plans to replace plywood boards for plastic citywide. Indeed, the clear plastic look is something Mobile city officials are embracing as the city continues to chip away at the number of blighted homes. The Mobile City Council, in late July, amended its ordinances requiring that semi-clear shatter-proof polycarbonate material replace plywood in closing up unsecured windows, doors and other openings within commercial structures. Mobile is the only city in Alabama with an ordinance specifying the type of windows that should be used on empty structures. The ordinance makes it an optional requirement for residences. The city is forking out an additional expense to go with plastic to secure openings in houses that it has obtained following years of tax delinquencies by previous owners. James Roberts, senior director of neighborhood development with the city, said since the ordinance went into effect, there have been about 10 homes in which the city has added plastic sheeting. He said the additional expenses have been somewhat minimal; costs average $2,500 for boarding up homes with plywood and $3,000 to $3,500 with plastic. You can throw a brick at these walls and it will bounce off, said Roberts. It wont break. The move is also to improve the appearance of an empty home in an effort to play down the fact that no one is living inside. Proponents of using plastic over the cheaper plywood say it improves a neighborhoods aesthetics and helps prevent vandalism. From the image we want to put into the neighborhood, we dont want it to be boarded up, said Mayor Sandy Stimpson. We want it to look like it that there could be someone living in there. Declining blight The city is experiencing a rapid decline in blighted residential properties. According to charts provided by the city, there has been a 45 percent drop in the number of residential properties labeled as blighted, going from 1,625 in 2017 to 891 this year. The numbers do not include commercial and public housing properties, which are currently being assessed and inventoried ahead of a report later this year. While the city has seen a surge of emergency demolitions of structure in danger of immediate collapse from 5 in 2017 to 44 this year the number of overall blighted properties in various stages of repair, has been drastically reduced. Stimpson, who has emphasized reducing the number of blighted properties since first focusing on the effort in 2015, said his goal is to take the 891 figure and drop it to 300. If we can actually hit that number, you can see what will happen over time, Stimpson said. You will quit having places where crime occurs and the property wont be misused. The city began the process from scratch in 2016, when it won a three-year $1.6 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies leading to the formation of a municipal innovation team focused on reducing blight. Mobiles innovative approaches in fighting blighted properties have been detailed in national news organizations, including Governing Magazine. We had a process, we gave enforcement the tools they needed to do something with the properties and that is why youve seen the decline, said Stimpson. Back on the market Mobiles ordinance addressing plastic sheeting use, while a first in Alabama, has occurred in other cities such as Minneapolis, Detroit, Charlotte, and Chicago. Phoenix became the first city to require clear polycarbonate sheeting installed on all vacant properties. Ohio, in 2017, became the first state to ban the use of plywood for boarding up abandoned homes. The federal mortgage company Fannie Mae also installs clear boarding on its inventory of homes across the U.S. Stimpson said his office plans to ask for a budget increase in fiscal year 2020, so that the city can continue with the program. Gregory also said that expenditure is worth it. Even though we have to put up a little bit more money, I think its worth it to the council and certainly to the homeowners in these neighborhoods. Who wants to live next door to a boarded-up home? Nicole Caulton, a resident along Roderick for the past 3-1/2 years, said the empty home once was an eyesore with tall weeds. Roberts said it also attracted illegal dumping. Theyve done a real wonderful job, said Caulton, who says she has a family member who is now interested in purchasing it. And thats the goal of the overall program, said Roberts. We want to sell it, flip it and get it back onto the market, he said. We are looking to get this house back on the market now. References to a specifc brand of plastic sheeting were changed on May 17, 2019. An Auburn man has been arrested on pornography charges in both Alabama and Virginia. Auburn police on Monday announced the arrest of William Matthew Carter. He is 52. The investigation began Friday, May 10, when Auburn police were contacted by police in Blacksburg, Va. Carter had been taken into custody there on a charge of possession of child pornography. Evidence seized in that case prompted Auburn police to launch their own investigation. They carried out a search warrant at Carters Auburn home and found various electronic devices containing images of child pornography. Police said several of the images were confirmed to be those of children not from the Auburn area. Auburn detectives obtained five additional felony warrants charging Carter with possession of child pornography. Those warrants were entered into a law enforcement database, and Auburn police officials notified Virginia police. About 9 p.m. Friday, Carter was located and again taken into custody by the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office in Virginia. Auburn police said the investigation is ongoing, and more charges could be filed. Carter is waiting on extradition to Alabama, and his bond could be set at $50,000 once he gets back to the state. John Meredith, of Huntsville, is a former Capitol Hill lobbyist who was recognized as one of the countrys 100 most influential Black Republicans. I became a Republican over 40 years ago. Back then, the GOP was the perennial minority party both federally and in most state legislatures. That reality forced the party to not only listen to but respect the legitimate concerns of every voice within the party. A unified party where everyones voice was heard and whose legislative agenda truly left no constituency behind transformed the generationally minority party into the powerhouse it is today both in Alabama and federally. John Meredith is a contributing columnist for AL.com.John Meredith Sadly, the partys success may have irreversibly corrupted the collective conservative morality of both party officials and voters. Todays Republican Party appears far more responsive to the needs of faceless but deep-pocketed corporate donors than those of flesh and blood voters. Singular attention to the needs of business has left many conservative voters feeling abandoned by the party. They believe GOP officials are more interested in consolidating political power than raising the quality of life for constituents. While this may be true in many parts of the country, that is not the case in the great state of Alabama. Time and time again elected Republicans at the highest levels of government in this state have put their political futures in jeopardy in order to improve the quality of life for their constituents. Ignoring the methods used to secure enactment of her gas tax, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey must be commended for ensuring every Alabama public roadway will once again be safe to drive on and will effectively accommodate not only current but future traffic flows. Including improvements to the Port of Mobile is not the violation of public trust some have decried. It will serve as a necessary insurance policy facilitating a return on investment that will be realized by expanding opportunities for Alabama businesses which will create countless jobs reconfiguring and servicing the port in addition to those inspecting and distributing the goods passing through the port. At a time when the voting rights of minorities living in southern states are under the federal microscope, Alabama is absent from the national discussion because of the compassionate conservatism of Secretary of State John Merrill. In addition to being among the most transparent public servants in America, Secretary Merrills personal commitment to the restoration of voting rights among the states disenfranchised is simply unparalleled. As a result of his tireless effort, more Alabamians than ever before are able to participate in the public policy process and help shape the laws under which we live. Mike Ball, a north of the river state legislator, has seen the negative effects of drug use far too many times to count throughout his previous career as a law enforcement officer. When confronted with towing the party line prohibition on non-intoxicating marijuana derivatives or easing the daily physical suffering of constituents by legalizing the use of CBD oil, Rep. Ball put his constituents first and championed the controversial bill through the legislative process. Madison County Probate Judge Frank Barger is another example of an elected Alabama Republican official whose concern for people transcends politics. There is a myriad of new and improved constituent focused services attributable to Judge Barger. None say more about the character of this man or illustrate how a government office can positively affect the lives of constituents, than his work in the area of mental health. His humanization of a previously ignored population has contributed exponentially to the quality of their lives. The list of elected Republicans who reinforce my belief that the GOP, despite some evidence to the contrary, is not only capable of governing responsibly but protecting the dignity and rights of marginalized Americans is not limited to the office holders mentioned earlier. In reality, they are just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Representatives Rex Reynolds, Andy Whitt and Terri Collins along with Sen. Arthur Orr, Speaker Mac McCutcheon, Mayor Tommy Battle, Sheriff Kevin Turner and Commissioner Dale Strong are also pro-constituent conservative servant leaders who work tirelessly to improve the quality of life for the constituents they serve. Collectively, the empathy of GOP policymakers in this state for their constituents economic, civic, physical and emotional well-being make me proud to be not just a Republican but an Alabama Republican. A Muslim stronghold for about 200 years between the ninth and 11th centuries, Sicily bears the marks of Islamic history. Palermo, Italy The sound of about two dozen children practising Quran recitations fills the otherwise empty Islamic Cultural Center of Via Roma in Palermo, Italy. Two break out of the group and start playing hide-and-seek between a curtain that separates the childrens section from the rest of the centre. They are quickly ushered back to their place by Imam Sehab Uddin. Home to more than 25,000 immigrants, many from majority Muslim countries such as Bangladesh, Palermo, has become a symbol of multiculturalism and integration that has been built on Sicilys history. A Muslim stronghold for about 200 years between the ninth and 11th centuries, the Mediterranean island of which Palermo is the capital still bears the marks of Islamic history both physically and culturally. Ahmad Abd Al Majid Macaluso, the Imam of Palermo, walks through the San Giovanni degli Eremiti monastery and points to a discoloured section of wall. He explains that was where the Mihrab used to be, the semi-circular carving in a mosques wall that faces the Kaaba in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam. Every church here used to be a mosque which used to be a synagogue which used to be a church which was a mosque, he explains. This is the history of Sicily. Imam Ahmed Abd Al Majid Macaluso prays at the Palermo Mosque, one of citys 13 mosques [Savin Mattozzi/Al Jazeera] Imam Macaluso thinks that these symbols, like the Quranic inscription on the Cathedral of Palermo, the Arab-Norman architecture that dots the landscape, and the culture of the people make it a bit easier for Muslim immigrants to adjust to their new home. Surely, for Muslims that come here from other countries, Sicily is a happy exception because there is a natural disposition for unity, to recognise a brotherhood with Muslims, Jews and other religions, Macaluso said. Sicilians differ from the rest of Europe in this natural disposition for diversity. Sicilians have this affinity for the Islamic world in their DNA. Imam Sehab Uddin (centre right) talks with other worshippers alongside his son Taki Abdullah (centre) [Savin Mattozzi/Al Jazeera] Masrur Rahim, a slim 29-year-old originally from Bangladesh, moved to Palermo when he was nine. Now working at a travel agency in the city centre, Rahim credits the hospitality of Sicilians to their Islamic ancestry and multicultural past. The connection you feel is the people, because they [the Muslims] have left something inside the people, Rahim said. They are completely different from the northerners. They are more friendly here, they accept people, its better than the other places of Italy, the northern places of Italy. Imam Sehab Uddin also believes that there is a difference between the cultures of northern and southern Italy. Italy is like an apartment building, he explains. The people in the north are on the top floors and dont talk to the people on the bottom floors [the south]. The people in the north, in cities like Padova and Venice, are scared of me. If I try to get their attention to ask them a question, they are scared of me. If I ask someone here, they answer and help me immediately. Patrizia Spallino, an Arabic language professor and director at the Officina di Studi Medievali in Palermo, explains that the Tunisian Arabic that used to be spoken on the island over 1,000 years ago is still evident in the Sicilian dialect through places and everyday words. The port neighbourhood of Marsala in Palermo derives from the Arabic marsa Allah, meaning port of God. This influence can also be seen in common Sicilian words like meskeen, from the Arabic miskeen, meaning someone who is poor or unfortunate. La Cuba, or The Cube stands as an example of Fatimid architecture in Sicily [Savin Mattozzi/Al Jazeera] Although this Arab influence is evident to someone who studies the language and knows the history, Spallino explains, most of the population is unaware of these links. What is not lost on people, is what she calls the Mediterranean idea of hospitality. The idea of hospitality, starting with Greece and the Arabs and then Byzantines is sacred, she says. You do everything you can for hospitality. In Arab countries, when they invite you in [to their home] they get you a tea, something to eat, this is also very Sicilian. But the reality of this hospitality has not been the same throughout Italy. Over the past few years, Italy has seen several attacks against immigrants the worst of which took place last year in the central Italian city of Macerata, where a man who ran in local elections under the far-right Lega party shot and injured six African migrants in a series of drive-by shootings. In addition to these attacks, Italys interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has taken a hard line against immigration, at times forbidding those who have been rescued in the Mediterranean to disembark at Italian ports. One of the most outspoken politicians against Italys anti-immigrant policies has been Palermos mayor, Leoluca Orlando. Minister Salvini isnt against Muslims, Minister Salvini isnt against immigrants, Minister Salvini is against Italians, says Orlando, tapping his finger on his desk. He is against our culture of hospitality, hes against our Mediterranean soul, hes against our history. Palermo Mayor Leoluca Orlando holds up a pamphlet on migrant rights in his office in city hall [Savin Mattozzi/Al Jazeera] This past January, Orlando, along with the mayors of Naples, Reggio Calabria and Florence, clashed with Salvini by rejecting the controversial Security Decree. The decree, in part, cancelled residence permits for humanitarian reasons, replacing it with shorter permits for specific incidences like natural disasters. Orlandos welcoming approach to immigration and multiculturalism can be seen in his office. It boasts a 200-year-old, coffee table-sized Quran, gifted to the city by the Aga Khan Foundation. Arabic and French pamphlets on migrant rights sit neatly stacked to the side of his desk. When someone asks how many immigrants are in Palermo, I dont respond 100,000 or 120,000, Orlando explains. I say none because the people in Palermo are Palermitans. The mayor of Palermo does not make a differentiation between those who were born in Palermo and those who live in Palermo. The Via Divisi street sign, like all major street signs in the historic centre of Palermo, is written in Italian, Hebrew and Arabic [Savin Mattozzi/Al Jazeera] Orlando links his perspective on immigration and his policy to the citys culture and history. In the south of Italy, in particular, we are not European, Im sorry but Palermo is not Frankfurt or Berlin. Palermo isnt Paris Palermo is Beirut, Palermo is Istanbul, Palermo is Jerusalem, Palermo is Tripoli. Palermo is a Middle Eastern city in Europe. The Mediterranean isnt a sea, its a continent. We have a Mediterranean identity that is multicultural. For people like Masur, this multicultural identity has helped him feel not just tolerated but accepted. I feel at home now, he says. If I go somewhere else in Italy, like Venice or Milan, I say no, I want to go back home to my Palermo. Juan de Leon Gutierrez, 16, left his eastern Guatemala home due to years of drought. He died in US custody weeks later. Camotan, Guatemala The rains in the village of Tizamarte in the eastern Guatemalan department of Chiquimula no longer arrive as they did in the past. Before it was beautiful, we used to have two harvests a year, Transito Gutierrez told Al Jazeera. Now not one [crop] survives, she said. Now we cannot do anything. This drought does not end. Gutierrezs hardship goes deeper than the lost crops, however. Last month, her 16-year-old son, Juan de Leon, died while in US custody after migrating to the US to find work and send money back home to his family. [Juan] told me that the coffee plants were dying. He said he was desperate, Gutierrez told Al Jazeera earlier this month. He said he could earn more there in the United States than here. He could earn more than the $4 a day working in the field. While the cause of Juans death is still being investigated by US authorities, the reasons that pushed him to migrate in the first place are the same driving many families in this region to make the journey to the US: Years of drought due in part to climate change are driving more and more residents north to find work to support their families. 190503203000879 Years of drought Eastern Guatemala and western Honduras are part of a region known as the dry corridor. Over the last two years, farmers have seen near-complete losses during harvests as the effects of climate change take hold in the region, with 2018 being among the worst years in recent memory. The Guatemalan government estimates that more than 200,000 families in 13 of the 22 departments were affected during the 2018 drought. The situation was not much better in neighbouring Honduras. Officials estimate that nearly 170,000 people were affected in 2018. In the Maya Chorti region of Chiquimula, rivers and water sources across the region are near-depleted or completely dried up. And temperatures, according to residents and the Guatemalan governments National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology, and Hydrology, have also risen significantly, adding to the strain on crops. The temperature has risen a lot, said Gloria Amador, a 41-year-old nurse who has worked in the village of Tizamarte and the surrounding region for nine years. If it doesnt rain then there is no work, she told Al Jazeera. There was no harvest of maize or beans this year. [The farmers] sowed seeds, but they lost everything. Gloria Amador walks through the village of Tizamarte [Jeff Abbott/Al Jazeera] According to a 2018 report from the Guatemalan governments National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology, and Hydrology, this rise in temperature will continue due to climate change. They estimate that by 2050, the temperature is set to rise between 2.1 and 4.1 degrees Celsius. These changes in temperature especially affect the countrys southern coast and dry corridor, including the village of Tizamarte, which is part of the municipality of Camotan, Chiquimula. 190122160154738 Central America is also one of the regions most affected by extreme weather phenomena linked to climate change. According to the 2019 Climate Risk Index by Germanwatch, Honduras and Nicaragua are among the countries most affected by extreme weather events in the last 20 years. Poverty, malnutrition The drought has meant a near-constant crisis for farmers in this region. It is estimated by local organisations that farmers lost between 80 and 90 percent of their primary staple crops, specifically maize, bananas, and beans, and economically viable crops such as coffee, during the 2018 drought. As a result, nearby towns that usually buy the crops are also affected. The harvests arent occurring due to the lack of the rain, said Edgar Rivera, a 48-year-old maize vendor from Chiquimula. The farmers lost over 90 percent of their crops, he told Al Jazeera. As a result, the farmers were unable to recuperate the costs of production due to the intensity of the drought. Rivera has been importing maize and beans from other parts of the country and from Mexico to sell in the market. But in turn, the costs for the products have also increased. Other farmers, including Carlos Flores, are also heavily affected by the drought. It has been incredibly difficult due to the lack of water, Flores told Al Jazeera as the 54-year-old farmer from the nearby town of San Juan Ermita sold green onions in the Jocotan market. We are sowing less and when it does rain the harvests smaller. Damaso Aldana, a resident and authority in the small village of Pinalito in Jocotan, Chiquimula, inspects maize crops during the August 2018 drought [Jeff Abbott/Al Jazeera] The drought has also disrupted traditional migratory routes that families have utilised to ease the pressures of poverty. Historically, the residents of the region seasonally migrated to Honduras to work in the coffee harvest as a means of supporting their families. But the regional drought has affected the harvest so much that this migratory route has now all but ended. During the second cycle of maize, which is October and November, the people would go to harvest coffee or sugar cane, said Jeremias Hernandez, an agronomist and member of the central coordination for the Chorti Maya organisation Nuevo Dia. Yet the problem is with the changes in the rains, the coffee production has fallen, he explained. As a result, plantation owners are either cutting back on the number of people they hire or lowering salaries. According to Hernandez, a small farmer could earn between 80 to 100 Guatemalan quetzal ($10-$14) a day harvesting coffee in 2015. But current rates are between 30 to 50 Guatemalan quetzal ($4-$7) as a result of the drought. The near-constant drought directly affects the food security of families. As a result, the region has seen a drastic increase in cases of chronic malnutrition and disease, according to Amador and Hernandez. We have seen cases where families are only eating once a day, or in some extreme cases, every other day, Hernandez told Al Jazeera. Malnutrition remains a constant problem across Guatemala. The country has one of the highest malnutrition rates for children in the world, according to UNICEF. The Guatemalan government launched a campaign to lower malnutrition, especially focusing on the Dry Corridor sector. But according to Vice President Jafeth Cabrera, the efforts were unable to achieve the goal of lowering malnutrition by 10 percent by 2019. Cabrera said that they would continue to work to reduce malnutrition. No other option As the droughts leave farmers without the means to provide for their families, many have sought opportunities in the US. 181225204214558 Amador estimates that in the last year and a half, at least 12 of the 110 families in Tizamarte have migrated to the US. This trend is common across the region. In our region, it was rare that people would migrate to the United States, Toribio Aldana, a member and president of the local development committee from the village of Tesoro, told Al Jazeera. There were farms that would give work to the people, but today they do not provide work, Aldana said. As a result of this, there is no other option for the people other than to migrate. In the last two years, many have travelled for the United States. A withered field sits in the mountains over Jocotan, Chiquimula during the August 2018 drought [Jeff Abbott/Al Jazeera] According to Hernandez, many young people took advantage of the larger migrant caravans that left the region beginning in October 2018 as a means to escape the effects of the drought. 190302183740983 Others including Juan de Leon Gutierrez travelled to the US border with smaller groups. The first rains of 2019 arrived in early May, which normally signals the beginning of the planting season. Many are considering to plant right now, but there is a great financial risk, Hernandez said. They risk being further indebted if the drought does not end. The uncertainty of whether the rains will continue mean that many may consider migration out of necessity to provide for their families. The necessity to cover the basics, clothing, education, health, the indispensable, are the motivations for migration, Hernandez said. The drought is the final straw in the decision. Saudi Arabia became the worlds largest arms importer from 2014 to 2018, accounting for 12 percent of the imports, an increase of 192 percent over 2009-2013, according to the latest report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). According to data for 2018, the United States continued to supply the bulk of arms to Saudi Arabia, accounting for 88 percent of all arms sold to the country. Between 2014 and 2018, Saudi Arabia received 22 percent of the USs arms exports, a sharp increase from 4.9 percent from 2009 to 2013. The data includes major arms, such as armoured vehicles, guided missiles, aircraft, artillery and ships. Arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia in 2014-2018 included 56 combat aircraft from the US and 38 from the United Kingdom, according to the report. In both cases, the aircraft were equipped with cruise missiles and other guided weapons. Planned deliveries for 2019-2023 include 98 combat aircraft, seven missile defence systems and 83 tanks from the US, 737 armoured vehicles from Canada, five frigates from Spain and short-range ballistic missiles from Ukraine, according to SIPRI. The report noted that arms flows to the Middle East have surged, almost doubling in the past five years. Four of the worlds top 10 arms-importing countries in 2014-2018 were in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia, which received 33 percent of arms transfers to the region, Egypt at 15 percent, the United Arab Emirates 11 percent and Iraq 11 percent. Shown below are the countries that export the most major weapons to Saudi Arabia. very year, a day after Israel marks its independence day on May 14, we commemorate with sadness and nostalgia the Nakba of 1948. The events of that year changed the Palestinian lot for generations to come, transforming them from a people living peacefully and comfortably off of the fruits of their land to refugees struggling in misery in overcrowded camps, forced to depend on charity for their daily bread. Every year, in our communities we count how many elderly Palestinians who witnessed the Nakba are left. Although their numbers shrink with every passing Nakba day, the memory of what happened seven decades ago is kept alive. The keys to the homes from which they were forcefully expelled are passed on to us, the younger generation, as we continue the struggle for the return of all Palestinian refugees. Meanwhile, Israel continues to do everything it can not to abide by international law and implement the United Nations resolution 194 of 1948, which stipulates the rightful return of all Palestinians to their homes. It continues to imprison millions of Palestinians behind walls in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and keep the Palestinian minority within its borders under an apartheid regime. It also continues to propagate myths and false claims in order to justify flaunting international law and continuing the victimisation of Palestinians. Israel says Palestine was a land without people. But the census the British conducted shortly after they took control of Palestine in 1920 showed that it had a population of more than 750,000, only 11 percent of whom were Jewish. Paradoxically, Israel also says that Palestinians left voluntarily in 1948 (meaning there must have been a native population that had to leave). Yet, as Israeli historians like Ilan Pappe have demonstrated in their research, the ethnic cleansing of Palestine was very well planned and executed by Zionist leaders. Clear instructions were given to Jewish militias to use terror, bombardment of villages, burning and demolishing residential areas, and booby-trapping evacuated homes to force people out and prevent their return. The campaign of mass ethnic cleansing continued over seven months and resulted in the expulsion of 800,000 Palestinians to nearby countries, the destruction of 531 villages and the depopulation of 11 urban neighbourhoods. In the words of Pappe, it was a crime against humanity. Israel also claims that there is a new reality today and that the ownership rights of Palestinian refugees to their homes and their land have disappeared after 70 years. But the passing of time does not and cannot cancel liability for a crime against humanity and absolve its perpetrators. What is right is right and what is wrong is wrong. And just like the Israeli state is a fait accompli, so is the right of more than six million Palestinian refugees to return, based on official legal documents produced by the UN under whose legal framework and recognition the Israeli state was created in the first place. Israel also claims that it was created to provide safe haven to Jews and the return of Palestinian refugees would endanger them and result in a massacre. We do not deny that Jews have the right to live in safety, but why should the solution to a tragedy they faced produce a tragedy for another people? The establishing of this safe haven, the way it was done in 1948 and ever since, has resulted in mass ethnic cleansing and incremental genocide of Palestinians. The Palestinian people have faced one massacre after another over the past seven decades and as a result, they have no safe haven of their own. And with all Palestinians that Israel has killed over time, with all weapons it has accumulated, all walls it has built, and all repressive policies it has implemented, has it become more safe and secure? Security built on death and oppression is an illusion; true security for Israeli Jews will not be achieved until there is justice for Palestinians. Our struggle is against occupation and apartheid, and not for the oppression and ethnic cleansing of Israeli Jews. As we continue to resist Israeli attempts to wipe us all out of our homeland, we do not wish to see Israeli Jews being wiped out either. Israel also claims that Palestinians do not want peace. Yet its leadership has officially declared its intention to seize all Palestinian land west of the Jordan River and has repeatedly demonstrated that it is using peace negotiations only to further entrench the occupation and make the return of Palestinians impossible. This strategy is not an aberration or a policy of the Israeli right only, but rather the direct continuation of the path taken by the Zionist movement since it was established it is the path of ethnic cleansing of the native population and expansion of settler colonialism. At this point, the only viable way forward that does not involve further violence and ethnic cleansing on either side is to re-arrange the current relationship between Palestinians and Israeli Jews on the basis of justice and equality as opposed to discrimination and dispossession. Part of this solution has to be the return of Palestinian refugees, which is neither an outlandish idea nor a dangerous one. In fact, it is quite realistic. Demographic studies indicate that more than 80 percent of the land Palestinian refugees were ethnically cleansed from is either empty or has very low population density, as the majority of the Israeli population is concentrated in large cities. There is enough land for all and with the cancellation of discriminatory policies that favour Jewish settlers, equal distribution of resources can be achieved. Israel already has in place a law that allows Jews to immigrate and settle on its territory. It only makes sense that it would extend that policy to all Palestinian refugees to come back to their homes. All this comes down to a choice Israeli Jews have to make to continue living in unstable and insecure apartheid state or to embrace real stability and security by ending injustice and establishing equality and peace for all. We, Palestinians, have already made ours: We will continue to struggle for our rights and our freedom until the day we are able to stand at the doorstep of our ancestral homes with a key in hand. And in this struggle we are not alone. We are backed by all those who believe in and advocate justice and humanity across the world. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. The number of those jailed in activist and social media crackdown rises by a third as new legislation takes effect. The number of prisoners of conscience in Vietnam has risen by a third over the past year amid a continuing crackdown on freedom of expression in the Southeast Asian nation, Amnesty International has said. The London-based human rights group said on Monday it had counted at least 128 people in jail for expressing their views, a 10th of them for online activity, by the end of March 2019. There were 97 people in detention the previous year, it said. The Amnesty list included only the names of those who could be verified, suggesting the number of detained people was likely to be higher. This research shows that Vietnams tightening stranglehold on every area of public and private life, Nicholas Bequelin, Amnestys director for East and Southeast Asia, said in a statement. Bequelin added that Vietnamese peoples right to speak their minds was increasingly at risk. The Vietnamese authorities are becoming more thin-skinned by the day, Bequelin said. Its their own citizens who are paying a terrible price simply because of something they said or someone they met. The Amnesty report comes as the government in Vietnam moves to deepen diplomatic ties with both the United States and the European Union. US officials are due to travel to Vietnam this week for a human rights dialogue that is usually held every two years. Dhevy Sivaprakasam, a Bangkok-based international associate legal adviser at the International Commission of Jurists, said the crackdown was not only taking place in the context of global and regional concern about online content, but also amid uncertainty about Vietnams leadership. There are concerns about the health of 75-year-old President Nguyen Phu Trong, who also heads the ruling Communist Party. His predecessor, Tran Dai Quang, who took office in 2016, died in September last year of a serious illness at the age of 61. The crackdown intensified from 2016, Sivaprakasam told Al Jazeera. But there have been more cases and the sentences are getting tougher. They are trying to crack down on dissent and any form of discussion online. Given the worsening crackdown, she said the US and the EU should put more pressure on Vietnam over its human rights commitments. Propaganda A new penal code with what Amnesty described as overly broad, unclear and vague provisions took effect in 2018. At least 34 people have already been prosecuted under the revised legislation, the rights group said. Amnesty said activists were charged mostly under Article 117 of the code, which prohibits making, storing, disseminating or propagandising materials and products that aim to oppose the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Other frequently-used provisions include Article 118, which prohibits disrupting national security and Article 331, which prohibits abusing democratic freedom to violate the interests of the state. In its weekly update that was published on Sunday, Defend the Defenders, a Vietnamese human rights network, noted that Vietnam continued to suppress local dissent. It said that on May 10 two women were found guilty of conducting anti-state propaganda an offence under Article 117 after being arrested for handing out leaflets last October calling for demonstrations against bills on special economic zones and cybersecurity. One of the women was sentenced to five years in prison and the other to six. Other cases in the networks update included a crackdown on drivers protesting against a toll road, investigations into an anti-corruption activist, a Vietnamese-US man accused of subversion who had been unable to meet his lawyer despite an impending trial and a teacher fined for material shared on Facebook. The new Cybersecurity Law, which came into effect on January 1, was likely to mean more invasive surveillance methods, Amnesty said. Vietnams prisoners of conscience are often held in solitary confinement in squalid cells, denied medical care as well as access to clean water and fresh air, it added. The stories of three prisoners of conscience Phan Kim Khanh is serving six years in jail after being tried and convicted in Vietnam on the charge of conducting propaganda [Al Jazeera] Phan Kim Khanh Student and freelance journalist Phan Kim Khanh was arrested in March 2017 and tried and convicted seven months later under Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code for conducting propaganda against the state. The allegations against him included that he ran two anti-corruption blogs and other social media sites, and that he was in touch with overseas reactionaries, including former prisoner of conscience Nguyen Van Hai (also known as blogger Dieu Cay) who was released into exile in the US. Phan was sentenced to six years in jail and four years of house arrest. Tran Thi Nga, a womens and labour rights activist in Vietnam, serving a nine-year jail term for her work [Al Jazeera] Tran Thi Nga Tran Thi Nga is a member of the Vietnamese Women for Human Rights, an independent advocacy group. She was arrested at her home in northern Vietnam in January 2017 with the state-controlled media reporting she had been caught posting video clips and documents containing anti-state propaganda on the internet. Tran, who endured harassment and intimidation for her work and taking part in protests, was put on trial in July 2017 and found guilty of conducting propaganda against the state under Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code. She was jailed for nine years with five years of house arrest. Tran Hoang Phuc, selected for Obamas Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative and now in a Vietnamese jail [Al Jazeera] Tran Hoang Phuc Tran Hoang Phuc is a pro-democracy and environmental activist, who was selected for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) that was set up by former US President Barack Obama. Tran, who is also part of the Chan Hung Nuoc Viet (Reviving Vietnam) campaign, was arrested in June 2017 at his home in Hanoi and accused of conducting propaganda against the state under Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code. He was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison and four years of house arrest. Torres Strait Islanders say Australias failure to tackle climate change puts their homeland and culture in danger. Indigenous people from the low-lying Torres Strait Islands off Australias northeast coast will file a landmark complaint with the United Nations on Monday, accusing the government of breaching their human rights by failing to tackle climate change. The eight Torres Strait Islanders will tell the UN Human Rights Committee in the Swiss city of Geneva that rising seas caused by global warming are threatening their homelands and culture, according to lawyers representing the group. ClientEarth, an environmental law non-profit organisation that is backing the case, said it was the first to be lodged with the UN linking alleged government inaction on climate change to the violation of human rights. We're supporting Torres Strait Islanders to bring a world-first #climatechange case on #humanrights grounds. Add your voice: tell Australia's PM to act on climate now. https://t.co/kzKGgzz0B1 #OurIslandsOurHome pic.twitter.com/ICG6cWO67j ClientEarth (@ClientEarth) May 12, 2019 The islanders say Australias government has no policies in place to meet the countrys emissions reduction target and is pushing the interests of the fossil fuel industries. In their complaint, the islanders ask the UN to find that international human rights law requires Australia to reduce its emissions to at least 65 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The country should become carbon neutral by 2050, phasing out its use and export of coal completely, they argue. Human rights issue The complaint also demands Australia set aside 20m Australian dollars ($14m) for emergency infrastructure such as sea walls to protect the islands residents from rising seas. We are seeing this effect on our land and on the social and emotional wellbeing of our communities who practise culture and traditions, said Kabay Tamu, one of the petitioners. Climate change is fundamentally a human rights issue, said Sophie Marjanac, the lead lawyer on the case. Australias continued failure to build infrastructure to protect the islands, and to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, constitutes a clear violation of the islanders rights to culture, family and life, she added. The complaint is being lodged just days before Australia holds national elections in which climate change has become a key issue. The conservative government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been accused of dragging its feet on emission-reduction efforts and is trailing in the opinion polls. John Knox, a law professor at Wake Forest University in the United States and a former UN special rapporteur on human rights, called the islanders claim potentially groundbreaking. The UN committee late last year determined that each countrys duty to safeguard human rights also meant protection against environmental harm, including climate change, Knox wrote on Twitter. This case gives the Human Rights Committee its first chance to give specific application to that determination by assessing and explaining what Australia should do to protect the human rights of the Torres Strait Islanders, he said. While the UN committees rulings are non-binding, its decision may increase pressure on Australia to do the right thing, he added. Eric Garner, a black man, died nearly five years ago after police placed him a fatal chokehold. The disciplinary trial of the New York City police officer who put Eric Garner, an unarmed black man, in a fatal chokehold began on Monday, nearly five years after widely seen video of the death sparked a national outcry about policing tactics and the treatment of African Americans. Daniel Pantaleo, who is white, could be fired after the conclusion of what is expected to be a 10-day trial at the New York Police Departments headquarters in Manhattan. The ultimate decision will rest with New York City Police Commissioner James ONeill. Videos recorded on bystanders mobile phones showed Garner, who was 43, saying, I cant breathe, 11 times before he died. The phrase became a rallying cry in the early days of the Black Lives Matter movement, which seeks to end the disproportionate use of deadly force against non-white people by US police departments. His last words, I cant breathe, tell you who caused his death, Jonathan Fogel, a lawyer for the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), said during opening statements. He gave his victim a death sentence over loose cigarettes because he disregarded his training. Demonstrators calling for justice in the death of Eric Garner take part in a protest march outside the 120th police precinct in the Staten Island borough of New York City [File: Mike Segar/Reuters] The trial will be closely watched by civil rights activists who say too few police officers face consequences for using deadly force and those, including New York Citys powerful police officers union, who defend officers for doing a dangerous job. Chokehold Pantaleo, 33, has been assigned to a desk job since the deadly encounter on a pavement in the borough of Staten Island in 2014, when he and other officers tried to arrest Garner on suspicion of selling loose cigarettes. New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo leaves his house in Staten Island, New York [Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP Photo] The evidence will show that the ultimate autopsy was wrong, said Pantaleos lawyer Stuart London, who ripped up the autopsy report in the courtroom during his opening statement. Officer Pantaleo was justified in using physical force to make this arrest, he added, arguing that Pantaleo did not cause Garners death. London said Pantaleo did not use a chokehold, but rather a seat belt manoeuvre that goes around the torso which slipped into a neck hold because of Garners size. Garner was considered medically obese at 400 pounds (181kg). New York Citys chief medical examiner ruled that Garner was killed in part by a chokehold compressing his neck. A Staten Island grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against Pantaleo later in 2014, prompting nationwide protests and the US Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation into the death. Garners family has criticised that investigation as it has stretched into its fourth year without resolution. The citys CCRB, which prosecutes certain violations of police rules, determined in 2017 that Pantaleo used excessive force. Larry Kudlow says both sides to suffer after US administration imposes tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese goods. The White Houses top economic adviser has admitted US businesses will suffer from tariffs on Chinese goods, contradicting US President Donald Trumps widely denounced claim that it would only be China that pays. Yes, I dont disagree with that, said Larry Kudlow, the head of the presidents National Economic Council, when Chris Wallace, host of Fox News Sunday TV programme, asked him, Its US businesses and US consumers who pay, correct? Kudlow added, Both sides will pay, but he stipulated that China will suffer (economic) losses from reduced exports to the US, not from paying the tariffs. Kudlows admission contradicts many of Trumps comments and tweets to the effect that Chinese companies pay the tariffs in what amounts, in the presidents view, to a massive transfer of wealth to the United States from China. Yet almost no economist has agreed with Trumps view and fact-checkers routinely brand the presidents assertion false and point out that US importers of goods from China pay the tariffs. Trump has also asserted that trade wars are easy to win, but Kudlow accepted that they come with costs for the US economy, though he downplayed the effect. Fresh tariffs On Friday, in the midst of last-ditch talks to rescue a trade deal, the Trump administration raised duties on $200bn of Chinese imports to 25 percent from 10 percent, after charging that China had backtracked on commitments it made earlier in the negotiations. The administration has already hit $50bn of additional Chinese goods with 25-percent duties. Later on Sunday, Trump reiterated his view in a tweet: We will be taking in Tens of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs from China. Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-Tariffed countries. Yet Carl Weinberg, chief international economist at High Frequency Economics, a forecasting firm, pointed out that many goods made in China were not manufactured elsewhere. That was why many US importers have little choice but to pay the tariff. So if you need that new iPad, it is you who will be paying the import duty, not some worker in China, Weinberg wrote in a research note. Imposing those tariffs would affect a wide range of consumer goods clothes, shoes, toys and electronics that have been mostly been exempt so far and could prompt steep cost increases that many US citizens would likely notice. Kudlow, however, said the economic effect of placing tariffs on all Chinese imports would be to cut economic growth by 0.2 percentage points, a very modest number. Independent economists, though, think the effect would be larger. Gregory Daco, an economist at Oxford Economics, estimated it would reduce US growth by a half percentage point and cost 300,000 jobs. China defiant Kudlow also said that China needed to agree to very strong enforcement provisions for an eventual deal and said the sticking point was Beijings reluctance to put into law changes that had been agreed upon. He also said the US was awaiting retaliation from China over the increased tariffs, after the talks in Washington ended on Friday without a deal, but added that the US tariffs would remain in place while negotiations continued. Beijing remained defiant. At no time will China forfeit the countrys respect, and no one should expect China to swallow bitter fruit that harms its core interests, the Peoples Daily, a newspaper controlled by the Chinese ruling Communist Party, said in a commentary on Monday. It said Beijing was open to talks but would not yield on important issues of principle. Chinas nationalist Global Times tabloid also said in an editorial on Monday that the country had no reasons to fear a trade war. The perception that China cannot bear it is a fantasy and misjudgement, the commentary said. If they werent being seriously provoked, the Chinese people would not favour any trade war. However, once the country is strategically coerced, nothing is unbearable for China in order to safeguard its sovereignty and dignity as well as the long-term development rights of the Chinese people. G20 meeting? Trump began the standoff last year because of complaints about unfair Chinese trade practices. Washington is pressing Beijing to change its policies on protections for intellectual property, as well as massive subsidies for state-owned firms, and to reduce the yawning trade deficit. Since last year, the US and China had exchanged tariffs on more than $360bn worth of two-way trade, gutting US agricultural exports to China and weighing on both countries manufacturing sectors. Kudlow told Wallace that Trump and Chinas President Xi Jinping could meet next month on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Japan to discuss their differences on trade, but no new talks are scheduled. As for future negotiations, while there are no concrete, definite plans yet, Kudlow said China had invited Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to Beijing and higher-level discussions could be possible. The chances of Trump and Xi meeting during the Group of 20 summit in Japan in late June are probably pretty good, he said. Many residents in Indias Odisha state rally against slow pace of relief after cyclone that killed 77 people. The death toll from a major cyclone that hit eastern India and Bangladesh in early May has risen to 77 as anger grew over millions of people still without power and water. Cyclone Fani, the first summer cyclone to hit Indias Bay of Bengal coast in 43 years, made landfall in Odisha state on May 3, packing winds up to 200 kilometres an hour. The winds damaged half a million houses, uprooted hundreds of thousands of trees and knocked out power, telecommunications and water for millions of people in one of Indias poorest states. The death toll in India earlier stood at 41 but shot up with casualties reported from Puri and Khurda districts on Sunday. Thirteen people also perished in Bangladesh after Fani barrelled northwards. The toll has gone up to 64 with maximum deaths 39 reported from Puri, an official at the State Emergency Operation Centre told AFP news agency. India initially won praise, including from the United Nations, for moving some 1.2 million people to safety before the storm arrived, in what Odishas chief minister called the biggest human evacuation in history. But this praise has turned to anger for many locals at what they see as the slow pace of reconstruction and apathy of the authorities. Fani was the third cyclone to come off the Bay of Bengal in summer in 150 years [Asit Kumar/AFP] I have lost my thatched house in the cyclone. No one from the government has come to see my damaged house, Shantilata Mishra, a resident in the Puri district, was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency. I do not know when they will assess the damage and give me assistance to construct my house, she said. Protests Angry survivors have been taking to the streets to protest the slow pace of relief as well as high prices of essential food items and water. On Sunday, demonstrators blocking roads in Odishas state capital Bhubaneswar, said a lack of coordination among various government agencies was compounding their misery. There is a limit to our patience. We are being made to spend sleepless nights. We have to purchase drinking water at exorbitant prices, a protester told PTI. Another protester said the government failed to provide basic necessities such as water and power despite having promised to restore power supply by Sunday. Odishas Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has said the assessment of damaged houses would begin on May 15 and promised financial help to affected families. Senior officers will supervise the assessment process and all efforts will be made to ensure that not a single beneficiary is left out, his office tweeted on Sunday. A nine-member team from New Delhi arrived to take stock of the damage on Sunday. Normally the storms hit around October and November and Fani was only the third cyclone to come off the Bay of Bengal in the summer months in 150 years. In 1999, the state was hit by a super-cyclone that left nearly 10,000 dead. A look at Papanikolaous story, the doctor whose achievements helped save millions of womens lives. Described by many as one of the most brilliant scientific minds of the 20th century, Georgios Papanikolaou is recognised for developing the life-saving cervical cancer test also known as Pap smear or Pap test. In his honour, Google is changing its logo in 12 countries to a doodle, or illustration, of him and a microscope. But in his lifetime, the doctor was not always appreciated for his achievements. This is his story: Im no longer a dreamer Born on the Greek island of Euboea on May 13, 1883, Papanikolaou was one of four children. He attended the University of Athens, majoring in music and the humanities. According to the tradition of those times, the firstborn son had to follow his fathers steps, but as his brother chose law, Papanikolaou, who was already showing an inclination towards medicine, took up the responsibility instead. In 1898, aged only 15, he managed to get into the School of Medicine of the National University of Athens and, after graduation, he worked in the military as an assistant surgeon for a short time. In 1904, he graduated with top honours. 2011111510143426797 He returned to Greece, and for the next two years, he cared for leprosy patients on the outskirts of his hometown. The scientist also used this time to study philosophy and biology. But, he discovered scientific research fascinated him. Aware of this, his father decided to send him to Germany for further studies and it was during this time that the scientist decided that research and biology would be the purpose of his life. He received a PhD in zoology in 1910. I'm no longer a dreamer. Science snatched me out of Nietzche's hand. I've got my feet on the ground. Papanikolaou wrote to his father Life in the United States In 1910, after his return to Greece, Papanikolaou married the educated and open-minded Andromache Mavroyeni (Mary). She was the descendant of the Mavrogenous family who made history fighting against the Ottomans in the Greek War of Independence. In 1913, he and his wife disembarked in New York. The couple initially struggled to make a living Papanikolaou sold carpets and played the violin in restaurants as Mary sewed buttons for $5 a week, but he would overcome the difficulties quickly. In October 1914, Papanikolaou was recruited as a researcher at Cornell University, where he would work for the next 47 years. There, Papanikolaou worked alongside his wife who served as a technician and sometimes test subject. Who was Georgios Papanikolaou, a doctor that saved millions of women's l https://t.co/00X4KTd6tt via @YouTube Leigh Wyatt Clark (@leighwyattclark) May 13, 2019 The Pap test While Papanikolaous research would eventually be on human physiology, he started his studies with guinea pigs. He devoted his time researching early cancer diagnosis through recovery and identification of exfoliated cancer cells. From 1920, Papanikolaou started to focus on the cytopathology, a branch of pathology that studies and diagnoses diseases on the cellular level, of the human reproductive system. The first time Papanikolaou identified the cancerous cell in a sample from a woman with cervical cancer, he confessed it was one of the most important experiences of his career. His first clinical trial proved the diagnostic value of cytological examination of smears. This work became the cornerstone of his method that would allow the timely diagnosis of cervical cancer. His achievements were received with doubt by the US medical community. However, he was convinced and continued his research. He demonstrated the normal and abnormal smears taken from the cervix could be viewed under the microscope and be correctly classified. This procedure, now known as the Pap (Papanikolaou) smear or test, became the standard in screening for cervical cancer. The first observation of cancer cells in the smear of the uterine cervix gave me one of the greatest thrills I ever experienced during my scientific career. Papanikolaou wrote Sudden heart attack The scientist worked relentlessly on his experiments for many years. He often put in a six-and-a-half week and a 14-hour day at Cornell and at his home in Douglaston Queens. Physicians and other scientists from all parts of the world went to him at his Cornell laboratory to become proficient in his test technique. In 1961, despite the fact that he was 78 years old, he decided to leave New York and settle in Miami. He planned to undertake the management of the Miami Cancer Institute. However, he did not have the chance to inaugurate the institute himself. He died suddenly of a heart attack on February 19, 1962. The institute was renamed the Papanikolaou Cancer Research Institute in his honour. Throughout his career, Papanikolaou kept bonds with Greece and maintained interest in the countrys politics. Mary, his wife, continued his work in Miami until her death in 1982. There was no other option for me but to follow him inside the lab, making his way of life mine, she is quoted as saying. Her devotion was such that, according to local publications, she decided not to have children in order to always be by him. Recognition Appearance by Domenico Lucano sparked protests by far-right activists and support from student demonstrators in Rome. Rome, Italy A lecture by the former mayor of the refugee town of Riace, Domenico Lucano, triggered a day of protests in Rome after the neo-fascist party Forza Nuova announced their intention to oppose the appearance. Forza Nuova had planned a demonstration in front of La Sapienza University on Monday. It was banned by the authorities for reasons of public order, but the party went ahead with it anyway. Police cant block our election campaign, said the groups leader, Roberto Fiore, in a social media post. Anti-fascism and arrogance are a thing of the past, Italy has changed and Forza Nuova speaks how, where, and whenever it wants, he added, concluding: The only resistance is ethnic. Lucano, known as Mimmo rose to fame as mayor of Riace, where he welcomed refugees and migrants, repopulating the southern Italian town and reviving its economy. 190509164205385 In October, he was put under house arrest for aiding illegal migration and later banned from the town. His trial is scheduled in June. After news spread that the neo-fascist group would protest against the talk, hundreds of students gathered on Monday in front of the university campus to welcome the former mayor. Riot police deployed About 20 Forza Nuova activists unrolled a banner calling Lucano an enemy of Italy in a nearby square. Dozens of riot police were deployed and roads were blocked to prevent a direct confrontation between the two groups. We cannot tolerate intimidations by neo-fascist or far-right groups towards an institutional figure, Tommaso I, a 25-year-old philology student among the counterprotesters, told Al Jazeera. Denise, a 20-year-old sociology student, had also joined the counterprotest. We want freedom of opinion, thought, and choice, she said. Lucano should be free to talk to students without this mess going on. Neither student wanted to provide their full name. Former mayor Domenico Lucano told students he was moved by their solidarity [Ylenia Gostoli/Al Jazeera] Neo-fascist groups have gained increasing visibility in Italy, particularly in Rome, where in the past month they have rallied residents angry about a lack of housing and the state of decay of the city against Roma families assigned social housing by the municipality. Activists from one neo-fascist party, CasaPound, were given permits to set up a protest tent eventually dismantled in front of a Roma familys new home. A member of parliament from the far-right League party showed up to offer support for local resident protesters and condemn the local council. Support from Salvini Italys Interior Minister and co-Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, himself a right-wing populist who has ridden a wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric, said he supported the former mayors right to speak at the university. I dont agree with his ideas but as a minister and a man I guarantee my commitment that he be able to express them, Salvini said in a statement. His League party is topping polls in advance of the European Parliament elections scheduled for later this month. Salvinis popularity has grown since entering a coalition with the beleaguered Five Star Movement, which received the largest number of votes in Italys general election last year but had no parliamentary majority to govern alone. He has since waged a war against NGOs rescuing refugees in the Mediterranean and curbed asylum rights. Lucano arrived at the scene before his afternoon talk amid chants of We are all Mimmo Lucano from the students gathered. I am moved, the mayor told the crowd. I continue to chase a dream of humanity and democracy. Meanwhile, at the small election campaign gathering, activists sang the Italian national anthem. One Forza Nuova activist told a group of journalists he considered himself a fascist. I am ready to face the penal consequences of that, he said. Defending fascism remains a crime in Italy. Iyad el-Baghdadi taken into protective custody in Norway, but warned his family is soft target. Iyad el-Baghdadi, a vocal pro-democracy activist and strong critic of Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has begged Norwegian authorities to ensure his familys safety. The Palestinian-born writer was taken into protective custody by Norways security services last month after a threat to his life, reportedly emanating from Saudi Arabia, was intercepted. El-Baghdadi has been a prominent online presence since the Arab Spring, when his English-language tweets pillorying the powerful and pompous of the Middle East found a receptive international audience eager for context to the uprisings. Ive been told by experts that my family are a soft target and securing their safety is my top priority Norway, please bring my family to safety, please, he said at a press conference in the Norwegian capital on Monday. El-Baghdadi said he was informed of a specific threat against him on April 25, when agents knocked on his door to take him to a safe house, eight months after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. 190509172652996 I wasnt surprised when they turned up at my door. I think the first thing I said was what took you so long? I didnt know then they had received a tip from the CIA, they told me that later. El-Baghdadi was granted asylum in Norway four years ago after he was forced to leave his home in the UAE, which is also known for targeting political dissidents who post criticism of the countrys leadership on social media. The activist is behind The Arab Tyrant Manual, which focuses on global authoritarianism and the struggle for democratic liberties in the Arab region, and is a fellow at Civita, a leading liberal think-tank in Norway. It seems to me that MBS [Mohammed bin Salman] is shedding his reformist image, said el-Baghdadi. The image of the enlightened reformer has suited him well. But it is gone. Among the support he had received, el-Baghdadi said he was sent a message from a fellow dissident in the Arab world that read: If you are threatened in Norway, what chance do I have? El-Baghdadi said Prince Mohammed, the kingdoms de facto ruler, sent ripples of fear through dissident communities, asking: If Jeff Bezos [the Amazon founder with a $150bn fortune] can be blackmailed, whos safe? Norway, please bring my family to safety, please Iyad el-Baghdadi But the activist also issued a challenge. The Norway oil fund continues to be invested in Saudi Arabia. I will say no more, but leave it to individual consciences. He concluded with a rallying call for solidarity with those living under repressive regimes in the Middle East. When you look at the region, you see authoritarian hysteria, failed states, civil wars, proxy wars but also popular uprisings and democratic movements, he said. This is the battle of a generation, and history is in good hands Were not free until were all free, and were not safe until were all safe. Quake hits some seven kilometres southeast of the town of Plaza de Caisan near Costa Rica border at a depth of 37km. At least five people have been injured after a magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit southwest Panama near the border with Costa Rica. The earthquake was centred seven kilometres southeast of the town of Plaza de Caisan at a depth of 37km, according to the US Geological Survey. The National Civil Protection System, or Sinaproc, said five people were hurt and four homes were damaged in the quake. Two of the damaged homes collapsed, Sinaproc added. Images posted on social media showed simple wooden homes that partially collapsed in rural areas, deep fissures in tightly packed beach sand and entire grocery store shelves that spilled containers of processed food and bottled beverages on the floor. I was in the supermarket and everything swayed, Carla Chavez told the Associated Press news agency by phone from David, the capital of Panamas Chiriqui province near the quakes epicentre. Merchandise fell on the floor. Everything happened so fast. President Juan Carlos Varela said on Twitter earlier that just one person was hurt, in Puerto Armuelles, and also reported damage to homes and businesses. Panamas National Civil Protection Service said on Twitter that walls cracked at a hospital and two supermarkets in Changuinola in Bocas del Toro province. There was no tsunami alert issued from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Sigifredo Perez, head of operations for Costa Ricas National Commission of Emergencies, said no major damage or injuries had been reported in the country. More than one million people in Gaza will face food shortages in June due to a major shortfall in donations to UNRWA. The UN has warned that unless it can raise $60m by the end of the month, it wont be able to provide food assistance to more than one million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in June. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, released a statement on Monday expressing its concern. At a time when Muslims around the world are observing the holy month of Ramadan, often characterised by the festive nature of its iftars, in Gaza, more than half the population depends on food aid from the international community, UNRWA said. Unless UNRWA secures at least an additional $60m by June, our ability to continue providing food to more than one million Palestine refugees in Gaza, including some 620,000 abject poor those who cannot cover their basic food needs and who have to survive on $1.6 per day and nearly 390,000 absolute poor those who survive on about $3.5 per day will be severely challenged. The agency is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. In 2000, less than 80,000 Palestine refugees received UNRWA social assistance in Gaza. Today there are over one million people who need emergency food assistance without which they can not get through their day. UNRWA is planning to host a donors conference next month and another in September, as it struggles to fill the void after Washington, traditionally its largest donor, withdrew its support. Last year, a number of countries stepped up to generously compensate for the lack in US funding, but the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, Jamie McGoldrick, warned that the agencies were facing a serious funding crisis. They needed to raise money fast to be able to make a looming order for the food needed for the remainder of the year, he told journalists in Geneva last week. We envisage that if World Food Programme and UNRWA dont get around $40 million by the end of May beginning of June, they will not be able to order the pipeline, he said. If they dont get the funding, clearly they cant order the food, he said, adding that this would mean that in the second half of the year, either the number of people receiving aid would be cut or rations would be slashed, or both. In Gaza, where unemployment stands at 54 percent and is much higher for young people, people do not have the purchasing power to fill in the gaps, McGoldrick said. There is no alternative, he said, describing the situation as very, very serious. It is not only the UN agencies providing food aid who are facing a shortfall. McGoldrick said that the $350m requested for the UNs overall humanitarian response plan for the occupied West Bank and Gaza so far this year was only 14 percent funded. There is something happening in terms of donor support to the Palestinian situation, which we have to better understand, he said. More than 18,000 posts are at stake, including half of the seats in the upper house Senate. Manila, Philippines Voting has closed in Philippines election for legislators and local executives that is expected to strengthen President Rodrigo Dutertes hold on power halfway into his term. More than 61 million Filipinos are registered to vote in the midterm polls, with roughly 43,000 candidates vying for some 18,000 government posts. It was fairly easy and convenient, John Binalla, a young IT employee, said after casting his vote at a public elementary school in Mandaluyong City, a suburb of the capital, Manila. The Commission on Elections declared the voting to have been generally successful and without major problems all over the country of more than 7,000 islands. It did report that at least 400 of some 85,000 computerised ballot scanners encountered glitches. The highest positions at stake are 12 seats in the Senate to recompose half of the higher congressional chamber already dominated by senators allied or supportive of Dutertes administration. 190511110625753 Voter preference surveys by private pollsters predict a favourable outcome for the administration, with its senatorial candidates poised to win up to two-thirds of the contested seats. Although mostly supportive of Duterte, the current Senate has so far tempered his more polarising objectives, such as reinstating the death penalty or redrafting the constitution to change the form of government from unitary to federal a move that may allow Duterte to stay in power indefinitely. Critics have expressed fears that a victory for Dutertes allies would reduce the Senates independence and prevent it from keeping a check on the president, whom they expect to further push for his platforms as his single six-year term enters its home run. Clearly, there are few who make a stand in the government nowadays, said Senator Leila de Lima, jailed on illegal drug charges after she ran an investigation on thousands of killings in Dutertes war on drugs. Our institutions lack voices for justice and truth. Many fear persecution and choose to kowtow just to stay in power, she said in a statement on Monday. One of only four incumbent opposition senators, de Lima urged voters to reject the liars, the corrupt, the plunderers. This was a clear jab at Dutertes senatorial slate, which includes two former senators charged with plunder and a daughter of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Track record The candidates track record were among key issues on voters minds. I really looked at the candidates status. Some of them have a really bad record so we have to be careful about that, said Rolly Mabunga, an employee based in Manila. To me, whats most important is they have experience to show for, he added. Voters are choosing senators from among Dutertes broad coalition of allies from different political parties, a bloc of eight opposition figures and a slew of independent candidates who are not backed by either the administration or the opposition. Aside from questioning Dutertes choice of senatorial candidates, the Otso Diretso or Eight Straight opposition bloc focused their campaign criticising Dutertes China-friendly policies in light of Beijings occupation of areas in the South China Sea within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, and demanded accountability for drug war killings, which some watchdogs said have reached more than 20,000. However, the opposition bloc appears unlikely to win many Senate seats. The latest voter preference survey indicated only one of them will probably succeed: Bam Aquino, a cousin of former President Benigno Aquino. Analysts say that despite fierce criticism of Dutertes administration, the opposition blocs campaign failed to sway most voters, who are still counting on the presidents promise of change in terms of alleviating poverty and combatting criminality. The current administration has accomplished things. Duterte has political will and the country needs it, voter Rolly Mabunga told Al Jazeera. He said he chose a mix of administration, opposition and independent candidates. It would be nice to have checks-and-balances in the Senate, to make sure ongoing projects continue but without corruption or anomalies. Mabunga said he favoured Dutertes war on drugs but it needs to be done lawfully and follow due process instead of randomly arresting and killing suspects. For her part, Nerisa Jimenez, a government employee, said she backed candidates who had already passed laws as legislators, while others, such as John Binalla and his mother, Dale, said they were wary of candidates with a long history in politics. We dont want candidates from political dynasties or those who support that plan to shift to federalism, Dale Binalla, a businesswoman, told Al Jazeera. We ran a thorough check on their platforms and backgrounds. Some of them said they opposed political dynasties but were themselves members of such dynasties, John Binalla added. Filipinos voting at a polling centre in Manila [Aaron Favila/AP] Ive seen many elections and the same names and faces keep coming up, said Jerry Somao-i, an unemployed man who flew from the countrys southern Surigao province to cast his vote in Manila, where he is registered as a voter, only to find out his account has been deactivated since he missed the last election of village leaders. I would have voted for the new ones. Unfortunately, it seems I wont be able to, Somao-i told Al Jazeera. The Commission on Elections has opened a 24-hour help desk to assist voters with such concerns, as well as to report anomalies they might encounter. The commission strongly cautioned voters against operators from candidates who would offer to pay them for their votes. Vote-buying is one of the most serious concerns in the Philippines electronically-automated elections. The electoral commission has reported dozens of such cases even before the polls opened, and it said many more instances go undetected. Candidates proven to have attempted to buy votes are charged with a grave election offence, jailed and disqualified from public office. However, very few cases are brought to justice. Initial results are expected within hours after polls close, and the winners will be officially declared in the coming weeks. The last midterm election, in 2013, yielded a 77 percent voter turnout. European diplomats urged the United States to exercise maximum restraint as tensions mount in the Gulf a year after Washington withdrew from a landmark deal that curbed Irans nuclear programme. Federica Mogherini, the European Unions diplomatic chief, stressed the need for dialogue following a meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who made a last-minute visit to Brussels on Monday to share information on escalating threats from Iran. The US has re-imposed punishing sanctions on Iran since its unilateral exit from the nuclear deal, negotiated between Tehran and six world powers in 2015. Last week, Washington sent naval vessels and bombers to the Middle East citing unspecified threats from Tehran. Iran responded by declaring it will scale back compliance with parts of the nuclear deal. Mogherini said the EU continues to fully support the accord, which imposed limits on Irans nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Its always better to talk than rather not to, especially when tensions arise, she said. Mike Pompeo heard that very clearly from us today, not only from myself, but also from other EU member states, that we are living in a crucial delicate moment where the most responsible attitude to take is that of maximum restraint. #IranDeal "We always encourage dialogue. We still invite Iran to comply with all its nuclear commitments and we will do our part on our side to continue to fully implement the nuclear deal" @FedericaMog pic.twitter.com/vjdEE7epFR European External Action Service EEAS (@eu_eeas) May 13, 2019 190512201108239 The ministers from the European signatories to the nuclear accord Germany, United Kingdom and France all publicly criticised the hardline US approach. Pompeo, who met individually with the ministers, but not in a joint setting, did not speak to reporters as he was entering or leaving EU headquarters. By accident Heiko Maas, German foreign minister, said Berlin still regards this nuclear agreement as the basis for Iran not having any nuclear weapons in the future and we regard this as existential for our security. Maas said he used his one-on-one meeting with Pompeo to stress that we are concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation. Jeremy Hunt, UK foreign minister, warned that armed conflict might be sparked by accident as tensions mount. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Frances foreign minister, joined the criticism saying Washingtons move to step up sanctions against Iran does not suit us. The US pulled out of the accord saying the agreement does nothing to stop Iran from developing missiles or destabilising the Middle East. The European parties insist the agreement was never meant to address those issues but has been effective in curbing Irans nuclear ambitions. Brian Hook, US special envoy for Iran, said Pompeo made the unscheduled stop in Brussels because Iran is an escalating threat and this seemed like a timely visit on his way to Sochi. Pompeo cancelled a visit to Moscow on Monday and stopped in Brussels instead, en route to the Black Sea resort of Sochi for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The secretary wanted to share some detail behind what we have been saying publicly. We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats, Hook told reporters. Sabotaged ships Pompeo also discussed reported attacks on several oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. Asked if Pompeo was blaming Iran for the attacks, Hook said: We discussed what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels that were anchored We have been requested by the UAE to provide assistance in the investigation, which we are very glad to do. Asked if he believed there was the possibility of an Iranian role, Hook had no comment. US President Donald Trump on Monday warned Iran would suffer greatly if it does anything. Im hearing little stories about Iran, Trump said at the White House. If they do anything, it would be a very bad mistake. If they do anything, they will suffer greatly. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not describe the nature of the attacks or say who was behind it. 190513144145742 Saudi Arabia said on Monday two of its oil tankers were among those targeted and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the US and Iran. Irans foreign ministry called the incidents worrisome and dreadful and asked for an investigation. Abbas Mousavi, spokesman for the ministry, also warned against any conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers and adventurism by foreigners to undermine the maritime regions stability and security. False flag actions Karen Young, a resident scholar at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute think-tank, said: Tensions are high and have been escalated by the US, as well. We have to be wary of tit-for-tat provocations, and those that may be misinterpreted or even false flag actions. The United Nations called for restraint from all sides. We call upon all concerned parties to exercise restraint for the sake of regional peace, including by ensuring maritime security, said UN spokesman Farhan Haq. Separately on Monday, Mogherini chaired a meeting of the so-called E3 the UK, France and Germany to discuss efforts to keep the nuclear deal going, including a special trade mechanism called INSTEX the trio set up to try to enable legitimate trade with Iran to continue without falling foul of US sanctions. INSTEX was launched in January but is still not operational. After talks with the E3, Mogherini said they aimed to get INSTEX up and running and have the first transactions hopefully in the next few weeks. By Azernews By Leman Mammadova The Azexport portal is continuously applying new mechanisms to facilitate access of local manufacturing companies to foreign markets as well as to improve the effectiveness of the portal. For the first time, the portal has introduced a free sale certificate in Azerbaijan to expand the possibilities of exporting national goods and local products beyond the country, head of Azexport portal Zaur Gardashov told Trend. This certificate provides Azerbaijani entrepreneurs with access to the export of goods to the U.S., Indonesia, Qatar and a number of other countries. He noted that Azexport issued 300 certificates to local entrepreneurs in 2018. We started to develop this document after a thorough research and study of the local market, as well as the situation in foreign markets. The certificate holders are well-known Azerbaijani companies operating in the country and successfully implementing export operations abroad. Particularly, these are companies such as Azersun, Gazelli, Aznar, and some other, less well-known companies, Gardashov said. He noted that the cost of certificates is only 20 manats ($12). The manufacturers of food products, cosmetics, equipment and other goods may receive the certificate. This document confirms that the exported products have all the necessary documents pursuant to Azerbaijani legislation for distribution in the country and at the moment are freely sold in the domestic market, head of Azexport added. He emphasized that the products of Azerbaijani manufacturing companies which received the certificate are in great demand in foreign markets. Azerbaijan is the third country in the CIS offering such a certificate. Azerbaijani exporting companies which have the certificate of free sale may get access to the markets of more than 100 countries, Gardashov noted. He said that in order to obtain a certificate of free sale, companies must have a certificate confirming the quality of products manufactured in accordance with international standards, a certificate of conformity and a bar code, if any. Gardashov stressed that the certificate of free sale is considered a relatively new control and regulatory mechanism in international trade; nevertheless, it is a mandatory document required in many countries for export operations. Created in 2016, Azexport.az, integrated with the most popular electronic trading platforms, makes products available to potential buyers from anywhere in the world. The portal offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to export goods produced in Azerbaijan to traditional and new markets via international e-trading platforms. The mission of Azexport is to provide information about products of Azerbaijani origin and to be a beneficial platform for their sales in foreign and domestic markets. As reported earlier, Azexport is preparing projects to provide its participants with preferences, including issuance of service passports and co-branded Visa cards with interest-free credit limit for exporters, as well as access to the simplified import system for production materials, etc. In addition, Azexport expands the list of international electronic portals with which it cooperates. Azexport has launched a single exporter declaration, on the basis of which the exporter receives all permits online as well as many other services that provide customer search, export procedures and deliveries to foreign markets. Azerbaijan received export orders for a total of $178.4 million through Azexport.az portal in January-March 2019. In March, the total value of export orders amounted to $32.8 million. Russia (11.5 percent), Turkey (9.9 percent), the U.S. (7 percent), India (6.6 percent) and Georgia (5.3 percent) were the top five countries in terms of export orders in March. Export orders for almost $1.2 billion were received by Azexport portal from 126 countries of the world in the period from January 1, 2017, to March 31, 2019. Saudi Arabias energy minister says two Saudi oil tankers hit in sabotage attack off UAE have significant damage. Saudi Arabia said two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran. One of the ships was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Monday. The announcement by Falih came as the UAEs regional allies condemned the reported sabotage on Sunday of four ships off the coast of the port city of Fujairah. Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage to the ships or say who might have been responsible. The UAE identified the vessels as very large crude carrier (VLCC) tanker Amjad and crude tanker Al Marzoqah, both owned by Saudi shipping firm Bahri. The other two were UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge A Michel and Norwegian-registered oil products tanker MT Andrew Victory. The reports come as the US warned ships that Iran or its proxies could be targeting maritime traffic in the region, and as the US is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Gulf to counter what it called threats from Tehran. Adverse consequences Falih said the attack did not cause any casualties or an oil spill but inflicted significant damage to the Saudi vessels structures. He said it aimed to undermine maritime freedom and the security of oil supplies to consumers worldwide. The international community has a joint responsibility to protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets and the danger they pose to the global economy, he said. The attacks occurred near the UAEs Fujairah emirate, one of the worlds largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. Thome Ship Management said its Norwegian-registered oil products tanker MT Andrew Victory was struck by an unknown object. The damaged Andrea Victory vessel is seen off the Port of Fujairah on Monday [Satish Kumar/Reuters] Further clarification 190512181301401 Irans foreign ministry called the incidents worrisome and dreadful and asked for an investigation. Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi also warned against any conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers and adventurism by foreigners to undermine the maritime regions stability and security. The United States has limited information as yet about who may have been responsible for the attacks, said a US official familiar with American intelligence on the incident, who spoke to Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity. Britains Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt also warned of the risks of a conflict happening by accident with an unintended escalation between Washington and Tehran over an unravelling nuclear deal. On Monday, US President Donald Trump warned that it would be mistake for Iran to try anything against the United States. Tensions have risen in the year since Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring US sanctions that have pushed Irans economy into crisis. The United States said it wanted to reduce Irans oil exports to zero. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. Irresponsible acts Underlining the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the alleged sabotage as a serious escalation in an overnight statement. Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger, Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemens internationally recognised government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage. Fujairahs port is about 140km south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Gulf through which one-third of all oil at sea is traded. It is seen as strategically located, serving shipping routes in the Gulf, Indian subcontinent and Africa. Sundays incident comes after the US Maritime Administration, a division of the US Transportation Department, warned on Thursday that Iran could target commercial sea traffic. 190511053143462 Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or US military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait or the Persian Gulf, it said. Washington said it was sending a US aircraft carrier and other forces to the Middle East over what it said were Iranian threats, while Tehran has called the US military presence a target rather than a threat. Iran has said it will not allow its oil exports to be halted. A Saudi cargo ship believed by Spanish arms control groups to be laden with European weapons has left the port of Santander and set sail for Genoa, Italy. The Bahri Yanbu left the northern Spanish port on Monday after loading two containers, Alberto Estevez, of the Control Arms Coalition of human rights and aid groups which is trying to stop arms reaching conflict zones, told The Associated Press news agency. A Spanish government spokesman said the ship took on cargo contracted from private companies that he said was not illegal nor contravened any international laws. A company called Instalaza, from Zaragoza, sent weaponry for a trade exhibition in the United Arab Emirates and it will be returned to Spain, while another company sent ceremonial cannon to Saudi Arabia, the spokesman told AP. A government source cited by Reuters News Agency, meanwhile, said the two loads comply with all the norms. They are not for use in war, the source added. Countries are under pressure not to send arms to Saudi Arabia the worlds largest arms importer from 2014 to 2018, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute amid concerns they are being used by a pro-government Saudi-UAE-led military coalition against civilians in Yemen. Germany recently extended a ban on arms exports to the kingdom for another six months and Belgium is reportedly mulling a similar embargo. Other European countries, such as the UK and France, continue to export weapons to Saudi, however. A test of EU resolve The Bahri Yanbu, which has been making its way around European ports in recent days, arrived in Santander from France on Friday. Florence Parly, Frances defence minister, confirmed that the ship was meant to pick up French weapons in Le Havre as part of a contract signed with Saudi Arabia several years ago, the AP reported. 190510132443277 However, after French activists held a protest and sought emergency legal measures to try to stop the weapons supplies, the ship did not collect any arms in Le Havre after all, a lawyer representing the protesters told Reuters news agency. According to Amnesty International, which has called for a halt in arms sales to all parties in Yemens war, the ship took on Belgian-made ammunition on May 3 in Antwerp before sailing to France. This is a serious test of EU countries resolve to uphold their obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty and EU Common Position on Arms Exports. Several states have failed this test in the space of just a few days, said Ara Marcen Naval, Amnestys deputy director for Arms Control and Human Rights. No EU state should be making the deadly decision to authorise the transfer or transit of arms to a conflict where there is a clear risk they will be used in war crimes and other serious violations of international law, Naval added. Saudi role in Yemen The conflict in Yemen, home to an estimated 28 million people, began with the 2014 takeover of the capital, Sanaa, by the Houthis, who toppled the internationally-recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. 190512140945972 Concerned by the rise of the rebel group, believed to be backed by Iran, the Saudi-UAE-led military coalition launched an intervention in 2015 in the form of a massive air campaign aimed at reinstalling Hadis government. The Houthis control the biggest urban centres while Hadis administration holds the southern port of Aden and a string of coastal towns. The United Nations has said all sides in the conflict may have committed war crimes, including deadly air raids, rampant sexual violence, and the recruitment of child soldiers. In a report published in August last year, the UN said air attacks by the Saudi-UAE-led coalition had caused the most direct civilian casualties in the war. Veteran negotiator Hanan Ashrawi, who has in the past met US leaders, describes denial as pettiness. A senior Palestinian official has said she was denied a United States travel visa, amid worsening relations between the two sides. Hanan Ashrawi, a longtime aide to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, announced on Monday that she had been turned down without receiving a justification. It is official! My US visa application has been rejected. No reason given, Ashrawi said on Twitter. Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organizations executive committee and former minister, has been involved in Palestinian politics for decades and has won multiple awards for her work. She said she had been invited to a series of speaking engagements at think tanks and universities in the US and also planned to visit relatives living there. Ashrawi, 72, has previously studied in the country and typically visits several times each year. This administration has decided I do not deserve to set foot in the US I just hope someone can explain this to my grandchildren & all the rest of my family there, she said in a tweet. Im over 70 and a grandmother; Ive been an activist for Palestine since the late 1960s; Ive always been an ardent supporter of nonviolent resistance. Asked whether the visa denial was political, she told The Associated Press news agency: Of course, calling it pettiness and vindictiveness. A US State Department official told Reuters News Agency: US law does not authorise the refusal of visa based solely on political statements or views if those statements or views if those statements or views would be lawful in the United States. Visas may be denied only on grounds set out in US law. Strained relations Relations between the US and the Palestinians have been strained since President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israels capital in December 2017. The Palestinians see the eastern part of the disputed city as the capital of their future state and cut ties with the Trump administration in response. Since then, the Palestinians have seen cuts to US funding that have contributed to economic distress in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. 1/It is official! My US visa application has been rejected. No reason given. Choose any of the following: Im over 70 & a grandmother; Ive been an activist for Palestine since the late 1960s; Ive always been an ardent supporter of nonviolent resistance; Hanan Ashrawi (@DrHananAshrawi) May 13, 2019 7/Im guilty of all of the above, & as such this administration has decided I do not deserve to set foot in the US. I just hope someone can explain this to my grandchildren & all the rest of my family there. Hanan Ashrawi (@DrHananAshrawi) May 13, 2019 Trump is expected to release a long-delayed peace plan in the coming months. In a recent tweet, Ashrawi referred to Trumps peace envoy Jason Greenblatt as a self-appointed advocate/apologist for Israel. In February, Greenblatt tweeted that Ashrawi was always welcome to meet him at the White House. A month later, after Ashrawi condemned Israeli military raids in Hamas-ruled Gaza, he tweeted at her: Stop hurting Palestinians w/bad judgement. Last month, Omar Barghouti, a Palestinian leader of an international campaign to boycott Israel, said he was refused a US travel visa as part of Israels escalating repression. Survey days before May 18 vote shows Labor Party ahead of the Liberal-National coalition, 51 percent to 49 percent. Australias opposition Labor Party retains a narrow lead over the conservative coalition government, a closely watched poll has shown, days ahead of the countrys general election. Mondays Newspoll showed Labor ahead of the Liberal-National coalition, 51 percent to 49 percent, unchanged from polls over the past two weeks on a two-party preferred basis, where votes are distributed until a winner is declared. Based on the poll, Labor would end up with 77 seats in Australias lower house, above the 76 needed to form the government against 68 for the coalition and six for other parties. Currently, Labor holds 69, the coalition 73 and other parties eight. Australians will go to the polls on May 18. 190507035459201 Prime Minister Scott Morrison officially launched the partys campaign on Sunday, plugging his partys economic credentials, and calling Labors plans to cut tax benefits and boost outlays for health and education reckless spending. However, Labor has promised bigger budget surpluses than the government, with plans to slash generous tax concessions aimed at the countrys wealthiest. The Newspoll also showed voters net approval of Labor leader Bill Shorten who climbed eight points to his highest position since March 2015, although his rating still trails Morrisons by 10 points. Shorten found popular support last week from voters who objected to a conservative tabloids report about the life of the opposition leaders late mother. The report described Shortens account of his mothers career struggles as inaccurate, which some, including the prime minister, saw as an unfair attack. Morrison, who turned 51 on Monday, had an egg thrown at him on the campaign trail last week by a young woman apparently protesting against Australias treatment of asylum seekers. The egg grazed his head without cracking. Morrison called the act thuggery. The election contest is expected to come down to a number of tightly fought seats in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, many of which feature independent candidates pushing for strong action on climate change. The poll surveyed 1,644 voters across Australia on May 9-12. The maximum sampling error was plus or minus 2.4-percentage points. Regulators instructed to temporarily block Facebook, other platforms after Christians attack mosques and Muslims shops. Sri Lanka has temporarily blocked some social media networks and messaging apps, including Facebook and WhatsApp, after a posting sparked anti-Muslim riots across several towns in the latest fallout from the Easter Sunday suicide attacks last month. Christian groups threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned shops in the northwestern Christian-majority town of Chilaw on Sunday in anger at a Facebook post by a shopkeeper, police said. Security forces fired shots in the air to disperse mobs, but the violence spread to nearby towns where businesses owned by Muslims were also attacked. Social media blocked again as a temporary measure to maintain peace in the country, Nalaka Kaluwewa, director general of the government information department, told Reuters news agency on Monday. Police said a night curfew, imposed on Sunday afternoon, in Chilaw and nearby areas was relaxed on Monday, but the social media ban was brought in to prevent incitement to violence. Dont laugh more, 1 day u will cry, was posted as a comment on Facebook by a Muslim shopkeeper, and local Christians took it to be a warning of an impending attack. Mobs smashed the mans shop and vandalised a nearby mosque prompting security forces to fire in the air to disperse the crowd. Authorities said they arrested the author of the Facebook post, identified as 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar, as well as a group of men in the nearby Kurunegala district for allegedly attacking Muslim-owned businesses. Worrying trend Sri Lankas information department director told Al Jazeera that one of the main reasons behind the ban was to clamp down on tensions and incidents that have been erupting over the last 48 hours. Al Jazeeras Minelle Fernandez, reporting from the northern town of Kilinochchi, said that the government is using this not as a long-term measure, but as a tactic to dampen any tensions that might erupt. Sri Lanka has been on edge since the April 21 attacks by Muslim suicide bombers on three hotels and three churches that killed at least 257 people. Muslims make up around 10 percent of Buddhist-majority Sri Lankas 21 million population and Christians about 7.6 percent. Rights group Amnesty International said there was a worrying trend of attacks against the Muslim community coming out of Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday bombings. The main body of Islamic scholars, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), said there was increased suspicion of Muslims. We call upon the members of the Muslim communities to be more patient and guard your actions and avoid unnecessary postings or hosting on social media, the ACJU said. Sri Lanka has used temporary bans on social media in a bid to deter misinformation and rumours. On Twitter, Sri Lankas leading mobile phone operator Dialog said it had also received instructions to block Viber, IMO, Snapchat, Instagram and Youtube until further notice. The latest unrest came as Catholic churches resumed their public Sunday masses for the first time since the bombings. Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency since the attacks. Security forces and police have been given sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. Indefinite curfew imposed in North Western Province where Muslim man was killed on Monday. The Sri Lankan government has ordered nationwide curfew for a second night after anti-Muslim riots in the wake of the Easter bombings. The curfew was earlier relaxed on Tuesday in all areas except the North Western Province (NWP) where a Muslim man was killed by a mob on Monday, police said, in a violent backlash against last months bombings. The 45-year-old died of injuries sustained when a crowd stormed his carpentry workshop in the Puttalam district in the NWP and slashed him, official sources said. Police chief Chandana Wickramaratne warned of stern action against rioters, and said that constables have been issued orders to use maximum force. Elsewhere in the province, mobs torched dozens of Muslim-owned shops, vandalised homes and mosques in a day of rioting. The curfew in the NWP will be continued until further notice, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. Al Jazeeras Minelle Fernandez, reporting from Colombo, said an uneasy calm prevailed in the northwestern province. There are complaints that some of the police and military stood helpless daunted by the sheer scale of the mobs that were going around burning properties. That is something of concern here, she said. Fernandez said that there are reports of 11 individuals arrested for their alleged involvement in the violence. On Monday, police imposed the island-wide curfew from 9pm local time (15:30 GMT) to 4am, according to a police statement. Curfews were previously limited to specific areas where attacks had taken place, including Puttalam, Kurunegala and Gamphala districts near Colombo. In an address to the nation on Monday night, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said a countrywide curfew was declared to prevent unidentified groups orchestrating communal violence. Wickremesinghe said the unrest would hinder investigations into the April 21 attacks that targeted three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 257 people and wounding nearly 500. Sri Lanka also temporarily banned some social media networks and messaging apps, including Facebook and WhatsApp, after a posting sparked anti-Muslim riots across several towns. A Facebook post has sparked anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka, with Christian and Muslim community leaders calling for calm. pic.twitter.com/joMug4NXyG Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 13, 2019 The attacks came during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. Residents in NWP said crowds attacked mosques and damaged Muslim-owned businesses for a second day on Monday. There are hundreds of rioters, police and army are just watching. They have burnt our mosques and smashed many shops owned by Muslims, a resident, who asked not to be identified, told the Reuters news agency. When we try to come out of our house, police tell us to stay inside. Glass was strewn across the Abrar mosque in the town of Kiniyama that was attacked overnight. All the windows and doors of the soft-pink building were smashed and copies of the Quran were thrown onto the floor. Several shops attacked Over the last 24 hours there were localised police curfews to contain tensions between Christians and Muslims in these particular areas, Al Jazeeras Fernandez said. The authorities are trying very hard to clamp down on this. The latest wave of unrest started when a mob targeted Muslim-owned shops in the town of Chilaw, 70 kilometres north of Colombo, on Sunday in anger at a Facebook post by a shopkeeper. Dont laugh more, 1 day u will cry, was posted as a comment on Facebook by a Muslim shopkeeper, and local Christians took it to be a warning of an impending attack. Mobs smashed the mans shop and vandalised a nearby mosque prompting security forces to fire in the air to disperse the crowd. Authorities said they arrested the author of the post. Muslims make up around 10 percent of Buddhist-majority Sri Lankas 21 million population and Christians about 7.6 percent. Worrying trend Rights group Amnesty International said there was a worrying trend of attacks against the Muslim community coming out of Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday bombings. The countrys main body of Islamic scholars, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), said there was increased suspicion of Muslims. We call upon the members of the Muslim communities to be more patient and guard your actions and avoid unnecessary postings or hosting on social media, the ACJU said. On Twitter, Sri Lankas leading mobile phone operator Dialog said it had also received instructions to block Viber, IMO, Snapchat, Instagram and Youtube until further notice. The latest unrest came as Catholic churches resumed their public Sunday masses for the first time since the bombings. Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency since the attacks. Security forces and police have been given sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. Prosecutor says former president charged as security forces reportedly open fire on sit-in, wounding at least 10. Sudans former President Omar al-Bashir was charged with inciting and participating in the killing of protesters during the mass protests that lead to the end of his decades-long rule, as security forces reportedly opened fire on demonstrators with live rounds. At least 10 people were wounded by gunfire late Monday near a protest sit-in in the capital Khartoum. Some of the injured were in serious condition, local doctors said. Gunfire could be heard near the centre of Khartoum after security and paramilitary forces clashed with protesters who had been blocking roads. The prosecutor generals announcement on Monday came with few details about the case against al-Bashir. Omar al-Bashir and others have been charged for inciting and participating in the killing of demonstrators, the prosecutor generals office said. Earlier this month, the prosecutor general ordered al-Bashir to be interrogated on charges of money laundering and financing of terrorism. There has been no comment from al-Bashir since his removal and arrest on April 11. The former president is reportedly being held at the maximum security Kobar prison in Khartoum. Al Jazeeras Hiba Morgan, reporting from the capital, said a committee of doctors estimate at least 100 people were killed by security forces since protests began last December. A lot of them were shot as they were trying to run from the live ammunition fired by security forces, she said. The prosecutors office highlighted, in particular, the killing of Babiker Abdul Hameed, a 27-year-old doctor who was killed on January 19, as he was trying to give medical assistance to protesters, said Morgan. He was shot dead in front of witnesses. Huge crowds remain camped outside the military headquarters in central Khartoum, vowing to force the military council that replaced al-Bashir to cede power. Lieutenant-General Shams al-Din Kabashi, spokesman for the military council, said the generals met with protest leaders on Monday and agreed on the structure of transitional bodies. Their make-up would be addressed in further talks a day later, he said. We discussed the structure of the transitional authority and agreed on it completely, and we also agreed on the system of governance in the transitional period, he said. 190411083628141 Taha Osman, spokesman for the protest movement, known as the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), confirmed the development to AFP news agency. At todays meeting we agreed on the structure of the authorities and their powers, said Osman. The authorities are as follows the sovereign council, the cabinet and the legislative body. Tomorrow the talks will continue to discuss the period of transition and the composition of the authorities. Sudanese protesters burn tyres and barricade the road leading to al-Mek Nimir Bridge [Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/ Reuters] The DFCF said late on Sunday it hoped to secure commitments to a swift transfer of power in the three-day talks. The military council and the protesters are at loggerheads over the make-up of the interim body. The generals have proposed that the new council be military-led, while protest leaders want a majority civilian body. The protesters have vowed to continue demonstrations, centred on the sit-in outside the military headquarters and called for a series of nationwide protests, including another march to the main sit-in, in the coming week. Earlier on Monday, Sudanese police and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces used tear gas to disperse dozens of protesters in the Khartoum North neighbourhood. The troops also removed barriers protesters had set up on a road leading to al-Mek Nimir Bridge, a main artery of Khartoum. There were no reports of casualties. Their aim is to increase pressure on the military leadership to hand over power to civilians. Sudans protesters say they will not cede ground to the military rulers and have vowed to continue their demonstrations outside the army headquarters until all their demands are met. The protesters say they are not leaving anything to chance. They dont want to be caught unawares when the forces come for them. The protests have so far given them the only leverage they have against the military council and they are not about to let it go. Al Jazeeras Mohammed Adow met some of them in the capital, Khartoum. Julian Assange is to be investigated in Sweden over a rape case dating from August 2010, prosecutors announced on Monday. The WikiLeaks founder, currently held in Belmarsh prison in London, now faces possible extradition from Britain. My assessment is there is still probably cause [to investigate] rape and a lesser offence, Eva-Marie Persson, Swedens deputy director of public prosecutions, said. Sweden had first issued an arrest warrant and declared Assange an internationally wanted suspect in November 2010. But after Assange skipped bail in the UK and went into hiding at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, the extradition order was impossible to enforce. In November 2016, Assange was interviewed by Ecuadorian prosecutors after an agreement was reached between Sweden and Ecuador to cooperate in criminal investigations. 190501084959520 Mr Assange was recently sentenced to 50 weeks in prison [in the UK], Persson said. He will serve 25 weeks before he is eligible for release. My intention is to submit to the district court today to appoint a public defender. It is also my intention in the near future [to ask] that the district court order Mr Assange remanded in absentia. I will proceed to issue a European arrest warrant providing for him to be extradited to Sweden after serving his sentence in the UK, she said, at a press conference in Stockholm. The US also wants to extradite Assange over his publishing of leaked military videos showing the killing of civilians in Iraq, as well as thousands of other documents. Persson said she expected the US to submit a formal extradition request to the UK no later than June 14, 2019. A decision on which extradition request would be given greater priority will be left entirely to the British authorities. If hes extradited to Sweden, he must not be extradited to a third country without the consent of the British authorities, she said. A future Brexit will not, according to available information, impact on the case. Julian Assanges Swedish lawyer said he was very surprised by the decision and said his client was innocent. I do not understand the Swedish prosecutors reasoning for reopening a 10-year old case, Per E Samuelsen told Swedish broadcaster SVT. Swedish prosecutors had filed preliminary charges in 2010 after two women said they were victims of sex crimes committed by Assange when he visited the country. 190502093845015 Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, and the case was closed as it could not be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy and there was no prospect of bringing him to Sweden. The statute of limitations on that case does not expire until August 17, 2020. The reason the previous investigation was closed was not through lack of evidence, but because Julian Assange was in the Ecuadorian embassy, said Al Jazeeras Paul Brennan. Swedish prosecutors could interview Assange in prison via videolink, they said. While Mr Assange is serving his sentence in the UK, I intend to further the investigation as much as possible, Persson said. I would like to make the following very clear: My decision to re-open the preliminary investigation is not an indication of whether to file an indictment with the court, Persson added. In a statement, WikiLeaks said there had been considerable political pressure on Swedish prosecutors to reopen their investigation. Its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name, Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, said in a statement. Assange has denied the allegations against him, asserting that they were politically motivated and that the sex with the two women who have accused him was consensual. The 47-year-old Australian met the women in connection with a lecture in August 2010 in Stockholm. One was involved in organising an event for Swedens centre-left Social Democratic Party and offered to host Assange at her apartment. The other was in the audience. Assange left Sweden for Britain in September 2010. In November that year, a Stockholm court approved a request to detain Assange for questioning. He was arrested by British police on April 11 after a change in leadership in Ecuador revoked his political asylum. A letter signed by more than 70 MPs, across the political divide, urged Home Secretary Sajid Javid to prioritise any extradition request to Sweden over any from the United States. There are a couple of factors Sajid Javid has to consider, added Al Jazeeras Paul Brennan. There is the relative seriousness of the offences for the American case, thats about official secrets and treason and in the Swedish case, an allegation of rape and its up to the home secretary to compare those and decide which is of greater seriousness. Then theres also the issue of chronology which extradition request came first. And it also seems in the Extradition Act that there is a distinction between European and non-European requests the suggestion seems to be that a European arrest warrant request would get precendence over a non-European one, but given the close relationship between Britain and the United States, its entirely up to the home secretary to make a decision at his discretion. Police said the girl was hospitalised in critical condition on May 8 but her condition has stabilised. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Indian-administered Kashmir, angered by the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl by a neighbour who lured her to a school bathroom, which escalated into intense clashes between protesters and government forces. Top local administrator Baseer Khan said on Monday that police arrested the suspect in a village in Sumbal town and a fast-track inquiry is under way. Police said the girl was hospitalised in critical condition on May 8 but her condition has stabilised. Protests erupted on Sunday and spread to new areas on Monday after the suspects family produced a school-issued birth certificate giving his age as 13. 190509075611550 The protesters claimed it was a fake birth certificate produced by the family to show him as a juvenile and save him from a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. On Monday, allegations emerged that the principal of another school issued a certificate for the accused that he was a minor. At least a dozen people, including government forces personnel, were injured when tear gas and pellet shotguns were fired to quell the protests in many towns, top police officer Swayam Prakash Pani told the AFP news agency. One of the injured protesters is critically wounded, Pani said. We have registered a separate case against the school principal and detained him for questioning. Thousands also protested in Srinagar and clashed with government forces. Across the Kashmir Valley, thousands of security forces wearing riot gear were deployed to contain the spreading protests, officials said. A police statement later Monday said that protests had spread to northern Baramulla district where 47 security personnel and seven protesters were injured in the clashes. The protesters threw stones at the security forces, who fired tear gas at the demonstrators. Schools across the valley shut spontaneously as did shops and businesses. Hundreds of students at three university campuses also protested, demanding capital punishment for the alleged perpetrator and action against the school principal. Leaders from across the political spectrum appealed for calm, with a top separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq saying on Monday the incident was a crime against humanity. Another separatist leader with a wide following in Kashmir, Syed Ali Geelani, said the alleged crime was a black stain on the social fabric of Kashmir. In January 2018, an eight-year-old girl was abducted, starved for a week and murdered after she was raped by several people in the southern Kathua area. That incident caused widespread outrage and protests in Kashmir and many Indian cities and towns. By Trend The Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson, in accordance with its mandate, plans to conduct the next ceasefire monitoring on the line of contact on May 14 in the direction of the Goranboy district, Trendreports referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The Personal Representative's field assistants Mihail Olaru and Simon Tiller will carry out the monitoring on the territory of Azerbaijan. The Personal Representative's field assistants Ghenadie Petrica and Ognjen Jovic will carry out the monitoring on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan occupied and controlled by the armed forces of Armenia. 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. US president also says hell meet Russias Putin, but Kremlin says no such arrangements have been made so far. US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 gathering in Japan next month. Trump said he expects his discussion with Xi to be very fruitful, as the trade war between China and the United States intensified on Monday. Earlier, China announced it would impose higher tariffs on a range of US goods including frozen vegetables and liquefied natural gas, a move that followed Washingtons decision last week to increase its own levies on $200 billion in Chinese imports. Trump had warned Beijing not to retaliate. On Monday he said, Were dealing with them. We have a good relationship. Trump, who has embraced protectionism as part of an America First agenda, added that he had not yet decided whether to go ahead with tariffs on roughly another $325bn in goods from China. For its part, China said on Monday it plans to set import tariffs ranging from five percent to 25 percent on 5,140 US products on a revised $60b target list. It said the tariffs will take effect on June 1. Chinas adjustment on additional tariffs is a response to US unilateralism and protectionism, its finance ministry said. China hopes the US will get back to the right track of bilateral trade and economic consultations and meet with China halfway. 190513132012941 The prospect that the US and China were spiralling into a no-holds-barred dispute that could derail the global economy has rattled investors and led to a sharp selloff on equities markets in the past week. Global equities tumbled again on Monday, with major Wall Street stock indexes down more than two percent. Chinas yuan currency fell to its lowest level since December and oil futures slumped. Trump stepped up his verbal attacks on China on Friday after two days of high-level trade negotiations in Washington, DC, ended with the two sides in an apparent stalemate. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC the talks were ongoing and he was working on when to travel to Beijing. Putin meeting? Trump on Monday, also said he will meet Putin at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. The Kremlin said, however, that no such arrangement has been made for the June 28-29 gathering. 190506164745069 There havent been any requests. There are also no agreements so far, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to meet Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday in Sochi for the highest-level talks between Moscow and Washington in nearly a year. Pompeo cancelled a visit to Moscow on Monday and stopped in Brussels instead to meet his counterparts from the UK, France and Germany about Iran. Tensions between the US and Iran mounted last week, a year after Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 landmark nuclear deal. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gave the remaining signatories 60 days to come up with a plan to shield his country from sanctions imposed by Trump after the US withdrew from the deal. On Monday, European foreign ministers urged restraint amid fears of the tensions tipping them easily into armed conflict. Hook said that Iran is expected to be on Pompeo and Putins agenda on Tuesday. They are also expected to push for progress on arms control, as well as the Venezuela crisis. Many Iranian citizens, even among the elites, believe that no coup is possible in Iran because of the balance of power between the two opposing military forces (the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Army). But that view is completely mistaken. Iran is not immune to a coup, even though the Islamic regime in Iran is not threatened by the possibility of a coup as much as is Turkey, its northwest neighbor. Ali Khamenei was selected as the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic against the interests of certain influential revolutionaries when the IRGCs big leaders backed him. He became ayatollah after he was selected in 1989 as the interim Supreme Leader, pending a referendum. But no such referendum ever took place. If a coup occurs in Iran, it could only be carried out by the IRGC. The Iranian army cannot carry out a coup in the country as long as its high-ranking commanders are chosen by the Supreme Leader through high-security vetting. Meanwhile, the IRGC's offensive activities in the political-security and economic sectors have been intensifying under the leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei. Moreover, in 2019, the Ministry of Intelligence budget grew 31% and the IRGC budget grew 26%, while the budget of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, decreased by 75%, and that of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics decreased by 50%. It is very difficult to predict the timing of a coup. But it could happen after the Supreme Leader dies. It's one likely outcome. Analysts cite the 2009 uprising, which took place during a presidential election, as the type of scenario that might spark a coup by the IRGC. Back then, the Revolutionary Guard, which was recently designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S., empowered Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after Ayatollah Khamenei gave the green light. Ahmadinejad was reselected, and his rivals were subjected to house arrest. In this way, the IRGC managed political turmoil to achieve its interests by applying pressure and serious threats against the unstable bureaucracy. As armed holders of power, the IRGC will take military action if the ayatollahs turn their backs on the terrorist organization. Any other Supreme Leader-nominated administration will come under attack if the IRGC feels a threat against its own power. But this does not mean that the state is separate from the IRGC and the Iranian Islamic leadership. Rather, it is an integral part of the Khomeinist regime. The fight they would wage would be for more benefits and booty. As one example of IRGC power, the regime's foreign minister Javad Zarif was not informed by them about Assads trip to Tehran. However, the IRGCs Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani was included in that information loop. The IRGC has seized control over the regimes foreign relations in the Middle East, just as it seized many other departments in the country. The nefarious organization succeeded in grabbing everything of economic value there was to take in Iran. The organization monopolized all of Irans high-level economic functions and resources as it seeks to solidify its full authority over the countrys politics. Fear of IRGC action against the ayatollahs is the likely explanation for the regime replacing IRGC commanders. Hossein Salami was appointed as the new IRGC commander-in-chief after the Supreme Leader promoted him to major general. The anti-Israeli officer was appointed for the IRGC bench to follow Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, who had sat on the bench since 2007. On April 13, Salami was quoted by the IRGC-run Tasnim media agency as saying that he and the organization were proud of being designated a "terrorist group" by the Trump administration. Dozens of IRGC commanders have been relocated or fired in more than 20 provinces of the country. There is a careful balancing of power being carried out by the big players. So, there would have to be major reasons for any possible coup by the IRGC. One of the reasons might be the death of Khamenei and the resulting power vacuum at the top of the Islamic pyramid. Another could be a massive uprising against the regime across the country. In that case, the IRGC would take power through the excuse of the Islamic government's inability to curtail protests. Another reason might be the IRGCs ambition to install itself as a military caliphate. Any foreign military invasion would unite the political and military rivals of the regime, rather than widen the gap between them. Iranians are nationalistic, and so will never tolerate any foreign military strike. But that counterproductive scenario is unlikely, since Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that the United States has ruled out military intervention in Iran. To prepare for any of these scenarios, the international community should become aware of the role played by the IRGC and be ready to act accordingly. The West should understand the consequences of any action or announcements they make, as when Pompeo tells reporters that "We're careful not to use the language of regime change." A militant-backed Khomeinist regime would be easier to undermine as it exists now than would be an IRGC military state armed to the teeth. Of course, Iranians dislike the ayatollahs as much as they hate the IRGC. But we need to be ready to deal with the terrorist-designated IRGC, which would be more dangerous than what we face today. It must be stopped now. Aynaz Anni Cyrus, an Iranian-American human rights activist, founder of Live up to Freedom, producer of The Glazov Gang and National Director of American Truth Project.. Anni was sold for $50 as a child bride in Iran. Rebelling against a life of sex slavery, she escaped to America. Now an American citizen, she is a leading spokeswoman against the evils of Islam. Kaveh Taheri (Twitter: @TaheriKaveh), co-founder and chairman of the ICBHR.Com, is a Turkey-based Iranian Human Rights researcher and journalist who has worked exclusively on Middle East. Kaveh, who was a former political prisoner in Shiraz, had been sent to prison for his writings and statements on his Websites and Weblogs in Iran and fled the country through Turkey to save his life. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) referred to the president's issuing of a claim of executive privilege to abrogate the House of Representatives' subpoena of the full, unredacted Mueller Report as a "constitutional crisis." Nadler stated, "We are in one because the president is disobeying the law, is refusing all information to Congress." This neat little two-word designation has been picked up by the talking heads of the MSM and is being used to underline and italicize the need for impeachment. Impeachment of the president is considered important by Nadler and his band of deranged brothers and sisters like Adam Schiff, Steve Cohen, Rashida Tlaib, and Maxine Waters. The blue wave of impeachers want to impeach not only President Donald Trump, but William Barr, Brett Kavanaugh, and Betsy DeVos and, in fact, would probably like to impeach Trump's whole Cabinet. I call this untidy tidal wave of rage the off-with-their-heads Queen of Hearts syndrome. Former FBI director James Comey, one of the key actors in this so-called crisis, gave his typically vapid assessment by noting, "I actually don't think the country is in a constitutional crisis, [but] we're at a time where our constitutional design, the genius of our founders is going to be tested, and I think it's up for it." Bob Woodward, the Washington Post journalist of Watergate fame, and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said they prefer the term "constitutional confrontation" to "constitutional crisis." But the term "constitutional crisis" has been used in referring to the Trump administration almost from Inauguration Day. On that date in 2017, The Atlantic's David Frum called the new president a "constitutional crisis on two legs." Then, a few days later, the president issued an executive order banning citizens of several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. After he took that step, Marielena Hincapie, the executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, told the Associated Press, "We're really in a crisis mode, a constitutional-crisis mode in our country, and we're going to need everyone[.]" While most of us would abhor being verbally assaulted and maligned day after day, the president with his combination of vanity and tough-mindedness actually seems to enjoy the attention that the rage-filled politicians and news commentators give him. Those who despise him have made him the perennial subject of their newscasts on MSNBC and CNN in order to bestow their verbal abuse upon him. Snickering at Trump; mocking him; condemning him; maligning him; and pouring verbal vitriol into his every comment, movement, activity, and tweet seems to give many well paid commentators incredible satisfaction. Frum's labeling of Trump as a "constitutional crisis on two legs" seems increasingly apt with every passing month. In an incredibly focused and clear article for the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, the authors, Jack M. Balkin and Sanford Levinson, state, "Given that conflict between political actors is the norm and not the exception in American constitutional life, the idea of constitutional crisis must be far narrower. We therefore reject the notion that any situation in which institutions or actors are at loggerheads constitutes a crisis. Rather, we must reserve the term for a more special class of situations." These same authors raise the legitimate question as to whether or not the term "constitutional crisis" "has become no more than a marker of emotional intensity, the equivalent of pounding the table and marking one's degree of upset about some state of affairs in the world." Assertions of power in the absence of perceived emergencies may be the most likely to generate perceptions of "crisis." The authors describe three types of constitutional crises. The first one is when persons in power suspend certain features of the Constitution in order to meet certain perceived exigencies of the moment to help the State. Thomas Jefferson's making the Louisiana Purchase is given as an example. There were good reasons to believe that the Constitution did not authorize him to make the purchase, but for the good of the country, he went ahead with the purchase since a delay in authorizing the purchase might have resulted in withdrawal of the offer by Napoleon. Clearly, Trump's assertion of executive privilege regarding the forwarding of the unredacted Mueller Report to the House Judiciary Committee is not in this category. No powers of the Constitution have been suspended. Rather, the House subpoena allowed by the Constitution has been overridden in a legitimate way by the executive privilege designation. Type Two crises "involve failures of constitutional structures that the relevant actors do not dispute or attempt to escape." President James Buchanan sat by and allowed the Southern states one by one to secede, which he believed was illegal but at the same time did not believe that the Constitution allowed him to intervene and stop them. He said, "Congress possesses many means of preserving it by conciliation, but the sword was not placed in their hand to preserve it by force." President Abraham Lincoln did not believe that the Constitution limited the president's hand in the matter of secession, and thus we were led into a Type Three crisis. The Type Three crisis is where each parties believes that it is acting constitutionally and that the other party is acting in bad faith. The Type Three crises have largely been between the Northern States and the Southern States having to do with the stalemate in the national presidential election of 1800, the "tariff of abominations" and South Carolina's threat to secede in 1832, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the integration of Central High School in Little Rock. Conflicts between the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch do not typically rise to the level of being a Type Three crisis because the possibility of the use of force typically is not involved. However, the injection of the use of force into the present dispute has been advocated by the N.Y. Times, which, in an op-ed by Michelle Goldberg on May 9, 2019, advocated for use of police force, presumably to arrest members of the Trump administration for blocking the House subpoena. Thus, she has come out for a hellish and unnecessary scenario that would be unprecedented a hysterical and disproportionate response to the present stresses between the two branches of government. In so doing, we would inappropriately be moving from calling the dispute between Nadler's committee and the president a "crisis," suggesting simply the "emotional intensity" of the two sides, to being a full-blown and unjustifiable crisis. It would seem that Michelle G. is the designated voice of the Queen of Hearts in this offensive agitation. The sudden urgency with which Democrats are flinging themselves like kamikazes with buckets of fried chicken at Attorney General William Barr reveals that they actually know what he has sniffed out, and their jig is about to be up. Having an out-of-control, ethical, and nonpartisan attorney general was not part of the plot to unseat Trump: When William Barr took over as attorney general, it was the first time in years the agency had any real political accountability[.] ... His public vow to examine whether the widespread spying operation against Trump and his affiliates was lawful and appropriate sent shockwaves through an organized anti-Trump political operation that had completely controlled the narrative until recently. The most strident and desperate of these Obama operatives is Kamikaze Kamala Harris, who revealed her awareness of the stakes on May 1 by launching a no-holds-barred (if completely ineffective) attempt to dislodge the insouciant Barr. In her rude, abrasive attempt to discredit Attorney General Barr, she suddenly challenged him to recuse himself (at 4:35), upon which he scoffingly retorted, "What's my conflict?" (at 5.00). Nodding her head confidently, Ms. Harris asserts a "clear conflict of interest[.] ... I think the American public has seen quite well that you are biased in this situation and you've not been objective, and that would arguably be the conflict of interest." A trained prosecutor like Kamala Harris knows full well that casting naked aspersions with absolutely no facts would be impermissible in any court but not in the bucket-o'-chicken circus these people are willing to create to subvert normal rules of decency and law. They are desperate. A.G. Barr is that scariest of all tails that wag dogs the principled and intelligent attorney, imperturbable. The grounds for Harris's call for Barr's dismissal are that he is obviously biased because he didn't do what these obviously biased Democrats had planned prior to his ethical meddling: recommend charges against Trump and assist in the frame-up. That justification being so patently weak, Harris kamikazed herself again a few days later and called Barr a liar on what grounds? Well, just because. What's next? Barr colluded with the Russians? Barr's a pedophile? Desperate times for desperate (arguably criminal) presidential hopefuls, who lose credibility daily. Objectively, and arguably (to use Kamala's words), there is a great deal more evidence to compel her to recuse her-self than anything proffered against Attorney General Barr. Barack Obama endorsed her run for U.S. Senate. Remarkably, Obama once called her "the best-looking attorney-general in the country," and in the ensuing kerfuffle, each side gushed to express what extremely close friends they were. Senator Harris now yearns for Obama's blessing for her 2020 presidential run as she seeks money from Wall Street donors. It is obvious that Barack Obama was responsible for this criminal conspiracy. (Or will he say he didn't know?) This operation was elaborate, multi-agency, and long-term. The modus operandi smacks of Operation Fast and Furious, that despicable escapade by the Obama faction for which "Teflon Barack" was never held accountable. Given what is unfolding in Spygate, it is eerie when candidate Harris proposes to double the Justice Department's civil rights division and use government to regulate social media platforms. Facebook's recent ban of right-wing commentators is coincidentally very helpful for those on the Left who wish to barrage Barr with unsupported ad hominem barbs. But wouldn't Kamala Harris support Facebook's ban, only more widely enforced via U.S. government agencies? As William Barr tenaciously draws back the curtain to expose this dark cabal, Kamala Harris is guilty by association, and by her increasingly desperate attempts to discredit him on the eve of revelations about the entrapment and smear effort by federal spies under Obama. (The New York Times story was published the next day: May 2.) The American people can see full well who is biased here. Kamala Harris looks like Guy Fawkes, apprehended guarding the explosives. The Obama administration treated the Rule of Law with contempt, committing treason in an unsuccessful effort to entice Donald Trump or his campaign staff to commit a crime. It strains credulity especially after her recent hijinks to suggest that Kamala Harris is not intimately aware of this fiasco. Indeed, her desperation points directly to Obama's involvement: she knows because he knows. In her assaults on the integrity and credibility of William Barr, Kamala Harris is the fox guarding the henhouse. Her evident bias disqualifies her exponentially more than any evidence presented against Barr. Image: Mobilus in Mobili via Wikimedia Commons. School shootings are terrible events -- except for the left where they represent opportunities, as in Rahm Emanuels Never let a crisis go to waste modus operandi. CNN, for example, wasted no time in politicizing the latest school shooting in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. What are we refusing to do? Schools are already gun-free zones. After the last Colorado mass shooting in Aurora in 2013, the state banned gun magazines that hold more than 15 rounds of ammunition. That was doing something which apparently did not stop the most recent shooting this past week. Colorado also passed a red flag gun bill last month which, Allows a family member or law enforcement to petition a court to temporarily remove someones guns for up to a year. This was passed by a Democrat-controlled state legislature and signed by a Democrat governor, representing the will of elected Democrats rather than the will of the people. Despite Chris Cuomos protestations, Colorado has done a damn thing but without much success in stopping yet another school shooting. Perhaps these measures are ineffective, but thats not something the media cares to delve into. After the shooting, other than some virtue signaling by the media, the story has left the front pages, as the narrative may be inconvenient for the leftist agenda. CNN and MSNBC have lived up to their reputation as drive-by media by quickly moving on. No interviews with David Hogg or other gun control fanatics. So, what are some of the inconvenient aspects to this story that the media would prefer to drive by without any discussion or analysis? Lets start with the weapons. The two shooters, opened fire with handguns that were concealed in a guitar case, as reported by the Daily Mail in an unexpected good faith effort at honest journalism. Handguns? What happened to those evil AR-15s or assault weapons that Democrats and the media constantly warn about? These are what the Huffington Post calls weapons of war. The reality is that most gun crimes are committed with handguns not rifles. But this doesnt fit the media narrative and its better to drive-by the story rather than explain this inconvenient truth. Next are the bystanders. Remember the admonition, When seconds count, help is minutes away? This played out in the Colorado shooting. You can hide under your desk, as one option suggested by the New York Times. In Colorado, a student who was also an aspiring Marine, took a different approach. He jumped into action, throwing himself on the shooter, helping to disarm him. He was joined by another brave student who rushed to help his two classmates subdue the shooter. The point is that these heroic students immediately went on offense, rather than passively hiding, perhaps unnerving the shooter and preventing this from becoming a mass casualty event. Then there was the school vigil in Colorado, a time for holding candles and chanting about common sense gun control measures. Attending were local Democrat politicians, including Senator Michael Bennet, one of dozens running for president. Rather than a receptive audience, the vigil organizer, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, instead saw, A walkout by students opposing what they viewed as politicization of the tragedy. This was not the narrative that the media wanted to report on. They would prefer David Hogg ranting and raving, blaming Trump, the NRA, and toxic white masculinity for the shooting. How inconvenient that the affected students chanted mental health and didnt join in the predictable politicization of a tragedy by the left. One of the two shooters didnt fit this mold. He was anti-Christian, critical of President Trump, a registered Democrat, and supportive of left-wing Occupy Democrats. In other words, his views were perfectly aligned with the Democrat Party base, a perspective big media would prefer to avoid discussing. Colorado is also famous for legal marijuana; the first state to legalize a potential mind-altering substance. Psychology Today tells us that marijuana increases violent behavior. The Wall Street Journal agrees, citing marijuanas links to violence and mental illness. The media turns a blind eye to substance abuse problems, except in the case of opioids when Big Pharma can be blamed. US politicians, including presidential wannabe Senator Cory Booker, want marijuana legalized nationwide. He is joined by Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and Kirsten Gillibrand in wanting to make weed perfectly legal nationally. The media cheers them on without any thoughtful journalistic query over potential adverse consequence. Ignored is the link between marijuana and many mass killers. Will the media be curious about whether the two Colorado shooters had marijuana in their systems? Probably not as it is against the preferred narrative. Just a day after the shooting, Denver became the first city to decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms. CNN found little fault with the voters decision, even on top of another school shooting. Inconveniently not discussed are the dangers of such mushrooms, including unpredictable behavior, permanent brain damage, violent and aggressive behavior, and poor judgement. Exactly how will schools be safer with students tripping out on magic mushrooms? The media prefers not to discuss this. What about mixing now legal shrooms and weed? What might go wrong? Lets just drive by that story. Speaking of violent behavior, the father of one of the shooters is a twice deported illegal from Mexico, jailed previously for domestic violence against the shooters mother. Illegals are revered by the Democrat Party and any connection between an illegal and the shooting will be dutifully ignored by most of the media. Lastly one of the Colorado shooters was transgender, a female transitioning into a male. Im sure there is a specific gender identity term for such a person, but I am not woke enough to know what that term is. Suffice it to say, a female becoming a male will be taking testosterone. There is scientific evidence of an association between higher testosterone levels and aggressive or violent behavior. In the mainstream media, transgenders are the highest form of human evolution. It would be most inconvenient to raise even the possibility of an association between gender transitioning and the recent school shooting, so dont expect Meet the Press or Face the Nation to discuss any of this. It would have been so much more convenient for Morning Joe or Jake Tapper if the Colorado school shooters were cis-gendered, white, Christian males, members of the NRA, wearing MAGA hats while brandishing AR-15s. But since that wasnt the case, dont expect the media to linger on this shooting. Instead they will focus on Trumps real estate tax losses from 30 years ago. Brian C Joondeph, MD, MPS, a Denver based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Correction: A previous edition of this article mistakenly reported that a student who aspired to be a Marine died stopping a school shooter, when in fact that student did not die. The error has been corrected. The elites who run California like to pretend they have a better way. The highest taxes in the nation have not killed (yet) the current success of the high tech sector in the Bay Area, generating immense tax revenues that can be squandered on a useless "high speed" train line that will never be completed and still leave a budget surplus. Money, good weather, great food, amazing scenery, and other amenities make for The Good Life, such that the political and business elites who seem to never get tired of congratulating themselves for creating the closest thing to paradise. The fact that this leaves behind the non-coastal areas of the state, and the taxes and cost of living (especially housing that is in short supply due to zoning and other land use restrictions) make life difficult for middle-class Californians everywhere is of no concern. But this summer, in the wake of disastrous wildfires sparked by poorly sited and maintained power lines, the deep thinkers running the state have come up with plan that can't be papered over: to stop the wildfires when the wind blows, just shut off the juice. Bloomberg reports: A plan by California's biggest utility to cut power on high-wind days during the onrushing wildfire season could plunge millions of residents into darkness. And the vast majority isn't ready for it. The plan by PG&E Corp. comes after the bankrupt utility said a transmission line that snapped in windy weather probably started last year's Camp Fire, the deadliest in state history. While the plan may end one problem, it creates another as Californians seek ways to deal with what some fear could be days and days of blackouts. Hapless Californians will have to lay out a lot of money if they want to try to insulate themselves from going back to life before electricity: Some residents are turning to other power sources, a boon for home battery systems marketed by Sunrun Inc., Tesla Inc. and Vivint Solar Inc. But the numbers of those systems in use are relatively small when compared with PG&E's 5.4 million customers. Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom said he's budgeting $75 million to help communities deal with the threat. "I'm worried," Newsom said Thursday during a budget briefing in Sacramento. "We're all worried about it for the elderly. We're worried about it because we could see people's power shut off not for a day or two but potentially a week." Newsom should stop sending good money after bad and completely abandon the ongoing expenditure of billions on the high-speed rail system, just to save face for Jerry Brown's pet project. Nobody is going to want to take a half-fast train from Merced to Bakersfield, which is the plan now that running from L.A. to S.F. is obviously financially impossible. That money could go to an emergency plan to safeguard power lines in wooded areas. While the rich Californians right along the coast may not experience a lot of hundred-degree days, the inland parts of the state do get extreme heat in the summer and now may have a week or longer without electricity and without television, charging stations for cell phones, and of course for medical devices powered by electricity. A stable, reliable electric power grid is one of the essentials to be regarded as a first-world country. So now, in addition to the vast gap between the wealthy and the poor and beggars everywhere (San Francisco is now like Calcutta, it seems, in that respect), the state will face third-world electricity supplies. My spidey sense tells me that Silicon Valley and San Francisco will continue to be supplied, along with Sacramento and L.A. and San Diego. But for the folks laboring in the agricultural fields of the Central Valley, life will get a lot closer to Bangladesh. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have jointly reviewed the latest prospects of co-operation in the field of infrastructure development. This came during the five-day meetings held recently by the joint project teams of the Emirati-Saudi Coordination Council in Riyadh where a summary of the projects charted by the Saudi Ministry of Infrastructure Development, and the efforts of both countries to strengthen their infrastructure, primarily road safety, were thoroughly discussed. The UAE delegation to the meeting visited several infrastructure project sites in Saudi Arabia, along with the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organisation (SASO) and the National Road Safety Center, and both sides agreed to launch joint schemes and initiatives to ensure social welfare for their two peoples. The delegation was headed by Engineer Ibrahim Al Wahabi, Assistant Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development for the Project Implementation Sector, and included representatives of relevant authorities. Al Wahabi highlighted the importance of such visits in expediting knowledge transfer and exchange of best practices toward achieving the two nations' vision on sustainable development. Deputy Minister of Transport for Roads Affairs, Engineer Bader Al Dalami, shared identical views with the UAE official and underlined the importance of doubling efforts to ensure optimum execution of infrastructure development projects as per latest international standards.-TradeArabia News Service Remember when Republicans were known as "the stupid party"? Get a load of what the Democrats are doing to challenge them for the title. Mike Allen of Axios has an interesting piece describing how the crammed clown car of Democratic candidates, all of them seeking to be the president, may be costing them any prospect of winning back the Senate and might even hurt them in the House, too. He writes: Reality check: The Senate looks tough to win back for Democrats, who have suffered a string of recruiting disappointments: Democrats need four seats to win a majority but very few Republican incumbents look beatable right now. Susan Collins, who sits atop the list, is fairly popular in Maine. The other two most vulnerable Republicans are Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado and Martha McSally of Arizona, who's being challenged by Mark Kelly, the retired astronaut turned gun-control advocate. But even if Democrats somehow took out those three, they'll still struggle to hold onto the seat of Sen. Doug Jones in deep-red Alabama. Many Democrats wish these 2020 presidential candidates and possibilities would run for Senate instead: Beto ORourke in Texas, John Hickenlooper in Colorado and Steve Bullock in Montana. In Georgia, Stacey Abrams has said no to the Senate but is still entertaining a presidential run. Why is that significant? Well, Allen doesn't mention it, but most of the Senate seats up for grabs in 2020 are held by Republicans. Look at the list he links without comment at the bottom of his piece here. Twenty-two Republicans and a mere 12 Democrats? Wow. That's a disadvantage for Republicans (or whichever party is holding the seats) because they have to spend a lot of money to defend those seats, while the other party can either sit on its hands at the same time, or concentrate resources in fewer places since it doesn't have to defend as many seats. Meaning? The Senate is one contest the Democrats could actually take. But with every Democrat and his mother jumping in to run for president instead, Democrats have blown that chance. What's Beto O'Rourke or John Hickenlooper doing running for president? Both would have much better chances (well, Hickenlooper, at least) at winning a Senate seat, but they want the big stuff instead, despite their marginal chances of winning so much as the nomination. Allen points out that with so many Democrats preoccupied with running for president, they don't have the deep well of talent to find enough people with the money and the name recognition to run for Senate with the political strength to beat Republicans. They're all off to the presidential races instead. Why do I think this is happening? Well, based on the platforms seen in the clown car, virtually all of them are socialists. And as socialists, they don't want to legislate their way to socialism as socialists; that's too much work. They want to get it faster. They want to be dictator, not lawmaker. Legislation just doesn't cut it compared to executive orders, which don't require any legislature. That may be a function of President Obama's presidency, which put through socialist and other unpopular measures effectively by executive order, something the leftist courts have often been willing to uphold for his successors as in the case of President Trump attempting to revoke DACA. For a socialist, that beats the trouble of crafting bipartisan legislation to transform America to their liking. Governing by executive order is one step short of governing by dictatorship, which is something every socialist dreams about. So now that's left Democrats in a quandary. We have nearly two dozen Democrats spending all of their time and money to run for that one desirable-to-a-socialist job of president, and all but one are wasting their time, or in Stacey Abrams's case, simply turning up their noses at the idea of running for Senate in favor of something with more power. Stupid party? Republicans need to cede that title to the Democrats with this kind of strategic genius. Just change their name from the donkey party to the dumbass party. Being an anti-Semite is no longer a disqualifier for being honored by the current Democratic Party. The cultural barriers against Jew-hatred, which American Jews believed protected them, shredded by today's Democratic Party, are reflected in the echo chamber that is the mainstream media. There is a new tone in American politics, in the media and on university campuses, which should scare every American Jew. On May 9, a virulent anti-Semitic imam, Omar Suleiman, was honored with giving the opening prayers at the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives. Democrats chose to ignore Suleiman's past public statements which compared Israel to Nazis and called for the destruction of the state of Israel. Will we next see Farrakhan or Obama's minister, Rev. Wright, giving the congressional invocation? When the 2014 war in Gaza broke out, Imam Suleiman posted on social media: "God willing on this blessed night as the 3rd Intifada begins, the beginning of the end of Zionism is here. May Allah help us overcome this monster..." Not one Democrat publicly complained that someone with these abhorrent views about a U.S. ally was honored by Congress. Republican congressman Lee Zeldin of New York, tweeted: "Totally unacceptable that @SpeakerPelosi had Omar Suleiman give the opening prayer yesterday in the House. He compares Israel to the Nazis & calls them terrorists, supports Muslim Brotherhood, incites violence calling for a Palestinian antifada & the end of Zionism, etc. Bad Call" The only reaction from the Left has been to attack critics as Islamophobes. This is the standard leftist tactic: accusing your opponents of what you are doing, just make your accusation louder. Suleiman is the racist, not those who quote his statements. The silence of congressional Democrats is telling. Of course, none of the Democratic candidates running for president critically commented about the choice of this imam. But this is consistent with their outrageous silence about the massive rocket attacks from Gaza on Israel last week. All of the Democratic frontrunners former V.P. Joseph Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg remained silent about the attacks. Frighteningly, they made the political calculation that it would not help them with American voters in the Democratic Party to stand up for Israel. How can you claim to support Israel if you do not condemn Hamas for shooting rockets at Israeli civilians? The silence of these candidates suggests that their polling tells them that supporting Israel is no longer a winning position in the Democratic Party. Think about that. Vice President Pence on Friday, May 10 called again for freshman congressman Rep. Ilhan Omar to be removed from the prestigious House Foreign Affairs Committee for making anti-Semitic and anti-Israel comments while in Congress. But there she remains, along with her aggressive supporter and fellow Jew-hater, freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib. But just because Democrats in Congress have concurred in elevating Rep. Ilhan Omar to the Foreign Affairs committee, that does not mean we, the voters, have to be silent. On May 20, at 5 P.M. in Times Square at 711 Seventh Ave in New York City, there will be a major rally demanding the expulsion from the Foreign Affairs Committee of Rep. Ilan Omar. The rally will launch a massive billboard in Times Square demanding: "Ilan Omar Must Go." Check further information at www.IlhanMustGo.org. While Speaker Pelosi insists that the three witches of Congress (Reps. Omar, Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez) are a minority and do not represent the Democratic Party, she continues to honor them. On Friday, May 10, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was given an hour to live out her fantasy: she took over Speaker Pelosi's spot presiding over the House. A scary foretaste of the future. In his article "Ilan Omar's Anti-Semitism Wins the Pop-Culture Primary," Jonathan Tobin concludes: "For some on the left, anti-Semitism is not a disqualifying factor if those who are guilty are in the forefront of opposing Trump. In this manner, anti-Semitism isn't merely given a pass; it is actually being defended and legitimized on popular programs with broad audiences. If the late-night comedians are now ok with anti-Semitism (as long as it comes from a person of color who is an anti-Trump Muslim) then the cultural barriers against Jew-hatred that many of us assumed were still strong may really be collapsing." Trashing one's own brand is a bold strategy. Let's see if it pays off for The New Republic. The liberal periodical just published a plaint disguised as an observation by freelance journalist Jacob Silverman. Who's Jacob Silverman? That's a good question and a major part of the problem. Silverman's an unknown despite authoring numerous features for major publications, including the big black-type kahuna, the New York Times. And that's sad news for all journalists, both struggling and successful. "Draped in the rhetoric of accountability and meritocracy, journalism is an industry in unmitigated decline," Silverman writes. Yes, we know digital is slowly, inextricably replacing print. But, that's not the real problem for news scribblers like Silverman. Rather, it's a matter strictly pecuniary. Silverman can't make a truly comfortable living as a freelance journalist. An employee of nobody but his type keys, our would-be Bob Woodward is disappointed that his deep dive into tech marvels like augmented reality doesn't pay more than $2 a word. For many like Silverman, "freelance journalism is a monetized hobby, separate from whatever real income one earns." By his own lights, the kind of journalism Silverman practices is no better than mere drudgery. "[T]he disappointments are petty, frequent, and almost numbingly ordinary," he whinges. "Fees that somehow decline from assignment to assignment. The typical uncertainty about when pay will arrive, if ever." In other words, freelance contractor work doesn't change when stamped with the imprimatur of journalism. Silverman might as well be a photographer in Siberia in December. As is the case with all freelancing, instability and independence remain linked, despite the high ideal of educating the public. There's also Silverman's dread that his profession is morphing into an accessory for transient social media browsing. Facebook's domination of the publishing industry has made news a quick-hit commodity, with speed and brevity replacing substance and context as payable values. "There is little resembling forward progress or sustainability, nothing to make freelancers think they are doing anything but churning out generic, news-pegged content that will soon be automated or replaced by a TikTok feed," he frets, recognizing that the law of diminishing marginal utility makes no exceptions. Taken as a whole, Silverman's entire grouse reads as if it should be set to the tune of the Cure's "Boys Don't Cry," with Robert Smith's adolescently angsty voice decrying the social expectation of stoicism. Silverman knows that, despite his misgivings over the journalism industry, he has lived a privileged life. He is self-aware enough even to even that he's making an upscale argument. "All of this, I admit, is the sour refrain of someone speaking from the infantilizing cocoon of privilege." In fact, given the context clues of Silverman's grievance, I'd say he's making out pretty well for himself, comparatively speaking. He's somewhere in his 30s, living in New York City, despite never having a long-term, full-time job. His partner has a stable job that supports both of them. Mom and Dad will cut him a check if things get too tight. Life could have turned out a lot worse. Silverman's contrived sense of importance, and the import of journalism, is what gets in the way of his contentment. The whole mewling missive is reminiscent of Corker, the journalist in Evelyn Waugh's classic Scoop, who questions the value of hardworking hacks among the public. "I ask myself are we known, loved and trusted and the answer comes back, 'No, Corker, you are not.'" Trust in the media is at submarine depths, about where it should be in the high dudgeon age of Trump. If Silverman is miffed that journalism's reputation is in the dumps, he has nobody to blame but the sanctimony of his colleagues. It shouldn't go without mention that Silverman's begrudging piece appears in The New Republic, which was formerly owned by Facebook cofounder Chris Hughes. The liberal magazine went through its own rough patch trying to run up click-fueled page views with Hughes, who originally helped develop Facebook's News Feed, at the reins. The appetitive push for Facebook traffic pushed out editor Franklin Foer and famed literary editor Leon Wieseltier. Foer went on to write a scathing rebuke of Hughes's Facebook-forward management, blaming him and the Silicon Valley mindset for ruining one of America's oldest political publications. Hughes is now calling on the federal government to break up Facebook, AT&T style, citing its unwieldy market power and domination of mass communications. The full-circle reckoning makes The New Republic an odd place to publish a jeremiad over journalism chasing ephemeral social media traffic. All in all, Silverman's lamentation is not without insight: his is a view shared by many journalists, who feel unappreciated at a time when the public at large uses its pocket computers to play Fortnite rather than read about artificial intelligence or the Chinese persecution of Uighur Muslims. Journalists assumed that the internet's hyperconnectivity would foster more curiosity and, in turn, lead to a higher paycheck for in-depth reporting. They didn't count on obstinate human nature preferring leisure over learning. Plus ca change... At a graduation ceremony at Liberty University over the weekend, Vice President Mike Pence warned students that it has become "acceptable and even fashionable to ridicule and discriminate against people of faith" and that they should "be prepared for persecution." This was a gentle one might say Christian way of describing what has become an all-out war on believers. This war, which I have described in my book Dark Agenda: The War to Destroy Christian America, got into high gear in the 1960s with the banning first of prayer and then of any reference to the Christian foundations of American democracy in the public schools. Once atheism became the only constitutionally protected religion, the war on Christianity became a central source of the political divisions that followed. Mike Pence, perhaps the most decent man in politics, and his wife Karen have been the target of relentless attacks by LGBTQ radicals who have conducted vigilante campaigns against Chick-fil-A, the Colorado baker, and religious institutions across the country for the crime of being Christians. This war reached a turning point more than 40 years ago with Roe v. Wade's invention of a constitutional right to kill unborn children a direct assault on the belief of every Christian in the sanctity of human life. Vice President Pence knows about religious persecution. From the moment he signed a bill for religious liberty and ever since he entered the White House, he has been the target of vicious and outrageous attacks on his faith by the LGBTQ radicals, and by Democratic primary candidate Pete Buttigieg in particular. In what has become almost the main theme of Buttigieg's primary campaign, and in flagrant disregard of the truth, Buttigieg has accused Pence of being a bigot because he is a Christian. In fact, the opposite is the case. When Buttigieg came out publicly as a gay man, Pence, who was then governor of Indiana, reached out to him and praised his achievements as mayor of South Bend, even though Buttigieg's tenure in South Bend was unworthy of such praise. Pence did it out of Christian compassion, that Buttigieg should not feel excluded even by a Republican governor for his sexual orientation. Buttigieg compounded this travesty by presenting himself as a victim of persecution, even though far from making him a victim the fact that he is gay is what has catapulted him as the mayor of a small and failing city to being one of the top three candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination. Being gay allowed him, despite his white privilege and class privilege, to present himself as a voice for the oppressed, and thus to take his place in the Democrats' perverse "Identity Politics" melodrama. Identity politics which fuels its war on Christians is killing the Democratic Party, and it will kill America, too, if candidates like Pete Buttigieg rather than Mike Pence emerge from this war victorious. David Horowitz is the author of the newly published book Dark Agenda: The War to Destroy Christian America, Humanix 2019. Alexander G. Markovsky wrote an article for American Thinker titled "Allow Venezuela to Fail," suggesting that Venezuela be left to implode and implying that the U.S. should not intervene. His basic assumption is that Venezuelans elected Chavez, so let them reap what they sowed. What would you do if the government seized your property and paid you pennies on the dollar? In 2007, President Hugo Chavez nationalized international oil industry assets in Venezuela, waiting until oil prices rebounded and four upgraders were in full production. U.S. oil companies had major stakes in three of four international consortia who built these upgraders. When Chavez ran for president in 1998, he was projecting himself as the savior against the endemic corruption of the elites. He left his daughter Gabriela $4.2 billion when he died in 2013. His doorway to power was based on the opportunity to convince voters that he was the anti-corruption candidate; but he secretly had plans to fuel his revolution through petrodollars. The price of oil was below $15 a barrel when he was elected in December 1998. The poor and disenfranchised middle class came out to vote and put Chavez in power in February 1999. He visited heads of state from all OPEC countries that control oil flow to prop up the low price of oil. Chavez's initiative pushed oil to over $100 a barrel. He recommended changing the constitution: unicameral legislature vs. bicameral; restructuring the Supreme Court; and changing the presidency from a single five-year term to up to two consecutive six-year terms. In return, he suggested allowing a midterm referendum vote by securing signatures from 20% of the past electorate for authorization. The voters thought the idea was okay and a tepid turnout in December 1999 allowed him to change the constitution. That meant that a new vote was required for president, so elections were held in July 2000. Chavez was re-elected, restarting the clock. In early 2002, Venezuelans awakened to what Chavez was doing. Nearly 85% of Venezuela's revenue came from oil. About 19,000 (half) national oil industry workers struck and nearly toppled Chavez. His generals saved him. Afterward, Chavez fired the strikers. The oil industry went downhill. Venezuelans would have to wait until mid-term in August 2003 to seek a referendum vote. More than 20% of the electorate's signatures were compiled for the referendum. It was a party-like atmosphere in downtown Caracas like Times Square on New Year's Eve. The next day, archive boxes of signatures were brought to the National Electoral Council's office to apply for a referendum vote. Chavez said the signatures had been obtained illegally and therefore nullified the process. Voters protested through the Supreme Court. After fighting for more than a year, a vote was sanctioned. The vice president under Maduro, Delcy Rodriguez, presides over the illegally adopted National Constituent Assembly that would replace the legally voted for National Assembly led by Juan Guaido. Delcy Rodriguez's brother Jorge was head of the National Electoral Council before, during, and after the referendum vote on Chavez. A contract for $128 million was awarded to Smartmatic, a Venezuelan company that was formed by three entrepreneurs with seed money from the Chavez government, to retrofit computerized gambling machines into computerized voting machines. A company that had been partially owned by Verizon with majority Venezuelan government telecommunications partner CANTV was also part of Smartmatic. Delcy Rodriguez's boyfriend, Alfredo Jose Anzola, was co-founder of Smartmatic and was the director of finance. Smartmatic had operations in Caracas; Boca Raton, Florida; and Sunnyvale, California at the time. Once all was set up for the first use of computerized voting, the green light for the recall vote was given. Jimmy Carter played the "mark" from the international community to confirm that there were no voting irregularities. Penn, Schoen, and Berland was hired to do exit polling. The company employed an NGO, Sumate, to help with the 20,000 voters surveyed. The normal sampling for exit polling is 1,000 voters. They projected Chavez to lose by a margin of 58% to oust vs. 42% to retain. Published results were the polar opposite: 42% to oust. None of the monitors had access to the information from or surrounding the main server that collected the votes from statewide precincts. A voter received a stub from a local printer that confirmed how he voted. However, the main server flipped "1" to a "0" in Boolean algebra, or from Y/N to N/Y. The odd death of Alfredo Jose Anzola on 28 April '08, from injuries sustained in a plane crash as he was en route to Curacao to confront shareholders about Chavez's involvement in voting irregularities, is another story. Chavez's strongman, Diosdado Cabello, purportedly the biggest drug-trafficker in Venezuela, and Jorge Rodriguez were at Anzola's bedside in the hospital when he died. Autopsy? Why is this all-important? Venezuelans recognized what Chavez and Maduro were doing to their country. They tried to stop it in 2002 and have been suffering ever since. So why should the US intervene? Look at the nationalization of petroleum assets held by international companies. Luis Giusti was president of PDVSA in 1994. He had two key visions: consolidate the PDVSA sister companies into one PDVSA and to develop the extra heavy oil Venezuela has in abundance that makes them the largest holder of oil reserves in the world. Giusti created "La Apertura", or the opening, to invite international companies, each to secure a field with known extra heavy oil with rights to remove as much as they wanted within a period of 35 years. Then all assets would revert to PDVSA. There were other provisions such as PDVSA must have a minority ownership in a consortium to develop the resource. Production of oil needed to occur within five years of granting the lease. He wanted innovation from the international community to excel over the short-term lease for Venezuela to benefit decades later. Millions have marched against Maduro (photo credit: VOA). For example, one consortium invested over $3 billion to produce and export 195,000 barrels per day of light sweet crude oil from this molasses-like crude oil. The "go" price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil needed to be at least $14.50 per barrel for the partners to break even. If the price of WTI were $54.50 a barrel, the margin would be $40 a barrel. If the system operated 350 days a year for 25 years, the return to the partners would be about $70 billion less other operating expenses. There were four of these operations when Chavez nationalized them. Exxon got about $1 billion returned on their investment. Chavez not only seized oil assets but also steelmaking, aluminum, gold mining, cement manufacturing, banking, health care products, agriculture and food processing facilities, petrochemical plants, etc. This is in the hundreds of billions of dollars, much of which was legally developed by US companies and seized by Chavez. Mr. Markovsky, besides the human suffering of Venezuelans reported by the international media, out-migration into neighboring countries of 3 million people +, and the loss of legal assets mostly seized from US companies, are these not reasons enough to support US intervention? Juan Guaido, Venezuela's legitimate interim president, has requested military intervention from the US. I confess to being such a bad person that I am enjoying the crashing and burning of the Robert Francis O'Rourke presidential campaign. "Beto" the faux Hispanic nickname he adopted for himself has Robert Kennedyesque good looks and possesses passable skateboarding skills for a middle-aged man. But while that was enough to drive massive donations (almost $80 million) to his unsuccessful campaign to unseat Ted Cruz as a U.S. senator and power impressive early fundraising ($6.1 million in the first 24 hours) for his presidential campaign, once the glare of the national spotlight fell on him, things started to go south. Jumping on lunch counters and flailing his arms failed to impress Iowans, and his vow to tear down the border wall, made on camera in El Paso, branded him as an extremist in the eyes of many. Even this didn't help enough. Now, with his support below 1% in some polls, he is desperate. Will Weissert and Steve Peoples report for AP: In a tacit recognition that this approach isn't working, O'Rourke is planning to try again, taking a hands-on role in staging a "reintroduction" ahead of next month's premier Democratic presidential debate. As he finalizes his plans, O'Rourke has entered an intentional "quiet period" to build out campaign infrastructure, according to an adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the campaign's strategy. That will end soon. O'Rourke plans to step up his national media appearances after skipping most of that kind of exposure in recent months. He is scheduled to appear on MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show" on Monday night and ABC's "The View" the next day. He's also set to offer more concrete policy plans on top issues. So far, he's issued just one, on climate change. O'Rourke acknowledges he's struggled to find his presidential campaign footing. "I think, in part, I was just trying to keep up when I first started out," he said after addressing about 40 people at a recent house party in Newton, Iowa. "I really feel like I've found my rhythm and my pace, and I just feel comfortable, and I feel like this is what I'm supposed to be doing." His top aides deny that a full reinvention or "Beto 2.0" is in the works. They note that O'Rourke plans to keep packing days with as many as half a dozen campaign events. He'll still venture into off-the-beaten path locales that include rural, heavily Republican areas. Those were the trademarks of his Senate campaign last fall, when he nearly toppled Republican Sen. Ted Cruz by visiting all of deep-red Texas' 254 counties. But his team also acknowledges that for all its excitement, O'Rourke's initial campaign launch exposed some disorganization. Assembling a campaign staff while the 2020 roadshow was already rollicking along simply wasn't sustainable. If O'Rourke is really serious about "reintroducing" himself, he should start by dropping "Beto" as his nickname and insist on being addressed as "Paddy," a nickname not in conflict with his ethnic heritage. One of the consequences of President Trump's campaign and presidency is a heightened understanding of phoniness on the part of politicians. Whatever else you might think about President Trump, he speaks his mind, and that makes the blow-dried, phony ethnicity of politicians on the make stand out. Is selling out U.S. national security OK so long as Democrats are doing it? What a disturbing picture is emerging from the research of Peter Schweizer, who has a new one out about Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden's son Hunter and his business dealings with China. In a New York Post op-ed, Schweizer writes: In 2013, then-Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden flew aboard Air Force Two to China. Less than two weeks later, Hunter Biden's firm inked a $1 billion private equity deal with a subsidiary of the Chinese government's Bank of China. The deal was later expanded to $1.5 billion. In short, the Chinese government funded a business that it co-owned along with the son of a sitting vice president. If it sounds shocking that a vice president would shape US-China policy as his son who has scant experience in private equity clinched a coveted billion-dollar deal with an arm of the Chinese government, that's because it is. The details get worse and worse and worse, the further you read the Chinese, for instance, kept news of the deal away from the English-language portion of its website. The agreements signed came just ahead of thenvice president Joe Biden's trips to China. The deals themselves were to buy into companies that were stealing U.S. secrets. The secrets they were after involved U.S. nuclear submarines. And Biden Junior didn't know jack about nuclear things, Chinese things, or venture capital; he was there just for being the vice president's son. And both Joe and young Hunts insist nothing untoward was going on; the Chinese just chose to partner with Hunter based on his amazing business acumen, nothing more. Schweizer writes that it's actually a pattern of activity Biden Junior did the same thing in Ukraine, and the ties between Hunter and Joe as the foreign cash rolled in for Hunter were even more obvious: Consider the facts. On April 16, 2014, White House records show that Devon Archer, Hunter Biden's business partner in the Rosemont Seneca deals, made a private visit to the White House for a meeting with Vice President Biden. Five days later, on April 21, Joe Biden landed in Kiev for a series of high-level meetings with Ukrainian officials. The vice president was bringing with him highly welcomed terms of a United States Agency for International Development program to assist the Ukrainian natural-gas industry and promises of more US financial assistance and loans. Soon the United States and the International Monetary Fund would be pumping more than $1 billion into the Ukrainian economy. The next day, there was a public announcement that Archer had been asked to join the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian natural-gas company. Three weeks after that, on May 13, it was announced that Hunter Biden would join, too. Neither Biden nor Archer had any background or experience in the energy sector. ...and... The choice of Hunter Biden to handle transparency and corporate governance for Burisma is curious, because Biden had little if any experience in Ukrainian law, or professional legal counsel, period. But that didn't stop Burisma from paying the younger Biden what The New York Times has reported was as much as $50,000 a month while the company was under investigation by officials in both Ukraine and abroad. Joe Biden's trip to Kiev in March 2016, and his threats to withhold $1 billion in foreign aid if Ukrainian officials didn't dismiss the country's top prosecutor, Victor Shokin, take on added meaning when you consider that Shokin's office had been leading an investigation into Burisma's owner. This guy sounds like a one-man health hazard to U.S. national security, and greedy as heck. These are the kinds of deals Chavista elites engage in over in Venezuela. And here they are, going on with their deals as if the U.S. were a third-world country, with Joe Biden's son cutting his China and Ukraine deals for buku bucks without any apparent rationale other than family ties. Meanwhile, people such as George Papadopoulos get thrown into prison for process crimes, and little guys such Navy sailor Kristian Saucier get thrown into prison for taking careless photos. And people such as Don Trump, Jr. get put through the wringer for apparent entrapment operations linked to Fusion GPS and the people who brought us the Steele dossier, not actual spies from an enemy side. Schweizer thinks that if Congress is going to go around investigating Trump in the pious interest of preventing collusion with foreign actors, then it needs to put its money where its mouth is and get the Senate to start investigating. But Democrats aren't saying a thing about Biden or his deals not even the Democrat rivals fighting to knock Joe from his frontrunner status and win their party's presidential nomination themselves. Not only do these Democrats not care about Joe's kid's big money deals, they don't care about the assymetry of justice going on against less powerful people. Worst of all, they couldn't care less about the threats to national security that arise out of this Democrat cupidity. They are after all, the party of the man from Hot Springs, Bill Clinton, who sold out U.S. interests to the Chinese in acts the U.S. is still paying for as China builds up its deepwater navy. They are also the party that defended his wife's illegal private server, brimming with classified communications, stored in some guy's bathroom. That of course was to prevent anyone from discovering, via Freedom of Information Act inquiries, that their Clinton Foundation was offering a pay-to-play operation to gamy foreign players such as the uranium-hungry Russians, with Hillary Clinton then the Secretary of State. This is corruption, fourth world corruption, and it's what's on offer if a Democrat takes power. Is every Democrat this putridly corrupt? Why aren't they saying anything, if for nothing else to put old Joe out to pasture and reduce the Democrat field for themselves? The times calls for people to do after these seedy dealings to show a difference. In the Senate, as Schweizer argues, and certainly beyond. Thus far, Democrats don't seem to think there's a problem, which makes you wonder what they're planning for themselves. In the autumn of 1959, a 3-ton block of ice made an 8,500 kilometer journey on the back of a pickup truck from the edge of the Arctic Circle to the Equator in central Africa. The journey which took four weeks to complete involved driving through the vast desert of the Sahara in fifty degree heat. During this entire time no refrigeration was used. The trip was a publicity stunt organized by a Norwegian company called Glassvatt, that manufactured insulating glass wool, to show how good their product was. The idea for the ice block expedition was sown the previous autumn by Radio Luxembourg when they challenged anyone to transport three tons of ice from the Arctic Circle to the Equator. The condition was that no form of refrigeration should be used. Confident that no one would be able to pull this off, the station announced a reward of 100,000 francs for each kilogram that remained at the destination. This was equivalent to about $17,000 per kg in 2019 currency, which was a lot of money. Birger Natvik, the managing director at the Norwegian insulation material company Glassvatt (today Glava AS) saw the announcement and suggested that the company take on the challenge. Natvik figured that if they carefully wrapped the ice with glass wool made from fibreglass they could minimize ice melt, and the company could stand to make several hundred million in francs. Glassvatt declared that they accept the challenge, and at once there was a furor across the nation. People debated how much ice would be lost in the journey, and the media speculated how much money the company was staked to make. When Radio Luxembourg realized their folly and the potential loss they faced, they retracted the offer. By this point, however, the planned expedition had received so much attention that Glassvatt decided to go through with it anyway. They decided that the expedition would be an opportunity to show the quality of their insulation material. Other companies also wanted to be a part of it. Shell provided the fuel, and Scania provided the truck. Altogether, sponsors from eight countries financed the expedition. The ice was procured from the glacier Svartisen, about forty kilometers north of the small Norwegian town of Mo i Rana, situated just south of the Arctic Circle. The crew cut 200 kg blocks with chainsaw and air-lifted them to the town center where they were melted together to make a single block of ice weighing 3,050 kg. The block was placed in a specially constructed iron container, which was insulated with wood and glass wool. The container was placed on top of a truck that would carry it all the way to the Equator, accompanied by a van carrying equipment and a sedan with a film crew. The expedition left Mo i Rana, on 22 February 1959. Through Europe the expedition was met with ceremony wherever they stopped. In Oslo, the truck was loaded with 300 kg of medicines to be delivered to a hospital in Lambarene, near the final destination of Libreville, the capital of Gabon. The truck drove through Helsingborg in Sweden and Copenhagen in Denmark, where more medicines were brought along, and through several more European citiesHamburg, Cologne, The Hague and Brussels. In Paris the expedition was escorted by police through the streets, and the crew members were invited to dine with the mayor. At Marseille the truck was lifted aboard a freighter and sailed across the Mediterranean. When it landed in Algiers, the container was drained to see how much of the ice had melted. In spite of the unusually hot European weather that season, only four liters of water had been shed. The first leg of the expedition, through Europe, was easy. What lay ahead proved to be difficultthe vast sands of the Sahara. To make matter worse, Algeria was in the midst of a violent war, the war for independence, against the French colonist. Under these circumstances it was foolhardy for an European expedition to make a crossing through an African nation. However, it was the elements that posed the biggest risks. There were no roads in the desert, and the truck, heavily loaded, got stuck in the sand several times. Each time the crew had to get out in the hot sun and spend hours digging under the wheels. The men were exhausted. Their supply of water was limited and the temperature often soared to 50 degree centigrade during the day. Finally, after twenty-seven days of driving, the expedition arrived at its final destination of Libreville. The block of ice, which was almost entirely intact, was weighedit had lost only 336 kg along the way, or 11 percent of the initial weight. Drained by the experience, the men were eager to get back home. So when President Charles de Gaulle sent message that he would personally greet them under the Arc de Triomphe if they drove the truck back to Paris, the incredulous crew declined and flew back home instead. The ice itself was cut up and divided between the African localspeople who had never seen ice before. A portion of the ice was flown back home and used in drinks served to journalists in media functions back home in Oslo. The expedition turned out to be one of biggest publicity stunt ever conducted, and a pretty successful one at that. It not only accomplished the goal it had set out to accomplish, but also helped generate massive worldwide press coverage for the company and its product. World Health Organization (WHO) has welcomed the commitment by the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA) to align with the WHO target to eliminate industrially produced trans fat from the global food supply by 2023. WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with IFBA representatives, including chief executive officers from several of the 12 companies comprising the alliance, on May 2, to discuss actions to take to eliminate industrial trans fats, and reduce salt, sugar and saturated fats in processed foods. The meeting also stressed the value of regulatory action on labelling, marketing and called industry to full adherence to the WHO Code of marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes. Dr Ghebreyesus said: The commitment made by IFBA is in line with WHOs target to eliminate industrial trans fat from the global food supply by 2023. WHO will be monitoring the next steps to be taken by companies to help ensure the commitment is realised, he added. Of particular note was the decision to by IFBA members to ensure that the amount of industrial trans fat (iTFA) in their products does not exceed 2 g of iTFA per 100 g fat/oil globally by 2023. This is in line with the WHOs objective and recommendations of its Replace action package, which was developed and launched in 2018. Eliminating industrially-produced trans fat is one of the simplest and most effective ways to save lives and create a healthier food supply, he added. In line with the Replace initiative, WHO has called on all food producers and oil and fat manufacturers, not only IFBA members, to commit to elimination of industrial trans fat from the global food supply. Trans fat intake is responsible for over 500,000 deaths from coronary heart disease each year globally, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes called for the social media giant to be broken up over what he deemed was a chronic case of misguided focus which he attributes to the companys other co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg. In a lengthy op-ed published by the New York Times, the entrepreneur who hasnt worked at Facebook in over a decade said he still feels responsible for the monster that the platform now arguably became, concluding its high time someone puts an end to its unchecked growth and splits it into more manageable pieces. Mr. Hughes was made it a point to highlight how he believes Mr. Zuckerberg with whom he launched the social media platform from a Harvard dorm room 15 years ago has good intentions, yet is but one human being and no single soul can be realistically expected to manage the conglomerate of this size while still keeping tabs on the well-being of society as a whole. Despite insisting he personally doesnt have a negative opinion of Facebook, Mr. Hughes characterized Facebooks head as a growth-obsessed suit who sacrificed the very notion of online privacy and security in his pursuit of profits. While CEOs, both in the tech segment and otherwise, are usually kept in check by their boards of directors, thats not true in this case as the 34-year-old controls about 60-percent of the firms voting shares, meaning he alone has the power to make any single decision at the firm, even though his credentials are suspect at best in many fields, not to mention his track record. Advertisement Since the last time Facebooks two co-founders met in 2017, the Menlo Park, California-based Internet giant ended up being invovled in some of the largest privacy scandals in the history of online services, including the Cambridge Analytica debacle which suggested the firm played a palpable role in a Russian misinformation effort aimed at influencing the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in the United States in favor of its eventual winner. Mr. Hughes wrote hes angry at both himself and the rest of Facebooks early core for not anticipating scenarios wherein the service is abused for malicious purposes such as meddling with a countrys democratic process. While the damage has already been done, not breaking Facebook apart is guaranteed to make matters worse in the long run, the Harvard alumni believes. He hence called for the U.S. government to hold the company and Mr. Zuckerberg personally accountable for any large-scale misuses of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, services being used by billions of people on a daily basis. The appeal bears some resemblacne with a separate effort a small number of Alphabet investors initiated earlier this month, calling for one of the worlds largest corporations and Googles parent company to be broken apart. And while those activist investors say they fear Alphabet may eventually start colluding with dictators, Mr. Hughes doesnt harbor such a degree of pessimism toward Facebook, though he still believes that leaving the firm as-is would be detrimental to society as a whole in the long run. Calls for Facebook to be broken apart are intensifying in the United States and have already reached stateside politicians. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, California Senator Kamala, and California Representative Ro Khanna are among top-level politicians who voiced support for the idea following last weeks New York Times op-ed authored by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes wherein he openly said the social media juggernaut needs to be broken apart into tiny pieces which wont be as slow to embrace regulatory changes that are expected to arrive in the near future. The Harvard alumni who left Facebook twelve years ago insisted he had a positive view of co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg but argued no single human being should be entrusted so much responsibility, especially in the profit-driven private market. Facebook and the rest of its services are used by billions of people every day, so even the smallest mistakes such as wrongly optimized content algorithms for certain niches have the potential to have massive consequences and given the scope of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, as well as the number of smaller privacy debacles starring the Menlo Park firm in recent years, its clear neither Mr. Zuckerberg nor anyone else at the conglomerate have any intention to stop experimenting and taking risks. Approaching challenges in a rash manner is pretty much the root of all problems at Facebook in one way or another. Move fast and break things is how Mr. Zuckerberg summarized the manner of thinking he wanted to see from Facebooks design team in the past. These days, the internal support for that policy may not be as vocal as it once was, yet it continues to guide many of the companys processes. If the firm gave any thought to the very possibility that one of the most popular services in the history of mankind may be targeted by malicious actors seeking to abuse it for a wide variety of nefarious goals, it almost certainly would not have been as vulnerable to the broad range of misinformation campaigns that hit it in 2015 and 2016, having been coordinated with the goal of influencing the outcome of the last U.S. presidential race. Advertisement Still, its naive to expect Mr. Zuckerberg to hit the brakes and sacrifice profits in favor of the greater good, especially when that benefit is so vaguely defined. Hes a CEO of one of the most valuable companies in the world and is legally obliged to maximize shareholder returns to the best of his abilities, so the very notion of him policing himself (and with some 60-percent of voting shares, he basically is the company) is frivolous at best. Thats the gist of Mr. Hughess argument for breaking apart Facebook which some senior company officials such as Instagram chief Adam Mosseri already dismissed or downplayed. Ultimately, the recent history of U.S. politics doesnt suggest Facebook is facing a realistic threat of being broken apart; the lobbying dollars are simply more numerous and efficient than ever and gone are the days when someone like Microsoft would be happy to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to save a rival from bankruptcy in exchange for a few years of breathing room on the antitrust front. Today, Microsoft would be more likely to buy Apple than save it and American regulators would likely be more than happy to see it do so, so long as the right Super PACs keep donating the right amounts every year. OnePlus has announced pop up events for its OnePlus 7 series of devices. Truth be said, the company mentions only the OnePlus 7 Pro in the attached image, but chances are youll be able to spend some time with both the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro at these locations, as both of those phones are expected to arrive on May 14. OnePlus has announced that it is organizing six pop-up events across the US, including New York, Chicago, Miami Beach, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Santa Monica. As far as Europe is concerned, pop-up events are being organized in nine countries, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. If you click on this link, you will be able to see the exact times those pop-up events will take place, and where exactly will they be located, that goes for both the US and Europe. Needless to say, those pop-up events are being organized on May 14, when the phone is launching. Advertisement The company says that you will be able to meet some familiar faces, grab some snacks, and pick up the companys newest flagship smartphone if you attend those events. Thats not all, the first 200 buyers at each of those locations will get a special gift, says the company. We still do not know what that is, but were assuming that it is one of OnePlus other products, maybe a backpack or something of the sort. On the other hand, its possible that the company will be handing out free cases for the OnePlus 7 Pro, who knows. OnePlus is expected to announce three smartphones during its press conference on May 14, the OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro, and OnePlus 7 Pro 5G. The latter two phones are expected to be identical in pretty much every way, except the 5G variant will support 5G connectivity. The OnePlus 7 will be somewhat different from the OnePlus 7 Pro, though. Both phones will be made out of metal and glass, while both will ship with the Snapdragon 855 64-bit octa-core processor. Rumors are claiming that both devices will be water resistant, but without an IP rating. Both phones are also said to sport stereo speakers, and Android 9 Pie will come pre-installed on them, along with OnePlus OxygenOS. You can also expect to get UFS 3.0 flash storage in both instances, and OnePlus new phones will be the first in the market to offer UFS 3.0. Advertisement The OnePlus 7 Pro will sport three cameras on the back, no display notches or holes, and it will pack in a pop-up camera on the top. The phone will ship with a 6.67-inch QHD+ curved Fluid AMOLED display, and its display will offer a refresh rate up to 90Hz. The OnePlus 7, on the other hand, will sport a waterdrop display notch, two cameras on the back, and a 6.41-inch fullHD+ Optic AMOLED display, if rumors are anything to go by. The OnePlus 7 Pro is also rumored to include 30W War Charge fast charging, while the OnePlus 7 is said to sport 20W fast charging. The two phones will be similar in size, it seems, and both will ship with an in-display fingerprint scanner. Neither of the two phones will include a 3.5mm headphone jack, though. Posted on: May 13, 2019 4:57 PM The senior bishop of the Church of Ceylon, the Bishop of Colombo, Dhiloraj Canagasabey, has urged Sri Lankans to unite and appreciate religious and ethnic diversity. Speaking to reporters, Bishop Dhiloraj issued a humble and earnest appeal to the intelligentsia of this country, to all religious leaders, civil society, youth leaders and all our citizens who truly love this land, to come together to overcome all . . . ethnic, religious and ideological divisions and to formulate policies and to mobilise the people to rebuild our dear, shattered motherland. He said: for too long have we watched from the side-lines while politicians have wrecked and ruined this beautiful and pleasant country. Let us unite sincerely to work towards building a tolerant, just and a peaceful new nation from the succession of tragedies that have befallen us. He said that the task of unifying the country must start with the education of children. It is so essential that they are taught from their young days about the diverse and rich traditions of the many people who make up this nation and make it so beautiful, he said, that they are taught to understand each other and of the need to accept, appreciate, live and work in harmony with all, for the shared common good of all. And he also issued urged an end to the demonisation of the countrys Muslim community following the Easter Day massacre in which 257 people were killed when Islamist terrorists attacked churches and hotels in the country. He described Sri Lankan Muslims as our fellow citizens who had lived with us in this country for many hundreds of years. Bishop Dhiloraj added: I appeal to the authorities, the politicians, the media, and all our people: for goodness sake, please do not demonise the entire Muslim community for the sins of a few warped minds. While the full force of the law must be applied on all those who planned, aided and carried out this unbelievable act of terror, the Muslim community must be treated with respect and understanding. This is how mature, generous and hospitable people like ours must react. As a Tamil, having gone through the period of war when there was a tendency to look upon every Tamil as a potential terrorist, I empathise with the traumatised Muslim community living with fear and living in shame. During his press conference, he also spoke of the enormous power of the media, saying: Friends, you can make this country or you can kill this country with your pen. Please be restrained and prudent with your reporting; be conscious that you also have a huge task of educating, highlighting and encouraging all these factors that unite us rather than focusing on those that separate and divide us. The Church of Ceylons two dioceses, Colombo and Kurunegala, are currently an extra-provincial area of the Anglican Communion under the metropolitical oversight of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Last month, the Anglican Consultative Councils Standing Committee agreed moves which could see the Church become an independent province of the Anglican Communion. Posted on: May 13, 2019 3:26 PM A new Research Centre has been opened in Cairo as part of a newly renovated archive facility for the Episcopal Diocese of Egypt. The new Cairo Research Centre has been created by the Diocese of Egypt, part of the Anglican / Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East, in collaboration with the UKs University of Leicester. The British Ambassador to Egypt, Sir Geoffrey Adams, attended the opening ceremony last week (9 May) alongside the Bishop of Egypt, Mouneer Anis, and Dr James Moore of the University of Leicester and Dr Richard Gauvain from the British University in Cairo. They were joined by representatives of the Diocese of Egypt and members of the countrys academic community in what the local Church described as an exciting event. Last weeks ceremony was a significant milestone in a project which began in 2015 with the digitisation of the dioceses documents and manuscripts dating back to the early 19th century. As part of the process, the archive has been moved to a newly-renovated facility which has been specifically designed to house the materials. The work has been carried out with the technical and financial support of the University of Leicester The Anglican Church in Egypt began as a chaplaincy to the British Victorian-era expat community. The Diocese now includes the Horn of Africa and considerable parts of North Africa. It is part of the Anglican / Episcopal Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. Last month, the Anglican Consultative Councils Standing Committee agreed a process that could lead to the Church becoming an independent province of the Anglican Communion in its own right. Its fascinating work. When I pick up a letter, handwritten from 65 years ago, it makes me wonder if the author could have imagined where their words would be today, the Dioceses Head Archivist, Monica Emil, said in 2016 in the early stages of the project. Its dusty work, thats for sure, but what were doing here is worth it. The archive include registers of baptisms, marriages and deaths, minute books, correspondence, orders of service, maps, plans, newsletters and printed pamphlets. Attached to the archive is a library of academic books relating to the history, topography and architecture of Egypt and the Middle East. In order to provide access to the great wealth of information in this archive, we added a research centre, adjoining to the archive, the Diocese said in a statement. The Cairo Research Centre will be a meeting place for researchers, scholars and members of the public who are interested in modern Egyptian history, society and culture. The Centre will hold regular events, workshops and seminars and provide access to affordable accommodation for visiting scholars and guests. The Bosch Group, a German global supplier of technology and services, plans to reduce carbon footprint to zero by 2020, said Dr Volkmar Denner, chairman of Robert Bosch GmbH, at the companys annual press conference. The company has posted record sales revenue of 78.5 billion euros ($88 billion) for 2018, as against 76.8 billion euros in 2017, marking an increase of 2.2 per cent. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) from operations reached 5.5 billion euros. In spite of heavy upfront investments in areas such as the electrification and automation of mobility, EBIT margin from operations improved again in 2018, rising from 6.8 percent in 2017 to 7.0 percent. Bosch increased its expenditure on research and development to 7.3 billion euros, or 9.3 percent of sales revenue. Capital expenditure rose by 14 percent to 4.9 billion euros, or 6.3 percent of sales revenue. Bosch created almost 8,000 new jobs worldwide in 2018, more than half of them in research and development. For the current year, Bosch expects economic developments to be subdued. The company forecasts that the global economy will grow by just 2.3 percent. Trade disputes, the high levels of debt in European countries, and the decrease in automotive production are among the factors putting a strain on the global economy. Despite the difficult environment in industries and regions that are important for Bosch, the company expects its sales in 2019 to slightly exceed their 2018 levels. The first three months of the year saw sales nearly on a par with the previous year. Regardless of this short-term outlook, the Bosch Group is intensifying its efforts to combat climate change and improve air quality. Climate change is not science fiction; its really happening. If we are to take the Paris Agreement seriously, then climate action needs to be seen not just as a long-term aspiration. It needs to happen here and now, said Dr Volkmar Denner, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, at the companys annual press conference. We also take peoples concerns about clean air quality in cities very seriously. As an innovation leader, we want to deliver technological solutions to ecological problems. Driving bans, diesel protests, yellow vests, and Friday climate strikes all this shows that companies need to take climate action and offer new solutions for urban air quality, not least to stabilize the social climate. Bosch to be first carbon-neutral industrial enterprise from 2020 According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), manufacturing is responsible for almost one-third of global carbon dioxide emissions. This is reason enough for Bosch to intensify its already successful efforts to reduce its CO2 output. We will be the first major industrial enterprise to achieve the ambitious goal of carbon neutrality in a little over a year. From 2020, Bosch will have a net-zero carbon footprint, Denner announced. All 400 Bosch locations across the globe will be carbon neutral from 2020. To achieve this, the company will be using four major levers. Bosch will increase energy efficiency, increase the proportion of renewables in its energy supply, buy in more green power, and offset unavoidable carbon emissions. This will avoid 3.3 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2020. Better air quality: near-zero pollution According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 90 percent of the worlds population breathe toxic air. We want to reduce air pollution from traffic to virtually zero. To do this, were looking beyond the cars hood, Denner said. The companys project to reduce the concentration of air pollutants to near-zero levels is built on three pillars: Bosch is developing low-pollutant powertrain technologies, working with municipal governments on projects to maintain steady traffic flows, and is running a company mobility management system at its own locations. Optimizing internal-combustion engines using AI The company forecasts that roughly 75 percent of all new cars and light commercial vehicles will still be powered by an internal-combustion engine in 2030. In view of this, Bosch is continuing to invest considerable sums in optimizing gasoline and diesel engines. The company is also using artificial intelligence to further develop internal-combustion engines. As an example, Bosch is using AI to predictively control exhaust-gas treatment according to patterns drawn from individuals driving behaviour, as this can further reduce vehicles emissions. Some 3,500 associates in the companys exhaust-gas treatment and exhaust sensors units generated sales of 2.3 billion euros in 2018. This figure is set to reach 3 billion euros by 2025. Electromobility: 14 million vehicles by end of 2022 Bosch also expects electric vehicles to play a major part in improving air quality in cities. In the emerging mass market for electromobility, Bosch is striving to become market leader. By 2025, the company aims to generate 5 billion euros in sales with electromobility, ten times the figure for 2018. In the growing competition for value creation in the powertrain technology domain, we see good opportunities ahead. Our systems know-how, our broad product portfolio, and economies of scale in manufacturing make us the partner of choice for vehicle manufacturers and mobility providers worldwide, Denner said. Automated driving: lower consumption and emissions Automated driving will also play a part in improving air quality. According to the re-search firm KE Consult, automated driving can reduce fuel consumption by over 30 per-cent, and by 15 percent on German freeways. More than 5,000 Bosch engineers are now working on automated driving, almost twice as many as two years ago. As Denner noted: By 2022, we plan to have invested around 4 billion euros in automation and thus in sustainable mobility. Driver assistance systems are contributing to growth on the path to automated driving. From current levels of around 2 billion euros, revenue is expected to increase by almost 15 percent this year. Sales of radar sensors are expected to grow by 20 percent, and sales of video sensors by 30 percent. Automated driving is not just an area of future promise, its already a growth area for us today, Denner said. TradeArabia News Service The new Turkish destination is an addition to the three flights a week recently launched to Istanbuls Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW), and to the existing daily flights to the new Istanbul Airport (IST). Flights to Bodrum come in response to high demand during the peak travel season to the popular summer destination located on the Aegean Sea. Jazeera Airways has also enhanced its schedule to Istanbul to offer customers the choice between landing or departing from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport or the Istanbul Airport. Sabiha Gokcen is located in the Asian side of Istanbul while Istanbul Airport is located on the European side of the city. Jazeera Airways CEO, Rohit Ramachandran, said: We are very excited to be starting flights to Bodrum during the summer season. It has become an extremely popular leisure destination for the Kuwaiti market. We are also pleased to have increased flights to Istanbul and offer our customers the choice of airport to fly through. Istanbul is a great touristic destination that never ceases to amaze with every visit thanks to its deeply-rooted history and culture. Gushi FM is a show that strains at the boundaries of acceptable in a highly censored society. A worker for a Chinese construction company describes a harrowing escape from war in Libya in an episode titled I Shot an AK-47 at Them. A young man recounts accompanying his ailing father to Switzerland to die by assisted suicide. A lesbian tells of her decision to enter a marriage of convenience to a gay man. The New York Times The actor is happy at the response to the trailer of his upcoming film IMW which is set to release in a few days from now. Shooting for the period drama Panipat and promoting his upcoming film Indias Most Wanted is keeping Arjun Kapoor on his toes. Panipat is an action film. Some days are good. Some are complicated. This is a nice memory to have of Panipat that I am tired and still have to go and promote Indias Most Wanted, says the actor whose endurance is being tested by his busy schedule. Despite that Arjun is having a great time on the sets and for him, one of the best memories of working in Panipat has been sharing the screen space with Sanjay Dutt who plays the antagonist to Arjuns character. Sanju sir is someone who I have looked up to as a child. We have all grown up watching Sanju sir. We know him as an actor and a star whose personality is larger than life, says Arjun who finds it difficult to see his co-actor as a villain given his humble attitude. Arjun continues, He is like a child. He is so humble. It is difficult to imagine that he is the villain of the film because he is so nice. He starts playing with your cheeks and you forget that you are Sadashivrao Bhau and he is Ahmedshah Abdali. The actor is happy at the response to the trailer of his upcoming film IMW which is set to release in a few days from now. I have received a great response to the trailer. It is a very relevant film. The new India asks questions and expects answers. Terrorism is a worldwide phenomenon. Unfortunately, it has spread so fast. This is one such story of those people who wake up every morning to protect our country. These are unsung people who are not spoken about or who cannot speak of themselves and I am proud to be a part of such a film, says Arjun. Sanskriti Media The slain militants have been identified as Aadil Bashir Wani and Javaid Ahmed Bhat, both residents of neighbouring Kulgam district. The police said that it has been confirmed that the duo was affiliated with the LeT. (Photo: ANI | Twitter) Srinagar: Two Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) militants were killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmirs southern Shopian district on Sunday. The police said that the fighting broke out in Shopians Hend Satipora village soon after the security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation at dawn on learning about the presence of militants there. A police spokesman said, The encounter broke out in the village during wee hours after a joint team of the Armys 34 Rashtriya Rifles, J&K polices (counterinsurgency) Special Operations Group and the CRPF cordoned off the area. He added that the cordon was laid following credible inputs about the presence of some militants in the area. The slain militants have been identified as Aadil Bashir Wani and Javaid Ahmed Bhat, both residents of neighbouring Kulgam district. The police said that it has been confirmed that the duo was affiliated with the LeT. The police also said that it was a clean operation and no collateral damage took place during the exchange of fire. Meanwhile, two Army jawans were injured in a blast of Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) in Machael sector of the Line of Control (LoC) in J&Ks north-western Kupwara district on Saturday evening. The police and Army sources here identified the injured soldiers as Havildar Jaipal Singh Tomar and Naik Vikram Mane of the Armys 56 Rashtriya Rifles. The sources said that the UBGL went off when they were cleaning the weaponry at their post. Both the injured were rushed to the 168 Military Hospital at Drugmulla (Kupwara) from where they were later shifted to Armys 92-base Hospital in Srinagar for specialized treatment. BJP media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said his party will hold protests and also move the EC. Subsequently, the permission for Shah's chopper to land was also withdrawn, Baluni said. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Accusing the West Bengal government of not allowing its president Amit Shah's rally in Jadhavpur, the BJP said Monday the Election Commission has become a "mute spectator" to the Trinamool Congress's alleged undemocratic means to target the saffron party. BJP media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said his party will hold protests and also move the EC. Shah's rally was scheduled for Monday in Jadhavpur, which goes to the polls on May 19 in the last phase, but the permission for it was denied at the last minute by the state administration, he said. Subsequently, the permission for Shah's chopper to land was also withdrawn, Baluni said. Read: Amit Shah denied permission to hold rally in West Bengal's Jadavpur "It is unfortunate that the EC has become a mute spectator to all this and also use of violence by the TMC in the state," he said. He alleged the ruling party in Bengal was using undemocratic means to target the BJP. Nine seats will go to polls in the last phase of the general election. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. US-based McDermott International has been awarded a contract by Adnoc to provide front end engineering design (FEED) services on a design-competition basis for Phase One of the Umm Shaif Gas Cap Condensate Development Project. The scope of work also includes the preparation and submission of an EPCI proposal reflecting the design of the offshore facilities developed by McDermott through this FEED work. "This award reflects the market's recognition that McDermott is well qualified to provide execution-focused engineering design services to clients," said Linh Austin, McDermott's senior vice president, Mena. "Our extensive EPCI experience allows us to deliver technically robust engineering design to clients as a 'one-stop-shop' on a global scale." The FEED project is scheduled to be executed from McDermott's London office with support from its Dubai and Chennai locations. Work on the project will begin immediately and the contract award was reflected in McDermott's first quarter 2019 backlog, a company statement said. McDermott defines a sizeable contract as between $1 million and $50 million, it added. - TradeArabia News Service Singh expressed regret over not casting his vote in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh which is 130 km away from Bhopal. Congress candidate from Bhopal seat Digvijay Singh interacts with voters in Bhopal on Sunday. (Photo: PTI) Bhopal: Stray incidents of clashes between Congress and BJP workers marked the penultimate phase Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh in which eight constituencies went to polls on Sunday. The sixth phase polls witnessed voter turnout of around 62 per cent, chief electoral officers office here said. The polling percentage, however, may increase. The high-profile seat of Bhopal where Congress veteran Digvijay Singh was taking on BJP nominee Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur witnessed 61.7 per cent polling. Interestingly, Guna and Rajgarh seats, the bastions of Congress veterans Jyotiraditya Scindia and Digvijay Singh, have witnessed highest polling percentages of 65.24 and 68.98 respectively till last reports reaching the CEO office here. Mr Singh who is a voter in Rajgarh LS seat, however, failed to cast his votes since he was in Bhopal whole day to marshal his polling agents. His wife Amrita cast her vote in a polling booth in Bhopal city. Mr Singh expressed regret over not casting his vote in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh which is 130 km away from Bhopal. Yes I couldnt go to vote to Rajgarh and I regret it. Next time I will register my name in Bhopal, he said to media. All through the day, he visited various polling stations in Bhopal to track voting. The Congress leader also urged people to vote in large numbers. Digvijaya Singh has been fielded by the Congress party from the Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency against Malegaon blasts-accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. Morena and Bhind witnessed lowest turnout of voters in the sixth phase LS polls in Madhya Pradesh, recording 54.36 and 53.09 percent respectively. Reports reaching the CEO office here said clashes between workers of Congress and BJP were witnessed in some polling booths in Bhind, Sagar and Bhopal constituencies during voting. A BJP worker sustained head injury following alleged attack by Congress workers in the Karthara polling booth under Bhind seat. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. The TRAI has warned of strict action against those cable TV and DTH players who are found violating its new tariff order and regulatory regime. New Delhi: Months after coming out with a new regulatory framewok for DTH and Cable television sector, common people are still struggle with operators who are not passing on the benefits to the consumers. Taking a tough stance, the TRAI, the broacasting sector regulator, is contemplating strict action against several MSOs, cable operators for trying to create roadblocks for regarding viewers Right to Choose. The TRAI has warned of strict action against those cable TV and DTH players who are found violating its new tariff order and regulatory regime. The regulator has also promised to shortly begin audit of subscriber management and other IT systems of errant operators. Trai chairman R.S. Sharma has repeatedly stated that consumer choice and consumer interest are non negotiable and cannot be compromised and that companies not adhering to rules will have to face the consequences. The TRAI has recently introduced a new tariff regime which recognised consumers Right to Choose. The tariff regime tries to give viewers the choice to watch what they want on cable TV. The regime respects viewer discretion, enables consumers to make an informed choice and pay only for those channels which they want to watch. However, it was observed that operators were misguiding consumers about the new tariff regime forcing strict action by TRAI, sources added. The industry also backed the tough measures being proposed against errant DTH and cable operators. We live in a democratic country where the old adage, Life is yours, Choice is yours applies without an iota of doubt to each and every aspect of our life. This includes the way we want to dress and what we want to watch, industry expert, Vedank Singh said. In December last year, the TRAI had in a statement going by the findings of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), more than 90 percent of TV homes view or browse 50 or fewer number of channels. Adding to this TRAI said, Therefore, any analysis that keeps 250 or more channels for pricing of monthly tariffs create a false impression. If consumer chooses the channel which she/he really watches, then consumers will be paying a lesser amount compared to what they are paying as of now. BSF chief claimed BJP women leaders are afraid of their husbands meeting Modi as they fear being abandoned by their husbands. Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Monday claimed that women leaders in BJP are afraid of their husbands meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as they fear being abandoned by their husbands, just like the Prime Minister did to his wife. Speaking to ANI, Mayawati said, "I came to know that in BJP, married women are worried when they see their husbands meeting Modi as they fear that Modi may separate them from their husbands, just the way he left his own wife. I appeal all women not to vote for Modi, this would be a true tribute to Modi's wife who was abandoned." Unleashing a personal attack on the Prime Minister, Mayawati claimed that Modi left his wife for vested political gains. Citing the gangrape of a Dalit woman in Alwar, Mayawati said that Prime Minister Modi was initially silent on the issue and only spoke on it after she raked up the matter. "The Prime Minister remained silent on the Alwar gangrape, however, after I spoke on the matter he started to do his filthy politics for political gains. He doesn't know how to respect the sisters and daughters of others as he has left his own wife for his vested political interests." The BSP chief went on to claim that the Prime Minister remains silent on matters of atrocities against Dalits. "In matters related to atrocities against Dalits, Prime Minister has never spoken openly or taken such incidents seriously. He has never asked for resignation or even clarification from the chief ministers of BJP-ruled states in matters related to Dalit atrocities," said Mayawati. "In the case of Rohith Vemula, he never asked for resignation or clarification from his minister. He has also never offered his resignation or taken moral responsibility in any such cases of atrocities against Dalits." She also stated that the Prime Minister has no values. "For breaking the 'gathbandhan' he referred me as respected 'behen' ji but as soon as he got a strong reply and came to know that he will not be able to break the alliance, he started calling me 'bua' and Akhilesh Yadav 'babua'. Modi has no values. All those who have values, no matter from which party they are, refer to me as 'behen ji', even my mother and father call me 'behen ji'. Like people call Mulayam Singh Yadav 'netaji' they call me 'behen ji' out of respect." Mayawati asserted that BSP may withdraw support from the Congress government in Rajasthan if appropriate action is not taken in connection with the Alwar gangrape. "Our party is committed to getting justice for the victim, however, we may withdraw our support if appropriate and suitable action is not taken in the case," she said. A woman was allegedly gang-raped by five men while her husband was beaten up in Thanagaji area of Alwar district in Rajasthan on April 26. A video of the incident was shot by the perpetrators, who threatened to make it public if the matter was reported. The couple reported the matter to Police much later on May 2. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. According to Behl, many words in the Japanese language are from Sanskrit. New Delhi: It may surprise many Indians but scores of Hindu deities, including Saraswati, Lakshmi, Brahma, Ganesha, and Garuda, are actively worshiped in their temples by the Japanese, preserving Indian traditions that have practically been forgotten in India, shows a film screened in Delhi on Sunday. It revealed that there are hundreds of shrines of Saraswati in the land of rising sun. The well-researched 30-minute documentary, Indian Deities Worshipped in Japan, funded by the ministry of external affairs, is directed by global fame photographer and art historian Benoy K. Behl (62), who specialises in the study of ancient cultures and historical monuments across the world. He has been engaged in research on Hindu deities in Japan since 1994. Unlike most cultures that spread with the force of sword, Indian philosophy of ethical living travelled to every corner of Asia through our traders who showcased the link between ethics and commercial success, Mr Behl told this newspaper, quoting a former Japanese ambassador who said that the Japanese culture is founded on the Indian culture. The film depicts the science of living and Indian philosophy of ethical living as most Hindu Gods are the personification of the fine qualities inside you, said Mr Behl, who holds the Limca Book Record for being the most travelled photographer. Mr Behl said his film creates a little bit of stir by implying that Hindu deities are worshiped and havens or homa or goma are performed daily in nearly 1,200 temples in Japan. Our relationship with Japan is far closer than Indians seem to be aware of, he said. In Japan, Saraswati is depicted and venerated not only with the Veena, but also remembered for her association with water. One may recall that Saraswati is originally the personification of the river by that name. Therefore, she is also worshipped in pools of water in Japan, he said. Many deities such as Vayu and Varuna forgotten in India over the ages are still worshipped in Japan. Apart from Indian deities, Sanskrit language is also well preserved in the Shinto and Buddhist-dominated country, said M. Behl, a product of St. Stephens College and FTII. According to him, many words in the Japanese language are from Sanskrit. Sanskrit was also the basis for the formation of the Japanese alphabet Kana. In the supermarkets, a major brand of milk products is called Sujata. The company personnel are taught the story of Sujata who gave sweet rice milk to the Buddha, with which he broke his period of austerity, before he gained enlightenment, he said. This month, Mr Behl has also come out with a coffee table book Hindu Deities Worshipped in Japan his seventh related to art and culture. Sharma claimed Mayawati is showing weakness and her memory is fading. Sharma, however, said the way Prime Minister Modi has worked to uplift the Dalit community, backward classes, the oppressed and deprived sections, 'has instilled fear in Mayawati.' (Photo: File) Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said BSP president Mayawati is suffering from "political depression" as she fears defeat of her party's candidates in the general election under way and as a result, she is losing her temper and patience. Sharma claimed Mayawati is showing weakness and her memory is fading. "All these symptoms are clearly visible in the statements of the BSP supremo," he told PTI in an interview. He said the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo needed a "political health tonic". Mayawati, who is leading the BSP-SP-RLD alliance in UP with Akhilesh Yadav, has regularly hit out at the BJP on Twitter and in campaign rallies, claiming that its government at the Centre is "autocratic" and has resorted to various means to "scare" senior leaders of the opposition parties. She has said the Centre "badly failed" to tackle issues like terrorism and naxalism. Ahead of the second phase of the seven-phase poll, the BSP chief was banned for 48 hours from campaigning by the Election Commission for violating the moral code of conduct. Three others, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, were also banned for varying periods over similar reasons. Shortly after the ban ended on April 18, Mayawati lashed out at BJP and its leaders for levelling "unfounded" charges on opposition parties, including the allegation they were abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP is facing a challenge from the alliance in Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest number of Lok Sabha seats, 80, compared to any other state. "BSP chief Mayawati is suffering from political depression (rajnaitik avsaad), which stems from the fact that her party fared badly in the past five phases in the state, and defeat of BSP candidates is imminent in the last two phases. It's the same with her alliance partners," Sharma said. He claimed the symptoms of her "depression" will become more evident in coming days and she will make "anaap, shanaap" (loose) remarks. "It is for this reason that she is calling the prime minister a 'fake backward'. She must revamp her memory, and for this she needs a political health tonic," the deputy chief minister said. Asked what he meant by "political health tonic", Sharma said, "Once dignity, transparency and uprightness are adopted, it will work as a political health tonic (for her). By using undignified words, the political health will certainly not improve." Mayawati has raised doubts on the caste of the prime minister, alleging he is a "farzi backward" - a fake OBC leader. Modi has responded saying he belongs to caste of all the poor in the country. On Sunday, a full-scale war of words broke out between Mayawati and Modi over the gangrape of a Dalit girl in Rajasthan's Alwar. The prime minister accused the BSP chief of shedding "crocodile tears" and asked her to withdraw support to the Congress government in Rajasthan if she cared for Dalits. Mayawati hit back, calling Modi's statements on the gangrape incident "dirty politics" and demanded him to resign taking responsibility for atrocities on Dalits during his rule. Sharma, however, said the way Prime Minister Modi has worked to uplift the Dalit community, backward classes, the oppressed and deprived sections, "has instilled fear in Mayawati." "The BSP government (in UP) had done nothing for the welfare of the common man... It is the Modi government, which is developing the Panch Teerth (to honour B R Ambedkar)," he said. Sharma said Mayawati pretended to be a Dalit, but she did nothing to uplift the community. Inhone Dalit hone ka sirf dhong kiya hai, he said. "It was the Modi government, which for the first time allocated over 75 per cent of its budget for the poor, farmers, backward classes and Dalits. This is the reason for her nervousness," he added. Sharma said the chiefs of BSP and SP, who gave themselves "certificates" for being concerned about Dalits and backward classes, have been rejected by people, who consider Modi "pramaanik" (authentic). "These people (opposition parties) divide society on the lines of caste, creed and religion. PM Modi believes in the principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas," Sharma said. "The cries of the opposition will only grow in the days to come. Their statements will become bitter, and after electoral loss, their statements will touch the sky." Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Former CM Mehbooba Mufti seeks death penalty for such offences. Srinagar: There has been a widespread outrage in Kashmir over the rape of three-year-old girl by her neighbour. While various political, social and religious organisations of the Valley have demanded a fast-track investigation into the case and exemplary punishment for the culprit, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti sought application of Islamic Sharia law, which calls for death penalty for such offenses as a punishment. On Sunday, massive protests were held by angry crowds in various parts of the Valleys Bandipore and Baramulla districts against the incident. At places, the police used force to break up these protests, the witnesses said. The protesters were demanding death for the accused who has already been arrested by the police. They criticised the management of a local school for certifying that the accused is a minor and demanded impartial probe into the entire incident. The police, however, said that the age certificate uploaded on social media is fake and that the accused appears to be an adult and is being treated as such. A senior police officer said, The certificate believed to have been issued by a local school, declaring the accused a minor and circulated through social media appears to be fake. We will request a team of senior doctors to determine the age of the accused through scientific medical investigation. The incident has also set off sectarian tensions in some parts of north Kashmir as the victim and the accused belong to two different sects of Muslims. However, clergy and various political parties have urged the people not to see the crime through a sectarian prism. The victim is the daughter of whole Kashmir and everyone is in grief. Only vested interests are trying to project this horrific incident as a sectarian issue, said Moulvi Masroor Abbas Ansari, a Shia cleric and politician. Reports said that the residents of over a dozen villages of Bandipores Sumbal area on Sunday took to the streets to demand exemplary punishment for the accused. They blocked the Srinagar-Bandipore highway and disrupted vehicular movement on the vital roadlink. Senior government officials including Bandipores Deputy Commissioner Shahbaz Ahmed Mirza and SSP Rahul Malik rushed to the spot to assure the people that the investigation into the incident would be carried out on a fast track basis. Mr. Mirza later tweeted The heinous crime of rape of a minor in Shadipora Bandipora is under investigation with full vigour and we assure that the perpetrator of the crime will be brought to justice. We appeal to the public to stay calm and ask them to do not pay any heed to the rumours. The police said that the minor girl was allegedly raped by a resident of Sumbals Malikpora Trigam village two days ago. The police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. Pakistan had also been sending signals to India to de-escalate situation along the LoC and International Border. Security forces are expecting terrorists to try also increase terror activities in Kashmir in coming days after civil secretariat reopened in Srinagar on May 6. (Representative Image) New Delhi: In an attempt to revive terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) held a meeting of top leaders of militant groups, including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT), to ask them to start infiltration in the state, according to intelligence agencies. The meeting is supposed to have been held between last week of April or first week of May, as per reports with the intelligence agencies. Some 20-25 militants participated in the meeting. ISI is also trying to coordinate between these terror groups. Intelligence agencies are now expecting terrorists to infiltrate from South of Pir Panjal range in J&K. These terrorists could try to infiltrate from Nowshera and Akhnoor area, sources said. Infact, Rashtriya Rifles and J&K police in Gool, Ramban on Monday delivered a setback to terrorist outfit in their efforts to revive terrorism South of Pir Panjal Range by arresting two teenagers intended to join terrorist cadre of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. Both the boys are from South Kashmir. During the operation, the security forces recovered one AK-47 assault rifle with ammunition, personal items and cash worth `8,871. After the suicide attack on the CRPF bus in Pulwama in February, there had been no infiltration attempt by the Pakistan-based terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan had also been sending signals to India to de-escalate situation along the LoC and International Border. However, Indian security establishment believes that Pakistan will never end its policy of using terrorism against India. Jaish had also moved its terrorists from launch pads near LoC to inside Pakistan after the Pulwama attack as it was expecting retaliatory action in the form of a surgical strike by the Indian Army. However according to intelligence agencies, Jaish has now started moving back its terrorists to launch pads and camps near the Line of Control (LoC). Security forces are expecting terrorists to try also increase terror activities in Kashmir in coming days after civil secretariat reopened in Srinagar on May 6. BJP Assam minister has strongly condemned the arrest of Priyanka Sharma, stating that current situation in WB is reminiscent of Emergency. New Delhi: The Supreme Court agreed to hear the plea filed by West Bengal BJP youth leader Priyanka Sharma, who was arrested for sharing a morphed picture of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday. A bench of Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Sanjiv Khanna on Monday took note of the plea of advocate N K Kaul, representing the activist, that the issue of her arrest be accorded urgent hearing. After the senior lawyer submitted that there has been a complete strike in West Bengal and it has forced the woman to challenge her arrest in the apex court, the bench posted the plea for hearing on Tuesday. The senior lawyer said the woman activist is in judicial custody following her arrest by the police. BJP leader and minister in Assam government, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has strongly condemned the arrest of BJP's youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma, stating that the current situation in the state is reminiscent of Emergency. Read: Emergency-like situation in WB: Himanta Sarma on BJP worker Priyanka's arrest Priyanka Sharma was arrested for posting a meme mocking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on her Facebook timeline on May 9. (Photo: File) A complaint was made by the Trinamool Congress leader Vibhas Hazra against the convenor of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha for allegedly sharing the picture. Also Read: Bengal BJP leader held for pasting Mamata face on Priyanka Chopra's MET Gala look Sharma superimposed Mamatas face on Priyanka Chopras MET Gala 2019 look. Later, she was arrested and produced in Howrah Court. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. The human rights activist, who carried out the worlds longest hunger strike for the repealing of AFSPA, gave birth to twins. Bengaluru: The Iron Lady of Manipur Irom Sharmila gave birth to twin girls on May 12, Mothers Day in Bengaluru. The 47-year-old human rights activist ended her hunger strike in 2016 and got married in 2017. Sharmila conducted a 16-year hunger strike, the worlds longest, demanding the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA in Manipur. After 16 years of fasting and not yielding any result, she ended the fast on August 9, 2016. She then married her long-time partner Desmond Coutinho, a British national, in 2017, reported NDTV. Post breaking the fast, she announced that she wanted to contest elections and become the chief minister of Manipur so that she could repeal the barbaric AFSPA. She then started a political party called People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance and contested in the state elections in 2017. She contested from the constituency of Thoubal, against three-time Manipur chief minister Okar Ibobi Singh. But she managed to garner only 90 out of 27,271 votes polled. After her disastrous attempt at entering politics, she was asked once again in early 2019 of she would contest in national elections. She replied saying that politics was not her cup of tea. Peru: Access of tourists to Machu Picchu will be limited. Peru: The Peruvian authorities will limit the access of tourists to two temples and a pyramid of the Inca city of Machu Picchu to prevent further degradation, the government said recently. These restrictions will initially apply from May 15 to May 28 and concern the Temple of the Sun, the Condor Temple and the Intiwatana Pyramid, according to the Ministry of Culture. Some 6,000 tourists, divided into two towers, can visit every day the famous citadel of stone built in the fifteenth century on the eastern slopes of the Andes. According to the restrictions announced recently, they will have three hours maximum to visit the three monuments concerned. "These measures respond to the need to preserve Machu Picchu because there is a wear of the stone surface because of the passage of visitors to the three sectors mentioned," said the ministry. "It's a pilot experience" aimed at preserving cultural heritage while facilitating visits to tourists, "said the head of the Machu Picchu Archaeological Park Jose Bastante. If the results are convincing, the restrictions could be perpetuated as of June 1st. The city of Machu Picchu, which means "Old Mountain" in the Quechua language, was built under the reign of Emperor Pachacutec (1438-1471). Discovered by the American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911 and World Heritage by UNESCO since 1983, the city is located a hundred kilometres from Cuzco, the former capital of the Inca Empire in southeastern Peru. Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, a key developer of utility-scale renewable energy projects, said one of its units - Almar Water Solutions - has signed a deal with UAE-based Mubadala Infrastructure Partner to acquire a major stake in Muharraq STP Company, Bahrain. Almar Water Solutions is a dedicated water solutions unit of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy. The Muharraq STP Company has a 29-year concession to build, own and operate a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant and sewer conveyance system in the kingdom that boasts a 100,000 cu m per day capacity, said a statement from Abdul Latif Jameel Energy. The conveyance system includes the first 16.5-km-deep gravity sewer trunk pipeline in the GCC region and a wastewater collection network, it added. In another development, Almar Water Solutions has joined hands with HA Utilities, part of Hassan Allam Holding (HAH), to set up a new company that will provide sustainable water infrastructure solutions to municipal and industrial clients across Egypt. Drawing on the extensive sector experience of both companies, the joint venture (JV) will work on developing sustainable water solutions, including water and wastewater management, and BOT (build-operate-transfer) and BOO (build-own-operate) projects in Egypt. The JV also intends to take an active role as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) investor and an operation and maintenance (O&M) supplier, as well pursuing new greenfield projects, and exploring acquisitions of brownfield assets and O&M service companies. With these two deals, Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, a major provider of specialist expertise and solutions in water infrastructure development, including financing, design and operation, has stepped up its active participation in the Middle Easts water sector. Speaking on the agreements, deputy president and vice chairman Fady Jameel said: "Governments across the region are pursuing ambitious policy programmes, such as Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia, and sustainable development and resource management is key to their success." "These investments follow our strategy to own and operate water assets in the region and beyond. The Middle East and Africa (MEA) faces some of the most pressing water challenges anywhere in the world as rapid development and growing populations put pressure on already scarce water resources," noted Jameel. "Almars expertise in desalination and waste-water management can help meet this growing demand," he added. These transactions mark further significant steps forward for Almar Water Solutions and Abdul Latif Jameel Energys growth across the region, stated Jameel. "We had recently won contracts to develop one of the worlds largest desalination projects in Al Shuqaiq on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia, and Kenyas first large-scale desalination plant in the county of Mombasa, which together will supply drinking water to close to three million people," he added.-TradeArabia News Service High profile New Delhi seat where Congress candidate and former Union minister Ajay Maken is taking on BJP sitting MP Meenakshi Lekhi. New Delhi: Amid reports of EVM glitches, the national capital recorded about 61 per cent polling on Sunday. But the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 had seen a turnout of 65.10 per cent. There are indications of a direct fight between the Congress and the BJP in four constituencies and that of a triangular fight between these parties and newbie AAP in the remaining three seats. At present, all the seven sitting MPs are from the BJP. But in 2009, these seats had been captured by the Congress. The main question during this election was whether the absence of a tie-up between the Congress and the AAP would benefit the BJP and spell doom for the Opposition parties. The stakes are also high for both the Congress and the AAP as the former is desperately trying to make a comeback and the latter has to regain its hold on its vote bank which helped it to sweep 67 of the 70 Assembly seats. All eyes are now on the Northeast constituency, where Congress state chief and three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit has been pitted against BJP state unit head and sitting MP Manoj Tiwari. The AAP had fielded its strategist Dilip Pandey in the constituency. The constituency, which witnessed the highest 63 per cent polling, has a decisive number of Muslim voters in Mustafabad, Jaffarabad and Seelampur. Both Ms Dikshit and Mr Tiwari claimed that their respective parties will sweep all the seven seats. Asked about the enthusiasm in her party, Ms Dikshit said: We are on top of the world. We will win seven seats. Her rival, Mr Tiwari claimed that the BJP would emerge victorious in all the seven seats. But the high profile New Delhi seat where Congress candidate and former Union minister Ajay Maken is taking on BJP sitting MP Meenakshi Lekhi, witnessed the lowest voter turnout of 56.5 per cent. As voting began at 7 am, President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkiah Naidu, Congress president Rahul Gandhi accompanied by Mr Maken, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi accompanied by Ms Dikshit, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied by her husband Robert and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, were among the noted personalities who cast their vote. After voting, Ms Priyanka hugged and greeted her 90-year-old neighbour Jwala Devi, who has been living outside her Lodhi Estate residence for the past 20 years. Polling also started late on some booths while there were reports of EVM malfunctioning in different parts of the city. According to chief electoral officer Ranbir Singh, as many as 568 EVMs reported some technical glitches. A number of people also complained that they could not vote as their names were not on the voters list. AAPs Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti tweeted: EVM in booth 132, Hauzrani is showing 50 votes without anyone casting any vote in the machine. EVMs at booths 116, 117 and 122 in Malviya Nagar not functioning. Delhi home minister Satyendar Jain said that voting started 50 minutes late at three polling booths. A physically challenged man arrives to cast his vote. (Photo: PTI) Transgender voters excited Excited about casting their votes under their chosen gender identity for the first time in the general elections, the transgender voters in the national capital flaunted their inked fingers and expressed hope for a government which ensures them a better future. This is the first time that transgenders are casting their votes under the category after Supreme Court declared them as the third gender in 2014. Earlier, they had to cast their votes as male or female. For 32-year-old Janasheen, it was an incredible experience. I have voted before but this is the first time I am voting as a transgender, an identity which I am proud of now. I have also posted a selfie on my WhatsApp status with my inked finger, Janasheen said. Sapna Bai, a transgender who cast her vote in Matia Mahal, said: I am very happy that I can cast my vote as what I really am. I want a new government which thinks about us and also considers us equally on their agenda. Banerjee wondered about the fate of the central forces when Mr Modi would not remain in power at the Centre. Kolkata: Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Sunday suspected that the BJP and RSS workers have sneaked into West Bengal wearing the central paramilitary forces uniform for manipulation of votes during the Lok Sabha Election. She also accused the central forces of directing the voters to cast their ballots for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ms Banerjee wondered about the fate of the central forces when Mr Modi would not remain in power at the Centre. Addressing a poll campaign rally at Basanti in South 24 Parganas the West Bengal chief minister alleged, Polling was held whole day at many places. I do not disrespect the central forces. But they have been picked up selectively and have been tutored. A retired officer who is also the husband of the BJP candidate of Maldah South Lok Sabha constituency, is deploying the central forces. She claimed, The retired officers can not do this. It is illegal. Still the BJP has forcibly brought some RSS workers in disguise of the central forces personnel. I have great doubt whether some RSS workers are sent in central forces uniform. It is my suspicion. Referring to the firing by security personnel of Bharati Ghosh, the BJP candidate of Ghatal, after she came under attack Ms Banerjee lashed out at the central forces. Even today I have heard that the central forces have opened firing at booth in many places. At Keshpur a brother of mine from the minority community has been injured. At some places the forces are asking the voters to cast their ballots in favour of Modiji. They can not say this. It is illegal. If they repeat it her, lodge complaints immediately. They will be removed soon, the Trinamul chief told the crowd. She complained, Some people were caught red-handed in Midnapore saying: Modi Ko Vote Do, BJP Ko Aur Ek Baar Vote De Do. Who are you? You only work. Dont you feel ashamed that you are campaigning for Modi. Today you are under Modi. What will you do tomorrow when Modi will not be in power? Will you rolling over the road?. or will you crawl? As the day (read May 23) is nearing, their (BJP) jealousy is only increasing. They have become sure of their defeat. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Of the 20 or so grand jirgas held since 1700, eight were called in a short period between 2001 and 2019. Loya Jirga is an Afghan Pakhtun institution predating the modern era. It signifies the democratic base of Pakhtun society. Loya means big because delegates are invited from all over Pakhtun lands in Afghanistan. The delegates are important tribal leaders, ulema, teachers and men with influence in their communities. The jirga is called when Afghanistan is faced with a bigger issue of national importance such as endorsing a new head of state in case of sudden death, adopting a new Constitution, war and peace and national or regional issues. It is essentially a Pakhtun gathering. There is no limit on the number of attendees. There is no time limit for the duration of the jirga. It continues for as long as the issues at hand are fully debated and a verdict arrived at. Other nationalities of Afghanistan now participate as observers. It is not easy to manipulate the outcome of the Loya Jirga. That is why the verdict of the jirga has sanctity among Pakhtuns. Of the 20 or so grand jirgas held since 1700, eight were called in a short period between 2001 and 2019. This is because the Pakhtuns themselves are divided between the Taliban and the rest as to what sort of polity Afghanistan should be. The frequent convening of the Loya Jirga for partisan purposes has eroded the sanctity of this great institution. There is no tradition of a Loya Jirga among the Pakistani Pakhtuns. However, a Loya Jirga was convened by Bacha Khan on June 21, 1947, in Bannu to deliberate over Pakistani Pakhtuns in the wake of Independence. The jirga demanded that the Pakhtun lands of British India should form an independent country. The British rejected the demand. The Red Shirts boycotted the referendum held to determine the future status of the then NWFP after Partition. With mounting financial and human cost over 17 long years of war, President Donald Trump is calling it a day. The mood to withdraw from the global scene has been set by him. His concentration is on an America First policy. The withdrawal from the world stage has been a recurring theme in American history. Trump wants to get the hell out of Afghanistan, and called it a folly for a world power to keep fighting unwinnable wars. The decision to withdraw is as good as made. Direct talks between the US and the Afghan Taliban started in 2005 in Doha, Qatar. A retired US ambassador called it divorce proceedings. The proceedings are stretched because the engagement was long. What has made the peace process so complicated is that the Taliban do not recognise the third party to the conflict: the government of Afghanistan. President Ashraf Ghani could not sit idle when the present round of talks in Doha started on May 1. He called a Loya Jirga of 3,200 delegates, one-third of which are women. The exercise is to shore up his position against the Taliban, the US decision to withdraw, and the upcoming presidential election. This is the best he could do and nothing else if America declares victory and quits. Loya Jirgas do not cut ice if the Afghan nation is divided in the middle. When the fighting Taliban ignore its decisions the exercise is as good as having gone to waste. The Taliban sustained their long struggle against a foreign aggressor in the name of Islam. Their struggle was valiant and firm as exhorted by their faith. But the resort is to pick and choose when it come to religious injunctions, including those contained in the verses of the Quran. The Taliban should make peace now both with the US and the government when they are so inclined. The government in Kabul is a compelling reality. The Taliban denial cannot make it disappear. Their sacrifices were given in order to win back Afghanistan from the US and not to steal a march on Kabul once the American troops left the country. Further intransigence will cause more Afghan blood to be spilled, adding to the long casualty list of 75,000 already killed, and that blood would be on the hands of the Taliban. By arrangement with Dawn Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue and conclude a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017. Assange is currently in prison in Britain after being sentenced to 50 weeks behind bars last month. (Photo:AP) Stockholm: Swedens state prosecutor said on Monday she would reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and seek his extradition from Britain. Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue and conclude a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought as Assange had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange was arrested in Britain last month after spending seven years inside the embassy. The United States is also seeking his extradition on charges relating to the public release by Wikileaks of a huge cache of secret documents. The Swedish prosecutors office said it would shortly request Assange be detained in his absence on probable cause for an allegation of rape and that it would issue a European arrest warrant - the process under which his extradition would be sought. Assange is currently in prison in Britain after being sentenced to 50 weeks behind bars last month for jumping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy. The decision to reopen the investigation poses the question of whether Assange will be moved to the United States to face conspiracy charges for hacking into classified information or to Sweden. I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US, Persson said. The British courts will have to rule on any extradition request and Home Secretary Sajid Javid would decide which one takes precedence once Swedish prosecutors file theirs. Nick Vamos, lawyer at London-based firm Peters & Peters and former head of extradition at Britains Crown Prosecution Service, told Reuters before Mondays decision that he expected a Swedish request would take supremacy. In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority, a Swedish prosecutors statement said. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, said it has signed a number of agreements with leading French companies - Thales, Michelin, CFM, Safran Landing System and Epcor (Air France Industries KLM) during the recent visit of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to France. The ceremonies took place during a business lunch organised by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Mouvement des entreprises de France (Medef), Frances main organisation of business owners. Gulf Air proudly continues to work with companies based in the Republic of France, contributing to the strong ties between the two countries, remarked Zayed bin Rashed Alzayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and the chairman to the board of directors at Gulf Air, at the event. We have had a long and close relationship with French firms and these agreements solidify the confidence the aviation industry in Bahrain has with France, he added. The airline has signed with Airbus during the Bahrain International Airshow 2016 for an order of 12 A320neo (out of which two has been delivered already) and 17 A321neo with a total investment with French companies exceeding $3.5 billion. On the Thales deal, Gulf Air said it had selected the French group's Ka-band connectivity solution for its B787-9 and A321Neo-E (LR) fleet. As per the deal, Thales will provide a robust, modular and full-featured connectivity platform for a best in class experience onboard leveraging Global Xpress Ka-band satellite network. It will also deliver the highest performing connectivity service on the market, providing a complete end-to-end connectivity solution. Through the connectivity portal and onboard Wi-Fi network, passengers can browse the internet, check social media, shop onboard and much more during their flights, said the statement from Gulf Air. Thales Ka-band connectivity solution leverages the Inmarsat Global Xpress satellite network. It is designed as a robust, modular and full-featured platform for a best-in-class onboard experience with reliable, seamless high-speed global coverage, it stated. On the Michelin deal, The Bahrain national carrier said the leading French tyre company was chosen to equip every aircraft type within its fleet with tyres including its brand new fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, Airbus 320neos and Airbus 321neos. On the CFM pact, Gulf Air said it had finalised an agreement with the French group for the purchase of 65 LEAP-1A engines to power 17 Airbus A320 neo and 12 A321neo aircraft. The engine order is valued at $1 billion at list price. Gulf Air has been a CFM customer since 1992 and currently operates a fleet of 16 Airbus A320ceo aircraft powered by CFM56-5B engines. With its new LEAP-1A-powered A320neo family aircraft, Gulf Air is going to strengthen its footprint in the Middle-East with new routes, while enhancing its services for customers. On the Safran Landing System deal, Gulf Air said it is aimed at equipping the airlines new fleet of 10 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and 12 Airbus A320neo with Safran Landing Systems wheels and brakes. On the agreement with Epcor (Air France Industries KLM), the flag carrier said it had entrusted maintenance of the APS5000 auxiliary power units (APU) equipping the airlines 10 new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft to AFI KLM E&M. The long-term contract includes a guarantee covering APU replacement. The repair services will be provided by AFI KLM E&M subsidiary Epcor, global market leader for MRO support for APUs, he added.-TradeArabia News Service SUV PHEV kWh WLTP AWD kW The plug-in hybrid powertrain of thecomprises a 1.6 turbocharged gasoline engine that develops 200 horsepower and two electric motors that bring the total amount of power to 300 hp. Fuel consumption rating for the combo has been rated at 2.2 l/100 km (107 mpg).By linking the front electric motor to the eight-speed automatic transmission and fitting the rear one in the rear axle together with the inverter and differential, Opel sGrandland X benefits of all-wheel drive.According to the carmaker, a 13.2lithium-ion battery gives the car a pure electric range of 50 km (31 miles) in thecycle, more than enough for the average daily needs of a urban dweller. In all, there will be four driving modes in the Hybrid4, namely electric, hybrid,and Sport.Charging time for the said battery from a 7.4wall box is of about two hours, but some of the electricity needed will be fed into the battery on the go as well, thanks to the regenerative braking systemAiming to provide the PHEV with all the chances it needs to succeed in an expanding market, Opel will launch the car complete with a charging pass courtesy of PSAs Free2Move Services. A specially-designed trip planner is also on the table, calculating routes depending on the cars range and location of charging stations.The official name under which the model will sell is Grandland X Hybrid4. Prices have not yet been announced. Full details on the plug-in hybrid powertrain of the model can be found in the document attached below. And thats not even the strangest part of this incident: the dude was doing this while speeding down the highway. When police caught up with him, he told them that he was doing it as a means to praise God.He also told cops that he was happy to be going to jail because he was too scared of his wife to return home. Ands how you know your marriage sucks.The Springfield News-Sun identifies the driver as Leonard Olsen from Lakeland. According to the arrest report obtained from the Florida Highway Patrol, Olsens white Cadillac CT6 bounced back and forth in the center laneand sped up to over 100 miles per hour and slowed to about 40 miles per hour.Meanwhile, he was hanging out the moon roof, arms outstretched and a blissful expression on his face. And you dont have to take our word for it either: the trooper who spotted him also captured the whole thing on camera and the video is available at the bottom of the page.Police caught up with Olsen farther down the road and, naturally, asked him what prompted such a grave instance of reckless driving. His reply was baffling, if unconvincing: I thought it would be a nice way to praise God for a minute, and I thought it would be nice at the time and thats what I did.He wasnt worried about crashing because The car drives itself and has a gigantic computer in it, so he had complete faith in its cruise control mode.When informed he would be charged with reckless driving, Olsen told the cops that, My wife treats me like a servant and shes the mistress. Lock me up, Id rather go to jail than go back home.Wish granted. It all happened after an officer noticed Ricci Barnett pulling out of a driveway and speeding the wrong way on a one-way street. The officer engaged in a pursuit and reached her at the red light, the Las Cruces Sun-News reports.The officer exited his vehicle and approached her, the publication says. The officer said he identified himself as a Las Cruces police officer, at which time Barnett asked for identification. Court documents state the patrol officer shined his flashlight on his badge, and Barnett responded by saying, I don't think so, and sped off.The chase continued and another patrol cruiser joined the first one. At one point, Barnett used her car to ram into the cruiser of the second unit and she even tried to attack the officers when she realized she was about to get caught.She jumped out of her car, which continued to roll, and approach the second patrol cruiser, yelling at the officer. He came out through the passenger side, as the driver side was blocked by Barnetts car, and said that he feared she would assault him.Barnett was eventually subdued and cuffed, and taken to jail. She was released on bond the next day and is due in court to answer to the charges.Speaking of which, shes been hit with two counts of assault upon a peace officer, one count of aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer, reckless driving, and failure to stop before emerging from an alley or private driveway. The fleeing charge is a fourth-degree felony, the same publication reports.She also wins this weeks virtual award of coming up with the best one-liner to offer cops when fleeing justice. Its not an award to covet, but its hers either way. For a car company that was born in its current guise in 2010 and started making cars one year later - and not even mainstream cars, but for a very select niche - producing 20,000 cars in less than eight years is a great achievement. One that, says the companys chief operating officer Jens Ludmann, is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the company.McLaren, a company currently engaged in perhaps the most ambitious expansion project of its existence, currently has 2,300 people on its payroll and generated a revenue of 1.2 billion last year.In 2018, McLaren sold a bit over 4,800 cars, an increase of 43.9 percent over 2017 or nearly 25 percent over all the vehicles it produced since the first road-going machine left the assembly lines in 2011. From 2019 onward, the companys target is to keep up the pace and sell over 5,000 cars each year,While demand for our products continues to grow, we aim to balance that to maintain exclusivity for our brand and our customers, added McLarens CEO Mike Flewitt.It is fitting that we celebrate this achievement with a 600LT Spider , which has been a huge success for us with all production slots for the coupe variant now sold out.The achieve its target, the company devised a production plan it calls Track25. As per its provisions, the Brits are to launch 18 new cars by 2025, or nearly one every five months. Already the fourth model part of this plan, the new GT , is getting ready for its official unveiling in the coming weeks. Richard Branson, Virgins founder and the driving force behind the companys aspirations, said at a press conference at the New Mexico State Capitol on Friday that Virgins testing of its spacecraft is now advanced enough to allow for its operations to be moved to the dedicated site.Our Virgin Galactic adventure has been intertwined with New Mexico and Spaceport America right from the start and our stories have unfolded together. New Mexico delivered on its promise to build a world-first and world-class spaceport, the billionaire said.Today, I could not be more excited to announce, that in return, we are now ready to bring New Mexico a world-first, world-class spaceline.Virgin will take its VMS Eve carrier aircraft, the spaceship VSS Unity and more than 100 people and relocated them from the Mojave site in California to the one in New Mexico.Its not clear when operations from the new location will begin, as the site itself still needs some work before being able to fully support Virgins operations. Until the summer move, Virgin will still operate from Mojave, from where it will conduct its final test flights.Once operational, the New Mexico Spaceport will allow Virgin to haul both tourists and cargo into space, using horizontal take-off reusable spacecraft.Called VSS Unity, the company's spacecraft launches from underneath the belly of a carrier aircraft at an altitude of 50,000 feet (15 km). The ship can carry six passengers and two crew.In February 2019, Virgin announced VSS Unity is getting ready for i ts first cargo mission , carrying NASA Flight Opportunity program research payloads to orbit. The date of the mission was not yet announced. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today Windy with rain likely. Low 37F. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Tonight Windy with rain likely. Low 37F. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong told CBS' "60 Minutes" Sunday his office found evidence of an industry-wide collusion to fix hundreds of generic drug prices in the "largest private sector corporate cartel in history." Details: CBS also spoke with an Illinois doctor who's joined 44 states, unions, pharmacies and others in filing lawsuits stemming from the Connecticut probe against large drug firms all of whom deny the claims. "You can't put people in a position where they're forced to either pay their rent or buy food and forego their medication ... that's what's happening all over the U.S.," Dr. Thomas Pliura said. Go deeper: Lawsuit accuses Teva of working with other drug firms to inflate prices China Mobile isn't hiding its frustration after the Federal Communications Commission denied the wireless firm's bid to operate in the U.S. What's happening: "After 7 years and 8 months of application, FCC now denies (China Mobile's) bid to operate in the U.S. without apparent reasons and basis," it said in a statement. The company accused the U.S. government of "putting unreasonable pressure on Chinese companies." The bottom line: U.S.-China tensions seem to only be growing, despite the deep interconnections between the two countries. Go deeper: FCC blocks China Mobile from operating in U.S. over national security concerns Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, Eva-Marie Persson, announced at a news conference Monday that prosecutors would reopen an inquiry into a rape allegation against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. Details: Persson said in her decision the Swedish courts have considered the preliminary investigation case several times since Assange entered London's Ecuadorian Embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face the claim. On each occasion, they found there existed "probable cause" to suspect him of the 2010 allegation, the decision says. The big picture: The U.S. is seeking to extradite the 47-year-old Australian. A U.K. court sentenced Assange to 50 weeks in jail this month for skipping bail by seeking asylum in the embassy. What's next? Persson said in the event of a conflict between a European arrest warrant and a U.S. request for extradition, "U.K. authorities will decide on the order of priority." She intends to seek another interview with Assange. What they're saying: WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said in a statement the reopening of the inquiry would give Assange "a chance to clear his name," according to Reuters. "Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case." WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson Go deeper: Timeline: Julian Assange's 9-year legal limbo reaches its climax Monday's White House visit by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban billed as an opportunity to cooperate on energy, trade and security issues has left Washington divided. The big picture: Hungary is a NATO member and potential partner in countering threats from Russia and China. Yet under Orban, the country has witnessed democratic backsliding that presents its own threats to transatlantic security. The meeting with President Trump could undermine U.S. leadership on democratic values and human rights. Where it stands: Holding the upper hand in Central Europe would better position the Trump administration to prevent Russian efforts to divide NATO. The alliance would be endangered if Hungary became a Moscow proxy. President Trump can lean on ideological affinities with Orban, who supported his campaign and shares his strident views on immigration. Hungarians hope Trump will join an anti-immigration alliance and bolster opposition to the UNs global migration pact. The meeting is also a chance to push back on Hungarys deepening ties to China, including its embrace of Huawei an issue Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raised in Budapest in February with Orban and top officials. Yes, but: Orbans politics skew authoritarian: He has repressed civil society and the media while fueling corruption, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. Trump's meeting with him lends legitimacy to his illiberal agenda. Between the lines: The meeting takes place as Budapest clashes with the EU over Orban's agenda a fight that has reached the U.S. as well. The European Parliament voted in September to trigger potentially punitive proceedings against Hungary, in response to policies of Orbans seen as contrary to EU values. Orban's political party, Fidesz, was suspended in March by the European Peoples Party (EPP) for being undemocratic and undercutting the rule of law, in addition to having mounted an antiEU campaign that targeted EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, a senior member of the EPP and George Soros. U.S. lawmakers introduced a resolution in January condemning Orban for "efforts to undermine democracy and violate human rights that has support in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The bottom line: Trumps meeting with Orban is raising concerns in Washington and the capitals of U.S. allies across Europe. It may ultimately do little to halt Budapests growing ties with Moscow and Beijing, given the extents to which Orban aligns with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping and has alienated European leaders. Jonathan Katz is a senior fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Last Friday, Axios' Mike Allen talked news of the day with House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-Louis.), and Supermajority founder Cecile Richards. Chairman Adam Schiff, California Chairman Schiff told Mike Allen that Rudy Giuliani's trip to Ukraine to ask President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate opponents of President Trump is an illustration of how the "ethical standards of the country are being dumbed down." I give Giuliani credit for consistency. He said just a few weeks ago that there's nothing wrong with seeking help from a foreign power. ... The fact that he would be so open about it, boastful almost, doing it with the knowledge and support of the president it takes your breath away. I continue to think I'll cease to be shocked. And then I'm shocked again. Go deeper: Schiff on Giuliani's Ukraine trip: "It just takes your breath away" Rep. Adam Schiff and Mike Allen. Photo: Lawrence Jackson for Axios Schiff also discussed the need for a swifter process to enforce Congressional subpoenas. For now, the House is considering reviving its "inherent contempt" power, which would allow Congress to enforce subpoenas through coercive measures like fines. Why it matters, from Axios' Zachary Basu, House Democrats don't have much power to enforce their subpoenas if the Trump administration continues its strategy of stonewalling congressional oversight. Schiff noted that the White House has already been successful in drawing out the timeline, and that House leadership will have to consider "extraordinary" measures in order to ensure that Congress remains a co-equal branch of government. Schiff also said that he believes Democrats will obtain Trump's tax returns this year, though it may take months to litigate in the courts: "The legislation is abundantly clear. The commissioner 'shall' provide." Rep. Steve Scalise, Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise and Mike Allen on the Axios stage. Photo: Lawrence Jackson for Axios House Republican Whip Scalise spoke about the levers of influence Republicans can pull after the change from majority to minority party in the House. His approach has been to highlight the contrast between bills based on conservative principles versus the "far-left" bills that Speaker Nancy Pelosi has brought to the floor; hoping to showcase why conservative bills are better at keeping the economy going. When asked about the Trump Administration's policy of refusing document requests from the House, Scalise applauded the president for being "focused on doing his job. He was elected to get this country back on track, and it's working." Cecile Richards, Supermajority founder Cecile Richards and Mike Allen. Photo: Lawrence Jackson for Axios Former Planned Parenthood head and Supermajority founder Cecile Richards told Mike Allen that the right to legal abortion in this country is "absolutely at risk" the wave of anti-abortion bills introduced in state legislatures, along with the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court being the causes. Go deeper: Cecile Richards on wave of state abortion bills: "I've never seen anything like it" Richards' new organization, Supermajority, aims to train and mobilize women to become organizers and activists ahead of the 2020 election. She said if current trends continue, women will comprise 53-54% of the electorate that turn out in 2020. Her take on... Sexism among 2020 candidates : "I want all the candidates to be asked about them [women's issues]." : "I want all the candidates to be asked about them [women's issues]." Women that want to be more politically active: "Start before you're ready." Thank you Bank of America for sponsoring this event. 1 big thing: The "Year Five Plan" Team Trump's post-election dream Some of President Trumps top aides, who assume he will be re-elected, are already planning for an epic 2021 spending battle. Senior administration officials including acting Office of Management and Budget director Russ Vought and fiscally conservative chief Mick Mulvaney have told Republicans that the president doesn't want Congress to strike a spending deal in September when current funding runs out. including acting Office of Management and Budget director Russ Vought and fiscally conservative chief Mick Mulvaney have told Republicans that the president doesn't want Congress to strike a spending deal in September when current funding runs out. Instead, Team Trump wants a short-term solution to preserve the ability to fight for massive spending cuts in the fifth year of a Trump presidency. Team Trump wants a short-term solution to preserve the ability to fight for massive spending cuts in the fifth year of a Trump presidency. The White House thinks the most likely scenario this year is that the president signs a one-year "continuing resolution" (a continuation of 2019 spending levels through 2020), followed by another short-term extension next September to get past the November election. Why it matters: Some senior administration officials envision a newly re-elected Trump liberated to slash spending. They view 2021 as the year to have that fight the final year in which the president can threaten hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of automatic spending cuts known as the sequester. (These automatic cuts, which attack both defense and domestic spending, expire in 2021.) As president, Trump has floated massive budget cuts but signed legislation making the debt and deficits worse. Trump has floated massive budget cuts but signed legislation making the debt and deficits worse. It's a huge broken promise. During his 2016 campaign, Trump said he would eliminate the $19 trillion debt over eight years. The debt now stands at $22 trillion the highest ever. During his 2016 campaign, Trump said he would eliminate the $19 trillion debt over eight years. The debt now stands at $22 trillion the highest ever. Trump has spent prolifically, cutting taxes without making up the lost revenue. And now, hes flirting with a $2 trillion infrastructure bill (but doesn't want to raise taxes to pay for it). The big picture: Trump wants to spend more on prized projects, but still views most of government as a mass of fraud and waste ripe for slashing. Aides say Trump wants to spend more on the military, veterans programs, NASA, infrastructure and border security. The bottom line: Trump will entertain cutting almost anything else. "The president feels like he's had to give up ransom" to Democrats, who pressured him to increase domestic spending in exchange for more spending on the military and border security, an administration official told me. Saudi Arabia said Monday 2 of its oil tankers sustained "significant damage" in sabotage attacks near the coast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, as 1 was on its way to pick up oil for the U.S. Why it matters: The U.S. had warned that "Iran or its proxies" could target vessels in the region. The UAE said Sunday 4 commercial vessels were targeted by "sabotage operations" near its territorial waters, per Reuters. The U.S. says it's deploying forces including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter Iranian threats. The big picture: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled the Moscow leg of his Russia trip to instead hold talks in Brussels with European officials on Iran Monday, Reuters reported, citing a State Department official. He's due to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi Tuesday, according to Reuters. What he's saying: Pompeo told CNBC in an interview broadcast Monday, "In the event that Iran decided to come after an American interest whether that be in Iraq or Afghanistan or Yemen or any place in the Middle East we are prepared to respond in an appropriate way." A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. The other side: An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander said a U.S. military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat, but now "it is a target and the threats have switched to opportunities," the Iranian Students' News Agency reported. Irans foreign ministry warned against "any conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers" over the sabotaged ships. Go deeper: President Trump is pushing both China and Iran to the brink, betting theyll capitulate and warning of dire consequences if they dont. Why it matters: The stock market is already taking a beating as China retaliates to Trumps tariff hikes on $200 billion in Chinese goods, and analysts are warning of a possible global recession if he follows through with his threat to extend them to all Chinese imports. Meanwhile, Trumps warnings that Iran will "suffer greatly" if they do anything to provoke the U.S., paired with bellicose statements from senior officials, are deepening fears of another war in the Middle East. Even short of war, Trumps pressure campaign will likely mean higher oil prices, more suffering for the Iranian people and the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal. Between the lines: This is how Trump negotiates, Axios Jonathan Swan emails: He believes in grand displays of hard power extreme threats of military force ('fire and fury' for North Korea, sending the carrier to Persian Gulf) and punitive measures (tariffs and sanctions) more than he does the subtler tools of statecraft. He believes the only way to get what you want from another country is to first force them into a begging position. The leaders in both China and Iran are hardliners who put a premium on maintaining national pride and, as the Chinese explicitly said, dignity." Both countries' leaders have indicated they're willing to be patient with Trump and intend to wait him out. The question is how impatient Trump becomes and how he reacts to the negative domestic effects of some of his punitive policies. The latest: China announced tariff hikes today on $60 billion in U.S. goods. Meanwhile, the Communist Partys propaganda machine kicked into high gear, Bill Bishop reports in his Sinocism newsletter. Chinese media has struck a defiant tone since Friday, blaming the US for the failure, playing the victim with its usual shrill skill, talking tough about being able to outlast the US in any prolonged trade fight, and threatening non-tariff retaliatory measures, Bill notes. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added a last-minute stop in Brussels to his schedule today in order to warn leaders there of the escalating threat from Iran. Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton have continued to raise such threats over the past week without offering specifics. Trump told reporters today that hed been hearing little stories about Iran, adding: If they do anything, they will suffer greatly. Today, the question in Washington and surely in Tehran, too is whether President Trump is making moves that will provoke, instigate, or inadvertently drag the United States into a war with Iran, Robin Wright argues today in the New Yorker. The Administration has vowed to keep increasing pressure until Iran changes its behavior. ... So far, Tehran has not changed course. The stated position from both civilian and military leaders is that the U.S. isnt seeking a military confrontation with Iran but is prepared for one if necessary. The problem, as U.S. history proves, is that the momentum of confrontation is harder to reverse with each escalatory step, Wright contends. What to watch: Last month, as the U.S. stepped up its attempts to block all Iranian oil exports, Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, the worlds most important oil chokepoint, per Fortune. President Trump on Monday praised far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for his immigration policies, telling reporters: "Probably like me a little bit controversial, but that's OK. You've done a good job and you've kept your country safe." "Mr. President, are you concerned about democratic backsliding in Hungary under this prime minister? Well, people have a lot of respect for this prime minister. He's a respected man, and I know he's a tough man, but he's a respected man, and he's done the right thing according to many people on immigration. And you look at some of the problems they have in Europe that are tremendous, because they've done it a different way than the prime minister." Why it matters: Orban, who is fiercely opposed to immigration, has been condemned by Amnesty International for his "systematic crackdown on the rights of refugees and migrants." Last year, the prime minister was censured by his own allies in the European Parliament for violations on the rule of law, having led a campaign since 2010 to transform Hungary into an "illiberal democracy." As Axios Expert Voices contributor Jonathan Katz notes: "Orbans politics skew authoritarian: He has repressed civil society and the media while fueling corruption, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. Trump's meeting with him lends legitimacy to his illiberal agenda." Go deeper: Viktor Orban's White House visit could bolster populists across Europe President Trump told reporters Monday that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit on June 28 and 29 in Osaka, Japan. Why it matters: This will be the first time Trump will meet with Putin since the release of the Mueller report, and the first time he'll meet with Xi since U.S.-China trade talks collapsed, resulting in increased tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and threats of retaliation. Trump also told reporters that he hasn't yet decided whether to go forward with new tariffs on $325 billion of Chinese goods, as he has previously threatened. Swing voters in three of Americas top battleground states want President Trump to do more on climate change, think the weather is getting weirder and dont know much about the Green New Deal. Why it matters: Its voters like these who have an important role electing Americas presidents. So it's worth listening to them. I watched three recent focus groups of swing voters, conducted by the nonpartisan research firms Engagious and Focus Pointe Global, to learn more. Groups of about a dozen swing voters in Wisconsin, Ohio and Iowa answered questions about political topics, including climate and energy. Across the last two presidential cycles, roughly half voted for Republican Mitt Romney in 2012 and then flipped to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. The other half went for Democrat Barack Obama in 2012 and Republican Trump in 2016. The Iowa focus group had only Obama-Trump voters. Trump thoughts There was widespread agreement with the statement that Trump should do more on clean energy innovation to reduce carbon emissions. On a scale of zero to 10 (zero being don't agree at all and 10 being strongly agree), most voters ranked this around a 7 or higher. Iowa voter Jamison Painter is unconvinced that climate change is as big of a problem as most Democrats (and also scientists, to be clear) have said it is. But I think Trump could probably do a little bit more, to be honest, 44-year-old Painter told me in a phone interview after the focus group last week in Sioux City, Iowa. I think hes kind of ignoring the problem. He supports Trump withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, but not his move to drastically reduce the size of protected land in Utah known as the Bears Ears monument: Thats just not necessary. He voted for Obama twice, but became disenchanted with the Democratic Party as it moved left in recent years. Painter voted for Trump in 2016 and plans to do so again in 2020. The presidents position on climate and energy isnt a top concern for him. Wisconsin resident Meghan voted for Trump in 2016 because she didnt like Clinton, but she disagrees with Trump on these issues. He is taking his own opinion and not the research and whats going on in the world, Meghan said during the Appleton, Wis., focus group in March. Weird weather There was general agreement with the statement that the weather is getting weirder, and some connected it to climate change. On the 1-10 scale of agreeability, most voters ranked this a 6 or higher. Erin Grace, a 37-year-old Iowa resident, told me in an interview after the focus group that she thinks human activity is probably driving the weird weather, including extreme flooding and shifted seasons. Because of this, Grace says, she ranks energy and climate issues a seven in terms of voting importance. Shes a Democrat and isnt sure who she is going to vote for in 2020. Another Iowa voter, Christine, said in the focus group that Iowas recent floods may be linked to Arctic ice melting. The water maybe comes from there, she said. Surveys are just starting to show a relationship between climate change and extreme weather in the publics eye, according to Anthony Leiserowitz, an expert in climate communications at Yale University. But Worry about global warming and support for action is still far more dominated by political party and ideology, Leiserowitz says. Green New Deal and other policies The vast majority of these voters dont know much about the Green New Deal, a sweeping proposal calling for drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions alongside broader economic goals, like federal jobs guarantees and universal health care. Grace from Iowa says she didnt know anything about it, but that it sounds positive. Painter also from Iowa described the Green New Deal as radical. Voters were mixed about whether they would support relatively small increases in electricity costs to address climate change. Wisconsin voter Debbie Woeshnick said during the focus group that she wouldnt support a $10 monthly fee on her utility bill because she thinks the government should take care of it. Woeshnick was one of five voters in the room who opposed such a fee; seven supported it. Iowa voter Lori Knight said she would be worried about what the government would do with the money, a concern the entire room of Obama-turned-Trump voters shared. The bottom line: Energy and climate change seem to be rising in the minds of Americas swing voters, but the extent of concern appears less intense than many might otherwise assume if you just watch Twitter or cable news. Whats next: Ill be reviewing these focus groups at least once or twice more through the 2020 elections, so let me know what you think by emailing me at amy@axios.com. Editor's note: This story was updated to include the correct city where the Iowa focus group took place. It was Sioux City, Iowa; not Sioux Falls, which is in South Dakota. A court in Yerevan held on Monday the first, preliminary hearing in the trial of Armenias former President Robert Kocharian and three other former senior officials prosecuted in connection with the 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan. The hearing focused on defense lawyers demands for another judge to preside over the high-profile trial. The ex-president was therefore the only defendant present in the courtroom. The other defendants are the former presidential chief of staff Armen Gevorgian and retired army Generals Seyran Ohanian and Yuri Khachaturov. Unlike Kocharian, they are not held in detention. Kocharian looked relaxed and smiled when he spoke with his lawyers during a break in the court session. At one point he also waved to two dozen supporters who filled the courtroom and chanted President! They afterwards bitterly argued with a man apparently critical of Kocharian who tried to enter the courtroom. Police officers intervened to stop the altercation from degenerating into violence. Earlier in the day, Kocharian supporters were angered outside the courtroom by Vardgez Gaspari, a prominent activist who held up a poster saying Robik murderer. One of them ripped up the posted while another hit Gaspari with a bottle. Police officers removed participants of the incident from the building moments later. Gaspari accused them of inactivity. Kocharian, Gevorgian, Ohanian and Khachaturov stand accused of overthrowing the constitutional order in the wake of a disputed presidential election held in February 2008. Investigators say they illegally used Armenian army units against supporters of the main opposition presidential candidate, Levon Ter-Petrosian, who protested against alleged electoral fraud. All four men deny the charges. Kocharian says that they are part of a political vendetta waged by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. Kocharians younger son Levon echoed that claim when he spoke to RFE/RLs Armenian service in the courtroom. I believe that the accusations are personal revenge, he said. There are many facts which prove what my father says, what our lawyers say and what we agree with. Pashinian was one of the main opposition speakers during the 2008 protests. He subsequently spent about two years in prison for organizing what the former Armenian authorities characterized as mass disturbances. Pashinian has denied interfering in the investigation, which took a new turn after last years velvet revolution in the country. Eight protesters and two police servicemen were killed as security forces quelled the post-election protests on March 1-2, 2008. Kocharian ordered army units into central Yerevan during the violence. Khachaturov served as deputy defense minister while Ohanian was the chief of the Armenian armys General Staff at the time. Ohanian has repeatedly denied the armys involvement in the post-election political processes. Earlier this year, Kocharian was also charged with receiving a $3 million bribe from an Armenian businesswoman, Silva Hambardzumian. Prosecutors say that Hambardzumian also paid a separate $1 million kickback to Gevorgian. The latter became Armenias deputy prime minister after Kocharian handed over power to Serzh Sarkisian in April 2008. Both Kocharian and Gevorgian deny the corruption accusations as well. The ex-presidents lawyers also demanded on Monday that the presiding judge, Davit Grigorian, recuse himself from the high-profile case. They said he cannot be trusted because earlier this year he declined to rule on their petition to free Kocharian from pre-trial custody. They also claimed that Grigorian has not had enough time to thoroughly examine materials of the criminal case. The prosecution led by Armenias Prosecutor-General Artur Davtian as well as a lawyer representing the families of people killed in March 2008 objected to the demand. Grigorian will announce on Tuesday whether he will continue to preside over the trial. Incidentally, the Supreme Judicial Council, a body overseeing the Armenian judiciary, censured Grigorian on Monday for having another judge decide whether Kocharian should remain behind bars. The council last week took similar disciplinary action against two other judges for the same reason. Retired General Manvel Grigorian and his wife pleaded not guilty to a string of criminal charges brought against them at the start of their trial in Yerevan on Monday. I dont consider myself guilty, Grigorian said nearly one year after being arrested following searches conducted at his properties in and around the town of Echmiadzin. Investigators found there many weapons, ammunition, medication and field rations for soldiers provided by the Armenian Defense Ministry. They also discovered canned food and several vehicles donated by Armenians at one of Grigorians mansions. An official video of the searches conducted by the National Security Service (NSS) caused shock and indignation in the country. Grigorian was also charged with tax evasion and extortion in February. His wife, Nazik Amirian, was indicted on some of these charges but not arrested. Amirian insisted on Monday that the high-profile case is fabricated. She also protested her and her husbands innocence at the first, preliminary court hearing in the trial held in Grigorians absence on May 2. That hearing focused on defense lawyers fresh demands for Grigorians release from detention on health grounds. The court rejected them, backing prosecutors assertions that the ailing ex-general is receiving adequate treatment in a civilian clinic in Yerevan when he has been kept since February. Grigorian, who served as deputy defense minister from 2000-2008, told the court that he has suffered from many serious diseases and undergone several surgeries in the last two decades. There is hardly a doctor in Armenia who hasnt treated me, he said. Grigorian felt unwell during Mondays court session which was repeatedly interrupted because of that. The 62-year-old required medical aid from doctors present in the courtroom. By Leman Mammadova The total volume of cargo traffic through the Georgian port of Batumi to Azerbaijan amounted to 128,269 tons in January-April 2019, a source in Batumi Sea Port told Trend. The interlocutor said that 95,646 tons of this amount accounted for raw sugar. In addition, 12,836 tons of palm oil, 12,871 tons of soybeans, 3,608 tons of corn oil and 3,308 tons of longeron were transported through Batumi port to Azerbaijan in the reporting period. It is worth noting that the total volume of cargo transportation from Azerbaijan through Batumi port amounted to 26,111 tons in 2018. As much as 22,126 tons of this volume accounted for industrial oil, while 3,993 tons accounted for bentonite. Meanwhile, the total volume of cargo transportation from Batumi port to Azerbaijan amounted to 336,702 tons in 2018. As much as 183,315 tons of this volume accounted for raw sugar, 53,850 tons for palm oil, 62,887 tons for soya, 20,512 tons for rails, 12,809 tons for corn oil and 3,322 tons for laminate. Located on the southeastern coast of the Black Sea, Batumi Sea Trade Port has been operating as a subsidiary of KazMunaiGas Exploration and Production JSC since 2008. From 2008 to date, $48 million investments were attracted to the port. Currently, the port has 5 terminals and 11 berths + CBM (Conventional Buoy Mooring). The total capacity of the port is 18 million tons per year. The port has 13 ships. Favorable strategic and geopolitical location of Batumi port highlights its remarkable role in the cargo transportation from East to West and vice versa. The construction of the railway in 1883, berths for tankers, dry cargo ships in 1892 and the Baku-Batumi pipeline contributed to the rapid development of the port for the export of Baku oil to domestic ports of the Black Sea and abroad. Batumi port participates in many transport projects and corridors, such as The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, TRACECA and the Association of Black and Azov Seas Ports (BASPA). --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova The Azexport portal is continuously applying new mechanisms to facilitate access of local manufacturing companies to foreign markets as well as to improve the effectiveness of the portal. For the first time, the portal has introduced a free sale certificate in Azerbaijan to expand the possibilities of exporting national goods and local products beyond the country, head of Azexport portal Zaur Gardashov told Trend. This certificate provides Azerbaijani entrepreneurs with access to the export of goods to the U.S., Indonesia, Qatar and a number of other countries. He noted that Azexport issued 300 certificates to local entrepreneurs in 2018. We started to develop this document after a thorough research and study of the local market, as well as the situation in foreign markets. The certificate holders are well-known Azerbaijani companies operating in the country and successfully implementing export operations abroad. Particularly, these are companies such as Azersun, Gazelli, Aznar, and some other, less well-known companies, Gardashov said. He noted that the cost of certificates is only 20 manats ($12). The manufacturers of food products, cosmetics, equipment and other goods may receive the certificate. This document confirms that the exported products have all the necessary documents pursuant to Azerbaijani legislation for distribution in the country and at the moment are freely sold in the domestic market, head of Azexport added. He emphasized that the products of Azerbaijani manufacturing companies which received the certificate are in great demand in foreign markets. Azerbaijan is the third country in the CIS offering such a certificate. Azerbaijani exporting companies which have the certificate of free sale may get access to the markets of more than 100 countries, Gardashov noted. He said that in order to obtain a certificate of free sale, companies must have a certificate confirming the quality of products manufactured in accordance with international standards, a certificate of conformity and a bar code, if any. Gardashov stressed that the certificate of free sale is considered a relatively new control and regulatory mechanism in international trade; nevertheless, it is a mandatory document required in many countries for export operations. Created in 2016, Azexport.az, integrated with the most popular electronic trading platforms, makes products available to potential buyers from anywhere in the world. The portal offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to export goods produced in Azerbaijan to traditional and new markets via international e-trading platforms. The mission of Azexport is to provide information about products of Azerbaijani origin and to be a beneficial platform for their sales in foreign and domestic markets. As reported earlier, Azexport is preparing projects to provide its participants with preferences, including issuance of service passports and co-branded Visa cards with interest-free credit limit for exporters, as well as access to the simplified import system for production materials, etc. In addition, Azexport expands the list of international electronic portals with which it cooperates. Azexport has launched a single exporter declaration, on the basis of which the exporter receives all permits online as well as many other services that provide customer search, export procedures and deliveries to foreign markets. Azerbaijan received export orders for a total of $178.4 million through Azexport.az portal in January-March 2019. In March, the total value of export orders amounted to $32.8 million. Russia (11.5 percent), Turkey (9.9 percent), the U.S. (7 percent), India (6.6 percent) and Georgia (5.3 percent) were the top five countries in terms of export orders in March. Export orders for almost $1.2 billion were received by Azexport portal from 126 countries of the world in the period from January 1, 2017, to March 31, 2019. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade Significant increase in the production of honey and in the number of apiaries has been observed in Azerbaijan since the Agriculture Ministry granted subsidies to local beekeepers. The Agriculture Ministry has told Trend that those subsidies which were not granted to Azerbaijans beekeeping farms in 2018, will be allocated this year. A representative of the ministry said that a regular meeting of the republican commission for issuing subsidies to individuals and legal entities involved in beekeeping has been held by the ministry and it was decided that a number of individuals and legal entities who submitted documents at the end of last year but did not receive subsidies because the identification of bee colonies was not completed, will receive them in the amount of 910,460 manats ($535,565) for 91,046 bee colonies in 2019. This decision will affect 4,507 beekeepers and beekeeping farms in 842 administrative territories. The decision made at the meeting was forwarded to the Finance Ministry and the State Center for Agriculture Development. In accordance with the decree of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev dated March 5, 2018, subsidies worth 10 manats per year for each bee colony will be paid during five years in order to stimulate the development of beekeeping in the country, support small businesses and provide employment in rural areas to individuals and legal entities involved in beekeeping. Speaking about integration of this field of Azerbaijani agriculture to world markets , it should be noted that the 5th Azerbaijan International Conference of Beekeepers was held in Baku on January 26-27, where representatives from Germany, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and Georgia came to share their experience with local beekeepers. There are about 600 species of honey plants in Azerbaijan, of which almost 200, as a source of nectar and pollen, create even greater natural opportunities for the expansion of beekeeping. The number of bee colonies increased in 2018 compared to 2017. According to the available data, there were 300,000 bee colonies in Azerbaijan. However, presently, there are 400,000 bee colonies and grants have been given for the maintenance of 270,000 of them. It is expected that the number of colonies will soon reach 500,000-600,000. In 2018, as much as 3,000 tons of honey was produced in Azerbaijan. About 65-70 percent of the country's population is provided with honey of local production. -- Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Successfully cooperating in many spheres and maintaining close ties, Azerbaijan and Turkey see growth in trade relations. Turkeys trade with Azerbaijan increased by $8.2 million in March 2019 and amounted to $172.2 million, Turkish Ministry of Trade told Trend. Turkeys exports to Azerbaijan amounted to $129.3 million in March this year, while imports from Azerbaijan reached $43 million. Meanwhile, in the first quarter of 2019, the trade turnover between Turkey and Azerbaijan amounted to $438.5 million. During the reporting period, Turkeys exports to Azerbaijan amounted to $322.9 million, and Azerbaijani exports to Turkey made up $105.6 million. It should be noted that last year the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $3.4 billion. Azerbaijan imported goods worth almost $1.6 billion from Turkey, while exports to Turkey reached $1.8 billion. Last year, Azerbaijans investments in Turkey totaled $516 million. During the year, the biggest volume of investments from Azerbaijan to Turkey was made in November ($178 million), and the smallest - in December ($13 million). Azerbaijan accounts for almost 8 percent of all investments in Turkey. At the same time, Azerbaijans direct investments in Turkey accounted for $489 million. Every year, trade and economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey diversifies and covers new areas. Both countries are interested in the maximum expansion of relations. In these terms, bilateral investments are an important indicator. Azerbaijani investments in Turkey are estimated at $14.5 billion, about $13 billion of which falls on the oil and gas sector. In turn, Turkey has invested $11.8 billion in Azerbaijan, of which $9.1 billion account for the oil sector. Turkey invested $2.7 billion in the non-oil sector of the Azerbaijani economy, being the leading investor in this sector. Turkey and Azerbaijan both effectively use their economic and energy capabilities as well as the geopolitical position to expand bilateral and regional cooperation. Turkey is a partner in many strategic projects of Azerbaijan. Turkey was the first state to recognize Azerbaijan's independence in 1991 and has been a staunch supporter of Azerbaijan in its efforts to consolidate its independence, preserve its territorial integrity and realize its economic potential arising from the rich natural resources of the Caspian Sea. Two countries have gained good experience in the implementation of large-scale projects of international importance, which are well known in the region and the world such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, TANAP, the Southern Gas Corridor and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. All projects initiated by Azerbaijan and Turkey are implemented successfully and serve for further development and well-being of two nations. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova "Supporting the Development of Cultural Relations" Public Union is starting a project entitled "Organizing a Concert Program on Propagation of Azerbaijani Culture in Estonia". The project has won in the First Grant Competition for 2019 by the Council on State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations under the Auspices of the President of Azerbaijan. A spectacular concert will be held at Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EAMT) on May 16 as part of the project. Baku Academy of Music and EAMT will be closely involved in the event. The project aims at promotion of Azerbaijani music in the international arena, as well as introduction of nation's young talents to a wide audience. As part of the project, a mutual education and cultural bridge will be established between Azerbaijan and Estonia. Students and teachers of the Baku Academy of Music - Vice-Rector on International Relations and Education of the Academy, People's Artist Yegana Akhundova (piano), Chairman of the "Supporting the Development of Cultural Relations" Public Union, doctoral candidate at the Academy Ilaha Israfilova (composer), laureates of international competitions - Umida Abbasova (violin), Fagan Hasanli (piano) - as well as EAMT teachers and students will take part in event. Works of world-famous Azerbaijani and Estonian composers will sound at the concert. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Armenia does not withdraw its armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, thereby not eliminating the main reason hindering the establishment of peace in the region. The main reason that the ceasefire failed to turn into a sustainable peace for 25 years is the continuation of the Armenian occupation policy, Hikmet Hajiyev, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration told reporters in Baku on May 12. He was commenting on the statement of the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in connection with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of ceasefire regime. Hajiyev said Armenia occupied the territory of Azerbaijan with the use of force. He noted that more than a million Azerbaijanis in the occupied territories were subject to ethnic cleansing, and for more than 25 years they have to live as refugees and IDPs. Hajiyev added that the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan was also accompanied by numerous war crimes against the civilian population. "Four resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council in connection with the conflict condemned the use of force by Armenia against Azerbaijan, again confirmed the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, and the fact that Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan, requiring immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the invading forces from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," he stated. PA official stressed that the ceasefire is not peace. He noted the Armenian leadership also recognizes that although 25 years have passed, the ceasefire has not turned into sustainable peace. "The main reason why the ceasefire regime has not brought sustainable peace is the continuation of the aggressive policy of Armenia," Hajiyev added. He noted that the negotiation process format hasnt changed and is conducted between the conflict parties, namely Armenia and Azerbaijan. "If Armenia really wants to ensure sustainable peace in the region, then it should constructively participate in the negotiation process on the basis of the existing format, in accordance with requirements of the UN Security Council resolutions, withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and not hinder the return of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons to their native lands," he said. Only after that sustainable peace can be secured in the region, Hajiyev concluded. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries arose in 1988 due to the territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions - 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan - are under the occupation of the Armenian armed forces. In May 1994, the parties reached a ceasefire regime, and lauched peace negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group and with the co-chairmanship of Russia, France and the U.S. The four resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council on the liberation of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent territories have not yet been implemented by Armenia. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Kazakhstan's presidential candidates presented their election programs. Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, nominated by the ruling Nur Otan party, offers fellow citizens "Prosperity for all! Continuity. Justice. Progress." An alternative candidate nominated by the National Patriotic Movement Ult Tagdyry, Amirzhan Kosanov, promises to bring Kazakhstan to the European Union. The interesting thing about the current election is Nursultan Nazarbayev not taking part in it for the first time in the years of the republic's independence. Early presidential elections are scheduled to be held on June 9. In total, seven people will compete for the main state post. Four of them are nominated by political parties. Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev - by the ruling Nur Otan party (Light of the Fatherland), Zhambyl Akhmetbekov - by the Communist Peoples Party of Kazakhstan, Toleutay Rakhimbekov - by the People's Democratic Patriotic Party Auyl (Aul) and Daniya Yesspayeva - by the Ak Zhol party (Shining Path). The opposition United Social Democratic Party refused not only to nominate its candidate, but even to participate in the election. Three more candidates are from social movements: journalist Amirzhan Kosanov was nominated by the National Patriotic Movement Ult Tagdyry (Destiny of the Nation), chairman of the territorial associations of trade unions of the West Kazakhstan region Amangeldy Taspihov - by the Federation of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan, writer and public figure Sadybekov Tugela - by the Uly Dala Kyrandary republican movement (Eagles of the Great Steppe). Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev has the greatest chances to win the elections. He is not only the current president of the country, but also the leader of the nation Nursultan Nazarbayev's successor. In his election platform, he paid special attention to the continuity of the first president's policy. His 'Prosperity for all! Continuity. Justice. Progress' program consists of three blocks and is designed to demonstrate stability, social solidarity, inter-ethnic harmony and religious tolerance. Despite the predictability of the plebiscite, public interest in the elections is high. After all, the second place will provide its holder with privileges and bonuses to continue his political career. In this situation, several candidates attract the most attention. In particular, Amirzhan Kosanov, nominated by the National Patriotic Movement Ult Tagdyry, who positions himself as an opposition candidate. "He, however, cannot be called a single candidate from the opposition forces, which for are currently divided for various reasons and do not have the same influence. However, given his background and the good work of the election headquarters, Kosanov is able to mobilize a significant part of the protest electorate in his support," director of the Alternativa Center for Topical Studies Andrei Chebotarev wrote on Facebook. In his election program, Kosanov promises to strengthen the European vector of Kazakhstan's development, fully de-communize and "de-Sovietize" the citizens' minds, to strengthen the role of the Kazakh language as a unifying factor of the people of Kazakhstan, to ensure its supremacy in all spheres of society, and to adopt a new law "On the state language" and legally determine the list of professions which require a knowledge of the state language. The politician proposes ethnic Kazakhs to return home and obtain citizenship. Kosanov notes that he plans to make the state truly democratic, legal and unitary. In this regard, he wants to change all the legislative acts, one way or another, contrary to the principles of freedom. Communist Zhambyl Akhmetbekov, on the contrary, built his program on the refusal "from Western influence and false values." He considers it necessary to integrate economically with neighbors, bring all fugitive oligarchs to justice, fight poverty, as well as introduce fair taxation. For the first time, the presidential race includes a female candidate - MP Daniya Yesspayeva. Her program consists of three points: the basis of continuous development is competition and mass entrepreneurship; national independence; fight against corruption and deoffshorization. According to Kazakh political analyst Talgat Kaliyev, the participation of a woman in the presidential election is the first experience for Kazakhstans politics, so it will be extremely interesting to assess societys attitude to gender issues in practice. For some Kazakh citizens, according to Andrei Chebotaryov, these elections are most likely related to the expectation of certain changes, and for others with stability, precluding any sociopolitical upheavals in the face of a change in the country's leadership. But also there are others who are dissatisfied with what is happening, and the fourth, which, on the contrary, are indifferent to all this. However, participation of representatives of the first two categories will be sufficient for voting. By Trend The City of Irvine in California has proclaimed May 28, 2019 as Azerbaijan National Day in the city, Trend reports with reference to Azerbaijans Consulate General in Los Angeles. The relevant proclamation was signed by the Mayor of Irvine Christina Shea. In the proclamation, which was sent to the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles, it is mentioned that Azerbaijani-Americans living in the city have made and continue to make immeasurable contributions to the socio-economic life of the cornmunity. It also states that Azerbaijani-Americans have settled and thrived in the United States through their strong family ties, community support, and rich cultural heritage. The document notes that on May 28th Azerbaijanis around the world celebrate Azerbaijan National Day and on this occasion, we take the opportunity to recognize the valuable contributions of the greater Azerbaijani-American community. In conclusion, the City Council of the City of Irvine proclaims May 28 to be the Azerbaijan National Day in the City of Irvine. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Helicopters of Azerbaijans Air Forces have arrived at Turkeys Konya air base to participate in the Anatolian Phoenix-2019 international search and rescue exercises, Trend reports with reference to Azerbaijans Defense Ministry. In accordance with the plan, Azerbaijani military pilots will begin preparatory training for the exercises May 13. Two Mi-35 and two Mi-17 helicopters are involved in the exercises that will last until May 24. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade The strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Pakistan has contributed to the cooperation in economic, trade, military-technical, energy, tourism and other spheres. Ali Alizada, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan, has said in an interview with Pakistani media that currently, the two countries are exploring further possibilities in the energy sector. He stated that there are great bilateral and strategic relations between the two states and mutual support is provided in a lot of ways. Alizada also added that the countries make efforts to boost trade relations. Our trade volume increased by 25 percent in 2018 and we expect it to go much further, the ambassador said. The envoy noted that the trade potential between Azerbaijan and Pakistan is vast, stressing that the parties signed an agreement for cooperation in energy sector in 2017, and taking into account that there is big demand in the energy sector and oil and gas products, both states are exploring further possibilities in the energy sector. Thankfully, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has allowed Pakistan State Oil for trade agreements with oil companies in Azerbaijan. This would greatly help increase the trade turnover in the future, he said. Alizada emphasized presence of cooperation in defense production field between Azerbaijan and Pakistan and pointed out that Azerbaijan is also buying Mushaq aircrafts from Pakistan. In addition, ambassador underlined that there is cooperation in agriculture sector also and there is interest in fruits and vegetables of Pakistan. Moreover, Alizada noted that Azerbaijan sells chemicals, dry fruits and canned juices to Pakistan and as a result trade is rising significantly. According to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $8.34 million in January-September 2018. Compared to the same period of 2017, the trade turnover has increased by 22.46 percent. The bulk of the turnover accounted for Pakistani exports to Azerbaijan. Pakistan became the second country after Turkey that recognized the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991. The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on June 9, 1992. Pakistan backed Azerbaijan during and after the Nagorno-Karabakh War. Pakistan fully supports Azerbaijan's fair position in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In 2012, Pakistan adopted a resolution strongly condemning the genocide against the civilian population of Khojaly, which was committed by Armenian armed forces. Then, in October 2013, the Senate adopted a document supporting the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. -- Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Growing methanol production in the country contributes to the energy sector of Azerbaijan as well as strengthens the countrys export potential. SOCAR Methanol LLC, the plant of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR, produced over 62,000 tons of methanol in the first quarter of 2019, a source in SOCAR told Trend. "A total of about 350,000 tons of methanol is planned to be produced this year," the source said, adding that last year, the plant produced over 230,000 tons of methanol. Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, is regarded as an alternative fuel. Although various raw materials can be used to produce methanol, the modern economy prefers to get it from natural gas. Production at Azerbaijans methanol plant, located in Garadagh district of Baku, the only plant of this kind in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, started in 2014. The plant was transferred under the control of SOCAR Methanol LLC since November 2016. Since August 2017, the plant became the property of SOCAR. The plant cost was estimated at $520 million. It is the first production facility in the country in the field of gas chemistry. Natural gas is supplied by Azerigaz Production Association. Azerbaijan annually produces 250-300,000 tons of methanol. However, the plants annual capacity is 650,000-700,000 tons. Therefore, bringing annual production to 500,000 tons in the near future is one of the strategic goals of the company. Currently, 95 percent of the plants products are exported to the countries of the Mediterranean region (Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Egypt, Israel), Turkey, Georgia, Romania, Belgium, France, Kazakhstan, China, Brazil, etc. Particularly, Turkey, Italy, Romania and Slovenia are Azerbaijans biggest partners in the trade in methanol. Presently, methanol is exported not only through the Kulevi Oil Terminal, the storage capacity of which is 20,000 cubic meters of methanol with the possibility of expansion, but also from the Baku Port through the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan as well as to other international markets. SOCAR Methanol plans to increase supplies through the Caspian Sea via the Volga-Don Canal. A great share of methanol is used in the domestic market to combat hydrate formation. The estimated volume of methanol used in this direction is 15-20,000 tons per year. As reported earlier, SOCAR Methanol plans to produce methanol that can be used as motor fuel and formaldehyde. Thus, in 2020, the rules regulating the reduction of emissions of harmful substances by vessels will come into force. These restrictions will affect vessels operating on diesel fuel. In this regard, transition to methanol as motor fuel is more appropriate, and it will require less money to adjust the engine to work using methanol rather than liquefied natural gas (LNG). Along with Azerbaijan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Ukraine are the CIS countries producing methanol. It is expected that the average annual growth of methanol production in the world will be about 5.5 percent until 2025. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Armenians expected Europe to become more often in contact with the separatist regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan after Armenian Prime Ministers participation in the PACE spring session. However, the international community continues the policy of non-recognition of the self-proclaimed illegal entity in the occupied Karabakh. Earlier, Thorbjorn Jagland, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, said that The Council of Europes Commissioner for Human Rights should be able to visit the occupied Karabakh. Armenians assumed that Jaglands statement will open prospects for occupied Karabakh, and would serve to legitimize occupation results. They hoped that the illegal regime would get contracts and investments. These expectations of Armenians remained only dreams that will never come true. Numerous international structures refuse to implement programs in Karabakh. European structures explain their behavior with the negative reaction of Azerbaijan over unadvised visits to occupied Karabakh, according to Armenian media. Armenia is still unable to achieve tangible results on international venues, because any move in this direction is countering the international law. The world community unambiguously recognizes lands now occupied by Armenia as the territory of Azerbaijan. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries arose in 1988 due to the territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions - 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan - are under the occupation of the Armenian armed forces. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. At present, the negotiation process is proceeding through the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group, established in 1992 to find ways for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland and Turkey. The group is co-chaired by Russia, France and the United States. To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh region and surrounding regions. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Turkey is moving military equipment to Hatay Province, located on the border with Syria, Trend reports referring to Turkish media. This measure is being taken as part of the fight against PYD / YPG, the Syrian wing of terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). It is also reported that part of the military equipment will be redeployed to northern Syria, in the territories liberated as part of the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch military operations. In early May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish Armed Forces will begin operations in northern Syria around the city of Manbij in the near future. According to the head of state, the Turkish Armed Forces will also launch operations in the east of the Euphrates River against the militants of PYD / YPG, the Syrian wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party. On December 12, 2018, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish armed forces will launch a new military operation in northern Syria against PYD / YPG. Erdogan said that there are the US soldiers in the ranks of the terrorists in Syria. "Despite the US promised Turkey not to support the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist organization - PYD / YPG, Washington did not keep its word," the president added. On Jun. 4, 2018, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed a roadmap on Syria's Manbij during talks in Washington. On Jan. 20, 2018, Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Vehicles sales in China, the worlds largest auto market, fell 14.6% in April from the same month a year earlier, the countrys biggest auto industry association said on Monday, marking the 10th consecutive month of decline, reports Trend citing to Reuters Sales fell to 1.98 million vehicles, said the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). That followed declines of 5.2 percent in March and 14 percent in February, as well as the first annual contraction last year since the 1990s against a backdrop of slowing economic growth and crippling trade war with the United States. Automakers have been lowering prices in China after the government introduced tax cuts to spur consumer spending. Sales of new energy vehicles (NEV), however, remain a bright spot, rising 18.1% in April to 97,000 vehicles, CAAM said. NEV sales jumped almost 62 percent last year even as the broader auto market contracted. NEVs include petrol-electric hybrids vehicles, plug-in hybrids, battery-only electric vehicles and those powered by hydrogen fuel cells. China has been a keen supporter of NEVs and has implemented sales quota requirements for automakers. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The Statute of Turkic Chambers of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) will be signed on 17 May 2019 in Nur-Sultan (former Astana), Trend reports via the Turkic Council's press office. The meeting of the Turkic Business Council will be hosted by the Secretariat of the Turkic Council on May 17, 2019 in Nur-Sultan on the sidelines of the Astana Economic Forum. Moderated by Baghdad Amreyev, the Secretary General of the Turkic Council the meeting will be attended by Mammad Musayev, the President of National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ablay Myrzahmedov, Chairman of the Board of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan "Atameken", Marat Sharshekeev, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kyrgyzstan, and Rifat Hisarckloglu, President of the Union of the Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), as well as ambassadors of Member States to Kazakhstan, high-level officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and representatives of private sector. After discussions of the Parties on the agenda items of the Turkic Business Council, there will be a signing ceremony of the Statute establishing TCCI, which will operate in close cooperation with the Secretariat of the Turkic Council and further enhance economic relations among businessmen of the Member States. The Secretariat of the Turkic Council cordially invites the members of press based in Nur-Sultan to take part in the meeting of the Turkic Business Council and Singing Ceremony of the Statute of the Turkic Chambers of Commerce and Industry, which will begin on Friday, 17 May 2019 at 10.30 AM in Nur-Sultan at Rixos President Hotel Shanyrak Salon. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade Azerbaijan has submitted the data on the daily oil production in the country for April 2019 to the joint technical commission of the OPEC monitoring committee, the Energy Ministry said in a message. The ministry stated that the daily oil production reached 683,000 barrels in April, of which 605,000 accounted for oil and 78,000 for condensate. As much as 390,000 barrels of oil, 75,000 barrels of condensate and 19,000 barrels of oil products were exported daily. The Energy Ministry also noted that the average daily oil production was 793,000 barrels in January, 806,000 barrels in February and 798,000 barrels in March. The average daily oil production volume in the first quarter of this year reached 799,000 barrels. The joint technical commission was established on January 22, 2017 under the monitoring committee created to monitor the fulfillment of the countries' commitments to reduce oil production. At the 5th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting in Vienna on December 7, 2018, an agreement was reached to reduce daily oil production by 1.2 million barrels. OPEC is a permanent intergovernmental organization created at the Baghdad Conference on September 1014, 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. It was created by oil-producing states to control production quotas. OPEC+ is 14 countries that are OPEC members plus another 10 oil producing states, including Azerbaijan. The total number is 24 participants, which account for the bulk of global oil production. Saudi Arabia is currently the world's largest oil exporter. Russia is the second largest crude oil producer in the world after the U.S. -- Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade Soon, on May 16, direct flights between Russias Astrakhan and Azerbaijani capital Baku will be launched. The flights will be operated twice a week. Embraer-190 (E90 class) airliners with a capacity of 100 people will deliver passengers to the Azerbaijani capital in about one hour, the government of the Astrakhan Region said in a message. Flights will be operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), headquartered at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport. The price of one-way ticket will range between 2,500 and 6,000 rubles ($30-90). The opening ceremony of the flight will be held at the Astrakhan airport. It is noteworthy that opening direct flights between Azerbaijan and many Russian cities, lack of language restrictions and the opportunity of visa-free travel are important factors for the development of tourism between the two countries. Starting from July, Irkutsk Airlines begins regular flights from Yekaterinburg to Baku twice a week, which will increase the total number of the flights to the city to three times a week. In addition, Azerbaijans low-cost airline Buta Airways has launched direct flights from Baku to Ufa. Flights are operated twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays. Baku increasingly spreads its flight map over the world. Buta Airways will also launch direct flights from Baku to another two cities of Ukraine - Odessa and Kharkiv. Flights to Odessa will be operated starting from May 16 on Thursdays and Sundays, and those to Kharkiv from May 3 on Tuesdays and Fridays. Currently, 21 foreign airlines are represented in the Azerbaijani market according to the State Civil Aviation Agency of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies. They are ATA Airlines, Montenegro Airlines, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, Nordwind Airlines, Ikar Airlines, IrAero, Al-Naser Airlines, Pobeda Airlines, SalamAir, Komiavaiatrans, Jazeera Airways, Kuwait Wataniya Airways, Mahan Air, Taban Air, Israir, Arkia Israel Airlines, Flynas, Gulf Air, Smartavia and Pegasus Airlines. Last year, Heydar Aliyev International Airport set a new record for passenger traffic: it served a total of 4.43 million passengers, which is 9 percent higher than in 2017. In 2018, base airlines of the Airport - AZAL and Buta Airways - carried 1.89 million and 442,000 passengers, respectively. A total of 3.81 million passengers were carried on international flights and 620,000 passengers - on regional flights. -- Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The situation around Iran continues to deteriorate rapidly. The US is not only trying to suppress Iran on the oil market, being quite successful in this direction but also intensively building up its military forces in the Persian Gulf. The US strategic bombers B-52H Stratofortress, a carrier strike group and missile destroyers were deployed in the region. Iran, in turn, refused to fulfill certain commitments it made under the 2015 nuclear deal, having already sent relevant notifications to the participating countries. The European countries try to persuade Tehran to stay committed to the agreement, but in fact, they understand they can do nothing to save the deal, as it has become meaningless for Iran due to the US sanctions. According to Michael Luders, an expert on the Middle East, the nuclear deal with Iran failed, not least because of the lack of Europes fair position - mainly of the United Kingdom, France and Germany. These countries, despite the rhetorical support of the agreement, in fact, did not make sufficient to maintain trade and economic relations with Iran. There are no more convincing diplomatic opportunities to resolve the issue between Iran and the US through negotiations, and everything points to the coming storm, Luders said in an interview with Dlf. A similar opinion is shared by another well-known German political analyst at the DGAP think tank Joseph Braml. He believes that today the United States deliberately assemble a case for the military scenario. "All signs have long pointed to the war. Since Americans unilaterally broke off the nuclear deal with Iran, only two logical options have remained. Either Americans, Israelis and Saudis are reconciling that Iran can get nuclear weapons, or - and from now and on it would be like this - they will not agree with such status and deliver preventive air strikes against Iran, " Bruml said. According to the German expert, today's actions of Washington are nothing but immediate preparations for war. Ive been witnessing this for a long time since the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahus gig about the Iranian threat. Today, Saudis have become 'good guys' once again - and this is despite their image losses after the journalist Khashoggis assassination, the political scientist said. The expert is skeptical about the possibilities of the European Union, in particular, Germany, to influence the US plans: "The short-term cancellation of head of the State Department Mike Pompeos visit to Berlin became indicative. He rather unceremoniously dealt with us - ostensibly the leading European power." In this context, the Spiegel notes the following: In foreign policy, the characters play a major role. Who visits whom and when, who forces whom and how long to wait all these matters. Even in spite of the fact that the German government is trying in every way to disguise its annoyance, the cancellation of Pompeos visit is another sign of how precarious the relations between Washington and Berlin have become. "For the EU, the deal with Iran was a diplomatic success, along with the administration of Barack Obama, the block tried to save the situation. Today, these efforts have been canceled and no longer make sense ... Europe cannot withstand the US pressure, European companies understand to who the future of their business is tied. And this is not Iran, but the United States. Those who do business in the United States or carry out transactions in dollars are forced to bend over to the military and economic power represented by the US, Bruml explained. According to the DGAP analyst, Russia will not actively intervene in the situation. Moscow will protest, but it hardly comes to real intervention. Russia's stability relies on high oil prices, which is why the Kremlin, in Bramls opinion, will be subdued. Saudis can also assist in this issue with a check diplomacy. Speaking about the position of his country - Germany - the political scientist recommended that in this situation, it is better for the FRG and Europe to stop relying on others and take the fate in their own hands, which in practice means only one: an increase in military expenditure. The internationally accepted Gini coefficient formula that measures income disparities gives the 28-nation EU, as a whole, one of the best rankings in the world for equality, alongside that of Canada. Eyewitness News reports in its article EU RICH-POOR DIVIDE WIDENS BUT STILL A WORLDWIDE LOW that although the gap between rich and poor has widened in the European Union over the past decades, the bloc is a world leader in fighting inequality, experts say. UNEQUAL BETWEEN EU MEMBERS The internationally accepted Gini coefficient formula that measures income disparities gives the 28-nation EU, as a whole, one of the best rankings in the world for equality, alongside that of Canada. Both are rated at a rounded-off 31 out of 100 in the ranking (2017), in which higher indexes indicate greater levels of inequality. But the scores of various countries within the European Union differ markedly, with some of those of the former communist states in Eastern Europe bringing down the average. Bulgaria has the highest level of inequality with a Gini index of 40, according to the EU's statistics office Eurostat. It is followed by the former Soviet states of Lithuania and Latvia, and then Spain, Portugal and Greece. Britain and Romania - another former Soviet satellite - are next, both measuring 33. Germany, France and Poland do slightly better, averaging around 29. Topping the list as the most egalitarian are the three former communist countries of Slovakia (23), Slovenia and the Czech Republic, both around 24. They are followed by Nordic countries Sweden, Denmark and Finland, along with Belgium, The Netherlands and Austria, all scoring between 26 and 28. FOUR DECADES OF WIDENING While Europe has been more successful than most regions in containing income inequality rises seen around the world, inequalities increased in most of its countries over 1980-2017, according to the World Inequality Lab (WIL). "The European top one percent grew more than two times faster than the bottom 50%," the Paris-based group of experts said in an April report. It pointed to a focus on reducing inequalities between EU member states rather than within the countries themselves. The largest rise was in formerly communist eastern European countries that were the most egalitarian during the 1980s and moved towards capitalism in the 1990s. Here "privatisations associated with the transition from socialism to capitalism have benefited a small elite," the report said. THE TAX EFFECT In Western Europe the richest 10% earn, on average, seven times more than the poorest 50% before taxes, WIL said. However, after tax, this is only five times more - a drop of 29%. The post-tax adjustment is 23% in southern and northern Europe and 15% in the east. While Western European countries tend to impose higher taxes on higher incomes, many eastern countries - such as the Baltic states, Bulgaria and Romania - have a flat tax rate, meaning poor and rich pay the same percentage. The lack of progressive taxation in some countries, in a context of economic competition, contributes to inequalities, including by undermining financing for public services, WIL said. EUROPE STILL TOP OF CLASS Despite a rise in inequality, the EU fares better than the United States, it said. The bloc's education and health systems are more egalitarian and social benefits play a major role. Since 1980 the revenues of the poorest half of the European population increased by 37% while they stagnated in the United States. Meanwhile, the income of 0.01% of the most well-off increased more than 300% in the United States, twice as much as Europe. The Gini index put the United States at 39, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), eight points higher than the EU. Most of the OECD's non-European members have a higher coefficient than the EU, for example 33 in Australia, 34 in Japan and as high as 62 in South Africa. Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Occasional rain tapering to a few showers late. Low 41F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Occasional rain tapering to a few showers late. Low 41F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Turkey has been under pressure from the United States to walk away from a deal with Russia to buy its S-400 air defense system. The US fears that the deal could undermine the NATO military alliance. Deutsche Welle reports in its article Turkey denies scrapping Russia missile deal after US pressure that Turkey has dismissed a report in a German newspaper that claimed Turkish officials had canceled a deal to acquire a Russian anti-aircraft missile system due to US pressure. "The S-400 delivery is a done deal," Fahrettin Altun, a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wrote on Twitter. In its Saturday edition, the German Bild newspaper quoted a high-ranking Turkish diplomat as saying: "There will be no delivery of the S-400 in July, as the Turkish president had [earlier] announced." The diplomat reportedly said his government feared that the US could respond with sanctions if the country bought the system, which would be the "economic downfall" of Turkey. The Russian government also denied the report, with the Russian Interfax news agency quoting an unnamed military source that the deal with Turkey had not been scrapped. US pressure Turkey's plan to buy the air defense system has been a cause of tension within the NATO military alliance, which both the United States and Turkey belong to. The US and other member states fear that Russia could spy on NATO aircraft through the S-400 system. To discourage Ankara from entering the deal, Washington suspended a joint F-35 fighter jet programand threatened it with further economic sanctions. The US has also offered the more expensive US-made Patriot system at a discounted price. Turkey has shown an interest in the Patriot system, but not at the cost of breaking its contract with Russia. During a visit to Moscow last month, President Erdogan said that Russia and Turkey must "strengthen cooperation in the military-technical sphere." "These regard first of all the completion of the contract to supply S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems to Turkey," Putin said before suggesting that there were other military projects in the pipeline. At first glance, The Cigar Club Southeast Texas looks like a high-class lounge with dark leather chairs mixed with a European cafe where people hold court and drink coffee. The richly-stained wooden cabinets and relaxed atmosphere make you forget you were just outside a Walden Road shopping center, but the real star of the place is in the back. In the humidor, more than a hundred boxes of cigars from the richest tastes to the most casual are on display, with more soon to join them. We wanted to offer a place in Southeast Texas where people can come enjoy a cigar and build a community, but we know there has to be a focus on the tobacco, said Justin Morris, manager of the new club. Lounges can be harder to find, but there are a lot of premium tobacconists out there. Thats what we are first and foremost. This is the second location for the club, which originated in Lake Charles. For the past 13 years, the Halker family, with the help of Morris, has built a reputation as the store with the largest humidor in southwestern Louisiana, as well as a cool place to hang out. The Lake Charles location features a bar and live music, but Morris said it is unlikely that the Southeast Texas club will serve alcohol. A lot of places can get you a tobacco license or a liquor license, but it gets kind of iffy when you try to do both, Morris said. At least for now, we think its best to try to establish ourselves as a community for cigar smokers. He said the club is a place were people from all walks of life can share something they have in common, and also connect with others in the cigar world. Morris said cigar brand ambassadors and owners often appear at the Lake Charles club, and the same can be expected in Beaumont. So far, local customers seem to be enthusiastic about the idea of a local cigar club. From the May 3 opening, at least one customer has been in the shop from open to close, Morris said. The move to Beaumont wasnt a coincidence. Morris said they had been thinking about branching out for at least 10 years, but the opportunity had never seemed quite right until now. We never really understood why there was a vacuum here for cigars, Morris said. You have a lot of great shops in Houston that people from this area went to and some of them even came to see us, but we didnt get why someone hadnt taken the market already. Now, the Cigar Club Southeast Texas is set up right on the Interstate 10 corridor, adjacent to several hotels, a lot of passing traffic and convenient exits for people traveling to and from Mid-County. The inventory in the humidor is already vast, but they have plans to add more shelves for additional product. The different brands, shapes and flavors are a lot to take in at first glance, but Morris said newcomers shouldnt be overwhelmed. He said staff can help customers find a cigar that fits their tastes, and they arent focused on pushing the fanciest or most expansive items. Thats what were here for, Morris said. Were not just going to try to make them go home with a $40 cigar so we can make some money. Its about finding the cigar they want so they can enjoy it. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jdickjournalism Azerbaijan and Pakistan are trying to boost our trade relations and striving to increase them in the future, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Pakistan Ali Alizada said in an interview with Pakistan Observer. "Our trade volume has increased 25% in 2018 and we expect it to go much further," he said. The diplomat recalled that in 2017 Azerbaijan and Pakistan signed an agreement for cooperation in the energy sector. "The most important area is of course is the energy sector. There is big demand in the energy sector and oil and gas products and we are exploring further possibilities in the energy sector," Ali Alizada said. According to the envoy, the two countries also have cooperation in defense production field. "Azerbaijan is also buying Mushaq aircrafts from Pakistan. Other than that there is cooperation in agriculture sector also and there is interest in fruits and vegetables of Pakistan for us, especially mangoes, kinos and potatoes," he noted. The diplomat added that Azerbaijan is selling chemicals, dry fruits, canned juices and many other products in Pakistan. Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise, Photo Editor The plan unveiled last week by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect the Bolivar Peninsula from storm surge should have been the one proposed in December. But this is a case of better late than never, and Bolivar residents are undoubtedly relieved to see this logical proposal finally coming forward. It would rely on natural sand dunes to absorb the energy of a surge instead of wall running the partial length of the peninsula. Dunes are natural and aesthetically pleasing. A Berlin Wall-style barrier is neither. The new plan calls for dunes 8 to 13 feet high, which would help a lot to blunt a hurricanes force, even though planners admit they could be topped by wave action from a major storm. But no protection system is perfect, and the dunes are much better for many reasons. If a storm reduces them, they can be replenished with more sand, of which there is no shortage offshore. That process is also much more cost-effective than anything involving concrete. Deborah Cannon, MBR / AP Weve criticized state lawmakers once or twice in this space OK, maybe a bit more but lets give credit where credit is due. Despite the disappointments of this legislative session and some are inevitable state legislators are getting it right on an important issue, perhaps the most important one facing them this time. The House and Senate have both passed far-sighted bills that will boost education spending significantly and help make our public schools better. Its been a while since anyone could say that about both chambers in Austin, and its worth noting. But dont break out the Champagne just yet. The two bills have different totals $9 billion from the House and $12 billion from the Senate. Those numbers arent identical, obviously, but theyre close enough for logical compromise. University of Maryland Shore Regional Health will soon begin developing its 82,000-square-foot healthcare campus in Dorchester County after the state health board approved its proposal, the Dorchester Banner reports. What you should know: 1. UM will replace its Dorchester County location with a freestanding medical facility and pavilion. 2. The campus will feature an 82,000-square-foot, two-story building. 3. A freestanding medical facility will take up the first floor, with a surgery center included among the second floor offerings. 4. UM's Easton, Md., facility will expand its bed count to accommodate the decreased bed count in Dorchester County. A House committee recommended upping the budget for the VA's Cerner implementation from $1.1 billion to $1.6 billion in 2020, the Politico Morning eHealth newsletter reported. The House appropriations committee earmarked $1.1 billion for the EHR contract in fiscal 2020, plus $161.8 million for program management and $334.7 million for infrastructure support. The fiscal 2019 enacted appropriation was $1.1 billion total. The VA signed on to a 10-year contract with Cerner in 2018 to implement the same EHR as the Defense Department, which began rolling out the system in 2017. The DOD implementation hit a few road bumps, delaying a full implementation to this year. More articles on EHRs: Illinois hospital chooses Epic EHR: 3 notes Franciscan Health pilots EHR training, simulation program for nurses Senate health chair: Let's not repeat 'terrifying' meaningful use rollout Below are five hospitals or health systems that announced, started or completed construction projects in the last two weeks. 1. Methodist University Hospital opens $275M patient tower Memphis, Tenn.-based Methodist University Hospital opened its $275 million Shorb Tower to patients May 9. 2. OhioHealth consolidates 22 offices at $90M administrative building Columbus-based OhioHealth completed its $90 million administrative campus that will house 1,600 employees. 3. CoxHealth breaks ground on Missouri replacement hospital CoxHealth, a six-hospital nonprofit health system in Springfield, Mo., broke ground on a facility to replace its 66-year-old hospital May 1. 4. Emory files plan for $1B 'health innovation district' Atlanta-based Emory University filed a rezoning application with the city of Brookhaven, Ga., describing its plans for a $1 billion "health innovation district." 5. Yale New Haven Hospital unveils plans for $838M neurosciences center Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital plans to build an $838 million neurosciences center on its on its St. Raphael campus in New Haven, the institution announced April 29. In the fight to stop large, unexpected medical bills when patients are treated by out-of-network providers, physicians, hospitals, insurers and legislators agree: No one wants patients stuck with an outrageous "surprise bill." But no one seems to agree on how to solve the problem. Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said last week that he and other senators hope to have a bipartisan solution to end surprise medical bills to the Senate floor by July. Mr. Alexander made the remarks shortly after President Donald Trump's administration said it wants federal legislation to protect patients from surprise medical bills after receiving emergency care from an out-of-network provider when they couldn't pick their caregiver. Federal officials said legislation should also address surprise medical bills that occur after a patient receives care from an out-of-network provider they reasonably thought was in-network. "We're going to hold insurance companies and hospitals totally accountable," President Trump said at a May 9 White House event, according to The Hill. "We're determined to end surprise billing for American patients. We want patients to be in charge and in total control." One federal solution is hospital "bundled billing" that aims to ensure patients don't receive separate out-of-network bills. But physician and hospital groups, including the Federation of American Hospitals, American Hospital Association and American Medical Association, have come out against the idea. They support independent arbitration to settle disputes between insurers and providers by determining whether the amount the physician is charging or the amount the insurer is agreeing to pay is fairer, according to The Hill. Insurers reportedly don't favor arbitration, though, and want Congress to set reimbursement rates. Access The Hill's report here. More articles on healthcare finance: Billing revamp expected to cost Zuckerberg hospital up to $2.2M in lost revenue Healthcare reacts to federal push for surprise-billing protections Earthquake regulations may rock S&P ratings for California hospitals The largest union of registered nurses in the U.S. is calling on Wayne T. Smith, chairman of the board and CEO of Community Health Systems, to step down, but the hospital operator is calling the union's move a publicity stunt. National Nurses United is calling for Smith's resignation from the Franklin, Tenn.-based for-profit system in a report scheduled to be released May 14. The report accuses Mr. Smith of mismanaging CHS. "Based on a review of Smith's tenure as CEO, it appears that his primary goal has been to enrich himself at the expense of patients and the corporation's assets," National Nurses United President Zenei Cortez, RN, said in a news release. "The CHS board must put an end to Smith's flagrant mismanagement." Union officials said the report documents service reductions under Mr. Smith's leadership, particularly in remote areas, as well as closures of CHS hospitals between 2014 and 2018 in Tennessee. Prices at CHS hospitals and Mr. Smith's compensation are included in the report as well. The union's release of the report is scheduled to coincide with the annual CHS stockholder meeting May 14. In an emailed statement, CHS told Becker's that the union, which represents only 225 of the more than 82,000 employees working across CHS, has "a long record of staging publicity stunts against healthcare providers across the country, rather than focusing on issues that matter most to its members." The statement added that CHS "continues to make progress on strategic initiatives that are strengthening our organization for the future, including a divestiture program to help reduce debt." "Our largest shareholder has repeatedly expressed support for the company and its management team," CHS said. More articles on leadership and management: 3 more University of Maryland Medical System board members resign, including chairman Florida Shriners hospital to lay off 60 employees CMS website that compares physicians lacks adequate data Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan is trying to cover up the aggressive and occupation policy of Armenia by talks about democracy, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said, commenting on Mnatsakanyans interview with the website tert.am. Abdullayeva noted that from the ministers interview it becomes clear that his words are addressed mainly to the Armenian public. "Speaking vaguely about democratic tendencies, he apparently tries to cover up the aggressive and occupational policy of Armenia with 'democracy'. Discussions about the 'democratic system and rules' from an official representative of Armenia, a country which, having occupying Azerbaijani territories, carried out ethnic cleansing by breaking norms and principles of international law, violates the UN Charter, the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act, resolutions of the UN Security Council, are false and ridiculous," she said. The spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stressed that what Mnatsakanyan said about the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict shows that Armenia is far from showing respect for the principles of international law, first of all, for the territorial integrity of states within internationally recognized borders, from the intention to establish normal relations with its neighbors, which provides for the rejection of aggression and occupation policy that has lasted for decades. "If the Armenian foreign minister is really interested in building democracy, the prosperity of his people and security and the progress of the region, the Armenian armed forces should be immediately withdrawn from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, and there should be no obstacles for the return of IDPs to their homes," Abdullayeva pointed out. "Only after that will it be possible to talk about human values, democracy and the importance of human life," the spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva concluded. A Delaware physician accused of prescribing opioids to an addiction patient in exchange for sexual favors has lost his medical license, according to delawareonline.com. The state Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline permanently revoked the license of Nihar B. Gala, who was responsible for the pain management and addiction treatment center Alpha Care Medical based in Millsboro, Del. Mr. Gala's controlled substance registrations were also permanently revoked. Mr. Gala allegedly had a sexual relationship with a female patient battling addiction, according to delawareonling.com, which cites a complaint filed by a state prosecutor. Mr. Gala said in March that there is a "conspiracy" against him. "The case brought against him is based on medical records he believes were created by another physician who had an interest of, for lack of a better term, railroading him and his career and his competing medical practice," Ben Schwartz, Mr. Gala's attorney, is quoted as saying at a March hearing. The patient referenced in the complaint reportedly saw Mr. Gala before January 2017 when he worked at "Got-A-Doc" walk-in medical centers in Millsboro and Camden, Del. The complaint says the patient had seen other providers and had received Suboxone for opiate addiction by the time she first saw Mr. Gala in September 2016. Mr. Gala allegedly took the patient off Suboxone and prescribed oxycodone, without examining the patient's previous treatment records or reaching out to the patient's other providers. The complaint states that in October 2016, Mr. Gala also wrote the patient prescriptions for oxycodone and fentanyl. After the patient's last recorded visit or examination with Mr. Gala in late October 2016, Mr. Gala continued to write prescriptions for the female patient and did not provide documented medical explanation, according to the complaint. The patient told an employee the prescriptions were in exchange for sexual favors, according to the complaint. More articles on physicians: For first time, US sees employed physicians outnumber self-employed, AMA study shows CMS' new value-based approach presents physician and disruptor opportunity, health system risk Michael Kasper, CEO of DuPage Medical Group, dies at 46 At least eight physicians are resigning from Bangor-based Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, and physicians from several departments warned that more physicians could leave if changes aren't made, according to the Bangor Daily News. The hospital's parent company, Brewer, Maine-based Northern Light Health, has recently made changes to standardize operations and compensation. Physicians, including the eight hospitalists who have submitted their resignations since March 1, are displeased with the some of the changes, which make cuts to their benefits and require them to see more patients each day, according to the report. Several physicians recently told Northern Light Health board members that physicians' morale is at an "all-time low." The physicians, who claim they have been left out of major decisions, warned that a "mass exodus" could occur if tensions between physicians and health system leaders continue, according to the report. A spokesperson for Northern Light Health confirmed the eight resignations to the Bangor Daily News and attributed the departures to normal turnover. Access the full Bangor Daily News article here. More articles on physicians: For first time, US sees employed physicians outnumber self-employed, AMA study shows CMS' new value-based approach presents physician and disruptor opportunity, health system risk Michael Kasper, CEO of DuPage Medical Group, dies at 46 A former Atchison (Kans.) Hospital patient filed a lawsuit in federal court May 8 against the hospital and one of its former X-ray technicians for allegedly leaking her protected health information to the man she claims raped her, Kansas City Star reports. The woman was raped again by the same assailant a few months after the Atchison Hospital employee allegedly shared her PHI, the lawsuit states. In May 2017, Atchison Hospital staff administered a rape kit examination following the patient's sexual assault. After the patient's examination, one of the hospital's X-ray technicians allegedly called the woman's rapist and told him the woman accused him of sexual assault, the lawsuit states. The technician did not use the hospital's EHR system to access the patient's information but instead used its health information department, according to the report. Atchison Hospital fired the technician four months after the security breach. The report included the name of the patient's alleged assailant, and information collected was protected under HIPAA, the lawsuit states. Additionally, the woman was "adamant," that her PHI would not be released to third parties, according to the report. An Atchison Hospital official sent the patient a letter, signed by CEO John Jacobsen, apologizing for the breach. The letter disclosed that the hospital immediately launched an investigation and discovered the X-ray technician was not a member of her immediate care team. The hospital said it fired the employee responsible for the breach and made changes to its security and privacy policies. "We are confident that our investigative process and remedial steps will help to minimize the risk that this type of incident may occur again the future," the letter said, according to the report. The patient's claims against the hospital include invasion of privacy, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and punitive damages. She claims she is entitled to more than $75,000 in damages for each count, the publication reports. Editor's note: Becker's Hospital Review reached out to Atchison Hospital for comment and will update as more information is available. In an unusual move, Novartis began offering price discounts in negotiations with insurers for its pricey gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy but there's a catch, according to Reuters. In exchange for the pricing discount, the Swiss drugmaker wants insurers to commit to covering treatment for any patients identified to have the rare and often fatal neuromuscular disease. In addition, Novartis is asking insurers to ensure quick authorization and more widespread screening to identify newborns with the disease. It is unusual for drugmakers to offer discounts on novel treatments, but getting insurers to cover the drug is key for its success. The FDA is set to decide on approval of the drug, Zolgensma, which may cure spinal muscular atrophy, according to Novartis. Company officials said the price would range from $1.5 million to $5 million. "We are very much interested in making sure that payers [support] newborn screening, that they establish fast turnaround on coverage decisions, and that they have specific policies that cover gene therapy for SMA," Dave Lennon, head of Novartis' AveXis unit, told Reuters. "As we negotiate discounts, et cetera, with payers, and the contracts with those payers, were trying to make sure they put those elements in place." Novartis and Teva Pharmaceuticals, two of the defendants named in a wide-reaching lawsuit against generic drugmakers, have vowed to fight the allegations of price-fixing brought against them, according to a BioSpace news report. In the lawsuit filed last week, 44 states attorneys general claim more than a dozen drugmakers conspired to inflate prices for more than 100 generic drugs by as much as 1,000 percent. Novartis, which owns the Sandoz generic unit, disputed the claims and said it will fight the allegations, which it calls "baseless." "We believe that these claims are without merit and will vigorously contest them, Novartis told Reuters. "Sandoz takes its obligations under the antitrust laws seriously. We will continue to be committed to providing high quality, affordable medicines to U.S. patients, and conducting business with customers and the government with integrity." Teva also denied the lawsuit allegations. "Teva has not engaged in any conduct that would lead to civil or criminal liability," the company told The New York Times. An assistant pharmacy professor at the University of Rhode Island in South Kingstown resigned after she was convicted of defrauding government regulators by dispensing drugs without valid prescriptions, according to The Providence Journal. Michelle Caetano Thomas, who left her post at the university last week, was convicted in a Boston federal court May 3 for allegedly signing off on fraudulent prescriptions for fake patients with names like "Coco Puff," and "Filet O' Fish." Prosecutors said Ms. Thomas was a verification pharmacist for New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., a now-defunct pharmacy blamed for a nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak that killed 76 people. Ms. Thomas was not liked to the meningitis outbreak. She is appealing her fraud conviction. Southwestern District Health Unit, a public health department in North Dakota, will roll out a telepsychiatry program at Dickinson (N.D.) Middle School this fall to provide students with supplemental psychiatric services, The Dickinson Press reports. SWDHU is partnering with Grand Forks, N.D.-based Center for Psychiatric Health for the program. Nurses from SWDHU will be onsite at the school to help connect students with a psychiatrist from the Center for Psychiatric Health using telehealth technology. The program aims to save students class time and parents travel time that would otherwise be spent taking their child to a psychiatrist, according to the report. An initial telehealth session with the psychiatrist is estimated to take an hour, and the child's parent is required to attend. Following the first session, appointments will be shorter, and parents could attend over the phone, the publication reports. Dickinson Middle School has counselors who currently offer mental health services to students. SWDHU plans to offer the telepsychiatry services once a week for a half day at the school but may increase availability depending on demand, SWDHU Executive Officer Sherry Adams told The Dickinson Press. Fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon Mohamed N. Mahomed, MD, has joined Kansas Joint & Spine Specialists in Wichita. Dr. Mahomed is board-certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He specializes in total joint replacement and arthroscopic knee surgery and has expertise in hip and knee injections, hip replacements, knee arthroscopies, knee replacements, patellofemoral replacements, stem cell transplants of the knee and viscosupplementation. Dr. Mahomed earned his medical degree from the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine in Toronto, Canada, and completed his orthopedic surgery residency and advanced total joint and general orthopedic fellowship training at the University of Toronto, also in Toronto, Canada. The economy of Northern Ireland is predicted to shrink by 3.3% or 1.7bn over the next decade if the UK leaves under a Customs Union arrangement (stock photo) Leaving the EU but staying in the Customs Union will cost everyone in Northern Ireland more than 900 a year compared to remaining, according to a report by an economic think tank. The economy of Northern Ireland is predicted to shrink by 3.3% or 1.7bn over the next decade if the UK leaves under a Customs Union arrangement. That works out as a loss of 906 for everyone living in Northern Ireland, based on the current population size, according to an independent study by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR). The report warns that - while inflicting half the damage of a no-deal Brexit - a Customs Union arrangement would not be pain-free. The overall UK economy would shrink about 3% or 80bn per year, NIESR analysis shows, and even after savings from contributions to the EU budget, the Government would have 13bn a year less to spend on public services. Across the UK, people would be an average of 800 a year worse off. Filling the shortfall would mean public service cuts, higher borrowing or tax rises equivalent to 2.5p on the basic rate of income tax, the think tank said. Speaking at the report launch, People's Vote campaigner and Conservative MP Sam Gyimah said a Labour-Tory "stitch-up" would not quash support for Nigel Farage's new Brexit Party. He said: "I fear that even if the Government and Labour can agree a Customs Union deal, it will do nothing to break the spell that Nigel Farage has currently cast on British politics. "The report shows that, far from solving this deeply vexed question... a deal that results in people being poorer and having less control is hardly a solution." Mr Gyimah, who quit his post as universities minister over Theresa May's handling of Brexit, appealed for a "clear-eyed, fact-driven and sober" review of Brexit, instead of the "fire and fury" of Mr Farage's rallies "selling people unicorns". The East Surrey MP noted Mr Farage had "stopped making the argument for Brexit" by refusing to set out any policies in his European election manifesto. "He never tells us about why Brexit makes sense any more, he never tells us about the great opportunities that Brexit will deliver any more," he said. "The only argument he has standing is that there was a vote and we cannot go back on that vote, but nobody is saying go back on that vote, we are saying... give the people a final say." Business conditions saw a marked deterioration during April amid the continued uncertainty over Brexit, the latest snapshot of the Northern Ireland economy has suggested. Ulster Bank's monthly Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) suggested that export orders and jobs fell at the fastest rate in six-and-half years during April, while retail sales were at their weakest in almost seven years. This represents the sharpest fall in business activity since the end of 2012, signalling that Northern Ireland's private sector contracted more sharply in April. The survey is based on responses from 200 private sector companies across Northern Ireland's manufacturing, services, retail and construction industries. The responses suggested that manufacturing was the only sector of the economy to record any growth since March. Ulster Bank's chief economist Richard Ramsey said: "April saw an improvement in business conditions across most of the UK regions. "However, Northern Ireland was a notable exception to this trend." He said that rather than improving, the pace of contraction across the indicators accelerated, with private sector output, orders and employment posting the fastest rates of decline since the final quarter of 2012. It left Northern Ireland at the bottom of the UK regional rankings. "Brexit and the lack of a Stormont Executive continue to be cited as factors impacting negatively on local business," he said. "Looking ahead, there is no quick-fix for these issues." The economist said the fall in export orders was a reflection of weakness in other markets, notably the Republic. Mr Ramsey said the knock-on impact is being seen in the workplace: "All sectors, bar construction, shed staff in April. Services firms reported their steepest declines in headcount since August 2012, while manufacturing firms reduced their staffing levels at their fastest pace in six years. "Job losses amongst retailers remained modest in April but with confidence in this sector slumping to a series low, this may change in coming months. "Overall, aspects of Northern Ireland's private sector growth were flattered by the levels of stockpiling taking place in the run up to the anticipated Brexit date. Similarly, as stockpiling has eased off, this is perhaps having the opposite effect. "April's PMI data is particularly downbeat relative to recent years but, outside of retail, it would be premature to read too much into it at this stage." Armenia's ongoing aggressive policy is the main reason why the ceasefire doesnt bring peace for 25 years, head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev commented on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict ceasefire agreement. Hajiyev recalled that Armenia occupied the territory of Azerbaijan with the use of force due to which more than a million Azerbaijanis in the occupied territories were subject to ethnic cleansing, and for more than 25 years they have to live as refugees and IDPs. "The aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan was also accompanied by numerous war crimes against the civilian population. Four resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council in connection with the conflict condemned the use of force by Armenia against Azerbaijan, again confirmed the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, and the fact that Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan, requiring immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the invading forces from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," he pointed out. Hajiyev stressed that the ceasefire is not peace. "The Armenian leadership also recognizes that although 25 years have passed, the ceasefire has not turned into sustainable peace. The main reason why the ceasefire regime has not brought sustainable peace is the continuation of the aggressive policy of Armenia," Hikmet Hajiyev stressed, adding that the format of the negotiation process hasnt changed and is conducted between the parties to the conflict, namely Armenia and Azerbaijan. "If the Armenian side really wants to ensure sustainable peace in the region, then it should constructively participate in the negotiation process on the basis of the existing format, in accordance with the requirements of the UN Security Council resolutions, withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and not hinder the return of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons to their native lands. Only after that sustainable peace can be secured in the region," the head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration concluded. The shop vacancy rate in towns across Northern Ireland accelerated from 14% to 14.9% between March and April, new analysis has suggested. The monthly report from high street monitor Springboard said the vacancy rate had hit the highest level since October 2017. However, footfall data suggested Northern Ireland's retail centres continued to outperform the rest of the UK. The 0.5% rise was the ninth month of growth in the past 12 here, above the UK average decline of 0.5%. Aodhan Connolly, director of the NI Retail Consortium, said while footfall appeared to reflect slight growth, last year's "terrible" April results provided an easy target to outperform. "The big disappointment here is the rise in vacancy rates to its highest level in two years. "This is a symptom of the increasing pressures that retailers face, pressures that are being added to by a lack of political leadership." The retail spokesman said that the business community wants the ongoing political talks at Stormont to deliver progress. Last week the Department of Finance announced a major review into business rates. Mr Connolly said: "The longer we are without a functioning Assembly, the further we fall behind our neighbours to the east and south. We are already playing catch up on business rates reform where our businesses pay 12p in the pound more than the UK average. "Our members believe that devolved government is best for Northern Ireland PLC but our politicians must put economics before ideology, so we can have an Executive and ministers to take the bold decisions that will allow retail reinvention and prevent retail Armageddon." Here comes the sun: beauty routines need switched up for the summer After a seemingly endless winter, the weather is finally heating up and we can start preparing for summer. Just as you change your wardrobe to suit the finer weather, you need to switch up your beauty regime as well. It doesn't necessarily have to mean lots of time and money, just a shift in what you prioritise and the help of a few handy products. Here's how Isa Lavahun from Cosmetify thinks you should change your skincare and make-up routine to suit the rising temperatures... 1. Think about SPF We're firm believers in wearing SPF every day of the year because UV rays can creep through even when the sky looks cloudy. However, if you don't wear daily SPF, summer is definitely the time to start thinking about it. If you don't want to put on sunscreen in the morning, Lavahun says: "Primer is a great place to start. It forms a base for the rest of your make-up while smoothing the skin and creating a barrier between the skin's natural oils and your foundation." Using primers that include SPF, like the NARS Radiance Primer, means your skin is protected from UV rays and you're still able to apply your make-up flawlessly. Expand Close NARS Radiance Primer SPF35, 29, Space NK PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp NARS Radiance Primer SPF35, 29, Space NK 2. Get serious about exfoliating When you banish turtlenecks and tights to the back of your wardrobe, you need to put a bit more effort into keeping your skin looking and feeling healthy. That's right, it's exfoliation time. "Regularly exfoliating helps your skin stay soft and smooth, prevents dry patches and makes removing hair that bit easier," Lavahun explains. "For this, we recommend the NUXE Reve de Miel body scrub which, infused with honey, not only smells delicious but gets rid of dead skin, to leave your body feeling nourished." Expand Close NUXE Reve de Miel Body Scrub, 19.50, Look Fantastic PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp NUXE Reve de Miel Body Scrub, 19.50, Look Fantastic 3. Don't forget your hair If you're taking the time to protect your skin, it would make no sense to forget about your hair. "Increased exposure to sun and chlorine can dry out hair, causing damage," says Lavahun. "You should be using a treatment mask or conditioner to hydrate your locks twice a week." She recommends PhytoPlage's aftersun recovery spray to put some moisture back into locks. Expand Close Phyto Phytoplage Sublime After Sun Oil, 26.50, Look Fantastic PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Phyto Phytoplage Sublime After Sun Oil, 26.50, Look Fantastic However, it's not just aftercare you need to pay attention to if you want your hair to stay healthy all summer. "It's also important to protect your hair pre-sun exposure, and there are products that, like sunscreen, shield your hair against sun and sea damage," says Lavahun. "For example, the Philip Kingsley Swimcap protects against salt water and chlorine, as well as offering UV protection." Expand Close Swimcap, 19, Philip Kingsley PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Swimcap, 19, Philip Kingsley 4. Less is more The heavy foundation that was a dream in the colder months won't work as well when the weather gets warmer, so Lavahun recommends the 'less is more' rule. "Winter beauty products may be too heavy for the warmer weather, and a full face of make-up can clog up pores and feel hot on your face," she explains. This is why the BB cream range is your new best friend. "They are lighter than most foundations, have hydrating qualities and often contain SPF, which protects against UV rays and has anti-ageing properties," says Lavahun. Lavahun particularly likes Garnier's BB cream because it contains SPF 15. Expand Close Garnier BB Cream, 9.99, Superdrug PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Garnier BB Cream, 9.99, Superdrug 5. Waterproof your look Few things are worse than applying a flawless face of make-up only to have it melt off in the heat. Waterproof make-up might be a bit trickier to take off at the end of the day, but it's the key to a long-lasting look because it's "designed specifically to stand firm in the face of sweat and other liquids", says Lavahun. Waterproof mascara isn't just for when you're going through a break-up - it's perfect for preventing any annoying summer smudges. Lavahun recommends the L'Oreal Paris X Fiber Xtreme Resist Waterproof Mascara to make sure there's no chance of you looking bedraggled. Expand Close L'Oreal Paris False Lash X Fiber Xtreme Resist Waterproof Mascara, 11.99, Boots PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp L'Oreal Paris False Lash X Fiber Xtreme Resist Waterproof Mascara, 11.99, Boots 6. ...And set it too "As well as waterproofing your look with specific beauty products, you will also need to ensure your make-up stays in place, which is particularly important in the heat and humidity," Lavahun explains. This is where setting sprays and fixing mists come to the rescue. They ensure your make-up stays in place all day long. All you have to do is give your face a quick spray before heading out the door. Lavahun recommends the cult classic Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray to keep everything in check. Michael McDowell's son Conor was killed in an incident in California A major player in the Northern Ireland peace process has called for a full investigation into the death of his US Marine son who was killed while on exercise. Michael McDowell, a former BBC NI reporter and the architect of the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), has spoken of his devastation at the loss of his 24-year-old son, 1st Lieutenant Hugh Conor McDowell. He was travelling in a light armoured vehicle at Camp Pendleton in California when it rolled over during a battalion training exercise on Thursday. Six other Marines were injured and taken to hospital for injuries not believed to be life-threatening. Lt McDowell was a platoon commander with the 1st Light Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion, and his devastated dad described him as a "patriot", "leader" and an "exceptional Marine". He told of the heartbreaking moment he received the news from the US Army that his only child had been killed. "They started to say the words 'the President and the Secretary of Defence', and I said: 'Stop, please tell me my son is still alive,'" he said. "What I'm proud of, he was a leader, he loved leading the young kids and he never allowed them to be beasted or bullied. "Did he die pointlessly, did someone make a mistake, was the equipment faulty? "I will not be satisfied unless it is a very rigorous investigation. "He was defender, a patriot, but a patriot in the right way." Mr McDowell, who was awarded an OBE in 2001 for his contribution to the peace process, and his wife Susan Flanigan were at Conor's former base in San Diego last night preparing to bring home their son's remains to Chestertown, Maryland, near Washington, DC. He will be buried with military honours at Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for more than 400,000 US service members, veterans and their families. In a poignant tribute on Facebook, Mr McDowell wrote: "Our beloved and only child was killed yesterday in a bizarre accident (details to follow) on manoeuvres, leading his new platoon. "The light armoured tank which contains six enlisted Marines and one officer, toppled over, and Conor was crushed underneath. "He died en route to hospital. "Conor was due to announce his engagement and marriage to the love of his life, Kathleen Bourque, a beautiful, tall, slender, accomplished psychology graduate headed for a PhD. "They were deeply in love after a whirlwind romance which began in North Carolina in July of last year, and settled in an apartment near the ocean outside San Diego, with their dog Ruthie and cats Missy and Max. "Susan, my wife and I, loved Kathleen, having hosted her during Thanksgiving and over the Christmas period. She is a wonderful warm steady person and adored our son, equally. "Conor was a warrior, like my father in the Royal Ulster Rifles in the Western Desert, Sicily and Italy in World War Two. "Sadly, they never met but Conor felt as if he knew him. "Conor, since he was a small boy, wanted to be a soldier, and later, a Marine. "He excelled. He read broadly and was intellectually curious, and was physically outstanding - slim, fit, six feet plus, and sunny and passionate in personality." Mr McDowell continued: "There is a massive hole in our hearts and there will be for the rest of our lives. "He was our only beloved child, in whom we were well pleased. "We hope to meet again with our son in some way at some time as we pass on, as he has, at so young an age, and with so much of life ahead of him." Military officials released a statement expressing heartbreak at the loss of a member of the Marine Corps family. Lt McDowell's death was the second at Camp Pendleton in a rollover-related accident in recent weeks. In April Staff Sgt Joshua Braica, a 29-year-old from California, died when an all-terrain tactical utility vehicle flipped over. Former councillor Sorcha McAnespy has launched a blistering attack on Fianna Fail - accusing the party of abandoning her. The Fianna Fail national executive member lost her seat on Fermanagh and Omagh District Council earlier this month after being eliminated on the ninth count with 194 votes. The ex-Sinn Fein councillor had stood as an independent after Fianna Fail refused to ratify her as a candidate. Ms McAnespy's candidacy for the May council elections had been announced at an event in Omagh last October. She appeared alongside Fianna Fail's Galway West TD Eamon O'Cuiv and Senator Mark Daly - but it later transpired that party leader Micheal Martin had not authorised the move. As a result Senator Daly was stripped of his title as Fianna Fail's deputy leader in the Irish Seanad while Mr O'Cuiv was removed from his role as the party's rural affairs spokesperson. Ms McAnespy later held talks with Mr Martin at a national executive meeting and believed she would be given support to win re-election in Northern Ireland while not running under an official Fianna Fail banner. But she said Mr Martin refused to stand in a picture with her. The mother-of-three told The Sunday Business Post: "Things that were said to me meant absolutely nothing. That includes Micheal Martin. I was promised support which didn't come in any shape or form." The newspaper said it viewed correspondence showing that Fianna Fail offered to design and print an election leaflet but wanted to ensure that any campaign literature it produced for Ms McAnespy contained no party branding or logos. Ms McAnespy said she eventually had to source her own campaign literature. She said she was "disgusted" at how she had been treated by Fianna Fail. "I am reeling at the moment. I thought that I would reap the rewards of hard work, dedication and enthusiasm," she added. "I do feel I could have spoken out sooner, but didn't want to upset the apple cart. "I'm still a member of the ard comhairle (central committee), but don't know if I want to go back. "I've been sent off on my jolly way. Nothing has materialised. That's not the way I would do business. Maybe it was naive [to think] that when people tell you something, it will come to pass." Ms McAnespy said she had received no communication from party headquarters or the leadership "to check if I'm dead or alive" since she lost the council seat she had held for eight years. In response Fianna Fail told The Sunday Business Post: "Sorcha remains an equal and valued member of the ard comhairle. She will, we hope, continue to participate on that basis and will have the same access to the party leader and officers as every other member. "However, she decided to run in her local electoral area as an independent candidate, and fought the election on that basis." Police have warned that people who point laser pens at aircraft in the skies over Northern Ireland could cause a catastrophic loss of life. The warning comes after a spate of incidents in Co Antrim. Four were reported in Newtownabbey in the last week. The latest report occurred in the Jordanstown area on Friday night. Officers described the actions as those responsible as potentially catastrophic. PSNI Inspector McCarron said: "Thankfully no one was injured or vision-impaired as a result of this extremely dangerous and reckless behaviour. "Not only is it an offence under the Air Navigation Order to endanger aircraft but it is highly irresponsible and dangerous. "Lasers can cause temporary blindness and where pilots are concerned, this could result in a catastrophe and possibly lead to significant loss of life. "Those involved in this type of activity need to be mindful of the impact which their behaviour could have. "Those involved could face charges of being in possession of a dangerous weapon. "If you use lasers in this way, you must be prepared to face the consequences." Adam Newton, a DUP councillor for the Titanic electoral area which includes the George Best Belfast City Airport, described those responsible as "reckless fools". He warned their actions could cause a huge disaster and a major loss of life. Mr Newton said: "Police have had four reported incidents of nitwits who think it's fun to target pilots with laser pens, potentially damaging their sight, [and causing] major concerns across the east of the city. "My constituency has high-density housing on the take-off and landing flight paths and anything that causes a distraction to pilots places my constituents at severe risk. "Whether it's one or more persons who are engaged in this dangerous and foolhardy activity, it must stop." Mr Newton urged anyone with information on those responsible to contact police. A judge cited threats to "execute" people helping the police investigation into Lyra McKee's murder as he refused bail to two men accused of involvement in other violence on the same night. Paul McIntyre (51), of Ballymagowan Park in Creggan, is charged with riot, petrol bomb offences and arson of a hijacked vehicle. Christopher Gillen (38), of Balbane Pass, is charged with riot, petrol bomb offences and the arson and hijacking of a tipper truck. Both men, who were arrested on Thursday, refused to stand or recognise its authority as they appeared in Londonderry Magistrates Court on Saturday. District Judge Barney McElholm said he had concerns about witnesses being prevented from coming forward. "We're all aware of the disgraceful graffiti in Creggan that warned off anyone talking to police. Whoever did that did these two men a great disservice," he said. "There is no address anywhere in this city which would be suitable in this case, at any stage. I will refuse bail." A police officer had told the court of concerns that both men may attempt to intimidate witnesses or attempt to flee the jurisdiction if they received bail. Graffiti has appeared in Derry with a picture of a rat and the message: "Informers will be shot. IRA." Other graffiti says: "RUC informers: They will forget about you, we won't. IRA." Another slogan claimed the IRA was "here to stay" following changes to pro-IRA murals during a wave of condemnation following Ms McKee's death. One wall that was changed to call the republican terrorist group "done" in the aftermath of the shooting was altered to read: "New IRA aren't done. Undefeated army 2019. Unfinished revolution." The New IRA claimed responsibility for attacks on police in Derry's Creggan on April 18, but said the shooting of Ms McKee - who was standing next to a police vehicle - was an accident. Prosecutors allege that Mr McIntyre and Mr Gillen are connected to the New IRA, and that it orchestrated rioting that led up to Ms McKee's death on April 18. "All nationalism corrupts into fascism eventually, whether it's Irish nationalism or British or Polish nationalism. We've all seen where it ends up," Judge McElholm told the court. "I have to bear in mind these gentlemen, there's no evidence either of them belonging to any paramilitary organisation, but they are a part of an organisation with a defined ideology." A PSNI detective told the court that an MTV documentary crew filming in Derry with presenter Reggie Yates caught the two defendants on camera on the day Ms McKee was killed. They were allegedly seen in the offices of republican group Saoradh that afternoon, speaking in the company of members. Police claim footage taken from CCTV and mobile phones later showed two masked men, in identical clothing and footwear to the defendants, exiting a hijacked tipper truck carrying a crate of petrol bombs before throwing them at police. "Police believe these were the ringleaders, that's obvious from footage," the detective told the court. Amid the unrest, a masked gunman fired shots in the direction of police and struck Ms McKee, who died of her injuries in hospital. Police say more than 140 people have come forward with mobile phone or social media footage. An 18-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy, who were arrested on the same day as the defendants, were released without charge. The Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry concluded there should be compensation ranging from 7,500 to 100,000. There have been calls for an increase to the standard payment offered to survivors of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland. In January 2017 an inquiry led by Sir Anthony Hart found widespread and systemic abuse in childrens homes across Northern Ireland. The Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry studied allegations of abuse in 22 homes and other residential institutions between 1922 and 1995. Sir Anthony recommended a tax-free lump sum payment for all survivors ranging from 7,500 to 100,000. However, the majority of respondents to an Executive Office consultation on the findings disagreed that the "standard" compensation amount should begin at 7,500, with the majority saying 10,000 would be a more appropriate amount. Read More The Executive Office launched the consultation in November 2018 and received 562 responses. Over a third of the responses came from victims and survivors. One respondent described the 7,500 standard payment as "derisory". Expand Close Karen Bradley / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Karen Bradley "No amount of compensation can undo or repair the damage inflicted," they wrote. "Nevertheless there ought to be a tangible figure that in some way reflects the loss of a childhood. 10,000 is not an awful lot but at least it's a start. Nothing less." Many respondents felt that compensation should be paid for each year a person spent in an institution. One of the key issues raised by respondents was a proposal that victims would not be entitled to apply for compensation if they had previously been compensated for the same matter. The majority proposed that those who had already received compensation should be allowed to have it reviewed and receive any difference awarded. Respondents also said that they believed that the spouses and children of abuse victims should receive 100% of the compensation they would have been awarded if the victim were alive, rather than the proposed 75%. Concerns were also expressed over the provision that claims could only be made in respect of people who died on or after September 29 2011. "How dare the HIA suggest to ignore those survivors who if were still alive would receive the full amount of their entitlement," one respondent wrote. "Deceased survivors must be treated as equals. A full 100% must be awarded to spouses or children of the deceased." Some respondents said that they felt oral evidence as part of compensation applications should be avoided as it had the potential to retraumatize abuse victims. Others expressed concern that some applicants would find it difficult to describe their experience in writing. The recommendations from the Hart inquiry have been delayed by the absence of devolved government with successive secretaries of state resisting calls to step in saying it was a matter for the Executive. Chairperson of victim's group Rosetta Trust and survivor of abuse Gerry McCann said the group were seeking an urgent meeting with Secretary of State Karen Bradley. Too many survivors have had to wait too long already for this scandal to be brought to an end," he said. "We want Karen Bradley to introduce legislation at Westminster before the summer to ensure a fair deal for victims who have suffered so much already. Last week Secretary of State Karen Bradley said she would try to release compensation to survivors of historical institutional abuse "as soon as possible". She must now consider the findings of the consultation and decide if any changes should be made to the legislation before it is brought to Parliament. Families in Including John Teggart (Son of Danny Teggart) speak to the media outside Laganside Court on Monday. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker A claim that part of a person's skull was used as an ashtray by soldiers is a fantasy, a witness told the Ballymurphy inquest. Henry Thornton from south Armagh was shot dead by a paratrooper on Belfast's Springfield Road in August 1971. The victim's van had backfired and the soldier thought it was an attack, an inquest into Mr Thornton's death found. Read More The ashtray allegation was contained in a book by a former serviceman, Henry Gow, who was in west Belfast at that time. Witness M597 urged the families of 10 people shot dead at Ballymurphy to discount that assertion. "I truly am sorry for any part that I played in this and I would like you today to leave here not believing what Harry Gow told you last week, because it is not true," he told the Belfast inquest into the Ballymurphy killings. "It is not true about the person's skull being used as an ashtray... it is fantasy. "You need to wipe that clear. I would hate for you guys to be going through the rest of your lives thinking that - it was just not true." The Ballymurphy families sat opposite the witness in two rows at the other side of the courtroom. M597 said: "He is talking garbage for his book. He said the claim that a sweepstake was run by Mr Gow's unit to reward soldiers who "got a kill" was "absolute rubbish". "It is fabricated. I feel, sitting here today, I feel terrible for those people there." Police in Derry are investigating a number of burglaries on older people in the area on Monday. The incidents happened in Killeter around noon and then a few hours later in the Magheramason and Strabane areas. Detective Sergeant Richard Donnell said: "We received a report shortly after 12.10pm that two men arrived at a house in the Woodside Road area of Killeter, at least one of whom was reported to have been armed with a screwdriver. "One of the suspects spoke with the male outside the house while the other suspect is believed to have entered the property. It was reported the two males subsequently re-entered the property before making off with the man's wallet which contained a small quantity of cash." The resident was not injured but left shaken by his ordeal. The suspects, both described as having dark hair and having worn dark-coloured clothing, are reported to have fled in a black vehicle, possibly a BMW with an English registration . A few hours later two further burglaries were reported. A property on Victoria Road in Magheramason was ransacked and money taken as the female resident sat outside, meanwhile the occupant of a house on Woodend Road in Strabane returned home to find her property had been entered and jewellery stolen. Sergeant Richard Donnell said domestic burglary was a priority for police and urged anyone who spotted suspicious activity no matter ho inginificant to contact a101. He continued: "We believe these burglaries are linked and may also be linked to other crimes in recent days, including an incident in the Fyfin Road area of Victoria Bridge where a wallet was stolen at knife point at around 1.10pm. The suspects fled in a dark-coloured car. "I want to appeal to anyone who knows anything about any of these incidents, or who saw a black coloured car - possible a BMW with an English registration - in these areas acting suspiciously, to contact detectives at Strand Road on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 521 of 13/05/19. "Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime." SDLP European candidate Colum Eastwood has challenged the DUP's Diane Dodds to a debate on the benefits of EU membership. Mr Eastwood called for openness on what Northern Ireland is getting from Europe. However, the DUP dismissed his offer as a stunt. The UK will vote in the EU election on Thursday week, May 23, after a new Brexit date was set for October 31. Outgoing MEPs Martina Anderson from Sinn Fein and Ms Dodds are standing for re-election. Danny Kennedy is standing for the Ulster Unionist Party after its MEP Jim Nicholson decided to step down. Mr Eastwood, meanwhile, is seeking to win back the seat the SDLP lost in 2004. With Brexit set to dominate campaigning, Mr Eastwood has called for a debate on the value of EU membership. "With 10 days until polling day, the public deserve to be told the truth on the benefits Northern Ireland consistently receives from the European Union," he said. Describing Ms Dodds as "the leading Brexit-supporting candidate in this campaign", he challenged her to a public debate "based on the facts of what Northern Ireland gains from the European Union. "Mrs Dodds has cast doubt on the central theme of my campaign that we are so much better off as part of the European Union," he said. "If this is genuinely her view then I can't think of a credible reason why she would hesitate to take up my offer of a public debate. "If the DUP agree, I'm prepared to clear my schedule and to take part in such a debate anywhere across the north and at any time during the course of the next 10 days." Mr Eastwood has launched an anti-Brexit election battle bus highlighting the millions of euros transferred from Europe to Northern Ireland to support peace. The bus contains slogans "debunking" the claims of Brexiteers before the referendum. Responding to Mr Eastwood's debate offer, DUP director of elections Gavin Robinson said there will be plenty of time for discussion. "This is a publicity stunt and will be treated as such," Mr Robinson said. "Diane Dodds will be in several TV studios debating all the candidates including Colum over the next 10 days. "Colum has had two very awkward problems with his bus slogan. Firstly, it's our money coming back which we send to Brussels, and secondly, as a nationalist, his argument being based on money utterly undermines his campaign for a united Ireland. "Whilst Colum wants to attack Diane, we will focus on giving the people the choice. "We will be urging people to use this election to send a message that they want democracy to be respected and the will of the people implemented. "Colum wants to thwart the democratic wishes of the people. We want to respect democracy." Yesterday Education Secretary Damian Hinds said the European elections will be seen as an opportunity for the ultimate protest vote. He told the BBC the elections would be difficult for the Conservatives and that "for some people this is the second referendum". Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer, meanwhile, told The Guardian that he doubts a cross-party deal lacking a confirmatory referendum could pass Parliament. However, Mr Kennedy called for people to work together to deliver a sensible Brexit to end uncertainty and deliver stability. "The last thing that our country needs is a second referendum which would be incredibly polarising and damaging to people's faith in our democratic system," he said. Northern Ireland's 11 European candidates also include Alliance leader Naomi Long and TUV leader Jim Allister. The European Union countries are unanimous in their view on the importance of the Iranian nuclear deal for European security, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said. "We in Europe agree that this agreement is necessary for our security. No-one wants Iran to come into possession of a nuclear bomb," the minister said as he arrived to the EU Council meeting in Brussels. "That is why we will continue to support the implementation of this agreement," the AFP cited Maas as saying. 'Requiem Mass for Mr Fox was held at St Comgall's Church, Antrim, on Friday, followed by burial at Antrim Cemetery' (stock photo) Tributes have been paid to John Fox, former head of legal services at Belfast City Council, who has died aged 87. The Antrim man was the first Catholic to hold the post of town clerk, and served the council from 1971 until his retirement in 1994. He was made OBE in 1998. Peter McNaney, a former chief executive of Belfast City Council who previously served as Mr Fox's deputy, described him as a "highly intelligent individual and extremely wily in terms of how he influenced the political processes". Mr Fox was a key figure in "bringing in proportionality in committees" previously dominated by unionists, Mr McNaney told the Irish News. Former SDLP Lord Mayor of Belfast Alban Maginness called Mr Fox "an outstanding public servant". Requiem Mass for Mr Fox was held at St Comgall's Church, Antrim, on Friday, followed by burial at Antrim Cemetery. Northern Ireland actor Ian Beattie has given his backing to a memorial walk for murdered journalist Lyra McKee. Beattie, who plays Ser Meryn Trant in Game of Thrones, extended his support in a video posted online last night. He said the 29-year-old represented all that was good and positive in the world. Lyra was shot on April 18 while observing rioting in Londonderry. The New IRA said its members carried out the killing. A "walk for peace" from Belfast to Londonderry is being organised in her memory, and will take place from May 25 to 27. #IanBeattie speaks to Lyra's family and Sara. He also shares his support for the new movement springing up in her memory. Thank you, Ian, you beautiful man. @LyrasWalk #lyraswalk #lyramckee pic.twitter.com/xNO7e6KKPY Brenda Gough (@BelfastBre) May 12, 2019 Beattie said: "I'm so sorry I couldn't attend Lyra's funeral but I was out of the country filming. "I may not be able to attend Lyra's walk either, but I fully, fully support Lyra's walk." Addressing Lyra's family, including her partner Sara Canning, directly, Beattie added: "Lyra's death was a senseless, senseless tragedy. "She stood for nothing but good, nothing but positives in this world. In particular her championing of equal rights for all, including the gay, lesbian and transgender community, is something that I support with all of my heart and all of my soul. "So if I'm not there on the day I will be there in spirit for Lyra's walk." Beattie said Lyra's family would remain in his thoughts and prayers. He added: "While her death was a tragedy and while loved ones leave us, their love never goes away. The love stays with you, and you can wear it like a cloak of armour." Television presenter Eamonn Holmes says he really feels for Madeleine McCann's parents 12 years after her disappearance - and is sure her "parents grieve for her every day". The This Morning host described Kate and Gerry's torment as "purgatory", recalling how he felt all those years when she first went missing. Dad-of-four Eamonn (59) said: "For years, the Algarve in Portugal was our preferred summer family holiday of choice. "My youngest child was a similar age to Madeleine McCann. For a long time, the arrivals hall at Faro Airport would have a 'Missing' poster of Madeleine, who vanished while staying in Praia da Luz. "As we collected our suitcases and made our way through the arrivals hall, I would look at the poster and hold my child's hand that little bit tighter. "Don't be expecting me to speculate on what happened to that little girl, or who may have taken her. "The truth is I don't know, you don't know, and the police don't know. "What I can be sure of is that her parents grieve for her every day." He said the McCanns will be left with many questions, adding: "By now, the little girl on the poster would be turning 16. She would be about to sit her GCSE exams - she might even be dating." Eamonn wrote a heartfelt column for Best magazine and said that the new Netflix documentary, The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, gave him a fresh insight into the tragic case. He said: "It's a well-crafted and intensive piece of work which highlights three awful things: the abduction of a little child, the criminally missed opportunities in finding her, and the almost indescribable pain her parents have gone through, including being accused of killing their own daughter. "A pain which is etched on the faces of Kate and Gerry McCann, and will be for the rest of their lives." A Co Tyrone man who tricked a woman into undressing for him online by claiming to run a modelling agency has lost an appeal against his six-month jail term. Ryan Eastwood, 25, was challenging the sentence imposed after he pleaded guilty to a count of voyeurism. But senior judges in Belfast ruled on Monday the punishment handed down for the "abhorrent" offence was not manifestly excessive. Dismissing the appeal, Lord Justice Stephens said: "He manipulated and controlled this particular woman by preying on her hopes and aspirations." Eastwood, of Coolnagard View in Omagh, contacted the victim in March 2017, using an email address similar to that of a legitimate agency. Masquerading as a modelling boss with the fake name Ryan Edwards, he suggested an online video interview her by Skpe to assess if she was a suitable lingerie model. The Court of Appeal heard the woman was informed he could help her earn up to 50,000. During the calls Eastwood told the victim that he needed her to show her body, asking her to remove her underwear and pose in various outfits. At one point he said she wasn't trying hard enough. The woman then became suspicious, checked the email address and contacted police. Eastwood, who has a previous conviction for a similar offence, admitted the voyeurism charge as he was due to go on trial in December last year. He was given a 12-month sentence, half to be spent behind bars and half on licence following his release. Defence lawyers based their appeal on issues around the victim impact statement and remarks by the trial judge. Despite accepting that her description of Eastwood's behaviour as "bullying" was not strictly accurate, the Court of Appeal held that he had played with her trust for his own sexual gratification. "When the inducement of benefits were not sufficient the appellant also added in derogatory and demeaning comments that she should try harder, so that she most likely felt she was being judged by a real modelling agency and found to be lacking," Lord Justice Stephens said. Concerns were expressed over the contents and timing of a victim impact statement from around a year prior to sentencing. However, the court rejected any suggestion that the term handed down to Eastwood was manifestly excessive. Describing the discount given for his guilty plea as generous, Lord Justice Stephens said he could have admitted his crime at an earlier stage. "He was waiting to see if the complainant turned up to give evidence, he waited to see the whites of her eyes," the judge added. "That is not remorse, that substantially diminishes the reduction that should be available to an accused in such circumstances." A loyalist flute band cap and boots are left in tribute at Cluan Place for the funeral of Ian Ogle (Niall Carson/PA) A man arrested on suspicion of the murder of a community worker has been reported to the PPS. The 37-year-old man was arrested in February on suspicion of the murder of Ian Ogle in east Belfast on Sunday January 27. Ian Ogle, a 45-year-old father of two, died in after he was stabbed and beaten while praying with a pastor on a street near his home in Cluan Place in the east of the city. On Friday morning, Mark Sewell, of Aigburth Park, Belfast, became the third person to appear before Belfast Magistrates Court charged with the murder. Relations between Dublin and London have progressed more over the past two decades than those between the Republic and Northern Ireland, a DUP MP has said. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said people on the island have a tendency to "retreat" and "seek shelter in our own identity" at a time of difficulty. But he called on all sides in the Brexit debate to "rise above" it and "do better". Speaking at Daniel O'Connell's graveside in Glasnevin Cemetery alongside Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, Mr Donaldson said the DUP did not see Brexit "as a vehicle for creating a hard border on the island of Ireland". He was representing the UK Parliament at an event honouring the Irish political heavyweight MP, who campaigned for Catholic emancipation and repeal of the Act of Union. "Daniel O'Connell was a parliamentarian who opposed the use of violence for political purposes," the MP said. "In the aftermath of the murder of Lyra McKee, it's appropriate to say that those who claim to be nationalist and republican and who use violence to further their political aims are not being true to the ideals promoted by people like Daniel O'Connell, who believed that political violence was never justified." He said parts of the Good Friday Agreement had been left "dormant", including north-south relations. "If you asked me 20 years ago which were the relationships most likely to flourish, I wouldn't have said the east-west relationship would have done better than the north-south relationship. But they have, and they started from a low base." He praised the maturity of Anglo-Irish relations up until Brexit. He added: "I hope they flourish again. There is no threat to my unionism from the north-south relationship." He said politicians should "focus less on the border and more on building relationships between these islands". "We need to repair the damage that has been done," he said. "We need the Irish Government to work with the UK Government towards an accommodation that avoids not only a hard border on the island of Ireland, but also a hard border in the Irish Sea." This is the moment a man armed with a knife entered a shop in Londonderry on Sunday afternoon. Two men made off empty handed after attempting to rob a shop on Westland Street at approximately 5:45pm. CCTV footage shows one of the men, wearing a black jacket with the hood pulled up and of a slim build, with a scarf covering the lower half of his face, entering the shop. CCTV images of attempted robbery at Whites Newsagents in Westland Street #Derry yest. Shortly before 6pm these two men entered the shop, one armed with a knife, demanded money. They terrified staff and customers, stabbed at till, tried to smash a glass cover, left empty handed pic.twitter.com/qS22foof6k Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) May 13, 2019 The second suspect is wearing a purple-coloured tracksuit top that was pulled up over his face. The man armed with a knife is reported to have used it to damage the shop till and a screen covering a food counter. Both suspects left the shop on foot, empty handed. Detective Sergeant Richard Donnell confirmed that nobody was injured in the incident but said it must have been a "distressing ordeal" for staff. "I am appealing who was in the area around this time yesterday and saw what happened, or anyone who knows anything about the incident to contact detectives in Strand Road on 101, quoting reference number 1055 of 12/05/19," he said. "Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime." Police have arrested a man after uncovering a mobile fuel laundering site during searches in Newry and south Armagh. Detectives from PSNI Organised Crime Unit conducted nine searches on Monday. They discovered more than 50,000 in cash, mobile phones and documentation. Two lorries and fuel were also seized, along with a related mobile fuel laundering site. The 20-year-old was arrested on suspicion of offences relating to possession and concealing criminal property. He remains in custody. Police appealed for anyone with information to contact police on 101 or to provide anonymous information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. The vandalism is similar to an attack on numerous graves in the cemetery in 2013 More than 100 teenagers went on the rampage at Belfast City Cemetery, damaging headstones and floral tributes, over the weekend. Police responding to the crowd, which had assembled in the cemetery close to the Whiterock Road in west Belfast, subsequently came under attack by the teens who threw bricks, stones and bottles at officers. There was no sign of damage at the graveyard yesterday afternoon but a local resident said she was disgusted at the behaviour of the teenagers. "I'm totally horrified that they think this is acceptable behaviour," she said. "I would say there was more than 100 of them and they were wrecking the place. "Enough is enough - where are their parents when all of this is going on? It's so disrespectful. How would they feel if a grave belonging to their mum or dad or someone else they loved was being treated like this?" A PSNI spokeswoman said police received a report at 8.50pm on Saturday of a large group of youths gathering in the vicinity of the Falls Park and City Cemetery area. She said officers came under "sustained attack" and a number of headstones in the cemetery were damaged. Inspector Natalie McNally said work is under way to establish the identity of the people involved in the unrest. "The behaviour of the youths was an absolute disgrace," she said. "They have no thought or respect for anyone. "A graveyard is a place where grieving families come to pay their respects to their loved ones - a place where they can feel close to those they have lost. "I would ask these youths to take a moment and ask themselves how they would feel if the grave of someone they loved was damaged as a result of this type of wanton behaviour. "Imagine coming into the graveyard and being confronted by this damage. It would be devastating. "The people of west Belfast do not want this. "Everyone should be free to live in peace and not be afraid to go outside because of groups of intimidating youths." Inspector McNally continued: "I do not believe these youths are representative of the youth of west Belfast. "Over the coming days we will be working to identify those involved. "I would appeal to the parents or guardians of those involved to please talk to their children and warn them of the repercussions of their actions and the impact it is having on the whole of the community." In 2013 as many as 30 graves at the cemetery were damaged by vandals, with ornaments and graves smashed in an attack that left bereaved families distraught. The European Union will continue to support the Iran nuclear deal as much as it can with all our instruments and all our political will, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said. She stressed that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) helps to avoid escalation in the region, according to the statement posted on the EEAS website. "We continue to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran and its full implementation. We will have also today in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council a meeting between myself and the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the UK to discuss how to best continue to support the full implementation of the nuclear deal with Iran that for us remains a key pillar of security in our region," Mogherini clarified. She noted that the EU will continue to support it as much as it can. "This is very well known, both in Washington and in Tehran," she noted. According the EU foreign policy chief, they have very serious differences and divergences with Iran, but dialogue is the best way to address differences and avoid escalation in the region. Police and forensic experts at the house in Holywood Investigations are continuing into a fatal house fire in Co Down which claimed the life of a woman in her 60s. Emergency services were called to the scene at a house on Ballymenoch Road in Holywood shortly before 4.30pm on Friday. Fire appliances from Holywood and Knock stations attended the incident before firefighters wearing breathing apparatus quickly brought the blaze under control. Using a thermal imaging camera, they extinguished the fire and found the body of the 66-year-old woman inside. It is believed that the woman, whose name has not yet been released, was home alone at the time while her husband was at work. One neighbour, who attended the scene after spotting smoke coming from the eaves of the property, described it as "heart-wrenching", adding that there was "just smoke everywhere". A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said: "Unfortunately a woman has lost her life in this tragic incident. "The thoughts and sympathies of all those in Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service are with her family and friends of the deceased. The cause of the fire is under investigation." Gordon Dunne, a DUP MLA for North Down, said: "I am shocked and saddened to learn that a lady has died in a house fire in Holywood on Friday evening and my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this lady at this time. "This house fire took place in a quiet residential area. "I know the local community is also saddened by this tragic event." Alliance councillor in Holywood and Clandeboye, Gillian Greer, added: "I would like to offer my condolences to the family and friends of the lady who tragically died in a house fire in Holywood on Friday evening. My thoughts and prayers are with them." A deal to resurrect Stormont can be reached, Theresa May has been told by Sinn Fein. The Prime Minister spoke to political leaders in Northern Ireland as efforts continue to secure the return of devolved government at Stormont. The powersharing institutions have been collapsed since January 2017 following a breakdown in relations between leading parties the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein. A fresh round of talks started last week with what was described as a constructive meeting of the parties. On Monday the Prime Minister spoke to Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald, vice president Michelle ONeill, Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann, Alliance leader Naomi Long, and was due to speak to SDLP leader Colum Eastwood. Downing Street said Mrs May had previously spoken to the DUPs Arlene Foster. Have spoken to Teresa May @10DowningStreet setting out our determination to resolve outstanding issues and establish powersharing institutions. A deal is possible, with equality at its core. Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) May 13, 2019 Mrs McDonald said she told Mrs May that a deal can be reached. We are now into the second week of talks. I told the British Prime Minister the Sinn Fein negotiation team is fully and positively engaged. We believe that the outstanding issues can and must be resolved and the powersharing government re-established at Stormont, she said. The issues we face are not insurmountable or unresolvable. Agreement can be reached and the institutions restored with the positive political will and support of all parties and both governments. Mrs McDonald said they also discussed Brexit and legacy issues. I remain convinced that agreement is possible, and the powersharing institutions can be re-established operating to the highest standards with equality and rights at their core, she said. The British Government has a decisive and central role in facilitating agreement, guaranteeing the agreements and safeguarding the rights and equality of all citizens. Meanwhile Mr Swann said he pressed Mrs May on a number of issues. One of these was the need to act urgently to provide long overdue redress to the victims of historical institutional abuse, he said. It recently emerged that the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, David Sterling, had written to the Secretary of State to ask her to take the work forward, and as a result the Secretary of State now proposes to introduce legislation at Westminster. Given that all five local party leaders in Northern Ireland support such a move, I urged the Prime Minister to give her backing to the Secretary of States plan and to ensure as swift a passage as possible through Westminster so that some assistance can finally be given to those people who have already had to wait for far too long. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: The PM is very keen to see progress being made in the talks and the UK Government, working with the Irish Government, is doing everything in its power to make the talks a success. Mary Lou McDonald has urged Northern Irelands voters to back pro-remain candidates in the European election. The Sinn Fein president called for her partys candidate, Martina Anderson, to be given the number one preference, before transferring to pro-remain, progressive candidates. Mrs McDonald told her party manifesto launch at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast on Monday that the election was a chance to unite behind a pro-remain message. This is the opportunity to reassert the will of the majority of people in the North - @MaryLouMcDonald #EE2019 pic.twitter.com/EqSqWoltKl Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) May 13, 2019 Brexit changes everything for all of us, and its for that reason that we identify this as maybe a unique and unifying moment of solidarity for people who want what is best for all of us right across Ireland, she said. The only thing to do is to vote for pro-remain parties and reject Brexit. Martina Anderson is the strongest advocate of the pro-remain position, I think its important that a pro-remain candidate tops the poll, but I also think its very important that, in the round, the pro-remain argument wins the day. So I would say to everybody, whether they come from unionism or from nationalism, or they are somewhere in between, think long and think hard, and be sure in this European election that we send the right, the accurate and the progressive signal to Brussels, to London, and beyond, that people here are united in a desire for progress to protect our peace process, our peace agreements, to protect our economy, our livelihoods, our agriculture, thats what a vote for a pro-remain candidate amounts to. The message was in stark contrast to Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster who, at her party manifesto launch earlier, urged that Brexit be delivered, rejecting the suggestion of a second confirmatory Brexit referendum as placing democracy at risk. Mrs McDonald urged caution among those calling for a second referendum, questioning whether the result would be any different. In 2016 a majority in Northern Ireland voted to remain, while the majority across the rest of the UK voted to leave the European Union. We are launching our EU manifesto today. Use your vote on 23rd May for @DianeDoddsMEP to send a clear message that the EU referendum result must be implemented and respected. #VoteDUP pic.twitter.com/qTrZD92Jvl DUP (@duponline) May 13, 2019 People here voted to remain and yet that democratic verdict was overridden by the British Government. So if there is a second referendum of course we will go out and campaign again for the remain position, and I believe that would be the position of the vast majority of the people living here. But we need to be realistic about this, even if in that case scenario, if a different decision is taken on the neighbouring island, well then the democratic view is set aside, thats really the crux of the problem, she said. People talk about a second referendum, it might happen just be clear that in the event that if it did happen, you cant be sure that the result in Britain would be any different, so I think it would be a big mistake to put all of your eggs in the second referendum basket. Richard Bruton said the effort needed to tackle climate change has been underestimated (Niall Carson/PA) Irelands climate change minister has said the public will have to adopt a new set of beliefs in a bid to fix the Earths climate. Richard Bruton criticised what he described as the worlds love affair with plastics adding that the effort needed to tackle climate change has been underestimated. Speaking at the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA) in Co Wicklow, the Climate Action Minister said that governments and people of influence will have to lead by example. His comments come days after Ireland became the second country in the world to declare a climate emergency. Minister @RichardbrutonTD makes the opening address to the 58th #BIPA plenary in Druids Glen #Wicklow pic.twitter.com/dhJUvlA6ul British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (@BritishIrishPA) May 13, 2019 The BIPA event promotes co-operation between politicians in the UK and Ireland. The bi-annual event took place on Monday at Druids Glen Hotel. Addressing climate action, Mr Bruton said: We do underestimate it and we havent even thought through the sort of things we need to do. Honesty and information is key to it. If it becomes the elite versus the ordinary person we are lost. We need to get the right information out as I know that two thirds of the plastics people put in the green bin in good faith are not recycled. We have a love affair with plastics. He said that the European Parliaments plan to ban single-use plastic from 2021 was ambitious but added that more can be done. I think thats where we can work with suppliers, not just supermarkets but the whole supply chain, to ensure that plastic is less used and when it is used its not single use, he added. We have a big battle on our hands. It is like a new set of beliefs that we have to adopt. If we are not seen to be making changes in our areas of influence, if we are not out there influencing our supply chain, we wont do it. It was a year which nature reminded us of who is in chargeLaura Burke Laura Burke, director general of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said: Ireland experienced an extraordinary time during 2017 and 2018 where our environment and climate reminded us of the fragile nature of our infrastructure, our economy and food production systems. It was a year which nature reminded us of who is in charge. We do know that with our changing climate the confident predictions are that we can expect such extreme events at greater frequency into the future, and there will be economic and social costs as well as environmental costs. Mitigation is essential, adaptation is equally as essential, anything less is unsustainable indeed irresponsible given what we now know are the impacts of climate change. Targets and limits and standards we now recognise are no longer sufficient, we need people to want to do this, to work towards what will be considered a new normal. Helen Jones, Labour MP for Warrington North, said that now is the time for politicians to tell the public about the real truth about what is needed to save the planet. We can no longer expect all different kinds of fruit and vegetables to be flown around out-of-season. We are going to have to make real changes. 'Figures obtained by the Belfast Telegraph under the Freedom of Information Act show that in 2017 a total of 99 attempted murders were recorded in Northern Ireland, of which 31 did not have Press releases issued' (stock photo) A total of 172 attempted murders were investigated by the PSNI in the last two years(Liam McBurney/PA) The public is not told about one in three murder bids here, it can be revealed today. A total of 172 attempted murders were investigated by the PSNI in the last two years. Yet on 56 occasions, including 18 attempted killings in the Belfast area, the media was not informed. Often local papers and broadcasters are first alerted to major crime by PSNI Press notices. While police said there are legal and operational reasons for not publicising certain cases, others argue that the public has a right to know about serious crime. Figures obtained by the Belfast Telegraph under the Freedom of Information Act show that in 2017 a total of 99 attempted murders were recorded in Northern Ireland, of which 31 did not have Press releases issued. The following year 73 attempted murders were recorded, of which 25 had no Press release issued. Broken down by area over the two years, Belfast had the highest number of attempted murders not reported to the media (18), followed by nine in Lisburn and Castlereagh. Five more were in Derry and Strabane, as well as Ards and North Down, while four occurred in Fermanagh and Omagh. The PSNI's crime statistics, released annually, will include all recorded attempted murders, but this will often be months after the incident and will not state where the incident took place. Ian Murray, executive director for the Society of Editors, said the public has a right to be informed about such serious crimes. "Unfortunately, I'm not surprised at the poor flow of information being released by the PSNI regarding serious crimes, particularly in this case incidents of suspected attempted murder," he said. "All too often it seems the police take the attitude that 'least said, soonest mended', especially if they have someone in mind for the crime and feel they do not need the public to come forward with information or to act as witnesses. "This is not only harmful because it denies the public the right to know the facts surrounding important issues in their communities and enables gossip and rumour to run freely, but should the police need information or witness evidence at a later date, then the trail will inevitably have gone cold." Police said: "The PSNI corporate communications department do not issue Press appeals regarding every single incident and the decision to issue a Press appeal for information will often depend upon the investigative merit and the nature of the incident. "Consideration is given to the wishes of victims, especially where the incident of attempted murder may be of a domestic nature. Appeals for information may not be issued if a suspect is identified or arrested at an early stage." Former Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan said transparency in policing was vital for public confidence, but it was right to restrict information in some cases. "I believe the police should be as open as possible but there are limits on that because of the circumstances of individuals," he said. "The key issue is for the Policing Board to stay informed about these things to get a clear picture of what's happening. "Ultimately, if there's a good reason they shouldn't tell the public, it's going to boil down to minimising harm and maximising the chances of catching the offenders. "For example, if there had been two or three attacks in a particular area, if you had an operation in place to catch the individual, to publicise those at that stage would be counterproductive." Mr McQuillan added there had been a "revolution" in policing since the 1990s as the Troubles ended. "Officers had been reticent to speak out in public as they could be identified, followed home and targeted as they were seen as the face of the organisation," he added. "Now you have younger officers communicating through social media as well as fronting interviews and campaigns. "That's got to be right. It's part of a changing atmosphere." The Police Federation for Northern Ireland, which represents rank-and-file officers, said all cases are included in the annual crime statistics. "The Police Federation for Northern Ireland is all too aware that the workload of officers is considerably more than is reflected in the number of Press releases or appeals that are issued," it said. "In a significant number of cases, incidents are not publicised for very sound reasons, including personal circumstances and sensitivities. "A considerable amount of positive work by officers goes unseen, but is appreciated by individuals and families who find themselves in a distressed state, and that is a central function of the service that is provided by a stretched and under-resourced PSNI. "At any rate, all cases are included in crime statistics published by the PSNI annually." Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald has reportedly asked Northern Ireland's smaller parties at the Stormont talks to commit to serving in a future Executive before beginning negotiations about a possible Programme for Government. The Sunday Business Post reported that Ms McDonald made the request at the start of the talks process last week - but was rebuffed. The paper said that the requests provoked a "tussle" between the Sinn Fein leader and SDLP chief Colum Eastwood. Secretary of State Karen Bradley and Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney reconvened talks aimed at restoring devolution last Tuesday. The talks are expected to last several weeks. Working groups will be set up to address cultural issues such as an Irish Language Act; the reform of Stormont's structures, such as the petition of concern, and rights issues. Before the Assembly and Executive was suspended in early 2017, the Ulster Unionist Party had moved to form an official opposition to the DUP/Sinn Fein bloc at Stormont, with the party declining to accept ministerial office in the power-sharing Executive. The SDLP, too, decided to go into opposition, while the Alliance Party refused to accept the justice portfolio, which was eventually allocated to Independent MLA Claire Sugden. Sinn Fein was asked for comment on the Sunday Business Post claims, but the party had not responded at the time of going to press. Eight per cent of adults in Northern Ireland have deliberately hurt themselves because of concerns about their body image, according to the survey (stock photo) One in eight adults here has had suicidal thoughts or feelings due to concerns about their body image, a survey reveals today. The online poll, published to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, shows that just under a third of adults have felt anxious because of concerns about their appearance. The report - Body Image: How we think and feel about our bodies - also found that just over one in three adults has felt depressed because of their body image, while 20% have felt "shame" because of their body image over the last year. Eight per cent of adults in Northern Ireland have deliberately hurt themselves because of concerns about their body image, according to the survey. YouGov surveyed 4,505 people aged 18-plus in the UK, including 104 here. The survey found that body image issues affected more women than men. One in 10 women said they had self-harmed or "deliberately hurt themselves" because of their body image. That is compared to 4% of men. The survey also found large numbers of men can be affected, with a quarter of UK adult men saying they have felt depressed because of concerns about their body image. The survey asked people about their experiences with social media and advertising. One in five of all UK adults and 46% of 18-24-year-olds said images on social media had caused them to worry about their body image. Nearly six in 10 adults think the UK Government should do more to protect the public from the presentation or use of unhealthy body images in advertising and social media. Mental Health Foundation chief executive Mark Rowland said: "Our survey indicates that many people in Northern Ireland are struggling with concerns about their body image. "For some this is potentially very severe, with people saying they have self-harmed or had suicidal thoughts and feelings." The foundation calls on the Government and relevant industries to take action, including regulation of social media and more powers for the Advertising Standards Authority. Mr Rowland added: "Our survey underscores how commercial, social media and advertising pressures on body image are contributing to mental health problems for millions of people. This social harm has been allowed to develop largely unchecked. "While there have been some positive initiatives, social media companies have frequently been unwilling to take the necessary steps to protect their users from harmful content. "That is why today we are calling on the UK Government to tackle the promotion of unhealthy or idealised body-image images as a specific part of its policy in this area. "New codes of practice should include an expectation that social media companies must take practical steps to ensure that the content they promote does not exacerbate body image concerns. "This could be enforced by the new independent regulator, which is already part of the Government proposals in the Online Harms White Paper." If you or someone you know is in distress or despair, contact the Samaritans free on 116 123. The Darkness Into Light event held in Ormeau Park in Belfast The Darkness Into Light event held in Ormeau Park in Belfast The Darkness Into Light event held in Ormeau Park in Belfast People in Northern Ireland joined thousands across the globe in pre-dawn walks in aid of suicide awareness. Politicians and celebrities were among those taking part in the annual Darkness Into Light events. Held across 202 locations in 19 countries, participants walked together, starting at about 4am on Saturday and walking around 5km as the sun rose. Since the Darkness Into Light initiative began, the walks have helped raise more than 17m. The annual event is the flagship fundraiser for Pieta House, which supports people in suicidal distress or engaging in self-harm. This year is the event's 10th anniversary. Twelve of the venues were in Northern Ireland spanning all six counties, up from nine last year, forming a worldwide chain that stretched from Crossmaglen to Christchurch and from Ormeau Park to Ottawa. Other local walks included at V36 in Newtownabbey and along the banks of the Foyle in Londonderry. In Ballymena, those supporting the event included Ballymena United boss David Jeffrey. Pieta House said staff have helped 40,000 people since their doors opened 13 years ago. The event is sponsored by Electric Ireland. A wheelie bin has been shoved up against the door of a home in Omagh and set on fire in an arson attack. Police are treating the incident, which occurred in Mullaghmore Drive area at around 2.20am on Monday, as arson with attempt to endanger life. Detective Sergeant Reid said: "Damage was caused to the door while the interior of the property sustained smoke damage. No one was in the property at the time and, thankfully, there were no reports of any injuries. "Police attended the scene, along with the NIFRS. "We are treating this as arson with intent to endanger life at this time and would appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time and saw what happened, or anyone who has information which may assist our investigation to contact detectives in Omagh on the non emergency number 101, quoting reference number 101 of 13/05/19." "Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime." Israeli President Reuven Rivlin granted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 14 days more to form a new government after the latter won a fifth term in an April 9 parliamentary election. "Meeting with ... Netanyahu today, who explained the need for additional time to form a government, I acceded to his request and granted an additional 14 days to the time allocated," Rivlin wrote on Twitter, setting May 29 as the new deadline. Netanyahu is negotiating terms with nearly all the right-wing, nationalist and religious parties that form his outgoing government, Reuters reported. A diver has died following an incident off the coast of Donegal. The diver was airlifted from a boat off Inishowen around 1pm on Sunday afternoon. The man is in his 30s but it has not been confirmed if he is local. It has now been confirmed the diver passed away in hospital. Malin Head Coastguard received a report of a diver who was unconscious on a dive boat north of Malin Head. The diver was rushed to Letterkenny University Hospital by the Rescue 118 helicopter for treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival. Prosecutors in Florida have dropped all charges against mixed martial artist Conor McGregor after he was accused of stamping on a fans mobile phone. The Irish fighter had been charged with robbery by sudden snatching and criminal mischief. A trial was due to go ahead on Monday at Miami-Dade County Court but the courts online system has recorded nolle pros next to the charges and the case will not proceed. The alleged incident took place outside the Fontainebleau Hotel on March 11. McGregors lawyer Sam Rabin told Irish broadcaster RTE: This case was officially dropped today. The case is over. He said his client is relieved, adding: He feels he should not have been arrested but he believes that this is a just and fair resolution. A former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, McGregor has become one of the sports biggest stars and a global celebrity. According to Forbes he is worth around 100 million US dollars (75 million), while his social media accounts show a life lived in luxury on private jets and behind the wheels of high-performance cars. A Holocaust-denying American preacher who promotes anti-LGBT rhetoric has been barred from speaking in Ireland later this month. Pastor Steven Anderson had been invited to an event in Dublin by a colleague from Northern Ireland. However, Irish Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has taken the rare step to prevent Mr Anderson from entering the Republic. Mr Anderson has been the subject of petitions calling for him not to be allowed to stage the event in Dublin. He is due to travel to the Irish capital on May 26 and has estimated that 150 people would attend a planned sermon. However, Mr Flanagan said: "I have signed the exclusion order under my executive powers in the interests of public policy." It is understood to be the first time Mr Flanagan has used the power available to him under the Immigration Act 1999. The ban on Mr Anderson takes immediate effect. More than 14,000 people had signed a petition set up by Changing Attitude Ireland, a liberal Church of Ireland group sympathetic to gay people. They claimed Mr Anderson has "advocated exterminating LGBT+ people". He previously posted an online video in which he justified the murders of 49 people in the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando in 2016. The pastor also claimed to pray at night that former US President Barack Obama would die. It was expected that his trip to Dublin would involve commentary on the outcome of last May's abortion referendum in the Republic. Mr Anderson had already been banned from the 26 countries in the Schengen Area, which does not include Ireland. The 38-year-old recently posted a video in which he said his European tour was curtailed but he stilled planned to fly directly to Dublin. "So far so good on Dublin. It is still on," he said. "These events are still going on; the soul-winning and the preaching are still going on. It's just yours truly who won't be there, except I am planning to be there in Ireland. "I am planning to fly directly to Dublin. So, unless they ban me, I'm still going to be there in Dublin," he said. Mr Anderson called for UK followers to travel to the Dublin event. They were to meet at a McDonald's restaurant near the airport from where they would be transported to a secret venue for the seminar. Mr Anderson is a member of the Faithful Word Baptist Church, which is not affiliated to any Christian denominations. Fire crews are tackling a blaze near a beach in the Highlands (Rui Vieira/PA) Firefighters are tackling a wildfire near a beach in the Highlands. The alarm was raised at about 10.12pm on Sunday and fire crews were still at the scene near Melvich beach on Monday afternoon. There are three fire fronts, the longest of which is around 900 metres, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said. A wildfire warning is in place across Scotland until Friday, May 17. Livestock, farmland, wildlife and woodland can all be devastated by these fires as can the lives of people living and working in rural communities Please follow our advice - https://t.co/pWkMCaGDyU pic.twitter.com/ddfT0TdmZf Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (@fire_scot) May 13, 2019 Four fire engines were at the scene dealing with the incident. There were no reports of any injuries. SFRS said a wildfire warning remained place across the country until Friday. The fire service tweeted: Livestock, farmland, wildlife and woodland can all be devastated by these fires as can the lives of people living and working in rural communities. The Sunday Mail and actor Sam Heughan are backing the Scottish Greens (Andrew Milligan/PA) A former senior policy adviser to the Scottish Government has announced his backing for the Scottish Greens ahead of the European elections. Writing in the Courier newspaper, Alex Bell, who advised Alex Salmond during his time as First Minister, suggested that Scotland needs a Green surge to ensure the countrys voice is heard in the face of Brexit. It follows the endorsement of the Scottish Greens by the Sunday Mail and Outlander actor Sam Heughan. In a column, Mr Bell said that voters should take the opportunity to send a message to the largest parties that they must take the planet seriously and urge politicians to declare a climate emergency. He wrote: In keeping with all European elections, its effect will be to say something about the state of domestic affairs. Which is why I shall be voting Green. If you are a nationalist and worried about disloyalty, then the Greens are pro-Indy. If you are a unionist, then an EU vote is no mandate for indyref2. Whats more, the Greens are steadfast Remainers. We have to change profoundly if we are to adapt to climate change, and we need to say that loudly. Even if the protest is lost on Brussels, then our scream will be heard in Holyrood and Westminster. Thirty years on from the last Green surge, we need another, for all our sakes. It's the economy, stupid! Vote for a Green MEP on 23rd May for a Green New Deal which will create jobs and tackle the climate emergency.#VoteGreen2019 #GreenWave pic.twitter.com/5sALK9s77f Scottish Greens (@scottishgreens) May 13, 2019 Maggie Chapman, the Greens co-convener, is standing as the partys lead candidate for the European Parliament election. Lorna Slater, Gillian Mackay, Chas Booth, Mags Hall and Allan Faulds comprise the full list of candidates. Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer welcomed the endorsement from Mr Bell. Its great to have yet another prominent voice get behind our EU elections campaign, said Mr Greer. This is the most important European election weve ever faced, its vital that we elect Scotlands first Green MEP to work in tandem with our European neighbours and tackle the climate emergency. The Scottish Greens are hoping to secure their first MEP (Andrew Milligan/PA) The Greens have welcomed the support of a former senior policy adviser to the Scottish Government ahead of the European elections. Alex Bell, who advised Alex Salmond during his time as first minister, suggested Scotland needs a Green surge to ensure the countrys voice is heard in the face of Brexit. In a column for The Courier newspaper, Mr Bell said voters should take the opportunity to send a message to the largest parties that they must take the planet seriously and urged politicians to declare a climate emergency. It's the economy, stupid! Vote for a Green MEP on 23rd May for a Green New Deal which will create jobs and tackle the climate emergency.#VoteGreen2019 #GreenWave pic.twitter.com/5sALK9s77f Scottish Greens (@scottishgreens) May 13, 2019 He wrote: In keeping with all European elections, its effect will be to say something about the state of domestic affairs. Which is why I shall be voting Green. If you are a nationalist and worried about disloyalty, then the Greens are pro-indy. If you are a unionist, then an EU vote is no mandate for indyref2. Whats more, the Greens are steadfast Remainers. We have to change profoundly if we are to adapt to climate change and we need to say that loudly. He added: Even if the protest is lost on Brussels, then our scream will be heard in Holyrood and Westminster. Thirty years on from the last Green surge, we need another, for all our sakes. The column was published online on Monday after appearing in the papers print edition last Thursday. Since then the party has also received endorsements from the Sunday Mail newspaper and Outlander actor Sam Heughan. Maggie Chapman, the Greens co-convener, is standing as the partys lead candidate for the European Parliament election. Lorna Slater, Gillian Mackay, Chas Booth, Mags Hall and Allan Faulds complete the full list of candidates. Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer welcomed the endorsement from Mr Bell. Its great to have yet another prominent voice get behind our EU elections campaign, he said. This is the most important European election weve ever faced, its vital that we elect Scotlands first Green MEP to work in tandem with our European neighbours and tackle the climate emergency. Investigators will seize a 6 million haul of assets including a 4-star hotel and a 100,000 Bentley, after an eight-year money-laundering probe. The National Crime Agency uncovered an alleged international network that it claimed funnelled hundreds of millions of pounds through more than 100 bank accounts in the UK, Russia, Hong Kong and Switzerland. Its investigation focused on businessman Jonathan Nuttall, 46, from Romsey, Hampshire, who is accused of putting recoverable assets into other peoples names, including his wife Amanda. She won more than 2.5 million on the Lotto in 2008, and could not give a consistent account of how it was spent. Eight-year NCA investigation results in multi-million pound asset recovery including an award winning luxury hotel and a 100k Bentley. Read more: https://t.co/eBlIu3mxXp pic.twitter.com/WryS8RTauI National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) May 12, 2019 The couple rented a 2,000-a-week flat in Londons Belgravia, built a swimming pool at their countryside home, hired a private jet, visited Cannes and Dubai, and shopped in Harrods. Mrs Nuttall, 45, from Romsey, Hampshire, property developer Eric Grove, 89, of Lapworth, Warwickshire, and barrister Timothy Becker, 55, from London, agreed to hand over assets rather than face trial. Eleven properties, including the White Horse Hotel and Brasserie in Romsey, and the luxury car, are part of the haul. Theresa May should trigger the leadership contest to replace her, senior Tories urged as the party braced for humiliation at the European elections. Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the European Research Group of Brexiteer Conservatives, said the May 23 contest looked set to be difficult and pleaded with disillusioned Tories to stick with the party for the sake of Mrs Mays successor. Ministerial aide Huw Merriman said the party faced a mauling as an opinion poll suggested the Conservatives could slump to fifth place in the contest, which is taking place because Brexit has been delayed. Another senior Tory MP said colleagues were looking at opinion polls which suggested they would be toast under Mrs Mays leadership. Environment Secretary Michael Gove indicated he could stand in the race to replace Mrs May. Asked if he would run, he insisted to ITV News was concentrating purely on the cross-party talks with Labour, adding a biblical quote: I think sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. But he added its not a no to the question of running for the leadership. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) The Prime Minister has indicated she will stand down once her Brexit deal gets through, but with significant obstacles to that happening she is under pressure to clarify what she intends to do. She faces senior Tories on Sir Graham Bradys powerful 1922 Committee of backbenchers on Thursday when she will be challenged about the timetable for her departure. The Prime Minister is safe from another confidence motion until December following last years botched coup attempt, but the 22 could change its rules to allow another challenge if she fails to convince members of its executive committee to back her position. Expand Close Nigel Evans said Theresa May should trigger the contest to choose the next leader (John Stillwell/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nigel Evans said Theresa May should trigger the contest to choose the next leader (John Stillwell/PA) Nigel Evans, executive secretary of the 1922, told the Press Association he wanted her to fire the starting gun on the contest to choose a new leader: I would rather hope that she would say Sir Graham, you might as well start the process, I know it is going to take a few weeks. And it will, it will take six to eight weeks to get the whole exercise going, but lets just start it now. He condemned the talks with Labour and the prospect of a Brexit in name only. If she was the chief executive of a private company she would have been shown the door by now, he said. It is absolute contempt for the British people, what is going on. A YouGov study for the Times put the Tories on just 10% for the Euro-election, behind the Brexit Party on 34%, Labour on 16%, the Liberal Democrats on 15% and the Greens on 11%. In a general election, the poll suggested the Tories would be neck and neck with Labour on just 24%, with the Brexit Party on 18% and Lib Dems on 16%. Latest Westminster voting intention (8-9 May) Con - 24% Lab - 24% Brexit Party - 18% Lib Dem - 16% Green - 7% Change UK - 2% UKIP - 2% Other - 6%https://t.co/yr67xo9Oon pic.twitter.com/TCQMz1AsX4 YouGov (@YouGov) May 13, 2019 Asked whether he expected a Tory humiliation, Mr Evans said: Humiliation? No, its worse than that. The opinion polls people are now looking at in the Tea Room are the opinion polls that say never mind the European Union elections, whenever the general happens you are toast. Mr Rees-Mogg hit out at the complete vacuum of leadership at Westminster and said Mrs May had lost the support of the grassroots in Conservative associations across the country. At the moment, nobody is saying anything supportive of the leader or of the leaders policy and the majority of people in associations Im addressing and these are members of the party tell me they are voting for the Brexit Party. On LBC radio Mr Rees-Mogg, whose sister Annunziata is standing for Nigel Farages Brexit Party, called for Conservative voters to show loyalty even if they did not like Mrs May. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) He said: I would appeal to their loyalty, to their tradition, and to say that the Conservative Party will get a new leader at some point. He added: We want that new leader to have a base on which he or she can build and if we find that we are getting under 15% of the vote, if we are coming fifth behind the Greens, then it will be harder for that figure to rebuild. Chancellor Philip Hammonds ministerial aide Huw Merriman said he expected a bleak set of results from the European contests, with both pro-EU and Brexit-supporting voters turning against them. Were at the perfect storm, so yes, I think well get an absolute mauling, he told BBCs Westminster Hour. The ConservativeHome website, an influential voice within the party, said the 1922 Committee should be prepared to change its rules. The websites editor Paul Goodman, a former Tory MP, said: However unpalatable it may be, the Committee must, if she refuses this week to go by the end of the summer, change the leadership challenge rules immediately perhaps with a trigger ballot threshold of 40% or so. We are well aware that the most painless course for them is to opt for manana. But the wait for tomorrow risks marginalisation even oblivion. The last time the 1922 executive considered changing the rules to allow another confidence motion they split nine votes to seven in Mrs Mays favour. But a Conservative source said there were now definitely more than two wobbling on the issue. YouGov polled 2,212 British adults on May 8-9. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that they have spent about $200,000 for the 2018 revolution, noting that it was a "victory of romanticism over pragmatism." Pashinyan assured that he has no "shadow commitments" before anyone, since he has received the money for this revolution from ordinary people. He stressed that this revolution would have been impossible without the social media. "We have spent about $200,000 for our revolution. Where did that money come from? We have asked people. We had an e-wallet and Armenians from all over the world the great part from Russia, in that were donating us money; we spent that money," the PM said in an interview with RBC TV of Russia. Pashinyan stressed that such an approach has enabled the Armenian revolutionaries not to be indebted to any circles. "As a result, the situation in Armenia has changed in a way that now there are no monopolies here," News.am cited him as saying. Food production is extravagant and profligate, Michael Gove has warned as he urged businesses to slash waste. The Environment Secretary was speaking at an event to highlight the problem of food waste. The Step Up To The Plate symposium at Londons Victoria and Albert Museum was attended by key players from food retail and hospitality as well as chefs and social media influencers. Mr Gove and environment minister Therese Coffey were among the first to sign up to a pledge to halve food waste by 2030, along with the Governments new food surplus and waste champion, Ben Elliot, who hosted the event. Mr Gove said: How we produce food says a lot about us and what we value. The way we produce food at the moment is profligate. Expand Close Chefs Thomasina Miers and Anna Jones at the Step Up To The Plate event (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Chefs Thomasina Miers and Anna Jones at the Step Up To The Plate event (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire) We use water and irrigation in a way which is scornful of the limits which this Earth has placed. Everything about the way our food has been produced suggests a degree of extravagance and profligacy, perhaps even heedlessness, about the consequences of our generation of abundance. If you look back at the history of stogies, shepherds pie, bubble and squeak, oxtail soup, all of these are the consequences of past chefs taking food waste seriously and being determined to use every aspect of what the earth has created. Speaking to Press Association, Mr Gove said: The number one recipe for me which utilises food waste are omelettes. One of the great things about omelettes is within reason you can can throw almost anything in. The other thing is both my son and I are omnivores so we are prepared to have combinations on our plate that other people might turn their nose up at. When asked if he would like to see supermarkets selling more vegetables and less meat, Mr Gove said: No I wouldnt say that. Livestock farming can play a very big part in making sure we manage our environment effectively. Im a great meat-eater myself and I think that livestock farmers and dairy farmers play a critical role in making sure that there are very special landscapes in this country that remain beautiful and environmentally resilient. Expand Close Chefs Ken Hom and Angela Hartnett also attended the symposium (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Chefs Ken Hom and Angela Hartnett also attended the symposium (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire) A panel discussed ways to tackle the problem of food waste and its impact on the environment. Suggestions included better education on food waste in schools, a more transparent approach to data in which brands share supply and demand figures publicly, and clamping down on food advertising. Stefano Agostini, chief executive of Nestle in the UK and Ireland, said: We were part of the issue and now we want to be part of the solution. Education in schools will help people to understand earlier. Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby said rather than cutting down on produce, big brands could better tackle food waste by using their profile to raise public awareness of the issue. We can communicate to the wider population. As a food brand we should be non-preachy about it, he said. A domestic abuse survivor told Prime Minister Theresa May her support makes a world of difference as she visited a charity helping women and children. The PM visited Advance, a charity which supports women and children who have survived abuse across the capital, at its headquarters in west London on Monday morning. It coincides with Mrs Mays announcement of plans to end the postcode lottery for domestic abuse survivors and ensure councils have a legal obligation to provide them with secure homes. The new policy, backed by funding, aims to end the variation across the country and bolster protection in the Domestic Abuse Bill being considered by MPs. Domestic abuse has no place in our country and together we must, and will, defeat it. PM @Theresa_May https://t.co/55aMrVFPRr UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) May 13, 2019 In a private meeting with Mrs May, Christina, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, said she was extremely grateful for the PMs support. She said: It was explained to me since youve come in, that certain bills have been changed down to yourself so thank you, it makes a world of difference, it really does. Mrs May replied that the Bill was something Ive been working on for some time, adding: I think this is something in Parliament generally people recognise we need to do more on, so Im pleased to be able to put something through that hopefully will be of real benefit to people. Expand Close The Prime Minister says she wants to end the postcode lottery for victims of domestic abuse (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Prime Minister says she wants to end the postcode lottery for victims of domestic abuse (Victoria Jones/PA) Christina, in her 50s, said she only realised how many people are affected by abuse when she was given help. She was subject to physical and mental abuse by her husband, who was also abusive towards their two children. She said: Its more of an eye opener for me how many people are going through it, since Ive got out of it. When I was in the situation I was very blinded, but when youre out youre just amazed by exactly whats going on, so I appreciate your input, its amazing, thank you. Expand Close Theresa May, left, talks with Advance CEO Niki Scordi (Victoria Jones/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Theresa May, left, talks with Advance CEO Niki Scordi (Victoria Jones/PA) The Prime Minister then heard from other workers at the charity, who told her educations the key at the moment. Mrs May said: I remember talking to a survivor in the past who said that the police from the specialist unit were excellent, but the trouble is if theres a moment of crisis its whoever happens to be there.. Absolutely, one of the case workers there agreed. The Prince of Wales will launch a charity appeal trying to raise 10 million to support the rising demand from veterans needing mental health support. Prince Charles will launch the Combat Stress At Ease appeal at a reception at St Jamess Palace on Monday evening attended by veterans treated by the charity. The At Ease appeal is aiming to raise the 10 million over three years to meet the increasing demand for the charitys services, with new referrals almost doubling to 2,000 a year in the last decade. Living near you are #veterans so traumatised by conflict that their minds are frozen in time, back on the battlefield. #PTSD means theyre trapped in the worst moment of their lives. Help us bring veterans all the way homehttps://t.co/BDYT8pGojo #bringthemhome pic.twitter.com/9AgOxTSrRN Combat Stress (@CombatStress) April 29, 2019 Combat Stress, of which Charles is the patron, said the cash raised will allow it to continue to support veterans with services such as its PTSD intensive treatment programme, short-stay clinical treatment, and a free 24-hour helpline and text number. It will also use the money to launch its PTSD intensive treatment programme in the community to provide more flexible access to treatment, introduce a new video therapy programme, and expand its peer support service. The charitys president General Sir Peter Wall said the campaign will transform the lives of service men and women who have paid a high price for their nation. Sir Peter added: Please help us take this urgent step forward in veteran mental health treatment. I hope you will join us in our mission to change the lives of those veterans and their families who so badly need our help and give your support to the At Ease appeal. With your support, together we can transform the lives of those who have paid a high price for serving their nation. Today our charity is 100 years old. Over time a lot has changed, but the #mentalhealth problems #veterans can face are the same as they were in 1919. Were on a mission to help every veteran who needs us today, tomorrow and in the years to come. #CSCentenary #100storiesin100days pic.twitter.com/z9qjOuFO4e Combat Stress (@CombatStress) May 12, 2019 The charity, which is in its centenary year, helps former servicemen and women deal with trauma-related mental health issues like anxiety, depression and PTSD. Research by Kings College London found that the rate of post-traumatic stress disorder is nearly twice as high among veterans as the general public, the charity added. It said that almost one in five veterans who served on the frontline in Iraq and Afghanistan are predicted to get PTSD. ScotRail has announced it will provide mental health support for anyone who needs it (Danny Lawson/PA) ScotRail has announced it will train more than 50 of its staff to provide mental health first aid to anyone in need. The NHS-accredited training will help employees identify people who may require assistance and guide them towards support services. Some workers have already completed the programme, which involves instruction on listening, reassuring and asking about suicide where appropriate. The announcement was made by ScotRail at the start of Mental Health Awareness Week. Great to see the team from @MHFScot at @NetworkRailGLC this morning for the start of #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek. Make sure you check out their stand if you're passing through the station. pic.twitter.com/0Ll7x24mfn ScotRail (@ScotRail) May 13, 2019 ScotRails occupational health manager Nadya Kuhl said the training will prove worthwhile if it assists anyone in getting the help they need. Ms Kuhl said: ScotRail is absolutely committed to providing appropriate support for mental health issues and the introduction of mental health first aiders will enhance what we can deliver for our own people and customers. We know the importance of engaging and identifying the signs of someone in need of support and how critical this can be to helping with treatment, and ultimately saving lives. If even just one person who is going through a difficult time gets the help they need, then it will be worthwhile. #mentalhealthawarenessweek2019 @BTPwestScotland officers are partnership working with @samaritans patrolling @ScotRail services from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley. Its OK not to be Ok, lets talk. #ItsOkNotToBeOk #smalltalkssaveslives pic.twitter.com/XIuQhAwYLW BTP West Scotland (@BTPWestScot) May 13, 2019 Tom Scott from See Me, Scotlands programme to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination, urged other employers to ensure staff are supported in the workplace. Mr Scott said: There is a significant problem with people in Scotland being able to speak openly about their mental health, especially at work. We want organisations to create cultures that are open in talking about mental health and where discriminatory behaviour is challenged. Its great to see the action that ScotRail are taking to give their staff the confidence and knowledge to have open and supportive conversations on mental health. We have been working with them for the past few months and this is one of a number of things the company has done to challenge stigma and improve cultures for both their staff and their customers. When someone is struggling with their mental health, they deserve help and compassion, and we would urge all workplaces to ensure that their staff feel confident and able to speak about mental health. (Adds Home Office source quotes in final 3 pars) Swedish prosecutors are to reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, deputy director of prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson announced. She told a press conference in Stockholm that circumstances had changes following Assanges arrest last month when he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he had lived for almost seven years. Swedish prosecutors dropped the rape investigation in 2017 because they were unable to proceed while he remained inside the embassy. Assange had also faced investigation for a second sex-related allegation in Sweden, which was dropped in 2017 because the statute of limitations had expired. He denied both allegations. Eva-Marie Persson said: The prosecutor will shortly request that Julian Assange be detained in his absence suspected on probable cause for an allegation of rape from August 2010. To be able to execute a detention order, the prosecutor will issue a European Arrest Warrant. An application for a detention order will be submitted to Uppsala District Court, as the suspected crime took place in Enkoping municipality. On account of Julian Assange leaving the Ecuadorian embassy, the circumstances in this case have changed. I take the view that there exists the possibility to take the case forward. Julian Assange has been convicted of a crime in the UK and will serve 25 weeks of his sentence before he can be released, according to information from UK authorities. I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US. In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority. The outcome of this process is impossible to predict. However, in my view the Swedish case can proceed concurrently with the proceedings in the UK. Reopening the investigation means that a number of investigative measures will take place. In my opinion a new interview with the suspect is required. It may be necessary, with the support of a European Investigation Order, to request an interview with Julian Assange be held in the UK. Such an interview, however, requires Julian Assanges consent. Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks said: Since Julian Assange was arrested on April 11 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case. Recall that it was initially dropped in 2010 when a prosecutor concluded that, no crime at all had occurred. It was reopened as WikiLeaks prepared to publish the Iraq War Logs. This case has been mishandled throughout. After the Swedish prosecutor refused to question Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy for years, it was only when forced by Swedish courts that she travelled to London to finally question Assange. Then Sweden wanted to drop its arrest warrant for Assange as early as 2013. It was the British government that insisted that the case against him continue. Since the investigation was closed in 2017, we have received reports of the destruction of records and correspondence on behalf of UK and Swedish authorities, surely an impediment to a thorough investigation. Assange was always willing to answer any questions from the Swedish authorities and repeatedly offered to do so, over six years. The widespread media assertion that Assange evaded Swedish questioning is false. This investigation has been dropped before and its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name. Home Secretary Sajid Javid could ultimately play a role in deciding whether Assange faces courts in the US or Sweden. It is understood that the Extradition Act says that where there are requests for extradition from both a non-EU state and an EU member the Home Secretary may order proceedings on one of the requests to be deferred until the other has been disposed of, a Whitehall source said. The Home Secretary would take into account factors including the relative seriousness of the offence, whether a person has been convicted and the date of the request for assistance but the source said I would suggest we are not at that point yet. Tescos chief executive has called on the Government to throw Britains ailing high streets a lifeline by slashing business rates with cash raised from a new tax for online retailers. Dave Lewis warned prices are under pressure, innovation is being stifled and stores are closing in their thousands as companies struggle under a system that is outdated, not fit for purpose, and doesnt reflect the way people shop today. Referring to the succession of major high street fatalities in recent years, the business leader said it was impossible not to notice the increasing strain on the retail sector but the Treasury had created a downward spiral by leaving the rates system relatively unchanged. His intervention follows similar calls for rates reform by the heads of John Lewis, Sainsburys, Marks and Spencer and Morrisons. Business rates have a huge impact on every bricks-and-mortar retailerTesco chief executive Dave Lewis Last week the president of the Confederation of British Industry, John Allan, said the system is in need of a fundamental rethink. Mr Lewis has called for rates to be cut by a fifth, with the reduction paid for with a 2% targeted levy on web retailers revenues. Writing in the Daily Mail, he said: It doesnt matter whether you are a large retailer such as Tesco, or run an independent corner shop business rates have a huge impact on every bricks-and-mortar retailer. This is unsustainable. Under the current system, the amount a business pays in rates is calculated with the value of its physical premises. Retailers that only sell products online can operate from out-of-town warehouses that are usually worth far less than commercial property in the town and city centres, meaning their rates are much less than traditional companies. Expand Close Tescos chief executive Dave Lewis (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tescos chief executive Dave Lewis (Gareth Fuller/PA) Mr Lewis said Tesco has seen its headline rates bill double to 700 million in just 10 years, while the total paid by retailers had ballooned to 7.5 billion. Our business rates system has barely evolved since 1988, yet the way people shop has changed profoundly, he said. Online retail has grown dramatically, while sales in shops have fallen. Healthy competition between shops and online is good for customers, and drives innovation. But the ability to compete is undermined when the playing field between shops and online is not level. The proposed levy would be applied to revenue from sales of physical goods online, rather than on individual transactions, so it would be up to retailers whether to pass it on to consumers. As a major online retailer, Tesco would also be subject to the levy, but would commit to not pass a penny of it on to our customers, Mr Lewis said. If we dont act now, we are in danger of missing our chance. The warning signs are stacking up, with another big retail name lost almost every month, he said. As I see it, there are only two choices. We can prolong the status quo, losing jobs and business and impacting communities. Or we can put our tax system back in step with sales. That would level the playing field, reduce the unsustainable burden of rates and increase investment for the good of retail, and our great nation of shopkeepers. Members of a moped gang who carried out a string of high profile raids across London have been jailed after one of their terrifying attacks was exposed by Britains Got Talent judge Amanda Holden. They were caught on CCTV targeting a woman with a young child in broad daylight in Sandpits Road in Richmond. The footage went viral after being circulated on social media by Ms Holden, who asked the public to call 101 or 999 if u know these scumbags. So this I know is happening everywhere but this was Sandpits Road Tw10 -21st June 12;35 broad daylight. Mother and child attached. And some #Heroes in a lorry chased them off. Call 101 or 999 if u know these scumbags.. pic.twitter.com/eOQObkBqQk Amanda Holden (@AmandaHolden) June 26, 2018 Judge Georgina Kent, sentencing at Kingston Crown Court, described the incident as an exceptionally serious and shocking attempted robbery. Pheobe Ruele was walking hand-in-hand with her son whom she had just picked up from nursery when two motorcycles road past, pulled into the road and waited for her on June 21 last year. The court heard John McFadyen, 24, grabbed her arm hard enough to leave finger-mark bruises and told her: Give me your rings. Im going to hurt your child and take him away. Expand Close John McFadyen (Metropolitan Police/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John McFadyen (Metropolitan Police/PA) Footage shows the terrified woman dragging her child into the road before builders brandishing scaffolding poles chase the gang away. The gang aged between 18 and 36, including ringleader Terry Marsh, were sentenced for offences including conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to burgle, conspiracy to steal and handling stolen goods. Taking them off the streets has helped cut moped-enabled crime in the capital by 52% in a year, according to the police. Expand Close Terry Marsh (Metropolitan Police/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Terry Marsh (Metropolitan Police/PA) The defendants used mopeds to block traffic before taking an angle grinder to cameras rigged up to capture the Boat Race last year. Although their first attempt on Putney Bridge was interrupted by an off-duty police officer, a highly-specialised BBC camera worth up to an estimated 180,000 was stolen from Lonsdale Road by Barnes Bridge. Expand Close df / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp df Three gang members Omar Tafat, 22, Josh Myers, 19, and Kian Taylor, 20 were arrested on May 7 last year after a 90 minute high-speed police chase through London. All three had piled on to the same bike. At one point they drove the wrong way up the A40 to try to shake off the helicopter chasing them. The gang carried out a ram raid on high-end outdoor clothing company Altimus Ltd in High Street, Kensington, in December 2017, using a stolen vehicle. Within a month, they returned to raid the store and left the security guard with head injuries, bruises and a foot injury. The two raids cost the business a total of 80,000 in lost goods and damages. Expand Close The gang raid a clothing shop in Kensington High Street (Metropolitan Police/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The gang raid a clothing shop in Kensington High Street (Metropolitan Police/PA) Tafat, 22, of Fulham, was jailed for eight years and five months for offences including conspiracy to steal and attempted robbery. Myers, 19, of Shepherds Bush, was sentenced to eight years in a young offenders institution after admitting charges including dangerous driving and conspiracy to steal. He was found guilty of two further counts of robbery and possession of an offensive weapon. Taylor, of no fixed address, was sentenced to nine years and four months at a young offenders institution for offences including conspiracy to steal and attempted robbery. Steven Weller, 36, of Ealing, was jailed for six years and seven months for offences including conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to burgle. Marsh, 32, of Fulham, was jailed for 13 years and two months for offences including conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to steal. Ryan Moran, 36, of Fulham, was given concurrent suspended sentences of two months for conspiracy to steal, 24 months for conspiracy to burgle and a month for handling stolen goods. John McFadyen, 24, of Feltham, was jailed for 32 months for conspiracy to rob, while his brother Isaac, 19, was sentenced to 32 months in a young offenders institution for the same offence. Expand Close Mitchell Leaver (Metropolitan Police/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mitchell Leaver (Metropolitan Police/PA) Mitchell Leaver, 18, of Battersea, was given a 12 month suspended sentence after admitting conspiracy to burgle. Scott Leaver, 25, of Lambeth, was sentenced to 56 months imprisonment after being found guilty of the same charge. Aaron Pask, 27, of White City, was sentenced to six years and eight months for offences including conspiracy to steal. Ram Monk 23, of no fixed address, was jailed for two years and eight months after being found guilty of conspiracy to burgle. Mr Olivares died days after he was attacked (AP) Argentinian politician Hector Olivares has died three days after being seriously wounded in a gun attack that also killed a provincial official. President Mauricio Macri decreed a 48-hour period of national mourning after acting Argentinian senate leader Federico Pinedo announced the death. At least six people have been detained in what has been described as a mafia-style attack on Thursday that shocked the nation. Expand Close Forensic investigations at the scene of the shooting (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Forensic investigations at the scene of the shooting (AP) Officials said two gunmen in a parked car shot and wounded Mr Olivares and killed Miguel Marcelo Yadon near the congressional building in Buenos Aires. Mr Olivares, a member of the pro-government Radical Civic Union party, represented La Rioja province in the chamber of deputies, the lower house of congress. Mr Yadon worked for La Riojas federal electric transportation system. Authorities have said investigators are working to determine a motive. China has announced it is raising tariffs on 60 billion dollars (46 billion) of US goods in retaliation for the latest hike in American tariffs on its exports. The move deepened a trade battle between the countries and sent financial markets into a tailspin. The finance ministry said the new penalty duties of 5% to 25% on hundreds of US products, including batteries, spinach and coffee, will take effect on June 1. With investors worried about the potential economic damage on all sides from the escalating trade war, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 617 points, or 2.4%, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq plunged 270 points, or 3.4%, in its biggest drop of the year. Earlier, stocks fell in Europe and Asia. Right now, we appear to be in a slow-motion train wreck, with both sides sticking to their positions, said William Reinsch, a trade analyst at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and a former US trade official. As is often the case, however, the losers will not be the negotiators or presidents but the people. Beijings move followed Donald Trumps increase on Friday of duties on 200 billion dollars (153 billion) of Chinese imports from 10% to 25% after claiming that China had backtracked on commitments it made in earlier negotiations in a dispute over Beijings technology ambitions and perennial trade surplus. Resuming his messages over Twitter early Monday, President Trump warned Chinese President Xi Jinping that China will be hurt very badly if it doesnt agree to a trade deal. Mr Trump tweeted China had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out! Mr Trump insisted the tariffs the US has placed on Chinese goods do not hurt American consumers, saying there is no reason for the US consumer to pay the tariffs. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow acknowledged on Sunday that US consumers and businesses pay the tariffs. Both sides will pay, he said. China had vowed necessary countermeasures on Friday against Mr Trumps escalation of the tariff conflict. Beijing is running out of US imports for penalties due to the lopsided trade balance between the worlds two largest economies. Regulators have targeted American companies in China by slowing down customs clearance for shipments and processing of business licences. The new tariffs are likely to hurt exporters on both sides, as well as European and Asian companies that trade between the United States and China or supply components and raw materials to their manufacturers. The increases already in place have disrupted trade in goods from soybeans to medical equipment and sent shockwaves through other Asian economies that supply Chinese factories. Forecasters have warned that the US tariff hikes could disrupt a Chinese recovery that had appeared to be gaining traction. Growth in the worlds second-largest economy held steady at 6.4% over a year earlier in January-March, supported by higher government spending and bank lending. The tensions raise fresh doubts about this recovery path, said Morgan Stanley economists Robin Xing, Jenny Zheng and Zhipeng Cai. The latest talks ended with no word of progress on Friday. A North Korean cargo ship seized by the US on suspicion of violating international sanctions will undergo an inspection after it arrived at the capital of American Samoa. The Wise Honest was towed to the port of Pago Pago on Saturday morning and docked that afternoon. The trip from Indonesia took about three weeks, with the US territory of American Samoa chosen as a destination because of its central strategic location in the South Pacific, a US coast guard spokeswoman said. Amanda Wyrick added: We also have a good strong relationship and partnership with the American Samoan government. Expand Close The Wise Honest is suspected of being used to violate international sanctions (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Wise Honest is suspected of being used to violate international sanctions (AP) With that being said, we also already have the resources that are able to ensure the security of the vessel but most importantly the Port of Pago Pago. Indonesian authorities detained the ship in April 2018. US justice department officials announced on Thursday that the US has now seized the ship. Asked about how long the vessel will be in American Samoa, Ms Wyrick said the US department of justice is leading the investigation so they will be conducting that. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the ship will be moved. She said the next destination is not yet known. Officials are also making sure the port is protected. Expand Close US coast guard spokeswoman Amanda Wyrick (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp US coast guard spokeswoman Amanda Wyrick (AP) We, especially in the Coast Guard, understand the importance of the port. Its a lifeline in getting goods to the islands, Ms Wyrick said. So we want to make sure that were doing everything we can, to make sure that theres absolutely no disruption to the flow of commerce coming in and out. The US government dispatched an inspection team to the ship before it docked in Pago Pago, she said. Ms Myrick noted there was an inspection conducted before the vessel left Indonesia and, because the ship has been at sea for three weeks, its subject to the elements. She said investigators had to make sure the structural integrity of the ship is still intact. US officials made the announcement of the ships seizure hours after North Korea fired two suspected short-range missiles towards the sea, the second weapons launch in five days and a possible signal that stalled talks over Pyongyangs nuclear weapons programme are in trouble. U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has cancelled his visit to Moscow scheduled for Monday but still plans to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Sochi on May 14 as planned, Reuters reported citing a State Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Today, instead of Moscow, Pompeo will arrive in Brussels, where he will discuss the situation concerning Iran with EU officials. According to the agency, he has departed from Washington and is heading to Europe. Earlier it was reported that Pompeo would come to Moscow today. He is expected to arrive in Sochi tomorrow afternoon and hold talks with Lavrov. Kremlin did not rule out that Russian President Vladimir Putin would receive Pompeo in Sochi. Protesters shout slogans during a rally in Tirana on Monday (Hektor Pustina/AP) Anti-government protesters in Albania have hurled firebombs and flares at riot police standing in front of the main government building. Thousands of demonstrators, many holding umbrellas, were standing in driving rain as thick clouds of white smoke from flares hung above them on Monday. Protests over the weekend turned hostile, with opposition supporters showering police officers with firebombs as they responded with tear gas. Injuries were reported on both sides. Expand Close Protesters throw petrol bombs at the National Police Headquarters during clashes in Tirana on Monday (Hektor Pustina/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters throw petrol bombs at the National Police Headquarters during clashes in Tirana on Monday (Hektor Pustina/AP) Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama denounced the violent behaviour of protesters, saying Albania is damaged. Before Mondays protest, the Interior Ministry said the opposition would try to repeat the same acts of violence. But the opposition Democratic Party accused the government of trying to stir up confrontation, conflict and fear among citizens. We assure citizens that the Democratic Party is committed only to a peaceful protest, it said. Expand Close A protester falls as he tries to remove a fence (Hektor Pustina/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A protester falls as he tries to remove a fence (Hektor Pustina/AP) The opposition has been holding protests since mid-February, accusing government officials of corruption and stealing votes in the parliamentary election two years ago. They are demanding a transitory government and an early election. Opposition politicians relinquished their seats in parliament in protest, though many vacancies ultimately were filled by other opposition candidates. The governing Socialists have 74 seats in the 140-seat parliament. Violent demonstrations are damaging Albania's democratic reform efforts and the country's prospects for moving forward on the EU pathUS Embassy in Tirana A US Embassy statement in Tirana on Monday called on opposition leaders to condemn violence and ensure that all future public protests are orderly and peaceful. Violent demonstrations are damaging Albanias democratic reform efforts and the countrys prospects for moving forward on the EU path, it said, urging them to engage in a constructive dialogue aimed at bringing an end to the political impasse. European parliamentarians also called on Albanians to restrain from all forms of violence because the recent violence could give the wrong impression that Albania is not ready for the opening of the accession negotiations in June this year. Italian, German and British embassies also called for a peaceful protest and enter into dialogue. Albania expects to hear in June whether the EU will grant its request to launch full membership negotiations. Swedish prosecutors are set to reveal whether they will reopen a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Eva-Marie Persson, Swedens deputy director of public prosecutions, is scheduled to hold a news conference in Stockholm at 10am BST. If Sweden relaunches the case, that could leave the UK with a decision to make on whether to extradite Assange to the Scandinavian country or the United States. Expand Close The WikiLeaks founder had stayed at the Ecuadorian embassy in London for several years (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The WikiLeaks founder had stayed at the Ecuadorian embassy in London for several years (Victoria Jones/PA) Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010. Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which could not be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations in that case expires in August 2020. The case was opened following complaints from two Swedish women who said they were the victims of sex crimes committed by Assange. He has denied the allegations, asserting that they were politically motivated and that the sex was consensual. A police officer who heard the womens accounts decided there was reason to suspect they were victims of sex crimes and handed the case to a prosecutor. Assange left Sweden for Britain in September 2010. In November that year, a Stockholm court approved a request to detain him for questioning. The Australian took refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden. He was arrested by UK police on April 11 after Ecuador revoked his political asylum, accusing him of everything from meddling in the nations foreign affairs to poor hygiene. Currently, Assange is in Londons Belmarsh Prison serving a 50-week sentence for jumping bail in 2012. He is also being held on a US extradition warrant for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. If there are competing extradition requests from Sweden and the US, UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid is expected to have the final say over which claim takes priority. Fishermen cross the sea waters off Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, near the Strait of Hormuz. (AP/Kamran Jebreili) The United Arab Emirates has said that four commercial ships off its eastern coast were subjected to sabotage operations, just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at a nearby Emirati port. Emirati officials declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible. However, the reported incident comes as the US has warned ships that Iran or its proxies could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. Expand Close DF / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp DF The incident happened as America deploys an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran. Tensions have risen in the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Irans economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. The statement from the UAEs Foreign Ministry put the ships near the countrys territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah. It said it was investigating the incident in co-operation with local and international bodies. It said there were no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels and no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel. Earlier on Sunday, Lebanons pro-Iran satellite channel Al-Mayadeen, quoting Gulf sources, falsely reported that a series of explosions had struck Fujairahs port. State and semi-official media in Iran picked up the reports, citing Al-Mayadeen, which later published the names of vessels it claimed were involved in the incident. The Associated Press, after speaking to Emirati officials and local witnesses, found the reports about an explosion at the port to be unsubstantiated. The reported sabotage incident comes after the US Maritime Administration warned last week that Iran could target commercial sea traffic. Since early May, there is an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against US and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, the warning read. Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or US military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, or the Persian Gulf. New codes of practice would be enforced by an independent regulator, and would make social media companies responsible for taking practical steps to ensure that their content does not exacerbate people's concerns about body image The results of a new survey published today reveal that one in eight adults in Northern Ireland has had suicidal thoughts or feelings because of concerns about body image. The survey, published to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, underlines that just less than a third of adults here have felt anxiety because of concerns about their body image. The report - Body Image: How we think and feel about our bodies - also reveals that just over one in three adults questioned had felt depressed because of their body image, while 20% have experienced "shame" over the past year for the same reason. These figures are made even more shocking by the revelation that some of the respondents said that they had self-harmed. The publication follows a weekend of Darkness Into Light events, where thousands throughout Ireland took part in a global campaign to raise awareness of suicide. Figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency reveal that 463 people took their own lives in the 18 months since January 2017. As with many modern scourges, the influence of social media is seen as largely baleful in promoting the viewing of unhealthy body images, marginalising - or worse, ostracising - those who do not live up to their "ideal" shape. The Mental Health Foundation is asking the Government to introduce new codes of practice. These would be enforced by an independent regulator, and would make social media companies responsible for taking practical steps to ensure that their content does not exacerbate people's concerns about body image. Despite the huge advances of recent years, the mental health professionals still report that they have to fight to have their specialism taken seriously. However, while more must be done, a healthcare issue that regularly claims more lives than the Troubles at their height has long since been shorn of a Cinderella status. While state interference is rightly seen as the enemy of media freedom and must be rigorously justified - and even more rigorously policed - the social benefits of the proposals by the Mental Health Foundation vastly outweigh any potential detriment to the principle of free expression. If the Government ignores this eminently sensible policy initiative, it will do so at its own very considerable peril. A protest at Stormont in February last year in favour of an Irish Language Act Twenty years on from the Belfast Agreement that resulted in the establishment of Foras na Gaeilge, the all-island Irish language body, the Irish language landscape in the north has changed radically. The Irish language revival in the 1980s and 1990s in the north was primarily focused on Irish-medium immersion schools, and few sources of state funding existed to support fledgling language initiatives emerging where Irish-medium schools had been established. The Belfast Agreement recognised that Irish was a key dimension in the peace process and the establishment of Foras na Gaeilge transformed the landscape. It legitimised support for Irish and, through the establishment of Comhairle na Gaelscolaiochta and Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaiochta, regularised support for Irish-medium education. Foras na Gaeilge and these two Irish-medium schools' bodies provided government in the north with a way to fund and support Irish. In the early years following its establishment, Foras na Gaeilge established several community-based language initiatives that provided a framework and infrastructure for the development of Irish. Most of these were community initiatives, conceived and maintained through high levels of voluntary commitment and, while impressive in terms of their achievement, were unsustainable in the longer term without state funding. They included Culturlann McAdam O Fiaich in west Belfast; an Gaelaras, now Culturlann Ui Chanain in Derry; and Raidio Failte, the community radio station in Belfast, now housed in new, purpose-built premises on Divis Street. The creation of the all-island organisation ensured funding and long-term sustainability for these and other projects. Foras na Gaeilge also provided much-needed funding for several small, voluntary Irish language organisations previously maintained through goodwill and very meagre resources. These were able to flourish with annual funding from Foras na Gaeilge. While funding for these projects was welcomed, providing a boost to the language, there was little evidence of coherent language planning in the design of the funding structures, or in the initiatives that initially emerged. Foras na Gaeilge essentially funded organisations that demonstrated the ability to manage funding efficiently and good corporate governance structures. No formal analysis of the needs of the language or the language communities in either jurisdiction preceded the establishment of the Belfast Agreement language structures. As a result Foras na Gaeilge became the vehicle for governments to streamline ad hoc funding arrangements and, in the early years following its establishment, both governments transferred several previously funded language projects to Foras na Gaeilge. With an eye to expedience, this was done with little reference to language planning or to the needs of language communities. Foras na Gaeilge thus inherited responsibility for as many as 19 Irish language organisations and several language initiatives. In some cases organisations had similar aims and objectives and competed with each other. The Irish language sector was a disorganised one and little cognisance was taken of the potential advantages of cross-border approaches or economies of scale. In subsequent years Foras na Gaeilge's analysis of the needs of language communities, coupled with strategic planning on the part of both governments, began a focus on language priorities - an approach based on language-planning rationale, rather than ad hoc initiatives. This welcome departure unfortunately coincided with the economic downturn. Cuts in funding by both governments following the economic collapse in the south, and reductions in public funding in the north, resulted in Foras na Gaeilge's funding being cut by around 5m since 2008, a reduction of around 25%. Notwithstanding the inevitable pressures that come with such a reduction in funding, the Irish language landscape in the north has continued to develop. Foras na Gaeilge now funds language development officers in 14 different communities in the north to support their Irish-medium school communities. Foras na Gaeilge funds new pre-school initiatives. Several communities have developed Irish language childcare projects to support parents raising their families with Irish. A planned, coherent approach has ensured that the Irish-medium organisations Comhairle na Gaelscolaiochta and Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaiochta have been enabled to maximise return on their own investment in the Irish-medium sector. Foras na Gaeilge's funding strategy, based on language-planning principles, has allowed the Irish language capital investment fund, An Ciste Infheistiochta, to maximise return on capital investments, where development officers funded by Foras na Gaeilge support capital projects. Continuing support for staffing in the Culturlanna in Belfast and Derry has allowed those projects to become flagships for language development across the island and become best practice pathfinders for minority language development in the south and abroad. Staffing support for the community radio station Raidio Failte has allowed it to benefit from Government capital investment and to extend its influence beyond Belfast. Foras na Gaeilge has developed all-island approaches to several programmes, including funding for summer camps, youth activities, publishing and writers, drama groups, festivals and literary events. Projects in the north have fared well under this approach. Foras na Gaeilge has also funded staff at An tAisaonad Lan-Ghaeilge, at St Mary's University College, to produce Irish-medium resources and it facilitates all-Ireland collaboration on Irish-medium classroom resources between the CCEA and the Department of Education and Skills in the south. In addition to this all-island approach, supporting publishing, online media and Irish-medium resources, our flagship online dictionary and terminology initiatives - focloir.ie and tearma.ie - have served Irish language communities throughout the island well. Language communities benefit irrespective of their location. The all-island approach, while it has much to commend it from a language-planning perspective, is not Foras na Gaeilge's only approach. Our funding programmes for Gaeltacht scholarships for school pupils; our funding for the East Belfast Mission's Turas project to promote Irish in Protestant/unionist communities; and funding to support development officer posts in local councils are focused on the north only, recognising that these are areas of specific need. In place of the 19 support organisations once funded by Foras na Gaeilge, it now funds nine organisations. Since 2014, six lead organisations are funded to support the development of Irish in the community throughout the island. With offices across the country - in Belfast, Armagh, Newry, Meath, Dublin and Galway - these organisations receive a substantial share of Foras na Gaeilge's budget to develop their capacity in their specific specialisms in a planned, long-term strategy. The six lead organisations work closely together in partnership, each with a distinct role that addresses specific language needs in the community, with a focus on developing language social networks and community development structures that can be built on over time. This approach has brought particular dividends is respect of language awareness across the island and particularly in the north, where the Irish language has never had a higher profile in the community and in the media. Because of the success of these structures and of Foras na Gaeilge's funding strategy, expectations are rightly increasing in relation to language activities, rights and opportunities. Funding cuts to the Foras na Gaeilge budget of around 25% in the last 10 years have not been addressed, although demand for funding continues to increase across the country. Challenges exist and must be addressed by both governments in relation to Irish. Lessons learned illustrate clearly that well-planned approaches based on the strategic needs of the language and the communities wishing to embrace it serve us best. Sean O Coinn is chief executive of Foras na Gaeilge Indonesia will aim to push interest-free Islamic banking into the mainstream and boost domestic production of halal (permissible) foods, products and services when the worlds most populous Muslim-majority country unveils its first Sharia economic master plan on Tuesday, a government official said. The plan outlines efforts to grow Islamic economic sectors such as finance, manufacturing, food, fashion and tourism, Muhammad Cholifihani, director of financial services at the National Development Planning Board, told BenarNews. The Sharia plan will not replace the economic system of the multi-religious country but instead support development through Islamic-friendly programs as a component of the overall economy. We aim for improvements in terms of economies of scale, economic independence and our ranking in the Global Islamic Economy Report, Cholifihani said, adding that strengthening small- and medium-sized enterprises was among the goals. Officials hope that by improving the climate for Islamic finance, the government would attract investment from oil-rich Middle Eastern countries and others, which want to invest in ethically and socially responsible projects, according to the planning board. Officials did not release the master plan ahead of its unveiling. The government began promoting Sharia economic development in the 2015-2019 National Medium-Term Development Plan. It included Islamic banking as a foundation. In 2015, the Indonesian Sharia Financial Architecture (AKSI) roadmap was released, followed the next year by a presidential regulation that paved the way for the creation of the National Islamic Finance Committee (KNKS). Indonesia ranked 10th in the 2018 State of the Global Islamic Economy report in the category of Islamic finance. Islamic banking accounted for only 5.7 percent, or 444.43 trillion rupiah ($30.8 billion), of the countrys total banking assets, as of June 2018. Cholifihani blamed a shortage of funding and skilled manpower for hampering growth in the financial sector, adding that officials would like to the figure grow to 10 percent. Growth is not as massive as in other countries, Cholifihani said. Halal certification Cholifihani said the government had adopted a law on halal certification issued in 2014. The law mandates the establishment of a Halal Product Guarantee Agency (BPJPH) as a regulator for halal certification. While BPJPH was established in 2017, the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), a semi-official body of Islamic scholars, has not relinquished its role in handling certifications. Such an agency is needed because certification will allow Indonesian halal products to be recognized abroad. We have a food and drug department at MUI, but its not a government agency and not recognized by the OIC (Islamic Conference Organization), he said. There are 17 industrial sectors including agriculture, manufacturing and services that can be labeled halal. The public will be more comfortable because there is halal certification, Cholifihani said. The potential will be large in terms of gross domestic product if we can export. Our trade balance will also improve. Cholifihani said that lower cost of halal certification for micro, small and medium enterprises would improve their value. Under halal or ethical investment standards, Muslims are prohibited from investing in companies involved with alcohol, tobacco, gambling, pork and weapons. In 2017 alone, consumption of halal products in Indonesia reached 37.6 percent of the total global consumption estimated at U.S. $2.1 trillion. Most of the goods were not produced in Indonesia, according to officials. Globally, Indonesia is not a major producer. In fact, many halal products sold in Indonesia come from (non-Muslim) countries like Thailand, Cholifihani said. That is a challenge. We are more consumers than producers. An alternative Islamic economics offered an alternative for Muslim- and non-Muslim-majority countries amid global uncertainty, said Greget Kalla Buana, a Sharia finance expert at the United Nations Development Program. The Islamic finance industry, as part of its own sharia economic ecosystem, has grown 10 percent to 12 percent per year on the global scale and has become one of the fastest growing industrial sectors in the world, he said. Islamic financial assets alone are expected to break $3 trillion by 2020. This is just Islamic finance, not including other sharia economic sectors. It is clear that the Islamic economy has enormous potential, Greget told BenarNews. Sharia economic goals are similar to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Greget said. Linkage with various aspects of human life as explained through the SDGs make Islamic economics not simply about growth figures, but also the substance behind that growth, he said. For example, there is a focus on alleviating poverty, hunger and inequality seen from the moral, material, spiritual, social and environmental dimensions. Sharia economic development is needed to support the attainment of the SDGs, Greget said. The Islamic economic system could offer more benefits than the conventional one, said Rahmatina Awaliah Kasri, a lecturer in Islamic economics at the University of Indonesia. In the banking system for example, the profit-sharing system practiced by Islamic banking institutions is conceptually fairer and more stable than the banking system based on the interest system, Rahmatina told BenarNews, adding the sharia economic system could increase financial inclusiveness. There are Muslim groups who dont want to use conventional banking and insurance services because they are considered usurious, she said. Islamic economic instruments such as zakat (alms) and waqf (endowment) could complement conventional government anti-poverty policies, she said. In addition, growth in Islamic economic sectors could attract global investors, according to Abra Talattov, an economist at the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance. Unless Indonesia takes swift action, it will be left behind, because its lagging behind even countries whose majority of people are not Muslims, Abra told BenarNews. Of course the government also needs to build infrastructure both physically and non-physically, he said. Abara said Sharia economic systems were not in opposition to the conventional ones. In the end people think rationally. If a practice is profitable, people will be interested, he said. A Filipino boy eats a packed lunch given by an unidentified candidate at the Pantal Elementary School in the northern Philippine city of Dagupan as voters wait to cast their ballots in the nations midterm elections, May 13, 2019. Filipinos cast their ballots Monday to elect half of the Senate and thousands of local executives during midterm elections largely expected to solidify President Rodrigo Dutertes grip on legislative power, allowing him to prolong his deadly anti-drugs campaign in the last three years of his term. The polls, in which more than 61 million registered to vote, were largely peaceful, but saw scattered violence especially in the southern region of Mindanao, police said. The region remains under martial law imposed by Duterte two years earlier to counter Islamic State-linked militants. Duterte spoke briefly to reporters in his southern hometown Davao shortly after voting, and acknowledged that the polling was a bellwether of sorts on his presidency. It could be. It could be taken as one referendum. So that if you agree with me, then you can vote for my candidates or the people I am supporting this election, Duterte said. "Now if I am repudiated by the loss of all candidates coming from the Hugpong slate, then that would indicate that the majority of the people do not like me," he said, citing the name of his daughter's political party, under which his candidates ran. He said that while early results showed his candidates in the lead, I would always place the odds at 50-50. Official results would be announced in a few days, according to the Commission on Elections. The police and military deployed about 300,000 men nationwide, although the heightened security failed to prevent an outbreak of violence especially in far-flung provinces in the south. Voters cast their ballots to choose half of the 24 member Senate, nearly 300 congressmen, as well as thousands of local posts, from governors to mayors and councilors, Days before the vote, Duterte had gone on the last leg of the campaign and urged the public to vote for his candidates as he attacked the opposition as a bunch of inexperienced politicians out to thwart his governments agenda. I still have three years, he said Saturday, as he vowed his drug war would go on. No quarters given, no quarters asked, as long as it involves drugs. He also hit out at the opposition slate, which includes eight personalities, only two of whom stand a chance, according to latest poll surveys. Opposition senatorial candidate Chel Diokno, a human rights lawyer, has emerged as a popular choice among university students. His Free Legal Assistance Group has been assisting families of alleged drug users killed in Dutertes bloody drugs war. Early, unofficial results hours after the vote showed Diokno lagging in the count, with one-time Duterte personal aide, Bong Go, and the presidents ex-police chief, Ronald dela Rosa, in the winning circle. A woman helps a man in a wheelchair after he cast his ballot at a Manila polling precinct, May 13, 2019. [Luis Liwanag/BenarNews] Hoping for an independent Senate Diokno conceded that he made up his mind about running for office a little too late. After casting his ballot, he thanked all his supporters and said he fought a fair fight at the grassroots level. We hope that it produces an independent Senate, one that provides adequate checks and balances to this administration, Diokno told BenarNews. Without this, we are wary that our country may descend further into lawlessness, that we will lose more of our territory and natural resources to China and that a new constitution that favors political dynasties will be railroaded through Congress. National police chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said a shooting incident in the southern Island town of Panglima Estino in Sulu left nine people wounded. At least three bomb explosions were also recorded in the south, two of them in Maguindanao province, and another in the city of Marawi, which remains under tight military control, he said. The opening hours of balloting in the country's more than 36,830 voting centers turned out to be relatively peaceful, Albayalde said. He said that since campaign season began early this year until Monday, more than 43 incidents have been recorded, with 20 people killed and 24 wounded. More than 5,000 people were also arrested for violating a nationwide gun ban. Albayalde said that five people were wounded in gunfights outside a polling precinct in Panglima Estino town in the far-flung southern province of Sulu, but that the situation is under control and investigation is ongoing to identify the suspects. Police officers had received reports of massive vote-buying allegedly involving local candidates, Albayalde said. In Cotabato City, at least three grenade explosions occurred outside the city hall around 10 p.m. Sunday night before the distribution of election paraphernalia but there were no reported casualties, said police commander Col. Michael Lebanan. In the nearby town of Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao province, a loud explosion also occurred a few hours before polling centers opened on Monday. In Parang town, five bystanders outside a polling center were wounded when they were attacked by unknown gunmen at nooon, authorities said. Despite the security concerns, the voting went on but several vote counting machines malfunctioned, prompting officers to resort to manual voting. Former Vice President Jejomar Binay cast his vote in Manila, but the vote-counting machine malfunctioned and rejected his accomplished ballot. I was disappointed. Eight times my accomplished ballot was rejected, he told reporters as he claimed he doubted the integrity of the midterm elections. A referendum on the drug war New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned on Monday that the controversial drug war is likely to continue in the remaining years of Dutertes presidency as administration candidates were dominating in the polls, according to partial, and unofficial results. The election is a referendum on Dutertes bloody reign. Looks like administration party will dominate. That is scary because this means there will be Duterte clones in years ahead. The drug-war killings will not stop, Carlos Conde, a researcher for the HRW in Asia, said in a statement. Richard Javad Heydarian, a political analyst at De La Salle University in Manila, said that only about 15 percent of Filipinos were categorically committed to democracy, while the rest were either comfortable with Duterte or preferred to stay on the sidelines. Heydarian said that of the eight or nine administration candidates that could win, only two of them, dela Rosa and Go, are solid Duterte allies. The rest are just going along with him, but are likely to also keep their own counsel. Jeoffrey Maitem and Mark Navales in Cotabato City, Dennis Jay Santos in Davao City, Froilan Gallardo in Cagayan de Oro, Richel V. in Iligan; and Luis Liwanag and Jojo Rinoza in Manila contributed to this report. Uttama Savanayana, leader of Palang Pracharat Party, (center) joins with leaders of 11 parties vowing to form a coalition to establish new government, May 13, 2019. A pro-junta party in Thailand obtained 11 more seats in parliament Monday, which could give it the 376 seats needed to form a government if all 250 senators appointed by the junta back the alliance. Palang Pracharat Party (PPP), which vows to support Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-chas bid to retain power, joined 11 smaller parties to announce an alliance to overcome the opposition led by the Pheu Thai Party. We are confident in and we reiterate that we will vote for Prayuth to be prime minister, Sampan Lertnuwat, leader of Polamuang Thai Party, told reporters in Bangkok. We, 11 parties with 11 seats, want to see the new government take shape at the soonest possible time. Prayuth assumed the role of prime minister after leading a military coup that overthrew the democratic government of Yingluck Shinawatra in May 2014. Pheu Thai Party supports Yinglucks brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, whose government was toppled in a similar coup in 2006. The Election Commission (EC) last week officially endorsed results for 349 constituencies and 149 party-list seats. The constituency parliamentarians won their seats in the March 24 elections while the party-list seats were filled by the election commission using a mathematical formula based on the total vote count. A seat remains open in both categories because a candidate was disqualified, forcing a revote later this month. Pheu Tai won 136 seats outright while PPP picked up 115 through a combination of constituency election and party list. Both must seek partners to achieve a majority in parliament. Other parties holding large numbers of seats include the Future Forward Party (80), the Democrat Party (52), and the Bhumjaithai Party (51), while 22 other parties also picked up seats. The 350 elected and 150 party-list members of the lower house of parliament, as well as 250 junta-picked senators, are expected to select the next prime minister sometime around May 27, according to observers. To form a new government, a party needs support of 376 members, one more than half of the 750 legislators. The 11 parties joining forces with PPP would lead to 126 seats. As Prayuths government picked the 250 senators, he is expected to get a solid bloc needed to reach 376. The nations military-drafted 2017 constitution specifies that the senators and the members of parliament elect a new prime minister together. We are trying to form a government and still have time to talk to other parties, PPP leader Uttama Savanayana told reporters, without elaborating. We respect them and know that they have internal process to follow. Meanwhile, an official representing one of the 11 smaller parties told reporters that the Action Coalition for Thailand Party and People Reform Party were expected to join the pro-junta coalition, bringing its count to 132 six more than needed if it gets the votes of all 250 senators. Opposition numbers Pheu Thai Party, which won 136 seats, previously pledged alliance with six other parties, bringing their total to 245 less than half of the 500-member lower house. The Democrat Party, the Bhumjaithai Party and four others hold 121 seats but have not decided if they will join an alliance. An analyst said he expected smaller parties to join the PPP because the system of including the handpicked senators in the selection process made it difficult for the opposition parties to form a coalition that could control government. It was not a surprise. The joining of small parties is expected to bring stability to Palang Pracharat, said Titipol Phakdeewanich, the dean of the political science faculty at Ubon Ratchathani University. Last week, Prayuth hinted that the list of 250 senators had been submitted for kings endorsement. The full parliament is expected to open within May 23, no more than 15 days after the announcement of the official results, to select the house speaker, according to analysts. The speaker will call for a session to select the new prime minister, anticipated by May 27. United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to meet EU officials in Brussels today to talk about Iran, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said. Mogherini said she was informed during the night of Pompeos arrival to Brussels where EU foreign ministers are gathered for a regular monthly meeting. "We will be here all day with a busy agenda. So we will see during the day how and if will manage to arrange a meeting. Hes always welcome obviously, but there are no precise plans at the moment," Reuters cited her as saying. Pompeo is on his way to Sochi where he plans to meet Russias President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on May 14 to discuss Iran. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin a regular series of government meetings on defense-related issues today, Putins press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. According to Peskov, the upcoming meetings will be held in a new format, TASS reported. Putin has been holding regular government meetings on the development of the countrys defense sector, traditionally in the spring and in the autumn. Among issues discussed at such meetings are the development of the types of armed forces and defense enterprises, the implementation of the government defense order, supplies of state-of-the-art weapons to the Russian army, etc. The meetings are attended by the defense minister, chief executives of defense enterprises, other ministers and head of government agencies. Russia's leader announced plans of updating the format of such meetings at a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on February 2 when he announced suspension of Russias participation in the INF Treaty. He did not disclose any details of the new format but said he would like to see the progress in the works related to the new systems Kinzhal, Peresvet, Avangard, Sarmat and others. Whys BioPharma BREAKING R&D SHACKLES? The Indian industry bore witness to biotech companies collaborating with vaccine manufacturers, vaccine technologies being transferred, licenses to manufacture several drugs granted to pharma companies, among other notable developments. These collaborations and partnerships have furthered R&D, commercialisation and distribution of several critical drugs throughout 2021. However, key barriers to R&D-based innovation still persist in the Indian pharma market that needs to be sorted out soon. We shall take a closer look at the industry quest to realise even more, swift innovations and fewer hindrances. 2 Million people reportedly die due to work-related diseases each year globally BR Life SSNMC Hospital and Worksafe Organization in association with Department of Factories, Boilers, Industrial Safety and Health, Karnataka organized a day long Occupational Health Physician Conference (OHPCON) 2019 recently at Hotel Radisson Blu Atria in Bangalore. The main objective of this conference was to focus on the magnitude of creating a safe and healthy work environment and the ways it can promote a healthy work culture that can help reduce workplace-related diseases and injuries. More than 120 doctors from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Hyderabad participated in the event to discuss basic occupational health services, etiquettes of occupational health physicians, recent advances in neurosciences, occupational health practice future etc. According to researches, close to 160 million cases of work-related diseases are reported to occur globally each year, with 2 million people facing death. This indicates that every day, almost 5,000 workers die as a result of preventable diseases such as COPD, skin diseases, radiation illness, which has been induced or aggravated by a particular exposure in the workplace. The major occupational diseases/morbidity of concerns in India are silicosis, musculo-skeletal injuries, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, chronic obstructive lung diseases, pesticide poisoning and noise-induced hearing loss. Commenting on the aim of this conference, Dr. Kiran Kumar, Unit Head, BR Life SSNMC Hospital said, The number of occupational injuries and diseases are on the rise in India due to ignorance of what causes them as well as the lack of facilities that can help in recovering from them. Women especially are at higher risk as they dedicate much of their time for work and family and little time to take care of their health. Through such industry meets, doctors get to meet their peers and discuss ways to handle such critical health problems. Talking about the event Col. Hemraj Singh Parmar, Group CEO, BR Life said, A healthy workplace always improves the productivity of the employees thereby, leading to the growth of the company. A small step taken by organizations today can initiate the necessary preventive measures towards occupational health hazards. Such measures can improve the lifestyle of each working class and can help in leading a healthy work-life balance. Doctors from various corporate organizations such as doctors from Toyota, IBM, Adithya Birla Fashions, Ultra Tech Cements, Astra Zeneca, HAL, BEL, Automotive Axles, Asian Paints, TVS, Grasim industries, Textron, Volvo, Honda Motors participated in OHPCON 2019 India is all set to become the biggest hub for world-class healthcare services Recent is the time when the wave of health consciousness and awareness took place and catalyzed the healthcare industry to pull up the socks. The rise in income level, high risks of lifestyle diseases and easy accessibility of the life insurance plans have also made it a whole lot simpler for people to opt for regular health checkups and diagnostics, leading to the strong demands for affordable healthcare facilities all across the nation. With projects as influential as Ayushman Bharat and heavy capital investments in diagnostics and pharmaceutical sectors made in 2018, the growth of the healthcare industry is projected to reach $280 billion by the end of 2020. Looking at the performance of the industry and the attractive and tremendous opportunities for both public and private healthcare delivery systems, India is all set to become the biggest hub for world-class healthcare services. However, they are largely dominated by some of the challenges, which might appear trivial at prima facie but are major roadblocks. The GST regime, introduced two years back, had influenced the entire supply chain in the healthcare sectorfrom manufacturing to transportation and warehousing. The stringent regulatory frameworks with a lack of clarity and quality issues are also the existing concerns with which industry has to deal with. As the healthcare services, medicines, equipment, and other products are running high in demands in response to the therapeutic needs of the population, the hospitals, pharma companies, and diagnostic centres are in a pressure to attain operational and supply chain efficiency. But, it is the fragmented and underdeveloped supply chain infrastructure that results in poor supply chain efficiency. It's quite important to understand the fact that if the Indian healthcare industry is to grow and provide the population with the best health care, addressing the supply chain problems is paramount. Forecasting demands & supply with respect to changing demographics: As people are becoming more prone to lifestyle diseases such as cancers and cardiovascular ailments, all the players in diverse sectors of the healthcare industry have to double their efforts and upgrade their services. This means that there is an increased demand for manufacturing plants, warehouses, newer technologies, and competent supply chain infrastructure for pharma companies and manufacturers of medical devices and equipment. But, because a larger portion of the industry still relies on traditional statistical methods and limited IT tools to forecast the demands, and lacks the access to relevant data and customer insights, the supply chain is not planned in a way it should. Therefore, the wide-scale use of smart technologies and tools in planning the optimal supply chain is the need of the hour. There should always be the scope of having sufficient resources to meet the urgent or last-minute demands efficiently and effectively. Varying regulatory frameworks: Indian pharmaceuticals market, the third-largest in terms of volume, has emerged as the hub for global manufacturing and research. Though the industry is growing at a CAGR of 22.4%, the post-market issues in the pharma industry are the roadblocks in maintaining a safe and swift growth ahead. The complaints, rejections, and returns of the products impact the product storage, handling, and warehousing while increasing the transportation costs. Factors such as the failure of cold storage at vendor sites or the non-compliance of necessary regulatory requirements bear an additional charge on manufacturers part. In case of exporting/importing the goods and material to/from multiple foreign countries, the quality compliance and regulatory policies, and export formalities are headed by different authorities and therefore, they differ across the export/import markets. From packaging to labeling, the material needs to be customized according to the varying guidelines and instructions, which not only increases the number of runs on the same goods and materials, but also the stock-keeping units. For dealing with such challenges, there should be specific governing bodies which not only keep a stringent check on quality but also maintains complete clarity and transparency across manufacturing practices and transportation. On the other hand, the production of pharmaceutical ingredients by local manufacturers should be backed up by appropriate initiatives. Need for improved supply chain infrastructure: As weak and incompetent infrastructure has long been hindering the prospective growth of the Indian logistics industry, the healthcare sector has to walk an extra mile for preparing itself to handle the challenges such as poor road conditions, inadequate seaports and railways, and underutilized air means. Particularly in pharma, the lack of a robust cold chain network has widened the gap in the healthcare supply chain. The specialty products which have a definite lifespan such as drugs and medicines, or fragile equipment must be monitored across all the stages and phases of supply chain management so as to deliver it to the destination site on time. But, the current infrastructure makes the product visibility and tracking oblivious for the companies as they are not able to get the complete details and assurance from the supply chain participants whether the products are stored or transported in required conditions or not. The products which were in the proper state at the time of shipping can get easily damaged before even reaching the destination site due to bad road condition or improper handling of the consignment, which can also make it riskier for the patients. Following the trail of the consumer goods industry, the healthcare sector should focus on building an efficient and transparent supply chain. Lack of transparency and visibility: The supply chain in healthcare is complex because it calls for active participation and proper measures from each of the players involved at every stage to avoid causing any threat to the life of the patients. But, more the players are involved, lesser becomes the visibility and impossible becomes the traceability of the consignment as it moves across the supply chain network. There is a dire need of facilitating seamless communication between manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and customers in the healthcare sector through the systematic supply chain management system. The latest technologies such as A.I., Blockchain, and IoT should be used to make relevant data and insights available for all the stakeholders in the industry so that each of them can improve on their services and processes. This step can have a greater impact on the industrys compelling growth as well as improved patient care. Sandeep Sharma, CEO & Founder, Cogent Transware Solutions Mainly Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province & Ringing Trips to Bahrain Legislation can guard against political interference and maladministration. Bakhtiar Zein/Shutterstock Political interference Urgent strengthening needed There are good reasons for this. If a government bureaucracy is too insulated from political pressures, senior officials may be less responsive to serving the sitting governments interests and electoral mandate. On the flip side, a highly politicised bureaucracy staffed by under-qualified, inexperienced but politically connected incompetents also invariably compromises the states ability to deliver on its democratic mandate.This power balance is extremely delicate. Thats especially true in the domain of fiscal allocations. If politicians make promises that administrators cannot keep, or bully senior administrators to try and get their own way, bureaucracies grind to a halt. The same is true when administrators pursue their own interests at the expense of the public good. These scenarios are playing out more and more frequently in South Africa.Earlier in 2019, the Gauteng provinces Member of the Executive Council for Sport and Recreation, Faith Mazibuko, was caught on audio tape threatening to dismiss her chief financial officer and head of department. She wanted them to bypass tender procedures.This was a clear violation of the Executive Members Act of 1998 . The law obliges politicians who sit in provincial legislatures to always act in the interest of good governance. They must also refrain from compromising the integrity of their office. Mazibukos statements were also an attempt to subvert the tender processes outlined in the Public Finance Management Act of 1999 This is not a unique incident. Evidence presented to the Zondo Commission on State Capture suggests that former Cabinet Minister Lynne Brown overrode her senior staff and personally took control of an appointment process linked to a deal that contravened the Public Finance Management Act.Over the past few years, heads of department and chief financial officers have been placed under enormous pressure by politicians to bend compliance rules. This dynamic helped to foster a climate in which state capture was allowed to continue unchecked.Statutory protection must be beefed up to reverse this trend. Politicians who interfere in administrative matters and senior officials who act out of political motives or self-interest must be properly sanctioned.Various South African authorities have recognised these problems. The National Planning Commission was tasked with formulating a national development plan. It said in its 2016 diagnostic report that public sector recruitment processes had permitted too much political interference in selecting and managing senior staff.It also warned that the countrys political-administrative interface was unstable. Heads of department on precarious five-year contracts come and go at the behest of politicians. These politicians are themselves re-shuffled more frequently than a pack of cards.The Public Service Commission has found that the rate of turnover among heads of department in national and provincial governments is high by international standards. And 89% of departmental heads believed that their relationship with their political principle rather than their competence determined the security of their tenure.This uncertainty about lines of accountability, especially in relation to public financial management, arises in part from gaps with the existing legislative and policy frameworks.The Public Finance Management Act, for instance, was drafted on the premise that Cabinet ministers and their provincial counterparts would hold heads of department and chief financial officers fiscally accountable. But it didnt take into account that these Ministers and MECs may themselves be corrupt.In terms of the Act, administrative heads can be fined or imprisoned if they are found guilty of financial irregularities. Political heads who are found guilty of harassing chief financial officers and heads of department face no sanction.The only scant protection offered to heads of department is that they may ask their political principle to put a directive in writing if it has potentially deleterious financial consequences. Clearly, though, this would be extremely career limiting. Chief financial officers have no statutory protection in terms of the Act. They do, however, have onerous statutory responsibilities.So what must be done to tackle this situation?Firstly, it must be recognised that chief financial officers and heads of department are the first line of resistance against political corruption. They need greater statutory protection. Political appointees must also have greater accountability for their decisions which have fiscal and governance implications. Without this an environment conducive to state capture will continue to flourish. This is irrespective of which party governs.The legislative framework for the fiscal and financial accountability of political leadership must be urgently strengthened for all spheres of government. It is also critical in relation to state owned enterprises, development finance institutions and other public bodies.South Africa can look to other countries for guidance. Kenyas Ministerial Code of Conduct is a useful example. It states unambiguously that a Minister who knowingly misleads Parliament is required by the President to resign. It also calls on Ministers to respect civil servants political impartiality, and to refrain from exerting pressure on them to flout any civil service regulations. Ministers must also not use public resources for personal gain or party political ends.Legislation that clearly demarcates roles and responsibilities at the political-administrative interface, and consequences for infractions, will not be self-enforcing. Nor will it be a substitute for the political will to ensure good governance and professionalism. But where it exists, international experience has demonstrated that even political heads and senior officials may be held to account and serve jail time where warranted. This has been seen in countries as varied as Greece, Gabon, South Korea and Peru.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article A key plotter of the 2013 attack in Reyhanli district of Turkey's Hatay province, Yusuf Nazik, was sentenced to 53 aggravated life terms by a court today. Nazik was brought from Syria's Latakia to Turkey by the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) agents in September 2018 and was sent to an Ankara court under strict safety measures, Daily Sabah recalls. Later, Nazik has confessed to playing a role in the deadly bombing in the town of Reyhanl in Hatay, which killed 53 people. On May 11, 2013, a bomb-laden vehicle was detonated in Reyhanl town center first, killing scores and causing destruction. A second vehicle was detonated five minutes later after dozens, including civilians, first-aid units and security forces, had rushed to the area to help those wounded in the attack. Kriti Sanon Has A Nomadic Sari Idea For A Light Formal Function Bollywood Wardrobe Devika Tripathi Kriti Sanon recently attended her close friend's engagement function and the diva was a vision to behold in her Monisha Jaising outfit. The actress looked a class apart and her makeup and styling was near perfection. As it is, Kriti hardly gives us fashion failures and this time, she not only wowed us but gave goals to ladies, who want to keep it simple and trendy. Let's decode her wedding wardrobe. So, Kriti stunned us in a Nomadic saree that was every inch contemporary and featured a flowy drape. Her sari was exquisitely draped and had a one-shouldered blouse. The flared number of hers was adorned with intricate gold motifs, which enhanced her attire. The border of her sari was detailed with glittering floral work. Well, we totally wished we had this lightweight number of Kriti's. Styled by Sukriti Grover, Kriti notched up her look by pairing her attire with golden flat sandals. Her kolhapuris came from Sukriti & Aakriti. She accessorised her look with elaborate earrings and dazzling rings, which came from Azotiique by Varun Raheja. The makeup was absolutely dewy-toned with a pink lip shade, highlighted cheekbones, and well-defined kohl accompanied by a pink eye shadow. The impeccable bun spruced up her look. Kriti left us speechless with her ensemble and look. So, what do you think about her attire and look? Feel free to share opinions in the comment section. Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACION The trade turnover between Russia and the United States in January-March totaled $5977 billion, amounting to an increase of 24%, the Russian Federal Customs Service said. Exports from Russia to the U.S. amounted to $2.686 billion, marking an increase of 18%, while imports to Russia from the U.S. amounted to $3.292 billion, up by 29.4%. The U.S. share in the total turnover of Russian foreign trade for the indicated period increased to 3.8% from 3.1% last year. The advisor on macroeconomics to the CEO of the 'Opening-Broker' brokerage house, economist Sergey Hestanov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the growth in turnover is associated not so much with the increase in trade, as with currency revaluation. "We have such factors as currency rates and the cost of supplied goods affecting customs statistics. Accordingly, it's likely that prices rose in many product groups. Considering the fact that Russia supplies a lot of metals to the U.S., for example, titanium, it is possible that it was precisely the rise in their prices that led to an increase in customs statistics. Most of the deliveries are based on long-term contracts, within which there is no reason to expect a strong change in physical volumes," he explained. The growth of trade can also be associated with the expectation of new anti-Russian sanctions. "Of course, this is possible not for all product groups. But 24% is not so much, taking into account how high prices for metals can rise," Sergey Hestanov stressed. Professor of the RANEPA faculty of Finance, Money Circulation and Credit, Yuri Yudenkov, also told about the important role of the U.S. in the Russia-American trade turnover. "Prices for three Russia's export positions can grow: oil, liquefied gas and metals. At the same time, supply volumes are small in absolute figures, so growth in percent can be quite significant. In general, this trend in the Russian Federal Customs Service's statistics is normal, the finance issue is very vague now," he noted. "In general, Russia has already prepared for the sanctions. It has created its own national payment system, from reserves of $200 billion only $15 billion are stored in dollars now. At the same time, foreign trade and finance are weakly connected with each other, theres still the question of who will suffer heavy losses if the American counterparties are not able to pay off Russian plants for the supply of raw materials," Yuri Yudenkov added. () @border9999 Satellite images recently surfaced online after military enthusiasts discovered the installations which appeared to show elements of the Soviet-designed S-300PT system located at a U.S. military range. The military site Defence Blog discussed their authenticity and possible reasons such Soviet missiles would be located at a U.S. military range. "A 30N6 fire control system and semi-trailer arrangements of 5P85 Transporter Erector Launchers (TEL) have been seen in satellite imagery of the U.S. military range. All these vehicles are part of the S-300PT surface-to-air missile system. S-300P system is designed for the defensive purpose of administrative, industrial and military buildings and objects against all kind air attacks," the Defence Blog analysis says. Likely such Russian systems are obtained by the US Department of Defense via partner former Soviet countries like Ukraine. Turkey's Naval Forces launched its largest military exercise called Sea Wolf (Denizkurdu) 2019 simultaneously in three seas today. The exercise, supervised by the Turkish navy, will run through May 25 in the eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Sea with 131 warships, 57 warplanes and 33 helicopters, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement. Almost 26,000 military personnel is taking part in the exercise. Turkish Naval Forces will carry out strategic and operational exercise with scenarios similar to crisis-tension situations and wartime, Daily Sabah reported. The exercise aims to boost the Turkish Navy's units and capacity and will involve the use of domestically produced arms systems and other systems. UN Day of Vesak 2019 solemnly opens in Ha Nam Province Updated: 10:02 - 13/05/2019 Monks, nuns and Buddhist followers attend a ceremony explaining the meaning of Buddha's birthday at Tam Chuc Pagoda, the northern province of Ha Nam, on Sunday afternoon at the opening of the UN Day of Vesak__Photo: VNA Monks, nuns and Buddhist followers are set to perform the bathing of the Buddha ritual after the opening ceremony of VESAK at Tam Chuc Pagoda on Sunday__Photo: VNA Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (center) and delegates pose for a photo at the opening ceremony of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2019 Celebration at Tam Chuc Pagoda in the northern province of Ha Nam on May 12__Photo: VNA , , , More than 1,650 international delegates from 112 countries and territories and more than 20,000 Vietnamese Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns and followers attended the opening ceremony of the 16th UN Day of Vesak on May 12 at Tam Chuc Pagoda in Kim Bang District, northern Ha Nam Province.Prominent attendees included Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Myanmar President Win Myint, Indian Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) Venkaiah Naidu, Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Chairman of the National Council (Upper House) of Bhutan Tashi Dorji and United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.Addressing the opening ceremony, Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, First Deputy Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), conveyed a message from Supreme Patriarch of the VBS Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue on the occasion of Lord Buddhas birthday.In his message, the VBS Supreme Patriarch welcomed the presence of all international and local delegates, religious leaders, Buddhist dignitaries, monks and nuns to the UN Day of Vesak 2019, saying the event was a chance for all people to build their religious faith and uphold the Lord Buddhas legacy and spiritual values.He recalled the more than 2,000-year history of Vietnamese Buddhism, saying that it had supported national liberation revolutions in the past and has laid the spiritual foundation for all aspects of politics, economics, culture and tradition, shaping the national identity and culture.The VBS has preserved and upheld the essence of Vietnamese Buddhism by making proactive and responsible contributions to national development. Hosting the 16th UN Day of Vesak shows its contributions and affirms its role and status in international integration, Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue wrote.The UN Day of Vesak 2019 aims to contribute to realizing the UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he wrote, expressing his hope that delegates will reach measures to successfully implement the goals.In his speech, Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, chairman of the VBS Executive Council and head of the Vesak 2019 organizing committee, highlighted Buddhist philosophy's focus on building an equal and peaceful society without classes, wars or hatred.Lord Buddha has paved a path where the combination of compassion and knowledge makes for an effective solution to conflicts among people, nations, cultures and religions, he said, noting that Buddhist philosophy continues today and is a beacon for millions of people around the world.Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon stressed the increasing need for upholding the core values of Buddhism in the current unsettled society, saying that Buddhist values encourage tolerance, selflessness and forgiveness while inspiring global peace and cooperation amid conflicts, terrorism, wars, inequality, environmental crises and challenges brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution worldwide.In order to solve current conflicts, global leadership is required to ensure equality, minimize conflicts among beliefs, economies, cultures, social classes, territories and the environment, he said.He also called on the global Buddhist community to unite and work on global issues, inspiring peace and easing the pain of all people worldwide.Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit, president of the International Council for Day of Vesak, said he was impressed with Vietnams great efforts and dedication to hosting successful celebrations of the UN Day of Vesak.He expressed his belief that Vietnam would successfully host the event this year thanks to thorough preparations and its unique natural setting. He described the beautiful landscape as the best place to host such an event.Highlighting the theme Buddhism's Approach to Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies, Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit said the festival was not only a chance for Buddhist followers around the world to celebrate, but also aims to serve all people by advocating for sustainable development and addressing global challenges such as environmental pollution, climate change, education and more.We gather here today to talk about global issues and how to address them, whether they are conflicts among people, culture, religions or territories," he said. "In the end, we want to send a message of preserving peace, traditional values and the environment for a better future."According to Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit, the theme of this year's Day of Vesak reflects the UNs 17 SDGs. The results of the forums, seminars and discussions held at the event will be included in the Ha Nam Declaration.In his speech, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed the presence of international delegates, dignitaries, monks and nuns to the event, saying the UN Day of Vesak has meaning beyond a religious and cultural festival, sending the long-lasting message of the Lord Buddha on peace, harmony, tolerance and kindness to all people.He said he believed Buddhist philosophy laid a solid foundation for building civilization and ensuring prosperity and sustainable development.We are all here to honor the Lord Buddha and uphold Buddhist philosophy to reduce conflicts, pains and sorrows, establish peace, friendship, cooperation and development among nations for the peace and prosperity of all people around the world, he said.PM Phuc spoke highly of the theme of the event, saying it showed the responsibility of Buddhism for the present and future of society.The agenda of the celebration reflects the goals of the UNs Agenda 2030 for sustainability, prosperity and ensuring that nobody will be left behind, which the Vietnamese Government has committed to realize, PM Phuc said.He highlighted Vietnams religious diversity, saying Vietnamese Buddhism has a long history in the country, with Buddhist dignitaries, monks and nuns having stood by the nation through ups and downs. The VBS has continued to grow and prove its role in the nation's development.Hosting the 16th UN Day of Vesak once again confirmed Vietnams focus and respect for cultural and ethical values of religions, including Buddhism, while showing its policy on international cooperation and integration, he said.This is the third time Vietnam has hosted the UN Vesak celebrations, helping to improve Vietnamese Buddhisms role in international integration and affirm Vietnam's position and responsibility for UN activities in all fields.- EDMONTON - Premier Jason Kenney says Alberta's carbon tax has about two weeks to live. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney attends a photo opportunity with Ontario Premier Doug Ford at the Ontario Legislature in Toronto on Friday, May 3, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young EDMONTON - Premier Jason Kenney says Alberta's carbon tax has about two weeks to live. Kenney says the Carbon Tax Repeal Act is to be introduced during next week's legislature sitting and will have a proviso to end the tax by the end of the month. "By May 30th there will no longer be an Alberta carbon tax," Kenney said Monday at a news conference outlining some of the legislation coming from his new United Conservative government. An end to the tax brought in by the former NDP government will put an estimated $1.4 billion a year back in the pockets of taxpayers, he said. The levy is charged on home heating using fossil fuels and on gasoline at the pumps. Ending the tax would open the door to the federal government imposing its tax, as it has done with four other provinces that wouldn't bring in their own carbon pricing: Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in Edmonton last Friday, wouldn't say if his government would immediately charge the federal tax if Alberta ditched its own, but stressed that no province will be exempt. Opposition Leader Rachel Notley said the repeal "sets the stage for a made-in-Ottawa, a made-by-Justin-Trudeau carbon plan to be imposed on Albertans. "I don't think it's wise," the NDP leader said. "And we will certainly make the case vigorously that it's not wise." Getting rid of the carbon tax was a central policy pillar in Kenney's successful campaign last month to win the election. He defeated Notley's party, achieving a strong majority. Kenney ridiculed the NDP carbon fee as a thinly veiled tax grab that penalizes consumers while having no effect on greenhouse gas emissions. He also held the levy up as a symbol of what he has said was an interventionist NDP government that was stifling economic recovery by imposing additional fees and red tape. On the campaign trail, Kenney promised to file an immediate court challenge on the constitutionality of the federal carbon tax if he won the election. He promised to file the court papers by April 30; however, his cabinet was not sworn in until that day. In the two weeks since, no challenge has been filed. Kenney said Monday the lawsuit has been delayed and may not be filed at all. He said his government wants to review court decisions in Saskatchewan and Ontario before it decides if it will challenge the federal tax in court. The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal recently ruled in a split decision that the federal tax imposed on provinces without a carbon price of their own is constitutional. The Ontario government is waiting for a decision on its court challenge. "The right thing for us to do is wait and see what the Ontario Appeal court decides," said Kenney. "We can take both of those decisions into account as to whether or not to launch our own separate challenge or whether just to support (the) Saskatchewan and Ontario governments in what will be inevitable appeals to the Supreme Court." Kenney's platform promised he would create jobs and move Alberta's oil- and gas-based economy forward by reducing regulations and cutting taxes. On Monday he said a bill to cut corporate income tax by one-third will also be rolled out next week. It is likely to follow Kenney's plan to reduce the 12 per cent corporate tax by one percentage point on July 1, and then cut it again by one point in the first days of 2020, 2021 and 2022, to ultimately bring it to eight per cent. His government also aims to bring in a bill to reduce the current $15 an hour minimum wage for workers 17 and younger. OTTAWA - Canada could find a win for its feminist foreign policy in the spiralling famine and refugee crisis gripping South Sudan and neighbouring African countries, says a senior United Nations official. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this photo taken Tuesday, April 2, 2019, children play outside a community center at an internally displaced person's camp in the capital Juba, South Sudan.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP Photo/Sam Mednick OTTAWA - Canada could find a win for its feminist foreign policy in the spiralling famine and refugee crisis gripping South Sudan and neighbouring African countries, says a senior United Nations official. "Canada can do more," Arnauld Akodjenou, the UN High Commissioner's for Refugees' South Sudan co-ordinator, said in an interview Monday. "It's a test case they have with the South Sudan situation. They should not miss that opportunity." Akodjenou was in Ottawa to press the Trudeau government for more Canadian involvement in South Sudan's five-year civil war, which has killed 400,000 and forced 2.2 million people to flee the country, while displacing 1.9 million more inside the country. Of the refugees, 80 per cent are women and children, he said, which makes South Sudan a perfect policy fit for the newly branded Canadian policy of focusing foreign aid on helping women and girls. Last week, a coalition of East African countries approved a six-month extension to a fragile peace deal that calls for South Sudan's rival factions to form a unity government. Canada has strong relations in the half-dozen neighbouring countries that are themselves buckling under the influx of refugees, so Akodjenou says by helping those countries the government could also make any new aid go much further. Those countries include Ethiopia and Uganda, which are bearing the brunt of the South Sudanese refugee influx, as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Kenya and Sudan. An April report by the UN World Food Program, the European Union and the UN's food-and-agriculture organization found that South Sudan, along with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Sudan, were among the countries afflicted by acute hunger. In South Sudan alone, the Norwegian Refugee Council estimates that by July, 60 per cent of the population will face acute food insecurity, which UN defined as "when a person's inability to consume adequate food puts their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger." Akodjenou said the South Sudan crisis is unique compared with the other more pervasive, African challenge: the northward migration of African refugees across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, which is linked to the rise of Islamist terror groups in the Sahel belt across the centre of the continent. "It's not easy to leave South Sudan or Uganda to go to Libya. You need a lot of money, and they don't have that." After having toured all the major South Sudanese refugee camps, Akodjenou said he's found no evidence of inroads being made by Islamist recruiters who prey on the vulnerable. The fact the country is almost exclusively Christian helps insulate it against that threat, he said. The verdant and oil-rich South Sudan became the world's newest country in 2011 after a six-year peace process, severing itself from the Khartoum-governed Sudan after a 22-year civil that left two million people dead and forced four million from their homes. In a 2000 report by respected Canadian diplomat John Harker, the Alberta oil company Talisman Energy Inc., since bought and renamed Respol Oil and Gas Inc. in 2015, was found to be complicit in allowing the civil war to flourish. The report prompted Lloyd Axworthy, then the minister of foreign affairs, to publicly push Talisman to do better. A February update on South Sudan to the UN Human Rights Council named Talisman again as one international company that was complicit in aiding government forces in the north against rebels in the south. The promise of peace in the newly birthed South Sudan was short-lived: civil war broke out again in late 2013. Canada's contributions to South Sudan include almost $29 million for security and stabilization and about $98 million in international assistance. In February, Save the Children urged the government to do more to protect children in conflict zones, citing UN figures that showed 870,000 children aged five or younger including 550,000 babies had been killed in armed conflict between 2013 and 2017 in 11 countries, including South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq and Mali. "Canada must step up to ensure we collectively do all we can to protect these children from further harm and help rebuild their future," Bill Chambers, the president of Save The Children Canada, said in a statement at the time. OTTAWA - Global Affairs Canada says detained Canadian Michael Kovrig has received another visit from consular officials in China. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Michael Kovrig (left) and Michael Spavor, the two Canadians detained in China, are shown in these 2018 images taken from video. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP OTTAWA - Global Affairs Canada says detained Canadian Michael Kovrig has received another visit from consular officials in China. Kovrig, a diplomat on leave, and the entrepreneur Michael Spavor were detained in China on Dec. 10 but have not had access to lawyers or been formally charged. It was the seventh time consular officials have seen Kovrig since he was detained, while Spavor has had six such visits. The Canadian government says the men's detentions are "arbitrary" and is calling for their immediate release. About a month after they were arrested, Global Affairs warned Canadians travelling to China to do so with a "high degree of caution" because of the arbitrary application of local laws. Global Affairs notes a number of countries back Canada's position on the matter, including the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Spain and Denmark, as well as NATO, the European Union and the G7. Last week, the U.S. Senate passed a rare unanimous resolution praising Canada for upholding the rule of law in arresting Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in December on an American warrant. The U.S. wants to extradite Meng and prosecute her for allegedly lying to banks to avoid U.S. sanctions on Iran. Canadian officials have complained that Kovrig and Spavor are being held in retaliation for Meng's arrest. Meng is free on bail pending an extradition hearing. Consular visits typically include assessing the well-being of the men, trying to get them medical attention if needed and helping them communicate with loved ones. Because of privacy laws, Global Affairs Canada is saying nothing further about the visit. OTTAWA - Ontario Liberal politician Marie-France Lalonde wants to run for Parliament to replace retired general Andrew Leslie in the Ottawa riding he's vacating after just one term. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Ontario's Minister for Government Services Marie-France Lalonde smiles during a news conference at the Queens Park Legislature in Toronto on Thursday Nov. 1, 2017. Ontario Liberal politician Marie-France Lalonde wants to run for Parliament to run to replace retired general Andrew Leslie in the Ottawa riding he's vacating after just one term. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young OTTAWA - Ontario Liberal politician Marie-France Lalonde wants to run for Parliament to replace retired general Andrew Leslie in the Ottawa riding he's vacating after just one term. Lalonde announced her intention to run federally Monday, saying she's giving up thoughts of seeking the leadership of the Ontario Liberals because she wants to focus on her east-Ottawa community. Leslie was a top-tier adviser to Justin Trudeau in the lead-up to the 2015 election, bringing decades of military experience and gravitas to the then third-place Liberals on defence and foreign policy. But he never made it into Trudeau's cabinet and announced two weeks ago that he wouldn't run for a second term. Lalonde is a former social worker and retirement-home operator who became a cabinet minister in former premier Kathleen Wynne's government as a rookie MPP. She was re-elected comfortably in the Ontario election a year ago that saw the Liberals reduced to a rump of seven members at Queen's Park, without enough seats to qualify as a party in the legislature. The area both Leslie and Lalonde represent, Orleans, is a suburban swing riding that's elected both Liberals and Conservatives. It's known for its large population of public servants, military members and veterans. "I am asking the people of Orleans to put their faith in me again," Lalonde said. "The federal government is a major employer in our riding, and I want to fight for Orleans and deal with issues that matter to us as employees, as citizens, for growth, for jobs, and for a prosperous community." ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The need to make aging, cash-strapped Newfoundland and Labrador into an appealing place for young people has been a recurring theme among politicians campaigning for the May 16 provincial election.The topic has been raised in debates and talking points by all four party leaders, and Premier Dwight Ball made the message clear in his remarks when the writ was dropped last month."It's important to me that our young people feel confident that they can pursue their goals in the province that we all love," he said at the Confederation Building April 17.But newcomers to the province say there's still a lot of work to be done to convince people to set down permanent roots.Kerri Neil, who ran for the NDP in a provincial byelection last fall, researches sociology and immigration at Memorial University. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Amira Ibrahim, seen in an undated handout still image made from video footage, moved to St. John's from a small town in Newfoundland because of loneliness and limited activities to keep her young kids busy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Association for New Canadians, *MANDATORY CREDIT* ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The need to make aging, cash-strapped Newfoundland and Labrador into an appealing place for young people has been a recurring theme among politicians campaigning for the May 16 provincial election.The topic has been raised in debates and talking points by all four party leaders, and Premier Dwight Ball made the message clear in his remarks when the writ was dropped last month."It's important to me that our young people feel confident that they can pursue their goals in the province that we all love," he said at the Confederation Building April 17.But newcomers to the province say there's still a lot of work to be done to convince people to set down permanent roots.Kerri Neil, who ran for the NDP in a provincial byelection last fall, researches sociology and immigration at Memorial University. She said the poor economy and high unemployment are key factors driving people away. "Both Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and immigrants, they don't stay here because there aren't many jobs," Neil said by phone.These issues have been around for a while, with many from the province historically heading west for work, but Neil said the problem has been compounded by the looming threat of rising power rates, high taxes and stagnant wages.It's all happening at a time when the province is in desperate need of new residents.A report by the Conference Board of Canada released this month found the number of people entering the Canadian workforce over the coming decades will be insufficient to replace those retiring, making new immigrants essential to fill workforce gaps and keep Canada's growth on track.The dynamic of an aging population and steady outmigration of young people is especially pronounced in the Atlantic region. The need to attract and retain immigrants has been a talking point of Ball's before and during the election campaign.But once people arrive, it can be difficult for them to adjust to the place and make a permanent home.Filmmakers Conor McCann and Rodrigo Iniguez documented those struggles in their film titled "Home," featuring interviews with people across the province about the challenges of settling in.Iniguez and McCann said the struggle to find meaningful work was a recurring theme among the people they met, as was the hardship of watching friends who speak their language and share their culture move away.Iniguez said the conversation around immigration focuses on bringing people to the province, but stops when it comes to the challenges of daily life for recent arrivals.And it's especially hard to convince people to stay in the small outport towns that need young people the most.Amira Ibrahim of St. John's was featured in the documentary. After a screening of the film, she spoke about the difficult first few years after moving to Placentia, N.L.Trained as a lawyer in her home country of Egypt, Ibrahim said she struggled with boredom and found it hard to keep her young son occupied in the small town of about 1,500 people. He was desperate for activities and outside play, but without a car and no public transit, Ibrahim found it nearly impossible to keep him entertained. She said he would sometimes ask to go to the grocery store just so he could walk around."It's very tough staying there, very tough," Ibrahim said.Now living in St. John's where her husband runs a successful business, Ibrahim said her two children are busier, and she's happy to have more people around for company, but she's still seeking meaningful work for herself. "This is very important for us. If you keep people busy with (jobs), and give them a good salary for a good life, they will stay here," she said. For the filmmaking team behind "Home," who both moved to the province for university, questions of future work also factor into their plans to stay or go. Iniguez said building his career in Newfoundland and Labrador has pros and cons. He said arts funding can be hard to come by, but the relatively small size of the film industry means there are opportunities to be sought out. For example, he and McCann produced "Home" with the Association for New Canadians. "It's a hard industry, but (in) Newfoundland ... the size is good enough for there to be room for you," Iniguez said. "There are opportunities and not enough people filling them yet."McCann said that while he loves the place, he foresees heading elsewhere for his career."Despite the fact that I will come back here ... I think a lot of the meaningful, major work we will end up doing will happen outside the province," he said.Neil, originally from Spaniard's Bay, N.L., said she's been considering the opposite by looking into opportunities to move to a smaller community and build something like the worker-owned co-operative that contributed to the successful revitalization of Fogo Island. "I think there's so much potential in this place, and I don't think it's necessarily been realized," she said. "It's a beautiful place that I really want to see prosper." MONTREAL - The heads of Quebec youth protection agencies are highlighting a shortage of qualified case workers and calling for changes to prevent tragedies like the recent death of a seven-year-old girl that has shaken the province. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The casket of a seven-year-old girl who was found in critical condition inside of a home and later died is carried from the church after funeral services, Thursday, May 9, 2019 in Granby, Que.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz MONTREAL - The heads of Quebec youth protection agencies are highlighting a shortage of qualified case workers and calling for changes to prevent tragedies like the recent death of a seven-year-old girl that has shaken the province. "Since the announcement of this young girl's death, we have all been deeply affected and troubled, as is each worker and manager in our services," the agency directors say in an open letter published Monday. "Our thoughts are with this child, and we offer our sympathies to her family and relatives. Such tragedies should never happen." The provincial agency has come under scrutiny and faced criticism following the death of a girl in Granby, Que., whose case had been on the radar of youth protection officials from a young age. The girl, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, was found badly injured in her family home and died in hospital on April 30. Before she died, her father, 30, and stepmother, 35, were charged with unlawful confinement, while the stepmother was also charged with aggravated assault. "Each of us chose to dedicate our professional lives to our society's children, and especially the most vulnerable among them, out of conviction and love," the letter, co-signed by the 20 agency heads says. "Like all citizens of Quebec, we have no tolerance for any circumstance or event which endangers the lives of children." The Quebec government has ordered an internal probe of the girl's death. A public coroner's inquest has been ordered, and the province's human and youth rights commission will also investigate. A criminal investigation is being led by Quebec provincial police. The death has raised questions about whether youth protection could have done more to help, and the government asked the head of the agency in the Eastern Townships region to step aside while it investigates. The agency heads said they are fully committed to investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the death and implement any necessary measures. "We agree with what many workers and experts have expressed: to successfully fulfil our mission of protecting children, the social services network needs to be better supported," the letter adds. One regional director said the youngster's death has reverberated in the agency's regional offices. "All of the regions have in some way or another felt the impact of this," Assunta Gallo, head of youth protection for the south-central Montreal region, said in an interview. "Everyone comes into this field wanting to protect children, that's our reason for being in this job." Those employees help vulnerable youth navigate harsh realities, everything from distress, poverty, mental illness to rejection, isolation and violence. But agency heads added there aren't enough of those workers, and the cases have become more complicated over time. Linda See, who oversees the agency handling English youth protection cases in Montreal, said workers sometimes deal with blended families, where children may have multiple sets of parents and multiple homes. There can also be other issues at play like substance abuse. In Montreal, newcomers to the country often require culturally appropriate services as well as translators to help case workers bridge the language divide. "It's difficult," See said in an interview. "You go into situations that are not easy, you are dealing with multiple problems and families." The agencies are asking the Quebec government to help them entice people to get into the profession. "I think part of it is not necessarily understanding the work we do on a daily basis," Gallo said. "We often hear about the work that's done in this field when things don't go well, but you don't hear about the times you have helped a child or adults who were followed in youth protection become a success." Forty years after the province's Youth Protection Act came into effect in 1979, the agency heads called on the Quebec government and society at large to commit again to making youth protection a priority. "This commitment is required to reaffirm our collective belief that the protection of children is a social priority and that as such, the establishments charged with this mandate must be provided with the means to act quickly," they wrote. TORONTO - Jubilant fans took to social media after the Toronto Raptors' series-winning, buzzer beating basket to demand the team's soft-spoken star be handed the mayor's job, along with anything else Kawhi Leonard wanted. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) celebrates his last-second basket with teammates at the end of second half NBA Eastern Conference semifinal action against the Philadelphia 76ers, in Toronto on Sunday, May 12, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn TORONTO - Jubilant fans took to social media after the Toronto Raptors' series-winning, buzzer beating basket to demand the team's soft-spoken star be handed the mayor's job, along with anything else Kawhi Leonard wanted. Toronto Mayor John Tory, tongue planted firmly in cheek, said Monday that he supported those calls, though he wasn't sure if Leonard would want the gig. "Even I would have to consider the call for Kawhi Leonard to be the mayor of the city, although I don't think he'd like the job very much," Tory told reporters with a smile before an announcement about the upcoming construction season. "You would have trouble, as the media, with the shortness of his answers you'd miss my long answers as much as you might not admit that." Leonard, notorious for saying little and showing even less emotion, triggered a fan frenzy after making an incredible shot at the end of Game 7 to beat the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday. His shot bounced off the rim four times before going in. The win sent the team to the conference finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. Leonard himself went bonkers, before composing himself for a rather dry post-game interview. Tory said he did not make a ceremonial bet against Philadelphia's mayor, a practice he said he's getting away from for jinx-related reasons. "Maybe that was a good omen, because the mayor of Boston told me that after a certain number of times he had just stopped betting and that their fortunes improved after that," Tory said. "So maybe the outcome of this series is an indication that I'm better off not to bet." Earlier in his mayoral tenure, Tory made a show of betting on big games. In 2015, Toronto Blue Jay slugger Jose Bautista launched a home run against the Texas Rangers that helped clinch the victory in the first round of the playoffs. After he hit the ball, Bautista flipped his bat before beginning to run the bases. That became both an iconic moment in Toronto sports history. Tory, on the backs of the collective high from the city's sports fans, came out big for the next series against the Kansas City Royals. He bet "real beer" from three local craft breweries against his counterpart's barbecue. During the show for reporters, Tory then tossed the bat he was holding into a pond at city hall, not too far from one of the videographers. "Oh geez, did I almost club somebody?" Tory asked. "I hope not." The Blue Jays lost that series. The Raptors open their third-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. The latest flare-up in the US-China trade war, heralded by what we now expect as the norm by way of a tweet from US president Donald Trump, was as unexpected as it was pointless. Businesses across the US are being disrupted; US consumers are already paying more for their goods from the earlier round of tit-for-tat tariff increases; and now the weekend marked a further escalation. US importers now face higher costs; US manufacturers in China face challenges in getting their goods back to their home market; while Chinese exporters have to pay a 25% tariff on good sold to US buyers. The target of the White House with its latest penal tariffs include much of the electronic gear used in data centres but also extends to many consumer gadgets ranging from Apple phones and watches to electronic vehicles, which all use semiconductors as the core part of the devices. The new 25% tariff levels imposed by the US will hit exports of the finished electronic gear from China but crucially will also affect the imports of the semi- conductors that drive these devices. Chinese companies import 240bn of semiconductors each year from a range of countries around the globe. Ireland has a reputation for exporting high-end chips, mainly from Intel. Last year, over a third of the 5.4bn on semiconductors produced in Ireland, was exported to China. The value of exports was down from the previous year, as the Chinese economy slowed under the trade tit-for-tat trade dispute. Chinas growth is projected to slow from an estimated 6.6% in 2018 to 6.2% in 2019 and it is widely expected the latest 25% tariffs will have a significant impact on the overall sales of semiconductors, hitting sales of data devices, as well as devices for personal computers. The tariff increases will be particularly disturbing for Intel which last month cut its 2019 revenue outlook. The revenue warning came with the bad news that it was exiting the 5G smartphone modem market, where Intel was the sole iPhone chip supplier for the past year. That helped push Intel shares lower in recent weeks. Other sectors of Irish industry could also be caught in the collateral damage of the heightened trade dispute. China has in its early response vowed to implement the necessary counter-measures in response to the US decision. In the earlier round of the dispute, the Chinese governments counter-measures were quite modest and mainly focused on commodities. The most critical of these, the soybean import duty increase, was later dropped as a measure to placate the US negotiators and move towards what was then expected to be a resolution of outstanding issues. The Chinese government will have noted that this concession hasnt paid off. Hence, this time its response is likely to be much more aggressive and focus more on technology products which could catch many more Irish producers in the crossfires. For most companies, enduring a 25% rise in cost is very tough. Some firms will not survive; some will increase prices, but all will have their profits reduced. Whatever the industry, few companies have a bottom line of 25%. Irish businesses trading with China, often supply part components that go to make the final product, which is frequently shipped on to the US. This is the nature of the globalised world we now trade in. Many firms are likely to lose business, payment delays, and in the worst cases, where the Chinese company collapses, a total loss of payments. John Whelan is managing partner at The Linkage Partnership A woman who took a case against the State to the European Court of Human Rights has expressed disappointment at the States failure to compensate victims of sexual abuse in day schools. Louise OKeeffe says the Government needs to acknowledge that the State failed to protect children who were abused in day schools and to offer a heartfelt apology" for the delay in acknowledging that responsibility. In 2014, after a 15-year legal battle with the Government, Ms O'Keeffe received a judgment at the European Court of Human Rights that the State was vicariously liable for the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her former national school principal, Leo Hickey. Four years ago the Government established an "ex gratia" - or out-of-court - compensation scheme for anyone falling into the same category as Ms O'Keeffe and who had stopped suing the State, but to date no money has been paid to survivors Applicants have sharply criticised the ex gratia scheme, which requires evidence of a prior complaint against the abuser. Ms OKeeffe told RTE radios Morning Ireland that it was extremely disappointing the way the State had taken such a narrow view of the European judgment. She pointed out that the victim of an abuser seeking compensation will have to show that there had been a prior complaint against the teacher. The State had been aware as early as the 1940s that abuse was happening in national schools, she added. Details in the Ryan report had revealed that she said, which serves as prior knowledge. The State knew about it, they should have acted to protect all children. Ms OKeeffe said that the European Court of Human Rights had found that the State was responsible in her case for the abuse she suffered in school. The State was aware of the possibility of children being abused in school and they did nothing. They should have done something. They must own up to that responsibility. It means that somebody else is going to have to go back to Europe to take a case again. Its unbelievable. She said that judgement she received in Europe had not changed the decision of the Government one whit. The State continued to fail children as it had failed her from the day I started school. The Government continues to fail her, she said because it has not acknowledged the true essence of the judgement that came from Europe". It is beyond time that the Government stood up and acknowledged what they did not do. They did not look after children, they let us down. They need to own up. I would ask them to own up and then give a heartfelt apology to those they failed and apologise for the delay in acknowledging that responsibility. 88% of people feel that Brexit is not having an impact on their saving decisions, a survey has found. The Bank of Ireland/ESRI Savings and Investment Index for April shows that Brexit is having more of an impact on saving behaviour in border areas and in Dublin, but is still not a strong driver overall. 3.7% of people from Dublin said they were saving more directly as a result of Brexit compared with 1.1% in April 2018. In Border Midwest areas, 6% said they were saving more, which an increase from 3.6% a year earlier. 88% of people answered that Brexit had not affected their saving, down from 92% the previous year. Despite more savers finding that Brexit is more of a consideration for them in 2019, this is still not a strong driver of overall savings behaviour. Tom McCabe, Bank of Ireland Investment Markets, said: The most surprising finding in this months saving data is that Brexit continues to have very little impact on national saving patterns despite the ongoing uncertainty around what it could mean for the Irish economy. This suggests that savers are very much still basing their decisions on here and now and not on what Brexit related challenges might be around the corner. "With the Irish economy still growing strongly, this should mean saving sentiment remains positive over the next few months. The survey also found that investor sentiment fell in April. This was driven by weaker investment attitudes on whether people invest and how much, and was at the lowest level since December. The percentage of people who invest regularly dropped to 34% from the all-time high of 37% reached in March. Meanwhile, saving patterns remained very strong with 50% of people saving regularly in April, up marginally compared to March. A man flew into a jealous rage when his ex-partner received a call from a male friend and he punched her in the face, put a knife to her throat and struck her twice with the buckle of his belt. Garda Carmel Nash testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that Stephen Hickey, 38, who had been living at 48 New Street, Macroom, pleaded guilty to three counts on the indictment. He admitted assault causing harm to his ex-partner, Patricia Walsh, at the family home, production of a knife and production of a belt. Judge Brian OCallaghan imposed a jail term of two years with the last six months suspended. One of the conditions of the suspension of the last six months was that the accused man would stay away from Ms Walsh for three years following his release from prison. Garda Nash said that on the evening of May 19, 2017 the accused was at the home of his ex-partner. An argument ensued after she received a call on her phone from a male friend. Stephen Hickey became jealous and punched her in the face. He took her phone when she threatened to call the gardai. She went to bed. In the early hours he came to her bedroom and he had a kitchen knife in his hand. He put it to her throat. He dragged her by the feet out of the bed. He took off his belt and hit her twice with the buckle of it. He went out to get alcohol the next morning. At this stage she got out to call gardai. She suffered bruising and a large red mark to the left side of her back, Garda Nash said. In the course of a victim impact statement the injured party said that as a result of the defendants assaults on her she was psychologically, physically and emotionally damaged. She suffered sleepless night and felt demeaned and wronged by his actions. The accused man had four previous assault convictions and one for producing an article to cause injury. He also had 14 previous public order convictions. John Devlin, defence barrister, said, The Director of Public Prosecutions was happy for the matter to be dealt with at district court level but that the learned district judge refused to accept jurisdiction. He wrote a letter apologising to the injured party. He wishes the court would receive that. He apologises for the harm he caused to the injured party. He described a night of drinking. He had a chronic alcohol problem since the end of his teenaged years. He has been before the court for numerous appearances. He attended Bruree for seven months. He did well in aftercare. But unfortunately he had a relapse. In colloquial terms he fell off the wagon. He is willing to attend an anger management course. Everyone else is younger than him in prison and he feels ashamed of himself. Judge OCallaghan said an aggravating feature of the case was that after the passage of time the defendant had followed the injured party to her bedroom and held a knife to her. He said this was a most serious matter in a small bedroom where there was no way of escape. To put it mildly, it is quite shocking and to follow it on with a further assault using a belt, Judge OCallaghan said. A new European report shows that Irish people agree with the majority of their EU peers that the government has been spending too little on tackling homelessness. Irish respondents in the large scale survey were among the nations to cite addiction issues ahead of job loss and rent arrears as the main reason for homelessness. The report, entitled 'Homelessness as unfairness: an ecological perspective', was produced by the HOME_EU: Reversing Homelessness in Europe organisation, which gathers data from around Europe. It included input from Irish experts gathered for a seminar in Italy last year. Among the data to feature was a telephone survey using landlines and mobile phones in France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden, with around 700 respondents per country. According to the report: "At least, 46% of the sample reported having been exposed to homelessness. "Overall, 15% of the sample either reported having a personal experience of homelessness or having a relative or friend with such an experience, with Ireland and the Netherlands showing the most extreme rates (9.5% and 18.7%, respectively)." It also found overall that three-quarters of respondents thought the magnitude of homelessness had increased and the three leading causes of homelessness reported by surveyed participants were job loss, addiction issues, and rent arrears. Ireland was one of four countries to cite addiction issues and according to the study: A clear majority of respondents (76%) reported that government spent too little on homelessness, with exposed respondents being more likely to encourage governmental funding However, it also found that almost 17% of respondents reported that their government spent too much or enough money on homelessness. The report also featured a service users study, presented by Ronni Greenwood of the University of Limerick), looking at how the participants in the Housing First Service Model report positive experiences and greater recovery when compared with the service users involved in the staircase model services, which uses hostels and transitional housing as steps towards independent living. An overall sample of 573 service users from seven countries, including 83 in Ireland, "suggests that Housing First does work in different locations with different political, economic, and social contexts to end homelessness and promote recovery for adults with histories of homelessness and complex needs". Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy It showed that residential stability levels were better in the Housing First model, as was housing quality and the level of consumer choice, while respondents also had higher levels of satisfaction with services and community integration, while there were lower levels of psychiatric symptoms among those using the Housing First model. According to the report: "Based on these and other findings, we recommend European expansion of HF programmes with high fidelity to the original model through the implementation of new programmes and reconfiguration of staircase services to Housing First," adding that the European Commission should promote and support professionals training in delivering client-led, recovery-oriented supports and services. A Dublin actress will be sentenced in June for a Twitter and email harassment campaign of a BBC childrens television presenter. Frances Winston, 45, has pleaded guilty to harassing CBeebies star Ferne Corrigan on social media. Winston, who is also a writer and a comedian, faced her fifth hearing today before Judge Michael Walsh at Dublin District Court. Defence solicitor Colleen Gildernew told the court the case would take some time to hear the facts. She suggested Judge Walsh read statements handed in to court by the investigating garda. She said it may be more manageable and faster than the alternative that a number of tweets and emails would have to be read out in court. Sentencing was adjourned for four weeks after Judge Walsh said he wanted to consider a victim impact report, garda statements as well as a psychological report on Winston. He said he would have to assess the impact on the victim in her personal life and that might take some time. Ferne Corrigan, host of My Pet And Me and Ferne and Rorys Vet Tales, was not present for the hearing. However, Detective Sergeant Jonathan Kelly said he had received typed victim impact statement from her which he handed in to court. He told the court it was lengthy because it detailed every tweet. Ms Winston, who has an address at Rathgar Road, Dublin 6, faces a single count under Section 10.1 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. She was accused that on an on-going basis between February 19, 2016 and May 20, 2017, at various unknown locations she harassed Ferne Corrigan. Fern Corrigan At her first hearing in September 2018, Detective Sergeant Jonathan Kelly told the court Ms Winston, was charged at Irishtown Garda station after which she made no reply. The Director of Public Prosecutions had directed the case should be dealt with at district court level and not in the circuit court, which has tougher sentencing powers. After hearing an outline of the case against the accused, Judge Walsh had accepted jurisdiction. Detective Sergeant Kelly told the court it was alleged, The defendant engaged in an online campaign of harassment against a named individual who is not resident in the State, and used various social media platforms to harass this individual in a very public way. Judge Walsh had asked if they were connected and the Garda said they were not directly linked but he added: The injured party is the daughter of the defendants former partner. The defence solicitor had successfully resisted the gardas application for an absolute ban on her client using social media of any type. The judge had agreed to her request that the order in relation to using social media would be limited to the injured party. He has also warned that if Ms Winston were foolish enough to make contact it could lead to further charges. Ms Winston cannot have any contact with the injured party, or members of her family and her friends, by any means. He warned her she could not contact Ferne Corrigan and this included social media, emails, any manner whatsoever. She was also told to reside at her current address and she had to give gardai her phone number. Ms Winston played murder plotter Sharon Lying Eyes Collins in a 2017 TV3 reconstruction of that case. Funding worth 250,000 has been announced for an initiative which will allow third level students to spend three months in the Gaeltacht. Up to 175 students will have the opportunity to live with Gaeltacht families for the three months while attending a third level qualification course for an entire semester. A subsidy worth 17 per day will be provided, enabling third level institutions to offer a semester in the Gaeltacht to their students. It will be payable to families who are qualified under the Department's Irish Language Learner's Scheme. The aid, amounts to a subsidy worth up to 1,428 per student, will be payable to families who provide accommodation. The initiative is directed towards students who have Irish as a core subject in their University court or those who require a high level of competency in Irish in order to work in professions in the public service, in particular, in which it is critical to ensure engagement with the Irish speaking community through Irish. The funding was launched today by the Minister of State for the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands Sean Kyne in Acadamh na hOllscolaiochta Gaeilge, OEG, Carna. "The Gaeltacht areas are the Irish Language's native domain and as a result of this measure up to 175 students a year will have the opportunity to access immersion in Irish which will be of benefit both to the Irish Language and the Gaeltacht," he said. "Of course this will also help to further develop the state system's capacity in attending to the extra demands on services that are provided through Irish at present and in the future. "For many years students learning languages have had the opportunity to spend time immersed in a target language while studying abroad on Erasmus. "A fund will now be available for the first time which will help students to spend an entire semester in the Gaeltacht," he said. The Minister for Health has said that more needs to be done to make people aware of the risks of cocaine. The comment comes after the Chief Superintendent of the Louth division said the country was "loaded" with the drug. Supt Mangan says the problem needs to be dealt with as a national health issue as he says it is worse than the heroin epidemic ever was. He warned that "a generation of young people" would be lost until the problem was properly addressed. Minister Harris says a lot more needs to be done to raise awareness among people of the risks associated with drug usage. "So not just the idea of being on the wrong side of the law, but actually being on the wrong side of your own health, your own wellbeing and indeed being around for your family into the future," he said. "My colleague Minister Catherine Byrne is leading an initiative in relation to this. The National Drugs Strategy now talks about taking a health-led approach to drugs, and she'll be bringing forward a number of proposals to government in the coming weeks on this." Meanwhile, Jason Van Der Velde, an Emergency Medicine Physician with the CUH and West Cork Rapid Response, says cocaine use in Ireland has been de-stigmatised. "Its use seems to be de-stigmatised, and certainly a drug like cocaine crosses absolutely no boundaries," he said. "From very affluent, to very socially deprived [areas], cocaine really is affecting all levels of society." The sister of a man who died while climbing Carrauntoohil in Co Kerry last weekend has paid tribute to the hero father of three. Miriam Duffy said her family were trying to come to terms with the sudden loss of her brother Ger Duffy, who was 59. Mr Duffy, a native of St Joseph Street, Limerick city, and who was living in Clonlara, Co Clare, died last Saturday after falling on the mountain. An experienced mountain climber, Mr Duffy had been accompanied by a male friend at the time, explained his sister. We believe he was making his way up the mountain, and as he gripped something it crumbled in his hand and he fell, Ms Duffy added. A major search and recovery operation took place over serval hours last Saturday, which involved Kerry Mountain Rescue Team and the Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter 116. Ms Duffy thanked all those who helped recover her brothers body. A post mortem was conducted at Tralee General Hospital and Mr Duffys body was later taken to his home in Clonlara where he will be waked Tuesday. Mr Duffy was also passionate about motorbikes which fitted in well with his love of the outdoors. He was such a kind guy and he would have helped anybody that ever needed it, offered Ms Duffy, who is well known in her role as Director of Rape Crisis Midwest. He was only in Cambodia a few weeks ago, on a motorbike tour, and he was up a mountain in Wales a few weeks before that. He loved the outdoors life, he was very fit, and he lived his life to the fullest, she said. He was the best brother you could ever wish for. His wife Carmel - and his children Siobhan (24), Aisling (22), and Gavin (18) - who were his pride and joy - idolised him. Ms Duffy fondly recalled how Ger had delivered his daughter Aishling as he and his wife were making their way to the Limericks maternity hospital. Ger and Carmel were on their way to the maternity, and as they were crossing Thomond Bridge there was a shout from Carmel to stop the car. Ger delivered Aisling himself there on the bridge. He certainly was a hero, in every sense of the word. Family friend and Fine Gael Senator, Maria Byrnes, offering her sympathies to the Duffy family, said Mr Duffy was a gentleman who had been taken too young. Mayor of Clare, Independent councillor Michael Begley, also paid a personal tribute as a neighbour, a friend, and as mayor of Clare. Id like to express my sympathies to the Duffy family, and their relatives in the extended parish. Its a terrible tragedy, Mr Begley added. An obituary published online stated Mr Duffy had died following a tragic mountain climbing accident. Beloved husband of Carmel (nee Madden), and wonderful dad to Siobhan, Aisling and Gavin. Deeply regretted by his loving wife and family, his mother Bernie, sisters Miriam, Ruth, Helen, Tessa, Maggie and Rachel (Derryfadda), sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours, and his many many friends. Reposing at his residence (Eir Code V94 EKF1) this Tuesday evening (14th May) from 5pm to 8pm. Arriving for Funeral Mass in St. Senans Church, Clonlara on Wednesday (15th May) at 11.30am with burial afterwards in Teampaill Cemetery. Donations, if desired, to Kerry Mountain Rescue. A man who defrauded six customers out of almost 60,000 by taking payments for minibuses which he never handed over to them has been sentenced to three and half years. Mark Knight (43) was running a business in which he secured minibuses from the UK for interested clients, imported them back to Ireland and both serviced and registered them before delivering the vehicles to the customer. He advertised his business under two names Versatile Vehicles and Minibus World. Versatile Vehicles Ltd, was struck off by Companies Office in November 2009 for failure to comply with regulations, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. Knight had run a legitimate business and some of the victims of this fraud had approached him on the back of a recommendation from a trusted source. He either secured a deposit or received full payment for vehicles but never delivered them to the customers using a number of excuses such as the log book had been accidentally destroyed, the transport back to Ireland had been delayed by the snow or that the vehicle needed some work done on it. Knight ultimately pleaded guilty to the offences following a garda investigation but took a warrant in July 2012 when he failed to show up for his court hearing. He was tracked down in England, where he was working under his own name and brought back to Ireland on a European Arrest Warrant last month. Knight, previously of Lutrellstown Grove, Castleknock, Dublin pleaded guilty to dishonestly by deception inducing six individuals to pay a total of 58,950 for specific vehicles on dates between September 2009 and July 2011. He has 18 previous convictions, three of which are from Ireland. One of his convictions relate to obtaining money by deception while another is for making off without payment. A number of victim impact reports were handed into court outlining the effects the fraud had on his customers. One report stated that a man had paid 10,000 for a minibus to accommodate his family of ten. The money represented their life savings and it was 18 months before they could raise enough money to buy a suitable vehicle. In another case, a woman had paid 13,100 for a minibus for her company and when Knight failed to give her the bus she had to take out a loan to finance the purchase of another vehicle, This put her business under financial stress and she was concerned it would collapse. Judge Melanie Greally accepted that Knight had 58,505 in court to compensate his victims after his current employer lent him the cash. He has agreed to pay a further 9,885 within 12 months to compensate the woman who had to take out the loan, allowing for the interest she paid on it. The judge said Knight had given false undertakings and told lies concerning problems with the vehicles and delays and ultimately monies were not repaid. She noted that one person had 1,000 refunded while another, who had handed over 16,600 had received a cheque in the post for 16.60. Judge Greally accepted that Knight made admissions and assisted gardai on his arrest and had been living a law abiding and productive life after he fled Ireland. She acknowledged that a testimonial from his employer, who gave him the funds for compensation, stated that Knight played an important role in his company and his business was suffering from his absence. Judge Greally sentenced Knight to three and half years in prison but suspended the final 12 months on strict conditions including that he leave Ireland within seven days of his ultimate release from prison and not return to the country for 10 years. Garda Martina Drew told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that in one case a man had contacted Knight after seeing an ad for a 13-seater Mercedes Sprinter on Donedeal. He needed the vehicle for his family of ten and transferred a deposit of 1,500 for the vehicle. This man is the only one of the six victims who actually got his vehicle delivered to his home when he handed over the balance of 8,500. The following month he spotted a vehicle with the same registration but different mileage advertised on eBay. He became concerned and emailed Knight giving him until the end of that week to fix the problem. Gda Drew said Knight offered a part refund and suggested the man could still keep the vehicle but the customer insisted on returning the bus. He left it parked at Heuston Station in Dublin for Knight to pick up after Knight agreed to transfer a full refund into his bank account. This man never received the refund and he later spotted another advertisement for the same vehicle. Seoirse O Dunlaing BL, defending, told Judge Greally that his client accepted his conduct was criminal but suggested that the court should have regard to the fact that he was using his own name and details in all his transactions with clients. He said it was an example of a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul as Knight was using the funds to either repay other customers he owed money to or cover his own personal expenses. He was not driving around Dublin in a Ferrari, counsel submitted. Mr O Dunlaing said Knight had buried his head in the sand. He handed in a testimonial from Knight's current employer whom he said was fully aware of the conduct he (Knight) had engaged in. The jury in a Tipperary murder trial has been shown bloodstained clothing and bedding taken from the room where the body of the deceased was found. His girlfriend has denied his murder. The jury was being shown the exhibits today in the Central Criminal Court trial of Inga Ozolina (48), who is charged with murdering Audrius Pukas (40) over two years ago in her Co Tipperary home. Ms Ozolina, originally from Latvia, but with an address at Old Court Church, Mounthrath, Co Laois has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Pukas at The Malthouse, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, on November 20, 2016. He died from a stab wound to his chest. The trial has heard that the accused and deceased were in a tempestuous and volatile relationship, which was violent at times. However, the prosecution contends that there is no question of self-defence in the case. Garda Larry Stapleton testified today that he examined the scene following the stabbing. He told Paul Murray SC, prosecuting, that he found a yellow t-shirt in the bedroom, where Mr Pukass remains were found. Its heavily bloodstained, he said, identifying the t-shirt and staining in court. Theres blood everywhere on it. He also identified a green bathrobe found in the same room. He pointed out three holes or cuts he found in the garment, along with blood stains in various locations. He then identified two sheets and a pillowcase taken from the bed in that room. Theres heavy blood staining, he said, holding up a white sheet. He also showed the court a pink sheet that had been directly underneath the white sheet. He pointed to corresponding staining on this item. He further showed the jury a blood-stained pillowcase taken from the bed. He was asked about the state of the bedroom, and replied that there had been a disturbance there. He confirmed that he did not find blood in any other area of the house. However, he seized a number of exhibits from elsewhere. He explained that he had found a laptop in the other bedroom. It appeared to me that someone was watching it. It was paused, he recalled. It was 17 minutes into a film or something. He also noted a picture of the accused and deceased, flat down, in this other bedroom. I just thought it was unusual, he said. He later found broken pieces of a picture frame around the living room fireplace, and a broken picture frame behind the briquette bin in the same room. The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Alexander Owens and a jury of seven men and five women. The lack of construction workers is going to delay any resolution to the housing crisis a leading economist has warned. Professor Alan Ahearne told RTE Radios News at One that it is going to take a long time to solve the problem. He warned it was important that the Government not do silly things in the meantime. At the end of the day we need more housing supply, but we just dont have the workers. Prof Ahearne suggested that it is time to look at bringing in workers from abroad, but did not think it feasible for armies of construction workers to arrive in Ireland setting up camps because there are not enough houses in which they could live, or afford to rent. The important thing was to do no harm. Dont make things worse, he urged. Including institutional landlords in rent pressure zones would not necessarily help the situation, he said as new premises coming on stream were being rented at high prices because the landlords knew that they could not increase the rents in the future. The biggest constraint facing the Government is the lack of supply, which means that more homes need to be built, but this is difficult because the construction industry as been maxed out. He asked how the Government is going to ramp up efforts at building more social housing when there are not enough workers to build. In 2006-2007 a total of 90,000 houses were built, he said, that would not be possible now as Eastern European workers were now working elsewhere and there are not enough trained construction workers coming through the system, he said. Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy told RTE that extending the rent pressure zones until 2021 to include institutional landlords will mean a new level of protection for tenants. We know there is more work to do, but there has been some progress. Last year there was a 25% increase in the number of houses built and there will be an increase again this year. He called for more apartments to be built in other cities to take the pressure off Dublin. The CEO the national housing charity Threshold, John Mark McCafferty, called on the Government to consider all the options to provide more affordable housing. Other cities have more affordable systems such as Vienna where the housing model is based on ability to pay. Greater enforcement and stronger sanctions need to be implemented to ensure landlords adhere to rent pressure zone regulations. He also called for a review of the HAP system, pointing out it has not been changed since 2016. There needs to be a change in the way social housing is delivered, he said. If the Government is really serious then they need to look at a very radical way. Ramping up supply is required in the meantime. A firm which has provided security on Dublin's Luas since 2009 claims the operators of the light rail network have wrongfully left them out of the tender process for the contract to continue operating the service. STT Risk Management says the 150 million contract to operate the Luas includes 15m for security services over a five year period. It has brought High Court proceedings against the operators, Transdev, claiming it was obliged to include STT as a subcontractor for security as part of Transdev's bid for the contract to operate the network for the next six years. It seeks, if necessary, an injunction preventing Transdev from progressing the tender other than with STT as security contractor. Among the orders and declarations it seeks is that Transdev pay STT the profits from the successful tender. It also seeks damages for breach of contract, negligence and breach of duty, among other things. The case was admitted to the fast track Commercial Court list today on consent between the parties by Mr Justice Robert Haughton. The tendering process to choose an operator, which includes an option to extend for a further five years, for a contract starting in September next (2019), is the responsibility of Transport Infrastructure Ireland/National Transport Authority. STT director, Ted O'Connor, says in an affidavit that in May 2017, STT and Transdeventered a memorandum of understanding for the purpose of collaborating in the tender process. STT has provided confidential information to Transdev and co-operated fully in preparation of documentation, Mr O'Connor says. This included allowing access to STT's premises, staff, pricing structure and staff training/recruitment. Last February, it was learned Transdev was proceeding to tender without including STT, he says. STT later sought an undertaking the tender would not be submitted without its inclusion but this was refused. Mr O'Connor says Transdev is in breach of its contract and a number of duties to STT. Mr Justice Haughton was told directions on how the case should proceed had been agreed. He was also told there may be an application for security of legal costs by Transdev against STT. A man is recovering in hospital after he was stabbed several times in Cork city. The 30-year-old received a number of stab wounds in the incident which occurred at Ardmore Avenue in Knocknaheeney. Kerry, Tipperary, Kildare, Meath and Longford have been announced as the next five counties to join the Music Generation programme. Each of the counties will receive funding to create access to affordable performance music education for children and young people in their communities. Its first two phases, from 2010 and 2017, saw the programme expand into 20 areas, creating more than 48,500 opportunities for young musicians annually. Projects involved in the programme this year are benefitting from 3.485m worth of funding from the Department of Education and Skills. Music Generation was originally co-funded with donations from U2 and The Ireland Funds, supported by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, along with funding from local partners. The programme also received the funding from the Department of Education and Skills. Participants are given the opportunity to engage in inspiring musical experiences with 400 professional musicians. Locally, Music Generation programmes are managed by Local Music Education Partnerships (LMEPs) groups of organisations and individuals that come together under the leadership of education and training boards and local authorities to offer young people the choice of access and chance to participate in music. In December 2017, Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar announced the Governments commitment to supporting the roll-out of Music Generation to all remaining areas of the country by 2022, as part of the Creative Ireland Programme. Minister for Education and Skills Joe Mc Hugh welcomed the news today, saying it brought the Government "even closer to our goal of giving children in every county access to this opportunity". "Music and the arts inspire us all and Music Generation is having enormous impacts in communities, with young people having instrument, ensemble, voice and choral experiences that simply wouldnt be possible without this programme," he said. It is a fantastic chance to instil a love of music and a lifelong skill and passion or awaken a hidden talent in our young people. U2s The Edge said: "Every milestone reached on this journey is a source of great pride for the band as well as everyone who has worked so hard to make it happen. "With this latest announcement, the finish line is firmly in sight and our dream of an accessible music education for every young person in Ireland is getting ever closer. We are beyond excited." The new Music Generation counties will begin with the recruitment of Music Generation Development Officers in each area. The family of an 18-year-old who was fatally stabbed in Dublin said they hope the perpetrators will be held to account. Azzam Raguragui died after being stabbed at Finsbury Park, in Dundrum at approximately 8.10pm on Friday night. He was from the Dundrum area and had previously attended De La Salle College in Churchtown. It is understood that a number of people were in the vicinity at the time of the incident. Azzam was treated at the scene by emergency services and brought to St James's Hospital where he later died. "The past few days have been very difficult and challenging for our family," said Azzam's parents, Abderrahmane Raguragui and Hajiba Elouaddaf. "An Garda Siochana are leading in the investigation to uncover the truth behind our son Azzam Raguraguis murder and we are resting our faith in the Irish Justice system to hold the perpetrator(s) to account. We are grateful for the community support we have received. "At this critical time we would like to request some space and privacy to allow us to grieve as a family." Azzam was remembered as a "kind, courteous and respectful" young man by the Irish Sufi Foundation. The Muslim organisation expressed its condolences to Azzam's family after hearing the "devastating and heartbreaking news". "Azzam was a kind, courteous, respectful and cheerful young man who always had a smile on his face," the group said. "He was bright, talented and ambitious with aspirations to become a successful entrepreneur. Such a tragic loss. A wonderful young life full of potential cut short." A pensioner who brutally raped a six-year-old girl in 1979 will be jailed for two years after prison authorities assess how his medical care needs will be met in custody. Dan Flynn (76), a Co Tipperary resident, was 36-years-old when he raped the small child. He now suffers from a range of medical issues including Parkinson's Disease. His victim, now a married mother, told the Central Criminal Court that Flynn, a farm labourer who had lived with his late mother, was a cruel, bad tempered man whom she was afraid of as a child. She was visiting Flynn's mother at his home when he grabbed her and threw her on his bed, telling her: I have got you now. He raped the child before spitting into her face and stepping over her as she lay on the ground. As if I was nothing, said the victim. The woman said looking back she had been traumatised all her life and in 2017 began remembering piece by piece what had happened. She suffered vivid flashbacks and felt sick to her stomach. It makes me very angry that it was covered up and nothing was done, she told the court. There was nothing wrong with Dan Flynn when he sexually assaulted me all those years ago. Flynn pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping the child at his home on a date in 1979. Mr Justice Michael White said a practical challenge in this case was balancing the circumstances of the offence, which he described as having elements of severe brutality and unusual cruelty, against the age and ill health of Flynn. It is difficult to imagine the actual brutality involved in raping a six-year-old child, said the judge. He said there had to be an element of a custodial sentence despite Flynn's age and ill health. Mr Justice White set a headline sentence of nine years. He then took into account mitigating factors such as Flynn's lack of previous convictions and plea of guilty. He imposed a sentence of six years and suspended four years due to the serious challenges for Flynn and the prison authorities in dealing with his chronic ill health while in custody. The judge adjourned the commencement of the sentence until June 19, next to allow the prison authorities time to assess a suitable facility for Flynn. Mr Justice White commended the woman's tremendous courage in coming forward and said the court had been shocked by the great cruelty of the offence. Colman Cody SC, defending, said he had instructions from Flynn to offer an apology to the woman. During the sentence hearing, Mr Justice White asked Mr Cody if his client had any explanation for the barbaric cruelty which accompanied the offence. Mr Cody said there were some communication difficulties with his client but he could not offer an explanation and accepted it aggravated the matter. A local garda told Michael Bowman SC, prosecuting, that the victim had been indecently assaulted by Flynn prior to the rape on two occasions. He threw her onto a bed on a further occasion but told her to get out after she began crying. The child was helping Flynn's mother with laundry when the woman asked her to bring some clothes up to Flynn's room. Flynn was home sick from work and the child sneaked into his room. He turned in the bed and grunted at her. She was frightened and crawled under the bed but he grabbed her by the legs and threw her on the bed. I have got you now, Flynn told the child. Flynn raped the child on the bed. Flynn's mother came into the room and said: Jesus Dan, what have you done to her? The victim said Flynn told his mother Ah she will be alright. Flynn's mother told him to bring her into her bedroom and the child described how he picked her up and threw her onto his mother's bed. Flynn's mother gave the child a bowl of ice cream which she vomited back up. The child's grandmother arrived at the house and the child could hear shouting going on before her grandmother burst into the bedroom and exclaimed: Sweet mother of Jesus. She told the child I have you now and brought her home to bed. The child, who was covered in blood and bruises, thought she was dying. She said her mother did not come into the room. The child's father arrived later and asked what had happened. Her grandmother told him that she had fallen off her bike. Remember the story is you fell off your bike, she had told the victim. The victim said her grandmother and Flynn's mother never spoke to each other again. In her victim impact statement, which she read to the court, the woman said she had struggled at school after the offence as she was so traumatised. At home I was afraid of the dark, I did not sleep and had nightmares when I did, she said. She said her relationship with her mother, who never acknowledged what had happened, had suffered. In her eyes I am the problem, she told the court. All I wanted was my mother to love and support me. Mr Cody said Flynn lived and worked all his life in Co Tipperary. He lived a sheltered life and had never been in a serious relationship. Flynn's mother, a widow, died when he was 40 years old. He said Flynn suffered a number of medical conditions including Parkinson's and hypertension. Mr Cody asked the court to take into account his clients circumstances and guilty plea. Plans to build 8,400 homes in a new south Dublin town have been approved by An Bord Pleanala. The land at Clonburris is to the east of Adamstown along the Dublin-Kildare railway line. A leadership challenge in the Conservative Party will have little impact on the Brexit stalemate, Tanaiste Simon Coveney says. Speaking in Brussels, Mr Coveney said that despite mounting speculation from Westminster about a potential change of leader, such an outcome would not deliver significant change to the crisis. "The issues don't change and the arithmetic in Westminster won't change. For us this isn't about personalities, it's about the facts and complexities of Brexit. The UK needs to make its mind up now as to how it approaches the Brexit process, but I think changing personalities doesn't change very much, because the issue are still as complex as they always have been, he said. Mr Coveney described the UK as a "desperately divided country" adding there are hardline "purists" within Westminster who do not want to compromise on Brexit. Mr Coveney contrasted the divisions in London with the agreed approach on Brexit to the sense of national unity in Ireland for a successful outcome: The opposite has happened in the UK. The two main parties left it very late in the process to talk to each other. They are now, though, and we want that process to result in some certainty. Without any agreement, he said it is "anybody's guess" as to where the Brexit process goes: "This is about trying to find a way forward that everyone can live with. It's in Ireland's interests for Britain to be happy, and to be more united than they are now on the Brexit question." British Prime Minister Theresa May has spoken to political leaders in Northern Ireland in an effort to seek progress in the return of devolved government at Stormont. The Prime Minister has spoken to Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill and Mary Lou McDonald, the Ulster Unionist Party's Robin Swann, the Alliance's Naomi Long and was due to speak to the SDLP's Colum Eastwood. Downing Street said Mrs May had previously spoken to the DUP's Arlene Foster. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "The PM is very keen to see progress being made in the talks and the UK Government, working with the Irish Government, is doing everything in its power to make the talks a success." Sinn Fein president Ms McDonald said she emphasised her determination to resolve "outstanding issues" around Northern Ireland's collapsed devolved administration during a phone call this afternoon. A racehorse that was once sold for 240,000 was found on a Cork farm abandoned and nearly starved to death. The thoroughbred, named War Celeste, was found on a farm last year alongside 10 other horses. The Irish Times reports that three of the horses found had to be euthanised due to their condition. This is how War Celeste looked when found - emaciated and in such poor condition that euthanasia was considered. She is now in good health. https://t.co/GKvO33usWz pic.twitter.com/dq68f1ygzO My Lovely Horse Rescue (@MyLovelyHorseR) May 13, 2019 War Celeste was nursed back to health by My Lovely Horse Rescue, a horse and donkey welfare group. Speaking to RTE News At One, volunteer for My Lovely Horse Rescue Maddie Doyle highlighted how they found War Celeste and the other horses. "Just over a year ago, we had a call for assistance from a member of the public who was concerned about a number of horses in the Cork area," said Ms Doyle. "Some of our volunteers responded to that call along with Department of Agriculture officials and when they arrived they found 11 horses, most of whom were emaciated with no access to food. "Some of them looked okay but the majority of them were emaciated. They were starving." Ms Doyle said some of the horses were "roaming in a paddock with access to a covered barn" and there were a number of other horses locked in in three different stables - one of which was War Celeste. How thoroughbred mare "War Celeste" was once valued at 240k but last year was found in an emaciated state at a property in Cork. She has since made a full recovery. Her story will be told on this programme in a few moments. #WarCeleste #AnimalCruelty #MyLovelyHorseRescue pic.twitter.com/c3XW55Nfl8 RTE News at One (@RTENewsAtOne) May 13, 2019 She said it was hard to say exactly how long the horses had been in those conditions but looking at their weight, the condition of their feet and the faeces levels, "then you'd have to assume it was a lengthy period of time...weeks that no one was tending to them." Ms Doyle said they needed a digger to rescue some of the horses. "There was two stables in particular where the levels of manure pretty much came to the top of the stable door." She said the door had to be broken off and "the manure had to be dug out in order to provide a slope or a trench for them to then be able climb down off it and onto the ground." Ms Doyle said that they had been locked in for so long that they were frightened to come out. She said five of the horses fell under the care of My Lovely Horse Rescue while the rest went to another rescue group. There was also a donkey on the scene that was sent to the Donkey Sanctuary. Ms Doyle said of the five horses that went to My Lovely Horse Rescue, two had to be euthanised. Thank you for sharing War Celeste's story. She is now a picture of health, many more aren't so lucky. https://t.co/DzclX1oiB4 pic.twitter.com/tyebvFzsNL My Lovely Horse Rescue (@MyLovelyHorseR) May 13, 2019 War Celeste was one of the three remaining horses and Ms Doyle said she is doing well. She said the three horses when they first arrived were just skin and bone, with no muscle. "Our vet at the time explained to us that as much as we wanted to try to bring them back from that, we could possibly be facing a decision where we might have to put them down. "When a horse gets to a certain level of neglect it can be very very hard to bring them back from that. "What you see on the outside in terms of the starvation and the bones and the ribs sticking out and all of that, on the inside there can be a lot of internal damage caused by the starvation." Ms Doyle said they are optimistic that she will be re-homed. War Celeste was bought in 2013 by China Horse Club. However, the Times reports that the horse never raced and was sold as a brood mare in 2015. A spokesperson told the Times that when they sold War Celeste in 2015 she was in great condition and said it was disheartening to hear what happened to the thoroughbred. Gardai told this publication that they "are investigating alleged offences against animals in Nohoval, Co Cork" on February 19, 2018. "The investigation is ongoing and gardai are following a definite line of enquiry." The Department of Agriculture has also been asked for comment. The number of burglaries in homes across Ireland fell by 50% in the winter of 2018/2019 when compared to the same period four years earlier. Residential burglaries fell from 12,057 during winter 2014/2015 to 5,997 during winter 2018/2019, according to provisional figures from An Garda Siochana released by CSO under reservation. The statistics were gathered as part of the Winter Phase of Operation Thor which focuses on the targeting of organised crime gangs involved in burglaries. It targets gangs and repeat offenders through co-ordinated crime prevention and enforcement activity. The winter phase of the operation runs from the start of October until the end of March each year. The year on year reduction is almost 10% from 6,613 residential burglaries during winter 2017/2018 to 5,997 during winter 2018/2019. According to the gardai, international evidence shows that the number of burglaries generally increase by 20% during the winter months when daylight hours are at the lowest level. The Assistant Commissioner of Special Crime Operations, John ODriscoll, said: "The positive conclusion to the Winter Phase of Operation Thor is encouraging and we will refocus and build on that success in Operation Thor, during the summer months. We are particularly aware of the vulnerability of older victims and are determined to apprehend those who exploit their vulnerability. Operation Thor-related activities have led to several arrests of inter-regional travelling criminals where high powered get-away vehicles were identified and intercepted, the gardai said. Additionally, checkpoints are used as a visible deterrent to criminals and reassurance to society. Between October 2018 and March 2019, there were over 73,000 checkpoints undertaken by gardai across all operations. A woman described by a High Court judge as having maintained a vengeful and vitriolic campaign against her estranged husband has failed to get a decree of nullity rendering their 13-year marriage legally null and void. Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds said the woman had provided "no sustainable evidence" to support her claim the man had subjected her to such duress the marriage happened without her consent. The reality is the woman was an independent young woman working abroad when she met the man, they lived together abroad before getting engaged and later returned here to marry in a wedding attending by friends and family, the judge said. There was simply no evidence to support the woman's additional claim the man lacked capacity to enter into and sustain a caring and considerate marital relationship, she further found. The failure of the marriage was due to the incompatibility of the parties in circumstances where the marital relationship broke down over time, she said. It is an unfortunate reality of life that marriages break down, hence the necessity for divorce legislation. The judge described as "utterly reprehensible" and wholly unsubstantiated claims by the woman in respect of the man's sexual orientation as being either homosexual or bisexual. Various allegations pursued by the woman against him with the HSE, the Garda Ombudsman and other State bodies were "malicious and vindictive" and had proved to be unfounded, she also said. Those allegations included child neglect and more serious matters, she further noted. The woman has maintained a sustained vengeful and vitriolic" campaign against her estranged husband since she lost custody of their dependent children and her actions in that regard are regrettable to say the least, the judge said. Her motivation in pursuing these nullity proceedings was further fuelled by her religious beliefs and her understanding, if she got a decree of nullity from the court, that would help in seeking a church annulment. The judge noted a psychiatrist had reported the woman is a practising Catholic keen to seek a church annulment and is unhappy that, against her wishes, her estranged husband does not take the children to Mass. She had also raised issues about his fathering skills. For all the reasons outlined, the judge, in a recently published judgment, dismissed the woman's application. Woman 'aggrieved' husband secured custody of the children in the judicial separation Outlining the background earlier, the judge noted the man and woman are both Irish, met abroad, got engaged after nine months, married here and have two children, the youngest born in 2001. Their marriage broke down after 13 years, they began to live apart and the woman left the family home with the children. They got a decree of judicial separation from the Circuit Court in 2011 which provided the children would reside primarily with the man, both parents would have joint custody and the woman would have access. Two years later, the woman initiated the nullity proceedings. The judge said it was clear from the evidence the woman is aggrieved by the fact the man secured custody of the children in the judicial separation. She had not just maintained nullity proceedings but also tried, and failed, to have the children taken into temporary care pending the outcome of the nullity application. The man has separately issued divorce proceedings which were stayed pending the outcome of the nullity claim. In opposing nullity, he said he and the woman had a normal happy courtship, lived together for a time before they married which he had expected would be a marriage for life. He said they had a difficult marriage, were at times violent and abusive towards each other and their relationship deteriorated over the years to a point where he realised, 13 years into the marriage, it was over. He also vehemently denied her claims concerning his sexual orientation. The European Union has called for a ceasefire in Libya, warning that the conflict around the capital Tripoli is a threat to international peace and security. The self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) launched an offensive on Tripoli last month. Measles continues to spread across the United States, with the total number of cases reported so far this year already the nation's highest in 25 years. A total of 839 cases were reported as of last week. That total is the most since 1994, when 963 were reported for the entire year. The Uber hangover began in earnest for its investors on Monday with Japanese telco SoftBank Group shares down as much as $US9 billion in market value thanks to its major investment in the ride share group's IPO flop last Friday. It is one of many investors saddled with losses after Uber, which was valued at $US82 billion ($118 billion) ahead of the IPO well down on expectations of a $US100 billion listing ended its first day with a valuation below $US70 billion. SoftBank, run by chief executive Masayoshi Son, was down $US9 billion on its investment in Uber on Friday. Credit:Bloomberg SoftBank, run by chief executive Masayoshi Son, has a 15 per cent stake in Uber. Uber's flop will have implications for some high-profile new economy listings, such as Slack Technologies and WeWork, that were hoping to follow it on to the public stage this year. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says his faith is not about politics as debate over freedom of religious expression and the targeting of gay Australians creeps into the final week of the election campaign. Christian leaders wrote to Mr Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten on Monday to demand they protect religious beliefs in the wake of controversy surrounding Australian rugby player Israel Folau. The Wallaby is facing the sack after posting on social media that 'gays would go to hell'. Asked directly on Monday if he believed gay people go to hell, Mr Morrison replied: "I support the law of the country." "I dont mix my religion with politics or my faith with politics and its always been something that has informed how I live my life and how I seek to care for and support others," he said. "That is what I always seek to do." The Labor member for the safe seat of McEwen mocked prominent Victorian Liberal Sophie Mirabella for an outfit she wore to the races and joked about someone's daughter being a "bitch", in a slew of provocative online posts made over the course of his nine-year term in office. Long-time Labor MP Rob Mitchell used his personal Facebook page several times during his time in office to make sexually discriminatory comments, provocative comments about Australia Day and to personally attack a former senior Liberal for her appearance. Mr Mitchell made fun of former Liberal frontbencher Sophie Mirabella for her fashion choices in a response to an image posted to Facebook in November 2016, by likening her appearance in an outfit she wore to the races to the McDonald's cartoon figure, the Hamburglar. In the photo, Ms Mirabella is at the races wearing a black-and-white striped blazer and an ornate, hot pink feathered hat. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has intensified pressure on the workplace umpire to lift wages for up to 2.3 million workers within a matter of weeks, making the decision one of his first priorities if he takes power. In a new campaign on wages, Mr Shorten intends to scrap the federal government's submission on the minimum wage and lodge a new proposal to boost pay packets as soon as July 1 under a Labor government. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has promised to move to increase wages "on day one" if he takes power. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Mr Shorten wrote to Fair Work Commission president Iain Ross on Monday to put the regulator on notice to expect a Labor proposal for a "real increase to award rates" if Labor wins the election this Saturday. "On the first day of government we will argue through the current annual wage review for a real increase to award rates," Mr Shorten writes in the letter to Mr Ross. The LNP party room is parachuting Ryan Murphy from his marginal east Brisbane ward of Doboy into lord mayor Adrian Schrinners former ward of Chandler, giving him a safe 24 per cent margin ahead of the March 2020 council election. The move will force the LNP administration to contort its own committees yet again, after spending hours in last week's council meeting debating which councillors would sit on which committee. Councillor Ryan Murphy and lord mayor Adrian Schrinner. Cr Murphy will take up the vacated ward of Chandler in Cr Schrinner's place. Mr Murphy last month was named chairman of the powerful public and active transport committee. But after chairing just one meeting, he was forced to resign both the committee and his council ward on Saturday, ahead of being re-nominated as Chandler ward councillor at Tuesday's meeting. Beijing: Chinese state media has accused Washington of using "extreme pressure" in faltering trade talks and asking an "unreasonable price" for a deal. The Communist Party's official newspaper, People's Daily, mounted a front-page defence of China's trade negotiations with the United States, arguing China wanted economic cooperation but saying it must be "principled". The US depicted on a globe outside a bank in Beijing. Credit:AP Washington on Friday raised punitive tariffs to 25 per cent on $US200 billion ($286 billion) of Chinese goods, after President Donald Trump complained that China had backtracked on commitments made earlier in negotiations. The move stunned world markets. Negotiations to end a tariff war between the world's two biggest economies have dragged on for almost a year, but had been expected to lead to a deal. London: Sweden has reopened its investigation into an allegation that Julian Assange raped a woman during a 2010 visit to Stockholm. There is still probable cause to suspect that Mr Assange committed rape or a lesser offence, Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Eva-Marie Persson said at a media conference in Stockholm on Monday. She said the 2017 decision to suspend the investigation had not been motivated by difficulties with the evidence, but because Assanges political asylum in Ecuadors London embassy since 2012 had made it impossible to take the investigation further. The circumstances now allow for extradition to Sweden, she said. In interviews in his home country of Malta and inside the Vatican - where documents on the table are labelled in Latin "secreta" - Scicluna said he "hoped and prayed" that the institution, during his lifetime, can "become an example of best practices" for responding to and preventing abuse. "But we will not solve the problem," he said, calling abuse a pervasive global issue that goes beyond the church. "This will not go away." Scicluna has developed a reputation - even among some wary abuse victims and advocates - as one of the rare Vatican officials who appreciates the seriousness and scale of the church's abuse crisis. Victims say Scicluna presents himself as a listener and fact-finder, sensitive but also meticulous in pinning down dates and specifics. Archbishop Charles Scicluna (centre) at a press conference in Santiago, Chile, in July 2018. Credit:AP "He cared. It mattered to him," said Juan Carlos Cruz, a whistleblowing Chilean abuse victim now living in the US, who met with Scicluna last year. Cruz had volunteered to speak with Scicluna via Skype. Instead, Scicluna flew to New York and spoke with Cruz for four hours. "I've been telling my story and dealing with church officials forever," Cruz said. "It was the first time I felt empathy." Loading In New York, Scicluna wept several times while listening to Cruz, and he began to feel ill that night. Several days later, after having flown to Chile, he was in a Santiago hospital, having his gallbladder removed. Scicluna wonders whether it was somehow brought on by what he was hearing. "Maybe it was psychosomatic," he said. "I don't know." But Scicluna is also fully a man of the institution, not a radical. He points to past papal quotes as guiding wisdom for handling the crisis. He chides the church gently, prescribing reforms for handling complaints, urging prelates to listen more openly to victims. He speaks about the importance of transparency and encourages church officials to cooperate with civil authorities, but his own investigations are fully in-house, and not even summaries of his findings are made public. He has carried out special investigations on behalf of both Francis and his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, and he considers his missions a "service" for the pontiff. "You have your own ideas of how things should proceed," Scicluna said. "But you know that you are not the owner of what you are doing." Who is Scicluna? Scicluna serves as the archbishop of Malta and as a top official within the church's disciplinary body, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He is also a self-described bookish "nerd," who holds both civil and cannon law degrees. At barely 5 feet tall, he says he struggles to find clothes that fit properly. In Malta, he eschews the grand residence offered to the archbishop and instead lives in a ground-floor apartment with his 83-year-old mother. He spends one week a month in Rome. Members of the Legionaries of Christ order kneel in front of Pope Francis at the end of his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican last week. Credit:AP When he arrived in the Vatican in the mid-1990s, he knew barely a word of sexual jargon. He said he became versed in clerical abuse only because the church was confronting a "tsunami" and needed help. In 2002, just as abuse by clergy was emerging as a major story in the US, Scicluna was elevated by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Benedict, to be the top prosecutor inside the Holy See's powerful and opaque doctrinal office. Working from inside the city-state, Scicluna heard details about thousands of cases, mostly accusations against diocesan priests. But it was in the higher-magnitude cases - involving mass-scale abuse, or particularly powerful figures - where the church especially struggled, in large part because bishops and cardinals are answerable only to the Pope. So Scicluna started making the special trips. He first went to Mexico and the US in 2005, documenting the serial abuse of Marcial Maciel, the charismatic founder of the conservative Legionaries of Christ whose work had been repeatedly praised by Pope John Paul II. Scicluna travelled to Syria in 2008 to investigate a bishop. He was ordered to Scotland in 2014 in the aftermath of abuse claims against Cardinal Keith O'Brien. All of those investigations led to some form of church punishment. Scicluna has been confronted with various theories about the causes of abuse within the Catholic Church. He dismisses the popular notion that the priestly celibacy requirement leads to a culture of sexual secrecy, because it gives even priests who have consensual relationships something to hide. But he does say that some clerics fail to develop mature ways to show affection, and then feel "protected in the status and the ritual" of the priesthood. For him, the more difficult question - one that he is cautious about addressing - is what to make of data showing that clerical abuse victims are predominantly male, and often teenagers. "People invariably make the link with same-sex attractions," Scicluna said. Vatican traditionalists argue that the hidden homosexuality of some priests is a major underlying reason for the abuse crisis. Scicluna has been prodded several times by journalists from conservative Catholic outlets to agree, but he has always stopped short. Studies have found no correlation between sexual orientation and abuse. "I don't think you can pinpoint only one set of causes," Scicluna says. "This cannot be a judgment about a category of people." His Chilean mission, the most complicated Scicluna's most recent mission was perhaps his most complicated. The Chilean church had been ravaged by systemic clerical abuse, and Francis, during a January 2018 trip to South America, created fury by defending a bishop, Juan Barros, widely considered to have helped protect a notorious predator priest. For more than a week, the backlash continued. Francis told Scicluna to head for Chile. Scicluna and an assistant, Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, interviewed Cruz in New York and then nearly five-dozen more victims in Chile. Scicluna tried to keep the meetings efficient - most no more than an hour. He asked victims to pre-write their stories for his records. When Scicluna went to the hospital for his surgery, Bertomeu took the lead. They returned after 10 days and handed more than 2,000 pages to the Pope. Francis has since dramatically reversed his position on Chile, apologising for "grave errors," inviting three Chilean abuse survivors to the Vatican, and then calling Chile's 34 bishops to Rome, where each submitted a letter of resignation. (Francis has accepted more than a half-dozen.) "Scicluna's role in Chile was to lend his prestige and allow the Holy Father to reverse himself almost 180 degrees," said the Rev. Raymond de Souza, a Canadian priest and church commentator. 'Scicluna is ... nothing' But in the aftermath of that reversal, one of the victims who met with Scicluna has wondered about how much of the problem has really been solved. The church had been warned for years about the abuse in Chile. Cruz had written a book about his experiences, published in 2014. Politicians and demonstrators had protested the church's inaction, as well as Francis's 2015 decision to promote Barros to a new post. Whenever the church's next major investigation came, would it be launched too late as well? "The illness is in the roots of the church," said James Hamilton, a surgeon who was abused into adulthood by now-defrocked priest Fernando Karadima and has spent 15 years in therapy. "The time to make a cut on the arm or the leg, it passed." Within that system, Hamilton said, "Scicluna is just one person. He's nothing." Jason Berry, a reporter and author who has covered sexual abuse for decades, said the need for an investigator like Scicluna shows the church is in a state of flux, looking for ad hoc solutions after failures. "I view what Scicluna is doing as a transitional process," Berry said. "But an instrumental one, to say the least." 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 ASIC has announced a series of events intended to promote the adoption of regulatory technology (regtech) in Australian financial services organisations. Currently, the regulator is searching for innovative regtech solutions to be demonstrated in front of representatives from government, finance, technology, media and other stakeholders at events in Sydney this August . ASIC commissioner John Price said, There is a real need for new regulatory approaches, which is why ASIC strongly supports the development and adoption of regtech solutions in the financial services sector to provide better outcomes for consumers. Regtech is something we are keenly interested in, both as a consumer of products and a facilitator of engagement more generally to ensure innovation in this area is utilised, he added. According to ASIC, regtech can help organisations build a culture of compliance, identify learning opportunities and save time and money relating to regulation. The three events being made available to independent regtechs and the inhouse development teams at financial services organisations are: Monitoring Financial Promotions in Sydney on 2 August, which is to focus on identifying and analysing financial advertising promotions to determine compliance Financial Advice Files in Sydney on 22 August, which will centre on improving detection of problematic financial advice in datasets A late 2019 event concerning the regulatory benefits and costs of voice analytics and voice-to-text research and analysis, with more details to come Only 10 regtech demonstrators will be selected to present at the events, but all applicants will be granted access to the test dataset. To register interest as a demonstrator, visit ASICs Innovation Hub. Australian Broker TV brings you closer to the industry's most influential leaders and thinkers. Click on the videos below to watch the interviews: SMEs feeling election pressure OnDeck Australia CEO Cameron Poolman explains why 59% of SMEs are worried about cash flow ahead of 18 May Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams The unfortunate passing of Queens District Attorney Richard Brown last week was a stark reminder of how far left Democrats in New York have tilted on criminal justice issues. Specifically, Brown, a Democrat, boasted the highest conviction rate of the five boroughs. This is an accomplishment to be proud of by most. After all, our justice system consists of our police arresting those that break the law and district attorneys fully prosecuting them. This was part of New York Citys renaissance from the bad old days when there were more than 2,100 murders in 1991, when Brown was first appointed to his position by former Gov. Mario Cuomo, to fewer than 300 last year. Brown, who served as DA for almost 28 years, understood his role and performed it with distinction. Unfortunately, the vast majority of todays Democrats who have total control of our city and state government, have a far different view of how the criminal justice system should work. To them, the goal is to protect those who commit crimes over their victims and law-abiding New Yorkers. This is their criminal justice reform. Indeed, because Brown had the audacity to actually do his job and put criminals behind bars, the new radical left in New York City was coming after him even if he did not announce in January that he would not seek re-election this year. He would have faced multiple opponents in a primary because he was tough on crime and never signed on to the criminal bill of rights syndrome afflicting many other local district attorneys and lawmakers. Browns common sense approach to running his office included creating a domestic violence bureau, a Treatment Intervention program to help addicts, fighting human trafficking, and, yes, prosecuting and putting away those who commit crimes. In contrast, Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez recently announced his own Criminal Protection Plan or so-called Justice 2020 Initiative. This instructs his prosecutors to seek non-jail resolutions at every juncture of a case. To be fair, Gonzalez did say that most often prison will be sought for murderers and rapists. This is great, but other lawbreakers dont have to fear prison time. This policy of coddling criminals is just a continuation of the softer approach to crime being adopted by other DAs and legislators. Think about it this way if you are considering stealing a few steaks from a supermarket, breaking into a home or car, violating an order of protection, or menacing straphangers on a subway, you must first get caught. Then, even if you are arrested by the police, you know you will not face jail time. So, the odds are stacked in your favor, so why not do the bad deeds? One does not need an Ivy League degree to figure out if there is not a threat of serious consequences, more will feel emboldened to commit crimes. Several NYPD sources in Brooklyn told me that even before Gonzalez announced his new initiative, not sending perps to jail has been the norm. These officers said one of their new toughest jobs is explaining to victims why those who committed a crime against them are not going away. Not surprisingly, the de Blasio administration just announced that the prison population in the four new borough jails that will replace Rikers Island will be sharply reduced from current levels. He is not a fortune teller, so how can he know that less people will commit crimes? The way he knows there will be less people in jail is because the mission of most city and state Democrats is to keep those that violate laws out of them. To hell with the victims and law-abiding New Yorkers. We have already decriminalized most quality-of-life crimes, have stopped prosecuting those who beat the fare on buses and subways, and DAs like Gonzalez and those running to replace Brown in Queens have announced that they seek to send less criminals to jail. It will only get worse, because as part of the recently passed state budget, another piece of the progressive criminal protection plan was included. Effective in January 2020, cash bail will be eliminated, including for felony offenses. One of the few common sense Democrats left, Staten Island DA Michael McMahon said, The actions they [the state legislature] have taken will put victims in danger and I quite frankly do find the whole package unfathomable and outrageousmany people accused with violent crimes, serious felonies are going to be back on the street. We should not have to wait for the inevitable rise in crime that will occur with these lunacy policies for lawmakers to return to normalcy with criminal justice policies. And for district attorneys to again realize that their role is to prosecute criminals and not act as their second defense attorney to keep them out of jail. DA Brown always understood this. Bob Capano has worked for Brooklyn Republican and Democrat elected officials. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Talk about raising the roof! A 130-year-old Park Slope house of worship is hosting an epic party to celebrate a major milestone in the historic buildings multi-million-dollar renovation that followed a 2011 ceiling collapse and everybodys invited, according to a church leader. We are extremely excited to welcome our neighbors and these talented artists into our reborn sanctuary, said Rev. Dr. Daniel Meeter, pastor at Old First Reformed Church, located on Carroll Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues. The free, live-music blowout will feature fourteen all-Brooklyn acts including the Michael Daves and Friends bluegrass band, the String Orchestra of Brooklyn, and Brooklyn Conservatory of Musics Amy Winehouse Teen Jazz Ensemble and is billed as the first public event at the 19th-cenutry church since the unfortunate cave-in eight years ago. That collapse precipitated a $9.6 million renovation project of truly biblical proportions, which concluded its first $1.6 million phase of construction work, which included repairs to the sanctuarys 212-foot-tall spire, altar, chancel, pews, and naturally its coffered ceiling just in time for Easter weekend, when the First Reformed Congregation hosted its first church service since the disaster. The second phase of construction, pegged at $4 million, will spruce up the churchs walls, windows, chandeliers, a mural by 19th century artist Virgilio Tojetti, and its 1891 Roosevelt-Moller pipe organ, while the final $4 million phase of work will see the holy houses bathrooms and classrooms renovated, in addition to the installation of handicapped accessibility features to make the church ADA compliant. Work on the decade-long construction project is being handled by a whopping five restoration firms, and is expected to wrap up in 2021. The exquisite 19th century neo-Gothic revival sanctuary was designed by famed Brooklyn architect George L. Morse, whose stamp on Kings Countys skyline is evident in a variety of iconic private, public, and religious buildings spread throughout the borough, including the Franklin Trust Building on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, the Temple Bar Building on Court Street Downtown, and the Abraham and Strauss Department Store building on Fulton Street. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. Party it up at the Old First Reformed Church [729 Carroll St. between Sixth and Seventh avenues in Park Slope, (718) 638-8300, oldfi rstbr ookly n.org ] May 19, 3 p.m. Free. By The Associated Press May. 09, 2019 | 09:09 AM | FRANKFORT Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is capitalizing on a fellow Republican's attack by selling "Cocaine Mitch" shirts on his campaign's website. The Kentucky lawmaker's 2020 reelection campaign tweeted Wednesday that McConnell was closing in on one of his biggest fund-raising days of the year thanks to sales of the bright red T-shirts, which feature a faceless, dark-haired figure over the name "MITCH" with a sprinkling of cocaine. On the back, they say "TEAM MITCH" and "CARTEL MEMBER." Buyers are urged to "join the 'Team Mitch Cartel'" by purchasing the $35 shirts, and donating up to $2,800 per election. The campaign claimed they were "flying off the shelves." Don Blankenship coined the "Cocaine Mitch" moniker in a campaign ad during his failed Senate run from West Virginia last year. He was referring to a 2014 magazine article alleging that drugs were found aboard a commercial cargo ship owned by the family of McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, who serves as President Donald Trump's transportation secretary. Blankenship, who served prison time for conspiring federal mine safety violations after 29 men died in an explosion at his Upper Big Branch Mine, said he was responding to false, negative ads that McConnell's "swamp people" ran against him. McConnell referenced the "Cocaine Mitch" attack in a parting shot last year mocking Blankenship's election loss. Using a poster from the Netflix series "Narcos," the McConnell campaign photoshopped the Senate leader's head onto the body of the actor portraying Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. It's not the first time McConnell has embraced negative labels and images that might have doomed other politicians. He acknowledged years ago that supporters of a campaign finance reform bill saw him as Darth Vader, while the bill's opponents saw him as Luke Skywalker. Now he seems to be embracing the dark side: "I will be the 'grim reaper' in the Senate when it comes to socialist schemes that would destroy jobs, private health insurance and the free enterprise system," McConnell tweeted Wednesday. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor The US Supreme Court on Monday gave the go-ahead for a lawsuit by consumers accusing Apple Inc of monopolizing the market for iPhone software applications and forcing them to overpay, rejecting the company's bid to escape claims that its practices violate federal antitrust law. Apple shares were down about 5% after the justices, in a 5-4 ruling, upheld a lower court's decision to allow the proposed class action lawsuit to proceed. The plaintiffs could seek billions of dollars in damages if they win on their claims that Apple required apps be sold through its App Store and ... Issues such as impasse on the appointment of WTO's appellate body members and way forward on reforms at the global trade body would be discussed in the meeting of developing countries in New Delhi on May 13-14. The meeting is being held at a time when the multilateral rule-based trading system is facing serious and grave challenges. "In the recent past, there have been increasing unilateral measures and counter measures by members, ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Take Further Key Steps Towards Yangibana Development with Additional Accommodation Camp Purchase Sydney, May 13, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Hastings Technology Metals Limited ( ASX:HAS ) ("Hastings" or "the Company") is pleased to advise that it has agreed to purchase an additional 100 bedrooms of camp capacity, plus other associated infrastructure from Fleetwood Pty Ltd.- Hastings enters agreement to purchase 100 extra rooms plus associated infrastructure from Fleetwood Pty Ltd.- Purchase takes the total number of rooms purchased to 340 out of a total of 380 identified as being required during construction of the mine and processing plant.IntroductionHastings has taken the opportunity to purchase an available accommodation camp from Fleetwood. This camp acquisition agreement represents a significant capital saving for the project and an approximately 35% discount compared to the cost estimate of buying new.The opportunity to acquire the camp whilst being financially attractive will also help reduce pressure on the development timetable. The balance of 40 rooms identified as being required during the construction peak manning phase are not required until approximately 8 months after the commencement of construction.Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Reid commented: "This is an excellent result for Hastings which is consistent with our key objectives of realising capital savings for the Yangibana project wherever possible, de-risking our development timeline and advancing the project towards development and production as quickly as possible."About Hastings Technology Metals Ltd Hastings Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:HAS) (FRA:5AM) is advancing its Yangibana Rare Earths Project in the Upper Gascoyne Region of Western Australia towards production. The proposed beneficiation and hydro metallurgy processing plant will treat rare earths deposits, predominantly monazite, hosting high neodymium and praseodymium contents to produce a mixed rare earths carbonate that will be further refined into individual rare earth oxides at processing plants overseas. Neodymium and praseodymium are vital components in the manufacture of permanent magnets which is used in a wide and expanding range of advanced and high-tech products including electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, medical applications and others. Hastings aims to become the next significant producer of neodymium and praseodymium outside of China. Hastings holds 100% interest in the most significant deposits within the overall project, and 70% interest in additional deposits that will be developed at a later date, all held under Mining Leases. Numerous prospects have been identified warranting detailed exploration to further extend the life of the project. Brockman Project The Brockman deposit, near Halls Creek in Western Australia, contains JORC Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources, estimated using the guidelines of JORC Code (2012 Edition). The Company is also progressing a Mining Lease application over the Brockman Rare Earths and Rare Metals Project. Hastings aims to capitalise on the strong demand for critical rare earths created by the expanding demand for new technology products. Type address separated by commas Your Email: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao met DMK President M K Stalin in Chennai on Monday--an event that's likely to add to the buzz that regional leaders are drawing up their cards ahead of Lok Sabha election results. The meeting at Stalin's home lasted over an hour and it was a courtesy call, DMK said. Rao did not speak to media after the meeting. KCR was told that Stalin was committed to his alliance with the Congress party, DMK said in a statement. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor By Humeyra Pamuk and Ben Blanchard WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States and China appeared at a deadlock over trade negotiations on Sunday as Washington demanded promises of concrete changes to Chinese law and Beijing said it would not swallow any "bitter fruit" that harmed its interests. The trade war between the world's top two economies escalated on Friday, with the United States hiking tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods after President Donald Trump said Beijing "broke the deal" by reneging on earlier commitments made during months ... Several experts believe that strict oversight coupled with hiving off Facebook into smaller companies may be the only solution to ensure that the country's data is not misused. The idea that has been voiced by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes in a recent editorial in The New York Times has found many takers in India. According to officials in the IT ministry, after the general elections, there should be discussions on how having smaller companies of the social media giant could help in better oversight. We have time and again felt that we are blinded by the social media ... If you were to rank all the ways humans can inflict harm on one another, ranked by severity, it might be a few pages before you got to intentional inducement of FOMO. Purposefully giving someone else FOMO fear of missing out is not a crime, or even a misdemeanor. But it is a big problem on Instagram, where millions of teenagers go every day to check on their peers. And it is one of the subtle slights that Instagram is focused on classifying as part of its new anti-bullying initiative, which will use a combination of artificial intelligence and human ... Beiersdorf , the maker of Nivea and other skin care brands, is buying U.S. sun care brand Coppertone from Bayer for $550 million to strengthen its position in North America, the German consumer goods firm said on Monday. Beiersdorf said in a statement that Coppertone had sales of around $213 million in 2018. It said the transaction was subject to approval by merger control authorities, but should be closed in the third quarter. "We are convinced that Coppertone and its team will add complementary expertise to our leading brand portfolio and significantly strengthen our ... Oil futures fell more than 1% on Monday with Wall Street, as the negative turn in the US-Chinese trade talks spooked investors, who had sent oil higher in early trade on concerns that tanker attacks in the Middle East could disrupt supplies. Brent crude futures were down 77 cents at $69.85 a barrel, a 1.1 percent drop, by 1:04 p.m. EDT (1704 GMT). The global benchmark earlier hit a session high of $72.58 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 88 cents to $60.78 a barrel, a 1.4 percent decline, after previously hitting $63.33 a barrel. Oil was pressured by ... Sweden's state prosecutor said on Monday she would reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and seek his extradition from Britain. Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue and conclude a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought as Assange had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange was arrested in Britain last month after spending seven years inside the embassy. The United States is also seeking his extradition on charges relating to the ... The emerging stalemate in US-China trade negotiations grew out of an earlier deadlock over how and when to remove existing American tariffs that provoked Beijing to threaten to walk away from talks, highlighting what people briefed on the discussions say are widening fundamental differences between the two sides. Both the US and China have worked hard since the end of discussions on Friday to project calm and emphasize that they plan to continue negotiations in the hopes of avoiding a tumble in markets and broader economic damage. But that facade masks what people close to the ... Escalating tensions between the US and China along with rising geopolitical tensions led to depressed sentiment across the global markets. Markets were rattled after a tweet by President Trump last Sunday stating that he would increase the tariff to 25 per cent from 10 per cent on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and this was implemented during the week. He also threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on an additional $325 billion of Chinese goods "shortly." To which China said it would take 'necessary retaliatory measures' if U. S. tariffs are raised. The IMF said the ... Police arrested two persons at Asansol railway station and seized Rs 1 crore from their possession, which, one of the arrested persons claimed, was sent by the BJP. Delhi-based Laxmikant Saw, one of the arrested persons, claimed that the money was sent by the BJP to be used during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections in Kolkata, police said. "We had received a secret notice on Sunday evening saying that some people are carrying cash and reaching Asansol from Delhi. Based on the information, our officials interrogated two persons, who were carrying a big blue colour bag, at Asansol railway station around 4 pm. Later, we found Rs 1 crore in cash from the bag," Asansol Police sources told ANI. The other accused has been identified as Gautam Chattopadhyay, a resident of North 24 Parganas. Earlier today, Government Railway Police officials shifted both the accused to Asansol District Hospital for a medical check-up. Eight seats of West Bengal went to polls in the sixth phase on May 12. Polling for remaining seats will be held on May 19 and counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday slammed SP-BSP alliance for questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's caste and said both the parties were 'stooping to a new low'. "Under Prime Minister Modi's rule, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed infrastructural development and a major boost in its economy. This is why SP and BSP are making personal statements and targeting Prime Minister Modi over his caste. These two parties are stooping to a new low," said Adityanath while addressing an election rally here."Whatever welfare schemes we have implemented so far, we did not discriminate people in the name of caste and religion. They were implemented in the interest of the poor and needy. It was all about 'sabka sath sabka vikas'," he said. On April 27, BSP supremo Mayawati had alleged that Modi was born into an "upper caste" but for 'political gains' he got the backward class tag for his entire caste during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat."In his election rallies, PM Modi has said that he is from the backward caste, which is an attempt by him to polarise votes of backward class in his favour. But everybody knows his caste? After his government was formed in Gujarat, PM Modi included his 'forward caste' into the backward community for political gain," Mayawati had said in a press conference in Lucknow.The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister took the opportunity to corner the Congress over its 55 years rule. He said what Congress could not do in 55 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did in 5 years. "You must have seen this about Modiji...what Congress could not do in 55 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did in 5 years. Be it pensions for senior citizens and widows, loan waivers, home to poor, electricity connection and gas connections to the poor and a lot more," he said. As soon as BJP came to power in the state, the first thing it did was to waive loans of farmers, Adityanath said, adding, "All the hospitals, schools, colleges, roads and highways which are being built depict the development agenda of his government.""We created an anti-Romeo squad for the protection of our sisters and mothers. Secondly, we freed illegally acquired land which is now being used to built hospitals, schools, polytechnics etc. Surplus land is also being used for rehabilitation of the poor," the BJP leader added.Continuing his attack against the SP, Adityanath said: "When SP was in power, what it did?.... It took back all the cases filed against the terrorists who were involved in Ayodhya and Kashi attacks and Gorakhpur serial blasts." Arch-rivals in Uttar Pradesh -- SP and BSP -- have forged an alliance to defeat the BJP, who swept Lok Polls in 2014, as well as, registered a landslide victory in the assembly elections of 2017. Elections are being held in all seven phases in Uttar Pradesh for 80 parliamentary constituencies. The sixth phase of the general elections in the state concluded with around 54.70 per cent voter turnout. The counting of votes will be held on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Get AfricaFocus Bulletin by e-mail! Format for print or mobile Africa/Global: Cutting the Costs on Remittances AfricaFocus Bulletin May 13, 2019 (2019-05-13) Reposted from sources cited below) Editor's Note Some people use their savings to start a business, while others turn to family and friends to borrow cash. But Ismail Ahmeds case was more unusual. He launched WorldRemit, a money transfer business, with compensation cash he received after uncovering alleged corruption at the UN. Ahmed had waited four years since hed submitted the dossier alleging corruption to the UN. But the wait proved worthwhile when in February 2010 he received 200,000 in compensation for the way he had been treated after making allegations, the money he used to fund the launch of WorldRemit. - Guardian, January 20, 2017 WorldRemit grew slowly in the first few years, but since 2014 it has attracted significant investment. And, more important, it has built one of the most flexible and cost-effective platforms for money transfer, particularly to African countries, and, most recently, between African countries as well. By focusing on digital transactions, it has provided both greater security and efficiency, allowing senders to use credit and debit cards as well as links to bank accounts and mobile phone apps, and receivers, depending on the country, to get bank transfers, cash, mobile money such as m-pesa, and mobile phone airtime payments. I first learned of WorldRemit when trying to find a way to contribute to a local volunteer group in Maputo, Mozambique, that was mobilizing support for relief from the cyclone in Beira (and now, as well, in Cabo Delgado). Using my local bank in Washington, DC, was, I knew by experience, both very time-consuming and costly. But signing up for WorldRemit was easy and the process quick and not costly. I was further impressed when WorldRemit announced that the company itself was contributing $25,000 to the Mozambican Red Cross. Remittances, I already knew, were rapidly growing in Africa and around the world, surpassing official development assistance in amounts received by development countries. But in researching this story, I also learned, for example, that among the highest rates in the world were between South Africa and many of its neighbors, and was told by a friend in Johannesburg that WorldRemit was really the only practical way she had found to send funds home to Mozambique. [For earlier AfricaFocus Bulletins on remittances, see http://www.africafocus.org/docs14/remi1404.php and http://www.africafocus.org/docs15/som1502.php] Thus, this Bulletin, which includes an email interview with a South-Africa-based representative of WorldRemit, as well as additional background and excerpts from the most recent World Bank report on remittances. The most striking statistic is that average costs for remittances worldwide are at 7%, and for sub-Saharan Africa 9%. Targets for supporting development are 3%, but costly and inconvenient transfers through banks, Western Union, and other transfer agents keep the price up. In country after country, World Remit shows up with the lowest or next-to-lowest rates among providers, as one can check in on-line databases such as https://www.monito.com/ or, for a smaller number of countries, https://remittanceprices.worldbank.org/en. Review of WorldRemit https://www.monito.com/en/send-money-with/worldremit WorldRemit is also aggressively pursuing new customers. And if you use this link (https://www.worldremit.com/en/r/WILLIAMM1241) to sign up, and send an initial transfer of $100 or more, both you and AfricaFocus get a discount of $20 on a future transfer. For my part, I will use my discounts for future contributions to local recovery efforts in Mozambique. If you do use WorldRemit, or have experiences with other companies that you think are as good or even better for transferring funds to family or friends in African countries, please share your thoughts with me by email at africafocus@igc.org For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on the economy and development, visit http://www.africafocus.org/econexp.php For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on migration and related issues, visit http://www.africafocus.org/migrexp.php ++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++ Interview by Email with WorldRemit May 2, 2019 Many thanks to Akinyi Ochieng, Corporate Communications Manager for WorldRemit, based in London, for arranging this interview. Ms. Ochieng is also a prolific writer on a wide range of Africa-related topics (http://www.akinyiochieng.com/). The questions below were answered by Andrew Stewart, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, based in WorldRemits Johannesburg office. AF (AfricaFocus): Can you tell me in a few paragraphs what are the main reasons WorldRemit was needed as an alternative to Western Union and other large companies, and why you think it is making a contribution to African development? WR (WorldRemit): WorldRemit is a leader in the move from offline to digital money transfers. Along with the convenience this brings, our cashless model on the sending side makes us more secure and provides a digital footprint to deal with global compliance requirements. Africa is WorldRemits largest market, and we are currently present in over 40 African markets and are expanding rapidly, driven by key partnerships with local correspondents, our low fees, and our mobile-first approach. We have regional offices in Senegal, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Africa. As Africa is our largest market globally we are keen to continue expanding our operations across the region. According to the World Bank, remittances to sub-Saharan Africa grew to $37.8 billion in 2017, according to the World Bank and are forecast to hit around $39.2 billion for 2018 and $39.6 billion in 2019. WorldRemit is ensuring that Africans in the diaspora can make the most of the opportunities they have and send a greater share of their money home. Our recent research (http://educationmatters.worldremit.com) shows that if all remittances globally were sent digitally, it could unlock $825m for education worldwide--a shift that would have an outsize effect in Africa, which is home to large numbers of out-of-school children. AF: Can you expand on the obstacles to lowering the high cost of remittances to Africa, and how WorldRemit can afford to offer lower rates? WR: The vast majority of remittances today are still sent offline at corner shops and bricks-and-mortar money transfer agents. People in the diaspora have to find the time in their busy lives (many working multiple jobs), to visit a money transfer agent during business hours and then pay extortionate fees to send money home. However our cashless model significantly reduces cost on the sending/pay-in side as well as providing convenience. For example, South Africa is the most expensive G20 country to send money from with an average cost of over 15% for sending $200 - more than double the global average (https://remittanceprices.worldbank.org/ - direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/yxfsysfq). In Zimbabwe and Mozambique, two of the top remittance destinations from South Africa, however, WorldRemit fees are below 4% of the transaction cost on average. AF: How many countries in Africa can one send remittances to through WorldRemit? WR: You can reach over 40 countries across the continent, including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and more. Most of our customers choose to send via smartphone, and over 90% of all transactions are authorized in less than 10 minutes. Sunday morning in Nairobi Credit: Fiona Graham / WorldRemit. AF: I first learned of WorldRemit through trying to find a way to send funds to Mozambique for Cyclone Idai, and I later saw that WorldRemit itself contributed $25,000. Do you have statistics on how many people sent funds to people or organizations in the affected countries through WorldRemit in the weeks after the Cyclone hit Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi? WR: The flow of remittances is 3 times bigger than official development aid, but in the West we often only talk about the aid given by donor countries. When a natural disaster occurs, or in times of economic or political upheaval, remittances - the money sent by a resident of one country to a person elsewhere in the world - can provide immediate financial assistance to those who need it most. Remittance flows are a significant source of income flowing directly into peoples household incomes, while also supporting broader development goals. Unfortunately we dont have statistics on this as relates to Cyclone Idai, but to maximise the diasporas contributions to their communities back home in times of urgent need, we have set up donation matching schemes to the Red Cross. In September 2018, in the wake of Typhoon Mangkhut, we matched donations made through our service to the Philippines Red Cross. In October, we matched donations to the Indonesian Red Cross after the devastating earthquake and tsunami. AF: What are your projections of growth for WorldRemit in terms of market percentage compared to companies such as Western Union? WR: Of the $700 billion dollars that are sent by migrants every year, the majority are still sent in cash over the counter or at high street agents. Western Union and MoneyGram two of the biggest names in the industry account for less than 20% of market share and a growing share is moving online. The arrival of digital technology means more people are sending large sums of money through cheaper and more secure methods such as WorldRemit, and the number of people sending is also projected to grow due to the rapid rise in the number of migrants from 173 million (http://tinyurl.com/y53joqgk) to nearly 250 million (http://tinyurl.com/y9bz22z5) in the last 20 years. AF: Given how much cheaper World Remit seems to be over other transfer mechanisms, what are some of the barriers you have to overcome to reach more people? WR: WorldRemit has launched inter-African payments, enabling customers in Africa to send as well as receive money transfers to 145 markets. To do this, we are getting licenses for receive countries to become send countries: we recently launched Somaliland and South Africa as send countries. This is especially important from the point of view of customers sending within Africa, because Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most expensive regions to send remittances to, with an average cost of 9.4 percent (http://tinyurl.com/ycxlwuxk) for sending $200, according to the World Bank. This is part of our vision to stimulate growth and trade within the continent, led by a cashless model. In each new sending country, WorldRemit must secure local licenses but as we secure these in more African countries well be poised to tap into the future of growth across the Global South. AF: What measures do you take to avoid the use of WorldRemit for money laundering, and to identify and screen out suspicious transactions? WR: The need for alternatives to offline, agent-based money transfers is growing in large part due to fraud risks, high costs and inconvenience. Consider the challenges in this process you stand in line at an agent store, fill out paper forms and hand over your payment in cash. The potential for human error is vast and it takes months before the paper trail is put together and potential fraud can be investigated. Online money transfers can mitigate against some of the risks involved with cash-based remittances. The electronic footprint online transfers leave acts as a strong deterrent to criminal groups. Beyond fraud, online money transfers can improve speed and convenience for users, as well as lowering costs. When we started back in 2010, we were one of the first businesses to set up an entirely online remittance service. We determined that the only way to meaningfully reduce the challenges of money laundering and terrorist financing was to bring remittances out of the traditional cash and paper-based models and into the online world. As compliance is an inherent part of our platform, we have spent time and capital building our digital compliance system. We have developed a sophisticated model supported by machine learning with multiple stages of identity checks. Emma Featherstone, Interview with WorldRemit founder Ismail Ahmed Guardian, Jan. 20, 2017 [Excerpt only. Full article at http://tinyurl.com/he9caeb] Some people use their savings to start a business, while others turn to family and friends to borrow cash. But Ismail Ahmeds case was more unusual. He launched WorldRemit, a money transfer business, with compensation cash he received after uncovering alleged corruption at the UN. Ahmed, who grew up in Somaliland, a breakaway part-desert territory that declared independence from Somalia in 1991, became interested in the money transfer industry after realising how many people relied on it. Studying economics in the UK he learned the industrys nuances. He then helped to run a money transfer project as part of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aiming to make a positive difference in a sector thats vulnerable to crime. But Ahmed discovered alleged corruption in the UNs Somalia remittance programme and confronted his boss. My boss said if I went and submitted the dossier, I would never be able to work in remittances again, and I took that threat very seriously. I lost my job to uncover the fraud. Undeterred by the spectre of a ruined professional reputation, and having left the UN, Ahmed set about realising his ambition to start a mobile money transfer business. While I was fighting for [my case] at the UN, I was also studying at the London Business School. During this time, he came up with a business plan for WorldRemit, which was first launched as AfricaRemit. It would offer a service for migrant workers to send money to countries across the world using just a smartphone and app. The service would cut out the middleman the agents needed to deal out the money. By December 2009 Ahmed was ready to register the business. So it was timely that in the same month he was notified of the UNs decision: I received the letter from the UN ethics committee mid-December and a few days later I incorporated the company. Ahmed had waited four years since hed submitted the dossier alleging corruption to the UN. But the wait proved worthwhile when in February 2010 he received 200,000 in compensation for the way he had been treated after making allegations, the money he used to fund the launch of WorldRemit. More at http://tinyurl.com/he9caeb Migration and Remittances: Recent Developments and Outlook Migration and Development Brief 31 World Bank, April 2019 http://tinyurl.com/y4aajnsj Summary This Migration and Development Brief provides updates on global trends in migration and remittances and validates the projections made in the previous Brief in December 2018. It highlights developments related to migration-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators for which the World Bank is a custodian: increasing the volume of remittances as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) (SDG indicator 17.3.2), reducing remittance costs (SDG indicator 10.c.1), and reducing recruitment costs for migrant workers (SDG indicator 10.7.1). It also presents recent developments on the Global Compact on Migration (GCM). Remittance trends. In 2019, annual remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are likely to reach $550 billion. That would make remittance flows larger than foreign direct investment (FDI) and official development assistance (ODA) flows to LMICs. In 2018, remittance flows to LMICs reached $529 billion, an increase of 9.6 percent over 2017. Remittance flows grew in all six regions, particularly in South Asia (12.3 percent) and Europe and Central Asia (11.2 percent). Growth was driven by a stronger economy and employment situation in the United States and a rebound in outward flows from some Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the Russian Federation. Remittance costs. The global average cost of sending remittances remained at about 7 percent in the first quarter of 2019, roughly the same level as in recent quarters, according to the World Banks Remittance Prices Worldwide database. The cost of sending money to Sub-Saharan Africa was 9.3 percent, significantly higher than the SDG target of 3 percent. Banks were the costliest channel for transferring remittances, at an average cost of 10.9 percent. De-risking by international correspondent banksthat is, the closing of bank accounts of money transfer operators (MTOs) to avoid rather than manage the risk in their efforts to comply with antimoney laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) normshas affected remittance services and may have prevented further reduction in costs. Also, in an apparent example of policy incoherence, remittance costs tend to include a premium, that is a cost mark-up, when national post offices have exclusive partnership arrangements with a dominant MTO. This premium averages 1.5 percent of the cost of transferring remittances worldwide and is as high as 4.4 percent in the case of India, the largest recipient of remittances. Opening up national post offices, national banks, and telecommunications companies to partnerships with other MTOs could remove entry barriers and increase competition in remittance markets. 1.Global Remittance Flows and Migration-Related Sustainable Development Goals 1.1 Remittances Accelerated in 2018 Remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) grew by 9.6 percent in 2018 (up from the 8.8 percent rise in 2017), to reach a record $529 billion (table 1.1 and figure 1.1a). The rise in remittances was driven by higher growth in the United States and a rebound in remittances outflows from some Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the Russian Federation. Remittances are now the largest source of foreign exchange earnings in the LMICs excluding China. They are more than three times the size of official development assistance (ODA). Moreover, since foreign direct investment (FDI) has been on a downward trend in recent years, remittances reached close to the level of FDI flows in 2018. Excluding China, remittances were significantly larger than FDI flows (figure 1.1b). 3.6 Remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa Continued to Accelerate in 2018 Remittance trends. Remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa were estimated to grow by 9.6 percent from $42 billion in 2017 to $46 billion in 2018. Projections indicate that remittances to the region will keep increasing, but at a lower rate, to $48 billion by 2019 and to $51 billion by 2020. The upward trend observed since 2016 is explained by strong economic conditions in the high-income economies where many Sub-Saharan African migrants earn their income. Nigeria, the largest remittance-recipient country in Sub-Saharan Africa and the sixth largest among LMICs, received more than $24.3 billion in official remittances in 2018, an increase of more than $2 billion compared with the previous year (figure 3.11). Looking at remittances as a share of GDP, Comoros has the largest share, followed by the Gambia, Lesotho, Cabo Verde, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria. Remittance costs. The cost of sending $200 to the Sub-Saharan African region averaged 9 percent in 2018 Q4, almost the same as in 2018 Q3. A slight declining trend has been observed in remittance costs in the region since the beginning of 2018, but this remains far above the global average of 7 percent and the SDG target of 3 percent to be achieved by 2030. Moreover, the regional average hides country-level variations. For instance, in 2018, for the cheapest corridors it costs on average 3.5 percent, an amount close to the SDG 3 percent target (figure 3.12). On the other hand, for the five most expensive corridors, mainly in the southern African subregion, the average cost was 18.7 percent, almost three times higher than the global average and six times higher than the SDG target. The most expensive corridor (Angola-Namibia), saw significant variation in fees from 15.8 to 22.4 percent between 2018 Q3 and 2018 Q4. This indicates that efforts are needed to address high intraregional transaction costs in the remittance-transmission industry. AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus Bulletin is edited by William Minter. AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at africafocus@igc.org. Please write to this address to suggest material for inclusion. For more information about reposted material, please contact directly the original source mentioned. For a full archive and other resources, see http://www.africafocus.org Tihar jail authorities on Monday told a Special CBI court that the contentions put forth by AgustaWestland "middleman" Christian Michel over a loss of 16 kilos in jail are false. In the last hearing, Special CBI judge Arvind Kumar had directed jail authorities to file a reply on the allegations levelled by Michel. The Dubai-based businessman had stated that he is being fed only boiled vegetables in jail, as a result of which he lost 16 kg. Appearing before the court today, jail authorities, however, contended that Michel has lost only 1.2 kg since he was lodged in jail. Denying the allegations that he is being fed only boiled vegetables, the jail authorities said, "Non-vegetarian food is not allowed as per jail rules. But he can buy fruits and cottage cheese from the canteen." Following this, Special CBI judge Kumar directed the jail authorities to provide him with food as per the jail manual. Tihar jail authorities also presented another accused in the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper scam, Sushen Mohan Gupta, before the court as his judicial custody ended today. His judicial custody has now been extended till May 23. Gupta was arrested on March 26 by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of money laundering. On April 20, the special court had dismissed his bail plea. Michel, who was extradited from the UAE in December last year, is currently lodged in Tihar jail in connection with the CBI and ED cases against him related to the AgustaWestland deal. While CBI is probing his alleged role as a "middleman" in the deal, ED is investigating money laundering charges against him. The ED had, on April 4, filed a charge sheet against Michel in the court, in which it claimed to have traced the trail of 70 million Euros that had come allegedly in the form of "kickbacks" in the Rs 3600-crore VVIP chopper deal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP chief Amit Shah was denied permission to hold a rally in West Bengal's Jadavpur district in the run-up to the last phase of polls, party sources said on Monday. Sources also said that although permission was granted for Shah's chopper to land here, it was later denied by authorities. This isn't the first time permission has been denied to Shah. In January this year, permission was denied for the BJP president's chopper to land in Malda district to hold a rally. However, authorities permitted Shah to hold the public meeting at the last minute. In its defence, the Malda district administration had stated that it was not possible to grant permission to land VVIP helicopters that week, owing to construction work. While BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed that the site at which Shah was to land in Malda was used by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the latter claimed that she too had to change her landing location on the request of the state police. In February, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, too, was denied permission to land his chopper in West Bengal. Due to this, he had to touch down in Jharkhand's Bokaro and then travel to Purulia district by road to address a public rally. Yogi was scheduled to address two rallies in West Bengal on February 3 - one in North Dinajpur district's Raiganj and the other in South Dinajpur district's Balurghat. However, the Mamata Banerjee government declined permission for his chopper to land for both rallies without any prior notice. Later that day, he addressed the scheduled rally in Raiganj via telephone. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP president Amit Shah on Monday dared Mamata Banerjee to arrest him for chanting "Jai Shri Ram" and alleged that her government is nabbing people for hailing the deity. "Mamata didi says you cannot chant 'Jai Shree Ram' in Bengal. Mamata Didi, I chant 'Jai Shri Ram' from the dais of Joynagar seat. I will go Kolkata, arrest me if you have guts," Shah said at a campaign rally. The BJP chief also exhorted the gathering to raise the same chants. He also charged the TMC government of not permitting people to perform Durga and Saraswati worship. "People do not get permission for Durga worship in Mamata Didi's rule. Her goons create ruckus at Saraswati 'puja' venues. You cannot chant 'Jai Shri Ram' because she wants votes of infiltrators," Shah remarked. Appealing to people to vote for his party, he said, "You vote against Mamata on May 19. I guarantee you, the BJP government and Narendra Modi will create an environment where 'puja' can once again be performed in a glorious manner." Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also made similar accusations against the Mamata Banerjee government at a campaign rally. "Didi is so frustrated these days that she doesn't even want to talk about God. The situation is such that Didi is arresting and jailing those who are chanting 'Jai Sri Ram'," Modi had said at a rally in Tumluk on May 6. Shah also reiterated his party's promise of deporting illegal immigrants living in the state. Voting for the 42 seats in West Bengal is scheduled across all the seven phases of the elections, with the remaining 9 seats set to vote in the last round on May 19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Breaking religious barriers and going an extra mile to strengthen the bond between two communities, a Hindu family from Lakhimpur district donated a piece of land for expansion of a Muslim burial ground. The family of late Karunakanta Bhuyan, which stays at Gorehaga village in North Lakhimpur, donated 0.84 acres to the Nahar Pukhuri Kabarstan (graveyard), which is located near the North Lakhimpur railway station. Notably, the burial ground also shares its border with a Hindu crematorium ground. On May 4, the governing body of Nahar Pukhuri Kabarstan Committee organized a meeting where the family of Bhuyan donated the land. Later, they were felicitated for their great gesture. Committee's chairman, Dr Hamidur Rahman chaired the meeting and expressed gratitude to all the people involved for this initiative. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP on Monday staged a protest outside the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) here alleging the lack of fairness in holding the Lok Sabha elections in the state. Party leader Sunil Deodhar blamed the police and the state administration of having become agents of the ruling party -- Trinamool Congress -- in the state. "What kind of democracy is this? There is no law and order here. There is just 'Goondaraj' of Mamata Banerjee. It is our misfortune that the police and administration have become 'agents' of the TMC," said Deodhar while speaking to the reporters. "If Ratnakar Rao, the DM of South Pargana, acts as a 'Dalal' of TMC, how can the elections be held fairly," added Deodhar. He also lambasted the TMC for denying permission to hold rally by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP chief Amit Shah. "We want fair elections here. We had got permission for Yogiji's rally in South Kolkata but it was cancelled at the last moment. Whatever is happening here is totally undemocratic. Mamataji doesn't even accept PM Modi as the Prime Minister of the country. What can one expect from her," asked Deodhar. He further said: "We want the Election Commission to remove South Pargana DM Ratnakar Rao because till he stays there, we cannot have unbiased elections here. They too are doing 'Dalali' and playing into the TMC's hands." BJP president Amit Shah's rally in West Bengal's Jadavpur was called off after he was denied permission. "Mamataji's nephew is contesting from one of the seats. So she is scared that her nephew will lose. That's why she denied the permission for our rally," Shah had said at an election rally in Joynagar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Monday sought an apology from BSP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati for allegedly making personal comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP also assured the BSP supremo that women in the ruling party are "absolutely safe, secure and have good professional relationships in the party." Expressing shock over Mayawati's remarks, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: "Absolutely disappointing and shocking for her (Mayawati) to speak so ill about the Prime Minister and his personal life and women in the BJP." "Behen Mayawati, please, be assured that we are all absolutely safe, secure and have good professional relationships in our party," she told reporters here. "She has demeaned the stature of her own leadership. Only because of this comment, this shows that she has left no respect of any position or institution of this country. She should really apologise for having commented so badly both on the private life of the Prime Minister and in general about all women in the BJP," the BJP leader. Sitharaman also said that the statements by Mayawati were due to "her sense of insecurity" as six phases of ongoing Lok Sabha elections were concluded and she understood that 'Gathbandhan' has no scope. "You do not have to be worried about us. Six phases of the elections are over. Now Behen Mayawati has understood that her 'gathbandhan' (alliance) is going nowhere and that is the reason for her worry, agitation and her sense of insecurity," she said. Mayawati earlier in the day claimed that women leaders in BJP are afraid of their husbands meeting Modi, as they fear being abandoned by their husbands, just like the Prime Minister did to his wife. Speaking to ANI, Mayawati said: "I came to know that in BJP married women are worried when they see their husbands meeting Modi as they fear that Modi may separate them from their husbands, just the way he left his own wife. I appeal to all women not to vote for Modi. This would be a true tribute to Modi's wife who was abandoned." Mayawati also claimed that Modi left his wife for vested political gains. Citing the gang rape of a Dalit woman in Alwar, Mayawati said that Prime Minister Modi was initially silent on the issue and spoke on it only after she raked up the matter. "The Prime Minister remained silent on the Alwar gang rape. However, after I spoke on the matter, he started to do his filthy for political gains. He doesn't know how to respect the sisters and daughters of others as he has left his own wife for his vested political interests." The BSP chief went on to claim that the Prime Minister remains silent on matters of atrocities against Dalits. "In matters related to atrocities against Dalits, the Prime Minister has never spoken openly or taken such incidents seriously. He has never asked for resignation or even clarification from the chief ministers of BJP-ruled states in matters related to Dalit atrocities," said Mayawati. "In the case of Rohith Vemula, he never asked for resignation or clarification from his minister. He has also never offered his resignation or taken moral responsibility in any such cases of atrocities against Dalits." She also stated that the Prime Minister has no values. "For breaking the 'gathbandhan' he referred me as respected 'Behen' ji but as soon as he got a strong reply and came to know that he will not be able to break the alliance, he started calling me 'Bua' and Akhilesh Yadav 'Babua." "Modi has no values. All those who have values, no matter from which party they are, refer to me as 'Behen ji'. Even my mother and father call me 'Behen ji'. Like people call Mulayam Singh Yadav 'Netaji,' they call me 'Behen ji' out of respect," she said. A woman was allegedly gang-raped by five men while her husband was beaten up in Thanagaji area of Alwar district in Rajasthan on April 26. A video of the incident was shot by the perpetrators, who threatened to make it public if the matter was reported. The couple reported the matter to Police much later on May 2. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Monday claimed that women leaders in BJP are afraid of their husbands meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as they fear being abandoned by their husbands, just like the Prime Minister did to his wife. Speaking to ANI, Mayawati said, "I came to know that in BJP, married women are worried when they see their husbands meeting Modi as they fear that Modi may separate them from their husbands, just the way he left his own wife. I appeal all women not to vote for Modi, this would be a true tribute to Modi's wife who was abandoned." Unleashing a personal attack on the Prime Minister, Mayawati claimed that Modi left his wife for vested political gains. Citing the gang rape of a Dalit woman in Alwar, Mayawati said that Prime Minister Modi was initially silent on the issue and only spoke on it after she raked up the matter. "The Prime Minister remained silent on the Alwar gang rape, however, after I spoke on the matter he started to do his filthy for political gains. He doesn't know how to respect the sisters and daughters of others as he has left his own wife for his vested political interests." The BSP chief went on to claim that the Prime Minister remains silent on matters of atrocities against Dalits. "In matters related to atrocities against Dalits, Prime Minister has never spoken openly or taken such incidents seriously. He has never asked for resignation or even clarification from the chief ministers of BJP-ruled states in matters related to Dalit atrocities," said Mayawati. "In the case of Rohith Vemula, he never asked for resignation or clarification from his minister. He has also never offered his resignation or taken moral responsibility in any such cases of atrocities against Dalits." She also stated that the Prime Minister has no values. "For breaking the 'gathbandhan' he referred me as respected 'behen' ji but as soon as he got a strong reply and came to know that he will not be able to break the alliance, he started calling me 'bua' and Akhilesh Yadav 'babua'. Modi has no values. All those who have values, no matter from which party they are, refer to me as 'behen ji', even my mother and father call me 'behen ji'. Like people call Mulayam Singh Yadav 'netaji' they call me 'behen ji' out of respect." Mayawati asserted that BSP may withdraw support from the Congress government in Rajasthan if appropriate action is not taken in connection with the Alwar gang-rape. "Our party is committed to getting justice for the victim, however, we may withdraw our support if appropriate and suitable action is not taken in the case," she said. A woman was allegedly gang-raped by five men while her husband was beaten up in Thanagaji area of Alwar district in Rajasthan on April 26. A video of the incident was shot by the perpetrators, who threatened to make it public if the matter was reported. The couple reported the matter to Police much later on May 2. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least six people, including a priest, were killed after gunmen opened fire at congregants outside a Catholic church in Burkina Faso on Sunday. According to The Hill, people were exiting the church around 9 am (local time) in the town of Dablo, when around 20 men circled them and opened fire. "These terrorist groups are now attacking religion with the macabre aim of dividing us," said a statement issued by the government. However, no individual/group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. The latest shooting comes just two days after five teachers were shot dead by unknown assailants. In a similar incident, motorbike-borne attackers opened fire in a Protestant church on April 30, leaving six people dead, including a pastor. Recently, French armed forces rescued four hostages- an American, two French citizens and a South Korean national. However, two French soldiers died in an overnight raid. The West African nation is currently prone to Islamist attacks, government officials have said. Adding to that, it shares a border with volatile Mali, where tensions among various religious groups is an all-time high. In December last year, the government declared a state of emergency in several northern provinces bordering Mali fearing attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Muslim clerics and leaders have endorsed the demand of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to implement the Shariah in view of the rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora. Muslim cleric Sajid Rashidi said: "In Sharia law, there are two punishments for rape -- a married man has a different punishment as compared to an unmarried man. Sharia law says, a married man should be stoned to death in public for a rape. An unmarried man should be belted 100 times publicly." A three-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a local boy in Bandipora district. Police have arrested the accused, identified as Tahir Ahmad Mir (20). "In India, there was a heinous gangrape case in 2012 and that was a precursor for a tough law. Rapes have not yet stopped. I'm not saying that Sharia law should be imposed but there should definitely be a stricter law for crimes like rape," he said. Mehbooba had earlier tweeted where she expressed horror at the morbidity of the event that took place in Bandipora. She tweeted: "Mortified to hear about the rape of a 3-year-old girl in Sumbal. What kind of a sick pervert would do this? Society often blames women for inviting unwanted attention but what was this child's fault? Times like these, Shariah law seems apt so that such pedophiles are stoned to death." JDU leader GM Shaheen said: "In the history of Kashmir, there were not many cases of rape, but these crimes are increasing now. We demand the strictest of actions against such crimes as per the Constitution." An FIR under Section 363/342/376 of IPC has been registered in this connection at Sumbal police station. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This is Dharmendra's greatness, said Congress leader Sunil Jakhar, reacting to the veteran actor's praise for him. The lawmaker was referring to Dharmendra's comment stating that he wouldn't have allowed son Sunny Deol, the BJP candidate from Gurdaspur, to contest elections had he known that the opponent was Jakhar. "This is his greatness. It is his own view," said the Congressman. He claimed that only a portion of the "Sholay' actor's remark was shown in the media and went on to add that the praise was more profuse than what was reported. "Only a portion of what he said was shown in the media. What he said initially was that Sunil Jakhar is a clean, honest hard-working and well-meaning person. This, I believe is higher than any post for me," Jakhar, the sitting lawmaker from Punjab's Gurdaspur said. "Balram Jakhar was like my brother, had I known his son Sunil Jakhar was contesting from Gurdaspur, I would have not allowed Sunny (to contest against him)," Dharmendra had said. In 2004, Dharmendra had refused to contest the Lok Sabha elections against Balram Jakhar from Churu in Rajasthan. That year he won the polls for BJP from Bikaner. His wife Hema Malini is seeking re-election from Uttar Pradesh's Mathura, making Sunny the third one in the family to take the political plunge. Sunil Jakhar, the incumbent parliamentarian from Gurdaspur, is the son of Balram Jakhar. He won the seat in the 2017 bye-elections after the death of actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna. The constituency is a BJP stronghold and was first won by Khanna in 1998. Polling will be held in Gurdaspur on May 19 in the seventh and last phase of the elections. Results for all seven phases will be declared on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for not casting his vote, stating that the Congress leader is setting an unhealthy precedent for young voters. "The country is electing its representatives, even I went to Ahmedabad to cast my vote. President and Vice President of the country were standing in queues to cast their votes. But Diggi Raja didn't feel the need to cast his vote," he said while addressing an election rally here on Monday. "First-time voters are closely watching all the leaders on their mobile phones. You (Digvijaya) are teaching them not to vote, even though first-time voters want to cast votes in the name of the development of the nation. You are teaching them that it's not necessary to vote," he added. Digvijaya, a registered voter in Raghogarh, was unable to cast his vote on Sunday during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls, a move which he is facing widespread criticism for. Yesterday, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Digvijaya's decision not to vote shows his attitude towards democracy. "Diggy Raja (Digvijaya Singh) behaved in a strange manner. He was so panicked that he did not go to cast his vote. Voting is our supreme duty in a democracy. For a person, who was Chief Minister for 10 years, failing to poll his votes shows his attitude towards democracy," Chouhan said while addressing a gathering at Indore. Rajgarh and Bhopal Lok Sabha seats went to polls on May 12 during the sixth phase of ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The counting of votes will be done on May 23. Digvijaya is contesting the ongoing polls against BJP's Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur from Bhopal. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Election Commission on Monday announced that it has decided not to allow the release of the movie 'Lakshmi's NTR' till May 19. The movie is based on the life of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N T Rama Rao. State Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi also announced that Joint Collector, Kadapa District has been transferred to a non-election post. Earlier on April 30, the Election Commission directed filmmaker Ramgopal Varma not to release ''Lakshmi's NTR''. The biopic was planned to be released on May 1. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday found the speech delivered by Mumbai Congress chief and South Mumbai candidate Milind Deora as "violative" under the guidelines of Model Code of Conduct (MCC). "In a matter concerning violation of MCC in a speech delivered by Milind Deora, a candidate of Indian Congress, April 2, Commission after considering his reply found it violative of para1 and para3 of MCC," the ECI said. The Commission censured and warned him to be more careful in the future. The ECI's action came after Deora while addressing an event at Zhaveri Bazar, had accused Shiv Sena of hurting religious sentiments of Jain followers. The Mumbai Congress president urged the Jain community to teach them a lesson by not voting for the party in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. "Shiv Sena has been against the minorities. A few years ago, the party insulted the Jain religion by cooking meat outside Jain temples during Paryushana festival. Remember, you have to teach them a lesson through your votes," he had said at an event. Later, one of the Shiv Sena candidates complained to the EC stating that the allegations made by Deora were "false and are religiously sensitive". Following this, the EC looked into the matter and had asked the police to register an FIR. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP leader and minister in Assam government, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has strongly condemned the arrest of BJP's youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma, stating that the current situation in the state is reminiscent of Emergency. Priyanka Sharma was arrested on Friday for sharing a morphed picture of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and sent to 14-days police custody. Sarma, who met the relatives of the arrested girl here on Sunday, told media, "A person gives critical views about Prime Minister on social media but in India never before a young girl has been put in jail for sharing a post against the Chief Minister. Is it a crime? If such things happen, people will conclude that West Bengal is in a state of Emergency. I don't think even Indira Gandhi put anyone behind bars for writing against her on social media." He also asserted that BJP will try to approach the Supreme Court in connection with the matter. "She has just shared a Facebook post. Is it big enough crime to put anyone in jail? BJP strongly condemns it. We hope that the court will give us justice and we will be able to free her. If this continues, freedom of speech will not be left. We will try to file an application in Supreme Court tomorrow," said Sarma. Priyanka's brother claimed that at first, he was not allowed to meet her. However, when he put pressure, the authorities let him in. He also alleged that his sister's security was at risk as her entry in jail was not recorded within 24 hours of her arrest. He also said BJP leader Poonam Mahajan called him to Delhi. This is not the first time Banerjee has taken action against someone who took a dig at her. In 2012, Professor Ambikesh Mahapatra of Jadavpur University was arrested for forwarding a cartoon of the chief minister. In the same year, she had termed a student "Maoist" for questioning her government's policies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has stirred a controversy by asserting that first terrorist in independent India was a Hindu, referring to Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. The chief of political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam was campaigning in Tamil Nadu's Aravakurichi assembly constituency when he made the remarks. "I am not saying this because many Muslims are here. I am saying this in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue. The first terrorist in independent India is a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse," Haasan said. He further expressed his wishes for an India with equality and said, "I am a grandson of Gandhi and I am here to ask a question about that murder. This should be an equal India and the colours in our flag must be in the same proportion, this is the wish of every good Indian". The statement invoked criticism from Haasan's film industry colleague Vivek Oberoi, a "star campaigner" of the BJP. Oberoi charged the newly-minted politician with appeasing Muslims. "Dear Kamal sir, you are a great artist. Just like art has no religion, terror has no religion either! You can say Ghodse was a terrorist, why would you specify 'Hindu'? Is it because you were in a Muslim dominated area looking for votes?" Vivek Oberoi wrote on Twitter. President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, Mahant Narendra Giri, joined Oberoi in the denunciation and suggested Haasan gets treated while adding that Godse cannot be termed a terrorist. "Who will tell Kamal Haasan that a Hindu can never be a terrorist. Hindus don't have a mentality or culture to hurt or kill anyone. Wrong accusations have been put on some people, but no Hindu has ever been arrested for terrorism. Nathu Ram Godse doesn't fall under the category of a terrorist. Kamal Hassan should get himself treated and should study about the community that he belongs to", Giri told ANI. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A widow in Muradabad set herself on fire last month after she was gang-raped and sold for Rs 10,000 by her parents and later allegedly turned away by Hapur Police. With more than 80 per cent burns, the victim is struggling for life at a hospital in Delhi. The victim has been identified as a resident of a village under Babugarh police jurisdiction in Hapur. She was allegedly gang-raped in 2016. Disgruntled after Babugarh Police allegedly refused to pay heed to her complaints, the woman shifted to Muraradabad city out of shame, and set her ablaze last month, the police said. An FIR was registered against 16 people on Sunday and the matter is being investigated after a video clip of her allegations went viral on social media. "The woman set herself on fire in Civil Lines area of Muradabad. Investigating officer Arun Giri has been directed to record the statement of the victim and the villagers. We will take further action based on the report," Hapur's Superintendent of Police, Yadhvir Singh said. Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal has written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, urging him to ensure the victim gets justice. "DCW is in receipt of a representation from a survivor of gang-rape belonging to Hapur. The survivor has suffered unimaginable harassment at the hands of the UP police in Hapur who have refused to register an FIR despite repeated complaints," reads the letter dated May 11. "This insensitivity and shameful conduct of the UP police compelled the survivor to immolate herself. She is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Delhi," it further states. Maliwal, in her letter, said that the woman was sold for Rs 10,000 by her father and aunt to a person who repeatedly harassed and gang-raped her. The woman was made to work in houses as domestic help without any remuneration, she wrote. "That person had borrowed money from several people and in return, the survivor was forced to work as a domestic help at the houses of these persons without any remuneration. Here, she was subjected to continuous harassment and gang-rape," the letter details. Quoting the victim, Maliwal said that she approached Babugarh police station as well Hapur's Superintendent of Police, but no case was registered. The victim tried to commit suicide by self-immolation on April 28, the letter said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Great Learning, India's leading Edtech Company announced the launch of two new programs - Full Stack Development and DevOps Engineer Certificate Program. Currently, India has 20000+ job openings for Full Stack Developers and 4500+ for DevOps Engineers. The starting salaries for professionals proficient in these areas is often Rs 9 Lacs per annum or more. According to a report by LinkedIn, the Software developer is the no 1 trending jobs in India with Full Stack Developers being one of the most in-demand roles in India. The Full Stack Development program, offered by Great Learning, is a 6-month program where students can learn from expert faculty and develop expertise by working on practical lab sessions. The Program is being offered in a convenient format for working professionals using a blend of online learning with weekend classroom sessions twice a month - so that they can learn while working in their current job. The program is designed to help students master front end development with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, react and back-end development with Java Spring and Hibernate, and SQL - skills which leading technology companies like Cognizant and Flipkart are seeking. The program enables practical learning by replicating a production development atmosphere through pair programming labs, hackathons and periodic code reviews with senior Tech Leads and software architects from leading companies. By the end of the Program, learners will be able to build their own full stack applications enabling them to become production ready developers. The Full Stack program is offered with placement assistance by Great Learning through its career services program - GL Excelerate. As part of GL Excelerate, learners get exclusive access to career fairs and opportunities with leading organizations, 1-1 career mentoring from industry experts, interview preparation workshops and guidance on resume building. Currently, the Program has garnered interest from various candidates working in support, testing, front-end, backend and other IT related roles looking to switch to Full Stack Development through the help of this program. According to LinkedIn's 33 Most Recruited Roles of 2018 report, DevOps Engineer is the most recruited job on LinkedIn globally in 2018. Great Learning's DevOps Engineer Certificate Program is a 3-month structured online program with weekend mentorship sessions to help students become proficient in understanding and working with AWS (Amazon Web Services), containers, cloud-native and on-premises DevOps, infrastructure as code, python scripting and more. The program comprises of 40+ hours of expert instructional content and 150+ hours of overall learning. The programs provide an opportunity for students to get personalized mentorship from DevOps practitioners who have worked with the leading organizations like Dell, SAP, Cisco, Walmart Labs, Infosys and FIS. Students will also be able to attend a live online session each weekend to clarify their conceptual doubts, ask questions and discuss use cases with industry practitioners. Students can enrol for the program by filling this registration form. "Skills in DevOps and Full Stack Development are in high demand today across all types of technology companies. Our programs delve deeply into both the topics and are designed to enable learning by doing. The hands-on approach that the programs offer, and the access to Full stack developers and DevOps professionals gives learners exposure to the challenges they'll face in these jobs right from the start of the program, and ensures they are job-ready by the time they complete their program", said Harish Subramanian, Director - Great Learning. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three vehicles were damaged after a convoy of actor and BJP candidate from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency Sunny Deol met with an accident at Sohal village here on Monday. Sunny's convoy collided with the vehicles, which were coming from the opposite side of the road of Gurdaspur-Amritsar Highway. However, no casualties were reported. Sunny is pitted against Congress' Sunil Jakhar, who is the sitting MP from Gurdaspur parliamentary seat. Jakhar had won from the constituency in the last year's bye-elections following the death of actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna. Gurdaspur is one of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab that will go to polls on May 19. 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.) 'Gangs of Wasseypur' actor Huma Qureshi will soon be seen debuting in Netflix's upcoming mini series 'Leila'. Huma took to Twitter to share a dark and intense-looking poster from the series showcasing her in a blindfold and wrote, "Will you join me? #Leila, coming soon." Directed by Deepa Mehta, Shanker Raman and Pawan Kumar, the Indian original series is set to release on June 14. Mehta, who is known for the critically acclaimed trilogy 'Fire', 'Earth' and 'Water', is also the creative executive producer of the show. According to Hollywood Reporter, Urmi Juvekar, whose past credits include 'Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!' and 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy', will serve as 'Leila's' showrunner. Based on a book by journalist Prayaag Akbar, 'Leila' is a story of a mother's search for her lost daughter. Netflix recently unveiled a bunch of original series and feature films for its Indian market including 'Sacred Games', 'Typewriter', 'Bulbul' and 'Chopsticks'. Huma was last seen in 'Kaala' in which she starred opposite superstar Rajinikanth. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indicating further softening of its stance, Japan on Monday said it seeks a summit with North Korea despite the weapon testing by the latter last week. "The government's stance on the matter has not changed. It continues to seek a summit with North Korea despite the firing of a ballistic missile by Pyongyang last week," NHK quoted Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga as saying. This comes a week after North Korea carried out two tests of firing projectiles. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe renewed his demand to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "unconditionally" to "break the shell of mutual distrust". "I want to meet Chairman Kim Jong-un unconditionally and talk with him frankly with an open mind," Al Jazeera quoted Shinzo Abe as saying. North Korean authorities are yet to respond to Japan's repeated proposals. In January also, Abe indicated that he is planning to meet Kim. Till 2017, Japan had accused North Korea of repeatedly testing missiles while pointing them towards Japan. North Korean media has regularly and viciously attacked Japan, by calling it "heinous criminal state against humanity", and an "immoral and impudent country". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Shiv Sena on Monday slammed actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan's comments on Nathuram Godse, saying his theory is a "flop story" and a "useless statement". "Kamal Hassan is a very good actor. But his theory (on Nathuram Godse) is a flop story. People do not have sympathy for Godse. Hindus will not tolerate it when their religion is linked with terrorism. There is no difference between Kamal Haasan and Digvijaya Singh. It is a useless statement just to gain publicity," Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut told reporters here. Haasan, the chief of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) had stirred a controversy by saying that the "first terrorist in independent India was a Hindu", referring to Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. "I am not saying this because many Muslims are here. I am saying this in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue. The first terrorist in independent India is a Hindu. His name is Nathuram Godse," Haasan said while campaigning in Tamil Nadu's Aravakurichi assembly constituency on Sunday. Haasan's comments drew widespread condemnation from other leaders across leaders of BJP and Hindu outfits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Monday courted controversy calling Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as the first Hindu terrorist in independent India, remarks that drew criticism from BJP leaders and Hindu outfits. However, he got support from RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who said Godse was "much more" than a terrorist. "I am not saying this because many Muslims are here. I am saying this in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue. The first terrorist in independent India is a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse," Haasan said while campaigning in Tamil Nadu's Aravakurichi assembly constituency for the by-election. He further expressed his wish for an India with equality and said, "I am a grandson of Gandhi and I am here to ask a question about that murder. This should be an equal India and the colours in our flag must be in the same proportion, this is the wish of every good Indian". Union Minister Giriraj Singh who himself makes controversial statements slammed Haasan for his statement stating that he had started speaking in Congress' language and alleged that he was trying to falsely accuse Hindus. "Kamal Haasan has joined the league of Naseeruddin Shah and other people who speak in the language of Congress. The ones who invented terms like Hindu terror, saffron terror. Hindus give food and water to even ants and trees, his statement is pathetic," Singh said in Patna. Actor Vivek Oberoi, a "star campaigner" of the BJP, also criticised Haasan and tweeted, "Dear Kamal sir, you are a great artist. Just like art has no religion, terror has no religion either! You can say Ghodse was a terrorist, why would you specify 'Hindu'? Is it because you were in a Muslim dominated area looking for votes?" President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, Mahant Narendra Giri, joined Oberoi in the denunciation and suggested Haasan gets treated while adding that Godse cannot be termed a terrorist. "Who will tell Kamal Haasan that a Hindu can never be a terrorist. Hindus don't have a mentality or culture to hurt or kill anyone. Wrong accusations have been put on some people, but no Hindu has ever been arrested for terrorism. Nathu Ram Godse doesn't fall under the category of a terrorist. Kamal Hassan should get himself treated and should study about the community that he belongs to", Giri told ANI. Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP, also joined the attack on Hassan saying his theory is a "flop story" and a "useless statement". "Kamal Hassan is a very good actor. But his theory (on Nathuram Godse) is a flop story. People do not have sympathy for Godse. Hindus will not tolerate it when their religion is linked with terrorism. There is no difference between Kamal Haasan and Digvijaya Singh. It is a useless statement just to gain publicity," Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taking forward his efforts to form a third front, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday met Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin at the latter's residence here. The two leaders reportedly held discussions on emerging political developments amid speculation over a hung Parliament and possibilities of forming a non-BJP, non-Congress federal front. Both the leaders did not make any comments to the media after the meeting that comes after Rao's parleys with his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram last week and discussed the possibilities in the post-poll situation, After their meeting, Vijayan had said that the meeting with Rao was "highly significant" as he asserted that regional parties will play a major role in the formation of the next government at the Centre. "A new government will come at the Centre which will follow federal system and secularism. The state will effectively lend support to anyone who supports the development of the state. Our meeting on May 6 with KCR was highly significant," Vijayan had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao offered prayers at Ranganathaswamy Temple here on Monday, ahead of his meeting with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin in Chennai later in the day. Dressed in traditional attire, KCR visited the temple along with a delegation of ministers in the presence of heightened security. In Chennai, KCR and Stalin are expected to hold discussions on emerging political developments in the country and the possibility of forming a non-BJP, non-Congress federal front. Earlier this month, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief met chief ministers of Kerala and Karnataka, Pinarayi Vijayan and HD Kumaraswamy, on separate occasions to discuss the formation of a federal front government after the declaration of Lok Sabha election results. Six out of the seven phases of general elections in the country have now concluded, and the last phase of polling for the remaining 59 Lok Sabha seats will take place on May 19. The Election Commission in its press briefing on March 10 said results of the seven-phase electoral exercise will be declared on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In his efforts to form a third front, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is set to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin here on Monday. The two leaders are expected to hold discussions on emerging political developments in the country and possibilities of forming a non-BJP, non-Congress federal front. Earlier in the month, Rao met his Kerala and Karnataka counterparts Pinarayi Vijayan and HD Kumaraswamy to discuss the formation of a federal front government after the results of the Lok Sabha election. After their meeting, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had said that the meeting with Rao was "highly significant" as he asserted that regional parties will play a major role in the formation of the next government at the Centre. "A new government will come at the Centre which will follow federal system and secularism. The state will effectively lend support to anyone who supports the development of the state. Our meeting on May 6 with KCR was highly significant," Vijayan had said. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's efforts to stitch up a third front government excluding the two principal political parties - the Congress and the BJP - also seem to be picking up pace with the conclusion of six of the seven phases of the general election. Polling for the remaining 59 Lok Sabha seats will take place in the last phase on May 19. 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.) Air Asia India has expressed regret over the delay caused to the passengers after a server malfunction at Kolkata's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport on Monday. "AirAsia India regrets the delay caused at Kolkata due to an Internet outage with airport facilities. The delay was caused for reasons beyond our control and we are doing our best to make good the schedule. Request all affected passengers to bear with us," said an AirAsia India spokesperson. The server malfunction led to chaos at the airport with the Flight Information Display System (FIDS) and cameras also turning non-operational. The issue started at around 5:15 pm after which all airlines started issuing boarding passes to passengers manually, leading to long queues at the counters in the airport. Due to the technical glitch, over 20 flights were delayed at the airport after a fault in Local Area Network inside the compound. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asserting that Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is losing in the Lok Sabha elections, Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said that the chief minister has started seeing CRPF personnel as RSS workers because of the impending electoral loss. "Mamata is so infuriated that she believes CRPF personnel are RSS workers. She says that RSS workers come dressed as CRPF personnel," senior party leader Prakash Javadekar told reporters. The union minister's statement comes after Banerjee on Sunday accused the central forces in the state of coercing voters to cast their vote in favour of BJP in several areas. Reportedly, the TMC chief also said that she fears BJP and RSS activists to have entered the state sporting the uniform of forces to influence voters. BJP also accused the West Bengal government of canceling an election rally of party president Amit Shah. "In West Bengal, the dictatorship of Mamata Banerjee is continuing. Today, we had a rally of our party chief in Jadavpur and an application was submitted for it 4-5 days back, but last night we were denied permission. There is no reason for it", Javadekar said. Calling it murder of democracy, he urged Election Commission to take cognizance of the matter. "Initially they had given permission for the landing of chopper but yesterday it was also withdrawn. This is the murder of democracy. What is the meaning of elections, if our big leaders will not be allowed to campaign in it? The election commission must take cognizance of this," the HRD minister said. He also condemned the arrest of BJP youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma, who was arrested for posting a morphed of the state chief minister. "One of our party workers, Priyanka Sharma has been sent to 14-day custody for sharing a post on social media. Derek-O-Brien had shared a post worse than this, but no action was taken against him," Javadekar said. The BJP leader termed BSP supremo Mayawati's statement about the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's marital status on women leaders in the party as "objectionable". "This is a very objectionable statement and it shows that they are losing these elections and are infuriated by it," Javadekar remarked. "I came to know that in BJP, married women are worried when they see their husbands meeting Modi as they fear that Modi may separate them from their husbands, just the way he left his own wife," Mayawati had told ANI. (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 praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he washed the feet of sanitation workers just like Lord Krishna washed the feet of his friend Sudama. Addressing four election rallies, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, said: "In Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, Modi ji washed the feet of sanitation workers just like Lord Krishna washed the feet of Sudama." Listing the work under the reign of Prime Minister Modi, Adityanath said, "Whatever welfare scheme we have implemented so far, we did not discriminate people in the name of caste and religion. These were implemented in the interest of the poor." Mocking Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, Adityanath asked, "Will you elect those who stole water taps?" Taking a jibe at grand-alliance of SP, BSP and RLD, Adityanath said, "The elephant is riding on the bicycle, its tyres would get punctured." Appealing for votes in favour of BJP candidate from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan, the UP Chief Minister said," In order to help youth in pursuing a career in the film industry, the party gave the ticket to film actor Ravi Kishan. I urge the public of Gorakhpur to vote in favour of him in large numbers." Launching an attack on the Congress, Adityanath said, "You must have seen that what Congress could not do in 55 years, Modi did in 5 years. For the first time, Purvanchal and Eastern India have progressed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ever since Prince Archie entered the world on May 6, he has been showered with love and wishes from across the world. Joining the list of well-wishers, Mumbai's famed Dabbawalas have sent a special gift for the royal baby. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were recently blessed with a baby boy, who they named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Ever since they gave the world a glimpse of little Archie, the baby has become the talk of the town. While social media is overloaded with messages for the prince of Sussex, Mumbai's Dabbawallas have sent their blessings with a special set of silver jewellery all the way to the United Kingdom. "Prince Charles is our friend and has become a grandfather, so we've become grandfathers too. In Marathi culture, we present gifts to our grandchild," Subhash Talekar, the president of Mumbai Dabbawala Association, told ANI. Courtesy to their friendship with Prince Harry's father over the years, the Dabbawalas have celebrated almost every major event that has taken place in the royal family. Last year, on the occasion of Harry and Meghan's wedding, Dabbawalas of Mumbai gifted a set of Maharashtrian wedding attire to the couple. They even celebrated the royal wedding, which took place on May 19, by distributing sweets to patients of a government hospital in Mumbai. The Dabbawalas' relationship with the British royal family dates back to 2003, when Prince Charles visited Mumbai. Since then, a special friendship was forged. The Dabbawalas even attended Charles' second wedding. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Holland Agriculture, one of the world's leading agriculture equipment brands, won 3 awards at the first edition of the Indian Tractor of the Year Award (ITOTY 2019) held by Tractor Junction in Delhi. The brand was awarded in 3 categories: 1.Best Tractor between 46-50 HP: NEW HOLLAND 3600-2 All Rounder Plus 2.Best Tractor between 31-40 HP: NEW HOLLAND 3037 TX 3.Best CSR Initiative: Multi-Media School Project - New Holland Digital Classroom New Holland 3600-2 All Rounder Plus is the first inline high-speed tractor which has a 50 HP category fuel-efficient engine and possesses highest useful power in the category. It has several features which make it a versatile tractor such as 2000 kg lift capacity, 12+3 constant mesh gearbox and Maximum Torque etc. However, the New Holland 3037 TX (39 HP) boasts the highest useful horsepower in its category. It is equipped with several industry-first features such as Eptraa PTO with Independent clutch lever, straight axle with planetary drive, high precision hydraulics etc. Therefore, 3037 Tx is tagged as "Power and Performance, Beyond Imagination". New Holland Agriculture was also awarded for the Best CSR Initiative. The multi-media aided School Project started under the New Holland's CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) program is aimed at enhancing the teaching quality and capacity of Indian schools, by providing Indian students with multimedia school content through KYan, an integrated multimedia device for group learning needs. In 77 schools across the country, over 30,000 students are learning in a more interactive way. "These awards are the testimonial of the fact that New Holland Agriculture Stands true to the commitment to deliver technologically most advanced farm mechanization solutions to Indian farmers. Every New Holland Agriculture machine is armed with an unmatched combination of excellent power, fuel efficiency, comfort and styling, along with the quality and superior technology that we stand for", said Brajendra Kumar, Brand and Communication Manager, India. New Holland Agriculture offers the technologically superior range of tractors, as well as the complete range of farm equipment right from land preparation to post harvesting such as hay and forage equipment, planters, balers, sprayers and tillage equipment. Company's customer care centre provides support in ten languages, including Hindi, English and Punjabi, to customers across India and can be reached toll-free on 1800 419 0124. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After treating fans with the inspirational song 'Akela', filmmakers of Arjun Kapoor starrer 'India's Most Wanted' is all set to release a second track from the film. Arjun posted the song poster on his Twitter handle and wrote, "Here's Team Indias Most Wanted saluting the unsung brave hearts who protect us day and night. Also, stay tuned for Vande Mataram tomorrow." In the poster shared by the 'Ki and Ka' actor, he along with the cast of the film can be seen saluting all the unsung heroes and their brave heroic works. Though not much is known about the song, the song seems to be a patriotic one which will instil the feeling of patriotism in the fans and viewers. It appears to have been crooned by Papon, composed by Amit Trivedi and penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya as the actor has tagged all of them in his Twitter post. Providing a sneak peek into the making of the song, the actor also uploaded pictures on his Instagram stories from behind the scenes. "Proud India, Vande Mataram," he captioned a picture while the second one read, "India's Most Wanted, The team behind the team. In one of the picture, the entire team of the song can be seen discussing something while the second story was a boomerang video where the actor can be seen saluting. Earlier the makers of the film had released the song 'Akela'. 'Akela' is an inspirational track that talks about the power one hold within. The song is penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and sung by Abhijeet Srivastava. The music is given by Amit Trivedi. 'India' Most Wanted' is based on true events and is about five men who saved the lives of a billion people by hunting down a terrorist, which the makers have named 'India's Osama'. The film is being helmed by Rajkumar Gupta and produced by Rajkumar Gupta, Myra Karn and Fox Star Studios. It is slated to hit the screens on May 24. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday took suo motu cognisance of a report that more than four months after the disappearance of fishing boat 'Suvarna Tribuja', from Udupi in Karnataka, seven fishermen on board are still missing. "Reportedly, the India Navy stopped the search operation after the wreckage of the vessel was discovered 33 km west-south-west off the coast of Malvan in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. The boat had left for a deep sea fishing expedition off the coast of Goa on December 16, 2018," the NHRC said in its statement. The Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Government of Karnataka to look into the contents of the media report and take immediate steps to redress the grievances of the relatives and family members of the missing fishermen. A notice has also been issued to the Union Defence Secretary to inform the Commission about the latest update or status of the search operation, made in the meantime, by the Indian Navy in the deep sea for the recovery of seven missing fishermen. Both the reports have to be submitted within six weeks. Issuing the notices, the Commission observed that the disappearance of seven fishermen, who went deep into the sea for fishing is a serious concern. "The news report, carried on May 3, also stated that the Indian Navy confirmed that it is also reported that the wreckage was found by INS Nireekshak, a diving support vessel of the Indian Navy through side scan sonar operations," the Commission said. It added: "The wreckage was confirmed by naval divers who drove to a depth of 60-metre. The news report further suggested that the fishing boat with seven fishermen on the boat had left the coast of Goa which had made the last contact with six other boats from Udupi, which were also fishing off the coast of Goa on the morning of December 16, 2018. Thereafter, the boat and fishermen were untraceable." "The news report has also given the details of the name of the men on the boat which included Chandrashekar who owned the boat along with six others -- Damodar, Lakshman, Sathish, Ravi, Harish, and Ramesh. The search team found three canisters from the sea in the month of December and thereafter there was no further trace of the ship," the Commission said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afghan government on Monday expressed dismay over Taliban's refusal to call for a ceasefire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan despite repeated requests. "Unfortunately, the fighting is still ongoing during Ramadhan. We wanted a ceasefire during this month, but so far it's not agreed," Tolo News quoted Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, as saying. "No major step has been taken on the peace process so far," he added. His remarks came after the Taliban rejected the ceasefire suggestion by Jirga grand council. In the last one-month, Taliban has attacked various regions in the country, mainly targeting the government and the armed forces. Just hours after announcing its annual spring offensive, the Taliban attempted an attack near the district governor's office. But they were "pushed back and defeated" by security forces. In the attack, two Afghan soldiers were reportedly killed, along with 27 Taliban militants. Taliban militants have been using IED to target security forces. As per official figures, at least 120 civilians in Afghanistan are affected by mines and unexploded ordnance every month. According to figures released by the United Nations, more than 1,690 civilians have been killed and over 3,430 others injured in conflict-related incidents in the first half of the year in the war-torn country. Meanwhile, US officials and Afghan leaders held talks to discuss issues pertaining to US-Afghan Civilians Assistance Review and the presidential elections. US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice Wells and President Ashraf Ghani also discussed the peace process and the success and results of the Consultative Loya Jirga for Peace. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not doing any work as he was only interested in talking in the last five years. "There has been a strange phenomenon from 2014 to 2019. In the last five years, there has been no work. There has been only campaigning and nothing else," Priyanka said at a public rally here. Claiming that Modi remained "silent" on the plight of farmers, Priyanka said that the Prime Minister did not have time to visit the house of a poor in Varanasi in the last five years. "The Prime Minister does not even have the time to visit a poor's house in his own parliamentary constituency in Varanasi. He is giving big speeches on farmers. But he did not care for the farmers. He remained silent when about 12,000 farmers committed suicide," she added. Priyanka further said, "When farmers from all states marched to Delhi and raised their issues, our Prime Minister remained silent. They wanted to meet the Prime Minister but he did not step out from his office even for five minutes. He does not have time for the poor and farmers. He only has time to meet leaders from China, US and Japan. Accusing Modi of "not having time" to listen to youth over not getting any employment, Priyanka said that demonetisation took away 50 lakh jobs. "He told you that since you all are patriotic, he requested you to stand in queues and get your old notes exchanged. Not even a single rupee of black money came back into the system. Demonetisation has taken away 50 lakh jobs from the youth," she said. Priyanka said that while Modi talks about protecting everyone, she alleged that "if he was a true nationalist, then why he did not do the same to farmers and the poor?" Urging the people not to waste their vote, the Congress leader said, "I am the grand-daughter of Indira Gandhi. I have one request to you all. Make yourself aware and recognise your power. You have been ignored and misled in the last five years. Do not waste your vote, else you need to endure another five years of corruption and lies." Reiterating Congress' promise of providing Rs 72,000 to 20 per cent of the country's poorest, Priyanka said that free education will be provided to students till Class 12 if the party was voted to power. Later, Priyanka held a roadshow in Indore, where she was accompanied by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and other leaders. Eight Lok Sabha seats will go to polls in the last phase of General elections on May 19. 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.) Two people including a police official were killed and eleven others sustained injuries in a blast, which took place near a police vehicle here on Monday. The blast occurred in the mini market area of the city. Security officials have arrived on the scene and cordoned off the area, reported Dawn. The injured, five of whom are police personnel, have been shifted to the Civil Hospital for the treatment. The nature of the attack has not yet been determined and it is unclear if it was a targeted attack. The incident comes two days after the attack on Pearl Continental Hotel in the port city of Gwadar, in which four people including three militants were killed. This is the second attack on police personnel in recent days in Pakistan. On Wednesday, 12 people including five police officials were killed and 25 others were injured in a suicide bombing in Data Darbar Shrine in Lahore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Planning your travel is likely to get a lot more expensive after the temporary suspension of India's largest private airline - Jet Airways. According to media reports local and international airfares are all set to increase by 25 - 40 per cent, primarily caused by a significant reduction in available seats. This situation is further deteriorated by other airline companies that are constantly curtailing their operations in India, forcing passengers to shell out more for their travel. Indian travellers often plan their annual vacation during the peak summer season of April - May. While finalising their itinerary, they take into consideration the accommodation charges, recreational activities and the constant fluctuations in the currency exchange rates. However, the recent hike in airfares has affected their travel budget, thereby making the overall trip more expensive. This is where Bajaj Finserv Personal Loan for travel comes in handy. Whether it's a solo backpacking trip or a well-deserved family vacation, you can choose a Bajaj Finserv personal loan for travel up to Rs 25 lakh and manage your ticket bookings, hotel accommodation and more. It comes with a hassle-free online application process, which is loaded with number of exciting features: 1. Hassle free online application Apply for the loan in a seamless online process by sharing your basic KYC documents. Learn about your loan eligibility criteria and receive approvals within just 5 minutes. Once approved, the loan gets disbursed to your account within 24 hours. 2. Flexible payments Pay interest only on the amount you use. You also get an option part-prepay your loan whenever you have surplus funds, without any extra charge. 3. Exciting offers Your personal loan also comes loaded with pre-approved offers to make your vacation even more exciting. 4. Online account management Track important details about your loan like disbursement, payment schedule, EMIs, statements, etc completely online. You could also log on to your account to make payments and receive interest certificates on the go. Beat rising airlines' expenses this summer and choose to enjoy this holiday season with a well-deserved break. Spend more time enjoying your holiday and less time worrying about your finances with a Bajaj Finserv personal loan. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way forthe content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A polling agent was arrested and an FIR was registered against him for allegedly trying to influence voters at a polling booth in Faridabad during the penultimate phase of general elections on Sunday, the Election Commission (EC) has said. "The Faridabad District Election Officer has reported that a polling agent was arrested yesterday and FIR has been lodged. He was trying to influence at least three women voters," the EC said on Monday. The poll body, however, did not mention which party the arrested agent was representing, adding that polling was not affected by his arrest. "An observer visited the booth at Asawati in Prithla constituency of 10, Faridabad parliamentary constituency. He is satisfied that voting was never vitiated," EC added. A total of 59 Lok Sabha seats, including 10 seats in Haryana, went to polls in the sixth phase of general elections on Sunday. The remaining 59 seats will go to polls on May 19, and counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear a plea filed by BJP youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma against her arrest by West Bengal Police for sharing a morphed picture of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. A two-judge bench comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna stated that it will hear the bail plea on Tuesday after senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for Sharma, mentioned the matter for urgent hearing. Kaul contested that there is a complete strike in West Bengal hence there is no legal remedy available to her in the state. "Will hear the bail plea of BJP youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma on Tuesday", the bench said. Sharma, the convenor of the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing in Howrah was arrested for sharing a morphed image of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In the picture that Sharma had shared on May 9, Banerjee's face was superimposed on actor Priyanka Chopra's body, in the dress she wore to the 2019 Met gala. Earlier, BJP leader and minister in Assam government, Himanta Biswa Sarma, had strongly condemned the arrest of Sharma, stating that the current situation in the state is reminiscent of 'emergency'. Sharma was arrested on Friday and was sent to 14-days police custody. (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 that those guilty of 1984 anti-Sikh riots "should and will be punished," while reiterating that Sam Pitroda's 'Hua to Hua' remark on the tragic event was shameful. Calling the riots totally wrong and tragic, Rahul said that Pitroda should be ashamed of his remark on the 1984 riots and should publicly apologise for it. "Whatever he said about 1984 anti-Sikh riots is wrong. He should apologise to the nation for this. He should be ashamed of what he said," Rahul said, while addressing an election rally in Fatehgarh Sahib, which goes to polls on May 19. Overseas Indian Congress (OIC) chief Pitroda stirred controversy on May 9 when he said: "It (riots) happened in 1984. So what" while referring to the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Later, the Congress party issued a statement, distancing itself from Pitroda's comments, saying that justice must be given to the victims of both -- 1984 and 2002 riots. Flanked by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and AICC secretary in charge of Punjab Asha Kumari, Rahul said he had personally called up Pitroda to demand an unequivocal apology, which the people of India wanted and deserved for his controversial remarks. "Those responsible for the riots should and will be punished," he declared, addressing rallies in support of party candidate Dr Amar Singh from Fatehgarh Sahib, Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal from Hoshiarpur and Santokh Singh Chaudhary from Jalandhar. Rahul termed these polls an ideological fight between false promises and realistic commitments. "Prime Minister Modi and his BJP have cheated the people of India with their lies and false propaganda, while the Congress has always remained true to its promises," Rahul said. "This Chowkidar has been exposed. The people know the truth about him and he can no longer escape for perpetrating theft of their hard-earned money with demonetization and GST, and for diverting Rs 30000 crore to Anil Ambani with the Rafale defence deal," said Rahul. "People will not forgive Prime Minister Modi for standing a mute spectator when Dalits and minorities were being attacked. Youths were being deprived of jobs and scholarships. Farmers were committing suicide or were being thrown behind bars and the money of the people was being stolen from them," he said. Pointing to the shocking figures of unemployment, which stood at its worst in 45 years, Rahul said the Congress party's NYAY scheme will not only ensure Rs 72,000 for 5 crore families a year, for the next five years, but will also ensure employment to youth and improved business for shopkeepers as well as small and medium-sized traders by increasing the purchasing power of the people. "While PM Modi was talking about surgical strikes, the Congress party was preparing to launch the real surgical strikes on poverty. NYAY would completely wipe out poverty from the country. It will act like diesel in a tractor to fire up the Indian economy once again and put the nation back on the path of becoming a global economic power," he said. Declaring the Congress party's commitment to protecting the interests of farmers, Rahul said that his party had waived off loans, within two days of coming to power in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. "The party would not stop here if elected to the Centre but would ensure that farmers get the due price for their crops," he said. Recalling the allegation of BJP's Shivraj Singh Chauhan that the farm loan waiver was a farce in Madhya Pradesh, Rahul said that the former chief minister's own family members had been benefitted from the waiver under the Congress regime. "No farmer, of any state, religion or caste, will go to jail for default on loan payment," he said. Lauding the employment initiatives launched successfully by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Rahul said: "A lot more will be done across the country to revive industry and generate self-employment. Start-ups would not be required to take any government permissions in the first three years of launch." Expressing happiness over a large number of women party workers at Hoshiarpur rally, Rahul promised 35 per cent reservation for women in government jobs at the level as well in the state assemblies, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Chief Minister Singh, in his address, reiterated that his government would ensure the fulfillment of all the promises made by the Congress ahead of the Assembly elections. Asserting that his government still had three years to go, he assured the people that every single promise would be implemented before the end of his term. "In just two years, Punjab government has completed farm loan waiver for the majority of 10.25 lakh small and marginal farmers for whom the debt waiver scheme had been launched," he said. Citing the Congress manifesto, Captain Amarinder also assured the people of early implementation of 'One Rank, One Pension' (OROP) scheme to fulfill the long-pending demand of the ex-soldiers. "It was these defence personnel who had protected the nation's security and safety," he said. The voting for all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will take place during the last phase of seven-phased General 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.) Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh, the son of late Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, hit back at Union Minister Piyush Goyal for his remarks claiming that the former CM was only concerned about getting his son a role in a film during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack in 2008. In a statement on Twitter, without naming Goyal, the 40-year-old actor said that his father "never spoke to a director or producer to cast me in a film." He also said that the minister had every right to "question a CM but it is wrong to accuse someone who is not here to defend himself." He began his tweet by saying, "Honourable Minister, It is true that I had visited the Taj/Oberoi Hotel but untrue that I was there while the 'Shooting and Bombing' was happening as you claimed." He continued, "It is true that I had accompanied my father but untrue that he was trying to get me a role in a film. He never ever spoke to a director or a producer to cast me in film & I take pride in that." "You have every right to question a CM but it is wrong to accuse someone who is not here to defend himself. A bit late, 7 yrs ago - He would have replied to you. My best wishes with your campaign Sir. Love and Regards, Riteish Vilasrao Deshmukh," he concluded his post. Goyal on Sunday referring to 26/11 Mumbai attacks had said that the late Maharashtra CM was only concerned about getting his child a film role even as the city was under attacks. "I am from Mumbai. You might remember the 26/11 terror attack. The then Congress government was weak and could not do anything. The then Chief Minister (Vilasrao Deshmukh) had brought a film producer outside Oberoi Hotel while shooting and bombing was going on inside. CM was concerned about getting his child a film role," Goyal had said while addressing the business community on Sunday. The minister also termed the erstwhile UPA government led by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh as a "coward government" for failing to respond to 26/11 attacks that shook Mumbai in 2008. "Our Armed Forces were capable then too but the decision was to be taken by the leadership. The security forces kept hoping that they would be allowed to give a befitting reply but they were not allowed to take action. That was a coward government," the Union Minister added. BJP has made national security a poll plank in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls with its leaders referring to surgical strikes post-Uri and air-strike in Pakistan's Balakot as an example of the party's "zero-tolerance" policy on terrorism. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just a week after the alleged murder of a local gangster during a gang war near the Saket court, the Delhi Police on Monday nabbed three persons in connection with the case. The accused persons have been identified as Badal, Satender and Asfak Ahmad for allegedly hatching and executing the conspiracy of murder of local gangster Prince alias Bihari. Four mobile phones and one motorcycle used in the alleged crime were recovered from their possession. "During the interrogation, it was revealed that victim Prince had rivalry with Rohit Choudhary as Prince had in recent past threatened and abused him publicly, following which Choudhary was trying to eliminate him," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Crime, Dr G Ram Gopal Naik. In the first two attempts, Prince had escaped their clutches but the third time Rohit and his associates made a full-proof plan to eliminate him. "On the fateful day (May 6), Prince, who had come to Saket Court, was being closely monitored and followed by Badal, Asfak Ahmad and Satender. Later, Prince was intercepted and was fired upon indiscriminately resulting into his death," Naik added. Information was received on May 12 that a criminal named Badal, who was involved in the crime would come to Government Boys Senior Secondary in Khanpur to cast his vote. Accordingly, a team was formed and a trap was laid at the specific place of information. At about 1 p.m., one person who was later identified as Badal was apprehended by the police on the basis of the information received by them. "In pursuance of his disclosure statement, two of his other associates Satender and Asfak Ahmed who were also involved in the crime were arrested later," Naik stated. Further investigation in the matter is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition challenging the decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) refusing to advance by two hours the start of polling in view of Ramzan coinciding with the last phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19. A vacation bench comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna said that there was no merit in the petition and the election timing would continue to remain from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. A three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had on May 2 directed the ECI to take an appropriate decision on lawyer Nizamuddin Pasha's plea for re-scheduling the start of polling to 5 a.m. from 7 a.m. However, the poll watchdog had on May 5 rejected the prayer. The lawyer had again moved the apex court seeking a direction to the poll body to reconsider his plea. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The office of Punjab minister said that he has been put on steroids and injections. "Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu campaigned across the country, addressing 80 rallies in 28 days. Continuous speaking has severely impacted his vocal cords to the extent that they bled at times," an official release said. "Sidhu consulted physicians on early Sunday morning in Chandigarh, who advised two alternatives--either a balm coating over his damaged throat, which would require him not to speak for four days or a severe measure of anti-inflammatory injections and steroid medication along with complete rest for 48 hours," it read. It further says that Sidhu insisted on campaigning in the remaining days as the Lok Sabha elections have reached their final phase. "He chose anti-inflammatory injections and steroids to rest for just two days because balm coating would have hampered his ability to speak for the next four days. At the moment Sidhu is under medication and in the process of a quick recovery to return to campaigning at the earliest," it read. In the remaining four days of the election campaign, Sidhu would be addressing public meetings in Patna Sahib, Bihar, on May 14, in Ponta Sahib, Bilaspur and Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh, on May 15. On the last two days-- May 16 and 17--he would be campaigning in Madhya Pradesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korea on Monday vowed to heighten its missile defence capabilities in response to "threats" posed by North Korea's short-range missiles. "Our military has been developing our own missile defence capabilities with a focus on the Patriot system in order to counter threats posed by North Korea's short-range missiles," Yonhap News Agency quoted South Korea's defense ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo, as saying. "We will continue to beef up such capabilities aimed at effectively fending off threats from all directions," she added. Patriot system was developed by the defence ministry especially to respond to nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. This comes a week after North Korea test-fired two short-range missiles, just five days after the launch of a barrage of projectiles into the East Sea. However, the ministry has admitted that it has not yet determined the details of the weapons tested by Pyongyang. "The South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analysing details of the North's projectiles, and no details are available at this stage," Choi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sweden will re-open an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, prosecutors said on Monday. 47-year old Assange was arrested last month from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He was sentenced to 50 weeks in a British prison for skipping bail to avoid being sent to Sweden. Today's announcement by Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutors, Eva-Marie Persson, means that Assange now faces likely extradition from Britain, reported Al Jazeera. "My assessment is there is still probably cause [to investigate] rape and a lesser offence," Persson told media here. "My intention is to submit to the district court today to appoint a public defender. It is also my intention in the near future [to ask] that the district court order Mr Assange remanded in absentia," she added. The Australian whistleblower has denied the allegations against him, asserting that they were politically motivated. It should be recalled here that the United States, too, has requested the extradition of Assange, and has charged him with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion which carries a maximum penalty of five years. "The US will submit a formal extradition request to the UK no later than 14 June 2019," Persson said. "This decision [as to which extradition request would be given preference] will be left entirely to the British authorities," she added. "If he's extradited to Sweden, he must not be extradited to a third country without the consent of the British authorities. Assange was accused of scheming with former army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to break a password for a classified government computer.Manning served seven years of a 35-year prison term for leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks before former US President Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017. She was jailed again in March after refusing to give evidence to a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Swedish prosecutor's decision to re-open the rape investigation against Julian Assange would give him a chance to "clear his name," said Wikileaks Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson on Monday. "Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019 there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case," The Washington Post quoted Hrafnsson as saying. "This investigation has been dropped before and its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name," he added. Hrafnsson alleged that he has received reports of Swedish and British authorities destroying documents related to the case. The statement, however, was not backed by any evidence, reported Russia Today. He also slammed media reports that Assange had eluded questioning throughout his time in London. "Assange was always willing to answer any questions from the Swedish authorities and repeatedly offered to do so over six years," he said. Hrafnsson's statement came shortly after a Swedish Prosecutor told media that she will re-open an investigation into the rape investigation against Julian Assange as "there is still probably cause [to investigate] rape and a lesser offence." "My intention is to submit to the district court today to appoint a public defender. It is also my intention in the near future [to ask] that the district court order Mr Assange remanded in absentia," said Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutors. 47-year old Assange was arrested last month from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He was sentenced to 50 weeks in a British prison for skipping bail to avoid being sent to Sweden. Today's announcement means that Assange now faces likely extradition from Britain. The Australian whistleblower has denied the allegations against him, asserting that they were politically motivated. It should be recalled here that the United States, too, has requested the extradition of Assange, and has charged him with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion which carries a maximum penalty of five years. "The US will submit a formal extradition request to the UK no later than 14 June 2019," Persson said. "This decision [as to which extradition request would be given preference] will be left entirely to the British authorities," she added. "If he's extradited to Sweden, he must not be extradited to a third country without the consent of the British authorities. Assange was accused of scheming with former army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to break a password for a classified government computer. Manning served seven years of a 35-year prison term for leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks before former US President Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017. She was jailed again in March after refusing to give evidence to a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday supported Kamal Haasan for his statement against Nathuram Godse saying, the killer of the father of the nation was 'much more than a terrorist'. "The person who killed Mahatma Gandhi is way more than a terrorist, he has said nothing wrong," Yadav told reporters here in Gaya. Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan had stirred a controversy by asserting that first terrorist in independent India was 'a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse.' The chief of political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam was campaigning in Aravakurichi of Tamil Nadu when he made the remarks. "I am not saying this because many Muslims are here. I am saying this in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue. The first terrorist in independent India is a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse," Haasan said. Union Minister Giriraj Singh, on the other hand, slammed Haasan for his statement stating that he had started speaking in Congress' language and alleged that he was trying to falsely accuse Hindus. "Kamal Haasan has joined the league of Naseeruddin Shah and other people who speak in the language of Congress. The ones who invented terms like Hindu terror, saffron terror. Hindus give food and water to even ants and trees, his statement is pathetic," Singh had said in Patna. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Terrorists fired upon a political worker at Chitragam Kalan in Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The injured worker was immediately admitted to a Sub-District Hospital in Zainapora. The identity of the injured and the political party he belonged to is yet to be known. More details are awaited. Yesterday, two terrorists were neutralised in an encounter between security forces and terrorists in Hind Sita Pora area of Shopian district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Claiming a strong pro-incumbency wave in his favour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday slammed political pundits 'for failing to perceive nerve of first-time voters and women and planting new stories every day.' "The pundits, who are claiming that there is no wave and plant new story sitting in Delhi every day, don't know about the first time voters and women who support me. Mother and sisters are supporting me because we made a law that gives the death penalty to rapists," said Modi while addressing an election rally here. "The women also support me because cooking gas has reached their homes, electricity has reached their homes, and toilets have been made. And political pundits are just wondering from where the wave has come," said Modi. Modi also slammed Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for not casting his vote saying, he has set a negative example for the first-time voters. Digvijaya is contesting the Lok Sabha polls against BJP's Pragya Singh Thakur from Bhopal. "The first time voter is closely watching all the leaders on their mobile phones. You are teaching them not to vote although the first-time voter wants to cast his vote in the name of the development of the nation. You are teaching them that it's not necessary to vote," said Modi. "Those first-time voters who are born at the end phase of the 20th century or in the beginning phase of the 21st century will vote - keeping in mind the 21st Century. They have to spend their life in this century including their education, health and everything. Hence the first phase or the starting phase of the century should be stronger so that the whole century becomes good," said Modi. Taking a dig at Sam Pitroda's 'hua toh hua' remark, he said, "the country is saying 'ab bahut hua' (enough is enough). "These 'Mahamilavati' people are saying 'hua toh hua', but the country is now saying, 'mahamilavati logon 'ab babhut hua' (enough is enough)" he said. "When asked about Bofors scam, they say 'hua to hua', they never provided bullet-proof jackets to the soldiers and as a result, many got martyred in terrorists and Naxalite attacks. When asked, Congress said 'hua to hua," said Modi. "For submarine scam, they say 'hua to hua', for helicopter scam they say, 'hua to hua', for commonwealth scam, they say 'hua to hua', for Bhopal gas tragedy, coal scam, 2G scam, they say 'hua to hua" said Narendra Modi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A three-tier security arrangement, backed by CCTV, has been put in place for all EVMs and VVPAT machines used in the May 12 Lok Sabha election in Haryana, state Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Navdeep Singh Virk said on Monday. "Central Armed Police Forces are deployed near the strong rooms housing EVMS and VVPAT machines, Haryana Armed Police personnel are posted in the second layer and district police personnel are manning the outer layer. Ninety strong rooms have been established at 38 locations with 24x7 tight security and CCTV surveillance to ensure the safety of EVMs and VVPAT machines," he said. Virk also said that Haryana Police throughout the election season kept information flowing about the deployment of personnel. "The idea was to reassure the citizens of its presence and create fear in the mind of those planning any disruption," the ADGP added. He commended all officers and jawans of the state police and other security forces who had worked tirelessly for ensuring free, fair and peaceful election across the state. All the 10 seats in Haryana -- Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Sonipat, Hisar, Sirsa, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, Rohtak, Gurgaon, and Faridabad -- went to polls on May 12. A total of 223 candidates are in the fray. The seventh and last phase of elections will take place 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.) Reacting sharply on the arrest of BJP youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma on Monday denounced 'TMC's of hatred and violence' and asserted that 'this kind of is neither good for the state nor for the country.' Intensifying attack on Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government, Sharma invoked examples of verbal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said: "In West Bengal, such kinds of things have been going on for long. Even Modi ji is called 'Chor,' liar, expired and all, but we did not take any action against anyone. This is because we believe that in there must be open debate and discussion. The opposition has an important role. But in West Bengal, they (TMC) are trying to scare our workers and indulging in a politics of violence or hatred. It is neither in favour of country, nor West Bengal." He also criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her statements against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said: "Prime Minister Modi calls her 'didi,' but Mamata calls him a liar and says will tie him in a rope and put him inside the jail. What kind of language is this and what does she want to prove. I believe people of West Bengal will bring a change this time." Priyanka Sharma, the convenor of the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing in Howrah was arrested for sharing a morphed image of Banerjee. Commenting further on denial of permission to BJP president Amit Shah for holding a rally in Jadavpur, Sharma said: "This is shameful. Denying landing permission to chopper of a party's president having the government in the Centre is very shameful. The situation is very bad if we cannot come and go freely in parts of our country." BJP has accused the West Bengal government of cancelling an election rally of Shah. "In West Bengal, the dictatorship of Mamata Banerjee is continuing. Today, we had a rally of our party chief in Jadavpur and an application was submitted for it 4-5 days back, but last night we were denied permission. There is no reason for it", Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Monday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump in a tweet on Sunday said that 'We are right where we want to be with China' The tweet read: "We are right where we want to be with China. Remember, they broke the deal with us & tried to renegotiate. We will be taking in Tens of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs from China. Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-Tariffed countries" In another tweet, he further said: "We will then spend (match or better) the money that China may no longer be spending with our Great Patriot Farmers (Agriculture), which is a small percentage of total Tariffs received, and distribute the food to starving people in nations around the world! GREAT!" Earlier Trump had asked China to act immediately and strike a trade deal without waiting for the 2020 US presidential elections. He warned Beijing saying that the negotiation would be "far worse" if it had to be done in his second term. This comes after Trump's decision to raise tariffs on 200 billion dollars worth of Chinese imports from 10 to 25 per cent, a move which infuriated Beijing, saying it would retaliate. Trump on Friday had said that the tariffs levied on Chinese goods "may or may not be removed" depending on the outcome of trade talks. The trade war between the world's two largest economies has been going on for a year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States is escalating tension unnecessarily, said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, while adding that Iran does not seek escalation, it has always defended itself. Diplomatic tensions have been high between the United States and Iran in recent times, especially after Washington announced that no fresh sanction waivers will be issued for Iranian oil imports to eight countries, including India. The Foreign Minister made the comments while speaking to ANI on arriving in New Delhi on Tuesday for an official two-day visit. "Unfortunately the United States has been escalating the situation unnecessarily. We do not seek escalation but we have always defended ourselves," Zarif told ANI. He is scheduled to meet with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan here on Tuesday, in the wake of Iran's heightened diplomatic tensions with the USA. Washington recently announced that no fresh sanction waivers will be issued for Iranian oil imports to eight countries including India. Speaking on the Iran-India bilateral relationship, the Iranian minister said: " India is one of our most important partners - economic, political and regional. We have regular consultations with India on various issues and I'm here to have consultations with my counterpart on most recent developments in the region as well as our bilateral relations." India and China are currently the largest importers of Iranian oil. Three of the eight countries who received the waivers -- including Greece, Italy, and Taiwan -- have already reduced their Iranian oil imports to zero. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Industry body FICCI on Monday urged the government to use the WTO mini-ministerial platform for creating alliances and consolidating support among member countries to revitalise the multilateral trading system. "It will help in effectively countering attempts by some countries to dilute the importance of multilateralism and weaken the World Trade Organisation (WTO)," said Sandip Somany, President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). "We at FICCI feel this is a much-needed step as WTO has been under severe stress in recent times amid rising trade tensions and questions are raised over the relevance of the institution." The WTO mini-ministerial is being held in the national capital on Monday and Tuesday. In a letter sent to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the chamber said that it would like the 'special and differential treatment' (S & DT) to continue at WTO for all developing and least developed members as its provisions are an integral part of multilateral trade rules. Due to wide diversity in development levels among WTO members, there is need for sufficient flexibilities. Just to cite one specific instance, India still has over 36 crore poor people, of which 7.3 crore are in extreme poverty. "So we just cannot wish away the continued need for S & DT provisions for developing economies like India," said Somany in the letter. Any dynamic institution needs to periodically undertake reforms. WTO disciplines and rulebook too need to be updated so that they stay relevant and are better-equipped to handle new and emerging trade issues of the 21st century, he said. At the same time, it is essential to preserve the prime position of WTO in the global trading system and it should be made stronger. "Reform or modernisation of the WTO should be approached in a balanced manner involving all sections of the WTO-membership and taking their interests as well as concerns into account," he said. The practice of decision-making by consensus should continue. While it may be useful to bring in select new issues on the agenda, it should not be done by replacing all the old issues which are long-standing and critical for developing countries. The reforms must not perpetuate or widen the asymmetries of existing agreements. In fact, the reforms should address the prevailing distortions, for example, in agriculture trade resulted from over-subsidisation by certain developed members, said Somany. He also pointed out the immediate need to resolve impasse in appellate body appointments. As regards the proposals favouring WTO talks on electronic commerce, it is necessary to first thoroughly appreciate the implications of fast-changing digital trade, free flow of data across borders, infrastructure localisation and many other such factors before discussing binding trade rules in this area. In view of the sharp digital divide (in terms of digital infrastructure and access to advanced digital technologies), binding rules on cross-border data transfers and localisation restrictions may limit the ability of the developing countries to gain from building their national digital technological capacity and skills. In the absence of clarity on the impact of such critical issues, it may be pre-mature to attempt rulemaking in e-commerce and thus we need to be extremely cautious in our approach in this area, said the FICCI president. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde said their 2-0 victory against Getafe in the ongoing La Liga on Sunday helped his side "get rid of the ghosts in our heads." Barcelona faced a defeat in the hands of Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final. Therefore, Valverde feels that this victory over Getafe was an 'essential' one. "For us, a victory was essential to get rid of the ghosts in our heads," Goal quoted Valverde, as saying. "Messi is making an effort to overcome the bad taste in his mouth. We all had high hopes to be in the Champions League final and we have to move forward," he added. Moreover, Valverde said his side will bounce back and their target, as of now, is Copa del Rey final. "Everyone will bounce back, although at the beginning it's hard. We have the Copa del Rey final in mind," he said. Although Barcelona was unable to proceed in the Champions League, they have already sealed the La Liga title and will compete with Eibar on May 19 in the final game of the league campaign. Also, they will face Valencia in the Copa del Rey final on May 25. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Van Heusen, India's premium formal wear brand for men and women from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited launched a new store in Bandra with gorgeous Bollywood actress Radhika Apte who is known for her distinct style. The upscale fashion store is located in the heart of the city at Linking Road. With the launch of the new store, Van Heusen now has 16 stores in Mumbai. "Van Heusen has over the last decade carved a niche for itself as a renowned fashion brand with a strong presence across leading cities and towns of India. Today, Van Heusen enjoys a high recall value and is perceived as a brand that provides power dressing to young professionals. We are happy to be at the forefront of the fashion revolution that is underway in one of the largest cities in India, Mumbai", said Abhay Bahugune, Chief Operating Officer, Van Heusen, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. "The launch of our new brand outlet at Linking Road takes our store count in the state to 27. We are delighted with the overwhelming response we have received and are confident of catering to the growing demand with the right offering", he added. The expansive store is spread across 2200 sq ft, offering an array of wardrobe options for both men and women ranging from corporate suits to fashion jackets, casual work-wear to club wear and the right accessories to complete the look. Each product reflects modern styles, along with cutting edge innovation in fabric and technology. Taking a fresh approach towards casual menswear and womenswear, the new store hosts of collections from Van Heusen's sub-brands including VDot and Van Heusen sport. The VDot range of clothes is bold and expressive in terms of styles and designs. The Van Heusen Sport line is constructed with knits, stretchable fabric and blends of linen, making the ensembles breathable and refreshing, and the preferred choice for both offices wear and beyond. The latest Innerwear, Athleisure and Loungewear for men and women are a collection of new and innovative products - bearing features for best-in-class comfort and fit. Each product which has been crafted with elevated fashion and new age fabric is designed to offer a differentiated range to the various consumer segments. As part of the celebrations, Van Heusen introduced an exciting offer for its first 100 customers who can avail a special discount of Rs 1000 on purchase of Rs 2500 worth merchandise. That's not all; the brand surprised some of its consumers with fun giveaways and rewards. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After West Bengal witnessed violence during the ongoing elections, "as many as 710 companies of central forces will be deployed in the state for the seventh phase," said Vivek Dubey, Special Police observer for West Bengal. For the penultimate phase which went to polls on May 12, 713 companies of Central forces were deployed to ensure peaceful voting in the state. Earlier, the Election Commission of India had removed Bankura District Magistrate Uma Shankar in the aftermath of violence marred polls. On Sunday, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was severely injured in a clash with Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers outside polling booth number 1 in Bankura. Bricks were hurled during the clash in which the victim suffered multiple injuries. Nine parliamentary constituencies including Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar will vote in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal on May 19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Acclaimed German film director Werner Herzog is all set to receive a lifetime achievement honour by the European Film Academy. The 76-year-old director, who has previously helmed films like 'Aguirre, Wrath of God,' 'Fitzcarraldo' and 'Grizzly Man' will receive the lifetime honour at the 32nd European Film Awards, reported The Hollywood Reporter. The award ceremony would be held on December 7 in Berlin. Herzog has written, directed and bankrolled more than 70 feature and documentary films. He has collected a number of awards, including a Berlinale Silver Bear for his 1968 debut 'Signs of Life,' the best director honour in Cannes for 'Fitzcarraldo' and an Oscar nomination for the 2007 documentary 'Encounters at the End of the World'. Surprisingly, the filmmaker has never won a European Film Award and has only been nominated once in 1999 for 'My Best Fiend,' a documentary based on long-time collaborator and German actor Klaus Kinski. Herzog recently released two documentaries, 'Meeting Gorbachev', on the former Soviet leader, and 'Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin'. His latest outing titled 'Family Romance, LLC' will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seasoned actor and former BJP leader Dharmendra said he would not have allowed his son Sunny Deol to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Gurudaspur, had he known that he is contesting against Congress MP Sunil Jakhar. "Balram Jakhar was like my brother, had I known his son Sunil Jakhar was contesting from Gurdaspur, I would have not allowed Sunny (to contest against him)," Dharmendra told media here. He went on to explain that since Sunny comes from the film industry, he cannot debate with an experienced politician like Jakhar. "He (Sunil) is also like my son I had a very strong and good relationship with his father Balram Jhakhar. Sunny cannot debate with him as he (Sunil) is an experienced politician and even his father was a very experienced politician, but we come from the film industry. Moreover, we are not here to debate but to listen to the plight of people as we love this land," said Dharmendra. The 83-year-old revealed that he got emotional when he saw people supporting his son during his first roadshow held after filing nomination papers for the Gurdaspur seat. "I was watching the roadshow from Mumbai and there was a big crowd. I got emotional. I know people love us but I was surprised by seeing so much love," he said. Sunil Jakhar is the incumbent parliamentarian from Gurdaspur. He won the seat in the 2017 bye-elections after the death of actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna. The constituency is a BJP stronghold and was first won by Khanna in 1998. Polling will be held in Gurdaspur on May 19 in the seventh and last phase of the elections. Results for all seven phases will be declared on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is quoting at Rs 265.8, down 2.33% on the day as on 13:19 IST on the NSE. The stock tumbled 17.2% in last one year as compared to a 4.08% rally in NIFTY and a 8.94% spurt in the Nifty Energy index. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd dropped for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 265.8, down 2.33% on the day as on 13:19 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is down around 0.28% on the day, quoting at 11247.75. The Sensex is at 37436.88, down 0.07%.Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd has added around 3.38% in last one month.Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is a constituent, has eased around 4.87% in last one month and is currently quoting at 15493.85, down 1.06% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 33.64 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 73.87 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark May futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 266.5, down 2.67% on the day. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd tumbled 17.2% in last one year as compared to a 4.08% rally in NIFTY and a 8.94% spurt in the Nifty Energy index. The PE of the stock is 8.63 based on TTM earnings ending December 18. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Malaysian police have detained four alleged extremists suspected of forming a cell linked to the Islamic State (IS) terror outfit and planning attacks on high-profile people and non-Muslim religious buildings, authorities said on Monday. Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador said the security forces were carrying out a search and capture operation to detain three other alleged terrorists, Efe news reported. The four suspects -- one Malaysian, one Indonesian and two Rohingyas from Myanmar -- were arrested during raids conducted between May 5 and May 7 in the Klang Valley and Terengganu. The IS cell was planning to kill four high-profile people and launch a series of attacks on non-Muslim religious buildings as well as leisure centres, Bador said in a press conference. The Malaysian suspect, 34, was the alleged brain behind the terror cell and had outlined the targets. During the operation, the authorities seized six home-made explosive devices and firearms with ammunition, among other things. The country's law enforcement authorities have arrested more than 300 suspects in recent years for alleged ties to the IS, while an estimated 100 Malaysians have fought in the ranks of the terror outfit in Syria and Iraq. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Kashmir Valley erupted in anger on Monday against the rape of a three-year-old minor, with 74 people injured in widespread clashes between the security forces and protesters. Markets and educational institutions were shut and most transport went off the roads as protests broke out in all 10 districts of the Valley with those taking to the streets seeking death for the young man, Tahir Ahmed Mir, who allegedly raped the girl in Bandipora on May 9. The incident occurred when Muslims were breaking their daily fast during the ongoing holy month of Ramadan. Forty-seven security personnel were injured in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district when stone pelting mobs went on the rampage. An official statement said an Assistant Commander of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) was hit on the head by a stone and he sustained a critical injury. The accused, Tahir Mir, has been arrested. A police statement said: "Miscreants pelted stones on security forces deployed on National Highway at Mirgund, Chainabal, Harthrath, Singhpora, Jheel bridge, Kripalpora Payeen and Hanjiwera areas of Baramulla, resulting in injuries to 47 security forces personnel including one Assistant Commandant of SSB 2nd Battalion who was hit on his head. "Utmost restraint was maintained by the forces on ground. However about seven miscreants got injured (and) are all stable." Clashes also occurred at a dozen other places between the security forces and stone throwing mobs during the day. In Badgam district, 20 youths were injured in clashes with the security forces. Students of Kashmir University, Central University and the Islamic University of Science and Technology boycotted classes and held protests. Members of the High Court Bar Association stayed away from courts to express solidarity with the victim. Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik sought exemplary punishment to the rapist, "Governor has expressed deep shock and pain over the extremely heinous incident of rape of a 3-year-old girl from Bandipora," a Raj Bhawan statement said. It said the Governor spoke to S.P. Pani, Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Kashmir, and directed him "to work swiftly in the case and ensure that the culprit gets exemplary punishment for this shameful act". The Governor asked religious leaders of different communities to deplore this gruesome incident and appealed to the people to remain calm and not let "anti-social elements disturb peace and harmony in the society". Former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, separatist leaders as well as a number of social, religious and political groups expressed shock over the incident. Mehbooba Mufti has said that the guilty of such a heinous crime should be stoned to death by invoking the Muslim Sharia laws. Preliminary medical examination of the Bandipora rape accused has proved that he was not a minor. "Doctors have said that the accused is around 20 years old," a police officer said. A controversy had arisen about the age of the accused after a private school issued a date of birth certificate that said the minor was born on July 23, 2009. Police suspected the genuineness of the certificate from the very beginning. They have lodged an FIR against the principal of the private school. Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been set up to fast-track the probe. --IANS sq/mr/soni (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After advocating people to follow the spirit of "996" (9 am to 9 pm, six days a week at workplace), Alibaba founder Jack Ma now has given another advice for an improved life: Follow the spirit of "669" (sex for six days, six times, with duration being the key). According to a report in Daily Mail, China's richest man gave this advice to the employees during Alibaba staff's group wedding in the country. "At work, we emphasize the spirit of '996'. In life, we should follow '669,'" Ma said. The 54-year-old Ma was speaking at his company's mass wedding which takes place every year on 'Ali Day' on May 10 at the company's headquarters in Hangzhou. The "996" work philosophy was criticised by the tech industry. The "669" philosophy has also created a social media storm, with many net users calling it lewd. "Who on earth would have the energy to do 669 at home after 996 during work?" quipped one user. The "669" quote was posted on Alibaba's official page on Weibo with a winking emoji. "Making a lewd joke in public and notoriously promoting it - are you being responsible to minors? Thumbs down this time," read another comment. --IANS na/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Of all the candidates in the fray from Bihar for the seventh and last phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, the main focus will be on four Union Ministers who are facing tough battles. The four Ministers are Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ram Kripal Yadav, Ashwani Choubey and R.K. Singh. Prasad, the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology and also a Supreme Court lawyer, is contesting from the Patna Sahib constituency which has been a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stronghold since over two decades. This is the first time that he is contesting the polls. Since 2012, he has been a BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar. BJP put Prasad in the fray after it denied a ticket to incumbent MP from Patna Sahib, Shatrughan Sinha who is now contesting from the seat for the Congress. Sinha quit the BJP and joined the Congress on April 6. Both Prasad and Sinha belong to the upper Kayasth caste, who are present in sizeable numbers in Patna Sahib. Prasad and the BJP have left no stone unturned for his victory. Party President Amit Shah on May 11 held a roadshow to seek votes for the Union Minister. Sinha, who is fondly known as 'Bihari Babu', also visited different localities and villages in the constituency despite the scorching heat. Even his wife, Poonam Sinha has campaigned for him in Patna. Congress President Rahul Gandhi will hold a roadshow on Thursday, urging voters to choose Sinha. Ram Kripal Yadav, the Minister of State for Rural Development, is contesting from the Pataliputra seat which is a big challenge for him as jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's elder daughter Misa Bharti is also in the fray. Misa Bharti, a Rajya Sabha MP, had contested unsuccessfully in the 2014 polls from the seat. She was defeated by Ram Kripal Yadav, who had quit the RJD and joined the BJP after being denied a ticket by Lalu Prasad in favour of his daughter. Ashwani Choubey, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, is contesting from the Buxar seat which he won in the 2014 general elections. He is pitted against the RJD's Jagdanand Singh. Choubey, who is known to be a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also a champion of Hindutva politics, is trying hard to seek votes to retain the seat. But except his own Brahmin castemen, other upper castes, especially the Rajputs, are not in his favour. R.K. Singh, a former IAS officer-turned-politician, is in the fray from the Arrah constituency, considered a Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) stronghold. A Rajput, the BJP candidate is in a direct fight with CPI-ML candidate Raju Yadav, supported by the RJD and the Grand Alliance in the state. With Raju in the fray, Singh has taken help from some tainted and criminal-turned-politicians belonging to the powerful Bhumihar upper caste, to woo voters. But the main problem is that ally Janata Dal-United leader Meena Singh has distanced herself from him. Elections will be held for the Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat, Jahanabad constituencies in the last phase on May 19. --IANS ik/ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Starting May 15, scholars can apply for the third edition of the Sahapedia-UNESCO Fellowship programme, a project that encourages fresh research on tangible and intangible heritage across India and South Asia. A statement by Sahapedia, an open online encyclopaedic resource on Indian arts and culture, said that interested candidates can apply for the fellowship programme from May 15 to June 30. The fellowship supports research in diverse fields of art, culture, tradition and heritage of India. Supported by the Union Culture Ministry, the fellowship will carry an amount of Rs 40,000 to be awarded to each fellow. As per Sahapedia, entries can be submitted in English, Hindi, Bangla, Tamil or Malayalam. "Post-doctoral scholars, doctoral candidates and post-graduates may apply. Applicants can choose categories pertaining to documentation, research or a combination of the two for their entries," the forum said. Fellowship details would be made available on https://www.sahapedia.org/ when the applications open on Wednesday. --IANS sj/arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man, who claimed to be a personal assistant to BJP's West Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh, was arrested along with an accomplice after Rs 1 crore of unaccounted money was seized from them in Asansol station on Monday, Railway Police sources said. The two were apprehended by the Railway Police along with a bag containing the cash as they were about to board a train to Kolkata. The Railway Police challenged Gautam Chattopadhyaya and Lakshmikant Shaw, who were seen moving suspiciously with a huge bag at the Asansol station. When searched, an amount of Rs one crore was found in the bag. The police arrested the two after they failed to account for the money. When queried by reporters, Chattopadhyaya said that the money belonged to the Bharatiya Janata Party and was being taken to Kolkata. The police said Chattopadhyaya claimed that he was a personal assistant to Dilip Ghosh, the chief of the BJP's state unit. Ghosh, however, said Chattopadhyaya was not his personal assistant, but a party worker with whom he had connections. "I am busy with the elections. He was with me and used to oversee works in my Kharagpur Assembly Constituency. Currently, he is not my personal assistant but I have connections with him as he is a party worker. I do not know the details of it. We need to examine whether it is a conspiracy," Ghosh said. Later, Chattopadhyaya and Shaw were presented before a lower court which remanded them in police custody for four days. The seizure has come only a couple of days after over Rs 1 lakh was seized from the car of Bharati Ghosh, a former IPS officer and the BJP candidate from the Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency. --IANS bdc/ssp/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Modi government did not scrap Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, because of "sensitive situation" in the state, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said. Senior BJP leader Gadkari, however, maintained that the party is committed to scrapping this special provision in the Constitution. In an interview to senior journalist Karan Thapar, he said Kashmir needed more industry and investment to create employment, but Article 370 came in the way of getting land. Asked if abrogation of Article 370 could break the link between Kashmir and other parts of India, Gadkari said the party has been committed to its scrapping but did not do so despite full majority in the Lok Sabha due to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. "Our party has been committed to abrogating Article 370 for long. But because of the sensitive situation there (J&K), we aren't doing it. We were in power with full majority this time, still we are not going to implement it. However, as far as the party's philosophy, policy and approach to it (Article 370) is concerned, we are firm on it," the minister said, according to the transcript of the interview. "Because of the sensitive situation, it's not appropriate to implement that. But as far as the party is concerned, for the past many days, it is there," he added. Article 370 grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir and the BJP has been for long promising to abrogate it. Answering another query on Article 370 and annulling of Article 35A, which grants special privileges and rights to the "permanent residents" of the state, Gadkari said: "We need more hotels, restaurants, resorts. We need to increase tourism. But because of Article 370, no one can purchase land there. IT firms can't establish their companies there. And that's the reason people are not getting employment." When pointed out that land can be acquired from the state government on lease for 100 years, he said that no big hotel companies like the Taj or the Oberoi were in a position to start a hotel in Kashmir. "They don't want to expand now. I have held discussions with them. Because there are a lot of legal problems due to this law, they can't construct there, cannot expand. That is the problem," said Gadkari, who holds the portfolios of Roads and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources. Asked if the situation in Kashmir had deteriorated sharply under the Modi government, Gadkari said, "It is not because of the people of Kashmir. It's because of Pakistan. "Again, I want to repeat the same thing. After three wars with us, Pakistan has realised that they can't win against India like that. So they have resorted to proxy war, by supporting terrorists and terrorist organisations, and they are creating problems. Some of the incidents in Kashmir are happening because people of Pakistani origin are coming to Kashmir and creating problem. It is a proxy war." He said there's a section of people supported by terrorists from Pakistan and the Pakistani government who want to create trouble. "And when we fight them, they take shelter behind the Kashmiri people, making it look like a war between Kashmiri people and Indian forces," he said. Gadkari further said that economic progress of Kashmir was on the party's agenda. "Actually, in my own department, we have started work worth Rs 40,000 crore in Kashmir. We are building roads, tunnels. The government has taken many decisions to support Kashmiris," he said. --IANS ps-rak/akk/arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Monday moved the Election Commission seeking a 5-day ban on renowned actor and MNM President Kamal Haasan for describing Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as the first Hindu terrorist in independent India. The complaint has been filed by BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay, saying the statement was intended to outrage religious feelings of millions of Hindus. Haasan was speaking at an election rally for his party candidate in Aravakurichi Assembly constituency where by-elections will be held on May 19. Haasan according to the complaint, said: "The first terrorist post India's independence is a Hindu." Establishing the comment as a corrupt practice, the complaint said: "It is necessary to state that the statement was made deliberately in the presence of a Muslim majority crowd for electoral gain, which is clearly a corrupt practice under Section 123 (3) the Representation of the People Act 1951." Upadhyay said the speech at a political rally has also breached the Model Code of Conduct as no one can appeal to caste or communal feelings to secure votes. The complaint claimed that the statement was a deliberate and malicious act, and prejudiced the maintenance of "harmony and brotherhooda between communities, which is punishable under Section 153A of the IPC". The compliant urged the poll panel to invoke Article 324 of the Constitution and "restrict Haasan from campaigning for at least five days, lodge a FIR against him under respective sections of IPC and take steps to de-register his political party". According to media reports, Kamal Haasan clarified that his statement did not focus on the dominant Muslim electorate in the constituency. "I am not saying this because many Muslims are here. I'm saying this in front of Gandhi's statue. The first terrorist post India's independence is a Hindu. His name is Nathuram Godse." --IANS ss/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taking a jibe at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over cancellation of one of his rallies in the state, BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday said the state's voters have decided to send more than 23 BJP MPs to the Lok Sabha irrespective of whether the state government allows them to hold meetings. Shah also dared Banerjee to arrest him for chanting "Jai Shri Ram", a week after three persons were arrested in the West Midnapore district for allegedly chanting the slogan while her convoy was passing through the area. "I am supposed to go to three places today (Monday). I have come here at Joynagar and the permission for (my) second rally has been cancelled because Mamata didi fears that her nephew would lose his reign if the BJP workers get united. "People have already decided to defeat Trinammol Congress in the Lok Sabha elections, irrespective of whether you allow us to talk or hold meetings, or deny us to talk or organise rallies," he said addressing a public meeting here. The people of Bengal have made up their mind to "give more than 23 Lok Sabha seats to the BJP", he said. Shah's scheduled rally in Baruipur on Monday was cancelled as the state government allegedly denied permission to it. "Mamata didi often says Jai Shri Ram cannot be chanted. I am chanting Jai Shri Ram from this stage in the Joynagar constituency and going to Kolkata from here. If you have courage, arrest me," Shah said. A video circulated on social media on May 4 showed the Chief Minister stepping out off her vehicle in a bid to confront a group of people chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' on her way to a public rally in Ghatal. On seeing Banerjee's convoy stop, the people started fleeing, but she dared them to come back and alleged some of them were using abusive language against her. Subsequently, three persons were arrested from the area. IANS has not verified the contents of the video. On Monday, Shah also accused Banerjee of depriving Bengal's people of the benefits of Central welfare schemes rolled out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Mamata didi is afraid of losing her popularity to Modi. That is why she is not allowing implementation of Central welfare schemes," he said, urging voters to oust the Banerjee government. The BJP chief also alleged that people were earlier forced to pay "tax to syndicates", but now they have been compelled to pay "tax to her (Banerjee's) nephew." In an apparent reference to Banerjee's nephew and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, Shah said Central funds, so far being looted by the "syndicates" in Bengal, were now going directly into the pocket of "the nephew". In Joynagar, Shah met party's "valiant foot soldier" Shribas Gayen who was allegedly brutally injured by Trinamool goons. "I salute him and every karyakarta of @BJP4Bengal who is working hard to uproot TMC's goondaraj. Mamata Didi your violence cannot stop BJP from bringing back the lost glory of Bengal," Shah wrote in his Twitter handle. Speaking at a rally in Barasat constituency that shares border with Bangladesh, Shah reiterated that once re-elected, the Narendra Modi government will bring in the citizenship Amendment Bill to ensure the citizenship rights for all the refugees in the country and to identify infiltrators. In a scathing attack on Banerjee, Shah said her government has ruined the state economically and culturally, and vowed to build a 'Sonar Bangla' (Golden Bengal) if the safforn party is voted to power. --IANS bdc/ssp/prs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Monday said it would raise tariffs on $60 billion of US goods from June 1, a tit-for-tat response to Washington increasing levies on Chinese products last week. China's Ministry of Finance said the additional tariffs will range from 5 per cent to 25 per cent on 5,140 products. "On May 9, 2019, the US government announced that since May 10, 2019, tariffs on the $200 billion lists of goods imported from China have increased from 10 per cent to 25 per cent," a statement by the Ministry said in Chinese. "The above measures by the US have led to an escalation of the Sino-US economic and trade frictions, contrary to the consensus between China and the US on resolving trade differences through consultations, jeopardising the interests of both sides and not meeting the general expectations of the international community. "The State Council Tariff Commission decided that on June 1, 2019, the part originating in the US imported goods will increase the tariff rate," it said. This was much expected after the US on Friday activated a raise of 25 per cent in tariffs on the Chinese goods worth $200 billion, a move that escalated over a 10-month trade war. Beijing's retaliatory move came shortly after US President Donald Trump warned it against jacking up taxes on US goods. "China should not retaliate -- will only get worse!" Trump posted on Twitter. He said Beijing would be "hurt very badly" if the country did not make a deal with Washington and accused it of "taking advantage of the US for so many years". The US President suggested that manufacturers who make goods in China could shift production to other countries to avoid the tariffs. "I say openly to President Xi (Jinping) and all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you don't make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries. Too expensive to buy in China. You had a great deal, almost completed and you backed out!" he tweeted. "Many tariffed companies will be leaving China for Vietnam and other such countries in Asia." He also claimed the trade war would not have a significant impact on the US trade. "We are right where we want to be with China. Remember, they broke the deal with us and tried to renegotiate. We will be taking in tens of billions of dollars in tariffs from China. Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-tariffed countries." Trump's top economic adviser Larry Kudlow, however, said "both sides will suffer" from the trade dispute. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Kudlow said it was American businesses that paid the tariffs on any goods brought in from China and that US consumers would also foot the bill if firms passed on the cost increase. The two largest economies have slapped tariffs on goods worth $350 billion since July last year. The two sides met for the 11th time last week in Washington, only to leave with no deal. Trump's surprise decision to crank up levies on Chinese goods has dealt a blow the progress in trade talks made in the past. --IANS gsh-soni/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Monday strongly condemned the terror attack at a five-star hotel in Pakistan's port city Gwadar, which is being developed by the Chinese. Three gunmen stormed the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar on Saturday, killing four hotel workers and one Navy official. They were later shot dead by the security forces. The hotel in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province is popular among the Chinese developing the port city under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). "China strongly condemns the terrorist attack. We offer our condolences to Pakistan personnel who sacrificed their lives and our sympathy to the family of the victims," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, adding that there were no Chinese casualties. "The Pakistani security forces took swift measures to take on the terrorist forces and protect the regional security and stability. "China appreciates their efforts and will continue to support Pakistan in counterterrorism efforts and we believe the Pakistani government and security forces have the ability to maintain national security and stability. "We noticed Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan condemnation of the attack. He called it an attempt to sabotage the economic projects in Pakistan. He also said that Pakistan should not allow this agenda to succeed. We consistently support Pakistan's development and will continue to offer our support for the country's development," Geng added. The CPEC is the artery of China's Belt and Road connectivity project. It links China's Kashgar in troubled Xinjiang with Gwadar port in restive Balochistan. The multi-billion dollar project has run into controversies because of route and financial implications. The locals in Balochistan say the project has displaced many people and has little to offer them. Chinese nationals working on the project have often been targeted, a scenario that worries Beijing. Besides, India also opposes the CPEC as it passes through the disputed part of Kashmir held by Pakistan. --IANS gsh/soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It was a close shave for actor-turned politician Sunny Deol on Monday, when one of the tyres of the sport utility vehicle he was travelling in burst on the Amritsar-Gurdaspur national highway, police said. At least four vehicles in Deol's convoy rammed into each other, though no one was injured. The actor was on his way for a roadshow. He, subsequently, left the spot in another vehicle. Deol, 62, is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Akali Dal alliance candidate from Gurdaspur, the seat represented four times by yesteryear actor Vinod Khanna, who passed away due to cancer in April 2017. --IANS vg/rtp/bc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked the Congress saying that the party had a problem saying "Bharat Mata ki jai" but found pleasure in abusing him. He said that the country will now decide whether it would be run by "desh bhakti" (patriotism) or by "gaali bhakti" (abuse). Modi was addressing a rally here for the BJP candidate from Ratlam. "Bofors scam, submarine scam, helicopter scam, 2G scam all took place during Congress rule, but if you question them about these, you are told "hua toh hua (so what)," he said making a snide reference to Congress leader Sam Pitroda's remark on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Last week replying to a question on the 1984 genocide, in which 3,000 Sikhs were killed, Pitroda said, "Hua to hua. Hua to kya hua. It happens, so what." The Prime Minister accused the past Congress regimes of playing with the lives of Indian soldiers saying that they lost their lives in Naxal attacks for want of bulletproof jackets. "But if you question them about these, you are told hua toh hua (so what)," he said. According to Modi: "Bomb blasts, by people with links across the border, were the routine in the country once. It was the wrong policies of the past Congress governments that created the term 'Hindu terror'. The Congress conspired to tarnish the great Hindu tradition and save the real culprits, who continued to spill the blood of innocents." Modi also hit out at Congress candidate from Bhopal Digvijaya Singh for not casting his vote in the Rajgarh parliamentary constituency on Sunday, saying that the Congress leader had set an unhealthy precedent for young voters. "The country is electing its representatives, even I went to Ahmedabad to cast my vote. The President and the Vice-President of the country were standing in queues to cast their votes. But 'Diggi Raja' didn't feel the need to cast his vote. What message are you giving to the young generation, Diggi Raja? You are committing a sin. A big sin," he said. --IANS hindi/rtp/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Monday voiced strong opposition to the granting of permission to companies like Vedanta and the ONGC to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for drilling hydro-carbon wells in Tamil Nadu. In a statement issued here, R.Mutharasan, Secretary of the Tamil Nadu unit of the CPI, said at a time when the demand is to declare the Cauvery delta region an agricultural zone, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government continues to support multinational companies on hydro-carbon exploration. Mutharasan condemned the Centre's permission to drill hydro-carbon wells in Nagapattinam, Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu) and Karaikal (Puducherry). He also questioned Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami's silence on the development. Main opposition party DMK, PMK (part of the ruling AIADMK-led alliance) and others have opposed the project. --IANS vj/ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the national capital on Sunday witnessed a less voter turnout by about five per cent than in 2014, Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party, Congress and BJP blamed the heat and high temperature for the low voter percentage. While the BJP and Congress are confident that their voters have stepped out to vote, the AAP says the turnout may impact its vote share. BJP's Harish Khurana said his party is winning all the seats. "The temperature was too high. So the percentage was low... Our dedicated voters stepped out and voted for us. It will benefit the BJP as our cadre has," he said. On all the seven seats in Delhi, which went to the polls on Sunday, there is a triangular contest among Congress, AAP and BJP. A Congress leader said the Congress voters have stepped out to vote. "The BJP voters stayed back because they were angry with the party. Our voters stepped out and voted," the leader said. In 2014, when the city went to the polls on April 12, the maximum temperature was 35.6 degrees Celsius. On Sunday the maximum temperature was 38 degrees Celsius. On Sunday, the voter turnout was 60 per cent, while that in 2014 was 65 per cent. While AAP leader Gopal Rai blamed heat for the low turnout, party's spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said the temperature was almost the same as the last year. "This is a time when people go to home for a break. This was a major reason that the turnout was low. Ramzan was also a reason," Rai said. Rai said that with people going homes, "the voters of AAP as well as other parties will be impacted". "Another major reason was deletion of voters' names. This too discourage the voters," Bhardwaj said. He said that among those deleted, "most were from the areas where AAP has its vote share". --IANS nks/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Monday said that the title 'Divider in-chief given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Times magazine was right and feels that the publisher was in fact kind to him. Talking to IANS, Kamal Nath said: "What did Modi not divide? He has divided the RBI (Reserve Bank of India), CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India), Judiciary and the Election Commission. "The title given to him by the Time magazine is absolutely correct. I say they were in fact very kind to Modi." Modi, without naming Kamal Nath, had attacked him for the anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. To this, the Chief Minister replied: "In the last 34 years, no one accused me, nobody filed an FIR. None of the commissions called me guilty. But the Prime Minister is now accusing me. This is the limit." Kamal Nath, the Congress face from Chhindwara Assembly seat, has been active in for more than four decades. He is bitterly opposed to the language the Prime Minister uses about his rivals. "Such language has not been used in any democracy in the world." Asked why Pakistan, Rajiv Gandhi and personal issues were raised during election campaign, he said: "Elections should be fought on the topic on development. The ruling party has no answer to questions raised over the promises they made in the last elections. That is why they are using Rajiv Gandhi's name, national security and nationalism to seek votes. They called (Congress President) Rahul Gandhi a foreigner. The BJP knows how to divert the topic." The Congress in its manifesto has promised NYAY scheme under which poor families will given Rs 72,000 annually, Rs 6,000 monthly and Rs 360,000 in five years. "The scheme will prove very beneficial for the country. It will be a new beginning... The scheme does not just give money to poor families but it will inject money into the economy," Kamal Nath said. Kamal Nath, elected nine times for the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat, became the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh in December and got just 75 days before the model code of conduct came into force on March 10 ahead of the ongoing parliamentary elections. "When I got the post, the state held the first position when it came to farmer suicides, rape, unemployment, corruption and crime. The BJP handed over the state in such a condition. We had to first axe the farmers' debt. Debts of 21 lakh farmers have been waived off." Recently, the Income Tax department raided several place in the state in which it recovered crores of rupees. Those involved in the case were dubbed close to Kamal Nath. Kamal Nath said: "Who are these people whom the BJP is calling my close aides? I don't even know them. Some of them have accepted that they belong to the BJP." --IANS hindi-pg/mr/am (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As part of its efforts to re-establish Doordarshan as "the channel of India" and to help viewers savour the nostalgia of its famous shows and serials, the national broadcaster on Monday launched its souvenir store on an e-commerce portal Amazon India. "Doordarshan has always been the 'home' for Indian television viewers. With modest beginnings in Delhi on September 15, 1959, Doordarshan continues to be the channel for and of the citizens of India," an official release said. It said that shows such as Hum Log, Buniyaad, Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, Malgudi Days, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Chitrahaar and Rangoli, were not only impressive but also served as inspiration to the young and old generation in the 80s and early 90s. In order to provide viewers an experience of brand Doordarshan in their hands and to relive the nostalgia, it was felt that an outlet should be provided which will make the relationship stronger with its viewers and citizens, the release said. The DD Souvenir Gallery was launched on June 21, 2018, at the Doordarshan Bhawan in the national capital. "To make it further approachable and accessible, Doordarshan's souvenir store is being launched on the Amazon India," the relase said, adding that it is the first broadcaster whose souvenirs are available online. The current line of merchandise, including T-shirts, coffee mugs and sippers have the tagline: "I am in your DNA, I am your Doordarshan". --IANS ps/vin (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Election Commission on Monday ordered repoll in the Asaoti and Prithla Assembly segments of Faridabad after receiving complaints of violation of secrecy of voting. The repoll will take place on May 19. An FIR was lodged against the polling agent Giriraj Singh, the EC said in a statement. Presiding Officer Amit Atri has been placed under suspension for dereliction of duty and criminal action is also being initiated against him. Micro-observer Sonal Gulati had not reported the incident correctly for which the poll panel has barred her from any election-related work for the next three years. Taking serious note of failure to take immediate action, the Returning Officer has also been transferred out from the present posting and the EC has directed the state government to send a panel of three suitable officers immediately as replacements. --IANS spk/kr/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An expelled All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) municipal corporator, Syed Mateen Sayed Rasheed, has been booked in a second rape case within four months, officials said on Monday. Mateen, 33, is currently in jail for a previous rape offence registered by Aurangabad City Chowk Police station in January, after a woman accused him of sexual assault on the pretext of getting her a job. He was arrested a month ago. Now, however, the Chakan Police, Pune, have lodged another rape case - allegedly committed at gun-point - against the controversial city father following a fresh complaint. "Yes, in view of these developments, the party had expelled him in December itself. We have no connection with him in any manner. Besides him, AIMIM has another 25 corporators in the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC)," an AIMIM spokesperson told IANS. In the second instance, the victim complained that she was a resident of Chakan and accused Mateen of raping her repeatedly between November 2018 and February 2019, at his home and other locations including a hotel and an amusement park. She has also charged Mateen with forcibly taking her signatures on some blank papers and named some of his other relatives who she alleged had also molested her. Mateen had been seen campaigning for some rival candidates in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections when he targeted the AIMIM"s nominee, legislator Imtiyaz Jaleel. Known for a series of controversies which embarrassed the AIMIM in the past three years, in August 2018, Mateen caused an uproar when he opposed a motion of tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the AMC general body meeting. Furious over his objections, angry Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena members had assaulted him as AIMIM members watched silently. That same month, he had resisted efforts to sing the Vande Mataram in the AMC though the AIMIM members rose to pay respects during the rendition of Vande Mataram for which the party faced fresh flak. --IANS qn/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A massive fire broke out on Monday at the British-era Grand Hotel here, reducing a portion to ashes. However, no casualties were reported, police said. The hotel's newly-renovated Mayo Block was completely destroyed in the fire. Since the building was under renovation, there was no guest at the time of the incident. Shimla Deputy Commissioner Rajeshwar Goel told IANS that nearby buildings were safe and the fire was brought under control. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The building, located in the vicinity of famous Kali Bari temple, close to Scandal Point, was constructed in British times. --IANS vg/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Employment, healthcare facilities and drinking water were the top priorities for the Indian voters, but the government's performance on these fronts was "below average", according to a survey by the Association of Democratic Alliance (ADR). The ADR said that it was a matter of "serious concern" that in none of the 31 listed voters' priorities, the performance of the government was rated "average" or "above average". For the voters, employment and basic amenities were above all the governance issues such as terrorism and strong military, revealed the survey conducted by the non-profit organisation which interviewed 2,73,487 voters spread across 534 Lok Sabha constituencies during October-December 2018. As per the survey, better employment opportunities (46.80 per cent), better healthcare (34.60 per cent) and drinking water (30.50 per cent) were the top three voters' priorities at the all-India level, followed by better roads (28.34 per cent) and improved public transport (27.35 per cent). The significance of better employment opportunities as the voters' highest priority increased from 30 per cent in 2017 to 47 per cent in 2018. Similarly, the significance of better healthcare facilities increased from 25 per cent in 2017 to 35 per cent in 2018 and in case of drinking water, it increased from 12 per cent to 30 per cent. Farm related issues also featured among the voters' top concerns as availability of water for agriculture (26.40 per cent) ranked sixth among their priorities, followed by agriculture loan availability (25.62 per cent), higher price realisation for farm products (25.42 per cent) and agriculture subsidy for seeds and fertilisers (25.06 per cent). Better law and order and policing figured at the 10th place. The worst performance of the government was in the issues of encroachment of public lands and lakes, terrorism, training for jobs, strong defence and military, eradication of corruption, lower food prices for consumers and mining and quarrying. In 29 of the 32 states and Union Territories, voters have given "below average" ratings to the government for its performance in all the top three voters' priorities at the state level, with the exception of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Puducherry. Out of all the eight Empowered Action Group (EAG) states, which are considered most socio-economically backward, in seven states (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh), better employment opportunities was the foremost voters' priority. Drinking water was the top most voters' priority in Odisha, Karnataka and Daman and Diu. --IANS spk/arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Days after widespread complaints, state PSU Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd management on Monday admitted that the 50 kg bags of 'Sardar DAP' (diammonium phosphate) it sold to farmers were found to be lighter, but it claimed that the loss of weight was essentially because of moisture. The company, which suspended sales of the fertiliser bags on Friday after the Opposition Congress started conducting 'janata raids' following widespread complaints from across the state, said it would now begin sales of its fertilizer only after replacing all the bags at its 284 depots and even consider compensating the farmers. "I would wish to begin sales from today itself, but it is not possible to replace all bags. It will take at least a week for us to weigh all the bags or replace them," said GSFC managing director Sujit Gulati. "We are committed and if a farmer brings back the bag unopened, we would replace it with a new bag after weighing it before him," he said. Gujarat Chief Secretary J.N. Singh, who is also the chairman of Gujarat State Fertilizers and Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers, had already ordered an investigation and also suspension of fertilizer sales from depots of both the companies on Saturday and Sunday. The suspension was extended on Monday too. "We now hope to begin sales of fertilizers from depots in a day or two," said Additional Chief Secretary for Agriculture Sanjay Prasad. Gulati said besides loss of weight due to moisture, there could be mechanical and human errors while filling fertilisers in the plant. "I have ordered another investigation by an expert to identify the exact source or reason for the problem," he said. The GSFC MD added that a farmer who found the 50 kg bags lighter by 300 grams would have potentially lost Rs 14 rupees a bag, taking the total loss at Rs 16 lakh. "Only about 10 per cent of the total 80,000 metric tons produced has been sent out of Sikka unit where we manufacture DAP fertilizer," he said. "We would now fill an additional 100 grams to 120 grams over and above 50 kg so that such an issue of lower weight does not arise in future," Gulati said. He said the company had about 32 lines to package the fertilizer at Sikka plant, which churns out 12-14 bags every minute. Asked about allegations that the under-weight bags were being sold for over the last five years, Gulati said they had not received any complaint so far. "We could not imagine in the wildest of dreams that we would face issue of weight of bags being lower! It came as a surprise to us," he said. --IANS desai/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British writer-producer David Farr still has faith in Shekhar Kapur and his dream to create "Paani". He says the script for the ambitious project exists, and he hopes to see the Oscar-nominated filmmaker bring its world alive on the screen some day. Kapur announced the movie with much fanfare at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. Based on a book by Maude Barlow and scripted by Farr along with Kapur, it was reported that the movie will tell a dark tale about the looming water crisis, showing how the water shortage will affect relationships between individuals, cities, states and nations. But the film itself got submerged... err, shelved. "I have met Shekhar many a times. He is a wonderful man. I would absolutely love to work with him again," Farr told IANS in an interview over phone from New York. "I am a great fan of his movies. We were going to make this movie ('Paani'). He and I worked on wonderful project, which I still hope he will make," he added. "Paani" had to go on floors in mid-2013 with Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead role. But nothing has been announced on that front. Farr feels the ball is in Kapur's court now. "It is in his court now. The script exists. I haven't spoken to him in a while and I adore him. He is truly a wonderful filmmaker," he said. Apart from "Paani", Farr is known for adding his creative vision to series "The Night Manager", 2011 film "Hanna" and Amazon Prime Video series "Hanna". Based on Joe Wright's acclaimed 2011 film, the eight-episode series "Hanna" was written by Farr, who co-wrote the original feature film. With a cast led by Esme Creed-Miles, Mireille Enos, and Joel Kinnaman, "Hanna" narrates story of a young girl named Hanna, who has lived in a forest and has gained extraordinary physical abilities. It is about her experience with the modern reality. The show explores the dynamics of a father-daughter bond, emotional issues of a family and also highlights the dilemma of how teenagers grow in the modern world and do they ever fit in. The creator says re-imagining the world of the teenage assassin story was fun. "When I read the screenplay, I thought it was a very different version of the film and I loved it. There was a big back story around Hanna, like why did her father bring her up in a forest and what was really going on in the past and why he is not telling her the whole truth. "We never got there in the film. So, I decided that it was a really great option now to tell that in a very different way. We are not trying to copy the film in anyway. It is a very different version which would focus on a political conspiracy thriller and also a coming of age emotional story of a woman who leaves the forest and suddenly comes to the world and deals with its complexities." Farr, who also serves as executive producer of the series, is on board to write the second season as well. It will debut in 2020. "The whole thing has been conceived in a lovely way. 'Hanna' is a journey beginning when she was in the woods to the world, trying to find her place in it. And that is a long journey." (Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in) --IANS sug/rb/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Shahid Kapoor says he is hopeful that his forthcoming film "Kabir Singh" will get a U/A certificate from the Censor Board. Shahid, Kiara Advani and the makers of the film launched the trailer of "Kabir Singh", a remake of the 2017 Telugu film "Arjun Reddy". The film is laced with foul language and shows alcohol and drug abuse. The film is yet to be certified by the Central Board of Film Certification. Shahid said: "We are hoping to get a U/A certificate. We don't know whether we will get it or not. There is only belief that there is no reason for us not to get the U/A certificate. It is important that today we are able to tell stories honestly without sugar coating. "I think audiences are mature enough to understand that and censors should give into that. There is nothing in the film which is off-putting. It is an honest depiction and it should be allowed to showcase itself." The film was earlier clashing with Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao's "Mental Hai Kya" on June 21, but later the latter film's producer Ekta Kapoor shifted the date to July 26. As a result, "Kabir Singh" will have a solo release. Shahid has wished Kangana and Rajkummar good luck with their film. "We announced the release date of the film a year back, and we are very clear that we are coming on this date. We are happy that we had a solo release. "Now, of course, there was announcement that they (Ekta Kapoor) chose to shift the dates themselves. I wish them all the best. Rajkummar Rao and Kangana Ranaut are fantastic actors and we're happy that we have a solo release right now." "Kabir Singh" is written and directed by Sandeep Vanga and is jointly produced by Cine1 Studios and T-Series. --IANS iv/rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's crude import bill will grow fatter despite numerous measures by successive governments to reduce its dependence on crude. A Moody's report on Monday said that "India's oil and gas consumption will support its investments in refining capacity and upstream production, but crude imports will keep growing amid stagnant production". India imports nearly 80 per cent of its oil requirement which makes is highly dependent to imported oil and hence susceptible to wild fluctuations in the international oil market. The governments push towards electric vehicles to reduce dependence on imported oil was also not seen to bearing fruit in the near term. Moody's said: "Even though the government is encouraging faster adoption and manufacturing of electric vehicles, the response has not been great because of a lack of high-quality, affordable vehicles and the evolving charging infrastructure". Besides, the government pressure for shareholder returns will "temper National Oil Company's (NOC) credit quality", Moody's flagged. --IANS ravi/sn/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid growing tensions between the US and Iran, the Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif will pay a visit here and hold talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tomorrow. The discussions between Swaraj and Zarif are expected to focus on the bilateral relations as well as the deteriorating ties between Iran and the US, which recently ended a waiver on export of oil from the Persian nation to India and some other countries. The US last month announced that it would not extend the exemptions granted in November last year to India and seven other countries for importing oil from Iran for a period of 180 days, which expired on May 2. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, while making the announcement on April 22, warned that any nation or entity "interacting with Iran should do its diligence and err on the side of caution. The risks are simply not going to be worth the benefits." Lately, the tensions in the Persian Gulf have also been increasing after the US said that Iran was preparing some kind of an attack and has dispatched Naval warships, including an aircraft carrier, along with B-52 bombers, to the region. Iran has vowed to retaliate if it is attacked. With the aim of stepping up pressure on Iran, the Trump administration on May 8 imposed sanctions on Iran's iron, steel, aluminum and copper sectors, in addition to those applied on several sectors last year, including banking and oil. US President Donald Trump has also abandoned the nuclear pact with Iran despite other signatories expressing their commitment to it and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) certifying on 14 occasions that Iran was continuing to comply with its commitments under the agreement. On May 8, exactly a year after the US withdrew from the agreement, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that the country was reducing its own commitments under the agreement, signed in Vienna in 2015 in order to prevent the country from building nuclear weapons. Rouhani also gave a 60-day deadline to the pact's remaining signatories to fulfill Iran's demands and save the country's banking system and oil trade from international sanctions. Significantly, Pompeo on Monday made an unscheduled visit to Brussels to hold talks with European Union officials on Iran. Pompeo, who had been scheduled to head to Russia, landed in Brussels to discuss pressing issues with EU diplomats, said a US State Department official. UK Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt spoke in Brussels of the dangers of an accidentally-triggered conflict between the US and Iran over the unraveling of the 2015 nuclear pact signed by Iran, Russia, China, the EU, the UK, France, Germany and the US. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended," Hunt said it was important not to push Iran back towards re-nuclearization. The EU has taken a number of measures to counter the sanctions imposed by the US last year to isolate Iran economically. On Monday, a joint statement issued by the High Representative of the European Union and the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the UK said, "we regret the re-imposition of sanctions by the United States following their withdrawal from the JCPoA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). We are determined to continue pursuing efforts to enable the continuation of legitimate trade with Iran, including through the operationalisation of the special purpose vehicle "INSTEX". --IANS akk/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao may not be averse to extending support to Congress-led government at the Centre, sources said. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief is believed to have conveyed this to DMK leader M.K. Stalin during the meeting with the latter in Chennai on Monday. While Rao called on Stalin to drum up support for proposed Federal Front for formation of a non-BJP and non-Congress government at the Centre, the DMK leader suggested that TRS should extend support to Congress-led coalition to prevent BJP from coming to power. Sources said KCR told Stalin that if Congress emerges as the single largest or second largest party in Lok Sabha, he may not be averse to extending support to it. He recalled that TRS was earlier a constituent of United Progress Alliance (UPA) led by Congress. KCR's meeting with Stalin came a week after the TRS chief called on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram to discuss federal front. Karanata Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's telephonic conversation with KCR last week also came amid stepped up efforts by the TRS chief to give a shape to an alliance of regional parties. The series of meetings with leaders from south also sparked the buzz that KCR is trying to push for a leader from the south as the prime ministerial candidate. Despite fact that DMK is an ally of Congress and Stalin on more than one occasion proposed Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister candidate, KCR's meeting with him threw hints that he is ready to bury the hatchet and work with Congress. The Congress is KCR's main adversary in Telangana and since last month 11 out of 19 MLAs of Congress have defected to TRS. KCR, who was part of Manmohan Singh cabinet in UPA-I, had cordial relations with Congress leadership. In fact, one of the reasons for Congress granting statehood to Telangana was its calculation that TRS will merge with it. However, after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, KCR decided to keep TRS as a political entity, evoking sharp reaction from Congress, which accused him of betrayal. In this context, the meetings with Stalin and telephonic talk with Kumaraswamy are being seen as attempts by KCR to build the bridges with Congress. It has been a year since KCR floated the idea of Federal Front as an alternative to both BJP and Congress to bring a qualitative change in the national The agenda he tried to project was the cooperative federalism. He wants the Centre to allow states to grow in true spirit of the federal structure enshrined in the Constitution. Sources said KCR may be trying to bring southern states on a common platform to demand the Centre to fully implement cooperative federalism by devolving more powers and funds to the states. The TRS chief remained confident that once the poll results were announced, it would not take much time for Federal Front to take shape. His son and TRS working president K. T. Rama Rao recalled that even UPA had come into existence only after 2004 polls. The TRS leaders believe that both NDA and UPA will fall short of majority by huge numbers. They predicted 150-160 seats for BJP-led NDA and 100-110 seats for Congress-led UPA. They are of the view that Federal Front will give a platform to the parties where they can root for their respective states and the rights of the states in more federalistic setup. TRS is counting on the support from YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which is likely to win 20-22 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh. TRS leaders believe that this along with their 17 (including one seat of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) will give the Telugu states a good bargaining power. The southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka together have 129 Lok Sabha seats. TRS leaders expect that if non-BJP non-Congress parties win 150-170 seats, they will be in a position to decide who the next prime minister should be. --IANS ms/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rashtriya Janata Party (RJD) President Lalu Prasad on Monday accused Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar of looking for shortcuts, making compromises and betraying the people of the state. He also attacked the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), saying its election symbol 'arrow' represented violence whereas the RJD's symbol 'lantern' removes darkness. Lalu Prasad's letter to the Chief Minister was uploaded on social media. It read: "My younger brother Nitish, it seems you have started hating light... Are you aware that lantern is synonymous with light? It is a symbol of love and brotherhood... But your 'arrow' is a symbol of violence." Lalu Prasad slammed Kumar and his party, saying that they were unaware of the ideological and theoretical principles required to fight hatred. He said: "It is your old habit to look for shortcuts and make compromises." In a reply to the RJD leader's letter, the JD-U wrote a letter to him saying "arrow is a tool used remove corruption". JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said: "Why are you trying to restrict Bihar to the era of lanterns? Bihar has moved way ahead. Lanterns is identified in Bihar for corruption, acquiring illegal property and 'jungleraj'. Arrow has been used against corruption, miscreants." --IANS hindi-pg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government on Monday dismissed a news report that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had cancelled the registration of Infosys Foundation for violating Foreign Contribution (regulation) Act (FCRA) norms. Ministry sources said, "The licence was cancelled at the request of Infosys, and not for any violation." A news agency on Monday had carried a report that the MHA had cancelled the registration of Bengaluru-based NGO Infosys Foundation for alleged violation of norms in receiving foreign grants. Sources said the news was completely false and that the MHA had not cancelled its registration for any violation. On its part, Infosys Foundation clarified that it has not violated any FCRA norm and that it was de-registered from the FCRA following its own request to the Ministry. "The Foundation was registered under the FCRA Act in January 2016. In May 2016, the government amended the FCRA Act in the Finance Bill with retrospective effect from 2010 as a result of which the Foundation no longer fell under the purview of the FCRA Act," the Foundation said in a statement. "The Foundation thereafter applied for its de-registration from FCRA with an additional request to cancel the FCRA registration in June 2016, and received acknowledgement from the FCRA wing in the same month," it added. According to the statement, the Foundation has submitted its annual returns for FY16, FY17 and FY18, though it did not fall under the purview of the Act following its amendment. Additionally, the Foundation said that it has submitted necessary paperwork to the government in July 2018 to showcase that it has not received any foreign funding. "The Foundation has not received any notice to file returns pertaining to FCRA after April 2018," the statement added. --IANS rv-rbe/sn/arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Weeks after voting for the Lok Sabha elections and with months to go for the Assembly elections, Maharashtra's ruling and opposition politicians have started taking stock of the drought stituation, billed as the worst in 47 years. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered all his Ministers - from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena - to go to the districts where they are appointed 'Guardian Ministers' and prepare detailed ground reports on the water crises. Officials have also been asked to tour their respective districts and submit comprehensive reports by May 21. These reports would include the exact status of water availability in some of the worst hit areas in Marathwada, Konkan and Vidarbha, Western and North Maharashtra. Around 21,000 villages in 151 tehsils across the state are in the grip of drought, covering almost half the geographical area of the state. With water levels in all the big and small dams in these regions receding fast, Fadnavis is reviewing the status on a daily basis. He asked all Guardian Ministers and Secretaries to ensure prompt implementation of drought mitigation measures, including jobs under the Employment Guarantee Schemes for the affected people. Not to be left behind, opposition leaders too are out assessing the damage. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar has already started a two-day tour of Marathwada from Sunday. "The drought this year is worse than in 1972. Back then, people only wanted jobs. This time there are no jobs, no drinking water for man and animal, no water for farmland, crops and plantations have completely dried up," said a grim Pawar after meeting farmers in Beed. He informed the farmers that he would submit a detailed status report to the Chief Minister and urge him to extend relief without any delay or discrimination, ensure jobs for the people, provision of clean drinking water, prompt drought aid and crop insurance and other initiatives for the suffering masses. Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that 11 party legislators will fan out across the state soon and submit their ground assessment of the situation to the party leadership. A government official said that the state has set up over 1,250 fodder camps for 850,000 cattle and tankers are ferrying water to around 12,116 villages. An amount of Rs 4,412.57 crore has been deposited in the bank accounts of nearly 6.80 million farmers and another Rs 1,100 crore disbursed as crop insurance, said another official at the Mantralaya. The official said the dams in the state had barely 1.35 per cent water left and Marathwada was the worst hit with just 4.87 per cent in all its reservoirs. Marathwada's nine major reservoirs -- Paithan, Yeldari, Manjara, Majalgaon, Siddeshwar, Sina-Kolegaon, Lower Terna, Lower Manar and Lower Dudhana -- have barely 0.7 per cent water left, and the minimal stock in the biggest, Jayakwadi may be wiped out soon. --IANS qn/rtp/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP Yuva Morcha leader Priyanka Sharma on Monday moved the Supreme Court against her arrest last week for allegedly sharing on social media a meme of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna agreed to hear the matter on Tuesday. Sharma's counsel sought an urgent hearing in the matter contending that legal work in West Bengal had been halted since April 25 in view of the ongoing lawyers strike and she had no choice but to move the Supreme Court in the absence of any legal recourse. The BJP leader is accused of sharing on social media a photo of TMC chief Mamata Banerjee photo-shopped on a picture of Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra from last week's MET Gala event in New York City. She was arrested on Saturday and then remanded to 14 days judicial custody. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are in an intense fight to wrest control of West Bengal's 42 Lok Sabha seats. Sharma's family has termed her arrest "political vendetta". --IANS ss/rtp/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protesta erupted at scores of places in the Kashmir Valley on Monday as outrage over the rape of a minor in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district. Markets were closed in Bandipora, Sopore, Badgam and Baramulla towns but shutdown call given by the Itihadul Muslimeen, a religious organisation, had a partial effect in Srinagar city. People in large numbers took to the streets across the state capital and other places demanding death penalty for the man accused of raping a three-year-old girl last week. Students of Kashmir University, Central University and the Islamic University of Science and Technology boycotted classes and held protests. Members of the High Court Bar Association stayed away from courts to express solidarity with the victim. Former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, separatist leaders, as well as a number of social, religious and political groups expressed shock over the incident. Police on Monday detained the principal of a private school who issued a minor certificate for the rape accused, Tahir Ahmad Mir, who has already been arrested. Mir's father has given a statement that his son is 20 years old, said the police. Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been set up to fast-track the probe. --IANS sq/rtp/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday again raked up Congress leader Sam Pitroda's controversial remark in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, as he picked holes in the 10-year rule of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the the Centre. Without naming Pitroda or talking about the anti-Sikh riots, Modi, in his 30-minute speech here, time and again took jibes at the UPA government by saying that its attitude towards policies such as defence matters were "hua toh hua" (it just happened). Indian Oversees Congress chief Pitroda had on last Thursday brushed off the 1984 anti-Sikh riots by saying, "hua toh hua" (it just happened). Modi also told the gathering that the opposition was just looking for new words to "abuse your chowkidar (watchman)". "Those who are themselves out on bail are searching for new words in their dictionary daily to abuse your 'chowkidar'. But your 'chowkidar' is not going to budge because of their abuses," he said. Donning a traditional Himachali cap, the Prime Minister in his address in Hindi tried to build a bond with the gathering by saying that Solan was known for cultivating mushroom, peas, delicious tomatoes and ginger. He also recollected the days he spent in Solan by remembering shopkeeper Manohar Lal, who used to sell roasted "chanas". The Prime Minister, who was here on Monday for his second and last election meeting in the hill state, said the "Opposition's mission was to ruin his image while his mission was to build India's image on a global platform." Claiming that the BJP was heading for a bigger victory in the Lok Sabha polls than in 2014, Modi made a special appeal to the first-time voters who were born in the 21st century and who want a new-"age development agenda". The Prime Minister further said that many prosperous countries in the world have not been able to provide free treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh to their people. "Ayushman Bharat (National Health Protection Mission) is the biggest healthcare programme which is benefitting 50 crore people, equal to the population of Canada, Mexico and the US put together," Modi said. The four parliamentary constituencies of Himachal Pradesh -- Shimla, Hamirpur, Mandi and Kangra -- will go to the polls in the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 19. --IANS vg/arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a scathing personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BSP President Mayawati on Monday said he cannot be expected to respect others sisters and wives as he had abandoned his own wife for political gains. Mayawati's attack on the Prime Minister comes as the Lok Sabha elections enter the final phase where electoral battles are being fiercely contested, especially in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The Prime Minister is in the fray from Varanasi where polling is to be held in the last phase on May 19. "Mujhe toh yeh bhi maloom chala hai ke BJP mein, khas kar vivahit mahilayen, apne aadmiyon ko Shri Modi ke nazdeek jate dekh kar yeh soch kar bhi kafi zyada ghabrati rehti hain ke kahin yeh Modi apni aurat ki tarah humein bhi apne pati se alag na karwa de." (I have come to know that in BJP married women get nervous when their husbands go near Modi fearing that, like him, their husbands may also leave them), said Mayawati. She further said that if the Prime Minister could leave his wife for political gains, how he could be expected to ensure justice for mothers and sisters in the country In an interview given to a news agency, Mayawati accused Modi of playing dirty on the Alwar rape case and said that he was silent till she spoke on it. He wanted to benefit by it in the election season which is shameful, she said. The attack comes a day after Modi, during election rallies in Kushinagar and Deoria on Sunday, accused Mayawati of shedding crocodile tears over the Alwar rape case and not withdrawing support to the Rajasthan government. She said the PM's show of sympathy for Dalits rang hollow as he would have acted against those responsible for Dalit atrocities like in Una in Gujarat and against people responsible for the death of Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad. "Why did he not seek the resignation of the Chief Ministers in these states?" she asked. Mayawati said Modi had been cleverly trying to break the SP-BSP alliance. She said that earlier he always addressed her as 'Behenji' but when he realized that the SP-BSP alliance was not falling apart, he started addressing her as 'bua'. "The 'sanskari' people in the country address me as 'Behenji'. Even my parents address me as 'Behenji' and so does Akhilesh Yadav," she pointed out. --IANS amita/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Key Bharatiya Janata Party allies have taken to a cautious path, saying the NDA will form the next government but the BJP, unlike in 2014, will not be able to win a parliamentary majority on its own. Shiromani Akali Dal's Naresh Gujral said in a recent interview to a TV channel that no single party would get a majority in the election but couched that by saying that the NDA would get the numbers to form the next government. He had said the BJP would fall short of absolute majority but the NDA would be able to form a stable coalition government with allies. He described himself as a realist while making the remark. SAD is one of the oldest allies of the BJP and has been able to paper over the occasional differences between them. Gujral's comments came against the backdrop of BJP general secretary Ram Madhav's remarks that the party would fall short of the majority mark in the elections. Madhav's comments appeared to give voice to the anxiety within the ruling party that the BJP would not be able to repeat its 2014 performance and this could trigger a search for suitable allies who could then ask for plum cabinet berths in return for their support. Another old ally, the Janata Dal (United), has been just about as forthcoming about the BJP's electoral prospects. K.C. Tyagi, senior JD(U) leader, has told the media that the BJP will have reduced numbers this time compared to 2014 but not to the point that it will not be able to form the government. However, his party colleague Gulam Rasool Balyavi, was more direct, saying the NDA itself would fall short of a majority in the Lok Sabha. He went a step further to state that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should be fronted as the coalition's prime ministerial candidate -- hinting that this would help it to bring in new allies and get the required numbers to form the government. "The statement (by Ram Madhav) rings true. This is what I currently sense in the country. The National Democratic Alliance will form the government with the BJP as the single-largest party, but it will be somewhat difficult for the BJP to win 280-plus votes," Mr Raut told NDTV. The Shiv Sena allied with the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections two months ago despite differences that had cropped up between the two parties in the wake of the 2014 polls. Raut saw opposition alliances across the country as one of the reasons for the arithmetical shift that would deprive the BJP of a clear majority. "We do believe that the National Democratic Alliance will cross the 300 mark but the BJP will fall short due to this very reason," he said, adding that regional parties across various states will emerge stronger in the ongoing elections. Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena, like other BJP allies, also agrees that the BJP would fall short of an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha and would therefore need the support of allies to form the next government. In a recent interview to a TV channel, he said it would be difficult for the BJP to repeat its 2014 performance. However, like the other NDA partners, he said the alliance would pull through and form the next government. These allies have also introduced an ambiguity over the NDA's prime ministerial candidate, saying whoever is picked would be acceptable to the allies but he would need to take everyone along, one ally has said. At least one ally has made it plain that there will be some arm-twisting for ministerial portfolios. Gujral said in a recent media interview that his party represented farmers and would demand key portfolios related to agriculture. --IANS arms/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On a day BJP President Amit Shah's meeting was cancelled in West Bengal, party national secretary Sunil Deodhar said that permission for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's election meeting in South Kolkata has been withdrawn. "Democracy is a joke in West Bengal. Permission cancelled at the last moment for @AmitShah Ji's rally at Jadavpur. Once again Yogi Adityanath Ji's rally permission cancelled in South Kolkata. DM & CEO both are working as agent of ruling Trinamool Congress," Deodhar said in a tweet. BJP sources said the local administration had withdrawn permission for Adityanath's May 15 rally in Behala's James Long Sarani after initially giving the go-ahead. Earlier in the day, Shah's scheduled rally in Baruipur under Jadavpur parliamentary constituency was cancelled after the landowner who had rented out his property withdrew his consent, a party spokesperson said here. The land was rented out for the rally as well as for setting up a helipad. "The landowner who had rented out the land for the meeting and also for the helipad, withdrew his permission citing that the property was earlier rented out to another political party for organising a rally," said sources privy to the development. The saffron party alleged that they were forced to cancel the meeting due to the "autocracy" of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool government. "Mamata Banerjee is running autocracy in Bengal. Today (Monday) Amit Shah was supposed to hold a rally in Jadavpur (Baruipur is in the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency) for which we sought the permission 4-5 days ago. That time we were given a hope, but it was suddenly denied yesterday (Sunday) at 8.30 p.m.," the party said in its Twitter handle. "This is a murder of democracy. The Election Commission must take action against it," it said. --IANS ssp/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sanction 5 lakh pucca houses for the cyclone-affected people in the state. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Patnaik requested him to consider sanctioning 5 lakh Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (G) special houses initially for the state. He also sought a waiver of the Permanent Wait List (PWL) criterion for this particular allocation and also consider Centre-state sharing pattern of 90:10 as a special case. "The rainy season is fast approaching and the monsoon is likely to reach Odisha around June 10. Therefore, keeping in view the urgency to provide pucca houses to the affected people, we are going ahead with issuing of work orders from June 1 in anticipation of approval of our proposal by the government of India," said the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister said that according to preliminary estimation, about 5 lakh houses have been completely or substantially damaged across 14 districts with the major loss occuring in Puri district. The state government was undertaking a detailed house damage assessment which would be completed shortly, he added. Modi reviewed the cyclone situation in the state on May 6. The cyclonic storm Fani had hit the coast on May 3. --IANS cd/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) No party other than the BJP can build the Ram temple in Ayodhya, senior party leader P Muralidhar Rao asserted while describing it as the party's "commitment" in "new India". "If anyone is capable of doing it (building the temple) as soon as possible, it's the BJP. The people believe that. No other party can build the temple," the BJP General Secretary told IANS, adding the BJP government was moving ahead while keeping in mind "certain decorum and limitations" of the Constitution. "This is not a religious issue. It's a national issue. It's a question of our culture. Ram is our God, the ideal king. A grand temple must be built at his birth place and we are committed to it," he said. Insisting that "in the new India, building the Ram temple is our 'sankalp' (commitment) and necessity," Rao said, "people want it to be done early and expect the Modi government to build it quickly. We also want it to be built soon." Asked what the BJP would do if the judicial verdict was not in favour of the temple, the BJP leader said, "Hypothetical questions are not responded to in We will build the temple 100 per cent. All the obstacles that are in the way will be cleared." The Modi government has the "wisdom and commitment about what is required to be done," he said. When asked why the government did not bring an Ordinance on the temple like it did on the triple talaq issue, Rao said an ordinance could not be promulgated when the matter was in the Supreme Court. "As it (Ayodhya matter) is sub judice, the ordinance can't be brought. That ordinance will not stand," the BJP leader said, adding that in the case of triple talaq, the ordinance was brought after the Supreme Court verdict came. To a question whether Hindutva was a bigger issue than development for the BJP, Rao said, "Without development, Hindutva is incomplete and hollow. Hindutva is complete when development takes place. Poverty and Hindutva cannot go together. Therefore, in our Hindutva, development is an integral part." On the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, Rao said the BJP had "several advantages", much more than the 2014 elections, while the Opposition had more "disadvantages". Explaining these "advantages" for the BJP, he said the Modi factor had got "strengthened" over the last five years and "floating voters" across the country felt that only Modi could provide a strong government that could last full five years. "Against him (Modi), there is no person. There is a blank. Because of this blankness, the voter feels that in the given situation Modi's track record is better and he should be voted for. This (feeling) became stronger as we moved ahead in these elections," the BJP leader said. While the Modi government built a narrative of nationalism, and a strong and decisive government, "on the other side, there is a blurred situation", he said. He added that the BJP had added new voters, including millennials, in every phase, while in the Opposition camp "there is confusion and inconsistency. Also, their track record of corruption is reducing their attraction." When asked why terrorism continued despite the BJP's claims of Modi providing a "strong and decisive government", Rao said, "Terrorism is a problem for the world, and for India too. It has been a problem during the Congress rule as well as the BJP rule. It still is and will remain in the future too. It is not a question about terrorism, but how decisively you fight it. In that respect, Modi stands apart." On major terror attacks, like Uri and Pulwama, Rao said, "It is a failure. And it should be addressed. This shows there is a need to further strengthen the intelligence and security apparatus." He said the Modi government had brought about a "paradigm shift" in the way terrorism is dealt with by ordering air strike on terror camps in Balakot (Pakistan) and bringing India "at par with the US and Israel" in this respect. "We will not step back in the fight against terror, and just wait (for results) after issuing statements. We can go to the source of terror. We (governments) have been saying this (attacking terror camps) for years but never did. This change was brought about by Modi's leadership and this was acknowledged by the world. The world appreciated, and didn't condemn it," Rao said. On the controversy over Balakot air strike, the BJP leader said, "It's in nobody's interest to see security issues through the prism of Whichever be the government, the army is of the nation. If the army has said something, then raising question is not in the interest of the nation or the army. Whatever happened, we should believe the army." On the Opposition charge that the government is politicising the air strike, the BJP leader said, "it was not politicisation. We spoke about the change in policy. We will say it. Why should we not? Did the armed forces go on their own (to carry out the strike)? It was the change in policy direction by the Modi government." The BJP "will say it" in future too, he asserted. "To carry out an attack is the role of the army, but somebody has to take a decision. The Modi government took the decision which the previous governments could not. This is the difference and we told this to the public," he said. Maoism existed in the Congress time too, but now its area of influence "has been shrunk" and incidents too have reduced because of the Modi government's efforts, Rao said. --IANS akk/kr/pcj/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 92 per cent of the students have passed Class 10 examination in Telangana. The results were declared on Monday. The Telangana State Board of Secondary (TSBSE) announced that 92.43 per cent students cleared the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or Class 10 exams held in March. A total of 506,202 students appeared in the examination. Girls outperformed boys with pass percentage of 93.68. The figure for boys was 91.18 per cent. Among the districts, Jagityal topped with 99.30 per cent students passing. Hyderabad stood last with 89.09 per cent. Secretary of B. Janardhan Reddy said the overall pass percentage had gone up by 8.65 over previous year. As many as 4,374 schools had cent per cent results. He announced that advanced supplementary examination will be held from June 10 to 24. The authorities took extra precautions in declaring SSC results in view of the huge row triggered by goof-up in the results of Intermediate (Class 11 and 12) exams last month. TSBSE took various steps to re-verify the results before announcing. The results of students who failed in one subject or marked absent were thoroughly checked. Officials said a five-lay scrutiny process was put in place to ensure that there were no glitches. The department also decided to conduct counselling for students and parents to prevent suicides by students. All schools were asked to hold counselling sessions to instil confidence among students. At least 22 students committed suicide and massive protests by opposition, student bodies and parents broke out over the bungling by the Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) in evaluation of answer scripts and errors in processing and tabulation of mark sheets. BIE announced the Intermediate results on April 18. Of 9.74 lakh students who appeared in the exams held in February-March, 3.28 lakh failed to obtain pass marks. However, glaring glitches by BIE and an IT company hired by the Board triggered unrest among students. Massive protests forced the government to announce free re-verification of answer sheets of all 3.28 lakh students who had failed in the exams. This process is currently underway. --IANS ms/pg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi Police on Monday charged the owners of Hotel Arpit Palace, Sharad Indu Goel and Rakesh Goel, along with two of their employees, with culpable homicide not amounting to murder for the February 12 fire tragedy in the Karol Bagh hotel which killed 17 people and left 21 others injured. In the 42-page chargesheet filed in the Tis Hazari Court, which has been accessed by IANS, the police charged the Goel brothers, the hotel's General Manager Rajender Kumar and Manager Vikas Kumar with different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The sections invoked by the police include culpable homicide not amounting to murder (304), attempt to commit culpable homicide (308), cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property (420), forgery of valuable security (467), forgery for the purpose of cheating (468), using forged documents as genuine (471), causing disappearance of evidences of offence (201) and criminal conspiracy (120b). All the accused are currently facing court proceedings after being released on bail. On February 16, Rakesh Goel was arrested from the IGI Airport after he returned to India from Qatar. His brother Sharad Indu Goel later surrendered before the Crime Branch office in Daryaganj. A major fire broke out in the Arpit Palace Hotel in central Delhi's Karol Bagh area at 4.43 a.m. on February 12. As many as 25 fire tenders, Centralised Ambulance Trauma Services (CATS) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were pressed into the service to bring the situation under control. A total of 17 persons died in the fire tragedy, including three Myanmar nationals. There were 46 rooms in the hotel out of which 35 were occupied. Sixty guests and 12 employees were inside the hotel when the fire broke out, the chargesheet said."It was found in the probe that the owner of hotel is Sharad Indu Goel whereas the license to run the bar-cum-restaurant was on the name of Rakesh Goel. It has also emerged that the hotel is an unit of Atul Construction Pvt Ltd. Rakesh Goel and his wife Madhuri Goel are the directors of the said company," it said. The investigation officer said in the chargesheet that there was no panic alarm in the hotel which had only one emergency exit that was shut from outside. An unauthorised kitchen was setup at the rooftop, which was made of inflammable materials such as rubber, ply-board and plastic, and was used by the Goel brothers to earn extra profit. There were no signages for an emergency exit, the chargesheet said. "None of hotel staff raised an alarm to alert the guests about the fire, which, if done, could have saved the lives of many more. The staircase and corridors of hotel are so narrow that even two persons cannot stand together. There were heavy wooden work in hotel, from the reception to the staircase, corridors, walls and false ceilings. "During investigation, the police team found broken window frames. The windows installed in the rooms were operated by push buttons. The guests were unaware of the operation of these types of windows and could not open them on the night of the fire," the chargesheet said. (Sanjeev Pal can be contacted at sanjeev.p@ians.in) --IANS sp/arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called off a trip to Russia and instead made an unscheduled visit to Brussels on Monday to hold talks with European Union officials on Iran amid renewed tensions in the Middle East, officials said. Pompeo, who had been scheduled to head to Russia, landed in Brussels to discuss pressing issues with EU diplomats, said a US State Department official. The visit came as Washington warned of heightened tensions in the region and Pompeo sought to have talks with top diplomats from the UK, Germany and France, the State Department said. The last-minute decision - announced as Pompeo hopped on a plane - set up a confrontation between him and European diplomats who have been scrambling to save the Iranian nuclear deal which was abandoned by the US last year, the Washington Post reported. Iranian leaders announced last week they would scale back their cooperation under the 2015 agreement, forcing Europe to choose between defying Washington or kissing goodbye to the 2015 deal. Europe sees it as key to preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, the report said. UK Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt spoke in Brussels of the dangers of an "accidentally-triggered" conflict between the US and Iran over the unravelling of the 2015 pact signed by Tehran, Russia, China, the EU, the UK, France, Germany and the US. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended," said Hunt, adding it was important not to push Tehran back towards re-nuclearization. Pompeo was expected to talk with European counterparts about the status of the agreement which Washington has walked away from. According to Efe news, EU officials said that Pompeo was not to take part in discussions within the European Council although he was considering the possibility of holding several meetings on its margins. He had been due to meet US Embassy staff in Russia, US business leaders and alumni of an exchange programme and take part in a ceremony to honour those who died fighting against Nazi Germany in World War II. All those events were cancelled to make room for the trip to Brussels, from where Pompeo was still expected to travel to the Black Sea resort of Sochi. There he was due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss several issues: The challenges in the relationship between the two countries, arms control policies and the situation in Ukraine, Venezuela, Iran, Syria and North Korea. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi' 'cloud cover' theory on the Balakot air strike, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray said the whole world was laughing at India. Addressing a party workers camp here on Monday, Thackeray sarcastically added that the United Nations has recently passed a resolution that all warring nations should go to battle during monsoon only. "The cloud cover in monsoon will make it difficult to detect the enemy. The latest technology has been credited to Modi," Thackeray said to laughter from party activists. He said that the "entire country has become a laughing stock in the international community". The recent remarks by Modi have been debated and discussed on social media platforms with scores of memes, cartoons and jokes created in the past couple of days. Attacking Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah, Thackeray said that though he (Shah) had shown Modi's academic credentials, "what the country needs is a mature, intelligent PM, not necessarily an educated one. "See, even those persons who attacked and brought down the US WTC twins towers (September 11, 2001) were also qualified. Nobody has ever asked for our PM's educational qualifications, but at least all expected him to be mature. Of course, if the person is also educated that's very good," Thackeray said. Slamming the PM for "doling out patriotism certificates to people", he said that there was no connection between terror and religion. "There is no 'Hindu Terror', no 'Muslim Terror' or 'Christian Terror'. It is only terrorism, and wherever it is seen, it must be eliminated outright," Thackeray urged. Referring to Modi's claims and charges against the opposition, he demanded to know why Modi does not speak of his achievements in the past five years and why he had not delivered on any of his promises made in 2014. --IANS qn/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh, son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh, on Monday replied to Union Minister Piyush Goyel who accused the late politician of being busy with film producers for his actor-son while the deadly 26/11 terrorist attack took place in the city in 2008. Riteish took the social media and tweeted, "Honourable Minister, It is true that I had visited the Taj/Oberoi but untrue that I was there while the 'Shooting and Bombing' was happening as you claimed. It is true that I had accompanied my father but untrue that he was trying to get me a role in a film." The actor 'Housefull' famed actor also wrote, "He never ever spoke to a director or a producer to cast me in film & I take pride in that. You have every right to question a CM but it is wrong to accuse someone who is not here to defend himself. A bit late, 7 years ago - He would have replied to you. My best wishes with your campaign Sir. Love & regards, Riteish Vilasrao Deshmukh". Last week, during an event in Ludhiana, Goyal addressed the business community and said, "You might remember the 26/11 terror attack. The then Congress government was weak and could not do anything. The then chief minister (Vilasrao Deshmukh) had brought a film producer outside Oberoi Hotel while shooting and bombing were going on inside." "The CM was concerned about getting his child a film role," it read. --IANS aru/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rajasthan government has courted controversy by proposing changes in freedom fighter and Hindutva proponent Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's profile in the school syllabus. Three years ago, the then BJP government had introduced Savarkar in the school syllabus as a freedom fighter, a patriot and great revolutionary. The new Congress government wants to change this profile and portray Savarkar as a man who sent four mercy petitions to the British government to get freedom after being tortured at the Cellular jail in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. This has triggered a war of words between the Congress and the BJP. "The Congress hates Hindutva and is therefore trying to belittle the heroism of Savarkar, who is associated with Hindutva and the saffron parties," said former Minister Vasudev Devnani. "Biographies of revolutionaries were included in the syllabus so that children could seek inspiration from them. Changing the facts about their life is insulting them," Devnani added. Minister of State for Govind Singh Dotasara said the changes have been proposed based on the recommendations of a committee formed to review the school syllabus. "There is no politics in this matter. But we will look into the matter if there are still any issues," he said. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot too said: "Every party in power discusses and reviews a state's policy based on its ideology. The Vasundhara Raje government did so during its term. We are doing the same now. But the changes are still a proposal based on the recommendations of a committee formed to review the school syllabus." --IANS arc/rtp/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Royal Commission of Inquiry on Monday began its investigation into the March 15 Christchurch terror attacks that left 51 people dead in two mosques, a New Zealand government spokesperson has confirmed. The special commission, which is chaired by Supreme Court Justice Sir William Young along with Jacquie Caine, New Zealand's former Ambassador to Chile, will now establish how the investigation will be conducted, Efe news quoted the spokesperson as saying. "They have the powers to call people to appear before them," said the spokesperson. "They have the ability to look through a lot of material, and their powers are very broad." "We want them to leave no stone unturned." The commission, which was set up on April 8, will look into the activities of the alleged Australian gunman, Brenton Tarrant before and after his arrival in New Zealand, his travels and how he obtained weapons and ammunition. Tarrant, who had no police record, is charged with attacking the two mosques armed with military weapons and shooting at worshippers gathered for the Friday prayers while broadcasting the massacre live on social media. The commission will also investigate the social networking activities of Tarrant, an former fitness trainer now facing 50 charges of murder and 39 for attempted murder, in addition to his national and international connections. One of the key tasks will be to scrutinise the role played by New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service, the Government Communications Security Bureau, Police, Customs, Immigration and any other relevant department of the government. The commission will have to submit its conclusions by December 10. On its website, the commission says its "purpose is to reassure the New Zealand public, including all Muslim communities, that all reasonable measures are being taken by State sector agencies to ensure their safety and protection". --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Samsung is likely to launch the much-awaited Galaxy M40 smartphone early next month for nearly Rs 25,000 in India. Featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and a triple camera system, Galaxy M40 -- the India-first smartphone in the popular Galaxy M series -- is set to be the most powerful offering in the series, industry sources told IANS on Monday. The first three Galaxy M smartphones -- Galaxy M10, M20 and M30 -- are powered by Exynos processors. Samsung is also likely to introduce some flagship features on Galaxy M40, starting with the "Hole-in-Display", a technology that's currently found on the South Korean tech giant's flagship S10 series. The #OMG campaign that Samsung has launched is linked to the upcoming release of the Galaxy M40, the sources said. Samsung India launched Galaxy M30 in two storage variants in February, starting at Rs 14,990. M30's 6GB+128GB variant was priced at Rs 17,990 and the 4GB+64GB variant was available for Rs 14,990. Samsung launched the Galaxy M10 and M20 smartphones in January. --IANS gb/na (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking to prepone polling hours from 7 a.m. to 5 a.m. for the remaining phases of the general election. Advocate Mohammad Nizam Pasha moved the apex court seeking a direction for advancing the polling hours on account of commencement of Ramzan and heat wave forecast in many states. Earlier, the petition was moved before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi which had asked the Election Commission to look into the matter. Advocate Amit Sharma, appearing for the Election Commission, told that Court that poll body had already heard the petitioner and his representation in detail and passed an order declining advancement of the polls. The Vacation Bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna observed that the poll panel had already taken a decision and so the court dismissed the plea. Last week, the Supreme Court had directed the petitioner to present the case before the Election Commission. Rejecting the plea, the EC said it does not think altering the timing for polls is feasible for the remaining three phases of the general election. The poll body in its response said the Commission had factored into -- shortage of manpower, logistics, heat wave conditions, presence of polling agents during mock polls, adequate facilities at each polling station, and the polling officers were already working at extended hours to complete the job. Therefore, in view of these circumstances, polling hours were already long enough, it was best not to alter the timing, it said. The poll body also cited that the timing of the sunrise varies in states going to polls, and in this case the balloting would have to start before sunrise. In such a scenario, additional logistical and administrative changes would have to be introduced, in addition to the security arrangements. It also told the petitioner that election officials were already hard-pressed, and clocking nearly 16 hours at work on the polling day, and starting the polls early would further impact the mock poll process too. The petition was filed by advocates Mohammed Nizammuddin Pasha and Asad Hayat, before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for urgent hearing. The bench directed the poll body's counsel to take a decision on the issue. --IANS ss/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka on Monday declared a nationwide curfew after anti-Muslim riots spread to several parts of the island nation, just three weeks after multiple suicide bombings claimed by the Islamic State claimed over 250 people. The curfew will remain in force till 4 a.m. Tuesday, said police spokesman S.P. Ruwan Gunasekara. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a statement urged citizens to remain calm and not be swayed by rumours, Colombo Gazette reported. "Security forces are working tirelessly to apprehend terrorists and ensure the security of the country but each time there is civil unrest we increase their burden and hamper ongoing investigations," he said. Authorities had earlier in the day reimposed curfew in several towns of the still shaken Buddhist-majority country and temporarily blocked social media websites after a Facebook post sparked the anti-Muslim riots. Sri Lanka has been on the edge since the April 21 horror when suicide bombers exploded themselves in three churches and three luxury hotels besides two other places. Most targets were in Colombo. The killings were the worst to hit Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war a decade earlier. On Sunday, a group of people stormed into Chilaw town following the Facebook post by a Muslim shopkeeper about "an attack plan". Reports said that several people threw stones at mosques and attacked Muslim-owned shops. A man, presumably Muslim, was beaten up. The same day, a curfew was imposed in Chilaw and Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Hettipola and Dummalasuriya areas and the social media ban was imposed to prevent circulation of fake news and incitement to violence. The curfew was then extended to Rasnayakapura and Kobeigane areas and authorities warned that "tough action will be taken against anyone disrupting the peace". The suicide bombings and lingering tensions have affected tourism, a major foreign exchange earner for Sri Lanka. --IANS soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka on Monday declared a nationwide curfew as anti-Muslim riots spread to parts of the island nation, just three weeks after multiple suicide bombings claimed by the Islamic State killed over 250 people and injured hundreds. The curfew will remain in force till 4 a.m. Tuesday, said police spokesman S.P. Ruwan Gunasekara. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe urged citizens to remain calm and not be swayed by rumours after the violence, majorly affecting Kurunegala district where Muslims were targeted, Colombo Gazette reported. Kurunegala town is located about 100 km from Colombo and Muslims constitute the second largest ethnic group there after the Sinhalese, who are mainly Buddhists. The Prime Minister said: "Security forces are working tirelessly to apprehend terrorists and ensure the security of the country, but each time there is civil unrest, we increase their burden and hamper ongoing investigations." His comments came after several Muslim-owned shops and other property were damaged or destroyed by mobs in Kurunegala district on Monday. Authorities had earlier in the day reimposed curfew in several towns of the still shaken Buddhist-majority country and temporarily blocked social media websites after a Facebook post sparked the anti-Muslim riots. Sri Lanka has been on the edge since the April 21 horror when suicide bombers exploded themselves in three churches and three luxury hotels besides two other places. Most targets were in Colombo. The killings were the worst to hit Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war a decade earlier. The unrest was triggered on Sunday after a group of people stormed into Chilaw town following the Facebook post by a Muslim shopkeeper about "an attack plan". Reports said that several people threw stones at mosques and attacked Muslim-owned shops. A man, presumably Muslim, was beaten up. Amid the unrest, the Army fired shots in the air to disperse the mobs but the unrest spread to other towns, the Daily Mirror reported. The same day, a curfew was imposed in Chilaw and Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Hettipola and Dummalasuriya areas and the social media ban was imposed to prevent circulation of fake news and incitement to violence. The curfew was then extended to Rasnayakapura and Kobeigane areas in Kurunegala district and authorities warned that "tough action will be taken against anyone disrupting the peace". The latest unrest began as Catholic churches resumed Sunday mass for the first time since the Easter bombings. According to the the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) -- the main body of Islamic clerics -- there has been increased suspicion of Muslims after the attacks blamed on local Islamic group National Thowheed Jamath, which is believed to have links with the Islamic State (IS) that claimed the carnage. Sri Lankan authorities say most of the 150 people suspected to have been linked to the last month's attacks have died or been arrested but many still fear that the government has not caught all potential militants. The killings and lingering tensions have affected tourism, a major foreign exchange earner for Sri Lanka. --IANS soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The members of the Governing Body (GB) of St. Stephen's College on Monday accused Principal John Varghese of taking an "illegal decision" to include a member of the Supreme Council in the interview panel for selection of students for admission to the college and sought withdrawal of the decision. The Supreme Council is a subset of six members of the Governing Body (managing committee) who are all members of the Church of North India. In a press release, the members said that the Principal made the shocking announcement of including a member of the Supreme Council in the interview panel at a meeting of the college staff council. The Chairperson of both the Supreme Council and the Governing Body is the Bishop of Delhi, and the Principal is the Member Secretary of both the bodies. Referring to the constitution of the St. Stephen's College, the release said that Clause 4 of the constitution states that the Supreme Council shall have the control of the religious and moral instructions to the students of the college and of all matters affecting its religious character as a Christian college of the Church of North India. It will also appoint, after proper advertisement, the Principal of the college who shall be a member of the Church of North India or of a church that is in communion with the Church of North India. Clause 5 of the constitution states that the Supreme Council shall have no jurisdiction over the administration of the college. The release further said that almost all the permanent teachers present at the meeting protested strongly against the unilateral announcement. They stated that the decision was in violation of the college constitution which categorically stipulates that the Supreme Council shall have no jurisdiction in the administration of the college. They also said that a 1992 judgment of the Supreme Court, which upheld the minority status of the College, had permitted the college to have a separate admission process, including an interview with 15 per cent weightage, only because the interviews were conducted solely by the teachers of the college. "Never in the history of the college has a non-academic person from outside the college faculty been a member of the admission process," the release said. The GB members also said that in the Governing Body meeting held on March 14, no such decision had been announced by the Principal. "He (the Principal) has made this unilateral announcement in the Staff Council. Hence, he has acted in violation of the powers of both the Governing Body as well as the Staff Council, as laid down in Ordinance XVIII of Delhi University," the release said. The teachers said there was a clear conflict of interest in the Principal bringing in another member of the Supreme Council into the interview panel for admissions, as it was the Supreme Council that selected the Principal. It was also the Supreme Council which took the decision about the renewal of the Principal's appointment for another term of five years. "We, the undersigned teachers representatives on the Governing Body of St. Stephen's College strongly condemn the illegal and unacademic decision taken by the Principal, that could compromise the academic integrity of our admission process, and demand that it is withdrawn," the release said. The release was issued by Nandita Narain, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, and member of the Governing Body. --IANS ps/arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Swedish prosecutors on Monday reopened investigation into the rape allegation against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, currently lodged at a high-security jail in the UK. Sweden's Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson announced the decision at a press conference here saying, "I have today taken the decision to reopen the preliminary investigation," the Guardian reported Prosecutors dropped the investigation in 2017 because they were unable to proceed while Assange stayed put at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The investigation could be reopened if the situation changed, they had said at that time. Assange, 47, was removed from the embassy last month after seven years as the Ecuadorian government withdrew his asylum protection, and was arrested for breach of bail conditions. A lawyer for one of the women involved in the Swedish allegations subsequently asked for resumption of the investigation. Assange had also faced investigation for a second sex-related allegation, which was dropped in 2015 because time had run out. He has denied both allegations. Immediately after his arrest in April, the US authorities requested for his extradition in a case relating to a WikiLeaks' release of sensitive military and diplomatic documents. In the US, he faces charges of conspiring with a former intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to download classified data. The charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison. Assange is being held at the Belmarsh high-security prison in London after being sentenced to 50 weeks for a bail violation, the Guardian said. He appeared at the Westminster magistrates court on May 2 via video link and said he did not consent to be extradited to the US. The court heard that the extradition process would take "many months". The case was adjourned until May 30. The Swedish allegations date to 2010. Assange unsuccessfully fought through the British courts to get the extradition order and preliminary investigation dropped. Assange feared that the Swedish authorities would hand him over to the US to face prosecution in the WikiLeaks case, his lawyers said. On the reopening of the Swedish investigation, WikiLeaks said it would give Assange a chance to clear his name. "Since Assange was arrested on April 11, 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen investigations, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case," Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief, said in a statement. "Its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name," Hrafnsson said. --IANS ksk/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Swedish prosecutors on Monday will announce whether they are reopening an inquiry into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who is currently lodged at a high-security jail in the UK. Assange, who denies the charges, has avoided extradition to Sweden for seven years after seeking refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy in London in 2012. But the 47-year-old was evicted last month and sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for breaching his bail conditions, the BBC reported. On Monday, Sweden's Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Eva-Marie Persson, will announce her decision on whether to revisit the sexual assault investigation after it was dropped two years ago. Swedish prosecutors said at the time they felt they were unable to take the case forward while Assange was inside the Ecuadorean embassy. However, the woman who made the allegation now wants the case reopened, and since Assange's arrest last month, Swedish prosecutors have been considering their options. Under Swedish law, they have until next year to pursue the case. If they do re-open the investigation, it is likely to raise the question of which extradition request should take precedence: that of Sweden or the US. The US also wants to extradite Assange from the UK over the Australian-born's conspiracy to commit computer intrusion. He is accused of participating in one of the largest ever leaks of government secrets, which could result in a prison term of up to five years. After his dramatic arrest last month, he was taken to Westminster Magistrates' Court and found guilty of a British charge of breaching bail. He is currently being held at Belmarsh prison in London. The US has called for his right to a fair trial to be respected during any extradition process. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him a "tapasvi" full of arrogance. She was addressing a rally for the Congress candidate from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls himself a great tapasvi. He says he has done a lot of great things because of 50 years of his 'tapasya' (penance). Tapasya destroys arrogance, anger and hatred, but the arrogance of the Modi government has only grown bigger. "It has grown so big that the Prime Minister campaigns across the country, but cannot make time to visit a single farmer in his constituency even for five minutes. He only reaches out to people through big rallies," she said. According to Priyanka: "Modi has time only to travel the world and meet world leaders. He has no time for farmers and the poor. He promised two crore jobs for the country's youth but he doesn't have time even for the unemployed youth." The Congress leader was indirectly referring to an interview given by Modi in which he said that it was 45 years of his 'tapasya', "not the Khan Market gang or Lutyen's club" that had contributed to his image. In a scathing attack on Modi, Priyanka said: "A person who practices tapasya does not build the structure of his power on oppression of helpless people. He does not make fun of tribals and destroy their right on their land. The truth is that the BJP destroyed the land acquisition law, which was brought by the Congress." "The Prime Minister could not get farmers adequate price for their produce. He was silent on suicides by 12,000 farmers. And if that wasn't enough, when thousands of farmers trekked to the national capital with folded hands, Modi turned them away from his door," she said. --IANS hindi/rtp/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekar Rao on Monday evening called on DMK President M.K. Stalin at his residence here in an attempt to form a non-Congress, non-BJP grouping of political parties. The meeting between the two leaders lasted over an hour. Rao left Stalin's residence without meeting the mediapersons. Details from the meeting were not immediately available. Stalin had earlier proposed Congress President Rahul Gandhi's name for the Prime Minister's post and continues to stick to that. Apart from Stalin, other senior DMK leaders were present at the meeting with Rao. Rao had earlier met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and spoken to Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in his efforts to bring in a non-BJP, non-Congress government after the Lok Sabha election results are out. A DMK leader had earlier told IANS that the stability of the government at the Centre may be an issue as previous experiences at a non-BJP, non-Congress government were not good. Last year, Rao met Stalin here and discussed issues related to state autonomy, finances and the political situation. KCR, the founder of Telangana's ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, is a strong votary of federalism and secularism. Earlier on Monday, Rao prayed at the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam near Trichy in Tamil Nadu. --IANS vj/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually no fight in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi, a fact even his worst critics will agree to. However, a look at his rivals in the electoral contest reveals interesting facts. In 2014, Modi had 41 candidates pitted against him. The number has gone down to 25 this year but he still has a 'mini India' contesting against him. These 'Special 25' candidates belong to various states including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Kerala and Uttarakhand and each one of them is here to 'make a point'. Manohar Anand Rao Patil, a farmer from Maharashtra, dresses up as Mahatma Gandhi and even wears a photograph of the latter around his neck. "I have not come here to defeat Modi. I want to draw his attention to the plight of farmers and the growing corruption," he says. Manav Vishwamanav, also from Andhra Pradesh, is another candidate who wants to draw the Prime Minister's attention towards the plight of farmers. His farther, a farmer, passed away and his mother works as a coolie in Vishakhapatanam. Hina Shahid is the daughter of Olympian (late) Mohammad Shahid and says that she wants to reach Parliament so that she can raise women's issues. "I know I cannot defeat Modi but then one should not sit at home just because he is a strong candidate," she says. Manish Srivastava has come from Raipur in Chhattisgarh to contest against the Prime Minister. He wants the government to make it compulsory for all government employees to send their children to government schools and avail medical treatment in government hospitals. "This will go a long way in improving these sectors and checking corruption," he feels. From Haridwar in Uttarakhand, Sunil Kumar has come to contest the Varanasi seat and seek the status of a national river for Ganga. "Like Modi, I am also a 'Ganga Putra' because I live on the banks of Ganga," he says. Sheikh Siraj Baba from Malihabad in Lucknow says he will focus on declaring cow as the national animal. His main issue is conservation of the cow and ban on cow slaughter. Apart from these candidates, there is an agriculture scientist, Ram Sharan Rajput, from Kanpur, Prem Nath Sharma, a lawyer from Varanasi itself, Tribhuvan Sharma from Bareilly who says he will expose the anti-upper caste stance of Modi and writer Amresh Misra. Then there is Ajay Rai of the Congress and Shalini Yadav of the Samajwadi Party who are also determined to make their presence felt in the electoral area. --IANS amita/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai was shocked by two sickening acts of a policeman and another person allegedly flashing their private parts before two women over the weekend, police said. In the first instance, a police constable was arrested on Sunday after a complaint from a policewoman living in an opposite building at the Police Colony in Kurla. The accused, Harishchandra B. Lahane, 41, reportedly stripped himself around 11 p.m. on Saturday when the policewoman stood in the balcony of her flat. Following a complaint by her, he was arrested, said an official. In another incident, a 38-year-old man, Sandeep Kumbharkar, allegedly flashed his private parts before a Mumbai girl who had gone to withdraw money from a bank ATM in Mulund on Sunday. The incident happened at the ATM in Hariom Nagar when the 23-year-old woman was present. On the pretext of seeking assistance in operating the ATM, the man suddenly flashed his private parts before her. The woman recorded it on her mobile camera and later lodged a formal police complaint. "It's 3 AM when I am typing this. A man just flashed his d**k in a f**king ATM. I had gotten down to withdraw money ... and was facing problems and this guy offered to pay for it but he kept touching me inside the ATM," the girl wrote in her Twitter post. In both the incidents, police have registered offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. In October 2018, a 29-year-old commuter was beaten up by co-commuters after he allegedly flashed before a woman on a suburban train between Borivali and Malad stations. Avijeet Singh had allegedly stalked the woman all the way from Nalasopara in (Palghar) before indulging in the act. --IANS qn-nk-sn/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 31-year-old Indian woman has been threatened with deportation by UK Home Office officials despite being in a coma after having a major operation. Bhavani Espathi, 31, who was in a vegetative state for a week and a half after undergoing the operation, received a letter stating that her application for leave to remain had been refused and that she was liable to be forcibly removed, the Independent reported on Monday. The UK Home Office has been accused of being "cruel and insensitive" after the move. Lawyers and politicians said the case demonstrated how the UK immigration rules were permitting the government to "send people to their death abroad" as part of the hostile environment. Espathi's fiance, Martin Mangler, 33, appealed against the decision while she was still unconscious, providing medical letters from her doctors stating that her life would be at risk if she travelled. But the Home Office said that while the medical treatment she was receiving was "unlikely" to be available to the same standard in India, this did not entitle her to remain in the UK - and that she could receive "palliative care" in her home country if the appropriate treatment wasn't available there, the daily reported. Espathi, who came to the UK on a study visa in 2010 and proceeded to work in the arts industry before she fell ill with Crohn's disease -- a digestive tract disorder -- said she would be "risking her life" if she had to leave the country. She has launched an online campaign to seek support for her case. "I thought there was no way they could dispute my application. I wasn't expecting them to say that 'even if the drugs aren't available then you could receive palliative care'." "I'm trying to be rational. I don't think they would put me on a plane if they actually saw me. I have tubes all over me. But then I also read stories about them coming to get people with no time to get legal representation," she said. Espathi had initially been living in Britain on student and work visas, but when she fell ill she reapplied under human rights medical grounds. Her application was refused in September 2018 while she was unconscious in hospital and her appeal was refused two months later. She had to be admitted to hospital again in April due to complications with her bowel. She currently relies on a drip, has a bag attached to her stomach and is waiting to undergo further surgery in the summer. Chai Patel, legal director at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), said the Home Office's decision to issue Espathi a removal order when she was in a coma was "inhumane and cruel", but "not surprising from a department where officials are trained in how to reject human rights claims". --IANS soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An American man wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for "multiple incidents of sexual assault" between September 1995 and April 1996 involving minor girls, has finally surrendered after 23 years, the media reported. Wayne Arthur Silsbee, 62, walked into the Oregon City Police Department and turned himself in, the FBI said on Sunday, adding that his motive behind the surrender was not immediately known, reports CNN. Silsbee faces charges of first degree sodomy, first degree sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a minor and first degree unlawful sexual penetration, according to a local arrest warrant the FBI said was obtained in Clackamas County, Oregon, near Portland, in July 1996. The probe agency said it obtained a federal arrest warrant charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution that was issued on September 1996. Silsbee's first court appearance is scheduled for Monday. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Chief of Naval Operations John Michael Richardson, who is on a three-day official visit to India, on Monday met Chief of Naval Staff Sunil Lanba and discussed various issues. Both the naval chiefs discussed issues pertaining to joint operations and exercises, training, information exchange, capacity building and capacity enhancement besides other issues, Navy official said. Earlier in the day, Admiral Richardson was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the South Block lawn here. The visit of the US Navy chief aims to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two navies by emphasising the importance of information sharing and exchange. Admiral Richardson before his visit to India said in a statement: "The visit aims to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two navies by emphasizing the importance of information sharing and exchange." This is Admiral Richardson's second visit to India. --IANS rbe/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Around 1.2 million pigs have been culled in Vietnam due to the risk of being infected with African swine fever, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development said on Monday. Nguyen Xuan Cuong said that so far the virus had spread to 29 provinces, among them Dong Nai in the south, which is the largest supplier of pork in the southeast Asian country, according to news portal Vietnam Biz. Authorities warned against the fast spread of the virus and the difficulty in detecting it, resulting in the approval of a series of measures to prevent it from affecting more hog farms. According to Vietnamese experts, the outbreak spread into the country from neighbouring China, Efe news reported. In Hong Kong, 6,000 pigs were culled during the weekend for being infected with the virus. The African swine fever virus, which is harmless to humans, is a highly infectious disease for pigs and is no vaccine or medical remedy available. Since the first instances of the virus came to light in China in 2018, the epidemic has spread through the entire country, as well to neighbouring Mongolia and Cambodia, besides Vietnam, the report said. In September, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) called a three-day emergency meeting in Bangkok to formulate a regional response to outbreaks of the disease in China in late August. China produces most of the pork it consumes, although it also imports from other countries like the US, Spain and Germany. Beijing authorities culled more than 40,000 pigs, according to FAO, to contain the plague that has had at least five outbreaks in August and which, in its most severe case, leads to the death of the infected animal. African swine fever, which often affects warthogs, red river hogs (a natural pig species of the Horn of Africa) and ticks -- is not contagious to humans, but has threatened the Chinese pig market, which represents more than half of global pork production. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he would fight for justice for the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims and blamed the previous Congress governments in the Centre for not delivering justice in 35 long years. "The whole country knows what the 'guru of naamdar' (Sam Pitroda) said about 1984 riots. The party is in chaos because the truth is out," Modi said at an election meeting in this Punjab town, the home turf of the Akali Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal. "Naamdar (Rahul Gandhi), you should be ashamed. What does 'hua toh hua' mean? People were burnt alive, families were destroyed. Yet, you shamelessly claim 'hua toh hua'," he said in his 10-minute address where Badal and other Akali leaders were present. Badal's daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur is again in the fray as a Shriomani Akali Dal-BJP candidate from Bathinda. The Prime Minister said: "This chowkidar has assured that he will fight for justice for the 1984 victims. With the blessings of Badal sahab, we were successful in giving one death penalty and others life sentence." "The rest who are responsible will also be convicted soon," he added. Earlier in the day, at a rally in Khanna town, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said he told Sam Pitroda to apologize to the nation for his remarks in connection with the 1984 riots and said those guilty should be punished. Reacting to his assertions, Modi said: "Naamdaar, you pretended to scold your mentor for what? Because he publicly said what had always been in Congress' heart? It's you who should be ashamed." He lambasted the Congress for appointing a leader who was facing allegations of the riots as a Minister at the Centre and making him in-charge of Punjab. "When there was opposition, there was drama to remove him, and the Congress then made the same person the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh," the BJP leader added. Punjab will go to the polls for its 13 Lok Sabha seats on May 19. --IANS vg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This refers to "Salesforce eyes financial services market using AI" (May 13). Soon, we will have a customer asking, "Alexa which is the best deposit rate in which bank?" He can ask the Google assistant about mutual funds consistently giving good returns or the updated value of his SIPs. This out of the world experience awaits the millennial. The artificial intelligence salesforce will be a set of globally competitive, foresighted heroes. It is going to be a step further from mobile banking where chat bots will be offering all kinds of counselling on all kinds of banking ... Eleven small political parties in Thailand have announced they will support the military-backed candidate to form the next government, seven weeks after the country's first general election after five years of army rule. Their announcement Monday came after no single party won an absolute majority in the March 24 polls. The military-backed Palang Pracharath party won 115 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives, while its rival, the Pheu Thai party associated with self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, won 136. Palang Pracharath is seen as a proxy for the military, which seized power in a 2014 coup. Coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha has been prime minister in the military government, and is Palang Pracharath's candidate to remain in office as head of an elected government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The highest voter turnout of 68 per cent in the national capital was recorded in Shakur Basti and Ballimaran assembly segments, with a sizable minority population, while Delhi Cantonment recorded the lowest at 42.13 per cent. The New Delhi assembly segment, known for its VVIP voters, saw a voter turnout of 52.58 per cent, the second lowest in the city. Rural assembly segments like Matiala (59.85 per cent), Badli (57.83 per cent), Bawana (58.78 per cent), Mundka (56.03 per cent) saw an average voting of 55 per cent with Najafgarh proving to be an exception with 61.81 per cent. Scorching heat, summer vacation and voting day falling on a weekend were the main reasons cited by experts that kept voters away from polling booths in the national capital. People from the assembly segments of Shakur Basti and Ballimaran voted in maximum numbers despite scorching heat and fasting during the ongoing Ramzan. The opposition had demanded that the Election Commission should postpone the polls because of the holy month. The Northeast Delhi constituency, which has Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and AAP's Dilip Pandey in the fray, clocked the highest turnout at 63.45 per cent. The constituency comprises minority-dominated assembly segments like Seelampur (66.47 per cent), Mustafabad (65.22 per cent), Babarpur (62.14 per cent), which recorded an average voter turnout of over 60 per cent. The lowest turnout was recorded at Ghonda (59.17 per cent) in the constituency. The Chandni Chowk Lok constituency, which comprises minority-dominated areas like Ballimaran, Matia Mahal, Shakur Basti, clocked the second highest voter turnout at 62.63 per cent. Ballimaran and Shakur Basti recorded the highest voter turnout of 68.25 and 68.7 per cent, respectively. Union Minister and incumbent MP Harsh Vardhan, Congress' JP Agarwal and AAP's Pankaj Gupta are locked in a triangular contest for the seat where traders and minorities hold the key. Adarsh Nagar assembly segment clocked the lowest turnout at 57.93 per cent in the constituency. The New Delhi constituency, which has the likes of BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi, Congress' Ajay Maken and AAP's Brijesh Goyal in the battle, saw the lowest turnout at 56.91 per cent. Delhi Cantonment, which is primarily home to defence officers and personnel, saw the lowest turnout at 42.13 per cent while the New Delhi assembly segment under the constituency clocked the second lowest at 52.58 per cent. The South Delhi constituency, which is seeing a fight between incumbent MP Ramesh Bidhuri, Congress' boxer-turned-politician Vijender Singh and AAP's Raghav Chadha, clocked the second lowest voting percentage at 58.13 per cent. The Ambedkar Nagar assembly segment clocked the highest voter turnout at 62.81 per cent and the lowest turnout was recorded in Badarpur at 54.77 per cent. The Northwest Delhi constituency, which had the lowest number of candidates in the fray, clocked 58.72 per cent. The constituency comprises several rural assembly segments like Badli (57.83 per cent), Bawana (58.78 per cent), Mundka (56.03 per cent), Nangloi Jat (54.01 per cent). The Rohini assembly segment recorded the highest turnout at 63.94 per cent. East Delhi and West Delhi constituencies recorded a turnout of 61.93 and 60.64, respectively. Okhla, a minority dominated area under East delhi, clocked 58.21 per cent, and proved to be an exception among minority areas, which saw a high voter turnout. Delhi recorded a voter turnout of 60.34 per cent, five per cent less than the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, which recorded 65.22 per cent polling. Delhi Chief Electoral officer Ranbir Singh said the turnout this year was the second-highest in the last 30 years. "It is never possible to compare two different polls, but in 2014, the elections were on April 10, which was not peak summer or vacation time. Even schools were open then. "This time, elections were on a Sunday and with Saturday being a holiday, people might have gone on a vacation to nearby hill stations to escape the heat," he said. Traditionally Delhi has seen low voter turnouts and the voting percentage would usually be in fifties. The city clocked the highest percentage in 1977, after the Emergency ended. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, which saw 65.22 per cent voter turnout, the Chandni Chowk constituency had emerged at the top with 67.87 per cent, followed by Northeast at 67.32 per cent. The Northwest Delhi constituency had seen the lowest turnout at 61.81 per cent in 2014. The poll dates had set a war of words between the BJP and the opposition parties. Leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had earlier said that holding elections during Ramzan will inconvenience Muslims. BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain pointed out that Navratas, when many Hindus observe nine-day fast, will also fall during the elections. Reacting to the controversy, the Election Commission had said that polls are conducted during Ramzan as an entire month cannot be excluded from the schedule. However, dates of main festivals and Fridays are avoided as poll days, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police said they have arrested three drug traffickers and seized 34 kg ganja and electronic weighing machines from them in Muzaffarnagar district. Police also seized Rs three lakh unaccounted cash from them in Mirapur area on Sunday evening, Circle Officer Somendra Negi said. One member of the gang managed to escape. Negi said the gang was involved in supplying illegal drugs in the district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 31-year-old Tibetan died after being electrocuted at a guest house in north Delhi's Majnu ka Tila area, police said Monday. The deceased, Dolkar, was a receptionist at a guest house here. He used to stay at nearby Aruna Nagar in Majnu Ka Tila area, they said. According to a senior police official, the incident occurred on Saturday night when Dolkar had gone to fill water in a cooler in one of the guest house room. He came in contact with an open wire of a cooler placed in one of the galleries and was electrocuted, he said. Police were informed about the incident by other staffers. Dolkar was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead, he added. He was working with the guest house for the last two years. A case has been registered against the owner for negligence at the Timarpur police station. Further investigation is going on, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six people were killed and one injured on Monday afternoon after a speeding truck hit their multi-utility vehicle on National Highway 69, also known as the Betul-Nagpur Road, near here, police said. Betul Police Station in charge Motilal Kushwaha said the ill-fated vehicle was going to Navoday Vidyalaya, Prabhatpattan for school admission. "Charan Dhurve (45) and his son Ayush (15), Sakal Barkade (38) and his son Dilip (16) died along with Maniram Uike (42) and Rekha (32). Uike's daughter Ekta (16) has grievous injuries," Kushwaha said. The truck has been seized while efforts were on to nab the absconding driver, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven alleged drug peddlers have been arrested in three separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said Monday. The accused were arrested from Jammu and Reasi districts, they said. A police team Sunday intercepted two persons at Waliabad area of Sidhra in Jammu city and recovered intoxicant capsules and injections from their possession, they said. During interrogation, the accused, Nawaz Sharief and Nazir Ahmed, revealed they used to purchase the contraband from one Zulfkar Hussain Ganai from Paloura in Jammu. Police then raided Ganai's house and arrested him after recovering 230 intoxicant injections, 570 used injections, 33 Syringes, 41 needles and Rs 1,30,000 in cash from his possession, officials said. A case has been registered against the three accused and further investigation is underway, they said. In Reasi's Katra, police intercepted a car and recovered heroin from the three occupants of the vehicle on Monday, officials said. Rakesh Kumar, Mintu Sharma and Munish Kumar were arrested on the spot and a case has been registered against them at Katra police station, they said. In another incident on Monday police arrested one person after 42 gram of heroin was recovered from his possession in Jammu city, officials said. A case has been registered against the accused, Bikram Singh, at Channi Himat Police Station and further investigation is underway, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sudan's protest leaders said Monday that agreement has been reached with the country's military rulers on the makeup of a new "sovereign council" to run the country. "At today's meeting we agreed on the structure of the sovereign council which will include military and civilian representatives," Taha Osman, a spokesman for the protest movement, told AFP. Asked to elaborate, he said: "Tomorrow's discussions will revolve around the composition of the council. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has shared the story behind the title of his 1973 blockbuster "Don", saying that many of the industry veterans were not happy with the choice of the film's name. On Sunday, the 76-year-old actor celebrated the 41st anniversary of the release of "Don", which is one of the most popular characters essayed by him. "'Don' was a name title that no one in the market approved of. They never understood what it meant and never felt that a name such as 'DON' was material for the title of a Hindi film. In fact if truth be told... for many it was quite an amusing title," Bachchan wrote on his blog. The "Badla" star also shared a funny anecdote on the film title's comparison with a "very popular brand of vests". "They were carrying the name 'DAWN'. DON phonetically sounded much like that brand of undergarment in the market. There was consternation in titling a film that conveyed an undergarment," he added. The actor revealed after the release of Hollywood classic "Godfather", the title 'Don' became "respectable". "Much later of course with the 'Godfather' series the word garnered enough publicity and reckoning, to be respectable enough. But till then initially it was in the realm of humour." The film was written by popular writer duo Salim-Javed and directed by Chandra Barot. It also starred Zeenat Aman, Iftekhar, Helen and Pran. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) GCMMF, which markets under the brand, is expecting 20 per cent increase in its turnover this fiscal at around Rs 40,000 crore, driven by likely growth in volume and value terms, a top company official said. Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) posted 13 per cent increase in its turnover at Rs 33,150 crore during 2018-19 from Rs 29,225 crore in the previous fiscal. "In the last financial year, our revenue growth was because of higher volume and there was no price increase across our product portfolio. But, in this year we are expecting growth in both volume and value terms," MD R S Sodhi told PTI. He said the company is expecting 20 per cent growth in turnover during 2019-20. Sodhi also said that the milk procurement prices have gone up in the last few months in states like "We were paying our farmers higher prices when milk procurement prices declined in many states. So there will be no impact on us," he added. He ruled out any immediate plan to increase prices of milk. Recently, GCMMF had said that the provisional unduplicated group turnover of Amul Federation and its 18 member unions crossed Rs 45,000 crore in 2018-19, an increase of 13 per cent from the previous year. The 18 member unions of Amul Federation, with a farmer-member strength of more than 36 lakh across 18,700 villages of Gujarat, are procuring on an average 230 lakh litre of milk per day. The member unions of Amul plan to enhance the milk processing capacity from the current level of 350 lakh litre per day to 3,80,400 lakh litre per day in the next two years. The wife of Meng Hongwei, the former Interpol president jailed in China for what she believes are political reasons, said Monday that France has saved her life and the lives of their two young boys by granting her asylum request. The French government office that rules on asylum requests rendered its decision last week, granting her refugee status, Grace Meng's legal team said. The asylum office didn't respond to Associated Press contacts by phone and email, and the French Interior Ministry said it doesn't comment on individual cases. Grace Meng told the AP that the guarantee of being able to stay in France, where Meng Hongwei was stationed with Interpol, offers her family greater security while she pursues her struggle to get information from China about her husband's whereabouts and even whether he is still alive. "If France hadn't protected me, I would have been killed ages ago," she said. "It's a second life for us, me and my children." Her last communication with her husband was an emoji of a knife he texted her from China shortly before he disappeared on a trip to Beijing last September. Chinese authorities subsequently announced that Meng Hongwei was in detention, accused of corruption. He was expelled from the ruling Communist Party and from his office as vice minister of public security, a title he retained after his 2016 election to the presidency of Interpol, the international police liaison organization headquartered in Lyon, France. Grace Meng claims her husband is a victim of political persecution in China. There are suspicions that he fell out of favour with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has carried out a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption and perceived disloyalty that observers say is calculated to strengthen party control while bringing down potential challengers to his authority. Last week, Chinese prosecutors indicted Meng Hongwei on charges of accepting bribes, accusing him of abusing his positions to "illegally accept cash and property in return for performing favors for others." Grace Meng said that China has failed to provide a shred of evidence to support the accusations. "This is a political case," she told the AP. In the wake of her husband's detention, Grace Meng has lived under police protection in France. In filing her asylum request to French authorities last November, her lawyers argued that she would be in danger if she returns to China, having criticized Chinese authorities' handling of his case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Merchant service and UPI payments app BharatPe Monday said it has roped in Bollywood actor Salman Khan as its brand ambassador. The company is on an aggressive growth spree and will be launching a brand advertising campaign with Khan shortly, it said in a release. The new brand campaign with Khan will be focused towards educating merchants and users about UPI payments along with driving adoption of BharatPe app for all their business needs, it added. The fintech startup will also partner with the actor for outdoor campaigns, radio, social media and in-app education initiatives, the statement said. "BharatPe is positioned as the business utility app for small and medium businesses. The brand's synergy with brand Salman Khan lies in the manner that we both are determined to serve Bharat, the real India," BharatPe co-founder and CEO Ashneer Grover said. Khan is a universally loved and respected superstar whose body of work always cuts across with the audience, he added. "We are privileged to have him as the face of BharatPe to take the financial inclusion to small businesses, who need it the most," he said. Co-founded by Grover and Shashvat Nakrani in 2018, BharatPe offers merchants a single interface for all UPI apps like Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay, BHIM, Mobikwik, Freecharge and others. BharatPe has raised three financing rounds worth USD 17.5 million till date from investors like Insight Partners, Sequoia and Beenext. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress Monday dubbed the BJP 'Bharatiya Jinnah Party' after the saffron party's Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha candidate claimed that Partition could have been avoided had Jawaharlal Nehru allowed Muhammad Ali Jinnah to be prime minister. Demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's apology over BJP candidate Guman Singh Damor's statement, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera slammed Modi for going to Ratlam and campaign for the saffron party nominee on Monday. Damor, in an election rally on Saturday in Ranapur town, Madhya Pradesh, said, "If (India's first prime minister) Nehru was not obstinate during the time of Independence, then this nation would not have been divided into two." "Jinnah (the founder of Pakistan) was an advocate and a learned man. If a decision was taken to make Jinnah PM at the time, then India would not have been partitioned," he claimed. At a press conference, Khera said, "Those who created furore over Jinnah's portrait in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) are now campaigning for a person who praised Jinnah. Damor with his remarks has exposed the thinking of the BJP and the RSS." "Damor hoped that Jinnah would have been the first prime minister. There can be two things. Either these people have become so blinded by their hatred against Nehru that they end up loving Jinnah, or they have become so blinded by their love for Jinnah that they end up hating Nehru," the Congress spokesperson said. These are the same people who formed government with Fazlul Haq's Muslim League before Independence, Khera said, adding it was in the Sindh Assembly that the resolution supporting the two-nation theory was passed, but the Hindu Mahasabha did not pull out of government. Syama Prasad Mookerjee was finance minister in Bengal with the Muslim League and V D Savarkar first talked about two nation theory, Khera said. "Now Modi-ji is campaigning for his Jinnah-supporting candidate. Now it is becoming clear why Modi-ji invited Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in, why he went to Pakistan uninvited and why Imran Khan wants them to come to power. This is the Bharatiya Jinnah Party," he said. Khera also urged the prime minister, Amit Shah and "blog minister" Arun Jaitley to speak out on the issue. "We condemn the statement. We demand an apology from the PM, Amit Shah, Arun Jaitley and all senior BJP leaders," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three explosions ripped through an Afghan provincial capital, Jalalabad, killing three people and wounding another 20 on Monday. All of the casualties were believed to be civilians, said Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for eastern Nangarhar's governor. No one claimed responsibility for the attack which came as the United Nations expressed grave concerns about the increase in violence around the country during the first week Ramadan, the ongoing Muslim month of fasting from sunrise to sunset. Both the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate operate in Nangarhar province. Over the past year, the U.S. has stepped up its air strikes in the area to try to dislodge IS fighters. The explosions took place in Jalalabad's city center, but the target was not immediately clear. In a statement earlier Monday, the U.N. Mission in Afghanistan pointed out two major Taliban attacks in the past week an assault in the capital, Kabul, on a non-governmental agency that killed five and an attack in northern Baghlan province that struck a police headquarters, killing 13 officers. "There can be absolutely no justification for deliberate or indiscriminate attacks against civilians," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative, was quoted as saying. Late Sunday, Taliban targeted security checkpoints in Afghanistan's northern Sari Pul province, killing at least seven members of the country's security forces, provincial officials said Monday. The insurgents also abducted two members of the force and left five wounded in the attacks near the provincial capital, said Mohammad Noor Rahmani, head of the provincial council. The troops were in charge of providing security for fuel wells in the area. Zabi Amani, the provincial governor's spokesman, said four Taliban fighters were killed in what he said was a gunbattle that lasted several hours. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but provincial officials blamed the Taliban insurgents who repeatedly target Afghan security forces in the province. In recent months, the Taliban have stepped up their attacks, inflicting staggering casualties on Afghan forces, and now hold sway over half the country. The U.S., meanwhile, has accelerated efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the 17-year war America's longest conflict and has pressed for direct talks between the Taliban and Kabul. The Taliban have rejected an offer by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government for a cease-fire during Ramadan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Iranian woman employee of the British Council has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for "spying", the judiciary's website Mizan Online reported Monday, sparking concern in London. "An Iranian citizen in charge of the Iran desk at the... British Council was cooperating with English spying agencies," Mizan reported, quoting judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili. He did not identify the suspect but said she had been sentenced recently after she "made a straightforward confession". Esmaili added that the suspect, who had been tasked with drawing up and managing cultural "infiltration" projects, had been arrested by Iranian intelligence and security agencies "more than a year ago". Britain's foreign ministry voiced concern over the case. "We are very concerned by reports that an Iranian British Council employee has been sentenced to jail on charges of espionage," a spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office told AFP. "British Embassy officials in Tehran are in touch with the Iranian government to seek further information." The British Council, a cultural and educational organisation with branches around the world, said in a statement that "it does not have offices or representatives in Iran, and does not do any work in Iran". Iranian authorities shut down the British Council's office in Tehran more than a decade ago for what Esmaili described as "illegal activities". Esmaili said that during her confession, the suspect described how she had been recruited, telling investigators about her instructions from the "English security agency". The spokesman said she was "an Iranian student who wanted to live and work in the UK", was hired by the British Council and "repeatedly travelled to Iran under aliases... and made connections with artistic and theatre groups". A London-based British Council employee, Aras Amiri, was arrested in Iran in 2018 during a trip to visit relatives. It was not immediately clear if she was the person whose sentencing was announced on Monday. The "safety and wellbeing (of colleagues) remain our first concern... We are in close contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office," the British Council said. "We are a non-political organisation committed to people-to-people engagement, and our staff are not connected to any espionage agency." The sentencing comes amid tensions between Iran and Britain over the fate of British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was arrested by Iranian authorities in 2016 as she was leaving Tehran. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was put on trial and is now serving a five-year jail sentence for allegedly trying to topple the Iranian government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) / -- World's largest ceramics expo Ceramix-19 to be held in Gujarat Ceramic industry expected to grow at 9% CAGR to become 7.5bln EUR by 2022 The Indian tile industry is growing at 15% per anum Morbi accounts for over 70% of the total production in India Ceramix 2019, organised by Octagon Communications, aimed to bring forward the growth of Indian Ceramic industry to the dealers and distributors of the country and to showcase the new products and developments in the cluster, is an effort to be a voice of the industry and bridge amongst the stakeholders. The dealers and distributors are the front of the industry that understand the new requirements of the end users and hence are an important cog in the wheel of development of new products. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1J10__n_LgUHNhP3za5CBTtDtB02cAxZH CEO of Ceramix-19, Mr. Sandip Patel said, "The exhibition is back in its full vigor in the 3rd installment to help this year from 21st to 24th November 2019 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. After the two successful editions of Vibrant Ceramics in 2016 and 2017, the exhibition and summit are planning to expand the horizons to newer geographies and sectors to be more inclusive inviting not only the ceramic industry but also the allied industry sectors from building & construction industry." This year, the dealers and distributors will not only be witness to the Indian manufacturers and exhibitors but will also witness the participation of global manufacturers from Spain, Poland, Vietnam, China, Thailand, Brazil, etc. This will give them an excellent opportunity to not only represent Indian companies but also work with global players and carry a wider range of products on their shelf. Participants from more than 40 countries and 100 smart cities of India will be there. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GBTvWoeUH5f2j3U9G6N2zl499IvRawWH Vibrant Ceramics 2016 and Vibrant Ceramics 2017 were highly successful in connecting the industry to all corners of the country has been revamped to a new brand called Ceramix 2019 from Vibrant Ceramics as the new platform aims to be the melting pot for all allied industry sector for building and construction, thus giving an opportunity to the entire value chain to come together and do business. It aims to be the one-stop solution for the manufacturers, exporters, importers, distributors, retailers, architects, interior decorators, logistic companies, academicians, researchers, and innovators. The cluster of Morbi, caters to 90% of India's demand of Ceramic tiles and with the growing demand due to the industrial growth, housing needs, surplus income and spending powers coupled the government's major initiatives of housing for all and smart cities development presents a massive business opportunity for the dealers and distributors from across the country. The team in its vision to develop this as a full-fledged platform for the stakeholders to come together and do business has connected with manufacturers, architects & interior decorators globally especially in the USA, Spain, China, and Vietnam. The team visited Spain, which is considered the Mecca of Ceramic Tiles. Ceramix 2019 has made a permanent base in Spain with its team working full time along with the manufacturers of Spain and Italy to collaborate on a long-term basis to ensure interests on both sides. The Manufacturing Association of Spain, ASCER along with its team of Qualicer- the annual knowledge conference shall be participating in Ceramix 2019 to invite speakers, deliberators, researchers, innovators, Industry leaders and trendsetters to come and showcase the new developments to the rest of the ceramic world. ASCER shall also bring the leading manufacturers of the industry from Spain to be a part of Ceramix 2019 giving a chance to Indian dealers and distributors to connect with them. Last pit stop before the finishing point in India was the Union of Architects in Paris which is the federation of all associations of Architects across the world. The UIA has a rich resource of architects who represent the industry from across the world through its platform of UIA. UIA has agreed to partner with Ceramix 2019 through a delegation of architects by representing from each of the major regions such as North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. For the benefit of Ceramic industry, such an interesting platform is being developed in India and it is making efforts to bring the entire industry value chain to the beneficiaries (dealers and distributors in this case), thereby giving them an opportunity to save on the cost of developing new business opportunity and presenting variety of options. The opportunity is there, the right time is here, companies and people from India and overseas are ready to connect with Indian dealers and distributors - the main question to be asked to Indian dealers & distributors is, whether the Ceramic industry is ready? Website - www.ceramixexpo.com About Octagon Communications Octagon Communications Pvt Ltd was launched with a vision to be an expert in the field of trade fair and corporate exhibitions. Trade shows are designed for entrepreneurs and companies to meet potential customers face to face and get instant feedback about the product. Trade shows have been recognized internationally as a crucial part of marketing. In India, trade shows have been gaining momentum. Octagon Communications aims to provide B2B/B2C & Knowledge sharing platform for different industries and professionals by organizing trade shows integrated with summits, Seminars-Workshops and cultural events at a global scale across India. Visit: https://www.octagoncom. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Accusing China of breaking the negotiated trade deal draft with the United States, President Donald Trump on Sunday said Beijing was now "dreaming" that he would be replaced by a Democratic candidate after the 2020 presidential elections. In a series of tweets, Trump indicated toughening of his stand against China. After the near collapse of trade talks with China last week, Trump on Friday imposed a hefty duty on import of Chinese products from 10 per cent to 25 per cent worth more than USD 200 billion and asking for a similar increase on tariff on the rest of the Chinese import of over USD 300 billion. "We are right where we want to be with China. Remember, they broke the deal with us and tried to renegotiate," Trump said justifying his decision to impose a hefty tax on Chinese products. The new taxes would result in hefty revenue to the US, he said. "We will be taking in Tens of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs from China. Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-Tariffed countries...," he said. "We will then spend (match or better) the money that China may no longer be spending with our Great Patriot Farmers (Agriculture), which is a small percentage of total Tariffs received, and distribute the food to starving people in nations around the world! GREAT! #MAGA," Trump said. A few hours later, he asserted that China's sudden change in policy was mainly because it thought that leaders from the opposition Democratic party would be able to replace him in the White House after the 2020 presidential elections. By doing so, China was dreaming, he said. "China is DREAMING that Sleepy Joe Biden, or any of the others, gets elected in 2020. They LOVE ripping off America!," Trump said. Appearing on Fox News, Trump's top economic advisor Larry Kudlow said the consumers of the United States would pay the increased taxes. "It's not China that pays the tariffs, it's the American importers, the American companies that pay what, is in fact, a tax increase," he said. "Fair enough. In fact, both sides will pay in these things, and of course it depends," he said when asked "if it's a tariff on goods coming into the country, the Chinese aren't paying". Congressman Warren Davidson sought to impose sanctions on China on Sunday for walking away from good faith negotiations. "If China walks away from good faith negotiations, we could minimise collateral damage to US consumers and economy by using targeted sanctions against specific companies using subsidies, dumping, or stolen IP. Multiply allies instead of multiplying enemies," Davidson said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump has defended his tariff policy and blamed China for breaking the trade deal, asserting that the negotiations are "right where we want to be" as the world's two largest economies remain locked in a bruising trade war after the latest round of talks ended without an agreement. After the near collapse of trade talks with China last week, Trump on Friday imposed punitive duties on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese imports, raising them to 25 per cent from 10 per cent, and asked for a similar increase on tariff on the rest of the Chinese import of over USD 300 billion. In a series of tweets, Trump on Sunday indicated toughening of his stand against China. "We are right where we want to be with China. Remember, they broke the deal with us and tried to renegotiate," Trump said, justifying his decision to impose a hefty tax on Chinese products, including fish, handbags, clothing and footwear. The new taxes would result in hefty revenue to the US, he said. "We will be taking in tens of billions of dollars in tariffs from China. Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-tariffed countries...," he said. "We will then spend (match or better) the money that China may no longer be spending with our Great Patriot Farmers (Agriculture), which is a small percentage of total tariffs received, and distribute the food to starving people in nations around the world! GREAT! #MAGA," Trump said. The US President later asserted that China's sudden change in policy was mainly because it thought that leaders from the opposition Democratic party would be able to replace him in the White House after the 2020 presidential elections. By doing so, China was dreaming, he said. "China is dreaming that sleepy Joe Biden, or any of the others, gets elected in 2020. They love ripping off America!," Trump said. Appearing on Fox News, Trump's top economic advisor Larry Kudlow said the consumers of the United States would pay the increased taxes. "It's not China that pays the tariffs, it's the American importers, the American companies that pay what, is in fact, a tax increase," he said. "Fair enough. In fact, both sides will pay in these things, and of course it depends," he said when asked "if it's a tariff on goods coming into the country, the Chinese aren't paying?" Congressman Warren Davidson sought to impose sanctions on China on Sunday for walking away from good faith negotiations. "If China walks away from good faith negotiations, we could minimise collateral damage to US consumers and economy by using targeted sanctions against specific companies using subsidies, dumping, or stolen IP. Multiply allies instead of multiplying enemies," Davidson said. Trump new move to raise tariffs came as China's top trade negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, on Friday concluded his two days of trade talks with the US team led by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. The 11th round of talks in Washington ended Friday with no deal, but the Chinese vice premier said the negotiations had not broken down. "Negotiations have not broken down. Quite the opposite. I think they are normal. Small setbacks are inevitable in bilateral negotiations. Looking ahead, we are cautiously optimistic about the future, " Liu was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. China believes tariffs are the starting point of the bilateral trade disputes. If a deal is to be reached, the tariffs should all be eliminated. This is the first point, Liu said. The second is related China's promise to buy more goods from the US, he said Trump has been demanding that China reduce the massive trade deficit which last year climbed to over USD 539 billion. He is also pressing for verifiable measures for protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), technology transfer and more access to American goods to Chinese markets. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Monday praised the Pakistan's security forces for their "swift action" in neutralising the terrorists who attacked a luxury hotel in Gwadar and ensured the safety of the Chinese personnel and institutions there. Three militants of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), armed with automatic weapons, stormed the Pearl Continental (PC) hotel in Pakistan's port city of Gwadar on Saturday and opened random firing. Eight persons, including four civilians, a Pakistan Navy soldier, were killed and six others were injured in the deadly attack. All three attackers were also killed by the security forces. "China strongly condemns the terrorist attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar, expresses its condolences to the victims' families and the injured," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here while answering a question on the BLA attack. "According to China's understanding there are no reports of Chinese casualties. Pakistan's security forces took swift measures to eliminate terrorists, effectively guaranteeing security and stability in Gwadar and the safety of local Chinese personnel and institutions. China appreciates this," he said. According to a BBC report, the BLA said that the hotel, a centrepiece of a multi-billion-dollar Chinese project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), was selected in order to target Chinese and other investors. A large number of Chinese are currently working in Gwadar, the key port in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province which is being linked to China's Xinjiang province as part of the USD 60 billion CPEC. The BLA is opposing the foreign (Chinese) investments in Balochistan, saying they do not benefit the local people. Geng said "China will continue to firmly support Pakistan's anti-terrorism efforts and believes that the Pakistani government and army are capable of maintaining national security and stability." Referring to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement condemning the attack, the spokesperson said, "We note that Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack saying that it is an attempt to undermine Pakistan's economic prosperity and stressed that his country would not allow terrorist plots to succeed." Geng said that China has always supported Pakistan's national development, and "we will continue to support Pakistan's economic and social development and the improvement of people's livelihoods. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Monday asserted that it will "never succumb to foreign pressure" after US President Donald Trump warned his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that Beijing "will be hurt very badly if you don't make a deal." After the near collapse of trade talks with China last week, Trump on Friday imposed punitive duties on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese imports, raising them to 25 per cent from 10 per cent, and asked for a similar increase on tariff on the rest of the Chinese import of over USD 300 billion. "I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you don't make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries," Trump tweeted on Monday. "Too expensive to buy in China. You had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out!" Trump said ramping up his remarks against Beijing after the collapse of trade negotiations with China. Asked about Trump's threat to impose tariffs on all Chinese imports which totalled to USD 539.5 billion last year after the just concluded 11th round of talks failed to make head way to end the trade war between the top countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said "we have repeatedly stated that raising tariffs won't any problem." "China will never succumb to foreign pressure. We are determined and capable to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests," he said. "We still hope that the US will meet halfway and try to solve the issues between us on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. This is in line with both sides interests and is the aspiration of the international community," he said. Trump has been demanding that China reduce the massive trade deficit which last year climbed to over USD 539 billion. He is also pressing for verifiable measures for protection of intellectual property rights, technology transfer and more access to American goods to Chinese markets. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China conducted test flights of passenger planes on Monday at its new USD 11.5 billion airport in Beijing that is set to become one of the world's busiest after it opens later this year. The much-anticipated Daxing International Airport, located 46 kms from the city, is designed to take pressure off the overcrowded Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA), one of the busiest in the world. The new airport located at the junction of Daxing district and Langfang, a city in North China's Hebei Province, will have seven runways and is expected to handle 45 million passengers annually by 2021 and 72 million by 2025, state-run CGTN reported. China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China and Xiamen Airlines sent their flagship Boeing and Airbus planes for the test. So far over 50 airlines have expressed their interest in operating from the airport. The new airport carried out test flights, verified various systems in the airport, including flight procedures, minimum performance criteria, communication facilities navigation, meteorology, runways and the airfield lighting system. This is the first time that commercial passenger aircraft have landed at the airport, signalling that the basic construction is complete. After this verification, the airport will go on with its efforts to get ready for commercial operation, the report said. The airport is of the highest standard in China and has the longest runways to provide the best condition for planes to land. The budget for building the airport amounted to USD 11.5 billion, the report said. The test followed the airport's first flight of verification planes on January 22 this year. The construction process is set to end by June 30 and the airport is scheduled to take low-visibility flight test in August and go into operation by September 30. The new airport is 67 kms away from the BCIA, one of the busiest in the world. Ninety-six million passengers passed through the BCIA in 2017. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amidst reports that some 200 American firms are in talks of moving their units from China to India, US President Donald Trump on Monday warned his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that China "will be hurt very badly if you don't make a deal." "I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you don't make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries," Trump tweeted. "Too expensive to buy in China. You had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out!" Trump said ramping up his remarks against Beijing after the collapse of trade negotiations with China. Officials of the Trump Administration say that China backed out of a trade deal that they had negotiated over past several months involving top officials from the two countries. Last November, Trump and Xi had agreed to negotiate a trade deal in 100 days. As a result, Trump paused his decision to increase import tariffs of Chinese products. The negotiation period was extended after March. According to US officials, the two countries were ready with the draft of the final deal that they had negotiated. But early this month China came out with proposals for major changes. US now accuses China of going back on its commitment. In retaliation, Trump increased import tariff (from 10 per cent to 25 per cent) on nearly USD 200 billion of Chinese products. He has also ordered for similar import tariffs on the rest of the Chinese imports of about USD 300 billion. According to US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), more than 200 American companies are currently in talks with it for moving their business from China to India. "We have roughly, almost 200 (US) companies talking to us about how to set up an alternative to China by investing in India," Mukesh Aghi, president & CEO of USISPF, told PTI last month. "What they're saying is we want a backup strategy to start manufacturing in India. There are small-small issues, which can slow them down. And at the moment most of them are waiting for elections to be over. But there's a large deluge of companies keen to not only manufacture in India but also who want to go after the domestic market," Aghi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China warned Monday that it will "never surrender to external pressure" after the United States ordered tariffs on almost all Chinese exports. The latest round of trade negotiations ended Friday without a deal, with President Donald Trump increasing tariffs on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25 per cent and ordering the start of a process to impose new duties on another USD 300 billion. China vowed last week to hit back with the "necessary countermeasures", though it has yet to specify what they will look like. "China will never surrender to external pressure," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular briefing Monday. "We are determined to have the ability to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests." "We have said many times that imposing tariffs will not solve any problems," Geng said, adding that China hoped the United States will work with Beijing to reach a "mutually beneficial and win-win agreement." China's top trade negotiator, Liu He, said Friday that talks would continue in Beijing at an unspecified date. White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow told US media Sunday that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could meet next month on the sidelines of the G20 summit to hash out their differences on trade, although no new talks are scheduled. "The two presidents maintain contact through various means," Geng said, without confirming a possible meeting between the two leaders. Beijing has so far slapped tariffs on USD 110 billion worth of US goods in retaliation to the US punitive duties. A further USD 50 billion in Chinese goods which were already hit with 25 per cent tariffs last summer were left unchanged by Trump. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Clashes on the edge of a jihadist bastion in northwestern Syrian have killed 35 fighters in 24 hours, a war monitor said Monday, after weeks of regime bombardment of the region. The northwestern region has come under increasing fire by the regime and its ally Russia in recent weeks, despite a buffer zone deal intended to shield it from any government offensive. The region controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, includes most of the Idlib province as well as parts of neighbouring Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia provinces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that 16 loyalists and 19 jihadists died from Sunday to Monday in clashes in the area of Jabal al-Akrad in Latakia province, which lies on the bastion's northwestern edge. Russian and regime aircraft bombarded the area on Monday with missiles and barrel bombs, while they also carried out strikes on southern areas of the region, said the Britain-based war monitor. Russian air strikes hit a branch of the White Helmets rescue volunteers in the town of Kafranbel, knocking it out of action, the Observatory and a rescue worker said. "Two high-explosive missiles hit the centre" just minutes after its personnel had headed out to the site of strikes in a nearby village, Oneida Zikra, the civil defence chief for the area, told AFP. In a regime-held town in Hama province to the south of the bastion, retaliatory rocket fire on Monday killed one child, the Observatory and state agency SANA said. Five others were also wounded in the Christian-majority town of Suqaylabiyah, SANA added. Idlib's three million inhabitants are supposed to be protected from a massive regime assault by a September buffer zone deal signed by Russia and rebel backer Turkey. But that agreement was never fully implemented after jihadists refused to withdraw from the planned buffer area. An uptick in air strikes and shelling displaced 180,000 people between April 29 and May 9 alone, the United Nations says. The Observatory says 119 civilians have been killed in the bombardment since late April. In a filmed interview released on Sunday night, HTS chief Abu Mohammad al-Jolani urged supporters to "take up weapons" to defend Idlib. The spike in violence signalled "the death of all previous agreements and conferences", he said. Damascus has not announced a wide offensive, but instead regularly announces targeting "terrorist" -- meaning jihadist or rebel -- positions. Analysts believe the offensive will be limited. The civil war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and ETSI have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to foster closer co-operation on telecom standardisation. A European standardisation organisation, ETSI is not-for-profit body with over 850 member entities gobally and offers an open and inclusive environment to support development, ratification and testing of globally applicable standards for Information and communications technology (ICT) systems and services across various sectors. The MoU was signed by Rajan S Mathews, Director General of COAI and Luis Jorge Romero, Director General of ETSI. "ETSI and COAI have a common objective to perform and promote, directly or indirectly, regional and international standardisation with the aim of contributing to the establishment of global information infrastructure," a joint statement said. Seconded European Standardization Expert, the local representative of ETSI, will work closely with COAI to strengthen their relationship and foster a closer co-operation on common-agenda items between them, and promote ETSI-India cooperation on standards-related issues. "This partnership will allow us to have a regular and continuous dialogue between European Union and India to strengthen the standardisation efforts in the field of ICT, through various workshops, conferences and meetings, Mathews said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended names of four high court judges for their appointment as chief justices of the high courts of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana. As per May 10 resolutions uploaded on the apex court website, a three-member Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, recommended to the Centre the name of Justice D N Patel for his appointment as the chief justice of Delhi High Court. Similarly, the Collegium has recommended names of Justices A A Kureshi, V Ramasubramanian and R S Chauhan for their appointment as chief justices of high courts of Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana respectively. "Office of the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court would be falling vacant very shortly, consequent upon retirement of Justice Rajendra Menon, chief justice of that high court. Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made," the Collegium, also comprising Justices S A Bobde and N V Ramana, said. "Justice D N Patel is a senior puisne Judge from Gujarat High Court and at present is functioning, on transfer, in Jharkhand High Court. Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium is of the considered view that Justice D N Patel is suitable in all respects for being appointed as chief justice of the Delhi High Court," the resolution said. Recommending the name of Justice Ramasubramanian for appointment as chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, the Collegium said it has taken into consideration the fact that at present there is only one chief justice from Madras High Court. "Justice V Ramasubramanian is the senior-most judge from Madras High Court and at present is functioning, on transfer, in Telangana High Court. Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium is of the considered view that Justice V Ramasubramanian is suitable in all respects for being appointed as chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court," the resolution said. Regarding Justice Kureshi, the Collegium said he is the senior-most judge from the Gujarat High Court and at present is functioning, on transfer, in the Bombay High Court. "Office of the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court would be falling vacant, very shortly, consequent upon retirement of Justice S K Seth, chief justice of that high court. Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made," it said. The Collegium resolution said that Justice Chauhan is the senior-most judge from Rajasthan High Court and at present is functioning in Telangana High Court as acting chief justice. "Office of the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, which has recently been constituted as separate high court for the state of Telangana, has been lying vacant for some time. Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made," it said. Besides them, the Collegium has also recommended the names of two advocates, Vishal Dhagat and Vishal Mishra, for appointment as judges at the Madhya Pradesh High Court. It dealt with the file relating to proposal for appointment of five advocates as judges of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. "For purpose of assessing merit and suitability of the above-named recommendees for elevation to the high court, we have carefully scrutinized the material on record including the observations made by the Department of Justice as well as certain complaints, placed before us. Apart from this, the Collegium had an interaction with all the recommendees on April 1, 2019," the resolution said. It noted that proposal regarding elevation of the three other advocates as judges "deserves to be remitted" to the Madhya Pradesh High Court. (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 directed police to complete investigations in the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora district on a fast track basis. The state police has constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the rape case and one person has been arrested. The governor has also directed the Divisional Commissioner and the Inspector General of Police of Kashmir to personally monitor the investigation, an official spokesman said. Malik expressed deep shock and pain over incident and took a detailed report of the ongoing investigation in the case. The spokesman said a separate inquiry has also been ordered to check the veracity of the age of the accused and ascertain the authenticity of the age certificate. Preliminary medical examination of the youth accused of raping the girl has shown that he is not a juvenile, police said Monday. The governor has assured the people that the administration is taking all step for maintaining public order and anybody having any grievance or apprehension should contact the police control room or the Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir's office, the spokesman said. The governor also appealed to the people not to pay heed to rumours and said rumour mongers will be dealt strictly as per the law, he said. "On learning about the unfortunate incident, the governor immediately spoke toS P Pani, IGP Kashmir, and took a detailed review of the ongoing investigations into the case," the spokesman said. Malik directed the IGP to work swiftly in the case and ensure that the culprit gets exemplary punishment. The governor has also spoken to religious leaders of different communities and asked them to deplore this gruesome incident, and appeal to the people to remain calm and not let anti-social elements disturb peace and harmony, the spokesman said. Earlier in the day, over 40 security personnel, including an officer, and seven civilians were injured as clashes broke out in Jammu and Kashmir during protest against the alleged rape of the girl. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court Monday admitted a criminal defamation complaint against Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and spokesperson Harish Khurana for "defaming" an AAP volunteer by allegedly accusing him of assaulting chief minister Arvind Kejriwal during a poll rally. In his complaint, Sushil Kumar also sought the prosecution of the BJP leaders for an alleged criminal conspiracy to defame the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi by terming the incident as "staged" by Kejriwal. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal directed the complainant to file certain evidence in the case and posted the matter for further hearing on May 30. The complainant's advocate Mohd Irsad accused Tiwari of making "false" and "frivolous" statements with the intention to "malign the image of the complainant and the AAP amongst the electorate of Delhi". "Accused number 1 (Tiwari) made an oral statement and accused number 2 (Khurana) made a written imputation on his Twitter account concerning the complainant and the AAP intending to harm the reputation of the complainant," the complaint said. Kejriwal was atop an open jeep when a man wearing a red t-shirt jumped onto the vehicle and slapped him during a roadshow in West Delhi's Moti Nagar on May 4. The attacker, identified by the police as 33-year-old Suresh, was arrested and an FIR was filed against him under relevant sections. If convicted, the accused may get a maximum two year jail term. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Economic Offences Court here on Monday posted to May 28 the questioning of former AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala in a decades old FERA case, citing inadequate facilities as on date to record her answers. When the case came up before the Economic Offences (EO) Court, days after the Madras High Court allowed Sasikala to appear for questioning through video conference from a Bengaluru prison, Judge S Malarmathi posted the matter for hearing to May 28. Sasikala, a former AIADMK leader and aide of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, is serving sentence in a disproportionate assets case in the Parapana Agrahara Central Prison at Bengaluru. Special Public Prosecutor (Enforcement Directorate) G Hema told reporters, "due to inadequate facilities like non-availability of a stenographer," as on date, the questioning has been posted by the court to the last week of the month. Following Sasikala's questioning through video conference under section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc), her signature on the document detailing her answers will be obtained from her in the presence of Bengaluru prison superintendent, she added. The EO court had earlier in the month directed Sasikala to appear before it on May 13 for questioning. Later, she approached the High Court for appearance through video-conference, which was allowed. The case filed in 1998 by the Enforcement Directorate relates to purchase of transponders for the now defunct JJ TV channel allegedly violating the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA). There are four other cases of violation of FERA against Sasikala. Following completion of cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses on April 29, the court had directed Sasikala to appear before it Monday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cracks within the ruling coalition partners in Karnataka appeared to widen as JD(S) state president A H Vishwanath and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah accused each other of not following the "coalition dharma." The flare-up between the two leaders that could complicate matters for the Congress and JD(S) further stemmed from the growing 'Siddaramiaah for CM' clamour within the Congress. The call has irked the JD(S) leadership, with Vishwanath Sunday flaying it as "chamchagiri" (sycophancy) and questioning the ability of Siddaramaiah as an administrator. "What is so special (about Siddaramaiah rule), was his administration greater than Devraj Urs'? People remember Devraj Urs even today after 30 years. What great administration happened (during Siddaramaiah) to remember it for decades? What major developmental work happened? Nothing...," Vishwanath had said Sunday. A miffed Siddaramaiah tweeted Monday, "I would raise the jealous statement by Vishwanath in the coordination committee. Earlier it was G T Deve Gowda (higher education minister) and now Vishwanath. Don't know who is the next? It is better if seniors in JD(S) take note of it." He said "coalition Dharma" was preventing him from speaking openly against "irresponsible" remarks of Vishwanath. "Vishwanath is notorious for his mischievous statements. May God give him wisdom," Siddaramaiah tweeted. Reacting to Siddaramaiah's tweet, Vishwanath Monday questioned what Siddaramaiah had done as the chairperson of the coordination committee of Congress and JD(S). Speaking to reporters, Vishwanath said, "The coordination committee has been formed for coalition dharma. Do discuss in the coordination committee. You are the chairman there. Who has stopped you from saying in the coordination committee that you want to be the chief minister." He also emphasised upon the fact that the coordination committee could not draw a common minimum programme even in the last one year. "Coordination committee has to coordinate between both coalition partners in the government JD(S) and Congress. You are not ready. You are accusing me of being irresponsible," Vishwanath said. He said though Siddaramaiah had been the chairman for a year, the common minimum programme has not been prepared yet. "It has not yet framed which direction the government should proceed, what the programmes of the government should be and which are the principles of the two parties to proceed with," Vishwanath charged. He also stressed that if at all there is any scope for Siddaramaiah to become chief minister again, it will be only in 2022 and not before that. Deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwara, who is from the Congress, too blamed Vishwanath for his remarks. "I am not aware of personal differences of opinion between two leaders. However, when the two parties decided to run the government together it was not appropriate for Vishwanath to speak low about the coordination committee chairman. Such talk should not happen in future." "Even we should not speak so. That's what is called as 'Coalition Dharma," he said. As the two leaders sparred, the BJP termed Vishwanath's remarks as a reflection of the JD(S) leadership. "It is not a statement by A H Vishwanath but something Kumaraswamy wants to convey through him," BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa said. Bickering between coalition partners was evident even during the Lok Sabha elections. Though the two parties fought together bitter rivalry still prevailed at the grassroot level. Squabbling was quite evident in Tumakuru, Hassan and Mandya from where JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, his grandsons Prajwal Revanna and Nikhil Kumaraswamy contested respectively. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 'D' (doubtful) voter has died in Assam after falling from his bed in a detention camp at Tezpur central jail, jail authorities said. The 'D' voter identified as Basudev Biswash (58) was rushed to Kanaklata Civil Hospital on Saturday where he was declared dead, the jail authorities said here Sunday. 'D' voter is a category of voters in Assam who are disenfranchised by the government on account of their alleged lack of proper citizenship credentials. According to Sonitpur Superintendent of Police Kumar Sanjit Krishnan, Biswash had been lodged in the detention camp since 2016. He was undergoing trial in a Foreigners Tribunal in Nagaon for his 'D' voter status, the SP said. Biswash was suffering from asthma and undergoing treatment for his medical condition, Krishnan said. He had earlier been taken to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital for medical care. Bishwash's body has been sent to Rupahi in neighbouring Nagaon district from where he hailed, the SP said. The 'D' voters are determined by special tribunals under the Foreigners Act, and the person declared as a 'D' voter is not given an elector's photo identity card. In 2011, the Gauhati High Court ordered 'D' voters to be transferred to foreigners' tribunals, set up under Foreigners Tribunal Order 1964, and lodged in detention camps. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Global payments giant Mastercard has started to delete transactions data of Indian consumers from US-based servers, and saving the same in India, from this month and expects to complete the de-duplication exercise by this year-end, a top official said. The moves comes in the backdrop of the regulator RBI asking such payment technology firms to comply with data localisation norms which requires them to store transactions data of Indian customers within the boundaries of India. Mastercard, however, has already started saving data at servers in India from October last year which is duplicate data of that saved in the US. "From October 2018, the data has been residing in India, that is step one. The point of challenge is data to be only in India because it is not about putting just few servers here," Ari Sarker, co-president, Asia Pacific, Mastercard told PTI in an interview here. He said Mastercard has been in discussion with the RBI and there is complete commitment to comply with the requirement of the regulator. "I am feeling very positive...we are already in an execution mode. It (data de-duplication) is actually getting delivered in three phases because it is fairly complex as it is not about just putting a few servers here in India," Sarker said. The first phase has started from May 5, wherein certain components of transaction of data such as tokenisation will be available only in India and then there are other steps that Mastercard is complying with such as authorisation of transaction. "Token vaults and the likes will be built in India. It will be part of our bigger story where we are able to do this over the course of next few months. By December-end we would have everything to be residing in India from a transaction data point," he said. Following year going into 2020 and early 2021, Mastercard's current plan is to create a global technology node in India, and then even processing will be happening in India. "It will actually help us to get a full on-soil domestic transactions processing centre and services hub that we are planning to do in a two year horizon. And the work for these has already started," he added. Mastercard has committed another USD 1 billion investment for Indian market for five years to 2024. This comes after an investment of similar amount for five years during 2014 to 2019. Of the planned investment, the US-headquartered company will chip in an excess of USD 300 million to make India a global technology node. "We are global network, all transactions traverse through a global network where the technology centres are in the US. "And now India is going to become the first country outside of the United States which will have a global technology node where all of our processing services, authentication services, tokenisation, all the services that rides around what we call the core transaction is all going to be having an India presence," he said. Sarker said this will not only give the company an India presence but also give it flexibility how it can use India for any other company's traffic besides helping the company to balance the global network and presence. "So that is significant ..we are also going to continue to expand, our existing capabilities and do more. We are also looking at partnerships, investment opportunities in a more significant way in India. We think india's fintech growth is extremely exciting," he said. The company has partnered with some fintech companies including RazorPay, Zeta, ToneTag, Fluid AI, Happay, SignZy, ftcash and Syntizen. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The death toll in the suicide attack targeting one of Pakistan's oldest and most revered Sufi shrines in Lahore has risen to 13 as another civilian succumbed to his injuries, a media report said Monday. Tahir Aslam, 18, was working at a shop near the shrine. He was among the critically injured and was brought to the Mayo Hospital where he has succumbed to his injuries. He was rushed to the hospital after the blast which has claimed the lives of six policemen and seven civilians, the Dawn newspaper reported. A senior police official told the daily on condition of anonymity that security forces had yet to make any substantial progress in the investigations into the attack. He said that although they had arrested a few suspects from Lahore, they were no big leads. A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Data Darbar shrine, the largest Sufi shrine in South Asia on Wednesday, the second day of the the fasting month of Ramzan. A CCTV footage showed a teenage boy wearing black shalwar kameez and a suicide vest coming closer to the vehicle of elite force beforing blowing himself up. Punjab Inspector General of Police Arif Nawaz has said it was a suicide attack as the target was the vehicle of the elite force that was stationed outside the shrine of Sufi saint Ali Hajvari commonly known as Data Darbar. "Police was the target. 100 per cent," he said. Lahore police spokesman Syed Mubashir has said the police have arrested four suspects with the help of CCTV cameras in the city. The rickshaw used to transport the suicide bomber to the shrine has been identified, he added. The CCTV footage shows the rickshaw driver approached the bomber as the latter emerged from Garhi Shahu area, some seven kilometres from the shrine. Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack and has directed the Punjab government to provide all assistance to the injured and families of victims. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has ordered an inquiry into the attack. The famous shrine is visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year. In 2010, the heavily-guarded shrine was targeted in a suicide attack that killed more than 40 people. Police also confirmed that Hizbul Ahrar had claimed responsibility for sending the teenage suicide bomber to the shrine. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab has examined the records of three terror groups, including the Ghazi Force and Jamaatul Ahrar. Hizbul Ahrar is a splinter group of Jamaatul Ahrar headed by Muqarram Shah from Afghanistan. It separated from Jamaatul Ahrar due to internal rifts. It started operating separately to target primarily the law enforcement agencies in various parts of Pakistan, the police said, adding the CTD is also following other leads, like the possibility of the involvement of Islamic State terror group. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Drums Food International, the parent company of fresh FMCG brand Epigamia, Monday announced a multi-crore strategic partnership with Deepika Padukone, which includes an investment from the Bollywood actress. The company, however, did not elaborate the funding amount. "This investment is an extension of the recently closed series C round of funding led by Verlinvest, a Belgium-based consumer-focused investment firm, Danone Manifesto Ventures, the venture investment arm of one of the world's leading food and beverage companies, and DSG Consumer Partners, an Asia focused VC (venture capital) fund," Drums Food International said in a statement. Brand Epigamia, on the back of the capital raised and the strategic partnership with Deepika, will now look to expand into new products and enter new cities, it added. Launched in June 2015, Epigamia is currently available in 20 stock keeping units (SKUs) under greek yogurt, artisanal curd, snack pack, MishtiDoi and smoothies. The brand retails across approximately 10,000 touch points, including modern trade chains, e-commerce and general trade retailers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the previous Congress governments of using defence deals as an automated teller machine (ATM) for the party. Addressing a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district, Modi said: "India was dependent on foreign countries for 70 per cent needs of the defence forces during the previous Congress governments. It had been deliberately done as defence deals were ATM for the Congress." "India had an 150-year-long experience of defence production when it became independent in 1947, whereas China had no such experience at that time," Modi said. "But now, China has become an exporter of defence production, whereas we are an importer because of the bad policies of earlier Congress governments." The prime minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had tried to reverse it during the past five years, claiming that the defence production had been increased by 80 per cent. Pointing out to Congress leader Sam Pitroda's remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, he said: "If you ask any question to the 'namdaar' (dynast) family, they say 'hua to hua' (whatever happened, has happened)." Modi accused the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) dispensation of delaying the purchase of bullet-proof jackets for six years, which, he said, endangered the lives of the soldiers. The prime minister urged first-time voters to vote for ensuring development of the country in the 21st century. He claimed that had the UPA government maintained the growth rate achieved during former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's term, then it would have been much higher now. On Ayushman Bharat, Modi said the number of beneficiaries from the health protection scheme was more than the total population of USA, Canada and Mexico. "As many as 50 crore Indians are provided free medical facilities up to Rs 5 lakh per annum under Ayushman Yojana," he said. He also praised Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur for "exemplary implementation" of the PM-Kisan scheme. Modi recalled the days when he was in charge of the state for the BJP, saying he used to stroll on the Mall Road in Solan and take 'chana' (chickpea) from vendors. Solan falls in the Shimla parliamentary constituency, where the BJP has fielded Suresh Kashyap, while Solan MLA Dhani Ram Shandil is contesting on a Congress ticket. The four seats of the state goes to polls in the last phase of the Lok Sabha election on Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The railways has decided to replace the Delhi-Allahabad Duronto Express with the Humasafar Express, sources said. The Humsafar express that will replace the Duronto will run four days a week instead of the triweekly run of the superfast train. This will come into effect from September 13, sources in the ministry have told PTI. The 12275 Allahabad-New Delhi Humsafar Express train will run on every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, while the return train will run on every Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. The schedule of the new Humsafar express train will remain the same as of the 12275/12276 Allahabad-New Delhi-Allahabad Duronto Express Train. "The Humsafar Express, which currently runs four days a week between Allahabad and Delhi and three days a week from Delhi to Allahabad, has now been extended to cover all seven days. This will help in standardisation of rakes and also ensure full occupancy as well," said a senior official. The Delhi-Allahabad Duronto Express was among the first set of 12 such "non-stop" trains introduced by then Railway Minister Banerjee in the 2009-2010 railway budget, which have remained one of the fastest trains in the country till date Over the years, the Duronto trains have been replaced due to low occupancy. These include the conversion of the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Ajmer Sharif Duronto into a Jan Shatabdi. The Coimbatore-Thiruvananthapuram has been converted into a regular train. Others include the Chandigarh-Amritsar Duronto Express (converted into superfast express), Howrah-Puri Duronto Express (converted into Shatabdi Express), Ajmer-Nizamuddin Duronto Express (converted into Jan Shatabdi Express), Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram Duronto Express (converted into Super AC Express). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Election Commission on Monday asked the Delhi Chief Electoral Office to inquire into the allegations of a man who claimed that he was dissuaded from complaining about a mismatch between the vote cast by him and what reflected in the VVPAT machine. The case pertains to a polling booth in the Matiala assembly segment of West Delhi. "My VVPAT machine (Delhi, Matiala, Booth 96) printed the wrong symbol although the EVM machine red bulb glowed correctly. I complained to the presiding officer who directed me to nodal officer who then directed me to sector officer. All of them asked me not to complain I insisted (sic). "They told me I'd be arrested under ipc sec 177. I found that strange because that section doesn't provide for arrest without court orders. I told them I'd submit a written complaint anyway. The senior most officer told me that I would have to write in Annexure 6.(2/n) (sic)," Milan Gupta tweeted. Taking cognisance of his grievance, Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa tweeted, "CEO Delhi has been asked to inquire." Narrating the incident on social media, Gupta said he even agreed for a test vote, which started at around 6 pm while he had complained one and a half hours ago. Voting was also not stopped as per rules, Gupta alleged, claiming that he was even pressured to withdraw the complaint. "I stood in front of the EVM, closed my eyes and looked up & randomly scrolled my fingers blindly on the EVM. The witnesses saw that by doing this I wasn't intending to reveal my earlier secret vote in this testing procedure. (7/n) "My fingers stopped at some bricks symbol (independent candidate, I think). I pressed it. The VVPAT printed the bricks symbol in next few seconds. The officer then announced that I proved myself wrong, & I said that you asked me to select randomly and I did that (8/n). "This bricks symbol wasn't my secret vote cast earlier as I wouldn't reveal my earlier vote during the test (video recorded) as well. He said nothing doing you're now going to be arrested. I said well, do that. He then asked the police to arrest me. The police did not but.. (9/n)" he tweeted. Gupta said he was also taken to Dwarka sector 9 police station, but the police were unaware of what action should be taken against him. His ordeal was finally over after police dropped him home. Gupta added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 51-year-old businessman was stabbed to death allegedly for objecting to lewd comments made by some boys on his daughter in West Delhi's Moti Nagar area, police said Monday. The man's 19-year-old son was also injured in the incident that took place in the early hours of Sunday, they said. The boys passed some lewd comments and made indecent gestures at the businessman's 24-year-old daughter, when they were returning home on a two-wheeler from a hospital, police said. The man had taken his daughter to hospital after she complained of severe headache. The man after dropping his daughter home, complained to the boys' father about their behaviour, claimed a family member, who did not want to be named An argument broke out over the issue and in the midst of it, the businessman was attacked and stabbed multiple times, he alleged. Hearing the commotion, some people came out of their houses, but no one intervened, the family member said. The victim's 19-year-old son came to his father's rescue, but he was also stabbed. Somehow, he managed to raise an alarm after which his mother and sister rushed to the spot and took the father-son duo to a hospital. The businessman succumbed to injuries Monday morning, while his son is still battling for life, police said. Confirming the incident, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Monika Bhardwaj said a case was registered and an investigation initiated. Two men -- a 20-year-old man and his 45-year-old father -- have been arrested. Two sons of the accused, who are juveniles, have also been apprehended in connection with the incident. The body has been sent for post mortem and a report is awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The IPL prize distribution ceremony almost plunged into a controversy after CoA member Diana Edulji expressed her wish to give away the winners' trophy, going against the convention. Eventually, as per existing convention, acting president C K Khanna handed over the winners' trophy to Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma. While Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai didn't attend the IPL final between Mumbai Indians and CSK, other two members Diana and Lt Gen (retd) Ravi Thodge were present in Hyderabad. "Edulji gave away the winners' trophy at the Women's T20 Challenge in Jaipur and she wanted to give away the trophy here also. However, it was learnt that Khanna showed an e-mail from acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhry to IPL COO Hemang Amin, stating that convention of president giving away the trophy could be followed," a BCCI official privy to the incident told PTI on the conditions of anonymity. When Rai was asked for his view on the issue, he in turn asked whether there was any need to change the convention. "It was Lt Gen Thodge, who categorically told the former India women's team captain that acting president Khanna should be allowed to handover the trophy and the matter should be put to an end. She was certainly not happy but had to go with the majority view in this case," said another BCCI source. Rai and Edulji have had their share of differences on most of the issues and the CoA has been able to take a few concrete decisions of late after Lt Gen Thodge joined the panel. When Khanna was contacted, he refused to comment on the issue while calls to Edulji went unanswered. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Legendary actor Doris Day, last of the stars to represent the golden era of Hollywood and gave voice to the classic "Que sera sera (whatever will be, will be), has died. She was 97. A popular screen icon of her era, Day ruled the industry in the 1950s and '60s with her films such as "Pillow Talk", "That Touch of Mink" and "The Man Who Knew Too Much", breathed her last Monday at her Carmel Valley home in California, US media organisations said quoting her animal welfare foundation. "Day had been in excellent physical health for her age, until recently contracting a serious case of pneumonia, resulting in her death," the foundation said in a statement, which added that the actor was surrounded by her family at the time of her death. The actor represented a wholesome image and an era of innocence through her screen image. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Election Commission Monday granted conditional permission for the Andhra Pradesh government to conduct a cabinet meet on Tuesday to discuss relief measures following the damage caused by Cyclone Fani recently, among others. The Cabinet will discuss relief measures related to 'Fani', drinking water supply situation in the state, seasonal conditions, including drought, and employment situation, including MGNREGP, official sources said. While granting permission for the Cabinet meeting, the ECI, in a communiqu, said: "ECI has no objection regarding convening of meeting of Council of Ministers, subject to conditions that any new decisions or revision of rates or any outstanding payment will require permission of the Commission before implementation. It also said no media announcement of enhancement of rates should be done in the meeting. Accordingly, the Cabinet meeting would now be held at 3 pm in the Secretariat on Tuesday, official sources said. As there was a wide gap between the polling day and the (vote) counting date, the Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu sought to conduct regular official meetings. The ECI, however, asserted that the model code of conduct would remain in place till the completion of poll process (May 29) and, as such, no official meetings could be held without prior consent. Naidu had accused the Election Commission of usurping the powers of his government and preventing it from discharging its duties. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora late last month, he said the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Andhra Pradesh had reportedly told the media that the chief minister does not have the power to conduct review meetings as the model code of conduct is in force. Cyclone Fani, which hit Odisha on May 3, triggered heavy rains in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh besides uprooting 10,000 coconut trees and destroying agriculture and horticulture crops. The Election Commission had relaxed the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts to carry out relief works. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin says it will not sell its newly rolled out F-21 fighter jet to any other country if India places an order for 114 planes, a move aimed at pitching itself ahead of its US, European and Russian competitors for the mega deal. Vivek Lall, vice president of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin, says if F-21 wins the contract, then India will also be integrated into the company's global fighter ecosystem, which is a USD 165 billion dollar market. In an interview with PTI, Lall said the new combat jet is designed to operate across over 60 air force stations in India, and its key aspects include superior engine matrix, electronic warfare system and weapons carrying capacity. "We will not sell this platform and the configuration to anyone in the world. It is a significant commitment by Lockheed Martin and it shows importance of India and importance of unique requirement India has," he said. Last month, the Indian Air Force issued an RFI (Request for Information) or initial tender to acquire 114 jets at a cost of around USD 18 billion, which is billed as one of the world's biggest military procurement in recent years. The top contenders for the deal include Lockheed's F-21, Boeing's F/A-18, Dassault Aviation's Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, Russian aircraft MiG 35 and Saab's Gripen. Lall said if Lockheed wins the contract, it will not only set up a state-of-the-art F-21 manufacturing facility along with the Tata Group, but will also help India create an ecosystem for overall growth of the country's defence manufacturing. On observation that the F-21 is similar to Lockheed's F 16 Block 70 combat jet, he said such a view is unfair as there have been significantly differences between the two platforms. F-21 is different in terms of various aspects including its air frame, weapons capability, engine matrix and availability of engine options. "As for example, you are now looking at 12,000 hours of service life air frame in F-21 versus 8,000 hours previously (F 16 Block 70). The additional 40 per cent weapons carrying capability is new in F-21 which was not there in F 16 Block 70. The electronic warfare system is uniquely developed for India," he added. "Looking from a distance may make it look similar to F 16 Block 70, but it is different," he added. Besides having a traditional boom-delivered refuelling facility, the F-21 also has a extendable hose-and-drogue refuelling probe. "This is only fighter in the world which has both the capability," said Lall, adding the cockpit has a new large area display. "It is a modern cockpit and has a significant piece of ability to synthesise information. These are unique capabilities that we are not offering to other countries in the world," said the Lockheed executive. The jet has a Long-Range Infrared Search and Track (IRST), enabling pilots to detect threats with precision and Triple Missile Launcher Adapters (TMLAs) allowing it to carry 40 per cent more air-to-air weapons. Without giving any approximate price of each bare-bone aircraft, he pitched it as the most cost effective compared to the competitors in terms of life-cycle and operational costs. "If you look at the US government data, the advantage is 30-40 per cent in terms of cost effectiveness. This is lower compared to the comparable competitors. If you aggregate with years and years of operations in the life cycle, it is a huge amount of saving for India if it goes ahead with F-21," said Lall. Lockheed, which has a longstanding relationship of 25 years with India, unveiled the F-21 during the Aero India show in Bengaluru in February, saying it will address the Indian Air Force's unique requirements. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seeking to provide a non-BJP, non-Congress alternative to voters, PDA's Khadoor Sahib candidate Paramjit Kaur Khaira says she is fighting elections on human rights issues and to carry on the legacy of her activist husband who was killed by police 24 years ago. Khalra, who said her electoral fight is a signal from god, is a member of the Punjabi Ekta Party, part of the Punjab Democratic Alliance. Her husband Jaswant Singh Khalra, who accused Punjab Police of disposing of unidentified bodies of Sikh youth gunned down in fake encounters during the militancy years in the 1990s, was picked up from his house in Khalra village in Tarn Taran district and killed by police in 1995. Six police personnel were sentenced to life for his killing. Contesting polls is god's signal. It was not pre-decided to fight elections, said Khalra, being projected as a panthic' (religious) face by the PDA. The PDA comprises the Sukhpal Singh Khaira-led Punjab Ekta Party (PEP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Lok Insaaf Party (LIP), the Punjab Manch led by suspended AAP MP Dharamvira Gandhi, the CPI and the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India. I will raise the issue of human rights and will fight polls for the cause of human rights. The youth are dying of drugs in Punjab. Is it not a human rights issue? Khaira asked. There have been incidents of sacrilege of religious scriptures in the state. Two youths were also killed during police firing (on anti-sacrilege protesters in Faridkot in 2015). But successive governments have been fooling people and have never bothered to address these issues, she told PTI. The Sikh community, Khaira said, can tolerate every hardship and even bear the pain of their children's deaths but cannot accept the desecration of religious scriptures. "The issue is still alive in the minds of the people, the 64-year-old said. She makes sure to remind people of her husband's sacrifice during her campaign speeches. Taking a swipe at the Akali Dal, Khalra said the mishandling of incidents of police firing and those related to the sacrilege of religious scriptures reduced the party to the third spot in the 2017 Assembly polls. Khalra said she is getting an overwhelming response from the people. People who are fed up with traditional parties Congress and Akali Dal -- will support the third front, she said. The Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali), a breakaway faction of the SAD, has withdrawn its candidate, former Army chief Gen J J Singh in favour of Khalra. Jaswant Singh Khalra's sacrifice can never be forgotten, said SAD (Taksali) general secretary Sewa Singh Sekhwan. Chief of the SAD (Taksali) Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, the sitting MP from Khadoor Sahib, is asking the PDA to field Khalra as Independent candidate in order to ensure support of more like-minded parties to ensure her victory in the polls. Brahmpura has even appealed to AAP to support Khalra from Khadoor Sahib seat. Khalra is pitted against Akali candidate, former MLA and two-time Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, and Congress' Jasbir Singh Dimpa. The AAP has fielded its youth wing leader Manjinder Singh Sidhu from the parliamentary constituency. In 1999, Khalra unsuccessfully contested from the erstwhile Tarn Taran parliamentary constituency. She was at that time a candidate of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal floated by the late Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Khadoor Sahib, which was created from the erstwhile Tarn Taran constituency following delimitation in 2008, has been a citadel of the Akali Dal. Brahmpura defeated Congress candidate Harminder Singh Gill with a margin of over one lakh votes in 2014. He joined hands with Rattan Singh Ajnala to float the SAD (Taksali) after raising the banner of revolt against the Akali leadership. Punjab votes on May 19, the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The votes will be counted on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five courses of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, have been given approval by the All India Council for Technical Education. The approval makes India's premier film school, FTII, the first and only institute in this category in the country to receive such recognition. A list of institutions and approved courses published by the AICTE on Saturday, under its newly-constituted category pertaining to institutes offering courses in applied arts, crafts and design, includes FTII and all its five one-year Post Graduate Certificate courses, an official statement said. Of the five FTII courses which have received AICTE approval, four are in television wing (direction, electronic cinematography, video editing, and sound recording and TV engineering) and one in film wing (feature film screenplay writing), it said. "This is a historic moment for the FTII to have received AICTE approval for all five PG Certificate courses. This makes FTII the first film school in India to receive this recognition," Chairman of FTII Governing Council Brijendra Pal Singh said. In the recent years, FTII's television courses have been in the limelight winning several National awards and even international honours. The AICTE approval lends more value to the TV courses making them as attractive as the film wing specializations, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Flynas, Saudi Arabia's national low-cost carrier airline, Monday announced the launch of weekly five direct international flights between Riyadh and New Delhi from July 1. According to a release from the airlines, these new flights are being introduced as a part of the airlines global expansion strategy. The airlines also is adding two more flights between Hyderabad and Riyadh taking to the total number of flights to four per week between these two cities. Flynas will operate these 5 new flights every week between King Khalid International Airport (Riyadh, KSA) and Indira Gandhi International Airport (New Delhi, India), it said. The scheduled flight operations will be on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Flynas currently operates flights between Hyderabad and Riyadh on Friday and Sunday. In addition to these flights, the new flights between the two cities are scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week starting July 1, the release added. As part of its global expansion strategy, Flynas will also be introducing more new destinations including flights from different Saudi cities to Vienna, Batumi, Baku, Tbilisi and Athens from June 2019, the airlines said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) German police said Monday two more bodies have been found during investigations into the deaths of three people discovered in a Bavarian hotel room and killed by crossbow bolts. The two female corpses were found near the northern city of Hanover while detectives probed the mysterious deaths of a man and two women discovered over the weekend in the Bavarian town of Passau, close to the Austrian border. The two crime scenes are 645 kilometres (400 miles) apart at opposite ends of Germany. Police said they found the two female bodies while searching the home of one of the women found dead in Passau. No details were given as to whether the latest two corpses in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, had also been killed by crossbow bolts. On Saturday, hotel staff in Passau discovered the three dead Germans in their room around noon alongside two crossbows. A third crossbow was later found packed inside a bag, police said. The three were a 33-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man from Rhineland-Palatinate state and a 30-year-old woman from Lower Saxony, who had arrived Friday. Local media reported that the man and the 33-year-old woman were found dead in bed holding hands, with bolts in their heads and chests. The other woman was lying on the floor with a bolt in her chest. Reports said the three had arrived Friday from different parts of Germany and had all checked in without luggage. They only returned to their cars later after the reception was closed to get the bags containing the crossbows. One of the women had booked the triple room for 85 euros a night, without breakfast, for three nights. "It was a strange group," a guest recalled, according to the newspaper Bild, saying that the bearded man wore a suit while the women were dressed in black. They had all wished a "good evening", taken glasses of soft drink and water, and then disappeared into the second-floor room as rain fell outside. Police said the town's prosecutor had ordered the autopsies which aimed to ascertain the cause and circumstances of the deaths. Initial results from the post-mortem investigations were expected by Tuesday morning, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The woman who lodged a rape case against former Goa minister and Congress' Panaji bypoll nominee Atanasio Monserratte has gone missing from a rehabilitation facility here, police said on Monday. Verna police inspector Sandesh Chodankar said the woman, who charged Monserratte with drugging and raping her in 2016 when she was a minor, was undergoing rehabilitation at a facility in South Goa district from where she went missing on April 28. Last month, a missing person complaint was lodged and later on May 10, the police registered an FIR for offence of abduction against an unknown person, Chodankar said, adding that efforts were on to trace the woman. Monserratte, who is contesting the upcoming Panaji Assembly bypoll on Congress' ticket, was booked in May 2016 for allegedly raping the woman in March that year, when she was 17 years' old. A charge sheet was later filed against him by the police in the district court of North Goa. Auda Viegas, director of a South Goa-based NGO, said the victim was initially kept at a state-run facility for juveniles, but later shifted to a convent in South Goa as part of her rehabilitation. Viegas accompanied officials of the convent on April 28 to file the complaint, after the victim went missing. She said the victim was pursuing a fashion designing course, and feared that she might be at "risk" as the case involving her was "high-profile". Meanwhile, Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee chief Pratima Coutinho said her unit was willing to help the woman if she comes. Coutinho also added that Monserratte was innocent and had been framed, and accused the ruling BJP of raising the issue in view of ensuing polls. The Goa Suraksha Manch alleged that the BJP-led state government had failed to provide the victim protection. "The government led by chief minister Pramod Sawant only bothered about the Panaji bypoll. He has no time to run the government," GSM functionary Hridaynath Shirodkar said. The by-election to Panaji Assembly seat will be held on May 19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Gujarat Congress Monday accused the BJP government in the state of failing to ensure the safety of Dalits after some of their marriage processions were targeted by members of other communities. Senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia also alleged that the BJP was encouraging elements who were resorting to such acts against the Dalits. "The entire village should come together to celebrate and be part of marriage celebrations or such happy occasions. The police and the state government should take strong action against those who oppose this. But from what we have witnessed in Gujarat, the ruling BJP encourages such elements who work against Dalits," Modhwadia claimed. "The state government has failed to take concrete action against those attacking Dalits and dividing society. The world is looking at (Prime Minister) Modi's Gujarat model. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah owe an answer to the people of the country as to why the state government failed to take action," he said. "They (PM and Shah) should seek reply from the state government and ask them to ensure this is not repeated," he said. Congress state unit president Amit Chavda said a party delegation has sought an appointment with Governor O P Kohli to hand over a memorandum demanding action against the state government. "It is the responsibility of the government to take action. The BJP government has repeatedly failed to create an environment in the state where Dalits feel safe," he claimed. On Sunday a Dalit wedding procession was blocked by members of an upper caste community at Khambisar village of Aravalli district, after which stones were pelted, creating tension in the village. In a similar incident, the wedding procession of another Dalit bridegroom had to be provided with police protection on Sunday after members of the OBC Thakor community opposed it. On Friday last week, Thakor community members had also objected to a wedding procession as the bridegroom was riding a horse on way to the wedding venue. Reacting to the incidents, BJP MP and Dalit leader Kirit Solanki said he has requested the state government to take immediate action whenever such incidents take place. "I would request political parties not to make this a political issue and appeal to the people to come together and ensure such incidents don't happen again," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Gujarat government Monday ordered an inquiry into the lathicharge by police on reporters covering elections of a temple trust in Junagadh town, around 320 kms from here. The incident took place on Sunday outside Swaminarayan Temple in Junagadh when the election of the temple trust was underway, and was captured on camera. In one of the videos of the incident aired by channels, policemen, including some in civil uniform, can be seen pushing away a cameramen and then hitting media crew with batons. A policeman can also be seen slapping a TV channel cameraman. Demanding immediate suspension of three policemen involved in thrashing cameramen and reporters of television channels, several mediapersons of Saurashtra region staged protests at the office of Junagadh Superintendent of Police Saurabh Singh. Gujarat Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja said he had ordered an inquiry. "I have learned that police hit mediapersons during the election of temple trust. I have asked the district SP to conduct an inquiry and go through the video footage to check who was at fault. I have asked the SP to submit his repor," said Jadeja. Following the incident in Junagadh, mediapersons in different parts of the state staged protests and submitted memorandums to concerned district authorities demanding action against the policemen. In Ahmedabad, several reporters gathered at Vastrapur Lake to register their protest and said a memorandum in this regard would be given to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in coming days. After the attack Sunday, media personnel confronted Junagadh Superintendent of Police Saurabh Singh. Reporters claimed police hit them when they were covering a confrontation between two persons over some election related issue in the premises of the Swaminarayan Temple. Singh reportedly told reporters he will take action against the erring policemen after conducting an inquiry. Unhappy over his assurance, several mediapersons have been sitting on a protest outside the SP office since Sunday night. "The video footage clearly shows a police inspector, a sub inspector and constable hitting mediapersons with batons. We demand their suspension. Our protest will continue until our demands are met," said a local reporter. Singh, however, said he cannot take action just on the basis of video footage. "An inquiry has been ordered. I have been asking these mediapersons to record their statements so that I can start my inquiry and take appropriate action but they're insisting video footage is enough to take action. I am trying to convince them to come forward and record their statements," said Singh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Makkal Needhi Maiyam founder Kamal Haasan's tongue should be cut off for saying that free India's "first extremist was a Hindu", Tamil Nadu Minister K T Rajenthra Bhalaji said Monday. Bhalaji, a senior AIADMK leader, also sought a ban on MNM for "sowing violence" and demanded that the Election Commission of India act against Haasan. "His tongue should be cut of..he has said (free India's first extremist) was a Hindu. Extremism has no religion, neither Hindu nor Muslim nor Christian," the State Minister for Milk and Dairy Development told reporters here and accused Haasan of "acting" to garner minority votes. "He is acting and making such remarks to garner minority votes...," he said. Bhalaji, known for his outspoken remarks on various issues, charged the actor-politician with "spewing venom," and accused the latter of making such comments to "satisfy someone." "Why are you spewing venom. Every word (Haasan utters) is venom. Haasan's party which is sowing violence should be bannned and the Election Commission should act against him," he said. Earlier, Haasan had stoked a controversy by saying free India's first "extremist was a Hindu" -- Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi. His remarks drew condemnation from the BJP which accused him of indulging in "divisive politics" but found the backing of the Congress and Dravidar Kazhagam. Addressing an election campaign in bypoll-bound Aravakurichi Sunday night, Haasan had said he was one of those "proud Indians" who desires an India of equality and where the "three colours" in the tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, "remained intact." "I am not saying this because this is a Muslim dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India's first extremist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (extremism, apparently) starts," he had said. Aravakurichi is one of the four Assembly constituencies where bypolls are scheduled on May 19. MNM has fielded S Mohanraj from this segment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar's offensive against Tripoli represents a threat to international peace, the EU warned Monday. The bloc called for all sides in the Libyan conflict to put down their arms and to commit to UN talks, though the month-long assault on the capital shows little sign of ending. EU foreign ministers had earlier held talks on the crisis, which deepened dramatically last month when Haftar, whose Libyan National Army (LNA) holds the east of the country, launched a bid to seize Tripoli, seat of the UN-recognised government. "The LNA military attack on Tripoli and the subsequent escalation in and around the capital constitutes a threat to international peace and security and further threatens the stability of Libya," EU members said in a statement. "Furthermore, it enhances the risk of increased terrorist threat across the country." The statement, issued after EU ministers met the UN-recognised prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj, also voiced concern about the "impact on migration flows" the fighting was having. Libya, which has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 uprising that killed veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi, has long been a major transit route for migrants desperate to reach Europe. Around 60 migrants died on the weekend when their boat capsized in the Mediterranean after leaving Libya for Italy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US should consider breaking up Facebook, according to Kamala Harris, the first Indian-origin Senator and one of the Democrats eyeing the White House in the 2020 presidential race, saying that the world's largest social media company is "essentially a utility that has gone unregulated". Harris, Senator from California where all the major US tech giants are based, said that Facebook has experienced massive growth and has prioritised its growth consumers' interests, especially on privacy, she said in an interview to CNN on Sunday. "I think we have to seriously take a look at that, yes. When you look at the issue, they're essentially a utility," Harris, 54, was quoted as saying. "There are very few people that can actually get by, and be involved in their communities and society, or in whatever their profession, without somehow, somewhere using Facebook. It's very difficult for people to be engaged in any level of commerce without it." "So, we have to recognise it for what it is: It is essentially a utility that has gone unregulated. And as far as I'm concerned, that's got to stop," Harris added. Earlier, another Democratic 2020 candidate, Senator Elizabeth Warren had also stressed upon the possibility of breaking up Facebook. Facebook has been under scrutiny from regulators around the world over data sharing practices. Facebook is set to pay a fine of anywhere from USD 3 billion to USD 5 billion to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over its handling of users' data and privacy violations, especially the Cambridge Analytica data scandal which involved 87 million users. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two-wheeler major Hero MotoCorp has more than doubled its capex for the current fiscal to Rs 1,500 crore, mainly to upgrade its portfolio to conform to BS-VI emission norms and for its upcoming plant in Andhra Pradesh, a senior company official said Monday. The capital would also be utilised for the development of new products. "We have earmarked a capex of Rs 1,500 crore this fiscal. It will be utilised for Andhra plant, BS-VI upgradation and usual things like new product development," Hero MotoCorp CFO Niranjan Gupta told reporters here. The country's largest two-wheeler maker had earmarked Rs 700 capex in 2018-19. The company, which is trying consolidate its position in the premium segment, Monday launched two new scooters to cater to both, domestic as well as international markets. It introduced Maestro Edge 125 with fuel injection technology priced at Rs 62,700. The company claimed it is India's first scooter with fuel injection technology. The variants of Maestro Edge 125 with non-fuel injection technology are tagged at Rs 58,500 and Rs 60,000 (ex-showroom Delhi). Hero MotoCorp also introduced 110 cc Pleasure+ priced at Rs 47,300. Gupta said the company's share in the scooter segment remained 'under indexed' and there was enormous opportunity for growth. "Premium segment (125 cc) in scooters is growing and we are also bringing in new products. It will also have a positive impact on our entry level scooters, which continue to bring in maximum customers," Gupta said. When asked about the outlook in the current fiscal, Gupta said: "We expect second half of the fiscal to be better with expectations of a good monsoon and easing of liquidity in the market." He said the inventory levels at the company's dealerships remained at 45-50 days and it has also eased credit days for dealers depending upon their category. Commenting on the new launches, Hero MotoCorp Head of Sales, Aftersales, and Parts Sanjay Bhan said that the company has already made a strong and successful foray in the 125 cc scooter segment with the launch of Destini 125 recently. "Together with Maestro Edge 125 and Pleasure 110, we are confident that our portfolio will appeal to a varied customer set and subsequently, contribute towards growing our presence in the scooter segment," he noted. The launch of new scooters comes closely after the introduction of all-new X range of motorcycles -- XPulse 200, XPulse 200T and Xtreme 200S. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Home Ministry has cancelled the registration of Bengaluru-based NGO Foundation for alleged violation of norms in receiving foreign grants, officials said Monday. All non-government organisations (NGOs) are mandatorily required to be registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act or FCRA to receive The Home Ministry had last year served show cause notice to Foundation for failing to submit annual income and expenditure statement on for up to six years despite repeated reminders, officials said. The registration was cancelled as Foundation allegedly did not file income and expenditure statement on for the past few years, they said. As per FCRA guidelines, registered associations are required to submit electronically an online annual report with scanned copies of income and expenditure statement, receipts and payment account, balance sheet, etc., for every financial year within nine months of the closure of the financial year. Associations which do not receive foreign contribution during a particular year are also required to furnish a 'NIL' return for that financial year within the aforesaid period, read the guidelines. When contacted, said its de-registration from the FCRA followed a request it proactively made to the Ministry of Home Affairs. "This (request) was done as the does not come under the purview of the FCRA following the amendment made to the act in 2016. We had approached the ministry to consider this, and thank them for granting our request," said Rishi Basu from the foundation's corporate marketing and communications division. Established in 1996, supports projects in education, rural development, health care, arts and culture, and destitute care. According to the foundation's website, its mission is to work in remote regions of India. Sudha Murthy is the chairperson of Infosys Foundation. The Union Home Ministry had last year served show cause notices to at least 1,755 NGOs, including a few companies, for failing to submit annual income and expenditure statement on foreign funding for up to six years despite reminders. The Home Ministry has deregistered the Infosys Foundation under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act following its request that its registration be cancelled as the organisation no longer fell in the ambit of the act, officials said Monday. All Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) are required to register under the FCRA to receive foreign funding. "Infosys Foundation would like to clarify that it has not violated any FCRA norms and was de-registered from FCRA following its request to the ministry," a statement issued by the NGO said. The foundation was registered under the FCRA Act in January 2016. In May 2016, the government amended the FCRA Act in the Finance Bill with retrospective effect from 2010 as a result of which foundation no longer fell under the purview of the FCRA Act. "The foundation thereafter applied for its de-registration from FCRA with an additional request to cancel the FCRA registration in June 2016, and received acknowledgement from the FCRA wing in the same month," the statement said. The foundation has submitted its annual returns for financial year 2016, 2017 and 2018, though it did not fall under the purview of act following its amendment, it said. "Additionally, the foundation has also submitted necessary paperwork to the government in July 2018, to showcase that the foundation has not received any foreign funding," the statement said. The foundation has not received any notice to file returns pertaining to FCRA after April 2018, it said. However, the Home Ministry officials said a show cause notice was served to Infosys Foundation last year for alleged violation of the FCRA Act for its failure to submit annual income and expenditure statement on foreign funding for up to six years despite repeated reminders. As per FCRA guidelines, associations registered under the act are required to submit electronically an online annual report with scanned copies of income and expenditure statement, receipts and payment account, balance sheet etc. for every financial year within nine months of the closure of the financial year. Associations which do not receive foreign contribution during a particular year are also required to furnish a NIL return for that financial year within the aforesaid period, the guidelines said. Established in 1996, the Infosys Foundation supports programs in the areas of education, rural development, healthcare, arts and culture, and destitute care. Its mission is to work in remote regions of several states in India, according to the foundation's website. Sudha Murty is the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation. The Home Ministry had last year served show cause notices to at least 1,755 NGOs, including a few companies, for failing to submit annual income and expenditure statement on foreign funding for up to six years despite reminders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the state legal services authority here, DSLSA, how it determines the compensation to be awarded to victims of acid attacks. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice A J Bhambhani posed the query to the Delhi State Legal Services Authority while hearing a plea by a woman, who claimed to be an acid attack victim, seeking enhancement of the compensation awarded to her. "How is the compensation determined? Tell us what is the scheme," the court said, while issuing notice to DSLSA and directing it to place on record "the entire policy of compensation in such cases". The court also issued notice to the Delhi government seeking its stand on the matter and listed the petition for further hearing on September 3. The woman's petition was first listed before a single judge bench of the high court which declined her plea for enhancement of interim compensation of Rs 25,000, awarded by DSLSA, to Rs 3 lakh. The single judge in his order of February 26 had said that the woman's statement that acid was poured on her and she was also forced to drink it "does not ring true" as her injuries were superficial in nature. The court had said "no compensation was required to be paid". The woman appealed against the February 26 order before the division bench which said that medical evidence indicated there were burn injuries even though the single judge said she was not a victim of an acid attack. In her appeal, the woman has contended that the compensation granted to acid attack victims was not only for the physical injuries, "but also for the mental harassment and the social stigma she may face throughout her life". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Drinking six or more cups of coffee a day can be harmful to your health, increasing the risk of heart disease by up to 22 per cent, a study claims. A morning coffee is essential for many people looking to kick-start their day. While the humble coffee may be a vital feature of the daily grind, researchers from the University of South Australia wondered how much caffeine is too much. They investigated the association of long-term coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease, finding the point at which excess caffeine can cause high blood pressure, a precursor to heart disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, yet one of the most preventable. This is the first time an upper limit has been placed on safe coffee consumption and cardiovascular health, according to the study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "Coffee is the most commonly consumed stimulant in the world -- it wakes us up, boosts our energy and helps us focus -- but people are always asking 'How much caffeine is too much?'," said Elina Hypponen, a professor at the University of South Australia. "Most people would agree that if you drink a lot of coffee, you might feel jittery, irritable or perhaps even nauseas -- that's because caffeine helps your body work faster and harder, but it is also likely to suggest that you may have reached your limit for the time being," Hypponen said. "We also know that risk of cardiovascular disease increases with high blood pressure, a known consequence of excess caffeine consumption," she said. In order to maintain a healthy heart and a healthy blood pressure, people must limit their coffees to fewer than six cups a day, researchers said. Based on the data, six was the tipping point where caffeine started to negatively affect cardiovascular risk, they said. Using UK Biobank data of 347,077 participants aged 37-73 years, the study explored the ability of the caffeine-metabolising gene (CYP1A2) to better process caffeine. The researchers identified increased risks of cardiovascular disease in line with coffee consumption and genetic variations. Hypponen said that despite carriers of the fast-processing gene variation being four times quicker at metabolising caffeine, the research does not support the belief that these people could safely consume more caffeine, more frequently, without detrimental health effects. "An estimated three billion cups of coffee are enjoyed every day around the world," Hypponen said. "Knowing the limits of what's good for you and what's not is imperative," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday stepped up his attack on the Congress over its leader Sam Pitroda's hua to hua (It happened, so what?) remark on the anti-Sikh riots in 1984. The remark reflects the arrogance of the opposition party, Modi said, addressing a rally at Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh. Modi said 'hua to hua' are not just three words but reflect arrogance of the Congress. While they (Congress leaders) were saying "hua to hua", the people of the country were saying "enough is enough", Modi said. These 'mahamilavati' people are saying 'hua toh hua', but the country is now saying 'mahamilavati logon ab bohot hua' (enough is enough), he said. Poor people who never got pucca houses, electricity, LPG, toilets during Congress era due to its hua to hua casual approach are now saying enough is enough, he said. Targeting the Kamal Nath government in MP over its alleged failure to implement its loan waiver promise in the state, Modi likened people to God and said, "The Congress cheated God." He said the Congress had a problem saying 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', but was happy abusing him. Modi also took a jibe at Congress veteran Digvijay Singh, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Bhopal, for not casting his vote. The fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha polls in the state will be held on May 19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State-owned HUDCO Monday approached the NCLAT to recover its Rs 60 crore loan plus interest from Vikram Bakshi, who has agreed for an out-of-court settlement with McDonald's ending their six-year long dispute. Counsel for HUDCO filed an intervention application before a two-member bench of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), headed by Chairperson S J Mukhopadhyay, pleading that its dues should be cleared first from the amount that Bakshi was to receive from the US fast food chain. The state-owned firm pleaded before the bench that it has the first right over the amount to be received by Bakshi under the settlement agreement with McDonald's. Balance amount, if any, after clearing its dues could be transferred to him. HUDCO claims that it had given Rs 60 crore loan to Bakshi for his hospitality company, Ascot Hotels Pvt Ltd and the loan account turned into NPA (non performing asset). Bakshi's counsel declined to comment. In 2013, Housing and Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO) had filed a criminal case under the Negotiable Instruments Act against Bakshi in a 2012 cheque bounce case and said its dues owed to Bakshi had crossed Rs 75 crore. HUDCO had also filed cases against Bakshi under Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act. The NCLAT is expected to pass on order on May 15 over the out-of-court settlement between Bakshi and McDonald's. Earlier on May 6, estranged partners McDonald's and Bakshi told the NCLAT that they were working towards an out-of-court settlement to end their dispute. Subsequently, on May 9, they announced an out-of-court settlement with the US fast food chain agreeing to buy Bakshi from their joint venture that operated outlets of the chain in north and east India. The details of the pact, including financial terms, were not disclosed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Blood is thicker than water. The adage has again proved to be correct in the last phase of general elections in Bihar, with Lalu Prasad's sons Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav giving up their tug of war to work jointly for the victory of their eldest sister Misa Bharti. Tej Pratap, the mercurial elder son of Prasad, had recently quit as the patron of the party's students' wing and even campaigned against RJD nominees in a couple of seats when the names recommended by him were ignored. He, however, remained unflinching in his loyalty towards Bharti, often campaigning in her favour with mother Rabri Devi. Sunday was the first occasion when he did so alongside Tejashwi. Bharti is in the fray from Pataliputra, the Lok Sabha seat she had unsuccessfully contested in 2014. Lalu Prasad was defeated in Pataliputra in 2009 by friend-turned-rival Ranjan Prasad Yadav. She is pitted against Union minister and sitting MP Ram Kripal Yadav, a former loyalist of her father who joined the BJP ahead of the 2014 general elections. At a rally in the constituency on Sunday, the two brothers stood side by side, holding aloft a photograph of their jailed father, who is serving jail term in fodder scam cases. Tej Pratap Yadav also reaffirmed his "fondness" for his younger brother, saying he saw him as Arjuna, who he was helping as Lord Krishna. The rift between Tej Pratap and his family first surfaced when he filed a divorce petition against his newly married wife and widened when his estranged father-in-law Chandrika Rai, a former minister, was chosen to contest from Saran. Both Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi had fought elections from Saran constituency in the past. An RJD leader said on condition of anonymity that the two brothers came together at the insistence of Misa Bharti, who made them sit together and explained that by fighting each other they will end up falling into the trap of the BJP-led NDA, which wants to "finish off the party. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Somalia has for the first time used DNA evidence to obtain a criminal conviction, sentencing three men to death Sunday for the gang-rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl, the Bureau of Forensic Science said. The country got its first-ever forensic laboratory in 2017 in the semiautonomous state of Puntland, seeking to tackle widespread sexual violence in a country where two decades of conflict and turmoil have put justice out of reach for most. The bureau said in a statement that Somalia had "joined, for the first time, the rest of the world in utilising science to solve a heinous criminal case". In February, the kidnapping of 12-year-old Aisha Ilyas Adan -- who was gang-raped and tortured to death, her body dumped outside her parents home -- sparked outrage and protests in the region. Human Rights Watch has described rape as "normal" in Somalia, with police often failing to take cases seriously. The Puntland state government enacted a Sexual Offences Act in 2016, which criminalised sexual offences and imposed tough penalties. The central government in Mogadishu is still working on adopting Somalia's first-ever national rape laws, with a new Sexual Offences Act adopted by ministers in May 2018. It still needs approval by parliament. About 10 suspects were arrested in connection with Adan's rape and murder. State prosecutors said 37 DNA samples were taken from the suspects and stored in the lab, which cannot at present analyse such material. The samples were sent to neighbouring Kenya for processing, which linked three of the suspects to the crime. High court judge Abdinur Jama Hussein on Sunday sentenced the three "to the death penalty for kidnapping, raping, and murdering Aisha Ilyas." In Somalia, the death penalty is carried out by firing squad. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An in-flight delivery of a baby was facilitated by a team of doctors here following an emergency call for medical attention to a woman in labour, Apollo Hospitals said Monday. Once the flight made an emergency landing at the international airport, the team, after all securiy checks, got onto the plane and ensured the in-flight delivery of a baby girl. However, the umbilical cord was left intact, as the team could not carry the surgical blade necessary to sever the cord due to 'security restrictions,' a press release from Apollo Hospitals said here. The incident took place on May 8 when the international flight had requested for emergency medical attention to a woman in labour pain, the release said. The flight transiting over India en route to Manila sought the medical help from the international Airport here, it said. The baby and mother, who were 'both in critical state of health,' were brought to Apollo Cradle in the city for further medical care, it said. After their health stablised, the umbilical cord was cut with necessary aseptic precautions. The mother and baby have since recovered and are ready to make journey to their homeland, the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stoking a controversy, actor and Makkal Needhi Maiyam founder Kamal Haasan has said free India's first "extremist was a Hindu" -- Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Haasan's comments drew sharp reaction from the state BJP, which slammed him for indulging in "divisive politics". However, the Congress and Dravidar Kazhagam, a rationalist organisation floated by Dravidian veteran, the late E V R Periyar, came out in support of the MNM leader. Addressing an election campaign here on Sunday night, Haasan said he was one of those "proud Indians" who desires an India of equality and where the "three colours" in the tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, "remained intact." "I am not saying this because this is a Muslim dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India's first extremist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (extremism, apparently) starts," he said. Haasan said he was a "self-assumed great-grandson" of Gandhi and that he had come here "seeking answers for that murder," referring to Gandhi's assassination in 1948. "Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that," he added. BJP state President Tamilisai Soundararajan said the whole nation was shocked when Gandhi was killed and none can justify it, and that Godse was hanged for the "heinous" crime. She said it was "strongly condemnable" that Haasan used the phrase "Hindu extremism" in a Muslim-dominated area. "Though he talks of taking forward a new kind of politics, he also indulged in the old, mischievous, poisonous and divisive vote bank politics," Soundararajan said in a statement. She said his remarks amounted to inciting "communal violence". In an apparent reference to the deadly Easter bombings in Sri Lanka which left over 250 dead, she asked whether persons like Haasan were vocal in discussing the issue "despite being known that perpetrators were Muslims." Soundararajan said Haasan's remarks in a Muslim-dominated area were "mischievous and agenda-driven.""Therefore such persons" campaigning should be banned. Police should take action since there is an effort to create tension," she said. Taking a swipe at his earlier statement of threatening to leave the country when his multi-million venture 'Vishwaroopam' faced release time issues from Muslim groups over the portrayal of the community, the state BJP chief said "It is brazen acting that he is now talking about the country, Gandhi and patriotism." Actor Vivek Oberoi slammed Haasan's remarks, saying both art and terror "have no religion" and asked if Godse's faith was mentioned to corner Muslim votes. Oberoi, who played Narendra Modi in a biopic on the Prime Minister, said no one "should divide the country." "Dear Kamal sir, you are a great artist. Just like art has no religion, terror has no religion either! You can say Godse was a terrorist, why would you specify Hindu ? Is it because you were in a Muslim dominated area looking for votes?," he said in a tweet. "Please sir, from a much smaller artist to a great one, lets not divide this country, we are one Jai Hind..#AkhandBharat #UnDividedIndia," he added. Haasan, however, found support from the Congress and DK, whose leaders said they found nothing wrong with the actor-politician's remarks. TNCC President K S Alagiri said he concurred with Haasan "1000 percent", while DK chief K Veeramani said Godse trained with RSS. Responding to reporters' queries on the matter, Alagiri alleged that Hindu outfits like RSS "believe in destroying those with opposing views" and equated the saffron organisation with ISIS, saying the Islamic organisation does not tolerate contrarian views even from fellow Muslims. Backing Haasan for his "Godse is the first extremist in free India" comments, Alagiri said, "I support him and concur with him, not just 100 percent, but 1000 percent." Veeramani, a strident critic of the BJP and Sangh Parivar, said "Not just that, even (Sadhvi) Pragya Singh Thakur is only out on bail," referring to BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. He also supported Haasan for his statement on Godse. Earlier too, Haasan had triggered a row, when in November 2017, he took potshots at what he termed as "Hindu extremism", which drew condemnation from the BJP and Hindu outfits. Aravakurichi is one of the four Assembly constituencies where bypolls are scheduled on May 19. MNM has fielded S Mohanraj from this segment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stoking a controversy, actor and Makkal Needhi Maiyam founder Kamal Haasan has said free India's first "terrorist was a Hindu" -- Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Haasan's comments drew sharp reaction from the state BJP, which slammed him for indulging in "divisive politics". Addressing an election campaign here on Sunday night, Haasan said he was one of those "proud Indians" who desires an India with equality and where the "three colours" in the tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, "remained intact." "I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India's first terrorist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (terrorism, apparently) starts," he said. Haasan said he was a "self-assumed great-grandson" of Gandhi and that he had come here "seeking answers for that murder," referring to Gandhi's assassination in 1948. "Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that," he added. BJP state President Tamilisai Soundararajan said while the whole nation was shocked when Gandhi was killed, none can, however, justify it, and pointed out that Godse was hanged for the "heinous" crime. She said it was "strongly condemnable" that Haasan used the phrase "Hindu terrorism" in a Muslim-dominated area. "Though he talks of taking forward a new kind of politics, he also indulged in the old, mischievous, poisonous and divisive vote bank politics," Soundararajan said in a statement. She said his remarks amounted to inciting "communal violence". In an apparent reference to the deadly Easter bombings in Sri Lanka which left over 250 dead, she asked whether persons like Haasan were vocal in discussing the issue "despite being known that perpetrators were Muslims." She said Haasan's remarks in a Muslim-dominated area were "mischievous and agenda-driven.""Therefore such persons' campaigning should be banned. The police should take action since there is an effort to create tension," she said. Taking a swipe at his earlier statement of leaving the country when his multi-million venture 'Vishwaroopam' faced release time issues from Muslim groups over the portrayal of the community, she said, "It is brazen acting that he is now talking about the country, Gandhi and patriotism." Actor Vivek Oberoi slammed Haasan's remarks, saying both art and terror "have no religion" and asked if Godse's faith was mentioned to corner Muslim votes. Oberoi, who played Narendra Modi in a biopic on the prime minister, said no one "should divide the country." "Dear Kamal sir, you are a great artist. Just like art has no religion, terror has no religion either! You can say Godse was a terrorist, why would you specify Hindu ? Is it because you were in a Muslim dominated area looking for votes?," he said in a tweet. "Please sir, from a much smaller artist to a great one, lets not divide this country, we are one Jai Hind..#AkhandBharat #UnDividedIndia," he added. Earlier too, Haasan had triggered a row, when in November 2017, he took potshots at what he termed as "Hindu extremism," which drew condemnation from the BJP and Hindu outfits. Aravakurichi is one of the four Assembly constituencies where bypolls are scheduled on May 19. MNM has fielded S Mohanraj from this segment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's rising oil consumption will support its investments in refining capacity additions and upstream production, but imports will keep growing amid stagnant production, Moody's Investors Service said Monday. The country's dependence on imported crude oil to meet its needs has risen to 83.7 per cent in 2018-19 fiscal year from 82.9 per cent in 2017-18. Import dependence was 80.6 per cent in 2015-16. In a report on regulatory and security policies in emerging markets, Moody's said all petroleum products in India are now sold at prices linked to international or regional market rates, which has opened up the fuel retail market. But national oil companies - Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) continue to enjoy over 90 per cent market share in petroleum product distribution, it said. The three oil refining and marketing national oil companies (NOCs) control 57,944 petrol pumps out of a total of 64,624 petrol pumps in the country. India consumed 211.6 million tonnes of petroleum products in 2018-19, up from 206.2 million tonnes in the previous year. Fuel consumption was 184.7 million tonnes in 2015-16. Though the country is short in producing crude oil, which is turned into fuel at refineries, it manufactures surplus petroleum products. In 2018-19, production of petroleum products was 262.4 million tonnes. Also, two upstream national oil companies, Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) produce about 70 per cent of India's oil and 80 per cent of its natural gas. The government continues to set the selling price of natural gas in the country. This is, however, linked to international benchmarks, it said adding that oil and gas companies in India are largely exposed to the same level of price volatility risks as most international oil companies. "India's oil and gas consumption will support its investments in refining capacity and upstream production, but crude imports will keep growing amid stagnant production, and government pressure for shareholder returns will temper NOC credit quality," Moody's said. The government demands high shareholder returns from the government-owned companies in the form of dividends and share buybacks. In addition, because of the high rate of growth in consumption, the oil companies also need to continue to invest in expanding capacity. "Refining margins in the region in 2019 and 2020 are likely to be lower than 2017 and 2018, which will result in lower earnings, particularly for refiners and integrated oil companies," the report said. IOC's nine refineries had a weighted average refining margin of USD 5.83 per barrel in 2018-19. BPCL and HPCL had a gross refining margin of USD 5.25 and USD 5.17 per barrel, respectively, in the same period. Moody's said the carbon transition risk for Indian oil companies remains manageable. "Even though the government is encouraging faster adoption and manufacturing of electric vehicles, the response has not been great because of a lack of high-quality, affordable vehicles and the evolving charging infrastructure," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iran on Monday called attacks on ships in the Gulf "alarming", after the UAE and Saudi Arabia said several vessels including oil tankers were damaged in acts of sabotage off the Emirati coast. "The incidents in the Sea of Oman are alarming and regrettable," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in an English-language statement on the ministry's website, calling for a probe into the attacks and warning of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Iranian woman who worked for the British Council was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "spying", the judiciary's website Mizan Online reported Monday, sparking concern in London. "An Iranian citizen in charge of the Iran desk at the... British Council was cooperating with English spying agencies," Mizan reported, quoting judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili. He did not identify the suspect, but said she had been sentenced recently after she "made a straightforward confession". Esmaili added that the suspect, who had been tasked with drawing up and managing cultural "infiltration" projects, had been arrested by Iranian intelligence and security agencies "more than a year ago". The United Kingdom's foreign ministry voiced concern over the sentence. "We are very concerned by reports that an Iranian British Council employee has been sentenced to jail on charges of espionage," a spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office told AFP. "British Embassy officials in Tehran are in touch with the Iranian government to seek further information." The British Council is a cultural and educational organisation with branches around the world, but according to its website it is not "physically preset" in Iran. Iranian authorities shut down the British Council more than a decade ago for what Esmaili described as "illegal activities". Esmaili said that during her confession, the suspect described how she had been recruited, telling investigators about the instructions she had been given by "the English security agency". The spokesman said that she was "an Iranian student who wanted to live and work in the UK", was hired by the British Council and "repeatedly travelled to Iran under aliases... and made connections with artistic and theatre groups". A London-based British Council employee was arrested in Iran in 2018 during a trip to visit relatives. It was not immediately clear if she was the person sentenced on Monday. The sentencing comes amid tensions between Iran and Britain over the fate of British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was arrested by Iranian authorities in 2016 as she was leaving Tehran. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was put on trial and is now serving a five-year jail sentence for allegedly trying to topple the Iranian government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Iranian woman who worked for the British Council was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "spying", the judiciary's website Mizan Online reported Monday. "An Iranian citizen in charge of the Iran desk at the English cultural council called British Council was cooperating with English spying agencies," it said quoting judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili. He said the sentence was handed down recently and did not identify the suspect who "had made a straightforward confession and was sentenced to 10 years by the court". Esmaili added that the suspect, who had been tasked with drawing up and managing cultural "infiltration" projects, had been arrested by Iranian intelligence and security agencies "more than a year ago". The British Council is a cultural and educational organisation overseas but according to its website it is not "physically present" in Iran. Iranian authorities shut down the British Council more than a decade ago for what Esmaili described as "illegal activities". Esmaili said during her confession, the suspect described how she had been recruited and provided information on "the instructions that the English security agency had given" her. The spokesman said she was "an Iranian student who wanted to live and work in the UK" had been "employed by the British Council" and "repeatedly travelled to Iran under aliases... and made connections with artistic and theatre groups". A London-based British-Council employee was arrested in Iran in 2018 during a trip to visit relatives. It was not immediately clear if she was the person sentenced on Monday. The sentencing comes amid tensions between Iran and Britain over the fate of British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was arrested by Iranian authorities in 2016 as she was leaving Tehran. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was put on trial and is now serving a five-year jail sentence for allegedly trying to topple the Iranian government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will arrive here on Tuesday to hold talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj primarily on impact of the US ending waivers on import of oil from Iran, and ways to deal with it, official sources said. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Zarif will arrive at 11.45 PM on Tuesday and depart at 2:30 PM on Wednesday. His visit comes, 12 days after six-month-long exemptions from US sanctions to India and seven other countries to buy oil from Iran ended. The issue is expected to figure prominently in the talks, the sources said. After the exemptions expired on May 2, India said it will deal with the issue based on three factors -- the country's energy security, commercial consideration and economic interests. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India was prepared to deal with the impact of the US decision. In May last year, the US had brought back sanctions on Iran after withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal which was struck in 2015. The US had told India and other countries to cut oil imports from the Gulf nation to "zero" by November 4 or face sanctions. However, Washington had granted a six-month waiver from sanctions to eight countries, including India. India, which is the second biggest purchaser of Iranian oil after China, had agreed to restrict its monthly purchase to 1.25 million tonne or 15 million tonne in a year (300,000 barrels per day), down from 22.6 million tonne (452,000 barrels per day) bought in the 2017-18 financial year. The world's third biggest oil consumer, India meets more than 80 per cent of its oil needs through imports. Iran is its third largest supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia and meets about 10 per cent of its total needs. Sources said the Chabahar port project is also likely to figure in the meeting between Zarif and Swaraj. Indo-Iran ties have been on a upswing in the last few years. Prime Minister Modi visited Tehran in May 2016 with an aim to craft a strategic relationship with Iran and expand India's ties with West Asia. During the visit, India and Iran signed nearly a dozen pacts, centrepiece of which was an agreement on development of Chabahar port. Later, India, Iran and Afghanistan signed a trilateral pact providing for transport of goods among the three countries through the port. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iran's semi-official ISNA agency says university students have held a campus protest against authorities' increasing pressure on women to wear mandatory headscarves in public. The report says the students both men and women briefly scuffled with another group of Tehran University students who support the country's conservative dress code. The headscarf, or hijab, is required in public for all women in Iran. Those who violate the rules are usually sentenced to two months in prison or less and fined around USD 25. ISNA reported in May that a prominent human rights lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, was sentenced to seven years in prison after defending anti-hijab protesters. Iranian authorities have adopted a tougher approach toward such protests since 2017, after dozens of women publicly took off their headscarves. (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 expressed deep shock and pain over the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora district. Malik directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir to work swiftly in the case and ensure that the culprit gets exemplary punishment for this shameful act, an official spokesperson said. "On learning about the unfortunate incident, the Governor immediately spoke to S P Pani, the IGP Kashmir, and took detailed review of the ongoing investigations into the case," he said. The Governor has also talked to religious leaders of different communities and asked them to deplore this gruesome incident unanimously and make appeal to the people to remain calm and not let anti-social elements disturb peace and harmony in society, the spokesperson said. Normal life was affected in the city due to a strike called by a religious-cum-separatist organisation against the incident. Most schools, shops and other business establishments in the city remained shut due to the strike, officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 40 security personnel, including an officer, and seven civilians were injured on Monday as clashes broke out in Jammu and Kashmir during protest against the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora district, police said. Youths held protests and pelted stones at security forces at several locations in Baramulla district in north Kashmir, a police official said. Forty-seven personnel of the security forces were injured in the clashes at Mirgund, Chainabal, Harnath, Singhpora, Jheel Bridge, Kripalpora Payeen and Hanjiwera areas of the district. An assistant commandant of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) received injury on his head, the official said. Seven civilians were also injured in the clashes, he said, adding all of them were stable. A shutdown was also observed in Kargil town as locals took out a rally over the incident. The protesters raised slogans in support of their demand for exemplary punishment to the accused who is in police custody, the officials said. They said the shops and business establishments remained closed in the entire town as local residents assembled under the banner of Imam Khomeni Memorial Trust and took out a massive rally. Students joined the rally which went round various parts in the town and concluded peacefully at Kalon Rahim Khan Chowk. The vice chairman of the trust, Sheikh Bair Shakir, urged the government to deal with such heinous cases on fast track basis and ensure exemplary punishment to the culprits in a time bound manner. Congress rebel leader and former MLA Asgar Ali Karbali expressed solidarity with the family of the victim and said the people of Kargil would not remain mute spectator to such gruesome incidents. "We want our society a better place for every one especially the girls and the women. The government should ensure investigation of rape cases on fast track basis and deliver speedy justice to the victim by setting up special courts," he said. The three-year-old girl was allegedly raped in Sumbal area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district, prompting the Jammu and Kashmir Police to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant was Monday arrested in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Hilal Ahmad was arrested from Dooru area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district, a police officer said, adding that arms and ammunition were recovered from him. Police have registered a case and investigation is going on to probe his complicity in terror crimes, the officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has said independent India's first "extremist was a Hindu"-- Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi, stoking a controversy with the BJP on Monday asserting that an "assassin" is very different from a terrorist. The BJP also accused the Makkal Needhi Maiyam founder of indulging in "divisive politics" and following the Congress and Communists in showing Hindus "in a bad light to appease minorities". Addressing an election campaign in Tamil Nadu's Aravakurichi on Sunday night, Haasan said he was one of those "proud Indians" who desires an India of equality and where the "three colours in the tricolour remained intact", in an obvious reference to different faiths. "I am not saying this because this is a Muslim dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Independent India's first extremist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (extremism, apparently) starts," he said. Haasan said he was a "self-assumed great-grandson" of Gandhi and that he had come here "seeking answers for that murder," referring to Gandhi's assassination in 1948. Haasan's comments drew sharp reactions with the state BJP unit approaching the Election Commission seeking action against him for alleged "gross violation" of the Model Code of Conduct and in New Delhi, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharam saying he does not understand the difference between an assassin and a terrorist. "It proves that he does not understand the difference between an assassin and a terrorist. An assassin is very different from a terrorist. Therefore if only he goes through the entire history and also follows up on the trial of Mahatma Gandhi he would know the difference," Sitharaman told a press conference. She was responding to a question on Haasan's comments in Tamil that free India's first "terrorist" was a Hindu as he named Godse, who shot dead Mahatma Gandhi. She added, "He is in a hurry to prove that he follows the same line of appeasing minorities for the sake of his newly launched venture." Reacting strongly Tamil Nadu Minister K T Rajenthra Bhalaji, known for his outspoken remarks on various issues, said,"his tongue should be cut of..he has said (free India's first extremist) was a Hindu. Extremism has no religion, neither Hindu nor Muslim nor Christian." Bhalaji, a senior AIADMK leader, also sought a ban on MNM for "sowing violence" and accused Haasan of "acting" to garner minority votes. However, Haasan found support from the Congress and Dravidar Kazhagam. TNCC President K S Alagiri said he concurred with Haasan "1000 percent", while DK chief K Veeramani said Godse trained with RSS. Talking to reporters, Alagiri alleged that Hindu outfits like RSS "believe in destroying those with opposing views" and said, "I support him (Haasan) and concur with him, not just 100 percent, but 1000 percent." Supporting Haasan, Veeramani, a strident critic of the BJP and Sangh Parivar, said "Not just that, even (Sadhvi) Pragya Singh Thakur is only out on bail," referring to BJPs Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. BJP state President Tamilisai Soundararajan said the whole nation was shocked when Gandhi was killed and none can justify it, and that Godse was hanged for the "heinous" crime. In a statement, she said it was "strongly condemnable" that Haasan used the phrase "Hindu extremism" in a Muslim-dominated area. "Though he talks of taking forward a new kind of politics, he also indulged in the old,mischievous,poisonous and divisive vote bank politics" and his remarks amounted to inciting "communal violence", she added. Soundararajan said Haasans remarks in a Muslim dominated area were "mischievous and agenda-driven." "Therefore, such persons campaigning should be banned. Police should take action since there is an effort to create tension," she said. Actor Vivek Oberoi slammed Haasans remarks, saying both art and terror "have no religion". "Dear Kamal sir, you are a great artist. Just like art has no religion, terror has no religion either! You can say Godse was a terrorist, why would you specify Hindu ? Is it because you were in a Muslim dominated area looking for votes?," he asked in a tweet. "Please sir, from a much smaller artist to a great one, lets not divide this country, we are one Jai Hind..#AkhandBharat #UnDividedIndia," he added. Oberoi, who played Narendra Modi in a biopic on the Prime Minister, said no one "should divide the country." Earlier too, Haasan had triggered a row, when in November 2017, he took potshots at what he termed as "Hindu extremism", which drew condemnation from the BJP and Hindu outfits. Aravakurichi is one of the four Assembly constituencies where bypolls are scheduled on May 19. MNM has fielded S Mohanraj from this segment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister Jitendra Singh Monday said that Kashmir-centric leaders are rattled by the Balakot air strikes and are unable to digest the countrywide popular support received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first-of-its-kind anti-terrorist action launched against Pakistan in the past 70 years. His assertion came in response to recent tweets by National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on the prime minister's remarks that cloud cover "helped" IAF planes evade Pakistani radars during the Balakot strikes. Singh said that much harm has been done to the country by these Twitter-savvy activists who consider themselves to be "know-alls". In an interview to a private channel aired on Saturday, Modi said he relied on his "raw wisdom" to dispel doubts of defence experts who wanted the air strikes to be deferred due to inclement weather. "The weather was not good on the day of air strike. There was a thought that crept in the minds of the experts that the day of strike should be changed. However, I suggested that the clouds could actually help our planes escape the radars," Modi said while talking about the cross-border strike on terror camps in response to the Pulwama attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel. Reacting to Modi's remarks, Mehbooba tweeted on Sunday, "No secret that Balakot strikes failed to hit the intended target. Was it because PM overruled the advice of IAF & authorised airstrikes in bad weather? Cloud cover logic is painfully embarrassing.Remind me again, why is RG (Congress president Rahul Gandhi) derided as Pappu?" Abdullah had on Saturday tweeted, "Pakistani radar doesn't penetrate clouds. This is an important piece of tactical information that will be critical when planning future air strikes." In an apparent response to these tweets, Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), said, "While we are proud that we are seeking votes on the basis of our pledge and commitment to the national security of India, it is for the NC and PDP leadership to regret that they have not been able to sell the slogan of so-called autonomy, pre-1953 status, self-rule, etc.""Such NC leaders who accuse us of arousing the sentiment of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', should be ashamed of the fact that their attempt to sell the separatist and pro-Pakistan sentiment has been out-rightly rejected by the people and they have quietly conceded the point that it is the BJP and its commitment to 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' which will rein supreme during and after the election," he said. Coming down heavily on the Congress and National Conference leaders who allege lack of development in Jammu and Kashmir in the past five years, Singh said that it is on the contrary, for these party leaders to explain why they could not bring about development in the last six decades and what was their contribution till 2014 before the BJP came to power. He said it is "ridiculous" that NC leaders go around giving interviews and shedding crocodile tears over poor development in the hilly regions from where their party representatives were ministers for over half a century. Singh challenged any opposition leaders to compare the last five years of development in J&K with any of the previous five-year parliamentary terms. "We are fortunate to redeem the sins of Congress and NC, but we will not allow these parties to pass on their sins to us, which we shall continue to expose and keep reminding people day after day," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of Kashmiri Pandits staged a protest here on Monday alleging that an apple orchard owned by a member of the community was vandalised by miscreants in South Kashmir. The protesters alleged that the incident was aimed at creating a sense of insecurity among the minority community in Kashmir and demanded arrest of the culprits. "I came to Jammu last week from Kashmir. Two days ago, I received a call from the people in the valley that my apple orchard at Akura village of Anantnag district has been vandalised during the night," Ajay Raina, the owner of the orchard, told reporters here. Police have registered a case and taken up investigation, officials said. All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC) general secretary T K Bhat said, "We want the culprits to be arrested and punished severely." All Party Migrant Coordination Committee (APMCC) chairman Vinood Pandita demanded a high-level probe and compensation for the orchard owner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrashekhar Rao's bid to rope in DMK in his proposed alternative front appeared to be a non-starter with the Dravidian party chief M K Stalin urging the Telangana Chief Minister to extend TRS's support to the Congress. Continuing his efforts to bring together regional parties, Rao called on Stalin at his residence here and discussed with him his proposal for a federal front, DMK sources said. In the meeting that went beyond an hour, Stalin conveyed to Rao that his party was in a pre-poll alliance with the Congress and he had also pitched the name of Rahul Gandhi for the office of the Prime Minister. "Thalaivar (Stalin) urged Rao to extend Telangana Rashtra Samiti's support for a Congress-led government at the Centre," DMK sources told PTI. Rao, who had days ago called on his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan, exuded confidence in the deliberations that regional parties would emerge as a powerful force with a significant number of seats and neither the Congress, nor the BJP would have adequate numbers to form a government. In such an eventuality, the TRS chief told the DMK president that a government could be propped up by the regional parties with the support of "national parties," a reference perceived to include the Left parties as well. Possible "post poll scenarios" that may merge and how a federal front could help regional parties and "southern States," were put forth by Rao, sources added. To this,the DMK side,which was also represented by senior leaders Duraimurugan and T R Baalu, felt the situation was conducive only for a Congress-led government at the Centre. Also, the Dravidian party pointed out that toying with the idea for a regime steered by regional outfits at the Centre may not work in view of divergent state specific positions of some parties. The TRS is opposed to both Congress and Telugu Desam Party in Telangana. While Rao did not meet waiting reporters, DMK said the meeting was only a "courtesy," call. Rao had in April 2018 called on Stalin and then DMK chief M Karunanidhi here. Earlier in the day, he offered prayers at the ancient Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam in Tiruchirappalli. On May 10 he visited the Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram after going to Kanyakumari. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri downplayed the meeting between the two leaders and asked journalists "why accord importance to the meeting...in India a third front is not possible and not practicable; State parties from Kasmir to Kanyakumari know this very well." BJP Tamil Nadu unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan wondered what was Stalin's "hesitation" in his meeting with Rao to assert that he only supported Rahul Gandhi. Taking a jibe at Stalin, she said the DMK top leader had faced a similar hesitation when he was in West Bengal to take part in a rally held by Mamata Banerjee. She alleged the DMK had a reputation of changing colours, adding there was no transparency. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (ANSA) - Rome, May 13 - A far-right Forza Nuova (FN) militant allegedly attacked a youth ahead of an FN protest against pro-migrant Riace suspended mayor Mimmo Lucano's lecture at Rome's La Sapienza university on Monday. The FN man allegedly slapped the youth after they had a verbal exchange outside the National Library, where the FN militants gathered before setting off on their march. There is expected to be trouble if the FN march meets that of a group of antifascists, although the police have said they will keep them apart. FN has said it intends to take action to stop Domenico 'Mimmo' Lucano, the suspended pro-migrant mayor of the southern town of Riace, from speaking at Rome's La Sapienza University on Monday. Lucano's administration of the small town in the southern region of Calabria has been frequently lauded by commentators for the way migrants were integrated into the local community and made a positive contribution to it. But he had been suspended from his role and is not allowed to return to Riace due to allegations of involvement in aiding illegal immigration. "We are ready to stop the conference of the probed mayor," Forza Nuova said. "We will say no to Lucano, no to ethnic substitution, no to the business of migrant reception, with a rally by (FN leader) Roberto Fiore. "We cannot allow this enemy of Italy to take the podium". Rightist nationalist League leader Matteo Salvini, the interior minister said "it is my pledge to let Lucano speak". : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan visited Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and said it was an "inspiration" to all freedom lovers and those who fight oppression and injustice. Vijayan, who is currently on a four-nation tour of Europe, visited the world famous Anne Frank House on Sunday. "Visited Anne Frank house in Amsterdam. The Anne Frank House is a writer's house and biographical museum dedicated to the Jewish wartime teenager who wrote her experiences in her diary," Vijayan said in a Facebook post. The Anne Frank House has been an inspiration to all freedom lovers and those who fight oppression and injustice, Vijayan wrote in the post. The House preserves the hiding place at the rear of the 17th century canal house, known as the Secret Annex, where Anne Frank hid from Nazi persecution with her family and four other people during World War II. Anne Frank was apprehended along with her family in 1944 and died of typhus in a concentration camp a year later when she was 15. Her wartime diary in which she narrates her life in hiding during the Nazi occupation, was discovered after her death and was published in 1947, as the Diary of Anne Frank, which has been published in over 60 languages. The museum, which was opened in May 1960, preserves the hiding place, has a permanent exhibition on the life and times of Anne Frank, and has an exhibition space about all forms of persecution and discrimination. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Killing Eve" emerged the biggest winner at BAFTA's British Academy Television Awards, scooping the trophies of best drama series and best leading actress for Jodie Comer. According to BAFTA official website, the hit show also took home the best supporting actress for Fiona Shaw. This was the first BAFTA victory for Comer, who essays Villanelle / Oksana Astankova, a psychopathic, skilled assassin who becomes obsessed with the MI5 officer who is tracking Eve, essayed by Sandra Oh. Shaw said since she starred in the show "people have started to suspect I am a spy." She plays Carolyn Martens, head of the Russia Section at intelligence agency MI6. The BAFTA TV Award for best mini-series went to "Patrick Melrose", beating out a fair competitor in "A Very English Scandal". "Avengers: Endgame" star Benedict Cumberbatch bagged the best leading actor award for his performance in "Patrick Melrose". Hugh Grant from "A Very English Scandal" was a frontrunner for the win. "I'm very used to being the bridesmaid," quipped Cumberbatch, who won the trophy from his seventh BAFTA TV Award nod. The actor plays the title role in the show of a wealthy Englishman attempting to overcome his addictions and demons rooted in abuse by his cruel father and negligent mother. He also thanked author Edward St Aubyn, on whose semi-biographical novels the mini-series is based, for his "wit and courage". It was Grant's co-star Ben Whishaw who tasted success yet another time at the BAFTAs, winning the best supporting actor honour. Whishaw continues his winning streak from Golden Globes 2019 in the category. This marks his second BAFTA TV Award after winning one in the leading actor category in 2013 for "The Hollow Crown: Richard II". Director Stephen Frears collected the award on Whishaw's behalf, who is currently starring off-Broadway in "Norma Jeane Baker of Troy". The actor plays LGBTQ icon Norman Scott in the mini-series. Drama "Succession" won BAFTA in the international category, edging out last year's winner "The Handmaid's Tale". "Killing Eve" and "A Very English Scandal" scored the most nominations with 14 and 12, respectively, across both the TV and TV Craft Awards. The BAFTA TV Craft Awards took place on April 28, where "A Very English Scandal" win three, including best director for Frears. "Killing Eve" and "Patrick Melrose" took home two BAFTA Craft Awards each. Graham Norton took over the hosting duties after a two-year hiatus. The ceremony was held at London's Royal Festival Hall. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Sri Lankan government on Monday enforced a countrywide curfew and blocked social media platforms to stop people inciting violence as communal violence spread to new areas in the island nation in the worst unrest since Easter Sunday bombings which killed nearly 260 people. Police also fired tear gas at mobs attacking mosques and shops owned by Muslims in various parts of the country. "The curfew has been imposed from 9 p.m. tonight to 4 a.m. tomorrow," a police spokesperson said. Army chief Mahesh Senanayake said the troops have been instructed to deal very strictly with those who defy the curfew. The army will shoot on sight if anyone defy the order, he added. Earlier in the day, the police reimposed a curfew, few hours after it was lifted, on four towns of Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Dummalasuriya and Hettipola in the north western region till 4 a.m. tomorrow following a communal clash in the area. It was later extended to the entire North Western Province as violence spread to other areas. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in an address to the nation said the military has been asked to quell the anti-Muslim riot and urged public cooperation to the security forces to bring the situation under control. "The security forces have been given full powers to deal with those who violate the state of emergency and the islandwide curfew," he said. He also appealed for calm urged the public not to be swayed by false information. "I appeal to all citizens to remain calm and not be swayed by false information. Security forces are working tirelessly to apprehend terrorists and ensure the security of the country, but each time there is civil unrest, we increase their burden and hamper ongoing investigations," he said. The Lankan government also reimposed a ban on social media following the violent clashes between the minority Muslim and majority Sinhalese communities. The blockade of Facebook and WhatsApp comes a day after Sri Lankan police imposed curfew in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw where a mob attacked a mosque and some shops owned by Muslims in a dispute that started on a Facebook post by a Muslim shop owner. The author of the Facebook post, identified as 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar, wrote: "Don't laugh more, 1 day u will cry". The Muslim shopkeeper's comment was taken by local Christians as a warning of an impending attack. Sri Lanka has previously blocked social media several times after the Eastern Sunday bombings to prevent the spread of false reports. The majority nationalist groups have been active on Facebook, reviving calls for boycotts of Muslim-owned businesses and spreading hate. The recent violence is a fresh backlash from the Easter attacks where nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 253 people and injuring over 500 others. The Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) and later banned the outfit. Over 1,000 have been arrested since the attacks. Sri Lanka's police say they have either killed or arrested all those responsible for the bombings but that the threat of global terrorism persists. President Maithripala Sirisena has vowed to eliminate the militants and restore normality in the country. 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.) The Sri Lankan authorities on Monday enforced a six-hour countrywide curfew as violence continued to spread in the island nation in the latest fallout from the Easter Sunday suicide bombings, which killed nearly 260 people. "The curfew has been imposed from 9 p.m. tonight to 4 a.m. tomorrow," a police spokesperson said. Earlier in the day, the police reimposed a curfew, few hours after it was lifted, on four towns of Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Dummalasuriya and Hettipola in the north western region till 4 a.m. tomorrow following a communal clash in the area. It was later extended to the entire North Western Province as violence continued to spread. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also appealed for calm after the unrest broke out, especially in Kurunegala district targeting Muslims, and appealed to the public not to be swayed by false information. "I appeal to all citizens to remain calm and not be swayed by false information. Security forces are working tirelessly to apprehend terrorists and ensure the security of the country, but each time there is civil unrest, we increase their burden and hamper ongoing investigations," he said. The Lankan government on Monday also reimposed a ban on social media following violent incidents between the minority Muslim and majority Sinhalese communities in the country. The blockade of Facebook and WhatsApp comes a day after Sri Lankan police imposed curfew in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw where a mob attacked a mosque and some shops owned by Muslims in a dispute that started on a Facebook post by a Muslim shop owner. The violence is a new backlash from the Easter attacks where nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 253 people and injuring over 500 others. The Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ). Sri Lanka banned the NTJ and arrested over 100 people in connection with the blasts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Sri Lankan authorities on Monday enforced a six-hour countrywide curfew as communal violence spreads to new areas in the island nation in the latest fallout from the Easter Sunday suicide bombings, which killed nearly 260 people. "The curfew has been imposed from 9 p.m. tonight to 4 a.m. tomorrow," a police spokesperson said. Army chief Mahesh Senanayake said the troops have been instructed to deal very strictly with those who defy the curfew. The army will shoot on sight if anyone defy the order, he added. Earlier in the day, the police reimposed a curfew, few hours after it was lifted, on four towns of Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Dummalasuriya and Hettipola in the north western region till 4 a.m. tomorrow following a communal clash in the area. It was later extended to the entire North Western Province as violence continued to spread. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also appealed for calm after the unrest broke out, especially in Kurunegala district targeting Muslims, and appealed to the public not to be swayed by false information. "I appeal to all citizens to remain calm and not be swayed by false information. Security forces are working tirelessly to apprehend terrorists and ensure the security of the country, but each time there is civil unrest, we increase their burden and hamper ongoing investigations," he said. The Lankan government on Monday also reimposed a ban on social media following violent incidents between the minority Muslim and majority Sinhalese communities in the country. The blockade of Facebook and WhatsApp comes a day after Sri Lankan police imposed curfew in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw where a mob attacked a mosque and some shops owned by Muslims in a dispute that started on a Facebook post by a Muslim shop owner. The violence is a new backlash from the Easter attacks where nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 253 people and injuring over 500 others. The Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ). Sri Lanka banned the NTJ and arrested over 100 people in connection with the blasts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Sri Lankan authorities on Monday reimposed a curfew, few hours after it was lifted, on four towns in the north western region following a communal violence in the area. "Curfew was lifted at 6 a.m. this morning from Kuliyapitiya, Hettipola, Bingiriya and Dummalasuriya towns," a police official said. "However, following a communal clash in the afternoon at Hettipola, the curfew was re-imposed with immediate effect till 4 a.m. tomorrow on the area and its neighbouring towns of Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya and Dummalasuriya," the official added. Earlier in the the morning, the Lankan government also reimposed a ban on social media following violent incidents between the minority Muslim and majority Sinhalese communities in the country. The blockade of Facebook and WhatsApp comes a day after Sri Lankan police imposed curfew in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw where a mob attacked a mosque and some shops owned by Muslims in a dispute that started on a Facebook post by a Muslim shop owner. The violence is a direct fallout of the April 21 suicide bombings where nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 253 people and injuring over 500 others. The Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ). Sri Lanka banned the NTJ and arrested over 100 people in connection with the blasts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were arrested in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, with the Army claiming to have scuttled a conspiracy of the terror outfit to expand its arc of terrorism in the Jammu region. The Gool-Ramban belt, which is located between Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Udhampur and Ramban districts of the Jammu region and south Kashmir's Kulgam district, had been an operational hub and a launching pad of foreign mercenaries until 2000. Showkat Ahmad Sheikh of Charsoo village of Awantipora in Pulwama district and Taweel Mohiuddin Dar of Malipura village of Kulgam were arrested by a joint search party of police and Army's Rashtriya Rifles and 9 Para from the Hara area of Gool, a police officer said. He said an AK 47 rifle, along with a magazine and 30 rounds, and Rs 8,771 were seized from the possession of the arrested militants. The joint search operation was launched around 3.30 am after specific information about suspicious movement of some anti-national elements was received, the officer said. Preliminary investigation revealed that the militants are affiliated to LeT, he said. "They were acting on the instructions of an active terrorist Naveed alias Abu Talla," the official said without sharing any further details. A case under various sections of the Ranbir Penal Code has been registered against the duo and further investigation is on, he said. Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Udhampur-based northern command, Lt Col Abhinav Navneet said their arrest foiled an attempt by the LeT to revive terrorism in south of the Pir Panjal range (Jammu region). "Combined efforts of the Indian Army (Rashtriya Rifles) and police in the Gool area under counter insurgency force uniform delivered a major setback to the terrorist outfit in their efforts to revive terrorism south of Pir Panjal range," Lt Col Navneet said. He said both the individuals are in their teens. "The timely apprehension of suspected terrorists and recovery of war-like stores has thwarted the nefarious design of terrorist organisation to spread the 'Arc of Terrorism' south of Pir Panjal Range," the PRO said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid coalition worries, a meeting of "like-minded" Congress MLAs will take place after bypolls to Kundgol and Chincholi assembly constituencies on May 19, Congress legislator S T Somashekar, who is the convener of the meeting, said Monday. "MLAs are busy with Chincholi and Kundgol bypolls. I will also be there from Wednesday morning till May 17 or18.. there was Bengaluru dairy election as well. So because of elections I could not speak to anyone, will speak to about 10 to 12 (legislators) and fix the date," Somashekar said. Speaking to reporters here, he said, "meeting will happen, there is no problem with it, date has to finalised, May 21 is the plan, but have not spoken to everyone as all arebusy with election. Will speak to them on May 17 or 18 anddecide." Earlier, the meeting of "like-minded" MLAs called by Somashekar on April 30 was deferred citing preparations for the bypolls. The party had asked all its MLAs to work for the Chincholi and Kundgol bypolls. Congress Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had also asked Somashekar and associate MLAs, who are considered close him, to postpone the meeting as it would send a wrong message ahead of by-polls. Somashekar's invitation for the April 30 meeting of "like-minded" MLAs had created a flutter amid worries within the rulingCongress-JD(S) coalition and dissidence in the Congress surfacing again. The meeting is likely to discuss issues faced by Congress MLAs under the coalition government and long-pending development work. Also, the present political situation in the state and the implications of the Lok Sabha and assembly bypoll resultswill be discussed, Congress sources said. According to the sources, as these MLAs areconsidered close to Siddaramaiah, they may also discuss the growing clamour for him to become CM once again and JD(S) leaders' public outburst on the issue. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and JD(S) leaders, including its state chief A H Vishwanath, are upset over a few Congress legislators including Ministers clamouring for Siddaramaiah becoming the Chief Minister once again. Also, the meeting gains significance following Yeddyurappa's reported statement that the longevity of the stategovernment would depend on the stand taken by about 20 "disgruntled" Congress legislators after the Lok Sabha election results. Somashekar in January had embarrassed the coalition, especially Congress leaders, with his statement that Siddaramaiah be made Chief Minister again, and had claimed that development works had come to a grinding halt. His comments had irked Kumaraswamy, who had even threatened to step down. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin says it will not sell its newly rolled out F-21 fighter jet to any other country if India places an order for 114 planes, in an offer aimed at pitching itself ahead of its US, European and Russian competitors for the mega deal. Vivek Lall, vice president of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin, says if F-21 wins the contract, then India will be integrated into the company's global fighter ecosystem, which is a USD 165 billion dollar market. In an interview to PTI, Lall said the new combat jet is designed to operate across over 60 air force stations in India, and its key aspects include superior engine matrix, electronic warfare system and weapons carrying capacity. "We will not sell this platform and the configuration to anyone in the world. It is a significant commitment by Lockheed Martin and it shows importance of India and importance of unique requirement India has," he said. Last month, the Indian Air Force issued an RFI (Request for Information) or initial tender to acquire 114 jets at a cost of around USD 18 billion, which is billed as one of the world's biggest military procurement in recent years. The top contenders for the deal include Lockheed's F-21, Boeing's F/A-18, Dassault Aviation's Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, Russian aircraft Mig 35 and Saab's Gripen. Official sources said the IAF is pushing for finalising the mega deal in the wake of the Balakot strikes and evolving security scenario in the region. Lall said if Lockheed wins the contract, it will not only set up a state-of-the-art F-21 manufacturing facility along with the Tata Group, but will also help India create an ecosystem for overall growth of the country's defence manufacturing. On observation that the F-21 is similar to Lockheed's F 16 Block 70 combat jet, he said such a view is unfair as there have been significantly differences between the two platforms. F-21 is different in terms of various aspects including its air frame, weapons capability, engine matrix and availability of engine options. "As for example, you are now looking at 12,000 hours of service life air frame in F-21 versus 8,000 hours previously (F 16 Block 70). The additional 40 per cent weapons carrying capability is new in F-21 which was not there in F 16 Block 70. The electronic warfare system is uniquely developed for India," he added. "Looking from a distance may make it look similar to F 16 Block 70, but it is different," he added. Besides having a traditional boom-delivered refueling facility, the F 21 also has an extendable hose-and-drogue refuelling probe. "This is the only fighter in the world which has both the capability," said Lall, adding the cockpit has a new large area display. "It is a modern cockpit and has a significant piece of ability to synthesise information. These are unique capabilities that we are not offering to other countries in the world," said the Lockheed executive. The jet has a Long-Range Infrared Search and Track (IRST), enabling pilots to detect threats with precision and Triple Missile Launcher Adapters (TMLAs) allowing it to carry 40 per cent more air-to-air weapons. Without giving any approximate price of each bare-bone aircraft, he pitched it as the most cost effective compared to the competitors in terms of life-cycle and operational costs. "If you look at the US government data, the advantage is 30-40 per cent in terms of cost effectiveness. This is lower compared to the competitors. If you aggregate with years and years of operations in the life cycle, it is a huge amount of saving for India if it goes ahead with F-21," said Lall. Lockheed, which has a longstanding relationship of 25 years in India, unveiled the F-21 during the Aero India show in Bengaluru in February, saying it will address the Indian Air Force's unique requirements. In sync with its priority for India, Lockheed, in September last year, finalised a joint venture with the Tata Advanced Systems to produce F-16 wings in India for export. "As we continue to expand our footprint, we are talking to more than 190 companies in India. The idea is to partner with India across a wide variety of interests," said Lall. He said the number of family members of the F 21 aircraft is around the world 3,000 (F 16), and if Lockheed wins the contract, then India will be linked to an ecosystem which is a 165 billion dollar market. "This is world's largest fighter ecosystem. India will be integrated into the 165 billion dollar market which is unparalleled," said Lall. The Indo-US defence ties are on an upswing and both New Delhi and Washington have said they are committed to expanding it further. In June 2016, the US had designated India a "Major Defence Partner" elevating the defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with that of its closest allies and partners. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) From buying vegetables and spending time with family after weeks, to catching up on sleep and playing harmonium, Lok Sabha candidates in Delhi relaxed and shook off tiredness Monday, a day after polling ended in the national capital. After spending months preparing for the polls, while some preferred to let their hair down, others returned to their normal routines. Delhi Congress chief and North East Delhi candidate Sheila Dikshit stayed at home and spent time with her family, meeting leaders and workers of the party. "Sheila ji spent time with her son, daughter and sister at home and met party leaders and workers. She followed her routine like normal days," said a close aide of the former three time chief minister of Delhi. Dikshit's BJP counterpart and her rival in North East Delhi seat Manoj Tiwari, who was involved in party affairs besides campaigning, slept till 10 am to shake off tiredness. "I woke up at 10 am although usually I leave the bed around 7 am. After some stretching and treadmill exercise, I spent time playing harmonium and rehearsing singing with friends," Tiwari said. He also interacted with party workers and leaders getting their feedback on voting for the polls. Union minister Harsh Vardhan, who is contesting from Chandni Chowk, spent time reading newspapers and playing with his pet dogs. BJP's celebrity candidate from East Delhi Gautam Gambhir left for Mumbai after voting ended on Sunday evening, said party spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor. Gambhir had a chance meeting with his friend Harbhajan Singh at the airport and he will return from Mumbai after fulfilling his prior commitment and focus on his constituency, he said.' His rival, AAP candidate Atishi Marlena, relaxed with her team who helped her in campaigning in the last few months and served them homemade cookies. "At no point did I feel like I'm fighting this election alone. I want to thank each and every one of you (volunteers) for your spectacular commitment, drive and passion.," she said. Congress's Chandni Chowk candidate JP Agarwal woke up early at 5.45 am and spent time time with his grand- daughters besides surfing the Internet, said his son Mudit. Many candidates, who were spending most of their time campaigning with their supporters, preferred to spend their day at home with family. AAP's North East Delhi candidate Dilip Pandey said he was able to spend time with his son and daughter after months. "After months I got up at 8 am which is very late, as during campaigning I used to wake up around 6 am. I went for a jog to get in shape and then met son Vatsal and daughter Agamya after months as I was forced to be outdoors till late hours during campaigning," Pandey said. Pankaj Gupta, AAP candidate from Chandni Chowk, preferred to finish household chores like buying vegetables for his family. "I also cleared pending bills. After months perhaps, I am feeling light, without any stress. I spent some quality time with my family members," he said. Balbir Singh Jakhar, AAP's West Delhi candidate, said he resumed his work as an advocate. "I went to my Dwarka office and resumed my work as a lawyer and social worker. I did puja in the morning had breakfast with my family, then I left for my work at 9.30 am," he said. Boxer-turned-politician Vijender Singh, Congress' candidate from South Delhi, is recovering from a sore throat, after campaigning for 18 days. "He spent quality time with his five-year-old son Abir, whom he had not seen in days. He used to leave for campaigning at 6 am and return around midnight, when his son would be sleeping. He is also catching up on his sleep," said a close aide of Singh. All the candidates are waiting with bated breath for March 23, when the results will be declared. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (ANSA) - Vatican City, May 13 - Pope Francis expressed his pain Monday over an attack by gunmen on a Catholic church in Burkina Faso after Sunday Mass in which six people were killed, including a priest, Vatican News said. The interim director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Alessandro Gisotti, has posted a tweet expressing the grief of Pope Francis. He said, "The Holy Father has learned with sorrow about the news of the attack on the church in Dablo, Burkina Faso. He prays for the victims, for their families and for the entire Christian community in the country." The attack took place in the small town of Dablo, about 200 kilometres north of the capital, Ouagadougou. The faithful were leaving church around 9 a.m. when about 20 suspected jihadists on motorcycles encircled the church. From reports by eyewitnesses, it appears that their target was the 34-year old Burkinabe priest, Father Simeon Yampa, in charge of interreligious dialogue in his diocese. When he tried to escape, the terrorists chased and killed him. Returning to the church, they forced the faithful to lie on the ground, picked out five of them and shot them. Dablo mayor, Ousmane Zongo, told Reuters the attackers then burned the church, looted a pharmacy and some other stores, and left. No one has claimed responsibility but the attacks bore the hallmarks of Islamic extremists who are known to be active in the area. Zongo said that the town is "filled with panic" and citizens are "holed up at home." A government statement said that "terrorist groups are now attacking religion with the macabre aim of dividing us." It is the second attack on Christians in two weeks in the West African nation increasingly overrun by jihadists. On April 29, a Protestant church was attacked, killing a Protestant pastor along with five faithful in Silgadji, in the province of Soum. The attackers then fled by motorbike to Mali, whose border is only a hundred kilometres away. The attack in Dablo came two days after an operation by French forces released four hostages kidnapped in Burkina last week. Two French soldiers were killed in action. Roughly 55% to 60% of Burkina Faso's population is Muslim, with up to a quarter Christian, mostly Catholic. The two groups generally live in peace, but the nation has been increasingly destabilized by jihadists from across the border in Mali. Attacks have included the kidnapping of foreigners. A report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies has pointed out that the number of violent incidents in the West African country linked to the local affiliates of al Qaeda and ISIS rose from 24 in 2017 to 136 in 2018. Over 100,000 people in Burkina Faso have been displaced by the unrest this year, the United Nations has said. The building of the luxury Pearl Continental Hotel in southwestern port city of Gwadar has been badly damaged due to explosions and rocket fire during the terror attack on Saturday, Pakistani media reported Monday. Five people including a soldier were killed after gunmen stormed the five-star hotel in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province. The attack on Pearl Continental in the strategic port city of Gwadar left four hotel employees and a Pakistan Navy soldier dead on Saturday. Six others were injured, including two army captains, two navy soldiers and two hotel employees, the Pakistan military said Sunday. The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army said it carried out the attack. "The fourth floor of the hotel has been destroyed as the attackers had planted improvised explosive devices at its entry points and also fired rockets," Dawn newspaper quoted security officials as saying. The ground floor and the other three floors had also been damaged in the encounter between security forces and the attackers, the report quoted the officials as saying. Meanwhile, security at the port city has been increased and special arrangements have been made to protect the employees of the Chinese Port Handling Company and others who are working on different projects under the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the report said. Gwadar is a strategic port on the Arabian Sea that is being developed by China as part of the CPEC. The security authorities and local administration have deployed more personnel of police, anti-terrorist force and Frontier Corps at various places in Gwadar. The roads leading to Gwadar port and other important places are still sealed and nobody is allowed to use them, the report said. The separatist group said that the hotel, the centrepiece of a multi-billion-dollar Chinese project, was selected in order to target Chinese and other investors. Militants in resource-rich Balochistan oppose Chinese investment, saying it is of little benefit to local people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday asked voters not to give a single vote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the country will be destroyed by him. Modi had not done anything for the country for the past five years, she told a public rally at Namkahana in the Sundarbans area. "If you choose the 'chowkidar' as Prime Minister, the country will be destroyed by him. The voters can oust him by not giving a single vote to BJP", the Trinammol Congress supremo said. "BJP has killed and lynched minorities, advisasis and journalists also", she alleged. "There is nothing to get afraid of of BJP. Don't vote for it. Also, if a single vote goes to CPI-M and Congress, it will strenghthen BJP's hands". Banerjee attacked Modi for demonetisation, which she alleged, had "killed" three crore jobs in the country and affected farming practices. Prices of petrol, gas, diesel has risen over the last five years, she said. Referring to West Bengal, she blamed the BJP government for going back on its words to construct the Tajpur port. The state will develop the Tajpur deep sea port on its own as the Centre did nothing to start work on the project in the past three years, she had declared in January. Banerjee said the TMC government has been able to bring down unemployment in the state by about 40 per cent, while demonetisation had taken away three crore jobs across the country. "We have also decided to mobilise Rs 1000 crore in the next three to four years to build a bridge over Muriganga river in Gangasagar for which detailed project report has to be made", she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man has lodged a complaint alleging water theft at his house in scarcity-hit Nashik district of Maharashtra, police said on Monday. Vilas Ahire, a resident of Shravasti Nagar in Manmad town, claimed he stored around 500 litres of drinking water in two tanks on the terrace of his house in view of the water shortage in the area, police inspector Suresh Kumar Dhusar said quoting the complaint. When Ahire checked the tanks on Saturday, he found the stock quite less. He subsequently lodged a complaint at the Manmad police station about 300 litres of water allegedly having been stolen from the storage units, Dhusar said. A probe was underway into the complaint, he said. According to a source in the local civic body, the drinking water supply to Manmad town was irregular as the water level of Wagdardi dam located nearby had gone down considerably due to deficient rainfall last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 26 year-old man has been arrested for allegedly supplying illegal fire arms to gangsters in Delhi and Haryana, police said Monday. The accused, identified as Sumit Kharab, a resident of Mundhela Khurd village near Jaffarpur area here, was nabbed on Sunday, the day Delhi went to polls, they said. Following a tip-off that an illegal arms supplier would come near a nursery plantation opposite a mall in Dwarka with a huge cache of illegal arms, the arrest was made, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said. Four sophisticated pistols and a country-made gun with two cartridges were seized from the accused, he said. Interrogation revealed that in 2014 the accused was arrested in Bahadurgarh area of Haryana where he came in contact with several gangs based in Haryana and Delhi, he said. After assessing the need for illegal fire arms and the profit attached to it, Kharab began his illegal trade, the DCP said. In 2017, he was arrested for possessing a fire arm in Dwarka and was sent to Tihar Jail. There, he came in contact with another inmate Aarush of Khurja in Uttar Pradesh who was undergoing judicial custody for the offence of possessing illegal fire arm. The two planned the procurement of illegal weapons for sale in Delhi and adjoining areas, the officer said. After the death of his father, Kharab left studies and started farming on his land, police said, adding that during this time he developed an addiction for alcohol. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 27-year-old accused in a murder case was arrested as he stepped out of a polling booth in south Delhi after casting his vote, police said Monday. Badal (27) and his accomplices, Satender (26) and Asfak Ahmed (24), were arrested Sunday for their alleged involvement in the killing of a rival gang member outside the Saket court last week. Acting on a tip-off, police personnel, who were on the trail of Badal, laid a trap outside the Government Boys Senior Secondary School Number 1 in Khanpur village of South Delhi and arrested him. On May 6, Prince, a Chirag Delhi resident, had come to Saket Court to attend his case where he was ambushed by some unidentified persons, waiting outside the court premises, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ram Gopal Naik said. Prince, affiliated to a gang, was involved in more than five criminal cases and the modus operandi of the killing was indicative of rivalry between the two gangs, the officer said. During investigation, it was revealed that gangster Rohit Choudhary, along with his associates, had killed Prince. The victim had abused and threatened Choudhary publicly, following which he plotted to kill Prince, Naik said, adding Prince had earlier managed to escape two attempts on his life. "We laid a trap inside the polling booth. Our officers in plain clothes were in the same queue as Badal's. The moment left the booth after casting his vote, we nabbed him," Naik said. After Badal's arrest, the police also nabbed Satender and Ahmed. The three were allegedly leaking information about Prince's arrival at the court to their gang members who shot him dead. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government is mulling solutions, including issuing an ordinance, to solve the problem relating to Maratha students' admissions to post graduation medical courses against the backdrop of a court ruling on 16 per cent quota for the community, Minister Girish Mahajan said Monday. The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had, earlier this month, said 16 per cent reservation given to the Maratha community by the state under the Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) category will not be applicable to admissions to the post-graduate (PG) medical and dental courses courses this year. The state government had later approached the Supreme Court, which upheld the verdict of the High Court. Mahajan said the state government was unable to do anything at the moment since the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls was in force (since March 10), adding that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was consulting experts on the issue. Around 250 students, who had got admission to post- graduate medical courses under the SEBC quota, are currently protesting on the issue at Azad Maidan. "We cannot defy the Supreme Court order...we are trying to figure out ways to solve the issue, whether we can issue ordinance, what help we can give...the model code of conduct is in force, that issue is there," Mahajan said. Mahajan made the remarks after NCP leader Ajit Pawar called on him following the latter's meeting with protesting students. Asked about it, Pawar said he has asked the government to ensure the future of the students is not jeopardised. "We have asked for permanent solution to the problem," the former deputy CM said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deputy Chief Minister said BSP president is suffering from "political depression" as she fears defeat of her party's candidates in the general election under way and as a result, she is losing her temper and patience. Sharma claimed is showing weakness and her memory is fading. "All these symptoms are clearly visible in the statements of the BSP supremo," he told in an interview. He said the supremo needed a "political health tonic". Mayawati, who is leading the BSP-SP-RLD alliance in UP with Akhilesh Yadav, has regularly hit out at the on and in campaign rallies, claiming that its government at the Centre is "autocratic" and has resorted to various means to "scare" senior leaders of the opposition parties. She has said the Centre "badly failed" to tackle issues like terrorism and naxalism. Ahead of the second phase of the seven-phase poll, the BSP chief was banned for 48 hours from campaigning by the for violating the moral code of conduct. Three others, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, were also banned for varying periods over similar reasons. Shortly after the ban ended on April 18, lashed out at and its leaders for levelling "unfounded" charges on opposition parties, including the allegation they were abusing Prime Minister The is facing a challenge from the alliance in Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest number of Lok Sabha seats, 80, compared to any other state. "BSP chief Mayawati is suffering from political depression (rajnaitik avsaad), which stems from the fact that her party fared badly in the past five phases in the state, and defeat of BSP candidates is imminent in the last two phases. It's the same with her alliance partners," Sharma said. He claimed the symptoms of her "depression" will become more evident in coming days and she will make "anaap, shanaap" (loose) remarks. "It is for this reason that she is calling the prime minister a 'fake backward'. She must revamp her memory, and for this she needs a political health tonic," the deputy chief minister said. Asked what he meant by "political health tonic", Sharma said, "Once dignity, transparency and uprightness are adopted, it will work as a political health tonic (for her). By using undignified words, the political health will certainly not improve." Mayawati has raised doubts on the caste of the prime minister, alleging he is a "farzi backward" - a fake OBC leader. Modi has responded saying he belongs to caste of all the poor in the country. On Sunday, a full-scale war of words broke out between Mayawati and Modi over the gangrape of a Dalit girl in Rajasthan's Alwar. The prime minister accused the BSP chief of shedding "crocodile tears" and asked her to withdraw support to the government in if she cared for Dalits. Mayawati hit back, calling Modi's statements on the gangrape incident "dirty politics" and demanded him to resign taking responsibility for atrocities on Dalits during his rule. Sharma, however, said the way Prime Minister Modi has worked to uplift the Dalit community, backward classes, the oppressed and deprived sections, "has instilled fear in Mayawati." "The BSP government (in UP) had done nothing for the welfare of the common man... It is the Modi government, which is developing the Panch Teerth (to honour B R Ambedkar)," he said. Sharma said Mayawati pretended to be a Dalit, but she did nothing to uplift the community. "Inhone Dalit hone ka sirf dhong kiya hai", he said. "It was the Modi government, which for the first time allocated over 75 per cent of its budget for the poor, farmers, backward classes and Dalits. This is the reason for her nervousness," he added. Sharma said the chiefs of BSP and SP, who gave themselves "certificates" for being concerned about Dalits and backward classes, have been rejected by people, who consider Modi "pramaanik" (authentic). "These people (opposition parties) divide society on the lines of caste, creed and religion. PM Modi believes in the principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas," Sharma said. "The cries of the opposition will only grow in the days to come. Their statements will become bitter, and after electoral loss, their statements will touch the sky." The Election Commission on Monday censured Congress leader Milind Deora for his reported remarks exhorting the Jain community to vote against a party. The EC said that Deora, Congress candidate from South Mumbai, violated the provisions of the model code in his Zaveri Bazaar speech on April 2. "The Commission, after considering his reply found it violative of para 1 and para 3 of MCC and therefore Commission censured him and warned him to be more careful in future," the EC said. Earlier, he was served with a show cause notice for his reported remarks that Jains should teach that particular party a lesson for allegedly cooking meat near a temple. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying his five-year tenure saw only "campaigning" and no work. Referring to Modi's reported "tapasya" (hardwork) remark, the Congress general secretary said "tapasya" destroys arrogance, but the "arrogance" of the Modi government had grown "too big". Gandhi Vadra alleged Modi did not find even five minutes in his tenure to solve problems faced by the poor in his constituency, Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh. In an interview to a leading English daily, Modi had recently said that his image was not created by the " Khan Market gang" (located in Delhi), but his 45-year tapasya (hard work). "Normally, political leaders should talk about real issues during campaign, like what are your problems, how it can be solved, what they will do in next five years, what they did in last five years," Gandhi Vadra told a poll rally here. "But in the last five years a strange silsila (series) is on. Only campaigning is going on, no actual work was done," she said. Gandhi Vadra said there has been a difference in the BJP's campaigning and reality and assured that the Congress will realise promises. She alleged that the "tapasvi" prime minister did not secure farmers, youth, the weak and others of the country. "This government's arrogance has grown so much that he reaches out to you only during rallies. He did not find even five minutes in five years to go to the home of a poor person or farmer in his own constituency Varanasi to tell them what he could do to solve their problems through his government," she charged. She accused the prime minister of talking "big and random" things and not about the BJP's unfulfilled poll promises. "Be alert, an effort is on to delude you, you are being used politically. You have made all the politicians. Hence, try to understand your strength. Your vote is important, don't waste it," she told the gathering. Gandhi Vadra also criticised the government on the issues of note ban, alleging that it caused huge job losses and other hardships. She dubbed the PM-Kisan Yojana as the 'Kisan Apman Yojana' and claimed the Congress' NYAY scheme, under which people will get Rs 6000 per month, was better. She said the PM-Kisan Yojana (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) only allocated Rs 2 per day per family member which was completely inadequate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi the "greatest danger" for the country and said she will give her life to ensure that no riot takes place in the state. She alleged that BJP is targetting her nephew and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha Trinamool Congress candidate Abhishek Banerjee and is ready to splurge to orchestrate a riot in the area. "It is Modi's target to start a riot at Diamond Harbour. He is ready to splurge any amount for the purpose," Banerjee said at a poll rally in support of her nephew at Metiabruz in the south western part of the city ahead of the ultimate round of polls in the state. "Where will the country go if Narendra Modi comes to power again? He is the greatest danger of the country. West Bengal is a place where all religions co-exist. I will give my life to see that no riot takes place in the state", she said. Hitting out at her detractors who have blamed her for minority appeasement, Banerjee said "People accuse me of appeasing the muslims. What do you mean by appeasement? The muslims are also people of the state. What nasty politics is BJP doing ?" Metiabruz is a predominantly Muslim area, historically the place where the last Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah was exiled by the British. Known as the second Lucknow, it is famous for its large tailoring community who supply readymade garments to traders across east India. She alleged that BJP is after her nephew and is spreading canards about him. "What wrong has he done ? He is just a member of my family and is engaged in politics." At Birlapur in South 24 Parganas, she said that Modi should be "thrown out of power" to save the country. "We (TMC) want all the 42 seats in West Bengal so that TMC can have a say in the formation of the Delhi government", she said. Banerjee has been claiming for sometime that her party will play an important role at the Centre and in the formation of the new government after the general elections. Speaking at yet another rally at Namkhana in the Sundarbans in South 24 Parganas, Banerjee asked voters not to give a single vote to Modi as the country will be destroyed by him. Modi had not done anything for the country for the past five years, she claimed. "If you choose the 'chowkidar' as Prime Minister, the country will be destroyed by him. The voters can oust him by not giving a single vote to BJP", the Trinammol Congress supremo said. "BJP has killed and lynched minorities, advisasis and journalists also", she alleged. "There is nothing to get afraid of of BJP. Don't vote for it. Also, if a single vote goes to CPI-M and Congress, it will strenghthen BJP's hands". Banerjee attacked Modi for demonetisation, which she alleged, had "killed" three crore jobs in the country and affected farming practices. Prices of petrol, gas, diesel has risen over the last five years, she said. Referring to West Bengal, she blamed the BJP government for going back on its words to construct the Tajpur port. The state will develop the Tajpur deep sea port on its own as the Centre did nothing to start work on the project in the past three years, she had declared in January. Banerjee said the TMC government has been able to bring down unemployment in the state by about 40 per cent, while demonetisation had taken away three crore jobs across the country. "We have also decided to mobilise Rs 1000 crore in the next three to four years to build a bridge over Muriganga river in Gangasagar for which detailed project report has to be made", she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ZAGREB - Croatia's largest shipyard, the Uljanik in Pula, has been formally placed in bankruptcy following a year of strikes and attempts by the government in Zagreb to find a strategic partner. The decision was made by a court in Puzin, in Istria County, which had to ascertain that the company's accounts had been blocked for nearly eight months and there was no other solution than bankruptcy. The shipyard's nearly 1,200 workers, who have been on strike for months, will be dismissed in the coming days. The 3. Maj shipyard in Rijeka is part of the same company as the Uljanik and will likely be placed in bankruptcy as well in the coming weeks. Two months ago, the government had preliminarily accepted a recapitalisation proposal for the two shipyards by a strategic partner, Brodosplit in the city of Split, in cooperation with Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri. In the meantime, however, calculations of the restructuring showed that it may have costed the Croatian government about a billion euros, an amount the government was not ready to invest. The cost of the bankruptcy will weigh heavily on government coffers given that the state is committed for hundreds of millions of euros through bank guarantees granted to the company in recent years. The two shipyards have been in a serious insolvency crisis for months as a consequence of massive losses generated in the past two years. Last month, 12 former directors and managers of the two shipyards were arrested for embezzlement and fraud in their management.(ANSAmed). Congress leader Hardik Patel Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "running away" from the "real issues" affecting the people. He said that the prime minister should "stop advertising" himself in the media and the Bharatiya Janata Party candidates should stop seeking votes in Modi's name. "He is running away from the real issues," Patel said at a poll meeting here in favour of Congress' Chandigarh Lok Sabha candidate and former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. "Even their (BJP) candidates from various constituencies are seeking votes in Modi's name as they don't have any issue to talk about or flaunt the development in their constituency," claimed Patel. "Modi governmentsnatched job opportunities from the youth instead of keeping its poll promise of providing 2 crore jobs," he claimed. The Congress leader further attacked Modi over the "false propaganda" about the development in Modi's home state of Gujarat ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. " In Gujarat, 55 lakh youth are unemployed... He (Modi) showed that face of Gujarat which never even existed," Patel claimed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday sought to dismiss "claims by pundits and planted reports from Delhi" that there is no "Modi wave" in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections as was the case in 2014 polls. The (Modi) wave is coming out from each home, he said, addressing an election rally here in Madhya Pradesh. "Pundits are claiming there is no wave...Stories are being planted from Delhi. Initially, they said there is no wave. The voting percentage is now higher than before. So they are worried. "They are not aware that there are two (types of) people who are creating records: my young friends who are voting for the first time and my mothers and sisters, who have made up their mind to elect their brother who ensured death penalty to rapists," Modi said. "Our mothers and sisters have decided to elect as PM one who provided (cooking) gas and electricity and have come out with full strength to cast their vote. When mothers and sisters come out, pundits fail to understand from where is the wave coming. The wave is coming from each home," he said. Modi also tore into Congress leader Sam Pitroda's "hua to hua" (it happened, so what?) remark on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Incidents like the Bhopal gas tragedy and scams like CWG, 2G spectrum and coal allocation happened under the watch of the Rahul Gandhi-led party, which brazenly says "hua to hua", he said. Modi reiterated his claim that the Gandhis used warship INS Viraat for "picnic". But when questions were raised about it, the Congress said "hua to hua", he added. Modi recalled the sacrifice of Lieutenant Commander Dharmendra Singh Chouhan, a Ratlam native, who was killed while fighting a blaze aboard warship INS Vikramaditya. "On the other hand is the Naamdar's family, who used a warship for picnic. When questions are raised about it, they shamelessly say 'hua to hua'," Modi said. Jawans died in terror and Naxal attacks, but the Congress kept saying, "hua to hua", he said. Replying to a reporter's question on the 1984 riots, Pitroda, a close aide of Rahul Gandhi and head of the Overseas Congress said last week, "Hua to hua..." "'Hua to hua' are not mere three words, they reflect the ideology and arrogance of the Congress. People are now saying 'enough is enough' in response to it," Modi said. 'Hua to hua' is the Congress' answer to scams, Modi said. "These 'mahamilavati' people are saying 'hua to hua', but the country is now saying 'mahamilavati logon ab bahut hua' (enough is enough)," he said, referring to the coming together of Congress and like-minded parties against the BJP. Poor people who never got pucca houses, electricity, LPG and toilets during Congress era due to its "hua to hua" casual approach are now saying enough is enough, Modi said. Targeting the Kamal Nath government in MP over its "failure" to implement farmers loan waiver promise, Modi likened people to God and said, "The Congress cheated God." The Congress has objections in raising the "Bharat Mata ki Jai" slogan, he said. Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi said the "naamdar" begins his speeches abusing him. Modi said the Congress spun a new yarn by coining the "Hindu terror" term. "Due to wrong policies of the government headed by Naamdars of Congress, there were bomb blasts in the country. Those behind them had a link across the border to Pakistan. But Congress said hua to hua, he said. Modi attributed senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Bhopal seat, not casting his vote to "internal bickering" within the Congress. "It also reflects the arrogance of the Congress leader as when the entire country, including the President, myself and others went to vote, Singh did not as he was afraid, Modi said. The fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh will be held on May 19. Polling for the remaining eight of the total 29 seats will be held that day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Crisscrossing three Hindi heartland states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said a 'Modi wave' is coming from every home in India and also escalated the attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. As the row over Gandhi's close aide Sam Pitroda's 'hua to hua' (it happened, so what) remark on the Sikh killings refused to die, Modi asked the Congress president to be "ashamed" of himself rather than pretending to scold the technocrat-turned politician. Modi also accused the previous Congress governments of using defence deals as an automated teller machine (ATM) for the party. The prime minister was addressing rallies in Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, Solan in Himachal Pradesh and Bathinda in Punjab which are going to polls in the seventh and final phase on May 19. Modi sought to dismiss "claims by pundits and planted reports from Delhi" that there is no "Modi wave" in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections like in 2014 polls. "The (Modi) wave is coming out from each home," he told the rally in Ratlam. "Pundits are claiming there is no wave...Stories are being planted from Delhi. Initially, they said there is no wave. The voting percentage is now higher than before. So they are worried. "They are not aware that there are two (types of) people who are creating records: my young friends who are voting for the first time and my mothers and sisters, who have made up their mind to elect their brother who ensured death penalty to rapists," Modi said. "Our mothers and sisters have decided to elect as PM one who provided (cooking) gas and electricity and have come out with full strength to cast their vote. When mothers and sisters come out, pundits fail to understand from where is the wave coming. The wave is coming from each home," he said. Modi reiterated his claim that former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi used warship INS Viraat for "picnic". But when questions were raised about it, the Congress said 'hua to hua', he sarcastically said. Modi recalled the sacrifice of Lieutenant Commander Dharmendra Singh Chouhan, a Ratlam native, who was killed while fighting a blaze aboard warship INS Vikramaditya recently. "On the other hand is the Naamdar's family, who used a warship for picnic. When questions are raised about it, they shamelessly say 'hua to hua'," Modi said. Jawans died in terror and Naxal attacks, but the Congress kept saying, 'hua to hua', he said. "'Hua to hua' are not mere three words, they reflect the ideology and arrogance of the Congress. People are now saying 'enough is enough' in response to it," Modi said. 'Hua to hua' is the Congress' answer to scams, Modi said. "These 'mahamilavati' people are saying 'hua to hua', but the country is now saying 'mahamilavati logon ab bahut hua' (enough is enough)," he said, referring to the coming together of Congress and like-minded parties against the BJP. Slamming Rahul Gandhi over the anti-Sikh riots, Modi said he should be ashamed of himself rather than pretending as if he is scolding Pitroda. Namdaar (dynast) should be ashamed of himself for failing to get justice to victims of 1984 riots, he said, adding those involved in the genocide would not be spared. Today I want to ask Congress how long they will rub salt into wounds like this, said Modi at the Bathinda rally. The prime minister also said Congress is struggling to win 50 seats as their leader is confused and the party thinking is diffused. In Solan, Modi said India was dependent on foreign countries for 70 per cent needs of the defence forces during the previous Congress governments. "It had been deliberately done as defence deals were ATM for the Congress," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Tanzanian woman was Monday apprehended by the CISF at the airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle out US dollars worth over Rs 10 lakh, a senior official of the force said. He said N Sabihaabdi was intercepted by a woman sub-officer of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) around 4 am at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport when she was being frisked before taking a flight to Dubai. A total of 14,330 US dollars were recovered from under the clothes of the woman, holding a passport of Tanzania, and also from her handbag, the officer said. The foreign currency is worth about Rs 10.05 lakh and the woman was handed over to Customs officials at the airport for further investigation about the source of the money, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nabventures, a subsidiary of NABARD, Monday announced its maiden fund to back agriculture, food and rural start-ups. The fund -- NABVENTURES Fund I -- with a proposed corpus of Rs 500 crore has a greenshoe option of Rs 200 crore and has received an anchor commitment from NABARD, Nabventures said in a release. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is a development finance institution. "The fund plans to raise the resources from a mix of domestic as well as global investors. The fund is registered with SEBI as a Category II Alternative Investment Fund," it said. NABARD Chairman Harsh Kumar Bhanwala said the fund is expected to provide a big boost to the investment ecosystem in the core areas of agriculture, food and improvement of rural livelihoods in India. The impact potential of NABVENTURES Fund I is very high, he added. As per the release, NABARD has contributed to 16 other alternative investment funds with an overall capital commitment of Rs 273 crore so far. Nabventures marks the foray of NABARD into direct management of alternative investment funds with a clear focus on the agri-related ventures. Nabventures is scouting for equity investments in asset-light, innovative, technology-led start-ups in its focus areas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stepping up his offensive over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi should be "ashamed" of himself. and sought to know whether Sam Pitroda was admonished for his "hua toh hua" remarks. Replying to a reporter's question on the 1984 riots, Pitroda, a close aide of Rahul Gandhi and head of the Overseas Congress had last week said "Hua to hua..." Pitroda later said his words have been twisted. Modi renewed his attack after Rahul Gandhirebuked his party's overseas unit chief Pitroda at a rally in Khanna and Hoshiarpur earlier in the day, saying he should be "ashamed" for his "totally wrong" remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and should apologise to the country. The Prime Ministerwas addressing a poll rally in Bathinda from where union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal is seeking re-election. Polling to 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on May 19. Lashing out at the main opposition party, Modi said Congress is struggling to win 50 seats as their leaders are confused and the party thinking is diffused. Slamming Rahul Gandhi over the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Modi said he should be ashamed of himself. "Policy maker of Congress and (late) Rajiv Gandhi's key advisor and Guru of Namdaar (Dynast),what he (Pitroda) said about 1984 riots led to an outrage in the entire country. "Namdaar's Guru who had come from America has said hu to hua on 1984 riots. This reflects Congress's thinking and shows its arrogance. "Today I want to ask Congress, how long they will rub salt into ours wounds like this. Namdaar (Rahul) has now told his Guru (Pitroda) that he should be ashamed (for his remarks). I want to ask Namdaar why are you pretending to admonish him. He queried whether Rahul was admonishing his "Guru (Pitroda)" for "making their secret public". "Whether he was admonishing for revealing the family talk, Modi asked. The Prime Minister said in the name of giving justice, the previous Congress government just formed commissions and committees. "They have been brushing aside this serious issue, said Modi adding, those facing serious allegations (pertaining to riots) were made ministers in the Centre, were entrusted with big responsibilities in the polls and made in charge of Punjab Modi said he had promised during 2014 Lok Sabha polls that he would ensure justice to the families of victims of 1984 riots. "Those (involved in riots) will not remain free for days, he said. He charged the Congress had proposed to dilute AFSPA and scrapping sedition law. He also lashed out at Amarinder Singh led Congress government in Punjab over farm debt waiver, saying it cheated the peasants. "Captain sahib (Amarinder) people of Punjab can forgive for your mistake but not for betrayal, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) Monday decided against diluting certain conditions, including exemption from tax liability, in its revised offer for debt-laden even as lenders have flagged serious concerns about the state-owned firm's conditional bid," sources said. The NBCC's revised bid to acquire and complete the work of over 20,000 flats would be discussed on May 14 by the Committee of Creditors (CoC), they added. On Friday, lenders wrote to the seeking clarifications on certain relief and concessions put forward by the public sector firm in its resolution plan. According to sources, has decided not to dilute the conditions of exemption from income tax liability as well as from taking consent of development authorities for transfer of businesses. It has also not agreed to change its proposal that lenders should take unsold flats in case state-owned firm fails to sell them in the market. To make changes in these clauses, sources said, needed approvals from its board as well as government departments. Without these changes, it remains to be seen whether the CoC decide to put NBCC's bid for voting by bankers and home buyers or reject it without voting. Homebuyers are likely to vote in favour of NBCC bid but many flat owners fear that lenders may reject it and opt for liquidation as they do no want a hair-cut of about 60 per cent against its claim of Rs 9,782 crore. Clarifications from the NBCC were sought in the backdrop of Jaypee Infratech's Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) Anuj Jain flagging to the lenders that NBCC's bid was conditional and non-binding. Jain had written to the CoC that NBCC's revised bid was conditional as the state-owned firm has stated that the plan would not be binding on it unless key relief measures such as extinguishing of income tax liability and a dispensation from seeking consent of YEIDA (Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority) for any business transfer is granted, sources had said. The CoC is considering NBCC's offer after it rejected Mumbai-based Suraksha Realty's bid on May 3 through voting process under the insolvency law. Earlier, the creditors' panel did not allow vote on NBCC's bid citing lack of approvals from the government departments. NBCC has now got all the necessary approvals. In its revised offer, NBCC has proposed infusion of Rs 200 crore equity capital, transfer of 950 acres of land worth Rs 5,000 crore to banks and completing construction of flats by July 2023 to settle an outstanding claim of Rs 23,723 crore of financial creditors. The court-mandated deadline for completing the resolution plan for Japyee Infratech ended on May 6 and the CoC has sought an extension of the deadline. The Allahabad bench of ( NCLT) has posted the matter for hearing on May 21 and maintained status quo till then. Apart from NBCC, has shown interest to bid for but creditors have not sought resolution plan from Adani so far. Interestingly, Jaypee Group's promoters too have put in a bid, under Section 12A of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, to retain control of the company. In 2017, Jaypee Infratech went into insolvency after NCLT admitted the application by an IDBI Bank-led consortium seeking resolution of the firm. During the first round of insolvency proceedings, the Rs 7,350 crore bid of Lakshdeep, part of Suraksha Group, was rejected by lenders. In October 2018, the IRP started a fresh initiative to revive Jaypee Infratech on the NCLT direction. Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL), the promoter of Jaypee Infratech, had submitted Rs 750 crore in the registry of the Supreme Court for the refund to buyers and the amount is lying with NCLT. Karnataka, which is reeling under severe drought, may have to wait till a new government comes to power at the Centre in order to get approval for relief package, according to sources. Already, a central team has assessed the extent of damage caused to the 2019 rabi crops due to drought in the state and submitted a detailed report to the Union Agriculture Ministry. The state government in its memorandum to the Centre has sought a financial assistance of Rs 2,064 crore to provide relief to farmers hit by drought during the rabi season. "A central team has submitted a report. The High Level Committee (HLC) under the Home Ministry has to take a decision on it," according to sources. While the model code of conduct does not bar the central government from holding a HLC meet, but it looks the meeting will be held when a new government is in place, the sources added. Karnataka has declared drought in 156 taluks in 30 districts. Of which, 107 taluks are facing severe drought, while 49 taluks have moderate drought. About 20.40 lakh hectare farm land have been affected due to the drought in the state. Of which, crop loss is estimated in 19.46 lakh hectare, as per the state government. The state had faced drought during the kharif season of 2018-19 crop year (July-June). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Assam Sahitya Sabha (ASS) president Paramananda Rajbongshi Monday alleged that the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) was "conspiring to deprive students in its schools their "birth right" to study Assamese and other regional languages. Rajbongshi at a press conference here claimed that a recent KVS notification "will deprive the students in the Kendriya Vidyalaya schools in Assam along with the rest of the country of their birth right and democratic right to study Assamese and other indigenous languages". He claimed that till last year teaching of mother tongue languages was carried out in Kendriya Vidyalaya schools, but the notification of March 29 making physical and some other subjects compulsory had stated that classes on regional languages will be given for one hour either before school begins or at the end of it. "This will compel students to remain in school for long hours from 7.45 am till 4 pm, naturally it will decrease the students interest to study their own language, and thereby the importance of imparting in mother tongue in KVs will be lost", he said. Rajbongshi demanded that the KVS notification of March 29 be withdrawn immediately. The ASS also submitted a letter with its demand to Deputy Commissioner, KVS, Guwahati region Chandradeep Neelap who was also present on the occasion. Neelap said the state government and the MHRD will hold discussions for formulating the educational system to allow students to learn their own regional language. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of men Monday protested at India Gate here, demanding action against the woman who "falsely" accused Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment. Demanding gender neutral laws, the protesters assembled under the banner of Purush Aayog, an NGO fighting for the rights of men, carrying placards that read-- "Stop maligning judiciary, "Justice for Chief Justice" and "We want equality for genders". "We demand strongest punishment for the women who accused the CJI. The Supreme Court should exemplify this case to ensure that a man's dignity is not raped by false accusations," Barkha Trehan, President of Purush Aayog said. Last week, Gogoi got a clean chit from the apex court's in-house inquiry committee which "found no substance" in the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by a former woman employee of the apex court. However, the clean chit to the CJI was met with several protests by women activists and lawyers. "Why not punish the woman who falsely charged him (Gogoi). What about his dignity? If the CJI is not safe who else can be? Can such women be allowed to walk free after raping a man of his dignity?" Trehan added. It is bot only about the CJI's image being "disrobed" but the dignity of every man in this nation is at stake, the NGO said. Trehan said that they have long been demanding the setting up of a welfare commission for men but nothing has happened yet. She also defended television actor Karan Oberoi, accused by a woman astrologer of rape and blackmail on the pretext of marriage. "If you read the messages, if you read the texts shared, the woman was forcing herself on him. She was after him," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 1 in 5 children live in conflict zones, Save the Children 'Stop the War on Children' campaign lauched (ANSAmed) - ROME, MAY 13 - Almost one in every five children, double the percentage seen at the end of the Cold War, now live in an area affected by armed conflict. The number has grown by 30 million since 2016 with children ever more severely exposed to violations of their rights, including repeated attacks on schools. In 2017 alone, over 1,400 school buildings were bombed. In conflict zones, education is one of the main rights denied to children. There are 27 million displaced children due to wars that no longer have access to education, said Save the Children in its latest report. For its 100th anniversary, the organization has launched the 'Stop the War on Children: Protecting Children in 21st Century Conflict' campaign. It held an event at Rome's MAXXI museum on Monday in which Italian president Sergio Mattarella will take part, entitled 'Everybody Down on the Ground', to convey the experience of children attending school in war zones. In 2017, over 10,000 children were killed or mutilated due to bombing, while an estimated 100,000 infants lose their lives every year due directly or indirectly to war, including through malnutrition and diseases. In Yemen, out of a total of 16,000 schools, at least 256 schools have been entirely destroyed by airstrikes, 1,413 have been partially damaged, and 686 have been used as housing for thousands of people displaced. There are over 2 million children out of the school system in the country, and two-thirds of teachers have not received a regular salary in the past two years. The figure is similar to that in Syria, where 2.1 million children are out of the school system, deprived of basic skills and a safe and protected environment. The same situation is seen in countries in which conflicts are marked by armed groups instead of attacks from the air. In South Sudan, 30% of schools have been damaged, destroyed, occupied, or forced to close, leaving 2.2 million children out of the school system. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a conflict that has been going on for over 20 years, 1.9 million school-age children no longer attend school due to the conflict. During the day there will be an awards ceremony for the TuttoMondo Contest for those under 21, on the theme 'Peace Beyond War'. A fund-raising campaign through SMSes to 45533 also begins on Monday. (ANSAmed). The National Green Tribunal has directed the Ministry of Agriculture to furnish a status report within two weeks on the steps taken to stop crop residue burning, which results in air pollution. The tribunal directed the ministry to continue to monitor the preventive steps and furnish a status report on or before April 30. As per information, no such report has been received by the tribunal from the Ministry of Agriculture. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel asked the Agriculture Ministry to submit the report by e-mail. "Before taking coercive measures, we give an opportunity to the Ministry of Agriculture to furnish its report within two weeks by e-mail at ngt.filing@gmail.com, failing which we may have to enforce personal appearance of the secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, and take penal action, if necessary," the bench said. The tribunal directed that the report may be in terms of cumulative assessment of the problems and the remedies implemented and proposed. The matter is posted for next hearing on May 28. The tribunal had earlier said there was a need to find a long-lasting solution for the problems of stubble burning and directed the chief secretaries of four states to appear before it to explain ways to prevent it. The green panel was hearing the matter after taking note of a report published in an English daily titled, "All fiddle as crop stubble burns, farmers say solutions out of reach." The report had claimed that crop burning shoots up the carbon dioxide levels in the air by 70 per cent. It had said every year in October quality of air in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana deteriorates as farmers set leftover stubble and loose straw on fire after paddy is harvested. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The NHRC has sent a notice to the Defence Ministry and the Karnataka government over reports that seven fisherman were "missing" more than four months after their boat disappeared off the western coast. Reportedly, the India Navy "stopped the search operation" after finding the wreckage of the vessel 33-km west-south-west off the coast of Malvan in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, the NHRC said in a statement. "The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that more than four months after the disappearance of Suvarna Tribuja, a fishermen boat, from Udupi in Karnataka, the seven fishermen (who were) on board it are still missing," it said. The boat had left for a deep sea fishing expedition off the coast of Goa on December 16 last year, the NHRC said. The commission has issued a notice to the chief secretary to look into the content of the report and take immediate steps to redress grievances of relatives and family members of the missing fishermen. The rights panel said a notice has also been issued to the defence secretary, to inform it about the latest update or status of the search operation, made in the meantime, by the Navy to recover the seven fishermen. Both the reports have to be submitted within six weeks, the statement said. The commission has observed that the disappearance of the men, who went deep into the sea for fishing, is a serious concern. "All of them are earning members of their families and mostly belong to the fishermen community of the region, and the reckless attitude of public officials and government agencies with regard to whereabouts of the missing fishermen has aggravated the cause of concern of the family members of the missing fishermen," the statement said. The family members of the missing fishermen have the legitimate expectation from government agencies to conduct a proper search to find out the missing fishermen which, according to the report, "did not happen", it said. The NHRC has also observed that the contents of the media report, referred to by general secretary of the Human Rights Forum, Adarsh G K, "exemplifies the unabated failure" of authorities to take timely action to find the missing fisherman. The life of these fishermen is very precious and that should be protected under any cost. Therefore, the commission feels that government agencies have failed to take more effective steps to prevent this kind of incident, the statement said. The report has also given details such as names of the fishermen, including that of Chandrashekar, who owned the boat, along with six others Damodar, Lakshman, Sathish, Ravi, Harish and Ramesh, it said. The search team found three canisters from the sea in December and thereafter, there was no further trace of the boat, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The NHRC Monday sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and the state's police chief over the reported gang rape of a widowed domestic help following which she set herself on fire. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said if the content of a report is true, the incident amounts to gross violation of human rights of the woman. "The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that a widow in her late 20s was allegedly sold by her father and aunt for Rs 10,000, gang raped by her keeper and his friends, and then turned away by police when she approached them for help," the rights panel said in a statement. The traumatised woman set herself on fire last month and is battling for life with 80 per cent burns at a private hospital in Delhi, as per reports carried on Monday. The commission has issued a notice to the chief secretary and the director general of police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh, seeking a detailed report on the medical treatment being given to the victim, the steps taken to ensure protection of her life and steps to be taken for her rehabilitation. "The DGP has been further directed to inform the commission in detail about the progress of the investigation, and arrest, if any... It has called for both the reports within four weeks," the statement said. This gives an extremely shocking and pulsating narrative depicting the vulnerability of the helpless woman, who became a widow at an early age, whereby she had been subjected to deprivation of human life and dignity, the NHRC observed. "Moreover, remissness and the act of negligence on the part of police authorities for not registering on time, the case by arresting the accused person has aggravated the distressful plight of the woman, which cannot be tolerated in a civilized society governed by the rule of law," it said. The commission has observed that it has always been keen to address the issues related to violation of human rights of the weaker section, mainly women and children. The NHRC is aware that the Delhi Commission for Women has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, but the jurisdiction of the DCW, fails to empower them to provide adequate justice to the victim, the woman in question, it said. The statement said any commission other than a national commission has its jurisdiction within the territory of the state and the Delhi Commission for Women is no exception. On the other hand, the NHRC in view of Section 1 (2) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, can exercise its power and functions in the whole of India and therefore, the jurisdictional issue of Section 36 (1) of the act, will not stand in the way to take up the reported incident, it said. "According to the media report, the woman from Hapur in western Uttar Pradesh, was allegedly sold after the death of her husband. The man who bought her had taken loans from several people and sent the woman as a domestic help to the houses of his creditors where she was repeatedly harassed and raped," the statement said. The report said an FIR has been registered against 14 persons under the various sections of the Indian Penal Code, and investigation has been initiated in the case. It is reported that the woman alleged that she approached police officials as well as the superintendent of police in Hapur, but they refused to register her complaint, let alone take any action against the accused, the NHRC said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's five-year tenure saw only "publicity campaign" and no work. Addressing a rally here, hours after Modi spoke at a rally in the area, she also claimed that the PM did not find "even five minutes" in his tenure to solve problems faced by the poor in his constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. She also slammed Modi's "tapasya" remark, saying "tapasya" (hard work) destroys arrogance, but the arrogance of the Modi government had grown too big. In a recent media interview, Modi had said that his image was not created by the " Khan Market gang" (located in Delhi), but his 45-year tapasya (hard work). "Modi ki chhavi, Delhi ke Khan Market ke gang ne nahi banayi hai, Lutyens Delhi ne nahi banayi hai. 45 saal ki Modi ki tapasya ne chhavi banayi hai...You cannot dismantle it," Modi had said. "Normally, political leaders should talk about real issues during campaign, like problems of people and how could they be solved, about what will they do in the next five years and what they did in the last five years," she said. "But during the last five years a strange 'silsila' (sequence) is on. Only campaigning is going on, no actual work was done," she said. This "tapasvi" prime minister did not secure farmers, youth and the weak of the country, she said. "This government's arrogance has grown so much that he (Modi) reaches out to you only during (election) rallies. He did not find even five minutes in five years to go to the home of a poor person or farmer in his own constituency Varanasi and tell what he could do to solve their problems through his government," she said. She accused the prime minister of talking about "big and random things" and not about the BJP's "unfulfilled" poll promises. "Be alert, an effort is on to delude you and you are being used politically. You have made all the politicians, so try to understand your strength. Your vote is important, don't waste it," she told the gathering. Democracy was under threat as the peoples voice was being muzzled in India, she said. When farmers raise their voices, they are fired upon," she said, referring to the 2016 Mandsaur police firing in which six farmers lost their lives. "When tribals protest, they are suppressed and when young people demand their rights, their voices are silenced, she said. In Uttar Pradesh when women protested, they were beaten up and jailed, she said. This is not democracy, she added. Modi was mum over suicide of 12,000 farmers in his five-year rule, the Congress leader said. When farmers marched to Delhi to meet Modi, he did not have even five minutes for them, she said. "But he has ample time to visit America, China, and Japan and meet their presidents .. besides European leaders she added. Accusing the BJP of weakening the Land Acquisition Act, she said the BJP should learn from the Congress-led government in Chhattisgarh which has returned unused land acquired by industrialists to tribals. Earlier in the day, she offered prayers at the famous Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain and held a road show as she kicked off her campaign for the fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The non-BJP opposition parties are unlikely to meet on May 21 as Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee has requested TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu to fix a date after the declaration of results on May 23 for it, at the convenience of other parties. "Our leader is yet to take a call on this. It depends on the outcome of the elections. The meeting, though, is bound to happen after the 23rd," a member of the TDP politburo said here Monday. During their meeting on Thursday last, the AP Chief Minister reportedly suggested to his West Bengal counterpart that a meeting of the non-BJP opposition parties be convened on May 21 to discuss the post-poll strategy. She, however, expressed reservations over this, citing the impending counting of votes on May 23. TDP sources here aver that Mamata Banerjee expressed apprehensions over the safety of the EVMs stored in strong rooms across the country and, as such, there was a need for all opposition parties to keep a constant vigil to thwart the BJP's "nefarious plans." She also felt that opposition leaders should remain in their respective states to monitor the counting arrangements, as well as safety of the strong rooms. "Hence, she wanted the opposition meeting to be held after May 23. Anyway, the opposition meeting has to happen after the results are out,"the TDP leader said. Meanwhile, Chandrababu Naidu continued his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying a certain despondency has crept in in the latter. "His latest utterances are an indication of Modis despondency. He is talking about Rajiv Gandhi, who died 28 years ago. He is also trying to derive mileage from the sacrifices of Army men," the TDP chief said at a meeting of the partys Nandyal Lok Sabha constituency leaders here Monday. Naidu asserted that there was no question of Modi becoming the Prime Minister (again) as the defeat of BJP in the general elections has been "confirmed". "There is nothing Modi did for the country in the last five years. Since he did nothing, he is unable to tell anything to the people. Modi remains the biggest failure as Prime Minister," he said and cited TIME magazine's latest cover story. The magazine featured Modi on the cover of its international edition with a controversial headline and a secondary one that read "Modi the Reformer". The May 20, 2019 international editions - the Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia and South Pacific - feature the cover story with the main headline "India's Divider in Chief" while the US edition has a cover story on Democrat Elizabeth Warren, who is running for the White House in 2020. Hitting out at the BJP, the TDP president alleged that the national party hatched conspiracies to create violence and bring down the polling percentage in West Bengal. "Non-functioning of EVMs, polling continuing till 9 PM, intimidation of voters through violence...these are all BJPs conspiracy to reduce the voting percentage in West Bengal. The BJP resorted to such conspiracies in states where it felt its defeat was certain," Naidu alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre told the Delhi High Court on Monday that once a 'leave India notice' had been issued against a foreigner, the person should leave the country irrespective of having a valid visa to stay. The submission by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) before a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice A J Bhambhani came at a hearing of a plea by the husband of a Pakistani woman who has been asked by the government to leave the country in view of adverse security reports against her. The 37-year-old woman had come to India in 2005 after marrying the man. She has been residing in Delhi with her husband and two sons, aged 11 and five. The lawyers for the woman's husband argued that she should not be deported as her application for Indian citizenship was pending before the authorities. Appearing for the MHA, the Centre's standing counsel, Anurag Ahluwalia, told the bench that the woman has to leave the country as there is a 'leave India notice' against her. He contented that she must leave and could return if her application is accepted. The high court reserved its judgement after hearing both sides and extended its interim order of no coercive action against the woman till then. According to the woman's husband, she has a long-term visa that is valid till 2020. He had initially challenged before a single judge the government's February 7 direction to her to leave the country within 15 days. The single judge had dismissed the plea and gave the woman two weeks to leave the country, saying that under the principles of law she has no right to stay here. Her husband had appealed against the order and the division bench had in March directed the government to not take any coercive steps against the woman. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala on Monday moved the Kerala High Court alleging a postal ballot fraud in Lok Sabha elections held in the state on April 23. In his PIL, Chennithala demanded a probe alleging that a serious postal vote fraud has been practised by "pro-government" Police Association office bearers at the behest of top-level government functionaries in connection with Lok Sabha election. He claimed the state's Additional Director General of Police, (Intelligence), submitted a report to the state police chief that the Association had collected postal ballots of officers on election duty through threats and intimidation and exercised votes by proxy against the wishes of the officers on election duty. The ADGP in turn informed the Chief Electoral Officer about further enquiry and prosecution proceedings against those guilty officers, Chennithala claimed. He sought a direction from the high court to the Election Commission of India to appoint an independent commission to inquire into the "postal ballot fraud" and launch criminal prosecution against those directly or indirectly involved in it, apart from initiating departmental action against them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Public sector Oriental Bank of Commere (OBC) Monday posted a net profit of Rs 201.50 crore for the January-March quarter of the last fiscal, helped by fall in bad loans, arrest of fresh slippages and a healthy growth in retail loan portfolio. The bank had clocked a loss to the tune of Rs 1,650.22 crore in the corresponding period of the fiscal ended March 2018. Total income grew to Rs 5,711.92 crore in the March 2019 quarter from Rs 4,689.12 crore in the same period of the preceding fiscal. On a yearly basis, the bank managed to return to profit after two fiscals by registering a net profit of Rs 55 crore for FY 2018-19. The lender had posted a loss of Rs 5,872 crore in 2017-18 and of Rs 1,094.07 crore in 2016-17. For FY 2018-19, total income stood at Rs 20,536.77 crore as against Rs 20,181.25 crore in the previous fiscal. On the asset quality front, gross non-performing assets (NPAs) came down to 12.66 per cent of gross advances at the end of March 2019 from 17.63 per cent in March 2018. Net NPAs or bad loans were also trimmed to 5.93 per cent from 10.48 per cent. "We have been making profits for the last three quarters. We are very confident that we will sustain the profit in the times to come year after year, quarter after quarter...," the bank's MD and chief executive, Mukesh Kumar Jain, told a conference at its headquarters. "Earlier we were having more than Rs 12,000 crore slippages (for) the full year, now this is contained to around Rs 7,000 crore. Recovery and upgradation (of loan accounts) ... has increased from Rs 3,161 crore to Rs 6,597 crore now," he said. So these things are basically contributing to the turnaround, Jain said. Further, he said that the bank is confident of bringing down the bad loans to below 5 per cent on a net basis by the next fiscal and the gross NPAs less than 10 per cent on account of focussed strategy on arresting slippages, speedier recovery process and constant monitoring. "Our main focus is on recovery and upgradation only. We have even posted six general managers in the field for only with the responsibility of recovery and upgradation (of loan accounts). And we have been seeing good results also," he said. On asked about bank consolidation and prospects of merger into some bigger, Jain said being a mid-sized bank Oriental Bank can equally acquire some other lender/s as well because of strong fundamentals. "We can think of acquiring some other banks also. Yes, if some opportunity is there as we are in profits, good credit growth is there, net interest margin of about 2.73 per cent. All these parameters are quite healthy and we are open to acquire other bank as well," he added. Giving a guidance on growth, the lender is targeting loan growth of around 10-12 per cent going forward, while the net interest margin is expected to be rising to around to 2.75-3 per cent. Speaking on bank's exposure to crisis-ridden IL&FS exposure in which it has an exposure of Rs 1,134 crore, Jain said the stress level in the overall non-banking financial companies (NBFC) sector is not the same as it was some months back. The bank's overall exposure to NBFC sector of Rs 20,000 crore. Identifying it to be a national bank for retail and MSME sectors, Jain said the focus will be on retail, agri and MSME advances. "As we are a mid-sized bank so we want to target mid-size loan portfolio in the corporate sector. We will not go for very large accounts such as Rs 500 crore to Rs 5,000 crore," Jain said. On the accounts referred to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for recovery of bad loans, Oriental Bank said resolution on three key accounts -- Ruchi Soya, Alok Industries and Bhushan Power & Steel -- is likely to be reached by September. Jain said the bank has referred as many as 180 cases to the NCLT amounting to around to around Rs 15,475 crore for which it is expecting recovery shortly. "We are expecting nearly 50 per cent or so recovery from at least three NCLT cases. Before IBC, it used to take 6-7 years for recovery, if you discount that way, we are in much better position now," he said. The board of directors at the meeting held today also approved the plan for raising capital of Rs 3,000 crore by way of issue of equity shares via Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP)/ Employee Share Purchase Scheme (ESPS)/ follow on public offer or rights issue. Stock of Oriental Bank of Commerce closed 3.30 per cent down at Rs 92.30 apiece on the BSE on Monday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 1.5 crore people will need chemotherapy globally each year by 2040, a new study has said, suggesting that around one lakh cancer physicians will be required to treat the growing number of cancer patients mostly in low and middle-income countries. The study published recently in the prestigious the Lancet Oncology journal has predicted that from 2018 to 2040, the number of patients needing chemotherapy each year will rise by a 53 per cent from 9.8 million to 15 million (1.5 crore) globally. It is the first study to estimate the scale of chemotherapy provision needed at national, regional and global scales to respond to this situation. The study was conducted by researchers at University of New South Wales in Sydney, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre in Australia and International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon. According to researcher Brooke Wilson of UNSW, the rising global cancer burden was undoubtedly one of the major health crises of today. "Strategies are urgently needed to equip the global health workforce to enable safe treatment of current and future patients, she said, adding "countries and institutions should use our data to estimate their future cancer physician workforce requirements and chemotherapy needs and plan national, regional, and global strategies to ensure all those who need it will have access to chemotherapy treatment. The landmark study also looked at how many cancer physicians will be needed now and in 2040, and also explored where the patients needing chemotherapy will reside now and then. "We needed 65,000 cancer physicians in 2018 to provide chemotherapy to all patients who would benefit from it but that number will rise to an optimal 100,000 in 2040, Wilson said. "By 2040, over 10 million of the 15 million of patients requiring chemotherapy will live in low- or middle-income countries. Of the additional 5.2 million people needing treatment by 2040, an estimated 75 per cent will live in these countries. Study co-author Michael Barton of UNSW Medicine said existing evidence showed that the global number of cancer cases is expected to rise, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. As a crucial component of cancer care, chemotherapy is likely to benefit a large proportion of these cases," he said. Population growth and changes in distributions of cancer types by country were the leading factors driving the increased chemotherapy demand we saw in our study. The authors used best-practice guidelines, patient characteristics and cancer stage data from the USA and Australia to calculate the proportion of newly diagnosed cases of cancer who would benefit from chemotherapy. They applied these rates to international estimates of global incidences of adult and paediatric cancer from 2018 up to 2040 (GLOBOCAN) to provide estimates of global chemotherapy demand. The findings are of particular concern for regions expected to have the greatest increases in new cases requiring chemotherapy - doubling or more in eastern Africa, middle Africa, western Africa and western Asia. In 2040, the most common cancers needing chemotherapy will be lung, breast and colorectal cancer and the greatest absolute increases in new cases will occur for these same three types of cancer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 84 per cent of the 1,33,69,749 electorate voted in the sixth phase of polling in eight Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal on Sunday, the state CEO's office said. In the eight seats spread over five districts, 84.51 per cent of voters cast their ballots, it said on Monday Bishnupur (SC) recorded the highest voter turnout of 87.39 per cent, followed by 85.79 per cent in Kanthi, 85.52 per cent in Jhargram (ST), 85.32 per cent in Tamluk, 84.13 per cent in Medinipore, 83.15 per cent in Bankura, 82.28 per cent in Purulia and 82.70 per cent in Ghatal. Sunday's polling was marred by violence which witnessed central forces firing four rounds in separate incidents, people pelting stones and damaging the vehicles of Ghatal BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh. One person was injured allegedly in one of the incidents of firing. Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain on Monday held a meeting with top oficials of the constituencies where polling will be held in the seventh and last phase on May 19. Special Police Observer Vivek Dube said a total of 710 companies of central force, including 512 Qucik Response Teams, will be providing 100 per cent booth coverage during the 7th phase. Polling will be held in nine seats in and around Kolkata - Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar - on Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DUBAI - Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit condemned attacks on ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which included two Saudi oil tankers, calling the attacks "criminal acts", in a statement released Monday. He said the attacks constitute "serious violations of the freedom and integrity of sea trade routes". He said the Arab League stands by the UAE and Saudi Arabia "with all the measures taken to safeguard their security and their interests". Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said the two oil tankers were targeted in a "sabotage attack" off the UAE coast of Fujairah and suffered "significant damage". One of the oil tankers was headed to Saudi Arabia to take on Saudi crude oil for transport to the United States. "Fortunately the attack didn't cause any victims or oil spills, but it caused significant damage to the structures of the two ships," he said. The United States had sent an alert to the ships to tell them that "Iran or its delegates" may be targeting sea traffic in the region. Pakistan on Monday condemned the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora district in Jammu and Kashmir, terming it as a "horrific" incident. Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal also condemned the use of pellet guns on protesters in the Valley. The girl was allegedly raped in Sumbal area of Bandipora district, prompting the Jammu and Kashmir Police to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident. Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has expressed deep shock over the incident and directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir to work swiftly in the case and ensure that the culprit gets exemplary punishment for this shameful act. Normal life was affected in Srinagar on Monday due to a strike called by a religious-cum-separatist organisation against the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After BJP president Amit Shah, the permission for a poll meeting by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath in the city has been cancelled, top party leader claimed Monday. Aditynath's meeting on James Long Sarani at Behala in south west Kolkata on May 15 was cancelled after the permission for it was withdrawn by the local administration, he said. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister is scheduled to address a rally at Phoolbagan in north Kolkata and another at Habra in North 24 Parganas district on the same day, ahead of the last phase of polling on May 19, the party sources said. The withdrawal of permission for Adityanath's meeting follows a similar action against BJP president Amit Shah's scheduled rally at Jadavpur Monday in the city. "Democracy is a joke in West Bengal. Permission cancelled at last moment for @AmitShah Jis rally at Jadavpur. Once again Yogi Adityanath Jis rally permission cancelled in South Kolkata. DM & CEO both are working as agent of ruling Trinamool Congress," BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar said in a tweet. The saffron party has claimed that the West Bengal government denied Shah permission to land his chopper and address the public meeting. Accusing the West Bengal government of "replacing democracy with dictatorship", the BJP in the morning said the Election Commission has become a "mute spectator" to the Trinamool Congress's alleged undemocratic means to target the party. The TMC, however, rebutted the allegations claiming that the BJP had cancelled Shah's rally fearing a low turnout. It made no comments on Adityanath's rally. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A new documentary about pedophile priests is shaking mostly Catholic Poland, eliciting an apology by the church hierarchy and prompting one priest to leave the clergy. "Tell No One" was released on YouTube on Saturday and by Monday had 7 million views. After the premiere, the primate of Poland thanked the film's creators, brothers Tomasz and Marek Sekielski, for their "courage." Archbishop Wojciech Polak said: "I apologize for every wound inflicted by the people of the Church." The film reveals that a priest convicted of abuse, Dariusz Olejniczak, was allowed to continue working with young people. On Sunday he resigned from the priesthood. Poland's Church authorities said in March that they had recorded cases of 382 clergymen who abused 625 victims under the age of 18 since 1990. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Brussels on Monday to discuss the Iran nuclear deal, as Britain issued a stark warning about the risk of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. Pompeo is set to meet his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany -- the three European signatories to the 2015 accord that curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief -- on the sidelines of a regular EU foreign ministers' gathering. Iran last week announced it was suspending some of its commitments under the agreement, a year after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord and imposed swingeing sanctions on the Islamic republic -- putting the deal in peril. Adding a military dimension to the diplomatic tensions, Washington is sending an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Gulf, having already deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers. British foreign minister Hunt called for "a period of calm" as he arrived for talks, warning against the danger of pushing Iran back towards developing nuclear weapons. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," Hunt said. "Most of all we must make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation, because if Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers. "This is already the most unstable region in the world and it would be a massive step in the wrong direction." The European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini stressed the need for dialogue as "the only and the best way to address differences and avoid escalation" in the region. "We continue to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran, its full implementation," Mogherini said. "It has been and continues to be for us a key element of the non-proliferation architecture both globally and in the region." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian joined the criticism of the US, saying Washington's move to step up sanctions against Iran "does not suit us". Alongside the meeting of all 28 foreign ministers, the representatives of Britain, France and Germany will meet Mogherini to discuss how to keep the deal going. "We in Europe agree that this agreement is necessary for our security. No-one wants Iran to come into possession of a nuclear bomb," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said as he arrived. "That is why we will continue to support the implementation of this agreement." Mogherini gave a chilly response to of Pompeo's visit, which she said was only communicated to Brussels at the last minute. "We'll be here all day with a busy agenda so we'll see during the day how and if we manage to arrange a meeting," she told reporters. President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum to the Europeans last week, threatening that Iran would go further if they fail to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. The European powers rejected that ultimatum. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Pompeo would discuss "recent threatening actions and statements by the Islamic Republic of Iran". The US has continued to build pressure on Iran, with Pompeo accusing Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks and bolstering the military presence in the Gulf. Pompeo's visit to Brussels means he is scrapping a stop expected on Monday in Moscow. But he will still head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a State Department official added just before Pompeo left Washington. In recent days, Pompeo has already cancelled trips to Berlin and to Greenland to focus on the Iran issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday offered prayers at the famous Mahakaleshwar temple here as she kicked off her campaign for the fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh. She later also held a roadshow to campaign for the Congress candidate from Ujjain Lok Sabha seat, which will go to polls on May 19. State Chief Minister Kamal Nath, former Union minister Suresh Pachouri and other party leaders accompanied her to the temple. "Priyanka Gandhi offered prayers for over an hour at the temple after which she held a roadshow here. The response to her roadshow was overwhelming," state Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza told PTI. The Congress has fielded former MLA Babulal Malviya against BJP nominee Anil Firoziya from the Ujjain seat, After the roadshow, Gandhi will go to Ratlam where she will address an election meeting, Oza said. The Congress general secretary will later go to Indore where she will hold another roadshow in the evening, the spokesperson added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australia's Queensland state government has asked Indian energy giant Adani to provide more information on its groundwater management plans, posing another hurdle which may further delay the construction of its proposed billion dollar mine project, expected to be one of the biggest in the world. The decision came after the Queensland government rejected a management plan of Adani to protect endangered black-throated finch bird population, saying the company's proposals do not meet the approval conditions. The black-throated finch management plan and a groundwater plan are the two persisting hurdles before the Indian energy giant could begin work on its controversy-hit Carmichael mining project in Central Queensland. Adani Mining's chief executive Lucas Dow said the new request came from the Department of and Science (DES) last Friday, Australian Associated Press reported on Monday. "It appears this process will again go beyond the scope of what our project is required to deliver under regulatory conditions - and, put simply, is another fishing expedition," he said in a statement. Dow said the DES had not provided Adani with the scope of the new review and accused the government of hiding the process behind a veil of secrecy. "Trying to see what needs to be done to ensure these management plans can be signed off is like trying to see through a brick wall - there is absolute zero transparency," Dow said. Federal minister Melisa Price had cleared the groundwater plans submitted by Adani which according to Dow had followed an eight months of assessment including review by CSIRO and Geoscience Australia. Reacting to the latest request by the state, Queennsland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said further analysis was a standard procedure. "These are just processes that every mining company needs to adhere to. It's just not one rule for Adani and one rule for everyone else," the premier said. According to 'The Brisbane Times', Queensland's Department of and Science also provided a statement saying "Adani's claims about DES seeking another review are false". "The department has sought updated advice from CSIRO and Geoscience Australia on the latest version of the groundwater management plan, which is not the version that was reviewed by CSIRO and Geoscience Australia," it said. "This includes further clarification around the evidence to support identification of the source aquifer(s) of the Doongmabulla Springs Complex," it added. Queensland's Department of Environment and Science said this information, which concerned CSIRO earlier this year, was important to evaluate. Adani, which already has mining and environmental licences from the state government, requires the state approvals on management plans on the endangered finch bird and groundwater in order to commence the mine construction. The company was given green light by the federal government for its groundwater plan last month before the Morrison Government announced election dates. The project has passed several legal challenges in court since 2010 and is seen as a most scrutinised coal project in the country. Gautam Adani-led Adani Group entered Australia in 2010 with the purchase of the greenfield Carmichael coal mine in the Galilee Basin in central Queensland, and the Abbot Point port near Bowen in the north. The massive coal mine in Queensland state has been a controversial topic, with the project expected to produce 2.3 billion tonnes of low-quality coal. Carmichael would be the largest coal mine in Australia and one of the biggest in the world. Adani said last year it would fully fund the coal mine and rail project itself, but did not give an updated estimate of the cost of the mine. The mine was previously estimated at about USD 2.9 billion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Queen's University Belfast, one of the leading varsities in UK and Ireland, has signed a MoU with Tezpur University in Assam to jointly supervise doctoral programmes in the next five years. It will enable scholars from Tezpur University to commence PhD study at Queen's in September this year. The collaboration will also offer opportunities for student and staff exchange for the purposes of study, research and teaching. The MoU was signed here between the Vice-Chancellor of Tezpur University, Vinod Kumar Jain, and Ian Greer, the Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast. According to the MoU, primarily, the scope of collaboration will be in research and aligning with the strengths of both the institutions. Initially, identified research areas of interest are primarily within the engineering field. However, it is expected that research areas from other faculties will be explored at a later stage. "We have a long-standing relationship with India and are committed to assisting Indian students in realising their career aspirations. In line with this vision, we are pleased to roll out this capacity building project with Tezpur University in Assam. Our focus in India includes preparing students for leadership and citizenship in a global society, recognising that each country and region has its own strategic development priorities," Greer said. Greer, along with his delegation from Belfast, was on a three-day visit to India. He met with representatives from a number of institutions and corporates in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Facing flak over the Alwar gang-rape case, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Monday said his government will take steps to improve the functioning and efficiency of the police so it becomes a model for the country. A new post of Deputy Superintendent of Police (women-safety) is being created in districts for monitoring cases of crime against women, Gehlot said at a press conference. He said several actions were taken when the Alwar gang-rape case was brought to light and new changes in the system were being made so that the complainant is heard and her grievance redressed. "We want that if a complainant goes to police station, she is heard and well treated. If the complaint is not lodged at the police station then it has to be registered at the SP office," he said. Besides, he said, Superintendent of Police (SPs) and Inspector-General of Police (IGs) will forward confidential reports about their subordinates to the government and the chief minister will do a review once in every four months. The chief minister said that directions to register every FIR have been given to officials. Action against the Station House Officer (SHO) concerned will be taken if the police failed to register a case. He said that due to the directions of registering all the FIRs, there will be a spurt in the number of cases lodged in the state and the BJP might allege that the crime in the Congress rule has increased. "Whereas, our effort is that all victims get justice," the CM said. The opposition has been attacking the Rajasthan government for allegedly covering up the matter due to the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. The chief minister alleged that the number of rape cases increased in the state during the BJP rule but the former government took no serious action to curb the crime. "3,305 rape cases were lodged in 2017 which increased to 4,335 in 2018 in the state. It means that nine rape incidents happened everyday in 2017 and it increased to 12 per day in 2018," Gehlot told reporters. He also said that a woman was raped in front of her husband and her father-in-law near Chitrakoot police station in Jaipur when the BJP was in power, but no action was taken by the former government. "No BJP leader went to the victim and no police officer was removed at that time but when there are elections now, the BJP is politicising the incident. They are anti-Dalit," he said. The gang-rape evoked sharp criticism from all sections of the society, with political parties and local residents holding protests in various parts of the state. On April 26, the woman was going to a place from her village on a motorcycle with her husband when the accused, who were on two bikes, stopped them on Thanagazi-Alwar bypass and took them to an isolated place off the road. They beat the husband and raped her in front of him, threatening them of dire consequences. One accused filmed the incident in his mobile phone. The victims went to the police when the accused demanded money for not circulating the video on social media, but the FIR was lodged on May 2. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasra on Monday accused the previous BJP government of glorifying Sangh ideologues Veer Savarkar and Deendayal Upadhyaya. Dotasra pointed out that the curriculum review committee, constituted after the Congress government came to power last year, had written on the basis of strong facts and evidences that Savarkar had begged the British for mercy. It has been added into the curriculum, the Congress leader said. "It might affect the BJP, but it doesn't affect us. We will teach whatever is in the history." Dotasra's comments came after former education minister Vasudev Devnani had alleged that the Congress government had "insulted" Savarkar. "After Maharana Pratap, the Congress government has insulted great patriot and freedom fighter Veer Savarkar by its anti-Hindutva mentality. The party idolising only one family has always shown such conduct about other great personalities," Devnani tweeted earlier in the day. Dotasra claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dispensation, led by then chief minister Vasundhara Raje, had made the school education department a laboratory for experiments, adding that it added chapters in the curriculum on the indications of the RSS. Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel all had their role in the freedom movement, Dotasra said. He also acknowledged the role of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh's in the nation's development. "But, it is not right to glorify Veer Savarkar and Deendayal Upadhyaya and describe them great," he added. The minister said they might be having some contribution, but added that the way the previous BJP government had glorified them had been reviewed by the curriculum review committee. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Some regional parties are more keen to fight the Congress, rather than the BJP, says senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, stressing they can't keep "abusing" the grand old party and expect its support after the election results. Without naming any party, Khurshid said regional parties should move away from "transactional politics" towards the of principle, and ruled out any possibility of either a regional front or the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance coming to power after May 23. "Sadly, some of them are very weak on of principle," he told PTI in an interview. "Transactional for them dictated something different before the election. It may dictate something different after the election," he said, "But the point really is people should shift from transactional to principle politics." Asked which parties were weak on politics of principle, the former UP Congress chief said, "Whoever is not with us". On whether the doors of the Congress-led UPA would remain open for the Trinamool Congress in a post-poll scenario, Khurshid said, "It's for TMC to think about it". "They should think over it. We have made an offer to everybody to come together. We made an offer, they didn't accept that offer, they declined that offer. Now it is for them to make up their mind," the 66-year-old lawyer-politician said. "The fact remains they (regional parties) will join either the UPA or the NDA. Now that's for their workers and their supporters and they themselves to decide," he said. Asked whether SP, BSP, TMC and other non-NDA parties will support the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in case of a fractured mandate, he said he hoped parties which claim to fight the BJP will continue to remain constant in their opposition to the saffron party. Also, non-NDA parties are more inclined towards the Congress than the BJP, he asserted. But, Khurshid added, he was "puzzled and perplexed" to see that a section of regional parties was more interested in fighting the Congress than the BJP. "If an ordinary person thinks and believes that everybody has to come together. How is that leaders of these parties have not thought about this? Or will they just eat their words and come (together) after May 23," he wondered. Mocking the proposal of a "Third Front" led by regional parties coming to power, the former foreign minister said, "Anybody who knows the arithmetic of India won't believe it". Asked, nonetheless, to comment if Congress would support a front of regional parties, Khurshid said, "You (regional parties) are abusing Congress and hoping that Congress would support you. Does that make sense? "We are working for a full-fledged UPA victory. We are confident that UPA would come to power. Now if somebody has other intentions, we don't want to speculate," he said. Asked about Rahul Gandhi's prime ministerial candidature, Khurshid said the reality of Indian politics states that the Congress president's candidature "looms large over everyone else... Yet he has not thrown his hat for prime ministership". "But he has said we will decide this together after the elections," the Congress leader said, adding the prime ministerial candidate will be chosen based on the ground reality beyond May 23. "Of course people have asked him whether he wants to become the prime minister and he has said if people want 'why not'. But that doesn't mean he is demanding prime ministership." Khurshid accused BJP of trying to break the opposition unity by talking about the prime ministerial post. Maintaining that the Modi government is on its way out and the replacement would be an "alliance", Khurshid said the question is whether the alliance will be of people who came together before the election or there will be add-ons after the poll results. Terming "rubbish" the allegations that coalition governments are not able to provide good governance, Khurshid said India's economic growth had come under a coalition government. "We are determined to give a strong government. India's economic growth has come during coalition governments. UPA was a coalition government and has given us the maximum growth. Compare it with the non-coalition of the Modi government, you will understand the difference," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BRUSSELS - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini met on Monday morning in Brussels with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al Sarraj and said the European Union "expects that all parties and regional players immediately cease their military activities and resume political dialogue, in the interests of all Libyans". Mogherini then expressed the "EU's full support of Ghassan Salame", the UN secretary-general's special representative, in his work towards a ceasefire and in encouraging a return to negotiations. Mogherini and al Sarraj also discussed the humanitarian situation in Libya. Mogherini highlighted the "importance of guaranteeing humanitarian aid, the imperative of protecting civilians, and continued work in collaboration with UNHCR and IOM to protect and assist migrants in detention centres". For lakhs of Delhi voters who abstained from voting in the Lok Sabha polls for one reason or another, a retired Delhi Police personnel set an example by casting his vote Sunday after cremating his elder son that very morning. Inder Singh (62), who retired as an assistant sub inspector (ASI) of Delhi Police in 2016, lost his elder son Sunil Kumar (35) Saturday around 11.30 pm. Sunil was undergoing treatment for a critical spinal injury at a hospital in Vasant Kunj after falling from a moving tractor on April 10, Singh told PTI. "We were overwhelmed with grief. But I voted along with my younger son after cremating Sunil on Sunday morning. It was my duty towards the nation," Inder Singh said. Sunil was involved in farming on family-owned land after quitting his temporary job in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). He was the family's breadwinner, the retired policeman said. Inder Singh's family cast their vote at a polling station in Daryapur village which falls under North West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. BJP candidate from the seat Hans Raj Hans and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta paid a visit to Singh and his family saluting their courage and their sense of duty towards the country. "In spite of lower voting percentage, there were some instances which show the true meaning of 'nation first' and inspire others to vote for the country," Gupta said, adding Singh's family have set an inspiring example not only for their village but for the entire country. Delhi recorded a voter turnout of 60.21 per cent on Sunday, down from 65 per cent in 2014, in its seven Lok Sabha seats. Scorching heat, summer vacations and a 'not very positive image of Election Commission' was the reason that such large numbers did not cast their votes, said experts. Delhi Chief Electoral officer Ranbir Singh had called the turnout a "disappointment" and attributed the reason for the lower turnout to sweltering heat. In 2014, elections were held on April 10, which was not during vacations or severe heat. Even schools were open at that time. "This time, elections were on a Sunday. With Saturday also being a holiday, people might have gone on vacation to nearby hill stations due to the heat," the Delhi Chief Electoral officer had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India is losing one-horned rhinoceros to rampant poaching despite increased efforts by the government for their protection, said wildlife experts while stressing on the need to sensitise para-military forces to protect the species which is being hunted for its expensive horn. At a workshop on 'National Conservation Strategy for the Indian One Horned Rhinoceros', organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the stakeholders brainstormed on an action plan to protect rhinos. The experts said that one of the major concerns was that the one-horned rhinos were moving out of Kaziranga national park in Assam, which has 93 per cent of its entire population, due to reduced grassland habitat and rampant poaching. "Though the rhino numbers have increased in Kaziranga, tree growth has reportedly reduced the grassland habitat. Rhinos from Kaziranga are reported to move out of the park every year during the flood season when they take shelter in higher grounds of the Karbi-Anglong forests in the state," an official from the WWF said. He added that in recent times, straying rhinos have been killed by villagers who also removed the horn for sale. "The current number of rhinos is more than 2,600. However, more than 93 per cent of India's entire population lives in just one protected area, Kaziranga National Park in Assam, which is a perilous situation. The greatest threat to the Indian rhino is poaching," Soumitra Dasgupta, the Additional Director General of Forests (Wildlife) in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, said. Dasgupta said though there is no scientific proof of its medicinal value, rhino horn is in great demand in traditional Asian medicine. As a result, poachers continue to kill rhinos despite increased efforts by the government for their protection. He also said that although the work in this direction has already begun after the strategy of rhino conservation was drafted in February this year, the agenda of this workshop was to chalk out an action plan with inputs from all stakeholders and states. "We decided the action plan in this workshop and in about 60 days we plan to release the action plan," Dasgupta said. As per the national conservation strategy for the one-horned rhinos, the aim is to distribute rhinos in 5 per cent more area than their present distribution by 2030. Stressing on the need to control poaching of rhinos, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) Additional Director Tilottama Verma said efforts are already on to curb poaching but there was a need to sensitise paramilitary forces and identification of the weapons being used by the poachers as well as the forest officials to catch them. "Rhino poaching in India has reduced but to completely get rid of the practice, collective measures need to be taken, including sensitisation of para military forces," Verma said. Speaking to PTI, she said, "The very first step is DNA profiling of the rhinos to identify them and the next is to identify the weapons being used. If a poacher is using an AK47 rifle to hunt rhinos, and the paramilitary forces have a smaller weapon then it will be difficult to catch the culprits. The forces need to be better equipped". She also said that cameras have been installed in their habitats to catch any activity, but unless the paramilitary forces, the Assam Rifles and the BSF is sensitised, nothing will happen. Verma, however, said that incidents of poaching have come down by almost 50 per cent but she did not have the official figures. "There were 16-17 cases per year earlier but last year it was eight cases. I am not sure of the numbers but the cases have definitely come down. However, we need to take several steps to completely eradicate it," she said. According to a document released by the Ministry of Environment, the Indian rhino once roamed from western Indian border all the way through India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar. "By 1905, the population in India was down to less than 100 rhinos. Due to conservation efforts, the numbers increased to 600 by 1975 and the current number is more than 2600," it said. The workshop was attended by officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and various state forest officials here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Nepal government has come under severe criticism from media groups and the Opposition after it registered in Parliament a bill which, according to experts, seeks to impose a fine of up to Rs 1 million on journalists if they were found guilty of "damaging someone's reputation". Nepal Media Society (NMS), an umbrella body of publishers and broadcasters, demanded the bill's immediate withdrawal. The government led by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on May 9 registered the Media Council Bill in Parliament for constituting the Nepal Media Council (NMC), which has provisions to impose a fine up to Rs 1 million on media outlets, editors, publishers and journalists if they were found "guilty of damaging someone's reputation". The Section 18, Sub-section (2) of the bill stipulates that the NMC can order the erring parties to pay compensation if the content in media outlets damages the reputation of the affected party, according to experts. Section 17 proposes punishment for violating the code of conduct which includes suspending press pass of media-persons and downgrading the classification of media outlets, they said. NMS Chair Subhashankar Kandel asked Prime Minister Oli to revise the bill by holding consultations with the stakeholders including the Federation of Nepalese Journalists. "Some of the provisions of the Bill were meant for demoralising the entire media industry and independent press, and were against complete press freedom guaranteed by the Constitution," he said. Main Opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba Monday said that the government was planning to stage a coup d'tat against press freedom and journalism through the bill. He said that the NC would not accept at any cost moves towards curtailing press freedom. "Freedom is our ideology. We will launch protests in Parliament and on the street against any move aimed at curtailing press freedom," Deuba said during an interaction with the media at the NC headquarters in Lalitpur. Meanwhile, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) launched a five-day protest programme against the bill. The programme began on Sunday with interaction among editors of national dailies and online portals, media experts and rights advocates. The FNJ on Monday met Parliament Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara and handed over a petition requesting amendment to the controversial bill. Its representatives will soon meet Prime Minister Oli and request him to make necessary changes in the bill to ensure press freedom, the FNJ said. The Sajha Vivekshil Party (SVP) said the government is trying to cover up its weaknesses through the new bill. As the Communist government's popularity dipped in its one-and-a-half-year tenure, new laws are being formulated to cover its failures, the SVP said, adding that it goes against total press freedom and individual liberty guaranteed in the Constitution. Senior leader of the NC and former deputy prime minister Sujata Koirala has termed the government's move to curtail press freedom unnatural. She asked the government to keep in mind the crucial role played by the Nepalese media during the pro-democracy movement before taking any such decision. "If the bill is passed, the journalists will not be able to write against corruption, anomalies and malpractices. We will not accept it if it is passed without any change," said Ramesh Bista, General Secretary of the FNJ. The government should not intervene in the functioning of the media, The Himalayan Times editor Prakash Rimal said, adding that the media industry should abide by its own code of conduct. The bill contains around a dozen provisions which aims to prevent the media from working freely. This is an attempt made by the government to keep the media under its grip, said former chairman of FNJ Taranath Dahal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) San Francisco is on track to become the first US city to ban the use of facial recognition by police and other city agencies, reflecting a growing backlash against a technology that's creeping into airports, motor vehicle departments, stores, stadiums and home security cameras. Government agencies around the U.S. have used the technology for more than a decade to scan databases for suspects and prevent identity fraud. But recent advances in artificial intelligence have created more sophisticated computer vision tools, making it easier for police to pinpoint a missing child or protester in a moving crowd or for retailers to analyze a shopper's facial expressions as they peruse store shelves. Efforts to restrict its use are getting pushback from law enforcement groups and the tech industry, though it's far from a united front. Microsoft, while opposed to an outright ban, has urged lawmakers to set limits on the technology, warning that leaving it unchecked could enable an oppressive dystopia reminiscent of George Orwell's novel "1984." "Face recognition is one of those technologies that people get how creepy it is," said Alvaro Bedoya, who directs Georgetown University's Center on Privacy and Technology. "It's not like cookies on a browser. There's something about this technology that really sets the hairs on the back of people's heads up." Without regulations barring law enforcement from accessing driver's license databases, people who have never been arrested could be part of virtual police line-ups without their knowledge, skeptics of the technology say. They worry people will one day not be able to go to a park, store or school without being identified and tracked. Already, a handful of big box stores across the U.S. are trying out cameras with facial recognition that can guess their customers' age, gender or mood as they walk by, with the goal of showing them targeted, real-time ads on in-store video screens. If San Francisco adopts a ban, other cities, states or even Congress could follow, with lawmakers from both parties looking to curtail government surveillance and others hoping to restrict how businesses analyze the faces, emotions and gaits of an unsuspecting public. The California Legislature is considering a proposal prohibiting the use of facial ID technology on body cameras. A bipartisan bill in the US Senate would exempt police applications but set limits on businesses analyzing people's faces without their consent. Legislation similar to San Francisco's is pending in Oakland, California, and on Thursday another proposed ban was introduced in Somerville, Massachusetts. Bedoya said a ban in San Francisco, the "most technologically advanced city in our country," would send a warning to other police departments thinking of trying out the imperfect technology. But Daniel Castro, vice president of the industry-backed Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, said the ordinance is too extreme to serve as a model. "It might find success in San Francisco, but I will be surprised if it finds success in a lot of other cities," he said. San Francisco is home to tech innovators such as Uber, Airbnb and Twitter, but the city's relationship with the industry is testy. Some supervisors in City Hall are calling for a tax on stock-based compensation in response to a wave of San Francisco companies going public, including Lyft and Pinterest. At the same time, San Francisco is big on protecting immigrants, civil liberties and privacy. In November, nearly 60% of voters approved a proposition to strengthen data privacy guidelines. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Monday agreed to hear on May 17 the Centre's plea challenging the Delhi High Court's verdict which had quashed cadre allocation of IAS and IPS officers of the 2018 batch. The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna. Tushar Mehta told the bench that the high court had asked the government to redo the entire exercise. Mehta told the court that those selected under the cadre in 2018 batch have undergone training and were supposed to start joining their respective cadres from May 10. The had recently quashed the Centre's cadre allocations of IAS and IPS officers of 2018 batch under the new policy and ordered fresh cadre allocation. The Supreme Court has "strongly deprecated" the "casual manner" in which Bihar has filed an appeal before it after a delay of over 700 days and said a clear signal has to be sent to the government authorities that they cannot approach the court as and when they please. A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Indira Banerjee dismissed the appeal filed by the Bihar government in a service matter and imposed a cost of Rs 20,000 on the state, saying it was a "complete wastage" of judicial time. The apex court noted that an appeal against the division bench order of the Patna High Court was filed before it after a delay of 728 days and the state sought condonation of this "extraordinary" delay stating that it took time to obtain all the sanction from the respective departments and receive the affidavit. "We are of the view that a clear signal has to be sent to the government authorities that they cannot approach the court as and when they please, on account of gross incompetence of their officers and that too without taking any action against the concerned officers," the bench said in its order. "No detail of this delay of 728 days have been given as if there is an inherent right to seek condonation of delay by state government. The law of limitation apparently does not apply to the state government according to its conduct," the bench said. Referring to an earlier judgement of the apex court, the bench noted in its order that such condonation of delay is no more admissible on the pretext of "government working lethargy". The bench also noted that the state had earlier filed an appeal before a division bench of the high court against an order of its single judge in the matter after a delay of 367 days. The division bench of the high court had dismissed the application filed by the state seeking condonation of delay on the ground that there was no sufficient cause shown for it. "We strongly deprecate the casual manner in which the division bench (of the high court) was approached and also this court has been approached; the objective possibly being to get a certificate of dismissal from this court. This is complete wastage of judicial time and the petitioners must pay for the same," the bench said. "We, thus, dismiss the special leave petition on delay and impost cost on the petitioners of Rs 20,000 to be recovered from the officers responsible for this delay and be deposited with the Supreme Court Mediation Centre within four weeks. Certificate of recovery be filed in this court," the bench said. The apex court also directed the chief secretary of Bihar to look into the matter to ensure better management of legal cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Tuesday the plea of a woman BJP activist challenging her arrest by West Bengal police for allegedly sharing a morphed photo of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media. A vacation bench, comprising justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna, on Monday took note of the plea of advocate N K Kaul, representing the activist, that the issue of her arrest be accorded urgent hearing. The bench posted the plea for hearing on Tuesday after the senior lawyer submitted that there has been a complete strike in West Bengal and it has forced the woman to challenge her arrest in the apex court. The senior lawyer said the woman activist is in judicial custody following her arrest by the police. Priyanka Sharma, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, allegedly shared on Facebook a photo in which Banerjee's face has been photoshopped on to actor Priyanka Chopra's picture from the MET Gala event in New York. Sharma, against whom a complaint was filed at Dasnagar Police station, has been sent to two weeks' judicial custody. She is seeking bail. Her arrest was followed by protests from the BJP and other social media users. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mizoram Agriculture minister C Lalrinsanga Monday said a group of scientists would soon visit Mizoram for on the spot study of the outbreak of the Fall Army Worm (FAW) which has left a trail of destruction in the maize fields across the state. Lalrinsanga said that the first case of FAW incidence was identified at Nghasih area near Lunglei town on April eight and had spread to all the eight districts in the state. Combating the outbreak was undertaken at a war-footing by the state Agriculture department, he said. This has prompted the state government to constitute the Rapid Response Team which made efforts to mitigate the losses of the maize cultivators by using pesticides and also educating the farmers how to use the pesticides, Lalrinsanga said. "The FAW multiplied rapidly forcing us to use all our resources to combat the menace," the minister said, adding that the social organisations were asked to cooperate with the Agriculture department in implementing the action plans to fight the outbreak. As per the latest report, 2,189 hectare of maize cultivation area was under FAW infestation which has affected 5,636 families engaged in maize farming. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Military prosecutors in the case of a Navy SEAL charged with killing an Islamic State prisoner in Iraq in 2017 installed tracking software in emails sent to defense lawyers and a reporter in an apparent attempt to discover who was leaking information to the media, according to lawyers who told The Associated Press that they received the corrupted messages. The defense attorneys said the intrusion may have violated constitutional protections against illegal searches, guarantees to the right to a lawyer and freedom of the press. "I've seen some crazy stuff but for a case like this it's complete insanity," said attorney Timothy Parlatore. "I was absolutely stunned ... especially given the fact that it's so clear the government has been the one doing the leaking." Parlatore represents Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who has pleaded not guilty to a murder count in the death of an injured teenage militant he allegedly stabbed to death in 2017 in Iraq. Gallagher's platoon commander, Lt. Jacob Portier, is fighting charges of conduct unbecoming an officer for allegedly conducting Gallagher's re-enlistment ceremony next to the corpse. Attorneys for Portier filed a motion Monday asking a military judge to force prosecutors to turn over information about what they were seeking and the extent of the intrusion. "The fact that prosecutors have embedded their emails with devices designed to monitor defense communications at least implicates the Fourth and Sixth Amendment rights of Lt. Portier, and also impacts Air Force defense operations in the entire Western Circuit," wrote Air Force Lt. Col. Nicholas McCue, one of Portier's defense lawyers. "In this case, discovery of the requested items is important to ensuring the prosecution in this case did not take any part in arranging or permitting an intrusion into Lt. Portier's attorney-client relationship." The prosecutor, Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak, declined to comment Monday. Navy spokesman Brian O'Rourke did immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment. The emails were sent last Wednesday to 13 lawyers and paralegals on their team and to Carl Prine, a reporter for the Navy Times newspaper. Prine has reported extensively on the case and has broken several stories based on documents provided by sources. While documents are subject to a court order not to be shared, none has been classified, Prine said. The tracking software was discovered almost immediately by defense lawyers who couldn't help but notice an unusual logo of an American flag with a bald eagle perched on the scales of justice beneath the signature of Czaplak. It was not an official government logo. Parlatore said suspicious tracking software was embedded in the logo. He contacted Czaplak to make sure his email had not been hacked. "I can't imagine you'd be trying to track defense attorneys' emails," Parlatore said he told Czaplak. "I want to make sure your system hasn't been compromised." He said Czaplak told him he would check on it. Two days later, during a closed-door meeting with the judge in San Diego, the defense pushed for more answers and the prosecutor acknowledged sending something as part of an investigation, but declined to elaborate, Parlatore said. The defense lawyers want to know if the software recorded where and when they opened an email message and who they may have forwarded it to or if it installed malware on their computers and possibly gave prosecutors access to other files. Ret. Lt. Col. Gary Solis, who teaches law at Georgetown and as a Marine Corps lawyer prosecuted some 400 cases and was a judge on more than 300 others, said he had never heard of hidden cyber tracking software sent to defense lawyers by prosecutors. "Not only is it ethically questionable, it may be legally questionable," Solis said. "When it's apparently so easily discoverable when done in an ineffectively haphazard manner it's more than ethically questionable, it's questionable on an intellectual level. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal Monday claimed that several BJP legislators would join his party after the Lok Sabha poll results are declared and dismissed speculation about the longevity of the coalition government in Karnataka. He also exuded confidence about formation of a Congress-led government at the Centre. "We are very much confident that in the parliamentary election, there will be a government at the Centre under the leadership of the Indian National Congress. The people of the country are now very much for a change and that will happen on May 23," Venugopal said. "Then how can they (BJP) destabilise the Karnataka government after May 23? We are not going to poach any MLAs from the BJP, but naturally they will come to the Congress after May 23. Naturally that is going to happen," he told reporters in Kalburagi. Result of the seven-phase general elections will be declared on May 23. The statement by the AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka comes a day after Congress leader and minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan said that state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa was "daydreaming" about coming to power and claimed that around 10 saffron party MLAs were in touch with his party. Yeddyurappa had recently said the longevity of the state government would depend on the stand taken by about 20 "disgruntled" Congress legislators after the Lok Sabha election results. There are already discussions within political circles that any adverse results for the Congress-JD(S) coalition in the Lok Sabha polls, would have its implications on the state government. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and JD(S) leaders, including its state chief A H Vishwanath are upset over a few Congress legislators, including ministers, clamouring for CLP leader Siddaramaiah becoming chief minister again, triggering a slugfest between the two parties. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mogherini to meet with al Sarraj at Foreign Council Salame to give update on situation in Libya (ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, MAY 13 - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini confirmed on Monday upon her arrival at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels that she will have a bilateral meeting in the course of the morning with Libyan Prime Minster Fayez al Serraj. "Libya is one of the main topics on the Foreign Council agenda," Mogherini said. "Then we will hear from UN special envoy Ghassan Salame on the latest developments in the country," she said. Mogherini said the objective is to reconvene the parties in Libya to come to a "political process and a ceasefire". She said the agenda also includes a discussion of the Eastern Partnership and the situation in the Sahel. "Tomorrow, foreign ministers from the EU and the G5 Sahel countries will meet to discuss development and the security situation in the region," Mogherini said. "The entire region isn't disconnected from the situation in Libya, and for the European Union it's an absolute priority to stabilise the entire region as soon as possible, supporting our partners in the Sahel, and, in general, through good cooperation with the African Union," she said. "After the meeting with Sarraj we will begin celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership," she said. Mogherini said European Council President Donald Tusk will have dinner with the leaders on Monday evening. She said she and European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker will hold a high-level conference on Tuesday to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Eastern Partnership, which she said "has advanced the lives of ordinary citizens in each of the six partner countries". "Despite the difficulties and problems that we are still facing in the region, our partnership has managed to carry out a common effort in terms of trade, economic development, human rights, the role of civil society, visa liberalisation, and in many other fields," she said.(ANSAmed). BJP chief Amit Shah's scheduled rally in Jadavpur was called off Monday after the West Bengal government, the saffron party claimed, denied him permission to land his chopper and address the public meeting in the Lok Sabha constituency. Accusing the West Bengal government of "replacing democracy with dictatorship", the BJP said the Election Commission has become a "mute spectator" to the Trinamool Congress's alleged undemocratic means to target the party. The TMC, however, rebutted the allegations, claiming the BJP had cancelled the rally fearing a low turnout. "The allegations are completely baseless. We have nothing to do with it. They themselves have cancelled the rally as they were afraid that the rally might turn out to be a flop show," TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said. According to BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, the district administration had unnecessarily delayed the permission to land Shah's chopper claiming that they were yet to get a clearance from the Public Works Department. "The district magistrate has been acting as a party cadre of the TMC. They kept on denying us permission for Shah's chopper. Later, they also denied us permission to hold the rally. This is not only undemocratic but also shows the TMC's authoritarian mindset," Vijayvargiya said. According to Bengal BJP sources, the BJP had planned to go ahead with the Baruipur rally despite the state government's denial of permission, but the land owner, who had rented out his property for the meeting, withdrew his consent at the last minute. "It was due to pressure from TMC that the owner withdrew his consent," a state BJP leader said. The party's media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni asserted that he along with other workers and members will hold protests and move the EC against TMC's "atrocities". Following the cancellation of the rally, clashes broke out between the workers of the two rival parties in Baruipur. State BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said his party workers were thrashed by TMC activists. "TMC activists had been taunting our party men over the cancellation of the rally. When our party workers protested, they were beaten up by the ruling party cadres," he alleged. Denying the charge, a senior TMC leader said, "The saffron party's claims are bereft of truth. It was the BJP workers that ransacked one of our local offices and attacked our party men." A state government official said a huge police contingent has been stationed in Baruipur to thwart any untoward incident. Earlier in the day, senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar said Banerjee's dictatorship is on full play in the state. "This is murder of democracy. The EC should take cognizance of the matter. If important leaders are not allowed to hold rallies, what is the meaning of elections," he told reporters in New Delhi. Javadekar also slammed the state police for arresting a BJP youth-wing worker, who shared a social media post mocking Banerjee. TMC leaders such as Derek O'Brien have shared "uglier" posts but no action was taken against them, he claimed. Nine seats will go to polls in the last phase of the general election on May 19. The slugfest between BJP and Trinamool Congress in West Bengal turned acrimonius Monday ahead of the ultimate phase of Lok Sabha polls over BJP president Amit Shah's "Kangal Bangla" remark and TMC leader Derek O'Brien hitting back calling him "puke-worthy" and a "low-life". Shah had been denied permission to land his chopper and hold a meeting at Baruipur under Jadavpur constituency during the day forcing him to call off his programme. "TMC can stop me from attending rallies but can't stop the victory march of BJP in Bengal .... The Mamata Banerjee government is visibly perplexed. She wants to stop me from attending rallies. Can you (Banerjee) prevent your defeat this way?," he claimed at a rally at Canning under Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency and dared Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to arrest him for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram'. Throwing a challenge at the fiesty TMC supremo, who is among the most strident critics of BJP, Shah said "Mamata didi gets angry if someone chants 'Jai Shri Ram'. I am chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' here today, if you (Mamata) have the guts, arrest me. I will be in Kolkata tomorrow." He followed it up with "We will restore the glory of Bengal. Mamata Banerjee has turned Sonar (golden) Bangla into Kangal (pauper) Bangla. "She is only interested in protecting infiltrators to secure her vote bank. But her vote bank won't be able to save her from imminent defeat," he asserted. Shah referred to infiltrators as "termites" who are eating into the resources of the country and said BJP will throw them out from Bengal after coming to power at the Centre for a second term. Lashing out against Shah in the most virulent terms for his "Kangal Bangla" comment, TMC leader and Rajya Sabha member Derek O' Brien called him "puke-worthy" and a "low- life" who has "insulted" the state. O'Brien said in a tweet "That puke-worthy Shah had the audacity to use the term ????? ????? Kangal Bangla today at a rally. The people of Bengal will give him and Modi a fitting reply in Phase 7. That #LowLife insults Bengal." "Puke-worthy Shah is ignoramus about Bengal. Knows nothing about the State. Doesnt even care enough to find out where Rabindranath Thakur was born. And yet comes to beg for votes," Brien said. O' Brien also said that Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will get a befitting reply from the people of the state. Shah said at the meeting that BJP would implement the contentious National Register of Citizens across the country after winning the elections and charged that Banerjee, who is vehemently opposed to the NRC, is misleading people over it. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) aims to separate genuine citizens from illegal immigrants. Attacking the opposition parties who are against the BJP, Shah said while Modi has been working for the development of the country they are working to secure the future of their families. "The opposition leaders are trying to secure the future of their relatives - be it brother, husband, son, son- in-law or nephew .... We have to throw out this corrupt government of Bua-Bhatija (Aunt and Nephew - Banerjee and her nephew). We will defeat this corrupt regime," he stated. He reiterated the "syndicate raj" charge against the TMC in the state and alleged that the party works to benefit the Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee. "Earlier it was syndicate tax, now it has been replaced by nephew tax." Keeping up his attack, Shah said that Banerjee, along with other opposition leaders, are keen on holding talks with Pakistan, even after the Pulwama attack in Kashmir. "If you are interested in holding a dialogue with Pakistan, you can go ahead. We will respond to their bullets with cannon balls," Shah said. He accused Banerjee of trying to hinder Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja celebrations in the state, stating that the CM was trying use religion as a political tool. "If Bengalis do not conduct Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja here, will they conduct it in Pakistan? The people of Bengal will give a befitting reply to Mamata Banerjee in this election," he said. The state, which was once known for Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's songs, has become a hub of illegal "bomb and gun making factories", Shah claimed. "Under the TMC rule all three -- mother, motherland and people are suffering," he said, referring to the 'Ma, Maati and Manush' slogan of West Bengal's ruling party. BJP has emerged the closest contestant of the ruling TMC in the state, where polling will be held in nine parliamentary constituencies in the seventh and last phase of election on May 19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka reimposed a ban on social media on Monday as religious tension flared up after an intimidating Facebook post triggered attacks on mosques and Muslim-owned businesses in the worst unrest since Easter Sunday bombings which killed nearly 260 people. The blockade comes a day after Sri Lankan police imposed curfew in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw where a mob attacked a mosque and some shops owned by Muslims in a dispute that started on a Facebook post by a Muslim shop owner. The author of the Facebook post, identified as 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar, wrote: "Don't laugh more, 1 day u will cry". The Muslim shopkeeper's comment was taken by local Christians as a warning of an impending attack. The blockade of Facebook and WhatsApp has been imposed form midnight following violent incidents between the minority Muslim and majority Sinhalese communities, officials said. Late in the evening on Sunday, the unrest spread to Kuliyapitiya where a mosque and a few Muslim owned shops came under attack, prompting the authorities to impose curfew in the northwest town. "The curfew imposed in Kuliyapitya and Chilaw has been lifted," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. The majority nationalist groups have been active on Facebook, reviving calls for boycotts of Muslim-owned businesses and spreading hate. The violence is a direct fallout from the Eastern Sunday's suicide bombings. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 258 people and injuring over 500 others on April 21. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group, the National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ), for the bombings. Sri Lanka has previously blocked social media several times after the Eastern Sunday bombings to prevent the spread of false reports. The Sunday curfews came as Catholic churches held their first Sunday mass amid tight security. Addressing a service here, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith the Archbishop of Colombo, said everyone responsible for neglecting the intelligence and prior warnings on the attacks including the political leadership must be brought to book. The security remained tight on Monday as another warning of a possible attack later in the day was doing rounds. Sri Lanka's commanders of the three armed forces, however, said there was no risk of a terrorist attack taking place in the country on Monday. They said the security had been beefed up. The commanders called on the public to carry out their day to day activities and also appealed to the public to send their children to schools. The primary schools which did not open after the attacks resumed classes Monday with low attendance. The attendance of classes above grade 5 was very low. Parents had refused to send their children to schools despite repeated assurances from the security establishment that the threats of more attacks had been nullified. Over 1,000 have been arrested since the attacks. Sri Lanka's police say they have either killed or arrested all those responsible for the bombings but that the threat of global terrorism persists. President Maithripala Sirisena has vowed to eliminate the militants and restore normality in the country. 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.) The 72nd Cannes Film Festival kicks off on Tuesday with India missing from the official selection for the first time this decade. The last time the world's largest movie-producing nation drew a blank in Cannes was in 2009. The 2019 edition of the 12-day festival (May 14 to 25) will open with the screening of Jim Jarmusch's zombie satire "The Dead Don't Die", one of 21 titles competing for the Palme d'Or. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Deepika Padukone and Huma Qureshi will, as always, walk the red carpet but India will have nothing to show for its massive yearly output of films in any of the main sections of the festival this year. However, three ex-students of Kolkata's Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), who are just starting out in their careers, will ensure peripheral but genuine presence for the country in the globe's biggest cinema carnival. Since 2010, the year Vikramaditya Motwane's Udaan made it to Un Certain Regard, India has had a film every single year in Cannes' official selection. "Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told" (Out of Competition, 2011), "Miss Lovely" (Un Certain Regard, 2012), "Monsoon Shootout" (Out of Competition, 2013), "Bombay Talkies" (Special Screenings, 2013), "Titli" (Un Certain Regard, 2014), "Masaan" and "Chauthi Koot" (both Un Certain Regard, 2015), "Gudh" (Cinefondation, 2016) and "The Cinema Travellers" (Cannes Classics, 2016), "Afternoon Clouds" (Cinefondation, 2017) and "Manto" (Un Certain Regard, 2018) made the Cannescut after "Udaan" had ended a six-year drought. In 2017, Cannes did not select any feature-length Indian film, but Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) alumna Payal Kapadia's short film "Afternoon Clouds" made it to the festival's Cinefondation competition for film schools. Meghalaya's Dominic Sangma, Darjeeling lad Saurav Rai (maker of the 2016 Cannes entry "Gudh") and cinematographer Modhura Palit will be in the festival this year to participate in three different official segments. Sangma, whose debut film, the Garo-language "Ma'Ama" (Moan), premiered in the Mumbai Film Festival last year, will explore co-production tie-ups for his sophomore effort, "Rapture". The under-production film is one of ten projects in La Fabrique des Cinema du Monde, a programme hosted by Institut Francais. It invites ten directors working on their first or second features to the festival along with their producers. Sangma will participate along with Chinese co-producer Jianshang Xu, who was also involved in the making of "Ma'Ama". The up-and-coming filmmaker will receive guidance from Mira Nair, the first Indian to win the Camera d'Or in Cannes (for 'Salaam Bombay', 1988). She has been named the patron of La Fabrique 2019. Saurav Rai will pitch his debut work-in-progress narrative feature, "Nimtoh" (Invitation), in the 'HAF (Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum) Goes to Cannes' programme in the festival's Marche du Film (Film Market). "Nimtoh" is among five projects selected by the HAF Work-in-Progress Lab in March to participate in a pitching session in Cannes. The film's co-producer Sanjay Gulati will be in attendance. Kolkata cinematographer Modhura Palit will travel to Cannes to be part of the 7th edition of the Angenieux Excel Lens in Cinematography ceremony. She will receive the Angenieux Special Encouragement, which is given to a young professional. The first winner of the Special Encouragement, introduced in 2018, was the young Chinese DOP Cecile Zhang. The recognition will entitle Palit to the use on loan of the best Angenieux lenses on her next project. Named after the founder of the 80-year-old French company that makes high-end zoom lenses, this year's Angenieux tribute will be received by the five-time Oscar-nominated French director of photography Bruno Delbonnel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena left for China on Monday in a move that has surprised both political and diplomatic circles over its urgency at a time when the island nation is witnessing communal violence following the deadly Easter Sunday suicide bombings. President Sirisena, who is heading a 27-member delegation, will attend the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations in Beijing, local media reported. The conference - to be held from May 15 to 22 - will be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who would deliver a keynote speech. During his three-day visit, President Sirisena will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi on Tuesday. More than 2,000 government officials and representatives of various circles from 47 Asian countries and other countries outside the region will attend the opening ceremony and forums. Sirisena's visit comes just three weeks after the ISIS suicide attack on three churches and three luxury hotels in the island nation that left more than 250 dead and over 400 injured. President Sirisena told Parliament this week that the 99 per cent of those involved had been arrested and there would be normalcy soon. However, senior security officials, who did not wish to be named, said it would take a longer period to return to normalcy, the Sunday Times reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Green Tribunal has directed the Ministry of Defence to submit a report on a plea seeking scientific disposal of waste generated by weapons, hospitals and other establishments of the armed forces. "We are of the view that the matter needs to be considered by the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. "It will be appreciated that the Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Government of India files a status report in the matter after ascertaining the relevant facts and status of compliance of environmental norms from different concerned establishments within three months by e-mail," the bench said. According to the petitioner Anil Chopra, who is a retired Air Marshal and has also worked as a part of UP Solid Waste Management Monitoring Committee, some of the establishments of the Armed Forces lack requisite knowledge on ecological issues and solution to the environmental challenges particularly in virgin areas. The waste generated by military weapons, domestic, industrial, biological, hospital and electronic activities (e-waste) needs to be scientifically disposed in the interest of public health and environment, the plea read. Such problems may also be faced in desert and marine areas which need to be monitored at an appropriate level, it said. The applicant has referred to three reports -- Environmental Issues and Waste Management by Armed Forces, Siachen Glacier Ecological Issues and Cantonments and Military Stations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sudan's army rulers and protest leaders resumed crucial talks Monday over handing power to a civilian administration after days of deadlock in negotiations, a spokesperson for the protest movement told AFP. Protest leaders Omar al-Digeir and Satea al-Haj were among those attending the talks on behalf of the Alliance for Freedom and Change umbrella movement, the group's spokeswoman Mashar Darraj said. The meeting was being held behind closed doors at a convention centre in central Khartoum, an AFP correspondent reported from the venue. The latest round of talks, which have hit snags on several key issues, comes as thousands of protesters remain camped outside the army headquarters in central Khartoum. They say they are determined to force the ruling military council to cede power -- just as they pushed the army into deposing veteran president Omar al-Bashir on April 11. The protest alliance said Saturday the generals had invited the movement for a new round of talks. The army generals and protesters are at loggerheads over who will sit on a new ruling body that would replace the existing military council. The generals have proposed that the new council be military led, while the protest leaders want a majority civilian body. Late last month, the alliance -- which brings together protest organisers, opposition parties and rebel groups -- handed the generals its proposals for a civilian-led transitional government. But the generals have pointed to what they call "many reservations" over the alliance's roadmap. They have singled out its silence on the constitutional position of Islamic sharia law, which was the guiding principle of all legislation under Bashir's rule but is anathema to secular groups like the Sudanese Communist Party and some rebel factions in the alliance. The alliance has said it wants to "sort out all these points in 72 hours" once the talks resume. Protesters meanwhile remained camped outside the army headquarters in the capital, demanding that the generals step down. Crowds have dwindled during the day due to the scorching heat, but protesters still gather in the thousands after breaking the fast in the evening for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sudan's ousted president Omar al-Bashir has been charged over the killings of protesters during the anti-regime demonstrations that led to the end of his rule, the prosecutor general announced Monday. "Omar al-Bashir and others have been charged for inciting and participating in the killing of demonstrators," the office of Sudan's acting prosecutor general said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Swedish prosecutors on Monday reopened their investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who remains in prison in London for breach of bail conditions on the charge. The 47-year-old denies the allegation and has avoided extradition to Sweden to face the charge for seven years after seeking refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy in London in 2012. He is currently being held at the high security Belmarsh prison since Ecuador withdrew asylum last month after which he was sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for failure to surrender to meet his bail conditions. The Swedish authorities had originally decided to drop the rape investigation two years ago, saying they felt unable to take the case forward while Assange remained holed up inside the Ecuadorean embassy. "I have today taken the decision to reopen the prelminary investigation, Eva-Marie Persson, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, told reporters on Monday. A lawyer for one of the women involved in the Swedish allegations subsequently asked for the investigation to be resumed. Assange had also faced an investigation over a second sex-related allegation, but this was dropped in 2015 because time had run out. He has denied both allegations. Assange unsuccessfully fought in the British courts to have the Swedish extradition order and preliminary investigation dropped. His lawyers said he feared that should he go to Sweden, authorities could hand him over to the US to face prosecution over the WikiLeaks case. WikiLeaks said the reopening of the Swedish investigation would give Assange a chance to clear his name. "Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019 there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case," Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief, said in a statement. "Its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name," it added. The decision to reopen the inquiry is likely to raise the question of which extradition request should take precedence: that of Sweden or the US. The US wants to extradite Assange from the UK over his alleged role in the release of classified military and diplomatic material in 2010. Australian-born Assange faces a charge of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion in the US. He is accused of participating in one of the largest ever leaks of government secrets, which could result in a prison term of up to five years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TEL AVIV - Poland cancelled a meeting at the last minute with an official Israeli delegation after the delegation was already on a plane en route to Warsaw, according to Israeli Army Radio. The Polish Foreign Ministry issued a statement that said the cancellation was due to "last-minute changes in the composition of the Israeli delegation that led to the belief that the meetings would have focused primarily on the restitution of property" of Polish Jews who died in Nazi concentration camps. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has not commented on the cancellation. Israeli media said demonstrations had recently taken place in Poland against the restitution of property belonging to Jews. The Israeli Equal Opportunity Ministry, which organised the delegation, issued a statement prior to the delegation's departure in which it said the goal of the meetings with "senior Polish officials" was to discuss the restitution of property belonging to Jews. Israeli Equal Opportunity Minister Gila Gamliel said in the statement that "no element, political or antisemitic, will prevent us from carrying out this moral imperative". "I congratulate the Polish government for its firm stance in the face of antisemitic protests, a stance that is even more considerable in an electoral period," she said, in reference to the upcoming European parliamentary elections. Gamliel's statement was released to the Israeli press before the news came from Warsaw about the meeting's cancellation. Tata Motors Monday reported 22 per cent decline in group global wholesales, including that of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), at 79,923 units in April 2019. Global wholesales of all Tata Motors' commercial vehicles and Tata Daewoo range in April 2019 were at 31,726 units, lower 20 per cent year-on-year, the company said in a regulatory filing. The company further said its global wholesales of all passenger vehicles last month were at 48,197 units, down 23 per cent from the year-ago month. For JLR, global wholesales were at 35,451 units. Jaguar wholesales for the month were 13,301 units and those of Land Rover for the month were 22,150 units, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A preliminary inquiry into the allegations of fertiliser bags found weighing less than their disclosed weight by around 400 grams has pinned the blame on moisture loss coupled with a technical error, a state-run Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd (GSFC) official said Monday. Addressing a press conference in Gandhinagar, GSFC Managing Director Sujit Gulati said an independent expert has been appointed to find out how the technical error took place and whether some staff were at fault as well. The sale of the firm's 50-kilogramme Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertiliser bags have been stopped from all its depots in Gujarat, he said, adding that they have been told to start the sale only after making sure of the 50-kg weight. "Moisture loss is one of the likely reasons for the loss in weight. Our internal inquiry suggested that since these bags were packed in January, we estimated moisture loss may lead to weight reduction of around 100-125 grams," he said. "Another likely reason is that less fertilizer was filled in these bags due to a technical error in the automatic weighing machine at our plant in Sikka, Jamnagar," Gulati added. "We have now appointed an independent expert to find out how such a technical error took place. The expert will also probe if it was a case of human error, as to how it went unnoticed by the staff overseeing the packing operations. We expect the inquiry report in one week," he informed. To eliminate human error, GSFC has decided to discard random checking of bags at the plant, Gulati said, adding that each bag will now be checked through the 'weigh-in-motion' technology. The date and time of packing will also be printed on each from hereon, the GSFC MD said. A week ago, farmers in the state's Rajkot district had complained that 50-kg DAP fertiliser bags were lighter by around 400 grams after some of them carried out a check at GSFC's fertilizer distribution depot in Jetpur town. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The parents of a self-exiled Thai activist who disappeared after reportedly being extradited from Vietnam have visited government offices and diplomatic missions to seek information about his fate. Siam Theerawut is one of three exiles that human rights groups are expressing concern about because neither Thai nor Vietnamese authorities acknowledge holding them. All three fled Thailand after a May 2014 military coup to neighboring Laos, where they continued political activities critical of their homeland. Thai authorities have been seeking their return on charges of insulting the monarchy. After several fellow Thai activists in Laos were abducted and killed earlier this year, the three are believed to have moved to Vietnam. Siam's parents presented letters Monday to Thailand's National Human Rights Commission, the Vietnamese Embassy and the European Commission's office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three people were killed and 14 injured in a collision between a car and a state-run bus on Delhi-Dehradun national highway in Muzaffarnagar district, a police official said Monday. The accident happened near Tigai village last evening when the occupants of the car were returning to Delhi from a wedding in the district, Khatoli police station SHO Harsharan Sharma said. He identified those dead in the accident as Harpal Singh (30), Surjit (23) and Rakesh (28). The injured have been admitted to an area hospital. Villagers angry over the accident blocked the highway and damaged the roadways bus, following which police rushed to the spot and pacified them. The driver of the bus, which was on its way to Rishikesh, escaped. A case has been registered. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP national president Amit Shah Monday dared West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to arrest him for chanting "Jai Shri Ram", claiming that the TMC supremo can stop him from attending rallies in Bengal, but won't be able to stop BJP's victory march in the state. Addressing a rally at Canning, which comes under Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency, he said, "Mamatadi gets angry if someone chants Jai Shri Ram. I am chanting Jai Shri Ram here today. If you (Mamata) have the guts, arrest me. I will be in Kolkata tomorrow." Hitting out at the TMC government over denial of permission for his chopper to land in Baruipur, Shah said, "The Mamata Banerjee government is visibly perplexed. She wants to stop me from attending rallies. The TMC can stop me from addressing rallies, but can't stop the victory march of BJP in Bengal." Shah's scheduled rally in Jadavpur Lok Sabha seat was called off on Monday after the state government denied him permission to land his chopper and hold a public address at Baruipur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP president Amit Shah on Monday dared West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to arrest him for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram', claiming that the TMC supremo can stop him from attending rallies in Bengal, but not the BJP's victory march in the state. Addressing a rally at Canning in Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency, he said, "Mamatadi gets angry if someone chants Jai Shri Ram. I am chanting Jai Shri Ram here today, if you (Mamata Banerjee) have the guts, arrest me. I will be in Kolkata tomorrow." A video clip showing Banerjee fuming at people for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' in Ghatal Lok Sabha seat went viral on social media recently. Hitting out at the TMC government for denying him permission to land his chopper at Baruipur in Jadavpur Lok Sabha seat, Shah said, "The Mamata Banerjee government is visibly perplexed. She wants to stop me from attending rallies. Can you (Banerjee) prevent your defeat this way? "The TMC can stop me from attending rallies but can't stop the victory march of the BJP in Bengal," he maintained. Shah's scheduled rally in Jadavpur was called off on Monday after the state government denied him permission to land his chopper and hold a public address at Baruipur area. Referring to infiltrators as "termites", who are eating into the resources of this country, the BJP boss said his party will throw them out from Bengal after coming to power at the Centre for a second term. "We will restore the glory of Bengal. Mamata Banerjee has turned Sonar (golden) Bangla into Kangal (pauper) Bangla. She is only interested in protecting infiltrators to secure her vote bank. But her vote bank won't be able to save her from imminent defeat," he asserted. Lashing out at Banerjee for allegedly running a "syndicate raj" in the state, the BJP president claimed that the TMC works to benefit the CM's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee. "Earlier it was syndicate tax, now it has been replaced by nephew tax. We have to throw out this corrupt government of Bua-Bhatija (Aunt and Nephew). We will defeat this corrupt regime," he stated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A top cardinal has said "many questions" remain despite the Vatican's diplomatic thaw with China, and that a deal paving the way to rapprochement was "only a starting point". Cardinal Pietro Parolin's remarks -- in an interview with China's state-run Global Times, published Monday -- follow the signing in September last year of a historic bilateral agreement on the thorny issue of the appointment of bishops. That deal came after decades of mistrust between Beijing and the Vatican. China's estimated 10 million Catholics are split between an underground church that swears allegiance only to the pope and a state-supervised body -- the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. The September agreement allowed both sides to have a say on the appointment of bishops, and paved the way for a rapprochement between the Vatican and Beijing, which broke diplomatic ties in 1951. Parolin -- the Vatican's number two -- called the deal "a starting point" and that there were "elements which demonstrate an increased trust between the two sides". "Many questions still need to be addressed and we are facing them with willingness and determination." The Vatican's deal with Beijing has divided Chinese Catholics. Some see it as helpful in improving religious freedoms in China. But others are wary -- including Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, who accused the Holy See of "selling the Church" to Beijing's communist government. "It's no surprise that there are critics, within the Church, in China, or elsewhere, with this opening that may seem unprecedented after such a long period of confrontation," said Parolin, a key player in the negotiations with Beijing. The accord was forged despite a clampdown on religious worship in China, where churches were destroyed in some regions and several church-run kindergartens closed last year. Authorities have also cracked down on Bible sales. China's officially atheist government has tightened its grip on all faiths in recent years, and measures have included requiring clergymen to undergo ideological training, according to local media reports. Parolin said this push for the "Sinicization" of religion was not at odds with the Vatican as the Chinese leadership has reiterated its "willingness not to undermine the nature and the doctrine of each religion". China and the Vatican, he said, "have to journey together, because only in this way will we be able to heal the wounds and misunderstandings of the past". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to meet with the presidents of Russia and China next month at the Group of 20 summit in Japan. As the trade conflict with China escalates, Trump said of the expected encounter with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, "We'll be meeting at the G20 in Japan. And that will be I think probably very fruitful meeting." Speaking to reporters at the White House as he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Trump also said he expected to meet with Russia's Vladimir Putin, though the Kremlin responded immediately saying there was no agreement on a meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump on Monday said he will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in June on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Japan. This would also be the first opportunity for a meeting between the Indian prime minister and Trump after the election results are declared in India on May 23. However, Trump, during his interaction with the media at his Oval Office, made no mention of any meeting other than that with Xi and Putin on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. Like the Trump-Xi summit on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Argentina last November, all eyes will again be on the two leaders in Japan because of the ongoing trade tension. "We are going to be meeting, as you know, at the G20 in Japan. And that will be, I think, probably a very fruitful meeting," Trump told reporters. "But we are taking in, right now, hundreds of billions of dollars. We are taking in billions of dollars of tariffs.... We have never taken in 10 cents until I got elected. Now we are taking in billions and billions.... In addition to that we have another USD 325 billion that we can do, if we decided to do it," he said. "So we are taking it in tens of billions of dollars. We have never done that before with China. We have never done that before with anybody, frankly, because we have been taken advantage of all of our trade deals," Trump said in response to a question. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkey's military launched a major naval exercise on Monday at a time of rising tensions over its plans to explore for gas off the coast of Cyprus. The exercises, featuring 131 vessels, 57 planes and 33 helicopters, began early on Monday, a Turkish defence ministry official confirmed to AFP. They are due to last until May 25 and take place across the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black seas. It follows Turkey's announcement in May that it would carry out exploratory drilling off Cyprus up to September. The European Union has said that will encroach on Cyprus's exclusive economic zone, while the United States described the move as "highly provocative". The international community does not recognise the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, proclaimed after troops occupied the top third of the island in 1974 in response to a coup sponsored by the Greek military junta. The discovery of huge gas reserves in the Mediterranean has fuelled a race to tap the underwater resources. Turkey considers the area to be part of its continental shelf and granted exploration licences to Turkish Petroleum in 2009 and 2012. The internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus, which rules the rest of the island, has signed its own exploration deals with energy giants Eni, Total and ExxonMobil. Speaking on Sunday, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar insisted Turkey would take all necessary measures to "protect its rights in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, and in Cyprus". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat staged a silent protest here on Monday against the death of a Dalit youth who was allegedly beaten up by upper-caste people for eating in front of them at a wedding. The Congress general secretary held the hour-long protest with his supporters in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Gandhi Park. Rawat demanded that the ruling BJP government in the state must immediately extend financial help to the deceased's family as the youth was the sole breadwinner. Rawat, who had met the family of the deceased in their village on Sunday, expressed shock and said it was a "blot" on the name of Uttarkhand. Jeetendra Das, 23, had died on May 5, nine days after he was beaten up by upper-caste men for daring to eat in the same row with them at a wedding reception in Shrikot village of Tehri Garhwal district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brexit talks between Britain's Conservative government and the main opposition Labour Party are resuming with little sign of progress, as the two parties remain far apart on terms of the UK's departure from the European Union. Senior Conservative and Labour officials have been meeting for weeks in an attempt to find a compromise Brexit deal that can win majority support in Parliament. Labour Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer told Monday's Guardian newspaper his party would only support a deal if was put to a referendum vote. Starmer said that "a significant number" of Labour lawmakers "would not back a deal if it hasn't got a confirmatory vote." Prime Minister Theresa May has rejected a new referendum, saying voters made their decision in 2016 when they narrowly opted to leave the EU. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UN's Afghanistan mission said Monday it was probing allegations of civilian casualties resulting from US air strikes against purported drug-making facilities in western Afghanistan. The allegations centre on strikes conducted earlier this month in Farah and Nimroz provinces, where dozens of structures said to have been used to produce heroin and other illegal drugs were destroyed. According to interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi, "150 Taliban terrorists were killed, 40 wounded" in the Farah operations. But the Taliban have denied the facilities were used for drugs and claimed "up to 100" civilians were killed. In a statement, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it was "actively looking into allegations of civilian casualties resulting from International Military Forces' aerial operations in Farah and Nimroz provinces against reported drug manufacturing facilities". "The locations are not easily accessible and there are numerous operational challenges to the verification" of civilians being harmed, UNAMA added. The US-led NATO mission in Kabul did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last month, UNAMA published a report saying Afghan civilians are for the first time being killed in greater numbers by US and pro-government forces than by the Taliban and other insurgent groups. It also chastised the Taliban for an increase in deadly violence across Afghanistan during Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. The war-torn nation has seen continued violence since the start of Ramadan last week as the Taliban and the US were engaged in talks to try to find an end to the war. The Taliban claimed responsibility for a May 8 attack on a US-funded aid group in Kabul that claimed the lives of nine civilians and Afghan security officials. "There can be absolutely no justification for deliberate or indiscriminate attacks against civilians," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, said in the UNAMA statement. "It is particularly egregious that a premeditated act of extreme violence was conducted against a development agency where civilians were striving to improve the lives of all citizens." An earlier attack by the Taliban just before Ramadan saw at least 13 people killed and dozens more wounded after a suicide bomber and several gunmen attacked a police headquarters in Pul-i-Khumri in northern Afghanistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of an unidentified woman was found dumped in a box at the Kasara Ghat in Thane district of Maharashtra, a police official said on Monday. Some passersby informed the police control room on Sunday about foul smell at a spot on the ghat section, he said. When the police reached the spot, they saw a big cardboard box there and on opening it, found the decomposed body having several injury marks, he said. The official said they suspect that the woman, presumably in her 50s, was killed around 10 days back and the body later dumped in the ghat area. The body was sent for postmortem to a government hospital in Sahapur area and a case registered under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), he said. A probe was underway to identify the deceased and nab the culprit, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Venezuelan air force general has called on his country's armed forces to rise up against President Nicolas Maduro, who remains in power with military support despite a sweeping economic crisis. "It's time to rise up, it's time to fight ... it's time that the armed forces became aware," General Ramon Rangel said in a video appeal issued Sunday on social media. Rangel -- who appeared in civilian clothes and whose location is unknown -- is the latest of several military figures to call on Venezuela's military to abandon Maduro. Another Air Force general, Francisco Yanez, pledged his allegiance to opposition leader Juan Guaido on February 2. Rangel did not however specifically call on the military to switch their allegiance to Guaido, who is recognized as interim president by much of the international community. The 35-year-old National Assembly speaker, who organized a failed uprising on April 30, has repeatedly called on the armed forces to abandon Maduro. A source close to Venezuela's military told AFP that Rangel has not been on active duty "for years," and at one point was manager of a Venezuelan state company in Cuba. The commander of the Air Force, General Pedro Juliac, denounced Rangel as a traitor on Twitter. Juliac's tweet carried a photo of Rangel with a cross over it, and the phrase: "Traitor of the people and of the Revolution." "Those without morals will never be able to damage the country, let alone the Bolivarian military aviation. We will win - Long Live the Revolution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Monday stressed the need to ensure that early warning systems work effectively as variations in climatic patterns due to global warming have increased the frequency of natural calamities. Addressing the opening session of a world reconstruction conference in Geneva, Vijayan said Odisha, which recently faced the fury of cyclone 'Fani', succeeded in bringing down loss to human lives due to early warning systems. "I would like to note here that during the first week of May, Fani badly affected Odisha. But damage to human lives could be controlled due to sufficient early warning," he said. "This brings before us the fact that early warning systems should work effectively as the variations in climatic patterns due to global warming have increased the frequency of natural calamities like floods and cyclones,", he said while addressing the conference. Vijayan said Kerala was devastated by the unprecedented floods in August last year which claimed 453 human lives, besides destroying homes and damaging crops. The state's total recovery needs have been estimated as around 4.4 billion US dollars, as per the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) conducted by the UN Agencies. "Our aim is not to restore what was in existence before the flood, but to build a new Kerala which will be resilient to any possible natural disasters in future," he said. A comprehensive programme to rebuild lost and damaged houses has been launched, he said. The 'Rebuild Kerala Initiative' is being carried out on a mission mode. Eco-friendly building strategies, giving more room for rivers, learning to live with floods etc. are the key factors of this initiative, the chief minister added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The wife and children of former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei, who vanished while visiting China in September last year, have been granted political asylum in France, the family's lawyer said on Monday. Grace Meng, who was given police protection after she alleged an abduction attempt at the start of the year, was granted asylum on May 2 along with the couple's two children, their lawyer Emmanuel Marsigny told AFP. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The reopening of a 2010 rape investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will give him "a chance to clear his name", the whistleblower website's editor said on Monday. Kristinn Hrafnsson also said in a statement that there had been "political pressure" on Sweden to reopen the case into Assange, who is currently serving a 50-week sentence in Britain for breaching his bail conditions in 2012. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman, who was "sold" for Rs 10,000 and raped by people for whom she was forced to work as domestic help, set herself on fire after Uttar Pradesh police officials allegedly refused to register her complaint, according to the Delhi Commission for Women. The woman is now admitted to a Ghaziabad hospital with 80 per cent burn injuries. The UP police, however, disputed the allegation that senior officials turned her away and said the matter is under investigation. DCW chief Swati Maliwal wrote a letter to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, urging him to investigate the police officials in Hapur district for refusing to register the complaint of the woman. She wrote that the woman suffered intolerable abuse at the hands of UP police. Maliwal said because of the insensitive and shameful attitude of the police officials, the woman had to set herself on fire. According to the DCW chief's letter, the woman was "sold" to a man, who had taken loans from several people, in Hapur for Rs 10,000. He forced her to work as domestic help for those people without paying her. The woman was repeatedly abused and gangraped at these places. The woman has alleged that she approached the Hapur SP and other senior officials but they did not register her complaint nor they took action against the people she had named. Following this, she attempted suicide by immolating herself on April 28. Maliwal has urged Adityanath to provide proper compensation to the woman. After the DCW intervention, UP police have registered an FIR against Babugarh sarpanch and 13 others for raping the woman, but they say prima facie the case is suspicious and hence they have not arrested anyone. Hapur SP Yashvir Singh told PTI-Bhasha over the phone that whether she immolated herself or she was set on fire is under investigation. Singh refused to accept that police officials refused to register her complaint because of which she had to attempt suicide. He also said the woman has a history of troubled marriages and she has ended her marriage twice before. She finally married a man in Moradabad and was living with him, he said. The SP said the incidents of abuse and rape with the woman are five years old and the incidents happened at different times at different places. Police officials have talked to villagers about the woman's complaints but none of them verified her account, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) People can soon buy Xiaomi smartphones and accessories through vending machines, with the Chinese handset maker set to install its own machines in major Indian cities. The latest move comes as the company works on ways to retain its dominant position in the hyper-competitive smartphone market in India. Called as 'Mi Express Kiosk', these vending machines will allow consumers to make purchases and pay for the transaction through credit or debit cards, cash and UPI. "These kiosks are specifically built for smartphone sales and mobile accessories of similar physical dimensions can also be added in it. The kiosk has a capacity of nearly 200 smartphones," Xiaomi India said in an e-mailed response to PTI. The company said this innovative model offers "the efficiency of e-commerce business making it a cost-effective approach and is scalable". "All technology equipping Mi Express Kiosks has been researched and developed in India, further extending the brand's commitment to India," it added. Xiaomi said, it aims to set up several of these kiosks in the coming months across metro cities in public areas such as metro stations, airports, and shopping malls. It added that these kiosks are company operated. As of now, the machine will be manned to assist customers, if required. In April, the Chinese tech major had said it expects to have 10,000 retail stores in India and 50 per cent of its business to come from the offline route by the end of this year. Xiaomi had started its India journey as an online brand only in 2014. Two years ago, it started expanding into offline retail and now has well over 6,000 outlets across three formats - Mi Homes (experiential stores -75 in number), Mi Preferred Partners (retail stores) and Mi Stores (in smaller towns). The company had also announced setting up of another offline retail format under Mi Studio in India as it competes head-on with rivals like Samsung, Vivo and Oppo. According to research firm IDC, Xiaomi led the shipment tally with 30.6 per cent share in the March 2019 quarter, followed by Samsung (22.3 per cent), Vivo (13 per cent), Oppo (7.6 per cent) and Realme (6 per cent). Total smartphone shipment in the country grew 7.1 per cent to 32.1 million units in the said quarter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In all likelihood, Congress-ruled Punjab will become part of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) health assurance scheme on June 1, a week after the results of the ongoing general elections will be declared. Congress-led government of Union Territory Puducherry might also operationalise the scheme by around the same time. Kerala, ruled by the Left Front led by Communist Party of India (Marxist), one of the strongest critics of PMJAY launched by Narendra Modi government during the fag end of its term seven months ago, already joined the scheme on April 1. The pet scheme of Modi aims to provide a benefit cover of Rs. 500,000 per family per year (on a family floater basis) for tertiary and secondary treatment to 10.74 crore poor, rural families. According to the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data, the approximate number of beneficiaries would be 50 crore. The biggest hurdle for the scheme was a potential boycott by states ruled by non-BJP political parties and fronts, which it seems to have crossed now. ALSO READ: Why Ayushman Bharat may stay irrespective of election outcome In less than a year, 33 out of 36 states and Union Territories of India have signed MoUs with the National Health Authority (NHA), the body that is in charge of the rollout, implementation and management of PMJAY. It is already operational in 30. There had been an apprehension that Congress-ruled states--especially the governments of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, where recent elections saw the toppling of BJP regimes--might withdraw from the scheme. They perceived it to be launched at a politically convenient time to help BJP win votes in the elections. However, these states continue to be part of the scheme. Punjab and Puducherry did ignore the scheme, but it is becoming clear now, the Congress governments are just waiting for the election dust to settle to be a part of it. Apart from West Bengal, which withdrew from the scheme, complaining that PM Modi was taking entire credit for introducing PMJAY, no other state has taken back its commitment to be part of the scheme. Launched on 23 September 2018, the scheme has so far benefited 23.8 lakh patients (till May 11, 2019), with a majority of the treatments happening in the area of cancer, heart ailments, bone-related problems and kidney ailments. The scheme covers medical and hospitalisation expenses for almost all secondary care and most of the tertiary care procedures as PMJAY has defined 1,350 medical packages covering surgery, medical and daycare treatments including medicines, diagnostics and transport. "We aim to get all states on board. Our initial target of hospitals was 10,000, we have crossed that. The initial target for enrolment was 2 crore (beneficiaries), we crossed 3 crore. We plan to continue implementation. The scheme is driven by states", says Dinesh Arora, Deputy CEO, NHA. Why states matter The states ruled by the opposition parties have decided to be part of the national scheme, but their main criticism was not merely political. The centre and states share the expenses in the 60:40 ratio in general category states and 90:10 in the case of North Eastern states and the three Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir. The scheme is 100 per cent central funded only in Union Territories without state legislature. In terms of responsibility, though, PMJAY is more about states than the centre. The state governments empanel the private hospitals (government hospitals are automatically empanelled), decide how to implement the scheme (choose between various models, insurance, direct government funding, or a mix of both), set up trusts to facilitate payment in case the government wants to pay for the medical expenses, select insurance companies through tenders if it is a medical insurance pure play and track malpractices. The NHA's role is limited to coordinating various activities in different states through its IT backbone, streamlining of central share of the payment and facilitating inter-state portability of scheme's benefits. Further, state-level health assurance schemes have been going on in many parts of the country for years now. The PMJAY's IT platform itself is a tweaked version of the IT system that powered the successful Arogyasri health insurance programme of the Telangana state. Even the Central Government had its own health insurance scheme Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), though its coverage universe was much small compared to PMJAY, as it covered just the unorganised workers and their families. The states also have the flexibility to expand the scope of health coverage beyond what is offered under PMJAY. Kerala, for instance, offers one such example. When the state decided to embrace PMJAY, it opted for an insurance model, selected Reliance General Insurance through a tender, and made the beneficiary universe much wider. "To be more inclusive, the state has extended the coverage to additional categories of families (21 lakh) besides the identified 20 lakh SECC families (Socio-Economic Caste Census). For beneficiaries, the new schemes offer much wider coverage by including the tertiary care and increased participation by private hospitals," Rakesh Jain, ED & CEO, Reliance General Insurance says. Why NHA matters The importance of PMJAY will be more evident in the greenfield states (which did not have such healthcare insurance schemes) in the coming days as it not only triggered the implementation but has also created a dedicated agency--NHA--to provide support for rolling out such programmes. The size of the programme and the potential volumes involved also helps NHA negotiate a pricing system that is the lowest possible. "As of now, we have spent around Rs 2600 crores, in the last six months. Our rates are really 50 per cent lower than the market rates, so if they (beneficiaries) had gone for treatment out of pocket, they would have spent Rs 5000 crores," Arora says. The checks and balances brought in as part of the scheme may also result in fraud detection. For instance, two hospitals in Jharkhand have been suspended for charging money from the beneficiaries and for carrying out wrongful diagnosis and admissions. Similarly, six hospitals in Uttarakhand received show-cause notices for indulging in activities of potentially fraudulent nature after NHA's fraud detection systems threw up some leads like a single doctor, registered as a consultant or full-time in various hospitals, performing procedures at the same time and doubts about money charged by the hospital from beneficiaries. A hospital preparing discharge summary for a large number of patients in a day could be checked for the possibility of fudging documents. If the pre-authorisation date, date of approval and surgery date happens to be the same, questions on the quality of care could be raised. Same packages, blocked for almost all patients of all family treated at the same time, can also trigger an alert. The fraud analytics is being carried out by global analytics firms SAS, MFX, Lexis Nexis, Optum and Greenojo by making use of rule engines and artificial intelligence layer since January. "As of now, they are developing proof of concept. We will have to tender it out later. They are doing pro bono for six months. Twenty four companies applied, of which five got selected for this purpose. We will evaluate their performance, see how good the triggers generated by them are and then go for the quotation (for tenders)," Arora says. ALSO READ: Ayushman Bharat CEO claims treatment cost reduced by half under PMJAY healthcare scheme The IT backbone, which is fully operational, is handled by private and public sector entities - NIC, C-DAC, TCL (Tata Communication Ltd for servers) and TCS. However, the biggest difference NHA makes is the national portability of services. Delhi, which is one of the three states that have not joined the scheme so far (Telangana and Odhisa are the other two), has about 20 hospitals that are empanelled with NHA to offer services to PM-JAY beneficiaries of other states. The credit for the fact that these hospitals will get paid by the respective state governments in a seamless manner goes to the scheme. Challenges With almost every state on board, the next challenge before NHA is to get more people in the greenfield to avail the facilities of the scheme. In fact, greenfield states are more in number -- Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, UP, Assam and eight North Eastern states, J&K, Haryana, MP, Himachal and Uttarakhand and the number of patients that get treated here is just one person per hospital a day. In other words, the overall numbers of treatments look respectable because it also adds the patients from states, which already had some health insurance programme of others even before the launch of PMJAY. "On an average across the country, we are touching around 15,000 patients every day, those from greenfield states could be around 50 per cent of that," Arora admits. Since the number of empanelled hospitals in greenfield states is just over 7000, this translates to one person a day per hospital. "Yes, but it is a demand-driven programme. We don't want people to fall sick. This is not for the whole population; it is only for 40 per cent of the lowermost (economic and social rung of the society). So demand has to increase. Awareness is a continuing process. It has (awareness creation) slowed down because of elections as Election Commission doesn't allow (awareness) camps to be held now. It will improve," Arora adds. ALSO READ: Jaitley: Ayushman Bharat on way to become world's largest free healthcare scheme Enrolling the best healthcare centres, especially tertiary private healthcare facilities, into the programme is also critical to its success as healthcare infrastructure will require a major boost once the demand picks up. The super speciality private hospitals in metros, at least are not at all happy with the price offered by NHA for most of the treatment packages. While about 50 per cent of the 15,400 empanelled hospitals are private, they contribute to over 60 per cent of the actual treatments and procedures that are being offered. This makes private participation even more crucial to the success of the programme. The states have the flexibility to increase the NHA fixed rates by 10 per cent. If the existing rates of the brownfield states are higher, they can continue to offer those rates to hospitals. There are also additional incentives to medical colleges, to hospitals in backward districts and hospitals that are accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers. The cumulative difference in rates could be as high as 39 per cent. But still bigger players complain. "There is huge positive response; hospitals in small towns have no problem. However, in certain metros and bigger cities, I think the cost structures need to be rationalised as the cost structures there are different. They have been saying some rationalisation is required," Arora says. Will NHA get the government to do it? "We will see after elections", he adds. INOX Leisure (INOX) has closed financial year 2018-19 on strong note as the multiplex chain operator reported growth in both top and bottom line when compared to last fiscal. The country's leading multiplex chain has reported profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 133.53 crore for the year ended March 31, 2019, compared to Rs 115.29 crore in the previous year, registering a year-on-year growth of 15.82 per cent. "Revenue from operations stood at Rs 1,692.18 crore versus Rs 1,348.12 crore in the financial year 2017-18," INOX said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange. The net profit before tax (after exceptional items) almost doubled to Rs 199.07 crore in FY19, as compared to Rs 97.65 crore in FY18, the company said. INOX reported strong balance sheet with gross debt of Rs 110 crore, while net debt stood at Rs 96 crore. The operating profit (EBITDA) of the company surged 46.91 per cent to Rs 309.15 crore as compared to Rs 210.43 crore in the previous year. Also Read: HDFC net profit slips to Rs 9,632 crore in FY19; recommends dividend of Rs 17.50 In January-March quarter, the company posted a 16.90 per cent decline in its net profit at Rs 48.12 crore as compared to Rs 57.91 crore in the same quarter last year. The total income from operations, however, increased to Rs 478.84 crore in Q4FY19 from Rs 323.61 crore in Q4FY18, up 47.96 per cent year-on-year. The operating profit for the March quarter surged 121 per cent year-on-year to Rs 97.36 crore and as against Rs 43.88 crore in same quarter last year. Inox Leisure, a part of Inox Group, operates 141 properties (583 screens and 137,365 seats) located in 67 cities across India. Follwing the earnings announcement, shares of Inox Leisure were trading at Rs 309.60 apiece, up 0.73 per cent, against previous close level of Rs 307.35. Edited by Chitranjan Kumar Also Read: RCom lenders to submit claims of up to Rs 90,000 crore: Report Cigarette-to-soap maker ITC has reported 10.69 per cent year-on-year growth in consolidated net profit at Rs 13,162.30 crore for the financial year 2018-19, driven by paperboards, paper and packaging, hotels and FMCG business. "The company had posted consolidated net profit of Rs 11,890.78 crore in the financial year 2017-18," ITC said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange. Consolidated revenue from operations increased marginally by 4.55 per cent to Rs 49,862.11 crore in FY19 as compared to Rs 47,688.5 crore in FY18. On the quarterly basis, the FMCG major posted a 18.72 per cent growth in net profit at Rs 3,482 crore in January-March period as compared to Rs 2,932 crore in the same quarter of the last year. Revenue increased to Rs 12,206 crore in Q4FY19 as compared to Rs 10,586.80 crore in Q4FY18, helped by trading opportunities in oilseeds, wheat and coffee in agri business, higher volumes and improved realisation in paperboards and improvement in RevPar in hotels. The operating profit (EBITDA) of the company increased to Rs 4,572 crore against Rs 4,144 crore in the year-ago period. "The company delivered another year of resilient performance despite a challenging operating environment. The Cigarettes Business, impacted by steep increase in taxes under the GST regime, sharpened focus on delivering world-class products through continuous innovation along with best-in-class execution thereby consolidating its market standing," ITC said in the exchange filing. Last week, rival Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) reported a 15.98 per cent y-o-y growth in consolidated net profit at Rs 6,060 crore for the financial year 2018-19, against revenue of Rs 39,860 crore. ITC's board has recommended dividend of Rs 5.75 per ordinary share of Re 1 each for the financial year ended 31st March, 2019, subject to requisite approval, which will be paid on July 16, 2019. Also Read: HDFC net profit slips to Rs 9,632 crore in FY19; recommends dividend of Rs 17.50 In a separate development, the company appointed Sanjiv Puri, Managing Director, also as the Chairman of the Company with effect from May 13, 2019. Puri's promotion comes after YC Deveshwar, ITC's longest-serving Chairman, passed away on Saturday. "The Board of Directors of the company at the meeting held today appointed Sanjiv Puri, Managing Director, also as the Chairman of the Company with effect from May 13, 2019. Consequently, Puri's new designation is Chairman and Managing Director of the company," ITC informed the exchange. Following earnings announcement, shares of ITC declined in negative terrain to trade at Rs 288.50 apiece, down 3.09 per cent, on the BSE. Edited by Chitranjan Kumar Also Read: Inox Leisure's profit jumps 16% to Rs 133.53 crore in FY19; revenue rises to Rs 1,692.18 crore Phase 6 of the Lok Sabha Election 2019 concluded on Sunday with a voter turnout of 63.3 per cent. Elections were conducted across 59 parliamentary constituencies in seven states. The highest voter turnout was recorded in West Bengal with 80.35 percent, while Delhi recorded a low turnout of 59.74 per cent. Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh recorded 68.17 per cent, 54.72 per cent, 59.29 per cent, 64.50 per cent and 64.55 per cent respectively. At a rally in Basanti, West Bengal Mamata Banerjee attacked PM Modi and said that she will take revenge 'inch-by-inch'. Meanwhile, the Election Commission issued a show cause notice to BJP's candidate from Begusarai Giriraj Singh for violating poll code. Follow the Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE updates on BusinessToday.In blog: 9.40 PM: "The comments of the philosopher and guide of the Congress President (Sam Pitroda) have angered Punjab," says PM Modi. The comments of the philosopher and guide of the Congress President have angered Punjab. The memories of 1984 massacres haunt several people and our Government has worked towards ensuring justice by punishing the perpetrators. pic.twitter.com/GZIZN84NpE - Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 13, 2019 9.33 PM: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Indore: "He (Modi) is such a defence expert that he himself decided who will manufacture planes, he decided those who have never made a plane in their lives will make it...he thought, weather is cloudy, it won't come on radar." 7.14 PM: "State leaders will be the heroes after #23May2019," says Saravanan Annadurai, DMK spokesperson. Our leader @mkstalin persuades Telengana CM KCR to support the congress alliance in a crucial meeting today! #Elections2019 State leaders will be the heroes after #23May2019 - Saravanan Annadurai (@asaravanan21) May 13, 2019 7.11 PM: Tamil Nadu Minister KT Rajendra Balaji: "Kamal Haasan's tongue should be cut off for his remarks on Hindu terror." Tamil Nadu Minister K.T. Rajendra Balaji: Kamal Haasan's tongue should be cut off for his remarks on Hindu terror. He made these remarks to gain votes of minorities. We can't blame entire community for act of 1 individual. EC should take action against the actor & ban his party. pic.twitter.com/2O3nypPOtu - ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 6.55 PM: BJP protests in front of West Bengal Chief Electoral Office after Amit Shah was denied permission to hold rally & land chopper in Jadavpur. #WATCH Kolkata: BJP protests in front of West Bengal Chief Electoral Office after Amit Shah was denied permission to hold rally & land chopper in Jadavpur; Sunil Deodhar says, "Police, admn, DM Ratnakar Rao have become 'dalal' of TMC. EC is being partial & doing 'dalali' of TMC" pic.twitter.com/DXOPPdX0B0 - ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 6.50 PM: Akhilesh Yadav on who will be the next PM of India? "We (I and Mayawati) will sit together and make this choice after May 23, but yes we would like the next PM to be from UP." 4.53 PM: TRS leader and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao meets DMK President MK Stalin at the latter's residence. Chennai: Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader & Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao, meets Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin at the latter's residence. #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/z1JdRFUrhn - ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 3.15 PM: More than 64.5 per cent of total 10.1 crore voters exercised their franchise in phase 6 of the Lok Sabha election 2019. 2.48 PM: Mayawati tells India Today: "My alliance with Akhilesh is here to stay. The Cong did not really want an alliance with me, see how they dealt with us in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Our sole aim is to remove the Modi government." 2.44 PM: Mayawati to India Today TV: "I have only responded to the personal attacks on me by Mr Modi; why doesn't PM speak up when his party activists commit atrocities on Dalits like in Una." 1:29pm: At a rally in Joynagar, BJP President Amit Shah said, "I was to visit 3 places today, but Mamata's ji's nephew is contesting from one of the seats so she is scared her nephew will lose, and that's why she cancelled the permission for our rally." 1:25pm: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao offers prayers at Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli. Tamil Nadu: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao offers prayers at Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli. Rao is scheduled to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin in Chennai later today. pic.twitter.com/MoQXeL2aoj ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 1:15pm: At a rally in Joynagar, BJP chief Amit Shah said, "In Bengal, Mamata didi does not allow the people to enjoy the benefits of any of Modi ji's schemes. This is because she thinks that if these schemes start here, he will become more popular than she is." 1:05pm: BSP supremo Mayawati said at a rally in Gorakhpur that those who chant Namo Namo will be defeated. She said, "After independence, the Congress party was in centre and most of the states for the longest time. However their bad policies and misgovernance has resulted in its debacle. The same condition will happen of the BJP. Chowkidaari is not going to help them." 12:55pm: Addressing an election rally in Khanna, Punjab, Captain Amrinder said, "Promise loan waiver in election manifesto besides jobs. We are committed for that. New industrial units in many parts will generate employment opportunities. We are giving plots and houses to the homeless." 12:35pm: Ram Vilas Paswan attacked BSP supremo Mayawati for her remarks against PM Modi. He said, "What is her status, she is saying that she would wait for investigation result, what does that mean? She is making baseless and senseless remarks against PM, She is making absurd personal attack against PM." 12:20pm: Supreme Court vacation bench dismissed the petition filed by lawyer, Nizamuddin Pasha, challenging the ECI's decision refusing to reschedule voting commencement time from 7 am to 5 am for the last phase of voting to, 'ease difficulty for Muslims during the holy month of Ramzan'. 12:06pm: Congress President Rahul Gandhi to hold rallies in Ludhiana and Hoshiarpur. 12:04pm: BJP MP Ananth Kumar Hegde said, "In one year we will have gram panchayat elections but before that, in June - July the suicidal coalition govt will take it's own course. There'll be fresh elections in Karnataka in August. Our MLA should win Karwar assembly seat." 12:15pm: A national traders' board will be set up for the businessmen of the nation, PM Modi said. 12:15pm: Taking at a dig at Congress leader Digvijay Singh's not casting his vote, PM Modi said, "Tomorrow their arrogance was seen in Bhopal too. I myself went tto Ahmedabad to cast my vote. The President and Vice President of the nation stood in queues to cast their ballot. And 'Diggy Raja' (Digvijay Singh) was not concerned about democracy or his responsibility as a voter." 12:00pm: Tamilisai Soundararajan calls Kamal Haasan's comments on Hindu terror political posturing. "Kamal Haasan has no right to call himself as great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. It's a well known fact that Kamal has not led a disciplined life. What's the point in advising the world? Is it mere political posturing?" 11:55am: "The 'Naamdar' family of Congress uses a battleship for picnic and then shamelessly reply when questions are raised - what happened has happened," PM Modi said in Ratlam. - : @narendramodi #DeshModiKeSaath https://t.co/4LLVrRN1wO pic.twitter.com/0kfSIFJ8YL BJP (@BJP4India) May 13, 2019 11:45am: PM Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting in Ratlam Madhya Pradesh. LIVE: PM @narendramodi is addressing a public meeting at Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh. #DeshModiKeSaath https://t.co/G8rfMAGflE BJP (@BJP4India) May 13, 2019 11:45am: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said BSP president Mayawati is suffering from "political depression" as she fears defeat of her party's candidates in the general election under way and as a result, she is losing her temper and patience. Sharma claimed Mayawati is showing weakness and her memory is fading. "All these symptoms are clearly visible in the statements of the BSP supremo," he told PTI in an interview. 11:30am: Dharmendra said if he had known that Sunil Jakhar's son was Sunny Deol's opponent, he would not have allowed his son to contest. 11:15am: Amit Shah to hold rallies in Jaynagar and Barasat in West Bengal. 10:59am: DEO Faridabad has reported that a polling agent was arrested yesterday and FIR has been lodged. He was trying to effect at least 3 women voters. Observer visited the booth at Asawati in Prithla constituency of 10, Faridabad PC. He is satisfied that voting was never vitiated: ECI. 10:50am: Supreme Court agrees to hear tomorrow the plea filed by Priyanka Sharma, BJP youth wing worker who was arrested for sharing a morphed picture of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. 10:45am: Priyanka Gandhi responded to PM Modi's Khan Market gang comment and said, "Agar pachas ghante ki tapasya karli hoti tho, is tarah se nafrat bari baaten nahin karte (Even if he had meditated for 50 hours, he would not be speaking this way)." PM Modi had said, "Modi ki chhavi, Delhi ke Khan Market ke gang ne nahin banayi hai, Lutyens Delhi ne nahin banayi hai. 45 saal ki Modi ki tapasya ne chhavi banayi hai. Achchi hai ya buri hai (Modi's image has not been created by the Khan Market gang, or Lutyens Delhi, but 45 years of his toil. good or bad)." 10:30am: Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa confirmed that the polling agent who was seen trying to influence voters inside a polling booth in Faridabad has been arrested. His actions were captured in a video. "DEO Faridabad reported that the observer, Sanjay Kumar investigated the entire matter. Report of the observer will be examined by ECI and action will be taken against those found wanting in their duty," Lavasa tweeted. 10:20am: Bhojpuri star and BJP candidate from Gorakhpur Ravi Kishan said that he will make Modi biopic in Bhojpuri. "I have several projects in mind, including Modiji's biopic in Bhojpuri, so that people get to know more about him. Apart from this, I am also planning to make biopics of Swami Vivekananda and Atal Bihari Vajpayee," Kishan told PTI. 10:17am: Congress leader Siddaramaiah called Narendra Modi a 'liar'. He said, "Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Gandhiji were killed. Was any BJP man killed for the sake of the country? Then where's the truth of calling themselves desh bhakt. Everything is just a lie , another name of Modi is liar." 10:13am: Kamal Haasan said at a rally in Tamil Nadu's Aravakurichi, "I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India's first terrorist was a Hindu, his name was Nathuram Godse. There it (terrorism) started," he said. "Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that," he added. 10:10am: BSP supremo Mayawati said, "Narendra Modi was silent on Alwar gangrape case. He's trying to play dirty politics over it. So that in the elections his party can be benefited. It is extremely shameful. How can he respect others' sisters and wives when he has left his own wife for political gains?" 9:55am: "Congress leaders must stop their mischievous attitude. They must stop trying to sabotage coalition govt. They can do all this politics in 2022, this isn't the time. We had brought Siddaramaiah to Congress, we created situation that made him the CM," said Karnataka JDS leader H Vishwanath. 9:41am: According to BJP, party President Amit Shah was denied permission to hold rally as well as land chopper in Jadavpur. 9:40am: Himanta Biswa Sarma on BJP's youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma's arrest for sharing a morphed picture of Mamata Banerjee: If this continues, freedom of speech will not be left. BJP strongly condemns it. We will try to file an application in Supreme Court tomorrow. 9:35am: Telangana Rashtra Samiti leader and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin, in Chennai, today. 9:30am: Addressing an election rally at West Bengal's Basanti, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attacked PM Modi and said, "One day will come when I will take revenge inch by inch, what you have showed today, you will see the same, you have insulted Bengal and me. I have tolerated it enough by not saying anything and showing decency. Don't take my decency as my weakness." 13 May 2019, 12:58 PM Modi govt plans new loan waiver scheme for small entrepreneurs The government is working on a universal debt relief scheme for small borrowers aimed to help small farmers, artisans and micro enterprises. The plan is likely to be ready for implementation when the new government is formed. The results of the Lok Sabha election that is currently underway will be declared on May 23. Anyone below a specified income and asset threshold such as individuals with an annual income of Rs 60,000, outstanding loans of Rs 35,000 or less and assets worth Rs 20,000 or less will be eligible for the scheme. Britain's wealthiest: Hinduja brothers return to top of UK rich list, Lakshmi Mittal slips six spots Indian-born industrialist brother, Sri and Gopichand Hinduja, reclaimed the title of Britain's wealthiest by posting fortunes of 22 billion pounds to their name. The industrialist brothers posted a 1.35 billion jump in their fortunes to rank at the top of The Sunday Times Rich List 2019. The second spot went to Mumbai-born Reuben brothers with 18.66 billion pounds. Reliance entry to digitise 5 million kirana stores by 2023: Report Richest Indian Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries' entry into online retailing will help expand the current 15,000 digitised retail stores to over 5 million by 2023, a study of Bank of America Merrill Lynch said. As much as 90 per cent of India's USD 700 billion retail market is unorganised, made up mostly of neighbourhood kirana stores selling groceries and other sundries. These kirana stores are keen to upgrade their tech and this is driving a wave of modernization, the study said. China broke trade deal, dreaming US will elect new President in 2020 elections: Trump Accusing China of breaking the negotiated trade deal draft with the United States, President Donald Trump on Sunday said Beijing was now "dreaming" that he would be replaced by a Democratic candidate after the 2020 presidential elections. In a series of tweets, Trump indicated toughening of his stand against China. After the near collapse of trade talks with China last week, Trump on Friday imposed a hefty duty on import of Chinese products from 10 per cent to 25 per cent and asking for a similar increase on tariff on the rest of the Chinese import of over USD 300 billion. Lok Sabha Election 2019 Phase 6: 59 parliamentary constituencies record 63.3% voter turnout The penultimate phase of Lok Sabha election 2019 witnessed a total voter turnout of 63.3 per cent in 59 parliamentary constituencies in six states and one Union Territory on Sunday, said the Election Commission. The sixth phase of polling was held for four seats in Jharkhand, eight seats each in Bihar, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, all 10 seats in Haryana and all seven constituencies in Delhi. Honda to continue selling diesel cars in India even after BS-VI norms kick in Japanese auto major Honda will continue to offer diesel models in India even after BS-VI emission norms kick in, unlike Maruti Suzuki which has decided to stop selling diesel cars from April 1, 2020. According to a senior official of Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL), the company plans to upgrade its two diesel engines Pakistan to get $6 billion aid from IMF for over 3 years Pakistan on Sunday reached an agreement with the IMF on a bailout package under which the cash-strapped country will receive USD 6 billion over three years, according to a top official. The staff-level agreement now awaits a formal approval by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) board of directors in Washington. 'Khan Market gang, Lutyens Delhi did not create my image', says PM Narendra Modi in fresh jibe at Rahul Gandhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hit back at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his statement that the Congress had dismantled Modi's image over allegations of corruption in the Rafale deal. "Modi's image has not been created by the Khan Market gang, or Lutyens Delhi, but 45 years of his toil," Modi told The Indian Express. The PM was referring to Congress President Rahul Gandhi's statement to a TV channel U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday warned Beijing not to retaliate in an escalating trade dispute after China said it "will never surrender to external pressure." The trade war between the world's top two economies heightened on Friday after Trump hiked tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, saying China reneged on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations. Beijing vowed to respond to the latest U.S. tariffs. "As for the details, please continue to pay attention. Copying a U.S. expression - wait and see," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing on Monday. Trump warned China not to intensify the trade dispute and urged their leaders to continue working to reach a deal. "China should not retaliate-will only get worse," he said on Twitter. "I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you don't make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries," Trump wrote. Global equities fell on Monday as hopes of an imminent trade deal were crushed. The Republican U.S. president last week also ordered U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to begin imposing tariffs on all remaining imports from China, a move that would affect an additional $300 billion worth of goods. Asked about the threat, Geng said: "We have said many times that adding tariffs won't resolve any problem ... We have the confidence and the ability to protect our lawful and legitimate rights." Chinese state media kept up a steady drum beat of strongly worded commentary on Monday, reiterating that China's door to talks was always open, but vowing to defend the country's interests and dignity. In a commentary, state television said the effect on the Chinese economy from the U.S. tariffs was "totally controllable." "It's no big deal. China is bound to turn crisis to opportunity and use this to test its abilities, to make the country even stronger." Before high-level talks last week in Washington, China tried to delete commitments from a draft agreement that Chinese laws would be changed to enact new policies on issues from intellectual property protection to forced technology transfers. That dealt a major setback to negotiations. Trump has since defended the tariff hike and said he was in "absolutely no rush" to finalize a deal. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Sunday there was a "strong possibility" Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit in Japan in late June. China plans to impose tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, the finance ministry said on Monday, after the United States escalated a bitter trade war with a tariff hike on $200 billion of Chinese products. China will impose tariffs on a total of 5,140 U.S. products from June 1, the ministry said in a statement on Monday. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie The first graph shows the unemployment rate by four levels of education (all groups are 25 years and older) through April 2019. Unfortunately this data only goes back to 1992 and includes only two recessions (the stock / tech bust in 2001, and the housing bust/financial crisis). Clearly education matters with regards to the unemployment rate - and all four groups are generally trending down. Click on graph for larger image. Note: This says nothing about the quality of jobs - as an example, a college graduate working at minimum wage would be considered "employed". This brings up an interesting question: What is the composition of the labor force by educational attainment, and how has that been changing over time? Note: Thanks to Tim Duy, Economics Professor at the University of Oregon, and Josh Lehner, at the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. Here is some data on the U.S. labor force by educational attainment since 1992. Currently, over 58 million people in the U.S. labor force (25 and over) have a Bachelor's degree or higher. This is 41.2% of the labor force, up from 26.2% in 1992. This is the only category trending up. "Some college" has declined recently, and both "high school" and "less than high school" have been trending down for some time. Based on current trends, probably more than half the labor force will have at least a bachelor's degree around 2030 or so. Some thoughts: Since workers with bachelor's degrees typically have a lower unemployment rate, this is probably a factor in pushing down the overall unemployment rate over time. Also, I'd guess more education means less labor turnover, and that education is a factor in fewer weekly claims (I haven't seen data on unemployment claims by education). A more educated labor force is one of the reasons I remain optimistic about the future. May 13, 2019 Tokyo, Japan Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Today, Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, wrapped up a successful four-day visit to Japan where she represented Canada at the G20 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting and met with her counterparts to discuss the importance of rules-based trade, market access for Canadian agri-food products and opportunities resulting from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Comprehensive and Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). At the G20 meeting in Niigata, Minister Bibeau discussed Canada's approach to the three core themes of the forum: innovation, value chains and sustainability. The Minister highlighted Canada's world-leading research centres and how collaboration with industry and academia has led to innovative practices and technologies that help farmers prosper and all while reducing their carbon footprint. In addition, she talked about Canada's support for the next generation of farmers, including women, to ensure they are equipped for success. Agroecosystem Living Labs is an innovative approach to agricultural research aimed at accelerating adoption of new technologies. Canada introduced this concept at last year's G20 meeting and it was endorsed again by Ministers in their declaration. The Living Labs approach was also recognized by G20 Agricultural Chief Scientists as an important mechanism for scaling up climate smart technologies. While in Niigata, Minister Bibeau held productive meetings with her counterparts from Japan, the United States, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the EU to enhance bilateral trading relationships and discuss priority issues for the Government of Canada. Other topics of discussion included the early success of the CPTPP and CETA, which are already creating good, middle class jobs and providing farmers with new opportunities in key markets, and global cooperation in taking concrete actions to prevent and respond to the threat of African Swine Fever. She had the opportunity to have an introductory conversation on the margins of the G20 with Minister Han, the Agriculture Minister of China where she expressed Canada's deep concern with the suspension of Canadian canola exports to China, and urged that this issue needs to be resolved quickly. She expressed strongly that the Government of Canada stands firmly behind its robust inspection system and good reputation of being a reliable supplier of quality products worldwide. Minister Bibeau took every opportunity to advance Canada's trade diversification strategy as the Government continues to seek out new customers for Canadian agri-food products abroad and help farmers diversify into new markets. Minister Bibeau concluded her visit in Tokyo where she was joined by Jim Everson, President of the Canola Council of Canada and Co-Chair of the Government-Industry Canola Working Group for meetings with key industry leaders from Japan's grains, oilseeds and meat sectors to raise the profile of our high-quality Canadian products and foster new business opportunities. Japan continues to be a an important destination for Canadian pork, beef, wheat and canola and the CPTPP has given exporters a competitive advantage as more and more Japanese customers see the value in what Canada has to offer. 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. A South East cardiac and hospital protest will take place in Waterford city on Saturday (May 18). The rally slogan is 24/7 Now! - Dignity and Equality Always. The protest march is being supported by Waterford Council of Trade Unions along with cardiac campaign groups HEFSE, 24/7 Cardiac Care for the South East as well as other allied health campaign groups. "The planned march begins in the Glen area of the city at 2pm to highlight yet again the disgraceful ongoing lack of cardiac care or interventional cardiac rescue in the South East region restricted to just 25% of any week. It will also highlight the failure of HSE to develop a new mortuary at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) despite an accepted and overwhelming business case and funding approval granted within the HSE national capital development plan 2014 -2018," organisers say. Protestors will gather in the Glen area of Waterford at 1.45pm and will began marching at 2pm with a rally finish at the Mall. Family members of WIT lecturer Una McDermot who died last year after failing to receive timely cardiac care will be present on the day and will be among the speakers. "May 18 is a poignant reminder for them as it is Unas birthday also, one which she could have expected to celebrate had the cath lab service at UHW been accessible when she presented in March 2018. Other patient representatives as well as health advocates will speak on the ongoing issues affecting community and UHW too, the most under-funded of nine Model 4 hospitals in the country. "Campaigners and health advocates are asking the people of Waterford and the South East to support this protest to continue to highlight the health discrimination being suffered at this regional hospital by patients and staff. The event is expected to finish by 3.30pm. This is to reflect the 90 minute clinical standard time to interventional treatment being afforded to only 2% of South East patients when the UHW cardiac cath Lab suite is closed." LEILAC pilot plant testing for CO2 capture is operational 13 May 2019 On the 7 May 2019, the Low Emissions Intensity Lime & Cement (LEILAC) consortium partners and External Advisory Board met to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the LEILAC pilot plant. The pilot plant at HeidelbergCement's Lixhe cement plant in Belgium was opened on time and on budget. Testing is now set to commence and start to validate the performance of the pilot, and a significant step in enabling Direct Separation to become one of the principal methods of capturing the carbon emissions from the lime and cement industries. Published under A city officer told of an incident while working extra employment at 1500 N. Moore Road directing school traffic for Boyd-Buchanan School. He said, "I had just cleared from the road and retreated back to the side of the road to allow north/south traffic to flow. After getting to the side of the road, according to my in-car video, at 7:56 a.m., an early to late 2000s white Ford Explorer with an unknown tag driven by a mid-20s to early-30s-year-old black male with a raspy voice drove by in the left lane north on N. Moore Rd. As he drove by, he rolled down his window and, while making a gun symbol with his right hand, said, "I should have run over you too, boy" and then laughed as he continued driving north. I watched my in-car video later and I was unable to identify a tag on the back of the SUV." * * * A woman said she lost an expensive ring at Sam's Club on Lee Highway. The victim said she was there around 1:30 p.m. when she last had her ring on her finger in her car on the lot. She then went into the store where she later realized about 30 minutes later that it was gone. She said that she had been handling some heavy items in the store and it must have fallen off at some point because it fit loosely on her finger. She said that she had an appraisal on the ring for $3,894. * * * At a residence on Portview Circle, an officer spoke with Mr. Loc Hoang in regards to his brother, Loi Hoang, sleeping in his shed. Mr. Loc stated that he has told his brother several times to stay off his property. The officer spoke with Loi and he agreed to leave and not come back. A few days later, back at Portview Circle, Loc Hoang said he was doing yard work in his back yard and saw some wires sticking up in the ground. He said he believed that his brother, Mr. Loi Hoang, had set a trap up for him. The officer said, "I'm not sure why Mr. Loc believed that it was his brother. Mr. Loc had difficulties explaining to me why he believed it was his brother." * * * A theft was reported at an unoccupied house on Elm Street. The owner said the central air conditioning unit had been taken from the house. He said the unit was around $5,000. * * * Police responded to a house in Brainerd where a man said there were about eight kids outside of his house throwing rocks at his window and being disrespectful towards him. He said he had called police several times anonymously as he is afraid of retaliation, but that nothing has been done about the kids. He said the kids are always in his yard, and throw trash on the ground in the street. Police spoke with the kids and told them to stay off of the man's property and to throw their trash in the trash can. * * * At a tire store at 5787 Brainerd Road, a man said he had bought some wheels and tires from a third party and they were left outside of the business for him to pick up. Video shows that shortly before the scheduled 10 p.m. pickup time a blue convertible Chrysler Sebring pulled into the lot and parked beside the wheels and tires. A white male got out of the car and stood by the passenger side door. He spoke to a white female in the passenger seat. He then walked over to the wheels and tires, grabbed the top one off of the stack and placed it into his trunk. He tied the trunk shut and drove away. Video did not catch a tag number of the vehicle. Police said the vehicle is known in the area and police were on the lookout for it. * * * A customer at the Burger King on Brainerd Road said the manager would not accept his $100 bill because she thought it to be fake. Police "observed the $100 bill that looked to be very worn in use." Police "suggested that Mr. Hughes go across to McDonald's to eat there instead." Mr. Hughes headed for McDonald's on foot with his crumpled $100 bill. * * * Several officers were at the Southern Star Restaurant at 1300 Broad St. when "an excessively loud noise followed by a heated argument ensued from the kitchen." One officer said, "Myself along with other officers responded and went into the kitchen to try and figure out what was going on. When I went into the kitchen I noticed a man in a heated argument with a woman. I separated both parties and took the man outside. The man told me that he was upset because the first shift worker before him kept leaving more work for him every time he came on shift. He said he had finally had enough and just snapped. He told me that he had quit and just wanted his check, his speakers and kitchen equipment. When I spoke to the woman she confirmed the same information." The disgruntled employee "left Southern Star without further incident." * * * A manager at Wright Motors on Rossville Boulevard said he was in a back office when he heard a loud crash. When he came to the front, he observed one of the large lobby windows had been shattered. He said he believes a disgruntled customer broke the window, but he had no proof of this. He said the customer stopped paying on his white 2007 Nissan Altima. Wright Motors then repossessed the vehicle. He said he believes the customer "broke the window out of spite because his vehicle had been taken." * * * Clyde Davis said he picked up an individual several hours earlier to give her a ride. He said near 2300 S. Willow St. a black female asked him for a ride to the church near E 18th Street/Mulberry Street. He gave her a ride, however, she stole his phone and ran away upon exiting the vehicle. Mr. Davis said the suspect is actually a black male that identifies as a female. Mr. Davis said he "believes it was a guy due to a 'bulge' in her shorts." Mr. Davis said the suspect told him her name is Nicole. Mr. Davis valued his stolen phone at $300. He described the suspect as 5'7", wearing black shorts and a blue beanie. Police searched the area, however, were unable to locate the suspect or the stolen phone. * * * During routine patrol an officer discovered a homeless camp beneath the Walnut Street Bridge near the Aquarium. He said, "No person around claimed ownership to the belongings which were scattered and littered throughout the area beneath the walkway partially blocking travel for bystanders and litter. I came across a citizen who was homeless that stated they knew who owned the belongings and trash. I asked her if she could give a verbal warning to the owner to vacate all belongings and trash from the area within 24 hours or police will notify public works to remove all unclaimed belongings to which she complied and stated she would notify the owner. Belongings and trash included but were not limited to a blue mattress, various articles of clothing/blankets, backpacks, cooler, and various trash." This Mothers Day weekend they buried Buster Stone down in Andalusia. It rained but no one seemed to care because, as Mama Stone knew when he and all the others in south Alabama signed on for World War II, one day Buster would be coming back. The last anyone heard of Buster was when he lost radio contact on Oct. 22, 1943 over German-occupied France. After 72 years Mama Stone would have loved the heros welcome that, at long last was his, and to imagine it would happen on a day that belonged to her. In the current issue of Aviation World, Chief Warrant Officer Leonard Momeny wrote about a nation that would turn relentless as it never forgot, the fierce yet beautiful love of a Gold Star mother, and the South its people unashamedly adding their tears to create many puddles other than rain. His is a story that mocks the malcontent politicians in our midst and their false claim America never was great. To the contrary, it is the best illustration of the greatest nation in the world and proves it as we imagine Mama Stone standing for wistful hours, seemingly alone at her screen door but with all of a proud Andalusia there in spirit, and never leaving. * * * LIEUTENANT STONES LONG FLIGHT HOME [Written by CW4 (Chief Warrant Officer) Leonard Momeny, this article appeared in the July-September 2019, issues of Aviation Digest.] On the 22nd of October, 1943, Second Lt. Walter Buster Stone had begun to mount his P-47D Thunderbolt, aircraft number 42-7989. It was another cold day at Metfield, United Kingdom, home to the 353rd Fighter Group, 350th Fighter Squadron. Still new to the squadron, 2LT Stone was a recent transfer from flight training in the United States and was still learning quite a bit about the life of the fighter pilot. To Buster, today was another day to learn, another day to fly, and another day to protect the bomber crews flying into occupied France. This was a critical mission set in the eyes of young Buster, at that time only 24, for more than the obvious reasons of helping to end the war. It was so important because his own brother served as a navigator on similar American bombers, and Buster kind of liked the idea of protecting his younger brother. The mission brief had concluded as any other, and White Flight, a fighter escort assigned to protect a flight of B-26 Bombers from the 9th Air Force, was about to depart on another mission over occupied France. The weather was fairly decent over England, a pleasant change from typical days, but once over the Channel, just prior to the coast of France, it was briefed that the flight would see a substantial increase in cloud cover. If that happened, they would simply close up the formation, stay on each others wing, and fly through the cloud cover. It was thought of as almost advantageous, because then the FLAK guns could not engage you directly, but instead hunt and peck the sky by shooting at aircraft sounds. As the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 roared to life, Buster knew he had every bit of horsepower and armament that a pilot could want at his disposal, should the need arise. Like most pilots during this time, Buster was hopeful; after all, Italy had just surrendered in September, and the Army was advancing to Rome. It wouldnt be long until the Yanks were in France and then straight into Germany. Once that was done, he could go homeback to Andalusia, Alabamaback to the waiting arms of his young wifeand back to his Mama Stone, who worried every day about her four sons who were currently serving the U.S. Military. You see, Buster had a big family and was one of nine siblings. Aside from Buster and his brother, Earl, who were both currently serving in the Army Air Forces in the Allied Air Campaign over occupied Europe, there were two other brothers, Bill and Doyle, also serving in the Philippines. It seemed that the Stone Family had been ripped asunder and spread to the four corners of the earth, but Mama Stone knew everyone would come back. Buster and his flight were finally ready, and the P-47D had little trouble lifting off the ground despite the weight of his eight, fully loaded .50-caliber Browning machine guns combined with 10 x 5 inch- (127 mm) unguided rockets. The dependable Pratt & Whitney engine made easy work of the craft, which now weighed nearly 13,000 lb. The mission was a go and after takeoff, Buster easily slid into slot four, his assigned position in the White Flight formation. Before long, the flight would find itself over Nazi-occupied France. It was to be as the weather projected, with cloud cover becoming increasingly thick after crossing the channel. Flight into and out of clouds was something they had trained to do, but this seemed incredibly challenging. White Flight lead would call visibility in clouds to be less than 100 ft, and it was starting to get difficult to see the rest of the flight, regardless of how close they were to each other. Busters P47D lurched along with the rest of the flight, and the White Flight lead thought things would get better for the flight at 16,000 ft; however, the change in altitude did little to arrest the concern of lead. Finally, the decision was made to abort the mission and return to Metfield, United Kingdom. However, at some point during the decision to abort the mission due to weather, Buster called visual loss of White Flight one minute they were there and the next, they seemed to vanish into the clouds. Its never good to be separated, and so Buster called the flight center that informed him to turn to a general heading and to keep flying until out of the clouds. Buster turned to the heading 29 MARCH 2019 CW4 Momeny was spending another day at the office when the call came in, Mr. Momeny, said the voice over the phone, its the CAC (Casualty Assistance Center), and we have a case for you. Alright, Ill be right in, he said, fully knowing there was a typical short recall associated with such duty. Initially, he was filled with the same sense of fear that everyone feels upon notification for Casualty Assistance Officer (CAO) duty, because while a tremendous honor to perform such duties, it is also known to be incredibly sensitive, if not downright taxing, as death is never an easy topic to discuss. Then his initial fear turned to curiosity after what was said next. Dont worry sir, this is a good assignmentits not typicalyoull see when you get here she explained. And with that, the call was over. At the CAC, CW4 Momeny was informed that he would be CAO on a repatriation case. Repatriation means that a veteran from a previous war who was initially known to be missing in action, or MIA, has been found. It turns out that this case was concerning the recovery and identification of a Second Lieutenant (2LT) Walter B. Stone, a P-47D Pilot who went missing in northern France during the earlier years of World War II. CW4 Momeny was informed that there was to be a meeting on 3 April to the family, a briefing of sorts, by a special member of the Human Resource Command (HRC) who worked specifically with the office of Past Conflict Repatriation Branch, or PCRB. After inquiring as to the location of the meeting, he was informed that he would meet both the family and the HRC representative in Andalusia, Alabama. While there he was to meet the PADD, or Person Authorized to Direct Disposition, of the returning Service member, who in this case happened to be 2LT Stones oldest living relative. The PADD was named Marcus Stone. Marcus is an energetic and intelligent man of 84 years and spends most days between Andalusia and Pensacola, Florida. At 84, Marcus was approximately 8 years old the last time he had seen 2LT Stone, or as he was more affectionately known in the family, Uncle Buster. 3 APRIL 2019 CW4 Momeny and the representative from HRC met up about an hour early in a small cafe in Andalusia. Over coffee, the gentlemen discussed the broad scope and focus of the coming brief. Within 3 hours, they were going to cover the details of the event that led to the loss of the Service member and all associated and supporting documents. The details would then be laid out to the family concerning how 2LT Stone was located and identified. Finally, CW4 Momeny was instructed on how he was to brief the family concerning the awards of their fallen loved one. With all items covered in detail, the two set off to meet the family. Upon arrival, both the representative from HRC and CW4 Leonard Momeny were enthusiastically greeted by the family. Marcus quickly made his way to CW4 Momeny, who was dressed in the distinctive Army Service Uniform, a requirement for specific functions of a Service member tending to CAO duties. It was a prescient initial meeting to say the least, and now CW4 Momeny, an aviator and veteran, was about to assist a family in bringing another Army aviator and veteran home for good. Once inside the local funeral home, it became apparent that Mr. Marcus Stone, nephew to Uncle Buster, was not the only one here for the brief family and friends had traveled in from across the nation to learn about what had happened to the once missing family member. It quickly became obvious to CW4 Momeny that the family ties in the Stone family ran deep and true. THE BRIEF AND THE FAMILY The fascinating brief provided by the special representative from HRC outlined the entire process, from 22 October 1943 until present, on how the Army categorized and later searched for 2LT Stone. From the earliest recovery efforts during the 50s until the 90s, to a refined and corrected reinvestigation that would showcase the talents of an incredible archeological team from the University of Wisconsin, 2LT Stones countrymen and their dedication to his recovery was detailed in its entirety. Everything was fairly objective in its presentation, and all were fine until the question of how 2LT Stone was positively identified would arise. Thats when it happened accompanying a very detailed scientific explanation was Busters dog tag. Emotions began to well up in everyone, to include CW4 Momeny, who slowly moved his hand to the set of dog tags around his own neck. The most basic symbol of service in the militarythe piece of identification no member of the Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard is ever without daily the dog tag had just traversed space and time to bring a little bit of Buster back to the entire room. To say that everyone in the room was agog over what had just been presented would be putting it lightly. Accompanying the dog tag was a small neck chain, sixpence, and some buckles. It all presented a very physical connection to a family member who had been missing for quite some time. After all, Buster entered into service in the spring of 1943, and was only now, nearly 76 years later, returning to his native soil. It was all very powerful. As the family began to gather themselves, the stories flowed. People reassured each other, hugged, clasped hands, and then began to talk of family. THE TIE OF FAMILY & SOLDIER For such a large group in attendance, most (save for Marcus) removed by distance from Buster in years, it initially struck CW4 Momeny as a bit odd that all felt so connected to the missing Service member. However, as the discussion turned to Grandmother Stoneor Mama Stone, it became obvious that the connection to service ran throughout the entire family. For you see, Grandmother Stone never gave up hope that one day her entire family would be home again. Grandmother Stone was a woman of strong faith and conviction, and I suppose that she had to be considering she had nine children to mother. She was incredibly dedicated to not only her family but the local church, were she was a mainstay for decades. No matter how far family would venture out, as far as New England for the children of Busters brother, Albert Earl Stone, or how close they stayed to home, like granddaughter Nelda Godwin, Mama Stones confidante and daughter of Busters sister, Sarah Alice Stone Cassidy, the connecting line seemed to be the guiding love of a Soldiers mother. Family, even so many years later, was all encompassing and important to the Stones. Additionally, it was more than obvious that they were incredibly proud of the difference their family made in one of the greatest struggles the world had ever known. The stories flowed, and even Marcus who only briefly knew Buster as a boy of about 8 when he shipped off to Europe, recalled the ties of family through the memory of Grandmother Stone. The strength of the family and their dedication to country was more than impressive. Grandmother Stone had four boys serve during World War II, with two in the Philippines, one bomber crewmember / navigator, and one fighter pilot -- Buster, who was the only one not to come back. She even had a grandson, the oldest son of Jewell, Army Specialist 4 Jerry Michael Stone of the All-American 82nd Airborne Division, who served honorably in Vietnam and sadly, was killed in action. Through all of it, there was always hope that Buster would return, especially from his mother. However, it can also be said that there has obviously never been a question to the resolution and dedication to country by the members of the Stone family. In fact, when Busters niece, Kate Stone was only a child in the 1960s, her father Earl took a job in France. It did not seem of much consequence to her at the time, and their entire family moved to establish a new life in Europe. Earl never said much as to why he took the job in France, but Kate remembers weekend trips to the French countryside where her father was scouring the land for any sign of his missing brothers plane. The family never forgets, and the briefed information about where Buster was found reminded Kate of that very point as she was taken back to something that so clearly connected her to both her father and Grandmother Stone. Neither the brother nor his children ever forgot about Buster. The gap left by Buster was exceptional. The news was devastating to his young wife, who waited 10 years before seeking to remarry. The wife never forgot, and more powerfully than that, it was Grandmother Stone who gave her blessing on the young widows marriage. Grandmother Stone kept going, and time seemed irrelevant to her as she never moved ontelling everyone that Buster would one day come home. Even Marcus recalled all these years later, that the last thing she said to him was that, Buster would come home. The mother never forgot, and because of that, no one did none of Busters siblings, or their children, or their grandchildren. No one. IN CLOSING So why tell this story? Simple. The bravest that this nation has to offer are never alone. When they leave to fight and win the nations wars, they take with them the hopes of that nation, and more specifically, the hearts and thoughts of a family. That deep commitment to our nation and therefore, each other, is at the very essence of Americas great moral compass and fabric. There are still over 82,000 missing from wars such as World War II and the Korean War, but our nation keeps looking and tirelessly working to identify those who are found. As demonstrated in the Stone family situation, there is no amount of time that will dispel either the love or pride of family. Thank goodness for that, and thank heaven for American families like the Stones. This is so much more than just a particular tale that bridges both spirit and history; this is something that ties us all together as Americans, Service members, and family members. Our prisoners of war and MIA are gone, but certainly not forgotten. We should make it our solemn oath as a nation to never forget all that they and the families who sent them off to service have sacrificed upon the altar of freedom, for they are our better angels. On 9 May 2019 2LT Walter B. Stone will make one last flight from an Air Force Base in Nebraska to Pensacola, Florida. Upon arrival, he will be met by family and a team from the Fort Rucker CAC and Honors Detachment. They will follow the long drive home to Andalusia, back to his family, and where his journey began so many years ago. On 11 May 2019, and just a few days after what would be his 100th birthday, 2LT StoneBuster(was) finally laid to rest among the family and mother who loved him so dearly. What follows is a letter that Buster wrote to his mother, Grandmother Stone, on Mothers Day. What a fitting ending and tribute to the woman who always knew her Soldier would come home. May, 1940 Dear Mom, If I were a poet, Id write a poem which would be worthy of a mother on Mothers Day. Or if I were rich, Id buy a present which would be worthy. But being neither a poet, nor rich, I send you only a few lines which I sincerely hope will make your day a brighter and more cheerful day for you. After all, neither words, no matter how arranged, nor gifts, no matter how costly, can pay the debt which every son owes his mother, especially when he is fortunate enough to have a mother like mine. So we must not set aside one day in every year in honor of Mother, but must try to make every day a Mothers Day. You are and always will remain my best girl. Your son, Buster. * * * The author of Lt. Stones Long Flight Home is CW4 Leonard Momeny, who currently serves as a Doctrine Writer and Tactics Analyst with the Directorate of Training and Doctrine, Fort Rucker, Alabama. Prior assignments include Fort Drum, Fort Riley, Fort Rucker, Fort Lewis, and Army Europe. He holds degrees from Southwestern College Kansas, Liberty University, and American Military University, and is a graduate of Ranger School. * * * ON MEMORIAL DAY THIS YEAR, Navy Seaman Edgar Gross, who died aboard the USS Oklahoma with 429 other sailors, will be buried with highest honors in Athens, Ala. His remains, which were found after 78 years spent in a grave marked Unknown in Hawaii, will be placed reverently on a military Caisson and six horses will pull him to a small family cemetery. He will also join his family and a large contingent of officials and military veterans will walk behind the Caisson in his honor. His family, the people of the United States Navy and the United State proper, would be grateful for your presence. Memorial Day is traditionally held on the last Monday in May, which this year falls on May 27. royexum@aol.com Ed Johnson would be later accused, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for that crime. Johnson was brutally murdered on March 19, 1906, by an angry mob of Chattanoogans on the Walnut Street Bridge in retaliation to US Supreme Court awarding a stay of his execution. Ninety-four years later, in February of 2000, Hamilton County Criminal Judge Doug Meyer overturned Johnson's conviction. At twenty-three years old, Nevada Taylor died 112 years ago on Sunday, May 12th, 1907 at 4:20 AM with her family at her side in a farmhouse in Liberty Township, Ohio. It had only been a little over a year after she was attacked and raped while walking home from St. Elmos Cemetery Station to her familys residence on the edge of Forest Hills Cemetery in the early rainy evening of January 23, 1906.Ed Johnson would be later accused, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for that crime. Johnson was brutally murdered on March 19, 1906, by an angry mob of Chattanoogans on the Walnut Street Bridge in retaliation to US Supreme Court awarding a stay of his execution. Ninety-four years later, in February of 2000, Hamilton County Criminal Judge Doug Meyer overturned Johnson's conviction. Last year I spent a few months researching Nevada Taylor and her family. Much has been discussed about Johnsons story, but little about Taylor and her life and death after the attack. My research only uncovered one significant detail that leaves this story open with more mystery and speculation than before. William Taylor brought his family to St. Elmo from Findlay, Ohio in 1898 to serve as the new Superintendent and Groundskeeper at the Forest Hills Cemetery. His wife had died five years prior. Of Nevadas four siblings, at least two would follow and make their home in Chattanooga. One sister, Jeannette, was a nurse and cared for Nevada up until her death. Jeannette was unmarried and remained in Chattanooga until her death in 1955. Theres evidence that the Taylor family often visited the Findlay area for extended periods of time between 1898 and 1906. Another sister, Mary, and her husband kept a farmhouse outside of town and probably provided the family lodging. Nevada was educated and attended business college in Findlay while her father and other family resided in St. Elmo. Her education would eventually lead to her employment as a bookkeeper and stenographer at the W. W. Brooks grocery store located at Sixth and Market Streets in downtown Chattanooga. Through some internet sleuthing and help from an article published in Findlays local newspaper, The Courier, I was able to contact immediate family members of the Taylors with hopes to learn a bit more about Nevada and their family. Not much about the attack or rape was openly discussed. And no new family photos, or a photo of Nevada, could be located. The only photograph I could find of the family was of brother Dwight Taylor in 1902, as part of the St. Elmo Boys Brigade. It's published in Chattanooga's St. Elmo, by Gay Morgan Moore. William and Nevada Taylor returned to Ohio a few weeks before her death, to honor his daughters request to die at home. It was reported at one point, she rallied but quickly lost strength and succumb to her illness. In her hometown obituary, Nevada was described as pretty, blonde, and with winning ways. The cause of death states nervous prostration incidental of the crime committed under the very shadow of historic Lookout Mountain. Nervous prostration was a widely used and generically stated cause of death at the time. The State of Ohio was still a year away from mandating death certificates and no autopsy was required. When I asked the family about Nevadas death, several stated that their father, who was Nevada Taylors nephew, said that she had died of syphilis, sexually contracted during the rape. When I consulted with a Chattanooga area physician, he confirmed that syphilis or neurosyphilis could cause death within a year. In that time frame, it would most often result in a form of meningitis and/or inflammation of the arteries of the brain, which can cause a stroke. Nevada Taylors unmarked grave is in a family plot in the old section of Maple Grove Cemetery in Findlay, Ohio, where her father was once the Sexton before moving to St. Elmo. Her family still owns the farm and house where she died. -- Special thanks to Jeannie Wolf with The Courier, The Taylor family, Employees of Maple Grove Cemetery, and helpers on Findagrave for the photographs on Nevada's listing and everything you do. As always, we encourage you to do your own research about Nevada Taylor. I could not turn up much locally, but I know that there is more information out there. Also, if you know anything about the Taylors or Ed Johnson, reach out. Picnooga.org is still looking for a photograph of Nevada. The Global Scholars academic honors program at Chattanooga State Community College is known for producing some of the best and brightest graduates who go on to big name universities. Global Scholars graduate Rebeca Toro earned her associate degree in Mechanical Engineering from ChattState in 2016 and then continued her studies at the University of Rochester before being accepted into Stanford Universitys Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. program. Her department fellowship provides tuition and living expenses for 2019-2020. The Ph.D. program takes an average of five years to complete, she, but depends highly on research. Science has been a favorite subject of Ms. Toros since middle school, and she says that physics was her favorite class. It wasnt long before she fell in love with the world of mechanical engineering and decided to further pursue this topic. Her father would take she and her sister to the factory where he worked, and this piqued her interest in manufacturing and design. Ms. Toro smiles as she recalls her initial meeting with a Global Scholars advisor. When I moved to the U.S., I was not fluent in English. During my application interview, I was so scared and felt like I did not make a lot of sense, but the advisor was fluent in Spanish and was able to translate everything for me, said Ms. Toro. This made me feel so included in the school and really helped to decrease my fear of studying in a different country." Global Scholars Director Amanda Bennett, is extremely proud of Ms. Toros accomplishments. Rebeca exemplifies what is best about being an honors student at ChattState. Shes passionate, hardworking, and capable of achieving her dreams. She continues to impress me with her intellect and exceptional character. Global Scholars made a lasting impression upon Ms. Toro as she seized opportunities to take honors classes, study abroad in Japan, and gain confidence. ChattState and Global Scholars was a stage where I developed myself as a true global scholar; I was able to strengthen my passion for science while helping the community, said Ms. Toro. In addition to performing research in fluid mechanics, she enjoys paddle boarding, walking and reading. Ms. Toro envisions a future working at NASA because she wants to work on the development of more efficient propulsion systems that boost the nations current capacities into a new paradigm of transportation. Being a member of the Global Scholar honors program gives students the opportunity to gain a world perspective through deeper and more connected college experiences. Class sizes are small, allowing for in-depth discussions with professors and other honors students who share a passion for learning. An ACT composite score of 25, an SAT score of 1130, a high school GPA of 3.5, or a GPA of 3.5 or higher based on a minimum of 12 hours of college-level courses is required to become a Global Scholar. I can truly say that Global Scholars is the reason for where I am now and not just a factor that decreased the amount of time it took me to arrive at this stage in my life, said Ms. Toro. For more information on Global Scholars, call (423) 697-2577 or visit https://www.chattanoogastate.edu/global-scholars. 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ROOFING CONTRACTOR LOC - 6721 MOUNTAIN LEDGE DR OWENS CROSS ROADS AL 35763 CONTINENTAL PRODUCE LLC PRODUCE SALES LOC - 3660 RINGGOLD RD EAST RIDGE TN 37412 CP ELECTRONICS ELECTRONIC REPAIR LOC - 7686 WALNUT HILLS DR HARRISON TN 37341 CROWLEY PAINTING SERVICE INTERIOR PAINTING LOC - 9225 N HICKORY VALLEY RD CHATTANOOGA TN 37416 CYPRESS PROPERTY HOLDINGS LLC REAL ESTATE LOC - 7611 HIXSON PIKE HIXSON TN 37343 EDGE & STONE LLC "RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR" LOC - 212 INVERNESS DRIVE SIGNAL MTN TN 37377 EVALDO MENDES ENTERPRISES, INC OFFICE STAFFING LOC - 5113 HWY 58 STE 214 CHATTANOOGA TN 37416 EVETT'S BUNDLES & BEAUTY HAIR AND WIG RETAIL LOC - 3537 DODSON AVE CHATTANOOGA TN 37406 FIREFLY SLUMBER PARTIES EVENT PLANNING LOC - 3800 MAY APPLE LN SIGNAL MOUNTAIN TN 37377 GARDNER CONSULTING AND SPEECHWRITING LLC CONSULTING AND SPEECH WRITING LOC - 103 STRATFORD WAY SIGNAL MOUNTAIN TN 37377 GLAM COSMETICS BEATUY COSMETICS LOC - 22 STARVIEW LN #425 CHATTANOOGA TN 37419 GREEN'S LAWNCARE SERVICE LAWN CARE LOC - 7521 JOHN HENRY RD CHATTANOOGA TN 37421 HARDING PREMIUM PAINTING PAINTING HOUSES LOC - 151 GOODSON AVE CHATTANOOGA TN 37405 HURST HOME CONSTRUCTION, LLC RESIDENTIAL CONTRACTOR LOC - 7504 SAVANNAH DR OOLTEWAH TN 37363 IDENTIFEYED CLEAN PROPERTY AND SELL HOME GOODS LOC - 3672 KNOLLWOOD DR CHATTANOOGA TN 37415 INTEGRITY RENOVATIONS RENOVATTION, CONSTRUCTION, ROOFING, FLIPPING HOUSES, REMODELING LOC - 3962 RHINEHART RD OOLTEWAH TN 37363 "KARMA'S KOLLECTIONS & FOREVER GLASS ART" CUSTOM FURNITURE, ART, GLASSWORK LOC - 1105 GREENWOOD RD CHATTANOOGA TN 37411 KAY IV PRODUCTION VIDEO PRODUCTION LOC - 6220 SHALLOWFORD RD APT 332 CHATTANOOGA TN KNIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY LOC - 425 DETOUR RD SALE CREEK TN 37373 LAUREL & OAK INTERIORS INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICES LOC - 4916 TOLL HOUSE TRL SIGNAL MOUNTAIN TN 37377 LINEN & GRACE HOME INTERIOR LOC - 8570 MAPLE VALLEY DR CHATTANOOGA TN 37421 LUX AMORE PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY LOC - 1630 CHASE MEADOWS CIR HIXSON TN 37343 LUXURIOUS LOOKS COMPANY ONLINE CLOTHING RETAIL LOC - 3800 PROVENCE ST #15 CHATTANOOGA TN 37411 M&M DECKS DECK CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR LOC - 8708 OLD LEE HWY OOLTEWAH TN 37363 MCI COMMUNICATION SERVICES INC. TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE VERIZON STORE LOC - 750 E MAIN ST CHATTANOOGA TN 37408 MILLENNIUM PRINTING SERVICES RESALE PRINTED MATERIALS LOC - 6508 RAMSEY RD HARRISON TN 37341 MOW N GO LAWMCARE LOC - 3711 ANDERSON AVE CHATTANOOGA TN 37412 "ODANIEL LANDSCAPES & PRESSURE WASHING" MOWING YARDS LOC - 7003 FLAGSTONE DR OOLTEWAH TN 37363 PARAMOUNT DEVELOPMENT GROUP INC CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR LOC - 6101 RINGGOLD RD #107 EAST RIDGE TN 37412 PLAY LIKE BOB FOUNDATION NONE PROFIT FOUNDATION LOC - 1824 E. CRABTREE RD HIXSON TN 37343QUALITY TOWER SERVICES LTDCOMMUNICATION TOWER CONTRACTORLOC- 1630 ELMVIEW DR HOUSTON TX 77080R.W. CRITTENDEN IRON STEEL LLCSTEEL FABRICATOR CONTRACTORLOC- 4848 HWY 11 S. CALHOUN TN 37309RENOVLUX REMODELING LLCCONSTRUCTION WORK WITH SPECIALTY IN SIDING INSTALLATIONLOC- 5447 LANGHORN WAY APT B NORCOSS GA 30093RICHARD BURBANONEW CONSTRUCTION CLEAN UPLOC- 4038 SMITH LN OOLTEWAH TN 37363S.P.L.A.S.H. TRASH COMPANY LLCTRASH SERVICELOC- 4923 CAMERON LN CHATTANOOGA TN 37411SCRATCH 91CATERINGLOC- 7139 ROBIN AVE CHATTANOOGA TN 37421SNAPDRAGON HEMPHEMP AND CBD OIL SALESLOC- 5104 HIGHWAY 153 HIXSON TN 37343SOUTHERN PAVING, LLCPAVINGLOC- 183 DEPOT ST SODDY DAISY TN 37379STEADY FREDDY MAINTENANCE & REPAIRHANDYMAN SERVICESLOC- 1016 HILLCREST RD HIXSON TN 37343STEPHENS CONSTRUCTIONCONSTRUCTION RESIDENTIALLOC- 208 CAVE ST ROSSVILLE GA 30741SUMMER'S SALONHAIR SALONLOC- 255 NORTHGATE MALL STE 28 HIXSON TN 37343THE ENGERIZING PLANTATIONSHORT TERM VACATION RENTALLOC- 2515 N WILDER RD CHATTANOOGA TN 37406THE MASON JAR MERCANTILEANTIQUE SALESLOC- 6503 SLATER RD EAST RIDGE TN 37412TOUR OF MAHOGANYBEAUTY ACCESSORIES ONLINELOC- 5311 HWY 58 #26 CHATTANOOGA TN 37416WALDEN MARKETING, LLCINTERNET MARKETINGLOC- 2622 TAFT HWY SIGNAL MOUNTAIN TN 37377WRITERLY COCOPYWRITING FOR MARKETING SERVICESLOC- 3712 RINGGOLD RD #117 CHATTANOOGA TN 37412 Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner David Salyers on Monday announced the appointment of Jim Bryson as deputy commissioner of Parks and Conservation at TDEC. Jims experience in business, state government and community involvement, coupled with his passion for the outdoors, makes him uniquely qualified for this position, Mr. Salyers said. I look forward to working with Jim to make Tennessee State Parks the best run state park system in the nation. I am honored to be chosen for this role and I look forward to serving Tennessee in this capacity, Mr. Bryson said. We have an outstanding record in parks and conservation in Tennessee, and I am committed to building on that success alongside the incredible staff. This is a special opportunity for us to preserve and enhance enjoyment of the great natural wonders of our state. Mr. Bryson is founder and president of 20/20 Research Inc., a market research consulting, project management and technology firm based in Nashville. The business launched in 1986 and is a global leader in online qualitative research software and services. Its QualBoard research platform is used by clients in over 90 countries and in more than 30 languages. Mr. Bryson served three terms as president of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association, an international association of research professionals. Elected in 2002, Mr. Bryson served four years as a senator in the Tennessee General Assembly, representing Williamson and Davidson counties, and was his partys nominee for governor in 2006. Mr. Brysons love of the outdoors began in rural Arkansas, living near Lake Dardanelle and Lake Dardanelle State Park. He spent many days and nights in the park, on the lake or in the woods hiking, camping, hunting and fishing. Mr. Bryson is founder and president of The Joseph School, providing a globally competitive education for poor and orphaned children in Haiti. He was a founding board member of the Marketing Research Education Foundation, focused on improving global childhood education. He is a member of the Nashville Downtown Rotary Club and First Baptist Church in Nashville. He received a masters degree from Vanderbilt University after graduating from Baylor University. He and his wife, Carol, have four children and two grandchildren. The Morning Pointe Foundation announces Chattanooga State Community College student Michael-Patrick Exum has earned the 2019 Morning Pointe Foundation scholarship. Each year, the Morning Pointe Foundation awards nine scholarships to geriatric nursing students attending educational partner institutions in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. Plans are in the works for additional scholarships in Knoxville and Tullahoma in 2019. Mr. Exum recently graduated from Chattanooga State with an associates degree in applied science, focusing on registered nursing. After graduation, he plans to work as a registered nurse in the operating room before applying to medical school to pursue his dream of becoming a surgeon. To me, this scholarship meant everything. It allowed me to focus on my studies and helped reduce my stress, Mr. Exum says. I am extremely grateful. Good news! Prince Harry and Prince William are every bit as nice in real life as they appear to be when they make public appearances or go on a royal tour. The bottom line: its not an act just for the cameras, as their former press secretary calls them delightful. Prince William, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Kate Middleton | Paul Grover- WPA Pool/Getty Images Miguel Head knows first-hand just how nice Prince William and Prince Harry are, having spent 10 years working for the British royal family, as the first press secretary to Prince William and Prince Harry before becoming Prince Williams private secretary in 2012. Part of his job duties included overseeing the princes engagement diary and going on some trips with him. Its safe to say he knows a bit about the princes, having worked in this capacity. The amazing way the princes handle the media attention In an interview with the Harvard Gazette, Head discussed his time working for the royal family, touching upon the media scrutiny that the princes have had to deal with. Head noted, The royal family is one of the most well-known institutions in the world and the two young princes always have been very popular and well-regarded and sources of great interest and intrigue over the years. He continued: I suppose the way that we dealt with it was really directed by them. They had a very healthy attitude to a lot of what was written about them, which is that they largely just completely ignored it. So, our rule of thumb was we only commented reactively on stories if the stories were judged, in our view, to have a detrimental reputational impact. Head added that, since there would be so much interest in their lives, given their royal status, the only way of coping with that would be to detach themselves from much of what is said about them. He found them delightful Head was very happy to have this role with the princes, sharing, I have to say, the job was very easy because the two princes were delightful to work for. He added: They are the same in private as they are in public, very popular, and they have a genuineness about them, a compassion about them which people relate to and respond to. Very seldomly did we ever felt like we were fighting a rear guard. Head also spoke to one of the reasons the royal family is held in such high regard, sharing, That the two young princes married people who they quite obviously chose themselves there was no pressure for them to marry who they married and had the types of weddings that they had, and have conducted their public lives and private lives in the way that they have, feels very in the grain of society at large. The end of an era As for why Head left his post with the royal family, he explained: If youre working for the royal family in the kind of work that I was doing, you feel like youre on call 24/7. Thats the nature of the work. It is also one of the reasons why the royal family has a very strong tradition, which is if youre in a senior position, you dont do more than 10 years. He shared: Its partly because its such an intense role that after that period of time, youve probably lost your perspective and youre not so useful to them. Its harder to say no and its harder to challenge and its harder to give different perspectives on whats going on because its a bubble and after 10 years, you are firmly part of that bubble. So, after 10 years you leave, which is why I left. For years, Counting On fans have called star Jinger Duggar the rebel of the uber-conservative family. From wearing pants to not having a baby during her first year of marriage, Jinger does things her own way. And now, she and her husband Jeremy Vuolo have made the bold decision to move to Los Angeles while he continues his education. Is it possible Jingers acts of defiance have led to her and Vuolo feuding with her parents? Jinger Duggar |Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra It doesnt take much to be a rebel in the Duggar family As religious fundamentalists, the Duggars live life in a way that is difficult for many fans to understand. Parents Jim Bob and Michelle have raised their children with a set of extremely strict rules that control every aspect of their childrens lives. The family has an ultra-conservative dress code that forbids the women in the family from wearing pants or cutting their hair, the kids are all homeschooled with no goals of post-secondary education, the girls dont leave home until they are married, and when they turn 18, the kids are allowed to court, but not date. Rebel Jinger Duggar is straying from familys strict Quiverfull cult rules: source https://t.co/tWWrQk329C Raw Story (@RawStory) October 25, 2017 Jinger followed her parents dress code when she was home, and she courted Vuolo, per her parents rules. But, once she tied the knot, Jinger started following her own path. Jinger Duggars not talking to her parents on social media While the 25-year-old is a devout Christian who is married to a pastor, she still does things that fans believe have outraged her parents. There were rumors that she and Vuolo use birth control because they didnt announce a pregnancy during their first year of marriage, Vuolo moved Duggar out of Arkansas as soon as they got married, and Jinger has even shown her support for the LGBT community. These might not seem like a big deal, but in Duggar world, this is a major departure from how the rest of the family does things. And, since she is a female, her dissent could cause some severe problems with her parents. Is Counting On Star Jinger Duggar Moving To LA For A New Career? https://t.co/HvDe9dlrTh pic.twitter.com/hm8sS3e8dt Celebrity News (@celebnewsnetwrk) May 6, 2019 According to The Hollywood Gossip, fans noticed that neither Jinger Duggar or Jeremy Vuolo have interacted with Jim Bob and Michelle on social media for months, which seems especially strange since they live hundreds of miles apart Jim Bob and Michelle are in Tontitown, Arkansas, while Jinger and Jeremy are in Laredo, Texas. There have even been rumors that Jim Bob and Michelle were not speaking to Jinger because of her move to Los Angeles. Jim Bob and Michelle are thrilled by Jingers move Jinger and Jeremy announced they were moving to Los Angeles last month, but they wont be making the move until this summer. Meanwhile, the mom of 10-month-old Felicity has been posting pics on social media of her moving prep. Jinger Duggar appears to be extremely excited about starting a new chapter in her life, and weeks after telling fans she was heading west, it appears her parents are actually thrilled about her move. An insider claims that Jim Bob and Michelle still very much love and support their daughter, and just because she is doing things differently than the rest of the family, it doesnt mean they have disowned her. Jinger Duggars new life is overwhelming Now that she is a married woman and mother who lives hundreds of miles away from her family, Jinger admits that things arent as easy as they seem. Even though she comes from a family with 19 kids, during a recent appearance on Jeremy and Audrey Roloffs podcast Behind the Scenes, Jinger revealed that becoming a parent for the first time scared her. I was intimidated by 24/7 care of an infant, she said. It was definitely overwhelming. Counting On Star Jinger Duggar May Have Her Own Reasons For Moving To Los Angeles https://t.co/htVxsiRJss pic.twitter.com/LYFjow3tKI Celebrity News (@celebnewsnetwrk) May 3, 2019 There is no doubt Jeremy Vuolo and Jinger Duggar are absolutely in love with baby Felicity, who will turn one in July. But its clear that she will have a much different upbringing than her mom, and Jinger seems to be more than ok with that. Netflix has been offering up more and more original films and series these days. One of the most recent is Dead to Me, a dark mystery comedy that is causing quite a stir. The first season, which was released in full on May 3, 2019, consists of ten episodes full of surprising twists and turns, so you definitely dont want to miss it. Heres what you need to know about the series. These are the stars of the show Christina Applegate (L) and Linda Cardellini arrive at Netflixs Dead To Me Season 1 Premiere on May 02, 2019 in Santa Monica, California. | Amanda Edwards/WireImage Dead to Me has a pretty impressive cast. At the forefront is Jen Harding (Christina Applegate), a recent widower who is determined to figure out who killed her husband in a hit-and-run. She is a high-powered real estate agent living in Laguna Beach, CA, and on top of all of this, she has two young boys to take care of, both of whom are dealing with their fathers death differently. The series begins with her meeting Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini) in a group therapy sessions for people who have experienced a personal loss. The two bond over losing the men in their lives (Judy claims that her fiance passed away from a heart attack), but Jen soon learns that Judy isnt who she says she is. Nevertheless, their friendship continues. Who created the show? Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, and Liz Feldman attend the premiere of Netflixs Dead to Me on May 02, 2019 in Santa Monica, California. | Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix The series, which definitely has a bit of a Big Little Lies vibe going on, was created by Liz Feldman. Feldman is a comedian who has written for the Academy Awards and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, winning multiple Emmys for the latter. This is her second time at the helm of a series, having created the short-lived NBC sitcom One Big Happy. Feldman has a slew of big names beside her on this project. Will Ferrell and his frequent collaborator, Oscar-winner Adam McKay, are executive producers. Supporting roles on the show are held by James Marsden (Westworld) and Ed Asner (The Mary Tyler Moore Show). Heres why you should watch it I wont give away any spoilers here, but Dead to Me has a lot going for it so heres why you should tune in. First of all, theres the star power: Applegate and Cardellini are incredible as always, proving that child/teen stars can go on to be some of the best adult actors in the business. Marsden is also excellent in his role, and everyone else is pulling their weight. But when it comes down to it, the lead actresses are the reason to tune in. When the relationship between two women is the focal point of a show, there are many, many ways that this can go wrong. Oftentimes, theres a man in the middle of it all. And while a mans death is what drove them together, its not what the series is about at all. The reason youre going to want to keep watching is to see how Judy and Jen, who became friends despite numerous mitigating factors, manage to maintain and foster their relationship. What they provide for one another is unique: Both are going through a difficult period in their lives, suffering from their own form of grief. What that leads to is a series that proves that friendships are powerful, and can blossom in the least likely of circumstances. But youll have to tune in to see for yourself. Check out the Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Last week, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their baby boy into the world. And, so far, weve been spoiled with adorable photo updates of the newest member of the royal family on Instagram. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs adorable Mothers Day post is likely the last we will see of Baby Archie for some time. Find out why, ahead. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with Baby Archie | DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP/Getty Images Photos of Baby Archie on Instagram Despite their openness in the last week, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will likely keep their son out of the royal spotlight including their official Instagram account going forward. Throughout pregnancy, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (as well as various royal sources) made it clear that they plan to raise their children in as normal of an environment as possible. Ahead of their royal babys arrival, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle prepared for a quieter family life by packing up their Kensington Palace home and moving to the Windsor countryside. Their new home, Frogmore Cottage, will allow Baby Archie and any future children to grow up in a more normal setting, away from the so-called fishbowl of Kensington Palace. Additionally, its become custom to leave royal children out of the spotlight and social media as much as possible that way the royal familys Instagram accounts can serve as a highlight of their work, not their private family lives. Prince William and Kate Middleton typically only share photos of their children on their birthdays or ahead of big holidays like Christmas. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis might also make an appearance in big group shots of the royal family on Buckingham Palaces balcony during Trooping the Colour or royal weddings if they serve as members of the bridal party. When will we see Baby Archie next? According to Prince William and Kate Middletons social media habits, the next time Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will likely share photos of their son, Archie is following his christening. The royal babys christening is a private family occasion. However, royals often share official portraits on social media and some photos of the royals heading to church also tend to surface around this time. After that, we likely wont get a royal baby update until the holidays, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share their Christmas card on social media. And then on Archies birthday, next May. If Prince Charles ascends the throne and makes Archie a prince, we might also see a photo update marking that event, too. Of course, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could surprise us with random updates about Baby Archies life, too. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are known for marching to the beat of their own drum and, prior to her royal life, Meghan Markle was active on social media. That said, in an effort to shield their child from the limelight, they will likely not go down that path. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! What is with reality TV stars seemingly abandoning their online businesses? Last month it was reported that Teen Mom 2 stars Tyler Baltierra and Catelyn Lowell abandoned their childrens clothing boutique, Tierra Reign. Now the reigning legal wife of the Sister Wives cast, Robyn, has seemingly flounced from her online jewelry business, My SisterWifes Closet, amid massive financial concerns for the family. So, whats going on and will Robyn ever return to the venture that was allegedly her dream? When did My Sisterwifes Closet shut down? During the move from Nevada to Arizona, there was a slight break in the business, but by August Robyn was up and running in her new state. She went through the trouble of transferring the business to Arizona and everything, but by March 2019 it looks like the shine was starting to wear off. The jewelry and clothing business social media profiles went quiet around that time. A few weeks before Mothers Day, the entire operation shut down. While the website tells fans to check back soon because they are updating the site, it seems like an odd time to go on hiatus. The jewelry industry has a few hectic times, and Mothers Day is one of them. According to the Los Angeles Times, spending on jewelry spikes during the week leading up to the Sunday holiday. Why would Robyn close shop? The Brown family is having some serious cash flow issues. Not only is their show not officially renewed yet, but they incurred a ton of debt during the moving process. Slow moving real estate in Las Vegas, and the purchase of a large property in Arizona, plus a new home has made the family a bit cash poor. With a tax debt looming over their head, it doesnt really seem like a good time to shut down one of the familys successful businesses, but Soap Dirt theorizes that maybe the family is filming. The theory holds a bit of credence. If Robyn is busy trying to film a new season it would make sense that the family business would be pushed to the back burner. Reddit fans, however, think there is another explanation. They theorize that the entire jewelry business went down in flames because the styles dont really fit the needs of their customers. One fan noted; They have the most hideous sense of style (I laugh even saying style lol). Its super preteen and cheap looking. Is another season in the works for the Brown Family? TLC, the network responsible for Sister Wives, has neither confirmed nor denied that the Browns would be back for another season. The writing, hower, seems to be on the wall. According to the Business Times, the show has had a pretty drastic decrease in viewership over the last several seasons, and Season 13 did absolutely nothing to reinvigorate interest in the family. Christine Brown, Janelle Brown, Kody Brown, Robyn Brown and Meri Brown | Photo by Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic Add in the fact that Season 13 was filmed more than a year ago, and there has been no word of shooting in Flagstaff since the move, its possible that the Brown story will end on a low note at least as far as the TLC show goes. Its possible the family could land on another network with a completely reworked concept, but nothing has been confirmed. Both TLC and the Brown family have been incredibly tight-lipped about the future of the show, but that is absolutely nothing new. Found in 2014, BLDpharm, Inc. is a leading supplier and manufacturer of research chemicals to pharmaceutical companies, universities, biotech companies, healthcare industries, contract research organizations etc. With its own R&D center in Shanghai, BLDpharm main field of expertise covers the development and production of heterocycles, boronic acids, amino acids, metal catalysts and chiral compounds.BLDpharm is ISO 9001:2008 certified and all of its business activities are in strict compliance with the international quality management standards. Our mission is to provide high-quality and innovative products to our customers. By offering a broad range of products, custom synthesis and personalized services, we can help scientists speeding up their research in the chemical and pharmaceutical field. The French glove manufacturer MAPA Professionnel was founded in 1948 by Robert Marret and Jean Paturel. In the course of the company's 60-year history, numerous innovations and novelties have been developed in the field of industrial safety gloves. The product range includes a wide range for every application - and all made of elastomers! The company's headquarters and part of the production is still located in France. As an internationally active company, MAPA Professionnel has branches and production facilities in all parts of the world. The decentralisation allows us to respond ideally to the special requirements of local markets. After the first laser pulse has excited an electron from the valence band into the conduction band, it falls very soon into an intermediate state in the band gap and thus is lost for applications. Its energy can be detected by a second laser pulse. Solar cells and photocathodes made of copper oxide might in theory attain high efficiencies for solar energy conversion. In practice, however, large losses occur. Now a team at the HZB has been able to use a sophisticated femtosecond laser experiment to determine where these losses take place: not so much at the interfaces, but instead far more in the interior of the crystalline material. These results provide indications on how to improve copper oxide and other metal oxides for applications as energy materials. Copper oxide (Cu 2 O) is a very promising candidate for future solar energy conversion: as a photocathode, the copper oxide (a semiconductor) might be able to use sunlight to electrolytically split water and thus generate hydrogen, a fuel that can chemically store the energy of sunlight. Loss processes at the interface? Copper oxide has a band gap of 2 electron volts, which matches up very well with the energy spectrum of sunlight. Perfect copper oxide crystals should theoretically be able to provide a voltage close to 1,5 volts when illuminated with light. The material would thus be perfect as the top-most absorber in a photoelectrochemical tandem cell for water splitting. A solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency of up to 18 per cent should be achievable. However, the actual values for the photovoltage lie considerably below that value, insufficient to make copper oxide an efficient photocathode in a tandem cell for water splitting. Up to now, loss processes near the surface or at boundary layers have been mainly held responsible for this. Experiments in the femtosecond laser lab A team at the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels has now taken a closer look at these processes. The group received high-quality Cu 2 O single crystals from colleagues at the renowned California Institute of Technology (Caltech), then vapour-deposited an extremely thin, transparent layer of platinum on them. This platinum layer acts as a catalyst and increases the efficiency of water splitting. They examined these samples in the femtosecond laser laboratory (1 fs = 10-15 s) at the HZB to learn what processes lead to the loss of charge carriers and in particular whether these losses occur in the interior of the single crystals or at the interface with the platinum. Defect states detected A green laser pulse initially excited the electrons in the Cu 2 O; just fractions of a second later, a second laser pulse (UV light) measured the energy of the excited electron. The team was then able to identify the main mechanism of photovoltage losses through this time-resolved two-photon photon emission spectroscopy (tr-2PPE). We observed that the excited electrons were very quickly bound in defect states that exist in large numbers in the band gap itself, reports first author Mario Borgwardt, who is now continuing his work as a Humboldt fellow at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the USA. The coordinator of the study, Dennis Friedrich, explains: This happens on a time scale of less than one picosecond (1 ps = 10-12 s), i.e. extremely fast, especially compared to the time interval charge carriers need to diffuse from the interior of the crystalline material to the surface. Loss processes mainly in the bulk We have very powerful experimental methods at the femtosecond laser laboratory of the HZB for analysing energy and dynamics of photo-excited electrons in semiconductors. We were able to show for copper oxide that the losses hardly occur at the interfaces with platinum, but instead in the crystal itself, says Rainer Eichberger, initiator of the study and head of femtosecond spectroscopy lab. Excellence Cluster UniSysCat These new insights are our first contribution to the UniSysCat Excellence Cluster at the Technische Universitat Berlin, in which we are a partner, emphasises Roel van de Krol, who heads the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels. UniSysCat focusses on catalytic processes that take place over very diverse time scales: while charge carriers react extremely quickly to excitations by light (femtoseconds to picoseconds), chemical processes such as (electro)catalysis require many orders of magnitude more time (milliseconds). An efficient photochemical conversion requires that both processes be optimised together. The current results are an important step in this direction. The former cell of Asia Bibi is now being used to hold another Christian woman in Pakistan. Asia Bibi was freed earlier this month and joined her family in Canada. She spent some eight years in a Pakistani prison on blasphemy charges and faced the death penalty. She was exonerated in 2018. Her former cell in Pakistan at the Multan Women Jail is now being used for Shagufta Kausar, a 45-year-old mother and wife. Kausar and her husband were both condemned to death by a trial court in February 2014. A prayer leader at a local mosque accused Kausars husband, Shafqat Masih, of sending blasphemous text messages from his wifes cell phone with her connivance. The couple was arrested, and a mob surrounded the local police station, demanding the husband and wife be handed to them to be killed. Since the arrest, the couple has been waiting five years for the Lahore High Court to hear their appeal. The couple is innocent, their lawyer Saif-ul Malook said, and there is no legal substantial evidence available that proves they actually texted those messages. Malook also represented Bibi. Every legal case requires a different strategy and I have decided a different strategy for this case as per the facts and relevant laws, Malook told CT. Sending false persecution news [in the West] does not help the Pakistani Christians back at home, as was in Asia Bibis case, he told CT. These days, social media is playing a central role in spreading false news. Several NGOs created hype to draw attention to themselves, which backfires for the local Christians. According to a report from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, from 1987 to 2014, some 1,335 cases of blasphemy were registered, and 57 people were killed. In 2014, there were 187 registered cases against Christians. Related: Asia Bibi's Death Sentence Confirmed by Pakistani High Court Senator Rand Paul Urges President Trump to Grant Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi Asylum Asia Bibi Is Officially Free: Pakistani Court Upholds Acquittal Muslim Radicals Block Roads in Pakistan, Call for Death of Justices Who Set Asia Bibi Free 'She Is Free Now': Asia Bibi Makes it to Canada, Is Finally Reunited with Her Family Photo courtesy: Pixabay NAIROBI, Kenya, May 13, 2019 (Morning Star News) Yusuf Tulo and his sizeable family were worshipping in their home in eastern Uganda on April 28 when they heard their neighbors shouting, Fire! Tulo, 35, had left Islam to put his faith in Christ last October. He still had three wives and 14 children dependent on him living on a homestead with more than one house in Bugwere village, and the house they used for worship was on fire. When they went outside, however, something was not right; among neighbors standing around the house looking at the smoke, one said, Please remain indoors your lives are in danger. Tulo had been receiving threatening messages from Muslims for months, but faced with the danger of smoke coming from the house, he chose to remain outside. An hour later, the roof collapsed in flames and the house was charred. We lost everything in that house: beddings, clothing, books, documents and other household belongings worth more than $1,000, Tulo told Morning Star News. The village is in Kitantalo parish, Tirinyi Sub-County of Kibuku District, and Tirinyi police arrived at the scene an hour later. Since then the family has been living with friends and neighbors in intense fear for their lives, he said. Among the threats he has received, one text message read, The burning of the house was just warning. If you continue hardening your hearts and fail to return to Islam, then expect a worst thing that you have never seen before, he said. We thank God that no one was physically hurt but emotionally are very hurt as we continue receiving threatening messages warning us of a possible attack, Tulo said. The pressure from the extended family and radical Muslims is really troubling my family, and we cannot risk going back to our houses. Muslim extremists began throwing stones at their houses at night soon after the family embraced Christ and started attending a Pentecostal church in a nearby village. He began receiving threatening messages in January from radical Muslims who also have confronted family members on several occasions, he said. Muslim villagers and the imam of the Bugwere mosque have insulted them verbally, with one villager saying in February, If you do not come back to Islam, then expect something unusual to befall your family, he said. Since then my family became vigilant, and we even hired a guard to take care of the family during the night, but the stone-throwing continued in one of the houses while the guard was on patrol on the other side of the homestead, Tulo told Morning Star News. The family requested financial assistance prayer. We sincerely need prayers and financial support, Tulo said. My family is scattered, and the children are unable to go to school. We gave our lives to Jesus and here we are living a troubled, restless life. The law should bring these perpetrators to book. The attacks were the latest of many cases of persecution of Christians in eastern Uganda that Morning Star News has documented. Ugandas constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate ones faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Ugandas population, but with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Martin Adams/Unsplash Another church in West Africa's Burkina Faso was targeted by terrorists this Sunday leaving six dead. According to Christianity Today, six Christians were killed in a Burkina Faso Catholic church in the town of Dablo, after people on motorcycles raided the church, executed five worshippers and the priest and then set the church on fire. Reportedly, the motorcyclists entered the church during the Sunday morning Mass and opened fire on the churchgoers. According to the Burkina Information Agency, the attackers ordered the women and children to clear the scene before executing six men, including the priest. According to Reuters, the men also looted several stores in the town, including the pharmacy, before taking off. This is the second attack in this area since Easter that have had nearly identical M.Os. As Christian Headlines previously reported, six Christians were executed in a West African Protestant church on April 28, after they refused to convert to Islam. Several armed motorcyclists opened fire on the Assemblies of God church in a Burkina Faso killing six people, including the churchs long-time pastor Pierre Ouedraogo, after they refuse to deny their Christian faith. According to the Associated Press, no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in April, though violent Islamist extremism has increasingly become a problem in the country. Reuters reports that Burkina Faso has seen a rise in religiously fueled attacks in 2019. Burkina Faso is a landlocked country that shares a border with Mali, a nation that has long been a center for conflict and terrorism. Reuter reports that groups located in Mali with links to ISIS and al Qaeda have sought to fuel local tensions and extend their influence in Burkina Faso and the Sahel region. Related: Terrorists Execute Six Christians in West African Protestant Church Photo courtesy: Pixabay After Georgias governor signed legislation banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, more than one hundred actors pledged to boycott productions in the state. Five film production companies announced they would no longer work in the state as well. In other news, the Times Literary Supplement recently profiled new fiction for children and young adults on an LGBTQ theme. One tells the story of a boy who decides he is a mermaid. Another tells the gay love story of two aardvarks. Another is much more explicit than I am willing to describe. Meanwhile, The Atlantic is promoting a documentary on its platform that claims to describe both sides of the heartbeat bills. But note the now-familiar options: Pro-Choice and Anti-Abortion. For years, the left side of the culture wars has been astute in describing the other side as anti, knowing the psychological advantage of such branding. Were anti-abortion rather than pro-life, anti-LGBTQ rather than pro-biblical sexuality, anti-marriage equality rather than pro-traditional marriage, and so on. Any time I can describe you as what youre not more than what you are, I gain a significant rhetorical and persuasive advantage. How should we respond to a culture that seems so antagonistic to biblical values? We are not our own. We belong to him. One of the most important lessons I have learned in recent years is this: God wants us to love the world without needing the world to love us in return. Jesus clearly taught us to love even our enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44). We are to offer the world the kind of love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). But speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) means loving people enough to tell them the truth even when they dont want to hear it. When we must choose between being biblical and being popular, it helps to remember that our identity is not found in our lost cultures opinion but in Gods amazing grace. In her daily devotional, Anne Graham Lotz recently wrote: You and I are sinners saved (Romans 3:2324), blood bought (1 Peter 1:18-19), prisoners freed (Luke 4:18), [and] glory bound (Colossians 3:4). In short, We are not our own. We belong to him (John 15:19 NKJV). A rebel who must lay down his arms A second principle that strengthens us when our witness is unpopular is the reminder that our lost culture is, in fact, lost. When our sons were confronted with immorality at school or in society, my wife often reminded them that we should expect lost people to act like lost people. C. S. Lewis explained why: Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms. . . . This process of surrenderthis movement full speed asternis what Christians call repentance. Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms. C. S. Lewis Lewis adds: This repentance, this willing submission to humiliation and a kind of death, is not something God demands of you before he will take you back and which he could let you off if he chose: it is simply a description of what going back to him is like. If you ask God to take you back without it, you are really asking him to let you go back without going back. It cannot happen. Rather than repenting, many who reject biblical teachings on abortion or sexuality are convinced that they are on the right side of history. They believe that either the Bible is wrong or we are wrongly interpreting it. They are as convinced that we are mistaken as we are convinced that we are right. Heres the point: Many who oppose biblical truth are sincere, though theyre sincerely wrong. We need to see them not as the enemy but as people who are deceived by the true enemy (Revelation 12:9). Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die A third principle that helps us speak unpopular truth is the fact that our future is not dependent on the present. Recently, I saw a funeral home website with a striking image: a pier extends partway into a beautiful lake. The sun sets in the distance, casting its reflection on the water. Beautiful mountains and stately forests lie on the other side. A boat is in the water, traveling from the pier to the distant shore. Heres the point: This world is the pier. It will come to an end one day. When it does, Christians are transported safely across the water to the shore on the other side. When believers take our last breath in this world, we take our first breath in the next world. Jesus assured Martha as she grieved for her brother Lazarus: Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die (John 11:25-26). When believers take our last breath in this world, we take our first breath in the next world. When we close our eyes here, we open them there. We step from darkness to light and death to life. We are well and we are home. Paying the gift forward When we know we are loved by our Father, we no longer need the affirmation of our fallen culture. When we know we are loved by our Father, we no longer need the affirmation of our fallen culture. We are then free to speak the truth people need to hear, whether they want to hear it or not. We do so not because we are better than others but because we are paying forward the gift we have received. Philip Yancey noted that grace, like water, flows to the lowest part. Who do you know who needs the grace of God today? For more from the Denison Forum, please visit www.denisonforum.org. The Daily Article Podcast is Here! Click to Listen Publication Date: May 13, 2019 Photo Courtesy: Getty Images/Jesse Grant/Stringer Actress and pro-choice advocate Alyssa Milano ignited a social media firestorm Friday by encouraging women not to have sex until we get bodily autonomy back an action that pro-lifers said would accomplish many of their goals. Milanos tweet was posted the same week Georgias governor signed a bill banning abortion when a heartbeat is present. Milano had threatened a boycott by dozens of actors if the bill wasnt vetoed. Our reproductive rights are being erased, Milano wrote on Twitter. Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy. JOIN ME by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back. Im calling for a #SexStrike. Pass it on. Our reproductive rights are being erased. Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy. JOIN ME by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back. Im calling for a #SexStrike. Pass it on. pic.twitter.com/uOgN4FKwpg Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) May 11, 2019 But Milanos Tweet may not have had the consequence she intended. Christians, pro-lifers and social conservatives said her idea sounded a lot like abstinence. Among the supporters was Joseph Backholm, legal counsel and director of the Embassy at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. This could be accidentally amazing, Backholm tweeted. If women stop having sex with men they aren't married to: STDs plummet. Every kid has dad around. Women don't feel used. No more abortions cause women are no longer pregnant & alone. What's not to love? Do it ladies! Make men earn it! #SexStrike. This could be accidentally amazing. If women stop having sex with men they aren't married to: STDs plummet Every kid has dad around Women don't feel used No more abortions cause women are no longer pregnant & alone. What's not to love? Do it ladies! Make men earn it!#SexStrike https://t.co/54VKt2PZ4o May 11, 2019 Abby Johnson, the former Planned Parenthood clinic director who is now pro-life, backed Milanos idea. Johnson is the subject of the film Unplanned. On this Mothers Day, I am in FULL support of pro-abortion women going on a sex strike. Sounds great for our movement and significantly damaging to the abortion industry, Johnson wrote. Thanks, @Alyssa_Milano!! On this Mothers Day, I am in FULL support of pro-abortion women going on a sex strike. Sounds great for our movement and significantly damaging to the abortion industry. Thanks, @Alyssa_Milano!! My latest article. https://t.co/zqCXgG50vw Abby Johnson (@AbbyJohnson) May 12, 2019 Johnson added in a Townhall column that if less people are having sex who are fine with abortion, then there will be fewer unplanned pregnancies, which means less abortions. Then abortion clinics and Planned Parenthood wont meet their abortion quotas and lose money, forcing them to cut back on services or even close, Johnson wrote. Such a great concept. Conservative commentator Matt Walsh, too, supported the idea. I thought the Georgia abortion ban was a huge win by itself, Walsh wrote. But now that its convinced feminists to stop having sex, I think we can officially call this the greatest conservative victory in history. Congratulations to all involved! We did it! I thought the Georgia abortion ban was a huge win by itself. But now that its convinced feminists to stop having sex, I think we can officially call this the greatest conservative victory in history. Congratulations to all involved! We did it! #ISupportTheFeministSexStrike May 11, 2019 Related: Georgia Gov. Defies Hollywood Threats, Signs Pro-Life Heartbeat Bill 2nd Governor Vetoes Bill Protecting Babies Who Survive Abortion Wisconsin Governor Says He Will Veto Bill Banning Infanticide 'Kill Them Now or Kill Them Later,' Alabama Democrat Says of Abortion Trump Blasts Abortion: All Children Made in the Holy Image of God Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy/Staff by Fady Noun Born in the year Greater Lebanon was proclaimed, the patriarch witnessed all the main events that have shaped the countrys modern history. For Patriarch Rahi, the country has lost an "icon". National unity and independence topped the list of his concerns. He was able to challenge the "intimidation and terror" wall built by the Syrians. Beirut (AsiaNews) The 76th successor of Saint John Maron, founder of the Maronite Church, Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, died last Tuesday (7 May) from pulmonary infection, a few days before his 99th birthday (15 May). He will be buried Thursday (16 May) in Bkerke. The authorities declared that day an official holiday. Born after the First World War, in 1920, the same year in which Greater Lebanon was proclaimed, the patriarch was a witness to all the great upheavals that have marked Lebanons national life: its "international" creation in 1920, the proclamation of its Independence (1943), the creation of the State of Israel (1948), the arrival of the first flows of Palestinian refugees, the departure of the Syrian troops (2005), the withdrawal of Israeli troops in 2000 (they had arrived in 1978), the civil war that ravaged the country for 15 years (1975-1990), as well as the peaceful albeit dramatic flood of Syrian refugees as a result of the outbreak of war in Syria (2011). Nasrallah Sfeir served as patriarch from 1986 to 2011, when, under the subtle nudge of the Vatican and age he gave way to a younger patriarch, Bechara Boutros al-Rahi. The latter, as he announced his predecessors death during the Sunday homily, said that with his death Lebanon lost "an icon", an icon of piety, competence and fortitude in the face of adversities and all that could negatively alter Islamic-Christian coexistence in Lebanon. Virtually all of Patriarch Sfeirs ecclesiastic career took place at the Patriarchal Headquarters in Bkerke. Born in Reyfoun, the only boy in a family of six children, he entered the seminary against the wishes of his parents, and was ordained priest in 1950. Known for his intelligence, which was only equaled by his discretion, he joined the Secretariat of the Patriarchal See in Bkerke in 1956. In 1962, he became bishop and served Patriarchs Boulos (Paul) el-Meouchi, and later Antonios Khoraish. He closely saw the rise of the dangers that would eventually lead to the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990), and the failed attempts by Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, under the pontificate of John Paul II, to end to the cycle of violence in the country. Notwithstanding all the sincere or pro-forma tributes paid by Lebanese government officials, Patriarch Sfeir will remain the man of two great events in the nations history: John Paul IIs visit to Lebanon in 1997, and the departure of Syrian troops from Lebanon in 2005, following a massive and peaceful protest movement on 14 March 2005, a month after the assassination of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri (14 February 2005). These two great moments reflected the two main issues that mattered to this churchman who never aspired to play a political role, namely national unity and national independence and freedom. Such concern for the unity of the Lebanese people led the head of the Maronite Church to welcome Pope John Paul IIs decision to hold a special assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Lebanon in 1995. In a letter addressed to the bishops of the Catholic Church in 1989, John Paul II summed up in a single fortunate formula Lebanons historic vocation. Lebanon is "more than a country, it is a message of freedom and an example of pluralism for the East and the West". This message, one of conviviality, guided Patriarch Sfeir, during the countrys great moments, in particular at the time of the Taif Agreement (1989), which ended to the civil war. He drafted the deal with the then Speaker of the Parliament, Hussein el-Husseini, "down to the smallest comma," according to the current Patriarch, Card Bechara Boutros al-Rahi. The approval of this agreement saw however the patriarch suffer one of his greatest humiliations, when the partisans of General Michel Aoun, hostile to the agreement, stormed the Maronite patriarchate and physically attacked him. His concern for national unity which did not mean uniformity or the disappearance of communal differences was equally matched by his concern for Lebanons independence. Patriarch Sfeir had no illusions about the manipulative and perverse role played by Syria in Lebanon, and its responsibility in its destabilisation. In March 1986, one month before Patriarch Sfeirs election, the Holy See came up with a plan to end the war and gave Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, the Vatican's diplomatic point man under the pontificate of John Paul II, the task to achieve it. Once in Lebanon, he tried to organise an Islamic-Christian summit, but failed to break through the wall of intimidation and terror Syria has managed to built among the Lebanese. At that time, in order to meet Christian leaders, their Muslim counterparts needed the green light from Syrian intelligence and, if authorised, had to report back after the meeting. It is this "wall of intimidation and terror" that the Patriarch and the Synod of the Maronite Bishops dared to brave, demanding in 2000 the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon, in accordance with the Taif Agreement. It would take too much time to discuss the war in this brief article, but suffice it to say that if the patriarch broke the Syrian taboo, it is because the Israelis, who also played a role in the Lebanon war, had decided to pull their troops from the country (24 May 2000) following repeated attacks from Hezbollah. Syria in fact had used he Israeli occupation as a pretext for its own. In the end, the Syrians left Lebanon only in 2005, after the assassination of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and the rise of the 14 March protest movement, also called the "Cedar Revolution". Despite the pain and bloodshed, Rafik Hariris assassination united the Lebanese, with the notable exception of Hezbollah, in their demand for independence. The 14th of March will therefore remain a moment of glory for the Lebanese, as well as Patriarch Sfeir. And it was not the only one. The patriarch also saw a moment of glory and consolation in 1997, when John Paul II came to Lebanon to hand the Lebanese the post-synodal exhortation. That moment was also one of unity. Another one was the patriarch's historic visit to Walid Jumblatt at his palace in Moukhtara. All these hours of glory were hours of national unity. Those closest to him say that Patriarch Sfeir often compared to as a sphinx given how his simple words could be meaningful passed away peacefully. After 14 March and the Syrian pullout from Lebanon, he said he had proof that there was Providence for nations as well as people. Speaking to those closest to him, the patriarch emeritus liked to cite Pope John XXIII who, overwhelmed by the work of the Second Vatican Council was having sleepless nights, noting that, in order to fall asleep, he would tell himself: "Sleep Angelo, sleep, there is Providence". Legislative proposals that aim to ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected are on track to becoming law in three southern states. Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia are all on course to pass the bills, which would make abortion almost completely illegal and protect the most vulnerable in our society the unborn. The fetal heartbeat is usually detected at around six weeks, meaning that abortion will be close to completely outlawed if the bills succeed. In Georgia, a proposed fetal heartbeat bill has earned the signature of state Governor Brian Kemp and will go into effect at the start of next year. Our job is to do what is right, not what is easy, Kemp said at the signing ceremony, according to the New York Times. We are called to be strong and courageous, and we will not back down. This is a historic day for Georgia, added Catherine Davis of the pro-life organization, Human Coalition following the momentous occasion. This is a day that many of us who have been in the pro-life fight for years and years and years didnt really think it would be possible, in light of the politics of the issue. Georgias bill is set to go into force on January 1. The pro-life cause has enjoyed sweeping successes this year, with governors from Mississippi, Ohio and Kentucky all signing fetal heartbeat bills and lawmakers in South Carolina and Tennessee also pressing for similar measures to be introduced. In Alabama, the proposed law would mean that those carrying out abortions could face a Class A felony charge and up to 99 years in prison. Hollywood Boycott Following Georgias decision to protect innocent lives, many Hollywood stars have proposed drastic measures to counter the pro-life advances. One activist, Alyssa Milano, even suggested a sex strike as a means of protest. Our reproductive rights are being erased, she wrote on Twitter Saturday. Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy. JOIN ME by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back. In addition, some 50 actors have initiated a mass boycott of film and television production in the state of Georgia. Among the signatories is Milano, Amy Schumer, Christina Applegate, Alec Baldwin and Sean Penn. "We want to stay in Georgia," reads the letter accompanying the call to boycott. "But we will not do so silently, and we will do everything in our power to move our industry to a safer state for women if [this] becomes law." Related: Alyssa Milano Urges Pro-Choice Women to Stop Having Sex, and Pro-Lifers Cheer Despite Threat from Hollywood, Georgia Passes Fetal Heartbeat Bill Georgia Gov. Defies Hollywood Threats, Signs Pro-Life Heartbeat Bill Alyssa Milano Says She Loves God then Misuses the Bible to Defend Abortion Writers Guild of America Threatens to Boycott Georgia over Fetal Heartbeat Bill Abortionists could Face up to 99 Years in Prison under Proposed Alabama Law Photo courtesy: Freestocks.org/Unsplash More Americans went to church yesterday, Mothers Day, than any other day in the past year besides Christmas and Easter. And thanks to church photo booths, more families than ever have the pics to prove it. In recent years, Instagram-friendly congregations have offered themed photo backdrops for attendees to mark special occasions. For Mothers Day, Christians across the country posed in their church lobbies beneath floral garlands and colorful bunting, holding signs with messages like We Heart Mom, then posted and tagged their snapshots on social media. These photo setups took off at local churches with the rise of smartphones and selfies over the past five years, according to church social media expert Haley Veturis. She first started using branded photo backdropsresembling the step and repeat banners used on red carpetsat a conference in 2012, then went on to incorporate them into special events at Rick Warrens Saddleback Church, one of the biggest megachurches in the country. While churches pay more attention to branding, aesthetics, and engagement, particularly in contemporary non-denominational and seeker-sensitive contexts, Christians are caught between the instinct to capture meaningful moments in stylish church settings and caution over leveraging their faith for likes. Like hundreds of other congregations, Piedmont Chapel in High Point, North Carolina, has used photo backdrops for special services since its launch in 2014, inviting attendees to smile beside a Christmas tree, hold signs with its Easter logo, and have their kids pose with costumed characters. Were always looking to provide value to peoples lives, said Kendall Conner, ... 1 Erwin Lutzer lays out 5 false gospels within evangelical churches Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment There are five false gospels found in evangelicalism today, says former senior pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago, Illinois, and current Pastor Emeritus Erwin W. Lutzer. Lutzer talked with Darrell Bock, executive director for cultural engagement at Dallas Theological Seminary, on an episode of The Table podcast posted online Monday. During their conversation, Lutzer listed five false gospels, the first being that of permissive grace, which involves churches saying that people can have grace without personal transformation. We have to preach about sin and do so compassionately so people know that they need the abundant, undeserved grace of God, said Lutzer. But today what you find is that there are many people who preach grace even before people really know that they need it. Bock agreed, adding that he felt that was an issue for Western culture in particular, saying that many westerners have a sense of entitlement, as if God owes them something just by their mere presence on the planet. I think that entitlement eats away an appreciation for what grace really means, because, you know, you dont come to God with a sense of, Have mercy on me; Im a sinner; you come to God with an attitude of saying, Well, I can bargain with You about this, and You really owe me in one way or another, replied Bock. The second false gospel Lutzer described was social justice gospel, which he believed often led to the gospel of personal conversion being left behind. Social justice, no matter how well done, at its best is not the gospel. It may be the result of the gospel, depending on how its defined. I mean, you can go to Africa and all of the various hospitals were built by missionaries, Lutzer explained. So weve always had a social conscience, but social justice is not the gospel. The gospel is not what we can do for Jesus; its what Jesus has done for us. Lutzer also listed new age ideas as a false gospel that can enter an evangelical church, and also the gospel of my sexuality, which involved evangelical churches not denouncing sexual sins. The last one Lutzer described as a threat to evangelical churches was interfaith dialogue, specifically certain kinds of dialogue. Lutzer cited dialogues with Muslims as an example. Now, Im not opposed to debates. And, of course, I argue also that we need to befriend Muslims; we could talk about that even when it comes to other issues, explained Lutzer. As an example of a harmful interfaith dialogue, Lutzer told Bock that he has an Islamic apologetics book by Muslims that includes statements like Islam has always defended the righteousness of women. And Islam has always been on the forefront of civil rights. And Muhammad was a man of peace who tried to bring Jews and pagans and everyone together. It deals with how do you take Islam to an audience that probably has never even seen a Quran, much less read it, or the Hadith, and how do you sell them on a version of Islam that will be acceptable? And many people are falling for this, and I warn against it, Lutzer added. Lutzers talk about the five false gospels was drawn from a book he published in August 2018 titled The Church in Babylon: Heeding the Call to Be a Light in the Darkness. The book sought to answer how Christians can live in a pagan culture through two questions, How did we get here? and How do we prepare for the dark and difficult days ahead? Lutzer answers both of these questions. He will walk you through the many parallels between the Church in America and Gods people in Babylon, and embolden you to be a gospel witness, notes the books description. Youll be encouraged not to compromise your faith even when under constant pressure from all corners of society. And more than all this you will have a fresh encounter with Jesus Christ, as you consider the biblical role of those in exile. Move of Holy Spirit coming to LGBT persons amid battle over Equality Act, therapy bans: pastor Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A move of God is afoot among those who once identified as LGBT, one pastor says, as laws prohibiting counseling for unwanted same-sex attraction and gender confusion are being considered. Ken Williams, co-founder of the Redding, California-based Equipped to Love explained in a phone interview with The Christian Post on Thursday that it felt like a threat was put forth last year in California with AB 2943, a bill that was ultimately withdrawn but would have banned therapies for persons with unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion by classifying them as "consumer fraud." What ended up happening, he said, was the sparking of a movement of people who once identified as LGBT but no longer do. "In the '80s, when I was struggling, there was no safe person for a gay person to come out to. But today, there is no safe place for a once-gay person to come out to because of the social narrative being that LBGTQ is something to celebrate and leaving that life is controversial," he explained. The bill caused concern among those who had quietly found resolution to their unwanted same-sex attraction and confusion about their sexual identities and were going on and living their lives, many in heterosexual marriages with children. Williams has been married to his wife for nearly 14 years and now has four children. "When this bill came forward all of us realized, 'Hey, we've got to come forward and go public and let the world know out there that there are different options that should be protected for people.' Because not everybody that is finding themselves with same-sex attraction or gender confusion is content to live that out, for many different reasons," he elaborated. "So all of a sudden there is this movement now of people who once identified as gay standing up and saying, 'Hey world, I actually do exist and please don't take away our rights.'" More broadly speaking, a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit is afoot, he believes. It's one that will be led by those who, due to the nature of their often painful journey with their sexuality, come to know God in the most intimate of ways. "God is definitely on the move and He is passionate," Williams said. "For me, having had life experience of same-sex attraction and homosexuality and leaving that and having to discover at a very deep level what were the root issues ... that culminated later in same-sex attraction. And having worked with as many people as I have that have left homosexuality behind, you come to realize that gender confusion and homosexuality is a relational issue, an intimacy disruption," he offered. "The gift of homosexuality, if you will, is that those who find themselves in an atmosphere where they can access God's presence ... they by default have to know God very intimately. The issue was an intimacy deficit so God can open up an intimacy in Him that satiates those needs that are deep within a person. The end state of that person, very often if not always, is a person who is very sold out in following Jesus and knowing the Father's love. " Williams was recently in Washington, D.C., to speak with congressional staffers about his concerns with the Equality Act that recently passed out of the House Judiciary Committee and will likely pass when it comes to a full floor vote. He explained in a Daily Signal podcast on Tuesday that during his teenage and college years he was "struggling every hour of every day with same-sex attraction," which for him was unwanted and then "had several different experiences and a relationship for a period of time that was homosexual." "If were going to call something the Equality Act, it sure would be great if it felt equal to all people. And so LGBTQ, the Q stands for queer or questioning. Well, questioning, OK, lets take that. So if someones questioning their sexual identity, shouldnt they be able to consider going down multiple paths if theyre questioning?" "I never wanted to have sex with men. Thats just the only people I was sexually attracted to. That probably doesnt seem like it makes any sense. But thats pretty common actually," he said. He noted that at various seasons in his life he was addicted to homosexual porn but has been free from it for the past 15 years. "We dont really plan our sexual desires. We find ourselves with our sexual desires. And when I found myself with mine at, I dont know, 13 or 14 years old, I realized to my shock one day, 'Wow, Im not like the other boys. Im sexually attracted to the boys. I feel like Im more like one of the girls,'" he added. When asked if he considers what he now does in ministry to be "conversion therapy" Williams replied that he does not. "And I know over 100 people that have left homosexuality and I dont know a single one of them that has ever experienced what people would say is conversion therapy, and they dont know of anyone who has either," he said. "Its this term that gets used in culture that all of us with life experience, we dont even know what youre talking about. That didnt happen to us. And in the movies that are out there, its very unfounded. So I have [seen] some things happen that were harmful to people. Im sure that there are some cases out there, but I dont personally know of any." Americas forgotten French history awaits you in Illinois Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment PRAIRIE DU ROCHER, Illinois Getting from this rural farm town to nearby Fort de Chartres required driving atop a levee. It was an experience straight out of Don McLeans song American Pie. Except the levee wasnt dry. My visit to southwestern Illinois came as the waters of the Mississippi River continued to rise, surpassing the previous record from the Great Flood of 1993. Fort de Chartres, despite being protected by a massive levee, is no stranger to floods. The present-day structure is a partial reconstruction of a French colonial fort built in the 1750s to replace an even earlier wooden fort. That wooden fort was itself the third fort constructed by the French during their rule over the Mississippi River Valley in a region once known as the Illinois Country. What you see today is a little different than what the British found when they arrived in 1765 to occupy the fort after the Seven Years War, when France lost its colonial possessions in what is today Canada and the United States. Partially rebuilt on original foundations, Fort de Chartres State Historic Site with its prominent gate and bastions is no longer oriented toward the river, where most visitors would have arrived. Today, the levee stands just beyond where the original main entrance was located. Inside the fort some of the buildings have been rebuilt in keeping with how it would have looked. Only the power magazine, which is said to be the oldest building in all of Illinois, is original. The foundations of other buildings, as well as remnants of forts walls, are marked out, which should make it easy if the Illinois state government ever comes up with the funds for a much-needed full reconstruction. Despite the forts citadel-like appearance the Seven Years War better known in North America as the French & Indian War was never directly fought in the Illinois Country, though French marines garrisoned here did travel more than 800 miles for an engagement at Fort Niagara, north of Buffalo, New York. Another interesting footnote involves the brother of the forts commandant, who was killed after George Washington ambushed a party of French soldiers and their Indian allies in 1754. Prairie du Rocher (population 604, as of the last census) has survived, but seasonal flooding long ago engulfed other villages founded by the French. In fact, a flood in 1881 was so great that the Mighty Mississippi changed its course and washed away Kaskaskia, the first capital of Illinois under the American flag. What survived became an exclave only reachable by land from Missouri. The French colonial chapter of U.S. history is basically forgotten outside this part of the country, where reminders are everywhere. Just look at a local map. Many of the streets and place names are either their original French name or an Anglicized version. Prairie du Rocher literally translates into English as Prairie of the Rock, as in the magnificent limestone cliff that towers above town and has since time immemorial corralled the Mississippi River. In the case of Fort de Chartres, my ears heard Chartres pronounced as shart, although Jennifer Duensing of the Friends of Fort de Chartres told me some old-timers call it Fort Charters. (The 18th century pronunciation was almost certainly the same as Chartres Street in New Orleans, another French colonial settlement.) The rich French heritage is even more evident at several local Roman Catholic churches, all of which were established before the United States. St. Josephs Church, the parish in Prairie du Rocher, where priests with French surnames served until well into the 19th century, has communion vessels from an even earlier church. Flooding kept me from visiting Immaculate Conception, a chapel-of-ease in Kaskaskia since area parishes were consolidated in the 1990s. However, the treasures here include a bronze bell gifted by King Louis XV in 1741 and an even earlier altar carved from walnut and cottonwood. The bell has been dubbed the Liberty Bell of the West because it was rung in 1778 after Virginian frontiersman George Rogers Clark liberated the Illinois Country from British rule during the American Revolution. Directly across from St. Louis in Cahokia is the Church of the Holy Family. The log cabin-style church, built in 1799 using traditional French colonial construction methods, was erected as a replacement for an even earlier edifice. As with Immaculate Conception, the bell came from Louis XV. It also has altar candlesticks from King Louis XIV. If you go I flew into St. Louis, the closest major airport. Crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois, I followed the KaskaskiaCahokia Trail through farmlands and small towns on what is regularly ranked as one of the best drives in all of America. The grounds of Fort de Chartres State Historic Site are open year-round, but buildings are only open Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Reenactments and other special events are held throughout the year, including the annual Fort de Chartres Rendezvous. This years event takes place June 1 and 2. French is no longer the lingua franca, but an Old World tradition that dates locally to the 1720s is still maintained every New Years Eve in Prairie du Rocher. Known as La Guiannee, locals go door-to-door singing songs and partaking in drink. Other relics of Frances influence in the Illinois Country include the ruins of the unfinished Fort Kaskaskia, the Pierre Menard Home and the old house-turned-courthouse in Cahokia. I recommend staying at the Corner George Inn Bed & Breakfast in Maeystown, a charming village founded by German immigrants. If you want a nationally branded hotel you will have to drive about an hour to Fairview Heights. Spires and Crosses, a travel column exclusive to The Christian Post, is published every week. Follow @dennislennox on Twitter and Instagram. Cardinal Blase Cupich condemns Louis Farrakhan for calling some Jews satanic at Chicago church Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich has condemned Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan for labeling some Jews as satanic during an address at the St. Sabina Church on the city's south side last Thursday. In a statement released by his office on Friday, Cupich said he was not informed by The Rev. Michael Pfleger that Farrakhan, who was recently banned from Facebook, would be allowed to speak at the predominantly black parish. Without consulting me, Fr. Michael Pfleger invited Minister Louis Farrakhan to speak at St. Sabina Church in response to Facebooks decision to ban him from its platforms. Minister Farrakhan could have taken the opportunity to deliver a unifying message of Gods love for all his children. Instead, he repeatedly smeared the Jewish people, using a combination of thinly veiled discriminatory rhetoric and outright slander, Cupich said. He suggested that Talmudic thought sanctioned pedophilia and misogyny. He referred to Jewish people as satanic, asserting that he was sent by God to separate the good Jews from the satanic Jews, he noted. Farrakhan, 86, declared at one point during his speech: Im here to separate the good Jews from the satanic Jews. Farrakhan, who had been invited by Pfleger to respond to his ban by Facebook, wasted no time in defending himself from what he described as an unwarranted attack on his freedom of expression. This is just the beginning. Banning me from a social platform? I used that platform with respect. I never allowed those who follow me to become vile as those who speak evil of us. So I am dangerous, not to you, unless you feel that Fr. Pflegers invitation to me may hurt St. Sabina, he told the congregation. They dont have the power to hurt St. Sabina if you dont give them that power, he continued to applause. I thank you for listening to me. I have not said one word of hate. I do not hate Jewish people. Not one that is with me has ever committed a crime against the Jewish people, black people, white people, no matter what your color is. As long as you dont attack us, we wont bother you, Farrakhan added. Over a week ago when news first broke that Facebook had banned Louis Farrakhan, high profile stars like rapper Snoop Dogg expressed outrage at the decision and encouraged his nearly 32 million followers to share videos of the Nation of Islam leader. If youre down with it like Im down with it, post your favorite Mr. Farrakhan videos on your Instagram and Facebook page, the rapper said in an Instagram video Thursday. Show some love to a real brother. In another video he asked, How the f**k yall gonna ban Minister Louis Farrakhan for putting the truth out there? I stand with him. Im with him. Ban me, mother**ker. In his statement Friday however, Cupich said Farrakhans comments about Jews shock the conscience. People of faith are called to live as signs of Gods love for the whole human family, not to demonize any of its members. This is all the more true of religious leaders, who have a sacred duty never to leverage the legitimacy of their ministry to heap blame upon a group of persons, and never to deploy inflammatory rhetoric, long proven to incite violence. Anti-Semitic rhetoric discriminatory invective of any kind has no place in American public life, let alone in a Catholic church, Cupich wrote. I apologize to my Jewish brothers and sisters, whose friendship I treasure, from whom I learn so much, and whose covenant with God remains eternal. Denver not considering demonic ramifications when decriminalizing psychedelics, former addict says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The city of Denver is set to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms, a move a former drug addict says is opening the city up to demonic activity, just as it does in the life of a drug user. Final unofficial results posted late in the afternoon Wednesday showed that Initiative 301, a measure which essentially tells police to look the other way regarding adult psilocybin use, is slated to narrowly pass with 50.6 percent of the vote, according the Denver Post. The outcome will not be known for a few more days as the city waits on military and overseas ballots; the official results will be certified on May 16. Well see what the final numbers are, but were a little stunned to see a 7,000-vote flip overnight on that, said Jeff Hunt, director of the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University. Well continue to fight the growing drug culture. Denvers becoming the illicit drug capital of the world. The larger issue here is not good for our city. The Food and Drug Administration granted psilocybin breakthrough therapy designation last fall for its potential to help with treatment-resistant depression, a status that speeds up the development and review process for a medicine containing the substance. Recreational use of cannabis became legal in Colorado in January of 2014. In 2014, combined recreational and medical sales totaled $683.5 million. Seattle-area restaurant manager Shannon Twogood, who is the incoming president of the ministry Hope for Addiction and Dependencies (HAD) in Gig Harbor, Washington, believes that the spiritual ramifications that come with the use of potent drugs are often absent in discussions about legalization. Illicit drug use "will lead you into something that will plague you for the rest of your life although you might find some benefit of health with marijuana, I think it has to be treated so carefully on a case-by-case basis, and when you open that up to just anybody you can see where we did that years ago with opiates and now we have a opioid crisis," she said in a Thursday phone interview with The Christian Post. If someone gets hurt or has some condition where they use psychedelic mushrooms to alleviate their symptoms "you're now going to have to lead them down a path of recovery because it is an addictive substance," she explained. Twogood was first introduced to illegal drugs when she was 13 while in a mental institution and did a variety of them throughout her youth and at times was a dealer. She spent 20 months in jail on a drug charge in 2012-2013. She was not raised in church but heard the Gospel for the first time in prison. Although she received Christ she was yet unaware of the power of the Holy Spirit. While in a jail cell, soon after she prayed for the Holy Spirit to come and fill her she had a supernatural experience where an angel appeared before her, she was filled with light and all the darkness left her, she recounted. It was around this time she was on her way for another sentencing. She was supposed to serve a 57-month sentence but it was miraculously reduced to 3 months. "The Lord released me from jail and just set me on fire," she said. Policies like what will likely be implemented in Colorado may help a few people but it fails to consider the larger picture for the community, and the social ills that are invited in as a result which will require cleaning up later, she stressed, adding that culture cannot open doors for the demonic realm under the guise of "care" for anything. The Greek word for sorcery in the Bible is "pharmakeia," from which the word pharmacy is derived. When Twogood learned that, it transformed how she saw drug use, particularly given how occult practices and witchcraft often involve the smoking of illicit substances or using them to make teas and potions that cause hallucination. She now teaches in prisons and centers for recovering addicts that it is important to understand that they are operating in the courtroom of heaven, that God is the judge and Jesus is our intercessor and advocate. Until the sin of drug use is repented from, the demons are legally allowed to be there through the open door of drug use. With Denver's move, "they're bringing judgement on all people involved [in the city], even indirectly," she concluded. Ex-North Korea military officer once loved regime more than Christ, now he's helping victims escape Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment WASHINGTON As a former North Korean military officer marked for execution, Kim Yong-Hwa says he knows all too well the tribulations facing the thousands of defectors on the run for their lives from the repressive Kim regime of North Korea. The founder of the North Korean Refugees Human Rights Association, now in his mid-60s, spent over nine years imprisoned in three different countries during his decade-plus journey to true freedom. The journey that began with the intention of committing suicide after being accused of disloyalty to an authoritarian regime that he loved so much took a much different route than Kim initially anticipated. Instead of going to China and shooting himself in a spot where he could only hope his body would not be found, Kim told The Christian Post that he ultimately discovered the truth that the Kim regime kept hidden from North Koreans. From that point, Kim was inspired to live on to tell his story. Through his journey, Kim discovered the Gospel of Jesus Christ and today runs a South Korean-based ministry that helps other North Korean defectors facing a similar situation in China find their way to safety. Kim is one of over 32,000 North Korean defectors who has successfully made the treacherous journey through China and other Asian nations to South Korea since the end of the Korean war in 1953. But there are an estimated 230,000 North Korean defectors wandering around China who are searching for safety and still at risk of being arrested and repatriated to North Korea, where they could face execution or life in labor camps for the crime of defection. The road to South Korea, where many North Korean defectors ultimately desire to seek refuge, is not easy. Let there be no such tragedy as I experienced [for] anyone else, Kim told CP while he was in Washington, D.C., for last weeks North Korea Freedom Week. Accused of disloyalty In a 40-minute sit-down interview through a translator, Kim admitted that at one point in his life, his love for North Koreas first leader, Kim Il-Sung, and the communist regime was above and beyond his love for God. I thought that If Kim Il-Sung lives no more, I would probably die, he explained. I would even die for him. That would be happiness and joy. When there is no Jesus in that nation officially, then he was higher than Jesus back then to me. Kim worked until 1981 as a member of the Korean People's Army in charge of managing vehicles. But he switched in 1981 to become a member of a state security service at the Railway Safety Bureau. At that job, Kim was in charge of the second military train, which operated under Kim Il-Sungs family and the Workers Party. But thanks to an aging facility, a military train coming from Russia to North Korea tipped over in July 1988. Because of the incident, the North Korean regime labeled Kim as disloyal. Disloyalty had nothing to do with the train accident, Kim asserted nearly 31 years later. Giving me blame, I was to be executed. Kim was tipped off by a friend about his pending execution. Kim felt betrayed and decided the best thing for him to do is go to China and kill himself in order to protect his family. With the decision of the North Korean regime, there is no way you can avoid that once the decision has been made, Kim explained. Even if you escape, that is also considered being a traitor. Also, committing suicide is also being disloyal (which could result in the persecution of family members). So I really wanted to go to a place where no one could see me because I wanted to shoot myself. Kim said that in late July 1988, he crossed over the Amnok River with a friend into China. But instead of following through with the plan to kill himself, Kim said that he heard a South Korean radio broadcast that changed the course of his life entirely. He overheard a broadcast that Korean-Chinese man was listening to. It was a broadcast in which the high-profile defection case of North Korean Man-chul Kim's family to South Korea was discussed. As a state security officer, Kim had access to a special periodical for security officials. The newspaper claimed before Kim defected that the boat that Man-chul Kim and his family escaped on had been shot and sunk by the North Korean military. That was on the North Korean news, he recalled. So I knew because of that news I read, Man-chul Kim was dead. But because he appears on that broadcast, it is either deception or lies by the South Korean or the North Korean. I was a bit confused. Kim said he listened to that broadcast in its entirety and realized that he had been deceived by the North Korean regime. So, therefore, I wanted to go to Korea and let the truth be known that was in my heart, he stated. Nearly repatriated Kim parted with his friend in China. He recalled walking about 11,000 miles on foot in order to get to Vietnam. Still having his gun and party ID, Kim went to the South Korean Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam. But in the course of crossing into Vietnam, Kim got into a gunfight with police and was put on a wanted list. Because of that, he was told by the South Korean Embassy that he could not be helped. Kim then went to Hai Phong, a coastal harbor city where a commercial vessel from South Korea docked. He was arrested trying to climb secretly into the vessel. The North Korean embassy came and checked me and identified me, said Kim. There were only three days left until I was repatriated. So I hit the Vietnamese police with a tray of food and then I beat him. Kims act of violence warranted him a two-year jail sentence in Vietnam. It was during this time, that Kim was exposed to Christianity through an interpreter. He was giving me the Bible and I was reading it, Kim recalled. Even though I was always alone, I could now at least communicate verbally, murmur to somebody. I was asking God to save me. For a few years, I hadnt really spoken but that conversation [helped]. Actually, I cursed God a lot too during that time. I was also shouting for help. Because of his circumstances, Kim explained that his Christian faith was self-taught in the beginning although he said that he was mentored by a Catholic priest. Kim today maintains an evangelical faith. After about a year and nine months in a Vietnamese prison, Kim was able to escape before he was set to be repatriated. Kim again went to the South Korean embassy, where he was able to change out of his prison clothes and given a little bit of financial support. Kim then traveled to Laos but was captured in a casino by police in 1992. He then spent over a year in Laos, he said, before he escaped and went again to China. In Chengdu, he said, he obtained a boat that he used to sail to South Korea in 1995. International spy Although he eventually made it to South Korea, he was again imprisoned for three years on allegations that he was a North Korean spy. Kim said that if he had gone to South Korea by ground and been captured that way, he would have been better off. But because he went by boat and comes from North Korea, he was thought to be committing an act of espionage. After two years in South Korean prison, Kim said he got sick and was eventually bailed out in 1997. Kim said he filed a lawsuit against the South Korean government for accusing him of being a spy. But Kim dropped the lawsuit after encouragement from then-South Korea president Kim Dae-Jung. As soon as the litigation was gone, they came and wanted to arrest me again. So they did not keep their promise, Kim explained. Kim eventually migrated to Japan, where the Japanese government was also told that he was an international spy. In Japan, Kim was confined to a prison camp for three years. Even though I lived nine years in prison, each country they were [supporters] giving a lot of love and strength that supported me through diverse nations who knew about my case, Kim said. [I want] to give as much as received Kim was eventually given Japanese residency but went back to South Korea in 2001. In 2005, he officially launched the North Korean Refugees Human Rights Association. The association helps North Korean defectors in China make their way to South Korea. The organization also assists North Korean defectors in South Korea with resettlement in South Korea. In China, they are living like animals, Kim said. Really, like beasts and living as beggars. Kim said he was inspired to launch the nonprofit after the death of a female defector in the Gangwon province in South Korea. Today, South Korean President Moon Jae-ins policy of engagement with the Kim Jong-Un regime has led to difficulties for North Korean defectors coming to South Korea. As Robert King of the Center for Strategic and International Studies pointed out, there has been a shift in priorities, with inter-Korean cooperation getting more attention while aid for defectors and North Korean human rights issues have been slashed. Additionally, North Korean defectors in the South have reported being pressured not to criticize the Kim regime. In South Korea, there is a protection law against animals. Dogs are being protected with dignity, Kim said. But North Korean defectors and teenagers and minors are not protected. Kim called on the international community to advocate for the protection of North Korean defectors. Kims organization is also involved in advocating the release of seven North Korean defectors arrested last month in China, who face the possibility of being repatriated to North Korea. If they are repatriated, they face a bad fate of execution in a political prison camp, Kim warned. The South Korean government and this present administration, through the minister of foreign affairs, they have asked for some collaboration to the Chinese government. However, they say they will check afterward after they are repatriated. But I think this is because they have some meetings in the future they are looking forward to with Kim Jong-Un. They probably know that they can not do anything right now. I am convinced that the Korean administration is not doing anything. Harassed in Washington Kim also made headlines during his visit to Washington, D.C., for North Korea Freedom Week. He was among a group of Korean defectors and human rights activists who were harassed and had their "Make America Great Again" hats stolen by African-American men in the nation's capital on April 30. Video of the harassment was posted online and has been viewed tens of thousands of times. The incident occurred as the group of about four to five human rights activists was crossing a crosswalk. "Even though I can't read much English, I came here and have this hat that represents that administration or the president. This is a delegation fighting for human rights," Kim said through his translator. "I don't know if that is looking down on us. Somebody can say if they don't agree, 'Can you put your hats down' politely. We came here and some of us came to the U.S. for the first time in their life and we don't feel like we need to be ridiculed." "If it is this dangerous to wear a hat here, it distorts the image of the United States that we have been thinking," Kim added. "We come here for human rights issues. The media and the press should cover that so such incidents will not occur again." How cool these bullies must think they are to harass a family minding their own business just trying to cross the street. Dems & the MSM have all but encouraged this type of vulgar behavior toward Trump & his supporters. RT TO MAKE THESE A**HOLES FAMOUS! pic.twitter.com/rWmRlezAAw MAGA MICHELLE 2020?????????????????????????? (@Trump454545) May 2, 2019 Gay Girl, Good God: Hip hop artist Jackie Hill Perrys journey to faith Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Author and hip hop artist Jackie Hill Perry is on a mission to help equip the Christian church, while also encouraging people who are same-sex attracted. Perry released a new book last year that dives deep into her life experiences and the Bibles presentation of hope and truth. Perry is hoping to inspire and educate people through Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been. I wanted those in the church to kind of grow in their understanding and empathy of those who are same-sex attracted so that they can love them better, she recently told The Pure Flix Podcast. I wanted those who are same-sex attracted in the church to be encouraged. READ ALSO: Break Out the Popcorn: 7 Movies Now Streaming on PureFlix.com Perry, who became a Christian when she was 19, said shes also hoping to speak to those who dont know where they stand on the topic and who might waver on the issue of sexuality. And she knows quite a bit about the issue based on her own experience. Jackie grew up fatherless and experienced gender confusion, Perrys bio reads. She abused marijuana, loved pornography, and embraced both masculinity and homosexuality with every fiber of her being. Listen to Perrys story of transformation at the 26:00-minute mark: She shared how she experienced challenges as a young woman and eventually decided to just do what I thought was best for me. I ... was a typical girl who loved everything but God, Perry said, noting, though, that her convictions about her lifestyle were starting to intensify before she became a Christian. Her aunt, a Christian, had taken her to church for the first 10 years of her life and, as a result, Perry was feeling pressure. I had a basic level understanding of the gospel, which was really all I needed to know, which was that Jesus came and died for sinners, she said. Then, in October 2008, something shocking happened. For the first time, Perry said she saw her sin and recognized that Jesus is the only person she could turn to if she wanted to make it right. READ ALSO: Columbine Victims Daughter Reveals Amazing Story of Forgiveness I just had this immediate and random awareness of my sin and its consequences. I just saw overwhelmingly that the consequences were not worth my life, were not worth my soul, she said. I just kind of saw Jesus rightly for the first time I repented and believed. Perry had been living life with her girlfriend, smoking marijuana and projecting masculinity but her conversion changed everything. I had this awareness of God that I had never had before, she said. I sincerely cared that God saw my heart and what was going on in it. The transition, though, wasnt easy, as Perry admitted: Life got harder when I became a Christian. She had to learn how to live day-to-day life without her girlfriend, and she experienced grief as she grappled with assimilating into a church culture she previously feared. Despite struggles, Perry noted that God guided her throughout her journey and continues to do so. God, He really was a lamp unto my feet, she said. He really did light my path and guide me into a community that loved me well. READ ALSO: 5 Healing Prayers for Forgiveness Perry also clarified the view that some have surrounding the struggles people who are same-sex attracted face. While some claim one will no longer experience same-sex attraction after he or she becomes a Christian, she said people dont expect the same thing in other circumstances. We dont expect that of heterosexual people. If theres a girl who was promiscuous and comes to the faith, we dont expect her to not lust anymore, Perry said. We assume that it is a struggle she has, but we know that God will help her. She advocated for people to think deeper about Gods role in helping people overcome sin. God gives us power to flee sexual immorality when we trust Him, she said. I dont think the conversation should revolve around are the temptations gone or done away with but rather have you been freed from the penalty and the power of sin over your life, where youre able to resist these temptations when they do come. READ ALSO: 5 Ways Your Life Changes After Praying to Accept Christ And in an era in which many churches have turned away from biblical sexuality, Perry noted what the Bible has to say about such things. I think that the Bible is true, that the love for God and of people will wax cold, that itching ears will abound. God has warned us that this will happen, she said. I grieve, and I grieve because I think well-meaning Christians really do believe that to affirm someones same-sex behavior, I think that they believe that that really is love, that really is compassion. While Perry said she understands how someone might come to this conclusion, the truth is often shielded. The problem comes that you somehow believe that acting out on your affections is the highest good when really us loving God is the highest good, she said. I grieve for the believers who don't really actually have a real, theological-anchored view and perspective of love and God, where relationships and sexual intimacy has become the highest aim rather than us loving Jesus and knowing him. Its sad, but I do get it. Find out more about Perry here. This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider. Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows. You can get a free, one-month trial here. Billy Hallowell, author of "The Armageddon Code," has contributed to TheBlaze, the Washington Post, Human Events, the Daily Caller, Mediaite, and the Huffington Post, among other news sites. Through journalism, media, public speaking appearances, and the blogosphere, Hallowell has worked as a journalist and commentator for more than a decade. Gunmen kill priest, 5 churchgoers, burn down church in Burkina Faso Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Suspected Muslim extremists murdered six Christians, including a priest and church elders, who were celebrating mass, before burning down their church in Burkina Faso. On Sunday, between 20 and 30 militants opened fire on a local church congregation in the northern town of Dablo as they gathered for mass, according to the AFP. Armed individuals burst into the Catholic church They started firing as the congregation tried to flee, said the town mayor, Ousmane Zongo. They killed five of them. The priest, who was celebrating mass, was also killed. There is an atmosphere of panic in the town. People are holed up in their homes, nothing is going on. The shops and stores are closed. Its practically a ghost town, he said. According to the BBC, among those killed were a number of the church elders. Following the slaughter, the gunmen set fire to the church, several shops and a small cafe before heading to the local health center, which they looted, burning the chief nurse's vehicle. A local journalist noted that residents were angry that a local army unit did not respond more quickly to the incident. In response to the Iatest church killings, the government condemned the "barbaric and cowardly attack. After "failing to pit communities against each other with targeted killings of traditional chiefs and community leaders, terrorist groups are now attacking religion in an evil plot to divide us," it said in a statement. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered condolences and vowed to protect the sanctity of all places of worship. He urged the religious communities in Burkina Faso to stand firmly with one another across communities and not to succumb to efforts to sow discord and breed further violence. Militant Islamic groups linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda have been waging an increasingly violent war against Christians in Burkina Faso in recent months. Such attacks, paired with military operations and inter-communal violence, have triggered an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that has caught many by surprise, according to New Humanitarian News. It reports that home-grown militant groups, as well as extremists linked to al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State group, have been in the countrys arid north (bordering Mali) since 2016, but have expanded to new fronts in the east and south-west, threatening the stability of neighboring countries Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Ivory Coast among them." Burkina Faso is majority-Muslim (around 60%), but also has significant numbers of Christians (over 20%, most of whom are Catholics) and followers of indigenous beliefs (15%), according to the latest census. Sundays attack marks the third on a church over the past five weeks. Last month, six people were slaughtered at a church in the town of Silgadji. Also in April, four people died when a Catholic church was attacked in a nearby village. A local church leader who wished to remain anonymous told World Watch Monitor: The assailants asked the Christians to convert to Islam, but the pastor and the others refused. A day after the killings on April 30, Henri Ye, head of the Federation of Evangelical Churches and Missions in Burkina Faso, said: Its not only the church of Sirgadji that has been attacked; all the values of tolerance, forgiveness, and love that have always led our country have been hurt. The freedom of worship consecrated by our fundamental law (the Constitution) has been flouted. Ye also called on all Burkina citizens, particularly Christians, to resist the temptation to hate. In the face of blind hatred, let us ask God to give us the strength to spread love, which makes us the children of God. The unity of the Body of Christ and of the whole nation must be preserved at all costs. A victory would give him legislative support for anti-crime proposals and to rewrite the Constitution. The opposition denounces: risk of revocation of presidential mandate limit, tightening of the war on drugs and restoration of the death penalty. Polling stations opened with some isolated episodes of violence. Manila (AsiaNews / Agencies) - About 61 million Filipinos today vote in mid-term elections. Nearly 43,000 candidates are competing for more than 18,000 positions in local administrations. Added To these are half of the seats in the Senate (the upper house), which in recent years has been a bulwark against some of the most controversial policies of President Rodrigo Duterte (photo). Voting opened at 6 am and will end at 6 pm. Polling stations opened with some isolated episodes of violence. According to authorities, at least 20 people were killed and 24 injured in election-related crimes. Military sources report that nine people were injured this morning in a gunfight on the southern island of Jolo. Winning a Senate majority, which independent polls indicate is likely, would give Duterte legislative support for its anti-crime proposals and its plan to rewrite the Constitution. Historically, the nation's 24 senators - who remain in office for six years - have had the reputation of being more independent than the lower house parliamentarians. The opposition warns that this possibility could allow Duterte to lift the limit on presidential terms; it would also allow him to tighten up his controversial drug war; finally, to reinstate the death penalty, a commitment announced by the president that the UN Human Rights Council has called "alarming". The Philippines declared the death penalty illegal in 1987, restored it six years later and then again abolished in 2006. Subject of repeated attacks since the rise of Duterte in power, in the past few days the Filipino bishops have responded to some press rumors that they would like the bishops "on the front line" in the political debate. The president of the national episcopal conference, Msgr. Romulo Valles, declared that the Catholic Church in the Philippines "does not make politics and does not support any candidate in the elections. Bishops and priests are not allowed to give endorsements, because it would clearly be an interference in national politics". The results of the administrative elections are expected a few hours after the polls close, while the winners of the senate and congressional seats will be declared starting next May 17th. How should churches respond to porn use among Christians? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As pornography use is becoming more common and acceptable in todays culture, many practicing Christians feel trapped in a shameful dependency they know is direct disobedience to the will of God. With past surveys showing that as many as two-thirds of practicing Christian men reported looking at porn monthly or more often, professor Samuel L. Perry of the University of Oklahoma contends that many Christian congregations are not effectively addressing the needs of men (and women) struggling with a porn habit. Perry, a professor of sociology and religious studies who comes from an evangelical background, authored the book Addicted to Lust: Pornography in the Lives of Conservative Protestants. The title was released this month, as May marks National Masturbation Month in some circles. The book features interviews and survey data to help Perry present a balanced overview of how increasingly easier access to internet pornography is impacting conservative Protestants in different ways than porn users of lesser or no faiths might experience. I think conservative Christians are really at a difficult place. In the book, I'd like to say I end on a more positive note. I try to be optimistic. I try to give some counsel on what I feel like would be some helpful steps to take for the subculture generally, Perry told The Christian Post. And yet, I got to acknowledge that I think conservative Protestants really face a pickle. As a scholar of religion and families, Perry began researching more closely the topic of pornography around five years ago when he was curious about the link between pornography use and divorce. Today, around 20 of his over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles have focused on the issues of pornography, lust and masturbation. With technological advancements over the years with the internet and smartphones, access to pornographic material is less restricted than ever. Although conservative Christians are known for holding staunch beliefs when it comes to sexual sin, many conservative Christians also report being helplessly trapped in the grip of pornography dependence as technology is making it harder to avoid the temptation. This is a real challenge as the broader culture in the United States becomes more antithetical to a traditional Christian sexual ethic, Perry explained. Perry said one of the main points of the book is that among the negative consequences that conservative Protestant users of pornography face is the experience of consistently, willfully, repeatedly violating their own moral convictions by looking at pornography. [T]hey feel stuck, and they feel judged; they feel like they have to hide it, and lie about it, he said. It hurts their mental health when they have to kind of pretend they're not doing this or they feel bad about themselves. It also certainly hurts their marriages and their intimate relationships because they definitely feel like they have to hide that. Perry added that data show conservative Protestant women are twice as likely to divorce their husbands over the issue of pornography use as compared to non-conservative Protestant women. One of the main problems that Perry sees in many congregations in the U.S. is that bringing up ones struggles with pornography can be a stigmatizing thing and shame-inducing. As a result, those struggling with pornography use are less inclined to bring it up or seek help for true repentance. Leaders in congregations [should] just come out and say, Let's talk about this. Let's have a meeting every year where we come out and talk about the importance of accountability, Perry explained. He said churches need to do more to discuss openly what sexual purity looks like and how congregants can help one another live a sexually pure life. I don't think that's happening in the vast majority of congregations, he said. And so I feel like that's going to be required to move forward. Perry joked that conservative Protestant churches could take a page out of the Catholic Churchs playbook, where parishioners can go to confess before a priest and seek advice on what to do better. Now, obviously, a lot of evangelical communities and conservative Christian communities have instituted accountability groups and small groups, he said. And I think in a lot of these small groups, what was described to me is that you've got a situation where you got a bunch of guys who are sitting around and maybe start off really motivated to get real with one another. And then over the month, it really spirals into like, Hey, let's talk about family. Let's talk about sports. Let's talk about reading the Bible, but let's not entrust to one another how often we looked at pornography in the previous week. With the rise of Neo-Calvinism and a Gospel-centered approach to living out the Christian faith, Perry believes that one of the consequences has come in biblical counseling. There has been an overemphasis on thinking that the solution to moral problems is to just repent and just believe the Good News. Part of that, he said, has been a fear of developing spiritual disciplines to old life patterns or habits. Honestly, from the people I talked to, the most helpful thing that people can do is to develop better life patterns, he said. But I feel like there's such an obsession with the thought that my heart needs to be right and I need to pray about this and think about this and remember the Gospel. And yet, I feel like the most helpful thing churches could do is to get real, practical, real quick. Perry said churches need to develop systems to cut off the source of a believers access to pornography. He believes churches need to do more to encourage their believers to make actual changes in their lives to address the sin they are struggling with. Such ways include trading in a smartphone for a flip phone or beginning to use accountability software like Covenant Eyes or XXXChurch.com. When you've got something like pornography use [and] masturbating, which is as much physiological as it is spiritual, in my opinion, I think people are not getting practical enough, he said. Perry also believes that calling pornography an addiction can make it harder for people to come to grips with the fact that they need to change their behavior to get right with God. The American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not label pornography use as an addiction. Now, that doesn't mean it's not, it just means that the people who make those manuals that are kind of the Bible for psychiatrists and psychologists, they don't consider it an addiction or disorder, Perry said. But I think you've got some evidence to suggest that it doesn't quite behave like we think other dependencies or disorders do, for example. Using the word addiction to describe a persons porn problem can be an attempt to create some rhetorical distance between the sinner and the willful disobedience to God," he noted. For committed Christians, willful repeated disobedience to God is a big problem because even though God has forgiven us of our sins, theologically, we're not supposed to just be able to go back repeatedly time after time, Perry contended. Committing the same sin without repenting of it becomes a theological problem and one starts to wonder, What is my spiritual standing before God? If I just go back to this again and again and again, am I really repented? Am I really changed? A lot of guys that I interviewed in the book are really wrestling with that. India Supreme Court grants bail to Christian falsely imprisoned for over 10 years Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Supreme Court in India has granted bail to one of seven Christian men that advocates say was wrongly convicted of murdering a Hindu leader over a decade ago in Kandhamal. Gornath Chalenseth was bailed out on May 9 from Phulbani jail in Odisha state on May 9, according to the Asian-Catholic news agency ucanews.com. Chalenseth, along with Bhaskar Sunamajhi, Bijay Kumar Sanseth, Budhadeb Nayak, Durjo Sunamajhi, Munda Badamajhi and Sanathan Badamajhi, was jailed after being accused of murdering Hindu monk Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his associates on August 23, 2008. In the aftermath of the Hindu leaders death, anti-Christian violence in Kandhamal reportedly resulted in the death of dozens of Christians and the destruction of villages. According to ADF India, which represents the convicted men, over 8,400 houses were burned and 360 churches destroyed as a result of the violence in 2008. According to advocates, the Christian men were convicted on the basis of a fabricated claim without credible evidence. The accused were convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2013. The legal appeals for the convicted men have been pending for the past five years while thousands across the globe have called for the mens release. Although the Indian legal system allows for bail to be granted while convicts await their appeal, bail was denied twice in state court. In its decision last week, the nations Supreme Court ruled that Chalenseth should be released on bail while the state court settles his appeal because he has already served 10 years of his sentence. It is a huge victory for these hapless men who dont have the resources or knowledge to fight for their freedom in Indias complicated judicial system, Dibakar Parichha, a lawyer and Catholic priest assisting the men, told ucanews.com. Parichha is hopeful that the other six men will soon be granted bail as well. Journalist Anto Akkara, who has advocated for the release of the convicted men, told Matters India that the bail order is a landmark and huge victory in the fight for justice for Kandhamals seven innocents. This bail order of the Supreme Court, led by the ADF legal team, I hope, will be the first step towards acquittal of the innocent Christians languishing in jail for a decade for a crime they never committed, Akkara said. The Supreme Courts decision to grant bail comes as Christians in Madhya Pradesh celebrated another court victory last week. On May 6, a state court acquitted Pentecostal Pastor Balu and his family, a ministry leader in a small Indian village in Madhya Pradesh who was accused of violating the states anti-conversion laws in 2016. According to ADF India, Balu was taken in when a group of nationalists stormed his church during service and began beating and harassing worshipers. Police then came and arrested Balu, his wife and son. Nobody should be persecuted because of their faith. The acquittal of Pastor Balu and his family is a vital step towards the protection of religious freedom and the right to freely live out ones faith, ADF India Director Tehmina Arora said in a statement. Now he can continue to tend to his small community of Christians without interference from the state. ADF India points out that Balus case is not the only one in India involving Christians who have been falsely accused under state-level anti-conversion laws that bar anyone from using force or allurement to convert people to another religion. However, the anti-conversion laws have often been used by radical Hindus to persecute Christian ministries and leaders. These laws make religious minorities subject to arbitrary imprisonments and criminal charges, mob violence, and violations of their fundamental rights, Arora added. Last year in the state of Uttar Pradesh, two Pentecostal men were arrested after being accused of forced conversion. India ranks as the 10th-worst nation in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs 2019 World Watch List as Hindu radical attacks against religious minorities have increased since the BJP came to power in 2014. In 2019, violence against Christians has risen significantly, ADF India stresses in a news release. In the first quarter of the year, the United Christian Forum and ADF India documented more than 80 violent mob attacks against Christians in 13 different states across India. The attacks often take a similar shape and rarely receive any police attention. Is it a sin to want to die and go to Heaven? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment While desiring to be at home with the Lord in Heaven is not a sin, its important for Christians to walk by faith and trust in Gods promises amid earthly pain and suffering, theologian John Piper said. In a recent podcast, Piper, chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, responded to a listener identified as Marissa, who asked if it was wrong to desire death as an escape from the pain of this world and from the suffering caused by her own sinfulness. Im 31 years old, and my life is ruined, she wrote. I dread the rest of my life. Because of sin, I have lost everyone I love most (and I mean everyone). I feel like my very poor choices cant be redeemed while here on earth, even though I have repented and confessed my sins. Piper first explained that the general biblical answer is that it is not a sin to long for Heaven and for the presence of Christ with a sense of dismay over the sin and sorrows of this world and of our own lives. In fact, I would say that the more one knows of the real condition of this world, and the more one grieves over the remaining corruption of our own hearts, the more natural it is to long for Heaven and Christ, he said. He pointed to the Apostle Pauls words in Philippians 1:2325: My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith. In general, to long to be at home with the Lord is not a sin. It is biblical, and it is healthy, Piper said. However, he clarified that the reason he said that's the general answer "is that I can imagine a situation when it would be a sin to want to die and go to be with Jesus." Piper argued that in Scripture, Paul desired to be with Jesus but knew it was not yet Gods will for him. He took this from the hand of God with confidence that God would give him the strength and the grace for the life that was not his first choice, he explained. Concerning the life he was going to live as he remained on the earth, he said, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, though my first choice would be to go and be with the Lord (see Philippians 1:2325). The key, Piper said, is found in 2 Corinthians 5, where Paul says, We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). He encouraged Marissa to understand that the ruin and dread that you see in front of you for the rest of your life is not, in fact, reality. At least, it need not be, the pastor said. Jesus is calling you, Marissa, to walk by faith and not by sight. I agree from what you can see with the eyes of your head that the future looks hopeless, dreadful, terrifying, unredeemable. Thats true. It does. But thats just not the way you have to live. The Apostle Paul knew the rest of his life would be full of sorrow and pain, Piper said, adding: He would be killed for Christ in the midst of afflictions, not in the midst of comfort. Thats what he saw with the eyes of the flesh, but with the eyes of faith, he saw miracles happening in him and through him. Piper offered the reminder that Gods promises for His people are found throughout Scripture, including in Isaiah 56:5: I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Yes, Marissa, long for Heaven, long for Christ, long for the day when we will sin no more, he concluded. But trust His promises now, like Paul as he faced a painful future and walked by faith, not by sight. Gods promise for you is fruit in the midst of this sorrow. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide was one of the leading causes of death in 2017. The overall suicide rate has grown by nearly 30 percent over the past 15 years, prompting some to call it a new public health crisis. In light of this sobering reality, a number of pastors and church leaders have weighed in on the issue of mental illness, suicide and the afterlife in recent years. Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren, who lost his son to suicide in 2013, previously encouraged those struggling with anxiety and depression to remember that focusing on Heaven places suffering in perspective. He cited 1 Corinthians 2:9: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. When you start focusing on truths like that, all of your problems seem inferior compared to the glory, the joy, and the pleasure of the things awaiting us in eternity, he said. Ask God to help you make the choice every day to feed on Gods Word, free your mind of destructive thoughts, and fill your mind with Jesus, others, and eternity. Then youll have won the battle. Trump urged to condemn China's religious freedom abuses in trade talks Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Trump administration was strongly urged by a congressionally-mandated commission to bring up the continued persecution of Christians and other religious minorities with Chinas top trade negotiator during this weeks trade talks in Washington. The bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which includes three evangelical leaders whove engaged informally with the Trump White House, called for administration officials to discuss China's systemic persecution of Christians, Uighur Muslims and others minorities with Vice Premier Liu He during his visit. Liu's visit comes as the U.S. Department of Defense estimates that as many as 3 million Uighur Muslims have been sent to detention camps in the Xinjiang province of China, while countless Christians, Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and other religious adherents continue to face arrest, imprisonment and the closing of their houses of worship. The communist Chinese governments brutal campaign to sinicize all religions is one of the worst abuses of religious freedom taking place today, USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer, a veteran social conservative activist, said in a statement. During these talks about our trade relationship with China, religious persecution and human rights more broadly must be on the table. The Trump administration believed that it was nearing a trade deal with China that would have opened up the Chinese market to U.S. companies. But after days of negotiation between Liu, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, no deal was reached. Additionally, the U.S. increased tariffs on up to $200 billion of Chinese goods by 15 percent as China was accused of backtracking on months of negotiations when it submitted drastic edits to a draft trade agreement. Chinese officials blamed the U.S. for the deal not being reached and vowed to counter the U.S. tariffs. USCIRF and other religious freedom advocates have long called for the U.S. government to include religious freedom concerns as part of the U.S. ongoing trade discussions with China and other countries called out for religious freedom violations. At an event on Capitol Hill last week, Bauer said that trade negotiations with China should be more than just about tariffs and jobs but should also ensuring that the Chinese people are allowed to worship the way that they see fit. This is about the right of every man and woman, whether Muslim or Buddhist or Christian or Falun Gong, to worship as he or she sees fit, Bauer argued in a statement Friday. At a time when the lives and freedoms of millions of Chinese people are under attack by their own government, we must put religious freedom and human rights on the agenda, too. China has been labeled as a country of particular concern by the U.S. State Department for the past 20 years, a designation given to countries with some of the most severe violations of religious freedom. In its 2019 annual report, USCIRF called for the Trump administration to use targeted sanctions against Chinese officials who either perpetrated or tolerated religious freedom violations. USCIRF suggested the administration sanction the Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang, Chen Quanguo. Quanguo is said to have been responsible for violations committed against Buddhists in Tibet, who are reportedly subject to intrusive surveillance and political indoctrination. USCIRF, a commission established by the International Religious Freedom Act to make recommendations to the executive branch and Congress, called for the U.S. to preserve the cultural and linguistic heritage of the religious groups in China as well as coordinate a response to Chinas religious freedom violations with world allies. If we were going to rank the Tier 1 countries [of concern], China would be in a category all by itself [with] the level of persecution, Bauer said at the rollout of the USCIRF annual report. They are an equal opportunity persecutor. In March, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback spoke in Hong Kong and contended that the Chinese government is at war with faith. The Chinese Communist Party must hear the cry of its people for religious freedom, Brownback said. Friday afternoon, Vice President Mike Pence met with USCIRF and responded in a tweet that the Trump administration would defend religious freedom. "Great mtg with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom today w/ @AmbJohnBolton. Thank you to the Commission for its efforts to highlight the plight of the Rohingya & the Uighur Muslims. @POTUS & our Admin will ALWAYS stand up for religious freedom," he wrote. What is mental health, according to science and the Bible? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment MIAMI BEACH, Fla. What does it mean to be mentally healthy? Dr. Curt Thompson and journalist Ana Marie Cox spoke about this question at a recent Faith Angle Forum. The Apostle Paul would relate to the current scientific understandings of the mind if he were alive today, Thompson said. Thompson is a psychiatrist and founder of Being Known, an organization that seeks to better understand the connection between neurobiology and Christian spirituality. He went to medical school for four years and psychiatry residency training for four years, and in all that time never had training, not even a single lecture, on mental health, he recalled with astonishment. "If you come to see a psychiatrist, you might hope to think the psychiatrist would know exactly what mental health is," he said. "But we're much more highly trained to identify pathology than we are trained to identify, 'what is mental health?' if we were to see that." We have a good sense of when the brain is not healthy, Thompson said, such as with depression or anxiety, but have difficulty understanding what it means to be mentally healthy. During the Q&A, Thompson explained it this way: "Like what is mental illness? Like who knows, right? I mean there's no scientific evidence that has studied what mental illness is and what it isn't. And in some respects, as we like to say, there are two kinds of people in the world: There are those of us who are screwed up and know it and those of us who are screwed up and don't. And everything else is just a matter of, you know, degree. There are different ways in which we can find ourselves in disintegrated states where there will be parts of our story that aren't being incorporated, aren't being included but that are having influence." To understand when a mind is flourishing, he continued, start with a definition of the mind, which is an "embodied and relational process that emerges from within and between brains whose task it is to regulate the flow of energy and information." Our mind is embodied, he explained, in that it encompasses our whole body, not just our brain. When we feel anxiety, for instance, we might feel it in our gut, not our head. And our minds function in relation to each other, not just within ourselves. The neurons in a newborn's brain don't start making the connections needed to survive until she interacts with other humans. These interactions involve a flow of energy, either within our bodies or between bodies via light or sound waves. This definition would make sense to Paul because he would say, "renewing people's minds is not just a figment of our imagination; it's not just an abstraction. It is deeply connected to our embodied experience. And those embodied experiences are deeply connected to interpersonal interactions," Thompson explained. In Romans 12:2, Paul wrote, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect" (NRSV). And in Ephesians 4:2224, he wrote, "You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (NRSV). A healthy mind, a mind that is flourishing, Thompson continued, is one that is "flexible, adaptive, coherent, energized, and stable." We obtain that sort of mind in community, according to the leading neuroscience research, Thompson explained. "It takes place most powerfully in the context in which you have multiple different people who are committed to being known along with allowing you to be known in the same way." And these discoveries are consistent with what is found in Scripture. "I'm really excited about what this neuroscience is telling us because it is telling us that there are ways in which the mind can change, ways in which it can be renewed. The fact that we have models for how this can be done in the context of communities is really exciting stuff for us," Thompson said. Thompson was joined on the panel by Ana Marie Cox, a columnist and host of the "With Friends Like These" podcast, who told her personal story about overcoming drug and alcohol addiction. After her third suicide attempt, Cox determined to seek help and found recovery in the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous. She has been sober for eight years. Cox explained why doing service work and being in community has been essential for her recovery. "I am so happy to be alive," she said. "I am so thrilled to be able to do service. I am ecstatic to show people who don't feel loved that they are loved. And I do that in part because it makes me believe that I'm loved. I can know that I am loved by the love I share with others because it took me a long time to believe that I was loveable, that anything could love me. But every time I'm able to love someone else, especially another addict or alcoholic, I can remember, oh, right, I can love this person; there's someone out there that loves me. "Ultimately, I believe my higher power loves me. Like that's my fallback. But it's also good to be in that community where we're loving each other as we are." During the Q&A, journalist Jon Ward asked about the belief in some Christian communities that mental health problems are simply a matter of not having enough faith. "In some respects, that's a product of modernity," Thompson answered. "That's a product of how we have a Cartesian dualism. It's not just about mental health or mental illness and faith. And our friend, Descartes, was the one who effectively began to help us separate these worlds in which we have faith over here and we have embodied empiric evidence over here as if these two things are now like separate universes. One of the beautiful things about quantum mechanics is that it's helping us recognize that those things are inseparable. ... "We come to believe that this thing called faith is different than this thing called science, which we have plenty of experience around this table, I'm sure, recognizing that those things are not different things." Faith Angle Form is an Ethics and Public Policy Center Program that brings journalists together to talk with experts about issues related to the intersection faith and culture. You can listen to the full April 2 Thompson and Cox panel, titled "Faith and Mental Health: Can Neuroscience Free the Soul?" at the Faith Angle Forum website. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Imagine if tomorrow, a judge in the most liberal state in the country announced children no longer belong to their parents, theyre no longer under their parents authority. From henceforth, says the decree, kids belong to the state. Outraged parents would take to the streets! Angry and refusing to capitulate. Well, thats not how it goes. Instead, parental rights are taken a little at a time. The outrage is avoided, and the state usurpation of parents is largely non-controversial. The same desired results using this strategy are not only possible, but inevitable. Allow me to illustrate. A few days ago, a judge in British Columbia issued a gag order against the father of a 14-year-old girl who identifies as a boy. Why a gag order? Because he referred to his daughter by her actual gender in public interviews. British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Marzari also found the girls father guilty of family violence for going to the press after courts ordered that his daughter be allowed to start injections of male hormones. In fact, the judge even forbade the father from referring to his daughter as a girl, from trying to persuade her to abandon her so-called treatment, and even from using her real name! The name he gave her. In other words, this judge has effectively forbidden this dad from even acknowledging that he has a daughter. Legislatures elsewhere in Canada are laying similar groundwork to make this kind of government takeover of parenting permanent. Back in 2017, with barely a whisper of protest, Ontario passed the Youth and Families Act, which adds a childs sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of things judges can consider when determining whether parents are abusive. In other words, as written, this law would allow any judge in the province to do exactly what Justice Marzari did to that father of the 14-year-old girl. And thats not just my opinion. When asked if this law would allow the government to separate children from parents who dont approve of their gender identity, the Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Services said, I would consider that a form of abuse, when a child identifies one way and a caregiver is saying no Now, his office has since then changed its tune. A spokeswoman told BuzzFeed News that the law does not give the government power to seize children from families based on a parent that disagrees with a childs gender identification. Their commentary on the statute may have changed, but the language of the statute hasnt. So the precedent is set. Well, thats Canada, you say. Thats not going to happen here. Are you sure about that? Last year an Ohio judge awarded custody of a transgender teen to her grandparents rather than her parents, because mom and dad didnt support her transition. But an even greater threat to parental rights in this country will probably come from legislatures. Sexual orientation and gender identity, or SOGI laws have already been enacted in twenty states, making these protected categories like race or religion. It sets the precedent for treating disagreement with gender ideology as a crime. Eventually, that could be the case even if the person you are disagreeing with is your child. Several states already have the legal mechanism in place to emancipate children from parents who dont support their gender identification. Bit by bit, parental rights are chipped away in the name of sexual ideologies, especially gender identity. And bit by bit, mom and dad are treated as mere trustees of the state, subject to revocation without notice. Ideas matter. They can change how we collectively understand family, and parents, and even who kids belong to. I wish I had better news, but laws and rulings like these are the endgame for parental rights. Pay close attention and take responsibility for your own state, your own county, your own city, and especially for your own kids. The transition to a society in which children are wards of the state is well underway. Like surgical gender transitions, once complete, the damage could be irreversible. Download an audio mp3 file here. Resources Ontario Passes Law Allowing Gov't to Seize Children From Parents Who Oppose Gender Transition, Anugrah Kumar | Christian Post | June 4, 2017 No, Canada Will Not Take Your Child Away If You Disagree With Their Gender Identity, Ishmael N. Daro | BuzzFeed News | June 12, 2017 Legal dispute between trans child and father takes new turn over freedom of expression, Douglas Quan | NationalPost.com | April 30, 2019 Originally posted at Breakpoint. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The internet is having a great time responding to Alyssa Milanos call for a sex strike until Georgias fetal heartbeat bill is overturned. But while its easy to mock her words, they deserve to be parsed carefully, since they articulate the pro-abortion philosophy of the left. Milano tweeted, Our reproductive rights are being erased. Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy. JOIN ME by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back. Im calling for a #SexStrike. Pass it on. What, exactly, does Milano mean by reproductive rights? If you were just learning the English language, you might safely deduce that this phrase meant the right to reproduce. But that would be a logical deduction, and there is nothing logical about the Orwellian reasoning of the left. Instead, reproductive rights means a womans right to kill the baby in her womb. This is classic doublespeak, but in an especially deadly form, as reproduction here means termination. No sex until we have the right to kill our unborn! Milano, of course, references a womans legal right over her body, reflecting the pro-abortion mentality that the baby is not an independent human being who has a legal right to life. Instead, the baby is an appendage of the mothers body. Some have even likened the baby in the womb to a tumor or a growth or a clump of cells. Mothers should have the legal right to dispose of such intrusions. This is what Milano also means by bodily autonomy. In contrast, the baby has no autonomy. If the child wasnt planned and isnt wanted, it has only one choice: to meet with a violent end. To be a casualty. The unborn have no rights. And note carefully what Milano is saying: Its not worth having sex if you have to risk pregnancy. So, its sex for recreation, not procreation, and abortion is just another form of birth control. Of course, the left doesnt normally put things so plainly (and honestly). Instead, pro-abortionists will remind us of the (very difficult) cases of a woman carrying a severely disabled baby, or a 15-year-old rape victim, sexually abused by her own step-father. Cases like that are meant to evoke compassion and sympathy, and rightly so. But Milano let the cat out of the bag. Thats not the main concern with most who are shouting their abortions today. The issue is that recreational sex just might lead to an unwanted pregnancy, and abortion is the simple solution. Its birth control after conception rather than before conception, just a little messier and bloodier. But not to worry. If you dont want the baby, dont have the baby. And if that choice is taken away from you, Milano argues, then dont conceive the baby. (For the record, thats called abstinence, as others have gleefully pointed out, including this tweet: Not sure this was thought through, but the pro life crowd supports your call to abstinence to prevent abortions. Well done!) It would seem that Milano is intending to punish men as well, withholding sex from them after all, this is a strike since all men are somehow guilty. After all, it was mainly men who voted for Georgias pro-life bill and a male governor who signed it. So, Milano apparently reasons, lets hit these men where it hurts and withhold sex. Bette Midler, though, seems to have taken this one step further, tweeting, I hope the #womenofGeorgia stop having sex with men until these indignities are overturned. In other words, lesbian sex is fine, since it cannot result in a pregnancy. Plus, women are not the culprits in passing this new law. Instead, punish those evil men, but let the ladies have fun as they please. (Am I reading too much into the words stop having sex with men? I think not.) What Midler and Milano fail to grasp is that there are millions of couples in America who have sex to be intimate as well as to reproduce. For them, the greatest news a wife could share with her husband would be, Im pregnant! And millions of Americans welcome children into the world every year, with tears of joy and gratitude. All that is lost on the radical left, for whom pregnancy is a risk you take when you have sex, abortion is a method of birth control, and reproductive rights refers to the right to stop reproduction. The left has made itself perfectly clear, and the logic is positively deadly. And so, while some of Milanos followers and colleagues will go on strike, abstaining from sex and producing no offspring, pro-lifers will continue to have sex and have babies. It works out well after all. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A minister called into my talk show to share his struggles while his wife cared for her dying mother and elderly father. Identifying as a bi-vocational pastor, he commiserated on how to help his wife. It quickly became apparent that his aspiration to help his wife stemmed from his desire to instead be helped by his wife. Interrupting him, I asked: Whos doing the laundry? Protesting that he held two jobs, I waited for him to realize how poor his excuses sounded out loud. As his voice trailed off with embarrassment, I bluntly stated, Shes watching her mother die while caring for her father. She needs to come home to a clean house with laundry thats washed, folded, and put away. She also needs a well-stocked pantry, a nice meal, and a clean kitchen. While youre at it, clean the bathroom by her standards not yours, and she needs to sleep in a freshly made bed without the Marvin Gaye music playingif you know what I mean. Boring in, I challenged him further. If you care for her in this manner without expecting anything in return, you will gain a greater understanding of how our Savior loves His bride. Youll preach differently, and it will change your congregationand they in turn will change the community. But it starts with you learning to love and pastor sacrificially in your home. Sometimes, the best pastoral training starts in the laundry room. Similar to the specialization of physicians, the office of minister seems to have decentralized and pastor is used more as a noun than verb. All too many view clergy as 20-minute motivational speakers or the ones who baptize, marry, or bury loved ones (Hatch em, Match em, & Dispatch em.) Yet the office of pastor extends far beyond ceremonies and even the pulpit. Pastors get calls in the middle of the night from an individual or family in crisis. Adultery, tragedy, drugs, alcohol, crimewhatever the vice or heartache, a pastor gets the call. Caring for human beings can be complex and painful. When running for President in 2008, the moderator of a GOP debate asked Governor Mike Huckabee why he was qualified to run for President. Although most by that time clearly knew the Governors two-terms in the Arkansas capital (and the moderator even addressed him as Governor), Huckabee provide a surprising response. As a pastor, Ive had a front row seat to virtually every social dynamic faced by families. He went on to detail his pastoral experience with such things as healthcare, unemployment, drug addiction, poverty, death, and a host of other issues encountered by pastorsbut not necessarily preachers. Large pulpits and crowd-friendly messages can leave little time or desire for rolled-up sleeve issues that cripple individuals and families. Yet, dealing directing with those painful issues evidently left a profound impact on Governor Huckabee that stretched far beyond the local church. One could even say the impact reached to the White House briefing room through the Governors high-profile daughter, Trump press secretary, Sarah Sanders. Franklin Graham once aptly said about his ministry, Samaritans Purse: Its not the kind of ministry one can run from behind a desk. You have to get out there and smell it. Poverty and affliction have their own smells. Touching, embracing, and weeping with the woundedhowever those wounds manifestremains our highest callings as Christians. Christ stated His expectations clearly in Matthew 25:35-40 by addressing six core areas of ministry for all believers: hunger, thirst, welcoming a stranger, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and visiting the prisoner. While appropriate and necessary to delegate some of these tasks, one should scrutinize ministers who remain detached and fail to model hands-on ministry. This also applies to ordained leaders and elders in the church. In a recent and heated meeting of elders during a painful church conflict, one elder blurted out, I didnt sign up for this! Yes, he did. Both he and the one who trained him share the blame for his ignorance. The minister helps define the culture of the local church. Those living with a loved one with a disability learn that the family can only move at the speed of the slowest member. Does the local church operate in that manner? In Luke 14, Jesus shares the model of inviting the poor and crippled and blind and lame to the feast. Are individuals and families living with those type of issues welcomed and engaged by the pastor at your local church? Now more than ever, the world needs pastors who personally embrace the suffering and heart wrenching conditions that caused our Savior himself to groan. Although he delegated, Christ never outsourced touching the wounded. Hes not looking for gilded pulpits, backdrops of world-class musicians or towering cathedrals, but instead seeks compassionate servants. Christ models the office of pastor and expects us to do the same. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment American culture has adopted a dangerous habit of equating disagreement with hatred. Allegations of hate and bigotry have become tools that people resort to when their facts and logic run dry. The narrative goes as such: If you disagree with someones worldview, you are thus hateful and bigoted towards them and/or their ideology. This reckless habit breeds false narratives, and false narratives breed false ideologies ideologies that sometimes turn violent. In the past year alone weve seen many violent reactions towards opposing views from those who deemed the non-violent individual(s) hateful. (here, here, here, and here) Most recently weve seen this violent reaction in last weeks school shooting in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Devon Erickson and Maya Elizabeth McKinney, both of whom identify within the LGBT community, carried out the school shooting targeting STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students and showed strong detest for Christians. In a recent post to a now-deleted Facebook account, Erickson wrote: You know what I hate? All these Christians who hate gays, yet in the bible, it says in Deuteronomy 17:12-13, if someone doesnt do what their priest tells them to do, they are supposed to die. It has plenty of crazy stuff like that. But all they get out of it is ewwwwww gays. In addition to Ericksons biblical illiteracy, there are two flaws in this quote that are imperative for our culture to understand: Christians dont hate the LGBT community. Christians hate the sin of the world and how it hurts Christians and non-Christians alike. But this hate for sin fuels a love for the sinner and a desire that they find freedom from sin through Jesus Christs redemptive work on the cross. Disagreement with the LGBT lifestyle does not equate to hatred. On the contrary, it likens to love. Christians arent grossed out by the LGBT community. Whether Erickson actually believes that Christians think ewwwwww gays, his remarks demand a response from the Church. Christians do not think the LGBT community is gross. Christians see the LGBT community the same way we see everyone, including ourselves broken vessels that will be made whole, with a repentant heart, through Jesus. But why did Erickson and McKinney feel hated? Was it because they were literally shown hate by the Church? The possibility is real, though the possibility that they were deceived into thinking Christians hated them is also real, and likely the actual case. Time and time again Christians and conservative influencers are described as hateful simply for their commitment to a biblical position on marriage a monogamous relationship between a man and a woman. Left-wing media outlets and progressive Christians consistently pin conservatives as bigoted and unloving for this belief. But the claim that Christians hate the LGBT community is simply false. This false, deceptive narrative fueled by progressives is far more responsible for the relational gap between the Church and the LGBT community than any alleged hate shown by the Church. Christians submit their lives to the God of the Bible, the same Bible that identifies God in His essence as love, the same sacrificial love that inspired students Brendan Bialy and Kendrick Castillo to put the safety of others before themselves by trying to stop the shooters heroic actions that cost Castillo his life. As was stated earlier, hate for the sin in the world does not translate to hate towards people. Jesus hated sin; indeed it was sin that separated Christ from His beloved creation and yet He loved His people enough to die for them. Jesus has more reason to hate sin than we do, and yet His love is deeper than any of us are capable. Sources Colorado shooting: https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2019/may/i-hate-all-these-christians-who-hate-gays-details-emerge-about-suspects-in-deadly-co-school-shooting Links to the violent events this year: https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2019/march/85-year-old-pro-life-advocate-violently-attacked-outside-planned-parenthood-clinic https://www.faithwire.com/2019/05/08/pro-life-student-punched-by-abortion-activist-explains-loving-response-to-attacker/ https://www.faithwire.com/2018/10/10/toronto-police-investigating-another-incident-of-violence-at-abortion-protest/ https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2019/february/this-time-it-was-me-tomorrow-it-could-be-your-kids-conservative-student-assault-shocks-millions-in-viral-video www.johnwesleyreid.com 100 million women missing worldwide trapped in sex slavery, killed by abortions or domestic violence Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As many as 100 million women and girls are estimated to be missing and unaccounted for mostly in Asia and Africa as the quantitative impact of sex-selective abortions, sex slavery and horrific abuses against women is shown in available data, a new report claims. Christian humanitarian agency Gospel for Asia released the report One Hundred Million Missing Women this week to provide an overview of the population crisis arising worldwide. The new report cites experts who have used data available dating back to the 1980s to determine that between 90 to 100 million women and girls who should be alive today simply do not exist. According to GFA, census studies on gender ratios in Asia show that there are 106 males to every 100 females. GFA founder K.P. Yohannan contends that while such a discrepancy might not seem like much, it actually speaks to the inequality and neglect that has led to the excessive mortality of women. As we in America celebrate Mothers Day, the devaluation and horrendous treatment and abuse of women and girls is a global crisis, Yohannan said in a statement. In the poorest regions of the world, and especially in Asia, womens lives are threatened from the womb to widowhood and millions of these precious girls will not survive to become mothers. Author Karen Mains, who wrote the GFA report, said the devaluation of women and societal discrimination frequently faced by women is creating the global crisis. The irony of the missing-women demographics enabled by entrenched cultural attitudes and systemic discrimination against the female sex is that many places in the world with a skewed sex ratio are now experiencing such high female shortages that there are no longer enough women to mate in marriage with the existing male population, she wrote. There are a number of different factors that play into the wild imbalance in sex ratio for certain countries. According to Mains, there is a general consensus that the factors that are at play include female infanticide, sex-selective abortions, domestic violence, inadequate health care, lack of pregnancy and childbirth training as well as the booming sex-slave industry. Mains estimates that about 34 million women and girls are caught in the sex trafficking trade globally, including 16 million in India. Prostitution is legal in some parts of South Asia so the chances of victimization are drastically increased, Yohannan said in his statement. Many of the poorest families are manipulated into selling their daughters to opportunists who promise a better life for them. But many of these girls some as young as 10 are never heard from or seen again. In this century, more women and girls are enslaved in brothels each year than were shipped to slave plantations at the height of the slave trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. Mains also highlighted the struggles with childbirth, stressing that 99 percent of women who die in childbirth live in impoverished nations. The highest maternal mortality risk in the world is in the African country of Niger. There the lifetime risk of death is 1 in 7, Mains wrote, adding that ratio is 1 in 4,800 in the United States. In India, that ratio is 1 in 70. Other factors leading to the disproportionate sex ratio include failed abortions and parents under-feeding girls. The estimate of 100 million women missing is not a new one. The estimate appears to first have been made in 1990 by Harvard University professor Amartya Sen. It is often said that women make up a majority of the worlds population. They do not, Sen wrote in the 1990 article More Than 100 Million Women Are Missing published by the New York Review of Books. This mistaken belief is based on generalizing from the contemporary situation in Europe and North America, where the ratio of women to men is typically around 1.05 or 1.06, or higher. In South Asia, West Asia, and China, the ratio of women to men can be as low as 0.94, or even lower, and it varies widely elsewhere in Asia, in Africa, and in Latin America. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that 126 million women are believed to be missing around the world as a result of son preference and gender-biased sex selection, a form of discrimination. Since the 1990s, some areas have seen up to 25 percent more male births than female births, the UNFPA explains online. The rise in sex selection is alarming as it reflects the persistent low status of women and girls. The resulting gender imbalance also has a damaging effect on societies. Instances of increased sexual violence and trafficking have already been linked to the phenomenon. by Kamel Abderrahmani People modify social customs, clothing and food during the holy month. For those who abstain from food, eating, drinking and smoking in public are a form of provocation. In Algeria, the law imposes fines and jail for those who offend the precepts of Islam. Two young people speak out claiming their individual freedom. One, Sarah, was forced to be hypocritical. Saudi Crown Prince calls for respect for non-fasters. Paris (AsiaNews) Those who do not fast during Ramadan are the subject of discrimination, even persecution, in most countries where Islam is the state religion. However, intolerance finds no justification in Qur'anic sources or in the hadiths, this according to Kamel Abderrahmani. Here are the thoughts of the young Muslim scholar and the personal stories he gathered. (Translation by AsiaNews) The Muslim world recently welcomed the month of fasting, which is a holy month in Islam and is the fourth pillar according to Sunni Islam. This month is characterised by modified social habits, clothing and food. However, as every year, non-fasters in most countries where Islam is the state religion become public enemy No. 1. Those who do not fast have no right to continue to live like the other eleven months of the year. They are pursued by others, beaten and despised with impunity! During this month, fasters develop a sort of hostility and animosity towards Muslims who do not fast and also towards members of religious minorities. As an Algerian, I would like to talk mainly about this merciless pursuit against the latter in the name of morals, driving some young people, and I am one of them, to open Facebook pages to fight against this abusive behaviour towards these groups. One famous page is called Chroniques de non-jeuneurs algeriens (News about non-fasting Algerians), and it was quickly reported by obscurantist forces, yet it continues to publish the personal stories of non-fasting Algerians. I have long vetted Qur'anic sources and hadith texts about fasting to see if there is a religious basis that could explain this behaviour and intolerance towards non-fasters or a possible religious sanction that we can apply against them! Surprise, surprise! No text speaks of it! In fact, the issue is cultural, about dogmatism, not religion. To justify their violence against those who do not observe Ramadan, fasters advance completely foolish and ridiculous arguments. For Muslims who observe fasting, eating, drinking and smoking publicly is a kind of provocation against them, an impoliteness, a lack of manners! This prompts me to seriously ask myself a question! Is going after the non-fasting, for example, a form of respect, an act of love and tolerance and above all a sign of a good manners? The month of Ramadan as it is practiced today is like a kind of folklore imposing social norms that should be respected by everyone. The fact that people including those who are permitted by the religion not to fast, like the sick or travellers publicly break the fast is seen as a transgression of these norms and Ramadan folk laws. The latter generate a kind of psychological high among fasters. In short, no one has the right not to participate and everyone must make sure not to break this psychic "atmosphere"! To clarify the situation a bit, one has to look at what the law says. Indeed, there is no text that forces Algerians or foreigners to fast. However, non-fasters who eat publicly may be convicted under Article 144 bis 2 of the Algerian Penal Code. The first paragraph of this article states that "whoever offends the prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and the envoys of God or denigrates the dogmas or the precepts of Islam, whether in writing, drawing, statements or any other means is punishable by imprisonment of three (3) years to five (5) years and a fine of fifty thousand (50,000) dinars to one hundred thousand (100,000) dinars, or only one of these two penalties". Thus, not observing Ramadan could be considered a denigration of one of the precepts of Islam and that is why, in my opinion, the law remains ambiguous. Moreover, how else can we explain the forced closure of cafeterias and restaurants during the day. What is more, every year, non-fasters are arrested and sentenced,[1] like in 2010, 2013 and 2017. The reasons for the convictions are related to this article and to Article 2 of the Algerian constitution.[2] All this social pressure and the absence of a law that protects non-fasters put them in a dangerous situation that can imperil their security and individual freedom. For Sarah, "It's a daily struggle. The young Algerian woman doctor from Oran has not fasted for two years. "I am being hypocritical all day and pretending to observe the fast. That's why I do not feel myself. She adds that she "had a a ha moment in her life and no longer believes in the Islam practised nowadays", but "I have to keep quiet to avoid problems with my family, society and also with the State. The second young person who has agreed to speak out is Abdelaziz Lazreg,[3] a young student at the Philosophy Department in Algiers, a rebel against the backward thinking that reigns in the country. On the second day of Ramadan, he rebelled against the departments administration for closing coffee vending machines. "What this administration has done is inadmissible and it is an attack on individual liberty. We have foreign students at the university who are not Muslims and who have to continue their life like the other months of the year. In any case, I myself do not fast and I am not a Muslim and I have the right to feel free, to live in safety and to be protected by the law because I am first and foremost an Algerian citizen, but our State does not do anything for us minorities, so I have to rebel and wrest my freedom to be what I fully am." Unlike Algeria, which seems to be faithful to the Wahhabism imported into this country in the 1980s and 1990s and which has since become more established, Saudi Arabia has taken an incredible step in this area and without any legal ambiguity. According to a memo[4], rumoured to be from the Interior Ministry, MbS says non-fasters should be respected and not harmed. This memo, of course published in Arabic and intended for the Saudi vice police, concerns people who do not observe the fast and break it either in secret or in public. It says that this decision is consistent with a modern vision of Islam, respect for human rights and Vision 2030 advocated by the Crown Prince Mohammed ben Salman. In fact, the greatest preacher of Wahhabism and one of the emblematic figures of Salafist Islam just apologised to all those he misled by steering them to embrace Wahhabism.[5] Is that enough? In which direction is the Muslim world going? [1] Jugurta Namous, Alger : deux non-jeuneurs arretes par la police, ObservAlgerie, 17 June 2017, https://www.observalgerie.com/societe/alger-deux-non-jeuneurs-arretes-police/. Retrieved on 13 May 2019. [2] Jahus, Constitution de la Republique algerienne democratique et populaire (texte integral), ObservAlgerie, 26 March 2019, https://www.observalgerie.com/la-une/constitution-republique-algerienne-democratique-populaire/#2. Retrieved on 13 May 2019. [3] Abdelaaziz Lazreg, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004522716807. Retrieved on 13 May 2019. [4] Statement attributed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: the abolition of the penalty of breakfast in Ramadan (in Arabic), al-hadath, 8 May 2019, https://www.alhadath.ps/article/98617. Retrieved on 13 May 2019. [5] Cleric Faces Backlash for Claiming Saudi Arabia Represents True, Moderate Islam, Morocco World News, 8 May 2019, https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2019/05/272614/cleric-saudi-arabia-aid-al-qarni-moderate-islam/. Retrieved on 13 May 2019. Relatable: Vicky Walker on where the church needs to change its approach to relationships Relationships: they're a huge part of life. But has the church always got its approach right? Writer and speaker Vicky Walker thinks there's a lot about the church's teaching around singledom and marriage that needs to be updated for the modern age. She spoke to 1,500 Christians about their views and compiled her findings in her new book, Relatable. She speaks to Christian Today about why she wrote the book and what she's learned. CT: There's a huge amount of advice for Christians out there about dating, relationships and gender roles. What convinced you there was a need for another book, and how is yours different? Vicky: Despite society changing, the way Christians talk about men and women hasn't significantly moved on. It's often the same for relationships. It's common for Christians to be told their personal lives will unfold a certain way simply because of their faith often romantic fantasies are spiritualised, and advice proliferates without varying much. I wanted to look at what already existed, find out what had helped people or not and why. Exploring what people had been told to expect, what had actually happened and how they'd navigated that gulf seemed pressing when so many were reporting being harmed, not helped, by advice they weren't supposed to question. I also wanted to look at life as a whole rather than dating, being single, being married and so on as separate categories, and gather wisdom from people at different ages and stages. I felt we could learn from each other, rather than one person claiming to have all the answers. CT: The book's based on an extensive survey, The Real Life Love Survey. What are some of its findings? Was there anything that particularly surprised you? Vicky: Just 13 per cent of respondents had a relationship history they'd describe as "happy and straightforward", which meant the vast majority had experienced things they hadn't been taught to expect, and experiences varied a lot. Faith was important to the participants, for better or worse. Only 2 per cent believed God wasn't involved in their personal lives and almost nine in ten said they found it helpful to pray about relationships. The diversity of views was striking, as well as the evolution: 85 per cent said their faith had influenced their dating and relationship decisions but almost half said their views on how had changed. It was very clear people who call themselves Christians don't all have the same ethics. Understanding people may have read the same text and arrived at different conclusions is something the church struggles with, but assuming someone can't have a genuine faith because of this creates a lot of conflict and condemnation. CT: A lot of Christians assume that the Bible's teaching about sex and marriage is clear and set in stone. Are they right, or is there a bit more to say? Vicky: I deliberately didn't want to write a definitive book on 'how to' or not, but I did want to explore what was cultural or subcultural rather than directly related to faith. An odd mix of Old and New Testament, Victorian values and the 1950s seems to dominate teaching, with a lot of 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' stereotypes thrown in! The stories plucked from the Bible reflect the society they were written in, where, for example, women wouldn't have had a choice about marriage and men may have had multiple wives, but are rarely contextualised. Tracking the history of marriage from its origins to the present day demonstrated how much was historical rather than 'biblical'. Exploring how people could flourish rather than be damaged by teaching is vital, when so many have been hurt and even left faith behind. CT: Has today's church done a good job in helping people navigate sex and sexuality? Vicky: The short answer is no! Often advice is given by people who fall into the 13 per cent and the advice tends to be: Don't do it! Get married. Do it non stop! They're often in leadership too, and personify something it's assumed others can emulate, and should aspire to: easily-found, apparently trouble-free marriage with children and influence. I set out to write specifically about relationships between men and women and explore what 'healthy heterosexuality' could look like, rather than explore wider questions around sexuality, as this is the water we swim in. Seeing marriage as a promotion is deeply unhelpful but very common, and the lack of understanding about sex and bodies is often veiled in fear of sinning so there's little honest conversation. CT: What are the issues people struggle with and how is the church helping or hindering? Vicky: Much depends on life stage, and moving between situations. Single people can be assumed to either have no needs or to be desperate to marry! There are very few resources to help unmarried people who range hugely in age and experiences and little understanding of how relationships are formed and develop in the present day. More seriously, there can be an unwillingness to face the fact that churches are not immune to abuse and dysfunction. Indeed the opposite can be true: ready made excuses for domination, submission and forgiveness overruling personal safety. The pronounced gap between men and women is also a factor a number imbalance that can lead to poor behaviour as men feel 'spoiled for choice', and women are told they shouldn't look outside the church for potential partners. CT: You have a chapter on 'Girls and Boys and Women and Men and God' on the ways in which Christians have tried to prescribe how males and females ought to relate to each other. Why is there such an obsession in some circles with defining masculinity and femininity? Vicky: Because in some circles everything depends on it! Only men can lead, women should aspire to stay at home that's what God ordained. This sets the tone for how entire faith communities are structured, and what men's and women's lives will look like. Women are told to pray and wait, men to be active and 'take a wife' at the right time and both will then play out roles. While this may suit some people, it definitely doesn't suit all and shouldn't be presented as the right and only way. While pastors with significant platforms are still questioning whether women should have jobs where they can be a man's boss, or even if they are 'naturally' suited to being homemakers, it's a conversation that needs to be had as real lives are being affected. CT: You write a lot about the harmful effects of bad Christian teaching about sex. Has 'the world' got it any more right? Vicky: Does anyone have it 'right'? It's a deeply personal act that has been used since the dawn of time with many agendas. Mutuality has often been absent. A key difference between the church and 'the world' is the idea only one way can be right. Increasingly, bodies are being understood differently. There's growing acceptance of asexuality, for example, and factors that create or diminish sexual urges rather than assuming as many Christians were taught - that men have almost uncontrollable sexual urges and women have very few. Breaking down of stereotypes seems to come more easily outside of the church not necessarily more healthily, but with less insistence only one way is acceptable and of course, it's not tied to someone's eternal destiny, with the pressures that belief brings! CT: What should the church be saying about sex and relationships? Vicky: Well, the book has lots of suggestions! An important shift would be away from elevating marriage above other ways of living. Single Christians often feel overlooked and sidelined rather than supported and encouraged to flourish. Emotional health should be central to how church communities exist, with members trusted to develop discernment, responsibility to each other, cross-generational conversation, and outworkings of the fruits of the Spirit rather than a focus on 'follow the leader' front-led model. Each person will have a different journey and experience even the 'successful' ones and respecting that diversity is key. Everyone matters equally. 'Relatable' by Vicky Walker is out now from Malcolm Down Publishing priced 12.99. Vicky Walker is a writer, speaker and radio broadcaster fascinated by modern relationships and where faith fits in the world. She has presented BBC Radio 4's Daily Service and on Premier Radio. She also organises the Gathering of Women Leaders and a faith community for artists in London. She tweets as @vicky_walker and her website is https://vickywalker.info/books/ Six dead, including priest, in church attack in Burkina Faso An attack on a church in Burkina Faso has left six people dead, including the priest. The Catholic church was also burned down when dozens of attackers stormed the building in Dablo, in the north of the country, during mass on Sunday. Dablo mayor Ousmane Zongo told AFP news agency that villagers have retreated indoors in fear following the attack. "Armed individuals burst into the Catholic church ... They started firing as the congregation tried to flee," he said. "There is an atmosphere of panic in the town. People are holed up in their homes, nothing is going on. The shops and stores are closed. It's practically a ghost town," he said. According to the BBC, local residents accused soldiers in a nearby base of failing to respond promptly. Last month, a separate attack on a Protestant church in nearby Silgadji also killed six people, among them the priest and his son. An eyewitness told World Watch Monitor that the victims were killed after they refused to renounce their faith. "The assailants asked the Christians to convert to Islam, but the pastor and the others refused," the eyewitness said. Fides news agency reports that four people were killed in an earlier attack in April on a Catholic church in a village close to Silgadji. World Watch Monitor reports that a Spanish Catholic priest was killed by armed men, believed to be Islamist militants, while travelling to Nohao in the south-east from Togo. Burkina Faso has seen a wave of attacks by Islamist groups believed to have links to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Henri Ye, president of the Federation of Evangelical Churches and Missions in Burkina Faso, spoke out against the violence following last month's church attack. He said: "It's not only the church of Sirgadji that has been attacked; all the values of tolerance, forgiveness, and love that have always led our country have been hurt. The freedom of worship consecrated by our fundamental law [the Constitution] has been flouted." He added: "In the face of blind hatred, let us ask God to give us the strength to spread love, which makes us the children of God. The unity of the Body of Christ and of the whole nation must be preserved at all costs." Christians called to 'think, pray and vote' ahead of European elections Britain might be due to leave the European Union in a few months but Christians in the UK are being urged not to overlook the upcoming parliamentary elections. The Methodist Church, Baptist Union, United Reformed Church and Church of Scotland have issued a joint call to Christians to 'think, pray and vote' ahead of the elections. The UK will head to the polls on May 23, with Brexit dominating the agenda. In a briefing, the Churches said that although it was "easy to be cynical" about the elections, they raise a number of questions about democracy and the role of Christians as "active and engaged citizens". They acknowledged that the implications of the election results were "impossible to predict" but that it was even more important that Christians get out to vote in "uncertain" times. "As Christians, we are called to live and work for a better society, loving our neighbour and working for God's Kingdom of justice and joy. There are many ways in which we can do this. Voting in elections is one," the briefing reads. "Through voting we recognise our responsibility to participate in the political process, to show up and make our voices heard. This responsibility is even more important in volatile and uncertain times. "Christians will disagree in good faith about the right attitude as we approach polling day, and will vote for different parties. "However, living in a democracy as a disciple of Jesus, we are called to engage in the political process to seek justice, transformation and the wellbeing of our neighbour." The briefing includes a prayer that Christians can use in the run-up to the election and links to resources to help them think through the key issues. Rachel Lampard, leader of the Churches' Joint Public Issues group, said: "As elections go, this European election is unique. It could be that those elected may not take their seats, never mind serve a full term. "Many may question the point of voting, however as Christians, we are called to show up and make our voices heard even when it is difficult." Couples marrying today are least likely to divorce since 1960s Couples tying the knot today are at far lower risk of getting a divorce later on when compared to their parents, new research has found. The study by the Marriage Foundation found that only 35 per cent of marriages today are likely to end in divorce in the future. This is the lowest level of risk since 1963, when the lifetime divorce risk for couples marrying was 28 per cent. It is considerably lower than for couples who married between 1986 and 1989, when the lifetime divorce risk peaked at 44 per cent. The Marriage Foundation calculated the divorce rates using figures from the Office for National Statistics. The figures were released to coincide with the start of National Marriage Week, which runs until Sunday. Harry Benson, research director at the Marriage Foundation, said the difference in divorce risk between now and previous generations was down to changes in social expectations around marriage. "The huge fall in lifetime divorce risk shows that the current generation of newlyweds is far more serious about their commitment than their parents were," he said. "Couples who married in the 1980s and 1990s often did so because social and family pressure encouraged fragile cohabitees to take the next step before they were ready. That pressure to marry has now disappeared. "The result is that today's marriages are as strong as their grandparents were. But while marriage is on an upward trajectory, cohabitation remains as unstable and risky as ever. "The next challenge is how to encourage couples who don't marry to become similarly intentional." Sir Paul Coleridge, founder of Marriage Foundation and former high court judge, said the findings should inform government policy. "At the start of Marriage Week 2019, it is really heartening to have such clear evidence that divorce rates have been falling steadily and are now stable," he said. "The same is true of marriage rates. The single most important factor in a child's healthy development is the stable relationship of the parents. Informal cohabitation will never offer the same level of family stability as a committed relationship supported by a legal arrangement i.e. marriage. Cohabitation failure rates are three times higher. "If only governments could wake up to this evidence which year on year stares them in the face and unequivocally and fearlessly advocate the advantages of marriage a great many of the familiar cliched social problems we read about would decline. "Children, teenagers and the least well off would be the main beneficiaries but we would in fact all benefit." Deportation of Asia Bibi supporter from the UK delayed The deportation of a Pakistani Christian from the UK has been delayed as his lawyers prepare to launch a legal challenge. Azeem Wazir fled Pakistan in 2015 over fears for his life after he publicly criticised the country's blasphemy laws. In Pakistan, insulting the Prophet Muhammad is punishable by death or lengthy prison sentences and fines. Human rights campaigners have long protested that the laws are unjust and often abused by people seeking to settle personal grudges. Mr Wazir was involved in a campaign in Pakistan called 'Stop Killing Christians' and had spoken in support of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who spent eight years on death row for blasphemy before being acquitted last October. Even after her release from prison last November, Mrs Bibi had to go immediately into hiding because of threats to her life and was moved from one house to another as extremists went door to door trying to hunt her down. After a delay of several months, she was finally able to leave Pakistan last week and move to Canada, where she and her family have received asylum. Mr Wazir is being held in Colnbrook immigration centre near London and was told he would be deported last Friday. The deportation was postponed following public outcry and his lawyers are preparing to seek a judicial review. A petition on Change.org demanding that Home Secretary Sajid Javid stop the deportation has been signed by nearly 12,000 people. The petition describes Mr Wazir's fears for his safety if he is forced to return to Pakistan. "If Azeem is deported this week his family expect him to be incarcerated and charged with blasphemy which carries the death penalty. Azeem's own fear is that Islamic extremist networks will arrange for his murder," the petition reads. An update to the petition page says that the Home Office has delayed his deportation by four weeks. His supporters include the Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees and the Bishop of Bristol, the Rt Rev Vivienne Faull. Mr Rees said: "It is inconceivable that as Canada opens its doors to give Asia Bibi and her family safety, we are on the verge of sending one of her public supporters back to Pakistan where he faces clear and very serious danger. "Azeem is a valued member of the Bristol community and we are doing everything we can to try to make sure the Home Office reconsider this case." Bishop Faull said: "We know that the situation for Christians in many parts of the world is extremely difficult, and Pakistan is sadly no exception. "It's extremely concerning to see someone like Azeem being threatened with deportation at such short notice when his case clearly warrants fuller consideration." Persecution review must go beyond addressing Foreign Office 'blind spot' on Christian persecution A review into the Foreign Office's support for persecuted Christians must lead to concrete help for those who are suffering for their faith, a human rights campaigner has said. The review was launched by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in January and the findings are due out in the summer. An interim report released earlier this month found that levels of persecution against Christians is coming "close to meeting the international definition of genocide". Christian human rights campaigner Luke de Pulford told Christian Today it was important that the review do more than address the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's "blind spot" for the persecution of Christians. "Officials within our Foreign Office have a long track record of downgrading Christian suffering, giving it less priority than other persecuted groups," said Mr de Pulford, director of the Arise Foundation which supports trafficking victims. "The Foreign Secretary's review, while a positive step, must go beyond addressing the Foreign Office's blind spot to the suffering of Christians. "The Home Office and Department for International Development have the same blind spot, and it is they, arguably more than the FCO, who can actually offer concrete help." He said this "blind spot" could be seen in the Government's treatment of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian whose death sentence blasphemy was overturned last October. Despite protests from MPs, including Boris Johnson and Rehman Chishti, the UK Government refused to offer her asylum. Prime Minister Theresa May defended the Government's position in the House of Commons last week, telling MPs that it was "right and appropriate" to support Canada's offer of asylum. Mrs Bibi arrived in Canada last week where she was reunited with her daughters who had gone there out of fears for their safety following her acquittal by the Pakistani Supreme Court. Mr de Pulford accused the UK Government of being too afraid to offer her asylum. "Canada, which did so much for Asia Bibi, has held a dignified silence. Yet the countries which did so little for her, including the UK, are falling over one another to claim credit," he said. "Pretty remarkable given that so many were too fearful of reprisal attacks to offer her asylum and Britain actually refused it." A freedom of information request by Mr de Pulford revealed that Asia Bibi was not mentioned in diplomatic telegrams between Whitehall and the High Commission in Pakistan until after her acquittal - eight years after she was sentenced to death. Responding to the telegrams in The Sunday Times, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We have raised the Asia Bibi case with the Pakistan government for a number of years." It added: "All those who have campaigned on Asia Bibi's behalf, including in the UK, will be delighted at the news she has travelled freely and has been reunited with her family. The UK strongly supports global respect for freedom of religious belief." Houston-based Onit announced Monday that it's acquiring the legal technology company SimpleLegal. Founded in 2011, Onit created a cloud-based platform and a host of industry-specific products designed to help Fortune 500 companies automate and track employees' work. Legal management is among its areas of workflow expertise. SimpleLegal, based in Mountain View, Calif., also works in this space, combining vendor management, spending management, reporting and analytics in an easy-to-use platform for corporate legal departments. More on Onit: Growing Houston software firm lands $200 million investment "Today, corporations spend more than $160 billion on their in-house legal teams," Nathan Wenzel, CEO and co-founder of SimpleLegal, said in a news release. "The combination of Onit and SimpleLegal is a game-changer for the legal market and the future of legal operations." Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Eric Elfman, Onit CEO and co-founder, will be CEO of the merged organization. Wenzel will be general manager of SimpleLegal. Onit, which is privately held, has more than quadrupled its workforce in just under three years. Earlier this year, it announced raising $200 million in private equity to fuel its growth in new markets, products and deals. Elfman previously told the Chronicle that Onit's software addresses a fundamental need of companies: helping employees work more efficiently. Let's say someone in sales at a large Fortune 500 company wants to sell software to another company. That employee would email a lawyer asking for a contract. The lawyer would then create a contract and email it back to the employee. Adjustments and supervisor approval would also be through email. If a lawyer is working on 200 such contracts, it becomes difficult to track who is waiting on what and which questions remain unanswered. And if that lawyer leaves the company, all of the contract information could get lost once his or her email account is closed. With Onit, that salesperson opens a form through Onit and fills out a request. Onit will use the company's data and former contracts to automatically create a rough draft, which the lawyer will then finalize. Everything is saved in Onit, and everyone can access the contract in one central place. "Onit and SimpleLegal share both a passion for both disrupting the legal technology space and valuing product innovation," Elfman said in Monday's news release. "Our shared commitment to elevate legal operations technology is an asset for all of our customers." While Houston's unemployment rate has fallen by more than a third since 2005, the percentage of young adults living with their mothers has almost doubled. More than one in every five young adults in Houston live with their mothers, according to a Zillow analysis of Census data. by Melani Manel Perera Television operators invade the homes and privacy of survivors, they "must be educated in communications ethics". A comment posted on Facebook sparks new violence against Muslims in Chilaw. Survivors must be supported in the long run by specialist groups. Taking care of even the first responders, priests and nuns included. Colombo (AsiaNews) - Alongside the attempt to privately mourn and recover from the shock of friends and relatives killed in the Easter massacres, media and TV channels in Sri Lanka seek to exploit survivors "tales of tears", comments Ravindra Ranasinha, therapist and sociologist, with 17 years of experience in supporting traumatized minors and adults, women and girls victims of abuse and domestic violence, survivors of the civil war. Speaking of information channels, today the government blocked the use of social media after the violence unleashed yesterday against Muslims, their shops and mosques in the city of Chilaw. Already last week the faithful of Islam had fallen victim to another attack on Negombo. This time the dispute arose from a comment posted on Facebook, which read: "One day you will cry". The author of the post, 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar, was arrested. Meanwhile, yesterday the authorities arrested Islamic leader Mohamed Aliyar, 60, founder of the Center for Islamic Guidance. He allegedly links with Zahran Hashim, leader of the bombers and leader of the National Thowheed Jamath, who died in one of the explosions on April 21. Both would have explicit links with the Salafist-Wahhabi tradition, a doctrine underlying the ultra-conservative Sunni Islam professed in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Ranasinha is one of the experts who is criticizing the attitude of communications media - local and international - that "want to commercialize the pain of innocent victims", invading the homes of witnesses, violating their privacy and heightening fears and fears. Dr. Ranasinha is Research Director at the Research Center for Dramatherapy in Colombo and consultant for the program on the prevention of sectarian violence of the World Health Organization (WHO). He is currently working on a recovery plan and support for the victims of the attacks on Easter Sunday together with the team that assists the mental health unit of the Ministry of Health. Below, his interview with AsiaNews. Is it beneficial or healthy to narrate the tales of tears of the victims of the Easter Sunday bomb blast through the TV channels? TV channels should respect the dignity of the survivors, and the relatives of the victims of the bomb attack. By showcasing their grief, the TV Channels engage in a marketing business. It is about selling someones grief, in order to capture a large number of viewers. This, in turn, glamourizes violence. The trauma resulting from violence should not be exposed to the public. It is unethical in every sense. It damages the viewer, psychologically. These TV channels do not know that children and adults, who view this grieving, feel unsafe and insecure. It traumatizes them. We need to educate personnel in these TV channels about ethics, and that will help them to regulate their behavior. This kind of action violates the rights of all survivors, relatives of victims, and the viewers. The question of responsible and ethical reporting should be raised at this time when terror has taken grip of the mind of the total population in Sri Lanka. What could harm or damage their already wounded state of mind further? It can re-traumatize the survivors or the relatives of the victims. At the moment, the trauma is unbearable. TV Channels should understand what Trauma means. We got to know that these TV channels invade the houses of the victims, and ask them to speak about their experience. How many TV channels visit them like this? It is a burden for them. It is a pain. It re-traumatizes them. Some survivors and relatives spoke to me about this, and they told that finally they decided to close their doors, to stop these TV channels coming. Some children have become very angry due to this undue intrusive behaviour of TV channels. We need to respect these victims. They have borne enough, and we have to give them that space to be with themselves. They need to have space for breathing. They need to make sense of what really happened to them. It is the responsibility of the total society to respect this space of these victims. No one has the right to violate the privacy of the survivors, and the relatives of victims. The shock was unexpected and confusing. Also, we need to know that exposure to the suffering of others can re-traumatize the other survivors. Right now the whole society is traumatized. That is why, though the schools re-opened on the 6th May, only 10 percent of the student population attended school. Parents are scared and traumatized. Children are not in a state of mind to focus on classroom work. The whole society is wounded, and glamourizing violence through grief narratives makes the whole society damaged. TV presenters require a study on ETHICAL practices, and especially, on the psychology of the traumatized. What categories of people can help these victims to overcome their pain? The victims can be supported only by specialists: psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, creative arts therapists, and counsellors. Only these specialists will know to give Psychological First Aid, and conduct specialized interventions. When taking into account the current crisis situation, the Catholic priests and nuns have played a very vital role, in managing the situation. Pastoral assistance was rendered to the survivors, and to the relatives of the victims, from day one. It is a commendable practice. The Catholic community needs support from the leaders of their faith. What kind of steps will give real help to those victims to overcome their pain? We need to know that the pain is a result of three reasons: The incident was unexpected; The people were unprepared; It was an overwhelming experience. To overcome the pain, one has to work through it. Some people are quick in their recovery from the shock. The resiliency is high in those people. But there are others, who need support, to cope with the existing shock. The adults deal with their pain in a different way to that of children. Children may show signs of denial, anger, and silence. The shock has confused them, and they are not in a state to believe what has happened. Adults are angry, or they find it difficult to believe what happened to them. They are in a struggle to continue with life. Single parents find it difficult to manage their emotions, and they do not know how to give emotional support to their children. Culturally responsive practices are very helpful for people to recover from their pain. Especially, their faith plays a vital role. Their faith becomes the initial resource in working through their pain. They also need someone to listen to them. Children will need space to play, distract from the triggers, and stabilize them. Children can also get the support of their peers, in the school. If school friends can form into a strong supportive network, that can help the survivors. People in pain need accurate information about how to make a positive change in their lives. Their sense of safety and control can be strengthened by providing the survivor, and relative with accurate information, about what to do next, what is being done to assist them, what is currently known about the unfolding event, available services, and self and family care. What relief can the church bring to the victims? Church has already played a major role in supporting the survivors, and the relatives of the victims. From day one, the church was with the victims. They are supporting the victims, strengthening their confidence towards the faith, and towards themselves. The priests and nuns have ensured a secure environment for the victims. The church is trying to coordinate other support networks, in order to ensure that the victims are relieved in all aspects of their life. As we see, the church is functioning in a well-organized manner. What role can the government have? The state has a major role to assist the survivors, and the whole community, in general. Today, uncertainty and fear have crept into the whole population. In order to change this situation, the Mental Health Unit of the Ministry of Health has already taken action. I know this, as I am also a part of this process. The Ministry has joined hands with all the stakeholders available in this country. They have brought resource people from different disciplines to take action to address the crisis situation. How long will it take for these victims to recover? The biggest challenge is how the survivors and others going to deal with their pain and suffering. We have just passed two weeks from the incident, but the real psychological challenges will arise after 6 months. Loneliness, isolation, helplessness, and hopelessness will creep in and disturb their lives. Therefore, support systems should be in place for a minimum of 12 months. Continuous assistance should be given to increase their coping strength, make novel meaning to life, and have hope for the future. Specialized services should be available for them. That will help them in their recovery. When the support systems are in place, their recovery will be fast. What about the first responders, in this crisis situation? Yes, that is a very vital aspect in this situation. The priests, villagers, personnel from the police and tri-forces were the immediate witnesses of this gruesome attack. They need psychological support. Their trauma is just buried, and that may affect them personally. The people around them also will get affected, if the first responders are not healed. This is an aspect that the experts need to work on. James Prince, founder and CEO of Rap-A-Lot Records, will receive an honorary doctorate degree from Texas Southern University during commencement ceremonies Saturday. Prince, also known as J. Prince, will receive a Doctorate of Humane Letters at the 8 a.m. ceremony at the school's H&PE Arena. "J. Prince is a Houston icon, and his connection to Texas Southern is strong," TSU President Dr. Austin A. Lane said. "In honoring him with this degree, we are expressing our appreciation for his ongoing support, and we are sending a message to all of the TSU community that following one's dreams, against all odds, leads to great things." ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Houston is having a global pop-cultural moment Prince created Rap-A-Lot Records in 1986 and is known as a legendary entrepreneur and music mogul. Last year, Prince wrote his first book, The Art & Science of Respect, which talks about how he earned respect through heart, loyalty and commitment. Prince recently spoke to TSU students on campus about the lessons he learned throughout his career. Prince also has offered Rap-a-Lot internships to TSU students and established an endowed scholarship for TSU students. "The love and support shown to me when I visited TSU was tremendous," Prince said. "I'm honored to be able to give back to the university in a variety of ways, and I'm humbled to receive this degree." PREVIEW: Get experts picks for concerts, kids stuff, fine arts, movies and more delivered to your inbox weekly. Astros pitcher Justin Verlander and Papa John's are teaming up to save Houston area rescue dogs by training as them as service dogs for military veterans. Verlander's veteran-focused charity "Wins for Warriors" Foundation, trains rescue dogs at the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) as service animals and then matches them with military veterans. Through the charity's ADOPT. RESCUE. HEAL program, the dogs will help aid vets living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries or other service-related injuries. "We are honored to be a part of Justin and Kate's (Upton) mission that launched here in Houston in November 2018 at The Houston SPCA," Keith Sullins, President of Papa John's Houston said in the release. Sullins said four dogs have started the training and met with a group of Houston area veterans last month. The SPCA dogs that qualify for the program are trained by Ernie Rivera, a combat-wounded Iraq war veteran. Rivera specializes in training medical service dogs for military veterans and autistic children, per the release. RELATED: Astros' Justin Verlander, Kate Upton raise awareness for dog adoption The life-changing program started five years ago as an adoption event created by Upton and Verlander, according to the foundation website. Since its inception, the adoption awareness campaign has become an annual event. "Adopt. Rescue. Heal. brings our passions for getting shelter pets adopted and helping military veterans full circle," Verlander said in the release. "Kate and I couldn't be prouder to give these veterans their new service dogs, and give these dogs a home, a purpose, and a meaningful life." Those wanting to help donate to the cause and connect more rescue dogs with their new forever homes are in luck thanks to a sweet deal from Papa John's. The company said it will donate $1 to the charity when patrons use the promo code WARRIORS on any large pizza for $11, per the release. For more information or to donate to the ADOPT. RESCUE. HEAL. program, please visit the foundation's website. Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message A month after Royal Dutch Shell agreed to sell its stake in a major Gulf of Mexico asset to the Delek Group for nearly $1 billion, Equinor has stepped in to buy it from Shell instead. Shell was selling its 22.45 percent stake in the Gulf's Caesar-Tonga project, which came online in 2012, for $965 million in cash to Israel's Delek Group, but the sale was always contingent on the other Caesar-Tonga partners agreeing not to buy the stake. Instead, Norway-based Equinor decided to take advantage of its preferential rights and buy the stake for the same price, upping its ownership percentage from 23.55 percent to 46 percent, making Equinor the largest owner of the Caesar-Tonga project in the deepwater Gulf. "We are pleased to increase our presence in the U.S., one of our core areas," said Christopher Golden, Equinor senior vice president for international development. "This is an asset we understand well, and our larger interest will deliver significant additional free cash flow from day one." RELATED: Shell sells Gulf of Mexico stake for nearly $1 billion The Caesar-Tonga field is located 180 miles south of New Orleans in the Green Canyon area. While Equinor would be the largest owner of the project, the operator would still be The Woodlands-based Anadarko Petroleum. But Anadarko is currently being sold to Houston's Occidental Petroleum for about $38 billion after outbidding Chevron to buy Anadarko. So Occidental, which hasn't operated in the Gulf for several years, is in line to take over the leadership of the Caesar-Tonga project unless Oxy decides to unload the assets to potential buyers. Anadarko owns a 33.75 percent stake in Caesar-Tonga and Chevron has its 20.25 percent interest. Delek has looked to grow in the Gulf in recent years, but so has Equinor, which has grown in the deepwater Gulf since establishing a sizable position starting in 2005. Crude tumbled for a third day in a row as the escalating trade tiff between the world's two biggest economies dimmed the outlook for demand. Futures in New York fell 1%, joining a rout for equity markets. China announced higher tariffs on a range of American goods Monday, responding to new levies promised by the Trump administration after talks ended on Friday without a deal. That erased an earlier jump after Saudi Arabia said its oil tankers were sabotaged near the Persian Gulf on Sunday. "It's fears related to trade," said Stewart Glickman, an energy analyst at CFRA Research Inc. "Most of the incremental demand we expect to get in the oil market is supposed to come from the emerging market." PREVIOUSLY: Oil falls for third straight week as trade talks limp from D.C. West Texas Intermediate for June delivery sank 62 cents to $61.04 on the New York Mercantile Exchange at the close of trading, after earlier rising 2.7%. Brent crude for July settlement slid 39 cents to $70.23 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Beijing announced a new 25% tariff on almost 2,500 American products, including liquefied natural gas shipments. Markets recovered some of their ground after President Donald Trump indicated he'll speak with China's Xi Jinping at the end of June during the G-20 summit. Trump said he hasn't yet decided whether to follow through on a threat of further penalties against $300 billion in Chinese imports. Crude was not on China's tariffs list, but the flow of American cargoes to China has already been throttled. China imported 1.64 million barrels of American oil in the six months through March -- down from 60.5 million barrels in the prior six months. Four of the most recent saw no shipments at all. STRUGGLING: Weatherford to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Worries about demand overrode fears that tensions in the Middle East could be coming to a boil after the Saudis said two of their tankers were damaged in "a sabotage attack." The United Arab Emirates said a U.A.E. vessel and a Norwegian ship were also targeted off the Emirati port of Fujairah. Details remained sparse, however, with neither the Saudis or the U.A.E. saying exactly what happened or identifying potential culprits. The U.S. deployed an aircraft carrier, bomber planes and defense missiles to the region last week amid worsening friction with Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional rival. "It's all about uncertainty; whether it's a founded or unfounded rumor, the market does not like it," said Scott Bauer, chief executive officer at Prosper Trading academy in Chicago, who said increasing volatility in the market was opening up new trading opportunities. "There is a thought process about 'what else could happen next?'" --With assistance from James Thornhill, Sharon Cho, Alex Longley, Caleb Mutua and Pratish Narayanan. 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Friendswood Police Department A pair of Friendswood teens were allegedly robbed at gunpoint by two masked men in the driveway of a home May 8. Surveillance video shows the teens parked around 10 p.m. in a driveway at a home in the 200 block of Quaker Drive in Friendswood. The two masked men can be seen on video running up to the parked car and yanking open the passenger and driver side doors before police said they allegedly demanded cash and cell phones, according to a release from the Friendswood Police Department. As high school seniors near the end of their secondary school careers, plans for the future begin to take shape. Be it work, more school, joining the military or whatever the future may hold, seniors have one last milestone to complete getting diplomas at graduations ceremonies. Beginning Friday, May 24, and continuing through Wednesday, May 29, nine graduation ceremonies will be held for Katy ISD high schools. Leading the way at the graduation ceremonies will be the traditional top students the valedictorians and salutatorians. Katy ISD released the names of the top two students at the seven main campuses on Monday. These students have worked extremely hard from the very first day of their ninth grade year until the last day of their senior year, Katy ISD reported in a news release. Many of them are now moving on to prestigious colleges and universities throughout the nation. According to the district, the 2018-2019 valedictorians and salutatorians are: Cinco Ranch High School William Li Wang - Valedictorian, will attend Rice University and study chemistry. Nevin George - Salutatorian, will attend Yale University and study math and computer science. Katy High School Joshua Aman Dierker - Valedictorian, who will attend the University of Texas at Austin and study Computer Science. Sarah Catherine Hatcher - Salutatorian, who will attend the University of Texas at Austin and study Biology. Mayde Creek High School Owais Hyder Ghulam - Valedictorian, who will attend the University of Houston and study chemical engineering. Monica Arrambide Valdes - Salutatorian, who will attend Texas A&M University and study computer engineering. Morton Ranch High School Frederica Anna Kizek - Valedictorian, who Will attend Southern Methodist University and study biology on pre-med track and swim for the university. Bao Khanh Hoang Vu - Salutatorian, who will attend the University of Texas-McCombs School of Business and study international business. Seven Lakes High School Surya Indukuri - Valedictorian, who will attend Hofstra University and study bio-chemistry. Naveen Kumar Venkat - Salutatorian, who will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and study computer science and math. Taylor High School Lauren Mary Huyentran Nguyen - Valedictorian, who will attend the University of Houston and study biology. Sunny Ann Tang - Salutatorian, who will attend Harvard University and study chemistry. Tompkins High School Blake Austin Romero - Valedictorian, who will attend the University of Texas and study computer science. Kristi Zhang - Salutatorian, who will attend Cornell University and study engineering. The schedule for high school graduations in Katy ISD include: James E. Taylor High School 2 p.m. Friday, May 24 at Leonard E. Merrell Center. Katy High School 7 p.m. Friday, May 24, at Leonard E. Merrell Center. Mayde Creek High School 9 a.m. Saturday, May 25, at Leonard E. Merrell Center. Cinco Ranch High School 2 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at Leonard E. Merrell Center. Morton Ranch High School 7 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at Leonard E. Merrell Center. Obra D. Tompkins High School 2 p.m. Sunday, May 26, at Leonard E. Merrell Center. Seven Lakes High School 7 p.m. Sunday, May 26, at Leonard E. Merrell Center. Simon Youth Academy 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 29, at Katy Mills Mall. Martha Raines High School 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 29, at Morton Ranch High School. Patricia E. Paetow High School, which opened its doors in 2017, will have its first graduating class at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. rkent@hcnonline.com April 29 At 3:20 a.m., Officer Marcotte initiated a traffic stop in the 7800 block of IH 610 southbound on a 1991 Chevrolet pickup for failure to maintain a single lane of traffic. The driver showed signs of intoxication and was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI). At 12:42 a.m., Officer Vorhees initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for failing to maintain a single lane of traffic in an unsafe manner in the 7500 block of IH 610 southbound. During the investigation it was determined the single occupant of the vehicle was driving while intoxicated and was placed into custody for that charge. Officer Ortega assisted with this investigation. April 30 At 7:56 a.m., Officer Quimby was dispatched to the 100 block of Beverly Lane in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. Officer Quimby arrived at approximately 0801 hours. Unknown suspect(s) broke out the driver door window between 7:15 p.m. April 29 and 7:30 a.m. April 30 and removed a Smith& Wesson M&P Shield 40 caliber handgun with magazine. May 1 At 7:51 a.m., Officers Lysack, Lopez, Quimby, and Jenkins were dispatched to the 6000 block of IH 610 southbound in reference to a major motor vehicle accident where one of the vehicles had fled the scene. All involved vehicles were located and upon further investigation the driver who fled the scene was placed into custody and charged with fail to stop and give information. At 4:06 p.m., Officer Trujillo was dispatched to the 800 block of Circle Drive in reference to an identity theft. Upon arrival he spoke to the victim who stated an unknown person(s) used her information to install a high end security system in a different state. May 2 At 7:45 a.m., Officer H. Lopez was dispatched to the 5400 block of Pine Street in reference to a theft. The victim stated an unknown person stole the tires and rims off of his pickup truck sometime during midnights and 6:45 a.m. May 2. At 10:10 a.m., Officer Jenkins was dispatched to Walgreen drugs store at 5002 Bellaire Blvd. concerning a disturbance. Officer Jenkins arrived and made contact with a black male in a wheel chair. The subject exited to store but was still on the property yelling and causing a disturbance. The subject was given a criminal trespass warning in the past for the same thing and the store manager wanted to pursue charges on the subject At 7:53 a.m., Officer OSullivan was dispatched 5111 Bellaire Blvd. in reference to a theft of construction equipment. The investigation indicated the incident was theft, and the investigation is ongoing. At 7:09 a.m., Officers Quimby and Bailey responded to a call for criminal trespassing reported by Lt. Cotton at 4650 Bissonnet. Officers responded to the call and arrived about 7:13 a.m. Officer Jenkins assisted in this case suspect was arrested and sent to Harris County Jail Diversion Program per Harris County District Attorneys Office. At 11:38 p.m., Officer Ortega observed a vehicle stopped in the 4600 block of Laurel Street with the driver asleep behind the wheel. Officer Ortega made contact with suspect vehicle and the driver was placed into custody for driving while intoxicated. Officer Marcotte assisted in this case. May 3 At 6:29 a.m., Officers Quimby and Bailey responded to a burglary of a vehicle call in the 4900 of Wedgewood Drive. Officers arrived on location at 6:40 a.m. and met with the victim who stated unknown suspect(s) entered his vehicle parked in front of the location and rummaged through the vehicle taking coins from the console of the vehicle. At 5:48 p.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to the 6300 block of IH610 West Service Road in reference to a vehicle that smelled of marijuana. Officer Schwausch arrived on scene and made contact with a vehicle occupied by 4 males. Further investigation found the driver to be in possession of 5 Xanax pills and 6 grams of marijuana. The driver was arrested for and charged with possession of a controlled substance. A passenger (later determined to be a murder suspect) fled the scene and was caught after a brief foot chase. May 4 At 6:18 p.m., Officer Guerra was dispatched to the City of Bellaire City Hall lobby in reference to a report of theft in the 4500 block of Oak Street. The investigation indicated the incident was an instance of identity theft. May 5 At 1:37 a.m., Officer Younger observed a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of a church at 5001 Bellaire Blvd. Officer Younger contacted the occupants of the vehicle and an investigation was started to determine what they were doing. During the investigation it was discovered the owner of the vehicle was in possession of two checks written to a church that he was not supposed to have. The owner of the vehicle was charged with possession of identifying information and transported to the Bellaire Jail to be identified. The other three occupants were identified and released to their parents. Cpl. Clawson and Officers Clisham and Guerra assisted with this investigation. At 7:14 a.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to a burglary of a building in progress. Officer Liccketto met with a manager who stated the burglary happened at about 0630 hours. No entry was made into the building by the suspects. At 8:44 p.m., Officer Marcotte initiated a traffic stop in the 5600 block of IH 610 northbound on a 2018 Nissan for not having any tail lights on when required. The driver was found to be intoxicated, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI). At 6:24 a.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to the 4900 block of Beech Street in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. During the night, an unknown suspect opened one of the unlocked doors and took the reportees wallet. May 6 At 3:22 a.m., Officer Schwausch was patrolling the 7500 block of IH 610 southbound when he observed a vehicle speeding. Officer Schwausch initiated a traffic stop and made contact with the operator of the vehicle. Further investigation found the driver to be driving while intoxicated. The driver was charged with driving while intoxicated and transported to the Bellaire Jail without incident. Harris County District Attorneys Office declined charges of possession of marijuana. At 1:24 a.m., Officer Schwausch was patrolling the 5200 block of Bissonnet Street when he observed a vehicle make several traffic violations. Officer Schwausch initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and made contact with the driver. Further investigation found the driver to be in possession of 2 hydrocodone pills and 6 grams of marijuana. The driver was arrested for and charged with possession of a controlled substance. May 3 At 2:48 p.m., a police officer was dispatched to the 3600 block of Amherst, in regards to three dogs at large that attacked another animal. At 2:35 p.m. an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby for a complaint of forgery from a resident. May 4 At 1:52 p.m. an officer was dispatched to the 5400 block of Kirby for a complaint of an attempted burglary of a motor vehicle. Officers spoke to the victim at the scene and determined that the vehicles window was broken, but no items were taken. A criminal mischief report was generated. May 5 An Officer was dispatched to the 7800 block of the Katy Freeway to meet with a City of Memorial Village Department Officer who had a subject in custody for open warrants with the City of West University Place Police Department. The subject (Emma Chukwuemeka) was transported to the West University Jail and booked on the warrants without incident. May 6 At 9:45 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 3100 block of Albans in regards to a burglary of a building that already occurred. At 2:02 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in reference to a report of identity theft. May 7 An officer was dispatched to the 2700 block of Robinhood to speak with a complainant regarding a disturbance that had previously occurred. A police information report was generated. An officer was dispatched to the 6000 block of Kirby in reference to a theft report that had already occurred. May 8 Officers were dispatched to the 3900 block of Marlowe in reference to a disturbance in progress. After further investigation, it was found that an assault had occurred but both parties declined criminal charges. A police information report was generated. An officer observed a vehicle fail to signal in the 3900 block of Marlowe. A traffic stop was conducted and after further investigation, the driver (Michael Shaw) was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated. An officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regards to a report of Identity Theft. At 9:16 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regard to a walk-in report of identity theft. Officers responded to a burglary of a motor vehicle that already occurred in the 2700 block of Centenary. At 11:09 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a business located in the 2600 block of Bissonnet in regard to a burglary of a motor vehicle that had already occurred. An officer was dispatched to the 5800 block of Kirby in regards to a Burglary of a Motor Vehicle that had already occurred. An Officer discovered property from a subject that was arrested for an active warrant from the Fort Bend County Sheriff Officer, on 04/20/2019. The Officer contacted the Fort Bend County Jail and informed a Deputy about the property. The property was dropped into the West University Place evidence room for safe keeping. May 9 Officers were dispatched to the 3800 block of Sunset Blvd. in reference to a domestic disturbance. After further investigation, it was found that an assault had occurred, but the victim declined to pursue criminal charges. An officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regards to found property. The reportee dropped off an empty opened package that was found near the intersection of Westchester and Nottingham. Upon further investigation the package contents were found to be stolen. A theft report was generated. At 8:37 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence located in the 2600 block of Fenwood in regard to a report of a burglary of a motor vehicle that had already occurred. An officer was dispatched to the 2600 block of Bissonnet, in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle, which had already occurred. May 10 At 8:36 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence located within the 3100 block of Rice in reference to a theft that had already occurred. South Africa: Law enforcement lauded for election coverage The Justice Crime Prevention and Security cluster has commended the countrys law enforcement agencies for ensuring that last weeks National and Provincial Elections were held without any major incidents. On Election Day on Wednesday, 173 643 personnel maintained a heightened police visibility in all nine provinces. This emerged during a press briefing on Monday by ministers in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster following the conclusion of the elections at the weekend. Speaking on behalf of the cluster, Police Minister Bheki Cele said the election was largely major incident-free, with many voters exercising tolerance and patience. The deployed police officers and reservists conducted themselves with dignity and in a befitting manner which is consummate to their responsibility as law enforcement agents. SAPS also managed to contain the flaring of violence in the different priority areas (hotspots) especially in KwaZulu-Natal and North West as the cluster identified prior to the elections, the Minister said. The South African Police Service (SAPS) during and after last weeks elections arrested 24 people on charges ranging from electoral fraud to intimidation. A journalist and a community leader were among them. Etienne Mare, 52, and Malinda Halloway, 57, were arrested on Voting Day after they posted a video on social media claiming to have cast more than one vote. Cele said Mare and Halloway appeared in the Barberton Magistrates Court on 10 May on charges of contravening Section 88 (d) Voting more than once; Section 89 (i)(a) Intentional making a false statement, alternatively of fraud and Section 90(2)(a) Infringement of secrecy of the Electoral Act. Law enforcement agencies will leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to book, he said. The NATJOINTS, the minister said, announced the arrest of 22 suspects after attempting to vote for a second time. Nineteen suspects were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal of which 16 were alleged to have transgressed in Dannhauser, two in Hluhluwe and one in the Port Shepstone while the 20th suspect was arrested in Douglasdale in Gauteng, said Cele. He said the swift response in investigating and arresting all the suspects who are alleged to have committed electoral fraud is commendable. Another notable arrest last week was that of Pro Makhado Demarcation Task Team (PMDTT) spokesperson Arnold Mulaudzi. Mulaudzi was arrested on charges of contravening Section 87(1)(a) par. 2 & 3 of the Electoral Act, appeared in the Vuwani Magistrates Court on Thursday where he was released on R5000 bail. He is expected to reappear in court on 3 June 2019 In terms of crime in general during the election period, police registered 188 cases. Of these 203 suspects have been arrested and 53 cases are currently in court. Ninety-nine of these cases are under investigation while a further nine cases are currently with the Senior Public Prosecutor for decision. In the build up to the elections, government established the Intelligence Coordinating Committee (ICC) and conducted threat assessments and identified problematic areas on an ongoing basis. Both these aspects impacted on the risk rating of voting stations that was also reviewed on an ongoing basis. Although the problematic areas were fluid, depending on the circumstances at any given time, they remained located in specific clusters. Our success in ensuring stability in the country is as the result of the ongoing integrated effort of the NICOC, Cele said. Although incidents were reported in Vuwani during the election with voting stations being closed and then reopened after IEC officials were given assurances that they would be protected, the electoral process was able to proceed. However, the element of intimidation remained, Cele said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-05-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The patriarch Emeritus died on the night between 11 and 12 May. "The Maronite Church is an orphan and Lebanon is in mourning," says Card. Beshara Rai. Condolences from all the offices of the State and all religious communities. Beirut (AsiaNews) - The 76th Maronite patriarch, Card. Nasrallah Sfeir died at 3.30 am on the night between 11 and 12 May. The patriarch died three days before celebrating his 99th birthday and was admitted to the Hotel Dieu hospital in Ashrafieh a few days earlier for some lung and urinary tract infections. A few hours after the death of Card. Sfeir, Patriarch Beshara Rai issued a statement announcing the death of his predecessor and saying that now "the Maronite Church is an orphan and Lebanon is in mourning". The Council of Ministers decreed two days of national mourning, on May 15 and 16. On the day of the funeral, May 16, public and private offices will remain closed. Even Catholic schools will remain closed. Since yesterday, Bkerke, the seat of the Maronite patriarchate, has seen a succession of political and religious personalities come to offer their condolences to the Maronite Church and to Card. Beshara Rai. Condolences came from the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, and from Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The president of the parliament, Naby Berri has sent the deputy Ibrahim Azar. A visit to Bkerke was made by a delegation from Dar-el-Fatwa, on behalf of the Mufti of the Republic. In the two days of decreed mourning, the flags will be flown half-mast in front of the public offices. There will be silence in television broadcasts. Nearly 100 people are facing federal charges associated with an alleged sham marriage ring operated out of the Houston area, federal prosecutors said Monday. Law enforcement with several federal agencies investigated the ring for nearly a year, allegedly led by 53-year-old Ashley Yen Nguyen, AKA Duyen. Prosecutors claim individuals paid Duyen up to $70,000 to help organize illegitimate entry into the United States through sham marriages with United States citizens. Legitimate marriages between non-citizens and Americans typically grants the non-citizen the ability to live in the country legally, prosecutors say. In these cases, the marriages were propped up sometimes bolstered by fake wedding photos as Duyen and others made off with thousands of dollars. "Marriage fraud is a serious crime," U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services District Director Tony Bryson said in a press release. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: School police officer fights back since Santa Fe shooting In many cases, indictments allege that those who participated in sham marriages often did not live together nor did they intend to. The couple would usually meet only moments before being married, prosecutors said. Duyen allegedly worked with a network of U.S. citizens who agreed to get married to those who paid Duyen, often receiving compensation and even going on to recruiting more and more participants, prosecutors said. Workers in the alleged scheme who processed payments were also charged, authorities said. Pearland attorney Trang Le Nguyen, AKA Nguyen Le Thien Trang, 45, was also charged in the 206-count indictment after helping with paperwork on at least one of the fraudulent marriages, prosecutors said. Nguyen is also accused of tampering with witnesses by telling them to go into hiding after they spoke with law enforcement during the investigation. "By working together with our partners from various federal law enforcement agencies we have sent a resounding message that we are united in our effort to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations that seek to circumvent U.S. law by fraudulent means," Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson said. FROM 2017: Nigerian woman sentenced in marriage fraud scam that led to 11 convictions In all, 96 people were indicted on a variety of charges, including marriage fraud, mail fraud, immigration fraud and giving false statements under oath, prosecutors said. Those charged with mail fraud could face up to 20 years in prison, while a marriage fraud charge has a maximum penalty of five years. The other charges all have a 10-year prison sentence maximum penalty. 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 Last December, as a deputy was patrolling Unit 4 of the Weld County Jail in Greeley, Colo., he picked up some interesting chatter between two inmates. They were planning a pizza party. Most of the talk was coming from Billie Allen, a 32-year-old from Canon City, Colo., whose face and neck were swirled with tattoos. At the time, he was facing 17 charges from three active criminal investigations, including felony weapons possession to drug possession, according to the Greeley Tribune. As the deputy listened in, Allen reportedly ranted about how the county's district attorney, Michael Rourke, was overcharging him. Citing recently released court documents, the Tribune reports Allen allegedly boasted he was planning a pizza party for Rourke. Cryptically, he said it would happen at 2:11 a.m. "I'm going to make sure something happens," Allen told his fellow inmate, as the deputy listened in. "I'm going to make sure I have a pizza delivered to him. He's going to get that f------ pizza." The talk about pizza parties and timing may have sounded trivial to unaccustomed ears, but law enforcement in Colorado knew to listen closely for the coded subtext in Allen's talk. He was allegedly a member of a violent white supremacist prison gang called the 211 Crew. In 2013, the gang had shocked the country when a recently paroled member, posing as a pizza delivery man, killed a Colorado prison official. Prosecutors now believe Allen was concocting a similar fatal attack for Rourke. According to the Associated Press, last week Allen was charged with solicitation of first-degree murder, in part thanks to investigators' hunch that the "pizza party" Allen was planning would end in bloodshed. The gang's origin stems from the violent racial divisions splitting most American lockups. According to the Denver Post, in 1994, Benjamin Davis was being held in a Denver-area jail while he awaited a criminal case to go forward on robbery charges. The Post reported that Davis was put into a cellblock for violent offenders, where he was one of only five white inmates housed with 60 African Americans. Davis was reportedly jumped by two African American inmates, who beat him with a sock stuffed with bars of soap. The attack left Davis with both a broken jaw and the realization that white prisoners needed to band together to protect themselves. More for you Texas prisons change policy after lawmaker's request to end final written statements "His perception was that the Hispanic jail population and the African-American jail population were well enough organized that they could protect each other against assault or homicide attempts by other race members," a psychologist wrote in court documents, according to the Denver Post. "He became convinced that if he was going to make it in prison, he would need to organize enough people of similar beliefs that they could protect each other from the Black and Hispanic gangs." The 211 Crew, which takes its name from the California penal code number for robbery, was initially a ruse. Sentenced to 30 years for robbery in the mid-1990s, Davis and three other white inmates scrawled "211 Crew" with bars of soap across jailhouse walls to create the impression the gang boasted a large number of members. But reality soon outpaced the fantasy, with other white members asking Davis and his associates to join the gang. According to the Denver Post, the 211 Crew began incorporating Irish, Viking and Nazi symbols into their identity. By 2005, the state believed the gang had 300 inmates. A 2011 report by Denver Westword dove into the gang's daily activities. 211 Crew members raped and attacked gay inmates and sex offenders and demanded payment from other white prisoners as tributes for living under their protection. "All of these people were paying rent and being beaten," a former inmate told Westword. "If you were smaller, or suspected of being gay, or a pretty-boy type - anything of that sort got back to them." Gang members who were released were expected to make money with drugs and weapons trafficking, and then to funnel the proceeds back to members still in prison. "The expectation of this gang was clearly once you affiliated with this organization you would remain affiliated, and our information clearly indicated that breaking from them could result in retaliatory violence," a law enforcement official told the Denver Post in 2005. In 2007, Davis and other members of the gang's leadership were convicted of racketeering, assault, conspiracy and solicitation to commit assault, leading to 108 years total in prison. (Davis later committed suicide while incarcerated in 2017). But the 211 Crew's violence continued. In early 2013, an alleged 211 member named Evan Ebel was accidentally paroled early from prison after serving a six-year sentence for felony menacing, robbery and assault. According to the Denver Post, in March 2013, Ebel is believed to have killed a Domino's pizza delivery man in Golden, Colo. for his company jacket. Two days later, Ebel, posing as a pizza delivery man, knocked on the door of Tom Clements, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections. Ebel opened fire, killing the 58-year-old Clements, and fled. Ebel, 28, was killed two days later in a shootout with Texas police. Due to his death, investigators have never established whether Clements's execution was ordered by 211 Crew higher-ups. Authorities now allege Allen was similarly was hoping to stoke fear and elevate his own status within his gang when he plotted the prosecutor's death. According to the Greeley Tribune, Allen was planning to coordinate with another inmate who would soon be released from the Weld County Jail for Rourke's pizza party. Investigators also learned that Allen had reportedly said if he could not arrange for the attack, he planned to bite the prosecutor's face on the first day of his upcoming trial, which was originally scheduled for Feb. 11. Murdering the prosecutor, Allen believed, would scare off other district attorneys from pursuing long prison sentences for 211 Crew members. Now, if convicted of plotting the attack, Allen faces up to an additional 24 years in prison. He is scheduled to appear before a judge on June 18. by Bernardo Cervellera The interview with Card. Parolin was published yesterday evening at 11.53pm on the Global Times website. For the publisher it is a sign of "positive developments" in China-Vatican relations. Card Parolin sends a fraternal embrace above all to "those who have suffered the most and continue to suffer". Vatican City (AsiaNews) - A photo of Pope Francis smiling, an ambitious headline ("Pope Francis sees China as a great country, says a cardinal"): This is the front page article on the Global Times, the Beijing newspaper, linked to the "People's Daily," the official organ of the Chinese Communist Party. It is the first time in the history of the newspaper, and perhaps of China, for such a wide-ranging interview with a cardinal and whats more, the Vatican Secretary of State, Card. Pietro Parolin. The publisher's note explains that it is "a sign of positive developments in China-Vatican relations" confirmed by the "peaceful recent Easter celebrations" - perhaps with reference to the tensions successfully avoided in Mindong - and the "Vatican representation at the International Horticulture Exhibition". The interview is by Francesco Sisci and Zhang Yu. Sisci is the journalist who interviewed Pope Francis about China three years ago, in a conversation that touched on everything except the situation of the Church in China. This time, however, Card. Parolin speaks of some problems experienced by the Church in China and also hints at the intentions underlying the Sino-Vatican agreement, for the " for the benefit of the entire Chinese Catholic community, which I embrace fraternally - above all those who have suffered most and continue to suffer." The first question in the interview focuses on how the Sino-Vatican dialogue proceeds. The Secretary of State underlines that there is a "an increased trust between the two sides" and states that this dialogue - according to the teaching of Pope Francis - does not want to discuss theories concerning the respective systems instead we are looking for practical solutions which concern the lives of real people who desire to practice their faith peacefully and offer a positive contribution to their own country. The second question concerns "opposition" to this dialogue. The interviewer quotes "opponents within the Church". In reply, Card. Parolin finds it obvious that there are "criticisms", and they "may arise in the church or in China or from elsewhere". Indeed, it is well known that the strongest (and most violent) criticism of the agreement comes from China itself, and from the Religious Affairs Office and from the United Front, which are implementing a campaign of control over bishops, priests, places of worship , "Despite the Sino-Vatican agreement" (as stated by their proclamations). Card Parolin observes ", it seems to me human and Christian to show understanding, attention and respect for those who express such criticism... Many questions still need to be addressed and we are facing them with willingness and determination ". The desire is to "find enduring solutions, which are acceptable to, and respectful of all concerned ". The Cardinal also cites criticisms of a completely different kind: those which come from prejudiced positions and which seem to seek to preserve old geopolitical balances ". For the publisher this is the most interesting part, which gives the title to the whole interview. The Cardinal says: " For Pope Francis - who is well aware of all that has happened even in the recent past - the main interest in the ongoing dialogue is on the pastoral level: he is making a great act of trust and respect for the Chinese people and their culture of millennia, with the well-founded hope of receiving an equally sincere and positive response." Further on - in response to the seventh question - Card. Parolin reiterates that Pope Francis "sees China not only as a great country but also as a great culture, rich in history and wisdom. Today China has come to arouse great attention and interest everywhere, especially among young people." And he hopes that China "will not be afraid to enter into dialogue with the wider world " and will be able to overcome mistrust and build a more secure and prosperous world ". The cardinal's words recall those of Pope Francis in the letter he sent to Xi Jinping in 2014, when the pontiff expressed his positive vision towards China and towards a multipolar world, which concluded with the parable of a world subjugated by one superpower. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the interview with Card. Parolin was published a few hours after the failure of trade negotiations between the United States and China, in which two styles and two ways of seeing the international economy clash. Keeping to the more strictly ecclesial, it is important to point out the difference between "inculturation" and "sinicization". With regards the first term, Card. Parolin quotes Matteo Ricci and recalls that it is a presentation of faith " according to the particular experience of each people and culture". Sinicization - but this is not explained in the interview - is a campaign launched by the Party to submit religions to Chinese culture to make them instruments of the Party itself. The Secretary of State asks the Chinese leadership the ability to reaffirm their willingness not to undermine the nature and the doctrine of each religion". Expressing the possibility that through dialogue inculturation and sinicization "can be complementary", he claims that "the main actors of this commitment are Chinese Catholics" (and not the Party or the United Front). The answers to the fourth and fifth questions trace possible fields of collaboration between the Holy See and China. The Cardinal cites peace, the fight against poverty, environmental and climatic emergencies, migration, the ethics of scientific development and the economic and social progress of peoples. It is of primary importance for the Holy See that in all these areas the dignity of the human person be placed at the center, beginning with the real recognition of his or her fundamental rights, among which is the right to religious freedom, and the common good, which is the good of each and everyone". Asked for a "what he would say" to "political leaders", the Cardinal asked them "not be afraid to lift their gaze, beyond immediate success, to seek lasting and far-reaching solutions without preconditions which can contribute to building a more humane, more just and more worthy future for everyone. The penultimate question, the sixth, asks the Card. Parolin to share "his most powerful and beautiful memory" of all these years of dialogue with Chinese representatives. The Cardinal replies saying that the most beautiful occasions were "spent moments of familiarity and friendship together, allowing us to get to know one other and to appreciate each other more and, in the end, to share the humanity that unites us beyond the differences that exist between us. "These are situations - he concluded - that have a profound value in themselves, but which were also useful in creating a more favorable atmosphere during the negotiations." WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ran for office vowing to extricate the United States from entanglements abroad. But his administration now finds itself juggling three national security crises overseas - with Iran, Venezuela and North Korea - while confronting China over a possible trade war. The situation, partly a function of uncontrollable events, is also the result of Trump's "go big or go home" approach to foreign affairs, which has led his administration to apply "maximum pressure" to multiple nations simultaneously, rather than prioritize one over the other or take incremental steps. The maximalist tactics at times have raised the prospect of big breakthroughs, ones that Trump hopes to take to the campaign trail for his re-election, particularly when it comes to North Korea. At the same time, it has brought what former policymakers describe as a greater risk of crises and miscalculations, as well as possible distractions from the primary goal of the administration's national security strategy: countering Russia and China. "The president's apparent tendency to brinkmanship brings with it a degree of danger - and it's even more dangerous when it's combined with a pattern of bluffing," said James Dobbins, a former top diplomat who is now a senior fellow at the Rand Corporation. Whether Trump is willing to pursue military action, which he and his aides have referenced in public remarks, is a looming question. He has long been a vocal skeptic of American military force abroad and at times has expressed concern about the more hawkish impulses of his national security adviser, John Bolton. Strategy experts cite the risk of overextending U.S. rhetoric in conflicts with possible military outcomes if the president isn't willing to back words with actions. "It's kind of like the not terribly capable bully, who likes pushing people around and teasing them, but when push comes to shove, is nervous to actually get into a bar fight," said Mara Karlin, a former Pentagon strategist during the Obama administration and a professor at Johns Hopkins University. Trump administration officials dispute that the president is engaging in any reckless brinkmanship. They point out that Trump and his top advisers primarily voice Washington's desire for peaceful resolutions to the confrontations in North Korea, Iran and Venezuela, and note that he has reinvigorated the diplomatic track with Pyongyang, brokering the suspension of menacing intercontinental ballistic missile tests. This past week, Trump extended an olive branch to Iran, saying "I'd like to see them call me," even as his top aides lambasted the country and the U.S. military said it would respond to any attack on American interests with unrelenting force. "The administration continues to leverage diplomacy, pursue economic pressure, and enforce existing laws to deter malign actors seeking to threaten stability and security," a senior administration official said in a statement. "The United States, though, remains prepared to respond to any threats against America or our allies." The official defended the efficacy and rationale of the administration's approach. "The United States is responding to legitimate threats against America and our allies and partners with highly effective maximum pressure campaigns," the official said. The possibility that Trump's resolve could be tested has increased in recent days. In Asia, progress in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un showed signs of backsliding, as the United States seized a North Korean vessel allegedly used for evading sanctions and suspended efforts to recover remains of American military personnel killed during the Korean War. Pyongyang, for its part, carried out new short-range missile tests, raising the possibility of a return to intercontinental ballistic missile testing it suspended after talks with Trump. In South America, top administration officials suggested the possibility of military action against Venezuela after a failed insurrection by the U.S.-backed opposition took officials in Washington off guard. The U.S. military sent a hospital ship to the nation's coast in between preparing for contingencies should Nicolas Maduro's government fall. Perhaps the most concerning developments arose out of the Middle East. A year after Trump pulled out of the Iranian nuclear accord, Tehran announced that it would stop complying with some elements of the agreement, promising to enrich uranium to a higher level than allowed under the treaty. The decision once again raising the threat of nuclear proliferation in one of the most unstable parts of the world. Meanwhile, the Pentagon dispatched a carrier strike group, a bomber force and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East after receiving intelligence suggesting that Iran could be preparing an attack against U.S. troops or interests in the region. As the crises with North Korea, Venezuela and Iran unfold, one risk is that the Trump administration will lose focus on a national security strategy that calls for concentrating primarily on countering Russia and China. In recent weeks, Trump's top national security officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Bolton, have spent most of their public messaging time talking about those three situations rather than about longer-term threats. James Carafano, a scholar at the Heritage Foundation, said he didn't see the developments as a drift away from the strategy, but rather as inevitable confrontations, noting that the strategy shift was less about abandoning them and more about lessening focus on transnational terrorism. "A big part of Venezuela is the U.S. showing the Russians and the Chinese it's going to maintain dominance in the Western Hemisphere," he said. "Iran is always part of the mix because it's the chief destabilizer in the Middle East. And North Korea directly threatened the United States." A senior State Department official said dealing with these brewing crises hasn't taken away from the Trump administration's focus on Beijing and Moscow. The United States has tried to curb the expansion of Chinese firms such as Huawei and China Mobile, albeit with mixed success. Washington has called out the alleged mistreatment of China's Muslim minority population and blocked certain Chinese investments. The State Department official noted the wide array of sanctions against Russia for interfering in the 2016 election, poisoning a former Russian spy in Britain and intervening in Ukraine, though the punishments largely came at the urging of Congress. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss administration strategy. The Trump administration has worked relatively closely with allies on its approach to Venezuela, but it has broken with allies in Europe over Iran and at times has clashed with South Korea over how to handle talks with the Kim regime. "The world is changing, and the United States' ability to manage things in the way it used to, believing we had the wisdom and the foresight and the resources to tackle all things simultaneously, and other countries were inclined to go along, that's definitely changed," said Chris Preble, vice president for foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute. Against the backdrop of confrontations with North Korea, Venezuela and Iran, Trump has also been applying economic pressure to China, most recently hiking U.S. tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods. Apart from a high-profile strike on Syrian leader Bashar al Assad's air force in 2017 over chemical weapons use, and the continuation of operations in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, Trump has largely been skeptical of taking new military actions. With China, however, he has demonstrated a comfort with employing blunt economic force. "The one source of some comfort is that Trump does seem to be risk averse when it comes to military action, and I'm sure the U.S. military are reinforcing him in that regard," Dobbins said. "The more dangerous of these situations in the short to medium term is probably the Chinese one, since that's an area where he has been less risk averse." --- The Washington Post's Carol Morello contributed to this report. A Florida woman was arrested last week after her daughter's school found "hundreds of bugs" in the girl's backpack, a report said. According to the Pensacola News Journal, Jessica Stevenson, 33, has been charged with five counts of child neglect. Staff at her childrens school contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families after noticing her kids poor hygiene. An arrest report said that a school employee noticed that a girl had been wearing the same clothes to school for an entire week in April and said that hundreds of bugs crawled out of the students backpack in the lunchroom. When deputies visited Stevenson's home, they discovered an infestation of roaches, broken windows and bags of trash throughout the home and yard, the report said. The roaches were on nearly every surface in the home including on the childrens mattress, in the pots and pans in the kitchen, and inside the cabinets/fridge," the report stated. The report also said there was no edible food in the home, but it did note that Stevensons bedroom was abnormally clean. Stevenson was released from the Santa Rosa County Jail Saturday on a $2,500 bond. The children have been removed from her care. ALBANY Mayor Kathy Sheehan is visiting Israel this week as part of a trip organized by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the American Jewish Committees Project Interchange. The mayors' conference asked Sheehan to join the trip; she will return to Albany this weekend, said spokesman Brian Shea. I am eager to learn more about how other cities are innovating around economic development, neighborhood revitalization, and the celebration of cultural heritage, and look forward to bringing those best practices back to Albany, Sheehan said in a statement released by her office. According to the American Jewish Committee, the trip is intended to give the mayors a firsthand understanding of Israel. The group will meet with Israeli and Palestinian business and political leaders as well as visit cultural and historic sites through out Israel. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti will lead the U.S. delegation. Other mayors on the trip include Rick Kriseman from St. Petersburg Fla., Michelle de la Isla from Topeka, Kan., and Shane Bemis from Gresham, Ore. All the mayors except Bemis are Democrats. This is Sheehans third foreign trip as mayor. She visited London in October 2015 and visited Nijmegen, Albanys sister city in the Netherlands, in September 2017. This is the third trip to Israel organized by the American Jewish Committee and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The groups formalized an agreement for an annual trip earlier this year. Global firms benefit as cannabis sector escalates Law firms are reaping the rewards of the legalisation of the recreational cannabis sector in Canada and its potential for growth as other jurisdictions relax laws, especially for medicinal use. Baker McKenzie has announced its role in a significant transaction in the sector, the U$200m cross-border public offering by Canadian firm CannTrust Holdings Inc. The transaction was under the Multijurisdictional Disclosure System established between Canada and the United States. Baker McKenzie acted as Canadian counsel to a syndicate of US and Canadian underwriters led by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse and RBC Capital Markets as the lead bookrunners. A hotel worker in southern Germany knocked on a door Saturday morning, and when the guests did not answer, the worker opened up the three-bedroom suite to find a grisly scene. Three bodies, all pierced with crossbow bolts. The triple murder has vexed authorities in Bavaria, and the trail has led hundreds of miles away to the city of Wittingen, in Lower Saxony, where police searched the apartment of a 30-year-old woman found dead in the hotel. Two other dead women were found in Wittingen on Monday, Lower Bavaria police said in a statement, but they did not say whether the women were attacked with a crossbow. Their identities and connections to the victims in Passau, Bavaria, are unknown, police said. More for you Woman shot with crossbow after she opened door to a 'deliveryman' The body of the 30-year-old woman was found on the floor of the hotel room, police said, and a 53-year-old man and 33-year-old woman were lying together on the bed. All three were German citizens. The man and the woman were holding hands, The Associated Press reported. An unused crossbow was found in a bag inside the room, police said Monday. Two other crossbows were found Saturday. Police have not shed any light on whether the killings in the two cities are connected or whether they have any leads. "We assume that no other people were involved in the deaths of the three," Lower Bavaria police spokesman Stefan Gaisbauer said, according to the AP. Autopsy reports are expected Tuesday. It is difficult to obtain firearms in Germany, but anyone over 18 years old can legally buy a crossbow, the AP reported. - - - The Washington Post's Rick Noack in Berlin contributed to this report. Tadmore, whos internationally recognised as a leading tax lawyer, is known for his work on tax disputes, international tax, transfer pricing, and revenue authority engagement. He is a vice president of the International Fiscal Association, a member of the Australian Tax Offices Dispute Resolution and APA Working Groups, and a member of the NYU International Tax Program Practice Council. Joe Goldman, joint leader of the Jones Day tax practice, which the whole team joins, said that the firm is excited to welcome the outstanding group of lawyers to the global tax team. Our multinational clients are facing more complex tax disputes, with increasing cooperation among revenue authorities. Niv is a widely respected and seasoned tax dispute resolution lawyer, and our new Australian tax group is routinely involved in high stakes cross border tax controversy for leading corporations, he said. They share our client-driven focus. We look forward to working with them to offer our clients even more innovative solutions to their challenges. Tim L'Estrange, partner-in-charge of Jones Day's Melbourne office, noted Tadmores reputation around the world as a tax controversy expert. Needless to say, in todays global tax environment, clients need independent legal advice on how to deal with increasingly complex global tax regimes. In joining Jones Day, Niv and his colleagues will work with an exceptional group of tax professionals, he said. Niv and his team bring experience and insights and will be invaluable resources for our local and global clients. A woman was killed Monday after slamming into a pole along the Metro Rail tracks in north Houston, according to Metro Video. She was traveling north on Fulton around 1 a.m. when she lost control near Patton, Metro Video reported. He was traveling at a high rate of speed and slammed into the Metro Rail pole, police said. CONROE An indicted priest pleaded not guilty Monday to charges stemming from allegations of child sexual abuse at a Conroe parish, Montgomery County officials said. Former Sacred Heart Catholic Church cleric Manuel La Rosa-Lopez quietly entered his plea on two counts of indecency with a child and left the 435th District Court in Conroe with his legal defense team through a side door without commenting on the case. The two charges stem from an accuser who said the priest sexually abused her at least twice in 2000 while he was assigned to the nearby church on Frazier Street. A grand jury has not yet convened on two additional counts of indecency with a child involving a male accuser at the same parish, according to officials. He could face anywhere from two to 20 years in prison on the charges if convicted. The widening probe into La Rosa-Lopez has garnered more documents than is typical for a sexual assault case, District Attorney Brett Ligon soon after the priest appeared in court. About 16,000 records were seized during four search warrants conducted in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend County, Ligon said. Churches in Conroe and Richmond and a clergy rehabilitation facility in Splendora were among the first facilities that law enforcement officials entered after the priests Sept. 11 arrest. The largest cache of records were hauled out of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston headquarters in downtown Houston. 'CREDIBLY ACCUSED': 42 priests named with abuse claims on Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston list Sixteen thousand documents on a white-collar case is not extraordinary at all, Ligon said. But he added, Sixteen thousand documents on a sexual assault case would be a lot of documents. The cache of records is unusual, Ligon also noted, because a sexual assault case typically depends on victim statements, physical evidence and reports based on that evidence to go through. Ligon attributed the massive amount of discovery to the number of search warrants that followed the priests transfers from parish to parish. La Rosa-Lopez was most recently assigned to St. John the Fisher Catholic Church in Richmond. At least four accusers have come forward to lodge complaints against La Rosa-Lopez and two of their allegations have resulted in the criminal charges. A third accuser has said La Rosa-Lopez, then a seminarian in 1992, had inappropriate contact with him at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Houston, while a fourth person in April launched a civil suit against the Conroe church that alleged that the priest exposed his genitals to him in a confession booth in 2000. Ligon declined to discuss the allegations lodged by the third and fourth accuser. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Prince of Peace priest in child sex investigation asks to resign The hearing on Monday brought La Rosa-Lopez into the courtroom for the first time since January, about three weeks before the archdiocese identified him as being one of two priests under investigation for child sex abuse claims. The second priest, John Keller, last week asked to resign from Prince of Peace Community Catholic Church in north Houston. La Rosa-Lopez is slated to return to court on July 15 for a plea acceptance. 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 Outside the courtroom were members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests to show their support for the accusers and encourage others to come forward. The priest's decision to plead not guilty was "the status quo," said Carol Midboe, head of the group's Austin chapter. She declined to discuss in depth the allegations by a female accuser that sparked the charges, citing the ongoing criminal investigation and "a possible civil suit to follow." nicole.hensley@chron.com A court date for Maleah Davis' mother's live-in boyfriend on Monday turned into a volatile scene as protesters chased the missing girl's mother out of the Houston courthouse and down the street, alleging that she was just as complicit in her daughter's possible death. Text HOUSTON to 77453 to get breaking news alerts by text | Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. At least a dozen people, some bearing signs and T-shirts declaring "Justice for Maleah," had arrived for an initial court appearance for Derion Vence, the boyfriend accused of tampering with a human corpse in the four-year-old's disappearance. His court date was reset, but the protesters and reporters swarmed mother Brittany Bowens when she walked out of court with community activist Quanell X. CLUES: Police find blood linked to Maleah Davis in family's apartment Bowens stood back when Quanell X spoke, shaking as tears rolled down her cheeks. "The main thing right now that all of us want to know is, what did he do with Maleah?" Quanell X said. The protesters drowned out Quanell X as he spoke to reporters. "Why isn't she locked up?" one yelled. "She let it happen," another said, referencing Bowens' admissions on Friday that she knew Vence might have been abusing and molesting her daughter. After several minutes, Quanell X and Bowens walked down the hallway of the courthouse. Protesters followed, chanting, "Justice for Maleah!" Several people yelled while tailing the mother down the street. One person handed her a poster and hugged her. Bowens broke down crying. The mother had left Maleah and her other two children in Vence's care while she was out of state for a family member's funeral, Quanell X said. But on May 4, Vence reported Maleah missing and told police he had been knocked in-and-out of consciousness for nearly 24 hours while his stepdaughter was abducted. He said he was checking on a possible flat tire on the way to Bush Intercontinental Airport, where he was supposed to pick up his fiance, and was attacked by three men. He said he woke up after nearly a day later, regained consciousness and got a ride to the hospital with his 1-year-old son, who was still with him. In the days that have followed, police have tried grasping what really happened to the young girl, whose body hasn't been found. A camera attached to an upstairs neighbor's porch might have helped bring together pieces of the puzzle. The video caught Vence going in and out of their Alief-area apartment twice on May 3, once while carrying a heavy laundry basket packed with a large trash bag, documents show. Houston police said Vence left the home during the second trip with cleaning supplies, including a bottle of bleach. Drops of what may be Maleah's blood were found in the bathroom and a hallway leading to it at the apartment where she lived with her mother and Vence, according to court documents. Two police dogs also smelled the "scent of decomposition" in the silver Nissan Altima that Vence drove the night of Maleah's reported disappearance, the documents state. The car was located in a Missouri City parking lot with a gas can and a laundry basket in the trunk. And investigators found footage of Vence arriving at the hospital in the Altima, despite claiming not to know the whereabouts of the vehicle after the abduction, according to charging documents. MALEAH'S MISSING: Everything we know about the stepfather's arrest over the weekend Vence, 26, was arrested Saturday at a relative's home in Sugar Land after nearly a week of ignoring calls from police. He was held in lieu of posting $1 million bond, which has since been lowered to $45,000, according to court records. Vence's attorney, Tom Burton III, said he hasn't reviewed the evidence and is not yet prepared to speak about the case. Houston Police Department officials haven't said whether they believe Maleah is still alive. Texas EquuSearch crews have spent days searching near Vence's apartment while many residents across Houston remain captivated by the effort. Crystal Delmas, from the Cypress area, said she's been following Maleah's search through the local news and wanted to attend Vence's court hearing in support of the missing girl. Delmas held up two signs before the hearing was reset. Some of the writing read, "Justice for our princess" and "lock them up." "It's very heartbreaking," Delmas said. "She didn't have nobody." Tamisha Mendoza, who said she is the cousin of Maleah's biological father, questioned why officials allowed Maleah back into her mother's care earlier this year. She had been in state custody after an unexplained head injury. Mendoza said her cousin is still processing the situation. "His daughter has been ripped away from him," she said. samantha.ketterer@chron.com Twitter.com/sam_kett karen.warren@chron.com A man accused of brutally beating his estranged wife to death at her Chinatown beauty school in 2015 has been extradited back to Houston. Itani Losangel Milleni, 49, appeared for a probable cause hearing Sunday in the 339th District Court in Harris County. He faces a murder charge in the death of Tuyet Tran, who was found bludgeoned to death in what police described as a poorly staged robbery at the salon in the 10800 block of Bellaire Boulevard. He is currently in Harris County Jail in lieu of a $500,000 bond. More details on HoustonChronicle.com: Husband arrested in estranged wife's 2015 beating death at Chinatown beauty school Milleni, who changed his name from Trang Vu three months after the 2015 killing, was arrested in April while unloading his 18-wheeler trailer at a delivery stop in Blufton, Ind., authorities previously told the Houston Chronicle. It's unclear when he arrived back in Houston. Milleni worked as a truck driver for most of his working life, and he has dual citizenship in Vietnam and the United States, his defense attorney said at the probable cause hearing. He and Tran had two children. Before the deadly beating on July 20, 2015, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services removed the children from the home because of Milleni's repeated violence against them and Tran, prosecutors said. With Child Protective Services cases pending, Tran sought a divorce from Milleni, prosecutors said. On the day of the alleged murder, Milleni become upset during an interview with a CPS caseworker, prosecutors said. He wanted to know when Tran would be interviewed by CPS, prosecutors said. The next morning, Tran's badly beaten body was found at the salon. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head. Police said the evidence on the scene reflected a poorly staged robbery. The register was open but Tran's money and credit cards weren't stolen. Her car had been driven around the block and abandoned, prosecutors said. Her car window had been punched out with her keys in the ignition, prosecutors said. Audio surveillance from the business next door captured the sounds of what police believe to Tran's death. The beating and interaction with her killer continued for more than 30 minutes, "which is inconsistent with a failed robbery," prosecutors said. Prosecutors said Milleni abruptly relinquished custody of his children during family court hearings after Tran's death. He also changed his name "because people suspected he killed his wife," prosecutors said. The allegation that Milleni was responsible for slaying his estranged wife surfaced more than two years before his out-of-state arrest, according to earlier reports in the Houston Chronicle. A Minnesota-based life insurance company tried stopping him from collecting her $275,000 life insurance policy because police still considered him a suspect in Tran's death, according to earlier reports. During federal depositions in that case, Milleni admitted to being the last person to see her alive at her business that night, Harris County prosecutors said. He also admitted to having a small ax that he threatened his children with, prosecutors said. Milleni said he carried the ax with him in his car, but police couldn't find it when they searched his vehicle after the killing, prosecutors said. "[Tran's] wounds are consistent with this weapon," prosecutors said. On Sunday, hearing officer Lisa Porter granted prosecutors' request for a $500,000 bond. Porter said she believed Milleni was a flight risk and that his children "may be in some danger." 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. Police haven't said whether they believe 4-year-old Maleah Davis is still alive, but developments in her case over the weekend make that prospect less likely. Maleah's stepfather Derion Vence is now in custody, accused of tampering with evidence, namely a human corpse. He has a preliminary court hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. this morning in the 180th District Court. Vence's bond was reduced from $1,000,000 to $45,000 by the judge in the case, according the Harris County District Attorney's Office. The move sparked outrage from many, including the Houston Police Officers Union. HPOU president Joe Gamaldi tweeted, "Add the Judge to the long list of adults who have failed young Maleah. This continues a disturbing pattern in Harris County, where our court system cares little for victims and justice." On HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Protesters mob Maleah Davis' mother after court hearing for stepfather Court documents filed over the weekend say investigators found what may have been Maleah's blood in her family's Houston apartment, as well as evidence that someone tried to clean it up. Newly released surveillance footage also shows Vence leaving the apartment with a heavy laundry basket and cleaning supplies the day of her disappearance on Friday, May 3, according to court documents. The latest on HoustonChronicle.com: Blood linked to Maleah Davis, 4, found in family's apartment bathroom While a body had not been found as of Sunday, police dogs sniffed out "the scent of decomposition" in the silver Nissan Altima that Vence was driving the night of Maleah's disappearance, documents state. The car was found in a Missouri City parking lot last Thursday with a gas can and laundry basket in the trunk, according to earlier reports in the Houston Chronicle. On Saturday, community activist Quanell X spoke on behalf Maleah's mother, Brittany Bowens. He said Bowens believes the girl's disappearance was triggered by a confrontation she had with Vence the day before her trip. She believes he "snapped" after she confronted him about nude photos he allegedly sent another person. Vence was arrested Saturday at a relative's home in Sugar Land after a week of ignoring calls from police. He initially told investigators that Maleah was abducted May 3 after three men knocked him unconscious while he was checking on a possible flat tire near Bush Intercontinental Airport. He said he was driving Maleah and his 1-year-old son to the airport to pick up Bowens. Vence said he regained consciousness around 6 p.m. May 4 along Highway 6 and hitched a ride with "an unknown female" to the hospital, according to earlier reports in the Chronicle. He claimed he didn't know where the silver Nissan Altima was after the abduction. Investigators, however, reportedly found footage of Vence arriving at the hospital in the Nissan Altima. Traffic cameras in Sugar Land saw someone driving the car that afternoon, according to earlier reports in the Chronicle. On the day of her disappearance, a camera from a neighbor's porch showed Vence coming and going from the apartment twice on May 3, court documents state. The first time, he was carrying a heavy laundry basket with a large black trash bag, according to court documents. The second time, police said he appeared to leave the home carrying cleaning supplies, including a bottle of bleach. Prosecutors said Vence could soon be charged with murder. 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. Bexar County law enforcement arrested or indicted 30 people on child sex crime charges in April, according to records obtained by mySA.com. The suspects were charged with a an array of crimes, including indecency with a child, possession of child pornography, sexual assault of a child, aggravated sexual assault of a child and super aggravated sexual assault of a child. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Among those arrested was Kevin Garcia, a 27-year-old pastor accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old relative. Garcia was arrested after the relative allegedly confided in another woman, telling her that Garcia had been molesting her since she was in the 7th grade. READ MORE: San Antonio pastor accused of sexually assaulting child Another suspect, David Clarence Allen, was indicted on sexual assault of a child in April. Allen was first arrested in February after a 15-year-old girl told police the two drank and took drugs together at a Motel 6 before the alleged sexual assault. RELATED: SAPD: Man sexually assaulted 15-year-old girl in Motel 6 room after giving her drugs, alcohol In 2019, Bexar County authorities have arrested or indicted 129 people with child sex crimes, records showed. Booking photos for Daniel Marcus Partain, Kison Haynes, Ignacio Cortes-Aguilar and Antonio Eugenio Hernandez were not available, according to jail officials. Partain was indicted for sexual assault of a child on April 16, Haynes was indicted for aggravated sexual assault of a child on April 23, Cortes-Aguilar and Hernandez were indicted for indecency with a child. Click through the slideshow to see suspects arrested or charged with child sex crimes in April 2019. A.O. PRIMARIA MEA este in cautare de o companie IT sau de un intreprinzator individual pentru crearea si dezvoltarea unei pagini web a organizatiei President Trumps anti-media rhetoric is dangerous. It undermines public trust and confidence in journalism; it provides cover to dictators and autocrats around the world; and it inspires assorted cranks who have taken action including threatening to shoot up The Boston Globe newsroom and sending mail bombs to CNN. But while Trumps rhetorical attacks are worrisome and harmful they do not themselves violate the freedom of the press. (Trump does, after all, have the right to express any loathsome idea he wishes.) What does violate that freedom is the repeated prosecution of journalists sources under the Espionage Act. On Thursday, the US Justice Department indicted Daniel Hale for allegedly leaking information about a classified drone targeting program to The Intercept. Hale is the fourth source to be indicated under the Espionage Act since Trump took office, and three other sources have faced criminal prosecution under other statutes. The Justice Department says that many other such cases are pending. Though journalists obsess about Trumps rhetoric, the media itself has under-covered this growing threat. Perhaps this is because it does not fit neatly in a narrative. After all, the trend began under the Obama administration, whose Justice Department prosecuted at least eight Espionage Act cases, more than all previous administrations combined. While such prosecutions slowed in Obamas second term, after media organizations expressed widespread concern, they have picked up again under Trump. People who leak information to the media have a variety of motivations, usually complex. Some are whistleblowers, and others are motivated by politics or anger. Everyone involved recognizes there can be serious legal and professional consequences if sources are exposed; they can be fired, sued, or prosecuted for such crimes as mishandling confidential information. But leaking to the media is not a form of espionage, and to prosecute it as such not only conflates leaking with spying, it chills media-source interactions and sets a dangerous precedent in the United States and around the world. And because the government uses the Espionage Act, there is no provision for a public interest defense, according to Jameel Jaffer of the Knight First Amendment Center at Columbia. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The most potentially explosive application of the overly broad legal theory could involve Julian Assange, who was arrested at the Ecuadorean embassy early last month for skipping bail to avoid answering questions about allegations of sexual assault in Sweden. Not long after his arrest, U.S. authorities filed papers seeking Assanges extradition to the United States. While there is a legitimate debate over whether or not Assange should be classified as a journalist, no one denies he is a source. The scope of the extradition request is limited to an alleged violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act which carries a sentence of up to five years. But Assange is almost certainly being prosecuted for what he published. There is also a scenario in which Assange could still face eventual prosecution under the Espionage Act. This was a step too far for the Obama administration, which considered such a prosecution but backed away because of the implications for press freedom. After all, if publishing classified information is a crime, then U.S. news organizations would face serious legal jeopardy. Even more ominously, because Assange is not a U.S. citizen and was operating outside the United States, his prosecution would set a precedent that could make it easier for a another country say Russia to prosecute a U.S. journalist for publishing its classified information. Nearly everyone who has been drawn into Assanges orbit has been burned. Journalists and those who would defend press freedom need to approach his case with wariness and wait until more facts emerge. Yet there is a very real danger that stems from his prosecution and the other aggressive prosecutions of leakers. Its a danger that goes far beyond Trumps hateful rhetoric to the essential legal protections that journalists need to do their job. Everyone who cares about press freedom should be paying close attention. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Joel Simon is the outgoing executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, which he led for fifteen years. A regular contributor to the Columbia Journalism Review, he has also been published by the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Guardian, and the Wall Street Journal. A New Jersey Superior Court judge recently issued a written ruling, holding that, as a matter of first impression, it was inappropriate for a lawyer to question his client during trial as to whether his vehicle was totaled as a result of an accident with the defendants vehicle. The judge relied entirely on an MWL chart on our website and a Claims Journal column entitled When is a Vehicle Considered a Total Loss. Judge Joseph Marczyk also wrote a letter to MWL, advising that he found the article well-written and very helpful in trying to articulate how misleading the term totaled can be in the context of an automobile negligence action. It was the first time a ruling of this sort had been made in a New Jersey state court. In Kuzian v. Tomaszewski, 200 A.3d 931, 934 (N.J. Super. Ct. Law Div. 2018), the plaintiff sued for permanent injuries resulting from a motor vehicle accident caused by the defendant. During the direct examination of the plaintiff at trial, the plaintiffs counsel inquired as to whether plaintiffs vehicle was totaled as a result of the subject accident. Defense counsel objected arguing the question was improper. Defendant argued that whether or not the vehicle was a total loss without more information could mislead the jury regarding the extent of the actual damage to the vehicle. After all, a vehicle can be totaled under the right circumstances if the frame is slightly bent. The plaintiff, in turn, asserted that whether the vehicle was totaled is relevant with respect to the extent of the collision and its corresponding impact on the plaintiffs injuries, which can be considered by the jury pursuant to Brenman v. Demello, 191 N.J. 18, 921 A.2d 1110 (2007). Judge Marczyk ultimately sustained the objection on the basis of relevance and ruled that the question could not be asked or answered. The interesting decision notes that in most circumstances either party can enter photographs of the vehicles involved in an accident into evidence pursuant to Brenman,which is often cited by parties in their attempt to present testimony that a vehicle was (or was not) totaled in an accident. In Brenman, the New Jersey Supreme Court permitted the utilization of photographs of the damaged vehicles in a personal injury case. It determined that a jury could consider the photographs in evaluating the seriousness of the accident and its impact on plaintiffs injuries. A jury charge is routinely given in auto negligence cases consistent with Brenman. Specifically, jurors are instructed: A number of photographs of one or more of the vehicles involved in the accident have been introduced into evidence. These photographs show the damage or depict the condition of the vehicles after the impact. As judges of the facts, you may attribute such weight to the photographs as you deem appropriate taking into consideration all of the other evidence in this case. In some accidents resulting in extensive vehicle damage, the occupants may suffer minor injuries or no injuries at all. In other accidents where there is no or little apparent vehicle damage, the occupants may suffer serious injuries. In reaching your decision in this matter, you are to give the photographs whatever weight you deem appropriate. They are but one factor to be considered, along with all other evidence, in determining whether the plaintiff sustained injuries as a result of the accident. [ Model Jury Charges (Civil) , 5.34, Photographic Evidence in Motor Vehicle Accidents (approved Oct. 2009.] In Judge Marczyks view, the use of photographs from an accident is distinguishable from advising the jury that a vehicle was totaled. Testimony regarding whether a vehicle was totaled does not provide a jury with the same type of information as photographs or testimony regarding the extent of the damage. In fact, it can be very misleading as discussed below. Utilizing MWLs materials on the subject, the judge noted that as a threshold matter, the term totaled has two very different meanings. He wrote: When someone is told that a vehicle has been totaled it may conjure up images of a vehicle that has been completely demolished in a serious accident. Notwithstanding the connotations of the term, it also has an objective meaning within the insurance industry that means something entirely different from its colloquial use. In determining whether a vehicle is totaled or a total loss, insurance companies have to consider a variety of factors including: the cost of repairing the vehicle, the projected diminished resale value, projected rental costs, a comparison to the actual cash value of the vehicle, along with the projected proceeds of selling the vehicle for salvage. In insurance parlance, [t]ypically, cars are considered to be totaled when the cost to repair the vehicle is higher than the actual cash value of the vehicle. Practically speaking, however, it is not always practical to repair a vehicle even if the cost of repair is less than its actual cash value. Gary Wickert, Esq., When is a Vehicle Considered a Total Loss? Claims Journal (Dec. 5, 2013). The article can be viewed HERE. The MWL chart entitled Automobile Total Loss Thresholds In All 50 States can be seen HERE. Judge Marczyk correctly pointed out that the criteria for deciding when a car is a total loss and when it can be repaired varies from insurance company to insurance company and might even be dictated and controlled by state statute or regulation. Ibid . Given the different meanings of totaled, it is improper, in the courts view, to allow either party to raise this issue. Simply because a vehicle may have been totaled, without more information, does not render the desired inference (i.e.,that the plaintiff was injured because of the severity of the accident) more probable than it would be without the evidence. The plaintiffs counsel properly introduced photographs into evidence that depicted the damage of the vehicle. However, the plaintiffs attempt to ask a witness whether his vehicle was totaled is irrelevant in the courts view. The court is mindful this issue is also routinely raised by defense counsel when the vehicle at issue is not declared a total loss. This is equally misleading and irrelevant. The court recognizes that the extent of the impact is relevant in automobile negligence actions. However, whether a car was totaled does not provide the jury with meaningful information with respect to the severity of the impact. Accordingly, any line of inquiry regarding whether a vehicle was totaled in an accident in the context of a personal injury action is irrelevant. For the above reasons, the judge held that it is improper for plaintiff to question a witness as to whether a vehicle was totaled in an automobile negligence action so as to suggest the accident involved a significant impact. Whether a vehicle was totaled is irrelevant and should not be considered by a New Jersey jury in assessing the extent of a plaintiffs injuries. If you should have any questions regarding this article or subrogation in general, please contact at gwickert@mwl-law.com. LYNDHURST, Ohio -- Lyndhurst resident Ben Frayser believes that people of today, locally or nationally, dont know enough about Ohioan and former President James A. Garfield -- and he is out to change that situation. James Abram Garfield, 1831-1881, was the United States 20th president. Local people may know that Garfields onetime home, known as Lawnfield, is located on U.S. 20 in Mentor, and that he was president for a short time -- he was shot just four months after he took office in March 1881 and succumbed to those wounds in September of that year. In recent months, Frayser, 42, has begun portraying Garfield at historical events, teaming with Highland Heights resident Anita Benedetti, who attends functions with Frayser portraying former First Lady Lucretia Garfield. I believe President Garfield was the embodiment of the American dream, said Frayser. He was born in a log cabin (in Orange Township, in what is now Moreland Hills) and was raised without a father (who died when Garfield was 3). There arent too many places where an impoverished farm boy can grow up to become president. Garfield liked to read and, after attending the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute -- later known as Hiram College -- he became a teacher. After furthering his college education in Massachusetts, Garfield returned and became the Institutes president. Feeling education wasnt fulfilling his promise, Garfield then went into politics, becoming a state senator. Strongly against slavery, but having no military experience, Garfield then sought to fight with the Union Army and, in 1861 was granted a commission as a colonel with the 42nd Ohio Infantry. The only problem was that the 42nd existed only on paper. He had to find his own enlistees, Frayser said. Garfield did just that and, later, after his heroics at the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863, was made a general. During that battle, when the Union Army was being routed and found itself in disarray, Garfield rode his horse across enemy lines amid gunfire and learned that not all of the Union soldiers had fled, as the units commander had believed. This led the Union Army to stick out the battle, ask President Lincoln for reinforcements, and eventually win. Frayser, who works as an analyst, became fascinated by Garfields story during a difficult time in his life. About six years ago, I was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma, Frayser said of the cancer of the lymphatic system. I was always into learning about the Civil War and history. So, when I was undergoing treatments, I brought a book to read about President Garfield. In that book, Frayser learned of Garfields Civil War deeds, his background and beliefs, and other interesting facts. He ran his presidential campaign from the front porch (at Lawnfield), Frayser said. He was well known as a speaker, and people would come to his house and he would give them what they wanted and speak. He was the first president to campaign for himself. In those days, it was thought to be unbecoming for a candidate to talk about themselves, and the party would do that kind of thing for them. After recovering, Frayser, now 42, began volunteering at Lawnfield --or the James A. Garfield National Historic Site -- at which Garfield lived from 1876-81. Through this association, Frayser began to meet other living historians who portray historic figures. He said that Dr. E. Kurt Fields and Dr. Rick Weil were among the men who influenced his desire to portray Garfield. Learning to answer questions and make comments as Garfield would takes a great deal of reading and study. During his reading, Frayser said he is always learning something new about Garfield that he can use in his presentations. No corner can be cut, Frayser believes, in giving an accurate portrayal, and that includes the clothes he wears while being Garfield. I really want it to be historically accurate and not just wear a modern suit, he said. I wanted a suit that was period-accurate, right down to the materials used. He found just the right material from a historic supplier in Williamsburg, Va., and his mother, Phyllis Frayser, a seamstress, made the suit. He is now looking to have a Civil War generals outfit made. Frayser does, however, sport a beard that is not his own. As far as playing the part, Frayser said: I dont change my voice in any way. I use my regular voice. Frayser did some high school acting, and said an English literature teacher from whom he learned while attending Black River High School in Medina County, Heidi Sarvis, was an influence. Fraysers first outing as Garfield took place at an event April 28 at the request of the Friends of the Orange Library, in Pepper Pike. Benedetti appeared with Frayser at the event, as Lucretia. Benedetti said, like Frayser, her journey toward playing the onetime First Lady began as a volunteer. I was between jobs in 1995 and I volunteered at Lakeview Cemetery, where the Garfields are buried, she said. "They were doing something (an event) on Garfield and they had a gentleman playing him and I said, What can I do? So they said, You can be Lucretia. I immediately went through their (cemetery) library to find anything I could about her, but there was very little to read. Theres everything about the man, but very little about the woman. That was especially true in those days. Because less is written about Lucretia, Benedetti has had to make a few assumptions. For example, when she had the costume made that she wears as Lucretia, she said: I didnt know what color she liked best, so I got a lavender one. I knew she wore to the inaugural ball a Victorian lilac dress, so I chose lavender. Benedettis costume was made in an authentic manner by a Western Reserve Historical Society seamstress. As for Lucretias personality, Benedetti said: I know she was kind of shy, at first, and she started to blossom and become more outgoing later. She was not for womens lib, but neither was her husband. A former teacher who attended college with her future husband, Lucretia Garfield was the mother of seven children, five of whom survived into adulthood. She was a widow for 37 years following Garfields assassination, dying at 85 in 1918. In the final years of her life, she spent summers at the 160-acre Lawnfield farm and winters in South Pasadena, Calif., with her daughter Molly. Benedetti, now retired, first played Lucretia Garfield at Lakeland Community College at teas held for adult history education classes in the early 2000s. She met Frayser at a Civil War encampment re-enactment in 2017, and they became better acquainted in 2018 as both participated in a Civil Ward roundtable. Benedetti said she was happy to meet Frayser, as he is her fifth Garfield man. She says it has been enjoyable for her to see audiences reactions to Lucretias story, apart from her husband. Of her efforts in portraying the former First Lady, she said, I hope she forgives me for being so presumptuous. Republican President James A. Garfield was shot July 2, 1881, by disgruntled office seeker Charles Guiteau in a Baltimore train station. One shot struck him in the arm, and the other pierced his back. He lingered until Sept. 19. He died of sepsis, Frayser said. One historian, Ira Rutkow, in his book, James A. Garfield, believes that if he had suffered those injuries today, with modern medicine, he would have been back in the White House a couple of days later. Upon Garfields death, his vice president, Chester A. Arthur, became president. Had Garfield been able to serve a full term, or perhaps two, Frayser and Benedetti would doubtless have had a lot more to study and talk about as they work toward keeping alive the memory of James and Lucretia Garfield. But, as events actually happened, both still feel they have stories of enough importance to tell. Libraries, schools, PTAs, historic organizations or those planning an event can reach Ben Frayser to book an appearance as James A. Garfield by sending an email to braen1202@gmail.com. Those interested in participating in James A. Garfield Civil War Roundtable events can send an email to jamesagarfieldcwrt.org. Read more news from the Sun Messenger here. STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- Ward 1 City Councilman Matt Patten will face challenger Jim Kaminski in the November 2019 general election. Thats what voters decided in the May 7 primary election last week. According to unofficial results from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, Patten received 41.4 percent of the vote and Kaminski received 38.2 percent. Patten garnered 1,043 votes and Kaminski received 963. A third candidate, Brian Spring, was eliminated from contention. He received 515 votes, which represented 20.4 percent of the total Ward 1 vote. Only the top two candidates will advance to the general election. Patten said he was honored by, and grateful for, the primary election results. I am going to continue to work hard for the residents of Ward 1 by remaining available and responsive, (and) devoting my energy to keeping the city of Strongsville the outstanding community we know it to be, now and in the future, Patten said in an email to cleveland.com. Kaminski said he, too, was honored, adding that he was glad all three primary candidates ran clean and professional races. My focus is on listening to the residents of Ward 1, Kaminski said. Ive come across common themes, like the need for sound barriers along the (Ohio) Turnpike. The north end continues to be an issue as to how it appears as you come into town. That revitalization project is important to the residents. Patten, 41, was appointed by council in December to fill a seat vacated by the late Michael Daymut. Patten served in the Ohio House of Representatives, District 18, in 2009 and 2010. Patten is a labor-management coordinator with Laborers International Union of North America Ohio. He lives on Sagamore Circle with his wife, Katherine, and their children Ella,16, Nicholas, 14, Jack, 12, and Gabrielle, 9. Kaminski, 53, is a member of the Strongsville Planning Commission, an appointed body. He was a Strongsville councilman-at-large from 2002-2008. Kaminski is a sales team leader at Kelloggs. He lives on Eldorado Trail with his wife, Mary. Their children are James Jr., 30, Mike, 28, Sarah, 27 and Jon, 24. Read more news from the Sun Star Courier here. ROCKY RIVER, Ohio Construction projects this season run the gamut in Rocky River from paving to water lines to a new police station. Most residents know the old police station from the 1950s is being emptied and will soon be completely demolished in anticipation of a new station by June 2020. In addition, the Bradstreets Landing permits are being processed, said Mayor Pam Bobst, in the hope they will be done by late summer or early fall so that construction can be underway by the spring of 2020. But sometimes it is the everyday projects rather than the big projects that residents notice even more because they aid, or restrict, everyday living, at least for a time. The following is information from the city for five projects to take note of this summer: Wooster Road has an intermediate layer of pavement installed to protect the sub-street as the contractor makes repairs to the road in various areas. Road repairs will be completed in one lane of traffic at a time. As the southbound lane repairs are completed, repairs will move into the center lane and then to the northbound lane. Improvements will include replacement of most crossing ramps for sidewalks at intersections. Once all repair/concrete work is complete, the final layer of asphalt will be applied with street markings. The paving schedule depends on weather conditions and is anticipated to continue through the summer. The city asks residents to exercise caution on Wooster Road during repair work, which requires lane restrictions and construction work in and near intersections--especially the intersection at Hilliard Boulevard. The water main line is being installed for Eriewood Drive. Because the water main has to be removed and replaced, temporary water service lines will stay in place until the new line is fully installed, tested by Cleveland Water and approved for use. Paving will be quite noticeable during the summer. With the cooperation of Cuyahoga County, Hilliard Boulevard, a county road, will be paved from Lakeview Avenue to River Oaks Drive. Work is anticipated to begin in mid-summer and will continue through fall and then resume again in 2020 to complete paving from River Oaks Drive to the Westlake line. In addition, city streets to be paved in late summer this year are: Dale Avenue, Beachcliff Boulevard (Frazier Drive to Wooster Road), Sunnyhill Drive, Riverwood Avenue, Laurel Avenue, Purnell Avenue, Chatham Place and Harwich Court. Street repairs will be made on Kingsbury Drive, Addington Boulevard and Kings Mill Run. Water main replacement will begin on Struhar Drive and Shoreland Avenue. The Cleveland Division of Water will fund the projects. However, the city will bid the work, assign a contractor and inspect and manage the project. Street markings will be applied to Hilliard Boulevard at the I-90 entrance/exit ramps as weather permits and, later this summer, Detroit Roads street markings will be re-painted. SOLON, Ohio -- City Council last week approved a $259,000 change order on the SOM Center-Aurora intersection improvement project to cover the additional cost of relocating new sewers. Those sanitary lines had to be moved into the south (eastbound) roadbed of Aurora (Route 43) after gas lines were discovered in the tree lawn, the original proposed location for the sewers, City Public Works Commissioner Bill Drsek explained earlier at a special council meeting. This will require pavement restoration, along with 1,300 feet of new curb and under drain, with the first change order taking the total contract with CATTS Construction to about $6.84 million. The additional cost is expected to be covered by the projects contingency fund. In other action at Solon City Councils regular May 6 meeting: -- Further east on Aurora Road, council approved a $112,000 contract with GPD Group for traffic engineering services on Phase I of the road reconstruction project from the Solon Shopping Plaza to Liberty Road. Most of that cost will go toward completing right-of-way plans as required by the Ohio Department of Transportation, all but about $17,000 for additional environmental studies. -- A nearly $60,000 contract was approved with the Burgess and Niple consulting firm for engineering design services on the proposed Miles Road retaining wall replacement project at the intersection of SOM Center Road. -- Solon Fire Chief Bill Shaw was presented with plaques from the Rock'n'Roll Capital Street Machines, which will now be hosting cruise-ins every Tuesday evening through October. Spokesman John Drsek said the club has been meeting in Solon for more than 25 years and is one of the largest weeknight cruises with as many as 350-450 cars participating each week. And as the former fire chief in Maple Heights, Drsek thanked Shaw for providing department equipment, especially on the annual observance around 9/11, when 343 firefighters were lost in the Twin Towers. More than 180 firefighters have since died from occupational health issues believed to have resulted from responding to the attacks, with roughly 1,000 of those New York City firefighters diagnosed with cancer, Drsek added. Councilman and retired Solon firefighter Bob Shimits noted that participants in the cruise-ins have been patronizing Solons restaurants and businesses for more than a quarter-century, thanking them as well for making a significant impact on the local economy. -- Council also heard from a Tracy Lane resident who was concerned about a neighbor's plans to rebuild his pool house on the property line because of a "grandfathered" variance that may continue to be granted in spite of two fires on the property within the past decade. It was unclear if either or both of the fires occurred in the pool house, but Solon Mayor Ed Kraus had a meeting scheduled last week for all parties concerned. -- Judd Gardner approached council about the citys deer management program which he said has shown a decline in the number of car vs. deer accidents over 10 years from a high of 175 down to 30 annually. Gardner, who has moved from Solon to Twinsburg, asked if the city would be receptive to conducting research into other means of controlling the herd, with grants possible. -- Shimits also announced that the Solon Historical Society will be hosting a program with the Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (May 14) entitled Ohio Spring and Summer Bird Watching. The program will take a closer look at roughly half of the 200 species found in northeast Ohio, including native, migratory and breeding birds, as well as where to look for them. Located in the old Disciples of Christ Church at 33975 Bainbridge Road, the event is free, although attendees are encouraged to bring a pie. For more Chagrin Solon Sun news, click here. CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- West Geauga High School seniors got their feet wet -- and muddy -- this past week in their chosen field of science on a real-life project to help restore a stream bed at Bessie Benner Metzenbaum Park in Chester Township. Relentless rain showers did not dampen the enthusiasm of Advance Placement students Ellie Benedict of Russell Township, Lucia Carpinelli of Chester Township, Jackson Mansfield of Newbury Township and Jordyn Peterson of Richmond Heights as they worked with field professionals from Davey Resource Group, the Geauga Park District and Chagrin River Watershed Partners to monitor progress on Griswold Creek, a tributary to the Chagrin River. The $260,765 restoration project, funded through an EPA grant for the Great Lakes, used deposits of rocks to raise the stream bed in a 1,300-linear-foot section to deter stormwater erosion, slow the stream flow and help to reconnect the stream to the flood plain, where it can meander and provide nutrients to the vegetation instead of cutting a deep, swift, straight line toward Lake Erie. Native species of plants and trees were also planted to shade the stream and repair the banks. The result should be a better habitat for amphibians and other creatures and a cleaner Chagrin River watershed flowing into the Great Lakes. The students were rewarded with a first-hand look at new vernal pools that formed as a result of the restoration, providing an incubator for amphibians, and an up-close view of damsel fly larvae and Johnny darter fish. Along the way, they were serenaded by a wood thrush, a red-bellied woodpecker and a grey cat bird and encountered common toads hopping along the trail. Taking a census of the birds, mammals, plants and aquatic life is part of an ongoing project that West Geauga students will be doing for the next few years, according to environmental science teacher Mike Sustin. Data collected from their observations are being entered into tables and metrics from the Ohio EPA and other scientific standards to assess stream bank erosion and the overall health of the site. The area is a category three wetland the EPA does not want to see deteriorate. I didnt expect to see the vernal pools appearing so soon, remarked Ellie as she returned from a walk along the stream bank. It was also interesting to see a dead ash tree as a result of the destructive emerald ash bore invasion. Its one thing to learn about these in the classroom, but seeing them in nature has more impact. Ellie will spend part of her summer as an intern with the park system before heading to college at Kent State University, where she plans to concentrate her studies on environmental science. I see myself working in natural spaces and doing conservation fieldwork as a career, she said. Jordyn did not hesitate to step into the creek and help adults monitor the stream quality using a net to identify aquatic creatures active in the stream. After only a couple of weeks since the construction stage of the restoration, we found fauna common to most area streams, Sustin said. Over time, we expect to see more specialized creatures reflective of a high-quality, cold-water stream. The beauty of this project is that these students and the students who follow will be able to come back year after year and see the progress of the restoration and improvements made to the watershed. When asked if it was unusual to see the girls outnumber the boys three to one on this outing, Sustin said he is seeing more girls interested in environmental science. Currently, we are seeing the gender gap narrowing in the 16-18 age group," he explained. "Weve taken science out of the lab and into the real world, and now were seeing a lot of young ladies wanting to get involved. In fact, theyre more passionate and more willing to sign up for the fieldwork. Sometimes I have to ask them to back off and give the boys a chance. Beyond gender numbers, Sustin is pleased to see his students take not just an interest in, but an ownership of the stream restoration project. To him, it means there will be more people in the near future who care about protecting the environment and making the connection between their health and the health of the environment. These are the kinds of field studies that are important for my students to see: real people doing real science every day for good reasons. Its important to go into nature to really learn about the environment and whats happening to it. Science and nature need advocates now, more than ever, he said. Read more news from the Chagrin Solon Sun here. AKRON, Ohio -- A Summit County jury on Friday convicted an Akron man of killing a 21-year-old man in November. Devon Williams, 22, of Vicgross Avenue in Akron, was found guilty of felony charges including murder with gun specifications, attempted murder with a gun specification, felonious assault with a gun specification and carrying a concealed weapon. The charges stem from a Nov. 20, 2018 shooting at Family Foods convenience store on Arlington Road in East Akron. Shawn Prude, 21, and a 22-year-old friend pulled up to the store around 10 a.m., police reported. Williams shot at them, striking Prude multiple times. Prude was pronounced dead at the scene. Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Christine Croce is scheduled to sentence Williams on Wednesday. To comment on this story, visit Mondays crime and courts comment section. Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.coms Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland man was found dead in a car after being shot multiple times outside his home in the citys Union-Miles neighborhood, police said. Byron R. Turner, 28, was shot in the face and chest before police officers found him early Sunday on East 114th Street near Cotes Avenue, according to a police report. He was pronounced dead after an ambulance took him to University Hospitals. Cleveland police officers found Turner just after 12:30 a.m. in the drivers seat of a 2018 Nissan Rogue, which was parked in the driveway outside his home. Investigators have not determined whether he was shot as he sat in the car, or as he stood beside it, police reports say. No suspects have been identified in the case, police said. Investigators did not find any witnesses to the shooting. They towed the Nissan to a police department lot so it could be checked for evidence. To comment on this story, visit Mondays crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday asked a law enforcement advisory board to develop statewide standards for police chases, which have long been a hot-button issue in Northeast Ohio and across the U.S. DeWine asked the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board to develop statewide standards in order to create consistency across jurisdictions, the governors office said in a news release. State law requires each of the more than 900 law enforcement agencies in Ohio to implement pursuit policies, but it does not define their content. Far too often people are killed or seriously injured because a driver chooses to flee from police, DeWine said in a statement. I believe a minimum standard for law enforcement vehicular pursuits would help encourage a consistent approach to pursuits, which would be beneficial in instances where pursuits cross jurisdictional lines and could ultimately help save lives. Three years ago, DeWine then the states attorney general created an advisory group that developed a series of recommendations designed to keep law enforcement officers, drivers and others safe during police chases. He asked the Ohio Collaborative to consider those recommendations while developing statewide standards. The state cannot force local police departments to adopt the standards. But a police department that fails to adopt the minimum best practices could be more liable in litigation related to police chases, a spokesman for the governors office said. A cleveland.com review of pursuit policies found most area police departments already follow the best practices the Attorney Generals Advisory Group on Law Enforcement Vehicular Pursuits recommended in a 2016 report. Still, local officials said it could be advantageous to have statewide standards. Cleveland City Council member Mike Polensek who represents Ward 8 in the northeast section of the city has been a vocal critic of police chases that begin in the suburbs and end in crashes in Cleveland. He said hes pleased DeWine is addressing the issue. Im appreciative to the governor for realizing and understanding there is a problem here. A major problem, Polensek said. Not only do we have to protect the police officers involved in this, but the citizens as well. Independence police Chief Michael Kilbane said his department, like many others in the area, has a comprehensive pursuit policy. But he said it could be beneficial to have uniform standards. Policing differs from community to community, but are there some universals that could apply? Sure, Independence police Chief Michael Kilbane said. We already see that in areas like use-of-force policies. The 2016 report by the AGs advisory group recommended that officers consider the seriousness of the offense before chasing a car; that officers should receive a supervisors permission to continue a chase; and that chases be limited to two or three police cruisers. Officers should be prohibited from firing guns during pursuits, and all chases should be reported to a state database, the report said. The report also recommended that a portion of officers state-mandated training focus on pursuit best practices and safe driving techniques. Training would be a key component to implementing any policy, Kilbane noted. Its the responsibility of a police department to have a pursuit policy. But policy is only one of the elements, he said. You have to train your officers to carry out these policies, and you have to hold them accountable if they fail to do that. A policy cant just be a dusty manual sitting on a shelf somewhere. Rocky River police Chief Kelly Stillman said many of the police departments in the west suburbs including Rocky River, Lakewood, Westlake and North Olmsted have nearly-identical pursuit policies developed by Lexipol, a company that helps law enforcement agencies develop state-specific policies. That has helped create familiarity among police departments, he said. Everyone in our area is pretty much on the same playing field, as far as chase policies, Stillman said. Even so, Polensek feels statewide standards could clearly define what police officers can and cannot do during police chases. That could improve communication and reduce risk, he said. Do we want to catch the bad guys? Yes, we do. But we also have to measure the cost in doing that, he said. Then-Gov. John Kasich created the Ohio Collaborative in 2015 in the wake of the U.S. Justice Department's blistering report on the use of force by police in Cleveland, and the high-profile police shootings of Tamir Rice in Cleveland and John Crawford III in Beavercreek. The advisory boards works with community and law enforcement partners to create statewide standards designed to improve the relationship between police departments and the communities they serve. It previously established standards for the uses of force and deadly force, bias-free policing, the use of body cameras, recruitment and hiring, and investigating police misconduct. So far, 445 of Ohios law enforcement agencies have adopted the Ohio Collaboratives primary standards for the uses of force and deadly force, and the promotion of equal employment and non-discrimination. Another 52 law enforcement agencies are in the process of adopting the standards, the governors office said in Mondays news release. To comment on this story, visit Mondays crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio Officials are offering a reward up to $10,000 after a Cleveland fire lieutenant who suffered serious injuries last month in a fire that has been ruled arson. The lieutenant, a 23-year-veteran, suffered a broken leg and broken ankle when he fell through a set of stairs April 29 at the burning home on East 66th Street at Selma Avenue, Cleveland Fire Chief Angelo Calvillo said. The lieutenant, whose name was not released, is hurting and facing a long recovery, Calvillo said Monday during a news conference outside the home. Ive worked with this lieutenant on many, many structure fires as an incident commander. Hes a husband, hes a father, hes a great firefighter and a great lieutenant who comes to work every day to protect the citizens of Cleveland, Calvillo said. So please, help us. Help us find who set this fire. Mayor Frank Jackson, City Council member Phyllis Cleveland and firefighters union president Fran Lally also called on the public to provide information that could lead to an arrest. Arson is a serious crime. We dont always think of it that way, but its a serious crime, Jackson said. If the place is occupied, then not only do you put the lives of the people who live there in danger, you [endanger] the lives of the people who respond to that fire to put it out. Fire investigators are still trying to determine how the fire started, officials said. They also could not say if the fire may be related to any other fires throughout the city. The home was vacant, but the blaze put neighbors in danger, said Cleveland, whose Ward 5 includes the neighborhood. We have occupied homes, well-maintained homes on this street. It also endangered those residents who live on this street, Cleveland said. It endangers them personally, and it can impair their property values. The reward is comprised of a $5,000 donation from the Blue Ribbon Arson Committee and a pair of $2,500 donations from Cuyahoga County Crime Stoppers and the union that represents Cleveland firefighters. Anyone with information about the fire is being asked to call Cuyahoga County Crime Stoppers at 216-252-7463. To comment on this story, visit Mondays crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Making an extra buck after hitting $22,250 in taxable income could be a loss at tax time in Ohio, if the House-passed budget bill becomes law. The bill eliminates state income taxes entirely for anyone with taxable income at $22,250 or below. But starting at $22,251 of taxable income, the base tax bill would be a minimum of $309 - instead of gradually going up from $0. This could cause someone caught in this situation to question the value of making that extra dollar. In reviewing the 3,514-page budget bill that cleared the Ohio House on Thursday, cleveland.com found the details on pages 2,414 and 2,415, where the new tax tables are outlined. Gail Crawley, communications director for the Ohio House of Representatives, confirmed in an email to cleveland.com the interpretation was correct -- that under the bill the adjusted tax due amount would be $0 for incomes up to $22,250, and a minimum of $309 for those above that threshold. Under this proposal that passed the Ohio House, state income taxes would drop to $0 for taxable incomes of $22,250 or below, and start at $309 above that amount. Rates vary at higher income levels. Crawley also pointed out that all tax rates would be reduced over what currently exists. This means the person making just over $22,250 would save about $14 over the 2018 rates, but could keep hundreds of dollars more by staying just under that level. Tax rates for each bracket for incomes above $22,250 would be cut by about 6.6 percent over current law. Some people qualify for credits off the base tax amounts. In comparison to 2018 taxes, cleveland.com calculated that the base tax amounts would be: $103 lower for a filer reporting $12,000 of taxable income, dropping to $0. $331 lower at $22,000, dropping to $0. $54 lower at $35,000, dropping to $663. $136 lower at $70,000, dropping to $1,752. $380 lower at $150,000, dropping to $4,885 $709 lower at $250,000, dropping to $9,253. Ohio has a sliding scale for tax rates for income brackets. So, although Ohios top tax rate under the proposal would be about 4.7 percent, no one pays 4.7 percent on all their taxable income. That rate would be applied only to the portion of income above $222,200. The average rate for a taxpayer making $250,000 would be 3.7 percent overall. Minimum base income tax amounts in Ohio began in 2017, when taxes were eliminated for anyone with taxable income below $10,650. But instead of starting taxes at $0 and charging amounts above $10,650 the first-bracket rate of 1.98 percent, the 2017 tax table for income above $10,650 began at $79.08, plus 1.98 percent for income above $10,650. Federal tax forms do not start with a base amount like this. After standard deductions of $12,000 for single people or $24,000 for family, the first dollars of taxable income are taxed at 10 percent. Here are the rates and cutoffs used for 2018 taxes filed earlier this year, and the proposed change. The minimum base tax in 2018 was $80.56. 2018 Ohio income tax table Taxable income Tax calculation $0 - $10,850 0% $10,851 - $16,300 $80.56 plus 1.98% of excess over $10,851 $16,301 - $21,750 $188.47 plus 2.476% of excess over $16,300 $21,751 - $43,450 $323.41 plus 2.969% of excess over $21,750 $43,451 - $86,900 $967.68 plus 3.465% of excess over $43,450 $86,901 - $108,700 $2,473.22 plus 3.96% of excess over $86,900 $108,701 - $217,400 $3,336.50 plus 4.597% of excess over $108,700 More than $217,400 $8,333.44 plus 4.997% of excess of $217,400 Proposed 2019 Ohio income tax table Taxable income Tax calculation $0 - $22,250 0% $22,251 - $44,400 $309.12 plus 2.773% of excess of $22,250 $44,401 - $88,800 $923.34 plus 3.236% of excess of $44,440 $88,801 - $111,100 $2,360.12 plus 3.699% of excess of $88,800 $111,101 - $222,200 $3,185 plus 4.294% of excess of $111,100 More than $222,200 $7,995.63 plus 4.667% in excess of $222,200 The Legislative Services Commission estimates that the changes in the tax tables, including eliminating taxes for more lower income earners, will result in $636 million less being collected by the state. This largely would be offset by another change - reducing from $250,000 to $100,000 - the amount of tax-free business income - raising an estimated $528 million. This change would be an adjustment to a business deduction created by the legislature and former Gov. John Kasich. Since the deduction was created, people working for themselves or those running small businesses with incomes of under $250,000 pay no state income taxes. Previously, they paid the same rate as individuals. The budget bill has been forwarded to the Ohio Senate, where revisions are likely. The deadline is June 30 for Gov. Mike DeWine to sign the two-year budget. Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner. Find data-related stories at cleveland.com/datacentral. CLEVELAND, Ohio Jazz is rooted in improvisation, and Hammond B3 organist Brian Charette has more reason than most to be good at it. His latest evolution gives him lots of opportunity to do it. The New York-based musician who returns to the Bop Stop on Friday, May 17, with drummer Jordan Young and their electronics-fueled duo Kurrent wont say hes creating a new genre, but hes definitely taking an old one in new directions. We did it there last time, said Charette in a call from his New York apartment. Nobody knew what was going to happen. We use electronics that misfire, and we try to control that. Its really a very gentle sound, but were trying to control the maelstrom. That means that Charette and Young have to pay particular attention and react instantly to those misfires. Many of the samples in electronics are what is called circuit bents, he explained. A lot of times, our samples are these kinds of pieces that we harmonize with conventional instruments, like the organ. Get it, capture it, harmonize with it, he said. It sounds as if it could be an exercise in dissonance, and in some ways and in lesser hands, it probably would be. No matter what, its a unique and growing trend in avant-garde jazz. Every performance is different, Charette acknowledged. The very important thing about it is that you have to be very aware of what is going on. You cant lose control of the random elements. You have to be very still and very aware, he said. Were discovering it with the audience. Part of the trick is listening to whatever harmonic motif is happening and hearing the harmony in that and being able to accompany it. To an outsider or a neophyte, it sounds like the structure could lend itself to timing issues if youre always reacting to what you hear from electronic circuit bents, it would seem to follow that the conventional instruments would always be behind. But thats not the case, Charette said. Some of the pieces have complicated meter, he acknowledged. But we try not to do it in an overly stuffy way. They [circuit bents] are grooves, and the music is very groove-oriented. Maybe the time signature is different and unusual, but the music never has no form, he said. It would be uncommon for us to be playing free. Theres always time [meter] in the background. Still, the songs remain vehicles for discovery, by the audience and the artist, Charette said. Crazy things do happen, he said. Last time we were at the Bop Stop was one of the first times we did this full-bore. Jordan had a vocorder, and it went to really unusual places. The harmony is very pretty-sounding, and over that is this swarming electronic sound. Charette conceded that the electronic sound, as well as the found sound trend that utilizes everyday sounds, doesnt necessarily fit the conventional jazz paradigm, and hes just fine with that. One of the seminal groups Im influenced by is Weather Report, he said. Weather Report has long been revered as one of the pioneers of jazz fusion, and one of the first to use synthesizers in the genre. For my compositions, electronics are the right backdrop, said Charette, whos also a fan of electronica pioneers Kraftwerk. That may be why Charette has developed the fearlessness thats necessary to be able to try new things. Nothing ever goes wrong, he said, while acknowledging that of course, things do go wrong. Thats why I love playing music. The worst thing that happens is youre going to hit a wrong note. I hope it doesnt sound pretentious, but I think I sound amazing every night, he said. I dont, but the act of doing it for me makes feel so fulfilled that I dont need it to be anything. Except an opportunity. PREVIEW Kurrent What: The electronic jazz duo featuring Hammond B3 organist Brian Charette and drummer Jordan Young. When: 8 p.m. Friday, May 17. Where: Bop Stop at The Music Settlement, 2920 Detroit Ave. in Ohio City. Tickets: $15, at the door, at themusicsettlement.org and at 216-771-6551. CLEVELAND, Ohio An early-morning shooting Sunday in the Union-Miles neighborhood has left one man dead, police say. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office has identified the victim as Byron Turner, 28, of Cleveland. According to police, officers were called to the 4300 block of East 114th Street, which is near Calvary Cemetery, at about 12:30 a.m. for reports of a male shot. Turner was taken by ambulance to University Hospitals but died of his wounds. Police say they have no information on a suspect in the shooting, which remains under investigation. Anyone with information can contact police at 216-623-5464. If youd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section. TOLEDO, Ohio A 4-year-old died of a wound to the head Sunday after an apparent accidental shooting at his home, according to reports. Police Sgt. Paul Davis tells the Toledo Blade one of the family members in the home is a member of the State Highway Patrol. The shooting was reported at about 8:30 a.m. after the boys parents rushed him to a hospital, WTOL Channel 11 reports. The victims identify has not been released. The shooting remains under investigation, reports say. If youd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section. COLUMBUS, Ohio A teenager working with a soda container at a mall kiosk caused a loud blast Sunday, setting off a panic among shoppers who thought it might be a person with a gun. Columbus police tell WCMH Channel 4 that they received calls at 3:30 p.m. Sunday about a possible active shooter at Polaris Mall, which is located north of downtown Columbus just off of Interstate 71. Police found out the loud pop was caused when a carbonated container of soda exploded while an employee was changing out the machine at a kiosk in the mall, 10tv.com reports. Fox 28 reports the teen suffered minor injuries to his face. However, the noise caused a panic among shoppers at the mall, who thought someone might be firing gunshots, witnesses tell Fox 28. Sgt. Dana Hess, who was off-duty at the mall when the incident occurred, says the chaos created confusion. If I had not been right next to the kiosk where this happened, it would have been very difficult to determine, Hess tells Fox 28. People were yelling that they saw someone with a gun and creating more of a panic only makes the situation worse. If youd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County Internal Auditor Cory Swaisgood, who is credited with helping launch an ongoing corruption investigation of county government, is a candidate for finance director for the City of Huron. The auditor told cleveland.com on Monday that he would resign his $104,000-a-year county job effective June 7 if he gets the Huron job. His proposed appointment is on the agenda for Tuesdays meeting of Huron City Council. Swaisgood, who would be taking a $12,000 pay cut, said in a statement that he could not pass on this opportunity to make an immediate impact as a Finance Director in a small community and be closer to his family and hometown. As one of two independent watchdogs of county government, his departure would come as a blow to good-government advocates worried about the corruption probe and the mishandling of the county jails by the administration of County Executive Armond Budish. Cory Swaisgood is a public servant of the highest integrity," county Prosecutor Michael OMalley said Monday. "He was a diligent watchdog over county spending who would never bow to political pressure. His departure is a tremendous loss to Cuyahoga County and its residents. The corruption investigation began after Swaisgood conducted a routine review of the IT Department in 2017 that led to a scathing report about IT General Counsel Emily McNeeleys oversight and authority. The report also pointed to other deficiencies, including the departments handling of contracts. The investigation, conducted by the corruption unit of the county Prosecutors Office and later taken over by the Ohio Attorney Generals Office, has resulted in indictments against McNeeley, current HR Chief Douglas Dykes, and former jail director Ken Mills. Swaisgoods work has also uncovered several issues with the handling of county finances, including prohibited payments of overtime to salaried county employees. More recently, he and county Inspector General Mark Griffin agreed to investigate the misuse of a federal grant by the countys troubled IT Department. In his statement, Swaisgood said he hopes his work provided a solid foundation for the Department of Internal Auditing, and is confident the department will be successful after he leaves. WASHINGTON, D.C. - Imposing new tariffs on China as President Donald Trump has suggested would hurt U.S. businesses and keep companies like Ohios Cleveland Whiskey from exporting their products to other countries and hiring more workers, business groups fighting the tariffs told reporters on Thursday. To prompt movement on sluggish trade negotiations with China, Trump took to Twitter last weekend with a threat to boost tariffs on Chinese goods to 25 percent this Friday. Trump said existing tariffs on Chinese goods have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. On Wednesday, he continued that line of attack, claiming the Chinese had pulled back from negotiations in hopes that theyll be able to negotiate with one of the very weak Democrats and thereby continue to rip off the United States. China responded by promising to take necessary countermeasures if the U.S. implements tariffs. On Thursday, National Retail Federation vice president David French told reporters that the business community is united against using tariffs as a negotiating tool. He said his organization backs the administrations efforts to achieve a meaningful trade deal with China and to remedy its unfair trade practices, but believes that tariffs amount to taxes on American businesses and consumers. We remain concerned that were shooting ourselves in the foot by imposing big new taxes on Americans, French said. ....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 Cleveland Whiskey CEO Thomas Lix told reporters that tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have already eliminated his companys budding export business to Europe and Asia. Nix said hed expected exports would become 20 percent of the companys business in 2018, but tariffs imposed by Trump ended Cleveland Whiskeys foreign sales. Its made a big difference in our business, Lix told reporters. He said hed planned to add two to four staffers to his 15-employee company and expand to a bigger building, but that was put on hold as the companys access to capital changed because it could no longer show export growth. We are going to get hit economically in many industries if we keep playing this game with tariffs and retaliatory tariffs," Lix predicted. "It makes no sense at all. We need to fix this. An Indiana farmer told reporters the tariffs have reduced corn and soybean prices and damaged his profits, a Texas luggage store owner said tariffs on Chinese goods had boosted the prices of the suitcases she imports from China and hurt sales, and a Washington audio equipment maker said the hundreds of thousands of dollars in tariffs hes had to pay on Chinese-made components has raised the prices he must charge consumers and kept him from investing in more staff and technology. The head of a Washington, D.C.-based trade research firm said the existing tariffs have raised expenses for an average U.S. family of four by $767 each year and cost 934,000 jobs nationwide. If Trump raises tariffs, Trade Partnership president Laura Baughman predicted that familys yearly costs would increase by $2,300, and nationwide job losses would climb to 2.1 million. Were at the point where all the companies that have spoken previously to me, they just cant put off firing people anymore, said Baughman. ....Guess what, thats not going to happen! China has just informed us that they (Vice-Premier) are now coming to the U.S. to make a deal. Well see, but I am very happy with over $100 Billion a year in Tariffs filling U.S. coffers...great for U.S., not good for China! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2019 Chinas top trade negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, is supposed to begin another round of talks on Thursday with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. One Ohioan who supports Trumps proposal to boost tariffs on China is Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman, who served as President George W. Bushs U.S. Trade Representative. In a Wednesday CNBC appearance, Portman said he hopes negotiations between China and the United States will stave off the extra tariffs, but that he believes Trump is right. There are some very significant structural changes, as you know, that were asking for, all of which are very fair, said Portman. "And I do hope that Vice Premier Liu and his team when they come in tomorrow are prepared to talk about those. We have to deal with the licensing agreements, joint ventures, the general theft of technology and intellectual property so, its more than just rebalancing the trade deficit. In his own remarks to reporters on Thursday, Trump said he got a very beautiful letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping about the trade negotiations, and that hell meet with Chinese officials at 5 p.m. Trump also repeated his promise to put very heavy tariffs on China," as of Friday. What Im doing now with China shouldve happened many years ago, said Trump. Were not going to be taken advantage of anymore." Rotunda Rumblings Warren in Ohio: Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator and Democratic 2020 contender, visited Ohio over the weekend, covering three Ohio cities in two days. A Friday stop in Chillicothe focused on college debt and fighting the opioid epidemic, according to the Chillicothe Gazettes Barrett Lawlis. Warren asked the crowd how many knew someone whos been caught in the grips of addictions" or whos been lost to addiction,according to CNNs Gregg Krieg. Many raised their hands. She then headed to Columbus, where she was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of about 800 people, according to the Columbus Dispatchs Darrel Rowland. Spotted in the crowd: Richard Cordray. On Saturday, she appeared before 1,000 people in Cincinnati, according to the Cincinnati Enquirers Scott Wartman. Looking for a second opinion: As expected, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to at least temporarily block a federal court decision that ordered Ohio state lawmakers to draw up new congressional maps for the 2020 election, writes cleveland.coms Rich Exner. In a filing, Yost asked the Supreme Court to postpone the deadline until after the high court rules on two other gerrymandering cases. If SCOTUS doesnt intervene, federal judges have set a June 14 deadline for Ohio lawmakers to come up with new maps. Free offer: 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. Were in the money: Ohios April tax revenue numbers are in, and they continue to be stronger than expected. The Office of Budget and Management says tax revenues for April a month thats considered significant because of the Tax Day filing deadline were $414.2 million higher than expected. With the new numbers in the books, Ohios tax revenues for the full fiscal year are now tracking $551.1 million ahead of estimates, and $975.2 million ahead of the same point last year. Pushing the limits: A proposed new bill from Republican state Rep. John Becker that would ban insurance coverage of most abortions in Ohio includes an exception for a medical procedure doctors say doesnt actually exist, according to the Cincinnati Enquirers Jesse Balmert. Beckers bill would allow for coverage for re-implanting an ectopic pregnancy into the uterus, which the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says cant be done. Im no expert on any of this, Becker said. Inside job: Senate Bill 52 might not be law yet, but Secretary of State Frank LaRoses office is already recruiting for the position of chief information security officer. LaRoses office posted the job listing online, assuming the bill which puts a laser focus on keeping elections safe will pass the House. The posting notes that the threats to our nations cyber infrastructure, including our elections infrastructure, have never been greater. ICYMI: The latest episode of This Week in the CLE, cleveland.coms news podcast, had plenty of plenty news. Topics of discussion included last weeks announcement that GM hopes to sell its Lordstown plant and the legal travails of the ACLU gerrymandering case. Check it out here. 2020 watch: America First Action, a major pro-Trump Super PAC, has placed Ohio in its top tier of priority states, according to The Daily Caller. Besides Ohio, the others in AFAs Big Six states are Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Ohios inclusion on the list is yet another data point in the ongoing discussion over whether the Buckeye State will maintain its historic prominent in future presidential elections. Chicago Trib weighs in on Heartbeat Bill: Ohios recent Heartbeat abortion ban is drawing wider attention. In an opinion piece, Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn ties the laws lack of exceptions for rape victims to recent news reports of an 11-year-old rape victim in Massillon being pregnant. In arguing the abortion issue, I used to test the zealotry of my anti-choice opponents with a hypothetical question with similar facts, and was often told such a situation was too far-fetched to be probative,Zorn writes. But now the hypothetical is real. Counterpoint: Christina Hagan, a former Canton-area state representative and unsuccessful 2018 GOP congressional candidate, responded on Twitter on Sunday to someone making a similar argument by saying: Committing a second evil doesnt reverse or erase the trauma of the first. Continuing the love fest: Republican Speaker Larry Householder and Rep. Emilia Sykes, the Democratic minority leader, have a joint news conference scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today. The two leaders, who have collaborated to pass with bipartisan support a transportation budget and a House budget proposal, will unveil a series of top priority bills that will focus on foster care, job training and Ohio water quality, according to a news release from the GOP caucus. Full Disclosure Five things we learned from the May 8 financial disclosure of state Rep. Steve Hambley, a Brunswick Republican: 1. Besides his $60,584 state legislative salary, he made $50,000 to $99,999 from his Ohio Public Employees Retirement System pension. 2. He reported making $1,000 to $9,999 from apparent book sales. (He described this income source as Stephen D. Hambley, PHD, author/publisher.) 3. He is a volunteer trustee for the Cliffside Arts Collaborative, a Medina County nonprofit arts organization. 4. At some point last year, he owed at least $1,000 to: Discover Financial Services, The Home Depot, Barclay Card Services, Huntington Bank, US Bank, Third Federal Savings, Fifth Third Bank, Best Buy HSBC and Goodyear Citibank. 5. He reported receiving $4,368 in House travel reimbursements. On the Move Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio has been chosen as the next president of the Ohio State Bar Association. Her term as a state bar association officer will begin in July, and her term as president will begin in July 2020. Birthdays Ex-Gov. John Kasich Ryan Stubenrauch, lobbyist and former spokesman for Mike DeWines 2018 gubernatorial campaign Straight From The Source "Sorry not sorry for showing off our dance moves at the @ewarren event this morning. -State Rep. Brigid Kelly, who introduced Warren at her Saturday campaign stop in Cincinnati, commenting on a Twitter video of she and Warren dancing to Hang on Sloopy backstage at the event. 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 Just 15,339 Ohioans who had a recommendation from a physician to obtain medical marijuana have purchased any from a dispensary, according to recent state figures. In all, 31,075 people are registered with the program a process that involves visiting a physician who has been approved by the state to recommend the drug, then activating a medical marijuana e-card. The 49 percent of registered patients buying product as of April is an increase from March when it was just 40 percent. Patients are likely holding off on purchasing the product until it gets cheaper, which will require more dispensaries to open and more product to be available. For instance, just 15 of 56 dispensaries have received certificates of operation from the state, and several are far from the states metro areas. Many large-scale growers arent yet selling product and most processors arent ready, either. Among other state figures: 171 Ohio medical marijuana patients have a terminal diagnosis. 2,109 people are registered as caregivers -- giving marijuana to children or patients too sick to self-administer. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy, one of the three state agencies involved in regulating medical marijuana, also released the following sales figures, for the beginning of sales in January through May 5: 750 pounds of plant material have been sold. 3,610 units of manufactured product -- such as tinctures, oils or edibles -- have been sold. Total product sales have been $5.8 million. There have been 41,487 total receipts -- meaning some patients and caregivers have returned to the dispensaries for more product. In other recent Ohio medical marijuana news: COLUMBUS, Ohio The top Republican and Democrat in the Ohio House of Representatives jointly unveiled new priority legislation on Monday, in a continuation of the recent and unusual bipartisanship within the legislative chamber. One of the four bills revives the H2Ohio water-quality fund, a $900 million initiative from Gov. Mike DeWine that Republican leaders nixed last week from DeWines state budget proposal. The bill would create a new advisory board, comprised of appointees from the governors office and the legislature, and give it the authority to borrow money for water-improvement projects. The other three deal with similarly uncontroversial topics. They are: 1. Revising foster-parenting requirements, with an aim at getting more parents into the system. The move is a response to the increased number of children being removed from their home as a result of rising drug-addiction levels. 2. Creating a state tech cred program that would issue grants to businesses that provide training for in-demand jobs. 3. Creating a statewide kinship navigator program that would help connect people, forced to take in family members during a crisis, with state resources. House Speaker Larry Householder, a Republican, and Democratic Minority Leader Emilia Sykes held a rare joint news conference at the Statehouse on Monday to unveil the four bills. Householder said the bills, which he wants to pass before the end of summer, represent areas of common ground between the two parties in the House. The H2Ohio bill and the kinship care bill both were part of a set of policy priorities Democrats announced earlier this year. I feel very strongly that we have members of the Democratic Party, and members of the Republican party who have watched whats going on in Washington, D.C. and think that theres a better way of doing things, Householder said. We might have disagreed over the past few months on bills that would impact the lives of Ohioans, but much like the people of our great nation and the people of the State of Ohio, we are more alike than different, Sykes said. Householder has led the Ohio House of Representatives since January, when Democrats and some influential state labor unions helped Householder win a long-running, contentious leadership fight with Republican state Rep. Ryan Smith. Since then, Householder has courted and received Democratic votes for two major pieces of legislation the state transportation budget, since signed into law, that raises the states gas tax to pay for roads and bridges, and a state budget plan which cleared the House last week, proposing to raise taxes on business owners in part to pay for income-tax cuts for everyone else. Householder also has shepherded through two new laws dealing with hot-button social issues where the two parties dont see eye to eye. One, which fixed a typo in a firearms bill passed in December, got some Democratic votes after Householder asked for them. Democrats loudly opposed the other, a sweeping abortion ban, expected to face a legal challenge, that makes it illegal for a doctor to perform an abortion as soon as six weeks after a woman becomes pregnant. Asked Monday if Republicans and Democrats might be able to work together on social issues like abortion or guns, Householder wasnt as sanguine. Well. Wed like to find common ground. Its just that so many times those areas become so difficult to find common ground, he said. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Like women everywhere, women in Greater Cleveland face barriers in the professional sphere. So cleveland.com reached out to some of the regions most influential women, those who because of their hard work, integrity and vision, have risen to the top ranks of leadership. These leaders are the among the most powerful, connected leaders in Northeast Ohio -- in business, philanthropy and public service. We asked them how society can bulldoze barriers blocking women, how women can handle sexist comments and what theyve learned over the course of their careers. Hear from Jill Van Auken, principal, Van Auken Akins Architects: If you could distill everything youve learned in your career into one piece of advice, what would it be? Wear a hard hat! Find protection from the glass ceiling through support systems that offer professional development and mentorship. There are many valuable groups full of supporting women, with one of the best being American Institute of Architects Clevelands Women in Architecture. Having a dynamic group of industry professionals available helps to elevate the visibility of women in the architecture, engineering and construction field and to share their unique perspectives. Progress doesnt happen in a vacuum. Sharing experiences and bearing witness to women is critical for closing the gender and pay gap in STEM fields, and WIA has been a great advocate in that regard. How do you think women in the workplace should respond to when confronted by unacceptable comments, or sexism exhibited by male colleagues? Take control of the situation. No matter the severity of the circumstances, make sure that both parties have a clear understanding of unacceptable behavior. Remain professional at all times. Leadership sets the tone for the firm, and weve worked very hard to maintain an inclusive corporate culture with a clear understanding of expectations. As a community, are there steps we should take to help even the playing field for women, so they have the same chances for leadership as men? Combating the glass ceiling means addressing our own biases. Collectively, we need be aware of our own predisposition to perpetuate stereotypes and expectations of demeanor that hold women back from advancing their careers. Generations have grown up learning that men and women do not have equal accomplishments, which has empowered this idea that men are leaders and women are not. In order for women to continue to make gains, future generations need to be inundated with examples of successful women leaders; that leadership roles are not defined by gender, but by character. We need to continue to be advocates for women by encouraging education, addressing media biases, creating economic opportunities, and by setting the example of leadership. We can start by looking at the fundamental issue of respect in the workplace pay. Those of us who are privileged to hold positions of power need to enact change and encourage vital younger talent to pursue the study of architecture, and all STEM disciplines, assuring them of equality in the workplace. We need to be proactive in lieu of reactive. Learn more from Greater Clevelands influential women below: "This project has been extremely fulfilling," Bhagwat said. "In a few years, hopefully this will be a tiny step for the redevelopment in Haiti." This is the first time in nearly 25 years that Carnegie Mellon University students are earning master's degrees in architecture. The two-year degree program was re-introduced in 2017, and a three-year option will soon be available for students with no prior architecture background. Baghat is one of 17 graduates. "I always wanted to pursue a master's degree in architecture and had an interest in the field of public interest design," she said. "Carnegie Mellon broadened my horizons and helped me discover that healthcare is something I specifically want to pursue in the next phase of my life." 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 1 and 3. Ou said one of the things the trip taught her was that the decisions she makes as an engineer can have both positive and unintended consequences. Before they had arrived in Zimbabwe, they hadn't considered how the community members would have to change their lifestyle habits in order to use the new technology. "We also hadn't considered how receptive they may be to this change," Ou said. "If the technology is put in place, are they willing to maintain it or will they want to just revert back to their old ways? It was a challenge and a learning moment for us. We had to think about how people will interact with our system, not just about the performance aspects of our project." May 13, 2019 Graduates Share Stories of Their CMU Experience Students graduating in Carnegie Mellon University's Class of 2019 have come a long way. Here are some of their stories. Samuel Belaye When he received an acceptance letter to Carnegie Mellon University and an offer for a Presidential scholarship, Samuel Belaye thought it was a mistake. Read more Debi Bhanja A good doctor must be driven and committed to helping others. Carnegie Mellon University senior Debi Bhanja is both. Read more Tanvi Bajpai Tanvi Bajpai, who came to Carnegie Mellon University to become a software engineer and discovered a passion for teaching in the process, will receive the 2019 K&L Gates Prize. Read more Nikhita Bhagwat Nikhita Bhagwat dedicated her architecture masters thesis to a 16-week independent study project that allowed her to document and design a teaching hospital in rural Haiti. Read more Alexandra and Gabriel Gerson Graduate school is unlike any other experience. That uniqueness grows even more when your spouse joins the same cohort in an MBA program. Read more Zain Islam-Hashmi Zain Islam-Hashmi has created his niche as an architect of fashion, who creates clothing and wardrobe ensembles with materials like resin, cement and plexiglass. Read more Seth Henry Seth Henry served as competition director for the Western Pennsylvania Spring Sectional Games for Special Olympics of Pennsylvania.. Read more Laura Kelly Laura Kelly, associate director of social media for Carnegie Mellon University, is taking this weekend off from working in order to march with the Class of 2019 and receive her MBA. Read more Christina Ou The electrical and computer engineering student traveled to Zimbabwe with Engineers Without Borders to complete a solar streetlight project helping a community of 2,000 people in Nyadire. Read more Two years ago, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association conducted a cybersecurity simulation that mimicked a real attack. The test included the participation of more than 50 financial firms, as well as government regulators and SIFMA itself. Now, the industry trade group is preparing for the latest iteration of its test dubbed Quantum Dawn this fall. PN_Photo | Getty Images "We create the spooky scenario," said Tom Price, managing director of operations, technology and business continuity at SIFMA. "It's data destruction. It's fake news coming from the newswires. It's bad data in the processors." The participants include more than 1,000 individuals across different areas of financial services, including wealth management, in a range of roles including CEO, CFO, chief security officers, crisis management and others. The simulation is aimed at getting firms to see how well they answer key questions on the fly: How well do they respond to these types of events? Who are the key contacts to talk to in such an event? How is key information escalated within a firm, to the government and law enforcement? Having those answers is key for financial advisors and the firms they work in, as regulators turned up the pressure on them to have these plans in place. The SEC has released cybersecurity guidance for the registered investment advisers it oversees. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which regulates broker-dealers, has also issued its own guidance that includes information for small firms with 150 or less registered representatives. The message: No firm is too small to have cybersecurity protections in place. "The financial services industry is essential to the economy We have to be right all the time," Price said. "The bad guys only have to be right once." Risk to firms For the average financial advisor and their firm, even what may seem like a small oversight can turn into a big snafu. Brian Edelman, CEO of FCI, a cybersecurity company, said he saw that first hand when one financial services company hired a shredding company to get rid of private documents. But trouble struck when the documents were stolen and the clients' stolen information turned up on the dark web. The theft is an opportunity for financial advisors and their firms, according to Edelman. "Incident response, done the right way, builds loyalty with clients," Edelman said. Having specific plans in place ahead of time can help minimize the impact an unfortunate event has on your business. In June, Amazon announced a new business opportunity for almost anyone with enough savings and a desire to be their own boss running a fleet of delivery trucks for the e-commerce giant through its Delivery Service Partner program. The company said potential annual profits for business owners could be as much as $300,000. Now, Amazon is incentivizing its own employees to quit their job and start their own Amazon delivery business through the program by offering them $10,000 and the equivalent of three months' salary to participate. In addition to the money, Amazon says through the program employees "will leave their role at Amazon to build their business knowing they will have consistent delivery volume from Amazon, access to the company's sophisticated delivery technology, hands-on training, and discounts on a suite of assets and services, including Amazon-branded vans customized for delivery, branded uniforms and comprehensive insurance," according to Monday's announcement. "We received overwhelming interest from tens of thousands of individuals who applied to be part of the Delivery Service Partner program, including many employees," said Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations. "We've heard from associates that they want to participate in the program but struggled with the transition. Now we have a path for those associates with an appetite for opportunities to own their own businesses." As the Associated Press notes, Amazon's new employee incentive comes at a time in which Amazon is trying to speed up its Prime delivery shipping from two days to one. The offer is available to most part-time and full-time Amazon employees, including warehouse workers. According to Amazon, almost any entrepreneur can start a business with its Delivery Service Partner program with an initial investment as low as $10,000 to hire drivers and lease up to 40 vans to deliver Amazon packages from a warehouse to a person's home. Amazon has said that for "successful owners" operating between 20 to 40 vans, it estimates potential annual profits will range from $75,000 to $300,000 (although it can vary depending on city and the individual business' costs). And while associating with Amazon "is extremely powerful," according to New York University Stern School of Business professor Anindya Ghose, no business is foolproof. Participants shouldn't expect to suddenly make $300,000. Even Amazon provides a broad range of potential profits per year and lots of fine print. Plus the branding connection and incentive will mean business owners will be beholden to Amazon in some ways, Jeremy Kagan, an adjunct professor of marketing at Columbia Business School and the managing director of The Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center previously told CNBC Make It. And that can limit the ability to scale. "When you go through all of the trouble of setting up a business, usually it will be in the later years when you've gotten established, you've got your employees, you've got your business, that you start really reaping the rewards of growing it, and maybe ultimately selling it," Kagan said. But with a business that depends on another brand as its primary (or only) customer, "I don't know that you have a lot of ability to grow from there." As for the incentive program, this isn't the first time Amazon has paid its own employees to quit. The e-commerce giant also has a Pay to Quit program, in which once a year, the company offers to pay full-time associates at Amazon fulfillment centers up to $5,000 to leave the company. The company says it only wants employees who want to be there. Those who accept the offer can never work at Amazon again. Don't miss: Dream job alert: Get paid $97,000 a year to test supercars and private islands for the 'Amazon for millionaires' Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! Bottles of Roundup weed killer move along the production line at the herbicide manufacturing facility operated by Monsanto. Bayer on Monday was ordered by a Northern California jury to pay more than $2 billion to a couple who say they were diagnosed with cancer after using the company's glyphosate-based weedkiller Roundup. Shares of Bayer were down 5.9% in early trading on Tuesday. The San Francisco Superior Court in Oakland said the company had to pay the plaintiffs, Alva and Alberta Pilliod, the damages after they contracted non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Alva Pilliod was awarded a total of $1.37 billion, while his wife Alberta was granted $1.18 billion. The jury said the company's product did not properly warn of its cancer risk. Bayer said in a statement it was disappointed with the jury's decision and planned to appeal, adding that it "conflicts directly" with the Environmental Protection Agency's finding that there are "no risks to public health from the current registered uses of glyphosate." "We have great sympathy for Mr. and Mrs. Pilliod, but the evidence in this case was clear that both have long histories of illnesses known to be substantial risk factors for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), most NHL has no known cause, and there is not reliable scientific evidence to conclude that glyphosate-based herbicides were the 'but for' cause of their illnesses as the jury was required to find in this case," the company said. A spokesman also said: "Bayer believes the punitive verdict is excessive and unjustifiable." This is the third lawsuit the company has lost related to claims that Roundup causes cancer. Bayer paid $159 million in damages in the first two cases. The company said it would appeal both verdicts. There are more than 13,400 lawsuits against Bayer set to go to trial in the United States related to the claims. Roundup is a herbicide produced by Monsanto, which Bayer acquired last year for $63 billion. The company has denied allegations that its product causes cancer, saying that decades of studies and regulatory evaluations have shown the weedkiller to be safe for use. Monsanto did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Reuters contributed to this report. If you're having a hard time building a six-month emergency fund, you might want to rethink where you live. A new study from personal finance website Bankrate took a look at the cities where it is most difficult or easy to stash away cash in case of an emergency. Bankrate evaluated cities based on housing costs, such as mortgage, insurance and property taxes. It also included other expenses, such as groceries, health care, transportation and utilities. Memphis came up on the top of the best cities list. The city's residents can save more on an annual basis than they need in their six-month emergency savings fund, according to Bankrate's calculations. In other cities that rounded out the top five Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Detroit it would take an estimated 13 months to build that six-month fund. Boeing shares fell nearly 5% in trading Monday as the trade war intensifying between the U.S. and China put added pressure on the aircraft maker. The aerospace giant's stock was responsible for 117 points of the Dow Jones industrial average's over 600 point drop, making Boeing the largest single contributor to the Dow's decline among the 30 companies of the index. Boeing's fall is "definitely a response to the China trade" dispute, Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu told CNBC. Most of the stock's drop came after the editor of Chinese newspaper Global Times speculated that the country may single out the aircraft maker in the trade war. China may "reduce Boeing orders" as one of its retaliatory tactics in the trade war, Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, said in a tweet. The Global Times is a state-affiliated organization, with close connections to the government. The outlet tends to be more outspoken in contrast to other state media. HuXijin_GT tweet Boeing and China have become increasingly important to each other. The aerospace giant's business is estimated to add more than $1 billion to China's economic each year, Boeing said in November. About a third of Boeing's orders for its core 737 Max aircraft are from China, according to Jefferies. Additionally, Boeing expects China's fleet of commercial aircraft to more than double over the next 20 years. With more than 4,000 on order, the 737 Max aircraft makes up the majority of Boeing's backlog of over 5,600 aircraft orders. But the 737 Max has been grounded around the world since March, shortly after the second deadly crash of the aircraft model in only a few months. "I think, given the 737 Max's grounding, the dialogue has somewhat changed," Kahyaoglu said, adding that "the longer the grounding is in place the more pressure it puts" on Boeing. Sales to China were already shrinking. Kahyaoglu pointed to reports that China did not place a Boeing aircraft order in 2018, which would be "the first time since 2002 that Boeing hasn't received a Chinese order." China has been working on working on its own aircraft to compete with Boeing and Airbus, called the C919, but the program is far behind schedule. Jefferies estimates the first C919 aircraft will not be delivered to a customer until 2021. That gives Boeing some breathing room even as the 737 Max grounding slows both production and deliveries of the aircraft. "The barriers to entry for this market are very high. There are two suppliers of aircraft ... so there aren't many options longer term," Kahyaoglu said. China retaliated in the trade war on Monday morning, hiking tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. imports, beginning June 1. The move comes after President Donald Trump last week raised U.S. tariffs on $200 billion to 25%, up from 10%. "We're confident the US and China will continue trade discussions and come to an agreement than benefits both US and Chinese manufacturers and consumers," a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. The latest shot in the trade war rattled investors. Major U.S. stock indexes dove more than 2% Monday amid the escalation . The move follows President Donald Trump 's decision to raise duties on $200 billion in Chinese products to 25% from 10%. The world's two largest economies have struggled to sign a trade deal and end a widening conflict that threatens to damage the global economy. Beijing will increase tariffs on more than 5,000 products to as high as 25%. Duties on some other goods will increase to 20%. Those rates will rise from either 10% or 5% previously. China will raise tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods in retaliation for the U.S. decision to hike duties on Chinese goods, the Chinese Finance Ministry said Monday. The duties in large part target U.S. farmers, who largely supported Trump in 2016 but suffered from previous shots in the Trump administration's trade war with China. The thousands of products include peanuts, sugar, wheat, chicken and turkey. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC that the sides are still involved in negotiations. He said the administration is working on dates to travel to Beijing to continue talks. Neither the White House nor the Treasury Department immediately responded to CNBC's requests to comment on the tariff increase. In increasing duties on Chinese goods on Friday, the White House said Beijing backed out of major parts of a developing trade agreement. While Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met with Chinese negotiators last week in talks Mnuchin called "constructive," the sides could not strike a deal. Trump, who wants to address grievances such as intellectual property theft, forced technology transfers and trade deficits, pushed China to make a deal ahead of its retaliation on Monday morning. In a string of tweets, the president argued the tariffs are "very bad for China." He said "China should not retaliate" as it "will only get worse!" "You had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out!" he wrote of China and its President Xi Jinping. Trump tweet: I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you don't make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries. Too expensive to buy in China. You had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out! The U.S. may not be done retaliating. Trump has threatened to put 25% tariffs on $325 billion in Chinese goods that remain untaxed. The president has signaled he is content leaving the duties in place, arguing they will damage China more than the U.S. The president has repeatedly claimed China bears the brunt of the costs from the tariffs. But the burden falls largely on U.S. businesses and consumers. The flags of the EU member states in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France Thomas Trutschel | Photothek | Getty Images Europe's unification process since the early 1950s has been defined by its American defense umbrella and a resurgent Germany setting the dynamics to the continent's economy and much more. Those European activists pejoratively branded as populists, nationalists and xenophobes (which, for short, I will perhaps implausibly call Euro-skeptics) know, and some of them openly admit, that nothing has changed. Their hostility to the European Union is just a raw struggle for power, without any credible designs to re-establish prosperous, fully independent and entirely sovereign nation states. The Euro-skeptics' appeal is mainly based on protest votes of an electorate disappointed with the political, economic and social mismanagement of governing elites. It is, therefore, a safe bet that Euro-skeptics will get no mandate in the EU's parliamentary elections later this month to deconstruct a 70-year old work-in-progress on the European project by making the European Commission (the EU's executive authority) an empty shell drained of the massive sovereignty transfers implemented so far. Protest vote is not enough That, of course, does not mean that the inept, hostile and divisive talk of some front-runners to head the new European Commission won't damage the continent's unity by offering votes to Euro-skeptics riding the wave of an ever-present European clannishness and undying historical enmities. But that won't take the Euro-skeptics too far, provided that the pretenders to the EU's top executive positions show some wisdom and devotion to the promise of European peace and prosperity. That promise is hard to destroy. Right-wing populists in France and The Netherlands tried and repeatedly lost big in national elections. Italians and Hungarians are relative newcomers to the Euro-skeptic enterprise, and their programs are narrowly focused on anti-immigration policies and a refusal to accept Germany's overbearing political, economic and social diktats. So, yes, the house of Europe looks divided, but it is stronger than most people believe. Its main strength comes from the Euro-skeptics' limited possibility for economic mischief. They only have the fiscal policy to play with because the monetary policy is in the hands of the European Central Bank. But the examples of Italy and France show that the presumed scope for discretionary fiscal policies is a mirage. Indeed, Italy's Euro-skeptic government was forced to walk back its proposed higher public spending and tax cuts at the time when fiscal restraint was needed to keep down excessive public debt and budget deficits. Creditors, including the ECB, voted with their feet, the cost of state financing went up, followed by widening debts and deficits. The result was a public outcry, insults of incompetence and a humble retreat to what creditors wanted. France is now offering another example of the same experience. Trying to quell the ongoing social unrest and to shore up the profoundly shaken government authority with higher wages, lower taxes and other welfare spending, President Emmanuel Macron has blown a big hole in his already over-stretched public finances. His government is still trying to figure out how to pay for all of that. Everybody knows that there will be offsetting spending cuts under the guise of economic and social reforms, but that will be swept under the rug until the elections are over later this month. Germany won't help Those two examples show that Euro-skeptics will have to deal with difficult domestic issues before taking the hammer to the thick, decades-old layers of the EU's bureaucratic and institutional ramparts. The chaos and hardships caused by German open-door immigration policies and procyclical fiscal austerity has exacerbated problems of political, social and cultural cohesion in many EU countries in an environment of weak economic growth, high unemployment, and limited means to deal with poverty and social exclusion. That is a huge challenge. On top of that, over the last two years the EU countries have granted protection to more than 800,000 asylum seekers and resettled refugees. The danger now is that Euro-skeptics will target Germany as the main EU problem. That would force even moderate governments to turn on Germany as a country stifling the European growth while taking last year 155.6 billion euro of purchasing power from the rest of the EU in the form of merchandise trade surpluses. That was a whopping 68.3% of Germany's total net exports. In spite of that, Germany refuses to prop up its stagnant economy and help the rest of the EU to revive growth of jobs and incomes. Worse, Berlin is announcing that it will continue its tight fiscal policy with overflowing government coffers and a 1.7% of GDP budget surplus recorded in 2018. One can see the chief Euro-skeptics France's Marine Le Pen and Italy's Matteo Salvini having a field day with that, while Greece and Poland want a piece of German riches for allegedly being short-changed during Germany's war reparation payments. In the midst of all that, there is one thing Euro-skeptics cannot change: Washington is underwriting their security. The Euro-skeptics know they cannot have a similar degree of protection as largely irrelevant nation states detached from a powerful European economic block and the trans-Atlantic military alliance. Investment thoughts European markets closed lower Monday, following news China will impose tariffs on some U.S. imports from June 1 . The pan-European STOXX 600 closed provisionally down 1.2%. Autos and basic resources stocks which are particular sensitive to trade news were the worst performers. On Friday, trade talks between U.S. and Chinese negotiators broke up without a deal, shortly after America hiked its tariff rate to 25% on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, White House Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow said President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are likely to meet at the upcoming June G-20 summit in Japan. Kudlow said the chances of such a meeting "were pretty good," but he said there are "no concrete, definite plans" for when U.S. and Chinese negotiators will meet again. However, news of China's retaliation Monday compounded losses in major European markets. Beijing will increase the tariffs to 25% from 10% on June 1, the Chinese Finance Ministry said. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average index sank as much as 600 points on the back of trade jitters. Boeing shares declined more than 3% amid speculation the airplane maker could be singled out by China in the trade war. The Trump administration is wrong to try to get China to significantly change its economic policy during the ongoing trade talks, John Rutledge, a principal architect of Ronald Reagan's economic plan, told CNBC on Monday. The big sticking point for President Donald Trump in the negotiations is China's intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers, as well as the trade deficits. "The idea that you can change China's entire economic system the way they manage state-owned companies, the way they manage their technology policy or their industrial policy in the course of a trade discussion is just nuts," said Rutledge, now chief investment officer at the global investment firm Safanad. He has also advised leaders in the Chinese government. "It was nuts in the beginning. It's nuts now," he added. The trade war between the two nations escalated on Monday after China said it would increase tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods, beginning June 1. The move came in retaliation for Trump's decision to hike duties on $200 billion in Chinese products to 25% from 10%. Rutledge said he's advised his own group, "You will not succeed in China turning itself inside out for you and not become China anymore. And you will not be able to walk around on the ground inside China and do checks on whatever you agree to." Before the recent escalation, it appeared that progress was being made. In explaining the boost in tariffs, the White House said Beijing backed out of major parts of the developing agreement. Last week, negotiators for both sides met, but no deal was struck. While Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called the talks "constructive," no new date was set for negotiations to resume. Rutledge blames neoconservatives in the Trump administration for the shift in tone. "This is not China reneging on the trade deal the last week. This is the hawks taking control, getting Trump's ear and pushing the trade war off the edge of a table. This is not going to go away," he told "The Exchange." "We are beyond a trade war," he said. "We are now moving into more conflicts on more fronts with China." CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report. DUBAI Regional experts and government officials are voicing their worry over the potential for conflict intended or accidental to break out between the U.S. and Iran. The price of oil spiked Monday, with Brent crude jumping more than 1.5% at noon London time in a sign of market concern over the unraveling nuclear deal and provocative behavior from both Washington and Tehran. "Both Iran and the United States are seemingly putting in place networks and infrastructure to deter military attacks against one another's assets in the region," Ellie Geranmayeh, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told CNBC on Monday. "In the absence of a serious diplomatic channel, the current maximalist approach from the Trump White House could spark a new cycle of intentional or inadvertent military confrontation in the region." Citing "very real" threat reporting on Iran, but withholding details of those specific threats, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emphasized during an interview with CNBC on Sunday that all options military and otherwise were on the table in case Iran "makes a bad decision." We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended. Jeremy Hunt UK Foreign Secretary A week earlier, the White House pushed news of a U.S. strike group carrier in the Gulf to send an "unmistakable" message to Iran. Although the ship was on a routine deployment, the administration's announcement signaled a surge in confrontational rhetoric. The fast combat support ship USNS Arctic pulls alongside the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to conduct a replenishment-at-sea in the Mediterranean Sea, May 8, 2019. Michael Singley | U.S. Navy | Reuters Looking at a growing volume of military hardware occupying the Persian Gulf, analysts fear a miscalculation or misunderstanding could spark a much more serious conflict. "With so much tension and friction between the two countries and no channel of communication or exit ramp, it appears that the Trump administration has no effective de-escalation strategy other than hoping that its muscle flexing would scare the Iranians," Ali Vaez, director of the Washington D.C.-based Iran Project, told CNBC. "That is a perilous gambit." European officials have weighed in too. British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt told reporters on Monday: "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended." Adding fresh confusion to the tense standoff, Saudi and United Arab Emirates officials on Sunday night claimed acts of sabotage had been carried out on four of their commercial vessels near the UAE port of Fujeirah, though they have not provided evidence or details of the alleged attack and have not yet accused anyone. Iran flirting with a nuclear restart? Iran, increasingly under pressure from the Trump administration's sanctions-heavy "maximum pressure" campaign, last week announced that it was ditching two of its obligations under the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal. Tehran has threatened to return to higher levels of uranium enrichment a process required for reaching weapons-grade plutonium if the deal's European signatories fail to adequately shield it from U.S. sanctions, which have crippled the Iranian economy. While experts don't believe those specific actions will bring Iran immediately closer to a bomb, they indicate a slow march in that direction, heightening the possibility of a heavy-handed American or even Israeli response. "It does seem the U.S. is on a trajectory to implode Iran's economy that is a very dangerous path when dealing with a country of 80 million," Geranmayeh said. "It could lead to instability in the entire region." The Trump administration left the Obama-era deal in May of last year, citing Iran's destabilizing regional activity including its ballistic missile testing and its support for proxy militant groups in countries like Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. The deal had lifted economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program. The UN and the International Atomic Energy Agency maintain that Iran was complying to the deal's parameters and that it was effective in containing the country's bomb-making capability. Now, however, some regional watchers believe Washington is forcing Iran to breach the deal by removing all of its incentives to abide by it, essentially provoking Tehran into firing the first shot. Amos Hochstein, a former Obama administration official and energy affairs expert, is alarmed by the U.S. strategy. Abandoning the nuclear deal "has yielded no renewed negotiations and now a threat of restarting the clock to breakout capability," he told CNBC. "If we want to prevent a nuclear Iran with no negotiations, the only other option may become war. We've seen this script before in Iraq, only this is much more terrifying." Pompeo would 'welcome' negotiations: Words versus actions Pompeo on Sunday stressed that the administration would welcome diplomatic talks with Tehran were they to reach out. But that's something many experts criticize as disingenuous. "This administration's maximum pressure campaign, and Pompeo's 12 demands from Tehran, leaves little room for Iran to conduct face-saving negotiations," Geranmayeh said, echoing the concerns of many who fear that Washington has left no room for Iran to walk back its threats and come to the table. The headquarters of Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd), the world's largest electronics contractor manufacturer. The world's largest contract manufacturer Foxconn is poised to nominate the head of its chip business as chairman to succeed Terry Gou, who plans to run in Taiwan's presidential election, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Liu Young is also a board member of Foxconn's Japanese electronics unit Sharp. The nomination would come after Gou told Reuters in April he planned to step down as chairman of the Apple supplier so younger talent could move up the Taiwanese firm's ranks. Gou is set to retain a seat on the proposed board at Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry. However, he told reporters last week he would resign as chairman of the board to demonstrate his determination to run for election. A company filing last week showed proposed candidates for Foxconn's new board included Gou and Liu, as well as Sharp Chairman Tai Jeng-wu and Foxconn Interconnect Technology Chairman Lu Sung-Ching. The proposed board is subject to shareholder approval at a meeting in June before a chairman can be elected. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. The two people with knowledge of the matter declined to be identified, saying the matter was still private. Republican lawmakers from across the farm belt stood with President Donald Trump as the trade war with China escalated on Monday with China set to implement higher tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods. Farmers will see the most pain from the tariff increases that target a wide range of agricultural products. The tax on these goods, which will not go into effect until June 1, is in retaliation for the Trump administration's decision on Friday to increase duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to the U.S. from 10% to 25%. Senator Chuck Grassley, the Iowa Republican, backed the president after China announced retaliatory measures on products such as frozen spinach, natural honey, and potassium sulfate, which is often used in fertilizers. As of 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture listed Iowa as the second largest agricultural producer. "President Trump shouldn't give up on securing an enforceable agreement that holds China accountable for its abusive trade practices," Grassley said in a statement. He acknowledged that farmers in his state are suffering from the ongoing trade war and called for it to end as soon as possible, but with a deal in place. "Americans understand the need to hold China accountable, but they also need to know that the Administration understands the economic pain they would feel in a prolonged trade war," he added. Newly elected North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer called on Trump to continue to use his arsenal of trade barriers in order to beat China, which he believes will lead to a stronger position for the U.S. in negotiations. "The best way to end a trade war is to win it. To win it, we must stay unified in the fight against our adversary," Cramer told CNBC in a statement. "China's bad faith negotiation style is as predictable as sunrise in the morning, and doing things the same old way will not work any better today than they have before. I stand with President Trump as he uses the strongest weapons in his arsenal," he added. But Heidi Heitkamp, the former Democratic senator who held Cramer's seat before the 2018 congressional midterms, had reservations about the escalating battle and how it would affect her former constituents and the country at large. She told CNBC that she believes tariffs are the wrong response to China's practices and the ongoing trade dispute will have far-reaching consequences. "The strategy that we're deploying is going to have serious and permanent long term challenges for this country," she said earlier Monday. Tweet: Sen. Rob Portman, R-OH, however, gave the president his blessing, saying the only way tariffs should be removed is if a deal is struck with China. "We need a strong, enforceable agreement and once an agreement is reached the tariffs on both sides must come off," his spokesman Kevin Smith said. Senator Mike Rounds, R-SD, in an interview on Fox Business said farmers in his state are taking a hit from the trade deliberations but explained his constituents believe the president will find a way to make a deal with China. "These folks can't take a lot more of that, but when you talk to them, they're saying, 'we get it,' we've got a president who's really trying hard, we just hope he gets the job done," he told the network on Monday. North Dakota, South Dakota and Ohio are considered by the USDA as three of the top 20 states producing agricultural goods. Republican Senators' decisions to align themselves with Trump highlights the stranglehold the president has on a party that for decades was pro free trade and free market principles. That all changed once Trump took power. Indeed, many of these Republican lawmakers are shrugging off the outcry from free market supporters, such as the influential Koch network which initiated a large scale ad campaign last year against Trump's tariffs. The organization is financed in part by the billionaire Charles Koch. The political network did not back Cramer in his Senate bid after he came out as a staunch supporter of Trump's trade war. A spokesman for the Koch backed Americans for Prosperity, Bill Riggs, said they were disappointed with the administration's trade strategy. "We're disappointed the administration is doubling down on a strategy that guarantees both sides lose. American families and businesses shouldn't have to suffer in order to get a good deal," Riggs said. "There are better ways to pressure China without punishing Americans with higher taxes and risking the long-term damage that a prolonged trade war would have on American businesses." Meanwhile, the president told reporters on Monday that farmers will get $15 billion in subsidies to blunt the effects of China's retaliatory efforts. Tariffs, which are paid by U.S. businesses and consumers, would be used to bail out farmers. The administration has already given billions of dollars in aid to farmers in response to the Chinese tariffs. "Out of the billions of dollars that we're taking in, a small portion of that will be going to our farmers, because China will be retaliating, probably to a certain extent, against our farmers," Trump said. "We're gonna take the highest year, the biggest purchase that China has ever made with our farmers, which is about $15 billion dollars, and do something reciprocal to our farmers, so our farmers can do well." A study by the Brookings Institution states that "roughly one-quarter of the increase in student debt since 1989 can be directly attributed to Americans obtaining more education, especially graduate degrees." Their research found that since 1989, the average amount borrowed to finance a graduate degree, including a master's or doctorate diploma, increased from approximately $10,000 to over $40,000. Workers with doctorate degrees earn some of the highest wages in the U.S . According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average median weekly earnings for a person with a doctoral degree is $1,825, or about $94,900 per year. That's compared to average median weekly earnings of $1,198, or about $62,296 a year, for bachelor's degree holders and $730 a week, about $37,960 per year, for those with a high school diploma. Between 2000 and 2017 , the percentages of Americans with a high school diploma, an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or master's degree all increased. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), American colleges and universities conferred 1.8 million bachelor's degrees, 775,000 masters degrees and 181,000 doctorates degrees during the 2017-2018 school year. The NCES estimates that Ph.D. graduates outside the field of education owe an average $98,800 in student loans, in part because many Americans with Ph.D.s also hold debt from earning previous degrees. The organization analyzed student loan balances of graduates from the 1999-2000 academic year to the 2015-2016 academic year and found that average loan balances for those who earned their Ph.D. increased by 104%, from $48,400 to $98,800, and student loan balances for those who earned medical doctorates increased by 97% from $124,700 to $246,000. Average debt among students who earned other nonPh.D. doctorates increased by 105%, from $64,500 to $132,200. One reason for these increased debt levels among graduate students is the dramatic increase in the cost of higher education over the past several decades, for graduate as well as undergraduate students. Though debt levels may be high, the demand for highly skilled workers is not likely to change, which means these highly-educated borrowers should continue to have an advantage in the labor market. The Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce predicts that by 2020, 65% of all jobs in the American economy will require education beyond high school. Despite the challenges of repaying student debt, David C. Bloomfield, professor of education leadership, law and policy at Brooklyn College and The City University of New York Graduate Center, tells CNBC Make It that earning a degree is still one of the wisest investments a student can make. "Completed degree programs from reputable institutions," he says, "are still the most reliable investment in future income and well-being." Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! Don't miss: A box of the Fentanyl-based drug Subsys, made by Insys Therapeutics Inc, is seen in an undated photograph provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Alabama. Insys Therapeutics shares tanked Monday morning after the company said it may have to file for bankruptcy because it can't afford legal costs related to a Department of Justice investigation into the company's sales tactics of one of its popular opioids. Insys said it had $87.6 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of March, which falls short of the $150 million tentative settlement the company made with the Department of Justice to settle claims that the company bribed doctors to unnecessarily prescribe its fentanyl-based drug Subsys, which is meant to treat cancer patients. Insys was trading under $1 a share on Monday, near its all-time low of 71 cents a share set during the financial crisis and down 75% from Friday's close of $3.60 a share. The company's stock peaked at $641.95 a share in 2000 and was trading as high as $45 a share in 2015, according to data compiled by FactSet. The company said Friday it may be forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy if it cannot sell its portfolio of opioid-related assets, including Subsys. It said investors would likely lose part or all of their investment if the company could not complete the sale, the company warned investors in its first-quarter earnings report. Insys said "trading in our securities is highly speculative" as it considers filing for bankruptcy. In early May, a Boston jury convicted Insys founder John Kapoor and four former executives of racketeering and other crimes in a fentanyl bribery case that federal prosecutors say helped fuel the U.S. opioid epidemic. Prosecutors said Kapoor and the other executives bribed doctors to prescribe Subsys mostly through "sham" programs that were meant to increase brand awareness for their drug. Instead, prosecutors alleged Insys used the programs as a way to pay practitioners to over-prescribe Subsys. The company said legal expenses from the DOJ investigation and from other litigation, along with recurring and increasing losses driven by declines in the transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl (TIRF) market, contributed to its poor first-quarter earnings. Insys reported $7.6 million in revenue in the first quarter, down from $23.9 million during the same quarter last year. The company's loss also widened to $123.8 million, from a loss of $20.4 million in the first quarter of 2018. Insys Therapeutics did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. The floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)/New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) in New York City. CME Group is the world's largest and most diverse derivatives exchange. Decisions expected soon by two judges could restrict federal prosecutors' ability to criminally charge people for the futures trading tactic known as spoofing. Spoofing is placing an order for a commodities trade with the intent to cancel that order before it is actually executed. The goal is to affect the price of the commodity and benefit from a preexisting trading position. Prosecutors in two separate federal cases pending in Illinois have used a long-standing wire-fraud statute to charge traders. Those traders joined by industry groups have asked the judges to toss out the wire-fraud charges because of claims that the statute does not apply. Rulings in prosecutors' favor would support their efforts to charge individuals for spoofing trades dating as far back as 10 years, the statute of limitations for wire fraud that affects a financial institution. But rulings against prosecutors could ultimately restrict their ability to bring charges in such cases only for conduct that occurred more recently. Commodities fraud and violations of the Dodd-Frank Act which explicitly made spoofing a criminal offense have a statute of limitations of six years and five years, respectively. Arguments to dismiss the charges in both cases were filed last November with separate judges. Their rulings would come as the Justice Department is conducting multiple criminal investigations into big banks with the cooperation of traders who have pleaded guilty to spoofing-related crimes. The probes are part of an ongoing crackdown by the federal government, which in the past five years has brought 10 spoofing cases against 14 defendants. One of the two Illinois cases involves two former Deutsche Bank precious metals traders, James Vorley and Cedric Chanu, who were indicted by a grand jury in Chicago in July on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud. The indictment alleges both men manipulated precious metals futures markets from around 2009 to 2011. Vorley and Chanu filed a joint motion to dismiss their cases in November. In that motion, they claim that the trades in question did not constitute so-called materially false statements, as is required for a charge to be filed under the wire-fraud statute. They also accused prosecutors of trying to "shoehorn this case into the wire fraud statute," in a bid to bring spoofing-related charges beyond the five-year statute of limitations. Prosecutors dispute this. They said the case should be allowed to continue, and that they plan to present evidence at trial that the defendants knew the orders "carried an implied misrepresentation as to their intent to trade the order." Prosecutors also claim that the two men placed these trades "precisely because the implied misrepresentations they carried could and did, in fact trick other traders." After oral arguments before the judge handling their case in January, the Futures Industry Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Bank Policy Institute and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association filed a brief supporting the defendants' argument. The industry groups said in the filing that the "application of the wire fraud statute to open orders in the futures markets may adversely affect the proper and efficient functioning of those markets." The same groups filed a similar brief in support of efforts by defendants in the second criminal case to dismiss wire-fraud counts against them. In that case, former Bank of America Merrill Lynch precious metals traders Edward Bases and John Pacilio are charged not only with wire fraud in connection with alleged spoofing, but also with conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and criminal commodities fraud. Pacilio separately also faces five other counts of spoofing. Prosecutors say the industry groups' filings arguing against the application of the wire-fraud statutes "are replete with factual contentions that are contrary to the allegations in the Indictment, irrelevant, and unsupported." Prosecutors also said in court filings that the groups' arguments "rely on a series of claims that are demonstrably wrong." It is possible that a judge in one of the cases will rule differently on the question of the legitimacy of using the wire fraud statute than the judge in the other case. Regardless of how they rule, the decisions could be appealed in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which handles cases arising from Illinois federal courts. Any decision on the issue by the 7th Circuit would be binding only in that circuit, which also includes Indiana and Wisconsin. If another federal circuit court of appeals ruled differently, the issue could end up being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. CORRECTION: This article has been updated to reflect that the Futures Industry Association filed a brief in support of defendants' arguments in both Illinois cases. Measles outbreaks in New York continued to worsen last week, bringing the year's total so far to 839 cases across 23 states the highest number of infections since 1994, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. The CDC confirmed 75 new cases of measles across the country last week. U.S. health officials blame the recent surge of cases after saying in 2000 that the disease had been eliminated from the U.S. to an increasing number of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. Of the new cases last week, 66 were reported in New York state; of those, 41 were in New York City and 25 in nearby Rockland County. Public health officials have been battling two outbreaks since the fall. New York City is threatening to issue $1,000 fines to people who live in neighborhoods with the worst outbreaks and refuse to get their children vaccinated. City health officials have already issued citations to 84 people for refusing to comply with the order. 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 particularly vulnerable. 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. 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, the CDC says. The disease is still common in other countries. Unvaccinated people can pick up the disease while traveling and bring it back to the U.S., where they can spread it to other unvaccinated people. In the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China, who pays? In a word, my family does. We are leading importers of Christmas decorations and have been in business since 1946. President Donald Trump's imposition of a 10% tariff last September on many categories of products we offer has had the effect of greatly slowing down sales. That increase and now the boost to 25% on a wide array of goods will have a much greater impact on businesses than the president may realize. The vast majority of the items we import are made in China, with few exceptions. China is the only country that can produce many of the items we buy. A handful of our suppliers are trying to switch manufacturing from China to other countries, but it will not happen this year. Shares of Daimler dipped Monday following a report that a Chinese partner firm is building a stake in the German automaker. Reuters reported Friday, citing three sources familiar with the matter, that China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. (BAIC) has been buying up shares in the Mercedes-Benz carmaker on the open market, with a view to consolidating a stake of around 4% to 5%. CNBC couldn't independently verify the report. Shares of Daimler are up 20% so far in 2019, but retreated around 3% Monday amid a wider sell-off for European benchmarks. One source, cited by Reuters, suggested that the buying this year had been underpinned by BAIC's ambition and that Monday's selling may denote that the buyer is nearly finished acquiring stock. Building a 5% stake in Daimler at its current stock value would cost a buyer around $3.4 billion. BAIC builds Mercedes cars in China through their joint venture, Beijing Benz Automotive. Daimler has reportedly been looking to secure a controlling interest in the alliance. Li Shufu, the chairman of rival Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely, is Daimler's biggest individual stakeholder, holding nearly a 10% slice of the German firm. After being contacted by CNBC, Daimler said it had no comment to make. SoftBank Group founder, chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son announces his group's earnings results on May 9, 2019, in Tokyo. Shares of Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group came under pressure in Monday's trading session in Tokyo following the large losses seen on ride-hailing giant Uber's debut day last Friday. By the market close in Tokyo on Monday, shares of SoftBank Group were down 3.25%. "It's a bit hard to be sure but I think the performance of Uber is probably the biggest driver of Softbank's fall," Dan Baker, an analyst at Morningstar, told CNBC in an email on Monday. SoftBank Group, through its landmark Vision Fund, is a major investor in Uber. "SoftBank is long ride hailing through the Vision Fund and the performance of both Uber and Lyft since listing may have lowered investors' expectations on what SoftBank's investments in the space are worth," Baker said. That analysis was echoed by other experts on the company. "Some who had bought the stock, looking at Uber IPO as a catalyst may have been sellers, said Atul Goyal, a managing director at Jefferies. The analyst added that the ongoing concerns over the U.S.-China tariff situation may have contributed to "softness" in the stock. In its IPO day on Wall Street last Friday, shares of Uber plunged more than 7%, closing below $42 per share with a market cap of $69.7 billion. Shares of competitor Lyft also dropped more than 7%. Uber is now the second ride-hailing company to hit the U.S. public market, following Lyft's debut in March. Both companies have been heavily scrutinized for continuing to post big losses, but many investors are also intrigued by the entrance of that sector onto the public exchange. One investor likened the relationship between SoftBank and Uber to that of Lyft and its Japanese backer, Rakuten. "Rakuten almost became a semi-proxy in Asia ... for Lyft ... price movements in the States," Andrew Jackson, head of Japanese equities at Soochow CSSD Capital Markets (Asia), told CNBC's "Street Signs" last Friday ahead of Uber's debut on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares of Rakuten fell 2.36% on Monday. CNBC's Lauren Feiner contributed to this report. Theresa May, U.K. prime minister, leaves a news conference following a European Union leaders summit in the Europa building in Brussels, Belgium, early on Thursday, April 11, 2019. Prime Minister Theresa May and the main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn will meet again late Monday afternoon to try and hammer out an agreement on Brexit that they hope U.K. legislators can finally endorse, as the latest polls suggest that Britain's largest two political parties face significant setbacks in this month's European parliamentary elections. May has repeatedly insisted that she doesn't want the U.K. to participate in the EU vote that begins on May 23rd, but there were few signs ahead of this new round of cross-party negotiations that a breakthrough was imminent. One long-time May ally, British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt, said Monday that talks were entering a "crunch week" as he arrived at a regularly scheduled meeting of European ministers in Brussels. But he restated the Conservative position that any kind of second public vote to ratify the government's Brexit deal would be a "betrayal" of the previous 2016 referendum on EU membership. This proposal for a so-called "confirmatory" public vote remains hugely popular among Labour Party supporters and is a significant plank in the negotiating position of several top Labour officials. The deputy Labour leader Tom Watson told BBC radio early Monday that many of his party's legislators would demand just such a measure in return for their approval an arithmetical necessity if May's negotiated deal with Brussels is to pass successfully through the UK parliament's lower chamber, known as the House of Commons. "A confirmatory ballot is not a religious point or a point of ideology," Watson insisted, "it's just how do you get an outcome, how do you sort this out?" NEW YORK, NY - MAY 13: Traders and financial professionals work ahead of the closing bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), May 13, 2019 in New York City. Check out the companies making headlines after the bell: Shares of Take-Two Interactive fell more than 1% during extended trading on Monday after the video game company reported revenue that missed estimates and weak first-quarter guidance. The company cited lower-than-expected revenue from bookings. Take-Two gave a first-quarter revenue forecast of $310 million to $360 million, while analysts had estimated revenue of $418 million. The company reported fourth-quarter earnings per share of 50 cents on revenue of $488 million. Wall Street analysts had expected revenue of $507 million, according to Refinitiv consensus estimates. Shares of Tencent Music dropped more than 6% after the company reported mixed first-quarter earnings. The streaming service developer reported earnings per share of 0.72 Chinese Yuan higher than analysts' estimates of 0.69 yuan per share and revenue of 5.74 billion yuan, coming in just under the 5.8 billion yuan projected by analysts. StoneCo stock jumped nearly 5% after hours, despite the company's better-than-expected first-quarter earnings. StoneCo also announced a share buyback program that will go into effect in the second quarter of 2019. Immersion surged nearly 15% after the company announced that it settled its patent infringement litigation with Samsung, agreeing to a global patent and technology license for quarterly royalties on mobile devices. The technology company also announced that Sony will be licensing its patent portfolio for their upcoming gaming and VR controller. The company also reported first-quarter loss of 35 cents per share on revenue of $5.1 million. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen in a police van after was arrested by British police outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Britain April 11, 2019. Sweden's state prosecutor said on Monday she would reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and seek his extradition from Britain. Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue and conclude a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought as Assange had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange was arrested in Britain last month after spending seven years inside the embassy. The United States is also seeking his extradition on charges relating to the public release by Wikileaks of a huge cache of secret documents. The Swedish prosecutor's office said it would shortly request Assange be detained in his absence on probable cause for an allegation of rape and that it would issue a European arrest warrant - the process under which his extradition would be sought. Assange is currently in prison in Britain after being sentenced to 50 weeks behind bars last month for jumping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy. The decision to reopen the investigation poses the question of whether Assange will be moved to the United States to face conspiracy charges for hacking into classified information or to Sweden. U.S. traded shares of Teva Pharmaceutical plunged more than 16% on Monday after 44 states sued the company, alleging it orchestrated a sweeping scheme with 19 other drugmakers to inflate prices. Shares of drugmakers Mylan, which was also named in the lawsuit, were trading 10% lower in afternoon trading. The states, led Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, claim 20 drug companies, including Teva USA, "systematically" divided up the market for generic drugs to avoid competing with one another, according to a 500-page lawsuit filed late Friday in the U.S. District Court in Connecticut. In some cases, pharmaceutical executives conspired to either prevent prices from dropping or raise them, the lawsuit claimed. "This is an organized effort to conspire and fix prices a highly illegal violation of antitrust laws," Tong said. The lawsuit comes as President Donald Trump and Congress attempt to bring down high prescription drug prices, which accounted for roughly 12% of total health-care spending in the U.S. in 2016. Just last week, the Trump administration announced it would required pharmaceutical companies to disclose the list price of their prescription medicines in television commercials in an effort to "shame" them into lowering consumer costs. Beijing has a host of options to retaliate against the latest the hike in U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, experts said on Monday. The latest round of trade talks between American and Chinese negotiators concluded on Friday without a trade agreement. Those negotiations fell under the shadow of U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to more than double the tariff rate to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods which he made good on just after midnight ET on Friday. China's Commerce Ministry said immediately after those new rates came into effect that it would take countermeasures against the American move. It did not announce what its response would entail but said it "deeply regrets" the turn of events. Experts told CNBC that Beijing's response could end up combining several ways to hurt the U.S. "I expect that China will retaliate and they will do it in as commensurate a way as they can, and that will include not just imports," said Susan Shirk, former deputy assistant secretary of state during the Clinton administration. "I think our farmers and our farm exports to China will be targeted because that's what President Trump cares about politically," She added that she expects added pressure on American firms operating in China, potentially including a slowdown in approvals for banks and checks on imports. "Really anything could be fair game, and I would be extremely surprised if there were no retaliation," said Shirk, who is now the 21st Century China Center chair at the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. Another option for Beijing's retaliation could include currency depreciation, analysts said. That is, a drop in value for the yuan would give Chinese exports a trade advantage and potentially offset the impact of U.S. tariffs. "We think the currency is one area in which Beijing has a clear advantage over Washington," Bo Zhuang, chief China economist at research firm TS Lombard, said in a note on Friday. As the relationships between countries shift over the next few decades, expect trade to remain a hot button issue, according to one analyst. That prediction comes as the U.S. and China continue to square off in a trade war that has roiled global markets. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump hiked tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods, and China threatened to retaliate. Those developments which followed speculation that the world's top two economies had been close to inking a trade agreement sent shockwaves through global markets. As countries, including China, accrue more power on the global stage, investors should expect more trade arguments ahead, according to James Sullivan, head of Asia ex-Japan equity research at J.P. Morgan. "As we start to move toward a multi-polar world, I think we have to recognize that these trade conversations are not fits and starts," Sullivan told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday. "I think we have to recognize as equity investors, in particular, this is now the new normal." "These trade conversations are now part of the backdrop of global markets for the next ... 10 to 20 years as these countries and economies work out their relative place in the world and how we reorder the overall global structure to account for the rise of China, to account for a multi-polar environment," he said. Omarosa Manigault (R), White House Director of Communications for the Office of Public Liaison, sits behind US President Donald Trump as he speaks during a meeting with teachers, school administrators and parents in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, February 14, 2017. / President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign paid most of the women who worked for it including notorious "The Apprentice" contestant Omarosa Manigault Newman 20% less than their male counterparts, a court filing said Monday. The filing, part of a lawsuit against Trump, says that an analysis has found that other than a "small handful of employees in senior leadership roles," female workers on the campaign were paid on average $3,865 per month and "males were paid $4,568 a stunning gap of 18.2 percent." The campaign "maintained a common policy ... of paying female employees less than their male counterparts for the same or similar work," says the filing by Alva Johnson, a former Trump campaign worker. In Johnson's suit filed earlier this year in federal court in Tampa, Florida, she alleged that Trump kissed her without her consent at a campaign rally in August 2016. Johnson, who is black, in her suit alleges gender and race discrimination, claiming she was paid less than white or male colleagues even though she excelled at her job of organizing volunteers and planning rallies. The White House has said Johnson's claim of Trump kissing her is false and contradicted by several eyewitnesses. Neither the Trump campaign nor a lawyer for the president and his reelection effort immediately responded to CNBC's request for comment Monday on Johnson's new filing and the analysis of pay and gender. Johnson is asking to be named the lead plaintiff for a collective action by other women who were paid less by the Trump campaign than male workers. Her suit says that she was paid $3,000 per month from January to August 2016 and $4,000 per month from September 2016 until she left the campaign, which was "considerably less than that paid to male Campaign staff who had the same responsibilities as she did and lower even than male Campaign staff who had fewer responsibilities than she did." The analysis of pay by the Trump campaign, which was conducted by economist Phillip Johnson, was used to bolster her bid. In her filing Monday, Alva Johnson asked a judge to require that Trump's campaign identify all potential members of a proposed collective action. "This case is about two things: Donald Trump's predation, and his campaign's discrimination against women and people of color," said Johnson's attorney, Hassan Zavareei. On Monday, Manigault Newman, a black woman who is a former White House advisor and who worked on Trump's campaign as director of African American outreach, submitted a declaration in Johnson's case backing her effort. "I believe that Donald J. Trump for President Inc. paid me and other similarly situated female employees less than male employees who performed the same or similar job duties under similar working conditions," Manigault Newman wrote in her filing. She added that one of the campaign's spokesmen, Bryan Lanza, "whose work required substantially equal skill, effort, and responsibility as mine was paid more than me despite being similarly situated." Lanza did not immediately return a request for comment from CNBC. In a statement to the media, Manigault Newman said, "This filing is about examining the gender pay gap in the Trump/Pence campaign. The gender pay gap exists between what men and women were paid during Donald Trump's first presidential campaign. It also discriminates against minorities." "While I strongly suspected I was subjected to pay discrimination while with the Trump Campaign, I have since seen expert analysis confirming this to be true. The numbers don't lie," she said. "After nearly 20 years inside the Beltway, working for two White Houses and countless political campaigns, I've never witnessed such egregious violations as I did during my time under the leadership of Donald Trump and Mike Pence. I am joining this effort for women and minorities to help level the playing field in the political arena between men and women." "It is time for all of us to blow the whistle on the wrongdoings of this Campaign." Manigault Newman, who at one time was a fierce defender of Trump's, became infamous as a breakout star on Trump's former reality show, "The Apprentice." After Trump won the election, Manigault Newman was selected to work on Trump's presidential transition team and became a member of the president's communications staff after his inauguration. She resigned from the White House in late 2017. Less than a year later, Manigault Newman released her book "Unhinged," a highly critical tell-all about her time in Trump's orbit. In it, she accused Trump of being a "racist" and said that tapes existed of Trump saying the "N" word while filming "The Apprentice." But she also said she never personally had heard Trump use that word. The White House said in response that the book was "riddled with lies and false accusations." President Donald Trump meets business leaders at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, in November, 2017. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters President Donald Trump's trade war with China is not the only conflict with a major trading partner raging ahead of his reelection bid. Trump, who campaigned in 2016 on cracking down on what he calls unfair trade practices, has stirred trade conflict on even more fronts. From Canada and Mexico to the European Union and Japan, the president faces pivotal moments in his crusade to reshape U.S. trade relationships ahead of the 2020 election. Trump has a difficult path to following through on his trade agenda while avoiding damage to a strong U.S. economy. He will have to decide whether to slap threatened tariffs on the $325 billion in Chinese products that remain untaxed. He aims to ratify updates to the North American Free Trade Agreement, but some lawmakers want him to remove steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico before they will support a deal. Trump already put duties on steel and aluminum imports from the EU. Now, the president is set to decide in the coming days whether he will slap tariffs on European cars. The EU could retaliate if Trump makes good on his threat. Here are the areas where the president will have to navigate trade conflicts in the coming months. China Beijing fired the latest shot in the economic struggle Monday, raising tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods to as high as 25%. China retaliated following the Trump administration's decision to hike duties on $200 billion in Chinese products. The Trump administration has slapped tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods so far. Beijing has put duties on $110 billion in products from the United States. Still, the conflict could widen even more after Monday's retaliation from China. Trump has already threatened to put 25% tariffs on the $325 billion in Chinese goods that remain untaxed. He said Monday that he has not decided yet whether to levy the duties. Trump hopes the tariffs will force China to strike a trade agreement. But the longer the conflict goes on, the more it could hurt American consumers and businesses. Farmers a key political constituency for Trump have suffered from lower crop prices caused in part by the trade war. "The sentiment out in farm country is getting grimmer by the day. Our patience is waning, our finances are suffering, and the stress from months of living with the consequences of these tariffs is mounting," John Heisdorffer, chairman of the American Soybean Association, said in a statement Monday. The Trump administration still hopes it can salvage a trade agreement. On Monday, Trump said he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in Japan next month. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also told CNBC that trade talks with China are ongoing. Canada and Mexico Last year, the Trump administration decided not to spare its neighbors from tariffs of 25% and 10% on steel and aluminum, respectively. Both Canada and Mexico retaliated. Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland (C) speaks before the start of a trilateral meeting with Mexico's Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo (L) and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer during the third round of NAFTA talks involving the United States, Mexico and Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, September 27, 2017. Chris Wattie | Reuters Canada retaliated by putting duties on more than $12 billion worth of U.S. exports, including whiskey and maple syrup. Mexico also slapped tariffs on about $3 billion worth of American goods. Both countries have reportedly considered new retaliatory measures to pressure the U.S. to drop the metals duties. Congress and particularly the Democratic-held House has shown little haste in trying to ratify the updates to NAFTA, which Trump has dubbed the United States Mexico Canada Agreement. The Trump administration and the Mexican and Canadian governments have pushed for ratification as soon as this summer. Tariffs have tripped up progress toward approving the deal. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has pushed the president to remove the duties before Congress ratifies the agreement. Trump has so far shown reluctance to scrap the tariffs. European Union The U.S. and EU are working to avoid an escalation in a limited trade conflict. Last year, after Trump put tariffs on steel and aluminum from the European bloc, the EU levied duties on $2.4 billion worth of products such as whiskey and motorcycles. U.S. President Donald Trump (R), French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C) at the start of the first working session of the G-20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7, 2017. John MacDougall | AFP | Getty Images Trump faces a May 18 deadline to decide whether to put tariffs on up to $53 billion worth of European cars. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem reportedly thinks the Trump administration could delay the deadline as it focuses on inking a deal with China. The EU has prepared another round of retaliatory tariffs to put in place if Trump goes through with the auto duties. The Trump administration also hopes to reach a trade agreement with the EU, but officials representing the bloc have said they do not want to negotiate under the threat of tariffs. Japan and the U.K. President Donald Trump said the latest round of retaliatory tariffs announced by China on Monday puts the United States in a great position and represents "a very positive step" in the ongoing trade negotiations. China retaliated Monday against President Donald Trump's latest shot in the trade war between the world's two largest economies. Beijing said it would hike tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods to as high as 25%. "I love the position we're in," Trump said, adding, "There can be some retaliation, but it can't be very substantial by comparison." Trump also confirmed that he plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit in Japan in late June. "We have the right to do [tariffs on] another $325 billion at 25% in additional tariffs" on Chinese goods, Trump said, but he added, "I have not made that decision yet." The retaliatory moves by the Chinese followed the Trump administration's move Friday to hike duties on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25% from 10%. "We're taking in tens of billions of dollars" in tariffs, Trump said at a White House meeting with visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Trump did not mention that the tariff dollars are being paid by U.S. consumers, not by China. The economic conflict widened last week as the two sides struggled to strike a new trade agreement. Trump decided to increase the tariffs following what the U.S. called China's decision to renege on key parts of a developing deal. Equities markets fell Monday after the Chinese retaliated. "We had a deal with China, it was 95% of the way there," Trump said, "and then my representatives ... they went to China, and they were told things [that were fully agreed to] we're not gonna get anymore, they're gonna unagree [sic] to them... we're not gonna get anymore. And I said 'Good, that's fine, put on the tariffs,'" Trump recounted. China's tariff increases, which raised the duties on thousands of products to 25% and 20% from either 10% or 5% previously, target key areas of Trump's political base, including manufacturing and agriculture. While the tariffs affect technology components and numerous other manufactured products, they also increase duties on goods such as wheat, peanuts, sugar and berries. U.S. farmers have suffered from price decreases caused in part by China's tariffs and have grown increasingly unsettled by the escalating trade war. Trump also said he would use a portion of the revenues that will be paid by consumers buying Chinese goods under the new tariffs to help provide financial relief for farmers. Trump has aimed to use the tariffs to pressure China into a trade deal. He has pushed Beijing to address what he calls unfair trade practices such as intellectual property theft and massive trade deficits. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Treasury yields fell on Monday as investors fled the equity markets for the relative safety of government debt, spooked by a soured trade relationship between the U.S. and China. The flight to Treasurys sent long-term debt yields tumbling and inverted a portion of the yield curve, the set of interest rates of bonds having equal credit quality but differing maturity dates. At 12:45 p.m. ET, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note dipped to 2.394%, under that of the 3-month Treasury bill at 2.418%. The 2-year yield also dipped to 2.182%. Yields move inversely to prices. Inversions have preceded economic downturns in the past, though there is debate over which portion of the curve is the most important to monitor. The Federal Reserve as well as President Donald Trump's chief economic advisor Larry Kudlow deem an inversion of the 3-month and 10-year curve as the critical metric. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He (2nd L) says goodbye to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as they break from meetings at the USTR offices May 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. The United States and China appeared at a deadlock over trade negotiations on Sunday as Washington demanded promises of concrete changes to Chinese law and Beijing said it would not swallow any "bitter fruit" that harmed its interests. The trade war between the world's top two economies escalated on Friday, with the United States hiking tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods after President Donald Trump said Beijing "broke the deal" by reneging on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations. White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow told the "Fox News Sunday" program that China needs to agree to "very strong" enforcement provisions for an eventual deal and said the sticking point was Beijing's reluctance to put into law changes that had been agreed upon. Kudlow said the U.S. tariffs would remain in place while negotiations continue. Beijing remained defiant. "At no time will China forfeit the country's respect, and no one should expect China to swallow bitter fruit that harms its core interests," the People's Daily, a newspaper controlled by the Chinese ruling Communist Party, said in a commentary on Monday. It said Beijing was open to talks but would not yield on important issues of principle. China's nationalist Global Times tabloid said in an editorial on Monday that the country had no reasons to fear a trade war. "The perception that China cannot bear it is a fantasy and misjudgment," the commentary said. "If they weren't being seriously provoked, the Chinese people would not favor any trade war. However, once the country is strategically coerced, nothing is unbearable for China in order to safeguard its sovereignty and dignity as well as the long-term development rights of the Chinese people." On Sunday, Trump sought to portray the United States as being in an advantageous position. "We are right where we want to be with China," Trump wrote on Twitter, saying U.S. purchasers of Chinese goods could either buy them from domestic manufacturers or from other nations. Trump also repeated an erroneous statement that the United States would be taking in "Tens of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs from China." The tariffs are not paid by the Chinese government or by firms located in China. They are paid by importers of Chinese goods, usually American companies or the U.S.-registered units of foreign companies. These often pass on the costs to customers, mostly manufacturers and consumers in the United States. Kudlow, when asked who was paying, said "both sides will suffer on this," contradicting Trump, although he added that the U.S. economy should be able to cope. "We're in terrific shape in order to correct 20 years plus of unfair trading practices with China," Kudlow said. "... This is a risk we should and can take without damaging our economy in any appreciable way." Controlling LEGO Wedo Motor with Python GUI App in Linux LEGO Wedo 2.0 is a good start for learning robotics. I created a simple GUI app controlling the LEGO motor using Python. In this article, I will share my experience in how to select the development environment and how to build the Python app. Learning Resources When I searched for LEGO Wedo Python in Google, I found two informative articles: Controlling a WeDo 2.0 motor and WeDo 2.0 reverse engineering. Both of them mentioned pygattlib, which is a Python library (Linux only) to use the GATT Protocol for BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) devices. The smart hub included in LEGO Wedo 2.0 is a BLE device. Before writing code, we can use hcitool and gatttool to scan the Bluetooth device and test the connection. Get the BLE address and device name: sudo hcitool -i hci0 lescan LE Scan ... 98:07:2D:DD:98:56 ( unknown ) 98:07:2D:DD:98:56 LPF2 Smart Hub Connect to the device: gatttool -I [ ][ LE]> connect Can I use Windows Subsystem for Linux(WSL) for development? No. You will get the following error message: Invalid device: Address family not supported by protocol Can I use Linux in VMWare Workstation for development? No. You will fail to run hcitool in VMWare virtual machine. According to the answer from StackOverflow, VMWare does not support BLE in Linux guests. Building a Simple Python GUI App to Control LEGO Wedo Motor on Raspberry Pi I finally decided to build the Python app on Raspberry Pi because I dont have a Linux PC. Install dependent libraries and gattlib: sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install libbluetooth-dev bluez bluez-hcidump libboost-python-dev libboost-thread-dev libglib2.0-dev sudo pip install gattlib Create the UI Window that includes a label and some buttons: import Tkinter as tk from gattlib import DiscoveryService from gattlib import GATTRequester from time import sleep def run (): global button_run button_run . after ( DELAY , motor_run ) def stop (): global button_stop button_stop . after ( DELAY , motor_stop ) def connect (): global button_disconnect button_disconnect . after ( DELAY , smart_hub_connect ) def disconnect (): global button_disconnect button_disconnect . after ( DELAY , smart_hub_disconnect ) def up (): global button_up button_up . after ( DELAY , motor_up ) def down (): global button_down button_down . after ( DELAY , motor_down ) root = tk . Tk () root . title ( "Lego Wedo 2.0 Motor Control" ) label = tk . Label ( root , fg = "dark green" , text = 'N/A' ) label . pack () button_connect = tk . Button ( root , text = 'Connect Smart Hub' , width = BUTTON_WIDTH , command = connect ) button_connect . pack () button_disconnect = tk . Button ( root , text = 'Disconnect Smart Hub' , width = BUTTON_WIDTH , command = disconnect , state = 'disabled' ) button_disconnect . pack () button_run = tk . Button ( root , text = 'Run motor' , width = BUTTON_WIDTH , command = run , state = 'disabled' ) button_run . pack () button_up = tk . Button ( root , text = 'Speed up' , width = BUTTON_WIDTH , command = up , state = 'disabled' ) button_up . pack () button_down = tk . Button ( root , text = 'Speed down' , width = BUTTON_WIDTH , command = down , state = 'disabled' ) button_down . pack () button_stop = tk . Button ( root , text = 'Stop motor' , width = BUTTON_WIDTH , command = stop , state = 'disabled' ) button_stop . pack () root . mainloop () When press the connect button, use DiscoveryService to get all available devices and use GATTRequester to connect the device. My device name contains Smart Hub: def smart_hub_connect (): service = DiscoveryService ( "hci0" ) devices = service . discover ( 2 ) for address , name in devices . items (): if name != '' and 'Smart Hub' in name : label [ 'text' ] = address global button_run , button_stop , button_disconnect , req button_connect [ 'state' ] = 'disabled' button_run [ 'state' ] = 'normal' button_stop [ 'state' ] = 'normal' button_disconnect [ 'state' ] = 'normal' button_up [ 'state' ] = 'normal' button_down [ 'state' ] = 'normal' req = GATTRequester ( address , True , "hci0" ) break To run the motor, we just need to send a sequence of 4 bytes to a specific handler: def motor_run (): global req if req != None : req . write_by_handle ( 0x3d , str ( bytearray ([ 0x01 , 0x01 , 0x01 , 0x64 ])) ) The first byte represents the port. The value is 01 or 02. Change the hardware port to see what will happen via gatttool: [98:07:2D:DD:98:56][LE]> char-read-hnd 0015 Characteristic value/descriptor: 01 01 00 01 01 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 [98:07:2D:DD:98:56][LE]> char-read-hnd 0015 Characteristic value/descriptor: 02 01 01 01 01 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 The last byte defines the motor speed. Here is the code for adjusting the speed: MAX_SPEED = 100 MIN_SPEED = 1 SPEED_CHANGE = 4 current_speed = 100 req = None def motor_up (): global req , current_speed if req != None : if current_speed == MAX_SPEED : return current_speed += SPEED_CHANGE req . write_by_handle ( HANDLE , str ( bytearray ([ 0x01 , 0x01 , 0x01 , current_speed ]))) sleep ( WEDO_DELAY ) def motor_down (): global req , current_speed if req != None : if current_speed == MIN_SPEED : return current_speed -= SPEED_CHANGE req . write_by_handle ( HANDLE , str ( bytearray ([ 0x01 , 0x01 , 0x01 , current_speed ]))) sleep ( WEDO_DELAY ) You will fail to run the app if you dont have a root privilege: Should you run the app with sudo? No, you have to run the app with gksudo: gksudo python app.py In Windows, we can use SmarTTY to display GUI for the remote Linux app. Source Code https://github.com/yushulx/lego-wedo-motor-control Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. This month should bring some interesting new developments on the Windows Update front. Microsoft is committed to shipping the new version of Win10, officially called the Windows 10 March Delayed to May 2019 Update, but better known to its friends as version 1903, later this month. Its still in beta testing at this point. As prelude to that momentous occasion, weve been promised a simple mechanism to block the rollout, known as Download and install. Weve only seen Download and install once, and in a confusing way. Microsoft has to push the means to block 1903 at some point, if it hasnt already. I expect that well learn more tomorrow for Patch Tuesday. I also expect Patch Tuesday to have yet another round of bug fixes for the Japanese date change bug thats been hounding Windows for half a year. In short, I dont expect to see any patches tomorrow that you have to install, like, right now. Far more likely is a motley assortment of fixes, and another round of random bugs, some of them painful, introduced by the patches. Just like every other month in the past year or two. Get Windows Update locked down on your machines, to avoid very unpleasant surprises. Blocking automatic update on Win7 and 8.1 If youre using Windows 7 or 8.1, click Start > Control Panel > System and Security. Under Windows Update, click the "Turn automatic updating on or off" link. Click the "Change Settings" link on the left. Verify that you have Important Updates set to "Never check for updates (not recommended)" and click OK. Blocking automatic update on Win10 Pro If youre using Win10 Pro version 1803, or 1809 I recommend an update blocking technique that Microsoft recommends for Broad Release in its obscure Build deployment rings for Windows 10 updates which is intended for admins, but applies to you, too. (Thx, @zero2dash.) Step 1. Using an administrative account, click Start > Settings > Update & Security. Step 2. On the left, choose Windows Update. On the right, click the link for Advanced options. If youre using Win10 version 1803 or 1809, you see the settings in the screenshot. Woody Leonhard Step 3. To pull yourself out of beta testing (or, as Microsoft would say, to delay new versions until theyre for broad deployment), in the first box, choose Semi-Annual Channel. Microsoft once declared that its old terminology is no longer in effect, then later declared that Win10 version 1809 is Semi-Annual Channel, using the old terminology, and thus ready for widespread deployment. Right now, you can find different terminology in different places, but Microsoft says Win10 version 1809 is certified fresh. You dont have to agree you get to choose whether to stay with 1803 or move to 1809. Even though Ive upgraded my production machines to 1809, I can certainly understand if you dont want to. Step 4. To further delay new versions until theyve been minimally tested, set the feature update deferral setting to 180 days or more. That tells the Windows Updater (unless Microsoft makes another mistake, as it has numerous times in the past) that it should wait until 240 days after a new version is released (60 days for Semi-Annual Channel + 180 days deferral) before upgrading and re-installing Windows on your machine. Win10 version 1809 was nominally released on Nov. 11, 2018. Add 240 days and you get July 11, 2019. So if youre running Win10 1803 and set it to update on Semi-Annual Channel, and you set the feature update deferral to 180 days, you wont be forcibly upgraded to 1809 until July 11, at the earliest. I have a feeling the terminology will change again in the next month or two. Dont sweat it. Step 5. To delay cumulative updates, set the quality update deferral to 15 days or so. (Quality update = cumulative update = bug fix.) In my experience, Microsoft usually yanks bad Win10 cumulative updates within a couple of weeks of their initial release. By setting this to 10 or 15 or 20 days, Win10 will update itself after the major screams of pain have subsided and (with some luck) the bad cumulative updates have been pulled or re-issued. Notably, in February 2019, it took Microsoft 18 days to fix its first-Tuesday bugs. Step 6. Just X out of the settings pane. You dont need to explicitly save anything. Step 7. Dont click Check for updates. Ever. If there are any real howlers months where the cumulative updates were irretrievably bad, and never got any better, as they were in July of last year well let you know, loud and clear. Tired old approach for Windows 10 Home Were hearing a lot of promises about the ability to delay cumulative updates in Win10 Home version 1903. Ill believe it when I see it. If you have Win10 Home, your only reasonable option is to set your internet connection to metered. Metered connections are an update-blocking kludge that seems to work to fend off cumulative updates, but as best I can tell still doesnt have Microsofts official endorsement as a cumulative update prophylactic. To set your Ethernet connection as metered: Click Start > Settings > Network & Internet. On the left, choose Ethernet. On the right, click on your Ethernet connection. Then move the slider for Metered connection to On. To set your Wi-Fi connection as metered: Click Start > Settings > Network & Internet. On the left, choose Wi-Fi. On the right, click on your Wi-Fi connection. Move the slider for Metered connection to On. If you set your internet connection to metered, you need to watch closely as the month unfolds, and judge when its safe to let the demons in the door. At that point, turn metered off, and just let your machine update itself. Dont click Check for updates. While youre thinking about patching Windows, nows a good time to download and squirrel away an official, free copy of Win10 version 1809. Were at MS-DEFCON 2 on AskWoody. May urged to drop Labour talks in favour of more indicative votes Prime Ministers final showdown with rebels Daily Express Fury at CCHQ leaflet urging voters to lobby anti-deal Conservatives Daily Telegraph Tories slump to fifth place in polls The Times Theresa May was under pressure from cabinet ministers last night to scrap formal Brexit talks with Labour and launch a final attempt to secure a compromise in parliament. Supporters of a deal with the European Union are preparing to use tomorrows cabinet meeting to urge the prime minister to set a timetable for indicative votes by MPs after the European elections. The move comes amid growing criticism from Conservatives of the talks, which are due to begin again today, as ministers who previously supported them lose faith. Philip Hammond, the chancellor, is understood to have told colleagues that, while amiable, they are being held on the false premise that a politically acceptable deal could ever be struck. The Times >Today: ToryDiary: Why the 22 Executive must tell May to go this week as Hunt prepares to make intervention with Mansion House speech Other ministers on suicide watch include Leadsom and the foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt. The born-again leaver is frustrated by the behaviour of the EU and keen to flex his muscles prior to a leadership attempt. Rivals say he is seeking to recruit Fox and Leadsom to bolster his Brexit credentials. Hunt, who is dubbed the Waitrose candidate by Mays allies, will use a speech at the Mansion House in London on Tuesday to set out his economic plans, arguing that we need to undertake a national renewal post-Brexit which must start by renewing the British economy a coded rebuke to May and the chancellor, Philip Hammond. The Times UK sleepwalking towards remaining, warns Barclay Daily Express Delay will harm economic outlook, Bank of England warns The Guardian Editorial: A dangers vacuum The Times >Yesterday: Video: WATCH: Whats the alternative? Hinds asks of Mays talks with Corbyn and Corbyn is warned against abandoning second referendum way out of this destructive mess, he says. The Times Starmer also joins the pro-EU push Daily Telegraph as he warns that Labour MPs would block Corbyn deal Daily Express Referendum requirement pushes talks to bring of collapse Daily Mail Blair says no-deal exit would sweep away both parties The Sun Failure to deliver is boosting Brexit Party, warns Gardiner The Guardian UUP Euro candidate comes out against second vote News Letter Tom Watson, Labours deputy leader, will warn Jeremy Corbyn today that he will betray the partys heritage unless he backs down and fully supports a second referendum on Brexit. Mr Watson will use the John Smith lecture to make a new attack on the leadership and warn the party against allowing Mr Corbyn to take it towards left-wing euroscepticism. In the lecture he invokes the memory of Smith, the Labour leader who died 25 years ago this month, to urge Mr Corbyn to back the pro-European internationalism that Smith championed. If John was alive today to witness the great damage this process is wreaking on our country and our public debate, I have no doubt that he would have backed a peoples vote as a >Yesterday: Matthew dAncona: Both major parties have gone AWOL on Brexit There is something truly grotesque about the unrestrained political beauty contest into which Mays most senior colleagues have now flung themselves. Fashion shoots, posed photographs with spouses, My vision for Britain articles: you would never think that the UK had been granted a second extension by the EU, or that Mays withdrawal agreement had failed three times, or that the cross-party talks must deliver soon or collapse. Extraordinarily, most Tories see no contradiction or impropriety in this. So great is their faith in the power of leadership that they do believe that, say, Boris Johnson or Dominic Raab could do a better job in Brussels than May, and by sheer force of charisma and personality whip the EU into line. The Guardian Fight and vote for Smiths pro-EU vision Tom Watson, Times Red Box Strengthen digital campaigning rules before next vote Philip Howard, FT Pro-EU parties must unite for the European elections Andrew Rawnsley, The Guardian How ironic that Farage could help Corbyn crash the economy Dominic Lawson, Daily Mail Editorial: Parties which fail to respect democracy will face consequences Daily Telegraph Donors give Javids leadership bid a boost S Tories must pick Johnson to have any hope for survival Trevor Kavanagh, The Sun ajid Javids leadership campaign has received a boost by pulling in 50,000 from major Tory donors who backed both Leave and Remain. Donations have come from five well known and established donors to the party including Ian Taylor, the chairman of energy trader Vitol and Rami Ranger, the founder of marketing giant Sun Mark. Each have donated 10,000 and the funds will be disclosed in Mr Javids entry in the Commons Register of Members interests next week (May 20), The Daily Telegraph can disclose. The other donors are Howard Shore, founder and executive chairman of Shore Capital, Alexia Florman, wife of former Tory party treasurer Mark Florman and financier Andrew Law. Daily Telegraph >Today: Chloe Westleys column: Theres a word for the certain type of people you brush off, Ms Rudd. Conservatives. >Yesterday: Ministers 1) Grayling faces legal challenge over franchises Transport secretary Chris Grayling is facing legal action from a second European rail company over his departments handling of a franchise competition to operate train services on the East Midlands line between London and cities including Nottingham and Sheffield. Arriva, a subsidiary of Germanys Deutsche Bahn, has started legal proceedings against the UK government after the Department for Transport announced in April that a contract to run East Midlands services from August this year until 2027 would be awarded to Abellio, the overseas arm of the Netherlands national train operator. FT Lords warn that ministers have failed to make the case for HS2 Daily Telegraph Ministers 2) May was warned about Williamson Councils to be placed under legal obligation to house domestic abuse victims Theresa May was warned about Gavin Williamsons bad mouthing when she became PM, but dubbed him my bitch now. The former Defence Secretary, who she sacked two weeks ago after accusing him of leaking secrets, is a well-known Westminster plotter. Yesterday, Mr Williamson avenged his firing by branding Mrs Mays decision to hold Brexit deal talks with Labour as a grave mistake. The Premiers aides reported the senior Tory MP who was then Chief Whip to her in 2016 for allegedly telling other MPs she was a charisma free bitch . But in a defiant riposte that showed the PM thought she could control Mr Williamsons ways, Mrs May told her staff: Well hes my bitch now. The Sun Councils are for the first time to be placed under a legal duty to provide safe houses for victims of domestic abuse, Theresa May will announce today. The move will require a multi-million pound expansion but the government says it will provide the necessary funding to end a postcode lottery where victims in some areas are unable to find refuge places because there is no provision at all. Figures from Womens Aid show that 400 victims a month are being turned down for places in secure accommodation, with as many as four abused women or men chasing every vacancy. Official crime survey data suggests 1.9 million adults experience domestic abuse each year. Daily Telegraph It has no place in the UK, and we will defeat it Theresa May, The Sun Morgans committee calls on ministers to protect access to cash F Farage slams BBC over interview ree-to-use ATMs and bank branches should be legally preserved with a special watchdog set up to prevent closures that deny people access to cash, says a powerful committee of MPs. The Treasury Committee says it is concerned by the rate at which ATMs have been closing at least 300 a month and the pace at which Britain is becoming a cashless society which threatens stark consequences for vulnerable people including the elderly. It proposes there should be a guarantee potentially enforced by a legal duty of care on the banks to ensure consumers and businesses have a right to access cash. Daily Telegraph Nigel Farage lost his cool on TV today as he accused the BBC of being in denial over the rise of his Brexit Party. The new party is on course to win the Euro elections and could even beat the Tories in a General Election, polls show. But grilled about his track record today, Mr Farage hit out at ludicrous questions from the Beebs Andrew Marr. The Brexiteer claimed the BBC was trying to ignore his recent success by focussing on controversies from the past. He refused to apologise for saying that Britain shouldnt tackle climate change and migrants with HIV should be banned. The Sun Brexit Party candidate challenges Umunna to debate on Islamophobia The Guardian More BBC: Neil defends questions to Shapiro The Guardian Comment: Interview exposed Farages gaping flaws Peter Oborne, Daily Mail Brexit Party and Change UK will be gone within a decade Chris Curtis, Times Red Box >Yesterday: Video: WATCH: Farage This is absolutely ludicrous. Ive never in my life seen a more ridiculous interview than this. as he calls on private healthcare providers to relieve burden on NHS Socialism will never provide the resources our NHS needs Boris Johnson, Daily Telegraph Nigel Farage has said private health companies should relieve the burden on the NHS, the UK ought to limit efforts to curb global warming, and defended anti-immigrant posters, as the rapid rise of his Brexit party led to his personal beliefs being scrutinised. In an often testy BBC interview, Farage also tried to justify his decision to shift from praising Norway-type deals before the EU referendum to advocating a no-deal departure, saying this was needed because Theresa May had botched the process. A poll ahead of the European elections has put the Brexit party, formed earlier this year after Farage quit Ukip, on 34% support, more than the combined total for Labour and the Conservatives. The Guardian >Yesterday: Dan Boucher in Comment: Im a committed Leaver. But the Brexit Party offers only protest. Heres why Im standing in the Euro-elections as a Tory. SNP plunged into discord over bullying claims against MP Internal warfare has erupted within the SNP as a leading MP, facing allegations of bullying, accused others in her party of lies and politically-motivated smears. Joanna Cherry, QC, the SNP MP for Edinburgh South West, said that allegations she had bullied a staff member were part of a smear campaign against her. Her claims were backed by senior party sources who said the MP was being attacked for speaking out about misogyny on social media as well as her stance on proposed self-identification legislation for transgender people with one source saying the campaign against her was like the Crucible. The Scotsman News in Brief: Eve Allison is former Kensington and Chelsea councillor. Although we make up half the human race, women were usually confined to the estate, house or hovel until relatively recently. We were not doctors, lawyers, dentists, accountants and CEOs. Indeed, we were not in the military, armed forces, police, or even accepted as undergraduates at Oxford or Cambridge. Women were tea-makers and mothers and guardians of their cultural heritage: rather than being leaders, they were led their husbands. But we are now coming through in roles in which we are nonetheless still marginalised, and in which the spotlight shines more harshly on a woman, especially as a politician. That spotlight is trained on our dress sense rather than our principles and policies on every word, every nuance and every shoe worn, including heel height. If one is a woman, a politician (and of colour), one is often met with the glance. (How did you get here? it asks) or, on the odd occasion, one is told that you are in the wrong place and even, sometimes: oh, you cannot come in here. Women need to be in positions of power and should be, where leadership roles are played out, at the heart of where decisions are made and carried to fruition. Women need to be taken seriously in such roles. If we are talking about real power and acceptance, then women should comprise 50 per cent of the representation in politics, locally and nationally. The grinding issue is related to women standing as councillors and as Parliamentary Candidates and hence being Members of Parliament. That last equates to being selected in the first place, and then to actually being elected, and remaining in the role. So what can be done to address the overall retention of women politicians? Are more courses and training workshops the answer, and if so should they pertain to such aspects of a womens identity as ethnicity? The ones that stand out to me as a former Conservative councillor are those that purport to highlight political leadership aimed at those politicians that are of colour. Are such courses run for politicians who are classed as white? Instead of leadership and any real positive information for politicians of colour, sure enough, cliques open up along ethnic and party lines. Being a lone Blue surrounded by a sea of Red can often be most frustrating and stifling. Such courses need to be rooted in proper fact and debate, and not just be check boxes for local councils. What is evident is that when forums, workshops and development weekends are held for politicians, they are usually well attended by men. Its men that write most of the political articles, its men that dominate most of the decision-making in local councils and who select committees: its mostly men who are cabinet members, locally and nationally. Perhaps part of the issue is that women do not deal as effectively as they should with being challenged. It is condescending to hear What are they doing? Why are they doing it?, Do they know what they are doing? and so on. Equally, for any relatively ambitious female politician, whether local or national, it can be disconcerting in no uncertain terms to be regarded as a dustbin case and, unlike most of your male cohort, face years of not being offered roles such as lead member, vice chair of a committee, working group lead and perhaps, worst of all, years of the glance (as described earlier). For such women, perhaps the biggest frustration is that of being surrounded by primarily women politicians with no ambition at all, and who expect you to follow suit. Politicians are elected to represent all sectors of the community and not identities within those communities. So for women politicians, divisions of role, should not equate with division of place or position. The shackles of social conditioning must be thrown off and by women themselves going forward. So the big question is: what is going on with women in politics? What is preventing us from reaching their full potential with regard to political leadership in politics ? Is it a lack of financial stability, or the responsibility of caring roles, such as being parents and mothers, or of being carers for elderly family members ? Even when women are in senior cabinet roles, these tend not to be in Finance, Planning or Security. They are Cinderella senior cabinet roles in Children & Families, Adult Social Care, Public Health, Education and Libraries. Is this all connected with the perceived inflexibility of the role and, if so, why cannot some of the work be performed from home, and not lead to a demeaning of the role? And what about the use of Skype or video conferencing as tools to help be part of and in place for positions of power? Surely political leadership in politics is not all about meetings and yet this seems to be the case. One is measured by not by how many constituents you have assisted, but by how many meetings one has attended. Furthermore, even in politics the conditioning is persistent in that politicians are judged as either being Good or Bad in relation to these meetings whether one has uttered a word or not, whether one agrees with what happens or not, or simply makes up the numbers there. For women politicians, fear and anxiety can be a factor in politics, from the emotional anxiety arising from non-support; from constant chastising and belittlement from fellow political colleagues; from angry and bewildered constituents and the constant grind of social media and beyond. Histrionics will abound, and yet political leadership opportunities are held by the gate keepers. This is frustrating if one is not part of the inner circle or if the lens is not trained on you as a woman politician who wants to go forward, break the mould, break down barriers and perceptions, no matter how long held. But as a woman politician, irrespective of particular variables, you have a duty as a public servant to keep pushing upwards, keep asking, keep finding ways to circumnavigate and penetrate. One must work to create fissures and furrows in the inevitable hope that wide canals will follow. 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. 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 Financial Reporting Council CEO The mission of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is to promote transparency and integrity in business. These are cornerstones to generating public trust and confidence in UK business and help attract investment in successful companies that provide jobs, create prosperity and generate economic growth. The FRC sets the UK Corporate Governance & Stewardship Codes which aim to make investors more accountable to their clients and beneficiaries. The FRC also sets standards for accounting, auditing and actuarial work. As the UKs independent regulator and Competent Authority for Audit it monitors, and takes action where necessary, to promote the quality of corporate reporting and audit. It also operates independent enforcement arrangements for accountants and actuaries. Time: Full-time. Remuneration: 330,000 per annum. Closes: 10 June This mornings papers carry the story of Nigel Farages fury at the BBCs Andrew Marr for the manner in which the latter interviewed him on his show yesterday. The Brexit Party leader has attacked the presenters decision to ask a series of awkward questions about his historical views on a range of policy areas, ranging from private healthcare to gun control, despite the fact that his new party has no policies beyond leaving the European Union. Farage suggests that this was a ploy by the BBC to avoid talking about the Brexit Partys success or the factors driving that success. But for all the sound and fury, the row probably suits both sides. As far as the BBC goes, Marrs questions were entirely legitimate even if they werent to Farages liking. Hes an influential figure in British politics and intends his party to contest the next general election, where its domestic agenda will inevitably come into focus. Given his position of apparently absolute power within the Brexit Party (which has no formal membership) the voters have a right to probe Farages views on these questions. On the other hand, it is unlikely that the fallout of the interview will do very much to dent Farages support. For all that the Brexit Party is a much sleeker and consciously more cosmopolitan beast than UKIP, there is still likely a ceiling to Farages support, perhaps around a third of the electorate. For such voters the idea that the BBC is conspiring against their man wouldnt be a hard sell, even if theyre not specifically in tune with him on guns or Russia. The establishment stitch-up has always been Farages favourite card, and Marr has perhaps given him another opportunity to burnish his outsider status. But its unlikely to do much long-term damage to either man, nor to the institutions they represent. As Prime Minister, I am not prepared to delay Brexit any further than 30 June, Theresa May, Hansard, March 20. By the time the Prime Minister said these words, in answer to a question from Pete Wishart at Prime Ministers Questions, it was very late in the day for her. A week earlier on March 13, the Commons had voted down the Withdrawal Agreement for the second time. 75 Conservative MPs had opposed it in the lobbies. That week also saw the passing of the Spelman amendment to take no deal off the table, and the announcement of a forthcoming vote on extension. Anthony Wells YouGov table of opinion polls confirms that the Conservatives have not polled above 40 per cent since it ended. But let us now imagine that, after the EU rebuffed Mays date on April 11, thereby necessitating next week European elections, she had balked at their alternative of October 31. You will say that the Commons would not have tolerated a No Deal alternative as it had indicated by passing a statutory instrument on March 27 that took the March 29 exit date out of legislation. And you are almost certainly right. However, she could have gone to that lectern outside Downing Street, and said roughly the following: I told the Commons a few weeks ago that I was not prepared to delay Brexit any further than 30 June. I also said that a consequence of such delay elections to the European Parliament in Britain would be unacceptable. Here are my precise words from Hansard on the same day: the idea that three years after voting to leave the EU, the people of this country should be asked to elect a new set of MEPs is, I believe, unacceptable. It would be a failure to deliver on the referendum decision that this House said it would honour. I believe that politicians should keep their word, and I am therefore resigning as Leader of the Conservative Party. The Party will now hold a leadership election to replace me, and I expect a new Prime Minister to be in place by the beginning of this summers Parliamentary recess. Now such an announcement would neither have met the June deadline nor prevented the Euro-elections. But it might have persuaded a section of disillusioned voters that, although Brexit had not been delivered on time, at least one politician keeps her promises. The Iraq War, the expenses scandal, the economic crash: all have, over a span of over 15 years, helped further to lower trust in the system. As we write, Mays failure to keep her word looks like an addition to that list. She promised that Brexit would take place March 29 over a hundred times. It didnt happen. She said then she was not prepared to delay it further than June 30. That end-date wont happen, either. Extension ends on October 31. And she said that elections to the European Parliament would be unacceptable. Then she accepted them. The point is really very simple. Voters dont follow the ins and outs of Brexit indicative votes, customs arrangements, John Bercows rulings, and all that but they have an unerring nose for smelling out politicians. The Prime Minister promised that we would leave on March 29 and we didnt, they think. Ergo, we wont vote for her. So two possible futures for the Conservatives now open up. The first is that it is too late for a new leader. Mays stubborness in bringing back her deal for a third time; her refusal to face up to the Commons rejection of it; the attempt that has followed to strike a deal with a man she rightly denounces elsewhere as a menace to freedom all that has poisoned the well for any successor. The week of March 15 was an ERM moment. The second is that modern politics is extraordinary volatile. Consider the rise and fall of UKIP, the overthrow of David Cameron, Jeremy Corbyns 2017 election performance. So a new Conservative leader could turn events round, though he or she might well have to come from outside the Prime Ministers Government altogether, and force an election sooner rather than later. The first could be right. But the Conservative Party cannot presume so and simply hand the future over to Corbyn and Nigel Farage. It has to work on the basis that the second might hold. It follows that the longer May remains Prime Minister, the deeper the damage to the Party and the country. The 1922 Committees executive has a big decision to make this week. On Thursday, it will meet May to seek to extract a date for her depature. It should not be sentimental. Her hanging on might be attributed to a sense of duty. But to borrow the language that Robert Halfon used on this site last week, it is utterly selfish. Prime Ministers want to leave a legacy behind them. May clearly sees hers as the Withdrawal Agreement. But the Commons will not pass it as it stands. It might do so, with or without Corbyns formal cooperation, were MPs to tack Customs Union membership on to it. But such a decision would force yet more resignations, were May to support it, and split the Conservative Party in half. However unpalatable it may be, the Committee must, if she refuses this week to go by the end of the summer, change the leadership challenge rules immediately perhaps with a trigger ballot threshold of 40 per cent or so. We are well aware that the most painless course for them is to opt for manana. But the wait for tomorrow risks marginalisation even oblivion. Aegean Apparel of Dayton, Ohio, is recalling about 500 childrens robes and pajama pants. The sleepwear garments fail to meet the federal flammability standard for childrens sleepwear, posing a risk of burn injuries. No incidents or injuries are reported. This recall involves Aegean Apparel childrens robes and pajama pants. The robe is a 100 percent polyester micro fleece, hooded with long sleeves, a belt sewn into the back and two front pockets, and comes in light green with a gray and orange cat print with cat ears sewn onto the robes hood. The pajama pants are 100 percent polyester in white with a black and gray dog wearing a Santa hat print. Both garments were sold in childrens sizes small through extra large and have Kings n Queens by Aegean Apparel on its label. The garments, manufactured in China, were sold online at www.aegeanapparel.com from November 2016, through October 2018, for $30 for the pants and about $60 for the robe. What to do Consumers should immediately take the recalled sleepwear away from children and contact Aegean Apparel for a full refund. Consumers may contact Aegean Apparel at (800) 864-9403 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, by email at contactus@aegeanapparel.com or online at www.aegeanapparel.com for more information. 60% Website boya-za-kosa.com uses latest and advanced technologies. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 23144 bytes (22.60 kb uncompressed) and 7248 bytes (7.08 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-11-24, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The European legislative framework's Clean Energy for All Europeans' puts strong targets in place to mitigate the effects of climate change. It has a binding target to improve energy efficiency by 32.5% in 2030 and member states have until the end of 2019 to implement this goal into national law. Accelerate Europereports on how reducing electrical energy consumption in cold stores can help to achieve energy-efficiency targets. On a global scale, cooling and air conditioning applications are accountable for 15-20% of worldwide energy consumption, according to data present in the EU project cool-save The project also states thatindustrial cooling installations due to their significant energetic impact, [need] effective and realistic saving strategies. Another EU project, called Improving Cold Storage Equipment in Europe(ICE-E), which was completed in 2012, states that within cold storage facilities, 60-70% of the electrical energy used is for refrigeration. Thus improving the energy efficiency of refrigeration can play a big role in reducing the overall energy usage of cold stores. In considering how to reduce energy consumption in cold stores, it is worth looking at how energy is measured. Unfortunately, there has been very little research into this area, according to Claudio Zilio, an HVAC&R researcher at the University of Padova in Italy, who took part in the ICE-E project. Specific Energy Consumption (SEC), which is calculated by kWh/m3/year, is an important benchmark for refrigeration system performance. All cold stores are different, so the key to improvement is to enable operators to compare against benchmarks, Dr. Andy Pearson, director of innovation at Star Refrigeration, told Accelerate Europe. Pearson adds that the end user ought to have means to correlate current operation and cooling power. For example, an increased number of door openings relates to higher activity in the facility. Cold storage facilities with an above average energy consumption have diverse problems, according to ICE-E but Professor Judith Evans, a researcher on air conditioning and refrigeration at London South Bank University, who was part of the project, said that 40% had issues that could easily be solved relatively simply by someone that is not highly technical. Evans continues, even if you're worse than that average, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're bad in terms of energy usage]. It means there might be a good reason for it. It is not always refrigeration units that are responsible for increased energy bills. Other electrical appliances, such as lighting, show room for improvement as well. The benchmarking from the ICE-E project could also shed light on how different natural refrigerant systems perform. During ATMOsphere Europe 2018, a conference organised by shecco, publisher of this website, Enrico Zambotto, refrigeration director at Arneg did just that. He compared an ammonia/CO 2 system in Tarquinia, Italy, to an updated worldwide benchmark study, conducted by Evans et al. (2015). Zambotto concluded that the energy consumption of the system he tested was 62% below the world average, 58% below the European average, and 46% below the Italian average. Pearson from Star Refrigeration uses the benchmarking to state that ammonia generally performs better than R404A. You can generalise about these systems for example, a direct ammonia system will usually be more efficient than a direct R404A system or a glycol system, but the variables in operation store-to-store will be greater than the differences caused by refrigerant, so its wrong to say ammonia is always the most efficient, Pearson says. Overall cost is a big factor in the choice for the preferred refrigeration system is the overall cost. This is why big cold stores built by refrigeration contractors usually [opt for] ammonia, says Evans. However, Zilio from the University of Padova adds that a significant percentage of the small stores in Europe still operate with R22. Eventually, it is up to end users themselves to monitor the efficiency of the cold storage facility, according to Pearson. He adds that it is not only important to measure the data, but also to take action to improve the performance of the cold store. At the same time, ISH China as the 69th station of Coowor global HVACR promotion tour, the Coowor people will continue to do solid propaganda, distribute magazines, introduce websites, collect purchasing information and match purchaser information to member enterprises. Coowor booth No. E1 MT32, welcome to visit. Magazines were distributed at the scene: STAMFORD Purdue Pharma has removed the signs bearing its name outside its downtown headquarters, a move that could hint at the controversial OxyContin maker trying to reduce the visibility of a building increasingly targeted by protesters. For years, Purdues ringed-and-underlined logo had adorned the front entrance and sidewalk markers around the One Stamford Forum building at 201 Tresser Blvd., where it has been based since 2000. But all those company-branded markers have come down in the past few weeks, and the firm has not said whether it would replace them. A Purdue spokesman declined to comment Monday on the signs. The changes do not apparently point to a rebranding. Purdue has neither redesigned its logo nor recently rolled out any related marketing campaigns. As Purdue faces more than 1,000 lawsuits filed by cities and states that accuse the company of fueling the nations opioid crisis with deceptive marketing of drugs such as OxyContin, grassroots activists have demonstrated a number of times in the past year outside 201 Tresser. On May 6, a Worcester, Mass., man, who said that he had struggled with addiction to OxyContin, demonstrated by setting up a skeleton-like sculpture of pill bottles outside the building. Look, this was me for 15 years, Frank Huntley, the maker of the Pill Man sculpture, said in an interview. 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. Purdue responded in a statement that we share Mr. Huntleys concerns about the opioid-addiction crisis, and respect his right to peacefully express himself. Last August, a pair of demonstrations drew several hundred protesters. Many of them were family members and friends of those who had died of opioid overdoses; others said that they had survived addiction to pain drugs such as OxyContin. This has turned into a moment of national reckoning for Purdue, Ryan Hampton, organizer of an Aug. 17 protest, said in an interview at that time. We should be camped out at the headquarters every single day with a bull horn until we bleed them dry of every single dollar they can pay. On June 22, 2018, Stamford art-gallery owner Fernando Luis Alvarez and artist-activist Domenic Esposito installed a stained 800-pound spoon in the front driveway of 201 Tresser. The sculpture represented a burnt heroin spoon; Espositos brother has grappled with opioid addiction. Alvarez was arrested for his role in the protest, whose novelty drew international attention. He was later allowed to participate in an accelerated-rehabilitation program. He will be cleared of charges if he avoids contact with Purdue for one year. A couple of weeks before the spoon protest, two Pennsylvania brothers held an evening demonstration in which they slide-projected messages onto 201 Tresser that condemned Purdue for its alleged misconduct. All the recent protests have been peaceful. In the past year, neither the company nor Stamford police have reported any threats directed to 201 Tresser. Amid the increasing litigation, Purdues headquarters presence has dwindled. Last June, the company eliminated its sales force, a move that cost 175 employees their jobs. Another 175 positions were cut at the same time. About 90 of those laid off worked in Stamford. Those cuts followed several hundred layoffs earlier in 2018. About 550 remain with Purdue, including some 220 at 201 Tresser, according to the latest headcount provided by the firm. In the first quarter of 2018, the company had reported a total workforce of about 1,100. Other tenants at 201 Tresser, an office tower that covers more than 500,000 square feet, include Charter Communications. The cable-and-internet giant which is headquartered next door at 400 Atlantic St., and is building an office complex at 406 Washington Blvd. last year leased about 53,000 square feet at 201 Tresser. Members of the Sackler family, who own Purdue and are defendants in Connecticuts lawsuit against the company, control the entities that own One Stamford Forum, according to mortgage-tracking firm Trepp. pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott HARTFORD About 150 people who do not want to be forced to vaccinate their children threatened Monday to vote against lawmakers who might remove Connecticuts wide-ranging religious exemption. But during a seven-hour hearing on a plan to end the exemption, amid a recent report about declining Connecticut vaccination rates particularly in religious and private schools, at least one lawmaker said she was offended by the potential promised payback, charging that she does not make decisions based on possible political retribution. The incident occurred about 90 minutes into an informational hearing before the Public Health Committee attended by about 500 people, including dozens of pre-schoolers who filled two meeting rooms on the second floor of the Legislative Office Building, and another room on the first floor. LeeAnn Ducat, the founder of an anti-vaccination group called Informed Choice CT, asked for a display of support from parents in attendance opposed to legislative efforts to change the states law that gives parents the option on any religious grounds. Im not sure that certain legislators realize the generational damage that they are doing to their own party, Ducat said at the end of a six-minute presentation. By show of hands in this room, how many people will never again vote for the party who inserted their decision-making over their parental shoes? Nearly everyone in the meeting room raised their hands. Many of the spectators held signs with slogans like: Facts not fear; Stop medical tyranny; and Do no harm first. Rep. Pat Wilson Pheanious, whose district includes Ashford, Tolland and Willington, took offense. I have to say that I certainly appreciate the passion in this room. But I find myself offended by the show of hands, as though to suggest that that would make a difference to me in my vote. When I take a vote, as somebody who has taken an oath of office to do the very best I can to make decisions, they will never be made on the basis of people holding up their hands and saying they wont vote for me because of a position Ive taken. Ducat turned into the major spokesperson for those opposed to the plan from Democrats, including House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Hartford. I find it unfortunate that people in the state of Connecticut have had their First Amendment rights violated already, because of course the mandatory vaccination statutes in the state of Connecticut dont allow parents to speak up on any other subject other than religious, Ducat said, charging an alleged lack of science and flawed data used by health officials and the pharmaceutical industry to make immunizations mandatory. This is a little bit of fly-by-night, said Ducat, a paralegal for a New York injury lawyer who specializes in litigation over damages alleged to be caused by vaccines. She criticized the late-breaking scheduling of the meeting in recent days without a fully written bill to review and a possible vote this week in the House of Representatives. Thats not acceptable. Its not democratic and its really not very American. There is no data to support that a non-vaccinated individual is of any threat to an immuno-compromised individual. There is no emergency for the removal of First Amendment rights, including my freedom of religion. Ducat said that requiring vaccinations in itself is a religious standpoint. The infant-drug program, commonly know as the vaccine program is a religion and the mandates are equivalent to forcing a religion onto those with different beliefs, she said. With infant drugs, one must believe that drug - or the vaccine - is safe. effective and necessary, as they are told by their doctors - or priests - who are given instructions by the CDC - their church leaders - who are governed by the pharmaceutical industry, their church. I do not share the belief in vaccination. I am secure in my faith and I do not consent to participate in a forced religion. Her testimony was preceded by state health professionals who said that so-called herd immunity in schools can become compromised if there is a higher percentage of students who do not seek vaccinations, and a disease outbreak occurs such as the recent outbreak in religious schools in Brooklyn. The United States is one of the few developed countries that actually ties vaccinations to school admissions, said Dr. Matt Cartter, state epidemiologist. In Europe, for example, theyre mandated by age, and actually have much-higher rates of immunization at age two than we have in the United States. Dr. Jody Terranova, speaking in favor of vaccines for the Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians, said that immunizations are best for the majority. Herd immunity or community immunity is indirect protection, she said. When the vast majority of the population cant acquire a transmitted disease because theyre immunized, its very difficult to spread to an unvaccinated person. Exemptions are what lower our herd-immunity rates. She said that exemptions for non-medical reasons are ending throughout the country because they put people at risk. We need to be the leaders on this and join West Virginia, Mississippi and California in removing all non-medical exemptions, she said. Fortunately, in Connecticut we are not seeing the large outbreaks that other states have seen in measles, pertussis (whooping cough) and varicella (chicken pox). Rabbi Tzvi Bernstein, dean of the Bi-Culutral Academy in Stamford, an Orthodox Jewish School, said hes worried about the potential for the current state law, in which parents can attest to even vague religious beliefs, could lead to disease outbreaks. Rep. Jack Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, the General Assemblys leading proponent in the rights of parents not to vaccinate their kids, started off the hearing by asking those in favor of retaining the current law to clap. After a burst of applause, Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, co-chairman of the committee, warned that another outburst would result in the expulsion of those who participate. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT Education officials will begin their own investigation into Shelton High administrators later this week. This news came from school Superintendent Chris Clouet days after local law enforcement closed its six-week investigation into Shelton High Principal Beth Smith and Assistant Principal John Skerritt with no charges to be filed in the case. The nature of the districts investigation will be different, said Clouet, declining to elaborate on the specifics, adding that this is a personnel matter. Our investigation will have different standards than a police investigation, Clouet said. Our investigation will look at what happened in relation to the standards of our policies and professional code of conduct. Shelton Police began investigating Smith and Skerritt in late March after police were called to the high school in response to an incident involving two students. Shelton Police Chief Shawn Sequeira said the department was attempting to determine if school personnel were following the proper protocols and procedures, in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes, when dealing with potentially criminal situations. In response, Clouet placed Smith on paid administrative leave. Skerritt assumed the interim principal role until he was also placed on paid administrative leave in early April by Clouet after it was learned that Skerritt was also under investigation in the case. Clouet said he expects the school districts investigation to be complete by the end of the school year. I understand the publics impatience, Clouet said. We dont want to drag our feet, but we have to obtain the reports from the police investigation before making any decisions. We need to see how they came to their conclusions, then we can go forward. Shelton Police Lt. Robert Kozlowsky announced on Friday that there would be no criminal arrests in this case, and that, The case is now closed. Kozlowsky would not comment on the alleged incident involving the two students which sparked this investigation, saying only that the police department found no criminal wrongdoing and expected that the school system and law enforcement would continue to have a good working relationship. The Police Department and the school system have had a long, positive relationship, and the department looks forward to continuing to work together in a positive way, said Kozlowsky. When asked about the length of the investigation, Kozlowsky said the department never puts a time frame on such cases, instead taking as long as necessary to complete a thorough review of the situation. We believe in doing a complete investigation, said Kozlowsky, and that can take time. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com SHELTON School bus drivers and monitors on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new contract with Durham School Services. CSEA SEIU Local 2001 Communications Director Ben Phillips called the new contract a tremendous victory for the Shelton drivers and monitors who stood up for themselves and their families and won. According to Phillips, Durham will be required to honor the wages and benefits promised to workers under the previous contract with Landmark Transportation. Included in the agreement is full back pay of the raises due in September 2018, which, Phillips said, Durham had refused to pay. We are very pleased that the contract has been approved, and thank all parties that were involved in these negotiations, Durham School Services media representative Ed Flavin said. As always, we look forward to continuing to serve the Shelton community. The approved deal brings a close what had become several contentious months between Sheltons bus drivers and monitors and their employer, Durham School Services. This deal was first announced last week, only days after Shelton bus drivers and monitors had voted to authorize a strike and even scheduled a walkout. Negotiations started in earnest one day before the walkout was set to begin. Phillips said that in 2018, Durham School Services signed a one-year, multimillion-dollar contract with the Shelton Board of Education to provide school transportation, and school bus workers were covered by a union contract that included negotiated pay and benefits through August 2020. In a prior Facebook post, the union listed several items Durham wanted to remove from the union contract, including retroactive raises, personal days, unpaid extended leave, payment for student endorsement renewal, mileage reimbursement for drug test and medical exams, and payment for travel and testing time of drug tests and medical exams. Employees would also be forced to work the day before and after to receive holiday pay. Durham refused to honor the terms of that contract and canceled raises that had been promised to the drivers and monitors, said Phillips. Phillips said Shelton drivers and monitors refused to give up the pay and benefits that their families depend on, which led to the vote to strike Wednesday, April 24. Bus drivers and monitors held an informational picket on Friday, April 26, and planned to begin striking on April 30 if they were unable to reach an agreement with Durham. After lengthy negotiations, Durham backed down, proving once again that when working people are united together in unions, they win, said Phillips. The City of Shelton will be taking control of school transportation in July, which means that a new contract will be finalized between the city and the drivers and monitors at that time. Both Mayor Mark Lauretti and Phillips confirmed that there have been discussions, but nothing close to being final yet. Durham School Services is a division of National Express LLC which, according to the companys website, is the North American subsidiary of National Express Group PLC, a transportation firm in the United Kingdom. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com 5 1 of 5 Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 5 of 5 Last week, the Bridgeport Police Department arrested 11 peaceful protestors and a Connecticut Post reporter during a protest marking the two-year anniversary of the fatal police shooting of Jayson Negron. At a time when police-community tensions are high and trust of police is low due to the recent firing of 16 shots by the police at Paul Witherspoon and Stephanie Washington, two unarmed people in New Haven, and the fatal police shooting of Anthony Jose Chulo Vega Cruz in Wethersfield, this action by the Bridgeport Police Department serves only to further erode what little credibility and trust they have rebuilt since Negrons death. Further, the act of a large number of officers clearing the street escalated the tension at a time when we most need police restraint. Video from the Post reporter seems to clearly indicate that the police arrested people on the sidewalk. The decision to clear the street, undoubtedly made by police leaders on the scene, calls into question whether the Bridgeport Police leadership, Chief Armando Perez, or Mayor Joe Ganim are at all serious about public commitments they made more than three years ago to implement department-wide de-escalation training for all officers and reform and professionalize department practices. After reading an article in the Connecticut Post entitled Wealthy to Lamont: Raise our taxes, I was overjoyed. To think that an organization directed by Phillip VanderKlay of New Haven, with support from the House Democratic Progressive Caucus, is publicly advocating raising taxes on the wealthy is revolutionary in my mind and long overdue. A report by Verizon found that c-level executives were 12 times more likely to be the target of social incidents and nine times more likely to be targeted in social breaches. Ransomware accounted for 24 percent of reported cases. The Data Breach Investigations Report, shows that the attacks on c-suite executives are financially motivated and conducted to obtain a companys most sensitive information. The report also revealed that 23 percent of the data breaches examined in 2019 were conducted by nation states, a 12 percent increase from last year. An upcoming NAFCU webinar on May 30 will focus on cybersecurity insurance for credit unions where attendees will learn how to protect their companies against the escalating costs of data breaches and cyberattacks. The webinar, scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, will review best practices for selecting cybersecurity insurance policy, as well as: State attorneys general and a group of state treasurers have called on Congress to enact legislation that would provide a safe harbor for financial institutions to do business with cannabis-related companies. Some 38 attorneys general from states and U.S. territories have sent congressional leaders a letter endorsing the plan sponsored by Reps. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) and Denny Heck (D-Wash.). And 17 state treasurers sent a similar letter last week. That legislation has been approved by the House Financial Services Committee and awaits floor action. But on the Senate side, Senate Banking Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Id.) remains skeptical of the idea. Welcome to episode 19 of The CUInsight Experience podcast. Hosted by Randy Smith, co-founder and publisher of CUInsight.com. Bryan Clagett is the Chief Marketing Officer at Geezeo, a Forbes contributor, and a member of the Forbes Communication Council. Hes an active part in the online conversation about credit unions, banking, fintech, and all things digital transformation. I go to him for questions on all things fintech or digital disruption, and Im excited to have him on the show today to share nuggets of wisdom that well all be able to apply. These days, Bryan explains, disruption is being driven by the consumer. Expectations are rising, and customers are expecting more of financial institutions. This will be a challenge, but Bryan expects it will also be exciting. From there, hell dig into what Geezeo does to help and support credit unions, and share his excitement for advancement in the ability to be more in tune with customers needs. The key for credit union marketers, Bryan points out, is to leverage technology and data as a means to actually talk with members, not just talk at them. Traditional advertising in the financial services sector tends to be boasting rather than consumer-focused. Instead, the focus should be on knowing about members and doing things differently to impact their financial lives. Tune into todays episode to learn all about all of these things, as well as how Bryan got involved in financial services, how he keeps his (and Geezeos) message fresh, what a free day and work/life balance look like for him, and what his neighbors think of his drone! Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher How to find Bryan: Bryan Clagett Chief Marketing Officer and Investor, Geezeo bclagett@geezeo.com www.geezeo.com Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram Show notes from this episode: Check out the work the folks at Geezeo are doing to help credit unions and their solutions. Bryan has been a long time contributor to the CUInsight Community. Check out his writing here. Follow Bryan on all the socials Twitter and LinkedIn. Even his drone footage on Instagram over his neighborhood and the river house. Check out Bryans work on the Forbes Communications Council here. Shout-out: Affinity Federal Credit Union Shout-out: Filene, NAFCU and CUNA Shout-out: Amanda Reed, NAFCU Services, Dan Berger, Shawn Ward Who did Bryan want to be growing up? Find out here. Shout-out: John Fenton, Mark Cochran, David Snodgrass, Paul Fiore Movie mention: Edward Herrmann in The Lost Boys Mentoring program Bryan works with: Everwise Shout-out: Jill Castilla Drone Bryan is currently flying: DJI Mavic 2 PRO Drone Quadcopter Best album of all-time: Hotel California by the Eagles Book mentioned: The Excellence Dividend by Tom Peters Bryan mentioned the work Bill Gates is doing at The Gates Foundation. Shout-out: Strum (formally Weber Marketing) Previous guests mentioned in this episode: Doug Leighton, Jill Nowacki, Dan Berger You can find all past episodes of The CUInsight Experience here. In This Episode: [00:04] Welcome back to the CUInsight Experience! Randy introduces Bryan Clagett, todays guest. [02:27] Whats the biggest disruption to financial services that Bryan doesnt think that credit unions are taking seriously enough? [04:02] Bryan talks about what Geezeo does to help credit unions, and what he does to keep up with the rate of change. [05:55] We hear an example of what Bryan means by contextual messaging. [08:46] What is Bryan most excited about in the advancement of financial technologies as he looks forward? [08:55] Bryan shares his thoughts on whether technology is an equalizer or a deterrent in credit unions, then talks about where the stumbling blocks are. [13:22] Does Bryan have a few tips that he thinks every credit union should be doing? Are there things that he sees credit unions doing wrong? [15:46] We hear about tools that Bryan uses or thinks that credit unions should use. [19:22] We move into the leadership and life hacks section of the show, with Bryan talking about his first gig in the financial services space and what inspired him to make this industry his career. [22:46] Has Bryans inspiration changed over the time that he has been working in this industry? [24:08] Bryan shares a memorable failure that ended up working out for the best, and taught him a lesson. [27:06] Is there a current belief held by credit unions that Bryan thinks will significantly change in the foreseeable future? [28:35] Bryan chats about how he (and his team) would describe his leadership style. [30:40] Is there something that Bryans team has heard him say so many times that they could finish his sentence? [31:45] We hear about whether there were mistakes that Bryan made early in his career that he sees young leaders continue to make? [33:13] Has there been a particular piece of advice that Bryan finds himself going back to over and over? [35:00] Bryan talks about how he keeps his message fresh, not only to his team but also with Geezio, as well as whether hes constantly updating the Geezeo message. [37:43] We learn about what Bryans new neighbors think of his drone habit. [38:59] What does Bryan do when he has a free day, and what does work/life balance look like for him? [40:28] We shift into the rapid-fire questions, with Bryan talking about the first time that he got into memorable trouble. [42:44] Does Bryan have any daily routines that his day feels off if he doesnt do? [43:12] Whats the best album of all time? [43:58] Is there a book that Bryan has recommended or given away over and over? [44:56] When Bryan hears the word success, whos the first person who comes to mind? [46:08] As Bryan has gotten older, what has become more (or less) important to him? [46:41] Does Bryan have any final asks or thoughts for listeners? STORY LINK Pound Sterling Swedish Krona (GBP/SEK) Exchange Rate Rises as Brexit Cross-Party Talks Set to Continue Pound Swedish Krona (GBP/SEK) Exchange Rate Rises Ahead of Further Cross-Party Talks Swedish Krona (SEK) Slips as China Responds to Trumps Tariffs Pound Swedish Krona Outlook: Will GBP/SEK Slide on Higher than Forecast Swedish CPI? Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound Sterling Swedish Krona (GBP/SEK) Exchange Rate rose and the pairing is currently trading at an inter-bank rate of 12.5509Kr.Speaking to the Guardian, Sir Keir Starmer, Shadow Brexit Secretary said that a cross-party Brexit deal will not get through Parliament unless there is a fresh public vote.Cross-party discussions between the Government and the Labour party have been going on for more than a month with reports of little apparent headway.The Shadow Brexit Secretary also added that he would not be afraid to end the talks as soon as this week if Theresa May did not budge on her red lines.However, it has been suggested by analysts that because cross-party talks are set to continue, it has stopped the Pound from sliding.The escalation in the US-China trade tensions likely weighed on the Swedish Krona as risk-appetite remained fragile.On Friday the US slapped $200 billion of Chinese goods with 25% tariffs and now the US is drawing up plans for similar tariffs on $300 billion worth of goods.On Sunday, White House Chief Economic Advisor, Larry Kudlow revealed that they expected China to respond.Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Beijing without explicitly stating how China would respond, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang said:China will never surrender to external pressure. We have the confidence and the ability to protect our lawful and legitimate rights.Chinas Peoples Daily Newspaper reiterated this message, and the state-controlled newspaper stated:China has been pushing forward the bilateral talks with a high sense of responsibility and maximized sincerity, but it will never yield to the extreme pressure from the US, or compromise on matters of principle.Looking ahead to Tuesday, the Swedish Krona (SEK) could rise against the Pound (GBP) following the release of the Swedish Consumer Price Index (CPI).If CPI rises higher than forecast, it could provide the Swedish Krona with an upswing of support.Meanwhile, the Pound could rise following the release of the UK ILO unemployment rate.If unemployment continues to remain at lows that have not been seen since the end of 1975, the Pound Swedish Krona (GBP/SEK) exchange rate could rise. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Daily Currency Updates Brexit Threatens Cybercrime Detection Speedy European evidence-sharing about cyber-crime may be endangered by a no-deal Brexit, a police officer in Northern Ireland has warned. European Investigation Orders (EIOs) allow the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to access material within 90 days. The number of internet-related crimes has increased significantly in recent years but the amount of resources devoted to tackling it is being outstripped, Detective Sergeant Darren McCracken said. He added: If we leave as a result of Brexit we no longer have access to EIOs to obtain information within 90 days. He said that was a fast turnaround in the world of law enforcement. Investigators can contact firms directly for intelligence-gathering but for court action the official channel is essential, he said. If Brexit happens we are no longer part of a European treaty. We may not have access to that. He was part of a panel at the first UK Finance Festival organised at the Titanic Belfast visitor centre. Det Sgt McCracken said there was a lack of willingness to engage with law enforcement by companies because of fears of publicity causing reputational damage. He noted willingness to report for information purposes but evidence-gathering for criminal action was more difficult, adding that a lot of people feared an investigation would enter the public domain. We focus on businesses that will engage with ourselves. He said crime types are changing and become more complex when they include suspects based in North America. The demand is massively outstripping (supply), there is a huge volume of demand on our service. Companies often contact police after they have been the victims of an attack, he said, which can be too late. If they can educate people to prevent the crime then officers could focus resources on criminals better, he added. DS McCracken reiterated the importance of good cyber-security for businesses: There is a huge volume of business email compromises that could be prevented. Shropshire Star: You Might Also Read: A Snapshot Of Cybercrime In The UK: US Electric Grid Suffers Unexplained DDoS Attack A recent cyber disruption to the US grid involved a "denial of service condition" at a Western utility, according to the US Department of Energy official. On March 5, an unidentified power company fell victim to a "cyber event" that interfered with operations but stopped short of causing blackouts, according to a DOE recent filing. A DOE official confirmed on May 1st that the event "did not impact generation, the reliability of the grid or cause any customer outages." as reported to the industry journal E&ENews. But the denial-of-service attack was significant enough for the utility to file an electric disturbance report with DOE, the same forms reserved for major interruptions like storms, physical attacks or fuel shortages. Denial-of-service, or DOS, cyber-attacks overwhelm target networks with bogus traffic, making it difficult for victim computers to operate normally. Distributed-denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks harness the power of hacked "botnets" of computers to throw at hackers' targets, while rarer telephony-denial-of-service (TDOS) events seek to block incoming and outgoing calls. In December 2015, suspected Russian hackers used stolen login credentials and a TDOS attack to hit three distribution utilities in Ukraine, briefly cutting the lights to about a quarter-million people in a first-of-its-kind cyberattack. The March event doesn't appear to be part of such a coordinated hacking campaign, based on the limited information disclosed by DOE and several organizations in the anonymous utility's service area of Utah, Wyoming and Southern California. Still, a malicious cyber event wasn't previously known to have interfered with US grid operations, making the March 5 disclosure significant. The DOS event took advantage of a known software vulnerability that required a previously published patch to fix, according to the DOE official. In other words, with a patch in hand, it wouldn't have been difficult for power companies to identify and update any computer systems potentially at risk. DOE didn't clarify which equipment, whether routers, work stations or even phones, were affected by the denial of service. Denial-of-service attacks frequently target internet-facing devices or services, one record-setting DDOS interrupted access to popular sites like Twitter and Grubhub in fall 2016. In order for a DOS to have triggered an electric disturbance alert, it likely would have hit something more significant, but still externally facing, industry sources speculated: perhaps firewalls or routers on the boundary of a grid network. While a cyberattack on such equipment wouldn't disrupt the flow of electricity, it could force operators to pause or redirect certain activities at affected facilities to allow for an investigation. The Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center, the electric sector's hub for getting the word out on the latest threats and vulnerabilities, issued an alert with information to mitigate the threat, according to multiple sources. The DOS event reflects a concerning uptick in attacks, sophisticated or not, targeting critical infrastructure facilities worldwide, according to Lior Frenkel, CEO and co-founder of industrial cybersecurity firm Waterfall Security Solutions. Tools once exclusively available to nation-state hacking teams have passed into the hands of criminal organisations and the general public, he observed. Grid cyber events like that of March 5 "are bound to happen at an increasing rate," he warned. "Targets need to understand the world has changed." The utility targeted in the March 5 DOS attack hasn't been identified.State utility regulators in Wyoming, Utah and California have all declined to share additional details or failed to respond to requests for comment. The Western Electricity Coordinating Council, the regional grid overseer for the four counties listed in the vague DOE filing, said via a spokeswoman that "we do not comment about individual entities." Federal officials have been similarly tight-lipped. The North American Electric Reliability Corp., which manages the industry's threat information sharing center, has yet to comment on the case, while the Department of Homeland Security deferred comment to DOE. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said it was aware of the case but declined further comment. EENews: You Might Also Read: America Remains Vulnerable To Cyber Attack: Our own Bruce Siwy and Eric Kieta talk about their true-crime cases in Return To View: The Roundtable Amy Armstrong Returns to Nacho Daddy for Pride Week Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - After selling out every show during her month-long residency at Nacho Daddy in January, and two encore performances in February, everyone's favorite 'Diva Loca,' Amy Armstrong, returns to Puerto Vallarta just in time for Pride Week! Known for having 'the voice of an angel and the mouth of a sailor,' Amy's powerful and versatile voice mesmerizes listeners, while her hilarious and sometimes risque humor keeps them doubled over in laughter. She has performed around the world, has been a regular headliner on the RSVP Vacations circuit, and is considered to be one of the most popular main-stage and cabaret acts for LGBT events. With her long-term musical partner Freddy Allen, Amy Armstrong has headlined the National HRC Black-tie event in Dallas and served as the Grand Marshal for the LGBT Pride Parade in Washington, DC. While in Vallarta earlier this season, Amy shared the Nacho Daddy stage with the extraordinary local band, Piel Canela, in her newest show, 'Respect the Queen.' Featuring songs by Aretha Franklin and Freddy Mercury/Queen, like Natural Woman, Say A Little Prayer, We Are the Champions and Crazy Little Thing Called Love, and more, Amy and the boys wowed Puerto Vallarta audiences night after night. Amy's dynamic personality, comedic wit, and soulful voice, complemented by Piel Canela's unique musical adaptations, kept fans coming back time and time again - and left them wanting more. So, by popular demand, she'll return to Nacho Daddy for three Vallarta Pride performances of 'Respect the Queen,' on May 20, 22 and 25. Given the popularity of this show, which hits the stage at 9:00 pm, we recommend that you get your tickets TODAY at Nacho Daddy, Basilio Badillo #287 in the heart of Puerto Vallarta's Romantic Zone, or online at reactionshows.com. General Admission: $30.00 USD. Amy has been entertaining Puerto Vallarta audiences for more than a decade and, every time she's here, she donates her time and talent to local non-profit community organizations - and Pride Week will be no exception. On Tuesday, May 21, at 3:00 pm, Amy will host a very special edition of Adult Bingo at Nacho Daddy to raise money for SETAC and PuRR Project - and rumor has it she'll be making an appearance at the Pulpito Drag Derby, a benefit for Vallarta's LGBT Community and Wellness Center, SETAC. If you see Amy while you are out and about during Pride Week, be sure to thank her for always being so willing to share her time and talent with the people of Puerto Vallarta. Until yesterday, Nigel Farage was enjoying a dream return to frontline politics. He has been widely praised for running a far smoother operation as leader of the newly formed Brexit Party than he did in charge of Ukip. (Incidentally, Ukip has since lurched to the far-Right and become a very nasty organisation.) Enthusiastic crowds have flocked to his rallies up and down the country. Most significantly, Mr Farage has surged ahead in the polls. One survey suggested that an astonishing 34 per cent of people plan to vote for the Brexit Party on May 23. Nigel Farage was quick to anger when questioned on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show about past statements he had made To cap it all, another opinion poll suggested if there was a General Election, the Brexit Party would get 49 MPs. No wonder Mr Farage strolled into a BBC studio to be interviewed by Andrew Marr with the cocky air of a heavyweight boxer looking forward to a walkover. Fifteen minutes later, however, he left the ring battered and bruised. Marr is not TVs most feared political interviewer. But his polite and persistent questions rattled Mr Farage. He tried bluster. He shook his head repeatedly. He rudely questioned Marrs intelligence. At one point, it seemed he might tear off his microphone and storm out. Finally, he turned on Marr, saying: This is ludicrous. This is absolutely ludicrous. Ive never in my life seen a more ridiculous interview than this. Most admirably, despite the Brexit Party leaders tetchiness, Marr stuck to his guns. Again and again, he asked if Mr Farage still believed in statements hed made in the past about a range of issues. These included whether the NHS should be replaced with an insurance-based system, if efforts to curb global warming were the stupidest thing in human history, if migrants suffering Aids should be treated on the NHS, about his admiration of Vladimir Putin, if he wished to relax gun laws, whether he felt uncomfortable hearing foreign languages on the London Underground. Also, his views on a second EU referendum, given that, in a TV interview last year, Mr Farage had said he was mentally prepared to face one. Mr Farage insisted that the questions were not relevant on the grounds that the only issue that matters on May 23 centres on British democracy and the failure of politicians to implement Brexit. All Marrs questions were more than reasonable. The fact is the Brexit Party has not produced a manifesto. In so far as it has policies, they are simply Mr Farages personal opinions. And since the Brexit Party is fighting a national election, is ahead in the polls and is led by a man who previously headed a party that came first when the same elections were last held, in 2014, its part of the democratic process for Mr Farage to be grilled by the media on what his views are. Voters are entitled to know. Mr Farages reaction betrayed the fact that he dislikes having his views challenged. Thats why the Brexit Party is run on autocratic lines. It has been deliberately constructed with no more than a dozen members, all of whom owe a personal loyalty to Mr Farage. Mr Farages reaction betrayed the fact that he dislikes having his views challenged, according to Peter Oborne True, there are tens of thousands of registered supporters. But they dont get a say in policy. Meanwhile, Mr Farage is secretive about his financial donors. Against this background, it was Andrew Marrs job to try to get answers. In turn, Mr Farage knew that viewers deserved straight answers. Instead, Marr exposed his thin skin and bar-room irascibility which the public hasnt seen before. As a result, what we witnessed yesterday was an epic piece of TV-political theatre. Like Donald Trump, Mr Farage attempted to deflect legitimate questions by blustering about supposed media bias in this case targeting the BBC. A BBC, incidentally, which carefully took the decision not to risk offending Brexit-supporting viewers or breach broadcasting guidelines and canned Have I Got News For You last Friday featuring Heidi Allen MP, of the anti-Brexit ChangeUK party. Of course, Mr Farages supporters will believe that he was unfairly ambushed. But others will undoubtedly now think differently of Nigel Farage and his Brexit Party. Farage complained about BBC bias on Sunday, despite the broascaster canning an episode of Have I Got News For You last Friday featuring Heidi Allen MP (pictured), of the anti-Brexit Change UK party On a wider level, British politics has changed. The idea that the Brexit Party is a more professional, advanced and civilised version of Ukip is not convincing. Already, we have seen troubling signs that many of the unsavoury characters, who, in the past, played senior roles in the past in Ukip, have flocked to Mr Farage. There is also the fact that one of the Brexit Partys candidates for the North West region, which includes Warrington in Cheshire, is said to be refusing to condemn an IRA bomb attack in the town 24 years ago which killed two young boys and injured 56 others. Evidence has also emerged that one Brexit Party activist has urged the bombing of mosques. Five years ago, David Cameron was accused of making a huge political mistake when he branded Mr Farages Ukip to which many traditionally Tory-supporting voters had decamped as a bunch of fruit-cakes, loonies and closet racists. Nigel Farage took huge offence at the time but his performance yesterday is a timely reminder that Mr Camerons jibe, so far as the Brexit Party leader is concerned, had a ring of truth. Aged nine, she was walking home with candy and food for a goldfish she'd won at her school fair when a man stopped her in the steps to her flat and raped her. Now 39, Adelaide Bon, from Paris tells her story in a heartbreaking book called the Little Girl on the Ice Floe. The book, which was met with acclaim in France upon its publication is now translated in English. In the book, the actress and author explains she suffered from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for twenty years, most of which were spent unaware of her diagnosis. The author told MailOnline what it took to finally put her trauma past her. Bon's carefree childhood was shattered by an Italian burglar Giovanni Costa, known by police forces under the nickname 'the electrician.' Costa turned out to also be a serial rapist. At 80, Costa, who was caught in 2012, is serving a 18-year prison sentence for raping nine girls aged between six and thirteen and for assaulting 18 others between 1990 and 2003. Adelaide Bon, 39, a French actress and author, revealed that she was sexually assaulted at nine years old in a book that was met with critical acclaim in her country. The book is now available in the UK After he attacked her, Bon, now 39, told her parents what happened after the assault and filed a report with French police. On the outside, she seemed fine, but as the book reveals, she was anything but. She lived haunted by her assault for years. The memories of Costa followed her through her teens and early twenties, where she suffered from bulimia, insecurities and a wish to take her own life which translated into actual self-harm. Bon makes a point of writing a gruesomely detailed account of her sufferings. The writer explains that she aimed to be as precise as possible with her words. Language and writing were instrumental to her survival, and it helped her heal. The Little Girl on the Ice Floe, a Memoir, by Adelaide Bon, MacLehose Press, 16.99 is out now 'Writing allowed me to connect back to my language, to find the exact words to say things in a precise manner,' she told MailOnline. 'It helped me get my feet back on solid ground.' In the book, which follows Bon from childhood to adulthood, she recounts slapping herself forcefully, bashing her hands against walls, and contemplating throwing herself out of a seventh floor window, as well as suffering from eating disorders and from issues with sexual intimacy. Throughout the pages, Bon the author alternates between the pronouns 'I' and 'she' in order to write the story. Bon said this was because the grown woman was unable to recognise herself in the the child, teenager and young woman she writes about in the first chapters. Adelaide (pictured) told MailOnline feminism made her brave and helped her heal from her trauma. She lived with PTSD for twenty years 'I didn't belong to myself,' she said, adding that instead, she felt she 'belonged to Costa.' 'I saw myself not as a subject but as an object, and writing helped me understand that.' Now mother to a little boy, and having managed to put the hurt behind her, Bon wants to help others. It took 'years and years' of therapy for Bon to finally heal. 'I was extremely lucky, but I want to show others that you can escape your trauma and repair yourself, even though it is a part of my life and is instrumental to I am today 'I will never forget the bad, but it doesn't affect me anymore.' Through therapy, the author realised she suffered from dissociation for years: a feeling of intense alienation in which people lose their sense of self, of where they are and what they are doing. Writing helped her to reconnect with her self, and theater helped her to reconnect her mind to her body, she explained. The author (pictured) said writing helped her heal, as well as 'years and years' of therapy. She now considers herself 'repaired' She also benefited from feminist literature. 'Feminism helped me understand that my story didn't belong to me, that my intimacy was not mine, that it was forced on me,' she said. 'It made me brave, feminism gives you courage when you don't have any, it gives you sisters, it makes you stronger,' she added. Her attacker spent some years in the UK before his 2012 conviction, but this is not why Bon wrote or had the book translated. 'My story is just a detail,' she said. 'I didn't want to just tell my story, I wanted to explain what proceedings were operating within my story, but I hope this will help many many more victims than "just" the ones from Giovanni Costa,' she explained. After her harrowing account of survive sexual assault at the age of nine was published, Adelaide (pictured) said she hoped it would be a 'tool' for victims of sexual assault Adelaide (pictured) said she was flooded with letters from victims and their families following the publication of her book Bon absolutely thinks more could be done to prevent sexual assaults in France, 'as nothing is being done at all.' In France, criminal cases of sexual assaults are based on the same laws as for adult cases of sexual assault, which means that the victim has to prove they did not give consent or were forced - by violent, surprise or constraint - to engage in sexual activity. Bon wishes to see this law changed to reflect the reality of child abuse. 'It seems obvious to me that there can't be any consent regarding a child and an adult,' she explained. 'A child will always say yes to an adult,' she added. 'I wanted this book to be a tool they could use to rebuild themselves and to understand what they were going through,' she explained. 'I also wanted it to be a wake-up call for judges, lawyers and care providers so that they could understand the situation a bit better' And it seems the book had the effect she was hoping for. 'I was flooded with letters from victims, their partners, their parents,' Bon said. 'One judge wrote to say he had never understood why some victims of sexual assault looked disinterested in their own experience, as if they didn't care, but that her book help him see through that.' The Little Girl on the Ice Floe, a Memoir, by Adelaide Bon, MacLehose Press, 16.99 is out now. Hair loss, debilitating nausea, a painful mouth the physical side effects of cancer treatments are incredibly difficult to bear. But nothing prepares you for the turmoil the diagnosis will have on your emotions, especially as a woman. 'Your whole femininity crumbles', says Isabelle Guyomarch, entrepreneur, mother-of-two and breast cancer survivor. 'It's often the follow-up treatments that are hardest to cope with, the scars and the side-effects. Your feminine identity is completely destroyed and you have to reinvent it again.' ISABELLE'S STORY In August 2013, the French businesswoman's life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with aggressive stage-3 breast cancer. Refusing to let her diagnosis defeat her, Isabelle explains how she 'rebuilt' herself as a woman by deciding to help others going through the same thing. 'I fought for life and I won; I'm in remission,' she says. 'But I needed to make sense of my battle, like many cancer survivors do.' Innovation: Isabelle Guyomarch is the founder of Ozalys, a cosmetics brand created for women affected by cancer And so Ozalys was born. An innovative beauty brand, Ozalys caters to the most fragile percentage of the population, the women 'ignored' by the mainstream, commercialized beauty industry. With gentle formulas and no harmful ingredients, their products are soothing, moisturizing and luxurious to use. A range created by women for women, the entrepreneur has sought to make the difficult time easier, offering a luxury experience to ladies experiencing symptoms she knows only too well. As her cancer took hold, Isabelle admits facing herself in the bathroom mirror every day was a struggle. After going through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, Isabelle lost her hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows, but most of all, her confidence. She recalls: 'The bathroom became a place of suffering, where the idea of catching a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror paralyzed me.' TOUGH TIMES It wasn't just the physical symptoms she found tough, however, and the reaction of some of her peers hurt the most. The businesswoman's successful career came to an abrupt standstill and she found her job heading up a luxury cosmetics company at risk. Isabelle explains: 'Having cancer is a double-edged sword. Not only are you ill, but you lose your job on top of that almost a third of patients lose their jobs within two years after cancer strikes. 'That was the case for me with the banks, my associates who tried to sell their shares behind my back while I was going through chemo.' Thankfully, she was supported by her husband Bruno and daughters Lisa and Cecile, and the girls are now her business partners, joining her at the frontline of her re-branded company, whose employees are 80 per cent female. 'I was able to save my business thanks to my youngest daughter, then my second daughter joined us to create the product line,' she says of the process of re-buying the business in 2018 and officially launching Ozalys 18 months ago. 'I'm all about family business, it's a woman's workplace and I have no intention of selling it. I will pass it on to my girls, just like I have passed on my values,' she reveals. Fierce feminist Isabelle, who has penned bestselling book Fighting Lady about her battle, says her daughters were a major motivation in building her new brand. 'It's so hard to see your loved ones unhappy. Sometimes you do everything possible not to show your pain. 'When a woman looks at her children and thinks, 'My God, will I be able to raise my kids? What are they going to do without me?', it's a kind of emotional torture and deep psychological pain all cancer patients go through. 'So I've tried to testify, to speak out, helping stop the feeling of being alone in this,' she reflects. SPECIALLY ADAPTED PRODUCTS Drawing upon her personal experience of feeling weakened by cancer treatments, Isabelle and her team created a range of 11 products specially adapted for all patients' needs. Detailing what's special about her fluoride-free, Essential Care Refreshing Toothpaste with Ginger, she says: 'When you're in chemotherapy, you have bad breath, you feel sick, you have a dry mouth so we've put in real ginger extract, which is an amazing anti-nauseant and anti-humectant. 'All our products have specially-conceived lids that you can twist and not lift off because your hands can become very damaged.' It's not about making money for her - it's about meeting people's needs. Fighter: The French businesswoman's life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with aggressive stage-3 breast cancer 'I've created the Absolute Care Hand and Foot Moisturizing Cream, which is three products in one. 'Even if you still have the financial means during your cancer battle, you no longer have the strength to use a ton of products. 'It's easy to lie to people and say you need to buy three different creams, but you really don't if they're very high quality. 'Everything has a double function a day cream that can double as a night cream for instance [the Precious Care Day And Night Moisturizer].' The groundbreaking range also includes perfume, which has been designed to only be applied to a specific area and ingredients selected for skin weakened by chemo, with fragrances chosen to minimize headaches. Explaining the ethos behind her fast-growing brand, she said: 'You're a different person, both psychologically and physically after cancer. 'But you can create something positive out of it, that's my approach with Ozalys. 'I want to help women to get back up, to get back in front of the bathroom mirror, to find their inner confidence again, find out who they are now.' A SENSE OF COMMUNITY 18.1 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2018 and one in six women globally will contract the disease over their lifetimes, but it can often be a lonely experience. Live Better With Cancer is the go-to online community for people living with long-term conditions to discover everyday practical support for their symptoms and side effects. Working to create and curate trusted, helpful information and products, the site encourages learning and sharing between those going through the same experience, providing a welcoming space to chat in their Forum. Isabelle strongly believes women should rally around one another in tough times, explaining that the common theme for patients is solitude. 'Even when you're surrounded by people, you can feel alone, against your illness, against life,' she says. 'There is a real need to create structures to welcome women, where you can speak with others going through the same thing, as well as those who are removed for it.' 'A support system is even more important now that more and more people are surviving cancer,' she adds. 'It can't be about survival, it has to be about life after cancer. Survival is not enough! You have to learn to live again.' The inspiring lady has some words of wisdom to share with those currently battling cancer. She concludes: 'Never forget that you're heroes. We're all fighting for our lives. 'Fighting and being a heroine is very difficult you're going through hell right now, but remember that you are a strong woman.' If you spotted Australian model Erik Vent strutting down the streets of Sydney you'd be mistaken for thinking he's a young Brad Pitt. The chiselled brunette, who is originally from Estonia, has such likeness to the strapping actor that people have pointed it out many times before. 'People have said I look like Brad Pitt or a Leonardo DiCaprio lookalike,' he said. If you spotted Erik Vent (left) strutting down the streets of Sydney you'd be mistaken for thinking he's a young Brad Pitt (right) from the megastar's 'Thelma and Louise' days The chiselled brunette, who is originally from Estonia, has such likeness to the strapping actor that people have pointed it out many times before 'But I think clients choose me because they like what they see, not because I look like someone else.' The 26-year-old's journey as a model started almost 10 years ago but it was never his goal to be a professional in the field. 'It had always been a side gig but I've been modelling full-time for a few years now.' The 26-year-old's journey as a model started ten years ago and he has also been compared to Leonardo DiCaprio (Erik on the left and Leo on the right) Having done a bachelor's degree in 'Art in Sports' Erik is passionate about his fitness and 'likes to push himself like a professional athlete' Having done a bachelor's degree in 'Art in Sports' Erik is passionate about his fitness and 'likes to push himself like a professional athlete'. 'I don't take days off. When I do it's because I'm filming or shooting,' he said. And the pay-off is certainly worth it, with a lot of Erik's campaigns involving shirtless shots or swimwear-clad photos. 'I just enjoy going to the gym and doing my thing. I normally don't eat before exercising so I try to get my workout done first thing in the morning or before work,' he said. Erik (left) is a big believer in clean eating and ensures he works out most days (Brad Pitt pictured right) For those who might be wondering if the handsome man is single, he has been in a long term relationship with his girlfriend for more than three years As for his day on a plate Erik keeps things simple and clean. 'I've been eating clean and healthy food since I was very young and I don't feel any pressure or need to eat junk food,' he said. 'But I'm always keen to try something new. My favourite food is seafood and different kinds of salads, which I eat daily, but I try to mix it up and get some diverse food. It's all about balance.' For those who might be wondering if the handsome man is single, he has been in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend for more than three years. 'My girlfriend has given me more than anybody else,' he told Star Central magazine. You can find more photos of Erik over on his The Right Fit profile. Bunnings Australia is selling a 17 pack of storage containers for $6.98 and thrifty mothers are loving the low price, high quality boxes. The containers are selling out fast at the warehouse stores as more savvy shoppers race to get their hands on the Australian-made products. 'Not a markdown but an amazing find at an incredible price I could not wait to share,' one woman wrote in a budgeting group on Facebook. Bunnings are selling a 17 pack of storage containers for $6.98 and thrifty mothers are loving the low price, high quality boxes 'Seventeen storage containers for $6.98 at Bunnings. That works out to be roughly 40c per container.' The woman even filled a container with water and tipped it upside down to showcase how tight the lids are. 'They are also dishwasher, freezer and microwave safe,' she said. The woman even filled a container with water and tipped it upside down to showcase how tight the lids are In a similar post a woman showcased a before and after of her pantry, using the containers to separate her spices, flour and noodles, as well as chocolate and lollies. While she did say there wasn't a container large enough to house pasta, spaghetti in particular, the vast majority of plastic boxes fit her essentials. Another lady tried the pantry clean out and was ecstatic to find she could clear an entire shelf using the Bunnings goodies. In a similar post a woman showcased a before and after of her pantry, using the containers to separate her spices, flour and noodles, as well as chocolate and lollies Another lady tried the pantry clean out and was ecstatic to find she could clear an entire shelf using the Bunnings goodies While Coles and Woolworths are currently selling Sistema plastic containers at a marked down price, they are still more expensive than the Bunnings variety. 'I think a trip to the local hardware store is in order,' one woman wrote on a post about the prized products. 'These are the best ones I've ever used,' another commented. A third person said that some of the lids weren't as tight as they would have liked it to be, but others encouraged her to head back in store to get them exchanged. Travellers are going wild for a Balinese Mini Mart that hides an incredible secret Speakeasy bar. The Black Cat Mini Mart bar, which is located next to Pretty Poison in Canggu, Bali, is hidden behind a fridge labelled 'Broken' in the mini mart. A video that surfaced online this week shows someone discovering the bar for the first time. Scroll down for video Travellers are going wild for a Balinese Mini Mart that hides an incredible secret Speakeasy bar (pictured: the Mini Mart and the fridge where the bar is located behind) The Black Cat Mini Mart bar (pictured), which is located next to Pretty Poison in Canggu, Bali, is hidden behind a fridge labelled 'Broken' in the mini mart 'Hidden Bar inside the fridge in mini mart [sic],' the traveller wrote on Facebook. 'I love Canggu - Bali hahahahaha.' The video quickly racked up thousands of views and hundreds of comments, with some saying: 'That is awesome!' 'Only in Bali, hey,' another posted. 'Hidden Bar inside the fridge in mini mart [sic],' the traveller wrote on Facebook (pictured: the Mini Mart) - 'I love Canggu - Bali hahahahaha' Once you open the Mini Mart's fridge door, you will be instantly greeted with a chic bar set up - complete with neon lighting, a pool table and stylish booths for sipping cocktails (pictured) Once you open the Mini Mart's fridge door, you will be instantly greeted with a chic bar set up - complete with neon lighting, a pool table and stylish booths for sipping cocktails. Like the best secret bars, this bar-in-a-mart doesn't have much in the way of front door signage. Instead, you just need to make your way into the Mini Mart, head for the 'Broken' fridge and pull open the door. Like the best secret bars, this bar-in-a-mart doesn't have much in the way of front door signage - instead you just follow your way through the 'Broken' fridge door In the past, the bar has hosted all sorts of events - from daytime parties to evening raves - all with a hip soundtrack playing in the background. Visitors say the bar is popular with 'Canggu's fashionable crowd', and also offers cheap drinks as well as tasty snacks. 'This is possibly my favourite bar in the world,' one person posted. 'Omg we must check every fridge in servos,' another added. A size six Border Force student was stunned when she went into labour during riot training - as she had no idea she was even pregnant. Beth Martin, 18, from St Anne's, Blackpool, was training to become part of the UK's Border Force, and undertaking extreme physical activity such as army and police riot training up to only an hour before she entered labour. Known as a 'cryptic pregnancy', Beth's baby Maizie, now seven-months-old, had grown behind her mother's ribs, showing no physical bump - and had even failed to show up on two pregnancy tests. 'By the time I got to the hospital I was in so much pain,' explained Beth. 'A nurse told me straight away I looked pregnant - and then I discovered I've been in labour for 69 hours.' Scroll down for video Beth Martin (pictured middle), 18, from St Anne's, Blackpool was stunned when she went into labour during riot training as she had no idea she was even pregnant. Pictured with her friends on a night out during her pregnancy The mother-of-one maintained a slim size six throughout the pregnancy and had no idea that she was about to become a mum. Pictured with baby Maizie Throughout her pregnancy, Beth was doing a course into uniformed public services and had her heart set on becoming part of Border Force. Pictured, Beth training at border force Staying the same size for the entire duration of her pregnancy, Beth had put tiredness down to her intensive training. And when she finally went into labour, she put contraction pains down to a severe case of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 'I'd taken a pregnancy tests two months before Maizie was born in October, 2018,' said the mother-of-one. 'Someone at work had said I looked pregnant and I remember thinking how rude she was. Beth thought she was suffering from a severe case of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - not realising she was actually experiencing contractions. Pictured with baby Maizie Known as a cryptic pregnancy, Beth's baby Maizie (pictured), now seven-months-old, had grown behind her ribs, showing no physical bump, and didn't show up on tests Beth stayed the same size for the entire duration of her pregnancy while pregnant with Maizie (pictured), and put the tiredness down to her intensive training The teen had taken multiple pregnancy tests that had all come back negative, but she couldn't help but notice she had gained a small amount of weight, and became breathless easily. Pictured, with baby Maizie She added: 'I was doing a course into uniformed public services and had my heart set on becoming part of Border Force. 'My education was sport-based, about 70 hours a week of intense physical activity. 'The week before I'd had Maizie, I was doing riot police force training, where I had horses chasing me - it seemed surreal.' Yet despite Beth taking multiple pregnancy tests that had all come back negative, she couldn't help but notice she had gained a small amount of weight, and became breathless easily. What is a cryptic pregnancy? A cryptic or stealth pregnancy is a pregnancy that has gone undetected by conventional methods, such as taking a urine test. Around one in 2,500 births is a 'cryptic birth', which accounts for 300 babies in the UK every year. Even if you do a pregnancy dress, levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (HGC) in the urine may be so low as to be undetectable. This can be caused by conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, fluctuating hormone levels after another pregnancy, low body fat, stress or contraception. Spotting and bleeding could be mistaken for periods, while women whose periods are irregular may find a pregnancy harder to detect. Women who have a cryptic pregnancy may put other symptoms such as the baby moving in the womb down to bloating or gas. The position of the baby may account for the lack of a baby bump, if it's being carried close to the spine. Even an ultrasound can fail to detect a baby if the uterus is tilted, or scar tissue is present. Advertisement After getting stabbing pains in her abdomen after training at college, Beth rang NHS 111 for advice - and after realising she was spotting, the call handler quickly realised the teen was in labour, sending her straight to A+E. Little Maizie Loraine Martin was born after 76 hours of labour, three hours of pushing and less than 24 hours of preparation for Beth, weighing 7lbs 5oz. 'I had seven hours to prepare for the fact I was about to become a mum,' Beth explained. 'My two older brothers - Leo, 22 and Liam 24, both thought I was playing a prank.' Speaking of the week before having her surprise baby Maizie (pictured), Beth said: 'I was doing riot police force training, where I had horses chasing me - it seemed surreal' Little Maizie (pictured) was born after 76 hours of labour, three hours of pushing and less than 24 hours of preparation for Beth, weighing 7lbs 5oz When Beth went into labour, her two older brothers - Leo, 22 and Liam 24, both thought she was playing a prank. Pictured, Beth with her daughter, Maizie Beth was experiencing stabbing pains in her abdomen after training at college, and rang NHS 111 for advice - where the call handler quickly realised the teen was in labour, sending her straight to A+E. Pictured, Beth training at border force The teen went back to college in September to complete her course and back to work after just three months off on maternity leave. Pictured: baby Maizie, now seven-months-old She continued: 'I'd never wanted to have kids but now I can't imagine my life without her. 'My dad was so happy, and my mum came after, shaking her head - we were all in shock. Yet I've absolutely loved becoming a mum - Maizie is the best thing in my life. 'I went back to college in September to complete my course and back to work after just thee months off on maternity leave. I wanted to show people what else I can achieve - and I'm prepared for anything.' Beth admitted she wasn't the only one surprised by the arrival. She explained: 'My dad was so happy, and my mum came after, shaking her head - we were all in shock' Speaking of her quick journey into motherhood, Beth explained: 'I had seven hours to prepare for the fact I was about to become a mum.' Pictured, Beth, 18, with surprise baby Maizie A mother-of-two has poked fun at the 'upside-down' bikini trend made famous by an Italian model by constructing her own - out of a bin bag. Blogger Laura Belbin, from Hampshire, who goes by the name Knee Deep in Life, joked she was 'smuggling binbag' up her bottom every time she swallowed while wearing the skimpy creation. The bizarre trend, which involves tying a string bikini around your breasts, was first paraded by 27-year-old model and blogger Valentina Fradegrada. The stunner shared a snap of herself modelling a black PVC number in Nevada last month, seductively pulling at the side of her bottoms with her thumb. Blogger Laura Belbin, from Hampshire, who goes by the name Knee Deep in Life, joked she was 'smuggling binbag' up her bottom every time she swallowed while wearing the skimpy creation Posing with her hands behind her back with a strained facial expression, Laura presented her own take on the swimwear - with a couple of choice emojis to cover her modesty. She captioned her image, shared to her Instagram page: 'Google goals - tan lines.' Laura then ranted: 'When you want to focus on keeping the tan even, but you've had two kids and you've hit your 30s hard so your t**s look a lot like spaniels ears with saucepan areolas that sat on the hob for 40 minutes. 'I was smuggling binbag up my crack as I swallowed. I had every intention of smiling but turns out clenching and looking sexy isn't as easy as it looks. The bizarre 'upside-down bikini' trend, which involves tying string swimwear around your breasts, was first paraded by 27-year-old model and blogger Valentina Fradegrada, pictured 'When I asked Steve to take another photo he said, "I need a s***, just use that photo...".' Laura's post, uploaded yesterday, has amassed more than 7,000 likes and attracted dozens of comments - most of which praise her for 'not taking life too seriously'. One fan wrote: 'This woman is a legend,' while another commented: 'You're so funny.... literally I've laughed so hard I swear a small amount of "wee" exited my body.' Another posted: 'That's gold!!! You never ever fail hun, I love it. Thanks again for always making me smile and laugh with you.' 'Just been showing my hubby your vids and he thinks you're hilarious I do too. Thanks for being so funny and not taking life so seriously, we need more people like you,' praised another. Earlier this month, the mum shared another amusing mock-up of her imitating a blonde model in lingerie baking a cake, with the caption: 'When you thought you'd be the hot mum with the banging bod that all the playground dads fancied, but turns out you're the Mum who likes to say f*** a lot and doesn't always change her pants with a natural resistance to any form of physical activity.' Earlier this month, Laura shared her own version of a shot featuring a blonde model in lingerie baking a cake Laura, who has 113,000 followers on Instagram, rose to prominence as a blogger after sharing a hilarious video of her trying to squeeze into control pants she ordered online. She posted the clip to Facebook, joking she was 'mega excited' because she was going to 'have the stomach of Jennifer Lopez' - but things went very wrong when she got the underwear stuck on her stomach, leaving her yelping in pain - and at one point even calling to her children for help. When posting the video, Laura commented: 'When you believe you've just stumbled across the future, but actually all you've done is given yourself hemorrhoids from straining so hard to get the f***** off. I s*** you not, sweat pouring. My poor vagina bellybutton. Laura struggled trying to get the control pants on, hopping, skipping and jumping as she tried to pull it up and over her stomach. At one stage, she joked that models and social media personalities made it look easy to put on 'Don't believe everything you see on Facebook. It's a lie. F*** you Ebay.' She went on to won the hearts of thousands in January after she posted a hilarious photo of herself mocking a bikini advert for some risque bikini briefs. In the photo, she can be seen pulling a face with emojis covering her private parts and a Superman belt taking the place of the briefs. She shared the photo with the following caption: 'Google goals. F**** flossing. Homeland star David Harewood says filming a new documentary about being sectioned at the age of 23 was 'incredibly stressful' and is the closest he's come to having another breakdown. His BBC Two show, David Harewood: Psychosis And Me, airs on Thursday this week as part of a series of programmes focusing on mental health. Exploring the triggers for his psychotic episode, the British actor, 53, has revealed that he thinks an 'identity crisis' was a major contributing factor to the extreme decline in his mental health. Speaking to the Telegraph, father-of-two Harewood said his experiences as a young drama student had left him unprepared for real life. He explains: 'I was fairly well spoken after RADA, so I wasn't black enough for the black crowd, and a bit of a novelty as a Shakespearean black actor, so my identity was under a lot of pressure.' Scroll down for video Homeland star David Harewood says filming a new documentary for the BBC saw him explore the reasons behind a psychotic episode 30 years ago that saw him sectioned while working as a young actor in London The father-of-two who hasn't suffered a similar episode since says his identity was under pressure as a 23-year-old fresh out of drama school because he spoke well and 'wasn't black enough for the black crowd' This morning, he told Zoe Ball on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show that re-visiting his psychotic episode - which saw him believing that Martin Luther King was talking to him - is the closest he's been to having another breakdown. He explained: 'Apart from making this documentary, I've never been close to having another breakdown. 'I did find making the show incredibly stressful because while at the same time we're covering these memories, I'm doing my jaunty best to be a BBC presenter and talk to all these people. Harewood, who played a CIA boss in the US TV hit Homeland and spoke out about his experiences publicly for the first time in 2017, continued: 'At the same time I'm dealing with my own stuff and it was very stressful for me to do - it was about as close as I'd come but no, having had the experience I got through the other end.' The actor told the radio presenter: '15 per cent of people who have severe psychosis never need any more medication and never have another bout of it...I guess I fall into that 15 per cent.' Speaking out during Mental Health Awareness Week, he told the Press Association earlier this month: 'I want to instil this idea that it is no barrier to future success, you're not on the scrapheap of life because you've got depression or anxiety. 'It doesn't make you any less, it doesn't make you a bad person or damaged goods. 'If anything, it gives you a level of insight that people who have never had that condition will never experience.' In the documentary, Birmingham-born Harewood visits the friends who first took him to hospital whilst filming the one-off documentary and is visibly upset on-screen as he shares his story. 'I wasn't initially (upset), because I'd forgotten about it I'd buried it,' he said. 'You'll see in the film, there's a moment where I suddenly f**king remember and it was really upsetting. 'There was a moment during the filming where I was terrified because I suddenly realise I'd buried the pain, the trauma, of my breakdown, but remembered all the mania and the fun and some of the more exciting and entertaining moments. 'But the pain and the upset and the disturbance that I'd experienced, as we do as humans, we just bury it. 'And it was only when I suddenly remembered that, but now I've got my head around it.' At one point, he believed that Martin Luther King was talking to him 'from beyond the grave'. 'We talked for quite some time before he gave me specific instructions about something I needed to do and it would free the world of all hunger and poverty that same night,' Harewood said. Harewood told The Telegraph that being well spoken having studied at RADA left him not sure where he fitted in when he struck out on his own The star who only began speaking out fully about his breakdown in 2017 says he hopes talking about mental health will help others reach out for the help they need The documentary is part of a series which also covers anxiety and depression, featuring famed baker Nadiya Hussain and Tony Blair's former spin doctor Alastair Campbell. The Blood Diamond and Supergirl actor added that he hopes that the documentary will change the public perception of psychosis. He said: 'I'm hoping that what people will begin to recognise is that person is disturbed and going through something. 'When I was in the middle of my breakdown, I was arrested at one point and locked in a cell, and taken to court. 'I only remember vague memories but I was clearly not well and I walked out of the court and this lady came up to me, I don't know who she was, she stopped me and asked if I was okay. 'And I said, "I don't know who I am" and she could clearly see I was unwell, so she went into her purse and got out ten quid and flagged a cab down. 'Just to reach out and say, "are you feeling okay?", rather than us all looking at our phones. 'Clearly there's a spectrum but I'd say 90 per cent of people experiencing mental health issues are harmless and what they need is help, guidance and support rather than being banged up in a cell.' David Harewood: Psychosis And Me airs at 9pm on Thursday May 16th on BBC Two Anna Wintour's daughter, Bee Shaffer Carrozzini, has shared an adorable tribute to her mom for Mother's Day. The 31-year-old daughter of 69-year-old Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna, posted two photographs of she and her mother to Instagram on Sunday, May 12. The candid images were taken when Anna, a mother-of-two, was younger and Bee, who recently married Italian director and photographer Francesco Carrozzini, was a young child. Cute! Anna Wintour's daughter, Bee Shaffer Carrozzini, shared two adorable photos of she and her mom for Mother's Day, one of which showed Anna holding Bee when she was a baby Adorable! The second image shows Bee, 31, sitting on a counter top while the Vogue editor-in-chief, 69, holds her and smiles adoringly at her The first image shows Anna, a mother to both Bee and her son, Charles Shaffer, sitting on a couch holding Bee, when Bee was a baby, surrounded by newspapers, books and children's toys. Meanwhile, the second image sees Bee sitting on what looks like a counter top in a kitchen while Anna holds onto her and smiles adoringly at her daughter. Sweet: Many fans of the fashion icon said they couldn't believe how 'maternal' Anna, seen with Bee in March, looked in the images. Others thought it was strange to see Anna without a pair of sunglasses, which she is typically seen wearing In both photos, which Bee captioned with a simple love heart emoji, Anna can be seen sporting her iconic bob-hairstyle. Many of Bee's 140,000 followers dubbed the photographs 'adorable' and 'sweet'. Meanwhile, others said they were so surprised to see the fashion icon looking 'maternal', as one user wrote: 'Such cute pics! Hard to imagine her being so maternal!' Another user said: 'Whatever supernatural element she has in her, she's still a mother and yours.' Others noticed difference in Anna and Bee's appearance, as some Instagram users said they couldn't believe Bee once had blonde hair. Some others said it felt strange to see Anna without her sunglasses, which the fashion mogul is often seen wearing nowadays. One user wrote: 'Omg Anna without her glasses, that's pure gold!' The candid images Bee, who works in Broadway theater production, shared of her mother are a far cry from her glamorous appearance at the Met Gala, which took place on Monday, May 6. Chic! The candid images Bee shared on Instagram show the pair, pictured at the Met Gala last week, in a more candid and natural setting than they are typically seen in nowadays Stunning! The pair accompanied each other to the event, to which Bee (L) wore a sleek black suit with a large red rose, while Anna (R) wore a floral beaded gown and a pink feather cape Anna, who has been co-chair of the iconic event since 1995 - except in 1996 and 1998 - turned heads as she walked the red carpet in a floral beaded gown by Chanel. Sticking to the Camp: Notes on Fashion theme, she also wore a flamingo-inspired pink feather cape, which she said features 'millions' of feathers. To complete the sophisticated look, she wore a diamond necklace. Meanwhile, her hair was styled in her typical bob hairstyle, and her makeup was complete with slick of black eyeliner, rose colored blush and a baby pink lip color. Bee, on the other hand, interpreted the camp theme, which was inspired by Susan Sontag's 1964 essay 'Notes on "Camp', differently. The 31-year-old wore a sleek black suit adorned with a large red satin rose and matching train. Bee completed her chic look with a silver jeweled pendant and a pair of diamon drop earrings. For her makeup, she wore a berry-red lip color with dark black eyeliner. The 31-year-old styled her long dark hair in a deep side parting with a braid that trailed down her back. Bee took turns posing with her mother and her husband, Francesco Carrozzini, as she walked the red carpet at the event. Lovers: The 31-year-old was also seen posing with husband Francesco Carrozzini, who wore a gray double-breasted suit with a black bow-tie, who she married last summer Newlyweds: Francesco, who is the son of late Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani, tied the knot with Bee in two separate weddings - one in Long Island and one in Portofino, Italy Francesco, who is the son of late Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani, looked dapper in a gray double-breasted suit, which he paired with a black bow-tie. The happy couple tied the knot last summer in two separate weddings. The first of the two ceremonies took place in July in Long Island at in an intimate celebration at Anna's house in Mastic. Later that month, the loved-up couple flew to Portofino, Italy to celebrate their marriage once again. Francesco and Bee announced their engagement in March 2017, however prior to their engagement announcement, they had kept their relationship mostly off the radar. They were first rumored to be dating in October 2016, when they attended a screening of Francesco's documentary about his mother, who served at the helm of Vogue Italia until her death in 2016, together. A mother-of-four has revealed how she led police to the discovery of a murder victim after her ex-partner confessed to the killing in a desperate phone call. Julie Carroll, 37, from Mansfield, was sat waiting for an appointment with her GP when old flame Michael Carroll contacted her out of the blue. Foster, 39, told her his 'life was over' following the death of girlfriend Paula Harris, 44, and he planned to 'clean up' the crime scene before reporting her missing. But after Julie intervened, police discovered the body of Paula bundled in a duvet at her flat in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire in January last year. He's now serving a life sentence after being convicted of Paula's murder. Julie Carroll's tumultous relationship with Michael Foster bore a baby son before the couple split when he was three years old Julie - who had a two-year relationship with Foster in the late 90s - said: 'It's the least I could do. Poor Paula deserved so much better.' Julie met Foster, two years her senior, in a pub after leaving home at 16, and said he was 'forever in trouble with the law', and ended up moving in with her when he lost his own flat. She said: 'I was a naive goody-two-shoes, and his brushes with the police made him seem exciting and edgy. With his feet under the table, he came and went as he pleased. She went on: 'Sometimes he'd stay out for days at a time, and when he came home we argued bitterly.' Julie fell pregnant with their son just before turning 18. When the child was born, she returned from hospital to discover police searching the flat she shared with Foster, who had been arrested for burglary. She struggled to raise their son alone while Foster served a prison sentence. Foster later phoned Julia to let her know his current girlfriend Paula Harris, was dead. She was found in her own flat strangled and wrapped in a blood-stained duvet 'It wasn't easy,' Julie recalls. 'And when Michael was released from prison, he was worse than useless. 'One night, he came home drunk - again - and I snapped, demanding to know where he'd been. She went on: 'The next thing I knew, his hands were round my neck and he had me pinned to the floor. 'I felt myself slipping away, and begged him to think of our son. Suddenly, he let go and I gasped for breath. Michael put his face in his hands and sobbed that he was sorry - he'd blanked out. 'But it was a hollow apology and it made me realise how toxic our relationship had become.' The pair split when their son was around three years old and Julie focused on starting afresh. She said she was happy, and her life revolved around her children, revealing: 'I found work, and eventually met someone new. 'We had three children together - twin daughters, 11 now, and a son, 9, but later split up when the girls were about four. 'I had a home, a car, money to pay for holidays, and the kids never went short of anything.' Michael Foster, pictured here with Paula Harris, who he was found guilty of murdering. Her body was found with the help of Julie Carroll Julie explained that - despite years of separation - Foster still carried a torch for her and tried to woo her back with pleading text messages. She said: 'I'd see Michael in town occasionally to say hello to, or share the odd drink with. As far as I was concerned, whatever we'd had together was well and truly in the past, but it didn't stop Michael trying. Julie, who has a son with Foster, thought he was playing a prank at first, but later arranged for a resident to visit Paula's flat 'He'd text me saying: You were always the one, Julie. Remember those times we had together? 'The trouble was, I did remember, all too well. I told him bluntly it was never going to happen. I'd moved on.' In 2016, Foster messaged Julie to announce he had met someone new - Paula Harris. 'I told him I was really happy for him,' said Julie. 'But he replied that he'd drop her like a stone for me. 'I told him - for the umpteenth time - that I'd moved on. I was seeing someone, and very happy. Michael was just the father of my eldest child, nothing more.' Julie had little contact with Foster over the next 18 months, but he messaged her in January last year begging her to meet up. 'He sounded desperate,' she recalls. 'I was sat in the doctor's waiting room when I got the text and I said I could meet him in half an hour. 'He begged me not to speak to anyone else and when I asked what had happened he replied: She's dead. Please, please don't say anything. I don't know what to do. Delete my text. Foster bombarded Julie with phone calls for years to try to get her attention. When he first confessed to her that Paula was dead, she called him 'an idiot' and hung up on him 'We arranged to meet at a pub in Mansfield, but when I got out of the doctor's I called Michael straight away and asked what was going on. 'He said: 'It's Paula. She's dead. My life's gone'. I honestly thought it was a wind up, or a bizarre plan to try and get back with me.' 'I played along and asked him what he was going to do next and Michael said he was going to go back to the flat, clean up, and report Paula missing in a couple of days. 'I told him he was an idiot for playing such a sick joke on me, and hung up.' Julie headed to the supermarket, but her conversation with Foster played on her mind as she pushed a trolley around the aisles. He shared a chillingly prophetic Facebook post in 2016, years before he murdered partner Paula Harris She confided in her mother, who agreed she should ignore Foster, but she later visited her sister, Claire, to discuss Foster's worrying call. She said: 'I couldn't get the conversation out of my head. I was starting to worry - what if he really was telling the truth? 'Claire had an idea and texted Michael from my phone asking why he would pull such mean stunt. 'He texted back to apologise and admitted it was stupid. Then we asked him to put Paula on video call so we could see she was OK. As police found Paula's body, Foster went on the run. Police caught him two days later, and he was sentenced to life in prison in September 2018 'He claimed he was out and about and would get Paula to call when he got home. But we weren't convinced. It just wasn't adding up.' Foster had a flat in the same block as Paula. Julie and her sister arranged for a relative to visit the home to check on her - but the flat was in darkness. They contacted Paula's landlord, who revealed he had spent the week decorating properties in the block, but had been unable to gain access to her flat. Julie said: 'He thought the locks had been changed. We told him about the weird texts from Michael saying Paula was dead, and he agreed to call the police.' She explained officers called her minutes later and asked her to attend Mansfield Police Station to give a statement. How Michael Foster was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend Paula Harris Michael Foster, 39, formerly of St Johns Place, Mansfield, was handed a life sentence, after being convicted of murdering 44-year-old Paula Harris on 29 January 2018. He had denied a murder charge but pleaded guilty to manslaughter. A jury unanimously found Foster guilty at Nottingham Crown Court after a four day trial in September 2018. Police said the day after Foster killed Miss Harris, he told a neighbour when leaving the flat 'she's still asleep'. That same morning Foster texted Julie Carroll saying Miss Harris was dead and he was 'going to go back and clean up, then move her body and report her missing in a couple of days'. It was after Julie and her sister contacted Paula's landlord that her body was found. Julie gave evidence at the trial Advertisement She was informed on arrival that police had found a body, but had yet to confirm the victim's identity. Meanwhile, Foster was on the run and the subject of a man hunt. 'They wanted to know everything about my relationship with Michael, and I promised to inform them if he contacted me,' Julie recalls. Paula Harris was identified two days later and Foster was arrested on February 1st last year. He denied a murder charge but pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Julie gave evidence at Foster's trial, at Nottingham Crown Court, in September last year. The court heard Paula had been found in her own flat, strangled, and wrapped in a blood-stained duvet. Foster tried to claim it had just been an argument that got out of hand. He was found guilty of murder after a four day-trial and jailed for life, with a minimum of 16 years. Julie said: 'I can't imagine what Michael thought I was going to do when he texted me that day. Help him cover up a murder? I don't think so. 'My time with Michael was marred by abuse. I had a lucky escape, poor Paula wasn't so fortunate and my heart goes out to her and her family.' Margaret Thatcher's personal possessions, including the ring she wore on her first day as Prime Minister, have fetched more than 1 million in an online auction. Auction house Christie's, based in London, held the sale to mark the 40th anniversary of her election as the UK's first female Prime Minister. The auction comprised of 192 lots with items from Mrs Thatcher's time in office, as well as personal belongings, such as clothes, handbags and her 'uniform' jewellery - pieces she wore at the height of her career. The total fetched by the auction, which was open between 2 and 8 May, was an incredible 1,087,750. A sale of Margaret Thatcher's possessions raised over 1 million, and included her amethyst ring and gold bracelet, both worn in this picture from 1995 Margaret Thatcher's 18-carat gold and amethyst ring, famously worn on her first day as Prime Minister, sold for a remarkable 27,500 The sale, entitled Mrs Thatcher, Part III, is the third of its kind for the former prime minister's belongings. The 192 items went under the hammer on behalf of beneficiaries of Baroness Thatcher's estate (not including Sir Mark Thatcher and his children) with some items sold on behalf of a charity. While Christie's estimated the items would sell for between 100 to 15,000, many reached well above that. The lots featured almost everything from costume jewellery to diamond encrusted pens. Another piece of her jewellery that went under the hammer was a hardstone-mounted gold bracelet with colourful cabochon gemstones, which had an estimated sale price of 2,000 to 3,000. It sold for 40,000. A gift from her husband Denis, it was worn by Mrs Thatcher during her meeting with Nelson Mandela in 1990 The star lot was an 18 carat gold and amethyst ring given to Thatcher by her husband Denis, which she wore every day. Most notably, the former politician donned the jewellery as she entered 10 Downing Street on May 4 1979 to become the UK's first female Prime Minister. The ring, which was said to be one of her favourite pieces, was originally estimated to fetch between 1,200 and 1,800. It ended up reaching 27,500. A bracelet that the politician wore to meet Nelson Mandela in 1990 sold for 40,000 in one of many competitive bidding wars, well over it's asking price of 2,500. A Victorian silver snuff box belonging to the former politician and engraved with the initials 'PM' sold for 3,500 One of the evening suits - the blue outfit worn at a dinner to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 - sold for 6,875 A Victorian silver snuff box belonging to the former politician and engraved with initials 'PM' sold for 3,500. Another high-priced jewellery piece was a circular-cut sapphire, rose-cut diamond, and cultured pearl necklace, which ended up fetching 15,000, well above it's estimate of between 1,200 and 1,800. A diamond-set gilt Cartier pen in it's box sold for 16,0000 at the auction, which raised over 1 million Other items included two evening suits - one of which was the blue outfit worn at a dinner to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 - as well as a diamond-set gilt Cartier pen in its box, Mrs Thatcher's House of Commons desk blotter and one of her signature handbags by Asprey with a lizard exterior. Previous sales in 2015 saw her items sell for a total of 4.5 million. Adrian Hume-Sayer, director and specialist of private collections, told The Telegraph: 'We are thrilled with this strong result which concludes the series of three successful sales held at Christie's following Mrs Thatcher's death in 2013. The result of Part III illustrates the enduring interest in the United Kingdom's longest serving 20th Century Prime Minister.' Rosario Dawson has been spotted wearing a large gold ring on her engagement finger, just days after she celebrated her 40th birthday. The actress, who celebrated her birthday over the weekend, appeared at NBC's Upfront media event on Monday, May 13. Rosario, who has openly been dating Democratic 2020 hopeful Cory Booker, 50, since March this year, looked radiant as she spoke at the event after spending her birthday weekend lapping up the sun. Interesting! Rosario Dawson was seen wearing a large gold ring on her engagement finger as she spoke at the NBC's Upfront media event on Monday, May 13 Gorgeous: The actress looked radiant as she spoke at the event wearing a blue suit and a number of gold accessories, including a similar ring on her right hand Glamorous: The 40-year-old was beaming as she spoke on stage just a few days after she posted a video that showed her lapping up the sun as she relaxed over the weekend Proposal? The ring might prompt rumors that Rosario, who has openly been dating Democratic 2020 hopeful Cory Booker (L), 50, since March, could have received it as a gift from him And as she held a microphone in one hand, she displayed a large gold ring on her engagement finger, and it seems she was more than happy to show it off to those in attendance. A source who was at the event told DailyMail.com: 'She was flashing it from the stage. You couldnt miss it. Celebrations: The sighting of the ring (pictured) comes just days after Rosario turned 40 on Thursday, May 9 'People were whispering that she mustve made Cory an honest man.' DailyMail.com has reached out to Rosario's spokesperson for comment. The actress sported a blue suit over a crisp-white shirt as she spoke on stage at the event on Monday morning. Rosario, who turned 40 last Thursday, looked glowing with a sun-tan after spending her the weekend lapping up the sun. She shared a video of her birthday celebrations on Saturday, May 11, which saw her posing topless while sunbathing, to Instagram last Thursday. She captioned the video: 'Here's lookin' at you 4D #BlissMore' The video kicked off with a close up of Rosario showcasing her glowing complexion as she stared directly into the camera. What was even more apparent was the big beaming smile on her face and the gorgeous sunny blue skies and palm trees in the background. Stunning: The actress appeared at the NBC event just two days after she shared a video of herself basking in the sunshine as she posed topless Showing off: In the video, the 40-year-old was seen staring into the camera, showing off her glowing complexion, before she turned around and displayed her bare back Loved-up: Cory, a Democratic 2020 hopeful, has previously opened up about his relationship with Rosario, explaining that he feels 'very lucky' to be in a relationship with her The Sin City star slowly turns around with her right arm covering her breasts to reveal the back of her toned upper-body. By the end of the quick clip, she used both hands to brush back her long and flowing dark locks behind her shoulders. Her boyfriend, Democratic 2020 hopeful Cory Booker, was in North Carolina on Saturday for a campaign event and not with the actress. However, despite his absence on his girlfriend's birthday weekend, the pair have previously opened up about their relationship. Speaking just one week after the pair went public with their relationship in March, Cory said Rosario would make an 'incredible' First Lady. As he left NBC's offices in New York, he was asked by the paparazzi about his girlfriend. Responding to them, Cory said she is 'one of the most amazing people in my life' and that 'the future is bright'. He said: 'I think she would make an incredible, incredible First Lady. Think about this - the first Latina First Lady. She is a First Lady. 'She is love knowledgeable, she loves people, she's justice knowledgeable, she's been fighting for justice her whole life. 'I think what helped me fall in love with her is that she's just such a good human being. She's such a decent soul. She has this capacity for warmth and goodness. The way she makes herself vulnerable and finds a strength in that,' he added. 'No matter what happens in the future she's always going to be about serving people and that's what makes her special.' Cory also gushed about his 'incredible' girlfriend when he was speaking at a CNN town hall in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He revealed that the pair met for the first time at a political fundraiser for former NAACP leader Ben Jealous. Hopeful: Cory, pictured with actor Taylor Trensch and Rosario in January, previously said both himself and his mother are 'hopeful' for the relationship Lovers: Speaking to Ellen DeGeneres in March, Ellen joked that he and Rosario should wait until after the election to get married if they intend to, and Cory did not recoil at the suggestion 'I was trying to help him out, but she didn't give me the time of day,' he said of the actress. 'So we met again, and I had one of those really awkward experiences,' he added. Cory explained that he felt nervous when he had to walk up to her and get her number. He explained: 'I'm a United States senator, and I had to get up the courage to walk up to her and ask her for her phone number. And this doesn't make me nervous, but that made me nervous. Grateful: Cory also said that Rosario is 'an incredible human being' who has taught him to 'love more fearlessly' 'She gave me the phone number,' he added. Cory also gushed about her at the appearance, saying, 'I'm very lucky to be in a relationship with someone who is just so incredibly special, but more importantly has taught me so much in a very short period of time.' The presidential hopeful even hinted that things are getting serious between them, and that he is 'hopeful' for their relationship. According to the Baltimore Sun, he said: 'I have an incredible girlfriend. 'She is just simply amazing and I am hopeful, as is my mother,' he added. The pair had been rumored to be seeing each other for some time, but only confirmed that they are dating this month. Cory also spoke about their romance when he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in March, when he said Rosario is 'an incredible human being' who has taught him to 'love more fearlessly'. During the interview, Ellen joked that he and Rosario should wait until after the election to get married if they intend to, and Cory did not recoil at the suggestion. He said: 'You're saying if Rosario and I get there, wait. Don't do the marriage before? In January 2021? 'Would you help preside over the wedding? Is that a promise?' he added, before he shook Ellen's hand. The Duke of Sussex is to stage his annual fundraising Sentebale Polo Cup in Rome this year. Prince Harry, 34, will play on the Sentebale St Regis team captained by Sentebale Ambassador Nacho Figueras, against a US Polo Assn team that will be captained by Malcolm Borwick. The charity match, hosted by the Roma Polo Club on May 24th, will help raise funds and awareness for Sentebale, which Harry supports as patron. Sentebale was founded by the duke and Lesothos Prince Seeiso in 2006 to help the most vulnerable children and young people in southern Africa get the support they need to lead healthy and productive lives. Prince Harry, 34, will play on the Sentebale St Regis team captained by Sentebale Ambassador Nacho Figueras, against a US Polo Assn team that will be captained by Malcolm Borwick The charity match, hosted by the Roma Polo Club on May 24th, will help raise funds and awareness for Sentebale, which Harry supports as patron He'll be travelling to Rome just weeks after his wife the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to their first son Archie Harrison. Last year the match took place in Berkshire where Meghan made a surprise appearance at the fixture to cheer on her husband from the royal box and watched him scored two goals as the team ran out 5-4 winners. The Duchess of Sussex also has presented the winning trophy to her husbands victorious team and gave him a rare public kiss. Looking stylish in an outfit by Carolina Herrera the duchess took to a stage for the presentation ceremony with fellow guest Enda Kenny, Irelands former Taoiseach. Last year the match took place in Berkshire where Meghan made a surprise appearance at the fixture to cheer on her husband from the royal box and watched him scored two goals as the team ran out 5-4 winners The sporting fixture has become an important annual event raising funds and awareness for Harrys charity Sentebale, an organisation which works with children and teenagers in Lesotho and Botswana who are coming to terms with being HIV positive, have Aids or have lost their parents to the disease She gave her husband a kiss after handing the cup to his team captain and later rubbed Harrys back as the couple left the polo field, holding hands. The sporting fixture has become an important annual event raising funds and awareness for Harrys charity Sentebale, an organisation which works with children and teenagers in Lesotho and Botswana who are coming to terms with being HIV positive, have Aids or have lost their parents to the disease. In 2017 the charity match took place in Singapore - where they paid tribute to the victims of the London terrorist attack that year. Before the match began, the players and spectators observed a minute's silence in memory of the seven killed and dozens injured when pedestrians were mowed down by a van on London Bridge. Tiffany Trump celebrated the end of her second year at Georgetown Law by taking a trip to London with her boyfriend. The 25-year-old first daughter, who is earning her J.D. at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., was spotted Sunday evening out with boyfriend, Michael Boulo just days after she finished up her final exams and papers. For the evening out on the town, Tiffany wore a black sleeveless dress cinched at her waist with matching heels. Time to relax: Tiffany Trump, 25, was spotted leaving a London restaurant on Sunday evening with her boyfriend, Michael Boulo Happy to be here: The couple's vacation away from Washington D.C. comes just days after Tiffany finished up her second year at Georgetown Law Date night: For the evening out, Tiffany wore her long blonde hair straight and modeled a sleeveless black dress She kept her blonde hair pin straight for the evening out while her boyfriend wore jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt. During the date night, the pair attended Novikov Restaurant and Bar in Mayfair, London where they were then spotted exiting the restaurant. It remains unclear what else Tiffany and her boyfriend, the heir to the multi-billion-dollar Nigerian trading conglomerate Boulos Enterprises, have planned for the rest of their trip away from Washington D.C. Tiffany, who Donald's only child with his second ex-wife Marla Maples, usually spends her summer vacations traveling around the world with her mother. Last year, the two headed to England, and before she started law school in 2017, they went island hopping in Italy ahead of their final stop in Rome. But it appears she is opting for world travel now with her boyfriend of one year, whom she started dating last summer, as the relationship grows more serious. They were last spotted out publicly together when attending church on Easter Sunday with President Donald Trump and Melania Trump in Palm Beach, Florida. The Trump family took their routine vacation to Mar-a-Lago resort for the holiday weekend. Serious business: The couple has grown more serious in recent months as Tiffany brought Michael to Florida for Easter weekend in April Couple: The first daughter has been dating Michael, the heir to the multi-billion-dollar Nigerian trading conglomerate Boulos Enterprises, since last summer Time with dad: Tiffany and Michael spent some quality time with her father, President Donald Trump, and her stepmom, Melania New pal? The drip away this weekend comes after Tiffany shared multiple snaps of herself studying for finals Keeping busy: She shared a black and white photo of the two computers she was working on last Monday while going over a case study and working on an outline for a paper Recently the couple traveled to Belgrade, Serbia, during Tiffany's spring break vacation, and Michael made it a point to spoil his new girlfriend by buying her five fur coats at Serbian designer Irena Grahovac's boutique while in the city. The trip to London is significantly different from Tiffany's view last week, as she was busy finishing up her second year of law school. On Thursday, she shared a picture of herself curled up with a fluffy tan and white cat. 'My study partner,' she captioned the selfie, which was likely taken during a much-needed break from her law books. Tiffany's last day of classes took place on Monday, April, 29, and it appears as though she has been spending the past few weeks hitting the books ahead of her final exams, which officially ended this past Saturday. The busy student posted a black and white photo of the two computers she was working on last Monday. On her laptop, she had a case study and one of her papers pulled up; on the desktop screen behind it, she had her working outline for her paper on cybersecurity and technology. 'When life gets blurry adjust your focus [scale emoji] #staydetermined #law,' she captioned the dizzying image. Tiffany can now enjoy the summer vacation with her boyfriend and the rest of her family before returning to Georgetown for her final year in August. The Prince of Wales is following in his son's footsteps as he launched a charity appeal on Monday night to raise 10 million to support the rising demand from veterans' needing mental health support. Prince Charles attended the launch of the Combat Stress At Ease at St James's Palace this evening attended by veterans treated by the charity. The At Ease appeal is aiming to raise the 10 million over three years to meet the increasing demand for the charity's services, with new referrals almost doubling to 2,000 a year in the last decade. Prince William and Harry have been increasingly vocal about the importance of mental health in recent years, launching their own initiative 'Head's Together' in 2016. Prince Charles gave a speech while attending the launch of the new At Ease appeal for the veteran charity Combat Stress at St James Palace The royal greeted Secretary of State for Defence Penny Mordaunt and MP Tobias Ellwood during the reception The 'Heads Together' initiative was launched in 2016, and aims to change the national conversation on mental well being in partnership with various mental health charities. Veteran Prince Harry has long been vocal about his support for the topic, and it was recently announced he was working on a documentary with Oprah to help break the stigma. Earlier today, Prince William joined Stephen Fry and pop star Katy Perry in recording a message to emphasise the importance of talking about mental illness which interrupted regular radio programmes. It seems Prince Charles is taking a leaf out of his son's book, as he launched the new 'At Ease Appeal', which hopes to help the ever-increasing demand on veteran mental health support. Prince Charles gave a speech while at the event as he launched the appeal, which hopes to raise 10 million in the next three years Prince Charles met with Secretary of State for Defence Penny Mordaunt and MP Tobias Ellwood, while the charity's president General Sir Peter Wall watched on Prince Charles met with veterans at the event, including Dean Porter, 36, from Hemel Hempstead, who has been helped by the charity after suffering from depression Prince Charles donned a navy pinstripe suit for the event, and paired it with a smart red and blue striped tie, which matched the colours of the appeal. He met with veterans at the event, including Dean Porter, 36, from Hemel Hempstead, who has been helped by the charity after suffering from depression. The royal went on to watch a short film on the topic, before making a speech to the crowd. Prince Charles seemed enthusiastic about the cause as he spoke to veteran Davina Hockham at the event The royal smiled as he launched the appeal, which hopes to fund treatment and transform how support is delivered to veterans with mental health issues. Combat Stress, of which Charles is the patron, said the cash raised will allow it to continue to support veterans with services such as its PTSD intensive treatment programme, short-stay clinical treatment, and a free 24-hour helpline and text number. It will also use the money to launch its PTSD intensive treatment programme in the community to provide more flexible access to treatment, introduce a new video therapy programme, and expand its peer support service. The charity's president General Sir Peter Wall said the campaign will transform the lives of service men and women who have paid a 'high price' for their nation. It seems Prince Charles may have taken a leaf out of his sons' book. Prince William, 37, and Prince Harry, 34, launched Head's Together in 2016 and have both been vocal about the importance of mental health Prince Charles looked overjoyed to be attending the event this evening alongside politicians and the charity's president The Prince of Wales donned a pin stripe suit for the event, alongside a bright blue and red tie that matched the colours of the new appeal Sir Peter added: 'Please help us take this urgent step forward in veteran mental health treatment 'I hope you will join us in our mission to change the lives of those veterans and their families who so badly need our help and give your support to the At Ease appeal. 'With your support, together we can transform the lives of those who have paid a high price for serving their nation.' The royal was seen chatting to veterans who have been supported by the charity at the launch of the appeal Prince Charles was joined by Sir Peter Wall as they watched a short film by charity Combat Stress, of which the Prince of Wales is a veteran Prince Charles gave a speech at the event as he launched the appeal to raise 10 million for the charity The charity, which is in its centenary year, helps former servicemen and women deal with trauma-related mental health issues like anxiety, depression and PTSD. Research by King's College London found that the rate of post-traumatic stress disorder is nearly twice as high among veterans as the general public, the charity added. It said that almost one in five veterans who served on the frontline in Iraq and Afghanistan are predicted to get PTSD. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands appeared to be in high spirits as she arrived in Ethiopia for a two-day visit with the United Nations. The royal, 47, who is often seen in brightly coloured clothes, donned a stylish but practical ensemble as she arrived at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport today. She was seen wearing an unusually subdued outfit of black trousers with a matching blazer that had gold buttons on the front paired with flat black shoes. A beaming Maxima added a hint of colour to her outfit however with a gold patterned shirt and silver bracelets. Queen Maxima is visiting Ethiopia in her role as the UN Secretary-Generals Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). Queen Maxima, pictured, arrived at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia today for the start of a two-day visit in her role with the UN The beaming royal looked smart and stylish in a black blazer with gold buttons on today As the royal left the airport the first stop on tour was a visit to a UN office where Maxima, spoke with partners and private sector representatives. She sat on a chair, which looked like a crown with a gold embellished patterned back as she spoke and laughed with the representatives. In late 2017 Ethiopia launched a national strategy aimed at improving access to financial services for its citizens. Currently around 65 per cent of the adult population do not have access to financial services such as a bank or savings account, insurance, a loan or digital payment methods, reports the Global Findex 2017. Maxima, 47, pictured, is in Ethiopia in her role as the UN Secretary-Generals Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development which she has held since 2009 While in the country, Maxima, pictured talking to development partners today, will meet with Ethiopia's Minister of Finance and the president Sahle-Work Zewde Queen Maxima will begin her visit at the local UN office where she will speak with development partners and private sector representatives. She will also meet with Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance, Dr Getahun Mekuria, Minister of Innovation and Technology, and Dr Yinager Dessie, Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia. The mother-of-three is also scheduled to meet with the President of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde, and Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed. During her trip Queen Maxima will visit farmers to discuss a new business model that has made some of them shareholders in the Habesha beer brewery. The first stop on tour was a visit to a UN office where Maxima, pictured, spoke with partners and private sector representatives Maxima, pictured, wore a patterned top under her smart blazer and kept her hair tied back The brewery also offers them partial prefinancing for barley production in the form of seed, fertiliser and agricultural advice. The farmers pay this back with a portion of their harvest and the brewery guarantees that it will purchase the rest. This model helps boost yields and farmers incomes. The second field visit will focus on the various digital financial Hello services provided by the company Belcash. The royal opted for a pair of sensible and comfortable shoes on her first day in Ethiopia Queen Maxima visited Ethiopia in December 2013 on behalf on the UN and at this years World Economic Forum in Davos she met with Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed. The royal has been the UN Secretary-Generals Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development since 2009. In this role she advises the Secretary-General and works worldwide to promote safe and affordable access to financial services for all. It has been a busy week for Queen Maxima and on Friday she was seen celebrating April Fair with her family in Seville, Spain. Maxima, who is often seen in bold outfits opted for a purple and pink look with her blonde hair pulled back and bright flowers in her hair. Anxiety sufferers should be given lavender oil as a first line of treatment instead of addictive drugs, a psychiatrist has claimed. Professor Hans Peter-Volz said doctors are too quick to dish out benzodiazepines and other drugs to patients with anxiety. Instead, patients with a mild form of the disorder should be given natural remedies, including lavender oil, to combat their symptoms. Official guidelines for the NHS say there is not enough evidence that lavender oil, marketed on its calming effects, could treat anxiety. And mental health experts have dismissed Professor Volz suggestion, saying it is 'unsubstantiated' and the evidence is too thin. A leading doctor believes sufferers of mild anxiety should be given lavender oil as a first-line of treatment instead of addictive medicines such as benzodiazepines Professor Volz claimed lavender oil capsules have been shown to be as strong as commonly used anti-anxiety medications. And he said they come with fewer side effects. He was working alongside Kalms, a lavender oil capsule manufacturer. Professor Volz is the medical director of the Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine in Schloss, Germany. 'Doctors can be quick to medicate people who are experiencing emotional distress, without exploring alternative options,' he told MailOnline. 'Medicating too quickly can lead to unnecessary prescription of medication, and in some cases, can cause a dependency to the drug, especially when benzodiazepines are prescribed. 'In my opinion it makes sense to start with a much less severe intervention and that would be lavender oil. 'In my professional life I have never seen a pharmacological agent with such good results in randomised trials.' However, British experts hit back at Professor Volz's suggestion. CAN LAVENDER OIL REALLY COMBAT ANXIETY? Some research has shown 'uniquely prepared, pharmaceutical quality lavender oil' can improve symptoms of mild anxiety. Lavender oil significantly reduced activity in areas of the brain involved with anxiety, according to a 2014 study on 17 men treated over eight weeks led by the Medical University of Vienna. Scientists analysed PET scans of participants' brains for the research, published in International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. It has also been shown to be as efficient as a commonly prescribed benzodiazepine Lorazepam for the treatment of generalised anxiety. Lavender oil reduced both physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety in 45 per cent of participants with generalised anxiety disorder without any side effects, compared to 46 per cent of those taking Lorazepam. The results of the 2010 trial by German psychiatrists was published in Phytomedicine. A 2010 study found that lavender oil had the same effect as benzodiazepine Lorazepam Another study led by Medical University of Vienna compared medicating 523 people with generalised anxiety disorder with either lavender oil, a placebo or paroxetine, an antidepressant over ten weeks. In the lavender oil group, 60 per cent saw a reduction in their symptoms by more than 50 per cent compared to 43 per cent in the paroxetine group and 37.8 in the placebo group. Advertisement Dr Abigael San, a clinical psychologist in London, said: 'To say lavender oil should be recommended as a first line of treatment in a bit strong and unsubstantiated. 'Anxiolytic medicines are probably given out more than is necessary because there isn't enough resources, not because doctors are making mistakes.' Dr Heidi Miller, a GP in Hertfordshire, said she definitely would not be prescribing lavender oil until there is 'compelling' evidence. 'I would be very surprised if they [lavender oil capsules] had a significant effect on mild anxiety,' she said. There is huge drive to cut down on the prescription of drugs like benzodiazepines, but there are limited resources for alternatives to the fast-working drugs. GPs can be reluctant to dish out the highly addictive pills - but it is undoubtedly the fastest and most successful route. Dr Miller said: 'There is pressure on GPs to give an answer to a problem. 'There will be some cases they will be given out when other strategies could be used, but from what I know there is a massive drive to reduce prescriptions.' Up to 40 per cent of people who take benzodiazepines for six weeks will develop a dependency and 1.5million are addicted in the UK, according to charities. Benzodiazepines, including Valium, Ativan and Xanax, are prescribed twelve million times a year, according to the UK Addiction Centre. They are fast-acting. But the danger lies in their unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, keeping patients hooked for years despite only being prescribed for short-term use. Withdrawal symptoms include sweating, nausea, sleep issues, worsened anxiety and reduced coping mechanisms, which may lead to a vicious dependency cycle. Professor Volz said: 'Patients end up back at the doctors, needing further treatment to try and reduce their dependency on the drug costing the NHS more money. 'In some cases, patients get put back onto benzodiazepines, which further ignites their dependency for the drug and makes it even harder to come off.' Research, although limited, has shown 'uniquely prepared, pharmaceutical quality lavender oil' can improve symptoms of mild anxiety. Two studies found lavender oil capsules to be just as effective as commonly prescribed benzodiazepine Lorazepam and antidepressant paroxetine. But the current research is not enough for The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which advises the NHS, to recommend the herb for any form of anxiety. Currently mild anxiety is not recognised as a category. A spokesperson said: 'Currently, NICE does not recommend lavender in the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder. 'Research on herbal interventions, including lavender, was reviewed, but the guidance does not recommend this as a treatment option.' The charity Mind said they welcome alternative remedies for anxiety, but more research is needed before conclusions could be drawn. Head of information Stephen Buckley said: 'Lavender oil might be helpful for relaxation and stress reduction in those experiencing mild anxiety. 'However, it is not yet clear the extent to which it can help those with more severe symptoms, who may be prescribed medication such as benzodiazepine. 'What is helpful in managing your mental health varies from person to person so it's really important you can make the right decision for you, together with your doctor.' Foreign patients owe the NHS millions in unpaid bills, figures have revealed. NHS Trusts were forced to write off 27million last year alone after patients who were ineligible for free treatment did not pay up. And over the past four years, the health service has missed out on an astonishing 76million from overseas patients who have not forked out. Experts worry the already over-stretched NHS is being 'abused' due to foreigners seeing it as a 'soft touch'. Foreign patients owe the NHS millions in unpaid bills, figures have revealed (stock) Joyce Robins, co-director of Patient Concern, told The Sun, which reported the figures: 'It is absolutely ridiculous. 'Ministers need to do more to discourage ineligible people from abusing the NHS. 'We are seen as a soft touch. We cannot afford to treat the world, with the NHS already overrun.' John OConnell, chief executive of the TaxPayers Alliance, argues Britons 'often have to cough up at A&E' if they injure themselves abroad and the same rules should apply for holidaymakers in the UK. The cost of treating patients who are ineligible for treatment has risen by more than two-thirds from 16.2million in 2016-to-2017, the figures show. This is despite the Government cracking down on foreign visitors using the NHS for free. In 2017, rules were introduced that charge foreign patients requiring hospital treatment an upfront cost of 150 per cent of the standard NHS rate, unless they qualify for exemptions. Personal health insurance should cover this. THE NHS HOSPITALS WITH THE LARGEST UNPAID DEBTS AFTER TREATING INELIGIBLE PATIENTS Kings College Hospital Trust, London: 11.1million Guys and St Thomas Trust, London:6million Barts Health, London: 4.2million University College London Hospitals Trust: 3.6million Manchester University Trust: 3.2million Imperial College Trust, London: 3.1million Chelsea and Westminster Trust, London: 1.9million University Hospitals Birmingham Trust: 1.6million Royal Brompton & Harefield Trust, London: 1.3million University Hospitals of Leicester Trust: 1.3million Advertisement Exemptions apply to people applying for indefinite leave to enter the UK, asylum seekers and domestic workers who have been identified as victims of slavery or human trafficking. The NHS otherwise only offers free hospital care to residents who live in the UK 'on a lawful and properly settled basis for the time being'. Staff are required to ask patients where they have lived for the past six months to determine if they are 'ordinarily residents' of the UK. Visitors from the European Economic Area (EEA) can access treatment free-of-charge if they present a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or other official healthcare documents. If someone visits from a non-EEA country for more than six months, they will likely need to pay the immigration health surcharge, which is usually 400 a year and is paid at the time of their visa application. Visitors of less than six months can typically claim for healthcare on their personal medical insurance. However, some services at NHS hospitals are free for all regardless of their immigration status. These include A&E, treatment for most infections diseases, and therapy for a physical or mental condition caused by torture or violence. GP care is also free providing a person is registered with a clinic and can prove their address. Those in the UK for a short visit can register as a temporary patient. The individual GP practice decides whether or not to accept new patients but cannot refuse on discriminatory grounds. The Ebola outbreak rocking the Democratic Republic of Congo will spread if health workers continue to be attacked, the World Health Organization has warned. Armed militia operating in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces is making progress to stop the killer virus 'impossible', the UN body said. Last week, aid work was stopped for almost five days around the city of Butembo, the epicentre of the outbreak, when around 50 militiamen stormed the city. Each time the response comes to a halt, there is a spike in number of cases, experts have warned. The total number of cases has now reached 1,680. Figures also show 1,117 have been killed since the outbreak began last August. In the world's second biggest Ebola outbreak, 1,117 people have now been killed since August and cases have reached 1,680. Each time the response is halted due to attacks, the cases jump up, aid agencies have warned Health workers, such as those pictured preparing to bury the body of an eleven-month old child in Beni, have been involved in a number of 'serious security incidents' A burial team was violently attacked in Katwa as they buried an Ebola victim, whose corpse would have been highly contagious. Pictured, a different burial in Beni The world's worst epidemic of Ebola, a hemorrhagic fever, killed more than 11,300 people in West Africa from 2013 to 2016. An infectious disease expert last week told MailOnline the current outbreak in the DRC could end up as disastrous as the West Africa epidemic. The WHO said in a statement: 'Without commitment from all groups to cease these attacks, it is unlikely that this EVD (Ebola virus disease) outbreak can remain successfully contained in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.' A burial team was last week violently attacked in Katwa when they buried an Ebola victim, whose corpse would have been highly contagious. As well as a number of 'serious security incidents', there is large distrust among locals due to long-standing grievances with the government. High transmission rates in recent weeks have raised the risk of it spreading to other provinces and countries, a WHO spokesman added. DR Congo's health minister, Oly Ilunga, and David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), have warned each time aid teams are prevented from doing their job there is a spike in the number of new Ebola cases and deaths. Mr Miliband said: 'This disruption in programming is the longest yet and our teams are concerned that this will lead to a surge in the number of cases.' The increasingly volatile situation 'is making progress against the disease impossible', he said in a statement. Armed militiamen in the eastern Congo, plagued by militia violence, reportedly believe Ebola is a conspiracy against them. Motorbikes burnt during an attack outside an Ebola treatment centre in Butembo, the epicentre of the latest outbreak Some communities have been resistant to preventative measures such as vaccinations and safe burials. Better information sharing and security analysis is needed, said Whitney Elmer, DRC director for international charity Mercy Corps, as agencies do not always know who is responsible for attacks or what areas are safe. WHAT IS MAKING THIS OUTBREAK DIFFICULT TO STOP? The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been continuing for six months. Dr Nathalie MacDermott, an expert on Ebola at Imperial College London, shared some of her thoughts on the situation with MailOnline. Dr MacDermott said: 'The current outbreak has posed significant challenges to medical teams on the ground. 'The region has suffered several decades of ongoing conflict and militia activity. This has affected the ability of responders to engage with communities to provide awareness and encourage them to see medical teams early for testing and treatment. 'There has also been significant risk to medical teams, some of whom have been attacked, and in some cases killed, by fearful community members and militia groups operating in the region. 'As such, and despite the use of an effective vaccine, the epidemic has continued to spread to different communities. 'This was recently exacerbated by violence preventing responders accessing affected communities. This resulted from affected communities not being able to vote in national elections.' Advertisement She said: 'What's not happening right now is a systematic way that the information is coming together. This would help us make decisions more quickly.' WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted on Friday that he was 'profoundly worried'. 'The tragedy is that we have the technical means to stop Ebola, but until all parties halt attacks on the response, it will be very difficult to end this outbreak,' he said. In recent weeks senior WHO officials have conceded that insecurity and several active armed groups are seriously undermining the containment effort. On Wednesday, April 8, attacks by armed assailants left nine people dead in Butembo. Butembo mayor Sylvain Kanyamanda Mbusa told Reuters that eight militiamen and one police officer were killed in fighting as gunmen tried to storm the city. Last week, a vehicle carrying a medic team in Butembo crashed and killed a motorbike driver, increasing tensions and therefore intensifying fear for health worker's safety. And last month an attack on a hospital in Butembo killed a Cameroonian doctor in the city's hospital working for the WHO. Anti-Ebola coordinator Justus Nsio said he did not think 'the whole community' was trying to undermine anti-Ebola operations. These operations include a new vaccine, which the WHO had initially hoped may help to contain the outbreak. But the statistics suggest that interventions are not steadying the climbing number of infected people, and the WHO has admitted they are concerned funding will run out. Dr Tedros has warned the UN body is short of around $104million (80m) it needs to keep fighting the virus. The funding gap must be filled so health workers can continue battling the virus to the end of July and beyond, Science reported. The response to the Ebola outbreak has been hit by multiple setbacks the World Health Organization has warned it is in danger of running out of money, a doctor was killed earlier this month, and last week was the worst so far for the number of cases recorded Miracle twins given a ten per cent chance of survival have celebrated their first birthday after having surgery while they were still in the womb. Sherrie Foulger, 32, and her fiance Craig Armstrong, 30, were told their babies had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) at a 16 week scan. The condition causes one twin to receive more blood than the other, and doctors warned the babies were unlikely to survive the pregnancy. The only option was a risky surgery which could have left either one, or both of the boys, Roma and Reeve Armstrong, brain damaged. Surgeons wheeled Miss Foulger in for the pioneering operation when she was 21 weeks pregnant. After being born naturally at 29 weeks, the boys, from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, have suffered no long-term health complications. Roma and Reeve Armstrong, given a ten per cent chance of survival, have celebrated their first birthday after having surgery while they were still in the womb. Pictured with their mother, Sherrie Foulger, 33, at their home in Ilkeston, Devon The babies were discovered to have twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome at the 16-week scan. Pictured at seven weeks of age The babies were born premature at 29 weeks in April 2018, needing to be in intensive care for 40 days. Pictured, Roma The twins spent 40 days at three different hospitals before being allowed home in May last year (pictured is Reeve in hospital) Cargo worker Miss Foulger and her fiance Craig Armstrong, 30, were distraught to hear that even with surgery to save the twins, they could be brain damaged. But they have suffered no long-term health implications. Pictured on their first birthday Cargo worker Miss Foulger, who has two children Theo Francis, 12, and Troy Francis, eight, from a previous relationship, said: 'We never thought we'd get to the point we're at now. 'We'd go for weekly scans and I'd be so anxious not knowing if they would be alive or dead. 'Now the boys are thriving. They're crawling around and holding themselves up and eating well.' At her 16 week scan, Miss Foulger and Mr Armstrong, a groundworker, found out the twins had TTTS. The condition occurs in around 15 per cent of monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twins identical twins that share the placenta which account for around two thirds of identical twins, according to the NHS. It causes abnormal blood vessel connections to form in the placenta and prevent blood from flowing evenly between the babies. Diverted blood flow from one 'donor' twin goes to to the other 'recipient' twin. This leads to an enlarged bladder and excessive amounts of amniotic fluid, and in most cases, one twin becomes dehydrated, which affects its growth, and the other develops high blood pressure which can lead to heart failure. Miss Foulger said: 'It broke my heart when they told me they had it. It absolutely petrified me. While in the womb, surgeons performed pioneering but risky laser ablation surgery, which involves finding the blood vessels connecting the twins and closing them off to help the blood flow evenly. Pictured, the couple holding the twins in ICU after birth Twin-twin transfusion syndrome is a rare but serious condition that can occur in identical pregnancies. Abnormal blood vessel connections form in the placenta and prevent blood from flowing evenly between the babies (Pictured, scans) Miss Foulger, pictured during pregnancy, broke down upon the diagnosis of TTTS Six days after their birth, Miss Foulger was able to cuddle both her babies WHAT IS LASER SURGERY FOR TWIN-TO-TWIN TRANSFUSION SYNDROME? In complicated cases of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), surgery can offer the best chance of having two healthy babies. Laser ablation surgery delivers laser energy that seals off the blood vessels on the surface of the shared placenta that is allowing for blood flow to be shared. Because the vascular connections between the two fetuses are sealed, no further blood exchange between the foetuses takes place. Most surgeries are performed under local anesthesia. A small incision (3mm) will be made and a trocar (small metal tube) will be inserted into the amniotic sac of the recipient twin. An endoscope (medical telescope) will be passed into the uterus. The blood vessels, which are visible on the surface of the placenta, will be analysed, and all communicating vessels will be sealed off with laser energy. The excess amniotic fluid may be drained from the sac of the recipient twin. Pregnancy outcomes after laser therapy for TTTS is as follows: approximately 85 per cent of patients will have at least one foetus survive, 50 per cent will have both survive, with a five per cent risk of a disorder of the nervous system such as cerebral palsy. NICE has said that this procedure is safe enough and works well enough for use in the NHS. Source: Fetal Health Foundation Advertisement 'We read up on it and all you think is "I'm going to lose my babies". 'I broke down - I thought I'd lose one, if not both of them.' Around 300 twins die from the condition every year in the UK, while 6,000 babies are affected annually in the US. At 18 weeks pregnant the couple were referred to a top consultant at Birmingham Women's Hospital and, at 21 weeks, medics discovered the fluid around Roma was 11cm while Reeve's was below one centimetre. This meant Roma's heart was struggling and the only option was pioneering but risky laser ablation surgery. The surgery, routine for TTTS babies on the NHS, involves finding the blood vessels connecting the twins and closing them off to help the blood flow evenly. The couple were told that without the surgery, there was a high chance the babies would die. But after the surgery, there was a 60 per cent chance of one of them surviving. Miss Foulger said: 'Even if they did survive there was a possibility they would have been starved of oxygen and end up brain damaged. 'I had local anaesthetic and was awake the whole time with Craig beside me. 'I'd never seen so many doctors. There were about 35 people in the room while it was happening. 'It's an amazing thing medics do. They drained two litres of fluid.' A week later Miss Foulger had a 4D scan and an MRI scan to identify if there was any brain damage to either twin, but thankfully both were fine and arrangements were made for delivery at 32 weeks. However, at 29 weeks and four days, Miss Foulger's waters broke, as babies with TTTS are often born premature. The pair were born naturally the same day - Roma first weighing 3lb 2oz and Reeve 27 minutes later weighing 2lb 13oz. Both babies had an oxygen mask to help them breath and feeding tubes. They were also given umbilical venous catheters, a tube going into their umbilical cord that allows fluids and medicines to be given without having to frequently replace an intravenous (IV) line. After birth, both babies had an oxygen mask to help them breath, feeding tubes and umbilical venous catheters, a tube going into their umbilical cord that allows fluids and medicines to be given. Pictured, Roma in ICU Miss Foulger said it's amazing what medics can do after initially being convinced she would lose her twins. Pictured as newborns Miss Foulger, pictured at home with her newborn babies, said: 'It felt like the best thing holding them both. I'd sit there for hours not moving. I wouldn't put them down' Miss Foulger said: 'When they were born, they were whisked off and taken to the neo-natal intensive care unit. 'They lifted them up to show us their faces but we weren't allowed to hold them. 'It was such a mix of emotions. It felt like they came so quickly. We were happy they were alright but scared because we didn't know what was going to happen.' She added: 'They looked so vulnerable with tubes coming out of them, we couldn't do anything to help them. 'Although Reeve was the smaller twin he's always been stronger. I could hold Reeve after four days and Roma after five or six days, so then could have double cuddles. 'It felt like the best thing holding them both. I'd sit there for hours not moving. I wouldn't put them down.' The twins spent 40 days at three different hospitals before being allowed home in May last year. The twins spent 40 days at three different hospitals before being allowed home in May last year. Now, a year later, they are thriving Miss Foulger said the bond between the babies is amazing. The family pictured together The pair have since attracted 11,000 followers to their Instagram page, which Miss Foulger set up to create memories and help other parents going through the same thing. Miss Foulger said: 'I burst into tears when I first brought them home. I couldn't believe it was happening - I was so overwhelmed with emotion. 'First they'd had TTTS, then there was the laser surgery, then them being born prematurely - it felt like everything that could have happened had done so. 'But we've been so lucky and blessed. Roma is really laid back and Reeve is the cheeky mischief maker. 'They get on really well and light up when they see each other. It's amazing the bond they have because of all they've been through.' You can follow the twins' adventures on Instagram. New mothers who have an assisted birth should all be given antibiotics to halve their risk of sepsis, a major study has found. Giving women a preventative dose of antibiotics as a matter of course would cut maternal infections by 7,000 a year in the UK, new research shows. Experts said the NHS and the World Health Organisation should update their guidelines so women routinely receive antibiotics if they have an assisted vaginal birth. This is when forceps or a vacuum device called a ventouse suction cup are used to help deliver the baby. Giving women a preventative dose of antibiotics as a matter of course would cut maternal infections by 7,000 a year in the UK One in eight births in England are currently assisted, around 85,000 a year. One in five of these women go on to develop an infection. However only one in ten women got an infection if they were given antibiotics straight after childbirth, scientists at the University of Oxford found. The study, published in The Lancet, looked at 3,420 women who gave birth in 27 UK hospitals. The women were split into two groups, with the first group given a single dose of intravenous amoxicillin, a type of penicillin, within six hours of giving birth. The second group were given a placebo. Data showed that infections halved among the group who received antibiotics, and cases of sepsis reduced by 56 per cent. Only 11 per cent of the 1619 women who received amoxicillin got an infection, compared to 19 per cent of the 1,606 women in the placebo group. WHAT IS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE? Antibiotics have been doled out unnecessarily by GPs and hospital staff for decades, fueling once harmless bacteria to become superbugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously warned if nothing is done the world is heading for a 'post-antibiotic' era. It claimed common infections, such as chlamydia, will become killers without immediate solutions to the growing crisis. Bacteria can become drug resistant when people take incorrect doses of antibiotics or if they are given out unnecessarily. Former chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies claimed in 2016 that the threat of antibiotic resistance is as severe as terrorism. Figures estimate that superbugs will kill 10 million people each year by 2050, with patients succumbing to once harmless bugs. Around 700,000 people already die yearly due to drug-resistant infections including tuberculosis (TB), HIV and malaria across the world. Concerns have repeatedly been raised that medicine will be taken back to the 'dark ages' if antibiotics are rendered ineffective in the coming years. In addition to existing drugs becoming less effective, there have only been one or two new antibiotics developed in the last 30 years. In September, the WHO warned antibiotics are 'running out' as a report found a 'serious lack' of new drugs in the development pipeline. Without antibiotics, C-sections, cancer treatments and hip replacements will become incredibly 'risky', it was said at the time. Advertisement There were 11 cases of sepsis in the antibiotic group compared with 25 cases in the placebo group. Sepsis is the biggest cause of maternal death in the UK. The study also found that giving new mothers a preventative dose of penicillin caused the overall use of antibiotics to drop by 17 per cent because fewer went on to develop infections. For every additional 100 doses of antibiotic given as a preventative measure, 168 doses could be avoided due to fewer post-delivery infections. Researchers said that adopting a policy of giving all women in this group antibiotics would cut overall antibiotic use and also save the NHS an average of 52.60 per birth. They found the total average NHS costs six weeks after birth was 102.50 in the antibiotic group compared with 155.10 for women the given placebo. The new study found that women given antibiotics had less pain and less chance of stitches getting infected or bursting. They were also much less likely to need a visit from a GP, nurse or midwife, or to go to hospital due to the way their wound was healing. Lead researcher Professor Marian Knight, from the University of Oxford, said: 'These findings highlight the urgent need to change current WHO antibiotic guidelines and other guidance from organisations in the UK, North America, and Australasia, that do not recommend routine antibiotic prophylaxis for assisted childbirth. 'Pregnancy-associated infection is a major cause of death and serious illness. Almost one and five women develop an infection after assisted vaginal delivery and our results show that this could be reduced by almost half by a single dose of prophylactic antibiotic. 'With increasing recognition of the need to reduce unnecessary caesarean births, the incentive to minimise the harms associated with other types of assisted delivery are even greater,' says Professor Knight. 'This simple intervention could also be used to prevent maternal infections in low- and middle-income countries in which intravenous antibiotics are available.' Women who have a caesarean in NHS hospitals are given antibiotics, but the drugs are not routinely given for any other type of delivery. Giving antibiotics before caesarean section has been found to reduce wound infection, endometriosis, and serious maternal infection by 60 to 70 per cent. In 2016, an estimated 19,500 women died because of pregnancy-related infections around the world, the researchers noted. Even in high-income countries, infections account for one in 20 maternal deaths. And for every woman who dies from pregnancy-related infection, another 70 women develop a severe infection that can cause long-term problems. Quieter neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) may result in better outcomes for infants, a new study claims. Researchers say during hours when conversations were reduced and lights were dimmed, infants' heart rates were healthier and stronger. According to the World Health Organization, noise pollution is one of the most pressing threats to public health - second only to air pollution - and is linked to several health problems. The team, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, says implementing quiet time in NICUs can make it easier for premature babies to transition to life outside of the womb, while also lowering the risk of disease. A new study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has found implementing 'quiet time' hours in NICUs resulted in infants having healthier and stronger heart rates (file image) Constant exposure to noise has been linked to a number of health concerns. It has been found to raise the body's stress levels, disrupt sleep and affect productivity. Several studies have shown that children growing up with aircraft or traffic noise are significantly behind their peers with reading, language skills and memory. This is because too much of the stress hormone cortisol in the body stops the prefrontal cortex - the brains planning center - from working properly, which makes it harder to think and retain information. And according to one Swedish study in 2015, every five-decibel increase in noise above 45 decibels (the level of low traffic) corresponds to an extra two millimeters on our waists. For the new study, the team worked with several NICUs across the country to implement 'quiet time' hours. Guidelines included lowering the the lights, reducing conversations and having cleaning services only come at certain hours during the day. Researchers then studied how each NICU's soundscape changed throughout the day. Results showed that there were fewer loud sounds and quiet time often extended beyond the set hours. Additionally, the infants' heart rates were healthier and stronger during quiet time hours. 'Although the NICU noise literature dates back more than 40 years, even recent studies show that ambient NICU noise often exceeds recommended levels,' said lead author Dr Erica Ryherd, an associate Professor of architectural engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 'Despite the growing evidence of the negative impacts of NICU soundscapes on infants, there are large and pressing gaps in the literature that need immediate attention before ideal, evidence-based NICU soundscapes are achievable and more widely implemented.' The team recommends instituting quiet time as well as designing NICUs to reduce noise, such as by the placement of windows and room arrangement. They hope the findings lead to more studies abut how noise affects other types of hospital patients. The results will be presented at the annual meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which takes place from May 13 to May 17 at the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. A woman who landed directly on handlebars of her jet ski in a freak accident was left with a swelling blood clot on her vulva that needed to be surgically drained In a case report, published in BMJ Case Reports, the 25-year-old arrived at Professional Brooklyn Gynecological Services in New York three days after the incident. She told the doctor that, in July 2018, she had been tossed into the air off her jet ski and landed directly on her handlebars. The accident had left her with a hematoma, a collection of clotted blood vessels, on her vulva that measured about 12 centimeters and she was in so much pain that she couldn't walk. Her gynecologist told her that the hematoma needed to be drained but the woman was worried about scarring, so the procedure was done intravaginally instead of externally. A 25-year-old woman from New York was left with a vulvar hematoma, a collection of clotted blood vessels in the vulva, after she landed on the handlebars of her jet ski during an accident (file image) A vulvar hematoma is a collection of clotted blood vessels that pools in the vulva, which is the external part of the vagina. It occurs when blood vessels rupture, usually from an injury, and blood collects in the nearby tissues. Patients usually experience pain, swelling, discoloration of the skin and difficulty urinating. Vulvar hematomas not related to childbirth are very rare. They have an incidence rate of about 3.7 percent and make up less than one percent of all gynecologic admissions to a hospital. 'Usually if someone doesn't have an expanding hematoma, if it's not actively bleeding, there's no need for immediate [surgical evacuation],' co-author Dr Ghanshyam Yadav, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, told DailyMail.com. 'That can lead to more bleeding. You don't want to cut into a part of the body you don't have to, so you first want to try conservative management.' This means patients are given pain medication, anti-inflammatory drugs and ice packs in an attempt to reduce the pain and swelling. Dr Yadav said that immediately after the accident, the woman had gone to her local emergency room in New York and was treated with these methods. But, by the time she arrived at Dr Amir Marashi's office in Brooklyn, New York, three days later, she was in so much pain that she couldn't walk. Dr Marashi - the so-called Vagina Whisper - examined the woman and determined that her vitals were stable and that she hadn't fractured her pelvis during the accident, which would have required immediate surgery. However, because of how large the hematoma was - it was covering her left labia, or vaginal lip - it would need to be surgically drained. 'It was like almost having a grapefruit in between her legs,' he told DailyMail.com. 'It was a pretty large hematoma, really deep, and she couldn't walk around.' The patient, however, was skeptical because she was worried about having scarring on her vulva. 'Scar [on the genitalia] can be devastating to a patient, to their self-confidence,' said Dr Yadav. 'At the end of the day, the way that male and female psychology works is you have to be sexually comfortable with yourself.' So Dr Marashi decided to drain the hematoma intravaginally instead of externally, and made an incision in the left vaginal sidewall, which allowed for minimal suturing and scarring. 'They teach us [in residency] to make an incision from the outside,' said Dr Marashi. 'I don't know any reports from any textbooks that show how to drain from the inside and I told her: "If it doesn't work, we'll have to do this from the outside." 'It's more challenging and difficult because you don't have direct access but we were able to empty the entire hematoma through this incision.' According to the case report, after the procedure, the patient said her discomfort was immediately resolved. 'Once you've drained the clot and evacuated the cavity, there is no more swelling so the pressure is relived,' said Dr Yadav. Because there is no consensus on practice guidelines, Dr Marashi says surgeons should take into account methods that will minimize scarring. 'We have to try more and more as physicians to do everything that is more cosmetically pleasing,' he said. 'Some people may think its vanity but, at the end of the day, if you can do it in a way where things look better, why wouldn't you?' More than 800 Americans have contracted measles this year in the biggest outbreak in decades, new figures show on Monday. Another 75 cases of measles were confirmed in the last week, bringing the current caseload to 839, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed Monday. No new states have reported outbreaks, but officials are concerned about the lack of progress to control New York City's outbreak, which accounts for 66 of the 75 new cases. Measles has struck 839 people across the US in yet another surge driven by the disease's spread in New York, accounting for 66 out of the 75 new cases this week 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 state outbreak has now been declared over, after sickening 72 people there in total. Dr Messonier confirmed that not all of the 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. Earlier this month, 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. The Government's Department of Health and Social Care will produce an in-depth review of how bad air pollution is for people's health, it has announced. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has commissioned the investigation which will reveal the true dangers of dirty air and how they will affect people in the future. His announcement comes just two months after Public Health England also a government department released its own report on how to improve air quality. And Mr Hancock and Environment Secretary Michael Gove released their Clean Air Strategy just five months ago in January, which promised to cut down on pollution. The Health Secretary called pollution a 'slow and deadly poison' days after experts warned Britons breathe in the equivalent of a cigarette a day. The Government's Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has ordered a review into how much illness air pollution causes people in the UK 'Our health is shaped by the environment we live in and dirty air is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK,' Mr Hancock said, according to The Guardian. 'We cannot underestimate the very real impact that dirty air this slow and deadly poison is having on our lives, our health and our NHS.' The review will help officials to 'map out' how much disease is caused by pollution and how many lives the clean air strategy could save. It was announced as hundreds of people protested on the streets of London last weekend in a Mothers Rise Up march to demand action on climate change. The review adds to commitments from the NHS to reduce emissions from its vehicles by 20 per cent within five years. And by 2028 at least 90 per cent of NHS vehicles will use low-emission engines, while the DHSC claims coal and oil-powered central heating will be phased out in health service buildings. Mr Hancock added: 'Our recent clean air strategy sets out some bold steps on cleaning up our air, but it is also vital that we have accurate long-term data on the potential health impacts of pollution. 'This review will help us map out how much disease is caused by dirty air and what steps we are taking to prevent this something which is at the heart of our work to help people live longer, healthier lives through the NHS long-term plan.' Mr Hancock's announcement came as the Mothers Rise Up protest took place in London at the weekend, with people demonstrating in the streets to demand action on climate change The anti-global warming group marched in London on Sunday, May 12, as part of the Our Kids' Climate international campaign Experts warned last week that British people breathe in the equivalent of a cigarette a day in air pollution. The Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said politicians are not taking air pollution seriously enough. Ministers are doing the bare minimum on curbing traffic fumes, they argued, distracted instead by less concerning problems such as wood stoves. Professor Stephen Holgate, the Royal College of Physicians' special adviser on air quality, said the Government is not acting on damning evidence. He told The Times : 'In the United Kingdom [air pollution exposure] is equivalent to every single person smoking one cigarette a day. 'Of course since it's affecting three to five per cent of the population in a much greater way, it would be equivalent to smoking many more cigarettes in those areas.' Dirty air, Professor Holgate said, speeds up the ageing of peoples skin, brain, pancreas and eyes, raising the risk of disease. Our ears need as much tender loving care as the rest of our bodies, and there are many products available for everything from cleaning them to shutting out loud noises. But which are worth the money? We asked Ram Moorthy, a consultant ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon at The Princess Grace Hospital in London, and Jonathan Hughes, a consultant ENT surgeon at King Edward VIIs Hospital, also in London, to assess a selection of products. We then rated them. MACKS DRY-N-CLEAR EAR DRYING AID Mack's: These drops are said to relieve the discomfort of water-clogged ears, which can lead to swimmers ear 30ml, 4.95, earplugshop.com CLAIM: These drops are said to relieve the discomfort of water-clogged ears, which can lead to swimmers ear. They contain the drying agent isopropyl alcohol and glycerol to moisturise the lining of the ear canal. EXPERT VERDICT: Mr Moorthy says: Swimmers ear is an infection that is often caused by repeated exposure to water. If water gets into the ear, it can linger and create the ideal environment for bacteria to flourish. The alcohol in this product will help dry the ear, however Ive not seen evidence that it can actually prevent swimmers ear. Also, the ears are generally very good at drying themselves you could just tip your head to one side to allow water to drain out after swimming. 5/10 EARPOPPER Pop culture: This hand-sized plastic device rebalances pressure in the middle ear 99, amazon.co.uk CLAIM: This hand-sized plastic device rebalances pressure in the middle ear, a build-up of which can cause pain and a feeling of the ears being blocked. You put the nozzle into one nostril and close the other with your finger. Push the button to release a stream of air into that nostril and swallow at the same time. Repeat in the other nostril. EXPERT VERDICT: Mr Hughes says: When you go on a plane, or if you have inflamed sinuses or a nasal infection, the Eustachian tube which connects your middle ear to the back of your nose can stop working. You then get a pressure build-up in the middle ear, which you feel as pain or hearing loss. It usually resolves itself, but, in some people, can last for months. The Eustachian tube opens when you swallow, so blowing air in when you do this can help to normalise pressure. It will feel a bit like blowing your nose. This is costly, though. 8/10 HANDHELD BULB EAR SYRINGE Necessary? This product is said to dislodge hardened wax, which is flushed out by water 4.89, amazon.co.uk CLAIM: Fill the rubber ball with warm water and squeeze it into the ear through the long, tapered tip. This is said to dislodge hardened wax, which then flows back out. EXPERT VERDICT: Mr Moorthy says: Our ears are good at self-cleaning and can get rid of excess earwax or dirt themselves, but sometimes it gets stuck. This can be irritating and affect hearing. Ear syringes claim to dislodge this build-up, but they can damage the ear canal or the eardrum if the water is squirted too hard. If you feel like you need your ears syringed, then see a health professional, who can advise and carry it out if necessary. 2/10 OTEX EXPRESS EAR DROPS Science: These drops contain urea hydrogen peroxide, which breaks down earwax 10ml, 4.99, boots.com CLAIM: These drops contain urea hydrogen peroxide, which breaks down earwax. Use the pipette to apply five drops, twice a day. EXPERT VERDICT: Mr Hughes says: In my experience, these ear drops are very good at clearing wax if it has become a problem. Unlike olive oil (another suggested remedy) which softens the wax, the active ingredient here breaks it up. The effect isnt immediate, but, after a few days of using the drops, the wax will move out of the ear canal as it naturally would, so theres no need for cotton buds. 9/10 SAFETOTS CHILDRENS EAR PROTECTOR Headphone-style protectors: These are designed to lessen harmful noises without shutting out other ambient sounds 12.95, safetots.co.uk CLAIM: These headphone-style protectors are designed to lessen harmful noises without shutting out other ambient sounds. They are suitable from young babies to seven-year-olds, it is claimed. EXPERT VERDICT: Mr Moorthy says: Babies and young children can be sensitive to sounds, and repeated exposure to loud noise may cause some hearing loss, so ear protectors can be a good idea. But they should only be worn for short periods, such as at a fireworks display or a noisy party. They should not be used to block out everyday sounds young children need to be exposed to some noise to help with their brain development. 6/10 WIFI OTOSCOPE Technology: This turns a smartphone into an otoscope, used to look into ears 45.99, amazon.co.uk CLAIM: This turns a smartphone into an otoscope, used to look into ears. The pen-like probe wirelessly connects with your mobile phone via wifi. You then move it around your ear and a camera on its end sends images to your phone. EXPERT VERDICT: Mr Moorthy says: The ear canal is quite difficult to navigate, and I worry that people would go in too deep. Once you pass the outer part of the ear canal, the area becomes very sensitive and the skin is very delicate, so you can easily damage your ear with the probe, which may lead to bleeds or infection. I dont think a non-expert would know what they were looking at on the image on the screen, either, so it isnt much use. 0/10 OTOVENT GLUE EAR TREATMENT For kids: This is said to ease the symptoms of glue ear, a condition common in children 6.99, chemist-4-u.com CLAIM: Said to ease the symptoms of glue ear, a condition common in children, where a build-up of fluid in the middle ear puts pressure on the eardrum, causing pain and dulled hearing. The kit contains a balloon and nose piece. Holding one nostril shut, you blow into the balloon with your other nostril, and then repeat the process with the opposite nostril. Inflating the balloon is said to force open the Eustachian tube, allowing air into the middle ear and clearing it of fluid. EXPERT VERDICT: Mr Hughes says: As many as eight in ten children will experience glue ear before the age of ten. However, for the majority, the condition corrects itself without treatment. If this doesnt happen, then I recommend this method. As you blow up the balloon, some of the air in the nasal cavity goes into the balloon, while some tries to force the Eustachian tube open to help clear fluid. A person with glue ear needs to do this on a daily basis for four weeks to gain the most benefit and a hearing test can check if it has worked. 8/10 SAFE & SOUND REUSABLE CLEANERS Safer? These look like cotton buds, but one end is cupped to scoop out earwax Pack of ten, 5.49, amazon.co.uk CLAIM: These look like cotton buds, but, instead, one end is cupped to scoop out earwax, while the other is ribbed to make removing wax easier. They can be used to clear away dead skin from the ear, too, the maker claims. EXPERT VERDICT: Mr Hughes says: Just as with ordinary cotton buds, you should not use these. They might scoop out some wax, but the majority will be pushed further in. Use Otex ear drops (reviewed above) or olive oil to loosen wax, then let it naturally fall out. Do not root around inside your ear, as you can easily damage it. 0/10 HYLANDS EARACHE DROPS Natural: These contain six homeopathic ingredients, including belladonna 10ml, 14.80, biovea.net CLAIM: These drops contain six homeopathic ingredients, including belladonna, which the maker claims will ease pain, inflammation and congestion in the ear. As well as swimmers ear, its claimed the drops will relieve irritation caused by colds and allergies without antibiotics. Apply four drops up to four times a day. EXPERT VERDICT: Mr Hughes says: A lot of people in online reviews seem to think that these made a difference, but there is no evidence a homeopathic product such as this works. It may be that it is quite soothing, as it is oily, but the ingredients are unproven. It claims to help earache, but if you do have pain, you need to see a doctor to determine the cause. 2/10 BIOEARS SOFT SILICONE EARPLUGS Excellent! These earplugs protect ears from water and noise, it is claimed, and have an anti-microbial coating 4.89, chemistdirect.co.uk CLAIM: These earplugs protect ears from water and noise, it is claimed, and have an anti-microbial coating. EXPERT VERDICT: Mr Moorthy says: These would be useful for people who are sensitive to loud sounds and have hyperacusis, which means everyday sounds can cause pain. The plugs dampen noise levels to 22 decibels around the sound of rustling leaves which may be good when trying to sleep. But earplugs should not be used excessively, as air needs to circulate around your ears or a moist environment will develop, allowing bacteria to grow. 7/10 My son was so worried about how sleepy I was when he visited that he called an ambulance. I spent ten days in the high dependency unit in a coma. When I came round I was told Id had a hypothyroid crisis. Can you explain what happened? Mrs M. Knox, Bolton. Your sons quick thinking saved your life. The coma you were in is one called a myxoedema coma. It is also known as a myxoedema crisis, and it is potentially life-threatening. It occurs as a result of severe under-activity of the thyroid gland, a small butterfly-shaped endocrine gland in the neck that produces hormones that help regulate metabolism. Did you know? Hypothyroidism, referred to as myxoedema in the old days, is more common in women than men, with females over 40 at particular risk When the thyroid is underactive, (hypothyroidism), it doesnt produce enough of the hormone thyroxine, leading to a generalised slowing down of many vital body processes. Hypothyroidism, referred to as myxoedema in the old days, is more common in women than men, with females over 40 at particular risk. It is usually caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking and slowly destroying the gland. The symptoms develop gradually, but include fatigue, slow movement and speech, constipation, a slow heartbeat and intolerance of the cold. The skin becomes cool, pale, and rough, with sweating reduced and widespread hair loss. It can be treated by taking hormone tablets to replace the missing thyroxine, and so the sort of life-threatening deterioration you experienced is unusual. However, in older patients, the symptoms of hypothyroidism may be put down to a persons age and so no diagnosis is made. As a result, the time inevitably comes when the patient loses consciousness and slips into a myxoedema coma, as without adequate thyroxine, all the bodily functions it controls including heartbeat can slow to critical levels. Blood pressure falls and blood flow to the organs, such as the brain, can dwindle and this can prove fatal. Treatment: It can be treated by taking hormone tablets to replace the missing thyroxine, and so the sort of life-threatening deterioration you experienced is unusual Write to Dr Scurr To contact Dr Scurr with a health query, write to him at Good Health Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email drmartin@dailymail.co.uk including contact details. Dr Scurr cannot enter into personal correspondence. His replies cannot apply to individual cases and should be taken in a general context. Always consult your own GP with any health worries. Advertisement It seems that you were on the edge of this when your son arrived. In hospital, the doctors will have observed apart from your drowsiness and confusion a low body temperature, low blood pressure, slow heart rate, and other abnormalities, including low blood sugar levels and difficulty breathing. The diagnosis would have been confirmed by blood tests of your thyroid hormone levels, and treatment would have been started with thyroxine, probably administered initially through a drip, as during a myxoedema crisis, absorption from the intestine is slowed until recovery is under way. The thyroxine supplement will now be continued as a daily tablet for the rest of your life. There are no side-effects, as you are only replacing something that the body can no longer make for itself. Most of the various body systems that were depleted and functioning poorly will have been restored during your hospital stay, although some changes, such as the state of your skin and hair, will take a little longer to recover. From now on your GP will carry out blood tests, perhaps every few months, to check that you are taking a dose of thyroxine that is correct for you. You mention in your longer letter that your twin sister has type 2 diabetes. Your blood sugar level will undoubtedly have been checked during your hospitalisation and, if no mention was made of this, it is not a current problem for you. However, autoimmune thyroid disorder, the likely cause of your hypothyroidism, is common and can run in families. So I would recommend your sister asks her GP for a blood test to check her thyroid function, informing him of your recent medical problems. Your son should also be tested. Two weeks, two fines for KPMG. The latest is a 5 million penalty for failures in the firm's audit of the Co-op Bank after its disastrous takeover of Britannia building society, hard on the heels of a 6 million hit last week for its audit of insurer Equity Syndicate Management, which traded as Equity Red Star. These fines sound painful but in the context of the sums audit firms rake in from their clients, they are chicken feed. Ruth Sunderland notes that in two weeks there have been two fines for KPMG over failures in the firm's audits The 5 million penalty for Co-op Bank (actually 4 million after a reduction for prompt settlement) is less than KPMG earned in a single year from the parent group. In 2011, Co-op paid 5.6 million in fees to the audit firm, then 7.4 million the following year. This gives a clue why, despite two hefty fines last year 2.1 million for the audit at fashion company Ted Baker and 4.5 million over scandal-hit insurance operator Quindell KPMG still managed to rake in 2.3 billion of revenue. It also explains how, despite the clouds hanging over the profession, it managed to pay partners an average of just over 600,000 each last year. The fines for poor audits barely scratch the surface and are far too small in the context of fee incomes to act as an effective deterrent. It adds insult to injury that money from fines has until recently been flowing back to the Institute of Chartered Accountants, an outfit that treads the uncomfortable line of being a both a regulator and at the same time a trade body cheerleading for the profession. The profession is riddled with this sort of conflict of interest. There is a flow of people from the top audit firms to chairmanships and finance director jobs at FTSE 100 companies, and many regulators are former senior accountants. Auditors do not create corporate scandals, but KPMG has an unhappy knack of being around for too many of them, including collapsed bank HBOS and Carillion, for which it is under investigation. The audit industry is facing a barrage of reviews. One led by Sir John Kingman into regulation has recommended that the current pathetic watchdog, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), is disbanded. This cannot happen soon enough and the FRC needs to be replaced by a regulator with real teeth. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), in its probe, has recommended ring-fencing of audit from consultancy work and joint audits for FTSE 100 firms, both of which are sensible suggestions. In yet another review, City grandee Sir Donald Brydon is looking into the effectiveness of audit, or rather the lack of it. He needs to address a basic point, which is that audits are not fit for purpose. If auditors are going to shrug off all responsibility for spotting potential frauds and significant mis-statements, then there is no point having them. Robust checks against black holes, collapses and scandals must be at the heart of audits, not waved aside as an 'expectation gap' as if it were unreasonable to expect them to spot anything at all. Businesses are still trying to rebuild trust lost in the financial crisis and this will not happen if shareholders, taxpayers and the public cannot believe what they read in a company's report and accounts. We cannot afford for auditing to be an exercise in self-serving and lucrative box-ticking. Ruth says when Andrew Tyrie was appointed to chair the Competition and Markets Authority, there were high hopes that he would be a genuine consumer champion Tyrie on the warpath When Andrew Tyrie was appointed to chair the Competition and Markets Authority, there were high hopes that he would be a genuine consumer champion. So far, he is showing every sign of surpassing expectations. As chairman of the Treasury Select Committee and the Parliamentary Commission on Banking, he was a fearsome inquisitor and galvanised the investigations into bank collapses and the reforms needed. He brings the same energy and zeal to the CMA. His barnstorming speech yesterday set out how he wants to move it away from a focus on process and economic theory towards practical benefits for consumers. He has some hard-hitting proposals, including the banning of directors if they are found guilty of serious breaches of consumer protection law, which should focus minds. No company now can assume a merger plan would be waved through the routing of the Sainsbury's plan to combine with Asda is a taste of things to come. Tyrie has recognised that the CMA's status as an independent competition watchdog is at risk from a Corbyn government and vulnerable to populist pressure if it is not seen to bare its teeth. He sees that regulators must be part of the solution, not part of the problem. What a shame this seems so revolutionary. Charles Berry, the newly arrived chairman of Centrica, is in for a baptism of fire at his first annual meeting today. The company, which owns British Gas, has seen its shares slip below 1 to their lowest value for 20 years. It is shocking to see the price of a company that was once a blue-chip giant reduced to pennies. And there is no denying the pain inflicted on investors, among them around 600,000 small shareholders, including me. British Gas owner Centrica has seen its shares slip below 1 to their lowest value for 20 years Many have been loyal holders since the Tell Sid privatisation of the 1980s. Employees have suffered too: there have been 7,000 job losses in the UK and US since 2015. Iain Conn, the chief executive, will inevitably take much of the heat at the AGM. Unions representing thousands of Centrica staff have been gee-ing up their members, who are also small shareholders, to vote against Conns pay. Shareholder group Pirc is also recommending a vote against and called a bonus plan for the future excessive. Former BP executive Conn has been dealt a difficult hand. Centrica has been up against problems not of his making, such as volatile commodity prices, the ill-advised price cap on energy tariffs brought in by the Government and even the warm winter which meant customers didnt need to turn up their heating. His strategy, though, is entirely logical. He has tried to get into new technology in a big way, through devices such as Hive which allows customers to control lighting and heating via their smartphone. Conn is also on an efficiency drive, with a plan to take out 250million of costs this year and a further 500million a year after that. And he is trying to get rid of so-called non-core business, hoisting a for-sale sign over Centricas 20 per cent interest in Britains existing nuclear power stations. Iain Conn, the chief executive, will inevitably take much of the heat at the AGM The problem is that Conns strategy is taking a long time to bear fruit, if indeed it ever does. And investors do not have infinite reserves of patience. Nor do customers. On his watch, they have been deserting the company in droves. The exodus may be slowing, as some of the challenger energy providers have been in trouble and British Gas has been smarter about hanging on to customers. While the net reduction in defectors was significantly lower last year than the previous one, it wouldnt take much for that trend to reverse and for customers to pile out again. Conns pay of 2.4million last year, including nearly 1.2million of bonuses and incentives, is not in the outrageous league of Persimmon, but in context is a serious flashpoint. The story is the same for his whole tenure, which began at the start of 2015. Since then he has taken home more than 11million, despite the fact the shares have fallen in value by two-thirds. To the small shareholders, customers and employees this looks unfair and out-of-touch, and they are right. A quarter of a century ago there was a national furore over the 475,000 paid to the then British Gas boss Cedric Brown. He was castigated for adding to the disaffection with the John Major Conservative government, just as todays pay rows risk pushing voters into the Corbyn camp. It seems the company will never rid itself of the fat cat taint. It might, however, rid itself of Iain Conn, whose days under his new chairman could well be numbered. A terminal cancer patient has been left short of hundreds of pounds after Tui refused to refund his holiday deposit. Stephen Hardwicke, 55, and his wife, Tina, 50, had booked a holiday to Rhodes through the travel firm in the summer of 2017 to depart in June 2018. However, Stephen, a former retail manager, was sadly re-diagnosed with cancer in February last year and was informed he would soon need to have an operation as well as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Due to the unforeseen turn of events, Stephen informed Tui he had to cancel the holiday, expecting to be fully recompensed. Stephen Hardwicke and his wife, Tina, were shocked that Tui refused to return their deposit But while Tui did refund the holiday cost, the holiday firm said it had no obligation to return the 400 deposit and advised that the couple should claim the money back through their travel insurance. As Stephen and Tina, a store trainer at Debenhams, had cancelled months in advance of their holiday, the Swansea-based couple were surprised to hear this as they thought the company would surely be able to resell the trip. Stephen said he thought that not returning a deposit was illegal if the holiday had been resold so he again asked the company for a refund. A customer service agent for Tui confirmed that the holiday had been resold but insisted the couple were not due a refund. Furthermore, Stephen told us the agent said the couple had been offered alternative dates for their holiday, which they say they definitely had not. As Stephen pointed out, once Tui knew his situation and why the holiday was cancelled, it would seem odd to offer a change of date. Following the initial dispute with Tui, Stephen was told his cancer is terminal and contacted This is Money, explaining he now needs the money back more desperately than before - to help cover funeral costs. We contacted Tui on his behalf and the firm has since agreed to pay him and his wife back in full. Tui have now refunded Stephen & Tina the 400 deposit they initially refused to hand over A Tui UK spokesman said: 'We are very sorry to hear of Mr and Mrs Hardwicke's experience following the cancellation of their holiday. 'We would like to thank them for their feedback and can confirm that we have now been in contact with them and this matter has been resolved.' While happy with the result, Stephen expressed concern that it took so long to come to such an agreement with the firm. In comparison, Stephen also had to cancel outstanding flights he had with Easyjet and said the company was very helpful, transferring his flights into vouchers so he and his wife did not lose the cost of the trip. Frustrated travellers Stephen and Tina are not the only two holidaymakers who have been frustrated by the response they have received from travel firms when trying to reclaim money. A survey by Ipsos Mori in November last year of 2,260 people found that 54 per cent said they would be unlikely to book a holiday if the deposit was non-refundable. Another 89 per cent said they think they should get all, or most of their money back if they cancel a trip but a business still resells this booking. The Competition and Markets Authority has recently spoken out against holiday companies unfairly penalising customers who cancel their holidays. It launched a campaign, 'Small Print, Big Difference' to improve the fairness of the terms and conditions holidaymakers sign up to when booking a holiday. It said: 'Under consumer law, businesses may be entitled to ask customers to pay a cancellation fee to cover their losses, but the amount they keep must be in proportion to what they are losing. 'Cancellation terms that don't follow this approach are likely to be unfair and businesses can't rely on them to resolve claims or disputes with customers.' The CMA has recently spoken out against holiday companies unfairly penalising customers However, ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents, said travel companies are entitled to charge cancellation fees which reflect their losses. An ABTA spokesman said: 'For package holidays these fees can be calculated via a sliding scale starting at loss of deposit and moving up to a 100 per cent of the cost of the holiday for cancellation very close to the departure the date. 'Companies are also entitled to charge fees that reflect their losses across their entire program, rather than per each individual booking. Including a sliding scale in the terms and conditions provides a degree of certainty for customers and also allows them to commence any insurance claim shortly after having had to cancel. 'One of the most common reasons for cancellation is falling ill and any subsequent cancellation fee should be covered under the terms of an insurance policy. ABTA has always advised customers to make sure they have insurance in place at the time of booking precisely because of this possibility.' This is Money reported last month about another holidaymaker who booked a holiday through Tui and was refused a refund after she had to cancel due to health and safety concerns. Lloyds is scrambling to quell an embarrassing shareholder revolt over pension payouts given to boss Antonio Horta-Osorio. Investment groups have been urging shareholders to oppose the chief executive's pay package in a vote on Thursday during the bank's annual general meeting. Earlier this year it emerged that Horta-Osorio, 55, was the only Lloyds employee left on a lucrative final salary pension scheme, which he gave up after mounting pressure over the perk. Antonio Horta-Osorio is the only Lloyds employee left on a final salary pension scheme He had also been receiving pension top-ups worth 46 per cent of his salary, which the bank then reduced to 33 per cent in a bid to defuse the row. However the Investment Association opposes contributions of 25 per cent or more and has flagged the violation to shareholders. While Mark Brown of union Affinity said Horta-Osorio's payouts still dwarfed the maximum pension allowance of 13 per cent of salary that most staff were entitled to. Ahead of the AGM, Lloyds has taken the unusual step of using an internal video to urge employees with shares to back the pay report. Frank Field MP, chairman of the influential Commons work and pensions committee, has also called on investors to 'use their votes' to oppose the package. When Metro Bank opened its doors in 2010, it was the first new High Street lender in more than a century. Set up by a flamboyant American billionaire, it promised to put customers back at the heart of finance, and inject some razzmatazz into a flagging industry still reeling from the financial crisis. Almost a decade on and Metro is certainly proving to be different, although perhaps not in the way founder Vernon Hill had hoped. Accounting error: Metro Bank, set up by flamboyant American billionaire Vernon Hill, blamed false rumours on social media for sparking panic, and insisted customers money is safe An accounting error, repeated calls for investors to stump up extra cash and concerns over its management have sent shares plummeting. Hill, 73, is now understood to be ringing round the bosses of major institutions seeking their support. I got a late-night call from Vernon asking us to invest, one leading City figure told the Mail. Vulture hedge funds are circling and there have been pictures of long queues in branches, evoking memories of the Northern Rock crisis. Metro which has nearly 70 branches, mostly in London blamed false rumours on social media for sparking panic, and insisted customers money is safe. But with shares down another 11 per cent yesterday, taking losses since the peak in March last year to more than 88 per cent, the future of the bank is far from clear. The stock market rout has sent shares crashing from 4040p each to just 475p, wiping 3.5billion off Metro Banks value to leave it worth just 463million. Russ Mould, of savings firm AJ Bell, said: While Metro Bank has done its best to reassure customers that their money is safe, pictures of one of its branches packed with individuals wanting to cash out is damaging to its reputation and could hurt new customer growth, at least in the short term. It all looked so different in 2010, when Metro burst on to the scene. Hill gave bombastic interviews pledging to fight back against the discredited players responsible for the financial crisis. With memories still raw of the taxpayer rescues of Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland, the public was inclined to believe the brash billionaire from New Jersey when he said he could provide a better alternative. Hill initially made his money running a Burger King franchise, an industry where showmanship is essential, and it showed. His terrier, Sir Duffield II, is the banks official mascot, and every branch opening is greeted with an extravaganza of stilt walkers, face painters and music. Staff must take part in a conga line dance on their first day, and make up a song about Metro to sing together. Customers are fans, and branches are stores. For a while it looked to be a winning strategy, albeit a slightly unorthodox one. Hill used his contacts book to line up mega-rich investors, including the charitable foundation of media tycoon Michael Bloomberg, Tiffanys chairman Roger Farah and hedge fund mastermind Steven Cohen. He made former senior RBS banker Craig Donaldson chief executive, as a safe pair of hands to quieten concerns that Hill himself was too much of a maverick. In 2016, Metro listed on the stock market at 2000p a share. But there were already questions over what was going on behind closed doors. Investors were concerned by a contract between Metro and architecture firm Interarch, owned by Hills wife Shirley, for design services. Interarch has been paid more than 25million by Metro in an arrangement which it insists is above board and competitively priced. And hackles were raised over the 10,000 a month paid to Hill to cover travel and accommodation expenses, on top of the 385,000 annual salary he gets as chairman. Nonetheless, it was not until July last year that serious doubts began to emerge. Donaldson stunned investors by announcing plans to raise an extra 300million on the stock market despite insisting, earlier in the year that there were no plans to do this. Shares dropped over the next few days and the fall continued for the rest of the year. Then, in late January, Metro revealed that it had miscalculated the riskiness of some property loans. Shares crashed as investors worried about what this meant for the health of the lender, wiping around 1.5billion off its value in a single day. Savings are safe but only up to 85k Metro Bank is signed up to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme meaning customers money is legally protected. The FSCS will cover savings of up to 85,000 per person if a bank goes bust. This scheme was beefed up after the 2007 failure of Northern Rock, which suffered the first run on a British bank for 150 years as confidence collapsed and customers queued up to get their funds. It means customers can be confident that whatever happens at their bank, their nest egg will be safe, up to the 85,000 limit. Joint accounts are covered up to 170,000. Businesses typically also have the same 85,000 of protection, although the FSCS says this can depend on what type of banking service they are using. The content of safe deposit boxes is not covered, although customers would almost certainly be able to retrieve any items if the bank failed. The FSCS is funded by a levy on all banks, insurers and investment firms. Days later Metro was saddled with new questions over its credibility after the Mail revealed this mistake had first been discovered by regulators at the Bank of England, not the lenders own staff as it had initially claimed. Metro further infuriated investors by burying a revelation that watchdogs are investigating what happened pages into a presentation for analysts. Donaldson said he had offered to resign over the debacle but this had been rejected by the board. Metro is now raising another 350million to ensure its reserves are large enough to support future growth. Meanwhile, the impact of all this turmoil on customers has started to become clear. In the first three months of 2019, 566million was pulled out of deposits. The bank said this was driven by large businesses going elsewhere rather than retail users, and that deposits are growing again. Hedge funds have scented blood, making it the most short-sold stock in London as bets mount up on a further share price fall. Concerns are likely to remain over Hills role at Metro. And it may take more than a sprinkling of razzmatazz to restore the banks battered reputation. Former prime minister Tony Abbott and his right-wing colleague Peter Dutton are in serious danger of losing their seats at next week's federal election - with the pair firmly behind in the betting markets. A next generation of potential Liberal leaders are also under threat with Attorney-General Christian Porter and Health Minister Greg Hunt facing the fight of their political lives. A Newspoll released on Monday showed Labor leading the Coalition 51 to 49 per cent after preferences. Former prime minister Tony Abbott (pictured with rival Zali Steggall) and Liberal leadership aspirant Peter Dutton could both lose their seats at next week's federal election While the polls have tightened during the past four weeks, were that result to be uniformly replicated at the May 18 election, the government would lose at least half a dozen seats - enough to put Labor in power. Among them would be Immigration Minister David Coleman, his Aged Care colleague Ken Wyatt and the Assistant Minister for Children Michelle Landry, who represent very marginal seats. In the normally safe Liberal Party seat of Warringah, on Sydney's northern beaches, Mr Abbott is facing a strong challenge from Winter Olympic medallist Zali Steggall, who is campaigning on the issue of climate change. Betting agency now has Ms Steggall as the favourite for the first time, with odds of $1.80 compared with Mr Abbott's $1.90. Should Mr Abbott's primary result slip below 50 per cent, which is almost did in 2016, the former prime minister's 25-year political career could come to an end as Ms Steggall was elected on Labor and Greens preferences. Should Mr Abbott's primary result slip below 50 per cent, which is almost did in 2016, the former prime minister's 25-year political career could come to an end as Ms Steggall was elected on Labor and Greens preferences Mr Dutton, another Liberal MP from the party's right faction, is also in a tough race in his northern Brisbane seat of Dickson, which he retained in 2016 with a bare 1.6 per cent margin. The Home Affairs Minister, who last year unsuccessfully twice challenged Malcolm Turnbull for the Liberal leadership, had a bad start to his campaign. In April, he apologised after he sparked outrage for slamming his Labor rival Ali France, a former journalist who lost her leg in 2011, for failing to find a suitable house in the electorate. Mr Dutton could struggle to retain the seat he has held for 18 years, with Sportsbet giving him odds of $1.91 against $1.80 for Labor. His senior cabinet colleague and supporter Mr Hunt is also in trouble in his Victorian Mornington Peninsula electorate of Flinders. Home Affair Minister Peter Dutton, another Liberal MP from the party's right faction, is also in a tough race in his northern Brisbane seat of Dickson, which he retained in 2016 with a bare 1.6 per cent margin His senior cabinet colleague and supporter Health Minister Greg Hunt is also in trouble in his Victorian Mornington Peninsula electorate of Flinders While his 7.2 per cent margin would normally be considered safe, his electorate overlaps with state seats that swung heavily to Labor at last year's state election, including Nepean which the ALP picked up with an 8.5 per cent swing. Complicating the issue is former Melbourne-based Liberal MP Julia Banks, who quit the party to run as an independent in protest at the government's stance on climate change and the alleged treatment of women in politics. Her preferences could help Labor win Flinders for the first time since 1983. Mr Hunt has $1.60 Sportsbet odds against Labor candidate Joshua Sinclair's $2.10. Across the other side of Australia, Attorney-General Christian Porter faces losing his marginal Perth electorate of Pearce Across the other side of Australia, Mr Porter faces losing his marginal Perth electorate of Pearce, with Sportsbet giving him narrow odds of $1.70 odds compared with his Labor challenger Kim Travers, who is on $2. The former prosecutor and university lecturer has been touted as a potential future leader of the Liberal Party but his dreams of becoming PM could be dashed if he fails to defend his 3.7 per cent margin. Another Perth-based minister is in trouble with Mr Wyatt facing a loss in his seat of Hasluck, which he holds by a narrow 2.1 per cent buffer. The Aged Care Minister made history in 2010 as the first indigenous member of the House of Representatives. Another Perth-based MP is in trouble with Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt facing a loss in his seat of Hasluck But representing a volatile seat has its risks, with Sportsbet giving Mr Wyatt long odds of $2.90 compared with his Labor challenger James Martin's $1.33. Sportsbet odds for Liberal Party members who could lose their seats Tony Abbott $1.90 versus $1.80 for independent rival Zali Steggall Peter Dutton $1.91 versus $1.80 for Labor's Ali France Greg Hunt $1.60 versus $2.10 for Labor's Joshua Sinclair Christian Porter $1.70 versus $2 for Labor's Kim Travers Ken Wyatt $2.90 versus $1.33 for Labor's James Martin David Coleman $1.50 versus $2.40 for Labor's Chris Gambion Michelle Landry (Nationals) $2.30 versus $1.91 for Labor's Russell Robertson Advertisement In Sydney's multicultural south-west, Mr Coleman faces a tough fight on paper to retain the seat of Banks, which he kept in 2016 with a narrow 1.4 per margin. Despite the tight margin, the former media executive is the favourite to hold on, with Sportbet odds of $1.50 compared with his Labor rival Chris Gambion's $2.40. The electorate also overlaps with the state Liberal seats of East Hills and Oatley, which recorded swings to the Liberal Party at the March election despite their long histories as former Labor seats. In central Queensland, Ms Landry was the favourite to retain Capricornia for the Nationals, despite her minuscule 0.6 per cent margin. The race, however, has become more uncertain with Sportsbet is giving her odds of $2.30 compared with $1.91 for her Labor rival Russell Robertson, as Indian coal giant Adani's proposed Carmichael mine in the Galilee Basin antagonises the Greens and environmental protesters and divides regional communities. In Sydney's multicultural south-west, Immigration Minister David Coleman faces a tough fight on paper to retain the seat of Banks, which he kept in 2016 with a narrow 1.4 per margin Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stuck to his word, setting the wheels in motion for a new settlement in Golan Heights to be named after US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu said Sunday that a site for a promised new settlement had been chosen and formal approval was under way. About 50,000 people live in the area, around half being Druze Arabs with Syrian roots with villages built on the vast region. 'I promised that we would establish a community named after President Trump,' Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. US President Donald Trump holds up a signed proclamation on the Golan Heights alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on March 25, 2019 Speaking in Hebrew Netanyahu added that 'the process has started.' 'I would like to inform you that we have already selected a site in the Golan Heights where this new community will be established,' he said. Netanyahu pledged such a move last month, in appreciation of Trump's recognition of Israel's claim of sovereignty over part of the strategic plateau. He appeared in a video tweeted by his official spokesperson, thanking Trump and pledging to name a new community after him. A view of entrance of the Israeli settlement of Qela (Berruchim) in the controlled Golan Heights Israeli soldiers passing an abandoned house during training next to the Israeli settlement of Qela (Berruchim) in the controlled Golan Heights today Trump broke with longstanding international consensus on March 25 when he recognised Israel's claim of sovereignty over the part of the Golan it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. That came after the US president in December 2017 said Washington would recognise the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, sparking outrage among the Palestinians who claim Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as the capital of their own future state. The US embassy was moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and inaugurated on May 14, 2018. Israeli soldiers stand guard at the Quneitra border crossing of the Israeli annexed-Golan Heights, on March 23 A sign put by residents of a new Israeli settlement in the occupied Golan Heights at the entrance gate to the area reading in Hebrew 'Qela Alon is not for sale' Netanyahu said he would submit the new settlement plan for cabinet approval when a new government takes office in the wake of last month's snap general election. The premier has been conducting low-key meetings with heads of the parties expected to join his coalition and has until the end of May to put together an alliance. Israel annexed 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan it seized in 1981, a move never recognised by the international community. Around 18,000 Syrians from the Druze sect - most of whom refuse to take Israeli citizenship - remain in the occupied Golan. Some 20,000 Israeli settlers have moved there, spread over 33 settlements. A 37-year-old Tunisian former athlete was thrown off a Rome bridge to her death by a man she met in a bar who may have unsuccessfully asked her for sex, police said Friday. Imen Chatbouri's body was found May 2 on a Tiber River walkway near Sisto Bridge. Police say Ms Chatbouri, who was born in Tunisia and in the past competed for Italy in amateur javelin competitions, was thrown from the Rome bridge, falling around 20 metres. Police at the scene Body of woman discovered near Sisto's Bridge, Rome Italian broadcaster RaiNews24 reports that the Romanian suspect arrested Saturday says he is not the man in the video Investigators obtained video footage showing a man grabbing Chatbouri by the ankles as she leaned on a parapet before dawn that day and tossing her over the barrier. Italian broadcaster RaiNews24 reports that the Romanian suspect arrested Saturday says he is not the man in the video. Italian media say Chatbouri and the detained man had been together the night before her body was found and other surveillance cameras captured him following her to the bridge. Investigators obtained video footage showing a man grabbing Chatbouri by the ankles as she leaned on a parapet before dawn that day and tossing her over the barrier Italian media say Chatbouri and the detained man had been together the night before her body was found and other surveillance cameras captured him following her to the bridge Kaine Louzader, 20, of St. Peters, Missouri, was arrested Friday and has since been charged with two counts of felony animal abuse by torture or mutilation A Missouri man has been arrested for torturing and killing more than a dozen cats that he bought or received for free on Craigslist. Kaine Louzader, 20, who reportedly lives at his grandparents' home in St. Peters, Missouri, was arrested Friday and has since been charged with two counts of felony animal abuse by torture or mutilation, county court records show. He is being held at the county jail on 50,000 bond. The bodies of dead and dismembered cats have been turning up on or near Louzader's street since January, according to charging documents obtained by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Louzader's arrest came four days after an unnamed witnessed spotted a man near the suspect's house discarding a dead cat from a bag filled with water. The unidentified man was driving a car that matched the description of Louzader's vehicle, police said. Scroll down for video The bodies of dead and dismembered cats have been turning up on or near Louzader's street in St. Peters, Missouri since January, according to police Louzader's arms, hands and fingers were covered in scratches after his arrest Friday, according to a report filed by St. Charles County Sheriff deputy Sgt. Jeff Ochs. Investigators said the 20-year-old initially told them his wounds came from an elderly woman at the hospital where he worked. When deputies said the scratches didn't appear to have come from a human being, they said Louzador admitted the scars were caused by cats he got off the internet and later killed, the Post-Dispatch reported. So far the remains of just one adult cat and three mutilated kittens have been found in the area, according to Fox 2 Now. But Louzader told investigators he obtained more than a dozen cats online before killing them by either strangling the animals or stomping on their heads, police said. Louzader's neighbor, Tim Weber, said his children found one of the dead cats, which he assumed had been attacked by another animal Weber's family buried the mutilated feline in the yard. He said other dead cats turned up later Investigators said the 20-year-old told them his sadistic acts would take place in his bathtub or the patio in his backyard. Once the cats were dead, Louzader told investigators he mutilated their bodies by removing their heads, cutting off their limbs or both, police said. Louzader's neighbors were surprised to hear about his alleged crimes over the weekend. 'If someone's capable of doing that to an animal, who knows what they could do?' neighbor Doug Custer told Fox 2 Now. 'I can't imagine what kind of a sick person would do that to an animal.' Louzader's arrest came four days after an unnamed witnessed spotted a man near Louzader's house discarding a dead cat from a bag filled with water. The unidentified man was driving a car that matched the description of Louzader's vehicle, police said Tim Weber, who lives next door to Louzader, said his children found one of the dead cats, which he assumed had been attacked by another animal. Weber's family buried the feline, but others turned up later. 'I had one in the side of my yard and another in my fenced-in yard,' he said. 'It's shocking. It's disturbing.' In Missouri, animal abuse is usually considered a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $2,000. But the charge can be updated to a class E felony punishable by up to four years in jail when the person charged is found guilty of deliberately torturing or mutilating animals while they were still alive, according to the state's statutory code. A family cat named after a Russian mystic and wanderer has been reunited with his owner eight years after going missing. Rasputin was handed in to a Perth vet almost a decade after he slipped out of the Mundijong home of his owner Megan Funston. Ms Funston, who eventually moved away from the suburb in south of Perth, still returned to her old street almost twice a year to search for the moggie. She had just about given up hope of seeing her beloved pet again when her phone rang. Ms Funston was shocked to discover the cat had turned up at a local vet after being found less than 10km from where he went missing. Rasputin, a family cat missing for eight years, made an amazing return to his owner after someone took the animal to a local vet last week (stock image) The vet scanned the cat for a microchip and was able to use the information to contact Ms Funston. The cat was 'incredibly light, like a serviette' and had gone blind, Ms Funston told The West Australian. 'Now that he's back, he's very cuddly and needy, he wants attention from me. It's been so beautiful having him back,' she told the publication. Ms Funston has also been feeding Rasputin three times a day to help him regain some weight. Rasputin is also now blind but is showing no other signs of injuries. She is thrilled to have the Bombay cat home after fearing her had been lost for good. 'It's probably only in the last six months or so that I started thinking I probably wouldn't see him again she said. 'Hes a very beautiful cat very sweet, friendly, silky and I thought hed probably be OK.' A close friend and former colleague of beloved actor Pua Magasiva has paid an emotional tribute to him after his sudden death. Magasiva's body was found early on Saturday morning at a home in Wellington, New Zealand and police have confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances involved in his death. The 38-year-old played Shane Clarke, the Red Wind Ranger, in 'Power Rangers Ninja Storm' in the mid-2000s - and starred as nurse Vinnie Kruse-Miller on popular New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street since 2003. Magasiva also presented a breakfast show on radio station Flava, and his co-host Selo Alo shared a heartbreaking message to his friend on Instagram. A close friend and former colleague of beloved actor Pua Magasiva (pictured with wife Lizz Sadler) has paid an emotional tribute to him after his sudden death Magasiva (left) also presented a breakfast show on radio station Flava, and his co-host Selo Alo (right) shared a heartbreaking message to his friend on Instagram 'I've been really struggling this weekend and couldn't bring myself to post or write anything sole (man) but I just had to,' Alo posted 'I've been really struggling this weekend and couldn't bring myself to post or write anything sole (man) but I just had to,' Alo posted. 'Have you seen the amount of love people have for you? Do you know how many lives you've touched with your stink jokes, your stink charm, your stink handsomeness and your stink haircut? 'People love you uce (brother)! And they miss you... so so much! I wanna punch you in the pants right now but I also wanna hug you and hold you... '... on behalf of the thousands of hearts you've made smile... we love you... God bless, talk soon.' Shortland Street's Twitter account confirmed the actor's passing, writing: 'We are all absolutely devastated at the tragic news regarding Pua Magasiva. 'Pua was a much loved member of the South Pacific Pictures' family for many years and our hearts and thoughts go out to Pua's family at this time.' Magasiva's body was found early on Saturday morning in a Wellington home, and police have confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances involved in his death The body of Pua Magasiva (pictured with wife Lizz Sadler), 38, was found early on Saturday morning in a Wellington home He rose to fame playing Shane Clarke, the Red Wind Ranger in Power Rangers Ninja Storm The Samoan actor (right) was a fan favourite on screen. He starred in Outrageous Fortune, Sione's Wedding and Power Rangers He co-hosted the breakfast show on Flava but quit last year after being convicted of drink-driving for a third time. The Samoan-born actor was raised in Wellington. His family, including brother Robbie, who is also an actor, have flown to Wellington amid the heartbreaking news. The star had just celebrated his first wedding anniversary with wife Lizz Sadler. The pair married in April last year, 18 months after meeting on Instagram. Magasiva leaves behind a young daughter from his first marriage. He played Sione in the iconic new Zealand movie Sione's Wedding (pictured: Sione (Pua Magasiva) held aloft by Michael (Robbie Magasiva) and Albert (Oscar Kightley)) Magasiva leaves behind a young daughter from his first marriage Friends and fans have been left shocked by his sudden death. Tributes have flooded in online for the icon. Co-star Shane Cortese shared a touching post online: 'My heart goes out to the Magasiva family and the extended television alumni who had the honour of seeing the glint in his eye and the sound of his hearty laugh close hand.' 'Rest In Peace Pua Magasiva. Thoughts and prayers to the family,' Olympic gold medalist Valerie Adams tweeted. 'Sending my love to his friends and family - he would always stop and say hello to anyone that would say hi to him - bloody good guy,' radio star Mike Puru shared. 'In disbelief...I just saw you on fresh this morning. Funny as always. RIP bro!' a friend shared online. The star had just celebrated his first wedding anniversary with wife Lizz Sadler. Both have children from previous relationships 'I wish you peace forever, you deserve everything. I'm sorry you felt this way,' one person said. Magasiva was hailed as a hero in 2017 after helping pull a motorist from a burning vehicle. The car had crashed into a tree on the Hibiscus Coast Highway in Orewa in north Auckland and the driver had been pinned to the seat, Stuff reported. Magasiva was among a group of motorists who had stopped to help. The group had managed to remove the steering wheel, freeing the driver as flames engulfed the vehicle. For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14 A stepfather from the Northern Territory has been convicted of the vile sexual abuse of a disabled boy who had the mental capacity of a seven-year-old. The 63-year-old man, from Palmerston, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to twice performing an act of gross indecency on a male in private. The court heard the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was confronted by his then-wife in the early 1990s after performing sex acts on the then-teenager. A step-father from the Northern Territory has been convicted of the vile sexual abuse of a disabled boy who had the mental capacity of a seven-year-old The man, who worked at Bunnings, told his then-wife it wouldn't have happened is she had 'put out,' the court heard, according to the NT News. 'What do you want me to do, it can't be undone,' he also told her. The court heard the attacks were witnessed by the teen's sister and that the teen had later tried to cut his wrists with a can opener. His defence lawyer told the court the man continued to live with the family for 23 years and now lived a quiet life. 'He had to tell his employers and work colleagues, they're like family, and that itself was a very difficult process,' he said. Chief Justice Michael Grant said the sexual assault of children were 'abhorrent crimes which cause great disquiet in the community'. The man was sentenced to two years jail, suspended immediately. Democratic Party front-runner Joe Biden is not only too old to be president, but hes been wrong on almost every foreign policy and national security question for the past four decades, a former Obama administration colleague said. Robert Gates, who served as defense secretary under former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, said on Sunday that he doesnt know if Biden would make an effective president. He and I agreed on some key issues in the Obama administration, we disagreed significantly on Afghanistan and some other issues, Gates told CBS News on Sunday. I think that the vice president had some issues with the military. Gates and @JoeBiden served together under @BarackObama. As for how the former VP would do as commander in chief, Gates says it would depend on the personalities at the time as Biden had some issues with the military. pic.twitter.com/5H8MYM2VMw Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 12, 2019 Robert Gates (above), who was defense secretary under President Barack Obama, declined to endorse his former administration colleague, former Vice President Joe Biden, on Sunday Gates (seen center with Biden on the left and Obama on the right in April 2011) says he stands by his earlier statements in which he said Biden was wrong on nearly every foreign policy and national security question over the past four decades Gates also served as defense secretary under Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush (seen left with Gates in January 2009) So how he would get along with the senior military and what that relationship would be, I think it would depend on the personalities at the time. Gates told CBS News on Sunday that he stood by what he wrote in his 2014 memoir. Joe Biden is impossible not to like, Gates' memoir said. He's a man of integrity, incapable of hiding what he really thinks, and one of those rare people you know you can turn to for help in a personal crisis. Still, I think he's been wrong on nearly every foreign policy and national security issue for the past four decades. Gates on Sunday also said that Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is also running for the Democratic nomination for president, dont have the kind of energy that I think is required to be president. Biden is 76 years old, while Sanders is 77. Gates also believes that Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont are too old to be president. Biden, 76, is seen left. Sanders, 77, is seen right I'm not sure you have the intellectual acuity that you might have had in your 60s, Gates, who himself is 75, said. The thought of taking on those responsibilities at this point in my life would be pretty daunting. Gates, who says he identifies as a Republican, told CBS News that he also believes President Trump, at 72, may be too old for the job. Trump was the oldest president to take office. He was 70 years old when he was inaugurated. It's a question people ought to address, Gates said, noting that Ronald Reagan was 73-years-old when he was re-elected to a second term. Reagan, Gates said, was a pretty great president. 'When you're talking about being the president of the United States, the ability to do the job in every respect has always got to be a consideration,' Gates said. A flight attendant who slipped while using mobile stairs to disembark an aircraft in the rain is suing Qantas for $315,000. Margaret Chapman, 47, claims she injured her neck, shoulder and thumb in the incident at Brisbane airport in April 2015. Ms Chapman said she has been left permanently impaired and less employable according to a claim filed by Patinos Personal Lawyers in the Brisbane District Court. She said the incident could have been avoided by Qantas if it had provided proper equipment and training. Ms Chapman's claim says Qantas should have known that using mobile stairs in rainy weather would expose staff to the risk of slipping. Mobile stairs are used when planes are too far from a gate with a passenger bridge. Ms Chapman was disembarking an aircraft in the rain when she slipped on wet mobile stairs (not the ones pictured) causing permanent injury 'But for the negligence of the defendant (Qantas), the plaintiff (Ms Chapman) would not have suffered said injuries,' the claim said according to a report by The Australian. 'The defendant required the plaintiff to perform her work duties in an unsafe manner.' Daily Mail Australia contacted Qantas on Monday but the airline said it would not be commenting 'as the matter is still proceeding'. Airlines use mobile stairs to disembark passengers when an aircraft is parked too far from a gate with a passenger boarding bridge, and at airports that have no bridges. The claim also says Qantas should have provided training on how to descend safely in wet weather, and failed to carry out adequately assess the risks of walking down wet mobile stairs. The Flight Attendants Association of Australia has reportedly said cases of cabin crew slipping on mobile stairs are rare. A flight attendant is suing Qantas for a reported $315,000 after slipping on wet mobile stairs as she says the airline should have used stairs that are not slippery when wet In 2013, a woman was injured while disembarking a plane using mobile stairs in the rain at Sydney Airport when she slipped and fell, landing on her coccyx and injuring her back. She wanted to sue the airline for $500,000 but her lawyers failed to commence personal injury proceedings in time, leading her to pursue a negligence claim in the NSW District Court against her own lawyers. Budget carrier Ryanair settled a case in 2012 for an undisclosed sum after being sued by Polish passenger Malgorzata Jeneralczyk, then-aged 57, who slipped and fell on wet mobile stairs while alighting from a Ryanair jet in Dublin, Ireland. She had been holding a rail with one hand and carrying her bags in the other when she fell, knocking her unconscious and leaving her with bruises. Brisbane Airport where the mobile stairs slip occurred in 2015 In 2011, a Virgin pilot was hurled from tarmac stairs where he was conducting a pre-flight check by the engine thrust of a passing Qantas 747 taxiing for takeoff, causing him to break an arm and a leg. Jetstar was sued in 2010 for not providing safe access after an elderly passenger slipped up stairs at Brisbane Airport, but won the case on appeal. Six passengers fell to the ground while climbing mobile stairs that failed in Russia, while trying to board a Ural Airlines A320 earlier this year. The Twitter account for IHOP was the subject of intense backlash over social media on Sunday, after posting a tweet that people found confusing in celebration of Mother's Day. IHOP shared an image meant to look like a sonogram showing pancakes in a person's stomach, writing, 'If you have pancakes in your tum tum, does that make you a pancake mum mum? Happy Mothers Day to ALL the moms out there!' Twitter users were puzzled by the post, however, with many assuming the image was supposed to depict a uterus with pancakes inside, especially given the reference to motherhood. Outrage ensued, with one user writing, 'I would personally like to fire whoever sent this tweet out.' IHOP tweeted an image meant to look like a sonogram showing pancakes in someone's stomach, in a confusing post on Mother's Day that some felt brought up the personhood debate. The tweet read, 'If you have pancakes in your tum tum, does that make you a pancake mum mum? Happy Mothers Day to ALL the moms out there!' Outrage ensued and one user wrote, 'I would personally like to fire whoever sent this tweet out' Many people, including a medical student, were confused at just what IHOP was trying to show in the image accompany its tweet. Ioana F, whose Twitter biography describes her as a Harvard graduate and a Washington University in St. Louis medical school student, tweeted: 'I feel comfortable enough in my medical training thus far to confirm that the uterus is NOT in fact connected to the GI tract.' The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the system of organs responsible for digesting our food and expelling waste, which does not, in fact, include the uterus. But IHOP's tweet didn't exactly say it was trying to show a uterus in the image. Many people, including a medical student, were confused at just what IHOP was trying to show in the image accompany its tweet. Ioana F, whose Twitter biography describes her as a Harvard graduate and a Washington University in St. Louis medical school student, tweeted: 'I feel comfortable enough in my medical training thus far to confirm that the uterus is NOT in fact connected to the GI tract' Ultrasounds can be taken of many different organs within the abdominal cavity, and the photo generated as a result is a sonogram, just as is produced during pregnancy examinations. That point was lost of many, however, with another user writing: 'IHOP really thinks people are just sliding whole stacks of pancakes down their throat and into their uterus.' Another person tweeted, 'When I eat pancakes they go straight to my uterus,' in a quip parodying the common joke that indulgent treats 'go straight to my thighs,' et cetera. People assumed the image showed a uterus rather than a parody of a sonogram of a stomach Another person tweeted, 'When I eat pancakes they go straight to my uterus,' in a quip parodying the common joke that indulgent treats 'go straight to my thighs,' et cetera Others took the tweet as a reference to the personhood debate, currently at the center of the many so-called 'heartbeat bills' being signed into law around the country, which so far have been swiftly struck down in legal challenges as being unconstitutional. In multiple states, governors have signed legislation that would ban abortions as soon as a doctor can detect cardiac activity, which can occur as early as six weeks after conception when many women don't yet know they're pregnant. Some users seemed to imply that IHOP was bringing up the question of when rights attach to a fetus, or when 'motherhood' comes into play, with its jokey question of, 'If you have pancakes in your tum tum, does that make you a pancake mum mum?' Verified Twitter user Molly Jong-Fast tweeted in response to the post, 'And @IHOP weights into the most controversial space in American politics in the last 50 years.' Some users seemed to imply that IHOP was bringing up the question of when rights attach to a fetus, or when 'motherhood' comes into play, with its jokey question of, 'If you have pancakes in your tum tum, does that make you a pancake mum mum?' Along those same lines, other responded with puns like, 'In Georgia they consider it a pancake as soon as the egg is cracked,' mocking arguments over when a fetus is considered a person with protected rights. Georgia is one of the states which has passed a bill banning abortion of a 'fetal heartbeat' is detected, and it was signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp on May 7 Another user write 'life starts at consumption' in a play on anti-abortion activists' common refrain that 'life starts at conception' Along those same lines, other responded with puns like, 'In Georgia they consider it a pancake as soon as the egg is cracked,' mocking arguments over when a fetus is considered a person with protected rights. Georgia is one of the states which has passed a bill banning abortion of a 'fetal heartbeat' is detected, and it was signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp on May 7. Another user write 'life starts at consumption' in a play on anti-abortion activists' common refrain that 'life starts at conception.' DailyMail.com reached out to IHOP for comment on its actual intent with the post, but did not immediately receive a reply. IHOP has also not commented publicly to clarify the intent and tone of the post. A rapper who spoke about being tough and never backing out has been arrested after a man was violently killed in Surfers Paradise. Coskun Marius 26, was arrested by NSW police in Coffs Harbour on Sunday afternoon and will be extradited to the Gold Coast where police are investigating the death of Dre Nova. Nova, 38, was found covered in blood with a fatal head wound at a home in Surfers Paradise about 5.15pm on Friday and was pronounced dead at the scene. Marius, also known as 'CJ', was known to the victim, and was believed to have been at the property at the time of the incident. The Brisbane rapper has tattoos on his neck and one on his hand which says 'bi#@h don't kill my vibe'. Coskun Marius 26, was arrested by NSW police in Coffs Harbour on Sunday afternoon and will be extradited to the Gold Coast where police are investigating the death of Dre Nova Police said the wounds were not self-inflicted and a post-mortem was being conducted to determine Nova's cause of death. 'The relationship between Marius and the deceased (is that) they are acquaintances,' acting detective inspector Matthew Ward said. 'But to the extent of that relationship, I can't comment any further. 'He (Marius) has been identified as being present at the time and he will be able to contribute significantly to the investigation. 'He did have a presence in the Surfers Paradise area and has had for some time. Beyond that, we are still in the process of building background knowledge of the deceased.' Marius was at Mr Nova's home at the time of his death, according to The Gold Coast Bulletin. The Brisbane rapper has tattoos on his neck and one on his hand which says 'bi#@h don't kill my vibe' His Facebook page shows he's shared multiple photos of family and a young girl, who is believed to be his daughter. 'I just want to talk to my daughter please...,' he wrote on May 2. He's also shared inspirational quotes on his page, as well has leading another public Facebook page as an artist where he shares his latest music. 'I never lost music, I just misplaced it,' he wrote. 'Playing it safe thinking this is the standard of society I need to keep in order to be happy and raise my babies,' the post said. 'The fire is still lit, and I have unlimited fuel. This time, I'm going in and there's no backing out.' He wrote on one Facebook picture 'tough times never last but tough people do'. Britain risks becoming a cashless society hitting the vulnerable unless radical action is taken to prevent ATM closures, MPs warn today. Thousands of free cash machines across the country have either shut or started charging customers in the past year after a change in how they are paid for. MPs on the Treasury select committee said urgent action is required to prevent huge swathes of the UK losing access to paper money. Thousands of free cash machines across the country have either shut or started charging customers in the past year after a change in how they are paid for They warned that ministers must intervene to stop parts of Britain being cut off from cash altogether. They said: To protect the freedom of consumers to pay for goods and services how they choose, free access to cash must be maintained for those who need it. This includes free-to-use ATMs. Failure from the Government to intervene risks the UK inadvertently becoming a cashless society. For the most vulnerable in society, this would have stark consequences. More than 8million Britons rely on cash to get by, including many older people and some of the poorest households in the UK, according to official figures. The MPs report focuses on access to financial services and takes aim in particular at the disappearance of ATMs. The free cash machine network is paid for by high street banks, which transfer a fee to independent ATM operators when a customer withdraws money using their card. MPs on the Treasury select committee said urgent action is required to prevent huge swathes of the UK losing access to paper money But the banks have cut these fees from 25p per transaction to 22.5p. This is despite the five biggest banks making a combined 30billion of profit in 2018. Independent operators claim this has made vast numbers of ATMs unprofitable so they have to close or start charging. At least 3,200 free cash machines have disappeared since January 2018 almost 6 per cent of the total. The committee also warned that a wave of bank branch closures in the past decade has caused serious damage. The biggest lenders shut around 800 branches last year as part of a wave of cutbacks which has seen thousands vanish since the financial crisis in 2008. When a branch shuts, it can force vulnerable people to travel miles to access basic services. And the closure of the last bank in town can devastate high streets because shoppers have one less reason to visit and businesses struggle to deposit their takings. The report argues that the Post Office, which offers some basic services such as money deposits and withdrawals, is no substitute for a real bank. Post Offices are state-owned and provide banking services at a loss, meaning that when a bank pulls out of an area, taxpayers pick up the tab The MPs call for lenders to pool their resources to offer a banking hub which can provide better coverage when a towns last branch disappears. They note that Post Offices are state-owned and provide banking services at a loss, meaning that when a bank pulls out of an area, taxpayers pick up the tab. The report also criticises banks and insurers for ripping off loyal customers by luring them in with eye-catching initial prices, then hiking the cost for those who stay for more than a year. The MPs said if finance firms do not change their ways it may be necessary to impose a legal duty of care requiring them always to act in customers best interests. Stephen Jones, of UK Finance, last night defended the banking industry. He insisted: The industry takes its societal responsibilities extremely seriously and is committed to looking after every customer, including those in vulnerable circumstances. The NHSs annual compensation bill for blunders and delays has doubled to more than 650 million in five years, it was reported last night. Patients groups said the increase was extremely worrying, adding that people were dying because of an increase in waiting times for appointments, diagnosis and treatment. In 2017-18 the NHS paid 655million to 1,789 patients in negligence compensation an increase from the 327million paid to 1,406 patients in 2013-14, The Daily Telegraph reported. The NHSs annual compensation bill for blunders and delays has doubled to more than 650 million in five years, it was reported last night Last years data includes 1,100 patients who faced slow or ineffective treatment and 679 who were misdiagnosed or experienced a delay in being diagnosed. The figures come from NHS Resolution, the health services litigation authority, and follow a steep rise in hospital waiting times and cancellation of appointments. Peter Walsh, the chief executive of charity Action Against Medical Accidents, said: These figures are extremely worrying and show that patients are suffering and even dying. Sadly, the figures represented by claims are only the tip of the iceberg. He urged the Government to act to prevent patients experiencing more harm. Professor Derek Alderson, the president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: This steep increase in the number of patients awarded damages because of delays in their treatment or misdiagnosis is very concerning. An empty NHS hospital bed on a ward in the UK (file photo). The figures come from NHS Resolution, the health services litigation authority, and follow a steep rise in hospital waiting times and cancellation of appointments We urgently need to have a plan to tackle the increasing backlog of patients on the elective waiting list including a commitment to increase hospital bed capacity. Patients should not be left languishing in pain on lengthening waiting lists... they deserve better. The number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for operations or other planned treatments has tripled in the past five years, while one in five patients diagnosed with cancer were forced to wait more than two months for treatment. Some 9 million hospital appointments are being cancelled every year three times the number a decade ago. The NHS said it cares for millions of patients every year and incidents like these are thankfully extremely rare. A gang of militant vegans who ruined restaurant-goers' nights out by crashing their meals with animal cruelty videos previously held a sick McDonald's protest. Around 22 animal rights activists from the group Direct Action Everywhere took to the streets of Leederville, a suburb of Perth, on Saturday evening and confronted diners with disturbing animal cruelty footage and placards. And the group have form for twisted demonstrations - including a protest that saw them march into a McDonald's and place the body of a dead pig on the counter. In September 2018, members of the group, including leader James Warden, were accused of stealing a dead piglet from a piggery in Western Australia and delivering it to the McDonald's. In September 2018, members of the group, including leader James Warden, were accused of stealing a dead piglet from a piggery in Western Australia and delivering it to the McDonald's Vegan protesters displayed posters encouraging people to stop eating meat during the demonstration inside a McDonald's He shared a photo of himself with black tape across his mouth, holding the dead piglet on a white cloth-covered basket. The piglet was covered in pink, yellow and baby's-breath flowers and placed on the counter while horrified customers looked on. Warden, from group Direct Action Everywhere, fronted Mandurah Magistrates Court in April charged with three counts of trespassing, and two counts each of stealing and aggravated burglary. He pleaded guilty to the trespassing charges but denied stealing the dead piglet or a $1,500 calf. The same group of activists were among the 22 who confronted diners on Saturday night. While some of the group stood silently with signs about animal slaughter other activists began preaching at groups of people enjoying dinner. The group have form for twisted demonstrations - including a protest that saw them march into a McDonald's and place the body of a dead pig on the counter One female activist (pictured) began preaching at restaurant-goers as they tried to continue eating their food 'Male calves are slaughtered as young as six weeks old simply because they don't produce milk,' one female activist said. 'Chicks are blended alive in a macerator or gassed to death simply because they don't produce eggs. 'Animals don't want better lives they want freedom. We have a choice the animals don't,' she concluded. The group, who were also armed with televisions, were led by Warden, who said the group planned to use the televisions to screen the film Dominion. Around 22 animal rights activists (pictured) from the group Direct Action Everywhere took to the streets of Leederville on Saturday evening and confronted bemused diners with disturbing animal cruelty footage and placards 'On the screens we'll be playing the Dominion documentary that highlights the inherent cruelty of the industry, speciesism. So that's all we're trying to project,' Mr Warden told 9News. Dominion is a documentary film which examines the exploitation of animals and mainly focuses on how humans use animals for food. Premier of Western Australia Mark McGowan said by holding such public protests, the activists were actually driving people away from their cause. 'It's just stupid. I'd encourage them, I'd tell them don't do it, all you do is drive people away from your cause in the first place. If they want to make a stand go and run for public office,' he said. A father and son have survived a terrifying night clinging to the wreck of their boat in dangerous waters after their catamaran capsized. The father, 49, and son, 15, were sailing in Darwin harbour on Saturday morning before their 16ft vessel flipped over and broke apart, leaving the pair clinging onto what was left in a desperate attempt to stay alive. The pair were eventually rescued on Sunday morning after a nearby Singaporean live export ship's crew spotted the pair floating off the edge of the harbour. The father and son were left clinging onto the remains of their catamaran (pictured) The father and son were experienced sailors and set out in the harbour around 11am Saturday morning. Police and Careflight services were contacted after a family member reported them missing at around 10pm on Saturday. Night vision equipment was used as helicopters and police scoured the coastline in search of the missing sailors, who are suspected to have been floating in the water since late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. The sailors floated out to the edge of Darwin harbor and were found where the red dot is The time when the catamaran capsized is unclear but NT water police have suspected rough seas to be the cause. The waters in Darwin harbour are home to sharks and crocodiles. The cattle export ship found the father and son floating with the remains of their wreck at around 8am on Sunday. A Singaporean cattle ship located the pair floating off the edge of the harbor (pictured) NT water police have suggested that sailors carry mobile phones or emergency beacons stating that 'communication is vital to getting rescued'. Miraculously, the father and son were unharmed and required no medical attention, after being shipwrecked throughout Saturday night. NT water police described the sailors as extremely lucky and said the story could have had an otherwise tragic outcome. A New Zealand family has expressed outage after their young children were abused by a store employee for being too noisy in a shopping centre play area. Auckland resident Felipe De Rodt claims the woman screamed and swore at him and other relatives at Westfield Albany during late night shopping last Thursday night. A security guard was forced to intervene during the ugly confrontation. It's understood the family's children aged between two and seven were playing in a playground when they were approached by an enraged employee from the nearby Travel Money outlet, who yelled at them for being too loud. A family claims a Travel Money employee (pictured) screamed at their children for being too loud in a nearby indoor playground at Westfield Albany last week Mr De Rodt took to social media afterwards to express his disgust. 'My cousin went to confront her and tell her that she can't talk to our kids like that, and then she snapped and started screaming,' he posted on a community Facebook page. 'I could hear her from the end of the mall saying how tired of the noise she was working all day on the mall.' Mr De Rodt said his sister-in-law then told the woman she had no right to speak to the children that way, which enraged her further. Security guards were forced to intervene during the ugly confrontation between the outraged family and Travel Money employee 'She snapped (again) and started screaming saying she had every right and that she works in the mall all day and is tired of all the noise and then told us to f*** off,' he wrote. 'We had a chat with the security guard, which she agreed with us that this was not acceptable.' Mr De Rodt told the New Zealand Herald the children were doing 'what kids normally do,' and that there were other children in the play area being just as loud. 'She marched over was shouting at them saying 'you're way too old to be playing in there' and to 'stop being so noisy',' he told the publication. 'She started losing it at them. She was aggressive. Our kids were frightened and looked over towards us not sure what to do or how to react.' The incident happened at Westfield Albany (pictured) in Auckland last Thursday night. A similar incident occurred at Kmart at the shopping centre a week earlier Mr De Rodt's post on the community Facebook page sparked a divisive reaction. 'If I had some old lady yell at my kids (if or when I have them) I'd rip her head off. Kids are kids, sometimes you just can't 'control' them. I believe this is totally unacceptable behaviour from someone who should know better,' one person wrote. Another added: 'Doesn't matter what kind of day this lady had or what time the kids were out, there is no excuse for a stranger to approach someone else's children and verbally attack them.' Others questioned why the children were still out at 9.30pm at night when most shops had already closed and defended the employee's actions. 'Lesson learned, why should children be able to scream and control an environment when hard working adults 'just have to deal with it,' one woman posted. Another added: 'By the looks the mall was closed and where this shop is, is a decent amount away from the playground area. Maybe take a minute to consider what those working in customer service deal with before shaming them on social media.' Parent Felipe De Rodt took to a community Facebook page to express his disgust. His post (pictured) sparked a divisive reaction The family has made a formal complaint to Westfield centre management and Travel Money. Mr De Rodt says he has since received an email from Travel Money apologising for the 'serious matter' which will investigated further and that the employee involved has been spoken to about her behaviour. 'I am completely lost for words about the manner in which you and the kids were treated last night, and I want to thank you for bringing this to our attention,' the email stated. 'I firmly believe any representative in our business treat the public and our customers with the utmost respect and I am sorry we failed in doing so last night.' The confrontation between the De Rodt family and Travel Money employee happened on level two (pictured) of Westfield Albany near a playground Daily Mail Australia has contacted Westfield Albany, Travel World and Mr De Rodt for further comment. The confrontation occurred at the same Westfield where a woman in her 60s was accused of punching a toddler in the head and pushing a trolley towards him in Kmart while he was having a meltdown earlier this month. New Zealand Police are investigating the May 2 incident. Advertisement Iran and America moved closer to the brink of war today after two Saudi oil tankers were mysteriously 'sabotaged' in the Gulf of Oman. The two ships were among four commercial vessels which were targeted off the UAE coast, one of which was due to pick up oil destined for America. Amid spiralling tensions in recent days, the U.S. had warned ships that 'Iran or its proxies' could target maritime traffic in the region - and now suspects Iran was behind the latest attacks. A U.S. military team sent to inspect the damage believes that that Iran or Iranian-backed proxies used explosives to blow large holes in the ships. Asked about the sabotage, President Donald Trump warned that Tehran would 'suffer greatly' if it enraged Washington, predicting a 'bad problem for Iran if something happens'. Saudi and UAE officials have been tight-lipped about the extent of the damage but pictures showed at least one tanker with a hole in its hull. Tehran has distanced itself from the apparent attacks, calling an investigation into the 'alarming' episode and warning of 'adventurism' by foreign players to disrupt maritime security. Intertanko, an association of independent tanker owners and operators, said it had seen images showing that 'at least two ships have holes in their sides due to the impact of a weapon'. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today called Iran a 'major destabilising force' in the Middle East while Britain warned of the danger of a war being started in the Gulf by accident. Norwegian oil tanker Andrea Victory, another of the four damaged boats, pictured with a large dent in its stern on Monday morning The A. Michel tanker under the flag of the United Arab Emirates, pictured on Monday, was one of the four tankers damaged in alleged 'sabotage attacks' in the Gulf the previous day The tinderbox standoff between Iran and the US escalated even further today after four commercial ships were mysteriously 'sabotaged' off the UAE - adding to fears a conflict involving the two nations is looming What caused the 'significant damage' to the four Gulf tankers? Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been tight-lipped about what caused the damage to the four tankers. Riyadh has said that 'acts of sabotage' were behind the damage to four ships off the UAE coast. Their language conjures images of Cold War-era special operations but in actual fact the scale of the damage appears limited. The owners of the MT Andrea Victory said the ship had sustained a hole from an 'unknown object' but was not in danger of sinking. Images showed damage to the ship's hull just above the waterline. Pictures of the second vessel, the Saudi tanker Al Marzoqah, showed the ship afloat without any apparent damage. Ship-tracking data showed a third vessel, Amjad, still anchored off Fujairah in no apparent distress. Emirati officials stopped AP journalists from traveling by boat to see the ships and maritime experts have also been guarded about what might have happened. Intertanko, a group of tanker owners, said the ships appeared to have 'holes in their sides due to the impact of a weapon'. Naval expert Professor Andrew Lambert said that 'something has hit the ship, but not exploded'. He warned that more information would be needed before any detailed guesses can be made. Advertisement Saudi Arabia has condemned 'acts of sabotage' in the Gulf but the scale of the damage remains unclear. The country's energy minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom's two oil tankers, including one due to carry crude oil to the U.S., sustained 'significant damage' off the coast of Fujairah. However, a report from Sky News Arabia showed the allegedly targeted Saudi tanker Al Marzoqah afloat without any apparent damage. The MT Andrea Victory, another of the allegedly targeted ships, sustained a hole in its hull just above its waterline from 'an unknown object,' its owner said. Pictures of the Andrea Victory, which the company said was 'not in any danger of sinking,' showed damage similar to what the firm described. Emirati officials identified the third ship as the Saudi-flagged oil tanker Amjad. Ship-tracking data showed the vessel still anchored off Fujairah, apparently not in immediate distress. The fourth ship was the A. Michel, a bunkering tanker flagged in Sharjah, one of the UAE's seven emirates. The Saudi minister said the attacks on the two Saudi tankers happened at 6am on Sunday. He said 'the attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill,' though he acknowledged it affected 'the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world.' One U.S. official said: 'This is what Iran does ... The sort of thing you could see Iran doing ... It fits their MO [modus operandi].' Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible. Reports in Lebanon and Iran had earlier claimed there were explosions near the UAE port but there has been no evidence to support their claims. The crude oil tanker, Amjad, pictured today which was one of two reported tankers that were damaged in mysterious 'sabotage attacks', off the coast of the Gulf emirate of Fujairah Pompeo is warned against starting war with Iran 'by accident' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been warned about staring a war 'by accident' as he met European leaders in Brussels today Pompeo, who called Iran a 'major destabilising force' in an interview with CNBC, made the stop in Brussels to speak to EU leaders about the threat from Tehran. 'We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side,' Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned. 'Most of all, we need to make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to renuclearisation. Because if Iran becomes a nuclear power, its neighbors are likely to want to become nuclear powers. This is already the most unstable region in the world, and this would be a massive step in the wrong direction.' Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of the potential military conflict occurring by 'accident' Pompeo's talks with EU leaders gave them the chance to warn him of their own fears of a conflict. President Donald Trump is seeking to isolate Tehran by cutting off its oil exports after pulling out of the deal. While the European Union shares some U.S. concerns about Iran, it still backs the 2015 nuclear deal, saying that it is in Europe's own security interests. 'We are very worried about a conflict, about the risk of a conflict ... of an escalation that is unintended,' Britain's Jeremy Hunt said ahead of talks with Pompeo. Britain, Germany and France's foreign ministers were holding separate meetings in Brussels with Pompeo, who cancelled a planned stopover in Moscow in order to brief the European allies on Washington's latest moves. The U.S. State Department billed Monday's talks in Brussels as a chance 'to discuss recent threatening actions and statements' by Iran. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he had told Pompeo during their Monday meeting: 'We do not want it to come to a military conflict.' It was clear that Europe and the United States were 'going about it in different ways ... taking different courses,' he said. Advertisement The apparent attacks come after the U.S. warned ships that 'Iran or its proxies' could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. Washington has yet to respond to the claims of sabotage, although the U.S. energy department said it was monitoring world oil markets. American naval investigators are also believed to be helping the UAE with their inquiries. Meanwhile the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the alleged sabotage as a 'serious escalation' in an overnight statement. 'Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger,' Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and the internationally recognized government of Yemen have also condemned the alleged sabotage. Iran's Foreign Ministry called the incidents 'worrisome and dreadful' and asked for an investigation into the matter. A senior Iranian lawmaker said 'saboteurs from a third country' could be behind it, after saying on Sunday the incident showed the security of Gulf states was fragile. Speaking earlier, Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the UK was 'very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side'. Fujairah's port is about 140 kilometers (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. Washingtons Energy Information Administration has called the Strait of Hormuz 'the world's most important oil transit chokepoint. In recent days the U.S. has warned ships that 'Iran or its proxies' could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. The US has already strengthened its military presence in the region, including deploying a number of strategic B-52 bombers and the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group in response to alleged Iranian threats. America is also sending USS Arlington, carrying Marines, as well as a Patriot missile defence system. The USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship carrying Marines and warplanes, has just left the Persian Gulf and is nearby in the Arabian Sea. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned visit to Moscow and headed to Brussels instead for talks with European officials on Iran. Tensions have flared up again in recent days since Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani warned his country could begin ramping up uranium enrichment if a controversial 2015 deal was not rewritten. UAE Navy boats next to Al Marzoqah Saudi Arabia tanker are seen off the Port of Fujairah on Monday afternoon Al Marzoqah is a large oil tanker which is registered in Saudi Arabia. Pictured: Media taking shots of the vessel on Monday An Emirati coast guard vessel passes an oil tanker off the coast of Fujairah in the wake of the incident on Monday Ships anchored at main port of Fujairah on Monday, where media reports initially suggested four boats had been sabotaged by 'explosions'. The UAE later denied this was the case US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (pictured today in Brussels) has scrapped a planned visit to Moscow to head to Brussels instead for talks with European officials on Iran Iran threatens to 'target' aircraft carrier after USS Abraham Lincoln is deployed to Persian Gulf Amirali Hajizadeh, Iran's head of the Guards' aerospace division Senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander warned on Sunday that the presence of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf used to be a serious threat, but now represents a target, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency. The U.S. has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East in a move that officials said was to counter 'clear indications' of threats from Iran to American forces in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month. 'An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now it is a target and the threats have switched to opportunities,' said Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards' aerospace division. 'If (the Americans) make a move, we will hit them in the head,' he added, according to ISNA. Iranian navy commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said on Sunday that American forces must exit the Gulf, according to ISNA. 'The presence of the Americans in the Persian Gulf region has reached its end and they must leave the region,' Khanzadi said. Major General Hossein Salami, appointed head of the Guards last month, told parliament on Sunday the United States had started a psychological war in the region, the parliamentary spokesman said. 'Commander Salami, with attention to the situation in the region, presented an analysis that the Americans have started a psychological war because the comings and goings of their military is a normal matter,' spokesman Behrouz Nemati said, according to parliament's ICANA news site. Advertisement Donald Trump last year withdrew America from the 2015 nuclear deal and restored US sanctions that have pushed Iran's economy into crisis. Tehran has demanded that the UK, France, Germany, China and Russia help Iran to dodge U.S. sanctions. European powers have tried to find ways to blunt the impact of new U.S. sanctions, in the hope of persuading Tehran to continue to abide by the deal. However, their efforts have largely failed, with all major European companies abandoning plans to do business with Iran for fear of U.S. punishment. Rouhani said last week that Iran would ramp up nuclear enrichment if fresh help did not materialise. White House defence aide Tim Morrison condemned Iran's attempted 'nuclear blackmail of Europe' and warned: 'Expect more sanctions soon. Very soon.' Rouhani's comments also sparked outrage in Europe, as Britain warned of 'consequences' if Iran gives up its nuclear commitments. The threat also sparked a backlash from Israel, where Benjamin Netanyahu warned he would 'not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons'. Netanyahu, who has accused Iran of breaching the deal, said Israel 'will continue to fight those who seek to take our lives'. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today changed the schedule for his latest trip to Europe, replacing a stop in Moscow for one in Brussels to discuss Iran. We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side,' Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned. 'Most of all, we need to make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to renuclearisation. 'Because if Iran becomes a nuclear power, its neighbors are likely to want to become nuclear powers. This is already the most unstable region in the world, and this would be a massive step in the wrong direction.' The U.S. State Department billed Monday's talks in Brussels as a chance 'to discuss recent threatening actions and statements' by Iran. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he had told Pompeo during their Monday meeting: 'We do not want it to come to a military conflict.' It was clear that Europe and the United States were 'going about it in different ways ... taking different courses,' he said. The alleged sabotage of the merchant ships comes as aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and B-52 bombers are deployed to bolster the American Navy's grip on the region A handout photo made available by the US Navy showing an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the 'Jolly Rogers' of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 103 launching off the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln The aircraft carrier strike group is being deployed to the Persian Gulf to counter an alleged but still-unspecified threat from Iran European leaders are warning of the risk of military conflict between the U.S. and Iran In this Friday, May 10, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Navy, logistics specialists attach cargo to an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf Kazi Islam, 24, was released after serving four years of an eight-year sentence A follower of hate preacher Anjem Choudary who was jailed for plotting to behead British soldiers is out of prison and living a mile from his old leader. Kazi Islam, 24, was released after serving four years of an eight-year sentence for trying to groom a teenager with learning difficulties to murder troops and gather supplies to build pipe bombs. Islam has returned to his family home in East London, The Daily Telegraph reported. He is said to be living next door to his uncle Kazi Rahman, a convicted terrorist and associate of the banned terror group al-Muhajiroun that Choudary used to lead. Islam, who was inspired by the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in 2013, was branded callous and manipulative by a judge for encouraging student Harry Thomas, 24, to carry out an attack. Thomas, who was 19 at the time of his conviction, had Aspergers syndrome and was groomed by Islam to change his name to Haroon. He was jailed last year for attempted murder. A source close to his family said he had spiralled out of control after being targeted. They added: He never really got over what happened to him. He was extremely vulnerable and Kazi Islam deliberately targeted him. It has ruined his life. Last week it was reported that Anjem Choudary, Britains most notorious Islamist hate preacher, had returned to his former home, sparking fears he could pose a new security threat. The 52-year-old, who is now wearing an electronic ankle tag, was released from jail to a bail hostel last October after serving under half of his five-and-a-half year sentence for inviting support for the Islamic State. Last week it was reported that Anjem Choudary (pictured earlier this month in East London), Britains most notorious Islamist hate preacher, had returned to his former home, sparking fears he could pose a new security threat But now he is back at the same home from where he led the outlawed al-Muhajiroun, and various successor groups, which helped radicalise notorious terrorists, including London Bridge attack ringleader Khuram Butt, and Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, who murdered soldier Lee Rigby. Choudary is thought to have helped inspire some 110 British jihadists to join Islamic State in Syria. While his former group was less active while he was incarcerated, it is feared it is starting to regroup. Top figures from al-Muhajiroun who have recently been released include enforcer Abu Izzadeen, formerly known as Trevor Brooks, and Mizanur Rahman, who created online chat rooms for Choudarys followers. A source told The Daily Telegraph: The group remains a threat to national security but the disruptions have been very effective. Choudary is now out and back at home. He is somebody who preferred to stay in the comfort of his home in London and encourage others to go and fight. He is a coward. Republican Party lawmakers on Sunday criticized Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib over comments she made about the Holocaust. Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman to be elected to Congress, made the remarks during a discussion about Israel-Palestine on the Yahoo! News podcast Skullduggery. Theres always kind of a calming feeling, I tell folks, when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors - Palestinians - who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some people's passports, Tlaib said during the podcast, which was posted on Friday. And, just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. Rashida Tlaib, the Democratic congresswoman from Michigan and the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress, was attacked on Sunday for comments she made about the Holocaust Liz Cheney (left), the congresswoman from Wisconsin and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, and Steve Scalise (right), the Republican congressman from Louisiana, condemned Tlaib's remarks Cheney tweeted: Surely now @SpeakerPelosi & @LeaderHoyer will finally take action against vile anti-Semitism in their ranks. This must cross the line, even for them.' Congressman Lee Zeldin of Long Island said Tlaib has a 'heart filled with darkness' And, I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways, but they did it in a way that took their human dignity away and it was forced on them. Liz Cheney, the congresswoman from Wisconsin and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, tweeted: Surely now @SpeakerPelosi & @LeaderHoyer will finally take action against vile anti-Semitism in their ranks. This must cross the line, even for them. Rashida Tlaib says thinking of the Holocaust provides her a calming feeling. Lee Zeldin, the Republican congressman from Long Island, tweeted: [Rashida Tlaib] says the Holocaust gives her a calming feeling calling for a 1 state solution putting Jews in the minority & out of power of their own country. This is a heart filled w darkness & how the Holocaust began in 1st place. I understand Rashida Tlaib giving voice to Palestinians sense of loss, former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro tweeted. Its her people and heritage. But shes wrong about replacing Israel with 1 state, or the lack of legitimate Jewish historical ties&claims, or the strange idea that Pals welcomed Jews fleeing Europe for a haven. Journalist Seth Mandel tweeted: Re: Tlaibs revisionism, spent Shabbos reading a book on the era thats *entirely* from the Palestinian perspective, and by the mid-1930s the consensus priority was stopping Jews fleeing Europe to Palestine. When millions of dead Jews is your goal, dont pat yourself on the back Hananya Naftali tweeted that Tlaib 'is lying' and that 'Arabs in British Mandate Palestine didn't help to save Jews - quite the opposite'. The tweet includes images of Adolf Hitler meeting with Palestinian Arab leader Hajj Amin al-Husseini 'There is no justification for the twisted and disgusting comments made by Rashida Tlaib just days after the annual Day of Holocaust Remembrance,' House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, the Republican from Louisiana, said in a statement. 'More than six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust; there is nothing "calming" about that fact. 'Unfortunately, this is far from the first display of heinous anti-Semitic comments coming from Democrat House members this year, and its clear this is now the norm for their caucus. 'Its long past time for Speaker Pelosi to take swift action and make it clear that these vile comments have no place in Congress.' While some seized on the calming feeling quote, others criticized Tlaib for suggesting that the Arabs of Palestine provided safe haven to Europes Jews during the Nazi period. I understand Rashida Tlaib giving voice to Palestinians sense of loss, former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro tweeted. Its her people and heritage. But shes wrong about replacing Israel with 1 state, or the lack of legitimate Jewish historical ties&claims, or the strange idea that Pals welcomed Jews fleeing Europe for a haven. Journalist Seth Mandel tweeted: Re: Tlaibs revisionism, spent Shabbos reading a book on the era thats *entirely* from the Palestinian perspective, and by the mid-1930s the consensus priority was stopping Jews fleeing Europe to Palestine. In response to the backlash, Tlaib, the Michigan representative, tweeted on Sunday: Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work' When millions of dead Jews is your goal, dont pat yourself on the back. Danny Danon, Israels ambassador to the United Nations, tweeted: Your words are both grossly anti-Semitic and ignorant. You should take some time to learn the history before trying to rewrite it. In response to the backlash, Tlaib, the Michigan representative, tweeted on Sunday: Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win. Tlaibs comments touched on the sensitive issue of the Holocaust-era immigration policies in British Mandatory Palestine. During the late 1930s and early 1940s, as the Jews of Europe were looking to flee, the British authorities, under pressure from local Arabs, limited Jewish immigration to pre-state Israel. The Palestinian leadership at the time was opposed to Jewish immigration for fear that it would weaken their standing once the British authorities left. Tlaib's critics point out that the most senior Palestinian leader at the time, Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the mufti of Jerusalem, famously met with Adolf Hitler and supported Nazi Germany As the British Mandate was winding down, Israels creation in 1948 resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs. The event is known as the naqba, or catastrophe, in Arabic. Palestinian refugees are seen above during the 1948 war The most senior Palestinian leader at the time, Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the mufti of Jerusalem, famously met with Adolf Hitler and supported Nazi Germany. The mufti also agitated violence against Jews as they were arriving in greater numbers in Palestine. The mufti backed the Germans because he viewed the British, who endorsed the idea of a Jewish national home in Palestine by way of the Balfour Declaration, as his main enemy. As the British Mandate was winding down, Israels creation in 1948 resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs. The event is known as the naqba, or catastrophe, in Arabic. Palestinians say they want an independent state on land controlled by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War. Elderly Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has been slammed for asking a female mayor to run away with him and saying he would grab her by the undies to stop her leaving. Duterte appeared to be bowled over when he met Mayor Tita Baja-Gallantes of the town of Garcia Hernandez on the Filippino island of Bohol. Sharing a stage at a campaign rally, he told her: 'You are truly beautiful. If it were me, why would I ever break up with you?' And then, as the crowd reportedly cheer, he told her: 'I will really grab and hold on to your panties if you try to leave, even until the garter snaps. You're just too beautiful." Filipinos took to the polls on Monday in a vote that is expected to strengthen President Rodrigo Duterte's grip on power - sparking fears the country is facing a looming dictatorship. Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte (second from left) shared the stage a rally with Mayor Tita Baja-Gallantes (centre next to Duterte). He appeared to be bowled over when he met her, saying in front of the crowd: 'You are truly beautiful. If it were me, why would I ever break up with you?' President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to strengthen his grip on power as Filipinos took to the polls on Monday It would pave the way for Duterte to deliver on pledges to restore the death penalty and rewrite the constitution. More than 18,000 positions are at stake, including half of the seats in the upper house Senate, which has served as a bulwark against some of Duterte's most controversial policies. Duterte is known internationally for his foul-mouthed tirades and deadly drug war, but remains hugely popular among Filipinos fed up with the country's general dysfunction and leaders who have failed to fix it. In February 2018, he ordered soldiers to 'shoot female rebels in the vagina'. And in December, he claimed to have molested his family's domestic worker when he was a teenager. A Filipino checks her ballot as she votes at a polling centre at a primary school in Manila He wants to bring back capital punishment for drug-related crimes as part of his narcotics crackdown, in which thousands of alleged pushers and users have already been killed by police. His tough-on-crime platform - which also includes lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 - was key to his landslide election victory in 2016. Crowds gathered at voting centres in the capital Manila even ahead of polls opening at 6am n an election where some 61 million are registered to cast ballots. 'I voted for many of the candidates endorsed by President Duterte because his government is doing its job,' said Myrna Cruz, 51. 'I support their programmes, including the anti-drug campaign... but I wish the bloodshed would stop,' she added, echoing many Filipinos' nuanced backing of the crackdown. Voters across the country flooded social media with images of their ink-stained fingernails, which are daubed blue as a protection against voter fraud. A woman checks her name on the list outside a polling precinct prior to voting on Monday The opening of the polls saw isolated outbursts of violence, which is not unusual in the Philippines' frequently bloody competition for elected posts. At least 20 people were killed and 24 wounded in election-related violence in the run up to the vote, according to an official count. The military said nine people were shot and wounded Monday during a confrontation at a polling station on the restive southern island of Jolo, which is home to insurgents and powerful local clans. Several other small clashes were reported in the south, including one in which two men were wounded by gunfire in Maguindanao. A man helps his wife fill out her ballot as they vote at a polling center in the Manuel L. Quezon primary school in Manila The violence is more frequent in lower level races and will not likely be a major feature in the election's main contest for the Senate. Winning a Senate majority, something that independent national surveys indicate is well within reach, would give Duterte legislative backing for his anti-crime proposals and his plan to rewrite the constitution. Historically, the nation's 24 senators - who serve six-year terms - have had a reputation for being more independent-minded than the lower house. The opposition warns that could lead to the single-term limit for the presidency being lifted, allowing him to seek re-election despite his repeated statements that he would stand down at the end of his mandate. It would also allow him to expand his internationally condemned anti-drug crackdown by bringing back the death penalty, a pledge that the UN Human Rights Council said caused it 'deep alarm'. The Philippines outlawed capital punishment in 1987, reinstated it six years later and then abolished it again in 2006. Australia may have been visited by Portuguese seafarers more than 250 years before Captain James Cook arrived on the continent. That is one theory being examined by scientists in Australia as they try to trace the origins of an African coin which was found on a beach last year. The copper artefact, which is one of several similar finds, is believed to be a Kilwa coin from what is now Tanzania and could date back almost 1,000 years. But how the coin ended up on the Wessel Islands off northern Australia is not yet clear. Mysterious: These coins are among several found on the Wessel Islands off Australia which could indicate that Portuguese seafarers were the first Europeans to reach the continent WHO DISCOVERED AUSTRALIA? Aboriginal Australians are thought to have first arrived on the Australian mainland by boat from the Malay Archipelago between 40,000 and 60,000 years ago. The first known landing in Australia by Europeans was by Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon in 1606. Other Dutch navigators explored the western and southern coasts in the 17th century, and dubbed the continent 'New Holland.' However, it has also been speculated that Portuguese seafarers could have reached Australia earlier than that. In 1770, British explorer Captain James Cook explored the east coast of Australia, landing at Botany Bay. The British penal colony was then first established at Botany Bay in January 1788. During the following century, the British established other colonies on the continent. The contact sparked a long decline in the number of indigenous Australians because of conflict with colonists and new diseases brought from Europe. Advertisement One possible explanation is that the Portuguese, who had raided Kilwa in 1505, left the coin behind on their travels in south-east Asia. Portuguese seafarers were in East Timor by 1515 and could potentially have reached the Australian mainland. That would make them probably the first Europeans to reach Australia. It would also mean they were there some 250 years before Captain James Cook laid a British claim to the continent. Speaking to the Guardian, archaeologist Mike Hermes said: 'The Portuguese were in Timor in 1514, 1515 - to think they didn't go three more days east with the monsoon wind is ludicrous.' Discussing the coin, he said: 'We've weighed and measured it, and it's pretty much a dead ringer for a Kilwa coin. And if it is, well, that could change everything.' Mr Hermes found the coin lying on a beach on the Wessel Islands last year, saying it had no intrinsic value. The Wessel Islands are the only place outside Kilwa and the Arabian peninsula where such coins have been found, Mr Hermes said. Mr Hermes was building on the work of Royal Australian Air Force radar operator Maurie Isenberg, who had found five Kilwa coins there in 1944. Mr Isenberg also found four Dutch coins of a far lower value. He kept the African coins hidden away for decades until they were finally donated to a Sydney museum in 1983. Five Kilwa coins were discovered lying in the sand by Royal Australian Air Force radar operator Maurie Isenberg during World War II The Wessel Islands are the only place outside Kilwa and the Arabian peninsula where such coins have been found, the archaeologist who found the latest one has said They have prompted a wave of speculation about whether Portugal was the first European power to reach Australia. It has also been suggested that Kilwa traders could have brought the coins from Africa themselves, or been shipwrecked while trying to do so. The coins may also simply have been washed ashore from elsewhere. Scientists in Australia are now examining the new coin in a bid to discover its secrets. Researchers have said that a sea route from Kilwa in east Africa to Oman and then onto India, Malaysia and Indonesia was well established by the 1500s. In 2013 professor Ian McIntosh said rock art discovered on the Wessel Islands includes one image which appears to show a European sailing vessel. The earliest European contacts with Australia have long been shrouded in mystery. Claimed: Great Britain became the first European power to officially claim any area on the Australian mainland thanks to James Cook (pictured) French navigator Binot Paulmier de Gonneville claimed to have landed at 'east of the Cape of Good Hope' in 1504, after being blown off course. But the place that he reached, which some believed to be Australia, has since been proven to be Brazil. The first known European landing was by a Dutch navigator, Willem Janszoon, in 1606. The first Englishman to land on the Australian mainland was William Dampier, a former pirate. He reached the northwest coast, near King Sound, in January 1688 after his ship - the Cygnet, a small trading vessel - was beached. Captain James Cook then reached Sydney's Botany Bay in 1770 and laid a British claim to the continent. A property expert has slammed Scott Morrison's $500million plan for taxpayers to help first-home buyers get a mortgage. Labor has promised to match the Prime Minister's election campaign promise for the government to offer loan guarantees, enabling property first-timers to buy real estate with deposits of just five per cent instead of the usual 20 per cent. Digital Finance Analytics founder Martin North said the policy would backfire by driving up house prices initially before causing home values to collapse as first-home buyers struggled to keep up with repayments. 'It's a nutty policy,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Monday. 'It will create more damage down the track. 'I'm really worried about first-home buyers who basically get attracted by these initiatives. 'The problem with all of these first-home buyer type incentives is it just lifts the water in the harbour and it has a tendency to lift prices - that's true whether it's a state initiative or whether it is at a federal level.' Scroll down for video Scott Morrison visist a housing estate in Caddens, in the seat of Lindsday, after his election-changing policy was announced Martin North (pictured) described the policy as 'nutty' and said it would hurt first home borrowers in a falling market Once prices collapsed, first-home buyers would be caught in a negative equity situation, where they owed more than their property was worth, leaving taxpayers with a hefty bill. 'Negative equity is a tyranny: once you're in negative equity, it can take years and years to get out of it again,' Mr North said. 'What you're basically saying is, "I'll bribe you to come into the market, buy a property but if prices slide at all, then you effectively lose all the equity you've got". 'The taxpayer then bears the risk.' Since peaking in 2017, Sydney's median house price has plunged by a record 16 per cent, despite interest rates being at a record low of 1.5 per cent, CoreLogic data showed. Despite those falls, homes with a backyard typically cost $880,369 in Sydney, which is more than 10 times an average full-time salary of $83,500. Mr Morrison wasn't sure if his plan to help young Australians buy their first home more easily would increase house prices, but he was adamant it wouldn't cause real estate values to plunge. 'It's difficult to say, it's difficult to say,' he said at a housing estate at Caddens, near Penrith in western Sydney, when asked whether the plan could lead to price rises. 'But I do know this: Labor's housing tax will force the value of your home down. 'We want to see more first home buyers in the market, absolutely, and we don't want to see people's house prices go down.' The government, if re-elected, would give the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation $500 million to deliver the scheme, along with $25 million to set it up and research the housing market. FIRST HOME LOAN SCHEME EXPLAINED The First Home Loan Deposit Scheme is a government scheme to help first-home buyers First-home buyers will no longer need to save a 20% deposit They will instead need just 5%, with the Commonwealth stumping up the difference The scheme will be available for single people earning under $125,000 and couples earning a combined salary under $200,000 The Coalition vowed to spend up to $500million on home loan deposits for first-home buyers. Labor matched that commitment on Sunday Advertisement The Prime Minister, a former researcher with the Property Council of Australia, said the plan would allow singles earning less than $125,000 a year and couples earning less than $200,000 a year to get into the housing market for the first time. About 10,000 people are expected to benefit, which would have been about one in 11 new home-buyers in 2018. Under the plan, the Commonwealth would make up the difference between five per cent of the purchase price and the full 20 per cent deposit. Campaigning in the marginal Labor seat of Lindsay, Mr Morrison defended the first-home buyer scheme, aimed at low and middle income earners, which the Opposition is vowing to copy despite the fact no economic modelling was done about its effects. 'The scheme will ultimately be determined by the number of loans approved by the lenders and the arrangements with the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation,' the Prime Minister said. Labor committed to matching the scheme, hours after Mr Morrison announced it on Sunday at the Liberal Party's campaign launch in Melbourne. Mr Morrison wasn't sure if his plan to help some Australians buy their first home more easily would increase house prices, but he was adamant it wouldn't cause real estate values to plunge It is one point of bipartisanship on housing policy, as the Coalition campaigns against Labor's plan to scrap negative gearing tax breaks for existing properties from January 2020. HOW WILL IT HELP FIRST TIMERS? It is expected to cut the time it takes people to save for a home - on average at least nine years - by half Approved first home-buyers would also be saved from paying about $10,000 for lenders mortgage insurance The government estimates about 10,000 people will benefit each year, which would have been one in 11 new home-buyers in 2018. Advertisement Mr Morrison pointed out that Labor also wanted to stop first home buyers from withdrawing their voluntary superannuation contributions to save up for a home loan deposit. 'It's fine for Bill Shorten to try and mimic us, but what he can't mimic is our ability to implement policy, design policy and do it in a way that doesn't increase taxes,' said in a live Facebook video. There were about 110,000 new home-buyers in Australia in 2018, the highest level in nine years, a fact that Mr Morrison has talked up in recent weeks. He insisted it was the right time for extra support because it was never easy to scrape together a 20 per cent deposit. 'It is a big mountain to climb,' he said. Housing industry bodies the Property Council and Master Builders have backed the scheme. The dream of home ownership could become a reality for more Australians of a Coalition Government is re-elected on May 18 (stock image) The plan is based on another program already operating in New Zealand, where Mr Morrison worked previously as a tourism bureaucrat. But across the Tasman, first home-buyers must save a deposit of 10 per cent, rather than five per cent, before they are eligible to have their loan underwritten by Housing New Zealand. In Australia, Mr Morrison's scheme would allow struggling singles, couples and families to break into the property market, even if they could only stump up a quarter of the deposit typically needed for a house. 'This will make a big difference,' Mr Morrison told the party faithful on Sunday. 'Cutting the time taken to save for a deposit by at least half or more.' Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said Labor would match the commitment. The Coalition's proposed plan would allow singles earning less than $125,000 a year and couples earning less than $200,000 a year to get into the housing market for the first time 'After six years of failure, and six days before an election, the Liberals are desperately trying to tell young Australians they understand their struggles to buy their first home,' Mr Bowen said in a statement. He said first home buyers knew the Liberals were out of touch and were only for the top end of town. Daniel Walsh said the Liberal Party's policy would spare first-home buyers from paying for mortgage insurance 'We back genuine support for first home buyers - that's why we are also reforming negative gearing for future purchases, so young Australians don't have to keep losing out to wealthy property speculators,' he said. The Property Council said the deposit plan was a 'smart proposal' and will provide some confidence for the housing construction sector. 'It will deliver some welcome assistance for aspiring first home buyers who have been confronted by the ever-increasing size of the deposit required to buy a home as the market has risen in recent years,' the council's chief executive Ken Morrison said in a statement. Daniel Walsh, the founder of the Your Property Your Wealth buyers' agent, said the Liberal Party policy would spare first-home buyers from having to pay $10,000 in lender's mortgage insurance for having a deposit of less than 20 per cent. 'So, the scheme saves first home buyers having to fork out for an insurance policy that at the end of the day protects banks and not borrowers,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Mr Morrison was joined on stage by wife Jenny and two daughters after launching the scheme Mr Walsh disputed assertions first-home buyer grants pushed up property prices, pointing out Sydney real estate values actually fell by 3.7 per cent between 2010 and 2012, after former prime minister Kevin Rudd's Labor government in 2009 tripled subsidies to $21,000 during the global financial crisis. Mr Morrison's proposed scheme sparked a mixed reaction from voters on social media. 'Throwing a few more first home buyers into the fire to prop up property prices. Burn the youth. Save the rich,' one tweeted. Another added: 'Brilliant idea however this scheme should also be for families who have not had a home for 10 years or more. 'There are many women that have had homes in the past but due to divorce/separation have lost their home & have not been able to save enough deposit to get back in.' Financial comparison site RateCity has urged Australians to be careful of taking out 30-year home loans with wafer-thin deposits, lest they be left to pay thousands more in interest than they would with a deposit of 20 per cent. During the past three decades, home mortgage debt as a proportion of household income has surged from 32 per cent to 140 per cent, Reserve Bank of Australia data shows. Mr North said neither major party had addressed this issue. 'It is a policy that is actually missing the point. What this is doing is allowing more debt to grow,' he said. Theresa May could be forced out within weeks if she fails to name her departure date at a crunch meeting with Tory MPs after a seismic shift in opinion among backbenchers. Tory MPs believe the balance of power has tipped in favour of changing the partys current rules to allow a fresh attempt to oust the PM. Members of the 18-strong executive of the backbench 1922 committee have cited growing frustration over lack of progress in Brexit talks with Labour and a looming bloodbath in the European elections on May 23 following shock polls. Tory MPs believe the balance of power has tipped in favour of changing the partys current rules to allow a fresh attempt to oust the PM At a meeting of the committee on Thursday, the PM will be asked to set out plans to leave Downing Street. MPs have discussed holding a vote afterwards on whether to change the rules so a second no-confidence ballot can be held. A source said: You need the executive to change its mind and then you need the party to change its mind. I think theres been a seismic change in both. It comes as Tory leadership hopefuls continued setting out their stalls for the top job. Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, Liz Truss said as a woman in politics you have to be prepared to put yourself forward. While arch-Eurosceptic MP Steve Baker said he would stand if other Brexiteers vote for Mrs Mays deal to leave the EU. And in The Sunday Telegraph, Tory MPs Ben Bradley and Gary Streeter openly backed Esther McVey. The Government and Labour are due to continue with Brexit talks today but even Cabinet loyalists believe that Mrs May has next to no chance of getting a Brexit deal approved by Parliament. Hundreds of teenage schoolgirls have mobbed Bill Shorten during a school visit - but some admitted they didn't know why they were so excited to meet him. The Opposition Leader was met with screams and cheers during his visit to St Joseph's Catholic College in Gosford on the New South Wales Central Coast on Monday morning. Students ran out of their classrooms to greet the Labor leader, shaking his hand and posing for selfies with him. Hundreds of teenage schoolgirls have mobbed Bill Shorten (centre) during a school visit - but many admitted they didn't know why they were so excited to meet him Students ran out of their classrooms to greet the Labor leader, shaking his hand and posing for selfies with him Some students admitted they did not know why they were so keen to greet Mr Shorten. 'I want to get a high five from a famous person,' one told news.com.au. One schoolgirl bragged that Mr Shorten 'shook my hand', and another said she was pleased that 'he had smiled at me'. Girls were hears screaming as Mr Shorten made his way through the school's playground area. Faint chants of 'Bill, Bill' could be heard from the group of students following Mr Shorten around. Mr Shorten was joined during the visit by Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen and Senator Kristina Keneally ahead of the federal election being held this Saturday. A Southwest Airlines passenger was escorted off of a plane by Sheriff's deputies for joking that water being handed out should be vodka after a lengthy delay on the tarmac in San Francisco. Onlooker Peter Uzelac said everyone had been stuck on the plane for hours due to a maintenance light that came on while the plane was preparing for takeoff, and that the flight attendant overreacted, in an interview with Fox News. Uzelac said the passenger who was removed did nothing wrong, and that the flight attendant got confrontational with both the passenger and his wife, prompting him to file a report with the airline. 'I have been flying for decades and Ive never ever seen anything like this,' Uzelac said. Scroll down for video A Southwest Airlines passenger was escorted off of a plane in San Francisco on Wednesday for joking that water being handed out should be vodka after a lengthy delay on its way to Los Angeles Fellow passenger Peter Uzelac said that the passenger who was removed did nothing wrong, and that the flight attendant got confrontational with both the passenger and his wife, prompting him to file a report with the airline In a statement on Wednesday, Southwest Airlines said: 'We regret any less-than-positive experience a customer has onboard our aircraft. We welcome over 100 million customers each year, and we aim to maintain the comfort of all while delivering Southwest hospitality. 'We will share this report with our Customer Relations Team.' Uzelac said the incident occurred on a flight from San Francisco International Airport (SMH) to Los Angeles (LAX) on Wednesday. Uzelac was heading to Austin, Texas through LAX, when a maintenance light came on while the plane was preparing to take off from San Francisco. The delay lasted multiple hours, Uzelac said, resulting in the plane needing to refuel before it could take off. As a flight attendant passed out water to the passengers who had been stranded on the tarmac for hours, Uzelac said another passenger made a joke that the crew member did not find funny. 'He said something [like] "They should be passing out vodka because weve been waiting so long,"' Uzelac said. He added that the young flight attendant was not impressed with the humor. 'She came by and was like, "I dont think that, and I didnt like your joke,"' he said. 'Then my wife tried to butt-in there and say, "Look it, weve been on this plane for hours." And she says, "Well so have I so get used to it."' As a flight attendant passed out water to the passengers who had been stranded on the tarmac for hours, Uzelac said another passenger made a joke that the crew member did not find funny. 'He said something [like] "They should be passing out vodka because weve been waiting so long,"' Uzelac said The next thing Uzelac noticed was that the flight attendant on the telephone at the front of the passenger cabin and the plane was heading back toward the gate. Once at the gate, he said several Sacramento County Sheriff deputies boarded and told the man he needed to deplane. 'And people started yelling then. In fact, people stood up. I stood up. People were saying, "This man didnt do anything,"' Uzelac said. The man was not charged with a crime, the Sheriff's department said, but he was removed from the flight. Uzelac said he was shocked by the flight attendant's actions, prompting him to file a complaint with Southwest Airlines. 'If they have this in their records you know maybe it will prevent this from happening again,' he said. The five men who were wrongfully convicted over the 1989 rape of a white woman in Central Park are speaking out 30 years on from the event. Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Kharey Wise were all teenagers when they falsely confessed to the brutal attack on 28-year-old investment banker, Trisha Meili, who was out jogging through the park. Meili was bound, gagged, raped and almost beaten to death. She was found with her skull smashed in and more than 75 percent of her blood drained from her body. The five youngsters - four black and one Hispanic - were promptly arrested and jailed for the crime, which exacerbated already explosive levels of racial tensions in New York City. However, in 2002, DNA evidence exonerated the group before they subsequently sued the city and reached a $41 million settlement. In a new interview with CBS, the men revealed how they have used that sum of money to rebuild their lives. The five men falsely jailed over the 1989 rape of a white female jogger in Central Park have spoken with CBS 30 years on from the event 'We were able to relocate, [and] put our children in better situations,' Santana, now 44, stated. However, he and the others added that the money had not lessened the lasting pain of their false imprisonment. 'No amount of money could have given us our time back,' Salaam, also 44, declared. In the intimate interview, the group revealed they still think about their wrongful convictions constantly 'Every day it's probably my second or third thought,' Salaam revealed. 'Even our conversations is different. It's not normal. Our conversations would be about prison, how we had to survive in prison,' McCray, 44, added. The men - Korey Wise, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Yusef Salaam - received a $41 million settlement from New York City in 2014 The group's imprisonment came after they confessed to the chilling crime following hours of police interrogations. Salaam (left) and Santana (right) are pictured after their arrest From left to right: Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise confessed to the chilling crime after hours of police interrogations. They later recanted but their original statements were admitted at trial The group's imprisonment came after they confessed to the chilling crime following hours of police interrogations. They later recanted their confessions, which they said were forced by police but their original statements were admitted at trial. Media demonized the black and Hispanic youths, describing them as a 'Wolf Pack'. Although he didn't directly accuse the five boys of committing the crime, Donald Trump spent $85,000 placing full-page ads in newspapers calling for the return of the death penalty shortly after they were arrested. They were convicted in 1990 and spent between seven to 13 years in prison, before serial rapist Matias Reyes confessed to the crime. Thirty years on from the event, a new Netflix miniseries by Oscar-nominee Ava DuVernay reexamines the Central Park Five in a more sensitive light. Media demonized the black and Hispanic youths, describing them as a 'Wolf Pack' The brutal attack and the subsequent arrest of five colored youths exacerbated explosive racial tensions in New York City Donald Trump spent $85,000 placing full-page ads in newspapers calling for the return of the death penalty shortly after the boys were arrested Oscar-nominee Ava DuVernay (pictured) says she hopes her her new Netflix miniseries helps humanize the Central Park Five Speaking about her new miniseries (pictured) DuVernay stated: 'I'm asking the question to everyone, 'What do you see when you see black boys?' 'My goal was to humanize boys and now men who are widely regarded as criminals,. And in doing that, to invite the audience to re-interrogate everyone that they define as a criminal, DuVernay told CBS. She continued: 'I'm asking the question to everyone, 'What do you see when you see black boys?' And that's a painful answer, because I know what the answer is for many people. 'It's exactly what these boys were called: wolf pack, animals, criminals, so much so that they could be tossed aside on a case that was made from a complete lie.' The series premieres on Netflix May 31. Trisha Meili was 28 years old when she was brutally beaten and raped while jogging in Central Park. She managed to survive the attack and is pictured in 2003 An exotic dancer and model accused of throwing a glass at a popular Neighbours actor inside a strip club faced court on assault charges on Monday. Dancer Danielle Lee, 25, appeared at Southport Magistrates Court in Queensland, accused of assaulting Neighbours actor Scott McGregor, who plays Detective Mark Brennan, last month. Lee, who uses the stage name Ivy, had been working at the Hollywood Showgirls strip club in Surfers Paradise on April 6 when she allegedly got into a verbal altercation with the actor. Police allege she then picked up a glass 'in a fit of rage' and threw it at the 38-year-old actor, leaving him with a centimetre laceration to his face. Lee was immediately dismissed from her job, and McGregor attended the nearby Surfer's Paradise police station to file charges. The dancer now faces charges of assault causing bodily harm, which carries a maximum seven-year jail sentence. Strip club dancer Danielle Lee, 25, appeared in Southport Magistrate's Court on Monday charged with assault causing bodily harm Lee (pictured left) allegedly threw a glass at Neighbours actor Scott McGregor (not pictured) after the pair had a verbal altercation at the Hollywood Showgirls strip club Lee (pictured working at the club) was immediately sacked from her job as a dancer following the alleged assault She appeared in court on Monday dressed in a striped turtleneck, black jeans and a cropped denim jacket, and was remanded on bail until June 7. Lee, who is originally from New Zealand, has been banned from the popular Surfer's Paradise venue after 12 months working there. Owner Craig Duffy earlier told The Courier Mail she was sacked on the spot after the alleged assault. 'I know a conversation took place between the two of them, but I'm not privy to what was said - I don't know if he said something wrong or she said something wrong,' he said. 'But regardless of what was said we terminated the dancer immediately. She is banned from the club.' Mr McGregor, who is married to actor and model Bianka Voight (pictured together), was treated in hospital for a one centimetre cut to his face after pressing charges Lee is now banned from the club, but owner Craig Duffy said Mr McGregor was welcome to return Mr Duffy said McGregor, who is married to actor and model Bianka Voight, was welcome to return if he wanted. Ms Lee's employment options are not completely dashed. The 25-year-old modelled for Gold Coast surfwear brand DVCO, and German shoemaker Buffalo as recently as earlier this year. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr McGregor's management for comment. Surveillance video has captured the sickening moment a New York City man was violently set upon by five youths in a brazen, broad daylight attack. Ken Wong, 38, was making his way home in East New York on Friday afternoon, before he was ambushed by the group of strangers, who slashed his head and stomped on him. At the beginning of the surveillance footage, Wong can be seen walking along unsuspectingly before the thugs pounce in order to steal his credit card. One of the suspects - clad in a red bandanna - sneaks up and slashes Wong in the back of the skull, before another punches him in the face. Wong collapses to the ground, but the group continues their violent attack by stomping on him. They then rifle through the pocket of Wong's jacket and take his wallet, before fleeing the scene. Ken Wong, 38, was the victim of a violent mugging in East New York on Friday afternoon Wong was punched in the face and stomped on before the thieves made off with his credit cards Wong was later taken to hospital where received 35 stitches and 16 staples in his head The surveillance video shows Wong amble to his feet as blood pours from his face. He then staggers along the sidewalk appearing dazed by what just occurred. Wong was later taken to hospital where received 35 stitches and 16 staples in his head, according to The New York Daily News. The victim told the publication that his wallet contained about $20 in cash, as well as several credit cards. Credit card information reveals that Wong's assailants spent up big at McDonald's following their sickening attack. They splurged $60 on meals at the fast food franchise, before treating themselves to more food at a nearby Dunkin Donuts. Wong told the New York Daily News that the incident was 'traumatizing' and that he hopes the perpetrators are brought to justice. 'Id rather have these guys apprehended so theyre not in the neighborhood and everyones safer,' he stated. Police are still hunting for the suspects, who are believed to be aged in their late teens or early twenties. Wong told the New York Daily News that the incident was 'traumatizing'. He is pictured in the hospital Police are still hunting for the suspects, who are believed to be aged in their late teens or early twenties Wong says he hopes the victims are brought to justice for their brutal attack A Queensland mother has thought outside the box when it comes to selling her property and business by launching a mega-raffle to determine a lucky winner. Natalie Giumelli, 31, put the profitable Yapper Valley Pet Resort, near Townsville along with her home and 111 acres of land up for grabs using a raffle system. She said she decided to put 'her whole life up for raffle' because many Australians likely wouldn't have the deposit for the $1,520,000 property in their bank accounts. Natalie Giumelli (pictured) has put her whole life up for raffle offering her home, land, business worth $1.52million along with $30,000 cash to the winner of a lottery She said she decided to put 'her whole life up for raffle' because many Australians likely wouldn't have the deposit for the $1,520,000 property in their bank accounts The winner will receive the $1.52 million prize consisting of an almost new four-bedroom and two bathroom house on110 acres of freehold land mortgage free. The prize will also include a fully running pet resort business and a bank account with $30,000 in cash and all the necessary equipment to run the business. 'All of this owned outright with zero debt. We did try to sell it the traditional way but we really quickly realised that a lot of people dont have the capital they need to buy it,' Mrs Giumelli told realestate.com.au. The system being used by Mrs Guimelli is known as a 'trade promotion lottery' and is regulated under the Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Act 1999. The winner will be given the $1.52 million prize consisting of an almost new four-bedroom and two bathroom house, 110 acres of freehold land and the fully running pet resort business, mortgage free The system being used by Mrs Guimelli is known as a 'trade promotion lottery' and is regulated under the Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Act 1999 Entries into the raffle are recorded when someone buys a $55 digital print of an animal on the Yapper Valley Pet Resort website. Mrs Giumelli said there were 40,000 entries available in the raffle which will be drawn on June 21. The winner will receive a portion of the proceeds from the raffle if all 40,000 entries are sold, totalling $2,200,000. Mrs Giumelli said there were 40,000 entries available in the raffle which will be drawn on June 21 Mrs Giumelli said her and her family were planning on downsizing to a smaller property. 'I want the legacy to continue with us caring for peoples furbabies. This is really a once in a lifetime opportunity to be debt free and start your life all over again,' she said. The Yapper Valley Resort is described as a luxury facility on the 110 acres which offers resort style accommodation for pets. The Yapper Valley Resort is described as a luxury facility on the 110 acres which offers resort style accommodation for pets Mrs Giumelli had some extra words of encouragement to people thinking about entering the raffle. 'You have the freedom to do whatever you want. Run the business yourself, keep it fully run by trained staff or any other way you desire. The choice is yours,' she wrote on the website. She also said there were no hidden catches or costs but simply a great opportunity for someone to begin a whole new life. WHAT THE RAFFLE WINNER RECEIVES A fully managed and profitable pet resort business Four bedroom, two bathroom home that is only three years old 110 acres of freehold land All equipment necessary to run the business $30,000 in the bank to kick start your debut into your new business All transfers and taxes paid All of this owned outright with zero debt The package has an appraised value of $1,520,000.00 Source: Yapper Valley Pet Resort Advertisement The wife of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was given a very different name at birth to the one she uses today. Before she became known as Chloe Shorten, the 47-year-old was named Clothilde Bryce. The name is pronounced as klaw-teeld or klo-teeld and means 'famous in battle,' Good Weekend reported. The unusual name stems from Saint Clotilde, the wife of King Clovis, who ruled over the Franks between circa 509-511. Fittingly, Mrs Shorten is married to royalty of sorts with her husband tipped to become the next prime minister at the May 18 Federal Election, according to the latest polls. Before she became known as Chloe Shorten (pictured, with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten), the 47-year-old was named Clothilde Bryce Fittingly, Mrs Shorten is married to royalty of sorts with her husband tipped to become the next prime minister at the May 18 Federal Election, according to the latest polls She is often described as smart, warm and charming, with her appearances at recent campaign events showing how she is a loving supporter to Mr Shorten. Together, the pair raise their nine-year-old daughter Clementine, as well as teenagers Georgette (Gigi), 16, and Rupert, 17, from Chloe's first marriage to architect Roger Parkin. Mrs Shorten is one of five children and the daughter to Dame Quentin Bryce and Michael Bryce. The family grew up in the well-heeled suburb of St Lucia, a suburb in Brisbane. Mrs Bryce was a constant source of inspiration to Mrs Shorten and was the country's first female governor-general in 2008. She was the first woman to be appointed to the University of Queensland's law faculty and worked as federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner in Sydney. Despite the heavy workload she was known for her elegant dress, and Mrs Shorten has previously remarked on her envy for her mother. 'She made it all seem so effortless,' she said in an interview last year. Though Mrs Shorten rejects suggestions she is a fashionista like her famously elegant mother and claims she is not even particularly fashionable. She describes her style as neat and groomed. Labor leader Bill Shorten pictured with his daughter Clementine (front), wife Chloe, son Rupert and daughter Georgette and niece Alexandra (back) Mrs Shorten first met Mr Shorten professionally in 2007 when she was working in corporate relations and he was the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services Her father Mr Bryce has also made a name for himself and become a respected architect. He worked as the principal design adviser for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and is the patron of the Australian Institute of Architects, and trustee of the Queensland Art Gallery. With a firm family base behind her and inspiring parents to boot, Mrs Shorten worked as a journalist at the Sunday Mail in Brisbane and later wrote for Australian Consolidated Press magazines including Cleo. She then moved into corporate communications where she practiced in-house for large organisations in the resources and technology sectors for more than 20 years. Mrs Shorten first met Mr Shorten professionally in 2007 when she was working in corporate relations and he was the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services. A romantic relationship became public in September 2008, shortly after Dame Quentin was sworn in as governor-general. Mr Shorten was still married to Deborah Beale, daughter of former Liberal MP Julian Beale, while Chloe was separated from Brisbane architect Roger Parkin and had two children. Bill Shorten married Chloe Bryce in November 2009 and moved to Mr Shorten Melbourne home in Moonee Ponds where they raise their children (pictured, the pair on the campaign trail in July 2016) When Daily Mail Australia previously asked Mr Shorten to describe Chloe he replied immediately with one word: 'irreplaceable'. She has described him as 'very lovely' and 'really funny' (pictured, Bill Shorten with wife Chloe during 2016 campaign) Their union was considered controversial by some - it was even suggested it could one day cause a constitutional crisis because of Dame Quentin and Mr Shorten's roles. The pair married in November 2009 and moved to Mr Shorten Melbourne home in Moonee Ponds where they raise their children. Mrs Shorten authored a book 'Take Heart' where she spoke about the fast paced three months that followed her marriage. In December 2009, she gave birth to her third child Clementine and in the following January her two other children were moved to the Melbourne home. Despite the rapid change, and just like her mother, Mrs Shorten made the rushed transition appear effortless. When Daily Mail Australia previously asked Mr Shorten to describe Chloe he replied immediately with one word: 'irreplaceable'. She has described him as 'very lovely' and 'really funny'. When Daily Mail Australia previously asked Mr Shorten to describe Chloe he replied immediately with one word: 'irreplaceable'. She has described him as 'very lovely' and 'really funny' The 47-year-old feminist, who says she doesn't care if she is called Ms or Mrs, is a passionate ambassador for equal opportunity and women and children's health, and an advocate against family violence. She has been an ambassador for the Gidget Foundation, which raises awareness of perinatal anxiety and depression, and the Furlong Park School for Deaf Children in Melbourne. Like her husband, Mrs Shorten is not taking a Labor victory for granted and has her own busy life to lead, as she previously told the Herald Sun. 'I do not allow myself to get ahead of myself,' she said. 'I do not imagine myself in the role [of prime minister's wife] at all, and I don't allow myself to think about what that may be like, or what I might be like in that role. 'This is because I have, like most women, a lot going on, and the more I stay in the present, the better it is for everybody.' The national president of the notorious Finks motorcycle gang has been arrested after he was allegedly caught with more than 200g of ice during a police raid. The 58-year-old bikie, whose name was not released, was pulled over in St Marys on Saturday by NSW Strike Force Raptor investigators who allegedly found 224g of methylamphetamine. Police later executed two search warrants at properties in St Marys and Mt Druitt, where they found drugs, an air soft pistol, three crossbows, two electronic stun devices, a slingshot, OMCG national colours, and several electronic devices. The national president (not pictured) of the Finks outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG) was arrested on Saturday after police seized 224g of methylamphetamine from his vehicle The gang leader, from Mt Druitt, was arrested and taken to the Penrith Police Station, where he was charged with supply indictable quantity of prohibited drug and possess prohibited drug. He was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear before Penrith Local Court on Monday, May 20, 2019. These items were seized to undergo forensic examination. A second man believed to be the bikie's associate, Marc McKillop, 40, from St Marys, was also arrested and charged with 15 counts of supply prohibited drug, possess prohibited drug, and drive motor vehicle during disqualification period. He was refused bail and appeared at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday, where he was formally refused bail to appear before Penrith Local Court on Friday. Investigations under Strike Force Lumley continue. A second man believed to be the bikie's associate was later arrested and charged with 15 counts of drug and other charges Strike Force Raptor was established in 2009 and conducts proactive investigations and intelligence-based, high-impact policing operations to prevent and disrupt conflicts, and dismantle any network engaged in serious organised criminal activity. Anyone with information, including relevant photos and videos, that may assist Strike Force Raptor is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information provided to investigators will be treated in the strictest of confidence. Ricci Barnett, 41, from New Mexico allegedly fled from officers by driving the wrong way on a one-way street A New Mexico woman is facing charges after police say she fled an officer during a traffic stop and told him, 'I don't think so!' when the officer showed her his badge. Dona County court documents show Ricci Barnett was arrested April 21 following the exchange. According to court documents, an officer tried to pull over the 41-year-old Barnett for driving the wrong way on a one-way street in Las Cruces, but she refused to stop. According to court documents, an officer witnessed Barnett failing to stop as she left a driveway. The officer said he attempted to conduct a traffic stop at an intersection, but Barnett didn't pull over. The documents say the officer eventually made contact with Barnett as she stopped at a red light. Court documents state the patrol officer shined his flashlight on his badge after Barnett asked for identification. After being pulled over by a police officer, Barnett allegedly ask him for identification. She allegedly responded by saying, 'I don't think so,' and sped off After he showed Barnett his badge, court documents say she responded saying, 'I don't think so!' and drove off. The patrol officer said he witnessed Barnett run a red light and then ended up driving the wrong way down a one-way street, managing to evade officers, until she 'pushed her car up against another police cruiser'. Charging documents allege Barnett then got out of her vehicle, which began to roll away, as she approached the second officer's driver's side door yelling at the cops. Documents state Barnett continued walking quickly toward the first officer, shouting at him in a manner that made him think she was going to assault him according to Las Cruces Sun News. It resulted in a police chase as she ran red lights and drove the wrong way down one way streets in Las Cruces, New Mexico Police say they apprehended Barnett who 'remained irate throughout all contact.' She was eventually taken into custody and charged with aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer and reckless driving. It was not known if she had an attorney. Barnett appears to have a history of acting in a loud manner posting on her Facebook page in March that she had been evicted from her apartment. 'Got evicted because of several noise complaints regarding loud guitar playing even late at night. No warnings or calls or even a knock from an offender neighbor- just an eviction notice taped to my upstairs apartment door. Man alive, I was not expecting that. Going to miss my picture taking room I dwell in mostly,' she wrote. President Trump attacked Democratic presidential front runner Joe Biden on Sunday, saying that if the former vice president wins in 2020 he will let China rip off America. China is DREAMING that Sleepy Joe Biden, or any of the others, gets elected in 2020, Trump tweeted on Sunday. They LOVE ripping off America! Trump was commenting on the ongoing trade negotiations with Beijing, which continue despite the imposition of tariffs by the administration. Earlier on Sunday, Trump tweeted: 'We are right where we want to be with China. President Trump (left) on Sunday once again attacked former Vice President Joe Biden as 'sleepy Joe' on Twitter China is DREAMING that Sleepy Joe Biden, or any of the others, gets elected in 2020, Trump tweeted on Sunday. They LOVE ripping off America! Earlier on Sunday, Trump tweeted: 'We are right where we want to be with China.' Trump tweeted on Sunday: 'We will then spend (match or better) the money that China may no longer be spending with our Great Patriot Farmers (Agriculture), which is a small percentage of total Tariffs received, and distribute the food to starving people in nations around the world! GREAT!' 'Remember, they broke the deal with us & tried to renegotiate. 'We will be taking in Tens of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs from China. 'Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-Tariffed countries... 'We will then spend (match or better) the money that China may no longer be spending with our Great Patriot Farmers (Agriculture), which is a small percentage of total Tariffs received, and distribute the food to starving people in nations around the world! GREAT!' Trump's comments came after economic adviser Larry Kudlow earlier Sunday conceded that China is not the one paying the tariffs. 'Fair enough. In fact, both sides will pay. Both sides will pay in these things,' Kudlow told Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. Trump had accused Beijing of reneging on its commitments in trade talks and ordered new punitive duties, which took effect Friday, on $200billion worth of Chinese imports, raising them to 25 percent from 10 percent. He then ordered a tariff hike on almost all remaining imports from China, which are worth about $300billion, according to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. 'The Chinese will suffer GDP losses and so forth with respect to a diminishing export market and goods that they may need,' Kudlow said, before agreeing with Wallace that even though China may suffer consequences, U.S. businesses and consumers are the ones who will pay the tariffs. Trump's comments came after economic advisor Larry Kudlow earlier Sunday conceded that China is not the one paying the tariffs 'Yes, to some extent. Yes, I don't disagree with that. Again, both sides will suffer on this,' Kudlow said. But he also assured that because the U.S. economy 'is in a boom,' it would not be damaged 'in any appreciable way' by the tariffs. Trump ordered the increased duties on Friday after two days of talks to resolve the trade battle ended with no deal, although without a breakdown. Trump began the standoff last year because of complaints about unfair Chinese trade practices. The United States is pressing China to change its policies on protections for intellectual property, as well as massive subsidies for state-owned firms, and to reduce the yawning trade deficit. Since last year the U.S. and China had exchanged tariffs on more than $360billion worth of two-way trade, gutting U.S. agricultural exports to China and weighing on both countries' manufacturing sectors. Trump on Saturday escalated his rhetoric on the trade war with China a day after talks between administration officials and Vice Premier Liu He (right) ended with no agreement Kudlow told Wallace that Trump and China's President Xi Jinping could meet next month on the sidelines of the G20 summit to discuss their differences on trade, but no new talks are scheduled. While making it clear that the U.S. was unwilling to settle, Kudlow sought to tamp down concerns, insisting the process was ongoing. 'We need to see something much clearer and until we do, we have to keep our tariffs on,' Kudlow said, adding: 'We can't accept any backtracking.' As for future negotiations, while there are 'no concrete, definite plans yet,' Kudlow said China had invited Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Lighthizer to Beijing -- and higher-level discussions could be possible. Trump warned China on Saturday that it should strike a trade deal with the United States now, otherwise an agreement would be 'far worse for them if it has to be negotiated in my second term' 'I think that China felt they were being beaten so badly in the recent negotiation that they may as well wait around for the next election, 2020, to see if they could get lucky & have a Democrat win - in which case they would continue to rip-off the USA for $500 Billion a year,' Trump said in a tweet on Saturday 'Such an easy way to avoid Tariffs? Make or produce your goods and products in the good old USA. It's very simple!' he tweeted, echoing a similar message he sent Friday - and even retweeted The chances of Trump and Xi meeting during the Group of 20 summit in Japan in late June 'are probably pretty good,' he said. The G20 summit of the world's largest advanced and emerging economies is scheduled to take place in Osaka June 28-29. 'We have to change the trading relationship between two countries for the benefit of the United States and its workforce and its ranchers and farmers and so forth. We have to do this,' Kudlow said. 'The relationship has been too unbalanced.' Earlier Saturday Trump struck a more belligerent tone, urging China that it would be 'wise for them to act now.' 'They know I am going to win... and the deal will become far worse for them if it has to be negotiated in my second term,' Trump tweeted. While supporters laud Trump as a tough negotiator, free-trade-minded Republicans have warned that the tariffs could do real damage to the economy, and many farmers - including Trump supporters - say the tariffs have hit their bottom line. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to visit Brussels on Monday to discuss 'pressing matters' including Iran instead of attending a meeting in Moscow. As a result of his EU meeting, the top US diplomat is scrapping a stop expected on Monday in Moscow, a State Department official said on Sunday. But he will still head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the official added just before Pompeo left Washington. An EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting is scheduled in Brussels on Monday, but the State Department did not offer specific details of Pompeo's revised agenda. It simply said talks would be held with officials from France, the UK and Germany -- the three European signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi to meet President Vladimir Putin Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has provisionally rejected the offer of talks made by US President Trump Iran announced on May 8, one year after the US withdrew from the deal, that it was suspending some of its commitments under the agreement. President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum to the Europeans, threatening that Iran would go further if they fail to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance US President Donald Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. The European powers rejected that ultimatum. The US has continued to build pressure on Iran, with Pompeo accusing Tehran of planning 'imminent' attacks. The Pentagon announced Friday that it is deploying an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to bolster an aircraft carrier force sent to counter alleged threats from Iran. Pompeo has already canceled in recent days trips to Berlin and Greenland to focus on the Iran issue. In Moscow, Pompeo had been due to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier dedicated to Soviet troops killed in World War II - an era when Moscow and Washington were allied. Pompeo will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi after cancelling their Moscow summit to travel to Brussels When he does finally meet with Putin it will be his first visit to Russia as chief diplomat. Conflicts in Venezuela, Iran, Syria, Ukraine and North Korea are expected to be discussed, as well as the cases of US citizens who are detained in Russia. Russias alleged violation of arms control agreement and 'Kremlin-backed attempts to meddle in U.S. and other foreign elections', will also be subjects included in the summit, a State Department official said on Friday. It is thought the trip to Russia could serve as a precursor to a meeting between Trump and Putin at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, next month. One of the threats that Pompeo referred to included remarks by a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander who said that a US aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf was a target for Iranian forces. Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards' aerospace division, said at the weekend that the vessel would have been a threat in the past. The U.S. has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East in a move that officials said was to counter 'clear indications' of threats from Iran to American forces in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month. A modern-day Lady Godiva has taken a 'naked' horse ride through Melbourne hoping to shock voters to act on climate change ahead of the federal election. Wearing a black cape and long black boots with flowing blonde hair covering her breasts, Sarah Keecher sat side-saddle atop the trotting horse on Monday. The stunt was similar to Lady Godiva who was the Countess of Mercia in the 13th century and rode naked to apologise for her husband's high taxes. Sarah Keecher, 31, went on a 'naked' horse ride through Melbourne hoping to shock voters to act on climate change 'I have stripped off to expose the inaction of government on climate change,' Ms Keecher said The 31-year-old rode past city landmarks including St Paul's Cathedral and the National Gallery of Victoria. The striking blonde was accompanied by candidates from the Independents for Climate Action Now party. But on a cold and windy day in Melbourne, few batted an eye lid at the political stunt. 'I have stripped off to expose the inaction of government on climate change,' Ms Keecher said. 'We all need to take a stand for our planet and that starts at the polling booth on Saturday.' Walking alongside the horse were Senate candidates Paul Wittwer and Kammy Cordner Hunt, who are representing the Independents for Climate Action Now party. The group stopped along the way, allowing the candidates to speak to the passing public. Outside the cathedral, a group of tourists showed great interest in the horse, snapping photos. But during the other stops, only a handful of people stood and listened. Ms Keecher is dressed as Lady Godiva and rode on the horse through the Melbourne CBD The Independents for Climate Action Now was registered in April, slightly more than a month ahead of Saturday's election, as an alternative to the Greens. 'I'm regional and have been involved in spreading the Greens' message before, but that message suffers a great deal of negative PR in country and regional areas,' Ms Cordner Hunt said. The party has eight Senate candidates across Victoria, Queensland and NSW, including outspoken Anglican rector Rod Bower running in the latter state. Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning has said President Donald Trump's administration wants 'to go after journalists' after she was released from a northern Virginia jail on May 7. Manning was interviewed by CNN's Brian Stelter on Sunday on Reliable Sources after she spent 62 days at the Alexandria Detention Center on civil contempt charges for refusing to answer questions before a federal grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. Manning was released only because the grand jury's term expired, and may end up back in custody this week. Before she left the jail she received another subpoena demanding her testimony on May 16 to a new grand jury, which she has said she plans to ignore. Opinions on her stand were divided, with some calling her a traitor and others offering her support, including The Action Network, which has created a donation site to help fund Manning's legal costs related to the case. Former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who was detained for refusing to testify before a grand jury, has said the Trump administration 'clearly wants to go after journalists.' Manning told CNN's Brain Stelter on Sunday that reporters now are 'on notice now that the FBI and the Department of Justice are going to go after them on administration's behalf' 'This administration clearly wants to go after journalists,' Manning told Stelter. 'I think that if the administration gets its way as it's laid out in repeated statements like, "the media is the enemy of the people" kind of thing you know, then I think that we're going to see the national security journalists and a lot of disruptive, for this administration, press we're probably going to see indictments and charges. 'Whenever a journalist makes a misstep, I think that they are put on notice now that the FBI and the Department of Justice are going to go after them on administration's behalf.' Manning made the comments while defending her refusal to comply with a previous grand jury subpoena in a case related to WikiLeaks. Manning was released on May 7 from a northern Virginia jail after 62 days in custody for contempt over refusing to testify about her disclosure of military and diplomatic secrets to WikiLeaks in 2010. Manning could soon return to jail, as she confirmed that she would again refuse to testify in response to a separate subpoena received for a second grand jury while she was in jail Detractors came out in full force when Stelter announced his Sunday interview with the whistleblower. One person wrote, 'Why are you giving people aligned with Americas biggest foreign adversary a megaphone to amplify their lies and propaganda? Anyone aligned with Wikileaks is bad news, and is actively trying to weaken our Republic. Shame on you, Brian' Yet another person said, 'You know their is a ton of evidence shes a remorseless criminal. That you give her a platform like this is unbelievable and not journalism. You are literally aiding americas enemies' A person whose Twitter biography described them as a 'proud liberal democrat' wrote, 'Unless she is willing to testify under oath, and tell the whole truth, this is just a publicity stunt. No thanks' Manning made the comments while defending her refusal to comply with a previous grand jury subpoena in a case related to WikiLeaks. Manning is shown in her booking photo Detractors came out in full force when Stelter announced his Sunday interview with the whistleblower. 'Giving Chelsea Manning free airtime (when she refuses to testify to a Grand Jury) and retweeting Greenwald from the Intercept...not a good look Brian,' one person tweeted, referring to journalist Glenn Greenwald. Another person wrote, 'Why are you giving people aligned with Americas biggest foreign adversary a megaphone to amplify their lies and propaganda? Anyone aligned with Wikileaks is bad news, and is actively trying to weaken our Republic. Shame on you, Brian.' Yet another person said, 'You know their is a ton of evidence shes a remorseless criminal. That you give her a platform like this is unbelievable and not journalism. You are literally aiding americas enemies.' A person whose Twitter biography described them as a 'proud liberal democrat' wrote, 'Unless she is willing to testify under oath, and tell the whole truth, this is just a publicity stunt. No thanks.' On the flip side, one Twitter user wrote in reply to Stelter announcing the interview, '@xychelsea is a hero. Thanks for giving her a voice' Another person write, 'Chelsea calls out murder for what it is, she is slandered as a "traitor", and bigots across the country call for her head. My, my where have I seen this before? Besides throughout all of human history, that is' Twitter user Srecko Horvat called Manning's release 'good news,' but cautioned that it might be short-lived since she has been subpoenaed again. Manning confirmed on Sunday to Stelter that she will again refuse to answer questions before a grand jury On the flip side, one Twitter user wrote in reply to Stelter announcing the interview, '@xychelsea is a hero. Thanks for giving her a voice.' Another person wrote, 'Chelsea calls out murder for what it is, she is slandered as a "traitor", and bigots across the country call for her head. My, my where have I seen this before? Besides throughout all of human history, that is.' Twitter user Srecko Horvat called Manning's release 'good news,' but cautioned that it might be short-lived. 'But be aware she could be back in jail within a week, Horvat wrote. 'Why? Because she is one of the most principled whistleblowers and refuses to testify against #WikiLeaks and #JulianAssange still jailed in British Guantanamo.' Manning confirmed on Sunday to Stelter that she will again refuse to answer questions before a grand jury. This means she could face another term of incarceration, as she was subpoenaed to testify before another grand jury on May 16. 'Unfortunately, even prior to her release, Chelsea was served with another subpoena. This means she is expected to appear before a different grand jury, on Thursday, May 16,' Sparrow Project quoted Manning's legal team as saying. 'Chelsea will continue to refuse to answer questions,' her legal team said. 'It is therefore conceivable that she will once again be held in contempt of court,' and returned to the Alexandria Detention Center possibly as soon as May 16. Manning could face another term of incarceration, as she was subpoenaed to testify before another grand jury on May 16 Manning has previously said she had 'ethical' objections to the grand jury system and had answered all questions about her involvement with WikiLeaks years ago. Manning was ordered to testify earlier this year for an investigation examining actions by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2010, according to her own description, inadvertent court revelations and media reports. At the time Manning, a transgender woman then known as Bradley Manning, was a military intelligence analyst. Manning served seven years in a military prison after being convicted by court martial under the Espionage Age for leaking more than 700,000 classified documents to WikiLeaks. The documents exposed cover-ups of possible war crimes and revealed internal US communications about other countries. Sentenced in 2013 to 35 years in prison, she was released in May 2017 after the commutation of her sentence by president Barack Obama. Manning had been behind bars since March 8 after she refused to testify before a grand jury earlier this year for an investigation examining actions by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (pictured) in 2010, according to her own description, inadvertent court revelations and media reports Last week, Manning's lawyers filed court papers arguing that she should not be jailed for civil contempt because she has proven that she will stick to her principles and won't testify no matter how long she's jailed. Federal law only allows a recalcitrant witness to be jailed on civil contempt if there's a chance that the incarceration will coerce the witness into testifying. Manning is shown in a file photo during her military service Assange was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in April, where he had been seeking asylum for seven years. He was arrested for a long-standing charge of skipping bail related to Swedish sexual assault charges. Assange was found guilty in April of breaking those bail conditions, and sentenced on May 1 to 50 weeks in jail. After Assange was taking into custody, it was later revealed that a US grand jury had indicted Assange in March of 2018 on conspiracy charges related to his alleged involvement with Manning in cracking a military computer system's password. The U.S. began its extradition case against Assange on May 2. Last week, Manning's lawyers filed court papers arguing that she should not be jailed for civil contempt because she has proven that she will stick to her principles and won't testify no matter how long she's jailed. Federal law only allows a recalcitrant witness to be jailed on civil contempt if there's a chance that the incarceration will coerce the witness into testifying. If a judge were to determine that incarcerating Manning were punitive rather than coercive, Manning would not be jailed. 'At this point, given the sacrifices she has already made, her strong principles, her strong and growing support community, and the disgrace attendant to her capitulation, it is inconceivable that Chelsea Manning will ever change her mind about her refusal to cooperate with the grand jury,' her lawyers wrote. Manning filed an eight-page statement with the court on May 6, outlining her resolve. She wrote that 'cooperation with this grand jury is simply not an option. Doing so would mean throwing away all of my principles, accomplishments, sacrifices, and erase decades of my reputation - an obvious impossibility.' She also said she was suffering disproportionately in jail because of physical problems related with inadequate follow-up care to gender-reassignment surgery. Passengers on Virgin Australia are facing major delays after the airline's check-in system went down on Monday afternoon. The technical issue has resulted in some flights being delayed, and extreme congestion at a number of ports, the airline advised on its Twitter account. 'Our IT teams are currently working to resolve this issue,' the airline said in a statement. 'We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will keep you updated as more information comes to hand.' The airline has since released a statement announcing service has been restored. Virgin Australia's check -in system has crashed, causing massive delays for airline passengers Passengers described the scene as 'absolute chaos', with nobody able to print out a boarding pass A spokeswoman for Virgin Australia told Daily Mail Australia: 'The issue has been resolved and guests are being processed as normal for their flights.' She declined to comment on the extent of the delay, explaining the airline had not yet identified the full extent of the disruption caused by the outage. The cause of the outage is still being investigated. Earlier, the airline said staff were 'working really hard to manually check people in'. The company's online flight status feature shows passengers are facing up to two-hours in delays. Furious passengers have flooded Twitter to complain of being left on planes for 50 minutes, delayed flights and missed connections. One person described the scene as 'absolute chaos', with passengers 'stuck in baggage lines for hours'. Furious passengers have taken to Twitter to complain about the outage One traveller was outraged that he was sitting at check-in without any food or water Many tweeted at the airline asking for the extent of the delay Another passenger tweeted that his flight had been sitting off the runway in Perth for 30 minutes with no updates. 'I have a baby and an 82-year-old father and 76-year-old mother with mobility issues and I'm not happy,' said another. A man whose flight had been cancelled took to Twitter to say there is now 'a queue way down the terminal from the service desk - and queue not moving'. But some chose a more positive path and instead commended the airline for its constant updates and face-to-face communication. 'Impressed to see how VA staff dealt with the chaos. Not easy. Our flight only delayed 1/2 hr at this stage,' one passenger said. A former Victorian banker has been jailed for defrauding the National Australia Bank (NAB) of more than $640,000, with a judge hearing he bought a luxury car with some of the funds. Andrew Matthews, 38, exploited the bank's 'introducer' scheme, using it to funnel commission money to himself and a friend between 2012 and 2016. 'You were the driving force behind the fraud,' Victorian County Court Judge Claire Quin said on Monday. Some models of the Italian Ferrari F430 can cost more than $450,000 and Victorian County Court Judge Claire Quin said it was a luxury fraudster Andrew Matthews could ill-afford Some of the $640,000 cash was spent on a luxury vehicle which Matthews 'could ill-afford', Judge Quin added. The car has been reported by some media outlets as a Ferrari F430. Clients would unknowingly sign forms saying co-accused Nicola D'Agostino had introduced them to Matthews, and the men would divide the commission from the bank. One-time star NAB mobile lender Andrew Matthews, 38, has earned eight months in jail However, the loans themselves were not fraudulent and the clients were genuinely assessed for their suitability and none defaulted. The scheme was only uncovered when NAB undertook an internal audit, the judge explained. Matthews also tried to get more than $13,000 worth of commissions in the same way in 2016 but NAB rejected the payments. The judge took into account Matthews' guilty plea, poor mental health, good prospect of rehabilitation and his lack of criminal history. Matthews was ordered to serve eight months behind bars, plus an additional 28-month suspended sentence. He must also also pay more than $583,000 in compensation. In September D'Agostino was ordered to repay more than $67,000 and complete 125 hours of community work after pleading guilty to two charges of recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Tests for Covid and isolation rules for travellers will stay in place until at least the end of January, according to aviation sources. Such a move would add to the woes of an already beleaguered travel industry. Thousands of holidays for Britons during the festive period - including cruises and Austrian skiing trips - have been cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions imposed by destinations. 'We don't anticipate any measures being scrapped until at least the end of January. Even with the promise of a review every three weeks by the Department for Transport, there have been suggestions they'll be in place for two or three months,' one senior aviation insider told The Times. In a bid to tackle the Omicron variant, all international arrivals to the UK must currently take a PCR test on or before the second day following their arrival in the country - and they have to self-isolate until they test negative. Travellers also have to take pre-departure lateral flow or PCR tests. (Pictured left: skiers in the Italian resort of Bormio have their Covid-19 'green passes' checked; top right: Heathrow Terminal 5, on Friday; and bottom right: passengers at Heathrow's Terminal 3.) A Florida man who says his wife would not stop speaking to him in a disrespectful manner shot her point blank in the face and then walked to his neighbors house and confessed to killing her, police say. Fernando De Baere, 73, was arrested and booked for murder in Broward Main Jail in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday night for the fatal shooting of Marisa Sherman. Sherman, 47, was sitting upright on the living room couch with a bullet wound to her face when investigators found her in the couples home in Plantation on Wednesday night. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:36pm. Police say Fernando De Baere (left), 73, fatally shot his wife, Marisa Sherman (right), 47, on Wednesday night The shooting took place at the couple's home (above) in Plantation, Florida, just after 10pm on Wednesday De Baere is seen above after his arrest. He has been charged with premeditated murder De Baere is being held there without bond on a charge of premeditated murder, according to the South Florida SunSentinel. After he went to the neighbor and confessed the alleged crime, the neighbor dialed 911 at around 10:21pm. De Baere allegedly used a revolver to kill his wife, WPLG-TV reported. When police interviewed him, he had blood stains on his legs and boxer shorts, according to the SunSentinel. De Baere told police that he and his wife were arguing over a former coworker. De Baere told police that he shot Sherman because she spoke to him 'disrespectfully' He told investigators that during the argument, he grew upset with the way that she was talking to him. De Baere told police that she continued to speak to him disrespectfully even though he asked her to stop. He said he went to his bedroom closet and retrieved a Taurus .38-caliber revolver. De Baere told police he stood over his wife and aimed the gun, but she continued. She still would not listen to him, the arrest report said. From three feet away, De Baere shot his wife in the face one or two times, according to police. De Baere told police that the revolver was in a closet in the master bedroom. Investigators said they recovered the gun. Tom Bennett (pictured above) said low level disruption in schools is going unchallenged A government advisor on school behaviour has said 'child-centred' teaching methods have led to a rise in poor discipline. Tom Bennett said teachers are failing to challenge pupil's low-level disruption in class, following the implementation of so-called 'progressivism' teaching methods in classrooms. Mr Bennett, who was appointed by ministers to head up a task force into bad behaviour at schools has said the issue of poor behaviour has been 'swept under the carpet'. He has now said that progressivism, which became popular in the 1960s and 1970s, has led to low level disruption going unchallenged. Speaking to The Telegraph, he said there had been a massive assumption that children would behave if you simply planned lessons correctly. 'If you allowed them to do lots of independent work, project work, group work and so on, and that these teaching methods would create great behaviour. 'I think that the failure of these methods to automatically create great behaviour has resulted in a lot of people in the education system pretending behaviour wasn't an issue.' Teaching methods such as 'direct instruction', where teachers stand in front of pupils, presenting information, drilling out information and memorisation, are all traditional techniques which have been gradually phased out. Now, teachers are in favour of more progressive 'child-centred' learning methods, where the emphasis is on keeping students engaged by allowing them to learn from each other rather than just taking instructions from their teachers. Traditional teaching vs progressive Traditional teaching methods had previously been favoured in schools as they would focus heavily on military style drills and pupils memorising facts. Also known as conventional teaching, it is still widely taught in many schools. However, this method has also been widely criticised for not allowing students to think more independently. Progressive teaching methods allow students to work more independently, discussing ideas with other pupils, rather than just taking direction from their teachers. Advertisement The child-centred approach involes asking students to work together in small groups, discussing ideas with each other and expressing their opinions. These methods have also been hailed for allowing pupils to go at their own pace and to learn things away from their teachers. Mr Bennett said: 'Progressivism rests on the idea that children want to behave and they want to learn, the teacher needs to step back and allow the child to explore their natural curiosity, which will motivate them and keep them engaged'. He highlighted that this relies on an 'overly optimistic view' of human nature that 'fails to take into account the difficulties some children face'. According to Mr Bennett, while these teaching methods may work well for middle class children, the same has not been proven from those from more disadvantaged households, who may not have been taught how to behave by their parents. 'Some children come to school with loads of social skills, they've been taken to museums, taught how to shake someone's hand and say hello. Mr Bennett said some children don't know how to behave when they start school 'But if you are used to shouting out to be heard, no one has ever taught you how to wait your turn or share, you're not going to change suddenly in a classroom. You wouldn't think that is wrong, you would think that is normal.' He added that these children need clear boundaries and support, as well as being taught how to behave. He said that using progressive teaching techniques for all children, regardless of their background is a 'very good way to maximising misbehaviour'. This month, the Department for Education (DfE) implemented a new task force specifically aimed as tackling bad behaviour in schools. The move comes amid rising concerns about classroom disruption, with a third of state schools marked as having poor behaviour, an Ofsted inspection reports. One of the most common reasons for permanent exclusions in state schools is persistent disrupted behaviour, accounting for over a third of all permanent exclusions in 2016/17. Mr Bennett is leading a 10 million crackdown, which will focus on teaching schools how to improve issues such as attendance and punctuality. Sri Lanka imposed a nationwide night curfew on Monday, and temporarily blocked social media, after anti-Muslim riots spread north of the capital in a violent new backlash against the Easter suicide bombings. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the curfew was declared to prevent unidentified groups destabilising the country by orchestrating communal violence. Initially, residents in the North-Western Province were ordered to stay indoors after Christian-led mobs torched dozens of Muslim-owned shops, vehicles and mosques on Sunday and Monday. The country once again shut down Facebook and WhatsApp after a post sparked anti-Muslim riots in the latest fallout from the Easter Sunday suicide attacks. Christian groups attacked Muslim-owned shops in the northwestern town of Chilaw on Sunday in anger at a Facebook post by a Muslim shopkeeper. The message read 'Don't laugh more, one day u will cry', which Christians took as a warning of an impending attack. The government had imposed a ban on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and viber immediately after the terror attacks to prevent the spread of rumours. Sri Lanka's authorities blocked access to social media sites including Facebook and WhatsApp after a post by a Muslim shopkeeper - which read 'Don't laugh more, one day u will cry' - was seen as an impending attack by Christians Yesterday, security forces fired in the air to disperse mobs, but the violence spread to nearby towns where Muslim businesses were also attacked. Authorities said they arrested the author of a Facebook post, identified as 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar. Later on Sunday and early on Monday, they also arrested a group of men in the nearby district of Kurunegala for allegedly attacking Muslim-owned businesses. Nalaka Kaluwewa, director general of the government information department, said: 'Social media blocked again as a temporary measure to maintain peace in the country.' Sri Lanka has been on edge since the April 21 attacks by jihadist suicide bombers on three hotels and three churches which left 258 dead. Seven suicide bombers struck two Catholic and one Protestant church and three luxury hotels on Easter Sunday. A view of St. Sebastian's Church, which was damaged in the blast in Negombo, north of Colombo, on Easter Sunday Wreckage: Sri Lankan security personnel inspect the damage at St Anthony's Shrine following the bombing An inside view of the St. Anthony's Shrine after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks, carried out by a local radicalised Muslim group. Sunday services were cancelled in the subsequent two weekends for fear of more attacks, leaving the worshippers to hear Mass via a live television link from the Colombo residence of Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith. The Church received 'specific information of two possible attacks against churches' and it was decided to call off the May 5 mass, a spokesman for Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said on May 2. The archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith addresses survivors during a holy mass in Colombo on Saturday. Worshippers had to hear Mass via live television transmissions from his Colombo residence after Sunday services were cancelled following last month's terror attacks In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said: 'At several places in the North-Western Province these groups created trouble, damaged property. Police and security forces have contained the situation, but these (unidentified) groups are still trying to create trouble. Police said the social media ban was brought in to try to prevent further violence. Mobs smashed the retailer's shop and vandalised a nearby mosque - which prompted security forces to fire warning shots above the crowd. The main body of Islamic clerics, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), said there was increased suspicion of Muslims after the Easter attacks carried out by local jihadists. 'We call upon the members of the Muslim communities to be more patient and guard your actions and avoid unnecessary postings or hosting on social media,' the ACJU said. Internet service providers said they have been instructed by the telecommunications regulator to block access to Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and other platforms. The latest unrest came as Catholic churches resumed their public Sunday masses for the first time since the bombings. Catholic churches resumed their public Sunday masses for the first time (pictured) after the April 21 bombings at three churches and three luxury hotels left 258 people dead Military forces and police armed with assault rifles patrolled the streets leading to churches and stood guard outside the compounds. Everyone entering was required to produce identity cards and was body searched. Volunteers were stationed at the gates of churches to identify parishioners and look for suspicious individuals. A Sri Lankan army soldier outside St Lucia cathedral as Catholic nuns attend a holy mass held to bless victims of Easter Sunday attacks in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Saturday. They patrolled the streets leading to churches as worshippers prayed Sri Lankan police officers stand guard at the entrance to St Lucia's cathedral during a holy mass held to bless victims of the Easter Sunday attacks in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Saturday. Everyone entering churches was required to produce identity cards and was body searched A Sri Lankan army commando soldier stands guard at St Lucia Cathedral during a holy mass in Colombo on Saturday. Volunteers were asked to watch for suspicious looking individuals church gates Parking was banned near the churches and officials requested worshippers to bring along only minimum baggage. Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency since the suicide attacks. Security forces and police have been given sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. Sri Lankan Catholic nuns push a wheelchair carrying a survivor of the Easter Sunday attack for a holy mass in Colombo on Saturday. Seven suicide bombers struck two Catholic and one Protestant church and three luxury hotels on during the attack President Maithripala Sirisena said last week that '99 per cent' of the remaining suspects in the Easter attacks had been arrested and their explosive materials seized. He added that it was safe for tourists to return to the Indian Ocean island nation. Police say two previously little-known radical Islamist groups - National Towheed Jamaat and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - conspired in the attacks. Officials added that Zahran Hashim, a vitriolic preacher from the country's east, may have led the attackers and was one of the bombers to die. Muslims make up around 10 percent of Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka's 21million population, and Christians about 7.6 per cent. A kidnapper who abducted a young girl from her home before taking her to his house where he fed her chocolate and brushed her hair has begged for a shorter jail sentence. Eden James Kane, 50, pleaded guilty in April, after he kidnapped the three-year-old girl from her house in central Queensland in 2014, The Courier Mail reported. He spent two days with the toddler where they watched movies and ate chocolate. He would also bathe her, brush her hair, and slept with her. The 50-year-old (pictured) spent two days with the toddler where they watched movies and ate chocolate. He would also bathe her, brush her hair, and slept with her The Brisbane District Court heard Kane did not harm the girl sexually or physically. There was a statewide search for the young girl, and she was found two days later after she was heard calling for her mother at a showground. Kane was sentenced to 4.5 years' jail and is due to be released on parole in August due to time already served. There was a statewide search for the young girl, and she was found two days later after she was heard calling for her mother at a showground Kane on Monday appealed that his jail sentence should be reduced to three years because there was no violence during the abduction. He also argued the sentence was too harsh due to his 'serious mental health problems'. Kane could be eligible for immediate parole if he is successful but the Court of Appeal has reserved its decision. Killing Eve star Jodie Comer speaks at the Baftas last night after winning the award Killing Eve star Jodie Comer last night dedicated her best actress Bafta to her inspirational late grandmother who used to tell her: 'You get it off me you know.' The 26-year-old actress said her grandmother Frances, who died aged 73 in July 2017, passed away during the first week of filming for the hit BBC drama. She added that Frances, who was the 'life and soul of everything', never got to see her character Villanelle, a relentless assassin who becomes obsessed with an MI5 agent played by Sandra Oh. Neighbours of Frances in Liverpool told MailOnline today that she was a 'dead proud' grandmother who came out into the street with Comer's photograph after she was born in March 1993. Locals also revealed she was a 'lovely person' and an Everton football fan who often hosted parties at her terraced home in the Toxteth area with husband Jimmy. Jodie Comer with grandmother Frances Comer, who was said to have been 'dead proud' of her Comer's grandmother Frances, who also lived in Liverpool, died aged 73 in July 2017 Frances's former neighbour Dorothy Warriner, 85, said: 'Frances was outspoken and she was lovely. I remember when Jodie was born, she was a big baby. 'Frances came out into the street with her photograph. She was a dead proud grandmother. They lived there for about 20 odd years. Frances Comer was known to have supported Everton football club, and she is pictured supporting her team at Wembley in 2016 'She was always out seeing people. They had loads of friends. They were always having parties and everybody more or less knew them.' Neighbour John Fowler added: 'She was a lovely person was Frances, a really nice woman.' Comer, who still lives in Liverpool with her transport worker mother Donna, 55, and father Jimmy, 54, a masseur for Everton, paid tribute to Frances in her speech. She told the Baftas last night: 'I'd love to dedicate this award to my nanna Frances, who sadly passed away the first week of filming, so she never got to see Villanelle. 'She was the life and soul of everything, and when she was here she used to say to me: ''You get it off me you know''. 'And I just want to stand up here and say 'Nanna Frances, you were absolutely right all along'. Thank you so much Bafta!' Comer is pictured (right) with friends at school. She began her acting journey in Liverpool, where she developed a passion for drama Comer also paid tribute in her speech at the Royal Festival Hall in London yesterday to Line Of Duty star Stephen Graham for offering her significant support in the early days of her career. Comer poses with her Bafta award last night Comer's grandmother, who was also known as 'Franna', died on July 20, 2017 and her funeral was on July 28 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Liverpool. A funeral notice said she would be 'sadly missed by all her family and friends' and invited everyone to 'wear something blue for Franna' at the ceremony. Frances was the mother of Comer's father Jimmy, and was married to a man also named Jimmy. Comer told The Sunday Times earlier this month that a famous scene in Killing Eve featuring her in a pink dress was filmed after she had been to Frances's funeral. It was at this point that she realised she got her acting talent from Frances, telling the newspaper: 'It was that bittersweet thing of saying, 'I wish I could say it to you now, and I can't.' Frances Comer is pictured with Jodie Comer's mother Donna, 55, who is a transport worker Comer starred in hit BBC drama Killing Eve, playing a relentless assassin called Villanelle Speaking after the Baftas last night, Comer said used to watch the ceremony as a child and dreamed of being there. Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Jodie Comer pose with their Baftas for Killing Eve She said: 'I always watched Bafta many, many years on my own in my room and I would think 'oh my God, I want to be in that place'. It's incredible. 'You can't anticipate how something is going to go down with an audience.' Comer has won fans across the world since Killing Eve debuted last year. She developed a passion for drama at a young age, first realising that she wanted to act while taking part in a drama festival in her home city of Liverpool. Her acting skills were then spotted by her drama teacher after she took part in a talent show at school, where she performed a monologue based on the Hillsborough disaster. This drew the attention of BBC Radio 4, where she landed her first acting role for a radio play. She went on to score her first TV role at the age of 14 in The Royal Today, and she has also acted in programmes including Holby City, Silent Witness and Casualty. Comer told the Baftas last night that her grandmother 'was the life and soul of everything' Jodie Comer is pictured with her mother Donna, with whom she still lives in Liverpool Larger roles came in E4 comedy-drama My Mad Fat Diary in 2013, and BBC One's Doctor Foster in 2015. Comer with Benedict Cumberbatch, who won best leading actor for Patrick Melrose In 2018, she began her work in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Killing Eve, as the psychotic assassin Villanelle, bringing her fame on both sides of the Atlantic. As well as the TV Bafta win, Comer has also won others for her role, including a Royal Television Society award. Comer revealed Taylor Swift has followed her television career and appreciated her before the phenomenon of Killing Eve. She said: 'I actually met Taylor Swift backstage at the Golden Globes and she said that she loved Doctor Foster when it was on TV. Taylor Swift has watched Doctor Foster, that's incredible.' Sheridan Smith and Ryan Reynolds were among the stars who showed their appreciation for Comer today. Comer was described as 'the highlight of the evening' by Mrs Biggs and Cilla star Smith. In a tweet, Smith added: 'So proud and so deserved, you don't realise how amazing you are, which makes you all the more beautiful. Love ya, girl.' Comer appeared in BBC drama Doctor Foster alongside Bertie Carvel, joining the cast in 2015 Comer played Ivy Moxam in the BBC's Thirteen alongside and Aneurin Barnard as Tim Hobson Hollywood star Reynolds was one of the many who praised Comer for her speech. Responding to footage of the speech on Twitter, Reynolds wrote 'I love this so much', along with emojis showing hands raised in the air. Comer is pictured in Silent Witness in 2012 Comer will make her Hollywood film debut alongside Reynolds in the action comedy Free Guy, set to be released next year. Strictly Come Dancing star and documentary filmmaker Stacey Dooley tweeted: 'YES SISSSSSSS @jodiecomer A STAR SINCE THE START.' Oh, who plays M15 operative Eve Polastri opposite Comer in Killing Eve, tweeted her joy for Comer as well as Fiona Shaw, who won the supporting actress prize, and the show, which nabbed the drama series gong. 'Congratulations @KillingEve !!! BATFA for Best Series Fiona Shaw and @jodiecomer !!! Yay yay yay!!,' she tweeted, along with champagne bottle emojis. Other stars of the entertainment world congratulating Comer included Game Of Thrones star Sophie Turner, Coronation Street star Bhavna Limbachia and Humans actress Gemma Chan. Turner tweeted to Comer 'YOU COMPLETELY DESERVE THIS', while Limbachia said: 'Never have I ever rooted for someone as much as @jodiecomer ! Well deserved @BAFTA.' David Walliams also tweeted: 'How can you not love ?@jodiecomer? ? ?@BAFTA?.' Vietnam has stepped up its imprisonment of political activists, Amnesty International said in a report on Monday, intensifying a crackdown that has seen the number of prisoners of conscience increase by almost a third since last year. Nearly 10% of the 128 prisoners held in the Southeast Asian country for expressing dissenting views were jailed for posting anti-state comments on social media platforms such as Facebook, the report said. Amnesty defines prisoners of conscience as people who have not used or advocated violence but have been imprisoned because of their identify or beliefs. The ruling Communist Party of Vietnam, led by President Nguyen Phu Trong, tolerates little criticism 'In the past year, the Vietnamese authorities have made a clear effort to clamp down on social media,' Nguyen Truong Son, Amnesty's Vietnam Campaigner, told Reuters. 'They have realised that Facebook was one of the last safe spaces where people could peacefully speak their mind, spread news, hold debates - everything the authorities are afraid of,' Son said. Despite presiding over sweeping reforms and an increasingly market-oriented economy, the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam tolerates little criticism. The Amnesty report called on United States representatives to raise the issue during a human rights meeting with Vietnamese counterparts later this week. The crackdown follows the introduction of a cybersecurity law, which came into effect this January and requires companies to set up local offices and store data in the country. Global technology firms and rights groups have pushed back against the law, and some company officials have privately expressed concerns that the legislation could make it easier for authorities to seize customer data and expose their Vietnamese employees to arrest. Donald Trump and his Nguyen Phu Trong pose before a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on February 27, the Amnesty report called on United States reps to raise the issue during a human rights meeting with Vietnamese counterparts later this week Vietnam in January accused Facebook, which is widely used in the country and serves as the main platform for dissent, of violating the law by allowing users to post anti-government comments. 'We've seen a surge in people jailed in relation to Facebook activity, something the new cybersecurity law will only aggravate,' said Son. A Facebook spokeswoman declined to comment on the report. Vietnam's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Last year, a ministry spokeswoman said there was no such thing as a prisoner of conscience in Vietnam, following the jailing of human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai last April. A court in southern Vietnam on Friday sentenced two Vietnamese women to five and six years in prison for downloading and disseminating anti-state content they found on Facebook, state media reported. A distraught mother has sent a chilling warning to parents after she allegedly caught a man masturbating in front of her daughter at a department store. The mother, who wished to remain anonymous, was at a store in Subiaco, Perth, with her five-year-old daughter when the alleged incident took place on May 7. The woman said she first noticed the man watching them from the DVD section before he allegedly exposed himself through the shelves in the toy section. A distraught mother has sent a chilling warning to parents after she allegedly caught a man masturbating in front of her daughter at a department store (stock image) The mother took to social media to warn other parents to be careful with their children and urged them to go to police if they experience something similar. 'I thought he looked out of place but I went on with our shopping, as we shopped I noticed the man in the next aisle and saw that he was exposed and masturbating,' she said. 'He smiled at me and said nothing. Please keep your children close to you as you shop.' The man was described as being in his 50s, over six-feet-tall, overweight and with grey hair and moustache. He was also wearing a grey T-shirt, black pants with a red and white lanyard around his neck and a helmet under his arm. Police have launched an investigation and are working on a number of lines of inquiry but have urged the community to reach out if they have any relevant information Police have launched an investigation and are working on a number of lines of inquiry but have urged the community to reach out if they have any relevant information. 'There were children in the store at the time. If this occurs in a store or shopping centre, report it to store security or centre management and to police on 131 444,' a police spokeswoman said. You can also contact police anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. An attempted arson attack against the car of a Labor candidate in Queensland is under investigation as she vows not to be intimidated. Belinda Hassan's car was broken into, and a plastic bag was stuffed into her fuel tank and set alight. The candidate for Dawson noticed the fuel cap was open in the morning and called the police. The car is easily identifiable as part of her campaign. Police inspect Labor candidate Belinda Hassan's open fuel tank for fingerprints and evidence. A plastic bag was shoved in and set alight but the car did not burn 'This has been a scary incident - and it's extremely concerning behaviour in the context of a campaign. Politics should be better than these dirty tactics,' Ms Hassan said in a statement. 'I'm pretty disgusted that instead of fighting on policy, someone has resorted to a dangerous attempt at intimidation. 'I'll keep fighting for a fair go for our region because I know the local community deserves better than the hand they've been dealt under the Liberals.' Belinda Hassan, candidate for Dawson found her petrol cap off and called the police Queensland Police officers have tested the car for fingerprints and DNA evidence. Dawson is held by Liberal National MP George Christensen on a margin of 3.4 per cent. 'There is no room for cowardly attacks against public figures - in or out of politics - in Australia,' Mr Christensen wrote on his Facebook page. 'Anyone who supports a free and democratic society should join me in condemning this disgraceful act and calling for those involved to be punished to the full extent of the law.' Queensland Police put out a statement on Monday evening calling for public help in identifying the culprits of the attempted arson attack. 'The incident happened on Gordon Street, between 9pm Sunday, and 8.30am today,' the statement said. 'A singed plastic bag was located in the fuel tank.' 'Anyone who has CCTV footage or dash cam footage of the area at the time of the incident is asked to contact police.' Anyone with information is urged to call Policelink on 131 444 or Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000. ISIS is still provoking fear with kidnappings, killings and ambushes in Iraq more than 18 months after the terror group was apparently defeated in the country. Iraqi families have been targeted by ISIS militants posing as army officers, who have shot their enemies dead in revenge for providing intelligence to the Iraqi military. The terror group's remaining fighters, believed to be hiding in caves and mountains, have emerged at night to carry out deadly hits. They are also battling to restore the extortion rackets that financed the self-proclaimed caliphate's rise to power six years ago. Iraqi army 20th division soldiers talk to a woman during a nighttime raid near Badoush, Iraq. In towns around the north, Iraqi soldiers knock on doors in the middle of the night, looking for Islamic State suspects One woman, Khadija Abd, said two men with guns had burst into their home in Badoush while they were having supper. Posing as soldiers in the Iraqi army, they were in fact ISIS militants - who pulled Khadija's husband and his two brothers into the yard and shot them dead. 'How can we live after this?' Khadija said. The three brothers were the providers for the entire family. 'They left their children, their livestock, their wives, and their elderly father who doesn't know what to do now,' she said. Iraq declared ISIS defeated within its borders in December and the jihadists lost their last land in Syria earlier this year. However the militants' ranks number between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters around Iraq, according to one Iraqi intelligence official. 'Although the territory once held by the so-called caliphate is fully liberated, Daesh fighters still exhibit their intention to exert influence and stage a comeback,' said U.S. major-general Chad Franks. Iraqi soldiers have carried out raids in the middle of the night searching for ISIS collaborators, heightening fears among the population. Khadija Abd poses for a portrait in her family's house in Mosul, Iraq. Her father and two brothers were shot dead by ISIS militants in revenge for providing information about them An Iraqi army 20th division soldier uses his AK-47 rifle to knock on a door during a nighttime raid near Badoush, Iraq In February, Human Rights Watch accused authorities of torturing suspects to extract confessions of belonging to ISIS, which Iraq's interior ministry has denied. Badoush, on the Tigris River just outside the city of Mosul, is a key battleground because it was once one of the most diehard ISIS strongholds. In the summer of 2014, it was a launching pad for the militants' blitz that overran Mosul and much of northern Iraq. ISIS built a strong financial base by extorting money from the owners of Badoush's many industrial facilities. Security officials estimate two-thirds of its population - which numbered around 25,000 before the war - were at one point members or supporters of the group. Now the population is divided. Residents who suffered at the hands of IS or lost loved ones to the group are suspicious of neighbors they believe still support the militants. Within families, some members belonged to the group and others opposed it. An Iraqi army 20th division soldier walks with a civilian during a nighttime raid near Badoush, Iraq. The small town on the banks of the Tigris River was once one of the Islamic State group's most diehard strongholds A woman holds her daughter as she answer questions by Iraqi army 20th division soldiers during a raid in Badoush, Iraq An Iraqi army 20th division soldier searches a house during a raid in Badoush, Iraq. A year and a half after the Islamic State group was declared defeated in Iraq, efforts to find remnants rely on intelligence operations, raids and searches for sleeper cells among the population Houses are reflected in the window of an Iraqi army base in Badoush, Iraq. Badoush, on the Tigris River just outside the city of Mosul, is a key battleground The Badoush area alone has seen 20 ISIS attacks, from bombings to targeted killings, since it was retaken from the militants in March 2017, according to the Kurdish Security Council. The militants brag about the attacks in videos that show fighters storming houses and killing purported 'apostates' and spies. In one raid, troops banged on the door of a man who had returned to Badoush a day earlier. He had fled town just before the ISIS takeover in the summer of 2014 and stayed in the Kurdish town of Sulaimaniyah throughout their rule. But his father and one of his brothers remained and joined ISIS. When the man returned, a local sheikh immediately notified the military. In the raid, the soldiers searched the house and checked his phone records for any suspicious calls abroad. They asked him about his father and brother. 'I swear, they destroyed my life,' the man said. When asked about IS, he insisted, 'I never came face to face with them.' In this April 14, 2019 photo, Yusra Dhanoun's grandchildren play in her house in Mosul, Iraq. Her three sons were killed by Islamic State militants in an attack in January. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Iraqi army 20th division soldiers check the ID of a man during a raid in Badoush on April 5 The soldiers took him away for questioning, as his three little sisters shook and cried with fear. He was later released. On another occasion, an informant told the army he had spotted explosives-laden suicide belts in the mountains while out picnicking and looking for truffles. Wearing a balaclava to keep his identity secret, he led the army to the spot, where they found the belts and detonated them remotely. 'People in the town are very cooperative,' says Mohammed Fawzi, an intelligence officer. 'But don't forget that in one house one person was with Daesh and another member was killed by them. It's very complicated.' Among the most chilling IS attacks was the January 3 killing of the three Abd brothers, carried out with brutal precision. The strangers claiming to be soldiers who entered the Abd's house said they just wanted to ask a few questions and that it wouldn't take long. Khadija Abd was immediately suspicious, wondering why her husband - who knew Iraqi military officers personally - did not recognise the intruders. Residents watch as local militia and Iraqi army soldiers walk past their home during a raid in Badoush, Iraq Iraqi army 20th division soldiers patrol a village more than 18 months after the terror group was declared defeated in Iraq After searching the house, the intruders turned aggressive. They dragged the three brothers outside and beat them. When Khadija tried to stop them, she was beaten too. The fighters put her, the other wives on the farm and their children in a room and told them, 'If anyone comes out, we shoot you in the forehead.' Khadija could hear the men murmuring outside until 10 p.m. in a dialect of Arabic she couldn't understand. Then it was silent. Khadija thought the men had taken the three brothers away. At dawn, she went to get water from the well. She spotted her husband's yellow sleeve in the grass. All three brothers lay on the blood-soaked ground. The militants had used silencers, so the family never heard the gunshots. Instinctively, she looked for a mobile to call for help. 'Honestly, I couldn't even cry. I didn't cry or scream,' she said. To the children, it's the army that killed their father, she said. 'They don't understand anything that's going on.' Piers Morgan has blasted the 'pathetic and spineless' BBC after it failed to show Good Morning Britain's nominations. The host hit out at BBC bosses after he claims they failed to mention the fact the programme had received any nominations. He said it had been a 'big deal' to have been nominated for so many awards and highlighted that many BBC viewers would have 'no-clue' that they had lost the award, due to the lack of coverage. GMB had been nominated for News Coverage, for its programme 'On a Knife Edge?' and its exclusive with Thomas Markle. Piers could be seen reacting to the fact they lost an award from a clip at the award ceremony last night Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid (left and right) were in agreement that they had been 'airbrushed' from the show He said: 'You wouldn't have known GMB got nominated. We never got mentioned during the two-hour, incredibly boring, show. If you sat through that and are still alive good luck to you. How they get through it, those luvvies, I have no idea.' Piers continued to slam the show throughout the morning, stating he didn't know how people at the BAFTAs got through it. 'It's a travesty. We were up for half the awards. Good Morning Britain was the first ever breakfast show to be nominated for that coveted award. Susanne Reid started to look uncomfortable as her co-host Piers continued to slam the BBC 'But it didn't make the main show. Churlish, pathetic and spineless by the BBC. I'm on to you.' 'You've got to explain yourselves. Just because the rival BBC breakfast show and got half of the news coverage nominations. 'They just airbrushed it out of the whole thing. Like it didn't happen.' Susanna Reid agreed with her co-host, while Charlotte Hawkins tried to reassure the pair that it had not been done intentionally. Susanna joked that Piers' anger this morning had 'nothing to do with the fact we lost' and added that GMB had been 'airbrushed out of BBC history'. Piers added that it had been nice to see both Ant and Dec at the awards and also joked that even Jamie Redknapp had won a BAFTA for League of Their Own. He also added that the ceremony had 'gone to the dogs', and hinted at comedian Daisy May Cooper's outfit, as she arrived dressed with a garbage style outfit with a pigeon head dress. Later on in the show, Piers said the only way to get better was to admit they had lost, as the shows producers created a banner for the show stating 'BAFTA loosing show'. Photos of people rummaging through a residents' rubbish bins have sparked outrage in a suburban community. A Moorebank resident from Sydney's southwest has been left shocked after noticing two people going through her bins on several different occasions. The resident, who asked not to be named, told Daily Mail Australia that she and her parents have seen the thieves many times on bin night, and that they usually take off with a plastic bag full of rubbish after leaving behind a mess. A Sydney homeowner has confronted two people rummaging through their bins late at night 'They make such loud noise that you obviously look out the front and that's usually what the noise is, the bin chickens!' she said. She said she fears that the bin raiders could access sensitive information like old bank statements. 'Some dumb people in the community think that people should (have to) shred their letters each time they get one and dispose of them at the tip,' she said. After spotting the pair rummaging through her bins on Sunday night, she confronted them. A resident told Daily Mail Australia her and her parents have seen the thieves many times, and that they usually take off with a plastic bag full of rubbish, leaving behind a mess 'When I went out and yelled at them to go away he started pointing at me and waving and doing like the "I'm watching you" gesture,' she said. She believes the people are collecting cans so they can cash them in for money at a Return and Earn deposit location, where locals can get 10 cents back for each eligible container. The resident shared her concerns to a Moorebank community Facebook group, and other residents chimed in saying they have also encountered the thieves. 'Bin raiders are out in action... they may just be seen as collecting cans BUT what is to say they aren't collecting all of our personal information that is on all of the recycled paper we throw out,' she wrote on the Moorebank Social Network page. The post sparked more 120 comments within 24 hours of being posted on Sunday night. 'Look if people want or need to do this to get some money then good on them. As long as they don't leave a mess then whats the problem,' one woman said. Residents fear that the bin raiders could access sensitive information like old bank statements 'They have been to our bins every Sunday now for weeks, they always put rubbish back in the bin! It's a hard way for a couple of 10 cent cans. My kids don't want the cans they're more than welcome to them,' another man commented. Many people agreed it was an invasion of privacy while others shared some advice. A New South Wales Environment Protection Authority spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that the EPA does not condone searching through bins, but denies that it's a widespread issue. A resident from the southwest Sydney suburb of Moorebank shared her concerns to a Moorebank community Facebook group The Return and Earn website discourages people from rummaging through strangers' bins. 'People collecting containers from kerbside bins need to respect the rights of private landowners and remember that all the usual laws apply,' the website reads. 'Tipping bins out onto public land is littering, and on-the-spot-fines can be issued against people breaking the law.' Liverpool Council chief executive Tim Moore said bin raiding was not illegal if bins were on public property, but council did not condone the practice. 'Residents concerned about people foraging in their bins can contact council to be sent stickers discouraging the practice,' he told Yahoo News Australia. 'Council is not aware of a significant increase in complaints.' An undertaker has offered to repatriate the body of Freddie Starr and bury him for free after the late comedian's carer said she feared he would have a 'pauper's funeral' in Spain. Michael Fogg, who runs a funeral business in Sheffield, said he wanted to help because he was a fan of Starr and 'couldn't bear the thought of his family being in turmoil' over the comic being left in an unmarked grave. Starr, 76, died at his Costa Del Sol apartment on Thursday and his carer Nelly Georgieva, 47, said she could not afford to bury him and claimed his family had not been in touch about funeral arrangements. Mr Fogg said he has now spoken to Starr's third wife Donna who was 'blown away' by his gesture. Sheffield-based undertaker Michael Fogg, pictured, has offered to pay for the repatriation of late comedian Freddie Starr to the UK and his subsequent burial amid fears he would end up in an unmarked grave in Spain Starr, left, died last week aged 76 and his carer and friend Nelly Georgieva, 47, right, said she could not afford to bury him and feared he would have a 'pauper's funeral' Mr Fogg said on Facebook he wanted to help the family of Starr because 'no one knows what's around the corner' Writing on Facebook, Mr Fogg said: 'We have been in contact an offered to pay for the Repatriation and also the care for Freddie. 'And no cost to anyone but us rest in peace. A legend x 'Thus (sic) is why iv (sic) been collecting food for foodbanks Clothes for the homeless. Easter eggs for kids who wouldn't otherwise get one. 'No one knows what's around the corner.' He also told The Sun: 'They [the family] are on board, so it's just a case of putting everything in order. She was a bit surprised. 'I'm a funeral director but I haven't always been a funeral director - so I know what it's like to have nothing. I think that why I made the offer.' Mr Fogg added: 'You shouldn't judge a man by his wealth, you should judge a man by who likes him - the wealth of a man is who attends his funeral.' Under Spanish law if a body is not claimed, town hall officials take over and perform a pauper's burial. A basic funeral in Spain costs almost 3,000 and a tearful Ms Georgieva said she would be unable to afford that. Speaking over the weekend, she said: 'I only have my savings, I don't have the money to bury him here. Starr was found dead at his Costa Del Sol home, pictured, on Thursday last week and documents have revealed that he was in huge debt Ms Georgieva, pictured, was close to Starr but said she has been left to cover the cost of his medical bills and could not afford it Starr, right, and left, photographed at home with his second wife, Sandy, in 1974 who he married at the height of his fame. The couple had three children together 'Although I believe this is what Freddie would have wanted because he always felt a little hurt that the British public had turned against him in the later years. 'I would prefer him to stay in Spain because it would mean I'd get to visit his grave more and pay my respects.' She also claimed she had been left with a bill for thousands of Euros over his unpaid medical bills. Meanwhile one of Starr's daughters claims her father punched her pregnant mother and walked out before their wedding. Tara Coleman-Starr, 22, says she may not go to Freddie Starr's funeral as she is ashamed of having him for a father. The TV icon's daughter made a series of claims in an interview with the Mirror, alleging that Freddie had punched her pregnant mother in the stomach and demanded she have an abortion before walking out on her when she was just six months old. Tara Coleman-Starr, 22, says she may not go to her father Freddie Starr's funeral because she is 'embarrassed to be his daughter'. Her mother Trudy is pictured with Starr right in 1993 Ms Coleman-Starr also claimed her father later returned, only to call her a spiteful girl who deserved 'the world's biggest slap'. She also alleges that Freddie Starr left her so traumatised she needed therapy from the age of 14, and on one occasion frightened her so much she had lock herself in a bathroom - as he said: 'You can run but you can't hide'. Ms Coleman-Starr, a dog groomer who lives with her mother in Solihull, West Midlands, told the Sunday Mirror: 'No one wants to believe their dad is an evil, manipulative man. He never gave me a birthday present or Christmas card. He never tried to be a father. 'I don't think he's capable of love. I'm embarrassed to be his daughter.' Ms Georgieva said Starr, who had been married five times, had been suffering from poor health after being hospitalised just before Christmas and said that his 60-a-day cigarette habit had not helped. She added Starr's finances had been drained in recent years and that he owed thousands of pounds in unpaid water bills and community fees at the complex where he lived. Speaking on Friday from the two-bedroom apartment she shared with Starr she said: 'He didn't have a lot of money in the end, he was very careful with his finances. 'Last year I found out that he hadn't been paying the electricity for three years and had racked up a bill of between 1500 and 2000Euros. In the end I had to pay it from my own money. 'I also found out that he owed thousands in unpaid water bills and service charges. A Man stopped me recently and shouted that Freddie hadn't paid for this, hadn't paid for that. Apart from a pension, I don't think he had any more cash.' Liverpool funnyman Freddie Starr poses with dance troupe Hot Gossip in 1982. The comedian died aged 76 after a period of ill health including a spell in hospital at the turn of the year Police sources said there was nothing to suggest the death was suspicious. Right: Starr pictured at a restaurant in Marbella, Spain in 2015 where he lived for several years before his death, and left, on the Des O'Connor Tonight show in the 80s Mother of one Ms Georgieva said that his health had deteriorated particularly over the last six months and he struggled to walk far because of his asthma. She continued: 'He hadn't been in the best of health, he'd had a quadruple bypass and had serious problems with his asthma. 'Twice in the last four years I had to call an ambulance for him when he was in a bad way and struggling to breathe. The last time was just before Christmas. I was really worried about him and said 'what am I going to do if you die? Who do I call? 'Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster' Lea La Salle, who said Freddie Starr ate her hamster On March 13, 1986 The Sun newspaper published a story with the headline 'Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster'. He had been staying in Cheshire with Vince McCaffrey - whose girlfriend Lea La Salle claimed Starr came home from a gig in Manchester and told her to make him a sandwich, the story claimed. When she declined, Starr reportedly put her pet hamster Supersonic between two slices of bread and ate it. But Starr dismissed the claims in his 2001 autobiography Unwrapped, saying: 'I have never eaten or even nibbled a live hamster, gerbil, guinea pig, mouse, shrew, vole or any other small mammal'. Advertisement 'But he just laughed and said 'I'm not going to die'. 'He never spoke about his family much, I knew that he'd been married several times and had many children but nobody ever came to visit him. 'To be honest I'm not even sure if some of them even knew where he was. 'Whenever I asked him about them he'd change the subject.' The carer's comments come after Starr's friend Jim Davidson revealed the comic had 'threatened to kill himself by eating concrete' following his arrests on child sex allegations. The revelation from Mr Davidson came as it was found that the Liverpool-born star 'faced being made homeless' over a huge debt to the woman he lost a libel case against over sex abuse claims. Starr sold up and left the UK in 2015 after losing a 1 million libel case against Karin Ward, then 57. She claimed he had put his hand up her skirt when she was a teenager, before callously dismissing her as an 'a***less wonder.' He sued her for libel after she gave interviews saying she was 'horribly, horribly humiliated' by the fallen comic. A High Court judge ruled Miss Ward was telling the truth and dismissed the case in July 2015. Public Spanish documents show lawyers acting for Ms Ward secured an interim charging order in January 2017 on the Costa townhouse where he died for 380,000 plus almost 115,000 in interest. Starr was also arrested on four occasions between 2012 and 2014 in connection with Operation Yewtree but no charges were ever brought against him. Mr Davidson, 65, revealed that the legal cases had left Starr 'broken' and that his career had ended in a 'sad way'. Prosecutors have launched an appeal against the 'lenient' sentence Borce Ristevski received for killing his wife. Ristevski, 55, was handed a nine year prison sentence, with a non-parole period of six years after he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his wife, Karen. Victoria's Director of Public Prosecutions lodged an appeal against Ristevski's sentence on the grounds it is 'manifestly inadequate'. Prosecutors have launched an appeal against the 'lenient' sentence Borce Ristevski received for killing his wife (pictured with victim Karen, left, and daughter Sarah, right) jail term was too short Prosecutors have launched an appeal against the 'lenient' sentence Borce Ristevski received for killing his wife In mid-March, Ristevski shocked the nation when he admitted to killing his wife after he vehemently denied involvement in her death for almost three years. He feigned innocence, lying to the police, the public and his daughter, even carrying his wife's coffin at her funeral, until pleading guilty to manslaughter on the eve of his murder trial. He has shown no remorse and refused to explain why or how he killed her. Despite this, their daughter Sarah has always stood by her father. Following his admission, she gave her father a glowing character reference during a pre-sentence plea hearing at the Supreme Court of Victoria. 'If I could use a few words to describe my dad's personality they would be loving, caring, sympathetic, protective and charismatic,' Sarah said in the character reference that goes on for more than one page. 'Growing up as a family my mum, dad and I were completely inseparable. 'We would spend all of our spare time together and family was everything to us. The love we had for each other was unexplainable, and everyone in our lives saw it.' Borce Ristevski (pictured) was a pallbearer at the funeral of his wife Karen in March 2017 Daughter Sarah (pictured) has stood by her father, Borce Ristevski (pictured). Following his admission, she gave her father a glowing character reference during a pre-sentence plea hearing at the Supreme Court of Victoria Sarah said she had never witnessed her father act violently towards her mother. 'My dad has not had any prior convictions or issues with the law, and I can confidently say that in my 23 years and I have never witnessed any form of violence between my mum and dad,' she said. Dress shop-owner Karen disappeared from the family home in Avondale Heights, north-west Melbourne, on June 29 2016. Her body was found eight months later in a national park. When her remains were found cause of death could not be determined. Ristevski was charged in December 2017 following a lengthy investigation. But his sentence was widely condemned when it was revealed the 55-year-old could be out on parole by his 60th birthday. Pressure mounted for authorities to appeal as pressure from the public swelled. Ristevski killed his dress-shop owner wife on June 29 2016 before disposing her body in between two logs and covering it with foliage A petition calling for authorities to appeal the decision had more than 75,000 signatures. The petition was launched, claiming Ristevski's sentence was 'manifestly too short' and did not 'reflect community opinion'. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton told 3AW radio last month the idea of appealing the sentence had been raised within his team. 'We've had a lot of police members that have spoken to me about that sentence and their view that it was something that we should appeal,' he said. 'We have had a number of police that have indicated their frustration with that amount (of jail time).' President Donald Trump brandished more tough rhetoric against Iran Monday amid an escalating crisis, saying it would be a 'very bad mistake' and it would 'suffer greatly' if it were to 'do anything.' Trump spoke after Gulf officials claimed four vessels had been 'sabotaged' and European diplomats warned a military conflict could occur by accident. 'We'll see what happens with Iran. If they do anything, it will be a very bad mistake,' Trump told reporters while appearing in the Oval Office with right-wing Hungarian leader Viktor Orban at the White House. 'I'm hearing little stories about Iran. If they do anything they will suffer greatly,' the president warned. Scroll down for video 'If they do anything they will suffer greatly,' President Donald Trump said of Iran Trump spoke after the United Arab Emirates reported four commercial vessels had been sabotaged on Sunday near Fujairah emirate just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It didn't provide more specifics, and Iran sought to distance itself from the incident. Amid the tough talk, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met European leaders in Brussels Monday who warned of an increasing risk of a military confrontation between the U.S. and Iran. The nation's top diplomat took the surprise flight to Europe amid escalating military tensions, the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, new sanctions, and Iran's statement that it will walk away from a 2015 nuclear deal. 'We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side,' Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned. 'Most of all, we need to make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to renuclearization. Because if Iran becomes a nuclear power, its neighbors are likely to want to become nuclear powers. This is already the most unstable region in the world, and this would be a massive step in the wrong direction.' A handout photo made available by Suez Canal Authority shows U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln passing through the Suez Canal, Egypt, 09 May 2019. According to reports, US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is part of a strike group heading to the Gulf region amidst rising tension between the US and Iran Pompeo's talks with European leaders gave them the opportunity to warn him of their own growing fears of a military conflict. They are seeking to preserve a nuclear deal between a group of European nations and Iran, which President Trump has pulled out of and repeatedly trashed. The move came after Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off UAE coast, in an incident that raised new alarms. Dramatic photos show an enormous dent in the stern of the Norwegian oil tanker Andrea Victor. Tehran called for an investigation into the 'alarming' attacks and warned of 'adventurism' by foreign players to disrupt maritime security while the Islamic Republic's arch-rival Saudi Arabia said the 'criminal act... adversely impacts regional and international peace and security'. Ali Motahhari, vice speaker of the Iranian parliament, told the Iranian FARS news agency: 'The U.S. military forces' deployment in the Persian Gulf is more of the nature of psychological warfare. They are not ready for a war, especially when Israel is within our range.' Iran and the United States could trigger a conflict by accident in an already unstable Gulf region, Britain's foreign minister said on Monday, as Pompeo held talks in Brussels with the main European powers on the crisis. European leaders are warning of the risk of military conflict between the U.S. and Iran In this Friday, May 10, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Navy, logistics specialists attach cargo to an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf The aircraft carrier strike group is being deployed to the Persian Gulf to counter an alleged but still-unspecified threat from Iran epa07566312 A handout photo made available by the US Navy showing an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the 'Jolly Rogers' of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 103 launching off the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of the potential military conflict occurring by 'accident' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives for a meeting with European Foreign Affairs ministers in Brussels, Belgium, 13 May 2019. Media reports state that Mike Pompeo cancelled his planned visit to Moscow and headed to Brussels to discuss Iran deal with the US European partners Trump is seeking to isolate Tehran by cutting off its oil exports after pulling out of a 2015 deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program. Trump has also beefed up the U.S. military presence in the Gulf to pressure Iran. US posts ships to the Gulf over Iranian 'threat to American interests' The U.S. military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Gulf in a move that U.S. officials said was made to counter 'clear indications' of threats from Iran to American forces in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month. 'An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now it is a target and the threats have switched to opportunities,' said Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards' aerospace division. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US was worried about a 'real' threat from Iran 'If (the Americans) make a move, we will hit them in the head,' he added, according to ISNA. U.S. President Donald Trump also has increased economic pressure on Iran, moving to cut off all its oil exports, to try to get Tehran to curb its nuclear and missile programs as well as end support for proxies in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. Speaking to CNBC in an interview to be broadcast on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. deployments came in response to intelligence about potential Iranian attacks and aimed both to deter them and to be able to respond if necessary. 'We've seen this reporting,' Pompeo said. 'It's real. It appears to be something that is current, that is things we're worried about today.' 'In the event that Iran decided to come after an American interest - whether that be in Iraq or Afghanistan or Yemen or any place in the Middle East - we are prepared to respond in an appropriate way,' he said, adding that 'our aim is not war.' Iranian navy commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said on Sunday that American forces must exit, according to ISNA. 'The presence of the Americans in the Persian Gulf region has reached its end and they must leave the region,' Khanzadi said. Major General Hossein Salami, appointed head of the Guards last month, told parliament on Sunday the United States had started a psychological war in the region, the parliamentary spokesman said. 'Commander Salami, with attention to the situation in the region, presented an analysis that the Americans have started a psychological war because the comings and goings of their military is a normal matter,' spokesman Behrouz Nemati said, according to parliament's ICANA news site. Advertisement While the European Union shares some U.S. concerns about Iran, including over its involvement in the Syrian conflict, it still backs the 2015 nuclear deal, saying that it is in Europe's own security interests. 'We are very worried about a conflict, about the risk of a conflict ... of an escalation that is unintended,' Britain's Jeremy Hunt told reporters in Brussels ahead of the talks with Pompeo. Britain, Germany and France are signatories to the 2015 deal and their foreign ministers were holding separate meetings in Brussels on Monday with Pompeo, who cancelled a planned stopover in Moscow in order to brief the European allies on Washington's latest moves. Trump, who wants to force Tehran to agree a broader arms control accord, has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Gulf in a show of force against what U.S. officials have said is a threat to U.S. troops in the region. Iran says the strategy amounts to 'psychological warfare' and a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander on Sunday said Iran would retaliate to any aggressive U.S. moves. 'TAKING DIFFERENT COURSES' The U.S. State Department billed Monday's talks in Brussels as a chance 'to discuss recent threatening actions and statements' by Iran. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he had told Pompeo during their Monday meeting: 'We do not want it to come to a military conflict (between the United States and Iran).' Maas avoided any public criticism of Washington, saying both sides wanted to ensure peace in the Middle East. But he said it was clear that Europe and the United States were 'going about it in different ways ... taking different courses.' Before his meeting with Pompeo, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian urged Europeans to remain united in support of the nuclear deal, which was signed by the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, and which the European Union helped to negotiate. For Europe, the tensions with the Trump administration mark a deepening split in transatlantic ties that were traditionally marked by close coordination on Middle East policy, despite sharp disagreements over the 2003 Iraq war. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned last week that Tehran could resume enrichment at a higher grade if the European powers, China and Russia did not do more to circumvent punitive U.S. measures on banking and energy to boost trade. Hunt, who held talks with Maas and Le Drian on the margins of a regular EU meeting in Brussels, expressed concern about the risks of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East if Iran were to acquire such weapons. 'We need to make sure that we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation,' Hunt said, calling for 'a period of calm so that everyone understands what the other side is thinking'. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the EU would continue to support the nuclear pact because Iran continued to comply with inspections and uranium production limits. The EU is trying to implement a new channel to allow Iran to sell its oil and circumvent newly-instated U.S. sanctions, but setting it up is proving complex. Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said Madrid was considering joining the special trade channel, known as INSTEX, which so far counts France, Germany and Britain as shareholders and could be operational by the end of June. The tinderbox standoff between Iran and the U.S. escalated further after four commercial ships were mysteriously 'sabotaged' off the UAE - adding to fears a conflict involving the two nations is looming. It was revealed today that two Saudi tankers - one due to pick up oil destined for America - were among those left with 'significant damage' on Sunday. Officials still trying to determine who was behind the attacks and how they were carried out - but the incident comes after the U.S. warned ships that 'Iran or its proxies' could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. Pictures emerged today of a hole in the hull of one of the four vessels, a Norwegian-owned tanker, after the metal was torn open having been 'struck by an unknown object'. Intertanko, an association of independent tanker owners and operators, said it had seen iamges showing that 'at least two ships have holes in their sides due to the impact of a weapon', Reuters reported. Amid growing international concern, Britain warned of the danger of conflict erupting 'by accident' in the Gulf - a region already on red alert over the stand-off between Tehran and Washington. The US has already strengthened its military presence in the region, including deploying a number of strategic B-52 bombers and the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group in response to alleged Iranian threats. America is also sending USS Arlington, carrying Marines, as well as a Patriot missile defence system. The USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship carrying Marines and warplanes, has just left the Persian Gulf and is nearby in the Arabian Sea. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has scrapped a planned visit to Moscow to head to Brussels instead for talks with European officials on Iran. Meanwhile, Tehran called for an investigation into Sunday's 'alarming' attacks off the Emirati coast and warned of 'adventurism' by foreign players to disrupt maritime security. Norwegian oil tanker Andrea Victory, another of the four damaged boats, pictured with a large dent in its stern on Monday morning The A. Michel tanker under the flag of the United Arab Emirates, pictured on Monday, was one of the four tankers damaged in alleged 'sabotage attacks' in the Gulf the previous day The tinderbox standoff between Iran and the US escalated even further today after four commercial ships were mysteriously 'sabotaged' off the UAE - adding to fears a conflict involving the two nations is looming The crude oil tanker, Amjad, pictured today which was one of two reported tankers that were damaged in mysterious 'sabotage attacks', off the coast of the Gulf emirate of Fujairah According to CNN, the US Energy Information Administration has called the Strait of Hormuz 'the world's most important oil transit chokepoint,' with an estimated one fifth of oil traded worldwide transported through the narrow. Tehran today called for an investigation into the 'alarming' attacks and warned of 'adventurism' by foreign players to disrupt maritime security while the Islamic Republic's arch-rival Saudi Arabia said the 'criminal act... adversely impacts regional and international peace and security'. In the wake of the incident Thome Ship Management, a Singaporean shipping company, said the hull of one of its ships the Andrea Victory had been damaged by an 'unknown object' east of Fujairah. The Andrea Victory is a 14-year-old tanker registered in Norway. The US has already strengthened its military presence in the region, including deploying a number of strategic B-52 bombers in response to alleged Iranian threats. Saudi Arabia, the Islamic republic's regional arch-rival, condemned 'the acts of sabotage which targeted commercial and civilian vessels near the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates,' a foreign ministry source said. 'This criminal act constitutes a serious threat to the security and safety of maritime navigation and adversely impacts regional and international peace and security,' the source added. In the wake of the incident, the UAE reported that a total of four ships 'of various nationalities' were subjected to 'sabotage operations' near the country's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman - east of the port of Fujairah. Lebanese and Iranian media outlets initially reported there had been explosions at one of the nation's seaports - although neither Saudi Arabia or the UAE commented on the nature of the sabotage. 'Two Saudi oil tankers were subjected to a sabotage attack in the exclusive economic zone of the United Arab Emirates,' Falih said the statement. 'One of the two vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to Saudi Aramco's customers in the United States,' al-Falih said. 'Fortunately, the attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels.' Falih's comments came as the U.S. issued a new warning to sailors and the UAE's regional allies condemned the reported sabotage Sunday of four ships off the coast of the port city of Fujairah. Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible. However, the reports come as the U.S. has warned ships that 'Iran or its proxies' could be targeting maritime traffic in the region, and as America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran. Tensions have risen in the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Iran's economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. In his statement, al-Falih said the attacks on the two tankers happened at 6am on Sunday. Saudi Arabia did not identify the vessels involved, nor did it say whom it suspected of carrying out the alleged sabotage. Underling the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the alleged sabotage as a 'serious escalation' in an overnight statement. UAE Navy boats next to Al Marzoqah Saudi Arabia tanker are seen off the Port of Fujairah on Monday afternoon Al Marzoqah is a large oil tanker which is registered in Saudi Arabia. Pictured: Media taking shots of the vessel on Monday An Emirati coast guard vessel passes an oil tanker off the coast of Fujairah in the wake of the incident on Monday Ships anchored at main port of Fujairah on Monday, where media reports initially suggested four boats had been sabotaged by 'explosions'. The UAE later denied this was the case 'Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger,' Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen's internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage. A statement Sunday from the UAE's Foreign Ministry put the ships near the country's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah. It said it was investigating 'in cooperation with local and international bodies.' It said there were 'no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels' and 'no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel.' The reports come as the US warned ships that 'Iran or its proxies' could be targeting maritime traffic in the region, and as the US is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Gulf to counter what it called 'threats from Tehran'. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which oversees the region, did not immediately offer comment. Emirati officials declined to answer questions from The Associated Press, saying their investigation is ongoing. Earlier Sunday, Lebanon's pro-Iran satellite channel Al-Mayadeen, quoting 'Gulf sources,' falsely reported that a series of explosions had struck Fujairah's port. State and semi-official media in Iran picked up the report from Al-Mayadeen, which later published the names of vessels it claimed were involved. The AP, after speaking to Emirati officials and local witnesses, found the report about explosions at the port to be unsubstantiated. Fujairah's port is about 140 kilometers (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. The facility handles oil for bunkering and shipping, as well as general and bulk cargo. It is seen as strategically located, serving shipping routes in the Persian Gulf, the Indian subcontinent and Africa. The alleged sabotage of the merchant ships comes as aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and B-52 bombers are deployed to bolster the American Navy's grip on the region A handout photo made available by the US Navy showing an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the 'Jolly Rogers' of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 103 launching off the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln The aircraft carrier strike group is being deployed to the Persian Gulf to counter an alleged but still-unspecified threat from Iran European leaders are warning of the risk of military conflict between the U.S. and Iran In this Friday, May 10, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Navy, logistics specialists attach cargo to an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf A map of the region near the UAE coast where four ships, including two Saudi Arabian tankers, have been sabotaged Sunday's incident comes after the U.S. Maritime Administration, a division of the U.S. Transportation Department, warned Thursday that Iran could target commercial sea traffic. 'Since early May, there is an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against U.S. and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz,' the warning read. 'Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait or the Persian Gulf.' Early Sunday, the agency issued a new warning to sailors about the alleged sabotage, while stressing 'the incident has not been confirmed.' It urged shippers to exercise caution in the area for the next week. Publicly available satellite images of the area taken Sunday showed no smoke or fire. It remains unclear if the previous warning from the U.S. Maritime Administration is the same perceived threat that prompted the White House to order the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region on May 4. Shortly after the Saudi announcement, Iran's Foreign Ministry called for further clarification about what exactly happened with the Saudi tankers. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has scrapped a planned visit to Moscow to head to Brussels instead for talks with European officials on Iran Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured with Mike Pompeo) warned of a conflict erupting 'by accident' in the Gulf after the incident The ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying there should be more information about the incident. Mousavi also warned against any 'conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers' and 'adventurism by foreigners' to undermine the maritime region's stability and security. British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt on Monday issued a stark warning of the dangers of conflict erupting 'by accident' in the Gulf, as tensions between the United States and Iran soar. 'We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict,' Hunt said as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers. 'I think what we need is a period of calm, to make sure everyone understands what the other side is thinking and most of all we must make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to renuclearisation, because if Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers. 'This is already the most unstable region in the world and it would be a massive step in the wrong direction.' A second decapitated cat has been found at a playground in Adelaide. The 20-week-old black cat was found on Friday May 10, 2019, by a couple walking their dog near the north-east Adelaide suburb Golden Grove. The couple reported what they found to police who are now appealing for information as the male cat wasn't microchipped. A second headless cat has been found at a playground in Adelaide after the head of a cat called Bear (pictured) was found in a Wynn Vale backyard It comes after a Wynn Vale woman found the severed head of a cat in her backyard. The horrific attacks have prompted the RSPCA South Australia to issue a warning to cat owners to keep their felines at their property. The body of the first brutalised feline - a long-haired ginger and white cat named Bear - has not been found. Bear's owner was initially unaware her cat had been attacked and posted a message on Facebook in the hope someone would return him. However, she was devastated to learn the fate of her cat when she saw a Facebook post from the woman who discovered Bear's head. She had previously told the RSPCA that it was unusual for her cat to wander far from her Para Hills home, which is also in the city's north-east. The 20-week-old black cat was found on Friday May 10, 2019, by a couple walking their dog near a playground in the north-east Adelaide suburb Golden Grove (pictured) RSPCA South Australia Chief Inspector Andrea Lewis revealed they did not have any strong leads to identify who was responsible for either killing. 'It could be the same person or persons responsible, or it could be two entirely separate cases, we just don't know at this stage,' Ms Lewis said. 'These awful incidents are a reminder of how vulnerable our pets are if they're allowed to wander and how important it is to ensure cats are microchipped by three months of age, which is now a legal requirement.' An aggravated animal cruelty offence has the potential punishment of $50,000 or four years in prison. Anyone with information is urged to contact the RSPCA on 1300 477 722. The woman who claims she was raped by Julian Assange said today she 'hopes justice will win' after Swedish prosecutors reopened the rape investigation into the WikiLeaks founder. Swedish authorities today said they still want to speak to Assange over claims he raped a woman while in the country in 2010 and will apply to extradite him from Britain, where he is currently in jail. After the decision was announced, a lawyer for Assange's alleged victim said that her client hoped justice would prevail. Elisabeth Massi Fritz, who is representing the woman, said: 'My client feels great gratitude and she is very hopeful about getting restitution and we both hope that justice will win.' Swedish prosecutors today announced they have reopened an investigation into WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (pictured, on his way to prison earlier this month) Elisabeth Massi Fritz, the lawyer representing a woman who alleges that she was raped by Julian Assange, holds a press conference in Stockholm today Ms Fritz said today that her client 'feels great gratitude and she is very hopeful about getting restitution and we both hope that justice will win' Ms Fritz says the decision by Swedish authorities to open the rape case against Assange 'signals that no one stands above the law,' and that 'the legal system in Sweden doesn't give a special treatment to anyone.' She added: 'We believe the evidence is good enough that it must be tested.' Ms Fritz spoke on behalf of her unnamed client after Swedish prosecutors reopened the rape case, meaning both Sweden and the US will now have competing claims to extradite Assange from Britain. Deputy director of public prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson said 'There is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape'. She added: 'It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required.' She told how it is 'impossible to predict' which country he would be sent to first, and it is up to UK authorities to decide. With Assange's extradition to Sweden having already been passed by a British court, the US may now be forced to apply to Sweden to get hold of the Australian after he has faced court in Scandinavia. Following the decision, WikiLeaks editor Kristinn Hrafnsson insisted 'there has always been political pressure surrounding this case' and the case has been mishandled throughout'. Mr Hrafnsonn continued: 'Since the investigation was closed in 2017, we have received reports of the destruction of records and correspondence on behalf of UK and Swedish authorities, surely an impediment to a thorough investigation. Sweden's deputy chief prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson announced the decision at a press conference in Stockholm today. It means both the U.S. and Sweden will now ask Britain to extradite Assange to their countries 'Assange was always willing to answer any questions from the Swedish authorities and repeatedly offered to do so, over six years. The widespread media assertion that Assange 'evaded' Swedish questioning is false. 'This investigation has been dropped before and its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name.' Swedish prosecutors dropped a rape investigation in 2017 because they were unable to proceed while he remained holed up in London's Ecuadorean Embassy. Assange also faced investigation for a second sex-related allegation, which was dropped in 2015 because time had run out. Assange denies the claims. Assange, now 47, met the women in connection with a lecture in August 2010 in Stockholm. One was involved in organizing an event for Sweden's center-left Social Democratic Party and offered to host Assange at her apartment. The other was in the audience. The lawyer acting for the woman accusing the WikiLeaks founder of rape (left) has been pushing to reopen the case with Swedish prosecutors. The allegations by the woman who said she was sexually assaulted (right) by Assange were dropped in 2017 A police officer who heard the women's accounts decided there was reason to suspect they were victims of sex crimes and handed the case to a prosecutor. Neither of the alleged victims has been named publicly. In another blow for Assange, the government of Ecuador has reportedly agreed to hand over the belongings he left at their embassy to the U.S. The embassy will hand over 'all his documents, mobile phones, computer files, computers, memory units, CDs and any other device', according to Spain's El Pais newspaper The former hacker faces extradition to the United States over the activities of WikiLeaks. After he was dragged out of the embassy last month, a lawyer for one of the women involved in the Swedish investigation, asked for it to be resumed. Assange has been visited by Pamela Anderson and a United Nations official in high security Belmarsh Prison this week. He is serving a 50-week sentence for failing to attend court. Assange was visited in Belmarsh last week by former Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson and WikiLeaks editor Kristinn Hrafnsson In relation to the U.S. investigation, former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning yesterday said she'll refuse to testify before a second grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. But if a judge finds her in contempt of court again, she could wind up back in jail. Manning spent seven years in prison for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks. She walked free in May 2017 after President Barack Obama commuted her 35-year sentence. Recently, she spent two months in jail for refusing to answer one grand jury's questions about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Now, a second grand jury has subpoenaed her. She told CNN's 'Reliable Sources' on Sunday that she has nothing more to offer than what she's already provided in her own case. US prosecutors announced this month that Assange had been charged with conspiring with Manning to infiltrate a Pentagon computer. Julian Assange pictured as he is led out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in handcuffs following his arrest by British police last month The charge carries a maximum of five years' imprisonment and relates to Assange's 'alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information' in US history, the court heard. Prosecutors claim he assisted Manning in cracking a password to help her leak classified records to the whistleblowing website. Classified documents allegedly downloaded included approximately 90,000 Afghan war-related significant activity reports, 400,000 Iraq war-related significant activity reports, 800 Guantanamo Bay detainee assessments and 250,000 US State Department cables, the court heard. What happens now? Today's statement by Sweden's deputy director of prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson said: 'The prosecutor will shortly request that Julian Assange be detained in his absence suspected on probable cause for an allegation of rape from August 2010. 'To be able to execute a detention order, the prosecutor will issue a European Arrest Warrant. An application for a detention order will be submitted to Uppsala District Court, as the suspected crime took place in Enkoping municipality. 'On account of Julian Assange leaving the Ecuadorian embassy, the circumstances in this case have changed. I take the view that there exists the possibility to take the case forward. 'Julian Assange has been convicted of a crime in the UK and will serve 25 weeks of his sentence before he can be released, according to information from UK authorities. 'I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US. 'In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority. The outcome of this process is impossible to predict. 'However, in my view the Swedish case can proceed concurrently with the proceedings in the UK. Reopening the investigation means that a number of investigative measures will take place. 'In my opinion a new interview with the suspect is required. It may be necessary, with the support of a European Investigation Order, to request an interview with Julian Assange be held in the UK. Such an interview, however, requires Julian Assange's consent.' Advertisement A former Navy SEAL who was told he was 'too old' to join the New York Fire Department has received floods of job offers across the nation. At the age of 35 Shaun Donovan, who was enlisted in the Navy in 2005, was told he had surpassed the maximum age limit to join the city's fire department by six months and 25 days. However after having his application denied Mr Donovan, now 37, who scored in the top one per cent on his FDNY entrance exam, has received a flurry of job invitations from firefighters across the nation. Former Navy SEAL Shaun Donovan (pictured), now 37, was told he was 'too old' to join the New York Fire Department when he first applied at the age of 35 Mr Donovan was told he had passed the maximum age limit by six months and 25 days According to the New York Post, more than 12 fire departments have since reached out to Mr Donovan, who has served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and let him know that he is more than welcome to join them. The former Navy SEAL, who is still continuing his fight to join the FDNY, applied to join the prestigious department when he turned 35 - the maximum age limit to join the department for those who have served in the military. Greg Pixley, head recruiter at Denver Fire Department, which does not have an upper age limit and often employs those in their 30s and 40s, said the application process should judge a firefighter's capability and not their age. He said: 'If the hiring process that Shaun is going through is not going to honor his service and recognize his capability, I want him to know that we will. 'Thats the kind of person we want.' The former Navy SEAL has now lodged an appeal with New York's Civil Service Commission and a decision is expected to be reached by the end of summer He added: 'We believe that if someone has the physical and mental prowess to perform the job, they should be given the respect and the opportunity to be a firefighter.' After completing his time in the military, Mr Donovan had hoped to join the FDNY and protect the city that was once hit by four coordinated terrorist attacks in 2001. The former Navy SEAL is now continuing his fight against the authorities and appealing to New York's Civil Service Commission. A decision is expected to be reached by the end of summer this year. Current FDNY rules state an applicant who is on the special military list cannot be 36 or older by the time they apply for the eligibility exam. Those who are on active military duty can also subtract the amount of time spent on duty from their actual age. A Russian state prosecutor has been detained after an 'innocent BDSM sex game went wrong resulting in his colleague's death'. Dmitry Nekrasov, 23, was found dead in his Moscow flat with neck injuries 'consistent with strangulation'. Wounds from 'beatings' were identified on the junior prosecutor's body and a necktie was found stuffed in his mouth. Dmitry Nekrasov was found dead in his flat after an 'innocent BDSM sex game went wrong resulting in his colleague's death' The 23-year-old had neck injuries 'consistent with strangulation' and a necktie was found in his mouth BDSM toys and rubber dildos were discovered close to his body. His flat was empty but police examined the dead man's phone contacts and detained his colleague, another unnamed male junior prosecutor. Reports citing law enforcement say the other man confessed an 'innocent' sex game 'going wrong'. 'The two lovers were together in the apartment on that day,' said one account. BDSM toys and rubber dildos were discovered close to his body in his flat in the Russian capital Police examined Nekrasov's phone contacts and detained his colleague, another unnamed male junior prosecutor following the death in the flat in North-East Moscow 'They played BDSM games with controlled breathing when one strangles the other during sexual intercourse. 'Unfortunately, the strangling partner applied excessive force and accidentally killed Dmitry.' The detained prosecutor is facing charges of 'negligent murder' with a maximum prison sentence of two years, say reports. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2019. Xv + 122 pages. Some Sundays, the task of preaching is rather easy. The text and the context are joyous. Everything is great! Praise the Lord! But such is not the case every Sunday. More often than we would like (speaking as a preacher), the text and the context poses a challenge. Something in the text or context is traumatic, and we must attend to the wound. It is not easy. We may not have the words handy. Often, it seems, the traumatic event occurs even as we are finishing the week's sermon (or perhaps it occurs after weve gone to bed on Saturday evening). Now, it seems, we must turn on a dime and offer words that comfort and heal. It might be something that happens some distance away, perhaps in a foreign land, but it has a universal impact. On the other hand, it could also be something that occurs within the congregation or in the local community. Whatever is the case the congregation feels the impact of the situation. So, what do you do? Joni Sancken, a Mennonite pastor who serves as an associate professor of homiletics at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, has written a book designed to help us address these and other kinds of situations that call for a response from the preacher, but which are difficult to deal with. She refers to these situations as "soul wounds." They come in different forms, requiring different responses from the preacher, but they cannot be ignored. The goal here is healing, which often involves not a cure but resilience. There is a growing number of books written by theologians and teachers of homiletics that focus on the nature of trauma and the appropriate responses to trauma. Shelly Rambo, whose books I've not read, is often cited. Serene Jones and Deanna Thompson have also written important books, which Ive read, that also deal with trauma. What I've not read to this point is a book that deals with trauma that addresses the concerns preachers take into the pulpit. This is what Sancken offers us in an accessible format. Sancken describes trauma as "circumstances in which a person survives a life-threatening experience or loses a loved one suddenly, where one's ability to process experience is surpassed by the breadth or depth of the experience itself" (p xiii). While the book deals with traumatic events, it also addresses events that may not reach the level of trauma but cause pain and brokenness. Whether these soul wounds," rise to the level of trauma, they are "the unattended and unhealed effects of trauma and other pain that impact individuals and communities physically, mentally, relationally, sociologically, and spiritually" (pp. xiii-xiv). We who preach are required to address. The book begins with a chapter exploring soul wounds, offering definitions and guidance as to how to attend to them. She acknowledges the difference between curing and healing. Curing is most likely eschatological in nature, while healing is a process that can be "understood as a fruit of the resurrection breaking into our world here and now" (p. 3). So, she offers definitions and guidance to developing understanding. In chapter 2 she takes a step back into the Bible, for preachers are apt to engage the Bible in their preaching (in my mind they ought to do so). The Bible is filled with traumatic experiences including the Exile, the crucifixion of Jesus, and the persecution of the early Christians. She affirms the Bible as God's Word that "serves as means of holy access to our God who accompanies and sustains in the midst of trauma, takes on suffering on our behalf, heals, and transforms us into the likeness of Christ" (p. 25). She offers us a brief introduction to some of the interpretive tools useful to preachers, including assigning blame (yes God gets blamed in Scripture), typology (an ancient tool), and the cross and resurrection as a lens. She reminds us that there are texts that unless handled carefully can themselves lead to trauma and wounding. One of those passages is Genesis 22the binding of Isaac. It is a passage preachers may want to avoid and yet it plays a significant role in Christian theology. I greatly appreciated her approach to this story that doesn't shy away from the challenge but allows the text to be preached in a way that doesn't lead to further wounding. If we use these tools, we might contribute to God's act of healing of wounds. Unfortunately, the church itself can produce wounds. The institution can inflict pain and suffering, even if it isn't intentional. Sometimes it is the product of human acts, priestly/pastoral sexual abuse. She addresses this in rather personal ways, noting the case of John Howard Yoder, a leading Mennonite theologian (she's Mennonite) who inflicted great harm through sexually abusing women, both students, and non-students. She offers ways of addressing this so as to bring healing of wounds. It is not easy, but necessary. It takes a wise hand to guide us. She provides that wise hand. The fourth and final chapter of this brief book, which is part of Abingdon Press's "The Artistry of Preaching Series," is simply titled "Healing for Wounded Souls." In this chapter, Sancken brings home the conversation about trauma, wounds, healing, and the preaching task. She provides guidance on listening to the needs and concerns of the congregation, of attending to issues and concerns the emerge from outside, but which need to be answered. She gives guidance as to how to structure sermons that might bring healing. It is a small book that can be easily read in a few hours (I read most of it sitting in a jury assembly room). I've been preaching regularly for over twenty years, and have confronted my share of traumatic and non-traumatic events so I could have used this book in my early days of preaching. It might have given me guidance that could have prevented inappropriate responses. In fact, I wish I had read this book before I was called upon to address 9-11 from the pulpit. It might have made for a more effective response. It's too late for that to be addressed, but I believe Sancken's book will help us not only be better preachers but also be agents of God's healing touch. Region is believed to be home to over 2,000 blue whales who migrate yearly Stunning drone footage shows the harmonious moment between a paddle boarder and a blue whale, the largest animal on earth, as they move through the water parallel to each other. The incredible encounter took place off the coast of California, an area known for its high whale population. A drone directly above the two captured the moment the whale surfaced, filmed on April 25th off Long Beach. The whale surfaces right beside the boarder who is able to paddle with the marine giant for about 30 seconds before the whale dives down into the sea again. Spraying water from its blowhole before taking a breath the whale swims along with the paddle boarder for several meters. The boarder struggles to keep up with the whales graceful speed, paddling frantically along side the large animal. The opening shot shows the blue whale just below the surface of the water as the paddle boarder does his best to keep up At 23 to 27 metres, around the length of two school buses, the blue whale is officially the largest species of animal to live on earth. From mid-April to mid-December blue whales can be seen off the California coast, attracting many to whale watch in the area. Blue whales in the region, approximately around 2,000 of them, will then most likely migrate to Mexico or Costa Rica for the colder months. As the whale reaches the surface it forcibly expels water from its blow hole so that it can take in more air Because the whales feed off shrill near the surface of the water it is possible to spot them when doing so however this usually takes place a long distance from the shore making them hard to spot on land. There are only 10,000 to 25,000 whales left in the world meaning the species is now endangered. Saguenay a city in Quebec, Canada, is considered one of the world's best places to spot blue whales in the wild. Diving down once more the whale begins to disappear as the boarder paddles along quickly in the hope the whale might resurface Apart from a shadowy shape of a tale the massive animal disappears into the deep blue sea once more having made a paddle boarder's day The producer in charge of signing celebrities up for Strictly Come Dancing has today been rapped by the BBC after a photo which joked about 'taking cocaine on holiday.' Talent executive Stefania Aleksander was in a west London bar with friends when she posted a picture on social media showing a list of things to take on a holiday, which included 'champagne and cocaine.' Friends said Ms Aleksander swiftly deleted the picture but was left 'mortified' and is now in hot water with executives. Strictly Come Dancing's celebrity booker, Stefania Aleksander pictured here with former contestant, comedian Seann Walsh Ms Aleksander took a photo 'of a table' on a night out with friends, which showed the list, a source told MailOnline. The group had written down items to take on holiday with them, one of which was 'champagne and cocaine'. The photograph was online for around ten minutes before Ms Aleksander deleted it. A BBC spokesman told MailOnline: 'Strictly bosses take this sort of thing extremely seriously. 'They've had very strong words to make it clear this is unacceptable.' The spokesman said no further action would be taken against Ms Aleksander. A close friend said: 'Stef is completely mortified. 'Some friends had written a jokey list on a piece of paper and she didn't notice this was on there before posting it. 'As soon as it was flagged to her, she took the post down as it's clearly not something she'd ever endorse.' This comes after the celebrity booker caused a storm earlier this year when she posted photographs of herself alongside former Strictly contestant, Seann Walsh. Ms Aleksander and the comedian were picture enjoying evening out together, leading to rumours they had 'grown close' during his time on the show. A source for the BBC told MailOnline: 'Strictly bosses take this sort of thing extremely seriously. 'They've had very strong words to make it clear this is unacceptable.' A close friend said: 'Stef is completely mortified. 'Some friends had written a jokey list on a piece of paper and she didn't notice this was on there before posting it' A source at the time said the pair 'regularly met up for lunch' and had been friends for a long time, but had 'grown a lot closer.' Last December, they were spotted talking at the TRIC Awards Christmas lunch. They were seen sitting together along with a table of top BBC executives - despite Walsh having been booted from Strictly's tour just the week before amid his cheating scandal. Both parties denied the rumours, with a spokesman for the show telling MailOnline it was Ms Aleksander's job 'to maintain relationships with contestants both past and present.' Ms Aleksander's showreel shows her on a number of television shows and alongside celebrities including the late Bruce Forsyth on The Generation Game. More than 60 protected seal pups stolen by suspected animal traffickers to sell to aquariums have been rescued and released into the wild in eastern China. These baby spotted seals were found starving and dying on a farm in the city of Dalian in February, all less than two weeks old then. Authorities put the pups under the care of three government-approved organisations before sending them back to nature in two batches: 24 on April 11 and 37 on May 10. A baby spotted seal splashes in water after being released to the wild last Friday in China Caged seals wait to be released on Huping Island in Dalian after being nursed back to health Pups glide down a slide from their cages into the water in eastern China with the help of carers Spotted seals live in the waters of the North Pacific Ocean and can be found along the north-eastern cost of China, particularly on the Liaodong Peninsula near the Yellow Sea. The species gets its name from its coat pattern. They are a second-class protected animal species in China - along with heavily trafficked pangolins and Asian black bears. Hunting, farming or trading of spotted seals without permission is prohibited by China's Wildlife Protection Law. Despite legal protection, spotted seals are one of the most hunted wild animals in China due to their waterproof skin and highly desirable genitalia - a traditional answer to 'Viagra'. The pups were rescued in Hutou in February before being released to nearby Bohai Sea 'Their weight has reached 30 kilograms,' said one of their carers from a Dalian ocean park Experts have put a GPS chip on one of the pups, hoping to track the movements of the pod According to Dalian police, a gang of 12 suspects, said to be local fishermen from the county-level city of Wafangdian, had illegally caught a total of 100 pups in the wild. Among them, 29 seals had died 'from shock' before the police arrived and 10 more died after being found because of weak health, reported China's state broadcaster CCTV. Dalian police saved the pups from a small geese farm in the village of Hutou in Wafangdian on February 11. The pups had been under the care of three government-approved organisations in Dalian Dalian police have caught 10 suspects in relation to the case and formally arrested five of them Upon discovery, all pups - each weighing eight kilograms (17.6 pounds) or so - were struggling on the brink of death. They were still sporting their fur, cramped into a tiny room and wailing desperately. Workers on the farm simply gave them large chunks of fish, which the pups would not be able to eat, a local official said in a previous interview. Authorities took them to two ocean parks and an institute of marine and aquatic sciences to be looked after. The dying spotted seal pups are seen lying on the ground of a breeding farm in February A total of 100 pups were said to have been caught by suspected traffickers from Wafangdian Chu Shanhe, a veterinarian who took care of some of the seals, said the animals' health was extremely weak when they were first taken to his team. At last week's release ceremony, Mr Chu who works at Dalian Sun Asia Ocean World told Liaoning Satellite Television Station: 'After three months of meticulous care and treatment, they are largely healthy now. 'Their weight has reached 30 kilograms (66 pounds) which is the standard (for the release).' Staff at the Sun Asia Ocean World gave the pups a blood test last week to ensure that they were healthy enough before releasing them back to the waters from Dalian's Huping Island. Footage provided by animal welfare organisation Humane Society International shows pups gliding down a slide from their cages into the sea water with the help of workers from Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park, which looked after 18 pups. Spotted seals live in the waters of the North Pacific Ocean and can be found along the north-eastern cost of China. They are a second-class protected species in the country (file photo) Experts at the Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute put a GPS chip on one of the pups, hoping to track the movements of the pod. Researcher Lu Zhichuang said the last pod, which was released on April 11, had swum out of Bohai Bay into the Yellow Sea, according to GPS data from one of the seals that carried a tracking device. Researchers will monitor the GPS information until the group of seals reach 'safe waters'. Authorities in Dalian have vowed to strengthen the surveillance of the local coasts to prevent poaching of seals. Dalian police have caught 10 suspects in relation to the case and formally arrested five of them. The latest report said the police were still looking for two others, who were on the run. A manhunt with cash rewards was launched. Dr. Peter Li, the China Specialist at Humane Society International, praised the 'swift action' from the police in a country with 'a shocking record for wildlife exploitation'. But he also expressed concerns: 'Sadly, China's growing obsession for keeping marine species like seals and turtles in captivity is fuelling wildlife crime such as this, which causes immense animal suffering and loss of life.' A 19-year-old student who 'took his own life' when he fell from the Whispering Gallery in St Paul's Cathedral had not been to university classes for two months. James Jorge De Sousa Stayton, from Herefordshire and known as JJ, died in the London cathedral when he fell 100ft from the gallery at 4pm on April 1. But two months before his death Mr De Sousa Stayton had stopped attending lectures and classes at Queen Mary University of London and his family say they were not warned. James Jorge De Sousa Stayton, from Herefordshire and known as JJ, died in the London cathedral when he fell 100ft from the gallery at 4pm on April 1 Mr De Sousa Stayton died from multiple injuries, including a 'severe head injury' after falling from the gallery, which is a 259 step climb from ground level, an inquest heard Sapphire De Sousa Stayton, Mr De Sousa Stayton's sister, said: 'We learned, following his death, that JJ has not been going to university for at least two months, isolating himself from everyone. 'Despite communications with the university, they were unable to inform us of these changes in his attendance. 'Had we known, (or another trusted individual, chosen by the student) it is possible something could have been done to help him.' The Whispering Gallery runs around the interior of St Paul Cathedral's dome, and gets its name from a 'charming quirk in its construction' which makes a whisper against its walls audible on the opposite side Mr De Sousa Stayton died from multiple injuries, including a 'severe head injury' after falling from the gallery, which is a 259-step climb from ground level, an inquest heard. At the time of Mr De Sousa Stayton's death the Cathedral closed for the rest of the day. A video posted on Twitter showed emergency services arriving at the venue as tourists waited outside. On her fundraising page for mental health charity Rowing Together for Healthy Minds, Ms Stayton said her brother had been 'struggling' with his mental health but kept the extent of it hidden from his friends and family. His family, including his sister and younger brother, are now campaigning for universities to change their policies to alert someone when there has been a change in a student's circumstances. At the time of Mr De Sousa Stayton's death the Cathedral closed for the rest of the day. A video posted on Twitter showed emergency services arriving at the venue as tourists waited outside Ms Stayton said: 'On the 1st of April, 2019, Mr De Sousa Stayton took his own life at the age of 19. 'He was an intelligent, funny and passionate young man, with strong interests in history and drama. Loved by many, he left behind his parents, a younger brother and an elder sister along with many other family members and friends who cared for him. 'We, his family, aim to raise funds to donate to charities as the first step in our mission to create change around the stigma of mental health, improve how it is managed and understood. We want to help ensure that help is available to young people when they need it most. 'We aim to push for a change in protocols - specifically in universities - to prevent young adults slipping under the radar. The teenager's death came just 18 months after 23-year-old figure skater Lidia Dragescu fell to her death in front of shocked tourists after climbing over the gallery's safety barriers 'Currently, there is no convention, that we are aware of, where someone is alerted to a significant change in circumstance - when students stop attending class, for example.' The teenager's death came just 18 months after 23-year-old figure skater Lidia Dragescu fell to her death in front of shocked tourists after climbing over the gallery's safety barriers. Ms Dragescu, from Romford, Essex, who died on October 2017 had two notes written in her native Romanian in her hands when she fell. She had said goodbye to her mother Isabela just an hour-and-a-half before. Mrs Dragescu, 44, said at the time that her daughter 'wanted to see how it was on the other side' and 'picked the cathedral because she needed to fly into God's arms.' The Whispering Gallery runs around the interior of the building's dome, and gets its name from a 'charming quirk in its construction' which makes a whisper against its walls audible on the opposite side. It overlooks the nave and transept of the cathedral, which was built in the 17th Century to designs by Sir Christopher Wren. At the time of Mr De Sousa Stayton's death, a police-issued family statement paid tribute to a 'beautiful, talented and intelligent son.' It read: 'We are all in deep shock at the loss of our beautiful, talented and intelligent son. 'He had a deep passion for history and revelled in sharing his knowledge with others. 'He truly was a young gentleman, always willing to help others where he could. 'With his wicked sense of humour and mischievous smile he could bring irrepressible joy to anyone in his company. 'Words cannot adequately express the devastation we feel, nor the love we have for him. 'The world is inarguably a lesser place without JJ.' For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see samaritans.org for details. A British paedophile has been pictured sitting alongside children after moving to Vietnam following his release from jail. Christopher Trinnaman, of south-east London, was jailed for four years in 2010 for grooming young girls online and sending them graphic photos of himself. He disappeared ahead of his trial but was arrested the following year and imprisoned in the UK. But it has now emerged that, since his release in 2015, he has moved to Vietnam, where he is not subject to the same restrictions as he would be in Britain. Christopher Trinnaman, who has been released from a prison term in the UK for grooming girls, has been pictured with children in Vietnam since his release Campaigners are angry that, despite being on the sex offenders register, he is not banned from travelling abroad Trinnaman, who plays the trombone, has even been working at a music academy in the South-east Asian country Campaigners have been left furious that, although he is on the sex offenders register, he is not prevented from travelling abroad. One of his victims told The Sunday People: 'Why was he allowed to travel abroad? He's a very manipulative man who is a danger to children. I will always remember what he did to me, it will always stay with me.' A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'A Sexual Harm Prevention Order is an order made by the court and the conditions imposed in this case do not prevent travel abroad. No conditions have been breached.' Trinnaman's trial heard he chatted with two young girls, one aged 13 and the other 14, through MSN. One of the girls received more than 70 telephone calls from the predator. The messages were 'sexual and graphic' and, in them, Trinnamen claimed he had had sex with girls as young as 11. Trinnaman, who plays the trombone, has been working in a music academy in Vietnam He asked one of the girls if she would have sex with him and suggested they met up in a local hotel in Hull. An Old Bailey judge described him as 'a sexual predator who targets young teenage girls'. There is no suggestion Trinnaman has been involved in any wrongdoing since he was released was jail. His whereabouts are unknown since he left the music academy where he was working. A spokeswoman for Trinnaman's orchestra said: 'Christopher John Trinnaman used to work at the Sun Symphony Orchestra as an associate principal trombone. 'On April 23, due to his personal reason, Mr Trinnaman resigned from the position and terminated the labour contract with Sun Symphony Orchestra. 'Sun Symphony Orchestra did not know anything about his past. All the necessary information he provided to sign the labour contract was legal.' A three-year-old accidentally shot a one-year-old in the head after finding the gun on a nightstand in the parents' bedroom, police said. Miraculously, the child survived after the bullet only grazed the head, not penetrating the skull during the incident in Lincolnton, North Carolina. The children were playing alone when the father heard a loud pop when he was outside smoking. The scene outside the home in in Lincolnton, North Carolina where the one-year-old was shot He and his wife rushed to the bedroom and found the child with a wound to the head. It is unclear where the wife was in the house at the time of the incident that happened at around 11:50 a.m. Sunday. The child was rushed to Atrium Health Care in Charlotte by Lincoln County EMS, the current condition of the toddler is not clear. Lightview Lane in Lincolnton where the freak accident took place, the child's condition isn't known The weapon is believed to be a a .380 caliber handgun. The shooting took place in the small city within the Charlotte metropolitan area and there is no word of any charges yet. In another accidental discharge in Lincolnton in November 2016 a policewoman mother accidentally shot her 11-year-old daughter at a party while showing off her gun to fellow parents. The girl, who was hit in the abdomen, survived and her mother, Misty Michelle Flowers, was sacked from Lincoln County Sheriffs Office. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said her claim that the world could end in 12 years if climate change is not addressed was just 'dry humor'. The Democratic New York rep was responding to so-called GOP 'fact-checkers' who mocked her assertion that we have '12 years left to cut emissions in half'. In a tweet posted yesterday evening, Ocasio-Cortez called the GOP 'basically Dwight from The Office' because they take everything so literally. She wrote: 'This is a technique of the GOP, to take dry humor + sarcasm literally and ''fact check'' it. Like the ''world ending in 12 years'' thing, you'd have to have the social intelligence of a sea sponge to think it's literal. But the GOP is basically Dwight from ''The Office'' so who knows.' The character Dwight from the long-running sitcom, The Office, is known for correcting his colleague's statements with literal responses. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said her reference to a 12-year deadline to tackle climate change was 'dry humor' and should not be taken literally Despite referencing a UN report, AOC then claimed the 12-year deadline was not literal and should not be taken seriously Last month as part of her campaign for the Green New Deal, she tweeted a reference to the '12 years' deadline. Ocasio-Cortez wrote: 'Climate change is here + we've got a deadline: 12 years left to cut emissions in half. A #GreenNewDeal is our plan for a world and a future worth fighting for.' Then during a live stream in April, Ocasio-Cortez again mocked critics who rebuffed the claim as a joke, making it clear she was serious about the figure. She said: 'We have 12 years left to cut emissions by at least 50 per cent, if not more, and for everyone who wants to make a joke about that, you may laugh, but your grand kids will not.' The congresswoman then went on to compare those who ignore climate change with those who did not take direct action during the Civil Rights campaign. She added: 'So just know that while a lot of people can hide that their grandparents did that in the civil rights movement, you should also know that the internet documents everything. FACT: Rainn Wilson starred as Dwight Schrute in The Office. The paper salesman is known for correcting general statements with literal responses Despite tweeting in April that the Green New Deal was a way to help cut emissions before the 12-year deadline was up, Rep Ocasio-Cortez more recently said it was a joke 'And your grandchildren will not be able to hide the fact that you fought against acknowledging and taking bold action against climate change. 'And for those of you who are trying to mock and delay this moment, I mean, I just feel bad for you. I pity you for your role in history right now.' The figure of 12 years comes from a group of scientists who wrote a for report to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was published last October. In it some of the world's leading climate scientists warned there is only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C. After that period even half a degree increase would significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people, the report said. On Monday Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders will headline a rally with AOC at Howard University to support the Green New Deal. Alan Moher, pictured, claims he is trapped in a marriage with his wife under Jewish law by a 1,850-per-month maintenance payment handed to him by the courts in his divorce last year A Jewish property millionaire claims he is being discriminated against because of his religious beliefs in a 'very acrimonious' divorce from his estranged wife. Alan Moher, 54, was ordered to hand over a 1.6million lump sum to wife Caroline, 46, by the Family Court as well as 1,850 per month in maintenance payments until he grants her a 'Get' - a document that officially ends a marriage under Jewish law. But Mr Moher, of Salford, Manchester, claims a Get must be granted 'freely' and only when financial ties between a couple are ended, adding the maintenance payments would therefore invalidate the religious divorce. The couple, who wed in 1995 and have three children, split up in 2016 after 21 years together. Mrs Moher, who used 750,000 of the lump sum to move to London and buy a mortgage-free house, said the Get would be valid because it would immediately end the monthly payments thus cut off financial ties between them, meaning there is 'no good reason to withhold it'. Mr Moher, who owns several rental properties, is fighting to get the Family Court ruling overturned claiming it has 'trapped' him in the marriage and will leave him paying her maintenance 'indefinitely'. His lawyers are fighting the Family Court ruling, made last year, and also argued the 1.6million payout was 'unfair' because it was 85 per cent of the family's wealth. Lawyers for Mrs Moger say the lump sum was fair because the husband had 'failed to provide adequate disclosure' of his finances. A Get is a divorce document in Jewish religious law, which must be presented by a husband to his wife to give effect to their divorce. The text of the Get states 'You are hereby permitted to all men', which means that the woman is no longer married and that the laws of adultery no longer apply. It also returns to the wife the legal rights that a husband holds in regard to her in a Jewish marriage. Judge Bernard Wallwork, at the Family Court in Manchester, made the financial orders in November last year. He told Mr Moher, of Salford, that the marriage - and his obligation to pay maintenance - would end in a 'clean break' as soon as he presented the Get to his ex, having paid her the lump sum. But Brent Molyneux QC, for the husband, told the Appeal Court that the wording of Judge Wallwork's order means any Get presented by the husband would not be accepted as valid by the Jewish religious authorities, leaving him in a no-win situation. Caroline Moher, 46, pictured, says her husband should grant her the religious divorce because it would immediately end the financial payments, thus making it valid He said: 'The phraseology of the order prevents the husband from issuing a Get. 'It is something which has to be given freely, after financial ties between the parties have come to an end. 'The imposition of a financial sanction on a party, in a bid to force them to grant a Get, invalidates the Get under religious law. 'The husband is thus left in a position where, due to the element of compulsion placed on him by the order of the court, he is unable to grant a valid Get. 'The judge's order means that, after paying the lump sum in full, the husband is obliged to continue to pay spousal periodical payments to the wife in the sum of 1,850 per month - until he gives her a Get.' Claiming that the maintenance order was discriminatory, he told the court: 'It is wrong for the wife to receive a financial benefit and the husband a financial penalty by virtue of their religious beliefs. What is a Get? A Get is a divorce document in Jewish religious law, which must be presented by a husband to his wife to give effect to their divorce. The text of the Get states 'You are hereby permitted to all men', which means that the woman is no longer married and that the laws of adultery no longer apply. It also returns to the wife the legal rights that a husband holds in regard to her in a Jewish marriage. Jewish law dictates the Get must be given of the husband's free-will and be physically accepted by the wife. It must be specific and cannot include blanks to be filled in later, while it cannot be written on any surface which could be erased. A wife can sue for divorce in rabbinical court, which can compel a husband to grant the separation through financial penalties and even forcing the husband to spend a night in an unmarked grave. Jewish law states that coercion will invalidate a Get except in 'extreme circumstances'. Advertisement 'The wife would be recovering twice...It is wrong to impose a financial sanction on the husband in an effort to compel him to grant the wife a Get.' However Sally Harrison QC, for Mrs Moher, denied the claims, saying Judge Wallwork had been right to force the husband's hand with regard to ending their Jewish marriage. She said: 'It was reasonable for the judge to make an order which enabled the wife to be supported financially until such time as the Get was obtained. 'As the judge made clear, the order would be discharged once the Get was given and there was no good reason for the husband to withhold the Get. 'The husband was invited to give the standard undertaking in relation to the Get. He declined to do so. 'In such circumstances, it was open to the court to consider how to enforce compliance. Any difficulty would be of the husband's own making.' Mr Molyneux also insisted the 1.6million payout was unfair on the husband. He said: 'The identifiable assets were 1.875 million, less the husband's debts. The wife received just over 1.6m. 'Just because the husband has not engaged in the disclosure process doesn't leave him open to any award the court might fancy. 'No one makes any attempt to quantify the non-disclosure. This award is a turkey shoot. 'The judge's disapproval of the way the husband conducted himself during the proceedings is evident from the judgment. 'But the order which has resulted has tipped the balance too far in the wife's favour and given rise to an unfair result.' Mrs Harrison argued the Family Court had made the right decision and added: 'The judge made findings that the husband had provided incomplete and misleading disclosure. 'The judge accepted that the wife's aspiration to move away geographically from the husband was entirely reasonable. 'He found that she required a mortgage-free property in London. 'The judge held that the husband's litigation conduct up to the point of the final hearing was appalling and his manner contemptuous. The couple are fighting their case at court in Manchester, pictured, and appeal judges have reserved their decision which will be announced at a later date 'In light of the sustained and deliberate efforts by the husband to obfuscate the court's assessment of the resources, the judge was right to ensure that the distribution of the known assets met the needs of the wife and the three dependent children.' She added: 'The husband was a single man, living alone in Manchester, with undoubted intelligence and business skills, who was financially adept. 'The wife had three dependent children, could not rely upon the husband to support her or the children and had relatively slim earning capacity. 'In light of the judge's findings, the order made by the judge to allow the husband to pay a lump sum, rather than face sales of his properties, was far more generous to the husband than the wife.' Appeal judges, Lady Justice King, Lady Justice Rose and Lord Justice Moylan reserved their decision on the case at the end of a day-long hearing. It will now be delivered at a later date, yet to be set. More than 500 university students were evacuated from a library after a suspected gas leak turned out to be a durian fruit. The University Of Canberra's library Facebook page warned students that the building had been evacuated on Friday. Staff evacuated 550 students from the building in just six minutes and thanked students for understanding. University of Canberra library (pictured) evacuated after suspected gas leak turns out to be the odour from a durian The University Of Canberra's library Facebook page warned students that the building had been evacuated on Friday 'Fortunately the suspected gas leak turned out to be a part of a durian - the offending fruit has now been removed,' the page read. They added that despite the lingering 'gas-like smell' remaining the building was safe. The fruit had been left in one of the bins in the library. Durian fruit is a spiky fruit and has a distinct smell that permeates the skin. The fruit is extremely popular in south-east Asia and is banned on public transport systems in Thailand and Hong Kong. Several students commented on the notice about the evacuation. One wrote: 'Tastes like heaven. Smells like hell! In Singapore they have "don't eat durian" on the train signs!' While another wrote: 'The smell is terrible but nice to eat.' Nigel Farage today revealed he will stand to be an MP - calling it 'his duty' - as his Brexit Party looks set to thrash the Tories into fifth place in the upcoming EU elections. The former UKIP leader also admitted he would be willing to prop up the next Conservative leader to make them Prime Minister in the event of a hung Parliament - but only if they agree to leave the EU with No Deal on World Trade Organization (WTO) terms. He told LBC today: 'I'm going to have to [stand] of course. It's a duty. We cannot ever allow again a great democratic exercise like this to be railroaded aside by career politicians of the Labour and Tory parties'. Mr Farage, who last stood in South Thanet in 2015 but lost to the Tories -his seventh failed attempt at getting into Parliament - has not said the constituency he would target. But perhaps significantly he was speaking today during a visit to Pontefract, West Yorkshire, part of Labour MP Yvette Cooper's constituency, where 70 per cent voted to leave the EU and he said Jeremy Corbyn's party 'is vulnerable in the most extraordinary way'. Asked whether he'd do a deal with the Tories if elected, he said: 'If we can save 39billion, come out of the Customs Union, come out of the Single Market, come out of the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and be a genuinely independent, self-governing democracy that can choose its own future, Id do a deal with the devil to get that'. The Brexit Party is racing ahead with a predicted 34 per cent of the vote on May 23 - but Theresa May's Conservatives are heading for just 10 per cent, a new YouGov survey has found. This would put the Prime Minister's party in fifth place behind the Greens and the Liberal Democrats, who were on 15 per cent and 11 per cent respectively. The collapse in support for the Conservative Party is piling pressure on Mrs May to set a date for her departure from No 10 - but Labour is also down five points on 16 per cent, with confusion over their Brexit position continuing. Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage and star candidate Ann Widdecombe wave placards at a European Parliament election campaign event in Pontefract, where he confirmed he will stand to be an MP at the next general election Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage poses for a selfie with a member of the public during a 'walkabout' campaigning for the European Parliament election in Pontefract today Theresa May (pictured today speaking to a domestic violence survivor at Advance Charity offices in West London) is under increasing pressure to name the date she will leave No 10 as she faces another bruising in the polls Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the Brexiteer European Research Group of Tories, appealed for disillusioned Conservatives to stick with the party for the sake of Theresa May's replacement Nigel Farage takes aim at 'vulnerable' Labour in Yvette Cooper's Yorkshire seat Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage poses during a 'walkabout' campaigning for the European Parliament election in Pontefract today Nigel Farage has said that the Labour party is 'vulnerable in the most extraordinary way' in Leave areas in the north of England. The Brexit Party leader was speaking during a visit to Pontefract, West Yorkshire, part of Labour MP Yvette Cooper's constituency, where 70% of voters voted to leave the EU. Mr Farage said he had seen a lot of anger and passion in Labour Leave areas in northern towns, as he toured the UK ahead of next week's European election. He said: 'The passion seems even stronger in Labour Leave areas than in Conservative Leave areas. 'Whether that's because people in the north of England wear their hearts on their sleeves more, I don't know.' Mr Farage spoke to members of the public who told him that they were usually Labour voters, but would be voting for the Brexit Party in the forthcoming election. He said: 'It's areas like this where I think the Labour party is vulnerable in the most extraordinary way.' He continued: 'This is a 70% Leave constituency, these five towns voted Leave by a massive margin. 'You've got a member of Parliament who, at the general election a year later, promised to honour the result, and has spent the last two years, effectively, trying to stop Brexit from happening. 'So there is real anger in these places, and we focus on the Conservatives being in real trouble over the EU issue. 'In the north of England, Labour are in very big trouble too.' Mr Farage said the option of a confirmatory referendum was an 'outrage' and would lead to a change in British politics if implemented. Advertisement Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the Brexiteer European Research Group of Tories, appealed for disillusioned Conservatives to stick with the party for the sake of Theresa May's replacement. He said he wants a new leader, adding: 'I would appeal to their loyalty, to their tradition and to say that the Conservative Party will get a new leader at some point. We have gone from 40 per cent to 10 per cent in the polls and those are Eurosceptics. It is forgetting about them that is destroying the Tory party's vote'. He told LBC Radio: 'We want that new leader to have a base on which he or she can build and if we find that we are getting under 15 per cent of the vote, if we are coming fifth behind the Greens, then it will be harder for that figure to rebuild.' Nigel Farage is campaigning in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, today where members of the public asked him for selfies and hugged him. Asked about the latest polling he said: 'If the Brexit Party comes out on top in a few weeks' time, what I'm demanding then is we must have a place at the negotiating table. We are now due to leave on October 31, if millions vote for us, they deserve a say'. And in a message for Mrs May he told TalkRadio: 'If you ignore us then we will take you on at the Peterborough by election and the general election'. He also refused to say if he would meet Donald Trump in June but hinted he could be stopped by No 10. He said: The last time he came to the UK one of the Governments red lines was that he couldnt meet me. Mr Rees-Mogg acknowledged that the European elections 'look as though they will be difficult' and people were 'very enthusiastic' about the Brexit Party, whose candidates include Mr Rees-Mogg's sister Annunziata, calling her an 'outstanding candidate in the wrong party'. He said: 'The opinion polls are far from promising for the Conservatives for the European elections. You have to ask yourself 'why should Conservatives go out. 'The truth is that people like me will vote Conservative because we are loyal Conservatives who will support the party in any election. 'But many Conservatives, people who have been members for decades, feel this is a two-pronged opportunity - one, to say why haven't we left? And the other to say 'we are not entirely convinced by the current leadership'. 'And people feel that if they vote Conservative they will be saying they are accepting Mrs May's deal and Mrs May's leadership. 'Many Conservatives, most Conservatives, want to leave the EU and would prefer to leave on WTO terms, the so-called no-deal exit, and therefore they don't feel that they should go out and support the Tories on this occasion'. Mr Rees-Mogg said the shock opinion poll for The Times is a damning indictment of the current Tory Prime Minister and her cabinet. He said: 'The results look like they will be difficult. We have lost three quarters of our voters down from 40 per cent to 10 per cent because of Brexit'. People will treat the upcoming European elections as an opportunity for the 'ultimate protest vote' on Brexit, the Education Secretary said yesterday. Damian Hinds admitted this month's vote will be difficult for the Conservatives after a poll showed support for Nigel Farage's Brexit Party is higher than that for Labour and the Tories put together. The Opinium survey for the Observer placed the party on course for a thumping victory on 34 per cent, when people were asked how they intended to vote in the European elections on May 23. This was more than both Labour and the Tories combined, with Labour slipping to 21 per cent and the Tories on just 11 per cent. The Remain-backing Liberal Democrats were on 12 per cent. The results - which suggest support for the Tories at the European elections is now less than a third of that of Mr Farage's party - will make grim reading for Theresa May, who is being blamed for failing to get a Brexit deal through Parliament. In terms of voting intentions in the next general election, the same poll put Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party out in front on 28 per cent. This was followed by the Conservatives on 22 per cent, with the Brexit Party close behind on 21 per cent. A separate survey found the Brexit Party has overtaken the Tories in national polling for the first time, with Mr Farage projected to win 49 seats in a general election. The Brexit Party is enjoying a growing lead in a new EU election poll with the Tories now in fifth The Tories and Labour are neck and neck if there was a general election tomorrow, a poll has found Nigel Farage, pictured in West Yoprkshire today, is set to clear up at the May 23 elections The ComRes poll found that the Tories would be on course for their worst result in history if a general election campaign led by Theresa May took place now. According to the survey, some 46 Tories would lose their seats to the Brexit Party, including Brandon Lewis, the party chairman, and Penny Mordaunt, the new Defence Secretary. The polls follow disastrous council elections, in which Mrs May oversaw the loss of nearly 1,300 Tory councillors, and come ahead of a predicted wipeout in the European elections. A poll surge, but six in ten doubt it will last As two polls show massive surges for the Brexit Party, a third survey, by YouGOV, shows most people don't think the party will last. YouGov revealed 63% of people thought the Brexit Party would 'probably not be a force in British politics in 10 years', compared to 13% who thought it was here to stay. Similarly 56% thought Change UK would disappear over the next decade, with just one in 10 believing it will 'likely remain an important part of British politics'. Three in ten people doubted Labour or the Tories would continue to exist in 10 years. And just under half, 45%, thinking the Lib Dems were here to stay. YouGov political research manager Chris Curtis said: 'The data shows the public aren't yet convinced that these newer forces will become a permanent feature in British politics.' Advertisement Two ministers yesterday sought to downplay the significance of the upcoming European elections, saying they would be an 'opinion poll on Brexit' rather than a verdict on the Tory party as a whole. Mr Hinds told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme: 'I don't think anyone is in any doubt these are going to be difficult elections for us - that much has been clear from the very start. 'For some people this is the ultimate protest vote opportunity. Actually, ironically this is, in a sense, for some people, this is the second referendum.' New Prisons Minister Robert Buckland said he was not alarmed by the recent poll, despite the possibility of losing his seat. In his first interview since being promoted, he told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday show: 'I've always had a marginal seat... I've never been complacent about my politics.' Asked about the upcoming European elections, he said: 'Well look, I think we're living through some pretty extraordinary times. 'This European election which frankly nobody wanted or nobody expected is going to be in my view a giant opinion poll as to the merits of Brexit. 'Whilst I don't think mainstream politicians can ignore or disregard the frustration of the electorate, and it is very clear that there is a great degree of frustration, the question is what are we going to do about it?' Mr Farage said there had been a breakdown in trust between people and politicians. Elections for 73 MEPs to the European Parliament will take place on May 23. The UK had been due to leave the EU on March 29, but the deadline was pushed back to October 31 after Parliament was unable to agree a way forward. Meanwhile, a YouGov poll revealed most Britons believe the Brexit Party and Change UK will 'fade' from British politics within a decade. Some 63 per cent of participants believed Brexit Party would disappear from politics within 10 years, and 56 per cent thought the same of Change UK. A brazen bear turned the tables on hunters preparing their guns by leaning over the back of their pickup truck and stealing their food box. Footage shows the cheeky beast making away with their picnic lunch clenched in its huge jaw. The predator's antics came after the hunters stopped on a highway in Kamchatka, a peninsula in the extreme east of Russia. One exasperated hunter is heard shouting to his friend who hesitates to use his gun: 'Shoot Pasha, please shoot, what is it with you? 'He's stealing the box. That's all our food inside it!' The Brown bear spots the food box in the back of a pickup truck belonging to hunters who had stopped on a highway in Kamchatka, a peninsula in the extreme east of Russia Unable to resist the urge of a 'takeaway', the predator grabs the picnic in its huge jaw Moments earlier, the bear was seen looking longingly at the meal on the stretch of road known for 'begging bears' - who boldly approach motorists for food The hunter fires a shot into the air, hoping to scare the creature. However, this does nothing to deter the large Brown bear from pilfering the picnic box - crammed with food and perhaps a bottle or two of vodka as well - as it scarpers into the forest. His friend Alexander Vorobyov filmed the hilarious episode. The incident was on a road where locals are known to feed 'beggar bears' - against the advice of local wildlife officials, reported The Siberian Times. This may explain why the wild animal was so bold in approaching the truck and nabbing the hunters' lunch. One of the hungers shouts to his friend, 'Pasha, shoot'. Pasha then fires a warning shot as the bear races off into the forest A separate video shows the same bear demanding food from motorists on an earlier occasion. Meanwhile, a 'Do Not Feed The Bears' campaign has been launched in the region. Last year, some 70 bears were shot in Kamchatka because they were judged to pose a threat to people. Experts say many of these beasts were encouraged to come close to humans because they were regularly fed by people. Two people were killed by bears last year in Kamchatka. Recently in Ust-Bolsheretsky district, the body of a hunter was found who is believed to have died after being ambushed by a bear. Advertisement It's a part of Britain better known for heavy snow, strong gales and sub-zero temperatures. But the Scottish Highlands are the place to be for warm spring sunshine this week, as temperatures could hit 25C (76F) with Aviemore and the Moray Firth tipped to be the UK's warmest spots. The balmy conditions could even produce the hottest day of the year so far, with people expected to flock to parks and beaches and it will be warmer than Los Angeles, which is only expected to get to 23C (73F). And while Scotland sizzles throughout the week, London and the Home Counties are only expected to reach about 19C (66F) - although this is still above the daytime average for the start of May of 16C (61F). People visit the beach with their dogs in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset today, where people are enjoying the warm weather Two women enjoy the warm weather at Weston-super-Mare in Somerset today as people flock to the beach A group of women eat ice cream on the promenade of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset in the sunshine today Two people go for a stroll on the beach in Weston-super-Mare today, where people are enjoying the warm weather Punters take a journey down the River Cam in Cambridge today as forecasters say warmer weather is on the way this week An artist paints in Cambridge this morning (left) while an early morning punt is seen on the River Cam (right) A man in a rubber dinghy on the River Cam today as forecasters expect temperatures to hit 19C in the South East this week A cyclist passes King's College, Cambridge this morning as the South East gears up for a warmer week of weather Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: 'Scotland is going to be warm and very sunny this week. It's a huge improvement on what we have had in May so far and will make places in England seem distinctly chilly.' A change in the flow of the jetstream the ribbon of strong winds high in the atmosphere which effectively determine Britain's weather has swapped the Arctic air for higher temperatures. An area of high pressure will become anchored over Scotland, drawing warm weather up from Spain. This could break the record for the hottest day of 2019 so far - set on April 20 when Gosport in Hampshire hit 25.5C (77.9F). Mr Snell said: 'The sunshine we are seeing today is what we can expect to the latter part of the week. Even eastern coastal spots, which would normally feel a bit cooler, will share in the higher temperatures. While Scotland sizzles throughout the week, London and the Home Counties are only expected to reach about 19C (66F) The Met Office warned pollen levels (left) will be high to moderate, while UV levels (right) will be high as well today The sun rises in London behind The Shard and the financial district as a cyclist rides through Richmond Park this morning The sun rises on a beautiful morning over Coquet Island, off Amble on the coast of Northumberland today Another impressive photograph of the sunrise over Coquet Island, off Amble on the coast of Northumberland today 'Of course, it always comes with its hazards. We expect pollen levels to be high to moderate, which is bad news for sufferers of hay fever. And UV levels are going to be high as well, so people should take sensible precautions.' Since the start of this month, Scotland has been suffering winter-like chills and came close to recording the coldest May Day on record. That is down to the fact it has been on the northerly side of the jetstream. However, cold air from the Arctic is about to be exchanged for a mass of warm air from the Continent as the jetstream reacts to storms which have hit America. Ladbrokers has cut its odds from 8/1 to 7/2 on this week bringing the hottest day of 2019. It said: 'Brits are in for a treat on the weather front this week and we could well see the hottest day of the year so far being recorded.' A female Iranian British Council worker has been jailed form ten years in Tehran after being accused of spying for the UK. The Iranian national, identified by her family as Aras Amiri, 32, was arrested in March last year after visiting her home country to see her ailing grandmother. Iranian judiciary spokesman, Gholamhossein Esmaili, said the woman revealed on Monday a British Council employee had been given the jail term for 'cultural infiltration' - failed to identify the alleged spy. Amiri's cousin Mohsen Omrani, however, told MailOnline on Monday that she was the woman sentenced. British Council employee Aras Amiri, a 32-year-old Iranian national, was arrested in March last year in Iran. She was identified by her family as the woman jailed for 'spying' Amiri's cousin Mohsen Omrani (pictured with her before her arrest) told MailOnline she was the woman sentenced to ten years in jail Omrani previously said last year she had been accused of colluding and acting against the national security. Iran said she had been 'cooperating with Britain's intelligence agency' and had made 'clear confessions' before being sentenced. The sentencing comes amid rising tensions between Tehran and the West over its nuclear and missile programmes. The British Council is a cultural and educational organisation overseas but according to its website it is not 'physically present' in Iran. Gholamhossein Esmaili, a judiciary spokesman, announced the woman had been jailed on Monday Iranian authorities shut down the British Council more than a decade ago for what Esmaili described as 'illegal activities'. Esmaili said that during her confession, the suspect described how she had been recruited and provided information on 'the instructions that the English security agency had given' her. The spokesman said that she was 'an Iranian student who wanted to live and work in the UK' had been 'employed by the British Council' and 'repeatedly travelled to Iran under aliases... and made connections with artistic and theatre groups'. In his statement, Esmaili said: 'An Iranian who was in charge of Iran desk in the British Council and was cooperating with Britain's intelligence agency... was sentenced to 10 years in prison after clear confessions.' The United Kingdom's foreign ministry voiced concern over the sentence. 'We are very concerned by reports that an Iranian British Council employee has been sentenced to jail on charges of espionage,' a spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office told AFP. 'British Embassy officials in Tehran are in touch with the Iranian government to seek further information.' Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her daughter Gabriella. She is serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2016 of spying charges, which she denies The arrest of Iranians accused of espionage has increased since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last year there had been 'infiltration' of Western agents in the country. A British-Iranian woman held in Tehran, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly planning the 'soft toppling' of Iran's government while traveling with her young daughter. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who works for the charity arm of Thomson Reuters, was arrested in April 2016. Her sentence has been widely criticized. Iran does not recognize dual nationality. Hours after news of Amiri's sentencing, Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband called the jail term 'a real slap in the face'. Richard Ratcliffe said it was 'outrageous' that the suspect was given a 10-year jail term. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is part-way through her own five-year jail sentence after being accused of spying by Tehran's Islamist regime, a charge she vehemently denies. Speaking after the alleged spy was sentenced, Mr Ratcliffe told the Press Association: 'It is outrageous, really - the UK needs to step up and protect citizens. 'Nazanin called me last night to say that somebody was being taken down from the cells to be sentenced by the judge. 'She was very despondent.' Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe spent her 40th birthday behind bars in Tehran's Evin Prison last year The sentence comes after medical tests which would have enabled his wife to venture out of the prison building in Tehran were deemed void and need to be retaken. He said: 'It's a clear example of hostage diplomacy not being there. Diplomatic protection needs to show that it means something. 'To be fair, the court process is nonsense and the health process is nonsense. 'This is about making it clear to the UK that Nazanin and others are being held as bargaining chips.' He said he will be speaking to Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in the coming days in an attempt to push for a development in his wife's case. Last month Iran's foreign minister suggested Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe could be released as part of a prisoner swap. However, he subsequently backed down from the suggestion. Mr Hunt has already granted her diplomatic protection. But Tehran refuses to acknowledge her dual nationality and said the UK's actions were illegal. A millionaire British doctor has been killed in a horror car crash in Thailand after 'fainting at the wheel' just a week after refusing to be admitted to hospital. Michael Hawkins, 87, was driving alone in his Mitsubishi Delica minivan when he ploughed into the back of a parked lorry at around 12.30pm yesterday. The pensioner, originally from Woking, Surrey, who has grown up children, was killed instantly. Millionaire doctor Michael Hawkins was involved in a horrific car crash which saw his Mitsubishi Delica minivan plough into the back of a lorry yesterday Mr Hawkins (passport photo pictured) was killed instantly Rescue workers arrived and had to cut Mr Hawkins's body from the wreckage. Officials are now investigating what caused the smash in the Bang Pa-in District of Ayutthaya, 40 miles north of Bangkok. They said yesterday they believe Mr Hawkins was either using a phone at the time of the accident or more likely that he fell asleep or lost consciousness while driving. This morning, Mr Hawkins's 90-year-old wife Salipan - who has connections to the Thai Royal Family - was not at home as she had visited hospital to collect his body and arrange a Buddhist funeral. But speaking this morning at Mr Hawkins's approximately 12million family estate, close friend Khun Wichian said the pensioner had recently been suffering from cardiomegaly, causing him to faint last week. He had visited hospital last week but defied requests from medics to be admitted - telling them he was 'fine' and returned home. Wichian said: 'Michael and his wife are a kind and lovable couple. The family is honoured and well-known in Thai society. Rescue workers had to cut Mr Hawkins's body from the wreckage (pictured) in the Bang Pa-in District of Ayutthaya, 40 miles north of Bangkok 'Before the accident Michael wanted to have repairs done on his minivan, but the mechanic shop was closed on Sundays, so he decided to drive to Ayutthaya to buy some spares. 'His wife was very worried because she hadn't heard from him for two hours. Then the rescuer called her telling her that her husband was seriously injured from a shocking car crash. 'Her cousins offered to go to the hospital because she is very old and it would be bad for her to see him in that condition. But she also went. 'We knew that he had passed away but we did not want to tell his wife until she reached the hospital herself, as she's very old and frail. 'Last week, Michael also fainted in his own house. He was sent to the hospital but refused to stay overnight there. He said he was fine. So the family thought that he fainted again while he was driving as well. 'Michael loved his pet parrots and he liked making model aeroplanes in his spare time. He was close to his family and his children are flying here for the funeral.' A worker from the Putthaisasawan Foundation who attended crash scene said they also believed Mr Hawkins had 'fallen asleep or passed out' at the wheel. Mr Hawkins's 90-year-old wife Salipan - who has connections to the Thai Royal Family - was at hospital to collect his body and arrange a Buddhist funeral. Pictured is their home in central Bangkok Mark Insee said: 'The trailer truck was parked on the hard shoulder at the time and Mr Hawkins crashed into it at full speed.' 'We believe there are two possible reasons for the crash. The driver may have been using his phone at the time or he could have fallen asleep or passed out. 'There was nothing in his belongings to suggest he had a health condition but the body will be sent for an autopsy to check.' Mr Hawkins, who was also known as Mike, had his driving licence, business cards, a copy of his passport and 2060 Thai baht (50) in cash on him. Business cards gave his address as a two-storey 1960s style home in central Bangkok, close to the city's Jim Thompson silk museum. Mr Hawkins friend Khun Wichian said the pensioner had visited hospital last week but defied requests from medics to be admitted - telling them he was 'fine' and returned home. Officials said they believed Mr Hawkins was either using a phone at the time of the accident (pictured) or more likely that he fell asleep or lost consciousness while driving Locals said Mr Hawkins's wealthy family owned the entire street of houses - worth around 500 million baht (12million) - plus a restaurant and other assets. In Britain, Companies House documents show Mr Hawkins was an active director of Forward Vision Occupational Health And Services Ltd. His daughter, Lucy Hawkins, 53, lives in Lyndhurst, Hampshire, and is also an appointed director of the building. Police Lieutenant Kritsana Chanithai said: 'Notification was received of a traffic accident at 12:40pm. At the scene was a green Mitsubishi and a trailer truck. 'One male was deceased. He was stuck in the vehicle. Cutting equipment was used to remove the body of the victim to be delivered to Bang Pa-in hospital. 'The body has been sent for an autopsy to assist with the investigation into what caused the accident.' It is not clear when Mr Hawkins moved to Thailand and his death is yet to be confirmed by the Foreign Office. The public school district of Nashville, Tennessee, is being sued for allegedly not protecting its students from a known sexual harassment problem that involved girls being sexually assaulted, secretly recorded and then bullied. The federal lawsuits involving four girls say the surreptitiously recorded sex tapes were later shared online, including on adult sites like Pornhub, in a practice common among teens that is known as 'exposing.' US District Court Judge Aleta Trauger has denied the district's request to dismiss the lawsuits, which accuse it of not following Title IX rules when responding to sexual assault complaints. A 15-year-old girl from Hunters Lane High School in Nashville has sued the metro school district, saying she was involved in unwelcome sexual activity and then called 'worthless' The district argued that male students were also depicted in the videos, so the girls were not unequally treated per federal law. In her 58-page opinion, however, the judge said the boys did not suffer from bullying that 'follows the easily recognizable script of treating women and girls as uniquely tainted and lessened by their engagement in sexual activity,' The Tennessean reported. One of the lawsuits was filed by the family of a 15-year-old girl against Metro Nashville Public Schools and Metro government for $3million in August 2017. The complaint said the girl was part of unwelcome sexual activity at Hunters Lane High School recorded without her knowledge and posted on the internet. The claim states that school administrators did not conduct the federally mandated independent investigation and failed to adequately discipline the involved students. The lawsuit says that in April of that year, the girl was coerced into 'unwelcome sexual activity' during lunch at Hunters Lane High School with a male student, who recorded the encounter without her knowledge and then shared it widely among their peers. According to the lawsuit, a high-ranking school official reassured the girl and her family that the scandal surrounding the video 'will 'blow over in one day,' but it did not. Other plaintiffs suing the district include two 14-year-old girls who were allegedly involved in sexual conduct with multiple teenage boys in a stairway at Maplewood High School The complaint said that the male student who made the sex tape uploaded it to Pornhub, and even though the girl immediately transferred to another school, the ill fame associated with the video followed her there. She described being bullied on a daily bass and being called names like 'ho,' 'nasty' and 'worthless.' The claim stated that school administrators did not conduct the federally mandated independent investigation and failed to adequately discipline the involved students. Other plaintiffs suing the school district include two 14-year-old girls who were allegedly involved in unwelcome sexual conduct with multiple teenage boys in a stairway at Maplewood High School in September 2016, which was also videotaped, and a 15-year-old girl who in February 2017 was allegedly sexually assaulted inside a boys bathroom at Hunters Lane High School. The suspected assault was caught on video, disseminated online and passed among students. A female bus driver with seven school children on board has been caught for allegedly driving under the influence of ice in New South Wales. Lake Macquarie Highway Patrol officers, who were targeting drug and alcohol affected drivers, pulled over the 26-year-old driver for a roadside drug test on Awaba Road in Toronto at 8.35am on Friday. Officers performed a drug test on the accused and found her under the influence of methamphetamine. A female bus driver with seven school children on board has been caught for allegedly driving under the influence of ice in New South Wales She also tested positive to ice in the second drug test, according to a Newcastle Herald report. An officer from Lake Macquarie Police District told Daily Mail that police don't lay charges until the outcome of a lab test. 'It usually takes four to six weeks before the lab result is out,' the officer said. A second bus driver drove the school children, who were all under the age of 12, home. Lake Macquarie Highway Patrol officers, who were targeting drug and alcohol affected drivers, pulled over the woman driver for a roadside drug test on Awaba Road in Toronto at 8.35am on Friday Police completed 58 drug tests and 830 RBT checks. They only found the woman bus driver under the influence of drugs and another driver was was detected for mid range drink-driving. A world renowned graffiti artist known as the 'Original Banksy' was facing jail today over his 13-year obsession with a life model he became infatuated with after she agreed to pose nude for him. Walter Kershaw, 78, who has appeared on BBC TV and radio shows was arrested after he repeatedly hounded Catherine Mitchell, 48, following the breakup of their 12-month affair which began in 2006 when she asked him to paint her portrait. During his 'predatory' stalking campaign, the twice-married Kershaw pursued his ex-lover around their hometown. Graffiti artist Walter Kershaw, 78, faces jail over his 13-year obsession with model Catherine Mitchell (right). He was arrested after he repeatedly hounded Miss Mitchell, 48, following the breakup of their 12-month affair which began in 2006 when she asked him to paint her portrait This included waiting outside a church and following her around the aisles of a supermarket while telling her she was beautiful. He also sent her love letters and romantic cards and would drive slowly past her home blowing kisses at her. Later he gave a head and shoulders oil portrait of Miss Mitchell pride of place in the front window of his art gallery in Littleborough, near Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Mr Kershaw fell in love with Ms Mitchell after painting a nude portrait of her . Pictured: A nude portrait of another woman painted by Kershaw in 1964 Miss Mitchell would take taxis to avoid her ex-suitor and even trudged across muddy fields at the back of her home so she would not encounter him outside her home. In 2013 Kershaw - who counted George Best and Bob Monkhouse among his fans - was ordered to keep away from Miss Mitchell under the terms of a restraining order. He was even banned from displaying a photo, painting, sketch drawing or any image of Miss Mitchell. Kershaw had shot to fame in the 1970s with his large-scale murals on houses and was dubbed 'the Original Banksy' with his work displayed as far afield as Sao Paolo in Brazil But he repeatedly continued harassing her and was arrested again after he spotted her near a park on Christmas Eve last year while she was out with her elderly mother. He then repeatedly told Miss Mitchell: 'I adore you', forcing the two women to flee in a taxi. At Manchester magistrates court, Kershaw, whose graffiti art in the 1970s earned him interviews with TV presenters including Anna Ford, Janet Street Porter, Sue MacGregor and the late Russell Harty admitted three breaches of a restraining order. He initially claimed he had merely bumped into the victim by chance in the incidents in December last year. But in a statement Miss Mitchell who had previously told how she been left in fear of Kershaw said: 'The incident at the park left me with a feeling of disbelief and very concerned for mine and my mother's safety. But during his 'predatory' stalking campaign, the twice-married Kershaw pursued his ex-lover around their hometown 'I don't know what he might do or what he is capable of. He has no regard for the conditions of his restraining order and I just want him to leave me alone.' Miss Mitchell's mother Marjorie, 74, said: 'l was shocked and thought to myself 'how dare you'. 'He has breached an order set down by the law, he must not be allowed to return to that in case he re-offends. 'I'd ask to make the restraining order for a few years which will allow us to move forward. It is predatory behaviour. 'We have taken taxis to avoid him, plodded across muddy fields and dodged aisle to aisle in the supermarket. 'I would describe him as a narcissistic individual who tries to oil himself in with people.' This included waiting outside a church and following her around the aisles of a supermarket while telling her she was beautiful Prosecutor James Gore said at Manchester Magistrates Court: 'The complainant was doing some shopping when she heard somebody say: 'it's Mr Kershaw'. 'The defendant then walked over to her and said: 'I adore you', which made her feel uncomfortable. 'He was persistent and she then went over to her mother, who she had been out with, got into a taxi and and they were driven away.' Kershaw gave a head and shoulders oil portrait of Miss Mitchell pride of place in the front window of his art gallery in Littleborough, near Rochdale, Greater Manchester He was even banned from displaying a photo, painting, sketch drawing or any image of Miss Mitchell after repeatedly hounding her 'On one day in particular, December 27, Miss Mitchell was in a local shop with her mother when she sees Mr Kershaw speaking with her mother some distance away. 'He was saying: "I do apologise" and he then left afterwards.' In a previous police interview Kershaw had claimed he 'no idea' his conduct was affecting the two women. He said he was 'smitten' with Miss Mitchell and described her as a 'very beautiful woman.' He will be sentenced later. Kershaw gave a head and shoulders oil portrait of Miss Mitchell pride of place in the front window of his art gallery in Littleborough, near Rochdale, Greater Manchester In mitigation his lawyer Richard Birtwhistle said: 'Without any promise or exclusion to the defendant, I'd ask if thehere are any viable options for the defendant which could be considered suitable as an alternative to an immediate term of imprisonment. 'These are chance meetings. These were one sided conversations on the part of the defendant.' But adjourning the case or two weeks District Judge Mark Hadfield said: 'I'm afraid involving probation will give him false hope, due to the number of offences relating to this female in particular. Kershaw had shot to fame in the 1970s with his large-scale murals on houses and was dubbed 'the Original Banksy' with his work displayed as far afield as Sao Paolo in Brazil. He met Miss Mitchell when she asked for the portrait in 2006 and they began a relationship but she said he was 'quite unpredictable' and 'very controlling' and had 'temper tantrums'. The following year she broke up with Kershaw after she was hit by a motorbike and suffered life-threatening brain and leg injuries in a collision outside his gallery. But Kershaw claimed, 'you should never give up on love' and continued pursuing Miss Mitchell around the town. He was even banned from displaying a photo, painting, sketch drawing or any image of Miss Mitchell after repeatedly hounding her He then placed a head and shoulders portrait of her in his shop window which she had not requested or seen. Police issued Miss Mitchell with a handheld panic alarm and she used it when he turned up outside her house. In January 2009, he was spoken to by police and warned not to contact her. But the following year, a Police Information Notice (PIN) harassment order was issued against Kershaw and he was warned not to contact Miss Mitchell or her mother. In 2013 the father-of-two was ordered to pay the two women compensation after he again approached Miss Mitchell while she was sat in her car. He was then given a suspended sentence in 2015 for hounding her again. He was eventually jailed for 26 weeks in 2017 after he approached Miss Mitchell at a Co-Op supermarket in February of that year and tried to strike up a conversation with her. Advertisement The prowess and power of nature was depicted beautifully as a humpback whale shot up from Californian waters, dwarfing a small fishing boat. Even though Monterey Bay, California is a popular whale-watching spot, the fisherman couldn't have expected the huge beast to come so close to his vessel, named Baja Sueno. The stunning images of the breaching whale were captured by Douglas Croft, 60, and whale watcher Kate Cummings and a lone fisherman can be seen gazing in awe at the stunning display before him as the group of whale-watchers react in amazement. Douglas Crof took the stunning images of a whale breaching very close to a fisherman's boat on Monterey Bay in California Mr Croft said: 'It was quite exciting! Salmon season coincides with the time when humpbacks are returning to Monterey Bay to feed for the summer and there were hundreds of boats on the bay fishing. 'This whale had breached a couple of times before this and many times they'll just keep doing it. 'I went below deck to shoot from a porthole close to the water line. That's what gives this amazing perspective of looking up at the whale. Taken by photographer Douglas Croft, 60, the photos show the whale shooting up through the otherwise calm waters 'That the breach was directly behind the fishing boat makes really shows the size. 'Since the boat is closer, it should look bigger, but the whale is huge! If I'd been the fisherman, I'd probably need some new underwear.' Humpback whales are in the same family as the largest beings on earth, the blue whale, and females can reach up to 50 foot long and weigh 2530 metric tons, about five times as heavy as a fully-grown male African elephant. The huge whale flopped back into the water after performing quite a show in front of the fisherman who gazed on in total awe Ms Cummings, who took the video, said: 'It was fun capturing this video. The whale had already breached multiple times much further away from the fisherman. 'But sometimes when whales breach multiple times, they're also heading a specific direction when they're underwater building momentum for the next breach. 'I figured the next breach would be around the fisherman because the whale was heading that way and sure enough! Though I didn't expect the whale and the boat to line up so perfectly.' Kate Cummings, 32, from Monterey Bay, who took the video footage of the near- whale breach which is pictured right A traumatised woman set herself on fire after her father sold her for 100 to a 'keeper' who gang-raped her with his friends. The victim, who is in her late 20s, resorted to the extreme measure after she was reportedly turned away by Uttar Pradesh (UP) police in India. She is fighting for her life in Ghaziabad hospital, near Delhi, after suffering 80 per cent burns. A shocking video of the woman from Hapur emerged on social media, where she told of her ordeal and blamed police for not taking action. The woman had been sold by her father for 100 to a man who allegedly gang-raped her with friends. Pictured: Woman carries a banner emphasizing a women's consent during a rally in 2012 She allegedly reported the crime to Hapur SP as well as other senior officials after she as sold following her husband's death. But she said they ignored the complaint and took no further action - so she tried to kill herself on April 28. Delhi Commission for Women Chairman Swati Maliwal wrote to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath saying the woman had 'suffered intolerable abuse at the hand of the UP police' which led to her attempted suicide. She asked Mr Adityanath to launch an investigation into police conduct. Her letter read: 'The Delhi Commission for Women is in receipt of a representation from a survivor of gang-rape belonging to Hapur,' according to the Times Of India. 'The survivor has suffered unimaginable harassment at the hands of the UP Police in Hapur who have refused to register an FIR despite repeated complaints. 'This insensitivity and shameful conduct of the UP Police compelled the survivor to immolate herself.' Ms Maliwal also wrote that the victim's 'owner' had taken loans from a number of people in Hapur, forcing the woman to work as a domestic helper in return. She said the woman had been abused and gang-raped at these houses. The activist and politician said Adityanath should compensate the victim. Police hit back at Ms Maliwal's claims, saying senior officials did not turn her away but added that an investigation was being conducted. Officials also registered a first information report against 14 men for the alleged rape but have not made any arrests. Hapur SP Yashvir Singh said police are looking into whether the victim set herself on fire or if it was done by another. He said it was not due to police failings that she may have tried to kill herself. Ms Page modelling in 1969. She later went on to become a Tory councillor before becoming a researcher for John Redwood. They would go on to have a five-year relationship She is a former Vogue model and ex-partner of Tory MP Brexiteer John Redwood who was a Tory for 45 years and ran to be mayor of London. But Nikki Page has ditched the party after being a member for 45 years and defected to Nigel Farage's Brexit Party over Theresa May's failure to get the UK out of the EU. The 63-year-old former Conservative councillor first hit the headlines when she had a five-year relationship with the MP for Wokingham in the early noughties after both of their marriages collapsed. Now she has revealed that she has decamped from the political party she joined as an 18-year-old, with a blast at Theresa May's leadership in the Daily Telegraph. 'It was hard, but it isn't my party any more,' she said. 'It no longer seems to represent strivers, the backbone of this country who work to make better lives for themselves and their families. 'It doesn't even seem remotely competent. I thought after the Referendum when I spent my weekends delivering thousands of leaflets that the Government would work towards Brexit. 'But the Government has totally botched it. I've known Theresa May off and on since the 90s. 'It was always incredibly difficult to know what she really believed in, but I am baffled by how she could get this so completely and utterly wrong. 'No one out there trusts her any more.' Ms Page said she will run for the Brexit Party in the European elections, standing in the West Midlands region her parents came from. Ms Page with John Redwood arriving at a dinner organised by the 1922 Committee of Conservative peers and MPs in tribute to Baroness Thatcher in 2006. Ms Page posing for the cameras in 2003, the year her relationship with Mr Redwood began. They split in 2008. Theresa May in London today. Talking about Brexit, Ms Page said: 'It was always incredibly difficult to know what she really believed in, but I am baffled by how she could get this so completely and utterly wrong' Brexiteer Ms Page also claimed people were being made to feel 'ashamed' of having voted for Brexit and that voters were 'equally furious' with both the Conservatives and Labour. 'It is clearly time for a major change, not a small change,' she told the Telegraph. 'You don't have to be ashamed of having voted for Brexit. 'We are suffocating in an atmosphere where people are frightened to say what they want to say, on campus, in Westminster or in the workplace.' 'I was talking with a group of twentysomethings. I admitted that I was pro-Brexit. ;There was silence I feared the worst. Then, one by one, these young people whispered that they were Brexiteers, too. 'How can it be that they felt they couldn't voice their real opinions? 'Because of a smug Establishment that doesn't understand what real people care about!' Ms Page (third from left), then known as Nikki Woodhead, as a model in London in 1969. She has quit the Tories after 45 years to stand for Nigel Farage's Brexit Party Nikki Page in her Fulham office in 2004. She said it was 'clearly time for a major change, not a small change' in politics The then couple arrive for the Conservative Summer Party at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, in July 2006 (left) and (right) at The Spectator Magazine Party in 2004 Thrice-married Ms Page began a relationship with the now 67-year-old MP Mr Redwood, a former secretary of state for Wales, in 2003. It caused a storm as she was at the time his parliamentary chief of staff and both were married to other people. However they both insisted that their marriages had broken down by the time they started dating. Ms Page told the Telegraph today: 'If people didn't know me, they should at least have recognised that John is utterly incapable of duplicity.' It did not stop Mr Redwood's wife Gail, to whom he was married for 29 years branding him 'arrogant, utterly inhuman and capable of awful cruelty'. Her husband, Al, said at the time he was 'stunned' to learn that his wife was having an affair with Mr Redwood. Ms Page and her MP lover - who was nicknamed 'The Vulcan' because of his supposed similarity to Star Trek's Mr Spock - would go on to have a five-year relationship, and were regularly pictured at Tory events. But they eventually split in 2008, with friends said to have described the split as 'amicable'. Mr Redwood, who twice bid unsuccessfully to be Tory leader in the 1990s, went on to have a relationship with divorced accountant Susan Precious. Ms Page ran to be the Tory candidate for mayor of London in 2002, on a platform of axing the position. She lost out to Stephen Norris, who was beaten by Ken Livingstone. At the time she told the Guardian that 'I was only a model for a year and I've been a businesswoman for 30 years', adding: 'I'm not an airhead. Don't make me out to be one.' Harrowing footage has been released today which shows workers 'failing to properly euthanise' chickens at farms supplying Lidl, Asda and Nandos. Video and photos appear to show injured and distressed birds living in cramped conditions at the sites across Northamptonshire, which serve some of the UK's major supermarkets. The footage has been released by the charity Animal Equality, which claims workers can be seen breaking birds' necks and leaving them to die over several minutes on the floor. The group also claims the birds were left to die before being pecked at by other chickens, and were kicked and stamped on by farm workers. Video and photos appear to show injured and distressed birds living in cramped conditions at the sites across Northamptonshire Animal Equity claims dozens of birds collapsed under the weight of their 'unnaturally large bodies' and were unable to stand, flapping frantically in a desperate attempt to lift themselves up Pictures released by the welfare charity show chickens with splayed legs and flapping their wings in distress. The footage was recorded at Evenley, Pimlico and Helmdon farms, in Northamptonshire, which are all certified by Red Tractor and run by Avara Foods. Investigators say they found bin bags full of dead birds at one of the three farms during visits from January to March, following a tip-off. Animal Equity claims dozens of birds collapsed under the weight of their 'unnaturally large bodies' and were unable to stand, flapping frantically in a desperate attempt to lift themselves up. It said dead birds left to rot among the living, leading to cannibalism on at least one farm, while dying birds were thrown onto a pile and left to suffer for hours as workers cleared the shed for slaughter. The charity also said workers were 'callously breaking birds' necks and leaving them to convulse amidst the flock.' Dying birds thrown onto a pile and left to suffer for hours as workers cleared the shed for slaughter The group also alleges workers were deliberately kicking and stepping on birds repeatedly. A Nandos spokesman said the restaurant chain was 'disappointed with the footage'. Pictures released by the welfare charity show chickens with splayed legs and flapping their wings in distress The chickens were left to die and rot at the farms after they were subjected to 'extreme sufferinf' Ian Woodhurst World Animal Protection UK's farming campaigns manager said, 'Sadly, this disturbing footage is typical of the low welfare practices on many factory farms across the UK where chickens are crammed together and grown so unnaturally fast their hearts, legs and lungs can barely take the pressure. 'Some die before slaughter due to exhaustion or heart failure. 'We're urging companies to use slower growing chicken breeds and working to end the terrible suffering endured by chickens on factory farms all around the world. Consumers can help reduce this suffering by buying chicken with higher welfare labels and by eating less meat.' Investigators say they found bin bags full of dead birds at one of the three farms Red Tractor has been contacted for comment. Asda and Lidl referred to a statement from the British Retail Consortium, which read: 'Our members take their responsibilities to animal welfare very seriously and work closely with trusted suppliers so that high welfare standards are upheld. They have strict processes in place and will thoroughly investigate any evidence of non-conformity to ensure that any problems are immediately addressed.' A Nandos spokesman added: 'Animal welfare is as important to us as it is to our customers which is why all of our chickens are barn reared in the UK to Red Tractor standards. 'We expect all our suppliers to operate to high standards and we are disappointed with the footage. We will be working closely with the supplier to get to the bottom of these allegations, ensuring immediate actions are taken to bring all their sites up to standard'. A spokesman for Avara Foods said one flock had experienced an infection when the birds were young which impacted on leg health. Avara said vets inspected the flock and prescribed medication, 'after which the bird's health improved.' A Nandos spokesman said the restaurant chain was 'disappointed with the footage' The spokesman added: 'We take our responsibilities for the birds in our care very seriously and their health and welfare is of the utmost importance. 'Our farmers are required to carefully inspect flocks on a daily basis - to identify any birds requiring attention or which may need to be culled. 'We have closely examined the contents of this report to assess compliance against our procedures. Initial findings indicate that, for the farm involved, our requirement to remove any culled or fallen birds as soon as they are identified has not been followed. We will take all necessary action to ensure that this situation does not reoccur. Anyone found not to be meeting our standards will be subjected to comprehensive retraining and further steps will be taken if appropriate. 'Red Tractor, the RSPCA and the Government's Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) have also made unannounced visits since this footage was taken and were satisfied with the health and welfare of the birds.' Jeymie Wescott made bond on Wednesday. It was $5300 after being increased from $300 Cops in Florida called out to a Burger King after reports of a 'snarling woman' behaving erratically in the restaurant toilets later found seven syringes full of liquid in her vagina. Jeymie Wescott, from St Petersburg, Florida could reportedly be heard yelling from the toilets of the Largo restaurant and then deputies went to check on her, performing a consented pat down and feeling something hard in her crotch area. She allegedly swore when cops felt what they now know was the syringes. They warned her that if she brought contraband back to the jail she could face further charges. It was only later, back at the jail, that police knew what it was in the the 35-year-old's crotch. In front of four deputies, Wescott - believed to have been under the influence of drugs - pulled the contraband from her vagina. She now faces an additional charge for introduction and possession of contraband in a county detention facility. To go with that, Wescott faces the initial charges for drug possession and resisting an officer without incident. Wescott reportedly 'spontaneously uttered she 'f****d up' during the strip search. Police were called to this Burger King restaurant in Florida where Wescott was yelling The liquid is currently being tested so detectives can identify what it is, possibly landing Wescott in further trouble. She made bond on Wednesday. The first two charges only carried a combined bail of $300 but because Wescott took the syringes back the jail, the bond was bumped up by $5000. Wescotts rap sheet includes prior convictions for DUI, methamphetamine possession, and leaving the scene of an accident, reported The Smoking Gun. The mother of a young boy who died after a child threw cheese at him has revealed her son was smiling when they switched off his life support machine. Rina Cheema's son Karan was at school when another pupil threw cheese at him, causing him to have a severe allergic reaction. Now, the 53-year-old has revealed the family hadn't wanted to switch off the life support machine, but that a comforting look on the 13-year-old's face helped her get through the ordeal. Speaking to Holly and Phil on This morning she said: 'We didn't want to switch it off it wasn't fair on his little body to go through this. Rina Cheema said he son had a smile on his face when the decision was made to turn off his life support machine Ms Cheema has called for there to be more education in school and that more needs to be done to educate children on allergies. (Karan and Rina pictured above) 'He smiled when the machine was turned off, they took him into another room and we said our last good byes before he was taken down and he had a smile on his face.' Ms Cheema added: 'You're always praying for the last minute miracle his brothers and sisters and his uncles were all there beside him.' Karan was in hospital for ten days before the decision was taken to turn off his life support machine. In that time his body had deteriorated, going into cardiac arrest and suffering from brain damage and lack of oxygen to the brain. The cheese thrown at Karan, no bigger than half the size of a Post-It note, caused an 'extraordinary reaction' after coming into contact with his skin, one which an expert at the inquest described as 'unprecedented' in medical circles. Speaking to Holly and Phil today she said she was still numb from the situation and that it was hard to forgive When asked by Phil where the situation all went wrong, Ms Cheema said 'education'. She has now called for more education in schools and from parents, as she says allergies continue to cause deaths due to a lack of education. Karanbir Cheema, known as Karan, was 13 when he died in July 2017, 10 days after he fell unconscious after the cheese was flicked at his neck while on a break at his school in Greenford, West London She highlighted that education starts at home with other parents. To understand now that allergies are so common. If someone said to your you're going to have a heart attack, you would respond straight away. 'If somebody said you have got an allergy, it's not taken so seriously. 'I'm numb, still devastated, it's hard to forgive, hard to believe there was a lack of understanding especially when the child was warned not to do it. My son wasn't safe guarded. 'I've always taught my child first. 'Schools need to make children aware, there is no harm in educating them, even showing videos of what could possibly go wrong, they need to start looking for signs for children who are allergic to food to take it seriously'. Holly asked Ms Cheema how he family would ever be able to move on from the loss of Karan. She said that it's all about taking it one day and one moment at a time. 'I hope I can help people to understand, because my son, a very selfless boy would not want anyone to go through what he went through.' When asked on her opinion of the boy who flicked the cheese at her son, Ms Cheema said it's 'hard to forgive'. William Perkin Church of England High School in Greenford, West London, did not properly educate pupils about the 'grave consequences' of his allergies, according to a senior coroner Karan had attended William Perkin Church of England High School in Greenford west London. The academies trust which the schools sits under said it know holds two spare EpiPens in each of its schools and that the school had not been provided with an allergy action plan. 'We fully believe that this would have strengthened the school's healthcare provision, the system we had in place for checking medication provided to the school did not operate as it should have.' Despite the trust having change its policy, Ms Cheema has also called for both the school and the child to be held to account for the death of her son. Karan (pictured in a family photo) was also severely allergic to wheat, gluten, eggs and nuts and suffered from asthma and atopic eczema Grieving Rina claims the schoolboy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has a history of bad behaviour, including throwing food, and was arrested for manslaughter but released without charge. 'The school knew he had severe allergies and a catalogue of errors was made leading up to his death. 'But I'm not out for revenge- I want to make a change for the better. I'm desperate to change the system so that no other parent has to face what I'm now facing. 'My son should not have died that day. He was my only child, my world, I have been left with nothing. 'I was in a rush the morning that he died, I waved him off to school, I wish I'd stopped and taken the time to hug him properly and tell him that I love him. 'I never saw him conscious again.' Karan was severely allergic to wheat, gluten, all dairy products, eggs and nuts, was asthmatic and suffered from atopic eczema. Rina said: 'There is nowhere near enough being done to combat the dangers of ill-equipped schools and ill-prepared teachers as far as allergies are concerned. 'These institutions have a duty of care to the children they are educating and that is just not being fully addressed. Rina said: 'I've been left with nothing because of this boy's sheer stupidity. He should have been charged with manslaughter and punished' 'I believe there was a catalogue of errors in relation to my son's care in the minutes after he came in contact with the cheese. 'He went straight to alert a teacher who unfortunately didn't react in time.. When the situation was finally being taken seriously, the epi-pen that they had was out of date and so may not have been effective. 'I was later informed that Karan was tearing his own clothes off in a desperate bid to cool down as the anaphylaxis set in as he felt like his skin was burning and he was on fire. 'The thought of him being so distressed in his final moments makes me feel sick. 'I wish I could've been there to help and I wish that the people who were present had helped sooner. 'It took them too long to call 999 and then when the first paramedic arrived he had not been informed that it was a case of anaphylaxis and therefore had not brought the right bag of medicines meaning he wasted precious time running back to the car.' Helen Clifford, Rina's solicitor from Lynn Murray & Co., agrees, she said: 'We are concerned about the part the school may have played in Karan's death. 'The school owed him a duty of care. We are considering whether they breached that duty and the implications of this. We question whether they had suitable and sufficient procedures in place to keep Karan, a child they knew had severe allergies, safe. In addition, did they implement the procedures which were in place properly.' The family of unarmed black man Eric Garner cried and walked out of a courtroom Monday as the 'I can't breathe' video of his 2014 arrest was played on the opening day of the long-delayed disciplinary trial of white cop Daniel Pantaleo. Garner's mother and sister left the hearing room in tears as the man who took it, Ramsey Orta, testified from prison, where he is serving time for drug and weapon charges. During cross-examination, Orta said Pantaleo's arm wasn't around Garner's neck when he uttered, 'I can't breathe.' The video sparked a national outcry about policing tactics and Pantaleo, 33, could be fired after the conclusion of what is expected to be a 10-day trial at the New York Police Department's headquarters in Manhattan. The ultimate decision will rest with New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill. Pantaleo denies wrongdoing and does not actually face criminal charges. Pantaleo, pictured outside his Long Island home ahead of his long-delayed disciplinary trial, is being made a scapegoat in a politically charged atmosphere, his defense lawyer said Monday. Attorney Stuart London says it's a misconception that the phrase was uttered when the officer's hands were around Garner's neck. He says it happened when officers were trying to handcuff Garner. New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo leaves his Long Island home on Monday ahead of his long-delayed disciplinary trial over the death of Eric Garner Officer Daniel Pantaleo's trial is scheduled to start Monday at police headquarters. Pantaleo, who denies wrongdoing, could face penalties ranging from the loss of vacation days to firing if he's found to have violated department rules Pantaleo, 33, has been assigned to a desk job since the deadly encounter on a sidewalk in the borough of Staten Island in 2014, when he and other officers tried to arrest Garner on suspicion of selling loose cigarettes The watchdog agency acting as the prosecutor ended the day Monday by calling two police officials to the witness stand who were involved in an internal affairs investigation of the matter. The men say their investigation found Officer Daniel Pantaleo likely violated department rules regarding a chokehold and that a request was made in January 2015 for internal disciplinary charges against him. The case will be closely watched by civil rights activists who say too few police officers face consequences for using deadly force and those, including New York City's powerful police officers' union, who defend officers for doing a dangerous job. Pantaleo has been assigned to a desk job since the deadly encounter on a sidewalk in the borough of Staten Island in 2014, when he and other officers tried to arrest father-of-six Garner on suspicion of selling loose cigarettes. But he has remained on the city payroll despite being stripped of his gun and badge with a salary peaking at more than $120,000 in 2017, according to city payroll records. In videos recorded on bystanders' cellphones, Garner, who had asthma, can be seen arguing with the officers before Pantaleo puts his arm around Garner's neck and brings him down to the sidewalk as other officers move in to restrain Garner. Garner, who was 43, can be heard saying 'I can't breathe' 11 times before suffered a heart attack in an ambulance and was pronounced dead at a hospital. The phrase became a rallying cry in the early days of the Black Lives Matter movement, which seeks to end the disproportionate use of deadly force against nonwhite people by U.S. police departments. A Staten Island grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against Pantaleo later in 2014, prompting the U.S. Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation into the death. Garner's family has criticized that investigation as it has stretched into its fourth year without resolution. Gwen Carr, center, pictured at the disciplinary trial of officer Daniel Pantaleo on Monday Garner was the unarmed black man whose pleas of 'I can't breathe' became a rallying cry against police brutality Gwen Carr, pictured at the disciplinary trial, accused of officers of murdering her son, right. The city's Civilian Complaints Review Board (CCRB), which prosecutes certain violations of police rules, determined in 2017 that Pantaleo used excessive force Gwen Carr said: 'It has been five long years. Pantaleo and all those other officers who actually murdered my son that day, they are still collecting their salaries. 'They still go home every day and it's business as usual with them. But with me, we relive this every day.' The city's Civilian Complaints Review Board (CCRB), which prosecutes certain violations of police rules, determined in 2017 that Pantaleo used excessive force. Last July, the city said it would no longer wait for the Justice Department investigation to conclude before beginning the disciplinary trial. CCRB prosecutors will argue the case before a judge from the office of the police department's deputy commissioner of trials. 'We are confident that, once all the evidence has been presented, the Police Commissioner will find Officer Pantaleo guilty of misconduct and ultimately terminate him from the Department,' CCRB Chairman Fred Davie said in a statement last week. Pantaleo has remained on the city payroll, stripped of his gun and badge but pulling in a hefty salary - peaking at more than $120,000 in 2017, according to city payroll records Although New York City's chief medical examiner ruled that Garner was killed in part by a chokehold compressing his neck, Pantaleo's lawyer and his union have said it was not a chokehold as defined by the police department, which has long banned the maneuver. The city paid Garner's family $5.9 million in 2015 to settle a wrongful death claim. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has celebrated his 51st birthday with Julie Bishop and a beer at a Liberal Party rally ahead of the Federal Election. Mr Morrison, who has taken his campaign to the west coast, proved the election trail doesn't stop for birthdays as he joined a rally for the seat of Swan in Perth on Monday. The fresh-faced 51-year-old was given a beer to mark the occasion and was snapped enjoying the frothy beverage. Prime Minister Scott Morrison celebrates his 51st birthday with a beer on Monday Former Foreign Minister Ms Bishop joined Mr Morrison at an election rally for the seat of Swan in Perth Mr Morrison (pictured with Ms Bishop) took his Federal Election campaign to WA on Monday Former Foreign Minister Ms Bishop joined the Liberal Party leader for the rally and waved to voters in a joyful picture from the event. Senator Michaelia Cash, who was also in attendance, spoke to the crowd of Liberal Party campaigners and gave Mr Morrison a birthday hug. Mr Morrison thanked Ms Bishop and Ms Cash for joining him at the rally. 'It's tremendous to be back in Western Australia, Julie it's great to be here with you,' he said. The Prime Minister went on to speak about the state, before urging the crowd to vote Liberal. 'The reason I love coming to Western Australia and always have for decades, is there's just something about Western Australia,' he said. 'Thanks for the cake and all the birthday wishes today,' Mr Morrison wrote on Facebook Mr Morrison proved the election trail doesn't stop for birthdays as he joined the rally Senator Michaelia Cash, who was also in attendance, spoke to the crowd of Liberal Party campaigners 'And what it is, I believe, is this is the true heart of aspiration in the country.' Mr Morrison also shared a picture on social media of him enjoying a birthday cake with his NRL team, the Cronulla Sharks, decorated on the top. 'Thanks for the cake and all the birthday wishes today,' he wrote on Facebook. His birthday was spent crisscrossing the country to target seats the Coalition needs to win - in a last ditch bid to out-run bad polls. The latest Newspoll has Labor ahead 51 per cent to 49 on the two-party preferred vote, and the margin has barely budged just days out from the election. Mr Morrison greets Ms Bishop, who is not contesting at the election 'It's tremendous to be back in Western Australia,' Mr Morrison told the crowd The Prime Minister was in the Labor-held seat of Lindsay on Monday morning, before flying across the country to Perth, where he campaigned in the Labor seat of Cowan. Ms Bishop, who is not contesting the election, refused to tell reporters in Perth whether the Liberal Party would be in better shape if she and Malcolm Turnbull were still in charge. 'That's a hypothetical - there's no point in looking back - we just look forward,' she said. 'I think Scott Morrison will continue to be a very fine Prime Minister.' Ms Bishop has previously ruled out accepting a foreign posting when she walks away from politics. The Federal Election will be held on May 18. Mr Morrison (right) thanked Ms Bishop and Ms Cash (left) for joining him at the rally Iran has aimed fire at the deployment of US military forces in the Persian Gulf and threatened an attack on Israel if the aircraft carrier was ever used against them. Speaking to reporters on Sunday the Iranian Parliament's vice-speaker Ali Motahhari said the military forces based in the region had started a 'psychological' war in the region and warned the US against an attack on the Middle Eastern nation. The comments come after the Pentagon deployed the USS Lincoln, the fifth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the United States Navy, to the Middle East in a move that officials said was to counter 'clear indications' of threats from Iran. Iranian has aimed fire at the deployment of the USS Lincoln, the fifth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the United States Navy, to the Middle East and threatened to retaliate if an attack was ever launched In addition to the deployment of the aircraft carrier, the country has also sent over B-52 bombers to the area. The aircraft, which has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and was commissioned in 1989, will be replacing another carrier that was removed from the region in April. Mr Motahhari told FARS news agency: 'The US military forces' deployment in the Persian Gulf is more of the nature of psychological warfare. They are not ready for a war, specially when Israel is within our range.' His comments resonate with those of the head of the Revolutionary Guard's air force Amir Ali Hajizadeh who called the move a 'serious threat' and said that if the US decided to make a move, Iran would be forced to retaliate. Speaking to the Iranian Students' News Agency he said: 'An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past. 'But now it is a target and the threats have switched to opportunities. 'If [the Americans] make a move, we will hit them in the head.' In addition to having allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, Iran also has a number of explosive missiles aimed at Israel making the country a dangerous threat. The U.S. military has sent forces to the Middle East to counter 'clear indications' of threats from Iran to American forces in the region Fearing that 'anything could happen' former finance Minister of Israel Yuval Steinitz told Ynet news: 'Things are heating up. I wouldn't rule anything out. Iran may fire rockets at Israel.' He added: 'The American sanctions are breaking the neck of the Iranian economy, and a new and stronger wave [of sanctions] is still to come.' On Sunday it was revealed that President Trump had increased economic pressure on Iran and was looking to cut off all its oil exports in a bid to get Tehran to curb its nuclear and missile programs. Iran threatens to 'target' an American aircraft carrier after the USS Abraham Lincoln is deployed to the Persian Gulf By Reuters and Chauncey Alcorn for the DailyMail.com A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander warned on Sunday that the presence of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf used to be a serious threat, but now represents a target, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency. Amirali Hajizadeh, Iran's head of the Guards' aerospace division, said carriers like the Lincoln were 'a serious threat for us in the past, but now it is a target' The U.S. has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East in a move that officials said was to counter 'clear indications' of threats from Iran to American forces in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month. President Donald Trump has increased economic pressure on Iran, moving to cut off all its oil exports in a bid to get Tehran to curb its nuclear and missile programs as well as end support for proxies in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. Speaking to CNBC in an interview to be broadcast on Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. deployments came in response to intelligence about potential Iranian attacks and aimed both to deter them and to be able to respond if necessary. 'We've seen this reporting,' Pompeo said. 'It's real. It appears to be something that is current, that is things we're worried about today.' The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier (pictured) is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month 'In the event that Iran decided to come after an American interest - whether that be in Iraq or Afghanistan or Yemen or any place in the Middle East - we are prepared to respond in an appropriate way,' he said, adding that 'our aim is not war.' Iranian navy commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said on Sunday that American forces must exit the Gulf, according to ISNA. 'The presence of the Americans in the Persian Gulf region has reached its end and they must leave the region,' Khanzadi said. Major General Hossein Salami, appointed head of the Guards last month, told parliament on Sunday the United States had started a psychological war in the region, the parliamentary spokesman said. 'Commander Salami, with attention to the situation in the region, presented an analysis that the Americans have started a psychological war because the comings and goings of their military is a normal matter,' spokesman Behrouz Nemati said, according to parliament's ICANA news site. Advertisement Distressing images show the squalid conditions that children as young as four had to work in order to earn less than half a dollar a day. Grueling hours, backbreaking work, and no playtime was the painfully grim life many United States' youngsters suffered in the early 20th century. Heart-breaking photos show pre-teens smoking whilst rolling cigars in a factory, black-faced children working in dark and dangerous coal mines as 'breakers', and four-year-old Mary shucking oysters alongside her mother who is struggling to juggle her work and her new-born child. This was the reality for many children growing up in the States at the start of the 1900s. They were forced to work in factories, on farms, or mills which left little or no time for school or recreational activities. Children, often as young as four and five, could spend hours in the gloomy, dust-filled darkness patiently waiting to open trapdoors for mining carts to pass through whilst teachers would teach their lessons to empty desks as absent students toiled away to pick that season's beet. The images have been released by the Library of Congress in Washington DC. Soot-faced children working in a Pennsylvania coal mine. Many children worked in dark and dangerous coal mines as 'breakers' in the United States, as recently as the turn of the 20th century Children at work in a Florida warehouse while smoking cigars. Many children smoked as they rolled cigars in factories across America. In 1910 children under the age of 15 made up 18.4 per cent of the nation's workforce Vance, who is 15 years old, was forced to sit in the darkness for ten hours a day for just 75 cents in a West Virginia coal mine. Many children were forced to work in these squalid conditions and it was not until 1938 that laws against child labor were passed by Congress Two youngsters burning the midnight oil at a glassworks in Indiana. Their clothes are torn and their faces dirty from the conditions they have been working in. Child laborers often worked to help support their families, but were forced to forgo an education Five-year-old shrimp picker Manuel in Mississippi. This was the reality for many children growing up in the States at the start of the 1900s. As industry grew in the period following the Civil War, children often as young as 10 years old and sometimes much younger were forced to labor Crocheters working making items of clothing in Massachusetts. A nine-year-old boy joins in and helps the young women - a rare spectacle in that vocation at the time Girls as young as eight working in a Connecticut tobacco shed. These remarkable photos were captured by photographer Lewis Hine between 1908 and 1924 as he traveled across the United States documenting the exploitation of children These children were collecting beets for their father. 'We have to get done', the father told the photographer, Lewis Hine, as he captured this image of the six youngsters Four-year-old Mary works alongside her mother shucking oysters in Louisiana. Her mother shucks with one hand and nurses her baby with the other Two youths pick over a dump in Boston, looking for anything to sell. At the time of taking the images, Lewis Hine was working as an investigative reporter for the United States' National Child Labor Committee - an organisation designed to promote the rights, awareness, dignity, well-being and education of children and youth as they relate to work and working A Tennessee girl standing on a box to reach her work station in a hosiery mill. Lewis Hine's photographs and journalism helped raise awareness of the plight many children of the age faced A 10-year-old picks cranberries in New Jersey. She started working when she was six. Although child labor in the UK and in other parts of Europe, by the turn of the 20th century child welfare laws had been introduced that prevented young children working in mines and factories Picking cotton in Oklahoma. Jewel, 6, and Harold, 5, pick 25lbs of cotton a day. In Britain the Factory Act was passed in 1833 and the Mines Act 1842 banned child workers under nine years of age and meant children of nine to 13 years could work no more than nine hours a day Seven-year-old Fannie helps her sister out at the mill. After many repeated and failed attempts to pass a Fair Labor Standards Act, it wasn't until 1938 - the same year that the tape recorder was invented and one year before WWII broke out - that the legislation was passed by Congress Absent pupils at a segregated school in Kentucky. The tobacco farms are calling and most of the children are not at school as they are helping pick tobacco Shuckers in Carolina. These girls are aged between six and ten. The Fair Labor Standards Act fixed minimum ages of 16 for work during school hours, 14 for certain jobs after school, and 18 for dangerous work A Colorado school boasts only five pupils when there should be 40, but all the other children are picking beets. Many families in rural areas had to use their children to help pick the crops so during harvest time many did not attend school Young fruit vendors pictured at a market. Today, unlike in the early 1900s, all the states and the US government have laws regulating child labor History of U.S. child labor laws Britain was the first county to pass laws regulating child labor from 1802. Other European countries then passed similar laws. By 1899, 28 U.S. states had passed laws regulating child labor. The U.S. Congress passed two national child laws, in 1918 and 1922, but the Supreme Court declared both unconstitutional. In 1924, Congress proposed a constitutional amendment prohibiting child labor, but the states did not ratify. In 1938, Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act. The act fixed minimum ages of 16 for work during school hours, 14 for certain jobs after school rising to 18 for dangerous work. Source: 'Child Labor.' Reviewed by Milton Fried. Grolier Online, 2014. Web. May 13, 2019. Advertisement A Portuguese judo fighter was disqualified after the mobile phone he accidentally left in his pocket fell to the floor as he grappled with an opponent. Anri Egutidze was filmed fighting Swedish rival Robin Packs - who appeared to do a double take before picking up the smartphone and turning towards the referee with the device in his hand. Egutidze put his hand on his heart by way of apology before walking to the sidelines following his self-inflicted red card. Anri Egutidze (right) was fighting Swedish rival Robin Packs at the Baku Grand Slam - a three-day competition involving 467 judoka (judo experts) from 52 countries in Azerbaijan's capital Just 13 seconds into their match, Egutidze's mobile fell from his pocket. He had been listening to music in the changing rooms and had forgotten to remove it Egutidze is of Georgian origin but competes for Portugal. Local reports said he had even offered to repay his federation for his travel costs to Azerbaijan, but the offer had been turned down The bizarre incident happened just 13 seconds into the fight in the Baku Grand Slam, a three-day competition involving 467 judoka (judo experts) from 52 countries in Azerbaijan's capital. Egutidze, who is of Georgian origin but competes for Portugal, admitted afterwards: 'I was listening to music in the changing rooms and took my watch off but forgot to remove my mobile.' Local reports said he had even offered to repay his federation for his travel costs to Azerbaijan, but the offer had been turned down - and that he had returned the favour by promising to win a medal at the European Games in Minsk next month to make up for his mistake. Egutidze put his hand on his heart by way of apology before walking to the sidelines following his self-inflicted red card Three months ago, Chinese snowboarder Cai Xuetong discovered she had left her mobile phone in her pocket when the screen broke following a fall at a top competition. Egutidze's gaffe led some fans to joke he deserved the 'Orange belt.' The International Judo Federation was among those who posted footage online of the moment his mobile fell on the floor. One social media commenter, responding to a question from another about why he had been carrying a smartphone, said: 'Maybe he wanted to share his heart rate and calorie consumption through Google Health or Strava.' Aquiles Pinto replied: 'The phone was brand new, give the guy a break.' Advertisement The largest semi-submersible vessel ever built has been seen off the British coast. Adrian Thomas, from Mermaid Pleasure Trips, saw the 91,000 ton BOKA Vanguard near Mount's Bay, off the coast of Marazion, Cornwall, this weekend. The 'jaw-dropping' heavy-lift ship can carry cargoes of up to 110,000 tons - 19,000 tons heavier than itself - including other ships, oil rigs and a variety of offshore installations. And its flat deck allows ships longer than it is to overhang the bow. The Vanguard is valued at $240million (184.5million), and was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2011 before being christened in November 2012 The watertight deck allows water to flow over the deck safely, and when submersed, the deck lies up to 52 ft (16 metres) below the surface Adrian Thomas, from Mermaid Pleasure Trips, saw the 91,000 ton BOKA Vanguard near Mount's Bay, off the coast of Marazion, Cornwall, this weekend Mr Thomas said: 'I was astonished by the ship while I navigated around it. 'It was a great sight for me and my guests. You could see it from the land for ages. It looked like a giant oil rig from the land.' The ship was expected to arrive at Falmouth on May 7 having previously been at Rotterdam on March 24, according to Vessel Finder. When it reaches its cargo, the Vanguard sinks below the sea thanks to huge tanks that slowly fill with water, increasing the weight of the ship. It then slides underneath huge structures and lifts them clear of the water. The ship transported the 90,000 ton FPSO P-67 in 2018 from the COOEC Qingdao yard in China to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil The FPSO has the capacity to process up to 150,000 barrels of oil daily and compress up to six million cubic meters a day of natural gas. It was the heaviest cargo ever to be transported in this way In February 2019 oil started flowing into the P-67 FPSO, which is the ninth production unit to be installed in the BM-S-11 block With speeds of up to 14 knots (16 mph) while unloaded the ship can still reach up to 13 knots (15 mph) when carrying an oil rig or similar cargo. When it reaches its destination, the Vanguard then submerges again before pulling away. The vessel can also act as a floating dry dock which allows other ships and floating oil rigs to be raised from the water for maintenance or inspection without being towed and taken out of service for months. In the summer of 2013 it was used as a dry dock for the Semi-submersible drilling platform Noble Paul Romano when there were no dry docks big enough for the rig in the Grand Harbour of Valletta off the coast of Malta. The watertight deck allows water to flow over the deck safely and, when submerged, the deck lies up to 52 ft (16 metres) below the surface. The Vanguard is valued at $240million (184.5million), and was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2011 before being christened in November 2012. Large steel sheets were made in a factory before being transported to different construction yards to be prepared for the ship When it reaches its cargo, the Vanguard sinks below the sea thanks to huge tanks that slowly fill with water, increasing the weight of the ship Large steel sheets were made in a factory before being transported to different construction yards to be prepared for the ship. They were then shipped to a building dock, where the Vanguard started to take form. The ship is powered by four main engines driving two controllable pitch propellers (CPP) and, situated to the side of the deck, The Vanguard has a bridge, lifeboat area and living quarters capable of housing a crew of 40. The vessel was designed by Dutch holding company Dockwise who were previously famed for being the brains behind the Blue Marlin, another semi-submersible heavy lift ship, which is now the third largest of its kind. And it was almost used to bring the Costa Concordia to an Italian salvage yard in October 2013. The cruise ship ran aground and overturned off Isola del Giglio, Tuscany, in January 2012, killing 32 people. But, even though a 23million ($30million) deal with Royal Boskalis Westminster was announced, the ship was refloated and towed to be scrapped in Genoa in July 2014 instead. The ship is powered by four main engines driving two controllable pitch propellers (CPP) and, situated to the side of the deck, The Vanguard has a bridge, lifeboat area and living quarters capable of housing a crew of 40 Advertisement The fire that tore through Notre Dame one month ago and nearly took down the famed cathedral in the heart of Paris is still under investigation, but recovery efforts are well underway. Those efforts will be on display Monday night when World News Tonight goes inside the church, where David Muir was able to gain access as the first American anchor to report from the site of the blaze. Images of the devastation obtained by DailyMail.com show Muir and the man hired to oversee the resurrection of the church, General Jean-Louis Georgelin, making their way through the charred remains. The men survey the sea of destroyed pews, the collapsed altar and feel rain pour in from what would have been the ceiling, but there are also some incredible stories of survival. These include the golden cross, a statue of the Virgin Mother and the church's organ, which were all spared by the fire See more on Monday when Muir's report airs on Good Morning America and World News Tonight. This is the toppled spire inside the Notre Dame, seen for the first time since it fell in a fire last month, in a first-look inside the cathedral ABC'S David Muir is pictured interviewing General Jean-Louis Georgelin inside the charred Notre Dame. He is the first American anchor to have gained access to the cathedral since a fire tore through it last month. Georgelin has been tasked with overseeing restoration efforts General Georgelin walks Muir through the destroyed site. Muir's report will be shown on Good Morning America and World News Tonight on Monday The two men were joined by others working to restore the site and clear out the damage. The are shown surveying the damage to the roof of the cathedral The organ survived but each of its thousands of pipes is being tested for lead. There were fears the instrument did not make it through the blaze in tact Rain seeps through a hole in the roof of the cathedral. The roof was the worst damaged part of the structure The cathedral's famed stained class windows survived and is shown, from the inside, this week The men also take a closer look at some of the relics that somehow managed to survive the blaze that sent the church's 19th century spire crashing into the nave. It pierced through the structure, but and caused damages that are still unknown, but failed to take down Notre Dame's famed golden cross. The cross still sits in its place behind the altar and choir at the church, which were both destroyed when a fire ripped through the building sometime during mass on April 15, which is part of Holy Week in the Catholic faith. 'The entire world saw the cross of god shining despite the the fire,' Georgelin told Muir. The French general also gave Muir an up close look at the statue of the Virgin Mary who survived intact and untouched despite the flames roaring around her and her young son. It was brought down from its perch however to take a closer look, meaning that for the first time the statue can bee viewed at eye level by a select few. 'It's a privilege,' said Georgelin of getting to be so near the historic artwork. And of course there is the organ. Mercifully, some of the cathedral's most famous relics, including its golden cross, remain in tact. The cause of the fire is still under investigation Many of the pews remain in tact but there is a large collection of debris near the altar and water logs the aisle towards it It was not damaged by fire, but the water and lead have not helped the instruments whose music has been a daily constant prior to last month's blaze. 'The organ hasn't been touched by the flames but there is water, there is lead,' said Georgelin. 'We probably will have to remove it to repair it Sometime we will hear it again, the organ of Notre Dame de Paris.' The cathedral's famous rose widows also managed to avoid damage from the fire, which left the 42-feet panes of stained glass unscathed last month 'It was a race against time because during the night at some time we were considering that the entire building could collapse, especially when the fire in the [hit] north tower,' said Georgelin of the day of the blaze. So much iron was destroyed in fact, that the workers on the scene must have their blood tested while working on the restoration. Georgelin is certain however that there will be happy ending. ''Nothing is impossible to a French general,' said Georgelin, who predicts Notre Dame will reopen in five years. 'When there's a will, there's a way. This classic statue of the Virgin Mary with her young son, which is now on eye level for workers to see, also survived the blaze. It is the first time it has been brought down to ground level for hundreds of years The survival of some of the artifacts inside the church is miraculous given the speed at which it spread as the world watched in horror last month Muir and Georgelin's walk-through the cathedral is the first that has been filmed for American television since the fire on April 15. Georgelin promised that the cathedral would reopen in five years. 'Nothing is impossible to a French general,' he said The fire swept across the top of the cathedral while it was under renovations, collapsing its spire and threatening one of the world's greatest architectural treasures. The 12th-century church is home to relics, stained glass and other incalculable works of art and is one of the world's leading tourist attractions. Although it is still be ing investigated, the fire in being treated as an accident, with prosecutors ruling out arson and possible terror-related motives soon after the catastrophe. . The dramatic images of the flaming cathedral were broadcast around the world while tourists stood at scene aghast. Miraculously, no one was killed. There was one firefighter who suffered an injury during the hours he and 400 others battled the flames. The blaze started at 6:50 p.m. after the cathedral had closed to the public, and spread to one of its landmark rectangular towers. Nearby buildings were evacuated as fears mounted that the structure could collapse. An aide to Pope Francis who climbed down a manhole to restore electricity to hundreds of 'desperate' homeless people has been told to pay 260,000. Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who is head of the Vatican's alms office, broke a police seal to flick a switch in the Rome building on Saturday night. As many as 450 homeless people - including 100 children - had been living there for a week without light or hot water. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who is head of the Vatican's alms office, flicked a switch to turn on the electricity in building in Rome. As many as 450 people had been living there, but had been without light or hot water for a week The aide to Pope Francis (pictured yesterday in the Vatican) said his intervention was a 'desperate gesture' and reportedly added 'I didn't do it because I was drunk' The unpaid electricity bills reportedly amount to 260,000, which had stacked up since the building on Via di Santa Croce was taken over on October 12, 2013. 'I intervened personally to turn the metre back on. It was a gesture of desperation. There were over 400 people without electricity, families and children,' the cardinal told ANSA news agency. He reportedly added: 'I didn't do it because I was drunk.' But Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said the cardinal should pay the bill. Italian Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini (pictured) has said he expects the cardinal to pay the 260,000 bill for the building 'I expect that the Pope's almsgiver, who intervened to turn the power back on in a busy building in Rome, will also pay 300,000 euros in back bills,' he said. 'I think you all pay the bills by making sacrifices. If someone is able to pay the bills of the Italians in difficulty, we are happy.' A source close to the alms office said the cardinal 'was fully aware of the possible legal consequences and acted in the conviction that it was necessary to do it for the good of those families', AdnKronos news agency reported. Sister Adriana Domenici, who works with the homeless, told Italian broadcaster RaiNews24 that after the building's electricity was cut off May 6, she called Krajewski for help. She said that when utility workers returned to disconnect power again, they found a note from Cardinal Krajewski and left the electricity running. Pope Francis has transformed the centuries-old job of Vatican Almoner into a door-to-door charitable mission. Cardinal Krajewski's actions come after a visit to Lesbos last week (pictured), where he went to a refugee camp to show Pope Francis's solidarity with refugees Cardinal Krajewski had just returned from the Greek island of Lesbos, where he travelled to deliver financial donations to projects helping refugees. He also assured those living in tent camps as well as local residents that the pope had not forgotten about them. Cardinal Krajewski hit headlines in February when he advised the Pope to open a barber shop for homeless people in St Peters Square. A brawl between two stepbrothers, that ended in one allegedly shooting the other before turning the gun on himself, was sparked by a row over a Mother's Day gift. Chris Rundle, 35, criticised his stepbrother Billy Smith, 28, after Mr Smith failed to wish his stepmother a happy Mother's Day or get her a gift. Mr Rundle, whose biological mother lives with Mr Smith and other family members on a farm in Bingleburra, NSW, took objection to his stepbrother's bad manners, the Daily Telegraph reported. A fight broke out shortly after Mr Rundle arrived at the property on Sunday at around midday. Police believe Mr Smith grabbed a .22 calibre rifle and allegedly shot Mr Rundle in the chest before fleeing the property. The 28-year-old man allegedly shot the 35-year-old man at a rural property 200km north of Sydney on Sunday around midday Both men were taken to John Hunter Hospital. The 35-year-old is in a serious but stable condition and the 28-year-old is believed to be fighting for his life Mr Smith fled to a wooden area, where he attempted to take his own life but survived, the Daily Telegraph reported. Mr Smith was in a critical condition on Sunday night, while Mr Rundle was serious but stable. The horrific altercation is understood to have taken place in front of family, including the older man's mother. According to neighbours, Mr Rundle had travelled 90km from his home on Tanilba Bay, in Port Stephens, to be with his mother on Mother's Day. Investigations are ongoing. On Sunday a police spokesperson said: 'An investigation is underway following a domestic-related shooting in the state's Hunter region today. 'About midday (Sunday 12 May 2019), emergency services were called to Bingleburra Road, Bingleburra, following reports two men had been shot. Police have said detectives have established a crime scene and investigations are ongoing 'Police have been told two men aged 35 and 28 were involved in an altercation, where the older man sustained a gunshot wound to the chest. 'The younger man fled the property and was located nearby, suffering a gunshot wound to the head, which is believed to be self-inflicted. 'Both men were treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics, before they were airlifted to John Hunter Hospital, with the younger man reported to be in a critical condition and the older man in a serious but stable condition. 'Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District attended the property and established a crime scene, which will be examined by specialist forensic officers. 'Inquiries into circumstance surrounding the incident continue.' A Spanish matador wiped away blood from a bull's face before he killed the badly injured animal in a gesture described as 'malicious and perverse' by an animal rights group - while others have called it 'respectful'. Morante de la Puebla was taking part in a bullfighting festival at the Real Maestranza bullring in the city of Seville in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia when the incident took place. The 39-year-old is seen pulling out a handkerchief with his blood-soaked hand to clean the dying bull. Matador Morante de la Puebla wipes away the blood from a badly wounded bull's face before killing it. The incident occurred at a bullfighting festival at the Real Maestranza bullring in Seville The Spaniard's gesture has been described as 'malicious and perverse' by an animal rights group - while bullfighting fans say that it shows his respect for the animal Bullfighting: Integral part of Spain's culture or animal cruelty? On the one hand, traditionalists say bullfighting is an integral part of the Spanish culture and heritage - while the opposite view is that it is cruel, degrading to the animals and should be banned. It is part of the bullfighting procedure that the matador first taunts the beast with his cape and then with sharp swords, which are stuck into the animal to anger it. Finally, the matador kills the animal with a thrust into its neck to honour its bravery. Some parts of Spain have banned this final act but not Seville. Social network followers said they felt 'sick' at watching the Morante de la Puebla incident while others were reduced to tears. Advertisement The animal is seen with four spiked 'banderillas' sticking out of its back before the final death act takes place. Footage of the moment has been shared on Twitter and viewed 2.3million times. Bullfighting fans considered the gesture as a sign of respect for the animal - but commenters on social media and animal rights groups have slammed the incident. Silvia Barquero Nogales, leader of Spain's Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (Pacma) political party, said: 'Only a malicious and perverse mind could torture an animal until the blood pours down its legs and then wipe its face with a tissue. 'The matador is just disguising for his lack of empathy. Abolish bullfighting now!' Meanwhile, others commented online calling the matador 'sadistic', 'psychopathic' and 'hypocritical' as he went on to kill the bull moments later. However, bullfighting fans said that de la Puebla was showing respect to the animal as other famous matadors have done in the past, such as Jose Gomez Ortega. Land-based animals have the ability to produce tears to lubricate their eyes, although it is widely believed that only humans produce emotional tears. The stricken beast has four spiked 'banderillas' sticking out of its back before the final death act takes place Morante de la Puebla is pictured above in April. Silvia Barquero Nogales, leader of Spain's Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (Pacma) political party, said: 'Only a malicious and perverse mind could torture an animal until the blood pours down its legs and then wipe its face' Donald Trump warned Xi Jinping on Monday that if he doesn't make a trade deal, companies will flee China to avoid increasing their prices in the U.S. as a result of the president's punishing new tariffs. Trump levied new tariffs Friday on practically everything China exports to the United States in the hope of forcing Beijing to come back to the negotiating table for talks about a long list of what the White House sees as trade abuses. 'I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you dont make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries. Too expensive to buy in China. You had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out!' Trump wrote on Twitter. Donald Trump warned Xi Jinping on Monday that if he doesn't make a trade deal, companies will flee China to avoid increasing their prices in the U.S. as a result of new tariffs Xi is resisting giving in on a list of trade compromises, even in the face of tariffs that threaten to add 25 per cent to the cost of goods shipped from China to the U.S. The president seemed to taunt his Chinese counterpart on Monday morning, saying he had 'a great deal'but 'backed out' Monday's claim, made in a series of tweets, is also a threat to American companies like John Deere and Caterpillar, which produce components or finished products in China. When Chinese companies pay tariffs to export products to the U.S., their American customers typically absorb the expense in the form of higher prices. The president said Monday that that's not inevitable. 'Their [sic] is no reason for the U.S. Consumer to pay the Tariffs, which take effect on China today,' he wrote. 'This has been proven recently when only 4 points were paid by the U.S., 21 points by China because China subsidizes product to such a large degree.' The 'points' are a reference to the percentage increase in tariffs on Chinese goods, from 4 per cent to 25 per cent, compared to a more modest tariff hike the Chinese have recently enforced in the other direction. 'Also, the Tariffs can be completely avoided if you by [sic] from a non-Tariffed Country, or you buy the product inside the USA (the best idea),' Trump added. 'Thats Zero Tariffs.' Larry Kudlow, the chairman of Trump's National Economic Council, conceded Sunday that tariff costs are generally passed through in the form of higher prices for customers John Deere and many other big U.S. companies make components like engines and computers in China to lower their costs, and thenship them to the U.S. where their products are asembled 'Many Tariffed companies will be leaving China for Vietnam and other such countries in Asia. Thats why China wants to make a deal so badly! There will be nobody left in China to do business with.' Trump has railed against the Chinese since the middle of his 2016 presidential campaign, complaining about unfair trade practices that put Beijing at an advantage. They include 'forced technology transfer,' a phenomenon in which China's government requires foreign companies to share control of their operations with Chinese companies often giving their competition direct access to their trade secrets. The White House is also determined to impose a cost on Beijing for not clamping down on its own companies selling counterfeit products that knock off American brands. And the president has publicly complained about government subsidies that lower Chinese companies' operating costs, along with a sustained effort to devalue the Yuan, tactics that make Chinese products progressively cheaper to buy. Larry Kudlow, the chairman of the president's National Economic Council, conceded Sunday in a TV interview that tariff costs are generally passed through in the form of higher prices for customers. 'It's U.S. businesses and U.S. consumers who pay, correct?' asked 'Fox News Sunday' host Chris Wallace. 'Yes, I don't disagree with that,' said Kudlow, while insisting that 'both sides will pay' and Beijing more than Washington as Trump's prediction comes true and companies relocate from China to other nations with free or freer U.S. trade arrangements. Ford Motor Company announced last August, in the face of a Trump-ordered tariff escalation on cars entering the U.S. from China that it would abandon a plan to sell a Chinese-made car in America. A power lifter who transitioned from a male to a female has been stripped of their world titles after the sport's governing body in the US said the competitor was a man. Mary Gregory, from Virginia, set world records in the women's squat, bench press, and deadlift, and had earned a 'Masters total world record' for her powerlifting scores across the board last month. But now, RAW Powerlifting Federation - the same body she thanked after winning - stripped Gregory of her titles, saying that the lifter 'was actually a male' when competing. On Friday Federation president Paul Bossi said in a statement to media: 'It was revealed that this female lifter was actually a male in the process of becoming a Transgender female. Mary Gregory thanked the same federation on Instagram after winning several titles in April 'Our rules, and the basis of separating genders for competition, are based on physiological classification rather than identification.' 'On the basis of all information presented to the Board of Directors for this particular case,' Bossi continued, 'the conclusion made, is that the correct physiological classification is male.' Ex-British Olympic swimmer, Sharron Davies - who has been vocal on the issue - tweeted her satisfaction at the decision. She said: 'This is a trans woman a male body with male physiology setting a world record & winning a woman's event in America in powerlifting. 'A woman with female biology cannot compete.. it's a pointless unfair playing field.' Bossi added that because Gregory could not be officially classified as 'female,' she didn't technically break any world records. Three Virginia driving licenses depicting Gregory's transition from a man (far left) to a woman Mary Gregory set world records in the women's squat, bench press, and deadlift, and had earned a 'Masters total world record' for her powerlifting scores across the board Gregory told Outsports that the federation discovered she was assigned male at birth by insisting that an official sit in while she took a urine test Following her success at the event last month, Gregory took to Instagram to thank the federation for making her feel welcome as a transgender athlete and treating her as 'just another female lifter.' Gregory told Outsports that the federation discovered she was assigned male at birth by insisting that an official sit in while she took a urine test. She said: 'I did my business while somebody watched me sitting on the toilet. And so that's where that statement comes from, because I'm sure she told them, 'Hey! This girl's got a penis!' 'Our rules, and the basis of separating genders for competition, are based on physiological classification rather than identification' the federation said in a statement after the rulimg The decision by the federation comes even as Gregory used hormone blockers to regulate her testosterone levels for 11 months before her world title shot. The International Olympic Committee ruled in 2016 that this created a level playing field but because she isn't biologically the same as the other competitors, RAW ruled that Gregory was not eligible to compete. USA Powerlifting passed a policy banning transitioning athletes from competing against athletes that match their 'gender identity' by a vote of 46-5 last week. The board explained the decision, saying: 'Men naturally have a larger bone structure, higher bone density, stronger connective tissue and higher muscle density than women. 'These traits, even with reduced levels of testosterone do not go away. While MTF (male to female) may be weaker and less muscle than they once were, the biological benefits given them at birth still remain over than of a female.' The Woodland Trust has pleaded for walkers to stick to paths when taking pictures of bluebells as they released images showing the damage done by walkers. The warning came as posting images of the beautiful flowers on social media becomes increasingly popular. The Trust said it was 'tempting to get in among' the delicate flowers to 'get the best photos' but that the 'extremely delicate' flowers could be a 'thing of the past' if warnings are not heeded. The Woodland Trust has pleaded for walkers to stick to paths when taking pictures of bluebells as they released images showing the damage done by walkers. Above: Bluebells in a wooded area in Heartwood Forest, Hertfordshire, before it had been trampled by walkers in 2017 The Trust said it was 'tempting to get in among' the delicate flowers to 'get the best photos' but that the 'extremely delicate' flowers could be a 'thing of the past' if warnings are not heeded. Above: The same area of Heartwood Forest showing an area of earth which bluebells had previously carpeted Estate manager Ian Froggatt said: 'A carpet of native bluebells is one of nature's spectacles, but that could be a thing of the past if not respected. 'We know it's tempting to get in among them in an effort to get the best photos, but they are extremely delicate and don't always bounce back year after year. 'We are already seeing displays being eroded due to people walking further and further off marked paths. 'Our advice is to admire and enjoy but to do so in a way that will preserve the spectacle for years to come,' he added. Bluebells typically flower from mid-April to late May - and Instagram is currently awash with thousands of pictures of people posing among the violet-blue plants. Above: Chef and food writer Melissa Hemsley pictured on Instagram surrounded by bluebells Images released by the trust showed an area of bluebell-covered woodland in Heartwood Forest, in Hertfordshire, before and after it had been disturbed by walkers. In the first photo, the scene is of an uninterrupted carpet of purple and green, but the latter photo taken in the same area shows a swathe of bare ground where the plants have died. And research carried out by Moulton College, in Northamptonshire, shows that, once damaged, bluebells need around five years to recover. They typically flower from mid-April to late May - and Instagram is currently awash with thousands of pictures of people posing amongst the violet-blue plants. The hashtag 'bluebells' brings up 534,512 photographs of the flowers on Instagram, whilst a search of any hotspot spot shows a recent surge in photos featuring the English flower Photos on Instagram show people posing while surrounded by bluebells The hashtag 'bluebells' brings up 534,512 photographs of the flowers on Instagram, whilst a search of any hotspot shows a recent surge in photos featuring the quintessential English flower. Somerset-based wildlife researcher and photographer Victoria Hillman, 38, said the problem of people trampling on bluebells is getting worse, although there is no suggestion that Instagrammers are to blame. The nature expert said she has noticed a huge increase in professional photo shoots featuring pets being pictured amongst the bluebells Nature lovers have taken to Facebook to warn people not to walk on bluebells Another Facebook user warns others to stick to paths, even though it may be 'proving attractive to get a photo' She said: 'In some of the woodlands around here, the paths are getting much wider because the flowers can't recover. 'I've heard various stories from friends across the country that places have even resorted to putting up fences now.' She added: 'I think Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the whole social media thing does play its role. Last year, the Malvern Hills Trust, which manages 3,000 acres of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, asked on Facebook for visitors to not stomp on the flowers whilst looking for 'the perfect shot' 'People want that instant image which can go straight onto social media. 'But it is causing potentially irreversible damage to these incredible spectacles that have taken probably hundreds of years to grow. On Twitter, Alfie Bone added: 'I was so sad to see how many bluebells had been trampled and how many people were walking on them or making their kids lie in them to get photos. 'Just don't. One week of trampling is enough to kill hundreds of years of growth.' Last year, the Malvern Hills Trust, which manages 3,000 acres of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, asked on Facebook for visitors to not stomp on the flowers whilst looking for 'the perfect shot.' In Dockey Wood, Hertfordshire, the National Trust introduced an entry fee to visit its bluebell forest over the May Day bank holiday in 2016. The organisation said it was forced to make the move in order to protect the bluebells from being crushed underfoot. President Donald Trump said Monday the continued attacks on Attorney General Bill Barr and his presidency by the Democratic party is proof he is 'doing a great job.' Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton told Fox Business on Friday that the Democrats are trying to get to the president by using a strategy to harass and subpoena the attorney general. ''It's the attack strategy of harass,'' Trump quoted Fitton on Twitter Monday morning. ''This is not about the Attorney General, who is very sophisticated & knows it isn't about him, it's about trying to destroy President Trump through an assault on his AG for upholding the rule of law.'' ''He released a massive amount of information! As long as President Trump is President, his opposition will use every tool, and misuse every tool available, to make his life miserable.' @TomFitton @JudicialWatch @LouDobbs' Trump continued in quoting the president of Judicial Watch. 'Sadly, this proves I am doing a great job - Also, Best Economy and Employment Numbers EVER!' Trump claimed. President Donald Trump quoted a conservative ally Monday morning who claimed Democrats are harassing Attorney General Bill Barr just to get to the president Trump says that the attacks from Democrats is just more proof that he is 'doing a great job.' He also touted the economy and low unemployment numbers .@TomFitton appeared on @LouDobbs Tonight to discuss the contempt vote against AG Barr: Its a nice distraction from the fact that the DNC/Dem Party apparatus has been caught using donor dollars to collude w/Russian intelligence to attack a domestic political opponent. pic.twitter.com/BktbhfePZI Judicial Watch (@JudicialWatch) May 12, 2019 Fitton made his comments in response to Fox Business host Lou Dobbs asking if the new strategy in American politics was to pursue illegal subpoenas against the U.S. Attorney General. Judicial Watch is a conservative watchdog group that investigates alleged misconduct by government officials and files Freedom of Information Act lawsuits in doing so. Fitton, as the president of the organization, has often criticized Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, and during his interview with Dobbs said Democrats continuing the charade is 'just another abuse of power.' He also claimed that efforts were an attempt to 'overthrow the president through an illegal coup.' Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, including Chairman Jerry Nadler, subpoenaed Barr for an untouched copy complete with grand jury testimony of Mueller's report, which was finished and turned over to the attorney general at the end of March. The committee voted Wednesday to hold Barr in contempt of Congress when he did not budge on turning over the report. This puts Barr is a bind, though, because under Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure the attorney general cannot disclose a matter that occurred before the grand jury, or else he could be held in contempt of court. In Trump's tweets, he was quoting Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, who appeared on Lou Dobbs Tonight and has been highly critical of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation Dobbs, of Fox Business, asked Fitton on Friday if the new strategy in American politics was to pursue illegal subpoenas The House Judiciary Committee Democrats subpoenaed Barr to turn over an untouched version of the Mueller report, complete with grand jury testimony, but the attorney general is not complying and the committee voted to hold him in contempt of Congress In late March, Barr released wrote a four-page document that summarized the report and in April turned over a redacted version to Congress, which was later released to the public. The redacted-version had about 10 per cent of the report blacked out for various reasons. Mueller's team found no evidence of collusion, as outline in the report, but laid out 10 'episodes' that could potentially be instances of obstruction of justice by the president. Many Democrats, including some running for president in 2020, have called for impeachment proceedings against the president, claiming the episodes provide enough evidence to prove the president obstructed justice during the investigation. Judiciary Democrats are also demanding former White House Counsel Don McGahn turn over documents to the committee related to the Russia investigation. The White House involved executive privilege to block McGahn from being able to comply with the subpoena. White House Counsel Pat Cipollone says the man who formerly held his position does not have the legal rights to the documents Democrats in Congress are demanding he produce. Many congressional committees are continuing their own investigations following the close of Mueller's, which Trump says had completely exonerated him from all crimes related to Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. A boy left disabled after a negligent doctor used 'excessive force' during his forceps delivery has won 5.1million in compensation from the NHS. The boy, now ten, suffered an acute spinal cord injury during the traumatic birth at King's College Hospital in London in 2009 and was left paralysed in all four limbs. And a judge ruled two years ago that the doctor who delivered him had fallen 'far below' the standard of professional care expected of him. The boy suffered an acute spinal cord injury at King's College Hospital in London in 2009 Not only did he use 'excessive force and traction', he had misjudged the baby's position in the womb and 'misused' the forceps. Mr Justice Gilbart was also 'very critical' of the NHS's refusal to admit liability in the case, putting the family through a traumatic trial. Today, King's College Hospital Foundation Trust agreed to a settlement of the boy's case. His barrister, Philip Havers QC, said he would receive a 5.1 million lump sum, plus annual, index-linked payments to cover the costs of his care for life. Mr Justice Gilbart was 'very critical' of the NHS's refusal to admit liability in the case He will get 763,500 (658,800) a year until he reaches the age of 19, when the payments will rise to 789,000 (680,800) a year. The payments will be in Euros because the family intends to leave the UK shortly and move to the Eurozone, said Mr Havers. In his 2017 ruling, Mr Justice Gilbart said the boy depends on a tracheostomy and ventilator to survive and needs round the clock care. Delivered more than ten weeks premature, his twin brother only survived for two weeks in a double tragedy for the family. The surviving twin was delivered first, by forceps, and his mother said it had taken 'several attempts' to pull him out. His father said nurses in the intensive care unit told him later that 'they had never seen such bad bruising on the face and chest of a baby'. The judge said: 'I find that (the surviving twin) was delivered with excessive force, with the forceps being placed in the wrong position, and then pulled vigorously. 'The extensive bruising sustained, and the infliction of an injury consistent with excessive force being applied, support that finding. 'I also find that the misuse of the forceps and the mode of delivery adopted by the doctor caused (the surviving twin)'s injury. 'The carrying out of the delivery thus by the doctor fell far below the standard of care expected of him.' The judge added: 'I am very critical of whoever it was in the trust or in the National Health Litigation Authority who considered that this claim should be resisted on the basis, among others, that the delivery was a straightforward and unremarkable forceps delivery. 'It must have been known for a long time that the doctor's evidence about the delivery was, to say the least, difficult to reconcile with the internal notes and records, where the obvious injuries to the baby had excited so much concern and comment by those treating him.' He said that it was an obvious gap in the trust's case that no midwife or nurse present at the birth, or any of the medics who treated the boy in the intensive care unit, had been called to give evidence in court. Approving the settlement of the case today, Judge Gary Burrell QC said: 'The parents are to be commended for their careful and loving care of their son and for their tenacity in pursuing the matter. I'm sure that they are happy that it's all over now.' Sajid Javid's leadership ambitions have received a financial boost after he landed 50,000 from Tory backers who support both Leave and Remain. The Home Secretary is believed to be preparing to run to replace Theresa May when she stands down. And his nascent campaign has been helped by five 10,000 cash injections as he prepared to face-off against the likes of Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, according to the Telegraph. But the money, is due to be unveiled in the Register of Members' Interest next week, means he is still behind them both, as they are believed to rakes in more than 100,000 each. It comes amid widespread dissatisfaction at Theresa May's leadership and demands that she reveal this week when she will be stepping down as Tory leader. MPs want her to announce a timetable for departure when she meets the executive of the backbench 1922 Committee on Thursday. Environment Secretary Michael Gove tonight became the latest frontbencher to fail to rule themselves out of a leadership bid. He quoted the Bible as he told ITV: 'I'm concentrating purely at the moment on this talks process and on getting Brexit over the line, I think sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.' But asked whether that was an explicit 'no' he added: 'No it's not a no.' Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the European Research Group of Brexiteer Conservatives, said the May 23 contest looked set to be 'difficult' and pleaded with disillusioned Tories to stick with the party for the sake of Mrs May's successor. On LBC radio Mr Rees-Mogg, whose sister Annunziata is standing for Nigel Farage's Brexit Party, said: 'I would appeal to their loyalty, to their tradition, and to say that the Conservative Party will get a new leader at some point.' He added: 'We want that new leader to have a base on which he or she can build and if we find that we are getting under 15 per cent of the vote, if we are coming fifth behind the Greens, then it will be harder for that figure to rebuild.' The Home Secretary (pictured today) is believed to be preparing to run to replace Theresa May when she stands down MPs want Mrs May (pictured today) to announce a timetable for departure when she meets the executive of the backbench 1922 Committee on Wednesday. Chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers Sir Graham Brady is still insisting Mrs May sets a leaving date when she meets with his executive team next Thursday. But she is said to be resisting, saying it would make it impossible for her to get a Brexit deal through the Commons. An influx of cash for Mr Javid comes from Rami Ranger, who founded marketing firm Sun Mark, Shore Capital's Howard Shore, financier Andrew Law, Alexia Florman, whose husband Mark is a former Tory treasurer, and Ian Taylor, the chairman of energy and commodities trading firm Vitol. A source close to the Home Secretary told the Telegraph: 'The breadth of support for Sajid in the business community shows that job creators have confidence in his leadership credentials and underlines his ability to unite the Party. Philip May 'could tell Theresa to step down within a month', ministers claim Theresa May could be told to call it a day within a month by her husband, senior ministers believe. With a Tory wipeout at the European election on May 23 widely anticipated, they believe Philip May, who is constantly at the Prime Minister's side, will try to talk her into resigning to avoid a crushing defeat when party grassroots activists hold a confidence vote on her leadership in June 15. 'If she can't find a majority for Brexit in the next couple of weeks, does she really risk abject humiliation at the national convention on June 15?' one told the Sun. 'Or does Philip sit down with a whisky and tell her it's time. 'I suspect he'll tell her not to put herself through that, and knowing her, she won't want to put the party through that either.' Advertisement 'Business leaders want someone who can end the Brexit uncertainty, lead the country positively and see off Corbyn at the next election. Sajid passes these tests with flying colours.' Senior ministers and backbenchers have begun to make overt and covert pitches to replace Theresa May. Although there is no leadership contest under way, a lack of confidence in Theresa May among Conservative MPs has prompted International Development Secretary Rory Stewart, Commons' Leader Andrea Leadsom and former Work and Pensions Secretary Ms McVey to declare their candidacies. A series of high-profile media appearances from Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove and Dominic Raab in the last week have also buoyed speculation that they will run. Boris Johnson, Sajid Javid, Steve Baker and Amber Rudd have also been tipped as potential leaders. Under current Conservative Party rules, the Prime Minister is free from an internal challenge to her leadership until December 2019, but could step down before then. Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the Brexiteer European Research Group of Tories, appealed for disillusioned Conservatives to stick with the party for the sake of Theresa May's replacement. He said: 'I would appeal to their loyalty, to their tradition and to say that the Conservative Party will get a new leader at some point'. He told LBC Radio: 'We want that new leader to have a base on which he or she can build and if we find that we are getting under 15 per cent of the vote, if we are coming fifth behind the Greens, then it will be harder for that figure to rebuild.' Boris Johnson, pictured in Scotland last week, is the bookies' favorite to replace Theresa may as Tory leader when she steps down Dominic Raab, pictured at home with his wife Erika, has made a series of high-profile speeches and appearances that have fueled speculation he will run for party leader Mr Johnson's replacement at Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is also among the front-runners and the former Remainer is believed to be pitched as a unity candidate Hardline Brexiteer and former Cabinet minister Esther McVey (left) revealed she would run to replace Theresa May and her replacement Amber Rudd (right) has refused to deny she would contest a leadership campaign Ms Truss says: 'We need to build a million homes on the London Green Belt near railway stations, and around other growing cities, specifically to allow the under 40s to be able to own their homes. We should allow villages to expand by four or five houses a year without having to go through the planning system, so people can afford to live locally' The Tories face the ignominy of finishing fifth in the EU elections as Nigel Farage continues to give them a battering, a new poll revealed today. The Brexit Party is racing ahead with a predicted 34 per cent of the vote on May 23 - but Theresa May's Conservatives are heading for just 10 per cent, a YouGov survey has found. This would put the Prime Minister's party in fifth place behind the Greens and the Liberal Democrats, who were on 15 per cent and 11 per cent respectively. The collapse in support for the Conservative Party is piling pressure on Mrs May to set a date for her departure from No 10 - but Labour is also down five points on 16 per cent, with confusion over their Brexit position continuing. Yesterday a senior Cabinet Minister has warned Tory MPs they face 'annihilation' at the hands of Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage if the party chooses the wrong leader to succeed Theresa May. Liz Truss today signals the effective start of a leadership bid by demanding a radical reboot of traditional Tory policies including calling for a million new homes to be built on the Green Belt. The Treasury Chief Secretary told the Mail on Sunday: 'There has been a sea change in politics since the Tories last won a majority in 2015. The Conservative Party needs to wake up. Just doing more of what we have been doing for the past nine years is not going to win over modern Britain. We need to be bold, otherwise we will be annihilated by the tsunami of Corbyn and Farage.' An anti-gay preacher has become the first person banned from Ireland. Pastor Steven L Anderson, who founded the Faithful Word Baptist Church in 2005, in Arizona, USA, was set to deliver a sermon in Dublin on May 26 as part of a short tour of Europe. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan, has signed an exclusion order 'with immediate effect under Section 4 of the Immigration Act 1999 in respect of Mr Steven Anderson, aka Pastor Steven L Anderson'. Scroll down for video Pastor Steven L Anderson was supposed to be delivering a sermon in Dublin on May 26 this month The Minister said: 'I have signed the exclusion order under my executive powers in the interests of public policy.' The Department has the power to make such orders under the Immigration Act 1999. LGBT Ireland tweeted their support for the decision on Monday morning, thanking the Minister for his decision, saying: 'We are very thankful for your decision today to ban Steven Anderson from Ireland.' Mr Anderson's church website introduces itself saying: 'Don't expect anything contemporary or liberal. We are an old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible only, soul-winning Baptist church.' A list of sermons available have titles such as: 'The Homo Agenda vs Reality', 'Iceland: a Nation of Bastards' and 'Queer Sounding Music & Skinny Jeans'. In one sermon, which was uploaded to YouTube, Pastor Anderson claimed God had ordered in the scriptures that gay people should be killed, and that if humanity wanted to have an 'Aids-free world by Christmas' that is what should be done. Anderson has previously caused outrage by saying the 49 people killed in the Orlando gay club shooting 'deserved to die' In another YouTube video, the pastor claimed he prayed for the death of then-US president Barack Obama. After 49 people were killed in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, Mr Anderson told his audience the victims 'deserved to die in the shooting'. A petition launched on Change.org over four months ago calling for the ban garnered over 14,000 signatures. The petition organiser said: 'Steven Anderson is a Holocaust-denier, Islamophobe and anti-LGBT+ extremist who is scheduled to preach in Dublin, Ireland on May 26 2019, possibly in an attempt to get people to change their minds on last year's abortion referendum. 'This petition is for the people to show that they want Pastor Steven Anderson banned from entering the Republic of Ireland.' In September 2016, Mr Anderson was banned from South Africa, the United Kingdom, and later deported from Botswana. Anderson was denied entry to Canada on November 10 2017, and later banned from entering Jamaica last year. He was banned from visiting the Netherlands this month. The last known photographs of Maleah Davis, the missing four-year-old from Houston, Texas, show her entering her stepfather's home five days before he reported her missing, it has emerged, as he prepares to face murder charges for her death. Maleah, four, was seen on surveillance cameras walking behind Derion Vence into their family apartment on April 30. She was never seen again. On May 3, Vence emerged carrying a laundry basket with a large black trash bag inside. On the same day, he claimed they were kidnapped in their car along with his one-year-old son, a farfetched story that has been picked apart by police. Vence, 26, is in custody on charges of tampering with a corpse but Maleah's body has not been found and he is yet to be charged with her murder. He is due back in court on Monday. Maleah's mother has meanwhile claimed that Vence, 26, 'snapped' and attacked Maleah in a rage after she broke off their engagement and accused him of being gay. Scroll down for video Maleah Davis is shown walking into stepfather Derion Vence's home in Houston but was not seen again. In what is believed to be the final image of Maleah alive, the four-year-old is shown entering the apartment in a pink tutu Maleah has not been seen since April 30. She was reported missing by her stepfather on May 4 'When that happened, I believe that he psychologically snapped already on top of being abusive to Maleah. Derion Vence, 26, is in custody on charges of tampering with a corpse. He is expected to be charged with murder 'He did this to hurt the mother in a way that she would never recover,' her civil rights activist representative, Quanell X, told CBS last week. She left him in his care to go to Connecticut to visit a family member before she vanished despite claiming that he had been abusive towards her daughter. X, who is the leader of the New Black Panther Nation in Houston, did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's inquiries on Monday morning. Vence was arrested after claiming to police that Maleah was snatched by Hispanic assailants who took his car on May 4. His story included that he was also kidnapped by them for 24 hours and then freed along with his toddler son. Police poured scorn on it almost immediately and said it did not add up. While the car he said was stolen has been found, there is no sign of Maleah and the hunt for her continues. Vence is seen leaving the family's apartment with a blue laundry basket carrying a large black trash bag, the next time he emerged from the home, on May 3. It is the day he claimed they were all kidnapped Vence and his one-year-old are shown on May 3, the day he said all three of them were kidnapped, but there is no sign of Maleah Another surveillance photo shows Vence entering the hospital with his one-year-old son the day on May 4, after he said they were all taken captive The silver Nissan Vence was driving when the alleged attack took place was found on Thursday at a shopping center in Missouri City, Texas, off Highway 6 The child was removed from her mother's care last year over allegations of abuse and she had to have brain surgery for a healing head wound in March. Her mother insists she got the injury from a fall. According to Vence, he was driving with Maleah and his son in his car on May 3 to pick up her mother from the airport when he heard a noise and pulled over. Out of nowhere, he said three Hispanic males appeared, said that Maleah looked 'nice' and then hit Vence over the head, knocking him unconscious. He claims that for the next 24 hours, he slipped in and out of consciousness while they drove the three of them around. Maleah's mother Brittany Bowens, who had pleaded for her daughter's safe return, appeared before news crews with her representative, civil rights activist Quanell X, to claim that Vence 'snapped' when she called off their engagement and accused him of being gay Vence is pictured with Maleah (left) and two of his other children It ended, he said, when he woke up on the side of the road next to his son but with no sign of Maleah. That is when he went to the hospital in Sugar Land to report the incident. Questions surrounding Maleah's home life have emerged ever since. On Tuesday, it was revealed that she had been removed from her mother's care over allegations of physical abuse. According to records, it was to do with a brain injury which she had to have surgery for this March. Bowens insists that she got the wound in a fall. She resumed custody of her in February this year. Since she disappeared, Bowens has made an emotional plea for her daughter's safe return. The girl's biological father has also spoken out to demand answers from Vence on what happened to his daughter. Anyone with information on Maleah's whereabouts is urged to contact HPD at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Two inmates have been charged with blackmailing an Army veteran who killed himself after receiving messages warning he would be reported to police for receiving nude photos of 'an underage girl.' John William Dobbins, 59, of North Charleston and Carl Richard Smith, 43, of Simpsonville, who are inmates at Lee Correctional Institution, were charged Friday in connection with a sextortion scam that targeted Army veteran, Jared Johns of Greenville, 24, shortly before he killed himself on September 11, 2018. The charges were announced by Greenville Police Chief Ken Miller after what he described as a lengthy investigation. Army veteran Jared Johns (pictured above) was the target of a 'sextortion' scam by prison inmates in the hours before he killed himself in Greenville on September 11, 2018 Johns was sent the explicit pictures through a dating app by people who then claimed the girl he'd received the photos from was only 17 and demanded $1,189 for not reporting him to the police. 'We now know that at the time of his death Jared was the victim of a blackmail scheme that was created by inmates in a South Carolina prison, which created sufficient mental anguish to cause Jared to believe that he was going to be accused of serious crime with lifelong implications,' Miller said. Dobbins is serving a 25-year sentence on a third methamphetamine conviction in Laurens County. John William Dobbins, 59, (pictured above) is charged in connection with the sextortion scam that blackmailed Army veteran Jared Johns Carl Richard Smith, 43, is charged in connection with the sextortion scam and blackmailing Johns Smith is serving a 15-year sentence after he was convicted in 2015 of assault and battery. Miller said the two Lee Correctional Institution inmates used contraband cellphones to target Johns. This is not the first time the prison, near Bishopville, has hit the headlines. It was site of a deadly prison riot where seven inmates were killed and another 22 were injured on April 15 2018. Johns' mother, Kathy Bowling, (pictured above) said her son shot himself minutes after receiving the final blackmail threat on September 11 last year Johns (pictured above) was sent nude photos through a dating app by people who then claimed the girl was 17 and demanded $1,189 for not reporting him to the police Bowling (pictured with what is believed to be one of Johns' sons) said data from her son's Apple Watch showed that his heart stopped beating at 12:03 p.m. just after he received the final blackmail threat Contraband mobile phones were used by inmates to help incite and coordinate the violence, according to prison officials. Following the riot cellphone-blocking technology was installed at the institution and its reportedly the only state prison equipped with a managed-access system that is designed to prevent inmates from using contraband cellphones. Shortly before the charges against Dobbins and Smith were announced, state prison officials said they had apprehended several inmates at the correctional facility after they were found to be using phones to conduct live broadcasts on Facebook. State Department of Corrections Director Bryan Stirling has acknowledged the system's failure. Stirling told a legislative panel in July that 99 percent of calls were stopped from contraband phones thanks to the managed-access system operated by Maryland-based Tecore Networks, as reported by the Greenville News. Lee Correctional Institution, near Bishopville, was the site of a deadly prison riot when seven inmates were killed and another 22 were injured on April 15 2018 On Friday, Stirling said wireless companies are hampering efforts by failing to notify Tecore when they change the radio frequencies that carry their calls, that in turn leads to inmates making use of contraband cellphones, he added. Jared Johns' parents, Kathy Bowling and Kevin Johns, say their son shot himself minutes after receiving the final blackmail threat at 11:59 a.m., from a person claiming to be the girl's father on September 11 last year, as reported by Greenville News. Bowling said data from her son's Apple Watch showed that his heart stopped beating at 12:03 p.m. Bowling and Johns said their son suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in Afghanistan, adding the disorder left him unable to cope with the threats that he received. Footage from the riot on April 15 2018. Contraband mobile phones were used by inmates to help incite and coordinate the violence, according to prison officials Johns joined the army after graduating from Hillcrest High School in Simpsonville in June 2012. He was deployed to Afghanistan in June 2013, serving as a gunner. After hurting his back while dismounting an armored vehicle, he was sent to Germany for treatment. Johns received a general discharge under honorable conditions and came back to Greenville. Johns was father to two sons, Liam and Jaxon and shared an apartment with his twin brother, Jared. Johns recorded a video, including a message for his sons, on his cellphone before ending his life. 'I hate that I'm not going to get to see you grow up, but it's better this way, I promise,' The Greenville News reported. Three Wisconsin students have been arrested after police say they threatened a school shooting on social media. District officials contacted law enforcement on Saturday to report a possible shooting threat at Poynette High School. Police there and the Columbia County Sheriff's Department investigated and arrested the three teenagers on charges of making terroristic threats. In a statement on Facebook the school district of Poynette said: 'At approximately noon on Saturday, May 11, 2019, student social media posts were shared with school administration that indicated a possible threat to Poynette Schools.' Three Wisconsin teenagers have been arrested after police say they threatened a school shooting at Poynette High School on social media Authorities say there is no danger to the community, students or the school. They added: 'With the school administration's cooperation, Poynette Police and the Columbia County Sheriff's Department conducted a thorough investigation and determined that there was no current or future threat from this incident. 'This unfortunate event is a teachable moment for our students and community. Intent cannot always be determined from a social media post, but it is vitally important to understand that what we say matters. 'The safety of our school community is our number one priority. We want to assure the Poynette School community that students and staff are safe and at no time were they in any danger.' District officials contacted police on Saturday to report a possible school shooting threat in Poynette, about 100 miles northwest of Milwaukee School officials say they'll have additional staff Monday to offer support to students. They also requested a police presence to provide further reassurance A police statement read: 'On Saturday May 11, 2019 the Poynette Police Department was contacted by the School District of Poynette of a possible school shooting threat that was sent out through social media. 'The Poynette Police Department took into custody three juveniles, and each are being charged with Terroristic Threats and were transported to a Juvenile Detention Center. At this time, there is no danger to the community, students and/or the school campus as a result of this social media threat.' School officials say they will have additional staff Monday to offer support to students. They also requested a police presence to provide further reassurance. All scheduled activities will go on as usual. Video courtesy of NBC 15. The youngest victim of the terrorist attack at London Bridge had 'no chance' to escape before she was stabbed to death by Jihadists, an inquest heard today. Australian au pair Sara Zelenak, 21, had met up for drinks with her friend Priscila Goncalves near London Bridge before terrorists killed her and seven others on June 3 2017. After sheltering from the rain at a bar called London Grind at 2 London Bridge they heard the loud crash of the terrorists' hire van smashing into the railings and began running down stone steps towards Borough Market. But Ms Zelenak was wearing high heels and appeared to lose her balance, falling over on the wet pavement. She was aided by James McMullan, 32, but the inquest at the Old Bailey were told the pair had 'no chance' as the attackers were already running towards them. By-stander Erick Siguenza filmed terrified people screaming and running away as the pair were stabbed with 12-inch knives. Sara Zelenak, 21 (pictured in handout photo) had met up for drinks with her friend Priscila Goncalves near London Bridge before terrorists killed her and seven others on June 3 2017 Australian Ms Zelenak was stabbed in the neck after she fell over in her high heels. She is pictured earlier that evening Paramedics couldn't get in to help victims for 40 minutes Most paramedics were prevented from helping the victims of the London Bridge terror attack for nearly 40 minutes. Ambulance crews were ordered to wait 100 yards away in case more terrorists were at large, leaving police officers to try to save lives. The inquest into the atrocity heard these officers were desperately in need of paramedics. Three arrived within 15 minutes of the start of the attack but were being held back after the three fanatics were shot by police because there were fears that there were more of them. There were also concerns that there was a bomb in the van the killers had crashed into railings. PC Clint Wallis, one of the first officers to arrive, tried to save the lives of three of the victims by giving them CPR. All three died at the scene. Gareth Patterson QC, acting for six of the victims, asked the officer: Was it your understanding you were desperately in need of paramedics? PC Wallis said: We were asking members of the public if they could see paramedics to flag them down. It became quite clear that there were no paramedics being sent to us and they were probably being held at a rendezvous point away from the scene. Advertisement Ms Zelenak's parents Julie, 52, and Mark Wallace, 51, were seated in court as Ms Goncalves said: 'I think she was just next to me. We were going down the stairs and then we heard something, and we went up to see what was happening and people started to say run and that is what we did. 'It was like a loud crash. It sounded like something big, that is why we went back to take a look. At the time it seemed to be coming from my right. 'I think, I thought I had seen the van but now I don't think I had, actually I was just confused. I had no idea what was going on. 'We were together. I started running, I thought she was with me but when I looked, she was not. Everybody was running.' Footage was played in court showing Ms Goncalves and Ms Zelenak sheltering from the heavy rain before entering London Grind where they stayed for about 45 minutes before moving down towards Borough Market. Ms Goncalves added: 'We just wanted to continue our night and have fun'. Ms Zelenak's friend Priscila Goncalves is pictured at the Old Bailey in London today, left, with her parents Julie, 52, and Mark Wallace, 51, right James McMullan, 32, tried to help Sara Zelenak, 21, after she fell over as she ran away from the terrorists, but the pair were stabbed to death Emergency services are pictured swarming London Bridge and the surrounding area on the night of the terror attack in 2017 Erick Siguenza, who filmed the attack, told the court he saw another victim, Briton James McMullan, trying to help Ms Zelenak up after she slipped over. He told the court: 'As soon as the van crashed they stepped out and the driver stabbed the woman that had jumped out to get out of the way of the van crashing. 'That's when they started stabbing her. I believe there was a gentleman trying to help her get up and he was stabbed as well. 'As I was recording there was a lot of screaming and just people realising what was going on and just shouting in general.' Gareth Patterson QC, representing the victims' families, said: 'We know Sara Zelenak was found within minutes at the top of the steps and we know the young white woman with long hair had stab injuries. 'We also know she was wearing high heels and on the ground it was quite wet that night. 'From what you saw of this man helping her, did you get the impression she lost her balance?' The witness said: 'Yes. She was completely on the ground. He just grabbed her left arm and gently tried to pick her up but by then the attackers were in close proximity and that's when they started attacking. 'There was no time for him to be able to help her up because the driver and the other terrorists were already running towards them.' Ms Zelenak was stabbed more than once and her helper, Mr McMullan, the only British victim, suffered a wound to his chest. Mr Patterson QC, suggested that Ms Zelenak's high heels coupled with wet weather might have caused her to suffer an ankle injury. He said: 'Maybe those two factors contributed to make her less stable than she might otherwise have been when this sudden attack came on her.' Detective Constable Alastair Hutchison said: 'Yes, that's a possibility.' Giving evidence, Ms Goncalves said they left the London Grind to continue their night out and 'have fun'. 'When we were crossing the bridge we saw this bar where there are some tables outside, some red lights. It was really close to the cathedral. We thought it would be a really good idea to go there.' As they went down the steps towards the bar, they heard a 'crash' and went back to have a look. She told the court: 'She was just next to me. When we were going down the stairs and then I heard something and then we went up the stairs to see what happened and people started saying 'run' and that's what we did. 'It sounded like a crash to me. It sounded like it was something big which is why we went back to take a look. 'I thought I had seen the van but now I don't think I had actually. I was just very confused.' She said: 'I had no idea what was going on. We were together. People said run. I started to run. I thought she was with me and then I looked, she was not. Everybody was running.' Ms Golcalves tried to contact her friend on Facebook after she took refuge in a hotel but she was unable to get a response. Pictured: London Bridge attacker Khuram Butt Ms Zelenak was wearing high heels, a black leather jacket, a white t-shirt and blue denim jeans, when she was stabbed to death by the fanatics, the hearing was told. PC Clint Wallis, attached to Peckham Police Station, raced to the scene fearing a repeat of the Westminster Bridge attack and found Ms Zelenak lying next to a wall covered in blood. Ms Zelenak was clutching her mobile phone which was flashing as friends were trying to get in touch with her as PC Wallis battled to save her life. 'There was quite a deep laceration and cut to the left side of her neck and she also had some blood in her groin area,' PC Wallis said. 'I started giving first aid to Sara Zelenak. 'I checked to find a pulse and she was not breathing. I moved her body away from the wall and started CPR and chest compressions. 'She was covered in quite a lot of blood and there was a lot of blood around her to the point I thought she had lost a lot of blood.' PC Wallis said he was told there were three men armed with knives in the Borough Market area and began looking for paramedics or officers to help. After ten minutes of CPR Ms Zelenak was still unresponsive and was declared dead by a paramedic who was recorded saying: 'You know what? There is not enough resources here.' After trying to save Ms Zelenak the officer also administered first aid to James McMullan, who had been stabbed to his abdomen and face. 'As I gave mouth to mouth the air came out of the wound to his chest,' the officer recalled. After moving the body to try and find help PC Wallis was approached by a paramedic who said Mr McMullan had died from his wounds. Attackers Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, were also shot dead by police Judge Mark Lucraft, QC, Chief Coroner of England and Wales, praised PC Wallis, saying: 'Can I just pass on my thanks for what you did.' PC Richard Norton, who also tried to save Ms Zelenak's life, said: 'There was very little street light in that area where Ms Zelenak was. There were members of the public around us and we asked them if any had a torch. 'They used their mobile phones as a torch. I could see copious amounts of blood on the floor. I could see she had multiple stab wounds to the left side of her neck. Her eyes were open. 'It became quite clear that there no paramedics or ambulances being sent to us.' PC Norton was asked whether he remembered hearing gunfire in Borough Market and he replied he did. Ms Zelanak and Mr McMullan were two of eight victims murdered in the van and knife rampage by Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22. The others were Xavier Thomas, 45, Alexandre Pigeard, 26, Kirsty Boden, 28, Sebastien Belanger, 36, Christine Archibald, 30 and Ignacio Echeverria, 39. The inquest continues. Paul Rockett's bill at the Frankie & Benny's outlet in Cambridge shows it was for 52.91 A diner has been jailed for more than half a year after spending seven hours eating in a restaurant before refusing to pay the 53 bill. Paul Rockett, 52, ate crab bites, penne meatballs with a side of chips and a peach sundae at the Frankie & Benny's outlet in Cambridge. He washed it down with two bottles of Magners cider, a double of both Jack Daniels and Evan Williams bourbon whisky and two coffees. But when staff brought him the bill for 52.91 on December 27 last year, Rockett refused to pay and claim it showed an incorrect date. Cambridge Crown Court heard that at the time of his visit, Rockett was banned from entering any restaurant in the city without the means to pay. Despite this, he turned up at 4.40pm and did not leave until 11pm when security staff were called. Rockett, who is homeless, claimed he went to the restaurant 'to survive'. Rockett refused to pay his bill at the Frankie & Benny's (file picture) on December 27 last year He said he did not know he had a criminal behaviour order, despite it being issued at a previous court hearing. Rockett pleaded not guilty to breaching a criminal behaviour order, making off without payment and failing to comply with a sex offender's notification requirement. What he ate and drank Crab bites Penne meatballs Side of chips Peach sundae Two Magners ciders Double Jack Daniels whisky Double Evan Williams whisky Two coffees Advertisement But he was found guilty following a trial at Cambridge Crown Court last month. Last Friday, Rockett was jailed for 34 weeks by a judge at the same court. He was also given a criminal behaviour order of two years with the same requirements as his previous one, banning him from entering any restaurant in Cambridge without the means to pay. Speaking after sentencing, PC Brad Munday of Cambridgeshire Police said: 'Rockett never had any intention, or means, to pay for his food and knew the consequences of dining in Frankie & Benny's. 'It's regrettable he's found himself in this position but, simply put, he broke the law.' Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who is currently fighting extradition to the United States from Canada, has written a heartfelt letter to the Chinese telecom giant's staff thanking them for their support. In the open letter to Huawei's 188,000 employees, Meng said she has been 'moved to tears' by the support she has received from staff members, who she calls sons and daughters of the company. 'Your concern gives me warmth, your support gives me strength,' Meng said in the letter dated May 9 and shared by Huawei on its social media account today. The remarks are Meng's first public comments since her arrest on December 1 in Vancouver. Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who is currently fighting extradition to the United States from Canada, has written a heartfelt letter to the Chinese telecom giant's staff thanking them for their support In a letter to Huawei's 188,000 employees, Meng said she has been 'moved to tears' by the support she has received from staff, who she calls sons and daughters of the company 'Over the past few months, so many people at Huawei, including those I don't know, have shown concern for my safety and left me messages on the Xinsheng Community (Huawei's internal online forum),' Meng said. 'They have constantly been sending me their best wishes and cheering me up with their messages. Every time I saw these messages, an indescribable feeling would arise from the bottom of my heart,' she added. 'No matter what kind of difficulties and pressure I am facing, my heart remains strong,' she said. Meng arrived at the BC Supreme Court last Wednesday in an elegant full-length black and gray weave-pattern dress and Manolo Blahnik pumps, with her ankle monitor prominently visible Meng arrives at her home after spending the day in court last Wednesday. Her high-powered legal team successfully delayed formal extradition proceedings until after a separate hearing in late September determines whether more evidence must be disclosed by the prosecution The 47-year-old executive wrote that despite her movement has been restricted by the arrest, 'the colour and scope of my heart have never been so rich and broad'. Meng, who is also the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, has to wear a GPS tracking bracelet and abide by an 11pm curfew during her house arrest in Vancouver. She noted that she was left in tears knowing staff members in China have stayed up late to watch her court appearances despite the time differences while many former Huawei employees, who now live in Vancouver, have queued up early to show their support at every hearing. 'Every step I take, I will have Huawei's 188,000 sons and daughters with me,' Meng wrote, adding this power can 'unite and strengthen the fortress of Huawei's will'. Meng, who is also the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, has to wear a GPS tracking bracelet and abide by an 11pm curfew during her house arrest in Vancouver Supporters hold signs and Chinese flags outside the British Columbia Supreme Court during the third day of a bail hearing for Meng Wanzhou on December 11, 2018 US authorities formally requested her extradition on January 30, accusing her of fraud related to violations of sanctions against Iran. Meng arrived at the BC Supreme Court last Wednesday in an elegant full-length black and gray weave-pattern dress and Manolo Blahnik pumps, with her ankle monitor prominently visible. Her high-powered legal team successfully delayed formal extradition proceedings until after a separate hearing in late September determines whether more evidence must be disclosed by the prosecution. The next court date in the process, which could last years, was set for September 23, while the formal extradition hearings are expected to begin in January. Following her arrest, China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig (left) and Canadian businessman Michael Spavor in what observers saw as retaliation People hold signs calling for China to release Canadian detainees Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig during Meng's court appearance last Wednesday Following her arrest, China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian businessman Michael Spavor in what observers saw as retaliation. China later announced it suspected Kovrig of spying and stealing state secrets and alleged Spavor had provided him with intelligence. Two other Canadians convicted of drug trafficking, meanwhile, were sentenced to death. Beijing also recently blocked Canadian shipments of canola and pork worth billions of dollars. Canada has accused Beijing of arbitrarily detaining both Kovrig and Spavor, and called the death penalties for Canadians Fen Wei and Robert Schellenberg 'cruel and inhumane'. An elk suffered an agonising death after it jumped off an apartment balcony in Sweden. The large deer plummeted from a five-metre terrace after entering the housing block in Linkoping, in the south of the country. Police were told the animal had been wandering around the city centre on Saturday night. Horrified witnesses recalled how it ran up a staircase before it leapt over a balcony railing at the apartment near the Stangan river. An elk died after it jumped off the balcony of a five-metre apartment block in Linkoping city centre (stock pictured), in the south of Sweden The animal was so badly wounded after smashing down on the pavement that it died before a municipal hunter arrived to put it down. Bjorn Oberg, a spokesman for the police told broadcaster SVT: 'It was walking around Drottninggatan and Repslagargatan, among other streets. 'When the police arrived on the scene at 9.40pm, the elk was lying wounded on the pavement but was still alive. He added: 'But by the time the municipal hunter arrived, it had died.' It comes after an elk had to be shot dead when it entered the clubbing district in Gothenburg on May 4. Police said it was distressed and causing a danger to traffic and the public as it moved towards the city's Ullevi Stadium. Professional hunters were called to kill the animal after officers had felt it would not be able to return to the forest. Sweden has the highest population of elk per square kilometre of any country, with an average of 10-15 elk per 1,000 hectares. There are more than 400,000 of the beasts before hunting season, which drops to around 300,000 after in the winter. But another 100,000 are then born in the spring. The husband of a murdered mom-of-three teacher found dumped in a Staten Island storage unit is said to be taking full responsibility for her death. Michael Cammarata, 42, and his live-in girlfriend Ayisha Egea, 41, will both appear in court Monday accused of killing his estranged wife Jeanine Cammarata. The couple had been charged with murder, concealment of a human corpse and tampering with physical evidence. But Michael Cammarata is now said reportedly taking full responsibility in the death of tragic Jeanine, CBS New York reports. Egea's attorney is said to have recordings from Cammarata clearing her over the murder. Michael Cammarata, right, is said to be taking full responsibility for the death of his estranged wife Jeanine Cammarata after her body was found dumped in a Staten Island storage unit Michael Cammarata, 42, left, and his live in girlfriend Ayisha Egea, 41, right, will both appear in court Monday accused of killing his estranged wife Jeanine Cammarata Jeanine was last seen alive on the evening of Saturday, March 30, less than 48 hours after she served her husband divorce papers. Her charred remains were found in a Staten Island storage facility less than a week later. Court papers have already revealed how Michael Cammarata changed his story when probed by cops over her death. He first told police he last saw his Jeanine on March 30 in a supermarket near his apartment, court papers said. The following day he claimed to have driven to Staten Island for a dance recital before returning home to Queens that night, the Voluntary Disclosure Form shows. But license-plate readers are said to have contradicted that and the form alleges Michael Cammarata then said he had not told the truth as he did not want Egea to find out he was still having sex with Jeanine. When license-plate readers are said to have again disputed this version of events Michael Cammarata is said to have again changed his story. He then said a row broke out at and he pushed Jeanine and hit her several times, the document alleges. Egea is said to have told a different version of events to police in which she said the three of them drove round the block in Jeanine Cammarata's car before she left to go home with Michael. Cammarata and Michael are seen above with two of their children at their wedding Jeanine was last seen alive on the evening of Saturday, March 30, less than 48 hours after she served her husband divorce papers. Her charred remains were found in a Staten Island storage facility less than a week later Prosecutors say Jeanine was killed after going to visit her children, who were living with Michael in Queens. Investigators are said to have obtained surveillance footage which shows Michael carrying a large plastic bin out of his apartment. He was later seen unloading the bin with the help of another person at a storage facility in Staten Island, where police recovered a woman's body. The couple are also facing charges of two counts of evidence tampering with respect to the victims body and her car, two counts of stolen-property possession and five counts of child endangerment. The stolen-property charges come from allegations that the defendants took Jeanine's debit card and drivers license. Both Cammarata and Egea had pleaded not guilty. A man and a woman from Kentucky are facing charges after their home and four children's beds were found infested with cockroaches and cockroach filth. Sean Landrey, 38, and Jessica Downs, 31, were arrested after Louisville police officers were dispatched to the Summer Creek Drive home on Thursday to carry out a welfare check. When police arrived, officers found 'a severe amount of clutter and trash throughout the inside of the residence' and furniture that had cockroaches, cockroach feces and bedbugs on it, according to a citation, as reported by the Lexington Herald Leader. Landrey and Downs are charged with second-degree criminal abuse and endangering the welfare of a minor. Sean Landrey, 38, (pictured above) and Jessica Downs, 31, were arrested after Louisville police officers were dispatched to the Summer Creek Drive home on Thursday to carry out a welfare check It isn't clear what Jessica Downs' (pictured above) relationship is to the children but according to the arrest citation, Landrey is father to one of the children and the caretaker to the other three children Courtesy of WDRB Officers had gone to the home after they were notified that a 7-year-old girl had come to school with a cut on her lip, police said. Two children, 4 and 5 year-old boys were discovered to be sharing a small bed that was too small, with a 7-year-old girl sleeping on a single twin bed next to them. The mattresses were found to be swarming with dead and living cockroaches as well as their feces and bed bugs, according to police. The children reportedly told officers the bugs 'crawl on them and bite them' while they sleep. Officers found 'a severe amount of clutter and trash throughout the inside of the residence' and furniture that had cockroaches, cockroach feces and bedbugs on it Landrey and Downs are charged with second-degree criminal abuse and endangering the welfare of a minor A 2-year-old child was removed from a crib in the couple's room wearing extremely dirty clothing. Police say a cockroach was underneath the child's head when they removed the toddler from the crib. Hundreds of baby cockroaches were found in the crib, police said in the citation. 'Officers believed that the feces were in the amount of thousand plus,' the citation read. A 2-year-old child was removed from a crib in the couple's room wearing extremely dirty clothing. Police say a cockroach was underneath the child's head when they removed the toddler from the crib It isn't clear what Downs relationship is to the children but according to the arrest citation, Landrey is father to one of the children and the caretaker to the other three children. The children were released to the grandmother, 'who is fully cooperating with law enforcement,' WLKY reported. Landrey and Downs have been placed in Louisville Metro Corrections on $10,000 bonds. A boy called 911 to report that he and six other children had been left in a hot car in Maryland shopping center last week. The Charles County Sheriff's Office said the call came in around 1.06pm on Friday when temperatures were around 80F. Authorities said the boy told them that the children, who ranged in age from 2 to 4 years old, were hot and didn't know where they were. A boy called 911 to report that he and six other children had been left in a hot car in Maryland shopping center (pictured) last week. The ages of the children ranged from 2 to 4 years old, police said He told dispatchers that the vehicle's windows were rolled up and the motor was not running. Deputies traced the call to the St Charles Towne Center in Waldorf, Maryland, and helped the kids out of a black Monte Carlo. Paramedics provided the children with treatment at the scene. Deputies said it's plausible that it was the eldest who called 911. The driver, a 37-year-old woman, arrived about 10 minutes later, having already been gone for about 20 minutes. Police said the woman is the mother of two of the children who were in the car and was babysitting the other five children. Authorities have not released the woman's identity as this time. The woman has been charged with confinement of children inside a motor vehicle. A mother and her young daughter suffered horrific burns when a massive fireball erupted in front of them in a freak accident at a dinner party. Kate Collins and five-year-old Eva had been at a friend's home in Perth on April 27 when a decorative gas burner sitting on the table exploded. The group had been chatting at the table when the host began to refill the burner with liquid ethanol. Kate Collins and five-year-old Eva suffered horrific burns when a decorative burner exploded at a dinner party Mrs Collins recalled seeing a fireball erupt in front of her. 'It literally just went up immediately, in a huge big flash of fire. As a parent you feel so helpless,' she told 9News. Her clothes and hair caught fire immediately. 'I ran into the house. I dropped and rolled because that is what you are taught as a child. 'But, because it was liquid flame, it wouldnt go out, it just kept on reigniting. It was scary so I stripped my clothes off and was just patting at my hair trying to get the flames out.' Her ordeal was far from over, as moments later she discovered her daughter Eva had been burned too. Eva, 5, is still in hospital after suffering horrific burns to 20 per cent of her body Mrs Collins began to ladle water over Eva's tiny body as she waited for paramedics to arrive. She collapsed soon after rescuers arrived. The five-year-old suffered third-degree burns down her left arm and body. She was rushed to Perth Childrens Hospital. Mrs Collins was taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital and was discharged from hospital this week. Mrs Collins has revealed the horror of trying to extinguish the flames before realising her daughter had been burned too Eva remained in hospital after an infection in her bloodstream turned septic. Her condition stabilised after she was treated with intravenous antibiotics but she will have to stay in hospital for a few more weeks. Since the horrific incident, Mrs Collins has urged to be wary of gas burners. 'Please, anyone with ANYTHING even remotely similar that burns ethanol - please dispose of it,' she shared on Facebook. Decorative alcohol fuelled burners were banned by the Federal Government in 2017 after more than 100 reported injuries and 115 fire incidents since 2010. United Australia Party leader Clive Palmer has been spotted in Fiji just five days before the Federal Election. Social media users snapped pictures of the businessman as he lounged around in a plush resort - with one questioning his seriousness towards his election campaign. One woman - named only as Judy- told 3AW that she went to Fiji 'to escape all his phone calls and ads and there he was in my face'. United Australia Party leader Clive Palmer has been spotted in Fiji just five days out from the election However a spokesperson for Mr Palmer told The Courier-Mail that he was in Fiji to visit a terminally ill family friend. 'You can do that when you have your own private jet,' the spokesperson said. 'He is fully committed to campaigning and is available on the phone now. He is just doing the right thing by a family friend.' Mr Palmer, who has spent more than $50 million in advertising for the election, slammed those commenting on his trip to Fiji so close to voting day. In a media release he reiterated he was overseas to be with the ill friend. Social media users snapped pictures of the businessman as he lounged around a resort - with one questioning his seriousness towards the campaign because of it 'First the media attack Bill Shorten about his mother and now they want to ostracize me at a time I want to support a terminal-ill family friend,' he said. 'The media continually comments on me as a person. Australians are sick of the media's ethics and morals. 'I look forward to returning to the campaign trail in Adelaide late tonight before heading to Western Australia and then spending election night in Victoria,' Mr Palmer said. A silk floral scarf Audrey Hepburn sent to a 13-year-old British fan battling with anorexia has gone on sale for 2,000. The 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' actress had penned a moving letter to the 13-year-old who had sent her a note after watching one of her films. Linda, who lives in Dorset had written to Hepburn in 1963 to tell her she had been her inspiration since seeing her in the 1953 film Roman Holiday aged six. Inside the letter, teenage Linda had included a small rose. The letter landed on the desk of James Wilcox, who at the time had been working in the publicity department at Paramount Films in London. Audrey Hepburn (right, Breakfast At Tiffany's) sent photos of herself along with the scarf (left) to Linda when she was just 13 The letter to Linda (pictured above) said that she had been delighted to learn she was one of her favourites The floral scarf (above) which Hepburn sent to Linda along with the hand written letter He informed Hepburn of it and, moved by her plight, she wrote back enclosing a pink and white flowery scarf in the envelope. Now 69-years-old, Linda has always cherished the item and even kept the scarf in the tissue paper it was originally wrapped in. She is now selling the items with auction house Charterhouse, of Sherborne, Dorset, who expect them to fetch 2,000. Hepburn said she had received the sweet card with the beautiful rose which had made her very happy. Audrey Hepburn pictured above in the film she is best known for, Breakfast At Tiffany's in 1961 The letter read: 'I was so delighted to hear that I'm one of your favourites. As I was not sure what photo you would like best of me I am sending you several for your scrapbook. 'Enclosed is also a scarf which I thought you would like. I find it so pretty with all its woodland flowers, most of which grow up here in the mountains. Who was Audrey Hepburn? Audrey Hepburn was born in 1929 and went on to become an actress and humanitarian. She was a major Hollywood star in the 1950s and 1960s, starring in classics such as Roman Holiday, The Nun's Story and Breakfast At Tiffany's. After retiring from acting she became an ambassador for UNICEF. In 1989 she was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador to the charity and said: 'I can testify to what UNICEF means to children, because I was among those who received food and medical relief right after World War II. 'I have a long-lasting gratitude and trust for what UNICEF does.' In terms of her acting career, her first film had been in 1952 and was called 'Secret People'. It charted the career of a prodigy ballerina. It was during filming for this that she was spotted by director William Wyler, who at the time was producing Roman Holiday. It was for this film that she received an Oscar which enabled her to make her mark as one of Hollywood's elite. Advertisement 'I send you my warmest wishes, and love, Audrey.' The envelope also contained a selection of photos of Hepburn with a signed dedication to Linda 'with love'. Auctioneer Richard Bromell, of Charterhouse highlighted that it was rare for items belonging to stars of the stage, such as Audrey Hepburn, to come on the market. He said: 'This is due to fans and collectors keeping their treasures safe just like our client who has owned the scarf, photographs and letters for the past 56 years. 'Audrey wrote the letter in her own hand, she didn't get a secretary to type something out for her, and she picked out a scarf she thought a teenage girl would like. 'It would have meant so much to Linda to receive something from her idol especially as she was seriously ill. She wasn't expected to survive. 'She still feels she is paying homage to Audrey with the sale as the proceeds with go to the charity UNICEF which the star supported during her lifetime.' Film siren Hepburn was 34 years old and at the height of her career when she wrote to Linda on March 10, 1963. She had starred in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) two years previously, and the following year she appeared in My Fair Lady (1964). The sale takes place on June 21. Jamie Parsons, 31, pictured, has been jailed for more than two years after admitting trying to smuggle six Albanian migrants into the UK A people smuggler has been jailed for more than two years for attempting to bring six people into the UK in a hired campervan. Jamie Parsons, 31, was stopped by Border Force officers at the UK Control Zone in Coquelles, France, before entering the Channel Tunnel. He was driving a hired motorhome and claimed to be returning from a camping trip in Belgium. Parsons was asked by Border Force officers to unlock the vehicle's rear storage compartment and two people were found hiding inside. A full search of the vehicle was then carried out and four more people were found hiding in the bottom bunk bed at the rear of the motorhome. None of the group - four men and two women from Albania - had the correct documentation to enter the UK. Parsons, of Fairwater, Cwmbran, South Wales, was arrested on suspicion of assisting illegal entry into the UK and the investigation was passed to Immigration Enforcement's Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) team. The Albanian nationals were handed to the French authorities following the incident in August 2017. Parsons admitted facilitating illegal immigration during an earlier hearing at Canterbury Crown Court in Kent. He was sentenced to two and a half years in jail at the same court. Two migrants were found in a storage compartment in Parsons' hired campervan, pictured, while four more were hiding in a bunk bed Assistant Director David Fairclough, from the CFI team, said: 'Parsons was committing a serious offence - abuse of the UK's immigration laws - and this reckless gamble for financial gain has ended with a criminal conviction. 'This case is testament to both the thorough investigative work of my officers, as well as to the vigilance of the Border Force officers who made the initial detection. 'We will continue to ensure that those engaged in this kind of criminality are brought before the courts and prosecuted.' Paul Morgan, Director of Border Force South East and Europe, said: 'Border Force works in close partnership with other UK and French law enforcement agencies to secure the border in northern France. 'We will continue to ensure that people smugglers and traffickers, whose actions so often endanger others, face the full consequences of their crimes.' A deputy school principal who tackled a student to the ground before being circled by other pupils with their fists up has been stood down over allegations of assault. Associate principal Grant Walton was stood down from Perth's Eaton Community College following the incident in March, and an investigation by the Education Department was underway. It's understood Mr Walton was trying to break up a brawl between current and former students on the school's oval. Dramatic footage showed Mr Walton kneeing a student in the back to bring him to the ground, keeping his body weight on the boy's back as other students surrounded him. 'Get off him! Get off him!' students shouted at Mr Walton, before he stood up and released the boy. The student then started swinging his arms at the principal while getting off the ground. The video cut out briefly before showing the boy square up with his fists raised to Mr Walton, who shouted at him to 'get lost' and 'go away'. Mr Walton had worked at the school, near Bunbury, for 15 years. Last week, the Department of Education confirmed Mr Walton was under investigation for allegedly physically assaulting a student. The schoolyard brawl was reported to police by a parent, but Bunbury Detectives cleared Mr Walton of any charges after investigating the incident. Associate principal Grant Walton (pictured) was stood down from Perth's Eaton Community College following the incident in March Kylie, the mother of the boy who was brought to the ground in the confronting footage, claimed her son was wrongly targeted. '(He was) grabbed from behind... for basically no reason,' she told The West. 'He did turn around and tell the teacher involved to 'F... off' and walked away, that's when it happened,' she claimed. 'As my son was walking off, the teacher involved came up behind him and kicked him, kicked his leg out from under him and threw him to the ground pretty much, and jumped on top of him.' She said she had written a complaint to police after they cleared Mr Walton of any wrongdoing in the altercation. State School Teachers Union president Pat Byrne told the South Western Times that staff were encouraged to avoid any physical contact with brawling students. 'What they are required to do is do what they can to get help and issue verbal instructions to stop the fight,' she said. Ms Byrne said the sequence of events that led up to the video footage being filmed needed to be established before a judgement could be made. More than 300 locals and parents of students had taken to Facebook to defend Mr Walton's actions, saying he's the 'heart and soul' of Eaton Community College. The video cuts out briefly before showing the boy square up with his fists raised to Walton, who shouts at him to 'get lost' and 'go away' 'Mr Walton has given everything to that school and the community. Behind him all the way as an ex student,' one comment read. 'This man is outstanding as an educator and principal!!! If he had to intervene it would be to save a child's life and for the safety of the other students. This is a huge mistake and mis justice (sic),' another read. 'Nothing but praise for Grant Walton he always has the kids best interest in mind. Hopefully he can return to his position as soon as possible.' 'As a parent of a child in ECC I stand behind Mr Walton. His actions are just protecting children. So with this rule does that mean if a student is bashing another student they will just let it play out?' another woman said. A Florida man could lose his home after he was fined nearly $30,000 for letting his grass grow too long. Jim Ficken, 69, is now fighting back with a lawsuit against Dunedin's Code Enforcement Board after it fined him $500 per day for nearly 60 days before moving to foreclose on his home. Ficken said he was tending to his late mother's estate in South Carolina over the summer of 2018 when the city, west of Tampa, began fining him hundreds of dollars a day without notice for letting his grass grow longer than 10 inches. Jim Ficken, 69, could lose his home in Dunedin, Florida after he was fined nearly $30,000 for letting his grass grow too long Meanwhile, the city has claimed it's in the right because Ficken is a repeat offender. The problems first began in the spring of 2015, when Ficken's mother fell ill. He began making regular trips to South Carolina to help take care of her, and was cited by the city for letting his grass grow too long, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Ficken said he then mowed his grass and enlisted the help of his friend, Russ Kellum, to keep the lawn maintained during his trips away. His mother, Marienelle Ficken, died in the summer of 2016. Two years later, in May 2018, Ficken had to fly back to South Carolina to put her estate up for sale. While Ficken was away, he had no idea that Kellum - who was 62 - had died unexpectedly. Meanwhile, his yard had been inspected by a Dunedin code enforcement official. Because Ficken was considered a 'repeat offender' due to his warning in 2015, the city began charging him $500 in fines every day without notifying him. Ficken returned home in July and tried to take care of the grass, but his lawn mower broke. Ficken said he was tending to his late mother's estate in South Carolina over the summer when the city began fining him hundreds of dollars a day without notice for letting his grass grow longer than 10 inches tall. Pictured is his lawn in August 2018 The retiree, who lives on a fixed income and relies on food stamps, still had no idea about the fines and didn't rush to buy a new mower. It wasn't until the end of August that a city inspector passed by Ficken's house and warned him that he was 'going to get a big bill from the city'. Ficken bought a new lawn mower and cut the grass the very next day. The city inspector confirmed his lawn was in compliance but still did not inform him that he was already facing $23,500 in fines, according to his lawsuit. The city did notify Ficken that he had a hearing with the Code Enforcement Board on September 4, but he had to return to South Carolina after an issue arose with his late mother's estate. Ficken was once again cited for his lawn for 10 days while he was out of state. The board determined that his original fine would stand and approved the additional fine. Together, the two fines came out to a total of $29,833.50 on Ficken's home, which has a market value of $125,541. Ficken only learned he was facing tens of thousands of dollars in September 2018, nearly 60 days after the city first began fining him. Now the city has moved to foreclose on his home It was only on September 18 that Ficken said he finally learned about the fines. 'I was just shocked,' he told the Washington Post. 'I said, "Oh boy, I'm screwed.'" In February, the city warned Ficken that it would move to foreclose on his home if he didn't pay up. Ficken instead reached out to the Institute for Justice, which agreed to take his case pro bono. The non-profit law firm had just recently won a case in which the Supreme Court ruled that states and local governments cannot levy excessive fines. It was the first time the Supreme Court had recognized that the Eighth Amendment's ban on excessive fines also applies to states and local municipalities. Ficken is now fighting back with a lawsuit against Dunedin's Code Enforcement Board. Pictured is his home in a recent Google View photo 'Losing your home because you inadvertently let your grass get too long is the very definition of an excessive fine,' Ari Bargil, one of Ficken's attorneys, said in a statement. 'No one should face crippling fines, let alone foreclosure, for trivial code violations.' The city of Dunedin has gotten stricter when it comes to code enforcement violations in the last decade. In 2007 the city collected $34,000 in code violation fees. Last year, it collected $1.3million. But Dunedin Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski defended the city's code enforcement, saying it was 'not interested in making money on the backs of our citizens'. Bujalski claimed the board took action after Ficken's neighbors complained, an allegation that his attorneys deny. Authorities are investigating after a woman died last Thursday during pre-op plastic surgery at a clinic in the Dominican Republic where Cardi B was once supposed to undergo an operation with the same doctor. Altagracia Diaz, 51, was scheduled for a breast reduction surgery and to have built-up fluid removed from under her skin at the International Center for Advanced Plastic Surgery [CIPLA] in Santo Domingo. Her concerned daughter Yatnna Rivera refused to support her mother's plan for surgery because of her age and told her she was better off controlling her appetite. But Diaz vowed to go ahead with the surgical work, which she said she needed as a result of a liposuction surgery about three years ago. After several hours of waiting at the clinic, Rivera was told that her mother had died due to complications she suffered as a result of an 'unexpected event.' Rivera told Dominican television station Antena 7, that the doctors told her that her mother had gone into cardiac arrest. Altagracia Diaz died Thursday during plastic surgery in the Dominican Republic Dr. Hector Cabral was overseeing the surgery of a woman who died during the procedure at a clinic in the Dominican Republic Cardi B had a feeling about Dr. Hector Cabral and backed out of an appointment to have cosmetic operation Rivera later took to her live Instagram to demand answers from surgeon Dr. Hector Cabral after she spent hours begging doctors to allow her to see her mother in the intensive care unit. She then saw her mother lying on a bed with tubes sticking out of her mouth shortly after a doctor told her that Diaz has suffered a heart attack. 'She was dead. They were lying, searching for an excuse to look good,' Rivera said. 'The mocked me in front of my face telling me that she was ok.' Rivera and her family are accusing the doctor of medical malpractice Cabral met with the local press on Friday but offered few details on the events that led up to Diaz's death. 'At the beginning of the procedure [Diaz] had an unexpected event in which the interventionists, anesthesiologists and intensive [care doctors] and other professionals ... made all the human effort to conjure the situation in a successful manner, so that it was possible to restore the vital signs of the patient and send her to the intensive care unit, where she was received in stable conditions, Cabral said. Cabral said Diaz was doing well for a period of five hours before she encountered another setback from which she 'unfortunately could not recover.' The doctor also denied rumors that he tried to flee the country. Yatnna Rivera is accusing a doctor in the Dominican Republic of committing medical malpractice in the death of her mother Altagracia Diaz is the fourth woman to have died during the last 12 months in the Dominican Republic while undergoing plastic surgery Cardi B went live on her Instagram account to offer her condolence to Diaz's family and shared her own experience with Cabral, who she had previously scheduled a surgery with before backing out. 'I was once going to operate with him, but I had a feeling and I did it with another doctor,' the Grammy Award-winning rapper said. 'You realize that when God opens your eyes it is for a reason. ... I am sad and it hurts because I know that the family is very hurt right now, but it could be my family that was suffering. This was like God giving me a sign.' Diaz is one of a series of women who have died at the same Dominican Republic clinic while undergoing cosmetic surgery. The Dominican Republic's Public Health Ministry has assigned a special commission to look into Altagracia Diaz's death Cabral was arrested in 2011 in New York City and accused of searching for prospective clients at beauty salons in the area and inviting them to the clinic for consultations In July 2018, Katherine Jacqueline Perez Minaya traveled from the U.S. to Cabral's clinic and suffered a deadly heart attack during surgery. In 2017, at least four women also died during surgeries with Cabral at the same clinic. The clinic has been shut down on numerous occasions due to allegations of faulty procedures which have caused deaths, before reopening. Cabral was arrested in 2011 in New York City accused of soliciting women at beauty salons and inviting them to the Dominican Republic for consultations at the clinic. He was charged with 10 counts of the unauthorized practice of medicine but the attorney general reached a deal with Cabral before the case ever appeared before a judge and jury. He was given 250 hours of community service - which were served in the Dominican Republic - a $5,000 fine and was ordered to pay $23,055 in restitution. Diaz was laid to rest during a private service on Saturday. The Dominican Republic's Public Health Ministry has assigned a special commission to look into Diaz's death. A California dad has been arrested for allegedly telling police that his three-year-old daughter had been abducted so that they would work harder to find his stolen car. An Amber Alert was issued Saturday night around 10pm after Edrick L. McCroey, 26, allegedly reported to Oakland police that his daughter, Ciara McCroey, was in the back seat of his vehicle that had been stolen earlier that evening. However, authorities later learned that Ciara had actually been safe the entire time with her mother. Edrick McCroey, 26, of California, has been arrested for allegedly telling police that his daughter, Ciara McCroey (pictured), three, was abducted so they would work harder to find his stolen car. An Amber Alert was issued for Ciara around 10pm Saturday night Oakland police said McCroey lied with hopes of getting back his stolen 2005 Silver Mercedes Sedan back quickly. Surveillance footage shows a man in a dark red hoodie (above) walking out of the store and up to McCroey's vehicle The man then gets inside and drives off. A short time later, McCroey (circled) is seen running out of the store and after his vehicle, weaving through oncoming traffic 'OPD Investigators have arrested the father of the 3 yr old for filing a false police report,' the department said on Twitter. Oakland police said McCroey lied with hopes of getting back his stolen 2005 Silver Mercedes Sedan back quickly. In the end, McCroey did get what he hoped for. Police did find the suspected car thief, 23-year-old Michael James Kelly, but he had wrecked McCroey's car during a police chase. The incident all started at the Los Camellos Liquor store along International Boulevard shortly after 8pm, according to CBS. Surveillance footage shows a man in a dark red hoodie walking out of the store and up to McCroey's vehicle. He then gets inside and drives off. A short time later, McCroey is seen running out of the store and after his vehicle, weaving through oncoming traffic. After McCroey allegedly filed the false report, police found the suspect around 11.40pm heading down Carlson Boulevard. Police pursued the vehicle and Kelly allegedly led them on a brief police chase that ended with him crashing the vehicle into an El Cerrito bus stop. At the time of the police chase, Ciara was in another city with her mother. It wasn't until Sunday that authorities realized that McCroey had lied about her being taken. Oakland investigators reached the mother just before 2am Sunday and confirmed the girl was with her and was safe. McCroey was arrested for filing a false police report. He was booked into the Alameda County Jail and posted an unlisted amount of bail on Sunday. Kelly was booked into the Santa Rita Jail on a carjacking charge, according to online records. His bail was set at $100,000. After McCroey allegedly filed the false report, police found the suspect around 11.40pm heading down Carlson Boulevard in McCroey's vehicle (pictured) Sen Cory Booker has said calls to break up Facebook are more like a 'Donald Trump thing' despite fellow Democrat Elizabeth Warren also wanting to see the social media giant split. Democratic 2020 presidential candidate Sen Warren made it clear in the past she is for breaking up the tech company. But Booker contradicted his Democratic presidential rival when he said on Sunday that he did not think it was any president's responsibility to decide which companies should be broken up. Speaking to ABC's This Week: 'I don't think that a president should be running around, pointing at companies and saying break them up without any kind of process here. 'Do I think it is a massive problem in America, corporate consolidation? Absolutely. It's about making sure that we have a system that works.' Democratic presidential candidate Sen Cory Booker said he would not break up Facebook but instead strengthen antitrust laws Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was described as having 'unprecedented and un-American' power by the co-founder of the company Chris Hughes He then went on to say that it 'sounds more like a Donald Trump thing to say'. Booker added: 'It's not me and my own personal opinion about going after folks. That sounds more like a Donald Trump thing to say: I'm going to break up you guys, I'm gonna break - no.' Both Booker and fellow Democrat hopeful Kamala Harris faced have both faced questions about the size and power of Facebook. Co-founder of the company Chris Hughes, who left in 2007, wrote in a New York Times op-ed last week that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been put into a position of 'unprecedented and un-American' power. Hughes said the article that he has watched with horror as the company he helped create has grown into a behemoth through the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, threatening to crush free speech and stifle competitive innovation. According to Hughes, the most dire threat at Facebook is Zuckerberg's 'unilateral control over speech'. But Booker said the problem is more around 'corporate consolidation', not just in the tech industry but in other sectors as well. Senator Kamala Harris said Facebook was 'essentially a utility that has gone unregulated' and it needs more scrutiny He said: 'I don't care if it's Facebook, the pharma industry, even the agricultural industry. 'We've had a problem in America with corporate consolidation, that is having really ill effects. It's driving out the independent family farmer. It's driving up our prescription drug costs. And in the realm of technology, we're seeing ... one or two companies, controlling a significant amount of the online advertising.' Booker has close political and financial ties to Silicon Valley and many of the founders of the tech industry, while Harris actually represents the industry center in Congress. He added that he wants to see antitrust laws strengthened and enforced more to help regulate the tech sector and other multi-billion dollar industries. Booker said: 'If I'm president of the United States, I will have a Justice Department that uses antitrust legislation to do the proper investigations and to hold industries accountable for corporate consolidation.' Harris agreed with Booker and said Facebook was 'essentially a utility that has gone unregulated and as far as I'm concerned, that's got to stop'. How the ancient Romans spiced up their lives pepper! Whether it was for getting animals to mate or treating menstrual bleeding, the Romans found many unusual and sometimes downright nasty uses for the spice. A Roman fresco with a banquet scene from Pompeii. Evan McDuff, MA'19, wrote his masters thesis on spices in ancient Rome. This essay is adapted from an article McDuff and his adviser, associate professor of classical studies Joel Christensen, wrote earlier this year for the online journal "Eidolon." Pepper. What meal is complete, what kitchen is ready without it? Its been found buried in the scorching sands of Berenike, Egypt and waterlogged in the cesspits and wells of Roman settlements in Germany, England and France. Three out of four recipes in a Roman cookbook call for it. Pepper, the king of spices, is one of the most influential spices in history. Our culinary research into pepper is aimed at understanding the flavors of ancient cuisine and, through this, the ancient Roman and Greek cultural preference for certain flavors. While the Greeks employed pepper and spices in wine, they were sparing in its use in food. In large part, pepper appears in ancient Greek food only when its presence is deemed medically beneficial. For instance, the physician Diphilius from the island Siphnos suggests serving pepper paired with cumin on scallops because the combination of botanicals helps with digestion. The Romans, on the other hand, adored spicing up their food. Pepper is called for in 75 percent of the 468 recipes found in the one-of-a-kind Roman period cookbook Apicius, where the spice is featured in sauces, roasted pork and hare, vegetable purees and mulled wines. The poet Martial remarks on the habitual use of pepper in even the most basic of Roman dishes, saying, Oh, with the insipid beet, the luncheon of laborers, how often the cook looks to pepper and wine. Pepper also spiced up Greek and Roman lives as medicine. Numerous extant sources comment on its curative power for ailments from hemlock poisoning to excessive menstrual bleeding. In many prescriptions, pepper was added to wine or some other concoction for oral ingestion. Take, for instance, a medical experiment presented by the Roman physician Galen: A man suffering from colic was given several horrible treatments, including a mixture of honey boiled with pepper. Although the full sequence of treatments is a bit unclear, Galen seems to suggest that, following earlier treatments of rue and castor oil, the honey-pepper concoction was administered through the rectum. Galen notes that this application of pepper caused the patient extraordinary amounts of suffering. Its worth noting that once Galen decided to halt the treatment the man made a full recovery. At least one ancient source prescribes the spice as part of good animal husbandry. In De Natura Animalium (On the Characteristics of Animals"), the author and teacher Aelian recounts several methodologies that shepherds employed to encourage their sheep to mate. One method: rub honey and pepper on the hindquarters of female animals. Apparently, this would cause females to dote upon the males of the herd. In other words, the females would grind up against anything, including the males, to get relief from the irritating sensation caused by the peppers volatile chemicals .. Part of the mystery and pleasure of dealing with our evidence for ancient food and spices is trying to separate the oddities from the everyday. While written sources give us a good idea of how pepper was used in the ancient Mediterranean, such sources represent only elite culture and leave us in the dark when it comes to how widespread its use was, how frequently and in what quantities people obtained it, and which types people were using. Pepper helps us understand how much we take for granted when it comes to evidence for the ancient world and how much we still have to learn. And, if all else fails, studying more about ancient spices can inspire us to try some new recipes or even make plans for a Saturday night. Former Vice President Joe Biden makes his first trip to New Hampshire as a 2020 presidential candidate on Monday as President Donald Trump ramps ups his attacks against him. Trump has been handicapping the Democratic presidential field - an unprecedented interference by the head of one party into the primary election of another's. And he's launches a series of attacks via Twitter - his political weapon of choice - as Biden enjoys a bump in the polls after his official entry into the presidential field. Joe Biden makes his first trip to New Hampshire as a 2020 presidential candidate on Monday Biden's visit comes as President Trump ramps up attacks on him The former vice president will spend two days in the state that holds the first presidential primary. He'll make a 'community stop' at a bakery in Hampton and hold a town hall in Manchester on Monday followed by a house party in Nashua on Tuesday. Biden has enjoyed an early lead in the polls, including in the general election match up with Trump. The RealClearPolitics polling average has him leading the president by 7.3 per cent. Trump, meanwhile, has given his two cents on the field of contenders vying to take him on in 2020. The president has declared it a two-man race between Biden and Bernie Sanders and dubbed them with dismissive monikers - a strategy that worked for him when he used it against his political rivals in the 2016 Republican primary process. 'Looks to me like its going to be SleepyCreepy Joe over Crazy Bernie. Everyone else is fading fast!' Trump wrote on Twitter Friday. But it's Biden who is enduring a heavy dose of Trump's wrath as many Republicans fear he is the candidate that can defeat the president next November. 'China is DREAMING that Sleepy Joe Biden, or any of the others, gets elected in 2020. They LOVE ripping off America!,' the president tweeted on Sunday amid concerns Beijing would retaliate against his plan to raise tariffs on goods coming into America. On Monday morning he retweeted a tweet from Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel that slammed Biden: 'Joe Biden let China get away with cheating when he was Vice President, and he continues to naively dismiss China today.' Many Republicans are concerned Biden will appeal to the same blue-collar voters in the Midwest states - Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Iowa - that helped put Trump in the Oval Office. The former vice president has made it his strategy to take on Trump from the start, blasting the president's leadership. 'I came here because, quite frankly folks, if Im going to beat Donald Trump in 2020, its going to happen here,' Biden told union supporters at a Pittsburgh rally at the end of April. Trump, meanwhile, is using a strategy that worked for him in the 2016 primary: labeling his foe with derogatory names - like he labeled 'low energy' Jeb Bush and 'Little' Marco Rubio. Trump is giving Biden a derogatory nickname - a strategy that worked for him in the past with 'Crooked' Hillary Clinton and 'Low Energy' Jeb Bush Those attacks resulted in the candidates defending themselves against Trump's accusations and ultimately giving the New York businessman the presidential nomination. The nicknames strategy also worked because the names stick - Crooked Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren - and show the president's tendency to make contests about personalities rather than policy. Biden, meanwhile, will focus on his message of rebuilding the middle class and unifying the country during his New Hampshire stops. After his visit to the Granite State he'll hold a rally in Philadelphia on Saturday, May 18. President Donald Trump welcomed right wing nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to the Oval Office Monday, praising him as a 'respected man' and saluting him for putting a 'block up' to protect Christian communities. 'I know hes a tough man but hes a respected man,' the president said, praising Orban before reporters in the Oval Office. 'People have a lot of respect for this prime minister,' Trump said, responding to a question about democratic backsliding in Hungary. The president also quipped, speaking about Orban, that he was, 'probably, like me, a little bit controversial, but that's okay. You've done a good job and you've kept your country safe.' President Donald Trump speaks to the media during a meeting with Hungarian Prime MinisterA Viktor Orban, in the Oval Office on May 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. Trump called Orban 'a respected man' but also said he was 'a little bit controversial,' comparing him to himself Trump said his counterpart has 'done the right thing, according to many people on immigration.' Orban has become a polarizing figure throughout Europe for his refusal to accept refugees under a quota plan amid a 2015 refugee crisis. A UN panel has blasted the regime for depriving rejected asylum seekers of food. Orban and Fidesz political party have effectively established control of Hungarian media, with primary outlets in the hands of allies and oligarchs. He also pushed through constitutional changes that gerrymandered seats, packed a constitutional court, and gained other advantages, while maintaining command over a democratic system. Orban, after seeking Trump's permission to speak, said: 'We are proud to stand together with [the] United States on fighting against illegal migration, on terrorism' as well as on protecting 'Christian communities all around the world.' He said the two have some 'similar approaches.' 'We are proud to stand together [with the] United States on fighting against illegal migration,' said Orban Trump said Orban was 'probably, like me, a little bit controversial, but that's okay' Trump, speaking again after Orban, agreed, saying: 'And you have been great with respect to Christian communities. You have really put a block up and we appreciate that very much.' The meeting put Trump face to face with a leader who has consolidated his grip on power by attacking immigrants and squeezing the judiciary. The White House issued a brief statement about the private meeting. 'The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the NATO Alliance and to their democratic systems of government, which safeguard the freedom and cultivate the prosperity that the United States and Hungary enjoy, ' according to the White House. 'The President and the Prime Minister discussed how best to increase vigilance against unchecked global migration and to address Chinas unfair trade and investment practices. This was the first visit of a Hungarian Prime Minister to the Oval Office since 2005,' the White House said. The two men were scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting, then meet with him as part of an expanded group. An Oval Office private audience is among the highest honors a president can grant a foreign leader, and it is one Orban has not enjoyed in decades. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban holds an Oval Office meeting with President Trump on Monday President Bill Clinton met with Orban in the Oval Office back in 1998, but at that time he was considered a political reformer. In recent years, he has exerted power over the media and the judiciary, rewriting the constitution and consolidated power. Like Trump, he has solidified his own political control in part through warnings about an immigrant threat. 'We must state that we do not want to be diverse,' he said in a speech last year. 'We do not want our own color, traditions and national culture to be mixed with those of others.' In 2015, Hungary built a border fence between it and Serbia and Croatia at a time when large numbers of migrants from the Middle East and Afghanistan were coming to the European Union through Hungary. Serbia and Croatia are not members of the EU and their border with Hungary became a point of access for migrants, prompting tensions between the neighbors. Trump's former chief strategist Steven Bannon has said Orban was 'Trump before Trump.' Orban became the first foreign leader to endorse Trump in July 2016. President Trump, like Orban, has railed against immigration and 'fake news' A bipartisan group of senators warned of the 'downward democratic trajectory [in Hungary] and the implications for U.S. interests in Central Europe.' Last Oval Office meeting: President Bill Clinton met with Orban in October 1998, at a time when the new Hungarian prime minister was considered a reformer. His term then last until 2002, and he became prime minister again in 2010 His administration butted heads with the Obama Administration and with the European Union, even as Orban drew closer ties to Moscow and Beijing, nations who are both frequent U.S. adversaries. The meeting comes days after a bipartisan group of senators warned of the 'downward democratic trajectory [in Hungary] and the implications for U.S. interests in Central Europe.' Former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon Signing onto the letter was James Risch, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It was also signed by ranking member Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, GOP Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. The letter also called out Moscow for moving an investment bank to Budapest in an They called the relocation of the International Investment Bank from Moscow an 'exercise in Russian power projection.' They also blasted his regime for extraditing two arms dealers to Moscow rather than the U.S. His government sent them ''to their freedom in Moscow,' according to the letter. House International Relations Committee chairman Rep. Eliot Engel of New York called on Trump to cancel the meeting. Prosecutors in Florida have dropped charges against mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor after the Dublin native was accused of stealing and destroying an onlooker's phone outside of a Miami Beach hotel in March. Prosecutor Khalil Madani announced in court on Monday morning that the alleged victim had recanted his story, the Miami Herald reported. 'The victim of the crime does not wish to return to the United States and prosecute this case,' Madani said. McGregor, 30, was originally scheduled to appear in court on Monday, but was reportedly not present. The victim, UK resident Ahmed Abdirzak, already settled a civil suit with McGregor for a reported $15,000. McGregor had been charged with robbery by sudden snatching and criminal mischief. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Prosecutors in Florida have dropped charges against mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor after the Dublin native was accused of stealing and destroying an onlooker's phone outside of a Miami Beach hotel in March. Prosecutor Khalil Madani announced in court on Monday morning that the alleged victim had recanted his story, the Miami Herald reported. The victim, UK resident Ahmed Abdirzak (left), had reportedly already settled a civil suit with McGregor McGregor is seen in the CCTV footage grabbing the phone and then stamping on it 'I think this was the appropriate resolution of this case,' said McGregor's attorney, Sam Rabin. McGregor was arrested on March 11 following a confrontation at the Fontainebleau hotel. Abdirzak was one of several onlookers taking video of McGregor when the former UFC star slapped the phone out of his hand. Security video appears to show McGregor stomping on the phone as well, which is what Abdirzak claimed in his lawsuit. McGregor has been in a relationship with girlfriend Dee Devlin since 2008, and the couple has a son, Conor Jack McGregor Jr. (pictured), who was born in 2017 'The defendant then picked up the smashed phone and slipped it into his pocket before strutting to a waiting SUV,' the lawsuit said. Abdirzak described McGregor to DailyMail.com: He's a dangerous thug, very dangerous. He lives up to his name - notorious. He thinks the normal rules don't apply to him.' A former two-division UFC champion, McGregor was reportedly planning to return to the octagon but suddenly retired as it was being reported that he was under investigation for sexual assault in his native Ireland. McGregor spokeswoman's Karen Kessler denied that his sudden retirement announcement had anything to do with the sexual assault allegations, which emerged in a New York Times report. The Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami Beach is home to LIV where Conor McGregor was partying McGregor keeps a house in Miami Beach and returned there after being bonded out of jail The claim is being investigated by local police but McGregor has not been charged. 'This story has been circulating for some time and it is unclear why it is being reported now,' Kessler said in a statement given to ESPN. 'The assumption that the Conor retirement announcement is related to this rumor is absolutely false. 'Should Conor fight in the future it must be in an environment where fighters are respected for their value, their skill, their hard work and their dedication to the sport.' Reports of the sexual assault have appeared in the media since the attack was first reported to police, but the identity of the alleged perpetrator was previously obscured. That changed when the New York Times became the first to link McGregor's name to the alleged assault. The newspaper said four people close to the investigation confirmed that McGregor was the man in question, and that he had been arrested and questioned over the claims in January. McGregor was released after being questioned and has not been charged while investigations continue, the newspaper said. The allegations have not been proven, and the fact that investigations are ongoing does not imply that McGregor has committed any offence. The woman making the claim said the incident occurred at Dublin's Beacon Hotel, where McGregor reportedly stays on occasion. He last visited in December, the Times reported. McGregor has been in a relationship with girlfriend Dee Devlin since 2008, and the couple has a son, Conor Jack McGregor Jr., who was born in 2017. The trio was seen in Florida on Tuesday, where McGregor has been vacationing. McGregor, who has retired from MMA twice in the last three years, has had several recent legal issues. Last April he was accused of assault and criminal mischief after attacking a bus of rivals at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. He pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct and has since completed community service. A gang of moped 'scumbags' exposed by BGT judge Amanda Holden for threatening to snatch a toddler have been jailed for a total of 68 years today. The 12-strong mob carried out a series of high-profile raids around the capital - even trying to steal TV cameras from bridges on the university boat race route - before making off on mopeds. Ms Holden got involved after four gang members were caught on CCTV targeting her neighbour, Pheobe Ruele, as she walked her little son home from nursery last summer. Bearded gang ringleader Terry Marsh, along with Steven Weller, John McFadyen and his brother Isaac, tried to rob Miss Reule in the middle of the road, demanding 'give me your rings or I'm going to hurt your child'. They were spotted by a group of builders who chased them off brandishing scaffold poles. The gang were finally rounded up following another raid, after a 90-minutes chase through 10 London boroughs, which ended when one pair slid off their bike while trying to take a corner at high speed. Helicopter footage shows the moment three of the gang slid off their moped after a chase which had lasted more than 90 minutes and spanned 10 London boroughs, with all three piled onto the same bike. At one point they even drove the wrong way up the A40 into oncoming traffic to try to shake off the helicopter, police motorbikes and dog units chasing them They were chased into a graveyard when one was detained. Officers discovered a hammer, screwdriver, angle grinder and large knife underneath the seat cover of one of the mopeds Footage of the attack in Richmond, south west London, was tweeted by the Britain's Got Talent judge who urged the public to call the police 'if u know these scumbags' after it happened last June All four were jailed at Kingston Crown Court today, along with six other members of the 12-strong gang who were also responsible for a string of high profile raids across London. Two were spared jail. The gang were behind the theft of 170,000 of camera equipment used to film the Oxford and Cambridge boat race. Nine of the 12 had racked up 383 previous convictions for burglaries, handling stolen goods, car theft, aggravated vehicle taking, assault and robberies between them. The other three men had no previous criminal records. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline after the gang were convicted last week, Amanda Holden said: 'I'm delighted these criminals have been brought to justice. It's nice to see how social media can work in a positive way when we all work together.' Today the thugs, aged between 18 and 36, and who were all linked to ringleader Marsh, 32, appeared for 12 offences, including conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to burgle, conspiracy to steal, criminal damage and handling stolen goods. Judge Georgina Kent told the 12-strong gang, who were crowded into the dock at Kingston Crown Court: 'Many offences were committed using motorbikes or mopeds, often stolen with false number plates. Many offences were committed at night.' Members of the gang are pictured climbing on Putney Bridge in order to steal expensive camera equipment for the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race Footage taken from below shows them trying to break the rigging to get the camera Judge Georgina Kent sentenced them, saying: 'All 12 of you have been involved in conspiracies to steal, burgle and rob as well as other offences. 'Between you you have caused a great deal of harm, loss and damage to a large number of victims. 'Apart from the financial cost, there's the human cost in anxiety, distress and fear caused to the victims and to those who witnessed and heard about the offences. Your offending has cost a great deal in police resources. 'These were very professional planned and organised offences. The common denominator is Terry Marsh.' She said there was little forensic or physical evidence to the crimes which were mostly carried out at night and added: 'Terry Marsh was supremely organised and diligent in rotating SIM cards and phones he used.' Terry Marsh (left), of Fulham, admitted conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to burgle. He was sentenced to 13 years and two months. Kian Taylor (right) admitted attempted robbery, possession of an offensive weapon, going equipped for theft and criminal damage. He was sentenced to nine years and four months in a young offenders institute Josh Myers (left) of Shepherd's Bush, and admitted attempted robbery, possession of an offensive weapon, going equipped for theft and criminal damage. He was sentenced to eight years in a young offenders institute. Omar Tafat (right), of Fulham, admitted attempted robbery, possession of an offensive weapon, going equipped for theft, breach of a criminal behaviour order and criminal damage. He was sentenced to eight years and five months in a young offenders' institute. John and Isaac McFadyen, of Feltham, admitted conspiracy to rob. John was sentenced to two years and 8 months while Isaac was jailed for two years and 8 months in a young offenders' institute. Seven months of mayhem: Timeline of the gang's activity 31 December 2017: Gang used a stolen Range Rover to break to ram raid a clothing shop on Kensington High Street. They stole two high value coats before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on motorbikes. January 2018: Four of the gang travelled to Redditch in Worcestershire and stole three motorbikes worth a total of 30,000 after their owner accidentally posted his address after advertising them on eBay. 30 January 2018: They targetted the same shop, using three mopeds to ram the front before attacking a security guard with planks of wood. In the two raids, they netted 40,000 worth of stock. 22 March 2018: The gang were responsible for the attempted theft of a media camera that was fixed to Putney Bridge to film the Oxford v Cambridge boat race. They successfully stole another BBC camera from Lonsdale Road, near Barnes Bridge, only an hour later. April 2018: They raided three Kensington-based businesses, making off with thousands of pounds of electronic equipment - one company alone lost 83,000 worth of MacBooks and other Apple products. 7 May 2018: Two of the gang were involved in an attempted knifepoint moped robbery on Dolphin Street in Kingston. Three of the men were detained and arrested in Ealing by police following a 90 minute pursuit which ran through ten London boroughs. 21 June 2018: Four suspects went to Kingston and stole number plates from a parked vehicle. They then approached a woman who was walking hand in hand with her three-year-old son. They demanded jewellery whilst threatening to harm the boy if she did not comply. 19 July 2018: Police carry out a series of raids, rounding up and arresting the gang. Advertisement The judge continued: 'At about 12.30pm on 21st June 2018 Mr Marsh, Mr Weller, Isaac McFadyen and John McFadyen attempted to rob a young mother who was with her child. 'This was an extremely serious offence, the robbery was captured on CCTV and reported in the media. 'Apart from the impact on the victim, the nature of offences caused shock and concern to those who heard about it.' The McFadyen brothers approached the mother Phoebe Reule as she was walking hand in hand with her three-year-old son after picking him up from nursery. The judge said: 'All four men were dressed in black motorbike clothing and black full face helmets. 'They were waiting for Miss Reule so they must have targeted her when they walked past her. Mr Marsh and Mr Weller moved their bikes into Sandpits Road. 'It's striking that the robbers were so confident that they targeted their victims in full public view. 'When Phoebe Reule and her son arrived at the mouth of Sandpits Road, the McFadyen brothers approached them together. She said she could see Mr Weller and Mr Marsh. 'John McFadyen grabbed hold of Ms Reule by the arm, as he did so John McFadyen demanded her rings and threatened to hurt her child. 'He said, 'give me your rings or I'm going to hurt your child and take him away'. As he said that he bent down as if to move towards the child.' The judge added: 'Ms Reule was terrified, she instinctively picked up her son and dragged him back towards the road - fortunately there were no cars in the vicinity at the time. 'Miss Reule's instructive reaction caused John McFadyen to release her arm. Ms Reule shouted, 'help help they are trying to take my child'. 'The most serious aggravating feature was the targeting of the victim due to her vulnerability and the nature of the threat made. 'A mother and her three-year-old son are extremely vulnerable. The threats that were made were calculated to exploit that vulnerability. 'To threaten a mother with violence towards a very young child and to threaten to take the child away is a most effective and distressing threat. 'I have no doubt that this offence would have struck fear into any parent who heard about it.' Steven Weller (left), of Ealing, admitted conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to burgle. He was sentenced to six years and seven months. Aaron Pask (right), of White City, West London, was convicted of conspiracy to steal, conspiracy to burgle and burglary. He was sentenced to six years and eight months. Scott Leaver (left), of Battersea, and Mitchell Leaver, 18, of Lambeth, southwest London, admitted conspiracy to burgle. He got four years and eight months. Ram Monk (right) of no fixed address, was convicted conspiracy to burgle. He was sentenced to two years and eight months jail. Mitchell Leaver (left), of Lambeth, southwest London, admitted conspiracy to burgle but was given 12-month sentence, suspended for 18 months. Ryan Moran (right), of Fulham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal, conspiracy to burgle and handling stolen goods. He was handed a 24 month suspended sentence. Taking the criminals off the streets has helped cut moped crime in the capital by 52 per cent in a year, the Metropolitan Police claim. The gang's illegal activity first came to light on New Year's Eve 2017 after a ram raid on outdoor clothing company Altimus Ltd in Kensington using a stolen Range Rover and several mopeds. This is the angle grinder they used as they tried to steal a TV camera from Putney Bridge ahead of the Oxford-Cambridge boat race Three were arrested last May after a high-speed police chase that lasted more than 90 minutes and spanned 10 London boroughs. The trio, who were piled on the same moped and drove the wrong way up the A40, tried to film their escape attempt. Ringleader Terry Marsh, of Fulham, was jailed for 13 years and two months with four years-and-a-half for the attempted robbery. He got four years consecutive for the conspiracy to steal and another four years and eight months for conspiracy to burgle. John McFadyen, of Feltham, west London, and his brother Isaac, 18, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob, while his brother Isaac, 18. John got two years and eight months in jail. Isaac got two years and eight months in a youth offenders institution for the attempted robbery. Steven Weller, 36, of Ealing, west London, admitted conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to burgle. He was jailed for six years and seven months - four years and a month for conspiracy to rob the young mother; with consecutive four months for conspiracy to steal and 26 months for conspiracy to burgle. Josh Myers, 19, of Shepherds Bush, west London, pleaded guilty to attempted theft, going equipped to steal, criminal damage to a police car, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, possession of an offensive weapon and conspiracy to steal. He was also found guilty of two further counts of robbery and possession of an offensive weapon at trial. Photos show the gang trying to remove the camera in the middle of rush hour while stunned motorists watch on Myers got eight years in a youth offenders institution and a two year driving ban. Kian Taylor, 20, of no fixed address, admitted attempted theft, going equipped to steal, criminal damage to a police car, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and possession of an offensive weapon, and was found guilty of robbery after trial. He was given nine years in a youth offenders institution and a two year driving ban. Pictured: Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, whose neighbour was targeted in the robbery in Richmond last June Ryan Moran, 26, of Fulham, admitted conspiracy to steal, conspiracy to burgle and handling stolen goods. He was spared jail. He got a two-year term suspended for 19 months with six months on an electronically monitored curfew from 9pm to 6am. Mitchell Leaver, 25, of Battersea, south west London, admitted conspiracy to burgle. He got one year suspended for 18 months with a 9pm to 6am electronically monitored curfew for three months. His twin brother Scott, of Lambeth, was found guilty of the same charge after trial. He got four years in prison. He also got concurrent sentences - six months for possession of a weapon, 20 months for dangerous driving and four months for going equipped for theft. Aaron Pask, 27, of White City, west London, was convicted of conspiracy to burgle and conspiracy to steal, while Ram Monk 23, of no fixed address was found guilty of conspiracy to burgle. He was handed six years and eight months. Four years for conspiracy to steal, with consecutive terms of two years and four months for conspiracy to burgle and four months for handling stolen goods. Ram Monk got two years and eight months for conspiracy to burgle. This was made of two years for conspiracy to steal, another two years consecutive of conspiracy to burgle and another four years 11 months for attempted robbery and one month for criminal damage. He got concurrent sentences of five months for weapons possession, 20 months for dangerous driving and five months for going equipped for theft. Omar Tafat, 22, of Fulham, west London, admitted theft, going equipped to steal, criminal damage to a police car and breach of a criminal behaviour order, and was found guilty of two further counts of robbery and possession of an offensive weapon at trial. Tafat got eight years and five months in jail - two years eight months for conspiracy to steal and four years and 11 months consecutive for attempted robbery and another month for criminal damage. He got concurrent sentences of six months for weapons possession, four months for going equipped for theft and four and five months for two breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order. Ryan Moran, 26, of Fulham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal, conspiracy to burgle and handling stolen goods. He was handed a 24 month suspended sentence. Richard Babos (pictured), 29, was arrested after residents in Brisbane's Inala complained of being terrorised by the man on Sunday A man accused of trying to kill a police officer with a pair of scissors has appeared in court. Richard Babos, 29, was arrested after residents in Brisbane complained of being terrorised by the man on Sunday. He was charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing an officer in the neck at a shopping centre. Police alleged two officers were attempting to speak with the man in Inala in Brisbane's south at 2.10pm when he picked up a pair of scissors from a shop bench nearby. Babos allegedly swung at the officers and a male acting senior constable was struck and stabbed in the neck and shoulder area. A taser momentarily stopped Babos before he managed to flee on foot. The police officer was treated at the scene before being rushed to hospital in a serious but stable condition. Footage of Babos' dramatic arrest showed police tackle him to the ground before he was handcuffed about 3pm on Sunday A 29-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a police officer in the neck with scissors at a shopping centre in Inala in Brisbane's south Helicopters and the dog squad were deployed to track the 29-year-old. He allegedly managed to steal a shovel from a home, threatened residents and attempted a carjacking before he was taken into custody. Footage of Babos' dramatic arrest showed police tackle him to the ground before he was handcuffed about 3pm on Sunday. Police said the man wasn't known to them but they were wishing to speaking to him over another matter at the time. He was charged with one count of attempted murder, trespassing, entering a dwelling with intent, armed robbery, attempted armed robbery and two counts of obstructing police. He has been remanded in custody and made no application for bail. The matters were adjourned to June 3 for a committal mention via video link. Two officers were attempting to speak with a man at the shopping centre at about 2.10pm on Sunday when he allegedly attacked them A Sussex village is planning to add 'on-Sea' to its name in a bid to attract more tourists by making it sound grander. Council bosses in Lancing, on the Sussex coast, think that changing the village's name to Lancing-on-Sea will make it sound grander and pull in more tourists. But people on social media jumped on the plan, accusing Lancing of indulging in 'snob tactics' to appear more upmarket than it is. The Sussex village of Lancing is planning to add 'on-Sea' to its name in a bid to attract more tourists by making it sound grander Though it has a population of more than 18,000, Lancing is still classed as a village - one of the largest in the UK - and has a parish council. Unimpressed with a perceived lack of visitors, the council has taken it upon themselves to design new lamp post banners with Lancing-on-Sea written across them. They think adding the 'on-sea' will make the village sound more attractive. Unimpressed with a perceived lack of visitors, the council has taken it upon themselves to design new lamp post banners with Lancing-on-Sea written across them The design features a colourful picture of blue skies, some of the prettier village buildings and the South Downs looking out on to the sea. If the banners are officially approved, they will be used as direction signs for tourists arriving from the A259 into South Street and Grinstead Lane to draw them to the village centre. The initial plan was to have bunting hanging across roads but this was 'too complicated to overcome', according to a council spokesman. Council bosses think that changing the village's name to Lancing-on-Sea will make it sound grander and pull in more tourists But people on social media took aim at the name change, saying that with one suggesting that the village should instead be named 'Dump-by-the-sea?'. Another user, Biker Marty, posted: 'Come and enjoy the delights of our lovely village high street...if you only want to browse betting shops, charity shops and takeaways, it is a must.' J Bennett27 said: 'Perhaps they could sort out the rental of the shops first, to encourage more individual shops to the area, to make it worthwhile visiting Lancing. But people on social media jumped on the plan, accusing Lancing of indulging in 'snob tactics' to appear more upmarket than it is 'I have lived here most of my life and the village has never looked so dismal! Just come through Rustington this weekend - not a large place, but how vibrant it is in comparison to Lancing.' Dan Allday, 33, who has lived in Lancing nearly all his life, said he is not against the scheme but the council needs to make sure as many people as possible have had a say before final decisions are made, and pointed out that Shoreham-by-Sea is very close. 'I personally don't like the sound of the suggested new name, also as the town next door has 'by-sea' in its name. We can be our own place and not have to copy our neighbours. Though it has a population of more than 18,000, Lancing is still classed as a village - one of the largest in the UK - and has a parish council 'Also having a promotional name for our village that is different from what people have on their address seems nonsensical unless the intention would be to eventually change that as well - something people should also consider.' The idea for the lamp post banners was thought up by the parish council-led Lancing Vision Group, which has been working on ways to help promote the village centre as a place to visit following a consultation that was carried out in 2017. They discussed other ideas until they found a brand designer who they say had 'a good understanding of what the group was trying to achieve'. But people on social media took aim at the name change, saying that with one suggesting that the village should instead be named 'Dump-by-the-sea?' The parish council chairwoman, Councillor Gloria Eveleigh, said 'This council is dedicated to listening to and acting on the community's wishes. 'The Lancing Vision Group is trying to fulfill the results of the consultation by following through the suggested ways to improve the village.' The design will be 'future proof' if accepted, according the council, and could be used for history or nature trail leaflets. Car giant Honda has confirmed plans to close its UK factory in 2021, with the loss of thousands of jobs. The Japanese company told workers at the Swindon factory that following a 'meaningful and robust' consultation, no viable alternatives to the closure have been found. Honda makes its popular Civic model at the factory, 70 miles west of London, which makes 150,000 cars a year. The plant, which employs 3,500 workers, will close at the end of the current model's production lifecycle, in 2021. Honda said a number of organisations and groups took part in the consultation, including the Government and external consultants engaged by the Unite union. Reports of the closure first emerged in February, heightening concerns about the impact of Brexit-related uncertainty on the U.K. economy. Honda said the closure is not Brexit-driven but 'is part of Honda's broader global strategy in response to changes to the automotive industry,' including moving towards electric vehicles. The plant, which employs 3,500 workers, will close at the end of the current model's production lifecycle, in 2021 Honda makes its popular Civic model at the factory, 70 miles west of London. Director Jason Smith, said: 'It is with a heavy heart that today we confirm the closure of Honda's factory in Swindon. 'We understand the impact this decision has on our associates, suppliers and the wider community. 'We are committed to continuing to support them throughout the next phases of the consultation process.' The company will now move to discuss redundancy packages and look at the impact on individual roles up until production ends. The move comes amid a fall in demand for diesel cars and tighter emissions rules, with the firm saying the closure is also linked to the need to launch electric vehicles. Honda is also reacting after the EU and Japan struck a trade deal removing car export tariffs for both, meaning there is little need to base manufacturing in the EU. An aerial view of the Honda manufacturing plant in Swindon today, ahead of its closure in 2021 Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey said: 'This is devastating news for the workers who have fought tooth and nail to save their jobs. 'The impact of today's announcement will be felt right across the local community and the wider supply chain. 'Workers and their trade union Unite had compiled an alternative case to keep Honda Swindon open, which would have made Honda a global leader in emerging battery technology and well placed for the production of electric vehicles in the coming years to Britain and global markets. 'We await the Government's response and urge it to pull out all the stops to ensure that Honda reconsiders its decision, as well as examining other possible alternative options to save jobs and keep this vital plant in production.' Unite's national officer Des Quinn added said: 'We await the detailed reasons from Honda, but Unite believes that our alternative case to keep Honda Swindon open added up and was likely to be backed by the Government with public money. 'It would have made Honda a global leader in emerging battery technology and in a strong position to exploit the growing global market for electric vehicles in the coming years. 'Instead we have this body blow which is nothing short of a betrayal of the workforce, customers and the wider supply chain which relies on Honda Swindon for work. 'Unite can only conclude that Honda is taking a strategic decision to retreat out of Europe in favour of protecting its North American operations and avoiding president Trump's tariff threat on cars made in Europe. 'Unite will be consulting with its members on our next steps in the coming days.' Honda first announced plans to shot down the plant in February, less than six months after bosses pledged support for it. Honda insisted the closure was 'not a Brexit related issue for us', but workers and MPs including Richard Burden and Rebecca Long-Bailey lined up to dispute this. Advertisement Incredible rare photos show just what the brave pilots of 'The Few' would have experienced while fighting in the Battle of Britain or in the skies above Dunkirk. Remarkable images, some of which have never been seen before, capture the life and times of Squadron 610's fighter pilots, a unit which witnessed some of the most intensive aerial combat in the Second World War. The squadron was formed in Chester and initially flew out of Hooton Park in the Wirral, but moved to RAF Gravesend at the outbreak of the war and then RAF Biggin Hill in south London before the Battle of Britain. The pictures form part of a new book on the squadron - 610 (County of Chester): Auxiliary Air Force Squadron 1936-1940 - written by military historian David Bailey. They show exhausted aces sprawled on the floor between sorties, Spitfires flying in inch-perfect formation, and the heart-stopping perspective of a trio of RAF fighter pilots bearing down on you. Rare images of 'The Few' in action during the Battle of Britain have been included in a new book on RAF Squadron 610 which helped defend the country during the 1940 campaign to defend the country against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany. The squadron was formed in Chester in 1936, eventually moving to Gravesend and then Biggin Hill in south London at the outbreak of the German offensive. It bore much of the brunt of the assault with 22 pilots killed and another 15 wounded by the Luftwaffe. The book is written by military historian David Bailey This photo shows some of the earliest recruits into Squadron 610 posing in front of a Hawker Hart. Pictured left are two unknown men wearing overalls who were ground crew. They are standing next to (from centre) Horatio 'Ray' Chandler, Cyril 'Bam' Bamberger and John Walter Collingwood. Mr Chandler and Mr Bamberger would eventually go on to become pilots, while Mr Collingwood was the first member of ground crew to sign up to the squadron When the suqadron was set up in 1936 it recruited 'weekend flyers' to train as a bomber unit in Hawker Hart and Hawker Hind aircraft, which soon were rendered obsolete by the Hurricane and Spitfire fighters. Mr Bailey said the unit evolved over the space of four years to become one of the most successful Spitfire squadrons in the RAF. Pictured are some of the pilots awaiting the call to action at Hawkinge in Kent on July 29, 1940 This picture shows the view German pilots would have feared during the Battle of Britain - Squadron 610 Spitfires closing in behind an aircraft. It was actually taken from an RAF plane on May 27, 1940, as part of a series of shots showing the squadron on patrol more than a month before the Battle of Britain. The image would have been used to reassure the public ahead of any potential German invasion Squadron 610 was one of the units that bore the brunt of the Luftwaffe offensive in summer 1940 and sustained heavy losses, eventually moving to RAF Acklington in Northumberland at the end of August that year to recover. Mr Bailey said he wanted to offer a 'fascinating insight into the squadron's history' from its formation in 1936 to its courageous actions at Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain. He said: 'The Squadron had come a long way from when Squadron Leader I. R. Parker started to form it in early 1936, as a bomber squadron, flying obsolete Hawker Harts and Hinds,' said military historian Bailey. 'He could never have imagined how it would have evolved in little more than four years, to be one of the most successful Spitfire squadrons in the RAF. 'It really is hard to believe just how much the Squadrons identity had changed between 1936 and the end of 1940.' The 610 (County of Chester) Squadron was first established in 1936 at Hooton Park, Wirral. Pictured here are 610 Squadron's Alf Bridson and Steve Biggs holding down the tail of a plane for an engine test. The Squadron also saw action at Dunkirk, with seven pilots killed and one wounded while protecting boats evacuating soldiers from the town in northern France in late May 1940 One of the key roles the 610 ground crew carried out was rearming the Squadron's Spitfires between sorties. Here, 610's Aircraftman second class Goff can be seen filling the ammunition boxes at Hawkinge, Kent, during the Battle of Britain. The squadron was responsible for damaging or destroying 128 German aircraft during the battle The squadron used Hawker Hart and Hawker Hind aircraft until September 1939, when pilots began flying Hurricanes and Spitfires. Pictured is one of the first Spitfires delivered to the unit, flown by founding squadron member Flying Officer E.B.B. Smith RAF crews were of course at greatest risk when engaging the enemy - but pilots were also killed during training, following mechanical failures, and during crash-landings. The photo above, taken in 1938, is a stark reminder of the dangers. It shows 610 Squadron pilot A.T. Smith's plane after it had crash landed. Amaxingly, pilot and passenger walked away with no injuries The incredible sight of 610 Squadron Spitfires diving in formation. The squadron played a key role in the Battle of Britain, claiming a heavy toll on the Luftwaffe while operating from Biggin Hill and Hawkinge. Against dire odds, the British RAF managed to contain and fight off the Luftwaffe during months of gruelling aerial warfare As well as having to battle Nazi warplanes, pilots also had to fly in all weathers. The photo above shows the aftermath of 610 Squadron pilot Sergeant Barrowman's landing in snowy conditions With personnel recruited locally for the expanding Auxiliary Air Force, these 'weekend flyers' were moulded into a cohesive fighting unit as the threat of war and the German Luftwaffe grew increasingly more concerning. As war loomed, 610 Squadron transferred to Fighter Command, ultimately operating the Spitfire. In 1940, flying from Gravesend, 610 Squadron protected the Dunkirk evacuation, suffering seven pilots killed and one wounded. On 26 May 1940, Churchill ordered the start of Operation Dynamo - the evacuation of more than 330,000 Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk during WWII. RAF Fighter Command began to operate patrols from Boulogne to Dunkirk and the operations were to continue for the next nine days during the evacuation. They suffered heavy losses, but over 800 small boats volunteered to help bring 330,000 troops home, the RAF stoically performed their duty of protecting the shores and providing shelter over the evacuation. One of the most iconic images of the summer of 1940 shows three of the squadron's Spitfires in formation during the struggle to rescue thousands of Allied soldiers from Dunkirk. At the head of the section is Flight Lieutenant Ellis in DW-0, Sergeant Arnfield in DW-K and Flight Officer Warner in DW-Q On 30 August 1940, a day in which the RAF's Fighter Command flew 1,054 sorties, two German Me 109s collided near Biggen hill. Both pilots successfully bailed out and survived. Some of 610 Squadron's men wen to inspect the remains of the aircraft. On the left is Brian Rees who had not flown since 22 August. Next to him, holding a piece of a 109 is Peter Lamb, who shot down a Heinkel 111 that day. On the right is John Ellis, complete with polka dot silk scarf and the Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon below his wings This photograph was taken at RAF Acklington, in Northumberland, between 17-19 September 1940. John Ellis proudly sits on top of the engine of his plane, while his colleagues stand proudly in front. September saw the Luftwaffe begin their campaign to bomb key British cities, which was known as 'The Blitz' Several Boulton Paul Defiants, a lesser-known aircraft which was used during the War, are seen on patrol with 141 Squadron. The Defiant was effective at destroying bombers during combat but it was vulnerable during daytime because it did not have forward-firing weapons The non-flying members of the RAF, the ground crew, kept the planes in the air by fixing and maintaining them. As soon as the Spitfires had landed, crew members would swarm all over them to check for damage and to refuel and rearm them. Due to the hard work of both pilots and ground crew, Britain was able to stand firm in 1940 against fearsome odds The 610 Squadron then played a key role in the Battle of Britain, claiming a heavy toll on the Luftwaffe while operating from Biggin Hill and Hawkinge. Against dire odds, the British RAF managed to contain and fight off the Luftwaffe during months of gruelling aerial warfare. Mr Bailey said he wanted to offer a 'fascinating insight into the squadron's history' from its formation in 1936 to its courageous actions at Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain Due to the hard work of The Few - supported by the many on the ground - Britain was able to stand firm in 1940 and eventually launch the counter attack four years later which would see the Allied Forces defeat the Third Reich. Mr Bailey said 'In terms of facts and figures in 1940, 610 Squadron had lost twenty-two pilots killed or 'missing, fourteen or fifteen wounded and five ground crew killed and at least two wounded, in the eight months since Germany unleashed its Blitzkrieg on 10 May 1940. They were terrible casualties indeed. 'The Squadron had made claims for sixty-eight aircraft destroyed, seventeen unconfirmed, nineteen probably destroyed, and twenty-four damaged Luftwaffe aircraft, 128 claims in total. 'These statistics are evidence of the heroic effort made by the Squadron in defence of the Army and Navy at Dunkirk, and then the nation as a whole during the Battle of Britain. 'However, there is so much more to the history of 610 Squadron than such stark figures, and hopefully this book has given a greater insight into the lives, and all too frequent deaths, of the people who made up 'The Chesters'. 'In Britain's greatest hour of need, the pilots and ground crew were willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice in order to maintain our freedom against the tyranny of Nazi Germany. 'The valiant and courageous actions of 610 (County of Chester) Auxiliary Air Force Squadron's personnel, should never be forgotten.' David Bailey's 610 (County of Chester): Auxiliary Air Force Squadron 1936-1940 is published by Fonthill Media. A moving photo of Flight Officer A.R.J Medcalf, posing in one of the Squadron's early Spitfires. Flight Officer Medcalf was one of the Squadron's longest serving Officers and was killed in action over Dunkirk on May 27 1940 Linette Boedicker, also known as Linette Warrichaiet, 44, (pictured above) was arrested Saturday and charged with her daughter's murder A 44-year-old mother is charged with murder after her two-year-old daughter was found floating in a bathtub in their Las Vegas home. Linette Boedicker, also known as Linette Warrichaiet, was arrested Saturday. Officers found the 'unresponsive child' in the Sunset Terrace apartments, in the 2800 block of North Walnut Avenue at around 3 p.m. They took the toddler out of the bath and performed CPR. She was taken to UMC trauma were she was pronounced dead, according to a police news release. Investigators believe Boedicker 'held the child under the water until she stopped breathing' and then called 911. According to police the dispatcher told Boedicker to remove her daughter from the bath and perform CPR but Boedicker 'refused.' Metropolitan Police Department Lieutenant Ray Spencer told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that an officer arrived within five minutes of the call, but Boedicker 'didnt open the door for almost two minutes.' The child was found fully clothed and unresponsive in the bathtub, police said. Boedicker was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center where she was charged with murder. Sunrise Terrace Apartments, Las Vegas, where the 2-year-old girl was found 'unresponsive' in the bath on Saturday Police were called to Boedicker's apartment earlier on Saturday to respond to a domestic disturbance call, Spencer told the Review-Journal, but didn't release any further details. Boedicker's husband and the girl's father, who was at work at the time his daughter was found unresponsive, has been interviewed by police and isn't considered a suspect in his daughters death, Spencer added. A former Minnesota City Council candidate has been found guilty of posting a topless image of his ex wife to his campaign website during his run for office. David Martinez, 39, from Saint Paul, was sentenced to two years probation after he confessed to posting the exposing image of his partner online last July. According to reports, the disgraced politician, who has been charged with non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images, posted the image after his estranged wife filed a restraining order against him. Former Minnesota City Council candidate David Martinez, 39, from Saint Paul, has pleaded guilty to posting a topless image of his ex wife to his campaign website In addition to his sentence, the former city candidate will also have to undergo a mental health evaluation and refrain from taking drugs and alcohol or risk facing a year in prison. According to Fox News, the intimate image surfaced a day after Martinez's wife filed a restraining order against him for domestic abuse. In a blog post, which was seen by Fox News before it was suspended, the politician is claimed to have shared his frustration at being slammed with the restraining order and suggested the claims lodged by his former wife were fabricated. In the post the politician reportedly wrote: 'Yesterday afternoon, the Ramsey County Sheriffs Department paid me a visit at work. 'They presented me with a restraining order that my wife had filed with the District Court.' The frustrated politician went on to say: 'I am shocked and amazed that someone can make up a story just so they can kick someone out of their own home and take the kids away.' The politician later admitted to the charge in March and has been banned from all public libraries in St. Paul. (Stock image of Minnesota skyline) When questioned by police, Martinez initially denied that he had been the one responsible for posting the topless image and claimed that his website had been hacked. He also told KARE11 news that his blog and social media platforms had been infiltrated by a third party. However the politician later changed his plea and admitted to the charge in March. The terms of the former politician's sentence will also mean he is banned from Target Field and from all public libraries in Saint Paul. FALLS TOWNSHIP >> The Falls Township Board of Supervisors took steps to create more than 500 new jobs on Dec. 20. The board approved a minor subdivision and lot line change for Stalwart Equities, the developer of a large-scale warehouse planned for more than 95 acres along the Delaware River. The companys sketch plan, which the board reviewed last year, called... Soldiers were told to 'get off this bloody beach and don't get killed' during the D-Day landings, a veteran recalled ahead of the 75th anniversary next month. Bill Fitzgerald, 94, was 18 at the time of the landings and one of seven veterans to attend an event at the Royal Hospital Chelsea today. He described his time serving with the Sussex Regiment, and said soldiers just thought about looking out for each other on the beaches of Normandy. Chelsea Pensioners Bill Fitzgerald (left) and Frank Mouque (right) during a photocall to honour the Royal Hospital Chelsea's remaining Battle of Normandy and D-Day Veterans at Royal Hospital Chelsea, London Mr Fitzgerald described his time serving with the Sussex Regiment, and said soldiers just thought about looking out for each other on the beaches of Normandy Mr Fitzgerald said they were all 'young lads' of 18 when they signed up in 1943 but just a year later they were 'first class soldiers' and knew what to do 'We were the third one in on the day. The Beach Master was there shouting out: "Get off this bloody beach and don't get killed." 'The water was full of bodies and they were mostly all Marine Commandos - but you couldn't take too much notice, all you were thinking of was helping each other. 'Looking at the bodies, you felt sorry about it, but you had a job to get on that beach and wait for your friends.' Bill Fitzgerald, 94, was 18 at the time of the landings and one of seven veterans to attend an event at the Royal Hospital Chelsea today Mr Fitzgerald said they were all 'young lads' of 18 when they signed up in 1943 but just a year later they were 'first class soldiers' and knew what to do. Shelled during a campaign in France on June 15 he did not finish the war and was sent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea. He said: 'We had a horrible day fighting and the tanks decided to stop in the woods. 'Believe me they shelled the hell out of us. All I can remember is getting a shell very near me, going up into the air and coming down and one of my friends putting my helmet over my face.' His femur was broken in half and he was flown back to London on June 17. Speaking about his time at the hospital he says those around him speak about their time in the Falklands, and he says they do not understand. He added: 'Most of the time we listen to what the others were doing in the Falklands. I dont think they fully understand. Our war was different to theirs.' But after he left hospital Mr Fitzgerald reunited with his girlfriend and the couple went on to marry in 1948 before having two sons. Chelsea Pensioners (left to right) Roy Cadman, James George, Bill Fitzgerald, Ernie Boyden, Fran Mouque, George Skipper and Arthur Ellis. At the hospital those around Mr Fitzgerald speak about their battle in the Falklands, and he says they do not fully understand 'After I was discharged, I got my suit, I got my hat and you're outside the door saying "what's next?"' he said. 'There was nobody to talk to who could help you. 'Luckily enough I saw my girlfriend again and we started going out with each other, and we got married in 1948. 'We had two sons after that - it was the end of the war for me then. 'My wife died in 2005. Before she died she said: "Look after the children if I go first", and I'm still looking after them.' Companies owned by Spice Girls Geri Horner and Mel B were struggling to make a profit before their tour was announced, it has been revealed. The pair have both released figures for their companies which show Geri had a profit of just 3,400 and Mel B had 13,300. But that all looks set to change when their sell out tour kicks off on May 24 in Dublin despite a row between Geri and Mel B, who claimed they once had a fling. The companies - Moneyspider Productions Limited belonging to Mel B, 43, and Wonderful Productions Limited belonging to Geri, 46, - were both set up in the Spice Girl's heyday in 1997 to channel their lucrative earnings. At one point they each made 6.7 million in one year. Spice Girls (left to right) Melanie, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton and Geri Horner pictured together last November The accounts for Wonderful Productions Limited belonging to Geri, 46 This is the balance sheet for Mel B's company, Moneyspider Productions Limited But new accounts just published show Wonderful Productions had assets of 42,400 but owed creditors 39,000, leaving the tiny profit. The figures would have been worse, but an accounting error meant she had put away too much money for tax the previous year and her bill was just 157, compared to 34,000, previously believed. Moneyspider Productions had 54,200 in assets, but owed creditors 40,900 - leaving her with the 13,300. The Spice Girls reunion tour was announced in November and the accounts cover the year to the end of August 2018. Neither Mel C nor Emma Bunton have yet filed accounts for the same period, but Mel C's figures for 2017 show her companies Red Girl Records Limited and Red Girl Touring Limited had losses of almost 900,000. The companies - Moneyspider Productions Limited belonging to Mel B, 43, and Wonderful Productions Limited belonging to Geri, 46, - were both set up in the Spice Girl's heyday in 1997 to channel their lucrative earnings At one point they each made 6.7 million in one year Emma Bunton's company Monsta Productions Limited made 441,000 in the year to the end of August 2017. Last month the Spice Girls were still said to be working out differences following Mel B's claim that she had a fling with Geri in the 90s. But the group denied claims that their row would jeopardise the tour and were pictured together for the first time practicing two weeks ago. Victoria Beckham has decided not to join the tour because of 'business commitments to her fashion company', which last year posted an operating loss of 10.2 million. Advertisement Some 47 percent of Americans said they would vote for socialist for president if he or she was qualified for the job, according to a new poll. That number is unchanged since 2015, Americans were last asked the question, according to the Gallup survey of 1,024 U.S. adults. At the same time, 66 percent of Americans said they would vote for a qualified Muslim up 6 percentage points since 2015. Attitudes split dramatically along partisan lines, with just 19 percent of Republicans saying they are willing to vote for a socialist candidate, compared to 49 percent of independents and 74 percent of Democrats. This graph illustrates the share of Americans in 2015 vs. 2019 who would vote for presidential candidates with different backgrounds and beliefs. Source: Gallup Similarly, Republicans are least likely to vote for a Muslim, with just 38 percent saying they would do so, compared to 73 percent of independents and 86 percent of Democrats. They survey comes as the newly coined phrase 'Democratic Socialist' has been popularized by younger politicians, such as New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Despite her popularity and 4.2 million Twitter followers many Americans appear to be unready for the concept of a socialist in the nation's highest office. 'It's always been a difficult challenge for a socialist candidate to gain traction in the United States,' said Sean Foreman, a political science professor at Barry University in Florida. 'We have a long history of antagonism toward socialist policies,' he told DailyMail.com. 'It would only be in recent years that it was acceptable to speak about socialist parties as one viable option. The ideas are more popular now, universal health care, free education and guaranteed wages. But when we think about these things and what it does to individual freedom then people balk.' Overall, Americans are more likely to vote for an atheist than a socialist, with 60 percent saying they would cast a ballot for someone who doesn't believe in God up slightly from 58 percent in 2015. Democrats were most likely to say they would vote for an atheist (71 percent), followed by independents (66 percent) and a minority of Republicans (41 percent). A majority of Americans said they would vote for an African American (96 percent), a Catholic (95 percent), a Hispanic American (95 percent), or a woman (94 percent). This graph illustrates the share of Americans - broken out by political party - who would vote for presidential candidates with different backgrounds and beliefs. Source: Gallup Each of those categories saw 2 4 percentage points increases compared to 2015. In addition 93 percent of Americans would vote for a Jewish candidate (a 2 point increase), while 80 percent said they would cast a ballot for an evangelical Christian a 7 point increase compared to 2015. Some 63 percent said they would vote for a presidential candidate older than age 70. Americans are also significantly more likely to vote for a gay candidate now than they were in 1980, with 76 percent now saying they would do so, compared to just 26 percent four decades ago. Brigid Harrison, a political science and law professor at Montclair State University, cautioned against drawing broad conclusions about the 'willingness' to vote for a certain kind of candidate actually translating into a successful campaign for Muslims, LGBTQ candidates, or socialists. 'It takes a very sizeable majority for a candidate to get to the threshold that means that they can actually win an election,' she told DailyMail.com. 'For example, the willingness to vote for a woman candidate typically in the last decades has been in the low to mid-90s and yet we haven't had a woman president.' Felicity Huffman will be sentenced to at least four months in prison after entering a guilty plea to a single charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. The actress, 56, appeared stoic on Monday in a Boston courtroom as she entered her plea in the Operation Varsity Blues case, two months after being indicted along with 32 other parents. She was not joined by her husband William H Macy, whose career has suffered no repercussions from this case despite the indictment showing his involvement in the plot to get their older and younger daughter a higher test scored by facilitating a bribe through William Rick Singer. Huffman teared up at one point as she told the judge that her daughter suffered from a learning disability throughout her life, which is why she sought to cheat on the standardized test. Prosecutors with the US Attorney's office then recommended that Huffman serve a sentence of four months in prison, followed by a full year of supervised release. In addition, lawyers with the US Attorney's office asked the judge to fine Huffman $20,000 for making a $15,000 payment to facilitate a proctor editing thew answers on her daughter's SAT test. Huffmann attended court with her brother on Monday, holding hands with Moore Huffman Jr as she entered and exited the federal courthouse. Scroll down for video Head high: Felicity Huffman entered a plea of guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud Difficulty: Huffman told the judge that he daughter had struggled with a learning disability throughout her life Holding hands:The actress, 56, was accompanied by her brother Moore Huffman Jr in the courthouse but not her husband William H Macy Family affair: She was facing a maximum of 20 years in imprison, but prosecutors recommended she serve just four months ( Huffman and her brother) ( l to r: Sofia, Georgia, William and Felicity Huffman) Huffman's moved-up court date will provide a relief of sorts for Netflix no doubt, the current distributor of Huffman's upcoming miniseries about the Central Park Five. Huffman portrays Linda Fairstein, the former chief of the sex crimes unit at the Manhattan District Attorney's office, in When They See Us, which is directed by Ava DuVernay and set for release on May 31. This new court date gives the story more time to die down ahead of the series premiere. Netflix did however cancel the release of a new film starring Huffman that was set to premiere in April. The suddenly-shelved comedy Otherhood, which stars Huffman, Angela Basset and Patricia Arquette, will no longer be released this spring a production source told DailyMail.com. The film, which follows three mothers who move to New York to surprise their adult children, does not have a future release date at this time and a company spokesperson declined to comment when asked when the film would premiere. Netflix was previously forced to deal with fallout from a celebrity scandal last year after it was alleged that Kevin Spacey had sexually assaulted multiple underage men. Huffman was not the only parent entering a guilty plea on Monday in front of Judge Indira Talwani. Devin Sloane, who is the founder and president of the drinking and wastewater provider waterTALENT, also entered the same plea to the same charge. The millionaire admitted to buying gear off Amazon and making his son pose in a pool to appear to be a water polo player. He then sent those photos and a $250,000 donation to Key Worldwide, who in turn guaranteed that his son would be presented as a member of the team, thus skirting the traditional admissions process. Searching for a sign: Huffman committed the least serious offense of any of those indicted Sloane also entered a guilty plea to a charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. The plea agreement that was submitted to the court reveals that Sloane will have pay a maximum fine of $250,000; a mandatory special assessment of $100; restitution; and forfeiture to the extent charged in the Information. He will also have to serve time behind bars, though far less then the 20 years that the charge carries in some cases. Instead, prosecutors said that they will recommend between 15 and 21 months in federal prison. That was not the initial deal however, with prosecutors recommending he served a year and as day behind bars while paying a $75,000 fine. A court filing submitted the the US District Court for the State of Massachusetts in Boston last month actually pushed up the date of Huffman's plea. Eric Rosen with the US Attorney's office informed Judge Talwani in the filing that he would be unable to appear that day because of a trip that will take him out of the country. 'The Government has conferred with defense counsel for Defendant, who has graciously consented to this request,' explained Rosen in the court filing, which was obtained by DailyMail.com. Fullest house: Lori Loughlin and her family have opted to fight the charges (l to r: Olivia, Lori, Massimo and Isabella) Morning Lori: (Loughlin above on April 3 heading into court in Boston) Huffman admitted to paying $15,000 to a fake charity to facilitate cheating on her daughter Sofia's SATs in April. Soon after the statement broke, the actress released a statement saying she was 'ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community.' The Emmy-winning actress also stated: 'My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her.' Fellow actress Lori Loughlin, on the other hand, might be in the pre-trial phase for over a year, with the Full House star fighting back hard and entering a not guilty plea against the claims she paid to get her eldest daughter into USC. Loughlin and her husband are facing jail time because they opted to use the athletics route to gain their daughters admittance into University of Southern California - similar to Sloane. This required daughters Isabella and Olivia, who had never before rowed in their lives, to pretend they were on crew teams. In order to sell that, they posed for photos on ergometers, suggesting that they were both aware and willing participants in their parents' plan. Furthermore, Olivia knowingly had Singer's team fill out her college applications according to the complaint. 'On or about December 12, 2017, Loughlin e-mailed [Singer], copying Giannulli and their younger daughter [Olivia], to request guidance on how to complete the formal USC application, in the wake of her daughters provisional acceptance as a recruited athlete,' states the complaint. 'Loughlin wrote: "[Our younger daughter] has not submitted all her colleges [sic] apps and is confused on how to do so. I want to make sure she gets those in as I dont want to call any attention to [her] with our little friend at [her high school]. Can you tell us how to proceed?"' In response, Singer wrote an email 'directing an employee to submit the applications on behalf of the Giannullis younger daughter [Olivia]. Loughlin and Giannulli 'agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team - despite the fact that they did not participate in crew - thereby facilitating their admission to USC,' according to the documents. The couple emailed Singer in 2016 about their daughters college prospects, stating that they wanted to do the necessary work to see that the girls got into USC as opposed to ASU. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders came to the defense of Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib Monday after President Trump accused her of having 'tremendous hatred' of Jews and Israel. Sanders, who is Jewish, weighed in after Trump used Twitter to call out 'horrible' comments by the first-term lawmakers, who is leading an effort to impeach him. Tlaid is of Palestinian ancestry and has come under repeated fire for her comments. She recently said in a podcast she got a 'calming feeling' when reflecting on the Holocaust because the Palestinian people lost there land in what would become a 'safe haven' for the Jewish people after World War II. 'Mr. President: Stop dividing the American people up by their religion, their race or their country of origin and stop your ugly attacks against Muslim women in Congress. You are taking Rep. @RashidaTlaib's comments out of context and should apologize,' wrote Sanders, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination and has been mocked by Trump as 'Crazy Bernie.' In an interview published Friday, Tlaib said Palestinians lost their land, lives and dignity when they attempted to 'create a safe haven for Jews' after the Holocaust. Republicans attacked the progressive congresswoman for saying she had a 'calming feeling' when thinking about the Holocaust Sanders retweeted a statement by Tlaib, who wrote: 'Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win.' President Donald Trump berated Tlaib who was caught on tape the night she was sworn into Congress telling supporters 'we're going to impeach the mother******' in a blast at Trump for her 'tremendous hatred' of Jews and Israel, claiming her statements regarding the Holocaust were 'insensitive.' Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders defended Rep. Tlaib after Trump's attack The president also claimed he was the victim of a double standard in treatment between the parties, and said he would be treated much worse if he were to make similar comments as Tlaib. 'Democrat Rep. Tlaib is being slammed for her horrible and highly insensitive statement on the Holocaust. She obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people,' Trump posted to Twitter Monday morning. 'Can you imagine what would happen if I ever said what she said, and says?' Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman to be elected to Congress, said her people lost their land and lives when they tried to 'create a safe haven for Jews' after the Holocaust. 'There's always kind of a calming feeling, I tell folks, when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors - Palestinians - who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some people's passports,' the Michigan representative told Yahoo! News podcast Skullduggery in an interviews posted Friday. President Donald Trump tweeted Monday that Palestinian-American Representative Rashida Tlaib 'obviously has tremendous hate' for Jews and Israel after the congresswoman's comment on the Holocaust last week Trump implied a double standard in his tweet, claiming he would be treated much more harshly than Tlaib if he were to make similar remarks 'And, just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time,' Tlaib continued. 'And, I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways, but they did it in a way that took their human dignity away and it was forced on them.' Republican lawmakers attacked the progressive lawmaker for her comments on Friday, specifically calling out the portion where she said thinking about the Holocaust gave her a 'calming feeling.' Wisconsin Republican and the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney claimed the remarks from Tlaib must have crossed the line even for her Democrat colleagues. 'Surely now @SpeakerPelosi & @LeaderHoyer will finally take action against vile anti-Semitism in their ranks,' Republican Rep. Liz Cheney tweeted. 'This must cross the line, even for them. Rashida Tlaib says thinking of the Holocaust provides her a 'calming feeling'.' 'There is no justification for the twisted and disgusting comments made by Rashida Tlaib just days after the annual Day of Holocaust Remembrance,' House Minority Whip Steve Scalise said in a statement. 'More than six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust; there is nothing 'calming' about that fact.' While some seized on the 'calming feeling' quote, others criticized Tlaib for suggesting that the Arabs of Palestine provided safe haven to Europe's Jews during the Nazi period. Liz Cheney (left), the congresswoman from Wisconsin and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, and Steve Scalise (right), the Republican congressman from Louisiana and House Minority Whip, condemned Tlaib's remarks Cheney tweeted, 'Surely now @SpeakerPelosi & @LeaderHoyer will finally take action against vile anti-Semitism in their ranks. This must cross the line, even for them.' Tlaib claimed that Democrats were twisting her words by claiming she said she had a 'calming feeling' After the Republican backlash, Tlaib tweeted Sunday she would not allow them to police, and twist her words to silence her. 'I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda,' she tweeted. 'I understand Rashida Tlaib giving voice to Palestinians' sense of loss,' former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro tweeted. 'It's her people and heritage. But she's wrong about replacing Israel with 1 state, or the lack of legitimate Jewish historical ties&claims, or the strange idea that Pals welcomed Jews fleeing Europe for a haven.' Journalist Seth Mandel said Tlaib was spreading 'revisionism' and that Palestinian consensus by the mid-1930s was to stop Jews feeling from Europe to Palestine. 'When millions of dead Jews is your goal, don't pat yourself on the back,' Mandel tweeted. In response to the backlash, Tlaib said she would not let Republicans twist her words and turn it into something to drive their agenda. 'All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably,' Tlaib tweeted Sunday. 'I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win.' Tlaib's comments brought up the sensitive issue of Holocaust-era immigration policies in British Mandatory Palestine. Journalist Seth Mandel tweeted: 'Re: Tlaib's revisionism, spent Shabbos reading a book on the era that's *entirely* from the Palestinian perspective, and by the mid-1930s the consensus priority was stopping Jews fleeing Europe to Palestine. 'When millions of dead Jews is your goal, don't pat yourself on the back' Tlaib's critics point out that the most senior Palestinian leader at the time, Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the mufti of Jerusalem, famously met with Adolf Hitler and supported Nazi Germany As the British Mandate was winding down, Israel's creation in 1948 resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs. The event is known as the 'naqba,' or catastrophe, in Arabic. Palestinian refugees are seen above during the 1948 war During the late 1930s and early 1940s, as the Jews of Europe were looking to flee, the British authorities limited Jewish immigration to pre-state Israel after pressure from local Arabs. The Palestinian leadership at the time was opposed to Jewish immigration for fear that it would weaken their standing once the British authorities left, and the most senior Palestinian leader at the time, Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the mufti of Jerusalem, famously met with Adolf Hitler and supported Nazi Germany. The mufti backed the Germans because he viewed the British, who endorsed the idea of a Jewish national home in Palestine by way of the Balfour Declaration, as his main enemy. As the British Mandate was winding down, Israel's creation in 1948 resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs. The event is known as the 'naqba,' or catastrophe, in Arabic. Palestinians say they want an independent state on land controlled by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War. Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has also come under fire from Republican circles, and even those within her own party, for pushing anti-Semitic tropes. She insinuated the Jewish money was buying the support of U.S. lawmakers. Omar, a Democratic representative from Minnesota, tweeted, 'It's all about the Benjamins baby,' in reference to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy criticism of her support of an Israeli boycott movement. She later apologized for the tweet Beto O'Rourke intends to 'reintroduce' himself into the Democratic nominee race after the initial buzz around his candidacy has started to peter out. The former Texas congressman barreled into the 2020 presidential race with breakneck energy and a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants campaign style that saw him leap atop tables to address overflow crowds with the organic, off-the-cuff candor that had made him a Texas sensation. But since his mid-March campaign launch, the buzz surrounding the former congressman has evaporated. Competing in a massive field of Democratic White House hopefuls, O'Rourke has sagged in the polls. He's made few promises that resonated or produced headline-grabbing moments, instead driving around the country meeting with voters at mostly small events. In a tacit recognition that this approach isn't working, O'Rourke is planning to try again, taking a hands-on role in staging a 'reintroduction' ahead of next month's premier Democratic presidential debate. O'Rourke addresses a town hall in Shenandoah, Iowa. He entered the 2020 presidential race in mid-March as a political phenomenon, addressing overflow crowds around the country in off-the-cuff ways Beto O'Rourke greeting audience members during a stop at the Central Park Coffee Company in Mount Pleasant, Iowa As he finalizes his plans, O'Rourke has entered an intentional 'quiet period' to build out campaign infrastructure, according to an adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the campaign's strategy - but that will end soon. O'Rourke plans to step up his national media appearances after skipping most of that kind of exposure in recent months. He is scheduled to appear on MSNBC's 'Rachel Maddow Show' on Monday night and ABC's 'The View' the next day. He's also set to offer more concrete policy plans on top issues. So far, he's issued just one, on climate change. O'Rourke acknowledges he's struggled to find his presidential campaign footing. 'I think, in part, I was just trying to keep up when I first started out,' he said after addressing about 40 people at a recent house party in Newton, Iowa. 'I really feel like I've found my rhythm and my pace, and I just feel comfortable, and I feel like this is what I'm supposed to be doing.' His top aides deny that a full reinvention or 'Beto 2.0' is in the works. They note that O'Rourke plans to keep packing days with as many as half a dozen campaign events. He'll still venture into off-the-beaten path locales that include rural, heavily Republican areas. O'Rourke taking a selfie with Anne Kelly (center) director of the Sierra Nevada Research Stations and environmental advocate Leslie Martinez, in Yosemite National Park Those were the trademarks of his Senate campaign last fall, when he nearly toppled Republican Sen. Ted Cruz by visiting all of deep-red Texas' 254 counties. But his team also acknowledges that for all its excitement, O'Rourke's initial campaign launch exposed some disorganization. Assembling a campaign staff while the 2020 roadshow was already rollicking along simply wasn't sustainable. It took O'Rourke nearly two weeks after announcing his campaign to formally hire Jen O'Malley Dillon to run his team. She was the deputy campaign manager of Barack Obama's 2012 re-election bid and is only now moving to O'Rourke's headquarters in El Paso, Texas, after doing the job from Washington. O'Rourke added 16 staffers recently in Iowa, which holds the first presidential caucuses, but that's fewer than some other candidates have. In New Hampshire, which votes next, O'Rourke has yet to formally announce a state director or campaign staff, though he has informal organizers there. 'It was a ready, fire, aim sort of trajectory,' said Chris Lippincott, a Texas consultant who ran an outside political group opposing Cruz in 2018. Kathy Sullivan, a Democratic National Committee member from New Hampshire, noted that, after events, 'If you don't have somebody with a clipboard taking names and addresses and phone numbers, you can lose contact with folks.' Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke addresses a gathering at a campus library during a campaign stop at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire Sullivan recently had lunch with O'Rourke in New Hampshire's capital, Concord, as part of a small women's group and 'found him to be very sincere, very thoughtful.' But she also said that his falling out of the 2020 spotlight helped boost another young, unorthodox candidate: Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana. The work to bolster the campaign has begun to stabilize things. Earlier this week, O'Rourke announced hiring Jeff Berman, a top delegate guru who helped Obama navigate the complicated process of locking up enough support to secure the Democratic presidential nomination. 'It has been building up over time,' O'Rourke said of his campaign apparatus. 'I think we're getting better organized all the time.' He maintains that it's still early. During his first trip to Iowa in March, O'Rourke focused on eastern counties that had supported Obama but went for Donald Trump in 2016. More recently, he sought out the relatively few Democrats in the state's rural southwest, trying to do the spade work - as the country folk he's trying to woo might say - to slowly grow lasting support. 'With 21, maybe more, candidates on the horizon, this is going to be decided by a matter of a few hundred votes, maybe a few dozen votes,' O'Rourke said after speaking at a former livestock auction space in Shenandoah, Iowa, that's been converted into a spiffy hall for weddings and parties. 'So, every one of these conversations matters.' One holdover from O'Rourke's do-it-yourself style in Texas is his insistence on driving himself between events, repeatedly climbing behind the wheel of rented Dodge Grand Caravans. Some campaign staffers see it as time that could be spent doing more productive - or at least less potentially dangerous - things, but O'Rourke's unfazed. 'I can't just sit and ride,' he's said by way of explanation. 'I've got to be doing something.' Buttons for Democratic presidential candidate former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke sit on display during a stop at the Central Park Coffee Company in Mount Pleasant, Iowa In the meantime, his staff has built schedules ensuring that O'Rourke gets to his multiple daily scheduled events on time - capitalizing on his energy while being mindful not to keep demanding early state voters waiting, like he did when barnstorming across all 10 New Hampshire counties in 48 hours shortly after kicking off his campaign. O'Rourke takes questions from attendees at every stop and is quick enough on his feet to usually provide detailed answers before pivoting to his talking points. Marcia Fulton, a 78-year-old retired teacher and school administrator who saw O'Rourke at a restored train depot in Creston, Iowa, said she's not decided who she'll vote for yet, but he 'was really impressive, more so than I expected.' 'He was prepared and that was a real question, given his youth,' Fulton added. But O'Rourke also begins every stop with a rapid-fire, 20-minute stump speech decrying climate change, skyrocketing student loans and the Trump administration's immigration policies while promising to drastically expand health insurance coverage and insisting he can achieve bipartisan cooperation in Washington. It's too much for some. 'He's going to have to slow down a bit,' said Sandy Sothman, the co-vice chairwoman of the Cass County Democrats who watched O'Rourke speak at a sunny hillside park in Atlantic, Iowa. 'When he gets going and talks about so many things at once, it becomes a little like, 'Is he riffing or what?'' Two hospital officials in south-east China have been fired following the deaths of five newborn babies. The infants died at the Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University in Foshan, Guangdong province after contracting an infection caused by an intestinal virus. Another 13 were released from the hospital after recovering while one remained under treatment and was in stable condition, according to the Guangdong Health Commission in a statement on Saturday. The tragic incident, which prompted an official investigation at the end of April, was a result of poor infection prevention and control, according to the authority. The infants died at the Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University in Foshan, Guangdong province after contracting an infection caused by an intestinal virus (file photo) All five babies had conditions such as pneumonia before contracting the deadly Echovirus 11, according to South China Morning Post. Echovirus typically affects children, as their immune systems are immature. Most patients show minor symptoms and recover on their own, but some will develop more serious symptoms, the report said. Transmission takes place mainly through faeces-to-mouth or by saliva, the Guangdong authority said, adding that no cases had been reported since the start of its investigation. Liu Ruilin, party secretary and president of the Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University (pictured), was dismissed from his position, the health commission said The incident first came to light on April 23 after a man named Wu Changqi published an article on social media platform WeChat saying that at least three infants - including his own baby - died after contracting a bacteria or virus in hospital sometime between the end of March and the start of April. The man said the three babies either died in the Shunde hospital or in hospitals in Guangzhou where they were transferred for treatment. His baby, whose gender was not revealed, was born prematurely on April 6 and was infected between April 7 and 10, citing a suspected cross-infection in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. On April 11, his infant's condition deteriorated and was transferred to Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital in Guangzhou. The child was found to be infected with an intestinal virus and died on April 20. The incident first came to light on April 23 after a man named Wu Changqi published an article on social media platform WeChat saying that at least three infants - including his own baby - died after contracting a bacteria or virus in hospital sometime between the end of March and the start of April (file photo) The post quickly went viral, prompting the health authority to launch an investigation. The health commission said the deaths resulted from the hospital's lax management including unsound mechanism for infection prevention and control, absence of monitoring of infected patients at the neonatal department and a failure to report infections as required. Liu Ruilin, party secretary and president of the Shunde hospital, was dismissed from his position, the authority said. A vice-director of Shunde District Health Bureau was also sacked and others deemed responsible were punished. The Guangdong health authority also told the Shunde hospital to temporarily shut down its wards and set a deadline for improving infection control. We all want our boss to give us a pat on the back when we stay late in the office. And this U.S. cosmetic company has gone above and beyond to reward its staff who hit their sales target. Jeunesse Global, a Florida-based firm, is taking its 12,000 employees in China on a dream holiday to Switzerland as a 'thank you' to their hard work. The first group of 4,000 Jeunesse sales staff arrived in Switzerland last week for their holiday Two more groups will follow, bringing the total number of visitors to Switzerland to 12,000 The massive tour group will arrive in Europe in three batches and visit some of the most popular scenic spots in Switzerland during the six-day, five-night journey. Chinese tourists are passionate about chocolate, watches, cheese and Alpine scenery in Switzerland. The whole group trip will reportedly cost the firm 12 to 14 million Swiss Franc (9.2-10.7 million). The first group arrived at Zurich last Thursday and have so far visited historic town Schaffhausen, ski resort Engelberg, the Rhine Falls and the Aare Gorge in the central Alps - among other places - according to Swiss newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung. Most tourists in the group will leave China and arrive in Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland with a population of over 380,500. The company, which has a large following in China, announced to its Chinese staff last year that they would be awarded a trip to Switzerland if they could reach their sales targets Most tour members will leave China and arrive in Zurich before heading out to the attractions One employee from the company's China branch told MailOnline that she was very excited about the trip. The employee, who calls herself Dannie Li, said she would arrive in Switzerland on May 16 with the second group and leave on May 22. Jeunesse Global, headquartered in Lake Mary, develops and sells skincare products and supplements worldwide, according to Bloomberg. It announced to its staff in the Far East last autumn that they would be awarded an all-inclusive trip to Switzerland as long as they could reach their sales targets. The somewhat controversial multi-level marketing company has a large following in China with thousands of sales staff who refer to themselves as 'members'. The company was founded by an American couple: a self-made entrepreneur Randy Ray who claimed he was so poor as a child he couldn't afford shoes, as well as his wife Wendy Lewis. Apparently, this is not the first mass group tour the company has organised. The first group have visited historic town Schaffhausen and ski resort Engelberg (pictured) The Rhine Falls (pictured) and the Aare Gorge in the central Alps are also on the itinerary Ms Li said the company took its sales staff in North American to Rome last month and she was on the company's incentive trip last year to Australia. She gushed: '6,500 of us were divided into groups and climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We also had a 3,000-strong picnic in the Sydney Olympic Park. 'That was the first time I had joined a company tour and the first time I had attended an event with so many people. It was a memorable experience.' Ms Li explained that the company arranged different groups to visit different attractions in turn in Sydney, therefore the whole trip was in good order. And this time in Switzerland, the 12,000 sales staff are divided into three 4,000-strong groups and no more than 1,000 people will show up at the same attraction at the same time, Swiss media said. In 2015, Chinese billionaire Li Jinyuan took 6,400 of his staff on a four-day holiday to France Li, boss of Tiens Group Company, booked up 140 hotels in Paris where the group visited the Louvre and various cultural sites in one of the world's most famous and revered cities The large tour group set the record of the world's biggest ever human chain in Cote D'Azur However, some experts in Switzerland have expressed their concerns on the impact from tour groups this scale on the local life. Jurg Stettler, a professor from Lucerne University, told Neue Zurcher Zeitung that such large number of tourists would likely cause bottlenecks and jams in and around the attractions because all visitors would want to do, see and eat the same thing at the most popular spots. But a spokesperson from Switzerland Tourism claimed that handling such large groups was in fact 'business as usual' for the country's tourism industry. The spokesperson told MailOnline: 'One has to bear in mind that Swiss tourism providers, especially hotels and mountain railways, are absolutely used to handle bigger groups of guests.' The spokesperson added: 'Switzerland is a dream destination in Asia in general. Asian and Chinese tourists are very fond of the Swiss nature, the mountains and especially the fresh air and green landscapes.' Enormous Chinese tour groups have descended in Europe in the past. In 2015, a Chinese billionaire made headlines around the world after taking 6,400 of his staff on a four-day holiday to France. Tiens Group Company Chairman Li Jinyuan booked up 140 hotels in Paris where the group visited the Louvre and various cultural sites in one of the world's most famous and revered cities. The huge group of tourists then made their way to the glamorous Cote D'Azur, where Li Jinyuan booked 4,760 rooms in 79 four-and five-star hotels in Cannes and Monaco. It took 147 buses to take the tourists from their hotels to the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, where Guinness World Record officials where on hand to validate the world's biggest ever human chain. A Marine killed in a training accident at Camp Pendleton on Thursday morning was named as 1st Lieutenant Hugh Conor McDowell from Washington, D.C. The 24-year-old platoon commander was crushed when a light armored vehicle overturned during a battalion training exercise at the sprawling military base in southern California. He died en route to hospital. 1st Lieutenant Hugh Conor McDowell, 24, from Washington, D.C., pictured with his father and mother, died in a training exercise at California's Camp Pendleton Lt. McDowell, who went by the name of Conor, was about to propose to 'the love of his life, Kathleen Bourque' with whom he was 'deeply in love after a whirlwind romance' Lt. McDowell died after being crushed by a light armored vehicle (pictured) at the military base Six other Marines from the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, were taken to hospital but were not seriously hurt. Lt. McDowell's father, Michael McDowell, called his son a 'leader' and a 'warrior' in a moving tribute on Facebook. 'There is a massive hole in our hearts and there will be for the rest of our lives. He was our only beloved child.' 'Conor, since he was a small boy, wanted to be a soldier, and later, a Marine. He excelled. He read broadly and was intellectually curious, and was physically outstanding,' Mr McDowell said. The grieving father also wrote that his son 'was due to announce his engagement and marriage to the love of his life, Kathleen Bourque'. Ms Bourque said on social media that her boyfriend 'died an American hero'. Lt. McDowell's dad, Michael McDowell, led the tributes to his 'leader' son in a poignant Facebook post shared by girlfriend Kathleen Bourque Lt. McDowell joined the Marine Corps in May 2017 and was honored with the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Camp Pendleton is the Marine Corps' largest West Coast expeditionary training facility. Lt. McDowell's death was the second at the base in a rollover-related accident in recent weeks 'He was so strong, mentally and physically capable, but he was also so incredibly tender and he took everyone under his wing,' Ms Bourque told Fox 5 DC. The family is demanding a thorough probe into the cause of the 'bizarre' accident. 'Did he die pointlessly, did someone make a mistake, was the equipment faulty? I will not be satisfied unless it is a very rigorous investigation,' Mr McDowell told NBC4. The military is investigating what caused the 13-ton light armored tank to roll over. The LAV-25 vehicle is used for reconnaissance both on land and underwater. 'We recognize that military operations are inherently dangerous and we take extreme precautions to ensure the safety and welfare of our Marines,' a Marine Corps release said. 'This is a tragic accident and we are heartbroken at the loss of a member of our Marine Corps family.' Tributes poured in online after news of Lt. McDowell's death was made public. 'Driven, sincere, unique, honorable, funny... You're one of the good ones,' said one Facebook post. Lt. McDowell joined the Marine Corps in May 2017 after graduating from prestigious The Citadel military college in Charleston, South Carolina. He completed his Light Armored Reconnaissance course in March and had only recently picked up his platoon. His awards included the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. The platoon commander lived near Camp Pendleton in San Diego with his girlfriend and their two cats and a dog. Lt. McDowell's death was the second at the military base in a rollover-related accident in recent weeks. In April Staff Sgt. Joshua Braica, 29, from California, died when an all-terrain tactical utility vehicle flipped over. Camp Pendleton is the Marine Corps' largest West Coast expeditionary training facility and one of the Defense Department's busiest installations. Wayne Arthur Silsbee, 62, was wanted by the FBI for 'multiple incidents of sexual assault' between September 1995 and April 1996 A man who was suspected of being behind a number of cases of child sex abuse has turned himself in to Oregon police after 23 years on the run. Wayne Arthur Silsbee, 62, has been wanted since 1996 for the alleged sexual assaults of a number of female victims between the ages of 8 and 10 that he got to know by either babysitting them or 'taking them to various events'. Silsbee walked in to the Oregon City Police Department on Friday afternoon where he admitted to the assaults. He was charged with sodomy, sexual abuse, unlawful penetration and endangering the welfare of a child, online jail records show. The assaults allegedly occurred between September 1995 and April 1996 in Clackamas County, according to the FBI. A local arrest warrant for Silsbee was filed on July 24, 1996, and the FBI issued a federal arrest warrant charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution on September 19, 1996. Silsbee walked into the Oregon City Police Department and turned himself in What remains unclear at this point is why Silsbee suddenly turned himself in. Silsbee is currently being held on $50,000 bail at the Clackamas County jail and will appear in court on Monday afternoon according to ABC News. The FBI is asking anyone who may have had contact with him in the last 23 years to call the Oregon City tip line. It's believed he may have lived in several different cities and states over the past two-and-a-half decades including Nebraska, Springfield, Missouri, San Francisco Bay, Colorado, Arizona and the northwest of Washington state It is unclear why, after 23 years, Silsbee decided to confess his crimes. He is pictured in 2006 While roaming around the country, Silsbee took on a number of jobs - one of which saw him encounter children every day in his role as a school bus driver. He has also worked as a security guard, tax preparer and warehouseman along with several temp agencies. The FBI also revealed that Silsbee has long shown an interest in nudist activities and had a membership in the American Sunbathing Association. The FBI who put out a poster during their search states that SIlsbee is an active member of the Adventist Church. Authorities are asking for anyone who has had any contact with Silsbee over the past 23 years to call the Oregon City tip line: 503-496-1616. The US Navy's Blue Angels display team have showcased their incredible high-speed aerobatics in stunning footage. Taken from inside the cockpit of one of the jets, the clip displays the Navy's flight demonstration squadron during the Fort Lauderdale Air Show, in Florida, earlier this month. Flying in diamond formation - with some spinning around and flying upside down - the blue (and yellow) planes soared across sunny skies overlooking the Fort Lauderdale Beach shoreline. The US Navy's Blue Angels showed off their skills during the Fort Lauderdale Air Show, in Florida, earlier this month Taken from inside the cockpit of one of the jets, the clip showcases the Navy's flight demonstration squadron flying in diamond formation Some planes spun around and flew upside down during the breathtaking display over the Fort Lauderdale beach shoreline The aircraft in the demonstration, Boeing F/A-18 Hornets, made their debut in 1986 and are still being used by the US Navy today The aircraft seen here, Boeing F/A-18 Hornets, made their debut in 1986 with the squadron, and is still used by the team today. Thousands of spectators were thrilled by the military aerobatics during the air show on May 4 and 5, which also featured an A-10 Warthog, the US Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team and many other impressive aircraft. 'It's pretty crazy! It shows the tremendous power of the U.S. military,' one onlooker told CBS Miami. And another said: 'The adrenaline that goes through these guys is impressive.' Thousands of spectators took to the beach to watch the air show on May 4 and 5, which also featured an A-10 Warthog, the US Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team and many other impressive aircraft The billionaire owner of the Ritz and the Daily Telegraph is suing a French writer for violation of privacy and defamation over a rags to riches play said to be based on him and his twin brother. David Barclay, who shares an 8billion fortune with his twin brother Frederick, is suing playwright Hedi Tillette de Clermont-Tonnerre. The hearing in the city of Caen was due to start at 12pm in a case expected to last several months. David Barclay (left with his twin brother Fredrick receiving their knighthoods in 2000), is suing the French playwright Hedi Tillette de Clermont-Tonnerre over his play Les Deux Freres et les lions, or The Two Brothers And The Lions If the court rules in favour of Barclay, the play could be banned from performance and the theatres that performed it forced to pay damages of tens of thousands of euros. The play, Les Deux Freres et les lions, or The Two Brothers And The Lions, was performed at the 150-seat Theatre de Poche in Paris up to March 31 this year and was critically acclaimed. The play does not mention the Barclay brothers directly but it does not take much effort to see parallels with the pair who built a vast property and media empire after being born into a modest Scottish family. 'The irresistible rise of two Scottish immigrants. This tale tells the rise two twins who came from a poor background to have at the end of the 20th century one of the biggest fortunes of Great Britain,' the play began. According to the latest rich list published by The Sunday Times this month, the twins are the 17th richest people in Britain, with a fortune of 8billion. The defence argues the play's aim was to shed light on the continued use of feudal law from the medieval Norman era in the Channel Islands off the northern coast of France, which are self-governing dependencies of Britain. The brothers live part of the time in a vast mock Gothic castle on the Channel Island of Brecqhou and are known to fiercely defend their privacy, often through legal action. Ahead of the case, filed in June 2018, Clermont-Tonnerre, 44, said 'in France there is complete freedom to talk about public figures. 'We are in the country of Voltaire, it is a case of freedom of expression,' he added, referring to the great 18th-century French writer. He described the case as 'extraordinary', pitting one of the richest individuals in Britain against a 'play which hosted in a small Paris theatre'. According to defence documents, the playwright only drew inspiration from well known aspects of Barclay's life and almost all the elements in the play 'are all fictional and imagined by the author'. Tillette de Clermont-Tonnerre 'respected a distance between the text and the reality', it said, emphasising that this was theatre which made clear it belonged to the realm of the story. 'The play reveals no element of the private life of David Barclay,' it said, accusing him of having 'excessive sensitivity' and an 'exacerbated taste for secrecy'. A young mom has died after a 'street racer' crashed into her car as she was on her way to collect her toddler daughter just hours before Mother's Day. The coroner's office has identified the victim as Bethany Holguin, 23, of Compton, California. Holguin was in a Toyota Camry along with her partner in Willowbrook, Los Angeles, on the way to collect their two-year-old daughter, when the crash happened around 10:30 p.m. Saturday at Towne Avenue and 131st Street. Holguin was driving the Camry when she was broadsided by a gray Infiniti that appeared to be engaged in an illegal street race with a red sedan, as reported by ABC 7. The Camry driven by Holguin was not involved in the street racing. Bethany Holguin, 23, (pictured) was killed in the crash involving what police have described as street racers. The Toyota Camry Holguin was driving was not involved in the alleged racing Young mother Bethany Holguin was killed on Saturday night on the way to collect her 2-year-old daughter by what police have described as a street racer Surveillance video shows two cars racing down the street before the Camry driven by Holguin was hit by an Infiniti SUV Surveillance video shows two cars racing down the street at high speed shortly before the crash that left mangled wreckage at the scene. NBC Los Angeles reported that the two vehicles had run through a stop sign moments before the crash. Holguin was driving the Camry and was pronounced dead at the scene. Holguin (pictured above) was broadsided by a gray Infiniti according to police who's driver left the scene Her partner was left with life-threatening injuries following the hit and run. Police are looking for those involved in the street racing Her partner was left with life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital. One eyewitness, Faviola Rodriguez, told ABC that the car was badly damaged and that the woman had asked him for help. 'I couldn't do nothing. I just saw her and she just asked for help. But she was really bad. Really, really bad,' Rodriguez said. Following the crash, the driver of the Infiniti jumped into the red sedan, before fleeing the scene, police said. Police say they are looking for multiple suspects from the racing cars. Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft will be allowed to give evidence behind closed doors to an inquiry into child sex abuse. A judge ruled the American tech giants can testify in secret because of the 'sensitive matters' being discussed. As a result the public and the press will be excluded when the firms give evidence at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. The decision sparked fury from Labour MP Sarah Champion, who asked: 'Have they got something to hide?' 'Surely it's great PR to say how much they're doing to prevent abuse,' she said. A prospective version of the Google Chrome browser will contain end-to-end encryption making it 'harder to block harmful content' and 'easier, not harder, for child abuse to take place online' Earlier the inquiry heard that Internet giants are failing to properly tackle child sex abuse and are 'reckless or indifferent' to the risks posed by paedophiles. Leading companies have been accused of prioritising profits over the protection of children, the IICSA heard today. How will the inquiry work? The inquiry will look into how the internet is used to facilitate child sexual abuse in England and Wales through acts like grooming, sharing indecent images, and live-streaming abuse. It aims to reduce the opportunities for abuse and the responses of internet providers, online platforms and other relevant technology companies. Police and Government officials as well as representatives of Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft are due to give evidence at public hearings from May 13 to 24. Advertisement A lawyer acting on behalf of victims abused online said some tech giants are even considering features which will 'make it easier, not harder, for child abuse to take place online'. He said a prospective version of the Google Chrome browser will contain end-to-end encryption making it 'harder to block harmful content'. Lawyer William Chapman, representing three victims of online sexual abuse, told the hearing: 'These firms bestride the world, telling us they are heroes of the technological revolution, they have amazed us with the things they can do ... the result is that they have legendary wealth. 'The ultimate question you have to ask is this: is it really beyond the wealth and wit of these technology companies to prevent and detect child sexual abuse on their platforms? 'Or is there something incompatible with their commercial objectives and their culture that makes them bridle at the necessary steps to curb this modern scourge?' Internet giants are failing to properly tackle child sex abuse and remain 'immune from liability no matter how reckless or indifferent' they are to the risks posed by paedophiles, the inquiry has heard (file photo) Andy Burrows, associate head of child safety online at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said: 'It is completely absurd that just as society is demanding a safer internet, tech firms are creating services that will make it easier for children to be abused on their sites. 'But we have seen for more than a decade that children's safety is not top of the priority list for many social media platforms. 'This is why statutory regulation of these companies is the only way forward, along with tough consequences imposed on the firms who fail to protect their young users.' Children aged between 12 and 15 now spend nearly three hours per day online, according to Ofcom 2018 research, the inquiry was told. It marks an increase on the two and a half hour's children spent online in the regulator's 2015 findings. Jacqueline Carey, lead counsel to the inquiry, said the figures show 'how easily accessible children are to those intent on causing children harm'. Police and Government officials as well as representatives of Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft are due to give evidence at public hearings Two of the victims represented by Mr Chapman, a brother and sister who cannot be named, are not eligible for compensation because the abuse they suffered took place wholly online, the hearing was told. Mr Chapman said: 'We say it is equally unacceptable that victims of sexual offences committed online are not eligible for compensation in the same way that those who provide the technology that facilitates this abuse are immune from liability, no matter how reckless or indifferent to the risks to children their platforms are.' He added: 'We say the that the case for regulating these companies is now beyond argument. Technology can and must solve the problem that technology has created.' The inquiry, which is due to hear from Facebook's global safety policy manager Julie de Bailliencourt on Tuesday, continues. In a tense exchange full of interruptions, Nigel Farage gave Andrew Marr some of the answers he was asking for, but angrily slammed the BBC for 'trawling back through a series of quotes from years ago'. Andrew Marr: The only way that we can really judge the Brexit Party in the round at the moment is by looking at its leader, looking at you. So let's look at you for a moment. Nigel Farage: Well On the NHS, Mr Farage said he would 'gleefully' opt out of the NHS and pay into a private scheme if encouraged to do so Marr: Do you still want to replace the NHS with a private insurance based system? Farage: I never did. I would like to take the burden off the NHS. I mean, if you want to go back Marr: Yes I do want to go back Farage: This is really very boring isn't it Marr: No it's not boring Farage: All you want to do is go back to stuff from years ago, why don't we talk about now, in British politics. Why don't we talk about the sea-change that is going on out there. Marr: You are trying to lead an insurgent party to replace the main parties. Therefore you are an important figure, in this. [Quoting] 'I think we're going to have to move to an insurance-based system of healthcare, I would feel more comfortable, my money would return value if I was able to do that through the marketplace of an insurance company than just trusting giving a hundred billion pounds a year to central government.' Do you still hold that view? Farage: If I was encouraged to opt-out of the system, to relieve the burden off the National Health Service, I would do so gleefully/. Do you want to discuss these european elections or not? Marr: Yes I certainly do but Farage: Go on then. Go on then, lets' try. Marr: Do you still believe that worrying about global warming is 'the stupidest thing in human history'? Farage: I believe that if we decided, this country, to tax ourselves to the hilt, to put hundreds of thousands of people out of work in the manufacturing industries, given that we produce less than two per cent of global CO2, that isn't terribly intelligent. But as I say: here we are, with one of the biggest changes in politics that has ever occurred On climate change, he said it would be 'not terribly intelligent' to raise taxes and risk jobs 'given we produce less than 2% of CO2'. Pic: Climate protests in London Marr: Okay Farage: and you're not even interested? Marr: Do you still Farage: What's wrong with the BBC? Marr: Do you still want to Farage: What is wrong with the BBC? Marr: Do you still want to roll back gun controls and reintroduce hand guns in this country? Farage: What is wrong This sums it up. Do you know, I've been going around the country, speaking at packed rallies every night, and do you know who's not there? The BBC. And from this line of questioning now I can see why. Marr: Do you still Farage: You're just not interested are you? Marr: Do you still feel uncomfortable with... Farage: You are just Marr: foreign languages being spoken on the train? Farage: ...not interested are you. Let's talk about democracy, let's talk about trust, let's talk about competence in politics. This. Is. Ludicrous. Marr: Do you still feel that people with HIV shouldn't be allowed into this country? Farage: Do I think the National Health Service is there for British people? Yes I absolutely do. Marr: So you still do. Do you Farage: This is absolutely ludicrous. I've never in my life seen a more ridiculous interview than this. You are not prepared to talk about what is going on in this country today. You're in denial, the BBC's in denial, the Tory and Labour Parties are in denial. I think you're all in for a bigger surprise on Thursday week Marr: We have talked about it Farage: than you can imagine. Marr: We have talked about it. Do you still admire Vladimir Putin? He said he didn't 'admire' Russian President Vladimir Putin as a person Farage: No. I've never admired Vladimir Putin. Marr: You, Well you asked which current... Farage: I said I wouldn't like to live in his country Marr: Asked which world leader you most admired you told GQ.. Farage: This is absolute nonsense. Marr: magazine 'as an operator but not as a human being, I would say Putin' Farage: Well there you are Marr: 'The way he played the whole' Farage: Well there you are Marr: 'Syria thing' Farage: Well there you are. Not as a human being. I don't like him as a human being. What is your question? What is the relevance of this? Marr: I'm trying to work out where you are and where the Brexit Party which wants to destroy the political system is going. Farage: You haven't asked about a single other member of the Brexit Party, you haven't commented on the fact we have the most diverse list of candidates of any party fighting in this election. Marr: From the Revolutionary Communist Party right through to the Right Farage: Well that's worth discussing isn't it. How have we managed to get Left and Right together. These things are really interesting to your viewers. Not trawling back through a series of quotes from years ago. Marr: Do you still want to slash the size of the state? Farage: Absolutely. I want people to have more freedom. Absolutely, and particularly, 5.4 million people out there, acting as sole traders, running small businesses, and there's nobody in government on their side. Let's make their lives easier. They'll create more jobs, pay more taxes, and it'll be good for our country. A man who weighs 900 pounds may have to be cut out of his Virginia trailer home so he can attend a court hearing to face cocaine conspiracy charges. Kenneth T. Hicks, 48, is scheduled to plead guilty in U.S. District Court in Richmond on Monday to charges stemming from a cocaine conspiracy case involving seven people. U.S. Magistrate Judge David Novak last week approved an unusual transportation plan to ensure Hicks could get to the court for his hearing given he is confined to a bed and is unable to dress himself. Scroll down for video Kenneth T. Hicks, 48, is scheduled to plead guilty in U.S. District Court in Richmond, Virginia on Monday to charges stemming from a cocaine conspiracy case involving seven people. Pictured above is his mobile home Hicks is confined to a bed and is unable to dress himself, so the judge approved an unusual plan Henrico firefighters are seen working near the home of Kenneth Hicks on Monday The plan to get him to the court may involve cutting through a wall of the mobile home where he lives, bracing the structure and cutting down some trees to make room for a device that could hold his weight. That will take place if authorities determine that Hicks, given his current weight, cannot be placed onto a gurney and wheeled down a ramp outside his home. The judge approved the plan after Hicks had asked for help getting to the hearing in a way that protects his health, safety and dignity. The hearing will take place in the loading dock at the rear of the court. Hicks also asked that the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, first responders and others involved in the elaborate plan assess any medical issues he may have. The plan to get him to the court may involve cutting through a wall of the mobile home where he lives, bracing the structure and cutting down some trees to make room for a device that could hold his weight, according to court documents A Henrico Fire Department rescue truck leaves the home of Kenneth Hicks on Monday ahead of his scheduled court appearance for cocaine conspiracy charges He was charged as part of an alleged conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than a pound of cocaine from 2013 to 2017. Three of the seven people charged have already pleaded guilty. Various court documents related to the conspiracy case have been sealed or redacted. Hicks has not been in custody since being charged and was allowed to make his initial court appearance via video link in March. If Hicks pleads guilty on Monday he will be taken into custody and moved to a medical facility. The German national anthem should be replaced with a hymn which 'better captures the soul of the nation', according to an East German statesmen. Bodo Ramelow, the premier of Thuringia state, said the current anthem conjures 'images of the Nazi rallies from 1933 to 1945'. 'We need something completely new - new lyrics that are so catchy that everyone can identify with them and say: that belongs to me,' he told the Rheinische Post newspaper. Germany has embarked on a heated debate about its national anthem as it wrestles with its identity 70 years after the war. Bodo Ramelow, the premier of Thuringia state, said the current anthem conjures 'images of the Nazi rallies from 1933 to 1945' Written in 1841, the anthem 'Das Lied der Deutschen' (The Song of the Germans) has a history as turbulent as the country's own. It only officially became the anthem in 1922, with three verses set to the strains of composer Joseph Haydn and beginning with the now taboo line 'Deutschland, Deutschland ueber alles' - which means Germany, Germany above all. The Nazis dropped the second two verses and only sang the first combined with another now banned nationalist song. Only seven years after the war, in 1952, did West Germany return to 'The Song of the Germans'. During national reunification in 1990, calls from the east to incorporate parts of its anthem 'Risen from the Ruins' were rebuffed in favour of West Germany's hymn. Ramelow said many east Germans still felt little connection to the song and wished for 'a truly shared national anthem', suggesting playwright Bertolt Brecht's 'Kinderhymne' (Children's Hymn) as a replacement. He noted that politicians from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) had recently been captured on video singing the 'Deutschland ueber alles' verse, sparking widespread outrage. Ramelow, 63, grew up in West Germany but made his political career in the east. He is the only state leader from the far-left Linke party. His comments come as Germany prepares to mark 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall amid heightened friction between east and west over economic equality and a sense among easterners that their heritage is often given short-shrift. 'We need something completely new - new lyrics that are so catchy that everyone can identify with them and say: that belongs to me,' the state leader said Three eastern regions face pivotal elections in October in which the anti-immigration AfD is expected to make strong gains. National pride, meanwhile, remains a highly sensitive issue in Germany given its responsibility for the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. Conservative officials accused Ramelow of lacking patriotism, with Markus Blume, the general secretary of the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, saying 'hands off our national anthem'. If Ramelow 'has a problem with unity and justice and freedom he should think that over but not change our anthem', he said. AfD leader Alexander Gauland said the comments showed that the Linke party had 'still not made their peace with German unity' and accused him of 'waging battle with Germany's nation-state'. The top-selling Bild tabloid made front-page news out of the story, attacking the 'crazy proposal' and asking 'What does Ramelow have against our beautiful anthem?' Leaders of four other eastern states -- from across the political spectrum -- accused Ramelow of starting a tempest in a teacup while neglecting more urgent voter concerns including the transition away from fossil fuels and attempts to check rising rents. However several officials rushed to his defence, with the deputy premier of Brandenburg state Christian Goerke telling Bild the criticism was 'understandable' given the lack of debate during reunification in 1990. It was not the first time the anthem has faced calls for an update. Angela Merkel declined to wade into the debate, with her spokesman saying only: 'The chancellor finds the anthem's music and lyrics beautiful.' A police hunt is underway for the 'lowlife' who shot a cat in the face with a crossbow bolt and left it fighting for its life. On Monday Howell Police responded to a call of an injured 'community cat' between 640-660 Casino Drive and later rushed the feline to a veterinary hospital where the bolt was successfully removed. According to authorities, the feline, which has since been named Kitty Luck and is now being cared for in a shelter, is thought to have been shot with a hand-held crossbow. A police hunt is underway by Howell Police to find the 'lowlife' who shot a cat in the face on Casino Drive, Howell, New Jersey, on Monday The feline was found between 640-660 Casino Drive and was rushed to hospital by the authorities An investigation with the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office is now underway to catch the person responsible. Howell Township Police Department later took to Facebook to call out the act of violence and ask the public for help in identifying the culprit. The message read: 'Help us find the lowlife who committed such a cowardly act to this innocent animal.' Monmouth County SPCA, the shelter currently taking care of the cat, later shared an update of the cat's progress on social media. The message read: 'A couple of nights back, Howell Police Department responded to a call about an injured cat. 'When they arrived on scene they discovered an adult cat who had been shot directly in the face with an crossbow bolt. Howell Township Police Department later took to Facebook to seek help in finding the person responsible The injured cat is now being cared for at Monmouth County SPCA. The shelter later took to Facebook to share the cat's progress 'The officers called their local animal control who contacted our Humane Law Enforcement Division and we advised them to rush the cat to Red Bank Veterinary Hospital for immediate care. 'The cat who we've named Kitty Luck, was sedated and had the bolt carefully removed by the wonderful staff at RBVH. 'After Kitty Luck recovered from his procedure, he was taken to our shelter where he could recover. 'Kitty is doing well and relaxing comfortably in our care after being subjected to this horrible act of cruelty. We never know whats going to come through our doors, but were ALWAYS ready to jump into action for those who cannot defend themselves! 'Our shelter will take responsibility and incur all costs associated to help animals like Kitty Luck recover physically and emotionally - we can do that because of your support!' Lawyers for Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher claim that military prosecutors installed tracking software in emails sent to the defense team and a Navy Times reporter Attorneys defending a Navy SEAL charged with killing a teenage ISIS prisoner of war in Iraq have accused military prosecutors of installing tracking software in emails in an apparent attempt to discover who was leaking information to the media. Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher's defense team said the intrusion may have violated constitutional protections against illegal searches, guarantees to the right to a lawyer and freedom of the press. The software was allegedly hidden inside a logo of an American flag with a bald eagle. 'I've seen some crazy stuff but for a case like this it's complete insanity,' said attorney Timothy Parlatore. 'I was absolutely stunned ... especially given the fact that it's so clear the government has been the one doing the leaking.' Parlatore represents Gallagher, who has pleaded not guilty to a murder count in the death of an injured and unarmed 15-year-old militant he allegedly stabbed to death with a hunting knife in 2017 in Iraq. Gallagher's platoon commander, Lt. Jacob Portier, is fighting charges of conduct unbecoming an officer for allegedly conducting Gallagher's re-enlistment ceremony next to the corpse. The case against Gallagher, a decorated SEAL, has attracted the attention of congressional Republicans, chief among them Representative Duncan Hunter, from California, who have called for prosecutors to drop the case. And President Donald Trump tweeted in March that Gallagher was being transferred to less restrictive confinement to honor 'his past service to our country.' After Trump's tweet, Gallagher was moved out of the brig to a hospital, where he is currently confined. Scroll down for video In May 2017, several SEALs reportedly witnessed Chief Gallagher stab an unarmed ISIS prisoner to death with a hunting knife. He is pictured while serving in Iraq Attorneys for Portier on Monday asked a military judge to force prosecutors to turn over details identifying who authorized the monitoring, what they were seeking and whether the intrusion recorded when emails were opened or gave greater access to the lawyers' computers or devices. Embedding emails with 'devices designed to monitor defense communications' implicates Portier's right to counsel and right against unreasonable search and seizure,' wrote Air Force Lt. Col. Nicholas McCue, one of Portier's defense lawyers. Prosecutors say that during his eighth deployment, Gallagher indiscriminately shot at Iraqi civilians (pictured during his time overseas) He said he wanted to make sure the measure didn't violate the confidentiality of Portier's communications with his attorney. Ret. Lt. Col. Gary Solis, who teaches law at Georgetown and as a Marine Corps lawyer prosecuted some 400 cases and was a judge on more than 300 others, said he had never heard of hidden cyber tracking software sent to defense lawyers by prosecutors. 'Not only is it ethically questionable, it may be legally questionable,' Solis said. 'When it's apparently so easily discoverable when done in an ineffectively haphazard manner it's more than ethically questionable, it's questionable on an intellectual level.' The prosecutor, Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak, declined to comment Monday. Navy prosecutors have said Gallagher during his eighth deployment indiscriminately shot at Iraqi civilians and stabbed to death a captured ISIS fighter estimated to be 15 years old. He also posed with the teen's corpse at his re-enlistment ceremony, prosecutors said. Gallagher's lawyers have said the allegations were made by disgruntled SEALs out to get Gallagher because he was a demanding leader. Gallagher faces trial on May 28 and Parlatore said prosecutors should focus on that and not on sending communications intended at spying on defense lawyers. In early April, Gallagher was moved from a brig to a hospital and was allowed to spend time with his family (pictured with wife Andrea and their son) The emails were sent last Wednesday to 13 lawyers and paralegals on their team - and to Carl Prine, a reporter for the Navy Times newspaper. Prine has reported extensively on the case and has broken several stories based on documents provided by sources. While documents are subject to a court order not to be shared, none has been classified, Prine said. The tracking software was discovered almost immediately by defense lawyers who couldn't help but notice an unusual logo of an American flag with a bald eagle perched on the scales of justice beneath the signature of Czaplak. It was not an official government logo. One of the emails with the tracking software were sent to Navy Times reporter Carl Prine (pictured) who's been covering the Gallagher case Parlatore said suspicious tracking software was embedded in the logo. He contacted Czaplak to make sure his email had not been hacked. 'I can't imagine you'd be trying to track defense attorneys' emails,' Parlatore said he told Czaplak. 'I want to make sure your system hasn't been compromised.' He said Czaplak told him he would check on it. Two days later, during a closed-door meeting with the judge in San Diego, the defense pushed for more answers and the prosecutor acknowledged sending something as part of an investigation, but declined to elaborate, Parlatore said. The defense lawyers want to know if the software recorded where and when they opened an email message and who they may have forwarded it to - or if it was more intrusive and installed malware on their computers and possibly gave prosecutors access to other files. McCue, one of Portier's lawyers, said he notified Air Force cybersecurity experts who recommended that he stop sending privileged emails through a military communications system designed for sensitive, but non-classified materials. Further, because they don't know the extent of the monitoring, McCue said Air Force defense lawyers had to take action to prevent communications with defendants in hundreds of cases from being compromised. Police Constable Mark Martin, of Calvert Green in Buckinghamshire, was charged after details of his encounter was leaked out to colleagues and he was suspended from duty A policeman who had sex with a 17-year-old boy he met on Grindr in his patrol car outside a stately home has been jailed. Police Constable Mark Martin, of Calvert Green in Buckinghamshire, was charged after details of his encounter was leaked out to colleagues and he was suspended from duty. Martin, 36, had started talking with the 17-year-old male on the dating app Grindr, and offered the teenage boy a ride in his police car on November 8, a court heard. He drove him to a secluded car park at Hughenden Manor, a stately home near High Wycombe, where the two engaged in consensual sex acts, prosecutor Charles Ward-Jackson said. His defence lawyer in court today told of how Martin's life had spiralled out of control, leading to 'self-destructive' behaviour. He was arrested weeks later on November 28 and charged on February 15, after he had submitted his resignation to police bosses in December. He finally left the force on January 31. Judge Edward Burgess told Reading Crown Court today that he was sympathetic to Martin, saying: 'He is very different from the wretched man portrayed in the papers'. The 36-year-old, who resigned from Thames Valley Police, previously appeared before the same judge and admitted a charge of misconduct in a public office. Martin was later the subject of a disciplinary hearing at the force's headquarters - even though he had already quit the force. The 36-year-old, who resigned from Thames Valley Police, previously appeared before the same judge and admitted a charge of misconduct in a public office Thames Valley Chief Constable John Campbell, ruling at the disciplinary hearing, said: 'The agreed facts of these very troubling matters speak for themselves. With consideration to the salient facts, the outrageous behaviour of Mr Martin fell far below the standards expected of our officers and has no place in this force.' Ruling at police headquarters in Kidlington, Oxon., Chief Constable Campbell said that Martin would have been dismissed if he had not resigned. He added he had been placed on the Barred List, preventing him from working with any police force in the future. In a statement released following the officer's previous admission, he said: 'In acting in this manner he has let down all his colleagues from Thames Valley Police and the community he was meant to be serving.' Martin had appeared before Judge Edward Burgess at Reading Crown Court, on April 1 where he admitted being the holder of a public office who wilfully neglected to perform duty/wilfully misconducted himself. The ex-constable had admitted the offence during a previous appearance at Reading Magistrates' Court on March 1 and following the hearing, the then-Deputy Chief Constable Campbell slammed his former officer's 'outrageous' behaviour. Appearing today at Reading Crown Court in Berkshire, Martin, stood in the dock dressed in a smart grey suit. He had previously been granted unconditional bail. He did not attend the previous disciplinary hearing on April 30, or dispute the claims against him, which he had admitted in Crown Court. In mitigation, defence barrister Peter Eguae told the court of a man battling depression and anxiety, one of previous good character with 13 years in the force, and one who made a mistake he was seeking to rectify. Mr Eguae said: 'Individuals try to whether the storm - the point at which his problems began, they were depression and anxiety, and he blamed himself and in essence the depression and anxiety spiralled out of control. 'He acted in a way that was completely inappropriate, and he completely accepts the inappropriate nature of it. It isn't only inappropriate - it is downright self-destructive.' Judge Burgess handed Martin a six-month jail sentence for misconduct in public office and one month for outraging public decency today, each to run concurrently, meaning he will serve six months imprisonment. However, the judge was sympathetic to the picture painted by the defence - describing the defendant as 'very different from the wretched man portrayed in the papers'. Heavily armed men are seen patrolling the streets of a Mexican town in a pick-up truck with American licence plates in a video posted online. The footage was recorded by a motorist in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and showed two men perched atop the flatbed of a red Ford pickup with plates from Texas. The masked men, reportedly members of the Northeast Cartel, are seen wearing military-issued combat helmets and vests with the embroidered Spanish initials of the Mexican Marines. They also carry what appears to be a .40 caliber military rifle mounted on the flatbed. Alleged members of the Mexican criminal organization, the Northeast Cartel, were recorded by a motorist patrolling the streets of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, recently The pickup truck driven by alleged members of the Northeast Cartel had Texas license plates It's unknown when the video was recorded, but it went viral over the weekend after it was shared on social media. The motorist kept their distance from the heavily armed men until they got to a red light on the highway. The driver of the pickup truck then maneuvered around a vehicle in front of it and sped away. Early Saturday, the group allegedly unleashed a hail of bullets against a unit of police officers during an unsuccessful traffic stop in the border state of Nuevo Leon. Cops discovered weapons, ammunition, walkie-talkies and fake identification cards inside a pickup truck, which was abandoned on the side of a road. No arrests have been reported. A different pickup truck was seized by the municipal police in the Mexican border state of Nuevo Laredo following a gun battle shortly past midnight Saturday between members of a cartel and the police. Following a gun battle with alleged members of the Northeast Cartel, cops searched an abandoned pickup truck and discovered a cache of weapons, ammunition, radios and fake identification cards The Northeast Cartel has been in existence since 2014 when it started out as a close ally of the Zetas. But the group splintered away due to infighting following the arrest of its leader, Omar Trevino Morales. The dangerous syndicate is now led by Juan Gerardo Trevino Chavez, and it operates in Nuevo Laredo, Ciudad Mier and Nuevo Guerrero. It has been entrenched in a feud with the Gulf Cartel, Sinaloa Cartel, which was once headed by Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, recognized as the most dangerous criminal organization in Mexico. Advertisement Violent clashes erupted in Kashmir today as stone-throwing protesters battled riot police in a wave of anger after a three-year-old girl was raped in a school bathroom. Dozens of people were injured in the Himalayan province as government forces fired tear gas and pellet guns to quell the protests. Schools and shops across the Kashmir Valley shut spontaneously thousands of people joined the demonstrations to demand that the alleged culprit be executed. The suspect, a car mechanic and a neighbour of the victim's family, allegedly lured the child into the toilet of a nearby school and raped her there last Wednesday. Fury: Female Kashmiri protesters shout slogans and raise their arms in a protest march on the outskirts of Srinagar today, as thousands took to the streets to demand the death penalty for a man suspected of raping a three-year-old girl Raising the issue: A woman wearing a veil and red headscarf raises her arm in protest as female demonstrators shout slogans in Kashmir today at a rally against the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl by a local man at Malikpora Retaliation: A Kashmiri protester throws back an exploded tear gas shell at Indian police during violent clashes today Onslaught: A protester launches a stone at Indian police during clashes on the outskirts of Srinagar, followed by a large crowd of people following the masked attackers down a road Slogan: A group of protesters, some of them children, hold up a sign saying: 'The culprit should be hanged for this shameful act' during the demonstrations in Kashmir today The man, who comes from the Sumbal area north of the main city of Srinagar and is thought to be 20 years old, has already been arrested. But there was further anger today after it was claimed that the principal of another school had vouched for the suspect, saying he was only 13 years old. Thousands of people took to the streets in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir today as security forces wearing riot gear tried to calm the violence. Hundreds of students at three university campuses also protested, demanding capital punishment for the alleged perpetrator and action against the school principal. Lawyers abstained from work in the courts on Monday to express solidarity with the victim, with many schools and shops in the Muslim-majority region also closed. Arms raised: A group of young men make themselves noticed near Srinagar while one of them hurls a stone at police, as protests erupted at several places on the second consecutive day in Indian Kashmir Strength in numbers: A group of female Kashmiri protesters cover the width of a road near Srinagar and hold a sign saying that the alleged suspect should be hanged Ready for battle: A female Kashmiri protester holds a stone in her hand during a protest on the outskirts of Srinagar Aggression: A Kashmiri protester throws stones at Indian policemen during clashes on the outskirts of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir At least a dozen people including government forces personnel were injured in the clashes, top police officer Swayam Prakash Pani told AFP. 'One of the injured protestors is critically wounded,' Pani said, adding that police had registered a separate case against the school principal and detained him for questioning. Condemnations of the crime poured in from leaders from across the political spectrum appealing for calm, with a top separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq saying on Monday the incident was 'a crime against humanity'. Another separatist leader with a wide following in Kashmir, Syed Ali Geelani, said the alleged crime was 'a black stain on the social fabric' of Kashmir. Separatists have for decades fought an armed conflict against Indian rule in Muslim-majority Kashmir. The majority of these groups want independence for Kashmir or to join India's arch-rival Pakistan. Noise: A group of protesters shout slogans and raise their hands during the protests today which saw police fire tear smokes shells to disperse stone throwing protesters in the Himalayan province Stoking anger: Protesters throw sticks to make a fire today as they hold up placards and shout slogans near Srinagar today The Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), a council of Muslim religious leaders and scholars, said they wanted to address what they said was a rise in sexual violence in the region. Crimes against women jumped eight per cent to 3,168 cases in 2017 from 2,915 the previous year, according to government figures. Baseer Ahmad Khan - the region's top administrator - also appealed for calm and said in a statement that the 'enquiry of Sumbal incident is being conducted on a fast-track basis'. In January 2018, an eight-year-old girl was abducted, starved for a week and murdered after she was raped by several people in the southern Kathua area of the territory. That incident caused widespread outrage and protests in Kashmir and many Indian cities and towns. The outrage has also drawn comparisons with the massive protests that followed the gang rape and murder of a woman on a Delhi bus in 2012. Making themselves heard: A man walks away from a group of shouting women near Srinagar amid violent clashes on Monday A woman who was recently shot to death in a brazen daytime attack outside Washington was married to two men - a well-known actor from Ghana and 'major Baltimore drug dealer' currently in prison, authorities say. Bettie Jenifer, 44, was gunned down in front of about 10 people as she walked from work to a parking lot Friday afternoon, police said. The shooter fled the scene in the Maryland suburb of Greenbelt. 'Somebody wanted her dead,' Greenbelt Police Department spokesman George Mathews told WJLA on Sunday. Bettie Jenifer, 44, is seen right alongside Chris Attoh, one of her two husbands. Her other husband, Kedrick Jenifer, was sentenced in 2016 to 20 years in prison for trafficking drugs Bettie Jenifer was shot and killed while leaving work to get to her car in a parking lot in the Maryland suburb of Greenbelt Bettie Jenifer was shot after she left the employment agency she owned. Police said a gunman chased her down once she got to the parking lot Matthews said police were still sifting through layers of information surrounding Jenifer's life, which apparently includes the overlap of two marriages. One had just begun. Jenifer had married Ghanaian actor Chris Attoh in Ghana in October, media outlets reported. He's known for his role as 'Kwame Mensah' in the Nigerian program 'Tinsel.' Jenifer had married Ghanaian actor Chris Attoh in Ghana in October Attoh is known for his role as 'Kwame Mensah' in the Nigerian program 'Tinsel' Attoh now lives in California and has been cooperating with police, according to FOX 5, a Washington-area TV station His management office told FOX 5 that Attoh 'is grieving and has no comment at this stage' Attoh now lives in California and has been cooperating with police, according to FOX 5, a Washington-area TV station. His management office told FOX 5 that Attoh 'is grieving and has no comment at this stage.' Bettie Jenifer was still married to husband Kedrick Jenifer, although divorce proceedings began last month, according to media outlets that cited court records. The two had previously shared a home in Bowie, Maryland, not far from Greenbelt. In 2016, then-U.S. Attorney U.S. Rod Rosenstein said Kedrick Jenifer 'lived large as a major Baltimore drug dealer' who imported large amounts of cocaine from Texas, according to the Baltimore Sun. That year, Kedrick Jenifer was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. He also was ordered to forfeit four homes, hundreds of thousands of dollars and vehicles that included a Rolls Royce and a Ferrari. During his drug-dealing career, one of Kedrick's drug couriers was killed after he was caught transporting cocaine outside Houston, law enforcement officials said. Prosecutors said law enforcement agents believe the man's homicide 'was the direct result of the cocaine seizure,' although Kedrick Jenifer was not charged in the killing. Police in Maryland say they're 'casting a wide net' as they investigate Bettie Jenifer's slaying. Bettie Jenifer was shot after she left the employment agency she owned. Police said a gunman chased her down once she got to the parking lot. 'Our investigators do not believe this was random,' said Mathews, the police department spokesman. 'It was very brazen - it happened in broad daylight in front of multiple witnesses. And that's very concerning, but we do not believe this was a random act.' Maleah Davis' moher was heckled on Monday as she left court by the missing four-year-old's father who said she 'let' her come to harm by leaving her with her ex-fiance. Brittany Bowens, Maleah Davis's mother, along with her spokesman, community activist Quanell X, showed up for a scheduled court hearing for Derion Vence, her former fiance who is charged in connection with the girl's disappearance. The hearing was canceled, though, and Vence's next hearing was scheduled for July 10. His attorney didn't immediately reply to calls seeking comment. Vence, 26, has been charged with tampering with evidence, specifically a human corpse, though Maleah is still missing and authorities have declined to say whether they believe she is dead or Vence may have killed her. Prosecutors, though, have said in court documents that Vence eventually could face additional charges, including murder. Scroll down for video Brittany Bowens is shown leaving court on Monday, crying, after a hearing for her ex-fiance, who is accused in the disappearance of her daughter, was canceled Bowens declined to speak after the canceled hearing, but Quanell X told reporters that Bowens is focused on finding out what happened to her daughter. 'The main thing right now that all of us want to know is what did he do with Maleah,' he said. 'Where is Maleah?' As Quanell X spoke to reporters, he was drowned out by a group of people, including some family members of Maleah's father who yelled 'she let it happen' and 'Brittany knew all along.' Quanell X previously alleged that Vence might have abused Maleah and that Bowens should have told police about it.' It is unclear why she left Maleah in his care when she said he has a history of abuse. Quanell X did not respond to DailyMail.com's inquiries about that or about where exactly Bowens was over the weekend that her daughter went missing. In what is believed to be the final image of Maleah alive, the four-year-old is shown entering the apartment in a pink tutu Maleah Davis is shown walking into stepfather Derion Vence's home in Houston but was not seen again. As Bowens and Quanell X headed to an elevator, they were followed by the hecklers, who yelled, 'Justice for Maleah' and 'murderer.' Derion Vence, 26, is in custody on charges of tampering with a corpse. He is expected to be charged with murder Tamisha Mendoza, a cousin of Maleah's father, Craig Davis, said she questioned why Bowens stayed with Vence if she suspected he was hurting her daughter. 'You're just as guilty as (Vence). She needs to be locked up along with him,' Mendoza said. Craig Davis didn't attend the scheduled hearing because 'he is devastated' about what happened to his daughter, Mendoza said. 'Maleah was a happy little girl,' she said. 'The things that happened to her, she didn't deserve.' According to police, Vence told officers that he, Maleah and his 2-year-old son were abducted on May 4 by a group of men in a truck. He said he and his son were freed the next day but the kidnappers kept Maleah and his silver Nissan Altima. Police said Vence's story kept changing and didn't add up. Bowens is shown leaving court with her representative, the community activist and Houston Black Panthers leader Bowens was trailed out of court by members of the Davis family who blame her for Maleah's disappearance The Nissan was found on Thursday and trained dogs detected the scent of human decomposition in the trunk. Vence was seen on surveillance video taking a large laundry basket with a trash bag as well as cleaning supplies from his apartment on May 3. A basket similar to the one seen on the surveillance video was found in the Nissan's trunk. Investigators also found blood in the hallway and bathroom of Bowens and Vence's apartment. The blood is consistent with DNA samples taken from Maleah's toothbrush, authorities said. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren pledged to nominate a public school teacher to be her secretary of education if she is election president. In my administration, the Secretary of Education will be a former public school teacher who is committed to public education, Warren said in her email to supporters Monday. Warren, one of the 22 Democrats running for the Democratic nomination in 2020, made her comments ahead of a Monday town hall with members of the American Federation of Teachers union. Current Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has come under fire from Democrats for many of her decisions, including her move to ease regulations on for-profit colleges. Warren says DeVos is the worst Secretary of Education weve seen. Democratic presidential candidate and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren vowed to nominate a public school teacher as education secretary if she were to win the presidency. Above she is seen waving to the crowd during a campaign stop on Saturday in Cincinnati Warren claims that DeVos, who has no experience teaching, is the 'worst Secretary of Education we've seen' Warren speaks often of her time as a special education teacher and her early hopes of working in education However, Warren who is a former special education teacher says the problem with the Education Department is bigger than Betsy DeVos. The Democrat from Massachusetts often speaks of her early hopes to work in education, and her email came as a hit to DeVos, who has no teaching experience. Lets get a person with real teaching experience, Warren wrote to supporters. A person who understands how low pay, tattered textbooks, and crumbling classrooms hurt students and educators. A person who understands the crushing burden of student debt on students and young professionals and who is committed to actually doing something about it. Warren, a more progressive candidate, usually polls as the third to fifth most likely candidate to earn the Democratic nomination. Most times former Vice President Joe Biden places first in the polls among the 22 Democratic candidates, independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders places second and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg often places third or fourth among registered Democratic voters Former Vice President Joe Biden most often polls first among registered Democratic voters, independent Senator Bernie Sanders most times places second and in many of the polls breakout star South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg comes in third. Warren faced controversy early on in her campaign when, before announcing, she released the results of a DNA test that showed she likely had less aboriginal heritage than the average white European American. She revealed the results over pressure from the president who said he would donate $1 million to a charity of her choosing if she was Native American and it showed she could be as little as 1/1024th American Indian. Warren made claims to her Native American heritage when applying for a law school professorship and when applying to take the bar exam. She defended her claims and would often speak of her high cheekbones and parents stories of her Native American ancestors. The Pentagon will shift $1.5 billion of its funding toward constructing President Donald Trump's southern border wall, it was revealed over the weekend. The money was originally allocated to other programs, including the next nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile and plans for planes that provide surveillance and communication to fighter jets while airborne, according to Defense Department documents obtained by The Washington Post. Instead, the Department of Defense money will be used to build an additional 80 miles of border wall, according to the documents. It also states the reallocation of funds will not affect military readiness. 'The Department carefully selected sources for the reprogramming that are excess or early to need and will not adversely affect military preparedness,' the document said. While the Pentagon says the money shift will help fund Defense Department counterdrug efforts, Democrats claim the plan is a justification for side stepping congressional authority and using defense money to pay for a Trump campaign promise. The Pentagon is moving $1.5 billion from other military programs to help fund President Donald Trump's promised border wall The money will help build 80 more miles of border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, according to a Department of Defense document reviewed over the weekend Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, and the document, state the money reallocation will not affect military readiness. Trump is expected to nominate Shanahan to become the next secretary of defense 'We look forward to hearing your views on how you intend to repair the damaged relationship between the defense oversight committees and the Department,' Democratic senators, including Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Richard Durbin of Illinois, wrote in a letter to the Pentagon on Friday. In addition to the $1.5 billion, another $1 billion in Army personnel money was set aside in March, and $3.6 billion in military construction projects are being delayed for additional border wall allocations. Although officials did not breakdown how much money would be taken from other programs to fund the 80 miles of border wall, the plan did say 'funds were drawn from a variety of sources, including cost savings, programmatic changes and revised requirements.' The ballistic missile program it is taking from is called the Minutemen III. According to the Air Force, the program requires updates to its ground infrastructure. The document states that the upgrade to the aging control center is 'slightly delayed,' so the money will instead be used for the wall. Another chunk of money will come from the Airborne Warning and Control System program. The Pentagon said the program, where AWACS planes fly with a device that transmits messages to strike aircraft, is also 'slightly delayed.' Money originally designated for a 'space test experiment' will also go toward the wall. The document states that some of the money reprogrammed will be coming from a project that is 'slightly delayed' with Minuteman III, a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile that's aging ground control center requires updates Another chunk of money will come from the Airborne Warning and Control System program, which are planes that fly with a device that transmits messages to strike aircraft One of Trump's biggest promises on the 2016 campaign trail was the construction of a wall along the entire border between the U.S. and Mexico The largest segment of money being reprogrammed from one area will be $604 million in money funding Afghan and coalition forces. The two 'Overseas Contingency Operations' funds provide money to help finance war efforts. Trump promised during his campaign that if he were to win the presidency, he would construct a wall between the entire U.S.-Mexico border to help curb masses of illegal immigration, drug smuggling and human trafficking. Trump's acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan says the redistribution of funds will not have a negative effect on the military, as other administration officials note the money could be used in other unfunded, or underfunded, military projects. The president intends to nominate Shanahan to become the next defense secretary after appointing him to the acting position when former secretary James Mattis left the administration at the beginning of this year following a dispute with Trump over an announced military withdrawal in Syria. Shanahan was deputy secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019 and has been acting chief since January 2019. A former soldier broke down in tears at the Ballymurphy inquest after telling how some within the Parachute Regiment were out of control 'psychopaths' who 'revelled' in killing anyone in sight. The ex-Para said anyone on the streets during the shootings in west Belfast was considered to be associated with the IRA and liable to be shot. A new inquest is being held at Belfast Coroner's Court examining the deaths of 10 civilians, including a Catholic priest and a mother of eight, across three days in August 1971. John Teggart (centre) whose brother Danny was killed by a paratrooper in the Ballymurphy Massacre, made a statement outside Belfast Coroner's Court today The ten victims of the shootings in 1971 are pictured, left to right top row: Joseph Corr, Danny Taggart, Eddie Doherty, Father Hugh Mullan, Frank Quinn, Paddy McCarthy. Bottom row: Joan Connolly, John McKerr, Noel Philips, John Laverty and Joseph Murphy The episode dubbed the 'Ballymurphy Massacre' began after the British Army moved into republican strongholds to arrest IRA suspects after the introduction by the Stormont administration of the controversial policy of internment without trial. But relatives of the victims have long said none of them were armed or involved in any terrorist activity. The witness, known as M597, told the inquest today some within the Parachute Regiment were rogue and out of control 'psychopaths' who had evaded prison by joining up. Families of those who died in the Ballymurphy Massacre have been present outside the court throughout the inquest, holding images of those who died outside Laganside Court in Belfast (pictured last week) The shootings happened after the Army moved into Republican areas to arrest IRA suspects, sparking rioting. Father Hugh Mullan, a Catholic priest, was among those killed. Pictured: His funeral in Ballymurphy in 1971 Soldiers 'revelled' in what had happened and congratulated each other afterwards, the ex-serviceman added. Breaking down in the witness box, he said: 'Rogue soldiers were out of control, killing people on the street and knowing that they would be protected. 'They were saying, anything out there that moves we consider them to be in the IRA or associated with the IRA, and for that alone they could be or should be shot.' He recalled that the conversation between soldiers in Belfast was happening with three or four bodies lying nearby. The soldier, who was a member of the military unit A company, was told that officers in charge of B company had 'lost control' and the Paras were of the opinion that anyone, regardless of sex or age, could or should be shot. He said he was in the Henry Taggart Army base shortly after an incident in which four people were killed. The inquest held at Belfast Coroner's Court is looking into the 1971 shootings during the four-month hearing He alleged his fellow soldiers had no feeling or respect for the dead. The ex-Para said: 'It was a joke, literally it could be four anything, not four human beings, it could be four anything.' He added: 'They seemed to think they could do anything and get away with it.' But the serviceman went on to pay tribute to other good and professional soldiers, saying some were from broken homes and had evaded going to prison by joining the army. 'There were also psychopaths in there, there were people who were dangerous to have around.' M597 could not recall any briefing or debriefing after the killings and claimed young soldiers were left to fight for their lives. 'They were on a high and enjoying it, soldiers do enjoy going to battle as opposed to doing nothing. 'Those soldiers were enjoying it and could not wait to get back out again.' M597 said he was investigated over a separate shooting of a petrol bomber on August 9, 1971, and he was congratulated by other servicemen who told him how lucky he was to have a 'notch on my rifle'. The incident was not properly investigated and he said: 'In fact it was a pat on the back for what I had done.' Claims that IRA gunmen were in the area at the time of the Ballymurphy Massacre have been disputed during the inquest hearings. At the inquest last week, Gerry Adams denied he was a member of the IRA, but said he will never disassociate himself from the organisation. The inquest continues. Advertisement Ten Britons including a woman who served in WWII and another woman who wants to bring back family memories have had a special photograph from the past restored into full colour. These amazing pictures show how memories captured on early cameras years ago have been brought back to life thanks to modern technology. Photo printers CEWE launched a competition to find people with meaningful photos which could be then restored, working with alongside photo restoration artist James Paterson. Daniel Stevens, of Harlow, Essex, wanted a photo of his grandfather and his Navy shipmates enhanced with colour. The special photo was taken on the day WW2 ended in the east in late 1945. His grandfather is pictured in Hong Kong harbour aboard HMS Spearhead the day Japan signed a surrender agreement on September 2, 1945. The colour enhances the scene behind them as well as the faces of the crew aboard HMS Spearhead in the summer sun. Another restored photo shows the grandfather of photographer Chris Dalton, also from London. The photo was taken while his grandfather was serving as a paratrooper in Egypt. It shows him speaking to another paratrooper while standing next to a Jeep. The colour enhances the pair pictured in the photo and also shows the classic Jeep in more detail. The winning picture was sent in by Anna de Pretto, from London. Her family had moved to Briey, France, where they started work in a coal mine. Her photo captured the family sitting down and relaxing, with her grandmother pictured left, with Anna's mother and uncle as children. The winning photograph shows Anna's grandmother dressed in bright orange colours, while her mother and uncle are dressed in blue and red in the restored shot. In another photo, a woman, now aged 94, is seen marching in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, or the womens' British Army during the Second World War. Her son Peter Gordon, from London, wanted her photo colourised to be a gift for her 95th birthday later this year. Slide me The winning picture was sent in by Anna de Pretto, from London. Her family had moved to Briey, France, where they started work in a coal mine. Her photo captured the family sitting down and relaxing, with her grandmother pictured with her own mother and uncle Slide me Deyana Petrova, from London, is pictured left enjoying a walk in the woods with her mother. These amazing pictures show how memories captured on early cameras years ago have been brought back to life thanks to modern technology Slide me One woman, now aged 94, is captured marching in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, or the women's British Army during the Second World War. Her son Peter Gordon, from London, wanted her photo colourised to be a gift for her 95th birthday later this year Slide me Daniel Stevens, of Harlow, Essex, wanted a photo of his Grandad and his Navy shipmates enhanced with colour. The photo was taken on the day WW2 ended in 1945. His Grandad is captured in Hong Kong harbour aboard HMS Spearhead the day Japan signed a surrender agreement on September 2, 1945 Slide me Victoria Metaxas, also of London, wanted to restore and colourise an old picture of her grandfather in his band. They are seen playing the accordions above, with the colour enhancing the picture to bring vibe and add atmosphere to the original shot Slide me This photo was chosen for restoration 51 years after it was first taken. The photograph shows the father of Jane Henry, from Tynemouth, celebrating the birth of his sixth child. The image has brought his precious memories back to life now her father is aged 90 Slide me Fiona Naughton had this image of her late grandmother restored. Her grandmother is pictured sitting with friends on a day out. The photo restoration brings to life their colourful dresses and also enhances their smiles Slide me Another restored photo shows the grandfather of photographer Chris Dalton, also from London. The photo was taken while his grandfather was serving as a paratrooper in Egypt. It shows him speaking to another paratrooper while standing next to a Jeep Slide me Blogger London Historian chose this image of Tower Bridge being built in 1892 to be restored. The coloured image provides an insight into its construction and how the bridge Ava DuVernay has revealed why she avoided naming her new Netflix series after the Central Park Five. The Oscar-nominee sat down for an interview with NBC's Lester Holt who asked her to explain the title of her new series, When They See Us. 'I really became allergic to the idea of calling it Central Park Five because I feel like that's a political moniker. It was a moniker that they were given. It's not something that they made, themselves,' DuVernay explained. She said Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Kharey Wise, were all 'given this name by the press, by political forces, and it really takes away their personal power'. DuVernay said her series takes a different look at the five men who recently spoke out about their wrongful convictions. The Oscar-nominee sat down for an interview with NBC's Lester Holt who asked her to explain the title of her new series, When They See Us 'I really became allergic to the idea... because I feel like that's a political moniker,' she told Holt DuVernay said her series takes a different look at the five men (all pictured, with DuVernay and Holt) who recently spoke out about their wrongful convictions. 'When They See Us humanizes them. It asks who's the they and who's the us,' she said 'When They See Us humanizes them. It asks who's the they and who's the us. It also asks the question, how does a black mother see her son and how does a police officer see her son-- how did New York City see these boys at the time,' she said. DuVernay said her goal is to 'use this case to illuminate larger truths about the criminal justice system'. 'And so, Central Park Five narrows the project. And the goal of the project is to really expand our ideas, our notions, our beliefs of a criminal justice system as a whole.' The interview will be shown tonight on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt at 6:30pm. McCray, Richardson, Salaam, Santana and Wise were all teenagers when they falsely confessed to the brutal attack on 28-year-old investment banker, Trisha Meili, who was out jogging through the park. Meili was bound, gagged, raped and almost beaten to death. She was found with her skull smashed in and more than 75 per cent of her blood drained from her body. The five youngsters - four black and one Hispanic - were promptly arrested and jailed for the crime, which exacerbated already explosive levels of racial tensions in New York City. Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Kharey Wise, were all falsely jailed over the 1989 rape of a white female jogger in Central Park However, in 2002, DNA evidence exonerated the group before they subsequently sued the city and reached a $41million settlement. In a new interview with CBS, the men revealed how they have used that sum of money to rebuild their lives. 'We were able to relocate, [and] put our children in better situations,' Santana, now 44, stated. However, he and the others added that the money had not lessened the lasting pain of their false imprisonment. 'No amount of money could have given us our time back,' Salaam, also 44, declared. In the intimate interview, the group revealed they still think about their wrongful convictions constantly The men (all pictured) received a $41million settlement from New York City in 2014 The group's imprisonment came after they confessed to the chilling crime following hours of police interrogations. Salaam (left) and Santana (right) are pictured after their arrest From left to right: Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise confessed to the chilling crime after hours of police interrogations. They later recanted but their original statements were admitted at trial 'Every day it's probably my second or third thought,' Salaam revealed. 'Even our conversations is different. It's not normal. Our conversations would be about prison, how we had to survive in prison,' McCray, 44, added. The group's imprisonment came after they confessed to the chilling crime following hours of police interrogations. They later recanted their confessions, which they said were forced by police but their original statements were admitted at trial. Media demonized the black and Hispanic youths, describing them as a 'Wolf Pack'. Although he didn't directly accuse the five boys of committing the crime, Donald Trump spent $85,000 placing full-page ads in newspapers calling for the return of the death penalty shortly after they were arrested. Trisha Meili was 28 years old when she was brutally beaten and raped while jogging in Central Park. She managed to survive the attack and is pictured in 2003 Media demonized the black and Hispanic youths, describing them as a 'wolf pack' The brutal attack and the subsequent arrest of the five colored youths exacerbated explosive racial tensions in New York City Donald Trump spent $85,000 placing full-page ads in newspapers calling for the return of the death penalty shortly after the boys were arrested They were convicted in 1990 and spent between seven to 13 years in prison, before serial rapist Matias Reyes confessed to the crime. In an interview with CBS, DuVernay said her goal is to 'invite the audience to re-interrogate everyone that they define as a criminal'. She continued: 'I'm asking the question to everyone, 'What do you see when you see black boys?' And that's a painful answer, because I know what the answer is for many people. 'It's exactly what these boys were called: wolf pack, animals, criminals, so much so that they could be tossed aside on a case that was made from a complete lie.' The series premieres on Netflix on May 31. Terreance M. King Jr., 22, has been charged with phoning in a series of bogus bomb threats and falsely reporting that officers had been shot in a number of 911 calls A man from Chicago has admitted to police that he made at least 10 calls to 911 to report officers had been shot, because he got a thrill watching officers respond to his fake calls. Terreance M. King, 22, from the South Shore area of the city called the emergency services to report a Chicago officer had been shot in the abdomen. He watched from his home as authorities would rush to the scene. On another occasion King is alleged to have made a bomb threat which once again sent cops scrambling. Authorities eventually traced the source of the calls to his South Side home. Using names like 'Antoine' and 'Whodie', he also said that he liked watching police scramble as they responded to his nuisance calls. The details were revealed during a bail hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Monday according to the Chicago Tribune. After admitting to making the calls, King said he routed officers to addresses near his home because he enjoyed watching emergency crews respond King, 22, allegedly made the calls for his own enjoyment During Kings initial court hearing Sunday, prosecutors said he used his own cellphone to call in the reports. After allegedly admitting to making the calls, King said he routed officers to addresses near his home so that he could watch the emergency crews respond. King was arrested on Friday and was later charged with a felony count of making a false police report. Judge John Lyke Jr. ordered King to be held on $25,000 bail and electronic home monitoring if released. King will have to put up $2,500 to be released from the Cook County Jail. Should he be released, King will be placed on electronic monitoring and confined to the same apartment where he allegedly made the calls. King has prior arrests for domestic battery and criminal trespass to property, as well as a juvenile sex conviction, according to prosecutors and court documents. Former Vice President Joe Biden slammed President Donald Trump's handling of relations with China during his first trip to New Hampshire on Monday, criticizing the president for increasing 'tariffs, the debt and the trade deficit.' 'He's going about all the wrong way,' Biden told reporters during his community stop at a local pizza place in Hampton. 'The president has done nothing but increase the tariffs, the debt, and the trade deficit,' he noted. Joe Biden made his first trip to New Hampshire as a 2020 presidential candidate Biden hugs a supporter at his first stop in New Hampshire Biden also said it was the working people and farmers - a major part of the president's base - who are paying the price. 'The only people paying the price are farmers and working people right now,' he said. U.S. farmers have been among the hardest hit in the trade war, with soybean shipments to China dropping to a 16-year low in 2018. Biden's snipe comes after President Trump lashed out at him as concerns about retaliatory action from China have grown after the administration began raising tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on Friday. Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that the deal with China was '95 percent' done on Friday when Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told him it was off. That's when the president ordered the tariff increase. China fired back on Monday with a tariff hike on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods. Trump, however, has been spinning the situation as China wanted to wait it out and hope they get a weaker negotiator after the 2020 election. The president claims 'Sleepy Joe' - as he has nicknamed Biden - would not be as tough on Beijing. 'China is DREAMING that Sleepy Joe Biden, or any of the others, gets elected in 2020. They LOVE ripping off America!,' the president tweeted on Sunday. On Monday morning he retweeted a tweet from Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel that slammed Biden: 'Joe Biden let China get away with cheating when he was Vice President, and he continues to naively dismiss China today.' His attacks came ahead of Biden's first trip to New Hampshire, the first state to vote in the Democratic primary process. After his speech Biden took selfies with members of the crowd He signed a license plate with his name on it Biden was warmly received at his first stop of the day by the packed room at the pizza parlor 'The Community Oven.' 'I'm going to be here a lot,' the former vice president warned the crowd. 'The bad news is I'm coming back.' After his speech he stayed in the restaurant for about 30 minutes, talking to votes and taking selfies. Several women came up to him to give him hugs and kiss him on the cheek. One woman kissed him and told Biden she was a breast cancer survivor who had visited his home when he was vice president. 'I thought I recognized you,' he responded, giving her a hug. The crowd pressed in and called for his attention. 'Joe hug Tootsie,' a gentleman yelled at him. The former vice president promptly stopped to hug an elderly lady. 'Give him hell, Joe,' another person encouraged him. An elderly man with a point-and-shoot camera asked Biden for a photo. 'I'm the old fashioned type,' he explained as he handed his camera to an aide to take the shot. Biden kept his remarks short and folksy - talking about his family and his work with former President Barack Obama, which received a great deal of applause from the crowd. He also got a lot of cheering when he called for a repeal of the tax cut passed by Trump and Republicans in 2017. Biden is marking his first trip to New Hampshire as a 2020 presidential candidate He's making a two-day visit to the state that votes first in the presidential primary process He told the crowd he was running because 'this election is, frankly, bigger than politics.' He did not mention Trump by name but cited the 'currant occupant' in the Oval Office as the reasoning He also vowed to get more specific on his policy positions - starting with an environmental policy speech by the end of May. 'I'm laying out a major speech in detail by the end of the month on my specific pieces on the environment. We need an environmental revolution,' he said. But, he noted, 'we do need to finish this green revolution in a way that's rational.' He also talked about why he didn't run in 2016, claiming he didn't want to challenge Hillary Clinton since she was a friend and recounting his son Beau's battle with brain cancer. Beau Biden died in 2015. 'I wasn't going to run against Hillary. She's my friend,' Biden said. Biden took questions from the crowd after his remarks Biden spoke off the cuff with no notes or a teleprompter. He took questions from the audience afterward. 'What I'm most passionate about is fighting the abuse of power,' he said in response to a question about his passion outside of work and family. 'I looked at everything I've ever been involved in and it's all been about the abuse of power,' he noted. 'I've never liked bullies,' he added. Then he got personal with the crowd, talking about he was the 'runt of the litter' as a kid and stuttered badly in high school. 'I was the runt of the litter, when I was a kid I stuttered,' Biden said, noting he 5'3 or 5'4 and 107 pounds his freshman year of high school. Biden's first foray into the Granite State came as Trump has been handicapping the Democratic presidential field - an unprecedented interference by the head of one party into the primary election of another's. And he's launches a series of attacks via Twitter - his political weapon of choice - as Biden enjoys a bump in the polls after his official entry into the presidential field. Joe Biden makes his first trip to New Hampshire as a 2020 presidential candidate on Monday Biden's visit comes as President Trump ramps up attacks on him The former vice president will spend two days in the state that holds the first presidential primary. After his community stop, he'll hold a town hall in Manchester on Monday evening followed by a house party in Nashua on Tuesday. Biden has enjoyed an early lead in the polls, including in the general election match up with Trump. The RealClearPolitics polling average has him leading the president by 7.3 per cent. Trump, meanwhile, has given his two cents on the field of contenders vying to take him on in 2020. The president has declared it a two-man race between Biden and Bernie Sanders and dubbed them with dismissive monikers - a strategy that worked for him when he used it against his political rivals in the 2016 Republican primary process. 'Looks to me like it's going to be SleepyCreepy Joe over Crazy Bernie. Everyone else is fading fast!' Trump wrote on Twitter Friday. But it's Biden who is enduring a heavy dose of Trump's wrath as many Republicans fear he is the candidate that can defeat the president next November. Many Republicans are concerned Biden will appeal to the same blue-collar voters in the Midwest states - Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Iowa - that helped put Trump in the Oval Office. The former vice president has made it his strategy to take on Trump from the start, blasting the president's leadership. 'I came here because, quite frankly folks, if I'm going to beat Donald Trump in 2020, it's going to happen here,' Biden told union supporters at a Pittsburgh rally at the end of April. Trump, meanwhile, is using a strategy that worked for him in the 2016 primary: labeling his foe with derogatory names - like he labeled 'low energy' Jeb Bush and 'Little' Marco Rubio. Trump is giving Biden a derogatory nickname - a strategy that worked for him in the past with 'Crooked' Hillary Clinton and 'Low Energy' Jeb Bush Those attacks resulted in the candidates defending themselves against Trump's accusations and ultimately giving the New York businessman the presidential nomination. The nicknames strategy also worked because the names stick - Crooked Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren - and show the president's tendency to make contests about personalities rather than policy. Biden, meanwhile, will focus on his message of rebuilding the middle class and unifying the country during his New Hampshire stops. After his visit to the Granite State he'll hold a rally in Philadelphia on Saturday, May 18. The 14-year-old girl collided with another vehicle in the Walnut Park East area A 14-year-old girl was shot in the hand by an angry motorist after she crashed her mother's car into his vehicle in St. Louis, Missouri, at around 8pm on Sunday. The teen had reportedly stolen her mom's car on Mother's Day and was joyriding around the city's Walnut Park East neighborhood when she got into the collision. The girl jumped out of the car and tried to run from the scene. Police arrived at the scene (pictured) on Sunday to find a teenage girl bleeding from a gunshot wound to the hand after an angry motorist fired shots at her for crashing into his car The girl was shot at by the driver of the vehicle she crashed into near Thekla and Oriole avenues (pictured) in St. Louis But the driver of the vehicle she had crashed into pursued and fired shots at her, police said. The teenager hid for safety near Thekla and Oriole avenues until law enforcement officers arrived. Authorities found the girl bleeding from a gunshot wound to the hand. St. Louis Metropolitan Police are investigating who shot the 14-year-old girl, who is in a stable condition She was taken to hospital, where she was listed as stable. Police are investigating the incident. They do not know the identity of the shooter and do not have a description of their car. Crime rates are high in the Walnut Park East area, with six homicides recorded last year in police data compiled by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. A suspected jihadi training compound has been uncovered in Alabama that is similar to a New Mexico facility where a group of people were arrested last year for conspiring to carry out a terror attack on U.S. soil. The remote property, which the FBI said contained a 'makeshift military-style obstacle course', was uncovered off a dirt road near the small town of Tuskegee. The plot of land in Alabama belongs to Siraj Ibn Wahhaj - one of five people arrested at a similar New Mexico compound last year where the remains of his toddler son were also found. The remote property, which the FBI said contained a 'makeshift military-style obstacle course', was uncovered off a dirt road near the small town of Tuskegee in Alabama The plot of land in Alabama showed blue gallon buckets set up around the property with what appeared to be chain link fencing placed on top Drone footage shot by ABC 3340 of the Alabama property showed blue gallon buckets set up around the property with what appeared to be chain link fencing placed on top. The FBI described in a search warrant that the debris spotted on the property resembled an obstacle course similar to what the military uses. A wooden structure covered in plastic tarps was surrounded by pallets and mattresses. The property was also littered with car tires and children's toys. The FBI noted in their warrant that they seized a laptop, a kindle and several cellphones when they raided the compound. It is understood the FBI raided the property last year but details of the search warrant have only just emerged. Images of the Alabama property show striking similarities to the ragged New Mexico camp near Amalia, which is just south of the Colorado state line. Authorities raided that property last year in their search for a missing three-year-old Georgia boy who was also Wahhaj's son. The child's remains were found on the property where authorities say they also located 11 starving children dressed in rags and living in filth, guns, ammunition and a firing range. Wahhaj, his girlfriend Jany Leveille, her two sisters, Hujrah Wahhaj and Subhanah Wahhaj, and her brother-in-law, Lucas Morton, were all arrested. The plot of land in Alabama belongs to Siraj Ibn Wahhaj - one of five people arrested at a similar New Mexico compound last year where his three-year-old son's body was found Images of the Alabama property show striking similarities to the ragged New Mexico camp (above) near Amalia, which is just south of the Colorado state line Authorities raided that property last year in their search for a missing three-year-old Georgia boy who was also Wahhaj's son. The child's remains were found on the property where authorities say they also located 11 starving children dressed in rags and living in filth The charges listed in the indictment against them ranged from terrorism, kidnapping, and conspiracy to provide resources, training and other support for 'attacks to kill officers and employees of the United States'. According to the indictment, the five defendants had been maintaining since October 2017 'a training compound to prepare for attacks on government, military and other institutions'. Wahhaj and his girlfriend allegedly instructed people, including those at the compound, to be prepared to engage in 'jihad, to die as martyrs and to engage in violent acts', including the killing of FBI employees and military personnel, according to court documents. The suspects' attorneys have disputed the allegations, saying they are based on the uncorroborated statements of children. Wahhaj is the only adult not charged in his son's kidnapping. Prosecutors revealed last month that they would not be seeking the death penalty against the four adults accused of kidnapping the three-year-old. Lucas Morton Social workers and teachers were facing serious questions last night after a county lines gang plucked 25 boys and girls from care homes and units for expelled pupils to sell drugs 70 miles away. Drug dealers infiltrated at least three care homes and four pupil referral units (PRU) to recruit vulnerable teenagers as young as 14 from under the noses of staff. No one noticed when the youngsters who were dubbed 'perfect couriers' disappeared for days after they were sent from London to peddle drugs in Portsmouth, making profits of up to 2,000 per child each day for gangmasters. The ringleaders, Dean Alford, Michael Karemera, and Glodi Wabelua, all 25, from Lewisham, boasted about their exploits in drill rap music videos The children barely received a penny and were forced into submission through threats to their life or their families. It was not until 15 of the teenagers from three London boroughs had been arrested for possession of drugs on the South Coast that a children's worker raised the alarm sparking Britain's first county lines police investigation into modern slavery. Today the three ruthless criminals at the heart of the scandal face jail when they are sentenced at Inner London Crown Court for trafficking six teenagers. The astonishing case illustrates how pupils excluded from schools and youngsters in the care system are being exploited by gangs. Michael Karemera is pictured above. The children barely received a penny and were forced into submission through threats to their life or their families The National Crime Agency estimates that 10,000 children as young as 11 have been enslaved by 2,000 county lines gangs named after the mobile phone lines they use to transfer drugs from big cities to the provinces. The number of drug-dealing operations has almost tripled from 720 last year to around 2,000, with teenagers aged 15 to 17 making up most members of the gangs in the 500million industry. Yesterday the Children's Commissioner Anne Longfield said: 'These children are too readily able to disappear from view missed by the system that shouldn't miss them. They are, in the minds of these drug gangs, the least important, most disposable and replaceable links in the entire criminal chain. Much more needs to be done to ensure our vulnerable children are not missed, are supported, and can't just vanish from view only to surface in police cells and the courts.' The five-year investigation into the landmark case began in 2014 when a succession of children aged 14 to 16 from Lewisham, Croydon and Bromley were found wandering the streets of Portsmouth selling crack-cocaine and heroin at all hours. Drug dealers infiltrated at least three care homes and four pupil referral units (PRU) to recruit vulnerable teenagers as young as 14 from under the noses of staff. A stock photo is used above for illustrative purposes only [File photo] Initially, the teenagers were treated as criminals and prosecuted. But gradually detectives realised that they were vulnerable victims lured with the promise of earning 600 a day. In some instances, the teenagers had only been recruited 48 hours earlier at their PRU before being put on a train to Portsmouth carrying bundles of drugs worth 3,000. In one case, two 15-year-old boys lured from the same unit worked alongside each other, taking turns to sell drugs and re-stock the line. Some of the children were threatened with violence if they did not comply. A 15-year-old girl from a PRU was held hostage for two days and told her grandmother would be hurt if she refused to go to Portsmouth. Police relied on DNA and phone evidence to show how the crooks used their child army to serve hundreds of drug users demanding crack cocaine and heroin at all hours. A stock photo is used above for illustrative purposes only [File photo] A 19-year-old autistic boy from a hostel was forced to work on Christmas Day delivering drugs for the gang. When he tried to escape, he was kidnapped, stripped naked and had a gun shoved in his mouth. Police believe 25 child couriers were made to work for three county lines. They said this was the first investigation to treat children caught selling drugs as victims rather than criminals. The ringleaders, Dean Alford, Michael Karemera, and Glodi Wabelua, all 25, from Lewisham, boasted about their exploits in drill rap music videos. The trio were first arrested in September 2014 after police launched a major operation involving at least 250 officers. But it took years to bring them to justice after their trial collapsed due to an incorrect interpretation of the law. Scotland Yard took the case to the Court of Appeal and last month the trio were finally convicted at Inner London Crown Court. Officers believe at least 25 children were enslaved between November 2013 and September 2014. But they only took six cases to court involving three girls aged 14, 15 and 16 and three boys aged 15, 16 and 19 because the case would have been too unwieldy to prosecute if they included all of the victims. Kate Bex, QC, prosecuting, told jurors: 'You have heard evidence that children make perfect couriers because they do what you want, they are less likely to steal the drugs or money, less likely to be stopped and searched on trains. It is pretty brutal.' Alford and Karemera admitted human trafficking for exploitation but Wabelua was convicted by the jury. Youngsters targeted were too scared to give evidence in the case, and the 19-year-old threatened at gunpoint had to be given a new identity. Police relied on DNA and phone evidence to show how the crooks used their child army to serve hundreds of drug users demanding crack cocaine and heroin at all hours. The trio were first convicted for drug supply in February 2016 but the trafficking element of the case was tried separately. Alford was sentenced to 11 years and Karemera to 10 years for the drug charges alone. Wabelua received a sentence of six years and eight months. But today they will get additional sentences for people trafficking. Acting Detective Inspector Simon French said: 'It was a landmark case. We approached the young people as victims.' They were promised an easy life of riches, earning 600 a day. But the reality for the vulnerable children targeted by the gang was much grimmer. Here, we look at the cases of four of those recruited by Dean Alford, Michael Karemera and Glodi Wabelua. Handed a knife and told to start selling crack A girl of 14 from Croydon, officially deemed a 'child in need', was recruited through a pupil referral unit (PRU) in South London by a 15-year-old working for the gang. She was told she would earn 600 a day selling drugs and spend most of her time shopping. But after agreeing to work for the gang, she was held against her will in a flat in Croydon for two nights, where police believe she was plied with drugs and may have been sexually assaulted. After being released from the flat, she was given a disposable 'burner' phone and sent to Portsmouth by train with a quantity of drugs. On arrival, she was met by a girl who gave her a knife and instructed to start selling crack cocaine and heroin. She was arrested in Portsmouth and later convicted of possession of class A drugs and given a 12-month referral order. She has left her troubled upbringing behind and is now working in retail. Dealt drugs after threats to her grandmother A girl of 15 from Bromley, who was in a PRU, was approached by a man who suggested they go for a meal. But as she entered the car another man got in. Frightened, she started screaming but was warned to be quiet or her grandmother, with whom she lived, would be hurt. The men said someone was with her grandmother and could easily 'get at her'. They drove her to a block of flats in Portsmouth where she was forced to stay with five drug users. The next day she was sent out to start selling drugs until she was arrested dealing crack cocaine and heroin. Later, she revealed that the reason she could not run off while she was out selling drugs was because she feared for the safety of her grandmother. The frightened schoolgirl also said she had no idea where she was. A girl of 15 from Bromley, who was in a PRU, was approached by a man who suggested they go for a meal. A stock photo is used above for illustrative purposes only and the girl described is not the model pictured above [File photo] Hounded by gangster, hid crack cocaine in his underwear A boy of 16 from Lewisham who went to a PRU in South London was dispatched to Portsmouth within 24 hours of meeting Wabelua. He made three journeys to the coastal city over five days, receiving more than 200 calls from the gangster, mostly in the middle of the night. He was eventually arrested with another 16-year-old boy from Lewisham. The pair were caught a second time days later in a car with Wabelua and three other men. Both boys had around 100 rocks of crack cocaine hidden in their underpants. Wabelua claimed they were being paid 500 a week, plus expenses, but it is unclear whether the children received anything. A boy of 16 from Lewisham who went to a PRU in South London was dispatched to Portsmouth within 24 hours of meeting Wabelua. A stock photo is used above for illustrative purposes only and the boy described is not the model pictured above [File photo] So naive she led police officers to drug dealer's stash A girl of 15 from Croydon who was living in a care home was arrested in Portsmouth outside the home of a drug dealer eight days after going missing. She was so naive that she took police to the flat where officers found the dealer's drugs. The girl was convicted of possession of drugs with intent to supply, but has never reoffended and now has a job in retail. A girl of 15 from Croydon who was living in a care home was arrested in Portsmouth outside the home of a drug dealer eight days after going missing. A stock photo is used above for illustrative purposes only and the girl described is not the model pictured above [File photo] Gangsters in the UK outnumber Army soldiers by TWO TO ONE, National Crime Agency boss reveals as she calls for billions in extra funding There are more than twice as many offenders linked to serious and organised crime in Britain than there are soldiers in the Army, a shock report has warned. The National Crime Agency wants billions more pounds invested in order to keep up with the 'chronic and corrosive' problem, which it labelled the 'deadliest threat to the nation'. NCA Director Lynne Owens warned that the public would pay the price if funding is not boosted by 2.7billion over the next three years. There are an estimated 180,000 offenders linked to serious and organised crime, the NCA says. This is more than double the 79,000 regular soldiers serving in the Army. A stock photo is used above for illustrative purposes only [File photo] She said the cost to the UK economy of serious and organised crime was at least 37billion a year equivalent to almost 2,000 per family and the figure rises every year. It kills more people each year than terrorism, war and natural disasters, she added. 'Enhancing our capabilities is critical to our national security,' Mrs Owens warned. 'If we don't, the whole of UK law enforcement, and therefore the public, will feel the consequences. Some will say we cannot afford to provide more investment, but I say we cannot afford not to.' A report into the staggering scale of crime in the UK, published today, reveals: Reports of online child sexual abuse and exploitation have increased by 700 per cent since 2013; There was a 294 per cent rise in cocaine seizures at the UK border in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the previous year; Reports of possible victims of modern slavery have increased by more than 80 per cent since 2016; Fraud losses soared by 32 per cent between just April and September last year, with an estimated overall cost of 190billion; Children and young people are increasingly being sucked in, and some are running their own crime empires; Bent accountants, solicitors and other 'professional enablers' are increasingly using their expertise to facilitate crimes. 'Use boxing to keep youths out of crime' Boxing and martial arts should be harnessed to help fight knife crime and gang violence, a report has recommended. The Commons digital, culture, media and sport committee said sporting and cultural activities were being overlooked by ministers in favour of arresting and imprisoning young people. Taking part in activities could also be key to solving social problems in health, education and urban regeneration, it said. The report recommended that sport and culture should be 'better integrated within the work and policy objectives' of Government departments. The committee concluded that the benefits of sporting and cultural participation were undisputed, but the Government does not do enough to use them in its own policy objectives. The report highlighted boxing and martial arts programmes as a way of reaching the young. Damian Collins, the committee's chairman, said: 'We cannot break the debilitating cycle of gang violence and knife crime just by arresting those who commit offences.' Advertisement There are an estimated 180,000 offenders linked to serious and organised crime, the NCA says. This is more than double the 79,000 regular soldiers serving in the Army. And the estimate was described as 'conservative' because it only takes into account 'active' members of organised crime gangs, believed to be around 37,000, and the worst online paedophiles. There are estimated to be a staggering 144,000 British paedophiles registered on the most extreme abuse websites on the 'dark web'. The NCA's annual threat assessment says the agency needs a cash boost of 650million a year to spearhead the fight against crime. Mrs Owens said: 'The choice is stark. Failing to invest will result in the gradual erosion of our capabilities and our ability to protect the public.' The NCA report said that the 'traditional idea of organised crime groups is becoming old-fashioned'. It said that hierarchies are changing, with leadership increasingly fragmented, and now more likely to be run by youngsters relying on technology. But it warned they are still capable of 'employing extreme violence'. Mrs Owens said: 'Serious and organised crime is chronic and corrosive, its scale is truly staggering. We need significant further investment to keep pace with the scale and complexity. 'These groups are preying on the most vulnerable in society, including young children and the elderly.' Clashes broke out at Tehran University today amid anger over the enforcement of Islamic laws which force female students to wear a headscarf. Students claimed that Iran's religious police and security forces had entered the campus to warn female students that they had to obey the hijab laws. A university boss in charge of cultural affairs had reportedly attempted to speak to students but was 'physically prevented' from doing so. The university vice president, Majid Sarsangi, denied any police or security forces had entered the campus. Clashes broke out at Tehran University today (pictured) amid anger over the enforcement of Islamic laws which force female students to wear a headscarf But he said 'two groups of students with opposing thoughts and ideals unfortunately clashed with each other while we tried to calm down the enraged students.' Protest organisers have claimed that female students faced 'severe checks when entering the university'. 'The imposition of one type of attire on students... is a direct violation of their human rights,' according to a student statement. Fars news agency, which is close to ultra-conservatives, said scuffles broke out between the protesters and other students who supported compulsory hijabs. They 'were shouting slogans against attire laws and observance of hijab,' Ali Tolouie, the head of Tehran University Student Basij Organisation, told Fars. Mr Tolouie declared that the protesters' statement 'shows they are against Islam itself'. There were no reports of any casualties or arrests. Protesting students line up at Tehran University today during clashes over the compulsory wearing of the hijab, in line with laws in place since the 1979 revolution Previous: An Iranian woman escapes tear gas during unrest at the University of Tehran as students joined in the country's protests in late 2017 Following the 1979 Islamic revolution, compulsory hijab-wearing was enforced throughout Iran. The new laws forced Iranian women to dress modestly and cover themselves with the Islamic veil. Every year with the advent of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan authorities strictly enforce the mandatory Islamic dress code. Ramadan this year started on May 5 and continues until June 4. There have been a number of protests by women over the years, with the latest major protests being the 'Dokhtaran-e enghelab', or the Girls of Revolution Street. That protest began after an Iranian woman stood on a pillar box on Enghelab Avenue in Tehran and raised her white veil on a stick, in December 2017. Her protest was copied by women in different cities in spite of a number of arrests that followed. X-ray technician Janet Enzbrenner (pictured) was fired for allegedly accessing the records and giving them to the alleged assailant. She has not responded to the lawusit A woman who claims to have been sexually assaulted is suing a Missouri hospital claiming an X-ray technician accessed her medical records where she described the alleged attack then contacted the man she said did it to warn him. The alleged victim, who DailyMail.com is not naming, filed a lawsuit last week against X-Ray technician Janet Enzbrenner and the hospital she used to work for, Atchison Hospital in Atchison near Kansas City in Missouri alleging breach of privacy and mistreatment. She says that in May 2017, she went to the hospital after being raped by an unnamed assailant. After she reported what happened, she claims Enzbrenner looked up her records then harvested information from them, including her description of the alleged attack. She then allegedly contacted the man described to tell him what the woman had said. It is unclear what the man's relationship was to either Enzbrenner or the woman who claims he raped her. But not long afterwards, the alleged victim said she started receiving abusive and threatening text messages from him. 'Such communications were highly threatening and contained graphic language ad pornographic content. 'The assailant also stalked Plaintiff in public and at her home,' the lawsuit, which DailyMail.com has obtained, reads. She claims he bombarded her on social media and started stalking her over rape claims. In November 2017, after discovering how he learned about her trip to the hospital, the woman returned to it to report Enzbrenner. Atchison Hospital fired the X-ray technician in 2017 but she was sent to another hospital She was fired and the hospital sent a letter to the woman apologizing but it then, she claims, wrote Enzbrenner a recommendation for work at a different facility. The woman says that around the same time, the rapist attacked her a second time. She is suing the hospital and Enzbrenner for at least $75,000. The Atchison District Attorney's Office said that it investigated the woman's claims but decided not to press charges against the man. It did not elaborate on why it came to that decision when contacted by DailyMail.com. The hospital's spokesman told DailyMail.com on Monday: 'Patient confidentiality at Atchison Hospital and our ability to protect personal information is a top priority of ours. 'While we are limited with what we can share related to this situation, we are deeply disturbed by the actions of this former employee. In fact, when we were made aware of this situation, we took immediate steps to investigate and within two days, we terminated this individuals employment. 'In addition, we reviewed this specific situation to understand what could be done differently in the future and as a result, immediately implemented changes to our internal controls, including even stricter accessibility requirements to our Health Information Management (HMI) department. We are committed to doing everything possible to provide a safe and caring environment for our patients, and paramount to that is confidentiality and privacy around personal medical information.' Greek Coca Cola heir Alki David has been arrested along with his fellow billionaire business partner after landing in St Kitts on a private jet with actor pal Jonathan Rhys Meyers accused of carrying $1.3 million worth of cannabis on board. David, 50, and Chase Ergen, heir to satellite fortune, are said to have transported an estimated 5,000 cannabis plants as part of their new business to 'develop legal cannabis businesses in the region'. But they were pulled aside by customs officials after landing and said to have been held for eight hours before being let go and then arrested as they tried to leave the island days later. David's family business is the Leventis-David group, which owns the Coca-Cola Hellenic bottling plants. It is believed that were carrying hemp clone plants, hemp seeds and Swissx CBD oil products as part of their new venture. In addition to being the founder of FilmOn.TV and Hologram USA, David also has a business selling oil extracted from cannabis plants, which he markets as a treatment for a range of conditions. It has been endorsed by celebrities including rapper Snoop Dogg and fashion designer Donatella Versace. And now appears to have landed him in hot water. Alki David four time St. Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister Denzil Douglas, and Chase Ergen on the tarmac in St. Kitts. David and Ergen were arrested accused of carrying $1.3 million worth of cannabis into the country David, 50, pictured during his arrest, and Chase Ergen, heir to satellite fortune, are said to have transported an estimated 5,000 cannabis plants as part of their new business to 'develop legal cannabis businesses in the region' Ergen was then arrested for drug possession days later and remains locked up, according to David who says the ketamine he was found with is his medication for bi polar In a statement to The Daily Express St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force confirmed David had been charged with intent to supply, possession of controlled drugs and importation of a controlled drug into the federation. David told DailyMail.com: 'Jonathan Rhys Meyers' mother-in-law and wife were cavity searched. We left the airport after the search but were then arrested after trying to leave the island a few days later.' David was released after paying bail of $30,000, ordered to surrender all travel documents and is due in Basseterre Magistrate Court Tuesday. Ergen was then reportedly arrested for drug possession days later after being found with what David claims is medicinal ketamine and remains locked up. Their actor pal Jonathan Rhys Meyers was also on board the private jet Speaking to the DailyMail.com, David calls his business partner's arrest a 'set up' and said the additional drugs were in fact his medication. He added: 'This was his medication for bi polar. He was talking to Prime Minister Harris when he was suddenly arrested. He is going into his second night behind bars.' A statement from the two men said they were 'working to make sure the island takes its rightful place as a leader in the world's fastest growing industry - legal CBD hemp. 'Our intention is to work with the government, the courts, the banks, the business sector, and the farmers to develop a fair system that creates thousands of jobs on the island and uses Swissx's international distribution network to make St. Kitts-Nevis cannabis products among the most sought after in the world. 'It is our intention to quickly see a surge in the nation's GDP that will benefit everyone. This is an economic development initiative for raising the quality of life in conjunction with local SKN Caribbean partners. Former PM Denzil Douglas is working closely with us. 'We've have met with Prime Minister Harris to talk about coordinating support efforts before we leave next week for meetings in Dominica and other Caribbean island nations that have shown great interest in our cooperative partnership. Those talks have broken down and led to the arrests of David and Ergen. David and Ergen's legal team has arrived from the UK and will be filing lawsuits against PM Harris and the government this week.' It is believed that were carrying hemp clone plants, hemp seeds and Swissx CBD oil products Speaking to the DailyMail.com David, pictured, calls his business partner's arrest a 'set up' and said the additional drugs were in fact his medication But lawyer Dr. Henry Browne told The Kitts Nevis Observer: 'The mere possession of marijuana seeds is not a crime. What is a crime is to have the seeds and to come to an agreement to plant the seeds. 'Planting the seeds for the purpose of cultivation is a crime. The mere possession of the marijuana plant is illegal.' In a statement the Office of Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris said: 'Non-nationals would not be permitted to secure advantages over nationals as we set about to build out a marijuana industry. 'The government has not granted any license to anyone to import plants or seeds into the Federation and that [the] administration has not had any conversation with any foreigner about setting up businesses to trade in cannabis.' Cannabis Bill, 2019, is set to be passed in St Kitts and Nevis that will allow the use of cannabis for medicinal, religious and recreational purposes, according to the Observer. David has already hit the headlines this month after he was forced to pay $11 million to a former employee after losing a sexual harassment lawsuit. DailyMail.com has contacted The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and a representative of Rhys Meyers for comment. The controversial founder of the defunct Kids Company charity yesterday begged to be spared the stress of court proceedings. Camila Batmanghelidjh asked a judge to help her avoid taking the blame for its financial meltdown. Her solicitor told the High Court it would be a blessing if she was let off, adding: It would save time, cost and stress for her. Camila Batmanghelidjh (pictured) asked a judge to help her avoid taking the blame for its financial meltdown Kids Company, which helped troubled children in south London, was given 42million of public money, including 3million sanctioned by David Cameron just days before its collapse in 2015. But an inquiry found an extraordinary catalogue of failures at the charity and now the Insolvency Service is trying to impose a six-year ban on Batmanghelidjh being a company director. The charitys former chairman Alan Yentob, an ex-BBC executive, and six others also face three-year bans. At a preliminary court hearing yesterday, Batmanghelidjh argued she should escape blame because although she was heavily involved in the charity, she was not involved in the governance. Her solicitor, James Nicholls, complained that stones are being thrown at her by the official receiver, who has amassed 56 lever arch files of evidence, which he described as a plethora of noise. Although Batmanghelidjh was not a director at the time the charity collapsed, she was described at a previous inquiry as the unaccountable and dominant chief executive who regarded Kids Company as her personal fiefdom. The Insolvency Service is arguing that she was a de facto director, and should be banned. Her solicitor asked for a separate hearing to decide whether she could be excused from the case. But Gareth Tilley, for the official receiver, said it would be better if all eight defendants faced trial at the same time so that the court could get the full picture. He said it was not yet known whether Batmanghelidjh and the board directors might blame each other for the collapse, to which Deputy Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Middleton replied: It does have the cut-throat feel about it doesnt it? Kids Company, which helped troubled children in south London, was given 42million of public money, including 3million sanctioned by David Cameron just days before its collapse in 2015 He threw out Batmanghelidjhs application and rejected her request to be given longer than her co-defendents to file her defence, so she could see what they said. She wants to see the other directors evidence before she puts pen to paper? Your client just has to say the truth, he told her. Who is Camila Batmanghelidjh? Batmanghelidjh, 56, was born in Iran in 1963. After arriving in the UK, she studied at Sherborne School for Girls, an independent school in Dorset, before gaining a first class degree in Theatre and the Dramatic Arts from the University of Warwick. She formed The Kids Company in 1996, which provided care to children whose lives had been disrupted by poverty. Batmanghelidjh regularly appeared in the media, and in 2013 was named among Radio 4's 100 most powerful women of the year. Kids Company went into financial difficulties in 2015 and closed its operations on August 5, prompting an immediate outcry. On 5 August 2015, Kids Company closed its operations. It has since been renamed Keeping Kids Company. Advertisement Kids Company received millions of pounds in taxpayer funding and was backed by high-profile celebrities. Inquiries have previously found the charity gave brown envelopes stuffed with cash to troubled children as a matter of course. Some 50,000 was allegedly spent on taxis at the charitys Christmas party, and Batmanghelidjh had the use of a driver. Twelve-year-old clients were given 150 trainers, while others were flown first class to America. In 2015, one of the youngsters helped by the organisation told how she and her friends would splash the spending money they were given on cannabis. She told Radio 4's The Report: 'We would queue up and sign our names down and get an envelope with 30 and an Oyster travelcard. 'Then we would go to the shop and buy whatever we wanted with that money. It was weed heaven on a Friday, you could smell it coming down from the landings.' Other alleged instances of waste included someone's PhD studies being funded, and a stay at Champneys spa for a man with mental health problems who booked a chocolate massage treatment. Batmanghelidjh denies all the allegations against her. The case continues. A Qantas flight bound for Sydney from Bali has been forced to make an unplanned landing in the Outback. The flight, QF44, took off from Ngurah Rai International Airport in Indonesia at 10.41pm on Monday. The pilot issued an urgency signal and the flight landed in Broome, Western Australia; more than 3,000km from its intended destination. A Qantas flight bound for Sydney from Bali has been forced to make an unplanned landing in the Outback (stock image) The pilot issued an urgency signal and the flight landed in Broome, Western Australia (pictured), more than 3,000km from its intended destination The flight was just over halfway into its six-hour journey when it was forced to change its path. A Qantas spokesperson said the landing was forced because of an electrical fault. 'A Qantas flight from Denpasar to Sydney diverted to Broome in the early hours of the morning as a result of an electrical fault,' the spokesperson said. 'The aircraft landed safely and we're working with Broome airport to disembark passengers and re-accommodate them onto alternative flights.' A woman was left with blood pouring out of a deep gash on her face after a make-up artist bit her on the cheek during a petty nightclub brawl. Chelsea Hall, 27, got into an argument with the victim on the dance floor at Northies Cronulla Hotel in Sydney's south on September 29, 2018. When Hall's hair extensions were ripped out she lashed out and bit the woman on her face, leaving a three-centimetre wide bite mark on her left cheek. An image of the woman's injury, obtained from court by the St George Shire Standard, showed a bruised laceration with blood running from the wound. A woman suffered gruesome injuries to her face after a make-up artist viciously bit her on the cheek while at a nightclub (pictured, injuries left on the woman's face after she was bitten during a violent argument last September) Chelsea Hall, 27 (pictured), lashed out at the victim following a violent brawl at Northies Cronulla Hotel, in Sydney's south, on September 29, 2018 The victim was later taken to hospital to be treated for her injury. Hall's lawyer Nicholas Breen told Sutherland Local Court that Hall felt bullied on the night of the attack. 'Admittedly this is a matter where (Halls) judgment was clouded by the amount of alcohol she had,' he said. The victim and her group purchased alcoholic beverages and moved to the front of the DJ booth on the dance floor, according to agreed police facts. Hall then began to move backwards and bumped into the victim's friend. The facts stated the pushing continued and the victim decided to intervene, telling Hall there was room to dance elsewhere. 'The accused has pushed the victim with both hands with enough force to cause the victim to stumble back,' police facts stated. 'The accused grabbed the victim by her hair and the victim grabbed the accused's hair and pulled out her hair extensions.' The two women came face-to-face and Hall began to bite the victim on the left side of her face. Two security guards were needed to separate Hall and the victim, police said. Hall, a makeup artist, eyelash technician and childcare worker, had claimed she acted in self-defence. Magistrate Peter Bugden noted Hall was to blame for her actions and said she was the 'architect of her own doom'. Hall was sentenced Saturday to an eight-month term to be served in the community. Magistrate Peter Bugden noted Hall was to blame for her actions and said she was the 'architect of her own doom' Radio shock jock Howard Stern thinks he helped Donald Trump become president by frequently interviewing him, though he admits to voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016. In fact, Stern thinks Clinton made a mistake by never appearing on his show. I wanted to see Hillary Clinton win, Stern told Good Morning America on Monday. If she had come on the show - the way I helped Donald was I let him come on and be a personality,' he said. Whether you liked him or not ... people related to him as a human being. I wanted to do that for Hillary. The big knock against Hillary, especially with some of the male audience, was, Eh, we don't like her. Howard Stern (above) said on Monday he believes he helped Donald Trump become president Stern said that while he considered Trump a friend, he voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 The radio legend added: Hillary Clintons afraid of me, and justifiably. I thought that perhaps if she came on my show, we could've stripped away some of the pomp and circumstance or the tightness that comes with running for president and, like Donald, she could've been seen in a different light. Stern credited Trump with being genuine and authentic when he came on the air. Donald Trump, hands down, whenever you put him on the air, now, this is before he was running for president, he was an open book, Stern said. He would say anything. And you know, oddly enough - during the campaign and even now, people quote these interviews that I did with him. Stern, who is promoting his latest book, Howard Stern Comes Again, criticized the media for digging up quotes from Trumps interviews on the air during the presidential campaign. In the weeks before the 2016 election, CNNs KFile unearthed a clip from 1998 in which Trump compares the risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases in the 1980s to the Vietnam War. In the clip, Stern asks Trump: Let's say you're with a hot chick, right? But you're so germ paranoid, and I'm germ paranoid, do you say to them, look you've got to go take a medical test before I do you? Stern has interviewed Trump dozens of times in the more than three decades he has been on the radio. The two men are seen above in December 1993 Trump responded: Well, you'd like to say that, and sometimes you do. The problem is that sometimes your own chemicals take over and you can't wait. So you'll just have straight intercourse with a rubber with them right? Stern asked. Well, I don't know, you know there's lots of different ways of doing it, Trump said. It's a very complicated subject. They say that more people were killed by women in this act than killed in Vietnam, OK. Yes, that is true, replied Stern, who added: I even went as far to say that you're braver than any Vietnam vet because you're out there screwing a lot of women. Getting the Congressional Medal of Honor, in actuality, said Trump. Stern said on Monday that the relationship has grown distant after the radio host declined Trump's invitation to speak at the Republican National Convention in 2016. From left: Trump, Melania Trump, Beth Ostrosky, and Howard Stern at a Knicks game in 2005 On Monday, Stern defended Trump over the comments. It was in a very joking scenario, the king of all media said. He was not comparing his life to a Vietnam vet. It was 'Ha-ha-ha and this and that. When journalists took it and made it serious, I thought it was a little bit unfair. Stern said that when Trump came on his show, there was no filter and that he was a big character on my show. When asked about the current state of his relationship with the president, Stern said there's been a growing distance between the two men. Stern believes the friendship cooled after the radio shock jock declined Trump's offer to speak at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in the summer of 2016. 'It's a weird relationship I have,' Stern said of Trump. 'Donald was at my wedding... I remember having very warm feelings for Donald, and I do. 'I mean, he was always very nice to me.' When asked about Trump's political persona, Stern said: 'I didn't know this was him.' Stern's much anticipated new book describes his recent health scare. In May 2017, Stern startled his loyal fans when he failed to show up for work - a rarity for the shock jock who was famous for not missing a day. On the morning of May 10, Stern was being wheeled into a hospital room where he was to have surgery to remove a growth on his kidney that doctors believed had a 90 per cent chance of being cancerous, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 'And now all I'm thinking is, "I'm going to die",' he told THR. 'And I'm scared s***less.' But after the surgery, Stern was told by doctors that the growth was just a benign cyst. The brush with death motivated Stern to re-examine his life. He began to go to therapy as much as four times a week. 'I was so completely f***ed up back then,' he told THR. 'I didn't know what was up and what was down, and there was no room for anybody else on the planet.' Advertisement Iran used explosives to blow holes in four ships - including two Saudi tankers - anchored in the Persian Gulf, a US official has claimed as America and Tehran move closer to the brink of war. The unnamed official said each ship has a hole between five and ten foot in it, near or just below the water line with an American military team's initial assessment that Iran or Iranian-backed proxies used explosives charges to carry out the attacks on Sunday off the UAE. Asked about the sabotage, which one tanker association suggested was caused by a 'weapon', US President Donald Trump warned that Tehran would 'suffer greatly' if it enraged Washington, predicting a 'bad problem for Iran if something happens'. The incident, in the Gulf of Oman, has sparked fears of a looming military confrontation along the world's most important oil artery following the collapse of the 2015 deal designed to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions. Saudi and UAE officials have been tight-lipped about the extent of the damage but pictures showed at least one tanker with a hole in its hull. The nature of the sabotage, which happened in heavily patrolled waters where dozens of tankers are moored up, has sparked speculation about the possible use of unmanned vessels, speedboats or even armed drones. Tehran has distanced itself from the apparent attacks, warning of 'adventurism' by foreign players to disrupt maritime security while Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has pledged the Islamic republic is 'too great to be intimidated by anyone'. But amid spiralling tensions in recent days, the US has deployed B-52 bombers and an assault ship to bolster an aircraft carrier in the region. Britain has warned of the risk of a conflict breaking out 'by accident' in the Gulf. Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan proposed a revamped military plan at a meeting with senior national security aides that would send up to 120,000 US troops to the Middle East were Iran to attack American forces or speed up nuclear weapons development, The New York Times reported. Meanwhile, Spain has temporarily pulled one of its frigates that's part of a U.S.-led combat fleet from near the Persian Gulf. Spanish media, citing government sources, said Madrid is concerned that it could be dragged to an unwanted conflict. Norwegian oil tanker Andrea Victory, another of the four damaged boats, pictured with a large dent in its stern on Monday morning The A. Michel tanker under the flag of the United Arab Emirates, pictured on Monday, was one of the four tankers damaged in alleged 'sabotage attacks' in the Gulf the previous day Spain has temporarily pulled one of its frigates, the Mendez Nunez (centre front) that's part of a U.S.-led combat fleet from near the Persian Gulf because of mounting U.S.-Iran tensions The tinderbox standoff between Iran and the US escalated even further today after four commercial ships were mysteriously 'sabotaged' off the UAE - adding to fears a conflict involving the two nations is looming The Ministry of Defense said the Mendez Nunez, with 215 sailors on board, will not cross the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf together with the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Spanish frigate was the only non-U.S. vessel in the fleet. This morning, Iranian parliamentary spokesman Behrouz Nemati said the attacks could be blamed on 'Israeli mischief', without providing any details on what role Israel may have played in the incident. As tensions spiralled today, oil prices moved higher with Brent crude futures at $70.30 a barrel at - up seven cents, or 0.1 per cent, from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $61.11 per barrel, up seven cents, or 0.1 per cent, from their previous settlement. Shipping experts, meanwhile, have warned of the threat of conflict amid fears shipping lanes in the Gulf could become flashpoints as tinderbox relations between the US, its Allies and Iran boil over. The sabotaged tankers Tanker Length Year built Owned by A Michel 109m 1998 UAE Andrea Victory 183m 2005 Norway Amjad 330m 2017 Saudi Arabia Al Marzoqah 244m 1999 Saudi Arabia Advertisement Svetlana Lobaciova, from Gibson Shipbrokers, told the Financial Times: 'We are worried that there could be some military escalation in the Strait of Hormuz that could affect exports out of the region. 'But, at this stage, we do not know what exactly has happened and how significant this is.' The executive director at the UAE's National Media Council, Jaber Al Lamki said the incident was 'an attempt to sabotage not just boats, but one aimed at undermining global oil supplies and maritime security.' But a senior Iranian lawmaker and head of parliament's national security committee, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, suggested Gulf states were to blame for turning the region into a military zone. He told state news agency IRNA: 'There are groups whose interests lay in making the region insecure. Iran and the US need to agree on a red line... so that third parties cannot exploit the situation.' Citing heightened tensions in the region, the United Nations called on 'all concerned parties to exercise restraint for the sake of regional peace, including by ensuring maritime security' and freedom of navigation, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said. The scale of the alleged sabotage remains unclear. A statement from Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said two of the kingdom's oil tankers, including one due to later carry crude to the U.S., sustained 'significant damage.' However, a report from Sky News Arabia, a satellite channel owned by an Abu Dhabi ruling family member, showed the allegedly targeted Saudi tanker Al Marzoqah afloat without any apparent damage. The oil tankers were visible in satellite images provided to the AP by Colorado-based Maxar Technologies. A boom surrounded the Emirati oil tanker A. Michel, indicating the possibility of an oil leak. The other three showed no visible major damage from above. Four oil tankers anchored in the Mideast were damaged by what Gulf officials described as sabotage, though satellite images obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday showed no major visible damage to the vessels. One of the vessels, the Emirati-flagged oil tanker A. Michel, with a containment boom around its stern This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Saudi-flagged oil tanker Al Marzoqa off the coast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. It was one of four oil tankers anchored in the Mideast damaged in what Gulf officials described Monday as a 'sabotage' attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates The Saudi-flagged oil tanker Amjad, pictured in a satellite image yesterday, was also targeted in the sabotage attacks The oil tankers were visible in satellite images provided Tuesday to the AP by Colorado-based Maxar Technologies. A boom surrounded the Emirati oil tanker A. Michel, indicating the possibility of an oil leak. The other three, including the Andrea Victory (pictured) showed no visible major damage from above Pompeo is warned against starting war with Iran 'by accident' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been warned about staring a war 'by accident' as he met European leaders in Brussels. Pompeo, who called Iran a 'major destabilising force' in an interview with CNBC, made the stop in Brussels to speak to EU leaders about the threat from Tehran. 'We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side,' Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned. 'Most of all, we need to make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to renuclearisation. Because if Iran becomes a nuclear power, its neighbors are likely to want to become nuclear powers. This is already the most unstable region in the world, and this would be a massive step in the wrong direction.' Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of the potential military conflict occurring by 'accident' Pompeo's talks with EU leaders gave them the chance to warn him of their own fears of a conflict. President Donald Trump is seeking to isolate Tehran by cutting off its oil exports after pulling out of the deal. While the European Union shares some U.S. concerns about Iran, it still backs the 2015 nuclear deal, saying that it is in Europe's own security interests. 'We are very worried about a conflict, about the risk of a conflict ... of an escalation that is unintended,' Britain's Jeremy Hunt said ahead of talks with Pompeo. Britain, Germany and France's foreign ministers were holding separate meetings in Brussels with Pompeo, who cancelled a planned stopover in Moscow in order to brief the European allies on Washington's latest moves. The U.S. State Department billed Monday's talks in Brussels as a chance 'to discuss recent threatening actions and statements' by Iran. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he had told Pompeo during their Monday meeting: 'We do not want it to come to a military conflict.' It was clear that Europe and the United States were 'going about it in different ways ... taking different courses,' he said. Advertisement Intertanko, an association of independent tanker owners and operators, said it had seen images showing that 'at least two ships have holes in their sides due to the impact of a weapon'. The U.S. had earlier warned ships that 'Iran or its proxies' could be targeting maritime traffic in the region, and America has moved additional ships and aircraft into the region. The incident comes after months of increasing diplomatic and economic pressure on Iran, which the U.S. accuses of threatening American interests and allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday called Iran a 'major destabilizing force' in the Middle East while Britain warned of the danger of a war being started in the Gulf by accident. Saudi Arabia has condemned 'acts of sabotage' in the Gulf but the scale of the damage remains unclear. The country's energy minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom's two oil tankers, including one due to carry crude oil to the U.S., sustained 'significant damage' off the coast of Fujairah. However, a report from Sky News Arabia showed the allegedly targeted Saudi tanker Al Marzoqah afloat without any apparent damage. The MT Andrea Victory, another of the allegedly targeted ships, sustained a hole in its hull just above its waterline from 'an unknown object,' its owner said. Pictures of the Andrea Victory, which the company said was 'not in any danger of sinking,' showed damage similar to what the firm described. Emirati officials identified the third ship as the Saudi-flagged oil tanker Amjad. Ship-tracking data showed the vessel still anchored off Fujairah, apparently not in immediate distress. The fourth ship was the A. Michel, a bunkering tanker flagged in Sharjah, one of the UAE's seven emirates. The Saudi minister said the attacks on the two Saudi tankers happened at 6am on Sunday. He said 'the attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill,' though he acknowledged it affected 'the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world.' One U.S. official said: 'This is what Iran does ... The sort of thing you could see Iran doing ... It fits their MO [modus operandi].' Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible. Reports in Lebanon and Iran had earlier claimed there were explosions near the UAE port but there has been no evidence to support their claims. The apparent attacks come after the U.S. warned ships that 'Iran or its proxies' could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. Washington has yet to officially respond to the claims of sabotage, although the U.S. energy department said it was monitoring world oil markets. American naval investigators are also believed to be helping the UAE with their inquiries. Meanwhile the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the alleged sabotage as a 'serious escalation' in an overnight statement. 'Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger,' Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and the internationally recognized government of Yemen have also condemned the alleged sabotage. Iran's Foreign Ministry called the incidents 'worrisome and dreadful' and asked for an investigation into the matter. A senior Iranian lawmaker said 'saboteurs from a third country' could be behind it, after saying on Sunday the incident showed the security of Gulf states was fragile. Speaking earlier, Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the UK was 'very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side'. Fujairah's port is about 140 kilometers (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. Washington's Energy Information Administration has called the Strait of Hormuz 'the world's most important oil transit chokepoint'. In recent days the U.S. has warned ships that 'Iran or its proxies' could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. An unnamed official has said each ship has a hole between five and ten foot in it, near or just below the water line with an American military team's initial assessment that Iran or Iranian-backed proxies used explosives charges to carry out the attacks on Sunday off the UAE. Pictured is the A Michel, with a containment boom in the water around the hull The crude oil tanker, Amjad, pictured yesterday which was one of two reported tankers that were damaged in mysterious 'sabotage attacks', off the coast of the Gulf emirate of Fujairah UAE Navy boats next to Al Marzoqah Saudi Arabia tanker are seen off the Port of Fujairah on Monday afternoon Al Marzoqah is a large oil tanker which is registered in Saudi Arabia. Pictured: Media taking shots of the vessel on Monday An Emirati coast guard vessel passes an oil tanker off the coast of Fujairah in the wake of the incident on Monday Ships anchored at main port of Fujairah on Monday, where media reports initially suggested four boats had been sabotaged by 'explosions'. The UAE later denied this was the case US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (pictured yesterday in Brussels) has scrapped a planned visit to Moscow to head to Brussels instead for talks with European officials on Iran Plan to deploy 120,000 troops to the Middle East if Iran attacks American forces The White House is reportedly planning to deploy 120,000 troops to the Middle East if Iran attacks American forces in an alarming echo of the Iraq War. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan presented the plan at a meeting of Donald Trump's top security aides on Thursday, reports the New York Times. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, pictured, presented the plan at a meeting of Donald Trump's top security aides on Thursday Several plans were detailed, the Times said, and 'the uppermost option called for deploying 120,000 troops, which would take weeks or months to complete' - and would be approaching the size of the force that invaded Iraq in 2003. These plans do not call for a land invasion of Iran, which would require far more troops. The Times said among those attending the Thursday meeting were Trump's national security adviser John Bolton, CIA Director Gina Haspel, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford. Advertisement The US has already strengthened its military presence in the region, including deploying a number of strategic B-52 bombers and the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group in response to alleged Iranian threats. America is also sending USS Arlington, carrying Marines, as well as a Patriot missile defense system. The USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship carrying Marines and warplanes, has just left the Persian Gulf and is nearby in the Arabian Sea. Pompeo scrapped a planned visit to Moscow and headed to Brussels instead for talks with European officials on Iran. Tensions have flared up again in recent days since Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani warned his country could begin ramping up uranium enrichment if a controversial 2015 deal was not rewritten. Trump last year withdrew America from the 2015 nuclear deal and restored US sanctions that have pushed Iran's economy into crisis. Tehran has demanded that the UK, France, Germany, China and Russia help Iran to dodge U.S. sanctions. European powers have tried to find ways to blunt the impact of new U.S. sanctions, in the hope of persuading Tehran to continue to abide by the deal. However, their efforts have largely failed, with all major European companies abandoning plans to do business with Iran for fear of U.S. punishment. Rouhani said last week that Iran would ramp up nuclear enrichment if fresh help did not materialize. White House defense aide Tim Morrison condemned Iran's attempted 'nuclear blackmail of Europe' and warned: 'Expect more sanctions soon. Very soon.' Rouhani's comments also sparked outrage in Europe, as Britain warned of 'consequences' if Iran gives up its nuclear commitments. The threat also sparked a backlash from Israel, where Benjamin Netanyahu warned he would 'not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons'. Netanyahu, who has accused Iran of breaching the deal, said Israel 'will continue to fight those who seek to take our lives'. The alleged sabotage of the merchant ships comes as aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and B-52 bombers are deployed to bolster the American Navy's grip on the region A handout photo made available by the US Navy showing an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the 'Jolly Rogers' of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 103 launching off the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln The aircraft carrier strike group is being deployed to the Persian Gulf to counter an alleged but still-unspecified threat from Iran European leaders are warning of the risk of military conflict between the U.S. and Iran In this Friday, May 10, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Navy, logistics specialists attach cargo to an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf A map of the region near the UAE coast where four ships, including two Saudi Arabian tankers, have been sabotaged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday changed the schedule for his latest trip to Europe, replacing a stop in Moscow for one in Brussels to discuss Iran. We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side,' Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned. 'Most of all, we need to make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to renuclearization. 'Because if Iran becomes a nuclear power, its neighbors are likely to want to become nuclear powers. This is already the most unstable region in the world, and this would be a massive step in the wrong direction.' The U.S. State Department billed Monday's talks in Brussels as a chance 'to discuss recent threatening actions and statements' by Iran. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he had told Pompeo during their Monday meeting: 'We do not want it to come to a military conflict.' It was clear that Europe and the United States were 'going about it in different ways ... taking different courses,' he said. Hurting an animal's feelings could soon be illegal with pet owners also facing fines for walking too many dogs. The Australian Capital Territory's Labor-Greens government is developing new laws which aim to recognise that animals are 'sentient beings that can feel emotion and pain'. Canberra's City Services Minister Chris Steel said the proposed law was designed to make humans respect the feelings of animals. Hurting an animal's feelings could soon be illegal with pet owners also facing fines for walking too many dogs (stock image) 'It gives a new awareness that animals do feel emotions and they do feel pain, and when we're considering legislative change, we need to consider that first and foremost,' he told Triple J's Hack radio program on Friday. Mr Steel issued a media release late last year describing the proposed laws as 'recognition that animals are sentient beings that can feel emotion and pain and deserve to have an acceptable quality of life'. Walking three or more pooches would also be illegal to ensure 'control of dogs and improve safety from dog attacks'. Failing to provide adequate shelter, exercise or grooming could also see someone fined up to $3,750 under the proposed Animal Welfare Legislation Amendment Bill of 2019. The proposed Australian Capital Territory law will also make it illegal to walk three or more dogs (stock image) Canberra radio 2CC breakfast presenter Tim Shaw said the proposed law would see pets have as much power as human tenants. 'It looks like dogs and cats in the ACT will have an equal right as the tenant over the landlord,' he told Sky News on Monday. 'And they're wondering why landlords are departing investment here in Canberra.' Mr Shaw said the ACT needed to focus on delivering better roads and rubbish collection. Canberra's City Services Minister Chris Steel (pictured) said the proposed law was designed to make humans respect the feelings of animals 'Now I love a fury-faced friend as much as the next one but I think we're losing focus on delivering services,' he said. The proposed law would also proposes fines of up to $30,000 and three years jail for serious cases of animal cruelty. People who are repeatedly convicted of animal cruelty offences would also be banned from owning, caring for an living with animals. Public consultations have closed on the proposed law, with the ACT expected to pass legislation in the middle of 2019. A man is fighting for life after being shot by police in northern Adelaide. The 20-year-old man allegedly threatened officers with a lit gas cylinder and a knife before he was shot on Burri Street in Ingle Farm at about 2.30am on Tuesday. Two officers ordered him to put the weapons down but he carried on approaching them, South Australia Police's Assistant Commissioner Paul Dickson said. The 20-year-old man allegedly threatened officers with a lit gas cylinder and a knife before he was shot on Burri Street in Ingle Farm at about 2.30am on Tuesday They tried to taser the man but that was unsuccessful. The man was taken to hospital in a critical condition after being shot in the chest several times. The man's 19-year-old girlfriend was taken to hospital with facial injuries. Jeremy Hunt last night called for a 'decisive' hike in defence spending to see off the rising threat from Russia and China in a clear signal of his leadership ambitions. Setting out his vision for Britain's global role, the Foreign Secretary said there was no longer the assurance provided by 'unquestioned American dominance'. Speaking at the Lord Mayor's Banquet Mansion House in the City of London, he said the UK's hard power must be strengthened, with billions more spent on new capabilities to tackle drones and cyber attacks. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has called for a 'decisive' hike in defence spending to see of the threats of Russia and China It is thought the spending boost could be as much as 20billion a year raising defence spending from 2 to 3 per cent of national income. Remainer Mr Hunt is one of the frontrunners to succeed Theresa May. Ahead of a meeting with Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg, he said: 'The foundation of Britain's security is Nato. 'But it is simply not sustainable to expect one Nato ally to spend nearly 4 per cent of its GDP on defence while the others spend between 1 and 2 per cent. Mr Hunt is due to hold a meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (pictured) and said: 'The foundation of Britain's security is Nato' 'So for these and other reasons I believe it is time for the next Strategic Defence and Security Review to ask whether, over the coming decade, we should decisively increase the proportion of GDP we devote to defence.' He warned: 'We face a more aggressive Russia and a more assertive China. We simply do not know what the balance of power in the world will be in 25 years' time.' A Commons watchdog report found this year that the MoD had a funding black hole of at least 7billion in its ten-year plan to equip the military. An Indonesian tourist has been arrested at an Australian airport after Australian Border Force officers allegedly found child pornography on his mobile phone. The 30-year-old man was stopped at Perth International Airport for a baggage check on his way to Denpasar, Bali, on Sunday. Officers searched his phone at the time and came across three videos allegedly showing the sexual abuse of children. Later, another two videos were found showing abhorrent sexual activity. An Indonesian tourist has been arrested at an Australian airport after border force officers allegedly found child pornography on his mobile phone The man was charged with one count of attempting to export child abuse material and one count of attempting to export objectionable goods. He appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Monday and was released on conditional bail. He will reappear in court later this month. ABF Regional Commander for Western Australia, Rod O'Donnell, said officers are conducting thorough searches every single day. He reminded travellers the possession of illegal material was prohibited when crossing the border, whether they are travelling to or from Australia. The 30-year-old man was stopped by Australian Border Force officers at Perth International Airport for a baggage check on his way to Denpasar, Bali, on Sunday 'Tackling child exploitation in particular is an operational priority for the ABF as part of its role in protecting the border from individuals who may pose a threat to the community,' Commander O'Donnell said. 'ABF officers have significant powers to search the mobile phones and electronic devices of international travellers and they exercise those powers at airports around the country on a daily basis. 'Visitors also need to be aware that possession of child exploitation material is viewed very seriously under Australian law.' The maximum penalty for the import or export of child exploitation material is 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $525,000. Calls to lower the drink-drive limit in England and Wales have been rejected by ministers after figures showed road casualties in Scotland have risen since it introduced tougher restrictions. The Scottish limit was reduced in December 2014 from 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood the level in the rest of the UK to 50mg. But the latest figures from Transport Scotland show there were 580 drink-drive casualties, including 30 deaths, in 2016, compared with 460 with 20 deaths in 2014. Calls to lower the drink-drive limit in England and Wales have been rejected by ministers after figures showed road casualties in Scotland have risen since it introduced tougher restrictions. Stock image Safety campaigners have urged the Government to follow the Scottish example and lower the drink-drive limit, and there were indications it would consider doing so if evidence north of the border supported it. But transport minister Baroness Charlotte Vere has confirmed that the Government now has no plans to take action because the change appears to have made no impact in Scotland. She said rigorous enforcement and serious penalties for drink-drivers are a more effective deterrent than changing the drink-driving limit. In her written answer to a question on the subject in the Lords, Baroness Vere cited research by the University of Glasgow that found overall road traffic accident rates in Scotland have increased slightly since 2014. Safety campaigners have urged the Government to follow the Scottish example and lower the drink-drive limit. Stock image The researchers concluded that the most plausible explanation was that the new blood-alcohol limit was insufficiently enforced, publicised, or both. Baroness Vere said: The study found that lowering the drink-drive limit was not associated with any reduction in total road traffic accident rates or serious and fatal road traffic accident rates. There are no current plans to lower the drink-drive limit in England and Wales. Official estimates show that across the UK 290 people were killed in a drink-driving accident in 2017 up from 230 the previous year and the most since 2009. Figures from the DFT also show the proportion of casualties in drink-drive accidents is higher in Scotland at 6 per cent than in England (5 per cent). Stock image Campaigners have expressed alarm at the increase, renewing calls to reduce the alcohol limit in England and Wales one of the highest in Europe. But figures from the DFT also show the proportion of casualties in drink-drive accidents is higher in Scotland at 6 per cent than in England (5 per cent). AA president Edmund King said: All the evidence suggests that the drink-drivers who kill are way over the current limit rather than just under or just over. We believe targeting the hard-core drink-drivers and driving them off the road would actually have more effect than lowering the limit. For this to be effective we need more cops in cars to target the criminal drunks. The Scottish experience suggests lowering the limit in isolation has little effect on road safety. Neil Greig, of the road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, acknowledged the Scottish move had had minimal provable effect. But he said the Government should cut the drink-driving limit anyway as anything that helps prevent potentially life-threatening incidents occurring in the first place can only be a good thing. Walter Kershaw became famous in the 1970s for his large-scale murals. The painter reached international fame as a pioneer of street art and is still in work today painting large-scale, outdoor murals. He gleaned the nickname the 'Original Banksy' as a result of being the UK's 'first' graffiti artist. Kershaw (pictured) reached international fame as a pioneer of street art and is still in work today painting large-scale, outdoor murals Kershaw is celebrated for distinctive murals such as The Inside Out House, painted on a building in Rochdale in 1976, and the Trafford Park Murals in Manchester, completed in the 1980s and 1990s. His art has taken him all over the world, from Paris to Brazil and the Algarve to San Francisco. Kershaw has appeared on radio and television, and his fans include Bob Monkhouse and George Best. Multiple sensors on the robots will feed into a huge data set in a control room Land surveillance will see drones and ground vehicles like tanks The system will include large scale sea, land and water surveillance by AI robots Swarms of AI driven robots that can patrol borders from the land, sea and sky could soon be manning Europe's borders. A mass network of drones, land vehicles and water crafts is being developed into fully automated surveillance systems with the support of EU countries. Multiple sensors on roaming robots will be able to identify and track human activity and report risks to border officials. Concerns have been raised that such powerful technology in the wrong hands have could be used to develop 'killer robots'. Scroll down for video Swarms of AI driven robots that can patrol borders by surveillance of the sea (top left) and land (top right) could soon be manning Europe's borders. The data will feed into a central task coordinator which can relay some of the information to different functional teams The AI driven network of land, sea and air robots, officially described as an 'Autonomous Swarm of Heterogeneous Robots for Border Surveillance', is known as Roborder. The system, which has multi-national support from border authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) across Europe, will 'Exploit aerial (UAV), water surface (USV), underwater (UUV) and ground (UGV) vehicles'. The robots will include drones and land vehicles which can individually hold multiple sensors and coordinate to form an 'inter operational network', according to Roborder's website. There will also be static sensors stationed at fixed points made up of 'passive radars, passive RF-signal sensing devices and thermal cameras'. An official statement on the Roborder website listed its aims for three upcoming pilots that will cover different scenarios and security breaches. The project is being developed by a consortium of border controls and collaborators in Portugal, Estonia, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, where the pilots will be tested. Its lead coordinator is located in Lisbon, Portugal. The first of the three pilots will aim to identify early tracking of illegal activities that includes 'unauthorised sea border crossing and land border crossings'. It will be deployed at the Bulgarian-Turkish borders to track and monitor illegal activities and use microwaves from cell phones to track individuals and identify human activity. It will also monitor the movement of illicit substances across the Estonian-Russian borders and well as detect explosive devices. The second will track illegal communications and try to prevent drug and weapons smuggling, as well as human trafficking by picking up wireless communications that mask such activity. The third pilot will try to detect early signs of pollution accidents at borders such as spills. A network of drones, land vehicles and water crafts is being developed by Roborder into automated surveillance systems with the support of EU funding. The image shows The Black Hornet 3, the world's smallest tactical UAV (unmanned Aerial vehicle) which could be used There are a number of security and human rights concerns related to the project, which has been largely funded by an 8 million (7m) EU research and innovation grant since 2017 known as Horizon 2020. The International Committee for Robot Arms control (ICRAC) which is supporting the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots has also voiced concerns about the rise of technology that could support 'killer robots' in general. Professor Noel Sharkey from the University of Hallam, which incidentally, is a collaborator of Roborder, is a lead member of this committee. In an interview with the Italian magazine Il Manifesto, Professor Sharkey explained the fatal dangers of the technology as weapons: 'At the beginning of the Stop Killer Robot campaign we were accused of wanting to slow down innovations. We just want to prevent two functions of the machines: target selection and targeting.' A number of institutions are involved in the development of the mass network of AI robots, including CENTRIC (Centre of Excellence in terrorism, resilience, intelligence and organised crime research) at the University of Hallam in the UK. In a move to bring the latest 'cutting-edge' AI technology to the frontline, the British Army will deploy around 200 mini drones 'smaller than a human hand' (pictured) in the battlefield According to research by The Intercept Roborders developers could also be violating the terms of their EU funding, which is specifically aimed at 'research and innovation designed for non-military projects'. But the technology could easily be used for militarisation, which it says the developers have previously admitted. The Intercept also claims to have obtained leaked documents that raises ethical concerns and about the program. According to the obtained report, the risks that the results of the classified results could land in the wrong hands, have been noted. Intercept wrote: 'Roborders developers argued that these ethical concerns did not apply to their work, stating that their only goal was to develop and test the new technology, and that it would not be sold or transferred outside of the European Union during the life cycle of the project.' Many governments around the world are already developing their own AI robots for militarisation, including the UK. British Army plans this year will see 200 miniature drones 'smaller than a human hand' deployed on the battlefield to provide soldiers with an eye in the sky. These mini-drones, dubbed Black Hornet, could take over the life-threatening surveillance and reconnaissance duties currently undertaken by soldiers. The MOD is investing 66million ($87m) in robotic systems, which will also include automated supply delivery drones. If alien life does live in the warm, hydrothermal oceans of such icy moons as Europa or Enceladus, we're now a step closer to being able to identify it with accuracy. Amino acids are the building blocks of life and so could be a key signature of the existence of alien life on other planets. However, the protein-building chemicals can also form through natural geological processes such as, for example, those that formed the solar system. Researchers from the US have now ruled this out as a possible source for any amino acids that could be found in the icy moons of our solar system. They found that amino acids almost entirely decompose quickly compared to the age of the solar system. This means that any amino acids found on Europa of Enceladus today must be the product of either other, recent, geological processes or alien lifeforms. Scroll down for video If alien life does live in the warm, hydrothermal oceans of such icy moons as Europa (pictured) or Enceladus, we're now a step closer to being able to identify it with accuracy 'Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and the chemistry of life as we know it,' geoscientist Ngoc Truong of New York's Cornell University told New Scientist. Because of this, amino acids are key signatures in the hunt for extra-terrestrial life, such as on the icy moons of Jupiter's Europa and Saturns Enceladus. However, they can also be formed through a variety of geological processes including those that first made the solar system. 'I wanted to see if amino acids can be found coming from the ocean of Europa, could they be the relics of primordial synthesis processes?' said Mr Truong. Mr Truong teamed up with colleagues from Cornell University, Arizona State University and the Southwest Research Institute to measure how long 14 amino acids that can be used to create proteins can last in water before decomposing. They found that in the warm, hydrothermal oceans of icy moons, certain amino acids would decay relatively quickly in comparison with the age of the solar system. In particular, aspartic acid and threonine would only remain in such oceans in concentrations of above one nanomolar if these amino acids were synthesised in the last billion years. Given this, Mr Truong and colleagues conclude, any of these amino acids detected on moons like Europa and Enceladus would have to have been produced relatively 'recently', at least when viewed in the context of the solar system's overall history. This would eliminate the possibility that these chemicals could be remnants of the solar system's formation 4.6 billion years ago. However, detecting these amino acids on Europa or Enceladus would not be conclusive proof of life on the moons. It would still need to be shown that any such chemical signatures found have not been produced instead by geological processes, such as through the interaction between water and minerals. NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will be equipped with two mass spectrometer instruments to enable it to look for signs of amino acids in the plumes of water that the Jovian moon periodically ejects from its oceans (pictured, in an artist's impression) WHAT IS ENCELADUS AND COULD IT HOST ALIEN LIFE? The surface of Enceladus, with Saturn on the icy moon's horizon (artist's impression) Enceladus is Saturn's sixth largest moon, at 313 miles (504 kilometres) wide. It is an icy satellite with hydrothermal activity - a rare combination - with vents spewing water vapour and ice particles out from a global ocean buried beneath the moon's frozen crust. A handful of worlds are thought to have liquid water oceans beneath their frozen shell, but only Enceladus sprays its ocean out into space, where a spacecraft can sample it. According to NASA observations, the plume includes organic compounds, volatile gases, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, salts, and silica. Microbes on our planet either produce these compounds or use them for growth, leading some to speculate that tiny organisms live in Enceladus's hidden ocean. This means that while Enceladus may look 'inhospitable' like Saturn's other moons, it is a prime candidate in our search for alien life. Advertisement 'This paper is exciting because it helps us understand which biosignatures we may wish to target for future missions to Enceladus or Europa to search for life,' said NASA scientist Morgan Cable, of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, who was not involved in the present study. 'If we find them there that will be a really compelling reason to go back and dig deeper,' Cable added. One such mission is NASAs Europa Clipper, to be launched in 2023. The spacecraft will be equipped with two mass spectrometer instruments to enable it to look for signs of amino acids in the plumes of water that the Jovian moon periodically ejects from its oceans. 'Weve done experiments in the laboratory to see what kind of fingerprints you expect from all kinds of amino acids,' said Free University of Berlin researcher Frank Postberg, who is helping to develop a mass spectrometer for the Europa Clipper. 'Its a pretty clear fingerprint, even at low concentrations,' he added. The full findings of the study were published in the journal Icarus. A ground-breaking invention in the midst of the First World War allowed Britain to locate the position of enemy artillery guns to within 33 feet (10 metres). The method and the details of the remarkable story behind the advent of 'sound ranging' is due to be presented later this week. Sir William Lawrence Bragg, the youngest person ever to win a Nobel prize, was recruited during The Great War. He led a team of engineers in the development of an 'acoustic method' to locate enemy artillery guns to aid in the war effort. It focused around the idea that the difference in time it took for the sound of an attack to travel could be used to find its point of origin. The research was so successful that it was soon used widely throughout the British Army, earning him a Military Cross. Scroll down for video A ground-breaking invention in the midst of the First World War allowed Britain to locate the position of enemy artillery guns (picture, German artillery from the First World War) to within 33 feet (10 metres) Sir William claimed the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1915 for his work on X-ray diffraction with his father and is still the youngest ever winner at just 25 years old. Sound ranging was used by every regiment and adopted by the US Army after they joined the war in 1917. Astronomer Charles Nordmann and Lucien Bull, a medical researcher, began working on the idea that sound could locate batteries before Bragg joined them. The pair had previously conducted experiments near Paris and, with the guidance of Sir William, they improved the technique. His expertise and suggestions led them to use microphones wrapped in camouflage netting in an attempt to stifle excess noise. He also converted an ammunition box into a microphone that was well-tuned to the low frequencies of further artillery explosions. The new Tucker microphone, named after its inventor William Tucker on Bragg's team, was a major advance for the system. A heated platinum wire over the mouth of the ammunition box allowed the system to pinpoint the location of the guns. The resonance from low-frequency booms disturbed the air around the wire, cooling it and thereby creating a giveaway signal. Sir William claimed the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1915 for his work on X-ray diffraction with his father and is still the youngest ever winner at just 25 years old. He led a team of engineers in the development of an 'acoustic method' to locate enemy artillery guns (pictured, German artillery) to aid in the war effort It was superior to previous microphones as it could distinguish between the noise made when the explosive was launched and the sonic boom it created later. Another innovation, separate to the acoustic method pioneered by Bragg and his team, was the 'harp' galvanometer. It used copper wires strung between magnets and each string was connected to separate microphones hidden across half-a-mile in either direction. When an electrical signal came from the microphones, the current would cause the wire to move due to the interaction with the magnetic field. A continuous roll of film was underneath the wires which recorded the exact timing of the pulse from each microphone. This was far more accurate than earlier methods that relied on human observations. The Germans used a version f the more primitive method until the end of the war. An attack would result in the film being developed and the calculations completed to reveal the enemy location. Dan Costley, of the US Army Engineer Research and Development Centre, called the problem solving 'impressive'. He said: 'Bragg encouraged the innovation that solved a lot of the practical problems. He was really good about giving credit to people on his team.' The secrets of sound will be discussed this week at the 177th Acoustical Society of America meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. The moon experiences its own version of Earthquakes which are causing it to shrink, scientists have found. So-called 'moonquakes' are a result of it being tectonically active and they are forcing our natural satellite to wrinkle 'like a raisin'. Its interior is cooling which causes the surface to contract, but the brittle surface cracks and forms step like cliffs called 'scarps'. These are roughly ten yards high and a few miles long and resemble a giant stairway on the lunar surface. They were first discovered more than 50 years ago by the Apollo astronauts and analysis has found them to be still forming. Scroll down for video This prominent thrust fault is one of thousands discovered on the moon by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). These faults resemble small stair-shaped cliffs, or scarps. Scarps form when one section of the moon's crust (left-pointing arrows) is pushed up over another section (right-pointing arrows) as the moon's interior cools and shrinks Scientists superimposed epicentre location data onto images of the scarps from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). At least eight of the 28 scarps recorded from 1969 to 1977 likely resulted from true tectonic activity, researchers claim. This is the movement of plates in the lunar crust which create 'thrust faults'. They say these scars on the surface of the moon are more likely to have formed from moonquakes than from asteroid impacts or rumblings deep within the interior. NASA hopes to return to the moon in the next few years and the ground-breaking finding could speed up their plans. Co-author Professor Nicholas Schmerr, a geologist at Maryland University, said: 'We found a number of the quakes recorded in the Apollo data happened very close to the faults seen in the LRO imagery.' The photographs also show physical evidence of geologically recent fault movement - such as landslides and tumbled boulders. He said: 'It's quite likely the faults are still active today. 'You don't often get to see active tectonics anywhere but Earth - so it's very exciting to think these faults may still be producing moonquakes.' The discovery of young faults less than 50 million years old by the LSO's camera in 2010 has been interpreted as evidence of lunar tectonic activity. US and Canadian researchers examined quakes recorded by seismometers at the landing sites of Apollo 12, 14, 15 and 16. Using an algorithm they found the epicentres of eight of the quakes - more than a quarter - were within 19 miles of scarps visible in the LRO images. This was close enough to conclude the Moon is currently tectonically active. The LRO's camera has identified thousands of the strangely shaped cliffs - stretching from the south to north poles - and found the moon is still shrinking. The Apollo instruments recorded their last quake shortly before they were retired in 1977. But the moon is likely experiencing quakes to this day, say the researchers. The shallow quakes would have ranged in magnitude from about two to five on the Richter scale if they occurred on Earth. This would be enough to damage buildings and other structures. The researchers also found six of the eight quakes happened when the moon was at or near its apogee - the point in the moon's orbit when it is farthest from Earth. This is where additional tidal stress from Earth's gravity causes a peak in the total pressure on the moon's crust - making slippage along the thrust faults more likely. Lead author Senior Scientist Dr Thomas Watters, of the Centre for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, said: 'We think it's very likely these eight quakes were produced by faults slipping as stress built up when the lunar crust was compressed by global contraction and tidal forces, indicating the Apollo seismometers recorded the shrinking moon and the moon is still tectonically active.' The moon wrinkles as its interior cools and shrinks - much as a grape does as it dries to become a raisin. But unlike the flexible skin on a grape the moon's crust is brittle - causing it to break as the interior shrinks. This results in thrust faults where one section of crust is pushed up over an adjacent section. The shallow quakes would have ranged in magnitude from about two to five on the Richter scale if they occurred on Earth. This would be enough to damage buildings and other structures (stock) The LRO has imaged more than 3,500 fault scarps on the moon since it began operation in 2009. Some of these images show landslides or boulders at the bottom of relatively bright patches on the slopes of fault scarps or nearby terrain. Because weathering gradually darkens material on the lunar surface, brighter areas indicate regions that are freshly exposed by an event such as a moonquake. Other LRO fault images show fresh tracks from boulder falls, suggesting that quakes sent these boulders rolling down their cliff slopes. Such tracks would be erased relatively quickly, in terms of geologic time, by the constant rain of micrometeoroid impacts on the moon. With nearly a decade of LRO imagery already available and more on the way in the coming years, the team would like to compare pictures of specific fault regions from different times to look for fresh evidence of recent moonquakes. Professor Schmerr said: 'For me, these findings emphasise we need to go back to the moon. 'We learned a lot from the Apollo missions, but they really only scratched the surface. 'With a larger network of modern seismometers, we could make huge strides in our understanding of the moon's geology. 'This provides some very promising low-hanging fruit for science on a future mission to the moon.' The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday gave the go-ahead for a lawsuit by consumers accusing Apple of monopolizing the market for iPhone software applications and forcing them to overpay, rejecting the company's bid to escape claims that its practices violate federal antitrust law. The plaintiffs said the Cupertino, California-based technology company required apps be sold through its App Store and extracted an excessive 30 percent commission on purchases. Apple shares fell more than 5 percent after the justices, in a 5-4 ruling, upheld a lower court's decision to allow the proposed class action lawsuit to proceed. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, an appointee of President Donald Trump, joined the court's four liberal justices to rule against Apple and wrote the decision. Scroll down for video The Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for a lawsuit by consumers accusing Apple of monopolizing the market for iPhone software applications and forcing them to overpay WHY ARE CONSUMERS SUING APPLE? The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a lower court's decision in Apple v. Pepper, a lawsuit brought by iOS users. iPhone owners say Apple's 30 percent commission on sales made through the App Store results in developers passing that charge to consumers. They argue that users have ended up paying 'hundreds of millions of dollars more' for apps 'than they would have paid in a competitive market.' Apple argues that consumers shouldn't be able to sue, citing an earlier ruling, which argues that 'indirect purchasers' can't sue a company for antitrust damages. Instead, it believes developers are the only 'direct purchasers' who have the right to sue. Robert Pepper and other consumers filed the class-action lawsuit in 2011, but it was struck down. Their claims have been revised since then and, in 2017, an appeals court picked up the case. Advertisement With Monday's ruling, it will kick the case back to a lower court, where iPhone owners and Apple will continue what is likely to be a lengthy legal battle. If a court rules that the App Store is an unfair use of monopoly power, Apple could stand to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars to consumers. Apple shares were trading down more than $10 at $186.84 by mid-morning. Dailymail.com has reached out to Apple for comment on the court's decision. The company, backed by the Trump administration, argued that it was only acting as an agent for app developers, who set their own prices and pay Apple's commission. Explaining the ruling from the bench, Kavanaugh said, 'Leaving consumers at the mercy of monopolistic retailers simply because upstream suppliers could also sue the retailers would directly contradict the longstanding goal of effective private enforcement in antitrust cases.' '...Apples line-drawing does not make a lot of sense, other than as a way to gerrymander Apple out of this and similar lawsuits.' Apple had argued that a Supreme Court ruling allowing the case to proceed could pose a threat to e-commerce, a rapidly expanding segment of the U.S. economy worth hundreds of billions of dollars in annual sales. The dispute hinged in part on how the justices would apply a decision the court made in 1977 to the claims against Apple. In that case, the court limited damages for anti-competitive conduct to those directly overcharged rather than indirect victims who paid an overcharge passed on by others. Apple shares fell more than 5 percent on Monday after the justices, in a 5-4 ruling, upheld a lower court's decision to allow the proposed class action lawsuit to proceed Noting that they pay Apple - not an app developer - whenever buying an app from the App Store, the iPhone users who brought the case said they were direct victims of the overcharges. Apple said the consumers were indirect purchasers, at best, because any overcharge would be passed on to them by developers. Developers earned more than $26 billion in 2017, a 30 percent increase over 2016, according to Apple. The plaintiffs, including lead plaintiff Robert Pepper of Chicago, filed the suit in a California federal court in 2011, claiming Apple's monopoly leads to inflated prices compared to if apps were available from other sources. They were supported by 30 state attorneys general, including from Texas, California and New York. Apple, which was also backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce business group, sought to dismiss the case, arguing that the plaintiffs lacked the required legal standing to bring the lawsuit. After a federal judge in Oakland, California threw out the suit, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals revived it in 2017, finding that Apple was a distributor that sold iPhone apps directly to consumers. Advertisement The winner of NASA's Mars Habitat competition has been announced after a 30-hours challenge to build the first Mars dwelling prototype. The top prize has been awarded to a large pod-like cylinder made from natural, biodegradable materials that is naturally found on the Red Planet. The innovative structure can shelter astronauts from harsh winds and solar radiation and is fully equipped with onsite labs, dormitories and fitness areas. The winning team AI SpaceFactory constructed a model of a pod using automated 3D printing in the final phase of the US space agency's challenge and was awarded $500,000 (386,000). Its engineers say that the structure was made using material already on Mars: a special mixture of basalt fibre found in Martian rock, and is therefore fully sustainable and replicable on the planet. Scroll down for video After a 30-hours challenge to build the first dwelling on Mars, the winner of NASA's Mars habitat competition has been announced. The pod-like structures making up the habitat known as 'Marsha' on the moon are shown in the illustrated image above AI SpaceFactory, an architecture and technology company based in New York, completed NASA's challenge to build a model of a first home on Mars in 24-hours. It completed a large cylinder that could hold 1,200 gallons (5,500L) of waters using automated 3D-printing machines. For these pods, the team used what they call a 'Martian polymer' that the firm says can be made from matter found or grown on Mars. The polymer is used as a concrete substitute and has been hailed by the company as being a innovative form of building material. AI SpaceFactory described it on its website as: 'a superior tensile and compressive strength, extreme durability in freeze-thaw cycles, and enhanced ductility. 'The polymer also provides superior cosmic radiation absorption and thermal resistance (insulation) and can be made without water: essential characteristics in the construction of off-world habitats.' The top prize has been awarded to a large pod-like cylinder (pictured) that its designers say can be made from natural, biodegradable materials naturally found on the Red Planet If plans for taking the designs to Mars are indeed realised, the company says NASA would need to send machines to Mars in advance of human astronauts to 'harvest' the basalt-composite from the Martian landscape. This would provide the raw materials for robotic printers to then arrive to start onsite construction. During the latest NASA challenge, an individual prototype pods were constructed in 10-hour increments in front of a panel of judges that included Bradley's Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology. Its designers say the cylinders can be made from natural, biodegradable materials that can be naturally found on Mars and therefore constructed sustainably on the Red Planet. The illustrated image shows a lab inside of one of the pods The innovative structure can shelter astronauts from harsh winds and solar radiation and is fully equipped with onsite labs, sleeping and fitness areas (pictured) The AI SpaceFactory explained its construction as being different to previous designed and perfectly adapted to the conditions on Mars, writing on its website: '[It] points to a structure optimised to handle internal atmospheric pressure and structural stresses: a vertical container with a minimal footprint.' The company says that the pods are fully sustainable as they can be constructed using material that can be extracted from Marsian rocks, using a technology it calls 'in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU)'. Talking about the design of the pods, the company added: 'Marsha marks a radical departure from previous Martian designs typified by low-lying domes or buried structures. 'Marsha's vertical orientation and small footprint also alleviate the need for a construction rover moving on unfamiliar ground. 'Marsha is constructed with a vertically telescoping arm attached to a stationary rover throughout the 3D printing process. 'These innovations challenge the conventional image of 'space age' domes by focusing on the creation of vertically oriented, human-centric habitats tuned to the demands of a Mars mission.' The winning team AI SpaceFactory designed dwellings for Mars made entirely using automatic 3D printing and was awarded $500,000 by NASA for the successful construction of a Mars habitat. The image shows a model of the pod-like structure completed in the final challenge by the winners which they say can hold 1,200 gallons of water The panellists judged the finalists' built structures once printing was complete, the structures were subjected to several tests and evaluated for material mix, leakage, durability and strength 'We developed these technologies for Space, but they have the potential to transform the way we build on Earth,' said David Malott, CEO and Founder of AI SpaceFactory. 'By using natural, biodegradable materials grown from crops, we could eliminate the building industry's massive waste of unrecyclable concrete and restore our planet.' Once printing was complete, the structures were subjected to several tests and evaluated for material mix, leakage, durability and strength. Lex Akers, dean of Bradley's Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology who judged the competitions, said: 'It is an impressive achievement for these two teams to demonstrate this disruptive and terrific 3D-printing technology at such a large scale. 'By teaming up with NASA and Caterpillar, we are proud to bring these teams together in an environment where they can innovate, create and challenge our vision of what's possible.' WHAT IS NASA'S 3D-PRINTED HABITAT COMPETITION? NASA's three-year 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge that involved 60 teams finally ended with a head-to-head challenge by two teams who build model's of their designs for the first homes on Mars, and were awarded $800,000 in total. The winner AI SpaceFactory were given $5,000 of the prize share. For their cylinder-like pods, the team used what they call a 'Martian polymer' that the firm says can be made from matter found or grown on Mars. The polymer is used as a concrete substitute and has been hailed by the company as being a innovative form of building material: 'a superior tensile and compressive strength, extreme durability in freeze-thaw cycles, and enhanced ductility.' The runners up were awarded the following amount by NASA in previous challenge rounds: SEArch+/Apis Cor - New York - $33,954.11 Zopherus Rogers, Arkansas - $33,422.01 Mars Incubator New Haven, Connecticut - $32,623.88 Advertisement Last month, NASA announced three finalists in an ongoing design competition tasking engineers to dream up sustainable dwellings that can be 3-D printed on Mars. Three finalists who made it to the penultimate round of the challenge split a prize pot of $100,000 (77,000). They included SEArch+/Apis Cor, out of New York who took first place, Zopherus from Rogers, Arkansas who came in second, and Mars Incubator out of New Have Connecticut who took the third spot. The three contestants were chosen out of a pool of 11 candidates and were scored based on 'architectural layout, programming, efficient use of interior space, and the 3D-printing scalability and constructability of the habitat.' From here, teams went on to compete in a showdown with a prize pool of $800,000 (618,000) - the final competition phase. The remaining teams represent the final contestants out of a competition started in 2015 through NASA's Centennial Challenge - a program that engages the public to come up with innovative solutions. NASA announced three finalists earlier this year in the design competition tasking engineers to dream up sustainable dwellings that can be 3-D printed on Mars that began in 2016. Mars incubator design represents a modular look at space dwelling and allows for plenty of natural light. In recent years, the topic of exploring Mars has gained traction, attracting not only NASA but the likes of private aerospace companies like SpaceX, owned by tech mogul, Elon Musk. Recently, NASA also partnered with internet search giant Google to release data and satellite pictures of Devon Island in Nunavut, Canada -- a site dubbed frequently referred to as 'Mars on Earth' - in correlation to its Haughton-Mars Project where the agency simulates Mars missions. 'We are excited about this new partnership with Google on the Haughton-Mars Project and about the data products being released,' said Dr. Pascal Lee, a planetary scientist with the Mars Institute and director of the NASA. 'They allow us to share with the world some of the Mars-like wonders of the site and the fieldwork that we do,' In other Mars related news, NASA also completed its first test flight of a helicopter that is set to explore Mars in 2021. Zorpheus' design would be constructed by an autonomous roving printer that prints a structure and then moves on to the next site The unique shape of Search/Apis Cor's habitat allows for continuous reinforcement of the structure. Light enters through trough-shaped ports on the sides and top Scientist hope that the aerial vehicle will help them analyse the surface of the red planet to glean important information on conditions there. In addition to lifting the vehicle inside an extremely thin atmosphere, scientists will also be tasked with operating the vehicle from exceptionally long distances - a feat they describe as extremely difficult. SpaceX says it hopes to send humans on the first crewed mission to mars sometime in the 2020's according to a recent announcement from Musk. The mission will utilise the company's cutting edge rocket ship dubbed the 'Starship' which was recently revealed to be sporting a gleaming, stainless steel design. A French commune is offering a 2,000 (1,750/$2,247) reward to anyone who can decipher a mysterious, 230-year old inscription carved on a rock in a remote cove. Found roughly five years ago, the rock's engraving includes 20 lines of text in both French and Scandinavian characters, two dates and drawings of a ship and what appears to be a sacred heart. It has long mystified experts and founded several theories. Some have suggested that the text may relate to do with the establishments of fortifications near the cove in which the rock is found. The competition is open until November and has already received thousands of submissions. A French commune is offering a 2,000 (1,750/$2,247) reward to anyone who can decipher a mysterious, 230-year old inscription carved on a rock in a remote cove The mysteriously-inscribed rock is located in a remote cove, one only accessible when the tide goes out, near the commune of Plougastel-Daoulas, in north west France's administrative region of Brittany. The rock, found about five years ago and dated back to around 1789, stands at about 3 feet (1 metre) high and bears 20 lines of writing. But to date the text has remained inscrutable. 'We've asked historians and archaeologists from around here, but no-one has been able to work out the story behind the rock', said Plougastel mayor, Dominique Cap. 'So we thought [that] maybe out there in the world there are people who've got the kind of expert knowledge that we need,' he added. 'Rather than stay in ignorance, we said: let's launch a competition.' One part of the carving is thought to read: 'ROC AR B DRE AR GRIO SE EVELOH AR VIRIONES BAOAVEL'. Another section may be: 'OBBIIE: BRISBVILAR ... FROIK AL'. Some of the characters carved into the rock are normal French letters depicted in reverse or upside down, while others appear to be '', which is a vowel in the Scandinavian languages of Danish, Norwegian, Faroese, and Southern Sami. 'There are a lot of words,' Municipal Councillor Michel Paugam, who is in charge of local heritage, told the Agence France-Presse. 'But we can't read them, we can't make them out,' he added. The rock features the image of a ship, complete with sails and a rudder, and what appears to be a sacred heart a heart covered by a cross. Two apparent dates are also visible, 1786 and 1787, which would place the inscription to a few years before the onset of the French Revolution. Found around five years back, the rock's engraving which features 20 lines of text in both French and Scandinavian characters, two dates and drawings of a ship and what appears to be a sacred heart has mystified experts to date There are many ideas already concerning the meaning behind the inscription. 'These dates correspond, more or less, to the years that various artillery batteries protected Brest and notably Corbeau Fort which is right next to [the cove],' said Veronique Martin, who is leading the efforts to find someone to crack the code. Brest is a port city that lies on the opposite side of the bay to Plougastel-Daoulas. 'This inscription is a mystery and it is for this that we are launching the appeal,' Ms Martin added. Local experts think that the words might be written either in old Breton, a now-extinct language that was spoken in Northern France between the 9th and the 11th century AD, or Basque. The latter is a language spoken in Basque Country, a region on the French-Spanish border made up of the three autonomous communities of Basque Country and Navarre, in Spain, and the Northern Basque Country, in France. The individual who wrote the engraving, it has also been suggested, may have been semi-literate, meaning that the intended words may be poorly transcribed and the letters may related more to the sounds of the words as the author heard them. Others have suggested that the carving was engraved by a Russian soldier who had been garrisoned in the nearby fort. Theories, however, abound. Some have suggested that the text may relate to do with the establishments of fortifications near the cove in which the rock is found WHAT DOES THE PLOUGASTEL-DAOULAS INSCRIPTION SAY? One part of the carving is thought to read: 'ROC AR B DRE AR GRIO SE EVELOH AR VIRIONES BAOAVEL'. Another section may be: 'OBBIIE: BRISBVILAR ... FROIK AL'. Some of the characters carved into the rock are normal French letters depicted in reverse or upside down. Others appear to be '', which is a vowel in the Scandinavian languages of Danish, Norwegian, Faroese, and Southern Sami. The rock features the image of a ship, complete with sails and a rudder, and what appears to be a sacred heart a heart covered by a cross. Two apparent dates are also visible, 1786 and 1787. Advertisement The competition has been dubbed 'The Champollion Mystery at Plougastel-Daoulas'. The name is a reference to the French scholar, and one of the founding figures in Egyptology, Jean-Francois Champollion, who helped decode some of the Egyptian hieroglyphics present on the famed Rosetta Stone. Linguistic and archaeological enthusiasts interested in entering the competition are invited to contact Ms Martin to register and receive photographs of the inscription. The contest will close to entries in November 2019, after which the most plausible entry will be selected as a winner by a panel of judges. More than a thousand submissions have already been entered into the competition, the French publication Le Parisien has reported. In a new and disconcerting milestone for human-induced climate change, Earth's concentration of CO2 has reached levels never before seen in human history. According to measurements from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, atmospheric CO2 has hit 415 parts per million, eclipsing record highs recorded in Arctic Ice samples that date back 800,000 years. The precedent was noted on Twitter via Eric Holthaus, a meteorologist and journalist for the online magazine, Grist. Scroll down for video Emissions behind climate change have hit another new high according to meteorologist and writer, Erich Holthaus. Carbon dioxide is the biggest contributor to climate change around the globe and stays in the atmosphere for many years after its emitted 'This is the first time in human history our planet's atmosphere has had more than 415 ppm CO2,' said Holthaus in a tweet. 'Not just in recorded history, not just since the invention of agriculture 10,000 years ago. Since before modern humans existed millions of years ago.' As noted in a report from CNN, the levels exceed a peak from about 3 million years ago during the Pilocene Epoch, when atmospheric CO2 reached between 300-400 million ppm with temperatures of about 2-3 degrees Celsius warmer than today's. Carbon dioxide is the biggest contributor to climate change around the globe and stays in the atmosphere for many years after its emitted, making it possible for the effects to compound over long periods of time. Even if the world were to stop emitting CO2 altogether, gases could continue to warm the planet for centuries say some researchers. The measurements were taken by Scripps researchers at a lab in Hawaii and were spotted by Holthaus this week. Atmospheric CO2 measured by the Mauna Loa Observatory last week is plotted in the graph above Record levels of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere mirror a slew of recent climate-related news that portend major changes to the makeup of natural environments and societies across the globe. A recent study from the U.N. found that even if the emission reductions kept stride with the Paris Agreement, a global climate accord that brought together 174 states around the world, the world's temperature would still continue to rise between 3-5 degrees Celsius throughout the next 30 years. Glaciers continue to recede across the world as the climate warms and ocean levels rise. File photo That temperature uptick spells out a host of issues for a rapidly melting Arctic and global sea level rise that could displace millions of people across the world. According to U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, members of the Paris Agreement are far from meeting the aggressive hurdles outlined in 2016, including China and the U.S. who account for about 40 percent of the world's emissions alone. 'Climate change is running faster than what we are ... The last four years have been the hottest registered,' Guterres said in a recent trip to New Zealand. In 2017 US President Donald Trump announced his intention to pull out of the Paris Agreement, choosing not to meet reduction standards outlined by the accord. The existential threat posed by unmitigated climate change to humans and all other species was highlighted in more recent blockbuster report from the U.N. that said 1 million species are at risk of extinction due to human activity. Artificial Intelligence (AI) software that forms an opinion of people by the way they speak - in much the same way people do - is being developed by a UK finance firm. The language and vocabulary used by customers who ring in seeking help with their mortgage or savings accounts will be used to create a profile. The system, which is being backed by the Nationwide Building Society, will then tailor a computer generated conversation with the customer defined by their voice personality. Artificial Intelligence (AI) software that forms an opinion of people by the way they speak - in much the same way people do - is being developed by a UK finance firm. The language and vocabulary used by customers who ring will be used to create a profile (stock image) The AI system, developed by the company Scaled Insights, is already being used in partnership with hospitals in Leeds to help communicate with patients in the treatment of obesity and other issues. It does not mimic an individuals accent, but uses words and phrases it believes they would find most useful, friendly and easy to understand. As a result, the AI conversation with someone like Prince Charles would be very different to one with another married man of 70 - someone like the Birmingham-born former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne. The computer generated conversations would be used by Nationwide for routine telephone enquiries, while anything more complicated would be transferred to a real person. The system has the potential to save banks, public services and other organisations a fortune on customer service staff. In the past, this was done by shifting call centres to cheap labour locations such as India, however these conversations were often difficult and frustrating. The new proposal would see humans replaced by computers. Nationwide said: The system analyses over 130 different variables in an individuals speech patterns, giving each a rating of between one and a hundred. It is then able to generate an impression of each persons personality traits, much like when you listen to a new person speak and create an impression of what theyre like in your mind. The make-up of peoples linguistic personalities is unique as a fingerprint, so understanding what motivates them means organisations can use this insight to offer a more tailored and personalised service. The system, which is being backed by the Nationwide Building Society, will then tailor a computer generated conversation with the customer defined by their voice personality (stock image) Traditionally, business might use simple demographics, such as age, wealth and address, to profile a customer. But, Nationwide said its new technology will provide much more specific information based on how people speak. It said: If you had two 70-year-old married men, with grown up children, who were millionaires, you would treat them exactly the same. 'However, one could be Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and the other Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness; both very different personalities and likely to want a very different approach from a company. Scaled Insights started life in Canada, but following an investment from Nationwide, its headquarters has moved to the Nexus building in Leeds, which supports start-ups owned by Leeds University. Academics at the university have helped to perfect the neural net-based algorithms that underpin the technology. This has resulted in a partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust designed to improve the success of treatments for obesity and other conditions. It can help guide physicians on the best treatment for patients by analysing a specific patients language and seeing what approach worked for previous patients with a similar voice personality. Deputy chief executive at Nationwide, Tony Prestedge, said: Digital innovation is changing financial services and other industries at a rapid pace, but consumers still demand tailored service rather than a one size fits all mentality. 'In future, this technology could help us understand and better serve our members, which will allow us to talk to them in language that is appropriate to them all while maintaining the human service that our members expect from us for more complex discussions. Chief executive at Scaled Insights, Stuart Sherman, said: We believe that the next steps in one-to-one communications will rely on computer systems understanding humans as individuals, and tailoring messaging and offers towards each persons unique needs. As we apply our AI to new challenges we are proud to have a partner that is as concerned about the ethical use of our technology as we are; focused on improving peoples health and finances, while ensuring that the global trend towards larger organisational sizes doesnt result in these larger organisations overlooking the humans they were created to serve. Nationwide, which is investing a total of 4.1 billion ($5.31bn) in technology over the next five years, said a decision on when the AI tech will be implemented has not yet been taken. Advertisement A record-setting dive into the world's deepest and most mysterious underwater trench proves that even the most remote places on Earth aren't immune to plastic waste. In a series of five separate trips into the Mariana Trench, Victor Vescovo, a private equity investor, former naval officer and now the record-holder for deepest manned submarine dive, joined a narrow list of explorers to visit the vast underwater chasm. The dive beats a previous record set by 'Titanic' Director James Cameron in 2012 by a little more than 50 feet according to explorers. Scroll down for video In a series of five separate trips into the Mariana Trench, Victor Vescovo, a private equity investor, former naval officer and now the record-holder for deepest manned submarine dive, joined a narrow list of explorers to visit the vast underwater chasm. Above, The Limiting Factor can be seen being recovered after it's first dive to the deepest point While his journey recorded a number of phenomena, including three new species of marine life, and the deepest piece of recovered mantle rock, according to the BBC, Vescovo also turned up some more unwelcome visitors of the ocean deep: a plastic bag and a candy wrapper. When considering the depth of the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench, which extends for nearly 7 miles into the ocean floor, Vescovo's discoveries might seem implausible - but according to recent research, the scourge of plastic waste has reached even the deepest waters. In a study released last year, researchers noted that a plastic waste is the most prevalent type of debris to wade into the deep sea, with about 89 percent of the recorded trash being single-use plastics like water bottles, groceries bags, or a disposable utensil. Though it was once believed that the ocean floor was devoid of sea life, researchers have come to understand that deep-sea debris like the specimens observed by Vescovo endanger a surprising array of organisms call chasms like the Mariana Trench home. The dive beats a previous record set by 'Titanic' Director James Cameron in 2012 by a little more than 50 feet according to explorers A record-setting trip led by Victor Vescovo (left) into the world's deepest trench turned up some surprisingly unnatural results. Among the observations were a plastic bad and a candy wrapper The scientists involved with Vescovo's journey will also test specimens that they retrieved from their journey for microplastics. Next up for the team of explorers is the ship's final scheduled journey into the Molloy Deep located in the Arctic Ocean In researchers' analysis of deep sea debris, they noted that organisms were observed in about 20 percent of images taken involving plastic, including some showing the entanglement of garbage and chemosynthetic organisms like tube worms that live next to geothermic vents on the ocean floor. In fact, recent discoveries have shown the incidence of plastics in the deep-sea are so common that some organisms are starting to use microplastics as food. In February, a group of British scientists -- one of which joined Vescovo on one of his journeys to the Mariana Trench -- reported that tiny shrimp-like creatures called amphipods were commonly found to have microplastics in their digestive tracks. Specimens found in six of the deepest points from ocean's throughout the world, 80 percent of the creatures were found to have plastic in their bodies. Vescovo's mission eclipsed a prior journey by filmmaker James Cameron who used his submersible to explore the trench in 2012. According to Vescovo, his team beat the previous record by a little more than 50 feet. While his journey recorded a number of phenomena, including three new species of marine life, Vescovo also turned up some more unwelcome visitors of the ocean deep: a plastic bag (pictured) and a candy wrapper Other, non-plastic, discoveries by the team include a type of long-appendaged Amphipod and three others new types of marine life. Ocean depths contain a surprising array of marine life shows recent research Though it was once believed that the ocean floor was devoid of sea life, researchers have come to understand that deep-sea debris like the specimens observed by Vescovo endanger a surprising array of organisms call chasms like the Mariana Trench home When considering the depth of the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench which extends for nearly 7 miles into the ocean floor, Vescovo's discoveries might seem implausible, but according to recent research, the scourge of plastic waste has reached even the deepest waters A whopping 100 percent of specimens harvested from the Mariana Trench were found to have plastic in their system. According to the BBC, the scientists involved with Vescovo's journey will also test specimens that they retrieved from their journey for microplastics. Next up for the team of explorers is the ship's final scheduled journey into the Molloy Deep located in the Arctic Ocean which is scheduled for August this year. The ship has already made trips to trenches in the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and in the Atlantic Ocean. The days of miles long receipts with more coupons than helpful information may be over. A new concept design shared by a Netflix engineer re-imagines what receipts look like and how they serve consumers by presenting data in a much more intelligent way. Instead of scanning through the dozens of items, looking for what saved (or caused you to spend) the most money on, the receipt uses infographics and smart organization to save you the effort. A new concept design shared by a Netflix engineer re-imagines what receipts look like and how they serve consumers by presenting data in a much more intelligent way Susie Lu, a senior data visualization engineer at Netflix, developed the innovative design. 'I was compelled to think of ways that data visualization could be used to redesign everyday experiences,' Lu told Fast Company. 'Of the use cases I had brainstormed, the receipt was the idea I was most excited to play with first.' Lu used a low-resolution thermal printer, the same kind used in stores, to print out the receipt she had created, according to Fast Company. The most noticeable difference is the addition of an infographic at the top of the receipt. There, consumers can get a feel for which categories they spent the most money on. Lu included one of her actual grocery store receipts (left) alongside the redesigned version (right) to illustrate the differences. At the top is an infographic with bubbles to show which categories made up the largest portion of her total grocery shopping budget Lu included one of her actual grocery store receipts alongside the redesigned version to illustrate the differences. For example, the Meat & Seafood category represents the largest bubble, as 34 percent of the total money spent on her order went to things like steak, pork, ground beef and other meats. Under each category, like Frozen and Bakery, there are further breakdowns for each item Eggs & Dairy is shown as a much smaller bubble, since she only spent 10 percent on items like a carton of a dozen organic eggs. Additionally, under each category, which also spans areas like frozen, bakery and snack items, there are further breakdowns. Under drinks, which comprised 7 percent of her total budget, there is an itemized list with each total, as well as a bar chart to demonstrate how expensive each item was compared to others in the category. As the example shows, the $6.99 French vanilla coffee has a bigger bar compared to the $2.99 Kombucha Yerba Mate drink, to help illustrate the difference. In turn, it should be much easier for shoppers to see what's leaving a dent in their wallets the most. 'I found it [most] useful to understand by category how I spent my money,' Lu told Fast Company. 'I would be interested in seeing this over multiple grocery trips to see how the trend changed week over week.' Lu posted the receipts on Twitter and it garnered dozens of comments from users, some which had some suggestions of their own for future designs. Among the suggestions were the ability to add QR codes that link out to nutritional data for individual items, an infographic that uses your past shopping history to show how much you saved with coupons or discounts, as well as a QR code that lets users view receipt information on their smartphone. Facebook Inc said on Monday it was raising its minimum wage for all U.S. contract workers, reacting to rising costs of living as it faces intense scrutiny over the treatment of ordinary employees and their pay. The company raised its minimum wage to $20 per hour in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York and Washington D.C. and to $18 per hour in Seattle. It said it was clear that $15 an hour would not now meet the needs of the workers it employs through third-party contractors as cooks, cleaners, security guards or drivers. The world's largest social media company also said it will pay at least $22 per hour for content reviewers in the Bay Area, New York City and Washington, D.C., $20 per hour to those living in Seattle and $18 per hour in all other metro areas in the United States. Facebook Inc said on Monday it was raising its minimum wage for all U.S. contract workers, reacting to rising costs of living as it faces intense scrutiny over the treatment of ordinary employees and their pay 'After reviewing a number of factors including third-party guidelines, we're committing to a higher standard that better reflects local costs of living,' the social media giant said in a blog post. Facebook last raised minimum wages for contract workers in 2015 to $15 per hour in its bid to narrow the widening gap between the technology sector's elite and the lower-paid workers. It said it would be implementing the changes announced on Monday by the middle of next year and was working to develop similar standards for other countries. Last year, Amazon.com Inc raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour after facing criticism over poor pay and working conditions. The online retailer said at the time that it would lobby Washington for the federal minimum wage to be raised. Silicon Valley is under pressure to close the income gap given California's high cost of living. The Office of Labor Standards Enforcement said it raised the minimum wage in San Francisco to $15.59 per hour beginning July 1. U.S. corporations have also been finding it tougher to attract workers, with unemployment at its lowest level in nearly 50 years, while there has been growing political pressure on companies to pay workers a fair living wage. Walmart, the world's largest retailer and the largest U.S. private sector employer, pays workers $11 an hour at entry-level, while Target Corp said in April it would raise U.S. minimum wage to $13 an hour. 'Facebook is competing with other Silicon Valley tech companies for talent and it is supply and demand that sets the price for labor as well as anything else,' said Ivan Feinseth, an analyst with Tigress Financial Partners. 'It is more about competing in a very tight labor market which is dictating the amount of money companies are willing to pay then the set state minimum wage.' Facebook already requires its contractors to provide comprehensive healthcare to all employees and it outlined further steps it was taking to safeguard the mental health of its legion of content reviewers globally. The company has conducted a huge expansion in content moderation and oversight since the Cambridge Analytica scandal last year focused attention on its approach to users' privacy and the use of it as a platform by political extremists. A number of media reports, however, have focused attention on the conditions under which reviewers, employed by third party contractors including Genpact and Wipro Ltd, work. Reuters reported in February that contract employees in India, part of a 1,600-member team at Genpact monitoring nudity and pornography on Facebook and Instagram, view 2,000 posts in an eight-hour shift, which amounts to almost four a minute. The company said it would now require contractors to provide on-site counseling during all hours of operation and not just certain hours of each shift. It would also survey all contract employees twice a year, it said, and react to the results. 'We're kicking off a biannual audit and compliance program this year for content review teams,' the company said. 'This includes formal audits, unannounced onsite checks, and vendor partner self-reporting. We also have a whistleblower hotline where anyone who does contract work - including content reviewers - can raise concerns directly to Facebook.' Advertisement Last week, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos finally lifted the veil on the lunar lander his aerospace company has been developing in secret for years, along with a plan to put humans back on the moon to stay. And in the process, he also revealed an ambitious vision for space colonization. Building off of a concept introduced decades ago by physicist Gerard O'Neill who Bezos himself studied under during his time at Princeton, according to Fast Company the Blue Origin founder outlined self-sustaining habitats that could hold entire cities, agricultural areas, and even national parks in space. While such a future may still be a ways off, Bezos says it will be an easy choice when faced with dwindling resources on Earth. The habitats, reminiscent of the film Interstellar, could be built close enough to Earth to allow people to travel back and forth, and house a million people or more each. And, according to Bezos, theyd have the ideal climate at all times, like Maui on its best day, all year long. Scroll down for video These are beautiful, people are going to want to live here, Bezos said. And they can be close to Earth so that you can return. Which is important, because people are going to want to return to Earth. Theyre not going to want to leave Earth forever. Theyre also going to be able to go between We get to choose, do we want stasis and rationing, or do we want dynamism and growth? Bezos asked during the invite-only event in Washington DC on May 9th. This is an easy choice. We know what, we want we just have to get busy. If were out in the solar system, we can have a trillion humans in the solar system which means wed have a thousand Mozarts and a thousand Einsteins. This would be an incredible civilization. The concept was first posited in the 1970s by Bezos former professor ONeill, whose proposed habitats would rotate in space to create artificial gravity based on centrifugal force. These are very large structures, miles on end, and they hold a million people or more each, Bezos said. The habitats, reminiscent of the film Interstellar, could be built close enough to Earth to allow people to travel back and forth, and house a million people or more each. And, according to Bezos, theyd have the ideal climate at all times, like Maui on its best day, all year long These cities may replicate cities on Earth, such as that pictured above, or start from scratch with their own futuristic architecture, Bezos noted. And, there would no rain, no storms, no earthquakes The concept was first posited in the 1970s by Bezos former professor ONeill, whose proposed habitats would rotate in space to create artificial gravity based on centrifugal force. Blue Origins' take on the design was on display at the secretive event Some of them would be more recreational they dont all have to have the same gravity they can have a recreational one that keeps it zero-g so you can go flying with your own wings. They may replicate cities on Earth or start from scratch with their own futuristic architecture, Bezos noted. And, there would be 'no rain, no storms, no earthquakes.' These are beautiful, people are going to want to live here, Bezos said. And they can be close to Earth so that you can return. Which is important, because people are going to want to return to Earth. Theyre not going to want to leave Earth forever. Theyre also going to be able to go between. According to Bezos, traveling between different space colonies would be as simple as a day trip. But, we still have a long way to go before the vision can become a reality. This is going to take a long time, this is a big vision, Bezos said. The price of admission to do interesting things in space right now is just too high. Building off of a concept introduced decades ago by physicist Gerard O'Neill who Bezos himself studied under during his time at Princeton the Blue Origin founder (left) outlined self-sustaining habitats that could hold entire cities, agricultural areas, and even national parks in space According to Bezos, a trip between different space colonies would be as simple as a day trip. But, we still have a long way to go before the vision can become a reality. This is going to take a long time, this is a big vision, Bezos said. The price of admission to do interesting things in space right now is just too high While the event started off with the elaborate concept images of self-sustaining space habitats, the real star of the talk turned out to be something much closer to home the moon. On stage, Bezos took the wraps off a massive model of what will be the firms first lunar lander, dubbed Blue Moon. This is an incredible vehicle, and its going to the moon, Bezos said, according to CNN, which live-blogged the event. According to the CEO, the lander has been in development for the last three years and is on track for a 2024 crewed moon landing falling in line with the five-year deadline revealed earlier this year by Vice President Mike Pence. The plan could ultimately serve as a stepping stone for colonization of the moon and deeper space targets, Bezos suggested. Jet2.com has turned the heat up on its flights by introducing two Nandos products to its new in-flight menu. This makes it the first UK airline to help its customers get a Nandos fix in the sky. The airline, the UKs third largest, will be introducing 'Nandos PeriPeri Flight Bites', two snacks infused with Southern African PeriPeri spice. Nothing peri-pheral about this news: Jet2.com has turned the heat up on its flights by introducing two Nandos products to its new in-flight menu Customers, says Leeds-based Jet2.com, can take their taste buds on a trip with Nandos Half-popped Corn The products include a dip, drizzle and dunk Nandos Box, which includes creamy houmous, smoky PeriPeri drizzle and lightly salted pitta chips. Customers, says Leeds-based Jet2.com, can also take their taste buds on a trip with Nandos Half-popped Corn, which it describes as a mild and delicious snacking option where fluffy popcorn meets crunchy corn. The airline added in a statement: To give customers even more reason to feel sky-high with excitement this summer, Nandos vouchers can also be found in selected Nandos boxes onboard, entitling one person to a free Nandos meal. The new in-flight menu is Jet2.coms biggest and best yet, with a number of new additions to give customers more choice and variety than ever. Following the introduction of its first ever in-flight vegan meal earlier this year, the warming and hearty penne arrabbiata pasta dish, the company has added the vegan and gluten free Gnaw chocolate bar, with Nandos Half-popped Corn also suitable for vegans. Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: The addition of these two fantastic snacking options give our customers even more great choice than ever, and mean that we are the first UK airline to offer Nandos products on our in-flight menu. Jet2.com was voted best overall airline in the UK, best overall in Europe, best economy cabin in Europe, best low-cost airline in Europe and No.9 in the world in the 2019 TripAdvisor Travellers Choice awards We have already made a number of exciting changes to our menu this year, and we are sure this brand new menu will delight customers even more. We pride ourselves on delivering the very best customer service in every area, which was recognised at the recent TripAdvisor Travellers Choice awards for airlines where we won five awards, and we cant wait for our customers to try the exciting choice on this new menu. Jet2.coms TripAdvisor Travellers Choice gongs were for best overall airline in the UK, best overall in Europe, best economy cabin in Europe, best low-cost airline in Europe and No.9 in the world. They spectacularly fell out in March, with him branding her a s**g during an explosive showdown. But TOWIE fans warned Shelby Tribble not to get back together with Sam Mucklow after the pair became close again during Sunday's episode. Despite his previous treatment of the brunette beauty, Sam made no secret of his desire for her in the latest installment of the ITVBe show - despite Shelby being in the early stages of a romance with newbie Tom McDonnell. Don't do it! TOWIE fans warned Shelby Tribble not to get back together with Sam Mucklow after the pair became close again during Sunday's episode In March the duo came to blows during their Thailand trip when Sam flirted with Demi Sims, just one day after sleeping with Shelby. As she confronted him, things turned heated and he branded her a 's**g' after she threw her drink over him, with viewers branding him 'disgusting' and 'disrespectful'. Sunday's episode saw Sam's pal Liam 'Gatsby' Blackwell tease him over his feelings for Shelby, joking that Sam had 'caught feelings' for her. While Sam, who reflected on their short-lived fling, hinted that there could still potentially be something between the two, saying: 'a lot's gone on so theres always gonna be a little something there.' What is he playing at? Despite his previous treatment of the brunette beauty, Sam made no secret of his desire for her in the latest installment of the ITVBe show Poking fun: Sunday's episode saw Sam's pal Liam 'Gatsby' Blackwell tease him over his feelings for Shelby, joking that Sam had 'caught feelings' for her Later in the episode, Shelby was seen flirting with Sam as they got ready for the 90's rave - despite her having enjoyed a date with Tom earlier in the day. As she was quizzed on whether she had kissed Tom, she turned to Sam and said: 'You got really close there, I thought you were going in for a kiss!' To which the lothario, with a glint in his eye, cheekily replied: 'maybe!' As the episode progressed, Sam, was seen confiding in Dan Edgar about his chances with Shelby, before flirting later with her again. Rekindled? While Sam, who reflected on their short-lived fling, hinted that there could still potentially be something between the two, saying: 'a lot's gone on so theres always gonna be a little something there' Risky behaviour: Later in the episode, Shelby was seen flirting with Sam as they got ready for the 90's rave - despite her having enjoyed a date with Tom earlier in the day While Sam made it very clear he was interested in her, Shelby remained coy, however, she didn't automatically shut down his advances. TOWIE viewers tuning into the episode were quick to take to Twitter to warn her against the star, with one even suggesting they will no longer watch the show if the two rekindle their romance. One person warned: '#towie please Shelby dont go near Sam again.. hes so full of himself.' While another declared: 'If Shelby goes back to Sam, Ill be so done with TOWIE.' 'Oh @Shelby_Tribble Sam literally didnt even speak to you because he thought he had a chance with Demi! Dont make that mistake!! #towie,' urged a third fan. Too close? As she was quizzed on whether she had kissed Tom, she turned to Sam and said: 'You got really close there, I thought you were going in for a kiss!' Oops: Sam made it very clear he was interested in her, Shelby remained coy, however, she didn't automatically shut down his advances A fourth tweeted: 'Why would Shelby choose Sam over Tom. Is she blind? #towie.' With another begging: 'Shelby, please do not go back with Sam. Toms a nice guy, Sam was a k**b to you its only now you have Tom, suddenly sams interested. Men suckkk #towie.' Following their explosive row in Thailand, Sam had exclusively opened up to MailOnline, in which he revealed that it wasn't the first time they had slept with her. He said: 'Im flirty with every girl I meet. I definitely didnt lead Shelby on, me and Shelby have been sleeping with each other for months, for months. 'The reason Im so furious with Shelby in this whole situation is because she seems to have manipulated this whole story as if Ive made her my friend, earned her trust, slept with her the first night and then given her the elbow for somebody else, which is not the facts at all.' Advice: As the episode progressed, Sam, was seen confiding in Dan Edgar about his chances with Shelby, before flirting later with her again Speaking at the TOWIE press night at Sheesh restaurant in Chigwell, Essex, Sam revealed he and Shelby have been close with each other for a year. He said: 'Me and Shelby have been close for a year, weve slept with each other many times. That was just another time. It started at Christmas, we slept with each other a few times. 'This was why I was angry with the whole situation, I dont deserve a drink in my face. I am so angry with her, Im not talking to her now, I dont want to talk to her. I will never forgive her for this situation. 'I have been abused because of that whole scenario. People genuinely think I have built this trust from Shelby and then used it to manipulate her to get her into bed and then give her the elbow. Warning: TOWIE viewers tuning into the episode were quick to take to Twitter to warn her against the star 'We were friends with benefits, I slept with her and then she would sleep with other geezers and then wed talk about it, she knows about girls I was sleeping with. We have that relationship.' Sam went on to say he believed Shelby has used the situation for her 'benefit' and he felt he had been 'played'. Not mincing his words, the reality star described Shelby as a 'one-trick pony' and said she does not bring anything to TOWIE if she is not in a relationship. Interview: TOWIE's Sam insisted he and Shelby Tribble had been 'sleeping with each other for months' and is 'furious' with her for 'manipulating' the situation to appear as if they only just got together Fight: The pair had an explosive row on the show while they were in Thailand in which viewers saw him call her a 'sl*g' just one day after they slept together (pictured in March 2019) He said: 'Shes my close pal, it was never ever going to be more than that, she knows that. Obviously I took her for dinner and treated her really nice, same with Cleo [Theodorou], shes dating my best friend. 'Its just the way that I am so I would do anything for any of them at any time. Anyone who knows me, knows the way I am with people. I just feel that shes used it to her benefit. 'Im so furious because Im quite intelligent and I was very naive and played. But listen, Shelby is a one-trick pony, without a relationship or a man in her life what else is she bringing to the show? Nothing. Shes either the back end of Pete [Wicks] or rowing with Clelia.' They rekindled their love in 2017, following a bitter custody battle over their daughter Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell, nine. And things seem to be going from strength to strength for Padma Lakshmi and Adam Dell, with the TV host seen with a large ring on 'that' finger. The 48-year-old beauty walked hand-in-hand with her man while out in New York City while flashing her new ring. News to tell? Padma Lakshmi was seen with a diamond sparkler on her wedding finger while out with her baby daddy Adam Dell in New York City Padma kept things chic in a white frilly button-up top underneath a black jacket. She teamed the look with a pair of boot-cut denim jeans that were frayed at the ankle. The TV host opted for comfort, wearing some flat sneakers and accessorizing with a cross-body bag. Engagement announcement? The ring was the only one seen on the beauty's hand Fashionista: Padma kept things chic in a white frilly button-up top underneath a black jacket Padma styled her brunette tresses out into loose waves and wore a natural amount of makeup. Adam also kept things casual in a white shirt and pair of trousers as they walked around SoHo. But things haven't always been smooth sailing for Padma and Adam, who welcomed their daughter Krishna Thea into the world in February 2010. The Top Chef host and the capitalist dated briefly on-and-off in 2009 before welcoming their bundle of joy the following year. After being told she'd be unable to conceive naturally due to her endometriosis, she revealed in 2016 she was not only shocked she was pregnant, but didn't know who the father was at first. Natural beauty: Padma styled her brunette tresses out into loose waves and wore a natural amount of makeup Mama: Padma is the mother to nine-year-old Krishna, who she shares with Adam Bell Padma was dating both Adam - the brother of Dell computer founder, Michael, as well as the late IMG CEO and billionaire Teddy Forstmann, who died in 2011, age 71. Teddy was there through Padma's entire pregnancy, even though a paternity test showed he was not the father - even leaving a large undisclosed sum to Krishna before he died. It wasn't until after Teddy's death that Adam's name was added to Krishna's birth certificate - following a bitter custody battle between the two parents in the Manhattan Supreme Court, during which time Adam claimed his former partner tried to prevent him from seeing their little girl. Padma and Adam rekindled their love in 2017. Shock: Padma was dating both Adam - the brother of Dell computer founder, Michael, as well as the late IMG CEO and billionaire Teddy Forstmann, who died in 2011, age 71, at the time she found out she was pregnant Loves being a mom: Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the beauty couldn't help but gush over their angel Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the beauty couldn't help but gush over their angel. Whenever anyone asks me who Krishna looks like, I always say she looks like her, began the author. 'It's easy to let our vanity lead us in our opinions about our children sometimes. And, of course, the truth is that when anyone says that Krishna's mannerisms or her bone structure reminds them of me, it feels like a huge compliment.' 'But what I want for Krishna most is to take the best of everything that all the people who love her have to offer.' 'I look forward every day to seeing that person develop before my eyes. It is the greatest joy of my life and the most compelling thing to behold. Happy Mother's Day!' Married At First Sight 'relationship expert' Mel Schilling hinted at work opportunities in the UK earlier this year, sparking rumours she could be leaving the show. And if she does move overseas permanently, producers have reportedly lined up a surprising replacement: former TV bride Jules Robinson. As reported by Woman's Day on Monday, the 37-year-old salon owner is 'ready' for a full-time media career if the opportunity presented itself. Scroll down for video Meet your new relationship expert? Married At First Sight's Jules Robinson (left) is reportedly 'being considered as a replacement for Mel Schilling' (right) A source told the publication that Jules is 'being considered' for the role, although this has not been confirmed by Channel Nine or Endemol Shine Australia. 'Jules is very self-aware and knows how much the public love [her and fiance Cameron Merchant], so she'll happily use that to her advantage,' said a friend. 'An ideal situation for her would be appearing on TV be it guest appearances or full-time, she's ready for it.' During her time on MAFS, Jules was praised for her maturity and good advice - which was especially evident when the younger brides were misbehaving. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine and Jules Robinson's manager Benji Hart for comment. Moving overseas? Mel hinted at work opportunities in the UK earlier this year, sparking rumours she could be leaving the show. Pictured at the ITV headquarters in London in April In April this year, Mel flew to London to visit the headquarters of ITV: the largest and most popular commercial television channel in Britain. She shared a photo of herself to Instagram alongside the caption: 'London calling. Exciting day exploring new projects and opportunities across the pond.' Mel added the telling hashtags: 'Watch this space', 'New beginnings', 'London' and 'TV psychologist'. The social media post prompted speculation that Mel was leaving Married At First Sight after four years to launch a television career in the UK. Scandal: In February, Mel sparked a viewer backlash for lecturing participant Bronson Norrish (right) over his use of the C-word to describe his 'wife' Ines Basic (left) It's possible she may be seeking a fresh start after finding herself at the centre of a social media firestorm earlier this year. She sparked a viewer backlash for lecturing MAFS participant Bronson Norrish over his use of the C-word to describe his 'wife' Ines Basic. However, outraged viewers accused Mel of having double standards when it came to bad language, as she made no reference to how Ines had verbally abused Bronson on their honeymoon. The reaction was so intense that a Change.org petition was established calling for Mel to be sacked. It eventually received tens of thousands of signatures. Gossip: Meanwhile, Jules and her fiance Cameron Merchant have faced rumours lately that they are trying to 'cash in' on their 15 minutes of fame by launching media careers Meanwhile, Jules and her fiance Cameron Merchant have faced rumours lately that they are trying to 'cash in' on their 15 minutes of fame by launching media careers. However, the businesswoman has strongly denied this, telling 9Honey last week that - contrary to reports - she did not profit off the couple's recent engagement party. 'We did not make money from our engagement,' she said, before rubbishing claims that Channel Nine paid $50,000 for exclusive rights to footage of the event. But despite claiming they aren't trying to 'cash in', Cameron has expressed a desire to get into TV or radio and Jules will soon by releasing her own shapewear range. Advertisement The Last War has resulted deadliest episode of Game of Thrones yet. The stage was set for a bloody battle as Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) brought her remaining forces to King's Landing to fight Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) in the penultimate episode. At the end of last week's episode, The Last of the Starks, Dany brought her depleted forces to King's Landing, where Queen Cersei had The Golden Company waiting for them. Queen vs. Queen: The penultimate episode of Game of Thrones was centered around Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) bringing her remaining forces to King's Landing to fight Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) Last moments: As the episode aired on Mother's Day, fans had speculated that one of the show's notable mothers on each side of this battle, will be killed. That speculation turned out to be correct, with Cersei Lannister dying while embracing her brother Jaime (Nikoaj Coster Waldau) As the episode aired on Mother's Day, fans had speculated that one of the show's notable mothers on each side of this battle, will be killed. That speculation turned out to be correct, with Cersei Lannister dying while embracing her brother Jaime (Nikoaj Coster Waldau). The episode began with Lord Varys (Conleth Hill) writing on a piece of parchment that Jon Snow is the true heir to the Iron Throne, when there is a knock on his door. A young girl named Martha comes to the door, saying, 'she won't eat,' adding she thinks 'her soldiers' are watching her, which Varys says, 'Of course they are. It's their job.' Varys asks what he always told her, which she says, 'The greater the risk, the greater the reward,' before he sends her back to the kitchen. Varys: The episode begins with Lord Varys (Conleth Hill) writing on a piece of parchment that Jon Snow is the true heir to the Iron Throne, when there is a knock on his door Young spy: A young girl named Martha comes to the door, saying, 'she won't eat,' adding she thinks 'her soldiers' are watching her, which Varys says, 'Of course they are. It's their job' Jon Snow arrives on the beach at Dragonstone, met by Varys, who tells Jon that she hasn't accepted any food, and he's worried about her. Varys says he wants what he's always wanted, the right ruler on the Iron Throne. He says he isn't sure how her (Dany's) coin has landed, but he is sure about Jon's. Jon says he doesn't want the throne, but Varys says he will rule wisely and well, though Jon won't accept it, saying she is his queen. Dragonstone: Jon Snow arrives on the beach at Dragonstone, met by Varys, who tells Jon that she hasn't accepted any food, and he's worried about her Varys' wisdom: Varys says he wants what he's always wanted, the right ruler on the Iron Throne. He says he isn't sure how her (Dany's) coin has landed, but he is sure about Jon's Arrival: Jon says he doesn't want the throne, but Varys says he will rule wisely and well, though Jon won't accept it, saying she is his queen We see that Tyrion has been watching this exchange from a distance, before he goes to check on Daenerys, who is seen looking out at the sea from her war room. Tyrion says, 'There's something you need to know,' and she says, 'Someone has betrayed me,' and Tyrion says, 'Yes,' and while she says it's Jon, he says it's Varys. Tyrion says he's glad Sansa told him, and he's glad Varys knows too, but Dany is not pleased at all, saying Sansa trusted her to spread secrets that could destroy her. Checking in: We see that Tyrion has been watching this exchange from a distance, before he goes to check on Daenerys, who is seen looking out at the sea from her war room Secrets: Tyrion says he's glad Sansa told him, and he's glad Varys knows too, but Dany is not pleased at all, saying Sansa trusted her to spread secrets that could destroy her Tyrion says her intentions were good, and they all want a better world, especially Varys, more than anyone. 'But it doesn't matter now,' Tyrion says, which Dany agrees with, before turning her back on Tyrion, and perhaps the rest of her followers as well. Varys is writing another note, which he burns when he hears footsteps coming, as he takes off his rings as the footsteps get louder. Pensive: Varys is writing another note, which he burns when he hears footsteps coming, as he takes off his rings as the footsteps get louder Final moments: Grey Worm and the other unsullied soldiers lead Varys out to the beach, where Tyrion, Jon and Daenerys are waiting Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) opens the door to his chambers, as Varys looks distraught. Grey Worm and the other unsullied soldiers lead Varys out to the beach, where Tyrion, Jon and Daenerys are waiting. Tyrion walks up to him and says, 'It was me,' and Varys nods, saying, 'I hope I deserve this, truly I do. I hope I'm wrong. Goodbye old friend,' as he gives Tyrion a final look as Tyrion clasps his arm before walking away. Daenerys steps up and says, 'Lord Varys, I Daenerys of House Targaryen, first of my name, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons, sentence you to die,' as her lone dragon looms above her. 'Dracarys,' she says, as Rhaegal torches Lord Varys, as a distraught Jon Snow looks on. Saying goodbye: Tyrion walks up to him and says, 'It was me,' and Varys nods, saying, 'I hope I deserve this, truly I do. I hope I'm wrong. Goodbye old friend,' as he gives Tyrion a final look as Tyrion clasps his arm before walking away Time to die: Daenerys steps up and says, 'Lord Varys, I Daenerys of House Targaryen, first of my name, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons, sentence you to die,' as her lone dragon looms above her Back inside, keeping warm by a fire, Daenerys is holding Missandei's only possession, the only thing she brought with her when they crossed the Narrow Sea, which she gives to Grey Worm, but he tosses it into the fire. Jon Snow approaches, and she tells him to leave so she can speak with him, which he does. Jon tells her he doesn't want the throne, Dany says she doesnt have love here, she only has fear. Jon says I love you, and you will always be my queen. She comes up and says, Is that all I am to you? Your queen? before they kiss by the fire.' Only possession: Back inside, keeping warm by a fire, Daenerys is holding Missandei's only possession, the only thing she brought with her when they crossed the Narrow Sea, which she gives to Grey Worm, but he tosses it into the fire Snow approaches: Jon Snow approaches, and she tells him to leave so she can speak with him, which he does Tyrion is trying to convince Dany that thousands will die if she destroys King's Landing. Dany says that future generations will never be held hostage by another tyrant, while Tyrion begs her to let the people of King's Landing to abandon the city so they aren't slaughtered, which Dany agrees to. Grey Worm sails off for King's Landing, as Tyrion is about to leave, when Dany says that his brother Jaime was stopped trying to cross her lines, thinking she's still loyal to Cersei. Dany gives him a warning, saying that the last time he fails her, will be the last time he fails her, as he leaves. Tyrion's warning: Tyrion is trying to convince Dany that thousands will die if she destroys King's Landing Dany's warning: Dany gives him a warning, saying that the last time he fails her, will be the last time he fails her, as he leaves Tyrion leaves with Jon Snow on a ship to King's Landing, as they are met by Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham), with Tyrion telling him Dany wants the attack to start as soon as possible. Tyrion asks Davos for a favor, saying he's the greatest smuggler known to man, with Davos saying he's not gonna like this favor. Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and The Hound (Rory McCann) approaches a soldier, with Arya saying she's here to kill Queen Cersei. Tyrion and Jon: Tyrion leaves with Jon Snow on a ship to King's Landing, as they are met by Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham), with Tyrion telling him Dany wants the attack to start as soon as possible Favor: Tyrion asks Davos for a favor, saying he's the greatest smuggler known to man, with Davos saying he's not gonna like this favor Arya and Sandor: Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and The Hound (Rory McCann) approaches a soldier, with Arya saying she's here to kill Queen Cersei Tyrion approaches the unsullied, trying to speak the unsullied language, saying he insists on speaking to the prisoner because he's hand of the queen. He goes to see Jaime (Nikolaj Coster Waldau), asking how he was found, as he raises his golden hand, with Tyrion saying she's Cersei is gonna die unless he can convince her to change her course. Jaime says he has never really cared for the people, with Tyrion saying he cares about one, with Jaime saying the child is why she'll never give an inch. Caught: He goes to see Jaime (Nikolaj Coster Waldau), asking how he was found, as he raises his golden hand, with Tyrion saying she's Cersei is gonna die unless he can convince her to change her course Child: Jaime says he has never really cared for the people, with Tyrion saying he cares about one, with Jaime saying the child is why she'll never give an inch Tyrion says the city will fall tomorrow, but Jaime hints that he will die. Tyrion wants him to escape with Brienne, telling him specific instructions of how to escape, telling him to start a new life. Tyrion says if he does this he'll never see Cersei again, with Tyrion asking him to swear it, and Jaime saying, 'You have my word.' Tyrion asks Jaime to open the gates and ring the bells so the people can escape. 'Tens of thousands of innocent lives. One not particularly innocent dwarf. Seems like a fair trade,' Tyrion says. He tells his brother that if it wasn't for him, he would have never survived his childhood, saying Jaime was the only one who didn't treat him like a monster. They embrace and cry before Tyrion hurries out, leaving Jaime to ponder everything. Escape plan: Tyrion says the city will fall tomorrow, but Jaime hints that he will die. Tyrion wants him to escape with Brienne, telling him specific instructions of how to escape, telling him to start a new life Brothers: He tells his brother that if it wasn't for him, he would have never survived his childhood, saying Jaime was the only one who didn't treat him like a monster Embrace: They embrace and cry before Tyrion hurries out, leaving Jaime to ponder everything In King's Landing, the Golden Company fleet is preparing for the battle at hand, with Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek) looking out to sea, while other soldiers are prepping the dragon-killing crossbows on the ramparts. The citizens of King's Landing are barricading themselves, while Arya and The Hound walk through the chaotic streets unnoticed by anyone. A hooded Jaime Lannister walks through the Golden Company troops as the gates are closed, while the Golden Company troops wait outside for the war to begin, as Harry Strickland (Marc Rissman) steps to the front of the battle formation. Crossbows: In King's Landing, the Golden Company fleet is preparing for the battle at hand, with Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek) looking out to sea, while other soldiers are prepping the dragon-killing crossbows on the ramparts Hooded Jaime: A hooded Jaime Lannister walks through the Golden Company troops as the gates are closed, while the Golden Company troops wait outside for the war to begin, as Harry Strickland (Marc Rissman) steps to the front of the battle formation Tyrion tells Jon that if he hears the bells ring, to call off his men, as he leaves, along with Davos. In the Red Keep, Cersei watches from a balcony, with Qyburn (Anton Lesser) and The Mountain behind her, while The Hound and Arya rush into King's Landing before the gates are closed. Jaime is outside of it all, raising his golden hand, trying to get their attention, before turning back the other way, rushing down an alley, while Cersei watches from above. Red keep: In the Red Keep, Cersei watches from a balcony, with Qyburn (Anton Lesser) and The Mountain behind her, while The Hound and Arya rush into King's Landing before the gates are closed Euron hears something and looks up to the clouds, not seeing anything at first, but then Rhaegal is seen swooping down from the skies as they ready the crossbows. Dany dodges the arrows, torching the Golden Company fleet, while Euron orders his soldiers to fire and barely escapes as Dany fires on him. With the fleet destroyed, she heads to the Red Keep, dodging arrows, destroying the dragon crossbows, setting these soldiers ablaze, while there is no sign of the dragon at the battlefront where Strickland and Snow are. Red Keep: With the fleet destroyed, she heads to the Red Keep, dodging arrows, destroying the dragon crossbows, setting these soldiers ablaze, while there is no sign of the dragon at the battlefront where Strickland and Snow are Rain of fire: Dany dodges the arrows, torching the Golden Company fleet, while Euron orders his soldiers to fire and barely escapes as Dany fires on him They hear noises when the wall from King's Landing is destroyed from the inside, setting The Golden Company ablaze, as the unsullied soldiers rush in. Harry Strickland survived the first blast, but he's taken down by Grey Worm's spear, as the unsullied and Dothraki warriors rush inside the city, cutting down Lannister forces. From above, Dany keeps destroying the dragon crossbows, while torching hundreds of soldiers outside as well. Carnage: They hear noises when the wall from King's Landing is destroyed from the inside, setting The Golden Company ablaze, as the unsullied soldiers rush in Harry: Harry Strickland survived the first blast, but he's taken down by Grey Worm's spear, as the unsullied and Dothraki warriors rush inside the city, cutting down Lannister forces From inside the Red Keep, Cersei looks on, hearing the dragon's screech, as it lays waste to the city. Tyrion is seen walking among the dead and the injured, while Qyburn comes to see Cersei, saying the crossbows have all been destroyed. Qyburn says the fleet is gone, but Cersei says the Red Keep has never fallen, and it won't fall today. Jon Snow, Grey Worm and Davos all lead a group of soldiers inside King's Landing, as they meet with a group of Lannister forces, both sides unsure of how to proceed. Tyrion is seen watching the bell tower, with Jaime seen making his way up, as Dany's dragon swoops into the city as terrified townsfolk run for their lives. Terrified: From inside the Red Keep, Cersei looks on, hearing the dragon's screech, as it lays waste to the city Destruction: Tyrion is seen watching the bell tower, with Jaime seen making his way up, as Dany's dragon swoops into the city as terrified townsfolk run for their lives Dragon landing: Tyrion is seen watching the bell tower, with Jaime seen making his way up, as Dany's dragon swoops into the city as terrified townsfolk run for their lives She lands the dragon, but doesn't set fire to anyone or anything, as the Lannister forces lay down their swords in front of Jon, as someone is heard screaming to 'ring the bell.' Jaime grabs a sword and heads through a crowd of townsfolk, as Tyrion watches the bell tower, waiting for Jaime, while Dany waits as well, perched atop her dragon. More keep yelling 'ring the bell,' but Jaime still has not yet done so, as Dany grows impatient, angry, before the bell finally rings. Angry Dany: More keep yelling 'ring the bell,' but Jaime still has not yet done so, as Dany grows impatient, angry, before the bell finally rings Cersei closes her eyes as the bell keeps ringing, while Tyrion looks at Daenerys, who is overcome with anger, staring at the Red Keep, taking off, flying towards the Red Keep... and while she doesn't set fire to the city at first... she then starts torching the city, citizens and soldiers alike. Grey Worm takes a spear and starts killing Lannister forces, starting the battle, but Jon begs his men to stay back, but it's too late. Grey Worm goes on a killing rampage, cutting down Lannister forces left and right, as Dany continues torching the city with her dragon as Cersei looks on with dread. Torching: Cersei closes her eyes as the bell keeps ringing, while Tyrion looks at Daenerys, who is overcome with anger, staring at the Red Keep, taking off, flying towards the Red Keep... and while she doesn't set fire to the city at first... she then starts torching the city, citizens and soldiers alike Davos tries leading people to safety as the battle rages on in the street, women being killed, children, as Jon takes in all the carnage. Lannister forces are even trying to get people to safety as well, as Jon spots a soldier taking a woman into an alley, as he kills the soldier and tells her to find somewhere to hide. With half the city destroyed, Dany flies up to the Red Keep, starting to set it ablaze. Jaime finds the boat Tyrion promised him, when he's found by Euron, who says if he kills a king, they'll talk about you until he dies, as they start to fight. On fire: Lannister forces are even trying to get people to safety as well, as Jon spots a soldier taking a woman into an alley, as he kills the soldier and tells her to find somewhere to hide King's Landing ablaze: With half the city destroyed, Dany flies up to the Red Keep, starting to set it ablaze City of fire: Jaime finds the boat Tyrion promised him, when he's found by Euron, who says if he kills a king, they'll talk about you until he dies, as they start to fight Cersei looks terrified as Rhaegal decimates the Red Keep, crumbling around as Jaime and Euron fight below. Jaime gets the upper hand briefly as they go back and forth before Euron stabs Jaime in the side with his dagger. Qyburn says the Red Keep isn't safe anymore, as Cersei starts to cry, with Qyburn suggesting another place to wait out the storm as he leads her away from the burning city. A bloody Euron says Jaime 'fought well for a cripple as Jaime crawls to his sword and manages to stab Euron in the belly, saying, 'Another king for you,' as he starts bleeding profusely, saying, 'But I got you!' 'I'm the man who killed Jaime Lannister,' Euron says, while looking to the sky. Fight time: Jaime finds the boat Tyrion promised him, when he's found by Euron, who says if he kills a king, they'll talk about you until he dies, as they start to fight Bloody Euron: A bloody Euron says Jaime 'fought well for a cripple as Jaime crawls to his sword and manages to stab Euron in the belly, saying, 'Another king for you,' as he starts bleeding profusely, saying, 'But I got you!' Jaime killer: 'I'm the man who killed Jaime Lannister,' Euron says, while looking to the sky Arya and The Hound make their way into the Red Keep, with Hound telling her to go home, saying a number of things will kill her, and she'll be dead too if he tries. The Hound says he's been after revenge his whole life, saying, 'you come with me, you die here' as he turns and walks away. She says 'Sandor,' as he turns to face her, and she says, 'Thank you,' before he walks away. Cersei is being lead out of a crumbling Red Keep, with The Mountain stopping the walls from hitting her as Cersei, Qyburn and The Mountain come face to face with The Hound. Sandor: Arya and The Hound make their way into the Red Keep, with Hound telling her to go home, saying a number of things will kill her, and she'll be dead too if he tries Thankful: She says 'Sandor,' as he turns to face her, and she says, 'Thank you,' before he walks away Revenge: The Hound says he's been after revenge his whole life, saying, 'you come with me, you die here' as he turns and walks away He kills the few soldiers who come after him, before facing The Mountain, saying, 'Hi big brother,' but Cersei says, 'Ser Gregor, stay by my side,' but he keeps going. Qyburn asks him to obey his queen, but he kills Qyuburn, as Cersei walks right past The Hound before he fights The Mountain on the crumbling steps. He knocks off the helmet that has protected his undead face, with Sandor saying, 'That's you. That's what you've always been,' as their fight continues. Cersei wanders in the Red Keep alone and terrified, when she comes across Jaime, in the room where she had all of Westeros painted on the floor. Hi big brother: He kills the few soldiers who come after him, before facing The Mountain, saying, 'Hi big brother,' but Cersei says, 'Ser Gregor, stay by my side,' but he keeps going Dead Qyburn: Qyburn asks him to obey his queen, but he kills Qyuburn, as Cersei walks right past The Hound before he fights The Mountain on the crumbling steps Undead: He knocks off the helmet that has protected his undead face, with Sandor saying, 'That's you. That's what you've always been,' as their fight continues She breaks down crying, as Jaime approaches her and hugs her, while the walls continue crumbling around her. He looks into her eyes, as she cries, saying, 'You're hurt,' and he says, 'It doesn't matter.' He leads her out of the crumbling room, as we see the Clegane brothers continue to do battle as The Hound stabs The Mountain clean through the stomach, but he still throws The Hound down the stairs. The Hound looks up and sees his brother pulling the sword and and removing his armor, showing his undead flesh, as he picks up The Hound and tosses him around some more. The Hound: He leads her out of the crumbling room, as we see the Clegane brothers continue to do battle as The Hound stabs The Mountain clean through the stomach, but he still throws The Hound down the stairs Arya is seen wandering in the streets, destruction and chaos everywhere, as someone asks her if she's seen his wife. She finds people holding burned and disfigured loved ones as Rhaegal continues lighting up the city as Arya takes off running with a crowd. Arya's struggles are intercut with The Hound's, as The Mountain gets the upper hand, beating The Hound to a pulp, when someone pulls up Arya, telling her to take my hand but she's separated from this good samaritan. The Hound is near death, as The Mountain holds him up, choking the life out of him, as The Hound tries stabbing him with a dagger, but The Mountain tries gouging his eyes out before The Hound stabs him through the eye, causing The Mountain to drop him. Choke: The Hound is near death, as The Mountain holds him up, choking the life out of him, as The Hound tries stabbing him with a dagger, but The Mountain tries gouging his eyes out before The Hound stabs him through the eye, causing The Mountain to drop him Dagger: He starts pulling the dagger out, but The Hound tackles his brother out of the building, falling to his death to the fiery city below He starts pulling the dagger out, but The Hound tackles his brother out of the building, falling to his death to the fiery city below. Jon Snow finds Davos, sheathing his sword, telling everyone to fall back out of the city. Arya is seen bloodied and battered, before an explosion wakes her up, rubble coating her entire body as she starts walking, coughing, when the tower in front of her crumbles and she starts running for her life before it comes down on top of her. She's still alive under the rubble, though, as she finds a number of other survivors, telling them that if they stay there they'll die, leading them all out of the city, with Dothraki soldiers ride through town. Jon and Davos: Jon Snow finds Davos, sheathing his sword, telling everyone to fall back out of the city The woman she was leading out falls, as she tells her and her daughter that they have to keep moving as Dany starts raining fire down upon the city as Arya barely escapes. Jaime is trying to lead Cersei out but he finds the tunnel blocked off by rubble, searching for another way out. 'I want our baby to live, 'Cersei says. 'Please don't let me die Jaime. I don't want to die,' she says, starting to break down, as Jaime asks her to look at him. 'Nothing else matters, nothing else matters, only us,' Jaime says, while wiping her tears away as they embrace, when the tunnel above them collapses all around them, as they die together by their own castle crumbling on top of them. Crying Cersei: Jaime is trying to lead Cersei out but he finds the tunnel blocked off by rubble, searching for another way out Baby hopes: 'I want our baby to live, 'Cersei says. 'Please don't let me die Jaime. I don't want to die,' she says, starting to break down, as Jaime asks her to look at him Nothing else matters: 'Nothing else matters, nothing else matters, only us,' Jaime says, while wiping her tears away as they embrace, when the tunnel above them collapses all around them, as they die together by their own castle crumbling on top of them Arya is still alive as snow falls from the sky, while she makes her way to her feet, caked with blood and rubble, scars all over her face, as she walks among the fiery, ashen remains of King's Landing. She comes across a white horse, still standing after the battle, as she is seen riding out of King's Landing, as the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones comes to an end. HBO also released a teaser for the series finale, airing Sunday, May 19, which teased Daenerys Targaryen arriving on the charred ruins of King's Landing after decimating it with her dragon. Arya alive: Arya alive: Arya is still alive as snow falls from the sky, while she makes her way to her feet, caked with blood and rubble, scars all over her face, as she walks among the fiery, ashen remains of King's Landing Arya's horse: She comes across a white horse, still standing after the battle, as she is seen riding out of King's Landing, as the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones comes to an end After the 80-minute finale airs on May 19, HBO will release the two-hour documentary Game of Thrones: The Last Watch on Sunday, May 26. Last week's episode, The Last of the Starks, set a new viewership record for the series, with 17.8 million viewers tuning in. Both tonight's episode and the series finale on May 19 have been confirmed to be 80 minutes long, bringing this epic series to a close. Jon's battle: Qyburn (Anton Lesser) was sent out to try and arrange a surrender, but it was Jon Snow (Kit Harington) who demanded Cersei surrender, though, naturally, she refused, through Qyburn, to do so Euron: Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek) is seen watching from a ship Golden and Grey: The trailer also showed a few shots of Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), who lost his beloved Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) to Queen Cersei, along with soldiers from The Golden Company Davos, Jon and Tyrion: Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) and Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) are seen watching their forces from an elevated position before the battle begins Last week: Last week's episode, The Last of the Starks, set a new viewership record for the series, with 17.8 million viewers tuning in Crossbow: One of Queen Cersei's massive dragon crossbows is seen being loaded from one of the castle ramparts, which could be a hint that her last dragon, Rhaegal's days could be numbered A breakdown of everyone who DIED in the penultimate episode The Bells Sunday night's penultimate episode of Game of Thrones featured a number of prominent characters who met their proverbial maker, some of whom had been around since the first season. There were seven characters in total who met with their demise in the deadly episode, who represented a mere fraction of the total number of dead in this episode. While an official casualty count has not been revealed, due to the destructive nature of Daenerys Targaryen and her remaining dragon Drogon, thousands of people were killed. Death toll: There were seven characters in total who met with their demise in the deadly episode, who represented a mere fraction of the total number of dead in this episode Dragon aftermath: While an official casualty count has not been revealed, due to the destructive nature of Daenerys Targaryen and her remaining dragon Drogon, thousands of people were killed Easily the most prominent and important characters to meet their demise were the siblings/lovers Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) and Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster Waldau). While Cersei spent much of her time during this episode tucked safely away in the Red Keep, but that didn't last long, and at one point, she was all by herself, when Jaime found her. Jaime tried to lead her to safety through a tunnel underneath the Red Keep, but the tunnel was blocked off, as the siblings shared a final moment in embrace as the entire building came crumbling down on top of them. Cersei and Jaime: Easily the most prominent and important characters to meet their demise were the siblings/lovers Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) and Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster Waldau) Another one of the pivotal deaths was Lord Varys (Conleth Hill), who has also been around since the first season. Varys has been a master of information, with a network of spies throughout Westeros and Essos that have kept him informed throughout the series' run. The episode started with Varys writing a note to an unspecified character, stating that Jon Snow (Kit Harington) had the best claim to the Iron Throne. Varys spies: The episode started with Varys writing a note to an unspecified character, stating that Jon Snow (Kit Harington) had the best claim to the Iron Throne Unfortunately, it was that network of spies, and his desire to put the person he best saw fit on the Iron Throne, that lead to his demise. Daenerys found out that Varys ultimately knew about Jon Snow's (Kit Harington) true heritage, through Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage). Daenerys ultimately decided that Varys' crime should be punishable by death, as her lone remaining dragon Drogon torched him. Varys' final moments: Unfortunately, it was that network of spies, and his desire to put the person he best saw fit on the Iron Throne, that lead to his demise Goodbye: Daenerys found out that Varys ultimately knew about Jon Snow's (Kit Harington) true heritage, through Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) Death by dragon: Daenerys ultimately decided that Varys' crime should be punishable by death, as her lone remaining dragon Drogon torched him Before Jaime Lannister was crushed to death with his sister, he also dispatched another formidable character, Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek). Jaime was tasked with ringing the bells and opening the gates by Tyrion, who promised there would be a small boat waiting for him. True to his word, the boat was waiting, but so was Euron, who demanded Jaime fight him, which ended in Jaime being wounded before Jaime ultimately killed Euron. Euron's goodbye: Before Jaime Lannister was crushed to death with his sister, he also dispatched another formidable character, Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek) Bloody Euron: True to his word, the boat was waiting, but so was Euron, who demanded Jaime fight him, which ended in Jaime being wounded before Jaime ultimately killed Euron Another notable death happened in the blink of an eye, when The Mountain (Hafthor Julius Bjornsson) quickly killed Qyburn (Anton Lesser). The irony, of course, is that Qyburn is the one who brought The Mountain back to life, after he was poisoned by Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) at the end of Season 4, before The Moutnain killed him. Cersei Lannister ordered Qyburn to do whatever it takes to bring Ser Gregor Clegane (a.k.a. The Mountain) back from the dead, which he succeeded to do. Still, despite being a seemingly mindless zombie since then, he killed Qyburn after he told The Mountain to obey Queen Cersei. Last moments: Another notable death happened in the blink of an eye, when The Mountain (Hafthor Julius Bjornsson) quickly killed Qyburn (Anton Lesser) Qyburn: Cersei Lannister ordered Qyburn to do whatever it takes to bring Ser Gregor Clegane (a.k.a. The Mountain) back from the dead, which he succeeded to do Mindless Clegane: Still, despite being a seemingly mindless zombie since then, he killed Qyburn after he told The Mountain to obey Queen Cersei Shortly after The Mountain killed Qyburn, this undead character ultimately met his demise as well, at the hands of his brother, Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane (Rory McCann). In a moment fans have been waiting for years to see, which has been dubbed the 'Cleganebowl,' the Clegane brothers squared off in an epic battle, the one reason The Hound had traveled from Winterfell to King's Landing. While The Mountain had the upper hand for most of the battle, The Hound kept trying to kill his brother, and he ultimately succeeded by sacrificing himself, tackling his brother off of a balcony, hundreds of feet below to their death. Brothers: Shortly after The Mountain killed Qyburn, this undead character ultimately met his demise as well, at the hands of his brother, Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane (Rory McCann) Mountain: While The Mountain had the upper hand for most of the battle, The Hound kept trying to kill his brother, and he ultimately succeeded by sacrificing himself, tackling his brother off of a balcony, hundreds of feet below to their death While not a exactly a main character, another notable death was Harry Strickland (Marc Rissmann), the leader of the Golden Company, who was struck down by Grey Worm's spear. Next Sunday brings the final episode of Game of Thrones, which may very well likely result in even more main characters dying. Following the May 19 finale, fans will get to go behind-the-scenes with a two-hour documentary Game of Thrones: The Last Watch, airing Sunday, May 26 at 9 PM ET on HBO. Bye Harry: While not a exactly a main character, another notable death was Harry Strickland (Marc Rissmann), the leader of the Golden Company, who was struck down by Grey Worm's spe Advertisement She recently made a triumphant return to Sydney's social scene after reconciling with her husband Sam Burgess. And Phoebe Burgess had a spring in her step as she arrived at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia at Sydney's Carriageworks on Monday. Posing up a storm on the red carpet, the mother-of-two, 31, donned an eclectic all-brown ensemble that consisted of a teddy fur coat and matching boilersuit. It's fashion darling! Phoebe Burgess, 31, had a spring in her step as she arrived at Sydney's Carriageworks on Monday for an Australian Fashion Week event Phoebe completed her look with a pair of nude stiletto heels, a tan-hued handbag and a set of edgy sunglasses. The footy WAG, who is known for her expensive taste, accessorised with several Cartier bangles and her engagement ring. She wore a generous helping of fake tan, accentuated her pout with a slick of pink lipstick and topped it all off with a vampy shade of red nail polish. All smiles! Phoebe, who recently reconciled with her husband Sam Burgess, was all smiles as she posed in a teddy fur coat and matching boilersuit Razzle dazzle! The footy WAG, who is known for her expensive taste, accessorised with several Cartier bangles and her engagement ring Chic! Phoebe wore a generous helping of faux tan, accentuated her pout with a slick of light pink lipstick and topped it all off with a vampy shade of red nail polish Smoking hot! Phoebe drew attention to her sparkling brown eyes with a smoky eyeshadow look and bold eyebrows Nadia Bartel, the wife of retired AFL player Jimmy, also opted for a monochromatic look at the exclusive event, stepping out in a bright pink blouse and miniskirt. The blogger, who rarely puts a foot wrong in the fashion stakes, accessorised with a pair of pastel blue leather heels and a petite snakeskin handbag. Like many other guests, the mother-of-two also sported a remarkably deep tan. Think pink! Fellow WAG Nadia Bartel also opted for a monochromatic look at the exclusive event, stepping out in a pink blouse and miniskirt It's all about the accessories! Nadia, who rarely puts a foot wrong in the fashion stakes, accessorised with a pair of pastel blue leather heels and a petite snakeskin handbag Bronzed ambition! Like many other guests, the mother-of-two sported a remarkably deep tan Also attending the exclusive event was former Bachelor winner Anna Heinrich, who looked typically sleek in a white blazer and matching flared trousers. Appearing to go braless beneath her jacket, the part-time criminal lawyer revealed a glimpse of her bronzed cleavage. She added a sophisticated edge to her ensemble by carrying a leather handbag emblazoned with her initials. White on the mark! Also attending the exclusive event was former Bachelor winner Anna Heinrich, who looked typically sleek in a white blazer and matching flared trousers No prize for guessing who owns that bag! Anna added a sophisticated edge to her ensemble by carrying a leather handbag emblazoned with her initials Busting out! Appearing to go braless beneath her jacket, the part-time criminal lawyer revealed a glimpse of her bronzed cleavage Elsewhere, E! Australia presenter Ksenija Lukich courted attention in a lime green turtleneck top and deep red leather pants. The Serbian-Australian model styled her brunette locks loosely down her shoulders as she posed confidently for the cameras. She completed her eclectic look with a Louis Vuitton crossbody handbag and a pair of see-through PVC heels. No crime in a bit of lime! Elsewhere, E! Australia presenter Ksenija Lukich courted attention in a lime green turtleneck top and deep red leather trousers Sleek: The Serbian-Australian model allowed her brunette locks to hang loosely by her shoulders as she posed confidently for the cameras Neighbours star Olympia Valance also pushed the boundaries of fashion by wearing an ice-blue maxi dress with cut-outs around the torso. The sister of Holly Valance layered on a blue suede jacket and clutched a black top-handle bag that featured sequin embellishments. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the actress' outfit was her bright blue eyeshadow, which perfectly matched her skin-baring dress. Beauty in blue! Neighbours star Olympia Valance also pushed the boundaries of fashion as she attended in an ice blue maxi dress with cut-outs around the torso Icy ensemble: The sister of Holly Valance layered on a blue suede jacket and clutched a black top-handle bag that featured sequin embellishments Slinky: Victoria's Secret model Victoria Lee was also in attendance, showcasing her lithe physique in a slinky maroon maxi dress Braless beauty! The runway regular appeared to go braless beneath her long-sleeved frock Victoria's Secret model Victoria Lee was also in attendance, showcasing her lithe physique in a slinky maroon maxi dress. The David Jones ambassador styled her golden brown tresses loosely, and added height to her lofty frame with a pair of clear PVC heels. High jumper-turned-fashion model Amy Pejkovic also put on a sizzling display in a pair of skintight jeans and a black puffer jacket. Good jeans! High jumper-turned-model Amy Pejkovic put on a similarly sizzling display in her Fashion Week ensemble, opting for a pair of skintight jeans and a black puffer jacket It's designer, doll! The blonde, who recently returned to the track after recovering from a knee injury, dressed up her grungy look with a pair of black stilettos and a Prada crossbody handbag All white! Another model to grace the event was Brooke Hogan, who stunned in a crop top, shorts and blazer - all in matching white linen The blonde, who recently returned to the track after recovering from a knee injury, dressed up her grungy look with black stilettos and a Prada crossbody handbag. Another model to grace the event was Brooke Hogan, who stunned in a crop top, shorts and blazer - all in matching white linen. Her flawless complexion was enhanced with a bronzed makeup look and smoky brown eyeshadow. Brooke's minimalist look was completed with a pair of delicate gold drop earrings. Bronzed: Her flawless complexion was enhanced with a bronzed makeup look and smoky brown eyeshadow Fit for a (racing) queen! Racing heiress Kate Waterhouse looked luxurious in a faux fur duster coat by Unreal Fur All that glitters: The brunette parted her locks in the centre and accessorised her outfit with a pair of simple gold hoop earrings Elsewhere, racing heiress Kate Waterhouse looked luxurious in a faux fur duster coat layered over a black sheath dress with bow detailing around the neck. Kate was all smiles as she posed in front of a gold motorcycle while clutching a geometric handbag. The brunette wore her hair in a centre parting and accessorised her outfit with a pair of simple gold hoop earrings. Meanwhile, socialite Lindy Rama Ellis was spotted at the event in a futuristic white A-line dress with a zip detail running down the front. Unique: Meanwhile, socialite Lindy Rama Ellis was spotted at the event in a futuristic white A-line dress with zip detailing running down the front Pretty in pink: She enhanced her radiant complexion with a touch of blush and painted her pout with a soft pink lipstick hue Look who it is! Another familiar face was Tahnee Atkinson, who is best known for winning Australia's Next Top Model 10 years ago Dangerous curves ahead! The bikini model showcased her curves in a simple white singlet top teamed with a pair of black flared peddle-pushers The ex-wife of Michael Klim clutched a white leather bag by Fendi and added height to her frame with a pair of Fendi heels. She enhanced her radiant complexion with a touch of blush and painted her pout with a soft pink lipstick . Another familiar face was Tahnee Atkinson, who is best known for winning Australia's Next Top Model 10 years ago. Beige bombshell! Another famous guest was Instagram model Jade Tuncdoruk, who layered a duster jacket over a beige ribbed midi-dress The bikini model showcased her curves in a simple white singlet top and a pair of black flared peddle-pushers. She also wore a black blazer and strappy heeled sandals. Another famous guest was Instagram model Jade Tuncdoruk, who layered a duster jacket over a beige ribbed midi-dress. Nice and neutral! Fellow social media star Sammy Robinson also went for neutral tones, wearing a beige pencil dress and rust-coloured duster jacket Fellow social media star Sammy Robinson also went for neutral tones, wearing a beige pencil dress and rust-coloured jacket. The blonde sported a golden tan and wore her locks in loose curls, while enhancing her very plump pout with a taupe shade of lipstick. Elsewhere, Jules Sebastian made her entrance in a decidedly cosy get-up, consisting of a charity hoodie and asymmetrical midi-skirt. Glamorous details: The blonde sported a golden tan and wore her locks in loose curls, while enhancing her very plump pout with a taupe shade of lipstick Feeling a bit cold? Elsewhere, Jules Sebastian made her entrance in a decidedly cosy get-up, consisting of a charity hoodie and asymmetrical midi-skirt Designer bag alert! The wife of Guy Sebastian proved she's a fan of designer labels as much as she is of charitable causes as she slung a handbag by Off White over one shoulder The wife of Guy Sebastian proved she's a fan of designer labels as much as she is of charitable causes as she slung a handbag by Off White over one shoulder. Like Jules, model Robyn Lawley made an appearance in an all-black ensemble, donning a black midi-dress with a handkerchief hemline. She covered up her shoulders with a black cardigan and clutched a retro leather handbag. Blackout! Like Jules, model Robyn Lawley made an appearance in an all-black ensemble this Tuesday, donning a black midi-dress with a handkerchief hemline Black on black: She covered up her shoulders with a black cardigan and clutched a retro leather handbag Licence to frill! Fiona Falkiner also attended the event in all-black on Monday, clad in a black midi-dress with frill detailing around the shoulders What a rock! The former Biggest Loser host made sure to flash her new engagement ring from fiancee Hayley Willis The mother-of-one is set to walk the runway for swimwear brand Matteau during Australian Fashion Week. Fellow model Fiona Falkiner also attended the event in all-black on Monday, making sure to flash her new engagement ring from fiancee Hayley Willis. The former Biggest Loser host beamed with happiness as she paraded her curves in a form-fitting black midi-dress that featured frills around the shoulders. Won't lose her in a crowd! Neighbours star Sarah Ellen also stepped out at Carriageworks for Monday's event, taking a sartorial risk in a neon tie-dye shirt and matching skirt Risky look: Sarah's skirt featured a racy thigh split and unusual diagonal ruching Neighbours star Sarah Ellen also stepped out at Carriageworks for Monday's event, taking a sartorial risk in a neon tie-dye shirt and matching skirt. Rather than wearing a pair of heels, the brunette added a grungy element to her eclectic look by slipping on a pair of white sneakers. Channel Nine newsreader Amber Sherlock also attended the fashion soiree in a white pinafore dress layered underneath a camel coat. MasterChef star George Calombaris has apologised after underpaying staff at his Melbourne restaurants by $2.6 million back in 2017. The 40-year-old made the heartfelt apology while reflecting on overcoming his nightmare year in an interview with TV Week this week. The culinary star expressed his remorse as he praised his incredible support system for getting him through the hard times. 'To those I've hurt, I'm sorry': MasterChef star George Calombaris has reflected on overcoming his nightmare year in 2017 and apologised for underpaying staff at his Melbourne restaurants by $2.6 million 'I can't change what I've done or what's happened. I'm certainly remorseful about some of those things, but I'm proud of a lot of things too.... And to those I've hurt, I'm sorry,' he told the publication. George said that he was disappointed he let others down - but was thankful for having great 'mechanisms' around him. 'When I know I've done something wrong or made a mistake, I'm not upset at anyone, but that I've let them down,' George added. 'I'm certainly remorseful about some of those things, but I'm proud of a lot of things too': The culinary star expressed his remorse as he praised his incredible support system for getting him through the hard times 'I'm lucky to have incredible mechanisms and people around me that have helped me get through it.' It comes after the culinary star made headlines in 2017 when it was revealed he underpaid staff at his Melbourne restaurants by a whopping $2.6 million. In September 2017, he looked determined to make good on his promise to fork out $2.6 million in unpaid wages to his staff within weeks. 'I'm lucky to have incredible mechanisms and people around me that have helped me get through it,' he said. George pictured at the Downing Centre court in Sydney, 2017 His company, Made Establishment, announced that it will settle all claims by mid-October 2018, after staff were told they could wait up to a year to receive compensation. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Troy Mcdonagh, chief executive at Made Establishment, emailed staff to advise of the commitment. In the email, the company also promised to assess and process new claims within four weeks of receiving them. He is more commonly seen interviewing the day's biggest names in a suit and tie on The Project. But Hamish Macdonald has proved he can look equally dapper in a more casual attire as he covered Bill Shorten's campaign in the western Sydney suburb of Rhodes. The journalist, 37, wore a denim jacket with a fur collar as he stayed hot on the Labor leader's heels on Monday morning, with just five days to go until the federal election. Journalist chic: Hamish MacDonald has proved he can look equally dapper in a more casual attire as he covered Bill Shorten's campaign in the western Sydney suburb of Rhodes Hamish also opted for a pair of black sunglasses and a button-up shirt open at the neck while awaiting Bill's arrival at the western suburb's train station. Showing he has as much talent in the fashion stakes as he does as a political reporter, he also flaunted his designer stubble and a neat but polished haircut. Hamish accentuated his simple but stylish look with a pair of black trousers as he held a microphone expectantly in his right hand. The media personality has been busy covering what has been a tempestuous few months for Australian politics. He interviewed 'Egg Boy' Will Connolly after he sensationally broke an egg on controversial senator Fraser Anning's head in March. And Hamish also defended his co-host Waleed Aly after he suggested Prime Minister Scott Morrison's Liberal Party exploited Muslim immigration concerns in a 2010 shadow cabinet meeting. Stylish: The journalist, 37, wore a denim jacket with a fur collar as he stayed hot on the Labor leader's heels on Monday morning with just five days to go until the federal election Hectic: The media personality (second from left) has been busy covering what has been a tempestuous few months for Australian politics 'We offered Mr Morrison the opportunity to respond live on this desk when he was due to appear on this program,' Hamish said. 'Not only did he decline but his media team pulled him out of the scheduled appearance altogether.' Mr Morrison then appeared on the program a day later, defending himself to the 37-year-old's co-host and accusing him of a smear campaign. Hamish has a distinguished reporting career in both the UK and Australia, having moved to Europe after graduating from university. Military helicopter Twitter Reports say a military helicopter has crashed this Monday, May 13 around Elak-Oku, Bui Division in the North West region, killing one and leaving three others wounded. Officials say it is as a result of a technical fault, suffered by the helicopter, that provoked the incident, killing the Brigade commander of Nkor still in Bui, and leaving three administrative and security officials injured. The helicopter has been transporting officials to the suburbs who have for the past four days been in Bamenda to welcome the Prime Minister, Chief Dr. Dion Ngute. Following the PM's maiden visit to Bamenda, administrative, security, local, administrators, traditional and members of the civil society had been mobilising to receive the Prime Minister. Letters were sent across all the regions to urge these persons to attend these meetings, which later became an another form of dialogue. Separatists have called for an unexpected ghost town to mar the visit, although people still filled the streets to see their guest. For fear of being killed, kidnapped or tortured, many administrative officials were transferred through the said helicopters. More of these helicopter transfers, are expected in the days ahead, following calls and threats from government to see most of its staff at ceremonial grounds on May 20. Taking land transport on such journeys these days in the North West or South West regions, is considered dangerous as they are often occupied by numerous checkpoints from both armed separatists and the military. This recent helicopter crash, comes to debunk earlier rumours over social media that armed separatists had brought down the helicopter. A similar rumour was spread last year in April, where some separatists claimed an armed group in Lebialem, South West shot down a military helicopter. She asked a Los Angeles court last month to dismiss her divorce petition against husband Brian Austin Green. And on Mother's Day, Megan Fox was seen out with her three children by the former Beverly Hills, 90210 actor. The Transformers star, 32, wore a large straw sun hat for the outing which she paired with a pink t-shirt, ripped blue jeans and gold-framed sunglasses. Sunday outing: On Mother's Day, Megan Fox was seen out with her three children by former Beverly Hills, 90210 actor Brian Austin Green - Noah, Bodhi and Journey Fox shares three sons with Green, 45 - Noah Shannon, born in 2012, Bodhi Ransom born in 2014 and Journey River born in 2016. The actress carried her youngest on her hip as she walked with the tot carrying a toy dinosaur. Her middle child held a plush gray puppy toy as he led the way while her eldest carefully carried a coffee cup to go. California style: The Transformers star, 32, wore a large straw sun hat for the outing which she paired with a pink t-shirt, ripped blue jeans and gold-framed sunglasses Brood: The actress carried her youngest on her hip with the tot holding a toy dinosaur. Her middle child held a plush gray puppy while her eldest carefully carried a coffee cup to go Fox and Green began dating in 2004 and tied the knot in Hawaii in 2010. Green already had a son Kassius, born in 2002, with his Beverly Hills, 90210 castmate Vanessa Marcil. In August 2015, Fox filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. But in early 2016 it was revealed the couple were expecting a third child together and they subsequently reconciled. Kim Kardashian celebrated President Trump backing prison reform legislation that she lobbied for on Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. During the episode titled Fire Escape, the 38-year-old reality star met with Alice Johnson a former drug trafficker whom she had successfully lobbied President Trump to free back in 2018 to cook a meal together. Johnson's two sisters joined the Kardashians for the cooking session held at Kendall Jenner's house as fires raged around Kim's home and other family members. Prison reform: Kim Kardashian celebrated President Donald Trump endorsing prison reform legislation that she lobbied for on Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians They bemoaned the lack of avenues and support for prisoners seeking to rehabilitate their lives. 'When I was pleading your case to the president, I was like, ''She has family that she can live with, and she has job offers. So that was a huge thing I had to say ''She has a job offer''.' Kim told Alice. 'There's so many people in Alice's situation that really do deserve a second chance, and that's one of the main reasons I'm fighting for this First Step Act,' she said in a confessional referencing the bipartisan bill that Trump endorsed. Later in the show, aspiring lawyer Kim attended a Criminal Justice Reform Summit in Los Angeles, where she was interviewed by attorney Van Jones, a CNN host. Reform summit: The 38-year-old reality star later attended a Criminal Justice Reform Summit where she was interviewed by attorney and CNN host Van Jones Cooking session: Kim invited Alice Johnson who she helped free from prison for a family cooking session held at Kendall Jenner's house due to wildfires Big hug: Alice gave Kanye an extended hug in recognition of his role in gaining her freedom After prison: The dinner included Alice talking about the lack of support for former prisoners 'Real talk,' Kim confided in him before the event. 'This law school s***? There is so much reading to do. I am like, dying here.' 'Law school is more of a socialization process than an educational process anyway,' Jones said. 'It's more learning to think like a lawyer than all the actual stuff.' He praised her doggedness and rigorousness in pursuit of the truth. Real talk: Kim confided to Van before the event that the reading for law school was intense 'All that stuff, you can't teach,' he told her. As she prepared to go before an audience, Kim and her colleagues learned the First Step Act had passed with bipartisan support. 'This whole motion would not have been possible had it not been for Kim Kardashian,' Jones told the crowd. High praise: Van gave Kim credit for helping get the First Step Act passed with bipartisan support Showing support: Alice was in the audience and clapped as Van praised Kim for her work He then asked her why she got involved. 'I did consider that I would get a lot of backlash if I went to the White House,' said Kim. 'But for me, if it's a life versus my reputation, like, people talk s*** about me all day long, like, I didn't really care. And from meeting all of the people that I have met behind bars, I guarantee youthey don't care who signs that clemency paper.' Reform work: Kim said she embarked on prison reform work without caring what people thought about her 'Your husband you guys have different politics,' Jones pressed. 'I feel like he is very misunderstood and just is the worst communicator,' said Kim, to laughs. 'But when we talk about it, we have very similar politics. I think what my husband fights for is the right to like what he wants to like, even if it's different from what you like. He's just fighting for free thought, but I just know his heart, so I never stress too much.' Family politics: Van asked Kim about the difference in politics between her and Kanye 'Tell me why you love him so much,' Jones continued. 'I do respect the fact that he's always himself, no matter if it's popular,' Kim explained. 'I look back at all the products that I would endorse, the cupcakes and the shoes that I would never wear, and all this stuff that wasn't me, and I would do it for the check. I'm not like that anymore because of him. Because he has really shown me to do what I believe in,' she added. Self respect: Kim praised Kanye for being himself even if it's not popular and said she's followed his lead to do what she believes in The episode took place amid the backdrop of the massive Woolsey Fire last November that killed three, destroyed 1,643 structures and burned 96,949 acres. 'Holy crapit looks like Armageddon,' said Khloe Kardashian, 34, while watching reports on TV. She and the rest of the Kardashian family got the scare of their lives as the wildfire encroached on their Los Angeles-area homes. Huge fire: The episode titled Fire Escape took part amid the backdrop of the Woolsey Fire Khloe had frantically pleaded with her brother Rob, 32, to leave home earlier that day, but he refused to take the wildfires seriously. '[The fire] just jumped the freeway, so come and get your stuff,' she yelled to her brother who was staying at her Calabasas home. 'I'm not going to no hotel, Khloe,' he yelled back, deep in preparations for his daughter Dream's second birthday. 'We have to get the f*** outta here,' said Khloe. Get out: Khloe Kardashian pleaded with brother Rob to evacuate as the fire neared 'Why are we leaving? Dream is sleeping. It's about to be her birthday. I have balloons being delivered, cakes, everything for her.' 'You're one of those people that won't evacuate in an evacuation,' she said, dismayed. 'We should pack the Range with like, memory box, valuables' her assistant said in an earlier scene. 'Everything's valuable,' Khloe said, panicking. Freaking out: The reality star was panicking as the flames grew closer In a confessional, she admitted: 'I don't have an escape plan for a fire. Like, ''Where the hell am I going?'' I'm kind of in disbelief.' As evacuation orders passed through her community, she was forced to leave with daughter True, and eventually met up with sister Kourtney, 40, and Kim and their kids at the Beverly Hills Hilton, where they shared a suite. They watched the growing horror unfold on TV, as Kourtney's own house was threatened by smoke and her neighbors tried to save their homes. In disbelief: Khloe admitted in a confessional that she didn't have an escape plan for fire TV news: The fire was being extensively covered and watched by Khloe 'I don't understand why no one is freaking out,' Khloe said, coming undone, as Kourtney draped over the arm of a chair, checking her phone in sweatpants and sweatshirtwatched the kids play. 'This is where our families live Why are you just sitting there?' Khloe eventually got her mom Kris, 63, on the phone. The momager said it had been a harrowing night. Phone talk: Khloe eventually got her mom Kris, 63, on the phone and she told of a harrowing night 'Police comes to the door, ''You need to leave'' she recalled from her condo in a nearby location. So dark and scary, and flashlights throwing everything in plastic bags.' 'As I was driving away, I said, ''Bye house,'' and I was just bursting tears as I saw the flames next to Kim's,' Kris said. The three sisters convened for a private meeting later in the hotel. Hotel stay: The sisters stayed together at a hotel during the wildfire 'I feel like we've had enough fire talk, so we should just keep the energy good for the kids and just not, like, sit and focus on the news,' Kourtney pointed out. 'It's hard for me to stay calm, with all the anxiety I have,' Khloe agreed. 'But I will do my best to put on a brave face for the kids.' As the fire played in the background, the three sisters held hands with their children and jumped up and down on the beds, singing, 'Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.' Ashes song: As the fire played in the background, the three sisters held hands with their children and jumped up and down on the beds, singing, 'Ashes, ashes, we all fall down' Kim had barely made it home in the middle of the fires from San Francisco, where she revealed she'd been working to help pass the First Step initiative, the prison reform bill being presented to President Trump. Husband Kanye West, 41, watched their daughter North, five, as Kim considered ways to bring more attention to the bill. It was a heavy load, she admitted. Reform leader: Criminal justice reform leader Jessica Jackson in San Francisco met with Kim and Kanye who was helping with the children Raising awareness: Kim was hoping to help raise awareness about the First Step Act 'Going to law school and having to do that 18 hours a week is completely separate from any prison reform work that I do,' Kim explained. As she dined in San Francisco with attorney Jessica Jacksonco-founder, with Van Jones, of the prison-reform group #cut50, and a shaper of the acther phone kept repeatedly pinging with news of fire evacuations, forcing her and family to jump on a plane home. After the fire was controlled, Kris and Khloe met to walk around Khloe's home, discussing how lucky they were that their homes survived the fires. Lucked out: Kris wore a shiny silver jacket while visiting Khloe after the fire was controlled and they felt lucky their homes were spared Smoke damage: Khloe was only dealing with minor smoke damage after the wildfire News clips showed the family dedicating their 2018 People's Choice Award win to firefighters, law enforcement and first responders, and donating money. Kim and Kanye went to the The Ellen DeGeneres Show where Kim presented a family devastated by the fire with a check for $100,000 on behalf of Kanye, Yeezy and Adidas to help them out. Kanye watched backstage as a grateful couple accepted the check. Giving thanks: The family thanked first responders while accepting a People's Choice Award Helping out: Kim also went on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to help fire victims Giving back: Kanye donated $100,000 along with Adidas and Yeezy to help those impacted by the fire Getting emotional: A couple was shown getting emotional as Kim presented them with a $100,000 check after the fire upended their lives As the episode closed out, the family finally celebrated Dream's 'magical castle'-themed second birthday party. The birthday bash was designed by Kylie Jenner, 21, and was filled with cupcakes, ice cream, balloons and little girls in fairy dresses. Rob held his daughter Dream from his former relationship with Blac Chyna during the party. Birthday girl: Rob held birthday girl Dream as she celebrated her second birthday Party planner: Kylie Jenner stepped up and planned the birthday bash Selfie time: Kim tried to take a selfie with birthday girl Dream Kris also had been recruited earlier in the episode to play a starring role in Ariana Grande's video for 'Thank U, Next'. She got a vote of approval from daughter Kendall when she told her about the music video. Kris wore a pink cardigan in her role as 'the mom from Mean Girls' for the video shoot. Music video: Kris told her daughter Kendall Jenner about being cast in an Ariana Grande video for her song Thank U, Next Pop star: Ariana gave Kris some pointers before she filmed the music video Video debut: The momager showed off her dance moves while shooting the video for Thank U, Next The family, together again, met at a restaurant to watch her music video performance. Khloe teased Kris about her yellow plaid Clueless jacket, but the momager didn't let it get to her as she proudly showed them the music video. Kris pointed out that she was trending on top of Twitter before showing her family her 'starring' role. Video star: Kris bragged that she was trending on Twitter before showing her family the video Good times: Scott Disick, Kim and Khloe watched the video together The star: Kris was featured in the video as a mother of a Mean Girl At the opening of the episode, Khloe toasted the launch of Kylie Cosmetics' Kylie x Jordyn Collection, hinting at the fact that the show may soon deal with the cheating scandal that involved her ex, Tristan Thompson, 28, and sister Kylie's BFF, Jordyn Woods, 21. 'I've known you forever,' Khloe told Jordyn. 'And I'm so proud of you and the woman that you have grown into and that you're growing into. And to see you guys stick together and be best friends through thick and thin, it's such a blessing. Congratulations on everything and this will be a huge success.' 'Here's to Jordyn and Kylie,' cheered her mom, Kris. Keeping Up With The Kardashians will return next week on the E! network. Best friends: Jordyn Woods was shown at the start of the episode celebrating the launch of the Kylie Cosmetics' Kylie x Jordyn Collection with her best friend Kylie The new season of Australia's Got Talent began production in Sydney on Saturday. But the talent show, which has been rebooted by Channel Seven for its ninth season, hasn't exactly got off to the best start. According to audience members, filming at Luna Park was a 'complete shambles' and attendees were forced to line up in the cold for hours. Australia's Got Talent EXCLUSIVE: Filming descended into chaos on Monday as audience members were forced to wait HOURS at Sydney's Luna Park. Pictured (left to right): Judges Shane Jacobson, Lucy Durack, Nicole Scherzinger and Manu Feildel 'It's the most disorganised show in Australia,' one person told Daily Mail Australia, after waiting outside the Big Top venue for almost two hours. 'You don't get this at recordings of The Voice. It's a shambles,' they added. Another audience member said: 'I'll definitely be complaining once I am home.' Furious: 'It's the most disorganised show in Australia,' one person told Daily Mail Australia, after waiting outside the Big Top venue for almost two hours Despite having a 'priority ticket', one elderly woman was required to stand for over an hour. According to several people waiting outside the venue, staff 'didn't seem to know what was going on'. On Monday, ticket holders were advised to get to the Big Top inside Luna Park by 11:15am for the start of filming. Outrageous: Despite having a 'priority ticket', one elderly woman had to stand for over an hour Because tickets did not guarantee entry, many people arrived hours earlier than schedule in the hopes of getting a seat. But by midday, fans were still waiting to be allowed in and the queue had stretched outside of the amusement park and down Sydney Harbour. It wasn't until past 1pm that people got to see the performances and catch a glimpse of judges Nicole Scherzinger, Shane Jacobson, Manu Feildel and Lucy Durack. What a mess! Because tickets did not guarantee entry, many people arrived hours earlier than schedule in the hopes of getting a seat. But by midday, fans were still waiting to be allowed in and the queue had stretched outside of the amusement park and down Sydney Harbour A-list judge! Australia's Got Talent will return to Channel Seven later this year, after it was scrapped by Channel Nine after the 2016 season. Nicole Scherzinger (above) is the star judge Australia's Got Talent will return to Channel Seven later this year, after it was scrapped by Channel Nine after the 2016 season. Contestants are set to battle it out for a $100,000 cash prize and the opportunity to launch a career in showbusiness. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Seven for comment. She said 'yes' when her partner Hayley Willis dropped to one knee and proposed during their fairy tale Vanuatu getaway last month. And Fiona Falkiner, 36, still appears to be on a high from the news. The blonde beauty beamed as she stepped out with her fiancee Hayley Willis at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Carriageworks in Sydney on Monday. Shine bright like a diamond! Smitten Fiona Falkiner (right) proudly flashed her huge diamond engagement ring as she attended Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week with her fiancee, Hayley Willis, in Sydney on Monday The former Biggest Loser host proudly flashed her weighty diamond engagement ring for onlookers to see at the star-studded fashion event. Crafted by celebrity jeweler Affinity diamonds, Fiona's white gold engagement ring features a cushion cut diamond surrounded by a claw-set diamond halo. The design also features a split band encrusted with glittering pave diamonds. Hayley appeared to be equally thrilled with her new engaged status as she was seen beaming from ear-to-ear while she sat next to her wife-to-be at the fashion show. Stunning: Crafted by celebrity jeweler Affinity diamonds, Fiona's white gold engagement ring features a cushion cut diamond surrounded by a claw-set diamond halo Still on a high! Hayley appeared to be equally thrilled with her new engaged status as she was seen beaming from ear-to-ear while she sat next to her wife-to-be at the fashion show Whirlwind romance! Fiona and Hayley had been dating for just seven months before becoming engaged on a private beach at the Moso resort, Vanuatu on April 15 In the fashion stakes, stunning model Fiona oozed femininity in a long-sleeved bodycon black dress. She accessorised her look with a retro white-and-brown handbag and antique-style jewellery. The blonde bombshell styled her luscious sun kissed locks into soft beach waves, which fell beautifully down one side of her chest. The model could have fooled fans into thinking she was ready to storm the runway as she showed off her incredibly pretty features in a dewy makeup palette. Meanwhile, Hayley opted for a casual cool ensemble, consisting of a black jacket layered over a white singlet top teamed with a pair of jeans. Killer curves: In the fashion stakes, stunning model Fiona oozed femininity in a long-sleeved bodycon black dress Runway ready: The blonde bombshell styled her luscious sun kissed locks into soft beach waves, which fell beautifully down one side of her chest. The model could have fooled fans into thinking she was ready to storm the runway as she showed off her incredibly pretty features in a dewy makeup palette Fiona and Hayley had been dating for just seven months before becoming engaged on a private beach at the Moso resort, Vanuatu on Monday, April 15. The romantic proposal took place at sunset, with Hayley presenting her partner with a diamond ring. 'She asked and I said yes!' Fiona wrote on Instagram last month, alongside a photo of herself showing off her new engagement ring. Jackie 'O' Henderson has celebrated her first Mother's Day as a single woman, eight months after announcing her split from husband Lee. Stepping out in Bondi on Sunday, the 44-year-old radio presenter looked every inch the doting mum as she spent quality time with her daughter Kitty, eight. The lookalike duo were seen strolling through the beachside suburb before going for lunch at a local cafe. Just the two of us! Jackie 'O' Henderson looked every inch the doting mum as she spent quality time with her daughter Kitty in Bondi, Sydney on Mother's Day Jackie placed a protective arm around her daughter's shoulder as they walked down the street together. Looking noticeably slender, the KIIS FM star wore a casual midnight blue frock and carried an oversized blue parka over one arm. Jackie styled her blonde loosely and opted for a minimal makeup palette. Tender: Jackie placed a protective arm around her daughter's shoulder as they walked down the street together The broadcaster completed her casual ensemble with a pair of white sneakers, a fur handbag and stylish designer sunglasses. Meanwhile, Kitty wore a white hoodie, denim shorts and a pair of Nike sneakers. Looking the spitting image of her famous mother, she wore her blonde hair in a ponytail with a black scrunchie. Close bond: Jackie regularly updates her fans on life as a single mother via social media This is Jackie's first Mother's Day since she announced her split from photographer Lee Henderson after more than a decade of marriage. 'It's not a decision we took lightly at all. Lee and I have been so lucky that our separation has been extremely amicable,' she said in October last year. 'I know everyone says that, but we actually have remained really good friends throughout this.' He revealed in January that he and his wife were expecting their first child together - a boy. And last Sunday, former Entourage star Jerry Ferrara announced via Instagram that wife Breanna had given birth to their son Jacob Michael Ferrara. Ferrara, 39, shared a photo of mom and baby in which he's seen gazing adoringly at the new addition to the family. New parents: Last Sunday, former Entourage star Jerry Ferrara announced with this photo via Instagram that his wife Breanna had given birth to their son Jacob Michael Ferrara Alongside the photo, Ferrara wrote: 'Mom and baby are doing great and Im still amazed by the strength, Will Power, determination and self belief my wife showed during birth. Its the greatest thing Ive ever seen anyone do in my lifetime.' In a follow-up post, in which he's pictured holding his baby boy, he explained the choice of name for the infant. 'We always loved the name Jacob. We can call him Jacob, Jake, or my fav nickname for a little kid Cub short for Jacob! Gonna see which one sticks,' he said. Dad: In a follow-up, he explained: 'We always loved the name Jacob. We can call him Jacob, Jake, or my fav nickname for a little kid Cub short for Jacob!' Gonna see which one sticks' 'A dream come true': On Mother's Day, Breanna celebrated her baby boy's first week of life with a sweet photo she shared on her Instagram On Sunday, Ferrara's actress wife celebrated her first Mother's Day as a mom by sharing a sweet snap of her son to her Instagram. 'Our little Cub. 1 week old today. Reminding us just how precious life is,' she wrote. 'Happy Mothers Day to all the super hero mamas.' Ferrara made his name as Turtle on HBO's Entourage that ran from 2004 to 2011. He's been starring as Joe Proctor on the Starz drama Power since 2015. Wed: The Brooklyn native married Ohio native Breanne, an actress, in 2017. The couple are pictured together in June 2018 in New York The Studio 10 co-hosts are no strangers to fun and hijinks on the panel discussion show. And Monday was no exception as the crew used Snapchat's gender change filter to find out what they would look like, if they were the opposite sex. Sarah Harris' male equivalent received the most laughs - which her co-stars said looked like a constipated Tom Cruise. Gender swap! The Studio 10 co-hosts are no strangers to fun and hijinks, and Monday was no exception as they examined what they would look like as their opposite sex alter-egos (pictured Sarah Harris and her male version) Good-natured fun: Sarah Harris' male equivalent received the most laughs - but Joe Hildebrand, Angela Bishop and Denise Scott (from L to R) also got the filter treatment 'The funny thing is my aunt has that facial hair!' Sarah, 37, joked. 'It's in my future.' Fellow panelist Angela Bishop was likened to a sexy barista when her masculine alter-ego was displayed. 'Very weird hair going on - let me whip you up a long black,' she said as a man with long hair and exotic features came up on screen. Meanwhile, Joe Hildebrand compared his female doppelganger to US actress and director Tina Fey, while making a very candid admission. 'Can I just say I would totally do me - I would totally go there,' he said. Looking good! Fellow panelist Angela Bishop, 51, was likened to a sexy barista when her masculine alter-ego was displayed 'That's a surprise Joe that you would go there,' co-host Denise Scott responded sarcastically. When it came to her own male likeness, the comedian was compared to game show host Grant Denyer. 'I've actually stood in for him - so look out Grant,' Denise said. Honesty: 'Can I just say I would totally do me - I would totally go there,' Joe Hildebrand, 42, said when presented with his doppelganger Hilarious: When it came to Denise Scott's likeness, the 64-year-old was compared to game show host Grant Denyer The gender swap comes after Thursday's episode that saw Sarah attempt the Kim Kardashian corset challenge. Paying homage to Kim's incredibly tiny waist at this year's Met Gala, Sarah shrunk her mid-section using a bright pink corset. Her colleague Eloise tightened the garment, while Sarah made some hilarious facial expressions and appeared to have serious trouble breathing. 'I feel like I've misplaced my pancreas,' she joked. Laura Dundovic and Jules Sebastian made a style statement as they arrived at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia on Monday. Spreading awareness of the United Nations' World Food Programme, the duo wore charity hoodies as they mingled with other celebrities at Sydney's Carriageworks. The pieces are part of Balenciaga's Fall/Winter '18 collection, in which 10 per cent of each sale is donated to the charity that hopes to end hunger by 2030. Fashion for a cause! Laura Dundovic (pictured) wore a charity hoodie in support of the World Food Programme at an Australian Fashion Week event at Sydney's Carriageworks on Monday Wearing the white version of the hoodie, worth $905, Laura looked stylish as she paired it with thigh-high snakeskin boots. The former Miss Universe Australia accessorised with large golden hoop earrings. She styled her blonde hair into a sleek high bun and opted for a fresh-faced makeup palette consisting of foundation, illuminator, pink blush and mascara. Good cause: The hoodies are part of Balenciaga's Fall/Winter '18 collection, in which 10 per cent of each sale is donated to the charity that hopes to end hunger by 2030 Laura completed her look by carrying a grey marle tote bag. Meanwhile, Jules looked every inch the fashionista in the black version of Balenciaga's charity hoodie. The stylist and blogger, who is married to Guy Sebastian, teamed the statement piece with a maxi black skirt. Work it: Jules Sebastian looked every inch the fashionista in the black version of Balenciaga's charity hoodie Jules also wore peep toe black boots and carried a tote bag by Off White. She styled her brunette and blonde balayage locks in loose waves that framed her flawless visage. Jules enhanced her look with neutral makeup consisting of defined eye brows, light coats of mascara and a glossy lip. She's often hailed for her incredible figure and impeccable style. And on Monday, model Erin Holland commanded attention while stepping out at the P.E Nation show at Australian Fashion. The 30-year-old stunned fellow attendees in a thigh-skimming mini and statement black boots. Thigh's the limit! Model Erin Holland cut a stylish figure in grey checked mini and statement boots as she attends Australian Fashion Week Accessorising with a leather Chanel bag, the former Miss World Australia showcased her tiny waist by cinching her ensemble with an eye-catching belt by Gucci. Erin wore her brunette tresses loose above her shoulders and sported a natural make-up palette consisting of bronzer, smoky eye shadow and taupe lipstick. It comes after the Australian model and presenter revealed the secrets behind her flawless physique and radiant complexion. Style: Accessorizing with a leather clutch, the former Miss World Australia showcased her tiny waist by cinching her ensemble with an eye-catching belt Speaking with Who in February, Erin urged fans to adopt a 'less is more' approach to their beauty routine. 'Less is more. We don't need 10 layers of makeup to be beautiful,' she told the publication. 'Focus on one key area for each makeup look, whether it be a lip or an intense eye, to ensure your natural beauty shows beneath,' she added. Pretty as a picture: It comes after the Australian model and presenter revealed the secrets behind her flawless physique and radiant complexion The brunette stunner also shared details about her skincare regime and recommended people get in the habit of applying sunscreen every day. 'I start the day with sunscreen. It's the most important step that too many Australians forget,' she said. The former pageant queen also said she commits to thoroughly removing her makeup with cleanser before she goes to bed. YouTube beauty guru James Charles has 'gone into hiding' after breaking his silence on losing nearly 3 million subscribers. After losing an initial 500,000 followers on Friday, James told 7NEWS Gold Coast that it has been 'a rocky past few weeks'. However he later lost a further 2.5 million subscribers and is now believed to have 'gone into hiding'. Scroll down for video YouTuber James Charles has 'gone into hiding' after breaking his silence to 7NEWS Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon after the mass unsubscribe his channel is currently facing It is unknown if James is still in Australia, as he hasn't been seen publicly since leaving a fan event at Gold Coast's Pacific Fair Shopping Centre on Saturday. James has also not updated any of his social media platforms since then, with Australia's top paparazzi struggling to track him down. 'It's like he has just disappeared and gone into hiding. There's a huge price on his head for any photos right now,' a source told Daily Mail Australia on Monday. Brave face: Despite having already lost 500,000 followers when he did the interview at his Gold Coast fan event, James remained optimistic, saying: 'It's been a rocky past few weeks' Drama! Since speaking to 7NEWS, James has lost a further 2.5 million subscribers and has not been seen publicly since leaving the Gold Coast's Pacific Fair Shopping Centre During his interview with 7NEWS at his meet and greet, James said: 'I can just not wait to meet [my fans] and say thank you for everything.' At the time of speaking with the news channel, the backlash against him had already started and he delayed the event to film a teary video from his nearby hotel. 'I owe everybody an explanation and I owe two people an apology,' James said. 'I'm sorry for everything that is going on everything and I've put you through over the past three weeks.' 'It's as if he has just disappeared': The beauty guru has not posted anything to social media since the event, with Australia's top paparazzi struggling to track him down The video was a direct response to one posted by Tati Westbrook on Friday, where she claimed James made up lies about her and takes advantage of others. Tati also claimed James once made inappropriate comments about wanting to hook up with a straight waiter while disregarding the waiter's sexual orientation. 'Fame, power, and a fat bank account will change almost anyone. And if you don't have people that will tell you to your face that you're doing the wrong things, you will change,' admitted Tati. 'There's so much going on with James Charles right now that I do not support. I do not agree with.' 'I'm sorry for everything that is going on': James broke down in a YouTube video on Saturday morning, while apologising for his recent behaviour Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor aka Agbor Balla Atia Azohnwi Nkongho Felix Agbor aka Agbor Balla, Barrister-at-Law and Founder/President of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa has told Cameroon-info.net that he had long forgiven Cameroons President Paul Biya even though he threw him in jail for close to eight months. His declaration comes after President Biya, who has been in power since November 6, 1982, took to twitter and Facebook on May 7, 2019 preaching a gospel of forgiveness to his fellow countrymen. The essential thing today is to forgive & to forget, to work together towards a common goal. We cannot, at one & the same time, look towards the future & live in the past. Mutual forgiveness is the path to lasting peace, the 86-year-old leader said in a tweet. Quizzed Saturday, May 11, 2019 if he had heeded to President Biyas call for mutual forgiveness as path to lasting peace, Agbor Balla said he is not a vengeful person and hence has nothing against President Biya. I am not a vengeful person. While I was in jail, I had forgiven anybody who did anything wrong against me. Before I left jail, I had forgiven everybody; even some of those who were my biggest critics and those who insulted me. I am defending some of them. I am always open to dialogue. So, I dont have anything against Mr. Biya - because if you dont forgive him, you will not be able to move on as a person, Balla said. The President of the banned Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (CACSC) said: And each and every one has made errors in their lives. And I think that it is general forgiveness. All of us would ask for general forgiveness because I think all of us have done one or two things wrong that if we had a way, we would correct things. The former President of the Fako Lawyers Association (FAKLA) who was among those who held talks with government in 2016 and January 2017 to rescue Common Law practice in a bi-jural Cameroon expressed joy that for once, President Biya is coming down from his high horse. I am happy that he [President Biya] is coming down from his high horse to really ask for forgiveness. I am happy that the arrogance has reduced and I am hoping that it is not just about talk. I am hoping that it goes beyond the tweets and the talk to actually ensure that he puts into practice what he is preaching because talk is cheap. Dont forget that we have a 1996 constitution that 20 years down the line has not been fully implemented. So, we need to see the good faith from the president. He needs to walk the talk and he needs to go beyond the rhetoric, beyond the tweets so that he can win the minds and hearts of the people. We have lost confidence in him and we need him to build back that confidence. It will not only be done by the tweets. It is a step in the right direction, but more has to be done, the Human Rights Lawyer said. Agbor Balla was arrested on January 17, 2017 along with Consortium scribe Dr. Fontem Neba moments after the CACSC they led was banned by Cameroons Territorial Administration Minister at the time. He was held in detention until September 1, 2017 when he was freed along with some detainees arrested in connection to what has become known as the Anglophone crisis. During his stay in jail, he was charged under the 2014 law on the suppression of acts of terrorism and appeared before the military tribunal facing the maximum sentence. Today, he has forgiven all who have wronged him and also calls on those he might have hurt through his actions and inaction to forgive him. Jasmine Yarbrough wed former Today Show host Karl Stefanovic in a lavish ceremony in December last year. But on Monday, the 34-year-old proved she was well and truly back to business, as she attended Tigerlily's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week show in Sydney. The blonde posed for a photo in a semi-sheer black polka dot frock by Australian designer Bec + Bridge. Spot on style! Jasmine Stefanovic (nee Yarbrough), 34, looked chic in a polka dot frock as she attended Tigerlily's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week show, in Sydney on Monday The Mara & Mine shoe designer's dress featured long sleeves and cinched in at the waist. Jasmine gave the look an upscale edge, by pairing it with a burgundy Christian Dior tote and black square-toe heels. The beauty added touches of bling in the form of a dainty necklace and several bracelets. Elegant: Jasmine paired the designer frock with a Christian Dior tote and a dainty necklace Jasmine opted for neutral makeup tones, and wore her shoulder-length blonde hair slightly curled. It comes after Jasmine debuted her latest slipper collection, Ovolo X Mara & Mine, at the Ovolo Hotel in Sydney's Woolloomooloo on Sunday. The collection saw husband Karl, 44, gush about his new wife to Confidential on Saturday, saying 'It's an honour to be here to support Jas.' Fashionable duo: Jasmine posed with her stylish business partner Tamara Ingham at the event, with her wearing abstract print pants and a fitted black long-sleeved top Fashion launch: Jasmine launched her Ovolo X Mara & Mine deluxe slipper range at the Ovolo Hotel in Sydney's Woolloomooloo on Sunday. Here with business partner Tamara Jasmine is also taking the final steps in officially taking the surname Stefanovic, in a report by The Daily Telegraph on Saturday. She excitedly told the publication: 'I'm changing everything over at the moment. I'm getting there slowly. There's a lot to do.' According to a recent issue of Woman's Day magazine, Jasmine and Karl could soon be trying for a baby. Shirley Ballas has admitted Dame Darcey Bussell's departure from the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel has 'left a hole' in her heart. The head judge, 58, explained the co-stars have grown close over the past couple of years on the BBC One dance competition, and shared lots of 'girly giggles' during their time on set. Speaking on the red carpet at the 2019 BAFTA TV Awards at London's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday evening, Shirley lamented the loss of the retired ballerina, 50, who announced she had quit Strictly last month. Sad: Shirley Ballas, 58, (pictured) told how Darcey Bussell, 50, leaving Strictly 'leaves a hole' in her heart at the 2019 Bafta TV Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London's on Sunday Shirley reflected: 'I think it leaves a hole in my heart, because obviously I got to know her on the first two series [that I did]. She held my hand through the whole thing. 'We had the most amazing time of the Strictly tour, and lots of girly giggles. We shared the same changing room, and I can just say from the tip of her head to the bottom of her toes, shes just amazing.' The dancer and choreographer added that she will not be involved in casting for Darcey's replacement She exolained: 'I think Ill leave that to the BBC because theyve never got it wrong before. So Im sure theyll be interviewing all types of people to make sure they get the right person for that show on a Saturday evening for the British public.' Goodbye: Dame Darcey announced she was stepping down as a judge on the BBC dancing show, after seven years, last month (pictured in August 2018) Friends: Shirley reflected on her time working with Darcey: 'We had the most amazing time of the Strictly tour, and lots of girly giggles' Darcey officially announced she was leaving Strictly in April with a lengthy statement after six years on the panel. She said: 'It has been a complete privilege for me to be part of Strictly, working with such a talented team. 'I have enjoyed every minute of my time and will miss everyone from my fellow judges, the presenters, the dancers, the musicians, the entire back stage team, and especially the viewers of the show, who have been so supportive. 'I am not leaving because of any upset or disagreement at all, I am just stepping away to give more focus to my many other commitments in dance, after seven truly wonderful years that I cant imagine having gone any better. 'I know I will miss being part of this unique show and the fact that it celebrates dance is something I am so passionate about. I hope that I may be very lucky to be asked back again one day'. New journey: Darcey revealed it had been a 'privilege' to work on Strictly but was stepping down to give more focus to her 'other commitments in dance' The current serving panel now consists of Head Judge Shirley alongside Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel-Horwood. Head judge Len Goodman left in 2017 after 12 years and caused ructions when he was replaced by dance legend Shirley, whose appointment was announced the following May. Last year, it was claimed there was 'simmering tension' between Darcey and Shirley, yet the former shot down these claims. Darcey told The Daily Telegraph: 'Of course I get on with Shirley. Shes hysterical, shes got a great sense of humour, and I totally respect her amazing amount of knowledge. Shes great to be with.' Following the suggestion that only women have to face such rumours, she pushed: 'Funny that I dont know why that is. Maybe we ask for it? Im not sure. If we were in two suits, I wonder if they would treat us differently.' Line-up: The current serving panel now consists of Head Judge Shirley alongside Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel-Horwood (pictured with Shirley and Darcey in August 2017) Fashion Week bosses have reportedly banned 'wannabe social climber nobodies' from attending this year. And as VIP stars attended glamorous runway shows in Sydney on Monday, former reality stars united at influencer-friendly cafe, Fourth Chapter in Melbourne. In a photo share to Instagram by former Big Brother star Tully Smyth, former Bachelorette Georgia Love beamed in activewear as she tucked into a feast. Didn't make the cut? Georgia Love (left) and Tully Smyth (right) were pictured at influencer-friendly restaurant Fourth Chapter in Melbourne on Monday, during Fashion Week 'Lunch with this rae of sunshine @Fourth_Chapter,' Tully captioned. Meanwhile, former Married at First Sight star Telv Williams dined at the same restaurant separately. It comes after a fashion insider reportedly revealed Mercedes Benz Australian Fashion Week organisers have banned any 'wannabe social climber nobodies' from the guest list. Tucking in: Meanwhile, former Married at First Sight star Telv Williams dined at the same restaurant separately 'If you haven't supported the brand or the PR all year and think you are getting onto the front row - think again,' a publicist told The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday. The insider added: 'Editors, buyers, digital influencers and content creators are in and C-list reality wannabe social climber nobodies are out.' The source also claimed that any opportunists who try to snag a seat on the front row that wasn't assigned to them will be swiftly turned away. Claims: The insider said: 'Editors, buyers, digital influencers and content creators are in and C-list reality wannabe social climber nobodies are out.' Pictured, Bachelor In Paradise star Lisa Hyde at last year's Fashion Week 'We have people dedicated to finding individuals not in their assigned seat and politely returning them to their allocated position,' they said. Last year, Bachelor In Paradise stars Elora Murger and Megan Marx as well as Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan were seen attending shows. Stars like Elsa Pataky, The Veronicas, Jennifer Hawkins and models Tahnee Atkinson, Victoria Lee and Jessica Gomes attended Fashion Week last year. The I'm A Celeb star was reportedly diagnosed with having a rare sleep-eating condition over the weekend after confessing that her recent weight-gain was 'getting her down' following a Doritos-binge during her sleep. And on Sunday night, Vicky Pattison was notably absent from the TV BAFTAs - which would have been her first time at the glitzy awards ceremony - despite having had a facial to 'boost her confidence' in the lead-up to the glitzy bash. On Thursday, the former Geordie Shore star, 31, revealed she was nervous ahead of the glamorous event, admitting that she felt as though she wouldn't 'fit in' or 'look as good as everyone else.' No-show: on Sunday night, Vicky Pattison, 31, was notably absent from the TV BAFTAs - which would have been her first time at the glitzy awards ceremony - despite having had a facial to 'boost her confidence' in the lead-up to the glitzy bash Within a length post , Vicky spoke candidly about her confidence crisis, telling fans: 'Im going to the baftas for the first time on Sunday & Im so nervous that I wont fit in or look as good as everyone else Im losing sleep over it.& I went and had this facial to boost my confidence and now my face is sore & red.' In the same Instagram post, the reality star admitted that her recent weight-gain is 'getting her down' after she had binged on Doritos during her sleep. Additionally, Vicky - who is usually extremely active on social media - hadn't posted anything for three days (since Friday) until she made her return to her Instagram Stories on Monday morning, and returned to work. In the short video clip, the brunette beauty sported a glam make-over, but looked uneasy as she showed off her face from various angles and admitted: 'It still hurts' in reference to the facial she had last week. Pre-event nerves: On Thursday, the former Geordie Shore star revealed she was nervous ahead of the bash, admitting she felt as though she wouldn't 'fit in' or 'look as good as everyone else' Diagnosis: The I'm A Celeb also confessing that her recent weight-gain was 'getting her down' following a Doritos-binge during her sleep Taking a break? Additionally, Vicky - who is usually extremely active on social media - hadn't posted anything for three days (since Friday) until she made her return to her Instagram Stories on Monday MailOnline has contacted Vicky Pattison's representatives for comment. Just hours before she was due to arrive on the red carpet at the TV BAFTAs, a report emerged claiming that Vicky has been diagnosed with a rare sleep-related eating disorder which has caused her pile on the pounds. The Sun report that the former Geordie Shore star has a condition called nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder (NS-RED) - which sees her eat in the middle of the night with no recollection of doing so. A source revealed to The Sun: 'Vicky goes to bootcamps about three times a year, regularly exercises and watches what she eats in the daytime. So to discover her body is betraying her at night has come as such a blow. Diagnosed: Hours before she was due to arrive on the red carpet at the TV BAFTAs, a report emerged claiming that Vicky has been diagnosed with a rare sleep-related eating disorder Revealed: According to a report, Vicky Pattison has been diagnosed with a rare sleep-related eating disorder which has caused her pile on the pounds 'She would put on about half a stone and couldnt figure out why. Then one morning she saw the detritus of a 3am blowout and worked it out, and has now been diagnosed with NS-RED. 'But she has overcome greater obstacles than this and is determined to beat it.' The condition is defined by sleepeducation.org as a parasomnia consisting of repeated episodes of compulsive binge eating and drinking after waking up in the night, which occur when you are only partially awake. Earlier this week, Vicky opened up to her fans about her weight gain, saying it is 'getting her down'. Diagnosis: A source told The Sun: 'She would put on about half a stone and couldnt figure out why. Then one morning she saw the detritus of a 3am blowout and worked it out, and has now been diagnosed with NS-RED' Secret eating: It comes after Vicky recently revealed that recent weight-gain is getting her down after she had binged on Doritos during her sleep The star also admitted her insecurities ahead of Sunday's Bafta Awards which she was set to attend, with the I'm A Celebrity beauty having had a facial to 'boost her confidence.' As part of a lengthy Instagram post, she wrote: 'So barring that in mind- this is me: I have a chest infection that I havent been able to shake and its making me cranky, Im lonely, Ive gained weight recently and its getting me down no matter how much I pretend Im ok with it. 'Im going to the baftas for the first time on Sunday and Im so nervous that I wont fit in or look as good as everyone else Im losing sleep over it, and I went and had this facial to boost my confidence and now my face is sore and red.' Candid: Vicky admitted her insecurities ahead of Sunday's Bafta Awards which she was set to attend, with the I'm A Celebrity beauty having had a facial to 'boost her confidence' The brunette beauty also touched on her condition as she shared that she was lonely and 'overwhelmed by the world she is in.' Vicky explained: 'Im overwhelmed in the world Im in, i ate Doritos last night in my sleep (yes I sleep eat) I miss my mam, Im drowning in these thoughts and I dont feel inspirational. 'My point is, maybe if were more honest, we all wont feel so alone. THANKYOU for listening and I hope youre a little less hard on yourselves today for it.' Fabulous curves: Lamenting her recent weight-gain, Vicky revealed in the post's lengthy caption that she has been sleep-eating Doritos Rare condition: Vicky confessed: 'Im overwhelmed in the world Im in, i ate Doritos last night in my sleep (yes I sleep eat)' After opening up and sharing her true feelings on Instagram, Vicky was flooded with messages of support from fellow reality stars, including former flame Mario Falcone, Myleene Klass and Louise Redknapp. Body-confidence advocate Alexandra Cane commented: 'Good at giving advice, bad at taking it ourselves. You are and will look beautiful regardless, youve got your head screwed on, the strength and honesty you show on a regular basis really is to be admired. Dont be so hard on yourself too gorgeous girl.' Former Made In Chelsea star Ashley James added: Love this and love you. I feel it very strongly. You're going to look just perfect at the baftas. You're a natural beauty, red face or not. And hey, being a little bigger is not the worst thing.' After opening up and sharing her true feelings on Instagram, Vicky was flooded with messages of support from fellow reality stars Rykard Jenkins praised Vicky as an inspiration, writing: 'Vicky. Honestly you are one of the real ones. Keep being you! Definitely an inspiration to everyone in this game & I cant think of anyone that has given as much time & effort lifting other people in this industry!' Tyla Carr followed suit, gushing: 'You are an inspiration! You dealt with all you did so publicly and like such a strong lady. I wish I had half the confidence you do x.' Vicky's honest post follows her recent reunited with her on-off beau Ercan in Dubai, a romance which came after her fiance John Noble was unfaithful during a lads' trip to Dubai in November. They tied the knot in a romantic ceremony back in 2015 after just six weeks of dating. And Suranne Jones and her husband Laurence Akers made a rare public appearance at this year's TV BAFTAs, held at the Royal Festival Hall in London, on Sunday. The Doctor Foster star, 40, appeared in high spirits as she and Laurence left the star-studded bash hand-in-hand. Couple's night: Suranne Jones and her husband Laurence Akers made a rare public appearance at this year's TV BAFTAs, held at the Royal Festival Hall in London on Sunday The actress exuded elegance in her red carpet gown, which consisted of a tuxedo-style top and billowing pink skirt, with a knee high slit. Taking a style risk with her colour-contrasting ensemble, the British actress boosted her frame in a pair of towering black Louboutin heels, which kept in theme with the gown's dark-toned bodice. Laurence, meanwhile, cut a dapper figure in a black suit and matching bow-tie. Sweet: The Doctor Foster star, 40, appeared in high spirits as she and Laurence left the star-studded bash hand-in-hand Dressed to the nines: The actress exuded elegance in her red carpet gown while Laurence suited up in a black tux Happy: Having soaked up the atmosphere at the glittering awards ceremony, Suranne beamed as she tottered down the steps with her husband Having soaked up the atmosphere at the glittering awards ceremony, Suranne beamed as she tottered down the steps with her husband. Suranne and Laurence Akers tied the knot in 2015 after Akers, who edits Nikon Pro Magazine, proposed after just six weeks of dating. They couple met in 2013 at the wedding of Jones's long-term friend Sally Lindsay with Steve White. Sophisticated lady: Suranne's full-length dress consisted of a tuxedo-style top and billowing pink skirt, with a knee high slit Laurence's support was no doubt much appreciated by the Gentleman Jack star who revealed on Saturday how she became crippled with anxiety before dramatically collapsing during a West End play last year. The actress had to withdraw from Frozen, a harrowing story in which she played the mother of a murdered girl, after the backstage incident. It was initially attributed to illness and the 'deeply affecting' subject matter of the play, which explores child abuse. But now the star has told how her mother's death after suffering dementia, the pressures of bringing up a young son and a punishing work schedule all took their toll. Gorgeous: Taking a style risk with her colour-contrasting ensemble, the actress boosted her frame in towering black Louboutin heels, which kept in theme with the gown's bodice 'I'm really good at compartmentalising. Building up resilience,' she said. 'And I probably did that too much. Put all the bad stuff to one side, and worked and worked and worked.' Recalling her mounting anxiety before her collapse at London's Theatre Royal Haymarket, she added: 'I'd been feeling edgy. Nervous around people. Not being able to converse properly. Not being able to get my points across. 'And being in the theatre didn't help. I don't think theatre was the cause, but I think it heightened it. 'You've a 1,000-seater full of people staring at you. And when you feel the anxiety, breathlessness, it's just drilling right into your solar plexus and you think, f***. This is something I can't stop, not once the show's started.' Suranne, whose real name is Sarah, lost her mum to vascular dementia just months after giving birth to her first child in 2016. She took a year off work during which she took up yoga, had therapy and quit Instagram. Even when she was invited to audition for Gentleman Jack, the primetime BBC1 drama that begins next Sunday, she was unsure that she wanted to return to work, but was convinced to do so by the show's writer, Sally Wainwright. In it, Jones plays Anne Lister, a 19th Century Yorkshire landowner who used a special code to detail her lesbian exploits in a diary. She was just 20 when she welcomed her son, Nikko, into the world. And Arizona Muse has admitted she was 'a child' herself when she became a parent for the first time as she discussed life as a young mother and why marriage 'means a lot' in an interview with the summer edition of of Town and Country magazine. The model, 30, reflected on the past decade of her fashion career and personal life as she posed up a storm in a stunning shoot for the publication. Reflection: Arizona Muse discussed life as a young mother and why marriage 'means a lot' in an interview with the summer edition of of Town and Country magazine The beauty reflected on being a young parent, explaining: 'I dont know what its like to be a 20-year-old who didnt have a child. 'I loved having Nikko. He was like a doll. I was a child myself and it was an "ignorance is bliss" situation.' The fashion star got married to French husband Boniface Verbey-Carron in London in June 2017, before welcoming the couple's daughter in November 2018. Arizona candidly admitted her reasoning for marriage being particularly meaningful to her, given that Nikko 'doesn't have a relationship' with her ex-fiance Manuel Quintana. Opening up: The model, 30, reflected on the past decade of her fashion career and personal life as she posed up a storm in a stunning shoot for the publication She said: 'It meant a lot to me to get married. 'Especially because I already had a child who doesnt have a relationship with his dad.' Touching on how she burnt herself out by working and parenting in the early days, she told: 'By the time Nikko was three, I was totally exhausted.' Arizona battled on because she feared that if she took time off her career would disappear - which caused her massive amounts of stress that she 'was under, every single day, for years'. She added: 'I probably needed to take some time off, but I was stuck in this fear cycle. Happy family: The fashion star got married to French husband Boniface Verbey-Carron in London in June 2017, before welcoming the couple's daughter in November 2018 Out soon: Read the full interview in the summer edition of Town & Country, on sale from May 16 'I thought that everything was going to be over tomorrow, and no one would book me again that was the stress I was under, every single day, for years.' In recent years, the British-American model has used her platform to promote sustainability in the fashion industry because she believes that some of the negative environmental effects of fashion can be 'toned down'. 'We can tone down some of the negative effects fashion is having on the environment,' she said. ' 'It's really important that the whole industry tries to lower its impact and to take up less space and fewer resources.' The cover star announced the arrival of her baby daughter by sharing an adorable snap of her laying alongside the newborn in November 2018. The name of the Arizona's little girl remains yet to be revealed. Read the full interview in the summer edition of Town & Country, on sale from May 16. She was the picture of glamour as she attended the star-studded British Academy Television Awards, held at London's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday evening. But Susanna Reid was back to business as she presented Monday's edition of Good Morning Britain with co-host Piers Morgan, mere hours after letting her hair down at the ceremony's afterparty. The TV star, 48, caught the eye with her typically stylish fashion sense as she slipped into a structured yellow midi dress, featuring a plunging v-neckline and short sleeves. Busy bee: Susanna Reid was back to business as she presented Monday's edition of GMB with co-host Piers Morgan, mere hours after letting her hair down at the BAFTAs TV Looking as sophisticated as ever, the journalist boosted her frame in a pair of pointed sky-high heels. The Croydon native styled her brunette tresses into loose waves, while completing her beauty with light strokes of neutral-toned make-up. Appearing in high spirits, Susanna was a great sport as she grinned from ear-to-ear on the show, despite running on less than eight hours of sleep. The former BBC presenter made her first red carpet appearance at the event since confirming her split from Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish, 53, after almost a year of dating. A late night: The TV star, 48, was the picture of glamour as she attended the star-studded British Academy Television Awards, held at London's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday evening Standing out: The former BBC host caught the eye with her typically stylish fashion sense as she slipped into a structured yellow midi dress, featuring a plunging v-neckline and short sleeves Elegant: Looking as sophisticated as ever, the journalist boosted her frame in a pair of pointed sky-high heels Impressive: Appearing in high spirits, Susanna was a great sport as she grinned from ear-to-ear on the show, despite running on less than eight hours of sleep Radiant: She made her first red carpet appearance at the event since confirming her split from Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish, 53, after almost a year of dating Unfortunate: The brunette attended the event in support of Good Morning Britain - which had been nominated in the News Coverage segment, but lost out to Cambridge Analytica Uncovered Dressed to impress, she went braless in an incredibly daring gown which featured an entirely sheer top with strategically-placed appliques to protect her modesty. The garment flared out into a tulle skirt, which fell just above the ankle to reveal a pair of lace heels. Susanna finished off the look by styling her glossy chestnut locks in a chic chignon, with loose tendrils that framed her pretty features. She attended the event in support of Good Morning Britain - which had been nominated in the News Coverage segment, but lost out to Cambridge Analytica Uncovered. Lovely in lace: Dressed to impress, the Strictly star went braless in an incredibly daring gown which featured an entirely sheer top with strategically-placed appliques to protect her modesty Last month, Susanna addressed her breakup from Steve Parish as she was quizzed by co-presenter Piers Morgan who probed Susanna hours after the Daily Mail exclusively revealed the news. As Piers asked, 'Are you single again? You are aren't you?' an upbeat Susanna replied: 'Yep. Let's not dwell. I'm fine, we're fine, we're very good friends. We were at the match on Saturday.' The couple were seen cosying up to one another as they watched Crystal Palace the weekend prior. She is a familiar face on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival. And Julianne Moore proved this year is no different as she joined a star-studded crowd at Nice Airport in the South of France on Monday morning ahead of the 72nd annual event. The Still Alice star, 58, looked effortlessly glamorous in wide leg black trousers and a nude jumper as she made a chic arrival in the French Rivera alongside actress Chloe Sevigny, 44. Chic: Julianne Moore and Chloe Sevigny joined a star-studded crowd at Nice Airport in the South of France on Monday morning ahead of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival The Academy Award-winner threw on a black blazer and a pair of thin-framed sunglasses as she stopped to sign autographs for eager fans. Julianne completed her simple look with a cross-body bag with a statement silver handle and wore a pair of black trainers for the trip. She kept her sleek auburn locks tucked behind her ears and opted for a natural no-makeup look. Julianne is set to take part in the Life through a Different Lens masterclass at Cannes alongside chef-turned-filmmaker Vikas Khanna. All smiles: The Still Alice star, 58, looked effortlessly glamorous in wide leg black trousers and a nude jumper as she walked through the arrivals terminal Star studded: Chloe, 44, completed her ensemble with a classic black blazer and white trainers, and had a woven sun hat tied around her neck Chloe dressed for the warm weather in a Parisian black and white striped mini dress. The model and actress completed her ensemble with a classic black blazer and white trainers, and had a woven sun hat tied around her neck. Chloe carried a white leather Chanel handbag and threw on a pair of sunglasses as she made a quick exit from the airport. Star Wars actor Adam Driver, 35, also made an appearance on his way to the annual film festival. Upcoming: Julianne is set to take part in the Life through a Different Lens masterclass at Cannes alongside chef-turned-filmmaker Vikas Khanna Stylish: Chloe carried a white leather Chanel handbag and threw on a pair of sunglasses as she made a quick exit from the airport Adam cut a low-key figure in a grey hoodie and dark wash jeans as he walked through the terminal with his hood firmly up. The actor wore a faded orange Cape Cod cap and carried a brown leather jacket. The stars had arrived at the airport on their way to the French Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival, which takes place at the Palais des Festivals from Tuesday until May 25. Actress Elle Fanning, French graphic novelist Enki Bilal and the Oscar-nominated director of The Favourite, Yorgos Lanthimos, will be among jury members. Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu will preside over the panel that decides on prizes, including the top Palme D'Or award. Eyes on her: Izabel Goulart looked undeniably stylish as she touched own at Nice Airport for the 72nd Annual Cannes Film Festival Wow: The model, 34, cut an incredibly chic figure in a floral embroidered beige-coloured suit which plunged down the middle to expose her bralet Glam: Izabel's sensational chestnut coloured locks billowed in the wind, and she completed the look with a sensational coat of make-up Star-studded: Star Wars actor Adam Driver, 35, also made an appearance on his way to the annual film festival Glamorous: Eva Herzigova, 46, was spotted arriving at Nice airport on Tuesday The jury for the festival's 72nd edition will also include Pawel Pawlikowski, the Polish filmmaker and screenwriter named best director at Cannes last year for the impossible love story Cold War. Maimouna N'Diaye, who has directed documentaries and acted in films such as Otar Iosseliani's Chasing Butterflies will also sit on the panel, alongside two other female directors. Kelly Reichardt, whose Wendy and Lucy starring Michelle Williams was a contender for Cannes' Un Certain Regard award in 2008, directed 2016's Certain Women. Italy's Alicia Rohrwacher won best screenplay at Cannes last year for her film Happy as Lazzaro, a satirical fable about a peasant family. French filmmaker Robin Campillo, who took Cannes by storm in 2017 with 120 BPM - Beats Per Minute, winning the Grand Prix for his movie about an AIDS activist, will complete the line-up. Chic: The model wore a pair of white skinny jeans with a floral shirt and an oversized white blazer Low-key: Adam cut a low-key figure in a grey hoodie and dark wash jeans as he walked through the terminal with his hood firmly up She's a natural: Elle Fanning made her stunning arrival in Cannes where she joined a slew of stars ahead of the film festival Social butterfly: Elle was friendly as she waved to onlookers while headed out in Cannes Beautiful blonde: The actress tossed her straight golden locks over her shoulder as she preened over her image Smiling sweetheart: The Mary Shelley star beamed from ear-to-ear as she stepped out in the south of France Monday night's episode of Lego Masters saw teams competing to enter the grand final with a build taking 16 hours. And viewers took to Twitter, mocking contestant Cade for being dramatic over a TINY cut. However the odds were in the father-of-one's favour as he and Henry progressed to the grand final, and co-stars Kale and Bilsy were eliminated. 'A medic called, this is serious!' Viewers mocked Lego Masters' Cade (pictured) for being dramatic over a tiny cut during 16-hour build on Monday's episode Cade went into hysterics during his 'Wild West' build that featured bandits, shoot-outs and a saloon. With the tiniest cut on his right hand, host Hamish Blake was called into the scene. As Cade was handed a bandaid, viewers took to Twitter to post sarcastic comments. The scene: Cade went into hysterics during his 'Wild West' build that featured bandits, shoot-outs and a saloon. Pictured on the left is host Hamish Blake Blink and you'll miss it: Cade showed off the tiniest cut on his right hand 'Wow what a huge cut that was,' one viewer wrote, along with another who said: 'A medic got called 'cause Cade cut himself on the LEGO. Wow this is serious!' One viewer also posted a meme of an actor playing a man on life support with the text 'gets a small cut'. Despite the dramatics, the odds were in Cade's favour, as he and his Lego partner Henry progressed to the grand final. The only team failing to make it through was Bilsy and Kale with their 'Prehistoric Caveman' model. The show's expert, Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught told the pair that by going too extreme with their design, time became an issue. One posted on Twitter: 'A medic got called 'cause Cade cut himself on the LEGO. Wow this is serious!' Sarcastic: 'Wow what a huge cut that was,' one viewer wrote Hilarious: One viewer also posted a meme of an actor playing a man on life support with the text 'gets a small cut' 'Kale and Bilsy, you tried to go too big, and of course, that really hit you time-wise,' Brickman said. Despite not making it to the grand final, the lads were pleased with their overall efforts. 'The scale got us in the end, but look at the flipside,' Bilsy said. 'We were in the top four of the best Lego builders in Australia.' Cade and Henry, David and G and Jordan Miller have all progressed to the grand finale. Lego Masters continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine No stranger to the fashion world, she's often seen showcasing her own sense of style. And Erika Heynatz certainly didn't disappoint as she stepped out to attend the Tigerlily runway show held at Carriageworks on Monday as part of Australia Fashion Week. The 44-year-old model looked nothing short of chic as she channelled a boho vibe with a slightly sheer paisley print blouse and flattering midi skirt. Stunning: Erika Heynatz looked nothing short of chic as she attended the Tigerlily runway show held as part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Carriageworks on Monday Erika's statement blouse teased a hint of cleavage and showcased her incredible figure, thanks to its ruched fitted bodice. Highlighting her frame further, the former America's Next Top Model host added a chunky leather belt around her waist and elongated her pins with a stylish pair of studded peep-toe heels. Erika carried her essentials in a large white leather clutch she toted under one arm and added a pop of colour to her outfit with a bright red pedicure. Stylish: The 44-year-old model flaunted her credentials as she posed up a storm in a paisley print blouse and flattering midi skirt that made sure to show off her enviable frame She wore her lightened locks down and sported a flawless make-up look that came complete with bronzed hues and a natural lip. Flaunting her modelling credentials, Erika posed up a storm and flashed a smile on her arrival to the catwalk show, where she joined the likes of Tammy Ingham, Jasmine Stefanovic and Jade Tuncdoruk. The showcase marked boho designer Tigerlily's return to Australia Fashion Week after a 17-year hiatus and chose to debut a slightly different style this time round. Tigerlily CEO Chris Buchanan told AAP it was the 'best time' for Tigerlily's return, as the label is gearing up for its 20th anniversary in the next few years. Model behaviour: Erkia elongated her catwalk-worthy pins with a pair of studded heels and left her lightened locks down while sporting a flawless yet natural make-up look Erika, meanwhile, was in the zone as she stepped out for the seven-day fashion event held in partnership with Mercedes-Benz. 'The very serious business of Fashion week,' she told her Instagram followers while sharing a snap of her posing in the sunshine ahead of her appearance at the event. Erika kickstarted her career presenting Australia's Next Top Model and The Hot House, before embarking on a singing career and releasing her debut single Kingdom in 2010. She has since appeared in Home and Away and starred on the soap in 2015 as school teacher Charlotte King. Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch HRW Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the United Nations Security Councils decision to hold an informal meeting on Cameroon on May 13, 2019 gives momentum to international efforts to address the human rights crisis in the countrys Anglophone regions, calling for sanctions against those fanning the flames in the restive area. In the follow-up to this meeting, Human Rights Watch proposes that the UN Security Council should make Cameroon a formal item on its agenda and press authorities to investigate members of the security forces alleged to have carried out killings and destruction of property and prosecute those responsible. It should also publicly announce to armed separatist groups that their leaders will be held responsible for serious crimes committed by their fighters. The council should consider imposing targeted sanctions against high-level people from both sides who bear responsibility for serious abuses, HRW says. Security Council members should call on the government of Cameroon and leaders of armed separatist groups to end abuses against civilians in the Anglophone regions and hold those responsible for abuse accountable, said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. This meeting is an opportunity to remind abusers that the world is watching. Since late 2016, deadly violence has gripped the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, claiming the lives of 1,800 people and forcing half a million to flee their homes, Human Rights Watch says. Among the most at-risk groups are people with disabilities and older people who have faced violent attacks, abandonment, forced displacement, and problems getting humanitarian assistance. The international human rights NGO reports that Government forces have killed scores of civilians, torched hundreds of homes, and used torture and incommunicado detention with near total impunity. Armed separatists have assaulted and kidnapped dozens of people, including students and teachers, amid increasing attacks and growing calls for secession of the North-West and South-West regions. Since late April, Human Rights Watch says it has documented more abuses, including killings and burning of homes. On April 19, a stray bullet fired by soldiers killed a 72-year-old woman in her house in Mamfe, South-West region. Her son told Human Rights Watch that soldiers raided the neighborhood and started shooting indiscriminately: Everyone fled, but my mother was too old to run. As she was near the window, a bullet went through and hit her on the right side of the chest. She died on the way to the hospital. On April 23, armed separatists killed Adam Assana, a gendarme, in Muyuka, South-West region. His body was found decapitated and dismembered the following day along the Muyuka-Kumba road. A local resident told Human Rights Watch: He was not on duty. His car was stopped at an Amba [separatist] checkpoint. When he was identified as a gendarme, he was kidnapped and killed. The separatists had pierced his mouth with a wooden stick. Their report reads: On April 25, violence erupted in Bamenda, North-West region, after armed separatists dropped a human head, allegedly belonging to a soldier, at the Hospital Roundabout. Security forces responded by shooting along Commercial Avenue, forcing people to flee. A social worker from Bamenda told Human Rights Watch: We heard gunshots by the soldiers from all angles. We had to lie on the floor for hours. Accounts from a dozen residents and videos show that soldiers broke into deserted shops. On April 27, soldiers from the Rapid Intervention Battalion stormed a health center in Wum, North-West region, looking for wounded separatists and beat some of the medical staff. A female nurse who was hit on her head and jaw said: As they didnt find any boys [separatists] they started beating us. I was hit so bad that I could not eat or swallow. The health center remained closed until May 9. On April 28, armed separatists kidnapped a 42-year-old man in Sabongari, North-West region. Witnesses and residents told Human Rights Watch that the man had gone to the separatists camp l4 kilometers from Sabongari to negotiate the release of a traditional chief who had been abducted. He went there and was taken hostage instead, while the chief was released, a resident said. The man managed to escape on May 8. On April 30, soldiers killed a 16-year-old boy in Kikaikelaki village, North-West region. Three witnesses said that the security forces entered the village with military vehicles, including at least three armored cars, and started to shoot indiscriminately, causing people to run away. Three witnesses and two family members told Human Rights Watch that soldiers shot him in the leg as he tried to flee, then executed him at a nearby roundabout. They first shot him in the leg and then carried him to their vehicle, one resident said. They dropped him at the Tsenla roundabout and killed him with a bullet in the head. We buried him the same day at the Presbyterian church. Security forces also burned down and looted 11 homes in Kikaikelaki. A man whose home was torched told Human Rights Watch: When the military came, I hid for safety. I watched them steal gallons of fuel from a store and set my entire compound on fire. All I had is gone. The recent violence is part of an increase in attacks on civilians since the beginning of 2019. Further human rights violations are likely if the government does not rein in its forces and armed separatist leaders do not give clear instructions to their fighters to stop abuse, Human Rights Watch said. The informal Security Council meeting comes after months of international condemnation of the violence unfolding in the Anglophone regions, including by the UN high commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. The Cameroon government denied a Human Rights Watch researcher entry to the country on April 12, two days after Human Rights Watch published a short report on a deadly attack by soldiers, gendarmes, and members of the Rapid Intervention Battalion on a village in the North-West region. Bachelet visited Cameroon last week and raised the lack of access for both international and national human rights activists and humanitarian agencies. Cameroons move to block a human rights researcher and observers shows its determination to conceal its brutality, Mudge said. The UN Security Council should encourage the country to allow access to international human rights organizations and cooperate with them. Advertisement Beloved by the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Angelina Jolie, Santorini is fast becoming the go-to celebrity haunt as stars flock to the Greek island for sunshine, breathtaking views and the ultimate luxury experience. The picturesque destination has everything you need to unwind in a 5* setting, without missing out on the islands rugged natural beauty and rich heritage. If youre searching for a getaway fit for a star, check out the Canaves Oia Epitome hotel, the newest addition to the Luxury Resorts Collection group, carved into the cliffside on the northern tip of Santorini. The boutique hotel group favoured by the likes of Peter Andre and Lucy Mecklenburgh offers everything you need, whether youre looking for a romantic, honeymoon experience or are keen for some solo R&R. Luxury escape to Santorini: If youre searching for a getaway fit for a star, check out the Canaves Oia Epitome hotel, the newest addition to the Luxury Resorts Collection group INSTAGRAM-WORTHY VIEWS Peter Andre is a big fan of Canaves Oia, having honeymooned at the Canaves Oia Suites with wife Emily MacDonagh in 2015 and the couple loved it so much they returned for a second getaway two years later. The Suites have also played host to fitness guru Lucy Mecklenburgh, who shared countless snaps of her idyllic views and poolside antics. The former TOWIE star even confirmed her romance with Corrie star Ryan Thomas at the venue when they posted near identical pictures of their luxury getaway together. And its no surprise the views are unbeatable. Epitome is the islands only hotel to offer both sea and sunset views from the privacy of each room plus all the deluxe comforts youd expect from a 5* hotel. Famous fans: Peter Andre is a big fan of Canaves Oia and spent his 2015 honeymoon in Santorini with wife Emily MacDonagh and the couple loved it so much they returned for a second getaway two years later Living it up: Fitness fanatic Lucy Mecklenburgh has also holidayed with the hotel group, sharing countless snaps of her idyllic views and poolside antics Nestled on the more peaceful northern side of the island in the village of Oia, youll be able to enjoy the unspoilt scenery from the vantage point of your very own infinity pool. The new destination certainly doesnt disappoint; with accommodation ranging from one-bedroom villas to five-person luxury apartments, every room boasts a spacious living area, king-sized bedroom, waterfall shower and your very own private terrace and pool away from prying eyes. Canaves literally translates as house carved into the rock and the hotels rustic stone walls give the venue a traditional feel. With bi-fold doors opening up onto your sea-view terrace, youll feel like a star as you wake up overlooking the Aegean sea, making for a picture perfect snapshot. VIP experience: Santorini is fast becoming the go-to celebrity haunt as stars flock to the Greek island for sunshine, stunning views and the ultimate luxury experience Picturesque: With bi-fold doors opening up onto your sea-view terrace, youll feel like a star as you wake up overlooking the Aegean sea, making for a picture perfect snapshot 5* PAMPERING Live your best life with an indulgent spa session, the perfect way to unwind after a day of exploring and sunbathing. For the ultimate VIP experience, pop into the Canaves Spa at the Suites, nestled deep inside 17th century caves which were used to store and produce wine 400 years ago. The hotel has completely repurposed the space and its vaulted ceilings and winding underground passages now give the venue an intimate charm. Highlights include their Rasul treatment, combining mineral muds, fresh fruit extracts and fragrant herbs to coax you into a state of bliss. Private pool: Nestled on the more peaceful northern side of the island in the village of Oia, youll be able to enjoy the unspoilt scenery from the vantage point of your very own infinity pool Spa time: For the ultimate VIP experience, pop into the Canaves Spa at the Suites, nestled deep inside 17th century caves which were used to store and produce wine 400 years ago A 55-minute deep tissue massage will set you back 135, worth it for the personalised experience and attentive staff. Combine this with sitting poolside at one of the islands most Instagrammable infinity pools, cocktail in hand, and youll leave totally relaxed. You can also choose to have an in-room pampering session at Epitome, making for a luxurious afternoon. Its got to be said the staff are incredibly welcoming and our hotel experience was enriched by their kindness. Catering to your every need, youll feel like a star as you sip on a bottle of bubbly room service while watching the sun go down. Relaxing in style: Live your best life with an indulgent spa experience, the perfect way to unwind after a day of exploring and sunbathing GOURMET WINING AND DINING If you're after Instagram-worthy views, make sure you dine at Epitome's Elements restaurant, offering privacy and a romantic, candlelit setting. The menu is varied, catering to diners seeking a traditional Greek culinary experience with plenty of fresh seafood and Souvlaki, as well as those looking for a fresh twist on restaurant staples (the lemon risotto was delicious and creamy). Our second night, we were treated to a feast at the newly-opened wing of the restaurant, made a memorable experience thanks to chefs rustling up gourmet appetisers in front of your table. Think foie gras coated in popping candy chocolate and cheese souffles. You cant travel to Santorini and not sample the local Assyrtiko wine, made from a type of grape indigenous to the island, grown in the volcanic ash-rich soil. Sunset views: Experience Instagram-worthy views at The Elements restaurant overlooking the main infinity pool Treat for the tastebuds: The menu is varied, catering to diners seeking a traditional Greek culinary experience with plenty of fresh seafood and Souvlaki, as well as those looking for a fresh twist on restaurant staples Vineyard tours are a popular way to sample the local white, cultivated via Kouloura, a method of training vines to form round baskets on the ground. Epitomes in-house sommelier was very helpful and happy to recommend home-grown wines to suit your tastes. The culinary highlight? Unquestionably the breakfast, served either to your private terrace or in the breezy, pool-facing dining room. Youre given a range of courses, comprising eggs (the cheese omelette is a must-have), a Greek pastry (we tried leek pie and spinach and feta) and a basket of freshly-baked pastries and bread. The juice is fresh and the refills are plentiful. Famous faces: The likes of Beyonce and The Kardashians have toured the island in the past and you shouldnt miss out on the opportunity of exploring beautiful Santorini, VIP style FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCES With the likes of Beyonce and The Kardashians famously touring the island in the past, you definitely shouldnt miss out on the opportunity of exploring Santorini, VIP style. The coastal town of Oia is perched up high on the edge of the Caldera; a striking, cauldron-like hollow caused by a volcanic eruption. Take a stroll around the boutique-lined streets to the charming port of Ammoudi to see Santorinis multicoloured beaches and famous blue-domed churches first hand. If you have time, stop off at the bustling capital of Fira or take a trip to the ruins of Oia Castle, known for its sunset views. It couldnt have been more convenient to see the sights of the island as Epitome provides a speedy on-call shuttle service, ferrying you around in luxury. Beautiful scenery: The coastal town of Oia is perched up high on the edge of the Caldera; a striking, cauldron-like hollow caused by a volcanic eruption A visit to Santorini wouldnt be complete without a scenic boat trip, sunning yourself on board a luxury yacht while enjoying the beauty of the island from the sea. We hopped on board a group trip, but there are experiences to suit every budget, including a private catamaran for a true A-list vibe. Stopping off at all the major viewpoints, youll be able to snorkel to a private beach, splash around in the hot springs and discover how locals live on remote parts of the island. This was rounded off with a delicious on board barbecue and cold beverages, sipping a chilled glass of white wine on the prow of the boat. It's not hard to see why Santorini is so popular with the rich and famous - and the trip definitely felt like a glimpse of the A-list action. He fuelled romance speculation as he stepped out with a stunning woman earlier this month, who is a dead ringer for his former partner Kylie Jenner. And Tyga did little to quash the rumours as he joined his girlfriend, Instagram model Amanda Trivizas, at E11EVEN Miami's official Rolling Loud afterparty on Sunday evening. The Ayo hitmaker, 29, appeared to be in his element as he took to the stage to perform a series of his latest hits, alongside a series of scantily-clad dancers. Close: Tyga did little to quash the rumours of a new relationship as he joined girlfriend Amanda Trivizas at E11EVEN Miami's official Rolling Loud afterparty on Sunday Ensuring he stood out from the crowd of revellers, the award-winning rapper donned a bright red tracksuit, tied in with a pair of platform canvas trainers. The musician, who shares six-year-old son King Cairo with ex Blac Chyna, looked every inch the superstar as he accessorised with designer square-framed sunglasses, and wore his tresses in a twisted 'do. Amanda sizzled as she slipped her sensational figure into a pair of multi-patterned jeans, teamed with a plunging pink bodysuit to highlight her ample bust. Raucous: The Ayo hitmaker, 29, appeared to be in his element as he took to the stage to perform a series of his latest hits, alongside a series of scantily-clad dancers Bold: Ensuring he stood out from the crowd of revellers, the award-winning rapper donned a bright red tracksuit, tied in with a pair of platform canvas trainers All in the details: The musician looked every inch the superstar as he accessorised with designer square-framed sunglasses, and wore his tresses in a twisted 'do Amanda - who sported brunette locks earlier this month - showcased her newly-dyed blue tresses, which she styled into loose waves. Captivating the clubgoers, Compton native Tyga pranced around the stage with a bevy of dancers, who were dressed in scanty underwear and crop tops. MailOnline has contacted Tyga's representatives for further comment. He recently sparked speculation that has dating someone new, after UrbanIslandz reported he had jetted to Jamaica with a mystery companion. Praised: The Make It Nasty hitmaker - real name Micheal Ray Stevenson - has been celebrating the success of his hit single Taste Ooh-la-la: Captivating the clubgoers, Compton native Tyga pranced around the stage with a bevy of dancers, who were dressed in scanty underwear and crop tops Cheeky: The father-of-one was in great spirits as he watched the dances work their magic on stage A bit tired? He appeared a little worn out as he greeted eager fans following his performance What's your relationship status? He fuelled romance speculation as he stepped out with Amanda earlier this month, who is a dead ringer for his ex Kylie Jenner (pictured together) The rapper dated Kylie Jenner from 2014 until April 2017, when the couple finally called it quits as she felt 'too young' to be in a serious relationship. Since then the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has been dating Travis Scott, with the couple welcoming daughter Stormi in February last year. In February it was claimed that Tyga had 'hooked up' with Australian influencer Tammy Hembrow at the Rolling Loud Festival in Sydney on January 2, and was then spotted backstage at his Brisbane concert shortly afterwards. A source told Daily Mail Australia that Tammy was 'following' Tyga around the country for his entire tour, adding that they were '100 per cent together'. New lady? Tyga recently sparked speculation that has dating someone new, after it was reported he had jetted to Jamaica with a mystery female companion It's over: The Far Away hitmaker dated KUWTK star Kylie on and off for three years before the couple finally called it quits in April 2017 'They travelled up to Brisbane separately and hooked up again later on,' the insider claimed. She's basically doing his whole Australian tour with him.' But just days later Tammy seemed to confirm she was completely single, as she took to Instagram on Valentines Day to confirm she would be celebrating the day alone. The Make It Nasty hitmaker - real name Micheal Ray Stevenson - has been celebrating the success of his hit single Taste. Tyga's hip hop track peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the artist's first entry on the Hot 100 in three years. He was recently named as the worlds highest-paid actor. And George Clooney continued his movie-star commitments as he arrived to the photocall for his new mini series Catch-22 at The Space Moderno Cinema in Rome, Italy on Monday. The Hollywood star, 58, who was without his stunning wife Amal, was typically dapper in a slick suit and crisp white shirt. Handsome: George Clooney, 58, arrived to the photocall for his new mini series Catch-22 at The Space Moderno Cinema in Rome, Italy on Monday The silver fox commanded attention as he took to the red carpet in his stylish attire, which he completed with a pair of shades. George appeared in high spirits as he chatted away while making his way to the event before he worked his poses for the camera. Early reviews were released for six-part military tale Catch-22 this week, and many journalist commending the adaptation on the 1961 novel by Joseph Heller. The Ocean's 11 star produces the new series, directs the first two episodes and also appears in the show as Lieutenant Scheisskopf. Hunk: The Hollywood star who was without his stunning wife Amal, was typically dapper in a slick suit and crisp white shirt Looking good: The silver fox commanded attention as he took to the red carpet in his stylish attire, which he completed with a pair of shades Happy days: George couldn't wipe the smile from his face during the event In his element: George appeared in high spirits as he chatted away while making his way to the event Catch-22 is set to be released in the United States on Hulu on May 17, 2019, while Channel 4 will air the show in the UK. This comes after George and Amal's wealth grew by 10million last year after he was named as the worlds highest-paid actor. The hot couple have a joint marital fortune of 270million, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. Stars: George was seen with his fellow co-star Giancarlo Giannin, who looked dapper in a tartan suit Great: Early reviews were released for six-part military tale Catch 22 earlier, and many journalist commending the adaptation on the 1961 novel by Joseph Heller - pictured with Christopher Abbott (M) and Kyle Chandler (R) L-R: Grant Heslov, Viola Pizzetti, George, Giovanni Stocchino, Domenico Cuomo, Giancarlo Giannini, Christopher Abbott, Kyle Chandler, Richard Brown, Tessa Ferrer and Ellen Kuras George has been paid $40million (31million) to appear in Nespresso coffee adverts around the world and made 173million from the sale of a tequila company he co-founded, Casamigos, in 2017. Amal meanwhile has made an estimated 2million from her incredibly successful career as a human rights barrister. Recently, George divulged new revelations about his twin children on the Ellen Degeneres Show. Making bank: This comes after George and Amal's wealth grew by 10million last year after he was named as the worlds highest-paid actor Figures: George has been paid $40million (31million) to appear in Nespresso coffee adverts around the world and made 173million from the sale of a tequila company he co-founded, Casamigos, in 2017 Impressive: Amal meanwhile has made an estimated 2million from her incredibly successful career as a human rights barrister (Pictured together in March) The actor and Casamigos founder started discussing his twins Alexander and Ella, who will turn two years old in June, revealing that Alexander is taller and they're both very different, despite being fraternal twins. 'They have their own personalities. He goes outside and hugs my car,' Clooney said, which got a laugh from the crowd. He went on to express his frustration that his son is starting to take after his 'very British wife' Amal, since he caught him saying zebra as 'zeh-bra.' 'They have their own personalities': Recently, George divulged new revelations about his twin children on the Ellen Degeneres Show Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio planned to bring Detective Chief Inspector Tony Gates 'back from the dead'. Lennie James, 53 - who portrayed the corrupt officer in the first season of the BBC crime drama - made the revelation as he attended the TV BAFTAs at London's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday evening. Speaking to Lorraine's Dan Wootton on the red carpet, the actor explained that show mastermind Mercurio had initially incorporated the bent DCI back into the series five script, before deciding to pull the scenes. Back from the dead? Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio planned to bring Detective Chief Inspector Tony Gates (pictured) 'back from the dead' Responding to fan theories claiming that Gates could appear in series six, Lennie said anything is possible, despite the police officer coming to a grisly end in the series one finale. He said: 'Every single time I see Jed he talks about how he's just written the scene that's brought me back to Line of Duty. 'Then the next time I see it, he said "yeah it was rubbish, so I got rid of it." Lennie elaborated to Digital Spy: 'God's honest truth, when I was filming Critical he came in one day and said, "I've just written a scene where Tony Gates comes back" and I was like, "yes, finally". Shock return: Lennie James, 53 - who portrayed the corrupt officer in the first season of the BBC crime drama - made the revelation as he attended the TV BAFTAs on Sunday (pictured) Suprise: Lennie told Dan: 'Every single time I see Jed he talks about how he's just written the scene that's brought me back to Line of Duty' 'And then he came in the next day and said, "I read it again and it was rubbish". 'That's what he does with people. So he might do it again, he might not, I don't know. You'll have to ask Jed...' Lennie starred as the head of the serious crime unit TO-20 in series one. Renowned for returning the best crime figures of any unit in Central Police, Gates faces an internal affairs investigation led by the unscrupulous commanding officer of AC-12, Ted Hastings. Making a comeback? Dan couldn't hide his excitement as he told Lorraine: 'He didn't rule it out' Coming back? The actor explained that show mastermind Mercurio had initially incorporated the bent DCI back into the series five script, before deciding to pull the scenes In the dramatic series finale, Gates threw himself under a moving lorry after the sordid details of his tangled home life caught up with him. Lennie's revelations come after Line Of Duty's fifth series came to a nail-biting end with a feature-length finale, that finally gave more details about the identity of H and revealed whether Superintendent Hastings was a 'bent copper.' The series has been it's most-watched yet with 9.6 million viewers tuning into the finale according to overnight figures, making it the most-watched show of 2019 so far. BBC has already renewed the police drama for a sixth series, though an insider recently told MailOnline writer Jed is yet to start penning the new series. On Monday night's episode of MasterChef, a guest judge Nigella Lawson set a familiar challenge for the contestants - a roast chicken dinner. But the resulting dishes left some fans online cold, with claims the chook being dished up was undercooked. Several contestants gave the judge succulent but admittedly pale-looking chicken, with many online used to seeing a far more bronzed bird. 'Is that chicken still alive?' During Sunday's episode of MasterChef Australia, fans were left horrified as contestants served guest judge Nigella Lawson (pictured) pink chicken Taking to Twitter, several fans of the reality cooking competition voiced their disdain. One person Tweeted: 'Is Abbey's chicken still alive?' after seeing Abbey Rose's roast dinner. Another took exception to the judges claiming the chicken dishes were 'well cooked' and had crispy skin. Beyond the pale! Several contestants gave the judge succulent but admittedly pale-looking chicken, with many online used to seeing a far more bronzed bird Looking good? Some took exception to the judges claiming the chicken dishes were 'well cooked' and had crispy skin 'How is that chicken well cooked, it's pale!' one horrified person at home wrote in all capitals. Yet one more fan chimed in: 'Why are the chickens so pale?' while another claimed the chicken was 'undercooked'. It wasn't the chook that saw Monica Mignone eliminated at the end of the episode. What's cooking? Taking to Twitter, several fans of the reality competition voiced their disdain Instead, the 27-year-old primary school teacher from Victoria came undone thanks to her gravy. Judge Gary Mehigan described 'an underlying bitterness' to her gravy as well as unimpressive potatoes. Monica departed the competition on Monday night, having wound up in the elimination round after her team had a disastrous relay challenge on Sunday. She took to Instagram to vent her frustrations at deciding to go on a two week holiday in Cyprus with her ex-boyfriend Terry. And Josie Gibson looked thoroughly relieved to be back on her home turf as she touched down in Bristol Airport on Saturday. The Big Brother star, 34, cut a casual figure in a grey cardigan and a Fendi baker boy hat as she pushed son Reggie, seven months, in a pram. Home sweet home: Josie Gibson looked thoroughly relieved to be back on her home turf as she touched down in Bristol Airport on Saturday after her Cyprus holiday with ex-boyfriend Terry Sporting a bronzed glow, Josie was still in holiday mode as she donned a pair of ripped denim dungarees and blue flip flops. Last week, Josie admitted on Instagram the family holiday hadn't been plain sailing. Sharing a video of herself scrunching up her face in anger, she captioned it: 'If a few seconds could capture what its like to go away with your ex this would be it. Its good for Reggie maybe not so good for me.' Beach babe: During her sun-soaked break, Josie showed off her incredible two stone weight loss as she shared a slew of bikini-clad snaps from the sun-soaked break Casually-clad: The Big Brother star, 34, cut a casual figure in a grey cardigan and a Fendi baker boy hat as she pushed her son Reggie, seven months Josie split from her boyfriend Terry earlier this year, claiming he ejected her from his home on New Year's Eve due to his OCD battle, leading to a lonely stint in a hotel with Reggie to ring in the new year. After sparking reaction from fans with the video of her venting her frustrations, she replied: 'I know this has opened up a bit of a debate but I chose to go away with Reggie's dad because I want Reg to know that we will always be a family. 'We may not be together but we are still a family whatever happens. He has a Mum and Dad that work together for him. Glowing: Sporting a bronzed glow, Josie was still in holiday mode as she donned a pair of ripped denim dungarees and blue flip flops 'I also wanted to take the opportunity to take lots of pictures because I have 1 picture of me and my Dad and if anything ever happened I want Reg to see how loved he is by both of us and have lots of captured loving memories which I email to him. 'I also get a bit of chill time to myself throughout the day and get to do my own thing for a few hours something I don't have at home when I have Reg through the week. I will say next time I am coming with the girls.' Josie also addressed her two stone weight loss after she shared a slew of bikini-clad snaps from the sun-soaked break. Last month, the reality star revealed she has lost two stone and three dress sizes in just 12 weeks after she 'lost control' over her eating habits during her pregnancy. Tough: Josie admitted the holiday hadn't been plain sailing. She wrote : 'If a few seconds could capture what its like to go away with your ex this would be it. Its good for Reggie maybe not so good for me' In a candid video from her holiday, the star said to her 125,000 followers: 'I am a girl. I breastfed a baby, my tits can get a bit saggy... 'I've got cellulite galore but I'm just working with what I've got and I bloody love it. It's made a baby and if you don't like it you can all kiss my fat a*s'. She then added a caption on the video reading: 'Yes I'd like to lose some more weight but I'm really proud of my weight loss with @dotheunthinkableuk but really I'm incredibly proud of my body in general... 'I'm not great to it sometimes but its always been good to me. It helped me grow a beautiful baby boy and I couldn't be more thankful to it so here's a big cheers to my body. 'Thanks mate here's also a big cheers to you and your body and everything it does for you. Cheers to working with what you got. #loveyourbody'. They've been dating for seven years, and Imogen Anthony has revealed she wants to take the next step in her relationship with Kyle Sandilands, 47. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph on Monday, the 28-year-old Instagram model said marriage is definitely on the cards for the couple. 'We talk about it all the time. We know that as soon as that happens it will be when is the wedding, when is the baby,' she told the publication. Talking marriage: They've been dating for seven years, and Imogen Anthony reveals she's finally ready to take the next step in her relationship with Kyle Sandilands And Imogen revealed it was another famous couple who has been inspiring them to take the plunge. 'We saw Jasmine and Karl [Stefanovic] on Sunday and they are so happy and glowing but we are taking our time,' she added. Imogen has been dating the radio shock jock since 2012, after meeting at Kyle's birthday party. Wedding bells: In an interview with The Daily Telegraph on Monday, the 28-year-old Instagram model confessed marriage is definitely on the cards for the couple 'We talk about it all the time. We know that as soon as that happens it will be when is the wedding, when is the baby,' she told The Daily Telegraph of marriage While at first glance they may seem like an unlikely couple, Imogen maintains they are actually soulmates. In a September interview with News.com.au, she claimed she and the 47-year-old media personality could never be apart. 'We are exactly the same person, just a male and female version 20 years apart,' she told the publication. Chance encounter: Imogen has been dating the radio shock jock since 2012, after meeting at Kyle's birthday party True love: While at first glance they may seem like an unlikely couple, Imogen maintains they are actually soulmates 'I dont think we could live without each other.' Kyle echoed this during a 2013 interview with Who magazine, where he called Imogen the 'love of his life'. 'If anything happened to her, I could never be with anyone else,' he said at the time. Katie Price has been 'dumped' by her 'mortified' boyfriend Kris Boyson. The glamour model, 40, is said to have 'embarrassed' the personal trainer, 30, 'beyond belief' after flashing her breasts and getting groped by a drag queen during a wild night of judging a Porn Idol competition on Thursday. Kris is now said to have called time on the couple's on-off year-long relationship and feels 'completely betrayed' by the mother-of-five's actions. Claims: Kris Boyson has reportedly dumped Katie Price for 'embarrassing him beyond belief' after her wild night out last week while judging Porn Idol A source told The Sun: 'Kris was mortified when he saw the pictures of Katie at the event and on Friday he decided he had enough. They had a furious row about it all and Kris called her tramp and told her she had embarrassed him beyond all belief. 'He admitted he was an idiot thinking she would ever change and has said he feels completely betrayed by her.' Although Kris 'stopped talking' to Katie, he is now believed to have jetted off to Turkey on a make-or-break holiday to see if they can work things out because they 'can't keep away from each other'. The source added: 'They have split up before and that time won't be last - but they can't keep away from each other. Katie knows that Kris loves the media attention and he has to complete on the filming schedule.' Was it something she said? The social media snub comes in the wake of the 40-year-old former glamour model's wild night out while judging Porn Idol, which saw her flash her breasts Katie is said to have been 'surprised' by her boyfriend's reaction to her behaviour and insisted 'a drag queen licking her nipples isn't cheating', adding that she was simply 'playing up for the crowd'. Katie is mother to Harvey, 16, from a relationship with Dwight Yorke. She has children Junior, 13 and Princess, 11, from her marriage to Peter Andre, and Jett, five, and Bunny, four, with estranged husband Kieran Hayler. She has married to Alex Reid from 2009-2011 and has also dated the likes of businessman Alex Adderson, sportsman, Danny Cipriani, Dane Bowers and Leandro Penna. MailOnline has contacted Katie Price's spokesperson for comment. The reports come after Kris apparently unfollowed the star on Instagram. According to The Sun, the personal trainer no longer follows the mum-of-five on her Instagram page. However, The Mirror states that the real reason Kris doesn't follow the blonde beauty is because he never followed her in the first place. Trouble in paradise? The reports come after Kris apparently unfollowed the star on Instagram, although it's unclear if he ever followed her in the first place It comes after Katie shocked with her worse for wear raucous display, as she let her hair down while judging the G-A-Y Porn Idol night at Heaven nightclub. A separate source told The Sun that mother-of-five Katie bragged shes been offered thousands to star in a porn movie and will pose naked for Playboy during her time at the event. The insider shared: 'She flashed everything and shouted about how amazing her new body was - she was pointing at her bits and bragging about how she could have made her own porn movies loads of times and made a fortune.' MailOnline has contacted Katie's representatives for further comment. The reality star appeared bleary-eyed during the night out, where she crowned the winner of the strip competition, flaunted her ample assets to the fun-loving crowd and had her nipple licked by a drag queen. Following some dedicated performances from the contestants, Katie gave a show of her own by singing a version of A Whole New World, which she first sang with her ex husband Peter Andre in 2006. Katie had been picked to adjudicate the weekly amateur strip night at the London club, where contestants compete for a celebrity judge. On stage Katie professionally judged the novice acts, holding hands with one nude amateur who had just given it their all for the crowd on stage. Another contestant, who was also completely naked by this point, hugged Katie around the waist as she addressed the crowd following his striptease. During her own performance Katie gave the audience a show of her own by giving the crowd a taste of her new single. While backstage things appeared to get even more rowdy, as she partied into the night with the club's drag queens, one of which posed with her hands on Katie's breasts as she lifted her jumper in the air. The amateur competition has previously been judged by the likes of Kerry Katona and Lily Allen, Stacey Solomon and her boyfriend Joe Swash. He announced his romance with co-star Kaitlyn in an interview with 9Honey on Sunday. And a day later, Lego Masters' Miller gushed about his new girlfriend on Nine's A Current Affair. 'I do remember seeing Kaitlyn and being like, 'Wow she's stunning,'' the 20-year-old said. 'I saw her and thought, she's stunning!' Lego Masters' Miller revealed on Monday's A Current Affair that he was always attracted to Kaitlyn (both pictured) Miller revealed that after Kaitlyn was eliminated on episode three, they socialised with their co-stars and from there, the relationship developed. 'We just hung out a bit more and it just kept going well,' he said. 'Here we are.' The university student was unaware the feeling was mutual, sharing with a laugh: 'I was very oblivious for a very long time.' Just a day prior, Miller spoke about how their unexpected relationship bloomed behind-the-scenes. No idea: The 20-year-old university student was unaware Kaitlyn felt the same: 'I was very oblivious for a very long time' The Lego enthusiast recalled to 9Honey: 'We were friends from when we first met and we'd hang out during free time in filming.' The pair went on a few outings together as friends, before he made the final move over a breakfast date. 'I leaned over the table and said, 'Kaitlyn, I've got to get something out the way. I want to make sure - is this a date?' and she said 'I guess it is now!'' Miller said. Into the final week: Lego fans Miller (right) and his friend Jordan, 19, (left) are still going strong in the highly-rated Channel Nine offering Miller and his friend Jordan, 19, are still going strong in the highly-rated Channel Nine offering but Kaitlyn and her friend Marielle, 28, have been eliminated. They were sent packing after disappointing Lego expert Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught with their under the sea TV build. 'The scale's all out of whack - I don't think you know what scale you're working with,' Ryan said before sending the design duo packing at the first opportunity. He has sold millions of records, from his award-winning days in Take That throughout his hugely successful solo career. And now Robbie Williams, 45, has revealed that his smash-hit song Angels is about his encounters with ghosts as a child, and explained that when he was as young as three years old, he would 'talk to dead people'. The pop star - who has previously detailed his experiences with extra terrestrials - went on to credit his 'belief' or 'semi belief' in the existence of 'something unseen' for his success. Angels! Robbie Williams, 45, has revealed that his hit song Angels is about his encounters with ghosts as a child, and explained that when as young as three, he would 'talk to dead people' Robbie told The Sun Online: 'The very first song I wrote was "Angels" and it's about actual Angels. People think it's about my mum or think it's about somebody I loved but it's actually about angels. That's been my biggest hit by far. Elsewhere in the interview he explained: 'When I was a kid I used to talk to dead people. I freaked my father out when I was three, four and five and they were people that had passed on. The Millennium crooner insisted that the many unexplained experiences which he has encountered over the years have 'influenced' his life and the path that he's on. He continued: 'The phenomena has been constant so there hasn't been a moment of my life when I haven't been aware of the presence of something unseen. The truth: Robbie told The Sun: 'The very first song I wrote was "Angels" and it's about actual Angels. People think it's about my mum or think it's about somebody I loved but it's actually about angels' Elsewhere in the interview he explained: 'When I was a kid I used to talk to dead people. I freaked my father out when I was three, four and five and they were people that had passed on' Unexplained: The Millennium crooner insisted that the many unexplained experiences which he has encountered over the years have 'influenced' his life and the path that he's on The Let Me Entertain You hitmaker also revealed that, as a child, in addition to talking to dead people he experienced lucid dreams and saw UFOs. The father-of-three confessed that while he used to refer to his sightings as 'ghosts', he doesn't anymore because he's now not sure what they were. The Rock DJ hitmaker - who has Teddy, six, Charlie, four, and eight-month-old Coco with his wife Ayda Field - insisted that if it wasn't for his 'belief' or 'semi belief' in paranormal activity, he wouldn't be as successful as he is. Always aware: He continued: 'The phenomena has been constant so there hasn't been a moment of my life when I haven't been aware of the presence of something unseen' Unexplained experiences: The Let Me Entertain You hitmaker also revealed that, as a child, in addition to talking to dead people he experienced lucid dreams and saw UFOs Ghosts: The father-of-three confessed that while he used to refer to his sightings as 'ghosts', he doesn't anymore because he's now not sure what they were Robbie also wrote the 2009 track 'Arizona' from his album 'Reality Killed the Video Star' about his alleged UFO sighting in the San Fernando Valley. The former Take That member explained that he was in the middle of a song-writing session about alien abduction when he looked up and saw a 'golden globe in the sky.' Last year, Robbie featured in the documentary 'Hunt For The Skinwalker' about Skinwalker Ranch in Utah, which has become one of the most famous paranormal spots in the world. Edith Kah Walla Archives Female political leader, Kah Walla has blamed the government of Cameroon for intensifying the ongoing Anglophone crisis through provocative actions and speeches, that send separatists wild. She was talking on The Inside, over Equinoxe TV this Sunday May 12, where she criticised Prime Minister Dion Ngute for revealing that the government was ready for dialogue, but with secession out of the table. I am someone who believes in United Cameroon but for peace to return, discussion must be with those asking for Secession. If you say secession is not on agenda, who then are you going to dialogue with, questioned Kah Walla The Stand Up For Cameroon(SUFC) activist said the ongoing violence would have been controlled, if government didnt initiate violence. Kah Walla and her movement have been at governments neck on several occasions to push these officials to end injustices in the country and stop embezzlement, amongst other ills. They have been arrested severally but it didnt stop her crew to hold its regular Black Friday campaign against these injustices. Recently she was threatened by some separatists for accusing them of sharing responsibilities of human rights violations in the English speaking regions. She blamed Amba boys for carrying out violent acts against same population, they claimed they were protecting. On the interview over Equinoxe, Kah Walla was reacting to Prime Minister, Dion Ngute's visit to the Anglophone regions, where he took along a message of peace and said President Paul Biya was ready to dialogue but not on secession. Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute put up a show in Bamenda which was not directed to solving the crisis, it was directed to the International Community which has been mounting pressure on the regime. She regretted that many had died in a war, several property destroyed and many displaced, which could have been controlled if the countrys governance system, wasnt disastrous. She testified that most people seeking secession came from the fact that they have been leaving in Cameroon for the past 60 years as second class citizens. She further stressed on the importance for a ceasefire, which to her remains a prerequisite for dialogue. Kah Walla in her recent outings has accused the government of misappropriating funds meant for the African Cup of Nations 2019, as well as violent actions which has led to the loss of lives in the Anglophone regions. To her, the United Nations Security council can impact a quick solution to the current crisis, by imposing a travel ban, seizure of assets of Cameroonian authorities. She has previously lent her striking good looks to Victoria's Secret. And Izabel Goulart looked undeniably stylish as she touched down at Nice Airport for the 72nd Annual Cannes Film Festival on Thursday. The model, 34, cut an incredibly chic figure in a floral embroidered beige-coloured suit which plunged down the middle to expose her bralet. Eyes on her: Izabel Goulart looked undeniably stylish as she touched own at Nice Airport for the 72nd Annual Cannes Film Festival on Thursday Nailing airport chic, Izabel wowed in the co-ord which boasted an intricate eye-catching collar. She toted all of her essentials in a studded white bag as she carted along her Louis Vuitton. Izabel looked every inch the a-lister with a pair of funky circular shades while accessorising with gold hoop earrings. Wow: The model, 34, cut an incredibly chic figure in a floral embroidered beige-coloured suit which plunged down the middle to expose her bralet Nailing airport chic: Izabel wowed in the co-ord which boasted an intricate eye-catching collar Izabel's sensational chestnut coloured locks billowed in the wind, and she completed the look with a sensational coat of make-up. The beauty was last seen putting on a very racy display for the Rio Carnival in Brazil. Izabel had returned to her home country just two weeks after she enjoyed a break in Paris with her fiance Kevin Trapp. Babe: She toted all of her essentials in a studded white bag as she carted along her Louis Vuitton Star: Izabel looked every inch the a-lister with a pair of funky circular shades while accessorising with gold hoop earrings Glam: Izabel's sensational chestnut coloured locks billowed in the wind, and she completed the look with a sensational coat of make-up The couple's love story goes back to when they first started dating in 2016. However, the couple have kept their romance fairly low-key in the limelight. The lovebirds very happily announced their engagement in July last year during their romantic break to Mykonos, Greece. Bryce Dallas Howard has spoken openly about her battle with postpartum depression while discussing the trials and tribulations of motherhood. Speaking in the new issue of BALANCE magazine, the actress revealed that after her first child Theodore, now 12, was born in 2007 she expected nothing less than an 'euphoric experience' - but instead was left struggling with her mental health. The Jurassic Park star, 38, even recalled a friend at the time had told her 'she wasn't depressed, she just wasn't a natural mother' - even though 'something giant had shifted out of her control.' 'Painful': Bryce Dallas Howard, 38, has spoken openly about her battle with postpartum depression while discussing the trials and tribulations of motherhood Bryce, who will soon be seen in the new Rocketman movie, is a mother to 12-year-old Theo and seven-year-old Beatrice with her husband Seth Gabel. However, Bryce has been vocal in previous years when it comes to discussing her battle with Postpartum depression. And Bryce detailed her time in her life further, as she revealed: 'I had someone tell me when I was super-depressed and trying my f***ing hardest with Theo, before I read books, before I looked it up online and before I began to come to terms with the fact that something giant has shifted out of my control and my life would never be the same I had someone literally tell me: "No, Bryce. Youre not depressed. Youre just not a natural mother." Going on to reveal that the 'negative' friend has since been removed from her life, Bryce admitted that her mental health battle came as a shock. Struggles: The actress revealed that after her first child Theodore, now 12, was born she expected nothing less than an 'euphoric experience' - but instead was left struggling with her mental health - Pictured in 2011 while pregnant with second child Shock: The Jurassic Park star recalled a friend at the time had told her 'she wasn't depressed, she just wasn't a natural mother' - even though 'something giant had shifted out of her control' 'I really had no reason to believe that it would be anything other than this euphoric experience. Yes, I knew I would be tired and that it would be hard and painful, but I did not think that I was going to struggle with mental health to the degree that I did,' she admitted. In 2015, Bryce confessed that she had returned to work two weeks after giving birth to Theo to work to promote her film, Spider-Man 3. Speaking to Sunday Life, she stated that it was 'crazy' to be on the red carpet while she was still bleeding from stitches. 'I thought it would be euphoric': Going on to reveal that the 'negative' friend has since been removed from her life, Bryce admitted that her mental health battle came as a shock Candid: Bryce has been vocal in previous years when it comes to discussing her battle with Postpartum depression. Pictured 2011 But with her husband Seth's compassion and support, she came out the other side and five-years-later fell pregnant again with their second child, a daughter Beatrice. Bryce met her husband Seth while attending NYU in 2001 and the pair dated for five years before marrying in June 2006. The actress started filming for Elton John's biopic, Rocketman, in August last year. She plays the role of Elton's mother Bernie in the upcoming film, which is set to be released in the UK on 24 May and in the US on 31 May. Katie Holmes was spotted yawning during a shopping trip in New York City over Mother's Day weekend. The 40-year-old was also makeup-free as she held onto two shopping bags. This comes only five days after she shocked fans by posing at the Met Gala with her beau Jamie Foxx. Busy week: A few days after her Met Gala appearance, Katie Holmes was spotted yawning during a shopping trip in New York City over Mother's Day weekend The Batman Begins star wore a lace white blouse with a pleated bronze skirt, slipping into a cream knit cardigan and a pair of brown shoes. Sweeping her hair partly up into a bun, the ex-wife of Tom Cruise accessorized with a couple of necklaces and a rust-colored leather purse. To mark Mother's Day on Sunday, Katie posted a black and white Instagram snap of 'My beautiful parents' Marty and Kathy, a lawyer and housewife, both still living. On the move: The 40-year-old wore a lace white blouse with a pleated bronze skirt, slipping into a cream knit cardigan and a pair of brown shoes The Dawson's Creek alumna hit the pink carpet at the camp-themed Met Gala last Monday in a space alien chic purple gown by Zac Posen. After posing for the cameras with the designer of her outfit, Katie got snapped inside event with her dashing Oscar-winner boyfriend Foxx. The actress initially began dating Tom in 2005, and seven weeks into the relationship, they were engaged. City girl: Sweeping her hair partly up into a bun, the ex-wife of Tom Cruise accessorized with a couple of necklaces and a rust-colored leather purse Their Scientologist wedding was held at the Castello Orsini-Odescalchi in Bracciano in November 2006, seven months after their daughter Suri was born. There were rumors that Katie's family disapproved of Tom, but she dismissed the conjecture as 'c**p' to Vanity Fair in 2006, insisting that 'it's really frustrating.' Katie filed in 2012 for a divorce that was finalized only 10 days later, with Suri's mother retaining primary custody, though Tom could visit, according to People. Loving daughter: To mark Mother's Day on Sunday, Katie posted a black and white Instagram snap of 'My beautiful parents' Marty and Kathy, a lawyer and housewife, both still living Ron Miscavige, father of Scientology leader David Miscavige, told the MailOnline in 2016 that Katie's misgivings about Scientology - including the effect it could have on Suri - contributed to her decision to leave Tom. Katie and Jamie only went public as a couple in late 2017, though there had been speculation they were an item since 2013. There was a swirl of rumors that Katie's divorce agreement prohibited her from publicly dating anyone for five years after the split with Tom. Royal purple: The Dawson's Creek alumna hit the pink carpet at the camp-themed Met Gala last Monday in a space alien chic purple gown by Zac Posen (left) Katie has only been married the once, but Tom had previously tried matrimony with Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman. Katie's career has been thriving and she has several new movies ready for release. She has filmed the TV movie No Apologies in which she will play Hazel Otis. And she is in post production on three movies: Brahms: The Boy II, The Secret and Coda. Last year the brunette had a role as herself in the caper Ocean's Eight with Sandra Bullock. She's rumoured to have re-coupled with series three Love Island star Theo Campbell. And Kaz Crossley, 25, hit back at her ex-boyfriend Josh Denzel, 27, after he hinted that she moved on three weeks after they split up. Josh began by commenting on a post, which stated: 'Girls that move on before it's been 3 years after a break up.' Exes at war: Kaz Crossley hit back at her Love Island ex Josh Denzel after he hinted that she moved on three weeks after they split up He wrote: 'Three years? How about three weeks?!' Tagging his Love Island pal Jack Fowler he wrote: 'Ffs man.' However, after seeing her exes comments, Kaz took to Instagram to make a dig herself by screenshotting the original post. She joked: 'Ppl move so brave after they've blocked you.' Cosy dinner: Kaz and Theo Campbell sent the rumour mill into overdrive when they were spotted out last week. Kaz pictured with the series three star on a dinner date on Thursday Kaz and Josh met on Love Island last summer, however their brief relationship came to an end in January after six months of dating. 'Sometimes things dont go the way you planned, but you have to be grateful for the journey. Thank you for everything especially showing me how to love myself again,' Kaz announced on her Instagram. However, Kaz sparked speculation that she was dating Theo after they shared a cute snap of just the two of them while away with friends in Thailand last month. The picture in question showed Kaz and Theo on a sun-kissed path in Chiang Mai as they stopped to stroke an adorable dog. Sly dig: Josh commented: 'Three years? How about three weeks?!' His Love Island girlfriend Kaz made a dig as she joked: 'Ppl move so brave after they've blocked you.' The snap itself appeared innocent enough, however, Stephen Bear, clocked chemistry between the pair as he commented: 'What an amazing couple.' And the pair sent the rumour mill into overdrive as they put on a very cosy display when leaving Georgia Harrison's GHX Style launch party last week. Kaz and Theo were later spotted grinning from ear to ear following a cosy dinner on Thursday at sushi restaurant, Syon Lounge, in London. The pair are yet to publicly confirm that they are dating. Secret lovers: Kaz sparked speculation that she was dating Theo after they shared a cute snap of just the two of them while away with friends in Thailand last month However, it seems that Josh is currently enjoying single life as he jetted on a luxurious trip to the Maldives on Sunday with his Love Island pals Wes Nelson, 21, and Jack Fowler, 23. The presenter joked that the trio were reuniting the infamous 'Do Bits Society' as they posed for a photo in the crystal clear Indian Ocean. He wrote: 'The DBS has touched down in the Maldives.' Lads holiday: Josh is currently enjoying single life as he jetted on a luxurious trip to the Maldives on Sunday with his Love Island pals Wes Nelson and Jack Fowler Josh later shared a video showing newly single Wes sporting a red pair of swimming shorts with the 'DBS' local emblazoned on the side. 'DBS meetings have been getting very serious. 11 months to catch up on,' he captioned the clip. Wes is currently single after splitting from long-term Love Island girlfriend Megan Barton Hanson in January following his stint on Dancing On Ice. Meanwhile, despite attempting to find love on Celebs Go Dating earlier this year, Jack has remained single since splitting from Laura Crane in September after less than two months of dating. She has been loved-up with former Ibiza Weekender star Alex Dean for two months. And Samira Mighty turned up the heat with her latest racy Instagram post, with her Love Island co-star Dani Dyer commenting that 'happiness looks so good' on her. The reality star, 22, looked sensational in the snap, donning a pink lace teddy that showed off her lithe figure. Stunning: Samira Mighty turned up the heat with her latest racy Instagram post Styling her raven locks into loose waves, Samira completed her look with a bright pink lip. Samira responded to her friend Dani's comment, writing: 'oh my girlll, ly xxx'. Alex, 24, and Samira have been seen together several times in the last few months. They were first spotted in each other's company in March when they locked lips as they departed a hotel together in London. Romance: Samira has been dating Alex Dean of Ibiza Weekender for several weeks Pal: Her Love Island co-star Dani Dyer commented on the snap, saying: 'Happiness looks so good on you' Trip: They recently enjoyed a sun-kissed holiday together to Crete where they stayed at the luxurious Sea Side Resort & Spa They recently enjoyed a sun-kissed holiday together to Crete where they stayed at the luxurious Sea Side Resort & Spa. It comes after Samira recently had a health scare upon finding a lump on her breast, leading her to fear she may have cancer. The reality star revealed her co-star Dr Alex George, 28, encouraged her to get checked out after a three-centimetre growth reappeared last year. The former West End performer - whose mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 - first discovered the lump when she was 19, but was shocked to feel it again when she was in the shower in 2018. After visiting the doctor, Samira was relieved to be told it was benign growth called fibroadenoma. Game Of Thrones fans were sent into a frenzy over the Line Of Duty crossover as viewers spotted Laura Elphinstone saving Ayra Stark in dramatic episode five. Earlier this week, Laura stepped into the shoes of DI Michelle Brandyce in the 90 minute Line Of Duty finale where she was sacked. Just days later, the actress transformed into an innocent in King's Landing who saved Arya (Maisie Williams) before she was burned alive in Game Of Thrones. Double take: Game Of Thrones viewers went wild for Line Of Duty crossover on Sunday as fans spotted actress Laura Elphinstone saving Arya Stark in explosive episode five Among the fans on social media, one wrote: 'In one week, across Line Of Duty, Chernobyl and Game Of Thrones, this woman has been sacked, been in the middle of a nuclear explosion and burnt alive. Talk about big break...' In Game Of Thrones, Laura played a notable cameo role as she pulled Arya out of the stampede to ensure she wasn't engulfed by the dragon's flames. Her heroic character touched the heart of the feisty Stark who tried to return the favor when the dragon continued its reign of terror over King's Landing. However, Laura's unnamed character found herself unable to continue her escape and she was burnt alive. Amazing achievement: Social media was awash with gushing compliments from fans who were impressed with the actress landing cameos in two of the biggest shows As if the two hottest shows of the moment Line Of Duty and Game Of Thrones weren't enough, Laura also made an appearance in Chernobyl in the same week. Social media was awash with gushing compliments from fans who were impressed with the actress landing cameos in two of the biggest shows. Others added: 'Imagine having notable guest roles in the two most talked about shows on UK TV - #LineofDuty and #GameofThrones in the space of a week AND your second name sounds like an enchanted gem. Laura Elphinstone is #winning.' Shock: In Game Of Thrones, Laura played a notable cameo role as she pulled Arya out of the stampede to ensure she wasn't engulfed by the dragon's flames 'Me battling conflicting emotions after seeing the same person try to frame ted in line of duty one week and then save Arya Stark in game of thrones the week after #GOTS8E5 #GameofThrones #aryastark #lineofduty #ted #motherofgod.' 'Who is this actress? Shes been in Line of Duty, Chernobyl and Game of Thrones this week alone. Im glad youre getting work, hun.' 'Loved the #LineOfDuty #GameofThrones crossover @lauraelph.' Attempt: Her heroic character touched the heart of the feisty Stark who tried to return the favor when the dragon continued its reign of terror over King's Landing 'Harshest police transfer in history! @GameOfThrones @bbc #LineOfDuty #GamefThrones.' 'Anyone else notice the actress out of Line of Duty? Carmichael told her to have her resignation on her desk in the morning and the week later she is in Kings Landing! #GameofThrones.' 'Oh, I was gonna mention...someones cameo #LineOfDuty #GameOfThrones.' She's currently in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit battle against ex husband Johnny Depp. And Amber Heard brushed aside her personal woes as she arrived in Nice, France, on Monday afternoon, ahead of the The 2019 Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off on Tuesday. The 33-year-old actress displayed her typically stylish fashion sense as she rocked a classic white crop top, putting her enviably toned abs on display. Busy bee: Amber Heard brushed aside her ongoing lawsuit battle against ex husband Johnny Depp as she arrived in Nice, France, on Monday afternoon, ahead of the The 2019 Cannes Film Festival Upping the style ante, the Justice League star finished off her ensemble with a pair of light-wash skinny jeans and a multi-coloured jacket, embellished with fluffy tassels. The Hidden Palms actress took a walk on the wild side as she boosted her physique in a pair of suede animal print ankle boots. Amber maintained her chic appearance with her choice of accessories as she wore red-tinted circular shades, a selection of gold jewellery, and toted a chain-strap handbag by YSL. The Texan beauty swept her blonde tresses into a braided updo, and complemented her porcelain complexion with neutral-toned make-up. Looking good: The 33-year-old actress displayed her typically stylish fashion sense as she rocked a classic white crop top, putting her enviably toned abs on display All in the details: Upping the style ante, the Justice League star finished off her ensemble with a pair of light-wash skinny jeans and a multi-coloured jacket, embellished with fluffy tassels The 2019 Cannes Film Festival takes place at the iconic Palais des Festivals from Tuesday until May 25. Actress Elle Fanning, French graphic novelist Enki Bilal and the Oscar-nominated director of The Favourite, Yorgos Lanthimos, will be among jury members during the annual event. Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu will preside over the panel that decides on prizes, including the top Palme D'Or award. Standing tall: The Hidden Palms actress took a walk on the wild side as she boosted her physique in a pair of suede animal print ankle boots All in the details: Amber maintained her chic appearance with her choice of accessories as she wore red-tinted circular shades and a selection of gold jewellery Upcoming event: The 2019 Cannes Film Festival takes place at the iconic Palais des Festivals from Tuesday until May 25 The jury for the festival's 72nd edition will also include Pawel Pawlikowski, the Polish filmmaker and screenwriter named best director at Cannes last year for the impossible love story Cold War. The screen star's time in Cannes comes amid her ongoing $50million defamation lawsuit battle against her former husband Johnny Depp, who she was married to from 2015 till 2017. Amber is being called to give even more evidence on her messy divorce from actor Johnny, 55, according to the latest filing in one of the Pirate of the Caribbean star's ongoing legal battles, exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com. Personal life: The screen star's time in Cannes comes amid her ongoing $50million defamation lawsuit battle against her former husband Johnny Depp Separation: Amber is being called to give even more evidence on her messy divorce from the actor Footage: There were 10 more videos released from her August 2016 deposition in which she detailed her now-ex's alleged abuse Report: According to DailyMail.com, the award-winning actor is suing his former law firm for $30million over claims of negligence There were 10 more videos released from her August 2016 deposition in which she detailed her now-ex's alleged abuse. According to DailyMail.com's report, the award-winning actor is suing his former law firm for $30million over claims of negligence. The firm - Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman - says Johnny has recently accused them of malpractice in connection with his divorce from Amber and therefore will need to depose the actress in order to build a defense in the case. Claims: The firm says Johnny has recently accused them of malpractice in connection with his divorce from Amber The firm asks that the plaintiffs - named as Depp and his film companies Scaramanga Bros and Infinitum Nihil, respond in writing to their questions and demand the ability to ask Depp more questions over his 'newly articulated theories'. Magic Mike XXL star Amber filed for divorce from the Kentucky native in May 2016 stating that he had been 'verbally and physically' abusive towards her. Their divorce was finalized in January 2017, with the actress receiving a $7million settlement. Kim Kardashian and husband Kanye West welcomed their fourth child via gestational carrier last week. The 38-year-old pinup has yet to release the name of the little one. The boy already has North, aged five, Saint, aged three, and Chicago, aged one, as siblings. But her 60M Twitter followers think they have it all figured out after the Selfish author shared a message with a special emoji over the weekend. New baby at home: Kim Kardashian and husband Kanye West welcomed their fourth child via gestational carrier last week and now fans think they know what the name is; seen a week ago at the Met Gala in NYC The KKW Beauty mogul posted an image of a teddy bear during her recent note. Fans think that could mean the name of the child is Bear. Another possibility is Teddy. Bear West and Teddy West both have a ring to them, but her followers could be making something out of nothing as it was only an emoji. The KKW Beauty mogul posted an image of a teddy bear during her recent note The note read: 'We celebrated our baby boy about a week ago and now hes here! 'Hes so perfect! Here are some pics of my CBD baby shower,' began the Vogue cover girl. 'I was freaking out for nothing because he is the most calm and chill of all of my babies so far and everyone loves him so much.' Then the KUWTK star added the image of the cute bear that had a red bow around its neck. Fans said, 'I think she named her son Bear' and another added, 'Oh yeah it's Bear all right, she just dropped dat.' Her post: The note read: 'We celebrated our baby boy about a week ago and now hes here! The KKW Beauty mogul posted an image of a teddy bear during her recent note 'Hes so perfect! Here are some pics of my CBD baby shower,' began the Vogue cover girl Others were not convinced, offering instead 'Mexico,' 'Don,' 'Cisco,' and even 'Wild' which would make the boy 'Wild West.' An insider told People on Friday that the name has been chosen. 'They have had a name in mind, but wanted to meet the baby before they decided,' a source said. 'Kim and Kanye were both present for the hospital birth on Thursday. They are ecstatic. Their little boy is super cute and looks like Kim. The baby is still at the hospital today, but it seems he will be home before Mother's Day.' Chill, I know the name: 'They have had a name in mind, but wanted to meet the baby before they decided,' a source said to People; here Kim is seen on Sunday's KUWTK And the kids have met baby four as well. According to the source, Chicago, aged one, Saint, aged three, and and North, aged five, 'have met their brother' and 'North seems the most excited.' In April, the fashion mogul told Jimmy Kimmel that she was looking for an Armenian name for the boy, but that she had not found a name she liked yet. Typical Armenian names for a boy are Aram, Garik, Avet, Sergey, Grigor, Vahan and Alen, to name a few. New image: Also this weekend, Kim shared images of roses that had writing on the petals. One said, 'It's a boy' She then revealed that she was thinking of keeping the name in the family. 'Actually, I do have one name. I was truthfully thinking about just naming him Rob, [after] my brother,' Kim said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! She also said that Rob, 32, had given her his blessing to use his name. 'My brother approved it, so that's like our one kind of name,' the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star said. Baby Nori: And another said North, for her first child North West, who was born before Kim and Kanye wed. She is aged five Saintly: There was a rose for her first boy Saint, who is now aged three Baby Chi: And the last one was for Chicago, who was her first child born via gestational carrier Kim's late father was also a Rob, or Robert, to be more specific. He died in 2003 from cancer. But she's not confident about the name, as it's pretty different from her other kids' names. The entrepreneur also tweeted that her newborn looked like 'Chicago's twin lol I'm sure he will change a lot but now he looks just like her.' No word on when the media personality will share pics of the newborn, but if the timeline is anything similar to when she's shared photos of her babies in the past, it will likely be at least a month. Also this weekend, Kim shared images of roses that had writing on the petals. One said, 'It's a boy.' And another said North, for her first child North West. There was one also that said Saint, her first boy. And the last one was for Chicago, who was her first child born via gestational carrier. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's adopted daughter Isabella looked cheerful with her husband Max Parker on a rare outing together as a couple, in London on Monday. Bella, 26, looked very happy with her love after she recently claimed her extensive Scientology training had stopped her 'drowning in problems'. The couple, who have been married for four years since they tied the knot in 2015, stole a romantic glance at one another as they headed out into the leafy suburbs. Perfect pair: Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's daughter Isabella looked cheerful with her husband Max Parker on rare outing, in London on Monday after claiming Scientology helped her Hand-in-hand, the incredibly cosy pair ferried home their groceries from M&S in two huge bags for life from the supermarket giant. The Church of Scientology 'Poster Girl', who recently appeared in a promo thanking her dad Tom, looked giddy as she chatted away happily to her husband. Bella was casually cool in a pair of The Organic Original corduroy dungarees and shades which she paired with a T-shirt and a leather jacket. Her husband Max went under the radar in a camouflage print jacket, an olive green beanie and tinted sunglasses. Cheerful: Bella, 26, looked very happy with her love after she recently claimed her extensive Scientology training had stopped her 'drowning in problems' Home time: Hand-in-hand, the incredibly cosy pair ferried home their groceries from M&S in two huge bags for life from the supermarket giant It's real love: The couple stole a romantic glance at one another as they headed out into the leafy suburbs They laughed and beamed at one another, proving their romance had gone from strength to strength since their wedding day in 2015. Their rare appearance comes after Isabella credited the Church of Scientology for providing the missing piece in her life after undertaking extensive training to become an auditor. In an email initially shared with London based Scientologists and subsequently published on Scientology blog The Underground Bunker, the 26-year old claimed she was drowning in problems before qualifying for the role. Reflecting on her training, she wrote: 'It turned out it was exactly what I needed. I dragged out the testing and correction, just made it through the drilling and then finally began my auditing adventure, and wow, I wasnt prepared. This IS what I had been searching for. The missing piece.' Happiness: The Church of Scientology 'Poster Girl', who recently appeared in a promo thanking her dad Tom, looked giddy as she chatted away happily to her husband Style goals: Bella was casually cool in a pair of The Organic Original corduroy dungarees and shades which she paired with a T-shirt and a leather jacket Radiant: The couple have been married for four years and have gone from strength to strength ever since Trip: They both each carried a shopping bag while they did the grocery shop The qualification now means Isabella, who lives in the English capital with husband Max, is able to guide others through the process. The process is a question and answer session that involves using a rudimentary lie detector, referred to as an e-meter, to rid new members of negativity. 'Its a few melt downs and running to the bathroom to have a mini episode, but it is worth everything because you will get through. This is a gift to yourself and so many others,' she advised others of the training required to be an auditor. Sweet moment: The happy couple, who were seen out together, tied the knot in 2015 Low-key romance! Her husband Max went under the radar in a camouflage print jacket, an olive green beanie and tinted sunglasses It's real love: They laughed and beamed at one another, proving their romance had gone from strength to strength since their wedding day in 2015 'It doesnt matter if you arent going to be an auditor or arent going to join staff. If you are going to make it as a being for the long run you NEED this. Thats the truth.... So stop messing around and get going.' Hollywood stars Cruise and Kidman adopted Isabella in 1992 and her younger brother Connor, also a practicing Scientologist, three year later. Both would go on to live with devout Scientologist Cruise following his divorce from the Australian star in 2001 after 11 years of marriage. Perfect pair: The lovebirds are rarely seen out in public together Hard work! Their rare appearance comes after Isabella credited the Church of Scientology for providing the missing piece in her life after undertaking extensive training to become an auditor Statement: In an email initially shared with London based Scientologists and subsequently published on Scientology blog The Underground Bunker, the 26-year old claimed she was drowning in problems before qualifying for the role Explained: The qualification now means Isabella, who lives in the English capital with husband Max, is able to guide others through the process How it works: The process is a question and answer session that involves using a rudimentary lie detector, referred to as an e-meter, to rid new members of negativity Nicole and Tom had first crossed paths while he was filming Days Of Thunder which was released in 1990. Isabella credited her father, full name Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, her aunt Cass Mapother and various members of the church for helping through a series of issues as she undertook her training. 'Thank you to my Dad for everything,' she wrote. 'To Cass. To Tash. I would have drowned in my own problems if you hadnt been there to sup me or get me through the preliminaries.' Go way back: Hollywood stars Cruise and Kidman adopted Isabella in 1992 and her younger brother Connor, also a practicing Scientologist, three year later Strength in numbers: Both would go on to live with devout Scientologist Cruise following his divorce from the Australian star in 2001 after 11 years of marriage When Miley Cyrus used Snapchat's popular new gender swap filter, she got a bit of a jolt upon finding out what she would like like as a man. Miley, 26, tweeted the photo and wrote: 'Ummm why did Snapchat turn me into @joejonas ??? It's our brows?' to which Joe replied: 'Brow game strong.' Joe, 29, has been friends with Miley since they came up as child stars together - and for three years she was teenage sweethearts with his younger brother Nick Jonas. Guess who: When Miley Cyrus used Snapchat's popular new gender swap filter, she got a bit of a jolt upon finding out what she would like like as a man Nick and Miley began dating when they were both only 13, and after the split she 'bawled for a month straight,' she told Seventeen when she was 16. 'We became boyfriend and girlfriend the day we met. He was on a quest to meet me, and he was like: "I think you're beautiful and I really like you." And I was like: "Oh, my gosh, I like you so much,"' she shared with the magazine. Miley and Joe are both newlyweds now - she to The Hunger Games hunk Liam Hemsworth and he to Game Of Thrones star Sophie Turner. Joe and Sophie had a surprise quickie wedding the night of May 1 in Las Vegas after attending the Billboard Music Awards in Sin City earlier that evening. Spot the resemblance: Joe is pictured in one of his Insta Stories posts from the set of Saturday Night Live, where he and his brothers performed over the weekend Joe, 29, has been friends with Miley since they came up as child stars together, during which time he also dated fellow Disney Channel personality Demi Lovato Their venue was A Little White Wedding Chapel, the same place Britney Spears began her 55-hour first marriage, Paul Newman got hitched to Joanne Woodward and Joan Collins tied the knot with her fourth ex-husband Peter Holm. Sophie and Joe are planning a more lavish wedding in France but 'had to get married in the States to make it legal,' a People source claimed. Their wedding comes months after Nick had two weddings and four receptions with Bollywood movie star Priyanka Chopra. Miley and Liam tied the knot in Nashville two days before this past Christmas and announced their marriage publicly only after the wedding was over. Side by side: Joe is pictured at the Met Gala last week with his new wife, Game Of Thrones star Sophie Turner, whom he married in Las Vegas at the beginning of the month In a 2013 essay for Vulture, Joe looked back on his boy band adolescence and recalled that Miley and their fellow child star Demi Lovato, whom he once dated, needled him into trying marijuana for the first time. 'I must have been 17 or 18. They kept saying: "Try it! Try it!" so I gave it a shot, and it was all right. I dont even smoke weed that often anymore,' he wrote. Meanwhile, Demi has gone to rehab various times for substance abuse, and Miley gave up marijuana in 2017 before picking it up again last year. 'Its like no ones ever died from weed, but no ones ever smoked as much as I did,' Miley joked on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon while on the wagon. Des jeunes font face aux forces de maintien de l'ordre Peter Kum Born-again armed men formerly fighting for the independence of a country they call Ambazonia, geographically Cameroons North West and South West Regions, will be received in the days ahead by President Paul Biya, the Prime Minister has hinted. Before leaving Bamenda, capital of Cameroons North West Region, at the end of his four-day intense working visit, the countrys Prime Minister, Head of Government Dion Ngute Joseph visited the Bamenda centre of the National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Committee on day-three. Decree N 2018/719 of 30 November 2018 to establish the National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Committee provided for offices in Bamenda, Buea and Mora. Since then 35 separatists fighters (otherwise called Amba fighters) aged between 15 and 27 have heeded to President Biyas call to lay down their arms and be pardoned in the North West Region. The Prime Minister during his Saturday, May 11, 2019 visit to the Bamenda centre encouraged the 35 ex-combatants, among them six women, to remain patriotic and aim to protect the country Cameroon. According to the Head of Government, the story of secession in the world has often been a story of bloodshed and regrets. Today, I saw young ex-fighters at DDR Centre in Bamenda who have had courage enough to leave the bush and return to the normal life. They decided to take back their future. May others join them. Peace! The ex-fighters could be heard singing the National Anthem of Cameroon and expressed their commitment through the voice of their spokesperson to work for a one and indivisible Cameroon, united in her diversity. They pledged never to take arms against the fatherland. "President Paul Biya as a father, your father, understood that you made a mistake but, he decided to give you a second chance. Enter it, because your future is ahead and it is promising," the head of government said. Jean Pierre Ndzana, the PMs Communication assistant quoted the head of government as telling the ex-combatants that the Head of State is fully prepared to order a special recruitment for them should they be interested. Before leaving, the Prime Minister told the ex-combatants that Paul Biya, the Head of State, will receive them soon, "as soon as possible," said the head of government. The Head of State seems to be marching words with action after his May 7, 2019 tweet calling for mutual forgiveness as the path to peace. Prince Harry has thundered across its turf, as has supermodel Elle Macpherson. But Ham Polo Club, London's last remaining polo ground, is currently the arena for an unseemly chukka involving allegations of 'profligate spending', the apparent sacking of a committee member and the appearance of two extraordinary banners just outside its entrance. 'The Club is being run by Vindictive Bullies,' read the banners, 'Against Elderly and Disabled Members and Family Local Business.' Prince Harry (pictured in 2009) has thundered across its turf, as has supermodel Elle Macpherson The club is powerless to remove the banners, which were seen by hundreds of polo fans at the weekend, because they are on a neighbour's property. A member says feelings have been running high since the club's chairman, Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, 70, stepped down last year. 'He was chairman for about 25 years, and nurtured the club into financial and professional stability.' In particular, Colquhoun-Denvers persuaded the late Thai billionaire and Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha to become the club's president. The club is powerless to remove the banners, which were seen by hundreds of polo fans at the weekend, because they are on a neighbour's property Ham Polo Club (pictured), London's last remaining polo ground, is currently the arena for an unseemly chukka involving allegations of 'profligate spending' Srivaddhanaprabha hosted a charity match in which Prince Harry played, reportedly generating 100,000 for Harry's favoured charities. Vichai's polo manager, Pete McCormack, is said to have left the committee for questioning what he claimed was 'profligate spending'. Club committee member Freddie Ventura will say only: 'The club denies the allegations on those banners.' During the height of the credit crunch, the Queen memorably asked academics at the London School of Economics: 'Why did nobody notice it?' Prince Charles appears to be taking a similarly close interest in economics. I hear that he held private talks at Highgrove last Friday with Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England. A Clarence House spokesman declines to disclose what they discussed, but it's a shame Canadian Carney didn't bring his wife, Diana. She shares Charles's environmental concerns and wrote a blog with eco-tips. Prince Charles appears to be taking a similarly close interest in economics. I hear that he held private talks at Highgrove last Friday with Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England Made a Dame in the Queen's New Year Honours list, Twiggy nevertheless struggles to command respect in her own household. The Sixties icon, who picked up her gong from Prince Charles in March, reveals that her husband, the actor, director and writer Leigh Lawson, loathes her favourite nail varnish colour of burgundy. 'He hates it,' Dame Twiggy says. 'He always says it looks like I've caught my fingers in the door.' Twiggy (right), who picked up her gong from Prince Charles in March, reveals that her husband, the actor, director and writer Leigh Lawson (left), loathes her favourite nail varnish colour of burgundy Lewis star Laurence Fox, who played DI James Hathaway in the ITV drama, is in need of his character's crime-solving skills. Yesterday, the 40-year-old actor was dismayed to discover his new navy Skoda Kodiaq vRS, worth 43,000, had been broken into near his home in South-East London. 'Luckily, he didn't have much in it only his sunglasses and tobacco,' said a friend. The father-of-two, who has filed a police report, admits that his kids don't mind the theft of the latter. He's one of this country's most prominent aristocrats, with a magnificent estate in Sussex, but Goodwood owner the Duke of Richmond says it doesn't guarantee him a reply to his letters. The Duke, who runs Glorious Goodwood horse racing and the Festival Of Speed for classic cars, says of his title: 'On the whole, it might mean they think twice about not replying, so in that sense it helps a bit. 'But I still get plenty of people who never bloody write back!' Tut-tut. Jenelle Evans' four-year-old son Kaiser was 'picked up by child protective services' on Friday, just weeks after her husband David Eason admitted to shooting and killing their family dog Nugget. The 27-year-old reality star's son with ex Nathan Griffith was 'removed from her care' by CPS and The Ashley reported that the little boy was later picked up by Nathan's mother Doris. Tragic: Jenelle Evans' four-year-old son Kaiser was 'picked up by child protective services' on Friday, just weeks after her husband David Eason admitted to shooting and killing their family dog Nugget, according to Us Weekly; seen on Instagram Sources told Us Weekly that Jenelle is 'trying to get Kaiser back' into her North Carolina home. TMZ reported that her nine-year-old son, Jace, is also not allowed 'back to Jenelle's home to visit' and will stay with her mother Barbara who already has custody of the little boy. Shortly after news broke that Jenelle's husband viciously murdered their dog in front of Kaiser, Nathan called authorities to ask for a welfare check, according to TMZ. 'I guess there was a dispute with my ex-fiancee and her husband and he shot a dog. And theres been multiple 911 calls of abuse,' he said in the 911 call. 'And Im just trying to figure out where my sons at and what I should do in this situation right now. Im just so confused right now I just want to make sure my son is safe.' Not great: The 27-year-old reality star's son with ex Nathan Griffith was 'removed from her care' by CPS and The Ashley reported that the little boy was later picked up by Nathan's mother Doris The past: Jenelle and Nathan were once engaged and share custody of their four-year-old son Kaiser; seen on Instagram Jenelle posted on Monday afternoon that '#MothersDay wasn't the cookout I expected and planned with all my kids' as she shared a photo milking a goat. She was recently fired from her hit show Teen Mom 2 and may have a difficult time making a name for herself on Marriage Boot Camp as TMZ reported that her husband David Eason must be 'evaluated by a psychologist' before the couple signs a contract. Eason could be a 'safety risk to Jenelle, the other cast members and the crew,' and producers will not approve the couple unless he passes the test. In addition to killing their family dog, producers are reportedly worried about David's affinity for weapons. Yikes: Jenelle posted on Monday afternoon that '#MothersDay wasn't the cookout I expected and planned with all my kids' as she shared a photo milking a goat with her daughter Ensley Oh no! Jenelle Evans may have a difficult time making a name for herself on Marriage Boot Camp as TMZ reported that her husband David Eason must be 'evaluated by a psychologist' before the couple signs a contract; seen on Instagram Jenelle s is reportedly 'focusing on her family' now that MTV has parted ways with the reality star and her large brood after following her for eight years, according to People. The 27-year-old was 'very grateful' for the opportunity to star on Teen Mom 2 (a spin-off from the network's 16 and Pregnant), a representative said in a statement. 'Jenelle is focusing on her family and moving forward,' Evans' management and representative team said. 'She is very grateful and appreciative of the opportunity MTV have given her and her family for the last 10 years. It is sad to part ways in this matter but this isn't the end of Jenelle Evans or her family.' Evans was released from her contract with MTV on Tuesday after her husband murdered their pet bulldog Nugget when the puppy nipped at their daughter Ensley, two, which he had been videotaping from the other side of the room. The reality star and husband David Eason have been married since 2017. New start: The 27-year-old was 'very grateful' for the opportunity to star on Teen Mom 2 (a spin-off from the network's 16 and Pregnant); seen in February Gross: Jenelle was released from her contract with MTV on Tuesday after her husband murdered their pet bulldog when the puppy nipped at their daughter Ensley, two, which he had been videotaping from the other side of the room; seen in 2015 Her time on Teen Mom 2 came to an end thanks to the actions of her husband, which also affected castmember Briana DeJesus who was reportedly turned away from 'two restaurants' in Florida because owners were 'so upset over the dog killing', according to TMZ. MTV announced on Tuesday that Evans would not appear on any upcoming seasons, according to Us Weekly. 'MTV ended its relationship with David Eason over a year ago in February 2018 and has not filmed any new episodes of Teen Mom 2 with him since,' an MTV spokesperson said. 'Additionally, we have stopped filming with Jenelle Eason as of April 6, 2019 and have no plans to cover her story in the upcoming season.' The end: MTV announced on Tuesday that Jenelle, shown in April 2016 with David in Burbank, California, would not appear on any upcoming seasons, according to Us Weekly It was earlier reported by TMZ that Evans and Eason were going to appear on Marriage Boot Camp, but she later denied it as a rumor and We TV also refuted it. 'WE tv has no plans to cast Jenelle Evans on Marriage Boot Camp,' the network said Wednesday in a statement. MTV originally kicked Eason off the show following a series of homophobic tweets and Evans was subsequently featured less often due to the difficulties of shooting around her husband. Last straw: The network originally kicked Eason off the show following a series of homophobic tweets The animal cruelty incident led to an advertiser exodus, though it's not clear if the companies will be returning to the series now that Jenelle is out of the picture. Brands including Chipotle, Dove Chocolates, TWIX, Greenies pet treats and Persil ProClean have all withdrawn from the program. Evans and Eason share a two-year-old daughter Ensley, and she also shares nine-year-old Jace with Andrew Lewis and four-year-old Kaiser with Nathan Griffin. Rage outburst? Eason admitted Wednesday to murdering the dog, shown with him in August 2018 on Instagram, claiming that it bit Ensley It was Griffin who revealed Eason's alleged animal cruelty. After hearing that her husband had shot their dog, he requested a wellness check on his son, believing that he had been in the house at the time of the shooting, according to TMZ. He shared a video on social media of the small dog being baited to nip the girl's 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. Photos: 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 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. 'I don't give a d*mn what animal bites my baby on the face. Whether it be your dog or mine, a dog is a dog and I don't put up with that s*** at all. I'm all about protecting my family, it is my life's mission. Some people are worth killing or dying for and my family means that much to me,' he wrote. 'You can hate me all you want but this isn't the first time the dog bit Ensley aggressively. The only person that can judge whether or not an animal is a danger to MY CHILD is ME.' Not backing down: 'I don't 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 don't put up with that s*** at all' According to TMZ, Janelle's friends and family members have called Child Protective Services to have her husband removed from the house. The friends and family are reportedly worried about the three children still living in the home, and there's also concern surrounding Jenelle's pitbull, Jax. Eason has reportedly shot the animal prior with a bb gun, and they worry he may lash out further. So far, law enforcement members have been hesitant to enter Jenelle and David's property due to multiple no trespassing signs and the presence of the pitbull. Concern: In addition to killing the little French Bulldog, Eason has reportedly shot Jenelle's pitbull Jax prior with a bb gun 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, something she has so far refused to do. David posted multiple photos of his extensive gun collection, including a screed from December when he criticized President Donald Trump for banning bump stocks, a modification to semi-automatic rifles allowing them to fire faster, mimicking fully automatic weapons. He also mentioned in the post that the Secret Service had visited him due to his seemingly threatening statements. Hesitant: Police have been hesitant to approach Eason's home due to the family pitbull, his multiple no trespassing signs, and his well-advertised collection of fire arms 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.' Jenelle later revealed to E! News that the incident was a 'drunk and dramatic misunderstanding' after David tried to put a stop to a televised pumpkin patch visit with his kids. Jameela Jamil shared the abortion she had when she was young was 'the best decision' she ever made as she hit out at Georgia's controversial 'heartbeat bill'. The actress, 33, weighed in on the new abortion law which will make it illegal for women to have an abortion after a heartbeat has been detected in the womb. Drawing on her own experiences, the model explained she had an abortion because she wasn't 'emotionally, physically or financially' ready to have a child. 'Best for the baby I didn't want': Jameela Jamil revealed the abortion she had when she was younger was the 'best decision' she ever made as she hit out at Georgia's controversial 'heartbeat bill' She wrote: 'I had an abortion when I was young, and it was the best decision I have ever made. Both for me, and for the baby I didnt want, and wasnt ready for, emotionally, psychologically and financially. So many children will end up in foster homes. So many lives ruined. So very cruel.' Later in another post, Jameela defended her decision to have an abortion as she insisted it was 'my body, my choice' when she hit out at the legislation. The Good Place star slammed the anti-abortion law in Georgia as 'so upsetting, inhumane and demonstrative of a hatred of women'. Revealed: Drawing on her own experiences, the model explained she had an abortion because she wasn't 'emotionally, physically or financially' ready to have a child (pictured in 2009) Outrage: Drawing on her own experiences, the model explained she had an abortion because she wasn't 'emotionally, physically or financially' ready to have a child She wrote: 'I DONT GIVE A FLYING F**K WHAT YOU THINK OF MY DECISION. MY BODY. MY CHOICE. 'This anti-abortion law in Georgia is so upsetting, inhumane, and blatantly demonstrative of a hatred of women, a disregard for our rights, bodies, mental health, and essentially a punishment for rape victims, forcing to carry the baby of their rapist.' In light of the new abortion law, the actress opened the floor for discussion with her 808,000 followers on Twitter and her 1.9million fans on Instagram. Honest: Her comments follow American actresses Busy Phillipps (pictured) and Alyssa Milano speaking out against the anti-abortion law Trauma: The actress, 39, recalled falling pregnant with her first serious boyfriend, explaining the way she was able to move past the experience was to speak with Pope John Paul II Jameela clarified she wasn't insulting foster homes but she warned Georgia could become 'inundated with unwanted children' making it harder to re-home them. Her comments follow American actresses Busy Phillipps and Alyssa Milano speaking out against the anti-abortion law. Busy, 39, defended the rights of 'women and their doctors' during an episode of her late night talk show on Tuesday night. 'The statistic is that one in four women will have an abortion before age 45,' she said. 'That statistic sometimes surprises people, and maybe you're sitting there thinking, "I don't know a woman who would have an abortion." Well, you know me.' Last year, Busy revealed she turned to the Pope for advice during a school trip after she had an abortion at the age of 15. The Dawson's Creek star recalled falling pregnant with her first serious boyfriend and having a termination. She explained the only way she was able to move past the traumatic experience was to speak with Pope John Paul II. In her book This Will Only Hurt a Little, Philipps' added that her parents discovered the news by reading her diary and that at the time her mother told her she was 'being selfish' and was 'going to murder a baby.' Busy said ultimately her mother supported her through the heartbreaking experience. She said: 'My mother is who you want in your corner.' Alyssa took a different strategy as she called for all women to go on a 'sex strike' until a controversial anti-abortion law in Georgia has been repealed. Milano, 46, who was instrumental in the #MeToo movement, called on her vast social media following to abstain from sex until the restrictive abortion law - dubbed the 'heartbeat bill' - is overturned. The actress hit out against the bill on Twitter, urging women to abstain until they have 'bodily autonomy back'. She wrote: 'Our reproductive rights are being erased. Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy.' 'JOIN ME by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back. I'm calling for a #SexStrike. Pass it on.' The other states that have similar laws are Ohio, Mississippi, Kentucky, Iowa and North Dakota. The Georgia law takes effect in January. She's hailed as a star of the BBC and was chosen as the lead presenter of Newsnight, but Emily Maitlis has revealed she had to take drastic measures to be paid the same rates as her male colleagues. Maitlis, 48, has disclosed that she went 'on strike' after discovering that fellow BBC presenters, such as Jeremy Vine, were being paid far more for similar roles at the Corporation. 'I knew that, for example, Jeremy Vine and I were literally doing the same job [during election coverage],' she says. Emily Maitlis has revealed she had to take drastic measures to be paid the same rates as her male colleagues 'I was standing in front of a touch screen, he was in front of a [virtual-reality] screen and we were doing the same job with the same preparation. Yet there was a massive disparity in salaries. 'A colleague on the team said: "You've got to sort this out." And I went in and tried, and I got told it couldn't be sorted out,' she tells the South China Morning Post. Maitlis, who attended a state comprehensive in Sheffield before winning a place at Cambridge, reveals: 'I went on strike, actually. I was like: "I'm just going to quietly stay away until you sort out the contract," because it seemed like a more efficient way of doing things. 'I never made a big deal of it, never told anyone, it was just between me and them.' 'I knew that, for example, Jeremy Vine and I were literally doing the same job [during election coverage],' Maitlis says BBC high-ups were apparently so worried about the imminent publication of their top presenters' salaries in 2017 that they soon caved in and offered Maitlis a huge pay rise. 'You know, sunlight and disinfectant and all that sort of stuff,' she says. 'What's that amazing phrase: most people don't work against their interests if they don't have to.' Her then Newsnight colleague Evan Davis gave her 'an extraordinarily generous' and 'quite faith-restoring' phone call, 'where he basically said: "This is all wrong and we must put it right." ' Maitlis's salary has now been raised from below 150,000 to 229,999, making her the joint highest-paid woman at BBC News. Kate's brother James is handed godfather role The Duchess of Cambridge's brother, James Middleton, has been chosen as a godparent. Not of baby Archie he won't be christened for a while but of Theodore, the eight-month-old son of former Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews and Irish model Vogue Williams. Middleton's sister, Pippa, is married to Spencer's elder brother, financier James Matthews. 'Very kindly they asked me,' entrepreneur Middleton (pictured) tells me. 'I'm delighted to be godfather.' The Duchess of Cambridge's brother, James Middleton, has been chosen as a godparent It's puppy love! Hurley shows off new spaniel Bluebells are bursting out and so, wonderfully, is that other harbinger of summer, Elizabeth Hurley. 'Bikini weather and puppy: what a perfect day,' the evergreen actress and model wrote next to this picture which she shared with her fans yesterday. Wearing a beaded bikini from her eponymous beachwear collection, Miss Hurley, 53, was introducing her new dog, Ava, an eight-week-old spaniel. Last month, she and her son, Damian, were left devastated when their beloved black labrador, Raja, died aged 11. Bluebells are bursting out and so, wonderfully, is that other harbinger of summer, Elizabeth Hurley It's The Crown Musical! Eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken reveals he's considering writing a stage show about the lives of the Queen and Prince Philip. 'Somebody has actually approached me in relation to that,' the 69-year-old New Yorker tells me at the London premiere of Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie. Menken, whose scores include Beauty And The Beast, Little Shop Of Horrors and Sister Act, adds: 'With Elizabeth and Philip, it is a great story.' Perhaps it could be directed by Prince Edward, who once toiled for Andrew Lloyd Webber? She's known for being an advocate for promoting body confidence and female empowerment. And Ashley James made an empowering statement as she posed for a naked photo while on holiday in Sweden on Monday. The former Made In Chelsea star, 32, took to Instagram where she admitted that despite not working out as much recently she still feels positive about her shape. Body confidence: Ashley James wasted no time in showing off her enviable figure as she posed for a naked bathtub photo while on holiday in Switzerland on Monday She wrote: 'Splish splash I was taking a bath. A combination of travelling a lot and being injured has left me a lil less toned than I usually am, but am I less able of having fun? No. 'I've had the best few months of my life. Do I still feel desirable? Absolutely yes. Does anyone around me notice the difference? Probably not. Is it absolutely normal for people to have rolls? Abso-bl***y-lutely.' Ashley continued to explain how her confidence and positivity when talking about her body helps to dispel any negative thoughts from her social media followers. She said: 'The funny thing is, most people won't look at this and think anything negative about my body at all. I think it's why it's worth being mindful of the energy you put out when talking about insecurities. '(Although you should ALWAYS talk to lived ones about this, they will always pick you up! I mean more don't feel the need to do it to strangers). Pointing out your perceived flaws about your appearance draws people's attention to things they wouldn't necessarily see or notice.' Positive vibes: Ashley continued to explain how her confidence and positivity when talking about her body helps to dispel any negative thoughts from her social media followers The Celebrity Big Brother star also insisted that while it's good to be positive about your body image, that it is perfectly normal to have some bad days. She added: 'But I just wanted to make the point that it's normal to beat yourself up or have low days some days. Self-love is a journey and no one loves themselves all the time.' Ashley even revealed how her recent time away from her had left her out of touch with her normal routines, but urged fans to follow her lead and practice some self love. She wrote: 'I've felt a bit out of sorts as I've been letting my natural hair grow out to get it healthy, and because the travelling has left me out of a routine with eating, exercise, my nails are grown out etc. Out of routine: Ashley revealed how her recent time away from her had left her out of touch with her normal routines, but urged fans to follow her lead and practice some self love 'It's easy to let self-loathing take over and project it onto the outside. Remind yourself you are beautiful and worthy, and don't let your own perceptions knock your confidence or make you settle for anything other than what you deserve.' The reality star has been enjoying some time out recently, travelling to different cities in America, Canada and Sweden. However, she admitted that she's 'looking forward' to resuming her normal routine when she returns to London. Travelling: The reality star has been enjoying some time out recently, travelling to different cities in America, Canada and Sweden. Ashley concluded: 'I'm looking forward to getting back into a healthy routine with food and exercise, I just want to remind you (as much as myself), not to let your perception of your body prevent you from living your life and having fun. 'We're all going to look back in a few years and wish we were grateful for the body we had now. We're all worthy of love, fun, and desire HOWEVER we look for whatever reason. 'And also just a reminder that this same body can be in a different position and look toned.' Bare Faced: Ashley posed make-up free in one, looking confident as she revealed her glowing visage and tousled locks This comes just one week after Ashley posed for two sultry Instagram snaps while wearing a tiny yellow bikini in her hotel room in Vancouver. Showing off her natural beauty, the star posed make-up free in one, looking confident as she revealed her glowing visage and tousled locks. In another snap the blonde beauty sported metallic shadow, fluttery lashes and a coral lipstick - but revealed going without beauty products was her preferred look. She wrote: 'Confidence is a funny thing, I did my hair and makeup one day on the ship, but looking back at the photos I think I looked nicer with no makeup and my hair tied back. 'I actually LOVE taking the time to do my makeup and playing around with different products, and think we should be able to wear it or not without comments or judgement. 'We should all do whatever makes us feel good and if that's wearing a full face of makeup the beach, that's cool. I support that. She transforms into the magical and enchanting Princess Jasmine in the latest Disney remake Aladdin. And Naomi Scott put on a dazzling appearance as she joined her co-stars Will Smith and Mena Massoud at the Amman Citadel, in Jordan on Monday. The actress, 26, sparkled in a shimmering golden skirt which accentuated her slender shape with its cinched waistline and decorative pleats. Every inch the princess: Aladdin star Naomi Scott dazzled in a golden skirt as she posed with her co-stars Will Smith and Mena Massoud, in Jordan on Monday The Aladdin remake sees Canadian actor Mena take on the titular role of the poverty-stricken 'street rat'. It's narrative charts the story of Aladdin when he stumbles upon a magic lamp, conjures up a genie and wins the heart of Princess Jasmine (Scott). Naomi, Will and Mena brought the magic of the film to their photocall as they larked about with the cameras during their trip to promote the movie. Group photo: The actress put on a dazzling appearance as she joined her co-stars Will Smith and Mena Massoud at the Amman Citadel The close trio, who have forged a bond after filming Aladdin, were inseparable as they explored the ruins together. Will posed up a storm as he placed both of his hands on his hips while he was captured on camera. In February, Disney fans first got their first look at screen star Will as the fast-talking, magic lamp-imprisoned Jinn made famous by the late, great Robin Williams. Good times are rolling: The close trio, who have forged a bond after filming Aladdin, were inseparable as they explored the ruins together Hilarious: Will posed up a storm as he placed both of his hands on his hips while he was captured on camera Will admitted Robin didn't 'leave too much room for improvement' as he discussed taking on the late actor's iconic role. However, the I Am Legend star also revealed it was his son Jaden, 20, who encouraged him to take on the magical part. He said in Jordan: 'Jaden was the first person that really saw the excitement around the idea of what I might do with it.' Storytelling: The Aladdin remake sees Canadian actor Mena Massoud take on the titular role of the poverty-stricken 'street rat' Tell all: It's narrative charts the story of Aladdin when he stumbles upon a magic lamp, conjures up a genie and wins the heart of Princess Jasmine (Scott) Aladdin marks the second of 2019's live-action remakes from Disney, in a year that sees Dumbo, The Lion King, Lady And The Tramp brought to life. Also starring in the movie are Marwan Kenzari as Jafar, Navid Negahban as the Sultan, Nasim Pedrad as Dalia and Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders. Disney's Aladdin hits UK cinemas on May 22, and US theatres on May 24. Having fun: Will, second right, director Guy Ritchie, left, and Naomi, second right, and Mena, were enjoying themselves as they gave a conference in Jordan Production for the upcoming James Bond movie has reportedly been suspended after Daniel Craig injured his ankle. The English actor, 51, is said to have hurt himself whilst filming the upcoming movie - currently dubbed Bond 25 - in Jamaica. According to The Sun, filming at Pinewood Studios in London, which had been scheduled for this weekend, has been cancelled. Taking a break: Production for the upcoming James Bond movie has reportedly been cancelled after Daniel Craig injured his ankle filming in Jamaica A source told the publication: 'He was sprinting during filming when he slipped and fell quite awkwardly. 'He was in quite a lot of pain and was complaining about his ankle. 'As you'd expect he was also pretty angry that it had happened. He threw his suit jacket on the ground in sheer frustration.' MailOnline has contacted Daniel's representatives for comment. Ouch: The English actor, 51, is said to have hurt himself whilst filming the upcoming movie - currently dubbed Bond 25 - in Jamaica (pictured in the 2008 Bond film Casino Royale) Bond 25 has been blighted by drama from the beginning, with Daniel's involvement in the film initially thrown into question when he claimed that he would rather 'slash his wrists than reprise the role', before making a complete U-turn and signing up for the movie. Filming for the movie began last month, four years after the previous Bond film, Spectre, was released. Yet it has been claimed that the screenplay for the untitled film is being endlessly re-written by a committee consisting of director Cary Joji Fukunaga, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and 007 himself, Daniel. One to watch: Bond 25 cast (L-R) Lea Seydoux, Ana de Armas, Daniel, Naomie Harris and Lashana Lynch began filming the new movie last month Shes writing a re-write of a re-write, a film-making source told the Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye of Waller-Bridges recent involvement in the project. Daniels writing. Carys writing. The crew reckon theyre working on a well-polished s**t show. They have an outline of plot, but dialogue is all last-minute. Its not the way to make a movie. I would imagine theyll sort it out in the cutting room. Thats where most movies get made anyway. But youd think the Bond lot would be more together. The cast, led by Craig, Naomie Harris, Lea Seydoux, Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas, have been on location in Jamaica but are heading back to Europe to link up with Rami Malek, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw. Bond 25 has been beset with production problems. Original director Danny Boyle left by mutual consent, after proposing to kill off 007. Boyle was replaced by Fukunaga, who installed Scott Z. Burns to re-jig a script by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. Craig felt more improvements were needed, and enticed Fleabag and Killing Eve superstar Waller-Bridge to give the piece another polish. Quit: Bond 25 has been beset with production problems. Original director Danny Boyle left by mutual consent, after proposing to kill off 007 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. The Hemsworth brothers Chris, Luke and Liam are known as some of Hollywood's most genetically-blessed siblings. And it seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. On Sunday, Liam, 29, shared a photo to Instagram of his remarkably youthful mum Leonie in celebration of Mother's Day. 'Is that your sister?' Liam Hemsworth's 'stunning' mother Leonie sent his Instagram followers into a frenzy over her very youthful appearance on Sunday 'Love you Mum! Happy Mother's Day! You're truly one of a kind,' the Hunger Games actor wrote in the caption. Liam's Instagram followers were stunned by Leonie's age-defying complexion, with one writing: 'Your mum doesn't look old enough to have you boys. She is stunning'. 'She so beautiful and can honestly pass as your sister!' another fan commented. 'Your mum doesn't look old enough to have you boys... she is stunning': Liam's fans couldn't help but remark upon the Hemsworth matriarch's youthful complexion 'Best genetic pool ever!' read a similar comment. It's not the first time Liam's fans have been sent into meltdown over the genetically-blessed Hemsworth family. Last year, he shared another photo to Instagram of himself and Leonie posing with his muscle-bound father Craig during a hike in Los Angeles. 'Is that your DAD?' Last year, Liam shared another photo to Instagram (above) of himself and Leonie posing with his muscle-bound father Craig during a hike in Los Angeles Like father, like son! Fans were left stunned by Craig's buff body (left), and in particular his enormous biceps. Pictured right: Liam in 2015 film The Dressmaker Fans were left stunned by Craig's buff body, and in particular his enormous biceps. 'If that's your dad, he's ripped!' wrote one enthusiastic fan. A similar comment read: 'Dang, those shoulder muscles on the oldie!' Liam's brother Chris also delighted his Instagram followers in September 2016 when he shared a vintage snap of his father looking astonishingly like Liam does today. Hot dad alert! Liam's brother Chris also delighted his Instagram followers in September 2016 when he shared this vintage snap of his father looking astonishingly like Liam does today Bill Shorten will be hoping his campaign hasn't entered its dog days as he sought out some puppy love on Saturday. The Labor leader snuggled trainee guide dogs in Melbourne - including a five-week-old labrador puppy named after him - and shook paws. "This is as nice as it looks," he told the waiting media as he received puppy kisses, before joking the pointy teeth gnawing on his thumb were "not as sharp as your clever questions". Mr Shorten has promised Guide Dogs Victoria $2 million to help it finish an upgrade of its ageing campus in Kew if Labor wins the May 18 election. "Every day that one of your animals works with a person ... what you are doing is you are removing the barriers so that people with disability can have an equal go," he told some of the volunteer puppy raisers. "If not every Australian starts with a fair go, it's our job to help bring them up to that standard." The new training facility and accommodation for blind people learning to work with their new guide dogs will be the world's first fully accessible sensory campus. It will use lighting, scent, technology, Braille and other tactile features to aid learning for people with low vision or blindness. The centre is in the seat of Kooyong held by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg with a safe 12.8 per cent margin. Despite this, Mr Shorten labelled it and neighbouring Higgins, where the Liberals have a 7.4 per cent margin against the Greens, as "marginal seats". "I want to be clear, this is a very close election but we are making every post a winner as best we can," he told reporters. His "bus captain", NSW senator Kristina Keneally, predicted the "negative, nasty, lying campaign" from the Liberals would only get worse as the election enters its final week. "They've tried every other scare campaign, they're trying every other desperate tactic ... and I bet my bottom dollar this week it's going to be a lying scare campaign when it comes to negative gearing," she said. Mr Shorten also addressed a rally for supporters of the ABC, guaranteeing the national broadcaster would have its funding boosted under a Labor government. "We'll make sure that B1 never has to walk alone," he declared, referring to a lone man at the back of the crowd dresses as one of the Bananas in Pyjamas. If it wins power, Labor will start discussions with the ABC's management about moving funding to a five-year basis instead of the current three years. Mr Shorten also promised to give $40 million to the ABC and $20 million to SBS to boost the amount of Australian content and stories the public broadcasters screen. Later in the afternoon, he helped launch Labor's arts policy. Offenders would face life imprisonment for shooting at police who are trying to arrest them under gun crime laws proposed by the Queensland Opposition. LNP deputy leader Tim Mander said authorities need to "come down heavy" on shooting offences after shots were allegedly fired into a police car west of Brisbane on Friday night. On Saturday, Mr Mander told media specific offences proposed earlier this week would be a deter gun crime. "There would be specific charges for drive-by shootings or using a firearm, or any other weapon, when resisting arrest, and that could mean up to 25 years imprisonment," Mr Mander said. It came after police were called to an Ipswich suburb at about 8pm on Friday following reports of a weapon being fired in a street. When police arrived it is alleged a 59-year-old man fired rifle shots into their car door. The area in Goodna was cordoned off and the man was arrested by specialist police more than an hour later. Policed said officers or members of the public were physically injured as a result of the shots. The Newton man is expected to be charged with two counts of acts intended to maim or disfigure and one count each of dangerous conduct with a weapon, unlawful possession of a rifle and wilful damage of police property. He is expected to appear in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Monday. Barrister Charles Taku Facebook Mr Prime Minister, sir, this is a celebration of genocide and not dialogue, the Cameroonian Criminal Defense Counsel Charles Taku opines. Read on:- Dr. Dion Ngute was the agent representing LRC at the hearing of the case brought on behalf of the Southern Cameroons by Dr Gwang Gumne and others in the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. Judgement in the case was rendered in Banjul, the Gambia during the 45th Ordinary Session that held from 13 - 27 May 2009. In the Judgment that was subsequently endorsed by the General Assembly of African leaders during the AU conference in Sirtre in Libya, the African Commission unequivocally called for dialogue to resolve the crisis and offered its services to facilitate the dialogue. It gave LRC 180 days to comply with its Judgment. It is on the records of the African Commission that LRC asked for an extension of time to comply with the Judgment. Mr. Prime Minister, true to itself, LRC did not comply with that Judgment and did not respect the decision relating to dialogue facilitated by the African Commission, even after the expiration of the extended timeline it sought and obtained. What a reckless display of bad faith! In its characteristic exercise of impunity, LRC intensified its systemic and widespread violations of the protections afforded Southern Cameroons in international law. These violations have been ongoing since an unprecedented conspiracy facilitated the breach of the UN Charter and UN Resolutions paving the way to the annexation and colonisation of Southern Cameroons by the LRC. The escalation of the violations has led to genocide, also called the mother of crimes on the watch of a slow to act civilized world. This is unacceptable. The Government of Cameroon considers these atrocity crimes as its legitimate exercise of impunity with arrogant alacrity. Its civilian and military commanders have in publicly available and well documented statements taken responsibility for these crimes. They have consistently praised the professionalism of its military for conducting a war of genocide in which more than 200 civilian settlements have been torched with shocking charred remains of vulnerable children, women, the old and the sick left in the debris. The Prime Minister Dr Dion Ngute himself on this so-called dialogue with the dead, praised the professionalism of these soldiers. During his visit there perpetrated egregious violations even in the neighbourhood of Bambili which he visited. There, they massacred in a cold blood, a mother and her baby. Mr Prime Minister, this is genocide and not dialogue. I did not hear you order the arrest and prosecution of the criminal soldiers who massacred that mother and her baby. The massacre of that woman and her child a few metres from where you visited indeed symbolizes the fate of hundreds of thousands of Southern Cameroonians for no reasons other than that they are Southern Cameroonians. That again sir, is genocide. I began this piece by making a reference to the Judgment of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights which LRC accepted and asked for time to comply with but reneged on. LRC in contempt instead intensified its 58 year old campaign of intimidation, humiliation, dehumanisation, indignity and death. As the representative of LRC during the entire proceedings and judgment, you were and are better placed to advise your government to the hard reality that international legality may be slow but effective. When Justice catches up with the arrogant exercise of impunity and criminality, its impact may devastate the soul of conscienceless predators of human life. Differently, stated, a time comes when the victims of atrocious crimes are given a voice from their unmarked lonely graves to seek justice on their own behalf. That time sir, will come, sooner or later, here or in the hereafter. This truth sir, is sacrosanct. Therefore, sir, I beg to ask. How do you feel conveying the concomitant message of conditional dialogue and genocide from your President to his victims? Does the said message not greatly contradict the dialogue decided by a respectable continental justice mechanism the African Commission which was endorsed by continental leaders? Was it not obvious from the Judgment of the African Commission that an international facilitator would be required to oversee the dialogue? And was it not for this reason that it offered to play that role? In your so-called ongoing dialogue, sir, I did not hear you regret the massacres, the genocide, the crimes against humanity, the war crimes etc. Why? I did not hear you talk about a transitional justice mechanism to prosecute civilian and military commanders responsible for these atrocity crimes in the Southern Cameroons. I did not see you feel the pain and suffering of millions of civilian victims of the atrocity crimes. Rather, I heard the evocation and rendition of the typical and resentful CPDM sycophantic war cries and slogans praising the god-president for his promise of mercy for those who lay down arms. Laying down arms to facilitate the atrocity crimes sir? Those you alleged laid down arms, have the locations from which they allegedly defected been spared the visit of your angels of death and the mayhem they bring to the civilian population? Have they sir? I beg to ask. There is a common and recurring position taken by the international community on this war that was declared by LRC. That position is that there should be an inclusive dialogue with no pre-conditions, to tackle to the root causes of this conflict. From where then did you come about with the exclusion of the so-called secession or separation? Is this pre-condition not a distraction and an attempt to obviate the mandatory root causes of the conflict? Are the root causes not the umbilically linked violations that eviscerated the Southern Cameroons right to external self-determination under the UN Charter guaranteed by UN Resolutions which LRC opposed and opted for annexation and colonial rule? The right to resolve this conflict through an internationally organised dialogue in which negotiations will hold sway was obtained through a legal process before a Continental legal mechanism and endorsed by African Leaders. The international community has overwhelmingly taken the same position with renewed vigour. That position is therefore, not subject to a unilateral modification by LRC. That sir, is an unacceptable diktat. This unacceptable diktat tantamount once more to a disregard for the international rule of law on the basis on which international legality, peace and security are founded. Mr Prime Minister, sir, as you pursue this futile adventure to insult the memory of victims, permit me to remind you that the informal meeting of the UNSC on this crisis on 13 May 2019, apart, the celebration on the 23 May 2019 at the UN of the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions which LRC is a state party, should be a shock reminder to LRC that the spirit of that multilateral treaty and many others is alive. That LRC place on the radar of the Geneva Conventions will soon be guaranteed, not for the right reasons, but for its atrocity crimes in the Southern Cameroons against civilians who are protected by the convention. The anniversary ceremony of the 23 May 2019 of the Geneva Conventions 1949 and the ten anniversary of the UN Resolutions for the protection of civilians in armed conflicts should be an opportunity for LRC to seriously consider, calling off this genocidal war and withdraw its soldiers for peace to prevail. It's military misadventure and atrocity crimes have failed and will continue to fail to tame the spirit of Southern Cameroons freedom seekers who are inspired and emboldened by the justice of their cause, international legality and the pursuit of legitimate self-defence. History sir, provides you and the government you serve another opportunity to listen to the voice of humanity and the international community and get to the negotiating table while there is time. Stop the callous slaughter and the genocide now. Your present tour is a celebration of genocide and not dialogue. Melbourne Victory head to Sydney for Sunday's A-League Big Blue semi-final without James Troisi, but buoyed by the chance to reach a fourth grand final in five years. The reigning champions confront Sydney FC at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium for a place in the decider - just as they did last year - after a disjointed week. Ten senior players stayed in Melbourne training under performance chief Anthony Crea; the rest went to South Korea for a dead rubber Asian Champions League match, which they lost 4-0 to Daegu FC. Between last weekend's 3-1 elimination final defeat of Wellington Phoenix and their flight on Saturday afternoon, Muscat could only bring together his side for training just once - on Saturday morning at AAMI Park. They've resorted to Skype sessions through the week, with Muscat insisting the gruelling travel schedule hasn't detracted from his preparation and wouldn't affect their performance. "There's been some there's been other sessions, meetings ... there's wonderful things you can do with communication," he said. "We're comfortable. There's plenty of time." Defenders James Donachie and Thomas Deng were the two players that Muscat fielded for every minute of both matches, dismissing the suggestion they wouldn't be able to back up. "They're young men, they're fine. Young men with a lot of strength," he said. Victory should be unchanged from their elimination final win given the failure of Troisi, who leads Victory for assists this season, to come up. Troisi suffered a slight hamstring tear in the club's round 26 loss to Adelaide United. "It's unfortunate ... He pushed himself. Of course he did. He worked ever so hard," Muscat said. "The decision we've made along with Jimmy - with his buy-in as well. "Experience tells me going into these games ... you're better off with players that have been playing regularly." A year ago, the two sides played out an all-time classic at this stage of the competition, when Victory prevailed 3-2 after extra-time to reach the grand final. Muscat said last year's match hadn't been discussed, but pointedly referred to an early-season win at Sunday's venue as proof they could win again. "It was a good memory we created (but) this is a new contest and new opportunity for us," he said. "We'll go across there buoyed with our result from last week and performance from last week. "We've been there so we know the environment. We've played there and created a good memory. "Now it's all about a battle and a contest." Greens Leader Richard Di Natale has hit back at Scott Morrison for suggesting his party is a greater threat to Australia than Clive Palmer. The prime minister restated his view that the Greens are a greater threat to economic and national security than Mr Palmer's United Australia Party and Pauline Hanson's One Nation in a front page article in The Weekend Australian. He also accused Labor of moving closer to the minor party's "extreme views". Senator Di Natale said the report only shows how out of touch Mr Morrison is and why his government needs to be "turfed out" at the May 18 election. "Scott Morrison has no plan for climate change and that is the greatest threat to our economy," the Greens leader said in statement on Saturday. "His criticisms of the Greens are a smoke screen for his lack of climate action and preference deals with a coal tycoon and a party of racists." Prime Minister Scott Morrison is standing by his Liberal colleague Angus Taylor after the energy minister admitted to failing to disclose a company he was involved in when he entered parliament. Mr Taylor has confirmed between 2004 and 2015 he was a director and a shareholder in a company called JRAT International, along with an associate, John Roberts. "During this time, the company did no business, and earned no income, and I received absolutely no benefit from it," Mr Taylor told AAP in a statement. He acknowledged JRAT was not among the companies listed on his register of parliamentary interests when he joined parliament in 2013. "It should have been," he said. "However, given this company conducted no business during the time I was associated with it, it clearly presented no possible conflict of interest during my first two years in the Parliament." Mr Morrison agreed. "There is no suggestion of a conflict of interest," the prime minister told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday. "There's a suggestion about a disclosure and all should be properly made." But shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said every member of parliament is required to make disclosures on the register of members' interests. "Angus Taylor can't get out of it, as he is scrambling to do today," Mr Dreyfus told reporters in Melbourne. "There is not one law for Angus Taylor." He said even dormant companies have to be disclosed, and Mr Taylor can't get out of it by saying "this company wasn't doing all that much at the time". Mr Morrison pointed out that Labor leader Bill Shorten forgot he received a donation from his own union when he first ran for parliament back in 2007. "So, if the Labor Party wants to talk about those issues, they can, but I don't intend to be distracted by them," he said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison claims the Reserve Bank's latest downgrade to its economic forecasts make them consistent with his government predictions, although that is not the case for the next financial year. Labor Leader Bill Shorten cheekily said the central bank has made the case for voting Labor in May 18 election. The independent Reserve Bank in its quarterly statement on monetary policy released on Friday showed it is now forecasting year-average growth for 2018/19 at 2.25 per cent. This is down from its 2.5 per cent prediction made three months ago, but is now in line with last month's federal budget. "The forecast the RBA has outlined is now consistent with the forecast we had in the budget," Mr Morrison told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday. "We have always taken a very conservative approach when it comes to our forecast." However, for 2019/20 the Reserve Bank is now forecasting 2.5 per cent growth, below both the 2.75 per cent it had previously forecast and what the government had in the budget. Furthermore, on a year-end basis, the central bank has slashed its forecast in the financial year to June 2019 to just 1.75 per cent. That is down from 2.5 per cent previously and a full percentage point below what is seen as Australia's potential growth rate at 2.75 per cent. "I think the RBA made the case indirectly for voting Labor," Mr Shorten told reporters in Melbourne. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said the government talks about 'jobs and growth' but all of the signals are bad under this government. "It's not quite as good as Josh Frydenberg told the Australian people, just a few weeks ago," Mr Bowen told reporters in Sydney. The Reserve Bank said its forecasts were based on the assumption that the cash rate will need to be cut twice to 1.0 per cent from 1.5 per cent, where it has stood since August 2016. It noted there was some uncertainty about the labour market. "The decline in job advertisements points to a much weaker outcome for employment in the near term than the leading indicators from business surveys," the central bank said. After leaving the cash rate unchanged at this week's monthly central bank board meeting, financial markets are now factoring in a greater than 50/50 risk of a cut to 1.25 per cent in July. A driver who allegedly caused a catastrophic pile-up on Sydney's M4, killing a tradesman on his way to work, was applying "harsh and unnecessary" braking and swerved across three lanes of traffic, a court has been told. Irishman Francis Shanley, 36, died in the crash involving at least eight cars and a truck at the Church Street off-ramp in Mays Hill on Thursday morning. About 200 metres of debris was left sprawled along the motorway. Police arrested Francis Omigie, 53, on Friday night and charged him with dangerous driving occasioning death and other offences. In Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday, lawyer Eiad Diyab said: "The accused, I'm told, had some ... mechanical problems and his intention was to change lanes to the left and unfortunately (this) has resulted in a pile-up." "There was no damage to his vehicle. In his mind, it wasn't clear ... he was party to the accident." He said Omigie - who migrated to Australia from Nigeria two years ago - was quite distressed about the incident. Police allege the married part-time electrical trades assistant, from Ropes Crossing, was driving a green Toyota Echo on the motorway before he changed lanes and suddenly stopped in front of another vehicle. In opposing bail, prosecutor Sergeant Scott Thomson said it was "an enormous collision with catastrophic results" - including a death and facial injuries to another person - and within the "utmost extreme" category. Court documents allege Omigie applied "harsh and unnecessary braking to a motor vehicle, while steering across three lanes of traffic" before the pile-up and then allegedly drove away. Mr Shanley's ute was struck by a truck carrying beer kegs and he died at the scene. Magistrate George Zdenkowski on Saturday refused bail on the basis of Omigie allegedly failing to stop and render assistance after the "horrific" crash and then seeking to evade police. Should the extremely serious charges be established, they are likely to entail a custodial penalty, he said. Mr Shanley's Australian fiancee, Broc Nicholson, has since paid tribute to her "lucky charm Irish boy" on Facebook. "He will be forever in our hearts and sadly missed," she said in a post on Thursday night. "I thank you all for your love, support and messages of kind words. Going to be a long road ahead getting back on our feet." A mass for Mr Shanley, run by the NT Irish Association, will be held for his friends in Darwin at St Mary's Star of the Sea Cathedral on Saturday night. Omigie will reappear via video link at Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday. A historic aircraft in South Australia will receive a $4 million investment for preservation, under a re-elected coalition government. Tourism minister Simon Birmingham said the funding would ensure the Vickers Vimy be safely transferred to a prime location at the new Adelaide airport terminal. "This is a celebration of Australia's history," Mr Birmingham said. "It will be great for tourism to South Australia as well as ensure future generations of SA learn about this piece of history." Federal and state governments will each invest $2 million. The Vickers Vimy was the first aircraft to fly between Australia and England almost 100 years ago. South Australian brothers Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith made history when they made the flight in less than 30 days. This year marks the centenary of the 1919 Air Race. The aircraft is currently located on the Adelaide Airport sight in the long-term car park, about 700m away from terminal access. The moving process is expected to commence in 2021. The plane will need to be dismantled then reconstructed in its new home. Adelaide Airport announced a $165 million terminal expansion in June last year. A man found dead in a Gold Coast home will undergo a post mortem examination as police search for more clues into his death. The man, believed to be aged in his 30s, was reportedly discovered slumped in a chair with a significant head injuries. The body was discovered inside a Surfers Paradise building by paramedics following an emergency call just after 5pm on Friday. Police said the death is being treated as suspicious and officers continue to search the Markwell Avenue address. Police said they have identified the man and they are searching for his next of kin. The Courier-Mail reports the man was found slumped in a chair and "covered in blood". Detective Acting Inspector Matt Ward urged anyone with information into the man's death to come forward to police. A Sydney woman accused of fatally hitting a cyclist and reversing over him didn't stop to help because she only realised she had struck someone while watching the news two days later, a court has heard. Vonny Ho allegedly ran her blue Toyota Corolla sedan into cyclist Raymond Rawiri, 66, from Neutral Bay, while driving in the back streets of Lidcombe shortly before 5pm on Tuesday. The 47-year-old woman is accused of then reversing over the wreckage and driving away. Ho, a shipping company worker, was arrested on Friday afternoon after she turned up at Auburn police station. She was charged with failing to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing death, and both dangerous and negligent driving causing death. In Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday, police prosecutor Sergeant Scott Thomson opposed bail, noting Ho was facing "quite a serious allegation" and took days to surrender herself. "Police allege she has purposefully reversed back over the cyclist before failing to stop at the accident," he said. Court documents allege she failed to provide the "necessary assistance within her power to give" to Mr Rawiri. But the bail application was granted by magistrate Peter Miszalski, with a $10,000 surety posted through Ho's husband and on the condition she will report to police twice a week. Lawyer Frank Ngo said his client, an Australian citizen who has lived here since 2003, only noticed "that she was the driver of the vehicle" after watching the news on Thursday night. "The following morning she approached me and we went to Auburn," the lawyer said. "We say that there is no failure to assist." He said bail was required due to the financial hardship Ho's family would suffer without her income and due to the "lengthy period" until a trial date. Outside court, Ho's husband - flanked by Mr Ngo - said his wife thought she had hit "just a metal pole" and heard "a metal noise". "We really don't know that this (was) a human being that she hit," Effendy Chang told reporters. He said the family watched Seven News on Thursday night and realised Ho had been involved. "Check the CCTV, she's not like 'oh I have to run because I did something wrong'," Mr Chang said. Ho's matter was adjourned to Burwood Local Court on May 16. Australian ugg boot-maker Eddie Oygur has suffered a $US450,000 ($A643,000) loss in his "David versus Goliath" legal fight with a major US footwear and apparel company. A jury in Chicago on Friday found Mr Oygur's business, Sydney-based Australian Leather, wilfully infringed a trademark registered to California-based Deckers Outdoor by selling ugg boots online to customers in the US. After a four-day trial, Mr Oygur was ordered to pay Deckers statutory damages of $US450,000 and he may face an order to pay millions more in legal costs. Deckers generates more than $US1 billion in annual sales from its UGG brands. Mr Oygur argued "ugg" is a generic term originating in Australia from the 1960s surfing community. "It has been a cruel blow," Australian lawyer and former senator Nick Xenophon, who is in Chicago supporting Mr Oygur, told AAP. "Everything he has worked for in Australia for over 40 years has come to this." Deckers acquired the UGG Australia trademark in 1995. "Deckers' products have been widely accepted by the public and are enormously popular, as demonstrated by over $1 billion in annual UGG sales," Deckers wrote in its complaint to the US District Court. "The UGG Trademark is a famous mark." Mr Xenophon said Mr Oygur was "devastated and defiant" after the verdict and hoped the Australian public, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor Leader Bill Shorten backed the businessman's plan to appeal. "It is not just a devastating blow for Eddie Oygur and Australia, it is a devastating blow for Australian jobs," Mr Xenophon said. "The term ugg should never have been trademarked. "It is a generic term that should have been protected by Australian governments in the past. "As disappointing as the verdict is, what has been incredibly disappointing is the Australian government has failed to stand up for Eddie by providing him the legal assistance he deserves to fight this case. "Eddie and his tiny company have been doing this all on their own." AAP has reached out to Deckers for comment. Perth's Forrestfield-Airport Link project has reached a major milestone, as the first tunnel-boring machine arrives at Redcliff Station. It has now tunnelled 62 per cent of the 7.4 km tunnel component of the train line to Bayswater. On Saturday, West Australian Premier Mark McGowan and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti announced the machine had reached the station construction site on Thursday. It was the first time the machine surfaced since leaving the Airport Central Station box in June 2018. Mr McGowan said both machines completed tunnels under Perth Airport's runways. "The last time I saw this incredible machine it had just broken through the wall at Airport Central Station," Mr McGowan said. The project's second machine is about 500 metres behind the first. It is expected to break into Redcliffe in June. Ms Saffioti said once works and maintenance are complete, the two tunnel-boring machines will begin the final leg of their journey. "They will tunnel to a depth of 22m under the Swan River before surfacing at the Bayswater dive structure." The Forrestfield-Airport Link project involves building a new rail service to Perth's eastern suburbs, adding three new stations at Redcliffe, Airport Central and Forrestfield. The $1.86 billion project is jointly funded by the federal and state governments. The first trains are expected to operate in late 2021. Minister Mengot (left) & Minister Tasong PhotoGrid by Atia Azohnwi Cameroons Prime Minister, Head of Government Dion Ngute is expected to begin a four-day peace mission to the crisis-hit South West Region on Tuesday, May 14 after ending a similar visit to the restive North West Region Sunday. Ahead of the visit that will take him to Buea, Limbe and Kumba, elites of the region have been taking turns to call for a massive mobilisation of their political bases in a bid to give the Head of Government and son of the South West Region a messianic reception. Victor Arrey Nkongho Mengot, Minister in charge of Special Duties at the Presidency of the Republic in an announcement dated May 10, 2019 calls on traditional rulers, elite and all political stakeholders of Manyu Division to take necessary measures to be in Buea on Tuesday, May 14, 2019 to give the Prime Minister a befitting welcome as he enters the region and subsequently to participate in the consultations. The Prime Minister, Head of Government will be paying an official working visit to the South West Region from the 14th to the 17th of May 2019 during which he will be undertaking consultations with representatives of various socio-cultural, economic, political, socio-professional and religious groups, viz: Traditional rulers, leaders of political parties, religious leaders, elected officials, civil society, NGOs, leaders of the business community, youth, drivers unions, academia, womens groups and associations, etc, Mengot said. On his part, TASONG NJUKANG Paul, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy Planning and Regional Development in charge of Planning calls on all people of Lebialem origin to turn out en masse to welcome this valued son of the South West Region on May 14, 2019 at the Mongo bridge and to participate in the consultative talks and working sessions according to the established programme in Buea, Limbe and Kumba thereafter. Minister Paul Tasong says top on the Prime Ministers agenda, and in view of seeking lasting solutions to the crisis rocking the North West and South West Regions, is consultative talks with all actors of development of the South West Region. The head of government will be in the South West Region as bearer of the Head of States message to the people of the restive region. He had told the people in the North West Region that the Head of State, President Paul Biya is open to an inclusive dialogue with true representatives of the suffering masses of the two regions on all subjects excluding separation. He called on all in the bushes to drop their weapons and come to the dialogue table. PM Dion Ngute said the situation in these two regions has spared no one, and it is therefore time to give peace a chance. PM Dion Ngute is expected in Buea at midday on May 14, 2019. He will grant several audiences until midday Wednesday when he moves to Limbe to meet the population of the chief town of Fako Division. He will hold working sessions in Limbe with a cross section of the population before returning to Buea for more audiences. He will leave Buea for Kumba in Meme Division on Thursday where he is expected to preach the gospel of peace before returning to Buea same day. The Prime Minister will end his visit to the South West Region on Friday, May 17, 2019 after he would have had heart-to-heart discussions with the people of the region. Thousands of mothers across Australia will swap sleep-ins for a walk or run for the Mother's Day Classic fundraiser for breast cancer research. Cancer survivors and their family members will be among the thousands who don bright pink colours and pound the pavement at events in major cities and regional towns across Australia on Sunday. The annual fun run and walk raises money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation's research to improve detection and diagnosis of breast cancer and treatment options. There will be 88 events across the nation including in Sydney, western Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin and Hobart. Australian scientists have helped shed new light on volcanic eruptions, using Hawaii's months-long Kilauea disaster which destroyed hundreds of homes. After analysing the eruption on Hawaii's Big Island beginning in May 2018, researchers from France, the UK, US and Tasmania say changes in the speed of vibrations travelling through a volcano could be used to pinpoint its imminent eruption. Ten days before the eruption of Kilauea, the University of Tasmania's Gerrit Olivier says he and his colleagues found these vibrations inside the volcano's magma chamber changed dramatically. "The volcano is constantly bulging and contracting as the pressure inside the magma chamber changes," Dr Oliver said. "The behaviour of the seismic wave speeds are initially quite predictable. "When the volcano bulges, the speed at which the vibrations travel through the volcano increase slightly as material is compressed. On the other hand, when the volcano contracts these wave speeds decrease." Days before the May 3 eruption, Kilauea was still bulging because of a build-up of pressure, but the vibrations stopped speeding up and instead slowed right down. "This is a good indicator that the volcano isn't able to sustain the pressure inside the magma chamber anymore, that the bulge is too big and it starts breaking the material around the magma chamber which ultimately leads to the eruption," Dr Oliver said. These changes have been recorded before, but the study said it was the first time it showed them occurring because of a weakening of material inside the volcano just before an eruption. Dr Oliver and his colleagues hope this method could be used to help predict when other volcanoes will erupt, after Kilauea spewed out 800 million cubic metres of lava destroying more than 700 homes. Former Greens leader Bob Brown has questioned the motives behind the raising of Sydney's Warragamba Dam wall and urged major federal political parties to reveal their position on the plan. The NSW government plan to raise the wall 14 metres will be subject to federal government approval after the environmental impact statement is released later this year and the final business case is considered. Dr Brown is critical of the plan which could damage the world heritage-listed Blue Mountains and has urged the coalition, Labor and all other parties to be upfront about their position before voters head to the polls on May 18. "The leaders of the parties should be very clear about what they think about it," he told AAP. "They should say whether they will protect it (the Blue Mountains) or not - they need to say that upfront." Critics say the plan puts at risk threatened flora and fauna that could be inundated by dammed water in the world heritage-listed Blue Mountains. The veteran environmental activist claims the plan "doesn't make sense" and questioned the motives behind it. The state government insists it will help prevent flooding of the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley but Dr Brown argues the best protection would be to stop developments on floodplains. "I'd like to know who's really behind the scenes pushing for the raising of the dam which will cause extensive damage in the world heritage area," he said. "They're devouring very important natural and cultural sites for really inexplicable reasons." The project came under scrutiny after AAP revealed in March the Berejiklian government was actually planning to raise each end of the wall - the dam abutments - by 17m so it could easily be modified in the future to hold back additional water. Infrastructure NSW, which is in charge of the project, has previously said it will be designed and constructed to be resilient to the future impacts of climate change such as bigger floods. But Dr Brown argues if the government is concerned about climate change causing bigger floods - they should address climate change first. "They government is planning for disasters of their own making," he said. The federal government and Labor have been contacted for comment. The prime minister and opposition leader are both promising billions of dollars for Victorian road and rail projects, less than a week out from the federal election. Victoria has emerged as a critical battleground for the election, with a number of normally safe Liberal seats considered vulnerable especially following the party's disastrous state election performance in November. The prime minister will officially launch the Liberal Party's re-election bid in Melbourne on Mothers' Day, with a funding promise close to his heart. Campaign spokesman Simon Birmingham denies it's part of a ploy to win over Victoria, saying it's about the campaign "right across the country". "Every state is critical, and Victoria is critical," he tole Nine's Weekend Today show. Scott Morrison is pledging $4 billion towards the axed East West Link, connect the Eastern Freeway to City Link. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the project would be funded from the future surpluses as flagged in last month's federal budget and is not expecting "a cent" from Victoria's Labor state government which has previously rejected the project. Bill Shorten is offering $10 billion towards suburban rail tunnels as both leaders campaign in Melbourne on Sunday. Mr Morrison is offering $36 million towards peri-natal depression checks for new parents. "This is a cause close to my heart that has hit close to home," he told AAP. "Too many parents have suffered in silence, but we've got their back." In an interview last week, Mr Morrison's wife Jenny revealed her struggle with depression when the couple's two daughters were young. The opposition leader will also kickstart the final week of the campaign in Melbourne, celebrating his 52nd birthday on Sunday. Mr Shorten will also appear on the final episode of the ABC's Insiders program before the May 18 poll, and participate in the Mother's Day Classic fun run. The prime minister has repeatedly argued his campaign launch will not be about "party hoopla", sledging Labor's recent launch for lauding its luminaries. Instead, he will take centre stage to "have a conversation" with voters about the direction of the country. Former prime ministers Malcolm Turnbull, Tony Abbott and John Howard are not expected to attend the campaign launch in Melbourne. Instead, the prime minister alone will take the limelight as he seeks to make the May 18 poll a presidential-style race between himself and Mr Shorten. Labor is hoping to pick up several Victorian seats on Saturday, while the Liberals are still trying to cauterise the damage done by overthrowing Malcolm Turnbull as party leader. A blood test that can detect breast cancer is expected to begin clinical trials within three years. The test, developed by Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute researchers, checks breast cancer patients' blood for DNA specific to tumours, News Corp Australia reports. The research has been awarded a $385,000 National Breast Cancer Foundation grant. Initially the test will be used to check women who have already been treated for breast cancer for the return of the disease. Associate Professor Alexander Dobrovic from the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute said there was the potential for the test to be modified so it could be used in the early detection of breast cancer. "To be truly effective as a screening test, it would have to be refined so it could identify all women who have cancer," he told News Corp Australia. A three-and-a-half-metre tiger shark caught off Sydney was among dozens of sharks intercepted in a trial of high-tech drumlines off NSW in recent months. The huge shark was snagged in the Palm Beach-Newport area during the recently completed 90-day trial, while a two-and-a-half-metre tiger shark was caught around Dee Why-Manly. Fourteen sharks were caught in trials of the SMART drumlines off Sydney beaches while elsewhere more than 40 sharks were snagged on the NSW south and north coasts and at Newcastle, according to data released by Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall on Sunday. Species caught included great white sharks, bronze whalers, grey nurse and bull sharks, among others. The satellite-linked drumlines were set near existing shark nets and alerted boat crews, who tagged and released sharks when caught. Mr Marshall said the drumlines were a success and helped to reduce shark incidents at beaches. "The beauty of this technology is that it not only prevents shark encounters but also allows scientists to monitor the tagged sharks and learn more about their behaviour," Mr Marshall said in a statement. The Department of Primary Industries will analyse the results before deciding on further steps, the statement said. FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN: DAY 31 -- WHERE THE LEADERS ARE CAMPAIGNING * Prime Minister Scott Morrison: will be launching the Liberal campaign in Melbourne * Labor leader Bill Shorten: is also in Melbourne -- WHAT THE COALITION WANTS TO TALK ABOUT Why they should win Saturday's federal election, and help for women, plus funding for Melbourne roads, particularly the controversial East-West Link. -- WHAT LABOR WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: Roads funding for Melbourne, plus their mums. Bill Shorten is running in the city's annual Mothers' Day Classic. -- THE LATEST POLLS * A YouGov/Galaxy poll in Brisbane's Sunday Mail shows Queenslanders prefer Morrison's money-in-your pocket approach to tax over Shorten's new taxes for better services. -- WHAT IS MAKING NEWS: * Scott Morrison will be joined by the major women in his life - wife Jenny, daughters Lily and Abbey and his mum Marion - as he launches the Liberal party's campaign. But the who won't-be-there list is more interesting for some. That includes predecessors Malcolm Turnbull, Tony Abbott and reportedly John Howard. * Bill Shorten is hanging around his hometown of Melbourne, where he will not only celebrate Mothers' Day by taking part in the fun run, but also his 52nd birthday. On Monday, it will be Scott Morrison's turn to celebrate when he turns 51. * Shorten has also revealed that if he does win Saturday's election, he'll move his family - wife Chloe, step-children Rupert and Georgette, and daughter Clementine - from Melbourne to the Lodge in Canberra. They will be the first family to live in the Lodge in more than a decade. The Morrison family is based in the prime minister's Sydney residence, Kirribilli House, and Jenny Morrison says she'd prefer to star there. --- THEY SAID WHAT? "I do think the prime minister should live in The Lodge or Kirribilli." - Bill Shorten. "It's not about party festivals and slapping backs and doing all that sort of stuff. People aren't interested in all that rubbish." - Scott Morrison on Sunday's launch. The Liberal stronghold of Higgins which includes some of Melbourne's wealthiest suburbs could be under threat at Saturday's state election. Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer's retirement, along with an influx of young voters could be fuelling discontent in the seat. Climate change and the dumping of Malcolm Turnbull are other factors putting the government under pressure. The Liberals are running paediatrician Katie Allen against Labor's Fiona McLeod and the Greens' Jason Ball. According to The Sunday Age, Labor's internal polling recently placed the coalition about about 51 to 49 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. Liberal sources told the newspaper "the mood has turned" in the electorate over the past two months. Ms O'Dwyer won the seat with a 7.4 per cent margin over the Greens at the 2016 election. Higgins has been Liberal-held since its 1949 inception, with former treasurer Peter Costello representing the electorate for almost two decades. Former Liberal prime ministers Harold Holt and John Gorton also held the seat. Victoria is a key battleground for Saturday's election, with Labor eyeing gains which could help make Bill Shorten prime minister. Armed jihadists abducted Sophie Petronin from Gao, northern Mali, where she ran a charity helping orphans The son of an elderly French woman abducted in Mali has accused Paris of refusing to talk to her abductors, in comments published Sunday that were disputed by French authorities. Armed jihadists abducted Sophie Petronin on December 24, 2016, in Gao, northern Mali, where she ran a charity helping orphans. Her son, Sebastien Chadaud-Petronin, told the Sunday newspaper Journal Du Dimanche that French officials had rejected an offer from the abductors, which he had received when he visited Mali in December. He said the French foreign ministry had sidelined him and taken the decision in his place: "The decision to sacrifice my mother." Responding to the criticism, a source close to the foreign ministry told AFP that France would continue to do everything to get Petronin freed -- but her son's comments were not helping. "The son of Madame Petronin has received unprecedented support from the French authorities" who had paid for his eight trips to the Sahel region, the source added. But having made contact with an intermediary of the abductors, Chadaud-Petronin had refused to reveal his identity to the French services -- and that meant they had been unable to check his credibility. "We don't doubt his sincerity, but he is being manipulated by the abductors and their numerous intermediaries," said the source. In June last year, Petronin's abductors sent a video of her in which she appeared weak and emaciated, appealing to French President Emmanuel Macron to help her. In another video in November, which only showed a photo of her, they said her health had deteriorated. Speaking to AFP on Sunday, Chadaud-Petronin said that he remained hopeful that his mother was still alive, even if he had no definite information. No group claimed responsibility for her abduction until July 2017, when Al-Qaeda's Mali branch released a video showing her. Mali has been struggling to return to stability after Islamist extremists took control of the north in early 2012, prompting a military intervention by France. The African National Congress (ANC) will be mathematically assured more than 50 percent of votes cast in the final official tally South Africa's ruling ANC was Saturday declared winner of general elections, handing it a sixth straight term in the post-apartheid era on what was nevertheless its worst electoral showing. The African National Congress (ANC) won a healthy majority with 57.5 percent -- or 230 out of the 400 parliamentary seats But that still represented 19 seats fewer than in 2014. The official results, as declared by the electoral commission, were therefore the ANC's poorest ever showing in its long electoral run, which started in 1994, when Nelson Mandela led it to victory in the first multi-racial polls. The party has been battling corruption scandals, sluggish economic growth, record unemployment and poverty -- issues its leader Cyril Ramaphosa, a veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, has promised to tackle. But its poor electoral showing could hamper efforts to revive the flagging economy and fight corruption. Businessman Ramaphosa, 66, took over last year when the ANC forced then-president Jacob Zuma to resign after nine years dominated by graft allegations and economic decline. The ANC's closest rival, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), trailed at a distant 20.7 percent or 84 seats. The radical left Economic Freedom Fighters, founded six years ago by former ANC youth leader Julius Malema, came third with 10.79 percent. But that was four percentage points more than in 2014 and means a jump from 25 to and 44 parliamentary seats. - A 'lifeline' - After the official declaration of the results in Pretoria, Ramaphosa said: "Our people have spoken - and they have done so clearly and emphatically. "They voted for a united South Africa, they voted for a more equal society, free from hunger and want. We can declare with certainty that democracy has emerged victorious." Despite the plunge in support, ANC chairman Gwede Mantashe said the party was grateful for a new "lifeline". It was an improvement on its 2016 local government elections performance "when we were really facing a disaster", he said. "We are picking up from that disaster." Minister in the presidency Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma acknowledged the decline in support, but said: "We are happy with the mandate the people have given us and we will work hard to improve." "The ANC are being given a chance," said political analyst Lumkile Mondi. "This is an opportunity for them to reincarnate themselves." Analyst Susan Booysen of the Wits School of Governance said the tally was "way higher for the ANC than it would have been had Zuma been still in power". The ANC's reputation suffered under Zuma, and Ramaphosa still faces resistance to his reform agenda, especially from Zuma allies still holding senior positions in the party and government. About 26.8 million people were registered to vote but only around 65.6 percent turned out Support for the party has fallen in every election since its 2004, when it got nearly 70 percent. By 2016, it had fallen to 54 percent in municipal polls in which it lost control of key city governments. A record 48 parties contested Wednesday's elections. A reduced majority nevertheless weakens Ramaphosa's bargaining power, making him more vulnerable to the pro-Zuma faction in the governing party, analysts warn. South Africa's economy grew just 0.8 percent in 2018 and official unemployment hovers around 27 percent. It remains in charge eight of the nine provinces. Some 65 percent of the 26.8 million people registered to vote turned out Wednesday. - 'Era of political realignment' - DA leader Mmusi Maimane, put a brave face on his party's failure to cash in on waning ANC support. "Even though we've lost some votes, we've held the centre -- and I will lead that project going forward," said Maimane, the party's first black leader. Malema's EFF made major gains, jumping from 6.3 percent in the 2014 poll. It campaigned on promises to seize land from whites without compensation to give to poor blacks, and to nationalise mines and banks. "Its the last election that it (ANC) will win outright. We have now created the biggest decline for the ANC," said EFF chairman Dali Mpofu. "In the next election there will not be any outright winner. We are going to enter the era of coalitions,... an era of political realignment." The conservative and predominantly white Freedom Front Plus, founded in 1994 during the negotiations to end apartheid, performed unexpectedly well, picking up 10 seats -- six more than in 2014. Ngala Gerard Facebook Mola Ejani Leonard Kulu, Researcher in law and political science at the University of Dschang has in collaboration with Ngala Gerard Ndombang holder of a BSc in law and political science at the University of Douala have penned a critique on the recent delegation of powers by President Paul Biya to his Secretary General, Minister of State Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh. They write: "The permanent delegation of signature is not a new practice carried out by the President of the Republic since his accession to the Supreme Magistracy. Recently with the signing of Decree 2019/043 of 05 February 2019 conferring permanent delegation of signature to Mr. NGOH NGOH Ferdinand Minister of State Secretary General (SG) at the Presidency of the Republic, lots of commotion is felt leaving the ordinary Cameroonian confused and worried as to the diverse views, opinions and the politicization of this familiar and constitutional act reached within the confines of the laws governing Cameroon. It becomes even more curious when we can recall that more than half a decade before, Decree 2011/422 of 14 December 2011 was signed by the President of the Republic conferring still to Mr. NGOH NGOH Ferdinand then Minister SG at the Presidency of the Republic similar permanent delegation of signature which tends to draw sundry views and particular interest today. The different questions raised as to this Decree does not just question the constitutionality of the Decree but equally questions if the President of the Republic still governs Cameroon and most importantly a possible succession coup. The permanent delegation of signature to start with is not an unprecedented act posed by the acting President of Cameroon. Indeed, we can recall Decree 75/533 of 17 July 1975 signed by President EL HADJ AHMADOU AHIDJO in which this decree gave permanent delegation of signature to Mr. EBOUA Samuel, SG at the Presidency of the Republic then, to sign on behalf of the Head of State every document and correspondences relative to current administrative affairs. The permanent delegation of signature in principle is a regulatory prerogative conferred to the President of the Republic as it is the case with articles 8(8), 8(9) and 10 of the Cameroon constitution of 14/04/2008 modifying and completing certain dispositions of the 18/01/1996 constitution which revised the 02/06/1972 Constitution. This is an act defined within the confines of administrative acts. The Decree in question (Decree 2019/043 of 05 February 2019) even states it clear in its articles 1 & 2 that the SG signs on behalf of the Head of State, documents, correspondences relative to current administrative affairs and regulatory acts. This act in no way signifies delegation of power which can be understood as the transfer or sharing of power and authority from a person or organ to another. In this case the direct responsibility of the person or organ can be questioned. It is in this light we can recall the permanent delegation of signature since 1984 with Decree 84/042 of 13 February 1984 giving permanent delegation of signature to Mr. ABOUEM a TCHOYI David SG at the Presidency of the Republic, Decree 85/1199 of 30 August 1985 giving Mr. Ferdinand Leopold OYONO SG at the Presidency of the Republic permanent delegation of signature, Decree 89/758 of 21 April 1989 giving Mr. AKAME MFOUMOU Edouard SG at the Presidency of the Republic permanent delegation of signature, Decree 90/1363 of 21 Sept 1990 giving Mr. SADOU HAYATOU SG at the Presidency of the Republic permanent delegation of signature, Decree 97/220 of 11 Dec 1997 giving Mr. MARAFA HAMIDOU YAYA SG at the Presidency of the Republic permanent delegation of signature, Decree 2002/222 of 30 August 2002 giving Mr. ATANGANA MEBARA Jean-Marie SG at the Presidency of the Republic permanent delegation of signature and Decree 2006/311 of 25 Sept 2006 giving Mr. ESSO Laurent SG at the Presidency of the Republic permanent delegation of signature. It is important to recall here that the office of the SG at the Presidency of the Republic is of utmost importance in the accomplishment of the mission assigned to the Head of State. Decree 2011/412 of 09 December 2011 on the reorganization of the Presidency of the Republic holds in its article 2(2) that the SG is in charge of relation between the Presidency of the Republic and the Government. In its article 2(3), the SG ensures amongst others liaison between the Executive and the different constitutive organs of the State. But equally and more important in article 3(1) of this same Decree 2011/412 of 09 Dec 2011, the SG assists the President of the Republic in the accomplishment of his mission. The magnitude of this office comes to confirm even the promotion of the SG to the rank of Minister of State with the last Governmental appointment of 4th Jan 2019 making administratively appropriate a suitable ranking in the accomplishment of the tasks assigned to the office of the SG at the Presidency of the Republic. For the President of the Republic to properly execute his function as Head of State, the constitution of Cameroon provides constitutional and regulatory powers on which his mandate and contract with the Cameroonian people should be judged. In this light therefore, the President in accordance with article 10(2) can delegate some powers to some of his collaborators like the Prime Minister and other members of Government within the framework of their respective responsibilities. In accordance with Decree 2019/043 of 05 Feb 2019 creating this inkling controversy, the President of the Republic didnt even delegate powers but rather signature which limits the SG to administrative acts and still in no way questions the direct responsibility of the SG in missions he accomplishes within the framework of this Decree, but rather the direct responsibility of the President of the Republic who is the sole person responsible before the Cameroonian people. This Decree 2019/043 of 05 Feb 2019 in essence only comes in to modify the rank and portfolio of the Minister SG at the Presidency of the Republic to that of Minister of State SG at the presidency of the Republic in continuance with the same delegation of signature he has being enjoying with Decree 2011/422 of 14 December 2011. We can further consider article 10(3) which even authorizes the President of the Republic to assign the Prime Minister or any other member of Government if he is temporarily unavailable. These provisions of the constitution comes to annul any claim defying the constitutionality of Decree 2019/043 of 05 February 2019 and questioning if the President of the Republic still governs Cameroon. It is equally important to hold that this Decree only remains a decree which cannot defy the constitutional powers of the President of the Republic if we should consider the principle of the hierarchy of norms on which administrative authority and authenticity is ruled. The question surrounding vacancy and incapacity is clearly defined by article 6(4) of the Cameroonian constitution which holds that, in a case of vacancy, death, resignation of the President of the Republic observed by the Constitutional Council, elections are previewed within 20 or 120 days and the interim is ensured by the President of the Senate who isnt a candidate in this election. The constitution provides therefore measures how our State is governed during normal and abnormal periods. In normal periods, the President without any question of constitutionality delegates signature to his collaborators in a bid to effectively and efficiently meet up with his mission. Equally within abnormal circumstances like those defined in article 6(4) in which Decree 2019/043 of 05 Feb 2019 has nothing to do with, the appropriate constitutional organs get hold of the situation and implement the adequate constitutional measures previewed in managing such circumstances. The President of the Republic therefore within the precincts of his responsibility towards the Cameroonian people and in accordance with the constitutional provisions defining his powers and functions as per articles 5, 8, 9 and 10 of the Cameroonian constitution, remains constitutional and legal as to any act taken within the prescriptions of the aforementioned articles. Decree 2019/043 of 05 February 2019 only comes in to ascertain the essence of the SGs office whose mission is defined by Decree 2011/412 of 09 December 2011 on the reorganization of the Presidency of the Republic in its article 2(2,3) and its article 3(1). The question as to if the President of the Republic is still managing the State of Cameroon only remains political, when we consider the question of transition animating our political scene and the interest different stakeholders within the national and international platforms attach to it. It is equally important to hold that the commotion this Decree is creating can be attributed to the ties of information technology which is rapidly transforming our traditional society into an active android generation which needs to be objectively and constructively checked for the wellbeing of our beloved Nation. This May 9, 2019 picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows rocket launchers firing during a drill by units of the Korean People's Army Seventy countries urged North Korea on Friday to scrap its nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and related programs, decrying the "undiminished threat" posed to world peace. Signatories included the United States and South Korea, as well as nations in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe. Russia and China, supporters of Pyongyang, did not sign the document drafted by France. With two missile launches in a week, Pyongyang is walking a fine line between increasing pressure on the US and not derailing nuclear negotiations -- all while giving itself room to escalate, analysts say. According to a diplomatic source, about 15 countries asked to sign on to the request for North Korean disarmament after the new missile firings. The signatories "strongly deplore the grave and undiminished threat to regional and international peace and security posed by the ongoing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles programmes that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has developed," the text said. "We encourage the DPRK to avoid any provocation," it added. "We also call for the DPRK to continue discussions with the United States on denuclearization." Pyongyang fired two short-range missiles Thursday following an earlier drill on Saturday. The North had not launched any since November 2017, shortly before leader Kim Jong Un embarked on diplomatic overtures. Kim declared an end to the testing of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles during rapid rapprochement last year. Rival Libyan forces have been battling for control of the capital Tripoli and analysts say they are creating a security vacuum allowing jihadists to re-emerge The battle for Tripoli between rival Libyan forces both championing the fight against "terrorism" has created a security vacuum, allowing the Islamic State group a chance to re-emerge, analysts warn. Libya expert Emad Badi says the fighting has given IS "the opportunity to reorganise, recruit and strike alliances with other groups (and organise attacks) to show they are still around". Jihadist groups capitalised on Libya's descent into chaos after the 2011 uprising that killed veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi to establish a presence in the North African country. IS had its main stronghold in Kadhafi's hometown of Sirte, east of Tripoli, until it was expelled from the Mediterranean coastal city in December 2016. The group's demise came at the hands of forces loyal to the Tripoli-based internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), especially fighters from the western city of Misrata. Those fighters are among pro-GNA forces now battling the self-styled Libyan National Army of military strongman Khalifa Haftar who launched an assault on Tripoli on April 4. Haftar has vowed to "cleanse" Libya of jihadists and presents himself as the country's saviour. In 2017, he drove hardline Islamists out of second city Benghazi after a three-year battle and ousted jihadists from Derna, also in the east. Then in January he launched an operation to "purge the south of terrorist and criminal groups" before setting his sights on Tripoli. But despite being weakened, the jihadists still pose a threat in oil-rich Libya, where they were blamed for around 20 attacks last year. And over the past week IS has carried out two deadly assaults targeting Haftar's forces -- on a training camp in the southern city of Sebha on May 4 that left nine dead and an attack Thursday in Ghodwa, also in the south, that killed two civilians. - Jihadists feeding on divisions -- Instability has reigned over Libya since the 2011 uprising, with rival political and military forces vying for power and fighting for the country's oil wealth and cities. Libya has been gripped by conflict since the 2011 uprising that killed longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi Jihadist groups such as IS have fed on this chaos to grow, and divisions that persist as reflected by the battle for Tripoli only serve to bolster them, analysts say. "The divisions give terrorists an unexpected opportunity to mobilise and reorganise," said Khaled al-Montasser, a professor of international studies who lectures at Libyan universities. After losing Sirte and Derna, IS was weakened but not totally defeated as its fighters withdrew to the country's remote and vast desert in the south or infiltrated coastal communities. The threat jihadists pose was highlighted in a statement Thursday by the GNA, which also blamed Haftar's offensive for giving groups like IS another chance to regroup. "GNA forces continue to repel the Haftar militias but their attacks... destabilise our country and allow terrorist groups like Daesh to re-emerge," it said using an Arabic acronym for IS. Karim Bitar, director of research at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, draws a parallel with Syria and Iraq, where IS built a "caliphate" after a lightning offensive in 2014. "In Libya, as in Iraq and Syria before it, IS took advantage of a vacuum... and the collapse of the state's structures to anchor itself," he said. "As long as Libya is divided and as long as the state's sovereign authority is not re-established across the country, there is a risk that IS will be able to regain ground," he said. Pork is a staple of Chinese cuisine. Every day Hong Kong imports around 4,000 live pigs from China with only around 200 pigs coming from local farms in the crowded city Hong Kong will cull 6,000 pigs after African swine fever was detected in an animal at a slaughterhouse close to the border with China, the first case of the disease in the densely populated financial hub. "In order to minimise the risk of ASF virus spreading from the slaughterhouse, all pigs in Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse will be culled so that thorough cleansing and also disinfection could be conducted," Sophia Chan, Secretary of the city's Food and Health Department, said late Friday. She added that the pig detected with African swine fever was imported from a farm in the southern mainland Chinese province of Guangdong. Pork is a staple of Chinese cuisine. Every day Hong Kong imports around 4,000 live pigs from China with only around 200 pigs coming from local farms in the crowded city. After African swine fever spread across more than half of China's provinces last year, Hong Kong imposed import bans from any Chinese farms where the virus were detected. With some of the worlds most densely populated streets, Hong Kong remains on high alert to diseases. In 2003, some 300 people died during an outbreak of severe acute respiratory disease (SARS). Chinese officials have said hundreds of thousands of pigs were culled in a bid to stop its spread -- an effort that has also seen restrictions placed on moving pigs from affected areas. The virus is not dangerous to humans but is fatal to pigs and wild boar. Prominent progressive group GetUp have placed the darling of hard-right Liberals, Peter Dutton, at the top of their 'hit list' Australia's conservatives control the ruling Liberal Party and occupy key positions in government, but a week out from tight elections their talisman has gone into hiding and the movement is on the back foot. Unsmiling, uncompromising and polarising, 48-year-old former policeman and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton was front and centre of Australian politics, until now. Amid a closely fought election battle that the opposition Labor Party is on track to win, Dutton -- the darling of hard-right Liberals -- has all but disappeared from the national view and is fighting to save his seat in parliament. It is just one sign of how difficult the terrain has become for Australia's mainstream conservatives, stuck between moderates moving to the left and a globally inspired populist movement. For much of the last year, Dutton's faction in the ruling Liberal-National coalition had been in the ascendency. Buoyed by the success of politicians like Donald Trump they ousted moderate prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in a party coup, tightened their grip on immigration policy and took control of Australia's domestic spy agency. Unsmiling, uncompromising and polarising, 48-year-old former policeman and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has been front and centre of Australian politics, until now Dutton had carried himself with a swagger, unflinchingly espousing strident views and defending Australia's policies of sending asylum seekers to remote Pacific camps. He boycotted a national apology to indigenous children taken from their families, joked with climate-hit Pacific Islanders about "water lapping at your door", and told business leaders to "stick to their knitting" when they supported same-sex marriage. All of this made him a hero to conservatives, who narrowly missed out on making him Liberal leader and prime minister. Former PM and Liberal heavyweight John Howard recently praised Dutton as a genuine and hardworking politician whose "strong values and resolve" as Home Affairs Minister has "kept all Australians safer". Ahead of the 2019 election, Dutton had been expected to lead the charge as the Liberal-Nationals, who are one party in his home state of Queensland, try to win back votes lost to the anti-immigration One Nation party. But with the Liberals also trying to court moderate voters in the more progressive southern state of Victoria amid fears of a landslide loss there, Dutton -- a lightning rod for left-wing anger -- has taken a back seat, mostly shunning the media spotlight. - Dutton weaponised by left - Polls show Dutton in a close race in his constituency of Dickson, which he and the Liberals have held for almost 20 years. Polls show Dutton in a close race in his constituency of Dickson, which he and the Liberals have held for almost 20 years Dickson -- on the northern outskirts of Brisbane and where growing suburbia encroaches on semi-rural properties -- has been a bellwether of Queensland, with past results closely reflecting the state's overall result. The seat encompasses a vast mix of socio-economic groups, with further change in recent years as the area draws in younger professionals. Dutton's main challenger on May 18 is Labor's photogenic former journalist and amputee Ali France. He also faces activists who have vowed to shake up Australian politics. Prominent progressive group GetUp is trying to make the left more organised and targeting key conservatives like Dutton and former Liberal PM Tony Abbott on their own turf. In one of the more affluent parts of Dickson, local GetUp door-knocking volunteers -- who have placed Dutton at the top of their hard-right "hit list" -- speak passionately about ousting him. Dutton held on to his seat by a margin of 1.7 percent -- or 1,500 votes -- at the last election, so a national swing against the minority government could see him lose the seat. "What we are trying to instil in people is the idea that this is probably the most important election that you'll ever face," volunteer Stewart O'Brien told AFP, as he admitted that Dickson had a reputation for high voter disengagement. "A 1,000 or 1,500 votes govern your future. Please get engaged, get engaged." GetUp is trying to make the left more organised and is targeting key conservatives like Dutton and former Liberal PM Tony Abbott on their own turf Labor is also capitalising on Dutton's perceived toxicity by mentioning him at every opportunity, particularly in Victoria. Dutton himself expects a close fight, but he has been unwavering in his long-held belief that leaders do not have to be liked, just respected. "People never spoke about John Howard's charisma," he has said of the long-serving former Liberal PM. "At many times during John Howard's career, he was deeply unpopular." He must wait to find out whether voters agree. President Donald Trump has met twice with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and claims that the two have a special friendship North Korean missile launches over the past week have not affected Donald Trump's relationship with Kim Jong Un, the US president said Friday, in a change of course after initially expressing his dissatisfaction. Pyongyang fired two short-range missiles Thursday following an earlier drill the previous Saturday -- the first in 18 months. The North had not launched any missiles since November 2017, shortly before once reclusive Kim embarked on diplomatic overtures. "I don't consider that a breach of trust at all. And, you know, at some point I may. But at this point no," Trump said in an interview with Politico. "These were short-range missiles and very standard stuff. Very standard." Twenty-four hours earlier, however, Trump showed his irritation and impatience on an issue where he hopes to succeed while all his predecessors -- Republicans and Democrats -- have failed. "Nobody's happy about it," he told reporters, in reaction to the launches. "We'll see what happens," Trump added. "I know they want to negotiate, they're talking about negotiating. But I don't think they are ready to negotiate." Will the US president at some point lose faith in Kim? He has met twice with the North Korean leader and claimed that the two have a special friendship and even "love." "I mean it's possible that at some point I will, but right now not at all," he told Politico. - 'Undiminished threat' - North Korea launch The first face-to-face historic meeting between the two men in June 2018 in Singapore produced only a vague statement about denuclearization, allowing both sides to make very different interpretations of it. February's second summit, in Hanoi, broke up without a deal after they failed to agree on what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in exchange for sanctions relief. Since then, Kim has accused Washington of acting in "bad faith" and given it until the end of the year to change its approach. North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the ruling party, devoted its entire front page and half of page two to the launch on Friday, with 16 pictures, the main one of Kim watching the launch from a camouflaged shelter. Despite recent threats by the North to seek a new path, the nature and presentation of the two recent launches demonstrate that Pyongyang does not intend to walk away from talks any time soon, analysts say. On Friday at the United Nations, 70 countries urged North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and related programs, decrying the "undiminished threat" posed to world peace. Signatories included the United States and South Korea, as well as nations in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe. Russia and China, supporters of Pyongyang, did not sign the document drafted by France. According to a diplomatic source, about 15 countries asked to sign on to the request for North Korean disarmament after the new missile firings. Philippines election candidate Gertrudes Batocabe, centre, was among at least half a dozen women standing in for their slain husbands this year -- a long tradition in the Philippines' notoriously deadly politics Gertrudes Batocabe never wanted to enter the Philippines' cutthroat politics, but after her husband was shot dead, allegedly by a rival in next week's midterm election, she felt bound to take his place. "It's not really automatic that the wife takes over, but in this case I cannot see my opponents sitting down (quitting)" she told AFP, holding back tears. "I have a lot of things to do for Rodel, for the people of Daraga," she said, referring to her husband and the central city where she is running for mayor. In taking over his candidacy, Batocabe was among at least half a dozen women standing in for their slain husbands this year -- a long tradition in the Philippines' notoriously deadly politics. Dozens of people, including candidates and their supporters, routinely get killed in the fierce competition for elected posts that are a source of wealth in a nation with deep poverty. Over 18,000 seats, ranging from local councils to the upper house Senate, are up for grabs when the nation's more than 61 million voters are called to cast ballots on Monday. One widow styled her campaign as a quest for justice for her husband, who was murdered last year after announcing plans to run for mayor in Trece Martires, a city south of Manila. "My name is Gemma Lubigan. I will take up the fight of Vice-Mayor Alex Lubigan," she told a cheering crowd at a recent campaign rally. A political rival, the sitting mayor of Trece Martires, was initially fingered as a suspect, but prosecutors have declined to file charges. Batocabe's husband her husband was shot dead, allegedly by a rival in next week's midterm election Political widowhood reached its apogee in the Philippines in 1986, when Corazon Aquino took power after a bloodless popular revolt that toppled the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The upheaval was triggered by the 1983 assassination of her opposition leader husband Benigno Aquino at the hands of security forces loyal to Marcos, forcing her into politics. In the Philippines, widow candidates carry a powerful aura of suffering and perseverance that resonates with voters in the overwhelmingly Catholic nation, experts say. "It works especially in the Philippine context because widowhood has symbolic elements that are very much valued in politics," University of the Philippines political science professor Jean Franco told AFP. The Philippines also lacks a strong party system so family dynasties play a similar role, with wives called on to assume the clan's figurehead position after a slaying. - 'I'm careful' - Some of Asia's most powerful political families have been marked by the same phenomenon. India's Sonia Gandhi was pushed into politics after her husband, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, was assassinated. Benazir Bhutto led Pakistan's return to democracy about a decade after her father was ousted as prime minister in a coup and subsequently executed. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to strengthen his grip on power in midterm polls Political analyst Franco said the rise of the Philippine widows also marks a way into the nation's male-dominated political area. "Many of our female politicians, especially at the local level, are members of political dynasties," she added. Before Rodel's murder, the plan was for the Batocabes to groom their first-born son, a newly minted lawyer, to follow his father's footsteps into politics. But that changed after Rodel, who was an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, was gunned down days before Christmas while handing out gifts to elderly and disabled Daraga residents. The incumbent mayor of Daraga is charged with orchestrating the killing, leaving Batocabe acutely aware of the risks she faces in running. "I'm careful, is the word, but I've been given so much protection by the president," she said, referring to an armed security detail. strs-cgm/jm/rox/ecl Facebook is suing South Korean analytics firm Rankwave Facebook is suing South Korean data analytics firm Rankwave to make sure it isn't breaking the leading social network's rules, the US company said Friday. A lawsuit was filed against Rankwave in a California State court in Silicon Valley to enforce terms the company agreed to in order to operate apps on the social network, according to director of platform and litigation, Jessica Romero. Facebook was investigating Rankwave data practices relating to advertising and marketing and the South Korean company didn't co-operate with efforts to confirm it was complying with policies for all developers synching to the platform, Romero said in an online post. Facebook suspended apps and accounts associated with Rankwave, and asked the court to order Rankwave to abide by its rules for applications, according to Romero. "By filing the lawsuit, we are sending a message to developers that Facebook is serious about enforcing our policies, including requiring developers to co-operate with us during an investigation," Romero said. In a quarterly report last month that sent shares higher, Facebook said its profit in the recently-ended quarter took a hit from setting aside billions of dollars for an anticipated fine from US regulators. Facebook estimated that it would be hit with a fine of $3 billion to $5 billion by the US Federal Trade Commission for "user data practices," and factored that into its earnings report. The FTC announced last year it was reopening its investigation into Facebook for potential violations of a 2011 settlement over privacy practices. Over the past year, the social network has come under fire following revelations of the hijacking of personal data of tens of millions of users by Cambridge Analytica, a consultancy working for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. A series of other revelations showed Facebook may have also shared more private data with business partners and advertisers than it had reported, and may have exposed some personal information that should have been secured. At the same time, Facebook has been hiring thousands of additional employees to deal with issues such as hate speech, incitement to violence, and manipulation aimed at voters. Pro-democracy lawmakers tried to seize the microphone and stop their counterparts in the legislature from controlling the meeting Anger over Hong Kong's controversial plans to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland boiled over in the city's legislature on Saturday as rival lawmakers scuffled with each other in chaotic scenes. The legislative meeting on the government's disputed extradition bill was originally chaired by pro-democracy lawmaker James To, but the pro-Beijing camp earlier this week forcibly unseated To and replaced him with their choice of chairman, Abraham Shek. Rancour between the two political camps exploded with rival lawmakers shouting and tussling amidst a dense pack of reporters, as pro-democracy lawmakers tried to seize the microphone and stop their counterparts in the legislature from controlling the meeting. Pro-democracy lawmaker Gary Fan collapsed and was carried out from the chamber on a stretcher, while others from the pro-Beijing camp claimed they were wounded. "We couldn't possibly agree to the suggestion that our meeting chaired by James To should be suspended in any way, because it is completely constitutional and legal," pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo said after the meeting. But pro-Beijing lawmaker Shek insisted it is "legal" for him to host the meeting. Hong Kong's government is pushing a bill through the city's legislature which would allow case-by-case extraditions to any jurisdictions it doesn't have an already agreed treaty with, including mainland China, Macau and Taiwan. The plan has sparked huge protests and mounting alarm within the city's business and legal communities -- as well as foreign governments -- who fear it will hammer the semi-autonomous financial hub's international appeal and tangle people up in China's court system. Historically Hong Kong has baulked at mainland extraditions because of the opacity of China's criminal justice system and its liberal use of the death penalty. Tens of thousands of people hit the streets last month to protest against the bill. But Hong Kong's pro-Beijing government has argued the bill must be passed quickly to stop 20-year-old resident Chan Tong-kai evading justice for the murder of his girlfriend during a Valentine's holiday in Taipei last year. Chan admitted to Hong Kong police that he killed his pregnant girlfriend Poon Hiu-wing, also from Hong Kong, and then flew home. Police were unable to charge him for murder or extradite him to Taiwan because no agreement is in place. Taiwan authorities said on Friday that it has no intention of asking Hong Kong to return a murder suspect because it is concerned that Hong Kong's extradition law puts its people at risk of being snatched by China. Chiu Chui-cheng, deputy minister of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, said Taiwanese people feared ending up like Lee Ming-che, a democracy activist who disappeared on a trip to the Chinese mainland and was later jailed for "subverting state power". An armed plainclothes policeman at Siak prison after a riot and mass breakout More than 100 inmates escaped from an Indonesian jail on Sumatra island on Saturday, police said, in the latest breakout to hit the countrys creaking prison system. The prisoners fled the jail in Siak district on Sumatra island early in the morning after rioting and a fire broke out at the detention centre. Footage on local TV stations showed the facility engulfed in flames. Authorities launched a massive manhunt and 115 prisoners had been recaptured by late morning, Riau province police chief Widodo Eko Prihastopo said. Dozens of detainees from a prison population of more nearly 650 remained at large, he added. "Police with assistance from the army and surrounding community are still searching for the rest," Prihastopo said. The rioting was triggered after guards beat several inmates who were caught using methamphetamine, police said. Three detainees suffered stab wounds and a policeman was shot during the rioting, the local health office told AFP. Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where inmates are often held in unsanitary conditions at overcrowded prisons. There was a spate of breakouts in 2013, including one where about 150 prisoners -- including terror convicts -- escaped from a jail. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan speaks about his ousting from Facebook at St. Sabina Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois on May 9, 2019 Racist demagogue and dangerous fundamentalist to some, heroic crusader for black rights to others, incendiary religious leader Louis Farrakhan is finding the audience for his message increasingly hard to reach. The head of the Nation of Islam -- barred for years from Britain and blocked from mainstream TV -- has been declared an undesirable by Facebook for his long record as an unrepentant merchant of anti-Semitism and homophobia. Farrakhan's black advocacy and mantra of self-reliance has lent him a measure of legitimacy over the years, bolstered by his role a quarter century ago in organizing the Million Man March that drew hundreds of thousands of African Americans to Washington. And while his continuing influence is undeniable, critics of the 86-year-old son of a Massachusetts seamstress point out that he has compared Jews to "termites," called Hitler a "great man" and claimed that the white race was created by an evil wizard. True to form, one of the most divisive political figures in modern American history reacted to his May 2 ouster from Facebook by casting himself as a victim silenced by powerful forces. "What have I done that you would hate me like that?" Farrakhan asked before an audience of more than 1,000 at Saint Sabina Church in Chicago on Thursday. The congregation used smartphones to record Farrakhan as he spoke Cheered on by the rapt congregation -- many of whom were members of the Nation of Islam -- he denied misogyny, homophobia and racism, telling the crowd: "I do not hate Jewish people. No one who is with me has ever committed a crime against the Jewish people." Farrakhan's supporters say his words have been twisted. "If they actually heard what he had to say and not listen to a soundbite it would be very helpful," said Enoch Muhammad, 40, a member of the Nation of Islam and founder of the community group Hip Hop Detoxx. - 'Most popular anti-Semite' - What hasn't been taken out of context is Farrakhan's claim that Jews played a key role in the slave trade and have systematically oppressed black people in the US. On Thursday night, he once again uttered the kind of statements that have gotten him in trouble, criticizing the influence of Jewish scriptural thinking on the Catholic Church. "It's this that they fear," he said, pointing to his mouth. "I don't have no army. I just know the truth. And I'm here to separate the good Jews from the Satanic Jews." The era of increasingly high-profile hate crimes such as the deadly Chabad of Poway Synagogue shooting in April 2019 may have finally caught up with Farrakhan In recent decades, his star has faded, but the current era of increasingly high-profile hate crimes may have finally caught up with Farrakhan. Last month, a teenage gunman who wrote a hate-filled manifesto online opened fire at a synagogue in Poway, California, killing a worshiper. Six months earlier, another man spouting anti-Semitic and white nationalist vitriol shot dead 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. "Farrakhan may be the most popular anti-Semite in the United States," said Oren Segal of the Anti-Defamation League, describing his group as Farrakhan's "biggest foil." "He often gets a pass for his vitriol, because of the way he's tried to present his standing within the community," Segal said. - 'Bold voice' - Born in 1930s New York as Louis Eugene Walcott, and brought up in Boston's fundamentalist Christian tradition, Farrakhan has been credited for bringing hope to African American communities. Former US president Bill Clinton (right) was criticized for sharing the front row with Farrakhan at Aretha Franklin's funeral in 2018 His followers have stood guard in neighborhoods against gang violence and ministered to convicts in prison who are disproportionately African American. And while former president Bill Clinton may have been criticized for sitting alongside Farrakhan at the televised funeral of Aretha Franklin last year, many younger Americans have no qualms about being associated with the preacher. As recently as April, he commanded a crowd while giving a speech in Los Angeles on the spot where popular rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot dead. "The enemy wants to keep this killing of one another going," he told the rapt crowd. "Because as long as we keep killing one another, he can maintain power in what we call the tyranny of white supremacy," he said. Misbahudeen Ahmed-Rufai, a Chicago-based history and African American studies professor at Malcolm X College, said Farrakhan's group speaks to "the pain that a lot of African Americans feel." Prominent figures that have come to Farrakhan's defense include hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg, who posted an angry Instagram video following Facebook's action asking his 31 million followers to post clips of Farrakhan's sermons. Farrakhan's supporters include Michael Pfleger -- the politically-active Chicago priest who invited the minister to speak at his Saint Sabina church "Show what he really be talking about -- educating the truth. Can't ban all of us," Snoop Dogg said. Among Farrakhan's other supporters is Father Michael Pfleger -- the politically-active Chicago priest who invited Farrakhan to speak at his Saint Sabina church Thursday night. The public show of support gave Farrakhan a boost and led to a public rebuke of the priest from the Illinois Holocaust Museum. "Minister Farrakhan has been a bold voice against injustice done against black people in this country and his voice deserves and needs to be heard," Pfleger said. Chemuta Divine Banda Archives The Chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms, Dr. Chemutw Divine Banda, was caught by surprise during a meeting on Thursday May 9, when the Vice President of the Commission, James Mouangue Kobilla, decided to wash their dirty linens in public. Reports say the two have been in disarray for quite a long time, and Mouangue busted it out during the 26th ordinary session of the commission. He was reacting to Dr Chemuta's opening speech, where the latter made some remarks about writing to the Head of State some months back, calling for a ceasefire, frank and inclusive dialogue on the ongoing armed crisis in the Anglophone regions. It was at this moment that he was disrespectfully interrupted by his vice, in the presence of guests and media. Dr. Chemuta Banda made a call to President Paul Biya to call off the war he declared on separatists and seek lasting solutions to the crisis. Mouange accused Dr. Chemuta for speaking for himself and not on behalf of the commission. He insists on the fact that commission members had to give their okay for the chairman to address such a topic, like he did. He raised a motion against the said speech, which was later supported by another member of the commission, Professor Atangana nee Ngo Oum Therese. Presenting the commission's activities within the past five years, the national chairman said they have controlled many complains, carried out observations and investigations, in a bid to promote and protect human rights. He mentioned cases such as detention conditions in the Centre region of persons arrested in relation to the Anglophone crisis, where he said they visited 58 suspects. The commission mentioned its commitment to highlight and manage human rights violations in Cameroon although they have challenges such as limited budget, which doesn't permit them to operate effectively. He however said despite the odds, they were determined to work tirelessly to promote human rights for all by advocating values and speaking out against bad values for the good of Cameroonians. Yemeni workers unload wheat provided by the UN childrens's agency in Hodeida in January, 2018, before fighting for the lifeline aid port erupted between the rebels and the Saudi-backed government in June Yemeni rebels confirmed Saturday they were beginning a unilateral withdrawal from the lifeline port of Hodeida in a bid to kickstart implementation of a December truce brokered by the UN. Hodeida is the main entry point for the bulk of Yemen's imports and humanitarian aid, providing a lifeline to millions of civilians who have been pushed to the brink of famine by more than four years of devastating conflict. The head of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed al-Huthi, said fighters would start pulling back at 10 am (0700 GMT). He said the rebels had been forced to act unilaterally after the Saudi-backed government repeatedly delayed a parallel pullback from parts of the city of Hodeida that it had pledged to make under the truce deal. "The (rebel) army and committees are withdrawing unilaterally as a result of the refusal of the countries of the US-British-Saudi-Emirati aggression and their allies to implement the (Stockholm) accord," the rebel leader said on Twitter. The United Nations announced late Friday that the rebels will begin a long-delayed withdrawal from Hodeida and two other Red Sea ports on Saturday, the first step on the ground since the ceasefire deal was struck in Sweden. The withdrawal of rebel forces will be completed by Tuesday, the head of the UN redeployment committee, General Michael Lollesgaard, said in a statement. A UN observer mission led by Lollesgaard will monitor the withdrawal. The information minister of the internationally recognised government, Moammer al-Eryani, welcomed the UN announcement but warned the rebels might be trying to "mislead" the international community. "We welcome any measures towards the implementation of the Sweden agreement on redeployment in ports in Hodeida province and warn of attempts by the militia to mislead the international community and the (UN) Security Council before the next meeting," Eryani tweeted. He said any unilateral redeployment by the rebels without control and joint verification "cannot be accepted." Lollesgaard welcomed the rebel plan "to undertake an initial unilateral redeployment from the ports of Hodeida, Saleef and Ras Issa." Vietnam's proposed special economic zones are deeply sensitive and sparked rare nationwide protests last year A Vietnamese court has jailed two activists on charges of publishing damaging anti-state propaganda about the communist-run country, state media reported Saturday, the latest convictions under a hardline leadership intolerant of dissent. The women, Vu Thi Dung and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Suong, were sentenced Friday to six and five years respectively for posting videos and articles on Facebook against proposed special economic zones and a beefed up cybersecurity law, the People's Police newspaper reported. The court, in the country's south, found them both guilty of "making, hoarding and spreading propaganda information, documents and materials against the socialist republic of Vietnam". Both market vendors, the two women are the latest to face harsh blowback for publicly opposing the cybersecurity law, which would require internet companies to hand over user data and remove content if requested by the government. The proposed special economic zones are also deeply sensitive and sparked rare nationwide protests last year in which police stations and government offices were ransacked. Independent media is banned in Vietnam, with online posts, comments and critics strictly monitored and bloggers, activists and rights lawyers routinely jailed. The hardline leadership in charge since 2016 has been harsh on dissidents, with nearly 60 put behind bars last year according to an AFP tally. A Vietnamese activist who also criticised both the special economic zones and the cybersecurity law was sentenced to two years in prison in March for "abusing democratic freedoms". Critics say the draconian cyber law will be used to target online dissent, but it has yet to be implemented. The draft bill on economic zones also sparked an uproar as many in Vietnam believed it would grant incentives to Chinese companies. No mention of China was suggested in the legislation but officials put off passing the bill following the protests, which hit the capital Hanoi and the commercial hub Ho Chi Minh City. Dozens of demonstrators have been jailed since taking part. The US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, on the left, sails in formation in the Mediterranean alongside British, French, Spanish and other US warships last month in an image released by the US Navy The United States is deploying an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to bolster an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers already sent to the Gulf, ratcheting up pressure Saturday on archfoe Iran. In response to alleged threats from Iran, the USS Arlington, which transports marines, amphibious vehicles, conventional landing craft and rotary aircraft, and the Patriot air defence system will join the Abraham Lincoln carrier group, the Pentagon announced Friday. The carrier and a B-52 bomber task force were ordered towards the Gulf, as Washington reiterated that intelligence reports suggested Iran was planning some sort of attack in the region. CENTCOM, the US forces for the Middle East and Afghanistan, said Friday on Twitter that the B-52 bombers arrived at the area of operations on May 8, without saying where they had landed. US President Donald Trump's national security advisor John Bolton has said the deployment aimed to send a "clear and unmistakable" message to Iran about any attack against the US or its partners in the region. Washington has not elaborated on the alleged threat, drawing criticism that it is overreacting and unnecessarily driving up tensions in the region. There was no immediate reaction from Tehran on the latest US moves, but earlier in the week it shrugged off the carrier deployment. "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. Iran a regional power The increasing tensions come as Tehran said Wednesday it had stopped respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 deal with major powers. Iran said it was responding to the sweeping unilateral sanctions that Washington has re-imposed since it quit the agreement one year ago, which have dealt a severe blow to the Iranian economy. - US 'not seeking war' - The Pentagon, for its part, said the deployments were "in response to indications of heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against US forces and our interests". "The Department of Defence continues to closely monitor the activities of the Iranian regime, their military and proxies," it said. "The United States does not seek conflict with Iran, but we are postured and ready to defend US forces and interests in the region." The US Navy released in December 2018 a picture of the amphibious transport dock ship the USS Arlington getting underway from Morehead City in North Carolina Amid the rising tensions, Trump said Thursday he was open to talks with Tehran's leadership. "What I would like to see with Iran, I would like to see them call me," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We don't want them to have nuclear weapons -- not much to ask," he said. In the latest of a series of escalating statements, however, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the same day threatened a "swift and decisive" US response to any attack by Iran. "Our restraint to this point should not be mistaken by Iran for a lack of resolve," he said, adding however: "We do not seek war." In May last year, Trump pulled the United States out of an agreement aimed at curtailing Iran's nuclear ambitions and reinstated unilateral economic sanctions. On Wednesday, President Hassan Rouhani said Iran would no longer implement parts of the deal and threatened to go further if the remaining members of the pact, including the European Union, failed to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. At least16 humanitarian groups, including from the UN, have halted aid operations in parts of northwestern Syria where an uptick in regime and Russia bombardment is jeopardising their activities UN-linked aid groups have suspended activities in parts of violence-plagued northwest Syria, where stepped up bombardment by the regime and Russia is jeopardising the safety of humanitarian workers. "As of 8 May, at least 16 humanitarian partners have suspended their operations in areas impacted by conflict," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA said Friday. The World Food Programme said it has suspended "deliveries to about 47,000 people in towns and villages... (that) have come under bombardment". Since late April, government forces have mounted a major bombardment of southern Idlib and neighbouring areas with Russian support. The uptick in air strikes and shelling on the region dominated by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate has displaced 180,000 people between 29 April and 9 May, OCHA said. It has also affected 15 health facilities and 16 schools, it added. "Some organisations suspended activities as their premises were damaged, destroyed or rendered unsafe by the violence," OCHA said. "Others have suspended activities in order to keep their staff and beneficiaries safe, or because the beneficiary population has left," it added. OCHA said five humanitarian workers, including two health professionals, have been reportedly killed due to air strikes and shelling. WFP also said that some of its partners inside Idlib have been "displaced due to the violence, while a few others have sustained injuries". The northwestern part of Syria controlled by jihadists is made up of a large part of Idlib province, as well as adjacent parts of the Aleppo and Hama provinces. It has been protected from a massive regime offensive by a September deal inked by Damascus ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. The region of some three million people has come under increasing bombardment since Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is dominated by jihadists from Al-Qaeda's former Syrian branch, took full control of it in the beginning of the year. Western powers are concerned that the Russia-backed Syrian government will launch a full-scale assault. On Friday, air strikes and shelling killed 10 civilians, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The civil war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. Laurent Lassimouillas, left, said he and Picque should have heeded the French foreign ministry's advice to avoid risky areas of Benin Three hostages freed in Burkina Faso in a special forces raid in which two French soldiers died on Saturday arrived in France to be greeted by President Emmanuel Macron. The president and other top officials greeted Frenchmen Patrick Picque, 51, and Laurent Lassimouillas, 46, and a South Korean woman as they disembarked from the plane sent to fetch them at the Villacourblay military airport southwest of Paris. A South Korean embassy official was present to greet the unnamed third hostage. An American female hostage also freed in the nighttime rescue on Thursday was handed over to US officials in Burkina Faso. Addressing reporters at the airport Saturday, Lassimouillas admitted that he and Picque should have heeded the French foreign ministry's advice to avoid risky areas of Benin. French special forces free 4 hostages in Burkina Faso "We certainly should have better taken into account the government's advice as well as the complexities of Africa," he said. "Our first thoughts go to the families of the soldiers who freed us from this hell." The two women were discovered during the raid and had apparently had been held by the captors for a month. French Defence Minister Florence Parly said earlier even Seoul and Washington did not appear to be aware the pair were in increasingly unstable Burkina Faso. Macron has announced plans for a national tribute on Tuesday to the soldiers, Cedric de Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello, members of the elite Hubert squad of the French navy's special forces who carried out the raid. The rescue operation came after security forces tracked the kidnappers across the semi-desert expanses of Burkina Faso to a camp on the border with Mali. Officials feared the hostages were about to be handed over to the Macina Liberation Front (FLM), a jihadist group formed in 2015 that is aligned with Al-Qaeda in the region, which would have greatly reduced the chances of a rescue. "Macron's decision to meet the hostages goes hand in hand with his decision to honour the soldiers," the Elysee official told AFP. "Macron is president of all French citizens, even those who do reckless acts," he said. - 'Red zone' - French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes freed French hostages Patrick Picque (C) and French Laurent Lassimouillas (2ndL) as they arrive at the Villacoublay airport, near Paris, on May 11, 2019 Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Saturday Picque and Lassimouillas, who were seized on May 1, were in an area of Benin that France has long advised travellers to avoid. "The zone where our two citizens were has for some time now been considered a red zone, which means it's a zone where you shouldn't go, where you're taking significant risks if you do go," Le Drian told Europe 1 radio. The foreign ministry's travel advisory website lists the areas of northern Benin near the border with Burkina Faso as "Formally Discouraged," including the areas of Pendjari National Park where the two men were visiting when they disappeared. The disfigured body of their guide was found shortly after they were reported missing, along with their abandoned Toyota truck. Le Drian's revelations prompted some to criticise Macron's decision to personally welcome the tourists on Saturday. "The only fellow citizens who deserve the nation's tribute today are our two heroes... who died in combat to save foolhardy tourists!" Hubert Falco, the mayor of Toulon in southern France where the Hubert commando is based, said on Twitter. - 'Avoid sacrifices' - Although Benin has long been spared the unrest seen in Mali and Burkina Faso, French officials have warned for months that jihadist insurgents could extend their operations into the sparsely populated desert regions further south. "The threat is evolving and has become much more mobile, and now countries to the south of Mali have become targets," Le Drian said Saturday. "The greatest precautions must be taken in these regions to avoid these types of kidnappings, and avoid the sacrifices required by our soldiers," he said. France's Operation Barkhane counts some 4,500 troops deployed in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad to help local forces battle jihadist groups. The raid on the kidnappers was led by the elite Hubert commando unit of the French naval special forces, which was deployed to the Sahel at the end of March. They were assisted by Burkina and Benin authorities and by the United States, which provided intelligence and support. A total of 24 French soldiers have died in the region since 2013 when France intervened to drive back jihadist groups who had taken control of northern Mali. Survivors of a migrants shipwreck that killed around 60 people sit in a Tunisian shelter after being rescued at sea Around 60 migrants most of them from Bangladesh have died after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea after it left Libya for Italy, the Tunisian Red Crescent said Saturday. Survivors told the Red Crescent the tragedy unfolded after some 75 people who had left Zuwara on the northwestern Libyan coast late Thursday on a large boat were transferred to a smaller one that sank off Tunisia. "The migrants were transferred into a smaller inflatable boat which was overloaded, and 10 minutes later it sank," Mongi Slim, a Red Crescent official in the southern Tunisian town of Zarzis, told AFP. Tunisian fishermen rescued 16 people and brought them to shore in Zarzis. The survivors said they spent eight hours trapped in the cold sea before they were spotted by the fishermen who alerted the Tunisian coastguard, Slim said. The bodies of three people were plucked out of the waters on Friday, the Tunisian defence ministry said. Survivors said the boat was heading to Italy and had on board only men, 51 from Bangladesh, as well as three Egyptians, several Moroccans, Chadians and other Africans. Fourteen Bangladeshi nationals, including a minor, were among the survivors, said the Red Crescent. "If the Tunisian fishermen hadn't seen them (migrants), there wouldn't have been any survivors and we would have never known about this" boat sinking, said Slim. Charity ships have plied the Mediterranean Sea to rescue migrants in large numbers but the number of rescue operations have dwindled as these vessels have come under fire, namely from the populist Italian government, over their action. Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has imposed a "closed ports" policy, refusing to allow migrants rescued at sea to enter his country. On Friday, however, more than 60 migrants disembarked in Italy after two boats which had left Libya faced difficulties at sea and needed assistance. The UN agency for refugees UNHCR called for stepped up search and rescue operations to avoid future tragedies in the Mediterranean, which it calls the "world's deadliest sea crossing". "Across the region we need to strengthen the capacity of search and rescue operations," said Vincent Cochetel, the agency's special envoy for the Mediterranean. "If we don't act now, we're almost certain to see more tragic events in the coming weeks and months," he warned. According to the UNHCR, the journey across the Mediterranean "is becoming increasingly fatal for those who risk it". "In the first four months of this year, one person has died (crossing the Mediterranean) for every three that have reached European shores, after departing from Libya," it said. Libya, which has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 uprising that killed veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi, has long been a major transit route for migrants desperate to reach Europe. The newlyweds arrived in Sri Lanka on April 23, just two days after the Easter bombings which killed 258 people The husband of a British bride who died on her honeymoon in Sri Lanka will be kept in the country at least until a formal hearing on the death is held on Wednesday, police said. Khilan Chandaria is not under arrest or facing a charge, but has been stopped from leaving Sri Lanka since his wife Usheila Patel, 31, died on April 25. The bride died just six days after her wedding and two days after the couple checked into a hotel in the resort town of Galle, south of the capital Colombo. The couple's family has told British media that the newlyweds had suffered severe food poisoning. Chandaria, 33, was also taken ill. Police said an inquest hearing will be held on Wednesday when authorities expect toxicology reports ordered by a judicial medical officer. "Chief Magistrate Harshana Kekunawela ordered the government analyst to provide all the necessary reports for the hearing on May 15," a police official in Galle told AFP. The court was holding Chandaria's passport until the magistrate can rule on the cause of death, the police official added. "At the moment, the magistrate has given an open verdict," the officer said referring to term used when the cause and circumstances of a death are unclear. "The body is still in the custody of the judiciary and kept at the Karapitiya hospital morgue." The couple, from London, checked into the Amari Galle resort. Amari spokesman Russell Cool said the couple fell ill after eating, and initially declined medical treatment at a local hospital but asked for help a few hours later. "The couple consumed a light meal prepared by the hotel, as did other guests at the same time and who remain fine," he told AFP. "Also in their possession were other consumable items obtained from outside of the hotel and we have handed these items to the relevant authorities as part of their investigations." Chandaria could not be contacted immediately, but he has told the British media that both of them felt feverish and vomited blood after falling ill. They married on April 19 and arrived in Sri Lanka on April 23, just two days after the Easter bombings at three luxury hotels in Colombo and three churches where 258 people were killed. The Sudanese generals who took power after toppling veteran president Omar al-Bashir have portrayed themselves as being attentive to the views of protesters but have refused to budge on their central demand for immediate civilian rule Sudan's army rulers and protesters are to resume talks over handing power to a civilian administration, protest leaders said Saturday, a month after veteran president Omar al-Bashir was deposed. The Alliance for Freedom and Change -- an umbrella for the protest movement -- said the generals had invited it for a new round of talks after several days of deadlock. The apparent invitation to fresh talks came as thousands of protesters remain camped outside army headquarters in central Khartoum, vowing to force the ruling military council to cede power -- just as they forced Bashir from office exactly a month ago. "We received a call from the military council to resume negotiations," the Alliance for Freedom and Change said in a statement. Late last month, the alliance, which brings together protest organisers, opposition parties and rebel groups, handed the generals its proposals for a civilian-led transitional government. But the generals have pointed to what they call "many reservations" over the alliance's roadmap. They have singled out its silence on the constitutional position of Islamic sharia law, which was the guiding principle of all legislation under Bashir's rule but is anathema to secular groups like the Sudanese Communist Party and some rebel factions in the alliance. "We want to hold the talks quickly and sort out all these points in 72 hours," the alliance said without specifying when the negotiations would resume. Protesters remain determined to achieve their goal. "We want civilian rule or we will stay here forever," said Iman Hussein, a regular at the sit-in outside the army complex which protesters have kept up since April 6. - Winner 'will be us' - Protesters initially gathered at the army complex to seek the generals' help in ending Bashir's three decades of iron-fisted rule. On April 11, the army toppled Bashir in a palace coup replacing him with a military council formed entirely of generals that has so far stymied protesters' dreams of a civilian-led transition to democracy. A deepening economic crisis that fuelled the four months of nationwide protests which led to Bashir's ouster shows no sign of abating. Huge queues form daily at ATM machines. The protesters have gathered day and night outside army headquarters in Khartoum since April 6 Basic goods have become ever more costly, due to the sliding value of the Sudanese pound. The generals insist they will not use force to disperse the sit-in, which protesters have kept up even during daytime fasts for the holy month of Ramadan. The generals have offered several concessions to placate the protesters, including detaining Bashir in Khartoum's Kober prison, arresting several of his lieutenants and promising to prosecute officers who killed protesters during the last days of the former president's rule. But when it comes to the protesters' key demand for a civilian authority to oversee a four-year transition, the military has simply dragged its heels. "They are pressuring us with time, but we are pressuring them with our presence here," said protester Hussein. "One of us has to win in the end, and it will be us." - 'Escalatory measures' - The protest movement says the military appears intent on hijacking the revolution and determining its outcome. Protest leader Khalid Omar Yousef told reporters on Wednesday that the movement was now considering "escalatory measures" like launching a nationwide civil disobedience movement to achieve its demand. The generals are under pressure too, with the United States and the African Union calling on them to ensure a smooth transition of power. The protesters have thrown up barricades around their sit-in but Sudan's military rulers have vowed repeatedly they will not resort to force to disperse them In a telephone call with military council chairman General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan backed "the Sudanese people's aspirations for a free, democratic and prosperous future". The State Department said Sullivan encouraged Burhan to reach agreement with the Alliance for Freedom and Change and "move expeditiously toward a civilian-led interim government", during a phone call on Wednesday. But the generals have strong support from oil-rich Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have extended a $3 billion (2.7 billion euro) credit line to shore up the Sudanese pound and fund imports of basic goods. Some members of the protest movement are optimistic that the generals will ultimately cede power. "Because they know if ultimately they settle for a military dictatorship, they will be in the same position as Bashir," opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi, the prime minister Bashir overthrew in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989, told AFP earlier this month. Palestinian craftsman Issam Zughair holds up a large Ramadan lantern for a man to inspect in his shop in the Old City of Jerusalem At his shop in Jerusalem's Old City, Palestinian craftsman Issam Zughair makes traditional lanterns for Muslims marking the holy month of Ramadan, battling competition from cheap Chinese imports. Zughair's shop is decked out with lamps both large and small, some hanging from the ceiling and others displayed outside to draw the attention of passers-by during lively Ramadan evenings. He learned the trade from his father, a carpenter who originally made lanterns out of wood. "My father opened this shop in the 1950s -- we want to protect that heritage," Zughair said, sitting with his wife in their small home above the business. The largest lantern in the shop is two metres tall, shaped to resemble a mosque and created specially for Ramadan. It was made from sheet metal and glass, using a technique that is believed to date back to the Fatimid caliphate in 10th century Egypt. Zughair believes the lantern is the largest traditionally-made one in Jerusalem. "There is no-one that rivals me in building them," he said. The 67-year-old imports materials from Egypt and Turkey and crafts the lanterns in his Old City shop. He can add Koranic verses, religious phrases or names of God, according to the wishes of buyers. Lanterns play a special role during Ramadan, which began on Monday. As Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, nocturnal life takes on added significance. Traditionally, lanterns light the way for religious events. Najeh Bkerat, from the Al-Aqsa Academy for Science and Heritage in Jerusalem, said they are a symbol of Islamic culture and heritage, especially during the fasting month. "People carry them as an expression of the light, the goodness and the joy of Ramadan," he said. - Walls and China - Zughair said he starts to receive requests for personalised lamps a month before Ramadan. Clients are from Jerusalem and the Israeli-occupied West Bank as well as Arabs from Israel itself, the majority of whom identify as Palestinian. Palestinian craftsman Issam Zughair stands with his wife next to an assortment of Ramadan lanterns in the entrance of his shop in the Old City The lanterns sell for between 10 and 1,000 shekels ($3 to $280), depending on their size and the intricacy of their design. But Zughair said he has seen a major slump in demand for the more ornate models since the outbreak of the second Palestinian uprising, or intifada, in 2000. Israel began constructing a wall in 2002, cutting off Jerusalem from much of the West Bank. Israeli authorities said it was necessary to curb Palestinian militant attacks, but critics labelled it as collective punishment and a land grab. "Before the intifada, all of Palestine used to come to buy from me, but today I have lost 70 percent of my customers as a result," Zughair said. The purchasing power of Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem has declined by 30 percent since 2000, said Ziyad Hamouri from the Jerusalem Centre for Social and Economic Rights, citing the wall as a key barrier to trade. Zughair also faces another threat -- cheap Chinese knock-offs. "I don't have any competitors in the market except China," he said. - Ramadan atmosphere - In a shop selling household appliances inside a gate of the walled Old City, Hamzeh Takish displayed a selection of small Chinese-made plastic lanterns, some of which play popular Arabic songs. Their prices start from just 15 shekels ($4). "I don't sell the traditional lanterns, people here are looking for new -- every year they introduce new designs," he said. Alaa Wael, 27, was buying six Ramadan lanterns, two for his home and the rest for relatives. "They only cost 10 shekels, the type doesn't matter to me," he said. "What is important is that it works and adds a Ramadan atmosphere." Ramadan in Jerusalem is not limited to lanterns. Palestinian craftsman Issam Zughair (R) makes traditional lanterns for Muslims marking the holy month of Ramadan, battling competition from cheap Chinese imports The labyrinthine streets of the Old City are festooned with lights and decorations for the whole month. Four committees, representing different neighbourhoods including the Christian quarter, compete to have the most eye-catching displays as tens of thousands of Muslims flock to Al-Aqsa mosque for prayer. The committees provide food to the needy throughout the month. One put up a 12-metre iron and nylon Ramadan lantern, with families gathering to watch. "We start working a month before Ramadan," said Ammar Sidr from the Bab Hata neighbourhood committee. "We're experienced in decorating and coordinating colours and adding some personalised touches." The ship was carrying more than 700 tonnes of heavy fuel and leaked a huge amount of oil into the sea The ship at the centre of an environmental disaster near World-Heritage listed waters in the Solomon Islands was refloated Saturday after being stranded on a coral reef for more than three months. The MV Solomon Trader ran aground on February 5 while loading bauxite at Rennell Island, about 240 kilometres (149 miles) south of the capital Honiara. The 225-metre (740-foot) ship was carrying more than 700 tonnes of heavy fuel and leaked a huge amount of oil into the sea, sparking an international effort to contain the spill. "They have been trying to refloat the vessel since Thursday but because of low tide they have not been able to, until today", the chairman of the Solomons National Disaster Council, Melchior Mataki, told AFP. An oil slick more than six kilometres long has spread along the shoreline, destroying the livelihoods of islanders who rely on waters in the ecologically delicate region. Rennell Island is the largest raised coral atoll in the world and includes a UNESCO World Heritage site which extends kilometres out to sea. Authorities have said the site was not affected by the spill, although Mataki said a detailed environmental assessment will be undertaken now that the vessel is out of the way. "There is a preliminary report but the full report will be made known once assessments and investigation findings are compiled properly", he said, adding the government would likely seek compensation for environmental damage. The Australian government had sent salvage experts to assist the response and vowed to help the Solomons make sure those responsible for the spill are held to account. The Hong Kong-registered ship was chartered by Indonesian-based Bintan Mining and was loaded with almost 11,000 tonnes of bauxite at the time of the incident. Lejeune Mbella Mbella Archives The Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella says countries who have been prioritising the humanitarian crisis in Cameroon lately, could be accused of financing separatists activities in the North West and South West regions. Although he didnt mention a country or an institution, the United States has been taking some measures following rising concerns in Cameroon . The Minister says one of the greatest problems Cameroon is facing right now, is the financing of these armed groups. He was reacting to reports that the United d Nations Security Council was meeting this Monday, to discuss the crises in Cameroon. He castigated media organs for spreading what he termed fake news, on possibilities for Cameroon being discussed at the United Nations Security Council today. Mbella Mbella made these statements in a press release signed this Monday, May 13, where he insists that the current crises rocking Cameroon will not be discussed at the security council as it meets today in New York, United States of America. "The minister of external relations affirms that nothing will take place, because such a gathering would have been announced before now on a program for the month and adopted by the council, and would have officially been published in the United Nations journal of this day, indicating the schedule for the day, hour of the meeting..", says Mbella Mbella. He said the meeting isn't that of the security council but an open consultation, away from discussions at the council following growing interest in the humanitarian crisis in Cameroon. He however states that the meeting is neither an official consultation nor an informal meeting and all decisions taken there have nothing to do with the security council. He announced Cameroon is taking part in exchanges where it will provide its opinion on the discussion over creating some humanitarian centres in the North West and South West, evaluate Cameroon's humanitarian assistance to refugees and present measures taken by the Cameroonian government to calm down tensions in the North West and South West regions(with the latest being Dion Ngute's peace mission to the Anglophone regions). He further thanked international partners for the concern shown towards the humanitarian crisis in Cameroon and underscored Cameroon's steadfastness in fight against human rights abuses caused by secessionists and giving assistance to victims of the ongoing war. The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress are locked in a tense battle for votes in the state Indian police have detained a ruling party activist after she posted a meme superimposing the head of a state chief minister on a photograph of a Bollywood star in a see-through dress, an officer said Saturday. The announcement injected controversy into campaigning ahead of polls opening in West Bengal state on Sunday, where the right wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress are locked in a tense battle for votes in the country's general election. Priyanka Sharma, a local BJP youth activist, was arrested for sharing a viral meme on Facebook that superimposed the head of Trinamool leader and state chief minister Mamata Banerjee on a picture of actress Priyanka Chopra at the Met Gala in New York last week. Sharma faces charges under India's Information Technology Act which punishes the transmission of "obscene" or "lascivious" material in electronic form, police told AFP in the city of Howrah. "We arrested a BJP leader Priyanka Sharma Thursday after a complaint was lodged against her saying that she had posted a morphed photograph mocking the chief minister Mamata Banerjee on a social networking site," said Anant Nag, Howrah police deputy commissioner. He said the complaint had been made by a local leader from Banerjee's party. The Information Technology act and other laws have frequently been deployed by politicians from all parties seeking to stifle social media criticism. Another political worker was arrested in West Bengal last year for posting allegedly obscene pictures and comments about the chief minister, while two people were jailed in the state in 2017 after they criticised local police over traffic restrictions. In northern Uttar Pradesh state, a man was arrested last year for a post targeting the BJP chief minister Yogi Adityanath. A journalist in northeastern Manipur state was also jailed last year for allegedly criticising the state's BJP chief minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Successive rounds of talks between Sudan's ruling military council and protest leaders have failed to produce a breakthrough on their central demand for a civilian-led transition Sudan's military rulers have invited protest leaders for a new round of talks on transferring power to a civilian administration, the protest movement said Saturday. The call came as thousands of demonstrators remain camped outside army headquarters in central Khartoum, vowing to force the generals to cede power just as they forced veteran president Omar al-Bashir from office exactly a month ago. Talks on the protesters' key demand for a civilian-led body to oversee a four-year transition have been deadlocked for days, with the military insisting on holding a majority in any new ruling body. "We received a call from the military council to resume negotiations," the Alliance for Freedom and Change said in a statement. Late last month, the alliance, which brings together protest organisers and opposition and rebel groups, handed the generals its proposals for a civilian-led transition. But the generals have expressed "many reservations" over the alliance's roadmap, They have singled out its silence on the constitutional position of Islamic sharia law which was the guiding principle of all legislation under Bashir's rule but is anathema to secular groups like the Sudanese Communist Party and some rebel factions in the alliance. "We have identified the points of contention with the military council and ... decisive talks will revolve around (them) in each meeting," the alliance said in its statement. "We want to hold the talks quickly and sort out all these points in 72 hours," it said without specifying when the negotiations would resume. Israeli pharmaceutical giant Teva faces charges of price-fixing in a US lawsuit Israeli pharmaceutical giant Teva vowed Saturday to defend itself after being accused of orchestrating price-fixing among drugmakers in a US antitrust lawsuit. According to The Washington Post, 40 American states joined forces Friday to sue more than a dozen former and current executives of generic drugmakers. "That the biggest generic drug manufacturer in the world is one of the leaders of this marketwide collusion is beyond disappointing," Connecticut state attorney general William Tong told the Post. "Teva had understandings with its highest quality competitors to lead and follow each others price increases, and did so with great frequency and success," the complaint charges, "resulting in many billions of dollars of harm to the national economy over a period of several years." The lawsuit alleges that companies agreed on prices rather than competing, effectively raising the cost of over 100 drugs. A spokeswoman for Teva in Israel dismissed the lawsuit as nothing other than "claims". "Teva will continue to examine the issue internally and there is nothing in its conduct that could lead to civilian or criminal accountability," she said in a statement sent to AFP. "Teva supplies high quality medication to patients around the world while retaining its commitment to all laws and rules," she said. "We will continue to resolutely defend the company." Last year, the Israeli justice ministry fined Teva $22 million for bribing foreign officials to win business in Russia, Ukraine and Mexico, rather than pressing charges in court against the drugmaker. Motorbikes burnt during an attack outside an Ebola treatment centre in Butembo, the epicentre of the latest outbreak The UN special representative to DR Congo has blasted rumours that the world body was trying to cash in on an Ebola epidemic that has claimed more than 1,000 lives. Leila Zerrougui, head of the UN mission to the sprawling central African nation, on Friday visited the eastern city of Butembo where she slammed as "sheer madness" local speculation that "there is no illness, that they want to poison us because they are trying to cash in on us." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said additional resources were required to deal with the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some UN teams helping to fight the second deadliest Ebola outbreak on record after the epidemic that killed 11,300 people in West Africa in 2014-2016 have come under attack and even been killed. The epidemic has killed so far 1,105 people of 1,649 declared cases since last August in North Kivu province, where Butembo is located, according to latest official data. "We are here to work with the authorities but we are also here to say to the people that it is really incredible that those who have come to care for you can be attacked," Zerrougui said in comments reported by UN broadcaster Okapi radio. Last week, medics said they faced suspicion and hostility in some areas, especially after one of their vehicles was involved in a fatal crash in Butembo, in which a motorbike-taxi rider died. - Resistance to preventive measures - A violent response from the victims' colleagues led to all shops and commercial activity in the city grinding to a halt. The Ebola fightback had already been hampered by an uptick in insecurity and attacks on medical teams tackling the haemorrhagic fever amid resistance within some communities to preventative measures, care facilities and safe burials. DR Congo's health minister, Oly Ilunga, has warned that each time the teams are prevented doing their job there is a spike in the number of new Ebola cases and deaths. Last month also saw the killing of a Cameroonian doctor fighting Ebola in an attack on Butembo hospital. The World Health Organization had initially hoped a new vaccine might help to contain the outbreak. But in recent weeks senior WHO officials have conceded that insecurity, scarce financial resources and local politicians turning people against health workers had seriously undermined the containment effort. On Wednesday, attacks by armed assailants left a dozen people dead in Butembo, further undermining the fight against Ebola's spread. DR Congo anti-Ebola coordinator Justus Nsio insisted the attacks were the "isolated" work of insurgents and that he did not think "the whole community" was trying to undermine anti-Ebola operations. Several armed groups are active around Butembo and nearby Beni. On Thursday, the WHO said the outbreak response "continues to be hampered by insecurity," citing a May 3 attack on a burial team in Katwa and then and then the Butembo incidents over the following days. The Pearl Continental is the only luxury hotel in Gwadar, frequented by foreign and Pakistani business delegations as well as diplomats At least one person has been killed after three gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in the southwestern Pakistani city of Gwadar, the centrepiece of a multi-billion dollar Chinese infrastructure project, the military said Saturday. The gunmen shot dead a security guard at the entrance to the five-star Pearl Continental Hotel before entering, the army said. It was the second deadly attack to take place in a prominent Pakistani city this week. "Security forces have cordoned area. Guests safely evacuated. Terrorists encircled by security forces in staircase leading to top floor. Clearance Operation in progress," a military spokesman said. Earlier, Ziaullah Langu, the home minister for Balochistan province where Gwadar is located, told AFP four gunmen had "opened fire" on the hotel. "There are reports of a few people sustaining minor injuries," the minister said. Mohammad Aslam, the on-duty officer in Gwadar, said ambulances and rescue officers were waiting at a road leading to the hotel, and that he could hear gunfire but that the operation was coming to an end. Gwadar has drawn its share of attacks in the past, particularly from separatists "There were no Chinese or Pakistani guests in the hotel," he said, adding that only staff were present in the building, adding that at least three are believed to be injured. A Baloch separatist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army, claimed responsibility for the attack via Twitter. The Pearl Continental, part of Pakistan's largest five-star hotel chain, is the only luxury hotel in Gwadar, frequented by foreign and Pakistani business delegations as well as diplomats. It sits isolated on a ridge overlooking the Arabian Sea port city of Gwadar, formerly a small fishing village but now touted by officials as "the next Dubai" thanks to the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Part of China's Belt and Road initiative, CPEC seeks to connect the western Chinese province of Xinjiang with Gwadar, with the development of the port as the plan's flagship project. Gwadar will provide China with safer and more direct access to the oil-rich Middle East than the waterway trade route it currently uses through the narrow Malacca Straits. But it has also drawn its share of attacks, particularly from separatists who have long complained that residents of Pakistan's poorest and largest province do not receive a fair share of profits from its resources. - Rocked by insurgencies - The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is one of a myriad of insurgent groups fighting in Balochistan, which has been rocked by separatist, Islamist and sectarian violence for years. Balochistan is tightly guarded by the Pakistani military, who have been targeting insurgents there since 2004 The BLA has targeted Chinese workers in Pakistan multiple times, including during a brazen daylight attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi which killed four people in November last year. At the time, the BLA branded Beijing "an oppressor". Balochistan is tightly guarded by the Pakistani military, who have been targeting insurgents there since 2004. The army has been repeatedly accused by international rights groups of abuses there, but denies the allegations. Foreigners are rarely allowed to travel to the province without seeking special authorisation. The army has been repeatedly accused by rights groups of abuses in Balochistan, but denies the allegations Violence in Pakistan has dropped significantly since the country's deadliest-ever militant attack, an assault on a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar in 2014 that killed more than 150 people -- most of them children. But militants still retain the ability to carry out attacks, including in major urban centres and tightly-guarded targets, and analysts have long warned that Pakistan is yet to tackle the root causes of extremism. Earlier this week a suicide blast claimed by the Pakistani Taliban at one of the country's oldest and most popular Sufi shrines killed at least 12 people in the eastern city of Lahore. A container ship unloads its cargo at a port in Long Beach, California President Donald Trump warned China on Saturday that it should strike a trade deal with the United States now, otherwise an agreement would be "far worse for them if it has to be negotiated in my second term." Washington and Beijing are locked in a trade battle that has seen mounting tariffs, sparking fears the dispute will damage the global economy. Two days of talks ended Friday with no deal. China's top negotiator said the two sides would meet again in Beijing at an unspecified date, but warned that China would make no concessions on "important principles." "I think that China felt they were being beaten so badly in the recent negotiation that they may as well wait around for the next election, 2020, to see if they could get lucky & have a Democrat win -- in which case they would continue to rip-off the USA for $500 Billion a year," Trump said in a tweet Saturday. "The only problem is that they know I am going to win (best economy & employment numbers in U.S. history, & much more), and the deal will become far worse for them if it has to be negotiated in my second term. Would be wise for them to act now, but love collecting BIG TARIFFS!" Trump had accused Beijing of reneging on its commitments in trade talks and ordered new punitive duties, which took effect Friday, on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, raising them to 25 percent from 10 percent. He then cranked up the heat further, ordering a tariff hike on almost all remaining imports -- $300 billion worth, according to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer -- from the world's second-biggest economy. Those tariffs would not take effect for months, after a period of public comment. Trump also said Saturday that firms could easily avoid additional costs by producing goods in the United States. "Such an easy way to avoid Tariffs? Make or produce your goods and products in the good old USA. It's very simple!" he tweeted, echoing a similar message he sent Friday -- and even retweeted. Only a week earlier, the United States and China had seemed poised to complete a sweeping agreement. Washington wants Beijing to tighten its intellectual property protections, cut its subsidies to state-owned firms and reduce the yawning trade deficit; China wants an end to tariffs as part of a "balanced" deal. While supporters laud Trump as a tough negotiator, free-trade-minded Republicans have warned that the tariffs could do real damage to the economy, and many farmers -- including Trump supporters -- say the tariffs have hit their bottom line. As the trade war spread, China imposed $110 billion in duties on farm exports and other US goods. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, from the farm state of Iowa, cautiously welcomed the new tariffs but urged negotiators to reach a quick solution "so we can avoid prolonged tariffs, which we know have an impact on the US economy." Huthi rebels stand to attention on Saturday at the Red Sea port of Saleef in Hodeida province, ahead of a planned withdrawal The UN confirmed a withdrawal by Yemen's Huthi rebels from three Red Sea ports had begun Saturday, while a senior pro-government official accused the rebels of faking the pullout. The rebel pullback is a first step in implementing a hard-won ceasefire deal reached between Yemen's internationally-recognised government and the Iran-backed Huthi rebels late last year. "Yes, it has begun," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq, when AFP asked whether redeployment of Huthi troops was underway. Sources close to the Huthis said that the ports were handed over to coastguard personnel who were in charge before the rebels took over almost five years ago. An AFP photographer at Saleef port saw Huthi troops leave the facility, and men dressed in coastguard uniforms enter, adding that these movements were observed by the UN. But the govenor of Hodeida, Al-Hasan Taher, said the Huthis were merely reshuffling personnel. "The Huthis are staging a new ploy by handing over the ports of Hodeida, Saleef and Ras Issa to themselves without any monitoring by the United Nations and the government side," the government-appointed official said. UN envoy "Martin Griffiths wants to achieve victory even if the Huthis hand over (the ports) to themselves," Taher said. The Iran backed Huthi rebels agreed to pull back from the three Red Sea ports during truce negotiations in Sweden last December "This is totally rejected by us, and the agreement must be implemented in full, especially with regards to the identity of the troops that will take over from the Huthis," he added. Hodeida port is the main entry point for the bulk of Yemen's imports and humanitarian aid, serving as a lifeline to millions of civilians pushed to the brink of famine by more than four years of war. - UN to meet - The withdrawal of rebel forces is due to be completed by Tuesday, the head of the UN redeployment committee, General Michael Lollesgaard, said in a statement. The UN Security Council is due to hear a briefing on Hodeida on Wednesday. The head of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, pledged that fighters would start pulling back at 10:00 am (0700 GMT) in a bid to restart the stalled ceasefire deal with the government. Men dressed in coast guard uniform stand to attention at Saleef port on Saturday He accused the government of delaying a parallel pullback from parts of the city of Hodeida that it had pledged to make under a December truce. "The (rebel) army and committees are withdrawing unilaterally as a result of the refusal of the countries of the US-British-Saudi-Emirati aggression and their allies to implement the accord," the rebel leader said on Twitter. The agreement last year in Sweden was hailed as a breakthrough that offered the best chance so far of ending the war in Yemen, where a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is fighting on the government's side. But although the fighting has largely stopped, there have been intermittent clashes and the promised redeployment of the warring parties away from the front lines has failed to materialise. Yemen's information minister demanded joint verification of the promised rebel withdrawal. "We... warn of attempts by the militia to mislead the international community and the (UN) Security Council before the next meeting," Moammer al-Eryani tweeted. He said any unilateral redeployment by the rebels without control and joint verification "cannot be accepted." - Untapped grain stocks - Nearly all goods pass through Hodeida and the main storage and distribution centre for imported grain lies in government-held territory on the city's outskirts. The silos of the Red Sea Mills currently contain some 51,000 tonnes of grain -- enough to feed 3.7 million people for a month -- but it has gone unused since the fighting forced the UN to withdraw its staff in September. A UN team visits the Red Sea Mills grain silos outside Hodeida, which contain some 51,000 tonnes of grains that would feed 3.7 million people for a month but have been closed off by persistent insecurity The mills came under renewed fire on Thursday with two silos hit, one of them containing wheat, the UN said. The military coalition intervened in March 2015 when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into Saudi exile after the rebels took swathes of the country. Yemen's conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians, relief agencies say. The fighting has triggered what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 24.1 million -- more than two-thirds of the population -- in need of aid. Ahmed Bilal, a Bangladeshi who survived a migrant shipwreck that killed dozens, rests at a shelter in the Tunisian coastal city of Zarzis on Saturday A Bangladeshi farmer watched dozens drown beside him in the Mediterranean before "God sent us the fishermen", who saved him from the cold waters and took him to Tunisia. Ahmed Bilal was one of 16 survivors of the shipwreck, in which an estimated 60 people died on Friday while trying to reach Italy. "I can't stop myself crying," said Bilal, who lost two younger relatives in the accident, from a Red Crescent emergency centre in the southern Tunisian coastal town of Zarzis. The 30-year-old said he began his journey to Europe six months ago, flying with three others to Dubai and onwards to Istanbul in Turkey. From there they took another flight to the Libyan capital Tripoli, Bilal said, where they joined around 80 other Bangladeshis and were held in a room in western Libya for three months. "I already thought I would die in Libya," he said. "We had food only once a day, sometimes less. There was one toilet for 80 people. We could not wash -- only our teeth -- and we were crying, begging for food." Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) estimates 6,000 migrants in Libya are being detained "in conditions that generally fall well below international standards". The situation has worsened since eastern commander Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to take Tripoli last month, with more than 450 people killed due to fighting linked to that military campaign, according to the World Health Organization. - 'I have nothing now' - Bilal had no idea what he would face when he embarked on the journey from Bangladesh's Sylhet region, where he had seen villagers with relatives in Europe live a better life. Survivors of a boat carrying migrants that sunk in the Mediterranean during the night of 9 and 10 May, gather at a shelter in the Tunisian coastal city of Zarzis After his family sold their land, the father of two paid a Bangladeshi smuggler nicknamed "Good Luck" around $7,000 (6,230 euros) to arrange the trip. "He said we would have a better life and we believed him. I am sure most of the people he sends die on the way", said Bilal. He and the other migrants left northwestern Libya on a large boat, before being transferred to a smaller one. Manzour Mohammed Metwella, an Egyptian who was on board, said the boat "started to sink almost immediately." "We swam all night," said the 21-year-old. Survivors said all the passengers were men, with 51 from Bangladesh, three Egyptians, several Moroccans, Chadians and other Africans. After seeing people drown in front of his eyes, Bilal said he "was losing hope myself, but God sent us the fishermen who saved us." The fishermen were able to rescue 14 Bangladeshis, one Moroccan, and the Egyptian Metwella. "If the Tunisian fishermen hadn't seen them, there wouldn't have been any survivors and we would have never known about this" boat sinking, said Mongi Slim from the Red Crescent. Bangladeshis constituted almost all the survivors of the shipwreck off the coast between Tunisia and Libya The survivors now have 60 days to decide whether to return home, seek asylum through the United Nations refugee agency, or try their luck in Tunisia. But there is no asylum law in Tunisia and residents are already facing high unemployment and overstretched public services. "We lost so much, I have nothing now," said Bilal, admitting he still wants to reach Europe to earn money. "But I don't want to go on the sea like this again, I am done with this risk." Humanitarian organisations have faced hostility from governments for running rescue missions in the Mediterranean. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a recent presidential office handout image, insisted that he would not bow to international criticism over a controversial decision to re-run mayoral elections in Istanbul President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted Saturday that he would not bow to international criticism over a controversial decision to re-run mayoral elections in Istanbul. "With God's permission, our people will not bow to threats and the pressure," Erdogan said, speaking in Turkey's biggest city and economic hub. The Turkish leader has come under heavy fire after the country's top election body last week annulled the results of the March 31 mayoral vote in Istanbul and ordered a re-run on June 23. The original vote was narrowly won by the opposition candidate, dealing the ruling AKP party its first defeat in the city, which has been controlled by the AKP and its predecessors for 25 years. But Erdogan alleged "serious corruption" in the count. The move has been widely condemned by Turkey's Western allies. The United States said that a "healthy democracy" with transparent elections was in Turkey's own interest, while Germany said the decision to annul the election was "not transparent, and incomprehensible to us". The Turkish leader said: "Those attempting to topple the elected Venezuelan head of state cannot talk about democracy," referring to President Nicolas Maduro. "Those who do not speak up against the Israeli terror cannot say anything about our struggle for rights," he added. A prominent TV presenter and government advisor has been gunned down in broad daylight in a drive-by shooting in Afghanistan. Mena Mangal was slain on her way to work at 7.30am on Saturday in Kabul by two assassins on a motorbike. The vocal women's rights activist, who worked as a journalist before entering politics, said she believed her life was in danger just days before her death. Prominant TV presenter Mena Mangal was gunned down on her way to work on Saturday in Kabul by two assassins on a motorbike Ms Mangal had posted on Facebook revealing she'd received threats and feared for her life, human rights lawyer Wazhma Frogh said on Twitter. 'This woman had already shared that her life was in danger. Why did nothing happen? We need answers,' Frogh wrote. Ms Mangal was a prominent TV presenter who'd worked for Tolo TV, the largest private broadcaster in Afghanistan, as well as Shamshad and Lemar television stations. Ms Mangal's mother grieves on her daughter's grave on Sunday. The journalist was slain just days after posting on Facebook that she feared for her life She'd recently left her job to become a cultural advisor to the lower chamber of Afghanistans national parliament. No one immediately claimed responsibility for Mangal's death, and it was not immediately known why she had been targeted. Police said one line of inquiry was a family dispute. Afghanistan has seen a spike in female assassinations over the past 20 years of war. Many of the victims have been targeted for speaking out about women's rights. People carry the coffin of the Afghan journalist and political advisor on Sunday, a day after she was shot in downtown Kabul The plight of women in Afghanistan has been pulled into focus in recent months, as many in the war-torn country worry that hard-won rights for women will be lost if the US makes a peace deal with the Taliban. Despite advances since the Taliban's ouster in 2001, women in Afghanistan are still frequently marginalized. Afghanistan is also the world's deadliest place for journalists, who face many risks covering the conflict and who have sometimes been targeted for doing their job. French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stressed the importance of dialogue with Tehran French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has described Tehran's threat to resume nuclear work -- in what would be a contravention of its commitments under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal -- as a "bad reaction", calling on Tehran to show "political maturity". "Iran has had a bad reaction, faced with a bad US decision to withdraw from the Vienna agreements and impose sanctions," Le Drian said in an interview published online by Le Parisien, referring to the 2015 deal signed in Vienna. "It is a pity that the United States is not honouring its commitments, Iran must show its political maturity," Le Drian added. Iran announced earlier this month that it will stop respecting some limits on its nuclear activities imposed under the landmark 2015 deal. The announcement came exactly a year after the US withdrew from the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with further measures threatened if the agreement's other signatories fail to mitigate the impact of renewed American sanctions within 60 days. Le Drian also warned against a "bellicose spiral", stressing the "responsibility" of the Americans and the importance of dialogue with Tehran. Shock at series of grisly killings in Cyprus has turned to anger at alleged police mishandling of the cases Seven foreign women and girls murdered, some dumped in a toxic lake -- the "first serial killings" in Cyprus have provoked horror and sparked accusations of police racism. Since mid-April, the Mediterranean island's press has slammed official failings over the murders, which 35-year-old army officer Nicos Metaxas has allegedly confessed to carrying out. Andreas Kapardis, a criminologist and emeritus professor at the University of Cyprus, said the killings were first such case since the island won its independence in 1960. "For Cypriots, discovering a serial murderer in their own society is... unique", he said. The victims were four Filipinas, including a mother and her six-year-old daughter, a Romanian woman and her eight-year-old daughter, and a woman reported to be Nepalese. All the women had been reported missing, but police failed to follow up the cases, allowing the alleged killer to carry on for nearly three years. "The more the investigation advanced, the more it became clear that the police botched the searches because these were immigrant women," said Maria Mappouridou, who has organised protests over authorities' handling of the cases. Two of the bodies were found in an acidic manmade lake at Mitsero, southwest of Nicosia The killings "hit many of our weak spots -- our relationship with women, immigrants and the lack of care of the police," she said. The discovery of five bodies in just a few weeks has shaken the popular holiday island's normally stable political landscape. The justice minister has been forced to resign and President Nicos Anastasiades has fired the police chief. The head of state criticised the police for "apparent negligence and dereliction of duty" and acknowledged that better initial investigations could have prevented some of the killings. The Cyprus Mail has reported that police fobbed off pleas to investigate individual disappearances by claiming the women had left the island via the north -- a breakaway Turkish-backed republic that remains unrecognised by the international community. "If the police had done their job... five lives could have been spared," the paper said in a recent editorial. "Perhaps the police's utter disregard... reflects the attitude of our society." - 'Wake-up call' - For Lissa Jataas, founder of Obreras Empowered, an NGO that promotes the rights of housemaids, the murders were a "wake-up call". "Now we need to talk -- to make government and immigrants sit at the same table" to discuss sexual and physical violence, she said. In late April, as police trawled the toxic waters of a manmade lake near Nicosia, Mappouridou took to social media to call for a protest outside the presidential palace. Cypriot Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou has resigned over authorities' handling of the cases Hundreds of people, both Cypriots and foreigners, gathered at the site in the capital on consecutive Fridays. Among them was Nicoletta Georgiou, an event organiser who voiced anger that authorities had failed to protect the women. "You have to remember migrants are part of our society," the 26-year-old said. Mappouridou said she didn't "know a family here who doesn't have a nanny, a cleaner." But, she said, "the victims were doubly invisible -- female and foreign." - 'Isolated and vulnerable' - Mappouridou has been digging back into unresolved disappearances on the island, and has found 35 dating back to 1990. Most were foreign women, several adolescents. She is now campaigning to "ensure that the police do their job properly" and investigate the cases. But criminologist Kapardis cautioned that the police are often faced with "disappearances of foreigners that are very difficult to resolve". The Cypriot police have faced intense criticism over their handling of the missing women The killer chose "immigrant women, isolated and vulnerable", he said. If he had targeted "a Cypriot woman, her family and friends would have rallied to find her... and the police investigation would have been easy." With 864,000 residents, Cyprus has a reputation as an oasis of peace in a troubled region. The sunny tourist hotspot attracted nearly four million visitors last year. Yet it has one of the highest murder rates in the European Union, according to the most recent figures from Eurostat. After the killings, "Cypriots seem to have discovered that immigrant women are not safe here", said one Ethiopian domestic worker, who asked not want to be named. "But we knew it from the beginning," she said. Traders sit at the Dubai bourse Stock markets in the energy-rich Gulf states dived on Monday as regional tensions soared after ships and oil tankers were targeted by acts of "sabotage" off the UAE coast. The slide was led by the UAE bourses of Dubai and Abu Dhabi which closed trading down 4.0 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively, a day after the attack. The Saudi bourse, the largest in the region, was down 2.7 percent during trading after the kingdom's energy minister said two Saudi oil tankers were damaged in a "sabotage attack" off the coast of Fujairah on the Arabian Sea. The United Arab Emirates said on Sunday that four commercial vessels from various nationalities had been targeted by acts of sabotage just outside its territorial waters near Fujairah. The attacks did not result in any casualties but they caused damage to the vessels. Qatar shares closed down 1.9 percent and Kuwait Bourse finished 1.2 percent lower while the small bourses of Oman and Bahrain ended trading down 0.66 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively. The incidents came amid rising tensions in a region already shaken by a standoff between the United States and Iran. Tehran called for an investigation into the "alarming" attacks and warned of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meanwhile scrapped a planned visit to Moscow to head Brussels to discuss Iran with European officials. Three churches in Surabaya were targetted in the suicide bombings last year An Indonesian church on Monday remembered the victims of suicide bombings carried out by an Islamic State-inspired family, one year on from the attacks that highlighted the extremist group's global reach. On May 13 last year, a family of six -- including two girls aged nine and 12 -- blew themselves up at the Santa Maria Catholic Church and two other churches in Surabaya during Sunday morning services, killing over a dozen congregants and wounding scores more. The next day, a family who went to the same Koranic study group as the first attackers staged suicide bombings at a police station in Indonesia's second-biggest city, wounding 10. Several hundred people gathered at the Santa Maria church on Monday for a memorial prayer session and to hear survivor accounts of the bloodshed, which had raised fears that suicide bomber families could be a terrifying new modus operandi for IS. "I have learned to move on and not be traumatised by the attacks because that's what they (terrorists) want," said Desmonda, a Christian woman who survived last year's bombings. IS claimed the Surabaya bombings and the families were linked to local extremist group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), which supports IS. Ines Andi, a hijab-wearing Muslim, also attended Monday's one-year anniversary, which comes weeks after IS claimed similar suicide attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that killed more than 250. "As a Surabayan who was born and raised here, I was shocked to hear about the bombings -- more so because the perpetrators were Muslim," the 27-year-old said. "So I want to show my solidarity with the victims and hope that this will never happen again. People envy Indonesia for its diversity so we should preserve it," she added. It has been a long road to recovery for many Christians who make up about 10 percent of Indonesia's 260 million citizens. The Southeast Asian nation's religious minorities, which also includes Hindus and Buddhists, have been targeted before and fears for their safety have grown as the voices of Islamic hardliners becomes more prominent in public life. Rachmat Harjono Tengadi was struck by shrapnel after a mother and her two young daughters, dressed in body covering burqa veils, blew themselves up outside the church The coordinated Surabaya attacks were the deadliest in years for a country that has struggled with Islamist militancy since the 2002 Bali bombings killed over 200 people, including scores of tourists "It's hard to overcome the trauma even though it has been a year," Rachmat Harjono Tengadi said after a service on Sunday at the Indonesian Christian Church. The 56-year-old was struck by shrapnel after a mother and her two young daughters, dressed in body covering burqa veils, blew themselves up outside the church. "Even now if I see somebody wearing a black burqa, my heart feels sick," Tengadi said. Tengadi's church opted not to hold a special memorial on Monday's anniversary over fears it could be painful for congregants. "We thought it wasn't a good memory so we'd better not hold any commemoration at all," said church official Daniel Theophilus Hage. CHICAGO (AP) - Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan referenced "Satanic Jews" in a speech denying allegations of anti-Semitism, misogyny and homophobia after Facebook banned him from the social media platform. During the speech Thursday at a Roman Catholic church on Chicago's South Side, Farrakhan asserted people shouldn't be angry with him if "I stand on God's word," also saying that he knows "the truth," and "separate the good Jews from the Satanic Jews." Farrakhan was invited to speak at the church by the Rev. Michael Pfleger after Facebook banned Farrakhan, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and conservative personality Milo Yiannopoulos, saying they violated its ban on "dangerous individuals." Farrakhan, who turns 86 this weekend, said those who think he is a hater don't know him and have never had a conversation with him. He added those who hated him before and got to know him came to love him. He went on to say Facebook's contention that he is dangerous is true because what he says can be researched by his listeners. "Social media you met me tonight. I plead with the rulers, let the truth be taught," he said. Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich issued a statement Friday evening condemning Farrakhan's comments and saying Pfleger did not consult with him or other Chicago archdiocesan officials before extending the invitation to Farrakhan. Minister Louis Farrakhan, of the Nation of Islam, speaks at Saint Sabina Church, Thursday night, May 9, 2019, in Chicago. (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Farrakhan's "statements shock the conscience" Cupich said. "Antisemitic rhetoric - discriminatory invective of any kind - has no place in American public life, let alone in a Catholic church. I apologize to my Jewish brothers and sisters, whose friendship I treasure, from whom I learn so much, and whose covenant with God remains eternal," the cardinal said. Farrakhan noted Cupich's predecessor, Cardinal Francis George, visited him in his home and had dinner with him, and he met with Chicago Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. "For those angry about me about coming to St. Sabina, how many would be angry with me meeting with Cardinal George and with the previous cardinal," he said. "That kind of hatred is insanity." Pfleger, one of Chicago's most prominent activists, defended his invitation, saying he was responding to the Facebook ban as a defender of free speech. Hours before Farrakhan was scheduled to speak, officials of the Illinois Holocaust Museum spoke out against Pfleger for "giving hatred a platform." Museum president and Holocaust survivor Fritzie Fritzshall said when community leaders like Pfleger provide a platform for bigotry and anti-Semitism, "it increases the threat against all of humanity." Cupich encouraged Pfleger "to accept the invitation of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center to meet with their leadership and dialogue with survivors." Pfleger has a history of clashing with Catholic church leadership. Critics point to Farrakhan's characterization of Judaism as a "gutter religion' as evidence of anti-Semitism. And perhaps, most famously, in the 1980s, he came under intense criticism for what was seen as praise for Adolf Hitler. Widely quoted for calling Hitler a "great man," Farrakhan said the reports weren't accurate, and that he'd actually called the Nazi leader "wickedly great." His allegedly anti-Semitic, anti-white and anti-gay comments have prompted the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center to label him an extremist. Facebook, which did not detail specific comments that led to the ban of Farrakhan and the others, 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. Father Michael Pfleger sits next to Minister Louis Farrakhan, of the Nation of Islam, before they both speak at Saint Sabina Church, Thursday night, May 9, 2019, in Chicago. (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) House Democrat issues subpoenas for Trump tax returns WASHINGTON (AP) - A top House Democrat on Friday issued subpoenas for six years of President Donald Trump's tax returns, giving Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig a deadline of next Friday to deliver them. Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., issued the subpoenas days after Mnuchin refused to comply with demands to turn over Trump's returns. Mnuchin told the panel he wouldn't provide Trump's tax records because the panel's request "lacks a legitimate legislative purpose," as Supreme Court precedent requires. Neal reminded the two Trump appointees in a Friday letter that federal law states that the IRS "shall furnish" the tax returns of any individual upon the request of the chairmen of Congress' tax-writing committees and that Ways and Means "has never been denied" a request. The White House and the Democratic-controlled House are waging a multi-front battle over investigations into Trump and the administration has been refusing to comply across the board, refusing to comply with subpoenas for the unredacted report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and documents related to the testimony by former White House Counsel Donald McGahn. If Mnuchin and Rettig refuse to comply with the subpoenas, Neal is likely to file a lawsuit in federal court. He indicated earlier this week that he was leaning toward filing a court case immediately but changed course after meeting with lawyers for the House. ___ US-China talks break up after US raises tariffs WASHINGTON (AP) - Trade talks between the U.S. and China broke up Friday with no agreement, hours after President Donald Trump more than doubled tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports. Trump asserted on Twitter that there was "no need to rush" to get a deal between the world's two biggest economies and later added that the tariffs "may or may not be removed depending on what happens with respect to future negotiations." A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, confirmed that the talks had concluded for the day but could not say when they would resume. Hours earlier, the Trump administration hiked tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%, escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington. China's Commerce Ministry vowed to impose "necessary countermeasures" but gave no details. The tariff increase went ahead even after American and Chinese negotiators briefly met in Washington on Thursday and again on Friday, seeking to end a dispute that has disrupted billions of dollars in trade and shaken global financial markets. After a short session on Friday, the lead Chinese negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, left the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative about midday. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin shook hands with Liu as he left. ___ Venezuela's Guaido promises to persevere despite crackdown CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido is looking to jumpstart his movement to oust Nicolas Maduro in the wake of last week's failed military uprising, promising to persevere in the face of a deepening crackdown. In an interview Friday with The Associated Press, Guaido reiterated his willingness to consider inviting foreign troops to force Maduro from power, echoing the line from Washington that "all options" are on the table for dealing with Venezuela's rapidly-escalating crisis. He blamed the socialist leader for blocking all attempts to negotiate a solution and noted: "The biggest obstacle to that is Maduro." The 35-year-old national assembly president, who the U.S. and some 50 other countries recognize as Venezuela's rightful leader, sat for the interview at his party's headquarters two days after the No. 2 leader in congress was jailed and as several other lawmakers took refuge in foreign embassies. All are facing arrest for joining Guaido and a small cadre of security forces in a military rebellion April 30 that was the closest the opposition has come in years to overthrowing Maduro. Yet, Guaido isn't showing signs of fatigue. ___ Federal judge strikes down Kentucky abortion law FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A federal judge on Friday struck down a Kentucky abortion law that would halt a common second-trimester procedure to end pregnancies. The state's anti-abortion governor immediately vowed to appeal. U.S. District Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr. ruled that the 2018 law would create a "substantial obstacle" to a woman's right to an abortion, violating constitutionally protected privacy rights. Kentucky's only abortion clinic challenged the law right after it was signed by Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. A consent order had suspended its enforcement pending the outcome of last year's trial in which Bevin's legal team and ACLU attorneys argued the case. The law takes aim at an abortion procedure known as "dilation and evacuation." The procedure was used in 537 of 3,312 abortions in Kentucky in 2016, according to state statistics. McKinley wrote that standard D&E procedures account for virtually all second-trimester abortions in Kentucky. The law would "unduly burden" women seeking the procedure, he said. ___ Cuba launches widespread rationing in face of crisis HAVANA (AP) - The Cuban government announced Friday that it is launching widespread rationing of chicken, eggs, rice, beans, soap and other basic products in the face of a grave economic crisis. Commerce Minister Betsy Diaz Velazquez told the state-run Cuban News Agency that various forms of rationing would be employed in order to deal with shortages of staple foods. She blamed the hardening of the U.S. trade embargo by the Trump administration. Economists give equal or greater blame to a plunge in aid from Venezuela, where the collapse of the state-run oil company has led to a nearly two-thirds cut in shipments of subsidized fuel that Cuba used for power and to earn hard currency on the open market. "We're calling for calm," Diaz said, adding that Cubans should feel reassured that at least cooking oil would be in ample supply. "It's not a product that will be absent from the market in any way." Cuba imports roughly two thirds of its food at an annual cost of more than $2 billion and brief shortages of individual products have been common for years. In recent months, a growing number of products have started to go missing for days or weeks at a time, and long lines have sprung up within minutes of the appearance of scarce products like chicken or flour. Many shoppers find themselves still standing in line when the products run out, a problem the government has been blaming on "hoarders." "The country's going through a tough moment. This is the right response. Without this, there'll be hoarders. I just got out of work and I was able to buy hot dogs," said Lazara Garcia, a 56-year-old tobacco-factory worker. ___ Space-tourism enters 'home stretch' toward commercial flight SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Billionaire Richard Branson is moving Virgin Galactic's winged passenger rocket and more than 100 employees from California to a remote commercial launch and landing facility in southern New Mexico, bringing his space-tourism dream a step closer to reality. Branson said Friday at a news conference that Virgin Galactic's development and testing program has advanced enough to make the move to the custom-tailored hangar and runway at the taxpayer-financed Spaceport America facility near the town of Truth or Consequences. Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides said a small number of flight tests are pending. He declined to set a specific deadline for the first commercial flight. An interior cabin for the company's space rocket is being tested, and pilots and engineers are among the employees relocating from California to New Mexico. The move to New Mexico puts the company in the "home stretch," Whitesides said. The manufacturing of the space vehicles by a sister enterprise, The Spaceship Company, will remain based in the community of Mojave, California. ___ Schedules show West Virginia governor largely absent in job CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - He's a billionaire who owns mines, farms and the swankiest resort in all of West Virginia. But how Jim Justice spends his time as the state's 36th governor has largely been a mystery. Since he took office a little more than two years ago, Justice has been dogged by criticism that he's rarely at the Statehouse. He's been called a part-time governor and criticized for missing key policy debates. Some lawmakers have suggested he can't focus on governing because he's busy tending to his expansive business empire, which has recently come under scrutiny from the federal government. The Republican governor has pushed back hard on those claims amid calls to resign over his absenteeism and insisted he has "not stopped working " since taking office. Yet his schedule for the past seven months - recently released to The Associated Press in response to a request filed under West Virginia's open records law - shows he almost never meets with his Cabinet, is rarely at the capital and was largely missing at one of the most critical points of this year's legislative session. The schedules mostly show him at photo ops or simply unaccounted for. "He seems like he doesn't have his whole heart in it," said Sen. Roman W. Prezioso Jr., the Democratic Senate minority leader. "He's got too much on his plate. You either want to be governor or you want to run your business. You're going to have to choose one or the other." ___ House passes $19B disaster aid bill over Trump opposition WASHINGTON (AP) - The House on Friday passed a $19 billion disaster aid bill that would deliver long-sought relief to farmers, victims of hurricanes and floods, and rebuild southern military bases, as Democrats try to dislodge the legislation from a Senate logjam over aid to hurricane-slammed Puerto Rico. The measure passed by a 257-150 vote over the opposition of most Republicans, who said it should also include the Trump administration's $4.5 billion request for stepped up humanitarian aid and law enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border, which is facing a wave of migrants fleeing violence in Central America. The House had passed an earlier $14 billion version of the measure in January, but the legislation has been held up in the Senate amid a fight between President Donald Trump and Democrats over aid to Puerto Rico. Trump is feuding with Democratic officials on the island and falsely claims that Puerto Rico has already received $91 billion in aid. Trump took to Twitter on Thursday to urge Republicans to vote against the bill. "House Republicans should not vote for the BAD DEMOCRAT Disaster Supplemental Bill which hurts our States, Farmers & Border Security," Trump tweeted. "We want to do much better than this. All sides keep working and send a good BILL for immediate signing!" ___ Hearing in Colorado school shooting put off until next week DENVER (AP) - Prosecutors investigating the case against two students suspected of shooting nine classmates, one fatally, in a suburban Denver charter school have until next week to decide what charges to pursue, a judge ruled Friday. Meanwhile, all but one of those injured in the shooting have been released from hospitals, officials said. District Judge Theresa Slade delayed hearings that had been scheduled for Friday for Devon Erickson, 18, and 16-year-old Alec McKinney, who is listed in court documents as Maya. They are suspects in the shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch on Tuesday. Court spokesman Rob McCallum said that both the prosecutors and defense agreed to a postponement until Wednesday. Vikki Migoya, a spokeswoman for District Attorney George Brauchler, did not explain the reason for the delay. ___ Ex-Fugees rapper charged in campaign finance conspiracy case WASHINGTON (AP) - One of the founding members of the 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees has been charged in a campaign finance conspiracy that took place during the 2012 presidential election, the Justice Department said Friday. A four-count indictment accuses Prakazrel "Pras" Michel of conspiring with fugitive Malaysian financer Low Taek Jho, usually known as Jho Low, to make and conceal foreign campaign contributions. He is alleged to have used straw donors to give campaign contributions to a U.S. presidential candidate, who is identified in the indictment only as Candidate A. Low has gained attention in the last several years after U.S. officials accused him of masterminding a money laundering and bribery scheme that pilfered billions from the Malaysian state investment fund known as 1MDB. He's been charged separately by both U.S. and Malaysian officials in connection with that alleged fraud but remains at large. Prosecutors allege that from June to November 2012, Low directed more than $21.6 million to be moved from foreign entities to Michel's accounts in order to funnel money into the 2012 presidential election. They say Michel then paid about 20 straw donors and conduits so they could make the donations in their names and conceal where the money actually came from, according to the indictment. More than $1 million was also sent to an independent expenditure committee, prosecutors said. WASHINGTON (AP) - Trade talks between the U.S. and China broke up Friday with no agreement, hours after President Donald Trump more than doubled tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports. Trump asserted on Twitter that there was "no need to rush" to get a deal between the world's two biggest economies and later added that the tariffs "may or may not be removed depending on what happens with respect to future negotiations." A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, confirmed that the talks had concluded for the day but could not say when they would resume. Hours earlier, the Trump administration hiked tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%, escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington. China's Commerce Ministry vowed to impose "necessary countermeasures" but gave no details. The tariff increase went ahead even after American and Chinese negotiators briefly met in Washington on Thursday and again on Friday, seeking to end a dispute that has disrupted billions of dollars in trade and shaken global financial markets. After a short session on Friday, the lead Chinese negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, left the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative about midday. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin shook hands with Liu as he left. In the afternoon, a motorcade of sport-utility vehicles and a police escort, both with lights flashing, carried the Chinese delegation away from their lodgings at the Willard InterContinental Hotel . Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, second from left, and United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, right, speak with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, left, as he departs the Office of the United States Trade Representative in Washington, Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Chinese newspaper Global Times, citing "an authoritative source," tweeted that "talks didn't break down. Both sides think that the talks are constructive and will continue consultations. The two sides agree to meet again in Beijing in the future." In an interview with reporters later in the day, Vice Premier Liu He said: "We will make no concessions on matters of principle." The Trump administration escalated the confrontation again after the Chinese delegation left town. Lighthizer announced Friday evening that he was preparing to impose tariffs on the $300 billion in Chinese imports that haven't already been targeted. The government will have to get public comment before it can target more Chinese goods. On Wall Street, stocks fell initially Friday but turned positive on optimism over future talks. Earlier, Trump asserted in a tweet that his tariffs "will bring in FAR MORE wealth to our Country than even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind. Also, much easier & quicker to do." In fact, tariffs are taxes paid by U.S. importers and often passed along to consumers and companies that rely on imported components. American officials accuse Beijing of backtracking on commitments made in earlier rounds of negotiations. "China deeply regrets that it will have to take necessary countermeasures," a Commerce Ministry statement said. U.S. business groups appealed for a settlement that will resolve chronic complaints about Chinese market barriers, subsidies to state companies and a regulatory system they say is rigged against foreign companies. The latest increase extends 25% duties to a total of $250 billion of Chinese imports, including $50 billion worth that were already being taxed at 25%. Trump has said he is planning to expand penalties to all Chinese goods shipped to the United States. Beijing retaliated for previous tariff hikes by raising duties on $110 billion of American imports. But regulators are running out of U.S. goods for penalties due to the lopsided trade balance. Ford spokeswoman Rachel McCleery said the carmaker is most concerned about any retaliatory tariffs China might impose. The Dearborn, Michigan-based company says 80% of the vehicles it assembles in the U.S. are sold domestically, but it does export some vehicles to China. "While most of the vehicles we sell in China are built in China, Ford does export a number of vehicles to China from the U.S.," McCleery said. "Our biggest concerns are impacts retaliatory tariffs would have on our exports and our expanding customer base in China." Chinese officials have targeted operations of American companies in China by slowing customs clearance for them and stepping up regulatory scrutiny that can hamper operations. The latest U.S. increase might hit American consumers harder, said Jake Parker, vice president of the U.S.-China Business Council, an industry group. He said the earlier 10% increase was absorbed by companies and offset by a weakening of the Chinese currency's exchange rate. A 25% hike "needs to be passed on to the consumer," Parker said. "It is just too big to dilute with those other factors." Despite the public acrimony, local Chinese officials who want to attract American investment have tried to reassure companies there is "minimal retaliation," he said. "We've actually seen an increased sensitivity to U.S. companies at the local level," he added. The higher U.S. import taxes don't apply to Chinese goods shipped before Friday. Shipments take about three weeks to cross the Pacific Ocean by sea, giving negotiators more time to reach a settlement before importers may have to pay the increased charges. Liu, speaking to Chinese state TV upon his arrival Thursday in Washington, said he "came with sincerity." He appealed to Washington to avoid more tariff hikes, saying they are "not a solution" and would harm the world. "We should not hurt innocent people," Liu told CCTV. Also Thursday, Trump said he received "a beautiful letter" from Chinese President Xi Jinping and would "probably speak to him by phone." The two countries are sparring over U.S. allegations Beijing steals technology and pressures companies to hand over trade secrets in a campaign to turn Chinese companies into world leaders in robotics, electric cars and other advanced industries. This week's setback was unexpected. Through late last week, Trump administration officials were suggesting that negotiators were making steady progress. U.S. officials say they got an inkling of China's second thoughts about prior commitments in talks last week in Beijing but the backsliding became more apparent in exchanges over the weekend. They wouldn't identify the specific issues involved. A sticking point is U.S. insistence on an enforcement mechanism with penalties to ensure Beijing lives up to its commitments. American officials say China has repeatedly broken past promises. China wants tariffs lifted as soon as an agreement is reached, while U.S. officials want to keep them as leverage to ensure compliance. "A real enforcement mechanism is critical," the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai said in a statement. ___ AP Business Writer Joe McDonald and AP videojournalist Dake Kang in Beijing and Alexandra Olson in New York contributed to this report. Protesters shout as the motorcade carrying Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and his delegation depart the Office of the United States Trade Representative in Washington, Friday, May 10, 2019, following trade talks between the United States and China. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) In this March 5, 2019 photo, a cargo ship arrives at the Port of Tacoma, in Tacoma, Wash. U.S. and Chinese negotiators resumed trade talks Friday, May 10, 2019, under increasing pressure after President Donald Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods and Beijing promised to retaliate. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, center, waves to members of the media as he arrives at the Office of the United States Trade Representative in Washington, Friday, May 10, 2019 for trade talks between the United States and China. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) A worker walks near truck trailers and cargo containers, Friday, May 10, 2019, at the Port of Tacoma in Tacoma, Wash. U.S. and Chinese negotiators resumed trade talks Friday under increasing pressure after President Donald Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods and Beijing promised to retaliate. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on the tariffs standoff between the United States and China (all times local): 6:50 p.m. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer says his office is preparing to impose tariffs on the $300 billion in Chinese products that aren't already facing import taxes, another escalation in Washington's dispute with Beijing. The U.S. just after midnight Friday raised tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%. Hours later, an 11th round of U.S.-China talks ended without an agreement. The tax hike brings to $250 billion the value of Chinese imports facing 25% tariffs. But about $300 billion in Chinese imports haven't yet been hit in a yearlong dispute over China's push to challenge American technological dominance, allegedly by stealing technology and forcing U.S. companies to hand over trade secrets. A worker walks near truck trailers and cargo containers, Friday, May 10, 2019, at the Port of Tacoma in Tacoma, Wash. U.S. and Chinese negotiators resumed trade talks Friday under increasing pressure after President Donald Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods and Beijing promised to retaliate. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Lighthizer's office will have to get public comment before it can go ahead with the new tariffs. __ 4:45 p.m. The Association of Global Automakers warns that the Trump administration's decision to increase tariffs on Chinese imports will hurt exports of American-made vehicles. The association represents the U.S. operations of international automakers, including Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan and Subaru. The group said new U.S. vehicle exports to China fell from 262,500 in 2017 to 164,000 in 2018 in large part because of a 25% retaliatory tariff China imposed on U.S. vehicles from July to December 2018. China is the second-largest vehicle export market for the U.S. Don Stewart, executive vice president of public affairs for the association, said exports will further fall when China inevitably retaliates for the Trump administration's latest tariff increases. "The real-world impact is fewer cars made in American will be shipped overseas, and that has an effect on auto workers," Stewart said. He says that the auto industry "shares the goals of the negotiations to make much needed changes on the way China does business, but there are other tools to get that done that will not impact American auto workers." ___ 3:30 p.m. President Donald Trump says the United States and China "held candid and constructive conversations" on trade after negotiators completed two days of talks Friday without reaching a deal. Trump tweets that "the relationship between President Xi and myself remains a very strong one, and conversations into the future will continue." Trump says that in the meantime, the United States has imposed tariffs on China, "which may or may not be removed depending on what happens with respect to future negotiations!" The Trump administration raised import taxes on billions of dollars in Chinese goods from 10% to 25% Friday. China has threatened to retaliate. ___ 3:00 p.m. A White House official confirms that trade talks between Chinese and U.S. negotiators have concluded for the day. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The official did not know when talks would resume. The Trump administration raised import taxes on billions of dollars in Chinese goods from 10% to 25% Friday. China has threatened to retaliate. The increase went ahead even after American and Chinese negotiators began more talks aimed at ending a dispute that has disrupted billions of dollars in trade and shaken global financial markets. This week's talks marked the 11th round of negotiations so far. -By Kevin Freking ___ 2:30 p.m. Gale Pence, the CEO of two manufacturing companies in Wisconsin, says he "cautiously supports the president on the overall picture of this" and is optimistic the U.S. and China will eventually come to a trade agreement. "I think it's an advantage for both countries to have protections on IT, and I also think it's a positive for the U.S. to have more direct investment in China," he says. Pence's businesses have been impacted by tariffs on Chinese imports because his companies buy tooling, molds and dyes, and castings for a variety of different products they produce. They've absorbed some of the costs, but they've also had to pass along price increases to customers. Pence's companies are Global Precision Industries, Inc., which makes plastic injection molds and custom mold bases, among other things. His other company, Diversified Design and Manufacturing, supplies tooling, manufacturing and specialty machining to customers worldwide. ___ 2:00 p.m. A tech industry group says tariffs are taxes, and "higher tariffs are only higher taxes," in response to President Donald Trump's decision to increase tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25%. The Consumer Technology Association, which runs the annual CES gadget show and represents the U.S. consumer technology industry, says that the tariffs are not paid by China. Rather, the CTA says they are paid for by "U.S. consumers, workers and businesses." The CTA says the U.S. tech industry has paid over $745 million extra for 5G-related products in less than a year under the tariffs. ___ 1:45 p.m. Randy Richards, a 65-year-old farmer near Hope, North Dakota, says the tariff war of the past year and a half has hit hard, and he was angry that more may be coming. Richards says he farms more than 6,000 acres of wheat, barley, soybeans, pinto beans and corn. He says tariffs have driven up the cost of the raw products he needs to run and supply his business and driven down the prices of what he has to sell. "We're told be patient, it's going to change, it's going to resolve and be fixed," Richards says. "This is the administration imposing a downturn in the farming economy simply because of the way they're handling trade agreements." Richards, who described himself as a conservative Democrat, says he understood that sometimes trade agreements need to be updated "but this isn't the way to do it." ___ 1:00 p.m. The president of the Virginia-based Outdoor Power Equipment Institute says the new tariffs on Chinese imports will adversely impact the 100 manufacturing companies it represents in the U.S., and consumers are going to pay more as a result. "We're very disappointed. We don't think this is an appropriate methodology," says Kris Kiser, the president and CEO of OPEI. The organization represents companies that manufacture products such as utility vehicles, mowers, generators and chainsaws. Kiser says some of the parts for those products will be impacted because they're imported from China. He worries competitors in other countries will have a competitive advantage now. "This tariff designed to protect the U.S. manufacturers actually penalize a U.S. manufacturer in favor of a competitor," Kiser says. Already, Kiser says his organization is aware of manufacturing shifts where some companies have moved to other countries where they have facilities so they can avoid tariffs. "But not everybody can do that. Not everybody has multiple manufacturing facilities," he says. A customer looks at her iPhone in a store of U.S. tech company Apple in Beijing on Friday, May 10, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff hike on Chinese goods took effect Friday and Beijing said it would retaliate, escalating a battle over China's technology ambitions and other trade tensions. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) In this Feb. 24, 2017, photo, factory workers use gas torches on air conditioning condenser units on an assembly line at a Haier factory in Jiaozhou near Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong Province. U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff hike on Chinese goods took effect Friday, May 10, 2019, and Beijing said it would retaliate, escalating a battle over China's technology ambitions and other trade tensions. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) NEW YORK (AP) - Democrats denounced a plan by President Donald Trump's personal attorney to push Ukraine to open investigations that he hopes could benefit Trump politically, saying it was an overt attempt to recruit foreign help to influence a U.S. election. But lawyer Rudy Giuliani has scrapped plans to visit Ukraine, citing concerns about who he would be dealing with there. Giuliani's plan had seemed poised to create an unprecedented moment - a lawyer for the American president seeking foreign assistance in trying to damage political rivals. To Democrats, it was a blatant evocation of Russia's meddling on behalf of Trump when he defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 "The meeting would have accomplished little and may be in the hands of those who might misrepresent it," Giuliani said Saturday in a statement. Giuliani had said earlier that he would to travel to Kiev in coming days to urge the government to investigate the origins of special counsel Robert Mueller's recently concluded probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, and the involvement of former Vice President Joe Biden's son in a gas company owned by a Ukrainian oligarch. Joe Biden is the early Democratic front-runner to challenge Trump in the 2020 election. The Biden campaign has denied that Biden or his son, Hunter, did anything improper. FILE - In this May 5, 2018, file photo, Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for President Donald Trump, speaks in Washington. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer says he is urging Ukraine to open investigations that could benefit Trump politically in the United States. Rudy Giuliani took to Twitter Friday to explain his rationale for traveling to Kiev to push for two probes. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) Giuliani said he has concluded that Ukraine's president-elect is being advised by people who were the "very vocal opponents of President Trump and peculiarly vocal supporters of Hillary Clinton." TV star and comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy beat incumbent President Petro Poroshenko in a recent presidential election. Giuliani said he believes that the incoming president is being advised, in particular, by Serhiy Leshchenko, an opposition parliament member who helped uncover the off-the-books payments made to Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. "My purpose was to share information to assist their on-going investigation of Ukrainian officials being used by Americans to gather information to assist Clinton in last election and to alert them to the very real dangers that there are people involved in the investigation ... who are attempting to shut it down before it reaches a conclusion," Giuliani said in a statement. He said the Ukrainian investigation has the potential to reveal people who originated or propagated "the false claim of collusion" between Russia and the Trump campaign. Leshchenko, however, said Ukraine's prosecutor general, Yuriy Lutsenko, had misled Giuliani. Writing in the Ukrainska Pravda online newspaper, Leshchenko said Lutsenko "came up with the story" that the former vice president had pressured Ukraine to close the case involving the gas company, while it was Lutsenko himself who had closed the case more than two years ago. He re-opened the case this spring in the midst of Ukraine's presidential campaign in what was seen as an effort to win Trump administration support for Poroshenko. Democrats took aim at Giuliani for planning the trip at all. "It's stunning that the Trump administration is going down the same tragic path they did in 2016 seeking help from a foreign government again to influence an American presidential election. It's appalling," said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He said Trump allies were indicating, "We're going to do everything short of what's downright criminal. Ethics don't matter. Patriotism doesn't matter." Giuliani, a former New York City mayor who often acted as a smokescreen for Trump during the Mueller probe, pushed back against the criticism. "Explain to me why Biden shouldn't be investigated if his son got millions from a Russian loving crooked Ukrainian oligarch while He was VP and point man for Ukraine," Giuliani tweeted at Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who criticized him. "Ukrainians are investigating and your fellow Dems are interfering. Election is 17 months away. Let's answer it now." Giuliani's planned trip, first reported by The New York Times, would have been the most high-profile effort yet by Republicans to call attention to growing talking points in conservative circles. They are trying to undermine the special counsel's investigation, call into question the case against Manafort, Trump's imprisoned former campaign chairman, and wound Joe Biden. Trump and Giuliani have urged scrutiny of Hunter Biden and have questions about whether Joe Biden helped oust a Ukrainian prosecutor whose office was first investigating the oligarch behind the company that paid Hunter Biden. Some Trump allies have suggested they can tarnish Joe Biden with questions about corruption, founded or not, much like they did to Clinton in 2016. Giuliani has said he updated the president about his findings on Ukraine, a nation deeply reliant on the Trump administration for U.S. military and financial aid. "I'm hearing it's a major scandal, major problem," Trump said on Fox News recently. "I hope for (Biden) it is fake news. I don't think it is." The president has also tried to push claims that Ukrainian officials tried to help Clinton by focusing attention on Manafort's business in Ukraine. That attention forced Manafort to resign from the campaign, and he was later convicted of financial crimes and sentenced to prison. Ukrainian officials have denied involvement, but Trump has latched onto the idea that Kiev "colluded" with Democrats and that the origins of Mueller's probe were fraudulent. Trump's re-election campaign distanced itself from Giuliani's efforts, saying it had nothing to do with the lawyer's inquiry. ___ Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire ___ Associated Press writer Jim Heintz in Moscow and video journalist Padmananda Rama in Washington contributed to this report. DENVER (AP) - The Latest on the shooting at a Colorado school that killed one student and injured eight (all times local): 8:20 p.m. A Denver-area school where a shooting killed a teenager and wounded eight other students was without a resource officer because of a canceled sheriff's office contract. Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said Friday his department did not renew its STEM School Highlands Ranch contract amid a dispute over resource officers' duties. Instead, the school hired a private firm. A law enforcement official with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press on Thursday that a guard credited with capturing one of the suspects in Tuesday's attack fired his weapon inside the school. Two news organizations citing anonymous sources reported that authorities are investigating whether the guard mistakenly fired at a responding sheriff's deputy and may have wounded a student. A Friday school statement said violence hits campuses with and without resource officers. It credited the guard, deputies and students with thwarting the attack. FILE - In this Wednesday, May 8, 2019 file photo, Devon Erickson, an accused STEM School shooter, appears at the Douglas County Courthouse in Castle Rock, Colo. Erickson and another suspect in the suburban Denver school shooting are due back in court as prosecutors file charges in the violent attack that killed a student and wounded multiple others. Prosecutors also are expected to decide Friday, May 10, whether to charge the younger suspect, Maya McKinney, 16, as an adult. (Joe Amon/The Denver Post via AP, Pool, File) ___ 2:40 p.m. Seven of the eight students who were wounded in a shooting at a suburban Denver school have been sent home from hospitals. Littleton Adventist Hospital said Friday it's still treating one patient, who is in fair condition. The hospital released a second patient Friday and three others on Tuesday, the day of the attack. Sky Ridge Medical Center received two shooting victims and both have been released. Another was treated and released at Children's Hospital Colorado South. A ninth victim, 18-year-old student Kendrick Castillo, was killed during the attack at the STEM School in Highlands Ranch. Witnesses say Castillo was shot while tackling one of the two shooters. Two teenage suspects were arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Formal charges are expected next week. ___ 9:35 a.m. Charges won't be filed against the suspects in a suburban Denver school shooting until next week. The suspects had been scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon to learn the charges against them. However, court spokesman Rob McCallum said that both the prosecutors and defense agreed to delay the hearing until Wednesday. A spokeswoman for prosecutors, Vikki Migoya, couldn't comment on the delay. During initial hearings this week, prosecutors had asked to wait until Monday. Authorities have identified the suspects as for Devon Erickson, 18, and 16-year-old Alec McKinney, who is listed in court documents as Maya. One issue they must decide is whether to charge McKinney as an adult The two allegedly opened fire at the STEM School Highlands Ranch on Tuesday. ___ This entry has been updated to correct the spelling of the district attorney's spokeswoman's name. ___ 11:15 p.m. Both suspects in a suburban Denver school shooting are due back in court as prosecutors file charges in the attack that killed a student and wounded eight others. Prosecutors also are expected to decide Friday whether to charge the younger suspect as an adult. Authorities have identified the suspects as 18-year-old Devon Erickson and 16-year-old Maya McKinney, whose attorney said uses male pronouns and the name Alec. The two allegedly opened fire at the STEM School Highlands Ranch on Tuesday, just miles away from Columbine High School and a few weeks after the 20th anniversary of a massacre there. Investigators have not discussed a motive for the shooting. Witnesses have said 18-year-old student Kendrick Castillo was killed after charging at one of the shooters and pinning him to the wall. FILE - In this Tuesday, May 7, 2019 file photo, police officers and students are seen outside STEM School Highlands Ranch, a charter middle school in the Denver suburb of Highlands Ranch, Colo., after a shooting. Both suspects in the suburban Denver school shooting are due back in court Friday, May 10, as prosecutors file charges in the violent attack that killed a student and wounded multiple others. Authorities have identified the suspects as 18-year-old Devon Erickson and 16-year-old Maya McKinney, whose attorney said uses male pronouns and the name Alec. (Courtney Harper via AP, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, May 7, 2019 file photo, parents head into a recreation center for students to get reunited with their parents after a shooting in Highlands Ranch, Colo. Both suspects in the suburban Denver school shooting are due back in court Friday, May 10, as prosecutors file charges in the violent attack that killed a student and wounded multiple others. Authorities have identified the suspects as 18-year-old Devon Erickson and 16-year-old Maya McKinney, whose attorney said uses male pronouns and the name Alec. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) A light snow covers bouquets of flowers placed on the sign for STEM School Highlands Ranch following Tuesday's shooting, in Highlands Ranch, Colo., Thursday, May 9, 2019. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - He's a billionaire who owns mines, farms and the swankiest resort in all of West Virginia. But how Jim Justice spends his time as the state's 36th governor has largely been a mystery. Since he took office a little more than two years ago, Justice has been dogged by criticism that he's rarely at the Statehouse. He's been called a part-time governor and criticized for missing key policy debates. Some lawmakers have suggested he can't focus on governing because he's busy tending to his expansive business empire, which has recently come under scrutiny from the federal government. The Republican governor has pushed back hard on those claims amid calls to resign over his absenteeism and insisted he has "not stopped working " since taking office. Yet his schedule for the past seven months - recently released to The Associated Press in response to a request filed under West Virginia's open records law - shows he almost never meets with his Cabinet, is rarely at the capital and was largely missing at one of the most critical points of this year's legislative session. The schedules mostly show him at photo ops or simply unaccounted for. "He seems like he doesn't have his whole heart in it," said Sen. Roman W. Prezioso Jr., the Democratic Senate minority leader. "He's got too much on his plate. You either want to be governor or you want to run your business. You're going to have to choose one or the other." Justice's office said he wasn't available for an interview but released a statement in which he said his calendar doesn't reflect the time and work he's put in as governor. FILE - In this Feb. 19, 2019, file photo, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice speaks during a press conference at the state Capitol in Charleston, W.Va., after the House of Delegates passed a motion to postpone indefinitely a vote on Senate Bill 451. Justice is a hard man to find. Since he took office as the state's 36th governor a little more than two years ago, he has been criticized for missing key policy debates and rarely being at the statehouse. Some lawmakers suggest he can't focus on governing because he's too busy tending to his business empire, now under intense scrutiny from the federal government. (Craig Hudson/Charleston Gazette-Mail via AP, File) "The calendar that you got through your FOIA request is used by my staff to try to keep straight my crazy schedule as governor, which can sometimes change by the minute and because of this, there are times where all the good work we're doing never makes it onto the calendar," he wrote. "... I've been working like crazy the last two plus years, turning over every rock possible to make our great state even greater." Justice's lawyer, Brian Abraham, said in a statement that using the calendar "to glean anything ironclad about the governor's constantly-changing schedule would not be an accurate representation of the truth." But Sen. Craig Blair, a Republican who chairs the Senate finance committee, said Justice spends less time at the Statehouse than any governor he's ever seen. He described Justice's management style as "remote." "He has his staffers do a lot of the work, and then when he comes in it's more of a cheerleading type of thing rather than talking specifics," he said. Justice's communications director, Butch Antolini, is also hard to reach, rarely returning calls or emails. When the AP first requested a copy of Justice's schedule, his office refused. The office said that it was in draft format and not an accurate log of Justice's appointments, and that its release could put his security at risk. His office used the same reasoning in rejecting a similar request made by the Charleston Gazette-Mail . After about six weeks of emails and calls from the AP questioning the denial, lawyer Abraham agreed to send a copy of Justice's calendar from November to May. He said Justice doesn't schedule or log most office time in his calendar, preferring an open-door approach. The open-door policy hinges on Justice being at the Capitol, but Republicans and Democrats both say his presence in Charleston is rare. Prezioso said the governor's Statehouse attendance is so sporadic that, if he needs to talk with him, he looks out his office window to see if the governor's black sport utility vehicle is parked in its usual spot up on the sidewalk. Although seldom at the Statehouse, Justice spends a fair amount of time using the state airplane to fly to ceremonial appearances and photo ops, according to an AP review of travel receipts and the governor's schedule. Justice's office paid about $13,000 for the use of the plane from November to February. Democratic Del. Isaac Sponaugle filed a lawsuit against the governor to get him to turn over location records and force him to live in the capital as required by the state constitution. Justice has acknowledged he doesn't live in the governor's mansion in Charleston, but at a home about 100 miles (160 kilometers) away. The state has paid about $20,000 for a private lawyer to represent Justice in the ongoing case, according to documents obtained by the AP through a records request. "The state is just loaded with all types of problems that are not getting corrected and are actually getting worse," Sponaugle said. "His lack of interest and absenteeism are one of the main reasons why that is occurring." Republican Senate President Mitch Carmichael said fixing the state's major issues are "a big job and you can't put it on autopilot." The myriad businesses that some say are taking up much of the governor's time are now being investigated by the federal government, adding another potential distraction. In his most recent financial disclosure statement, Justice lists more than 100 business interests, including coal and timber companies. He's said he wants to put his assets in a blind trust but hasn't done so. Federal prosecutors have requested records relating to the governor's resort, The Greenbrier, as well as a host of Justice's tax documents, according to two subpoenas sent to Justice's administration that have recently become public. The U.S. Department of Justice has also sued nearly two dozen of Justice's coal companies to get them to pay about $4.8 million in unpaid mine-safety fines. "I just think it would be better to have someone in the governor's office who was present most of the time and more engaged in the day-to-day operations of the state and the legislative process," Democratic state Sen. Corey Palumbo said. DENVER (AP) - Prosecutors investigating the case against two students suspected of shooting nine classmates, one fatally, in a suburban Denver charter school have until next week to decide what charges to pursue, a judge ruled Friday. Meanwhile, all but one of those injured in the shooting have been released from hospitals, officials said. District Judge Theresa Slade delayed hearings that had been scheduled for Friday for Devon Erickson, 18, and 16-year-old Alec McKinney, who is listed in court documents as Maya. They are suspects in the shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch on Tuesday. Court spokesman Rob McCallum said that both the prosecutors and defense agreed to a postponement until Wednesday. Vikki Migoya, a spokeswoman for District Attorney George Brauchler, did not explain the reason for the delay. The entire court file in the case is under seal. In an initial court appearance on Wednesday, Brauchler asked for a delay until Monday to file charges so that authorities would have the weekend to pursue their investigation. FILE - In this Tuesday, May 7, 2019 file photo, police officers and students are seen outside STEM School Highlands Ranch, a charter middle school in the Denver suburb of Highlands Ranch, Colo., after a shooting. Both suspects in the suburban Denver school shooting are due back in court Friday, May 10, as prosecutors file charges in the violent attack that killed a student and wounded multiple others. Authorities have identified the suspects as 18-year-old Devon Erickson and 16-year-old Maya McKinney, whose attorney said uses male pronouns and the name Alec. (Courtney Harper via AP, File) The latest delay until Wednesday gives prosecutors more time to decide whether to charge McKinney as an adult. Colorado law permits prosecutors to file adult charges of serious felonies against 16- and 17-year-olds without prior approval from a judge. Kendrick Castillo, the 18-year-old senior killed during the shooting, and two classmates at the school have been credited with helping thwart the attack by charging at one of the shooters when he entered a classroom. Authorities have said an armed private security guard restrained the second shooter. Erickson and McKinney have been in jail since Tuesday on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. The two students walked into their school with handguns and opened fire in two classrooms, authorities said. Investigators have offered no motive and refused to discuss how the students obtained the weapons. Student Joshua Jones told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday that he, Castillo and Brendan Bialy reacted as soon as they saw the gun. "We rushed him," Jones said. "Kendrick pushed him against the wall. Me and Brendan grabbed him and threw him to the ground. I stayed on top of him while Brendan went off and tried to help Kendrick." Jones said he never specifically thought how he would react in such a situation. "When it actually happened, I had to make that decision that nobody should really ever have to make, which was run towards a gunman or run away from them. I chose to run towards them," he said. Eight students were wounded. One remained hospitalized in fair condition Friday, and the others have been sent home. The school was without a resource officer at the time because a contract with the sheriff's office had been canceled. Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said Friday his department did not renew its contract with STEM School for the current school year because of a dispute over what duties a resource officer should be responsible for. Instead, the school signed a contract with a private security firm. A law enforcement official with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press on Thursday the guard credited with capturing one of the suspects fired his weapon inside the school. Two news organizations citing anonymous sources reported that authorities are investigating whether the guard mistakenly fired at a responding sheriff's deputy and may have wounded a student. The school released a statement Friday saying schools with and without resource officers have experienced violence. It also credited the guard, sheriff's deputies and students with thwarting the attack, which unfolded nearly three weeks after neighboring Littleton marked the 20th anniversary of the Columbine attack that killed 13 people. The two schools are separated by about 7 miles (11 kilometers) south of Denver. ___ Associated Press writer Thomas Peipert contributed to this report. FILE - In this Wednesday, May 8, 2019 file photo, Devon Erickson, an accused STEM School shooter, appears at the Douglas County Courthouse in Castle Rock, Colo. Erickson and another suspect in the suburban Denver school shooting are due back in court as prosecutors file charges in the violent attack that killed a student and wounded multiple others. Prosecutors also are expected to decide Friday, May 10, whether to charge the younger suspect, Maya McKinney, 16, as an adult. (Joe Amon/The Denver Post via AP, Pool, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, May 7, 2019 file photo, parents head into a recreation center for students to get reunited with their parents after a shooting in Highlands Ranch, Colo. Both suspects in the suburban Denver school shooting are due back in court Friday, May 10, as prosecutors file charges in the violent attack that killed a student and wounded multiple others. Authorities have identified the suspects as 18-year-old Devon Erickson and 16-year-old Maya McKinney, whose attorney said uses male pronouns and the name Alec. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) A light snow covers bouquets of flowers placed on the sign for STEM School Highlands Ranch following Tuesday's shooting, in Highlands Ranch, Colo., Thursday, May 9, 2019. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido is looking to jumpstart his movement to oust Nicolas Maduro in the wake of last week's failed military uprising, promising to persevere in the face of a deepening crackdown. In an interview Friday with The Associated Press, Guaido reiterated his willingness to consider inviting foreign troops to force Maduro from power, echoing the line from Washington that "all options" are on the table for dealing with Venezuela's rapidly-escalating crisis. He blamed the socialist leader for blocking all attempts to negotiate a solution and noted: "The biggest obstacle to that is Maduro." The 35-year-old national assembly president, who the U.S. and some 50 other countries recognize as Venezuela's rightful leader, sat for the interview at his party's headquarters two days after the No. 2 leader in congress was jailed and as several other lawmakers took refuge in foreign embassies. All are facing arrest for joining Guaido and a small cadre of security forces in a military rebellion April 30 that was the closest the opposition has come in years to overthrowing Maduro. Yet, Guaido isn't showing signs of fatigue. He talks serenely and smiles widely when well-wishers huddle with him in prayer. While the Maduro government hasn't dared arrest him - the U.S. has warned of severe consequences should he be harmed - he said security forces who track his every move could "kidnap" him at any time. Meanwhile, his fellow activist wife and 2-year-old daughter have been living outside Venezuela for months. Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself the interim-president of Venezuela, stands next to a mural at the Popular Will party's headquarters, in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, May 10, 2019. In an interview Friday with The Associated Press, Guaido repeated his willingness to consider inviting foreign troops to force Nicolas Maduro from power, echoing the line from Washington that "all options" are on the table for dealing with Venezuela's rapidly-escalating crisis. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) "There's a movement made up of a majority that's in the streets and that's not going to change no matter how much they hit us," he said. "The one thing the dictatorship fears most is hope." But observers note the fresh-faced opposition leader may be running out of options. Phil Gunson, a senior analyst with the Crisis Group in Caracas, said that after the failed military rebellion, it seems unlikely that the U.S. will carry through on threats of military action. "He's in a bind," Gunson said. "If the repression is going to continue at this level, it's going to be difficult to keep up his campaign of mass mobilization because people are going to be too scared to go out on the streets." In the current stalemate, Gunson said negotiations are the opposition's best exit strategy. But demands that Maduro step aside as a precondition for talks are no longer a real possibility. "They already played their best hand," he said, referring to the opposition. Nonetheless, Guaido said winning over the military is possible and requires greater outreach so that troops understand they won't be targeted if they flip. He said most top commanders and their troops already despise Maduro and are only feigning loyalty to him because they are under constant surveillance by Cuban and Venezuelan secret police. "What keeps Maduro in power, and we've witnessed more openly in recent hours, is terror," Guaido said. Guaido, a previously unknown lawmaker, revived the flagging opposition movement when he declared himself interim president in January, accusing Maduro of breaking the constitutional order when he claimed victory in elections widely seen as lacking legitimacy after several opponents were barred from running. His humble roots and unpretentious speech have endeared him to struggling Venezuelans and managed to keep together an unruly opposition coalition frequently torn apart by battling egos and strategic differences. But old fractures are re-emerging as some blame prominent activist Leopoldo Lopez, who fled house arrest to stand alongside Guaido in the uprising, for overplaying his hand. After the putsch failed, Maduro ordered Lopez's arrest and the former Caracas area mayor fled to the Spanish ambassador's residence, where he is holed up. Lopez, who was arrested in 2014, is one of Venezuela's shrewdest political operators who even while in state custody worked behind the scenes to promote Guaido's rise when few Venezuelans had even heard of his name. But he's also been dogged by criticism that he overestimates his own strength and takes ill-advised risks. When pressed, Guaido refused to criticize his mentor, noting that this was not the time to focus on personal ambitions. Guaido said he is grateful for support from the U.S., which has slapped severe oil sanctions on Venezuela and sent several planeloads of aid to bordering countries as part of a failed opposition plan to open a humanitarian corridor. With delivery of that aid unlikely for now, he said he's willing to donate some of it to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is working with the Maduro government to distribute supplies. He said sanctions aren't to blame for Venezuela's collapse, as the government contends, but are nonetheless succeeding in squeezing Maduro's ability to buy support through corruption. "Without hesitation they've called Maduro what he is: a dictator," he said of the Trump administration. But as the impasse with Maduro has dragged on, America's interest could begin to wane. Last week, Trump directly contradicted earlier statements by his own national security team that Russia has been propping up the socialist leader with military and financial support. Instead, the U.S. president said, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not "involved" and only wants "positive" things for Venezuela. Guaido downplayed Trump's comments, saying they were "just a different way of reaching out to Russia." Meanwhile, he said he was encouraged by recent comments by China's government that it would step up its work with the EU and the international community to support political dialogue. Coming from Venezuela's biggest creditor and a Maduro ally, the remarks were seen as something of an endorsement for the International Contact Group, an EU-led initiative that is seeking to promote early elections - something Maduro has steadfastly refused to consider. __ Follow Goodman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APjoshgoodman AP writers Fabiola Sanchez in Caracas, Venezuela, and Christine Armario in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this story. Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself the interim-president of Venezuela, squares his suit jacket before the start of an interview, at the Popular Will party's headquarters, in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, May 10, 2019. Guaido wants to jumpstart his movement to oust Nicolas Maduro following last week's failed military uprising. In an interview with The Associated Press, he promised to persevere in the face of a deepening crackdown by Maduro's government.(AP Photo/Martin Mejia) Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself the interim-president of Venezuela, stands near a life size cutout of the founder of the Popular Will party Leopoldo Lopez, at party headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, May 10, 2019. The 35-year-old national assembly president, who the U.S. and 50 other countries recognize as Venezuela's rightful leader, sat for an interview with The Associated Press on Friday. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself the interim-president of Venezuela, stands next to a mural that displays a quote by Leopoldo Lopez, founder of the Popular Will party, that reads in Spanish: "If my imprisonment is worth the awakening of the people, then it was worth it," at party headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, May 10, 2019. The 35-year-old national assembly president, who the U.S. and 50 other countries recognize as Venezuela's rightful leader, sat for an interview with The Associated Press at his party's headquarters on Friday. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is scoffing at Democrats' attempts to pry loose his tax returns, saying his refusal to release the records as a candidate didn't hurt him in 2016 and voters "didn't care" about the issue. A leading House Democrat has issued subpoenas for six years of Trump's tax documents and given Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig a deadline of this coming Friday to deliver them. Trump has privately made clear he has no intention of turning over the much-coveted material. He is the first president since Watergate to decline to make his returns public, often claiming that he would release them if he were not under audit. The subpoenas came from Rep. Richard Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, on Friday, days after Mnuchin refused to comply with demands to turn over Trump's returns. Mnuchin said the committee's request "lacks a legitimate legislative purpose," as Supreme Court precedent requires. Neal, D-Mass., reminded the two Trump appointees in a letter that federal law states that the IRS "shall furnish" the tax returns of any individual upon the request of the chairmen of Congress' tax-writing committees and that his committee "has never been denied" a request. Trump tweeted on Saturday that he won in 2016 "partially based on no Tax Returns while I am under audit (which I still am), and the voters didn't care. Now the Radical Left Democrats want to again relitigate this matter. Make it a part of the 2020 Election!" President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The White House and the Democratic-controlled House are battling over investigations into Trump, and the administration has refused to comply with subpoenas for the unredacted report by special counsel Robert Mueller and documents related to the testimony by former White House counsel Donald McGahn. If Mnuchin and Rettig fail to heed the latest demand from Neal, he is likely to sue in federal court. Neal, who first demanded access to Trump's tax returns in early April, maintains that the committee is looking into the effectiveness of IRS mandatory audits of tax returns of all sitting presidents - a way to justify his claim that the committee has a potential legislative purpose. Democrats are confident in their legal justification and say Trump is stalling in an attempt to delay the issue beyond the 2020 election. In rejecting Neal's request, Mnuchin said he relied on the advice of the Justice Department. He concluded that the Treasury Department is "not authorized to disclose the requested returns and return information." Mnuchin has also said that Neal's request had the potential to make private tax returns a political matter. Republicans say Neal is using the arcane 1924 law that empowers him to obtain any individual's tax filing to play politics with Trump. Democrats also want to probe into Trump's business dealings, particularly his business relationships with foreigners and to see who he owes money to. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., is joined at right by Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., at a hearing on taxpayer noncompliance on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 9, 2019. Neal issued subpoenas for six years of President Donald Trump's tax returns on Friday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) NEW YORK (AP) - A German con artist who was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison for swindling banks, hotels and wealthy New Yorkers says she's not sorry for anything she did. "The thing is, I'm not sorry," Anna Sorokin told The New York Times in a jailhouse interview Friday. "I'd be lying to you and to everyone else and to myself if I said I was sorry for anything. I regret the way I went about certain things." Prosecutors said Sorokin, a 28-year-old who was born in Russia, used a fake identity as a German heiress named Anna Delvey to scam victims out of more than $200,000. They said she defrauded financial institutions and socialites into believing she had a fortune of $67 million (60 million euros). They said her ruse included an application for a $22 million loan to fund a private arts club, complete with exhibitions, installations and pop-up shops. She was denied that loan but persuaded one bank to lend her $100,000 that she failed to repay. Sorokin was convicted last month on multiple counts of larceny and theft and has been in custody since her October 2017 arrest. Her sentencing Thursday capped a spectacular case that drew international attention and tabloid headlines. Netflix and HBO are both working on shows based on Sorokin's scams. U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has said it will seek to deport Sorokin to Germany following her release from state prison. Anna Sorokin arrives for sentencing at New York State Supreme Court, in New York, Thursday, May 9, 2019. Sorokin faces sentencing following her conviction for theft of services and grand larceny. She defrauded celebrity circles in Manhattan and financial institutions into believing she had a fortune of about $67 million overseas. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Sorokin apologized "for the mistakes I made" at her sentencing Thursday, but she struck a different tone in two interviews with the Times at the Rikers Island jail complex. She said she always intended to pay back her creditors, which included banks, two hotels and a private jet company. In an interview about a week before her sentencing, Sorokin conceded that she had falsified some bank records but said it was only because she had a big dream. She said she had wanted to start a $40 million private club, and potential investors pushed her to open it before they would put up their own money. Sorokin said she never told her wealthy friends that she had millions of dollars, they just assumed it. Sorokin did admit to the Times, "I'm not a good person." ___ Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com HOUSTON (AP) - In a story May 10 about a missing Houston girl, The Associated Press, relying on information provided by the police, misspelled the name of the man who told investigators that the girl had been abducted. His name is Derion Vence, not Darion Vence. A corrected version of the story is below: Missing girl's mother says her ex-fiance may have harmed her The mother of a missing Texas girl says through a spokesman that she believes the man who reported the 4-year-old was abducted harmed the girl. HOUSTON (AP) - The mother of a missing Texas girl said through a spokesman Friday that she believes the man who reported the 4-year-old was abducted harmed the girl. Authorities have been searching for Maleah Davis since Saturday, when Derion Vence told police she was taken by men in a pickup truck after he pulled over on a highway a week ago. Maleah's mother, Brittany Bowens, stood outside her apartment and sobbed Friday as Quanell X, a local civil rights activist, addressed reporters on her behalf. Quanell X made wide-ranging allegations against Vence, including that he had abused Maleah. He said Bowens acknowledges she should have brought the information to police earlier and now intends to. Vence and Bowens were recently in a fight and she broke off their engagement, Quanell X said. Authorities have previously described Vence as Maleah's stepfather. A Houston police spokesman declined to comment Friday. Quanell X did not respond to an email and phone message. Child Protective Services removed Maleah and her brothers from the home Vence and Bowens shared in August after the girl suffered a head wound, but the children were returned in February, according to an agency spokeswoman. Vence could not be reached for comment. A Houston homicide detective said Thursday that Vence had not spoken with investigators since last week. Vence told police Saturday that he was driving to the airport to pick up Bowens last Friday night when he pulled over to check if it had a flat tire, according to Houston police. Vence said men in a pickup truck then pulled up, knocked him out and abducted him, Maleah and his 2-year-old son before eventually allowing him and the boy to go free, police said. Vence reported this at a hospital in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land, which he said he walked to Saturday night after being in and out of consciousness for about 24 hours. Houston police, who are leading the investigation, have said they would like to speak with Vence but have not said he is a suspect or person of interest. A Sugar Land police spokesman told The Associated Press that Vence's initial account "changed several times" and "just didn't add up." NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities revealed Friday that there was an eighth victim in a mass killing last month in rural Tennessee and his head was found 25 yards from his body. Seven warrants were filed Thursday and Friday on first-degree murder charges against 25-year-old Michael Cummins, who has a criminal record and a history of court-ordered mental illness evaluation. A criminal homicide warrant was filed earlier. According to the newest affidavit, an officer was dispatched to investigate a fire and a missing resident on April 17, 10 days before the discovery of the other bodies. The officer found Jim Dunn's headless body about 75 yards away from a burned cabin. His head was about 25 yards away from his body, it says. Cummins was later seen with a rifle that looked like one of Dunn's that had gone missing, and on April 27, authorities discovered Dunn's missing rifle at a home where six of the bodies were found, including Cummins' parents, it says. Footprints in blood found inside that home matched a pair of girl's shoes that Cummins admitted to wearing and leaving at his uncle's trailer, the affidavit says. The eight victims died from blunt force head injuries, the affidavit states. The youngest was a 12-year-old girl. This Friday, May 10, 2019, photo provided by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows Michael Cummins. Cummins, 25, has been charged in connection to the murder of at least seven people at two different locations in Sumner County, Tenn., on April 27. Cummins was charged May 10 after being released from a hospital. Cummins was shot during his arrest. (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation via AP) Another person was injured but alive. Cummins is charged with criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder in that case. Once the bodies were found, Cummins fled into the woods the night of April 27, and was shot and wounded by law enforcement officers after brandishing a hatchet, another affidavit says. He also had stolen the car belonging to one of the victims and abandoned it in a creek bed, according to court records. Cummins was arrested and hospitalized. He was released from the hospital Friday and charged. He is being held in the Tennessee Department of Corrections Special Needs Unit, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. He had been within days of being arrested for probation violations when the bodies were discovered April 27 at two of the Sumner County homes. Cummins, 25, had been on probation after serving just 16 months of a 10-year sentence for attempting to burn down a neighbor's house in September 2017 and assaulting her when she tried to put out the fire. He was released on probation in January, but his probation officer had been preparing an arrest warrant for probation violations, Sumner District Attorney Ray Whitley has said. Cummins violated a no-contact order with the neighbor whose home he tried to burn and failed to get a required mental health evaluation, a previous affidavit says. Cummins faced a string of charges beginning in February 2017 with the theft of a neighbor's turkey and game camera, court records show. In April, he was sentenced to probation and ordered to seek mental health treatment, but less than a month later he assaulted his grandmother while stealing his mother's purse, the records show. Back in court in August, he was again given probation and this time ordered to attend domestic violence classes. It was just the next month that he tried to burn down his neighbor's mobile home by stuffing garbage between the insulation and the floorboards and setting it on fire. SAN DIEGO (AP) - The Marine Corps says a 24-year-old platoon commander from the nation's capital has died after being injured in a rollover accident involving a light armored vehicle during training at Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego. Officials on Friday said 1st Lt. Hugh C. McDowell from Washington, D.C., died Thursday morning. Six other Marines were taken to a local hospital with injuries, but none was serious. Officials are investigating. McDowell joined the Marine Corps in May 2017. His awards include the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. The Marine Corps said it was a "tragic accident and we are heartbroken at the loss of a member of our Marine Corps family." BUENA VISTA, Va. (AP) - Authorities say an explosion at a Virginia gas station has left two people dead and four people injured. According to The Roanoke Times , Rockbridge County Fire and EMS Chief Nathan Ramsey said the two bodies were found in the rubble of the South River Market several miles north of Buena Vista. Their names hadn't been released as of Friday evening. Virginia State Police say the explosion occurred Friday around 9:50 a.m. Spokesman Sgt. Rick Garletts said the explosion doesn't appear to be suspicious, and added that the Rockbridge County Sheriff's Office has asked the state police to investigate. Garletts said police and fire crews had been working to account for those who may have been located in the building at the time of the explosion. ___ Information from: The Roanoke Times, http://www.roanoke.com DOWNEY, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on a car chase that ended with a shootout (all times local): 6:45 p.m. Police say a man wounded in a car chase shootout in Southern California is suspected of killing a liquor store owner days earlier. The man was dragged unmoving from the car on Friday afternoon after a chase that began in Downey. The Toyota Prius sped through streets near Los Angeles. At one point, the passenger leaned out of a window and shot at police. The car finally became trapped in traffic in nearby Vernon, where the man again opened fire and police riddled the car with bullets. A bloodied woman driver then surrendered but it took more than an hour before the man was seized. In this photo from video provided by FOX11 Los Angeles shows a man leaning out the window of a moving car, shooting at pursuing police vehicles during a wild car chase in the Los Angeles area Friday afternoon, May 10, 2019. The car finally came to a halt in the Los Angeles suburb of Vernon, where the woman driver, who had blood on her shirt, surrendered. The gunman remained inside the car. (FOX11 Los Angeles via AP) There's no word on his condition. Police say he's suspected of killing a Downey liquor store owner on Tuesday. There's no word on a motive. ___ 4:50 p.m. Authorities have pulled a motionless man from a car after an hour-long standoff following a chase and rolling shootout near Los Angeles. There's no word on his condition. An ambulance took the man to a hospital. The chase began about 3 p.m. in Downey. The Toyota Prius led police on a wild chase by freeway and surface street during which a passenger leaned halfway out of a window and blasted away at pursuers with a handgun. The gun was similar to one used to kill a liquor store clerk in Downey on Tuesday. The car finally was blocked by traffic on a street in nearby Vernon, where police riddled it with bullets. A bloodied woman driver then got out and surrendered. More than an hour later, sheriff's SWAT team deputies dragged the man from the car after first using a robot, flash-bang grenades and a dog. ___ 4:25 p.m. A standoff continues near Los Angeles after a car chase ended with a rolling shootout with pursuing police. The Toyota Prius led Downey police on a wild chase by freeway and surface street Friday afternoon. At one point, a passenger leaned out of a passenger window and fired at pursuers. The car finally was blocked in by traffic on a street, where police riddled it with bullets. A bloodied woman driver then got out and surrendered. The gunman remained inside the car. Los Angeles County sheriff's SWAT teams were called in and boxed in the car with armored vehicles before sending a robot to look through the open driver's door. There's no word on the suspect's condition. Video showed the passenger firing a long-barreled revolver. It appeared similar to a gun used to kill a liquor store owner on Tuesday in Downey. Details of what sparked the chase weren't immediately released. ___ 3:11 p.m. A wild car chase in the Los Angeles area has ended after a rolling shootout between a passenger and pursuing officers. Authorities chased the Toyota Prius Friday afternoon. The car sped through traffic, and at one point a man leaned out of a passenger window and shot at pursuers. The car finally came to a halt in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey, where the woman driver, who had blood on her shirt, surrendered. However, the passenger remains in the car. It's not immediately clear whether he was hit by gunfire because officers haven't approached the car. There was no immediate report on how the chase began. Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is a hotbed of organic molecules, harboring a soup of complex hydrocarbons similar to that thought to have existed over four billion years ago on the primordial Earth. Titan's surface, however, is in a deep freeze at -179 degrees Celsius (-290 degrees Fahrenheit, or 94 kelvin). Life as we know it cannot exist on the moon's frigid surface. Deep underground, however, is a different matter. Gravity measurements made during fly-bys by NASA's Cassini spacecraft revealed that Titan contains an ocean beneath its ice shell, and within this ocean, conditions are potentially suitable for life. An NAI-funded team led by researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is seeking to better understand the potential for life in Titan's ocean, and its possible relationship with the organic molecules in the moon's atmosphere and on its surface. Titan's rich diversity of organic molecules is a product of ultraviolet light from the Sun initiating chemical reactions with the dominant gases in Titan's atmosphere - hydrogen, methane and nitrogen. The resulting complex hydrocarbons could be the building blocks of life, or provide chemical nutrients for life, and within its ocean Titan harbors a potential habitat for that life. Led by JPL's Rosaly Lopes, the NAI team's four key objectives are to determine how these organic molecules are transported between the atmosphere, the surface and the ocean, what processes then occur within the ocean to make it habitable, what biosignatures the ocean life then produces, and finally how those biosignatures are then transported back to the surface, where they could be detected. Project Planning The project, which has been funded by the NAI for five years until April 2023, is organized around the pathways that organic molecules and biosignatures take through the atmosphere and the ice shell surrounding the ocean. The team currently has 30 members spread across a number of institutions. "Under each objective we have several investigations, and each investigation has a lead investigator," says Lopes. Each investigation works to a schedule, so that results produced by investigations into the first objective - the transport of organic molecules - can feed into studies in the subsequent objectives. "Our science is following the organic molecules on their path from the top of the atmosphere where they get constructed, down through the crust and into the ocean, and if there's biology happening down there, how those organics work their way back up to the surface and become visible," says geochemist and Deputy Principal Investigator on the project, Mike Malaska of JPL. Objective 1: Transport Initial science results from the project have come from Conor Nixon and his team at NASA Goddard, who have used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile to study the chemical content of Titan's atmosphere. Knowing exactly what molecular species are found in the atmosphere allows researchers to build a comprehensive photochemical model of the atmosphere that lays the groundwork for understanding what organics are able to reach the surface and potentially enter the ocean. Much of our knowledge of Titan's atmosphere comes from the Cassini spacecraft, specifically the CIRS infrared spectrometer instrument. However, says Nixon, some molecular species were too faint in infrared to be detected by CIRS, but they are much brighter to ALMA. In particular, Nixon cites several cyanide molecules, CH3, C2H3CN and C2H5CN, which are key nitrogen-containing molecules in Titan's atmosphere that ALMA was able to detect. Meanwhile, there are many more molecular species that have been detected by both Cassini and ALMA. The latter has detected spatial variations in trace organic gases created through the break up of methane and molecular nitrogen by solar ultraviolet light. As these trace gases drift through the atmosphere towards the surface, they can react with other organic molecules to form ever more complex organics. The observed spatial variation may therefore impact on the abundance and types of organics on the surface, and which organics are close to pathways into the sub-surface. Cassini observed Titan for half a Saturnian year, from northern winter to northern summer; now that the Cassini mission has ended, ALMA will be able to observe how the atmosphere changes over the remainder of Saturn and Titan's year - and how the abundance of organic molecules changes with it. For example, analysis of Cassini data by the NAI team has found seasonal variations in the C3Hx hydrocarbons such as propane and propyne in Titan's stratosphere. The remaining investigations as part of Objective 1 involve understanding how molecules are transported across the surface after they have precipitated out of the atmosphere, which is a task being led by Alex Hayes' group at Cornell University. The next step is to understand how the organics are modified at the surface, and then how they are moved from the surface to the ocean. This latter query has yielded a surprising possibility. One of the main results from the project so far is a paper by Kelly Miller, Hunter Waite and NAI team-member Christopher Glein of the Southwest Research Institute in Texas, which proposes that Titan's nitrogen atmosphere originates from organic molecules that were trapped inside Titan when the moon formed, and the subsequent heating of these gases released nitrogen that seeped up to the surface. For the purpose of the NAI project, it suggests that there are already organics inside Titan that could enter into the ocean from below, so even if organics cannot reach the ocean from the surface, the ocean could still contain life's building blocks. "These organics may actually be able to percolate up through cryovolcanism," says Lopes, creating a possible origin too for some of the organics on Titan's surface. Objective 2: Habitability If pathways exist for organics to pass through the ice shell from the surface to the ocean below, then the next step is to figure out whether the ocean, or anywhere in the ice on the journey to the ocean, is potentially habitable. This is where the biologists on the team, studying high-pressure, cold-tolerant organisms, come into play. Before that can be done, more needs to be known about the ocean. Although Cassini confirmed that the ocean exists via gravity measurements, "What we don't know is the exact composition of the ocean, its density, its thermal profile, the overall structure of the icy crust on top of it," says Malaska. To better understand the ocean and its potentially habitability, researchers on the team start off with several possible compositions that could reasonably be expected to exist, and work backwards, developing theoretical models. Although it may be impossible to ever directly explore the deep subsurface or ocean of Titan, the NAI team intend to use both theoretical modeling and laboratory experiments to simulate the possible conditions, to better understand the interface between the ice shell and the ocean, and the ocean with the rocky core, and the flow of oxidants and reductants at these interfaces that could support microbes. Objective 3: Life For life to be able to exist in or near Titan's ocean, there must be a source of chemical energy to metabolize. Building on the work done in Objectives 1 and 2 relating to what organics reach the ocean and what the environment of the ocean is like, the team will then be able to construct theoretical models of how much energy is available in the ocean, as well as possible metabolisms that could exist in those conditions, to gauge the likelihood that life could survive there. Assuming the ocean is habitable, with sources of chemical energy and a healthy supply of organics, the high pressure and low temperature environment may constrain the variety of lifeforms that could exist there. However, one terrestrial organism that the team are considering as a suitable example is Pelobacter acetylenicus, which can survive on acetylene as its only source of metabolic energy and carbon. "Our goal is to think of Pelobacter acetylenicus as the model organism, something that could exist in the deep sub-surface on Titan," says Malaska. Laboratory experiments will be conducted, placing microbes such as Pelobacter acetylenicus in simulated environments described by the aforementioned theoretical modeling to see if the microbes can thrive in them, to learn how they adapt in order to survive, and what new types of biomolecules might result from these adaptations. These biomolecules may then leave behind biosignatures - molecular traces of life. However, while the possible existence of life in the ocean of Titan is all well and good, we also need to be able to detect that life via biosignatures. Understanding what biomarkers life could leave is therefore the second part of Objective 3, and a database of potential biosignatures will be produced, including isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, as well as biological structures such as the lipids in cell membranes. Objective 4: Detection Of course, if the biosignatures remain in the ocean, they will be impossible to detect from orbit or on the surface. Therefore, the final objective is to seek means by which those biosignatures can be transported to the surface - the inverse of the part of Objective 1 that explored ways that organics could reach the ocean from the surface. The principal means of transport are likely to be either convective (i.e. warmer, slushy) ice rising upwards, or perhaps cryovolcanism. "Methane in the atmosphere is destroyed by ultraviolet light, so there has to be some replenishment," points out Lopes. "And there may still be outgassing happening." Although no active cryovolcanism has been detected on Titan yet, several features on the surface have been identified as potentially cryovolcanic. "We're already studying theoretical ways that cryovolcanism can transport material," says Lopes, in anticipation for when the results of objective 3 are available. The transport to the surface could also create habitable environments along the way. When Mike Malaska refers to the deep subsurface, he's not just meaning the ocean, but reservoirs that could also exist in pockets along the pathways that organic material takes in and out of the ice shell. In particular, he says, between 7 and 30 kilometers beneath the surface, at the boundary between the stiff, brittle ice and the more ductile, softer ice, where temperatures and pressures would be somewhat similar to 2 or 3 kilometers beneath Antarctica, there could exist tiny spaces in between the ice grains of the ice shell where microbes such as Pelobacter acetylenicus could thrive. Being closer to the surface than the ice shell could also mean that the resulting biomarkers from these pockets of subsurface life could reach the surface more easily. It also raises the question of how biosignatures could be chemically altered as they rise through the pathways in the ice shell, encountering different environments - liquid water, slushy ice, and solid ice - which would then impact upon what we could expect to detect on the surface. Finally, once they do reach the surface, how will future missions to Titan detect these biomarkers? The ultimate goal of the investigation is to paint a picture of a potential biosphere on Titan, so that scientists know what to look for, and what to design instruments to detect, when we do return to Titan. "This is our big objective, to try and evaluate Titan as a potentially habitable system," says Malaska. "We're going to create a list of potential biomarkers and try and indicate where on the surface might be a good place to look for them." Written by: Keith Cooper Source; NASA Astrobiology Institute Please follow Astrobiology on Twitter. HOUSTON (AP) - The U.S. Border Patrol said Friday that it plans to open a second tent facility to detain migrants in South Texas next to one it opened last week. In a statement, the agency said the 500-person tent it opened in Donna, Texas, is already beyond capacity. The statement cited the large numbers of migrant parents and children crossing into the United States, many of them asylum seekers from Central America. Photos released by the Border Patrol show dozens of migrants sitting or lying on the grass outside a small, military-style tent with only Mylar sheets underneath them. Another photo inside a tent shows adults and children huddled underneath the shiny sheets. The agency said it's also detaining migrants in the secure entryways, or sally ports, of some of its stations. President Donald Trump's administration and immigration agencies argue they are facing a crisis. They have called for $4.5 billion in funding and for Congress to change laws that would allow agencies to detain migrant families longer and deport them more quickly. Immigration advocates have accused the Trump administration of wrongly depicting border crossings as a crisis and have called on the U.S. government not to detain asylum seekers. Unauthorized border crossings have surged since the start of this year. The Border Patrol said it made 98,977 apprehensions for crossing illegally in April, including 58,474 adults and children traveling together, encountering more than 100,000 people overall. In the Rio Grande Valley, the southernmost part of Texas, agents apprehend about 1,600 people daily. Border Patrol currently has more than 8,000 people detained in the sector, more than double its current capacity including the tent in Donna. Rodolfo Karisch, chief patrol agent for the Rio Grande Valley, said in the statement that the agency's resources "are beyond a breaking point and has put border security at risk." John-Michael Torres, a spokesman for the group La Union Del Pueblo Entero, said last week when the first tents opened in Donna and El Paso, Texas, that Trump was "using children and other vulnerable people to manufacture a crisis at the southern border." "The president cannot detain away the real humanitarian need of parents seeking safe ground and a future for their children," Torres said. LOS ANGELES (AP) - Actress Constance Wu appeared to be unhappy her ABC sitcom "Fresh Off The Boat" was renewed Friday for a sixth season. Wu wrote, "No, it's not," in a since-deleted tweet responding to a fan who called the renewal "great news." In tweets moments before, Wu said she was "so upset right now I'm literally crying." Wu backtracked with another series of tweets, saying her earlier comments were on the heels of a rough day and "ill timed." She added that she was "grateful" for the renewal. An ABC spokesman declined comment, and a Wu representative didn't immediately respond to an email. Wu saw her stardom soar in the last year with her lead role in "Crazy Rich Asians," a major hit that got her a Golden Globe nomination. RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - A few thousand people gathered in the center of Rio de Janeiro Friday to protest against stiff budget cuts imposed by the administration of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro to Brazil's public education sector. Small protests have multiplied in recent days after the Education Ministry announced large budget cuts impacting all sectors of education from early childhood to post-graduate students. Officials say it is part of a wider mandatory effort from all ministries to slash public spending. Universities were hit by a 30% cut of their discretionary expenses, which includes among other things maintenance work and the payment of basic utilities, and future scholarships for master's and PhD students were suspended. The cuts triggered widespread criticism from worried university staff and education experts. Protesters were joined by Fernando Haddad, who ran in the last presidential race backed by the Workers' Party. Haddad was expected to speak at the event later Friday. Students and teachers protest against cuts in Brazil's public education sector at Cinelandia square, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, May 10, 2019. In recent weeks, Brazil's Education Ministry has unveiled a series of budget cuts impacting all sectors of education from early childhood to post-graduate students. (AP Photo/Ricardo Borges) Since his defeat, the former presidential candidate has rarely been seen participating in protests. Fernando Haddad, who ran in the last presidential race backed by the Workers' Party, left, reads a sign held by a girl that reads "The book is our shield and gun of our intelligence," during a protest against cuts in Brazil's public education sector at Cinelandia square, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Ricardo Borges) Fernando Haddad, who ran in the last presidential race backed by the Workers' Party, right, greets supporters during a protest against cuts in Brazil's public education sector at Cinelandia square, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, May 10, 2019. Students and teachers gathered in the city's center Friday, taking a stand against the administration of fair-right President Jair Bolsonaro. (AP Photo/Ricardo Borges) NEW YORK (AP) - A New York judge should order a former CIA employee removed from solitary confinement because it was unconstitutionally imposed and hurts his chance at a fair trial, defense lawyers say. Assistant Federal Defender Sabrina Shroff and three other defense lawyers made the arguments on behalf of Joshua Adam Schulte in papers signed by Shroff on Thursday and filed publicly late Friday in Manhattan federal court. Schulte is awaiting trial on charges he leaked classified information that was disclosed publicly by WikiLeaks in March 2017. The New York City man has also been charged with leaking classified national defense materials while incarcerated. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges pertaining to the leak of classified materials, along with child pornography crimes he was alleged to have committed. Schulte, who has been in the most restrictive detention conditions since October, is being punished by the government, Shroff wrote. The defense lawyers cited studies showing that anxiety and panic are common side effects and sometimes mirror the effects of torture by resulting in depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, hallucinations, paranoia, claustrophobia and suicide. In the submission, the lawyers included an Oct. 26 letter in which the acting director of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons said special conditions of incarceration were placed on Schulte in part because he repeatedly violated court orders meant to protect national security and ongoing investigations. The official, Hugh Hurwitz, said that while incarcerated, Schulte had made at least three unauthorized disclosures of classified information, including releasing the identities of current CIA officers, some of whom are undercover. Hurwitz also cited a handwritten 138-page bail application that was briefly posted publicly last June before defense lawyers and prosecutors complained and got it sealed. The official said a subsequent classification review determined that the motion contained classified information. Hurwitz also said Schulte had sent a copy of his handwritten bail application to a Texas attorney and Schulte's parents and had arranged for at least two cellphones to be smuggled into the Metropolitan Correction Center so he and another inmate could use them. In the written submission, Shroff disputed Hurwitz's claims. She said the bail application was not made public by her client. Shroff said the record does not support claims that Schulte disclosed classified information or that he identified undercover officers. "Rather, he was careful not to disclose potentially classified information. He began the call by confirming that he would not discuss any classified information, and when asked for first names of certain individuals at the CIA, Mr. Schulte did not provide their names," she wrote. A spokesman for prosecutors said the government had no comment. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - The principal of a Florida school where 17 people were fatally shot last year is resigning. The Sun Sentinel reports that Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School principal Ty Thompson announced Friday that he will step down at the end of the school year. He cited his health and family as reasons for leaving. Thompson was principal in February 2018 when authorities say a former student opened fire at the school. He was added to a school district investigation in March, when his responsibilities were reassigned to other administrators. Three assistant principals were transferred to other jobs in November while the district investigated their roles in the shooting. Thompson was not on campus when the shooting happened. A state panel investigating the shooting criticized Thompson in December for not being informed on how his administration handled student threats. ___ Information from: Sun Sentinel , http://www.sun-sentinel.com/ SEATTLE (AP) - One person died and two others were injured in a Friday shooting in Seattle, authorities said. Seattle Police Detective Patrick Michaud told reporters that gunfire erupted in the Central District neighborhood about 3 p.m. As police were responding to the shooting call, they got word that a vehicle had dropped off gunshot victims at a hospital. KOMO reports the hospital, Swedish Cherry Hill, said five people arrived in a vehicle, one dead and two with serious injuries. The two others fled the scene. The two injured victims, men ages 20 and 46, were taken to a different hospital and were both listed in satisfactory condition. Police were searching for suspects. Seattle police investigate the scene of a shooting at 21st Avenue and Union Street on Friday afternoon, May 10, 2019. In a tweet, the department said there were multiple victims from the shooting Friday afternoon in the Central District. The suspects reportedly fled the scene. (Neal Morton/The Seattle Times via AP) Chang Sunwoo, the owner of Union Teriyaki and Market near the site of the shooting, told The Seattle Times that he was inside his shop when he said he heard what sounded like 15 to 20 gun shots. "I thought it was a firecracker, so I checked outside," he told the Times. Craig Owenby said he was in his apartment when he heard a large volley of gunshots, maybe 20 to 30. He said he looked outside and saw a black car driving south with both doors open. "I heard some guys yelling for help and that's when I called 911," he told the newspaper. Police investigate a shooting Friday May 10, 2019, in Seattle. Chang Sunwoo, the owner of Union Teriyaki and Market near the site of the shooting, told the Seattle Times that he was inside his shop when he said he heard what sounded like 15 to 20 gun shots. (Bettina Hansen/The Seattle Times via AP) UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The final preparatory meeting for next year's review of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty ended Friday with deep divisions, and U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood said reaching agreement at the 2020 conference "will be an incredibly difficult task." But he told the closing session of the two-week preparatory conference that "it is a task we cannot abandon." The NPT is the world's single most important pact on nuclear arms, credited with preventing their spread to dozens of nations since entering into force in 1970. It has succeeded in doing this via a grand global bargain: Nations without nuclear weapons committed not to acquire them; those with them committed to move toward their elimination; and all endorsed everyone's right to develop peaceful nuclear energy. Treaty members - every nation but India, Pakistan and North Korea who possess nuclear weapons, and Israel which is believed to be a nuclear power but has never acknowledged it - gather every five years to review how it's working. They try to agree on new approaches to problems, not by updating the treaty which is difficult, but by trying to adopt a consensus final document calling for steps outside the treaty to advance its goals. Ambassador Syed Hasrin Syed Hussin, chair of the third preparatory conference, told a news conference Friday that delegates "do not agree on everything but remain committed to full implementation" of the NPT, and talked about "how to accelerate measures to a nuclear-free world." Citing "significant challenges," he noted that the meeting took place "at a time of increasing international tension and deteriorating relationships between those countries that possess nuclear weapons" - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France. Hussin, who is Malaysia's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, also singled out differences between nuclear weapon and non-nuclear weapon states on disarmament. Iranian delegate Bahram Shahaboddin said in a closing statement that non-nuclear weapon states "are completely frustrated by the 50-year lack of progress on nuclear disarmament," and continuing delaying tactics by the nuclear powers. "We must not allow this to happen again. In 2020, we must say loud and clear enough is enough," he said, singling out the United States for spending $1.2 trillion on its nuclear arsenal and "brazenly" threatening non-nuclear weapon states with nuclear weapons. Hussin said delegates did agree on the agenda, procedures and president of the review conference - Argentina's Ambassador to Austria Rafael Grossi - so in 2020 they can concentrate on substance. Delegates to the preparatory conference rejected two sets of recommendations for the review conference so Hussin issued a final document called "reflections of the chair." It says "there remain many more points of convergence in the views of states parties than there are divergences." He stressed that "continued geopolitical challenges" underline the need to maintain the NPT as the cornerstone of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. But he said: "There remain differing views on the implementation of the disarmament pillar, and these views need to be reconciled for there to be considered a balance as a whole" with the other pillars on nonproliferation and nuclear energy. Rebecca Johnson, a security analyst and founding president of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons which won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, said: "The real questions for 2020 are going to be about the nuclear risks and treaties under threat from a few narcissistic leaders who are pulling out of them in order to keep proliferating and deploying nuclear weapons." "Their dangerous actions undermine not only the NPT ... which we need to protect humanity from nuclear war, but climate catastrophes that threaten security for all of us," she told AP. HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. At least one lawmaker was taken from the chamber on a gurney after apparently fainting during the morning melee, in which legislators pushed and shoved each other on the floor, amid seats and tables and in an adjoining hallway. The amendments have been widely criticized as eroding the semi-autonomous Chinese territory's judicial independence by making it easier to send criminal suspects to mainland China, where they could face vague national security charges and unfair trials. Under the "one country, two systems" framework, Hong Kong was guaranteed the right to retain its own social, legal and political systems for 50 years following its handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997. However, China's ruling Communist Party has been seen as increasingly reneging on that agreement by forcing through unpopular legal changes. Legislators in the pro-Beijing camp attempted to seat Abraham Razack, also known as Abraham Shek, who had been named earlier in the week through another committee and a contested interpretation of council rules to replace pro-democrat James To Kun-sun as head of the Bills Committee. To had stalled passage of the legislation over two sessions and Razack was seen as the best chance to push it through before the July recess. However, pro-democracy legislators continued to claim James To is the legitimate chief of the committee guiding discussion of the proposed new law. Both they and their opponents had scheduled rival meetings on the same topic in the same Legislative Council meeting room on Saturday, starting just 30 minutes apart. Pro-democracy lawmaker Wu Chi-wai, center, scuffles with security guards at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) The two rival committees both claimed to be in charge of the same process of scrutinizing the new law before deciding on whether to vote on it. At one point, Wu Chi-wai, the Democratic Party chairman who tried to stop Shek from presiding over the meeting, shouted at him, saying "Don't be a sinner for a athousand years! Don't sell out Hong Kong." The legislator removed by paramedics was identified as Gary Fan Kwok-wai of Neo Democrats. The amendments expand the scope for the transfer of criminal suspects to China and remove the legislature's right to scrutinize individual extradition decisions filed by Hong Kong's chief executive. They could also open the way for further measures to erode Hong Kong's civil liberties, including the passage of anti-subversion legislation that has been strongly opposed by many. Saturday's legislative scuffle came weeks after a Hong Kong court handed down prison sentences of up to 16 months to eight leaders of massive 2014 pro-democracy protests on public nuisance charges. The harsh sentences were seen as an effort by the Hong Kong government to draw a line under the protests amid pressure from Beijing. Tens of thousands of people marched against the extradition law amendments in Hong Kong last month and numerous legal, professional and human rights organizations have voiced their opposition. They warn the amendments would undermine not just Hong Kong's legal independence but also its attractiveness as a center for international business. Hong Kong's Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung said Friday the government would "further explain the proposed fugitive law change to the public," according to the government's press office. "Some citizens and overseas organizations might have misunderstandings about the proposed law amendments," Cheung said. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has said the amendments must be passed to close a "loophole" under which the government has been unable to extradite a Hong Kong man, Chan Tong-kai, accused of killing his girlfriend in Taiwan last year. Lam was chosen in 2017 from among a slate of candidates approved by Beijing and elected by a 1,200-member pro-China electoral body. However, self-governing Taiwan has firmly ruled out signing any extradition agreement with Hong Kong unless it is treated as an equal, a condition Beijing, which claims the island as its own territory, is certain to reject. That would appear to undermine one of the government's major justifications for the amendments. Taiwanese officials have also warned that Taiwanese detained in Hong Kong could be sent to China for their political activities if the amendments are passed. A Taiwanese activist, Lee Ming-che, is currently serving a five-year sentence in China after being convicted by a Chinese court in November 2017 on charges of subverting state power for holding online political lectures and helping the families of jailed Chinese dissidents. Lee disappeared into the custody of the security services in March 2017 after crossing into China from Macau to meet with a friend. His arrest was seen as a sign the ruling party intends to extend its intolerance of criticism even outside its borders. The Hong Kong government will continue to liaise with Taiwan over the homicide case, Cheung said. Pro-democracy and pro-Beijing lawmakers scuffle in the chamber at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Pro-democracy and pro-Beijing lawmakers scuffle in the chamber at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu scuffles with pro-Beijing lawmakers at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Pro-democracy and pro-Beijing lawmakers scuffle in the chamber at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Pro-democracy and pro-Beijing lawmakers scuffle in the chamber at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Pro-Beijing lawmaker Shek Lai-him, third from left, is accompanied by pro- Beijing lawmakers at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Pro-Beijing lawmaker Ben Chan, second from left, reacts during a controversial amendments meeting at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Pro-Beijing lawmaker Shek Lai-him, center, is escorted by pro-Beijing lawmakers at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Pro-Beijing lawmaker Shek Lai-him, center, is surrounded by both pro-democracy and pro-Beijing lawmakers at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Pro-Beijing lawmaker Shek Lai-him, center, is surrounded by both pro-democracy and pro Beijing lawmakers during a controversial amendments meeting at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu, center top, scuffles with pro-Beijing lawmakers at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Pro-Beijing lawmaker Shek Lai-him, center, is escorted after a clash in the chamber at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Pro-Beijing lawmaker Shek Lai-him, center, is escorted after a clash in the chamber at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) A placard is displayed as pro-democracy lawmakers attend a meeting against a controversial amendments at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Pro-democracy lawmaker Gary Fan Kwok-wai lies on the floor after a clash with pro-Beijing lawmakers in the chamber at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Pro-democracy and pro-Beijing lawmakers scuffle in the chamber at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho argues with spectators in the chamber at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Pro-Beijing lawmakers including Shek Lai-him, center, talks during a controversial amendments meeting at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Pro-democracy lawmaker Gary Fan Kwok-wai is taken for medical treatment after being injured in a clash in the chamber at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Pro-democracy lawmaker Wu Chi-wai, center, scuffles with security guards at Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Hong Kong's legislative assembly descended into chaos Saturday as lawmakers for and against controversial amendments to the territory's extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) HONG KONG (AP) - A case of African swine fever has been detected in a Hong Kong slaughterhouse, prompting the culling of all 6,000 pigs at the facility. Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan said in a statement Friday that the incurable virus was found in a single pig imported from a farm in Guangdong province in mainland China, where the monthslong outbreak has devastated herds. Pork is China's staple meat and its price and availability is considered a matter of national concern. Shortfalls in supply have increased demand for pork from producers in the U.S., with whom China is locked in an increasingly acrimonious tariff battle. Chan said the culling was necessary so that "thorough cleansing and also disinfection could be conducted." Operations at the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse would be suspended until the disinfection work is completed, she said. "We will enhance the surveillance and also testing of pigs, and currently we collect samples from pigs with ASF symptoms for testing, and in the future we will step up the sampling of other pigs for testing," Chan said. She said the territory's fresh pork supply would be reduced in the near future but there would still be a limited supply of live pigs available from another slaughterhouse. Unlike swine flu, African swine fever cannot be transmitted to humans and Chan said well-cooked pork is safe for consumption. Concerns about the spread of Africa swine fever to the U.S. recently led organizers to cancel the World Pork Expo scheduled for June in the state of Iowa. Denmark, meanwhile, has begun erecting a 70-kilometer (43.4-mile) fence along the German border to keep out wild boars in an attempt to prevent the spread of African swine fever, which could jeopardize the country's valuable pork industry. Russia has also been hit hard by African swine fever and some have speculated the Chinese outbreak may have originated among pigs from that country. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A state report says that safety doors in a Sumatran tiger's enclosure at a Kansas zoo were left unlocked before the animal attacked and injured a veteran zookeeper. The report released Friday by the Kansas Department of Labor agreed with the Topeka Zoo's assessment that no equipment failure or other problem with the enclosure led to the April 20 attack. Zookeeper Kristyn Hayden-Ortega was hospitalized after suffering puncture wounds and lacerations to her head, neck and back. Hayden-Ortega had gone into the outdoor area of the tiger's enclosure to clean it. The animal was supposed to be in an indoor area, behind two doors. The report says the doors "had been locked in the open position." The report said the zoo is now requiring that two employees check the doors. WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. and China have gone through rough patches before. The American public recoiled - and the U.S. government imposed sanctions - after the People's Liberation Army slaughtered hundreds of civilians in the streets of Beijing in June 1989, crushing the Tiananmen Square protests. Ordinary Chinese were outraged 10 years later when the Americans bombed China's embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, rejecting the U.S. insistence that it was an accident. And tensions crackled when China detained an American Navy flight crew following the midair collision of a U.S. spy plane and a Chinese fighter in 2001. But U.S.-Chinese relations may be testing a new low. "The United States and China are on a collision course," the Asia Society concluded in an assessment of the two countries' relations in February. "The foundations of goodwill that took decades to build are rapidly breaking down." In this Feb. 24, 2017, photo, a factory worker assembles the case of an air conditioner on an assembly line at a Haier factory in Jiaozhou near Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong Province. U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff hike on Chinese goods took effect Friday, May 10, 2019, and Beijing said it would retaliate, escalating a battle over China's technology ambitions and other trade tensions. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Likewise, Michael Swaine of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace declared in January that "the U.S.-China relationship is confronting its most daunting challenge in the 40 years since the normalization of relations. Current trends portend steadily worsening relations over the long haul." The world's two biggest economies are engaged in the bitterest trade war since the 1930s. President Donald Trump more than doubled import taxes on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods Friday - the same day that U.S. and Chinese negotiators ended their 11th round of trade talks without reaching an agreement. After the Chinese left town, the U.S. announced plans to target the $300 billion in Chinese goods that don't already face tariffs. But the widening divide between Washington and Beijing goes beyond trade. China is engaging in a massive military buildup. It is flexing its maritime muscle, claiming ownership of the South China Sea and disregarding the territorial claims of its neighbors and a 2016 ruling by the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea. It is cracking down on political dissent in its ostensibly autonomous region of Hong Kong. And it is turning up pressure on Taiwan, an island that enjoys de facto political independence but which Beijing views as a renegade province that must one day reunite with the motherland. Under President Xi Jinping, who took office in 2012, the Communist Party has grown increasingly repressive. In the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in western China, it has detained up to 2 million minority Muslims and forced them to undergo reeducation. Xi himself has overturned a four-decade tradition of collective leadership in Beijing and essentially established himself as president for life. "With the large number of issues we have with China, I wouldn't rank the trade issues so high," said David Dollar, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former official at the World Bank and U.S. Treasury. "And I'm an economist." The developments are a bracing rebuke to the optimists in America who assumed that China's 2001 entry into the World Trade Organization would lead Beijing to embrace economic and perhaps political openness, that China would become more like world's industrialized democracies. "Many countries, the U.S. being one of the prime players, gave China pretty much a bye for a number of years during the honeymoon period right after its entrance in the WTO," said Michael Wessel, a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a congressionally appointed watchdog. The financial crisis and ensuing 2007-2009 Great Recession helped change the way the countries viewed themselves and each other. Suddenly, the United States looked less like the world's invincible lone superpower and more like a deeply divided nation that had to struggle to meet the challenge of the deepest economic downturn in seven decades. China's response was sharp contrast: It quickly enacted a massive stimulus campaign that super-charged economic growth and helped pull the entire world economy out of the ditch. Newly confident, China began to expand its ambitions. After Xi took office, Beijing announced an initiative called Made in China 2025 designed to make Chinese companies world leaders in advanced fields like robotics and artificial intelligence. But the U.S. says China is trying to meet its aspirations by cheating - stealing trade secrets, forcing foreign companies to hand over technology, subsidizing its own firms and burying in red tape foreign competitors that want to compete in the Chinese market. Those allegations are at the heart of the yearlong trade dispute that has rattled financial markets and cast a cloud over the prospects for world economic growth. In the ongoing trade talks, the U.S. is insisting that China change its ways and agree to let the United States check and enforce compliance. Andrew Nathan, a China specialist at Columbia University, said the Chinese would be perfectly willing to buy more American products and put a dent in America's trade deficit with China, a record $379 billion last year. But abandoning their grander economic vision is another matter. China's chief envoy to this week's talks, Vice Premier Liu He, told reporters before leaving Washington that "we will make no concessions on matters of principle." Chinese state TV quoted Liu as saying there was consensus in many areas and the differences were "crucial ones." But he also said he believed the two countries would manage to cooperate for the sake of all. "For the Chinese, the bottom line is, they can accept no effective limitation on their race to the technological summit," Nathan said. "If you want them to bury the Made in China 2025 program, they will never stop that program, but they can stop talking about it. If you want them to stop the PLA from industrial espionage, they can make the PLA do it more secretly. ... If you want them to stop 'coerced technology transfer,' they can change the language of the relevant rules so that the same thing happens in a less blatant manner." The two countries have very different views of the sources of their troubles. "Many American opinion makers are starting to see China as a rising power seeking to unfairly undercut America's economic prosperity, threaten its security, and challenge its values," the Asia Society declared, "while their Chinese counterparts are starting to see the United States as a declining power seeking to prolong its dominance by unfairly containing China's rise." ___ Follow Paul Wiseman on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PaulWisemanAP NEWTON, Iowa (AP) - Beto O'Rourke barreled into the 2020 presidential race with breakneck energy and a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants campaign style that saw him leap atop tables to address overflow crowds with the organic, off-the-cuff candor that had made him a Texas sensation. But since his mid-March campaign launch, the buzz surrounding the former congressman has evaporated. Competing in a massive field of Democratic White House hopefuls, O'Rourke has sagged in the polls. He's made few promises that resonated or produced headline-grabbing moments, instead driving around the country meeting with voters at mostly small events. In a tacit recognition that this approach isn't working, O'Rourke is planning to try again, taking a hands-on role in staging a "reintroduction" ahead of next month's premier Democratic presidential debate. As he finalizes his plans, O'Rourke has entered an intentional "quiet period" to build out campaign infrastructure, according to an adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the campaign's strategy. That will end soon. O'Rourke plans to step up his national media appearances after skipping most of that kind of exposure in recent months. He is scheduled to appear on MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show" on Monday night and ABC's "The View" the next day. He's also set to offer more concrete policy plans on top issues. So far, he's issued just one, on climate change. FILE - In this March 15, 2019, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke greets audience members during a stop at the Central Park Coffee Company in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. O'Rourke entered the 2020 presidential race in mid-March as a political phenomenon, addressing overflow crowds around the country in off-the-cuff ways. Now, with that buzz cooling, O'Rourke is preparing a planned "re-introduction" that will see him do more national television appearances and concentrate on producing a series of detailed policy proposals. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File) O'Rourke acknowledges he's struggled to find his presidential campaign footing. "I think, in part, I was just trying to keep up when I first started out," he said after addressing about 40 people at a recent house party in Newton, Iowa. "I really feel like I've found my rhythm and my pace, and I just feel comfortable, and I feel like this is what I'm supposed to be doing." His top aides deny that a full reinvention or "Beto 2.0" is in the works. They note that O'Rourke plans to keep packing days with as many as half a dozen campaign events. He'll still venture into off-the-beaten path locales that include rural, heavily Republican areas. Those were the trademarks of his Senate campaign last fall, when he nearly toppled Republican Sen. Ted Cruz by visiting all of deep-red Texas' 254 counties. But his team also acknowledges that for all its excitement, O'Rourke's initial campaign launch exposed some disorganization. Assembling a campaign staff while the 2020 roadshow was already rollicking along simply wasn't sustainable. It took O'Rourke nearly two weeks after announcing his campaign to formally hire Jen O'Malley Dillon to run his team. She was the deputy campaign manager of Barack Obama's 2012 re-election bid and is only now moving to O'Rourke's headquarters in El Paso, Texas, after doing the job from Washington. O'Rourke added 16 staffers recently in Iowa, which holds the first presidential caucuses, but that's fewer than some other candidates have. In New Hampshire, which votes next, O'Rourke has yet to formally announce a state director or campaign staff, though he has informal organizers there. "It was a ready, fire, aim sort of trajectory," said Chris Lippincott, a Texas consultant who ran an outside political group opposing Cruz in 2018. Kathy Sullivan, a Democratic National Committee member from New Hampshire, noted that, after events, "If you don't have somebody with a clipboard taking names and addresses and phone numbers, you can lose contact with folks." Sullivan recently had lunch with O'Rourke in New Hampshire's capital, Concord, as part of a small women's group and "found him to be very sincere, very thoughtful." But she also said that his falling out of the 2020 spotlight helped boost another young, unorthodox candidate: Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana. The work to bolster the campaign has begun to stabilize things. Earlier this week, O'Rourke announced hiring Jeff Berman, a top delegate guru who helped Obama navigate the complicated process of locking up enough support to secure the Democratic presidential nomination. "It has been building up over time," O'Rourke said of his campaign apparatus. "I think we're getting better organized all the time." He maintains that it's still early. During his first trip to Iowa in March, O'Rourke focused on eastern counties that had supported Obama but went for Donald Trump in 2016. More recently, he sought out the relatively few Democrats in the state's rural southwest, trying to do the spade work - as the country folk he's trying to woo might say - to slowly grow lasting support. "With 21, maybe more, candidates on the horizon, this is going to be decided by a matter of a few hundred votes, maybe a few dozen votes," O'Rourke said after speaking at a former livestock auction space in Shenandoah, Iowa, that's been converted into a spiffy hall for weddings and parties. "So, every one of these conversations matters." One holdover from O'Rourke's do-it-yourself style in Texas is his insistence on driving himself between events, repeatedly climbing behind the wheel of rented Dodge Grand Caravans. Some campaign staffers see it as time that could be spent doing more productive - or at least less potentially dangerous - things, but O'Rourke's unfazed. "I can't just sit and ride," he's said by way of explanation. "I've got to be doing something." In the meantime, his staff has built schedules ensuring that O'Rourke gets to his multiple daily scheduled events on time - capitalizing on his energy while being mindful not to keep demanding early state voters waiting, like he did when barnstorming across all 10 New Hampshire counties in 48 hours shortly after kicking off his campaign. O'Rourke takes questions from attendees at every stop and is quick enough on his feet to usually provide detailed answers before pivoting to his talking points. Marcia Fulton, a 78-year-old retired teacher and school administrator who saw O'Rourke at a restored train depot in Creston, Iowa, said she's not decided who she'll vote for yet, but he "was really impressive, more so than I expected." "He was prepared and that was a real question, given his youth," Fulton added. But O'Rourke also begins every stop with a rapid-fire, 20-minute stump speech decrying climate change, skyrocketing student loans and the Trump administration's immigration policies while promising to drastically expand health insurance coverage and insisting he can achieve bipartisan cooperation in Washington. It's too much for some. "He's going to have to slow down a bit," said Sandy Sothman, the co-vice chairwoman of the Cass County Democrats who watched O'Rourke speak at a sunny hillside park in Atlantic, Iowa. "When he gets going and talks about so many things at once, it becomes a little like, 'Is he riffing or what?'" FILE - In this March 15, 2019, file photo, buttons for Democratic presidential candidate former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke sit on display during a stop at the Central Park Coffee Company in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. O'Rourke entered the 2020 presidential race in mid-March as a political phenomenon, addressing overflow crowds around the country in off-the-cuff ways. Now, with that buzz cooling, O'Rourke is preparing a planned "re-introduction" that will see him do more national television appearances and concentrate on producing a series of detailed policy proposals. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File) NEW YORK (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani and his plans to encourage investigations in Ukraine that he thinks would help Trump politically. (all times local): 1:05 a.m. Democrats denounced a plan by President Donald Trump's personal attorney to push Ukraine to open investigations that he hopes could benefit Trump politically, decrying it as an overt attempt to recruit foreign help to influence a U.S. election. But Rudy Giuliani late Friday said he does not plan to go to the Ukraine because of concerns about who he would be dealing with there. Giuliani told told Fox News Friday night that he "was not going to go because he thinks he would be - quote - "walking into a group of people that are enemies of the president ... in some cases enemies of the United States." His statement left many unanswered questions about what Giuliani might do about his Ukraine concerns. ___ 12:10 p.m. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer says he is urging Ukraine to open investigations that could benefit Trump politically in the United States. Rudy Giuliani used Twitter on Friday to explain his rationale for traveling to Kiev to push for two investigations. One is the origin of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference. The other is the involvement of 2020 rival Joe Biden's son in a gas company owned by a Ukrainian oligarch. Giuliani wrote to Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy to "explain to me why Biden shouldn't be investigated" and accused the Democrats of "interfering." Democrats rushed to denounce Giuliani. Rep. Jerrod Nadler said American politics were in "a sorry state" if the president's lawyer was seeking foreign interference. Giuliani's trip was first reported by The New York Times. BEIJING (AP) - Animal rights groups on Saturday cheered the release of 37 spotted seal pups rescued from traffickers into the wild in northern China in a small victory for efforts to save the country's endangered species. Humane Society International said the pups were discovered three months ago by police in a shed in a remote coastal farm in the northern Chinese city of Dalian, many of them starving and dying. Eight suspects were arrested in the operation. The society's Chinese partner, VShine, sent a representative to participate in the release by the Dalian authorities. It said the pups had been taken from the wild by traffickers for the aquarium industry and for display in aquariums, shops and restaurants. Another 29 pups could not be rescued and died, having been only about 2 weeks old when found and not yet weaned from their mothers. Earlier this month, an initial batch of 24 pups was released. Once hunted for their use in traditional Chinese medicine, spotted seals are now a protected species in China, although they are often stolen from their mothers to supply commercial venues. "We are thrilled that our Chinese partner group, VShine, was able to send animal welfare observers to the release of these seal pups back to the wild," Peter Li of Humane Society International was quoted as saying in a news release. In this Friday, May 10, 2019, photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, a spotted seal sits in a cage before being released by officials into the sea near Dalian in northeastern China's Liaoning province. Animal groups cheered the release of 37 spotted seal pups rescued from traffickers into the wild in northern China. (Pan Yulong/Xinhua via AP) "Sadly, China's growing obsession for keeping marine species like seals and turtles in captivity is fueling wildlife crime such as this, which causes immense animal suffering and loss of life," he said. In this Friday, May 10, 2019, photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, officials prepare to release a spotted seal into the sea near Dalian in northeastern China's Liaoning province. Animal groups cheered the release of 37 spotted seal pups rescued from traffickers into the wild in northern China. (Pan Yulong/Xinhua via AP) In this Friday, May 10, 2019, photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, spotted seals swim in the sea after being released by officials near Dalian in northeastern China's Liaoning province. Animal groups cheered the release of 37 spotted seal pups rescued from traffickers into the wild in northern China. (Pan Yulong/Xinhua via AP) Here's your look at highlights from the weekly AP photo report, a gallery featuring a mix of front-page photography, the odd image you might have missed and lasting moments our editors think you should see. This week's gallery includes children flying a kite from a dilapidated building in Caracas, Venezuela; Ramadan observations in Indian-controlled Kashmir; and family members greeting Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. ___ This gallery contains photos from the week of May 4-10, 2019. See the latest AP photo galleries: https://apimagesblog.com ___ Heidi, 1, peers from a rai-covered window in the Transylvanian town of Sibiu, Romania, on Tuesday, May 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) Follow AP photographers on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP/lists/ap-photographers Follow AP Images on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Images Visit AP Images online: http://www.apimages.com http://www.apimages.com/ ___ This gallery was produced by Patrick Sison in New York. A man walks by a pair of angel wings as part of a store display in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Russian troops march during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, May 7, 2019. The parade celebrates the 74th anniversray of the victory in WWII. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) Leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, Julius Malema, addresses supporters during an election rally at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, South Africa, Sunday, May 5, 2019. The ruling African National Congress was on course to win South Africa's presidential and parliamentary elections by a comfortable margin with almost all votes counted Friday, but the tally showed the party lost support from five years earlier amid deep anger over corruption. The populist, left-wing EFF increased its share of the vote from 6% to 10. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Duat Mai stands atop a dead whale at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, Monday, May 6, 2019. The Marine Mammal Center plans a necropsy to determine what killed the animal. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn is carried on a palanquin through the streets outside the Grand Palace for the public to pay homage during the second day of his coronation ceremony in Bangkok, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Vajiralongkorn was officially crowned Saturday amid the splendor of the country's Grand Palace, taking the central role in an elaborate centuries-old royal ceremony that was last held almost seven decades ago. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichorn) In this image provided by SussexRoyal, Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, joined by her mother, Doria Ragland, show their new son to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, Windsor, England. Prince Harry and Meghan have named their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. (Chris Allerton/SussexRoyal via AP) Officials guide students off a bus and into a recreation center where they were reunited with their parents after a shooting at a suburban Denver middle school Tuesday, May 7, 2019, in Highlands Ranch, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Kashmiri Muslim children attend recitation classes of the holy Quran on the first day of fasting month of Ramadan in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, May 7, 2019. Muslims across the world are observing the holy fasting month of Ramadan, where they refrain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to dusk. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) A woman cooks a meal outdoors after her house was damaged by Cyclone Fani in the Penthakata fishing village of Puri, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Saturday, May 4, 2019. The evacuation of more than 1 million people from about 15,000 villages and 46 towns in India's worst-hit Odisha state prevented a much worse death toll from one of the biggest storms in decades. (AP Photo) Jared Leto, holding a model of his own head, arrives for the The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Camp: Notes on Fashion" exhibition on Monday, May 6, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) Engelbert Canete, left, and his friend, Ethian Jesus, protect themselves from the rain with a plastic sheet, waiting for the rain to stop to continue fishing at the Malecon in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) - South Africa's ruling African National Congress on Saturday marked its weakest victory in national elections in a quarter-century, while President Cyril Ramaphosa declared that the vote had given him and others "a firm mandate to build a better South Africa for all." With all votes counted, the ANC had 57.5%, the electoral commission said . It was the worst-ever showing at the polls for the party of the late Nelson Mandela that has ruled since the end of the apartheid system of racial discrimination 25 years ago. The party won 62% of the vote in 2014. Voter turnout was another low at 65%, reflecting the frustration of many South Africans after corruption scandals around the ANC that led former president Jacob Zuma to resign last year under party pressure. Turnout was 74% in 2014. Ramaphosa, a Mandela protege, has vowed to clean up the rot and apologized to South Africans. But his new five-year term is threatened by Zuma allies within the ANC's leadership, who could pressure the party to oust him from power. Observers have said South Africa's economy, the most developed in sub-Saharan Africa, would be further weakened if Ramaphosa is removed by his own party. He narrowly won the party leadership in late 2017, weeks before Zuma was pushed out. Ramaphosa's image as a leader willing to rid the government of graft helped the ANC's election showing, political analyst Karima Brown said. "It's a departure from a president who faced continuous allegations of corruption," she said. South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, right, celebrates after the Independent Electoral Commission announced the final results in South Africa's general election in Pretoria, Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election and results show that the ruling African National Congress party (ANC) has won the national elections but has seen its share of the vote drop significantly. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) But ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, seen as leading the party faction opposed to Ramaphosa, has said the victory could not be attributed to the president alone. Widespread disillusionment over the ANC and long-standing issues of high unemployment and poor delivery of basic services had been expected to give top opposition parties a boost in Wednesday's election. A record 48 parties were on the ballot. Top opposition party the liberal Democratic Alliance slipped in its share of votes, however, winning 20.7%, down from 22.2% in 2014. The populist Economic Freedom Fighters in just their second showing in parliamentary and presidential elections did gain ground, winning 10.7% of the vote, up from 6.3% five years ago. The EFF won support notably among younger voters with its outspoken demands for a bigger share of South Africa's wealth from the country's white minority. It struck a chord in a country where unemployment is 27% and many in the black majority struggle to get by. The party also had promised to expropriate white-owned land without compensation and nationalize mines and banks. With an eye on the country's growing youth population, the "Born Free" generation that never knew apartheid, Ramaphosa noted that "many young people are still outside the fold of voting activity." Some 6 million eligible young voters did not register to vote in this election. The ANC barely retained control of the country's economic hub of Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria, with just over 50% of the vote. In South Africa, the president and parliament are not elected directly. The number of votes won by each party determines how many representatives are sent to the national 400-seat legislature. The president of the country is the leader of the party that gets the most votes. The ANC won 230 seats, the DA 84 and the EFF 44. With the election over, some South Africans looked forward to moving on. "I knew that the ANC would win the elections so my vote for them did not go waste," said Karabo Kgole, a gas station attendant in Pretoria. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa applauds as confetti is launched at the end of the results ceremony at the Independent Electoral Commission Results Center in Pretoria, South Africa Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africa's ruling African National Congress on Saturday marked its weakest victory in national elections in a quarter-century, while Ramaphosa declared that the vote had given him and others "a firm mandate to build a better South Africa for all." (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) President Cyril Ramaphosa applauds as confetti is launched at the end of the results ceremony at the Independent Electoral Commission Results Center in Pretoria, South Africa Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africa's ruling African National Congress on Saturday marked its weakest victory in national elections in a quarter-century, while Ramaphosa declared that the vote had given him and others "a firm mandate to build a better South Africa for all." (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, center, celebrates after the Independent Electoral Commission announced the final results in South Africa's general election in Pretoria, Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election and results show that the ruling African National Congress party (ANC) has won the national elections but has seen its share of the vote drop significantly. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa celebrates after the Independent Electoral Commission announced the final results in South Africa's general election in Pretoria, Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election and results show that the ruling African National Congress party (ANC) has won the national elections but has seen its share of the vote drop significantly. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation after the Independent Electoral Commission announced the final results in South Africa's general election in Pretoria, Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election and results show that the ruling African National Congress party (ANC) has won the national elections but has seen its share of the vote drop significantly. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) President Cyril Ramaphosa smiles at the end of the results ceremony at the Independent Electoral Commission Results Center in Pretoria, South Africa Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africa's ruling African National Congress on Saturday marked its weakest victory in national elections in a quarter-century, while Ramaphosa declared that the vote had given him and others "a firm mandate to build a better South Africa for all." (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) President Cyril Ramaphosa smiles and greets dignitaries at the end of the results ceremony at the Independent Electoral Commission Results Center in Pretoria, South Africa Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africa's ruling African National Congress on Saturday marked its weakest victory in national elections in a quarter-century, while Ramaphosa declared that the vote had given him and others "a firm mandate to build a better South Africa for all." (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) A dignitary dressed in the colors of the African National Congress applauds as the final results are announced at the results ceremony at the Independent Electoral Commission Results Center in Pretoria, South Africa Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africa's ruling African National Congress on Saturday marked its weakest victory in national elections in a quarter-century, while Ramaphosa declared that the vote had given him and others "a firm mandate to build a better South Africa for all." (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) President Cyril Ramaphosa applauds as confetti is launched at the end of the results ceremony at the Independent Electoral Commission Results Center in Pretoria, South Africa Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africa's ruling African National Congress on Saturday marked its weakest victory in national elections in a quarter-century, while Ramaphosa declared that the vote had given him and others "a firm mandate to build a better South Africa for all." (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Guests photograph South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa addressing the nation after the Independent Electoral Commission announced the final results in South Africa's general election in Pretoria, Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election and results show that the ruling African National Congress party (ANC) has won the national elections but has seen its share of the vote drop significantly. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) President Cyril Ramaphosa smiles and greets dignitaries at the end of the results ceremony at the Independent Electoral Commission Results Center in Pretoria, South Africa Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africa's ruling African National Congress on Saturday marked its weakest victory in national elections in a quarter-century, while Ramaphosa declared that the vote had given him and others "a firm mandate to build a better South Africa for all." (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa celebrates after the Independent Electoral Commission announced the final results in South Africa's general election in Pretoria, Saturday, May 11, 2019. South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election and results show that the ruling African National Congress party (ANC) has won the national elections but has seen its share of the vote drop significantly. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) SANAA, Yemen (AP) - Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday began a long-delayed withdrawal of forces from the port facility in the key city of Hodeida, the group said, following the terms of a December cease-fire aimed at alleviating the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The government described the Houthi claim as a "farce." Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said the pullout from Hodeida, as well as the two smaller ports of Salif and Ras Issa, began in the morning. But leading Yemeni negotiator Ahmed al-Kawkabani told The Associated Press late Saturday that his team "won't recognize any redeployment outside what the U.N. proposed," which includes the removal of land mines, inspections and and end of all military presence at the port. The country's bloody civil war erupted in September 2014, when Shiite Houthi rebels swept into the capital city of Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition soon intervened to back the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. The cease-fire in Hodeida, which halted months of heavy fighting in the city, called for the mutual withdrawal of rebel and government forces from the city's port, and the two smaller ports in the province. Sadek Dawad, a government negotiator, said he welcomed the "first step of the first phase of redeployment" of rebel forces in the area. He urged the U.N. to verify and watch the pullout. He also called for the removal of land mines laid by the Houthis. The information minister of Yemen's internationally recognized government, Moammer al-Iryani, warned of "attempts by the (Houthi) Militia to mislead" the U.N. Security Council before an expected meeting next week. FILE - This Sept. 29, 2018 file photo shows idle cargo and oil tanker ships at the port of Hodeida, Yemen. On Saturday, May 11, 2019, Houthi rebels began a long-delayed withdrawal of their forces from the key port city, the group said, following the terms of a cease-fire. The U.N.-brokered agreement is aimed at alleviating the world's worst humanitarian crisis. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed) The U.N. Mission to Support the Hodeida Agreement said Saturday it was monitoring "the initial unilateral redeployment" of Houthi rebels form the ports, which is to be completed on Tuesday. Hodeida is the main international entry point for 70 percent of imports and humanitarian aid to Yemen, where the four-year civil war has killed an estimated 60,000 people and pushed much of the country to the brink of famine. Nearly two thirds of Yemenis are in need of some sort of aid and 3 million displaced. Thousands have died of malnutrition, preventable diseases and epidemics. British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt welcomed the Houthi pullout from the ports. "We appear to be approaching implementation of the mutual redeployment of forces - a key step to ending this brutal war," he tweeted. Kurt Tjossem, the International Rescue Committee's regional director for the Horn and East Africa, said in a statement "it is crucial that the force redeployments move forward and are verified and are followed by sustained commitment by all parties to make good on their Stockholm obligations." An official from the internationally recognized government said officials would meet with the head of the U.N. operation monitoring the cease-fire, Lt. Gen. Michael Lollesgaard, later Saturday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak with the media. Lollesgaard said Friday that the Houthis' withdrawal from the three ports marked the first practical step toward realizing the cease-fire. He added that the Houthis must commit to following fully through with the redeployment, which is expected to take place over three days. Lollesgaard said the full implementation of the Hodeida deal remains instrumental to ensuring life-saving humanitarian access inside Yemen. The U.N.-brokered deal was vague on who will control Hodeida's strategic ports after the sides withdraw, saying a "local force" would take over without specifying further. The pullout was scheduled to take place two weeks after the cease-fire went into force on Dec. 18. But a lack of trust between the government and the Houthis hampered agreement on details of the withdrawals. Each side has accused the other of violating the Hodeida cease-fire, and fighting has continued in other parts of the country. The agreement in Sweden also included a prisoner exchange between the two sides, which has yet to be carried out. Also on Saturday, fighting continued in the southern Dhale province, which had been under the control of forces loyal to the internationally recognized government. The rebels' Health Ministry said in a statement an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition killed six children and a woman in the district of Qaaraba. The statement said the airstrike also wounded 17 people, including 11 children. A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition didn't respond to calls seeking comment. Rebel incursions into Dhale started in April, and it was was in part aided by ongoing feuding between government fighters and those backed by the United Arab Emirates, which is part of the Saudi-led coalition ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. BEIRUT (AP) - A Lebanese military court has ordered the release on bail of an Australian-Lebanese dual citizen on trial for an alleged plot to bring down a passenger plane bound for the United Arab Emirates from Sydney two years ago, his lawyer said Saturday. Amer Khayyat had been detained in Lebanon in the summer of 2017, days after Australian authorities foiled an alleged plot to down an Etihad flight bound for Abu Dhabi in 2017. Two of Khayyat's brothers are on trial in Australia for the plot. But Australian authorities believe Amer Khayyat was an unwitting participant in the failed attack. Lawyer Joceline Adib al-Rai said the military court ordered Amer Khayyat's release on bail during a session he attended Friday. Prosecutors can either appeal or endorse the ruling in a hearing Monday. During his trial, Amer Khayyat rejected the accusations, saying he "had no idea" of the plot. His two brothers, Mahmoud and Khaled Khayyat, are accused of planting the bomb, hidden inside a Barbie doll and meat grinder, in their brother's hand luggage. One of the brothers is believed to have earlier traveled to Syria to join the Islamic State militant group. MCALLEN, Texas (AP) - Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan visited a border city in Texas on Saturday and said he intends to accelerate planning to secure the border and bolster the administration's ability to accomplish that without the Pentagon's continuous help. He also offered assurances to perhaps two dozen Border Patrol agents and other officials at the McAllen Border Patrol Station that the Pentagon would not withdraw its military support prematurely. "We're not going to leave until the border is secure," he said, adding, "This isn't about identifying a problem. It's about fixing a problem more quickly." Shanahan told Congress this past week that there are 4,364 military troops on the border, including active-duty and National Guard. They are erecting barriers, providing logistics and transportation service and other activities in support of Customs and Border Protection. The troops are prohibited from performing law enforcement duties. Troops have been deployed on the border since last October and are committed to being there through September. While flying to Texas, he dismissed any suggestion that active-duty forces will extend their mission for the long haul. "It will not be indefinite," he told reporters traveling with him. Shanahan also said he has instructed a two-star Army general, Ricky Waddell, to develop a plan soon that will answer this question: "How do we get more badges back to the border?" - a reference to ensuring Homeland Security Department is fully capable of securing the border, its core mission. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, left, speaks with troops near McAllen, Texas, about the military's role in support of the Department of Homeland Security's effort to secure the Southwest border. At right is Kevin McAleenan, acting DHS secretary. (AP Photo/Robert Burns) Shortfalls in personnel and other resources have prompted DHS to periodically ask for the military's help on the U.S.-Mexico border, without a plan for how to fix the underlying resource problems. "What we want is for DHS to be effective and stand alone," Shanahan said, with the Pentagon always available to help in an emergency, as it has in the past. DHS on Friday submitted another request for Pentagon assistance, defense officials said Saturday. That request, which has not previously been disclosed, is for shelter for detained migrants, and would include tents to be set up but not secured by an undetermined number of military troops, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning. Shanahan announced on Friday that he was transferring $1.5 billion from numerous defense projects, including $604 million originally intended for use in support of Afghan security forces, to a Pentagon counterdrug fund that will help finance construction of barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border. That is in addition to $1 billion the Pentagon transferred for wall construction in March. Shanahan has supported the use of active-duty troops, in addition to the National Guard, to bolster CPB efforts to handle surging numbers of Central American migrants seeking to cross the border. But recently he has hinted at impatience with the lack of a long-term strategy for ensuring border security. In congressional testimony May 1, Shanahan said he and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have been considering the question of how long the military will be needed at the border and how best it can support that need. "The question he and I are trying to answer," Shanahan said, "is, how long will we be at the border." He added, "We really need to get back to our primary missions and continue to generate readiness" to undertake conventional military operations. On May 3, Shanahan told reporters that the border crisis had developed more quickly than anyone had anticipated, putting extra pressure on DHS. "I don't think anybody thought it would be this bad, the situation would deteriorate like it has, and that distress would be as high on those front-line (DHS) employees," he said. Many Democrats have questioned the use of active-duty troops on the border. "The longer the Southwest border mission continues, the line of demarcation starts to blur in terms of where we're drawing a line saying this is not a military responsibility, this is law enforcement, immigration, internal security responsibility," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said at a recent hearing. As a prelude to the trip, the White House on Thursday announced that Trump intends to nominate Shanahan as defense secretary, ending months of speculation about Pentagon leadership. He has served in an interim capacity since Jan. 1, an unprecedented period of uncertainty at the helm of the Pentagon. Trump elevated him from deputy secretary to replace Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who resigned in December. The White House has never explained why it took Trump so long to decide to nominate Shanahan, a former Boeing Co. executive. Trump himself has said he likes to keep Cabinet members in an acting status because gives him more flexibility, although it also frustrates the Senate's efforts to exercise its constitutional role of providing advice and consent. In March, the Defense Department's inspector general investigated accusations that Shanahan had shown favoritism toward Boeing during his time as deputy defense secretary, while disparaging Boeing competitors. The investigation appeared to stall his nomination, but the internal watchdog wrapped up the inquiry in April and cleared Shanahan of any wrongdoing. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Unidentified gunmen shot and killed an adviser to the country's parliament in the capital Kabul on Saturday, an Afghan official said. In eastern Ghazni province, at least seven children were killed when a roadside bomb exploded, according to a provincial official. Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said that Mena Mangal, a cultural adviser for the lower house of parliament and former TV presenter, was killed when she was on her way to work around 7:30 a.m. Rahimi said one or more assailants escaped from the scene. Kabul police have launched an investigation. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Kabul police said it was not immediately clear whether the killing was a terror act or the result of a personal dispute. Both Islamic State group and Taliban militants regularly carry out attacks in the capital. In eastern Ghazni province, at least seven children were killed when a roadside bomb exploded, said Arif Noori, spokesman for the provincial governor. Noori said two other children were wounded in the blast that took place Saturday in Muqar district. "All the children killed and wounded in the blast were between 5 and 14 years of age," he said. No one claimed responsibility for the blast in Ghazni, but Noori blamed Taliban insurgents who are active in the province, especially in Muqar district. Recently there has been an increase in security operations targeting the insurgent group in the district and Taliban fighters often plant roadside bombs to target the convoys of the security forces, he said WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's combative approach to trade has been one of the main constants among his often-shifting political views. And he's showing no signs of backing off now, even as the stakes intensify with the threat of a full-blown trade war between the world's two biggest economies. The president went after China on Day 1 of his presidential bid, promising to "bring back our jobs from China, from Mexico, from Japan, from so many places." Trump's views on trade helped forge his path to victory in states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio, where he linked the loss of manufacturing jobs to the North America Free Trade Agreement and other trade deals. He warned the worst was yet to come with President Barack Obama's proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership. His trashing of existing and proposed trade agreements grabbed the headlines, but he also made clear his view that globalization had been bad for America and that he would use tariffs to protect national security and domestic producers. He cited the nation's Founding Fathers, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan as leaders whose footsteps he was following when it came to trade and tariffs. "Our original Constitution did not even have an income tax," Trump told voters in Monessen, Pennsylvania, some four months before the 2016 presidential election. "Instead, it had tariffs, emphasizing taxation of foreign, not domestic production." No. 7 on his list of trade promises in that speech: taking on China for "its theft of American trade secrets." In this May 8, 2019, photo, President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Panama City Beach, Fla. Trump's combative approach to trade has been one of the main constants among his often-shifting political views. He's showing no signs of backing off now even as the stakes intensify with the threat of a full-blown trade war between the world's two biggest economies. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) "This is so easy. I love saying this. I will use every lawful presidential power to remedy trade disputes, including the application of tariffs consistent" with existing trade laws, Trump said. Those laws include Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, which Trump cited to enact tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from China, Canada, Mexico and elsewhere. They also include Section 301 of the Trade Act, which Trump used last year to apply 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods and 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion of goods. That 10 percent was increased to 25 percent on Friday. Trump is laying the groundwork to extend the 25 percent tariff to all of China's exports to the U.S. "Such an easy way to avoid Tariffs? Make or produce your goods and products in the good old USA. It's very simple!" Trump tweeted on Saturday. Of course, America's trading partners haven't let Trump's tariffs stand without taking similar action themselves. Farmers, boat makers and whiskey and wine producers are just some of the U.S. industries caught in the middle. "Farming is a very small margin, small profit business. We rely on lots of volume and lots of sales to generate a profit," said Brent Bible, a soybean and corn farmer in Lafayette, Indiana, who has seen prices for both commodities drop in the past year. "We are operating at a loss now." Trump's philosophy on some issues has evolved over the years. He once described himself regarding the abortion issue as "very pro-choice." Now, his administration promotes him as the most "pro-life president in American history." On trade, not so much. In "Trump: The Art of the Deal," Trump complained of the Japanese that "what's unfortunate is that for decades now they have become wealthier in large measure by screwing the United States with a self-serving trade policy that our political leaders have never been able to fully understand or counteract." Fast-forward nearly three decades, and Trump declared in his 2015 announcement for the presidency that other nations were prospering at America's expense. "When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let's say, China, in a trade deal? They kill us. I beat China all the time," Trump said. Trump's approach on trade is a dramatic departure for the Republican Party, but GOP lawmakers have declined to take action that would block his tariffs. They credit his tactics for getting improvements to a trade deal with Canada and Mexico to replace NAFTA, and for getting China to the negotiating table. "President Trump is the first president to take China head-on," said Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee. He said "everyone knows I'm not a fan of tariffs, but I think everyone knows as well that China has been cheating for far too long." Trump has received some encouragement from Democratic leaders. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., tweeted to Trump: "Don't back down. Strength is the only way to win with China." Current and former officials in the administration believe that voters will give the president credit for standing up to China, and not blame him for any pain that may result from the tariffs war. Overall, AP VoteCast found Americans critical in their assessments of Trump on trade. But that's not the case with his supporters. According to the survey of more than 115,000 midterm voters nationwide, 45% approved of Trump on trade, while 53% disapproved. Among voters who approved of Trump's job overall, fully 88% approved of his handling of trade. While Trump casts his tariffs as being paid for by China, they actually are paid by the American companies that bring a product into the U.S. This can help some U.S. producers, though, because it makes their goods more competitive price-wise. Still, the burden of Trump's tariffs on imports from China and other countries falls entirely on U.S. consumers and businesses that buy imports, said a study in March by economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Columbia University and Princeton University. Republican-leaning business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have warned that the tariffs threaten to derail the economy and low unemployment rates, but with economic growth at 3.2 percent last quarter and the unemployment rate at 3.6 percent, Trump isn't changing strategy now. "Tariffs will make our Country MUCH STRONGER, not weaker. Just sit back and watch!" Trump tweeted on Friday. ____ Associated Press polling writer Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report. ____ Reach Kevin Freking on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/APkfreking WASHINGTON (AP) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has introduced a new concept into the debate over President Donald Trump's actions: "self-impeaching." As Trump all but goads Democrats into impeachment proceedings , viewing the showdown as potentially valuable for his 2020 re-election campaign , Democrats are trying to show restraint. Their investigations are both intensifying but also moving slowly as Democrats dig into the special counsel's Trump-Russia report and examine Trump's finances and governance. The more they push, the more Trump resists, the president making what Pelosi says is his own case for impeachment with his stonewalling of Congress. "The president is self-impeaching," she told her colleagues last week during a private caucus meeting, echoing comments she also aired in public. "He's putting out the case against himself. Obstruction, obstruction, obstruction. Ignoring subpoenas and the rest." She added, "He's doing our work for us, in a certain respect." There is no actual process for self-impeachment. It's a thought bubble more than a legal term. A pure Pelosi-ism, one that an aide says she coined herself. IN this May 9, 2019, photo, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Pelosi introduced a new concept to the debate over President Donald Trump's behavior: "Self-impeachable." As Trump appears to be all but goading Democrats into impeachment proceedings, viewing the standoff as potentially politically valuable for his re-election campaign, Democrats are trying to impose restraint, preferring a more methodical approach and letting, as Pelosi says, Trump make the case himself by his stonewalling of Congress. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) But as a device, it's a way for Pelosi to frame the often complicated idea of the White House refusing to engage with Congress in the traditional process of checks and balances. "Sometimes people act as if it's impeachment or nothing," Pelosi told reporters. "No, it's not that. It's a path that is producing results and gathering information." In the aftermath of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, the slow drip of congressional oversight also serves a dual purpose politically. It allows Democrats to keep impeachment proceedings at bay, despite calls to push ahead by the liberal flank, while stoking questions about Trump going into the 2020 presidential election. They note the Watergate investigation dragged on two years before the House Judiciary Committee opened impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon. By the time articles of impeachment were drawn up, the third entry was Nixon's obstruction of Congress. Rather than viewing Mueller's report as the end of the debate, Democrats in Congress have taken his findings as a green light to dig in with their oversight role. So far, House committees have issued multiple subpoenas for executive branch information, including for an unredacted version of the Mueller report and some million of pages of underlying evidence; for testimony and documents from former White House counsel Don McGahn; for information on Trump's business dealings; and for Trump's tax returns. Others subpoenas have been issued over the administration's policies on migrant children and on citizenship questions on the census. "My Democratic colleagues seem to be publicly working through the five stages of grief," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell mused in a floor speech. The Kentucky Republican scoffed at their "laughable threats of impeachment." As McConnell declared the "case closed," he noted that the final stage of grief is acceptance. "For the country's sake, I hope my Democratic friends get there soon," he said. Except Mueller's 448-page report left Congress with questions. While the special counsel found no evidence the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to swing the 2016 election, Mueller did not render a decision on the question of whether the president obstructed justice in the investigation. "It also does not exonerate him," the report says. At least one Republican, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, appears to have questions, too. His committee issued a subpoena for testimony from one of the president's sons, Donald Trump, Jr. The move sparked fierce blowback among allies of the White House and divided Senate Republicans into two camps: those who backed his oversight role and those who panned it. Trump, during remarks at the White House, said he was "very surprised." What his supporters want to know, the president said, is how the whole question of Russian interference first started. A top Trump ally in Congress, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is starting his own investigation into the investigation, picking up where House Republicans, when they controlled the committees before the lost he majority last year, left off. House Democrats want Mueller to testify. His report notes that Congress has the ability to "apply the obstruction laws" as part of "our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law." The Democrats want Mueller to more fully explain what he found and what, if anything, he intended for them to do about it. "Our strategy right now is just to get to the truth and the facts," said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a member of the House Judiciary Committee. Raskin said he kept a little chart on his notepad during a hearing last week, when the committee voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over the full Mueller report, and it was the Republicans who most mentioned impeachment. "The Republicans would love us to begin impeachment process," he said. "If we get to impeachment, we're going to get there on our own schedule and for our own reasons, not because they need to throw some red meat to their base." ___ Follow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lisamascaro PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Authorities say five men were shot and wounded, one critically, after being ambushed by three teenagers in north Philadelphia. Police said three males broke away from a group of 10 or 11 males walking down a street just before 5:30 p.m. Friday, and surveillance video shows three teenagers shortly afterward firing at the group. Police Commissioner Richard Ross said the teens - estimated at no more than 15 years old - "were lying in wait waiting for those guys." A 26-year-old man shot in the head and wrist was in critical condition Saturday. Others, in stable condition, included a 25-year-old shot in the back, a 26-year-old hit in the forearms, hand and thigh, a 27-year-old hit in the heel and a 32-year-old hit in the back. No arrests were announced. BEIRUT (AP) - Syrian government forces expanded their ground offensive in northwestern Syria, pushing Saturday into the last rebel stronghold and regaining control of a number of villages along its southern corner, activists and media said, despite calls for honoring a cease-fire put in place in September. The pro-government Military Media Center said that troops battled insurgent led by an al-Qaida-linked militant group out of Midan Ghazal village, which falls inside Idlib province. The government ground offensive has so far focused on areas at the southern edge of the rebel stronghold, in the Ghab plains and Hama province. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed troops gained new ground, but said all were in Hama province. The Observatory said government forces are now in control of nine villages forming an L shape at the far southern corner of the rebel stronghold. The villages include the strategic village of Kfar Nabuda and the elevated Qalaat Madiq, giving the government troops advantage over the insurgents. The insurgents launched a failed counteroffensive Friday, aiming to regain control of Kfar Nabudah. On Saturday, Al-Ikhbariya state TV broadcast from inside Kfar Nabudah to confirm the government forces have it under control. An unnamed Syrian army officer told the station the insurgents' counteroffensive included car bombs and suicide attacks. In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian army soldiers prepare to launch a mortar towards insurgents in the village of Kfar Nabuda, in the countryside of Hama province on Saturday, May 11, 2019. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces are now in control of nine villages forming an L shape at the far southern corner of the rebel stronghold. The villages include the strategic village of Kfar Nabuda and the elevated Qalaat Madiq, giving the government troops an advantage over the insurgents. (SANA via AP) Al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said it continued to launch missiles at the village and was fighting government troops elsewhere. Airstrikes on villages and towns inside Idlib continued. Fighting in the area, which began on April 30, has been the worst breach of a September cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey. Members of the U.N. Security Council urged a return to calm. "We urge all parties to uphold international humanitarian law and protect civilian," a statement by 11 members of the council said. Russia, China, South Africa and Indonesia didn't support the statement. Over 150,000 people have been displaced by the latest wave of violence inside the enclave , which is home to 3 million people and spans most of Idlib province and part of Hama in the country's northwest corner. The World Food Program said the fighting forced it to suspend aid distribution to over 47,000 people. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina legislator best known as the architect of the state's so-called bathroom bill three years ago is racking up contributions and endorsements as he runs in the repeat of a congressional race marred by a ballot fraud scandal . State Sen. Dan Bishop of Charlotte is a leading contender among 10 candidates in next week's GOP primary in the 9th Congressional District special election. The state elections board unanimously ordered the new election after Mark Harris, the Republican in last year's race against Democrat Dan McCready, used a political operative accused of improperly collecting mail-in ballots. Harris opted not to run again and McCready faces no primary opponent. Virtually alone on the political calendar this year, the special election is likely to draw national attention. As is Bishop's candidacy, if he wins the Republican primary. In 2016, Bishop sponsored House Bill 2, a law that voided a Charlotte ordinance expanding LGBT rights and prevented similar anti-discrimination rules anywhere else in the state. HB2 was nicknamed the "bathroom bill" because it also directed transgender people to use public bathrooms and showers that matched their birth sex. The measure grabbed national headlines and prompted boycotts by entertainers, governments and some businesses thinking about moving jobs to North Carolina. The Associated Press found in 2017 that the law cost the state more than $3.76 billion , primarily from businesses that decided to skip intended moves to North Carolina. Bishop said the pushback showed he's unafraid to stand up for what he believes. This combination of 2018 photos shows N.C. Sen. Dan Bishop and Dan McCready. Bishop, best known as the architect of the state's so-called bathroom bill is racking up contributions and endorsements as he runs in the repeat of a congressional race marred by a ballot fraud scandal. The state elections board unanimously ordered the new election after Mark Harris, the Republican in 2018's race against Democrat Dan McCready, used a political operative accused of improperly collecting mail-in ballots. (Chris Seward/Raleigh News & Observer via AP, Chuck Burton) "It did the state no good to have that controversy, but it's an exhausted issue," Bishop said when entering the race in March. Bishop's stance drew staunch support from evangelical interest groups, who could represent a key constituency in the Tuesday primary, where low turnout is expected. The North Carolina Values Coalition, a lobbying group for conservative Christian issues, endorsed Bishop and said his leadership on HB2 brought "common sense back to our State by stopping the government from violating our religious freedoms." GOP political consultant Paul Shumaker, who is not involved with any of the 9th district candidates, said HB2 is likely to divide voters. "If you look at those that are supporters of HB2, that will create energy for Dan Bishop in a Republican primary," Shumaker said. "If you look at those who are opponents to it, that's going to create energy for Dan McCready in a general election against Dan Bishop if Dan Bishop is the nominee." The law was partially repealed in 2017 and now is barely on the radar of Republican voter Brandon Reeves. The 42-year-old car dealer from Waxhaw rates abortion, gun rights and lower taxes as his top issues. "To me, that's not an issue right now because there's no debate on it - it's already been had," said Reeves, who is backing one of the other GOP candidates, Stony Rushing. "It's water under the bridge at this point. The pro-life issue is first and foremost to me." But Bishop knows HB2 remains his legacy. So in December, on the same day lawmakers voted to require primaries if a new 9th district election was ordered, he asked state analysts to study HB2's economic impact. The General Assembly's top economist reported back to Bishop in January that the state's overall economy didn't take much of a hit from HB2, while estimates by the AP and others counted specific business reversals. But the effect of any legislative change - especially one in effect for only a year - is impossible to measure in a $570 billion state economy affected by national and international influences, economist Barry Boardman wrote in response to Bishop. Nor was it possible to judge how much HB2 influenced choices by companies and event planners, Boardman wrote. Tourists didn't noticeably boycott the state as visitor spending rose 4% in 2016 and 2.8% in 2017, in line with the previous three years. The finding that tourists never shied away from visiting - and spending - in North Carolina, was notable, said Alex Tabarrok, an economist at George Mason University's libertarian Mercatus Center. But a better study would compare tourism revenues in neighboring states and look more closely at company location decisions, he said. "The effect could be small relative to the state economy and yet still have been significant," Tabarrok wrote in an email. Bishop said the analysis indicates that losses tallied by The AP and others "were fake news." GOP consultant Shumaker said he doubts the report would persuade anyone. "I think the report is completely irrelevant to the campaign," he said. "You've got a government report from the legislature that says it had a negligible impact compared to numerous news stories about major events being pulled from North Carolina during that time." ___ Follow Emery P. Dalesio on Twitter at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio . GAUHATI, India (AP) - At least 300 rare Himalayan yaks have died of starvation in the high mountains in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, close to the border with China, authorities said Saturday. A team of local administrators and veterinarians visiting the heights of Muguthang and Yumthang in northern Sikkim discovered the animals' corpses on Friday, said government official Raj Yadav. He said the semi-domesticated animals became trapped in December after their passage to the nearest village got blocked due to heavy snowfall. Yadav said authorities tried several times to drop feed for the Yaks by helicopter but failed due to inclement weather. "The passage was cleared five days ago, after which our team trekked to the area to discover the tragedy," he said. The areas of Muguthang and Yumthang are favorite grazing grounds for yaks in the region. Yadav said the government would compensate the yak owners with 30,000 Indian rupees ($430) per yak up to a maximum of three yaks per family. "There has been human interference like construction of roads in the area," said Usha Lachungpa, a conservationist in Sikkim. "Snow sliding down and blocking roads could be a result of such activities." It could take a long time for the area's yak population to grow and reach the level before the recent catastrophe, she said. Villagers living in the Himalayan foothills of northeastern India heavily depend on livestock, mainly yaks, goats and sheep, for their livelihoods and to feed their families. LANSING, Mich. (AP) - The state with the highest car insurance premiums in the country is on the verge of a political showdown over long-running efforts to cut rates by reining in generous medical benefits. Auto-friendly Michigan, which is among a dozen "no-fault" states where drivers must buy personal injury protection, is the only one to require unlimited coverage for crash victims. Motorists who are seriously injured need not worry about health expenses, but the insurance is expensive. Now, a Republican-led Legislature that is pushing to save people money by making the coverage optional has, for the first time, passed bills out of both chambers . Lawmakers must still resolve differences between the measures, including mandating rate cuts for personal injury protection, known as PIP. But if they do, GOP legislators could send an auto insurance overhaul to the desk of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and dare her to veto it. She is warning that she will not sign the legislation unless lawmakers also make other changes. Democrats want to ban the use of non-driving factors like ZIP codes or credits score to set premiums, a practice that they contend is discriminatory and particularly harmful to low-income people. They also say a proposed five-year rollback in PIP rates is inadequate, and that more must be done to lock in savings for people who drop or curtail their gold-plated medical benefits. "I've been very clear that I'm not going to sign a bill that preserves a corrupt system where insurance companies are allowed to unfairly discriminate in setting rates," Whitmer said. "I am only interested in signing a bill that is reasonable and fair and actually provides strong consumer protection and immediate financial relief." The standoff comes as legislators report increased angst from residents over high rates. FILE- In a June 23, 2015, file photo, traffic heads north along the Lodge freeway in Detroit. Michigan, the state with the highest car insurance premiums in the country, is on the verge of a political showdown over long-running efforts to cut rates by reining in generous medical benefits. The Republican-led Legislature is pushing to save people money by making mandatory unlimited medical coverage optional, but Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer opposes dueling bills that have cleared the House and Seante. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File) A University of Michigan study released last month found that car insurance is unaffordable in 97% of Michigan's ZIP codes. The average premium in Michigan - $2,693, according to the most recent report from The Zebra, an insurance comparison website - is 83% higher than the national average of $1,470. Detroit's premium on average is $5,464, far surpassing any other U.S. city. Some people who cannot afford the payments "drive dirty" by taking to the streets without any insurance, which is illegal. "We are in a death spiral right now in our auto insurance industry. Higher rates have led to less people having insurance, and less people having insurance has led to higher rates. It's time for this death spiral to end," said Republican Sen. Aric Nesbitt of Lawton, who is sponsoring the Senate measure, which would also crack down on fraud and empower auto insurers to review if treatment or service is unnecessarily wasteful. Both the Senate and House measures would let motorists with other health insurance choose not to have PIP benefits, which can account for up to half of someone's premium. Unlike several other no-fault states, Michigan does not have a fee schedule for medical care covered by auto insurers. So car insurers pay much more for the same services than is paid by employer plans or government insurance such as Medicare or Medicaid. The legislation would cap reimbursements at workers' compensation levels. Democrats say the bills fall short, and they appear more interested in first tightening oversight of an industry they say is less regulated than in other states before scaling back health coverage. They did propose an alternative plan in the House that would allow some drivers - those age 62 and older - to partially waive PIP benefits. "This bill does not guarantee long-term rate reductions. It reverts right back to the insurance companies having complete control," said House Minority Leader Christine Greig, a Farmington Hills Democrat. Attempts to change the auto insurance system are nothing new in Michigan and have long led to stalemates as some of the state's biggest political spenders and lobbyists - hospitals, business groups, plaintiffs' attorneys, health providers and insurance companies - line up for and against. Voters in 1992 and 1994 defeated insurance industry-backed ballot proposals to cap medical benefits. But that was decades ago. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and others filed a lawsuit last year asking that the 1973 no-fault law be declared unconstitutional for failing to provide "fair and equitable" insurance rates. Detroit businessman Dan Gilbert has talked about backing a 2020 ballot initiative if lawmakers do not act. "What use is the best medical benefit in the country if our people can't afford it?" said Rep. Ben Frederick, an Owosso Republican. ___ Follow Eggert on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 Sen. Aric Nesbitt, a Lawton Republican, speaks with reporters following a Senate committee's party-line vote in favor of his bill that would end a requirement that drivers have unlimited medical coverage through their car insurer on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, in Lansing, Mich. Nesbitt says health costs are driving high auto insurance rates in the state. (AP Photo/David Eggert) DALLAS (AP) - When Allan Votaw stepped onto Cal Farley's Boys Ranch in Texas in 1957, the 5-year-old hoped he and his two brothers - ages 3 and 6 - had found a home. Instead, the now-66-year-old says, they found a "horror house" where sadistic staff members whipped children until they were bruised and bloody and children were molested by older kids. "You lived in fear, you totally lived in fear," said Votaw, who said he still has nightmares from his 10 years on the sprawling ranch for at-risk youths outside of Amarillo. He railed against the ranch for years, feeling alone in his fight until reading a 2017 story in the British newspaper The Guardian that featured a handful of men - including childhood friends - describing abuse they suffered there as children. Since then more men have come forward, but the reckoning some had hoped for hasn't happened. Despite the revelations, the ranch continues to glorify its past, from the description on its website of founder Cal Farley's desire to provide a haven for children to celebrations of the ranch's 80th anniversary this year that have included a gala and inspirational film depicting life there. Ranch President and CEO Dan Adams said while he believes the men, he's focused on current residents - and the future. He said the ranch will pay for former residents' counseling, adding they responded last month to those not comfortable contacting the ranch by arranging for a third party to set it up. But, he said, he doesn't want the men's stories incorporated into the ranch's account of its history, and noted it's not part of a book the Christian ranch produced for the anniversary. "I'll acknowledge these guys, but I'm not a promoter of their agenda," said Adams, who came to the ranch in 1996. In this Friday, March 22, 2019 photo, Allan Votaw, 66, pauses as he recalls and describes the years of abuse he suffered at the Cal Farley's Boys Ranch during an interview at this home in Kingston, Okla. Votow says his childhood years of 1957-1967 at the famed ranch near Amarillo, Texas were marked with horrible abuses against himself, his two brothers and numerous other boys placed under care of the rural institution. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Adams also said he hadn't considered using an outside party to investigate the allegations and produce a public report, something legal experts say can give validation to those speaking out. The amount of time that has passed makes legal recourse - criminal or civil - unlikely due to statutes of limitations. Men who lived there from the 1950s through the 1980s paint a picture of a place steeped in violence. They say whippings with belts were frequent and brutal, with grown men sometimes making a running start and using belts so long they circled boys' bodies, also hitting them in the groin. Whippings came for everything from forgetting a Bible verse to getting a bad grade, they said. Also, some men say they were molested or raped by older boys. "They didn't care about us then and they don't care about us now," said 69-year-old Steve Smith, who was 8 when he and his 5-year-old brother arrived at the ranch in 1957. Smith along with Janet Heimlich, founder of an Austin-based nonprofit called The Child-Friendly Faith Project , have become leaders of a burgeoning group of men who are talking about their experiences. Heimlich says about 100 men have come forward, some of them sharing stories on a Facebook group. The men say the ranch has left a legacy of men struggling to deal with trauma that in some has led to homelessness, drug addiction, suicide and prison. "It's stayed with me my whole life. And I've always had these - I guess you'd call flashbacks - of the screams and punishment," said Smith, who lives in Amarillo. "They never left me. I've had them in me all my life and I know most of the other guys have too. It's just too much to take when you're that young and too much to see." Mental health experts say the abuse described by the men can have lifelong effects, not only by causing conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety but also increasing the risk of suicide, health problems including diabetes and cancer, and risky behaviors including alcohol and drug abuse. "What we know is that the more of these adverse childhood experiences you have, it changes our body, it changes the way our brains work," said Robin Gurwitch, a psychologist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Over the decades, children ended up at the ranch for a variety of reasons. Some were sent there by law enforcement, some were rebellious teens sent by their parents. Some, like the Smith and Votaw brothers, were sent by mothers struggling to support them after their fathers left. Votaw's brothers have both died - the younger one, Gregg, from a heroin overdose in 2009 at age 55. The older one, Rusty, died by suicide in 2014 at age 63; Votaw says his older brother had pancreatic cancer at the time. "Our mentality was so disrupted that we made decisions that normal people wouldn't," said Votaw, who lives in Oklahoma and said the ranch left him quick to fight. Robert Cream, 44, said he has come to realize how "broken" his experience at the ranch in the 1980s left him. "I'm always looking behind me because I never know who is going to come up and hit me next," he said. In this photo provided by Steve Smith on May 10, 2019, a display of items Smith kept related to Cal Farley's Boys Ranch are shown. Smith and his brother, Rick, went to the ranch in 1957. They are among men who say they were abused at the ranch. The display shows the front page of the Amarillo Globe-News that was published after The Guardian wrote about the allegations. Also shown are postcards Smith has kept. The postcard on top shows, Gregg Votaw, left front, Steve Smith, left rear, Rusty Votaw, middle, Rick Smith, right rear, and an unidentified person kneeling on right front. The postcard on bottom left shows Rick Smith. The postcard on bottom right shows Steve Smith. (AP Photo/Steve Smith) In this Friday, March 22, 2019 photo, Allan Votaw, 66, poses for a portrait outside his home in Kingston, Okla. According to Votow, his childhood years of 1957-1967 at the famed the Cal Farley's Boys Ranch near Amarillo, Texas were marked with horrible abuses against himself, his two brothers and numerous other boys placed under care of the rural institution. (AP Photo/LM Otero) In this Friday, March 22, 2019 photo, Allan Votaw, 66, looks over his writings that describe the years of abuse he suffered at the Cal Farley's Boys Ranch while sitting for an interview at this home in Kingston, Okla. Votow says his childhood years of 1957-1967 at the famed ranch near Amarillo, Texas were marked with horrible abuses against himself, his two brothers and numerous other boys placed under care of the rural institution. (AP Photo/LM Otero) The fate of a shuttered General Motors plant in Ohio remains very much up in the air even after a tweet from President Donald Trump heralded the potential sale of a factory he has shown an intense interest in saving. That's because the buyer is a fledgling electric vehicle maker that has never posted a profit, has only about 100 employees and warned this year that it might not have enough money to stay in business. What the potential deal does signal is the likely end of a half-century of car manufacturing for GM at its factory near Youngstown and continued uncertainty for a battered Rust Belt community that has seen plenty of empty promises. GM confirmed this past week that it's negotiating the sale of its massive assembly plant in Lordstown, where production ended in March as part of a major restructuring for the automaker. Cincinnati-based Workhorse Group intends to make a commercial electric pickup truck at the facility. Its only production plant is in Union City, Indiana, where it has built about 400 delivery trucks. It has started supplying UPS with electric vehicles and is one of five companies competing to land a $6 billion contract to make a new generation of mail trucks for the U.S. Postal Service. FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2018 file photo, hundreds of Chevrolet Cruze cars sit in a parking lot at General Motors' assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. A potential deal to sell the shuttered General Motors plant is still leaving the factory with an uncertain future. In May 2019, GM confirmed that it's negotiating the sale of the massive assembly plant. (Andrew Rush/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP, File) But there are major questions about its financial footing. Workhorse has poured most of its money into research and development, with limited sales, losing $36.5 million last year. It warned in its most recent quarterly filing that it didn't have enough money to pay for its operations through the first half of this year and needed additional financing to stay afloat. But the publicly traded company, whose stock soared after Trump's tweet , also said it believes it can raise enough money to keep going. Still, it doesn't yet appear to have backing like one of its competitors, Rivian, which just got a $500 million investment from Ford to develop a new electric vehicle. The plan Workhorse laid out this week is for it to be a minority investor in a new entity that would own the Lordstown plant. No other investors have been announced, and it's still looking for partners. GM spokesman Jim Cain said it was too early to tell whether the automaker would be one of them. GM sees the startup as a way to preserve the Lordstown plant and thinks Workhorse has the technology and a product to build there, Cain said. Tesla Inc. and other startup companies were small businesses at one time, he pointed out. If Workhorse does begin production there, it would likely start out with a few hundred workers, far less than the 4,500 people GM employed just two years ago before it began cutting shifts. Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, whose district includes the plant, said a sale won't help GM workers in the area who would need to transfer if they want to keep their pension and benefits with the automaker. Any long-term job growth for the region would be years away, he said, but "it's better than the plant being empty." Trump has repeatedly called on GM to find another owner or reopen the plant, which is in an area of the state that will be important to him in the 2020 election and where he has promised a revival of manufacturing jobs. Some GM workers in Lordstown who have been holding out hope the automaker would reopen the factory with a new vehicle to build there were skeptical about the new plans. Since the area's steel mills began closing in the 1970s, investors have come into the Mahoning Valley pledging to build factories that would make blimps, commuter airplanes and a new version of the Studebaker, said Tim O'Hara, who worked at the Lordstown plant for 41 years. "Nothing ever came of it," he said. "We've been through this in the valley. We've had these false promises. We're kind of used to it, at least we should be." O'Hara, who is vice president of the United Auto Workers local at the plant, noted that any sale still needs to be negotiated during upcoming contract talks with the union, which still wants GM to stay and keep the plant open. "We're telling our members to hope for the best, prepare for the worst," he said. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who has called for GM to sell the plant if it doesn't intend to keep it running, said it was too early to celebrate because many details must still be worked out. "If things are not in place for this to happen," the governor said, "this would be very cruel to the workers and the people in Lordstown and the Mahoning Valley." ___ Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio; Krisher reported from Detroit. MCALLEN, Texas (AP) - The Latest on acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan's visit to the U.S.-Mexico border (all times local): 1:45 p.m. Acting Defense Secretary has offered assurances to perhaps two dozen Border Patrol agents and other officials at the McAllen Border Patrol Station in Texas that the Pentagon won't withdraw its military support prematurely. He says "we're not going to leave until the border is secure." Shanahan also says "this isn't about identifying a problem. It's about fixing a problem more quickly." Shanahan told Congress this past week that there are 4,364 military troops on the border, including active-duty and National Guard. They are erecting barriers, providing logistics and transportation service and other activities in support of Customs and Border Protection. The troops are prohibited from performing law enforcement duties. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, left, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, arrive to testify at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the defense budget, Wednesday May 8, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Troops have been deployed on the border since last October and are committed to being there through September. ___ 10 a.m. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan says he intends to accelerate planning to secure the U.S.-Mexican border and bolster the Homeland Security Department's ability to do its mission without continuous military help. Shanahan is arrived in McAllen, Texas, for a border visit. He plans to see firsthand how the military's assistance is working and to talk to troops and others involved in border operations about the challenges they face. Shortfalls in personnel and other resources have led DHS to periodically ask for the military's help on the border, without a plan for how to fix the underlying resource problems. Shanahan dismisses any suggestion that active-duty forces will continue that mission for the long haul. They've been deployed on the border since last October and are committed to being there through September. MEDINA, Ohio (AP) - A former long haul trucker authorities say is linked by DNA to slayings of four women at truck stops in Ohio and Illinois has been ordered hospitalized at a psychiatric facility to determine if he's mentally competent to stand trial on rape charges outside Cleveland. The Medina Gazette reports Medina County Judge Joyce Kimbler on Friday ordered 49-year-old Samuel Legg's hospitalization for up to four months. Legg is charged with raping a 17-year-old girl in September 1997. The Medina County prosecutor then didn't pursue charges after questioning the victim's credibility. Defense attorney David Sheldon says Legg is currently unable to assist in his defense. Authorities arrested Legg at an Arizona group home in January after updated DNA technology linked him to the rape, three Ohio slayings and one in Illinois. ___ Information from: The Medina County Gazette, http://www.medina-gazette.com TYNDALL, S.D. (AP) - A South Dakota man is accused of stealing $500 worth of sex toys from a couple's home over a period of about two years. The Argus Leader reports that 25-year-old Brody Fuchs, of Tyndall (TIN'-duhl), is charged with second-degree burglary. Bon Homme County Sheriff's Deputy Brian McGuire says Fuchs took "a bunch" of the items from a residence in Tyndall, which is near the Nebraska border. An affidavit says the couple had installed a camera system inside the house, which caught Fuchs entering the home for about 40 seconds, then leaving. A deputy recovered a number of sex toys during a search of the suspect's residence. McGuire did not say whether Fuchs knew the couple. A phone number for Fuchs could not be found. ___ This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the deputy's last name. ___ Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - A U.S. aircraft carrier strike group rushes toward the Persian Gulf. Decades-old B-52 bombers rumble down runways at desert air bases. The Pentagon, meanwhile, routes a Patriot missile battery and an amphibious supply ship to return to the region. These military deployments in the Persian Gulf, beginning with a sudden May 5 order from the White House citing still-unspecified threats from Iran, comes as Tehran has begun setting its own deadlines over its unraveling nuclear deal that President Donald Trump pulled America of out of a year ago. Yet even without these movements, the U.S. has maintained a vast network of bases across the Persian Gulf dating back to the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq. Allied Gulf Arab nations, many rich from oil reserves, equip their own forces with billions of dollars of American arms as well. Here's what military assets the U.S. has across the Persian Gulf, those it is now bringing in, and why America has maintained its long presence in the region. ___ 'UNRELENTING FORCE' In this Thursday, May 9, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Navy, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln transits the Suez Canal in Egypt. The aircraft carrier and its strike group are deploying to the Persian Gulf on orders from the White House to respond to an unspecified threat from Iran. (Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Dan Snow, U.S. Navy via AP) John Bolton, Trump's national security adviser, announced the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its strike group on May 5 over "troubling and escalatory indications and warnings" that still have not been specified. He warned Iran any attack would U.S. interests or allies would face "unrelenting force." The Lincoln, which left the U.S. in April on a scheduled deployment, had planned to come to the Persian Gulf on its around-the-world trip to San Diego, California. Now it is steaming there earlier. Alongside the Lincoln are three destroyers, the USS Bainbridge, the USS Mason and the USS Nitze, as well as the guided-missile cruiser the USS Leyte Gulf and a Spanish frigate, the ESPS Mendez Nunez. Separately, B-52s from the 20th Bomb Squadron of Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana have landed in Qatar and elsewhere in "southwest Asia" - possibly the United Arab Emirates - in recent days. On Friday, the Pentagon announced it would be returning a Patriot missile battery to the wider Mideast, as well as sending the USS Arlington, an amphibious warship carrying U.S. Marines. The USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship carrying Marines and warplanes, just left the Persian Gulf and is nearby in the Arabian Sea. ___ U.S. BASES, PERSONNEL IN THE REGION The Persian Gulf hosts a series of major American military installations. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which oversees the region, is based in Bahrain, an island nation off the coast of Saudi Arabia that is home to over 7,000 American troops. Kuwait hosts over 13,000 American troops and the U.S. Army's Central forward headquarters. Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is the largest port of call for the U.S. Navy outside of America. The UAE hosts 5,000 U.S. military personnel, many at Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra Air Base, where American drones and advanced F-35 jetfighters are stationed. The forward headquarters of the U.S. military's Central Command is at Qatar's sprawling Al Udeid Air Base, home to some 10,000 American troops. In Oman, the sultanate allows thousands of overflights and hundreds of landings a year, while also granting access to ports and its bases. Meanwhile, U.S. special forces personnel reportedly are on the ground in Yemen amid the Saudi-led war against the Houthi rebels. The U.S. also carries out a yearslong drone-strike campaign there targeting suspected members of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. ___ U.S. PRESENCE FROM THE CARTER DOCTRINE TO THE WAR YEARS During the Cold War, the U.S. pledged to defend its Persian Gulf allies from the Soviet Union. By the start of 1980, however, the region was in turmoil. The Islamic Revolution in Iran had thrown out the American-allied shah. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan sparked fear in the administration of President Jimmy Carter that Moscow could be within striking distance of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil traded by sea now passes. The president's eponymous Carter Doctrine emerged from that. It holds that the U.S. would use military force to defend its interests across the energy-rich Persian Gulf. But what would cement the U.S. presence in the region came in 1990, when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded his oil-rich neighbor Kuwait. Defense agreements struck with Gulf Arab nations then grew into a series of major military installations across the region. The presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia, home to the Muslim world's holiest sites, served as a chief complaint of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden ahead of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Those attacks led to the U.S. war in Afghanistan, which continues today over 17 years later. The 2003 invasion of Iraq and the chaos that followed, including the rise of the Islamic State group there and in Syria, only increased the importance the U.S. holds on its bases in the region. ___ THE VIEW FROM IRAN Iran's Shiite theocracy long has looked at the presence of U.S. forces ringing its country with suspicion. One flash point is the Strait of Hormuz in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, which at its narrowest point is just 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide. The width of the shipping lane in either direction is only 3 kilometers (2 miles). The strait is viewed as an international transit route. American forces routinely travel through the area, despite sometimes-tense encounters with Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary force answerable only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. For its part, Iran compares the American presence to Tehran sending warships to the Gulf of Mexico. "Breaking: Our Navy operates in - yes, correct - the Persian Gulf, not the Gulf of Mexico. Question is what US Navy doing 7,500 miles from home," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif once tweeted in 2017, attaching a map showing the distance between the two bodies of water. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP. In this Thursday, May 9, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Navy, the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group transits the Suez Canal in Egypt. The aircraft carrier and its strike group are deploying to the Persian Gulf on orders from the White House to respond to an unspecified threat from Iran. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Amber Smalley, U.S. Navy via AP) In this Thursday, May 9, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Navy, Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 2nd Class Jason Caldwell, assigned to the "Jolly Rogers" of Strike Fighter Squadron 103, observes sunrise on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln while transiting the Suez Canal in Egypt. The aircraft carrier and its strike group are deploying to the Persian Gulf on orders from the White House to respond to an unspecified threat from Iran. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Amber Smalley, U.S. Navy via AP) In this Thursday, May 9, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Navy, Operations Specialist Seaman Angelica Ruelas of Albuquerque, New Mexico, stands lookout while the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln transits the Suez Canal in Egypt. The aircraft carrier and its strike group are deploying to the Persian Gulf on orders from the White House to respond to an unspecified threat from Iran. (Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Dan Snow, U.S. Navy via AP) In this Thursday, May 9, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Navy, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln transits the Suez Canal in Egypt. The aircraft carrier and its strike group are deploying to the Persian Gulf on orders from the White House to respond to an unspecified threat from Iran. (Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Dan Snow, U.S. Navy via AP) In this Thursday, May 9, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Navy, the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group transits the Suez Canal in Egypt. The aircraft carrier and its strike group are deploying to the Persian Gulf on orders from the White House to respond to an unspecified threat from Iran. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Darion Chanelle Triplett/U.S. Navy via AP) FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2017 photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, German soldiers assigned to Surface Air and Missile Defense Wing 1, fire the Patriot weapons system at the NATO Missile Firing Installation, in Chania, Greece. The Pentagon says the U.S. will move a Patriot missile battery into the Middle East region to counter threats from Iran. The department provided no details, but a defense official says the move comes after intelligence showed that the Iranians have loaded military equipment and missiles onto small boats. (Sebastian Apel/U.S. Department of Defense, via AP) In this Thursday, May 9, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Air Force, a B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron is parked on the ramp at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The B-52 bombers ordered by the White House to deploy to the Persian Gulf to counter unspecified threats from Iran are beginning to arrive at a major American air base in Qatar. (Senior Airman Keifer Bowes, U.S. Air Force via AP) In this Thursday, May 9, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Air Force, a B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron is seen through night vision coming in for a landing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The B-52 bombers ordered by the White House to deploy to the Persian Gulf to counter unspecified threats from Iran are beginning to arrive at a major American air base in Qatar. (Staff Sgt. Ashley Gardner/U.S. Air Force via AP) Worshippers chant slogans against the United States and Israel during a rally after Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran, Friday, May 10, 2019. A top commander in Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said Friday that Tehran will not talk with the United States, an Iranian news agency reported - a day after President Donald Trump said he'd like Iranian leaders to "call me." (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) - Four insurgents armed with rifles and grenades attacked a luxury hotel in the southwestern coastal town of Gwadar on Saturday, triggering an intense, hours-long shootout in which one hotel guard and all the attackers were killed, officials said. In a statement, the military said troops quickly responded to the attack on the Pearl Continental hotel and that all the guests were safely evacuated. The hotel guard was killed as the assailants opened fire with small arms. A Baluch separatist group, the Baluch Liberation Army, claimed responsibility, saying its four fighters were involved. In a statement, the group released pictures of the attackers, who authorities say were killed in the ensuing gun battle. "All four of the terrorists have been killed," said a senior security official. A second security official said troops had taken control of the area after killing the assailants. Both security officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media. They said a search was still under way in the area. The hotel is located near the port at Gwadar, which was built by Pakistan with China's help in recent years. Gwadar lies about 700 kilometers (435 miles) southwest of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. The region has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatists who demand a greater share of the province's natural gas and mineral resources. The latest attack came weeks after Islamabad claimed that a group of militants crossed the border from neighboring Iran and killed 14 security officials when they were on their way to Gwadar in buses. Pakistan at the time blamed a Baluch separatist group, Raji Aajoi Sangar, for the killings. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana State University is working with a private citizen and a university in Puerto Rico to control an invasive South American weed that can quickly form dense mats over waterways. Recovery from Hurricane Maria, which hit the island in 2017, leaves Puerto Rico with few resources to fight giant salvinia, and it's important to bring back freshwater habitat, LSU AgCenter entomologist Rodrigo Diaz said in a news release Friday. The fast-growing aquatic fern can form thick mats that choke aquatic life and hamper swimming and boating. It can double the area covered in as little as a week, and tiny eggbeater-shaped "hairs" on the nickel-sized leaves let them shed liquid droplets, making the plant hard to kill with herbicides. Giant salvinia has overtaken a lake southeast of San Juan and Daniel Diaz, who lives on Lago Las Curias, got in touch with the AgCenter after looking for ways to control it. For more than a decade, the AgCenter's been raising flea-sized salvinia weevils, which feed on the plant and kill it - and don't eat anything else. The AgCenter and University of Puerto Rico entomologist Jose Carlos Verle Rodrigues are working to get permits to export the weevils to Puerto Rico. Weevil-infested salvinia has been set out in salvinia-infested lakes, canals and bayous around Louisiana. However, cold winters kill the weevils, so more heavy containers of the infested weed must be hauled in and deployed around a waterway to keep salvinia under control. "That shouldn't be a problem in Puerto Rico," said Charlie Wahl, an AgCenter entomology research associate who will bring the weevils to the island once the project is approved. He has extensive experience in rearing and releasing the weevils in Louisiana and monitoring their effect on salvinia. Wahl said there is a strategy for placing the weevils, and he will help show how to use them most effectively. PHOENIX (AP) - Paz Lopez was set to spend Mother's Day behind bars. The 42-year-old mother of six had been locked up in a Phoenix jail for the past month on forgery and other charges. She couldn't post her $2,050 bail. But on Thursday night she walked out and into a car waiting to give her a ride home, thanks to a drive to bail out moms so they can spend Mother's Day with their kids. In a tearful video made immediately after her release, Lopez said it was a privilege that she would now get to see her children. She welled up when speaking about the coming birth of her first grandchild. "There's just no greater feeling than being a mother," Lopez said. "I'm grateful for both of you to help me be able to spend the day with them and be able to see my grandchild be born." Lopez had her bail covered by Living United for Change in Arizona, or LUCHA, a social and racial justice group. The organization said they were inspired to do this for a second year by an initiative known as "Black Mamas Bail Out," which is posting bail for dozens of mothers of color for the third straight year. The effort is organized by the National Bail Out collective, a coalition of various grassroots groups, attorneys and activists nationwide. The campaign hopes to bail out more than 100 women in 35 cities in time for Mother's Day. The objective is not just to reunite families but to push for change in the cash bail system. Critics contend the nation's courts are unfairly punishing poor defendants by setting high bail for low-level crimes that causes them to languish in jail for months, separating them from their jobs and families. In some cases, they remain locked up until their case is dismissed or they take a guilty plea just so they can get out of jail, albeit with a criminal record. There has been a national push to reform bail by advocates who say incarceration should depend on a suspect's risk to public safety, not the ability to pay. Annette Alvarez, middle, joins other protesters as they gather in front of Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery's office Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. For Mother's Day, dozens of mothers are getting time with their children instead of time behind bars as the National Bail Out Collective is organizing its "Black Mama's Bail Out" initiative to post bail for women of color who would otherwise be in jail. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Mary Hooks, co-director of Atlanta-based Southerners On New Ground, came up with the idea in 2016. She joined with Law For Black Lives, a female-led network of lawyers and legal advocates, to bring together a collective of organizations. It's been difficult at times to get sympathy, she said, because people often think someone sitting in jail pre-trial must have done something wrong. "We're in a political time right now where 'Barbecue Becky' or anyone else can call the police on someone and you can get arrested instantly for barbecuing," Hooks said, referring to the white woman who called police on two black men using a grill in an Oakland, California, park. The men were not arrested. "This notion 'you're in jail because you've done something horrible,' we have to remind ourselves we have a Constitution that says 'innocent until proven guilty.'" Jaymeshia Jordan, of Oakland, said she would have faced another 10 months in jail if she hadn't been rescued by a bailout two days before last Mother's Day by Oakland advocacy group Essie Justice Group. Jordan, who declined to say what she was arrested for, faced a $450,000 bail. She had no way of paying even a fraction of that on her own or with a bail bondsman. "I would have just sat in custody till my case was over," Jordan said. She was in jail for three months. In that time, her 5-year-old son lost his first tooth and learned how to tie his shoes. Organizations choose who to assist based on referrals from attorneys and other activists. They don't take into account whether a woman is accused of a violent or non-violent crime. According to the collective's organizers, the mothers they help show up at court at "high rates" but the majority of the money they've handed out for bail hasn't been returned. LUCHA, the Phoenix group, plans to fund as many bail releases as possible with the $9,000 they have raised. Organizers Nicole Hale said they will offer mothers additional support including court date reminders and rides. "We don't just hand someone a piece of paper and say 'good luck.' They don't have to go through the system alone," Hale said. Several studies suggest that bail amounts are set sometimes as much as three times higher for people of color, said Shima Baughman, a criminal law professor at the University of Utah College of Law. Even a $200 bail for a misdemeanor crime can be beyond what's in a person's bank account. According to a 2018 report from the non-partisan Prison Policy Initiative, roughly 2.9 million women are jailed in the U.S. every year. An estimated 80% are either pregnant or have children. Women of color are even more heavily impacted, especially if they are working mothers who likely earn lower salaries, according to Baughman. A few days in jail can lead to the loss of a job or child custody. "When women are the ones that bear most of the burdens in the family, their kids are the ones that are going to suffer," Baughman said. "Because in many families, women are responsible for working outside the home and also for child care, they can face dire circumstances with their children when they are forced to serve even a couple of nights in jail." Jeff Clayton, executive director of the American Bail Coalition, said some of these Mother's Day bailouts are publicity stunts that don't tackle the larger issue of affordability of bail. It's unrealistic for organizers to call for a cash-free bail system, he added. "Not to say these people aren't doing good work," Clayton said. "But it's questionable whether saying they're an abolitionist and banning all money bail is really the best solution." In the past few years, several states have made moves to overhaul their own system including New Jersey, Alaska and New Mexico. There are more than 200 bail reform bills nationwide, according to Baughman. In California, voters next year will decide whether to overturn a law eliminating bail altogether for suspects awaiting trial. Instead, counties would set up their own risk-assessment programs through probation departments. However, computer algorithms or risk-assessment programs can be biased as well, Baughman said. Paying for bail has become a growing strategy for local communities to divert the prison pipeline. Last month, rapper T.I. and VH1's "Love and Hip Hop" personality Scrapp Deleon joined with an Atlanta church to help post bail for nonviolent offenders for Easter. They exceeded their goal and raised $120,000. Sixteen men and seven women got to go home. ___ Follow Terry Tang on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ttangAP Protesters gather in front of Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery's office Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. For Mother's Day, dozens of mothers are getting time with their children instead of time behind bars as the National Bail Out Collective is organizing its "Black Mama's Bail Out" initiative to post bail for women of color who would otherwise be in jail. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Mati Diop only realized long after her Dakar-set "Atlantics" had been selected to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival that she had made history. Diop, the 36-year-old French-born filmmaker of Senegalese heritage, is the first black woman in competition for Cannes' top honor, the Palme d'Or. The 72nd Cannes Film Festival, which opens Tuesday will feature a lot of familiar faces who have long made Cannes their home, including Pedro Almodovar, Ken Loach and Jim Jarmusch, whose zombie comedy "The Dead Don't Die" will open the festival and mark the director's ninth time in competition in Cannes. But Cannes is also where a new cinematic voice can be catapulted onto cinema's world stage. Diop, who has made a number of acclaimed shorts and who starred in Claire Denis' "35 Shots of Rum," will make her feature film debut in Cannes. She's one of four female directors in the festival's 21-film main slate, which ties Cannes' previous high, in 2011. "I've been through all kinds of different emotions from the announcement until now," said Diop by phone in Paris where she was busy putting the finishing touches on "Atlantics." ''But it's very stimulating for me to be part of this specific edition that is remarkable for its novelty. It's a selection in which there are more women, in which there are first feature films, where Africa is represented. "This gives me the feeling of being part of some new excitement," she added. "In a way, it's a turning point for the festival." Whether this year's edition of Cannes will indeed open a new chapter in the prestigious 72-year history of the French Riviera festival remains to be seen. Certainly, the tremors of last year's Cannes - where 82 women protested gender inequality on the red-carpeted steps of the Palais des Festivals - are still being felt. FILE - This May 8, 2018 file photo shows actors Penelope Cruz, right, and Javier Bardem posing for photographers at the opening ceremony of the 71st international film festival, Cannes, southern France. The 72nd international film festival kicks off on Tuesday, May 14. (Photo by Arthur Mola/Invision/AP) One of the primary figures of that demonstration was Agnes Varda, the French New Wave pioneer who died in March at 90. As a tribute, this year's official Cannes poster is a picture of Varda shooting her first feature, 1955's "La Pointe Courte," peering through a raised camera while standing on the back of a man. Whether Cannes has done enough to adjust to the #MeToo era is sure to be a prominent subject throughout the festival. This year's selection committee, for the first time, was half women. Still, some have criticized the festival's selections - about 25 percent directed by women, in total - as a slight and unconvincing improvement. (By comparison, women directed 40 percent of the Berlin Film Festival's selections, and 46 percent of those at Sundance.) "In the time that Agnes Varda started, it was hard for women to be directors," Thierry Fremaux, artistic director of Cannes, told IndieWire. "More and more, it's not easy, but it's easier. We have more female directors in films schools, in universities, and in the industry. It's logical that at a film festival like Cannes, we have had more women over time, because we have paid more attention." Tradition and progress are always in tension at Cannes. For the second straight year, this year's in-competition selections will feature no Netflix releases. Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma" was last year set to premiere at Cannes before French distributors - aiming to preserve the country's theatrical window - pushed the festival to require that all films up for the Palme d'Or have a release planned in French theaters. Netflix withdrew its films , including "Roma." (This year, the streamer does have one movie, "Wounds," in the parallel section Directors' Fortnight.) Netflix could still be a presence at Cannes' film market, the world's largest. Amazon Studios, which has released its films first in theaters, will have the first streaming series to debut at Cannes. The first two episodes of Nicolas Winding Refn's 10-part crime drama "Too Old to Die Young" will premiere at the festival. But some things never change. Tom Bernard, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, will, as he's done for decades, be frantically riding a bicycle racing from one screening to the next in search for the specialty distributor's next acquisition - and, hopefully, a seat. "There's always discovery," said Bernard. Sony Pictures Classics has two films in competition: Almodovar's "Pain and Glory" and Ira Sachs' "Frankie." Bernard believes that while the streamers may be deeper pocketed, those pledging a theatrical release can offer a different kind of prominence. "Everybody has a very unique thing to offer. We have to offer a theatrical experience, a long run in the theaters in the U.S., a long run in all of the various windows of the movie, so that it reaches many more people over the long run," said Bernard. "Whereas a lot of the streaming services, it's a one-and-done proposition." This year's Cannes, where Alejandro Inarritu will preside over the jury that will decide the Palme d'Or, has some of the Hollywood glitz that has perhaps gone wanting in recent years. Twenty five years after "Pulp Fiction" won the Palme d'Or, Quentin Tarantino will be back on the Croisette with his 1969 Los Angeles saga "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," with Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. The Elton John biopic "Rocketman" will splash down. "The Dead Don't Die" will bring Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Adam Driver back to Cannes. Jarmusch has been coming to Cannes since 1984's "Stranger Than Paradise." For him, the festival has been a lifeblood to his artistic freedom. "In the old days, it was essential for me in my ability to sell the films," said Jarmusch. "I would often have them premiere there before all the world sales were made so that was incredibly helpful which allowed me to continue as I have having creative control over my films. Cannes is kind of wrapped up in that." Other Cannes regulars include the Dardennes brothers ("The Young Ahmed"), Xavier Dolan ("Matthias and Maxime") and Terrence Malick ("A Hidden Life"), the notoriously press-shy filmmaker whose last Cannes entry, "The Tree of Life," won the Palme d'Or in 2011. But part of this year's excitement is in the new faces. Among those in competition for the first time are Mali-born Ladj Ly's "Les Miserables" and China's Diao Yinan ("The Wild Goose Lake"). In Cannes' Un Certain Regard sidebar, American filmmakers Danielle Lessovitz ("Port Authority"), Annie Silverstein ("Bull") and Michael Covino ("The Climb") will all be screening features for the first time in Cannes. So will Robert Eggers, whose 17th century puritan nightmare "The Witch" was an indie hit in 2015, announcing the arrival of a filmmaker of meticulous period research and genre ambition. His "The Lighthouse," playing in Directors' Fortnight, stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as turn-of-the-century lighthouse keepers. Eggers shot it in 35mm and in black and white using old lenses and old-looking filters. "It takes place on a remote and mysterious island off the coast of Maine but there's a way in which it should feel 'once upon a time,'" said Eggers. "Even though it's rusty, dusty, crusty, musty and grounded in reality, it still has some things about it that should feel like a storybook." Dappled in sunshine and splendor along the Mediterranean, Cannes can feel like a different kind of storybook, shining a beacon for cinema. The seas are often rough, and always changing. ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP FILE - This May 7, 2018 file photo shows a view of the Palais des Festivals at the 71st international film festival, Cannes, southern France. The 72nd international film festival kicks off on Tuesday, May 14. (Photo by Arthur Mola/Invision/AP, File) This image released by Focus Features shows, from left, Bill Murray Chloe Sevigny and Adam Driver in a scene from "The Dead Don't Die," which will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. (Abbot Genser/Focus Features via AP) This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Taron Egerton as Elton John in a scene from "Rocketman," which will be shown during the Cannes Film Festival. (David Appleby/ Paramount Pictures via AP) This image released by Sony Pictures shows Brad Pitt in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." The film will premiere in competition at the upcoming French festival, adding one of the summer's starriest, most anticipated films to Cannes' red carpet. (Andrew Cooper/Sony-Columbia Pictures via AP) This image released by Sony Pictures shows Leonardo DiCaprio in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." The film will premiere in competition at the upcoming French festival, adding one of the summer's starriest, most anticipated films to Cannes' red carpet. (Andrew Cooper/Sony-Columbia Pictures via AP) ST. PETERS, Mo. (AP) - A Missouri man is charged with felony animal abuse after authorities say he killed and dismembered cats he found in online want ads. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says 20-year-old Kaine Louzader was charged Friday. Prosecutors say more charges are expected. Court documents say dead cats have been turning up on or near Louzader's street outside St. Peters since January. Police contacted Louzader after someone reported seeing him dump a dead cat near his house. St. Charles County police Sgt. Jeff Ochs says Louzader told police he would scour Craigslist ads for free cats, then would take them home and stomp or strangle them. Police say he dismembered some cats before dumping their remains. Louzader is being held on $50,000 bond and could not be reached Saturday for comment. No lawyer is listed for him in online court documents. ___ Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com TIRANA, Albania (AP) - Thousands of supporters of the Albania's center-right opposition protested in Tirana Saturday, calling for the left-wing government to resign and for an early parliamentary election. The protesters clashed with police at several points and reporters saw some people injured. The protest began in front of the main government building at Tirana's Martyrs of the Nation Boulevard. Flares, firecrackers, Molotov cocktails and other projectiles were thrown. Police used tear gas when a group of protesters broke the police cordon and headed for the building's entrance. After two hours, clashes moved to the parliament building. Ambulances were seen taking injured protesters away but there was no immediate information on numbers of casualties. Interior Minister Sander Lleshaj said 13 policemen were injured as well. The opposition Democrats' leader, Lulzim Basha, led protesters to the Tirana police department asking for the release of a senior party leader taken earlier. Flames from a petrol bomb thrown toward a police line blocking protesters taking part in an anti-government rally in Tirana, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Protesters demand the Socialist government to resign and call an early parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) Clashes continued there too. It was not clear how long the protests would last. Minor clashes continued with some protesters throwing Molotov bombs and projectiles while police responding with tear gas and water cannons. Masked teenagers were seen setting fires in trash cans on the streets. President Ilir Meta called on protesters "to avoid acts of violence and confrontation." Lleshaj and Prime Minister Edi Rama both denounced the violence and expressed their support to police forces, deploring their injuries. The opposition accuses Rama's Cabinet of being corrupt and linked to organized crime, which the government denies. Basha called on his supporters to continue the protest until Rama resigns and a transitional cabinet is formed to take the country to an early election. "We are determined there will be ... no election with Edi Rama," Basha said. Rama tweeted that he considered the protest violence as "sadness" adding that "Albania is damaged." The U.S. Embassy in Tirana condemned protesters' violence calling for it to stop. "Protest leaders have a responsibility to encourage calm. We call on all parties to show restraint," a statement said. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said "violence is not the answer. Also, heavy response to violence will not help." Opposition lawmakers relinquished their seats in parliament in protest, though many have now been filled by other opposition candidates. The governing Socialists have 74 seats in the 140-seat parliament. In June, Albania expects an answer from the European Union on whether full membership negotiations will be launched, and also holds municipal elections. The protest is the fourth national demonstration since mid-February. Regular, smaller ones are held weekly across the country. ___ Follow Llazar Semini on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lsemini Flames are seen behind a police formation during an anti-government rally in Tirana, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Protesters demand the Socialist government to resign and call an early parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) Protesters try to break a police cordon during an anti-government rally in Tirana, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Protesters demand the Socialist government to resign and call an early parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) A protester throws a smoke flare during an anti-government rally in Tirana, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Protesters demand the Socialist government to resign and call an early parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) Flames are seen behind a police formation during an anti-government rally in Tirana, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Protesters demand the Socialist government to resign and call an early parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) A hooted protester gestures at riot police as they guard the Tirana police department during clashes building in Tirana, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Thousands of supporters of the Albania's center-right opposition protested in Tirana, calling for the left-wing government to resign and for an early parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) Riot police spray tear gas against protesters during clashes in Tirana, Saturday, May 11, 2019. 2019. Thousands of supporters of the Albania's center-right opposition protested in Tirana, calling for the left-wing government to resign and for an early parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) A protester covers his face as police use tear gas during clashes in Tirana, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Thousands of supporters of the Albania's center-right opposition protested in Tirana Saturday, calling for the left-wing government to resign and for an early parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) A protester walks in front of burning trash bins during clashes in Tirana, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Thousands of supporters of the Albania's center-right opposition protested in Tirana Saturday, calling for the left-wing government to resign and for an early parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) Police use a water canon against protesters during clashes outside the Parliament in Tirana, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Thousands of supporters of the Albania's center-right opposition protested in Tirana Saturday, calling for the left-wing government to resign and for an early parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) Riot police secure the area outside the Parliament during clashes in Tirana, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Thousands of supporters of the Albania's center-right opposition protested in Tirana Saturday, calling for the left-wing government to resign and for an early parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - An Alabama inmate's attorney has asked the governor to halt his Thursday lethal injection while a Kentucky court weighs the appropriateness of the death penalty for people who were under 21 at the time of their crimes. Michael Brandon Samra was 19 when he participated in the 1997 slayings in Shelby County of four people, including two children. Samra was convicted of helping friend Mark Duke kill Duke's father, the father's girlfriend Dedra Mims Hunt, and her two daughters, 6-year-old Chelisa Hunt and 7-year-old Chelsea Hunt. Prosecutors said the teens plotted the slayings after Duke became angry when his father wouldn't let him use his truck. Duke's death sentence was overturned because he was 16 at the time of the crime. Samra's attorney, Steven R. Sears, sent a letter to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey asking for a temporary reprieve. The U.S. Supreme Court prohibits the death penalty for defendants under 18, and he argued there is growing concern about the appropriateness of the death penalty those under 21 because of brain development and issues of maturity. A Kentucky judge in 2017 ruled the death penalty is unconstitutional for defendants younger than 21. Sears asked the governor for a reprieve until the Kentucky Supreme Court decides the appeal. According to a state summary of the case included in court filings, Mark Duke killed his father, Hunt and the 6-year-old girl and that Samra slit the throat of 7-year-old Chelsea at Duke's direction while the girl pleaded for her life. The letter to Gov. Ivey also argued that Duke, who had his death sentence overturned because of age, was the more culpable defendant. He also notes Samra confessed to the crimes. "His culpability paled in comparison to that of Mark Duke, who plotted, planned and killed three of the victims, including his own father, for revenge" the letter states. Attorneys for Samra have also asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay. The Alabama attorney general's office is opposing the request. The U.S. Supreme Court has a "bright line" of age 18 for eligibility for the death penalty and state and federal appellate court have consistently refused to extend it beyond that age, attorneys for the state wrote in court filing with the Supreme Court. State attorneys said the teens entered the home that night with a plan to kill everyone in the house and argued there is no consensus against executing inmates younger than 21 at the time of their crimes. "Of the thirty states that retain the death penalty, the number that have passed statutes specifically barring the execution of persons who committed murder between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one stands at zero," attorneys for the state said. The lethal injection is scheduled for Thursday night in Atmore. ROME (AP) - Italy is explaining its refusal to recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president, saying it doesn't want to contribute to any "radicalization" of sides in the political crisis. In a letter Saturday in La Stampa daily, Premier Giuseppe Conte said Italy considers Guaido the democratically elected president of the National Assembly, and that President Nicolas Maduro has no "democratic legitimacy." But he said the government wouldn't recognize Guaido for "formal-juridical" reasons and "because it is aware of the risk of contributing to the radicalization of various positions and favoring a spiral of violence with the result of making conditions for the people even more dramatic." Italy's government is divided over Venezuela between the populist 5-Star Movement and right-wing League. The U.S. and several European countries have recognized Guaido. MEXICO CITY (AP) - Police on Saturday arrested the owner of an elementary school that collapsed in Mexico City, killing 26 during a devastating magnitude 7.1 earthquake in September 2017. Mexico City Attorney General Ernestina Godoy said that Monica Garcia Villegas was apprehended at a restaurant on the south side of the capital thanks to an email tip sent to authorities. Garcia Villegas is expected to be charged with involuntary homicide. Godoy attributed the arrest to a reward of 5 million pesos ($263,000) that authorities announced in late-April for information leading to Garcia Villegas' whereabouts. The tip line received information from 16 tipsters suggesting locations in at least six different states. "We went to all of them," Godoy said at a press conference. The collapse of the Enrique Rebsamen school killed 19 children and seven adults and came to symbolize the corruption and impunity that plague Mexican construction. Officials have said the owner built an apartment for herself on top of the school wing that fell, which may have played a role in the tragedy. FILE - In thisSept. 19, 2018 file photo, people place floral crowns and bouquets on the perimeter wall of the Enrique Rebsamen elementary school, where 37 people were killed when the buildings collapsed, in Mexico City. Mexico City's attorney general said Saturday, May 11, 2019, that Monica Garcia Villegas, the owner of the school, was apprehended at a restaurant on the south side of the capital thanks to an email tip sent to authorities. Garcia is expected to be charged with homicide. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) The search for survivors at Rebsamen captured the attention of people worldwide amid reports shortly after the quake that a girl was purportedly trapped alive in the school's rubble. Authorities later announced that the girl never existed. Godoy said there are still arrest warrants out for two construction overseers who authorized the additions at the school, despite insufficient steel or other supports to sustain the extra weight. The earthquake killed 228 people in the capital and 141 others in nearby states. SOUTHPORT, England (AP) - Tommy Fleetwood shrugged off the effects of a virus to move into contention to win the British Masters as a late stumble from Matt Wallace in the third round threw the European Tour event wide open on Saturday. After going 47 holes without dropping a shot, second-round leader Wallace bogeyed the 12th and ran up a double bogey on the 15th - after his wayward drive hit a spectator on the head - in shooting a 2-under 70. He was level in first place on 14-under 202 overall with Marcus Kinhult (68). Fleetwood, who is hosting the tournament at Hillside in his home town of Southport in northern England, said he struggled for energy and believes his son Frankie, who had tonsillitis last week, "has given me something." Still, the world No. 16 holed from 25 feet for an eagle on the 11th and also birdied Nos. 12, 14 and 17 to shoot a 68 and delight the sell-out crowd. Fleetwood was 11 under, three strokes off the lead alongside Robert MacIntyre (68). "It's not been ideal," Fleetwood said. "It's one of them things, just another challenge. I forgot my paracetamol in the bag so Clare (his wife) had to get me some on the 13th tee and that pretty much saved me on the way in. "Whatever happens, I'm going to be going out late on the back nine on Sunday and the crowd comes to watch that, which is great." Scotland's Richie Ramsay, seeking his first win for four years, was two shots off the pace after a 71. Wallace is still in a good position to claim a fifth European Tour title in just two years. "We are in great shape," he said. "It's not about winning it on Saturday. It's about putting yourself in good position, so looking forward to tomorrow now." ___ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - A Harvard faculty member who decided to represent Harvey Weinstein at his rape trial is losing his position as head of a student house at the college. Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana said in a written statement Saturday he would not renew the appointments of Ronald Sullivan and his wife, Stephanie Robinson, the school's first black faculty deans, citing concerns about the climate at Winthrop House, which he described as serious. Sullivan lives at the house and supervises students there. Some students and faculty members have faulted Sullivan's decision to represent Weinstein and his response to students' concerns. Khurana called the situation regrettable and said efforts to improve the climate were ineffective. The couple said in an email they were surprised and dismayed. They said Harvard unilaterally ended discussions that had been progressing. HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) - Two and a half years after Arkansans voted to legalize medical marijuana, qualifying patients could begin buying the product Saturday morning when the state's first dispensary opened, though the celebratory mood was dampened by confusion about operating hours and fears the dispensary wouldn't be able to serve all the patients by closing time. Doctor's Orders RX in Hot Springs was the first dispensary to be officially licensed by the state and is currently the only one operating. It sold marijuana to a patient Friday to test its software and officially opened Saturday. Another Hot Springs dispensary, Green Springs Medical, was approved Friday and plans to open Monday morning. Department of Finance and Administration spokesman Scott Hardin said no other dispensaries are scheduled for inspection and approval, but he expects that to change over the next week. Voters approved a measure legalizing medical marijuana for certain conditions in 2016. The product currently available is from one of the state's five licensed cultivators, the only one has harvested the plant. Two other cultivators have begun growing and expect to harvest by summer. Dr. Rhonda Henry-Tillman, who chairs the Medical Marijuana Commission, said in a statement Friday that the commission was "pleased" dispensaries were opening and is "glad that patients will be able to access the appropriate cannabis product and possible relief they have patiently been awaiting." By 8 a.m., when patients expected Doctor's Orders RX to open, around 100 people stood in a line that wrapped around the building and into an adjacent field. Despite the early hour and the rain, dozens turned out, from places like Jacksonville, Heber Springs, Saline County and northwest Arkansas. They brought folding chairs, umbrellas and ponchos, and used crossword puzzles, books and cellphones to pass the time. Some had been waiting since pre-dawn and had forgone restrooms. But as 8 a.m. came and went, dispensary employees explained to the crowd that last-minute reports were wrong and the dispensary wouldn't be opening until 10 a.m. They said they were getting ready as quickly as possible, and they distributed marijuana "menus" that listed potency, price, and descriptions, such as "earthy pine flavor" and "fruity zesty aroma," for each of the five available strains. Each cost $105 for 7 grams. The mostly mellow crowd became frustrated after another employee explained that the state-required electronic system that tracks patients' purchases would take time to set up for each buyer. He told those waiting that he would be "thrilled" to process six patients an hour, though the line had grown to about 150 people. As of Thursday, the Arkansas Health Department had approved medical marijuana cards for more than 11,700 residents. Doctor's Orders RX owner Don Sears said in a statement Friday that "processing schedules are unpredictable and out of our control," and warned patients to expect long lines and limited product. Eventually, employees allowed in, one at a time, patients who had been at the dispensary Friday and had been registered in the system. Those who'd camped out since before sunrise expressed frustration. At about 9:20 a.m., people cheered as an employee let in Gerard Wimer, a 38-year-old construction worker from Jacksonville who takes hydrocodone for back pain and arthritis and who was first in line. After he saw on the Friday night news the dispensary was opening, he drove down with a tent to camp out, though he ended up sleeping in his truck. Behind him stood his retired mother, 67-year-old Gena Hunter, whose spot he saved. After around 10 minutes, Wimer left the facility carrying a paper bag that contained half an ounce of medical marijuana, which cost $220, he said. Hunter, who followed her son out, said the employees were courteous and helped her choose strains good for her neuropathy and arthritis. She got a quarter ounce each of "Blue Dream" and "Cookies and Chem." "I have no idea what that means," she said. Wimer said his experience was "pretty easy," but that he would try Green Springs Medical next time, when he hopes prices come down. Still, he was glad he came. "It means maybe I won't have to be taking pain pills," Wimer said. "I'm excited. I'm very excited." CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - A homeless man who lit a homeless West Virginia woman on fire as she slept has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. News outlets report Carl Tramane Magee III was sentenced Friday in Kanawha County Circuit Court. A jury found him guilty of murder by arson in March and later recommended no mercy. Police said the 44-year-old woman was asleep on a Charleston porch in July 2017 when Magee poured gasoline on her and lit her on fire. Video from a surveillance camera showed Magee going up to the porch with a gas can and a fire igniting. Magee also was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison on a separate burglary charge. Authorities say Magee is from California but they didn't give his hometown. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A pilot for an American Airlines subsidiary was arrested Saturday in the 2015 shooting deaths of three people in Kentucky, the state attorney general announced. Christian R. Martin was arrested Saturday at the Louisville airport, a day after he was indicted by a Christian County grand jury in the November 2015 deaths of Calvin and Pamela Phillips of Pembroke and their neighbor, Edward Dansereau, Attorney General Andy Beshear said in a news release. Martin moved from Christian County after the slayings and was living in North Carolina at the time of the indictment, the statement said. American Airlines said in a statement it is cooperating in the investigation. The airline said Martin has been a pilot for subsidiary PSA Airlines since January 2018. Martin's jail mugshot shows him wearing a pilot's uniform. A criminal background check conducted on Martin found no "criminal history that would disqualify him from being a commercial pilot," the airline said. It wasn't immediately known whether Martin has an attorney who could comment on the charges. Martin was being held without bond in the Christian County Detention Center on murder, arson and burglary charges along with tampering with physical evidence. This undated photo provided by the Christian County (Ky.) Detention Center shows Christian R. Martin. Martin, a pilot for an American Airlines subsidiary was arrested Saturday, May 11, 2019 in the 2015 shooting deaths of three people in Kentucky, the state attorney general announced. (Christian County, Kentucky, Detention Center via AP) Police said Calvin Phillips, 59, was found shot to death in the cellar of his home. The bodies of Pamela Phillips, 58, and Dansereau, 63, were found a few miles away in a cornfield inside her burned car. Authorities have not given a motive for the slayings or said what led them to believe Martin was responsible. Beshear said he met nearly two years ago with the couple's son, Matt Phillips, who was worried the case had stalled. Beshear accepted a request from the local commonwealth attorney to appoint a special prosecutor to handle the case. Relatives of Calvin and Pamela Phillips had offered a $100,000 reward to help solve the case. "I hope this is a day that brings some justice to these families," Beshear said. "There are many steps from here, but we hope this is one example of when you never stop seeking justice, when you never give up, that we can truly get important results for these families." The statement said relatives of the victims expressed an "overflowing of emotion, sincere relief, and absolute gratitude to all those who have worked diligently on this case." ATLANTA (AP) - A group of students from Spelman and Morehouse colleges who've been studying Michelle Obama's memoir, "Becoming," had a surprise visitor to discuss the work - the former first lady herself. Obama came to Spelman to talk with the students Saturday about the best-selling book ahead of her sold-out appearance Saturday night at State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta. Obama encouraged the 18 students to have faith in themselves, saying she learned through her eight years in the White House and elsewhere that she is as smart and capable as the well-educated and famous leaders she encountered, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Obama used a phrase made famous by Atlanta civil rights icon the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to emphasize her point. "I've been to the mountaintop and I've seen it. You're deserving and worthy," she said. She later added, "The biggest challenge to overcome now is believing in yourself." The students spent this past semester studying "Becoming" as a foundational text for their political science class "Black Women: Developing Public Leadership Skills." The students occasionally take courses on each other's campus. Spelman and Morehouse, located near downtown Atlanta, are two of Georgia's nine accredited historically black colleges and universities. The former first lady asked jokingly when she arrived if the students fell asleep reading her book. Michelle Obama, center, speaks with Rayven Peterson and Anta Njie of Morehouse College and Spelman College during a campus visit to Spelman College on Saturday, May 11, 2019, in Atlanta. Mrs. Obama is meeting with students who studied her book "Becoming" as a foundational text of their political science class entitled "Black Women: Developing Public Leadership Skills". (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP) No way, they replied. Spelman junior political science major Jordan Barefield said "Becoming" has increased her motivation to continue her pursuit of a career in public service, saying the examples set by the Obamas were "inspiring." "Being able to dissect that has been a blessing," said Barefield. "This is unbelievable." Morehouse student Lanarion Norwood told Obama her book motivated him. "I have to be the fruits of my labor and grow for my country," Norwood said. Obama approvingly snapped both her fingers several times after his remarks and said "you're hired" to laughter. Obama also talked about her own experiences as a student at Princeton University, where she encountered some people who felt she didn't belong at the Ivy League school. "If you still believe here today as students at Morehouse and Spelman that you are not good enough, it's not about something that's happened to you today, it's probably a part of what you've heard and seen consistently throughout your life. And that's your story that you have to own and have to understand," she said. "That's what this book is about. You've got to be able to go over the moments in your life that brought you to a moment of joy and happiness or broke you down and be able to understand how has that made you who you are today and what are you going to do to recalibrate." Zoe Turner, 11, sat in on part of the discussion. She said Obama's remarks reinforced some lessons from her parents, who brought her. "If somebody tells me you can't do something, don't listen to them," Turner said. "Always believe." ___ Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com Michelle Obama speaks with students of Morehouse College and Spelman College during a campus visit to Spelman College on Saturday, May 11, 2019, in Atlanta. Mrs. Obama is meeting with students who studied her book "Becoming" as a foundational text of their political science class entitled "Black Women: Developing Public Leadership Skills". (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP) WYTHEVILLE, Va. (AP) - A Virginia sheriff says a man attacked two people on the Appalachian Trail with a machete. WJHL reports that the Wythe County Sheriff's Office issued a statement Saturday saying two hikers reported that a man with a machete was assaulting people on the trail in Wythe County. A man and a woman were injured. Their names and conditions weren't immediately available. Deputies arrested a male suspect, whose name wasn't released. Sheriff Keith Dunagan previously said the man was assaulted early Saturday in Wythe County and the woman in Smyth County. The Appalachian Trail runs through the western tip of Wythe County. The sheriff's office said the trail remained closed Saturday evening on the Smyth and Bland County ends coming into Wythe. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Two people have been injured after a fire broke out in a restaurant in New Orleans' tourist-heavy French Quarter. New Orleans Fire Department spokesman Louis Carrier says it happened just before 7 a.m. Saturday at the Oceana Grill. News outlets report two people were taken to an area hospital after complaining about smoke inhalation. Nearly two dozen fire units and more than 90 firefighters battled the flames before officials ruled the blaze under control around 10:45 a.m. The Copper Monkey Bar & Grill and Olde N'Awlins Cookery as well as several other nearby businesses were also affected. Fire Capt. Edwin Holmes says the damage is going to be extensive. A cause has not been determined. Firefighters work on multiple levels as the New Orleans Fire Department battles a 5-alarm fire in the French Quarter between Bourbon and Royal Streets in New Orleans on Saturday, May 11, 2019. (Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune via AP) Smoke billows from the top floor as the New Orleans Fire Department battles a 5-alarm fire in the French Quarter between Bourbon and Royal Streets in New Orleans on Saturday, May 11, 2019. (Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune via AP) A firefighter stands on a neighboring roof as the New Orleans Fire Department battles a 5-alarm fire in the French Quarter between Bourbon and Royal Streets in New Orleans on Saturday, May 11, 2019. (Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune via AP) A firefighter pulls hose across a second-story balcony as the New Orleans Fire Department battles a 5-alarm fire in the French Quarter between Bourbon and Royal Streets in New Orleans on Saturday, May 11, 2019. (Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune via AP) HAVANA (AP) - Gay-rights activists organizing on social media held an unauthorized march Saturday down eight blocks of one of Havana's main thoroughfares before they were stopped by police. The march was the second by a non-governmental organization in Cuba in slightly more than a month. That's highly unusual in a country where the only legal civil society groups are de-facto arms of the Communist government. Any sort of unofficial march or demonstration has long been met with a swift and overwhelming police response. On April 7, more than 400 animal-lovers received an official permit and peacefully marched more than a mile through Havana, shouting slogans and waving signs calling for an end to animal cruelty. Saturday afternoon's gay-rights march received no such permit but police and plainclothes state-security agents allowed it to proceed from a gathering point in Havana's Central Park, along the Prado boulevard until it reached the Malecon, the capital's famous seaside promenade. A handful of marchers were arrested when they attempted to push through a massive police presence and continue onto the Malecon. "It was a complete success because we got so many people together despite all the expectations of government interference," said Raul Soublett, a 26-year-old gay rights activist. "It's historic." Cuban police detain a gay rights activist taking part in an unauthorized march in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, May 11, 2019. The march was organized largely using Cuba's new mobile internet, with gay-rights activists and groups of friends calling for a march over Facebook and WhatsApp after the government-run gay rights organization cancelled a Saturday march. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) The march was organized largely using Cuba's new mobile internet, with gay-rights activists and groups of friends calling for a march over Facebook and WhatsApp after the main government-run gay rights organization, the Center for Sex Education, canceled a Saturday march. The government group known its Spanish acronym CENESEX said it was canceling its annual Conga Against Homophobia and Transphobia because unnamed groups were attempting "to distort the reality of Cuba and use our Conga to discredit, divide and substitute the true meaning of the event." In response, activists called for the Saturday gathering at 4 p.m. in Havana's Central Park, a plaza in the heart of the capital's historic center. Some gay-rights activists said online that police had tried to prevent them from leaving their homes Saturday with threats of unspecified repercussions. But more than 100 assembled and marched, chanting "It could be done!" and "Diverse Cuba!" and waving rainbow flags. "This is because we don't want to lose our rights to public space," said Lidia Romero, 49, who works in a private design store. "We're not here in opposition to anybody," Soublett said. Cuba repressed homosexuals in the decades after its 1959 revolution, sending many to forced-labor camps, but the government has since barred anti-gay discrimination and CENESEX, led by Mariela Castro, the daughter of Communist leader Raul Castro, has been internationally recognized for campaigning for gay rights. However, a CENESEX-endorsed push for gay marriage was removed from a constitutional reform this year after objections from many Cubans, including the country's growing ranks of evangelicals. CENESEX never clearly explained why it was cancelling the conga but said tensions with the Trump administration were a factor. The U.S. has recently tightened the embargo on Cuba as part of a push to topple the allied Venezuelan government, and the Cuban government typically cracks down on internal dissent when it feels threatened. Cuban police detain a gay rights activist taking part in an unauthorized march in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, May 11, 2019. The march was organized largely using Cuba's new mobile internet, with gay-rights activists and groups of friends calling for a march over Facebook and WhatsApp after the government-run gay rights organization cancelled a Saturday march. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Cuban police detain gay rights activists taking part in an unauthorized march in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, May 11, 2019. The march was organized largely using Cuba's new mobile internet, with gay-rights activists and groups of friends calling for a march over Facebook and WhatsApp after the government-run gay rights organization cancelled a Saturday march. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Gay rights activists take part in an unauthorized march in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, May 11, 2019. The march was organized largely using Cuba's new mobile internet, with gay-rights activists and groups of friends calling for a march over Facebook and WhatsApp after the government-run gay rights organization cancelled a Saturday march. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexican authorities have discovered the remains of at least 34 people at two separate properties in the western state of Jalisco. State Attorney General Gerardo Octavio Solis said Saturday that two of the bodies have already been identified, and that excavations continue. In four raids, officials found stolen vehicles as well as tactical equipment. At one location, forensic teams can only work at most 30 minutes at a time due to caustic substances, Solis said. The state is home to Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most powerful and brazen criminal groups in Mexico. The cartel once shot down a Mexican military helicopter with a rocket launcher. Some 40,000 people have gone missing since the start of Mexico's drug war in 2006, and clandestine mass graves dot the countryside. Trade talks between the US and China have broken up without agreement after President Donald Trump said there was no need to rush to get a deal between the worlds two biggest economies. Hours earlier, the Trump administration hiked tariffs on 200 billion dollars (155 billion) worth of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%, escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington. Mr Trump said the two sides had held candid and constructive conversations on the status of the trade relationship and those conversations would continue in the future. Chinas Commerce Ministry said it would impose necessary countermeasures but gave no details. The increase went ahead even after American and Chinese negotiators briefly met in Washington on Thursday and again on Friday, seeking to end a dispute that has disrupted billions of dollars in trade and shaken global financial markets. After a short session on Friday, the lead Chinese negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, left the Office of the US Trade Representative at about midday. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin shook hands with Mr Liu as he left. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, second from left, and United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, right, speak with Chinese Vice Premier Liu (Andrew Harnik/AP) Reporters at the scene sent out tweets quoting Mr Mnuchin as saying the two countries had held constructive discussions. Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of Chinese newspaper Global Times, tweeted that talks didnt break down. Both sides think that the talks are constructive and will continue consultations. The two sides agree to meet again in Beijing in the future. Still, the Trump administration escalated the confrontation again after the Chinese delegation left town. Mr Lighthizer announced on Friday evening that he was preparing to impose tariffs on the 300 billion dollars (230 billion) in Chinese imports that have not already been targeted. The government will have to get public comment before it can target more Chinese goods. On Wall Street, stocks fell initially on Friday but regained lost ground on optimism over future talks. Earlier, Mr Trump asserted in a tweet that his tariffs will bring in FAR MORE wealth to our Country than even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind. Also, much easier & quicker to do. In fact, tariffs are taxes paid by US importers and often passed along to consumers and companies that rely on imported components. American officials accuse Beijing of backtracking on commitments made in earlier rounds of negotiations. China deeply regrets that it will have to take necessary countermeasures, said a Commerce Ministry statement. US business groups appealed for a settlement that will resolve chronic complaints about Chinese market barriers, subsidies to state companies and a regulatory system they say is rigged against foreign companies. The latest increase extends 25% duties to a total of 250 billion dollars (192 billion) of Chinese imports, including 50 billion dollars worth that were already taxed at 25% before the new hike. Mr Trump said on Sunday he might expand penalties to all Chinese goods shipped to the United States. Beijing retaliated for previous tariff hikes by raising duties on 110 billion dollars of American imports. But regulators are running out of US goods for penalties due to the lopsided trade balance. Ford spokeswoman Rachel McCleery said the car maker is most concerned about any retaliatory tariffs China might impose. The Michigan-based company says 80% of the vehicles it assembles in the US are sold domestically but it does export some vehicles to China. While most of the vehicles we sell in China are built in China, Ford does export a number of vehicles to China from the US, Ms McCleery said. Our biggest concerns are impacts retaliatory tariffs would have on our exports and our expanding customer base in China. Chinese officials have targeted operations of American companies in China by slowing customs clearance for them and stepping up regulatory scrutiny that can hamper operations. The latest US increase might hit American consumers harder, said Jake Parker, vice president of the US-China Business Council. He said the earlier 10% increase was absorbed by companies and offset by a weakening of the Chinese currencys exchange rate. A 25% hike needs to be passed on to the consumer, Mr Parker said. It is just too big to dilute with those other factors. Despite the public acrimony, local Chinese officials who want to attract American investment have tried to reassure companies there is minimal retaliation, he said. Weve actually seen an increased sensitivity to US companies at the local level, he added. Simon Armitage has been announced as the UKs new Poet Laureate. The poet, who succeeds Dame Carol Ann Duffy in the post, said he wants to help poetry explore its potential in a multi-media age. The Queen has approved the appointment for a fixed term of 10 years. It is up to the poet to decide whether or not to produce poetry for national occasions or royal events. Dame Carol Ann Duffy (Mikael Buck/Smart Energy GB/PA) And Armitage said he hopes to build on the work of my predecessors with energy and enthusiasm, promoting poetry, especially within education, and young talent. Armitage, who was born in Marsden, West Yorkshire, has published 28 collections of poetry and his work is studied by children as part of the national curriculum. He worked as a probation officer in Greater Manchester until 1994 before focusing on poetry He is a professor of poetry at the University of Leeds and now becomes the 21st UK Poet Laureate. Since the laureateship was first conceived many hundreds of years ago Britain has changed enormously and the position of Poet Laureate has changed accordingly, he said. I want to celebrate and speak on behalf of the variety of voices who contribute to the rich chorus of British poetry from a wide range of personal, literary and cultural experiences, and to help poetry explore its potential in a multi-faceted, multi-vocal and multi-media age. The poetry of these islands is one of our greatest achievements, and as well as being proud of its traditions I want poetry to feel confident and at home in the contemporary world and to demonstrate that in a hectic and sometimes frenetic age the combination of considered thought and crafted language is more relevant and vital than ever. I hope poets, readers and audiences will support me in my efforts. Armitage received The Queens Gold Medal for Poetry for the year 2018, awarded for excellence in poetry, on the basis of his body of work. Prime Minister Theresa May said: As one of our most popular and respected poets, Simon brings a wealth of expertise and experience to this important role. He is well placed to attract even more people into the literary world, and further enhance our nations proud tradition of producing exceptional poetry. Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright said: Simon Armitage is one of the UKs foremost poets, whose witty and profound take on modern life is known and respected across the world. He has done so much to promote poetry, and I am sure he will use the Laureateship to continue this work. The UKs first Poet Laureate by royal appointment was John Dryden who was given the title by King Charles II in 1668. Previous Poet Laureates have included William Wordsworth, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, John Betjeman and Ted Hughes. UK Poet Laureates initially served until their death until the rules were changed in 1999. Hong Kongs legislative assembly descended into chaos as legislators for and against controversial amendments to the territorys extradition law clashed over access to the chamber. At least one person was taken from the chamber on a stretcher following the morning melee, in which legislators grappled with each other on the floor and amid seats and tables. The amendments have been widely criticised as eroding the semi-autonomous Chinese territorys legal independence by making it easier to send criminal suspects to mainland China, where they could face vague national security charges and unfair trials. Under the one country, two systems framework, Hong Kong was guaranteed the right to retain its own social, legal and political systems for 50 years following its handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997. However, Chinas ruling Communist Party has been seen as increasingly reneging on that agreement by forcing through unpopular legal changes. The amendments expand the scope for the transfer of criminal suspects to China and remove the legislatures right to scrutinise individual extradition decisions filed by Hong Kongs chief executive. They could also open the way for further measures to erode Hong Kongs civil liberties, including the passage of anti-subversion legislation that has been strongly opposed by many. Saturdays legislative scuffle came weeks after a Hong Kong court handed down prison sentences of up to 16 months to eight leaders of massive 2014 pro-democracy protests on public nuisance charges. Hong Kongs legislative assembly descended into chaos on Saturday (Vincent Yu/AP) The harsh sentences were seen as an effort by the Hong Kong government to draw a line under the protests amid pressure from Beijing. Tens of thousands of people marched against the extradition law amendments in Hong Kong last month and numerous legal, professional and human rights organisations have voiced their opposition. They warn the amendments would undermine not just Hong Kongs legal independence but also its attractiveness as a centre for international business. Hong Kongs chief secretary Matthew Cheung said on Friday the government would further explain the proposed fugitive law change to the public, according to the governments press office. Some citizens and overseas organisations might have misunderstandings about the proposed law amendments, Mr Cheung said. Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam has said the amendments must be passed to close a loophole under which the government has been unable to extradite a Hong Kong man, Chan Tong-kai, accused of killing his girlfriend in Taiwan last year. Ms Lam was chosen in 2017 from among a slate of candidates approved by Beijing and elected by a 1,200-member pro-China electoral body. Pro-democracy and pro-Beijing lawmakers scuffle in the chamber (Kin Cheung/AP) However, self-governing Taiwan has firmly ruled out signing any extradition agreement with Hong Kong unless it is treated as an equal, a condition Beijing, which claims the island as its own territory, is certain to reject. That would appear to undermine one of the governments major justifications for the amendments. Taiwanese officials have also warned that Taiwanese detained in Hong Kong could be sent to China for their political activities if the amendments are passed. A Taiwanese activist, Lee Ming-che, is currently serving a five-year sentence in China after being convicted by a Chinese court in November 2017 on charges of subverting state power for holding online political lectures and helping the families of jailed Chinese dissidents. Lee disappeared into the custody of the security services in March 2017 after crossing into China from Macau to meet with a friend. His arrest was seen as a sign the ruling party intends to extend its intolerance of criticism even outside its borders. The Hong Kong government will continue to liaise with Taiwan over the homicide case, Mr Cheung said. The Prime Minister may offer a clear understanding of her timetable for departure next week, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee has said. Theresa May has previously suggested she will leave Downing Street after her Brexit deal has been passed by Parliament. But Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the committee since May 2010, told BBC Radio 4s Week in Westminster that Mrs May had offered to meet with the executive following a request for clarity on her plans. He told the programme: It would be strange for that not to result in a clear understanding at the end of the meeting. The Altrincham and Sale West MP added he understood her reticence to set a date, but added: I dont think its about an intention for staying indefinitely as prime minister or leader of the Conservative Party. I think the reticence is the concern that by promising to go on a certain timetable, it might make it less likely she would secure Parliamentary approval for the withdrawal agreement, rather than more likely. Earlier this week, Mrs May rebuffed demands to set out a timetable for her departure from No 10 amid growing pressure from Tory MPs to make way for a new leader. At Prime Ministers Questions, Brexit-backing Andrea Jenkyns told Mrs May she had failed in EU withdrawal negotiations and forfeited the trust of the public. The public no longer trust her to run Brexit negotiations, she said. Isnt it time to step aside and let someone else lead our country, our party and the Brexit negotiations? Sir Graham Brady, Chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mrs May retorted: This is not an issue about me and its not an issue about her. If it were an issue about me and the way I vote, we would already have left the European Union. Downing Street made clear the Prime Minister was not ready to go beyond her earlier promise to the 1922 to quit as Tory leader when the first phase of Brexit negotiations dealing with the divorce terms is complete. The PM made a very generous and bold offer to the 1922 Committee a few weeks ago that she would see through phase one of the Brexit process and she would leave and open up for new leadership for phase two, a No 10 source said. A US performing arts group has found the child who was literally wowed by a recent classical music concert. The Handel and Haydn Society had just finished a rendition of Mozarts Masonic Funeral at Bostons Symphony Hall in Massachusetts when a youngster blurted out: Wow! The group was so charmed that they launched a search for the Wow Child with the help of audio of the moment, captured by WCRB-FM. The child is nine-year-old Ronan Mattin, of New Hampshire, WGBH-FM reported. He attended the concert with his grandfather, Stephen. The power of classical music: https://t.co/f8pFGdawgU CRB Classical 99.5 (@CRBClassical) May 9, 2019 Ronans grandmother had seen a report on TV which said the society was looking for the child. Stephen Mattin said Ronan is on the autism spectrum and expresses himself differently from other people. He said his grandson is a huge music fan. Ronan Mattin with his grandfather, Stephen (AP) I had told several people because I thought it was a funny story, Stephen Mattin said. About how he was expressing his admiration for the performance and put everybody in stitches. Handel & Haydn president David Snead said he is setting up a Skype meeting with Ronan and Harry Christophers, the societys artistic director who was conducting the night of the performance. The society will invite Ronan and his family back to the venue in October, when the 2019-2020 season opens, for another Mozart performance conducted by Mr Christophers. Mr Snead called Sundays experience one of the most wonderful moments he has ever had in a concert hall. The US will move a Patriot air defence missile system into the Middle East to counter threats from Iran, the Pentagon has said, reflecting ongoing concerns that Tehran may be planning to attack America forces or interests in the region. The US Defence Department released a statement about the move but provided no details. An official said the decision comes after intelligence showed that the Iranians have loaded military equipment and missiles on to small boats controlled by Irans Revolutionary Guard. Officials had said earlier this week that sending a Patriot missile defence system to the area was under discussion and was part of the initial request made by the Pentagons US Central Command. They said it took a few days to get final approval for the Patriot, a long-range, all-weather air defence system to counter tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft. The US removed Patriot systems from Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan late last year. It was not clear if the system would go back to one of those countries. Anti-US protests in Tehran (AP) US officials announced on Sunday that they would rush an aircraft carrier strike group and bombers to the region. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and accompanying ships have passed through the Suez Canal and are now in the Red Sea. Officials had initially indicated that the military moves were based in part on indications that Iran had moved short-range ballistic missiles on to small boats called dhows along its shore. Officials would not say if the intelligence showed that the boats have mobile launchers on them. But a notice to mariners in the region has warned of potential threats to commercial maritime traffic. John Bolton, the national security adviser, announced the initial moves on Sunday, citing troubling and escalatory indications and warnings but did not explain what they were. On Friday, a defence official said the Iranian threats also include potential attacks by Iranian proxies, such as Shia militias in Iraq. Several officials said they have not yet seen any tangible move by Iran in reaction to the US military shifts in the area. But they also noted there have been no attacks. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a quick visit on Tuesday to Baghdad to meet with top leaders and underscore Iraqs need to protect Americans in their country. The Pentagon also said on Friday that the USS Arlington, an amphibious transport ship, will move to the Middle East region earlier than planned. The ship is in Europe and will be replacing the USS McHenry, which is scheduled to leave. London mayor Sadiq Khan has 24-hour police protection following repeated threats on social media. Mr Khan, who was MP for Tooting before defeating Zac Goldsmith to succeed Boris Johnson as mayor, said levels of abuse had risen since the 2016 Brexit referendum. The Times reported that City Hall referred 17 cases to the police in a three-month period last year and 237 threats were made on social media. Mr Khan told the papers magazine that the abuse had gone from name-calling, trolling and threats to terrorism. Mr Khan said he had received a range of abuse, including `threats to terrorism (Jonathan Brady/PA) He said: It cant be right that one of the consequences of me being the mayor of London and a Muslim in public life is that I have police protection. The referendum campaign allowed things to come to the surface and normalised things that should not be normalised. The Labour politician said there had been a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and homophobia, but that he did not place the blame for this at the door of Leavers. However, he told the magazine: It starts with name-calling, it can lead to criminal damage and graffiti (and) ultimately to the situation where Jo Cox is murdered or a terrorist can come to London and try to divide communities. Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez has admitted it was always going to be impossible to replicate last seasons miracle top-10 finish this time around. The Magpies will bring down the curtain on another tough season at Fulham on Sunday with their Premier League status intact and perhaps even with a point more than they managed by the end of the last campaign. The 44 points they collected last season was enough to secure 10th place on their first season back in the top flight, but they will run out at Craven Cottage on 42, eight adrift of Watford who currently occupy that spot. Benitez said: We didnt realise last year that to finish 10th was a miracle. This year, we expecting that, We finished 10th, maybe we can finish seventh, and it was impossible. You can be lucky one year or you can do really well one year, but to be consistent, you have to have everything in place. Also, remember Brighton, Huddersfield and us, we were promoted and we were more or less there. But when you have Fulham promoted or Wolves and they are spending 100million, it could be totally different. Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez has admitted it was "impossible" to match last seasons top-10 finish (Nick Potts/PA) To be where we are now is a great achievement, maybe not bigger than last year, but it was more difficult, for sure, this season. Newcastle guaranteed their place in next seasons Premier League with three games to spare, although that looked a distant hope at the start of the campaign when they went 10 games without a victory and collected only three of the first 30 points they contested. Asked if a 12th or 13th-place finish was about right for him team, Benitez said: You could have asked me the same question after eight games and I would have been over the moon. At the beginning, you never know. Because the teams that were promoted and also the teams at the bottom of the middle of the table were spending so much money, I think its fair enough. We did well. We missed some points in some games and maybe we were lucky in other games, so I think its fair enough. Im still not happy with that because I would like to be higher, but I think its fair enough. Some of the criticisms of private schools and the elite echo the conspiratorial language of anti-Semitism, a leading headteacher has said. Anthony Wallersteiner, of 12,000-a-term Stowe School, also claimed a decline in the number of non-state school Oxbridge admissions had left some parents making claims about social engineering. He told The Times that the rise of populists and polemicists has created a micro-industry in bashing private schools. Dr Wallersteiner, who is of Jewish descent, went on: Some of the criticisms echo the conspiratorial language of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. It was relatively easy for Hitler and his henchmen to suggest that the Jewish minority was over-represented in key professions: medicine, law, teaching and the creative industries. Privately-educated pupils in the UK are also being accused of dominating the top jobs and stifling social mobility It is all too facile to stereotype groups and ignore the fact that lawyers, doctors, writers and politicians are individuals. MP Dame Margaret Hodge, who was at the forefront of highlighting allegations of anti-Semitism within the Labour party, branded his comments as insulting and outrageous. She told the Press Association: Its insulting to all the young people who have secured places at Oxford and Cambridge on the basis of hard work and potential. And its insulting to the victims of anti-Semitism to compare the two. A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism added that tasteless Holocaust analogies do not belong in the debate about education in this country. Boarding fees at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire cost more than 12,697 a term, with its website describing the school as unique and in the most sublime setting. Dr Wallersteiner told The Times that many parents have been making claims about positive discrimination and their children being edged out of Oxbridge. He said there has been a much more concerted effort by admissions tutors at Oxford and Cambridge to reduce the number of places awarded to independent schools and redress the balance and put in contextual details. A 1.4% rise in 5 years in state school kids getting into Oxbridge and the parents of private school kids fear social engineering! Is The Times having a laugh? Thats 40 kids - 1 per college. pic.twitter.com/tSLsHAsnW4 David Lammy (@DavidLammy) May 11, 2019 Analysis by social mobility charity The Sutton Trust published in December showed eight private schools sent 1,310 pupils to Oxbridge over three years, while over the same period, 2,894 other schools sent just 1,220 students between them. According to The Times, of the school leavers awarded a place at Cambridge in 2017, 64.1% were from state schools compared to 61.4% in 2013. During the same period for Oxford, the figure rose from 56.8% to 58.2%. Roger Mosey, the master of Selwyn College, Cambridge, told the Press Association that they are not unfair to independent schools and simply want to be fair to all schools. It is absolutely the case, we want more students from state schools, but they have got to meet the entry qualifications, he said. The key thing is looking for bright students who would not have thought about applying for Oxford or Cambridge. We are quite unapologetic that we want to get more students who would thrive and benefit from being here. No social engineering here. Its just the right thing to do to attract students from the widest possible range of backgrounds, and greater diversity in @Selwyn1882 is driving *up* academic standards. https://t.co/KaFUs2oyby Roger Mosey (@rogermosey) May 10, 2019 In terms of Selwyn College, he said around 75% of their applications are from state schools and 25% of independent schools, with this figure also true of the acceptance rates. Mr Mosey said that in forming an acceptance decision, they will look at all available data, including exam results, school performance and their background. I think social engineering would be dropping the grades of students from state schools, that we dont do. Everybody has to make the grade, he added. Asked about Dr Wallersteiners comments on criticisms of private schools and the elite echoing the conspiratorial language of anti-Semitism, Mr Mosey said he does not understand that parallel. Responding to the comments, Labour MP David Lammy told the Press Association: This is a slap in the face to hard-working state school teachers. He added that claiming the most privileged students are being edged out is ludicrous and contradicts all the evidence we have. A new group being set up by ministers will examine how body image impacts on young peoples mental wellbeing. The Scottish Governments new advisory group will identify steps to improve support and advice. It will include members from youth, third sector and equalities groups. The announcement comes ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week organised by the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) which this year focuses on body image. Mental health minister Clare Haughey said: From our recently published research, we know that body image is a concern for children and young people. We are striving for a society where people do not suffer because of concerns about body image, and where they do not feel pressured to live up to a false sense of perfection. A report found social media can have an impact on mental wellbeing (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Monday marks the start of Mental Health Awareness week and this years theme is body image. Ms Haughey will visit Girlguiding Scotland on Tuesday to find out how body image issues affect them. She will also announce the remit of the new advisory group. Denise Spence, chief executive of Girlguiding Scotland, said: This is a great chance for our members to share how negative body image is impacting the mental health of girls and young women in Scotland, and how the new advisory group will work to help improve support for young people. New data about the impact of body image on young peoples mental health will be published by MHF during Mental Health Awareness Week. Julie Cameron, head of programmes at MHF Scotland, added: Our research published this week highlights the huge impact that negative body image can have on the mental health of both adults and young people. Our report and survey uncovered evidence that both social media and online advertising are contributing to mental health problems for thousands of people across Scotland. Now is the time to address these pressures head-on and we look forward to playing our full part in the new advisory group. Chinas leading trade envoy has said the failure to strike a deal in the tariffs war with the US is just a small setback, and negotiations will continue despite increases in import duties on American imports from China. Chinese vice premier Liu He told reporters in Washington he remains cautiously optimistic, but insisted that a deal would require the Trump administration to agree to end the punitive tariffs it has imposed on billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods. In comments carried by Chinas state-run CCTV, Mr Liu said the remaining differences are crucial ones having to do with principles, and we will make no concessions on matters of principle. He said he did not believe the negotiations had broken down. On the contrary, I think it is just a small setback in the talks between two countries, which is inevitable, Mr Liu told Hong Kongs Phoenix TV. Mr Liu said it was Chinas opinion that the tariffs are the starting point of the trade friction and must be totally lifted if a deal is reached. The Trump administration raised tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese goods to 25% from 10% on Friday. Liu He waves as he departs the Office of the United States trade representative in Washington (AP) US trade representative Robert Lighthizer said the US is preparing to expand those tariffs to cover 300 billion dollars (230 billion) of Chinese products that are not already facing import taxes, or virtually everything imported from China. Mr Liu also said the two sides disagreed over the amount of goods China would pledge to purchase from the US to help reduce the American trade deficit. He said: We think this is a very serious issue and we cannot easily change our minds. Mr Liu sought to downplay the scale and impact of the dispute, saying that China is a strong nation and would surmount any problems caused by the conflict. We just had differences on the wording in certain documents and we hoped to solve the differences, he said. Therefore, we think it unnecessary to make an over-reaction to it. Brexit talks between the Government and Labour will peter out within days, Sir Graham Brady believes. The chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers also expects Prime Minister Theresa May to set out her timetable for departure at a meeting with him on Wednesday. Speaking to the BBCs Week In Westminster programme, Sir Graham, the Tory MP for Altrincham, said he would be bringing forward his own amendment on the Irish backstop to try and get a deal past MPs. This is, in part, because he believes last-ditch talks between the Government and Labour to try and save Mrs Mays Brexit deal are about to break down. I find it very hard to see how that route can lead to any sensible resolution, Sir Graham said. If the customs union is agreed without a second referendum then half the Labour Party wont vote for whatever comes through regardless, and if a customs union is agreed then most of the Conservative Party isnt going to support it. So, I cant see that is a very productive route to follow, and I may be wrong, but I suspect it will peter out in the next few days without having come to any significant conclusion. Sir Graham Brady refused to rule himself out as a possible successor to Mrs May (PA/Victoria Jones) Having ruled out cross-party talks as a potential solution to the deadlock, Sir Graham also suggested Mrs Mays deal will be defeated by a large margin again if she brings it back unamended, which is why he is lobbying for changes on the Irish backstop as a plan C. He intends to bring forward an amendment stating the backstop would stay in the text but obviously could never be used despite previous EU objections to anything that would destroy what negotiators term an insurance policy. With Brexit options being rapidly whittled down, Theresa May had already offered up her premiership as the price for MPs backing her deal. (PA Graphics) But even this has not been enough, and the clamour for her to go sooner reached fever pitch after calamitous council election results where the Tories lost nearly 1,300 councillors. Earlier this week, Mrs May rebuffed demands to set out a timetable for her departure from Number 10 amid growing pressure from Tory MPs to make way for a new leader. She was given another grace period by Sir Graham, who said he understood Mrs Mays reticence around setting out specifics on when she would go because it could scupper the chances for her deal. However, the 1922 Committee chairman appears to have set his own deadline for a response. He said: I think thats a natural concern and one can understand it, but its also the case the 1922 executive has asked her to give that clarity. She has offered to come and meet the executive, which weve accepted. It would be strange for that not to result in a clear understanding at the end of the meeting. We have asked the question and she is coming, I assume, to answer it. Sir Graham also did not rule himself out of what is becoming a crowded leadership race to replace Mrs May, but said it would take an awful lot of people to persuade me. Andrea Jenkyns has called for the Prime Minister to go (Kirsty OConnor/PA) At Prime Ministers Questions, Brexit-backing Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns told Mrs May she had failed in EU withdrawal negotiations and forfeited the trust of the public. The public no longer trust her to run Brexit negotiations, she said. Isnt it time to step aside and let someone else lead our country, our party and the Brexit negotiations? Mrs May retorted: This is not an issue about me and its not an issue about her. If it were an issue about me and the way I vote, we would already have left the European Union. Downing Street made clear the Prime Minister was not ready to go beyond her earlier promise to the 1922 Committee to quit as Tory leader when the first phase of Brexit negotiations dealing with the divorce terms is complete. The PM made a very generous and bold offer to the 1922 Committee a few weeks ago that she would see through phase one of the Brexit process and she would leave and open up for new leadership for phase two, a Downing Street source said. Labour MP Jess Phillips has called for social media companies to stop hate preachers from profiting as she criticised YouTubes handling of a Ukip candidate under investigation over rape comments. Police are investigating MEP candidate Carl Benjamin after he said he wouldnt even rape the Birmingham Yardley MP, before suggesting on YouTube that with enough pressure I might cave. Ms Phillips expressed her shock on Saturday that such discussions were present in UK politics, with parties previously showing the decency not to field candidates like him. She said there must be a code of conduct which would see parties sanctioned if candidates fall foul of the rules. She told the Press Association: I would back something that stopped somebody as part of normal political discourse talking about raping another politician, yes. Without giving explicit backing, Ms Phillips signalled support for a Fawcett Society petition calling for a lifetime ban from standing for elected office for anyone who promotes rape or violence. But she also called for Silicon Valley giants to show much greater responsibility, citing Mr Benjamin making some astronomical figure being a hate preacher. Ukip election candidate Carl Benjamin (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The man who has been basically a hate preacher and has targeted me for years and not just me, he has done it to other women, too only yesterday was he demonetised on YouTube, she said. If youre neutral in the face of fascism then youre an appeaser, so yes, theyve got to do much, much more. West Midlands Police are investigating Mr Benjamins comments to establish if an offence has taken place. YouTube confirmed on Friday that Mr Benjamin had been suspended from profiting from his Sargon of Akkad channel, which has nearly one million subscribers. In the video, the Ukip candidate in the South West listed a series of spoof policies, before adding: Theres been an awful lot of talk about whether I would or wouldnt rape Jess Phillips. Ms Phillips said hate preachers had made `astronomical sums (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Ive been in a lot of trouble for my hardline stance of not even raping her. I suppose with enough pressure I might cave. But lets be honest, nobodys got that much beer. Ms Phillips addressed an audience at the annual conference for centre-left Labour pressure group Progress in London on Saturday. In her speech, she blamed people across the political spectrum for a rise in abuse aimed at MPs, saying: Ninety per cent of the hatred I have received this week was from the left. We should be very, very worried. She called for Labour to act progressively and not to attempt to play the Tories at their own game. We have a real opportunity to be the solution that the country needs and we will never, ever do it if what we do is, instead of seeking to progress, is that we play in the Conservatives territory and just seek to conserve and restore, she said. Two men charged with rioting offences in Londonderry the night a journalist was shot and killed have been refused bail. Paul McIntyre, 51, with an address in Ballymagowan Park in the Creggan area of the city, has been charged with riot, petrol bomb offences and arson of a hijacked vehicle. Christopher Gillen, 38, from Balbane Pass, has been charged with riot, petrol bomb offences and the arson and hijacking of a tipper truck. Both men, who were arrested on Thursday, appeared together in front of District Judge Barney Mcelholm, but refused to stand and recognise the court when called on Saturday morning. The prosecution alleges that both men are connected to the paramilitary group the New IRA, who orchestrated a night of rioting on April 18 in the Creggan area of the city. The New IRA have since claimed responsibility for the death of Lyra McKee in a letter released to media. Christopher Gillen has been charged with riot, petrol bomb offences and the arson and hijacking of a tipper truck (Niall Carson/PA) A PSNI detective told the court that footage seized from an MTV documentary crew who, along with presenter Reggie Yates, were filming in the city on April 18, both in the offices of dissident republican linked group Saoradh that afternoon, and later during the unrest in Creggan, provided police with the evidence they allege links both men to the charges. The PSNI say footage from MTV taken in the Saoradh office, located in Junior McDaid House, shows both men clearly and speaking in the company with other Saoradh members. The police also claim footage taken from CCTV and mobile phones, later supplied to police by witnesses, shows two masked men in identical clothing and footwear to the defendants exiting the hijacked tipper truck and later carrying a crate of petrol bombs along Fanad Drive, and later deploying them at police. The detective added: Police believe these were the ring leaders, thats obvious from footage. The officer added he had concerns that both men may attempt to interfere with or intimidate witnesses, or attempt to leave the country if they received bail. In the weeks following Ms McKees murder, graffiti was sprayed in Creggan warning the community against helping police with their enquiries. The message Informers will be executed was painted along the wall of a local community centre, and posters of rats were erected on local speed signs. Lyra McKee died after shots were fired at police officers in Londonderry (David Young/PA) Judge Mcelholm told the court that he also had concerns about witnesses being prevented from coming forward. Were all aware of the disgraceful graffiti in Creggan that warned off anyone talking to police, whoever did that, did these two men a great disservice, he said. Id be inclined to agree with Father Joe Gormley (local priest who annointed Ms McKee after her death), in what happens when you get people who are blinded by ideology. All nationalism corrupts into fascism eventually whether its Irish nationalism or British or Polish nationalism. Weve all seen where it ends up. I have to bear in mind these gentlemen, theres no evidence either of them belong to any paramilitary organisation but they are a part of an organisation with a defined ideology. There is no address anywhere in this city which would be suitable in this case, at any stage. I will refuse bail. The murder of Ms McKee has sparked a major police investigation, amid huge public outrage. On the afternoon of April 18, after a police search of a residence in the Creggan area, a riot broke out which saw missiles including petrol bombs thrown at police officers, before a Ford Transit Tipper was set alight. Amid the unrest, a masked gunman fired shots in the direction of police and struck 29-year-old journalist Lyra McKee, who later died in hospital. Police say more than 140 people have come forward with mobile phone or social media footage and a 10,000 reward has been offered by charity Crimestoppers for anyone with information that leads to an arrest in the death of Ms McKee. Police are trying to trace a man who was last seen leaving an A&E department in the Highlands. Ranald Clark was reported missing after he left Raigmore Hospital A&E department in Inverness at about 4pm on Friday. He is believed to be using a green Vauxhall Combo van, registration NK58 FKN. The 33-year-old is known to have links to Oban and the Aberlour area, although police said he may travel extensively throughout Scotland. Mr Clark is described as 6ft 1in in height, of slim build with short brown receding hair. When last seen he was wearing a long-sleeved grey fleece top, black trousers and black boots. Thousands of mothers, fathers, grandparents and families with babies and children are expected to take to the streets to demand urgent action on climate change. TV presenter Konnie Huq, comedian Shappi Khorsandi and lawyer and activist Farhana Yamin will address crowds at the Mothers Rise Up march in central London on Sunday. It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced on Saturday that he has commissioned Public Health England (PHE) to carry out a review of the impact of dirty air on the nations health. The march, which is being held on International Mothers Day, will be led by 11 11-year-olds to represent the 11-year window to act on the climate emergency. Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, mother of Ella who suffered a fatal asthma attack believed to be linked to air pollution (Sam Tobin/PA Images). Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, whose daughter Ella suffered a fatal asthma attack believed to be linked to air pollution, will also address crowds at the rally. She said: Im a mum from Lewisham fighting to get justice for my daughter Ella. Business as usual toxic pollution in our streets and our schools is fuelling a crisis that is making our kids sick and it is families in the deprived areas that are paying the heaviest price. We need to urgently change course. We need to do everything necessary to clean up our air and create a safer future for all our children. Similar marches will be taking place across the country and internationally, including Cyprus, the Netherlands, Spain, the Czech Republic and Australia. Mr Hancock branded dirty air the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK and warned of the growing national health emergency triggered by the slow and deadly poison of air pollution. He added: We cannot underestimate the very real impact that dirty air this slow and deadly poison is having on our lives, our health and our NHS. This review will help us map out how much disease is caused by dirty air and what steps we are taking to prevent this something which is at the heart of our work to help people live longer, healthier lives through the NHS Long Term Plan. PHE last year estimated that there will be more than 2.4 million new cases of disease attributable air pollution by 2035, with coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and child asthma all having a strong association with air pollution. The new review will include updated estimates of the number of new cases of disease that could be caused by dirty air by 2035, the Department of Health and Social Care said. It will also provide up-to-date modelling to identify how many cases of disease the Clean Air Strategy could prevent and where more attention could be placed, it added. The British Lung Foundation welcomed the announcement and said without an expansion of air pollution monitoring, the Clean Air Strategy was like throwing a dart blindfolded and hoping to hit the bulls eye. Chief executive Dr Penny Woods added: Detailed local information on the effects of toxic air will better allow people to make informed decisions on how best to protect their own health. Clear, street-by-street health information would allow people to reduce their exposure to harmful air by avoiding the most polluted areas or go out at times when the air is cleanest. It would also allow councils, with the support of Government, to take more targeted and effective measure to clean up their own communities. The Clean Air Strategy, launched by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in January, set a long-term target to reduce peoples exposure to particulate matter, as well as a commitment to halve the number of people living in areas breaching WHO guidelines on particulate matter by 2025. Professor Paul Cosford, director for health protection and medical director at PHE, said: Air pollution is an urgent and serious threat to the publics health which needs a range of interventions to tackle effectively. This commission will help us to calculate how much the Clean Air Strategy will improve health and whether more is needed to tackle this major public health problem. The department said the review will support the commitment made in the NHS long-term plan to go green, including more virtual appointments and fewer outpatient appointments to cut the need for patients and staff to travel. Theresa Mays Brexit deal is like a surrender document of a nation that has been defeated in war, Nigel Farage has told supporters. The Brexit Party leader was cheered by hundreds of people at a rally in Houghton-le-Spring, near Sunderland, on Saturday afternoon which was also shown a preview of the partys new election broadcast. Mr Farage lambasted both the Tory government and the Labour leadership but made no mention of newspaper reports he left the scene of a collision between his chauffeur-driven car and another vehicle in Kent on Thursday. Mr Farage said: It (Brexit) hasnt happened partly because of the dishonest, duplicitous and utterly useless Prime Minister in Theresa May. No question, she is the worst Prime Minister in the history of this country, bar none. He told the rally that Mrs Mays deal would be a new EU treaty. Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage during a walkabout in Sunderland (Danny Lawson/PA) A treaty that will cost us, for reasons Ive yet to understand, 39 billion, he said. A treaty that may well leave us trapped inside the EUs custom union in perpetuity. This treaty that she wants to put through is more like a surrender document of a nation that has been defeated in war. Mr Farage said: She has humiliated our country on the international stage and Ive had enough of it. The former Ukip leader told the North East audience they had also been betrayed by the London led Labour party and local MPs. He said: Those MPs look down upon you, they think youre morons, they tell you you didnt know what you voted for. Can I say on your behalf, and on behalf of leavers across all of the United Kingdom, to hell with you, we knew what we were voting for. Former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe was cheered in the packed hall when she decried those patronising, snooty nincompoops who sit in their dinner parties and say poor dears, they didnt know what they were voting for. Ann Widdecombe addressed a Brexit Party rally (Danny Lawson/PA) She said: We knew exactly what we were voting for. Miss Widdecombe said: The message of those local elections and the message of these European elections is really simply. Either those at Westminster let Britain leave or we make them leave. She said: If they dont take us out of the EU then, come the next general election, the Brexit Party will take over Westminster and take us out of the EU. Pub landlord Patrick Tranter told The Sun Mr Farages chauffeur-driven 44 crashed head-on with his Jaguar carrying his toddler son on Thursday morning. Mr Tranter said the Brexit Party leader didnt even bother to see if we were OK. A Brexit Party spokesman said: The car was in a non-fault accident. Nigel wasnt driving it. Nigel continued his journey in a different car. The driver did remain at the scene. The police did attend and details were exchanged. It was a minor shunt. Four insurgents armed with rifles and grenades have targeted a luxury hotel in Pakistan, triggering a lengthy shootout in which a security guard and the attackers were killed. A military spokesman said the gunmen attacked the Pearl Continental hotel in Baluchistan but all the guests were safely evacuated. The hotel guard was killed as the assailants opened fire with small arms. The insurgents were armed with rifles and grenades (Danny Lawson/PA) A Baluch separatist group, the Baluch Liberation Army, claimed responsibility, saying its four fighters were involved. In a statement, the group released pictures of the attackers, who authorities say were killed in the ensuing gun battle. All four of the terrorists have been killed, said a senior security official. The hotel is located near the port at Gwadar, which was built by Pakistan with Chinas help in recent years. Gwadar lies about 435 miles south west of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. The region has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatists who demand a greater share of the provinces natural gas and mineral resources. The latest attack came weeks after Islamabad claimed that a group of militants crossed the border from neighbouring Iran and killed 14 security officials when they were on their way to Gwadar in buses. Pakistan at the time blamed a Baluch separatist group, Raji Aajoi Sangar, for the killings. President Emmanuel Macron greeted three former hostages as they arrived on French soil, one day after a military operation freed them in Burkina Faso. The pre-dawn rescue cost the lives of two French special forces officers, as well as four terrorists. The two French citizens, tourists Patrick Picque and Laurent Lassimouillas, as well as an unidentified South Korean national, arrived at Villacoublay military airport. The French tourists failed to return from a visit last week to the Pendjari National Park wildlife reserve in Benin, and their guide was discovered dead. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, a South Korean hostage, French Defence Minister Florence Parly, and freed French hostage Laurent Lassimouillas walk on the tarmac at Villacoublays military airport (Francois Guillot/Pool/AP) Officials said the hostages and their captors were in transit in Burkina Faso and the kidnappers intended to take them to Mali. Mr Macron, who attended their arrival in France alongside Defence Minister Florence Parly, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Army Chief of Staff Francois Lecointre, did not make a statement and will address the hostages ordeal and the soldiers deaths publicly next week. A military ceremony for the commandos is planned. A fourth hostage, an American woman, was also successfully rescued. It was not immediately known when and where the American and the South Korean were kidnapped. Ms Parly called the rescue an operation of rare difficulty that grew more complex with the discovery of the American and South Korean hostages being held with the French citizens. A freed South Korean hostage with French President Emmanuel Macron (Francois Guillot/Pool/AP) Earlier on Saturday, Burkina Faso President Roch Kabore received the French and South Korean citizens in the presidential palace in the capital, Ouagadougou. He tweeted on Saturday he wished them a safe return to their respective families. Mr Macron has thanked authorities in Burkina Faso and Benin for their cooperation and promised them support in fighting terrorism. South Africas ruling African National Congress has won national elections but with its lowest ever share of the vote. With all votes counted, the ANC had 57.5%, the electoral commission said. President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the vote had given him and others a firm mandate to build a better South Africa for all. It was the worst ever showing at the polls for the party of the late Nelson Mandela that has ruled since the end of the apartheid system of racial discrimination 25 years ago. The party won 62% of the vote in 2014. Voter turnout was another low at 65%, reflecting the frustration of many South Africans after corruption scandals around the ANC that led former president Jacob Zuma to resign last year under party pressure. Turnout was 74% in 2014. President Cyril Ramaphosa celebrates after the Independent Electoral Commission announced the final results (Jerome Delay/AP) Mr Ramaphosa, a Mandela protege, has vowed to stop the rot and apologised to South Africans. But his new five-year term is threatened by Zuma allies within the ANCs leadership, who could pressure the party to oust him from power. Observers have said South Africas economy, the most developed in sub-Saharan Africa, would be further weakened if Mr Ramaphosa is removed by his own party. He narrowly won the party leadership in late 2017, weeks before Mr Zuma was pushed out. Mr Ramaphosas image as a leader willing to rid the government of corruption helped the ANCs election showing, political analyst Karima Brown said. Its a departure from a president who faced continuous allegations of corruption, she said. But ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, seen as leading the party faction opposed to Mr Ramaphosa, has said the victory could not be attributed to the president alone. Widespread disillusionment over the ANC and long-standing issues of high unemployment and poor delivery of basic services had been expected to give top opposition parties a boost in Wednesdays election. A record 48 parties were on the ballot. Top opposition party the liberal Democratic Alliance (DA) slipped in its share of votes, however, winning 20.7%, down from 22.2% in 2014. The populist Economic Freedom Fighters in just their second showing in parliamentary and presidential elections did gain ground, winning 10.7% of the vote, up from 6.3% five years ago. The EFF won support notably among younger voters with its outspoken demands for a bigger share of South Africas wealth from the countrys white minority. It struck a chord in a country where unemployment is 27% and many in the black majority struggle to get by. The party also had promised to expropriate white-owned land without compensation and nationalise mines and banks. With an eye on the countrys growing youth population, the Born Free generation that never knew apartheid, Mr Ramaphosa noted that many young people are still outside the fold of voting activity. Some 6 million eligible young voters did not register to vote in this election. The ANC barely retained control of the countrys economic hub of Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria, with just over 50% of the vote. In South Africa, the president and parliament are not elected directly. The number of votes won by each party determines how many representatives are sent to the national 400-seat legislature. The president of the country is the leader of the party that gets the most votes. The ANC won 230 seats, the DA 84 and the EFF 44. Sir Philip Green is estimated to have lost his billionaire status with the retail tycoons fortune believed to have halved in a year because of a pension black hole in his empire. The Sunday Times Rich List has his fortune free-falling 1.05 billion in a year to 950 million. But the plummet still places Sir Philip and wife Tina at 156th on the list, down from joint 66th some 12 months earlier. He has faced calls to be stripped of his knighthood (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Arcadia Group which includes Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins was valued as worthless in this years list, as the company copes with a pension debt which hit 565 million. The couples stake in the company was last year valued at 750 million, while the compilers also removed 300 million from their worth to allow the shoring up of the deficit. With his wealth peaking at almost 5 billion in 2007, it is the first time in 17 years that Sir Philip has not been listed as a billionaire. Robert Watts, who compiled the list, said he struggles to envisage the tycoon returning to the upper echelons. Sir Philip Green may have clung on to his knighthood, but we can no longer justify his status as one of the UKs billionaires, Mr Watts said. This is the first time since 2002 he has not been in that top tier of the UKs super rich individuals. The devaluation comes after sustained criticism against Sir Philip and calls for him to lose his knighthood. He was lambasted over the collapse of BHS, affecting 11,000 jobs, 19,000 pension holders and leaving a 571 million in the pension scheme. The businessman, who sold the department store chain to Dominic Chappell for 1 before it plunged into administration, agreed to pay 363 million towards the deficit. Sir Philip has also faced a slew of allegations, including of groping a female executive and making a racial slur at an employee. The Croydon-born entrepreneur denied his behaviour was criminal or amounted to gross misconduct. Elsewhere in the rich list, Sir James Dyson reached his highest ever position as he prepares to move Dysons head office from Wiltshire to Singapore. The Brexit-backing businessman climbed seven places to become the fifth richest person in the UK, with his wealth estimated at 12.6 billion. Leading the way are the Hinduja brothers Sri and Gopi, the magnates who were said to have amassed a 22 billion fortune, more than 3 billion ahead of David and Simon Reuben. In third is Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the boss of petrochemicals firm Ineos who fell from first place after a reported 2.9 billion drop to 18.15 billion. The Equality Trust pledged to write to the 1,000 individuals and families included in the list calling for them to support higher taxes in a nation of Ferraris and food banks. Executive director Dr Wanda Wyporska said: In our grossly unequal UK, we are seeing the fabric of society ripped to shreds as the gap between us grows ever wider. The newspapers list features a record 151 billionaires with a combined wealth of nearly 525 billion, a 9.2% rise on last year. Scottish newspaper the Sunday Mail is to announce its support for the Green Party in the European elections. The newspaper one of Scotlands bestselling Sunday titles is announcing its backing for the Scottish Greens in the poll in a front page editorial on May 12. The traditionally left-leaning newspaper said it had chosen to back the Greens because climate change was not being treated as a priority by the major parties. In tomorrow's Sunday Mail, we announce our plans to back the Scottish Green Party in the upcoming European elections #ScotPapers pic.twitter.com/F5WdIs59x8 Sunday Mail (@Sunday_Mail) May 11, 2019 Its article says: The Euro poll in 11 days time has been turned into a referendum by proxy on Brexit the identity issue which has crippled our politics for almost three years and counting. Meanwhile we are all faced with a genuine emergency which is, in relative terms, being ignored. Climate change is the biggest issue confronting our country and our planet. It continues: The Sunday Mail has a proud history in tackling prejudice and fighting for social justice though we do value our neutrality in party politics. Our backing of the Green Party doesnt mean we agree with them on everything and doesnt necessarily mean wed follow them on the Yes side of a new independence referendum. In this election though their manifesto and vision chimes clearly with our values and the interests of our readers. Scottish Greens co-convenor Patrick Harvie has welcomed the papers support (Jane Barlow/PA) The move makes the Sunday Mail the first national newspaper to endorse the Scottish Greens whose lead candidate is Maggie Chapman for the EU elections on May 23. Scottish Greens co-convenor Patrick Harvie MSP said: Were delighted that the Sunday Mail is backing the Scottish Greens in the European elections this year. This is the most important European election weve ever faced, its vital that we elect Scotlands first Green MEP to work in tandem with our European neighbours and tackle the climate emergency. Thousands of supporters of Albanias centre-right opposition have protested in the capital Tirana, calling for the left-wing government to resign and for an early parliamentary election. The protesters clashed with police at several points and reporters saw some people injured. The protest began in front of the main government building in Tiranas Martyrs of the Nation Boulevard. Flares, firecrackers, Molotov cocktails and other projectiles were thrown. Police used tear gas when a group of protesters broke the police cordon and headed for the buildings entrance. After two hours, opposition leaders led the protesters, in smaller numbers, to the parliament building, where they continued to throw Molotov cocktails and firecrackers. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons, quickly clearing the main entrance area. Riot police secured the area outside the Parliament (Hektor Pustina/AP) Ambulances were seen taking injured protesters away but there was no immediate information on numbers of casualties. President Ilir Meta called on protesters to avoid acts of violence and confrontation. Interior Minister Sander Lleshaj wrote on Twitter that democracy is not built with Molotovs, which aim at destroying Albania. But that is impossible! The opposition accuses Prime Minister Edi Ramas Cabinet of being corrupt and linked to organised crime, which the government denies. Opposition Democrats leader Lulzim Basha called on his supporters to continue the protest until Mr Rama resigns and a transitional cabinet is formed to take the country to an early election. We are determined there will be no election with Edi Rama, Mr Basha said. Mr Rama tweeted that he considered the protest violence as a sadness, adding that Albania is damaged. Flames from a petrol bomb thrown towards a police line (Hektor Pustina/AP) The protest continued into the evening with no clear end in sight. Opposition lawmakers relinquished their seats in parliament in protest, though many have now been filled by other opposition candidates. The governing Socialists have 74 seats in the 140-seat parliament. In June, Albania expects an answer from the European Union on whether full membership negotiations will be launched, and also holds municipal elections. The protest is the fourth national demonstration since mid-February. Regular, smaller ones are held weekly across the country. The Brexit Party has overtaken the Tories for the first time in a new general election poll. Nigel Farages party is one point ahead of the Conservatives in what would be the Tories worst ever result according to the ComRes survey of voting intentions. That level of support would see the Brexit Party win 49 seats, becoming the UKs second biggest party after Labour, with 137. Andrew Hawkins, the chairman of ComRes, described the poll as a disaster, adding: If the Conservative leadership contenders are not careful, there will be no party for them to lead. The news in the Sunday Telegraph follows the calamitous council elections, where Mrs May oversaw the loss of nearly 1,300 Tory councillors, and comes ahead of a predicted wipeout in the European elections in the next fortnight. The poll shows the Conservatives would lose 46 seats to the Brexit Party, dethroning Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt, Health Secretary Matt Hancock and party chairman Brandon Lewis. And Labour would take the scalps of Boris Johnson, Iain Duncan Smith and Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee, with the Tories retaining support from less than half of those who voted for them in 2017. Penny Mordaunt in Downing Street (Victoria Jones/PA) Jeremy Corbyn would be able to lead a minority government with 27% support, leaving the Brexit Party with 20% and the Conservatives 19% support, according to the poll commissioned by Brexit Express. Brexit Express is a campaign group run by Jeremy Hosking, a major Tory donor who has now given 200,000 to Mr Farages party. The ComRes poll chimes with another recent poll by Opinium, which showed the Brexit Party snapping at the Tories heels in a Westminster election, where they would be just one point behind. According to Opinium, Labour would be out in front with 28% support, followed by the Tories on 22% and the Brexit Party on 21%. Adam Drummond, head of political polling at Opinium said it was remarkable the new party could be on the cusp of overtaking the party of government. Although Mr Drummond cautioned the European election in less than two weeks could be bleeding into and inflating the Westminster results, the level of support was still notable. He said: It would be reasonable to assume that this would fall back in an actual general election campaign, but the fact a party that is less than six months old is now vying with the governing party for second place is remarkable. The Tories reliance on Leave voters seemed sensible in the aftermath of the referendum. But raising expectations of the kind of deal the UK could get and using the phrase no deal is better than a bad deal so relentlessly was always going to open the party up to this kind of challenge once those expectations could not be met. Ann Widdecombe during a Brexit Party rally while on the European Election campaign trail in Durham (Danny Lawson/PA) The two main parties, Labour and the Conservatives, continue to drop votes, with Labour falling five points and the Tories four in the last fortnight. But the Brexit Party and the Liberal Democrats are reaping the rewards of public frustration and are both on the up, with the former rising five points and the latter four taking the Lib Dems to fourth place with 11 points. When it comes to the European elections, the Brexit Party is galloping ahead into first place with 34% support doubling the existing gap to 13 points. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks at the Young Labour conference in Birmingham, where he made an announcement on the real living wage (Ben Birchall/PA) Labour, coming second with 21%, has fallen seven points in the last fortnight and the Lib Dems are in third position with 12%, having risen five points. The Tories have dropped another three points to stagger into fourth place with 11% support. Mr Drummond said Remainers were split on which party to support and 57% would like to see a pro-Remain alliance. He said: On the European elections, while the question of which party Brexit voters should back was settled some time ago, the equivalent for Remain voters is still ambiguous. The picture is most stark when we split out Leave and Remain voters while 63% of Leavers say they will vote for the Brexit Party in the European elections, the most popular party among Remainers (still Labour) only has 31% versus 22% for the Lib Dems and 14% for the Greens. Interestingly, Brexit voters have deserted the Tories to such an extent that the Conservatives actually have a higher share of the European vote among Remainers (12%) than among Leavers (11%). Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,004 UK adults over 18 years old between May 8 and 10 and results have been weighted. A Frenchman who served as an MSP is calling on overseas citizens to use the European elections to send a message to Theresa May. Christian Allard was an SNP MSP for the North East of Scotland between 2013 and 2016, and is now standing to become an MEP. Mr Allard, who has brought up his family in Scotland, said EU nationals have been used as a bargaining chip by the Prime Minister. With your support, I will always put the people of Scotland first #VoteSNP #EuropeanElections2019 https://t.co/PfCwJQlSQM Christian Allard SNP (@Christia_Allard) April 19, 2019 At an SNP event in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, he will say: EU nationals should use this election to send Theresa May a message. Try running our NHS without nurses and doctors from the EU. Try running our world-class universities without researchers and staff from Europe. Try running our fruit farms or our fish processors without us. Freedom of movement is essential to Scotlands public services and our future prosperity. Christian Allard, third right, is one of six SNP candidates (PA) Scotlands future lies in Europe. A vote for the SNP is a vote to make clear Scotland says No to Brexit. Quaker meeting houses across England have been given new or enhanced protected status in a move celebrating their quiet simplicity, Historic England said. Some 11 meeting houses, from a 19th century building in Cartmel, Cumbria, designed by the architect of the Natural History Museum to a 1970s concrete venue in Londons Blackheath, have been given Grade II listed status. The oldest meeting house in the world still in continuous use, which opened in Hertford in 1670 to replace meetings held in private homes, has been upgraded to Grade I protected status. A 1970s meeting house in Blackheath, London, is among those newly listed at Grade II (Historic England Archive/PA) And five of the countrys other oldest meeting houses have had their listed status upgraded to Grade II* by the Government, on the advice of its heritage agency Historic England. The Quaker movement, or the Religious Society of Friends, began in the 1600s, largely led by George Fox. He turned his back on the established Christian church and believed everyone could have a direct relationship with God, removing the need for priests or churches. Aylesbury Quaker Meeting House is tucked away in the historic core of the town (Historic England Archive/PA) Early on, Friends met for silent worship in places ranging from hilltops to peoples homes, but as the movement grew meeting houses were built, usually unassuming buildings, plainly decorated in reflection of the Quaker commitment to simplicity. Now 300 of the 500 groups, or meetings, in Britain have a dedicated meeting house rather than renting a space or meeting in a private home. In England, more than 250 meeting houses are protected as listed buildings, though not all are still in use by Quakers. Pardshaw, Cumbria, is among five of the oldest meeting houses which have had their protected status upgraded (Historic England Archive/PA) Some meeting houses predate the 1689 Act of Toleration, before which Quaker worship was outlawed, including the venue in Hertford which was visited at least three times by Fox, and which retains much of its original character. Resembling a pair of houses outside, inside it is one large meeting room to the full height of the building, lined by timber panelling and rows of benches, while the roof is supported by a single oak column in the centre. The five meeting houses which have been upgraded to Grade II* protected status include venues in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, and Alton, Hampshire, which were also built for worship while it was still against the law. Graffiti on window sills show Nailsworth was a meeting house before the Act of Toleration 1689 (Historic England Archive/PA) Among the 11 newly listed properties are 19th century buildings which replace earlier meeting houses or reflect expanding cities and a move to the suburbs, and 20th century venues. Heritage minister Michael Ellis said: Britains buildings tell the story of our history and the people who shaped it. By listing the Quaker meeting houses, we are preserving important places of worship and celebrating their rich heritage. The meeting house in Hertford has been upgraded to the highest level of protection Grade I listed (Historic England Archive/PA) Duncan Wilson, Historic Englands chief executive, said: Quaker meeting houses are precious pockets of calm in an otherwise hectic world, and Im delighted to see their quiet simplicity celebrated through listing. They are a largely unsung group of fascinating and surprisingly varied buildings that reflect the history, attitudes and ethos of the Quaker movement. While many still serve their Quaker communities, their historic charm and flexible spaces are also enjoyed by lots of other groups, visitors and passers-by and they deserve to be protected for future generations. Frandley meeting house has been listed at Grade II (Historic England Archive/PA) Ingrid Greenhow, of the Religious Society of Friends, said: I am delighted that Quaker places of worship are recognised as important elements in our national heritage. It is particularly heartening to see examples of 19th and 20th century meeting houses being listed. Our meeting houses continue to be centres for our faith and witness today. Controversial national assessments on P1 pupils have been carried out more than 11,500 times since MSPs voted to scrap them. Holyrood voted by 63 to 61 last September to halt the use of assessments on youngsters in the first year of primary, with all opposition parties uniting to defeat the Scottish Government. But figures released to the Scottish Liberal Democrats show that since then, 5,658 literacy assessments and 5,870 numeracy assessments have been completed totalling 11,528. Ministers were unable to say how many children had done both tests between September 20 last year and the recent Easter holiday. While the vote last year was not binding on the Scottish Government, Liberal Democrats insisted the continued use of national assessments in P1 shows ministers are treating Parliament with contempt. Education spokesman Tavish Scott said: Parliament voted to halt the national testing of four and five-year-old children. But that has been breached 11,528 times already. Tens of thousands more tests will happen over the coming weeks. The Scottish Government is treating MSPs with `contempt by continuing with national assessments in P1, the Lib Dems said (PA) While First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has this week warned against creeping efforts from Westminster to claw back powers from Holyrood, Mr Scott added: The First Minister cant pretend to be the protector of the Parliaments powers while at the same time ignoring its unambiguous decision. Teachers are clear that these national tests for P1s tell them nothing they do not already know. They are exasperated by what a waste of time they are. He also insisted a report by Holyroods Education Committee confirmed that there was no evidence for the imposition of testing on Scotlands youngest school children. He demanded: These national tests need to be scrapped and we need a Government who accept the will of Parliament, not treat it with contempt. Scottish national standardised assessments (SNSA) were introduced for P1, P4, P7 and S3 pupils in 2017 to help measure the attainment gap in schools. But some teachers, education unions and all opposition parties are against their use for P1 pupils, with the tests said to have left some youngsters in tears. A Scottish Government spokesman said: The Scottish National Standardised Assessments were specifically designed for the Scottish curriculum and provide teachers with objective, nationally consistent information related to everyday learning. We have made clear that assessment has long been an important part of the improvement agenda, and teachers with experience of using the assessments have spoken of how useful they are as one of a range of ways to gauge a pupils progression. It is important to further evaluate how the assessments are working which is why we have commissioned an independent review of P1 assessments to reconsider the evidence. The outcome of that review will be published in May 2019. A range of stories make headlines in Sundays papers, including the annual publication of the Sunday Times Rich List, political machinations and the new royal baby. The Sunday Times reports on what it calls Corbygeddon, reporting that one in 10 of those on the Rich List and prepared to speak said they were planning to protect themselves from hard-left tax increases. SUNDAY TIMES: Rich prepare to flee Corbyns Britain as Tories desert PM #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/skAwqkoXtV Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) May 11, 2019 The Sunday Telegraph leads with a poll suggesting the Conservative Party would have its worst result in history if a general election took place now with the Brexit Party gaining 49 seats, including those of cabinet ministers Penny Mordaunt and Matt Hancock. The front page of tomorrows Sunday Telegraph: 'Brexit Party beats Tories in general election poll' #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/EjNzDEIlfK The Telegraph (@Telegraph) May 11, 2019 The Observer reports a separate poll suggesting the Brexit Party would get a 34% vote share at the European elections on May 23, with Labour down to 21% and the Tories on 11%. OBSERVER: Poll surge for Farage sparks panic in Tories and Labour #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/8oRash4VpW Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) May 11, 2019 The Sunday Mirror leads with baby Archie, carrying an interview with the Duchess of Sussexs sister Samantha calling on the family to reconcile their differences. The Sunday Express has comments from another Markle sibling, Thomas, about the birth. What the papers say - May 12 (PA) SUNDAY EXPRESS: Archie will end Meghan family rift #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/VyWKQYhuQ6 Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) May 11, 2019 The death of Freddie Starr leads the Sunday People, with the paper saying he will have a paupers grave in Spain. The Mail on Sunday leads with former defence secretary Gavin Williamson calling Theresa Mays plans to seek a Brexit deal with Jeremy Corbyn a grave mistake and naive. MAIL ON SUNDAY: Sacked Minister: May has betrayed our party #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/qLdStOwApQ Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) May 11, 2019 And the Daily Star on Sunday says Sean Mercer, convicted of the killing of 11-year-old Rhys Jones, is allegedly selling drugs in prison. Photo: The Canadian Press Vice chief prosecutor Eva-Britt speaks at a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, Monday May 13, 2019. Swedish prosecutors said Monday they are reopening a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and will seek his extradition after he has served his 50-week prison term in Britain for jumping bail. Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference in Stockholm that "there is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape." She added: "It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required." Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges a step short of formal charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010, following complaints from two Swedish women who said they were the victims of sex crimes committed by Assange. The Australian secret-spiller left Sweden for Britain in September 2010, and took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition. After almost seven years holed up inside the building, he was arrested by British police April 11 when Ecuador revoked his political asylum, accusing him of everything from meddling in the nation's foreign affairs to poor hygiene. He is currently in London's Belmarsh Prison serving a 50-week sentence for jumping bail in 2012. He is also being held on a U.S. extradition warrant for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. While a Swedish case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped in 2017 when the statute of limitations expired, a rape allegation remains. Swedish authorities have had to shelf it because Assange was living at the embassy at the time and there was no prospect of bringing him to Sweden. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August next year. Assange has denied wrongdoing, asserting that the allegations were politically motivated and that the sex was consensual. Julian Assange's Swedish lawyer Per E. Samuelsen told The Associated Press on Monday that the decision to reopen the case is "outrageous." "He is in prison in the U.K., he faces the risk of being extradited to the United States and on top of that, to demand that he's going to put all his energy into looking into a 10-year-old story from Sweden is just too much," he said. Persson said a European arrest warrant will be issued for Assange. A Swedish court would formally issue the extradition request, which Assange could appeal. She added that while there is a risk the case may cut close to the statute of limitations deadline, "there is also a chance that we will be able to get him extradited before August 17 next year." The Swedish move would leave British authorities to decide whether to extradite Assange to Sweden or to the United States, where he is wanted separately for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. Persson said it was "impossible to predict" how the extradition process would unfold. There was no immediate reaction from Elisabeth Massi Fritz, the lawyer for the woman who reported being raped by Assange. The 47-year-old Australian met the women in connection with a lecture in August 2010 in Stockholm. One was involved in organizing an event for Sweden's centre-left Social Democratic Party and offered to host Assange at her apartment. The other was in the audience. A police officer who heard the women's accounts decided there was reason to suspect they were victims of sex crimes and handed the case to a prosecutor. Neither of the alleged victims has been named publicly. Assange faces a maximum of four years in prison in Sweden. May 13 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two Saudi oil tankers were among vessels targeted in a "sabotage attack" off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, condemning it as an attempt to undermine the security of global crude supplies. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not say who was behind the operation, which took place amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. Iran's foreign ministry called the incidents "worrisome and dreadful" and asked for an investigation. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond, has been at the heart of regional tensions for decades. Below is some background about the Strait: WHAT IS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ? * The waterway separates Iran and Oman, linking the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. * The Strait is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just two miles (three km) wide in either direction. WHY DOES IT MATTER? * The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated that 18.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of seaborne oil passed through the waterway in 2016. That was about 30 percent of crude and other oil liquids traded by sea in 2016. * About 17.2 million bpd of crude and condensates were estimated to have been shipped through the Strait in 2017 and about 17.4 million bpd in the first half of 2018, according to oil analytics firm Vortexa. * With global oil consumption standing at about 100 million bpd, that means almost a fifth passes through the Strait. * Most crude exported from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq -- all members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries -- is shipped through the waterway. * It is also the route used for nearly all the liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced by the world's biggest LNG exporter, Qatar. * During the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, the two sides sought to disrupt each other's oil exports in what was known as the Tanker War. * The U.S. Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, is tasked with protecting the commercial ships in the area. * "While the presence of the U.S. Fifth Fleet should ensure that the critical waterway remains open, provocative Iranian military manoeuvres are likely in the immediate offing as is a nuclear restart", analysts at bank RBC wrote on April 22. * Iran agreed to rein in its nuclear programme in return for an easing of sanctions under a 2015 deal with the United States and five other global powers. Washington pulled out of the pact in 2018. Western powers fear Iran wants to make nuclear weapons. Tehran denies this. * "All of these geopolitical stories could present a cruel summer scenario for President (Donald) Trump as he seeks to keep oil prices in check," the RBC analysts wrote. ARE THERE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES FOR GULF OIL? * The UAE and Saudi Arabia have sought to find other routes to bypass the Strait, including building more oil pipelines. * The following EIA table shows existing pipelines and proposed projects: HAVE THERE BEEN INCIDENTS IN THE STRAIT BEFORE? * In July 1988, the U.S. warship Vincennes shot down an Iranian airliner, killing all 290 aboard, in what Washington said was an accident after crew mistook the plane for a fighter. Tehran said it was a deliberate attack. The United States said the Vincennes was in the area to protect neutral vessels against Iranian navy attacks. * In early 2008, the United States said Iranian boats threatened its warships after they approached three U.S. naval ships in the Strait. * In June 2008, the then Revolutionary Guards commander-in-chief, Mohammad Ali Jafari, said Iran would impose controls on shipping in the Strait if it was attacked. * In July 2010, Japanese oil tanker M Star was attacked in the Strait. A militant group called Abdullah Azzam Brigades, which is linked to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility. * In January 2012, Iran threatened to block the Strait in retaliation for U.S. and European sanctions that targeted its oil revenues in an attempt to stop Tehran's nuclear programme. * In May 2015, Iranian ships fired shots at a Singapore-flagged tanker which it said damaged an Iranian oil platform, causing the vessel to flee. It also seized a container ship in the Strait. * In July 2018, President Hassan Rouhani hinted Iran could disrupt oil flows through the Strait in response to U.S. calls to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero. A Revolutionary Guards commander also said Iran would block all exports through the Strait if Iranian exports were stopped. Sources: Reuters/Refinitiv/Energy Information Administration (Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar Editing by Edmund Blair and Dale Hudson) The electoral discourse of General Election of 2019 has been the worst in Indias forgiving history. It looked as if electoral armies were at civil war with no holds barred. No part of the country was spared, no rally was without abuse. The epithets used were personal and vitriolic. Votes are not the only part of an election. Crucial to democracy is the discourse, the issues, dialogue. The 2019 election destroyed democratic discourse. Modi set the tone, Opposition parties respond in kind. The American Time Magazine calls Modi: Divider of India. His advent to Indian elections from 2002 has changed Indias democracy. Past and present India has gone to the polls since 1951. It is a testament to earlier elections that in 1951, Congress got 364 of the 489 seats with a vote share of only 45 per cent. Even with fantastic majorities its vote share in 1957 was 47.8 per cent and in 1962, 44 per cent. The strength of Indias electoral democracy lay in its discerning voters. That little person who even in days of Congress glory voted against them in numbers. The slogan of garibi hatao was issue based to contrast Indira hatao. Rajiv Gandhis loss in 1989 was issue based. Vajpayee fought for change in government. The Sangh Parivar had already muddied the waters through the Ram Mandir movement which became BJPs rallying cry. Resolving the Ayodhya issue remains the underlying message in UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's campaign. (Photo: India Today) In the 2019 elections, the Sangh Parivar has carefully avoided making Ayodhya an issue directly. But it remains the underlying campaign Adityanath celebrated the temple in December 2018, with pomp re-created Kumbh in Allahabad, changed names of cities in the Hindu cause in the background of communal violence, ghar wapsi, cow slaughter, lynching and mayhem. When the BJP moved to an issue based India shining election in 2004, it failed. Sab ka sath, sab ka vikas is like India shining. Not wanting to repeat the catastrophe of India shining, the BJP seeks refuge in personality based diatribe. Divisiveness rules What followed was not banter, but abuse. Modi does not spare anyone. The attack on Rajiv Gandhi was merciless, and it defied the memory of his assassination. The word Namdari is abusive. Rahul Gandhis use of Chowkidar chor hai has boomeranged against him as has its continuous rant. Modi called the opposition nakampanthis (non performers) naampathi (dynastic), vaampanthi (leftism) and damanpanthi (hooligans). Modi called the opposition nakampanthis (non performers) naampathi (dynastic), vaampanthi (leftism) and damanpanthi (hooligans). (Photo: India Today) Any direct assault on Modi as Hitler, Mussolini or Dawood Ibrahim is also name calling and needed to be forcefully crafted against his authoritarianism. Modis attack on Mamta appeared to be personal. Her reply, that Modi will get the slap of democracy has been distorted. To call a party adulterated (mahamilawati) is spiteful, not just a play on words. Should Pragya Thakur who put a death curse of Hemant Karkare have been selected as a candidate? Tea and pakoda remarks against Modi do not credit an election. The personal attack on AAP candidate Atishi dirties the electoral process. BJPs claim that she may have distributed the pamphlets herself to gain sympathy is ingenious but unworthy. The erstwhile campaign against Sonia Gandhis Italian origins has now been upstaged by attacking Rahul Gandhis citizenship. But is this what Indian elections are about? Accusing the TMC as coal mafia with Mamta replying that if this is disproved, Modi will do 100 sit-ups. Sam Pitrodas hua to hua remark on the Sikh riots was a grievous mistake built into a frenzy. BJP is talking about these issues and attacking congress leaders with lies because they can not talk about their performance and have no vision to take india forward to inclusively growth and prosperity for all with focus on Jobs, kids and more Jobs. Sam Pitroda (@sampitroda) May 10, 2019 More pointed was Adityanaths appropriation of the Indian army as Modis army. Whatever other parties do, Modi uses his oratorical skills to greater effect. One glance at TV anchors shows a total Modi takeover. I am preparing a glossary of diatribes used in this election which exposes all parties. But compared to Modi-Shah, the rest are poor imitators. But no glossary can hide violence and intimidation as the armoury of elections. The issues The voices of those who want an issue-based election are drowned out. When Modis government manipulated the February budget, its strategy was to present issues. Congress took on the challenge to present its anti-poverty measures. Post Pulwama, Modi found a vehicle of muscular nationalism, which was taken to a pitch until even if any wanted details of the surgical strike, they were treated as treasonable traitors. India lost 40 security personnel in a suicide car bombing by Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on February 14. (Photo: Reuters) Is the central jingoist issue in elections dealing with Pakistan? Why silence any form of questioning? Why would it be wrong to accept Imran Khans offer of peace talks? Clearly, that wouldnt be muscular. Once the real issues were eclipsed, Modi made the third issue oratory and turned the entire campaign into a diatribe. Other parties fell into this trap. The issue became Modi v Rahul undermining the concept of parliamentary democracy as contrasted with the Presidential system. In Indias parliamentary system every vote and constituency matters as the building blocks to power. The basis of Indias liberal democracy has given way to personality, publicity, populism, and hate. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan denied any role, had said they would take action against the perpetrators of the Pulwama terror attack if India shares actionable proof. (Photo: India Today) This article emphasises three aspects of electoral democracy: the vote, the discourse by which votes are earned, and the election process of. Violence is now a socially accepted process and discourse is irrelevant. The 2019 elections have destroyed political discourse emptying triumph of purpose. (Courtesy of Mail Today) Also read: Why I think Narendra Modi knowingly lowered the level of political discourse Photo: The Canadian Press This photo taken Tuesday, May 7, 2019, shows a security camera in the Financial District of San Francisco. San Francisco is on track to become the first U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition by police and other city agencies, reflecting a growing backlash against a technology that's creeping into airports, motor vehicle departments, stores, stadiums and home security cameras. Government agencies around the U.S. have used the technology for more than a decade to scan databases for suspects and prevent identity fraud. But recent advances in artificial intelligence have created more sophisticated computer vision tools, making it easier for police to pinpoint a missing child or protester in a moving crowd or for retailers to analyze a shopper's facial expressions as they peruse store shelves. Efforts to restrict its use are getting pushback from law enforcement groups and the tech industry, though it's far from a united front. Microsoft, while opposed to an outright ban, has urged lawmakers to set limits on the technology, warning that leaving it unchecked could enable an oppressive dystopia reminiscent of George Orwell's novel "1984." "Face recognition is one of those technologies that people get how creepy it is," said Alvaro Bedoya, who directs Georgetown University's Center on Privacy and Technology. "It's not like cookies on a browser. There's something about this technology that really sets the hairs on the back of people's heads up." Without regulations barring law enforcement from accessing driver's license databases, people who have never been arrested could be part of virtual police line-ups without their knowledge, skeptics of the technology say. They worry people will one day not be able to go to a park, store or school without being identified and tracked. Already, a handful of big box stores across the U.S. are trying out cameras with facial recognition that can guess their customers' age, gender or mood as they walk by, with the goal of showing them targeted, real-time ads on in-store video screens. If San Francisco adopts a ban, other cities, states or even Congress could follow, with lawmakers from both parties looking to curtail government surveillance and others hoping to restrict how businesses analyze the faces, emotions and gaits of an unsuspecting public. The California Legislature is considering a proposal prohibiting the use of facial ID technology on body cameras. A bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate would exempt police applications but set limits on businesses analyzing people's faces without their consent. Legislation similar to San Francisco's is pending in Oakland, California, and on Thursday another proposed ban was introduced in Somerville, Massachusetts. Beiersdorf Aktiengesellschaft engages in the manufacture and distribution of consumer goods in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It operates in two segments, Consumer Business and Tesa Business. The Consumer Business Segment offers skin and body care products. The Tesa Business segment provides self-adhesive system and product solutions for industries, craft businesses, and consumers. This segment offers its system solutions to the automotive, electronics, printing and paper, and building and construction industries. The company offers its products under the NIVEA, Eucerin, La Prairie, Elastoplast, Labello, Hansaplast, 8x4, FLORENA, Coppertone, HIDROFUGAL, GAMMON, SKIN STORIES, FLORENA FERMENTED SKINCARE, STOP THE WATER WHILE USING ME, CHAUL, and TESA brands. Beiersdorf Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1882 and is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Beiersdorf Aktiengesellschaft is a subsidiary of maxingvest ag. Read More There is not enough analysis data for BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II. 4.5 Community Rank Outperform Votes BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II has received 22 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II has received 10 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II has received 68.75% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BFY will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BFY will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Photo: The Canadian Press Two Saudi oil tankers and a Norwegian-flagged vessel were damaged in what Gulf officials described Monday as a "sabotage" attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. While details of the incident remain unclear, it raised risks for shippers in a region vital to global energy supplies at a time of increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers. The U.S. issued a new warning to sailors as the UAE's regional allies condemned Sunday's alleged attack that the UAE says targeted four ships off the coast of its port city of Fujairah. It came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the port. While Gulf officials declined to say who they suspect may be responsible, the U.S. has warned ships that "Iran or its proxies" could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged, still-unspecified threats from Tehran. The scale of the alleged sabotage also remains unclear. A statement from Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom's two oil tankers, including one due to later carry crude to the U.S., sustained "significant damage." However, a report from Sky News Arabia, a satellite channel owned by an Abu Dhabi ruling family member, showed the allegedly targeted Saudi tanker Al Marzoqah afloat without any apparent damage. The MT Andrea Victory, another of the allegedly targeted ships, sustained a hole in its hull just above its waterline from "an unknown object," its owner Thome Ship Management said in a statement. Images Monday of the Andrea Victory, which the company said was "not in any danger of sinking," showed damage similar to what the firm described. Emirati officials identified the third ship as the Saudi-flagged oil tanker Amjad. Ship-tracking data showed the vessel still anchored off Fujairah, apparently not in immediate distress. The fourth ship was the A. Michel, a bunkering tanker flagged in Sharjah, one of the UAE's seven emirates. A U.S. official told The Associated Press that American naval investigators were assisting the Emiratis with their probe of the incident. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the assistance publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the Persian Gulf and wider region from its base in Bahrain, declined to comment on the incident. The Navy runs a small supply operation out of the nearby Emirati naval base in Fujairah. Authorities in Fujairah, also a UAE emirate, also declined to speak to the AP. Emirati officials stopped AP journalists from travelling by boat to see the ships. However, the incident raises questions about maritime security in the UAE, home to Dubai's Jebel Ali port, the largest man-made deep-water harbour in the world that is also the U.S. Navy's busiest port of call outside of America. From the coast, AP journalists saw an Emirati coast guard vessel patrolling near the area of one of the Saudi ships in Fujairah, some 130 miles (210 kilometres) northeast of Dubai on the Gulf of Oman. Fujairah also is about 140 kilometres (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. The alleged sabotage caused jitters in global oil markets, as benchmark Brent crude rose in trading to over $71.50 a barrel Monday, a change of 1.3%. Al-Falih, the Saudi energy minister, said the attacks on the two Saudi tankers happened at 6 a.m. Sunday. He said "the attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill," though he acknowledge it affected "the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world." It is "the joint responsibility of the international community to protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets, and the danger they pose to the global economy," he said, according to the statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The U.S. Energy Department later said it was "monitoring the oil markets, and is confident they remain well-supplied." Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. is a supplier of precision instruments and services. The firm manufactures weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, packaging, logistics, and food retailing applications. It also manufactures several related analytical instruments and provides automated chemistry solutions used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development; and also, metal detection and other end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging and provides solutions for use in certain process analytics applications. Its operations are conducted by the following segments: U. S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations and Other. The U.S. Operations segment represents certain of the company's marketing and producing organizations located in the United States. The Swiss Operations segment includes marketing and producing organizations located in Switzerland, as well as extensive R&D operations that are responsible for the development, production, and marketing of precision instruments, including weighing, analytical, and measurement technologies for use in a variety of industrial and laboratory applications. Th Read More Deutsche Telekom AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated telecommunication services. The company operates through five segments: Germany, United States, Europe, Systems Solutions, and Group Development. It offers fixed-network services, including voice and data communication services based on fixed-network and broadband technology; and sells terminal equipment and other hardware products, as well as services to resellers. The company also provides mobile voice and data services to consumers and business customers; sells mobile devices and other hardware products; and sells mobile services to resellers and to companies that purchases and markets network services to third parties, such as mobile virtual network operators. In addition, it offers internet services; internet-based TV products and services; and information and communication technology systems for multinational corporations and public sector institutions with an infrastructure of data centers and networks under the T-Systems brand, as well as call center services. The company has 242 million mobile customers and 22 million broadband customers, as well as 27 million fixed-network lines. Deutsche Telekom AG has a collaboration with VMware, Inc. on cloud-based open and intelligent virtual RAN platform to bring agility to radio access networks for existing LTE and future 5G networks; and partnership with Microsoft to deliver high-performance cloud computing experiences. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Bonn, Germany. Read More 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. L.L.C., Avalon South LLC, Azusa Land Reclamation Inc., B&B Landfill Inc., Big Dipper Enterprises Inc., Bluegrass Containment L.L.C., Burnsville Sanitary Landfill Inc., CA Newco L.L.C., CR Group LLC, CWM Chemical Services L.L.C., Cal Sierra Disposal, California Asbestos Monofill Inc., Canadian Waste Services Holdings Inc., Capels Landfill LLC, Capital Sanitation Company, Capitol Disposal Inc., Carolina Grading Inc., Cedar Ridge Landfill Inc., Central Disposal Systems Inc., Chadwick Road Landfill Inc., Chambers Clearview Environmental Landfill Inc., Chambers Development Company Inc., Chambers Development of Ohio Inc., Chambers of Georgia Inc., Chambers of Mississippi Inc., Chemical Waste Management Inc., Chemical Waste Management of Indiana L.L.C., Chemical Waste Management of the Northwest Inc., Chesser Island Road Landfill Inc., City Environmental Services Inc. of Waters, Cleburne Landfill Company Corp., Coast Waste Management Inc., Coastal Recyclers Landfill LLC, Connecticut Valley Sanitary Waste Disposal Inc., Conservation Services Inc., Coshocton Landfill Inc., Cougar Landfill Inc., Countryside Landfill Inc., Curtis Creek Recovery Systems Inc., Cuyahoga Landfill Inc., DHC Land LLC, Dafter Sanitary Landfill Inc., Dauphin Meadows Inc., Deep Valley Landfill Inc., Deer Track Park Landfill Inc., Deffenbaugh Disposal Inc., Deffenbaugh Group Holdings Inc., Deffenbaugh Industries Inc., Deffenbaugh Recycling Company L.L.C., Deffenbaugh of Arkansas LLC, Del Almo Landfill L.L.C., Delaware Recyclable Products Inc., Dickinson Landfill Inc., Disposal Service Incorporated, Dolphin Services & Chemicals LLC, Dolphin-One LLC, ELDA Landfill Inc., Earthmovers Landfill L.L.C., East Liverpool Landfill Inc., Eastern One Land Corporation, Eco-Vista LLC, Elk River Landfill Inc., Energy Injection Services of Mississippi LLC, EnviroSolutions Dulles LLC, EnviroSolutions Holdings Inc., EnviroSolutions Real Property Holdings Inc., Envirofil of Illinois Inc., Evergreen Landfill Inc., Evergreen Recycling and Disposal Facility Inc., Finch Waste Co LLC, Firetower Landfill LLC, Fred J. Eckert Sanitary Service Inc., Furnace Associates Inc., G.I. Industries, GA Landfills Inc., Gallia Landfill Inc., Garnet of Maryland Inc., Gateway Transfer Station LLC, Georgia Waste Systems Inc., Giordano Recycling L.L.C., Glades Landfill LLC, Glen's Sanitary Landfill Inc., Grand Central Sanitary Landfill Inc., Greenbow LLC, Greenleaf Compaction Inc., Greenstar Allentown LLC, Greenstar Georgia LLC, Greenstar LLC, Greenstar Managed Services - Connecticut LLC, Greenstar Managed Services - RLWM LLC, Greenstar Mid-America LLC, Greenstar New Jersey LLC, Greenstar Ohio LLC, Greenstar Paterson LLC, Greenstar Pittsburgh LLC, Greenstar Recycled Holdings LLC, Greenstar Recycling LLC, Guadalupe Mines Mutual Water Company, Guadalupe Rubbish Disposal Co. Inc., Ham Lake Haulers Inc., Harris Sanitation Inc., Harwood Landfill Inc., Hedco Landfill Limited, High Mountain Fuels LLC, Hillsboro Landfill Inc., Holyoke Sanitary Landfill Inc., IN Landfills L.L.C., Illini Disposal, International Environmental Management Inc., Jahner Sanitation Inc., Jay County Landfill L.L.C., K and W Landfill Inc., Keene Road Landfill Inc., Kelly Run Sanitation Inc., King George Landfill Inc., King George Landfill Properties LLC, Kirby Canyon Holdings LLC, L&K Group Holdings LLC, LCS Services Inc., Lakeville Recycling L.P., Land South Holdings LLC, Landfill Services of Charleston Inc., Laurel Highlands Landfill Inc., Liberty Landfill L.L.C., Liquid Logistics, Liquid Waste Management Inc., Longleaf C&D Disposal Facility Inc., Looney Bins Inc., Mac Land Disposal Inc. II, Mahoning Landfill Inc., Mass Gravel Inc., Mc Ginnes Industrial Maintenance Corporation, McDaniel Landfill Inc., McGill Landfill Inc., Meadowfill Landfill Inc., Michigan Environs Inc., Midwest One Land Corporation, Modesto Garbage Co. Inc., Moor Refuse Inc., Mordell, Mountain Indemnity Insurance Company, Mountainview Landfill Inc., Nassau Landfill L.L.C., National Guaranty Insurance Company of Vermont, New England CR L.L.C., New Milford Landfill L.L.C., New Orleans Landfill L.L.C., North Manatee Recycling and Disposal Facility L.L.C., Northwestern Landfill Inc., Nu-Way Live Oak Reclamation Inc., OAKLEAF Waste Management LLC, OGH Acquisition Corporation, Oak Grove Disposal Co. Inc., Oakleaf Global Holdings Inc., Oakleaf Waste Management Inc., Oakridge Landfill Inc., Oakwood Landfill Inc., Okeechobee Landfill Inc., Ozark Ridge Landfill Inc., P & R Environmental Industries L.L.C., Pacific Waste Management L.L.C., Pappy Inc., Peltz H.C. LLC, Pen-Rob Inc., People's Landfill Inc., Peterson Demolition Inc., Phoenix Resources Inc., Pine Grove Landfill Inc., Pine Tree Acres Inc., Prime Westport LLC, Quail Hollow Landfill Inc., Questquill Limited, R & B Landfill Inc., RAA Colorado L.L.C., RAA Trucking LLC, RCI Hudson Inc., RTS Landfill Inc., Recycle America Co. L.L.C., Recycle America Holdings Inc., Redwood Landfill Inc., Refuse Inc., Refuse Services Inc., Reliable Environmental Transport, Reliable Landfill L.L.C., Remote Landfill Services Inc., Reno Disposal Co., Resco Holdings L.L.C., Resource Control Composting Inc., Resource Control Inc., Richland County Landfill Inc., Riverbend Landfill Co., Rust Engineering & Construction Inc., Rust International Inc., S & J Landfill Limited Partnership, S & S Grading Inc., S&T Materials LLC, SC Holdings Inc., SF Land Acquisition LLC, Sanifill de Mexico (US) Inc., Sanifill de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Shade Landfill Inc., Shawnee Rock Company, Sierra Estrella Landfill Inc., Southern Alleghenies Landfill Inc., Southern One Land Corporation, Southern Waste Services L.L.C., Spruce Ridge Inc., Stony Hollow Landfill Inc., Suburban Landfill Inc., Summit Energy Services Inc, Swire Waste Management Limited, TN'T Sands Inc., TX Newco L.L.C., Texarkana Landfill L.L.C., Texas Pack Rat - Austin #1 LLC, Texas Pack Rat - Dallas #1 LLC, Texas Pack Rat - Houston #1 LLC, Texas Pack Rat - Houston #2 LLC, Texas Pack Rat - Houston #3 LLC, Texas Pack Rat - San Antonio #1 LLC, Texas Pack Rat Service Company LLC, The Peltz Group LLC, The Waste Management Charitable Foundation, The Woodlands of Van Buren Inc., Thermal Remediation Solutions L.L.C., Trail Ridge Landfill Inc., TransAmerican Waste Industries, Transamerican Waste Central Landfill Inc., Trash Hunters Inc., Twin Bridges Golf Club L.P., USA South Hills Landfill Inc., USA Valley Facility Inc., USA Waste Geneva Landfill Inc., USA Waste Landfill Operations and Transfer Inc., USA Waste Services of NYC Inc., USA Waste of California Inc., USA Waste of Texas Landfills Inc., USA Waste of Virginia Landfills Inc., USA Waste-Management Resources LLC, USA-Crinc L.L.C., USB LIHTC Fund 2010-1 LLC, UWS Barre Inc., United Waste Systems Leasing Inc., Valley Garbage and Rubbish Company Inc., Vern's Refuse Service Inc., Vickery Environmental Inc., Vista Landfill LLC, Voyageur Disposal Processing Inc., WM Avon Inc., WM Bagco LLC, WM Billerica Inc., WM Biloxi Hauling LLC, WM Biloxi Transfer Station LLC, WM Boston CORE Inc., WM CCP Solutions LLC, WM Conversion Fund LLC, WM Corporate Services Inc., WM Curbside LLC, WM DC 1 LLC, WM Emergency Employee Support Fund Inc., WM Energy Resources Inc., WM Energy Services Holdings LLC, WM Energy Services of Ohio LLC, WM Energy Solutions Inc., WM GTL Inc., WM GTL JV Holdings LLC, WM GTL LLC, WM Green Squad LLC, WM GreenOps LLC, WM Healthcare Solutions Inc., WM Illinois Renewable Energy L.L.C., WM Intellectual Property Holdings L.L.C., WM International Holdings Inc., WM KS Energy Resources LLC, WM LNG Inc., WM LampTracker Inc., WM Landfills of Ohio Inc., WM Landfills of Tennessee Inc., WM Leasing Services of Texas LLC, WM Leasing of Arizona L.L.C., WM Leasing of Texas L.P., WM Logistics India Private Limited, WM Logistics LLC, WM Mercury Waste Inc., WM Middle Tennessee Environmental Center L.L.C., WM Mobile Bay Environmental Center Inc., WM ND Energy Resources II LLC, WM ND Energy Resources LLC, WM Nevada Renewable Energy L.L.C., WM North Broward Inc., WM Organic Growth Inc., WM PA Holdings LLC, WM PRG L.L.C., WM Pack-Rat LLC, WM Pack-Rat of California LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Illinois LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Kentucky LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Maryland LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Massachusetts LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Michigan LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Nevada LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Ohio LLC, WM Pack-Rat of Rhode Island LLC, WM Partnership Holdings Inc., WM Phoenix Energy Resources LLC, WM Propane LLC, WM Quebec Inc., WM RA Canada Inc., WM Recycle America L.L.C., WM Recycle Europe L.L.C., WM Recycling Latin America LLC, WM Refined Coal LLC, WM Renewable Energy L.L.C., WM Resource Recovery & Recycling Center Inc., WM Resources Inc., WM Safety Services L.L.C., WM Security Services Inc., WM Storage II Inc., WM Storage Inc., WM TX Energy Resources II LLC, WM TX Energy Resources LLC, WM Texas Pack Rat LLC, WM Trash Monitor Plus L.L.C., WM WY Energy Resources II LLC, WM WY Energy Resources III LLC, WM WY Energy Resources LLC, WM of North Dakota Energy Disposal Solutions LLC, WMI Mexico Holdings Inc., WMNA Container Recycling L.L.C., WMRE of Kentucky LLC, WMRE of Michigan LLC, WMRE of Ohio LLC, WMRE of Ohio-American LLC, WMSALSA Inc., WTI Air Pollution Control Inc., WTI Rust Holdings Inc., Warner Company, Waste Away Group Inc., Waste Management Arizona Landfills Inc., Waste Management Buckeye L.L.C., Waste Management China Holdings Limited, Waste Management Collection and Recycling Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Colorado Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Maine Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Maryland Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Massachusetts Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Oregon Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Pennsylvania Inc., Waste Management Disposal Services of Virginia Inc., Waste Management Energy Services of Texas LLC, Waste Management Holdings Inc., Waste Management Inc. of Florida, Waste Management Inc. of Tennessee, Waste Management Indycoke L.L.C., Waste Management International Inc., Waste Management National Services Inc., Waste Management National Transportation Services Inc., Waste Management Partners Inc., Waste Management Recycling and Disposal Services of California Inc., Waste Management Recycling of New Jersey L.L.C., Waste Management Service Center Inc., Waste Management of Alameda County Inc., Waste Management of Alaska Inc., Waste Management of Arizona Inc., Waste Management of Arkansas Inc., Waste Management of California Inc., Waste Management of Canada Corporation, Waste Management of Carolinas Inc., Waste Management of Colorado Inc., Waste Management of Connecticut Inc., Waste Management of Delaware Inc., Waste Management of Fairless L.L.C., Waste Management of Five Oaks Recycling and Disposal Facility Inc., Waste Management of Georgia Inc., Waste Management of Hawaii Inc., Waste Management of Idaho Inc., Waste Management of Illinois Inc., Waste Management of Indiana Holdings One Inc., Waste Management of Indiana Holdings Two Inc., Waste Management of Indiana L.L.C., Waste Management of Iowa Inc., Waste Management of Kansas Inc., Waste Management of Kentucky Holdings Inc., Waste Management of Kentucky L.L.C., Waste Management of Leon County Inc., Waste Management of Londonderry Inc., Waste Management of Louisiana Holdings One Inc., Waste Management of Louisiana L.L.C., Waste Management of Maine Inc., Waste Management of Maryland Inc., Waste Management of Massachusetts Inc., Waste Management of Metro Atlanta Inc., Waste Management of Michigan Inc., Waste Management of Minnesota Inc., Waste Management of Mississippi Inc., Waste Management of Missouri Inc., Waste Management of Montana Inc., Waste Management of Nebraska Inc., Waste Management of Nevada Inc., Waste Management of New Hampshire Inc., Waste Management of New Jersey Inc., Waste Management of New Mexico Inc., Waste Management of New York L.L.C., Waste Management of North Dakota Inc., Waste Management of Ohio Inc., Waste Management of Oklahoma Inc., Waste Management of Oregon Inc., Waste Management of Pennsylvania Gas Recovery L.L.C., Waste Management of Pennsylvania Inc., Waste Management of Rhode Island Inc., Waste Management of South Carolina Inc., Waste Management of South Dakota Inc., Waste Management of Texas Holdings Inc., Waste Management of Texas Inc., Waste Management of Tunica Landfill Inc., Waste Management of Utah Inc., Waste Management of Virginia Inc., Waste Management of Washington, Waste Management of West Virginia Inc., Waste Management of Wisconsin Inc., Waste Management of Wyoming Inc., Western One Land Corporation, Western Waste Industries, Western Waste of Texas L.L.C., Westminster Land Acquisition LLC, Wheelabrator Technologies, Wheelabrator Technologies International Inc., White Lake Landfill Inc., Willow Oak Landfill LLC, and eCycling Services L.L.C.. iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF's stock was trading at $39.49 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, IEUR shares have increased by 46.1% and is now trading at $57.68. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. The Sri Lankan government on Monday blocked various social media platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube to prevent the circulation of rumours in the aftermath of violence in Chilaw and Kuliyapitiya. Police also imposed a curfew on Sunday in the town and nearby areas after clashes erupted between Christian and Muslims communities, reported Daily Mirror. Mobs threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores in Chillaw on Sunday. The residents of the town- a majority of them being Christians - also thrashed a man, stating that he caused a dispute by posting volatile posts on Facebook. Police had fired shots in the air to stop the violence. Tensions are brewing in the island nation since April 21, when eight coordinated bombings left at least 250 people dead and scores of others injured. This is the third time authorities in Sri Lanka have imposed restrictions on social media after the Easter Sunday attack. Social media was last banned on May 6 after violence erupted between Sinhalese Buddhist and Muslims communities. The police also arrested a 47-year-old Moulavi on Sunday for using social media platforms to propagate extremist views. -ANI iShares Silver Trust's stock was trading at $15.63 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, SLV stock has increased by 35.4% and is now trading at $21.16. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. engages in the exploration, development, and recovery of minerals and precious metals located primarily in Africa. It explores for platinum, palladium, nickel, copper, gold, rhodium, zinc, silver, germanium, and lead deposits. The company's projects include the Platreef project located in the Northern Limb of South Africa's Bushveld Complex; the Kipushi project located in Haut-Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo; and the Kamoa-Kakula project located within the Central African Copperbelt. It also holds a 100% interest in the Western Foreland exploration project covering an area of approximately 2,550 square kilometers located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has a strategic partnership agreement with China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. to examine exploration, development, and acquisition of mineral projects, as well as production, smelting, and logistics opportunities in Africa. The company was formerly known as Ivanplats Limited and changed its name to Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. in August 2013. Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. was incorporated in 1993 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Pfizer: AH Robins LLC, AHP Holdings B.V., AHP Manufacturing B.V., Agouron Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alacer, Alpharma Holdings LLC, Alpharma Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alpharma Specialty Pharma LLC, Alpharma USHP LLC, American Food Industries LLC, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Angiosyn, Array BioPharma, Ayerst-Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, BIND Therapeutics Inc., BINESA 2002 S.L., Bamboo Therapeutics, Bamboo Therapeutics Inc., Baxter International - Marketed Vaccines, BioRexis, Bioren, Bioren LLC, Blue Whale Re Ltd., C.E. Commercial Holdings C.V., C.E. Commercial Investments C.V., C.P. Pharmaceuticals International C.V., CICL Corporation, COC I Corporation, Catapult Genetics, Coley Pharmaceutical GmbH, Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Coley Pharmaceutical Group Inc., Continental Pharma Inc., Covx, Covx Technologies Ireland Limited, Cyanamid Inter-American Corporation, Cyanamid de Argentina S.A., Cyanamid de Colombia S.A., Distribuidora Mercantil Centro Americana S.A., Encysive Pharmaceuticals, Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc., Esperion LUV Development Inc., Esperion Therapeutics, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals Inc., Farminova Produtos Farmaceuticos de Inovacao Lda., Farmogene Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Ferrosan A/S, Ferrosan International A/S, Ferrosan S.R.L., FoldRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Foldrx Pharmaceuticals, Fort Dodge Manufatura Ltda., G. D. Searle & Co. Limited, G. D. Searle International Capital LLC, G. D. Searle LLC, GI Europe Inc., GI Japan Inc., GenTrac Inc., Genetics Institute LLC, Greenstone LLC, Haptogen Limited, Hospira, Hospira (China) Enterprise Management Co. Ltd., Hospira Adelaide Pty Ltd, Hospira Aseptic Services Limited, Hospira Australia Pty Ltd, Hospira Benelux BVBA, Hospira Chile Limitada, Hospira Deutschland GmbH, Hospira Enterprises B.V., Hospira France SAS, Hospira Healthcare B.V., Hospira Healthcare Corporation, Hospira Healthcare India Private Limited, Hospira Holdings (S.A.) Pty Ltd, Hospira Inc., Hospira Invicta S.A., Hospira Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, Hospira Ireland Sales Limited, Hospira Japan G.K., Hospira Limited, Hospira Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Hospira NZ Limited, Hospira Nordic AB, Hospira Philippines Inc., Hospira Portugal LDA, Hospira Produtos Hospitalares Ltda., Hospira Pte. Ltd., Hospira Pty Limited, Hospira Puerto Rico LLC, Hospira Singapore Pte Ltd, Hospira UK Limited, Hospira Worldwide LLC, Hospira Zagreb d.o.o., ICAgen, Idun Pharmaceuticals, Industrial Santa Agape S.A., InnoPharma, InnoPharma Inc., International Affiliated Corporation LLC, JMI-Daniels Pharmaceuticals Inc., John Wyeth & Brother Limited, Kiinteisto oy Espoon Pellavaniementie 14, King Pharmaceuticals Holdings LLC, King Pharmaceuticals LLC, King Pharmaceuticals Research and Development LLC, Korea Pharma Holding Company Limited, Laboratoires Pfizer S.A., Laboratorios Parke Davis S.L., Laboratorios Pfizer Ltda., Laboratorios Wyeth LLC, Laboratorios Wyeth S.A., Laboratorios Pfizer Lda., MTG Divestitures LLC, Mayne Pharma IP Holdings (Euro) Pty Ltd, Medivation, Medivation Field Solutions LLC, Medivation LLC, Medivation Neurology LLC, Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC, Medivation Services LLC, Medivation Technologies LLC, Meridian Medical Technologies Inc., Meridian Medical Technologies Limited, Monarch Pharmaceuticals LLC, Neusentis Limited, NextWave Pharmaceuticals, NextWave Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, P-D Co. LLC, PAH USA IN8 LLC, PF Americas Holding C.V., PF Asia Manufacturing B.V., PF PR Holdings C.V., PF PRISM C.V., PF PRISM Holdings S.a.r.l., PF Prism S.a.r.l., PFE Holdings G.K., PFE PHAC Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Pfizer Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Wyeth Holdings LLC, PFE Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) LLC, PHILCO Holdings S.a r.l., PHIVCO Corp., PHIVCO Holdco S.a r.l., PHIVCO Luxembourg S.a r.l., PN Mexico LLC, PT. Pfizer Parke Davis, Parke Davis & Company LLC, Parke Davis Limited, Parke Davis Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Parke-Davis Manufacturing Corp., Parkedale Pharmaceuticals Inc., Peak Enterprises LLC, Pfizer, Pfizer (China) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Pfizer (Perth) Pty Limited, Pfizer (Thailand) Limited, Pfizer (Wuhan) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer AB, Pfizer AG, Pfizer AS, Pfizer Africa & Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Veterinarian Products & Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer Anti-Infectives AB, Pfizer ApS, Pfizer Asia Manufacturing Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Pfizer Atlantic Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Australia Holdings B.V., Pfizer Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Pfizer Australia Investments Pty. Ltd., Pfizer Australia Pty Limited, Pfizer B.V., Pfizer BH D.o.o., Pfizer Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer Biofarmaceutica Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Pfizer Biologics (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Pfizer Biologics Ireland Holdings Limited, Pfizer Biotech Corporation, Pfizer Bolivia S.A., Pfizer Canada Inc., Pfizer CentreSource Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Chile S.A., Pfizer Cia. Ltda., Pfizer Colombia Spinco I LLC, Pfizer Commercial Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Commercial Holdings TRAE Kft., Pfizer Commercial TRAE Trading Kft., Pfizer Consumer Healthcare AB, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare GmbH, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Ltd., Pfizer Consumer Manufacturing Italy S.r.l., Pfizer Corporation, Pfizer Corporation Austria Gesellschaft m.b.H., Pfizer Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Pfizer Croatia d.o.o., Pfizer Deutschland GmbH, Pfizer Development LP, Pfizer Development Services (UK) Limited, Pfizer Domestic Ventures Limited, Pfizer Dominicana S.R.L, Pfizer ESP Pty Ltd, Pfizer East India B.V., Pfizer Eastern Investments B.V., Pfizer Egypt S.A.E., Pfizer Enterprise Holdings B.V., Pfizer Enterprises LLC, Pfizer Enterprises SARL, Pfizer Europe Finance B.V., Pfizer Export B.V., Pfizer Export Company, Pfizer Export Holding Company B.V, Pfizer Finance Share Service (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Pfizer Financial Services N.V./S.A., Pfizer France International Investments, Pfizer Free Zone Panama S. de R.L., Pfizer GEP S.L., Pfizer Global Holdings B.V., Pfizer Global Supply Japan Inc., Pfizer Global Trading, Pfizer Group Luxembourg Sarl, Pfizer Gulf FZ-LLC, Pfizer H.C.P. Corporation, Pfizer HK Service Company Limited, Pfizer Health AB, Pfizer Health Solutions Inc., Pfizer Healthcare Ireland, Pfizer Hellas A.E., Pfizer Himalaya Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Holding France, Pfizer Holding Ventures, Pfizer Holdings Corporation, Pfizer Holdings Europe Unlimited Company, Pfizer Holdings G.K., Pfizer Holdings International Corporation, Pfizer Holdings International Luxembourg (PHIL) Sarl, Pfizer Holdings North America SARL, Pfizer Hungary Holdings TRAE Kft., Pfizer Inc., Pfizer Innovations AB, Pfizer Innovations LLC, Pfizer Innovative Supply Point International BVBA, Pfizer International LLC, Pfizer International Markets Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer International Operations, Pfizer International S. de R.L., Pfizer International Trading (Shanghai) Limited, Pfizer Investment Capital Unlimited Company, Pfizer Investment Co. Ltd., Pfizer Investment Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Ireland Investments Limited, Pfizer Ireland PFE Holding 1 LLC, Pfizer Ireland PFE Holding 2 LLC, Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Ireland Ventures Unlimited Company, Pfizer Italia S.r.l., Pfizer Italy Group Holding S.r.l., Pfizer Japan Inc., Pfizer LLC, Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Limited, Pfizer Laboratories Limited, Pfizer Laboratories PFE (Pty) Ltd, Pfizer Leasing Ireland Limited, Pfizer Leasing UK Limited, Pfizer Limitada, Pfizer Limited, Pfizer Luxco Holdings SARL, Pfizer Luxembourg Global Holdings S.a r.l., Pfizer Luxembourg SARL, Pfizer MAP Holding Inc., Pfizer Manufacturing Austria G.m.b.H., Pfizer Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland GmbH, Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland Grundbesitz GmbH & Co. KG, Pfizer Manufacturing Holdings LLC, Pfizer Manufacturing Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Manufacturing LLC, Pfizer Manufacturing Services, Pfizer Medical Technology Group (Belgium) N.V., Pfizer Medicamentos Genericos e Participacoes Ltda., Pfizer Mexico Luxco SARL, Pfizer Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pfizer Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Animal Health and Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer New Zealand Limited, Pfizer Norge AS, Pfizer North American Holdings Inc., Pfizer OTC B.V., Pfizer Overseas LLC, Pfizer Oy, Pfizer PFE ApS, Pfizer PFE AsiaPac Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Australia Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Australia Pty Ltd, Pfizer PFE B.V., Pfizer PFE Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer PFE Belgium SPRL, Pfizer PFE Brazil Holding S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE CIA. Ltda., Pfizer PFE Chile Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Colombia Holding Corp., Pfizer PFE Colombia S.A.S, Pfizer PFE Commercial Holdings LLC, Pfizer PFE Croatia Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Eastern Investments B.V., Pfizer PFE Finland Oy, Pfizer PFE France, Pfizer PFE Global Holdings B.V., Pfizer PFE Ireland Pharmaceuticals Holding 1 B.V., Pfizer PFE Italy Holdco 2 S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Italy Holdco S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Pfizer PFE Limited, Pfizer PFE Luxembourg S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Mexico Holding 3 LLC, Pfizer PFE Netherlands Holding 1 C.V., Pfizer PFE New Zealand, Pfizer PFE New Zealand Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Norway Holding S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE PILSA Holdco S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Peru Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Peru S.R.L., Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Israel Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Israel Ltd., Pfizer PFE Private Limited, Pfizer PFE S.R.L, Pfizer PFE Service Company Holding Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer PFE Singapore Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Singapore Pte. Ltd., Pfizer PFE Spain B.V., Pfizer PFE Spain Holding S.L., Pfizer PFE Sweden Holding 2 S.a.r.l., Pfizer PFE Sweden Holding S.a.r.l., Pfizer PFE Switzerland GmbH, Pfizer PFE Turkey Holding 1 B.V., Pfizer PFE Turkey Holding 2 B.V., Pfizer PFE UK Holding 4 LP, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 1 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 2 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 3 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 4 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 5 LLC, Pfizer PFE spol. s r.o., Pfizer PFE Ilaclar Anonim Sirketi, Pfizer Pakistan Limited, Pfizer Parke Davis (Thailand) Ltd., Pfizer Parke Davis Inc., Pfizer Parke Davis Sdn. Bhd., Pfizer Pharm Algerie, Pfizer Pharma GmbH, Pfizer Pharma PFE GmbH, Pfizer Pharmaceutical (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Pfizer Pharmaceutical Trading Limited Liability Company (a/k/a Pfizer Kft. or Pfizer LLC), Pfizer Pharmaceuticals B.V., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Global B.V., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Israel Ltd., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Korea Limited, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals LLC, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Pfizer Pigments Inc., Pfizer Polska Sp. z.o.o., Pfizer Private Limited, Pfizer Production LLC, Pfizer Products Inc., Pfizer Products India Private Limited, Pfizer Research (NC) Inc., Pfizer Romania SRL, Pfizer S.A., Pfizer S.A., Pfizer S.A. (Belgium), Pfizer S.A. de C.V., Pfizer S.A.S., Pfizer S.G.P.S. Lda., Pfizer S.L., Pfizer S.R.L., Pfizer SRB d.o.o., Pfizer Saidal Manufacturing, Pfizer Sante Familiale, Pfizer Saudi Limited, Pfizer Seiyaku K.K., Pfizer Service Company BVBA, Pfizer Service Company Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Services 1, Pfizer Services LLC, Pfizer Shared Services Unlimited Company, Pfizer Shareholdings Intermediate SARL, Pfizer Singapore Holding Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Singapore Trading Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Spain Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Specialties Limited, Pfizer Strategic Investment Holdings LLC, Pfizer Sweden Partnership KB, Pfizer TRAE Holdings Kft., Pfizer Trading Polska sp.z.o.o., Pfizer Transactions Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Transactions LLC, Pfizer Transactions Luxembourg SARL, Pfizer Transport LLC, Pfizer Ukraine LLC, Pfizer Vaccines LLC, Pfizer Venezuela S.A., Pfizer Venture Investments LLC, Pfizer Ventures LLC, Pfizer Worldwide Services Unlimited Company, Pfizer Zona Franca S.A., Pfizer spol. s r.o., Pharmacia, Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc., Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn S.A. de C.V., Pharmacia Brasil Ltda., Pharmacia Hepar LLC, Pharmacia Holding AB, Pharmacia Inter-American LLC, Pharmacia International B.V., Pharmacia LLC, Pharmacia Limited, Pharmacia Nostrum S.A., Pharmacia South Africa (Pty) Ltd, PowderJect Research Limited, PowderMed, Purepac Pharmaceutical Holdings LLC, Redvax, Renrall LLC, Rinat Neuroscience, Rinat Neuroscience Corp., Roerig Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Roerig S.A., Sao Cristovao Participacoes Ltda., Searle Laboratorios Lda., Serenex, Servicios P&U S. de R.L. de C.V., Shiley LLC, Sinergis Farma-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Site Realty Inc., Solinor LLC, Sugen LLC, Tabor LLC, The Pfizer Incubator LLC, Therachon, Thiakis Limited, Treerly Health Co. Ltd, US Oral Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd, Upjohn Laboratorios Lda., Vesteralens Naturprodukter A/S, Vesteralens Naturprodukter AB, Vesteralens Naturprodukter AS, Vesteralens Naturprodukter OY, Vicuron Holdings LLC, Vinci Farma S.A., W-L LLC, Warner Lambert, Warner Lambert Ilac Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Warner Lambert del Uruguay S.A., Warner-Lambert (Thailand) Limited, Warner-Lambert Company AG, Warner-Lambert Company LLC, Warner-Lambert Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Warner-Lambert S.A., Whitehall International Inc., Whitehall Laboratories Inc., Wyeth (Thailand) Ltd., Wyeth AB, Wyeth Australia Pty. Limited, Wyeth Ayerst Inc., Wyeth Ayerst S.a r.l., Wyeth Biopharma, Wyeth Canada ULC, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare LLC, Wyeth Europa Limited, Wyeth Farma S.A., Wyeth Holdings LLC, Wyeth Industria Farmaceutica Ltda., Wyeth KFT., Wyeth LLC, Wyeth Lederle S.r.l., Wyeth Lederle Vaccines S.A., Wyeth Pakistan Limited, Wyeth Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Company, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals FZ-LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Limited, Wyeth Puerto Rico Inc., Wyeth S.A.S, Wyeth Subsidiary Illinois Corporation, Wyeth Whitehall Export GmbH, Wyeth Whitehall SARL, Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) Limited, Wyeth-Ayerst International LLC, and Wyeth-Ayerst Promotions Limited. HCP's quiet period expires on Tuesday, January 18th. HCP had issued 15,300,000 shares in its public offering on December 9th. The total size of the offering was $1,224,000,000 based on an initial share price of $80.00. During HCP's quiet period, underwriters and any insiders that worked on the IPO are prevented from issuing any earnings forecasts or research reports for the company because of SEC regulations. Following the expiration of the company's quiet period, the brokerages that served as underwriters will likely initiate research coverage on the company. Allergan plc, a pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, and commercializes branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical, and regenerative medicine products worldwide. The company operates in three segments: US Specialized Therapeutics, US General Medicine, and International. It offers a portfolio of products in various therapeutic areas, including medical aesthetics and dermatology, eye care, neuroscience, urology, gastrointestinal, women's health, and anti-infective therapeutic products. The company also offers breast implants and tissue expanders; and RM-131 (relamorelin), a peptide ghrelin agonist for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis. In addition, it develops medical and cosmetic treatments; therapies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and other liver diseases; inhibitor for the treatment of psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders; atopic dermatitis drug candidate; peri-ocular rings for extended drug delivery and reducing elevated intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients; and treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Further, the company develops RST-001, a novel gene therapy for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa; small molecule therapeutics for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases; topical medicines for fat reduction; and delivery system and botulinum toxin-based prescription products. It has collaboration, option, and license agreement with Lyndra, Inc.; and strategic alliance and option agreement with Editas Medicine, Inc. Allergan plc also has licensing agreements with Assembly Biosciences, Inc.; MedImmune; and Heptares Therapeutics, Ltd. The company was formerly known as Actavis plc and changed its name to Allergan plc in June 2015. Allergan plc was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Read More "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.'" African American Cultural Literacy Day is celebrated during an event honoring the birthday of Malcolm X with guest speaker Latif Tarik from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Gordon Avenue Library at 1500 Gordon Ave. (434) 826-9259. Charlottesville Center for History and Culture hosts Alan Taylor discussing the history of education in the early American republic at 7 p.m. Friday at CitySpace on the Downtown Mall. (434) 296-1492. Central Virginia Small Business Development Center hosts Marc Willson presenting The Changing Face of Retail from 8 to 10 a.m. Monday at CitySpace. centralvirginia.org. (434) 295-8198. DisruptHR/Charlottesville, a speaking and business networking event benefiting Computers4Kids, features talks from area leaders about the future of work and talent beginning at 5 p.m. May 21 at the Jefferson Theater on the Downtown Mall. Details and registration at disruptHR.co/Charlottesville. (434) 817-1121. Nelson County Historical Society hosts Jeff Halverson speaking about the meteorological causes and geological consequences of Hurricane Camille from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Heritage Center at 1653 Thomas Nelson Highway in Arrington. (434) 263-5940. Particularly, according to the permit application, a Starbucks. Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer announced on Thursday that it sold the building and 0.5-acre property to Riverbend Development for $1.6 million. The parcel sits at the corner of Emmet Street (U.S. 29) and Angus Road. It is next to a KFC and at the end of the parking lot for Best Buy and Petco, near the U.S. 250 Bypass. The existing entrance to the property off Emmet Street would be eliminated for the store. Site access would come off the entrance to the Best Buy shopping center. Charlottesville and Albemarle County are home to about half a dozen Starbucks stores, with another currently under construction on Fifth Street Extended at the Interstate 64 interchange. The closest Starbucks to the one proposed for the Best Buy area is within the Harris Teeter at the Barracks Road Shopping Center. Staff recommends approval, with the note that any alteration to the existing drive-thru canopy would require approval from the Entrance Corridor Review Board. New Target? Many of the birds in Smiths care are quick to bond with humans, too, both their caretakers and visitors. One African grey parrot landed on a recent visitors shoulder in greeting, bending its head forward to be petted, and remained perched there for the next several minutes. The birds reveal their personalities in other ways, too. One group of parrots is shy and standoffish the survivors, Smith calls them, for the cruel treatment they endured in the animal trade. Others begin to gather in ones and twos until visitors find themselves surrounded by more than a dozen, all wanting to see who has come to visit. It is a reminder of how social these birds are and why it is so hard for them to be locked in a cage alone all day. The isolation and loneliness cause some to rip out their feathers, according to Kirah Swanson, Project Perrys co-director and outreach coordinator. African greys can have the intelligence of a 3- to 5-year-old person, Swanson said. You wouldnt think of putting your children in a playpen with the same toys for 13 hours while you go to work. Visitors to the sanctuary learn that such treatment is not uncommon. WAYNESBORO A division for children with special needs will return to the Blue Ridge Soap Box Derby in Waynesboro for a second year, but more children are needed to sign up. Super Kids is awesome, and it lets us all know what we take for granted, said Joe Kaminski, president of the Blue Ridge Soap Box Derby. While only three Super Kids participated last year, Kaminski said he knew the division would be offered again for this years race, although only one child is signed up so far for the June 15 race. As last years Super Kids winner, 8-year-old Richard Heffner, who has multiple sclerosis and uses a walker, came to the finish line, Kaminski saw him waving his arms in the air. Kaminski said that as Richard got out of his car, for a split second he forgot, it seemed, that his legs didnt work. Richard stood up, stepped out of the car and fell to the ground. Richards excitement about winning, Kaminski said, gave us a renewed energy to keep this going. Gov. Ralph Northams declaration that he would reject any future legislation that includes mandatory sentencing minimums represents flawed governance that takes a U-turn when a veer is needed. We understand that the governor is on a personal and political crusade to redeem himself for the lapses in judgment that resulted in the blackface/Klansman photo in his medical school yearbook, his admission that he applied shoe polish to his face for a talent show performance as Michael Jackson, and his nickname notation of Coonman in his VMI yearbook. Since he is the states chief executive, this is one way Northam can use his position to both assuage his guilt and profess his good intentions. And indeed, studies have shown that people of color have been disproportionately affected by the application of mandatory minimum sentences, which have contributed mightily to the explosion over the past 30 years of this nations world-leading rate of incarceration. But the public needs to be confident that violent offenders will be put away for a sufficiently long period to pay for their crimes and not be released prematurely due to a nuanced sentence handed down from the bench. The member unions of Amul plan to enhance the milk processing capacity from the current level of 350 lakh litre per day to 380400 lakh litre per day in the next two years. (Photo: File) New Delhi: GCMMF, which markets dairy products under the Amul brand, is expecting 20 per cent increase in its turnover this fiscal at around Rs 40,000 crore, driven by likely growth in volume and value terms, a top company official said. Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) posted 13 per cent increase in its turnover at Rs 33,150 crore during 2018-19 from Rs 29,225 crore in the previous fiscal. "In the last financial year, our revenue growth was because of higher volume and there was no price increase across our product portfolio. But, in this year we are expecting growth in both volume and value terms," Amul MD R S Sodhi told PTI. He said the company is expecting 20 per cent growth in turnover during 2019-20. Sodhi also said that the milk procurement prices have gone up in the last few months in states like Maharashtra. "We were paying our farmers higher prices when milk procurement prices declined in many states. So there will be no impact on us," he added. He ruled out any immediate plan to increase prices of Amul milk. Recently, GCMMF had said that the provisional unduplicated group turnover of Amul Federation and its 18 member unions crossed Rs 45,000 crore in 2018-19, up 13 per cent from the previous year. The 18 member unions of Amul Federation, with a farmer-member strength of more than 36 lakh across 18,700 villages of Gujarat, are procuring on an average 230 lakh litre of milk per day. The member unions of Amul plan to enhance the milk processing capacity from the current level of 350 lakh litre per day to 380400 lakh litre per day in the next two years. New Delhi: Global payments giant Mastercard has started to delete transactions data of Indian consumers from US-based servers, and saving the same in India, from this month and expects to complete the de-duplication exercise by this year-end, a top official said. The moves comes in the backdrop of the regulator RBI asking such payment technology firms to comply with data localisation norms which requires them to store transactions data of Indian customers within the boundaries of India. Mastercard, however, has already started saving data at servers in India from October last year which is duplicate data of that saved in the US. "From October 2018, the data has been residing in India, that is step one. The point of challenge is data to be only in India because it is not about putting just few servers here," Ari Sarker, co-president, Asia Pacific, Mastercard told PTI in an interview here. He said Mastercard has been in discussion with the RBI and there is complete commitment to comply with the requirement of the regulator. "I am feeling very positive...we are already in an execution mode. It (data de-duplication) is actually getting delivered in three phases because it is fairly complex as it is not about just putting a few servers here in India," Sarker said. The first phase has started from May 5, wherein certain components of transaction of data such as tokenisation will be available only in India and then there are other steps that Mastercard is complying with such as authorisation of transaction. "Token vaults and the likes will be built in India. It will be part of our bigger story where we are able to do this over the course of next few months. By December-end we would have everything to be residing in India from a transaction data point," he said. Following year going into 2020 and early 2021, Mastercard's current plan is to create a global technology node in India, and then even processing will be happening in India. "It will actually help us to get a full on-soil domestic transactions processing centre and services hub that we are planning to do in a two year horizon. And the work for these has already started," he added. Mastercard has committed another USD 1 billion investment for Indian market for five years to 2024. This comes after an investment of similar amount for five years during 2014 to 2019. Of the planned investment, the US-headquartered company will chip in an excess of USD 300 million to make India a global technology node. "We are global network, all transactions traverse through a global network where the technology centres are in the US. "And now India is going to become the first country outside of the United States which will have a global technology node where all of our processing services, authentication services, tokenisation, all the services that rides around what we call the core transaction is all going to be having an India presence," he said. Sarker said this will not only give the company an India presence but also give it flexibility how it can use India for any other company's traffic besides helping the company to balance the global network and presence. "So that is significant ..we are also going to continue to expand, our existing capabilities and do more. We are also looking at partnerships, investment opportunities in a more significant way in India. We think india's fintech growth is extremely exciting," he said. The company has partnered with some fintech companies including RazorPay, Zeta, ToneTag, Fluid AI, Happay, SignZy, ftcash and Syntizen. According to sources close to the development, the investigation has been going on for almost a fortnight and some employees have also been fired. New Delhi: E-commerce platform Paytm Mall has engaged consulting and audit major Ernst & Young (EY( to investigate a cashback fraud involving some of its employees and merchants, according to sources. Some employees of the Alibaba-backed company allegedly worked with third-party vendors and created fake orders to siphon off cashback offers. According to sources close to the development, the investigation has been going on for almost a fortnight and some employees have also been fired. When contacted, Paytm Mall in an e-mailed statement said, under the partnership, EY will "undertake frequent audits to identify, analyse and monitor various in-built and outsourced processes". It will also recommend global practices that will be applied to build a tech-driven fraud prevention system. Admitting that its current structure could leave "a scope for collusion", the statement said EY partnership will undertake audit and fraud prevention using both human and artificial intelligence. "This will strengthen the company's mission to build a secure and trusted shopping experience for the buyers and partnered sellers across India and soon to be launched global operations," the statement said. Paytm Mall said it continues to "de-list fraud merchants and take strict action wherever needed". Srinivas Mothey, Senior Vice President at Paytm Mall, said the company's teams continue to work closely with EY to share learnings and insights. "We are committed to build a trusted commerce platform and will take strict action against wherever needed," he added. In its battle against giants like Walmart-owned Flipkart and Amazon, Paytm was offering aggressive cashbacks to woo customers on to its platform. Additionally, the foundation has also submitted necessary paperwork to the government in July 2018. Mumbai: The government on Monday cancelled the FCRA registration of the Bengaluru-based NGO, Infosys Foundation, for alleged violation of norms in receiving foreign grants, officials said on Monday. The Home Ministry had last year served show-cause notice to Infosys Foundation for failing to submit annual income and expenditure statement on foreign funding for up to six years despite repeated reminders, officials said. The registration was cancelled as Infosys Foundation did not file income and expenditure statement on foreign funding for the past few years, they said. Sudha Murthy is the chairperson of Infosys Foundation. It is mandatory for non-government organisations (NGOs) to register under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, or FCRA, for receiving foreign funding. Infosys Foundation, however, said its de-registration from the FCRA followed a request it proactively made to the Ministry of Home Affairs. "This (request) was done as the Infosys Foundation does not come under the purview of the FCRA following the amendment made to the Act in 2016. We had approached the ministry to consider this, and thank them for granting our request," said Rishi Basu from the foundation's corporate marketing and communications division. It said the Foundation has submitted its annual returns for FY16, FY17 and FY18, though it did not fall under the purview of Act following its amendment. Additionally, the foundation has also submitted necessary paperwork to the government in July 2018. The six-member panel headed by Bimal Jalan was appointed on December 26, 2018 to review the Economic Capital Framework for the RBI. New Delhi: A high-level panel led by former Reserve Bank of India RBI governor Bimal Jalan, set up to decide the appropriate capital reserves that the central bank should maintain, is likely to submit its report by June. The six-member Jalan panel was appointed on December 26, 2018 to review the Economic Capital Framework for the RBI. "The report is not finalised yet. More meetings will take place. The (Economic Capital Framework) panel is expected to finalise its report by May-June," Jalan said on Wednesday after a meeting here. The panel has got extension beyond three months term, he said. The committee was to submit its report in 90 days from the first day of its meeting, which held on January 8. The other key members of the committee include Rakesh Mohan, the former deputy governor of RBI as the vice-chairman, finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, RBI deputy governor NS Vishwanathan, and two RBI central board members -- Bharat Doshi and Sudhir Mankad. The panel has been entrusted with the task of reviewing the best practices followed by central banks worldwide in making assessment and provisions for risks, which a central bank balance sheets are subject to. The panel having former economic affairs secretary Rakesh Mohan as its vice chairman will propose a suitable profit distribution policy, taking into account all the likely situations of the RBI, including the situation of holding more provisions than required. The government and the RBI under previous governor Urjit Patel had been at loggerheads over the Rs 9.6 lakh crore surplus capital with the central bank. The finance ministry was of the view that the buffer of 28 per cent of gross assets maintained by the RBI is well above the global norm of around 14 per cent. Following this, the RBI board in its meeting on November 19, 2018 decided to constitute a panel to examine Economic Capital Framework. In the past, the issue of the ideal size of the Reserve Bank of India reserves was examined by three committees -- V Subrahmanyam in 1997, Usha Thorat in 2004 and YH Malegam as late as in 2013. While the Subrahmanyam panel recommended for building a 12 per cent contingency reserve, the Thorat panel suggested it should be maintained at a higher 18 per cent of the total assets of the central bank. The RBI board did not accept the recommendation of the Thorat committee and decided to continue with the recommendation of the Subrahmanyam committee. The Malegam panel said the RBI should transfer an adequate amount of its profit to the contingency reserves annually but did not ascribe any particular number. According to a report of by Bank of America Merrill Lynch the Jalan committee is likely to identify an excess buffer of up to Rs 3 lakh crore. This includes the excess capital in contingency reserves and also revaluation reserves. Halving of the contingency reserves to a level of 3.25 per cent from the present 6.5 per cent will release Rs 1.282 lakh crore, the report said, pointing out that the level is still 50 per cent higher than what central banks in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping have. Similarly, halving the yield cover hike to 4.5 per cent from the present 9 per cent will release another Rs 1.170 lakh crore, it said. Sebi move comes in the back of several mutual fund debt schemes being hit by their exposure to CLO instruments. Mumbai: The markets regulator Sebi has asked mutual funds (MFs) to furnish details of their investment in all collateralised loan obligation (CLO) type dealsloan against promoter sharesduring the last few years to establish the total exposure by asset managers to such risky instruments. Experts estimate that promoters loan against shares could be at least Rs 1.2 lakh crore, going by the disclosure of Rs 2.4 lakh crore worth pledges. The Sebi move comes in the back of several mutual fund debt schemes being hit by their exposure to such instruments. Some mutual fund companies which had lent to some troubled groups entities are holding back payments to investors in their fixed maturity plans (FMP). Several FMPs that are due for maturity are not able to repay the entire amount. Investors in six FMPs of Kotak MF will not be able to redeem the entire maturity value. HDFC Mutual Fund has also informed investors its plan to extend the tenure for one of its FMPs coming up for redemption. Mutual funds have substantial exposure in these instruments. Several promoter groups like Zee group and ADAG had raised funds by issuing debt instruments backed by promoter share holding. In most cases of pledge, highly risky double leveraging was done, with holding company borrowing funds with its shares as collateral and then investing as equity in a Special Purpose Vehicle. According to experts, fund managers in mutual funds and insurance companies and analysts at credit rating agencies will have to answer some tough questions over their investments in CLO instruments issued by certain shell companies that have no other assets but only promoters shares and are controlled by promoters of listed companies. These investments by MFs/insurance are in effect lending to promoters against shares (LAS) that are risky and not matching with the risk profile of investors in those schemes. According to regulatory sources, Sebi is concerned about the fact that rating agencies were too generous in granting an investment grade to otherwise effectively special purpose vehicles which have no productive or earning asset. These SPVs are backed by a financial asset (shares) that depends on its value solely on stock exchanges. Fund managers can't argue that it is not prohibited. Had they disclosed in offer documents that they would make such adventurous investments because Sebi doesn't prohibit? This is not only absolutely rubbish and intolerable but will make funds liable for litigation in courts because of their own admission of committing something that is against the scheme objective--concentration of funds and locking funds beyond the maturity date, said a legal expert. Normally, for LAS there are limits and Sebi and stock exchange disclosure requirements. But by camaflauging these as CLOs, promoters were able to raise loans cheaper, say about 11 per cent, he added. Foreign fund outflows and cautious opening in domestic equities added pressure to the domestic unit. Mumbai: The rupee depreciated by 26 paise to 70.18 against the US dollar in early trade on Monday amid US-China trade related concerns and rising crude oil prices. Forex traders said the strengthening of the greenback vis-a-vis other currencies overseas, foreign fund outflows and cautious opening in domestic equities added pressure to the domestic unit. At the Interbank Foreign Exchange, the rupee opened on a weak note at 70.16 then fell further to 70.18 against the US dollar, showing a decline of 26 paise over its previous closing. The local unit, however, pared some losses and was quoted at 70.16 against the American currency at 0937 hrs. The Indian rupee Friday had closed at 69.92 against the US dollar. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) pulled out Rs 1,245.14 crore on a net basis Friday, provisional data showed. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 0.27 per cent to USD 70.81 per barrel. Meanwhile, domestic bourses opened on a cautious note Monday. The BSE gauge Sensex was trading at 37,448.91, lower by 14.08 points while the NSE Nifty was trading at 11,265.15 down by 13.75 points in early trade. Meanwhile, the United States, President Donald Trump on Sunday accused China of breaking the negotiated trade deal draft and indicated toughening of his stand against China in a series of tweets. After the near collapse of trade talks with China last week, Trump on Friday imposed a hefty duty on import of Chinese products from 10 per cent to 25 per cent worth more than USD 200 billion and asking for a similar increase on tariff on the rest of the Chinese import of over USD 300 billion. Shooting for the period drama Panipat and promoting his upcoming film Indias Most Wanted is keeping Arjun Kapoor on his toes. Panipat is an action film. Some days are good. Some are complicated. This is a nice memory to have of Panipat that I am tired and still have to go and promote Indias Most Wanted, says the actor, whose endurance is being tested by his busy schedule. Despite that Arjun is having a great time on the sets and for him, one of the best memories of working in Panipat has been sharing the screen space with Sanjay Dutt, who plays the antagonist to Arjuns character. Sanju sir is someone who I have looked up to as a child. We have all grown up watching Sanju sir. We know him as an actor and a star whose personality is larger than life, says Arjun who finds it difficult to see his co-actor as a villain given his humble attitude. Sanjay Dutt Arjun continues, He is like a child. He is so humble. It is difficult to imagine that he is the villain of the film because he is so nice. He starts playing with your cheeks and you forget that you are Sadashivrao Bhau and he is Ahmedshah Abdali. The actor is happy at the response to the trailer of his upcoming film IMW which is set to release in a few days from now. I have received a great response to the trailer. It is a very relevant film. The new India asks questions and expects answers. Terrorism is a worldwide phenomenon. Unfortunately, it has spread so fast. This is one such story of those people who wake up every morning to protect our country. These are unsung people who are not spoken about or who cannot speak of themselves and I am proud to be a part of such a film, says Arjun. Sanskriti Media Johns Hopkins University is creating a center to help educators deal with the increasing concerns over school safety and pressures from parents and legislators to put armed personnel and metal detectors in schools or know more about student well-being. The Center for Safe and Healthy Schools, which officially launched earlier this month, will include new classes for those currently in the universitys educator-preparation programs on how to create safe learning environments for students. It will also use new and existing research to inform policy debates on school safety and help educators, school systems and communities make better decisions about how to keep children safe. University officials said the center is unique in that it takes a cross-disciplinary approach to school safety, and it will draw on experts and researchers from across the universityfrom the schools of education, public health, engineering, arts and sciences, and medicine. All children deserve safe and healthy schools, and families deserve to know that their children are learning in safe and healthy environments, Christopher Morphew, the dean of the school of education at Johns Hopkins said in an interview with Education Week. There is an urgent need to take on whats a really complex issue and to try to come at it with comprehensive, evidence-based solutionsand we dont think that is being done. While conversations and policy decisions on school safety often hew toward visible and physical measures, Johns Hopkins University is hoping to move beyond that narrow focus and will emphasize other aspects that should be part of the debate, like bullying, school discipline, community engagement, and transportation. Ive had many conversations with principals about safe schools, and when you ask them about safe schools they dont talk about bulletproof lunch trays or facial recognition ID, Morphew said. They talk about trauma-informed teaching. They talk about the mental health of their students and their staff. They talk about transportation issuesand thats what they spend their time on day-to-day. We need to create a center that gives them better evidence-based tools to make good decisions about these things, Morphew continued, many of which, or most of which, they have not been trained on in their principal-preparation [or] counselor-preparation programs. Changing Preparation to Address School Safety Needs Educator preparation programs often offer a cursory introduction to school safety. Principals, for example, may review their legal responsibilities as school leaders, while counselors take courses in mental health and teacher-candidates have courses in social-emotional learning and restorative practices. The new centers programming will address this mismatch between preparation and real-world needs. Beginning this fall, school safety will be incorporated in core courses in teacher, counselor, and administrator preparation programs. The center will also launch a lecture and discussion series on school safety, drawing on experts across disciplines. This falls lecture series will include discussions of what constitutes a safe and healthy school, how student stress affects how students learn, long-term impacts of school violence on child and youth development, how to use restorative practices to reduce conflict, and best practices around choosing technology that supports safe and healthy schools. Students who complete the core courses with the safety component and participate in the discussions will get a formal notation on their transcripts denoting that they had taken the school safety series. And the center will launch a micro-credentialing program next spring that will allow educators across the country to tap into the centers school safety offerings. The school of education ultimately hopes to launch the courses as a MOOC series. While participants will have to pay to access the micro-credentialing courses, the MOOCs will be free when they are up and running, school officials said. This is an important venture because schools are evolving, and the needs of our schools are evolving, said Annette C. Anderson, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins, who will lead the academic component of the centers work. And so our academic programming is also evolving to try to meet the needs of 21st century schools. Ten years ago, some of these topics were not front of mind for many people in the field, Anderson continued. Now we are seeing that we need to address this. We need to consider how to provide this information to our target audience. Its a great challenge to have in front of us. Its going to call for some very smart people to be very creative. I think that we are stepping up to the challenge at Hopkins. Bombarded With School Safety Technology, But Lacking Research School safety has dominated the K-12 conversation since last years shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which left 17 dead. Johns Hopkins University announced the centers launch a day before another American school was visited by gun violence. Police say two students opened fire on their schoolmates at a K-12 charter school in Highlands Ranch, Colo., killing one student who was just days away from graduating and injuring eight others. The shooting was the 12th so far this year and the largest-scale gun violence incident in a school in 2019, based on Education Weeks school shooting tracker. In addition to preparing educators on how to create safe, nurturing school environments, the center will also conduct research or use existing research conducted in other fields to help educators make better decisions. Research will be concentrated in three primary areas: health and wellness, school and community engagement, and school security and technology. Health and wellness will encompass students mental, physical, and social-emotional health. Prof. John Links, whose work has included creating a computational model that can predict how communities function normally and how they are likely to respond after disasters (like hurricanes and earthquakes) is planning on applying that research and thinking to school safety. That kind of approach could help schools create safer learning environments and make better decisions about where to direct financial resources both before and after a tragedy, said Links, a professor of public health, medicine, education, engineering, and business. He drew an analogy to way some communities used the federal funds they received from the Homeland Security Department after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Some bought things like fire trucks, which Links argued was a good use of the money because those communities were more likely to respond to a fire than to a terrorist attack. In the same way, a school may be better off spending school safety grants on basic school functions like buying books for the library or hiring a counselor rather than purchasing a metal detector or paying for an armed guard, he said. But school officials are making those decisions largely in the absence of real data, and using the computational model to build a baseline of how the school normally functions and the factors that will likely help it recover after a safety incident could be helpful in the future, Links said. The idea of sinking huge sums of money into things like security technology when you dont even know if the school is functioning properly day-to-day, is crazy, Links said. If I want to best position a school to be a safe and healthy school and that school isnt a good school to begin with, I dont want to spend one nickel on things like security technology, active-shooter drills, and training, etcetera, until Ive brought the baseline functioning and performance of that school up to some reasonable level. Its money misspent. Sheldon Greenberg, an education professor at Johns Hopkins who is a former police officer, said the center could bring some coherence to the issue of school safety, where different sectors approach the problem from their siloed perspectives. The universitys Applied Physics Laboratory conducted one of the largest reviews of school safety technology on the market for the Department of Justice, and Greenberg is hoping to break down that mammoth document into smaller easy- to-understand guides for district leaders, who are often make purchasing decisions based on research conducted by vendors. There are a host of questions for district and school leaders to consider, he said. Theres a lot of chatter about hiring police officers for schools, but departments are also having trouble recruiting police officers, he said. And there are also questions around who should be in charge of selecting the police officers who will work in schools, the right backgrounds for such police officers, how to evaluate the effectiveness of school resource officers, and how adding law enforcement officers in schools contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline. We dont have the luxury of time to bring order to the disorder of the school safety movement and industry, Greenberg said. We dont know what the long-term adverse effects are [on students] based on some of the things that we are doing. And thats really critical. We cant keep doing more of the same, because this has gone on since Columbine and more of the same isnt working. Caption: Christopher Morphew, dean of the school of education at Johns Hopkins University, speaks at the Education Writers Associations conference in Baltimore on Monday, May 6, 2019. Jim Burger/Homewood Photography Mumbai: Pan India sensation Prabhas who is currently amidst the shoot of his big budget and high octane action film, Saaho is taking Hindi lessons and going leaps and bounds for the movie. Saaho is a multilingual film and will be shot and released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages. While the actor is proficient in the Southern region languages, he is having some difficulty with Hindi. And to do justice to his character, the actor has taken Hindi lessons to get his dialect and fluency right. Though he is familiar with the language, Prabhas cannot converse fluently in it. Sharing his experience of the preparation Prabhas shares, "Saaho will cater to audiences across the nation with its story and setting. It is not difficult, but Hindi is not my first language. So, a lot of preparation went into it. I can read and write the language, but we dont speak in Hindi at home." The actor further adds, "I have done a lot of homework for it and Soni (my teacher) conducted dialogue classes for more than a month. The first schedule was tough for me, but from the second one, it got better. I will only be dubbing for it in Hindi." Prabhas has left no stone unturned as he went under extensive action workshops for the multilingual film. The actor sometimes spent as many as 10 hours at a stretch to master the new stunts. So far, one has caught just a few glimpses of the film's action scenes in the teaser and the discussion around it clearly shows that the audience is already expecting a surprise element and the novelty of the terrific stunts. The actor shot to fame with his fantasy adventure movie Baahubali: The Begining, which released in 2015. The second installment of the franchise Baahubali 2: The Conclusion has been the highest grosser films ever in the history of Indian cinema. Prabhas who has dedicated five years to the shoot of Baahubali was showered with multiple offers during the shoot of the film, however, Prabhas chose to focus only on the magnum opus. The actor will be next seen in the big-budget film 'Saaho' alongside Shraddha Kapoor and his next movie under the direction of Jil fame Radha Krishna Kumar. The working title of the movie is Amour along with Pooja Hegde. Havana: Gay-rights activists organised an unauthorized march Saturday via social media, eight blocks below one of Havana's main thoroughfares before they were stopped by police. The march was the second by a non-governmental organisation in Cuba in slightly more than a month. That's highly unusual in a country where the only legal civil society groups are de-facto arms of the Communist government. Any sort of unofficial march or demonstration has long been met with a swift and overwhelming police response. On April 7, more than 400 animal-lovers received an official permit and peacefully marched more than a mile through Havana, shouting slogans and waving signs calling for an end to animal cruelty. Saturday afternoon's gay-rights march received no such permit but police and plainclothes state-security agents allowed it to proceed from a gathering point in Havana's Central Park, along the Prado boulevard until it reached the Malecon, the capital's famous seaside promenade. A handful of marchers were arrested when they attempted to push through a massive police presence and continue onto the Malecon. "It was a complete success because we got so many people together despite all the expectations of government interference. It's historic," said Raul Soublett, a 26-year-old gay rights activist. The march was organised largely using Cuba's new mobile internet, with gay-rights activists and groups of friends calling for a march over Facebook and WhatsApp after the main government-run gay rights organisation, the Center for Sex Education, cancelled a Saturday march. The government group known its Spanish acronym CENESEX said it was cancelling its annual Conga Against Homophobia and Transphobia because unnamed groups were attempting "to distort the reality of Cuba and use our Conga to discredit, divide and substitute the true meaning of the event." In response, activists called for the Saturday gathering at Havana's Central Park, a plaza in the heart of the capital's historic centre. Some gay-rights activists said online that police had tried to prevent them from leaving their homes Saturday with threats of unspecified repercussions. But more than 100 assembled and marched, chanting "It could be done!" and "Diverse Cuba!" and waving rainbow flags. "This is because we don't want to lose our rights to public space," said Lidia Romero, 49, who works in a private design store. "We're not here in opposition to anybody," Soublett said. Cuba repressed homosexuals in the decades after its 1959 revolution, sending many to forced-labour camps, but the government has since barred anti-gay discrimination and CENESEX, led by Mariela Castro, the daughter of Communist leader Raul Castro, has been internationally recognised for campaigning for gay rights. However, a CENESEX-endorsed push for gay marriage was removed from a constitutional reform this year after objections from many Cubans, including the country's growing ranks of evangelicals. CENESEX never clearly explained why it was cancelling the conga but said tensions with the Trump administration were a factor. The US has recently tightened the embargo on Cuba as part of a push to topple the allied Venezuelan government, and the Cuban government typically cracks down on internal dissent when it feels threatened. Washington: Drinking six or more cups of coffee a day can be harmful and increase the risk of heart ailment by up to 22 per cent, a recent study revealed. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In Australia, one in six people is affected by cardiovascular disease. It is a major cause of death with one person dying from the disease every 12 minutes. According to the World Health Organisation, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, yet one of the most preventable. Investigating the association of long-term coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease, researchers Dr Ang Zhou and Elina Hypponen of the Australian Centre for Precision Health said that their research confirms the point at which excess caffeine can cause high blood pressure, a precursor to heart disease. This is the first time an upper limit has been placed on safe coffee consumption and cardiovascular health. "Coffee is the most commonly consumed stimulant in the world - it wakes us up, boosts our energy and helps us focus - but people are always asking 'How much caffeine is too much?'," Hypponen said. "Most people would agree that if you drink a lot of coffee, you might feel jittery, irritable or perhaps even nauseous - that's because the caffeine helps your body work faster and harder, but it is also likely to suggest that you may have reached your limit for the time being," Hypponen added. "We also know that risk of cardiovascular disease increases with high blood pressure, a known consequence of excess caffeine consumption," Hypponen said. "In order to maintain a healthy heart and a healthy blood pressure, people must limit their coffees to fewer than six cups a day - based on our data six was the tipping point where caffeine started to negatively affect cardiovascular risk," Hypponen pointed. Using UK Biobank data of 347,077 participants aged 37-73 years, the study explored the ability of the caffeine-metabolising gene (CYP1A2) to better process caffeine, identifying increased risks of cardiovascular disease in line with coffee consumption and genetic variations. Hypponen said that despite carriers of the fast-processing gene variation being four times quicker at metabolising caffeine, the research does not support the belief that these people could safely consume more caffeine, more frequently, without detrimental health effects. "Knowing the limits of what's good for you and what's not is imperative. As with many things, it's all about moderation; overindulge and your health will pay for it," Hypponen said. The use of pain medications was significantly higher among bullied students even when controlling for the amount of pain they felt. (Photo: ANI) Washington: Recent findings have established a link between bullying and student's pain medication use. According to the findings, in a school-based survey study of all students in grades 6, 8, and 10 in Iceland, the use of pain medications was significantly higher among bullied students even when controlling for the amount of pain they felt, as well as age, gender, and socioeconomic status. As part of the study, which was published in Acta Paediatrica, a total of 10,390 students completed anonymous surveys and answered questions about bullying, pain, and pain medication use. Bullied students tend to experience more pain than their non-bullied schoolmates, the study found. Bullied students were also twice as likely to use pain medication even when controlling for experienced pain. "Interventions aimed at reducing bullying and promoting health in schools are important and might reduce the use of analgesics in adolescents," said corresponding author Dr Pernilla Garmy, of Kristianstad University, in Sweden. Anger and aggression, is seen as the quicker route to obtain something rather than level-headedness and diplomacy. Society can benefit from the Inuit approach of raising calm and well-balanced children. (Photo: Representational/Pexels) Cool-headed adults result in cool-headed kids. This has been proven by the Inuit with their fresh approach to parenting: dont shout or yell at small children. The Inuit instead use storytelling and role play to encourage children to learn themselves. Shouting, Think about what you just did. Go to your room! I disagree with that, said Goota Jaw, who teaches parenting at Nunavut Arctic College in Canada. Thats not how we teach our children. There is a lot of anger in people, nowadays. From daily rage over petty things on social media to increasing cases of anxiety and depression, our daily intake of news is filled up with rows, rants and public take-downs. Anger and aggression, is seen as the quicker route to obtain something rather than level-headedness and diplomacy. Society can benefit from the Inuit approach of raising calm and well-balanced children, reported the DailyMail. We do know anger is much more prevalent in some cultures than others, said Batja Gomes De Mesquita, a professor of cultural psychology at the University of Leuven in Belgium. The western belief is that we have these authentic emotions that should have room to be expressed and that beyond the odd situation you really you shouldnt have to suppress it. A research was conducted by the University of Leuven, wherein they invited two culturally different parent-child sets for an experiment. Belgian and Japanese mothers were asked to discuss a conflict with their child. Later, the subjects were asked to review their emotions. The results showed that Japanese teens had less feelings of anger than Belgian teens. What seemed to happen, says Mesquita, which surprised us, is you could say that Belgian mothers maintain and cultivate the anger of their children by being angry themselves, by engaging in the conflict, whereas Japanese mothers do not they were more concerned with their children, focusing on trying to empathise and understand. Eventually, on the whole you might find less expressions of anger in Japan. There are tremendous cultural differences when it comes to parenting styles all around the world. American teens lag behind in terms of wellness, happiness and academic achievement. In US, the parents will get the child to comply, will make them face consequences for their actions. But in Japan, parents dont jump to intervene in situations and let the child resolve conflicts by themselves. Culture and society play a key role in moulding kids, but neurological factors determine why people, teens especially, are prone to high emotions. By understanding that the teenage brain is going through a developmental period, those responsible for their social well-being should help them develop into well-rounded adults. One thing I hate is that teenagers are mocked by the media, described as like chickens with heads cut off, aliens, said Frances Jensen, a professor of the department of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania. But its biology playing itself out in front of you. Many parents completely, due to lack of knowledge, alienate their children. Its important to create an environment where you can communicate and check in. What is important to note is that none of what one sees as normal behaviour is universal. Parents tend to encourage anger because they worry about the consequences of bottling up emotions. It is believed that repressed anger is dangerous and unhealthy, so that is why the anger is taken out and gotten over with it at that moment. In the face of drastic climatic change, immense waste generation, and exploitation of resources, travelling responsibly is becoming increasingly necessary. According to a study published in Nature Climate Change, the global travel and tourism industry accounts for eight per cent of global carbon emissions, making the aforementioned all the more imperative. Thankfully, in India, youngsters are taking the lead in responsible travel and inspiring others to follow suit. Jestin Shaji, a BCom graduate, has set out on an all India tour on a bicycle and guess where his next stop is? Namma Bengaluru! Ive been to Bengaluru before, but each travel brings its own surprises. Im expecting to get some hands on experience in cycle repairs, and looking forward to having an enriching experience; interacting with people from different backgrounds, he says. Jestin in an earlier tour, cycled across all 14 districts of Kerala in 14 days covering a distance of around 1400 kms, with no money in hand. He sustained himself by befriending and staying with strangers from different socio-economic backgrounds and religions throughout his tour. After backpacking up North India and Nepal with a very tight budget, I realised that travel doesnt exactly require a lot of money. It is the people you meet, the experiences and the memories you make that are more important.So I went back home and picked up a five-year old cycle (Giant Roam) that my brother brought and I decided to set out on a tour, he says. He documented his experiences with people who helped him with food, water and direction in vlogs on his YouTube channel, The Bicycle Diary. My travels are mostly personal. But I also take extra care and prepare myself to avoid the use of plastics and wastage of resources and spread the same message through my vlogs, hoping to motivate fellow travellers to follow the same. Travelling responsibly definitely comes with its challenges, because suddenly you have to spend more time in commute as opposed to a quicker journey by an airplane, or restrain yourself from stocking bottled water. Jestin sure had his share of challenges, he says, When the Kerala tour ended, I had planned to pack my bike and get back home on a train. But I didnt have any money, so I wrote a message on a cardboard piece and showed it to people right outside the railway station in Mangalore. The message read: Kanyakumari to Kazaragod14 days 14 districts No money Need help to go back home. 15 people from 15 different backgrounds came helping me with the money; a foreigner, an auto rickshaw driver, students, families and many others. After 45 minutes, when I counted the money it was more than what was needed. Angel Maria This isn't the first time permission has been denied to Shah. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: BJP chief Amit Shah was denied permission to hold a rally in West Bengal's Jadavpur district in the run-up to the last phase of polls, party sources said on Monday. Sources also said that although permission was granted for Shah's chopper to land here, it was later denied by authorities. This isn't the first time permission has been denied to Shah. In January this year, permission was denied for the BJP president's chopper to land in Malda district to hold a rally. However, authorities permitted Shah to hold the public meeting at the last minute. In its defence, the Malda district administration had stated that it was not possible to grant permission to land VVIP helicopters that week, owing to construction work. While BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed that the site at which Shah was to land in Malda was used by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the latter claimed that she too had to change her landing location on the request of the state police. In February, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, too, was denied permission to land his chopper in West Bengal. Due to this, he had to touch down in Jharkhand's Bokaro and then travel to Purulia district by road to address a public rally. Yogi was scheduled to address two rallies in West Bengal on February 3 - one in North Dinajpur district's Raiganj and the other in South Dinajpur district's Balurghat. However, the Mamata Banerjee government declined permission for his chopper to land for both rallies without any prior notice. Later that day, he addressed the scheduled rally in Raiganj via telephone. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. He also asserted that BJP will try to approach the Supreme Court in connection with the matter. (Photo: ANI) Howrah: BJP leader and minister in Assam government, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has strongly condemned the arrest of BJP's youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma, stating that the current situation in the state is reminiscent of Emergency. Priyanka Sharma was arrested on Friday for sharing a morphed picture of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and sent to 14-day police custody. Read: Bengal BJP leader held for pasting Mamata face on Priyanka Chopra's MET Gala look Sarma, who met the relatives of the arrested girl here on Sunday, told media, "A person gives critical views about Prime Minister on social media but in India never before a young girl has been put in jail for sharing a post against the Chief Minister. Is it a crime? If such things happen, people will conclude that West Bengal is in a state of Emergency. I don't think even Indira Gandhi put anyone behind bars for writing against her on social media." He also asserted that BJP will try to approach the Supreme Court in connection with the matter. "She has just shared a Facebook post. Is it big enough crime to put anyone in jail? BJP strongly condemns it. We hope that the court will give us justice and we will be able to free her. If this continues, freedom of speech will not be left. We will try to file an application in Supreme Court tomorrow," said Sarma. Priyanka's brother claimed that at first, he was not allowed to meet her. However, when he put pressure, the authorities let him in. He also alleged that his sister's security was at risk as her entry in jail was not recorded within 24 hours of her arrest. He also said BJP leader Poonam Mahajan called him to Delhi. This is not the first time Banerjee has taken action against someone who took a dig at her. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. On May 4, the governing body of Nahar Pukhuri Kabarstan Committee organized a meeting where the family of Bhuyan donated the land. (Photo: Representational) North Lakhimpur: Breaking religious barriers and going an extra mile to strengthen the bond between two communities, a Hindu family from Lakhimpur district donated a piece of land for expansion of a Muslim burial ground. The family of late Karunakanta Bhuyan, which stays at Gorehaga village in North Lakhimpur, donated 0.84 acres to the Nahar Pukhuri Kabarstan (graveyard), which is located near the North Lakhimpur railway station. Notably, the burial ground also shares its border with a Hindu crematorium ground. On May 4, the governing body of Nahar Pukhuri Kabarstan Committee organized a meeting where the family of Bhuyan donated the land. Later, they were felicitated for their great gesture. Committee's chairman, Dr Hamidur Rahman chaired the meeting and expressed gratitude to all the people involved for this initiative. Normal life was affected in the city on Monday due to a strike called by a religious-cum-separatist organisation against the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir. (Representational Image) Srinagar: Normal life was affected in the city on Monday due to a strike called by a religious-cum-separatist organisation against the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir. Most schools, shops and other business establishments in the city remained shut due to the strike, officials said. They said public transport was also affected by the strike. However, government offices and banks remained open, the officials said. 'Itehadul Muslimeen' a religious organisation which is also a constituent of moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference - Sunday called for a complete shutdown across the Kashmir Valley on Monday against the alleged rape of the girl at Sumbal in north Kashmir's Bandipora district. Also read: Valley reacts with outrage after 3-year-old girl raped In a statement, 'Itehadul Muslimeen' president Moulana Masroor Abbas Ansari termed the rape as a blot on the face of humanity. The presence of people with such ill intentions is proving a rot for the society known for upholding its moral values for centuries. There is a dire need for evolving a joint strategy to deal with these elements, he said. Ansari demand stern punishment to the culprit. There should be no leniency adopted while dealing with the person involved in this act. On the one hand, the victim is battling for her life but on the other hand, efforts are being made to save the culprit which is a serious concern, he said. New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party was quick with a strong reaction after the BSP chief Mayawati launched a personal attack on Narendra Modi after he accused her of shedding crocodile tears over the Alwar gangrape case. The BJP said Mayawati has stooped to an all-time low and she was not suitable for public life. Earlier, Mayawati accused PM Modi of playing dirty politics on the Alwar gang rape case, reported news agency ANI. Narendra Modi was silent on Alwar gang rape case. Hes trying to play dirty politics over it so that his party can benefit in the elections. It is extremely shameful. How can he respect others sisters and wives when he has left his own wife for political gains? Mayawati said. Read: 'Crocodile tears', 'dirty politics': Modi, Mayawati clash over Alwar gangrape She also said: I have also come to know that married women are now trying to make sure that their husbands do not go near Narendra Modi because they fear that their husbands may also leave them like Modi left his wife. Also Read: Give PM's abandoned wife tribute by not voting Modi: Mayawati to women Union minister Arun Jaitley criticised Mayawati over her personal attacks on the Prime Minister. Behan Mayawati - She is firm on becoming a Prime Minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low. Her personal attack today on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life, Jaitley tweeted on Monday. Behan Mayawati - She is firm on becoming a Prime Minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low. Her personal attack today on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life. Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 13, 2019 On Sunday, Modi had hit out at Mayawati over the Alwar gang rape and challenged her party to withdraw support from the Congress government in the western state. The political row involves the gangrape of a Dalit woman by six men who allegedly also beat up her husband in Alwar on April 26. The attackers filmed the act and allegedly posted the clip online. The woman's family has alleged that the police delayed filing a case because of the national election in Rajasthan, where the Congress took power in December after the BJP's defeat. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Mumbai: Have you missed any news today? Here are the top national, international headlines of the day. BJP seeks apology from Mayawati: The BJP on Monday sought an apology from BSP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati for allegedly making personal comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Read: Behen Mayawati, be assured of woman safety in BJP: Sitharaman Prime Minister Modi's claim of camera, e-mail: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking to TV channel News Nation, has claimed to have clicked a photo of senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani in the year 1987-88 using a digital camera which he owned. Modi also claimed to have sent that photo by e-mail. Read: PM claims to have used digicam, e-mail in 1980s; gets mocked on social media Arun Jaitley on Mayawati: The BJP said Mayawati has stooped to an all-time low and she was not suitable for public life. Read: Mayawati unfit for public life: Jaitley after BSP chief's attack on PM Modi Amit Shah's dig at TMC: Addressing a rally at Canning, which comes under Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency, Amit Shah said, "Mamata di gets angry if someone chants Jai Shri Ram. I am chanting Jai Shri Ram here today. If you (Mamata) have the guts, arrest me. I will be in Kolkata tomorrow." Read: TMC can stop our rallies, but can't stop BJP's victory march: Amit Shah Mayawati's attack on PM Modi: Mayawati said, "I came to know that in BJP, married women are worried when they see their husbands meeting Modi as they fear that Modi may separate them from their husbands, just the way he left his own wife. I appeal all women not to vote for Modi, this would be a true tribute to Modi's wife who was abandoned." Read: Give PM's abandoned wife tribute by not voting Modi: Mayawati to women Kamal Haasan sparks controversy: Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan has stoked a possible controversy, saying free India's first "terrorist was a Hindu," referring to Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Read: 'India's first terrorist was Hindu': Kamal Haasan's remark on Godse sparks row 'Booth capturing' in Haryana's Faridabad: After the sixth round of the national election was over, a polling agent in Faridabad near Delhi was arrested on Sunday evening after he allegedly tried to influence voters. He was arrested after a video on Twitter was brought to the notice of the Haryana election body. Read: Poll official tries to 'influence' voters in Faridabad, caught on camera; arrested IMF bailout for Pakistan: Pakistan has reached an accord with the International Monetary Fund over a three-year, USD 6 billion bailout package aimed at shoring up fragile public finances and strengthening the slowing economy, officials said on Sunday. Read: Pakistan reaches agreement with IMF for 6 billion dollar bailout package Mallikarjun Kharge to PM Modi: Stoking a controversy, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Sunday asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would hang himself at Vijay Chowk in Delhi if his prediction of the opposition party getting less than 40 seats in Lok Sabha polls is proven wrong. Read: Will Modi hang himself if his prediction of Oppn proven wrong: Kharge 2020 US Presidential race: Accusing China of breaking the negotiated trade deal draft with the United States, President Donald Trump on Sunday said Beijing was now "dreaming" that he would be replaced by a Democratic candidate after the 2020 presidential elections. Read: China delusional, they want Joe Biden to get elected: Donald Trump In the video, a man was seen in blue t-shirt sitting at his table inside a polling booth and women voters were standing in a queue inside the room. (Photo: Screengrab) Faridabad: After the sixth round of the national election was over, a polling agent in Faridabad near Delhi was arrested on Sunday evening after he allegedly tried to influence voters. He was arrested after a video on Twitter was brought to the notice of the Haryana election body. In the video, a man was seen in blue t-shirt sitting at his table inside a polling booth and women voters were standing in a queue inside the room. The man walked up to the voting compartment, appeared to press a button on the voting machine before returning to his seat. He repeated the act with other women as well. ! ! , ! ! ! () pic.twitter.com/m2euOOBkf2 SHAHID KURESHI (@UqAsmTfpZGNwK0e) May 12, 2019 No other official present in the room tried to stop the man from going to voting compartment. "Prompt action taken. FIR lodged. Person behind bars. Observer enquired the matter personally and is satisfied that polling was never vitiated," the District Election Office tweeted. The person in the video is the Polling agent who has been arrested in the afternoon itself. FIR lodged. He was trying to effect at least 3 lady voters. Observer & ARO with teams visited the booth at Asawati in prithala constituency. He is satisfied that voting was never vitiated DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICE FARIDABAD (@OfficeFaridabad) May 12, 2019 Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. New Delhi: Even before the clouds over Prime Minister Narendra Modis cloud theory on the Balakot airstrikes passed, another video has gone viral in which he has apparently claimed he was using a digital camera and email since the late 1980s. In a video clip that is circulating wildly across the social media, Mr Modi says he had used a digital camera in 1987-88 to click a colour photo of L.K. Advani, adding that he had used email at the time to send the photo to New Delhi. The fact is that the worlds first digital camera had been sold by Nikon in 1987, that commercial emails were introduced only in 1990-95, and email facilities were not widely available until 1995. The BJP, which pounces on the Prime Ministers critics for targeting him, somehow maintained a stoic silence over its mascots paradoxical claims. Some people observed that digital cameras would have exorbitantly priced in that period and targeted the PM for frequently talking about his reported poverty. Social media went into a tizzy with over Mr Modis claims and the twitterati had a field day. Some tweets said: More Modi gems. Nothing adds up. Poverty? Yet by own admission digital camera which few people had. Modi invented digital camera, email, like gas from the gutter & clouds which could not be penetrated by radars. Ask any bhakt And Even Rajiv Gandhi didnt tell the world about the emails he recd from Shri Modiji as well as He is using time machine which will be invented after 100yrs. Congress social media operations head Divya Spandana tweeted: The question is even if he did have an email ID in 1988 when the rest of the world didnt, who was he sending emails to? MIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted: @PMOIndia ke paas batwa nahi tha (kyunki paise nahi the!) lekin 1988 mein digital camera aur email tha? (The Prime Minister had no wallet as didnt have money, but he had a digital camera and email in 1988). Earlier, the PM had left the nation stunned with his cloud theory. In an interview to a TV channel, he had said: The weather suddenly turned bad, there were clouds... heavy rain. There was a doubt about whether we can go in the clouds. During a review (of the Balakot plan), by and large, the opinion of experts was what if we change the date. I had two issues in mind. One was secrecy... second, I said I am not someone who knows science. I said there is so much cloud and rain. There is a benefit. I have a raw vision, clouds can benefit us too. We can escape the radar. Everyone was confused. Ultimately I said there are clouds... lets proceed. The interview was televised ahead of the crucial phase of the elections. Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday outlined the importance of effective early warning systems in dealing with frequent natural calamities like floods and cyclones. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan visits the Kerala Pavilion at the World Reconstruction Conference in Geneva on Monday. The chief minister was speaking at the open session of World Reconstruction Conference in Geneva. The variations in climatic patterns have increased due to global warming, he said. "I would like to note here that during the first week of May the cyclone Fani badly affected Odisha. But damage to human life could be controlled due to sufficient early warning," he said. The chief minister shared Kerala's experience in facing 2018 floods. He informed the meet about the Rebuild Kerala Initiative which was being carried out in a mission mode. Eco-friendly building strategies, giving more room for rivers, learning to live with floods etc. are the key ingredients of this initiative, he said. Mr Vijayan extended wholehearted support to the theme of the conference; "Opportunities to build back more inclusively include identifying vulnerable groups and their needs prior to a disaster, social protection programmes that target the most vulnerable and ensuring that reconstruction does not overlook low-income and geographically-isolated areas." The floods of 2018 brought the best of Kerala out - we supported each other in a spirit of brotherhood, without social or economic differences. This spirit will continue to inspire us through all our recovery efforts. He said the state while sharing its experiences with others was keen to learn better practices being followed in other parts of the world. We see this forum as an important milestone that will help us get better ideas in building our State better," he added. The chief minister lauded the timely intervention of fisher-folk without which the state would have lost many more lives. He expressed deep gratitude to the fishers for their life saying efforts at the conference. Mr. Vijayan said Kerala had a long history of implementing social security measures and several progressive interventions like land reforms, state action in education and health. The state expects to carry out the present task through peoples' participation. "Our rehabilitation packages give utmost importance to the basic needs of food and shelter to the least empowered sections of the society. We have also taken care to ensure that these sections get these as a matter of entitlement and rights and not as a gratis from the state or the society," he added. Setsuko Saya, Director, Cabinet Office, International Cooperation Division, Disaster Management Bureau, Japan and Edward Ndopu, UN Secretary General Advocate and Dr. Krishna Vatsa, Recovery Advisor, UNDP and Moderator were among the prominent international personalities present during the opening session. It was from these handles that fake reports on the death of Jaish-e-Mohammed Masood Azhar originated, besides the alleged Indian attacks on Fort Abbas and Sialkot in Pakistan. (Representional Image) Hyderabad: An independent social media tracking operation that commenced after the February 26 Balakot air strikes has found that there are at least eight Twitter handles that pose to be independent observers behind Pakistani defence lines but are spreading unconfirmed news, many at times fake. It was from these handles that fake reports on the death of Jaish-e-Mohammed Masood Azhar originated, besides the alleged Indian attacks on Fort Abbas and Sialkot in Pakistan. An investigation by GreatgameIndia, based in Hyderabad, found a couple of these handles being managed by social media intelligence (Socintel) operators under the guidance of retired Pakistani generals. On March 2, the Twitter handles put out reports saying Masood Azhar had been killed in the Balakot air strikes. The story was picked up by many media houses who quoted top intel sources. The source of the story was later detected to be a blogpost, Masood Azhar is DEAD: Confirmed; along with a top rank former ISI officer, which was originally floated by the website Times Prime. Another instance was the fake news that the Indian Air Force had carried out another air strike, this time across the international border near Fort Abbas in the Cholistan desert in Pakistans Bahawalpur district. The information was spread by a handle F Jeffery (timestamp 4.01 pm, March 4). India denied the report. On the day of the air strikes, a Twitter handle reported artillery firing from across the Line of Control in Sialkot. Mr Shelley Kasli, co-founder of GreatgameIndia, said, We began tracking certain suspicious Twitter handles after the Pulwama attack. They remained low until the Balakot air strikes. The morning after, loads of (unconfirmed) information was being pumped in through these shady networks, posing as neutral observers from behind enemy lines. Mr Kasli said, Certain Indian journalists interacted with these handles and the information was reported by their media houses quoting top intel sources. When their followers flagged them on Twitter regarding the suspicious nature of the information the journalists were forced to change the line. These are not just random false alarms or over-enthusiastic tweeting, considering it was a sustained effort after Balakot. It is seen that this is primarily been done to create an environment of confusion and chaos, to escalate tensions between India and Pakistan and India and China, Mr Kasli said. A Twitter handle, KashmiriIntel, was spreading such information on threats to national security, that the Army complained to Twitter, which subsequently blocked it. The information, regarding by the Army as harmful to the country, is being spread by another handles. On the claim that certain handles were managed by retired Pak generals, the investigators found that the account Faran Jeffery, who purported to be a neutral observer, was deputy director and head of the South Asia desk at the Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism, a think tank headquartered in London. What is not mentioned is that he is associated with a Pakistani national security think tank called CommandEleven. CommandEleven is a Pakistani propaganda outfit created and directed by retired Pakistan Generals specialised in information warfare. Its new website https://www.commandeleven.com is down since the Pulwama attack, Mr Kasli said. He said India was the target of sophisticated information warfare. In the words of Lieutenant General H.S. Panag (retired) we lost the perception war in the first 60 hours. A huge chunk of the information originated from CommandEleven, said Mr Kasli. Thiruvananthapuram: The UDF is confident of sweeping the Lok Sabha elections in the state by winning all the 20 seats. It has slight doubt only about Palakkad, as per the conclusion reached at the UDF meeting held here on Monday. UDF chairman and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala told reporters that the pro-Rahul wave created in the state after the Congress president decided to contest from Wayanad had shattered the rival fronts. "Moreover, there is an anti-Narendra Modi and anti-Pinarayi Vijayan feeling among the people," he claimed. Mr Chennithala alleged that the LDF government had deleted a million voters from the electoral rolls. This was done with the help of officers attached to the NGO Union and Joint Council. "We have asked Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena to conduct a probe. We have also requested the voters whose names were deleted to file complaints before the returning officer," said Mr Chennithala This, however, would not have an impact on the outcome of the elections, he added. Mr Chennithala also said that he had filed a PIL in the Kerala High Court on Monday seeking intervention in the police ballot malpractices. KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran said he had urged Mr Meena to analyse the CCTV footage of the polling booth at Dharmadam in Kannur district where Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had cast his vote. However, Mr Chennithala denied the charges against Muslim League saying the party will never support bogus voting. "We fully support Teeka Ram Meena's attempts to rid the elections of bogus voting," he said. Dismissing reports of a power struggle in the Kerala Congress(M), Mr Chennithala said that there were no issues in that party. "The media is trying to create one," he said. The gold biscuits were found packed in the hand bag of Sunil who arrived in an Oman Airways flight from Muscat in the morning. Thiruvananthapuram: In the biggest gold haul in the state, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 25 kilograms worth Rs 8 crore from the international airport here on Monday morning. Two persons, Sunil of Tirumala and Zarina of Kazhakuttom, were arrested in this connection. The gold biscuits were found packed in the hand bag of Sunil who arrived in an Oman Airways flight from Muscat in the morning. Zarina came along with him. It is suspected that the smugglers received the assistance of airport staff. "We were tipped-off about the man. This is the highest seizure by the DRI team in the state," said a DRI official. There has been a spurt in the number of seizures from the airports due to the reward scheme announced by the government. For every kg of gold seized and confiscated, the informer can get a reward of Rs 1.5 lakh per kg. Moreover, the names of informers are kept confidential. More individuals have ventured to give information to the DRI, said the official. As per estimate, over 100 kg of gold is smuggled through the Thiruvananthapuram airport daily through carriers who purchase gold from Dubai to elude import duty at the airport. A profit of Rs 4 lakh per kg is earned by the sale of gold in the market here, the official said. The smuggled gold is mostly sold to jewelleries in the city. Many incidents in which gold is smuggled with the assistance of airport staff have been reported from here. Many airport staff were arrested. It is reported that the staff have smuggled nearly 100 kg of gold in the last six months. Thirumala native Sunil was working in the KSRTC as a conductor while Zarina was running a beauty parlour in Dubai. 'She should really apologise for having commented so badly both on the private life of the Prime Minister and in general about all women in the BJP,' Sitharaman said. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: The BJP on Monday sought an apology from BSP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati for allegedly making personal comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP also assured the BSP supremo that women in the ruling party are "absolutely safe, secure and have good professional relationships in the party." Expressing shock over Mayawati's remarks, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: "Absolutely disappointing and shocking for her (Mayawati) to speak so ill about the Prime Minister and his personal life and women in the BJP." "Behen Mayawati, please, be assured that we are all absolutely safe, secure and have good professional relationships in our party," she told reporters here. "She has demeaned the stature of her own leadership. Only because of this comment, this shows that she has left no respect of any position or institution of this country. She should really apologise for having commented so badly both on the private life of the Prime Minister and in general about all women in the BJP," the BJP leader. Sitharaman also said that the statements by Mayawati were due to "her sense of insecurity" as six phases of ongoing Lok Sabha elections were concluded and she understood that 'Gathbandhan' has no scope. "You do not have to be worried about us. Six phases of the elections are over. Now Behen Mayawati has understood that her 'gathbandhan' (alliance) is going nowhere and that is the reason for her worry, agitation and her sense of insecurity," she said. Mayawati earlier in the day claimed that women leaders in BJP are afraid of their husbands meeting Modi, as they fear being abandoned by their husbands, just like the Prime Minister did to his wife. Speaking to ANI, Mayawati said: "I came to know that in BJP married women are worried when they see their husbands meeting Modi as they fear that Modi may separate them from their husbands, just the way he left his own wife. I appeal to all women not to vote for Modi. This would be a true tribute to Modi's wife who was abandoned." Mayawati also claimed that Modi left his wife for vested political gains. Citing the gang rape of a Dalit woman in Alwar, Mayawati said that Prime Minister Modi was initially silent on the issue and spoke on it only after she raked up the matter. "The Prime Minister remained silent on the Alwar gang rape. However, after I spoke on the matter, he started to do his filthy politics for political gains. He doesn't know how to respect the sisters and daughters of others as he has left his own wife for his vested political interests." The BSP chief went on to claim that the Prime Minister remains silent on matters of atrocities against Dalits. "In matters related to atrocities against Dalits, the Prime Minister has never spoken openly or taken such incidents seriously. He has never asked for resignation or even clarification from the chief ministers of BJP-ruled states in matters related to Dalit atrocities," said Mayawati. "In the case of Rohith Vemula, he never asked for resignation or clarification from his minister. He has also never offered his resignation or taken moral responsibility in any such cases of atrocities against Dalits." She also stated that the Prime Minister has no values. "For breaking the 'gathbandhan' he referred me as respected 'Behen' ji but as soon as he got a strong reply and came to know that he will not be able to break the alliance, he started calling me 'Bua' and Akhilesh Yadav 'Babua." "Modi has no values. All those who have values, no matter from which party they are, refer to me as 'Behen ji'. Even my mother and father call me 'Behen ji'. Like people call Mulayam Singh Yadav 'Netaji,' they call me 'Behen ji' out of respect," she said. A woman was allegedly gang-raped by five men while her husband was beaten up in Thanagaji area of Alwar district in Rajasthan on April 26. A video of the incident was shot by the perpetrators, who threatened to make it public if the matter was reported. The couple reported the matter to Police much later on May 2. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Banerjee also made it clear that the young Trinamul MP from Diamond Harbour, just for being her nephew, does not enjoy any privilege from her. (Photo: File) Kolkata: Revealing her wish about the future of her nephew Abhishek Banerjee's political career, Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee disclosed on Monday that she did not want to field him as a candidate for the Lok Sabha Election this time. In a candid confession the West Bengal chief minister informed that she had wanted Abhishek to become a Rajya Sabha MP instead because "it was in her hands" but he refused her offer. Banerjee also made it clear that the young Trinamul MP from Diamond Harbour, just for being her nephew, does not enjoy any privilege from her. Her reservation against Abhishek contesting the Lok Sabha polls assumes signficance as the BJP has been training guns on him accusing him of corruption. Campaigning for her nephew at Budge Budge in South 24 Parganas Ms Banerjee told the crowd, "Abhishek is one of my many workers. He serves the Trinamul sincerely. He is in charge of Trinamul Youth Congress. Do not think that he gets any facility from me in exchange of that. He works hard and he loves Diamond Harbour." She elaborated, "Some men and women work as our star campaigners during the election. They include Firhad hakim, Aroop Biswas, Dipak Adhikary alias Dev, Nusrat Jahan, Subrata Bakshi, Partha Chatterjee, Moloy Ghatak and Rajiv Banerjee. Being leaders, they travel to districts and work there." Sharing the secret Ms Banerjee told the party workers, "I am telling you a truth today. I had told Abhishek: You do not need to contest the Lok Sabha Election this time. I will later send you to Rajya Sabha as it is in my hands. So you skip the Lok Sabha Election because you have to travel entire Bengal like Bakshi and other ministers." The Trinamul chief added, "Do you know what he replied to me? He said: I would not become a Rajya Sabha MP. I will remain in Diamond Harbour and would not leave it.' Only then I realised that he has love towards Diamond Harbour." Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is set to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin here on Monday. (Photo: ANI) Chennai: In his efforts to form a third front, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is set to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M K Stalin here on Monday. The two leaders are expected to hold discussions on emerging political developments in the country and possibilities of forming a non-BJP, non-Congress federal front. Earlier in the month, Rao met his Kerala and Karnataka counterparts Pinarayi Vijayan and HD Kumaraswamy to discuss the formation of a federal front government after the results of the Lok Sabha election. After their meeting, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had said that the meeting with Rao was "highly significant" as he asserted that regional parties will play a major role in the formation of the next government at the Centre. "A new government will come at the Centre which will follow federal system and secularism. The state will effectively lend support to anyone who supports the development of the state. Our meeting on May 6 with KCR was highly significant," Vijayan had said. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's efforts to stitch up a third front government excluding the two principal political parties - the Congress and the BJP - also seem to be picking up pace with the conclusion of six of the seven phases of the general election. Polling for the remaining 59 Lok Sabha seats will take place in the last phase on May 19. Counting of votes will begin on May 23. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. New Delhi: The Supreme Court agreed to hear the plea on Tuesday filed by West Bengal BJP youth leader Priyanka Sharma, who was arrested for sharing a morphed picture of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. A bench of Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Sanjiv Khanna on Monday took note of the plea of advocate N K Kaul, representing the activist, that the issue of her arrest be accorded urgent hearing. After the senior lawyer submitted that there has been a complete strike in West Bengal and it has forced the woman to challenge her arrest in the apex court, the bench posted the plea for hearing on Tuesday. The senior lawyer said the woman activist is in judicial custody following her arrest by the police. BJP leader and minister in Assam government, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has strongly condemned the arrest of BJP's youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma, stating that the current situation in the state is reminiscent of Emergency. Read: Emergency-like situation in WB: Himanta Sarma on BJP worker Priyanka's arrest Priyanka Sharma was arrested for posting a meme mocking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on her Facebook timeline on May 9. (Photo: File) A complaint was made by the Trinamool Congress leader Vibhas Hazra against the convenor of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha for allegedly sharing the picture. Also Read: Bengal BJP leader held for pasting Mamata face on Priyanka Chopra's MET Gala look Sharma superimposed Mamatas face on Priyanka Chopras MET Gala 2019 look. Later, she was arrested and produced in Howrah Court. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. THOOTHUKUDI: The DMK president, M K Stalin's meeting with the Telangana Chief Minister, Sri K Chandrasekhar Rao, who has been trying to form a 'Federal Front' of non-BJP and non-congress parties to form a new government at the centre, in Chennai on Monday, has occasioned potshots from the PMK, the new ally of the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu in the recent Lok Sabha polls. The PMK leader, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, who did not see this as any sudden development as the DMK-Congress combine had this confusion since its inception, was today inclined to view this meeting as failure of the DMK-Congress alliance. The left parties in the DMK-headed secular progressive alliance doing joint campaigns in Tamil Nadu, but strive every nerve to defeat the Congress in the nearby Kerala, remarked Dr Anbumani here, taking a dig at the DMK-led alliance. He also recalled how the Left parties had declared their opposition to Congress president Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wynad in Kerala. This is the first political setback for the DMK president, added Dr Anbumani. This meeting stems from Stalin's fear of defeat both in the Lok Sabha elections and in the by-elections for the 22 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu, said the PMK leader, campaigning for the AIADMK candidate, P Mohan in Ottapidaram constituency. Mr. Stalin meeting the Telangana CM, a strong political rival of the Congress, was signal that the DMK leader was getting ready to dump Rahul Gandhi, the AIADMK minister Mr. Rajendhra Balaji, known for frequently shooting his mouth off, chuckled. Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ready to change its decision on according Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh in order to get the YSR Congress into its fold. According to sources, the BJP has sent feelers to the YSRC indicating that it is ready to fulfil the YSRCs demand on SCS for AP. As the prospect of a hung Parliament looms, both major political parties, the BJP and the Congress, are trying to woo the regional partys support. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government did not agree to grant SCS to AP even though the ruling Telugu Desam in the state was a partner in the NDA for four years. In the last five years, the opposition YSRC has stepped up the pressure on the Central government on the SCS issue. As a final attempt, YSRC MPs resigned on the SCS issue. AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in the beginning demanded SCS and later accepted a special financial package in place of the SCS. Seeing that this did not go down well with the people of AP, Mr Naidu changed his stand and demanded SCS. The TD then went to the extent withdrawing from the NDA. Now, the BJP is looking for the support of regional parties that are not part of the NDA. AP has 25 Lok Sabha seats and the YSRC expects to win 20. In the event of a hung Parliament, and the YSRC winning those 20 Lok Sabha seats, its support will be crucial in the formation of a government at the Centre by any party. In Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is also demanding SCS after cyclone Fani caused much damage. Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha seats and in the last general election, the Biju Janata Dal headed by Mr Patnaik won 20 seats. Mr Patnaik is confident of retaining power in the Odisha Assembly and parliamentary elections. He may make granting SCS to Odisha a condition if the BJP wants his support. YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has openly announced that he will support at the Centre whichever party grants SCS to AP. If the BJP agrees to give SCS to AP and Odisha, it will get the support of around 40 MPs from the two states. If the BJP-led NDA grants SCS to AP, the YSRC will have another political advantage as this move will further damage the TD chief politically. The BJP and the YSRC will blame Mr Naidu for having compromised on SCS and failed to get the special status. YSRC sources said that a cautious Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy will not open his mouth on any political issue until the election results are out. DMK leader M.K. Stalin greets Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao at his residence in Chennai on Monday. (PTI) Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao did not get a positive response for his proposed Federal Front from DMK chief M.K. Stalin in Chennai on Monday. Mr Stalin during their one-hour meeting made it clear to Mr Rao that the party could not leave its alliance with the Congress. Mr Rao explained the agenda of Federal Front and requested Mr Stalins support for government formation at the Centre. According to sources, Mr Stalin told Mr Rao, We (DMK) cannot come out of the Congress alliance. I have proposed the name of Rahul Gandhi for Prime Minister, the DMK continues to stick to that. Mr Stalin reportedly explained the DMKs firm stand against the BJP and suggested instead that Mr Rao support the UPA to form government at the Centre. The DMK was of the opinion that the stability of a Federal Front government could become an issue in the light of past experience. Mr Rao told Mr Stalin, Even though they faced the elections in alliance with the Congress, the regional parties can come together to from government. Both leaders discussed political developments at the national level and the likely post-poll scenario. Mr Rao told Mr Stalin that neither the BJP nor the Congress would get majority to form government at the Centre on its own. CHENNAI: The BJP on Monday demanded that the Election Commission take stringent action against actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan for inciting communal tension. The national party charged the actor with inciting people during his election campaign in Aravakurichi Assembly constituency facing by-election on May 19, by calling Nathuram Godse as the first Hindu terrorist of independent India. Taking strong exception to Kamal's speech, BJP's legal cell state president R. Soundararajan said in a complaint to CEO Satyabrata Sahoo that the actor's intention was to create religious unrest in the society and create communal tension in Aravakurichi constituency and all over the state. This is a gross violation of the code of conduct, Soundararajan said and added that Pallapatti is a thickly populated Muslim area where the actor spoke (on Sunday night). Hence, he sought the EC to take stringent action. While addressing an election campaign at Aravakurichi, Kamal said he was one of those proud Indians who desired a India with equality and where the three colours in the Tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, remained intact. I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India's first terrorist was a Hindu. His name is Nathuram Godse. There it [terrorism, apparently] starts, he had said. He then ordered a tariff hike on almost all remaining imports USD 300 billion worth, according to Lighthizer -- from China. (Photo:AP) Washington: US President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping could meet next month on the sidelines of the G20 summit to hash out their differences on trade, but no new talks are scheduled, White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said on Sunday. The world's top two economies ended two days of negotiations in Washington on Friday with no deal. While making it clear that the US was unwilling to settle, Kudlow sought to tamp down concerns, insisting the process was ongoing. "We need to see something much clearer and until we do, we have to keep our tariffs on," Kudlow said in an interview on "Fox News Sunday," adding: "We can't accept any backtracking." Also Read: 'Make or produce in good old USA': Trump shows way to avoid tariffs As for future negotiations, while there are "no concrete, definite plans yet," Kudlow said China had invited Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to Beijing -- and higher-level discussions could be on the cards. The chances of Trump and Xi meeting during the Group of 20 summit in Japan in late June "are probably pretty good," the top White House aide said. The G20 summit is scheduled to take place in Osaka on June 28-29. Trump had accused Beijing of reneging on its commitments in trade talks and ordered new punitive duties, which took effect Friday, on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese imports, raising them to 25 percent from 10 percent. He then ordered a tariff hike on almost all remaining imports USD 300 billion worth, according to Lighthizer -- from China. Also Read: Trade deal now or 'far worse' in 2020: Trump to China But Kudlow insisted it would be months before such punitive measures, following a period of public comment, and that there was still time to negotiate, though he refused to "put a timetable" on how long Trump was willing to wait. "We have to change the trading relationship between two countries for the benefit of the United States and its workforce and its ranchers and farmers and so forth. We have to do this," Kudlow said. "The relationship has been too unbalanced." In his own comments on Saturday, Trump struck a more belligerent tone, urging China that it would be "wise for them to act now." "They know I am going to win... and the deal will become far worse for them if it has to be negotiated in my second term," Trump tweeted. While supporters laud Trump as a tough negotiator, free-trade-minded Republicans have warned that the tariffs could do real damage to the economy, and many farmers -- including Trump supporters -- say the tariffs have hit their bottom line. Kudlow said he believed any damage to the US economy would be far less than predicted, and that it was a risk "we should and can take." After the indictment, American Airlines said Martin has been suspended. (Representational Image) Kentucky: Travelers who made it to Louisville International Airport, Kentucky to board their flight reflected that the scene resembled one from a movie. Passengers told Fox affiliate WDRB that when they heard their pilot had been seized at the airport early morning on Saturday, they assumed he'd been drinking alcohol on the job. "It was quite tense," Frances Wise, a passenger, told the station. "You could say the employees knew something was not right." More than three years after three homicides in a small town in Kentucky, Christian Richard Martin, an American Airlines pilot, was arrested in connection with the deaths, authorities said. Attorney General Andy Beshear announced on Saturday that Martin, 51, was arrested in the murders of Pamela Phillips, Calvin and Edward Dansereau, who were found dead in Pembroke, Kentucky back in 2015. Martin, was taken into custody at Louisville International Airport on three counts of murder, as well as counts of burglary, arson and tampering with physical evidence. "There will be a lot of steps taken from here on," Beshear told reporters. But, he added, the indictment shows what can happen "when you never stop seeking for justice, when you never give up on a case." American Airlines said that it was "deeply saddened" to know about the allegations against Martin, who has been with them since January 2018. The airline said that he underwent a background check and "recurrent vetting" but that there was no "criminal history that would disqualify him from being a commercial pilot." After the indictment, American Airlines said Martin has been suspended. "We have a commitment to the safety and security of our customers and team members, and we will provide assistance for the investigation." according to the statement. It was unclear whether Martin has an attorney in the case. In November 2015, Calvin Phillips was found dead due to a gunshot wound in his cellar in Pembroke, which is close to the Tennessee border, police said. His wife, Pamela, and a neighbor, Dansereau, were also found dead in a nearby field inside Pamela's car, which had been burned, according to the Associated Press. Authorities have not released the reason, but radio station WKDZ-FM revealed last year that Calvin Phillips was a potential witness in an old case against Martin. The victims' family said in a statement that the three were "brutally extinguished - beyond recognition from family." "Daily, we are haunted by what was done to them and even further so that someone was still free to do as they wish, beyond the civility of mankind," they said in the statement. "We are ecstatic with this positive step towards resolution for people we dearly love; Cal and Pam Phillips and Ed Dansereau, and the hundreds of family, friends, co-workers, neighbours and others deeply affected by their brutal end. "We expect justice in court, and we look forward to the verdict to bring an end to this terror, and a fresh start in the healing process." Beshear said he agreed to appoint a special prosecutor two years ago after Matt, Phillips son met him and told him that he was concerned that the murder investigation was not moving forward. Beshear said he assured the family members that they will do everything they can. In the airport on Saturday morning, the mood was tense and passengers were bewildered and confused. Ashley Martin (no relation to the suspect), Wises daughter called it "startling." "It's scary to know this happened so long ago, and they're just now getting around to catching the guy," she told the station. "I was definitely stressed, and felt like it was a little chaotic and unorganized. The workers ... you could tell they were anxious. You could feel that energy. You could feel the tension from flight attendants." Martin, who lives in North Carolina, is being held without bond at the Christian County Detention Center in Kentucky, where he is awaiting trial. A trial date has not been set. New York: US President Donald Trumps business empire will have to pay a heavy price for pollution caused by Trump-owned buildings in New York. Eight of his properties in New York City do not comply with new regulations designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions. This translates to the Trump Organisation paying fines of $2.1m every year from 2030, unless its buildings are made more environmentally friendly. City officials said the presidents eight largest New York properties pump out around 27,000 tons of planet-warming gases every ear. The buildings that exceed the new pollution thresholds include Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, and the Trump Building on Wall Street. The biggest potential offender is Trump International Hotel & Tower, a skyscraper looming over the south-west corner of Central Park. The building is on course to be fined $850,871 a year. The New York mayor, Bill de Blasio, will hold a rally outside Trump Tower seeking to highlight looming penalties. President Trump, youre on notice, de Blasio said. Your buildings are part of the problem. Cut your emissions or pay the price. The fines are part of legislation passed by the city council in April that seeks to cut planet-warming emissions from the citys largest buildings. A judicial inquiry into whether New Zealand's police and intelligence services could have prevented the Christchurch mosque attacks. (Photo:AP) Wellington: A judicial inquiry into whether New Zealand's police and intelligence services could have prevented the Christchurch mosque attacks in which 51 worshippers died began taking evidence on Monday. The royal commission -- the most powerful judicial probe available under New Zealand law -- will examine events leading up to the March 15 attack in which a lone gunman opened fire on two mosques in a mass shooting that shocked the world. "This is a critical part of our ongoing response to the attack -- the commission's findings will help to ensure such an attack never happens here again," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. New Zealand's spy agencies have faced criticism in the wake of the attack for concentrating on the threat from Islamic militants while underestimating the danger posed by right-wing extremism. Also Read: Extremism in all forms must be defeated: Prince William The Christchurch victims were all Muslims and the massacre was allegedly carried out by a white supremacist fixated on the belief that there was an Islamist plot to "invade" Western countries. The commission is jointly headed by Supreme Court judge William Young and former diplomat Jacqui Caine. Worshippers prepare to enter the Al Noor mosque following last week's mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo:AP) It is due to report its findings by December 10, although it may release interim recommendations before if it regards them as crucial to public safety. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a self-avowed white supremacist, has been charged over the attacks and is currently undergoing psychiatric testing to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial. The royal commission will examine Tarrant's activities before the attack, including how he obtained a gun licence, weapons and ammunition, and his use of social media. Since the attacks, the government has tightened the country's gun laws and is reviewing legislation dealing with hate speech, as well as pressuring social media giants to do more to combat online extremism. Assange is currently in prison in Britain after being sentenced to 50 weeks behind bars last month. (Photo:AP) Stockholm: Swedens state prosecutor said on Monday she would reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and seek his extradition from Britain. Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue and conclude a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought as Assange had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange was arrested in Britain last month after spending seven years inside the embassy. The United States is also seeking his extradition on charges relating to the public release by Wikileaks of a huge cache of secret documents. Also Read: I've protected many: Julian Assange tells UK court The Swedish prosecutors office said it would shortly request Assange be detained in his absence on probable cause for an allegation of rape and that it would issue a European arrest warrant - the process under which his extradition would be sought. Assange is currently in prison in Britain after being sentenced to 50 weeks behind bars last month for jumping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy. Vice chief prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson speaks at a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, Monday May 13, 2019. Swedish prosecutors are to reopen rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. (Photo:AP) The decision to reopen the investigation poses the question of whether Assange will be moved to the United States to face conspiracy charges for hacking into classified information or to Sweden. I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US, Persson said. The British courts will have to rule on any extradition request and Home Secretary Sajid Javid would decide which one takes precedence once Swedish prosecutors file theirs. Nick Vamos, lawyer at London-based firm Peters & Peters and former head of extradition at Britains Crown Prosecution Service, told Reuters before Mondays decision that he expected a Swedish request would take supremacy. In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority, a Swedish prosecutors statement said. Crude oil tanker Amjad, which was one of two reported tankers that were damaged in mysterious sabotage attacks, off the coast of the Gulf emirate of Fujairah. (Photo: AFP) Fujairah (UAE): Saudi Arabia said on Mon-day two of its oil tankers were damaged in mysterious sabotage attacks in the Gulf as tensions soar-ed in a region already sha-ken by a standoff between the United States and Iran. It came as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned visit to Moscow to head to Bru-ssels instead for talks with EU officials on Iran. Tehran called for an investigation into the alarming attacks and warned of adventurism by foreign players to disrupt maritime security. Britain warned of the danger of conflict erupting by accident in the Gulf. The US has already strengthened its military presence in the region, including deploying a number of strategic B-52 bombers in response to alleged Iranian threats. Saudi Arabia, the Isla-mic republics regional arch-rival, condemned the acts of sabotage which targeted commercial and civilian vessels near the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates, a foreign ministry source said. This criminal act constitutes a serious threat to the security and safety of maritime navigation and adversely impacts regional and international peace and security, the source added. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels of various nationalities were targeted by acts of sabotage off the emirate of Fujairah. Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said the two tankers suffered significant damage but there were no casualties or oil spill. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE gave details on the nature of the attacks. The UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said the Emirates will probe the deliberate sabotage of the ships. The investigation will be conducted in a professional manner, the facts will be made clear, and we have our own readings and conclusions, he tweeted. Fujairah port is the only Emirati terminal located on the Arabian Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Gulf oil exports pass. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait in case of a military confrontation with the US. One of the two tankers that was attacked was on its way to be loaded with crude oil from a Saudi terminal for customers in the US, Falih said. Oil prices rose on world markets on Monday with benchmark Brent North Sea crude up 1.8 per cent at $71.90 a barrel in London. The motive behind possessing the banned Indian currency notes is yet to be ascertained. (Photo: Representational) Kathmandu: Nepalese police on Monday arrested 5 men for carrying demonetised Indian currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 denomination, worth 1.6 million Nepali rupees (INR 10 lakh). The men were arrested from Hotel Blue in Kathmandu. "We received a tip-off about a probable transaction being done by banned Indian currency notes. Our team headed to the location and the arrests were made," said Hobindra Bogati, Deputy Supritendant of Police (DSP) from Metropolitan police circle, Kathmandu. The motive behind possessing the banned Indian currency notes is yet to be ascertained. "We are investing further on the issue. They might have brought the amount here hoping it would be opened for the transaction, but we are yet to reach exact motive behind it," Bogati added. The arrested accused have been identified as Sambhu Pariyar, Ram Bikram Khadka, Santosh Thapa Magar, Dhandwaj Tamang and Rajendra Ghising. Kathmandu: The Nepal government has come under severe criticism from media groups and the Opposition after it registered in Parliament a bill which, according to experts, seeks to impose a fine of up to Rs 1 million on journalists if they were found guilty of "damaging someone's reputation". Nepal Media Society (NMS), an umbrella body of publishers and broadcasters, demanded the bill's immediate withdrawal. The government led by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on May 9 registered the Media Council Bill in Parliament for constituting the Nepal Media Council (NMC), which has provisions to impose a fine up to Rs 1 million on media outlets, editors, publishers and journalists if they were found "guilty of damaging someone's reputation". The Section 18, Sub-section (2) of the bill stipulates that the NMC can order the erring parties to pay compensation if the content in media outlets damages the reputation of the affected party, according to experts. Section 17 proposes punishment for violating the code of conduct which includes suspending press pass of media-persons and downgrading the classification of media outlets, they said. NMS Chair Subhashankar Kandel asked Prime Minister Oli to revise the bill by holding consultations with the stakeholders including the Federation of Nepalese Journalists. "Some of the provisions of the Bill were meant for demoralising the entire media industry and independent press, and were against complete press freedom guaranteed by the Constitution," he said. Main Opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba Monday said that the government was planning to stage a coup d'etat against press freedom and journalism through the bill. He said that the NC would not accept at any cost moves towards curtailing press freedom. "Freedom is our ideology. We will launch protests in Parliament and on the street against any move aimed at curtailing press freedom," Deuba said. Meanwhile, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) launched a five-day protest programme against the bill. The FNJ on Monday met Parliament Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara and handed over a petition requesting amendment to the controversial bill. Its representatives will soon meet Prime Minister Oli and request him to make necessary changes in the bill to ensure press freedom, the FNJ said. The Sajha Vivekshil Party (SVP) said the government is trying to cover up its weaknesses through the new bill. As the Communist government's popularity dipped in its one-and-a-half-year tenure, new laws are being formulated to cover its failures, the SVP said, adding that it goes against total press freedom and individual liberty guaranteed in the Constitution. Senior leader of the NC and former Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala has termed the government's move to curtail press freedom unnatural.She asked the government to keep in mind the crucial role played by the Nepalese media during the pro-democracy movement before taking any such decision. "If the bill is passed, the journalists will not be able to write against corruption, anomalies and malpractices. We will not accept it if it is passed without any change," said Ramesh Bista, General Secretary of the FNJ. The government should not intervene in the functioning of the media, The Himalayan Times editor Prakash Rimal said, adding that the media industry should abide by its own code of conduct. The bill contains around a dozen provisions which aim to prevent the media from working freely. This is an attempt made by the government to keep the media under its grip, said former chairman of FNJ Taranath Dahal. Theres some good news for citys harried motorists. The state government will soon deploy advanced Japanese traffic technology to decongest critical junctions across Bengaluru. After finalising a Japanese multinational firm to implement the project, the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) has issued work orders to install Que-Length measurement sensors (QMS) along major roads like MG Road, Old Madras Road, Hosur Road and other 29 junctions. The project costing Rs 72 cr will be executed with assistance by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and work will begin anytime in June. The road sensors based Japanese traffic system is expected to reduce traffic snarls at least by 30 per cent. ALSO READ: Japan-funded project to cut down traffic congestion in Bengaluru by 30% by 2022 The project will enable monitor real-time traffic signal timing with the help of QMS. The sensors will analyse the traffic density of the road and the automatic traffic counters will communicate the data with Bengaluru Traffic Information Centre (B-TIC), which will streamline the signals as per the traffic density. The DULT will be a nodal agency for the project and identified about 29 critical locations - MG Road (12), Hosur Road (9) and Old Madras Road (8) - where QMS sensors will be installed at every 50, 100 and 150 meters of the stretch. They will analyse traffic density along the particular carriageway and share the real-time information with B-TIC and traffic police. The current traffic signals function based on the pre-set timing. But this technology allows the release of traffic based on the actual density on roads to the entire stretch irrespective of junctions. If the density is more at the Trinity Circle towards Anil Kumble Circle, the sensors will release signals along this high-density stretch in one go by releasing all signals, a DULT official explained. The technology has been in use in many cities of South-East Asian countries and Bengaluru will be the first city to have Management by Origin-Destination Related Adoption for Traffic Optimization (MODERATO) technology other than Japan. Mahendra Jain, Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department said, The tenders are finalised and we have issued work orders to execute the project. As the firm has already appointed consultants, the work may begin any time in June, Jain said. Besides the Queue Measurement Sensors (QMS) and Classifier sensors, the project also envisages installing Variable Message Signs (VMS) in KR Puram, Silk Board and Trinity Circle to provide real-time information to motorists about the traffic congestion ahead and other weather-related information. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been asked to float tenders for installation of VMS along 80 junctions for which the Detailed Project report (DPR) will be finalised within 15 days. With an all-out attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BSP supremo Mayawati on Monday sent signals of support to the anti-BJP alliance taking shape to dislodge the NDA after the Lok Sabha results are out. Mayawati launched a scathing personal attack on Modi accusing him of leaving his own wife for politics. What does the Prime Minister know about the honour of women when he himself let down his own wife, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said. She was responding to Modi's stinging criticism of her daring the BSP to withdraw support to the Congress-led Rajasthan government following the incident of gang rape in Alwar which was allegedly hushed up by the state administration. Congress, which is keen to take a pole position in the post-election scenario, has already opened up communication channels with Mayawati for help in the government formation exercise after the declaration of Lok Sabha election results on May 23. A senior Congress leader has reached out to the BSP supremo to ensure her presence at the meeting of opposition leaders, most likely after the declaration of results, to discuss the post-poll scenario and move for government formation if the BJP-led NDA fails to get the numbers. Internal surveys carried out by political parties point towards a hung Parliament with BJP emerging as the single largest party. A senior Congress leader claimed that the outcome will be a close call between the NDA and the non-NDA parties and some swift moves may be required by the competing alliances to ensure that they have the numbers. On Monday, Congress refrained from commenting on Mayawati's remarks against the Prime Minister and instead chose to target Modi for his technology-related gaffes in media interviews. I would not like to comment on remarks made by her. This election is turning out to be very interesting. The Prime Minister has been entertaining us by his talk about radars and clouds, Congress spokesman Pawan Khera told reporters here. Stoking yet another controversy, actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Sunday said independent Indias first terrorist was a Hindu -- Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, even as he stressed extremism had no religion. Kamal Haasans remarks made during his campaign seeking votes for Mohanraj, the Makkal Needhi Maiams candidate for the May 19 by-polls to Aravakurichi assembly constituency in Karur district, blew up into a major political row with the BJP demanding his arrest. Owing to the backlash, Kamal Haasan is understood to have cancelled his campaign meetings in the constituency scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. The actor-politician had received the wrath of the right-wing organisations in 2018 when he had spoken about Hindu extremism. Speaking at the campaign meeting in a Muslim-dominated area on Sunday night, Kamal Haasan recalling the attacks and threats that he faced a year back for his statement on Hindu extremism. I said terrorism is wrong. No religion would accept violence be it Hinduism or Islam. No religion professes violence and true Muslims present in this gathering would accept this. These Muslims will vouch that terrorism is not their way. They will swear on the holy book they believe in (Quran) that love is their way, Kamal Haasan said. Tearing into the BJP for trying to change the ethos of the country, the actor-politician said that attempts being made to drive a wedge between people on the basis of religion and caste should be defeated. I am not saying this just because this is a Muslim-dominated area. They (BJP and right wing) attacks me for saying that Hindu extremism exists in India. I say that independent Indias first terrorist is a Hindu. His name is Nathuram Godse, Kamal Haasan, who termed himself as Gandhis great-grandson, said. I have come here to ask questions about the incident (Mahatma Gandhis assassination), he further said. In her statement condemning Kamal Haasans statement, Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan said the actor had no locus standi to talk about Gandhi, who led a principled and disciplined life. Everyone knows Kamal Haasan had never followed any discipline in his life. How can he invoke Gandhi? He is enacting drama (to gain sympathy) in politics, she said and demanded action against him for his statement. BJP spokesman Narayanan Thirupathy demanded Kamal Haasans arrest for trying to create enmity between two religions. Communal Kamal Haasan should express regret for his remarks and apologise. Abusing Hindu religion in front of Muslim voters is nothing begging for votes, he wrote on Twitter. On May 2, the six-month long Congressional waiver on buying oil from Iran elapsed. The waiver applied to eight countries. Italy and Greece immediately cut off oil supply from Iran. South Korea, Japan and Taiwan are likely to follow suit. It is likely that China will not submit to the American will, considering Chinese ambitions of attaining regional hegemony. Turkey is in a peculiar position to decide. Its relations with Iran have proved to be beneficial so far in tackling its Kurdish problem and keeping the Salafist monarchy in check. India, however, is in a dilemma. Its policy of strategic autonomy and pragmatism to thrive under the American rules-based order has come at a cost of deprioritising friendships and neutrality. With the rapid economic and military growth of China, policymakers in both Washington and New Delhi have inked pacts which allow the US military to refuel its ships and share its communications, respectively. Apart from this, Washington went on and changed the name of the Pacific Command to Indo-Pacific to show the importance of New Delhi in countering China. In this fruitless great power game New Delhi has entered upon, it has forgotten the core values which were the impetus for its interaction with the world. Non-alignment, fairness of means are now punchlines of the past. India stood against probably its only ally in 1956 when the Soviet Union invaded Hungary. Today, India abstains in the UN when Israel illegally annexes territories in West Bank or the Golan Heights, all for short-term military and economic gains. In the midst of complying with US legislations, the South Block has forgotten to thank its Iranian counterpart for sharing the recipe centuries ago. We might call this pragmatism, but this is ignorance, especially by the current ruling party. Any shared culture which doesnt fit within the ambit of the ruling party is to be ripped off from the pages of history. The fragrance of Ithar which lingers around the old markets in the country is politicised only because it was brought by a foreign ruler who wasnt Hindu? Even if the country wants to assert its just business stance, they must understand that it is the culture: the habits, the clothing, language, mass media which creates a hegemony, which induces the individual to think that way. For example, American presence is not strong because of the military bases it possesses across the globe, but because your television, the soap opera, and the language you are reading my article is all in American English, probably even your thoughts articulated by a language which is spoken 7000 miles away. Iran for us is culturally a very integral part of our historical evolution. Intellectuals, traders and rulers from Central Asia travelled via Iran and entered India. Today, apart from the oil, India, and Iran have jointly built a port which will connect Mumbai to Chabahar which will proceed to Central Asian countries by road and rail. This region is critical in terms of its energy resources. Not to mention the Worlds largest reserves of zinc, chromite and lead are found in Kazakhstan. These resources and the trade with Iran, will increase economic interaction and even connect the region. Having a piece of cake and eating it too: the benefits received alone from the Central Asian region and Iran will not suffice Indias growing needs, hence the US is also required. Realistically speaking, having relations with Iran and the US is possible. This requires the policymakers to simulate every possible outcome. India is by far the only country in Americas Asia-pacific neighbourhood to have a military force minimally capable of stopping China. India also seems reliable enough not to join the Chinese bandwagon like Philippines or Thailand. Politically speaking, Washington needs India to re-balance the region, as the fifth and seventh fleet alone are incapable of containing Chinese presence in Asia. This alone should be a reason for Washington to fold; a sanction on India will only improve Sino-Indian ties. Fancy terms It is time the policymakers in New Delhi do their job apart from throwing fancy terms for every invisible non-military strike the armed forces makes against Pakistan. It becomes pertinent for India to restore its credibility; Iran has been getting close to China and also joined the Belt and Road Initiative. India needs to increase its consumption of energy from Iran to gain its trust and stand by the International Atomic Energy Agency verdict on Iran not possessing any nuclear weapons. New Delhi must stand with other European countries in opening the SWIFT transaction method, which bypasses the sanctions. Starving Iran will only make the Ayatollah more hostile and can brew a security dilemma leading to Iran developing nuclear weapons, which will result in the Al-Sauds building their nuclear arsenal and even a probable US intervention in the Persian Gulf. Amidst this chaos, it is up to India to either hold onto a double-edged sword or to unfurl the torn page from history. Over the last few weeks, much has been written about the controversy emanating from the possibility of Pakistan Air Force pilots having trained and flown the Rafale aircraft in France. One needs to examine the possibilities of PAF pilots being engaged by Qatar. Is Qatar in dire need of external pilots to fly its military aircraft? To answer that, we must examine various factors, particularly Qatar-Pakistan relations. Rafale is a 4.5-generation aircraft. Its design, in terms of its clean aerodynamics and an optimal design to create minimal radar signature, would make it clear to any professional that this is an aircraft capable of, with good thrust-to-weight ratio, exceptional manoeuvring. It is also an established fact that amongst all 4.5-generation aircraft, there would be very little to choose in terms of performance. The most critical elements that differentiate one from the other consist of sensors, avionics and systems, radar and weapons. Both India and Qatar have contracted for similar version of the aircraft, the F3R variant. The systems and weapons have some similarities, but also major differences. Features that are common to both Qatar and the Indian Rafale fighters are primarily the RBE 2-AA AESA radar, SPECTRA self-protection suite, the IFF (Identification, Friend or Foe) system, Elbits TARGO-II Helmet Mounted Display System, and weapons such as the Meteor BVRAAM, Mica air-to-air missile, and SCALP air-to-ground long-range cruise missile. Anyone who flies the aircraft will obviously become familiar with its performance and operational envelope of systems and weapons. Most critical would be the operational knowledge of the AESA radar. However, deeper technical knowledge of systems like the radar would not be available to Qatar. Given the nature of the long-standing relationship between France and Qatar, any high-level systems programming and integration role would be retained by the French. Additionally, AESA radar configurations and source codes are highly secure and it would be virtually impossible for anyone to break into it. Training on systems like the electronic warfare system SPECTRA, while providing its functional knowledge, would not impact much. The crux of SPECTRA lies in its threat library programming, which is exclusive to the host nation. The Indian Rafale, however, will have critical differences. These lie in completely different, secure communication and datalink systems. These would be uniquely Indian network-centric warfare (NCW) systems as against the Qatar Rafale, which is equipped with Link-16 architecture. In terms of EO (electro-optical sensor) designation and Recce (reconnaissance) pods, the Qatar Rafale has Lockheed Martins Sniper pod, while we use the well-proven and advanced Litening-4 EO pod. So, what should we make of the news of Pakistani pilots flying the Rafale, since denied by the French ambassador to India? As for Pakistani pilots sizing up the Rafale against the F-16, it is a non-issue as the two are just not comparable. The upgraded F-16s of the PAF is of Block-50 standard at best, and are clearly one generation behind the Rafale. One must take into account various geopolitical issues on the matter. Qatar is a small country of just 2.8 million inhabitants, with nearly 80% of the population located in the capital city of Doha. With the highest per capita GDP in the world, Qatar focuses on rapid modernisation and plays a significant geopolitical role, punching well above its weight, much like Singapore. Qatar has made itself a major diplomatic player, a generous donor of foreign aid, and a leader in modernising education in the region. It has maintained strong relations with Iran and Turkey as much as with other Islamic states. It has sought to balance different groups and organisations with a moderating influence. This aspect has riled countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and UAE into sanctioning Qatar and curtailing diplomatic relations. Pakistan, which has strong relationships with all Arab countries, has maintained a neutral stance in the Qatar-Saudi Arabian dispute. Pakistans military presence in these countries, in terms of training as well as to augment local defences, has been a long-standing practice. Pakistan Air Force pilots have regularly flown for the air forces of these nations. Hence, access to military resources in terms of operational flying experience on these aircraft has been a huge advantage to PAF. While Qatar-India relations have been excellent, Doha has also maintained close relations with Islamabad. Qatar addresses Pakistans energy security, and both nations have cultivated their relationship carefully. Qatar has allowed the Taliban to set up an office on its territory and has worked to encourage dialogue with all parties involved in the Afghan conflict. Qatar is on track to building significant air power capability. After an initial contract for 24 Rafale jets with Dassault in 2015, Qatar placed orders for 12 more. This was preceded by an order for Boeings 36 Qatar advanced-variant F-15 Eagles for $12 billion. In another major deal with BAe, it is buying 24 Eurofighter Typhoons and nine Hawk advanced jet trainers, worth over $6.6 billion. For an air force whose strength was just 2,100 personnel in 2010 and just 13 Mirage 2000-5 fighters in the early 2000s, this build up with three 4.5-generation aircraft types and a substantial increase in numbers is unprecedented. Qatars decision to go in for a seven-fold increase in its air power capability is curious and there are questions as to how this tiny air force will absorb the massive capabilities in which it is investing. More importantly, it is inevitable that it would need pilots on hire to fly these aircraft. This is where the Pakistani relationship comes into focus. That PAF pilots fly for the Qatar Air Force is well established. It is quite obvious that Pakistani pilots will fly all these aircraft being procured by Qatar. It is irrelevant whether they have been trained in France on the Rafale. In all likelihood, they would have. We must factor this in our calculations. (The writer is an IAF veteran and former Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff) On May 3, when Cyclone Fani made landfall at the temple town of Puri, Odisha showed the world how better preparedness for natural disasters and swift evacuation of people living in the path of a cyclone can minimise loss of life. Some 44 people are reported dead in the cyclone and while every one of these deaths could have been prevented, the Odisha government deserves applause for bringing down the number of casualties in natural disasters. It may be recalled that when a super-cyclone tore through Odisha 20 years ago, over 10,000 people were reported dead. Of course, weather forecasting back then was not as sophisticated as it is today. The state government was helped by India Meteorological Departments pinpoint accuracy in tracking Fanis progress. Hence, the government was able to begin preparatory work days before Fani made landfall. Ripping through the state at a speed of over 200 kmph, Fani became an extremely severe cyclonic storm, one of the rarest of rare to hit Indias east coast. Anticipating the havoc it would create, the state government alerted the population by sending them messages via SMS. Over a million people were reportedly evacuated within 24 hours, a feat that few other countries have achieved. Following the super cyclone of 1999, the Odisha government worked systematically to improve its preparedness for disasters. It built 879 multi-purpose cyclone shelters there were only 23 two decades ago and provided satellite phones to officials, community volunteers and the nodal authority to improve connectivity and co-ordination during disasters. Preparatory drills were conducted over the years. This work enabled Odisha to reduce the numbers killed by Fani. However, post-Fani efforts to put people back on their feet are disappointing. The storm flattened entire villages, destroyed houses and brought down electrical poles. Uprooted trees are blocking roads, hindering relief work. Food and clean drinking water is yet to reach people marooned in many remote areas. The state government and civil society need to pitch in to help the state recover from Fanis fury. There are lessons that India and the rest of the world can draw from Odishas experience with disasters and post-disaster restoration. Such lessons are valuable especially since the world can expect more such extreme weather events as the impact of climate change grows. South Asias coastal areas are expected to suffer severe flooding in the wake of global warming and rising sea levels. The Indian and Bangladeshi coasts are heavily populated and evacuating millions can become a nightmare if we do not prepare systematically for natural disasters. Greta Thunberg, the global teen icon who became famous after her school strike against climate change in Sweden, asks Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act to curb the crisis. In an interview with Times of India, the 16-year-old warned Narendra Modi that if he doesn't take action seriously now, he will be blamed for the upcoming crisis. The Swedish climate activist also had a message for the Indian kids, she called out to the kids asking them to read about the climate crisis and requested them to hold the older generation accountable. Greta also blamed India for being one of the top countries in the world for emitting greenhouse gases. In the interview, she stressed the importance of being aware of climate change around us. Greta Thunberg realized the need to take a step forward against the climate change in 2018, that was the time when she began her activism by protesting in front of the Swedish parliament. In no time, she gained millions of followers on social media around the world who came together and took part in a global youth strike for climate change. She organises a school strike every Friday and said that she would continue to do it until there is a change. The teenage activist has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize award and has voiced her opinion everywhere, from the United Nations COP24 to the World Economic Forum in Davos. ALSO READ: Teen activist brings climate action campaign to France SALT LAKE CITY As a radio news reporter in Salt Lake City, Dave Cawley covered the Susan Powell case as it happened from 2009-2012, first for KNRS and then for KSL. When the West Valley City Police Department declared the case cold and released the case file, Cawley began to comb through the documents looking for additional stories his team at KSL could share. "I very quickly identified the recording of Josh Powell talking to police the day after Susan disappeared, used a public records request to obtain a copy of that and turned a story out of it," Cawley, KSL's executive producer of digital content and the "Cold" podcast's creator and narrator, told the Deseret News. However, the story was limited and Cawley found himself wanting to do more. "I was very frustrated, because I had to reduce like four hours of tape to under two minutes for a radio story," he recalled. At a conference for investigative journalists, he attended a talk by a reporter from another city who told the audience how she turned a print story into a podcast. This was around the time that the first season of the podcast "Serial" had really taken off, and the idea hit Cawley. "I felt very strongly as a radio reporter that I needed to be telling an audio story (about Susan Powell) in this format because I felt like this was playing to strengths that radio has always done well," Cawley said. The Powell story Susan Cox Powell's name hit news headlines in 2009 when she disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Though her body has never been found, from the beginning, police suspected that Josh Powell, her husband, and Steve Powell, her father-in-law, were involved. A comprehensive look at Susan and Josh Powell's relationship laid bare the depth of the emotional, financial and possible physical abuse Susan Powell endured. Unfortunately, evidence was hard to come by at the beginning of the case, and when Josh Powell killed himself and the couple's two sons, Charlie and Braden, in 2012, the opportunity for Josh's arrest was cut short. When Cawley started outlining his ideas for the "Cold" podcast, he wanted to do the story justice by bringing light to the abuse that led up to Susan Powell's suspected murder and represent her as a real person, not just a victim. "Showing Susan for a complete, well-rounded person, showing what she dealt with in her home would allow a better understanding of why she made the decisions that she made, why she ended up in the situation that she did," Cawley said. Cawley knew he needed to present this story carefully to avoid further victimizing Susan Powell by exploiting her story. He and his team reached out to the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition, which agreed to give advice on the story and support the podcast's efforts. Public awareness about domestic violence Jennifer Oxborrow, the executive director of UDVC, told the Deseret News that their goal in working with Cawley and the "Cold" podcast team was to increase public awareness, stressing the importance of "taking the opportunity to help people understand the complexities of domestic violence and abuse, and then knowing how to recognize it and where to turn if it's happening in their lives," she said. The UDVC is one of 56 state coalitions funded under the Violence Against Women Act. It works to promote policy that provides support for victims, educate communities and media about domestic abuse and connect abuse victims with vital resources. One of the UDVC's outreach efforts includes teaching reporters to use a trauma-informed approach in their stories. Oxborrow said reporters and others often ask questions of victims like, "Why did they stay?" or "Why would they put up with that?" without understanding the danger abuse victims face when they try to leave dangerous situations. According to Oxborrow, trauma-informed reporting focuses on the accountability of the perpetrator of violence rather than highlighting what the abuse victim should or should not have done. Oxborrow said this approach can be very validating to hear. "(Listeners) might identify with something that they're hearing and then know that it's appropriate and safe for them to reach out for help and where to turn," she said. Ultimately, though, Oxborrow stressed the importance of public awareness. "I think talking about it is how we solve this problem. This is a preventable public health issue," she said. Cawley agreed, emphasizing that abuse is not synonymous with violence, though the two are often connected. "People who are experiencing financial control, emotional abuse (and) verbal abuse (sometimes) discount their own abuse and (don't) seek help because they don't have bruises," he said. Awareness of domestic abuse shows victims and survivors thesupport and resources that are available. It also promotes a culture that doesn't tolerate any form of abuse. Oxborrow, who often works with abuse perpetrators in private practice, said they need a strong message that abuse is unacceptable. "Holding people accountable is one of the most respectful things that we can do because we're saying, 'I believe that you can be a better person, I believe that you can do this peacefully and safely,'" Oxborrow said. " And that's a message sometimes that people growing up in dangerous family situations don't receive." Susan Powell's story Cawley decided early on that his goal with the "Cold" podcast would be to give context to Susan Powell's life and story rather than try to solve the case. "My hope was to understand who Susan was better," he said, "because I really didn't feel like I got to know her as more than just a name in the headlines when this was all happening." And, in part because of his collaboration with UDVC, Cawley approached this story very sensitively. "My hope is that we are doing a good job of illustrating the situation, revealing the truth of what she experienced, without sensationalizing or presenting her in a way that is exploitative," he said. In his effort to incorporate a trauma-informed approach to a journalistic adherence to fact, Cawley deliberately didn't use some material. "I was very careful with the podcast to not use material that I felt would victimize Susan again," he recalled, talking specifically about the voyeuristic videos recorded by Steve Powell, Susan's father-in-law. Cawley has been bolstered by the positive support from Susan Powell's friends and family since the podcast came out their feedback has been "overwhelmingly positive," he said. Cawley has also been personally contacted by people who listened to his podcast and recognized signs of abuse in their own lives or lives of friends or family. "I've lost count of how many people have reached out to share their own personal stories, both past and current, of being in abusive relationships and going through the struggle of trying to safely get out," he said. "That was pretty profound for me." The "Cold" live event Cawley hopes the May 16 live event at the Eccles Theater will continue to educate the community about the signs of domestic abuse and the resources available to victims. He remains committed to continuing what he calls "the momentum" of the podcast and supporting domestic violence victims. A portion of the ticket proceeds from the live event will go directly to UDVC. The event will include exclusive audio and video that didn't make it in to the podcast, as well as interviews with family members and others close to the case. Susan Powell's sister, Mary Estep, who has never spoken publicly about the case, will participate. Additionally, Cawley, Oxborrow and retired detective Ellis Maxwell, who was the lead detective on Susan Powell's case, will hold an audience Q&A. The UDVC will have additional representatives at the event to connect audience members with information about recognizing domestic abuse and the resources available to victims. All of which was important to Cawley as he worked to put the event together for him, this event is about giving resources to those in difficult and even dangerous situations. And beyond helping potential victims, he hopes that the this event and the podcast's popularity will ensure that Susan Powell and her boys are not forgotten. "I'm very grateful for having had the opportunity to play a part in keeping her memory alive, and keeping the memories of the boys alive," said Cawley. "I very much view this live event as a great opportunity to celebrate them, even though they're not here any longer." NOTE: If you are experiencing domestic abuse or notice warning signs in someone else, please contact 1-800-LINK for free, confidential resources from the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition. If you are in an emergency situation, call 911 immediately. If you go What: "Cold: Susan Powell Case Files Live" When: Thursday, May 16, 4 and 8 p.m. Where: George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater, 131 S. Main How much: $22-$74 Phone: 801-355-2787 Web: live-at-the-eccles.com SALT LAKE CITY Does expanding LGBTQ rights require limiting religious freedom? Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints say no in a statement released Monday, which addresses high-profile legislation aimed at protecting gay and transgender Americans. The Equality Act now before Congress is not balanced and does not meet the standard of fairness for all, they wrote. The Church calls upon members of Congress to pass legislation that vigorously protects religious freedom while also protecting basic civil rights for LGBT persons. The Equality Act, which could pass the House of Representatives as soon as this week, would outlaw sexual orientation and gender identity-based discrimination in housing, hiring and other areas of public life. It would also limit the legal defenses available to those who, for religious reasons, violate these protections. Read the church's full statement on the Equality Act The act's supporters say both are necessary to ensure equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans. "What is problematic is when discrimination and harm to third parties is justified by asserting a religious belief," said Laura Durso, vice president of the LGBT and communications project at the Center for American Progress. However, religious freedom advocates, including church leaders, say it's wrong to guarantee that LGBTQ rights almost always trump protections for sincerely held religious beliefs. Laws should leave room for different outcomes depending on context, said Stanley Carlson-Thies, founder and senior director of the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance. "We should let (Congress) actually balance these things out," he said. It's possible to protect LGBTQ rights and religious freedom at the same time, as Latter-day Saint leaders propose, but not enough activists and policymakers are interested in that approach, said Douglas Laycock, a professor of law and religious studies at the University of Virginia. Compromise is treated like a dirty word in today's debates on discrimination. "In principle, we could agree on a negotiated solution in which core religious practices get protected and more marginal ones get regulated. The obstacle to that is the hardliners on each end," Laycock said. Expansion without exemptions The Equality Act is guided by two overarching goals, according to Durso, whose organization was one of the bill's many coauthors. It aims to robustly protect the LGBTQ community and do no harm to existing nondiscrimination laws. "We have such an incredible framework to protect people," she said. "We wanted to build on that and fill some holes." Those holes include the Civil Rights Act of 1964's definition of "public accommodation," said Sarah Warbelow, legal director for the Human Rights Campaign, on an April 30 press call. Currently, the law doesn't apply to a variety of stores and venues. "Many people don't realize that when it comes to public places and spaces, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 narrowly applies to things like restaurants, amusement parks and places of lodging," she said. The Equality Act would broaden its application to include any establishment providing a "good, service or program." It would ensure businesses like bakeries or funeral parlors which were the focus of recent lawsuits involving clashes between LGBTQ rights and religious freedom are free from discrimination, Durso said. "We want to expand the definition of retail settings to better capture what discrimination looks like in 2019," she said. And they want to do so without creating new exemptions for religious organizations or individuals, she said. "The Equality Act maintains long-standing religious exemptions," Durso said. This approach is a recipe for legal conflict, according to Carlson-Thies and others. Efforts to expand nondiscrimination protections for gay and transgender Americans should acknowledge deep and long-held religious beliefs about marriage and gender. "Human sexuality is part and parcel of the theologies of many religions (in a way that, say, race is not,)" wrote Jonathan Rauch, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, for National Affairs in 2017. If the Equality Act passed in its current form, faith-based adoption agencies, religiously affiliated hospitals and schools and people of faith who own businesses and schools would all be vulnerable to discrimination-related lawsuits, Carlson-Thies explained in a recent newsletter. "Religious organizations and persons (who object to same-sex marriage) will be compelled, in many circumstances, to act according to an understanding of marriage and gender identity and human sexuality in general that they reject," he wrote. Leaders from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Association of Evangelicals and Council of Christian Colleges and Universities shared similar concerns in an open letter to Congress. If passed as currently drafted, the Equality Act would devastate the core ministries of a wide range of religious groups, especially those ministries that serve the most vulnerable, they said. Thats not the outcome lawmakers should seek, according to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints statement. It is time for wise policymakers to end this destructive conflict and protect the rights of all Americans, it argued. Religious freedom law In addition to putting faith-based organizations and businesses at risk for more lawsuits, the Equality Act would limit how they could defend themselves. The bill states that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a federal law preventing the government from substantially burdening someone's religious exercise without proper cause, can't be cited in discrimination-related cases. "What the Equality Act does is make clear that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act can't be used to defend discrimination in public settings" or federally funded programs, Durso said, noting that people of faith could still use the First Amendment's religious freedom protections as a defense. That clarity would seriously undermine current religious freedom protections, Carlson-Thies said. "The purpose of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act is to weigh different rights," he said. "To have legislators jump in and say we need to decide this in a way that gives no credence to a religious freedom claim predetermines what has to happen." The act was passed because lawmakers felt the First Amendment wasn't strong enough, Laycock said. "The whole point of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was that the Supreme Court had narrowed the free exercise clause," he said. Durso and other Equality Act supporters say their goal isn't to attack people of faith. It's to protect gay and transgender Americans. "We're not against the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. We're against it being used in a broad way to harm certain communities," Durso said. The 1993 law, passed long before same-sex marriage was legalized, was never meant to apply to today's discrimination debates, Warbelow said. "When the law was passed, it was intended to protect people's religious freedom and practices, not to be used as a sword to harm others," she said. Laycock acknowledges he didn't have the religious freedom rights of commercial businesses in mind when he testified in support of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 1992. However, that doesn't mean the law should be banished from today's LGBTQ rights debates, he said. "Gay rights examples were very much part of the testimony in support of the act," he said. When the law was passed, it was intended to protect people's religious freedom and practices, not to be used as a sword to harm others. Sarah Warbelow, legal director for the Human Rights Campaign And allowing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to be used as a defense doesn't guarantee that religious objectors will win, he added. For example, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled against a funeral home owner in Michigan who cited the act to defend his decision to fire a transgender woman. "We've got 25 years of experience now and there aren't that many high-profile wins," Laycock said. Familiar impasse Laycock, Carlson-Thies and other religious freedom advocates aren't trying to block new protections for the LGBTQ community. The Church is on record favoring reasonable measures that secure such rights, Latter-day Saint leaders wrote. However, they do take issue with the Equality Act's current approach and want to raise awareness of how it would affect religiously conservative Americans. "I'm really disappointed that the discussion nationally on the Equality Act has not taken up the religious freedom angle. That's just tragic," Carlson-Thies said. "There's plainly room for compromise," Laycock said. "It's not essential to equality for the LGBTQ population that we regulate religious organizations and force them to violate their own teachings or stop providing social services to people." But the Equality Act's supporters take issue with the idea that gay and transgender Americans should be forced to compromise where other protected classes did not. We're talking together about all the places where we can actually live together peacefully without being at each others' throats. Stanley Carlson-Thies, founder and senior director of the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance "We should treat LGBTQ people no better or worse," Durso said. This impasse is familiar to those who work at the intersection of religious freedom and LGBTQ rights. Debates are often guided by an all-or-nothing mindset, Rauch wrote for National Affairs. "A debate in which a few years ago there seemed to be fairly good prospects for reasonable accommodations has hardened into legal and political trench warfare," he said. Congress probably won't change that this year, at least not with the Equality Act, policy experts said. The legislation is expected to pass the House easily, but the Republican-controlled Senate likely won't take it up for a vote. However, Carlson-Thies hasn't given up hope for a different approach going forward. He's working with LGBTQ rights and religious freedom advocates to craft legislation that creates new nondiscrimination protections for gay and transgender Americans while addressing potential religious objections. "We're talking together about all the places where we can actually live together peacefully without being at each others' throats," he said. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrates this approach in the new statement, noting its support for Utahs Fairness for All legislation, which passed in March 2015 and balances protections for the LGBTQ community and religious objectors to same-sex marriage. Ongoing conflict between religious liberty and LGBT rights is poisoning our civil discourse, eroding the free exercise of religion and preventing diverse Americans of good will from living together in respect and peace, leaders wrote. Accomplishing significant goals, achieving transformative breakthroughs or delivering society-changing solutions requires vision, focus and unity. Fridays celebration of the 150th anniversary of the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit reminded Utahns and all Americans just what can be done when people come together with a common purpose. The telegraph message sent 150 years ago stating that the grand vision of the transcontinental railway had been accomplished contained just one word, Done. Two more words might have been added to make the thought more indicative of the vision: One and done, for in unity can the nation solve its toughest problems. A united vision to solve the opioid crisis, end intergenerational poverty, fix immigration, improve health care or even reconnect the country by restoring a dilapidated infrastructure system would do wonders for the U.S. Unfortunately, politics often prevent progress and fracture what should be a uniting vision. For those who worked on the railroad, distractions were not an option. They were building something that would transform the nation and stand as a legacy for generations to come. In Congress today politicians chase myriad shiny objects and divisive distractions at the expense of focusing on things that could improve the present and alter the future. Too few have a vision to achieve something that could be celebrated in the year 2169. Rather than focusing on something that could be remembered 150 years from now, members of Congress, the national media and regular citizens hyperventilate and obsess over things that few will remember 150 days from now. Imagine what could happen if they focused their efforts in a different way. One focus would do wonders. Unity harnesses the most powerful potential on earth. Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, appealed to this unity during a speech at the golden spike ceremony on Friday, saying, "This celebration today also reminds us to be true to our vision for the future. ... Lincoln prayed 'that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.' So, we pray today that in Jon Meacham's words, 'The Soul of America' will prevail. These hardy laborers achieved a oneness that can guide us as a people to move forward to fulfill Gods plan for this nation, the world and all of his children." As many rightfully note, the legacy achievement of the transcontinental railroad was carried out by an army of workers from disparate backgrounds and circumstances. Their willingness to set aside differences in order to achieve a common purpose should drive and inspire Americans today. The country today would be wise to remember that oneness need not be sameness and that valuing diversity is always a precursor to unity. The tremendous tasks facing the nation will require the kind of heroic unity of vision and focus that can bind citizens, drive communities and compel Congress to act for the good of Americans and those who will follow freedom's light in the generations to come. Perhaps a modern telegraph message, in the form of a text, should have been sent last Friday. Instead of "Done," a two-word Just begun could spark the nation to unite once again around pursuits that will produce legacy achievements worthy of celebration 150 years from now. SALT LAKE CITY Every Thursday afternoon, "like clockwork," attorney Jay Kessler bounds into the administrative offices of Catholic Community Services' St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall to dispense free legal advice. This past week was no different, except that there was a cake, balloons and a certificate of appreciation recognizing Kessler's lengthy volunteer service signed by Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox. "For me?" Kessler queried. Staff members smiled and nodded their heads in the affirmative. "Today is 19 years I've been doing this," Kessler said. He's been a Catholic Community Services volunteer longer than most members of the homeless resource center staff have been on the job. "It's been lots of fun, lots of fun," he said. While he does not represent the people he advises in court, he gives free legal counsel, refers people to community legal resources and sometimes just offers "common sense" advice. Sometimes, after consulting with Kessler about grievances people have held onto for years, even decades, they just to need to be told to "close the door on it. Move on," Kessler said. Matt Melville, Catholic Community Services homeless services director, said "Jay's a blessing to us and the clients here, for sure. He comes in like clockwork every Thursday and the clients, there's always somebody there ready for him." On Thursday, a woman with a child in a stroller patiently waited for Kessler to discuss a legal matter. Even though Kessler wanted to dig into his cake, he consulted with his client first. That's typical of Kessler, said Melville. "Utah really sets the standard for volunteers, and Jay sets the standard in Utah. Just this much ongoing service, giving up his free time. I'm sure he's got billable projects he could be working on, but he's made this a priority for the community," he said. Kessler has his own law practice, which gives him the flexibility to commit to volunteering weekly. He also credits his wife, Jane, who supports his gift of volunteer service understanding it means he's sacrificing a half-day of paid legal work to do it. Kessler's unconventional path to becoming a lawyer gives him an affinity for people who are struggling and need a little help, he said. For 21 years, Kessler worked as a heating and cooling contractor. His family lived in Pennsylvania in a farmhouse on 2 acres that Kessler restored himself. The life the Kesslers were building for themselves came apart after he contracted Lyme disease and was no longer able to work. Worse yet, it took a long time for Kessler to receive an accurate diagnosis. Kessler prayed for answers, at one point spending the night outside praying until dawn and reading the book of Job "because I felt like I was afflicted, too." "I did not get an answer to my prayers," he said. But Kessler, who was raised in the Jewish faith and is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said his young family made a pact that no matter what happened, they would continue to be faithful and feel confident that their fate was God's will. Eventually, Kessler was diagnosed with Lyme disease, which is spread through the bites of infected blacklegged ticks. If untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, the heart and nervous system. Most cases can be treated successfully with long courses of antibiotics. While Kessler underwent lengthy courses of antibiotics, his wife went back to teaching music in schools. Eventually they lost their house to foreclosure. One rainy day, while reading the Book of Mormon, Kessler happened upon a verse he had never noticed before, Alma 10:27. It says, "And now behold, I say unto you, that the foundation of the destruction of this people is beginning to be laid by the unrighteousness of your lawyers and your judges." "I'll never forget it because it changed my life," he said. It was an epiphany for Kessler, who told his wife he knew what he needed to do: become a lawyer. Jane supported his plan but she explained that people who go to law school need an undergraduate degree. Kessler, then in his mid-30s, had never attended college. No one in is family had. He enrolled at Temple University and studied there for about 1 years. He later completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Utah after his family moved Utah to be closer to his wife's family. The move would allow Jane to eventually pursue one of her dreams, singing with the Tabernacle Choir. Kessler, who said he "barely graduated from high school," made the dean's list every term. After college graduation, Kessler attended law school at Creighton University in Omaha as its "first Jewish Mormon" to attend the Jesuit university's law school. "It goes to show the Lord can make more out of us than we can ever make out of ourselves," he said. After graduation, the Kesslers returned to Utah. After working for a small firm, he established his own general law practice, describing himself in a previous interview as "a ham and eggs guy." That varied background serves him well in his volunteer capacity because he never knows what sort of legal questions he may encounter. Kessler said he is grateful for his legal education because he has tools to help people who might not otherwise have access to legal advice. "I remember back when people were kind to me when I was down," he said. "But for the grace of God go I." It helps, too, that earlier in life Kessler was a high school graduate who made a living with his hands. It helps people relate to him better, he said. After he got sick "for a little while we were homeless. We didn't live in a homeless shelter but we got from Pennsylvania to Utah. Finally, we got a little apartment. We were grateful they didn't check our credit at that time. That was in 1993, I believe." Most people are grateful for his help, but there are occasions he has to give people advice they don't want to hear. One man got so upset he threatened him at the homeless resource center and then traveled to Kessler's private law offices and threatened him there. "He ended up in prison. When he was in prison, he for asked me to represent him," Kessler said, softly laughing. Some may have quit at that point, but Kessler said he believes he should use his legal education to serve others. Kessler said he also wants to serve a mission because his church service has blessed his life. "It has been incredible. I never would have thought growing up that I would be doing weddings, I'd be marrying people, speaking at funerals. While I've been serving here, I've also been serving five years as a bishop and now eight years as a stake president." When he's released from that calling, he and his wife will apply to be service missionaries. Until that time comes, he has a standing appointment every Thursday afternoon. Each month, the state Bar Journal publishes a list of attorneys who volunteer at various legal clinics around the state. He said people should write stories about them, too, because there is an acute need for legal advice and representation in Utah. While most people enter law school fully intending to better their communities and serve others, real-world responsibilities get in the way as people work to pay off law school loans, fulfill their work responsibilities and support their families. "Being an attorney is a real blessing in that I've been able to serve. That's how I look at it," he said. Melville marvels at Kessler's "staying power" as a volunteer. "He saw the vision early on and the need. As long as there's a need, he's been coming. There's always a need for it," Melville said. "It's been a really good ride," Kessler said. SALT LAKE CITY One of the most exclusive and dramatic hiking spots in the southwestern United States could see bigger crowds under a new proposal unveiled Wednesday. The Bureau of Land Management is weighing increasing its daily visitor limits from 20 to 96 people a day at The Wave, a popular rock formation near the Utah-Arizona border. A 6-mile round trip hike through tall sandstone buttes and sage brush is required to get to the Wave, a wide, sloping basin of searing reds, oranges and yellows in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. The agency is asking for public comment and changes could be implemented as soon as October, agency official Mike Herder said. Applications to hike The Wave have drastically increased over the past five years as the trail's colorful, contoured landscape becomes increasingly well-known. Visitors compete for permits in a monthly online lottery and at daily walk-in drawings at the Kanab visitor center in southern Utah. Less than 5 percent of the 150,000 people who wanted to hike the trail last year were actually able to do it, according to federal data. The limit is designed to protect the delicate sandstone environment and create a peaceful solitude, Herder said. Increasing the number of visitors would harshly impact The Wave's fragile desert landscape and hikers' experience, said Taylor McKinnon, a senior campaigner with the Center for Biological Diversity in northern Arizona. "It could mean more people in your photographs, more people walking off trail onto sensitive soil, more wildlife disruption," he said. "The agency needs to make sure any user increase is compatible with environmental protection." Herder said the move, which has been discussed for over a year, is aimed at giving more people an opportunity to do the hike. During peak season, between the spring and the fall, the office will receive as many as 400 requests a day from people all over the world, he said. Hiker Beckie Lambert, a medical assistant from Colorado, was denied a permit to hike The Wave in January. She's excited about the plan to increase accessibility for avid hikers like her, but is concerned that more hikers could be risky, she said. "It's a delicate wilderness area, quadrupling the number of people leads to more trash, more monitoring," she said. The agency is seeking feedback on how to best navigate safety and environmental concerns related to the proposal, Herbert said. He said agency officials have already discussed adding additional restrooms, parking and other resources outside of the trailhead to accommodate more people. It's said to be one of the most photographed spots in North America, but The Wave isn't without dangers. In August, a Belgian man died from heat exhaustion after getting lost on the trail. There was a trio of deaths at The Wave in 2013, after which the agency posted new trailhead signs, and safety warnings. SALT LAKE CITY High-tech innovators are working to expand their roles in the effort to address skyrocketing health care costs now in excess of $10,000 annually for the average American including a new online pharmacist that just launched in Utah. Nurx (pronounced nur-ex) is among a new crop of telepharmacy services that are aiming to disrupt old models by eliminating a trip to the corner pharmacist as well as the need to physically visit a physician ahead of that errand for medications. But in its attempt to forge a new path, the company has also had some missteps. Nurx is mostly focused on the birth control market, offering 50 generic and name-brand options available in pill, patch, ring and injection form, but also offers the HIV prevention medication PrEP, emergency contraception and an in-home HPV screening test kit. The company launched in Utah earlier this spring and, according to a Nurx spokeswoman, is currently available in 24 states and has drawn some 200,000 customers. Dr. Nancy Shannon, a Minnesota-based physician that is one of Nurx's medical providers who is also licensed to practice in Utah, said the process for obtaining birth control from the company was simple. Patients, via the Nurx website or the company's smartphone app, respond to a brief medical history questionnaire, provide results from a recent blood pressure test and submit the info. A Nurx medical provider then reviews the information to make sure the product is appropriate for the patient and, if so, completes a prescription, which is then shipped directly to the customer. Shannon said the physician review process is typically completed in three to five days and patients usually have their medications within a week via mail, but they can also opt to pick it up at a local pharmacy. Shannon said she worked for years in outpatient clinical settings before going to work for Nurx and had some initial qualms about how the high-tech approach one that did not involve an in-person relationship with her patients might negatively impact communication with patients. But she said the reality of the new model was a revelation. "When I first started with Nurx, I was concerned that the doctor-patient relationship would be hurt," Shannon said. "But, boy was I surprised. Its been exactly the opposite ... people are much more open about asking questions, telling their complete stories." Were available at a wide range of hours so we can meet the patients pretty much when it works for them. Dr. Nancy Shannon, one of Nurx's medical providers Shannon said while patients can connect with the Nurx medical providers via phone or video chat, about 99 percent of the patient-doctor communications happen via text messaging. She said one of the advantages of this asynchronous model is patients can circle back any time with questions or, for instance, add something to their medical history that they may have forgotten initially, without the hassle of waiting for another in-person appointment. And it alleviates the pressure common to clinical settings where there is always another patient next in line. "Were available at a wide range of hours so we can meet the patients pretty much when it works for them," Shannon said. "And I feel I can take as much time as I need with patients without worrying about a line building in my waiting room." Shannon noted in instances where she needs to conduct further research or consult with a colleague about a particular patient, she has more latitude to do so in the telemedicine setting resulting in a system that she said "works out great for patients and providers." Data in a 2018 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services showed of the $10,739 the average American spent on health expenditures in 2017, some 10 percent went to retail prescription drugs. Shannon said Nurx doesn't charge for birth control prescription consultations, accepts most insurance plans and, for those who are paying out of pocket, there are plans available that limit costs to as little as $15 per month. Nurx marketing vice president Katelyn Watson said the Bay Area company was launched in 2014 by two Norwegian-born entrepreneurs, Dr. Edvard Engesth and Hans Gangeskar, who were aiming to create a new way to obtain medications that may come with some attached stigma. Watson said even in Norway, where health care is heavily subsidized by the national government and easily accessed, Engesth was frequently contacted by friends who wanted a birth control prescription from someone they knew, rather than visiting a random physician. Now, the company has raised over $41 million in venture funding, including a $36 million round led last summer by Silicon Valley venture giant Kleiner Perkins. It's also attracted some marquee names to its board, including Chelsea Clinton and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin. All that firepower, however, hasn't kept the company from making some blunders, a few of which were highlighted in a New York Times story published late last month. One former Nurx employee told the Times he was assigned to re-ship medications that had been returned to the company as undeliverable, a practice banned by federal and state regulators. Also, Nurx's former medical director said she was asked by company executives "to revise a Nurx policy that advised its doctors not to prescribe birth control with estrogen to women 35 and older who smoked." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has long warned against the use of birth control products containing estrogen by women over 35 who smoke, noting "cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular events from combination hormonal contraceptive use." In response to a Deseret News request for comment on issues raised in the Times piece, Nurx referred to a Medium posting that included this statement about the re-shipping of returned prescriptions: "The past business practices featured in the story were in place for a very limited time, impacted a very limited number of patients, and ended nearly a year ago. The storys depiction of Nurx does not reflect our policies now, but just as importantly, they do not accurately reflect the full picture of how we operated then." Regarding communications between the company's former medical director Dr. Jessica Knox and executives about prescription polices for patients over 35 who smoke, a Nurx spokeswoman clarified that while the topic was discussed, the decision was ultimately left to Knox. "The discussion between our former CEO and former medical director regarding prescribing policies for women 35 and older who smoke was regarding whether we should inform these women about the risks of estrogen containing birth control so they can share decision-making with their medical provider and make an informed decision, also known as an informed consent model," the spokeswoman said in a statement. "This implied debate between Dr. Knox and our previous CEO was simply a discussion of whether our clinical guidelines would encourage our providers to employ such clinical judgment. "And in the end, Dr. Knoxs clinical judgement - that the clinical protocols should reflect a more conservative approach which does not offer combination birth control for women who are 35 and older who smoke under any circumstances was upheld and is still upheld to this day. Our former medical director made the final decision regarding this matter, and our clinical organization always has the final say on clinical decision-making." In the Medium posting, Nurx also noted recent changes in its leadership team, including the recent hiring of health tech veteran Varsha Rao to replace co-founder Gangeskar as CEO and, over the past year, a slate of other executive positions. About half of pregnancies are unplanned and one in five are really unwanted pregnancies and a lot of it might have to do with poor availability of contraceptives. Dr. Joseph Miner, a physician and executive director at the Utah Department of Health Nurx entrance into the Utah market coincided with another new option for state residents, thanks to changes adopted by the Legislature in 2018, for obtaining birth control prescriptions directly from pharmacists. Proponents of the change, which implemented via a standing order issued in March of this year, say easier access to birth control medication has a direct and positive impact on reducing unplanned pregnancies. Dr. Joseph Miner, a physician and executive director at the Utah Department of Health, told the Deseret News in March that the standing order will help people who either don't have the time or money to regularly see a doctor for birth control. "About half of pregnancies are unplanned and one in five are really unwanted pregnancies and a lot of it might have to do with poor availability of contraceptives," Miner said. Contributing: Wendy Leonard Haley Petersen, of Salt Lake City, advocates for for affordable housing during a rally at the Salt Lake City-County Building in on Tuesday, April 23, 2019. Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Home construction in Stansbury Park is pictured on Wednesday, April 17, 2019. Stansbury Park is a more affordable area compared to the Wasatch Front, which has been booming due to a hot housing market. Steve Griffin, Deseret News Construction workers work at the Garden Lofts, an affordable housing project being built in Salt Lake City, on Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News An "Idle-Free Zone" sign is pictured at Geneva Elementary School in Orem on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019. Sixth-graders from the school are keeping track of how long cars are idling in the school's pickup area. Steve Breinholt, Deseret News Kaleb Broderick, who wrote a letter to the city of Cottonwood Heights, holds a No Idling sign at Ridgecrest Elementary Friday, April 22, 2016. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Bottles of opioids at the pharmacy at Intermountain Healthcare's Salt Lake Clinic are pictured on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Pharmacist J.K. Naylor fills a prescription for naproxen, which can sometimes be used instead of opioids, at the pharmacy at Intermountain Healthcare's Salt Lake Clinic on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Pharmacist J.K. Naylor fills a prescription for naproxen, which can sometimes be used instead of opioids, at the pharmacy at Intermountain Healthcare's Salt Lake Clinic on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News The tally board shows the vote total 22 to 7 as the Senate concurs with changes made to SB96, the GOP leadership-backed replacement for the voter-approved Medicaid expansion ballot initiative, at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019. Steve Griffin, Deseret News The Rev. David Nichols, of Mount Tabor Lutheran Church, left, Anna Zumwalt, the Rev. Monica Dobbins, of the First Unitarian Church, and The Rev. Curtis Price, of the First Baptist Church, kneel with locked arms in front of the House chamber at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 8, 2019. The group was protesting SB96, the GOP legislative leadership's alternative to the full Medicaid expansion approved by voters. Silas Walker, Deseret News Audrey Meyer, top center, and others hold signs during a press conference at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, where the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah announced a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Utah over a newly passed law that bans abortions beginning at 18 weeks of pregnancy. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Rob Weidmann pulls out a book to read on his morning commute to work on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Weidmann takes a bus, TRAX and FrontRunner to get from Salt Lake City to Lehi. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News A FrontRunner train zips past 2600 South near 40 West in Woods Cross on Monday, Oct. 1, 2018. Steve Griffin, Deseret News A FrontRunner train returns to Farmington Station after a bomb squad investigated a suspicious package on the train in Farmington on Saturday, July 7, 2018. Ravell Call, Deseret News A FrontRunner train crosses 9000 South in Draper on Tuesday, June 19, 2018. Draper, Sandy and Riverton are considering resolutions to support the 0.25 percent tax hike for transportation, which needs support from cities representing only 11 percent more of the Salt Lake County population to take effect, under the county's ordinance. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News People get off a FrontRunner train at the Salt Lake Central Station in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 19, 2018. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News A FrontRunner train stops at the Salt Lake Central Station in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 19, 2018. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News A FrontRunner train heads north through the Jordan Narrows in Bluffdale on Wednesday, May 16, 2018. Spenser Heaps, Deseret News A "Turn Your Key Be Idle Free" sign is displayed at a TRAX parking lot in Sandy on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News A Blue Line train comes to a stop in downtown Salt Lake City on Monday, Oct. 8, 2018. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Millcreek, and Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley City, embrace as the Senate approves a bill that would strengthen Utahs hate crime law at the Capitol on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Laura Seitz, Deseret News Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes congratulates Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley City, after the Senate approved a bill that would strengthen Utahs hate crime law at the Capitol on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Laura Seitz, Deseret News E-scooter renters push with their legs to get scooters going as they cross Main Street in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 19, 2019. Steve Griffin, Deseret News People ride Bird scooters on Main Street in Salt Lake City on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News A Bird scooter is left for the next rider on Main Street in Salt Lake City on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Ryan Wilson rides a Bird electric scooter in Salt Lake City on Thursday, June 28, 2018. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News PRICE A man who police say threatened to kill people at a church in Price was arrested Sunday. Brenden John Polito, 32, of Price, was booked into the Carbon County Jail for investigation of making a terroristic threat and disorderly conduct. At 10:40 a.m., the pastor of the Liberty Faith Fellowship Church, 1630 N. 1550 West, reported "that he had received some very concerning Facebook audio recordings" from Polito that morning, according to a jail booking report. The audio messages, "imply that Brenden is going to kill a bunch of people. The pastor also advised me there were 4 different people named in the recordings. During the threats Brenden implies he is going to kill 2 of them," according to the report. The deputy who listened to the recordings is familiar with Polito and recognized his voice, the report states. By the time the deputy got the information he needed from the pastor, it was already 11:15 a.m. Church was scheduled to start at 11 a.m. but was being delayed, the report states. The pastor had an assistant watch the front door as Carbon County sheriff's deputies and Price police officers conducted an investigation. Officers searched addresses in Price and Carbonville looking for Polito, according to the report. Eventually he was spotted walking down a street and arrested. "Brenden implied that the messages were song lyrics," the report states. "However, the messages never implied that they were. Due to the fact Brendens recorded threats caused the interruption of the Liberty Faith Fellowship Church I booked him into Carbon County Jail." SALT LAKE CITY A $1 million arrest warrant was issued Monday for a man accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy. Michael Steven King, 25, of West Valley City, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with five counts of sodomy on a child, a first-degree felony; two counts of sex abuse of a child, a second-degree felony; and witness tampering, a third-degree felony. On April 22, a man walked into his 13-year-old son's room and found King engaging in sexual acts with the boy, according to charging documents. When interviewed by police, the boy said King had been engaging in sexual activity with him "almost every day" since October, when the boy was 12, the charges state. King had a protective order served on him on April 28, according to a Salt Lake County Jail booking report. But the next day, he "sent several messages to the victim on a gaming server called Roblox," the report states. One of the messages stated, "Please don't tell," according to charging documents. SALT LAKE CITY A Roy couple was arrested in April for investigation of multiple counts of child abuse after four children were found bruised, malnourished and living in filthy conditions, according to police. As of Monday, formal charges had not been filed against the 27-year-old man and 28-year-old woman. But according to a court filing in April on a separate case, the man was determined to be "not competent and not restorable" and unable to stand trial, court records state. The man had previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, acute psychosis with auditory hallucinations and generalized anxiety disorder, court records state. The child abuse investigation began April 17 when Weber County sheriff's deputies were called to the couple's house to assist Child Protective Services. "(Child Protective Services) observed unsanitary and unhealthy living conditions, children in need of normal care, and one child with bruising consistent with child abuse," according to a Weber County Jail report. "All four children were medically evaluated and were deemed malnourished and show signs of emotional neglect." The children were all between the ages of 2 and 4, according to a series of search warrant affidavits. Deputies noted the children had excessive earwax, grimy hair, overall poor hygiene and were malnourished, the warrants state. The woman "stated her doctor told her not to clean the child's ears," the warrants state. "The children reported eating only Pop-Tarts and being beaten by both their mother and stepfather." Staff members at one of the child's school reported bruising to the woman, who responded by saying "she would stop taking her kids to school until bruises were healed. (She) however, refused to admit causing the bruises. "(She) also claimed the children were autistic, but no official diagnosis has been found at this time," the warrants continued. The children were taken into protective custody. CENTERVILLE A plastic milk container and genealogy. Centerville police used both of those items recently to figure out who allegedly attacked a 71-year-old woman while she was practicing the organ in a church meetinghouse. It's the same technology used by authorities to identify and arrest the Golden State Killer last year. On Nov. 17, a Saturday night, a woman was alone in a chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 270 N. 300 East in Centerville. The doors to the building were locked. "Someone began pounding on the door to the chapel, where she was playing. She ignored it because she was alone. She said that it went on for some time before the pounding stopped," according to a newly unsealed search warrant filed in 2nd District Court. Soon after the pounding on the door stopped, the woman was grabbed from behind while still sitting at the organ and was attacked. "Her attacker put her in a rear chokehold and pulled her straight back off the bench," the warrant states. "The attacker strangled her to the point that she lost consciousness. She reported that she believed she had lost consciousness multiple times." As detectives began investigating the case, they found a rock was thrown through a window and the suspect stood on a garbage can to get through the window, according to the warrant. "During the initial investigations, blood was found on the windowsill and on the doorknob to open the door and exit that room," the warrant states. The blood was sent to the Utah State Crime Lab to be analyzed, but it did not match with anyone in the FBI's national DNA database. That's when the detective working the case tried a different approach. "I began looking into using genealogy and DNA as a means to pointing us in the right direction to locate the suspect," he wrote in the warrant. DNA was first sent to Parabon Labs in Virginia. Information generated from that company "was then uploaded to GEDmatch and was investigated by a team of genealogists lead by Cece Moore and work for Parabon Labs. GEDmatch is an open data personal genomics database and genealogy website," the warrant states. It's the same technique that led to the arrest in 2018 of Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, the alleged Golden State Killer, who is accused of killing more than a dozen people and committing more than 50 rapes throughout California in the 1970s and '80s. On March 27, Centerville police met with genealogists from Parabon Labs. "They created an extensive and detailed report that did not say who the suspect was but pointed us in a direction which required a continued investigation," the warrant states. The group was able to identify a relative of the teen, who they suspected may be a great uncle, according to the warrant. Detectives did research on the uncle and learned he "has a nephew that lives a couple blocks south of where the crime occurred," the warrant states. And the nephew has a 17-year-old son that lives with him, according to the warrant. On April 11, Centerville police had the school resource officer at the boy's high school watch the teen as he ate lunch. "(He) had a juice box and a small plastic milk container. When he threw those items into the garbage, I had (the officer) move the garbage can into a closet, without drawing attention to himself," according to the warrant. Detectives responded to the school and got the items out of the trash can. The items were tested at the Utah State Crime Lab and a match was found between DNA collected at the church and DNA taken off the milk container, according to the warrant. The boy was arrested and taken to juvenile detention. WENDOVER One of the most significant archaeological sites in North America Danger Cave near the Nevada border was breached and looted sometime last week. "It's Utah Archaeology and Preservation Month," Justina Parsons-Bernstein, heritage resources manager for the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation, said. "It's crazy that one of the most iconic archaeological sites in North America would be broken into and stolen from the very month we are supposed to be learning about and protecting the value of these sites." The parks division is asking or the publics help in finding those responsible for a break-in and damage at the Danger Cave State Park Heritage Site, where the culprit or culprits breached the gate and protected area near Wendover and stole all contents, including educational artifacts, lighting and safety equipment. Site archaeologist and steward Ron Rood discovered the incursion Saturday morning when he arrived to set up a public tour. The break-in would have happened after 4 p.m. last Tuesday and before 9 a.m Saturday. "We are hoping people can provide us with some clues," Parsons-Bernstein said. "They were instrumental the last time there was damage in helping us catch those people. " The cave is well-known for having been occupied by humans going back at least 11,000 years. Excavations of the cave also helped set the timeline for all Great Basin archaeology. Danger Cave was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and became a Utah State Park Heritage Area soon after. Parsons-Bernstein said if the thieves thought they were stealing a treasure trove of artifacts, they're mistaken. "There is nothing left to farm in this cave for pot hunters," she said, adding that it was fully excavated 80 years ago and the items are safely on exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah. State parks, like other public lands in Utah, are experiencing a dramatic uptick in vandalism and resource destruction, Parsons-Bernstein said. "The stuff like having to write your name on sites everywhere, the focus on selfies and making yourself well-known, it has become a real problem across the nation," she said. "Sand Hollow (State Park) has a horrible problem with people carving into the rocks and Red Fleet recently had some problems." Some sites have been closed off to public access because the resource damage is so extensive, she added. "Everyone comes to our beautiful natural areas to see them in pristine condition and everyone who leaves their mark is damaging that experience for the public." Those with any information about the Danger Cave burglary and theft can contact Parsons-Bernstein at 801-889-7209 or via email at jparsonsbernstein@utah.gov SALT LAKE CITY Humanitarian leader and businesswoman Gail Miller will be honored with a congressional award for setting an example for youth and expanding opportunities for Americans. The Horizon Award, presented by the Congressional Award Foundation, is meant to recognize people from the private sector who have "set exceptional examples for young people through their successes in life. These recipients have truly forged ahead, establishing noble horizons to which our youth can aspire," according to the foundation's website. Previous recipients include Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Tom Selleck, Mariah Carey and Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others. Miller will receive the award June 20 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the foundation said Monday. "Gail embodies the spirit of this award by demonstrating thought for others in her decision-making and using her influence to shape communities for the better," said Paxton K. Baker, chairman of the Congressional Award National Board of Directors. "Gails story is about finding true individuality, and her lifes work serves as an extraordinary example for our nations youth, particularly young women." Miller owns the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies and serves as the chairwoman of the board of directors of Larry H. Miller Management Corporation. She also presides over the Larry H. Miller Education Foundation and the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, which support charitable, educational and humanitarian causes. "The success and the money and the worldly things that we have are not where I count my wealth. My wealth is counted in relationships, being able to provide jobs for people where they can support their family and live good lives. Those are the things that really drove us," Miller told the Deseret News last year. Aamir Khan has almost always had a phenomenal run not just in Bollywood but also in the Chinese Box-Office. His films have performed exceptionally well in China. In fact, it is with his films that Chinese Box-office became a point of consideration in India and more producers were encouraged to release their films in China. Some of his films like The Secret Superstar did so well in China that it collected some three times more there than in India. Aamir Khan has undoubtedly been bridging the gap between India and China and has even visited his Chinese fans quite a number of times to show his love and gratitude towards them. This time, his fans from China has done something special for the actor. They had a special gift for him. Aamirs fans from China gifted him a yellow sweatshirt, with an A+ written on it. Thats not all, they had also signed the sweatshirt before gifting it to him. Aamir has accepted the gift and was also seen flaunting it. Aamir has truly become an international star, isnt it? Aamir Khans last release, Thugs Of Hindostan, was a debacle. He will next be seen in Lal Singh Chadda, the official Hindi remake of Forest Gump, which will release in Christmas 2020. Actor Aditya Seal who is seen playing the antagonist in Karan Johars SOTY 2 directed by Punit Malhotra is all smiles and glee about his film. He hails Tiger Shroff to be a good actor and also a wonderful work out partner. The actor was all praises for his co actors Tara Sutaria and Anaanya Pandey and he also revealed that Punit (Malhotra) actually has a little boys mind. Even though the actor plays a pertinent role in the film, he was nowhere to be seen in the promotions, neither for the trailer launch or the, multiple song launches that happened prior to the release of the film. We were quite aghast. It kind of refueled the nepotism streak that has become a big issue in the industry. In an exclusive conversation with Desimartini the actor revealed, the main reason behind it! The actor who is ecstatic about his role in the film said that it was a conscious decision. Quipped he, the makers had a certain strategy for the promotions and according to that, I was not supposed to be part of the promotional activities. They wanted me to come up as a surprise element in the film. My role is special and it is better if I am not being asked to part of the promotions because the curiosity factor is intact! Well, we dont know what our take would be on this, precisely because he was anyway seen in the songs that were released and a few scenes in the trailer as well. Sunny Deol, who has been campaigning in Gurdaspur, has met with an accident. The actor, who was driving in the Amritsar-Gurdaspur Highway, had a car accident. Fortunately, Sunny Deol has escaped without any injury. Sunny Deol will be contesting elections from the Gurdaspur constituency. He has been travelling extensively for road shows. He was returning from one such roadshow when his car and convoy was hit by another vehicle. It has been reported that the car was hit by another vehicle that was coming from the wrong side. The tyre of the car burst and it hit the divider. This resulted in almost four vehicles ramming into one another! Police have already been informed about the accident. Sunny Deol will be representing BJP and will contest elections against veteran Balaram Jakhars son Sunil Jakhar who came into power after the untimely demise of actor-politician Vinod Khan in 2017. He is also directing his son, Karan Deols debut film, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, that is all set to release in July this year. Tanaiste attends EU Foreign Affairs Council & EU-Eastern Partnership Ministerial meeting Press release Tanaiste to attend the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels to discuss Libya and the Sahel Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney T.D., is in Brussels today to attend a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers. In advance of the Foreign Affairs Council, he will attend an EU-Eastern Partnership Ministerial meeting, marking the tenth anniversary of the EUs partnership with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. At the FAC, Ministers will discuss current affairs, Libya and the Sahel. Speaking in advance of the meeting, the Tanaiste said: Ministers will discuss the ongoing conflict in Libya, and receive an update from UN Special Representative Ghassan Salame on the current military escalation. The EU is united in its call on all Libyan parties to immediately cease military operations, and to respect their obligations under international law. We strongly urge all parties to engage in good faith with the UN-led process for an inclusive political settlement. We will also have a discussion on the Sahel in the context of the deteriorating security situation in the region. Ireland supports the priority given by the EU to security and development issues across the region. We are working with partners in the region to put in place a comprehensive approach, strengthening their capacity to combat terrorism and organised crime, and addressing underlying challenges through investment in poverty reduction, governance, and human rights protection. ENDS Press Office 13 May 2019 Previous Item | Next Item Apple reportedly excluding iPhone SE, iPhone 6 Plus and older iPhones from the iOS 13 upgrade list. The iPad Mini 2 and the iPad Air could also be left out. Apple will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) next month, where it is expected to introduce iOS 13. While the new OS revision is expected to bring a slew of new features, a new report suggests that Apple could drop iOS 13 support for some of its older phones. As per the website iphonesoft, Apple might exclude Apple iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6 iPhone SE and the iPhone 5s from the update cycle. Additionally, the iPad Mini 2 and the iPad Air could also be left out from receiving the new OS update. This information was reportedly obtained from an Apple developer who is in on the companys plans. We came across a similar rumour back in February in which an Israeli website claimed that iOS 13 would not be supported on iPhone 6s and older models. It also claimed that iOS 13 could be unavailable on the iPhone 5s, iPhone SE, and the iPhone 6, along with some newer models like iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 6s Plus. The list of iPads being excluded from the list was also long, including the iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, and the iPad mini 4. However, one should take this info with a pinch of salt since nothing is official yet. As for the upcoming WWDC event, some details about it have already leaked online. The iOS 13 update is expected to debut there, which will reportedly feature user interface tweaks, a new animation for launch, multitasking and closing apps, The home screen could also get a tidier look. Like Google, Apple is expected to bring a system-wide Dark Mode for its mobile devices with the iOS 13 update. As per a previous report, macOS 10.15 updated for Mac is slated to arrive this year with multiple new features like support for Project Marzipan, Siri shortcuts integration and more, along with watchOS 6. OnePlus, with National Geographic will soon debut a special photography series in a magazine supplement, shot on a smartphone. OnePlus and National Geographic have partnered together to debut a special photography series in a magazine supplement that will contain photos shot on the upcoming OnePlus 7 Pro. Further, the Chinese company has also partnered with Netflix and Sacred Games Season 2 to promote companys HDR10+ supported display. The company also announced that it would open pop-up stores at multiple locations in Europe and the US. OnePlus with National Geographic National Geographic will release the supplement issue Inspired by Nature with the July edition of the National Geographic Magazine and it will feature images clicked at various locations in North America. OnePlus says that the images are captured on the OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone. For the partnership, National Geographic roped in three photographers: Andy Bardon, Carlton Ward Jr. and Krystle Wright to document images of deserts, mountain ranges, and underwater life. National Geographic has documented the stories of our planet for 130 years, providing audiences around the world with a window into the Earths breathtaking beauty. Were awed by the amazing pictures our photographers captured from their North American expedition with the OnePlus 7 Pro! In collaboration with OnePlus, National Geographic is proud to leverage the power and reach of our global media platforms to inspire everyone to get out, explore, and take their own spectacular photos, Con Apostolopoulos, Senior Vice President, National Geographic Partners, Asia Pacific & the Middle East, said in a statement. Pete Lau, Founder and CEO of OnePlus, said, With this association with National Geographic, we wanted to push the limits of what our camera is capable of and we believe that the professional National Geographic photographers did just that. We are very excited to showcase the results from this partnership and hope that our users will be as excited about the camera on the OnePlus 7 Pro as we are. OnePlus and Netflix The company also announced a partnership with Netflixs show, Sacred Games Season 2, to promote the phones HDR10+ display and camera. The company says that the display of the OnePlus 7 Pro will give Netflix fans an immersive viewing experience on the phone. The content aggregator also released two posters - featuring Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan) and Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) - from the series that are claimed to be shot on OnePlus 7 Pro. Netflix also released a behind-the-scenes video that is also said to be shot on the OnePlus 7 Pro. Through incredible devices like the OnePlus 7 Pro, consumers increasingly are able to enjoy an amazing viewing experience on Netflix. We are thrilled to celebrate the epic fandom of Sacred Games with posters and a behind-the-scenes video shot on the OnePlus 7 Pro, Jerome Bigio, Director-Partner Marketing, APAC, Netflix, said. OnePlus continues to look for innovative ways to engage and bring unique experiences to our community. We are excited to partner with Netflix and Sacred Games Season 2 to creatively showcase the impressive capabilities of OnePlus 7 Pro. We cant wait to unveil more about the product and the partnership at the launch event, Vikas Agarwal, General Manager, OnePlus India, added. OnePlus pop-up stores The third major development is that the company has announced that it would also open pop-up stores at multiple cities in the US and across Europe, including Paris, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Rotterdam, Helsinki, Tampere, Raisio, Oulu, Kuopio, Copenhagen, Aarhus, Stockholm, and Oslo. Last week, the company announced that it would open pop-up stores in New Delhi, Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad. OnePlus 7 Pro will come with a 6.64-inch curved Quad HD+ Super AMOLED 90hz display with a pop-up front camera. The company has already teased triple rear cameras on the smartphone, which come with a 3X optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. There is the 48MP primary camera, which is paired with an 8MP sensor with a telephoto lens having an aperture of f/2.4, and a 16MP sensor with an aperture of f/2.2 and an ultra wide-angle lens. Arch Linux now available on Windows 10 through Microsoft Store Microsoft announced a list of changes it intends to make to its popular PC operating system Windows 10 last week at its Build 2019 developer conference. One of the changes mentioned was the inclusion of native support for Linux kernel. Just a week after the announcement, we see that Arch Linux, one of the many Linux distros out there, is now available for download on the Microsoft Store. Heres how you can go about installing it. Unlike other Linux distros available on the Microsoft Store, Arch Linux isnt recommended for Linux beginners, notes Fossbytes, in its article on the subject. To begin installation of Arch Linux, youll first have to enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) feature. To do that, open Run, type, optionalfeatures.exe and then hit OK. In the Windows Features dialog box that appears next, check the box that says Windows Subsystem for Linux. In some PCs the features name may be suffixed with Beta in parentheses. You can then head to the Microsoft Store to download WSL Arch Linux. According to the apps description, Arch Linux wont work on PCs running Windows 10 in S Mode. Youll have to exit S Mode to proceed with the installation, which is a one-time move. When your system is ready simply start "archlinux" in cmd.exe or launch Arch Linux from the start menu, reads the last line of instruction in the apps description. Originally released in early 2002, Arch Linux is a general purpose Linux distro designed to run on 32-bit and 64-bit PCs. Unlike many other Linux distros (like Ubuntu), which use a scheduled release model, Arch Linux uses a rolling release model. That means new packages are installed on a daily basis to keep the system and bundled applications updated. However, the distro gets monthly update ISO images too. You can read more about Arch Linux here. I am not a licensed investment adviser , and I am not providing you with individual investment advice on this site. Please consult with an investment professional before you invest your money. This site is for entertainment and educational use only - any opinion expressed on the site here and elsewhere on the internet is not a form of investment advice provided to you. I use information in my articles I believe to be correct at the time of writing them on my site, which information may or may not be accurate. We are not liable for any losses suffered by any party because of information published on this blog. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. Unless your investments are FDIC insured, they may decline in value. By reading this site, you agree that you are solely responsible for making investment decisions in connection with your funds. Subscriber content preview BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakota is preparing to sue the state of Washington over a new Washington law targeting oil shipped by rail. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill into law Thursday that requires a lower vapor pressure limit for crude shipped by rail than the industry standard and North Dakota requires. Inslee has made climate change a focus of his 2020 Democratic presidential campaign. . . . Subscriber content preview PORTLAND (AP) The City of Portland and the state of Oregon say they're partnering to address the Portland Harbor cleanup efforts. Last December, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the entire Portland Harbor site must meet certain goals toward figuring out a cleanup plan by the end of 2019. . . . I am a political essayist, cultural critic, educator, and host of the podcast known as "The Chauncey DeVega Show" I have been a guest on the BBC, National Public Radio, Ring of Fire Radio, Ed Schultz, Sirius XM's Make it Plain, Joshua Holland's Alternet Radio Hour, the Thom Hartmann radio show, the Burt Cohen show, and Our Common Ground. I have also been interviewed on the RT Network and Free Speech TV. I am a contributing writer for Salon and Alternet. My writing has also been featured by Newsweek, The New York Daily News, Raw Story, The Huffington Post, and the Daily Kos. My work has also been referenced by MSNBC, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Atlantic, The Christian Science Monitor, the Associated Press, Chicago Sun-Times, Raw Story, The Washington Spectator, Media Matters, The Gothamist, Fader, XOJane, The National Memo, The Root, Detroit Free Press, San Diego Free Press, the Global Post, The Lost Angeles Blade as well as online magazines and publications such as Slate, The Week, The New Republic, Buzzfeed, Counterpunch, Truth-Out, Pacific Standard, Common Dreams, The Daily Beast, The Washington Times, The Nation, RogerEbert.com, Ebony, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Fox News, Breitbart, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Juan Williams, Herman Cain, Alex Jones, World Net Daily, Twitchy, the Free Republic, the National Review, NewsBusters, the Media Research Council, Project 21, and Weasel Zippers have made it known that they do not like me very much. If youre on your third cup of coffee for the day and feeling the jitters then dont worry youve still got room for three more. Six is the magic number that pushes coffee to a point where its detrimental to your health, according to the latest research from the University of South Australia. The first-time findings claim that once you go six cups or more, youll immediately increase your chances of heart disease by 22 percent. This study on the long term effects of coffee consumption in relation to cardiovascular disease was headed by UniSA researchers Dr Ang Zhou and Professor Elina Hypponen of the Australian Centre for Precision Health. More specifically the study confirms that this is the point in which excess caffeine causes high blood pressure a precursor to heart disease. Coffee is the most commonly consumed stimulant in the world it wakes us up, boosts our energy and helps us focus but people are always asking How much caffeine is too much?, Professor Hypponen says. Most people would agree that if you drink a lot of coffee, you might feel jittery, irritable or perhaps even nauseas thats because caffeine helps your body work faster and harder, but it is also likely to suggest that you may have reached your limit for the time being. We also know that risk of cardiovascular disease increases with high blood pressure, a known consequence of excess caffeine consumption. In order to maintain a healthy heart and a healthy blood pressure, people must limit their coffees to fewer than six cups a day based on our data six was the tipping point where caffeine started to negatively affect cardiovascular risk. The research was conducted with a pool of 347,077 participants aged between 37 and 73 years-old. An estimated three billion cups of coffee are enjoyed every day around the world, Prof Hypponen adds. Knowing the limits of whats good for you and whats not is imperative. As with many things, its all about moderation; overindulge and your health will pay for it. Read Next Allahabad Bank to raise Rs1,200 crore via QIP State-run Allahabad Bank is looking to raise close to Rs1,200 crore through the qualified institutional placement (QIP) route this fiscal to comply with the Securities and Exchange Boad of Indias listing norms, its MD and CEO SS Mallikarjuna Rao, said on Friday. Rao said the bank will have to raise capital of close to Rs4,500 crore by October 2020 to bring down the promoter holding to 75 per cent, from the present 92 per cent. We will have to raise around Rs4,500 crore to bring down government holding to 75 per cent by October 2020. We will do that in three or more tranches and look at various fund-raising options, including QIP for the same, Rao told newspersons here on Friday. The QIP is likely to bring down the government holding by 7-8 basis points by the end of this fiscal. Allahabad Bank, which recently came out of the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework of the Reserve Bank of India, hopes to turn profitable by the first quarter of this fiscal. The bank is hopeful of making an operating profit of close to Rs750-800 crore in the first quarter. For the quarter ended 31 March 2019, the bank posted an operating profit of Rs634 crore, over five times the profit of Rs123 crore it recorded in the comparable quarter of the previous fiscal. We hope to be able to achieve an operating profit of Rs1,000-1,200 crore in each quarter by Q4 of this fiscal, he said. Allahabad Bank has already witnessed an improvement in business, with its net interest income growing by nearly 16 per cent on a year-on-year basis. Its net interest margin also improved to 2.58 per cent (2.20 per cent) as of March 2019. The cost of deposits has been coming down, and yield on advances has been increasing. We are already on a growth trajectory, and we hope to be profitable by the first quarter of this fiscal, he said. The banks losses, for the January-March 2019 quarter, however, widened to Rs3,834 crore on the back of higher provisioning for bad loans, compared to a net loss of Rs3,509 crore in the same period last year. Total provisioning went up by nearly 10 per cent to Rs5,284 crore (Rs4,783 crore). Net interest income grew by 41 per cent to Rs1,258 crore, against Rs889 crore in the same period last year. Net interest margin (NIM) improved to 2.36 per cent (1.62 per cent) during the quarter. Gross non-performing assets (NPA) to advances increased to 17.55 per cent (15.96 per cent), while net NPA declined to 5.22 per cent (8.04 per cent). Singapore reports first case of rare monkeypox virus Singapore has reported the first ever case of monkeypox in the city-state, which is rare in these parts of the world, but endemic in Central and Western Africa. The virus is reported to have been brought in by a Nigerian man who likely contracted the rare virus by eating bushmeat at a wedding. Symptoms of monkeypox include lesions, fever, muscle ache and chills. Transmission of the virus is usually via close contact with infected animals such as rodents and monkeys and is limited between people. It is not normally fatal but has been in rare cases. The Nigerian man carrying the virus reportedly arrived in Singapore on 28 April, Singapores health ministry (MOH) said in a statement on Thursday last. The 38-year-old developed symptoms two days later and is currently isolated at an infectious disease centre in a stable condition, the ministry said. Another 23 individuals who had been in close contact with the man have also been quarantined and will be monitored for 21 days. "While risk of spread is low, MOH is taking precautions," the ministry said. Outside Africa, human moneypox infections had only been previously reported in the United States, Britain and Israel, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Singapore has toughened measures against infectious diseases after it was hit hard by the 2003 SARS virus outbreak, which killed 33 people in the city-state, inflicted major losses on the economy and hit its lucrative tourism industry. India opposes EU proposal for e-commerce rules India today moved a proposal at the WTO mini ministerial seeking to amend laws on unilateral action by members on trade issues, which found immediate support from China and South Africa. India also opposed a proposal moved by the European Union in the WTO on Friday to create new e-commerce rules saying that it will impact domestic industry and job creation in host countries. Indias proposal to safeguard the right of special provisions for developing countries has been challenged by the US. The proposal was circulated in Geneva among the 22 member countries who are participating in the New Delhis mini ministerial meeting on Monday and Tuesday. South Africa and China are excited about our proposal and the meeting, said an official in the know of the details, adding that India may modify its proposal as per other countries, if need be. South Africas trade and industry minister Robert Davies and a 14-member delegation the largest- from China, led by assistant minister of commerce Ren Hongbin, is attending the meeting. Addressing the mini ministerial commerce secretary Anup Wadhawan said the existential challenges to the multilateral rules based trading system are manifest in a spate of unilateral measures and counter measures, deadlock in key areas of negotiations and the impasse in the appellate body. He said the logjam in the appellate body is a serious threat to the dispute settlement mechanism of the WTO and the implementation function of the organisation. The fundamentals of the system are being tested through a tide of protectionism around the world vitiating the global economic environment. The situation does not bode well for developing countries, including the LDCs, he said. The harm that the institutional failure due to the collapse of the Appellate Body will cause will be felt more in developing countries, including LDCs who need the protection of the rule-based system more than developed countries. There is an urgent need to engage constructively to preserve the system and come up with constructive solutions to the problem, he pointed out The discussions in the meeting being held in New Delhi give a chance to reaffirm the resolve to keep development at the centre of the reform agenda. The reform initiatives must promote inclusiveness and non-discrimination, build trust and address the inequalities and glaring asymmetries in existing agreements. These asymmetries are against the interest of developing countries including LDCs. There is a need to work together to put issues of importance for developing countries and their priorities in the reform agenda. There has been no active engagement or movement on key issues of concerns for developing countries including LDCs in the negotiating agenda. Agriculture remains a key priority for a large membership of WTO representing the developing world. However, there is a strong push to completely relegate existing mandates and decisions and work done for the past many years, to the background, he said. India believes that developing countries need to work together to protect their interests in the WTO negotiations through preservation of the core fundamental principles of the WTO. The two-day meet gives an opportunity to the participating countries of developing a shared WTO reform proposal on issues of priority and interest for developing countries. This will help in building a common narrative on issues of importance for Developing Countries including LDCs. The two-day meeting is an effective move by developing countries to positively influence the outcome of WTO reforms by making development at its core and exploring all means of saving multilateralism. ITC chairman YC Deveshwar passes away Yogesh Chander Deveshwar, Indias most celebrated and longest-serving corporate head as the executive chairman and CEO at ITC for two decades, passed away early on Saturday. He was 72. The immediate cause of his death is not known, but he was diagnosed with cancel a few years ago. Deveshwar, who became executive chairman of ITC in 1996, successfully transformed the cigarette maker into a diversified group with a portfolio ranging from biscuits to hotels, effectively warding off a takeover threat from parent company BAT. The cause of his death is not known. He was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. Born on 4 February 1947 in Lahore, Deveshwar did his studies at IIT, Delhi followed by a management course at Harvard University. Deveshwar joined ITC in 1968 and became the executive chairman of the company in 1996. Deveshwar was the architect of ITCs bold transformation from a tobacco company to a diversified business conglomerate with a robust portfolio of front-ranking businesses in consumer goods, hotels, paperboards and paper, packaging and agri-business. He also ensured that ITC remained an Indian company by successfully warding off takeover moves by parent company British American Tobacco (BAT). Under him, ITC's revenues also grew ten-fold from Rs5,200 cr to over Rs51,500 crore and generated shareholder returns of 23.3 per cent compounded annually. In 2011, Deveshwar received the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award. Between 1991 and 1994, Deveshwar led state-owned carrier Air India as the chairman and managing director. He was also a director on the central board of the Reserve Bank of India. Deveshwar stepped down as chief executive of ITC Ltd, India's largest cigarette maker, in 2017, handing over the role to Sanjiv Puri, who is the current CEO and MD of the company. Deveshwar was serving as non-executive chairman of ITC Group since then. In June 2018, ITC decided to extend tenure of non-executive chairman YC Deveshwar by another two years from 2020 to 2022 so as to help mentor senior management of the increasingly complex organisation. We deeply mourn the passing away of Y C Deveshwar, chairman ITC. In this hour of profound grief and sorrow, we recall with respect and pride the legendary stewardship he provided to ITC over two decades as its chairman. Inspired by a patriotic fervour, manifest in his clarion call of Lets Put India First, he led ITC's strategic thrust to create an exemplary Indian enterprise dedicated to serving national priorities. Deveshwar passionately championed the cause for sustainable and inclusive growth and the transformative role businesses could play in creating larger societal value. This vision drove ITC to pursue business models that today supports over 6 million livelihoods, many amongst the weakest in society. His Vision to make societal value creation a bedrock of corporate strategy also led ITC to become a global exemplar in sustainability and the only company in the world to be carbon positive, water positive and solid waste positive for over a decade. His superordinate vision to build an exemplary Indian enterprise, to serve national priorities, create the businesses of tomorrow, impeccable values and personal integrity, the width and depth of his strategic thinking and his compassionate conduct of business will continue to inspire us in the journey ahead, Sanjiv Puri, managing director of ITC Ltd, wrote on the companys website. A Dutch woman, living in Donegal won 37,000 when she appeared on the National Lottery Winning Streak TV game show on RTE One last Saturday, May 11, just months after a fire almost destroyed her family business. Afke Barr from Buncrana was the latest Donegal person to make an appearance on the popular TV game show. Her Winning Streak game got off to a flying start when she won an electric car, Renault Zoe, worth 25,000 on the very first game. She went on to scoop a further 12,000 in cash from the show. Afke is originally from the Freisland in the Netherlands but has lived in Donegal for 30 years. Afke moved to Ireland and at first spend time travelling around the country. She met her husband John in Listowel at the All Ireland Fleadh and got married in the years that followed and now 33 years later the pair have two daughters in their twenties, Caoimhe and Orla. Afkes Winning Streak appearance is a result of an unfortunate tragedy following a fire at their business premises in Buncrana which saw the John Barr Drapery store burn down last February. Thanks to help from the Buncrana community, the business shortly reopened at another premises and a good luck card containing a lucky Winning Streak ticket was the one which was pulled out by Winning Streak presenters Marty Whelan and Sinead Kennedy two weeks ago. There was an outpouring of emotion from all in Buncrana who were delighted to see Afke being called to appear on the show and she has had incredible support from the entire community who were cheering for her in living rooms across the town last Saturday. Afke was surrounded by her close friends and neighbours in the RTE studios on Saturday evening and was delighted with her familys change of luck following the fire. Winning Streak will take a weeks break due to RTE Eurovision coverage and will return to RTE One on Saturday, May 25, where five more players from all over Ireland will get the chance to play for huge cash sums, holidays and cars. A man jailed for raping a Donegal woman attending a gaming convention has lost an appeal against the severity of his 12-year prison sentence. Keith Hearne (30), of Allenton Drive, in Tallaght, Dublin 24 pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, one count of oral rape and one count of falsely imprisoning Dominique Meehan. The rape occurred at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown on July 4, 2015. Sentencing him to 12 years imprisonment in June 2017, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said it was difficult to express the horror and seriousness of the offence. Hearne sought to appeal the severity of his sentence on grounds that the sentencing judge failed to attach sufficient weight to his psychiatric illnesses. However, the Court of Appeal held that he did not have any active symptoms of mental illness at the time of the offence and it, therefore, did not affect his culpability. Giving judgment in the three-judge court, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said Ms Meehan was setting up an audio-visual display in one of the hotel rooms when Hearne, who was attending the event, locked her into the room and threw her to the ground. A scuffle ensued and Ms Meehan was thrown into a row of chairs and tackled to the ground where Hearne sat astride her. He told her he could break her neck there and then, if she preferred. He asked her was she going to be a good girl and then removed her clothing and used a necktie to bind her hands. He then digitally penetrated her. Hearne's barrister, Roddy O'Hanlon SC, submitted that the sentencing judge did not properly consider his clients mental disorders and other mitigating factors. While Hearne had a complex mental disorder, Ms Justice Kennedy said it was clear from reports that he did not have any active symptoms of mental illness at the time of the offence. Therefore his condition did not affect his culpability. Ms Justice Kennedy, who sat with President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham and Ms Justice Maire Whelan, said the downward reduction of three years from the headline sentence was sufficient in all the circumstances. The appeal was therefore dismissed. Speaking outside court, Ms Meehan said: I feel better today, I didnt sleep a wink last night. I havent slept a wink at all this week. Im getting better and I will continue to get better and I have massive support (referring to those who accompanied her to court). We need to show that with harsher sentences we can stop sexual assault. A campaign with advertisements everywhere isnt going to stop sexual assaults. This hashtag no excuses is only going to be effective with proper sentencing. 12 years, 15 years, is not enough. Media Invite This time around, Playeum has introduced a brand new hands-on exhibition unlike any other exhibition they have done... simply because the entire exhibtion has been mianly created and curated by 4 artists, each with a disabilty. I-Opener CLEMENT SPACE CAVAN SCOPE SOLScape POETREE THE COLOUR CAVE THE EYE TRACK PAINTER TYRE LIGHT PLAY PROJECTION HOLOGRAM PROJECTOR THE MAKER SPACE A staple for all of Playeum's exhibitions, this is where kids can explore and express their thoughts through tinkering and come up with any form of creation they desire. Here are a few things to note if you planning a trip down: 1. Entry to Children's Centre for Creativity is $22 per child (1-12 years old). One accompanying adult enters free while additional accompanying adults play $10 each. 2. Although entry is for unlimited play for the day, there is a possibility that visits may be kept to 2-hours during busy periods. 3. If you are visiting at 5pm or later (they close at 6pm), admission is by any donation amount. 4. Annual Memberships available at $160 per child, which offers one year's worth of unlimited entry for one child and one adult. This also includes special rates for workshops. 5. There are no toilets and nursing rooms within centre. Toilets are however, located just beside once you exit the Playeum building. 6. No snacks and drinks are sold on premises. There is a cold drinks vending machine beside the washrooms. Useful Information Playeum's Children's Centre for Creativity I-Opener Located at Gillman Barracks, Playeum is a museum without walls which hopes to inspire children through self-directed exploration and learning and in the process, establish a culture of meaningful and impactful play.The new exhibition,, features the aesthetic and sensory play-worlds co-created by individuals with various disabilities, and also without. It invites kids aged 1 to 12 to explore their senses through play and the arts.As we all know, the senses - sight, touch and hearing all play an important role in a childs discovery of the world as well as their social-emotional development. But more than that, this exhibition DIFFERS from Playeum's previous exhibitions in that instead of just introducing the art of play to kids,There are FOUR main spaces within the exhibition:Clement Space is a sensorial interactive space designed, produced and created by, an autistic artist. Kids can choose to enter the space through the usual doorway or step into her world through a tiny opening in the wall. No prizes for guessing which they would prefer!In a time in which the world seems increasingly void of calm, the focus of white in her design here allows children to explore their senses by feeling, interacting and changing the moveable elements.Or they can really just do nothing and lay in the tent... which is what the play space advocates.The entire space is made of repurposed and sustainable materials, with each handmade detail carefully crafted for the audience to see, touch, and feel.Cavan Chang is an artist with Down Syndrome. And his Cavan Scope work is an invitation for his audiences to enter his colourful world.Here, kids can view a myriad of colourful objects inspired by his work and create new collages by playing with his artworks.SOLScape, is inspired by the two dimensional artwork of Sol Pickens, a young boy with autism. He makes his drawings comes to life and transforms them into three-dimensional structures.This space features acrylic boxes in which children will be able to create different furniture according to their own imagination.Kids will be able to transfer their own two-dimensional works into three-dimensional play scapes.How? By doodling on the blank sheets of papers at the side of the installations.Once they are done, all they have to do is to flip the panel upright.And there you go, the drawing forms the second level of the house! So through this installation, kids can imagine how they would like their home to look like. Personally, I was left mightily impressed with this play space!Jo Devadason is a poet with Down syndrome and the voice behind Poetree. From an early age, she developed a love for books imaginary play and self-expression. Her poetry works can be found throughout the Playeum space.There is also a large seating area in the middle of the exhibition with 4 different couches, each representing the 4 artists. The fabrics used are chosen according to the artists' taste but parents, this is not a place for you to sit down and look at your phones.Rather, this space is meant to spur further discussion with your kids about the various installations and promote further free play.In addition, kids can further exploreother technological inventions and play areas within the exhibition.This sensory cave seeks to further explore Cavan's colourful world with various textiles.Here, kids can create colourful patterns just by using their eyes!Using various transparent colourful films, kids can discover and play with shadows and light.And see their creations being projected on a wall somewhere else. I won't tell you where... you have to head down to look for it!Here, kids can doodle on paper and transform their artworks into moving images via a Hologram Projector.The shelves are well-stocked with a mind-boggling selection of upcycled materials like plastic bottles, paper rolls, caps, and strings.Blk 47, Malan Road, Gillman Barracks, #01-23, Singapore 10944414 May 2019 - 26 April 2020*Soft launch from 14 May 2019 to 31 May 2019Tues - Sun: 10am - 6pm (Closed on Mondays)$22 per child (1-12) | Accompanying adult: Free | Additional accompanying adult: $10HSBC Employees: 20% off child admissionBaby Bliss Card: 20% off child and additional adult admissionOCBC Baby Bonus Card: 20% off child and additional adult admissionNearest MRT Station (5 to 10 minutes walk): Labrador Park Station (Circle Line)Nearest Bus Stop (3 minutes walk): Along Alexandra Road, Opposite Alexandra Point (Bus Stop Number 15059) - Available Buses: 51, 57, 61, 83, 97, 97e, 100, 166, 175, 408, 963 or 963E*Free Parking on Sundays. A 66-year-old woman has brought a High Court challenge against Donegal Co Coouncil's decision to suspend her from its housing allocation list. The action has been brought by Ms Elizabeth Crumlish, who is a member of the Irish Travelling Community. Ms Crumlish, who has spent most of her life in Co Donegal has been on the council's housing list since 2003. The court heard that she had applied to the council for housing or to be accommodated at a halting site in the Bridgend or Burnfoot areas of Co Donegal. Earlier this year the Council decided to suspend her from its housing application list for a period of one year on the basis that she had refused to accept what it says are two reasonable offers of accommodation. The suspension of a person's application for housing following two refusals is provided for in the Council's 2011 Housing Allocation Scheme. In High Court judicial review proceedings Ms Crumlish, represented by Nora Ni Loinsigh Bl and instructed by FLAC, has challenged her suspension on the basis the offers were not in any sense reasonable. The council had twice offered Ms Crumlish single bedroomed houses in Letterkenny, which is some distance away from the areas where she had asked to be accommodated. Ms Crumlish had also sought Traveller Specific Accommodation on a halting site, which the council had also acknowledged. In her action against the Council, she seeks an order quashing the decision to suspend her from its housing application list. She also seeks declarations that the decision was made without lawful authority, resulted from an unlawful fettering of a statutory discretion, and was irrational and based on irrelevant considerations. She further seeks a declaration that the decision to suspend her amounts to a failure by the local authority to vindicate her constitutional rights and rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. Permission to bring the challenge was granted, on an ex parte basis, by Mr Justice Seamus Noonan. The judge made the matter returnable to a date in July. Throughout my life and career, no matter what path I had chosen, I wanted it to be one that not only I would be proud of but that my someday son or daughter would be proud of, she said. As you embark on your next journey, I encourage you to ask yourself what legacy you want to begin to create and eventually leave behind. None of the incredible opportunities (I have had) would have been within my reach had it not been for the fundamentals I learned right here, in this school, as well as the other schools I have attended throughout my life. The owner of an Ozark lab test collection company is out on bond after being charged with two forgery counts, but Dale Countys district attorney said the investigation may uncover numerous incidents of falsified drug screening reports provided to the countys Department of Human Resources. Brandy Murrah, 36, of Clopton, was booked on the two misdemeanor forgery counts in Ozark this weekend. She is currently out on bond totaling $2,000. Murrah owns A&J Lab Collections. Her company provided drug screen reports and paternity test results to the Dale County Department of Human Resources. Dale County District Attorney Kirke Adams said the investigation is ongoing and could mean that parents were denied custody of their children in Dale County due to drug screen results that were falsified. We have no idea at this time how many people did not get their children back because of Ms. Murrahs alleged fraudulent reports, Adams said. I am furious and offended by these alleged crimes. I dont understand how someone could be so callous and evil, to have no regard for the consequences of their actions. In my opinion, all cases affected by Murrahs alleged actions must be redone in order to be fair. An initial trial date of May 20 has been set for a man charged in the 2018 death of his infant son in Dothan. Carlton James Mathis, 28, faces murder and abuse of a corpse charges in connection with the death of 6-month old Curtis James Oakes, found in a motel freezer in June of 2018. Although Mathis was indicted in November of 2018, he did not make his first Dothan court appearance until May 10 and it remains uncertain as to when Mathis will actually go to trial. Mathis did not fill out an application for substantial hardship the process defendants go through to receive appointed attorneys when they cannot afford one until May 10. Mathis and co-defendant Amanda Oakes fled the Dothan area after police received a tip from Georgia authorities that the two were traveling from Georgia with an infant that could be deceased. Police found the infant in a motel freezer. At about the same time, authorities moved to capture Mathis and Oakes in Bronson, Fla. Mathis was shot in the exchange and had been held in Florida until last week. Oakes was indicted in December on one count of manslaughter and one count of abuse of a corpse. She remains held in the Houston County Jail. An Opp woman was arrested over the weekend after police say she jumped out of the window of a residence and ran into a wooded area to avoid being apprehended. Courtney Inman is charged with first-degree theft of property. According to the Andalusia Police Department, Investigator Tawona Ryce and Sgt. Gene Jackson attempted to make contact with Inman at a residence on Walding Road in Opp Friday, May 10. When law enforcement arrived Inman jumped out a window in the rear of the residence and ran into the surrounding wooded area, said Andalusia Police Chief Paul Hudson. Opp Police Department, Covington County Sheriffs Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Covington County Sheriffs Posse K-9 tracking team assisted in the arrest. After a short search, Inman was taken into custody and returned to Andalusia to face charges. She was booked in the Covington County Jail a $20,000 bond. Follow Michele Forehand on Twitter @micheleforehan1 Get Breaking News Alerts Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A bill that would establish a $12,000 per year expense allowance for Coffee County Sheriff Dave Sutton passed the Alabama House of Representatives Thursday. Sutton said the expense allowance would allow him to increase his salary for the duration of his current term, or three-plus years. The legislation terminates the allowance after that point. Sutton said he has not experienced a salary increase since he was first elected in late 2006. The bill, House Bill 546, will need to pass the Alabama Senate and gain Gov. Kay Iveys signature for it to take effect. To obtain the pay increase, Sutton said the Coffee County Commission first had to approve a resolution supporting the effort. The commission did so at its Jan. 28 meeting by a 6-1 vote (District 1 Commissioner Dean Smith dissenting). Rep. Rhett Marques (R-Enterprise) then submitted the legislation to the House on May 2. The measure passed via a 15-0 vote Thursday that included 77 abstentions. The countys general fund would provide the funds for the allowance should it pass, and payments would come in monthly installments. Follow Jeremy Wise on Twitter @DEgovbeat Home Four wheelers Ford Launching Three New SUVs In India Investing USD 1 Billion In The Country oi-Rahul Jaswal Ford Motor Co is planning to make an add on investment of about USD 1 billion in Indian operations over the next five to seven years as it restructures and /or exits its key businesses around globe over. By doing so, they will make India am operating base, and will make more investments in the country. According to Economic Times Auto, Even though the Indian passenger vehicle market ground to its slowest growth in recent years during the financial year 2019, Ford is planning to make the India the epicenter of its long term global strategy, said people from the industry with knowledge of the plan. At least USD 500 million will go toward investments for research & development, project planning, and production line construction. Part of this investment will also be pushed towards two SUVs that will be developed by Ford's India Center. An additional $400-500 million will be pushed towards 'Project Black' which is in partnership with Mahindra & Mahindra. The two companies had announced plans for a C-segment SUV last month. This highlights Ford's two pronged strategy one on its own, and in partnership with Mahindra. The two SUVs, codenamed BX744 and BX745, are scheduled to be launched during 2021 and 2022 respectively. The BX744 is an India-spec sub-4-meter SUV, while the 745 is a global project, built for India, and also for overseas markets like China and Brazil, and other emerging markets. It's aimed at challenging the likes of Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster. A Ford India spokesperson said, "The company does not comment on future product and investment road map. This investment highlights Ford's commitment to India following reports that it was reviewing its presence in the market." "India plays an important role for Ford headquarters, especially from an emerging market cluster perspective. This is a departure from its earlier stand of catering mostly to evolved markets. Beyond independently penetrating the Indian market, Ford is looking at ways and means of participating in the global emerging market in tandem with Mahindra," said the person. "A partial JV may not be ruled out... maybe one of the plants, but exiting is definitely out of question," he added. Thoughts About Ford Motor Co's Plans Of Investing USD 1 Billion In India Of course! Ford has been in India for over twenty years now and they were never in a hurry to break even. They spent the entire 20 understanding the local market, and also understanding international markets from a 'based in India' perspective. They finally turned profitable, and to such an extent they want to re-invest. They're also the first auto manufacturer to have stated that they will upgrade their entire fleet of diesel engines to meet BS-VI norms. Now that is commitment! I want a Ford now! We all should. Most Viewed Videos When the seal of biliteracy launched in California nearly a decade ago, its advocates envisioned an honor that would recognize English-language learners and native English speakers alike. But the way the seal is promoted and implemented in schools may be shutting English-learners and low-income students out of the process, a new study from Georgetown University argues. Interest in the sealwhich is affixed to high school diplomas or transcripts as official proof that students can speak, read, and write in more than one languagehas surged across the country , with nearly 40 states and the District of Columbia now offering special recognition for graduates who demonstrate fluency in two or more languages. Some schools, especially whiter, wealthier schools with fewer English-learners, are more likely to offer the recognition than others, the Georgetown study, Recognizing Whose Bilingualism? A Critical Policy Analysis of the Seal of Biliteracy , found. While the researchers discovered that demographic information on students earning the seal is not tracked in many states, the work suggests that English-learners and students from low-income families may be on the wrong side of an equity gap, with their opportunities to demonstrate their bilingualism restricted by their circumstances. The researchers also determined that, even when they have the opportunity, English-learners often face more hurdles to earn the honor: the criteria for earning the seal holds English-learners to higher standards in their second language (English) than native English-speakers are held to in theirs. Education Week wrote about the then-unpublished study in January for an essay, The Truth About Bilingualism: Its Only for Some Students , which was part of Education Weeks 10 Big Ideas special report. In the essay, several scholars posit that most statewide seal of biliteracy programs have neglected opportunities to support bilingualism for English-learners and English-fluent students who speak another language at home. To address the inequities that have emerged in programs, the authors of the Georgetown study offer three recommendations for educators and policymakers: Avoid viewing the seal as a program solely for promoting foreign- or world-language education. Create more pathways for non-native English-speaking students to demonstrate their proficiency in their home languages. Administer the seal of biliteracy at the state level to: ensure all students have access to the seal; provide equitable funding; and monitor which students are earning the seal. In light of their findings and recommendations, the researchers encourage educators and lawmakers to examine why theyre offering the seal of biliteracy and which students have access to the special honor. If the seal becomes simply one more achievement in the already impressive portfolio of students whose elective multilingualism has always been recognized as an asset, it will forfeit its equity potential, the authors wrote. The Illinois Innovation Index says it aims to be a resource for data, analysis and insight on technology-based innovation and entrepreneurial activity in Illinois. Previous index reports focused on climate, talent and capital. The ISTC produces the index for the Illinois Innovation Network, and it gets support from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and World Business Chicago. Louth TD, Declan Breathnach, has said that every effort must be made to resolve the funding anomalies with regards to the RehabCare Group. The Fianna Fail TD was commenting as RehabCare, the largest Section 39 organisation in the country, confirmed its intention to terminate its entire care services unless their significant under-funding situation is dealt with. Deputy Breathnach explained: RehabCare Group employ 1,500 staff across the country and provide services for over 3,000 vulnerable clients. I have been in contact with various RehabCare employees and service users in Dundalk and the last thing anyone wants to see is the termination of services. At the crux of this issue is a shortfall of around 2 million in funding which RehabCare require in order to continue providing care. As I understand the reasons for the shortfall include increased cost of taking care of people as they age, the costs associated with HIQA and HSE regulatory requirements and the rising insurance costs. As I understand it, requests from RehabCare to meet with Ministers Donohoe and Harris have been ignored. This seems to be an extraordinary reaction to genuine requests to explore how the funding gaps can actually be addressed in the interests of the service users. I understand RehabCare Group and the HSE will be engaged in talks over the coming weeks and every effort should and must be made to resolve this issue before a decision is made to terminate services. The respective Ministers shouldnt be ignoring this, he concluded. Cheaper alternative for chemicals One call has been issued by the Jiangsu Water Tech Cluster and challenges organisations to run an on-site pilot for pre-treatment of waste water at a coal power plant in the Jiangsu province in China. According to the cluster the power plant uses limestone gypsum from its desulfurization process in its waste water treatment process. The limestone gypsum causes calcium hardness and the softening with chemicals is costly. Therefore the cluster challenges the global water community to come up with a cheaper alternative. The advancement of technology has radically changed the way that consumers browse for items and make purchases. Shopping online for items overseas has become as normal as picking up a bottle of milk from the local corner store. Consumers around the world now expect to be able to browse international brands at anytime, anywhere and on any device, whether it be on the train to work, while at work, or from their couch. This shift in consumer behaviour can be daunting but it has also unlocked countless opportunities for businesses to tap into new international audiences and customers. For Australian small to medium businesses (SMBs), selling overseas can offer benefits such as increased profits and revenue, heightened brand awareness, and business growth. However, its not as simple as setting up an international website. SMBs need to remove the friction associated with shopping internationally and offer a tailored retail experience to ensure they are setting themselves up for success. Here are five things you should know before you take the cross-border leap for your business. Weigh up whether it is the right move for your business First and foremost, make sure it is the right move for your business. Selling overseas is not a viable option for every type of business, so it is important to weigh up the advantages (and disadvantages) that it would bring to your business. Start by questioning whether your product or service has a competitive advantage. Consider what differentiates your product or service and do your research to figure out whether you need to adjust your pricing to meet global expectations. Some of the greatest cross border success stories come from SMBs that have identified a gap in the international market and leveraged this to drive sales. For example, Australian brand MooGoo has become a globally renowned skincare company that specialises in catering to sufferers of eczema and other skin irritations. By finding a treatment for a condition experienced by consumers globally, MooGoo have expanded internationally and are now selling their products in eight different markets. Make mCommerce the centre of your business strategy Being able to easily and seamlessly engage with a brand online, particularly via mobile, is now a consumer expectation. PayPals most recent mCommerce Index Report[1] foundalmost three-quarters of Australian smartphone owners (72%) use their mobiles to shop or make payments, a figure thats remained steadily high year-on-year. Furthermore, according to a cross-border consumer research study[2], an increasing number of purchases are made via a mobile device. There is a clear opportunity for Australian SMBs to not only build rigorous eCommerce strategies, but to capitalise on a high level of mobile commerce adoption among global consumers. Match the agility of your eCommerce offering with fast or free delivery One of the biggest barriers SMBs face when selling overseas is the time and cost of shipping. With a growing number of local brands offering same day delivery, its essential that SMBs invest in a competitive shipping offering when selling overseas. Australian SMBs should search for a shipping partner that works for their business and their customers alike. If possible, offer your customer free shipping on a minimum spend or simple shipping upgrades, such as expedited shipping times. Your customers may also change their mind once receiving your product, so offer them free return shipping to leave them with a positive impression of your business. By offering free online tracking, you can also give your customer peace of mind about their purchase. Make your eCommerce offering appealing to overseas audiences It is not only important to know your customer, but also to know their country, their culture, and the various cultural sale moments applicable to the region that they live in. PayPals Cross Border Consumer Research [3] found that consumers from developed markets such as the US, UK and China have a stronger preference for stores that sell in their own language. Providing a simple feature to enable consumers to view your online store in their own language, makes it easy for them to navigate your website and more likely to complete a purchase. The same sentiment is reflected when it comes to currency. We found [4] that that three in four consumers (76%) would prefer to have the option to pay in their local currency, while nearly two in three (61%) check conversion rates before paying. Automating the presentment of your products in a consumers local currency, or alternatively offering the option to view prices and complete the purchase in the local currency will help to encourage international customers take the plunge and make their first purchase on your website. Offer your customers a secure way to pay Another challenge facing businesses looking to sell to international markets is consumer distrust due to low brand recognition. One way to build trust with your customer is by offering a secure and recognisable payment option, such as PayPal Buyer Protection. A secure payment option enables the consumer to make their purchase knowing that they are protected by buyer protection, and can claim a refund for the full purchase price, plus original shipping charges if the item is not received or not as described. As eCommerce strategies are streamlined and additional platforms for shopping online are introduced, the benefits of selling overseas will only continue to expand. Theres a huge market beyond our borders and if its right for their business, SMBs should definitely explore their cross border opportunities. Peter Cowan is the Director of Mid Market, Small Business and Partners at PayPal. [1]PayPal mCommerce Index 2018 [2]PayPal Cross-Border Consumer Research 2018 [3]PayPal Cross-Border Consumer Research 2018 [4]PayPal Cross-Border Consumer Research 2018 Such was the case with Jim Kolbe, co-founder of Chicago-based Genuine Scooters, the No. 2-selling scooter line in the U.S., which was socked with a 25 percent tariff last year on its smallest model. While a number of his scooters are custom-manufactured in China, only the Venture, a 49 cubic centimeter model, was hit with tariffs after Kolbe fought a blanket 25 percent tariff on all Chinese motorbikes. Fuel Your Pipeline. Close More Deals. Our full-service marketing programs deliver sales-ready leads. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Learn more These could be the worst of times for high-end flagship smartphones. Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Monday told Alphabet shareholders that his companys flagship phones, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, released last fall, had encountered some year over year headwinds. Samsung maintained that its flagship phone lineup, which includes the Galaxy S10, has been selling well, but it acknowledged that sales were being cannibalized by its lower-priced models. Meanwhile, Apple saw iPhone sales plummet, year over year 15 percent during the holiday quarter of 2018, despite holidays typically being a hot time for smartphone sales. Wall Street analysts have predicted further drops for the first three months of 2019. Were starting to see a backlash against these expensive smartphones, said Ramon T. Llamas, senior research analyst for mobile devices technology and trends at IDC, a market research company in Framingham, Massachusetts. At a time when innovation has been moving slowly, consumers cant justify the spend for incremental change and are retreating to less expensive stuff, he told TechNewsWorld. A thousand dollars for a phone is pretty ridiculous, said Phoenix, Arizona-based Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research, a high-tech research and advisory firm. People should not be paying that, he told TechNewsWorld. Theyre not getting the value for their money. Hitting Price Wall Many consumers have hit the wall when it comes to what theyre willing to pay for a smartphone, observed Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT, a technology advisory firm in Hayward, California. It used to be that premium-priced flagship phones delivered substantial new features or design points that softened the sting of their much higher costs, he told TechNewsWorld. Incremental improvements dont offer the same sort of pain relief. People are holding on to their phones longer, too, not only because they see their existing phone as good enough, but also because its taking them longer to pay for it, since they paid so much for it in the first place, noted St. Paul, Minn.-based Gerrit Schneemann, senior analyst at IHS Markit Technology. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Whats more, in areas where the overall market is still growing strongly, high-end devices are beyond the reach of many new and existing smartphone users, further limiting the addressable market, he told TechNewsWorld. Flagship phones have less appeal now because theyre more about prestige than any significant differentiator, remarked Tuong Nguyen, senior principal analyst at Gartner, a research and advisory company based in Stamford, Connecticut. For example, cameras used to be a key differentiator, but now, many mid-tier phones have excellent cameras, he told TechNewsWorld. Its at the point that its not worth it to the average consumer to replace an existing phone for one with an even a better camera. Mid-Range Phones While the market for premium smartphones shrinks, mid-range phones seem to be doing well, Pund-ITs King said. Reports that Google plans to introduce a new lower-cost Pixel 3 handset suggest that the company is going where customers want to be, he noted. I expect other handset makers to follow a similar path. Those reports say the new Pixel 3a could appear as early as next month, when Google holds its annual I/O show for developers.Theres going to be a shift from the top-tier guys to the middle-tier guys, Tirias McGregor predicted. With the help of Qualcomm and others, high-end phone features are being added to the mid-range phones, he continued. If these top OEMs keep going after these really expensive phones, theyre going to continue to lose market share. Mid-range and low-end phones fit into emerging markets and the economic situation of users there, IHS Schneemann noted. Whether in Southeast Asia, India or Latin America, mid-range and low-end devices are affordable options for more users, he said. Apples struggle in India is a reflection of the reality that most Indian users cannot afford to buy an iPhone, Schneemann added. Approaching Saturation Levels Even a mid-range phone may be a tough sell in the future. I believe were approaching saturation of the overall smartphone market, said Frank E. Gillett, principal analyst at Forrester Research, a market research company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As we approach saturation, the smartphone market will become a replacement market, he told TechNewsWorld. Meanwhile, high-end smartphones will approach saturation sooner than the overall market. Were going to see a decline, and the high-end smartphones will stabilize at a new level, Gillett explained. Theres still going to be a bunch of people who want big screen, high-end smartphones, he continued, but it means theyre going to keep them longer, and the market of buyers will no longer be expanding. 5G to the Rescue? A wild card for future sales of flagship phones could be 5G technology, which promises faster data speeds. Those sales will not be immediate, though. Even though the rollout of 5G will be quicker than 4G, it will take some time for subscribers to get access to it at scale, Schneeman explained. In the U.S., Verizons rollouts are geographically limited, he said. There is also still no killer application which would not only move existing premium smartphone users to upgrade quicker, but also move those subscribers with cheaper handsets to move into the premium price range, Schneeman added. I think 5G will have a significant impact, he said, once handsets in more than one pricing tier are available. Media and services that take advantage of 5G will roll out a lot slower than expected, King predicted. Itd be a mistake to believe that 5G alone will somehow pull the smartphone market out of its current malaise, he said. No one is going to get rid of their phones because of 5G, contended Forresters Gillett. Moreover, the interesting 5G features are going to be limited to dense urban areas and its going to cost more to use it, he pointed out. Because its more expensive, people will just wait until they get their next phone to get 5G, Gillett said. That wont fuel any growth. Advocates of 5G may have a problem selling the technology to consumers. Joe and Jane consumer have no idea what 5G means, nor do they care at least not right now, IDCs Llamas said. Is 5G going to save smartphones? he asked. I dont think so. If it is, its going to take a long time to happen, and a lot of consumer education. (Photo: Peter Kenny)Adama Dieng, a UN under-secretary-general (L), Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi, a Syrian Islamic scholar and Rabbi Michael Melchior at a press conference at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland on May 1, 2019 The United Nations special adviser on the prevention of genocide during the Second Global Summit on Religion Peace and Security in Geneva warned that similar signs to those of the 1930s in Europe are resurfacing. Adama Dieng, a UN under-secretary-general spoke at a UN press conference with a range of religious leaders on 1 May, the second day of the summit. "Signs of the '30s are resurfacing. We are witnessing anti-Semitism rising. We see anti-Muslim hatred. We are seeing the persecution of Christians...xenophobia and incitement," said Dieng, a lawyer from Senegal. "Unless we are blind or of bad faith, we should admit that it's time to stand up, it is time to speak out." He said religion is not the problem, noting: "Those who are committing the crimes are simply manipulating religion." Dieng also said, "Today we cannot achieve the successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal if we don't invest in partnership." Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi, a Syrian Islamic scholar and religious leader who has published a book refuting the group calling itself ISIS said, "Religion is a source of peace. Anything that contradicts this is not a part of religion." RELIGION SOMETIMES HIJACKED He said religion is sometimes "hijacked" to achieve dubious political goals. "Our job as religious leaders is to stop those hijacking religion," said Muhammad, noting that, "There is no feud between Islam and Judaism." Rabbi Michael Melchior, speaking of his religion, warned that its holy book, the Torah, "can be the drug of death or the tree of life...Let us turn it into the tree of life." He spoke of how his group "created a religious coalition for peace in the Middle East which is also working with radicals," people convicted of crimes and terrorism because they "are the ones we need to convince." "To be with nice people is easy," he said. "We need to work with all groups to empower each other." At the press conference, Dieng noted it is not just leaders from the extreme right who promote anti-migrant hatred and xenophobia, but the action or inaction of the far left also does this. Rev. Bonnie Evans-Hills, an Anglican who is coordinator of a group called the UK Coalition, mentioned that mainstream political leaders could also fuel hatred such as one UK politician who said Muslim women wearing burkas "look like letter boxes". Dieng said that the speaker was former UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson "and this shows how dangerous it is" when people in leadership foment against other groups. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance general secretary, on the second day of the conference, said, that "simplistic and polarized fundamentalist narratives" hinder those with "balanced views that acknowledge the multi-causal nature of poverty, conflict, exclusion, discrimination and hate speech." He said: "Religious leaders must act as a moral compass and welcome those who want to protect the most vulnerable against the regression of their fundamental human rights." At Battle High School in Columbia, Mo., students in geometry class have swapped their compasses and protractors for hammers and hard hats. And theyre doing it for a good cause. The school is one of a handful across the country where students are building tiny houses in math or career-and-technical-education courses. The experience, educators say, not only teaches practical trade skills but also math, economics, and problem-solving. Battles class follows the Geometry in Construction curriculum , an applied-math course thats used in about 500 U.S. schools. While some classes, like the one at Battle, build houses, the list of projects students take on is long and varied and includes chicken coops, barns, and backyard furniture, said Scott Burke, a GiC teacher in Lakewood, Colo., and one of the curriculums co-designers. The construction process drives the order in which students learn, said Brian Hancock, a geometry teacher who co-teaches the GiC course with woodworking and construction teacher Carl Dement. To progress on the house, students have to troubleshoot and figure it out and use the math tools that weve given to them, said Hancock. Theyre much more comfortable seeing problems that seem intimidating to other students. The 18 students in the class at Battle will donate the dwelling to Central Missouri Community Action, an organization that works on poverty issues in the region, to serve as affordable housing for a family in need. The nonprofit also provided the building materials. Although some students in the class want to become math teachers or engineers, not all plan to pursue careers in STEM or the building trades, said Hancock. He thinks the class is stronger for this diversity. I want it to be a class where kids can go experience something theyve never done before [and] get outside of their comfort zone, he said. Sixteen-year-old sophomores, from left, Rodney Arnold, Micaiah Rice, and Caleb Caraker lift plywood on to the roof. Whitney Curtis for Education Week Caleb Caraker attaches plywood sheathing to the roof. The biggest thing about this class is the altruistic piece behind it, said Hancock. Were building this house to give to somebody who may not have a house. Were reminding those kids daily that were going to go out there in the cold, were going to work, so that this family doesnt have to be out in the cold much longer. Whitney Curtis for Education Week Carl Dement, woodworking and construction teacher, speaks to students at the beginning of class on March 22 at Battle High School in Columbia, Mo. Students in this Geometry in Construction class, co-taught by Dement and geometry teacher Brian Hancock, are building a tiny house for a low-income family in the community. Whitney Curtis for Education Week More Challenging Than a Traditional Class? Career-and-technical-education teacher Scott Burke and former math teacher Tom Moore created the original Geometry in Construction curriculum in 2005, at Loveland High School in Colorado. They were looking for a way to raise student achievement and to make math feel as real as possible for students, said Burke. Since then, more than 1,000 math and CTE teachers have been trained in the curriculum. The pair has also developed a similar course for Algebra 1, in which students use algebraic formulas to manage finances for an in-school business. Despite the potential for student engagement, districts can be wary of applied-math courses like GiC, said Carol Fletcher, the deputy director of the University of Texas at Austin STEM Center, which provides training on the curriculum for teachers. Math is such a high-stakes course, she said. School districts are often hesitant to be experimental. But GiC is designed to cover all of the same Common Core State Standards that traditional geometry covers, Fletcher said. In some ways, it is actually more challenging [than a traditional course], because so much of it is applied, she said. For kids who are used to just doing book math and being good at it, it pushes them out of their comfort zone. Providing multiple representationsdifferent ways to show or describe the same mathematical conceptcan help deepen students understanding, said Robert Berry, the president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Applying geometry principles to construction is one way to do that, he said. Still, when it comes to curriculums effect on student achievement, data are limited. Math-test-score data from the Thompson R2-J school district, home to Loveland High School, showed that students in the GiC course at Loveland scored higher than students in traditional geometry in the three school years from 2009 to 2012. But as students self-selected into GiC, the data cant determine whether the course was what caused the rise in test scores. Burke now teaches in Jefferson County, Colo., where hes also helping to grow the GiC program across the district. He said he hopes the expansion will provide more data. Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 17) South Africas electricity crisis is worse than most people believe. Eskom, the state-owned power utility which supplies the country with 95% of the electricity consumed is effectively insolvent and has no way of getting out of its predicament without a massive financial bailout from the government. Those who believe it can save itself are either naive or misinformed. Yet because of its importance to the economy, Eskom cannot be allowed to fail. Speaking at a seminar held at the Johannesburg offices of the University of Cape Towns Graduate School of Business recently, Prof. Anton Eberhard said that this crisis is happening at a time when technological developments in electricity generating systems are accelerating at a phenomenal rate. Solar- and wind-powered electricity generation is becoming both cheaper and larger in scale. New wind turbines produce more electricity output and new solar PV panels are increasing their efficiency dramatically, providing more power per square metre than ever. These technological developments make Eskoms fleet of coal-fired power stations virtually obsolete. The financial and environmental cost associated with coal-fired power is far higher per kWh than those of renewable energy, yet the power utility produces 80 to 90% of its electricity from coal. Furthermore, it is building two new coal-fired power stations in the face of increasingly crippling costs. As a result, electricity tariffs are spiraling, older power stations are failing and the electricity system is in total disarray, destroying many new business opportunities. Eskoms power stations have never been in a worse state, Eberhard said. Badly maintained power stations keeping breaking down, while the few active units of the new build projects which are riddled with design faults produce far less power than they were designed to deliver. These factors undermine the power utilitys ability to achieve its mandate determined at its inception in 1922 to delivery cheap and plentiful electricity to drive the industrialisation of the country. Today, the power utilitys energy availability factor (EAF) is declining steadily and as its output declines, its costs increase. But despite its technological problems and there are many Eskoms greatest problem is financial. The power utilitys debt now stands at about R450-billion. It keeps borrowing money on short-term contracts to help it meet its commitments to its long-term loans. Due to its ever-increasing debt to fund its new-build projects which are many years late and four-times over budget, increased coal and payroll costs, non-payment by a number of municipalities and the residents of Soweto, together with the limits set on tariff increases by the national energy regulator (Nersa), the utility is expected to post an unprecedented R25-billion loss as at the end of March this year. It cannot trade its way out of it financial position. Only a massive bail out from government can rescue Eskom, but at an enormous cost to the country. The money which the government must give to Eskom could have been used to build schools, clinics, and other vital infrastructural needs. The way forward According to Eberhard, doing nothing is not an option. Without real tariff increases and government support, Eskom is financially unviable even if lenders were to continue providing liquidity. The solution is simple but painful, he said. The solution can be boiled down to three elements: Increased electricity tariffs, the cutting of costs by Eskom, and a massive injection of cash by government. Increasing tariffs will encourage consumers to improve energy efficiency and motivate the search for alternate sources of energy, which will reduce load on Eskom which might enable it to close one or two of its older power stations. Reducing costs at Eskom would entail a number of painful interventions including a reduction of personnel; and, as stated earlier, a government bailout would deprive the poor of much needed infrastructural development. Unbundling or restructuring Eskom into three separate entities will improve transparency, be easier to manage, and will provide a least-cost transmission system available to all power generators, making it fair and equal for anyone who wishes to participate in the sector. In its bid to maintain its monopoly, Eskom has resisted the entrance of new independent power producers. But, as Eberhard says, Eskom should operate the transmission network only and have no say regarding new generating companies entering the market other than them meeting prescribed financial and technical criteria. The value of renewable energy Renewable energy offers real and tangible benefits, Eberhard said. Bid prices in the expedited round were R0,62/kWh. Round five may see bids of R0,50 or lower. A recent bid in Zambia yielded US$0,039/kWh (about R0,56/kWh). The demand for coal for electricity generation is declining globally and is predicted to die by 2050. The use of coal for electricity generation in the UK, for example, fell from 42% a few years ago to zero on occasion. Contrary to what some people believe, renewable energy can be used to supply sufficient and reliable electricity to support industrial companies. In the UK, there ae literally thousands of small renewable energy fueled power plants many of which generate more than 1 MW of power. These power plants use wind, solar, battery storage, hydro and biogas technologies to produce clean power. Conclusion Now is the time to restructure Eskom, Eberhard said, so that we are not faced with endless bailouts and so that competition and investment are accelerated. Accelerated innovation in disruptive power technologies, services and markets are shifting and upending relative prices, resource shares and the location and pattern of energy production and use. Eskom needs further interventions so that its systemic risk to the economy can be mitigated. All relevant stakeholders, consumers, taxpayers, employees and investors will have to bear the cost. The utility needs to change its business model to accommodate and embrace these changes. Furthermore, the financial community wants a realistic plan from Eskom and a credible commitment to implement the plan within a prescribed time frame. The power utilitys recovery plan must show aggressive operational savings. Since Eskom cannot be allowed to fail, the country is left with no choice but to fund the financial shortfall. However, government must liberalise the sector and allow independent power producers help to meet the countrys needs. This will entail scrapping the need for a generating licence under 10 MW and simplifying and speeding up the registration process, he said. Send your comments to energize@ee.co.za Related Articles "At the end of the trial, most people said they were better able to deliver their workload over four days than the five," he says. Employees also reported feeling significantly more empowered than they had before the trial, more stimulated and satisfied by their jobs, more confident in the company leadership and more committed. Coca-Cola billionaire arrested after 5,000 cannabis plants found in jet A Manx-based billionaire has been arrested in the Caribbean after an estimated 5,000 cannabis plants were found in his private jet. Alkivaides "Alki" David was arrested and charged with drug smuggling in St Kitts on Friday. The 50-year-old claims his cargo is legal and non-psychoactive because its 'pure hemp'. David is expected to appear at the Basseterre Magistrate Court tomorrow. The Greek Coca-Cola billionaire entrepreneur was ordered to pay $11 million in a sexual assault trial last month. "I am so grateful to have had the chance to have taken AP Music Theory at BGHS and develop my composition skills through this course, said Finton. I am so thankful for the music directors at BG to have given me the opportunities to perform some of my compositions with BG ensembles. Getting to hear your music come to life is exhilarating, and it is helpful to be able to revise compositions for the future in order to make sharing music more accessible to everyone." A close reading of the Political Science textbook shows that it is complex, moves beyond pat answers, and treats the Constitution as a living document. It was produced in the light of the National Curriculum Framework 2005, which in itself was a major attempt to democratise education, and reverse the National Curriculum Framework 2000 which was casteist and sexist. The Political Science textbook for Class XI, prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in 2006, has come into the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Titled Indian Constitution at Work (henceforth ICW), and meant for senior students who opt for Political Science at the senior secondary level, the team, including school, college and university teachers as well as independent researchers, produced a text that has been challenging in a variety of ways. The book begins with A letter to you, inviting the reader, whether teacher, parent, or learner, to a dialogue. The letter was written by the chief advisors, Suhas Palshikar and Yogendra Yadav, who have since resigned, in the midst of the cartoon controversy. The last paragraph of the letter reads as follows: 1. T2Bacteria panel rapidly and accurately diagnoses common bloodstream infections More research suggested to determine effect on clinical practice Editorial: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M19-0971 Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2772 URLs go live when the embargo lifts In a clinical trial, the T2Bacteria Panel showed promise for rapidly and accurately diagnosing bloodstream infections or sepsis caused by five common bacteria. The test could be used in a clinical setting in place of blood cultures, which are insensitive and can take a long time to show results. How these findings will affect clinical practice is not yet determined. Findings from a diagnostic accuracy study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. In 2018, the T2Bacteria Panel was cleared by the FDA to identify sepsis-causing bacteria directly from whole blood without the wait for blood culture, which currently takes 1 to 5 or more days and is the current standard of care for diagnosing bloodstream infections. The T2Bacteria Panel can deliver results in 3 to 5 hours for the most common ESKAPE bacteria, or Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine studied 1,427 patients at 11 U.S. hospitals for whom blood cultures were ordered to assess performance of the T2Bacteria Panel in diagnosing suspected bloodstream infections. The researchers compared blood culture results to those obtained using the T2Bacteria Panel. The T2Bacteria Panel accurately identified or excluded bloodstream infections caused by five common ESKAPE pathogens in about 4 to 8 hours versus about 24 to 72 hours and 5 days, respectively, for blood cultures. According to the researchers, these findings suggest that using the T2Bacteria Panel could shorten the time to appropriate antibiotic treatment in patients, which has the potential to improve clinical outcomes. The authors of an accompanying editorial from Atrium Health - Carolinas Medical Center caution that the clinical benefit of the T2Bacteria Panel is still uncertain. Outcomes studies are needed to determine if use of the T2Bacteria Panel can lead to better outcomes, such as significantly shorter time to appropriate therapy. Other factors, such potential overuse of antibiotics, cost, and laboratory time must also be considered. Notes and media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To speak with the lead author, M. Hong Nguyen, MD, please contact mhn5@pitt.edu. 2. Low back pain is prevalent among workers and may be underreported Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-3602 URLs go live when the embargo lifts Low back pain affects more than a quarter of working adults, often affecting their ability to work. However, these estimates may be underreported. Survey findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. There are few estimates available in the U.S. of the proportion of back pain that is related to work. In 2015, the NHIS (National Health Interview Survey) collected supplemental data about the work-relatedness and the effects on work of back pain--specifically, low back pain -- among U.S. workers for the first time in nearly 3 decades. Researchers randomly surveyed more than 19,000 adults to estimate the burden of low back pain among U.S. workers and whether the pain was related to work and/or had an effect on work. They found that the 3-month prevalence of any low back pain among U.S. workers was approximately 26.4 percent, representing almost 40 million workers. Many of these cases were attributed to work by a health care professional, but most workers affected did not discuss work-relatedness with their providers. They also found that low back pain had affected many current workers' ability to work. According to the researchers, these findings may greatly underestimate the total occupational effect of low back pain in the population because of the short recall period and exclusion of former workers, some of whom may have left the workforce because of work-related low back pain. Notes and media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. The lead author, Sara Luckhaupt, please contact Marie Sweeney at mhs2@cdc.gov. ### Also New in this issue: Cases in Precision Medicine: Genetic Assessment After a Sudden Cardiac Death in the Family Ronald Laracuente, BA; Marc Paul Waase, MD; Isha Kalia, MS; Arthur A.M. Wilde, MD; and Wendy K. Chung, MD, PhD Precision Medicine Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2359 DALLAS, May 13, 2019 - Preliminary laboratory tests show that functionalized magnetic beads successfully reduced blood levels of a harmful molecule that is elevated during preeclampsia, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension. Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy characterized by hypertension and kidney dysfunction that affects an estimated 6% - 8% of women in the U.S. who give birth each year. Preeclampsia is responsible of severe complications for the mother (seizures, stroke, renal failure, liver dysfunction) and the infant (low birth weight, preterm delivery, stillbirth). The condition also increases a woman's risk for cardiovascular disease later in life (stroke and high blood pressure). Currently, there's no cure for preeclampsia, and only childbirth can alleviate symptoms. Researchers focused on a molecule, called sFlt-1, which is released by the placenta into the woman's bloodstream and rises to high levels during preeclampsia. High levels of sFlt-1 are responsible for blood vessel wall dysfunction, contributing to high blood pressure and for trapping two other important molecules that enhance blood vessel wall function called VEGF and PIGF. Using blood from women with preeclampsia, researchers conducted laboratory tests to see if magnetic beads could essentially drag sFlt-1 out of circulation, therefore freeing up levels of VEGF and PIGF. They found that magnetic beads reduced sFlt-1 by 40% and freed up to two times more PIGF, reducing the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio by 63 percent. "This was a proof of concept study and our approach aims to restore physiologic levels of angiogenic factors," said lead study author Vassilis Tsatsaris, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Cochin Hospital in Paris. "The reduction of sFlt-1 and the release of angiogenic factors is very significant and promising." Angiogenic factors is any of a group of substances present in the circulation - most of which are polypeptides (i.e., angiogenin, fibroblast growth factor, transforming growth factors and some lipids) which help form blood vessels. Based on the success of these early findings, Tsatsaris and his colleagues would like to expand their study and repeat these experiments to see if this approach can control preeclampsia and prolong pregnancy while reducing the risks of prematurity for the baby. ### Co-authors are Laura Trapiella-Alfonso, Ph.D.; Lucile Alexandre, Ph.D.; Camille Fraichard, Ph.D.; Kelly Pons, M.Sc.; Simon Dumas, Ph.D.; Lucie Huart, M.Sc.; Jean-Francois Gaucherd, Ph.D.; Marylise Hebert-Schuster, Pharm.D.; Jean Guibourdenche, Pharm.D., Ph.D.; Thierry Fournier, Ph.D.; Michel Vidal, M.D, Ph.D.; Isabelle Broutin, Ph.D.; Laurence Lecomte-Racelt, P.M.; Laurent Malaquin, Ph.D.; Stephanie Descroix, Ph.D.; Nathalie Gagey-Eilstein, Ph.D.; Edouard LeCarpentier, M.D., Ph.D. Author disclosures are on the manuscript. French National Agency for Research funded the study. Additional Resources: Available multimedia located on the right column of the release link: https://newsroom.heart.org/news/new-approach-uses-magnetic-beads-to-treat-preeclampsia?preview=369a80b23cbbdc5fb5c4a238018af7d6 Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association's policy or position. The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations and health insurance providers are available at https://www.heart.org/en/about-us/aha-financial-information. About the American Heart Association The American Heart Association is a leading force for a world of longer, healthier lives. With nearly a century of lifesaving work, the Dallas-based association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health for all. We are a trustworthy source empowering people to improve their heart health, brain health and well-being. We collaborate with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, advocate for stronger public health policies, and share lifesaving resources and information. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1. The story of how World War I brought a military decoration for William Lawrence Bragg, the youngest person ever to win a Nobel Prize in physics -- to be told at the 177th Acoustical Society of America meeting in Louisville WASHINGTON, D.C. May 13, 2019 -- During World War I, William Lawrence Bragg led a team of engineers in the development of an acoustic method to locate enemy artillery, work that was so successful that it was soon used widely throughout the British army. The method, known as sound ranging, was also adopted by the U.S. Army when they joined the war, and earned Bragg a military decoration from the British armed forces. Bragg's story will be presented at the 177th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America by ASA Fellow Dan Costley, a researcher in sound ranging with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. The ASA meeting runs May 13-17, at the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1914, two researchers in Paris had begun working on the idea that the difference in the time that sound arrived could be used to precisely locate artillery batteries: Charles Nordmann, an astronomer, and Lucien Bull, a medical researcher who at the time was working on a method to record heart beats. The pair had already conducted experiments in the woods near Paris, when Australian-born Bragg was shifted from his post in the British cavalry to work on the problem in 1915. Over the next few years Bragg built a team that improved the technique until it was able to pinpoint the location of enemy guns to within 10 meters. "It's impressive the way they innovated and solved problems," Costley said. Some of their creative innovations included wrapping the microphone in camouflage netting to cut wind noise and turning an ammunition box into a microphone that was well-tuned to the low frequencies of the artillery explosions. The new Tucker microphone, named after its inventor William Tucker, a member of Bragg's team and London University physicist, was a major advance for the system. A heated platinum wire over the mouth of the ammunition box was the active element. The resonance from low-frequency booms disturbed the air around the wire, cooling it, changing its resistance and creating the signal pulse. Unlike the previous carbon microphones, it could distinguish between the launch explosion of the gun and the sonic boom it generated as it traveled overhead, and even distinguish between the types of artillery. Another innovation was the "harp" galvanometer: Its strings were an array of copper wires between magnets, each connected to separate microphones hidden across a kilometer or more in either direction. When an electrical signal came from the microphones, the current would cause the wire to move due to the interaction with the magnetic field. A continuous roll of film underneath the wires recorded the exact timing of the pulse from each microphone much more accurately than earlier methods based on human observations -- an approach the Germans used until the end of the war. Mere minutes after the attack the film could be developed and the calculations completed to reveal the enemy location. "People have digitized the films and can play them back -- you can hear the cannons," said Costley. Ultimately the success of the group was due to Bragg's scientific leadership, explained Costley. He was familiar with working collaboratively, having worked with his father, William Henry Bragg, on X-ray diffraction. The pair's insights into X-rays earned them the 1915 Nobel Prize in physics. William Lawrence Bragg was 25 years old at the time and remains the youngest person to win the physics Nobel. "Bragg encouraged the innovation that solved a lot of the practical problems. He was really good about giving credit to people on his team," said Costley. ### Presentation #1aPA1, "Artillery location: Battlefield acoustics in the First World War," will be at 8:45 a.m., Monday, May 13, in the Jones room of the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. USEFUL LINKS Main meeting website: http://acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/ Technical program: https://ep70.eventpilotadmin.com/web/planner.php?id=ASASPRING19 Press Room: http://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/ WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM In the coming weeks, ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay language papers, which are 300-500 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at http://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/. PRESS REGISTRATION We will grant free registration to credentialed staff journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact the AIP Media Line at 301-209-3090 or media@aip.org. Our media staff can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips or background information. LIVE MEDIA WEBCAST A press briefing will be webcast live from the conference Tuesday, May 14, in the Laffoon Room of the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Register at https://aipwebcasting.com to watch the live webcast. The schedule will be posted at the same site as soon as it is available. ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org. WASHINGTON, D.C. May 13, 2019 -- If you've ever wished for a quieter commute, you may be in luck: The low-emission electric vehicles of tomorrow are expected to lower noise pollution as well as air pollution. In Europe, and across the world, the prospect of a future powered by environmentally friendly electric vehicles is leading experts to consider the benefits -- and the risks -- of quieter traffic. Already, acoustics specialists are examining how best to address potential harms posed by quiet cars. For pedestrians who have limited vision or who are blind, quiet vehicles could be particularly dangerous, and the European Union will require any future electric or hybrid vehicles to include acoustic vehicle alerting systems, or AVAS. Two acoustics experts, Klaus Genuit and Rene Weinandy, are studying the implications of future use of AVAS. Genuit, founder of HEAD acoustics GmbH, a company that provides sound and vibration analysis, is studying how best to design vehicle alert signals, while Rene Weinandy, head of Noise Abatement in Transport for the German Environment Agency, is evaluating whether AVAS should be used at all. They will present their work at the 177th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which takes place May 13-17 at the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. Though AVAS could improve vehicle safety, they are also likely to replace the traffic noise that electric cars are designed, in part, to help eliminate. Requirements for AVAS to contain different tones and frequencies could quickly lead to a cacophonous soundscape, like New York City at rush hour. It may also defeat the purpose of AVAS: the collective noise could drown out any meaning of the signals to the people they are meant to protect. Genuit, a psycho-acoustical expert, hopes to help solve this problem by reviewing different acoustic signal designs and evaluating their detectability, localization, and sound quality. "An alert signal is only effective if it happens in very specific situations," said Genuit. "All published results are showing only examples of one car with a warning signal. It was not considered what happens if several cars are producing warning signals." Genuit added that this cacophony could also be distracting to drivers. Meanwhile, Weinandy wondered if electric vehicles should have acoustic alerting systems in the first place. The EU has legislated certain required aspects of AVAS, which include sound continuously emitting from speakers on the cars. Noise can be annoying and distracting, but, Weinandy points out, can also be an environment poison considering its ill effects on health. "It is a synthetic, increasing sound that is supposed to be similar to an internal combustion engine vehicle startup," said Weinandy of AVAS. "The question is, what are the downsides this noise poses? Is it really a wise decision to increase the noticeability of electric vehicles in traffic by making them spray poison? Now regulations on the so-called AVAS for electric cars have been cast into laws both in the U.S. and Europe without scientific proof of their effectiveness and adequate consideration of their negative side effects. Neither have less harmful alternatives been systematically sought for and investigated." The German Environment Agency is currently working to reduce existing roadway noise and is now evaluating alternatives to AVAS. Experts like Genuit will help improve the sound quality of any AVAS that are introduced, as well as the sound quality of the environmental noise. "If we really use warning signals instead of more intelligent systems like car-to-pedestrian communication using smartphones, then we have to consider the following aspects: detectability, is it localizable, elimination of strong tones to avoid disharmony and roughness, and elimination of pitch shifting," said Genuit. "A suitable signal should be developed based on a modulated broadband noise whereas the slope of the envelope gives the information about acceleration and speed." ### Genuit's presentation #1pNS4, "How to design Vehicle Alert signals?," will be at 2:35 p.m., Monday, May 13, in the Segell room of the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. Weinandy's presentation #1pNS5, "Should Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Have Acoustic Alerting Systems?," will be at 2:55 p.m., Monday, May 13, in the Segell room of the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. USEFUL LINKS Main meeting website: http://acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/ Technical program: https://ep70.eventpilotadmin.com/web/planner.php?id=ASASPRING19 Press Room: http://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/ WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM In the coming weeks, ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay language papers, which are 300-500 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at http://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/. PRESS REGISTRATION We will grant free registration to credentialed staff journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact the AIP Media Line at 301-209-3090 or media@aip.org. Our media staff can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips or background information. LIVE MEDIA WEBCAST A press briefing will be webcast live from the conference Tuesday, May 14, in the Laffoon Room of the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Register at https://aipwebcasting.com to watch the live webcast. The schedule will be posted at the same site as soon as it is available. ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org. "I felt an immense loss and sympathy because I never really knew that my grandmother was Jewish, so my whole cultural inheritance was lost," Oates told The Associated Press in an interview at the Jerusalem International Book Fair on Sunday. "But it's the Jewish respect for culture and art that I inherited from my grandmother ... so that's actually beautiful." New OSU and Purdue study to be presented at the 177th Acoustical Society of America meeting in Louisville shows young children learn new words more easily from other children WASHINGTON, D.C. May 13, 2019 -- Children's brains are sponges. These voracious little learners glean all kinds of information from the people around them. In particular, children mimic and learn speech patterns from their family. Previous work has shown that infants attend selectively to their mother's voice over another female's voice. But new research suggests that children learn new words best from other children. "Much of what we know about the world is learned from other people," said Yuanyuan Wang from Ohio State University who will present research findings from a collaborative work with Amanda Seidl from Purdue University at the 177th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. "This is especially true for young children." According to Wang, speech is loaded with important paralinguistic information about the speaker including age, gender and even social class. Children learn and process this information in speech to understand and integrate speaker-specific information. The research team wanted to determine what age group was most influential to 2-year-old toddlers based on how they pick up new words. To evaluate this, they set up two experiments. In the first experiment, toddlers watched side-by-side video clips of two speakers reciting a nursery rhyme while listening to speech that matched either the age or gender of one of the two speakers. The toddlers were successful at matching the vocal age and gender they heard to visual attributes on the screen. In the second experiment, toddlers were taught new words during a learning task using speakers of different ages. The researchers found the toddlers learned new words more effectively from other children. In the study the child talkers were slighly older, between 8-10 years old. "It is fascinating to learn children showed selected learning from other child talkers," Wang said. "This has implications for social cognition and selective social learning." Wang believes that toddlers are interested in the development of their own speech patterns and may be more attuned to the sound of other child speakers that resemble their own. This ability to learn selectively from a particular social group may serve as a foundation for developing preferences among social groups later in life. "Sensitivity to talker properties is found to be related to speech processing and language development," Wang said. "These are related to later personal, academic, social and overall achievements." ### Presentation #1pSC8, "Toddlers' sensitivity to talker age in novel word learning: Children are better teachers," will be at 4:05 p.m., Monday, May 13, in the Combs Chandler room of the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. MORE MEETING INFORMATION USEFUL LINKS Main meeting website: http://acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/ Technical program: https://ep70.eventpilotadmin.com/web/planner.php?id=ASASPRING19 Press Room: http://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/ WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM In the coming weeks, ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay language papers, which are 300-500 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at http://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/. PRESS REGISTRATION We will grant free registration to credentialed staff journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact the AIP Media Line at 301-209-3090 or media@aip.org. Our media staff can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips or background information. LIVE MEDIA WEBCAST A press briefing will be webcast live from the conference Tuesday, May 14, in the Laffoon Room of the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Register at https://aipwebcasting.com to watch the live webcast. The schedule will be posted at the same site as soon as it is available. ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org. Growing up in areas with income inequality is associated with being bullied, according to a new study, which surveyed approximately 874,000 children in 40 medium and high income countries in Europe, North America and Israel. The study, published today in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, was conducted by an international team led by Prof. Frank Elgar, of Mcgill University, and other Canadian researchers together with scholars from Ireland, Poland, Romania and Israel. The researchers utilized 35 years of data from the World Health Organization's Health Behaviors in School Aged Children (HBSC) study, a survey carried out every four years. The HBSC uses representative samples of 11, 13 and 15-year-olds in each country. The analysis was carried out within the framework of the Violence and Injury Focus Group (a working group within the HBSC). Prof. Sophie Walsh, of the Department of Criminology at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, serves as the international leader of the Violence and Injury Focus Group and participated in the study. Prof. Yossi Harel-Fisch, Director of the International Research Program on Adolescent Well-Being and Health at the Churgin School of Education at Bar-Ilan University, is the Principal Investigator of the HBSC in Israel and a member of the HBSC International Coordinating Committee. According to the study country level income inequality during the first four years of a child's life (rather than school age years) was associated with later bully victimization. "One might think that children become aware of income inequality at school, but it seems that the impact of income inequality comes at a time before children would actually have awareness of it," says Prof. Walsh, who notes that these effects may be related to processes that occur within the family which connect to higher levels of income inequality. The researchers also found that income inequality did not predict whether kids would become bullies rather than victims of bullying. "It is possible that the relationship found between measures of economic inequality and rates of bullying victimization is a reflection of differences in exposure to key protective factors such as coherent family culture, parental and teacher support, positive school experience, healthy peer connectedness and access to organized extracurricular activities," said Prof. Harel-Fisch. "Resiliency factors such as these have been demonstrated in many studies as predicting lower victimization rates. In societies suffering from significant socio-economic inequalities, these resiliency factors might be limited, thus effecting higher levels of bullying victimization." In Israel, data from the last survey, published in 2013-14, found that levels of bullying victimization was in the middle as compared with other countries in the survey, with 5% of thirteen-year-old girls and 16% of boys reporting having been bullied at least 2-3 times in the past couple of months. The findings show that income inequality impacts not only low income children and can have long-term impact on developmental trajectories, including youth violence. The study authors say that more research is needed in order to understand the social determinants of youth violence, how early life income inequalities influence development and why children who grow up in economically unequal may be at greater risk. ### The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada) and Canada Research Chairs Program. The HBSC study in Israel is funded by the Israel Ministries of Health and Education. Cold Spring Harbor, NY - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has received a USD $5 million donation from BGI Group, the global genomics leader headquartered in Shenzhen, China. The gift establishes and preserves the BGI Nobel Laureates Archives, comprising all of the current and future personal collections of Nobel laureates. The BGI Nobel Laureates Archives currently include Sydney Brenner, Francis Crick, Walter Gilbert, Carol Greider, Alfred Hershey, Barbara McClintock, Hermann Muller, Richard Roberts and James Watson. The late Sydney Brenner said, "It pleases me greatly to hear that BGI will join in this venture." Walter Gilbert praised the new archives: "This will be great for BGI, for CSHL, and for science in general," he said. BGI shares the roots of human genetics history with CSHL, starting with the Human Genome Project (HGP). BGI grew out of the vision of its founders to participate in the HGP, and led China's contribution to the effort. Celebrating BGI's 20 year anniversary, BGI and many of its employees donated to CSHL to protect and digitize the archives, making these resources readily available to the public. "We appreciate this opportunity for BGIers to contribute to the great course of inheriting, preserving, and more importantly, sharing with and learning from the common heritage of mankind," said Huanming "Henry" Yang, BGI Co-founder, and Chairman of BGI Research and frequent participant in CSHL's annual Biology of Genomes meeting. CSHL President & CEO Bruce Stillman, Ph.D. said "The BGI donation is instrumental to the maintenance and growth of these very important collections at CSHL," adding that it was "especially meaningful to have our two institutions linked together in perpetuity." The CSHL Archives includes the personal collections of nearly two dozen influential scientists. The BGI gift will help CSHL archivists curate and maintain the collections of Nobel laureates and provide the opportunity for scholars to research the history of the life sciences. To explore the CSHL Archives visit http://library.cshl.edu/archives/ ### About BGI Group BGI Group was founded in 1999 with the vision of using genomics to benefit mankind and has since become one of the largest genomics organizations in the world. With a focus on research and applications in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and environmental fields, BGI's goal is to make state-of-the-art genomics highly accessible to the global research community and clinical markets by integrating broadest array of leading technologies, including BGI's own sequencing platform, economies of scale, and expert bioinformatics resources. BGI also offers a wide portfolio of transformative genetic testing products across major diseases, enabling medical providers and patients worldwide to realize the promise of genomics-based diagnostics and personalized healthcare. About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory employs 1,100 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. For more information, visit http://www.cshl.edu Scientists have uncovered new evidence that heated political discourse over proposed laws involving marginalized groups, such as debates about the rights of LGBT people, can contribute to an increase in bullying linked to students' identity in schools. It is the largest study to date to examine the link. In the new study in the journal Pediatrics, scientists at Columbia Mailman School, The University of Texas at Austin, and Texas State University found that in the run-up to a statewide voter referendum to ban gay marriage in California, young people reported significantly more homophobic bullying. In fact, homophobic bullying peaked that school year and declined after the public debate about the initiative in question, Proposition 8, subsided. "We think that young people don't hear what adults and lawmakers are talking about, but they do," said Stephen Russell, senior author of the paper and chair of the Human Development and Family Sciences Department at The University of Texas at Austin. "The data show quite distinctly that homophobic bullying peaked in California at the time of the Proposition 8 discussion." Researchers say the study provides empirical evidence that public debates about policies and laws involving marginalized groups can lead bullies to target young people identified as being part of those groups. "Public votes and voter referendums on the rights of minority groups occur in approximately half of U.S. states," pointed out Mark Hatzenbuehler, the first author of the paper and an associate professor of sociomedical sciences and sociology at Columbia University. "Our findings suggest that the public discourse surrounding these votes may increase risk for bias-based bullying." The study looked at yearly survey data from nearly 5 million middle and high school students in more than 5,000 schools in California from 2001 to 2015 and whether those students experienced homophobic bullying. Between the 2001-02 school year and the 2008-09 school year, during which the Proposition 8 vote took place, the rate of homophobic bullying increased, rising from 7.6 percent of students reporting they experienced bullying to 10.8 percent -- a 30 percent increase -- even as trends in other types of bullying related to race or ethnicity, religion, and gender declined. Homophobic bullying peaked that year, with 10.8 percent of students reporting they experienced bullying, but the rate steadily decreased every year after. Russell pointed out that the rate of homophobic bullying was higher even than the estimated population of LGBT students. "The data are telling us that straight kids are getting bullied for this, too," Russell said. "It's all about what the bullies perceive." Many schools have initiatives to prevent bullying and bias, so the team also examined whether campuses with a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club experienced a protective effect against homophobic bullying. They found rates of homophobic bullying in fact were lower on campuses with these clubs during the 2008-09 school year: Homophobic bullying was below 10 percent on campuses with GSA organizations and nearly 13 percent on campuses without a GSA. The negative impacts of bullying and bias on mental health are well established, but what is not well known is what factors in the culture and society contribute to bullying. Because the paper shows public discourse can play a role, the findings could have implications for discussions of other policy issues that focus on marginalized or minority groups. "Policies and campaigns related to Black Lives Matter, bathroom bills, immigration -- these can be concerning, both in the way they play out in bullying in particular, but also how it affects the health and well-being of youth," Russell said. "The public health consequences of this kind of moment we're in, with these very contentious and media-driven discussions, are more important than we knew." ### Yishan Shen of Texas State University and Elizabeth Vandewater of The University of Texas at Austin also contributed to the research. Funding for the research was provided by the Communities for Just Schools Fund Project at the New Venture Fund, the Priscilla Pond Flawn Endowment at The University of Texas at Austin, the Population Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Founded in 1922, the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world. The Columbia Mailman School is the third largest recipient of NIH grants among schools of public health. Its over 450 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as preventing infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, health policy, climate change & health, and public health preparedness. It is a leader in public health education with over 1,300 graduate students from more than 40 nations pursuing a variety of master's and doctoral degree programs. The Columbia Mailman School is also home to numerous world-renowned research centers, including ICAP and the Center for Infection and Immunity. For more information, please visit http://www.mailman.columbia.edu. Mario Wannier, a career geologist with expertise in studying tiny marine life, was methodically sorting through particles in samples of beach sand from Japan's Motoujina Peninsula when he spotted something unexpected: a number of tiny, glassy spheres and other unusual objects. Wannier, who is now retired, had been comparing biological debris in beach sands from different areas in an effort to gauge the health of local and regional marine ecosystems. The work involved examining each sand particle in a sample under a microscope, and with a fine brush, separating particles of interest from grains of sediment into a tray for further study. A surprise in the sand grains: glassy particles "I had seen hundreds of beach samples from Southeast Asia, and I can immediately distinguish mineral grains from the particles created by animals or plants, so that's very easy," he said. In the Motoujina sands, collected by Wannier's colleague, Marc de Urreiztieta, he found familiar traces of single-celled organisms known as foraminifera, which come in a variety of forms. They typically have shells and reside in and around seafloor sediment. "But there was something else ... it's so obvious when you look at the samples," he said. "You couldn't miss these extraneous particles. They are generally aerodynamic, glassy, rounded - these particles immediately reminded me of some spherule (rounded) particles I had seen in sediment samples from the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary," the so-called K-T boundary now referred to as the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary that marked a planetary mass extinction event, including the dinosaurs' die-off, about 66 million years ago. In 1980, Luis Alvarez, a Nobel Laureate who worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley, together with his son, geologist Walter Alvarez, proposed a theory, based on a high concentration of iridium in deposits at the K-Pg boundary, that a large meteorite impact caused this massive die-off. Coupled with more recent evidence, scientists now believe that the impact occurred in the region of the Yucatan Peninsula. In meteorite impacts, liquified ground material is ejected into the atmosphere, forming droplets of glassy material that fall back to the ground. Some of the glassy spheres that Wannier examined appeared to be fused together with other spheres, and others exhibited taillike features. While some of the glassy particles resembled those associated with meteorite impacts, others that Wannier found were not so familiar -- among them were particles with a rubber-like composition and particles featuring a variety of materials coated in a layer or multiple layers of glass or silica. Many of the particles measured about 0.5 millimeter to 1 millimeter across. Wannier had no idea at the time that this glassy menagerie of particles he encountered would lead to a years-long research effort that would involve scientists and experiments at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley. The effort would ultimately reveal the diversity and uniqueness of the studied particles, including unusual chemical and mineral mixes; the exotic high-temperature and high-pressure environment in which they formed; and the potential for new discoveries in further explorations. Concentration, volume of material points to A-bomb blast After this initial finding in 2015, Wannier traveled to Japan to collect more beach sand samples from the same region, near the city of Hiroshima. In all of these samples, there were between 12.6 to 23.3 grams of these spheroids and other unusual particles for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of sand. This odd assortment of glassy particles accounted for between 0.6 percent to 2.5 percent of all of the grains that were examined. Wannier plucked about 10,000 of these particles from the sands and sorted them into six different groups according to their physical traits. The consistently high concentrations of this strange assortment of particles in beach sands collected about 4 to 7 miles from the city of Hiroshima raised his suspicions that they may be related to the atomic bomb blast that devastated Hiroshima on the morning of Aug. 6, 1945. That bomb had instantly killed 70,000 or more people, with a final death toll accounting for the associated radiation effects possibly exceeding 145,000. The bomb and resulting firestorms mostly leveled an area measuring more than 4 square miles, and destroyed or damaged an estimated 90% of structures in the city. Based on the volume of the glassy debris found in the beach sands, Wannier and his colleagues estimated that a square kilometer, or roughly 0.4 square mile of beach sand in the area, collected from its surface to a depth of about 4 inches, would contain about 2,200 to 3,100 tons of the particles. A study detailing the analyses of the material, published in the journal Anthropocene, provides an exhaustive exploration of the many possible sources for the unusual particles, and concludes that they are A-bomb fallout from the destroyed city of Hiroshima. "This was the worst manmade event ever, by far," Wannier said. "In the surprise of finding these particles, the big question for me was: You have a city, and a minute later you have no city. There was the question of: 'Where is the city - where is the material?' It is a trove to have discovered these particles. It is an incredible story." Connecting with Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley for detailed analyses Wannier and de Urreiztieta wanted to learn more about the samples, so they contacted Rudy Wenk, a professor of mineralogy at UC Berkeley and a longtime Berkeley Lab affiliate - Wannier and Wenk had both studied geology at the University of Basel, Switzerland, decades earlier. Wenk first studied the Hiroshima-area samples using an electron microscope. This enabled a detailed exploration of their composition and structures. He observed a wide variety in the chemical composition of the samples, including concentrations of aluminum, silicon and calcium; microscopic globules of chromium rich iron; and microscopic branching of crystalline structures. Others were composed mostly of carbon and oxygen. "Some of these look similar to what we have from meteorite impacts, but the composition is quite different," Wenk said. "There were quite unusual shapes. There was some pure iron and steel. Some of these had the composition of building materials." To gather further details about the samples, Wenk turned to Berkeley Lab, where he and his students have conducted many electron microscopy and X-ray experiments over the years. He took selected samples to Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source (ALS) and conducted a number of measurements there. Nobumichi "Nobu" Tamura, a staff scientist at the ALS who Wenk had worked with before, along with then-ALS colleagues Camelia Stan and Binbin Yue (Stan and Yue have since left Berkeley Lab), assisted in analyzing the samples at a scale of less than 1 micron, or 1 millionth of a meter, using a technique known as X-ray microdiffraction. Both of Tamura's parents were born in Japan, and he said that he was personally interested in participating in the study because of his family ancestry. "My dad was 12 years old when the bombing happened, and lived just 200 miles north of Hiroshima, so he witnessed directly the news and outcomes of these terrible events," Tamura said. The experiments and related analyses determined that the particles had formed in extreme conditions, with temperatures exceeding 3,300 degrees Fahrenheit (1,800 Celsius), as evidenced by the assemblage of anorthite and mullite crystals that the researchers identified. Tamura noted that the unique microstructure of the studied particles and the sheer volume of melt debris present also provide strong evidence for how they were formed. "The atomic explosion hypothesis is the only logical explanation for their origin," he said. Study details researchers' findings Many of the sphere-shaped particles and other bits likely formed at a high elevation around the rising fireball of the blast. The materials swept up from the ground bubbled and mixed in this turbulent environment before cooling and condensing and then raining down. Wannier explained the processes that likely formed the materials in an atomic cloud: "The ground material is volatized and moved into the cloud, where the high temperature changes the physical condition," Wannier said. "There are a lot of interactions between particles. There are lots of little spheres that collide, and you get this agglomeration." Researchers also found that the composition of the debris particles corresponds closely with materials that were common in Hiroshima at the time of the bombing, such as concrete, marble, stainless steel, and rubber. Other studies have analyzed melt debris from the Trinity test site in New Mexico - where the first nuclear explosion was triggered - and from underground nuclear test sites in Nevada. But those samples have a distinctly different composition that is associated with their local geological environment. The Trinity debris is dubbed trinitite, and researchers in the latest study have dubbed the melt particles they studied as Hiroshimaite to highlight their distinct characteristics and their likely origin in the Hiroshima A-bomb explosion. "Hiroshimaite particles are much more complex and diverse than trinitites," Tamura said, owing to their likely genesis in Hiroshima's urban center. While there had been concerted international efforts to aid survivors suffering from radiation effects, to measure the radiation levels, and to assess the overall damage caused by the 1945 atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the study noted that the melt debris associated with these bombings had apparently not been previously studied. The latest study encourages additional tests to find out if any samples carry radioactive elements, and to conduct further studies in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki areas. Plans for follow-up studies Wannier said he has received soil samples from ground zero at Hiroshima and may look for debris samples from deeper underground there, and he has also received a soil sample containing glassy debris from a streambed about 19 miles northwest of where the Hiroshima A-bomb struck - historic records show that area was in the path of the atomic cloud. He said he also hopes to explore whether the melt debris exhibits similarities to materials associated with volcanic eruptions. Tamura and Wenk noted that this initial study focused on just a small number of melt debris particles, and it may be worthwhile to pursue a larger study to learn more about the extreme conditions that produced the debris and to possibly reveal more unique chemistry or mineralogy. Wenk added, "It was quite fascinating to look at all of these materials. What we hope is to get other people interested in looking at this in more detail, and in looking for examples around the Nagasaki A-bomb site." Wenk sent a copy of the latest study to Jun-Ichi Ando, a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Systems Science in the Graduate School of Science at Hiroshima University - they had met while Wenk was serving as a visiting professor at Hiroshima University in 1998. "I think this kind of research is very important for Hiroshima University, as a university located at the A-bomb site," Ando said, noting that he shared the study with a colleague who is a mineralogist and studies the Yucatan-region's meteorite impact. He also shared it with Rebun Kayo, a research fellow at the university who leads an outreach group that raises awareness about nuclear weapons by sharing bomb-scarred Hiroshima roof tiles and bricks with institutions around the world. In an unrelated effort, Ando has studied a large chunk of granite associated with the Atomic Bomb Dome structure in Hiroshima - it was the only building that remained standing near ground zero. Kayo found and recovered the piece of granite from a local riverbed near the domed building in 2017. It is also known as the Genbaku Dome or Hiroshima Peace Memorial. "I tried to find evidence of melting and the shock wave recorded on the surface of the granite pillar" using electron microscopy, Ando said - his own research typically focuses on microstructures of rocks in seismic faults. Wannier said the debris study has been an enlightening journey for him, and he hopes to continue with the research. "For 70-plus years this material has been there and was never studied in detail. We hope this raises attention among the scientific community," he said. "We hope people take advantage of this opportunity." ### The Advanced Light Source is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest scientific challenges are best addressed by teams, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and its scientists have been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. Today, Berkeley Lab researchers develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions, create useful new materials, advance the frontiers of computing, and probe the mysteries of life, matter, and the universe. Scientists from around the world rely on the Lab's facilities for their own discovery science. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory, managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov. Solar cells made of perovskite hold much promise for the future of solar energy. The material is cheap, easy to produce and almost as efficient as silicon, the material traditionally used in solar cells. However, perovskite degrades quickly, severely limiting its efficiency and stability over time. Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology, energy research institute DIFFER, Peking University and University of Twente have discovered that adding a small amount of fluoride to the perovskite leaves a protective layer, increasing stability of the materials and the solar cells significantly. The solar cells retain 90 percent of their efficiency after 1000 hours operation at various extreme testing conditions. The findings are published today in the leading scientific journal Nature Energy. Because they are so cheap to make, perovskite solar cells have been at the center of much recent solar research. As a consequence, their efficiency has risen from less than 4 percent in 2009 to over 24 percent at present, which is close to traditional silicon cells. So-called tandem cells, which combine silicon and perovskite cells, achieve an efficiency of more than 28 percent. Despite this success, perovskite has a number of defects due to the nature of the material and the way it is manufactured. Over time, vacancies in the atomic structure of the metal halide trigger the degradation of the perovskite under the influence of moisture, light and heat. Protective layer The researchers in Eindhoven, Twente and Beijing have experimented with a new type of perovskite, by adding a small amount of fluoride in the production process. Just like fluoride in toothpaste, the fluoride ions form a protective layer around the crystal, preventing the diffusion of the harmful defects. "Our work has improved the stability of perovskite solar cells considerably", says Shuxia Tao, assistant professor at the Center for Computational Energy Research, a joint center of the Department of Applied Physics of TU/e and DIFFER, and co-author of the paper. "Our cells maintain 90 percent of their efficiency after 1000 hours under extreme light and heat conditions. This is many times as long as traditional perovskite compounds. We achieve an efficiency of 21.3 percent, which is a very good starting point for further efficiency gains". Due to its high eletronegativity, fluoride stabilizes the perovskite lattice by forming strong hydrogen bonds and ionic bonds on the surface of the material. Much of the work of the team from Eindhoven has gone into explaining why fluoride is such an effective ingredient compared to other halogens. Using computer simulations they conclude that part of its success is due to the small size and high electronegativity of fluoride ions. The higher the electronegativity of an element, the easier it attracts electrons of neighbouring elements. This helps fluoride ions to form strong bonds with the other elements in the perovskite compound, forming a stable protective layer. Future research The study is seen as an important step towards the successful implementation of perovskite solar cells in the future. However, much work remains to be done. The gold standard in the solar industry is a retention rate of at least 85 percent of original efficiency after ten to fifteen years, a standard which is still some way off for perovskite cells. "We expect it will take another five to ten years for these cells to become a commercially viable product. Not only do we need to further improve their efficiency and stability, we also need to gain a better theoretical understanding of the relevant mechanisms at the atomic scale. We still don't have all the answers to why some materials are more effective than others in increasing the long-term stability of these cells", says Tao. ### International research group demonstrates the involvement of singlet molecular oxygen in vasodilation, causing a sharp decline in blood pressure in severe inflammatory processes such as sepsis A study conducted by an international group of researchers has overturned the understanding of life-threatening inflammatory diseases such as sepsis, pointing to a biochemical agent that may be involved in the rapid decline in blood pressure that occurs in the advanced stage of sepsis and usually causes the patient's death. This discovery could pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches. Sepsis is the leading cause of death in Brazilian intensive care units (ICUs), with a mortality rate of approximately 50%. The disease is triggered by a dysregulated response of the organism to an infectious agent. For reasons that are still poorly understood, the immune system begins to combat not only the infectious agent but also the organism itself, leading to organ dysfunction. The body's biochemical responses to inflammation alter the structure of blood vessels, leading to a sharp drop in blood pressure and potentially to organ failure and death. For almost ten years, kynurenine -- a metabolic product of the amino acid tryptophan -- was believed to be one of the factors that cause vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) and sharply falling blood pressure during sepsis. The new study shows that the problem can also be caused by singlet oxygen, an electronically excited state of oxygen (1O2). Singlet oxygen is a highly reactive molecule with two paired electrons in the same orbital or different orbitals. The team that conducted the study included Brazilian researchers at the Center for Research on Redox Processes in Biomedicine (Redoxome), one of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs) funded by Sao Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP. According to an article published in Nature, singlet oxygen is involved in the formation of a signaling molecule that regulates vascular tone and blood pressure during the inflammation characteristic of sepsis. On the basis of experiments involving nuclear magnetic resonance and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, the researchers demonstrated the formation of a different vasodilator from the one previously identified. The compound, which they call cis-WOOH, is formed by the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) in a reaction involving tryptophan - an essential amino acid found in proteins - and singlet oxygen in the presence of high levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The study was led by Roland Stocker, a researcher at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney, Australia. Other researchers from Australia also participated, alongside colleagues from Brazil, China, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. "We found that the levels of H2O2 in blood vessel walls rise very sharply during life-threatening inflammatory processes such as sepsis, reaching extremely high levels. In addition, tryptophan is 'pumped' to these arterial endothelial cells," said Paolo di Mascio, Full Professor in the Biochemistry Department of the University of Sao Paulo's Chemistry Institute (IQ-USP) in Brazil. He belongs to Redoxome and coauthored the article. Fernanda Prado, another member of Redoxome, also participated in the study. The group observed abundant expression of the enzyme IDO1 inside the cells. "This cocktail of H2O2, IDO1 and tryptophan extends the functions of IDO1, which now processes tryptophan differently, forming the hydroperoxide cis-WOOH. So both the activity of IDO1 and the formation of singlet oxygen are necessary for tryptophan to cause vasodilation," Di Mascio said. In vivo experiments using a mouse model showed that cis-WOOH acts as a signaling molecule, inducing arterial relaxation and decreasing blood pressure. According to the researchers, their findings on the biochemical component responsible for the fall in blood pressure in sepsis and on new biological functions for the enzyme IDO1 could serve as a starting point for the discovery of a refined repertoire of redox signaling paths, in which reactive oxygen species such as singlet oxygen act as biological messengers. The article notes that IDO1 is a potential target for therapy against a range of pathologies as well as sepsis. The findings also suggest that singlet oxygen and IDO1 may be involved in modulating the immune response against tumors, favoring tumor evasion, so that the inhibition of IDO1 could be a major target in anticancer drug development. This is the first time singlet oxygen has been shown to play a physiopathological signaling role in mammals. The molecule has well-established roles in photosynthetic plants, bacteria and fungi. 'CSI' of sepsis The previous study, also led by Stocker in collaboration with part of the same group of researchers, reported that the signaling molecule cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) activates the protein kinase G1 (PKG1) when kynurenine dilates blood vessels. According to the authors of the recent study, however, vasodilation mediated by cis-WOOH requires far less cGMP than vasodilation mediated by kynurenine but still requires activation of PKG1. In contrast to the previous study, researchers have now proven that carefully purified kynurenine does not cause vasodilation in sepsis. An article published by Nature in its "News and Views" section compares the search for the "true culprit" that dilates blood vessels in sepsis to a "classic whodunnit". "One of the authors of our article published a study in Nature nine years ago in which kynurenine was blamed for the vasodilation process," Di Mascio said. "After publication of the data, however, other researchers tried and failed to reproduce the results. This troubled the authors considerably. After all, science is reproducibility." The search for the "true culprit" in sepsis vasodilation required complex logistics and research coordination involving laboratories in six different countries, he added. "Coordinating the research at all these labs was a major operation. Our samples came over from Australia in liquid nitrogen. We eventually concluded that for the study published nine years ago, the researchers had probably purchased kynurenine contaminated with this other product, cis-WOOH," Di Mascio explained. He recalled that the compound created by the reaction between tryptophan and singlet oxygen was identified and characterized in a study published in 2008 by Graziella Ronsein, a professor at IQ-USP. "The important point is that this latest study could lead to new treatments and novel approaches," he stressed. "Mortality due to sepsis is very high worldwide. I believe we'll see interesting developments that will be positive for society as a result of this study." ### About Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) The Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at http://www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at http://www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe. In the largest study of its kind, more than half of patients with advanced prostate cancers appear to be strong candidates for targeted cancer therapies SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, and CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - A study published recently in the Journal of Clinical Oncology Precision Oncology, an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) journal, outlines findings from the largest-ever prospective genomic analysis of advanced prostate cancer tumors. Using comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to analyze thousands of tumor samples from men with advanced prostate cancers, the researchers identified that 57 percent of the samples evaluated had genomic characteristics that suggested the tumors were candidates for targeted therapies. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer type in men, with about one in nine men experiencing a prostate cancer diagnosis in his lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. Thanks to early detection techniques, the five-year survival rate for men with prostate tumors that are localized or only in nearby parts of the body is nearly 100 percent, while only about 30 percent of men with prostate cancers that have spread to distant parts of the body will still be alive five years after their diagnosis. The purpose of this study, co-led by Foundation Medicine and Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah (U of U), was to analyze prostate tumors using CGP to identify genomic changes to inform potential targeted treatment strategies. CGP analyzes tumor samples to identify genomic changes so that, where possible, a patient can be matched to available targeted treatments. "This study demonstrates that routine clinical use of comprehensive genomic profiling frequently identifies genomic alterations that can inform targeted therapy options, as well as potential therapy development targets, for patients with advanced or metastatic prostate cancer," said Jon Chung, PhD, associate director of clinical development at Foundation Medicine. Researchers in the study analyzed nearly 3,500 unique tumor samples, including 1,660 primary site tumors and 1,816 metastatic site tumors from unmatched patients. The researchers utilized the FoundationOne test developed by Foundation Medicine for CGP. "This is the largest study of its kind done to date and gives a very encouraging message in the fact that more than half of the study patients' tumors have characteristics for which drug targets exist," said Neeraj Agarwal, MD, a prostate cancer physician-scientist at HCI and professor of medicine at the U of U. "This information provides major insights into how we can design new clinical trials or drugs that will better treat men with advanced prostate cancers." Agarwal and Chung collaborated with scientists from eight other institutions worldwide. The team anticipates these findings may be used to accelerate the development of new drugs and treatment approaches, including immunotherapies, for men with advanced prostate cancers. ### This research was supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), including P30 CA042014, and by Huntsman Cancer Foundation. About Huntsman Cancer Institute: Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah is the official cancer center of Utah. The cancer campus includes a state-of-the-art cancer specialty hospital as well as two buildings dedicated to cancer research. HCI treats patients with all forms of cancer and is recognized among the best cancer hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report. As the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Mountain West, HCI serves the largest geographic region in the country, drawing patients from Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at HCI than at any other cancer center in the world, including genes responsible for hereditary breast, ovarian, colon, head, and neck cancers, along with melanoma. HCI manages the Utah Population Database, the largest genetic database in the world, with information on more than 11 million people linked to genealogies, health records, and vital statistics. HCI was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman. About Foundation Medicine: Foundation Medicine is a molecular information company dedicated to a transformation in cancer care in which treatment is informed by a deep understanding of the genomic changes that contribute to each patient's unique cancer. The company offers a full suite of comprehensive genomic profiling assays to identify the molecular alterations in a patient's cancer and match them with relevant targeted therapies, immunotherapies and clinical trials. Foundation Medicine's molecular information platform aims to improve day-to-day care for patients by serving the needs of clinicians, academic researchers and drug developers to help advance the science of molecular medicine in cancer. For more information, please visit http://www.FoundationMedicine.com or follow Foundation Medicine on Twitter (@FoundationATCG). Inequalities in life expectancy by income in Norway were substantial, and increased between 2005 and 2015, according to a study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in collaboration with the Institute For Health Metrics And Evaluation (IHME). Although considerable differences in life expectancy by income levels were found in both Norway and the USA, the shape of the association differed. The differences in life expectancy between the one per cent richest and one per cent poorest in Norway were 14 years for men and 8 years for women. "It has surprised researchers and policy makers that even with a largely tax-funded public health care system and relatively evenly distributed income, there are substantial differences in life expectancy by income in Norway" says Dr Jonas Minet Kinge, senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. He is also Associate Professor in Health Economics at the University of Oslo. "We also observe important differences between the USA and Norway. Life expectancy was higher in Norway than in the USA across most of the income distribution, except for the very highest and very lowest income percentiles, in which life expectancies were similar in the two countries. The largest differences in life expectancy between the countries were seen for the lower to middle income men and women," he explains. Here, low and medium income refers to those who earn less than the median income but more than the five per cent lowest. The purpose of the study was to describe income-based differences in life expectancy and causes of death in Norway during the period from 2005 to 2015, compared with corresponding calculations from the USA. This is the first time that life expectancy is estimated by income percentiles in Norway and then analysed for cause of death. Furthermore, this is the first time that the association between income and life expectancy in Norway is compared directly with corresponding estimates for the USA, which was a very demanding analysis process. Results When comparing the 1 per cent richest with the 1 per cent poorest in Norway: Life expectancy in Norway was high among the richest one per cent of women. In this group, the average age was 86.4 years. These women lived on average 8.4 years longer than the one per cent of women with the lowest income. The poorest one per cent of men had the lowest life expectancy. In this group, the average age was 70.6 years, which was 13.8 years lower than among the one per cent of men with the highest income. When comparing the 25 per cent richest with the 25 per cent poorest, the differences in life expectancy are 8 years for men and 6 years for women. Higher mortality rates from cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer and other cancers explain the higher mortality overall among the low-income groups. Cancer deaths are more significant for men than women. Deaths due to substance abuse and suicide were highest for the low-income groups under the age of 60, particularly among men in the 40-49 age group. Life expectancy gap has increased In the period 2005-2015, the life expectancy gap between the richest 25 per cent and the poorest 25 per cent increased (see figure 2): The richest 25 per cent women increased life expectancy by 3.2 years while the poorest 25 per cent reduced life expectancy by 0.4 years. The richest 25 per cent men increased life expectancy by 3.1 years and the poorest 25 per cent by 0.9 years. Chronic diseases explain much of the life expectancy gap Deaths from cardiovascular disease and cancer contributed most to the difference in life expectancy. Cardiovascular disease has decreased in all income groups but there is still some way to go before mortality in the low-income groups is on par with the high-income groups. In the high-income groups there has been a decrease in cancer deaths but not among the low-income groups. Smoking explains parts of the life expectancy gap and why low-income women did not increase their life expectancy in the period from 2005 to 2015. About 20 per cent of the income-based differences in life expectancy could be explained by smoking in this study. "This is a descriptive study. We know little about why the differences are so great and why they are increasing. Studies from Sweden and other countries suggests that other factors besides money in itself explain why those with lower income have lower life expectancy. For example, those who have a low income live more often alone and often have a lower education. Furthermore, foetal life, upbringing and other environmental conditions can be important," says Kinge. "We need more research on the causes of the gradient. Fortunately, the research environment in Norway has the competence to link the health registries on an individual level with income, education and household information. Via such data merging we can perform more advanced analyses than most other countries, as this study also demonstrates," he concludes. The study shows that: Among the poorest one per cent of men and women, 50 per cent lived alone without children. Among the richest, the corresponding figure was about ten per cent. Among the poorest one per cent, 20 per cent had university and college education compared to just over 50 per cent among the richest one per cent. Norway versus USA The researchers compared the Norwegian results with a similar study from the USA during the same period. The comparisons show: Life expectancy was higher in Norway than in the USA across most of the income distribution, except for the very highest and very lowest income percentiles. The difference in life expectancy between the one per cent richest and poorest men in the USA is roughly the same as in Norway, while the difference is somewhat smaller for Norwegian women compared to American women. Poor Americans have had a significantly lower increase in life expectancy than rich Americans from 2000-2014(1). We observe the same tendency in Norway. "The comparison is of interest to researchers because Norwegian health and education systems are largely funded by government spending, whereas in the USA the share of private funding has traditionally been higher. Furthermore, Norway has relatively low income inequalities compared with the USA," says Kinge. About the study The study included 3 041 828 people aged at least 40 years and 441 768 deaths in Norway between 2005 and 2015. The mean number of household members per person were 2.5. The main outcomes were life expectancy at 40 years of age and cause-specific mortality. Household income was defined as the sum of all household members' individual income, adjusted for household size. Income included wages, self-employment, capital income, taxable and tax-free transfers during the calendar year, after deduction of tax and negative transfers. People without an income or with income from unregistered sources were not included in the study. ### The study was based on data from the Norwegian Population Register, the Norwegian Tax Administration, the Cause of Death Registry and the Norwegian Educational Database. IIASA researchers collaborated with colleagues in Japan to clarify the impacts of stringent climate mitigation policies on food security. The team identified smart and inclusive climate policy designs where the risk of food-security for hundreds of millions of people could be addressed at a modest cost. In a study published today in Nature Sustainability, an international research group that included researchers from IIASA, Kyoto University, Ritsumeikan University, and the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan, for the first time estimated how food security could be negatively affected by the climate mitigation policies implemented by multi-Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) and the cost associated with avoiding adverse side effects. More specifically, they clarified the relationship between food security and climate mitigation, and provided cost estimates for possible solutions to the trade-off between food security and climate mitigation, taking into account the uncertainty represented by an ensemble of IAMs. Food security is one of the areas addressed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of SDG2 in particular, is to achieve "zero-hunger" by 2030. The issue of food security has been studied extensively in the context of climate change impacts associated with yield changes over the last few decades, and more recent studies also explored the effect of climate change mitigation on agricultural markets. The Paris Agreement defines a long-term temperature goal for international climate policy: "holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C". Accordingly, studies investigating the climate change mitigation required by the Paris objectives have identified a potential need for land-based measures like afforestation and large-scale bioenergy production, which could in turn raise concerns about implications for food security. These low emission scenarios are making the connection between SDG2 (hunger) and SDG13, which specifically concerns climate action, increasingly crucial. According to the researchers, climate change mitigation exclusively aimed at attaining climate goals could generate a risk of negatively impacting food security. If not managed properly, the risk of hunger due to mitigation policies is remarkably amplified: under the 2C and 1.5C scenarios, for instance, the risk of hunger drastically changes compared to the baseline scenarios. Depending on the scenario, the results indicate that an additional 130 to 280 million people could be at risk of hunger in 2050. The team further examined the costs of possible solutions to such unintended adverse-side effects through "smart and inclusive climate policies". Several economic alternatives were explored, including agricultural subsidies, food aid to low-income countries, and food aid only to populations at risk of hunger. The costs of the alternatives were found to be between 0 and 0.46% of GDP. These are very modest figures if compared to the costs of climate change mitigation. The researchers note that direct impacts of climate change on yields were not assessed and that the direct benefits from mitigation in terms of avoided yield losses could be significant, thus further lessening the above costs. While results vary across models and model implementations, the qualitative implications are robust and call for a careful design of climate mitigation policies taking into account agriculture and land prices. "While we found a similar effect in an earlier joint paper published in Environmental Research Letters, this time we applied multiple alternative models and showed that the results are robust and have a very high confidence," explains Shinichiro Fujimori from Kyoto University, lead author of the paper and a guest researcher in the IIASA Energy Program. "We would like to emphasize that land and food related climate change mitigation policies should be carefully designed. Policymakers should be aware that potential issues could arise as a result of the uniqueness of the food system compared to, for example, the energy system." "The findings of the paper are central to understanding that we can reach very low climate targets together with sustainable land-use and agricultural development," adds IIASA Energy Program Director Keywan Riahi. "Climate policies need to go beyond carbon pricing, take into account distributional effects, and shield the poor. If properly managed, the costs of such policies will be relatively small." ### Adapted from a press release prepared by Kyoto University, Japan. Reference Fujimori S, Hasegawa T, Krey V, Riahi K, Bertram C, Bodirsky BL, Bosetti V, Callen J, et al. (2019). A multi-model assessment of food security implications of climate change mitigation. Nature Sustainability DOI : 10.1038/s41893-019-0286-2 Contacts: Researcher contact Shinichiro Fujimori Guest Senior Research Scholar Energy Program Tel: +43 2236 807 664 fujimori@iiasa.ac.at / fujimori.shinichiro.8a@kyoto-u.ac.jp Keywan Riahi Program Director Energy Program Tel: +43 2236 807 491 riahi@iiasa.ac.at Press Officer Ansa Heyl Tel: +43 2236 807 574 Mob: +43 676 83 807 574 heyl@iiasa.ac.at About IIASA: The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an international scientific institute that conducts research into the critical issues of global environmental, economic, technological, and social change that we face in the twenty-first century. Our findings provide valuable options to policymakers to shape the future of our changing world. IIASA is independent and funded by prestigious research funding agencies in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. http://www.iiasa.ac.at About Kyoto University: Kyoto University is one of Japan and Asia's premier research institutions, founded in 1897 and responsible for producing numerous Nobel laureates and winners of other prestigious international prizes. A broad curriculum across the arts and sciences at both undergraduate and graduate levels is complemented by numerous research centers, as well as facilities and offices around Japan and the world. For more information please see: http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en By 1968, time was flying and popular tastes at the movies were not what Day knew just three or four years earlier. Pundits wondered what to make of the slick, vaguely adult counterculture smash The Graduate, released in 1967 and a solid performer throughout much of 68. Director Mike Nichols wanted Day to play Mrs. Robinson. But it just wasnt her bag. Day and other middle-age stars didnt really know what to make of all the biker movies, and nerve-wracking box-office successes such as Rosemarys Baby. Days final film, released in 68, was With Six You Get Eggroll. The poster depicted a smiling Doris Day alongside a smiling Brian Keith and their characters blended families, plus the tagline: Does this look like a movie that could give you bad dreams? She was 44. She lived another 53 years, permanently retired from the movies. If your car needs work on its front and rear axles, it's obviously more convenient, efficient and cost effective to have both repairs done at the same time. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have shown similar benefits from "bundling" upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopies on the same day to remedy what they say is the "disturbingly" large number of older Americans currently being scheduled for the procedures on two different days. The research is described in a study in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. "Studies of medical procedures look mostly at complication rates to measure quality health care but we also should measure the appropriateness of that care -- whether the procedure is overused or altogether unnecessary," says Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H., senior author of the study, professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an authority on health care quality. He also serves as principal investigator of Improving Wisely, a national project to lower medical costs in the United States by implementing measures of appropriateness in health care. "Measuring appropriateness is one of the three underappreciated means of fixing health care, along with addressing pricing failures and improving care coordination," he adds. Endoscopy is a procedure in which the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is viewed through a fiber-optic camera known as an endoscope, inserted either through the mouth (upper) to scan the esophagus, stomach and small intestines, or through the anus (lower) to examine the large intestine, colon and rectum. Where safe and appropriate, it has been shown that same-day scheduling of elective upper and lower endoscopic procedures can help reduce health care costs and avoid potential harm from repeated sedation and blood-drawing. However, the Hopkins Medicine research showed that some physicians routinely split the one-day procedure into two, a pattern that was more common when they have a stake in the endoscopy facility. The second booking of an endoscopy suite results in higher costs from additional physician and facilities fees. Despite the recognized advantages of same-day scheduling, the Johns Hopkins researchers identified patterns of different-day overuse. This was least common in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) while more often seen in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs, which are free-standing centers focused on providing same-day surgical care) and physician offices. In a bid to document the scope of the problem, the researchers used Medicare claims data to identify slightly more than 4 million paired procedures (upper and lower endoscopies done on different days for the same patient) performed within 90 days of each other from 2011 to 2018. Of the total different-day endoscopies performed, 52.5 percent (approximately 2.1 million) were done in hospitals, 43.3 percent (approximately 1.7 million) in surgery centers and 4.2 percent (approximately 167,000) in physician offices. Physicians at HOPDs conducted the lowest overall percentage of different-day procedures at 13.6 percent, while those at ASCs and offices did significantly more at 22.2 percent and 47.7 percent, respectively. Therefore, compared to physicians at HOPDs, those at ASCs were 1.6 times more likely to schedule different-day procedures and those at physician offices were 3.5 times more likely. Overall, Makary says, the rates for different-day procedures did decrease in all three venues from 2011 to 2018, but the drop was less than 10 percent for each. He says this suggests that the low-value care associated with these rates was not significantly improved over the seven years. The study also found that patients getting different-day procedures at ASCs and physician offices were slightly older than those at HOPDs. Patients treated at physician offices were more likely to reside in metropolitan areas and live in the northeastern United States. Even after adjusting the measures for patient and physician characteristics, such as sex, age and location, the researchers determined that the odds of undergoing different-day endoscopies were still twice as high for patients seen at physician offices and 1.3 times as high at ASCs compared to those treated at HOPDs. Perhaps the most surprising finding in the study, Makary notes, was that many physicians would schedule endoscopies differently in different settings. For example, the nearly 1,000 physicians who practiced at both their offices and hospital outpatient departments were more than twice as likely to perform two-day procedures in the former (37.3 percent compared to 15.4 percent). The Hopkins Medicine researchers theorize that financial incentives, including a share of facilities fees added to professional fees, might be a contributing factor for this trend. Looking at a single year in the study, 2017, the researchers calculated that reducing different-day procedures to more appropriate numbers (the HOPD rate of 11.2 percent) would have saved about $9.2 million at ASCs and $3.3 million at physician offices. "Based on the findings of our study, we propose that physicians who have a high rate of scheduling different-day elective upper and lower endoscopies in the same patient be shown their performance data relative to their peers nationally who are caring for a similar population of patients," Makary says. "This standard should be used as a meaningful measure of low-value care." The same-day versus different-day endoscopy study is part of a larger Johns Hopkins Medicine effort to develop, establish and disseminate quality measures that will capture the appropriateness of care and help reduce low-value care in favor of a more patient-centered approach. "By identifying practices that are not in the best interest of the patient and providing interventions to address them, we can help physicians who are outliers, and in turn, improve the quality of care for the hundreds of patients each one treats," Makary says. "Physicians, for the most part, want to do the right thing, and measures of appropriateness can help guide them." ### Along with Makary, the authors of the JAMA Internal Medicine paper include Peiqi Wang, Susan Hutfless, Eun Shin, Christian Hartman, Sarah Disney, Christopher Fain, Kathy Bull-Henry, Tsion Abidi, Vikesh Singh, and Anthony Kalloo, all of Johns Hopkins, and Daniel Daniels of Peninsula Regional Gastroenterology in Salisbury, Maryland. Bottom Line: A survey study of about 874,000 adolescents from 40 European and North American countries suggests growing up in areas with income inequality was associated with being bullied after accounting for some other mitigating factors. The study didn't contain individial-level or school-level data that might help to explain the observed association with bullying, which was self-reported and uncorroborated. Study authors says more research is needed to understand why children who grow up in economically unequal area may be at greater risk. Authors: Frank J. Elgar, Ph.D., of McGill University, Montreal, Canada, and coauthors (doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1181) Editor's Note: The article contains conflict of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc. ### Journal JAMA Pediatrics This link will be live at the embargo time https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2733159?guestAccessKey=5d6b5102-4999-42cd-a9eb-f8d30971dd2c&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=051319 AUGUSTA, Ga. (May 13, 2019) - The bottom line is to help children grow up safer and healthier and to increase parents' ability to help them do that, says the investigator leading a $1.4 million state-funded alcohol and substance abuse prevention program. Investigators at the Medical College of Georgia and Georgia Cancer Center are working with Augusta area schools to prevent or reduce use of two major substances abused by children: alcohol as well as e-cigarettes, whose use by teens is reaching epidemic proportions, according to the Food and Drug Administration. "We are focusing on alcohol and electronic cigarette use, but more broadly we are working to prevent children from taking up any type of substance abuse, and to help parents better understand the importance of behaviors they are modeling at home," says Dr. Martha S. Tingen. It's a definite battle, with 1 in 5 middle and high school students using some sort of tobacco product and e-cigarettes now at the top of their list. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells us the efforts to prevent youth taking up smoking have been erased with the onset of e-cigarettes," says Tingen, Charles W. Linder Chair in Pediatrics at MCG and associate director for cancer prevention, control and population health at the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University. Children don't think e-cigarettes are harmful, she says, but the increased vulnerability of the developing adolescent brain to nicotine addiction has groups like the Food and Drug Administration and Office of the U.S. Surgeon General concerned. So the investigators are taking substance abuse prevention to children and parents simultaneously. Their effort starts by working with professionals at schools like Augusta's Murphey Middle School to identify children and families who might benefit most; surveying the children and families about how these issues affect their lives; then offering simultaneous but separate, tailored classes for children and their parents, says the prevention researcher. They ask children questions like when was the first time they remember drinking alcohol, whether they thought it was OK for children their age to drink, and what risks they associate with marijuana use. The questionnaires are anonymous and children only answer questions they feel comfortable answering, Tingen notes Investigators take what they learn from the students to also develop a targeted, positive social norms campaign for their school, which generates slogans like: "91% of Murphey Middle School Students DO NOT VAPE," rather than focusing on the inverse fact that 9% of the children at this inner city middle school do use e-cigarettes. To further instill a sense of ownership and pride, the children have major input into what the posters, which hang in their school hallways, look like. Billboards carrying similar community specific messages like "Most Youth Say No to Alcohol. Stay in the majority," also are strategically placed around town. Fifteen families at a time go through the 10-week program, and afterward investigators will ask parents about the changes they see in their children. But it all starts with each family having dinner together, says Tingen, repeating a National Institute on Drug Abuse statistic that families that have just one meal together a day - with phones down, televisions off and instead direct conversation with each other - prevents up to 80 percent of any type of drug use. A host of other benefits also are associated with this dwindling family tradition including better school grades, nutrition and family relations. After their meal, children and parents migrate to separate rooms to talk more and learn with their peers. It appears to be a win-win. Quiantanna Beard of Augusta and her daughter Cahaydrienna Rivers, 16, had already gone through the program, but on a recent Tuesday were back along with Ms. Beard's sons, Tavarus Smalley, 14, and Javieon Beard, 11, as well as stepdad Jeff Montgomery. The program is helping strengthen her family and solidify valuable parenting lessons for her, the mom says. Her lessons include learning more about the importance of listening to her children, whom she already categorizes as "wonderful." She also has learned to help herself and her children better deal with difficult situations at school, rather than getting angry herself and "going straight off." She likes that in their sessions, everyone has a say, so everyone can learn better from each other both what and what not to do. She also likes how the program will help her children never start habits like drinking alcohol or cigarettes of any kind. The mother has smoked herself for two decades, and wants to quit - which the program can also help her do. Because to help parents achieve goals for themselves as a role models, the investigators are helping with referrals to groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and even provide transportation to smoking cessation classes at the Georgia Cancer Center for those who need it. The popularity and pride of the program doesn't stop with Ms. Beard's family. You can hear the hum of conversation as the families enjoy dinner together, then see children's hands go up eagerly to answer questions in their sessions. One student even asked if their participation in the program could be recognized at the school's Honors Day. It's all about bringing home, school and community together, says Regena Jennings, family facilitator at Murphey Middle School. The Strengthening Families Program, as the name implies, definitely brings families together, she says, as children learn more about dealing with tough issues like peer pressure and parents learn how to talk to their children like children rather than like a friend. Families that go through a program together also develop a lasting kinship. "The kids develop a bond and a friendship so they protect each other inside the school, and outside the school the parents become friends," Ms. Jennings says. She has watched the children take the lessons they learn to heart; watched them become more focused, respectful and well behaved. "We want the children to know that they are only limited by what they can dream, but to do that takes commitment and dedication to making decisions that have good consequences, not decisions that end in jail," adds Tingen. While their focus right now is middle-schoolers, kids about ages 11-14 in the Georgia counties of Richmond, Columbia and McDuffie, the team may soon take the program into elementary schools as they move across the five years of the grant, Tingen says. While school is out for the summer, they will be taking the program to Augusta's Good Shepherd Baptist Church. The NIDA describes e-cigarettes, also known as vapes and hookah pens, as battery operated devices that often contain nicotine, along with flavorings and other chemicals. There are now more than 460 brands of e-cigarettes, which are teens most commonly used form of tobacco. Last September the FDA announced it was issuing more than 1,300 warning letters and civil money penalty complaints to retailers who illegally sold JUUL and other e-cigarette products to minors nationwide over the summer of 2018, calling the sale and marketing to children a "clear and present danger." The 10-week program funded by Tingen's grant from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases Office of Preventive Services, is based on the Strengthening Families Program. The 30-year-old program has been used successfully in a wide range of ethnic populations and in settings from schools to drug treatment centers to housing projects, churches and family court. It is designed to improve family relations, with classes and discussions that increase parenting skills - like decreasing parents' stress and use of physical punishment - while increasing use of positive praise and time spent with their child. For the children, it works on issues like improving academic performance and complying with the requests of responsible adults while decreasing their own aggression and, conversely, shyness. ### Current technologies for information transfer and processing are challenged by fundamental physical limits. The more powerful they become, the more energy they need and more heat is released to the environment. Also, there are physical limits on the smallness and efficiency of communication devices. The recent discovery by physicists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and Lanzhou University in China offers a new route for progress on these issues. In the latest edition of the scientific journal Nature Communications, they describe a novel type of spin waves that can be used to transmit and process information with considerably higher efficiency and lower energy consumption. Conventional IT applications are based on electric charge currents. "This results inevitably in energy losses heating up the environment" said MLU physicist Professor Jamal Berakdar. The researcher added that more energy is needed and also dissipated to operate more powerful and compact devices. Thus, it is very challenging to maintain the pace of advancement based on charge-current based technology. For their study, the teams led by Professor Berakdar and Professor Chenglong Jia of Lanzhou University examined therefore alternative concepts for data communication and processing. Their work revolved around something known as magnons. "These are waves that are stimulated in ferromagnets by just a fraction of the energy needed for generating the required charge currents," explained Berakdar. "Magnons can be used to transmit signals and for logical operations in various components while producing virtually no heat." In this latest study, the German-Chinese research team describes a type of twisted magnons for which the twist or the winding number is protected against damping. Technically the twist is related to magnon orbital angular momentum and can be controlled in magnitude and orientation by electric voltages. This renders possible a multiplex twist-based signal encoding and transmission across large distances. According to the scientists, the reported results open the way to high density information transmission via magnons. In addition to the energy efficiency, the magnon wavelengths are controllable and short compared to optical waves which itself is advantageous for miniaturization. Magnonic elements can also be integrated in existing technologies. ### This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11474138 and 11834005), the German Research Foundation (No. SFB 762 and SFB TRR 227), and the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (No. IRT-16R35). More than 15,000 suicide deaths reported in Ohio over 10 years, an increase of nearly 24 percent ATHENS, Ohio (May 13, 2019) - Where does suicide live in Ohio? How old is it? What does it look like? According to a new study released by The Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health (The Alliance), its identity is increasingly comprised of individuals both young and old, with suicide rates rising more than 36 percent for those ages 20 to 29 and approximately 57 percent for those aged 60 or older in the last 10 years. The data also revealed a troubling reality unfolding across Appalachian Ohio, which is home to nine of Ohio's 10 counties with the highest suicide rates per 100,000 population over the past 10 years. Meigs County experienced the highest suicide rate in the state at 21.5 followed by Jackson County (19.9) and Hocking County (19.7). Such trends are disturbing to mental health organizations across Ohio, including the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. "The data in this report is very relevant to the work of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services," said Lori Criss, director of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. "Suicide is a serious public health issue. Tackling this issue in Ohio will require collaborative efforts that cross state government, private partners, community mental health and addiction boards and providers, colleges and universities and others." The Alliance -- a collaborative effort created by Ohio University's College of Health Sciences and Professions (CHSP) and the University of Toledo's College of Health and Human Services and now including 28 partner organizations-- recently completed a review of suicide fatalities in Ohio based on data provided by key state partners between January 2008 and December 2017. Rick Hodges, director of The Alliance, said that 526,501 years of life expectancy was lost in Ohio between 2008-2017 due to suicide. He noted that this sobering figure is largely attributed to the increase in suicide rates of individuals 29 years of age and younger. "The Alliance's research indicates that the suicide rate within our state's younger population (29 and younger) has increased by 33 percent since 2008," Hodges said. "Our ultimate hope is that this study will help to inform state- and community-level discussions surrounding how the risk of suicide can be reduced in Ohio and beyond." Hodges also referenced a June 2018 Alliance study that calculated more than 500,000 years of life were lost in Ohio between 2010 and 2016 due to opioid overdose. Orman Hall, executive in residence for CHSP and author of the study, said that The Alliance's research revealed a total of 15,246 suicide fatalities in Ohio between 2008-17, an overall increase of approximately 24 percent per 100,000. White individuals who reside in economically distressed Appalachian communities continue to exhibit the highest suicide rate in Ohio. Hall emphasized that the intent of The Alliance's study was not to serve as an exhaustive study of cause and effect, but rather to analyze the scope of suicide fatalities and to identify key demographic characteristics of decedents for this serious and growing problem. Although the highest suicide rates were experienced in Ohio's Appalachian region during the 10-year period that was studied, it is important to note that both rural and suburban areas experienced the greatest increase in the rate of suicides per 100,000 population. Cuyahoga (1,461) and Franklin (1,408) counties were home to the highest total number of suicide fatalities in the study. Tony Coder, director of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF), reported that OSPF trains as many community members and healthcare providers as they possibly can across the state. He said collaborative partnerships with various agencies are in effect or are being built to create a state suicide strategy with the goal of reducing suicide attempts and death. Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions Dean Randy Leite shared that the University is doing its part to train the nation's next generation of mental health professionals. "Clinicians often encounter mental health clients experiencing crisis; such distress can increase a person's risk of suicide," Leite said. "Our college is dedicated to educating the best healthcare professionals in the country and doing everything within our power to help alleviate this serious and growing problem. It is time we recognize suicide as the serious public health issue it is and do all we can to prepare future health and human service professionals to respond to those who may be at risk." Area and state officials have taken notice of the University's training and outreach efforts. "We cannot thank Ohio University and The Alliance enough for taking the time and resources to produce such a stellar report," Coder said. "It brings a lot of concern about the rise in suicides over the decade, and it points that the state of Ohio needs to put resources and efforts into solving this public health crisis." Joan Englund, executive director of the Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Advocacy Coalition, said that The Alliance's most recent study shines an important light on a growing need for suicide treatment and prevention services. "Local, state, and federal decisions and actions can reduce the growing number of Ohio suicides. In order to help change the current upward trajectory, all Ohioans must have timely access to appropriate mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment and support services," Englund said. "This report provides public officials and other community leaders with critical data that can be used to inform strategic and impactful policymaking, support the system of care and target this alarming trend." Additional key data points within The Alliance's study include: The lowest suicide rates per 100,000 population in the state were reported in Holmes County (6.85), Delaware County (9.87) and Hardin County (10.29). Men accounted for an average suicide rate over the 10 years of 21.4 deaths per 100,000 compared to a rate of 5.36 for women. Suicide rates for Caucasians were higher (14.6) than African Americans (7.37). Between 2008 and 2017, 161 suicides occurred among those 14 years of age or younger. Senior citizens experienced the highest suicide rate increase by age cohort, climbing from 12.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2008 to 19.5 in 2017, a 57 percent increase. The data show 3,459 people were 60 or older when they died by suicide and nearly 70 percent of those over age 60 used a firearm. Firearms accounted for 50.9 percent of all suicide fatalities for the 10-year period, followed by "other" (33.3 percent) and "self-poisoning (overdose)" (15.8 percent). "Other" causes of suicidal death included, but were not limited to, cuts or pierces, drowning, falls, machinery and motor vehicle traffic. "We need to come together as a field to address this problem," Coder said. "We know that opiates are a big issue, but with suicide being the second-leading cause of death for individuals ages 10-24, this is a public health crisis in which we need to assign the appropriate resources and manpower." Hodges said that The Alliance was thankful for the opportunity to provide increased data-driven context to such an important public health issue. "We thank the Ohio Department of Health for both providing access to their mortality data and offering vital technical assistance that enabled this study to help identify populations and regions within Ohio experiencing an elevated risk for suicide," Hodges said. Additional resources for the study include the Bureau of Vital Statistics, the Ohio Death Certificate File and the Centers for Disease Control. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, warning signs may include threats or comments about suicide, increased alcohol and drug use, aggressive behavior, social withdrawal, dramatic mood swings, talking, writing or thinking about death and impulsive or reckless behavior. If you or someone you know are having thoughts of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Ohio University students, faculty or staff can participate in the Bobcats Who Care training to develop knowledge about suicide and suicide prevention including being able to recognize and offer support for someone feeling depressed, lonely or misunderstood and provide referrals to professional resources. The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services offers suicide prevention guidance for Veterans, school-age youth, faith-based groups, older adults and behavioral health providers. The Buckeye Firearms Association works to emphasize education that encourages suicide prevention and helps to identify potential suicide warning signs; they often collaborate with county and state partners, including Franklin County LOSS and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, to help share their message. ### A complete version of The Alliance's study is available online. (Direct Link: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/89e8f1_610152f376f34af09465c60c303c760e.pdf) Supplemental research data is also available online. (Direct Link: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/89e8f1_a22a04862356450ca6502555cb5eeba3.pdf) High-resolution data maps are available for download. (Direct Link: https://catmailohio.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/CHSP-CommunicationsDepartment/Ehhndw95YfpAhxU0um2MHZEBiGcNxzvhD_psvEZphEgXSw?e=lGbX6a) A new risk calculator for pregnant women with epilepsy, developed by researchers from Queen Mary University of London, has been found to accurately predict the risk of seizures during pregnancy, and could save the lives of mothers and babies A new risk calculator for pregnant women with epilepsy, developed by researchers from Queen Mary University of London, has been found to accurately predict the risk of seizures during pregnancy and up to six weeks after delivery, and could save the lives of mothers and babies. The EMPiRE tool has been made freely available online to help clinicians identify women at high risk of seizure, and inform their care through close monitoring and anti-epileptic drug management. Women with epilepsy are ten-times more likely to die in pregnancy than those without the condition, with seizures as the main cause of death. It has been consistently highlighted that the main factor behind these deaths is a lack of recognition of the women's high-risk status by health professionals. Pregnant women with epilepsy are advised not to alter their treatment without specialist advice. However, up to four in ten women discontinue their anti-epileptic medication in pregnancy due to concerns about the effects of drugs on the unborn baby, thereby increasing their risks of seizures. Ngawai Moss, 38, has epilepsy, and is the mother of two children. She said: "Every woman experiences epilepsy differently in their day to day life but it is a source of worry not knowing when you might have a seizure. Pregnancy makes you actively question how best to manage your epilepsy. Our medication can help prevent seizures, but it can also potentially be harmful to the health of the baby. "This dilemma can make the decisions around continuing to take medication during pregnancy difficult. You want to do the right thing for the baby, but it's also important to be practical. If you have a seizure there is a possibility of drowning or sustaining a serious injury, like falling down the stairs which can also harm or kill the baby. "Many women will place priority on the advice of obstetrics and gynaecology teams but they generally have a limited understanding of epilepsy particularly as it is not their specialty. Better advice and management is needed for pregnant women with epilepsy." The new prediction model, which has been published in the journal PLOS Medicine and online by the research team, is able to generate accurate estimates of seizure risk at any time in pregnancy in women with epilepsy who are on anti-epileptic drugs, to help inform their care. The model uses information which can be routinely collected during an antenatal appointment, such as age at first seizure, type of seizure, seizures in the three months before pregnancy, seizures requiring hospital admission, and current dose of anti-epileptic drugs. It then processes the data to predict the likelihood of a seizures not only in pregnancy, but up to six weeks after delivery, a period with increased risks to the mother and baby. Lead researcher Professor Shakila Thangaratinam from Queen Mary University of London said: "The EMPiRE tool is the first ever to predict the risk of seizure in pregnant women with epilepsy who are on anti-epileptic drugs. Our model gave accurate predictions regardless of the type of care the woman received, and we're now making it freely available online via a web-based calculator so that any clinician in any part of the world can use it with their patients. "By identifying the women who are at greatest risk of seizures, we can monitor them more closely during pregnancy, labour and childbirth, or consider increasing their anti-epileptic drug dose to reduce that risk." Dr John Allotey, research team member from Queen Mary University of London said: "Such a tool can empower women to make informed decisions on their care, including shared decision making between the woman and their healthcare professional on the level of support needed in pregnancy and after childbirth. By being aware of their risk status, women's anxiety from the unpredictable nature of seizures could be reduced, and they may also be more likely to adhere to their medication if needed." The team of researchers developed and validated the model using datasets from the EMPiRE cohort study which looked at 560 pregnant women with epilepsy on medication from 50 hospitals in the UK. By testing the predictive model against the data collected in the study, the team was able to show that the model accurately predicted the risk of seizures. The model discriminated well between those with and without seizures, with good agreement between predicted and observed risks across both low and high-risk women. The freely available online calculator is aimed at general practitioners, epilepsy specialists, obstetricians, and midwives. Ngawai Moss added: "The model will be an asset for women living with epilepsy, like me, who are looking to get pregnant or already are. It will help us make informed decisions on how we manage our epilepsy and that in itself is extremely reassuring and empowering." The work was carried out at Barts Research Centre for Women's Health, based at Queen Mary University of London, which is funded by Barts Charity. Victoria King, Director of Grants at Barts Charity, said: "Barts Charity invested in the Barts Research Centre for Women's Health to help research lead to tangible improvements in the health of women and their babies and this freely available tool has the potential to do just that for pregnant women with epilepsy. "The tool can help pregnant women with epilepsy work with their healthcare team to make empowered and make informed decisions about what is right for them and their treatment during pregnancy and Barts Charity is very proud to support this." The limitations of the model include that it is mainly applicable to high-income countries due to the source of data it is based upon, its clinical utility is restricted to thresholds above a 12 per cent risk of seizure, and the small validation cohort sample size may have affected the robustness of the external validation. ### Notes to editors The online risk calculator is available from: https://www.evidencio.com/models/show/1799 (link will be live after embargo lifts) Photos of Ngawai Moss and images of the online risk calculator can be found on Dropbox here: http://bit.ly/2PV2hMw Research paper: 'Predicting seizures in pregnant women with epilepsy: Development and external validation of a prognostic model'. John Allotey et al. PLOS Medicine. Available here after the embargo lifts: https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002802 About Queen Mary University of London At Queen Mary University of London, we believe that a diversity of ideas helps us achieve the previously unthinkable. In 1785, Sir William Blizard established England's first medical school, The London Hospital Medical College, to improve the health of east London's inhabitants. Together with St Bartholomew's Medical College, founded by John Abernethy in 1843 to help those living in the City of London, these two historic institutions are the bedrock of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Today, Barts and The London continues to uphold this commitment to pioneering medical education and research. Being firmly embedded within our east London community, and with an approach that is driven by the specific health needs of our diverse population, is what makes Barts and The London truly distinctive. Our local community offer to us a window to the world, ensuring that our ground-breaking research in cancer, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, and population health not only dramatically improves the outcomes for patients in London, but also has a far-reaching global impact. This is just one of the many ways in which Queen Mary is continuing to push the boundaries of teaching, research and clinical practice, and helping us to achieve the previously unthinkable. A subpopulation of bone cells releases factors that can halt the growth of breast cancer that's traveled to the bone, putting the cells in stasis. PHILADELPHIA -- In breast cancer, there are cases of women and men whose cancer returns in their bones 20-30 years after they were treated for their primary disease and thought they were cancer-free. This phenomenon always puzzled Jefferson researcher Karen Bussard, PhD. How is it possible that breast cancer cells from a primary tumor are able to reach the bones when a patient is deemed "cancer-free" after treatment? What was happening in bones that allowed the cancer cells to remain there for up to 30 years, alive but in a sleeping state, only to re-awaken decades later? In a step towards answering these questions, Dr. Bussard recently discovered a type of bone cell that can subdue cancer cells, slowing their growth, even in one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer: triple negative. The results, published in Breast Cancer Research, raise intriguing questions about how these bone cells exert their sleep-inducing influence, and whether it's possible to replicate and permanently turn cancers dormant. "Cancer has this uncanny ability to turn other cell types it comes in contact with to the cancer cell's advantage," says Dr. Bussard, Assistant Professor of Cancer Biology at Thomas Jefferson University and a researcher at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center -- Jefferson Health. "For example, cancer cells can turn the immune cells that should kill it, into its own guards. However, we have now found a population of bone cells that not only resists, but subdues the cancer. It's fascinating." Together with co-first authors and graduate students, Alexus D. Kolb and Alison B. Shupp and others, Dr. Bussard probed how bone cells change once they interact with breast cancer cells in the bone. Specifically, they looked at osteoblasts - a kind of bone cell that lays down new bone, like cement, during growth and repair. The research team showed that the osteoblast cells from mice as well as humans drastically changed their function after interacting with bone-metastatic breast cancer cells. Earlier studies had shown that in advanced stage bone-metastatic breast cancer patients, osteoblasts stopped working; failing to produce a matrix that stabilizes and strengthens bone. The changes lead to loss of bone density that is common in these patients. In her new work, Dr. Bussard and colleagues showed that in earlier stages of the disease, when cancer cells first enter the bone, rather than producing new bone, osteoblasts may divert their energy toward producing factors to halt cancer cell growth. When osteoblasts from humans or mice were exposed to triple negative or estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells that had migrated to the bone, the osteoblasts released factors that changed cancer cell behavior. These factors were able to swing the balance away from limitless cancer cell growth, and toward restoring production of the cell-cycle checkpoint protein p21, which stops metastatic breast cancer cells from replicating endlessly. Dr. Bussard's team showed that cancer growth slowed in the presence of osteoblasts that had come in contact with metastatic breast cancer cells. The osteoblasts that did not interact with metastatic breast cancer cells, on the other hand, were unable to slow cancer cell growth. "The bone-building osteoblast cells have a complex relationship with cancer," says Dr. Bussard. "In advanced stages of the disease, we know that metastatic breast cancer cells can co-opt the normal cells of the bone to help cancer metastases thrive. However, our new work suggests that during early stages of the disease, such as when metastatic breast cancer cells first migrate to the bone, these cancer-exposed osteoblasts resist and fight cancer growth." "Understanding how breast cancer cells prosper through metastasis to bone has been a long held goal of the breast cancer research community. Dr. Bussard's breakthrough discoveries pave the way toward developing new strategies to prevent or treat metastatic disease", says Karen E. Knudsen, PhD, EVP of Oncology Services and Enterprise Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center -- Jefferson Health. The next step, says Dr. Bussard, is to fully characterize the molecules that osteoblasts use to reign in cancer growth, and see whether it's possible to turn that understanding toward treatments that can put cancer cells to sleep forever. ### The research was supported by NIH grant number R00CA178177, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - Department of Health SAP 4100072566, and the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center Support Grant 5P30CA056036-17 (Bone Biorepository Bank). Article Reference: Alexus D. Kolb, Alison B. Shupp, Dimpi Mukhopadhyay, Frank C. Marini, Karen M. Bussard "Osteoblasts are 'educated' by crosstalk with metastatic breast cancer cells in the bone tumor microenvironment," Breast Cancer Research, DOI: 10.1186/s13058-019-1117-0, 2019. Media Contact: Edyta Zielinska, 215-955-7359, edyta.zielinska@jefferson.edu NEW YORK -- To move through the world, you need a sense of your surroundings, especially of the constraints that restrict your movement: the walls, ceiling and other barriers that define the geometry of the navigable space around you. And now, a team of neuroscientists has identified an area of the human brain dedicated to perceiving this geometry. This brain region encodes the spatial constraints of a scene, at lightning-fast speeds, and likely contributes to our instant sense of our surroundings; orienting us in space, so we can avoid bumping into things, figure out where we are and navigate safely through our environment. This research, published today in Neuron, sets the stage for understanding the complex computations our brains do to help us get around. Led by scientists at Columbia University's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute and Aalto University in Finland, the work is also relevant to the development of artificial intelligence technology aimed at mimicking the visual powers of the human brain. "Vision gives us an almost instant sense where we are in space, and in particular of the geometry of the surfaces -- the ground, the walls -- which constrain our movement. It feels effortless, but it requires the coordinated activity of multiple brain regions," said Nikolaus Kriegeskorte, PhD, a principal investigator at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute and the paper's senior author. "How neurons work together to give us this sense of our surroundings has remained mysterious. With this study, we are a step closer to solving that puzzle." To figure out how the brain perceives the geometry of its surroundings, the research team asked volunteers to look at images of different three-dimensional scenes. An image might depict a typical room, with three walls, a ceiling and a floor. The researchers then systematically changed the scene: by removing the wall, for instance, or the ceiling. Simultaneously, they monitored participants' brain activity through a combination of two cutting-edge brain-imaging technologies at Aalto's neuroimaging facilities in Finland. "By doing this repeatedly for each participant as we methodically altered the images, we could piece together how their brains encoded each scene," Linda Henriksson, PhD, the paper's first author and a lecturer in neuroscience and biomedical engineering at Aalto University. Our visual system is organized into a hierarchy of stages. The first stage actually lies outside brain, in the retina, which can detect simple visual features. Subsequent stages in the brain have the power to detect more complex shapes. By processing visual signals through multiple stages -- and by repeated communications between the stages -- the brain forms a complete picture of the world, with all its colors, shapes and textures. In the cortex, visual signals are first analyzed in an area called the primary visual cortex. They are then passed to several higher-level cortical areas for further analyses. The occipital place area (OPA), an intermediate-level stage of cortical processing, proved particularly interesting in the brain scans of the participants. "Previous studies had shown that OPA neurons encode scenes, rather than isolated objects," said Dr. Kriegeskorte, who is also a professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of cognitive imaging at Columbia. "But we did not yet understand what aspect of the scenes this region's millions of neurons encoded." After analyzing the participants' brain scans, Drs. Kriegeskorte and Henriksson found that the OPA activity reflected the geometry of the scenes. The OPA activity patterns reflected the presence or absence of each scene component -- the walls, the floor and the ceiling -- conveying a detailed picture of the overall geometry of the scene. However, the OPA activity patterns did not depend on the components' appearance; the textures of the walls, floor and ceiling -- suggesting that the region ignores surface appearance, so as to focus solely on surface geometry. The brain region appeared to perform all the necessary computations needed to get a sense of a room's layout extremely fast: in just 100 milliseconds. "The speed with which our brains sense the basic geometry of our surroundings is an indication of the importance of having this information quickly," said Dr. Henriksson. "It is key to knowing whether you're inside or outside, or what might be your options for navigation." The insights gained in this study were possible through the joint use of two complementary imaging technologies: functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). fMRI measures local changes in blood oxygen levels, which reflect local neuronal activity. It can reveal detailed spatial activity patterns at a resolution of a couple of millimeters, but it is not very precise in time, as each fMRI measurement reflects the average activity over a five to eight seconds. By contrast, MEG measures magnetic fields generated by the brain. It can track activity with millisecond temporal precision, but does not give as spatially detailed a picture. "When we combine these two technologies, we can address both where the activity occurs and how quickly it emerges." said Dr. Henriksson, who collected the imaging data at Aalto University. Moving forward, the research team plans to incorporate virtual reality technology to create more realistic 3D environments for participants to experience. They also plan to build neural network models that mimic the brain's ability to perceive the environment. "We would like to put these things together and build computer vision systems that are more like our own brains, systems that have specialized machinery like what we observe here in the human brain for rapidly sensing the geometry of the environment," said Dr. Kriegeskorte. ### This paper is titled "Rapid invariant encoding of scene layout in human OPA." Marieke Mur, PhD, who has since joined Western University in Ontario, Canada, also contributed to this research. This research was supported by the Academy of Finland (Postdoctoral Research Grant; 278957), the British Academy (Postdoctoral Fellowship; PS140117) and the European Research Council (ERC-2010-StG 261352). The authors report no financial or other conflicts of interest. Columbia University's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute brings together a group of world-class scientists and scholars to pursue the most urgent and exciting challenge of our time: understanding the brain and mind. A deeper understanding of the brain promises to transform human health and society. From effective treatments for disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, depression and autism to advances in fields as fundamental as computer science, economics, law, the arts and social policy, the potential for humanity is staggering. To learn more, visit: zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu. Aalto University is a community of bold thinkers where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future. Aalto University has six schools with 12,000 students and 400 professors. Our campus is in Espoo, Finland. TUCSON, Ariz. - The American Thoracic Society has selected University of Arizona Department of Medicine Chair Monica Kraft, MD, to receive its Elizabeth A. Rich Award at the Women's Forum of the ATS 2019 International Conference, May 17-22, in Dallas. The Forum will be held Monday, May 20, 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. CDT, at the Hyatt Regency Dallas, 300 Reunion Blvd. The award will be presented to Dr. Kraft by Janet Lee, MD, chair of the ATS Membership Committee, host of the Women's Forum and professor of medicine and director of the Acute Lung Injury Center of Excellence in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. "I am honored to be included in the group of esteemed, accomplished women who have received this award," Dr. Kraft said. "I am grateful to the ATS for this recognition as a role model on par with Elizabeth Rich and other winners of this award over the past 18 years, many of whom have been mentors and colleagues of mine." An internationally renowned physician-scientist specializing in translational research on severe asthma, Dr. Kraft also is a professor of medicine and the Robert and Irene Flinn Endowed Chair of Medicine at the UA College of Medicine - Tucson, and deputy director of the UA Health Sciences Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center. She joined the UA faculty as department chair in 2014, having served previously on faculty and in leadership roles at Duke University School of Medicine and the University of Colorado - Denver/National Jewish Health. She has held numerous committee appointments supporting the transition following the 2015 merger of UA Health Network and Banner Health that created the Banner - University Medicine academic division. Likewise, she has supported multiple efforts to strengthen and expand research opportunities throughout the department for medical students, fellows and junior and senior faculty. Since her arrival, the department also has gone from three female chiefs in 13 divisions to eight in 14 divisions, with an additional three female associate department chairs. At last year's ATS International Conference, she was presented with the 2018 Distinguished Achievement Award, which is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to fighting respiratory disease through research, education, patient care or advocacy. Since 2000, the ATS Membership Committee has presented this award on behalf of Elizabeth A. Rich, MD, a respected ATS member, mentor and peer who died tragically in 1998 at the age of 46. Dr. Rich was an associate professor in the pulmonary division at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland, a member of the executive committee for the Center for AIDS Research and director of a biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) facility--a specialized laboratory for the handling of HIV, virulent TB bacteria and other infectious agents. The award recognizes her dedication and contributions to the field of lung disease research as well as her position as a female role model and mentor. ### About the UA College of Medicine - Tucson The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson is shaping the future of medicine through state-of-the-art medical education programs, groundbreaking research and advancements in patient care in Arizona and beyond. Founded in 1967, the college boasts more than 50 years of innovation, ranking among the top medical schools in the nation for research and primary care. Through the university's partnership with Banner Health, one of the largest nonprofit health-care systems in the country, the college is leading the way in academic medicine. For more information, please visit medicine.arizona.edu. About the University of Arizona Health Sciences The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs approximately 4,000 people, has approximately 800 faculty members and garners more than $140 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: uahs.arizona.edu The University of Bristol's Smart Internet Lab led the team behind the 5G-enabled Tourism Experience Catalyst project that will be showcased at this year's Digital Transformation World in Nice, France [Tuesday 14- Thursday 16 May]. The aim of the TMF Catalyst program is to bring together buyers and end users with solutions and technology providers from across the media and telco space to collaboratively develop proof-of-concept projects. These rapid-fire projects focus on driving technical innovation to build demonstrable solutions to solve industry challenges. The team, led by Bristol's Smart Internet Lab, brought together other key members of the UK Government's 5G Testbeds and Trials '5G Smart Tourism' project - Cambridge Communications Systems Ltd and Zeetta Networks Ltd - as well as the creative might of BBC R&D and Oscar-winning Aardman animations. The result was the 5G-enabled Tourism Experience Catalyst project - a truly ground-breaking, advanced proof-of-concept, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in history using a virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR) application enabled by 5G network technology. Using consumer devices, visitors are able to 'see' back in time at one of the UK's most popular tourist attractions, The Roman Baths. Such innovations are increasingly important for a market that is worth an estimated US$32bn to the UK and US$7.6tr globally. As Catalyst leader, the University of Bristol's Smart Internet lab was responsible for the technical architecture and the use-cases or applications. Professor Dimitra Simeonidou, Director of the Smart Internet Lab at the University of Bristol, said: "5G offers high bandwidth, low latency and edge computing and will transform our future digital society and economy, impacting key sectors, including: transport, health , education, manufacturing, and in this occasion, tourism. The University's Smart Internet Lab has pioneered research on 5G technologies, and experiments on its 5GUK Test Network, the UK's first urban 5G End-to-End Testbed, delivering international and national impact." Mobile Heritage Virtual Reality Location application Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are two of the most demanding use cases for 5G. BBC R&D and Oscar winners Aardman have developed an augmented reality application that provides complex overlays and animations that help to bring to life the ruins of the Roman Baths in Bath, UK. The Mobile Heritage Virtual Reality Location application helps people understand and appreciate the history of a heritage site. Chloe Barraclough, Interactive Producer at Aardman, added: "We love exploring new ways to bring stories to life through emerging technologies, pushing creative boundaries that celebrate the craft, humour and storytelling that Aardman are famous for. Not least the Roman Baths 5G AR application where we produced beautiful 3D models of the building and its incredible history that were put to the test through advanced 5G technologies.". Graham Thomas Section Head for Immersive and Interactive Content of BBC R&D, explained: "BBC R&D is exploring how to create and deliver new kinds of content to delight our audiences. This project has shown us how 5G can enable delivery of visually-rich VR/AR content to users, taking advantage of features such as mobile edge computing." Network Slicing, MEC and Millimetre Wave (mmWave) The Heritage application is enabled by a 5G network which uses unique capabilities such as network slicing, low latency and MEC to deliver a resilient service tailored for high-volume tourism scenarios. Cambridge Communication Systems (CCS) use millimetre wave (mmWave) wireless radios to provide very high bandwidth, high-speed connections that enable MEC. Zeetta Networks provides network control and a sliced network environment that segregates and protects the demands of complex services. The full capability will be demonstrated at IBC 2019 in September. Martin Harriman, CCS Executive Chairman, said: "CCS's Metnet mmWave access and backhaul technology has been central to the successful delivery of the 5G Smart Tourism trial in Bristol and Bath, and we are now demonstrating the wider potential of these capabilities in this new Visitor Experience Catalyst. Working with an exceptional team of partners, we are highlighting exactly what this collaborative approach can deliver in terms of 5G innovation and performance, and providing a really outstanding showcase for exciting, immersive services for mobile users." Vassilis Seferedis CEO of Zeetta Networks, added: "Anyone who has tried to use a smartphone in a crowded location has experienced the impact of congestion on mobile (4G/LTE) and Wi-Fi networks. Many applications also have a detrimental effect on battery life. The catalyst demonstrates why 5G, with its ability to support huge numbers of connected devices, and mobile edge computing, which offloads power-hungry processing, is essential for a good visitor experience. This Catalyst exceeds the capabilities of existing networks and proves the need for 5G in tourism." Extension of the catalyst at IBC 2019 The catalyst consortium will continue to develop the capabilities of the proof-of-concept. At IBC2019 as well as the Mobile Heritage application, the team will demonstrate an important Public Safety capability using an incident area network (IAN) as well as enhancing the millimetre wave, network slicing and deployable enterprise networks. ### Using data from the FBIs 2020 Uniform Crime Report, 24/7 Wall St. identified Americas most dangerous states. For similar lists visit 24/7 Wall St. Two UC Santa Barbara physics professors -- Cristina Marchetti and Leon Balents -- are among the newest members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). They join 98 others so honored, and 25 foreign associates, recognized for their "distinguished and continuing achievements in original research." Marchetti and Balents bring to 42 the number of UCSB faculty elected to NAS, 16 of whom come from the Department of Physics. "What a tremendous honor it is for our campus to congratulate two of our leading physicists, Professor Leon Balents and Professor Cristina Marchetti, on their election to the National Academy of Sciences," said UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry T. Yang. "This prestigious peer recognition acknowledges the depth and breadth of the pioneering research and distinguished contributions through which each is pushing the boundaries of science, and we join with the academy and our global society in being inspired by their brilliance." Both Marchetti and Balents work in relatively new and burgeoning areas of physics -- Marchetti in the field of active matter and Balents in the realm of quantum materials. Both quantum and active matter systems are characterized by the collective behaviors of their many individual components, but these systems exist at different scales and possess different properties. "I am incredibly pleased and honored to have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences," said Balents, a permanent member of the campus's Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP). "I've spent most of my career at UC Santa Barbara, and owe much of my scientific success to the great environment here, especially the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and the physics and materials departments." Balents, who holds KITP's Yzurdiaga Chair in Theoretical Physics, is particularly interested in the quantum aspects of materials. Think behaviors of electrons and atoms at the subatomic and molecular scales that to our eyes would be strange, such as forming particles that are also waves, carrying signals that mysteriously connect far-separated regions, and being in more than one configuration at the same time. According to Balents, these odd quantum-scale properties do not only underlie all materials -- if harnessed, they can be used to generate sophisticated materials that perform highly advanced functions, such as converting waste heat into energy or transmitting power with ultra-low loss. They can also serve as the basis for future quantum computers. Recently appointed to co-lead the Canada-based CIFAR research institution's quantum materials program, Balents received his bachelor's degrees in physics and in mathematics from MIT in 1989. He went on to receive his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1994. First coming to UC Santa Barbara as a postdoctoral fellow in 1994, he returned in 1999 as a professor in the Department of Physics and became a permanent member of KITP in 2008. Farther up the size- and length scales, Marchetti's specialization, active matter, is a field she is credited with helping to define and create. "It is wonderful to receive such a recognition from the community for one's contribution to science," Marchetti said of her election to NAS. "I am grateful to UC Santa Barbara for welcoming me in their faculty less than a year ago and to Syracuse University for the support I have received there for the past thirty years. Any success I may have had in research would not have been possible without the inspiring collaborations I've had with students, postdocs and colleagues." For the past 15 years, Marchetti has been studying active matter -- systems made up of a large number of interacting units that consume energy to generate forces and motion. These can range from the cells in our bodies to bacterial colonies to flocks of birds and schools of fish, all of which spontaneously organize in complex patterns and structures on scales much larger than those of the individuals. Recently, her work in the general area of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics earned her the inaugural Leo P. Kadanoff Prize from the American Physical Society. Marchetti joined the UC Santa Barbara faculty in 2018, after three decades as a professor of physics at Syracuse University. Prior to that, she was an assistant professor of physics at the University of Illinois in Chicago. She also has been a visiting professor at Harvard University and a member and chair of the Advisory Board of UC Santa Barbara's KITP. She received her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Florida and her Laurea (equivalent to a masters degree) cum laude from the University of Pavia in Italy. ### NAS 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. A grant recently awarded to the Riverside Unified School District and UC Riverside will provide high school curriculum that addresses air quality, in a region that is among the worst polluters in the country. The grant is for $1.19 million and is from the National Science Foundation. The grant will create the Riverside Air Monitoring Project, or RAMP. Its curriculum aims to engage more than 2,000 high school students in an issue - air quality - that has health impacts in their community. "The model is exemplary in linking learning to real-world challenges and locally relevant issues with a community partnership that extends beyond the school to include local businesses, industry, and higher education," said David Haury, the NSF program manager overseeing the grant award. For the past several years, Riverside County - with a population of more than two million - has received an "F" air quality rating for both ozone and particulate matter from the American Lung Association's National State of the Air report. The report found Riverside County's air quality to be among the worst in the nation, along with other California counties including Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Ventura, and Imperial. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data, children under 18 and adults over 65 are most vulnerable to poor air quality, suffering from illnesses including asthma, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. New studies show elderly women breathing unsafe levels of fine-particle pollution are twice as likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease. "This environmental crisis is a call to action for the entire Southern California region," said Cecilia Cheung, a UCR psychology researcher and UCR's principal investigator. Cheung will monitor the program's classroom implementation for two years, conducting teacher training workshops. The training will be influenced by psychological research, including how to motivate students. The data Cheung's team collects will inform how to best engage underrepresented students in STEM activities -- and interest them in STEM careers. The research team will also look to address how industry motivates underrepresented students to become interested in STEM careers. "For instance, we will look at how industry helps teachers promote STEM jobs," Cheung said. If the program is successful in Riverside County, it may be introduced to neighboring San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, Cheung said. It is for 10th and 11th graders. "Every community has a unique set of environmental challenges and career opportunities associated with addressing those challenges," Haury said. "The lessons we will learn from this project will help others develop similar approaches tailored to their own communities." ### Funding is through Jan. 31, 2022 and will pay for training and for the research. In addition to Cheung, Linda Christopher of the Riverside Unified School District is a principal investigator, and UCR assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering Kelley Barsanti is a co-principal investigator. The University of Illinois at Chicago will launch a new effort to reduce the health disparities experienced by women and babies living in historically underserved and marginalized communities, thanks to a $4.7 million Healthy Start grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA. Efforts will include leveraging community health workers, social workers and doulas in the Chicago neighborhoods of Auburn-Gresham, Englewood and South Shore to improve health outcomes for pregnant women participating in the program and their children. The program is also unique because it will offer services to women's partners as well. Leading the project is UIC's Angela Ellison, senior director of the Office of Community Engagement and Neighborhood Health Partnerships. "Maternal health is an indicator of community health, and unfortunately, many of our communities are experiencing alarming disparities when it comes to the life expectancy of moms and babies, particularly in black communities," said Ellison, who oversees the school-based health and wellness centers of UIC's network of community-based clinics, called UI Health Mile Square Health Center. Ellison says that maternal mortality is two to three times higher for black women when compared with white women, a phenomenon the New York Times Magazine recently called a "life-or-death crisis," citing statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the University of Wisconsin and the Brookings Institute. A report released last week from the CDC found that black and native women die of pregnancy-related causes at a rate about three times higher than those of white women. "When you look at some of our communities in Chicago, the numbers get even scarier," Ellison said. With the funds, which will be provided over five years, Ellison and her team will work with women who are pregnant or whose children are younger than 18 months old, and their partners. "We will provide case management-type support around health, education, employment and removal of barriers," Ellison said. "Working with fathers and partners is also important as they are usually ignored in many programs of this type, yet have key roles in the development of healthy babies." Ellison says that because UI Health, UIC's academic health enterprise, has clinics in Englewood and South Shore, the project can quickly link patients to accessible, high-quality health care services, although participants in the project will not be required to be UI Health patients. UIC is one of five organizations in Illinois to receive Healthy Start funding in 2019, but the only organization with an academic medical center. It is also the only organization to place an emphasis on supporting fathers or partners, in addition to mothers. Healthy Start was created in 1991 to strengthen foundations at community, state and national levels to help women, infants and families reach their fullest potential. In 2019, HRSA awarded over $100 million Healthy Start awards. Working with Ellison on the project are UIC's Brenikki Floyd, Dr. Nicole Gastala, Dr. Emily Hall and Arden Handler. ### Researchers at the University of Illinois are leading a newly funded project from NASA to develop a novel approach for all-electric aircraft. Although improvements in vehicle configurations and engine systems have increased flight efficiency over the past few decades, the continued dependency on hydrocarbon fuels makes aircraft operation costs volatile. It also means that commercial aviation will continue to contribute a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions across the national and international transportation industry. And the forecast for air travel in the United States is expected to increase 90 percent within the next 20 years, leading to even greater emissions. In an effort to address these issues, this research proposes a fundamental shift away from jet fuel towards more sustainable energy sources for aviation, and the introduction of new electrically-driven propulsion systems for commercial aircraft systems. It's called CHEETA--the Center for Cryogenic High-Efficiency Electrical Technologies for Aircraft. NASA will provide $6 million over the course of three years. "Essentially, the program focuses on the development of a fully electric aircraft platform that uses cryogenic liquid hydrogen as an energy storage method," said Phillip Ansell, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Urbana-Champaign and principal investigator for the project. "The hydrogen chemical energy is converted to electrical energy through a series of fuel cells, which drive the ultra-efficient electric propulsion system. The low temperature requirements of the hydrogen system also provide opportunities to use superconducting, or lossless, energy transmission and high-power motor systems. "It's similar to how MRIs work, magnetic resonance imaging," Ansell added. "However, these necessary electrical drivetrain systems do not yet exist, and the methods for integrating electrically driven propulsion technologies into an aircraft platform have not yet been effectively established. This program seeks to address this gap and make foundational contributions in technologies that will enable fully electric aircraft of the future." The co-principal investigator on the project is Associate Professor Kiruba Haran in U of I's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "Advances in recent years on non-cryogenic machines and drives have brought electric propulsion of commercial regional jets closer to reality, but practical cryogenic systems remain the 'holy grail' for large aircraft because of their unmatched power density and efficiency," Haran said. "The partnerships that have been established for this project position us well to address the significant technical hurdles that exist along this path." ### The project includes participation from eight additional institutions: the Air Force Research Laboratory, Boeing Research and Technology, General Electric Global Research, The Ohio State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Arkansas, the University of Dayton Research Institute, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The other co-investigators on the team are: Assistant Professor Kai James and Associate Professor Jason Merret, both from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at U of I; Arijit Banerjee, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Illinois; Timothy Haugan from the Air Force Research Lab; Tina Stoia and Edward Mugica from Boeing Research and Technology; Edward Greitzer and David Hall from Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Fang Luo and Alan Mantooth from the University of Arkansas; Michael Sumption from The Ohio State University; Ernst W. Stautner from General Electric Global Research; Bang-Hung Tsao from the University of Dayton Research Institute; and Luigi Vanfretti from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. URBANA, Ill. - Topping the list of Australia's major crops, wheat is grown on more than half the country's cropland and is a key export commodity. With so much riding on wheat, accurate yield forecasting is necessary to predict regional and global food security and commodity markets. A new study published in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology shows machine-learning methods can accurately predict wheat yield for the country two months before the crop matures. "We tested various machine-learning approaches and integrated large-scale climate and satellite data to come up with a reliable and accurate prediction of wheat production for the whole of Australia," says Kaiyu Guan, assistant professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, Blue Waters professor at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, and principal investigator on the study. "The incredible team of international collaborators contributing to this study has significantly advanced our ability to predict wheat yield for Australia." People have tried to predict crop yield almost as long as there have been crops. With increasing computational power and access to various sources of data, predictions continue to improve. In recent years, scientists have developed fairly accurate crop yield estimates using climate data, satellite data, or both, but Guan says it wasn't clear whether one dataset was more useful than the other. "In this study, we use a comprehensive analysis to identify the predictive power of climate and satellite data. We wanted to know what each contributes," he says. "We found that climate data alone is pretty good, but satellite data provides extra information and brings yield prediction performance to the next level." Using both climate and satellite datasets, the researchers were able to predict wheat yield with approximately 75 percent accuracy two months before the end of the growing season. "Specifically, we found that the satellite data can gradually capture crop yield variability, which also reflects the accumulated climate information. Climate information that cannot be captured by satellite data serves as a unique contribution to wheat yield prediction across the entire growing season," says Yaping Cai, doctoral student and lead author on the study. Co-author David Lobell of Stanford University adds, "We also compared the predictive power of a traditional statistical method with three machine-learning algorithms, and machine-learning algorithms outperformed the traditional method in every case." Lobell initiated the project during a 2015 sabbatical in Australia. The researchers say the results can be used to improve predictions about Australia's wheat harvest going forward, with potential ripple effects on the Australian and regional economy. Furthermore, they are optimistic that the method itself can be translated to other crops in other parts of the world. ### The article, "Integrating satellite and climate data to predict wheat yield in Australia using machine learning approaches," is published in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology [DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2019.03.010]. Authors include Yaping Cai, Kaiyu Guan, David Lobell, Andries B Potgieter, Shaowen Wang, Jian Peng, Tianfang Xu, Senthold Asseng, Yongguang Zhang, Liangzhi You, and Bin Peng. The research was supported by NCSA, NASA, and the National Science Foundation. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences is in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois. A 2010 analysis of imagery from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) found that the moon shriveled like a raisin as its interior cooled, leaving behind thousands of cliffs called thrust faults on the moon's surface. A new analysis suggests that the moon may still be shrinking today and actively producing moonquakes along these thrust faults. A team of researchers including Nicholas Schmerr, an assistant professor of geology at the University of Maryland, designed a new algorithm to re-analyze seismic data from instruments placed by NASA's Apollo missions in the 1960s and '70s. Their analysis provided more accurate epicenter location data for 28 moonquakes recorded from 1969 to 1977. The team then superimposed this location data onto the LRO imagery of the thrust faults. Based on the quakes' proximity to the thrust faults, the researchers found that at least eight of the quakes likely resulted from true tectonic activity--the movement of crustal plates--along the thrust faults, rather than from asteroid impacts or rumblings deep within the moon's interior. Although the Apollo instruments recorded their last quake shortly before the instruments were retired in 1977, the researchers suggest that the moon is likely still experiencing quakes to this day. A paper describing the work, co-authored by Schmerr, was published in the journal Nature Geoscience on May 13, 2019. "We found that a number of the quakes recorded in the Apollo data happened very close to the faults seen in the LRO imagery," Schmerr said, noting that the LRO imagery also shows physical evidence of geologically recent fault movement, such as landslides and tumbled boulders. "It's quite likely that the faults are still active today. You don't often get to see active tectonics anywhere but Earth, so it's very exciting to think these faults may still be producing moonquakes." Astronauts placed five seismometers on the moon's surface during the Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15 and 16 missions. The Apollo 11 seismometer operated only for three weeks, but the four remaining instruments recorded 28 shallow moonquakes--the type produced by tectonic faults--from 1969 to 1977. On Earth, the quakes would have ranged in magnitude from about 2 to 5. Using the revised location estimates from their new algorithm, the researchers found that the epicenters of eight of the 28 shallow quakes were within 19 miles of faults visible in the LRO images. This was close enough for the team to conclude that the faults likely caused the quakes. Schmerr led the effort to produce "shake maps" derived from models that predict where the strongest shaking should occur, given the size of the thrust faults. The researchers also found that six of the eight quakes happened when the moon was at or near its apogee, the point in the moon's orbit when it is farthest from Earth. This is where additional tidal stress from Earth's gravity causes a peak in the total stress on the moon's crust, making slippage along the thrust faults more likely. "We think it's very likely that these eight quakes were produced by faults slipping as stress built up when the lunar crust was compressed by global contraction and tidal forces, indicating that the Apollo seismometers recorded the shrinking moon and the moon is still tectonically active," said Thomas Watters, lead author of the research paper and senior scientist in the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. Much as a grape wrinkles as it dries to become a raisin, the moon also wrinkles as its interior cools and shrinks. Unlike the flexible skin on a grape, however, the moon's crust is brittle, causing it to break as the interior shrinks. This breakage results in thrust faults, where one section of crust is pushed up over an adjacent section. These faults resemble small stair-shaped cliffs, or scarps, when seen from the lunar surface; each is roughly tens of yards high and a few miles long. The LRO has imaged more than 3,500 fault scarps on the moon since it began operation in 2009. Some of these images show landslides or boulders at the bottom of relatively bright patches on the slopes of fault scarps or nearby terrain. Because weathering gradually darkens material on the lunar surface, brighter areas indicate regions that are freshly exposed by an event such as a moonquake. Other LRO fault images show fresh tracks from boulder falls, suggesting that quakes sent these boulders rolling down their cliff slopes. Such tracks would be erased relatively quickly, in terms of geologic time, by the constant rain of micrometeoroid impacts on the moon. With nearly a decade of LRO imagery already available and more on the way in the coming years, the team would like to compare pictures of specific fault regions from different times to look for fresh evidence of recent moonquakes. "For me, these findings emphasize that we need to go back to the moon," Schmerr said. "We learned a lot from the Apollo missions, but they really only scratched the surface. With a larger network of modern seismometers, we could make huge strides in our understanding of the moon's geology. This provides some very promising low-hanging fruit for science on a future mission to the moon." ### This release is adapted from text provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The research paper, "Shallow seismic activity and young thrust faults on the Moon," Thomas Watters, Renee Weber, Geoffrey Collins, Ian Howley, Nicholas Schmerr and Catherine Johnson, was published in the journal Nature Geoscience on May 13, 2019. This work was supported by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Project and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The content of this article does not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations. Media Relations Contacts: Matthew Wright, 301-405-9267, mewright@umd.edu University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences 2300 Symons Hall College Park, MD 20742 http://www.cmns.umd.edu @UMDscience About the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland educates more than 9,000 future scientific leaders in its undergraduate and graduate programs each year. The college's 10 departments and more than a dozen interdisciplinary research centers foster scientific discovery with annual sponsored research funding exceeding $175 million. Treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases are one step closer as University of Queensland researchers discover a way to stop inflammation in its tracks. Associate Professor Kate Schroder and Dr Rebecca Coll from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Professor Avril Robertson from UQ's School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences led the study, which will inform the design of new drugs to stop the formation of a protein complex, called the inflammasome, which drives inflammation. Dr Coll, who is now a Lecturer at the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen's University Belfast, said the inflammasome was important in protecting our bodies from infection, but is also a key driver of unhealthy inflammation. "Inflammation helps our bodies heal following infection, but when the inflammasome is not switched off, inflammation becomes damaging. "Uncontrolled inflammation results in chronic diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and respiratory diseases such as asthma," she said. Associate Professor Schroder said the team's exciting discovery gave new insight into how to stop inflammation at the molecular level. "We previously identified a small molecule, MCC950, that inhibits the inflammasome to block inflammation in disease but, until now, we did not understand how it worked," she said. "We discovered that MCC950 binds directly to the inflammasome and inactivates it, turning off inflammation. "Now that we understand how a small molecule can inhibit the inflammasome, we are very excited about the potential of inflammasome inhibitors as anti-inflammatory drugs. Professor Robertson said "UQ start-up Inflazome Ltd, which is developing targeted therapies for inflammatory diseases, had announced its plans to commence clinical trials of their inflammasome inhibitors in 2019, and other companies are competing in this space. "We are keen to see results of these trials and hope that our discovery can lead to the efficient design of new molecules as anti-inflammatory drugs of the future," she said. ### The research was published in the scientific journal Nature Chemical Biology and supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and the Australian Research Council. Spread of wild pigs across Canada is emerging crisis for agriculture and environment Wild pigs invade Canadian provinces--an emerging crisis for agriculture and the environment Wild pigs--a mix of wild boar and domestic swine--are spreading rapidly across Canada, threatening native species such as nesting birds, deer, agricultural crops, and farm livestock, research by the University of Saskatchewan (USask) shows. The first-ever published survey of the wild pig distribution in Canada has found a rapid expansion in the invasive species' range, which is increasing by nine per cent a year. "Wild pigs are ecological train wrecks. They are prolific breeders making them an extremely successful invasive species," said Ruth Aschim, a PhD student who led the research published today in Nature Scientific Reports. "Wild pigs can cause soil erosion, degrade water quality, destroy crops, and prey on small mammals, amphibians and birds." Wild boar were brought from Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s to diversify Canadian livestock production. Others were imported as 'penned game' for shooting. The hybrid wild pigs have rapidly multiplied and spread, making them the most prolific invasive mammal in Canada. By 2017, they had spread exponentially across Canada, from British Columbia to Ontario and Quebec, with the majority in the south-central half of Saskatchewan. Their territory has increased by 88,000 square kilometres per year, on average, over the last decade. Concentrated on the Canadian prairies, wild pigs currently have a range of over 750,000 square kilometres, the USask research found. The researchers found the territory of a male wild pig can be as large as 300 square kilometres in the summer, with sows covering up to 230 kilometres. The research team, based in USask's animal and poultry science department in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, has mapped the pigs' range as it expands since their initial introduction onto the landscape in the early 1990s. Their maps, published alongside the USask research, show that wild pigs are now firmly established in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba, with populations scattered in B.C., Ontario and Quebec. Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, the North West Territories, the Yukon, and Nunavut do not currently host wild pig populations. A group of escaped wild pigs in the Yukon were removed last summer. Wild pigs typically weigh between 120 and 250 pounds. They have around six piglets per litter, per year. They are adapted to very cold temperatures, and can breed in any season, living in 'pigloos' burrowed into the snow. Sexually mature within four-to-eight months, they feed on all common types of farmers' crops, including corn, wheat and canola. They also eat insects, birds, reptiles and small mammals. "The growing wild pig population is not an ecological disaster waiting to happen--it is already happening," said USask's Ryan Brook, lead researcher for the Canadian Wild Pig Project, a Canada-wide research program, and Ruth Aschim's supervisor. "Wild pigs are so widespread that they are a major challenge to control in Canada and eradication is only possible with a comprehensive plan to deal with this highly efficient invasive species. In Saskatchewan they are already posing significant risks to agriculture and livestock production. Our mapping of their expanding territory shows just how quickly they are spreading. This is a rapidly emerging crisis." The USask research team surveyed the pig distribution using eight different complementary monitoring methods, including capturing and fitting tracking collars to wild pigs, trail cameras, surveying hunters, government staff, and farmers, and getting the public to report sightings. The team did not record wild pig numbers in this project. "Wild pigs are able to survive and thrive in a wide range of environments and climates," said Aschim. "They are omnivores, very adaptable and are able to rapidly expand their range into unoccupied areas." Farmers have reported wild swine raiding farms, scattering, frightening, and interacting with livestock, destroying crops and eating hay bales and grain. They can also be destructive and use their long noses and thick strong necks to root up soil and vegetation, degrading habitat, and tearing up ground set aside for conservation purposes. Their main range is on agricultural areas south of Saskatchewan's boreal forest. Wild pigs can adapt to almost any climate, from North Africa to Russia and Canada, and now have the widest distribution of any large mammal on earth. They thrive in the U.S. and Australia and have been documented in the Galapagos Islands. They cost U.S. agriculture more than one billion U.S. dollars per year. ### The research was funded by the U.S. Plant and Animal Health Inspection Service, National Feral Swine Damage Management Program (U.S. Department of Agriculture), Saskatchewan Fish and Wildlife Development Fund, University of Saskatchewan, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Cyril Capling Trust at USask. AUSTIN, Texas - Scientists have uncovered new evidence that heated political discourse over proposed laws involving marginalized groups, such as debates about the rights of LGBT people, can contribute to an increase in bullying linked to students' identity in schools. It is the largest study to date to examine the link. In a new study out Monday, in the journal Pediatrics, scientists at The University of Texas at Austin, Columbia University and Texas State University found that in the run-up to a statewide voter referendum to ban gay marriage in California, young people reported significantly more homophobic bullying. In fact, homophobic bullying peaked that school year and declined after the public debate about the initiative in question, Proposition 8, subsided. "We think that young people don't hear what adults and lawmakers are talking about, but they do," said Stephen Russell, senior author of the paper and chair of the Human Development and Family Sciences Department at The University of Texas at Austin. Researchers say the study provides empirical evidence that public debates about policies and laws involving marginalized groups can lead bullies to target young people identified as being part of those groups. "Public votes and voter referendums on the rights of minority groups occur in approximately half of U.S. states," said Mark Hatzenbuehler, an associate professor of sociomedical sciences and sociology at Columbia University and the paper's first author. "Our findings suggest that the public discourse surrounding these votes may increase risk for bias-based bullying." The study looked at yearly survey data from nearly 5 million middle and high school students in more than 5,000 schools in California from 2001 to 2015 and whether those students experienced homophobic bullying. The rate of homophobic bullying rose from 7.6 percent of students reporting they experienced this bullying in the 2001-02 school year to 10.8 percent in the 2008-09 school year when the Proposition 8 vote took place. This occurred even as trends in other types of bullying related to race or ethnicity, religion and gender declined. Russell pointed out that the rate of homophobic bullying that year was higher even than the estimated population of LGBT students. "The data are telling us that straight kids are getting bullied for this, too," Russell said. "It's all about what the bullies perceive." After peaking in 2008-2009, the rate of homophobic bullying steadily decreased every year after. Many schools have initiatives to prevent bullying and bias, so the team also examined whether campuses with a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club experienced a protective effect against homophobic bullying. They found rates of homophobic bullying in fact were lower on campuses with these clubs during the 2008-09 school year: Homophobic bullying was below 10 percent on campuses with GSA organizations and nearly 13 percent on campuses without a GSA. The negative impacts of bullying on mental health are well established, but what is not well known is what factors in the culture and society contribute to bullying. Because the paper shows public discourse can play a role, the findings could have implications for discussions of other policy issues that focus on marginalized or minority groups. "Policies and campaigns related to Black Lives Matter, bathroom bills, immigration -- these can be concerning in how they affect the health and well-being of youth," Russell said. "The public health consequences of these very contentious and media-driven discussions are more important than we knew." ### Yishan Shen of Texas State University and Elizabeth Vandewater of The University of Texas at Austin also contributed to the research. Funding for the research was provided by the Communities for Just Schools Fund Project at the New Venture Fund, the Priscilla Pond Flawn Endowment at The University of Texas at Austin, the Population Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. MORGANTOWN, W.Va.--Treating a stubborn blood disease that strikes children may come down to tweaking energy production in stem cells, suggests research out of West Virginia University. Wei Du, an assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy, is investigating the link between how stem cells make energy and how Fanconi anemia develops. The disease makes it harder for bone marrow to churn out the blood cells our bodies need to fight illnesses, stanch bleeding and transport oxygen. It also makes repairing damaged DNA more difficult. "Almost all of the kids with Fanconi anemia will develop leukemia eventually," said Du, who co-leads the Alexander B. Osborn Hematopoietic Malignancy and Transplantation Program at the WVU Cancer Institute. According to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the average lifespan for people with the disease is between 20 and 30 years. Du and her research team discovered that, in animal models of Fanconi anemia, stem cells tended to use aerobic--or oxygen-based--processes to make energy. That's unusual: normally stem cells found in bone marrow and blood prefer an anaerobic process that doesn't rely on oxygen. This metabolic distinction suggests that Fanconi anemia's diverse symptoms--from fatigue and shortness of breath, to frequent bruising and nosebleeds--may hinge on cellular-level energy production. In fact, a single step in the metabolic process seems crucial. The researchers identified a specific signaling pathway--called the p53-TIGAR axis--that was overexpressed in the anemic models. The overexpression correlated to the aerobic "rerouting" of the stem cells' energy production. The current standard of care for Fanconi anemia includes bone marrow transplant, but as Du explained, it works less than one-third of the time. "In people with Fanconi anemia, blood cells aren't the only ones that have a mutation," she said. "So do other cells in other parts of the body that support stem cell survival." For that reason, the patients' bodies can't support the replication of healthy, transplanted normal cells properly, and their anemia persists. But Du's findings could lead to new and better treatments for Fanconi anemia. One promising option is a drug that inhibits the overactivation of the p53-TIGAR signal. Preventing p53-TIGAR from inordinate activation may guide the stem cells' energy production back to the usual pathway. Her insights might even deepen researchers' understanding of gene-therapy techniques. "If you know more about diseases of the stem cell--how they regulate energy, and how they regulate differentiation and self-renewal--you probably can improve gene therapy as well," Du said. "If you can manually balance the energy production of the diseased stem cells then maybe this can be a benefit when you harvest those gene-delivery cells and transplant them into the patient." ### The milestone came despite a cancer diagnosis more than three years earlier. Carter disclosed in 2015 that he had melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain. He received treatment for seven months until scans showed no sign of the disease. this news is not available Brands such as Zomato, Amazon, Paytm and SBI General Insurance have come forward to help those hit by the cyclone in whichever ways they can Cyclone Fani hit eastern parts of India and left a trail of destruction behind it. The calamity has resulted in immense loss to property and lives in Odisha and neighbouring states. While the Central and state governments are doing their best to ensure full aid to victims, several companies too have come forward to help the state get back to normalcy. Food tech start-up Zomato has teamed up with Feeding India, a not-for-profit organisation, to deliver meals and basic amenities to the affected families. Zomato on Wednesday announced a relief drive to provide succour to victims in the cyclone-affected areas and pave the way for public participation. In a blog post, Zomato stated, The scale of destruction has been heartbreaking, to say the least. But then, there are things that arent within our control and there are things that are. We cant avert a furious cyclone but we must help others pick themselves up with whatever little we can." Zomato aims to collect over Rs 50 lakh from its 5,000 employees (Zomans) to aid the relief effort. The company also said that a large number of its 1.8 lakh registered delivery partners were eager to contribute to the cause, and expects to collect more than Rs 8 lakh from them alone. The company also said its delivery partners in affected districts of Odisha who werent able to work would be compensated for the financial loss. Zomato will be matching their payout from two weeks ago and will credit that amount directly into their respective bank accounts. E-commerce major Amazon has initiated a donation drive on its platform to help the disaster-hit families. To make a contribution, one can scan the QR code by using Amazon app or make an UPI payment. https://www.amazon.in/l/8891257031?pf_rd_p=d079a663-5473-42f7-95b7-8f8f2eb923fc&pf_rd_r=EPY9DKB2XRX45VFMF3X5%20 Fintech major Paytm has opened up contributions on its digital payments app to enable users to contribute to relief and rehabilitation efforts in Odisha. Users have the option to contribute to the Odisha Cyclone Relief Fund on the Paytm app. Important. We have opened contributions on Paytm to assist #CycloneFani relief & rehabilitation efforts in Odisha. Please spread the word. ? Paytm (@Paytm) 4 May 2019 Crowdfunding website Ketto has asked for Rs 10,00,000 to help the victims affected from the disaster. https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/fanicyclone SBI General Insurance has announced faster claim process for home, motor and health raised due to cyclone Fani. The company has generated helpline number and other contact details for its customers hit by the cyclone. Adding to raise the awareness of people, B-town has also come out in support of Odisha and actors are asking their fans to donate for Odisha. Rajkumar Rao took to his Twitter handle and wrote, "Donate as much guys. Let's help rebuild Odisha after Cyclone Fani." Donate as much guys. Lets help rebuild Odisha after #cyclonefanihttps://t.co/8WYCGML7bC Do your bit. Rajkummar Rao (@RajkummarRao) 5 May 2019 Abhishek Bachchan tweeted, "For all of you who want to contribute and help Odisha Let's do whatever we can to help!" LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL For all of you who want to contribute and help #Odisha Lets do whatever we can to help!https://t.co/Bm3Jp72K9f Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) 5 May 2019 Other actors, including Tiger Shroff, Disha Patani, Madhuri Dixit and Varun Dhawan, urged fans to stand with the cyclone-hit state. Actor Akshay Kumar reportedly donated Rs 1 crore to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to help the Odisha cyclone victims. With respect to the current situation in Odisha due to cyclone Fani, IndiGoReach, the CSR arm of IndiGo has been doing its part in helping the survivors of the incident. IndiGo believes that as a responsible organization they must also focus on integrating into the business model a program for serving the community where they operate. In the wake of the recent cyclone that has hit Odisha, IndiGo has been sending across food packages on a regular basis to Bhubaneshwar. IndiGo felt a need to provide them with freshly cooked meals at the areas affected in and around Bhuvaneswar. To facilitate this, IndiGoReach along with the Bhubaneswar airport staff are organizing a three day community kitchen that will be set up in the airport premises, where fresh food items such as khichdi, pulao, dal, and rice along with some vegetables will be cooked for the affected villagers nearby, their families as well as for the nearby communities thus ensuring Food for All. IndiGo has also been taking the initiative to drive a medical check-up camp in nearby villages to reduce the chances of an epidemic post the cyclone. Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India) The South African Rand was at the mercy of bilateral pressure into the weekly session with trade-related uncertainties appearing to offset election-spurred optimism to put the ZAR lower against major peers as Monday's European session progressed. Given the overarching global impact of flaring US-China trade tension, near-term the Rand - alongside other EMs - is expected to take its cue therefrom and not election results according to a number of analysts. Medium-term, the outlook for the ZAR is relatively upbeat with the outlook coupled to President Ramaphosa's reform agenda. Despite the flaring of global trade tension last week as the US administration first threatened then went through with imposing increased tariffs on $200B worth of Chinese goods the South African Rand largely escaped the EM suppression prompted by sweeping risk-off. The reason for the ZAR's relative firmness was attributed to growing expectations for a decisive ANC victory in last week's national elections. "During the weekend, the final count of Wednesdays election in South Africa gave the ANC 57.5% of the votes," wrote Danske Bank senior analyst Piet Christiansen, adding "This raises the prospect of a more forceful implementation of the reform agenda in South Africa by Ramaphosa, which is dearly needed to increase the countrys lacklustre growth prospects." Christiansen went on to add however that "EM currencies may face a challenging period ahead following the US-China trade war." Accordingly, the ZAR dropped against G10 currencies as Monday's session progressed with investors awaiting the anticipated Chinese retaliation to US-imposed tariffs. "In spite of last weeks election and a perceived investor-friendly outcome, the rand has been largely driven by international factors with the election contributing only marginally to its direction, wrote Bianco Botes, corporate treasury manager at Peregrine Solutions. Following last week's talks, both the US and China sent signals of cautious optimism however given disparity between official reports and the actual escalation of trade-related barriers, markets will likely retain a cautious outlook. Furthermore, the narrative out of China indicated a degree of resistance to US pressure. Speaking to reporters in Beijing, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang stated that "China will never surrender to external pressure. We have the confidence and the ability to protect our lawful and legitimate rights." On the positive side, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue trade-negotiations, despite failing to set a date for the next round of talks in Beijing. Given the US administration's one-month ultimatum - after which in lieu of a deal the US will hike tariffs on all remaining Chinese imports - the longer a deal takes to resolve, the worse the risk-aversion is likely to become. "One thing has become clear over the past days and weeks: that quite a lot can go wrong in this negotiating process," wrote Commerzbank analysts in a note to clients, adding "Moreover the most impressive current news flow consists of the US Presidents tweets. And if one reads those, one is overcome by concerns that the moment when all bridges have been burned and constructive talks are no longer possible, cannot be far off." While the near-term outlook for the ZAR and the general EM-sphere remains vulnerable to global trade developments, the medium to longer-term outlook is expected to lie with how successful rel-elected President Cyril Ramaphosa's pro-reform agenda plays out. Following the ANC victory at national elections, investor focus is expected to be on the degree to which reforms are implemented moving forward with "the composition of the future cabinet, Eskoms labour reforms, and the opening of South Africas economy to international investors. Key appointments to the cabinet include the Minister of Energy, Minister of Trade and Industry, and Minerals and Energy Minister, expected to be key factors, according to FX Market Analyst at Monex Europe, Simon Harvey. Despite the near-term complications posed by flaring US-China trade tension, Standard Bank maintain a bullish outlook on the undervalued Rand with pre-election forecasts calling for a 53-54% ANC election majority to be sufficient to prompt post-election Rand appreciation. With expectations that Ramaphosa will push through his pro-reform agenda, Standard Bank forecast USD/ZAR to reach 13.40 by year-end (currently at R14.256). On the potential for election-spurred gains, Senior Dealer at TreasuryONE Andre Botha wrote "The outcome brings policy certainty back into the market which, coupled with the notion that no coalition government will be formed, will inject some positivity for the rand which could help (it) break lower and maybe test the R14.00 level." However, events on the global stage have introduced a distinct element of downside risk for the Rand near-term. "There are opposite forces currently in the market, with the market waiting for Chinese retaliation after the US imposed a fresh round of tariffs on the Chinese," noted Botha, adding "The breakdown in the current trade talks leave a void which can only be filled by uncertainty, which could make the current rand strength short in duration." Given both the national elections and US-China trade related risk factors at play, upcoming domestic data could be largely overshadowed. Nevertheless, Tuesday will see the latest South African unemployment figures with forecasts expecting an increase from 27.1% to 27.5%. "The unemployment rate is likely to increase partly due to seasonal effects but also underlying weakness of economic growth," wrote ABSA economist, Peter Worthington. Wednesday will see the latest retail sales figures with consensus forecasts calling for a (y/y) 0.9% decline in the total value of sales at the retail level. Worthington added "Year-on-year retail sales likely to fall in March mainly due to a combination of load shedding and base effects." UPDATE: The Pound to US Dollar exchange rates were trapped in a narrow range on Tuesday, as markets remained focused on the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China. After shooting higher on Monday, demand for the safe-haven US Dollar was more tepid on Tuesday after President Trump suggested he had a good feeling about US-Chinese trade talks. Meanwhile capping demand for the Pound was the release of some mixed employment figures from the UK, where a surprise drop in the unemployment rate in March was undermined by slowing wage growth figures. GBP/USD NEWS MAY 14: The Pound Sterling continued to slide against the Greenback into Tuesday's session with the British last seen trading at $1.29466, a shade below the session open. The Sterling found some brief respite to the downside pressure in the form of the latest UK labour market statistics. According to the Office for National Statistics, the UK unemployment rate fell to 3.8% - the lowest level since Q4 1974 - while the overall employment rate matched the joint-highest on record at 76.1%. Wage growth, however, missed consensus with the Average Earnings Index registering at 3.2% - below the 2.4% forecast. Meanwhile risk-appetite fell back into the sweet spot for the US Dollar as comments from US and Chinese officials maintained a positive narrative regarding a potential US-China trade deal, prompting a firmer USD versus G10 peers. "The sell-off in risk assets has taken a pause after slightly more optimistic remarks from President Trump on the prospects of a US-China trade deal over the next three to four weeks," wrote global head of EMEA research, Chris Turner of ING, adding "For today, we should expect a modest bounce in US equities after yesterdays 2.4% sell-off and focus on data (NFIB small business optimism) and Federal Reserve speakers (John Williams 0915CET, Esther George 1845). Expect DXY to consolidate in the 97.00/97.50 range..." For the Sterling, the overriding environment is expected to limit any upside potential. Given the overriding environment, interest rates on the floor and even if we have got a slightly firmer wages number, we could see a brief counter-trend move here in sterling and sterling interest rates because of the overall environment, added Turner. GBP/USD NEWS MAY 13: The Pound Sterling US Dollar exchange rate slipped and the pairing is currently trading at an inter-bank rate of $1.2969. This afternoon, China announced plans to increase tariffs on American goods bought by Chinese companies despite calls from President Trump not to retaliate. Beijing said the tariffs would hit around 5,000 products, with tariffs of between 5% and 25% on $60 billion worth of US goods. China's escalation of trade tensions by likely caused risk-appetite among investors to become increasingly fragile. The tariffs are due to be implemented from the 1 June, and criticising the US an official statement from Beijing said: Escalation of Sino-US economic and trade frictions, contrary to the consensus between China and the United States on resolving trade differences through consultations, jeopardising the interests of both sides and not meeting the general expectations of the international community. US Dollar (USD) Edges Up as China Vows to Never Surrender On Monday morning, speaking to reporters in Beijing Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Geng Shuange said: China will never surrender to external pressure. We have the confidence and ability to protect out lawful and legitimate rights. Meanwhile, through a series of tweets, US President Donald Trump encouraged China not to retaliate to his 25% tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. In one of the tweets, the President wrote: There will be nobody left in China to do business with. Very bad for China, very good for USA! But China has taken so advantage of the US for so many years, that they are way ahead (Our Presidents did not do the job). Therefore, China should not retaliate will only get worse! This likely buoyed the safe-haven USD against the Pound. Sterling (GBP) Slides Ahead of Further Cross-Party Discussions The Pound was left flat against the US Dollar today despite reports suggesting that cross-party discussions could end as soon as this week if the Prime Minister does not budge on her red lines. Speaking to the Guardian, Shadow Brexit Secretary, Sir Keir Starmer said that a cross-party Brexit deal would not get through Parliament without another public vote. The Shadow Brexit Secretary also added that if Theresa May did not move on her red lines he would not be opposed to ending cross-party talks as soon as this week. Talks are set to resume at 17:00 BST on Monday. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that it was a crunch week for the cross-party discussions ahead of the European elections. However, analysts have suggested that as talks between Labour and the Conservatives are continuing, it has prevented Sterling from suffering huge losses. Pound US Dollar Outlook: Will the GBP/USD Rise on Disappointing US Retail Sales? Looking ahead to Tuesday, the Pound (GBP) could rise against the US Dollar (USD) following the release of the UK ILO unemployment rate. If UK unemployment remains at multi-decade lows, it could provide Sterling with an upswing of support. Meanwhile, the US Dollar could slip on Wednesday following the release of the US retail sales data. If US retail sales disappoint in April, sentiment in the Greenback could slide, and the Pound US Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate could rise. From: American Evaluation Association (AEA) For Immediate Release: Dateline: Washington , DC Monday, May 13, 2019 Sachi Shenoy, the Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer of In the decade-plus Ive been doing this work, Ive often heard mission-driven organizations talk about the importance of scale. While reporting large and wide outreach is a commendable goal, it should not preclude measuring the depth of impact. Its important to ask how a program benefited its target audience in the intended way. If we have created new jobs, for example, have jobholders incomes increased, especially compared to their old jobs? Hot Tip: Mission-driven organizations should consider surveying a small sample of their beneficiaries. With each company Upaya invests in, we send third-party enumerators to visit a random sample of jobholders for a 10-minute survey. We try to learn how the program benefited its target audience and what program modifications could optimize effectiveness. We spend on average $100,000 annually, or 10 percent of our budget, on these activities. We have always believed the benefits outweigh the costs, and that the same holds true for other organizations. Creative methodssuch as employing student interns, leveraging free mobile survey tools like Lessons Learned: The nearly For any organization, surveys can unearth valuable customer insights that can improve program effectiveness. The purpose of this information is not to prove impact; other more rigorous, resource-intensive methods like randomized control trials (RCTs) can establish causal links between program activities and outcomes. We disagree, however, with the binary notion that one must either invest in RCTs or do nothing at all. We believe there is a middle groundone that involves gathering feedback from our target audience, in their own words, and constantly refining our programs to best serve their needs. The American Evaluation Association is celebrating Social Impact Measurement Week with our colleagues in the Social Impact Measurement Topical Interest Group. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from our SIM 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. I am, the Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer of Upaya Social Ventures . Upayas mission is to create dignified jobs for the poorest of the poor by investing in and consulting with small business entrepreneurs anchored in marginalized communities. To date, our 16 investee companies have cumulatively created more than 12,000 jobs.In the decade-plus Ive been doing this work, Ive often heard mission-driven organizations talk about the importance of scale. While reporting large and wide outreach is a commendable goal, it should not preclude measuring the depth of impact. Its important to ask how a program benefited its target audience in the intended way. If we have created new jobs, for example, have jobholders incomes increased, especially compared to their old jobs?Mission-driven organizations should consider surveying a small sample of their beneficiaries. With each company Upaya invests in, we send third-party enumerators to visit a random sample of jobholders for a 10-minute survey. We try to learn how the program benefited its target audience and what program modifications could optimize effectiveness.We spend on average $100,000 annually, or 10 percent of our budget, on these activities. We have always believed the benefits outweigh the costs, and that the same holds true for other organizations. Creative methodssuch as employing student interns, leveraging free mobile survey tools like KoBoToolbox , and pulling it all together with systems like Impact Cloud by SoPact can make this process straightforward and cost-effective.The nearly 1,200 surveys we have collected over the years have provided invaluable insights. For example, one investee company found jobholders reported a 200 percent increase in their household incomes and were spending considerably more on food and consumer goods. But one year into these jobs, despite the uptick in income, there was little to no movement on longer-term indicators like improvements in housing condition. Midline surveys revealed jobholders had no safe way to savethey were not getting approved for bank accounts, and the proverbial stuffing the mattress method of savings was prone to theft. It was no wonder then, that short-term indicators were highly positive, but longer-term indicators were flat. This prompted our entrepreneur to devise savings schemes, such as automatic payroll deductions, for his employees. Early pilot testing showed good promise, and jobholders viewed this as an additional benefit of staying in the job.For any organization, surveys can unearth valuable customer insights that can improve program effectiveness. The purpose of this information is not to prove impact; other more rigorous, resource-intensive methods like randomized control trials (RCTs) can establish causal links between program activities and outcomes. We disagree, however, with the binary notion that one must either invest in RCTs or do nothing at all. We believe there is a middle groundone that involves gathering feedback from our target audience, in their own words, and constantly refining our programs to best serve their needs.The American Evaluation Association is celebratingwith our colleagues in the. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from ourmembers. 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. As parents, were in the business of raising future adults. We only get about 20 years to take our best shot at it, so we should be open to advice from credible sources on how best to do it. With that in mind, I just finished New York Times personal-finance columnist Ron Liebers The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money, a book aimed perfectly at the overlapping section of my lifes Venn diagram of money talk and child-rearing. Ill save you some time and pass on my favorite tips from Lieber about fighting materialism, discussing smart spending and building a generous future adult. I like the book, but I didnt love it. Ill explain why at the end. I like simple, universally applicable parenting guidelines, so I appreciated this one from Lieber: When considering buying some expensive item for your kid that all the other kids have, shoot for the 30th percentile in terms of timing and cost. Lieber suggests that if 10 high school seniors were getting cars for graduation, maybe aim so that 70 percent of the kids get nicer cars than yours. If 100 children at the school will eventually have phones, maybe your child doesnt get hers until roughly 70 kids already have theirs. The specifics can fluctuate over time, but the 30th percentile is a decent idea for parents to keep in mind. Its modest and flexible to the situation. My eighth grader got a phone this past year. According to her, she was dead last in her class. In retrospect, we were a little late. Ill accept that. Another idea I like from Liebers book is his concept of the fun ratio. Your kid wants something that costs some money. The questions are: How does the cost compare with the hours of enjoyment you get from it? Whats that number, exactly? This past Christmas, I literally paid $1 at a dollar store for a slinky thing that slides up and down your arm. My third grader spent hours playing with this thing. That was an amazing fun ratio. Lieber suggests not only calculating the fun ratio before a purchase but, more importantly, discussing with your kids their experiences after the fact. Such as the highly sought-after electronic game that lost its appeal after a week. Or that hike you took that only cost a few dollars in gas and an extra water bottle. Whats the fun ratio of these things? Lieber has thoughtful things to say about raising kids to be generous philanthropically, in particular the value of work versus service projects for young people. Lieber points to a mistake many affluent parents make in trying to avoid raising spoiled children. They send their teenager on a service trip to Ethiopia or El Salvador. Never mind that the trips cost a lot of money or that American teenagers may be of little use to the overseas communities they purport to serve. Folks in my life who work in the college and graduate school admissions business talk openly about the cliched essay describing some supposedly eye-opening experience of the applicant on his service trip to Guatemala. Heres a hint to parents and grandparents funding these trips in the name of service: Admissions officers really dont care. In fact, admissions officers hate that essay. A much more refreshing and interesting story about character-building would stem from cleaning the toilets at the neighborhood Dairy Queen. Just get a job. Parents, you say you want the opposite of spoiled? Would you like fries with that? Now, a few problems I had with this book. Some of Liebers advice to parents about raising generous and philanthropic children is not totally relatable. He writes admiringly about the family that moved out of their $2 million house and into a $1 million house in order to donate $1 million to build two community centers in Ghana. Or the family that returned their Porsche to free up funds for a socially responsible venture in Vietnam. Now thats really lovely of those two families, but this is not exactly advice we can all use. I lived in New York City for 13 years, working in finance. I moved to San Antonio 10 years ago. Where I live now, the problem of spoiled children too much wealth, not enough perspective seems far less urgent to me than the problem of young people who dont have any money at all and dont have the tools to get any. This book would feel much more relatable if I still lived in New York City. If I had to choose between teaching young people to accumulate wealth over time to avoid being poor or to give away money to avoid being spoiled, I would choose the first lesson every time. In fact, I have chosen the first lesson. I literally wrote a book on the subject. Thats a false dichotomy, of course. We want to raise our kids to both build wealth and then learn to direct their wealth thoughtfully and ethically. It is a risk that well teach only the first lesson making money but fail to teach the second lesson to be the master of money rather than a slave to it. So heres my best shot at being generous to Liebers ideas while sticking up for my own. The most important step to financial competency is delayed gratification and modesty of consumption. Wealth-building occurs over decades. Decades of having less than we want. Decades of putting away something for a far-off future. Any child who can learn to do this heck, any adult, for that matter wont be spoiled. Moderate your consumption, kid. Put away this portion of your money to your future, older self. Rinse, repeat. Instilling financial competency in a young person intrinsically prevents spoilage. Thats my rule. Michael Taylor is a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and author of The Financial Rules For New College Graduates. michael@michaelthesmartmoney.com | twitter.com/michael_taylor Paula Gold-Williams is, first and foremost, a numbers woman. A certified public accountant, shed made a career out of scrutinizing balance sheets like a radiologist poring over an X-ray. She worked at an auditing firm, the former Time Warner Cable and Lubys Inc. when the cafeteria chain was even more distressed than it is now before arriving at CPS Energy in 2004. The common threads: profit and loss, spending and savings, efficiencies and inefficiencies. Gold-Williams, 57, is the president and CEO of the city-owned utility. She rose through the agency as controller and then chief financial officer before taking over the executive suite from Doyle Beneby in 2016. But leading CPS, with a workforce of more than 3,000, demands a lot more than getting a handle on the numbers. OnExpressNews.com: San Antonio's CPS Energy: More green energy, but coal stays in the mix Now Playing: San Antonios CPS Energy chief Paula Gold-Williams talks electricity rates, clean energy and Lubys Video: San Antonio Express-News As CEO, Gold-Williams has to mediate a host of competing demands. One is to keep electricity rates among the lowest in Texas and, at the same time, invest more in renewable energy to help combat global warming. Another demand: Strike a balance between running CPS as a business and operating it for the benefit of ratepayers. The utility hands over 14 percent of its gross revenue to the city of San Antonio annually, money that makes up 29 percent of this years $1.3-billion general fund. Gold-Williams, whos also serving as 2019 chair of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, spoke with the San Antonio Express-News at CPS headquarters on Navarro Street. The following transcript was edited for clarity and length. Q: Lubys must have been exciting, at least from a financial standpoint. The company had a debt crisis, which you walked into because it wouldnt have been that long after you started as controller in the early 2000s. So what happened? A: A couple of things happened. One, food offerings really changed. Now everybody has a lot of choices. The Culinary Institute of America and all the options you have, and all the chefs. People dont really understand how amazing the CIA is and the work that people like Chef Johnny Hernandez and (Pearl developer) Kit Goldsbury have done. But back in the 1970s, in Lubys heyday, it was just Lubys. And everybody loved it. It was home cooking without the pressure. A family didnt have to dirty the dishes. But then the industry started to diversify. Offerings started to diversify. Small-box locations started entering the neighborhoods and were much more convenient. The first year I was at Lubys, we had a decline on one of our main metrics same-store sales. If your same-store sales are increasing that means you have a lot of potential and youre cash-flowing and everything is great. My first year on the job was the first downturn. But the leadership team actually didnt look at it as a signal of the industry changing. They looked at it as an anomaly. Then our cash flow started to come under pressure. The other major change that took place was the evolution of malls. We were located in many malls. We had expanded to over 10 states. And I would say a good portion of our locations were in malls. Well, when the traffic in the mall starts to decline, that means the traffic in your stores starts to decline. But your costs stay the same because you signed up for a 10-year or a 20-year lease. I mean, people thought that malls would last forever. What happened technically was that we tripped what we call a debt covenant. Your revenues have to be so strong that you have to maintain a certain level of net worth. We slipped and that number went below the threshold, and all of a sudden we looked at the debt contract and we realized that we had broken debt covenant. We realized that we needed to retract close some stores and get out of certain locations, particularly malls, because they were expensive and the traffic wasnt flowing. Initially, people wouldnt negotiate because they werent accepting the fact that there was a different trend in spending. It was just a tough time. And I remember that was the first time that I worked like 45 days straight. Q: How many hours a day? A: Probably 14 on average, even on Saturdays and Sundays. My kids had to come up and visit me. Q: How old were they at the time? A: My youngest was about 4 and my oldest was about 10. And my husband was working, but we just knew thats what we had to do. The great thing, though, is the employees that did hang in there were very close and very helpful. We tried to help each other even more so because we knew how difficult it was. We had to be resilient. I mean, I started negotiating exit contracts on leases, and I hadnt done that before. My position was a quarter on a dollar is better than zero. Q: You moved from a company that was getting battered by competition to a company that has no competition thats a monopoly utility. How did what you learned at Lubys translate to CPS? A: Because I was raised as an auditor, I already had a very diverse background, so I didnt feel like I had to specialize. Financials pretty much are the same. Even if you talk to an accountant in Japan, they think about things in terms of assets and liabilities. They may use a different denomination but its about the same. READ ALSO: CPS Energy selling headquarters building in downtown San Antonio Auditing is one of the best ways to learn an organization. Managers are out there all the time making decisions. Every single one of them is spending, investing, saving all of those things but it all goes into a bucket where you can see whether all those decisions made sense. Do you have enough money to reinvest in your organization? Are you going to be able to move forward? How strong are the strategies that support what youre doing? I was attracted to that. Even though CPS Energy is not, quote, in the competitive retail electric markets, unquote, when I first came in, Milton Lee was leading the company, and his perspective was we need to give the customers every single aspect and benefit of competition without the complexity. I loved the fact that we didnt just sit here and act like a monopoly. We were trying to think what are the competitive providers doing and how do they do it and can we do better. And we would compare our retail pricing and rates to every other providers. We thought about nuclear, and we knew that we could build the plants and operate them as good as anyone else, and we knew that we could create value for our customers. We kept validating that we were doing the right thing because we were able to keep our costs down below the competitive markets. Q: At what point did CPS begin taking renewable energy seriously? A: When I came in, wind was new. Nobody really thought it would have the investment in Texas that it ended up getting, between West Texas and the Gulf Coast. And solar it was laughable because of the pricing. Because it didnt come close to comparing with any of the other thermal, fossil-fuel units. The pricing that we initially got, I would say in the early-to-mid 2000s, just wasnt competitive. Q: When did CPS thinking about clean energy really begin to change? A: Doyle Beneby, my immediate predecessor (as CEO) and mentor, understood the value proposition that we had that we understood how to control costs and to keep things affordable. We were good stewards but we werent necessarily willing to go outside of our normal tendencies. So, what we had to teach ourselves to do is get comfortable taking on a certain level of risk a calculated risk. We had to learn to be really smart about it and not be afraid of taking on risks because thats how you move your business forward. So we had to get people more comfortable with that because probably half the organization would say, No, lets just keep this recipe the way it is. At one time, we were all gas-fueled. And we got into trouble because gas prices in the 1970s were volatile and so we would whipsaw the bills around because we were incurring those costs. We realized, hey, we just cant be stuck on one type of power generation. So luckily by the time I came in, we did have a more diverse portfolio. We had nuclear, we had gas, we had a good initial investment in wind, we had coal. But the diversification was what was most valuable. Q: Electricity rates are obviously a big part of any industry. As CPS started talking about doing more with sustainable energy, was there resistance from the chambers of commerce or CEOs you talked to? A: I think we heard some of that because solar wasnt competitive at all. It was nowhere near where we are today. And people worried that we were going to lose our focus on staying in balance and staying diversified and managing to the costs. Q: CPS hasnt raised its rates since 2014. Is an increase coming? A: Its a very complex business. We are implementing new systems and things that are making us more efficient, so we can operate more effectively like the (smart-metering) solutions that we have. We dont have to send people out to homes any more. So were much more efficient. More and more things can be done using automation and technology and data. So what were doing is were taking costs out of our systems in terms of more effective operations, even though we are seeing costs escalate when were using contractors and having to pay our employees market wages. Nevertheless, this year is probably the tightest year weve seen in the last five years. I keep telling (CPS employees), Keep looking for those savings. But its looking more and more like itll be tough to get through this year. But I said the same thing last year, and we were able to do it. Q: Does that mean youre going to pursue a rate increase this year? A: I dont know. I really dont. Last year, when we looked at it, we thought that we might need one. But we were very fortunate we were able to save and generate a lot of revenue. Q: How much political pressure from City Council, community groups, businesses is there to keep rates low? A: I know nobody wants a rate increase. With council, were constantly telling them how were managing these operations and the assets that the community owns. We come up with a plan and then we modify that plan. Anytime we need a rate increase, were going to have to get through our board of trustees first. Theyre going to ask a ton of questions that has happened every time that Ive done (a rate increase). Well have to clear that hurdle before we go to the council, and theyll demand that we prove up that case. We take none of it lightly. Its not about showing up and saying, Hey, can you give me whatever percent? We have $11 billion dollars in assets, which are owned by the community. Its like having a car, and you never change the oil. You have to reinvest. Q: This year, youre expecting net income of $12.5 million, which is down from $139 million last year. Thats a steep fall. What accounts for that the decommissioning of the Deely coal plant at the end of 2018? A: A good portion of it is Deely. We did have some favorable benefits (last year). Some cost savings in our pension plan. The investments that we had went very well. We had great cost control. Last year was just a wonderful, optimal year for us. Our plants operated in the competitive markets extremely well. They provided stability, they contributed to the power grid in a great way, and then we were able to monetize that benefit and bring it back to the community and not need a rate increase. We dont have Deely this year. But we would have had a problem anyway. These generation plants are mechanical systems. They require planned maintenance, and you have to be ready for unplanned maintenance. It just so happened that last year we didnt need to do the maintenance. Also, if we have, say, $500 million to invest in something, were thinking now that we want to look at better functioning, more efficient plants whether they be a combination of renewables and energy storage and some type of gas-powered systems so that we have great reliability. Were thinking about the future. Where do we go from here. Q: I read Trustee Ed Kelleys comment last week in the Rivard Report about the CPS Save for Tomorrow Energy Plan (STEP), which encourages customers to use less energy. Kelley asked what kind of business intentionally tries to cut its revenue. His concerns got at the tension between running CPS as a business and, because youre city-owned, pursuing goals such as energy conservation and cleaner energy that dont necessarily help the bottom line. How do you square that circle? A: Im a financial person and so is Ed. I was there in the room, and I think, from his perspective, you still have to manage the business and make the right decisions financially to ensure you can move into the future. Its not all about not making money. When we make money, we reinvest that money back into the community thats how we keep rates affordable. Q: Does Kelley have a point, though? A: He does have a point. Who would do that? It would be like not charging people for newspapers. Q: Woah. Please stay in your lane, and Ill stay in mine. A: Im just bringing you into my world. So, hes got a point. Its a new dynamic. (A revenue reduction) could keep you from growing as much as you would if all things are the same and people just keep repeating their past behavior. What STEP has done, though, is its given us time to watch and see technology change. For example, in 2008, when we created STEP, it really was about controlling energy efficiency and conservation and trying to make sure that people were using electricity more thoughtfully. What we were trying to do was keep the peak, the highest level of demand, from being too extreme because you have to build (generation capacity) to that peak. We wanted people to think more about their energy. We want to help them save energy. What that did is that helped us control the peak. So weve been able to keep our peak fairly level, and so our growth is controlled and planned. And that actually is a good thing. In 2008 when natural gas prices were extremely high and people were rushing to coal, if we hadnt done that energy efficiency and conservation plan, we would have doubled down again on coal. So STEP allowed us to kind of look and watch the market settle down. Greg.jefferson@express-news.net Susan Martinez was achy, had a persistent cough and felt worn out she nearly fell asleep driving home from work. Still, she debated whether she should see a doctor. Martinez, whos also caring for her dying husband, is uninsured. The 56-year-old San Antonio hairdresser ended up in the emergency room. She was diagnosed with walking pneumonia a mild lung infection and after some imaging, labs and a couple of shots, she was sent home. Last week, a bill for $21,180 arrived in the mail. Feeling blindsided, she called the hospital. It adjusted her out-of-pocket price to $7,406 based on her income, but shes still not sure how shell pay. For consumers, it comes as no surprise that the world of health care pricing is unpredictable, but new research released by the Health Care Cost Institute shows just how different the prices for common medical services can be from city to city, but also from clinic to clinic within the same market. Martinez hates owing money, but theres no way she can afford to pay off the bill anytime soon. Its driving people more insane, she said. Its like damned if we do, damned if we dont. And they wonder why people are so stressed. What choices do we have? Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the research is based on an analysis of employer-sponsored health insurance claims of 34 million Americans in 112 markets. Researchers analyzed the price of 13,517 blood tests within the San Antonio-New Braunfels area and found that prices for the test can cost anywhere from $56 to $492. Its difficult for patients to know whether the lab they choose is charging more than the lab down the street. Many American adults worry about high out-of-pocket spending for medical care. A new study by the American Cancer Society says more than 137 million adults in the U.S. put off medical care because they cant afford it. On HoustonChronicle.com: Medical pricing shrouded in secrecy, leaving patients in the dark According to the institutes data, the median prices for medical services in the San Antonio area are similar to national prices. Still, the costs of commonly used services in the area increased by 20 percent between 2012 and 2016. In San Antonio, the median price for a cesarean section for expectant mothers with private insurance was about $8,000. But some hospitals in the area charged as little as $6,060, while others charged more than $10,000. The report did not identify specific health care facilities only the number of services performed in a metro area, along with the average, median, lowest and highest costs. Outside Texas, C-sections in San Francisco cost about $22,000, and in Knoxville, Tenn., the cost is only $4,656, according to the institutes Healthy Marketplace Index. A standard blood test in the San Antonio metro area as well as Houston and Dallas was $226. Thats more than four times the cost of that same test in the Rio Grande Valley. And while the median price for a blood test was $54 in the McAllen area, labs in Beaumont charge $443. Of all the metro areas studied in the U.S., the highest median price that insurance companies negotiated for a mammogram was $368, also in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area. That same screening in the Sarasota, Fla., area was $49. San Antonio fell in the middle, at $161 per mammogram. Patients have a hard time getting accurate information on out-of-pocket costs because insurance companies often dont want to disclose the prices theyve negotiated with hospitals and clinics. A patient usually doesnt find out the negotiated price until the bill comes in the mail. And if patients havent reached their deductible, they are responsible for covering a percentage of the cost of medical services. This is when the difference between a $14 blood test and $952 blood test matters, experts say. Sometimes when Martinez gets a medical bill mailed to their house, she just throws it away. I cant even look at them anymore. She said that when she calls billing departments to ask if she can make small payments, they usually want her to pay half an expense she cant afford. They tell her that not paying will hurt her credit score. Juggling the cost of health care, including her husbands cancer treatment, with basic living expenses wasnt easy on his $1,100 Social Security check. She cuts hair at a salon in the Shops at La Cantera four days a week, but when shes home, she is the primary caregiver for her husband, Alex Silva, whos on hospice care. Just over a year ago, while she was at a rosary for her mothers death, she learned that Silva had been rushed to the emergency room. Her husband had always been healthy, until about four years ago. He now has advanced kidney failure. Martinez said he is also refusing treatment electing instead to go home because he said he didnt want to be a financial burden. On ExpressNews.com: Transparency necessary for health care pricing I dont make enough right now, and its stressful, but what can you do? she said. She picks up hairdressing and catering jobs here and there to help pay for their mortgage, car, insurance and food, but its still not enough. Martinez said she doesnt want pity, but shes tired. She grew up watching her mother in the fields as a migrant farmworker and learned to never say no to extra work. She also doesnt want to burden her son or stepchildren. A few months ago, her situation grew even more dire when she lost her insurance coverage because of a billing error. I was so fed up with it, I had a nervous breakdown, she said. She recalled trying to maintain the coverage she had relied on for the past 20 years. I lost so much time at work. Consumer advocacy groups, policymakers and the Health and Human Services Department are pushing to make price arrangements available to consumers. Theres a lot of pressure nowadays for patients to comparison shop, but its not that simple, said Caitlin Donovan, a spokeswoman for Patient Advocate Foundation, a national group. Many patients base their health care decisions on convenience and their doctors recommendations. However, doctors often dont know how much other facilities or labs are charging. Donovan said that although she should know better, she, too, was recently roped into paying $250 out-of-pocket for an ultrasound after her maternity clinic merged with another provider and the price changed. The clinic still attempted to sign her up for two more ultrasounds. I mean, this is a bizarre health care system, and its the only place where you can get charged for a service while youre unconscious, she said. You dont know what the services are that youre getting or what the cost will be ahead of time. It doesnt make any sense. We hear it from patients all the time they just want their health care system to be fair. Laura Garcia covers the healthcare industry in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her stories and more local coverage on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | laura.garcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @Reporter_Laura Argo Group International Holdings, the specialty insurer with its U.S. headquarters in San Antonio, has received support in its proxy battle with Voce Capital Management. Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services, which counsels institutional investors on corporate governance issues at publicly traded companies, recommended that Argo shareholders vote for the insurers five directors and against Voces nominees for the board. ISS made its recommendation despite concluding that there may be room for improvements in certain areas at Argo. Voce has failed to make a compelling case that change at the board level is necessary at this time particularly given (Argos) strong performance and a thoughtful refreshment process that has resulted in the appropriate skill sets to the board over the past two years, ISS said in a report issued Saturday. Argo shareholders will elect nominees at the companys annual meeting May 24 in Bermuda. Voce, a small San Francisco-based hedge fund manager, called ISS conclusions baffling. What is so puzzling, and in our view erroneous, about ISS report is that it acknowledges many of the governance concerns that we have identified, yet then fails to consider them at all in reaching a lopsided recommendation, Voce said in a statement Sunday. Among the corporate governance issues Voce raised about Argo and cited in the ISS report were the insurers misaligned executive compensation, the boards cherry-picking of performance measures and a self-promoting CEO whose interests and hobbies were inextricably intertwined with Argos marketing budget. Argo Chairman Gary Woods, who has been president of San Antonio-based McCombs Enterprises since 1979, in a statement Monday praised ISS for recognizing Argos strong board nominees and directors commitment to increasing shareholder value. Our strategy of focusing on profitable underwriting and relationships, portfolio investment and disciplined capital allocation is driving strong performance, Woods said. He is one of the five directors Voce seeks to replace. Argo spokesman David Snowden had no additional comment on ISS report. A Voce representative didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Voce disclosed this year that it holds 1.9 million Argo shares, or a 5.6 percent stake worth about $141 million. Voce is Argos fourth-largest shareholder. Voce founder J. Daniel Plants has waged numerous proxy fights with various companies over the past eight years, but Argo may be the biggest. Plants has been critical of longtime Argo CEO and President Mark E. Watson III for the insurers anemic results by one measure of profitability and for excessive and shockingly inappropriate corporate expenses and perks. Argo has disputed Plants take and questioned his commitment to long-term value creation at the insurer. Argo produced a 39 percent total shareholder return in the year leading up to Feb. 25, the day Voce sent a letter to Argo shareholders. Argos shares dipped $1.46 to close at $73.97 Monday. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD Authorities say the federal charges against Jordan will be filed officially on Monday and Jordan will have a first appearance in U.S. District Court in Abingdon. Steak n Shake, the restaurant chain owned by San Antonios Biglari Holdings Inc., is on the hook for a $7.7 million judgment in a federal overtime case it recently lost in St. Louis. On Friday, U.S. District Judge John A. Ross issued a judgment that doubled the roughly $3 million a jury awarded to 286 Steak n Shake store managers who alleged they had to work 50 to 70 hours a week without receiving overtime. The jury award was for lost overtime pay to the St. Louis-area managers following a trial in February. Ross granted $3 million in liquidated damages to the managers. Liquidated damages are in part punitive. The judge also ordered Steak n Shake to pay the managers lawyers almost $1.6 million in attorneys fees and about $40,000 in costs. Brendan Donelon and Daniel Craig, the managers counsel, had asked for more than $1.8 million in attorneys fees. Donelon declined to comment. The lawyers undertook significant risk in pursuing the complex case all the way to a verdict, Ross said in the judgment. On ExpressNews.com: Steak n Shake posts woeful 1Q on sinking revenue Steak n Shake has entered into mediation with the managers and another group of more than 1,300 managers who have filed a similar lawsuit thats also in front of Ross, court filings show. The latter group is comprised of managers who are part of Steak n Shakes St. Louis group market but who are based outside of Missouri. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing May 3, Biglari Holdings disclosed that Steak n Shake planned to appeal the verdict. A call to Biglari Holdings was not immediately returned, but Chairman and CEO Sardar Biglari generally does not speak with the media. On ExpressNews.com: Sardar Biglari looks to reverse slide at Steak n Shake Management has been temporarily closing company-operated stores as part of a plan to convert them to franchise operations. As of March 31, 44 of the 413 company-operated stores had been closed. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD Investigators found drops of what may be Maleah Davis' blood in her family's Houston apartment and evidence that someone tried to clean it up, according to court documents. The blood was found in the bathroom and a hallway leading to it at the apartment in the 9800 block of South Kirkwood Drive where Maleah lived with her mother, Brittany Bowens, and her fiance, Derion Vence, who was charged Saturday with tampering with evidence, in this case a human corpse, records show. A chemical spray revealed more traces of blood that had been cleaned up at some point in the apartment, police said. Vence, 26, told investigators that "there should be no blood in the home and that no one was recently bleeding," authorities said in the sworn statement. Police used DNA samples from Maleah's toothbrush to match the blood to a "maternal offspring of Brittany Bowens." Adding to the grim prospect that Maleah may have been killed is that two police dogs sniffed out "the scent of decomposition" in the silver Nissan Altima that Vence was driving the night of the girl's reported disappearance, documents state. The car was found in a Missouri City parking lot with a gas can and a laundry basket in the trunk. Houston Police Department officials have not publicly said whether they believe the child is still alive. A body has not been found, and Texas EquuSearch crews have spent days combing near Vence's apartment. His arrest Saturday at a relative's home after a week of ignoring calls from police puts investigators at odds with Vence's narrative. He first told police on May 4 at the Houston Methodist Hospital in Sugar Land that while checking on a possible flat tire near Bush Intercontinental Airport, three men knocked him in-and-out of consciousness for nearly 24 hours and that little Maleah had been abducted. A murder charge may soon be added to Vence's rap sheet, Harris County Assistant District Attorney Chris Handley said while requesting that the suspect be held at the Harris County Jail on a $1 million bond. A magistrate approved his motion. Vence, who lacks a criminal arrest history in Harris County, is slated to return to court Monday morning. BREAKING NEWS | ALERTS Find out first: Get breaking news sent directly to your inbox. See More Collapse A memorial for Maleah Maleah was on the mind of several women many of them mothers and grandmothers who spent their Mother's Day afternoon building a memorial of stuffed animals and toys at the missing girl's front door. Amber Warner was on the verge of tears as she stood alongside her 4- and- 6-year-old sons. "I don't see how anyone can do this to her. She's so pretty," Warner said. "I pray that they find her and whoever was involved gets everything they deserve." Police blocked traffic as Warner, her boys and dozens others marched across Kingwood Drive to pay tribute to Maleah at the apartment where she was last seen alive. Amber Stanhop was among the mass of people after driving up from Webster so her 5-year-old son, Lyrik, could add a teddy bear to the pile. Edward Buford, pastor of north Houston's SonRise Community Church, offered up a prayer that Maleah be found. Buford called on attendees to "look in every ditch, look in every construction site, every neighbor's yard until, God, we locate where this child is." Maleah's relatives were not among the attendees and a family spokesman could not be reached. Vence caught on video A camera that was looming over the Mother's Day crowd had helped investigators fill the holes in Vence's story and track his whereabouts in the days before Maleah's reported disappearance. The camera attached to an upstairs neighbor's porch spied Vence going in-and-out of the apartment twice on May 3, once while carrying a heavy laundry basket packed with a large black trash bag, according to a probable cause document. "The basket appears heavy due to the stance (Vence) uses when walking," the investigators wrote. On the second trip, police believe Vence left the home with cleaning supplies, including a bottle of bleach. The same camera outside Maleah's apartment may have recorded the last time she was seen alive, according to additional footage reviewed by ABC 13. On April 30, after Bowens left to attend her father's funeral in Massachusetts, the child could be seen trailing Vence into the home while wearing a pink tutu, the TV station reported. Court documents do not suggest when Maleah may have actually disappeared. Several hours later, and before Vence says he left to pick up Bowens at the airport, Maleah's biological father, Craig Davis Jr., stopped by the Alief area apartment to pick up his 5-year-old son who was also in Vence's care. During the visit, Vence refused to let Davis see Maleah. Vence then left for the airport with only his biological 1-year-old son around 6:40 p.m., according to the footage, despite having told police Maleah was with him. A camera at the hospital's emergency department also disputed Vence's version of what happened. He told police that after blacking out for nearly 24 hours, he regained consciousness along Highway 6 and hitched a ride with "an unknown female" to the hospital. His son was still with him, but Maleah was gone, he said. Investigators later found footage of Vence arriving at the hospital in Bowens' Nissan Altima after he claimed to not know where the vehicle went after the alleged abduction, according to documents. It was not known if another adult was in the car had dropped him off. Traffic cameras in Sugar Land also spotted someone driving the car that afternoon. As details of Maleah's disappearance emerged during a May 5 news conference, police Sgt. Mark Holbrook acknowledged that there were "a lot of blanks" in Vence's story. "We're hoping to learn what story is true. What really happened," Holbrook said at the time. nicole.hensley@chron.com robert.downen@chron.com In a quiet public housing community south of downtown, all eyes are glued to a projector screen, lit up with a slideshow presentation on internet safety. Some tips to avoid malware: Dont click on click bait, a teacher at the front of the room tells a class of 10 people. (For example), if something pops up and it says, you just won a free iPad or a free iPhone. Shes teaching a diverse group from an elderly man using an electric scooter to a mother soothing a crying infant in her arms. Some of them may have never owned a computer, but over the course of the morning, they learn about spyware, webpage encryption, computer security software and wireless internet networks. OnExpressNews.com: HUD blocks city's plan to use $500,000 for air conditioning in public house The 16-hour course is part of an effort to bring high-speed internet, computers and digital skills training to San Antonians who might otherwise not be able to access or afford them. Roughly 1 in 4 households in San Antonio dont have an internet subscription the 14th worst rate in the nation for cities with 100,000 households or more, according to the Federal Reserve. In the digital era, that means they lack a basic amenity needed to apply for jobs, finish homework and access health care. Technology is creating more haves and have-nots, said Jordana Barton, who oversees community development at the San Antonio branch of the Federal Reserve. You see it in the digital divide: High-income people have access to everything fiber-optic infrastructure, the highest speeds, all the devices. Low-income people dont have access, and theyre told, dial-up is good for you. San Antonio officials are working to change that. In July 2015, former Mayor Julian Castro, then Housing and Urban Development secretary, launched ConnectHome, a partnership of the federal government, local housing authorities and the private sector to make sure families in public housing can access high-speed internet. San Antonio was chosen as one of 28 communities to be part of the program, described as Castros signature achievement during his time as HUD secretary. Almost four years later, ConnectHome has expanded to dozens of communities across the nation. It varies greatly from agency to agency, but experts say San Antonio has emerged as a model with one of the only housing authorities in the country with a full-time staffer dedicated solely to bridging the digital divide. OnExpressNews.com: 'It's been a blessing': SAHA begins installing AC in housing without it San Antonio is actually one of the leaders in the country because you have the housing authority working on this issue so intently, said Angela Siefer, who runs the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. Very few housing authorities have one person whose job is digital inclusion. That person is Munirih Jester. She joined the San Antonio Housing Authority as the first ConnectHome coordinator, tasked with developing digital training for residents and finding the money to pay for it. The program is expected to operate on roughly $300,000 this year, the majority of which comes from the private sector, such as by grants from Google and Wells Fargo. ConnectHome aims to fill a gap that no amount of cables, pipes or 5G infrastructure can a familys ability to pay for an internet connection and the devices needed to use it. According to SAHA, an estimated 1 in 6 San Antonio households dont have a computer, now critical to build resumes, apply for college and participate in the economy. Families who live in federally subsidized housing are some of the citys most physically and financially vulnerable typically earning $12,000 each year, in line with the federal poverty level and well below the citys median income of $49,700. Of the 59,000 people that rely on SAHAs programs, nearly half are children. As of this spring, roughly 2,000 residents at 30 SAHA apartment complexes had gone through the 16-hour basic training. Of those, more than 890 earned a free computer and almost 830 received free Wi-Fi through hot spots or SAHAs own network. They can access a slew of other educational resources across the city, including courses on online job searching, Adobe Creative Cloud, website coding and Google Docs. The field of digital inclusion is really social justice its equity, its empowerment, Jester said. The implications of people being disconnected are going to be really detrimental. But Jester and her staff have only so much control of San Antonios digital landscape. Depending on where families live, they may not be able to access the same internet speeds as their wealthier neighbors, even if ConnectHome provides them with a free hot spot. We notice when we get here, especially on the South Side, there is no connectivity, said Jester, sitting in the library of a public housing complex 5 miles south of downtown. OnExpressNews.com: 'I suffered the whole year': Thousands of San Antonio public housing units lack air conditioning Experts call that digital redlining, a term extended from discriminatory lending practices rampant in the 20th century when banks wouldnt do business with residents living in communities deemed hazardous, areas shaded in red on maps. Today, the map of internet speeds available in San Antonio is strikingly similar to a 1936 hand-colored map depicting neighborhoods where families were once denied financial services. Those communities were and still are largely made up of people of color on the South, West and East sides. That can be particularly detrimental at a time when an estimated 70 percent of teachers assign homework that needs access to the internet, according to national experts. Last year, one study found that almost 1 in 5 U.S. teens cant always finish their homework because of a lack of internet access at home, an academic burden that disproportionately hurts children of color and those whose parents have lower incomes. If our children do not have this, they will be behind the eight ball before they even start, said Marvin Lampkins, a longtime resident of Springview, a SAHA-managed community on the East Side. Lampkins moved into a SAHA apartment on the East Side with his wife 25 years ago after retiring from the Navy. He began taking consumer electronics classes, eventually earning a degree in computer networking. After that, SAHA hired him to help set up computer labs in a couple of public housing communities. In 2015, when SAHA began planning ConnectHome, it wasnt a surprise that officials asked for Lampkins help. Today, hes one of four digital ambassadors for the program SAHA residents who are paid part time to help run digital literacy trainings. Not only is he the go-to guy whenever neighbors run into computer problems, hes also become an advocate for digital literacy, pushing his family and other SAHA residents to take advantage of the program. One of his granddaughters went through the 16-hour training and received a laptop. The device has now become critical in her daily life, especially now that her 4-year-old daughter has started preschool. Her teacher uses email to communicate with parents and one day will assign homework that way, too, Lampkins said. Without a program like this, our poor kids are going to be left behind, Lampkins said. Marina Starleaf Riker is an investigative reporter for the San Antonio Express-News with extensive experience covering affordable housing, inequality and disaster recovery. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | marina.riker@express-news.net | Twitter: @MarinaStarleaf First, the riffs of a gentle jazz guitar kick in. Then violin strings swell in and out, a counterpoint to the deep, male voice rapping about deadly border crossings and divided families. Do you feel safer, do you feel free? he asks. With the military wall in this country, pushing ideology, venomous, fundamentalists, murderous, you want to put an end to us. As the song rolls on, the rapper questions policies set at the nations capital, police shootings and home-grown terror clad in polos and khakis. These are the issues that make up Still, one of 10 tracks from Resistir, the third album by Marco Cervantes, a local hip-hop artist, who goes by the name Mexstep. This isnt your ordinary musician with a message. This artist has another way of reaching audiences: hes an associate professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, who shares similar thoughts about cultural identity and social justice with his students. The album recorded by Cervantes and his collaborators points out injustices and suggests solutions. It follows a long American tradition of using music and words to protest, reflect the times and inspire the masses. In 1939, Billie Holiday sang Strange Fruit, a mournful lament for African-Americans lynched across the country. During the turbulent 1960s, Bob Dylans anti-war Blowin in the Wind became a hymn for the Civil Rights movement. A decade later, Marvin Gaye created Whats Going On, a rebuke against police brutality, poverty and poisoning the environment with a captivating musical hook. Cervantes, 43, said it was important to record Resistir to fill a void. There are voices that need to be heard, he said. I think its important to resist these oppressive ideas and institutions that can work against us, he said. Time is critical. We should do what we can do to help make each other better. I feel the more we understand about each other, the more we break down barriers and work toward not just tolerating each other, but loving each other. Thats really at the heart of what I was trying to do. Related: Professor mixes rap, black and Chicano cultures He was in middle school when he became a student of vinyl spinning on turntables. The name Mexstep is in honor of Cervantes step-grandfather, who introduced him to old albums of Mexican legends when he was growing up in Houston. A vinyl release party for Resistir is scheduled for May 25 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Friends of Sound Records at 700 Fredericksburg Road. Artists appearing with Mexstep include DJ Chicken George, Apaso, Kree23, R.E.L. and DJ Novasoul. The event is free for all ages. Grammy Award-winning musician Adrian Quesada co-produced the album steeped in indigenous, Mexican and Chicano history. Artist Jaime Chavez created the image on the cover of Mic Warrior, an iconic Aztec figure with a tattooed bare chest, holding a microphone, clad in pachuco pants. The songs, featuring titles such as Dios Mio, Tejano Summer, and Crooked, draw from cumbia, funk and Tejano as they offer a commentary on empowerment and social justice. On the track Clear, Cervantes said he explains these problems arent new, but now some seem to think they have permission to openly spout racist ideologies. Some of his students are sure to be at that party. His message, ringing out clearly in his music and his teachings, appeals to many of them. Before you think his class must be an easy A hold on. Hes a traditional teacher at UTSAs Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies with homework and tests. Some consider him tough. His interest in hip hop as literary work started while he was in graduate school in UTSAs Latin literature program. Cervantes students have applauded him for weaving black and brown unity into his songs. Nontraditional college student Vanessa Sandoval, 33, heard his message at local concerts before she became one of his students. She took Cervantes Musical Mestizaje course that examines the Mexican-American experience on the borders where music becomes an expression of cultural contact, conflict and tension. Its the idea of playing a concert at the border because the music will travel across it, penitentiary walls or show solidarity with immigrants, said Sandoval, a Mexican-American studies and anthropology double major. He definitely incorporates his political side in his songs in a creative way. Resistir is on heavy rotation in Matthew Hinojosas car. Hinojosa, 25, also a Mexican-American studies and anthropology major, said having Chicano hip hop emerge from San Antonio has been inspiring. Something on this level speaks to cultural history and whats going on on the border, he said. He goes through all of that. Its the kind of thing that gets me pumped up. San Antonio-based performance artist Nicolas Valdez, 38, is a supporter of Cervantes work. The musician-songwriter said there is a long history of commentary in the Mexican-American community, corridos of the Mexican revolution as well as more modern tales such as The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez. As a member of Los Nauhtlatos, a band self described as Xicano Roots Fusion, Valdez said theres a market for songs that evolved from Chicano street poets within the larger American pantheon of music. There is a lot of romanticization of the struggle and catch phrases and rhetoric and that riles people up, Valdez said, but theres a much deeper struggle and a deeper reality. Thats why I admire Marco, hes carving a path for others to follow. Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox Tim Molina, an instructional faculty member at Northwest Vista, knows Cervantes from #HipHopEd, an online chat on Twitter. Every Tuesday night, the mass communication and speech communication instructor picks up teaching ideas using elements of hip-hop culture from the network of educators and scholars. Molina said theres always been rap with a sense of conscience versus commercial rap. He said Cervantes lyrics and music serve as a relevant message in young peoples lives. Youre talking their language, Molina, 36, said. It kind of bridges the gaps between generations. Vincent T. Davis is a reporter in the Greater San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | vtdavis@express-news.net | Twitter: @vincentdavis WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential hopeful Julian Castro on Monday proposed a $1.5 trillion plan that would dramatically expand the federal role in education with national Pre-K, universal free college and programs to lower and forgive debt that burdens many graduates. Castro, the former San Antonio mayor and U.S. housing secretary in the Obama administration, staked out positions beyond other contestants in the 2020 field with proposals on learning that stretch from early childhood to opportunities in prison. Like his immigration proposal, which would decriminalize most border crossings, Castros education plan is an effort to set himself apart from the other Democratic contestants. Education policy doesnt exist in silos, and Im proud to put forward the first comprehensive education plan to invest in our students holistically and keep our nation competitive in years to come, Castro said in a news release. Castro, 44, twin brother of U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, has long focused on education, engineering San Antonios Pre-K 4 SA initiative as mayor. He described his collection of proposals as a new commitment and approach, one that sees the federal role in education as supporting a seamless continuum that begins before elementary school and continues after high school. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox He calls for public universities and community colleges to be tuition-free. Most Democrats running have embraced free college at some level and many have spoken of the imperative of reducing college debt, which Castro observes has grown to $1.5 trillion. The candidates will have opportunity to publicly air their approaches when they gather next month in Miami for the first round of Democratic debates. Until Monday, California Sen. Kamala Harris had offered the most robust proposal, a $315 billion plan to boost teachers pay over a decades time. Castros plan also has a teacher pay provision - up to $10,000 annual boosts from a federal tax credit. In addition, he calls for $150 billion in improvements in school buildings, technology and other financial support from Pre-K through 12th grade, ongoing education and training for Pre-K teachers, increases in federal Pell grants and expansion of free-breakfast and free-lunch programs in a partnership between the federal education and agriculture departments. Castro referred to the nations K-12 education system as antiquated, asserting that it starts some children ahead of others. He pointed to research showing significant development in children prior to kindergarten, noting the United States trails Germany, China and Japan when in supporting early childhood education. Beyond benefiting children ages 3 and 4, Castros proposal for a universal, high-quality, publicly-funded, full-day Pre-K for USA program also would enable parents to return to work, he said. On ExpressNews.com: No, Julian Castros preschool program in San Antonio is not universal His plan would require what he calls linkages between Pre-K and K-12, ensuring kindergarten readiness and a seamless transition into a high-quality, full-day kindergarten with alignment across standards, curricula and teacher training. Debt-ridden students and graduates would enjoy significant benefits if Castros plan became reality. They would face no payments until their income rises to 2.5 times the federal poverty level and would have the option of shedding college debt through bankruptcy, a proposal Congress has rejected. For subscribers: Twins Julian and Joaquin Castro step onto national political stage together, as always Castros expansive plan goes beyond how schools are funded to how theyre run. He proposes new efforts to combat cyber bullying and discrimination in all forms and more federal protections against sexual assault. His administration would bar immigration enforcement agents from arresting students at public schools, as well as immigration-related surveillance at bus stops. Castro says that dividends of his plan offset some of the costs. He asserts that early childhood education yields a 9-to-1 return on investment and that the Pre-K for USA program would pay for itself in 20 years. To pay for his education plan and other campaign proposals, Castro would seek to repeal the GOP-drawn income tax law that, according to some estimates, costs over $2 trillion. A campaign aide said that Castro will offer a replacement tax plan likely to propose higher rates for corporations and high-income earners. Soon after releasing his plan, Castro sent out a fundraising appeal noting that education was the key to his success growing up on San Antonios West Side. Ive experienced personally how education is at the core of the American Dream, it says. Re: Agent Orange repeat? Your Turn, Wednesday: I was in the process of writing a letter about state Sen. Donna Campbells SB 1734 addressing the eradication of carrizo cane along the Rio Grande. I have several close friends and relatives who passed away as a result of exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. Letter writer Harry Shafer did a great job in addressing not only his concerns but the concerns of many others, like myself, who fear the long-term results of spraying this herbicide in the selected areas. This idea did not work in Vietnam and will not work on the Rio Grande. Adolfo S. Gomez Another food fight Re: Students push Trinity to dump Chick-fil-A, Metro, Thursday: I see Trinitys Student Government Association wants Chick-fil-A banned from the university, citing Trinitys values of diversity and inclusion and Chick-fil-as values regarding the LGBT+ community are mutually exclusive. If thats the case, I recommend polling all full-time students to ascertain their views on the subject. Those not of the desired mindset should be unenrolled immediately. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. Bill Kriz Money? Granted! Re: Patrick says pot bill is dead in Texas Senate, Metro, May 1: The pot bill is dead because there is not enough money for Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and his right-wing cronies to line their pockets. If there was, it would pass with flying colors. Steven Ochoa South Africa: Have your say in Bojanala SEZ designation The public has 30 days in which to have their say in the designation of the Bojanala Special Economic Zone in the North West province, said the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) on Monday. The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, has issued a Gazette notifying the public and interested parties of his intention to designate the Bojanala Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The public and interested parties will have 30 days from the date of the Gazette to support or object to this intended designation, it said. This as Davies received and approved a recommendation from the Special Economic Zones Advisory Board to designate the Bojanala Special Economic Zone. The proposed SEZ will be developed on 1 175 hectors of land, which will include the old Bodirelo Industrial Park in Mogwase in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality. The SEZ will focus largely on mineral beneficiation (especially platinum group metals - PGMs), manufacturing, including mining capital equipment supply, agro processing and renewable energy. The application for the designation of the SEZ was submitted by the North West provincial Department of Economic and Enterprise Development, through the North West Development Corporation (NWDC). The Special Economic Zones Advisory Board was satisfied with the proposed business case and economic opportunities that underpinned this envisaged development. The board recommended that the Minister designate the proposed area, and grant a SEZ Licence to the North West provincial department. Davies said the designation of Bojanala SEZ will afford the Bojanala region with an opportunity for developing a purposeful, world-class mineral beneficiation infrastructure. The proposed SEZ will play a catalytic role towards the economic revival and industrial diversification of the whole mineral dependent Bojanala region. More importantly, this development is expected to contribute towards strengthening South Africas international trade through the export of value-added commodities, the creation of stronger value chains and the provision of much-needed jobs in the previously disadvantaged regions, he said. The dti will, within these 30 days, arrange a public hearing in Mogwase to allow for the community to provide further inputs on the proposed development. Comments may be sent to: Mr Thami Klassen at the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), the dti Campus 77 Meintjies Street Sunnyside, Pretoria, 0002 Tel: (012) 394 1543 or emailed to TKlassen@thedti.gov.za . The gazette can be accessed on www.thedti.gov.za/gazzettes/42451.pdf. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-05-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The OECD recently issued its new book-length report, Measuring Innovation in Education 2019 . The authors use the PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS databases to look at changes in a slew of instructional and system practices across the OECD nations between 2006 and 2016. Amidst the jargon and complicated charts, there are a number of interesting takeaways. Today, Ill take a look at what they found with regards to reading instruction (theres much more in the volume, and Ill try to get to it in future posts). The vast majority of the findings on reading, including all of those noted below, are for fourth-graders. Before I turn to the findings, a note regarding the volumes emphasis on innovation": I get why that title was used, its because innovation sells. But, as much as anything, the volume helps make clear just how amorphous that term really is. Youll see what I mean. First off, despite energetic Common Core-inspired efforts to change how the U.S. teaches English language arts (ELA), there was little evident change between 2006 and 2016 when it came to key ELA practices in U.S. schools. While the average OECD nation saw a five percent bump over that time in the share of students saying their teachers ask them to identify the main ideas of a text at least once a week, the U.S. figure didnt change (Figure 4.6). Similarly, while there was a 12 percent increase in the OECD average when it came to the share of fourth-graders who said teachers asked them to draw inferences and generalizations from a text at least once a week between 2006 and 2016, the U.S. share rose just two percent (Figure 4.5). It turns out that over 90 percent of U.S. teachers were already regularly doing these Common Core-endorsed practices back in 2006at a much higher rate than teachers in most OECD nations. Its possible, of course, that U.S. teachers who were already regularly doing these things started to do them even more frequently, but the top-line story is thatfor all the Common Core-induced hooplathere was little obvious change in U.S. practice, while other nations actually spent 2006-2016 doing more of what the U.S. was already doing back in the Bush years. Second, for better or worse, between 2006 and 2016, there was a clear OECD-wide shift toward giving students less choice over reading. The share of fourth-graders saying that, at least once a week, their teachers allowed them to read items of their own choice during lessons fell by eight percent, and by more than thrice that in Italy, the Slovak Republic, and Lithuania (Figure 7.1). Meanwhile, the share of students who said teachers gave them time to read books of their own choice at least once a week also fell by eight percent, and by more than three times that in Finland, Norway, and Denmark (Figure 7.2). The U.S. remained static in reading assignments (at 92 percent) while it declined eight percentage points in choice of books (to 87 percent). Even so, the U.S. remained far above the OECD norm on both counts. Third, I could find at least one massive shift in U.S. practice when it came to reading, and it had nothing to do with instructional practice. Rather, the U.S. massively outpaced the OECD norm when it came to fourth-graders reporting that they use computers to write stories and texts at least once a week. Back in 2006, just 21 percent of U.S. students said they did so, a bit below the OECD average of 24 percent. By 2016, 53 percent of U.S. students said they were regularly writing on computers, compared to an OECD average of 34 percent (Figure 4.7). Finally, relative to the international community, the U.S. has declined in the role of teacher aides but increased in the amount of time teachers spend one-on-one with struggling students. When students struggle in reading, one response is to have a teacher aide or adult volunteer work with struggling readers. Across the OECD, teachers report that just seven percent of those students had an aide or adult volunteer to work with them in 2006; by 2016, the figure was up to 13 percent. In the U.S. the figure had been 16 percent in 2006or about twice the OECD averagebut slumped to 11 percent by 2016 (Figure 10.1). At the same time, U.S. teachers reported an increase in the time they spent working one-on-one with students when they fall behind, from 89 percent in 2006 to 96 percent in 2016. This seven-point increase compared to a static OECD average, which sat at 89 percent in 2006 and in 2016 (Figure 10.3). Three thoughts on all of this. The whole notion of innovation can obscure more than it reveals. Innovation tends to be imbued with the presumption that different is good. And yet, theres no reason to imagine that the changes reported here are necessarily good for students. Thus, saddling this volume with the tag innovation can get in the way of sensible discussion about what the results mean for kids. After all, around the world, students are generally getting less opportunity to occasionally choose what they readits not clear that this is either innovative or the opposite. It just is. The data also make clear that our mental pictures of how other nations approach schooling can be unreliable, which urges caution when arguing that the U.S. needs to be more like Country X or Y. For instance, the numbers make it appear the U.S. was doing more Common Core-like reading instruction in 2006a few years before the Common Core was introducedthan were most OECD nations. And, yet, the Common Core was depicted as a huge change in how the U.S. would teach reading, with advocates suggesting that the U.S. would be catching up with what many other nations were doing. The trick in all of this, of course, is that its incredibly difficult to know if the kinds of shifts documented here have practical import. Even if we had compelling research on the impact of school aides or regular one-on-one time with teachers, we dont know how such results would play out if the strategies were employed nationwide. Presumably, the results would depend mightily on the quality of the aides, the training of teachers, what aides did, and much more. Thus, while many may turn to a report like this hoping to learn the new new thing that they should be doing, the volume is more useful for the questions it raises than the answers it provides. Prosecutors alleged in court that Clifton was working as the warrant officer in the Calumet District police station in September 2016 when a woman came in with her childrens father seeking a warrant for the arrest of an assailant who she said beat her, according to a transcript of the hearing. GREENWICH The town of Greenwichs proposed municipal budget for 2019-20 will reach its endgame Monday evening when it goes before the Representative Town Meeting. The RTM is the final stop in the process for the budget. It is the only item on the agenda for Monday nights meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at Central Middle School. Up for a vote will be the proposed operating budget of $443.9 million along with a capital budget of $51.7 million. If approved, that would result in a 2.98 percent increase in the mill rate, which is used to determine property and vehicle taxes, for the 2019-20 fiscal year. In the current fiscal years budget, there was no increase in the mill rate of 11.369, which has been in place since 2016-17. But the town is facing rising health care costs and other expenses that have driven up the budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year. The proposed budget includes money for new bleachers at Greenwich High School as well as development of a new Eastern Greenwich Civic Center and a new municipal ice rink in Byram. It also would fund new audio equipment for GCTV Channel 79, which broadcasts town meetings and has been hampered in recent months with no audio during live broadcasts. But the most focus Monday night is expected to be on the development of a new Northwest Greenwich fire station. The budget includes $100,000 for due diligence work as the town looks for a site for a shared fire and Greenwich Emergency Medical Services station in that corner of town. The fire station has been a a dominant issue throughout the budget process. Residents in District 10, which covers Northwest Greenwich, have strongly advocated for the station. But many others, including many RTM members, have questioned the need, saying its not been proven that a new station would reduce fire response times and provide better coverage. First Selectman Peter Tesei said Friday that he believes the $100,000 allocation would be the main issue of contention Monday night. Other than the station, there have been few substantive issues raised during the budget review process, he said. BET members have been meeting with the RTM about the budget, particularly during Mays committee and district meetings. BET Chair Jill Oberlander agreed the funding for a property search would be a major topic of debate. As officials debated the topic throughout the winter, the BET added $75,000 to the budget in March to do an independent study of fire coverage in town. The scope of work for this study is not yet drafted, but it may ask for an understanding of townwide response times, including turnout time and placement of firehouses, to equalize services across the town, Oberlander said. The BET vote noted that the study was meant to go simultaneously with the due diligence work and not supplant it, she said. The purchase of a property would be considered separately. It would need BET and RTM approval outside of the 2019-20 budget. Oberlander said she also expected discussion around the Davis Avenue Bridge replacement in Bruce Park. Questions have been raised about the requirements for the state project and how the bridge would be configured. She also said there would be a focus on $200,000 proposed for a propane fueling station at Holly Hill, with the need for the fueling station debated and the towns plans unclear for an alternative fuel fleet of vehicles. Overall, Oberlander said the budget process has been productive, and she looked forward to a constructive dialogue on Monday about the services and investments that the RTM values. The budget was initially proposed by Tesei in late January, which was followed by a month of hearings before the BETs Budget Committee. In March, the full BET approved the budget in March by an 11-1 vote after a lengthy meeting that stretched into the early morning. The dissenting vote came from BET member Karen Fassuliotis, who was concerned about town spending. She said the BET could have done better by holding accountable the department heads to budget goal levels and said the proposed tax increases were not fair to residents. This tax increase is not something we should be doing in a year where Connecticut residents are bracing for new taxes and unfunded mandates that are likely coming from Hartford, Fassuliotis said in March. We should be spending less, not more, as this budget does pure and simple. Similar arguments about town spending have been heard from members of the RTMs Budget Overview Committee. The BOC is expected to make only a few motions Monday night, but one will be to eliminate the $100,000 for the fire station property search so the fire response time study can go ahead first. The BOC will also make a motion to eliminate the Holly Hill propane fueling station and for a 0.5 percent reduction in the salary increases for the towns management confidential employees, which covers 55 employees who are not members of labor unions. They are typically department heads and other high-ranking officials The budget will be Teseis last. He has been in office since 2007 and is not running for re-election. He has also been involved in all aspects of town budgets in the past, first as a teenage member of the RTM and then as chair of the BET. It has been an honor to serve the town and its residents in all three branches of government, legislative, financial and executive, Tesei said. I hope that the next person who occupies this office enjoys it as much as I have over the past 12 years. It also is my hope that in the coming years Greenwich will retain the fiscal stability, which is continually recognized by the finance industry with its AAA bond ratings, and being the envy of the state for having the lowest mill rate in Connecticut. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com Contributed / Griffin Hospital DERBY The Diabetes Education & Support Group at Griffin Hospital will host two free presentations on mental health issues for individuals diagnosed with diabetes on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the hospital, 130 Division St., Derby. In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Certified Diabetes Educator Mary Swansiger, will facilitate an open discussion on mental health issues and diabetes, especially depression and diabetes distress. The talk will cover the signs and symptoms of depression, how depression and diabetes are linked, how depression is treated in people who have diabetes, and self-management tools. MONROE School officials are rallying to offer support to students in wake of the suicide of a Jockey Hollow Middle School student on Friday. According to a letter from Jockey Hollow principal Jack Ceccolini, sent Saturday, an eighth grader died at home via suicide. Ceccolini said that on Monday, the school extended homeroom periods, during which students would be informed about what happened and the resources available to them. This will be a difficult time for the entire Monroe community, but especially for the students at Jockey Hollow, the letter read. Counselors from the district and region will be available for our students and school community. The letter also mentioned that a guide had been posted on the Monroe Public Schools website called Resources for Students in Crisis. Superintendent of Schools Jack Zamary also sent out a letter, informing families of the untimely death. This loss is sure to raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for our entire school, especially our students, the letter read. Zamary said that Monroe Public Schools has a Crisis Intervention team made up of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents, and school personnel at difficult times such as this. He also mentioned that counselors will also be available at all Monroe schools throughout this week. We are saddened by the loss to our school community and will make every effort to help you and your child as you need, Zamarys letter read. There were various posts about the tragedy on social media by Monroe residents throughout the weekend, including pleas for people to wear green on Monday in honor of the student who died. These are some of the top stories from this weekend: CT still paying cost of last years storms The May 15, 2018, tornadoes and macrobursts a weather term for tornado-like conditions left two people dead and caused millions in damage as storms slashed through New Canaan, Norwalk, Newtown, Danbury, New Milford, Hamden, Brookfield, Barkhamstead and Sleeping Giant State Park, which remains closed. The state applied for $23.7 million in federal disaster assistance for Fairfield and New Haven counties. But so far Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of the storms Connecticut has received only $1.6 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and that money is earmarked to help repair infrastructure and reimburse first responders. And in the Danbury area, about two dozen families are still not back in their homes. Alyson Bowman / Hearst Connecticut Media CT opioid death data shows its an everywhere problem The nationwide opioid epidemic has hit hard in Connecticut, where accidental overdoses increased almost 40 percent from 2015 to 2018. Hearst Connecticut Media reviewed the detailed data about the 3,701 opioid-related deaths over four years, from the chief state medical examiners office. They paint a picture, in numbers, of a tragedy that is exploding by the year. Jessica Hill / Associated Press OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma controversy bypasses states drug monitoring Connecticuts newly unredacted lawsuit against Purdue Pharma excoriates the owners and former executives of the OxyContin maker for allegedly fueling the opioid crisis. It does not lambast public officials. As the Sackler family members who own Purdue have emerged as increasingly controversial figures in the debate about the epidemic of opioid abuse, the lawsuit and hundreds of other, similar complaints filed across the country, do not suggest that government agencies bear responsibility as well. Instead, many medical professionals and legislators said they are confident in the states oversight of opioid prescribing. Steve Ueckert / Houston Chronicle Amid controversy, CT still seeking more profit from inmate calls from prison telecommunications, records obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media reveal. The records provide new insight into the controversy over how much families are forced to pay to stay in contact with their incarcerated loved ones. Contributed Photo / Konrad Flejter / Contributed Photo Cracking down on Merritt Parkway truckers About a dozen times a year, a truck strikes a bridge along one of the states parkways because it exceeds the clearance height, said Kevin Nursick, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation. The state is now examining ways to keep these vehicles off the parkways. One such measure is already mostly in place, and involves new signage at entrance ramps. Parkway restriction signs are also getting a facelift. Frank Whitman / For Hearst Connecticut Media Distillers view streamline bill as last chance for local market There is a bill to streamline the states craft alcohol market that lawmakers have said would allow distillers to sell cocktails from their businesses. That bill is still alive and moving through committees, but some fear that the final draft may leave distillers out once again. Contributed Photo / Contributed Photo Four Stamford police officers resign in wake of extra-duty scandal Four officers who were the focus of an investigation into the possible misappropriation of funds in the Stamford Police Department have resigned. The officers allegedly exploited a facet of the police contract that says police hired for extra duty still must get paid for four hours if the hiring party cancels a job after 10 p.m. the night before, according to sources. The total of misspent funds could range from $100,000 to $200,000, sources said. Prosecutors won convictions in the four other slayings as Carters case made its way through the system at a glacial pace even for the Leighton Criminal Court Building, the countys main criminal court. Among the reasons for the delay was that prosecutors chose to first go to trial on a separate carjacking charge against Carter. Current European Union environmental principles should be formally translated into domestic law after Brexit, Scottish landowners say. It comes in response to a Scottish government consultation on environmental principles post-Brexit, which closed on Saturday 11 May. It sought views on maintaining the role of environmental principles in developing future Scottish environmental policy and legislation. Responding to the consultation, rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) said adopting the principles would ensure Scotland 'kept pace' with international best practice. The group said it is important that Scotland does not start to 'slip behind international standards' post-Brexit. Around 80% of domestic environmental law in Scotland is derived from EU law and policy. Karen Ramoo, Policy Adviser at SLE, said: Land-based businesses have been playing a huge role in efforts to meet current environmental targets and this progress should be maintained. The EU has four enshrined principles which underpin policy development and we agree with the Scottish government that we should adopt these principles domestically. This will mean that any future Scottish legislation has to adhere to those standards moving forward. Ms Ramoo added: We also need to ensure that monitoring, reviewing and reporting functions to serve environmental law are not lost. These tasks are currently undertaken at an EU level and consideration needs to be given to establishing a domestic governance mechanism and what funding will be available to support that, she said. When governments fail to meet their environmental obligations currently, this can be dealt with through the Commission, European Court of Justice and other EU bodies. The SLE said it is likely that a new body will be required to fulfil this role that is independent of government, has relevant expertise and enjoys sufficient legal powers to enforce the law and hold government to account. Farmers have been encouraged to take proactive steps to protect themselves from flooding as a new consultation is launched looking at flood strategy. The eight-week consultation, launched by the Environment Agency on 9 May 2019, comes as scientists predict a 4C rise in global temperature. In the UK, climate change and population growth is set to double the number of properties built on flood plains over next 50 years. Currently, two thirds of properties in England are served by infrastructure in areas at risk of flooding and for every person who suffers flooding, around 16 more are affected by loss of services such as power, transport and telecommunications. In its new consultation, the government calls for 'urgent action' to tackle more frequent, intense flooding and sea level rise. Meanwhile, farmers and landowners have been told to take control of their own flood protection as planning is set to prioritise areas with higher populations in any new flood strategy. Consequently, there will be competition between towns and communities seeking public funding in order to improve flood defences. 'Flood water has no respect for farm boundaries' Flood management expert Simeon Disley, who is a partner at Roythornes Solicitors, warns that farmers in less populated areas 'must step forward' to make their case for the protection of their areas. He calls for farmers to collaborate with neighbours to battle flooding, saying: Flood water has no respect for farm boundaries and those who share a risk in an area should come together to present a combined plan and case for their protection. Accordingly, farmers and landowners may also need to contribute to the cost of their flood protection as it is not realistic to expect public funds to pay for the entire defence system. Those who are prepared to contribute in kind or in cash will add value to their proposals and be more likely to get public support, Mr Disley said. Internal drainage boards Roythornes recently acted for 14 landowners and four farming tenants who came together to form a partnership with the Witham Fourth District Internal Drainage Board to improve a 5.8 km section of the sea bank around The Wash. As a result, farmers saw the first substantial improvements to The Wash flood defences since 1982. Such improvements in flood defences can be achieved through partnerships between farmers, landowners and internal drainage boards. The value for each pound spent can be more than doubled when compared to the standard public procurement methods, Roythornes states. Earlier this year, the NFU highlighted the importance of internal drainage boards in battling weather extremities. Mr Disley added: The future will be about demonstrating the importance of the land you are trying to protect and the value for money for the country as a whole. Farmers and landowners should start preparing their best possible cases now. Police are appealing for more information after a JCB tractor and a baler were stolen from a site in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire. The offenders cut a lock at Home Park Works in Station Road to gain access to the site between Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27. They stole an 18-plate JCB Fast Track tractor and a green baler. Police believe the thieves used a lorry to load the stolen machinery. PC Chris Holding from the Abbots Langley Safer Neighbourhood Team is investigating. He said the tractor is a large vehicle and is likely to have been loaded onto the back of a truck to be taken away. As its quite an unusual vehicle, Im keen to hear from anyone who may have seen it being driven onto a lorry or it travelling on the back of a lorry. If you were in the area on the night of the incident please think back and get in touch if you believe you can help our investigation. Any information however seemingly insignificant it may appear may prove very useful. He added: Additionally, if you were driving in and around the area and have a dash cam, please review it and if youve captured the tractor at all please let us know. Meanwhile, a Ford 7810 3-series tractor has been stolen from a farm in the Llanarmon-Yn-Ial, Denbighshire, Wales. The blue coloured tractor was believed to have been taken from a farm between 1pm on Friday, May 10 and 8am on Saturday 11. Based on claims data, NFU Mutual estimate rural crime cost the UK 44.5m in 2017. With an increase of 13.4% on the previous year, rural crime is rising at its fastest rate since 2010. Anyone who has any other information contact PC Holding on christopher.holding@herts.pnn.police.uk or the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 41/37814/19. You can also report information online at herts.police.uk/Report The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. 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. In her petition, OBrien highlighted how Foxx recused herself early in the investigation after communicating with a Smollett relative only to later claim that it was not a recusal in the legal sense that would have required the entire office to withdraw from the prosecution. Communications later released to the Tribune showed Foxx had asked police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to turn over the investigation to the FBI after she was approached by Tina Tchen, former chief of staff to first lady Michelle Obama. Ranbir Kapoor recently returned from his Europe tour with girlfriend Alia Bhatt and soon after he attended an event in Mumbai where the actor was at his candid best. He broke his silence on postponing the release date of his next film, Ayan Mukherjee's ambitious project, Brahmastra and how Luv Ranjan's film starring him will release post that. Produced by Karan Johar, Brahmastrs was slated to release in coming December but now it's postponed to Summer 2020. Talking about the same, he said, "We're working on Brahmastra from last six years. Ayan has worked really hard. He and everybody involved have given their life to the film, Alia, Mr Bachchan, Pritam, Karan and myself. We really want to make the film to the best of its capabilities. It's unfortunate that we could not make the December release date because of various reasons like computer graphics, the CGI would not have been ready." He added, "So, it's sad my film will release after a two-year gap (Sanju released in 2018) and I think it's not a good thing for an actor to have such a long gap. But again, it's not in my hand. What really matters is that you work hard for a film and you come up with a good film. We are not giving our film a deadline. We just want it to make the best of its capabilities and release it." Ranbir Kapoor is all set to work in Luv Ranjan's next film along with Deepika Padukone, Ajay Devgn and Tabu. The film was slated to release on Christmas in 2020 but then Aamir Khan announced the release date of his next film, Lal Singh Chaddha on the same date as well, which is an official Hindi remake of Tom Hanks blockbuster Forrest Gump. The adventure-based reality show Roadies Real Heroes has been in news since inception. The show recently grabbed headlines as there was a huge war between the gang members when the contestants Tarun and Tara refused to join Neha Dhupia's gang, but instead wanted to be in Prince Narula's gang. Now, yet again, the gang members indulged in a massive war! This time, Neha was irked with Prince's statement and called him stupid. It all began when Ringmaster Ranvijay introduced the week's task, 'Relay Jelay' where the contestants had to lift their gang leaders on palki. Neha was apprehensive thinking whether their team would be able to lift her carefully or not! But, her worry got doubled as the twist in the task was introduced by Rannvijay i.e., if the contestant gets dehydrated and wants to drink water while performing the task, then each water bottle consumed will add 5 kg of weight to their palki! Amidst the announcement of the task comes the vote out, which fuelled up things! Prince commented, "Strong contestant ko vote out kardo." He even accused Neha of stopping contestants from joining his team. This obviously didn't go well with Neha, who lashed out at him. She said, "If I want to make Prince's gang weak, I had the option to send somebody who I thought is weak into Prince's gang. I have never gone screaming from rooftop whether I have won or not. I won last year, and the year before that and first time I am saying it out loud because you guys are just stupid." This again left the gang leaders divided. While Nikhil Chinapa supported Prince and blamed Neha for not letting Tarun and Tara join their favourite gang leader's team, Raftaar and Sandeep supported Neha. Most Read: Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award: Rakhi Sawant, Nakuul, Shivangi-Mohsin & Others Bag Awards! SHANGHAI, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Arctech Solar, a leading solar tracking and racking system provider, announced that it will supply 125 megawatt (MW) solar trackers to a solar power plant in Oman, Middle East. Located in the southern city of Amin, the plant will be commissioned by the end of 2019 and will power Petroleum Development Oman's interior operations by using Arctech's SkySmart tracking system. The solar plant not only marks the first of its kind in Oman and the world's first utility-scale solar project with an oil and gas company as the sole wholesale buyer of electricity, but also being the single-largest tracking system project with bifacial modules in Middle East to date. "We are delighted to make an effort to this landmark solar project in Oman," said Mr. Guy Rong, President of Arctech Solar's international business. "To date, Arctech has already supplied almost 700MW of SkySmart trackers for projects across the globe, including in Spain, Mexico and Australia, which demonstrates our ability to scale and innovate with our customers in new markets massively. We will remain committed to providing efficient solar tracking and racking systems in support of the Middle East's rapid development and potential for renewable energy." With its innovative structural design that effectively reduces module backside standing and its efficient factory pre-assembly, Arctech's SkySmart tracking system will be deployed on the project to offer higher energy output, while also reducing the labor cost associated with field installation. The plant will be Arctech's second project in the Middle East, following a solar power plant project in Saudi Arabia, and is part of the manufacturer's ongoing internationalization strategy. The deal comes off the back of Arctech's ranking fourth globally for market share among solar PV tracker suppliers, according to the Global Solar PV Tracker Market Shares and Shipment Trends Report 2019, released by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables. In addition to supplying trackers for the plant, Arctech will continue to accelerate its global presence in 2019 and beyond through increased trade show participation, as part of the company's dedication to bringing clean energy to the world. Arctech Solar is constantly moving higher with the rise in the technological innovation and new technology application, except the above-mentioned SkySmart tracking system, Skyline tracking system is another competitive product of Arctech's sky series solar tracking and racking systems. In the coming Intersolar Europe exhibition 2019, Skyline will be exhibiting at booth A2-660 from 15 to 17 May. We sincerely invite you to visit our booth! About Arctech Solar Arctech Solar is one of the world's leading manufacturers and solution providers of solar tracking and racking systems. In the past decade, Arctech Solar has successfully set up overseas subsidiaries/service centers in the US, India, Japan, Spain, Mexico, Australia and UAE. As of the end of 2018, Arctech has cumulatively installed approximately 19GW capacity and completed 900 projects in 24 countries, and is now recognized as a reliable partner in the global PV tracking and racking industry. For more information, please visit www.arctechsolar.com For media enquiries, please contact: Lisa Zhou Telephone: +86-18918888669 Email Address: lisa.zhou@arctechsolar.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/885729/Arctech_Solar.jpg Includes 10 leading oncology/translational medicine and drug development experts to support clinical strategy for TR009 and TRIGR's immuno-modulatory bispecific antibody pipeline IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 13, 2019 / TRIGR Therapeutics, Inc. ("TRIGR"), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of multi-targeted and immunomodulatory bispecific antibodies, announced today the formation of its global Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board (CSAB) comprising of 10 key appointments. The CSAB will work closely with TRIGR's leadership team as it prepares to advance lead product candidate TR009 (ABL001, NOV1501), a dual-angiogenesis bispecific antibody, into global phase 1b/2 clinical trials in gastric, colorectal and other solid tumors expressing VEGF and DLL4 and to support IND enabling efforts for TRIGR's dual checkpoint and immune engaging bispecific antibody pipeline. "We are honored to have convened this world-class group of gastrointestinal cancer and drug development leaders to our CSAB. Their clinical expertise and drug approval record will be invaluable to our strategy," said George Uy, Founder and CEO of TRIGR. "This group's deep experience in oncology drug development from initial discovery to late-stage clinical studies will provide support through this next stage of growth for our pipeline and Company." The appointments to TRIGR's CSAB include: Clinical Oncologist / Cancer Translational Research Advisors (Chair) Professor Edward Chu MD, M.M,S. UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and University of Pittsburgh Professor Yung-Jue Bang, MD, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Hospital Professor Eric Van Cutsem, MD, PhD University of Leuven Professor Cathy Eng, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Professor Howard Hochster, MD, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Professor Jin Li, MD, Tongji University Shanghai East Hospital Professor Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, Yale Cancer Center Pharmaceutical Industry / Drug Development Advisors Dr. Jean-Pierre Bizzari, MD former EVP and Global Head of Oncology at Celgene Corporation Dr. Joanna Horobin M.B., Ch.B., Chief Medical Officer of Idera Pharmaceuticals Dr. Ye Hua, MD, MPH, CEO, Bionova, former Clinical/Regulatory Head at Hutchison MediPharm Dr. Edward Chu MD, M.M.S. (CSAB Chairman) is Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology and Deputy Director of the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center (HCC). Additionally, Dr. Chu serves as Co-Leader of HCC's Cancer Therapeutics and Phase I Program. Dr. Chu is a leading expert in the field of cancer therapeutics and cancer drug development, with a focus on clinical and translational research of gastrointestinal cancers. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), American Association for the Advancement of Science, and American College of Physicians. Dr. Chu also serves on the scientific advisory boards of several NCI-designated cancer centers, including Albert Einstein, Dartmouth, Columbia, Duke Cancer Institute, University of Southern California, and serves on the advisory board for the Taiwan National Cancer Institute. Dr. Yung-Jue Bang, MD has served as Professor of Medical Oncology at the Seoul National University College of Medicine and Hospital since 1986. Dr. Bang has more than 30 years of experience in translational research and clinical trials, mainly focused on gastric cancer and phase I trials of new anticancer agents. He has also served as Director of the Cancer Research Institute, President of Biomedical Research Institute and the Director of Clinical Trials Center. Professor Eric Van Cutsem, MD, PhD serves as Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Leuven (KULeuven) and Head of the Digestive Oncology Unit at the University Hospital Gasthuisberg in Leuven, Belgium. He became doctor honoris causa of the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland in June 2018. He is member of the Belgian Royal Academy of Medicine since 2015 and President of the Belgian Foundation Against Cancer since October 2016. Professor Van Cutsem is a world-renowned expert in GI cancer and has lead multiple clinical, translational and pivotal studies in the space. Professor Van Cutsem has published more than 550 peer-reviewed articles. Prof Van Cutsem is/was a member of the scientific program committee and/or educational committee of ASCO, ASCO-GI cancers symposium, ESMO, UEG, and ECCO. He served for ESMO as executive board member from 2011 to 2013 and since 2014 is on the ESMO press committee. He was secretary from 2000 to 2003, chair of the EORTC-GI group from 2003 to 2007. He was board member of the EORTC from 2009 to 2015 and is president of European Society of Digestive Oncology (ESDO) Eric Van Cutsem has been the founder of and Chair of the Scientific Committee of the ESMO/World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona. Dr. Cathy Eng, MD, FACP, FASCO, Professor, and Sophie Caroline Steves Distinguished Professorship for Cancer Research has served as faculty at MD Anderson for the past 16 years. Dr. Eng has assumed leadership positions devoted to clinical research and has focused on the development of phase I-III clinical trials using novel therapeutics for biomarker discovery and enhanced drug utilization in colorectal, appendiceal and anal cancer patients. Within MDACC, she is the Chairman of the Scientific Review, Clinical Research Committee and contact PI for the multidisciplinary NCI National Clinical Trials Network Lead Academic Participating Sites U10 and more recently the UG1 Grant (NCTN LAPS U10 Grant), an umbrella grant to conduct cancer research within all 4 clinical Network groups (The Alliance, ECOG-Acrin, NRG, and SWOG). Dr. Eng was a 2-term Chairman of the NCI Rectal-Anal Task Force, serves on ECOG and SWOG and is the newly elected Vice-Chair of the SWOG GI Committee. Dr. Eng has published in many peer reviewed journals including JCO, Lancet Oncology, Nature Review, Annals of Oncology, Cancer, and Annals of Surgical Oncology. Dr. Howard Hochster, MD is an internationally recognized leader in the development of cancer clinical trials, gastrointestinal oncology, and early-phase cancer drugs. Dr. Hochster, is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Prior to joining Rutgers, he was faculty at the Yale Cancer Center and the Yale School of Medicine, where he also served as team leader for the Gastrointestinal Cancers Program. Dr. Hochster served as a clinical program leader for the Gastrointestinal Cancers Program at Smilow Cancer Hospital. Dr. Hochster, whose most recent clinical trials work involves the investigation of checkpoint inhibitors in gastrointestinal cancers, has decades of clinical trial experience and has collaborated with national cooperative groups, as well as the National Cancer Institute. Professor Jin Li, MD is a Professor at Tongji University Shanghai East Hospital and serves as the Dean of Department of Oncology of East Hospital and President of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) and member ASCO. Professor Li is a world expert in gastrointestinal cancer and cancer immunotherapy. He has participated in approximately 150 clinical trials for the treatment of various tumor types. Professor Li obtained his MD from Shanghai Second Military Medical University and continued his postdoctoral research at Yale University, engaging in cancer research of gene therapy and biological therapy. He has published more than 100 papers in prestigious journals, including PNAS, Clinical Cancer Research, Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, Anti-cancer Research, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Lancet Oncology, and JAMA. Dr. Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, is a leading expert on drug development. She is currently a Professor of Medicine at Yale University, Director of the Early Phase Clinical Trials Program and the Associate Director of Experimental Therapeutics at the Yale Cancer Center. Dr. LoRusso brings more than 25 years of expertise in medical oncology, drug development, and early phase clinical trials. Prior to her Yale appointment, Dr. LoRusso served in numerous leadership roles at Wayne State University's Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, most recently as Director of the Phase I Clinical Trials Program and of the Eisenberg Center for Experimental Therapeutics. Dr. LoRusso has served in numerous leadership roles. She has been a past co-chair of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program Investigational Drug Steering Committee, as well as a active member since inception. She also served on the board of directors and numerous scientific committees of the American Association for Cancer Research, the education and scientific committees of the ASCO, numerous peer-reviewed study sections, and NCI committees. Dr. Jean-Pierre Bizzari, MD Dr. Bizzari is a world-renowned oncology expert with over 35 years of broad experience in oncology drug development. Dr. Bizzari served as Executive Vice President and Global Head of Oncology at Celgene Corporation, responsible for Celgene's clinical development and operations-statistics teams across the United States, Europe and Asia/Japan where he oversaw the development and approval of leading oncology products, including REVLIMID (lenalidomide), VIDAZA (azacitidine), ISTODAX (romidepsin) and ABRAXANE (nab-paclitaxel). In addition, he was chairman of Celgene's hematology oncology development committee and a member of the company's management committee. Prior to Celgene, Dr. Bizzari was the Vice President, Clinical Oncology Development for Sanofi-Aventis where he oversaw the approval of ELOXATIN (oxaliplatin), TAXOTERE (docetaxel) and ELITEK (rasburicase). Dr. Bizzari joined the pharmaceutical industry in 1983 as Head of Oncology at the Institut de Recherches Internationales SERVIER (France). Dr. Bizzari is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the French National Cancer Institute, and the European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer and Chairman of the New Drug Advisory Committee. Dr. Bizzari received his medical degree from the Nice Medical School and has trained at the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris, The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, and The McGill Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre (formerly the McGill Cancer Center) in Montreal, Canada. Dr. Joanna Horobin M.B., Ch.B., is an accomplished drug developer and biotech leader with over 35 years of industry experience, primarily focused on the development of novel oncology agents. Dr. Horobin serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Previously, Dr. Horobin was the Chief Medical Officer of Verastem, Inc. From 2006 to 2012, she served as CEO of Syndax Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Horobin spent a year as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at MPM Capital and held several roles of increasing responsibility at global pharmaceutical corporations such as Rhone-Poulenc Rorer (now Sanofi) where she spearheaded the launch of the global Oncology business unit which included the commercial introduction of TAXOTERE (docetaxel) in breast cancer and CAMPTO/CAMPTOSAR (CPT11) for colorectal cancer. At Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, Dr. Horobin also led a successful joint venture with Chugai to develop and launch GRANULOCYTE (lenograstim) across Europe. Prior, Joanna played significant leadership roles in the approvals of LOVENOX, CELECTOL, AUGMENTIN, TIMENTIN, BACTROBAN and RELAFEN/RELIFLEX. Dr. Horobin received her M.B. Ch.B. degrees (MD equivalent) from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom and gained membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) and the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine from the Royal Colleges of Medicine. Dr. Ye Hua, MD, MPH, currently founder and CEO of BioNova Pharmaceuticals (Shanghai, China) has 20 years of global clinical development and new drug registration experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Most recently, Dr. Hua served as Senior VP and Head of Clinical Development and Regulatory Affairs at Hutchison MediPharm (Chi-Med), where he led over 30 Phase 1-3 clinical trials in oncology and immunology across China, the US and Australia, including the pivotal program for ELONATE (fruquintinib). Dr. Hua started his career in the US at Pharmacia & Upjohn in 1999 as a biostatistician (team leader in pivotal Phase 3 registration trial of Humira), then as a team leader/ clinical research physician at Novartis (RECLAST/ACLASTA, PREXIGE, ZOMETA, PROLEUKIN and CARDIOXANE in the US and EU), and most recently served as Senior Medical Director, Global Clinical Development at Celgene Corporation where he led global clinical teams for REVLIMID and POMALYST NDA/sNDA. Dr. Hua graduated from Fudan University Shanghai Medical College and obtained a Master Degree in cancer epidemiology at McGill University, Montreal Canada. About TRIGR Therapeutics TRIGR (www.TrigrRx.com) is an emerging biotechnology company in the field of next generation cancer therapies that was incorporated in April 2018 and managed by biopharmaceuticals industry veterans. TRIGR focuses on clinical development and commercialization of targeted and immuno-modulatory drugs with validated mechanism of action and novel formats for the US, European and Asian markets. The Company's pipeline includes a clinical stage dual-angiogenesis bispecific antibody program (TR009) and pre-clinical dual checkpoint and immune engaging bispecific antibodies. Contact: George Uy, CEO & Founder, GUy@TrigrRx.com Miranda Toledano, COO/CFO, Miranda.Toledano@TrigrRx.com SOURCE: The Trout Group LLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/545109/TRIGR-Therapeutics-Announces-Formation-of-Global-Clinical-Scientific-Advisory-Board Le Messager The Abode of Chaos collective work / thierry Ehrmann - Remy Teulier [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2019/05/le-messager.jpg] thierry Ehrmann: "Apart from commemorative statues that can be found in nearly all the towns and cities in the Western World and elsewhere, big cities have always been fond of large and monumental sculptures in public spaces. In New York there are works by Robert Indiana, Alexander Calder, Jean Dubuffet and Pablo Picasso, while in Paris you can find works by Cesar, Daniel Buren... and soon, Jeff Koons." Indeed, considering the number of works that have occupied public places in major cities, either temporarily or permanently, it is not surprising that some have elicited controversy... and sometimes, quite heated. In recent years, France - and Paris in particular - has been the setting for a number of art controversies such as those surrounding Paul McCarthy's Tree (2014) on the Place Vendome, Anish Kapoor's Dirty Corner (2015) at Versailles and Joep Van Lieshout's Domestikator (2017) in front of the Pompidou Center. The sheer size of these monumental works often adds to their "shock effect" as they dominate the local urban or landscaped environments. Arman's sculpture in Beirut, Espoir de paix (1995), a 32-meter-high concrete tower containing dozens of real tanks, is a good example. There are more and more spaces devoted to sculpture around the world: permanent exhibition sites, such as the Gibbs Farm in New Zealand or Naoshima and Teshima Islands in Japan, as well as annual events such as Frieze Sculpture held every autumn in London. Thanks to these new opportunities in places designed specifically for the purpose, sculpture is definitively liberating itself from architecture and painting. Sculpture on the Art Market Collectors have long been intimidated by a medium that is more complicated to display, store and transport than two-dimensional works. However, between 2003 and 2008, the volume of auction turnover generated by sculptures multiplied 4.5 times. In just five years, worldwide sculpture sales on the secondary market rose from $245 million to $1.1 billion. Stalled by the financial crisis, sculpture sales immediately recovered and then enjoyed two particularly good years in 2014 and 2015. Global auction turnover from sculpture [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2019/05/artprice-sculpture-en.png] thierry Ehrmann, Artprice's CEO and founder, explains: The sculpture market is moving in the opposite direction to dematerialization: in a world of almost-instant flows of information, images and money, the massive weight of a steel or bronze sculpture has greater significance. For centuries, drawing and painting dominated the Art Market for practical reasons; but it is perfectly normal to see sculpture returning to the forefront today. A 3-dimensional work expresses greater freedom, and, in the 21st century, logistical considerations are much less challenging. Kitsch leads Contemporary sculpture market On 15 May 2019, one of Jeff Koons' three 1986 Rabbit sculptures will be offered for sale at Christie's in New York with an estimated price range of $50 - $70 million. This exceptional 1-meter high stainless steel work (from an edition of 3, plus 1 artist's proof), is arguably Jeff Koons' most iconic work, and perhaps Contemporary art's most iconic work as well (at least insofar as Contemporary means post-modern, conceptual or its less intellectual brother-in-arms, kitsch...). Six years ago, Jeff Koons became the most expensive living artist on the Art Market with his Balloon Dog (1994-2000). The orange version sold for $58.4 million on 12 November 2013 at Christie's in New York. It is unlikely that Koons will recover his "most valued living artist" title; to do so, his Rabbit (1986) would have to fetch over $90.3 million, the amount paid for David Hockney's Portrait of an Artist (1972). However the piece may well revive the Prince of Kitsch's market, as well as all the Contemporary Art as a whole. Alberto Giacometti, the undisputed leader The top three prices ever recorded at auction for sculptures were all hammered for works by Alberto Giacometti. With three results above the $100 million threshold, Giacometti is one of the most expensive artists in history and, without a doubt, the most successful sculptor on the secondary market. But how did his L'Homme au doigt (1947) reach $141 million at Christie's New York in May 2015 when there are five other versions of the same work (plus an artist's proof)? In price terms, sculpture's reproducibility is often seen as a weak point, but the same characteristic can also be its strength. Because owning a work like L'Homme au doigt (1947) is to share a work with the greatest museums in the world, including the MoMA, the Tate Modern and the Des Moines Art Center. Brancusi dominates 2018 Measuring just 55 cm high, Constantin Brancusi's The Sophisticated Girl (Portrait of Nancy Cunard) (1928) was acquired for $71 million on 15 May 2018 at Christie's in New York, propelling the Franco-Romanian sculptor to the forefront of the global Art Market. It was the year's best sculpture result and the 8th best Fine Art result in all categories. In 1927, the "Brancusi versus the United States" trial marked a major turning point in Art History. For the former US Customs Service, Brancusi's sculptures were not, strictly speaking, artworks... but the trial forced the authorities to broaden the notion of an artwork. Ninety years later, not a shred of doubt remains: Brancusi is celebrated as one of the most important artists of the 20th century. The American Supreme Court had just defined the "cognitive value' of a work of art. Artprice and the Demeure du Chaos/Abode of Chaos In 1999, Artprice set up its headquarters within the Organe Contemporary Art Museum, which manages the Demeure du Chaos/Abode of Chaos. This open-air museum of 9,000 square meters, both free in spirit and free for visitors, is home to 5,400 artworks, 720 monumental sculptures (from 5 to 120 tons) with one currently being prepared to celebrate its 20th anniversary: a steel sculpture weighing 235 tons (measuring 3.33m x 3.33m x 3.33m). All the raw steel sculptures on the site have been created by thierry Ehrmann, CEO and founderof Artprice, but also a sculptor since 1980, which means thirty-nine years of a passion for art that he gladly shares with visitors from all over the world. Copyright 2019 thierry Ehrmann - www.artprice.com Try our services (free demo): https://www.artprice.com/artist/23640/baishi-qi Subscribe to our services: https://www.artprice.com/subscription About Artprice: Artprice is listed on the Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF. Founded by thierry Ehrmann (see Who's who certified Biography ) (c) https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2019/03/2019-bio-whoswho-thierry-ehrmann.pdf ). Dicover Artprice in video: https://www.artprice.com/video Artprice is the global leader in art price and art index databanks. It has over 30 million indices and auction results covering more than 700,000 artists. Artprice Images gives unlimited access to the largest Art Market resource in the world: a library of 126 million images or prints of artworks from the year 1700 to the present day, along with comments by Artprice's art historians. Artprice permanently enriches its databanks with information from 6,300 auctioneers and it publishes a constant flow of art market trends for the world's principal news agencies and approximately 7,200 international press publications. For its 4,500,000 members, Artprice gives access to the world's leading Standardised Marketplace for buying and selling art. Artprice is preparing its blockchain for the Art Market. It is BPI-labelled (scientific national French label) Artprice's Global Art Market Annual Report for 2018 published last March 2019: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2018 Artprice is associated with Artron Group the Chinese leader in the Art Market, its solid institutional partner. About the Artron Group: "Artron Art Group (Artron), a comprehensive cultural industrial group founded in 1993 by Wan jie, is committed to inheriting, enhancing and spreading art value. Based on abundant art data, Artron provides art industry and art fans with professional service and experience of quality products by integrated application of IT, advanced digital science and innovative crafts and materials. Having produced more than 60,000 books and auction catalogues, Artron is the world's largest art book printer with a total print volume of 300 million a year. It has more than 3 million professional members in the arts sector and an average of 15 million daily visits, making it the world's leading art website." Artron's Web: www.Artron.net Artprice's Contemporary Art Market Annual Report for 2018 - free access at: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-contemporary-art-market-report-2018 Artprice's press releases: http://serveur.serveur.com/Press_Release/pressreleaseen.htm https://twitter.com/artpricedotcom Artmarket News: https://twitter.com/artpricedotcom & https://twitter.com/artmarketdotcom https://www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom 4 million subscribers http://artmarketinsight.wordpress.com/ Discover the Alchemy and the universe of Artprice http://web.artprice.com/video, which headquarters are the famous Museum of Contemporary Art, the Abode of Chaos: https://issuu.com/demeureduchaos/docs/demeureduchaos-abodeofchaos-opus-ix-1999-2013 https://vimeo.com/124643720 The Contemporary Art Museum The Abode of Chaos https://www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999 3.6 million subscribers Contact: ir@artprice.com ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Recevez gratuitement par email les prochains communiques de la societe en vous inscrivant sur www.actusnews.com Communique integral et original au format PDF:Telecharger le PDF To promote OdySight, a digital solution to optimize visual monitoring of patients with chronic eye diseases Tilak Healthcare, a pioneering video game studio specializing in mobile medical games for patients with chronic diseases, announces an exclusive co-promotion partnership with Novartis France for OdySight, its first clinically validated mobile game to monitor vision remotely. Tilak Healthcare will rely on medical representatives from Novartis France to inform ophthalmologists in France of this innovation and provide greater access to this solution. Edouard Gasser, CEO of Tilak Healthcare, comments: "We are very excited to embark on this journey alongside Novartis France. This is a major step in the growth of Tilak Healthcare. We look forward to collaborating with a partner whose ambitious digital strategy echoes our vision of combining the playful world of mobile gaming with the medical world in order to help physicians. Thanks to this partnership, Tilak strengthens its status as a major player in e-health." Audrey Derveloy, Head of Ophthalmology at Novartis France, comments:"We welcome this collaboration with Tilak Healthcare, which is part of our strategy based on the alliance of therapeutic and digital innovations to improve patient autonomy with certain eye diseases". About OdySight Developed by physicians and video game professionals, OdySight is a concrete example of digital solutions to improve patient care. By combining games and medical tests, the application allows close monitoring of patients with chronic ocular diseases (eg, AMD, diabetic macular edema, high myopia). The user performs medical tests and then can progress through a puzzle game to test his cognitive and visual abilities. In case of vision loss detected by the application, an alert is sent to the patient, inviting him to make an appointment with his ophthalmologist. OdySight, as a fun and engaging application, motivates the patient to come back on a regular basis, and therefore, to do more visual tests, in a sustainable fashion, than are normally performed during a traditional care pathway. About Tilak Healthcare Tilak is a unique videogame studio where like-minded passionate people create fun, mobile medical games for patients with chronic diseases. There is an ever-increasing demand for medical services, placing a huge burden on the healthcare system. Doctors and caregivers need new, validated tools and resources in order to improve access. At Tilak Healthcare, every product on the market is clinically validated, developed with physicians and patient advocates, compliant with medical device regulations, and protects the patient's privacy. For more information: https://www.tilakhealthcare.com/ About Novartis We believe Novartis is well prepared for a world with a growing, aging population and continuously evolving healthcare needs. We have a clear mission, focused strategy and strong culture, all of which we expect will support the creation of value over the long term for our company, our shareholders and society. Our strategy is to use science-based innovation to deliver better patient outcomes in growing areas of healthcare. For more information, visit http://www.novartis.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005306/en/ Contacts: Tilak Healthcare Edouard Gasser +33 (0) 7 62 27 18 42 egasser@TilakHealthcarehealthcare.com Press contacts NewCap Annie-Florence Loyer +33 (0)1 44 71 00 12 +33 (0)6 88 20 35 59 afloyer@newcap.fr Lea Jacquin +33 (0)1 44 71 20 41 ljacquin@newcap.fr BlackRock Energy and Resources Income Trust plc (formerly BlackRock Commodities Income Investment Trust plc) (the "Company") Change of name The Board is pleased to announce that the Company has today changed its name to BlackRock Energy and Resources Income Trust plc and with effect from 8.00 a.m. on 14 May 2019 the Company's ticker will change to BERI (previously BRCI). The Company's ISIN and Sedol will remain unchanged. The Board believes that the new name better reflects the Company's investment universe, which consists predominantly of energy and mining equities as opposed to commodities. The name change also reflects the portfolio managers having begun to build exposure to companies expected to benefit from the move towards a lower carbon global economy. There will be no change to the investment philosophy, investment process or management of the Company. The Company's website address has been amended to https://www.blackrock.com/uk/beri. 13 May 2019 For further information please contact: Melissa Gallagher BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited 020 7743 3893 Neil Morgan 020 3100 0000 Winterflood Investment Trusts CALGARY, ALBERTA / ACCESSWIRE / May 13, 2019 / Big Dougie Capital Corp. ("Big Dougie") (TSX Venture: STUV.P) is pleased to announce details concerning its proposed arm's length qualifying transaction involving a business combination with LaSanta Botanicals Ltd. ("LaSanta"), a private company incorporated under the laws of Alberta on August 10, 2017. Overview of LaSanta LaSanta has offices in Calgary and Bogota and its primary commercial operations are based in Colombia, where LaSanta's wholly owned subsidiary is licensed to cultivate psychoactive and non-psychoactive cannabis, manufacture and export cannabis extracts, and produce and sell cannabis genetics. LaSanta was formed in 2017 to capitalize on Colombia's ideal growing climate and strong agricultural and scientific expertise to produce low cost, premium-quality medical cannabis products for sale in Colombia and global markets. LaSanta's experienced team believes it has established the foundation to create long-term value in the global cannabis industry. LaSanta has more than 2.1 million square feet of land licensed for cannabis cultivation, including a 1.3 million square foot farm in Sutamarchan purchased in 2018, 160 kilometres north of the capital city of Bogota, and 800,000 square feet in Cajica. The Sutamarchan farm was formerly used for organic tomato cultivation and is situated in an ideal micro climate for year-round indoor and outdoor cannabis production, with optimal solar radiation, ample water and ideal relative humidity. LaSanta leases the 800,000 square feet in Cajica. LaSanta has approximately 50,000 square feet of greenhouse in operation in Sutamarchan and Cajica, and a further 190,000 square feet under construction in Sutamarchan. The initial phase of operation, with total greenhouse space totalling 240,000 square feet, is expected to have the ability to produce approximately 36,000 kilograms of dried cannabis flower annually when fully operational in 2020, at an estimated cost of less than CAD$0.10 per gram. LaSanta is building a state-of-the-art extraction facility, designed for EU GMP certification, and recently took possession of a new BPE certified laboratory for producing finished products. LaSanta has a world-class genetics bank, with over 125 strains, and harvested its first crop of plants for seed characterization earlier this year. LaSanta has applied for characterization of 20 strains to date and expects to harvest and sell its first commercial crop in the second half of 2019. LaSanta's strategy is to leverage research and distribution partnerships to establish a leading position in the global cannabis industry. LaSanta has executed letters-of-intent with potential take-a-way partners and is working towards definitive supply agreements with a number of buyers in Colombia, Canada, Australia and Europe. LaSanta has also secured exclusive research and product development agreements with leading brands and top medical institutions in Colombia and North America, with the goal of delivering scientifically-proven products to market. Summary of the Proposed Transaction Big Dougie has entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent with LaSanta dated May 6, 2019 (the "LOI") pursuant to which Big Dougie and LaSanta intend to complete a business combination (the "Transaction") with the ongoing public company (the "Resulting Issuer") being called "LaSanta Botanicals Inc." Pursuant to the proposed Transaction, (i) the issued and outstanding common shares of LaSanta (the "LaSanta Common Shares") will be exchanged for common shares of the Resulting Issuer (the "Resulting Issuer Common Shares") on a one for one basis; and (ii) the outstanding options to acquire LaSanta Common Shares ("LaSanta Options"), share purchase warrants to acquire LaSanta Common Shares ("LaSanta Share Purchase Warrants"), and agent's warrants to acquire LaSanta Common Shares ("La Santa Agent's Warrants") will be exchanged for replacement options, share purchase warrants and agent's warrants issued by the Resulting Issuer on a one for one basis. There are currently issued and outstanding, 38,931,704 LaSanta Common Shares, 4,075,000 LaSanta Options, 15,382,514 LaSanta Share Purchase Warrants and 423,642 LaSanta Agent's Warrants. In connection with the Transaction, it is expected that the issued and outstanding common shares of Big Dougie (the "Big Dougie Common Shares") will be consolidated (the "Consolidation") on a ratio equal to the Financing Strike Price (as defined below) divided by $0.12 per Big Dougie Common Share (the "Big Dougie Rollback Ratio") and that the outstanding stock options to purchase Big Dougie Common Shares ("Big Dougie Options") and agents' option to purchase Big Dougie Common Shares ("Big Dougie Agent's Options") will be adjusted on an equivalent economic basis. There are currently issued and outstanding 12,000,000 Big Dougie Common Shares, 1,200,000 Big Dougie Options and 200,000 Big Dougie Agent's Options. The deemed value of the LaSanta Common Shares and the Big Dougie Rollback Ratio will be disseminated in a press release when the Financing Strike Price is determined. It is intended that the Transaction, when completed, will constitute Big Dougie's "Qualifying Transaction" in accordance with Policy 2.4 of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). A more comprehensive news release will be issued by Big Dougie disclosing details of the Transaction, including financial information respecting LaSanta, the names and backgrounds of all persons who will constitute insiders of the Resulting Issuer, and information respecting sponsorship, once an agreement has been finalized and certain conditions have been met, including: i) approval of the Transaction by Big Dougie's Board of Directors; ii) satisfactory completion of due diligence; and iii) execution of the definitive agreement. Shareholder approval is not required with respect to the Transaction under the rules of the Exchange because the Transaction does not constitute a Non-Arm's Length Qualifying Transaction. However, the structure of the Transaction has not yet been finalized so shareholder approval under corporate law may be required. Trading in the common shares of Big Dougie has been halted and is not expected to resume trading until the Transaction is completed or until the Exchange receives the requisite documentation to resume trading. Summary of the Proposed Private Placement Pursuant to the LOI, the parties have agreed to use their "commercially reasonable efforts" to cause LaSanta to complete a private placement (the "LaSanta Private Placement") of LaSanta Common Shares or subscription receipts exercisable into LaSanta Common Shares (the "Subscription Receipts"). It is intended that the minimum gross proceeds of the LaSanta Private Placement will be for $5,000,000 up to a maximum of $10,000,000. An agent will be retained in respect of the LaSanta Private Placement and the pricing for the LaSanta Common Shares or Subscription Receipts will be determined in consultation with the agent (the "Financing Strike Price"). The LaSanta Private Placement may include warrants exercisable into LaSanta Common Shares. The agent is expected to be paid a cash commission and be granted broker warrants in connection with LaSanta Private Placement. Further particulars of the LaSanta Private Placement will be disseminated in a press release to be issued upon finalization of terms with an agent. Forward Looking Information Statements in this press release regarding Big Dougie's business, which are not historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, such as the terms and conditions of the proposed Transaction, the LaSanta Private Placement and the Consolidation as well as the business of LaSanta such as annual dried cannabis flower production expectations, expected costs per gram, construction of an extraction facility, timing of sale and harvest of its first commercial crop, and execution of supply agreements. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, include but are not limited to: estimates regarding flower bench size, yield per square foot and harvest per annum, the ability to obtain or maintain necessary licenses and permits for the extraction facility, future legislative and regulatory developments involving cannabis; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the labour market generally and the ability to access, hire and retain employees; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and the delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals, as applicable. 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 the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, neither Big Dougie nor LaSanta assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. Completion of the Transaction, the LaSanta Private Placement and the Consolidation are subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, execution of binding definitive agreements relating to the Transaction and the LaSanta Private Placement and satisfaction of conditions precedents thereof (including but not limited to receiving all required shareholder, regulatory and other approvals), Exchange acceptance and if applicable pursuant to Exchange requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. For further information, please contact: Big Dougie Capital Corp. Al Kroontje Chief Executive Officer and Director Phone: (403) 607-4009 Email: al@kasten.ca LaSanta Botanicals Ltd. Peter Verburg President Phone: 403-870-0644 Email: peter@lasanta.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE: Big Dougie Capital Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/545082/Big-Dougie-Capital-Corp-Announces-Proposed-Qualifying-Transaction Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 13, 2019) - City View Green Holdings Inc. (CSE: CVGR) (formerly Icon Exploration Inc.) (the "Company" or "CVG") trading through the facilities of the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") under the symbol "CVGR" is pleased to announce that it has received official correspondence from Health Canada that it has no critical concerns with the active City View Green application and that it may move ahead with the build out of its facility located at 49 Easton Road in Brantford. Under new Cannabis Act & Regulations licensing rules announced May 8, 2019, CVG will maintain its priority in the cannabis licensing queue and that all requirements under the Cannabis Act & Regulations licensing including the affirmation of readiness and video evidence package procedures (the "Evidence Package") must be met prior to CVG being granted a license. Health Canada Announcement on May 8, 2019: On May 8, 2019, Health Canada announced certain changes to align the approach of cannabis licensing with the approach of other regulated sectors, such as pharmaceuticals. Effective immediately, Health Canada will require new applicants for licenses under the Cannabis Act & Regulations to have a fully built site at the time of their application (as well as satisfying other application criteria). Existing applications will receive a high-level review, and if the applicant passes this review stage, Health Canada will provide a status update letter to the applicant, indicating that it has no concerns with the proposed application. Upon completion of the site, Health Canada will review the application in detail and in priority, based on the original application. There are no changes to the regulatory requirements set out in the Cannabis Act & Regulations. A detailed press release issued by Health Canada can be found here: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/statement-from-health-canada-on-changes-to-cannabis-licensing-837732427.html CVG applauds Health Canada's approach with these new changes as the Company believes it will speed up approval for CVG's license allowing the Company to ramp up production of flower and extracts to meet demand in the Canadian and International cannabis marketplace. At the same time the new changes remove the time-consuming paper review by Health Canada of early-stage competitors who do not have a facility or operational and financial resources to build a facility before becoming licensed. CVG is currently completing a sale and leaseback of its facility to fully fund the construction of 49 Easton Road and will be positioned to meet the financial requirements to obtain a license. Status of Buildout at 49 Easton Road: CVG is pleased to announce that the preparation of the exterior, security fencing, and interior has been completed, and over the duration of calendar Q2 and Q3 2019, the Company will complete the construction of the initial cultivation and extraction rooms for approval by Health Canada. As described in this press release CVG has maintained its application status and priority in the licensing queue with Health Canada and once the site is fully built out and its Evidence Package submitted, the Company believes that a license will be issued in a timely manner (subject to meeting all necessary regulatory requirements set out by Health Canada). Ian MacDonald, CEO of City View Green Holdings Inc. stated: "We are excited to maintain our priority in the licensing process with Health Canada. With the recent changes announced to the application process, we believe timelines for inspection and approvals will be greatly improved and the value of a license will increase significantly. The new rules give priority to applicants like CVG with strong operational and financial resources. Our buildout at our Brantford facility will be completed in the coming months and we are confident our license will be granted shortly thereafter so we can begin operations and provide the finest flower and oils in the Cannabis industry" CVG has been structured to be a vertically integrated cannabis company focused on seed to retail. Upon receipt of its Cannabis Act licence, CVG will incorporate growing, extraction, production and retail at their Brantford, Ontario facility. It is our intention that CVG will grow exceptional quality cannabis and produce high quality extracts. Once legalized, it is our expectation that CVG will produce high quality edible products, distillates and water-soluble products for the beverage market. In addition, CVG owns a 19.9% stake in Budd Hutt Inc. Budd Hutt is a retail focused Cannabis company with access to licenses in Alberta and other retail opportunities across Canada. We expect that Budd Hutt will secure shelf space and distribution opportunities for CVG's products. CVG's Future is Green. Follow the Green. For more information visit www.cityviewgreen.ca. For further information contact: CVG Green Holdings Inc. Ian MacDonald, CEO Email: ian@cityviewgreen.ca CVG Green Holdings Inc. Rob Fia, President Email: rob@cityviewgreen.ca Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulations services accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding obtaining a cultivation, production and sales cannabis license from Health Canada in the future and a financing via purchase and leaseback of 49 Easton Road as described in the press release and information that is based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company's current expectations. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements and information. When relying on the Company's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44743 Clinical Trials Start in Europe and Asia joimax, the Germany-based market leader of technologies and training methods for full-endoscopic, minimally-invasive spinal surgery, is showcasing its Integrated Navigation Tracking Control System, Intracsem, at this year's Global Spine Congress (GSC), which is currently being held in Toronto, Canada. The company is also promoting the system at the annual meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC), being held concurrently in Wurzburg, Germany. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005118/en/ The new Integrated Navigation Tracking Control System, Intracs from joimax (Graphic: Business Wire) The Intracsem electromagnetic navigation system is simple to set up, very user-friendly, and seamlessly integrates into the joimax endoscopic tower. It allows for navigation during any endoscopic procedure performed with the joimax endoscopic surgical systems, TESSYS (transforaminal) and iLESSYS (interlaminar). Beyond that, it can serve as a stand-alone device. The system relies on electromagnetic tracking, affording simultaneous navigation of multiple instruments such as needles, guiding rods, reamers and endoscopes. It was developed by joimax for easy planning of endoscopic approaches to the spine, as well as other minimally invasive procedures, like percutaneous fusions. Various Intracsem sensors guarantee the highest accuracy. Plus, for the patients' benefit, the procedure can be carried out without further X-ray control only starting X-rays are required. As a result, access, intervention time, and radiation exposure, are reduced to a minimum. The system is CE-Marked. Currently, clinical trials and applications are running in Europe and Asia, where the product has already launched. In specific Asian countries, like Taiwan, the first systems have been sold and shipped. Users are very impressed with the usability of the system. "I didn't expect that navigation for both transforaminal and interlaminar procedures can be made so easy and that the set-up time can be so much streamlined," states Prof. Michael Kraus, spine specialist in Augsburg, Germany. "And for the thoracic approach, it is so precise and a tremendous help," continues Dr. Erik Traupe, spine specialist in Munich, Germany. The launch of Intracsem is a key milestone for joimax. As part of its global strategy, joimax is providing surgeons, worldwide, with the devices they need for safe, easy and gentle spinal therapies, with US-FDA submission planned for Q2, 2019. "We are committed to overcoming any obstacles and concerns related to minimally invasive, endoscopic spine surgery," states joimax CEO and Founder Wolfgang Ries. "Our success lies with our innovative, user-friendly devices and instruments, and our ability to provide both doctor and patient with outstanding safety built into our systems." Moreover, a well established and targeted clinical training program for the spinal surgical community, named CM3, rounds out the joimaxeducational offering. Earlier this year, joimax launched ESPINEA, an Endoscopic Spine Academy focused on a complete endoscopic spine curriculum. Designed as a full training program to elevate surgeons to the next level of expertise, ESPINEA offers professional and high-quality education for endoscopic spine treatment specialists, worldwide. The ESPINEA Training and Education Centers are located in Karlsruhe, Germany in the newly opened joimax building, and inIrvine, CA, where joimaxopened new labs and training rooms last November. About joimax Founded in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2001, joimax is the leading developer and marketer of complete systems for full-endoscopic and minimally invasive spinal surgery. With the Endoscopic Surgical Systems TESSYS (transforaminal), iLESSYS (interlaminar) and CESSYS (cervical) for decompression procedures, MultiZYTE for facet and sacroiliac joint pain treatment and EndoLIF and Percusysfor minimally invasive endoscopically assisted stabilizations, established systems are provided, addressing a whole range of indications. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005118/en/ Contacts: Press Contact Germany: joimax GmbH Sabine Jarosch sabine.jarosch@joimax.com 0049.721.25514 0 Press Contact USA: joimax Inc. Emily Campbell emily.campbell@joimaxusa.com 001.949.859.3472 But other cities with electric scooters have seen hundreds of injuries, from broken arms to brain trauma, mostly affecting riders, though bystanders also have been hurt. There were at least five reported U.S. shared e-scooter deaths just in the past nine months. Thats compared with four U.S. bike share deaths since the mode was first introduced in 2007, according to Paul DeMaio, principal of MetroBike, a bike-share consulting business. CHICAGO, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Photoelectric Sensors Market by Technology (Through-beam, Retro-reflective, Reflective), Range, Structure, Beam Source (Laser Beam, Standard Beam), Application (Consumer Electronics, Industrial Manufacturing) and Geography - Global Forecast to 2024", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Photoelectric Sensors Market is estimated to grow from USD 1.4 billion in 2019 to USD 2.0 billion by 2024; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.0%. Major factors driving the market growth include rising adoption of industrial automation, increasing government initiatives, and growing need for production efficiency. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=192493409 Retro-reflective segment to hold largest share during forecast period Retro-reflective sensing is the most optimum sensing technology when compared to through-beam and reflective, considering parameters such as, sensing range, accuracy, reliability, and price. Unlike through-beam sensors, retro-reflective sensors cost less and have comparable sensing range and accuracy. Moreover, retro-reflective sensors offer simple wiring (electric connection at only one junction) and optical axis adjustment, which eventually saves a considerable labor cost. Also, particularly in retro-reflective sensors, light passes through sensing objects twice, which makes them very suitable for transparent objects detection. Digital output to have fastest growth during forecast period The major application of photoelectric sensors is object detection, unlike continuous measurement of any particular parameters such as temperature, pressure, etc., which led to high adoption of sensors with digital output. In such applications, a sensor with digital output offers high accuracy and fast response. Also, digital signals are more immune to EMI and RF noise than analog. Thus, photoelectric sensors market with digital output held the largest market and expected to grow at the highest rate. APAC is expected to hold the largest market size in the photoelectric sensors market during the forecast period APAC is estimated to account for the largest share of the market in 2018. The increased number of automation activities in industrial processes, government initiatives for driving smart industries, and established market for manufacturing in China, Japan, and South Korea are key contributing factors for the growth of the photoelectric sensors market in APAC. China is a global manufacturing hub for semiconductor and automotive manufacturers. Browse in-depth TOC on "Photoelectric Sensors Market" 65 - Tables 42 - Figures 145 - Pages Request Sample Pages of the Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=192493409 Key players in the photoelectric sensors market include Omron Corporation (Japan), Keyence Corporation (Japan), Panasonic Corporation (Japan), Rockwell Automation, Inc. (US), Sick AG (Germany), Schneider Electric (France), IFM Electronic FZC (Germany), Balluff (Germany), Pepperl & Fuchs (Germany), and Banner Engineering (US). Please Explore Relevant Reports: IO-Link Market by Component (IO-Link Masters and IO-Link Devices), Application (Machine Tool, Handling & Assembly Automation, Packaging, Intralogistics), Industry (Discrete, Hybrid, and Process), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023 Optical Sensing Market by Industry (Aerospace & Defense, Utilities, Oil & Gas, Medical, Construction, and Consumer Electronics), Application, Method, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023 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 Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/photoelectric-sensor-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg One of the Largest, Most Ethnically Diverse Studies of Parkinson's Disease to Uncover the Genetic Basis of One of the Most Common Neurodegenerative Disorders CAMBRIDGE, MA and ROSTOCK, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / May 13, 2019 / CENTOGENE today announced the initiation of a 24-month global study to investigate the genetic factors in Parkinson's disease, one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders that affects approximately 1 per cent of individuals over the age of 60. The 'Rostock International Parkinson's Disease Study' (ROPAD) is being conducted in cooperation with the University of Lubeck and is expected to be the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind concerning Parkinson's disease. The study aims to enroll approximately 10,000 participants worldwide, to provide a study cohort with a broad genetic background that mirrors the global population. The objective of the study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of how many and which genetic mutations in Parkinson's disease (PD) associated genes are linked to the development of the disease. CENTOGENE will utilize the CentoCard(R), its proprietary, CE-marked dried blood spot collection kit to identify participants with a mutation in the LRRK2, GBA and other PD associated genes. Patients displaying mutations in PD genes will have the option to undergo further clinical assessment in a supplementary study, 'LRRK2 International Parkinson's Disease Project (LIPAD)', conducted at the University of Lubeck with the lead of Professor Christine Klein, where a detailed phenotyping of participants will be performed in order to describe the frequency of all important clinical PD signs and symptoms. Patients enrolled in ROPAD with a LRRK2 mutation may also be offered participation in future clinical studies with study partner Denali Therapeutics, which is developing investigational therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative and other human diseases. "CENTOGENE is committed to bringing hope to patients and their families by shortening the diagnostic odyssey, and we are proud to be working on this important study that may have vast implications for the future diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Arndt Rolfs, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of CENTOGENE. "All too often clinical studies do not reflect the ethnic diversity of the world, and this study is unique in that we are working across all ethnicities worldwide and crosschecking the effect of environmental components and individual genetics. We are excited about the contribution that CENTOGENE and our partners are making in discovering deeper insights into Parkinson's disease genetics." For more information, please watch the following video interview with CENTOGENE CEO Prof. Arndt Rolfs, MD, at: https://www.centogene.com/clinical-studies/global-patient-testing-programs-hl/rostock-international-parkinsons-disease-study.html About CENTOGENE CENTOGENE is a rare disease company focused on transforming clinical, genetic, and biochemical data into medical solutions for patients. We are focused on bringing rationality to treatment decisions and accelerating the development of new orphan drugs by using our knowledge of the global rare disease market, including our epidemiological and clinical heterogeneity, and our innovative biomarkers. As one of the largest rare disease companies worldwide, CENTOGENE is dedicated to transforming the science of genetic information into solutions and creating hope for patients with rare diseases and their families. www.centogene.com CENTOGENE Ross Bethell Director, Corporate Communications ross.bethell@centogene.com SOURCE: CENTOGENE AG View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/545133/CENTOGENE-Launches-Two-Year-Global-Parkinsons-Disease-Study Nanaimo, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 13, 2019) - Salvation Botanicals Ltd. ("Salvation" or the "Company"), a science-based cannabis technology company, announced today that Health Canada has completed its preliminary high-level review of the Standard Processor License application, and is now requesting that evidence be submitted to demonstrate that the Company's site meets all the requirements of the Cannabis Regulations. On May 8, 2019, Health Canada announced a significant change to the licensing process for Cannabis. According to the release: "Effective immediately, Health Canada will require new applicants for licenses to cultivate cannabis, process cannabis, or sell cannabis for medical purposes to have a fully built site that meets all the requirements of the Cannabis Regulations at the time of their application, as well as satisfying other application criteria." Health Canada advised that the change was initiated as a result of the many applicants in the process (70 percent) who had failed to submit evidence packages after the review of their paper-based applications had been completed. This change validates Salvation's model of focusing on delivering tangible milestones and investing capital directly on building capacity. "The application process has effectively been turned upside down, putting the proof of readiness ahead of the detailed review," said Salvation Botanicals CEO Rob McIntyre. "This allows Health Canada to focus resources on the applicants who have demonstrated the ability to execute on their plans. Having completed major construction and fixturing many months ago, Salvation is looking forward to an accelerated approval with these changes to the process in place." Salvation has a constructed processing facility with the capacity to produce over 4.5 billion Mg annually, with a processing capacity of up to 300,000 capsules and up to 96,000 units of cannabis oil per day for distribution into the regulated cannabis markets across Canada. Salvation's proprietary extraction process, refinement, formulation and product manufacture processes are all in place, awaiting processor license approval. "Our processing facility is built, supply lines are in place, and distribution channels have been identified. This change to the licensing process, together with the notification from Health Canada that a high-level review of Salvation's application has been completed with 'no critical concerns' noted, is extremely favourable," McIntyre continued. "We have completed a pre-submission review with our external consultants, and will now be focusing on completing minor upgrades identified, and submitting the final evidence package. We look forward to being in a position to supply significant volumes of high-quality cannabis products to regulated markets across the country in the near future." To learn more about Salvation Botanicals, please visit their website at www.salvationbotanicals.ca About Salvation Botanicals, Ltd. Salvation Botanicals is a private company based on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, that is dedicated to the testing and production of high-quality standardized cannabinoid products for the international cannabis market. Salvation operates one of the first analytics laboratories in Canada licensed by Health Canada to test cannabis and derivatives. Salvation Botanicals holds an Analytical Testing License under the Cannabis Act. In 2016 Health Canada granted Salvation a Hemp Processing License (HPL) permitting the production, sale and export of seed & grain and its derivatives. The Company is a late stage applicant for a Standard Processor License under the Cannabis Act and a Dealers License under the Office of Controlled Substances for certain non-cannabis substances. For more information about Salvation Botanicals Ltd, please go to www.salvationbotanicals.ca Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements within this press release relating to the Company constitute "forward-looking statements", within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, business plans and/or objectives, sales programs, forecasts and projections, assumptions, expectations, and/or beliefs of future performance, are "forward-looking statements." Such "forward-looking statements" involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual and future events to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. These risks and uncertainties relate to, among other things, to the Company's historical experience with medical marijuana operations, regulatory changes, timeliness of government approvals for the granting of permits and licenses, changes in medical marijuana prices, actual operating performance of facilities, risks associated with completion of the acquisition, including the availability of sufficient financing to complete the acquisition and fund the business of the combined company, other risks relating to the roll-out and intended expansion of a clinical wellness business, business integration risks, competitive risks, and other risks relevant to the medical marijuana and clinical wellness industries in general and to the Company in particular. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by law. There can be no assurance that Salvation Botanicals' license applications will be approved by Health Canada. Public Relations Contact: Cassandra Dowell Account Manager, CMW Media P. 888-829- 0070 cassandra@cmwmedia.com www.cmwmedia.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44745 The European Investment Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares The European Investment Trust plc ("the Company") The Company announces that on 13 May 2019 it purchased the following number of its ordinary shares of 25 pence each on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. Ordinary Shares: Date of purchase: 13 May 2019 Number of ordinary shares purchased: 5,000 Lowest price per share 783.0p Highest price per share 783.0p The Company intends to cancel the purchased shares. Following the above transaction, the Company has 40,244,369 ordinary shares in issue. Each of the Company's shares carries one vote. Accordingly, the total number of voting rights of the Company is 40,244,369. 13 May 2019 LEI: 213800QNN9EHZ4SC1R12 Enquiries: Kenneth J Greig Edinburgh Partners AIFM Limited Tel: 0131 270 3800 The Company's registered office address is: Beaufort House 51 New North Road Exeter EX4 4EP Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 13, 2019) - Blackrock Gold Corporation (TSXV: BRC) ("Blackrock" or the "Company") wishes to inform that the Company has canceled it's proposed financing. The Company previously announced a non-brokered private placement on February 4, 2019 and March 28,2019. The Board has decided not to proceed at this time with the proposed financing while they seek to explore an alternative plan of action surrounding Silver Cloud. The Company also wishes to announce that Mr. Deepak Malhotra has resigned as a Director of the company due to other commitments. Mr. Deepak Malhotra has also voluntarily surrendered 150,000 stock options granted to him on May 4, 2018 at $0.12. Stock options granted to him are now cancelled effective immediately. The Company thanks him for his services and wish him the best in his future endeavors. About Blackrock Gold Blackrock Gold Corp is a discovery driven junior exploration company focused on uncovering the next big economic gold deposit. Anchored by a seasoned Board, the Company is focused on blue-sky opportunities, with an aim to acquire large-scale land packages that are in prolific gold belts within stable jurisdictions. For further information, please contact: Gregory L. Schifrin, Chief Executive Officer Blackrock Gold Corp. Email: gschifrin@blackrockgoldcorp.com Phone: 1 - 208-290-1180; Website: www.blackrockgold.ca The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44750 MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / May 13 2019 / Sphinx Resources Ltd. ("Sphinx" or the "Corporation") (TSX-V: SFX) and SOQUEM Inc., a subsidiary of Ressources Quebec, are pleased to announce the analytical results of the remaining nine (9) drill holes, from a 29 holes campaign drilled during the 2019 winter along the 1,500 m-long zinciferous zone (see press releases of 15 November 2019, 27 February 2019, 14 March 2019 and April 18, 2019). Hole CS-19-26 intersected 4.9% zinc over 2.0 m and 8.5% zinc over 1 metre. The significant drill results for these nine (9) holes disclosed in this release are presented in Table 1 and Figure 1. They indicate the presence of zinc mineralization in all 29 drill holes completed during the 2019 winter. The true thickness is estimated at 100% of the mineralized intersection length in all drill holes. Table 1 - Analytical results from nine drill holes. Composites weighted by sample length. Hole number From (m) To (m) MineralizedIntersection (m) % Zinc CS-19-05 5 6 1.0 2.63 66 68 2.0 2.06 CS-19-09 46 49 3.0 2.29 CS-19-14 82 85 3.0 2.21 97 99 2.0 0.96 121 128 7.0 0.97 CS-19-15 107 111 4.0 0.86 CS-19-17 33 34 1.0 1.31 73 79 6.0 1.36 CS-19-24 84 87 3.0 2.10 CS-19-26 70 72 2.0 4.87 inc. 70 71 1.0 8.49 77 79 2.0 1.71 82 84 2.0 0.78 CS-19-27 107 108 1.0 1.68 CS-19-28 77 79 2.0 1.72 The management committee, composed of SOQUEM members and the Corporation, will meet shortly to review the 2019 results and conduct a field visit to plan and approve the next Calumet-Sud exploration program. Analytical protocol Samples were analyzed by ALS in Val-d'Or, Quebec. The analytical process consisted of crushing, splitting and assaying using sodium peroxide fusion with an Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) finish. Sphinx applies industry-standard QA/QC procedures to the program. Supervision and Qualified Persons The January 2019 drilling campaign was carried out under the supervision of Mr. Jeremie Ryan and under the direction of Mr. Michel Gauthier, Ph.D. (geo, and Board member of the Corporation) and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. This press release was prepared by Normand Champigny, (Eng., director and Qualified Person of the Corporation). About SOQUEM SOQUEM, a subsidiary of Ressources Quebec, has a mission to encourage the exploration, discovery and development of mining properties in Quebec. SOQUEM also contributes to maintaining strong local economies. Proud partner and ambassador for the development of Quebec's mineral wealth, SOQUEM relies on innovation, research and strategic minerals to be well positioned for the future. About Sphinx Sphinx is a mineral exploration company that focuses its activities in southwestern Quebec in search of deposits of base metals (zinc, copper, lead) and precious metals (palladium, platinum, gold and silver). Sphinx is particularly active in the MRC Pontiac where its President and Chief Executive Officer resides. It has a strong local shareholding that contributes towards social acceptability. For further information, please consult Sphinx's website or contact: Jeremie Ryan President and Chief Executive Officer 819.664.2632 info@sphinxresources.ca www.sphinxresources.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and activities to vary materially from targeted results and planning. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Sphinx's periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Sphinx from time to time with securities regulatory authorities. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Sphinx does not undertake to update any such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE: Sphinx Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/545228/Sphinx-and-SOQUEM-Zinc-Mineralization-in-the-29-Holes-Drilled-During-the-2019-Winter-on-the-Calumet-Sud-Project Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 13, 2019) - Gunpowder Capital Corp., (CSE: GPC), (CSE: GPC.PR.A), (OTCQB: GNPWF), (FSE: YS6N), ("Gunpowder" or the "Corporation") announced today that it had closed the second tranche of this non-brokered private placement raise. In total, Two Hundred and Fifty-Seven Thousand Dollars ("$257,000.00") CDN was raised in the second tranche, via the sale of Five Million, One and Forty Thousand ("5,140,000") Units. Each Unit consists of one Common Share (a "Share") in the capital of the Corporation and one Common Share Purchase Warrant ("Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share of the Corporation at an exercise price of Seven and a Half Cents ("$0.075") CDN per Common Share for a period of 24 months from the closing of the financing, subject to accelerated expiry in the event the closing price of the Corporation's Common Shares close at or greater than Ten Cents ("$0.10") CDN for ten consecutive trading days. All Common Shares issued in connection with this placement will be subject to a four month plus one day hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws. All proceeds from the financing will be used for acquisitions and general working capital purposes. In connection with the closing of this tranche of the private placement offering, the Corporation paid finder's fee totaling Seven Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ten Dollars ("$7,710.00") CDN in connection with certain subscriptions for the Corporation's Units. With the closing of the second tranche, the Corporation has raised Seven Hundred and Two Thousand Dollars ("$702,000.00") CDN from this placement. The Corporation also announced that it has elected to increase the size of the current offering from One Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ("$1,500,000.00") CDN to Five Million Dollars ("$5,000,000.00") CDN. For further information on the offering and its terms, please refer to the Corporation's press release dated March 4th, 2019. The Corporation announced that it plans to reinstate the divided for its Class - A, and for its Class - B Preferred Shares in Q4 of 2019. The Corporation will retroactively pay the Q1, Q2 & Q3 2019 amounts owed to all Preferred Share shareholders. The Corporation is using the capital from the dividend to further advance and develop its involvement in the Hemp sector. Upon the completion of the issuance of the 5,140,000 Common Shares contained in the Units issued in this second tranche, the Corporation will have 98,051,750 Common Shares issued and outstanding. About Gunpowder Capital Corp. Gunpowder Capital Corp., is a merchant bank and advisory services firm based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Gunpowder invests in both publicly traded and private businesses that have successful management teams and attractive economic models. Gunpowder partners with these businesses to support their growth initiatives with its proven methodology of appropriate financing and structured exits. Gunpowder offers debt financing, including mezzanine and bridge loans, equity financing and advisory services. Gunpowder is also building a portfolio of companies in which it takes a long term position and view. For more information please visit www.gunpowdercapitalcorp.com For further information please contact: Mr. Frank Kordy CEO & Director Gunpowder Capital Corp. T: (647) 466-4037 E: frank.kordy@gunpowdercapitalcorp.com Mr. Paul Haber CFO Gunpowder Capital Corp. T: (416) 363-3833 E: paul.haber@gunpowdercapitalcorp.com Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although Management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither 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. - 30 - THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44746 Bank of America Corporation (the "Corporation") furnished a Current Report on Form 8-K to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on May 13, 2019, announcing that, effective May 13, 2019, the U.S. brokerage operations of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner Smith Incorporated ("MLPF&S"), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation, have been reorganized into two separate legal entities (the "Reorganization"). In the Reorganization, BofA Securities, Inc., a Delaware corporation formed on September 1, 2015 ("BofA Securities"), will be the new legal entity providing institutional services that were previously provided by MLPF&S. As such, the institutional services previously provided by MLPF&S, including, but not limited to, acting as an underwriter, selling agent, calculation agent, quotation agent or other agent, in connection with the offering and sale of securities of the Corporation or certain of its subsidiaries, including BofA Finance LLC ("BofA Finance"), will now be provided by BofA Securities. Retail broker-dealer services will continue to be provided by MLPF&S. In connection with the Reorganization, effective on May 13, 2019, MLPF&S has assigned to BofA Securities, and BofA Securities has assumed, all of the rights and obligations of MLPF&S (a) as selling agent or agent under the distribution agreement or selling agent agreement, as the case may be, for the securities offering programs under which the Corporation issues its Senior and Subordinated Medium-Term Notes, Series N and its Senior and Subordinated InterNotes, and BofA Finance issues its Senior Medium-Term Notes, Series A and (b) under any other similar agreement pursuant to which MLPF&S acts as selling agent or initial purchaser in connection with the offer and sale of securities by the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries that are exempt from or not subject to registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. BofA Securities (formerly known as BofAML Securities, Inc.), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation and an affiliate of BofA Finance, is a registered broker-dealer and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA"). The registration of BofA Securities as a broker-dealer was filed with the SEC on April 29, 2016, and became effective on January 23, 2018. The new member application for BofA Securities was filed with FINRA on August 15, 2016, and became effective on January 23, 2018. Unless otherwise disclosed, the Corporation will receive the net proceeds of any offering of its securities in which BofA Securities participates as an underwriter, dealer or agent, and in the case of an offering of securities of BofA Finance, BofA Finance will receive the net proceeds of any offering of its securities in which BofA Securities participates as an underwriter, dealer or agent. Bank of America Corporation makes available all of its SEC filings on its website: http://investor.bankofamerica.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71595&p=irol-irhome. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. These materials may be obtained electronically by accessing the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. A copy of the document will also be available on the National Storage Mechanism's website at: http://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/NSM. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005898/en/ Contacts: Amanda D. Daniel, North Carolina Certified Paralegal, Bank of America, Office +1 980.388.5923. The six-member Jalan panel was appointed on December 26, 2018 to review the Economic Capital Framework for the RBI New Delhi: A high-level panel led by former RBI governor Bimal Jalan, set up to decide the appropriate capital reserves that the central bank should maintain, is likely to submit its report next month. The six-member Jalan panel was appointed on December 26, 2018 to review the Economic Capital Framework for the RBI. The broadly finalised report on RBI economic capital framework will be submitted to the apex bank in June, sources said after meeting of the panel on Monday here. Prior to the submission of its report, there will be one more meeting in June, sources said. The panel has already got an extension beyond three months term. The committee was to submit its report in 90 days from the first day of its meeting, which held on 8 January. The other key members of the committee include Rakesh Mohan, former deputy governor of RBI as the vice-chairman, finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, RBI deputy governor NS Vishwanathan, and two RBI central board members -- Bharat Doshi and Sudhir Mankad. The panel has been entrusted with the task of reviewing the best practices followed by central banks worldwide in making assessment and provisions for risks. The panel, having former economic affairs secretary Rakesh Mohan as its vice chairman, will propose a suitable profit distribution policy, taking into account all the likely situations of the RBI, including the requirement of holding more provisions than required. The government and the RBI under previous governor Urjit Patel had been at loggerheads over the Rs 9.6 lakh crore surplus capital with the central bank. The finance ministry was of the view that the buffer of 28 percent of gross assets maintained by the central bank is well above the global norm of around 14 percent. Following this, the RBI board in its meeting on 19 November, 2018 decided to constitute a panel to examine Economic Capital Framework. In the past, the issue of the ideal size of the Reserve Bank of India reserves was examined by three committees -- V Subrahmanyam in 1997, Usha Thorat in 2004 and YH Malegam in 2013. While the Subrahmanyam panel recommended for building a 12 percent contingency reserve, the Thorat panel suggested it should be maintained at a higher 18 percent of the total assets of the central bank. The RBI board did not accept the recommendation of the Thorat committee and decided to continue with the recommendation of the Subrahmanyam committee. The Malegam panel said the RBI should transfer an adequate amount of its profit to the contingency reserves annually but did not ascribe any particular number. According to a report of by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the Jalan committee is likely to identify an excess buffer of up to Rs 3 lakh crore. This includes the excess capital in contingency reserves and also revaluation of reserves. Halving of the contingency reserves to a level of 3.25 percent from the present 6.5 percent will release Rs 1.282 lakh crore, the report said, pointing out that the level is still 50 percent higher than what central banks in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping have. Similarly, halving the yield cover hike to 4.5 percent from the present 9 percent will release another Rs 1.170 lakh crore, it said. Believing that with a change of government and of environment minister Bt brinjal could be approved, the activists who are vehemently opposed to GM crops for ideological reasons, have stirred into action. It is just a baingan, one of many vegetables that we eat but not a staple like dal, something we cannot do without. So why are activists making such a fuss for the past three weeks about a variety they found Jeevan Saini growing in his farm in Fatehabad in Haryana? The Environment Protection Act has been invoked, samples have been collected and tested and scares have been spread about genetic contamination, adverse impact on biodiversity and threat to human health. A baingan or brinjal with a foreign (cry1Ac) gene toxic to the fruit and shoot borer is no different from a conventional brinjal, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) had said, after two levels of bio-safety research level trials running into a few years. The gene was extracted from a commonly-occurring soil-bacterium, Bt for short. At its meeting in October 2009, GEAC recommended the Bt brinjal for mass cultivation finding it to be safe for humans and animals. But for political reasons, the then Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, put the decision on hold. In February 2010, he announced an indefinite moratorium on Bt brinjal developed by Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco). The company is a pioneer in introducing genetically modified (GM) crop technology to India. In 2002, its joint venture with the American multi-national company (MNC), Monsanto, had got approval for borer-resistant Bt cotton, which now covers more than 90 percent of Indias cotton area. Finding itself thwarted in India, Mahyco gave the technology and Indias bio-safety data to Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI). BARI introgressed the gene in four of its brinjal varieties and gave them to 20 farmers in 2013. In 2017, more than 20,000 Bangladeshi farmers were growing it. No harm to human health has been reported there. In September 2018, the GEAC took up Mahycos re-activated application for cultivation of Bt brinjal in India. GEAC requested the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, to study the post-release impact of Bt brinjal in Bangladesh and report the findings. Believing that with a change in government and of environment minister Bt brinjal could be approved, the activists who are vehemently opposed to GM crops for ideological reasons, have stirred into action. They took brinjal samples from Sainis farm and found that it indeed contained the cry1Ac gene. Saini gave the improbable story that he bought 15,000 seedlings from an unknown person at a bus stop for Rs 8 each. Tests conducted by the National Bureau for Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) at the instance of the Haryana government have found that while the Fatehabad brinjal sample has been genetically modified, it does not contain Mahycos cry1Ac transgene. This was confirmed by sources in NBPGR, ICAR and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). But, Haryanas Director-General for Horticulture, Arjun Singh Saini, said he had not seen the report, when contacted. If Mahycos transgene had been found, activists would have gone to town demanding penal action against the company for violating the Environment Protection Act. The seeds could also have been smuggled from Bangladesh and not leaked by Mahyco. The GEAC would have been constrained to deny it permission to commercialise the crop. Mahyco has 680 kg of Bt brinjal seed left over from the trials. This can cover 3,000 acres. The seed is kept securely at its germplasm bank in Jalna in Maharashtra. The Bt brinjal seed stock was supposed to have been kept at NBPGR, but the institute demanded a hefty initial amount for setting up a storage facility and stiff annual fees for operation and maintenance, including round-the-clock security. A tripartite agreement was to be signed between ICAR, the environment ministry and Mahyco, but the draft was not finalised. If the source of the Bt brinjal gene is not Mahyco, then who can it be? ICARs National Research Centre for Plant Biotechnology (NRCPB) is the other Bt brinjal developer, whose transgene cry1Fa1 has been approved for trials. In April 2014, GEAC permitted Coimbatore-based Rasi Seeds to conduct trials at its research facility to select the most effective event that expressed cry1Fa1 out of 10 events. The nucleus of a plant cell has the same set of chromosomes. A transgene can be located on any of those chromosomes. Each specific location is called an event. Mahycos Bt brinjal event is called EE-1. At its July 2014 meeting, GEAC permitted Bejo Sheetal of Jalna (now Beej Sheetal), a producer and seller of vegetable seeds, to conduct bio-safety research level (BRL) II tests on two of its brinjal hybrids containing the cry1Fa1 gene (Event 142) at seven locations in India, after being satisfied with BRL-1 trials conducted at three of its research farms. Later, it was allowed to conduct the trials at IARI in New Delhi. In August 2016, GEAC permitted Aurangabad-based Global Transgenes to conduct trials on Bt brinjal to select the best events that expressed the cr1Fa1 and cry2Ao genes. The companies did not report the progress of the trials to GEAC till its last meeting, which was held in March. (Our sources declined to say whether the Bt brinjal samples tested had found the presence of the above two transgenes. The NBPGR test report has been sent to the Deputy Commissioner, Fatehabad, who heads the District Level Committee under the Environment Protection Act. When contacted, the DC, Dhirendra Khatgata, who was on election duty till dawn on Monday, asked to be called on Wednesday. This story will be updated when we get that information). Plants, in the course of evolution, develop varieties with resistance traits to particular pests and diseases. But there is no brinjal variety with naturally-occurring resistance to the fruit and shoot border. Farmers virtually douse the plant with pesticides to kill the stubborn pest. Hence the need to graft genes from outside the brinjal species to make it toxic to the borer. The Bt gene does not affect humans as they do not have receptors to which the Bt gene can latch on to. Also, unlike the borer gut, which is alkaline, the human gut is acidic. A Haryana farmer leader, Thakur Guniprakash, who visited Fatehabad, said illegal Bt brinjal is grown by many farmers there. The brinjal farmers want relief from high pesticide costs, he said. Farmers should be given freedom to access technology, and if governments did not permit even those considered safe after extensive tests to please their political constituencies, farmers would have no recourse but to defy unjust decisions. Farmers organisations, he said, will hold protests after the elections in favour of Bt brinjal and GM crop technology. It is important for GEAC and the government to act quickly and provide farmers with approved version of Bt brinjal. The government does not seem to realise that farmers want cost-saving technology. Cotton farmers are extensively growing herbicide-tolerant and borer-resistant Bt cotton because of the high-cost of manual weeding. They are growing illegal hybrids in the absence of a legitimate version, which Mahyco could have provided, if it had not withdrawn its application from GEAC in 2016 fearing its patent rights would not be protected. If Bt brinjal is commercially released, it will pave the way for others. A team of Delhi University scientists have developed a technology to produce high-yielding mustard hybrids using GM technology. (This is the version which GEAC approved in 2017). The Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has used the technology to develop aflatoxin resistance in groundnuts. Assam Agricultural University has developed GM pigeon pea or tur which is resistant to borers. (The author is a senior journalist) Three of the five boys, who range in age from 10 to 16, were at the home during the incident and the others were visiting relatives, authorities said. All five have been placed with family members, according to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Diversified ITC Group on Monday announced elevation of its MD Sanjiv Puri as the Chairman and Managing Director of the company New Delhi: Diversified ITC Group on Monday announced the elevation of MD Sanjiv Puri as the Chairman and Managing Director of the firm, two days after its long-serving Chairman Y C Deveshwar passed away. Puri (56), who had taken over as Managing Director from 16 May, 2018, was appointed as a director on the Board of ITC on 6 December, 2015. He became CEO on 5 February, 2017 after the company split the role of the Executive Chairman - between Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as part of succession planning in the company. "The Board of Directors of the company at the meeting held today appointed Sanjiv Puri, Managing Director, also as the Chairman of the Company with effect from 13 May, 2019. Consequently, Puri's new designation is Chairman and Managing Director of the company," ITC said in a regulatory filing. His elevation comes after Deveshwar (72), who remained as non-executive chairman, passed away Saturday morning after a brief illness. On his new role, Puri said, "It is a responsibility that I accept with humility and with a deep resolve to build on the outstanding legacy nurtured over the years, further strengthen and build market leadership across all business segments whilst reinforcing ITC's commitment to put Nation First always". Puri, an ITC veteran, has held various responsibilities across different verticals of the company, including as President FMCG Businesses, Divisional Chief Executive of the Tobacco Division and as Managing Director ITC Infotech India Ltd, among others. Etihad Airways decision to bid for Jet Airways could possibly be a way to preserve the bilateral it was given, as well as to protect its India feed. Etihad Airways PJSCs bid for a minority stake in Jet Airways India is non-binding and subject to fulfillment of certain conditions by the temporarily grounded airline's lenders, said two people aware of the matter to Mint. Etihad seems to have learnt its lessons from its gushing enthusiasm in its foreign forays that ended up singeing it. In 2015, Etihad had to write off its investment in Italian carrier Alitalia, which filed for bankruptcy after posting a loss of more than $117 million. It took another hit in 2017 when Germanys Air Berlin filed for insolvency, after Etihad said that it was no longer in a position to provide financial support to the airline which had run into losses of close to $1 billion over six years. In a way, therefore, Etihad has a Midas touch in reverse but then airline industry world over has been witnessing plummeting fortunes. Chastened by its bitter foreign experiences, Etihad seems to be careful with the revival of Jet Airways. Once bitten, twice shy. Etihad has been twice bitten and hence is being extra careful to the point of wanting to have the cake and eat it too. It has reportedly offered to take a minority stake in Jet Airways subject to the State Bank of India-led (SBI) consortium of banks pumping more loans and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) exempting it from making public offer. Its is a non-binding offer. It wants to hedge its bets by roping in the Indias nascent sovereign wealth fund, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) launched in 2015, as the new joint promoter. NIIF, obviously, would play second fiddle to Etihad even while sinking in more money. Etihad Airways decision to bid for Jet Airways could possibly be a way to preserve the bilateral it was given, as well as to protect its India feed. Its decision to place a conditional and non-binding bid follows the ouster of Naresh Goyal from the board room as well as from major equity stake holder. It also seems to have won over the SBI-led banks' resistance to close to 80 percent haircut. Etihad seems to have got all that it wanted as a precondition for a greater role as a strategic investor. Etihad finds Indian market too lucrative to give up especially the 60,000 seats it get under the bilateral which it fears may be withdrawn by the Indian government should its commitment towards Jet Airways is seen to be waning. But the Indian officialdom seems to have blinked first. While Etihad might not make loads of money from its Indian investments in Jet Airways in the foreseeable future, it is coveting the huge Indian passenger traffic to the US and Europe via the Middle East hubs. But what is in it for SBI-led banks and NIIF apart from a distant dream of Jet Airways turning the corner and paying back the loans. How did NIIF allow itself to be offered as a sacrificial lamb? It is registered as an Alternate Investment Fund (AIF) with the market regulator SEBI with three main objectives infrastructure investments by joining strong operating and financial partners, investing in fund of funds and investing in strategic assets. One wonders which of the three objectives is going to be fulfilled by investing in Jet Airways. Has the government been naive in asking NIIF to don the robes of knight to rescue Jet Airways? Critics and detractors are bound to wonder too how come the government chose its sovereign wealth fund to bail out a private sector carrier when its own airline, Air India, is down in the dumps. After all, a public sector undertaking (PSU) has a more justifiable claim over government funds vis-a-vis a private sector rival. Bailing out a private sector rival with government funds in addition would make the charge of crony capitalism stick. (The writer is a senior columnist and tweets @smurlidharan) Etihad Airways, which owns an about 24% stake in Jet, submitted a bid for the airline, the unit of SBI overseeing the sale of the stricken carrier Bengalusu: Shares of Jet Airways Ltd fell as much as 11.4 percent on Monday after media reports said a buyout offer from Middle Eastern carrier Etihad Airways was non-binding and might not guarantee a deal for the struggling Indian carrier. Etihad Airways, which owns an about 24 percent stake in Jet, submitted a bid for the airline, the unit of State Bank of India (SBI) overseeing the sale of the stricken carrier said on Friday. That had raised hopes of a bailout for cash-strapped Jet, which has about $1.2 billion in bank debt. The Mint newspaper said here on Monday that Etihad Airways wanted a commitment from banks on additional loans once it infuses equity into the company. The Middle Eastern carrier had not been able to find a local partner and lenders may need to take about 80 percent haircut on their outstanding loans to Jet Airways, the newspaper said, citing banking sources. Shares of the carrier, which have tumbled almost 70 percent over the past year, were down 5 percent at Rs 144.3, as of 0445 GMT. Jet, which owes vast sums to its lessors, pilots, fuel suppliers and other parties, stopped all flights from 17 April after its lenders refused to extend more funds to keep the carrier flying. SBI also received two unsolicited, non-binding bids, the bank said on Friday. Jet Airways and SBI were not immediately available for comments. A two-member bench headed by NCLT President Justice M M Kumar observed that ICICI Bank has already raised similar claims against its parent company, Era Infra Engineering, New Delhi: The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has rejected ICICI Bank's plea to initiate insolvency proceedings against Era Infrastructure (India) Ltd on the grounds of "duplicacy" of claims. A two-member bench headed by NCLT President Justice M M Kumar observed that ICICI Bank has already raised similar claims against its parent company Era Infra Engineering, which is currently undergoing resolution process. The tribunal held that "on account of duplicacy" of the claims, the petition filed by ICICI Bank "can not be entertained". "This is again raised for admission in the present proceeding. Such a course obviously is not permissible in law...," it said. The tribunal observed that the application filed by ICICI Bank to initiate insolvency proceedings against Era Infrastructure was based on the same sets of facts and documents which the resolution professional (RP) of Era Infra Engineering had earlier rejected. Later, NCLT had on 6 December, 2018 directed the RP of Era Infra Engineering to admit the said claims as financial debt of the company. Era Infra Engineering was in the first list of 12 defaulting companies which was issued by Reserve Bank of India, directing banks to recover debts through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (IBC) Code. ICICI Bank had given a loan of Rs 240 crore to Era Infrastructure India. For the loan, its parent firm Era Infra Engineering had guaranteed the payments, which were later defaulted on. Meanwhile, corporate insolvency was initiated against the parent firm Era Infra Engineering by NCLT and its RP had invited claims. ICICI Bank had lodged its claim before the RP placing reliance on securities and contractual comfort provided by Era Infra Engineering towards the entities and group companies related to it. However, the RP had rejected its claims on September 13, following which ICIC Bank approached the NCLT. The tribunal had admitted ICICI Bank's plea on 6 December, 2018 and had directed RP to admit the claims. The board of the demerged company that the commercial activities of the two verticals are distinct and diverse from each other New Delhi: PC Jeweller Ltd (PCJL) on Sunday said its board has given approval for the demerger of the company's export division and amalgamation of the same with its wholly-owned subsidiary PCJ Gems & Jewellery Ltd. "...the board of directors of the company in its meeting held yesterday i.e. May 11, 2019, has considered and approved the scheme of arrangement for demerger of 'export division' (demerged undertaking) of PC Jeweller Ltd (demerged company) and subsequent amalgamation of the same with its wholly owned subsidiary company i.e. PCJ Gems & Jewellery Ltd," a regulatory filing said. It added that the arrangement will be effective subject to the receipt of necessary regulatory and other approvals including of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) of relevant jurisdiction, Sebi, stock exchanges, shareholders and others. The export division's turnover stood at Rs 2,690.37 crore as on 31 March, 2018, which is 28.35 percent of PCJL's turnover. It has been realised by the board of the demerged company that the commercial activities of the two verticals are distinct and diverse from each other, the filing noted. "In order to ensure sustainable long-term growth, profitability, market share and continuous customer service, both require focused management attention, different sets of skills and resources to meet competitive, regulatory environment and to mitigate risks," it said. The filing said the demerged company would be able to revise its business plans and priorities from time to time, thereby ensuring speedy and profitable growth of the two businesses and enhance shareholder's wealth. "In consideration of the demerger of the 'export division' all the shareholders of PCJL will get shares of the resulting company on the basis of share entitlement ratio, as defined in the scheme of arrangement and the shares of the resulting company will also be listed as per the provisions of this scheme and subject to the applicable compliances and regulatory approvals," it said. Thus, the scheme will enable creation of an independent listed company with replica shareholding structure with the 'export division' business. 'Domestic division' with domestic business (remaining business) would continue to be carried on in the demerged company, the filing added. Pepsico has been forced to come down on its knees after the threat of a boycott of its products in India gained traction PepsiCos fight against nine subsistence farmers of Gujarat for cultivating the potato variety used for its Lay brand of chips has aptly been described as a David versus Goliath story. The soft drinks and snacks giant dropped the cases like a hot potato as pressure mounted on the company from various sections of Indian society, including farmers lobby groups, political parties and the consumers of its products. The David-Goliath analogy is apt because the snacks giant pitted itself against a handful of humble potato growers in the Deesa, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha and Aravalli districts of Gujarat, who did not have the means to even defend their cases in the court, let alone pay the compensation of Rs 1 crore plus each which Pepsi had demanded as compensation for alleged infringement of intellectual property rights. The company has been forced to come down on its knees after the threat of a boycott of its products in India gained traction. Social media launched a national celebration of Davids victory. But beyond the hype and hyperbole, there are important takeaways from the episode both for India as well as multinational giants like PepsiCo, who cant afford to lose a market as huge as Indias. In ancient times, it was Indias riches that kept the world wonderstruck about the country. Today, it is the size of its market. Indian consumers are today sitting on cloud nine, enjoying the immense power they wield on their finger tips to dictate terms even to global giants. Given Indias enormous market size, they always had the latent power, but could not exercise it because there was no way they could federate their potential into use. But social media has changed all that. In fact, the Pepsi instance is one great example of social media performing a positive role, far removed from its negative potential as a medium to spread all types of pernicious influences, including fake news and communal hatred. It is true that Pepsi had got its timing terribly wrong when it decided to act against the farmers. An issue like this in the middle of an election campaign, that too such a hotly contested one, has the kinetic power to blast off into the stratosphere. And the political parties, both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, could not have missed the opportunity. So a boycott call had all the potential for a volcanic eruption, and this was not lost on the soft drinks giant, which had no option but to give in even without a contest. There are lessons to be learnt for all those who are involved. PepsiCo has likely learnt some. Unlike in many other jurisdictions where it operates almost unhindered in terms of intellectual property rights, in India it has to contend with issues that are unique to the country. Local sensitivities have the inherent strength to subjugate even the most brutal corporate might, when it comes to community life and practices. If anyone tells the farmers what they produced after all the sweat and toil belongs to someone else, they do not quite understand the logic. To make matters worse for Pepsi, the Protection of Plant varieties and Farmers Rights Act, 2001, protects the rights of Indian farmer to save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share or sell his farmin the same manner as he was entitled before the Act became law. This weakened the Pepsi case, although it held intellectual property rights for FL 2027, a potato variety with less moisture content that it specifically developed for use in Lays chips. There are also lessons to be learnt by farmers. As per the well-considered stratagem, if you cant fight the enemy, join him. That is like using the enemys power for ones own benefit. There is no reason why the aggrieved Gujarat farmers cannot join Pepsis contract farming scheme, under which the American snack company enters into a contract with farmers in different parts of the country to cultivate the variety, which the company buys back at remunerative prices. In fact, the company had offered to include the farmers it had challenged as part of the scheme. Farmers have no love for any specific variety as long as they are able to secure remunerative prices for their produce. In fact, contract farming is an idea whose time has come in India and the government would do well to promote the concept. Already a number of corporate chains, both domestic as well as international, are doing this successfully and this is perhaps a better alternative to the current mechanisms employed by the government to ameliorate farm distress, which have unfortunately failed to achieve the desired results. The minimum support price operations, for instance, have proved inadequate in most cases as the infrastructure to collect the produce on time is lacking. In the absence of proper storage facilities, farmers lamenting over their fast-perishing produce in the open has become a familiar sight. Added to this is the problem of timely payments. The promise of minimum support price actually encourages farmers to produce more. But more production invariably leads to a glut in the market as the procurement agencies are not able to buy all the produce. This leads to heavy loss for the farmers as their produce has a limited life. A major cause for farm distress originates here. It has been observed that over the years, under the guise of protecting farmers, government policies have been limiting the market for farm produce and depressing prices for the producer. The operation of the agricultural produce market committees in effect leads to division of the market geographically as the farmers can sell only in the local market. This prevents large chains from buying directly from the mandis, which are the hotbeds of corruption and ineptitude. Leading agricultural economist Ashok Gulati could not have been more right when he put the blame for the current problems on the policies of the 1950s and 1960s when the country had a severe shortage of agricultural produce. Today, we have a surplus situation in almost every commodity. There is an in-built consumer bias in the system in the name of the poor. That must change, and we have to have a level playing field for farmers and consumers. If you want to help certain poor consumers, use an income policy, or directly give them whatever you want to give from the general exchequer. Dont try to suppress prices for farmers, because you are trying to protect the poor at the cost of farmers, Gulati said in an interview at the Wharton Business School. Over-production has led to price collapse and the farmers are not able to realise even their cost of production. This leads to massive distress in the farm sector, manifesting itself through farmer suicides, which have been on the increase. Gulati then went on to highlight the importance of allowing competition for companies to buy directly from the market and the need to allow contract farming in a big way. This is what companies like Pepsi have been doing and there is need to encourage this further if we have to overcome the problems in the agrarian sector. For the size of Indias agricultural market, the presence of agricultural processing industry is grossly inadequate, which means there is a huge opportunity for investment by private sector giants, who can then enter into buying contracts with the farmers on the lines of Pepsi. So, there are huge lessons to be learnt by the government, which alone can make all this possible. The primary future concerns expressed by SEBI, are with the black box nature of AI/ML systems. Last week, SEBI released a circular imposing reporting requirements for the use of artificial intelligence or machine learning in mutual funds. SEBI is, via the Circular, conducting a survey and creating an inventory of the AI/ML landscape, including the use natural language processing, neural networks, statistical heuristic methods, etc. The aim, through the quarterly reports which are now to be filed, is to develop an in-depth understanding of the adoption of such technologies in the financial market, which will guide AI/ML policies in the future. The primary concerns expressed by SEBI, for the future, are with the black box nature of AI/ML systems, and the need thereby to ensure that there is no misrepresentation to investors on the abilities of such technologies. A recent case that perhaps triggered the release of this Circular at this juncture is the report of a Hong Kong businessman who is suing for investment losses to the tune of $20 million, triggered by a robot. 75 percent of trading globally is via algorithms Algorithmic trading in itself is nothing new, and globally, 75 percent of trades are executed via algorithms, and so are 30-50 percent of trades in developing economies like India (as per the Global Algorithmic Trading Market 2018-2022 report published by Research and Markets). While this involves the use of algorithms with more or less fixed codes and strategies, the use of AI and Machine Learning in trading has led to algorithms that are continuously evolving, developing newer strategies as they learn more. To outline some uses of AI and ML in trading today, the company Trading Technologies uses an AI platform which identifies complex trading patterns, on a massive scale across multiple markets, in real-time. CLSA, a global Asian investment group, uses machine learning and Natural Language Processing to identify market signals from news and research documents. Taking a slightly different approach, an Indian company Auquan provides a platform to crowdsource data-driven trading strategies from a community of data scientists, developers, and machine learning engineers. It then uses machine learning, big data and predictive analysis to help companies translate the human skills into trading profits. Retail investors and AI-based trading In addition to institutional traders, brokers and fund houses which are tapping into the revolutionary potential of AI, retail investors are also becoming aware of algorithm-based trading platforms that are available to them. The dangers of this are, naturally, the possible advertisement of guaranteed returns on account of the AI, and the risk thereby to more gullible investors and to the market in general. The assumption that AI could be a better decision maker than a human only adds to this problem. Li Kin-Kans suit on supercomputer K1 The case of the Hong Kong businessman, Samanthur Li Kin-Kan, demonstrates the concerns that arise. Li Kin-Kan allowed a robot based hedge fund, controlled by a supercomputer K1, to manage $2.5 Billion in March, 2017. This was after being convinced by Tyndaris, a London based investment advisory firm that was offering K1, of the abilities of the supercomputer and on being shown simulations promising returns in double digits. K1 apparently would comb through real-time news and social media to make stock market predictions and would execute trades and adjust its trading strategies as it learnt more. As per reports, the supercomputer quickly started to lose money, including losses of $20 million in a single day, which led to the suit. This case, in fact, is said to be among the first cases where humans are going to court over investment losses caused by a robot. Due to the impracticality of suing the robot itself, Li Kin-Kan is instead suing Tyndaris for allegedly exaggerating the abilities of K1. Tyndaris, in turn, has countersued for unpaid fees and has claimed that it never guaranteed that the robot would make returns. The black box conundrum The case has brought the spotlight onto the concerns that arise, both of which are outlined in the SEBI Circular. The first is the black box issue, where the lack of understanding as to how or why an AI takes a decision calls into question who is to be held accountable when things go wrong. The second is with misrepresentation to investors as to the abilities of AI-based technology. The use of robots and AI in decision making has long since raised issues of ethics and accountability. One can recall the issue on who must be held accountable for a death caused by a self-driving car- the car manufacturer, the programmer, or any human who may be present in the car at the time. These issues are only compounded when factors like machine learning come into the picture, where the users or makers of the algorithm are quickly no longer able to understand how it functions. This black box issue has now moved into the investment space as well. SEBI and international regulations on algorithmic trading While regulations on algorithmic trading have been issued in India and around the world, these do not address the specific issues that arise from a consumers perspective, such as the black box issue. In the EU, for instance, Article 17 of the Directive on Markets in Financial Instruments has requirements like ensuring business continuity, notifying authorities of use of algorithmic trading, keeping records of high-frequency algorithmic trade orders, etc. Disclosure requirements, for instance, include factors like a description of the nature of its trading strategies, the trading parameters or limits, and key compliance and risk controls. The aim of these measures is towards the broader goal of ensuring market stability, such as to prevent and detect an AI initiated flash crash. The same is reflected in Indian regulations on algorithmic trading as well. This was first allowed by SEBI in 2008, followed by detailed guidelines in 2012 and 2013, which were revamped recently in 2018. These measures were chiefly directed at stock exchanges, and involved requirements like implementing economic disincentives for high daily order-to-trade ratios, encouraging co-location facilities, providing tick-by-tick data free of charge, and requiring the monitoring of algorithmic trading through tagging of algorithms to ensure an audit trail. The boost to investor confidence The concerns expressed in this latest Circular are more directly consumer-centric, with the SEBI expressly seeking that any advertised financial benefit on account of AI/ML should not constitute misrepresentation. Among the details sought in the quarterly reports include specific information on how the use of AI/ML is portrayed in the product offering and the claims that have been made about the AI/ML system. SEBI has, under, the Circular, also sought several details to gain a larger picture on the use of AI, such as of the type of area where the AI/ML is used; involvement in order initiation, routing and execution; dissemination of investment/trading related advise/strategies; use in cybersecurity to detect attacks; the safeguards in place to prevent abnormal behavior; etc. While there has been activity around algorithmic trading regulation by SEBI for a while now, this Circular is welcome for its focus on investor protection. This can also serve as a boost to investor confidence in AI-based trading. It will also be interesting to see the approach taken by SEBI to address the black box issue, given the worldwide nature of the issue. The author is a lawyer specializing in technology, privacy and cyber laws. The Corporate Affairs Secretary said the cost of the scheme is unlikely to exceed Rs 20,000 crore, but will benefit millions in the very small-ticket loan category. The government has reportedly prepared a universal debt relief scheme for small borrowers below a specified income, Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas said in a media interview. Srinivas, in an interview with The Economic Times, said, This will be a well-structured loan waiver programme across sectors for small farmers, artisans, microenterprises or other individuals. It will be a universal debt relief scheme for the poor. The Corporate Affairs Secretary told the newspaper that the cost of the scheme is unlikely to exceed Rs 20,000 crore, but "will benefit millions in the very small-ticket loan category." According to Mint, small borrowers with annual income up to Rs 60,000 are likely to benefit from the scheme. Srinivas, in an interview with the PTI, said there was an "imminent crisis" in the non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) sector as misadventures by some large entities and credit squeeze present a perfect recipe for disaster. In recent months, the country's financial system has been grappling with multiple woes in the wake of the turmoil at diversified IL&FS group as well as debt defaults by some other large entities. Srinivas said the NBFC sector is facing issues of the credit squeeze, over-leveraging and misadventures by some large entities. "There is an imminent crisis in the NBFC sector. There is a credit squeeze, over-leveraging, excessive concentration, massive mismatch between assets and liabilities, coupled with some misadventures by some very large entities, which is a perfect recipe for disaster," Srinivas said. However, he added that "responsible" companies are managing the risk well and are not facing such a dire situation. Srinivas also said corporate governance in India is being put to test. "It is a defining moment. The way things are moving, in the medium to long term it will be for the good. In the short term, there can be turbulence," he said. "If you are responsible, you manage the risks. There are many companies in the country that have strong corporate governance. They take risks but manage them as well. So, they don't face such dire situation that some others are facing today," Srinivas said. Amid instances of the situation of non-performing assets (NPAs) being linked to external factors, Srinivas noted that it would not be a convincing explanation. "To say that the situation (NPA) can be attributed entirely to external factors and business risks is not a convincing answer because there is something known as responsible behaviour," he emphasised. Earlier this month, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the banking sector is "under severe stress" and the way out of "this mess" is to reverse some "gross distortions", work closely with the RBI, re-start the process of credit delivery and ensure sufficient liquidity and cash in circulation. The NPA "scare" has brought lending to a virtual halt, the former prime minister had said, adding that a "one-size-fits-all approach" drove companies into insolvency while demonetisation shut out all sources of informal credit. However, finance minister Arun Jaitley had dismissed the concerns, saying, "When an economist turns into a politician, he loses sense of both economy and politics". "Dr Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to lowest ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five. Today he regards the world's the fastest growing major economy as disastrous," Jaitley had said. With PTI inputs By Humeyra Pamuk and Ben Blanchard WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States and China appeared at a deadlock over trade negotiations on Sunday as Washington demanded promises of concrete changes to Chinese law and Beijing said it would not swallow any 'bitter fruit' that harmed its interests. The trade war between the world's top two economies escalated on Friday, with the United States hiking tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods after President Donald Trump said Beijing 'broke the deal' by reneging on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox News on Sunday that the United States needs to see China agree to 'very strong' enforcement provisions for an eventual deal and said the sticking point was Beijing's reluctance to put agreed changes into law By Humeyra Pamuk and Ben Blanchard WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States and China appeared at a deadlock over trade negotiations on Sunday as Washington demanded promises of concrete changes to Chinese law and Beijing said it would not swallow any "bitter fruit" that harmed its interests. The trade war between the world's top two economies escalated on Friday, with the United States hiking tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods after President Donald Trump said Beijing 'broke the deal' by reneging on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox News on Sunday that the United States needs to see China agree to "very strong" enforcement provisions for an eventual deal and said the sticking point was Beijing's reluctance to put agreed changes into law. He vowed the tariffs would remain in place while negotiations continue. Beijing remained defiant, however. "At no time will China forfeit the country's respect, and no one should expect China to swallow bitter fruit that harms its core interests," said a commentary, due for Monday publication, in the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily. It said Beijing's doors were open to talks but it would not yield on important issues of principle. Kudlow said there was a "strong possibility" that Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit in Japan in late June. Until last week, there were expectations Trump and Xi would sign a trade deal at the summit. However, the trade talks suffered a major setback last week when China proposed extensive revisions to a draft agreement. It wanted to delete prior commitments that Chinese laws would be changed to enact new policies on issues from intellectual property protection to forced technology transfers. 'SOMETHING MUCH CLEARER' Vice Premier Liu He, China's top economic adviser, sought to defend the changes in talks with senior U.S. officials in Washington on Thursday and Friday, arguing that China could accomplish the policy changes through decrees issued by its State Council, or cabinet, sources familiar with the talks said. But U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer rejected that, telling Liu that the United States was insisting on restoration of the previous text. "We would like to see these corrections in an agreement which is codified by law in China, not just a State Council announcement. We need to see something much clearer. And until we do we have to keep our tariffs on," Kudlow said. China strongly opposes the latest U.S. tariff hike, and has to respond to that, Liu told reporters on Saturday. Kudlow said on Sunday he expected retaliatory tariffs to kick in but that it had not happened yet. Trump has ordered Lighthizer to begin the process of imposing tariffs on all remaining imports from China, a move that would affect about an additional $300 billion worth of goods. Lighthizer said a final decision on that has not yet been made but it would come on top of the Friday tariff rate increase to 25% from 10% on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. Trump has claimed that China is paying for the tariffs but it is importers - usually U.S. companies or the U.S.-registered units of foreign companies - that have to pay. And U.S. farmers, a key constituency of Trump, have been among the hardest hit in the trade war, with soybean shipments to China dropping to a 16-year low in 2018. Asked who was paying, Kudlow said on Sunday that "both sides will suffer on this," although he added that the U.S. economy should be able to cope. "We're in terrific shape in order to correct 20 years plus of unfair trading practices with China ... I think this is a risk we should and can take without damaging our economy in any appreciable way," he said. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Ben Blanchard, additional reporting by Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Writing by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Rosalba O'Brien) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Look, I assume they followed the election results, just as we did. I won all 50 wards, and I had a 50 percent margin. Thats a pretty strong mandate, not just for me, but for them, she said. The voters want to eliminate the status quo. They want change. And the rumors that weve been hearing about organization have been coming from people for whom the status quo worked very well. But the reality is, for people in this city, which is what we all ought to be focused on as public servants, the status quo failed miserably. And people enunciated the death of the status quo with the mandate that I received from every ward in large margins. So if I were them, Id be focused on that. Heres a star-studded recap of what they had to say about participating in the electoral process. "This is the moment that matters... Every vote is a voice that counts," tweeted Priyanka on the morning of the Mumbai elections. Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan, Urmila Matondkar and Bollywood's biggest star families - the Kapoors, the Bachchans and the Khans all turned out to vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Heres a star-studded recap of what they had to say about participating in the electoral process: Shekhar Suman urges us, viewers, to push that button and vote. An ever-charismatic Jackie Shroff voices the #ButtonDabaoDeshBanao mantra. Farhan Akhtar tells Indian citizens to exercise their constitutional right and vote. Actress Dia Mirza tells fans that voting is the only way to make real democracy work. Stop complaining! Vote and pick the right leaders says a resolute Divyendu Sharma. Theatre and film star, Boman Irani joins the #ButtonDabaoDeshBanao movement and urges eligible voters to head out and vote. Actor Pankaj Tripathi reminds Indian voters that change can only come knowing about your candidates and participating in the elections. Actress Patralekha Paul reminds her fans that this is the time to choose leaders who will build our future and a better country for generations to come. While political parties have been very active on social media throughout this election, many of filmdoms most recognisable faces also came out early and spoke up about the importance of voting. Stay tuned for more information on the final phase of polling on the 19th of May! Button Dabao Desh Banao is a Network18 initiative, presented by RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, urging every Indian to VOTE in the ongoing general elections. Follow the conversation on social media using the hashtag #ButtonDabaoDeshBanao. This is a partnered post. Today's top stories: Supreme Court to hear plea asking to direct EC to begin Phase 7 of Lok Sabha polls at 5.30 am; Narendra Modi to campaign in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh today; Mumbai Indians win an unprecedented 4th IPL title and more Mumbai Indians win an unprecedented 4th IPL title Lasith Malinga produced an incredible last over to defend nine runs as Mumbai Indians claimed undisputed supremacy in the IPL by securing their fourth title with a narrow one-run win over Chennai Super Kings in a pulsating final here, Sunday. CSK needed nine runs off the last over but the experienced Lankan paceman Malinga kept his nerve to concede eight. He trapped Shardul Thakur leg before in the last ball after Watson (80 off 59) got run out two balls earlier. Before that Jasprit Bumrah kept Mumbai in the hunt with his tidy overs and two wickets, getting rid of Dwayne Bravo and Ambati Rayudu. The premier Indian pacer produced 13 dot balls in his testing overs. Young leg-spinner Rahul Chahar also played a key role in the middle overs as he too created pressure by bowling 13 dot balls. Both teams were tied at three IPL titles each heading into the finale with Mumbai holding the upper hand, having beaten CSK thrice earlier in the competition. The heart-stopping finish came after a disciplined bowling performance from CSK who restricted Mumbai Indians to 149 for eight. Poll watch: Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi to campaign in Punjab for the last phase With the sixth phase of Lok Sabha election concluded, top BJP and Opposition leaders will on Monday hit the campaign trail for the final phase of the polls scheduled to be held on 19 May. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi along with Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh will address election rallies in Punjab on Monday. Modi, who will campaign in Punjab's Bhatinda, will also address rallies in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam and Himachal Pradesh's Solan. Meanwhile, Rahul will hold a rally with Amarinder in Ludhiana and Hoshiarpur. Congress general secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi will also campaign for the party candidate in Ratlam. She is also scheduled to hold a roadshow in Indore. Reportedly, the Congress leader will also visit the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain. Additionally, reports said that a meeting between Telangana chief minister and TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao and DMK chief MK Stalin are likely to meet on Monday. The sixth phase of Lok Sabha election sees 63% voter turnout The sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election covering 59 constituencies in six states and a Union Territory registered a turnout of 63.48 percent compared to 63.37 percent in 2014, the Election Commission said on Sunday. BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh was attacked in West Bengal and a poll officer was allegedly beaten up by an MLA of the saffron party in Uttar Pradesh during the Gee=neral Election's sixth and penultimate phase. Elections were held in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 10 seats in Haryana, eight constituencies each in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, four in Jharkhand and seven seats in Delhi where votes were cast by a number of public figures, including President Ram Nath Kovind, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Delhi saw a dip in its turnout from 65 percent in 2014, despite a three-cornered contest among the BJP, Congress, and AAP who had all fielded high-profile candidates while the EC also appeared disappointed at the low polling figure even after its enhanced efforts to draw the voters to polling booths. EVM glitches were reported in Delhi and in constituencies in other states, however, poll officials said the voting machines were replaced. Over 1,200 VVPAT machines were changed across the National Capital, delaying the polling process. Supreme Court to hear plea for voting to start at 5.30 am for Phase 7 The Supreme Court is likely to hear a plea seeking a direction to the EC to advance the poll timing to 5.30 am from 7 am for the last phase of the Lok Sabha polls due to heatwave conditions and the ongoing holy month of Ramzan. The plea was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna which said it would be heard by a vacation bench on 13 May. 2 On May, the top court had asked the poll panel to pass "necessary orders" on a representation seeking advancing of the voting timing from 7 am for the remaining phase of the Lok Sabha polls. The EC had rejected the representation in this regard. Mayawati hits out at Narendra Modi after accusations over Alwar gangrape Hitting back at the prime minister for his charge that she was "shedding crocodile tears" over the Alwar gang-rape incident, BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday accused him of indulging in "dirty politics" and demanded his resignation for incidents of Dalit atrocities in the past. Hours after Modi's remarks at election rallies in Kushinagar and Deoria earlier in the day, Mayawati said, "In the wake of this incident, Modi is doing dirty politics." On the prime minister's challenge to her to withdraw support to the Congress government in Rajasthan, she said, "The BSP will for sure take an appropriate political decision in the absence of stringent and proper legal action in the case." In a press note, Mayawati also demanded Modi's resignation over cases pertaining to Dalit atrocities such as the Una flogging incident and the Rohit Vemulla case taking moral responsibility. On 26 April, the woman was travelling with her husband on a motorcycle when the accused stopped them and took them to an isolated place off the road. They allegedly beat the husband and raped her in front of him, threatening them of dire consequences. Facebook replies to Chris Hughes Social media giant Facebook has responded to co-founders Chris Hughes who had earlier said that Facebook should be broken up into three fragments. As per a report by The New York Times, Facebook said that it will be concentrating on four areas which are "reducing the amount of harmful content that people post; protecting democratic elections; supporting unified rules for data privacy, and giving individuals more ability to easily move their data." ThyssenKrupp to seek new steel partners after EU blocks JV with Tata Steel ThyssenKrupp will still seek partners for its steel operations after abandoning a European merger with Tata Steel, Chief Executive Guido Kerkhoff said in comments published on Sunday. Kerkhoff ditched a restructuring plan on Friday, in which the merger was a key part, and resolved instead to transform the steel-to-submarines group into a holding company and list its profitable elevators business. He has since agreed on a way forward with labour unions for his new strategy, which foresees 6,000 job cuts, about 4 percent of the ThyssenKrupp workforce. The blueprint will go to a supervisory board vote on 21 May. Politicians from various parties got on social media, news channels and headed out on the trail to encourage maximum voter engagement and appeal to all eligible Indians. The total voter turnout in recently completed phase 6 of the general elections was an encouraging 64.44 per cent. We look forward to seeing the figure increase in the last phase that is slated for 19th May when eight states and Union Territories 59 constituencies will cast their ballot. Parliamentary constituencies Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab will vote on the same day, while in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, voting will take place in some constituencies as well. Key seats to watch for in this final phase will be Varanasi, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking re-election. Over the course of the past phases, politicians from various parties got on social media, news channels and headed out on the trail to encourage maximum voter engagement and appeal to all eligible Indians. Here a power-packed recap of key appeals by some very familiar faces: PM Narendra Modi highlights the importance of prioritising the elections and voting early. Union HRD Minister, Prakash Javadekar emphasises the power of the vote! PM Narendra Modi talks to first-time voters urging them to head out and vote. President of the BJP Amit Shah reminds all voters that voting is the foundation of a healthy democracy. PM Narendra Modi talks encourage tech-savvy voters to head online & verify their details before voting. MP, Rajya Sabha Kapil Sibal urges thinking citizens to vote smartly. Comm In-Charge, INC, Randeep Singh Surjewala talks about what the priorities of the next government should be. Time is of the essence and while PM Modi is slated to address election rallies in Robertsganj and Ghazipur, Congress head Rahul Gandhi will be addressing the crowds across key areas in Madhya Pradesh. Many have voted but May 23 is when the votes are counted and we hear the voice of the people. Leaders, thinkers, and artists are still coming out in support of the democratic process. its a united and fervent call to all voters to head out and make their vote count. #ButtonDabaoDeshBanao Button Dabao Desh Banao is a Network18 initiative, presented by RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, urging every Indian to VOTE in the ongoing general elections. Follow the conversation on social media using the hashtag #ButtonDabaoDeshBanao. This is a partnered post. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment on a recent television interview that he had pushed for the Balakot air strikes against Pakistan despite overcast conditions as he had felt that the cloud cover would impact the accuracy of the Pakistani radars, has stirred a controversy Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment on a recent television interview that he had pushed for the Balakot air strikes against Pakistan despite overcast conditions as he had felt that the cloud cover would impact the accuracy of the Pakistani radars, has stirred a controversy. In the interview that was aired on Saturday, Modi said he used his "raw wisdom" to dispel doubts of defence experts who wanted the air strike to be deferred due to bad weather. "The weather was not good on the day of air strikes. There was a thought that crept in the minds of the experts that the day of strikes should be changed. However, I suggested that the clouds could actually help our planes escape the radars," Modi said while talking about the cross-border strike on terror camps in response to the Pulwama attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel. Opposition parties, including the Congress, also took a swipe at Narendra Modi on Sunday over his remarks, with some leaders terming the statement as "ridiculous and false". However, a deeper look at how radar technology works and its limitations will prove that Modi was not incorrect in his suggestions. While radars can detect objects through clouds, their accuracy is affected by weather conditions such as rain or clouds. According to an Encyclopaedia Britannica entry on radar technology, "rain and other forms of precipitation can cause echo signals that mask the desired target echoes". Radar systems work in a wide band of transmitted frequencies. The higher the frequency of a radar system, the more it is affected by weather conditions such as rain or clouds. But the higher the transmitted frequency, the better is the accuracy of the radar system, explains a post on Radar Tutorial. Air Surveillance Radars attempt to strike a balance by compromising on accuracy in adverse weather conditions and operate in the S band (24 GHz). However, even in this frequency, its abilities remain susceptible to heavy rain, fog and clouds in the atmosphere and attenuation can be very high. In other words, although radars are capable of detecting objects through clouds, it is a scientifically acknowledged fact that their efficiency is better when the skies are clear. In case of air surveillance of civilian aircraft, a secondary surveillance radar is used to overcome the disturbance caused by clouds. The secondary radar uses the signals sent out by transponders aboard the aircraft. However, in this case, as it was a stealth mission into the airspace of another nation, the transponders on the Indian aircraft would have been switched off. As the role of the secondary radar is ruled out, the effectiveness of Pakistan's primary radars would have been diminished due to the presence of the cloud cover. The fact that the Indian Air Force's Mirage 2000s were able to penetrate Pakistani air defence is further evidence of the plausibility of weather conditions preventing detection of the Indian aircraft in Pakistani airspace. The Pakistan defence minister Pervez Khattak's comments, in the aftermath of the Balakot strikes, that it was "too dark" for Pakistan to respond to India's attack, could be alluding to the Pakistani radars going dark. A dozen Indian Mirage 2000 jets carrying 1,000 kg bombs had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and dropped bombs in the vicinity of the town of Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan in the early hours of 26 February, 2019. This was the first time since the 1971 war that Indian fighter jets crossed the Line of Control. The process of injustice that began with the imperial forest department intensified under our forest departments. Forest laws dispossessed the adivasis from their habitats. The adivasi community has been fighting the state for more than 250 years for their right to live with dignity and honour. Independence and the democratic structures that it brought, too, have failed to end the oppression of these groups. All they want is their traditional sources of livelihood and habitation to be preserved, something that the Indian state is constitutionally bound to do. Though it has interest in the resources they protect, the state sees the adivasis as the enemy, the biggest internal security threat. The process of injustice that began with the imperial forest department intensified under our forest departments. Forest laws dispossessed the adivasis from their habitats. They were criminalised, with the state being the biggest litigant against these marginalised and vulnerable section of the society. The protective provisions enshrined in the fifth and sixth schedules of the Constitution were reduced to showpieces and adivasis deprived of their land, water and forests in the name of development. Communities that took pride in freedom and self-sufficiency were reduced to destitution, their survival difficult without the state feeding them. It did not come as a surprise to me when in 1990s an adivasi resident of Madhya Pradeshs Betul district told me, We are called aadhabaasi (adivasi) because we are aadha vasi, which means half humans and you people are pura vasi, complete humans. The most serious assault is on their dignity and freedom. We have betrayed the adivasi population by failing to protect its habitat from our greed, what we call development. In my more than two decades of working with adivasis, I have seen the utter failure of the so-called mainstream to understand the adivasi map of the world and their conceptualisation of development and democracy. The gap in our understanding of their world and aspirations can be gauged from what Lada Sikaka, a Dongria Kondh adivasi leader from Odishas Niyamgiri, said to an Indian Forest Service officer. If you want our development then why dont you teach our children things that are relevant to us and important for our community and that, too, in our language, Lada said. We have to listen. We have to develop our own emotional competencies to understand and comprehend their lives before declaring them backward. Dr BD Sharma, the last SC and ST commissioner, rightly said the adivasis were at a different stage of development, and not backward. Jaipal Munda, one of the few adivasi members of the Constituent Assembly, said during a debate, The whole history of my people is one of continuous exploitation and dispossession by the non-aboriginals of India punctuated by rebellions and disorder, and yet I take Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru at his word. I take you all at your word that now we are going to start a new chapter, a new chapter of independent India where there is equality of opportunity, where no one would be neglected. But, the promise has not been kept. Its evident from Bhaiyalals opinion of the poll process. A Korku adivasi from Harda in Madhya Pradesh, he says, ...well vote where we are told to by our maalik (master). ... they will come to know once the results are out and we will have to pay a heavy price for not voting as instructed... Every morning, we get buttermilk from their house, so our wishes mean little. Democracy treats everyone equal, but does not make them equal. How can democracy work in an unequal world? After 72 years of democracy, we can see Mundas apprehension was correct and democracy has betrayed the adivasi population. For India to be a true democracy, we have to respect the adivasis essence of freedom to live in synergy with their habitat. The colonial legacy we cling to has to be shunned for us to become a truly independent nation, capable of understanding, planning and implementing development as understood by the adivasi people. (Shamim Meghani Modi is an adivasi rights activist and chairperson of the Centre for Law and Society at Tata Institute of Social Sciences) Bandipora Deputy Commissioner Shahbaz Mirza called for calm and said, 'We assure that perpetrator of the crime will be brought to justice.' The rape of a three-year-old girl in the Sumbal area of Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district led to widespread protests across the Valley on Sunday. The strike was called by a religious-cum-separatist organisation to demand stringent punishment for the accused. The incident occurred on 8 May, when the accused, a resident of her neighbourhood, allegedly lured the girl with chewing gums, took her to a nearby government school and then raped her. Soon after the incident was reported, the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested the accused. The girl was raped in the village just before iftar, according to the complaint filed by her family. "We found her in a nearby area and informed the local police," said the family member. According to police officials, the survivor was referred to a Srinagar-based hospital, where her condition is said to be stable. "A case was registered, and the accused was produced before a court which sent him to police custody," said SSP Bandipora Rahul Malik. Bandipora Deputy Commissioner Shahbaz Mirza called for calm and said, "The heinous crime of rape of a minor in Bandipora is under investigation. We assure that perpetrator of the crime will be brought to justice. We appeal to the public to stay calm and not heed to any rumors." Normal life was affected in the city on Monday due to the protests. "Most schools, shops and other business establishments in the city remained shut due to the strike," officials said. Protests took place in more than 12 places mostly in central and north Kashmir on Sunday, an unidentified police officer told The Indian Express. According to the officials, public transport was also affected due to the strike. "However, government offices and banks remained open," they said. Ittehadul Muslimeen a religious organisation which is also a constituent of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference called for a complete shutdown across the Valley on Monday. In a statement, Itehadul Muslimeen president Moulana Masroor Abbas Ansari termed the "rape" as a blot on the face of humanity. Meanwhile, the incident has also drawn flak from political leaders in the state. Governor Satya Pal Malik condemned the "extremely heinous incident" and directed IGP Kashmir to ensure that the accused gets exemplary punishment for the "shameful act". J&K Raj Bhavan: Governor Satya Pal Malik has expressed deep shock&pain over the extremely heinous incident of rape of 3-year old girl from Bandipora dist. Governor has directed IGP Kashmir to work swiftly & ensure that the culprit gets exemplary punishment for this shameful act. ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah termed the incident a "travesty" and called for speedy investigation and exemplary punishment to the guilty. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the incident and said that in times like these, "Shariah law seems apt." Mortified to hear about the rape of a 3 yr old girl in Sumbal. What kind of a sick pervert would do this?Society often blames women for inviting unwanted attention but what was this childs fault?Times like these, Shariah law seems apt so that such paedophiles are stoned to death Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) May 11, 2019 Hurriyat Conference Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani said such incidents were a "black stain on our social fabric and rich culture". He also said that political interference had ruined the whole system. "The Kathua incident, which has become a forgotten part of history now, is a proof in this respect," he added, citing the alleged rape and murder of a minor in the district last year. With inputs from PTI The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Ministry of Defence to submit a report on a plea seeking scientific disposal of waste generated by weapons, hospitals and other establishments of the armed forces New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has directed the Ministry of Defence to submit a report on a plea seeking scientific disposal of waste generated by weapons, hospitals and other establishments of the armed forces. "We are of the view that the matter needs to be considered by the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. "It will be appreciated that the Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Government of India files a status report in the matter after ascertaining the relevant facts and status of compliance of environmental norms from different concerned establishments within three months by e-mail," the bench said. According to the petitioner Anil Chopra, who is a retired Air Marshal and has also worked as a part of UP Solid Waste Management Monitoring Committee, some of the establishments of the armed forces lack requisite knowledge on ecological issues and solution to the environmental challenges particularly in virgin areas. The waste generated by military weapons, domestic, industrial, biological, hospital and electronic activities (e-waste) needs to be scientifically disposed in the interest of public health and environment, the plea read. Such problems may also be faced in desert and marine areas which need to be monitored at an appropriate level, it said. The applicant has referred to three reports Environmental Issues and Waste Management by Armed Forces, Siachen Glacier Ecological Issues and Cantonments and Military Stations. With wedding expenses dominating farmers debt, communities advocate simple, inexpensive ceremonies On a cold day in December 2017, the members of gurdwara committee and panchayat in Punjabs Bhutal Kalan village were in a huddle. On the agenda was downsizing the weddings that were driving debt-burdened farmers of this Sangrur village to commit suicide. There are four to five cases of farmer suicide a year in our village. In most cases, farmers mortgage their land for weddings, says Krishan Singh, a farmer who belongs to the family of the sarpanch. The meeting decided on sade viah te sade bhog (simple weddings and simple funeral ceremony). All families were to reduce the number of wedding functions, guests and DJ parties. Consumption of alcohol and non-vegetarian food, too, had to be scaled down. At funerals for the elderly, people would serve a feast of gulab jammun, mithai and kheer to a thousand people. Now we only allow dal roti to be served and that, too, to the closest family, says Singh. Those who fail to follow these austerity rules are fined by the panchayat. Big fat weddings, a signature of Punjab, are as much about conspicuous consumption, as they are about self-esteem, pride and standing in the community. But they are extracting a toll, as Punjab, once the cradle of Indias Green Revolution, fights agrarian distress and farmer suicides. A study by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) has established a direct link between farmer suicides and extravagant weddings in Punjab. Like most villages in the area, Bhutal Kalan appears to be prosperous, though the farmers talk about their struggle with inadequate water, falling productivity, and low returns on the produce. A sprawling wedding palace came up on the outskirts of the village a few years ago. These mammoth wedding venues, which can include a big hall, lawns and rooms for guests, are spread all over Punjab. Ajaib Singh, who grows wheat and paddy, remembers the time when weddings were simple. When I got married, everyone sat on the floor and ate together. The idea was to save money. For his daughters wedding, held days after the austerity order, he saved money by not having a DJ and alcohol. He kept the lighting and decorations simple and reduced the number of baraatis. Even then, he ended up spending more than Rs 10 lakh, his savings of 10 years. In the nearby Nangal village, 27-year-old Lakhbeer Singh is a seen as a revolutionary of sorts. At his wedding last year, there were less than 40 guests. The ceremony was solemnised at the gurudwara and not a wedding hall. The grooms family did not accept dowry or gifts from the bride. It was not easy to do this but I did not want our families to be in debt after hosting an extravagant wedding, he says. His decision encouraged his friends to cut down on festivities at their weddings. Lakhbeers decision was influenced by a talk delivered by a member of the Samaj Sudhar Welfare Committee, a non-government organisation working to save farmers from debt by promoting simplicity during weddings and other social events. Hari Singh, an arthiya (commission agent and moneylender) from Sangrur, launched the Samaj committee four years ago. He found that farmers would borrow huge sums of money from him for their childrens weddings. Unable to pay off the debt, some would committee suicide. To create awareness, he launched the NGO. Elders of the community fan out across villages, advising families against dowry and wedding extravagance. If they convince one family, it gets easy to get others on board. To get the message across, those opting for austerity are honoured by the Samaj committee, which is active in more than a 100 villages in the districts of Sangrur, Mansa, Patiala, and Ludhiana. These districts are a part of the Malwa belt, the cotton-growing region of Punjab that has seen the most farmer suicides. More than 16,000 farmers killed themselves between 2000 and 2015, says a study by three universities in Punjab. Eighty-seven per cent of the suicides were because of debt and 76% were by small farmers, with landholdings of less than five acres, say the findings released in January 2018. We counsel them that its for their own good not to waste money and they can give that money to their children. We thought people would not want to hear our message, but weve been surprised by the support we found in the community, says Hari Singh. The ICAR study that surveyed 1,000 farming families in Punjab found that debt was accrued for various reasons such as for tractors, constructing a house but the foremost was always a wedding. This was a cultural difference not found in other states. The three-year study has been commissioned in Punjab, Telangana and Maharashtra, the states with the most farmer suicides. When we started our research two years ago, we found no literature to support this theory. But on the field, every other farmer would talk about how they were under debt after spending on weddings, says Sarabjeet Singh, principal investigator of the project and a professor at Ludhianas Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). The aim of the study is to analyse farmer suicide beyond the economics of agriculture and to look at the social and psychological aspects of the issue. In 2017, PAU launched a campaign for modest weddings to check debts and farmer suicide. The message was beamed at kisan melas (farmer fairs) and painted on village walls, on buses and trucks. A book on the subject is being distributed in colleges across the state. In the late 1980s, when militancy was at its peak in Punjab, there was an enforced wedding code. Only five to 11 baraatis were allowed. That was by force. This time, we hope more people will start doing it on their own. The movement has begun and we will see change, says Sarabjeet Singh. (Sunaina Kumar is a Delhi-based independent journalist. This reporting was supported by a grant from the Bosch Foundation for the Indo-German Media Network) Along with ISI-backed terrorist formations, Dawood is a symbol of the criminalisation of the Pakistani state Dawood Ibrahim is 64 years old. Periodic reports assure us that he is ailing but like many of Indias enemies is taking an inordinately long time dying. It is over 26 years since the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts that killed 257 people, Indias worst terrorist incident to date, and the crime for which Ibrahim is best known. Periodically, politicians make statements about getting him back from Pakistan. When tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad are high, heroic anchors on some TV channels discuss the logistics of taking him out. For very long intervening periods, India acts as if Ibrahim doesnt exist or, at least, doesnt matter. Quietly, however, Ibrahims D-Company and its many proxies continue to dominate organised criminal activities in India, now far beyond his original jurisdiction in Mumbai. This happens in an environment of enveloping collusion, across partisan political and communal lines, and despite the fact that Ibrahim has also established himself as a facilitator for Pakistan-based terrorist formations, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the Indian Mujahideen, as well as al-Qaeda. Ibrahims criminal network extends across continents today, even as his investments in legitimate businesses including the acquisition of vast benami properties in the UAE, Dubai, Morocco, Spain, the UK, Australia, as well as some African and Southeast Asian countries, apart from Pakistan and In-dia, provide increasing legal cover to many of his illicit activities. Forbes magazine estimated his net worth at $6.7 billion in 2015, and growing continuously. His D-Company reportedly commands over 5,000 cadres, involved in smuggling, global hawala operations, counterfeit currency, extortion, contract killings, illegal betting and, allegedly, major financial scams. Under the protection of Pakistans ISI, he has not only forged links with Islamist terrorist groups, but has also been responsible for several conspiracies to execute targeted killings in India, often with the objective of provoking a communal conflagration. As with any such enterprise, this empire is constantly contested, both from within and without. Ibrahim has, over the years, lost key aides to death, arrest and other causes, while rumours of factionalism have been rife from time to time including the unconfirmed split with Chhota Shakeel and other key operatives from D-Company, shortly before Shakeels rumoured death in 2017. Rivals are also always close at hand most prominently Chhota Rajan, Ejaz Lakdawala and Arun Gawli at different times. This is another reason why Ibrahim remains critical to his crime-terror empire: scale, intimidation, capacities for punitive enforcement and personal loyalty are integral to its continuity and effectiveness. Ibrahim remains the unifying identity and presence that enables institutional continuity, and his wealth and networks make affiliation and subordination worthwhile for associates. Succession in such formations always tends to vigorous contestation and fragmentation. Even recent intelligence confirms that Ibrahim remains in active control of the D-Company and its operations abroad. His neutralisation by any means including a natural death would bring Ibrahims networks under great stress and create major vulnerabilities. Moreover, Ibrahims survival and his flourishing empire globally and, even worse, in India are a demonstration of New Delhis impotence and the impunity with which her enemies can operate for decades after major and constantly renewed offences. Ibrahim matters because he is an embarrassment for, and a living accusation against, the Indian state and its intelligence and enforcement apparatus. Indeed, Ibrahims D-Company has long been on international lists of terrorists, including the United Nations and the United States lists since 2003. Along with a multiplicity of ISI-backed terrorist formations, he is a symbol of the criminalisation of the Pakistani state, and of the abject failure of the international community to enforce global norms of civilised governance on Islamabad. (Ajai Sahni is executive director of Institute for Conflict Management) SC agreed to hear on Tuesday the plea of a BJP activist challenging her arrest by West Bengal police for allegedly sharing a morphed photo of Mamata Banerjee on social media. New Delhi: The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Tuesday the plea of a woman BJP activist challenging her arrest by West Bengal police for allegedly sharing a morphed photo of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media. A vacation bench, comprising justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna, on Monday took note of the plea of advocate NK Kaul, representing the activist, Priyanka Sharma, that the issue of her arrest be accorded urgent hearing. The bench posted the plea for hearing on Tuesday after the senior lawyer submitted that there has been a complete strike in West Bengal and it has forced the woman to challenge her arrest in the apex court. The senior lawyer said the woman activist is in judicial custody following her arrest by the police. Sharma, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, allegedly shared on Facebook a photo in which Banerjee's face has been photoshopped on to actor Priyanka Chopra's picture from the MET Gala event in New York. Sharma, against whom a complaint was filed at Dasnagar Police station, has been sent to two weeks' judicial custody. She is seeking bail. Her arrest was followed by protests from the BJP and other social media users. Forget venturing into R-rated movies or edgy art galleries: Take your kid into a random gift shop in the Texas Hill Country these days, and you might find cutesy hand towels embroidered with swear words that would have made young Larry King faint. Beto ORourke, always game to roll on the bad-idea bandwagon, gained notoriety during his Senate campaign for letting an impressive parade of F-bombs fly. Self-help books with the F-word fly off the shelves, even though at least in the humble opinion of this writer, who grew up in the famously repressed rolling fields of the American Midwest The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Rip would make for just as compelling a title as The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a well, Ill stop there. You know what word is coming next. 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. The slow decline of state patronage meant that Theru Koothu faded into oblivion, eventually forcing practitioners to take up menial jobs. Now, filmmaker Sankagiri Rajkumar is reinventing the art form by drastically reducing the performance time and introducing stories that werent originally a part of the repertoire. The green room is abuzz with a flurry of activity, and the strong smell of hairspray and powder. A group of men are huddled in front of the spotlit mirrors, pinning up their wigs or their garish, sparkly frocks. Some are even struggling with their sarees. Before the antiquated charms of the endangered Tamil street theatre tradition Theru Koothu could be declared extinct, filmmaker Sankagiri Rajkumar (Onion, 2011) resuscitated it in Chennai. On 28 April, the young artiste seamlessly transitioned from screen to stage in an attempt to revive the ancient folk art for a young audience in Chennais Sir Pitty Theyagaraja Arangam hall. Much like hundreds of other indigenous art forms from the interiors of India, Theru Koothu has remained confined within its districts of origin in Tamil Nadus Salem, Dharmapuri, Namakkal and Erode. The slow decline of state patronage catalysed its gradual fading into oblivion, eventually forcing practitioners to take up menial jobs for a living. Belonging to a family of traditional Theru Koothu artists from Salem, Rajkumar says he felt passionately compelled to bring it to a mainstream, urban, and newer audience, in order to keep it alive. I have grown up seeing my people dress up for Theru Koothu, performing for hours together. It is the original form of cinema. It pains my heart, like it does for many others, to see the art dying. This is my way of giving it life, he says. Rajkumars maiden stage venture, Nandhi Kalambagam, tells the little-known story of the Pallava king Nandhivarman in a 90-minute long performance. The play is not only directed by Rajkumar but also sees him playing the protagonist. The play recreates the valour and compassion of the ruler who stood his ground against his own brother and the Pandya dynasty of ancient Tamil Nadu. It ends with his brother composing a set of hundred songs on Nandhivarman in Aram Paaduthal style, or prophetic poetry seeking vengeance. Despite knowing that listening to the hundredth song would prove fatal to him, legend has it that Nandhivarman sat through the entire performance out of his love for art and poetry. As the performance concluded, Nandhivarmans body caught fire and he burnt to death. To be able to revive or keep traditions alive, reinventing forms to meet contemporary needs becomes inevitable. Besides relocating the art from the streets to the proscenium and drastically shortening the length of the performance that conventionally ran from night till daybreak, the director has introduced stories that werent originally a part of the Theru Koothu repertoire. Traditionally, only stories from Mahabharata and Ramayana were told in Theru Koothu form in villages. I thought it was important to change that, to tell new, little-known stories. How many of us know of this king who was willing to die for the love of a language? Rajkumar asks. However, in order to retain the essence of Tamil folk theatre, the character of a clown was seen narrating the story, as is traditionally done. Additionally, the performers stitched their own costumes as a part of the age-old craft. The professional Theru Koothu practitioners, who performed in the play, are all natives of Rajkumars village, Sankagiri. Nandhi Kalambagam was first staged in Cambodia last year, followed by its second outing in Chennai this April. Ive been getting invites to stage it in countries which have a Tamil population. We are working out things, Rajkumar says. Besides such plays, Rajkumar has also taken on the Herculean task of adapting and staging the classic Thirukkural, a collection of 1,330 couplets by Tamil poet-philosopher Valluvar into Theru Koothu performances. The project will primarily be shot as one-minute-long videos and released on YouTube, in order to capture a young audience with a shorter attention span. We call it Kural Koothu. The idea is to release it online, so as to help students understand kural (couplets) through Theru Koothu, Rajkumar explains, stating that 10 couplets have already been adapted, while the remaining 1,320 are in progress. We are struggling to put together funds for that, but we will soon work on it, the actor-director says. With Nandhi Kalambagam, he found a staunch admirer in fellow Tamil filmmaker Cheran, who called the effort noble. Theru Koothu is mother of all art forms. We now have a generation that has no idea what it is Rajkumars effort to popularise Theru Koothu among such audiences is not just commendable, it is also important, he says. Despite his co-existing career in cinema, Rajkumar continues to draw major inspiration from street theatre as an artiste. Theru Koothu will remain my passion and my inspiration. And I will continue to stage it whenever, wherever possible, he assures, promising a better tomorrow for the art and its artists, who may now retire from their mundane day jobs. This is the last piece in an eight-part series on Urdu fiction by contemporary Indian writers. Rakhshanda Jalil is the curator and translator for this series. Part I: In 'The Crocodile', Gulzar tells a story of smoke and fire Part II: In 'Those Without Graves', Joginder Paul blurs the lines between the living and dead Part III: In 'The Rape of an Abandoned House', Deepak Budki lays bare the hunger of scavengers Part IV: 'I Have Done My Bhartiya-karan', Kanhaiyalal Kapoor asks what it takes to become Indian Part V: In 'Run From These Slave Traders', Ramanand Sagar writes of women without a country Part VI: In 'Daani, The Generous One', Krishan Chandar writes of shared hunger and hope amid homelessness Part VII: In A Cup of Tea, Mahindar Nath meditates on love, before and after marriage *** RENU BEHL (1958-): With a Master's in Public Administration, Political Science, and Urdu, and a PhD in Urdu, Behl has written several collections of Urdu short stories: Aaeena, Ankhon se Dil Tak, Koi Charasaz Hota, Khushboo Mere Aangan ki, Badli Mei Chhupa Chand, Khamosh Sadaye, and Dastak. Her Urdu novels include Gard Mei Atey Chehre; Mere Hone Mei Kya Burai Hai; a novel on transpeople; and a Hindi novel titled Kasturi. Apart from awards for her books from various Urdu academies, she has also been the recipient of the Shiromani Urdu Sahityakar Award from the Punjab Government in 2014, and the Award of Excellence from the Chandigarh Sahitya Academy in 2015. *** Draupadi Has Woken Up | Renu Behl Shadows of the silent night had begun to lengthen. But there was still some commotion in the tin-roof shacks selling the local brew on the outskirts of the village. Nihal Singh had reached with Charan Singh as soon as the sun had set. Charan Singh was his childhood friend and knew well enough what troubled him. He knew that his own home seemed alien to Nihal Singh, since Bebe had passed away and he had become weary of his own life. As the two drank, Charan Singh tried to draw Nihal Singh back towards life. Nihal Singh kept listening to his friend. As he steadily grew more intoxicated, Nihal Singh became quieter. As they were leaving the shack, Charan Singh tried to persuade his friend to come along with him. With stumbling steps and faltering tongues sometimes in raised and sometimes in lowered tones, leaving some things said and some unsaid, sometimes to each other and sometimes to themselves the two began to walk back towards the village. They came to a fork where their ways parted. The village lanes were deserted at this time of the night. The sound of frogs croaking somewhere in the distance broke the silence. A stumbling foot hit a dog sleeping beside the path, who woke up with a squeal, stepped back, then seeing the man walking on began to bark at his retreating back. He stopped and turned. With an ugly expletive flung towards the dog, he resumed walking. The door to his house was locked. He banged on the door two or three times till Pammo opened it. She went towards the kitchen, mumbling something under her breath. He went and sat down on the takht laid out in the courtyard. His Bebe used to always sit on this takht when she finished all her errands. He spread his hand lovingly on the cloth covering the takht and began to wipe his wet eyes with his sleeve. Pammo returned within a couple of minutes with dal and roti for him. Without a word, she put the food down beside him on the takht and turned to leave when he held her wrist and asked: Has Makhni gone to sleep? He called his younger brother, Makhan Singh, 'Makhni' as a form of endearment. With a wrench, Pammo freed her wrist and began to walk back towards the kitchen without uttering a word. I wont give you any more trouble; Ill go away. And he began to eat the food. He was completely full because of the alcohol. He barely ate two morsels and left the rest, taking the stairs to go up to the roof. Like always, his bed was laid out under the open sky. He fell down upon it. When he looked up at the star-studded sky, he could see Bebes face among the clouds. When he tried to open his eyes again, the strength to do so had left him. Lost to the world, he fell into a deep stupor. Nihal Singh was not an alcoholic. Normally, he drank just about five or six times a year when there was a sorrowful event or a happy occasion, such as a wedding. Though, yes, every three or four months, if he made a plan to go to the whore in the city, he would glug down some liquor on the quiet. But he never had the effrontery to drink in the village and appear before Bebe. He was the only one in the entire family who was scared of falling foul of Bebe; or, let us say, he didnt want to do anything that would cause her pain. His younger brothers Makhan Singh and Baisakha Singh drank all the time and Roda Singh was way beyond Bebes control; he had become an addict long ago. Like thousands of other young men, he too was addicted to opium and cannabis. He was beyond fear or regard. Nihal Singh lay like the dead all night. When the sun shone bright overhead, Makhan came to wake his brother. There was a time when Nihal was used to waking up at the crack of dawn. Every morning, Bebes sweet voice would be heard, reciting the Gurbani. It was always this sound that he woke to. He always found the mornings to be sweet; he realised this only after Bebe passed away. Now the mornings seemed insipid, the days colourless, and the house looked deserted. Little did he know then that the life and soul of that large household was none other than Bebe. Sitting on the takht in the courtyard, Bebes eyes would take in every inch of the house. Her voice was so strong and vigorous that Pammo could barely squeak in front of her. In fact, he had barely ever heard Pammos real voice properly. He had never felt the need to speak to her. At one command from Bebe, Pammo would fetch whatever he needed to eat or drink. Her head covered, Pammo would go about quietly working in the house, never uttering a word. On several occasions, Nihal Singh had tried to address Pammo via Bebe, and Pammo too would look at him from the corners of her eyes. At such times, Nihal Singh would sense that Pammo was smiling. Once, when Pammo was within earshot, he praised the food she had made to Bebe. When Bebe added two words of praise, Pammo stood smiling. Nihal had asked Bebe, Has an injustice been done to Makhan? Why? What if she is mute? Go away! She can hear and speak. Ask Makhan... how much gossip she tells him. Its hard to tell, Bebe, he had said softly. She kept listening to every word without saying anything as she went about her chores. Changing the subject, Bebe said, I am thinking of speaking to Chanan. Why? Ill ask for his daughters hand for you? Do you know her age? Shes at least 15 years younger than I. Her father will never agree to the match. Dont keep your hopes up. Hai! Hai! Theres a famine as far as girls are concerned. Why do you worry, Bebe? I am not the only bachelor in the city. If not here, my wife will be somewhere else. If I am destined to marry, Ill find her. After all, our Makhni found his Pammo. I cant sit and do nothing. I know exactly how her father agreed to this marriage. I intended to present you as a suitor, but they liked our fair and handsome Makhan. So what, Bebe? I am her jeth. And in the 12 months of the year, there is one month of the jeth, he said, smiling naughtily, as he looked towards Pammo who was washing clothes at the time. Bebe swatted him lightly on the head and said, Shes your younger brothers wife. Dont tease her. *** Time passed. Bebes efforts yielded no fruit. Truly, there was a famine as far as girls were concerned. After all, Bebe too was happy having given birth to four sons. She too had declined to accept the verdict of nature. She had revolted against nature. Perhaps she was suffering because of that transgression. Her conscience reprimanded her. She suffered terribly, but did not say a word to anybody. Bebe was very fond of Nihal; in fact, he was the closest to her of her four sons, possibly because he was her first born. No, actually her first born had been murdered in her womb by her mother-in-law before she was born. She didnt want a daughter and her god on earth, that is, her husband, did not object to his mother and sat watching her helplessness. All her pleas went unheard. She had two choices: She could save the baby in her womb, or she could save her marriage. At that time, young, helpless Kesro sacrificed her first child to save her marriage. She had wept a great deal, but eventually that hurt, instead of breaking her, had made her stronger. For a long time she had not allowed her earthly god, her husband Pritam Singh, to come anywhere near her. She had smashed his masculinity to smithereens. Kesros words had fallen upon his ego like the blows of a hammer when, one night, she had pushed his hand from her body with utter disdain and said, Have you taken permission from your Bebe before coming to me? If you havent, go and ask her first, you mothers boy! She uttered these obscenities in a low voice, but they pierced through her husbands ears like molten glass. And then she came out of their room into the courtyard. That night, Pritam Singh had rolled over embers. He had realised that he was weaker and lowlier than her, despite being a man. From that night onward, he had left his mothers hem and held on to his wifes. Pritam Singhs Bebe simmered in silence while Kesro bloomed and flowered. One after the other, Kesro gave birth to four sons. When the first grandson was born, the grandparents were nihal, meaning pleased to see him and so the grandmother named him Nihal Singh. Two years later, a fair and bony boy was born, and Kesro had named him Makhan Singh. The next year, another son was born. The grandmother took one look at him and exclaimed, Pritam what is this? A roda (bald) child in the home of a sardar? And from that day onward, Pritam began to call the child Roda. For three years in a row, the harvest would be ready in the fields, and in her home Kesros harvest would be ready too. The youngest boy, Baisakha, was born on the evening of Baisakhi. And that year, the festivities of Baisakhi had doubled. As Kesro began to establish her strength and influence in the family, the mother-in-laws grasp over the household began to loosen. She was happy to see the boisterousness displayed by her young grandsons, but Pritam did not live long enough to see his boys grow into men. *** As Nihal grew up, Kesro began to weave dreams of seeing him dressed as a groom and getting married. She began to scout for suitable matches. Several boys who were older than Nihal had gone away to settle down in cities, simply because they were not able to find girls to marry in the village. Bebe looked far and wide, even went to the neighbouring villages, but she found no bride for her eldest son. She could not have imagined in her wildest dreams that she would find it so difficult to get a bride for her favourite son. Every time she returned home empty-handed after the hunt for the elusive bride, she would say: It seems there is a famine of girls. Everywhere you look, there are only boys. And if perchance you find a girl, then the family has such airs... they seem to want nothing short of a big landlord! Bebes worries increased as time passed. Four grown up boys without a father they had no one to fear or respect. They went about the village like bulls on a rampage. To pass time, they would drink and play cards, or hang around near the village pond and leer at the girls and women passing by, or else pass comments on the films they had watched on their mobile phones. Bebe was anxious to tie them down with the chains of domesticity and responsibility. She could not safeguard their youth from spilling over. All the time, she was fearful that they might stray and do something so shameful that it would forever cast a cloud over their lives. Every now and then, she would caution them. She would address her old mother-in-law and say: Are you happy now with four grandsons? Do you call this a home? They don't come home or leave at a fixed time, nor do they know how to conduct themselves in society. If they had had a sister, they would not have roamed around naked like this all around the house. There is not a single woman in the entire village who is ready to visit us in our house because of these wretched fellows and their ways. Now I have begun to feel that any one of them should get married. Things might improve if even one girl comes to live here. This house looks like a den of ogres! The old granny lived a long life and passed away without seeing any of her grandsons dressed as a groom. The four brothers managed the fields among themselves. Bebe looked after the house and the cattle. By now, she was tired of all the chores. Moreover, she was worried: How would their line continue? The other day, her friend Manjit was telling her how the Chaudhrys son had run away with a village lad. What if one of her sons were to do the same? The very thought made her tremble with fear. She could no longer sit and do nothing. Once again, she embarked on a crusade to find a bride. This time, she met with success. She had gone with a match for Nihal, but Pammos parents preferred Makhan. Despite all her misgivings, she had to eventually give in and agree to marry Pammo with Makhan. Things had improved somewhat since the arrival of the new bride. In fact, Nihal had found it a bit odd seeing the new bride roaming around the house. He was the eldest son, and had he got married, he would no doubt have wanted to immerse himself in the tinkle of bangles and the muted song of anklets. But now, he had begun to keep himself away from all this. He tried to spend as much time as he could outside the house. Before Pammos arrival, he used to sleep in the courtyard with his brothers during the summers. Now the brothers slept on the roof. There used to be all three of them up on the roof; now there were only two, because Roda had begun to spend all his time outside the house. Despite all their efforts, Bebe and Nihal could not free Roda from the clutches of drugs. Soon, he stopped coming to the fields despite their persistence and began to demand his share of the land. Everyone knew why he wanted his share. His great-grandfather had 50 acres, which had dwindled over the years to 10 acres by the time his father had inherited it. Now these 10 acres were to be divided into four portions. Bebe tried to placate and scold him by turns, but when Roda remained adamant, Bebe asked for a fifth share: that was her share. Roda took two acres and left the house. *** Soon, Pammo took over most of the household chores. Bebe would sit in the courtyard and help as she read from the Holy Book. But she would also be mindful of Nihal and Baisakhas needs. By repeating over and over again, she drilled it into Pammos head, Look here, till your elder and younger brother-in-law get married, you are the one who has to do all their chores. You have to be mindful of all their needs. When their wives come, it will be another matter, but till then you must not step back from your duties. And Pammo would nod her head ever so slightly and say, Yes. One night Nihal and Baisakha ate their meal and went up to sleep on the rooftop. They talked for a long time until Baiskha said somewhat hesitantly, Brother, I have to say something important to you. Why were you talking about unimportant things till now? Nihal turned around and asked. I was wondering if I should say it or not. What can it be? Out with it! I am sleepy... Tell me quickly: what is it? Jagtar is taking his truck to Calcutta on Wednesday; hes asked me to come along. I am thinking of going with him. Why do you want to go with him? I... He began to stutter. Look here Baisakha, tell me everything clearly. I know Kartar and I have an inkling about your inclinations. Tell me, what is it? I am tired of all the talk among our people. Lads much younger than me make snide comments. Men I grew up with, shared my childhood with, now cross the path when they see me, and if I were to go to the home of any one of them, they send me away from the door itself. Just because I am not married, it doesnt mean that I have no respect. Where does the question of respect arise in all this? Bebe tried so hard to find a girl for us... What can anyone do if we are not destined to get married? Moreover, we are not the only unmarried men in the village... There are so many others like us. I dont have your patience. What do you mean? Why dont you speak clearly? I will go to Calcutta with Jagtar and find myself a wife there. He says it is easy to get a girl there. I see... So you will buy a wife! If thats what you want to call it. Bebe will never agree to it. She will never accept a Bengali as her daughter-in-law. And think... You will have children tomorrow... Sikh children looking like Bengalis! The very thought made him laugh out loud. Whatever will happen, will be for the best. They will be my children, after all, Baisakha retorted. Look here, Baisakhe, its your life and you can live it whichever way you like, but I know that Bebe will never agree to this. She got enraged when she heard about the barbers daughter, Kamlesho... So what if it was the widowed daughter of a barber, she was from our neighbourhood! What will she say if you bring home a Bengali? I dont care... itll be good if she doesnt understand others and no one can understand her. At least I will have a family of my own. At least people will stop talking. Think about this again. Talk to Bebe, get her to agree before you go off with Jagtar. Thats the difficult part. Ill try to talk to her... But brother, why dont you speak to her on my behalf? If I ever have anything to tell her, I will. Why should I speak to her for you? Arent you my elder brother? All right, go to sleep now; Ill see what can be done in the morning. On Sunday, a full-scale war of words broke out between Modi and Mayawati over the Alwar gangrape case, with the prime minister accusing the BSP supremo of shedding crocodile tears, an allegation dismissed by her as 'dirty politics'. Jaipur: Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ignoring the facts and deliberately targeting him over the gang rape of a Dalit woman in Alwar district. "The state government has already taken action in the matter. All the accused have been arrested. The SP was removed, the SHO was suspended and we will take all steps (needed)," Gehlot told reporters in Jaipur. On Mayawati's remarks on the incident, Gehlot said the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief leads the community and her reaction on a crime against a Dalit was natural and justified. On Sunday, a full-scale war of words broke out between Modi and Mayawati over the incident, with the prime minister accusing the BSP supremo of shedding crocodile tears, an allegation dismissed by her as "dirty politics". On 26 April, six accused accosted the woman and her husband on the Thanagazi-Alwar bypass and took them to an isolated place, where they allegedly raped her in front of him. The case, which came to light last week, has sparked outrage among leaders across political platform. Gehlot also referred to media reports that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Hem Singh Bhadana had gone to the survivor's family to settle the matter. The Congress leader said he had asked officers to look into it, adding that appropriate action would be taken as per the report. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally targeted me on various occasions. Be it in election campaign in UP, MP or Rajasthan," Gehlot said, adding "When I was in charge of Gujarat, he misled and provoked farmers there against me. He had no moral right to come to Rajasthan and campaign." The chief minister said several cases of rape happened during the previous BJP governments in the state. "A BJP MLA was involved in rape case in Uttar Pradesh, but Modi never talked about them," he added. Claiming that institutions in the country were under pressure and controlled by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Gehlot dared it to become a political party. "The RSS is deciding who will become the chief minister, a minister or a vice-chancellor. The RSS should declare itself a political party and then carry out its agenda," Gehlot said. The Rajasthan chief minister also advised RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to merge the organisation with the BJP. "The Congress will talk about secularism and then the people will decide who should rule," he said. Gehlot alleged that Modi wanted to win election by hook or by crook, and democracy and the Constitution were under threat under his rule. Shah's rally was scheduled for Monday in Jadhavpur, which goes to the polls on 19 May in the last phase, but the permission for it was denied at the last minute by the state administration, he said. New Delhi: Accusing the West Bengal government of not allowing its president Amit Shah's rally in Jadhavpur, the BJP said Monday the Election Commission has become a "mute spectator" to the Trinamool Congress's alleged undemocratic means to target the saffron party. BJP media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said his party will hold protests and also move the EC. Shah's rally was scheduled for Monday in Jadhavpur, which goes to the polls on 19 May in the last phase, but the permission for it was denied at the last minute by the state administration, he said. Subsequently, the permission for Shah's chopper to land was also withdrawn, Baluni said. "It is unfortunate that the EC has become a mute spectator to all this and also use of violence by the TMC in the state," he said. He alleged the ruling party in Bengal was using undemocratic means to target the BJP. Nine seats will go to polls in the last phase of the general election. Going by the current trend in West Bengal politics, it appears violence is the only solution that parties, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP see to establish power. The street in Kolkata where my parents' house is located is often witness to scuffles. Not among regular passersby, but members of rival parties. Something as minor as two opposing party workers bumping into each other could set off fisticuffs among them, reflecting what the politics in West Bengal is like. In Phase 6 of the parliamentary election on Sunday, only eight of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal went to polls, but it was the bloodiest round this election, so far. A day before the polls, a BJP booth president was hacked to death, and the body of a Trinamool Congress worker reported missing a day earlier was found. This set off further violence across the state, with reports of firing at Sabang, which falls under the Medinipur constituency, Moina under Tamluk, Keshpur under Ghatal, Gopiballavpur under Jhargram and Kalabagan under the Bishnupur seat. Incidentally, these are the constituencies where the BJP has gained ground and has the possibility of putting up a strong contest for the TMC. The 'highlight' of the day was the clashes between locals and the security of BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh's convoy in Ghatal's Keshpur. The tussle escalated, and Central forces were forced to open fire, lob teargas shells and lathicharge the disruptive mob. Elections or not, violence among workers of political parties is common in West Bengal. Looking at the history of the political violence in the state, no amount of deployment of Central forces can entirely contain such attempts at show of strength. As Firstpost noted in this article, political violence in West Bengal has historical roots, which date back to peasant movements against Congress-backed landlords that ultimately helped the Communist Party of India (Marxist) sow its seeds in the state. In 1972, the Congress was accused of rigging the Assembly elections using the state machinery to target the Opposition, a charge that every subsequent government in West Bengal has faced. The political structure in West Bengal is different from that in other states, which helps understand why the state is plagued by political violence. Here, panchayats are a powerful tool to implement party/state policy at the ground level, which ultimately shapes the politics of West Bengal. This makes it vital for political parties to hold territorial control of the state's villages, and the violent politics of West Bengal can partly be attributed to this fight for control. The run-up to the panchayat elections in 2018 marred by similar incidents of clashes among party works explains the importance of the panchayati raj system in West Bengal and is a clear indication that politics in West Bengal goes hand in hand with the need to establish power by hook or crook. In the current political scenario, it's the Trinamool Congress attempting to assert its clout in its home state over the BJP, which has been trying to make inroads in the eastern state by taking on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party. There have been accusations galore from the two sides, with each blaming the other for instigating violence in the state. The TMC has accused the BJP of fomenting religious trouble the reason it stated for blocking the party's rath yatra in Bengal earlier this year. During the polls, the party claimed that the saffron unit was using the Central forces available at its disposal as the ruling party at the Centre to swing votes in its favour. This year, the BJP appears to have switched its focus on West Bengal. This might be unsurprising to political analysts, given that the state sends 42 MPs to the Lok Sabha, the highest number after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Its influence in West Bengal, in comparison, would seem minuscule, which explains why the party has taken such an interest in the state after years of being a negligible force in the region. To observers on the outside, it appears as though Mamata's party believes it can keep its hold on the state by violently shutting down the Opposition. But this tactic appears to be backfiring as the BJP is using the targeted violence as fodder against the ruling party to gain ground in West Bengal. The sorry state of affairs begs these questions will the politics in West Bengal always be tainted in blood? Do workers always have to sacrifice themselves for the party's "cause"? Is there no way to ensure a peaceful democratic process in the state? Will the thirst for political power always overshadow the need for fair and transparent elections? Is violence the only solution these parties see? Going by the current trend, it appears so. The presence of extra security in West Bengal for the sixth phase of polling for the Lok Sabha election could not prevent violence from breaking out yet again Kolkata: The presence of extra security in West Bengal for the sixth phase of polling for the Lok Sabha election could not prevent violence from breaking out yet again. Eight seats, including those from around the tribal belt of Purulia and Jhargram, went to the polls on Sunday. Even before polling could begin, reports of political clashes and deaths poured in from across these eight seats, especially East Midnapore, Kanthi and Jhargram. One BJP worker and one Trinamool Congress worker were found dead in Jhargram and Kanthi. Two other BJP workers Ananta Guchait and Ranjit Maity were reportedly shot at in East Midnapore's Bhagabanpur. The BJP worker who first went missing on Saturday and was later found dead late at night by police has been identified as Raman Singh. The body of Sudhakar Maity, the TMC worker who also went missing Saturday, was found in Contai. Maity was spotted by a local on the national highway and was brought to Contai government hospital where doctors declared him dead. Maity had a political history with the Left party and he recently joined TMC," Kanthi Police said, adding that an investigation is underway. Violence, EVM glitches at polling booths Polling began with a couple of EVM malfunctions reported from Bankura and Bishnupur. State Election Commission also confirmed that an EVM was broken in Bankura's Shaltora, which is being considered for repolling. Bankura's booth 1 also saw clashes between TMC and BJP supporters. A BJP cadre was allegedly pushed and thrown outside the polling booth by TMC workers. "The EVM was vandalised in front of us and no one could do anything. BJP Bankura candidate Dr Subhash Sarkar and a couple of media persons were stuck inside the booth for a long time as some unidentified men were chasing them with bricks and sticks," said Arabinda Das, an eyewitness. A whopping 718 companies of Central forces were deployed in Bankura, Medinipur, Ghatal, Kanthi, Bishnupur, Purulia, Tamluk and Jhargram. However, sporadic violence occurred during polling. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Siddhi Nath Gupta, at a press conference said, Twenty-six were injured during today's voting. Three suffered bullet injuries. At least 16 were arrested and the presiding officer of Gahtal booth number 206/207 was suspended and issued a show cause notice." BJP faces uphill battle For the BJP it was a do-or-die situation in Jhargram, Ghatal and Purulia constituencies. While Purulia and Jhargram have already seen a wave of saffronisation, Ghatal looked like a tough nut to crack after today's clashes, firings by forces and lathicharge in the constituency where TMC star candidate Dev Adhikary is contesting against party friend-turned-foe ex-IPS officer Bharati Ghosh. Bharati's presence at Ghatal's Keshpur made the locals angry. The BJP accused the TMC of "planting outsiders" to create a ruckus in the area. Bharati was accused of violating the Model Code of Conduct by sending her security into the polling booth. Later, unidentified men attacked her convoy. One of Bharati's security and a few media persons were injured. After Bharatis car was attacked, a mob gathered near Keshpur's 207/206 booth. Central forces lobbed tear gas shells and resort to a lathicharge. Security personnel also had to open fire to disperse the mob. Attacks were planned, claims Bharati "It is not only about me," Bharati said. "There are so many people in this convoy. What about their security and life? I did not flout any rules. This was a planned attack." West Bengal BJP president president Dilip Ghosh said, "Mamata Banerjee is scared of Bharati and her zeal to fight. These are attempts to stop her victory." Later, even Dilip Ghosh's car was vandalised allegedly by TMC workers in East Midnapore's Dantan. TMC candidate Dev told media in Keshpur, "Bharati has always flouted rules and she thinks she is above the law. We all know how the police seized lakhs from her car on Friday. I believe in peaceful polling. I don't understand such provocative measures taken up by the Opposition." "Mamata killing sons of West Bengal" Even as Dev slammed Bharati, BJPs Mukul Roy tweeted, "Mamata Devi, please don't get so desperate and stop killing sons of West Bengal. The history will never forgive you..." (sic) Roy's cab was stopped twice at Kolkata airport by police and was searched thoroughly. The incident occurred right after Rs 1.13 lakh was seized from Bharatis car on Friday. Bharati was accused of trying to sneak the cash in. Roy, criticising the police and Mamata said, "I was thoroughly searched while exiting the airport. They stopped me again on the main road. These are not the police, they are all slaves of Mamata. I am sure they feel ashamed to identify themselves as police even to their own children. This is a planned harassment activity by TMC." TMC leader Derek O Brein tweeted, "Some BJP candidates, staring at certain defeat, with no support base, deliberately rushing around from polling station to polling station, seeking to create trouble and disturb the peaceful polling in the state." Villagers complain of harassment, intimidation In Bishnupur, villagers boycotted the vote. They claimed Central forces were harassing the men and not letting women cast their votes. There are four Central forces personnel on duty at the booth. They are not letting us enter. They asked us to vote for BJP. After we refused, they did not let our women enter the booths. They chased us away and threatened to beat up the men. Thus, we decided to boycott polls," they said. A social media post by a voter named Ananya Jana from Haldia stirred up controversy. In a Facebook post, she claimed she and her sister were manhandled at a booth and forced to vote for the local TMC candidate. "Democracy is in danger," she wrote. "Yes, in West Bengal. So, at 11 am today I went to the voting booth, a primary school near my home in Haldia, with my family. The moment we entered there was this guy standing next to the EVM machine. He asked my sister to vote for the TMC candidate." The author is Kolkata-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com Veteran actor Dharmendra Saturday sought people's support for his son and BJP candidate from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat Sunny Deol, saying his victory in elections will be a win of the people of this constituency Gurdaspur: Veteran actor Dharmendra Saturday sought people's support for his son and BJP candidate from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat Sunny Deol, saying his victory in elections will be a win of the people of this constituency. Dharmendra, who arrived here Friday to campaign for his 59-year-old son, told reporters that he has come here to understand people's pain and to become the remedy. When pointed out that Congress candidate from the seat, Sunil Jakhar, had invited Deol to hold a debate with him on local issues, Dharmendra said "we have not come here to hold debates, but hear out people's pain". "Sunny cannot debate. Sunil has experience (of politics) and his father (Balram Jakhar) was also a politician. We have come from film industry. We have not come here for debate. We have come here to hear out the pain of people," he said. Dharmendra said Sunil Jakhar is like his son as he had good relations with his father and former Lok Sabha speaker Balram Jakhar. He said he had refused to contest against Balram Jakhar from Churu in Rajasthan in 2004 Lok Sabha polls. Dharmendra had then contested from Bikaner seat on BJP ticket. Dharmendra said he got emotional to see people supporting Sunny Deol on his first roadshow which he held after filling nomination papers for the Gurdaspur seat. "I was watching the roadshow of Sunny from Mumbai and there was a big crowd in the roadshow. I got emotional. I know people love us but I was surprised by seeing so much love," Dharmendra said. He said he had come here to do "heart-to-heart talk" with people. "I do not give speeches, I just talk to them. What is in a speech? I am not a politician," he said. Dharmendra further said he was once asked by the BJP to contest from Patiala seat, but he refused. "I told them that Amarinder Singh family loves me a lot and his wife (Preneet Kaur) is like my sister and told them that I will not contest from Patiala," he said. Sunil Jakhar won the seat in the 2017 bypoll, which was necessitated after the death of Vinod Khanna in April that year. The Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat had been represented by late actor Vinod Khanna four-times 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2014. All the 13 seats of Punjab will go to polls on 19 May. Click here for LIVE updates on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Former Karnataka intelligence chief DV Guruprasad's book, Corridors of Intelligence Revealing Politics, tells you how the Deve Gowda clan hassled the previous Congress-JD(S) coalition government of Dharam Singh (in 2004) with demands, including transfer of officials before forming a new govt in the state with the support of BJP The jury might still be out on whether or not Rajiv Gandhi was only after fun and frolic as the Prime Minister of India because he used warships for jolly rides. But take a look at this episode, narrated in a new book by Karnatakas former intelligence chief DV Guruprasad. This was about what Rajiv did in Gulbarga in Karnataka in February 1985, less than four months after he became the prime minister. After addressing an Assembly election meeting in the town, Rajiv was to go by road to Hyderabad, some four hours away. Much to the shock of the police, he took the driving seat of the "VIP vehicle" himself and zipped down the road. When the pilot car in front wasnt going fast enough, he became impatient, kept honking furiously and finally overtook it. Guruprasad, who was in the escort car behind, wrote in the book Corridors of Intelligence Revealing Politics, At the border, I went towards the VIP vehicle, saluted the PM and took his leave. He gave me a mischievous grin." This is not a book about how prime ministers make merry. In fact, this is only one example of its kind the IPS officer has rustled up. Its more about how chief ministers make a mockery of the police. Primarily a chronicle of the authors own career as Karnatakas intelligence chief between 2003 and 2006, the book (248 pages, Manas Publications) is important for more than one reason. To begin with, there havent been too many works of this kind before. There were plenty of books earlier on how central governments, notably that of Indira Gandhi, misused and abused the government machinery. But there have been few on how chief ministers kept state intelligence chiefs at their beck and call for their political ends. But dont expect from this book a bone-chillingly scathing indictment of the political class. Devoid of a literary flourish but packed with a well-structured narrative, Guruprasads story is without any malice towards either politicians or officials he worked with. Its a fairly matter-of-fact account of his experiences without being too much of a biography. More than reading the lines, you must read between them. It's only then can you find the true zing of his narrative and fathom the inner workings of police intelligence and politics, and how they can together make a lethal cocktail for a ruling partys enemies. It tells you how officers misuse their proximity to politicians and politicians misuse officials, threatening them with the Damocles sword of a transfer order or denying them promotions. "I do not know what the truth is is the concluding sentence of the book. The "truth" refers to the reason why the author was denied the post of the states police chief in 2011 when BS Yeddyurappa of the BJP was the Chief Minister of Karnataka. But, of course, the focus of the narrative is what the officer did and what happened during the time he was the state intelligence chief. Importance of an intelligence chief The role of a state intelligence chief may be important or unimportant, depending on how you see it. Its important because he must meet the chief minister every morning to brief him on the happenings in the state, relating to both law-and-order and politics. The political part must ideally be restricted to activities of groups or parties out to destabilise the democratically elected governments or trigger law-and-order problems. But in practice, the intelligence wing ends up doing the dirty work of snooping on the ruling partys rivals. Whatever the briefing is, the intelligence chief has the ear of the chief minister. The post can be dismissed as something of only titular importance if you consider the way some chief ministers attach little value to these morning briefings. Several times in the past, I ended up waiting for a chief minister along with an intelligence chief and found the officer feeling like an unwanted intruder. It was another matter that I found my chat with an intelligence chief in the waiting room more fruitful than the one I had with the chief minister himself later. Guruprasad recounts how, when he first became the intelligence chief in 2003, SM Krishna, then the Chief Minister of Karnataka, would escape meeting him by leaving his residence by a backdoor and going to the adjacent home office. "...the security guards posted would have a hearty laugh seeing me run to catch the CM," writes the officer. It was only later that Krishna realised the importance of true intelligence. But true intelligence is in short supply. Like politics, intelligence is a ridiculous caricature of what it should be. For romantics, intelligence may sound like the work of a gum-shoeing sleuth, a real-life James Bond. But often intelligence is the shoddy work of an officer who is too morally fit to occupy any other post in the police department or too physically unfit to climb a single flight of stairs. Howsoever fit they are, state intelligence chiefs must, for "legwork", necessarily depend on policemen who are permanently busy trying to get transfers back to the lucrative law-and-order jobs. Or, in the case of "political assessments", intelligence officials may depend on journalists who, in turn, depend on other secondary, often unreliable sources. Pre-poll assessments But Guruprasads pre-election assessments were often right. His prediction of a rout for Congress in the 2004 Assembly election caused a furore in party circles as he put it. He was wrong only because the debacle was worse than his estimation. It was after the 2004 hung Assembly result that the first Congress-JD(S) coalition government was formed. The author continued as the intelligence chief when Dharam Singh of Congress became the coalition chief minister. A good part of the book is, in fact, devoted to the shenanigans of JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda and his two sons Revanna and Kumaraswamy who constantly hassled Singh with demands of all kinds, the most frequent of which were transfer of officials. This went on till finally JD(S) pulled the rug from under Singhs feet, and Kumaraswamy became the chief minister in 2006 for 20 months with BJPs support. Kumaraswamy was back as the chief minister last year, this time with the support of Congress. Guruprasad can only sit back and watch with an amused smile as the Gowda clan plays the same antics against Congress as it did during the first term of the coalition. The author tweets @sprasadindia Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stepped up his attack on the Congress over the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed of himself rather than reprimanding Sam Pitroda for his remarks. Bathinda: Stepping up his offensive over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi should be "ashamed" of himself. and sought to know whether Sam Pitroda was admonished for his "hua toh hua" remarks. Replying to a reporter's question on the 1984 riots, Pitroda a close aide of Rahul Gandhi and head of the Congress overseas unit had last week said "hua to hua". Pitroda later said his words had been twisted. Modi renewed his attack after Rahul rebuked Pitroda at a rally in Khanna and Hoshiarpur earlier in the day, saying he should be "ashamed" for his "totally wrong" remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and should apologise to the country. The prime minister was addressing a poll rally in Bathinda from where union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal is seeking re-election. Polling to 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on 19 May. Lashing out at the main Opposition party, Modi said Congress is struggling to win 50 seats as their leaders are confused and the party thinking is diffused. Lashing out at Rahul Gandhi over the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Modi said he should be ashamed of himself. "Policy maker of Congress and (late) Rajiv Gandhi's key advisor and the guru of naamdaar (dynast), what he (Pitroda) said about 1984 riots led to an outrage in the entire country. "Naamdaar's guru who had come from America has said hua to hua on 1984 riots. This reflects Congress's thinking and shows its arrogance. "Today I want to ask Congress, how long they will rub salt into ours wounds like this. Naamdaar (Rahul) has now told his guru that he should be ashamed (for his remarks). I want to ask naamdaar why are you pretending to admonish him. He queried whether Rahul was admonishing his "guru" for "making their secret public". The prime minister said the previous Congress government only formed commissions and committees in the name of giving justice. "They have been brushing aside this serious issue, said Modi adding, Those facing serious allegations (pertaining to riots) were made ministers in the Centre, were entrusted with big responsibilities in the polls and made in charge of Punjab. Modi said he had promised during 2014 Lok Sabha polls that he would ensure justice to the families of victims of 1984 riots. "Those (involved in riots) will not remain free for days, he said. He charged the Congress had proposed to dilute AFSPA and scrapping sedition law. He also lashed out at Amarinder Singh led Congress government in Punjab over farm debt waiver, saying it cheated the peasants. "Captain sahib (Amarinder) people of Punjab can forgive for your mistake but not for betrayal, he said. The recent announcement by Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., that she was sexually assaulted while serving in the U.S. Air Force highlights once again the importance of preventing sexual assault in the military, the dark secret of American armed forces. McSally is advocating for legislation to criminalize sexual harassment in the ranks and ensure that each military base retains a lawyer to advocate for victims. Her proposed legislation is definitely a step in the right direction, but even it does not go far enough. The key to such an effort is transfer of the investigation and prosecution from the local military to Department of Defense civilians. Haasan said he had come to Aravakurichi 'seeking answers for that murder,' referring to Gandhi's assassination in 1948. 'Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that,' he added. Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan stoked a controversy on Sunday, as he said that free India's first " terrorist was a Hindu, and his name was Nathuram Godse" who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Addressing an election campaign in Tamil Nadu on Sunday night, the actor-politician said he was one of those "proud Indians" who desires an India with equality and where the "three colours" in the tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, "remained intact." "Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that," he added. "I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India's first terrorist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (terrorism, apparently) starts," he said. Haasan said he was a "self-assumed great-grandson" of Gandhi and had come to Aravakurichi "seeking answers for that murder," referring to Gandhi's assassination in 1948. "Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that," he added. Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan while campaigning for his candidate in Aravakurichi for the upcoming by-elections said that independent India's first terrorist was a Hindu and his name was Godse.@NairShilpa1308 with details. | #May23WithTimesNow pic.twitter.com/pNtSJB7a4W TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) May 13, 2019 Haasan's comments drew a sharp reaction from the state BJP, which slammed him for indulging in "divisive politics". BJP state President Tamilisai Soundararajan said while the whole nation was shocked when Gandhi was killed, none can, however, justify it, and pointed out that Godse was hanged for the "heinous" crime. She said it was "strongly condemnable" that Haasan used the phrase "Hindu terrorism" in a Muslim-dominated area. "Though he talks of taking forward a new kind of politics, he also indulged in the old, mischievous, poisonous and divisive vote bank politics," Soundararajan said in a statement. She said his remarks amounted to inciting "communal violence". In an apparent reference to the deadly Easter bombings in Sri Lanka which left over 250 dead, she asked whether persons like Haasan were vocal in discussing the issue "despite being known that perpetrators were Muslims." She said Haasan's remarks in a Muslim-dominated area were "mischievous and agenda-driven." "Therefore such persons' campaigning should be banned. The police should take action since there is an effort to create tension," she said. Taking a swipe at his earlier statement of leaving the country when his multi-million venture 'Vishwaroopam' faced release time issues from Muslim groups over the portrayal of the community, she said, "It is brazen acting that he is now talking about the country, Gandhi and patriotism." Actor Vivek Oberoi slammed Haasan's remarks, saying both art and terror "have no religion" and asked if Godse's faith was mentioned to corner Muslim votes. Oberoi, who has played Narendra Modi in a biopic on the prime minister, said no one "should divide the country." "Dear Kamal sir, you are a great artist. Just like art has no religion, terror has no religion either! You can say Godse was a terrorist, why would you specify Hindu? Is it because you were in a Muslim dominated area looking for votes?" he said in a tweet. "Please sir, from a much smaller artist to a great one, let's not divide this country, we are one Jai Hind," he added. Earlier too, Haasan had triggered a row, when in November 2017, he took potshots at what he termed as "Hindu extremism," which drew condemnation from the BJP and Hindu outfits. Aravakurichi is one of the four Assembly constituencies where bypolls are scheduled on 19 May. MNM has fielded S Mohanraj from this segment. With inputs from PTI AIADMK legislator KT Rajendra Balaji on Monday said that Kamal Haasan's tongue should be cut off for his remarks on Nathuram Godse stating that the comments were made to gain votes of minorities Chennai: AIADMK legislator KT Rajendra Balaji on Monday said that Kamal Haasan's tongue should be cut off for his remarks on Nathuram Godse stating that the comments were made to gain votes of minorities. "Kamal Haasan's tongue should be cut off for his remarks. He made these remarks to gain votes of minorities. We cannot blame the entire community for the actions of any one individual. The Election commission should take action against the actor and ban his political party Makkal Needhi Maiam," Balaji told reporters here. Earlier today, BJP filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Haasan, president of Makkal Needhi Maiam, for his comments at an election rally in Tamil Nadu's Aravakurichi assembly constituency. The party accused Hasaan of trying to "aggravate existing differences" and appealing to "communal feelings for securing votes", leading to a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut also slammed Hassan for his comments on Godse, saying his theory is a "flop story" and a "useless statement". However, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav supported the actor's statement on Godse saying, the killer of the father of the nation was 'much more than a terrorist'. The actor-turned-politician today stirred controversy by asserting that first terrorist in independent India was "a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse." The chief of political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam was campaigning in Aravakurichi of Tamil Nadu when he made the remarks. Aravakurichi is one of the four Assembly constituencies where bypolls are scheduled on 19 May. Continuing his efforts to bring together regional parties, K Chandrashekar Rao called on MK Stalin at his residence in Chennai and discussed with him his proposal for a federal front, DMK sources said. Chennai: Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrashekar Rao's bid to rope in DMK in his proposed alternative front appeared to be a non-starter with the Dravidian party chief MK Stalin urging the Telangana chief minister to extend TRS' support to the Congress. Continuing his efforts to bring together regional parties, Rao called on Stalin at his residence in Chennai and discussed with him his proposal for a federal front, DMK sources said. In the meeting that went beyond an hour, Stalin conveyed to Rao that his party was in a pre-poll alliance with the Congress and he had also pitched the name of Rahul Gandhi for the office of the prime minister. "Thalaivar (Stalin) urged Rao to extend Telangana Rashtra Samiti's support for a Congress-led government at the Centre," DMK sources said. Rao, who had days ago called on his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan, exuded confidence in the deliberations that regional parties would emerge as a powerful force with a significant number of seats and neither the Congress, nor the BJP would have adequate numbers to form a government. In such an eventuality, the TRS chief told the DMK president that a government could be propped up by the regional parties with the support of "national parties," a reference perceived to include the Left parties as well. Possible "post-poll scenarios" that may merge and how a federal front could help regional parties and "southern states," were put forth by Rao, sources added. To this, the DMK side which was also represented by senior leaders Duraimurugan and TR Baalu felt the situation was conducive only for a Congress-led government at the Centre. Also, the Dravidian party pointed out that toying with the idea for a regime steered by regional outfits at the Centre may not work in view of divergent state-specific positions of some parties. The TRS is opposed to both Congress and Telugu Desam Party in Telangana. While Rao did not meet the waiting reporters, DMK said the meeting was only a "courtesy" call. Rao had in April 2018 called on Stalin and then DMK chief M Karunanidhi in Chennai. Earlier in the day, he offered prayers at the ancient Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam in Tiruchirappalli. On 10 May he visited the Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram after going to Kanyakumari. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president KS Alagiri downplayed the meeting between the two leaders and asked journalists "why accord importance to the meeting... In India, a third front is not possible and not practicable. State parties from Kasmir to Kanyakumari know this very well." BJP Tamil Nadu unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan wondered what was Stalin's "hesitation" in his meeting with Rao to assert that he only supported Rahul Gandhi. Taking a jibe at Stalin, she said the DMK top leader had faced a similar hesitation when he was in West Bengal to take part in a rally held by Mamata Banerjee. She alleged the DMK had a reputation of changing colours, adding there was no transparency. Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE updates: In Bathinda, Narendra Modi said, 'The whole country knows what the 'guru of naamdar' (Sam Pitroda) said about 1984 riots. The party is in chaos because the truth is out about what it had always had in its heart for years.' Auto refresh feeds Elections were held in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 10 seats in Haryana, eight constituencies each in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, four in Jharkhand and seven seats in Delhi where votes were cast by a number of public figures, including President Ram Nath Kovind, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. As phase six of the Lok Sabha election 2019 wrapped up on Sunday, leading campaigners of all political parties will be looking forward to the final week of campaigning before polling concludes in the massive seven-phase elections on 19 May. The Election Commission (EC) said 63.48 percent turnout was recorded across the states and Delhi, with West Bengal recording over 80 percent polling and Delhi registering just 60 per cent. In 2014, it was 63.37 percent, it said. With 12 May polling, votes have already been cast in nearly 89 percent of the 543 constituencies, while the last phase of voting will take place on May 19 for the remaining 59 seats. As polling in seven-phase Lok Sabha election draws to a close, politicians and party leaders are not pulling any punches to knock out their competitors. Congress leader Divya Spandana on Monday shared a portion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interview to News Nation and claimed that the prime minister's answers are pre-decided before an interview. In a tweet, Divya said, "So the @narendramodi interview with @NewsNationTV was *badly* scripted just like his other interviews,but heres proof!Pause the video at 3 seconds & take a good look, it has the question & *ahem* the answers too!Now you know why no press conference or debate with @RahulGandhi." Divya Spandana claims Narendra Modi is told what to say in his interview: 'Now, you know why no debate with Rahul' The tweet was picked and shared by other Congress leaders but the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have not reacted to it yet. In a series of tweets, the Congress leader claimed that the questions posed to the prime minister were discussed in advance. Divya tweeted images of the "questions" that were posed to Modi and in another tweet said, "And heres the question that did get asked!" Twitterati trolled Modi for bringing internet to India even before the world started using it. In the video, Modi says, "I first used a digital camera in 1987-'88, and at the time, very few people had email. There was a rally of LK Advani's and I clicked a picture of him on my camera, I had at that time. Then I transmitted the photo to Delhi, and the photo was published in colour the next day. Advaniji was surprised." Twitterati will have a field day today. A section of Modi's interview to News Nation was picked up by journalists and political leaders where the prime minister is heard saying that in 1988, during a political rally he took some photos of senior BJP leader LK Advani with a "digital camera" and "emailed" them to Delhi. "Delhi printed coloured copies of those photos and Advani ji was very surprised to see them," Modi is heard saying in the 40-second-long video clip. The first email ever sent across was by inventor and computer programmer Ray Tomlinson who sent out an email to himself in 1971. The email was a test message and according to Tomlinson was not "preserved" meaning the message could not be stored and contained the alphabets ""QWERTYUIOP". The email was a part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) system which was founded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) by the United States Department of Defense. The linking of commercial networks and enterprises by the early 1990s marked the beginning of the transition to the modern Internet, and generated a sustained exponential growth as generations of institutional, personal, and mobile computers were connected to the network. Although the Internet was widely used by academia since the 1980s, the commercialisation incorporated its services and technologies into virtually every aspect of modern life. Basically, it did not happen overnight, but transitioned into the modern internet in the 1990s. Modi, in an interview, claimed that he used email to "transmit" images that he took with a "digital camera" in 1987-88. The internet was not available to the general public in India until 14 August 1995. It was brought to consumers via the state-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL). US President, Bill Clinton during his presidency became the first president ever to send an email. He sent it out to space on November 7, 1998 in a response to an email sent from space by astronaut John Glenn. Haasan said he had come to Aravakurichi "seeking answers for that murder," referring to Gandhi's assassination in 1948. "Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that," he added. Addressing an election campaign in Tamil Nadu on Sunday night, the actor-politician said he was one of those "proud Indians" who desires an India with equality and where the "three colours" in the tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, "remained intact." "I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India's first terrorist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (terrorism, apparently) starts," he said. Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan stoked a controversy, saying free India's first "terrorist was a Hindu, and his name was Nathuram Godse" who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Congress on Monday shared videos a portion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interview to News Nation and claimed that the prime minister's answers are pre-decided before an interview. According to fact-checking website Alt News, Modi asks for his file "which is duly handed over, and he starts fiddling with a bunch of papers. The paper on which there's a printed copy of a poetry also has a printed question on the top," founder of Alt News Pratik Sinha tweeted on Monday. In a series of tweets, Sinha said: "PM Modi is asked to recite a recent poetry of his in the @NewsNationTV intvw. He asks for HIS file which is duly handed over, and he starts fiddling with a bunch of papers. The paper on which there's a printed copy of a poetry also has a printed question on the top. A few seconds ago, the anchor had asked the following question as seen in the video below. " ?" (I want to know from poet Narendra Modi if he's written anything in the past five years?) The part question that is visible in the papers held by PM @narendramodi matches word-to-word to the question asked by the anchor Deepak Chaursaia. (sic)" Claim: Narendra Modi was handed over a sheet of interview questions with answers in it Fact: Mostly true Sharma, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, allegedly shared on Facebook a photo in which Banerjee's face has been photoshopped on to actor Priyanka Chopra's picture from the MET Gala event in New York. Sharma, against whom a complaint was filed at Dasnagar Police station, has been sent to two weeks' judicial custody. She is seeking bail. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the plea filed by BJP youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma, who was arrested for sharing a morphed picture of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, tomorrow. Twitterati, however, was critical of the action taken against Sharma (she was arrested), saying that it was a "silly reason" to arrest somebody. The round-wise updates will be updated on the EC website, the voter helpline mobile app, and giant auto scrolling panels which will be installed in offices of state chief electoral officers and the EC headquarters. The poll panel is set to provide real-time updates on trends regarding the results on its website and app. Users will be able to view a customised dashboard showing the performance by their favourite candidates. As the Election Commission gears up for the final phase of the Lok Sabha election due on 19 May, voters are looking forward to the result-day on 23 May, which will appoint India's 17th Lok Sabha in Parliament. Modi, who will campaign in Punjab's Bhatinda, will also address rallies in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam and Himachal Pradesh's Solan. Meanwhile, Rahul will hold a rally with Amarinder in Ludhiana and Hoshiarpur. With the sixth phase of Lok Sabha election concluded, top BJP and Opposition leaders will on Monday hit the campaign trail for the final phase of the polls scheduled to be held on 19 May. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi along with Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh will address election rallies in Punjab on Monday. Targeting Mamata, Jaitley said that "democracy had become a casualty" under "Didi's" government. "Opposition workers are murdered, candidates are attacked, polling booths are captured and Opposition leaders are not entitled to organise rallies," he said, adding that this is what the "Opposition offered" to the nation. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal over continued incidents of violence in the state on election days. In the past six phases of the Lok Sabha election held in the state so far, clashes have often been reported between BJP and TMC workers, and the violence has been steadily escalating. Slamming BJP chief Mayawati for her "personal attack" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that she was "unfit" for public life. "She is firm on becoming a prime minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low. Her personal attack today on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life," he tweeted. Congress general secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi will also campaign for the party candidate in Ratlam. She is also scheduled to hold a roadshow in Indore. Reportedly, the Congress leader will also visit the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain. BJP president Amit Shah's scheduled rally in West Bengal's Jadavpur has been cancelled over a delay in receiving permission to land his helicopter in the state, reports said. However, the other two rallies Shah was to address in the state's Canning and Rajarhat areas will be held as per the schedule. A vacation bench comprising of Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna dismissed the plea, saying that the established timings of voting are from 7 am to 6 pm and voters can cast vote in the morning also. The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking direction to the Election Commission to start polling for the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha election at 5.30 am instead of 7 am, reports said. The Telangana chief minister also met with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan last week, which Vijayan described as "significant". Reports said that a meeting between Telangana chief minister and TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao and DMK chief MK Stalin is likely on Monday. KCR has been at the helm of talks between regional parties to put up a non-BJP, non-Congress front at the Cente after the ongoing election is concluded. On Monday, Modi said, "These 'Mahamilavati (Modi's term for the Opposition's grand alliance) people are saying 'hua toh hua', but the country is now saying 'mahamilavati logon ab bohot hua' (enough of the 'adulterated' alliance). Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing an election rally in preparation for the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha election in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam, slammed the Congress-led Opposition over Congress leader Sam Pitroda's comment on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Pitroda had said, "hua toh hua (it happened, now what?)". "Since Mamata Banerjee's government did not give permission for the 2nd rally which was to be held in Jadavpur, Kolkata, Amit Shah is compelled to hold only two rallies. People of Bengal will give a befitting reply to this anarchy of Mamata Didi on 23 May," the party tweeted on its official handle. The BJP slammed West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee after party chief Amit Shah's rally in Jadavpur had to be cancelled due to the administration's delayed response regarding perimission to land his helicopter. He said, "What is her status, she is saying that she would wait for investigation result, what does that mean? She is making baseless and senseless remarks against PM, She is making absurd personal attack against the prime minister." Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan also joined the war of words between BSP chief Mayawati and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Alwar gangrape case. On Monday, Paswan alleged that Mayawati was, in fact, "defending" the Rajasthan government over the incident. Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Roa (KCR) arrived in Tamil Nadu on Monday even as speculation is rife that the TRS chief might meet DMK chief MK Stalin to push for his idea of a non-BJP, non-Congress front at the Centre. Reportedly planned talks fell through last week as Stalin, whose party has allied with the Congress for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, was busy campaigning. However, Mayawati justified her comment on Monday and said that those who "deserve to get abused", get abused "eventually", reports said, quoting her speech at an election rally. BSP chief Mayawati addressed the allegations of having made a "personal attack" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after she said that he had abandoned his wife for political gains. Several NDA leaders like Arun Jaitley and Ram Vilas Paswan slammed her for "stooping so low". Those who deserve to be abused, get abused eventually: Mayawati, on 'personal attack' against Modi Contesting against Congress nominee Pawan Kumar Bansal, a four-time MP, she blamed him for doing "nothing" for Chandigarh and promised to bring the city to the top position in cleanliness and sanitation. BJP candidate Kirron Kher says she is banking on the "Modi wave" and her work as an MP from Chandigarh to sail through the contest to win the seat for the second consecutive term. "Modi is making false statements on Alwar gang rape," Gehlot alleged, saying that the Congress government in the state was "taking all action" to bring the perpetrators to justice. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot addressed a press conference on Monday regarding the Alwar gangrape case and also the controversy around the war of words between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BSP chief Mayawati. He accused the BJP of politicising the issue and said that Mayawati's anger was "justified". BJP president Amit Shah addressed a rally in West Bengal's Joynagar on Monday and reiterated the jibe over 'Jai Shri Ram' against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He led a chant of the slogan and challenged Mamata to arrest him. He said, " I was to visit 3 places today, but Mamata'sji's nephew is contesting from one of the seats so she is scared her nephew will lose, and that's why she cancelled the permission for our rally." Amit Shah, while addressing a rally in West Bengal's Joynagar on Monday, referred to the cancellation of his rally in Jadavpur over the lack of permission from the state government to land his helicopter. "What Sam Pitroda said about 1984 is absolutely wrong and he should apologise to the nation for it. I told him this over the phone, I told him what he said was wrong, he should be ashamed and apologise publicly," Rahul said. Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed a rally in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib on Monday and criticised party leader Sam Pitroda for his comments regarding the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam and came down heavily on the Congress over Sam Pitroda's 'hua toh hua' comment. He said that the remark "reflects the Congress' ideology and its arrogance". Haasan said that free India's first "terrorist was a Hindu, and his name was Nathuram Godse" the man who killed Mahatma Gandhi. The BJP has sought a five-day campaigning ban on Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan over his comment on Nathuram Godse on Monday. The saffron party moved the Election Commission against the actor-turned-politician for his comment. He said, "The country is electing its representatives, even I went to Ahmedabad to cast my vote. President and Vice President of the country were standing in queues to cast their votes. But Diggi Raja didn't feel the need to cast his vote." The prime minister criticised Congress leader Digvijaya Singh over the latter's failure to vote in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election, which was held on Sunday. Adityanath said, "Nandi is going to SP's rallies and asking "where are the friends of butchers?" saying it'll give them a lesson. I said to Nandi baba, elections are going on, MCC is in place, please spare them at this time, you can continue your work after elections." Adityanath was banned by the Election Commission for 72 hours over a violation of the Model Code of Conduct in April. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said at a rally in the state's Kushinagar that the Nandi the bull in Hindu mythology will 'teach a lesson' to Samajwadi Party leaders. The flare-up between the two leaders that could complicate matters for the Congress and JD(S) further stemmed from the growing 'Siddaramiaah for CM' clamour within the Congress. The call has irked the JD(S) leadership, with Vishwanath on Sunday flaying it as "chamchagiri" (sycophancy) and questioning the ability of Siddaramaiah as an administrator. Cracks within the ruling coalition partners in Karnataka appeared to widen as JD(S) state president AH Vishwanath and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah accused each other of not following the "coalition dharma." Narendra Modi appeals to first-time voters in his rally in Himachal Pradesh's Solan. He said that the electorate must aim for a bigger victory for the BJP than in 2014. He also said, "Congress and it's 'mahamilavati' friends postponed important decisions and the decisions that were taken, were also taken in such a way that the country had to bear the brunt of it." Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Solan slammed the Congress-led Opposition and said that their "only mission" was to defeat Modi, but his mission was to "build India on an international platform". Opposition's mission is to ruin my image, my mission is to build India's image on a global platform "Those who are themselves on bail search new words from their dictionary daily to abuse your 'chowkidaar'. But your 'chowkidaar' is not going to budge because of their abuses, finally I have eaten Solan's mushrooms," he was quoted by ANI as saying. "The youth has been waiting for employment opportunities for the past five years. They are wandering in search of jobs, but our prime minister has no time for them as well. He told you that since the people are 'desh-bhakts', they should stand in queues to get your old notes exchanged. Not even a single rupee of black money came back into the system. But with that move, he destroyed 50 lakh job opportunities." Lashing out at Narendra Modi in Ratlam, Priyanka Gandhi said, "When farmers marched to Delhi and raised their demands, our prime minister stayed silent. He didn't step out of his office for five minutes. He has no time for the poor and farmers. He only has time to meet the leaders of China, US, and other world leaders. "I'm the grand-daughter of Indira Gandhi. I request the voter to become aware. There are attempts being made to mislead you. You've been ignored for the past five years. Realise your power and become aware. Don't waste your vote," she said. In his bid to gather forces for a federal front, Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, popularly known as KCR, met DMK president MK Stalin at his residence in Chennai. The TRS supremo had stepped up efforts to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties and recently met his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram. The Karnataka unit of the BJP has written to the state Chief Electoral Officer against Congress leader DK Shivakumar, alleging that he has camped at Kundagola and has been distributing cash to the voters and leaders. It is the second time that Sidhu injured his vocal cords. Earlier, he injured his vocal cords after holding public meetings ahead of assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana in 2018. Punjab minister and Congress's star poll campaigner Navjot Singh Sidhu has injured his vocal cords because of "continuous speech" in election rallies. The cricketer-turned-politician has been put on anti-inflammatory injections and steroid medication by doctors for two days. Health workers in Howrah reportedly clashed with BJP leaders after a party leader chanted 'Jai Shri Ram', reported CNN-News18. The incident comes against the backdrop of a row between TMC and BJP over the slogan. BJP had last week claimed on Twitter that Mamata Banerjee gets upset with the chant of 'Jai Shri Ram'. Later, Narendra Modi also dared Mamata Banerjee at a rally to arrest him for chanting he slogan. He further said: "Naamdar (Rahul Gandhi), you should be ashamed. What does 'hua toh hua' mean? People were burnt alive, families were destroyed. Yet, you shamelessly claim 'hua toh hua'. This chowkidar had assured that he will fight for the justice of 1984 victims. With the blessings of Badal sahab, we were successful in giving one death penalty, and others life sentence. The rest who are responsible will also be convicted soon." In Bathinda, Narendra Modi said, "The whole country knows what the 'guru of naamdar' (Sam Pitroda) said about 1984 riots. The party is in chaos because the truth is out about what it had always had in its heart for years." "Transactional politics for them dictated something different before the election. It may dictate something different after the election," he said, "But the point really is people should shift from transactional to principle politics." Without naming any party, Khurshid said regional parties should move away from "transactional politics" towards the politics of principle, and ruled out any possibility of either a regional front or the BJP-led NDA coming to power after 23 May. "Sadly, some of them are very weak on politics of principle," he said. Some regional parties are more keen to fight the Congress, rather than the BJP, says senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, stressing they can't keep "abusing" the grand old party and expect its support after the election results. Health workers in Howrah reportedly clashed with BJP leaders after a party leader chanted 'Jai Shri Ram', reported CNN-News18. The incident comes against the backdrop of a row between TMC and BJP over the slogan. BJP had last week claimed on Twitter that Mamata Banerjee gets upset with the chant of 'Jai Shri Ram'. Later, Narendra Modi also dared Mamata Banerjee at a rally to arrest him for chanting he slogan. At a rally in Ratlam, Chief Minister Kamal Nath lashed out at Narendra Modi over national security. "Modi ji, when you had not even learned how to wear clothes, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi built our country's armed forces." He further said: "Naamdar (Rahul Gandhi), you should be ashamed. What does 'hua toh hua' mean? People were burnt alive, families were destroyed. Yet, you shamelessly claim 'hua toh hua'. This chowkidar had assured that he will fight for the justice of 1984 victims. With the blessings of Badal sahab, we were successful in giving one death penalty, and others life sentence. The rest who are responsible will also be convicted soon." In Bathinda, Narendra Modi said, "The whole country knows what the 'guru of naamdar' (Sam Pitroda) said about 1984 riots. The party is in chaos because the truth is out about what it had always had in its heart for years." Met our valiant foot soldier Shribas Gayen in Joynagar, who was brutally injured by TMC goons. I salute him and every karyakarta of @BJP4Bengal who is working hard to uproot TMCs goondaraj. Mamata Didi your violence cannot stop BJP from bringing back the lost glory of Bengal. pic.twitter.com/29Xys6SI3j Amit Shah in West Bengal latest updates Amit Shah meets BJP worker injured by TMC goons While in West Bengal's Joynagar for a rally, Amit Shah met a BJP party worker who was allegedly injured when he was allegedly attacked by members of the Trinamool Congress. Priyanka Gandhi in Madhya Pradesh latest updates Visuals from Priyanka Gandhi's road show in Indore After addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam and visiting the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, Congress General secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held a road show in Indore. That puke- worthy Shah had the audacity to use the term Kangal Bangla today at a rally. The people of Bengal will give him and Modi a fitting reply in Phase 7. That #LowLife insults Bengal Derek O'Brien responds to Amit Shah's 'kangal Bangla' remark TMC leader and Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien called BJP chief Amit Shah a "low-life" for insulting West Bengal with his 'Kangal Bangla' remark. At a rally in Canning, Shah had said, "We will restore the glory of Bengal. Mamata Banerjee has turned 'sonar' (golden) Bangla into 'kangal' (pauper) Bangla. She is only interested in protecting infiltrators to secure her vote bank. But her vote bank won't be able to save her from imminent defeat." O'Brien said used the hasthag 'Low Life' in his tweet and said that the people of the state will give him and Modi a befitting reply in the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha polls. Non-BJP Opposition parties unlikely to meet on 21 May The non-BJP Opposition parties are unlikely to meet on 21 May as TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has requested TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu to fix a date after the declaration of Lok Sabha election results on May 23. TDP sources said that Mamata Banerjee expressed apprehensions over the safety of the EVMs stored in strong rooms across the country and, as such, there was a need for all opposition parties to keep a constant vigil to thwart the BJP's "nefarious plans." She also felt that opposition leaders should remain in their respective states to monitor the counting arrangements, as well as safety of the strong rooms. PTI Lok Sabha Election 2019 LATEST updates: In Bathinda, Narendra Modi said, "The whole country knows what the 'guru of naamdar' (Sam Pitroda) said about 1984 riots. The party is in chaos because the truth is out about what it had always had in its heart for years." Health workers in Howrah reportedly clashed with BJP leaders in Howrah after a party leader chanted 'Jai Shri Ram', reported CNN-News18. The incident comes against the backdrop of a row between TMC and BJP over the slogan. BJP had last week claimed on Twitter that Mamata Banerjee gets upset with the chant of 'Jai Shri Ram'. Later, Narendra Modi also dared Mamata Banerjee at a rally to arrest him for chanting he slogan. At a press conference in New Delhi, Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman attacked BSP supremo Mayawati for making personal remarks against Narendra Modi. "Mayawati ji has understood that her gathbandhan is getting nowhere and this is the reason for her worry and sense of insecurity," she said. Lashing out at Narendra Modi in Ratlam over unemployment and farmer issues, Priyanka Gandhi said, "He told you that since you are 'desh-bhakts', you should stand in queues to get your old notes exchanged (during demonetisation). Not even a single rupee of black money came back into the system. But with that move, he destroyed 50 lakh job opportunities." Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Solan slammed the Congress-led Opposition and said that their "only mission" was to defeat Modi, but his mission was to "build India on an international platform". He also said, "Congress and it's 'mahamilavati' friends postponed important decisions and the decisions that were taken, were also taken in such a way that the country had to bear the brunt of it." Cracks within the ruling coalition partners in Karnataka appeared to widen as JD(S) state president AH Vishwanath and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah accused each other of not following the "coalition dharma." The flare-up between the two leaders that could complicate matters for the Congress and JD(S) further stemmed from the growing 'Siddaramiaah for CM' clamour within the Congress. The call has irked the JD(S) leadership, with Vishwanath on Sunday flaying it as "chamchagiri" (sycophancy) and questioning the ability of Siddaramaiah as an administrator. The prime minister criticised Congress leader Digvijaya Singh over the latter's failure to vote in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election, which was held on Sunday. He said, "The country is electing its representatives, even I went to Ahmedabad to cast my vote. President and Vice President of the country were standing in queues to cast their votes. But Diggi Raja didn't feel the need to cast his vote." The BJP has sought a five-day campaigning ban on Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan over his comment on Nathuram Godse on Monday. The saffron party moved the Election Commission against the actor-turned-politician for his comment. Haasan said that free India's first "terrorist was a Hindu, and his name was Nathuram Godse" the man who killed Mahatma Gandhi. BSP chief Mayawati addressed the allegations of having made a "personal attack" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after she said that he had abandoned his wife for political gains. Several NDA leaders like Arun Jaitley and Ram Vilas Paswan slammed her for "stooping so low". However, Mayawati justified her comment on Monday and said that those who "deserve to get abused", get abused "eventually", reports said, quoting her speech at an election rally. Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Roa (KCR) arrived in Tamil Nadu on Monday even as speculation is rife that the TRS chief might meet DMK chief MK Stalin to push for his idea of a non-BJP, non-Congress front at the Centre. Reportedly planned talks fell through last week as Stalin, whose party has allied with the Congress for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, was busy campaigning. The BJP slammed West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee after party chief Amit Shah's rally in Jadavpur had to be cancelled due to the administration's delayed response regarding permission to land his helicopter. "Since Mamata Banerjee's government did not give permission for the 2nd rally which was to be held in Jadavpur, Kolkata, Amit Shah is compelled to hold only two rallies. People of Bengal will give a befitting reply to this anarchy of Mamata Didi on 23 May," the party tweeted on its official handle. BJP president Amit Shah's scheduled rally in West Bengal's Jadavpur rally has been cancelled over a delay in receiving permission to land his helicopter in the state, reports said. However, the other two rallies Shah was to address in the state's Canning and Rajarhat areas will be held as per the schedule. Slamming BJP chief Mayawati for her "personal attack" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that she was "unfit" for public life. "She is firm on becoming a prime minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low. Her personal attack today on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life," he tweeted. Modi and Mayawati have engaged in a war of words over the Alwar gangrape case, the latest of which is Mayawati's counter on Monday. She said that women legislators in BJP were scared that if Modi was to meet their husbands, "they will leave their wives as Modi did." Supreme Court has agreed to hear the plea filed by BJP youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma, who was arrested for sharing a morphed picture of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, tomorrow. Congress on Monday shared videos a portion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interview to News Nation and claimed that the prime minister's answers are pre-decided before an interview. According to fact-checking website Alt News, Modi asks for his file "which is duly handed over, and he starts fiddling with a bunch of papers. The paper on which there's a printed copy of a poetry also has a printed question on the top," Alt News tweeted on Monday. Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan stoked a controversy, saying free India's first "terrorist was a Hindu, and his name was Nathuram Godse" who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Addressing an election campaign in Tamil Nadu on Sunday night, the actor-politician said he was one of those "proud Indians" who desires an India with equality and where the "three colours" in the tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, "remained intact." "I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India's first terrorist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (terrorism, apparently) starts," he said. A section of Modi's interview to News Nation was picked up by journalists and political leaders where the prime minister is heard saying that in 1988, during a political rally he took some photos of senior BJP leader LK Advani with a "digital camera" and "emailed" them to Delhi. "Delhi printed coloured copies of those photos and Advani ji was very surprised to see them," Modi is heard saying in the 40-second-long video clip. Congress mocked the prime minister, with a few leaders even dubbing him a "dud". As phase six of the Lok Sabha election 2019 wrapped up on Sunday, leading campaigners of all political parties will be looking forward to the final week of campaigning before polling concludes in the massive seven-phase elections on 19 May. Elections were held in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 10 seats in Haryana, eight constituencies each in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, four in Jharkhand and seven seats in Delhi where votes were cast by a number of public figures, including President Ram Nath Kovind, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. With 12 May polling, votes have already been cast in nearly 89 per cent of the 543 constituencies, while the last phase of voting will take place on May 19 for the remaining 59 seats. The Election Commission (EC) said 63.48 per cent turnout was recorded across the states and Delhi, with West Bengal recording over 80 per cent polling and Delhi registering just 60 per cent. In 2014, it was 63.37 per cent, it said. Over 80 percent turnout was recorded in eight Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal Sunday, according to the Election Commission. There was a decline in poll percentage in West Bengal, from 84.95 per cent in the previous election to 80.35 percent, the poll panel said. However, the EC stated that the figure was provisional and a final tally will be released later. The EC said the polling percentage was recorded at 9 pm.The figure is provisional and the figure may rise, it said. Union ministers Radha Mohan Singh, Harsh Vardhan and Maneka Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leaders Digvijay Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sheila Dikshit as also celebrity contestants Gautam Gambhir, Vijender Singh, Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua', Ravi Kishan and Hans Raj Hans were among several prominent faces in the fray. Delhi's saw a dip in its turnout from 65 percent in 2014, despite a three-cornered contest among the BJP, Congress and AAP with several high profile candidates, while the EC also appeared disappointed at the low polling figure even after its enhanced efforts to draw the voters to polling booths. Glitches in EVMs were reported in Delhi, and the other places where polling took place. However, poll officials said the voting machines were replaced. Over 1,200 VVPAT machines were changed across the city delaying the polling process. Compared to 84.95 per cent in 2014, this time 80.35 per cent polling was recorded in eight seats in West Bengal, where BJP's Ghatal candidate and former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh was attacked twice by local people when she tried to visit polling stations in her constituency. In the process, the aim was to demolish Mayawatis claims that she is the sole champion of the Dalit cause. Although the state of Rajasthan completed voting for its 25 parliamentary seats on 6 May, the alleged gangrape of a Dalit woman in Alwar by influential persons in front of her husband has repeatedly figured in Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent rallies in Uttar Pradesh and also in an interview given to The Indian Express. By seeking justice for the woman Modi is training his guns on three targets first, Congress and its Ab Hoga Nyay 2019 poll catchphrase; second, the motley liberalist-secularist award wapsi gang of writers, filmmakers and artists, which is vociferously anti-Modi; third, BSP chief Mayawati who so far had not shown any vigor for justice to the victim in a state where her party extends outside support to the Congress government. The prime minister has brought up the issue at a time particularly to connect with the Dalit community in Uttar Pradesh where 14 seats went to polls on Sunday and another 13 seats will go will vote in the last and final phase of polling on 19 May. Speaking at a public rally in Kushinagar on Sunday, Modi hit out at Mayawati accusing her of shedding crocodile tears over the Alwar gangrape case. Please do not shed crocodile tears. If you are serious, why dont you withdraw support from the Congress government in Rajasthan? Modi asked Mayawati in an apparent jibe. The total strength of the Rajasthan Assembly is 200, the Congress had won 99 seats and formed the government with the support of six BSP and some other MLAs. Modi reminded Mayawati of the 1995 incident when Samajwadi Party goons had allegedly attacked her. "When the guest house incident happened, the entire country was pained. But why is she not feeling pained? If you (Mayawati) are honest about the dignity of daughters, then you should immediately write a letter to the Rajasthan governor withdrawing support from the (Ashok) Gehlot government," the prime minister said. Modis charge was that Gehlot government was trying to suppress the news till the elections were over lest it could adversely impact its poll prospects. Once the issue was picked up by Modi, Mayawati issued a statement saying she didnt expect justice to be done to the Alwar victim by the Congress government in Rajasthan and the Supreme Court should take a suo motu cognisance of the matter. The prime minister and his party have been consciously trying to woo the Dalit community since 2014 by seeking to take Bhim Rao Ambedkar's legacy forward. Among other significant steps taken by the BJP-led government to try to win the support of the Dalits are the celebrating of Constitution Day in Parliament, building various memorials in Ambedkar's name within and outside of country, beginning of the Swachh Bharat campaign from a Balmiki basti in Delhi and bringing of a legislation to surpass the Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST Act. Modi's act of washing the feet of sanitation workers at Kumbh in Prayagraj was also one such step of the Dalit outreach programme. In the process, the aim was to demolish Mayawatis claims that she is the sole champion of the Dalit cause. There are indications on the ground in Uttar Pradesh that a good number of non-Jatav Dalits have preferred BJP over BSP. Modi wants to consolidate the non-Jatav Dalits in BJPs favour and make a dent in the Jatav community for the remaining 13 seats which would go to the polls on next Sunday. The message is also intended for other states where polling seventh and final phase of polling is due eight in Bihar, three in Jharkhand, eight in Madhya Pradesh, 13 in Punjab, nine in West Bengal, one in Chandigarh and four in Himachal Pradesh. Even if the BJP can get a reasonable percentage of Yadav and Dalit votes, it will put up a respectable performance in politically-critical Uttar Pradesh. She didnt give her name. What would you do by knowing my name?, she asked. She refused to mention her husbands name as well. In parts of Uttar Pradesh, as in several other parts of the Hindi heartland, many women dont utter their husbands name. On being asked about her caste, she told me that she and her family are Yadavs. There was a glitter in the woman's eyes, and she enthusiastically spoke about an LED bulb and electricity meter installed a month-and-a-half ago at her two-room house in Kusari village in the Bhadohi parliamentary constituency. She described how her life has changed in the last two months what it means to her family to see light at her home with a simple flick of a switch after having lived in darkness for decades. Her young sister-in-law recalled how a simple task like charging a mobile phone would take her all day. For doing that, she would have to walk for two kilometres to a relative's house and wait there for hours, which, at times, meant dealing with sarcastic words from neighbours. She said, These kids are so happy to be playing in the light after sundown. Also, they can now study with ease at night." The two women then point to a toilet adjacent to their house, which has been built by government authorities. One could perceive their sense of relief when they spoke about the toilet. Their voting preference was summed up in one word Modi. About half a kilometre from their house was a basti of the Pasis, who are a Scheduled Caste. Jhuliram Pasi, and two other women, spoke about the "light" that they now see in their lives. For ages, they had lived in darkness after sunset. About two months ago, workers from the electricity department began setting up electricity lines to their kuchha and semi-pucca houses. What made them even happier was the arrival of toilets and an amount of Rs 4,000 to their Jan Dhan accounts, without them having to meet local babus or politicians. "Modi has given us so much; the least we can give him in return is our vote to him, they said. Close by, there was a cluster of houses of people belonging to Patels, an OBC category in the region. The look and feel of these houses distinguished this cluster from the Pasi locality. Here, an elderly woman said, Our vote is for Modi and the BJP. Modi has done so much for us he gave us toilets, electricity, and an amount of Rs 6,000. He works hard to bring some happiness in life of poor people. Among the people this reporter spoke was young Natwarlal Patel, who does odd jobs in Mumbai, and is presently at home on an extended holiday. Neither he nor other members of his family have received any installment under the Centres Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, but he is optimistic that after the model code of conduct is lifted, he too will get the amount. Patel then asked if he would still get the money if a non-NDA government would come to power. Ten kilometres away, in Jogapur village in Prayagraj district, Nandlal Kewat was happy that he recently got an electricity connection at his house, a toilet and money in his bank account. However, he felt that the electricity bill of Rs 340 for two months was an inflated one. While Kewat was all praise for Modi, he said that there should be system whereby people like him dont get inflated bills and are not forced to make rounds of government offices. The communities in the village were Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs) and Scheduled Castes (SCs) Binds, Bharatiyas and Banwasis. Here, women were seen to be articulate in voicing their opinions. They felt that electricity connections and toilets had made a difference to their lives. Three women Geeta Devi, Sunita Devi and Baby said that their husbands got the amount of Rs 4,000. "We will vote for Modi," they said. Kisan Yadav near Parsawan was inclined to vote for Modi due to the BJP's nationalism plank. Nandlal Yadav of Damodarpur village in Ghazibad spoke about the flaws in the SP-BSP alliance, and why many from his community would not vote for it, contrary to public perception. Although he identified himself as a "hardcore cycle supporter", he was inclined to vote for the BJP as the Samajwadi Party had conceded the seat to the BSP. In western Uttar Pradesh, in Allahpur village in Etah, Gurudev Sharma, Munim Sharma and Bhure Sharma voted for the BJP because their village got electricity supply two months ago. For all these years, we had felt discriminated against. The neighbouring village of Alipur, which has a substantial Muslim population, had got electricity supply during the SP government, but we were made to wait. Now, it is like Diwali in our village. In the previous election, we voted for the BJP because we wanted change. This time, it is a positive vote for the BJP." The BJP, in its battle against the arithmetic strength of the gathbandhan, is banking on "beneficiaries" of its schemes to tilt towards it. These beneficiaries cut across caste lines. Even if the BJP can get a reasonable percentage of Yadav and Dalit votes, it will put up a respectable performance in politically-critical Uttar Pradesh. The party's numbers in this state will decide the fate of the slogan "phir ek baar Modi sarkar." The New Delhi assembly segment, known for its VVIP voters, saw a voter turnout of 52.58 percent, the second lowest in the city. New Delhi: The highest voter turnout of 68 percent in the national capital was recorded in Shakur Basti and Ballimaran Assembly segments, with a sizable minority population, while Delhi Cantonment recorded the lowest at 42.13 percent. The New Delhi assembly segment, known for its VVIP voters, saw a voter turnout of 52.58 percent, the second lowest in the city. Rural assembly segments like Matiala (59.85 percent), Badli (57.83 percent), Bawana (58.78 percent), Mundka (56.03 percent) saw an average voting of 55 per cent with Najafgarh proving to be an exception with 61.81 percent. Scorching heat, summer vacation and voting day falling on a weekend were the main reasons cited by experts that kept voters away from polling booths in the national capital. People from the Assembly segments of Shakur Basti and Ballimaran voted in maximum numbers despite scorching heat and fasting during the ongoing Ramzan. The Opposition had demanded that the Election Commission should postpone the polls because of the holy month. The North East Delhi constituency, which has Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and AAP's Dilip Pandey in the fray, clocked the highest turnout at 63.45 percent. The constituency comprises minority-dominated assembly segments like Seelampur (66.47 percent), Mustafabad (65.22 percent), Babarpur (62.14 percent), which recorded an average voter turnout of over 60 percent. The lowest turnout was recorded at Ghonda (59.17 percent) in the constituency. The Chandni Chowk Lok constituency, which comprises minority-dominated areas like Ballimaran, Matia Mahal, Shakur Basti, clocked the second highest voter turnout at 62.63 percent. Ballimaran and Shakur Basti recorded the highest voter turnout of 68.25 and 68.7 percent, respectively. Union Minister and incumbent MP Harsh Vardhan, Congress' JP Agarwal and AAP's Pankaj Gupta are locked in a triangular contest for the seat where traders and minorities hold the key. Adarsh Nagar Assembly segment clocked the lowest turnout at 57.93 percent in the constituency. The New Delhi constituency, which has the likes of BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi, Congress' Ajay Maken and AAP's Brijesh Goyal in the battle, saw the lowest turnout at 56.91 percent. Delhi Cantonment, which is primarily home to defence officers and personnel, saw the lowest turnout at 42.13 percent while the New Delhi Assembly segment under the constituency clocked the second lowest at 52.58 per cent. The South Delhi constituency, which is seeing a fight between incumbent MP Ramesh Bidhuri, Congress' boxer-turned-politician Vijender Singh and AAP's Raghav Chadha, clocked the second lowest voting percentage at 58.13 percent. The Ambedkar Nagar Assembly segment clocked the highest voter turnout at 62.81 percent and the lowest turnout was recorded in Badarpur at 54.77 percent. The Northwest Delhi constituency, which had the lowest number of candidates in the fray, clocked 58.72 percent. The constituency comprises several rural Assembly segments like Badli (57.83 percent), Bawana (58.78 percent), Mundka (56.03 percent), Nangloi Jat (54.01 percent). The Rohini Assembly segment recorded the highest turnout at 63.94 per cent. East Delhi and West Delhi constituencies recorded a turnout of 61.93 and 60.64 percent, respectively. Okhla, a minority dominated area under East delhi, clocked 58.21 percent, and proved to be an exception among minority areas, which saw a high voter turnout. Delhi recorded a voter turnout of 60.34 percent, five per cent less than the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, which recorded 65.22 percent polling. Delhi Chief Electoral officer Ranbir Singh said the turnout this year was the second-highest in the last 30 years. "It is never possible to compare two different polls, but in 2014, the elections were on 10 April which was not peak summer or vacation time. Even schools were open then. "This time, elections were on a Sunday and with Saturday being a holiday, people might have gone on a vacation to nearby hill stations to escape the heat," he said. Traditionally Delhi has seen low voter turnouts and the voting percentage would usually be in fifties. The city clocked the highest percentage in 1977, after the Emergency ended. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, which saw 65.22 per cent voter turnout, the Chandni Chowk constituency had emerged at the top with 67.87 per cent, followed by Northeast at 67.32 per cent. The North West Delhi constituency had seen the lowest turnout at 61.81 percent in 2014. The poll dates had set a war of words between the BJP and the Opposition parties. Leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had earlier said that holding elections during Ramzan will inconvenience Muslims. BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain pointed out that Navratas, when many Hindus observe nine-day fast, will also fall during the elections. Reacting to the controversy, the Election Commission had said that polls are conducted during Ramzan as an entire month cannot be excluded from the schedule. However, dates of main festivals and Fridays are avoided as poll days, it added. Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a swipe at the Opposition alliance in the state on Monday, saying the Samajwadi Party's 'bicycle' will "puncture" under the weight of the Bahujan Samaj Party's 'elephant'. The chief minister addressed four rallies in Maharajganj, Fazilnagar, Pipraich and Jaitpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where polling for the Lok Sabha election will be held on the seventh and last phase on 19 May. "The 'bicycle' will puncture as the elephant is riding it," he said, referring to the poll symbols of the two parties. The SP's poll symbol is bicycle and the BSP's elephant. Listing the "good work" done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Adityanath said, "Whatever welfare schemes we have implemented so far, we did not discriminate among people in the name of caste and religion. These were implemented in the interest of the poor." "In Kumbh Mela, Modi ji washed the feet of sanitation workers like Lord Krishna washed the feet of Sudama," he said. Appealing for votes in favour of the BJP candidate from Gorakhpur, he said," In order to help the youth in pursuing a career in the film industry, the party has given ticket to actor Ravi Kishan. I urge the people of Gorakhpur to vote in favour of him in large numbers." Attacking the Congress, the chief minister said, "Earlier, the Congress had given an affidavit before the Supreme Court saying that there was no existence of Lord Ram and Krishna. If they do not exist, to whom does (Congress president) Rahul Gandhi worship in temples?" Digvijaya, a registered voter in Raghogarh, was unable to cast his vote on Sunday during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls, a move which he is facing widespread criticism for. Ratlam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for not casting his vote, stating that the Congress leader is setting an unhealthy precedent for young voters. "The country is electing its representatives, even I went to Ahmedabad to cast my vote. The president and vice-president of the country were standing in queues to cast their votes. But 'Diggi Raja' didn't feel the need to cast his vote," he said while addressing an election rally in Ratlam on Monday. "First-time voters are closely watching all the leaders on their mobile phones. You (Digvijaya) are teaching them not to vote, even though first-time voters want to cast votes in the name of the development of the nation. You are teaching them that it's not necessary to vote," he added. Digvijaya, a registered voter in Raghogarh, was unable to cast his vote on Sunday during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls, a move which he is facing widespread criticism for. On Sunday, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Digvijaya's decision not to vote shows his attitude towards democracy. "Diggi Raja behaved in a strange manner. He was so panicked that he did not go to cast his vote. Voting is our supreme duty in a democracy. For a person, who was the chief minister for 10 years, failing to poll his votes shows his attitude towards democracy," Chouhan said while addressing a gathering at Indore. Rajgarh and Bhopal Lok Sabha seats went to polls on 12 May during the sixth phase of ongoing Lok Sabha election. The counting of votes will be done on 23 May. Digvijaya is contesting the ongoing polls against BJP's Pragya Singh Thakur from Bhopal. Follow LIVE updates on Lok Sabha Election 2019 Remember that the framers greatly feared a chief executive with divided personal loyalties. In addition to the emoluments clause, a second provision of the Constitution requires that any candidate for president must be a "natural born citizen. (It is perhaps ironic that this is a clause in which President Trump expressed considerable interest during the Obama administration.) The natural born citizen requirement, like the emoluments clause, reflects the framers' intense fear, bordering on paranoia, of a compromised chief executive who does not put the interests of the United States and its people first. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to dismiss 'claims by pundits and planted reports from Delhi' that there is no 'Modi wave' in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections as was the case in 2014 polls Ratlam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday sought to dismiss "claims by pundits and planted reports from Delhi" that there is no "Modi wave" in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections as was the case in 2014 polls. The (Modi) wave is coming out from each home, he said, addressing an election rally here in Madhya Pradesh. "Pundits are claiming there is no wave...Stories are being planted from Delhi. Initially, they said there is no wave. The voting percentage is now higher than before. So they are worried," he said. "They are not aware that there are two (types of) people who are creating records: my young friends who are voting for the first time and my mothers and sisters, who have made up their mind to elect their brother who ensured death penalty to rapists," Modi said. "Our mothers and sisters have decided to elect as PM one who provided (cooking) gas and electricity and have come out with full strength to cast their vote. When mothers and sisters come out, pundits fail to understand from where is the wave coming. The wave is coming from each home," he said. Modi also tore into Congress leader Sam Pitroda's "hua to hua" (it happened, so what?) remark on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. "Incidents like the Bhopal gas tragedy and scams like CWG, 2G spectrum and coal allocation happened under the watch of the Rahul Gandhi-led party, which brazenly says 'hua to hua'," he said. Modi reiterated his claim that the Gandhis used warship INS Viraat for "picnic". But when questions were raised about it, the Congress said "hua to hua", he added. Modi recalled the sacrifice of Lieutenant Commander Dharmendra Singh Chouhan, a Ratlam native, who was killed while fighting a blaze aboard warship INS Vikramaditya. "On the other hand is the Naamdar's family, who used a warship for picnic. When questions are raised about it, they shamelessly say 'hua to hua'," Modi said. Jawans died in terror and Naxal attacks, but the Congress kept saying, "hua to hua", he said. Replying to a reporter's question on the 1984 riots, Pitroda, a close aide of Rahul Gandhi and head of the Overseas Congress said last week, "Hua to hua..." "'Hua to hua' are not mere three words, they reflect the ideology and arrogance of the Congress. People are now saying 'enough is enough' in response to it," Modi said. 'Hua to hua' is the Congress' answer to scams, Modi said. "These 'mahamilavati' people are saying 'hua to hua', but the country is now saying 'mahamilavati logon ab bahut hua' (enough is enough)," he said, referring to the coming together of Congress and like-minded parties against the BJP. Poor people who never got pucca houses, electricity, LPG and toilets during Congress era due to its "hua to hua" casual approach are now saying enough is enough, Modi said. Targeting the Kamal Nath government in MP over its "failure" to implement farmers loan waiver promise, Modi likened people to God and said, "The Congress cheated God." The Congress has objections in raising the "Bharat Mata ki Jai" slogan, he said. Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi said the "naamdar" begins his speeches abusing him. Modi said the Congress spun a new yarn by coining the "Hindu terror" term. "Due to wrong policies of the government headed by Naamdars of Congress, there were bomb blasts in the country. Those behind them had a link across the border to Pakistan. But Congress said hua to hua, he said. Modi attributed senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Bhopal seat, not casting his vote to "internal bickering" within the Congress. "It also reflects the arrogance of the Congress leader as when the entire country, including the President, myself and others went to vote, Singh did not as he was afraid," Modi said. The fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh will be held on 19 May. Polling for the remaining eight of the total 29 seats will be held that day. Cracks within the ruling coalition partners in Karnataka appeared to widen as JD(S) state president AH Vishwanath and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah accused each other of not following the 'coalition dharma'. Bengaluru: Cracks within the ruling coalition partners in Karnataka appeared to widen as JD(S) state president AH Vishwanath and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah accused each other of not following the "coalition dharma". The flare-up between the two leaders that could complicate matters for the Congress and JD(S) further stemmed from the growing 'Siddaramaiah for CM' clamour within the Congress. The call has irked the JD(S) leadership, with Vishwanath Sunday flaying it as "chamchagiri" (sycophancy) and questioning the ability of Siddaramaiah as an administrator. "What is so special (about Siddaramaiah rule), was his administration greater than Devraj Urs'? People remember Devraj Urs even today after 30 years. What great administration happened (during Siddaramaiah) to remember it for decades? What major developmental work happened? Nothing...," Vishwanath had said Sunday. A miffed Siddaramaiah tweeted Monday, "I would raise the jealous statement by Vishwanath in the coordination committee. Earlier it was GT Deve Gowda (higher education minister) and now Vishwanath. Don't know who is the next? It is better if seniors in JD(S) take note of it." He said "coalition dharma" was preventing him from speaking openly against "irresponsible" remarks of Vishwanath. "Vishwanath is notorious for his mischievous statements. May God give him wisdom," Siddaramaiah tweeted. Reacting to Siddaramaiah's tweet, Vishwanath Monday questioned what Siddaramaiah had done as the chairperson of the coordination committee of Congress and JD(S). Speaking to reporters, Vishwanath said, "The coordination committee has been formed for coalition dharma. Do discuss in the coordination committee. You are the chairman there. Who has stopped you from saying in the coordination committee that you want to be the chief minister." He also emphasised upon the fact that the coordination committee could not draw a common minimum programme even in the last one year. "Coordination committee has to coordinate between both coalition partners in the government JD(S) and Congress. You are not ready. You are accusing me of being irresponsible," Vishwanath said. He said though Siddaramaiah had been the chairman for a year, the common minimum programme has not been prepared yet. "It has not yet framed which direction the government should proceed, what the programmes of the government should be and which are the principles of the two parties to proceed with," Vishwanath charged. He also stressed that if at all there is any scope for Siddaramaiah to become chief minister again, it will be only in 2022 and not before that. Deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwara, who is from the Congress, too blamed Vishwanath for his remarks. "I am not aware of personal differences of opinion between two leaders. However, when the two parties decided to run the government together it was not appropriate for Vishwanath to speak low about the coordination committee chairman. Such talk should not happen in future." "Even we should not speak so. That's what is called as 'coalition dharma," he said. As the two leaders sparred, the BJP termed Vishwanath's remarks as a reflection of the JD(S) leadership. "It is not a statement by AH Vishwanath but something Kumaraswamy wants to convey through him," BJP state chief BS Yeddyurappa said. Bickering between coalition partners was evident even during the Lok Sabha elections. Though the two parties fought together bitter rivalry still prevailed at the grassroots level. Squabbling was quite evident in Tumakuru, Hassan and Mandya from where JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda, his grandsons Prajwal Revanna and Nikhil Kumaraswamy contested, respectively. Click here for LIVE updates on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 An investigation of 20 WhatsApp groups has revealed slander, abuse and conspiracies directed at Rajiv Gandhi started circulating on BJP-leaning groups on 6 May, a day after Narendra Modi said that Gandhi had died as 'bhrashtachari number 1' "Rajiv Gandhi did 181 election rallies in his lifetime, of which Sonia Gandhi attended 180. The only one she didnt attend was the one where he was killed". "The BBC wanted Rajiv Gandhi as the Prime Minister of India. So, they ran a radio campaign in his favour and he won". "Kejriwal only gets slapped in India, but Rajiv Gandhi used to get slapped across the world" the caption accompanying a video of a Sri Lankan sailor attacking Gandhi in 1987. "Rajiv Gandhi was an aayaash. When he was in the UK, he drank a lot and failed all his exams. Thats why he was thrown out of Cambridge." An organised flood of abuse, slander and disinformation has been unleashed on Rajiv Gandhi, the late former prime minister, in the past week on political WhatsApp groups many of them run by sympathisers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The disinformation on these WhatsApp groups has gone largely unchecked. This writer's investigation of 20 WhatsApp groups has revealed slander, abuse and conspiracies directed at Gandhi started circulating on BJP-leaning groups on 6 May, a day after Narendra Modi said that Gandhi had died as "bhrashtachari number 1 (corrupt number 1)". From wild allegations around Gandhi's 'drinking problems' to jokes about the assault on him by a Sri Lankan sailor to insinuations of wife and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's prior knowledge of his death, text messages, memes and videos are swirling in the closed world of WhatsApp, pecking away at the late former prime minister's reputation. It initially began with texts reiterating Modi's allegations. Then, swiftly, a more organised flood of media unleashed itself on these groups. This included a six-minute long video that detailed how Gandhi was of Muslim lineage rooted in Afghanistan and that his real name was "Rajiv Khan". It also included memes, including a morphed photo of the famous Titanic poster, with the ship and the foreground and the lead actors replaced with Gandhi and Sonia, with a line saying, "They owned India and could holiday anywhere." The WhatsApp messages that this investigation could access, sought to target various stages of Gandhi's life from his time as a student in the United Kingdom where, the messages allege, he failed repeatedly and was profligate and had to be thrown out. These messages have also alleged that Gandhi, a pilot with Indian Airlines, had "escaped to Italy during the 1971 war with Pakistan at a time when all domestic pilots were asked to report for national duty". Many of these groups also have photos of dead, bruised and bloodied photos with captions that imply they were killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that engulfed the country after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her bodyguard. Reflecting the quick-footedness with which the organised campaign seems to have responded to political happenings, it was found that there was a series of posts targeting former chief of naval staff Admiral L Ramdas (retired). Ramdas, who was the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command then, had issued a statement rebutting Modi's allegations that Gandhi, as the then prime minister, had used the aircraft carrier INS Viraat for a personal holiday in 1987. The posts on Ramdas call him a "travel agent of late Rajiv Gandhi" and accused him of being a part of the Adarsh Housing Society scam. The messages, incidentally, also fuel conspiracy theories around Gandhis assassination. In a number of these groups, near-identical messages did the rounds, asking how no other Congress leader died in the suicide bombing that killed Gandhi in Sriperumbudur in 1991. The posts went on to insinuate that other Congress leaders as well as Sonia had inklings of the incident and hence, stayed away from the event. While disinformation around Gandhi has been forming a major bulk of content shared on these groups over the past one week, these groups are also seeing considerable amount of disinformation around other issues, especially those involving the BJP's rivals. Texts inciting hatred and anger against Kashmiris have been a regular occurrence on WhatsApp since the Pulwama terror attack. Reuters Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said on Sunday that U.S. officials should consider breaking up Facebook Inc, the world's largest social media company, saying it is a utility that has gone unregulated. Harris, a U.S. senator and one of more than 20 Democrats seeking the party's nomination for the 2020 presidential election, said Facebook has prioritised growth over consumers' interests, especially on privacy. "I think we have to seriously take a look at that (breaking up Facebook), yes," Harris said in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper. She said very few people can get by in their communities, business or commerce without somehow using Facebook. "So we have to recognize it for what it is. It is essentially a utility that has gone unregulated." Facebook has been under scrutiny from regulators around the world over data sharing practices as well as hate speech and misinformation on its networks. Some other U.S. lawmakers, including Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, have pushed for action to break up big tech companies as well as federal privacy regulation. Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes called last week for the social network to be split into three parts. Facebook, which has more than 2 billion users on its social network, rejected Hughes' call. Spokesman Nick Clegg said Facebook accepted that with success comes accountability, "but you dont enforce accountability by calling for the breakup of a successful American company." Early opinion polls show Harris in the top tier of Democrats who have announced presidential campaigns. She and several other Democratic candidates have spent large sums on Facebook ads. Warren and another senator seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, Amy Klobuchar, have proposed plans to increase antitrust scrutiny of the technology sector, with Warren vowing to break up Facebook, Amazon.com Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google if elected. But Senator Cory Booker, another Democratic presidential candidate, said Sunday "we do not need a president that is going to use their own personal beliefs and tell you which companies we will break up. "We need a president that's going to enforce anti-trust laws in this country, and I will be that person," Booker told ABC's "This Week." President Donald Trump, a Republican, has also suggested that Amazon and social media networks like Facebook need tougher regulation. tech2 News Staff Xiaomi's been trying to build a large-scale offline retail network in India for a while now. In addition to the company's Mi Homes, Mi Studios and Mi Experience Stores, the Chinese company's now introduced the Mi Express Kiosks across India. These new Mi Express Kiosks are essentially vending machines that allow consumers to buy Xiaomi smartphones and accessories on their own quite similar to those soda vending machines you see at the airport. Xiaomi says that these kiosks are designed to accept all forms of payments across credit cards, debit cards, cash and even UPI. By introducing these vending machine-inspired kiosks, the brand aims to develop a new retail strategy in reaching out to its consumers directly. This, in turn, Xiaomi believes will help eliminate operational and cost inefficiencies for the consumers. According to per the company, Mi Express Kiosks serve as a highly effective initiative for consumers to easily access and buy Xiaomi products instantly in offline markets. #1 innovation from #1 brand! An all-new way to get your favorite #Xiaomi products: #MiExpressKiosk. Mi Fans can now purchase smartphones & accessories from vending machines & pay via cards, cash, or UPI. So easy! Installed @ Manyata Tech Park, Bengaluru. More coming soon! pic.twitter.com/Nh5Zd4nGZZ Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) May 13, 2019 As far as prices of products go, each device available at a Mi Express Kiosk will be offered at the same price as on Mi.com and Mi Homes. According to the Chinese smartphone maker, all technologies equipping Mi Express Kiosks were researched and developed in India, although the concept has been around in China since 2018. The vending machines will be operational between 10 am to 8 pm on all working days. The company aims to set up several more kiosks in the coming months, and gradually expand the retail plan across more cities. For now, Mi Express Kiosks can be found in metro cities only. These kiosks will be located in areas with larger daily footfall such as tech parks, metro stations, airports, and shopping malls. Agence France-Presse UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls it the defining issue of our time: climate change is moving to the center stage at the United Nations, three years after the Paris agreement went into force. A major UN push for progress on climate change kicks off next week when Guterres travels to New Zealand and several Pacific islands, where rising sea levels are threatening the very existence of those small countries. The stepped-up diplomacy will culminate with a climate action summit at the United Nations in September, an event billed as a last-chance to prevent irreversible climate change. "We are still losing the battle," Guterres told reporters last week. "Climate change is still running faster than we are, and if we don't reverse this trend, it will be a tragedy for the whole world." In Fiji, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, Guterres will meet with families whose lives have been upended by cyclones, flooding and other extreme weather events. Pacific island countries face an especially dire risk from climate change because of sea level rise. In some cases, low-lying countries could disappear completely. Fiji is working to build a coalition of more than 90 countries from the Caribbean, Africa and Asia facing climate crisis. "We hope that the secretary-general will draw far more inspiration from his first visit to go further, faster and deeper with the climate summit," Fiji's UN Ambassador Satyendra Prasad told AFP. "We are very hopeful that the climate summit will mark a turning point." China: climate power The UN push on climate change is shaping up amid geopolitical shifts: the United States under Donald Trump has decided to pull out of the Paris agreement to combat global warming, giving China more space to assert its views. "The Trump administration's disdain for climate diplomacy has left China looking like the main guarantor of the Paris agreement," said Richard Gowan, UN director for the International Crisis Group. "While China is increasingly active across the UN, other states are suspicious of its stances on human rights and development. But it is the indispensable power in climate talks now." Trump announced in 2017 that the United States would exit the Paris agreement, but under the terms of the deal the withdrawal will only become effective in 2020. The US administration is not taking part in summit preparations but has not said it will skip the event, according to UN officials. Guterres' mission may also be further complicated by Trump's nomination of Kelly Knight Craft as UN ambassador. Craft, who is married to a major coal magnate, raised eyebrows for declaring that she believed "both sides" of climate science, indicating she may well be out of sync with the UN on the issue. Plans, not speeches Guterres has told leaders to bring plans, not speeches, to the summit to be held in New York on 23 September during the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. The summit is seen as critical because of US resistance to discuss climate change at other forums including the G7 and G20, and again last week at a meeting of the Arctic Council in Finland. "What people are looking for is countries to commit to major ambition increases in 2025 and 2030 at the summit or in 2020," said Nick Mabey, head of the E3G climate think tank. This should include legally binding targets for countries to phase out coal, become climate neutral and invest in climate resilience, especially for the poorest countries, he added. A string of apocalyptic reports on the state of the planet is bringing home the need for concrete steps. One million species are on the brink of extinction. Carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise, pushing targets from the Paris accord further out of reach. UN climate envoy Luis Alfonso de Alba told AFP on Friday that he was optimistic about prospects for a breakthrough on climate, saying the dire predictions were having a galvanizing effect. "The situation worldwide is quite different from what it was five to 10 years ago. Five to 10 years ago, countries were looking at their neighbors before acting," he said. "Today, everybody has full conscience of the urgency to act, and they are not going to wait for their neighbors to act." Agence France-Presse UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls it the defining issue of our time: climate change is moving to the centre stage at the United Nations, three years after the Paris agreement went into force. A major UN push for progress on climate change kicks off next week when Guterres travels to New Zealand and several Pacific islands, where rising sea levels are threatening the very existence of those small countries. The stepped-up diplomacy will culminate with a climate action summit at the United Nations in September, an event billed as the last chance to prevent irreversible climate change. "We are still losing the battle," Guterres told reporters last week. "Climate change is still running faster than we are, and if we don't reverse this trend, it will be a tragedy for the whole world." "The green economy is the economy of the future and the grey economy has no future" -- @antonioguterres tells young people in New Zealand https://t.co/91ajOg4ZxT #ClimateAction pic.twitter.com/EnS5YP6QAT United Nations (@UN) May 13, 2019 In Fiji, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, Guterres will meet with families whose lives have been upended by cyclones, flooding and other extreme weather events. Pacific island countries face an especially dire risk from climate change because of sea level rise. In some cases, low-lying countries could disappear completely. Fiji is working to build a coalition of more than 90 countries from the Caribbean, Africa and Asia facing the climate crisis. "We hope that the secretary-general will draw far more inspiration from his first visit to go further, faster and deeper with the climate summit," Fiji's UN Ambassador Satyendra Prasad told AFP. "We are very hopeful that the climate summit will mark a turning point." China: climate power The UN push on climate change is shaping up amid geopolitical shifts: the United States under Donald Trump has decided to pull out of the Paris agreement to combat global warming, giving China more space to assert its views. "The Trump administration's disdain for climate diplomacy has left China looking like the main guarantor of the Paris agreement," said Richard Gowan, UN director for the International Crisis Group. "While China is increasingly active across the UN, other states are suspicious of its stances on human rights and development. But it is the indispensable power in climate talks now." Trump announced in 2017 that the United States would exit the Paris agreement, but under the terms of the deal, the withdrawal will only become effective in 2020. The US administration is not taking part in summit preparations but has not said it will skip the event, according to UN officials. Guterres' mission may also be further complicated by Trump's nomination of Kelly Knight Craft as UN ambassador. Craft, who is married to a major coal magnate, raised eyebrows for declaring that she believed "both sides" of climate science, indicating she may well be out of sync with the UN on the issue. Plans, not speeches Guterres has told leaders to bring plans, not speeches, to the summit to be held in New York on September 23 during the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. The summit is seen as critical because of US resistance to discuss climate change at other forums including the G7 and G20, and again last week at a meeting of the Arctic Council in Finland. "What people are looking for is countries to commit to major ambition increases in 2025 and 2030 at the summit or in 2020," said Nick Mabey, head of the E3G climate think tank. This should include legally binding targets for countries to phase out coal, become climate neutral and invest in climate resilience, especially for the poorest countries, he added. Climate change is a race we can win, but we must step up ambition now. Today, the @UN is committing to concrete steps and calling on countries for ambitious commitments ahead of our #ClimateAction Summit in September. https://t.co/Z2sewrUbAG Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 9, 2019 A string of apocalyptic reports on the state of the planet is bringing home the need for concrete steps. One million species are on the brink of extinction. Carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise, pushing targets from the Paris accord further out of reach. UN climate envoy Luis Alfonso de Alba told AFP on Friday that he was optimistic about prospects for a breakthrough on climate, saying the dire predictions were having a galvanizing effect. "The situation worldwide is quite different from what it was five to 10 years ago. Five to 10 years ago, countries were looking at their neighbours before acting," he said. "Today, everybody has full conscience of the urgency to act, and they are not going to wait for their neighbours to act." ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) - Yemen's government wants the United Nations to give time-frames for next steps of a peace deal after Houthi forces began withdrawing from key ports in the most significant advance yet for efforts to end the four-year war and relieve hunger. In line with an accord in Sweden last year, the Iran-aligned Houthi movement began on Saturday a unilateral pullout from three Red Sea ports used for grain, oil, commerce and aid. Local coast guards have taken over security at the Saleef, Ras Isa and Hodeidah ports, according to the United Nations which is supervising operations there ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) - Yemen's government wants the United Nations to give time-frames for next steps of a peace deal after Houthi forces began withdrawing from key ports in the most significant advance yet for efforts to end the four-year war and relieve hunger. In line with an accord in Sweden last year, the Iran-aligned Houthi movement began on Saturday a unilateral pullout from three Red Sea ports used for grain, oil, commerce and aid. Local coast guards have taken over security at the Saleef, Ras Isa and Hodeidah ports, according to the United Nations which is supervising operations there. Some officials from the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised Yemeni government dismissed the pullout as a "show", but government negotiator Sadiq Dweid acknowledged it marked the start of implementing the Stockholm accord. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and left millions on the brink of famine. Dweid tweeted late on Saturday that he had held a positive meeting with the chief U.N. observer, agreeing that the pullout should lead to time frames for implementing a U.N. mechanism for inspecting ships, de-mining and removing military installations. While the Houthi move encouraged foreign powers pushing to re-open humanitarian corridors, displaced Hodeidah residents said they were not ready to return. "We fled the war and I do not want to go back unless it ends, I fear death," said Sami, an 11-year-old who lives with his family in a graveyard in the capital Aden. "War destroyed everything - no work and no security," said Abdul Rahman Taher, a 34-year-old man forced from his home in Hodeidah and now washing cars in Aden. RETREAT FROM HODEIDAH Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, leaders of the coalition backing President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government, have so far not commented on the Houthi ports withdrawal. Sources saw this as a sign U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths had managed to get the warring sides to agree to the plan, since the coalition had quickly rejected a previous attempt by the Houthis to unilaterally withdraw last December. Under plans to avert a full-scale assault, the Houthis are to pull back five km (three miles) from the ports between May 11 and 14. Coalition forces, currently massed four km from Hodeidah port on the edges of the city, are to retreat one km from two flashpoint districts. In a second phase, both sides would pull troops 18 km outside the city and move heavy weapons 30 km away. Aid organisation the International Rescue Committee said the Houthi move was a positive step, but a wider peace deal was needed to avert violence elsewhere. "Among our biggest concern is ensuring sustained access to Hodeidah port," the Norwegian Refugee Council's Sultana Begum told Reuters. "Further military escalation risks cutting the supply line of vital food, fuel and medicines." Hodeidah became the focus of the war last year when the coalition twice tried to seize its port to cut off the main supply line for the Houthis, whom they accuse of smuggling Iranian weapons, including missiles that have targeted Saudi cities. The group and Tehran deny the accusations. (Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Cairo, Aziz El Yaakoubi and Lisa Barrington in Dubai; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Now it seems that China is the target for attack by the new armed groups who have sprung up, arising from a bitter hatred of the colonisers of their country. In an act as shocking as it was tragic, three attackers from the Majeed Brigade of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed the attack on the upscale Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar, the port city that is at the heart of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Shocking, because it been just weeks since the group, together with other resistance groups, attacked a bus on the Makran Highway, killing at least 11 personnel from the navy, coast guard and the air force. This time around, there appear to be some casualties from the navy, and some injured from the Pakistan Army. Tragic, because this has become a cyclical affair. The Pakistani forces including the dreaded intelligence have been picking up young people from their homes for interrogation for years. Bodies are found much later, and sometimes not at all. That style of counterinsurgency has led to more and more recruits moving to join various militant groups who have sprung up over the years. Major worldwide news channels call them "separatist" groups, rather than the usual insurgent/terrorist appellation. Ironically, that word was popularised by the Chinese to describe the Uighur rebellion that has also been steadily increasing in tempo. Now it seems that China is the target for attack by the new armed groups who have sprung up, arising from a bitter hatred of the colonisers of their country. Unlike the past, when luxuriantly moustachioed and well known tribal Sardars took the lead in sustaining such groups and sometimes cohabited with the government when it suited them objectives have broadened from simply greater autonomy to one that calls for outright independence. Also in another difference from the past, the present group leadership is shrouded in secrecy. The BLA, for instance, may have been headed by Aslam Baloch certainly a nom de guerre who was alleged to have been responsible for the attack on the Chinese consulate in November 2018. The fact that a suicide attack killed him and four of his colleagues just a month later at Aino Maina in Kandahar province, seems to confirm not just his involvement, but also the extent of Chinese reach when it is seriously annoyed. For years it was an open secret that China maintained links with at some of the insurgent groups operating in the area in a deal-making exercise that has ensured access to Chinese companies in some of the most hostile areas of the world. Apparently, the BLA was not one of them. Hence the swift coup de grace of the leadership in a neighbouring country. The group, however, seems to have recovered rather quickly. That it could penetrate a high-security zone and in Pakistan, this is as high security as it gets speaks volumes for its meticulous planning and the support that it was able to get from the local population. The group could not harm the several Chinese staying in the hotel, testifies also to the efficiency and training of Pakistani security forces, who managed to contain the attackers to a single floor. The blunt message on Twitter by the group warning the Chinese to stay away is likely to make Chinese businessmen more nervous, the better response and capabilities of Pakistani forces notwithstanding. They have every reason to be rather more than nervous. After all, its not just the BLA that stands against Chinese expansion. There is the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), led by Allah Nazar whom the Pakistanis had hoped to have killed in September 2015, but who resurfaced in a video two months later is another group that wants China to leave. They have no particular grouse against Beijing. They just want the rights to their own resources. There are other smaller and even more secretive groups like the Baloch Republican Guard, which had claimed an attack on a Pakistani Army convoy just days after Iran warned Pakistan to rein in terror group which attacked the Iranian Revolutionary Guards killing 27 personnel. In an unusual move, the group joined the other two for the Makran highway attack, in a rather curious coalition called Baloch Raaji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS). Its not just the acronym which was strange. These groups are known to quarrel with each other rather more than ever cooperating for an attack. These divisions have always been the primary weakness in the Baloch fight for independence. Thats one reason why the Baloch fight is not likely to see much success. There are others -- Balochistan is the least populated province of the country, with little villages clustered around small water sources, surrounded by mile upon mile of barren territory. Theres simply nowhere to hide. A third reason is that Pakistan is getting better at counterinsurgency tactics. Apart from its brutal tactics of simply picking up and disposing of anyone whom its suspects, it has been successful in keeping the Baloch question well out of the public debate, either within mainland Pakistan or outside it. Not even the rapacious New Delhi media pays much attention. As for the world at large, theyd have trouble locating the area on a map. The only hope for the Baloch is if China sees the futility of warring with them, and instead persuades Islamabad to give them more democratic space and rights. But that would be a contradiction on so many levels, that it's probably an impossibility. Taking advice from Beijing on democracy is something that even Islamabad may draw the line at. GENEVA (Reuters) - A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said on Sunday the U.S. GENEVA (Reuters) - A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said on Sunday the U.S. military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now represented a target, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported. The U.S. military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East in a move U.S. officials said was to counter "clear indications" of threats from Iran to its forces in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month. "An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now it is a target and the threats have switched to opportunities," said Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards' aerospace division. "If (the Americans) make a move we will hit them in the head," he added, according to ISNA. Major General Hossein Salami, appointed head of the Guards last month, told parliament on Sunday the United States had started a psychological war in the region, the parliamentary spokesman said. "Commander Salami, with attention to the situation in the region, presented an analysis that the Americans have started a psychological war because the comings and goings of their military is a normal matter," spokesman Behrouz Nemati said, according to parliament's ICANA news site. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet on Sunday that John Bolton had planned the U.S. withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal and a more aggressive approach even before the U.S. national security adviser took up his post. Zarif tweeted a link to a 2017 National Review article by Bolton headlined "How to Get Out of the Iran Nuclear Deal." "A detailed blueprint for #FakeIntelligence, #ForeverWar and even empty offers for talks-only phone numbers were not included," Zarif wrote. CNN reported on Friday that the White House had passed a telephone number to the Swiss for contacting U.S. President Donald Trump in case Iranian officials wanted to hold talks. The Swiss embassy in Tehran represents U.S. interests in the Islamic Republic. (Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and Edmund Blair) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. That includes Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, currently embroiled in the kind of tough political campaign that is not usually helped by your mother opening up her box of photos and reminding everyone of an oft-scandalous past or by, say, showing an audience a picture of her own brain, part of her explanation of her determination to better understand her own mental illness and pass that awareness on to others, Jones writes. But there he was. Read the story and review here. Officials said three gunmen dressed as military officers raided the five-star Pearl Continental Hotel on Saturday, killing three hotel security guards, an employee and a navy soldier in the ensuing gunbattle. The insurgents had been holed up on the top floor of the hotel after security forces arrived. The forces cleared all guests from the premises while cornering the attackers in a staircase. Quetta: Pakistani security forces have killed three separatist insurgents who had stormed a luxury hotel in the port city of Gwadar 24 hours earlier, the military said on Sunday. Officials said three gunmen dressed as military officers raided the five-star Pearl Continental Hotel on Saturday, killing three hotel security guards, an employee and a navy soldier in the ensuing gunbattle. The insurgents had been holed up on the top floor of the hotel after security forces arrived. The forces cleared all guests from the premises while cornering the attackers in a staircase. Security forces have completed clearance operation, the military said in a statement, adding all three attackers had been killed. The Balochistan Liberation Army insurgent group, which says it is fighting what it sees as the unfair exploitation of the provinces natural resources, claimed responsibility saying in a statement the attack was aimed at Chinese and other foreign investors. Balochistan, which borders both Iran and Afghanistan, is Pakistans poorest province but has abundant reserves of natural gas and various minerals. Gwadar is a strategic port on the Arabian Sea that is being developed as part of the $60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is itself part of Chinas Belt and Road infrastructure project. Explosives Prime Minister Imran Khan issued a statement condemning the attack. Such attempts, especially in Balochistan are an effort to sabotage our economic projects and prosperity, he said. One of the hotel security guards was killed while attempting to stop the men from entering the hotel. The military said the attackers disabled CCTV cameras in the hotel and planted explosives at all access points leading to the top floor. Separatists in Balochistan have for decades been fighting the central government, bombing gas and transport infrastructure and raiding security posts. Islamist militants from various factions also operate in the province. The separatists have denounced the industrial development plans and vowed to block them while Pakistan has promised China it would protect its investments and Chinese workers. The Pearl Continental Hotel, on a hillside near the port, is used by foreign guests, including Chinese project staff, but there were none of them in the building at the time of the attack, officials said. Security across most of Pakistan has improved over recent years following a major crackdown after the countrys worst attack, when 148 people, most of them children, were killed in an assault on a school in the western city of Peshawar in 2014. But Balochistan, Pakistans largest province, remains an exception and there have been several attacks this year, with at least 14 people killed last month in an attack on buses travelling between the southern city of Karachi and Gwadar. A six-hour countrywide curfew was enforced in Sri Lanka on Monday as communal violence spread to new areas in the island nation in the latest fallout from the Easter Sunday suicide bombings Colombo: A six-hour countrywide curfew was enforced in Sri Lanka on Monday as communal violence spread to new areas in the island nation in the latest fallout from the Easter Sunday suicide bombings, which killed nearly 260 people. "The curfew has been imposed from 9 pm tonight to 4 am tomorrow," a police spokesperson said. Army chief Mahesh Senanayake said the troops have been instructed to deal very strictly with those who defy the curfew. The army will shoot on sight if anyone defy the order, he added. Earlier in the day, the police reimposed a curfew, few hours after it was lifted, on four towns of Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Dummalasuriya and Hettipola in the north western region till 4 am tomorrow following a communal clash in the area. It was later extended to the entire North Western Province as violence continued to spread. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also appealed for calm after the unrest broke out, especially in Kurunegala district targeting Muslims, and appealed to the public not to be swayed by false information. "I appeal to all citizens to remain calm and not be swayed by false information. Security forces are working tirelessly to apprehend terrorists and ensure the security of the country, but each time there is civil unrest, we increase their burden and hamper ongoing investigations," he said. The Lankan government on Monday also reimposed a ban on social media following violent incidents between the minority Muslim and majority Sinhalese communities in the country. The blockade of Facebook and WhatsApp comes a day after Sri Lankan police imposed curfew in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw where a mob attacked a mosque and some shops owned by Muslims in a dispute that started on a Facebook post by a Muslim shop owner. The violence is a new backlash from the Easter attacks where nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 253 people and injuring over 500 others. The Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ). Sri Lanka banned the NTJ and arrested over 100 people in connection with the blasts. Sri Lanka has used temporary bans on social media in an attempt to curb misinformation and rumors. Social media blocked again as a temporary measure to maintain peace in the country, Nalaka Kaluwewa, the director general of the Department of Government Information, told Reuters on Monday. Colombo: Sri Lanka said on Monday it was temporarily blocking some social media networks and messaging apps, including Facebook and WhatsApp, after mosques and Muslim-owned businesses were attacked in the wake of Easter bombings by Islamist militants. Several dozen people threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores and a man was beaten in the town of Chilaw on the west coast on Sunday in a dispute that started on Facebook, sources told Reuters. Authorities said they arrested the author of a Facebook post, identified as 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar, whose online comment 1 day u will cry locals said was interpreted as threatening violence. Authorities arrested a group in the nearby areas of Kuliyapitiya and Dummalasuriya later on Sunday and early on Monday for allegedly attacking Muslim-owned businesses, a police source told Reuters. Military spokesman Sumith Atapattu said people in the area then demanded the arrested men be released. To control the situation, a police curfew was imposed during the night, Atapattu said. The flare-up in violence came three weeks after Sri Lankan Islamist bombers blew themselves up in four hotels and three churches, killing more than 250 people. Since then, Muslim groups say they have received dozens of complaints from across the country about people being harassed. Other communities say they are fearful that the government, which failed to act on successive warnings about looming Islamist attacks, has not caught all potential militants. Sri Lanka has used temporary bans on social media in an attempt to curb misinformation and rumors. Social media blocked again as a temporary measure to maintain peace in the country, Nalaka Kaluwewa, the director general of the Department of Government Information, told Reuters on Monday. A violent clash erupted a week ago in Negombo, where more than 100 people were killed during Easter prayers, between Muslims and Christians after a traffic dispute. The government also imposed a ban on social media after that clash. By Anthony Boadle PACARAIMA, Brazil (Reuters) - Venezuela reopened its border crossing to Brazil on Friday, after its closure for nearly three months forced desperate Venezuelans to use indigenous trails to smuggle food and basic goods or to flee their crisis-stricken homeland. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro closed the only formal crossing between the countries in February to block an opposition attempt to bring U.S By Anthony Boadle PACARAIMA, Brazil (Reuters) - Venezuela reopened its border crossing to Brazil on Friday, after its closure for nearly three months forced desperate Venezuelans to use indigenous trails to smuggle food and basic goods or to flee their crisis-stricken homeland. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro closed the only formal crossing between the countries in February to block an opposition attempt to bring U.S. aid in from Brazil and Colombia. Opposition leader Juan Guaido has urged the military to oust Maduro, branding him a dictator, while the government in turn calls Guaido a puppet of Washington and a coup-monger. Venezuelan Economy Vice President Tareck El Aissami said on Friday the border was being reopened to restore development of the border economy for the benefit of both nations. Witnesses on both sides of the border said traffic started flowing again through customs posts mid-afternoon. The border's closure had driven hundreds of Venezuelans to bribe National Guard officials every day to make their way into Brazil along indigenous trails that cross the sun-baked savannah, according to interviews with two dozen migrants and two former National Guard officers. With roughly a quarter of Venezuela's 30 million people in need of humanitarian assistance due to an economic meltdown, according to the United Nations, the illicit border crossings provided a lifeline for many in the border region. The migrants interviewed by Reuters said that Venezuelan National Guard soldiers had taken advantage of the border closure to collect 50 reais ($12.50) per car on the parallel crossings. The tariff was higher for vehicles coming back loaded with rice, flour and sugar, they said. Those without cash to pay the informal toll must take even longer paths, hauling their luggage on foot for up to six hours, in a desperate trek witnessed by Reuters. "Wearing Venezuelan uniforms, they brazenly demand money even to pass on foot. They're raking it in," said Yeral Garate, as he waited with five other hungry migrants for rice to cook in a pot over a wooden fire on a trail inside Brazil. Neither the Venezuelan government nor the National Guard, which runs border controls, replied to requests for comment. Maduro has in the past said that criticism of the military is linked to opposition efforts to tarnish the armed forces. More than 3.4 million Venezuelans have left the country since 2015 due to a political and economic crisis, according to the United Nations. Garate said that a lack of food and medicine, miserable wages and Maduro's "catastrophic" policies drove him to flee. He said he took a bus to the border from his hometown of Maturin in eastern Venezuela, and then walked 11 miles (18 km) over rolling scrubland to Brazil, with only the few possessions he could carry. The trip can be easier for those with the means. Hired drivers offer packages from Puerto Ordaz in southern Venezuela to the border town of Santa Elena de Uairen, 400 miles (640 km) to the south, and then across trails to Pacaraima - with border bribes included. A reservation for the Pemon indigenous tribe that straddles the border is crisscrossed with dirt tracks along which cars, jeeps, vans, pickups and motor bikes ferry migrants to Brazil and return with goods. NATIONAL GUARDS Two National Guard sergeants, who had recently deserted from their posts at the border, said that bribe taking was systematic there and that military officials would compete to be sent to the lucrative postings. "They charge 50 reais per car to access the trails and 100 reais for larger vehicles. People who bring back lots of goods also have to pay," one of the sergeants told Reuters in Brazil. The sergeant said he had defected because he disagreed with the way opposition protests were being repressed in Venezuela. Some six dozen Venezuelan military officers have defected across the border in recent weeks, according to the Brazilian army. Six National Guard soldiers questioned by Reuters in Brazil said that lucrative bribe taking by military officials at border crossings and other black market activity was one reason that many troops had ignored the opposition's call to unseat Maduro. All of the soldiers interviewed by Reuters requested not to be identified for fear of reprisals against their families. A spokesman for Guaido did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Corruption is one of the main complaints by ordinary Venezuelans, ranging from National Guard shakedowns at checkpoints across the country to allegations of money laundering and graft by senior military officials being investigated by courts in the United States. Maduro's government has said the cases are politically motivated. Pacaraima, a town of 12,000 inhabitants that has thrived on Venezuelan demand, was hit hard by the February border closure. Daily sales of roughly 5 million reais ($1.2 million) to Venezuelans fell overnight to about a fifth of that, said Joao Kleber Soares, head of the local chamber of commerce. As traffic flowed to the side-trails, however, business had almost returned to previous levels, Soares told Reuters in the bustling main street packed with Venezuelans loading up their vehicles with sacks of food, toilet paper and other goods. Soares and other entrepreneurs in Roraima state, which borders Venezuela, had pleaded with Venezuela to reopen the border and Roraima Senator Telmario Mota visited Caracas to urge Maduro to do so for business to recover. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Leonardo Benassatto; Editing by Daniel Flynn, Alistair Bell and James Dalgleish) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The mayor-elect acknowledged the aftereffects of the campaign, in which she hammered Preckwinkle as part of the corrupt old guard of Chicago politics. On the other side, Preckwinkle joined U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush at a rally a week before the runoff election at which the congressman called Lightfoot counterfeit change and chump change in comparison with Preckwinkle, and suggested more black people would be killed at the hands of police officers if she was elected. Samsung launched its M series of smartphones this year that included Galaxy M10, Galaxy M20, and Galaxy M30. In similar lines, Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy M40 soon in India and a new report reveals the expected price of the M40 in India. Samsung Galaxy M40 is expected to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor instead of the Exynos processor and this might be the first time for an M series smartphone to be powered by a Snapdragon processor. It is also expected to sport a triple camera setup, come with 128GB internal storage, 5000 mAh battery, run on Android 9 Pie and is said to be is set to be the most powerful offering in the series. Samsung is also expected to introduce flagship features that were seen in the S10 lineup on the upcoming M40 smartphone as the upcoming Galaxy M40 is expected to come with Hole-in-Display technology. Geekbench listing that surfaced earlier this month revealed Snapdragon 675 SoC and 6GB of RAM. The Galaxy M4o is expected to be launched early next month and according to reports, it is expected to cost Rs.25,000(approx.). We should know more details about the smartphone once it goes official. Source Cooking for people I love, creating deliciousness out of fresh ingredients, browsing through cookbooks for inspiration, perusing grocery shelves for choice items and writing about my expat life enriched by food. That's what I do here. Leave me a comment or write me at foodlustpeoplelove [at] gmail [dot] com. Yamana Gold (NYSE:AUY), an intermediate gold producer with assets spread throughout the Americas, recently released its Q1 earnings. Reporting $407 million in revenue, Yamana failed to meet analysts' top-line estimate of $414 million; however, the company provided a pleasant surprise on the bottom line. While analysts' were looking for Yamana to break even on a per share basis, the company reported earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, of $0.03 per share. There's much more to a company's quarterly performance than just two numbers, so let's grab our shovels and mine the report for some of the more interesting nuggets. 1. Digging into the top line A cursory glance at Yamana's Q1 revenue of $407 million may give some investors pause considering the company reported $455 million during the same period in 2018. Probe a little deeper, however, and investors will find that the company's performance was actually more lustrous than they may have initially thought. The cause of the year-over-year decrease was not attributable to operational challenges but, rather, the slip in commodity prices. The average realized gold price fell from $1,328 per ounce in Q1 2018 to $1,301 in Q1 2019, and the average realized copper price fell from $3.13 per pound in Q1 2018 to $2.91 in Q1 2019. When expanding the focus beyond revenue, in fact, it's more apparent how Yamana glittered in the first quarter. Thanks, in large part, to the contributions from Cerro Moro, overall gold and silver production increased 18% and 235% year-over-year, respectively. Additionally, Jacobina, which reported record production of 39,000 gold equivalent ounces (GEO) in Q1 represented another source of success for the company. 2. Unearthing the costs Upon hearing that Yamana's Q1 mineral production of 272,000 GEO exceeded management's expectations, skeptics may question at what cost the company achieved this feat. The answer: consistent with expectations. Yamana reported all-in sustaining costs (AISC) per GEO of -- well within the range of $920 to $960. Likewise, Q1 cash costs of $666 per GEO met the company's forecasted range of $640 to $680. Initially, it would appear that progress had been made at Canadian Malartic in the first quarter since AISC at the Canadian-located mine was $716 per GEO, more than 12% lower than the $803 per GEO reported during the same period during 2018. Management, however, largely attributes the decline to the timing of expenditures rather than operations improvements. On the other hand, cost control initiatives, higher sales, and the positive effects of currency exchange helped Minera Florida to recognize a year-over-year margin improvement. Whereas Minera Florida reported AISC per GEO of $1,403 in Q1 2018, the mine reported AISC per GEO of $1,208 in the recently completed quarter. 3. A glittering crystal ball Having announced its intent to eschew acquisitions for the time being, Yamana is committed to pursuing growth through organic means. It's important, therefore, for investors to pay close attention to Yamana's pipeline to confirm that management's strategy remains intact -- especially since the company's portfolio will soon be shrinking with the imminent sale of Chapada. And based on the Q1 report, it would appear that things remain on track. For one, the Extension Project at Canadian Malartic remains on schedule with contributions from Barnat still expected later this year and becoming more significant in 2020 and 2021. Moreover, the company made progress at Jacobina last quarter. Having completed 2,600 meters of drilling at the Brazilian mine, Yamana is committed to expanding the mineral resource at Jacobina, where it intends to define "new inferred mineral resources at grades higher than the life of mine model in the Morro do Vento and Canavieiras sectors" according to the Q1 report. In addition, Yamana recently developed a two-phase plan to expand annual production above 150,000 GEO at Jacobina. The golden takeaway Based on the company's Q1 results, management has reaffirmed both mineral production and cost guidance for 2019. While the lower gold and copper prices hurt the bottom line, savvy investors recognize that dealing with swings in the price of commodities is table stakes for investing in mining companies. Investors, however, should count the quarter as a success in light of the fact that annual guidance remains unchanged and growth projects in the company's pipeline remain in development. Two states down, Pennsylvania to go. Aqua America (NYSE:WTRG) spent the first four months of 2019 securing more than $2.8 billion in funding to afford the pending acquisition of natural gas utility Peoples. With West Virginia and Kentucky on board and negotiations with Pennsylvania progressing, the water utility remains on track to close the growth-driving acquisition by the middle of this year. Aside from activities related to that transaction, Aqua America reported the same slow-and-steady march higher that investors have come to expect, as revenue grew year over year from customer acquisitions and higher rates. Here are the major takeaways from the company's Q1 report. By the numbers Aqua America delivered relatively minor revenue growth, even by its slow-growing standard, but management remains confident that rate base compound annual growth rate (CAGR) will equal 7% through 2021. The water utility earns rate base increases from state regulators every so many years by investing to maintain and upgrade water distribution infrastructure -- and it expects a record year of capital investments in 2019. The business is gearing up to spend approximately $550 million in infrastructure investments this year and $1.4 billion total through 2021. That only includes existing operations, so the expected 2% to 3% customer growth this year has the potential to increase the purse. Investors won't be surprised to see the ho-hum top-line growth, but further down the income statement, there are some surprising reductions in earnings at first glance. However, the sharp year-over-year declines in profits can be explained by an increase in acquisition-related operating expenses stemming from the pending Peoples merger and a $34.8 million charge related to the change in fair value of rate swap agreements. Settling the swaps (read: paying them off) stung in Q1, but Aqua America actually saved $11.1 million from the last calculated cost of the financial instruments, which will help in the long run. Metric Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Change (YOY) Revenue $201.1 million $194.3 million 3% Operating expenses $133.7 million $125.0 million 7% Operating income $67.4 million $69.3 million (3%) Net income $16.9 million $50.8 million (67%) Earnings per share (EPS) $0.09 $0.29 (69%) Adjusted EPS $0.28 $0.29 (3%) Aqua America also reported raising $2.8 billion in capital to help ready the balance sheet for the pending Peoples acquisition. That included $900 million in debt, some of which was used to replace older debt (and settle the rate swaps), and $1.9 billion in equity sales. The latter included a $750 million investment from the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the remainder from a public stock offering. While Wall Street has been fretting over the dilution -- which has arguably been priced into shares by now -- the natural gas utility is expected to catalyze growth. For example, the $2.2 billion rate base (the value of regulated assets) serves 743,000 customers and is expected to generate $289 million in EBITDA this year. That's equivalent to 13.1% of the rate base. By comparison, Aqua America's water infrastructure rate base generated 9.8% of its value in EBITDA last year. The natural gas utility's rate base growth is also expected to grow at a CAGR of 8% to 10% through 2021, higher than the water rate base. Therefore, closing the deal is paramount. A strong start to 2019, but the Peoples deal must close Aqua America is positioned to grow with or without the Peoples acquisition, but after the company has dragged Wall Street analysts kicking and screaming this far, failing to secure the blessing of regulators in Pennsylvania would be an awful turn of events. Management will likely be eager to settle with the state, but that could prove costly, too, especially if the company has to promise not to get involved with the city of Pittsburgh's beleaguered water utility. For now, all investors can do is wait for the next update. With all of the recent corporate changes at Enbridge (NYSE:ENB) behind it, the company can now focus on one thing: execution. This past quarter, it made that message abundantly clear as all of its attention turns toward either completing permitting and construction of current projects or renegotiating rates on its existing lines. Let's take a look at Enbridge's most recent earnings results and what investors can expect from the company for the rest of the year and potentially beyond. Enbridge earnings: The raw numbers Metric Q1 2019 Q4 2018 Q1 2018 Revenue CA$12.86 billion CA$11.56 billion CA$12.76 billion Earnings attributable to common shareholders (loss) CA$1.89 billion CA$1.08 billion $445 million EPS (diluted) CA$0.94 CA$0.60 CA$0.26 *Distributable cash flow CA$2.76 billion CA$1.86 billion CA$2.31 billion Enbridge's results have been particularly hard to follow in recent years because of its corporate structure. The company had an equity interest in several subsidiary partnerships. Ever since management's decision to acquire the outstanding interest in those subsidiaries, though, it is much easier to see what is going on at the business thanks to fewer adjustments and reshufflings that made any quarter-to-quarter comparison moot. While management attributed much of the quarterly record results to improved performance, new assets ramping to full capacity, and new rates for some of its regulated businesses. It also noted that it benefited from favorable markets that may not be as good in the upcoming quarters. What happened with Enbridge this quarter? The company announced that its Line 3 expansion plan will be delayed because of the regulatory and permitting process in Minnesota. Management was originally targeting an in-service date in the second half of 2019, but now it's looking more like it will be the second half of 2020. It did note, though, that the Canadian portion of the line will be complete by the end of the month and that it recorded a record 2.7 million barrels per day running through the Canadian portion of the system. Management is also looking at some optimization projects that would add another 50,000-100,000 barrels per day to the Canadian part of Line 3 in the second half of 2019. The company is also trying to broker a deal with Michigan for its Line 5 pipe, where it would remove the older pipeline that lies on the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac and replace it with a utility tunnel well below the lake bottom. The combination of asset sales and growing EBITDA has lowered the company's debt-to-EBITDA ratio to 4.7 times and puts it within management's target range of 4.5 times to "comfortably below 5.0x." As a result of improving leverage ratios, Moody's recently upgraded its credit rating. What management had to say Even though Enbridge didn't announce any new major projects, it emphasized in its quarterly earnings and annual shareholder meeting presentations last week that it's growing its natural gas transmission footprint to serve increasing demand from petrochemicals and liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities in North America. Here's CEO Al Monaco discussing Enbridge's existing infrastructure to serve these systems and how it expects to be part of future plans in these regions. For a number of reasons, the epicenter of [LNG] growth now is in the Gulf, and we're in the middle of that action for sure. Valley Crossing, Texas Eastern and our B.I.G. pipeline hug the Coast from South Texas all the way to Louisiana. They draw gas from multiple basins including the Permian, East Texas, and all the way up actually to the Marcellus through our bidirectional Texas Eastern system. We supply gas to Sabine LNG today, and we're interconnected to Cameron and Freeport, which are scheduled to start up later this year. And our network is perfectly situated to be the natural gas header of system to serve multiple new projects currently under development. On the West Coast Canada, our Westcoast Connector project has an environmental permit right away into Prince Rupert, which would tie back into our existing BC pipe system to source growing Montney supply. And even on the Atlantic Coast, were positioned there to serve projects in the Canadian Maritimes or further south into Philly. We're working on a number of these facilities today in all of these regions as they look to secure pipe capacity or new infrastructure to serve their plans. We're excited about the potential here, and well keep you up-to-date on those opportunities. You can read a full transcript of Enbridge's conference call here. Looking forward Enbridge's Line 3 project is a massive undertaking from a construction standpoint alone. Having to get regulatory approval and permits in three states and two countries makes it that much harder. So, it's no wonder that management is focusing so much of its time on completing this project. The one-year delay may discourage some investors, but the good news for the company is that the permitting process seems to be going more smoothly after some speed bumps in Minnesota. Line 3 and recontracting many of its existing assets are going to be the center of attention over the next couple of years. Aside from Line 3, its project portfolio is looking a little thin. So, within the next year or two investors should expect some major project announcements. Based on Monaco's statements, don't be surprised if many of those new projects center around natural gas and LNG. It's 7 am in Ho Chi Minh City's (formerly known as Saigon) busy District One. Glass-faced skyscrapers adorn its skyline. Young professionals are trying to navigate through the busy traffic on their motorbikes. Hawkers are selling fast food such as famous Banh Mi by the side of the road. There is a veritable energy, and only one that is present in an aspiring society and a growing economy. Within walking distance of District One stands the War Remnants Museum, which houses photographs, literature, and objects from the Vietnam War. One can't help but reflect on the devastation and suffering the war brought on the country. The contrast may make it feel like there are two Vietnams. And there were, before the war ended and after the country reunified in 1975. After seeing the contrast, it's a wonder how Vietnam managed to get to where it is today. How did Vietnam grow from one of the poorest countries in the world in the 1970s to one which lifted over half its population out of poverty all in the span of about 30 years? The economic miracle Vietnam spent the first few years of unification running socialist experiments. It was 1986 when it embraced market-oriented socialism, opening up the economy while keeping society firmly in control. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the pace of economic reforms accelerated as Vietnam entered into a slew of trade agreements in the 1990s. A country that started as primarily an agricultural exporter now boasts sizable electronic exports, ranking in the top 10 in the world. While courting foreign investments, Vietnam also paid attention to reforms at home by directing public investments to education and infrastructure building. According to the World Bank, Vietnam spent a whopping 5.7% of GDP on education, even higher than the OECD (a group of developed economies) average, topping economic powerhouses like the US, Germany, Australia, and the UK. The reforms also boosted local entrepreneurship, resulting in a plethora of small and medium businesses opening around the country. Today, Vietnam is challenging the regional leaders, Singapore and Indonesia, in the start-up space. The government is actively attempting to lure back local talent that had gone abroad to study and work. Data and rankings The data and rankings reflect all these efforts. Vietnam's GDP has grown every single year since 1981, even during the dot com bust and the global financial crisis. GDP growth for 2018 came in at an impressive 7.1%, at a time when major economies including China's are faltering. Meanwhile, per capita GDP has grown from US$231 in 1985 to US$2,343 in 2017. The country's annual Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has grown by over seven times between 1996 and 2018. Vietnam has made strides in ease of doing business too with its ranking jumping from 90 in 2010 to 69 in 2018. The road ahead With a median age at just over 30 years old, Vietnam's young and vibrant workforce can help the country move further ahead in manufacturing. This is especially significant as China, the manufacturing hub of the world, is battling with the problem of an aging population with its median age at 37.4 years. The services sector, though, is lagging compared to its neighbors, who command a higher share of GDP from the sector. Being an export-driven economy, the ongoing trade war may hamper Vietnam too but on the flip side, it may also benefit only if it can attract manufacturing business away from China. There are many challenges that Vietnam needs to overcome in order to move into the middle-income category but its journey so far has been impressive. Hong Kong became the biggest FDI investor in Vietnam in the first quarter of 2019. As China slows down, you may see more capital from Hong Kong flowing into Vietnam, perhaps indicating the emerging relevance of this exciting Southeast Asian economy. A version of this article was written by Mayur Sontakke and originally appeared on our Fool Asia site. For more coverage like this head over to Fool.hk.en Chicken Salad Chick Grows In Florida With New Location In South Tampa Fast casual concept celebrates grand opening with free chicken salad for a year May 13, 2019 // Franchising.com // Auburn, AL - Chicken Salad Chick, the nations only southern inspired, fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced today it will be expanding in Florida with its newest restaurant in South Tampa, which comes on the heels of the opening in Vineland Pointe last month. The South Tampa restaurant marks Chicken Salad Chicks 21st location in the Sunshine state, with additional restaurants in Brandon, Windermere and St. Augustine slated to open later this year. Located at 4050 West Kennedy Boulevard, the South Tampa restaurant will celebrate its grand opening on May 22nd with free chicken salad for a year to the first 150 guests and a chance to win other prizes during drawings throughout the day, such as a small cooler, selfie stick, discount cards and more. During grand opening week, guests will experience the southern hospitality that Chicken Salad Chick is known for, with giveaways and specials that include: Wednesday, May 22 - Free Chicken Salad for a Year - The first guest will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year; the next 149 guests receive a free large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month.* Any guest not part of the first 150 in line can make a purchase and enter to win free chicken salad for a year.** - Free Chicken Salad for a Year - The first guest will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year; the next 149 guests receive a free large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month.* Any guest not part of the first 150 in line can make a purchase and enter to win free chicken salad for a year.** Thursday, May 23 - The first 150 guests at opening to purchase a Chick Special or Chick Trio will be automatically enrolled in the Free Chicken Salad of the Month Club. The first guest at opening will receive one free scoop of chicken salad each week for a year. The other recipients will receive one free scoop of chicken salad per month for a year.*** - The first 150 guests at opening to purchase a Chick Special or Chick Trio will be automatically enrolled in the Free Chicken Salad of the Month Club. The first guest at opening will receive one free scoop of chicken salad each week for a year. The other recipients will receive one free scoop of chicken salad per month for a year.*** Friday, May 24 - The first 100 guests at opening to purchase a Chick Special or Chick Trio will receive a free 32oz RTIC Chick tumbler, beach towel or sling bag.**** - The first 100 guests at opening to purchase a Chick Special or Chick Trio will receive a free 32oz RTIC Chick tumbler, beach towel or sling bag.**** Saturday, May 25 - The first 50 guests at opening to purchase two large Quick Chicks will receive a free large Chick cooler. After the first 50 guests, any guest to purchase two Quick Chicks will get a free Quick Chick of equal size. The new South Tampa restaurant will be owned and operated by multi-unit franchise owners Tammy and Brad Cochran of Tampa Bay CSC. The Cochrans were first introduced to Chicken Salad Chick in 2007 when founder Stacy Brown brought samples of her classic chicken salad to a baby shower for Tammys sister-in-law Julie. Nearly 12 years since their first Chicken Salad Chick experience, the husband-and-wife team are proud owners of three restaurants in the Tampa area that offer both exceptional dine-in services and a variety of catering options. In addition to their new South Tampa restaurant and existing locations in Lutz and East Fowler, the Cochrans have plans to open another Chicken Salad Chick location in Brandon later this year. As we reflect on the past four years as Chicken Salad Chick franchise owners, we are still blown away by the warm reception our restaurants have received in the Tampa area, said Tammy Cochran. With a demand for our fresh Southern specialty, weve been able to expand to now three locations in the area with plans to open a fourth later this year in Brandon. We are thrilled to continually be the go-to lunch spot and event catering company for the residents of Tampa and look forward to bringing our undeniably unique dining experience to more communities throughout our hometown. The Chicken Salad Chick concept was established in 2008 by founder, Stacy Brown. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu offers a variety of options suitable for any guest. In 2015, Eagle Merchant Partners purchased a majority stake in Chicken Salad Chick, and under the leadership of CEO Scott Deviney and team, the company now has 118 restaurants currently open in 13 states and remains a standout brand within the fast casual segment. Chicken Salad Chick in South Tampa will be open Monday - Saturday from 10:30a.m. - 8:30p.m. For more information, visit http://www.chickensaladchick.com or call 813-515-5600. Follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends. *Eligible winners must be over 16 years of age, purchase a Chick Special or Chick Trio and are required to download the Craving Credits app. Redemption will start 5/27. ** Eligible winners must be over 16 years of age, purchase a Chick Special or Chick Trio and are required to download the Craving Credits app. 10 winners will be announced on Facebook at the end of the day and will receive a free large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month for a year. ***Eligible winners must be over 16 years of age and are required to download the Craving Credits app. Redemption will start 5/27. ****Eligible winners must be over 16 years of age, purchase a Chick Special or Chick Trio and are required to download the Craving Credits app. Supplies of each item are limited and will be given away in order of number in line. Limit one item per guest per purchase. For more information on giveaways and specials, visit https://www.facebook.com/chickensaladchicksouthtampa/ About Chicken Salad Chick Founded in Auburn, Alabama, in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu is a perfect fit for any guest. Today, the brand has 118 restaurants in 13 states and is continuing its rapid expansion with both franchise and company locations. Chicken Salad Chick has received numerous accolades including rankings in Franchise Times' Fast & Serious in 2019, Fast Casual.com's top Movers and Shakers, Nation's Restaurant News' Next 20 in 2017 and Inc.'s list of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. in 2016. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information. Media Contact: Shana Rosenthal Fish Consulting 954-893-9150 srosenthal@fish-consulting.com SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Sleep Inn Encourages Travelers To Explore America's National Parks With 'Inspired By Nature' Sweepstakes ROCKVILLE, Md., May 13, 2019 // PRNewswire // - The Sleep Inn brand, known for its convenient, reliable locations and nature-inspired design, is giving one lucky adventure seeker and their guest the chance to experience one of four spectacular U.S. national parks as part of the Inspired by Nature Sweepstakes. No purchase is necessary; to enter, participants must submit an entry at www.SleepInnSweeps.com between May 13 and July 8. The winner will be selected on July 9. "Exploring national parks is a favorite American pastime that never goes out of style - just like the timeless, nature-inspired design Sleep Inn guests know and love," said Anne Smith, vice president of brand management, design and compliance, Choice Hotels. "Sleep Inn hotels are located near popular destinations throughout the country, including several national parks, and feature soothing design elements and the complimentary amenities guests desire most during travel. We're pleased to introduce this sweepstakes and look forward to helping one lucky winner find the perfect place to dream better after an adventure filled day." The contest's grand prize winner and their guest will receive: * A two-night stay at one of the following Sleep Inn hotels of their choice: Sleep Inn & Suites Moab near Arches National Park in Moab, Utah Sleep Inn near Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Sleep Inn & Suites near Carlsbad Caverns National Park in Carlsbad, N.M. Sleep Inn & Suites Page at Lake Powell near Grand Canyon National Park in North Rim, Ariz. * Roundtrip airfare for two * $250 travel voucher * $500 Visa gift card * Admission to national park for two Please visit www.SleepInnSweeps.com to view the official rules for the Sleep Inn Inspired by Nature Sweepstakes, including full details on eligibility, methods of entry, and the prize. The Sleep Inn brand is franchised by Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest lodging franchisors. For more information about Sleep Inn, please visit www.choicehotels.com/Sleep-Inn. Sleep Inn Dream Better Here Every Sleep Inn hotel offers a simply stylish stay that's designed to help our guests Dream Better Here. You'll find fresh, nature-inspired design elements that are modern but timeless, that create a relaxed and serene environment. An all-new construction brand, every Sleep Inn hotel is built with a specific vision in mindto be a sanctuary for travelers as well as an efficient property to build, operate, and maintain. Franchised by global lodging leader Choice Hotels, Sleep Inn properties boast strong product consistency and an established presence in the midscale hotel segment with more than 550 Sleep Inn properties open or in the pipeline worldwide. All Sleep Inn hotels include free Wi-Fi, a complimentary Morning Medley breakfast buffet with plenty of hot and cold options, swimming pool and/or fitness center. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com/Sleep-Inn. About Choice Hotels Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world. With more than 7,000 hotels, representing nearly 570,000 rooms, in over 40 countries and territories as of March 31, 2019. The Choice family of hotel brands provides business and leisure travelers with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended-stay and economy segments. The award-winning Choice Privileges loyalty program offers members benefits ranging from everyday rewards to exceptional experiences. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com. 2019 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved. Media Contact: Alannah Don Choice Hotels 301.592.5154 Alannah.Don@choicehotels.com SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc. ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus He said that it felt "pretty nice" to be in the first class to take part in National Signing Day. Three students in the group studied cosmetology and took the exam for their state license Tuesday. Two of themMakayla Castro and Cassandra Leegot a bouquet of spring flowers from Robin Fines after they signed letters of intent to work for her at Creative Clippers after graduation. Cassandra said she appreciated the ceremony because some students look down on those who aren't planning on going to college. She said she was interested in working in a hair salon when she was 16, but wasn't certain it was the right place for her until she began working at Creative Clippers and studying cosmetology at SCTC. "In the next five years, I plan to buy the business and take over as manager," she said. Going into a skilled trade doesn't have to exclude college. Local Democratic candidates running for Virginia General Assembly seats are set to speak at a forum this week in Fredericksburg. The forum will be held Wednesday at the Dorothy Hart Community Center, at 408 Canal St. The meeting will start at 7 p.m., according to a release from the Fredericksburg Democratic Committee, which is sponsoring the forum along with the Greater Fredericksburg Young Democrats. Candidates from several districts will take part in the forum: 17th Senate District: Amy Laufer and Ben Hixon; 18th House District: Joshua Cole; 88th House District: Jessica Foster and Kecia Evans. Candidates will respond to questions related to Fredericksburg and the state as a whole, according to the release. The meeting will be livestreamed on the local Democrat committees Facebook page. Staff reports 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. Virginia earned a B grade for having three cellphone distracted driving laws: a cellphone ban for drivers younger than 18; a similar ban for school bus drivers; and a texting ban for all drivers. LetsTalk.com, a website dedicated to finding cellphone deals, produced the report. Eight states earned a grade of A for having four cellphone distracted driving laws. One state, Montana, got an F for having no such laws. Its difficult to gather comprehensive data on distracted driving, but LetsTalk.com pulled available statistics for its report to highlight some telling findings: More than 9 percent of all fatal crashes in the U.S. in 2016 were related to distracted driving. Drivers in their 20s are most likely to be involved in deadly distracted driving crashes. More men are involved in distracted driving crashes than women. The report writers suggest that cellphone laws for drivers have a positive impact on deadly crashes. The report found that states with no cellphone laws for drivers had a higher rate of fatal crashes than those with such laws. Ten people, mostly Colonial Beach residents, were arrested Monday as part of another drug-related roundup focused primarily in Westmoreland County. Westmoreland Sheriff C.O. Balderson dubbed the roundup Operation Spring Cleaning, Part 2. It was the second phase of a 13-month investigation that already resulted in 13 arrests in March. Balderson said a task force that includes the Caroline, King George and Westmoreland sheriffs offices conducted the investigation, along with Virginia State Police and the Naval Criminal Investigative Services. The latest suspects arrested range in age from 19 to 47 and are accused of possessing and distributing a variety of illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and oxycodone. Most of the cases will be resolved in Westmoreland Circuit Court. Arrested Monday, all without incident, were Melonie S. Allison, 44; Demetrius T. Byrd, 28; Lisa M. Foster, 43; Michael F. Hall, 34; Eric V. Landis II, 22; Josh G. Reese, 47; and Justin L. Williams, 27; all of Colonial Beach; Timothy B. Seward, 35, of Warsaw; Melvin H. Saunders Jr., 31, of King George and Malique A. Smith, 19. Smith, Seward and Reese were already in jail on other charges. 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. There is much that can be learned from Georgia - Werner Liepach - GeorgianJournal NASA lunar 'gateway' space station to see major development soon News oi-Vishal Kawadkar NASA's ambition of going back to the Moon saw a major development this year when the space agency awarded its first contract for the Lunar 'gateway' programme. The Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway will be a base in the Moon's orbit for studying deep-space environment. It will also serve as a station for astronauts going on a mission to Mars. The first stage of development will include power and propulsion elements early next year, which will be followed by habitation components, said Associate Administrator William Gerstenmaier at the Space Symposium conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The mission is slated to start in 2022. The platform will orbit the Earth's natural satellite in 2025, confirmed Gerstenmair. It will carry four-astronaut crew on a 30-day mission, he said. The gateway will allow astronomers to determine whether water exists near the surface which can be used for propellant for deep-space missions. The Moon's gravity will also help the spacecraft reduce its speeds for a six-month mission to Mars. "We want to understand orbital mechanics around the moon" a little better, far from the Earth's deep gravity well, said Gerstenmair. "Doing things in this region, where gravity isn't such a big driver ... is a different way of operating." NASA has already announced that the trips to the gateway will be on the Orion spacecraft built by Lockheed Martin, and the service module supplied by the European Space Agency (ESA). The spacecraft will take its first flight next year. "It's got fiscal realism, and it's also adaptable. It can adapt to commercial partners. It's not a rigid programme of one mission following another. As long as we view the moon as a stepping stone and not an end goal, I think we're OK," said Gerstenmair. Recently, NASA also revealed how water is released on the Moon during meteor showers. The new study could come in handy during future explorations. The space agency gathered the data using Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) - a robotic mission which orbited the Moon from October 2013 to April 2014. 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 Yemen's Ansarullah urges UN to press ex-govt. to withdraw forces from key ports Iran Press TV Sat May 11, 2019 06:27PM Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement has urged the United Nations and its Security Council to pressure Yemen's Saudi-backed former government to pull out its forces from the city of Hudaydah and two other Red Sea ports after Houthi fighters unilaterally began withdrawing from two of the ports according to a UN-brokered agreement. The movement's spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam on Saturday strongly called on the UN and the UNSC to "prove, even once," their "credibility on the ground" by pressuring the so-called government, led by Yemen's ex-president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, to pull out its forces from the key ports of Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Isa. The movement, which has been significantly helping the Yemeni army against a Saudi-led military coalition for the past four years, signed a UN-brokered truce deal with Hadi's so-called government in the Swedish capital of Stockholm on December 13. According to the agreement, Houthi fighters, who are in control of the three port cities, and Hadi's militia, who have laid a tight siege on Hudaydah since June 2018, must withdraw their forces from the ports, particularly from Hudaydah, through whose docks more than 70 percent of Yemen's imports used to pass. On Friday, Lt. Gen. Michael Lollesgaard, who heads the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC), a UN mission to monitor the deal, said that Houthis would make an "initial unilateral redeployment" of their forces from the three key ports between May 11 and May 14. Later on Saturday, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of Yemen's Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said that Houthi fighters began withdrawing from Salif and Ras Isa ports in Hudaydah province. However, al-Hasan Taher, the so-called governor of Hudaydah province and an ally of Hadi, claimed hours later that Houthis' withdrawal from the port cities were "fake" and the process were allegedly "were merely reshuffling personnel." His comments came a day after Hadi's information minister said that the report on the Houthis' redeployment offer "is inaccurate and misleading." He claimed that the reported redeployment offer was "unacceptable" because a required joint monitoring and verification mechanism as stipulated in the December pact was not foreseen in the UN's Friday arrangement. Abdulsalam's statement on Saturday is considered as a response to both Hadi's officials and also to denounce Hadi's refusal to pull out his forces from the key ports according to the truce deal. "We stress the need for the United Nations to pressure the aggressor to take similar steps to contribute to the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement and the achievement of peace," he said, adding, "The redeployment step comes at a time when the Alliance of Aggression continues to postpone and obstruct the implementation of its commitments with a view to thwarting" the peace deal. Leading a coalition of its allies, Saudi Arabia invaded Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall Hadi, who had resigned amid popular discontent and fled to Riyadh, and to crush the Houthis. The imposed war initially consisted of an aerial campaign, but was later coupled with a naval blockade and the deployment of ground mercenaries to Yemen. Furthermore, armed militia forces loyal to Hadi, in line with invaders, launch frequent attacks against Yemeni people in regions held by Houthis. The aggression is estimated to have left 56,000 Yemenis dead. The Saudi-led war has also taken a heavy toll on the country's infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools, and factories. The UN has said that a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in dire need of food, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger. According to the world body, Yemen is suffering from the most severe famine in more than 100 years. A number of Western countries, the US, France, and Britain in particular, are also accused of being complicit in the ongoing aggression as they supply the Riyadh regime with advanced weapons and military equipment as well as logistical and intelligence assistance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fresh Saudi airstrikes claim lives of seven Yemenis Iran Press TV Sat May 11, 2019 03:10PM At least seven people, including women and children, have been killed after Saudi-led warplanes carried out airstrikes against an area in Yemen's southwestern province of Dhale. Yemeni Ministry of Public Health and Population said 17 others sustained injuries when Saudi fighter jets conducted aerial assaults against Qatabah district on Saturday. Yemen's al-Masirah television network said six children and a woman were among the killed, while the injured included 11 children, five women and an elderly man. Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the goal of bringing the government of former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi back to power and crushing the Houthi Ansarullah movement. According to a December 2018 report by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit conflict-research organization, the Saudi-led war has claimed the lives of over 60,000 Yemenis since January 2016. France, the United States, Britain and some other Western countries have faced criticisms over arms sales to the Saudi regime and its allies, whose aggression against Yemen has affected 28 million people and caused what the United Nations calls "one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world." In the latest protests against the arms exports, French human rights protesters held demonstrations on Thursday in a bid to block the loading of weapons onto a Saudi vessel that was due to dock in northern France later in the day. On Friday, the spokesman for Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement fiercely slammed the French government for supplying Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with weapons that have been used in their war on Yemen. Describing Paris' move as "a clear hypocrisy to evade crimes", Mohammed Abdul-Salam called on France and other countries to stop selling weapons to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have been involved in an atrocious military aggression against Yemen for more than four years. Meanwhile, the Saudi cargo ship Bahri-Yanbu, which reports said had not been able to load weapons due to protests, has reportedly picked up a shipment of French arms from Le Havre port in the Normandy region of northwestern France and will be headed to the Saudi port city of Jeddah. Last weekend, the ship had been loaded with weapons in the Belgian port city of Antwerp, where it berthed from Friday evening to Sunday evening last week, the Brussels Times reported. The protests came weeks after investigative website Disclose published leaked documents, showing Saudi Arabia was using French weapons, including tanks and laser-guided missile systems, against civilians in Yemen's war. Faced with growing criticism, French President Emmanuel Macron admitted that the weapons were indeed being used in the war but only within Saudi Arabia's border. "I would like to say here that what we reiterated was the guarantee for them (the arms) not be used against civilian populations," he said. Paris is a signatory of the UN Arms Trade Treaty, which oversees the international trade of conventional weapons. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US missile systems in Japan pose direct threat to Russia: Russian FM Iran Press TV Sat May 11, 2019 10:20AM Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has blasted persisting US military buildup in Japan, saying Moscow views as a direct "threat" the American missile defense systems deployed to the Asian country. The Russian top diplomat made the remarks following a meeting in Moscow with his visiting Japanese counterpart Taro Kono on Friday. "We've yet again drew attention to certain actions of Washington, including the deployment of the global missile defense systems' elements to Japan, bolstering of its military presence in the region and activities in the arms control sphere, where the US is demolishing all the existing agreements," Lavrov said. "We perceive such actions as a threat for our country." Russia has in the past argued that the missile systems can double function as attack weapons and fire nuclear-tipped missiles at Russian targets. Moscow also fears that Washington would use the system's powerful radars to gather intelligence from Russian territories. The high-profile meeting came as Russia-Japan bilateral ties face several challenges, including major disagreements over signing a formal peace treaty after the end of World War II. Moscow and Tokyo never signed an official peace treaty following the war, leaving Japan with unresolved territorial claims on four Russian Kuril Islands. Back then, the islands of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai known in Japan as the 'Northern Territories' were handed over to the former Soviet Union under the 1945 Potsdam Declaration. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed last year to resume discussions of a peace treaty -- based on the 1956 declaration signed the former USSR and Japan -- that envisioned potential handing over of island of Shikotan and islets of Habomai to Japan. According to the 2018 discussions, any territorial exchanges would only be possible after inking a peace treaty. Tokyo, however, insists on first solving the territorial dispute, preferably with Moscow handing over all the disputed territories. "The joint declaration was adopted under particular historical and geopolitical circumstances. Since then, the situation has changed drastically. We have to consider the active security treaty between Japan and the US," Lavrov explained after his meeting with Kono on Friday. He further pointed out that despite the outstanding "differences," Moscow want to resume negotiations. However, he added, any agreement must "fully reflect interests of our two countries and should be unambiguously accepted by the two nations." "Such task is not an easy one. Obviously it can be achieved only through continuous, meticulous and creative work," the top Russian diplomat also underlined. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 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 Nigerian pro-government militia force sets free 900 child recruits Iran Press TV Sat May 11, 2019 08:26AM Nigerian militias battling Daesh-linked Boko Haram terrorist group have freed some 900 child recruits from its ranks, United Nations children's agency UNICEF has announced. The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) freed 894 children, who were aged between 13 and 19 and had been recruited back in 2017, at a ceremony in the northeastern town of Maiduguri on Friday, news agencies reported. "[This] is a step in the right direction for the protection of children's rights and must be recognized and encouraged," said UNICEF's director of its Nigeria branch, Mohamed Fall, following the release ceremony. "Children of northeast Nigeria have borne the brunt of this conflict. They have been used by armed groups in combatant and non-combatant roles and witnessed death, killing and violence," he added. UNICEF Nigeria's Kusali Nellie Kubwalo said children who had been separated from their families will be reunited from Saturday, adding that they will also be offered support to get education and training. "There's an assessment to see what support can be given whether they want to go back to school, so we can link them to the right school," she noted. Over 1,700 children have so far been released by the militia group, which works closely with the Nigerian military to battle Boko Haram. Last October, 833 children were released by the CJTF, whose commitment and efforts received praise when it signed the agreement in September 2017, after a year of negotiations with the UN. The CJTF was established mainly from vigilante groups in response to Boko Haram's terror campaign. The militant group has been credited with protecting communities in areas poorly guarded by the Nigerian armed forces. However, it has also been accused of rape and human rights violations by such bodies as Human Rights Watch. The UN's 2018 annual report on children and armed conflict found that 1,092 children, most of them boys (738), were recruited and used by armed groups in 2017. It singled out Boko Haram, which has been censured for its use of kids as suicide bombers, as the top perpetrator. According to UNICEF, non-state armed groups involved in the decade-long conflict against Boko Haram recruited more than 3,500 children between 2013 and 2017 in northeastern Nigeria. The UN warned in January about growing violence by Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria's northeast. It said more than 30,000 people mostly women and children had fled their homes in the conflict-ridden area over the past weeks. Boko Haram's nine-year insurgency is estimated to have killed more than 27,000 people and forced 1.8 million others to flee their homes. In 2015, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Houthis begin unilateral withdrawal from Hudaydah ports Iran Press TV Sat May 11, 2019 07:53AM Yemen's Houthi forces have started unilateral withdrawal from Saleef and Ras Isa ports in Hudaydah province under a United Nations-sponsored peace deal, a news agency says. Reuters quoted witnesses as saying Saturday that UN teams were overseeing the withdrawal, breathing a fresh lease of life into the peace deal which had been stalled for months. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of Yemen's Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said in Twitter post earlier Saturday that the withdrawal would begin at 10 a.m. local time (0700 GMT). He said the intention to unilaterally redeploy from the ports was due to the Saudi coalition's refusal to implement the truce agreement reached between Yemen's warring sides in Stockholm last December. Under the deal, representatives from the Houthis and Yemen's Saudi-backed former government agreed to withdraw their troops from Hudaydah's main port and two other nearby ports, as well as Hudaydah city and allow deployment of UN monitors. Yemen faces a humanitarian catastrophe amid a Saudi war and blockade which does not allow the country to import and distribute vital food, fuel and medicines. Al-Houthi said he holds the UN responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen because of its failure to put an end to the blockade, the closure of Sana'a airport and disruption of salary payments. On Friday, the UN's Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) said the Houthis would make an "initial unilateral redeployment" between May 11 and May 14 from three Yemeni ports. The redeployment, it said, should allow the UN to take "a leading role in supporting the Red Sea Ports Corporation in managing the ports" and to enhance checks on cargoes. The process, it emphasized, must be followed by "the committed, transparent and sustained actions of the parties to fully deliver on their obligations." In Stockholm, it was hoped that the redeployment would take place in January, but its implementation has repeatedly been stalled due to a lack of trust between the rival parties. Yemen's former information minister Moammar al-Eryani said on Friday the Houthis' redeployment offer was "misleading" and unacceptable if it did not allow for "joint monitoring and verification". Hudaydah, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis, has seen some of the heaviest fighting in the four-year Saudi aggression against the impoverished nation. Saudi Arabia and the UAE launched the Hudaydah offensive in June 2018, but they have faced strong resistance put up by Yemeni armed forces led by the Houthis -- and the city's residents. The Saudi-led coalition claims that the Houthis are using the port city for weapons delivery, an allegation the fighters reject. Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched the war on Yemen in March 2015 with the aim of crushing the Houthis and bringing the Riyadh-backed former regime back to power. They have failed to achieve either of the objectives. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Venezuela's former intel chief was 'CIA mole' seeking to orchestrate coup: Maduro Iran Press TV Sat May 11, 2019 06:43AM Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says his former intelligence chief, who joined opposition figure Juan Guaido during a recent coup attempt, was a "mole" recruited by the CIA to overthrow his government. "He was captured by the CIA a year ago and was working as a traitor, mole and infiltrator," Maduro said of Chief General Christopher Figuera, who was sent to a military prison in the capital Caracas on Friday. Maduro said the general was "the one who orchestrated the coup d'etat" by contacting a small group of armed troops to join pro-Guaido protests on April 30. During that day, a small group of army defectors accompanying Guaido clashed with Venezuelan army at the anti-government rally, in an attempted coup. More than 100 people were reportedly injured as a result of the violence. The putsch quickly petered out, however, and some 25 renegade soldiers sought refuge at the Brazilian Embassy in Caracas. Maduro said that Figuera was going to be fired and arrested on April 30, and that was what apparently prompted him to set the coup in motion. The president said that he had been warned by his top defense and intelligence officials about Figuera's "strange behavior." Washington rewarded Figuera's defection earlier this week by removing him from its sanctions list. The developments came after Vice President Mike Pence offered incentives to the Venezuelan military personnel to entice them to defect and join the opposition as part of a pressure campaign to push Maduro out of power. The US has blacklisted more than 150 Venezuelan officials and businesses tied to President Maduro. Guaio's deputy imprisoned over coup attempt Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela's head of the Constituent Assembly, said Friday authorities had arrested Edgar Zambrano, vice-president of the National Assembly and the deputy to Guaido, transferring him to the headquarters of the military police Fort Tiuna, in Caracas. "Edgar Zambrano has been detained. He was one of the main leaders of the coup," said Cabello. Zambrano was arrested on Wednesday, as part of a move to bring to justice accomplices to the failed coup attempt. The Supreme Court also ordered the Constituent Assembly to strip seven lawmakers of their parliamentary immunity after they were found guilty of high treason and conspiracy by supporting the coup attempt. One of the charged lawmakers, Luis Florido, said in a video on Friday that he had fled to neighboring Colombia. Three others Richard Blanco, Mariela Magallanes and Americo De Grazia have sought refuge in the Argentine and Italian embassies in Caracas. US, EU denounce arrests The United States, European Union and several Latin American states, who all recognize Guaido as the president of Venezuela, have since criticized Zambrano's arrest. Washington called the detention "illegal and inexcusable," on the Twitter account of its now-closed embassy in Caracas, warning of "consequences" if he is not immediately released. US President Donald Trump also reacted to the arrests, calling them "terrible abuses by Maduro." Trump has repeatedly threatened Venezuela with military action. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN says Yemen's Houthis agreed to begin Hudaydah withdrawal Iran Press TV Sat May 11, 2019 01:02AM The United Nations says Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement has agreed to unilaterally pull out its forces from three key ports over the next four days, a necessary step for the implementation of a ceasefire deal the warring sides reached in Sweden in December. Lt. Gen. Michael Lollesgaard, who heads the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC), a UN mission to monitor the deal, said in a statement on Friday that the movement would make an "initial unilateral redeployment" of its forces from Yemen's three key ports of Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Isa between May 11 and May 14. The movement, which has been significantly helping the Yemeni army against a Saudi-led military coalition for the past four years, and the country's former Saudi-backed government, led by ex-president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, signed a UN-brokered truce deal in Stockholm on December 13. More than 70 percent of Yemen's imports used to pass through the docks of Hudaydah, a lifeline for the war-ravaged country's crippled economy. However, since June last year, forces of the United Arab Emirates, a significant ally of Saudi Arabia in its war against Yemen, and Hadi's militia have laid a tight siege to the city, which is under the control of Houthi fighters. The redeployment of forces from the three port cities is a critical part of the ceasefire deal, aimed at averting a full-scale assault on Hudaydah, but has so far failed to materialize on the ground. The statement said the redeployment must be followed by "the committed, transparent and sustained actions of the parties to fully deliver on their obligations." It also stressed that the redeployment of forces should allow the UN to take "a leading role in supporting the Red Sea Ports Corporation in managing the ports" and to increase UN checks on cargoes. Following the UN statement, the ex-president's information minister said in a twitter post that the report on the Houthis' redeployment offer "is inaccurate and misleading." He claimed that the reported redeployment offer was "unacceptable" because a required joint monitoring and verification mechanism as stipulated in the December pact was not foreseen in the UN's Friday arrangement. No response has been released yet either from the RCC or the Houthi Ansarullah movement, which has repeatedly complained about Saudi Arabia's repeated violation of the ceasefire in Hudaydah. Leading a coalition of its allies, Saudi Arabia invaded Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall Hadi, who had resigned amid popular discontent and fled to Riyadh, and to crush the Houthis. The imposed war initially consisted of an aerial campaign, but was later coupled with a naval blockade and the deployment of ground mercenaries to Yemen. Furthermore, armed militia forces loyal to Hadi, in line with invaders, launch frequent attacks against Yemeni people in regions held by Houthis. The aggression is estimated to have left 56,000 Yemenis dead. The Saudi-led war has also taken a heavy toll on the country's infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools, and factories. The UN has said that a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in dire need of food, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger. According to the world body, Yemen is suffering from the most severe famine in more than 100 years. A number of Western countries, the US and Britain in particular, are also accused of being complicit in the ongoing aggression as they supply the Riyadh regime with advanced weapons and military equipment as well as logistical and intelligence assistance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian-Backed Huthi Rebels Start Withdrawal From Yemeni Port Facilities By RFE/RL May 11, 2019 Reports from western Yemen say Iranian-backed Huthi rebels have begun withdrawing from two of the three Red Sea port facilities they've vowed to evacuate under a peace deal negotiated in Stockholm in December. The Yemeni government, however, accused the rebels of "staging a new ploy" by faking the withdrawal. Provincial Governor Al-Hasan Taher told AFP the rebels were handing the ports "to themselves without any monitoring by the United Nations and the government side." The United Nations on May 11 said it was monitoring the withdrawal from the Red Sea port facilities of Saleef and Ras Isa, which they have held since 2014. The UN monitors plan to report to the Security Council about the situation on May 15. The UN says the Huthi rebels announced late on May 10 that they would unilaterally redeploy their forces out of three Red Sea port facilities over four days beginning on May 11 potentially opening the way for the delivery of humanitarian aid needed to prevent a famine that threatens millions of people. Under the redeployment pledge, Huthi militants said they also would move out of Yemen's main Red Sea ports of Hodeidah by the end of the day on May 14. The head of the UN's Redeployment Coordination Committee called the pledge "the first practical step on the ground" since the conclusion of the Stockholm agreement. Under that agreement, pro-government forces in Yemen also are expected to leave positions around the outskirts of Hodeidah during the initial redeployment before a second phase in which both sides withdraw their troops further. But the UN's statement did not specifically mention any reciprocal redeployment by the pro-government forces, which have the support of a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The coalition alleges that the Huthis have been using Hodeidah, Yemen's principal Red Sea port, as a landing point to smuggle weapons supplied by Iran. The Huthis deny those charges. The UN committee's chairman, Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard of Denmark, said the Huthi redeployment must be followed by "the committed, transparent, and sustained actions of the parties to fully deliver on their obligations." With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and BBC Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iranian-backed- huthi-rebels-say-they-ll-pull-out-of-three- yemeni-ports-by-may-14/29934584.html Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Bolstering Force In Persian Gulf, Sends Patriot Missiles To Region With Eye On Iran By RFE/RL May 11, 2019 Reports from western Yemen say Iranian-backed Huthi rebels have begun withdrawing from two of the three Red Sea port facilities they've vowed to evacuate under a peace deal negotiated in Stockholm in December. The Yemeni government, however, accused the rebels of "staging a new ploy" by faking the withdrawal. Provincial Governor Al-Hasan Taher told AFP the rebels were handing the ports "to themselves without any monitoring by the United Nations and the government side." The United Nations on May 11 said it was monitoring the withdrawal from the Red Sea port facilities of Saleef and Ras Isa, which they have held since 2014. The UN monitors plan to report to the Security Council about the situation on May 15. The UN says the Huthi rebels announced late on May 10 that they would unilaterally redeploy their forces out of three Red Sea port facilities over four days beginning on May 11 potentially opening the way for the delivery of humanitarian aid needed to prevent a famine that threatens millions of people. Under the redeployment pledge, Huthi militants said they also would move out of Yemen's main Red Sea ports of Hodeidah by the end of the day on May 14. The head of the UN's Redeployment Coordination Committee called the pledge "the first practical step on the ground" since the conclusion of the Stockholm agreement. Under that agreement, pro-government forces in Yemen also are expected to leave positions around the outskirts of Hodeidah during the initial redeployment before a second phase in which both sides withdraw their troops further. But the UN's statement did not specifically mention any reciprocal redeployment by the pro-government forces, which have the support of a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The coalition alleges that the Huthis have been using Hodeidah, Yemen's principal Red Sea port, as a landing point to smuggle weapons supplied by Iran. The Huthis deny those charges. The UN committee's chairman, Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard of Denmark, said the Huthi redeployment must be followed by "the committed, transparent, and sustained actions of the parties to fully deliver on their obligations." The United States is bolstering its military presence in the Persian Gulf and Middle East, deploying an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to counter what Washington sees as a growing threat from Iran. The Pentagon announcement on May 10 is the latest in a series of moves and countermoves by the United States and Iran as tensions between the nations intensify. Washington has imposed a series of sanctions on Iranian oil and metal exports to increase pressure on Tehran to give up what it calls "malign" activities, such as attempting to develop nuclear weapons and financing militant activity in the region. Tehran denies the claims. The Pentagon said the USS Arlington amphibious assault ship will join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a B-52 bomber task force already headed toward the Gulf after U.S. intelligence reports suggested Iran was planning an attack of some type in the region. The USS Arlington transports marines, amphibious vehicles, landing craft, and rotary aircraft. The U.S. Air Force confirmed late on May 9 that the B-52 bombers sent to the Gulf to counter unspecified threats from Iran had arrived at a major U.S. air base in Qatar. The Pentagon said the deployments were "in response to indications of heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against U.S. forces and our interests." "The Department of Defense continues to closely monitor the activities of the Iranian regime, their military, and proxies," it said. "The United States does not seek conflict with Iran, but we are postured and ready to defend U.S. forces and interests in the region." On May 9, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Iran that "our restraint to this point should not be mistaken by Iran for a lack of resolve." "The regime in Tehran should understand that any attacks by them or their proxies of any identity against U.S. interests or citizens will be answered with a swift and decisive U.S. response," Pompeo said. The Patriot, a long-range, all-weather air-defense system designed to counter tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and advanced aircraft, will be sent to an undisclosed location. The U.S. military removed Patriot missile batteries from Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan late in 2018, but it was not clear if the latest deployment would be to one of those U.S. allies in the region. The activity comes on and around the first anniversary of Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimpose tough economic sanctions. Trump has said the deal -- under which Iran agreed to restrict its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief -- was "fatally flawed" because it did not address Iran's missile program or Tehran's alleged support for terrorist organizations. Despite the rising tensions, Trump on May 9 said he was open to talks with Tehran's leadership. "What I would like to see with Iran, I would like to see them call me," Trump told reporters. "We don't want them to have nuclear weapons -- not much to ask," he said. However, a senior commander of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on May 10 said Tehran will not hold talks with the United States. IRGC deputy head Yadollah Javani was quoted by the hard-line Tasnim news agency as saying, "There will be no negotiations with America." With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-bolsters -persian-gulf-force-sends-patriot-missiles- to-counter-iran/29934441.html Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US May Send Aircraft Carrier Into Strait of Hormuz as Tensions High - Commander Sputnik News 13:20 11.05.2019 The commander's remark comes as the Pentagon deployed more warships and Patriot interceptors to the US Central Command region, a move that followed National Security Adviser John Bolton announcing the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the region to contain what Washington sees as a threat from Iran. Speaking to Reuters, Vice Admiral Jim Malloy, commander of the US Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet, said that he does not rule out sending the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the strategic Strait of Hormuz despite Washington's tensions with Iran. "If I need to bring it inside the strait, I will do so. I'm not restricted in any way, I'm not challenged in any way, to operate her anywhere in the Middle East", Malloy asserted. Referring to US intelligence signalling Tehran's alleged preparations to stage attacks against American forces, Malloy said that the intelligence was linked "with actual activity that we observed". The statement came as acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan ordered the deployment of the USS Arlington, a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock and more MIM-104 Patriot missile defence systems to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the command division covering US forces in southwest Asia and northeastern Africa. The deployment follows National Security Adviser John Bolton's announcement late last week that the US was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force near Iran, in "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". He also emphasised that Washington was not "seeking war" with Iran, but that it is fully prepared "to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces". Tehran, for its part, rejected allegations that it poses a threat to the US as "fake intelligence". Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) spokesman Keivan Khosravi described Bolton's statement as "a clumsy use of an out-of-date event for psychological warfare". Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in turn, said that members of the Trump administration, including Bolton, were dragging Washington into a conflict with Tehran. Separately, he said that if the US wants to enter the Strait of Hormuz, it will have to talk to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) forces protecting it. Earlier, the US officially blacklisted the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organisation, prodding Iran to respond in kind. Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz if the US attempts to block Iranian oil exports. As for Vice Admiral Malloy's statement, it comes against the backdrop of growing tensions between Tehran and Washington, sparked by Trump's decision on Wednesday to impose sanctions on Iran's iron, steel, aluminium and copper sectors. Earlier that day, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani notified Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signatory states that Tehran would give them 60 days to return to the negotiating table and ensure that Iran's interests are protected under the agreement, also known as the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Rouhani warned that otherwise Tehran would resume higher uranium enrichment, stressing at the same time that Iran has no intention to withdraw from the JCPOA completely. On 8 May 2018, Trump announced the US' exit from the JCPOA, also reinstating anti-Iranian sanctions, including secondary measures against companies and financial institutions that do business with the Islamic Republic. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ex-Venezuela Intel Chief Claims Trump Said 'No' to His Request to Lift Sanctions Sputnik News 11:11 11.05.2019(updated 11:15 11.05.2019) This comes as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed on Saturday that the country's former intelligence chief Cristopher Figuera "was captured by the CIA a year ago and was working as a traitor, mole and infiltrator". Venezuela's former national intelligence service (SEBIN) chief Gen. Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera has claimed that US President Donald Trump said "no" to his request to scrap sanctions against the South American country. "I asked President Donald Trump to lift sanctions on our country and he said that he would as soon as there was another administration in charge in our country because the current one would continue to steal our resources and continue the suffering of our society", Figuera argued in a video released on Friday. He added that it was "one of [his] detractors" who asked him to call on Washington to annul sanctions against Venezuela. "I sacrificed everything []. Those who know me in sports, academics, the military, and family spheres know [] my head-on struggle with the revolution and against injustice", Figuera said, referring to the Bolivarian socialist political changes that characterised the administrations of Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez. The remarks come as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro slammed Fuguera as "a traitor," claiming that the former SEBIN chief helped plan the 30 April coup attempt. Maduro also argued that Figuera "was captured by the CIA a year ago and was working as a mole and infiltrator". This followed US Vice President Mike Pence saying on Wednesday that the White House had lifted all sanctions on Figuera after he broke ranks with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro last week to support the country's opposition leader Juan Guaido. Tensions in Venezuela exacerbated further on 30 April, when Guaido urged Venezuelan civilians and servicemen to take to the streets to help depose the government of President Nicolas Maduro, who in turn said that the commanders of all regions had reiterated their full loyalty to the people, constitution and their homeland. The government then announced that the botched coup attempt, which had turned violent, led to about 240 people being injured, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department has slapped sanctions on two transport companies involved in oil trade between Caracas and Havana, as well as threatened the Venezuelan military and security services with sanctions over their continuous support for President Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration imposed several rounds of sanctions against Venezuela after US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido illegally declared himself interim president in late January, in a move that prompted the political standoff in the South American country. In addition, after immediately recognising Guaido, Washington seized billions of dollars' worth of Venezuelan oil assets. It was reported that the total damages from sanctions against Venezuela have already exceeded 100 billion dollars. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Latvia Sign Five-Year Defence Cooperation Roadmap - Pentagon Sputnik News 02:40 11.05.2019 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States and Latvia signed a five-year defence cooperation strategic roadmap during Friday's meeting between Acting US Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan and Latvian Minister of Defence Artis Pabriks in Washington, Pentagon Spokesperson Charles Summers said in a media readout on Friday. "During the visit, US and Latvian defence officials signed a five-year Defence Cooperation Strategic Roadmap", Summers said. The roadmap identifies specific security cooperation priorities that both countries agreed to focus on over the next five years, the readout said. Latvia has become the second Baltic country after Lithuania to sign such an agreement this year. Shanahan and Pabriks discussed a broad range of defence issues during their meeting, including efforts to improve interoperability and regional command and control measures, the Pentagon said. Latvia, as well as two other Baltic countries Lithuania and Estonia joined NATO in 2004. NATO has deployed four multinational battlegroups to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland as part of a military buildup in response to tensions with Russia that surfaced after a 2014 referendum in which Crimea's residents overwhelmingly voted to rejoin Russia. Tensions between NATO and Russia have been high due to the alliance's increased military maneuvers in Europe, specifically near Russia's borders. NATO has been explaining its enhanced activities by the need to counteract a security threat allegedly posed by Russia. Russia has maintained that NATO's fears are unfounded. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address French Military Frees Foreign Hostages from Burkina Faso By VOA News May 11, 2019 French special forces have rescued four foreign hostages from Burkina Faso but lost two of their elite soldiers in the mission. France's military said the special forces carried out the raid during a predawn operation Friday, supported by U.S. intelligence. President Emmanuel Macron's office said all four hostages were safe. Two of the hostages are French, one is American and one is South Korean. French Defense Minister Florence Parly told a news conference Friday that no one involved in the operation knew about the presence of the American and South Korean hostages, only the French ones. A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department said the United States was grateful for the successful recovery of the hostages. The two French tourists went missing last week during a visit to the Pendjari National Park wildlife reserve in Benin. Their guide was later found dead and their captors were tracked to neighboring Burkina Faso. Macron expressed condolences in a Friday statement over the deaths of two French commandos who were killed during the operation. A military ceremony is planned for them next week. France's army chief Francois Lecointre told reporters that four kidnappers were killed in the operation and two escaped. He described the kidnappers as "terrorists." France has about 4,500 troops in Africa's Sahel region to help local governments fight Islamist extremists. The region has seen an increase in violence by militants linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State in recent years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address It is the second reported case in recent weeks that involved charges for making reference to the Pratt shooting. An Aurora man pleaded guilty last month to making remarks at his West Galena Boulevard workplace on March 12 that he would commit a shooting like the one at Henry Pratt Co. Alarmed co-workers called police, who arrested the man. Venezuela's Guaido Calls for Contact With US Military By VOA News May 11, 2019 Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido told his supporters Saturday at a rally in Caracas that he had instructed his ambassador to the U.S. to contact the U.S. military to pressure President Nicolas Maduro to step down from his post. Guaido spoke to demonstrating crowds in the Alfredo Sadel Plaza in Las Mercedes, a commercial district in Caracas. He spoke a day after a Venezuelan court ordered Edgar Zambrano, vice president of Guaido's opposition-controlled National Assembly, to be held at a military facility. Zambrano,who was arrested earlier in the week, and nine other opposition leaders are under investigation in connection with a failed military insurrection. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for Zambrano's immediate release, saying his arrest "is an attack on the independence of the nation's democratically elected legislative branch." Shippers sanctioned Meanwhile, the United States has placed sanctions on two shipping companies for transporting Venezuelan oil to Cuba. The U.S. Treasury Department said Friday that it had targeted Marshall Islands-based Monsoon Navigation Corp. and Serenity Maritime Ltd., headquartered in Liberia. The agency said the companies owned ships that were involved in oil transfers to Cuba, which the U.S. has accused of providing military support to Maduro. The Treasury Department said the vessels delivered oil to Cuba from late 2018 through March. The U.S. and some 50 other countries support Guaido, who declared himself interim president in January on the claim that Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate. Maduro has called Guaido a puppet of the U.S. Maduro has held on to power with the support of Cuba, Russia and China. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN confirms Houthis withdrawing from ports in Yemen's Hudaydah as planned Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 06:01PM The United Nations says the withdrawal of Houthi forces from key ports of Yemen's western province of Hudaydah is proceeding "in accordance with established plans" for a second day, as the Saud-backed former government still refuses to pull out its besieging forces from Hudaydah in line with an accord the two sides reached in Sweden last year. Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement is in control of key ports of Salif and Ras Isa and Hudaydah, which have been under a tight siege by country's former Saudi-backed government, led by ex-president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, since June last year. More than 70 percent of Yemen's imports used to pass through the docks of Hudaydah, a lifeline for the war-ravaged country's crippled economy. Salif was used for unloading all main types of grain and Ras Isa, a vital oil terminal, used for exporting Ma'rib light crude's oil. The lengthy siege pushed tens of thousands of people in Yemen to the verge of starvation and crippled the country's economy. In an attempt to prevent the humanitarian situation from further deterioration and to avert a full-scale assault by the Saudi-led coalition on the ports, Houthis signed a UN-brokered agreement with the ex-government in Sweden in last December. The warring sides agreed to withdraw their forces from the ports in a two-stage process, the first phase of which from the Houthi side was unilaterally commenced on Saturday and is due to be completed on Tuesday. "All three ports were monitored simultaneously by United Nations teams as the military forces left the ports and the Coast Guard took over responsibility for security," Lt Gen Michael Lollesgaard, head of the UN Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC), said in a statement on Sunday. In the first stage, Houthis are to draw back five kilometers from the three ports until Tuesday, while forces of the former government, backed by troops of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), currently massed four kilometers from Hudaydah, are to withdraw one kilometer fro, two other flashpoint ports. The latter side has so far firmly refused to retreat according to the agreement and Houthis, who are unilaterally completing the first phase, denounced Hadi's forces for their refusal, prompting Houthi movement's spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam on Saturday to strongly call on the UN and the UN Security Council to press Hadi and the Saudi-led coalition to move in line according the Stockholm agreement. "We stress the need for the United Nations to pressure the aggressor to take similar steps to contribute to the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement and the achievement of peace," Abdulsalam said, adding, "The redeployment step comes at a time when the Alliance of Aggression continues to postpone and obstruct the implementation of its commitments with a view to thwarting" the peace deal. Leading a coalition of its allies, Saudi Arabia invaded Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall Hadi, who had resigned amid popular discontent and fled to Riyadh, and to crush the Houthi Ansarullah movement, which has been significantly helping the Yemeni army against a Saudi-led military coalition for the past four years. The imposed war initially consisted of an aerial campaign, but was later coupled with a naval blockade and the deployment of ground mercenaries to Yemen. Furthermore, armed militia forces loyal to Hadi, in line with invaders, launch frequent attacks against Yemeni people in regions held by Houthis. The aggression is estimated to have left 56,000 Yemenis dead. The Saudi-led war has also taken a heavy toll on the country's infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools, and factories. The UN has said that a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in dire need of food, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger. According to the world body, Yemen is suffering from the most severe famine in more than 100 years. A number of Western countries, the US, France, and Britain in particular, are also accused of being complicit in the ongoing aggression as they supply the Riyadh regime with advanced weapons and military equipment as well as logistical and intelligence assistance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel demolished 41 Palestinian structures in 2 weeks: UN Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 05:05PM A United Nations (UN) report says Israeli forces destroyed at least 41 Palestinian-owned structures in the occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds and West Bank over the past two weeks alone. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its biweekly Protection of Civilians Report that most of the demolitions had taken place under the pretext that construction had taken place without a "permit," Palestinian Ma'an news agency reported on Sunday. Of the demolitions, 37 were in East Jerusalem and four in the so-called Area C of the West Bank, the report said, adding that the destruction directly displaced 38 homeowners and affected 121 others. On April 29 alone, Israelis authorities destroyed 31 structures in multiple neighborhoods in East Jerusalem al-Quds. On April 25, the Israelis demolished a home in Az-Zawiya Village in the West Bank, displacing a family of seven, including five children, the report said. During the full month of April, a total of 70 structures were demolished in the occupied Palestinian territories by Israeli forces, according to OCHA, displacing at least 70 people including 33 children and affecting a further 313 people. In January, OCHA said Israel's demolition and confiscation of Palestinian-owned structures in the West Bank had soared by 10 percent in 2018. International bodies and rights groups say Israeli demolitions of Palestinian structures in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds are an attempt to uproot Palestinians from their native territory and confiscate more land for the expansion of illegal settlements. Area C, which is under full Israeli control, makes up more than 60 percent of the entire occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities frequently demolish Palestinian buildings and structures in the area, with Bedouin and herding communities being particularly vulnerable to that practice. Israel has been occupying the West Bank, including East al-Quds, since 1967. Ever since, it has been building settlements throughout the land, in a move condemned by the UN and considered illegal under international law. About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Several soldiers killed, injured as Yemenis launch drone strike on Saudi army: Report Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 04:30PM Several Saudi soldiers have been killed and dozens of others sustained injuries when Yemeni army soldiers, backed by allied fighters from Popular Committees, launched an airstrike against a military position in the kingdom's border region of Asir. An unnamed Yemeni military source told Arabic-language al-Masirah television network that Yemeni soldiers and their allies attacked a gathering of Saudi troops in al-Rabu'ah town of the region on Sunday, using a domestically-designed and -manufactured Qasef K2 (Striker K2) combat drone. The source added that several Saudi soldiers were killed in the aerial assault, and dozens of others sustained injuries. Separately, scores of Saudi-sponsored militiamen loyal to Yemen's former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, have been killed and injured when Yemeni soldiers and their allies struck their strongholds in the al-Wazi'iyah and Hayfan districts of the southwestern Yemeni province of Ta'izz. Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the goal of bringing the government of Hadi back to power and crushing the Houthi Ansarullah movement. According to a December 2018 report by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit conflict-research organization, the Saudi-led war has claimed the lives of over 60,000 Yemenis since January 2016. The war has also taken a heavy toll on the country's infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools, and factories. The UN said in a report in December 2018 that over 24 million Yemenis are in dire need of humanitarian aid, including 10 million suffering from extreme levels of hunger. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Guaido calls for 'direct relationship' with US military to remove Maduro Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 07:34AM Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has called for "direct relationship" with the US military in his latest bid to oust the government of President Nicolas Maduro with American help. Guaido said at a Saturday rally in the capital Caracas that he had instructed his envoy in Washington, Carlos Vecchio, to immediately establish ties with Pentagon officials for possible military "cooperation." "We have instructed our ambassador Carlos Vecchio to meet immediately with the Southern Command and its admiral to establish direct relationship for cooperation," Guaido said. "We have said from the beginning that we will use all the resources at our disposal to build pressure." The remarks are regarded as one of Guaido's strongest public pleas for greater US involvement in the Latin American country's fast-escalating economic and political crisis. The Venezuelan opposition leader told an Italian newspaper this week that he would "probably" accept a US military intervention if Washington proposed it. Guaido has repeatedly echoed comments from the US administration that "all options" are on the table for removing Maduro. In a tweet on Thursday, the US Southern Command (SOCOM) said it was prepared to discuss "how we can support the future role" of Venezuelan military leaders who "restore constitutional order" when invited by Guaido. Last Tuesday, a small group of armed troops accompanying Guaido clashed with soldiers at an anti-government rally in Caracas in an attempted coup that soon petered out. More than 100 people were reportedly injured as a result of the violence. The administration of US President Donald Trump, which has recognized a self-proclamation by Guaido as the "interim president" of Venezuela, quickly backed the attempted putsch. Maduro, who has called Guaido a puppet of Washington, announced in a televised speech later in the day that the group of military personnel supporting Guaido had been defeated and 25 renegade soldiers had sought refuge at the Brazilian embassy in Caracas. Most Latin American countries, as well as the European Union, have expressed opposition to a potential military intervention in Venezuela. As part of a pressure campaign to push Maduro out of power, US Vice President Mike Pence has offered incentives to the Venezuelan military personnel to entice them to defect and join the opposition. Washington has lifted sanctions on a former Venezuelan general who had broken ranks with Maduro to support Guaido. The US has also blacklisted more than 150 Venezuelan officials and businesses. Venezuela forces US ship out of territorial waters On Saturday, Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino lashed out at what he said was an illegal incursion by a US Coast Guard vessel into Venezuelan territorial waters. "I don't know if other republics will accept actions like this in their jurisdiction, but we will not," Padrino said. Padrino also said that the Venezuelan Navy had forced the US vessel to withdraw and change course. A Southern Command spokesman announced on Friday that a US Coast Guard vessel was conducting a "counterdrug detection and monitoring mission" in "international waters" in the Caribbean Sea. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daesh storms town on motorbikes in Nigeria, kills 11 soldiers Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 07:04AM Daesh terrorists, riding motorbikes, have stormed a town in northeastern Nigeria and killed 11 soldiers in barracks, the Takfiri group and local sources say. The attack on the town of Gajiganna in Borno state took place on Friday, after which the assailants fled when the military called in air force support and reinforcements. The terrorist group claimed the attack through its news agency AMAQ on Saturday and published pictures of burned barracks and dead bodies it claimed belonged to the soldiers. Local sources, including a hospital warden, confirmed the attack. They said the attackers stormed the town in the afternoon and opened fire on residents and the military. The militant group, which calls itself the West Africa province (ISWAP) branch of Daesh, has carried out a string of attacks in Nigeria in recent months. In 2016, ISWAP separated from Boko Haram which has waged a reign of terror in northeast Nigeria for a decade, but there are reports the two groups might be merging back together. Nigeria's army chief warned last month of an ISWAP-Boko Haram alliance to carve out a Takfiri enclave stretching from Nigeria's northeast into the wider Lake Chad region. Since 2009, attacks by Boko Haram terrorists have left at least 27,000 dead and made over 2.6 million others homeless. The Takfiri group pledged allegiance to Daesh in 2015. Boko Haram has used terror as a weapon of war, killing and abducting thousands of women and young girls as well as men and young boys. The violence has spread to neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition against the terrorists. On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram gunmen stormed a girls' boarding school in the Nigerian town of Chibok, kidnapping 276 pupils aged 12-17. Five years after the kidnap, 112 girls are still missing. Last year on the fourth anniversary of the Chibok kidnapping, the UN Children's agency said more than 1,000 other children had been kidnapped by the Takfiri terrorists since 2013. In 2016, Human Rights Watch put the number of young boys -- some as young as five -- in the hands of the terrorist group at up to 10,000. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ex-Armenian President Kocharian Faces Trial Over Deadly 2008 Crackdown By RFE/RL's Armenian Service May 12, 2019 YEREVAN -- Former Armenian President Robert Kocharian is set to go on trial on May 13 on charges of overthrowing the constitutional order during the final weeks of his decade-long rule that ended in April 2008. Kocharian is accused of illegally ordering security forces to use force against opposition supporters who were protesting against alleged fraud in a disputed presidential election in February 2008. Eight protesters and two police officers were killed when security forces quelled the two days of protests that began on March 1, 2008. The crackdown came after Kocharian declared a three-week state of emergency. The 64-year-old ex-president, who served as president from 1998 to 2008, has remained in pretrial detention since his arrest in December. Kocharian denies any wrongdoing, saying that the accusations are part of incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's political "vendetta" against him. Pashinian, a former opposition lawmaker, was swept to power last year after leading protests that ousted Kocharian's former ally and successor, Serzh Sarkisian. Pashinian played a key role in the 2008 protests and spent nearly two years in prison because of it. He has strongly defended the criminal case against Kocharian and denied orchestrating it. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ex-armenian- president-kocharian-faces-trial-over-deadly- 2008-crackdown/29936269.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 North Macedonia's New President Calls For 'Reconciliation' During Inauguration Ceremony By RFE/RL's Balkan Service Service May 12, 2019 SKOPJE -- Stevo Pendarovski has been inaugurated as the new president of North Macedonia, calling for "reconciliation" in a deeply divided society. In his inauguration speech before parliament on May 12, Pendarovski promised he will serve all citizens and said, "It is time to heal open wounds from our recent past and to really start civil reconciliation." "There are so many divisions, especially political," he said. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by the presidents of Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Kosovo, as well as Pendarovski's predecessor, former President Gjorge Ivanov. Pendarovski told lawmakers that the country will have to tackle two priorities: economic development and the fight against "corruption, crime, and nepotism." He said he will lobby European Union leaders to approve the opening of North Macedonia's accession talks in June. Pendarovski, backed by North Macedonia's ruling Social Democratic Union (SDSM), won the presidential election runoff on May 5 with nearly 52 percent of the vote. Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, the candidate favored by the main conservative opposition VMRO DPMNE party, had 45 percent. Turnout was less than 47 percent. Pendarovski, a former political-science professor, has strongly supported the so-called Prespa deal signed with Greece last year to change the country's name. Siljanovska-Davkova has been critical of it, though the opposition has said it would not cancel the accord. She is also a strong proponent of EU and NATO integration. 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 EU. Ivanov, who ended his second and last five-year presidential term on May 12, was a fierce opponent of the deal. With reporting by AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/north-macedonia-s -new-president-calls-for-reconciliation-during- inauguration-ceremony/29936082.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 UN Says Withdrawal Of Iranian-Backed Huthi Rebels From Yemeni Port Facilities Going As Planned By RFE/RL May 12, 2019 The United Nations says the first day of the withdrawal from western Yemen of Iranian-backed Huthi rebels from two of the three Red Sea port facilities they've vowed to evacuate under a peace deal has gone according to plan. The UN has been monitoring the withdrawal from the Red Sea port facilities of Saleef and Ras Isa, which the rebels have held since 2014. The UN monitors plan to report to the Security Council about the situation on May 15. "All three ports were monitored simultaneously by United Nations teams as the military forces left the ports and the coast guard took over responsibility for security," a UN statement on May 12 said. The UN statement comes a day after the Yemeni government accused the rebels of "staging a new ploy" by faking the withdrawal. Provincial Governor Al-Hasan Taher told AFP the rebels were handing the ports "to themselves without any monitoring by the United Nations and the government side." The UN says the Huthi rebels announced late on May 10 that they would unilaterally redeploy their forces out of three Red Sea port facilities over four days beginning on May 11 -- potentially opening the way for the delivery of humanitarian aid needed to prevent a famine that threatens millions of people. Under the redeployment pledge, Huthi militants said they also would move out of Yemen's main Red Sea port of Hodeidah by the end of the day on May 14. Under the peace agreement, signed in Stockholm in December, pro-government forces in Yemen also are expected to leave positions around the outskirts of Hodeidah during the initial redeployment before a second phase in which both sides withdraw their troops further. But the UN has not specifically mentioned any reciprocal redeployment by the pro-government forces, which have the support of a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The coalition alleges that the Huthis have been using Hodeidah as a landing point to smuggle weapons supplied by Iran. The Huthis deny those charges. The UN committee's chairman, Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard of Denmark, has said the Huthi redeployment must be followed by "the committed, transparent, and sustained actions of the parties to fully deliver on their obligations." With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/un-says-withdrawal- of-iranian-backed-huthi-rebels-from-yemeni-port- facilities-going-as-planned/29936010.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 New North Macedonian President Pendarovski Pledges to Prioritize NATO, EU Accession Sputnik News 16:33 12.05.2019 BELGRADE (Sputnik) - North Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski pledged on Sunday to promote the country's full membership in NATO and also make effort toward accession to the European Union. "Energy and potential of the whole society should be focused on strategic tasks ... I mean our Euroatlantic integration first of all, on which all political subjects have reached agreement on a rhetorical level. Meanwhile, the proposed models of its implementation are different ... As the president, I will apply all diplomatic efforts toward completing the process of our full membership in NATO. And I insist that during the entire period of negotiations on our accession to the European Union, the best minds of the country should be engaged in these talks, no matter if they are members of the opposition or non-governmental organizations, or independent experts," Pendarovski said after his swearing-in ceremony, held earlier in the day. He also pledged to fight corruption and improve the country's economy. Pendarovski, representing the ruling Social Democratic Union party and a coalition of dozens of small parties, defeated Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, backed by the main opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, in the runoff election on May 5. He secured 53.59 percent of the vote. The swearing-in ceremony was held in the North Macedonian parliament, based in the country's capital of Skopje. Albanian President Ilir Meta, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci, the president of the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo, attended the ceremony, as well as foreign ministers and deputy foreign ministers from Greece, Montenegro, Poland and Turkey and foreign ambassadors. Pendarovski was born in Skopje in 1963. Between 1998 and 2001 he headed the analytic department of the country's Interior Ministry. He also served as presidential adviser for national security between 2001 and 2004, and 2005 and 2009. In 2014, Pendarovski ran for the presidency as a Social Democratic Union candidate but was defeated by Gjorge Ivanov. Pendarovski has recently served as the national coordinator for NATO integration. The presidential election was the country's first vote after a deal between Athens and Skopje on the name change came into force, opening the door to Macedonia's membership of the European Union and NATO. Remarkably, Pendarovski was in favour of the name change, while his rival in the presidential election, Siljanovska Davkova, opposed it. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former vice minister of finance Zhang Shaochun was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday for taking bribes worth 66.98 million yuan (about 9.8 million U.S. dollars). Former vice minister of finance Zhang Shaochun stands trial at the Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court on Monday, May 13, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua] His illegal gains will be turned in to the national treasury. He was also fined 6 million yuan, according to a statement by the Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court. The court found that between 1995 and 2018, Zhang took advantage of his positions to benefit others in business, personnel promotion and school enrollment. In return, he accepted gifts and money worth 66.98 million yuan. The statement said the court handed down the sentence while taking into consideration the fact that Zhang confessed, showed repentance and was cooperative in returning his illegal gains. Juan Guaido Seeks to Establish 'Direct Relationship' With Pentagon Sputnik News 01:58 12.05.2019(updated 02:00 12.05.2019) The development comes after a failed coup attempt which took place on 30 April and Guaido's subsequent statement that he would "perhaps" agree to US military intervention if it would help resolve the political crisis in his country. Self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido said on Saturday that he asked his envoy to the United States to meet with Department of Defence officials to "cooperate" on a solution to the Venezuelan political crisis. "We have instructed our ambassador Carlos Vecchio to meet immediately with the Southern Command and its admiral to establish a direct relationship," Guaido said as cited by Reuters. "We have said from the beginning that we will use all the resources at our disposal to build pressure." Earlier, Guaido, while speaking to the Italian La Stampa newspaper, argued that a US military intervention in Venezuela is "one of the possibilities", claiming that after a failed coup attempt the country's opposition would have "more opportunities because more people are joining Operation Liberty." The latter is the campaign Guaido has started earlier this year in a bid to organise protesters and possibly sway the Armed Forces to his cause and eventually oust Maduro from the presidential palace in Caracas. According to Guaido's earlier tweet, Operation Freedom consists of three steps: to create "Freedom and aid" committees "on every street of Venezuela;" to create "labour and sectoral committees" in the public and private sectors and begin preparation of "constitutional forces" within National Armed Forces. The Operation was started in March amid massive blackouts in Venezuela that officials said were the result of sabotage. On 9 May, US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) combatant commander Admiral Craig Stephen Faller said on Twitter that he is looking "forward to discussing how we can support the future role" of Venezuelan armed forces leaders "who make the right decision" (an apparent hint at supporting Guaido) when invited by Guaido. Following Faller's statement, on 10 May, US ship USCGC James, which belongs to the United States Coast Guard, entered the Venezuelan waters but changed course after communicating with the Venezuelan Navy. Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino, reacting to the move, said Saturday that "we will not accept" these kinds of activities, according to Reuters. On 5 May, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 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. He highlighted that he believes that "any action" the US takes in Venezuela would be "lawful". The statement appeared to be a reaffirmation of the previously expressed position that every single tool for what Pompeo described as US efforts "to restore democracy" in Venezuela remained on the table. "We've made clear our goal is to convince Maduro it is time to leave. We're going to leave every option on the table to achieve that objective", he said. Following the failed coup attempt, Venezuela's Constituent Assembly stripped seven opposition lawmakers of their parliamentary immunity, charging them with high treason, public conspiracy to violate the law, inciting civil uprising, and usurpation of power, among other crimes. Later one of the opposition lawmakers Edgar Zambrano was apprehended by intelligence agents and put in pretrial detention at a military prison in Caracas. Another of Guaido's deputies Americo de Grazia entered the Italian embassy in Caracas on Thursday, while a third Guaido deputy who was also stripped of immunity Luis Florido says he has fled to Colombia. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reportedly signed a decree either reducing in rank or expelling dozens of officers, including high-ranking ones, from the country's armed forces over their involvement in the coup attempt. The crisis in Venezuela began when opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself Venezuela's interim president on 23 January, two weeks after President Nicolas Maduro's inauguration for a second term in May 2018. The US, Canada, some Latin American and European nations were quick to recognize Guaido as the new legitimate leader of Venezuela and have supported him in his attempts to oust Maduro from power. Russia, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Turkey and a number of other countries have voiced their support for constitutionally-elected Maduro as the only legitimate president of Venezuela. Moscow accused the US of supporting coup attempts and planning a military intervention in the Latin American state. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghan Official: US Diversion of Funds Not to Undermine Security Cooperation By Ayaz Gul May 12, 2019 Afghan officials are downplaying the significance of the United States diverting funds from its military mission in Afghanistan, as a senior American diplomat has arrived in Kabul for high-level discussions. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Friday approved the transfer of $1.5 billion to build barriers on the border with Mexico, including taking more than $600 million designated for beleaguered Afghan security forces, which are struggling to contain Taliban battlefield advances. "We do not see any change in security-related programs and coordination ongoing with U.S. forces," Afghan Interior Minister Massoud Andarabi told reporters in Kabul. He noted Washington remains committed to supporting Afghan security forces and emphasized it is an internal U.S. policy matter as to how and where they want to spend their money. The private Afghan TOLO News television station quoted a U.S. military spokesman as saying the diversion of funds is part of the plan to reduce expenditures of foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan. Colonel David Butler noted the cost savings move will not impact "the effectiveness or the readiness" of Afghan security forces to fight terrorism. "U.S. forces in Afghanistan will return $600 million to the Department of Defense. We did this through very close work with the Afghan security forces and with very close work with the Afghan government to make things more efficient and make things better, and we were spending our money on the right things," Butler said. The military spokesman reiterated Washington's complete commitment to Afghan security forces in their fight against terrorism. The United States is also holding direct talks with Taliban insurgents to try to promote a political settlement to the Afghan conflict. The latest round of discussions concluded last Thursday, but neither side has reported any breakthrough. President Donald Trump announced in January progress in the talks with the Taliban could lead to withdrawal of half of some 14,000 American troops from Afghanistan. Recent reports the Trump administration has decided to accelerate plans to reduce the staff by half at the embassy in Kabul coupled with diverting funds designated for Afghan forces raise questions about a "strong future U.S. commitment to Afghanistan," tweeted Washington-based analyst, Michael Kugelman. Meanwhile, visiting senior State Department diplomat for the region, Alice Wells, held talks with President Ashraf Ghani and discussed matters related to U.S. civilian assistance aimed at strengthening Afghan institutions and promoting Afghan self-reliance. A presidential spokesman said Ghani and Wells also reviewed efforts the government is making to advance the Afghan peace process, and preparations underway for the presidential elections scheduled for September 28. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tug-of-War Continues Over Mueller Report By Michael Bowman May 12, 2019 More tug-of-war is expected in Washington this week between congressional Democrats, who seek further information and material pertaining to the Russia probe, and the Trump administration, which is eager to turn the page and move on from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. For President Donald Trump, the Russia investigation is a thing of the past. Last week, he said so several times, on Twitter and in person. "No collusion, no obstruction, no anything. Two years on a witch hunt," Trump proclaimed addressing supporters Wednesday at a rally in Panama City Beach, Florida. Democrats beg to disagree. "What we want is to get the facts. We want to do it in a way that is the least divisive to our country and the most productive," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters at press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday. House Democrats subpoenaed the unredacted Mueller report and want the special counsel to testify about the investigation and his findings. Attorney General William Barr has refused to hand over the full Mueller report, prompting a House panel to launch proceedings to hold Barr in contempt of Congress. "The Trump administration has decided to say a blanket 'no.' No to any kind of oversight whatsoever. No witnesses, no documents, no nothing So they are just stonewalling," Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday on ABC's "This Week" program. "They want to draw this out as much as possible. And we are going to fight it. We are fighting it." Republicans accuse Democrats of refusing to accept the Mueller report's bottom line, which was mostly favorable to Trump. "We spent $35 million investigating the president. Their conclusion was [that] there was no underlying crime. This whole kibitzing (agitation) about, 'Oh well maybe he obstructed justice' to try to hide an investigation about something he did not do this is absurd. And the American people know it," said Republican Sen. Rand Paul, also speaking on ABC's "This Week." Top House Democrats have pushed back against calls for impeachment proceedings against the president, but have warned that the White House could force the issue by impeding congressional oversight going forward. "Every day, they are advertising their obstruction of justice by ignoring subpoenas and by just declaring that people should not come and speak to Congress so that the American people can find out the truth," House Speaker Pelosi said Thursday. Trump says Democrats' efforts will backfire. "And now the Democrats are saying, 'We want more.' ... And actually it is working the other way, because now we have the best poll numbers that we have ever had. It is crazy," Trump told supporters at the Florida rally. While House Democrats continue to negotiate for Mueller to testify, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee surprised many in Washington by subpoenaing the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., to testify as part of the panel's own probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Critics of Indonesian President Face Treason Charges By Stanley Widianto May 12, 2019 The lead-up to the May 22 official announcement of the results of the Indonesian presidential and legislative elections has been colored by disbelief, attempts at de-legitimization and denials of loss. Now two critics of incumbent President Joko Widodo are being charged with treason. On Friday, Indonesia's National Police Criminal Investigation Department released a letter barring former military officer Kivlan Zen from travelling overseas for six months. "[Kivlan] has allegedly committed the criminal act of spreading hoaxes or treason," wrote the department's vice deputy director Agus Nugroho in the letter obtained by VOA. Kivlan will face interrogation on Monday, according to the department. "Our client has never committed treason," Pitra Romadoni Nasution, one of Kivlan's attorneys, said Saturday. Pitra said Kivlan was handed the letter at the Jakarta airport as he was leaving for the Indonesian city of Batam. But Sam Fernando of the Immigration Directorate General said Kivlan's travel ban was revoked on Saturday. "For the reasons why it was revoked, you can ask the investigators," Sam told VOA. No specific act was noted in the letter, but the travel ban followed a mass demonstration Thursday that Kivlan, a noted critic of Joko and an ardent supporter of his opponent, former general Prabowo Subianto, had initiated in front of Indonesia's Elections Supervisory Agency. The demonstration called for the disqualification of Joko and his running mate, cleric Ma'ruf Amin, because of a number of violations. Shortly after the election Indonesia media reported "credible" pollsters say Joko won by a wide margin. Also named as a treason suspect last week was law practitioner Eggi Sudjana, another protest leader, who called for a "people power" movement to monitor and ensure the win for Prabowo during a speech last month to a crowd in front of Prabowo's residence "This may be God's way to speed up Prabowo's inauguration," he said. Eggi has denied that calling for the "people power" movement is grounds for a treasonous action. Ace Hasan Syadzily, spokesman for Joko's campaign, said the unwillingness to concede is a part of an attempt to de-legitimize the elections. "The structural, systematic and massive violations were in fact committed by them because they spread hoaxes against Jokowi," he said in a written statement, referring to Joko's nickname. Prabowo Subianto has refused to concede. He said on election day he had won the presidency with 62 percent of the votes. In the 2014 presidential election that was also contested by Joko and Prabowo, the latter accused the former's camp with a series of words that have picked up some degree of social notoriety: the aforementioned "Structural, systematic, massive" violations. "For the good of democracy, I want to be a good sport, though this time the violations are too much," he told reporters last month. Law against treason Arsil, a researcher at the Institute for Research and Advocacy for Independent Courts, told VOA the meaning of treason has been commonly misunderstood. In Kivlan's case, he thinks the case of treason is too far off from the law. "If, however, he is found to incite violent demonstrations that would result in the toppling of the government, it may be considered treasonous," he said. Historically, treason charges have been used against supposed separatist groups. In 2015, members of the South Maluku Republic (RMS) separatist movement went to prison on treason charges for raising their flag. "The treason itself doesn't have to be over or succeed. It can be a proven intention, as well," Arsil said. He added treason charges can also been seen as a political tool. "It can be interpreted that way, three years ago, there were arrests of several opposition figures to Jokowi ..." Arsil was referring to 10 people who were thought to have incited attempts at a coup. There have been many attempts at a coup in Indonesian history, the most notable of which was the September 1965 killing of military generals that led to an unresolved genocide of communists or anyone with ties to Indonesia's Communist Party. It was believed the events led Indonesia's authoritarian second president, Suharto, to take the presidency from President Sukarno. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pentagon chief visits US-Mexico border, vows long-term troop stay Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 02:29AM Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has revisited the US-Mexico border, vowing to develop a longer-term plan to support President Donald Trump's immigration policies and maintain troops in the area until the border is secured. "We're not going to leave until the border is secure," Shanahan told about two dozen border patrol officials on Saturday during his visit to McAllen, Texas as hundreds of detained migrants remained in tents for processing. He visited the border city to meet with local authorities and visit a migrant processing facility and Border Patrol station, two days after the White House announced Trump's plan to nominate the former Boeing executive as defense secretary. Shanahan was accompanied by another acting secretary, Kevin McAleenan, who leads the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after a shake-up prompted by Trump, whose hard-line immigration policies have not curtailed a growing tide of migrants mostly from impoverished, though US-backed Central American nations. Shanahan further told a group of reporters traveling with him that military assistance would not continue "indefinitely," but that it would be in place longer than months. The development came as Pentagon has tapped a two-star Army general to work with DHS to look at what military support will be needed in the future. Shanahan added that he expected a plan from the general in the next few weeks. "(It is about) getting us out of this a la carte tasking where, 'Hey, we need 50 guys to do this, 50 guys to do that,'" said a senior defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official said the idea was to look out over a time line of at least two years. The official further pointed out that the Pentagon was reviewing a recent request from DHS to provide housing for detained migrants. "What we're hopeful to do is have, in fairly short order for the secretary of Homeland Security, a much more predictable, comprehensive plan for the next couple of years," said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, earlier this week. There are currently about 4,500 US troops on the border with Mexico, and they are authorized to be there through September. This is while the Pentagon declared that Shanahan has approved the transfer of $1.5 billion to build more than 80 miles (130 km) of barriers on the border, part of a patchwork project after Trump failed to secure funding from Congress for a complete border wall. Trump has been eager to have the US military play a larger role on the border and, despite some criticism from lawmakers, Pentagon officials insist they are looking to create a long-term plan for assistance. The decision to transfer the $1.5 billion for border funding came in addition to a March transfer of $1 billion in military money to fund the wall, which Democratic lawmakers criticized sharply. Lawmakers have suggested that they may respond by imposing new restrictions on the Pentagon's authority to move funds around. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daesh Reportedly Claims it Has Established a "Province" in India Sputnik News 14:20 12.05.2019(updated 15:49 12.05.2019) This comes after a series of deadly blasts hit Sri Lanka in April, leaving hundreds of people dead and injured. The Daesh* terrorist group claimed responsibility for the wave attacks which rocked the island nation. The Daesh terrorist group has claimed that it has established a "province" in India, located near the Kashmir region, according to the India Today news outlet. According to Indian media reports, the "province" has been named "Wilayah of Hind" by the terrorist organisation. The hard-line Islamist group also reportedly claims that it has killed several Indian soldiers in the town of Amshipora in the Shopian district of Kashmir. A senior police official in Kashmir, commenting on the situation, told Al Jazeera that it was "pure propaganda", adding that "the militancy aspect of Daesh is over in Kashmir completely". Indian authorities have yet to comment on the situation. "The establishment of a 'province' in a region where it has nothing resembling actual governance is absurd, but it should not be written off," Rita Katz, director of the SITE Intel Group, which tracks Islamic extremist activity, said as quoted by the South China Morning Post. In turn, Indian police reported on Friday that a militant called Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi was killed in an encounter in the Shopian district. Earlier, Daesh reportedly released a video showing its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, claiming responsibility for the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka in late April, in which a series of explosions hit various public gatherings and sites, including churches and hotels, leaving hundreds of people dead and injured. The Kashmir region has been disputed by India and Pakistan for decades. After gaining independence from British rule in 1947, Kashmir was partitioned between India and Pakistan. Since then, the area has witnessed terror attacks and unrest as some members of the local Muslim majority population seek to gain independence or join Pakistan. *Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Acting Defence Sec Shanahan Vows Military Won't Leave "Until Border is Secure" Sputnik News 04:35 12.05.2019(updated 04:44 12.05.2019) On Friday the Pentagon transferred $1.5 billion from other programs including funding for an Afghanistan-program to fund the construction of a US-Mexico border wall, to stop the surge in numbers of migrants arriving at the US border that Donald Trump has called a crisis and declared a national emergency over. Patrick Shanahan said that he intends to speed up plans to secure the border while visiting a Texas border city, The Hill reported. He noted that Pentagon officials would remain at the border until it is secure, according to the Associated Press. "We're not going to leave until the border is secure," he said. "This isn't about identifying a problem. It's about fixing a problem more quickly." Earlier this week Shanahan told Congress that as for now there are about 4,364 US service members at the border, including both active-duty and National Guard troops, according to The Hill report. About 1,167 service members perform the primary role of monitoring and detection, with a broader set of missions ranging from logistical support to aviation support and food service. The administration has said troops will stay at such posts until DHS "no longer requires support to secure the southern border," The Hill report says. Thousands of migrants, originating predominantly from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, have travelled across Mexico, aiming to enter US territory illegally, sometimes in groups of hundreds of people in broad daylight. The US president has said the wall is needed to prevent criminals and drugs from pouring into the United States. In March, the Pentagon said it identified $12.8 billion in possible funding that could be used to build Trump's border wall. In April US Army Corps of Engineers Commanding General and Chief of Engineers Todd Semonite said that about 450 miles of new bollard fencing along the US border with Mexico are expected to be completed by 2020. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korean cargo ship seized by US arrives in American Samoa for inspections Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 06:17PM A North Korean cargo ship seized by the US over claims of having violated Washington-imposed economic sanctions has arrived in the western American territory of Samoa. The 17,000-ton Wise Honest was towed to the port of Pago Pago in the Samoan capital of Apia on Saturday morning and docked at the main docking section of the port. The vessel, used for transporting coal, was detained in April 2018 as it traveled toward Indonesia. Officials with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday that the US had seized the ship. US Coast Guard public affairs officer Amanda Wyrick said the trip from Indonesia took about three weeks and American Samoa, in the South Pacific, was chosen because of "its central strategic location." "We also have a good strong relationship and partnership with the American Samoan government," Wyrick said. "With that being said, we also already have the resources that are able to ensure the security of the vessel but most importantly the Port of Pago Pago." Asked as to how long the ship will be in the territory, Wyrick said the Department of Justice is was leading the investigation and the ship will be moved once the investigation is completed. However, she said the next destination for the ship still remained unknown. The Wise Honest ship was operated by the Korea Songi Shipping Company and is the second-largest cargo vessel in North Korea's fleet. The firm stands accused of violating US laws by paying American dollars for improvements, equipment purchases, and service expenditures for the vessel through unwitting US financial institutions. US officials made the announcement of the ship's seizure hours after North Korea fired two suspected short-range missiles toward the sea, the second weapons launch in five days and a possible signal that stalled talks over its nuclear program are in trouble. In a bid to block North Korea's funding for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Washington has spearheaded several rounds of sanctions against the Southeast Asian country at the UN Security Council since 2006. The bans have mostly targeted Pyongyang's exports, including coal, iron, lead, textiles and seafood while also hindering imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Suggests India Ditch Russian S-400s for Patriot, THAAD Systems Reports Sputnik News 09:53 12.05.2019(updated 10:02 12.05.2019) After failing to bully Turkey into backing out of a Russian air-defence deal, the United States has embarked on an attempt to discourage another country from buying Russian missile defence systems. Washington has suggested that Delhi choose Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) and Patriot Advance Capability (PAC-3) anti-aircraft missile systems over Russia's S-400s, the Indian newspaper Hindustan Times reports. If India went ahead with the purchase, it could face sanctions from the US under a 2017 federal law that targeted Russia (as well as North Korea and Iran) with sanctions and prohibited any other nation from negotiating defence deals with these countries. Moscow has slammed the law as a declaration of "all-out trade war". Washington is understood to have pledged to grant a sanctions waiver to India last September despite its plans to buy the S-400s; however, the waiver expired in early May. It comes after an official with the US Department of Defence said in March that the US was working on an "alternative choice" for India. The S-400 is touted as one the most advanced air defence missile systems in the world, capable of firing three different types of missiles at a short-to-extremely-long range. The missiles can tackle a variety of targets, including aircraft jammers, reconnaissance aircraft, cruise missiles and short-range ballistic missiles. New Delhi agreed to purchase the systems last October, via a deal worth $5.43 billion (the contract has been signed in Russian roubles). The deliveries are expected to proceed between October 2020 and April 2023. The upcoming purchase has unnerved Pakistan, India's long-time regional rival and a US ally, which voiced concerns that it could threaten strategic stability in the region. India is not the first country looking forward to acquiring the S-400s. A similar move by Turkey has resulted in a long-running feud between Washington and Ankara. For over a year now, Washington has been trying to convince its NATO ally, Turkey, to abandon a $2.5 billion S-400 deal, threatening to suspend the delivery of F-35 fighter jets, despite the fact that Ankara has already paid for several of them. The United States is afraid that incorporating the Russian system into NATO's wider air defence system would expose the top jets to security risks. Ankara has repeatedly shrugged off US threats and reaffirmed its stance on sticking to the deal. "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," Turkey's vice president said last week. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India's Election Turns Bitter as It Holds 2nd to Last Round of Polling By Anjana Pasricha May 12, 2019 Undeterred by the soaring summer temperatures across the plains of India, millions of voters lined up in seven states on Sunday to cast ballots in an election that has turned increasingly bitter as the race appears to be getting tighter. The second to last round of voting completes polling for 483 out of the 543 seats elected of parliament. Among those who cast their vote Sunday was the head of the opposition Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi. He has been leading an aggressive campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoping to improve his party's tally from the all time low it hit in 2014 and emerge as a credible challenger to the Indian leader. Modi has campaigned on a plank of nationalism saying only a strong government led by his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can defend the country, but his opponents accuse him of sidelining major issues that confront the country. Citing distress in the countryside and unemployment as main issues after emerging from a polling booth, Gandhi said that "It was a good fight. Narendra Modi used hatred, we used love. And I think love is going to win." Gandhi's remark comes in the wake of sharp personal attacks that have resonated across campaign rallies in the run up to the last leg of polling. In the past week, Modi has called Rahul Gandhi's father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi "corrupt number one" in a reference to the purchase of artillery guns from Sweden in which he allegedly got kickbacks. The allegations were never proven but dominated political discourse in India during the 1990's as they turned the spotlight on high level corruption in defense deals. The BJP said Modi's remarks were made in retaliation to Rahul Gandhi, who has been saying "the watchman is a thief" during his campaign speeches. Gandhi alleges that Modi, who calls himself the country's "watchman" helped an industrialist make money in the purchase of 36 French fighter jets. Political analysts and newspaper editorials have slammed the personal barbs saying that the political discourse has hit a new low. "Both sides have reached acute polarization, this has become a kind of Games of Thrones confrontation, where it has become a matter of life and death really and that is really worrying," says Ajoy Bose, an independent political commentator. In Sunday's round much attention was focused on the seven prestigious parliamentary seats in New Delhi, where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the rival Congress Party and a small party are locked in an acrimonious fight. The BJP swept all seats in 2014 as it rode a populist wave but a year later, the Aam Aadmi Party won control of the local Delhi government. At polling booths across the city, voices are sharply divided, with many rooting to give Prime Minister Modi a second term in office and others expressing frustration that the heated election campaign has failed to focus on bread and butter issues that matter to them. "At least Modi has done something which can be seen on the ground. It will give further direction [to the country] for the next decade," says K.S. Murthy, a resident of Delhi. Dismissing criticism that Modi did not deliver on the development agenda on which he won a resounding victory in 2014, a doctor, Sangeeta, who uses only one name says, "They worked only five years. If we will give further time to the government, they will do much better." But for some others, the appeal of Modi, has dimmed. "He promised jobs to the young, but unemployment is growing. That is what we all want, jobs," says Santosh Kumar Jha, a research scholar in Delhi. Another resident is disillusioned with the big political players but says the Aam Aadmi party has brought development to low income areas. "They have built roads, improved schools," says Shahnawaz Khan who works as a driver. Opinion polls have said Modi's party will win the most seats in parliament, but is unlikely to get the clear majority it secured five years ago as it is hurt by issues such as rising unemployment and falling incomes in the countryside. Exit polls can only be published after the last round of polling that will be held on May 19. But an array of regional parties, who say Modi is losing ground, have begun holding consultations in hopes of coming together to form an alliance to challenge him if his BJP fails to win a majority. Modi however exudes confidence about retaining his grip on power. Saying that his government has brought development such as roads and electricity to villages and given benefits to farmers, he told a reporter on Friday, "The BJP will win more seats than last time, we will form a government with a clear majority and expand our presence in the country." The final verdict will come on May 23 when votes are counted after polls concludes on May 19. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran serious on nuclear deal deadline: Senior lawmaker IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, May 12, IRNA -- An Iranian lawmaker dismissed concerns over the Tehran's international engagement policies and affirmed Iran would implement its decision on the nuclear deal after the deadline expires while sticking to its engagement policies with world. Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, head of national security and foreign policy committee at Iran's parliament, told reporters that 'despite refusing the deadline set by Iran, the Europeans tried to encourage Iran to come to negotiation table, so they are now worried about Iran's ending its engagement approach, but the issue does not affect Iran's approach.' On the first anniversary of the US withdrawal (May 8) from Iran's nuclear deal with six world powers known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran's President Hassan Rouhani announced Tehran's decision to suspended a part of its commitments to the deal. He said the trend will continue if the country's interests under the deal are not guaranteed by the end of a 60-day deadline. Referring to the presence of Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) commander, Brigadier General Salami, in today's open session of the parliament, the lawmaker quoted him as saying that Iran is adequately prepared to successfully handle a war. 'Therefore, based on strategic analyses, the American officials' behavior and the field assessments show that no war is looming,' Falahatpisheh said. 'The Americans' current strategy does not allow them to start another new war. They are just seeking to wage a psychological war and are trying to combine it with sanctions and economic pressures,' he said. Saying that nobody will contact Trump, the senior lawmaker predicted that the Americans would have to propose negotiation with Iran much more seriously in the future, and they will realize that Iran is different from any other country, such as North Korea. 'Trump himself is stuck in the psychedelic circumstances he had created. In fact, the Americans are playing all their hands in, but Iran is not doing so,' Falahatpisheh said referring to US sanctions against Iran. 9156**1424 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC chief says Americans have started "psychological war" ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sun / 12 May 2019 / 16:34 Tehran (ISNA) - The United States has started a psychological war in the region, the Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami said in a parliament session on Sunday, according to a parliamentary spokesman. The U.S. military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Persian Gulf last month, according to Reuters. "Commander Salami, with attention to the situation in the region, presented an analysis that the Americans have started a psychological war because the comings and goings of their military is a normal matter," the spokesman for the parliamentary leadership, Behrouz Nemati, said, summarizing General Salami's comments, according to parliament's ICANA news site. Major General Hossein Salami was appointed as chief commander of IRGC last month. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address B-Team planned JCPOA exit before US quit deal: Iran FM Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 05:02PM Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says US National Security Advisor John Bolton, along with anti-Iran figures in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Israel were planning to push Washington out of a multilateral 2015 nuclear deal with Iran even before Bolton was appointed to his current post. Zarif made the remarks in a tweet addressed to US President Donald Trump, which appeared on his official Twitter page on Sunday, saying, "ICYMI, before you hired him [John Bolton], this was the plan that @AmbJohnBolton and his #B_Team cohorts had for Iran." The hawkish "B-team" is comprised of US National Security Adviser John Bolton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Zarif included in his tweet the link to an article by Bolton, which was published by the National Review magazine in 2017 when he was not Trump's national security advisor, in which the hawkish American politician reflected on how the United States could get out of the Iran nuclear deal, which is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Trump withdrew Washington in May 2018 from the historic nuclear agreement and decided to re-impose unilateral sanctions against Tehran. Under the JCPOA, reached in July 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries including the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions. On May 8, Iran announced that it would stop exporting excess uranium and heavy water, setting a 60-day deadline for the five remaining parties to the deal to take practical measures towards ensuring Iran's interests in the face of the American sanctions. "A detailed blueprint for #FakeIntelligence, #ForeverWar and even empty offers for talksonly phone numbers were not included," Zarif added in his tweet in what is a clear allusion to a recent CNN report, alleging that the White House has contacted Swiss authorities to share a telephone number with Iran in hopes that Tehran will contact Trump. The White House contacted the Swiss on Thursday, the same day Trump publicly appealed to Iran to call him amid heightened tensions, the broadcaster cited a source as saying. The source, however, said Iran was "highly unlikely" to demand the number from Swiss authorities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Americans will be 'hit on head' in case of any move: IRGC commander Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 02:41PM A senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says at the present time, US forces stationed in the Persian Gulf are in close range for the Iranian forces and "will be hit on the head" if they make a mistaken move. Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Division, made the remarks on Sunday, when explaining the situation of the United States' military bases in the region and the IRGC's missile capability. "If Americans make a [mistaken] move, we will hit them on the head." "This is the current state of affairs in the region. It was not like this in the past. These [American forces] were previously a threat to us, but they are not an opportunity," General Hajizadeh added. The Iranian commander added that if the Americans say nothing about waging war against Iran it is because "they are vulnerable." The IRGC commander emphasized that Iran's missiles are capable of targeting US vessels from a distance of 300 kilometers and the new missiles have an even enhanced range of 700 kilometers, which enables them to hit targets beyond the Persian Gulf. "An aircraft carrier with at least 40 to 50 fighter jets and 6,000 personnel was a serious threat for us in the past, but is now a target and threats have turned into opportunities," Hajizadeh said. The US Air Force acknowledged Friday that B-52 bombers ordered by the White House to be deployed to the Persian Gulf to counter unspecified threats from Iran have arrived at a major American air base in Qatar. Images released by the US Air Force's Central Command show B-52H Stratofortress bombers arriving at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Thursday night. Others landed at an undisclosed location Wednesday in "southwest Asia," the Air Force said. The US military in the past has described its presence at both the Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates and Al Udeid as "southwest Asia." On Sunday, the White House announced it would send the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and the bombers into the Persian Gulf to counter Tehran. The USS Abraham Lincoln on Thursday passed through the Suez Canal on its way to the Persian Gulf. Head of the Iranian Parliament's Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh said on Sunday that the United States does not seek a military confrontation with Iran and is only waging a "psychological war" against the Islamic Republic. "Analysis of the behavior of Americans shows that they do not seek a military confrontation with Iran and are only waging a psychological war against the Islamic Republic," the Iranian lawmaker said, adding that the US government is trying to combine its psychological war against Iran with sanctions and other forms of economic pressure. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address French FM warns Iran nuclear deal reactions could lead to 'bellicose spiral' Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 12:15AM French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has warned against a bellicose spiral of reactions on an international agreement on Iran nuclear activities. In an interview published online by Le Parisien on Saturday, Le Drian said it was a pity that the United States was not complying with the terms of the deal signed between Iran and six major global powers in 2015 in Vienna, admitting the move prompted Iran to retaliate by suspending parts of its commitments. "It is a pity that the United States is not honoring its commitments," he said while stressing the "responsibility" of the Americans and the importance of dialogue with Tehran on the issue. The comments came after Iran announced on Wednesday that it will halt implementing some terms of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), until parties to the deal other than US take action to mitigate the negative impacts of US decision in May 2018 to withdraw from the agreement. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has set a two-month deadline for the parties to either do the necessary actions to save the JCPOA or face Iran resuming a nuclear enrichment program which had been suspended as part of the deal in return for lifting of international sanctions on Tehran. Le Drian warned that the chain of reactions on JCPOA could intensify into a "bellicose spiral". The top French diplomat described Iran decision to suspend sale of excess uranium and heavy water as a "bad reaction" in response to a similar "bad decision" by Washington to not honor its commitments. "Iran has had a bad reaction, faced with a bad US decision to withdraw from the Vienna agreements and impose sanctions," said Le Drian while urging Tehran to "show its political maturity". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's IRGC Commander: 'If America Makes a Move, We'll Hit Them in the Head' Sputnik News 14:01 12.05.2019(updated 14:49 12.05.2019) This comes after Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed that the US is waging psychological war in the Middle East amid ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington. The US military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now it is an opportunity, according to a commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). "An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now [] the threats have switched to opportunities," Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC's aerospace unit, was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA). He also pledged that Iran will "hit Americans in the head if they make a move". Separately, another IRGC commander, Hossein Salami, accused the US of waging psychological war in the Middle East, according to a parliamentary spokesman who summarised Salami's address to the Iranian MPs. "Commander Salami, with attention to the situation in the region, presented an analysis that the Americans have started a psychological war because the comings and goings of their military is a normal matter," Behrouz Nemati pointed out. Separately, Al Jazeera quoted Salami as saying that it's unlikely that the US will use its aircraft carriers against Iran. He argued that Iran's defence capabilities are "adequate and sufficient", while the US aircraft carriers are quite vulnerable, which is why "Washington will not take a risk [using the carriers against the Islamic Republic]". Salami's remarks followed a statement by Vice Admiral Jim Malloy, commander of the US Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet, that he does not rule out sending the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the strategic Strait of Hormuz in light of Washington's tensions with Tehran. "If I need to bring it inside the strait, I will do so. I'm not restricted in any way, I'm not challenged in any way, to operate her anywhere in the Middle East," Malloy told Reuters. This came a few days after acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan ordered the deployment of the USS Arlington, a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock and more MIM-104 Patriot missile defence systems to the US Central Command (CENTCOM) region. Earlier, National Security Adviser John Bolton announced that the US was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force near Iran; he described the deployment as "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". Bolton signalled Washington's readiness to "to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces", adding at the same time that the US is not seeking war with Iran. Tehran, for its part, rejected allegations that it poses a threat to the US as "fake intelligence", with Iran's Supreme National Security Council spokesman Keivan Khosravi slamming Bolton's statement as "a clumsy use of an out-of-date event for psychological warfare". Senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Yousef Tabatabai-Nejad in turn quipped at the US carrier group's Middle East deployment, suggesting that "their billion-dollar fleet can be destroyed with one missile" if war breaks out. "If they attempt any move, they will [face] dozens of missiles because at that time government officials won't be in charge to act cautiously, but instead things will be in the hands of our beloved leader," Tabatabai-Nejad said, referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has meanwhile stressed that the Islamic Republic is facing an "all-out war" due to unprecedented restrictive US economic and political measures and that Tehran "should not accept submission and should try to find a solution". Simmering tensions between Iran and the US escalated in recent weeks after the US blacklisted the IRGC as a terrorist organisation last month, in a move that prompted Iran to respond in kind by recognising the US Central Command as a terror group. Also last month, the US refused to renew waivers to secondary sanctions on several major importers of Iranian crude oil. On Wednesday, Rouhani announced that Tehran is suspending some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Rouhani added that Tehran would give the JCPOA signatories 60 days to return to the negotiating table and ensure that Iran's interests are protected under the deal and that otherwise, Iran will resume higher uranium enrichment. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan 'Bows Before' US Pressure, Ditches Joint Pipeline With Iran Report Sputnik News 09:18 12.05.2019(updated 09:20 12.05.2019) The move comes after the US slapped fresh sanctions on Iran related to the Islamic Republic's iron, steel, aluminium, and copper sectors, with Washington threatening to impose more restrictive measures on Tehran. Islamabad has announced that it is unable to implement the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project due to the US' anti-Iranian sanctions, but added that it would go ahead of executing the project only if international sanctions on Iran were lifted. If completed, the pipeline would deliver 21.5 million cubic meters of gas per day to Pakistan. "Under present US sanctions on Iran, it is impossible to execute the IP [Iran-Pakistan] gas pipeline project and we have conveyed it to them [Iran] in writing, recently. We cannot risk US sanctions by going ahead with the project as America has clearly said that anybody who will work with Iran will also be sanctioned", Mobin Saulat, the managing director of the Pakistani energy company Inter State Gas, was cited by Arab News as saying. Referring to Iran's readiness to turn to an arbitration court over Islamabad's failure to adhere to an IP deal, Saulat said that Islamabad has time "till August this year to legally respond to Iran's legal notice and settle the issue through negotiations". "We may not have a weak case if Iran moves the international court. We are trying to handle it professionally", he pointed out. The statement comes as Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, chairman of the left-wing Pakistan People's Party (PPP) berated the country's government for "bowing before international pressure" and failing to complete the IP project. "PPP initiated this project at height of international sanctions because we put Pakistan first. People pay the price for weak leaders in expensive gas bills", he underscored. The developments followed the US announcement in late April that there will be no more exemptions from sanctions for countries buying Iranian oil. The White House stressed that the decision is aimed "to bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the regime its principal source of revenue". Earlier this week, Tehran announced that it would partially discontinue its commitments under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and give Europe 60 days to ensure Iran's interests were protected under the agreement. Shortly after, US President Donald Trump imposed additional sanctions on Iran related to its iron, steel, aluminium and copper sectors, pledging to slap more restrictions if Iran's behaviour is not changed. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi, for his part, emphasised that the US sanctions on Iranian metals run counter to international norms. Trump announced the re-imposition of anti-Iranian sanctions back on May 8, 2018, when he signalled Washington's withdrawal from the JCPOA. He also threatened to slap secondary sanctions on all those foreign companies that do business with the Islamic Republic. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian President Says US Waging 'All-Out War' as Pompeo Issues New Threats Sputnik News 08:34 12.05.2019(updated 12:29 12.05.2019) Washington's efforts to exert pressure on Iran have so far resulted in the country partially curbing its commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal and vowing not to back down before US sabre-rattling. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his nation is facing an "all-out war" due to an array of US economic and political pressures, the likes of which Iran has not seen in decades. In a speech in Tehran on Saturday, Rouhani called for unity and cohesiveness at a time of unprecedented pressure on the country, according to PressTV. Rouhani said that the sweeping US sanctions, which targeted Iran's banking sector, international trade, and crucial oil exports, were even more stringent than those the country experienced during the eight-year war with Iraq, which followed the Islamic Revolution of 1979. "At the time of the war, we had no problem in banking, the sale of oil and export and import and the only ban imposed on us was the arms embargo," he said. "Giving in is not consistent with our culture and religion and people won't accept it, thus we should not accept submission and we should try to find a solution." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday said Iran was an active threat to American interests in the Middle East. "Iran is the major destabilising influence in the Middle East, and we aim to fix that," he stated. Meanwhile, the US military has deployed a carrier strike group and a bomber task force near Iran, also ordering the deployment of a warship and more missile defence systems to the Middle East. The Trump administration claimed the move came in response to intelligence data indicating a growing threat from Iran and its proxies. Tehran dismissed the increased US military presence in the region as "psychological warfare" and said the US "will not dare" to take military action. On Wednesday, Tehran announced that it was scaling back on several commitments within the 2015 nuclear deal, bruised by the US withdrawal last year. Iran informed the remaining signatories Russia, China, Germany, France and the UK that it would stop selling its surplus stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water, which are used in nuclear reactors that may produce nuclear bombs. Rouhani, in a televised address on Wednesday, also gave the signatory states 60 days to shield Iran's banking and oil sectors from the sanctions' effects, threatening to start exceeding the uranium enrichment cap if they fail to do so. The European powers in response reaffirmed their commitment to the deal and expressed regret about the re-instated US sanctions, but said they "reject any ultimatums". Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pompeo Says Iran is 'Major Destabilizing Influence' the US 'Aims to Fix' Sputnik News 06:57 12.05.2019(updated 07:28 12.05.2019) The US Secretary of State, while speaking on CNBC, said that the Islamic Republic of Iran is an active threat to American interests as it spreads chaos in the Middle East, however, the White House would "of course" welcome the opportunity to negotiate with Tehran. Pompeo noted that he sees increased threats from Iran and that President Donald Trump's administration is reinforcing its capacity to respond to any offensive action from Iran. And that was the reason why the US decided to deploy a carrier strike group and a bomber task force, according to Pompeo. "We've done all the right things to increase our security posture to the best of our ability," Pompeo said, "but we also want to make sure that we had deterrent forces in place, so in the event that Iran decides to come after an American interest whether that be in Iraq, or Afghanistan, or Yemen, or any place in the Middle East we are prepared to respond to them in an appropriate way. " At the same time, Pompeo argued that despite the greater military presence the US has in the Middle East, Washington isn't looking for a fight. "We're not going to miscalculate: Our aim is not war, our aim is a change in the behaviour of the Iranian leadership. We hope the Iranian people will get what they finally want, and what they so richly deserve," he said. "The forces that we're putting in place, the forces that we've had in the region before you know, we often have carriers in the Persian Gulf but the president wanted to make sure that, in the event something took place, we were prepared to respond to it in an appropriate way." Pompeo highlighted that he also prepared diplomatic approaches so that Trump had choices "in the event that the Iranians make a bad decision." However, the diplomatic resolution apparently is not the only option, as Pompeo elaborated further. "An attack on American interests from an Iranian-led force, whether it's Iranian proper or it's an entity that is controlled by the Iranians, we will hold the responsible party accountable. President Trump has been very clear about that: Our response will be appropriate." "Iran is the major destabilizing influence in the Middle East, and we aim to fix that." Pompeo claimed that the US aims at targeting exclusively the country's establishment, having no intention to hurt people. "These sanctions are directed at the Iranian leadership to change their behaviour point blank, point blank," the American official said. "The Iranian leadership understands the cost that is being imposed. This is a kleptocratic regime that has stolen billions of dollars and wastes the Iranian people's own money on these proxy wars all across the world." Even though diplomatic solutions, as well as "appropriate" responses, were prepared, Pompeo noted that the US still seeks a "peaceful diplomatic resolution." "Of course we would welcome that call. Of course, we want a peaceful diplomatic resolution to each of these conflicts that we've talked about here today," he told CNBC. "That makes perfect sense." Washington is currently waging a pressure campaign against Iran, the recent developments of which include deployment of the carrier strike group and the bomber task force in the region, designating Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization and a toughening of sanctions against Iranian iron, steel, aluminium and copper. In response, Tehran announced Wednesday that it plans to suspend some of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal, with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani saying that the collapse of the deal would be dangerous for the country and the whole world. Rouhani sent a letter to the signatory states, informing them they have 60 days to return to the negotiating table to ensure Iran's interests are still protected by the agreement. Trump Has Tougher Stance on Russia Than Any US President "The actions that this administration takes I would put up against any in terms of our seriousness in pushing back on Russia and raising costs for them," Pompeo told the CNBC broadcaster. The secretary of state noted that Moscow and Washington managed to cooperate in a number of issues, including Syria and Afghanistan. "There are places that we'll have a value set that is radically different, that we'll have different views. In those places we're going to protect America's interests. But in those places where we can find common ground or an overlapping interest, it's completely appropriate, and, indeed, my duty and a necessity, that we work together," he explained. The Venezuelan issue, which is a point of disagreement between Russia and the United States, is more complex, Pompeo added. Earlier in the day self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido said that he asked his envoy to the United States to meet with Department of Defence officials to "cooperate" on a solution to the Venezuelan political crisis. The development came after a failed coup attempt which took place on 30 April and Guaido's subsequent statement that he would "perhaps" agree to US military intervention if it would help resolve the political crisis in his country. The crisis in Venezuela began when opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself Venezuela's interim president on 23 January, two weeks after President Nicolas Maduro's inauguration for a second term in May 2018. The US, Canada, some Latin American and European nations were quick to recognize Guaido as the new legitimate leader of Venezuela and have supported him in his attempts to oust Maduro from power. Russia, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Turkey and a number of other countries have voiced their support for constitutionally-elected Maduro as the only legitimate president of Venezuela. White House officials have repeatedly warned Russia to leave Venezuela while Moscow accused Washington of illegally interfering in the South American's country's internal affairs. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Britain's air force hunting Daesh leader al-Baghdadi in Libya: Report Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 05:22PM After entering Syria to allegedly fight Daesh, Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) is now in Libya on a mission to "capture or kill" the leader of the Takfiri terrorist group who has apparently fled to the North African country, according to a new report. The Daily Express said on Sunday that RAF fighter jets were searching for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Libya, where he is thought to be hiding after being purged from territories controlled by Daesh in Syria. The report said British fighter jets, along with aircraft operated by Italian and US militaries, were carrying out round-the-clock sorties in search of the ABB, the code name being used to identify Baghdadi as a target. It said anyone killing or capturing the Daesh leader would receive $25million (19million) as a bounty on his head. The RAF jets are being scrambled from Waddington in Lincolnshire, in eastern England, to collate signals and intelligence on individuals and groups who might support the 48-year-old Daesh leader. It is not clear how a coalition of Western military forces has decided to launch the search for Daesh leader in Libya, an oil-rich country beset by years of violence which started after a popular uprising and the NATO military alliance's intervention in 2011 to topple former dictator Muammar Gaddafi. British authorities believed there are some "reliable" intelligence from within Libya proving that Baghdadi had been in the country after escaping Baghouz in Syria, where he was subject to a plot from people in his inner circle to kill him. "It is reliable intel, but it needs to be verified," said a military source, adding, "The air component operation is delivering high-grade intelligence and we can map names and groups to people we known that have been or are part of ABB's inner circle." However, Daily Express said similar operations were ongoing in neighboring African countries were militant groups with close affiliation to Daesh could have sheltered Baghdadi. A recent video of Baghdadi showed him praising his fighters and their battle against the "apostates" in various parts of the world. He has also praised attacks on churches in Sri Lanka last month which killed over 250 people. Libya has been the scene of increasing violence since Gaddafi's fall in 2011. His ouster created a huge power vacuum, leading to chaos and the emergence of numerous militant outfits, including the Daesh terrorist group. British military forces had been previously spotted fighting alongside militants waging war against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. There has also been reports that British special forces were on the ground in Yemen, helping Saudi Arabia and its allies in their ongoing war against the people of Yemen. London has denied those reports. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistani forces kill all militants involved in Gwadar attack Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 03:14PM All the three attackers who stormed a five-star hotel in the restive Pakistani province of Balochistan on Saturday have been killed by security forces, military sources have announced. The military confirmed in a statement on Sunday that the three gunmen had been killed in an eight-hour gunfight with security forces inside the Pearl Continental Hotel in the southwestern city of Gwadar on Saturday. "Security forces have completed clearance operation," the statement read. The law enforcement forces entered the hotel and took part in a gun battle with the militants before cornering them in a staircase leading to the top floor, the military added. During the operation to clear the hotel, the forces also had to defuse explosive devices left behind by the attackers. The military said that all guests at the hotel were safely evacuated. The number of attackers had initially been reported four. Elsewhere in the statement, the military said the attackers disabled CCTV cameras in the hotel and planted explosives at all access points leading to the top floor. Gwadar resident Abdur Rahim Baloch told Reuters that intermittent firing could still be heard from the hotel on Sunday afternoon. At least three security guards, one member of the hotel personnel, and a navy soldier were killed and six were wounded as the assailants battled members of the security forces. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by a separatist group in Pakistan's poorest province of Balochistan. The hotel, located on a hillside near the port, is used by foreign guests, including Chinese nationals, but there were none in the building at the time of the attack. Security across most of Pakistan has been tightened over recent years in a major crackdown after the country's worst attack, in which some 150 people, most of them children, were killed at a school in the western city of Peshawar in 2014. But Balochistan, also Pakistan's largest province, remains an exception and there have been several attacks this year, with at least 14 people killed last month in an attack on buses traveling between the southern city of Karachi and Gwadar. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistani Hotel Cleared After Insurgent Attack Kills Five By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal May 12, 2019 The Pakistani prime minister has condemned a deadly assault by insurgents in a luxury hotel in southwestern Pakistan, saying the attack was part of an effort to "sabotage" the country's economic development. Pakistan's military said that all three gunmen were killed during the hours-long shoot-out with security forces after they stormed on May 11 the Pearl Continental Hotel in the port city of Gwadar, which is being developed as part of a multibillion-dollar Chinese investment project. Earlier reports said there had been four attackers. The attackers failed to take any guests hostage, but the army said that four hotel employees and a Pakistani Navy soldier were killed as the insurgents stormed the building. Six people were also wounded in the attack, including two army captains, two navy soldiers, and two hotel employees. A Baluch separatist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it was aimed at "Chinese and other foreign investors." In a statement, Prime Minister Imran Khan said: "Such attempts, especially in Balochistan, are an effort to sabotage our economic projects and prosperity. We shall not allow these agendas to succeed." Khan praised the "initial response by security guards and security forces" for preventing greater loss of life. The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad also strongly condemned the attack and hailed the Pakistani security forces' "heroic" response. The Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea is being developed as part of the $60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor program. The project, which includes the port, an airport, a highway, and a hospital, is intended to link China's Xinjiang Province with the Arabian Sea. Separatists have for years waged a low-level insurgency in oil-rich Balochistan, complaining of discrimination and demanding a fairer share of the province's resources and wealth. Other militant groups also operate in Balochistan. The newly formed separatist Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar group claimed responsibility for an April 18 attack that killed 14 passengers on a bus on a remote coastal highway in the restive province. On April 12, a suicide bomber targeted an open-air market in Quetta, killing 20 people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State extremist group. With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistani-pm- condemns-deadly-insurgent-attack-at- luxury-hotel/29935747.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 5 Dead in Attack on Luxury Hotel in China-Run Pakistani Port By Ayaz Gul May 12, 2019 Officials in Pakistan say the death toll from the overnight militant raid on a luxury hotel near the China-run strategic port of Gwadar has risen to at least five, including four hotel employees and a Pakistani navy soldier. Pakistan's military's media wing says security forces have completed "clearance operation" at the Zaver Pearl Continental hotel, killing all "three terrorists" who participated in the attack Saturday. It said two army officers, two naval personnel, and two hotel employees were among those injured during the gunfight. A separatist group known as the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for plotting the attack on the heavily guarded hotel, which is located on a hilltop overlooking the deep-water Arabian Sea port. It is the city's only five-star facility and often hosts senior government officials as well as Chinese visitors, among others. Prime Minister Imran Khan denounced the deadly raid as part of efforts to "sabotage" Chinese-funded economic projects, especially those in Balochistan province, where Gwadar is located. "We shall not allow these agendas to succeed. Pakistani nation and its security forces shall defeat them all," Khan vowed, paying "rich tributes to shaheeds [martyrs] and injured security personnel," according to a statement issued by his office. The attack began late in the afternoon Saturday when three heavily armed militants wearing security force uniforms stormed the multi-story hotel, spraying security guards on duty with bullets as they tried to stop them from entering the building. Pakistani military said personnel of its "Quick Reaction Forces", navy and police immediately reached the hotel, secured guests and duty staff, and cornered attackers in within the corridor of the fourth floor. Local officials said a helicopter also dropped navy commandos on the roof of the hotel. The ensuing gunfight lasted several hours, the military statement said all the attackers were killed. The military noted in its statements that the assailants had made hotel security cameras dysfunctional and planted improvised explosives devices at entry points leading to the fourth floor. A search operation for others who may have been involved in the attack, local officials said. The BLA militant group also released pictures of four gunmen through social media accounts, saying they carried out the attack. In a statement late Saturday, the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad strongly condemned the terrorist attack and praised the Pakistani military for its "heroic action". Beijing has built and operates the massive Gwadar port under a multi-billion-dollar bilateral mega-project, known as China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The port, described as the heart of CPEC, is located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and officials anticipate it soon will become a hub of regional commercial and transit activities. China is also fully funding ongoing construction of an international airport in Gwadar with a landing strip capable of accommodating the biggest aircraft. Pakistan has deployed specially trained military and paramilitary troops in Gwadar and other parts of Baluchistan for the security of CPEC projects and Chinese experts working on them. Beijing considers CPEC a flagship of its ambitious global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Last month, 14 Pakistani security personnel were forced out of passenger buses near Gwadar on the main coastal highway and shot dead in an attack claimed by a different Baloch militant group. Islamabad alleged the attackers had come from hideouts in border areas of Iran and demanded the neighboring country take action against them. Baloch militants routinely target security forces and government installations in the most underdeveloped Pakistani province, which is rich in natural resources and gas. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pompeo Heading To Moscow, Sochi To Raise 'Aggressive' Russian Actions By RFE/RL May 12, 2019 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is heading to Russia -- his first visit as the top U.S. diplomat -- for talks with President Vladimir Putin amid persistent tensions between the two countries. The talks will be the highest-level formal discussions held between U.S. and Russian officials since July 2018, when President Donald Trump and Putin held a one-on-one meeting in Finland. The State Department has said that Pompeo is scheduled to arrive on May 13 in Moscow where he will meet with embassy officials and members of the U.S. business community, which has been rattled by the arrest in recent months of two Americans, including prominent investor Michael Calvey. The secretary of state is then set to travel to Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi on May 14 to hold talks with Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "The starting point we have to have when we discuss our policy toward Russia...is to acknowledge frankly that Russia has taken a series of aggressive and destabilizing actions on the global stage," a senior State Department official told reporters on May 10. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that Pompeo's trip was "an opportunity to make those points clear to the Russian government and what our expectations are and [to] see how to forge a path forward." Arms control will be high on the agenda of the talks, in particular an "arms-control agreement that reflects modern reality," according to the official. In February, the United States suspended participation in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty because of what it says is Russia's development and deployment of a missile system that violates the pact. Moscow, which denies the accusation, later followed suit. The INF Treaty banned the United States and Russia from developing, producing, and deploying ground-launched cruise or ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. Meanwhile, Moscow and Washington have been gearing up for talks on how and whether to extend the 2011 New START treaty, a broader arms agreement that could lapse as early as 2021. The U.S. official said other topics for the Putin-Pompeo talks will include the crisis in Venezuela, the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, as well as Iran, which has faced increasing pressure from the United States -- all areas where Washington and Moscow are at direct odds with one another. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also set to meet with Lavrov in Sochi on May 13. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pompeo-heading-to-moscow-sochi-to- raise-aggressive-russian-actions/29936191.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 to Meet With Putin, Lavrov Amid Tensions By VOA News May 12, 2019 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week, as the two countries clash over a number of issues including Venezuela, Iran, and Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Pompeo heads to Moscow Sunday, in his first visit to Russia as chief U.S. diplomat. Top U.S. officials, including Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence, have accused Russia of working against Venezuela's democratically elected opposition leader Juan Guaido in his attempts to oust embattled President Nicolas Maduro. The United States accuses Russia of seeking a foothold in the Western Hemisphere through Venezuela. "We are concerned about Russia's actions in Venezuela, and we think the support for Maduro is a losing bet. So our support to the Venezuelan people continues, and that will be a subject for the discussion," a senior State Department official told reporters last week. Pompeo arrives in Russia on Monday to meet with American diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow before meeting with U.S. business leaders. He will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in honor of those who fought against the Nazi regime. The secretary of state will then travel to Sochi Tuesday for talks with Putin and Lavrov. Pompeo's trip comes a few weeks ahead of a G-20 summit meeting in Osaka, Japan, which both U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Putin will attend. "It is in our interest to have a better relationship with Russia," said the senior official. "When we have concerns, we're going to raise them directly, narrow those differences and find areas we can cooperate." The official declined to comment on whether a meeting between Trump and Putin on the sidelines of the G-20 summit is being arranged. The State Department says Pompeo is expected to bring up Americans being detained in Russia, including former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and Michael Calvey, founder of the Moscow-based Baring Vostok private equity group. Whelan was accused of espionage, a charge he denies. He is due to be kept in pre-trial detention until May 28 while the investigation continues. Calvey was detained in February, pending a trial on embezzlement charges that he has denied. He says the case was being used to pressure him in a corporate dispute over control of a Russian bank. "The administration places the highest priority on the safety and the welfare of U.S. citizens overseas. We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular services in cases where U.S. citizens are detained," said the senior official. Last month, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman visited Whelan in a Moscow jail. American diplomats have asked Russia to "stop playing games," saying Russian officials are likely trying to get a forced false "confession" from Whelan. Pompeo's trip to Russia also comes as tensions simmer between the two countries over Iran. The U.S. is strengthening its military presence in the Middle East in what officials said was a "direct response to a number of troubling and escalatory indicators and warnings" from Iran. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and four B-52 bombers have arrived in the Middle East in response to concerns Iran may be planning an attack against American targets. On Wednesday, Lavrov asked Pompeo to use diplomacy instead of threats to solve issues after Lavrov's talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarifin Moscow. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian army takes Takfiri targets in Idlib under heavy fire Iran Press TV Sun May 12, 2019 08:55AM The Syrian army has taken targets belonging to the Takfiri Jabhat Fateh al-Sham terrorist group in the country's east under heavy retaliatory fire for another day. On Sunday, government forces struck the terrorists' hideouts in Bidama Village on the southern countryside of the city of Idlib, the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported. Over the past several days, the army has ratcheted up its operations on the outskirts of Idlib and the city of Hama, both provincial capitals, in response to attacks by terrorists targeting military positions and towns lying within a de-escalation zone located inside Idlib Province. On Saturday, the troops hit the same whereabouts near Idlib, killing and injuring a number of the terrorists. Three days earlier, the forces had worked to choke up the terrorists' transit routes during counterattacks in the villages lying around the cities. Jabhat Fateh al-Sham was formerly known as al-Nusra Front. The Syrian government has retaken almost all the territory that militant groups including al-Nusra and other terrorist outfits had overrun in the country since a conflict erupted in 2011. Under agreements between Syrian peace guarantors Russia, Iran, and Turkey, remaining militants were given safe passage into Idlib, where they remain pending decisions by the three countries. Iran and Russia represent Damascus, and Turkey acts on behalf of the Syrian opposition. While agreements, including any ceasefire deals, apply to some militant groups in Idlib, terrorist groups such as al-Nusra are excluded from the peace process for Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Army Liberates 3 Villages From Nusra Terrorists - Reports Sputnik News 03:34 12.05.2019 DAMASCUS (Sputnik) - The Syrian army liberated three more villages on the border with Idlib Province from militants of the Nusra Front terrorist group, Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen reported on Saturday. The army liberated the villages of al-Jamaziya, Bab al-Taqa and Mustariha in the northwestern part of Hama Province, it said. Earlier on Saturday, Syrian army crossed the southern administrative border of Idlib and established control over the villages of Arima and Midan Ghazal, following clashes with Nusra terrorists. Over the past week, terrorists have increased the number of attacks on settlements in the north of the province of Hama, in Aleppo and in mountainous Latakia. Militant groups are making unsuccessful attempts to attack the positions of the Syrian army. The Syrian government forces and the air force, in turn, have intensified strikes against terrorists in Idlib, attacking warehouses, firing positions and advanced observation posts of the Nusra Front. Syria has been in the state of war since 2011, with numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations fighting the Syrian armed forces to topple the government of President Bashar Assad. The Idlib province is the last major stronghold of terrorists and armed rebels in Syria. In September 2018, ceasefire guarantors Russia and Turkey agreed to set up in Idlib a 9-12 mile deep demilitarized zone, which would be cleared of heavy weapons and militants. However, despite progress in the withdrawal of weapons and fighters from the area, remaining militants regularly commit ceasefire violations by shelling nearby provinces. *Nusra Front is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Militants Continuously Shell Syria's Latakia Over Past 24 Hours - Russian MoD Sputnik News 00:54 12.05.2019 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Militants attacked several settlements in the Syrian province of Latakia over the past 24 hours, Russian Centre for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria said on Saturday. "During the day, the militants attacked the settlements of Djub al-Zarur (twice), Rwaiset Iskander and Ain al-Hammam in Latakia province", the centre said. According to the Russian military, the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone was worsening. "Despite the ceasefire regime being established throughout the country, there are still cases of ceasefire regime violation by illegal armed formations", it added. Terrorists have recently been conducting more strikes on settlements in the north of Hama province, Aleppo province and Latakia province. Militant groups have staged numerous failed attempts to attack the positions of the Syrian Army. Governmental troops and the Syrian Air Force have responded by intensifying their strikes on Idlib-based terrorists, while also targeting depots, artillery positions and observation posts of Nusra terrorists. Russia, Turkey and Iran are the guarantors of the ceasefire in the conflict-affected Syria. Russia carries out humanitarian operations across the country on a regular basis and helps Damascus in providing safe passage for the return of Syrian refugees. According to the UN Refugee Agency data, about 5.6 million Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring states and beyond since 2011, while millions more remain displaced inside Syria. *Nusra Front is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Top political advisor meets with media representatives across Taiwan Strait People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:26, May 11, 2019 BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Top political advisor Wang Yang Friday met with representatives of media outlets from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The trend of the times that the cross-Strait relations move forward in the new era cannot be obstructed by anyone or any forces, said Wang, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, while meeting with the representatives who attended a media summit in Beijing. Media outlets across the Strait shoulder the social responsibility of maintaining and promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, said Wang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. He called on the media on both sides to continue giving voice to pushing forward the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and advancing the process toward the peaceful reunification of the motherland and to make their contributions to realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Tsai warns of China's influence on Taiwan's media ROC Central News Agency 2019/05/12 17:48:24 Taipei, May 12 (CNA) A call by a top Chinese official for media outlets across the Taiwan Strait to promote peaceful unification demonstrates that China has put pressure on Taiwanese media organizations, President Tsai Ing-wen () said Sunday. Tsai said she has long noticed that domestic media outlets have been under pressure from China, without naming the outlets or citing how many were affected, and that the remark by Wang Yang () vindicated her belief. This constitutes obstruction of Taiwan's democracy, domestic freedom of the press and interference in Taiwan's internal affairs, Tsai said on the sidelines of an event for university students. "We want to condemn this," she said. Tsai was referring to a rhetorical barrage by Wang, chairman of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, at the opening of a media summit a day earlier in Beijing attended by more than 200 representatives from 100 media organizations from Taiwan and China. In the era of China's "great rejuvenation," the trends of the times are on China's side, Wang contended, arguing that "Taiwan independence" and "foreign forces" are basically lost causes and that the trends pushing cross-strait relations forward cannot be obstructed by anyone or any forces. Media outlets across the strait should shoulder the social responsibility of maintaining and promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, Wang urged. Tsai said she will ask national security agencies to continue keeping a close watch on China intensifying pressure on Taiwanese media outlets. The president was also asked about former President Ma Ying-jeou's () criticism that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party administration's opposition to proposed free economic zones was simply for the sake of opposing China. Tsai said the promotion of a free economic zone was incompatible with Taiwan's most pressing need, which is to bolster the overall competitiveness of Taiwan's economy and have companies enter a new phase rather than remaining the era of processing goods for export. She argued that many have proposed establishing a free economic zone in Taiwan to be able to process Chinese products before exporting them, but that could cause Chinese goods to be mistaken for Taiwanese goods in the international market and hurt the image of Taiwanese brands, Tsai said. Also, as trade friction between the United States and China has intensified, the U.S. has increased its punitive tariffs on Chinese imports, and under those circumstances, Taiwan should prevent Chinese goods from being confused for Taiwanese goods, she said. Meanwhile, asked to respond to Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je's () criticism that her foreign policy strategy revolves around being friendly to the U.S. to counter China's threat, Tsai said that interpretation was imprecise and overly simplified. Her policy is to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty and its democratic and free lifestyle, maintain peace and stability across the strait and contribute to peace and stability in the region. (By Yeh Su-ping and Evelyn Kao) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As I have said far too many times in the past, students have got to learn that any threatening message directed at a school is not a joke, Berlin said. Let me be perfectly clear, once we identify the source of any threat, charges will be filed accordingly. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Redfund Capital Corp (CSE: LOAN) (Frankfurt: O3X4) (OTC: PNNRF) (Redfund or the Company) a merchant bank focused on financing medical cannabis, CBD and hemp companies is pleased to announce the launch of Dr. Klein CBD, and welcomes Dr. Robert Klein as a USA based advisor to the Company. Dr. Klein CBD is launching a new line of pharma-grade infused CBD nutraceuticals, which include skin topicals and bath products. The Dr. Klein brand has a pain cream, healing stick, face moisturizer, infused serum plus the popular CBD infused bath bombs. The initial rollout will focus on the US chiropractic community and online consumer marketing, and then roll out globally in the fall. There are more than 60,000 doctors of chiropractic practicing in the United States. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands recognize chiropractic as a health care profession and license the practice. (American Chiropractic Association) Dr. Robert Klein was raised in South Brunswick, New Jersey, received his Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Doctor of Chiropractic degrees from the National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, Illinois. In 1995 Dr. Klein relocated and brought his award winning ways to Boca Raton, Florida. As a dedicated member of the Boca Raton community for over 23 years, Dr. Klein has been fortunate enough to be the official Chiropractor for Florida Atlantic University for 15 years. Dr. Klein has had the privilege of being on the Board of Directors for the Florida Chiropractic Association and has been the Palm Beach County delegate for the last 18 years, plus the past president of the local Palm Beach County Chiropractic Society and Keiser University's Doctor of Chiropractic program board member, 2018, 2019. We are pleased to support Dr. Klein and the launch of the Dr. Klein CBD brand of pharma-grade CBD topicals and infused bathing products. These products will be laboratory tested prior to sales. We look forward to launching the Dr. Klein brand into Europe, South America and into Canada when regulation allows in the fall of 2019. Redfund will have an equity stake in the venture with further details to be released once definitive agreements are signed with Dr. Klein, said Meris Kott, CEO. Nearly 7 percent of Americans are already using cannabidiol (CBD), placing the potential market opportunity for the much-hyped cannabis compound at $16 billion by 2025, according to a new analysis by Cowen & Co. (Bloomberg LP) According to an article written by Aaron Cadena a CBD enthusiast, passionate writer, and editor in chief at www.cbdorigin.com the CBD communitys leading digital publication and online knowledge base on May 8, 2019; There has been a massive growth of awareness and surge in the retail sales of CBD, leading analyst to predict that the CBD market could reach a value of $22 billion by 2022. Research has revealed even more applications of CBD; Hemp-derived CBD was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. The FDA approved of a CBD-based oral solution called Epidolex; CBD products are now being sold online in stores across the country, including major retailers like 711, Sephora, and Neiman Marcus. Update: Jerry Hug announced as an advisor on February 7, 2019 is no longer an advisor to the Company. About Redfund Capital Redfund intends to provide debt and equity funding in the mid-to-late stages of a target companys development, or in technologies that are developed and validated by revenues. The present focus of the merchant bank is on medical cannabis, hemp and CBD-related, healthcare-related target companies. For further information please visit www.redfundcapital.com For more information on Redfund Capital contact Meris Kott CEO 604.484.8989 Or info@redfundcapital.com Further information about the Company is available on www.SEDAR.com under the Companys profile. 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. Certain statements contained in this release may constitute forwardlooking statements or forward-looking information (collectively forward-looking information) as those terms are used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated, anticipates and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Companys current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the business of the Company, the Property, financing and certain corporate changes. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. CPI FIM SA (formerly Orco Property Group) Societe Anonyme 40, rue de la Vallee L-2661 Luxembourg R.C.S. Luxembourg B 44.996 (the Company) AMENDED CONVENING NOTICE OF THE COMPANYS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TO BE HELD ON 29 MAY 2019 Dear Shareholders, The Company convened the Annual General Meeting of the shareholders of the Company (the Meeting) to be held at the registered office of the Company at 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, on 29 May 2019 at 14:00 CET . ASPLEY VENTURES LIMITED being a shareholder of the Company holding more than 5 percent of the share capital of the Company (the Requesting Shareholder) requested, in its letter of 6 May 2019, to add new item on the agenda of the Meeting, by proposing the following item: Decision to appoint with immediate effect Mr. Markus Kreuter to the Board of Directors of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2020 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2019. Following the request of the Requesting Shareholder, the agenda of the Meeting is revised as follows: REVISED AGENDA Presentation of the reports of the Board of Directors and of the approved auditor (reviseur dentreprises agree) of the Company on the statutory annual accounts and on the consolidated annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ended 31 December 2018. Presentation and approval of the statutory annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2018. Presentation and approval of the consolidated annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2018. Allocation of the financial results in relation to the financial year ended 31 December 2018. Discharge to be granted to the members of the Board of Directors in respect of the performance of their duties during the financial year ended 31 December 2018. Discharge to be granted to the approved auditor (reviseur dentreprises agree) in respect of the performance of its duties during the financial year ended 31 December 2018. Decision to appoint with immediate effect Mr. David Greenbaum to the Board of Directors of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2020 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2019. Decision to appoint with immediate effect Mr. Edward Hughes to the Board of Directors of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2020 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2019. Decision to appoint with immediate effect Mrs. Anita Dubost to the Board of Directors of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2020 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2019. Subject to approval of item 7 of the agenda, decision to appoint Mr. David Greenbaum as the Managing Director (administrateur delegue) of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2020 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2019. Decision to appoint KPMG Luxembourg Societe cooperative as the approved auditor (reviseur dentreprises agree) of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2020 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2019. Decision to appoint with immediate effect Mr. Markus Kreuter to the Board of Directors of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2020 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2019. ATTENDING THE MEETING In order to attend the Meeting, shareholders must provide the Company with the following three items as explained in greater detail below: (i) Record Date Confirmation, (ii) Attendance and Proxy Form, and (iii) Proof of Shareholding. Record Date Confirmation: This document shall be provided to the Company by a shareholder at the latest by 23:59 CET on the Record Date. The Record Date is 15 May 2019 (the Record Date, i.e. the day falling fourteen (14) days before the date of the Meeting). The Record Date Confirmation must be in writing and indicate that a shareholder holds the Company shares and wishes to participate in the Meeting. A template form of the Record Date Confirmation is available on the Companys website at www.orcogroup.com . The Record Date Confirmation must be sent to the Company by post or electronic means so that it is received by the Company at the latest by 23:59 CET on the Record Date, i.e. 15 May 2019 , to: CPI FIM SA 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg Fax: + 352 26 47 67 67 email: generalmeetings@orcogroup.com Attendance and Proxy form: A template form is available on the Companys website at www.orcogroup.com and is to be duly completed and signed by shareholders wishing to attend or be represented at the Meeting. Proof of Shareholding: This document must indicate the shareholder's name and the number of Company shares held at 23:59 CET on the Record Date. The Proof of Shareholding shall be issued by the bank, the professional securities' depositary or the financial institution where the shares are on deposit. Please note that Proof of Shareholding is not necessary for those shareholders whose shares are still recorded as registered shares in the Companys shareholders register. Shareholders wishing to attend the Meeting must send the Attendance and Proxy form together with the relevant Proof of Shareholding by post or electronic means so that they are received by the Company at the latest by noon (12:00 noon CET) on 24 May 2019 , to: CPI FIM SA 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg Fax: + 352 26 47 67 67 email: generalmeetings@orcogroup.com Please note that only persons who are shareholders at the Record Date and have timely submitted their Record Date Confirmation, Attendance and Proxy form, and Proof of Shareholding shall have the right to participate and vote in the Meeting. Documentation and information: The following documents and information are available for the shareholders on our website: www.orcogroup.com and, in particular, in the "Shareholder Corner": the present amended convening notice; the total number of shares and the voting rights in the Company as at the date of this convening notice; the documents to be submitted to the Meeting (in particular the reports of the board of directors and of the approved auditor (reviseur dentreprises agree), the statutory annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2018 and the consolidated annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2018); the draft resolutions of the Meeting. Any draft resolution(s) submitted by shareholder(s) shall be added to the website as soon as possible after the Company has received them; the Record Date Confirmation form; and the amended Attendance and Proxy form. The above documents may also be obtained by shareholders upon written request sent to the following postal address: CPI FIM SA, 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg. For further information, visit our website: www.orcogroup.com and, in particular, the "Shareholder Corner". Quorum Requirement: The Meeting shall validly deliberate regardless of the corporate capital present or represented. Resolutions, in order to be adopted, must be carried by a majority of the votes cast. Votes cast shall not include votes attaching to shares in which the shareholder has not taken part in the vote or has abstained or has returned a blank or invalid vote. If you need further assistance or information, please contact: CPI FIM SA, 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg, Tel: + 352 26 47 67 1; Fax: + 352 26 47 67 67; email: generalmeetings@orcogroup.com Luxembourg, 8 May 2019 Yours faithfully, The Board of Directors of the Company Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NetworkWire - Transcanna Holdings Inc. (CSE:TCAN: XETR: TH8) (TransCanna or the Company) is pleased to announce that the Company was featured on BTV video which was broadcast this past weekend on BNN. To view the featured broadcast, click the link below: https://youtu.be/ph01jbkmD5c TransCanna continually looks for ways to communicate our initiatives with current and future shareholders. BTV represented a great opportunity for us to share our vision and build this support on a go forward basis. We will continue to use this platform as we move and be able to share our progress in Modesto, states Jim Pakulis, CEO of TransCanna. 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 Companys website at www.transcanna.com or email the Company at info@transcanna.com . Media Contact TransCanna@talkshopmedia.com 604-738-2220 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. 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. Corporate Communications: CHICAGO, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iManage , the company dedicated to transforming how professionals work, today announced that Binder Grosswang one of Austrias largest law firms, advising major Austrian and international corporations and financial institutions is moving to iManage Cloud for secure document and email management. Crucially, iManage offers several datacenters within the European Union, allowing Binder Grosswang to comply with GDPR that govern where data must be domiciled. We operate in a highly regulated market for clients with the highest expectations, said Michael Kutschera, Managing Partner, Binder Grosswang. Additionally, Matteo Tassi, Head of IT, Binder Grosswang, remarked, iManage Cloud does not only fulfill our desire to most effectively manage our data with a primary datacenter in Frankfurt and a secondary location in Magdeburg, Germany, it is also ensured that in all instances, client data stays within the EU and our valued customers know that their data is being properly handled. The firm had long relied on an on-premises deployment of iManage Work but saw clear advantages to moving to the cloud. iManage Cloud will enable Binder Grosswang to always be on the newest version of iManage Work which allows the firm to take advantage of product enhancements and innovations as soon as theyre available in addition to providing enhanced security. Our clients demand the strictest and most comprehensive security platforms available, added Tassi. iManage Cloud is state of the art with highly secure ISO 27001 datacenters. The amount of resources that iManage can dedicate to securing those datacenters is greater than what we could achieve in-house. The firm is working with iManage partner Phoenix Business Solutions on its migration to iManage Cloud which is expected to be complete in summer 2019. iManage Cloud is the ideal platform for law firms that dont want to compromise when it comes to security, data sovereignty and industry-leading document and email management, said Geoff Hornsby, General Manager, EMEA, iManage. We are excited to welcome Binder Grosswang to iManage Cloud, enabling the firm to continue serving their clients with the innovation and expertise theyre known for, while reaping all the benefits that the cloud offers. Follow iManage via: Twitter: https://twitter.com/imanageinc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iManageinc/ Blog: https://imanage.com/blog/ Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/imanage LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/imanage About iManage iManage transforms how professionals in legal, accounting and financial services get work done by combining artificial intelligence, security and risk mitigation with market leading document and email management. iManage automates routine cognitive tasks, provides powerful insights and streamlines how professionals work, while maintaining the highest level of security and governance over critical client and corporate data. Over one million professionals at over 3,000 organizations in over 65 countries including more than 2,000 law firms and 500 corporate legal departments rely on iManage to deliver great client work securely. SLOUGH, England, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mitratech announced at ACC EUROPE 2019 today new capabilities and benefits for its rapidly growing community of customers using TAP Workflow Automation to innovate and automate legal processes. TAP was added to Mitratechs proven portfolio of end-to-end solutions in April 2018. Over the past year, 26 new legal departments have selected TAP to extend services and operations across the enterprise. Additionally, TAP now includes TAPSign electronic signature strengthening the management of documents and forms such as contracts, NDAs retention letters, partner and supplier agreements, and virtually any other internal approval. TAPSign empowers clients to digitally accelerate business processes and comply with sustainability efforts to replace paper with digital forms and documents. The latest TAP release also includes simple, one-click import and export capability for bringing in new workflow designs or sharing them out with others. With this capability in place, Mitratech also announced a new TAP Co-Innovation Center. Customers can go to the Co-Innovation Center to view the process automation ideas and use cases of their peers, and at their discretion, can now easily share workflows. This capability is a cornerstone to the overall theme of co-innovation between customers, employees and partners that permeates across the TAP ecosystem, and is transforming the legal operations community. Through Mitratechs TAP Co-Innovation Center, we realize the opportunity to develop and share ideas on how we can use TAP to improve if not eliminate effort heavy, high volume/low risk business processes in our organization and between our Legal systems, said Greg Bennett, senior manager, legal operations, Gilead Sciences. More importantly, the Innovation Center provides a front-row seat to see how this technology is rapidly shaping a new landscape in the legal business. Mitratech could not be more excited about the innovation we are seeing in the delivery of legal services across the legal operations and TAP community, said Mitratech CEO Jason Parkman. Our customers are creating true Legal Service Centers that improve outcomes by promoting innovation and excellence across not just the legal department, but the entire enterprise. At the ACC EUROPE 2019 conference, Mitratechs Tim Wilson will present The Rise of (Wearing the Glasses of) the Chief Legal Operations Officer with Elisabeth De Dobbeleer, Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, EMEAR, Cisco Systems Belgium, Chris Fowler, General Counsel BT Technology and Transformation, British Telecom and Mo Zain Ajaz, Chief Operations Officer for Legal and General Counsel, National Grid. Mitratech invites anyone attending ACC EUROPE 2019 to join the session or stop by the Mitratech stand #18 to learn more about its solutions for legal operations. ABOUT MITRATECH: Mitratech is a proven global technology partner for corporate legal professionals who seek out and maximize opportunities to raise productivity, control expenses, and mitigate risk by deepening organizational alignment, increasing visibility, and spurring collaboration across the enterprise. Serving 1,200 organizations of all sizes across the globe, we represent almost 40 percent of the Fortune 500 and over 500,000 users in over 160 countries. With Mitratechs proven portfolio of end-to-end solutions, operational best practices spread throughout the enterprise, standardizing processes and accelerating time-to-value. By unlocking every opportunity to drive progress and improve outcomes, Mitratech is helping legal teams rise to the challenge of serving the evolving needs of the modern, dynamic enterprise. For more information, visit https://www.mitratech.com/. MEDIA CONTACT: Sue Huss Mitratech sue.huss@mitratech.com 619-379-4396 Dublin, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Expenditures in the United States" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. A variety of demographic, business, and government trends are contributing to rising out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare expenses in the United States. This report examines these trends in detail, focusing on the financial aspects of OOP spending growth and quantifying the growth of OOP spending with forecasts of total expenditures and specialized healthcare financing. The report examines past, current, and future levels of U.S. out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures both in total and as specific sub-groups (by type, by payment method, by elective vs. non-elective). Through the next five years, total consumer out-of-pocket expenditures for healthcare are expected to continue rising, with trends established over the past several years continuing through the foreseeable future. The report presents the following data points: Growth of Consumer Out-of-Pocket Expenditures 2014 - 2024, in $ Billion How Consumer Out-of-Pocket Expenses Are Financed in 2019 (%) (Credit Cards, Cash or Check, FSAs, Loans or Lines of Credit, Healthcare Financing, HSAs) Consumer Out-of-Pocket Expenditures Paid with Specialized Healthcare Financing 2014 - 2024, in $ Billion Types and Amounts of Expenses Financed In 2019, U.S. consumers financed many different types of healthcare expenses; these can broadly be grouped into two categories: elective procedures including over-the-counter (OTC) medications and non-elective procedures including prescription drugs. These types of procedures are distinct, and discussed separately within the report.The report provides the following data: Methods of Financing Elective Procedures, 2018 (Credit Cards, Cash or Check, Healthcare Financing Programs, Loans or Lines of Credit) Average Share of Non-Elective Healthcare Expenses Paid Out-of-Pocket by Percentile of Total Health Spending, 2018 (Top 1st, 1st to 5th, 5th to 10th, 10th to 20th, Lowest 80th) Average Share of Non-Elective Healthcare Expenses Paid Out-of-Pocket by Type of Service, 2018 (Hospital, Outpatient, Office Based Visit, Prescription Drugs, Emergency Room, Dental, Home Health, Vision, Other Health Care) Average Share Paid Out-of-Pocket by U.S. Residents by Percentile of Total Health Spending and Type of Service, 2018 (in top 5%: Hospital, Outpatient, Office Based Visit, Prescription Drugs, Emergency Room, Dental, Home Health, Vision, Other Health Care; in top 10% to 5%: Hospital, Outpatient, Office Based Visit, Prescription Drugs, Emergency Room, Dental, Home Health, Vision, Other Health Care; in top 20% to 10%: Hospital, Outpatient, Office Based Visit, Prescription Drugs, Emergency Room, Dental, Home Health, Vision, Other Health Care; in bottom 80%: Hospital, Outpatient, Office Based Visit, Prescription Drugs, Emergency Room, Dental, Home Health, Vision, Other Health Care) Distribution of Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Spending for the Average Person, 2018 (Hospital, Outpatient, Office Based Visit, Prescription Drugs, Emergency Room, Dental, Vision, Other Health Care) Drug Cost Coverage by Payor Type (Public, Private, Cash) 1965, 1985, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2018 Company Profiles A large number of companies help consumers pay their out-of-pocket medical expenses and/or significantly influence those expenses. Most companies that provide patient financing focus on funding elective procedures, with a smaller number offering financing for non-elective therapies and providing other financial services. While companies participating in the credit card, and lines/lines of credit segment are numerous and do not specialize in healthcare products, the companies operating in the specialized healthcare financing are highly focused on financing medical and dental expenses. In general, the market is very dynamic, with many players entering and exiting. The report provides profiles of players in the market, noting history and lines of business, financial information, and relevant business operations. Companies Mentioned Ajeva Aurora Quick Care CareCredit CareSpot ClearBalance ClearGage Concentra Denefits E-Financing Solutions FastMed Lending Club Patient Solutions LendingUSA MinuteClinic NextCare PatientFi Prosper Healthcare Lending RediClinic Reliance Medical Financial SimpleSelect Patient Finance U.S. HealthWorks Wells Fargo For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vrw66k 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. Lithuanian English On May 13, Apranga Group, the leading clothes retailer in the Baltic States, starts online sales on a new e-commerce platform Soulz.lt. The new online store in Lithuanian market combines major part of brands assortment of Apranga, Aprangos galerija, City, Tommy Hilfiger, Aldo and other shops, presents variety of style combinations and latest collections. In the future, it is planned to expand the range of brands. Our aim is to provide customers with more possibilities and to adapt successful retail experience online. We are working online for three years and we have no doubt the platform Soulz.lt will further strengthen our positions. Customers do not choose either traditional or online shops, therefore, we seek to offer better shopping experience for every client. We invest actively into traditional shops, we set ambitious goals online, and we want to combine physical and digital experiences, says Apranga Group General Director Rimantas Perveneckas. Online shoppers are able to choose clothes, footwear and accessories from more than 80 recognized brands like Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani Exchange, Calvin Klein Jeans, Aldo, Tom Tailor, Diesel, Jack&Jones, Miss Sixty, Superdry, Coccinelle, Marella, Michael Kors, and others at Soulz.lt. Deliveries to the selected stores in Lithuania and returns are free of charge. Shipping to post terminals will take 1-3 working days. Payments can be made via Visa, Mastercard, Maestro debit or credit cards. In the future, delivery and payment options will be increased. Soulz branding was created and developed by Clinic 212 agency. The website Soulz.lt was developed by Nordcode, a web systems and application developers. A number of goals were raised to achieve, the most important of which are shopping experience, smooth integration of new website into existing business management systems, the maximum process automatization at each customer service point. In 2016, Apranga Group following the franchise agreements with worlds leading clothes retailer Inditex brands Zara, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius, Zara Home, Uterque, and Oysho started online sales in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. About Apranga Group Apranga Group cooperates with more than 200 recognized European and global brands. Group operates a chain of 189 stores in the Baltic States: 111 in Lithuania, 49 in Latvia and 29 in Estonia, including chains Apranga, Aprangos galerija, City, Mados Linija as well as Burberry, Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna, Max Mara, Armani Exchange, Weekend Max Mara, Coccinelle, Mango, Aldo, s.Oliver, Marella, Max&Co, Pennyblack, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein Underwear, Tom Tailor, Sandro, Maje, Karen Millen, Orsay, Promod and Inditex group brands Zara, Zara Home, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius, Oysho managed following the franchise agreements. In 2019, Apranga Group plans to refurbish or open 3540 stores, net investment will come to EUR 12-15 million. Group plans to achieve a turnover of EUR 242.6 million in 2019, which is 7.0% more than in the previous period. Rimantas Perveneckas Apranga Group General Director +370 5 2390801 Capelle aan den IJssel, the Netherlands 13 May 2019 AND is pleased to announce that it has entered into a new agreement with DDS Digital Data Services GmbH from Karlsruhe, Germany. DDS will offer all worldwide Digital Maps at different levels of detail. DDS advises their partners, with a focus on the Germany speaking countries, on the use of AND Maps. DDS will tailor its customers to the data packages they require and offers individual license agreements. AND Chief Executive Officer Thierry Jaccoud: We are happy to be partnering with DDS, a subsidiary of the PTV Group. As leading provider of products and services related to digital geographic data they can offer the AND content as a stand-alone product or in combination with other socioeconomic, lifestyle, PoI data. Furthermore, we expect to closely collaborate with DDS to create new innovative location aware contents together in the future. The proprietary database of AND contains a worldwide database of Digital Maps on various levels, from a scale of 1:250.000 to 1:2.000.000. The data is stored consistently on different levels throughout the database. Data such as boundaries of countries, provinces, urban areas, major lakes and rivers are included as well as location points, railway lines, points of interest (POIs). About DDS DDS Digital Data Services GmbH, a subsidiary of the PTV Group, is the leading provider of products and services related to digital geographic data, and an experienced authority for all those who wish to utilize or offer geographic data. For more info, visit www.ddsgeo.de . About AND AND is one of only four companies that offer worldwide proprietary digital map data and the only independent one. AND thereby focuses on innovative map data technologies to create better and more relevant map data. For more info, visit www.and.com Note for editor, not for publication. For further information please contact Thierry Jaccoud on 0031-10-8851200 or go to www.and.com DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TopBuild Corp. (NYSE:BLD), the leading installer and distributor of insulation and building material products in the United States, announced that Donald Walther has joined the Company as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Jerry Volas, Chief Executive Officer, stated, We are pleased to welcome Don to TopBuild. Don brings more than 25 years of experience to his new role, with extensive experience leading legal and compliance functions across a wide range of industries. He is a terrific addition to our senior leadership team. Prior to joining TopBuild, Walther served as Executive Vice President & General Counsel for Esterline Corporation, a worldwide supplier to the aerospace and defense industry. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President & General Counsel at The Heico Companies LLC, a parent holding company for a diverse portfolio of manufacturing, construction, and industrial services businesses. Walther has also served as Deputy General Counsel for ITT Corporation and Counsel for The Boeing Company. He was a partner with Perkins Coie LLP. Throughout his career, he has held a number of governance roles with community organizations. Walther graduated from Duke University and earned a JD and MBA from the University of Chicago. He is the recipient of several industry and leadership awards and is a Six Sigma Green Belt with extensive experience in Strategic Goal Deployment. About TopBuild TopBuild Corp., headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, is a leading installer and distributor of insulation and building material products to the U.S. construction industry. We provide insulation and building material services nationwide through TruTeam, which has over 200 branches, and through Service Partners which distributes insulation and building material products from over 75 branches. We leverage our national footprint to gain economies of scale while capitalizing on our local market presence to forge strong relationships with our customers. To learn more about TopBuild please visit our website at www.topbuild.com. Investor Relations and Media Contact Tabitha Zane tabitha.zane@topbuild.com 386-763-8801 SAN MATEO, Calif., May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PLUS Products Inc. (PLUS or the Company) (CSE:PLUS) (OTCQB:PLPRF), a cannabis branded product manufacturer dedicated to making cannabis safe and approachable, today announced that co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Jake Heimark, will present at the 3rd Annual Cannacord Genuity Cannabis Conference on May 14, 2019. The conference will be held at the Grand Hyatt in New York, NY. PLUS co-founder and CEO Jake Heimark, will present and meet with investors at the conference. Jake Heimarks presentation will begin at approximately 1:20PM EST (10:20AM PST). The presentation will be webcast live and will be available for 90 days following the presentation using this link . For more information about the Canaccord Cannabis Conference, or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with PLUS management, please contact your Canaccord representative directly, or send an email to Nadine Miller at nmiller@cgf.com . About PLUS Products PLUS Products creates safe and delicious cannabis food products. PLUSs mission is to make cannabis safe and approachable - that starts with high-quality products that deliver consistent experiences. The gummies are manufactured at PLUSs own factory in Adelanto, CA, where dosage is tested twice internally and then tested twice again by an independent lab. PLUS is headquartered in San Mateo, CA with 70 employees. For further information contact: Jessica Bornn, Director of Investor Relations Email: ir@plusproducts.com Tel +1 650.223.5478 Media: Heidi Groshelle Ingrid Marketing heidi@ingridmarketing.com Maggie Squires Moxie Communications Group plus@moxiegrouppr.com The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains statements and information that, to the extent that they are not historical fact, constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis 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. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking information. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company's management to predict all of such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect information, events, results, circumstances or otherwise after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law including securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Portland, OR, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global nuclear medicine equipment market is estimated to reach $2.64 billion by 2022, from $2.01 billion in 2015, registering a CAGR of 3.9% from 2016 to 2022. The oncology segment accounted for more than two-thirds of the total share of the market in 2015. Nuclear medicine equipment including PET/CT and SPECT scans are utilized for collect radiation from small radioisotopes that reside into the body. This equipment thus helps in carrying out diagnosis of diseases and analyze the treatment response to the patient. The crucial factors driving the growth of the market include advent of advanced equipment, surge in prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and cancer, increase in investment in modernization of diagnostic imaging centers, and radiotracers developments. Request Report Sample at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1828 The oncology segment is anticipated to maintain its leadership position during the forecast period, owing to the surge in incidence of cancer and rise in awareness regarding early diagnosis. However, the neurology segment is expected to register the highest growth rate as this equipment can be utilized for diagnosis and assessment of the treatment response to different neurological disorders including Alzheimers disease, vascular dementia, brain death/injury, stroke & transient ischemic attack, and others. The hospitals segment accounted for nearly two-fifths of the total market share in 2015, and is estimated to maintain its position during the forecast period. This is due to the growth of the number of patients in hospitals with increase in the occurrence of chronic diseases. Based on region, North America contributed the highest market share in the market in 2015, and is expected maintain its leadership position in the future. This is due to the presence of huge geriatric population, advancements in technology, supportive imbursement policies, and affordability for buying modern and expensive equipment. Key Findings of the Report: The hybrid PET segment is expected to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Argentina nuclear medicine equipment market is expected to register a CAGR of 6.0% throughout the forecast period. The oncology segment contributed the highest market share in the global nuclear medicine equipment market in 2015. The U.S. held the major market share in 2015, and is expected to lead by 2022. The hospitals segment is estimated to maintain its dominant position throughout 2022. Leading market players operating in the global nuclear medicine equipment market include General Electric Company, Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Mediso Medical Imaging Systems, Ltd., Digirad Corporation, Bozlu Holding, Toshiba Corporation, Compaa Mexicana de Radiologa CGR, S.A. de C.V., Neusoft Corporation, and SurgicEye GmbH. They have adopted various strategies including expansion, collaborations, partnership, mergers & acquisitions, and others to gain a strong position and make international presence. Do Purchase Enquiry at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/1828 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. TORONTO, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blueberries Medical Corp. (CSE: BBM) (OTC: BBRRF) (FRA: 1OA) (the Company or "Blueberries"), a leading Latin American licensed producer of medicinal cannabis and cannabis-derived products, is pleased to announce that the Company has received approval for the production, sale and export of five cannabidiol ("CBD") based health and wellness products from the Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos ("INVIMA"), the Colombian National Food and Drug Surveillance Institute. The approval has been granted for Blueberries initial suite of Health and Wellness products which include a Face Cream, Lip Balm, Body Cream, Beauty Balm and Cannabis Oil Shampoo. Product launch in Colombia and Latin America is expected to commence in the second half of 2019 upon the completion of the Companys product branding strategy and distribution arrangements. As the Company grows its cosmeceutical line and brings products to market, Blueberries will leverage its strong product branding and marketing team, led by Christian Toro, Chairman of the Board, who brings over 40 years of experience in the development and marketing of consumer-packaged goods. The INVIMA approval is also expected to expedite the product approval process in other Latin America countries outside of Colombia. "INVIMA approval is a major accomplishment which allows us to commence product commercialization. Our team of distinguished experts has diligently worked to create proprietary products to bring the benefits of CBD to consumers across diverse markets in Latin America and globally, and position Blueberries as a leader in this new market segment as it continues to evolve. Our wellness product line will offer a range of premium products with natural ingredients for both the female and male consumer, stated Dr. Patricio Stocker, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Commercialization is expected to commence in the second half of this year upon the completion of our product branding and distribution strategy. During this time, we will continue to expand our portfolio of registered products with a robust pipeline of new products under development and finalize distribution arrangements within Colombia and abroad, stated Eduardo Molinari, Chief Marketing Officer of the Company. CBD based cosmetic products have been an important focus area for Blueberries technical and business development teams and the Company continues to focus research efforts towards the topical use of CBD to address the growing global skincare market which is expected to reach US$131 Billion in 2019 (Source: Euromonitor International). The five INVIMA approved CBD based products will form the foundation of the Companys cosmeceutical and wellness offerings and include the following. Face Cream: Specially designed for sensitive skin, the nutrient-rich formulation moisturizes the face and reduces the signs of aging providing sensations of wellness. Specially designed for sensitive skin, the nutrient-rich formulation moisturizes the face and reduces the signs of aging providing sensations of wellness. Lip Balm: Made with cannabis oil containing high concentrations of essential fatty acids, CBD lip balm helps to repair the skins natural moisture barrier, leaving the skin soft and supple. Made with cannabis oil containing high concentrations of essential fatty acids, CBD lip balm helps to repair the skins natural moisture barrier, leaving the skin soft and supple. Body Cream: For use with dry and/or sensitive skin, this cream restores the natural moisture and elasticity of the skin for a younger, healthier look. For use with dry and/or sensitive skin, this cream restores the natural moisture and elasticity of the skin for a younger, healthier look. Beauty Balm : Multifunction, highly versatile cosmetic product that moisturizes and illuminates the skin, smoothing its tone, covering imperfections and protecting the skin from UV rays. Multifunction, highly versatile cosmetic product that moisturizes and illuminates the skin, smoothing its tone, covering imperfections and protecting the skin from UV rays. Cannabis Oil Shampoo: Moisturizing formulation leaves scalp strong and healthy, irrigating the capillaries for healthier, stronger and brighter hair while also helping to reduce premature hair loss. CBD is widely regarded as an excellent cosmeceutical ingredient given its richness in nutrients such as Vitamin E, Omega 3 and Omega 6 as well as its many beneficial effects including the reduction of acne, dry skin and psoriasis. Its ease of absorption and ability to penetrate the skin helps to improve blood circulation and the lymphatic system functionality. The Company is currently in the final phase of R&D for two additional products which are expected to receive approval in the coming weeks. About INVIMA The Colombia National Food and Drug Surveillance Institute (Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos or INVIMA) is a regulatory authority that was created in 1992 under the Ministry of Health. INVIMA is responsible for inspecting and supervising the manufacturing and marketing of health products, food and drugs as well as identifying and evaluating violations of health standards or procedures, implementing best practices and providing medical approval for the import and export of products. As a level four World Health Organization (WHO) agency, product approval by INVIMA can expedite the product approval process for countries outside Colombia. INVIMA has the same level of WHO status as Canada and the United States. About Blueberries Medical Corp. Blueberries is a Latin American licensed producer of naturally grown premium quality cannabis with its primary operations ideally located in the Bogota Savannah of central Colombia and operations currently being established in Argentina. The Company is led by a specialized team with proprietary expertise in agriculture, genetics, extraction, medicine, pharmacology and marketing, Blueberries is fully licensed for the cultivation, production, domestic distribution, and international export of CBD and THC-based medical cannabis in Colombia. Blueberries combination of leading scientific expertise, agricultural advantages and distribution arrangements has positioned the Company to become a leading international supplier of naturally grown, processed, and standardized medicinal-grade cannabis oil extracts and related products. Additional information about the Company is available at www.blueberriesmed.com. For more information, please contact: Camilo Villalba, Chief Operating Officer Tel: +57.313.483.0131 Email: cvillalba@blueberriesmed.com Jessika Angarita, Pacta Relations angarita@pactarelations.com Tel: +1 (305) 877 4710 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as expects, or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, budget, scheduled, forecasts, estimates, believes or intends or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results may or could, would, might or will be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; expectations regarding the size of the Colombian and international medical cannabis market and changing consumer habits; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for expansion; political and social uncertainties; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; and the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on cultivation, production, distribution and sale of cannabis and cannabis related products in Colombia or internationally; and employee relations. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. Additional information regarding the Company, and other risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's business are contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Listing Statement dated January 31, 2019 filed on its issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Miami, FL, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lice Clinics of America - Miami, part of the worlds largest network of professional urgent-care head lice treatment centers, recently announced that their clinic at 1801 Coral Way, Suite 320, Miami, has reached the milestone of 1,000 successful head lice treatments using heated air, since opening their doors in March 2017. Were incredibly proud of this milestone but the greatest gratitude goes to the countless families we have had the opportunity of helping, said Heather OConnor, owner of Lice Clinics of America Miami. We knew our work would be rewarding but we had no idea the multitude of wonderful people wed meet and even form friendships with. There are plenty of options available to people but weve seen over time that our community is realizing our service stands apart not only because we use science and technology but because we genuinely love our customers. Without our customers and amazing staff, we would be nothing The company has seen explosive growth since forming the Lice Clinics of America brand in 2014 and now boasts 330 clinics in 36 countries, with new clinics opening every month. The secret to the firms success is its revolutionary technology in the form of AirAlle, an FDA-cleared medical device proven to kill live lice and more than 99 percent of eggs in an hour-long treatment using heated air to dehydrate lice and nits. One in four children under 13 years of age get head lice, and that number is growing as traditional lice shampoos are increasingly ineffective. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology found that 98 percent of lice in the United States are now resistant to the pesticides the products use. These immune lice are often referred to as super lice, and families often try and fail multiple times to get lice out of their lives. The AirAlle device kills lice and super lice without the use of pesticides or chemicals. Lice Clinics of America also offers a complete line of pesticide-free home treatment and prevention products. # # # About Lice Clinics of America With 330 clinics worldwide in 36 countries, Lice Clinics of America (www.LiceClinicsOfAmerica.com) is the largest network of professional head lice treatment centers in the world. Its patented heated-air device, AirAlle, has effectively performed more than 500,000 head lice treatments. Lice Clinics of America and AirAlle (www.airalle.com) are brands owned by Larada Sciences, Inc., which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. LONG BEACH, CA , May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE Emerald Bioscience, Inc. (OTCQB: EMBI), focused on the development of cannabinoid-based therapeutics to address global medical indications, especially those of unmet medical need, announced today that Dr. Brian Murphy, CEO and Chief Medical Officer, will present at the CannaStocks 2019 Q1 Investor Conference on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at 11 AM EDT at the OTC Markets Group Headquarters, 300 Vesey Street, New York, NY. Dr. Murphy will provide a brief corporate presentation to be followed by a fireside chat and one-to-one meetings. 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 go to: https://tinyurl.com/CannastocksQ1VIC About Emerald Bioscience, Inc. Emerald Bioscience is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Long Beach, California, focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of bioengineered cannabinoid-based therapeutics for significant unmet medical needs in global markets. With proprietary technology licensed from the University of Mississippi, Emerald is developing novel ways to deliver cannabinoid-based drugs for specific indications with the aim of optimizing the clinical effects of such drugs while limiting potential adverse events. Emerald's strategy is to clinically develop a number of proprietary biosynthetic compounds, alone or in combination with corporate partners. Emerald Bioscience is part of the Emerald Group , which comprises multiple companies focused on developing pharmaceutical, botanical, and nutraceutical products providing wellness and medical benefits by interacting with the human bodys endocannabinoid system. For more information, visit www.emeraldbio.life FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our product development, business strategy, product branding, timing of clinical trials and commercialization of cannabinoid-based therapeutics. Such statements and other statements in this press release that are not descriptions of historical facts are forward-looking statements that are based on managements current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, our business, operating results, financial condition and stock price could be materially negatively affected. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology including anticipated, contemplates, goal, focus, aims, intends, believes, can, could, challenge, predictable, will, would, may or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. We operate in a rapidly changing environment and new risks emerge from time to time. As a result, it is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements the Emerald may make. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, our capital resources, uncertainty regarding the results of future testing and development efforts and other risks that are described in the Risk Factors section of Emerald most recent annual or quarterly report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as expressly required by law, Emerald disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. SAN DIEGO, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TPT Global Tech, Inc. (TPTG or the Company) (OTCBB:TPTW) announced today it has completed its acquisition of most of the assets of SpeedConnect LLC (SpeedConnect) for $2 million and the assumption of certain liabilities. The Asset Purchase Agreement required a deposit of $500,000, paid as part of entering into the Asset Purchase Agreement and an additional $500,000 paid at closing. In addition, at the time of closing, the Company entered into a Promissory Note to pay SpeedConnect $1,000,000 in two equal installments of $500,000 plus applicable interest at 10% per annum with the first installment payable within 30 days of closing and the second installment payable within 60 days of closing. The Company is required to have SpeedConnects financial information audited for the last two years, which audits are in process and expected to be completed within regulatory requirements. SpeedConnect was founded in 2002 by its CEO John Arthur Ogren and is in its 17th year of operations as a national, predominantly rural, wireless telecommunications residential and commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP). SpeedConnect.com . SpeedConnects primary business model is subscription based, monthly reoccurring revenues, from wireless delivered, high-speed Internet connections utilizing its company-built and owned national network. SpeedConnect also resells third-party satellite Internet, DSL Internet, IP telephony and DISH TV products. Mr. Ogren will stay on as the CEO of SpeedConnect for TPTG for the next two years. SpeedConnect is a privately-held Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) provider. Today, SpeedConnect is one of the nations largest rural wireless broadband Internet providers which serves approximately 19,000 residential and commercial wireless broadband Internet customers, in Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Texas. The synergies with TPTG are impressive. The SpeedConnect asset acquisition provides a complete back office, with a billings and collections machine for all products the new combined enterprise may choose to sell, service, warehouse, or deliver. With a TPTG cash infusion, and the SpeedConnects 5G deployments across 10 Midwestern States, the new combined enterprise is perfectly positioned to grow its national footprint to 250,000 customers, and hold first place as the nations best choice for bridging the digital divide to heartland rural America. This milestone or acquisition of most of the assets of Speed Connect positions the Company to launch 5G Technology to rural America and set stage for TPTG to deliver TV, Internet, Media Content and Phone services across 10 Midwestern states, utilizing our proprietary telecom infrastructure and mobile media delivery broadcast platform at the same time creates an opportunity for the company to up list to a major exchange said Stephen Thomas CEO TPTG. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of various provisions of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, commonly identified by such terms as "believes," "looking ahead," "anticipates," "estimates" and other terms with similar meaning. Specifically, statements about the Company's plans for accelerated growth, improved profitability, future business partners, M&A activity, new service offerings and pursuit of new markets are forward looking statements. Although the company believes that the assumptions upon which its forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these assumptions will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements should not be construed as fact. The information contained in such statements is beyond the ability of the Company to control, and in many cases the Company cannot predict what factors would cause results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements. All forward-looking statements in the press release are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and by reference to the underlying assumptions. About TPT Global Tech TPT Global Tech Inc. (OTC:TPTW) based in San Diego, California, is a Technology/Telecommunications Media Content Hub for Domestic and International syndication and also provides Technology solutions to businesses domestically and worldwide. TPT Global offers Software as a Service (SaaS), Technology Platform as a Service (PAAS), Cloud-based Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) and carrier-grade performance and support for businesses over its private IP MPLS fiber and wireless network in the United States. TPT's cloud-based UCaaS services allow businesses of any size to enjoy all the latest voice, data, media and collaboration features in today's global technology markets. TPT's also operates as a Master Distributor for Nationwide Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) and Independent Sales Organization (ISO) as a Master Distributor for Pre-Paid Cellphone services, Mobile phones Cellphone Accessories and Global Roaming Cellphones. Richard Eberhardt 702-556-7096 All amounts in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated CALGARY, Alberta, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WestJet Airlines Ltd. (WestJet)(TSX: WJA) announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement that provides for its acquisition in an all-cash transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, Onex Corporation (Onex)(TSX: ONEX) and its affiliated funds will acquire all outstanding shares of WestJet for $31.00 per share, after which WestJet will operate as a privately-held company. The purchase price represents a 67% premium to Fridays closing share price and a 63% premium to WestJets 20-day volume-weighted average trading price. The transaction value is approximately $5 billion including assumed debt. Since our first flight in 1996, WestJet has been singularly focused on providing better options for the Canadian travelling public and this transaction retains that commitment, said Clive Beddoe, WestJets Founder and Chairman. I am particularly pleased that WestJet will remain headquartered in Calgary and will continue to build on the success that our 14,000 WestJetters have created. Onex aerospace experience, history of positive employee relations and long-term orientation makes it an ideal partner for WestJetters, and I am excited about our future. WestJet is one of Canadas strongest brands and we have tremendous respect for the business that Clive Beddoe and all WestJetters have built over the years. WestJet is renowned internationally for its unparalleled guest experience and employee culture. Were thrilled to be partnering with WestJetters and continuing this remarkable Canadian success story, said Tawfiq Popatia, a Managing Director at Onex. Ed Sims, WestJets President and Chief Executive Officer, said, We are delighted to continue the journey of building an airline based on a growing network, providing competitive airfares and more choice to, from and within Canada, for communities large and small. Integral to this relationship is a commitment to our employees, and our unique ownership-driven culture. The investment will be led by Onex Partners, Onex private equity platform focused on larger investment opportunities. Recommendation of the WestJet Board of Directors Following an approach by Onex in March 2019, the WestJet board of directors formed a special committee of independent directors to provide the Board with its advice and recommendations with respect to the proposal from Onex and the transaction, and to supervise the negotiation of the terms and conditions of the transaction. After an extensive review of the proposed transaction, the special committee provided its unanimous recommendation of the transaction to the WestJet board of directors. The WestJet board of directors, having received and considered the recommendation of the special committee, determined that the transaction is in the best interests of WestJet and unanimously recommends that WestJet shareholders vote in favour of the transaction at the special meeting of shareholders to be held to approve the transaction. Each of CIBC Capital Markets and BofA Merrill Lynch has provided the WestJet board of directors with an opinion to the effect that, as of May 12, 2019, the consideration to be received by holders of WestJet shares in the transaction was fair, from a financial point of view, to such holders, in each case subject to the respective limitations, qualifications, assumptions and other matters set forth in such opinions. Each of the directors and executive officers of WestJet has entered into a voting support agreement pursuant to which each has committed to vote in favour of the transaction. Additional Transaction Details Equity financing will be led by Onex Partners. The transaction is to be completed by way of an arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta). Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including court and shareholder approval and receipt of certain regulatory approvals, including approval under the Canada Transportation Act. The approval under the Canada Transportation Act involves a determination by the Minister of Transport which entails an assessment of the public interest as it relates to national transportation. Assuming the timely receipt of regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected to close in the latter part of 2019 or early 2020. WestJet expects to mail an information circular in late June 2019 for a special meeting of its shareholders expected to be held in July 2019 to approve the transaction. The arrangement agreement for the transaction includes customary provisions relating to non-solicitation, subject to customary fiduciary out provisions that entitle WestJet to consider and accept a superior proposal if the purchaser does not match the superior proposal. WestJet has agreed to pay a fee to the purchaser upon the termination of the agreement in certain circumstances. The purchaser has agreed to pay a fee to WestJet if, after all other conditions to the closing of the transaction have been satisfied or waived, the purchaser is not in a position to fund the closing of the transaction. WestJet is permitted to continue paying its regular quarterly cash dividend consistent with its dividend policy and past practice until closing. Further details regarding the terms of the transaction are set out in the arrangement agreement, which will be publicly filed by WestJet under its profile at www.sedar.com . Additional information regarding the terms of the arrangement agreement and the background of the transaction will be provided in the information circular for the special meeting of shareholders. Advisors CIBC Capital Markets is acting as financial advisor to WestJet. BofA Merrill Lynch has provided financial advisory services to the WestJet board of directors. Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP is serving as legal advisor to WestJet and Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP is serving as independent legal advisor to the special committee of WestJets board. Goodmans LLP is acting as Canadian legal advisor to Onex and Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP is serving as U.S. legal advisor to Onex. DLA Piper (Canada) LLP is serving as Onex aviation regulatory counsel. Barclays is acting as lead financial advisor and lending bank to Onex with additional advisory and financing provided by Morgan Stanley and RBC Capital Markets. Caution Regarding Forward-looking Information Certain information set forth in this news release including, without limitation, WestJets and Onex managements expectations with respect to: the anticipated benefits of the transaction; the anticipated timing for the special meeting to approve the transaction; the timing and anticipated receipt of required regulatory approvals; and the anticipated timing for closing the transaction, is forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information may in some cases be identified by words such as will, anticipates, expects, intends and similar expressions suggesting future events or future performance. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond WestJets and Onex control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by WestJet, including expectations and assumptions concerning the anticipated benefits of the transaction and the receipt, in a timely manner, of regulatory, shareholder and court approvals in respect of the transaction. Forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this news release. The key risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general global economic, market and business conditions; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities; relationships with employees, customers, business partners and competitors; and diversion of management time on the transaction. There are also risks that are inherent in the nature of the transaction, including failure to satisfy the conditions to the completion of the transaction and failure to obtain any required regulatory and other approvals (or to do so in a timely manner). The anticipated timeline for completion of the transaction may change for a number of reasons, including the inability to secure necessary regulatory, court or other approvals in the time assumed or the need for additional time to satisfy the conditions to the completion of the transaction. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release concerning the timing of the transaction. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact WestJet can also be found in WestJet's public reports and filings which are available under WestJet's profile at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking information. WestJet does not undertake to update, correct or revise any forward-looking information as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. About WestJet Together with WestJets regional airline, WestJet Encore, we offer scheduled service to more than 100 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe and to more than 175 destinations in over 20 countries through our airline partnerships. WestJet Vacations offers affordable, flexible vacations to more than 60 destinations and the choice of more than 800 hotels, resorts, condos and villas. Members of the WestJet Rewards program earn WestJet dollars on flights, vacation packages and more. Members use WestJet dollars towards the purchase of flights and vacations packages to any WestJet destination with no blackout periods, and have access to Member Exclusive fares offering deals to WestJet destinations throughout our network and those of our partner airlines. WestJet is proud to be recognized for three consecutive years as Best Airline in Canada (2017-19) and awarded among travellers favourite Mid-Sized Airlines in North America (2019). From 2017-2018, WestJet was also awarded among travellers favorite Mid-Sized and Low-Cost Airlines in North America. The airline was also recognized among the Economy Class winners in North America, 2018. All awards are based on authentic reviews from the travelling public on TripAdvisor, the worlds largest travel site. We are one of very few airlines globally that does not commercially overbook. WestJet is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol WJA. For more information about everything WestJet, please visit www.westjet.com . Recent recognition includes: 2019/2018/2017 Best Airline in Canada (TripAdvisor Travellers Choice awards for Airlines) 2019 Winner Among Mid-Sized Airlines in North America (TripAdvisor Travellers Choice awards for Airlines) 2018/2017 Winner Among Mid-Sized and Low Cost Airlines North America (TripAdvisor Travellers Choice awards for Airlines) 2018 Winner Economy, North America (TripAdvisor Travellers Choice awards for Airlines) 2018 Number-One-Ranked Airline Credit Card in Canada (Rewards Canada) 2018 North America's Best Low-Cost Airline (Skytrax) 2018/2017/2016 Canada's Most Trusted Airline (Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria) Connect with WestJet on Facebook at facebook.com/westjet Follow WestJet on Twitter at twitter.com/westjet Follow WestJet on Instagram at instagram.com/westjet Subscribe to WestJet on YouTube at youtube.com/westjet Read the WestJet blog at blog.westjet.com For further information: To contact WestJet media relations, please email media@westjet.com . About Onex Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Canada, Onex manages and invests capital in its private equity and credit platforms on behalf of investors from around the world. In total, Onex has US$31 billion of assets under management, including US$6.6 billion of shareholder capital. Onex invests through its two private equity platforms, Onex Partners for larger transactions and ONCAP for middle market and smaller transactions, and Onex Credit which manages primarily non-investment grade debt through collateralized loan obligations, private debt and other credit strategies. Onex and its experienced management team are collectively the largest investors across Onex platforms. The Onex Partners and ONCAP businesses have assets of US$51 billion, generate annual revenues of US$31 billion and employ approximately 172,000 people worldwide. Onex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the stock symbol Onex. For more information on Onex, visit its website at www.onex.com . Onex security filings can also be accessed at www.sedar.com . For more information, please contact: PHOENIX, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Uptick Newswire Stock Day Podcast welcomed Avivagen Inc. (CHEXF), a life sciences corporation focused on developing and commercializing products for livestock, companion animal and human applications that, by safely supporting immune function, promote general health and performance. President, Chairman, and CEO, Kym Anthony, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. Jolly began the interview by asking Mr. Anthony to give listeners an update on the Companys current projects. Mr. Anthony explained that recently the Company has launched into the commercial space. With their new and existing customers, the Company has been able to more than double their volume. Another recent milestone is the beginning of the sales process in the United States. He further explained that the main product of the Company is a replacement for antibiotics in livestock feed, which has become incredibly popular overseas. Mr. Anthony also explained that the Company recently formed a new partnership that will allow them to complete trials and begin selling their product in the United States, as well as expand their product into multiple applications. Jolly then asked about the Companys increasing revenues. Those revenues come from two basic sources, stated Mr. Anthony. He explained that currently the revenue is due to their sales for livestock additives, however another revenue source comes from their companion animal business which features an anti-inflammatory vitamin chew. Jolly followed by asking about the Companys future milestones. Mr. Anthony shared that United States trials and the transition of these trials into distribution represents their main goals. The next 6-12 months, that will be the key thing to focus on, stated Mr. Anthony. He also explained that the current product could also be applied as a supplement for humans to treat inflammation and other ailments in a healthy way. Mr. Anthony shared that the Companys livestock division is a major part of their revenues, however their future growth and revenues will be greatly enhanced by the addition of human applications for their products. To close the interview, Mr. Anthony added that the Company plans to be moving their Vivamune Health Chews division to a joint venture with a major distribution platform which will further improve their revenues. To hear Kym Anthonys entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://upticknewswire.com/featured-interview-ceo-kym-anthony-of-avivagen-inc-otcpink-chexf-4/ Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of Stock Day, and Uptick Newswire encourages listeners to visit the companys message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About Avivagen Avivagen is a life sciences corporation focused on developing and commercializing products for livestock, companion animal and human applications that, by safely supporting immune function, promote general health and performance. It is a public corporation traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol VIV and is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, based in partnership facilities of the National Research Council of Canada and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. For more information, visit www.avivagen.com . The contents of the website are expressly not incorporated by reference in this press release. About OxC-beta Technology and OxC-beta Livestock Avivagens OxC-beta technology is derived from Avivagen discoveries about carotenoids, compounds that give certain fruits and vegetables their bright colours, and is a non-antibiotic means of maintaining optimal health and growth. OxC-beta Livestock is a proprietary product shown to be effective and economic in replacing the antibiotics commonly added to livestock feeds. OxC-beta Livestock is currently registered and available for sale in the United States, Philippines, Taiwan, New Zealand and Thailand. Avivagens OxC-beta Livestock product is safe, effective and could fulfill the global mandate to remove all in-feed antibiotics as growth promoters. Numerous international livestock trials with poultry and swine using OxC-beta Livestock have proven that the product performs as well as, and, sometimes, in some aspects, better than in-feed antibiotics. About Vivamune Health Chews (Vivamune) Vivamune is an all-in-one chew that can dramatically simplify a pets supplement routine. Featuring a newly-discovered, novel immune-supporting active ingredient, OxC-beta, Vivamune targets joints, skin and digestive health all in a single, tasty chew a pet will love. Vivamune is available for sale in the United States, Canada, Philippines and Taiwan. For more information, visit www.vivamunehealth.com . The contents of the website are expressly not incorporated by reference in this press release. Forward Looking Statements This news release includes certain forward-looking statements that are based upon the current expectations of management. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties associated with the business of Avivagen and the environment in which the business operates. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking, including those identified by the expressions aim, anticipate, appear, believe, consider, could, estimate, expect, if, intend, goal, hope, likely, may, plan, possibly, potentially, pursue, seem, should, whether, will, would and similar expressions. Statements about OxC-betas ability to replace antibiotics commonly added to livestock feeds or to fulfill the global mandate to remove in-feed antibiotics as growth promoters and the use of proceeds of the Offering set out in this news release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. For instance, Avivagens products may not gain market acceptance or regulatory approvals necessary to fulfill the global mandate to remove in-feed antibiotics as growth promoters and circumstances may require that Avivagen apply the net proceeds of the Offering differently than anticipated. Except as required by law, Avivagen assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the 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. For more information: Avivagen Inc. Drew Basek Director of Investor Relations 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0R6 Phone: 416-540-0733 E-mail: d.basek@avivagen.com Kym Anthony Interim Chief Executive Officer 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0R6 Head Office Phone: 613-949-8164 Website: www.avivagen.com About Uptick Newswire and the Stock Day Podcast Founded in 2013, Uptick Newswire is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Uptick provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. Uptick is the sole producer of its Stock Day Podcast, which is the number one radio show of its kind in America. The Uptick Network Stock Day Podcast is an extension of Uptick Newswire, which recently launched its Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona. Not for distribution into the United States or to U.S. newswire services VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- enCore Energy Corp. (TSX.V: EU) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of a private placement for gross proceeds totaling $2,679,881 comprised of 17,865,878 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.15 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share (the "Shares") and one-half share purchase warrant (the "Warrants"). Each whole Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional Share at a price of $0.225 for a period of three years from the date of issue of the Warrants. The warrants may be accelerated under certain terms if the stock closes for 15 trading days at $0.45 or more. The Company will pay finder's fees equal to 5.5% of subscription amounts found, payable in cash plus issue finder's warrants in an amount equal to 5.25% of units purchased, with each such finder's warrant to be exercisable into one common share of the Company at a price of $0.15 for three years from closing. All securities issued will be subject to a four-month hold period. PowerOne Capital Markets Limited acted as a finder in connection with a portion of the private placement. Proceeds from the financing will be applied to the Company's property portfolio and general working capital. The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. 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 enCore Energy Corp. enCore Energy Corp., with assets based entirely in the United States, has a 100% interest, with no holding costs, on 115,000+ acres (46,400 ha) of private mineral rights in New Mexico, including the Crownpoint and Hosta Butte uranium deposits. These deposits contain an Indicated Mineral Resource of 26.6 million pounds of U3O8 at an average grade of 0.105% e U3O8(1). A portion of these resources are under NRC license. The Company also holds the Marquez and Treeline projects in New Mexico as well as other properties in Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming. The Company owns or has access to an extensive collection of proprietary North American and Global uranium data including the Union Carbide, US Smelting and Refining, UV Industries, Ranchers Exploration databases in addition to a leading geophysical data collection concerning the high-grade Northern Arizona Strip district. For additional information: William M. Sheriff Executive Chairman 972-333-2214 info@encoreenergycorp.com www.encoreenergycorp.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws including the anticipated completion of the transaction and acquisition of the Marquez, Nose Rock and other properties, and the potential advancement thereof. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. Estimates of mineral resources and reserves are also forward-looking statements because they constitute projections regarding the amount of minerals that may be encountered in the future. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation; statements about the terms and completion of the transaction are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the respective companies undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. TORONTO, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nutritional High International Inc. ("Nutritional High" or the "Company") (CSE: EAT, OTCQB: SPLIF, FRANKFURT: 2NU) is pleased to report acceleration and expansion in the Companys California operations. April 2019 was a record sales month for Calyx Brands Inc. ("Calyx"), Nutritional High's wholly owned California-based distributor. Calyx recorded monthly revenue in excess of US $1.85M (~CAD $2.5M), reflecting strong demand for core products driven by development of additional distribution capacity. In addition, estimated and unaudited gross margin rose to 15%, in line with management's expectations. Calyx continues to expand its distribution network and now services more than 500 licensed retail dispensary outlets in the State of California. As disclosed in the press release dated April 1, 2019, for the 12 months ended January 31, 2018, Calyx reported revenue of approximately $17.2 million with sales in the second half of the period increasing by 96% to $11.4 million from $5.8 million in the first half of the period. Over the same period, gross margin increased by approximately 10%. The Company is also pleased to announce that it has received approval to modify the conditional use permit ("CUP") attached to Nutritional High's FLI Labs NorCal facility in Sacramento, California. Pending final regulatory approval, the modification will add another distribution hub to Calyxs network and reinforce its position of leadership in the burgeoning Northern California cannabis market. Upon receipt of the requisite building permits, the Company will commence build-out of the warehousing space, seek a certificate of occupancy and apply for an operating permit to launch distribution operations. Once operational, the additional infrastructure will significantly increase the Company's ability to influence retail shelf space in California via enhanced market access, order fulfillment frequency and wider breadth of branded product offerings. "We maintain our commitment to becoming one of the leading manufacturers and distributors of cannabis products in Western US," commented Adam Szweras, Co-Chairman of Nutritional High. "We have proven out our strategy in California, where we are the top distributor of edibles, and will continue expanding our footprint in the state. We are moving ahead with core strategic focus on California and Nevada, while progressively executing our commercial growth plans in other jurisdictions as well." Nutritional High and Tres Ojos Naturals LLC ("Tres Ojos") mutually elected not to proceed with the previously announced acquisition (announced January 29, 2019). The Company will however continue to distribute SolDaze through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Calyx and very much looks forward to a continued close relationship with the SolDaze team. About Nutritional High International Inc. Nutritional High is focused on developing, manufacturing and distributing products under recognized brands in the cannabis products industry, with a specific focus on edibles and oil extracts for medical and adult recreational use. The Company works exclusively with licensed facilities in jurisdictions where such activity is permitted and regulated by state law. The Company follows a vertically integrated model with a fully developed strategy for acquisitions in extraction, production, sales, and distribution sectors of the cannabis industry. Nutritional High has brought its flagship FLI edibles and extracts product line from production to market through its wholly owned subsidiaries in California and Oregon, as well as Colorado where its FLI products are manufactured by a third-party licensed producer. In California, the Company distributes its products and products manufactured by other leading producers through its wholly owned distributor Calyx Brands Inc. and is entering the Nevada, Washington State and Canadian markets in the near future. For updates on the Company's activities and highlights of the Company's press releases and other media coverage, please follow Nutritional High on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram or visit www.nutritionalhigh.com . For further information, please contact: David Posner Co-Chairman of the Board Nutritional High International Inc. 647-985-6727 Email: dposner@nutritionalhigh.com Ethan Karayannopoulos Director, Investor Relations Nutritional High International Inc. 416-777-6175 Email: ethan@nutritionalhigh.com NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR OTC MARKETS GROUP INC., NOR THEIR REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDERS HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. The statements relate to potential market expansion and the use of the proceeds of the Offering. Risks that may have an impact on the ability for these events to be achieved include completion of due diligence, negotiation of definitive agreements and receipt of applicable approvals. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be correct. We assume no responsibility to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. The Company's securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or applicable state securities laws, and 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 under the U.S. Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking information expressed in this press release include, but are not limited to: obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals including acquiring and renewing U.S. state, local or other licenses, the uncertainty of existing protection from U.S. federal or other prosecution, regulatory or political change such as changes in applicable laws and regulations, including U.S. state-law legalization, market and general economic conditions of the cannabis sector or otherwise. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnWave Corporation (TSX-V:ENW | FSE:E4U) (EnWave, or the "Company") announced today it had signed Commercial License and Equipment Purchase Agreements (the Agreements) with Calbee Inc. (Calbee), a leading Japan-based company mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of snack confectionary, bakery food and cereal food. The Agreements provide Calbee with the exclusive right to explore and pilot EnWaves Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) food dehydration technology for the development of premium, healthy fruit and vegetable snack products and ingredients in the country of Japan. Calbee plans to conduct intense product development in 2019 and launch several iterations through test marketing efforts in 2020. If Calbees products resonate commercially with Japanese consumers, Calbee intends to scale-up their production to a larger, continuous REV processing line in 2021. All other terms of the Agreements are confidential. About Calbee Calbee, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of potato, flour and corn based snacks, and processed bread and cereals. It operates through the Production and Sale of Food and Others Business division. The Production and Sale of Food business division handles snacks, serial food, and bakeries. The Others Business manages logistics including planning, production, and shipping. The company was founded on April 30, 1949 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. For more information about Calbee Inc. please visit www.calbee.com . About EnWave EnWave Corporation, a Vancouver-based advanced technology company, has developed Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) an innovative, proprietary method for the precise dehydration of organic materials. REV technologys commercial viability has been demonstrated and is growing rapidly across several market verticals in the food, and pharmaceutical sectors. EnWaves strategy is to sign royalty-bearing commercial licenses with industry leaders in multiple verticals for the use of REV technology. The company has signed over twenty royalty-bearing licenses to date, opening up nine distinct market sectors for commercialization of new and innovative products. In addition to these licenses, EnWave has formed a Limited Liability Corporation, NutraDried Food Company, LLC, to develop, manufacture, market and sell all-natural cheese snack products in the United States under the Moon Cheese brand. EnWave has introduced REV as the new dehydration standard in the food and biological material sectors: faster and cheaper than freeze drying, with better end product quality than air drying or spray drying. EnWave currently has three commercial REV platforms: nutraREV which is used in the food industry to dry food products quickly and at low-cost, while maintaining high levels of nutrition, taste, texture and colour; powderREV which is used for the bulk dehydration of food cultures, probiotics and fine biochemicals such as enzymes below the freezing point, and quantaREV which is used for continuous, high-volume low-temperature drying. An additional platform, freezeREV, is being developed as a new method to stabilize and dehydrate biopharmaceuticals such as vaccines and antibodies. More information about EnWave is available at www.enwave.net . EnWave Corporation Mr. Brent Charleton, CFA President and CEO For further information: Brent Charleton, CFA , President and CEO at +1 (778) 378-9616 E-mail: bcharleton@enwave.net John P.A. Budreski, Executive Chairman at +1 (416) 930-0914 E-mail: jbudreski@enwave.net Deborah Honig, Corporate Development at + 1 (647) 203-8793 E-mail: dhonig@enwave.net Safe Harbour for Forward-Looking Information Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking information based on management's expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures, and the expected synergies following the closing are forward-looking statements. All third party claims referred to in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate. All third party references to market information in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate as the Company did not conduct the original primary research. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. No statement in this press release should be construed as a waiver of any partys rights, and all such rights are reserved. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FRANKLIN, Mass., May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Interactions, LLC, the leading provider of Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVAs), today announced that its MAXIMUS Intelligent Assistant has received Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Authorization. The authorization comes nearly two years after Interactions partnered with MAXIMUS, a leading provider of government services worldwide, to bring Intelligent Virtual Assistants to federal agencies. With the FedRAMP Authorization, the MAXIMUS Intelligent Assistant powered by Interactions meets the stringent security requirements necessary to work with the federal government and allows agencies to facilitate secure and productive conversations with citizens. By enhancing self-service offerings in the public sector, people can quickly and securely complete a number of transactions that would otherwise require waiting for assistance from a human agent, including general inquiries, registration and enrollment, and benefits eligibility. The solution is powered by Interactions proprietary Adaptive UnderstandingTM technology, which combines conversational artificial intelligence (AI) with human understanding to create positive and impactful customer experiences. Security and privacy is foundational to everything we do, and is especially important to federal agencies and the citizens they serve, said Dave Rennyson, Chief Revenue Officer of Interactions. With the FedRAMP Authorization, our MAXIMUS Intelligent Assistant will meet the stringent security requirements of federal agencies, allowing us to expand the impact of our advanced conversational AI to support and serve a broader range of government organizations. Beyond the efficiency gained with self-service options, the FedRAMP Authorized MAXIMUS Intelligent Assistant can help mitigate security concerns for federal agencies that are often exposed to citizens sensitive or private information. A recent Interactions study conducted with The Harris Poll found that the majority of Americans (76 percent) would be comfortable with a human agent not being involved in a customer service conversation concerning financial information or personal issues. This in mind, applying Intelligent Virtual Assistants in the public sectorwhere delicate topics often arisewill bring ease to citizens while saving valuable taxpayer dollars for federal agencies. When citizens reach out to government agencies, they increasingly expect an efficient and seamless experience that compares to the commercial world, said Bruce Caswell, President and Chief Executive Officer of MAXIMUS. Through our work with Interactions, weve been able to use the latest in conversational AI and machine learning to help meet citizen expectations. With the FedRAMP Authorization, the MAXIMUS Intelligent Assistant is able to meet the stringent security requirements of federal agencies, while delivering an innovative and cost-effective solution that can ultimately support mission objectives and provide the highest quality citizen services. To learn more about Interactions, click here. About Interactions Interactions provides Intelligent Virtual Assistants that seamlessly assimilate conversational AI and human understanding to enable businesses to engage with their customers in highly productive and satisfying conversations. With flexible products and solutions designed to meet the growing demand for unified, omnichannel customer care, Interactions is delivering unprecedented improvements in the customer experience and significant cost savings for some of the largest brands in the world. Founded in 2004, Interactions is headquartered in Franklin, Massachusetts with additional offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.interactions.com. About MAXIMUS Since 1975, MAXIMUS has operated under its founding mission of Helping Government Serve the People, enabling citizens around the globe to successfully engage with their governments at all levels and across a variety of health and human services programs. MAXIMUS delivers innovative business process management and technology solutions that contribute to improved outcomes for citizens and higher levels of productivity, accuracy, accountability and efficiency of government-sponsored programs. With more than 30,000 employees worldwide, MAXIMUS is a proud partner to government agencies in the United States, Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit maximus.com. Contact: Lindsay Rand interactions@launchsquad.com (617) 945-1915 SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA , May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- eMARINE Global, Inc. (OTC: EMRN), a leading provider of information and communications technology (ICT) for the maritime industry, signed a contract with Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction (HHIC) to supply the Companys Warship Electronic Chart Display & Information System (WECDIS) to two ROK Navy multi-purpose training boats (MTBs). This latest contract award is for the third and fourth MTBs in the series. Previously, the Company was awarded and installed its WECDIS technology on the first two MTBs, and both boats are now in training operations. The current contract is valued at 100 million won ($85,000 USD). HHIC is one of the top yards for specialty ships, including naval vessels. We continue to dominate the Korean defense market, stated Ung Gyu Kim, Chairman and CEO. eMARINE currently provides technology maintenance services for 215 ROK Navy ships under an annual contract agreement, and we continue to strive to strengthen our leading position in servicing the Navy and other key customers. In addition to its contract award from HHIC, eMARINE also secured a follow-on contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME), the leading submarine shipbuilder, for the third and fourth instillations of its e-Navigator Integrated Bridge System (IBS) to Auxiliary Submarine Rescue Ship (ASR). Construction is currently underway at the DSME yards. Founded in 2001 and based in South Korea, eMARINE Global is working with a growing base of marquee customers to achieve maritime ICT convergence through fully integrated products and services, offering state-of-the-art e-navigation, marine Internet of Things (IoT), and marine big data solutions, primarily in Korea with near-term expansion into U.S. and Chinese markets. eMARINE Globals customer base includes Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries, and SAAB. About eMARINE Global, Inc. eMARINE is a provider of information and communications technology in the maritime industry. Specifically, eMARINE provides solutions for collection, integration and display of maritime information abroad and ashore by electronic means to enhance berth to berth navigation and related services. These solutions provide the most efficient means to secure the safety of life at sea and to protect the marine environment. All products and services are offered through subscription, installation, updates and/or maintenance contracts. Forward-Looking Statements Statements preceded by, followed by, or that otherwise include the words believe, anticipate, estimate, expect, intend, plan, project, prospects, outlook, and similar words or expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as will, should, would, may, and could are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, performance, or achievements. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, a future event, or otherwise. Contact: KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. , in partnership with Price Chopper , donated more than 41,000 pounds of protein to HarvestersThe Community Food Network . Smithfields contribution was part of the companys 2019 Helping Hungry Homes donation tour and provided a generous donation to Harvesters in support of the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger food drive. Helping Hungry Homes is Smithfields signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. This donation, equivalent to more than 166,000 servings of protein, will help fight summer hunger throughout northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri. One in six children in Harvesters service area is at risk of hunger, said Valerie Nicholson-Watson, President and CEO of Harvesters. This is a critical time of year for families as they struggle to provide additional meals and make ends meet while children are not receiving breakfast and lunch at school. Families turn to our pantries for help, and this donation helps ensure protein will be available to them. This is the 24th large-scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2019 Helping Hungry Homes donation tour. Since the programs inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 130 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide. Smithfield is proud to make donations of protein to Harvesters throughout the year to support a community so many of our employees call home, said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. We understand the increased need experienced this time of year and are honored to help kick-off the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive to ensure children in Kansas City have wholesome meals this summer. The public is also welcome to contribute to the Stamp Out Hunger food drive by donating nonperishable food items to Harvesters food barrels at any Price Chopper store or donating online at www.harvesters.org through Monday, May 13, 2019. For more information about Smithfield Foods Helping Hungry Homes initiative and a list of upcoming donation events, visit helpinghungryhomes.com . About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathans Famous, Farmland, Armour, Farmer John, Kretschmar, John Morrell, Cooks, Gwaltney, Carando, Margherita, Curlys, Healthy Ones, Morliny, Krakus, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental, and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com , and connect with us on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , and Instagram . About Price Chopper Price Choppers 52 Kansas City stores are locally owned by the Ball, Cosentino, McKeever, and Queen families, all of whom live in Kansas City and oversee store operations on a daily basis. For 40 years, the owners and employees of Price Chopper have been committed to providing the highest quality products and top-of-the-line customer service to the thousands of customers they serve every day. For more information, please visit www.mypricechopper.com . About HarvestersThe Community Food Network Harvesters is a regional food bank and was Feeding Americas 2011 Food Bank of the Year. Serving a 26-county area of northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas, Harvesters provides food and related household products to more than 760 nonprofit agencies including emergency food pantries, community kitchens, shelters and others. Agencies in Harvesters network provide food assistance to as many as 141,500 different people each month. Harvesters, which was founded in 1979, is a certified member of Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, serving all 50 states. For more information, visit www.harvesters.org . Media Contacts: Dalton Agency for Smithfield Lauren Homrich (480) 268-3253 lhomrich@daltonagency.com InQuest Marketing for Price Chopper Joe Myers (913) 645-8384 Joe@inquestmarketing.com HarvestersThe Community Food Network Sarah Biles (913) 216-8596 sbiles@harvesters.org A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2ac03109-6139-4a55-8afc-99ef14cfb6b3 DENVER and TORONTO, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MJardin Group, Inc. (MJardin or the Company) (CSE: MJAR) (OTCQX: MJARF), a leader in premium cannabis production, announced today that the Company will present at the 3rd Annual Canaccord Genuity Cannabis Conference. Adrian Montgomery, Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chris Seto, Chief Financial Officer, will present on the Companys growth strategy and will be joined by Board member James Lowe, Founder of MJardin Group, to meet with investors. The formal presentation is scheduled for 2:00 pm ET on Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at the Grand Hyatt New York, in New York City and can be found on the Companys website at http://investors.mjardin.com/Investor-Presentations . The Canaccord Cannabis Conference will feature company presentations and one-on-one meetings with senior management teams representing every facet of the global cannabis industry, including U.S. multi-state operators, Canadian licensed producers, technology providers, brand owners and hemp producers from across North America, Europe, Australia and South America. About MJardin Group MJardin is a cannabis management platform with extensive experience in cultivation, processing, distribution and retail. For over 10 years, MJardin has refined cultivation methodologies, developed state of the art facilities and implemented vertical integration for and on behalf of license owners. MJardin is based in Denver, Colorado and Toronto, Canada. For more information, please visit www.mjardin.com. The CSE has not in any way passed upon the merits of and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a 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. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information based on current expectations. Statements about, among other things, future developments and the business and operations of MJardin, our production capacity, our production results, trading of MJardins shares on the OTCQX Best Market, the receipt of any pending regulatory approvals or licenses, the growth of our global footprint and our intentions to leverage our scale for continued organic growth and to pursue strategic investments are all forward-looking information. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: our ability to identify and pursue growth, financing and other strategic objectives, and the regulatory and economic environments in the jurisdictions we operate or intend to operate or investment in. Although such statements are based on managements reasonable assumptions at the date such statements are made, there can be no assurance that the proposed acquisition will occur and that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information. MJardin assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by applicable law. INVESTOR CONTACT: Ali Mahdavi Chris Seto Capital Markets & Investor Relations Chief Financial Officer 416-962-3300 647-242-0615 Ali.mahdavi@MJardin.com Chris.Seto@Mjardin.com NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE UNITED STATES DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE UNITED STATES OR ANYOTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN. Data Respons ASA (Data Respons or the Company) has retained ABG Sundal Collier ASA and SpareBank 1 Markets AS (together the Managers) as Joint Lead Managers and Bookrunners to advise on and effect a private placement of new shares (the Offer Shares), directed towards Norwegian and international investors, subject to applicable exemptions from relevant registration, filing and prospectus requirements, and subject to other applicable selling restrictions, after the close of Oslo Stock Exchange today (the "Private Placement"). Through the Private Placement, the Company is offering up to 12,000,000 new shares, representing approximately 20 % of the outstanding capital of the Company. The price in the Private Placement will be determined through an accelerated bookbuilding process. Net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used to fund contemplated M&A activity. As announced in its Q1 financial results, the Company sees opportunities in all of its key markets and the market outlook remains attractive. Data Respons seeks to continue its growth through a combination of organic development and selective bolt-on acquisitions in the Nordics and Germany and has identified several M&A targets which may materialize in transactions during 2019. The Private Placement will be divided into two tranches. Tranche 1 will consist of 2,000,000 Offer Shares (Tranche 1) and be based on existing authorisation to issue shares. Tranche 2 will consist of up to 10,000,000 Offer Shares (Tranche 2) and be subject to approval by an Extraordinary General Meeting (the EGM). The Private Placement will be carried out on the following terms: The application period for the Private Placement opens today at 16:30 CEST on 13 May 2019 and closes at 08:00 CEST on 14 May 2019. The Company, in consultation with the Managers, may however at any time resolve to close or extend the subscription period at its sole discretion and on short notice. The minimum subscription and allocation amount in the Private Placement will be the NOK equivalent of EUR 100,000, provided that the Company may, at its sole discretion, allocate an amount below EUR 100,000 to the extent applicable exemptions from the prospectus requirement pursuant to applicable regulations are available. Allocation of the Offer Shares will be determined at the end of the application period, and final allocation will be made by the Company's Board of Directors at its sole discretion. Notification of the partly conditional allocation is expected to be sent by the Managers on or about 14 May 2019. Applicants will be allocated Offer Shares on a pro rata basis between Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 of the Private Placement. The settlement date for Tranche 1 is expected to be on or about 16 May 2019. The settlement date for Tranche 2 is expected to be expected shortly after the EGM, expected to be held on or about 5 June 2019. The Tranche 2 Offer Shares will be delivered on a separate ISIN on settlement, and is expected to be listed and tradable in late June 2019. Interim listing of the Tranche 2 Offer Shares on Merkur Market will be facilitated as soon as practicable following settlement, expected on or about 12 June 2019. The Company and the Managers reserve the right, at any time and for any reason, to cancel and/or modify the terms of the Private Placement. The Board, together with the Company's management and the Managers, has considered various transaction alternatives to secure new financing. Based on an overall assessment, taking into account inter alia the need for funding, execution risk and possible alternatives, the Board has on the basis of careful considerations decided that the Private Placement is the alternative that best protects the Company's and the shareholders' joint interests. Thus, the waiver of the preferential rights inherent in a share capital increase through issuance of new shares is considered necessary. Subject to completion of the Private Placement, the Company will consider to carry out a subsequent repair offering directed at its existing shareholders as of close of trading 13 May 2019, as subsequently recorded in the VPS on 15 May 2019, who were not allocated shares in the Private Placement. For further information, please contact: Kenneth Ragnvaldsen, CEO, Data Respons ASA, tel. +47 913 90 918 Rune Wahl, CFO, Data Respons ASA, tel. + 47 950 36 046 Contact information for the Managers: ABG Sundal Collier AS, tel +47 22 01 60 08 SpareBank 1 Market AS, tel +47 24 14 74 70 This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Important information: The release is not for publication or distribution, in whole or in part directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia). This release is an announcement issued pursuant to legal information obligations, and is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. It is issued for information purposes only, and does not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities, in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"). The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the US Securities Act. The Company does not intend to register any portion of the offering of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States. The issue, subscription or purchase of shares in the Company is subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither the Company nor the Managers assume any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions. The distribution of this release may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The Managers are acting for the Company and no one else in connection with the Private Placement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or for providing advice in relation to the Private Placement and/or any other matter referred to in this release. Forward-looking statements: This release and any materials distributed in connection with this release may contain certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect the Company's current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. A number of material factors could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Do not be fooled by Titans claims of a premium: Paper for paper deal with Titans paper is NOT a premium offer for Core Gold shareholders. All-share deal undervalues Core Golds premium assets; Titan shares are highly illiquid and over-valued. Titan, led by Executive Chairman Matthew Carr, has a track record of destroyingnot buildingshareholder value. According to news reports, individuals allegedly linked to Titan have been involved in questionable activities related to an incident involving firearms at the Tulin plant in Peru where people were wounded; news reports also highlight Titans alleged potential environmental liabilities at the Tulin plant. This impacts the all-important social license to operate and could give grounds for the denial of permits for Core Golds properties in Ecuador. A review of Titans public filings in Australia indicate that serious regulatory violations may have taken place. QUITO, Ecuador, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Keith Piggott, owning approximately 7% of the issued and outstanding shares of Core Gold Inc. ("Core Gold" or the "Company") (TSXV: CGLD, OTCQX: CGLDF) reiterates his serious concern about the all-share plan of arrangement (the Proposed Arrangement) pursuant to the arrangement agreement as amended between Core Gold and Titan Minerals Ltd. (Titan), and calls on all Core Gold shareholders to vote against the Proposed Arrangement at the shareholder meeting to be held on June 12, 2019 to consider the Proposed Arrangement (the Meeting). Shareholders invested in Core Gold shares for its world class assets, and now those assets are being given away for Titans inflated paper, said Mr. Piggott. Titan and its management have no mining experience in Ecuador, have destroyed value for their own shareholders, lack credibility, and may have been involved in serious regulatory violations in Australia. Weve also seen news reports related to the Tulin plant in Peru, where individuals, allegedly linked to Titan, have been involved in questionable activities related to an incident involving firearms where people were wounded.The news reports also highlight Titans alleged potential environmental liabilities related to that same Tulin plant. Consummating the Titan deal would be a Titan-ic disaster for the shareholders of Core Gold. This is a view that is shared by other large, long-term shareholders who have reached out to me about their concerns about the deal. Mr. Piggott also alleges that he was improperly terminated as CEO of Core Gold in alleged retaliation for his opposition to the proposed merger with Titan and reserves his legal rights. Under the terms of the Proposed Arrangement, each Core Gold shareholder will receive twenty (20) fully paid ordinary shares in Titan for every one (1) Core Gold common share (the Exchange Ratio). Mr. Piggott continues to believe that the Exchange Ratio undervalues Core Golds assets and is not in the best interest of shareholders for the following reasons: No premium. Under the terms of the Proposed Arrangement, Core Gold shareholders are not receiving a premium. They are simply exchanging their paper with Titans paper, a company with no credible management and poor liquidity. Under the terms of the Proposed Arrangement, Core Gold shareholders are not receiving a premium. They are simply exchanging their paper with Titans paper, a company with no credible management and poor liquidity. Titans Executive Chairman, Matthew Carr, and the rest of Titans board of directors are value-destructors. Titans share price has dramatically declined over the past year. Since May 10, 2018, Titan shares have dropped by approximately 38.24%. Since Feb. 25, 2019, the first trading day after the Core Gold/Titan announcement, Titan shares have dropped by approximately 16%. Mr. Carr is a real estate developer, not a credible mining leader, as evidenced by his track record in Peru. Titans share price has dramatically declined over the past year. Since May 10, 2018, Since Feb. 25, 2019, the first trading day after the Core Gold/Titan announcement, Mr. Carr is a real estate developer, not a credible mining leader, as evidenced by his track record in Peru. Titan has a history of dilutive share issuances. Since 2018, Titan has increased its issued capital by 56.8%, adding almost 1 billion shares. Titan Share Count 2019 vs. 2018 28-Mar-18 1,635,281,023 29-Apr-19 2,563,706,066 Titan is not profitable. A review of Titans income statements (2010-2018), shows that Titan has lost money every year, except for 2017 where Titan received a one-time windfall for a loan forgiveness. A review of Titans income statements (2010-2018), shows that Titan has lost money every year, except for 2017 where Titan received a one-time windfall for a loan forgiveness. Titans directors have no mining experience in Ecuador. Titans head office is in Australia and its board and management team lack any mining experience in Ecuadorthe location of Core Golds primary assets. Titans head office is in Australia and its board and management team lack any mining experience in Ecuadorthe location of Core Golds primary assets. According to news reports, Titan is alleged to have been engaged in illegal activities at the Tulin plant in Peru. News reports indicate that individuals allegedly linked to Titan have been involved in questionable activities related to an incident involving firearms at the Tulin plant in Peru where people were wounded. In addition, the same news reports allege environmental violations at the Tulin plant.. If the merger occurs, such news, if correct, may materially impair Core Golds ability to obtain the required permits and financing for its Dynasty Gold Project and would, if confirmed, endanger the social license to operate. According to the news reports: Two persons were wounded in a confrontation in a mining plant located in Tulin... The police have arrested several people with revolvers... (translation) La Lupa: News from Ica, Peru and the World - December 20, 2018 These are matters that require investigation by Australian, Canadian and Peruvian regulatory and/or law enforcement agencies and would also be of interest to authorities in Ecuador. Shareholders should be extremely concerned and angered about a board that plans to hand over our Core Gold assets to a company with such apparent deficient conduct. Titan has negotiated a coercive break fee. As part of the March 10, 2019 Amending Agreement between Core Gold and Titan, the break feethe penalty to be paid if Core Gold backs out of the deal in certain circumstanceswas raised from $500,000 to $3 million. A $3 million fee is excessive and makes it significantly less likely that shareholders of Core Gold will be presented with an alternate transaction. As part of the March 10, 2019 Amending Agreement between Core Gold and Titan, the break feethe penalty to be paid if Core Gold backs out of the deal in certain circumstanceswas raised from $500,000 to $3 million. A $3 million fee is excessive and makes it significantly less likely that shareholders of Core Gold will be presented with an alternate transaction. The share exchange is immediately taxable to Canadian shareholders of Core Gold . Canadian shareholders of Core Gold who receive Titan shares in exchange for their Core Gold shares will realize an immediate taxable event and be liable for Canadian income taxes if the paper value of the Titan shares exceed their cost of the Core Gold shares. The tax liability occurs regardless of your ability to sell your Titan shares. . Canadian shareholders of Core Gold who receive Titan shares in exchange for their Core Gold shares will realize an immediate taxable event and be liable for Canadian income taxes if the paper value of the Titan shares exceed their cost of the Core Gold shares. The tax liability occurs regardless of your ability to sell your Titan shares. Titans shares are illiquid. Under the Proposed Arrangement, Core Gold would be delisted from the TSX-V and Core Gold shareholders would own shares in Titan, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), in Australian dollars. As stated in a 2018 report by accounting firm Moore Stephens: Titans shares do not trade in a deep market and would be considered illiquid for valuation purposes, meaning that the disposal of Titan shares on the ASX may not be immediately realized. For existing Core Gold shareholders, this means it could become very difficult and expensive to sell your shares on the ASX. Under the Proposed Arrangement, Core Gold would be delisted from the TSX-V and Core Gold shareholders would own shares in Titan, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), in Australian dollars. As stated in a 2018 report by accounting firm Moore Stephens: Titans shares do not trade in a deep market and would be considered illiquid for valuation purposes, meaning that the disposal of Titan shares on the ASX may not be immediately realized. Titan has a history of empty promises and failed assets. Titan has continuously promoted assets that never come to fruition. For example, in December 2017, Titan announced that a drilling campaign at its Torrecillas Project in Peru was expected to commence in Q1 2018. To date, it appears that Titan has not drilled a single metre of core since that announcement. Similarly, on page 4 of its May 2018 Investor Presentation, Titan listed a portfolio of seven assets, six of which have failed to materialize, have been relinquished, are inactive, or have been inaccurately described. The list includes the following: ASSET: STATUS: Mirador Processing Plant Never acquired Mirador Concessions Never acquired San Santiago Processing Plant On care & maintenance; gold circuit idled San Santiago Concessions Relinquished during the Sept 2018 quarter Tulin Processing Plant See above Torrecillas Concessions Described in Titans promotional materials as an advanced exploration project (including on page 9 of its Feb 2019 Investor Presentation). BUT in their own 2018 Annual Report, Titan stated that the property is an early stage exploration project (Footnote 2 to Note 5 in the Financial Statements, on page 39) Titan has a history of misleading disclosure. In 2017 Titan issued a prospectus for an offering in Australia that contained an untrue representation that a certain individual was their CEO. The individual, a reputable mining executive with a Ph.D. in geology and a recognized geological discovery record, has never been Titans CEO. Titan prominently featured this individual in Titans October 2017 Investor Presentation (page 15) as the companys CEO, listing his biographical details immediately after Matthew Carrs and ahead of the three non-executive directors of the company. In 2017 Titan issued a prospectus for an offering in Australia that contained an untrue representation that a certain individual was their CEO. The individual, a reputable mining executive with a Ph.D. in geology and a recognized geological discovery record, has never been Titans CEO. Titan prominently featured this individual in Titans October 2017 Investor Presentation (page 15) as the companys CEO, listing his biographical details immediately after Matthew Carrs and ahead of the three non-executive directors of the company. Titans assets pale in comparison with Core Golds: Titan has a 150 tpd tolling mill that has yet to receive final approvals and is located in Southern Peru where there are several well-established toll milling companies that actively compete for ore supplies, a situation that affects operating margins, as well as several early stage tenements, some of which are mere options. Core Gold, on the other hand, brings to the table its premium Copper Duke property, permitted for drilling, the Linderos property, a 2,000 tpd nameplate capacity fully permitted mill, and a fully permitted open pit mine on the Dynasty Goldfield Project on which Core Gold recently released an NI 43-101 with the following mineral resource estimates: Category Core Golds Contained Gold (1,000 ounces) Core Golds Contained Silver (1,000 ounces) Indicated 991 7,673 Inferred 1,113 9,151 WHAT ELSE IS TITAN HIDING? BOTH CORE GOLD AND TITAN SHAREHOLDERS DESERVE TO KNOW THE TRUTH Shareholders will be receiving proxies in the mail shortly and are encouraged to vote AGAINST the Proposed Arrangement with Titan. The Proposed Arrangement is not in the best interest of Core Gold shareholders. Titan is a company with illiquid shares, questionable governance, and a track record of destroying shareholder value. Core Gold shareholders need to understand that this deal threatens to destroy their investment. Your vote AGAINST the Proposed Arrangement is important regardless of the number of shares you own. INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC BROADCAST SOLICITATION Mr. Piggott is relying on the exemption under section 9.2(4) of National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations (NI 51-102) to make public broadcast solicitations. The following information is provided in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations. This press release and any solicitation made by Mr. Piggott in advance of the Meeting is, or will be, as applicable, made by Mr. Piggott, and not by or on behalf of the management of Core Gold. Mr. Piggott has filed a copy of this press release containing the information required in section 9.2(4) of NI 51-102 on Core Golds company profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Mr. Piggott has retained Kingsdale Advisors (Kingsdale) as his strategic shareholder and proxy advisor. Kingsdales responsibilities will principally include soliciting shareholders, providing strategic advice and advising Mr. Piggott with respect to the Meeting and proxy protocol. Any proxies solicited by or on behalf of Mr. Piggott, including by Kingsdale, may be solicited by way of public broadcast, including through press releases, speeches or publications and by any other manner permitted under applicable laws. All costs incurred for any solicitation will be borne by Mr. Piggott. The anticipated cost of Mr. Piggotts solicitation is estimated to be $50,000.00, plus disbursements and customary fees. A proxy may be revoked by instrument in writing executed by a shareholder or by his or her attorney authorized in writing or, if the shareholder is a body corporate, by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized or by any other manner permitted by law. Core Golds office is located at Suite 1201 1166 Alberni Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 3Z3. A copy of this press release may be obtained on the Companys SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. ADVISORS Mr. Piggott has retained Koffman Kalef LLP and Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP as his legal advisors and Kingsdale Advisors as his strategic shareholder, communications and proxy advisor. ABOUT KEITH PIGGOTT Keith Piggott is a seasoned mining developer and operator with over 50 years of experience in Africa, Australia, Mexico and South America. Mr. Piggott as CEO, and as an investor, rescued Dynasty Metals and Mining from certain bankruptcy and the loss of all its assets in 2016. He has worked diligently for over two years to take the company, as Core Gold Inc., from a $5 million market capitalization to over $40 million market capitalization before the Titan proposal. He can be contacted at kpiggott100@gmail.com, by phone at 520-247-5753. English French Italian German Spanish +88% growth in revenue in the first quarter of 2019 France: revenue up 79% Other countries: revenue up 107% Solutions 30 SE, the European leader in solutions for new technologies, today disclosed its revenue for the first quarter of 2019. In millions of euros (Unaudited figures) 1st quarter 2019 2018 % change Total 160.4 85.2 +88% From France 101.3 56.7 +79% From other countries 59.1 28.5 +107% Growth momentum supported by capacity for market consolidation Solutions 30s revenue grew by 88% in the 1st quarter of 2019, reaching 160.4 million. Organic growth(1) represented 43%. This performance is based on market conditions, which remain promising throughout Europe. It was also underpinned by the groups capacity to accelerate the consolidation process within its sector, which is still highly fragmented. In France, Solutions 30 reported revenue of 101.3 million, a 79% increase (24% like-for-like). Organic growth remains solid for telecoms (fiber-optic cabling) and energy (installing smart meters for gas and electricity), boosted by the consolidation of CPCP since August 2018 and the acquisition of Sotranasa last December. In other countries, Solutions 30s revenue grew by 107% (80% organic growth(1)), to 59.1 million, contributing 37% of the groups total revenue. Bolstered by the growing role of the outsourcing contract signed with Telenet, activity in the Benelux region nearly quadrupled, reaching 30.9 million. In Spain, revenue grew threefold thanks to the combined effects of strong organic growth and contributions from Salto, which was integrated into the group in October 2018. The groups strategy is to duplicate the model that has proven so effective in France: denser national coverage and sector diversification. Outlook for profitable, sustainable growth confirmed With a strong start to the year, Solutions 30 intends to continue pursuing its development strategy throughout 2019, laying the groundwork to reach a billion euros in revenue over the medium term. At the center of what remains a highly fragmented, but thriving market, the group is in an ideal position to seize external growth opportunities that will help accelerate its organic growth. Solutions 30 is certainly anticipating that 2019 will be another year of impressive and profitable growth. Webcast Gianbeppi Fortis, CEO, and Amaury Boilot, CFO, will offer their comments about this report as part of a conference call that will take place today, in English, at 6:00 pm Paris time (CEST). Upcoming event 2nd quarter and 1st half 2019 revenue report, July 22, 2019 at 6:00 pm (webcast July 23, 2019 at 2:00 pm CEST) (1) Organic growth includes all outsourcing operations from 2018: including (a) local service activities from DXC Technology in Italy and (b) Unit-T, the new group subsidiary created to fulfill the service provision contract signed with Telenet. Both operationally and economically, these operations have led to new contracts, which is now taken into consideration in the group accounts. 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 interventions completed since its creation and with its network of more than 8,000 local technicians, Solutions 30 currently covers all of France, Italy, 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 30L2). 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 4210 | media.relations@solutions30.com Investor Relations - Europe & USA John Klein +44 (0)793 9230 260 | john.klein@solutions30.com Attachment PETERBOROUGH, Ontario, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new report by Green Communities Canada calls for collaborative action by municipalities and others to address urban flooding, a growing problem across Ontario. Spring floods are affecting many communities right now, but flooding worries wont be over when water levels go down. Many communities, including Toronto, Windsor, Burlington, Brantford, Markham, and Thunder Bay have been impacted in recent years by a different kind of flooding, nothing to do with rivers overflowing their banks. Runoff volumes are overwhelming stormwater and wastewater infrastructure, causing properties to flood nowhere near bodies of water. Many different players share responsibility all levels of government, from Federal down to municipal, Conservation Authorities, the insurance industry, private property owners, private contractors, nonprofits, academics, and more, says the report author Clara Blakelock of Green Communities Canada. We need to work together if we want to make progress. While no one can control the weather, communities can come together to address the problem. The report details four areas where communities should take action: Prioritize the most vulnerable neighbourhoods, by mapping risk and communicating with the public. Provide support to the public for retrofitting properties and preparing for emergencies. Reduce runoff and manage rain where it falls by protecting and restoring natural and green infrastructure. Invest in improving infrastructure to protect all properties from large flood events. The report calls for coordinated, collaborative action to address urban flooding across the province. Its development was supported by a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Only 6% of Canadians living in designated high risk flood zones are aware that they are at risk of flooding, says Anna Ziolecki, director of Partners for Action, out of the University of Waterloo. It's important that we raise awareness about the practical solutions available to communities and property owners to improve their flood resiliency. Most of our municipal infrastructure was built using one of many previous generations of drainage design standards. As a result, large parts of our cities do not have modern stormwater management and flood control, and it is a very big job to fix that, says Hiran Sandanayake of the City of Ottawa. Weve neglected green infrastructure for far too long, says Julie Mulligan, a landscape architect and biologist, who served on the strategys leadership committee. Its so important, not just for reducing flood risk, but for improving water quality and groundwater recharge. Its potential is underestimated. Aptly applied water sensitive design solutions are needed to enhance the resilience of cities and communities. Peer reviewed guidelines are needed to classify the different risk typologies affecting Canadian communities, to improve understanding and resulting action, says Jamie Atkinson, Flood Resilience Coordinator at Flood Ready Corp in Toronto. Read the full report at: http://www.raincommunitysolutions.ca/en/urban-flooding/ cblakelock@greencommunitiescanada.org (705) 745 7479 ext 159 About Green Communities Canada Green Communities Canada is a nonprofit national association of community-based environmental organizations. PHOENIX, Ariz., May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EPCOR Water Arizona Inc., a subsidiary of EPCOR USA Inc. (EPCOR USA), today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire the assets of Brooke Water LLC (Brooke). EPCOR is a recognized leader in safety and operational excellence, and our teams experience and expertise runs very deep, said Joe Gysel, President of EPCOR USA. We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the owners of Brooke to purchase the system and become the new owner and operator. We look forward to bringing our track record of operational, safety and customer service excellence to Brookes customers. Located in unincorporated La Paz County, Brooke is located near the Town of Parker along the Colorado River in western Arizona and 45 minutes away from EPCORs existing service area in Lake Havasu City. Brooke currently serves approximately 2,100 water customers. EPCOR will bring the right blend of expertise, long-term commitment, and customer-focused operations to Brooke customers, noted Tom Jamieson, Manager of Brooke. Were very pleased to be entering into this ownership transition process. EPCOR USA has agreed to acquire Brookes assets and operations, including its water rights, subject to regulatory approval by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). Brooke Water will mark EPCOR USAs 8th acquisition in Arizona. EPCOR USA is among the largest private water utilities in the Southwest and the largest in Arizona. In addition to regulated water and wastewater service in Arizona and New Mexico, EPCOR USA delivers wholesale water services and regulated natural gas services in Texas. Today, EPCOR USA provides service to approximately 665,000 people in 44 unique communities. For further information, please contact: Rebecca Stenholm Director, Public & Government Affairs EPCOR USA O 623.445.2424 C 602.390.5662 rstenholm@epcor.com Forward-looking information Certain information in this news release is forward-looking within the meaning of Canadian securities laws as it relates to anticipated financial performance, events or strategies. When used in this context, words such as will, anticipate, believe, plan, intend, target and expect or similar words suggest future outcomes. The purpose of forward-looking information is to provide investors with managements assessment of future plans and possible outcomes and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward looking information in this news release includes, or is related to, but is not limited to expectations regarding the completion of an acquisition of a water and wastewater utility in Arizona and the timing thereof. These statements involve certain assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the companys assessment of government and regulatory environments in which it operates. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as actual results could differ materially from the plans, expectations, estimates or intentions expressed in the forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this media release and, except as required by law, EPCOR disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement even if new information becomes available, as a result of future events or for any other reason. About EPCOR USA EPCOR USA is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of EPCOR Utilities Inc. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, EPCOR USAs wholly owned subsidiaries build, own and operate water, wastewater and natural gas facilities and infrastructure in the southwestern United States. About EPCOR Utilities Inc. EPCOR, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, builds, owns and operates electrical, natural gas and water transmission and distribution networks, water and wastewater treatment facilities and sanitary and stormwater systems, and infrastructure in Canada and the United States. The Company also provides electricity, natural gas and water products and services to residential and commercial customers. EPCOR, headquartered in Edmonton, is an Alberta Top 70 employer. THE Australian Labor Party has promised to inject $57 million into a fund to support development and manufacturing of electric vehicles and related components and charging infrastructure if it wins government on May 18. The Electric Vehicle Manufacturing and Innovation Strategy is part of Labors National Electric Vehicle (EV) policy, sitting alongside Labors EV target of 50 per cent of new-vehicle sales by 2030. Announcing the policy in a joint statement with other shadow ministers, Labors innovation, industry, science and research spokesman Senator Kim Carr pointed to a number of Australian companies already involved in the EV industry. These green shoots can grow into new jobs and opportunities for export if the government stops pulling them up by the roots, he said. The Liberals goaded the major car manufacturers to leave Australia, but much of the supply chain has remained and can be rebuilt to service the new EV and component manufacturing industry. Labor will strengthen Australias global role as a research and development and testing centre and extend our manufacturing capabilities in all vehicles using EV technology. The Liberal Party hit back, with industry minister Karen Andrews saying the car industry in Australia had been doomed during Senator Carrs last stint as industry minister. Kim Carr and Labor like to blame others for the closure of auto manufacturers in Australia, but the fact is the fate of Australian auto production was already sealed when Senator Carr himself was industry minister, she said. Labor makes grand promises that are never delivered and Aussie taxpayers are left to pay for it. Labors history on manufacturing speaks for itself, under the last Labor government one in eight manufacturing jobs were lost. Senator Carr was industry minister when Ford announced the closure of its Victorian manufacturing plant in 2013, but the coalition was in power seven months later when Australias two biggest car-makers Toyota and Holden announced their departure from local manufacturing. Earlier this year, Senator Carr was a member of the Senate select committee on Electric Vehicles that urged government action on a national EV strategy, handing down 17 recommendations. The Labor strategy announced last week appears to be in line with those recommendations. Mr Carr named a number of companies already involved in the EV industry, saying that Nissan made parts for the electric Leak in Melbourne, SEA Electric refitted heavy vehicles for electric propulsion, ACE EV made small EVs in Queensland and Bosch built recharging infrastructure in Melbourne, while Brisbane was the home to one of the worlds leading manufacturers of EV charging stations, Tritium. He said Toyota was developing hydrogen fuels in Melbourne and Ford and Holden were heavily invested in global design and engineering in Victoria. The EV strategy will be part of Labors promised $1 billion Advanced Manufacturing Future Fund. Labor says the strategy is designed to help companies create design and manufacturing jobs in electric and hydrogen automotive plants. It says it will appoint a supplier advocate to be the coordinator and face of the overall transition plan and promote Australias capabilities and attract investment. This appears to be similar to the appointment of former Victorian premier Steve Bracks as an exports advocate for the Australian auto parts industry. Labor has promised $30 million for EV research and development, as well as a further $25 million for the local EV components sector. Labor will establish a tripartite Electric Vehicle Innovation Council to bring industry, unions, government and researchers together to develop a national EV innovation roadmap and will map the broader EV supply chain and identify priority investments and actions, the statement said. Along with support for the EV industry and R&D, the Labor strategy covers concerns about access to charging points and safety, saying EV charging in homes and commercial buildings would be incorporated in Australian standards and in future revisions to the national construction code. As GoAuto has reported, the peak body for the Australian motor industry, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, has said it would take a lot of effort to resurrect mass manufacturing of vehicles in Australia, but that Australian companies were well placed to take a major role in the development for EVs for global markets. The Road to Recovery podcast series Vollen-Katz and Ruddell also questioned the effectiveness of such lawsuits noting that most often those who spend an extended time in a county jail are only there because they do not have the resources to cover the bond set by court to get out of jail while they await trial. And the ones who do have the financial means to cover their costs, often rely on that money to help get a new start once out of jail, Vollen-Katz said. A Saturday evening fire forced dozens of residents from their homes at NorthPointe Apartments off Seminole Drive in Pittsylvania County just outside the city limits. Blairs Fire & Rescue Chief Dean Fowler said residents in 24 units were displaced and the American Red Cross, in conjunction with Pittsylvania County and the city of Danville Emergency Management, set up an emergency shelter at Bonner Middle School for them. No one was injured in the blaze that came less than two months after another fire at the apartment complex in late March. Nobody was hurt in the March blaze, but 36 apartments had to be evacuated as the fire scaled the building. Several people were treated on scene for smoke inhalation. Firefighters from 10 agencies responded to Saturdays blaze that caused fire damage to four units and water damage to 14 others. Residents in those units and six others were displaced, Fowler said. The fire occurred in buildings 400 and 408 at NorthPointe Apartments. A reporter attempted to talk to residents at NorthPointe on Sunday afternoon, but was ordered off the premises by a property manager. Jennifer Statzer, Red Cross disaster coordinator for Danville and Pittsylvania County, said the shelter at Bonner had been closed by Sunday and the Red Cross is providing further assistance to the residents. Danville let us use Bonner because it was closer to the residents [than one of the county schools], Statzer said. More than 50 were displaced, she said. When at least 30 are displaced, the Red Cross must open a temporary shelter for them, Statzer said. Pittsylvania County Assistant Fire Marshal Jeff Conner said the cause of the fire is not known. Its still undetermined at this time and under investigation, Conner said Sunday. Firefighters were on scene for four and a half hours. Personnel from agencies in Blairs, Mount Hermon, Ringgold, Cool Branch, Gretna, Chatham, Brosville, Tunstall and Pelham, North Carolina responded. 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. Virginia Avenue resident Val-Rae Christensen wants to buy the home she is renting there, but lately she has been having second thoughts. I want to wait and see what happens, she said during an interview on the front porch of her home Sunday morning. Christensen, 45, arrived home at around 10 p.m. Saturday to see police cars and a crime scene van down the street from her house. Police are investigating a Saturday night stabbing that happened close to Christensens home in the 300 block of Virginia Avenue. A 34-year-old Danville man was stabbed after two suspects forced their way into a home, the Danville Police Department reported. Officers responded at about 9 p.m. after receiving a report of a disturbance, according to a news release. When they arrived they found the man suffering from a stab wound. He told officers two people forced the rear door open and entered the residence and once inside he was stabbed, according to the news release. The man was taken to Sovah Health-Danville and then transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. He is in stable condition, said Danville Police Department Sgt. Johnny West. Police are still investigating. The stabbing follows another incident in the same area a few weeks ago. A late-night party at a home on Virginia Avenue led to four arrests after police responded to reports of shots fired at a residence, police report. The incident was reported between 2:30 and 3 a.m. April 21 at 340 Virginia Ave. The shots were fired into the air and no one was injured during that incident. Three people on the porch of the home would not speak to the Danville Register & Bee when a reporter approached Sunday. Have a blessed day, a woman there said. West said he could not give the address of the stabbing because he was given a directive not to. One resident who would not give his name said his home was riddled with five bullet holes from that April nights chaos. The man disputed reports that shots were merely fired into the air and showed the Danville Register & Bee what appeared to be bullet holes in the side of his house. Fortunately, the bullets did not enter the home, he said. When I moved into this neighborhood, it was a nice neighborhood, said the 47-year-old man who has lived there since 2012. Now he is thinking about putting his home on the market. I feel like selling it and moving somewhere else, he said. But another resident in the 300 block who was asleep at the time of the stabbing takes the incidents in stride. It dont bother me, Im used to it, said 34-year-old Al Burger, who used to live at Cardinal Village. I sleep through stuff like this. At another home near the scene of the stabbing, 29-year-old Sean Clendening said he saw police cars down the street. He is hopeful that the incidents will not be permanent and isnt too worried about his safety. I think usually these things are personal in nature, Clendending said. As for Christensen, she has lived in the neighborhood for two years. This neighborhood is so quiet, she said. Its why Im here. She also expressed hope that the incidents would stop. As for the man who would not give his name, he is wary of trying to sell his home given the state of the neighborhood lately. The owner of an empty house next to his tried to auction it off. No one showed up, he said. I feel like this is bringing my property values down, the man said. Who wants to buy a house here when theyve had all this commotion? 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. Its not the crack of gunfire or the screech of tires that was the biggest killer in Martinsville and Henry County in 2018. No, its the quiet consumption of drugs that is causing the most unnatural deaths in the city and county combined. The Virginia Department of Healths Office of Chief Medical Examiner reports that there were six homicides and 12 motor-vehicle fatalities in Martinsville and Henry County last year. The number of overdose deaths: 22. Drug deaths were the leading cause of unnatural death in Henry County and Martinsville, Kathrin Rosie Hobron, statewide forensic epidemiologist for the department, wrote in an email. In fact, the city of Martinsville had the highest rate for all fatal drug overdoses and of all fatal opioid overdoses among the more than 130 localities in Virginia. That is according to a recent report of all fatal drug overdoses and all fatal opioid overdoses compiled by Hobrons department that shows how Virginias cities and counties compare. For its purposes, the report, which includes data from 2007 to 2018, identifies opioids as all pharmaceutical and illicit versions of fentanyl, heroin and one or more prescription opioids. All drug deaths includes any death in which one or more drugs [any substance] caused an overdose fatality, Hobron wrote. But not all fatal overdoses are due to opioids [there are a variety of different classes of drugs that people overdose on]. In 2018 statewide, 81.7% of all drug deaths were due to one or more opioids. In Martinsville, the actual numbers of overdose deaths nine may not seem so high, but the rate was astounding: 68.5 per 100,000 residents, which is the ratio by which all localities are measured. Henry County had a higher number of deaths (13) but a much lower rate because of its greater population. Of the nine OD deaths in Martinsville in 2018, eight were due to one or more opioids, Hobron said. Five of the nine were due to fentanyl, which is a major player in both fatal and non-fatal overdoses because the drug is just so potent. She said fentanyl a very powerful and deadline synthetic narcotic hadnt been much of a factor in OD deaths in Martinsville until 2018 (there were four between 2007 and 2017). I would say it's safe to assume that fentanyl is the major reason for Martinsville having the highest rate in the state for 2018, she said. Here are some key data for 2018 from the report: The city of Martinsvilles rate for fatal opioid overdoses for 2018 was 60.9 per 100,000 people. Henry County had 13 fatal drug overdoses (all substances), of which 10 were opioids. Henry Countys rate for 2018 for fatal overdoses was 25.4 per 100,000 people and 19.5 for all opioids. Virginia had 1,484 fatal drug overdoses, of which 1,213 were from opioids, which calculated to a rate of 17.5 per 100,000 residents (about one-fourth of Martinsvilles rate). Virginias rate for all opioids deaths was 14.3. The report provides loads of data, including fatal overdose tables, death by locality and year: all drug deaths; benodizaepines; cocaine; fentanyl; heroin; opioids (all); prescription opioids (excluding fentanyl) and more. Its available here. A rising problem Bonnie Favero, prevention director for Piedmont Community Services, wrote in an email that the West Piedmont Health District which includes the city of Martinsville and Henry, Patrick and Franklin counties had the highest overdose rate of visits to the emergency room in 2018 and was in the top five for several years. I think were seeing a rise in our area while some of the other areas that were higher in the past are beginning to see a decline, she said. I think we often see the effects of something that was higher in other parts of the state come to our area eventually. Opioid use is not going down in our area currently. We are still working hard to bring awareness to this issue and find new ways to prevent it. The increase in medication assisted treatment and same-day access will begin to change these statistics for us. Because it may have been difficult to access treatment services in the past, getting the word out about services including same-day access, Medicaid expansion and additional funding sources should make a positive difference for us. Hobron said that if you group Martinsville with Henry and Patrick counties, the data for overdose deaths have varied between 2007 and 2018. Those three localities had 19, 14, 15 and 16 deaths, respectively from 2014-2017. In 2008 and 2013, there were a total of 25 deaths each year, which was the highest number seen in this region over the time span, and in 2018, there were 24 deaths, she said. Just like the rest of the state, opioids are the main issue in these three grouped localities, with 72.5% of all fatal overdose involving one or more opioids over the time span (2007-2018). She said fentanyl was key in all three areas, with nine of the 24 deaths in 2018 being from fentanyl. Before that, the largest number for those areas was five, in 2013. Working on solutions One of the key elements in these deaths is addiction to prescription medications, which sometimes can be the byproduct of excess prescriptions by physicians. Heather Ashe, pharmacy director at Sovah Health, who serves as the hospitals representative on the Drug-Free MHC Task Force, offered insights in a statement released by the hospital. We have significant ongoing challenges with drug abuse in our community, and these statistics sadly demonstrate the harsh reality of addiction, she said. Unfortunately, we see patients withdrawing and overdosing from drugs, including opioids, far too often in our hospital. She cited community-wide efforts to tackle the problem of drug abuse and to prevent more fatal overdoses, such as training in administering the anti-overdose medication Narcan, increased drug screening and monitoring and constant reporting and monitoring of prescription dispensing by the hospital. Health care providers here and nationally are broadening the ways they treat pain, and are becoming more open and proactive about considering alternatives to pain pills, she said. There are many individuals and organizations who are doing great things to combat this issue, and with continued focus and perseverance, we hope to see these numbers change for the better. A Massachusetts man faces federal charges in the brutal attack Saturday on two Appalachian Trail hikers that left a man dead and a woman hospitalized with severe stab wounds, authorities said Sunday. James Louis Jordan, 30, was arrested early Saturday after Wythe County sheriffs deputies located him along the trail in southwestern Virginia, by tracking an SOS signal triggered by one of the victims, officials said. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Virginia said in a statement Sunday that Jordan, of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, is charged with murder and assault with intent to murder in connection with the attack. Federal charges against Jordan will be officially filed Monday morning in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, the release said. His initial court appearance also is scheduled for Monday. The whole Appalachian Trail community of hikers and volunteers is profoundly sickened by the horrific and deadly attack Saturday morning, said Suzanne Dixon, president of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The names of the victims have not been released, but Wythe County Sheriff Keith Dunagan said no one involved was local. It is high season for through-hikers traveling the length of the famed scenic trail, which stretches along 2,100 miles from Georgia to Maine, and has a short stretch through the western tip of Wythe County. Hikers typically begin around spring and trek north. The one-mile length of the trail that passes through Wythe County is extremely rural. It runs adjacent to Interstate 81 and is full of hikers this time of year, authorities said. Many hikers begin their trek in Georgia in March and early spring and would have traveled 500 miles by the time they reached southwestern Virginia, said Brian King, a spokesman for the Conservancy. Dunagans deputies were the first to encounter Jordan, several yards from the scene of Saturdays attack. It had been reported that a man wielding a large knife, accompanied by a dog, had threatened a group of four hikers camped out late Friday night. Jordan allegedly pursued two of the hikers, who fled north, but they eluded him. Those two reached sheriffs deputies in nearby Bland County and reported the nighttime attack, authorities said. The other two hikers fled south but were unable to escape, and Jordan allegedly chased and caught up with them, leading to the attack, authorities said. Dunagan said the male victim managed to trigger an SOS signal on his phone, and the mobile service provider alerted deputies to his location, just north of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. The woman who suffered defensive wounds and was severely injured by the stabbing escaped. She pretended to be dead and when [Jordan] walked away after his dog, she took off running, Dunagan said. The woman found help in another group of hikers she encountered 6 miles away in Smyth County and was taken to the nearest trauma center, the sheriff said. The Wythe County Sheriffs Office tactical team traveled 4 miles into the woods to locate the wounded mans SOS signal. They initially came across walkers who described a knife-wielding man known as Sovereign who roamed the trail with a dog. While authorities were talking to the group, a dog ambled over to the camp. Deputies followed the animal, who led them back to Jordan, and he was taken into custody without incident. Investigators later found a 20-inch knife nearby along the trail and soon thereafter, discovered the male victim. The trail was closed Saturday from the Mount Rogers National Recreational Area headquarters to near Groseclose an approximately 24-mile stretch, according to a post from the Appalachian Trail Conservancys Facebook page. The trail since has reopened. I commend local law enforcement in Wythe and Smyth Counties for mobilizing successful rescue and tactical operations in this remote region, U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen said in the release. Thanks to their efforts, the suspect was safely apprehended and a seriously wounded victim received critical medical care. We will continue to work with our state and local partners to bring the perpetrator of this senseless and brutal attack to justice. Jordan, who authorities think is Sovereign, was well known to the community of hikers on the trail. Recent news reports of incidents in Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia describe a man threatening and chasing other hikers with a machete or large knife. King, of the trail conservancy, said they had heard of the man through alerts shared between hikers and on Trek, a well-read blog that posts frequent updates about life on the Appalachian Trail. He had a reputation because of his belligerence with other hikers in Tennessee and Georgia, King said. With smartphones, word gets around very quickly. In late April, Jordan pleaded guilty to charges of drug possession and criminal impersonation (for giving deputies a fake ID), stemming from a confrontation with a group of hikers in Unicoi County, Tennessee, near the North Carolina border. He was sentenced to probation, fined and released from custody. Unicoi County Sheriff Mike Hensley said Sunday that Jordan had been causing problems in different communities along the trail, running people out of hostels and threatening hikers with violence. Witnesses related that Jordan had said: It would be a bad day for hikers on the trail. Hensley said he knew Jordan was a threat, but hikers refused to press assault charges and testify against him in court. So his deputies charged him with what they could. I did everything in my power to get this guy off the trail, Hensley said Sunday. And I took him off the trail, I did. But the courts deemed something else. We have never had but just few instances concerning the Appalachian Trail and I take it very seriously, he said. I am an outdoorsman and a country boy, I love this trail and these mountains. Ive been active in supporting and protecting the people of the trail all my life. Odie Norman, publisher of the Hiker Yearbook, said he met Jordan shortly after his Tennessee arrest. He had been tracking the reports about a man and his dog, interviewing hikers on video to post online and collecting information to report. He thinks Jordan first appeared on the trail in Hot Springs, North Carolina, where he allegedly pulled a knife on other hikers at a shelter commonly used by trail walkers. I knew that it was getting dangerous for people on the trail and it was getting dangerous for him, Norman said in a telephone interview Sunday. He was scaring a lot of people and there was a lot of misinformation going around about him. People were in defense mode when they saw him. Norman said he met Jordan in Roan Mountain, Tennessee, on May 3, and offered to buy him lunch. He said it was clear to him Jordan was mentally ill. Jordan told him he was on a mission to protect the mountain people from the infiltrators trying to steal their insurance, Norman said. He said the mountain people are good people but at night, the infiltrators would come. His mind was not normal. Norman soon learned that Jordans dog was a service animal and that he had family in Maryland. He said he decided to drive Jordan about 30 miles northwest to Johnson City, Tennessee, and bought him a bus ticket. He said he wasnt sure what other options he had. I was scared. My plan was to get him off the trail and send him somewhere else, Norman said. Now I wish that there couldve been a place for him to check into for a mental assessment. He had at least one full contact with police and that did nothing. Appalachian Trail hikers are a well-connected community of athletes, enthusiasts and outdoorspeople who stay in close online contact, Norman said. His two videos about Jordan on Facebook garnered a combined 26,000 views and his website chronicles hiker life with photographs from nearly 2,000 people. Even though this happened, its still one trail. Its the same people. Its the worlds longest skinniest community, he said. We knew. We knew to avoid him. Homicides are rare on the Appalachian Trail, according to statistics; the last time the trail was the scene of a homicide was in 2011 when a man was found strangled in Amherst County. That case remains unsolved. More than 3 million people hike the trail each year, and most hikers take care of one another, King said. Its a community like any other. Anyone who loves the trail feels like this is an attack on them, he said. The trail is extremely safe, but its not absolutely safe. Roanoke Times reporter Tiffany Holland contributed to this report. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 13, 2019 / Belmont Resources Inc. ("Belmont"), (or the "Company"), (TSX.V: BEA; FSE: L3L1; DTC Eligible CUSIP 080499403). Consolidation: Belmont Resources Inc. (TSX-V: BEA) (the "Company") advises it will be immediately filing for, and seeking approval of, documents relating to the consolidation of the Company's issued and outstanding share capital with the TSX Venture Exchange. The intended consolidation will be on a basis of one (1) post-consolidation common share for every three (3) pre-consolidation common shares. The Board of Directors believes that the proposed share consolidation is necessary to facilitate new equity investments in the Company to finance continuing business activities and to investigate new opportunities. This consolidation will reduce the issued and outstanding shares of the Company from 92,229,906 to 30,743,302 shares, assuming no other change in the issued capital. The Company's outstanding options and warrants will also be adjusted on the same basis (1 new for 3 old) as the common shares, with proportionate adjustments being made to exercise prices. No fractional common shares will be issued, and no cash will be paid in lieu of fractional post-consolidation common shares. The number of post-consolidation common shares to be received by a shareholder will be rounded down to the nearest whole common share. A letter of transmittal will be mailed to shareholders advising that: (i) the consolidation has taken effect; and (ii) shareholders should surrender their existing share certificates (representing pre-consolidation common shares) for replacement share certificates (representing post-consolidation common shares). Until surrendered, each existing share certificate will be deemed, for all purposes, to represent the number of common shares to which the holder thereof is entitled as a result of the consolidation. The Company's articles of incorporation authorize the board of directors to approve certain changes to the Company's capital structure, including the consolidation. As such, shareholder approval is not required. The consolidation is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company does not intend to change its name or its current trading symbol in connection with the proposed share consolidation. The effective date of the consolidation will be disclosed in a subsequent news release. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors may, at its discretion, determine not to effect the consolidation. About Belmont Resources Inc. Belmont is an emerging resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada and Nevada, U.S.A. For further information see our Website at: www.BelmontResources.com -Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Nevadalithium/ -Twitter https://twitter.com/Belmont_Res (i) On March 28, 2019 Belmont entered into an agreement to acquire 100% interest in 253.34 hectares of mineral claims (now increased to 295.56 ha) which are part of the former Pathfinder Property, located in the historically productive Republic-Green Gold District. Copper and gold mining in this camp dates back to the turn o the century. The property is currently surrounded on 3 sides by claims held by KG Exploration (Canada) Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Kinross Gold Corp.). (ii) Belmont owns the Kibby Basin Lithium project covering 2,056 hectares (5,080 acres) in Esmeralda County, Nevada, U.S.A. The Kibby Basin property is located 65 km north of Clayton Valley, Nevada the location of the only US Lithium producer. MGX Minerals Inc. (CSE: XMG) has earned a 25% interest in the Kibby project. (iii) In 50/50 ownership with International Montoro Resources Inc., Belmont owns and is exploring joint venture opportunities for its significant uranium properties (Crackingstone -982 ha) in the Uranium City District in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Gary Musil" Gary Musil, CFO/Director This Press Release may contain forward-looking statements that may involve a number of risks and uncertainties, based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results that may prove to be inaccurate as a result of exploration and other risk factors beyond its control. Forward looking statements in this news release include statements about the possible raising of capital and exploration of our properties. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Companies forward-looking statements and expectations. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval; that we may not be able to raise funds required, that conditions to closing may not be fulfilled and we may not be able to organize and carry out an exploration program in 2019, and other risks associated with being a mineral exploration and development company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE: Belmont Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/545074/Belmont-Seeks-Approval-for-Three-3-to-One-1-Consolidation-of-Share-CapitalView source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/545074/Belmont-Seeks-Approval-for-Three-3-to-One-1-Consolidation-of-Share-Capital What new mayor Vanderbilt calls depopulation is, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a loss of a about 3,000 residents in the last 20 years. In the domino theory of government, this leads to more vacant homes, less tax money coming into village coffers and less incentive for new business, all of which can turn into more population losses. Nothing comes easy when it comes to governance and any turnaround always take time. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Thursday that pours state taxpayer money directly into private schools for a new Family Empowerment Scholarship, which critics say violates the state constitution.On a three-city tour of private schools, DeSantis touted the new program, which is expected to cost $136 million and be used by 18,000 lower-to-middle-income students in the coming year."Your success shouldn't be limited by family income, what zip code you live in," DeSantis said at Potter's House Christian Academy in Jacksonville. "It should be based on you working hard and getting the most out of your God-given talents."This scholarship gives you the opportunity to do that."The law faces an almost certain court challenge, likely backed by the state's largest teachers union, the Florida Education Association.The state Supreme Court 13 years ago invalidated then-Gov. Jeb Bush's first-in-the-nation statewide voucher program by ruling that taxpayer dollars going to students attending private or parochial schools violated the constitution's requirement that a "uniform" school system exist in Florida.But the last three justices on the seven-member Supreme Court to rule against that voucher program have retired and DeSantis in January appointed three new, conservative members who may take a different view of the constitution's limit on funding private schools.Bush joined state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, a former Republican House speaker, on the House floor last month when the voucher legislation was approved and sent to DeSantis in a mostly party-line vote.Democrats derided the latest voucher program as favoring private and for-profit education over the state's public schools, a trend which many said began under Bush. Rep. Loranne Ausley, D-Tallahassee, said vouchers "are slowly killing our traditional public schools."The new Family Empowerment Scholarships grew out of a 13,000-student waiting list which developed for another voucher program, the Tax Credit Scholarship program, which has been around since 2001 but has sidestepped constitutional problems. Its dollars come from corporations receiving credit for steering tax money to a scholarship-funding organization.While the tax credit scholarships are used by about 100,000 lower-income, mostly black and Hispanic students, the Family Empowerment Scholarships targets a new market.Under the legislation, a family of four earning as much as $77,250 annually could qualify for the scholarships, which equals 300 percent of the federal poverty level, although lower-income families would still get a preference.While pulling $136 million directly from the state's public school funding, supporters say that's a drop in the bucket compared to the $22.2 billion system which finances 2.8 million public school children. Still, it's an alarming move, opponents argue.The legislation includes other provisions, which appeared intended to soften Democratic opposition to the voucher program.A revamped Best and Brightest school teacher bonus plan, a teacher mentorship program and improved access to student and family support services at low-performing schools are included in the new law. SPEED READ: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed the nation's first "public option" bill. Similar legislation is pending in 10 other states. Some states may need the federal government's permission. Colorado and Washington state both passed legislation in April that could offer a new health insurance option to people who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private health coverage.Most Medicaid recipients pay no premiums, but the idea of letting some people buy a form of Medicaid is gaining steam.The public option was first introduced in Nevada in 2017 at a time when Congress seemed poised (yet ultimately failed) to repeal the Affordable Care Act and leave millions of people without health coverage. The state legislature passed a bill that would have let anyone buy publicly run insurance. It was vetoed by then-Gov. Brian Sandoval, but similar proposals have since been introduced in states across the country. In addition to Colorado and Washington, legislation to study or start a public option or Medicaid buy-in program is currently pending in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Oregon.No state, however, has pushed the proposal further than Colorado, where the bill has been sent to Gov. Jared Polis, or Washington, where Gov. Jay Inslee -- a 2020 candidate for president -- signed the bill on Monday . The expansion of public health insurance is a key talking point among Democrats running for president -- several of whom have endorsed a "Medicare for All" bill in the U.S. Senate."Its a landmark move, and [states] are a great testing ground to see how much the public option can reduce costs," says Tara Straw, a senior policy analyst for the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.According to a survey by the United States of Care , a significant majority of voters -- Democrats and Republicans -- support Medicaid buy-in. Advocates believe a public option could offer a lower-cost alternative to the health-care marketplace and spur enough competition to lower premiums overall.Critics, including the insurance industry, argue that introducing a public option would force private insurers off the marketplace, resulting in fewer options for care."Introducing the concept of a public cure for what is broken in Obamacare seems hypocritical," Jim Smallwood, a Colorado state senator and insurance broker, told the Associated Press No two of the proposed Medicaid buy-in bills are the same.Minnesota's would allow people to sign up for Medicaid if they don't qualify for tax subsidies on the exchange or live in a county with only one plan.Washington's will have the agency that runs Medicaid contract directly with at least one privatehealth insurer to offer a "qualified health coverage" plan that meets Affordable Care Act standards on the states marketplace. It will expand subsidies to people making up to 500 percent of the federal poverty line, or $62,450 a year, for a single person.Colorados bill, on the other hand, is lighter on details. It directs the states departments of Health Care Policy and Regulatory Agencies to draft a public option that would compete with private insurance plans. It's unclear whether this public option would be sold on or off the marketplace and whether it would offer subsidies. Some say the subsidies are key."If you dont offer tax credits, I dont think theres a super good chance for them to be competitive," says Emily Johnson, director of health policy analysis at the Colorado Health Institute.Subsidies aren't the only element of Medicaid buy-in that states would have to decide. There are many other questions surrounding eligibility, benefits and whether the federal government would greenlight their plans. If states want to offer federal tax subsidies, they may need the federal government's permission to implement Medicaid buy-in. Washington, however, won't need its approval since the state would contract with a private insurer. While the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Seema Verma, reiterates that she wants to give states more health-care flexibility, she has publicly lambasted "Medicare for all." Colorado's proposal is due by November. Some observers commend the state's "pass first, figure out the details later" tactic."Its a smart approach to complicated policy," says Straw. "Its understandable they want time to figure out whats going to work best."Both Colorado and Washington have a blue trifecta -- Democratic governors and majorities in the House and Senate. It's a level of power that Democrats have only had in Colorado since November."This is the year to do stuff like this," says Johnson. "Also our bill is the study of the state option, not the actual design of the state option, making it a bit easier to pass." Gov. Steve Bullock signed a bill Thursday to continue Montanas Medicaid expansion program for another six years, as long as federal funding continues.He was joined at the signing ceremony by bill sponsor Republican Rep. Ed Buttrey and Democratic Rep. Mary Caferro, who sponsored a separate bill that did not pass.The bill continues the program, which began in 2016, and provides health insurance to about 95,000 low-income adults. It would have ended on June 30 if lawmakers had not reached an agreement. He also held ceremonial signings for other bills to lower health insurance and prescription drug costs.These bills continue the progress our state has made in recent years to provide quality and affordable health care to Montanans, and they will further our efforts to increase access, reduce costs, and improve the quality of care, Bullock said. By finding common ground and taking much-needed action now, we continue to be an example for other states to follow.Bullock, however, vetoed a bill that sought to help insurance companies negotiate better contracts with pharmacy benefit managers the middle man between drug manufacturers and pharmacies. FDA Crackdown Other Ways to Save The cost of employee health care is rising, and prescriptions are a big part of the reason.Nationally, the prescription portion of health spending has grown dramatically -- from about 4 percent in the 1980s to roughly 20 percent today, according to the Segal Group, a firm that consults with governments on health care.Hundreds of local governments have found a way to cut back. They are covering drugs imported from countries where medications are sold at lower prices. In Canada, one of the providers, per-capita spending on retail prescriptions is 40 percent less than in the United States."We figured if there was anything we could do to reduce our prescription costs, we would try it," says Stacie Mason, human resources director for Sarasota, Fla.Since January 2018, Sarasota has worked with CanaRX, a private Canadian company that takes prescriptions written by U.S. doctors and finds pharmacies in Canada, Great Britain and Australia that will fill them. Other companies have tried to build similar businesses, but CanaRX appears to have this market to itself. It currently services prescriptions for employees of about 500 local governments in America.There are federal rules against organizations importing drugs into the United States, but they don't stop individuals from getting FDA-approved drugs from other countries in limited supply for their own personal use. Wherever it does business, the CanaRX relationship is with employees -- governments are not directly involved in the transactions, says Joseph Morris, the chief counsel for CanaRX in the United States.The imported prescriptions are generally free of co-pays, which incentivizes employees to use this option. The company, however, limits its services to brand-name drugs used for health maintenance, such as controlling high blood pressure. It does not export controlled substances, drugs used for short-term use, such as antibiotics, or expensive specialty drugs like the ones used to fight cancer or hepatitis.Still, in the first full year that Sarasota offered employees this option, the cost of imported drugs was 72 percent less than if the drugs had been purchased from U.S. pharmacies.Local governments have been importing prescription drugs since the early 2000s, but federal enforcement against the practice has recently grown.In October, the Food and Drug Administration raided nine stores in Florida that help Americans buy foreign drugs. In February, the FDA sent CanaRX a harsh letter accusing the company of violating several sections of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by introducing unapproved and misbranded drugs into the U.S. The letter listed 14 specific drugs, which CanaRx immediately removed from its list of prescription offerings.Safety is a concern for everyone involved.Morris, the CanaRX rep, says, "I want to emphasize that in the world of transborder pharmaceuticals, there are a lot of bad actors. We think the regulators, the FDA and state boards of pharmacies are all doing the right thing when they try to crack down on medicines that are dangerous to the health of people. We view ourselves as allies. Were dealing with real prescriptions, real doctors and real brick-and-mortar companies, and we work with countries that have high levels of comparable safeguards."Morris says CanaRX has strict safety protocols, carefully vets pharmacies and has yet to have a patient safety issue reported.In Schenectady County, N.Y., which has offered the CanaRX option to employees since 2004, "no safety issues have come out," says Chris Gardner, the countys attorney. "Its been popular with employees and with the public because they know were saving money."Importing drugs, however, isn't the only way governments are cutting back on drug costs. Others are negotiating higher rebates from manufacturers, increasing the use of generics and requiring employees to try cheaper drugs first, says Ed Kaplan, national health practices leader for the Segal Group.In Schenectady County, the growing use of generic medications has limited the need for imported drugs. In 2008, CanaRX prescriptions made up 30 percent of the total cost of employee prescriptions. In 2018, it was 7 percent, according to Gardner. Although the degree to which Schenectady uses CanaRX has lessened, Gardner continues to regard it as important.When governments ask the Segal Group about CanaRX, the consultant refers them to their own internal general counsels offices."We dont advise against it," says Kaplan, "but we dont say do it." There are always concerns that city councilmembers can become too parochial, obsessing about how projects will affect their own districts rather than the city as a whole. In two cities, recent scandals have shown that this way of thinking can become an avenue to crime.In both Chicago and Philadelphia, members of the city council are facing criminal charges that stem from development decisions. Councilmembers in those cities are given unusual amounts of authority when it comes to matters such as selling government-owned land. The practice is known as aldermanic privilege in Chicago and councilmanic prerogative in Philadelphia. Those terms are mouthfuls that barely hint at the kind of power bestowed on these officials. With the strong district system that we have and councilmanic prerogative, it seems like its taken the mayor out of land use planning as a major player, says Jon Geeting of Philadelphia 3.0, a local government reform group.Lone councilmembers can decide if and when a project will move ahead. Not surprisingly, this creates real problems. In order to ensure get projects off the ground, developers know to approach councilmembers first, before theres been a zoning change or request for sale or some other action thats going to be made public. A developer, by the unwritten rules of councilmanic prerogative, has to get the favor of a council person at a very early stage, says Larry Eichel, who directs the Pew Charitable Trusts Philadelphia research initiative. None of that is going to be transparent.This can have a number of ill effects. Theres the obvious danger of sweetheart deals, with politicians ensuring that their friends and campaign contributors get more than their share of the development action. But it can also serve to slow progress, with councilmembers refusing to greenlight projects in their districts. They may reject construction of a hospital, say, or a large mixed-use development the city may need after theyve been hit by neighborhood opposition. Academic reports have found, and lawsuits have alleged, that the practice serves to perpetuate racial segregation.Councilmembers insist they know their districts best. And theres certainly an efficiency argument to be made, that cities are better off letting aldermen handle local problems without involving the entire council in relatively minor matters. But in practice, its clear that some leaders have exploited their positions, lining their own pockets by granting or withholding favor. In a system of checks and balances, granting councilmembers the authority to make executive decisions can be a recipe for corruption.The high-profile criminal cases in Chicago and Philadelphia happen to have occurred in time for this years local elections. Privilege and prerogative have gone from terms commonly heard only around City Hall to subjects being talked about by candidates promising to pursue reforms. Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot called reforms a top priority after winning election last month.On the other hand, in both cities, these powers are for the most part not written down. Instead, a combination of tradition and professional courtesy has not only kept them intact but expanded their reach. The actions allegedly taken by longtime Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, which led to federal charges, were rooted in how he used his influence, not abuse of a formal power. And courtesies arent always observed. A major development known as Lincoln Yards has been opposed by the local alderman, but those who represent three neighboring wards want it to happen, so it recently received a positive council vote.In Philadelphia, the entire city council votes on projects that members who represent districts are pushing. But those votes are merely a formality. During a six-year period, Pew found, the council voted on 730 bills that were based on councilmanic prerogative. Each and every one of them passed -- all but four on unanimous votes. The system lines up the incentives to act in a certain way, Geeting says. Its hard, because it isnt written down anywhere. SPEED READ: Tim Storey will be the new executive director of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Bill Pound has led the group since 1987. Storey will take over in July. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) will be getting its first new leader since the Reagan presidency.Tim Storey, a 30-year veteran of NCSL, is set to become the groups new executive director. He will replace Bill Pound , who has run the organization since 1987, and is expected to maintain Pound's bipartisan approach.Hes wicked competent and very level-headed, says Stephen Lakis, president of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation. Hes the kind of guy who can steer a course right down the center and bring everybody to the middle.Given NCSLs role as the association for every legislature in the country, finding someone who can steer a nonpartisan course was essential, says NCSL President Toi Hutchinson, a Democratic state senator from Illinois. (NCSL's presidency rotates between the parties. Wisconsin Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos will become president in August.)At a time when the country is as polarized and divided as its ever been, NCSL needs to protect its position and its ability to be truly bipartisan, Hutchinson says.Part of the appeal in hiring Storey, she says, is that he wont face the same kind of learning curve as someone coming from the outside. Storey started at NCSL in 1989 as an intern right out of graduate school. Hes worn many hats since. For years, he ran the associations election and redistricting program, becoming one of the nations most widely quoted experts on legislative races.With Tim Storey, you get comprehensive, balanced analysis of these critical, under-covered contests, says Larry J. Sabato, who directs the University of Virginias Center for Politics, which publishes a newsletter to which Storey has contributed. That is rare to find in these polarized times.In addition to his work in the political realm, Storey has worked on education finance, legislative management, leadership training and professional development. He has consulted with parliaments and conducted trainings in several other countries, including Iraq, Kenya, Pakistan and South Africa.NCSL is the leading professional organization for clerks, sergeants-at-arm and other legislative staff. In recent years, the group stepped up its technical assistance and training efforts in order to meet the ever-expanding demand.Legislative staff are getting pulled far more in different directions than they were in the '70s and '80s, Storey says. Not just partisanship, but all the different ways that theyre called upon.NCSL is based in Denver but maintains an office in Washington, D.C., where it seeks to influence federal policy and represent state interests in the Congress and the administration.Storeys appointment, which will take effect on July 15, comes at a moment of upheaval among state organizations. Last month, the National Governors Association ousted its executive director, Scott Pattison, amid struggles with heavy staff turnover. That group has yet to select a permanent successor.NCSL leaders stress that their change in management was conducted in a deliberative fashion -- Pound gave more than six months' notice of his resignation.NCSL, like any organization, has to adapt to changing times. But its not a scrape off and rebuild, as Storey puts it. Following just the second leadership change in its history, NCSL will continue doing pretty much what it always has.I think well have a very easy transition, Pound says. Weve done a lot of the same things, at different times and together. Gov. Doug Burgum has signed a bill into law making North Dakota the 25th state in the nation to eliminate the threat of jail time for possession of small amounts of marijuana.HB 1050 reclassifies possession of up to a half ounce of marijuana by adults 21 and older as an infraction punishable by no jail time and a maximum fine of $1,000. Previously, it was a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail in addition to a fine. The bill also reclassifies penalties for possession offenses involving amounts greater than a half ounce, and it calls on the Legislative Assembly to consider studying the implications of the potential adoption of an initiated measure allowing the use of recreational marijuana. A more detailed summary of HB 1050 is available here.This legislation is far from ideal, but it is a substantial step in the right direction, said Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project. It is very encouraging to see a conservative state like North Dakota acknowledge and rectify the injustice of jailing people for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Lawmakers can no longer ignore public support for marijuana policy reform, which is growing quickly in every part of the country. The departmental trial for NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo, whose apparent chokehold killed Eric Garner in 2014, is expected to start on Monday.Following the internal disciplinary proceedings -- presided over by Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado -- Police Commissioner James O'Neill will ultimately have discretion over whether Pantaleo is fired, handed down a lesser disciplinary action or receives no disciplinary action at all.Garner was killed July 17, 2014, as police in Staten Island tried to arrest him for selling loose cigarettes. His death was captured on video, and his dying words of "I can't breathe" became a rallying cry for many. His death, as well as other high-profile police-involved deaths, also became the catalyst for Gov. Andrew Cuomo signing an executive order in July 2015 that gave the attorney general the ability to take over cases in which an unarmed civilian is killed by a law enforcement officer.The NYPD had previously deferred taking any disciplinary action in the case until federal prosecutors in both Brooklyn and Washington, D.C., decided whether they would bring a criminal case over his death. In December 2014, a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict any officers involved in Garner's death.On Friday, Fred Davie, the chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board, which will be prosecuting Pantaleo in the departmental trial, said the officer's motion to have the charges against him dismissed was declined."On Monday morning, the CCRB's Administrative Prosecution Unit will begin presenting its evidence," Davie said in a statement. "We are confident that, once all the evidence has been presented, the Police Commissioner will find Officer Pantaleo guilty of misconduct and ultimately terminate him from the Department." I wanted both of my kids to be able to choose how they were going to contribute to the world. But, the fact is, each of us has to find our own path and then do the work required to travel it. (TNS) Telephone companies would need to alert California emergency officials of outages that prevent users from calling 911 or receiving emergency alerts under a new bill proposed by state Sen. Mike McGuire.The proposal comes after back-to-back years of record-breaking wildfires throughout the state and notable shortcomings in how local emergency officials in several of those fire-ravaged areas alerted residents of the danger.Currently, telephone companies arent obligated to report real-time information about service outages, such as where the outage is located, how many people are affected or when they expect repairs to be completed, McGuires office said in a press release Friday.His legislation, Senate Bill 670, would require those companies to notify the California Office of Emergency Services, which oversees emergency preparedness and response, about system outages that impact customers ability to reach 911 or get emergency notifications. Telephone companies would have to report outages within 60 minutes of discovery.The information would then be forwarded to local emergency offices and sheriffs departments so they know which residents are cut off from 911 for help and are not receiving alerts and phone calls.While landline service companies typically notify state emergency officials about outages within an hour, wireless and Internet-based service providers are inconsistent about reporting outages to Cal OES, agency spokesman Brad Alexander said in an email.Californians cannot afford to be without the most up-to-date information during times of disaster, McGuire said. Failure to report outages affecting 911 service or emergency alerting capabilities can wreak havoc on communities and puts the publics safety at risk.Just last year, some Butte County residents said they received no official warning when the deadliest wildfire in state history raced into Paradise on Nov. 8, killing at least 85 people. Damaged cellular towers were among the reasons residents received no alerts, officials said.Sonoma County emergency planners and authorities experienced the same problem in October 2017, when strong winds carried the Tubbs fire from Napa into Sonoma County before reaching parts of eastern Santa Rosa, killing 22 people.County officials chose not to trigger Amber Alert-style warnings for fear of causing undue panic among people not in harms way and instead relied on opt-in platforms, like Nixle and SoCo Alerts, to warn residents of the fast-moving fire.But about half of the alerts sent out through SoCo Alerts never made it to the telephone numbers in the countys database because of damaged cellphone towers and downed utility lines, county officials said. A review by Cal OES in February 2018 found Sonoma County officials were unprepared to warn tens of thousands of residents during the October 2017 firestorm, with an outdated understanding of the latest wireless alert technology.In September 2018, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a wildfire bill, also authored by McGuire, that established a statewide protocol for emergency alerts. Cal OES published the protocol in March.Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner and Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick testified before the states Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee on April 2 in support of McGuires new bill. Essick spoke about the events that unfolded during the October 2017 wildfires, and how Sheriffs Office officials did not know downed cell sites were hindering their ability to warn residents.This piece of legislation is really going to help us know which messages are going through, Essick said. I can react and get my people out there.The bill has also received support from the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, the California Fire Chiefs Association and the California State Sheriffs Association, among others, McGuires office noted.So far, the bill has received unanimous support from two legislative committees, including the Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee. It will need to pass through the Senate Appropriations Committee before heading to the Senate floor for a vote. (TNS) Technology, especially the kind used with text messages, search engines and geolocations, is being used more prominently by police in criminal investigations.Those efforts were underscored recently in hundreds of court documents that revealed a Butler County, Ohio, police department determined that Michael Strouse of Liberty Twp. left a digital trail of evidence related to stalking and pre-meditated murder of Ellen Ellie Weik, a 23-year-old West Chester Twp. woman who went missing in July 2018 and whose body was found in a field in August.The more than 800 pages of court records unsealed earlier this month and obtained and examined by this news outlet, and a clear indication of how West Chester Police Department detectives used technology to investigate Strouse.Those efforts included various search warrants executed on email accounts, social media accounts, cell phone accounts and electronic devices.According to court documents, police turned to a law enforcement database to determine harassing texts sent to Weik originated from an account registered to Strouse, who pleaded guilty to Weiks death and is serving a life sentence for murder.Police were able to look into a spoof phone number with a 213 area code, one used to communicate with Weik in the months before her death, by obtaining data from computer-generated phone number provider GoTextMe.com.That included account holder information such as user ID, username, sign-up date, last login, email, phone number associated with the account and IP address on signup.Such information also included Facebook ID, device ID, geolocation and last IP address used, as well as call logs associated with the account.The account was registered to a Mikael Strouse and police used a thorough search of Strouses social media pages determined he definitively used the name Mika. That, according to court documents, linked him to the number used to send Weik harassing and stalking messages.After Weik was reported missing Aug. 1, police used text messages and the location from which they were sent to corroborate the alibi of a friend who said he had spoken to Weik about stalking issues.Following a harassment complaint filed by Weik after someone sent a video filmed outside her West Chester home earlier in the year, police reviewed texts sent in early May between Weik and a friend.Those texts showed the friend was able to use Snapchat to link the number Strouse used to harass Weik to a Snapchat account registered to Strouse. One message from Weik to that friend reads, damn it. I know who it is, while the second reads, Its my ex from a few years ago.According to court records, Weik texted another friend the same day that I know who it is , then My ex-boyfriend from when I was 17, then identified Strouse by name. Weik went on to text other friends the same information in varying forms, according to court records.Police also used information provided by Verizon to determine she was in the vicinity of her home around 2:58 a.m. the day she went missing.The last text message sent to Weik originates from a number used by Strouse to spoof a 213 area code number and pose as Nate.That correspondence between Weik and Strouse posing as Nate comprised approximately 275 text messages. On July 28, after repeatedly declining Weiks invitations to hang out, Nate and Weik made plans to do so, but Nate told Weik, Im not bringing my phone. Is it cool if I jus (sic) knock.Court records also show police used text messages sent by Strouse to a friend to determine he was in Butler County during the period Weik disappeared.According to court records, police said it was concerning that use of the 213 number stopped the day Weik disappeared.They also determined he started a new account via another service 53 minutes after the last message sent by the GoTextMe number with the 213 area code. According to court records, police note that the new number was used to text another female whom Strouse knows, but not Weik, who wasnt reported missing until four days later.There are no subsequent phone calls or attempts to check up on her, as was seen in (Weiks) account by her friends and associates, according to police.Google also turned over information to police, showing that an IP address registered to Strouses residence searched for, in March, how long does a dead body smell. In early July, three weeks before Weik went missing, the same IP address searched for missing girl in Hamilton and missing girl in West Chester Ohio and viewed seven articles about missing persons. On July 18, it searched for how to survive prison poster and survivors guide to prison, according to the documents.On July 20, 10 hours before searching for Ellie Weik on Google, Strouse conducted three searches for the Cincinnati strangler and clicked on one Wikipedia article.Records show that in the weeks leading up to Weiks death, Strouse also Googled a business near Weiks residence and searched for her by name on Instagram, Whitepage and Facebook.After Weiks disappearance, Strouse searched for new york strangler and variations of that on July 31, then how to delete photos off a icloud account and variations of that on Aug. 5, according to the documents.On Aug. 22, results from a search warrant on Weiks Verizon Wireless account were analyzed by an Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation intelligence analyst, who determined Weiks phone was powered on at 6:12 a.m. July 31, then immediately powered off. That was enough time for the phone to send out a signal and to fix to a tower.The tower the phone hit off, according to court records, is located at 5756 Princeton Glendale Road in Liberty Twp., located a little more than 2 miles from Strouses Liberty Twp. home. Activity logs indicated Strouses Google account was active at 5:46 a.m. that morning from his Liberty Twp. homeOhio BCI investigators also searched Strouses iPhone, finding an Aug. 9 screenshot image taken from the Maps application of the field in which police discovered Weiks body just east of Millikin Road and Maud Hughes Road. Race promoter Francois Dumontier insists everything is on track for next month's Canadian GP. Earlier, there were reports that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve's new pit building may not be ready. But promoter Dumontier, who was in the Barcelona paddock at the weekend, said the new facilities will be unveiled by none other than F1 CEO Chase Carey on Wednesday. "I'm not saying that Bernie Ecclestone would not have come," he told Le Journal de Montreal, "but when I asked Chase, he accepted immediately. "It shows the importance of Montreal on the F1 calendar." Dumontier says he feels sorry for his fellow promoters in Spain, who look set to see their Barcelona race dropped from the 2020 calendar. "In the past I've had these turbulent moments, but I have no more such worries," he said. "I can't wait to present our new facilities to the world of F1," Dumontier added. "The garages have been redone from top to bottom and adapted to the times of the day. They are magnificent." Chase Carey agreed: "The new facilities will solidify the foundations of the Canadian GP." Catalonia regional president Quim Torra has moved to boost Barcelona's dwindling chances of keeping the Spanish grand prix on the F1 calendar. It is widely believed that Zandvoort, a Dutch circuit, will take Barcelona's race date in 2020, ending a 28-year run of Spanish grands prix. But Barcelona's hopes looked brighter on Sunday, as Catalonia president Torra shook hands with F1 chief executive Chase Carey in the paddock. "I also met with Mr Carey in March and today we did it again," Torra told El Mundo Deportivo newspaper. "Catalonia is a motoring region, we have extraordinary infrastructure and a citizenship that wants to see F1 and also some very important economic results," he said. And so he is hopeful he can change Carey's mind about the Spanish grand prix. "We have started the negotiations, and we face them with the hope and confidence that they will end well. This is our wish," said Torra. "I think we have an excellent rapport with the CEO of F1 and we will work for this agreement with all of our strength." Earlier, it was believed the regional government's support of the race was flagging, but Torra insisted: "I have told Mr Carey that there is the full support of the government to be able to take it forward. "In March, when we had the first meeting, it was very pleasant. Today we had a brief exchange of opinions. "The truth is that we are very happy with this collaboration. The country needs Formula 1." Gunther Steiner ensured Haas' two drivers "cleared the air" after a clash in the Spanish grand prix. While the American team managed to end its earlier struggle with the Pirelli tyres in Barcelona, one tense moment on Sunday was a collision between Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean. "We had contact and that is something that must not happen. But it happened," Magnussen told the Danish broadcaster TV3. Team boss Steiner dealt with the matter immediately. "I asked them both to come to me straight away. It was one of those episodes where we need to understand what happened and not make quick conclusions," he said. Steiner would not say what the outcome of the meeting was, beyond revealing: "We cleared the air between all three of us. We'll move on from here." "I read it and thought that the idea behind it of being able to decide every day what person you want to be was so empowering that I wanted to get it into the hands of as many kids as possible, said Kim Viita, the librarys head of kids and teens services. Coptic Solidarity Strongly Urges President Trump to Designate the Muslim Brotherhood a Terrorist Organization Muslim Brotherhood Supporters - Photo Credit Reuters News provided by May 13, 2019 WASHINGTON, May 13, 2019 / Christian Newswire / -- Coptic Solidarity welcomes the White House announcement on April 30, 2019 of the administration's intent to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. Coptic Solidarity strongly urges President Trump's administration to promptly issue such an executive order with the hope that it will put an end to the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been largely responsible for Islamic extremism across the globe for the past nine decades. The Muslim Brotherhood's ideology and structure has and continues to serve as a global powerhouse and gateway for all Sunni terrorist organizations seeking their place on the world terrorist stage. The majority of Islamic terrorist leaders were originally members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which shaped their ideology and trained them to enact mass violence fueled by hatred. The Muslim Brotherhood has produced world class terrorists, most notoriously: Ayman al-Zawahiri, founder of the Egyptian Jihad Organization, and current Al-Qaeda leader, was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood; Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh, founder of the Islamic Group, al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, in Egypt was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Guidance Bureau; Al-Qaeda founder, Bin Laden, admitted he was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jeddah; Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi acknowledged that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood; Mohammed Yusuf, the founder of the Nigeria-based terrorist organization Boko Haram, was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Nigeria, known in Hausa as the Yan Brothers; Abdullah Azzam, founder of Afghani Jihad and co-founder of Al-Qaeda, was schooled by Mohammed Qutb (the brother of the leading Islamic Jihad theorist, Sayyid Qutb) in Saudi Arabia, admitted he was inspired by Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt; Mohamed Kamal, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Guidance Bureau in Egypt, established the terrorist organization Hasm, which was designated by the US State Department as a terrorist organization. When the convicted terrorist, the Blind Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman al-Masry died in a US prison, the Muslim Brotherhood eulogized him as a heroic mujahid who died unjustly in America's jails. Finally, the prominent Muslim Brotherhood leader Sayyid Qutb's highly influential book "Milestones" has been considered the primer on Islamic terrorism during the past five decades. The Muslim Brotherhood has been practicing terrorism since the 1940s. They were responsible for setting Jewish homes and businesses in Egypt on fire to push Jews out of Egypt. The graffiti left on Jewish homes was very telling: "Saturday today and Sunday tomorrow," meaning that they have started with Jews and will finish off with Christians. They were also responsible for the 1951 Cairo fire, which targeted several banks and businesses intended to create chaos to supplant Egypt's monarchy. They have not renounced violence as a means to achieve their political goals of Islamist supremacy and the establishment of a global Caliphate. Their destruction and burning of 110 churches and Christian institutions in August 2013 in Egypt is just a recent example. Christians in the Middle East have been subjected to severe persecution for decades at the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliated organizations. American Christians of Middle Eastern descent, some four million Americans, welcome the prospect of seeing an end to Islamic terrorism. Coptic Solidarity strongly supports the Trump Administration's plan to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, and it is grateful that President Trump is aware of the danger posed by this organization and its affiliates worldwide. Coptic Solidarity deeply appreciates the decisive actions taken by the administration to protect the world against the dangers posed by Islamic terrorism with the Muslim Brotherhood organization at its top. Coptic Solidarity is an organization seeking to help minorities, particularly the Copts, of Egypt and we support those in Egypt working for democracy, freedom, and the protection of the fundamental rights of all Egyptian citizens. It advocates in cooperation with the affiliated organizations in Canada and in Europe (Solidarite Copte). For more information, contact Lindsay Griffin at 801-512-1713 or coptadvocacy@copticsolidarity.org SOURCE Coptic Solidarity Related Links Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has reached agreement with trucking firms to lease or purchase more than 250 new heavy-duty trucks, fueled by its Redeem RNG (renewable natural gas). (Earlier post.) Clean Energys Zero Now program makes the cost of leasing or purchasing a new natural gas heavy-duty truck equal to the price or even lower than that of the same truck equipped with a diesel engine. In addition, truck fleets financed or purchased through Zero Now will be able to purchase Redeem fuel with a fixed discount to diesel at a significant spread. With financing made available by Zero Now, along with grant programs available in many states, trucking companies are rolling out trucks equipped with the new Cummins-Westport (CWI) ultralow NO x ISX12N natural gas engine, which provide the same torque and reliability as their diesel counterparts. The ISX12N is certified by California Air Resources Board (CARB) to reduce smog-forming NO x emissions by 90% compared to the current engine standard. RNG reduces climate pollutants such as greenhouse gas, which takes carbon emissions completely out of trucking. Among the first fleets taking delivery is Kenan Advantage Group, the US largest leading bulk carrier, which has added 24 new near-zero trucks to its fleet through Zero Now. Kenan Advantage Group will be deploying its natural gas tractors in the companys Merchant Gas Group that transports industrial gases. The company will also be utilizing renewable natural gas where available for this deployment. TTSI is taking delivery of 40 RNG trucks, Freight Line Express is awaiting delivery of 12 trucks, Supra National Express has eight on tap, and Romans Trucking with six. Freshlink and Tradelink Transport have also taken advantage of the program by leasing new heavy-duty natural gas trucks. Redeem is the first commercially available RNG vehicle fuel. It is derived from capturing biogenic methane that is naturally produced by the decomposition of dairy, landfill, and wastewater treatment plant waste. Redeem enables at least 70% reduction in carbon emissions when displacing diesel or gasoline, according to CARB estimates. You couldn't swing a cap and gown around here last weekend without hitting at least three happy college graduates and their proud extended families. From Thursday to Saturday, five of the schools I cover held their spring commencement ceremonies (and one of those, N.C. A&T, held two). Here are some highlights from a big weekend of college graduations: The biggest name to speak at area commencements this season was actor and comedian (and Greensboro native) Ken Jeong, who addressed UNCG graduates on Friday. N&R arts writer Dawn Kane covered his talk here, and here are our pictures of the event. UNCG didn't post video of Jeong's address some sort of prohibition in his contract, apparently but there's an excerpt of his speech here.* UNCG also did a short Q&A with Jeong here. GREENSBORO A person was injured in a shooting late Sunday afternoon, Greensboro police said in a news release. Officers responded to the 1200 block of Randolph Avenue at 5:43 p.m. in reference shots fired. They found a gunshot victim, who was then transported by EMS to a local hospital. The victim was in stable condition, the release said. A gray four-door sedan is believed to have been involved, police said, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000 or text the tip to 274637 using the keyword badboyz. All calls to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and may result in a reward of up to $2,000. Actress Alyssa Milano ignited social media with a tweet Friday night calling for women to join her in a sex strike to protest strict abortion bans passed by Republican-controlled legislatures. The former star of "Charmed" and current cast member of "Insatiable," which is filmed in Georgia, urged women in her tweet to stop having sex "until we get bodily autonomy back." Her tweet came days after Georgia became the fourth state in the U.S. this year to ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant. "We need to understand how dire the situation is across the country," Milano told The Associated Press on Saturday. "It's reminding people that we have control over our own bodies and how we use them." She noted that women have historically withheld sex to protest or advocate for political reform. She cited how Iroquois women refused to have sex in the 1600s as a way to stop unregulated warfare. Most recently, she noted that Liberian women used a sex strike in 2003 to demand an end to a long-running civil war. "Jordan spoke to the hikers through their tents, and threatened to pour gasoline on their tents and burn them to death," FBI Special Agent Micah Childers wrote in the affidavit. Fearing Jordan, all four hikers decided to pack up and leave their campsite. Two of them were chased by Jordan as they tried to leave, but managed to escape by turning off the lights they had strapped to their heads and veering off the trail into the woods, said Sheriff Thomas Roseberry of Bland County, Virginia, whose deputies interviewed the couple after they walked off the trail to report the incident. "They described this guy as talking crazy and following them down the trail," he said. The other two hikers also ran to get away from Jordan, but he caught the man first and stabbed him until he collapsed onto the ground, Childers wrote. Jordan then stabbed the woman repeatedly. She fell to the ground and played dead, and Jordan then left to find his dog, Childers wrote. The woman got help from two hikers who helped her hike another 6 miles into Smyth County, Virginia, where they called 911. She remained hospitalized Monday. Her condition could not immediately be determined. Talks with China continue in a very congenial manner there is absolutely no need to rush as Tariffs are NOW being paid to the United States by China of 25% on 250 Billion Dollars worth of goods & products, Trump tweeted. These massive payments go directly to the Treasury of the U.S. He also claimed that tariffs will bring in FAR MORE wealth to our Country than even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind. And Saturday, Trump suggested that the United States was collecting tariffs from China. Would be wise for them to act now, but love collecting BIG TARIFFS! Trump said in a tweet. On Sunday, both Republicans and Democrats criticized Trumps handling of the China trade talks. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., an ally of Trump, said on ABC News This Week that he is worried about the effect the tariffs will have on the U.S. economy. Paul told host George Stephanopoulos that he is very concerned that Trump may enact permanent tariffs. At around 2 a.m. on Monday, sheriffs deputies responded to a crash with injuries in the area of Sheridan and Ganster Roads, according to a statement released by Sgt. Christopher Covelli, and when they arrived, they found a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette with significant damage after going off the roadway and hitting a utility pole and several trees. Recent news articles prompted some thought about our system of government. Our current president seems to favor autocratic rule over democratic rule. Note his resistance to congressional oversight and his willingness to appropriate funds for a wall when he cant get Congress to agree with his wishes. I suspect he envies the scope of power exercised by two notable autocrats, Putin and Kim Jong Un. He spoke out against Facebook when it banned extremist commentators. He didnt confront Putin regarding election interference. One might conclude that Trump doesnt want to lose an important element of his 2020 election campaign: Russian efforts to influence the outcome. If you are a Trump supporter, this might not particularly bother you because you favor Trumps initiatives. However, a precedent is being set. Suppose a Democrat is elected the next president and he or she used this newly created executive branch power to impose policies contrary to your liking: Donald Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin on the phone for more than an hour recently. According to Sarah Sanders, they only briefly discussed the results of the Mueller investigation because they both knew that there was no collusion. She probably meant Trump and Putin winked because they knew, or at least hoped, that it was unlikely that collusion could be proven. But the record is clear. Trump staffers Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort met with Russian government agents in Trump Tower in June 2016. Manafort shared Trump internal polling data with the Russians that year. Russians targeted voters in key Midwestern states with pro-Trump and anti-Clinton propaganda during the presidential election. Trump representatives Carter Page, Erik Prince and Michael Flynn had secret meetings with Russians about what? Putin wanted Trump elected and wanted U.S. sanctions on Russia dropped. Trump was elected and various sanctions have been dropped. A resident reported that someone broke into Victory by Grace Church, located at 135 Park Road. There are no suspects at this time. The investigation continues. A resident in the 900 block of Harris Street reported that someone is trespassing on his property. The investigation continues. Ashley Dawn Fulp, 31, of 1413 Carolina Ave., Eden, was arrested on a warrant for larceny. Fulp was placed under a $1,500 secured bond. She is scheduled to appear in Rockingham County District Court on May 16. Donald Valentino Marshall of 1000 First St., Eden, was charged on a citation for alcohol violation. Marshall is scheduled to appear in Rockingham County District Court on July 18. Shannon Hope McBride, 39, of 137 Nance St., Eden, was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear and was also charged with Schedule II. McBride was placed under a $2,500 unsecured bond She is scheduled to appear in Rockingham County District Court on June 11. Larry Ray Boyd, Jr. of 137 Nance St., Eden, was charged on a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia. Boyd is scheduled to appear in Rockingham County District Court on June 11. Luanelly Iglesias, a Danbury bilingual teacher, recently won the National Education Associations 2019 Human and Civil Rights George I. Sanchez Memorial Award, which honors teachers who significantly advance equal opportunities for Hispanics. Iglesias, who teaches at Rogers Park Middle School, received the award for her distinguished leadership in education, honoring her activities that have made significant improvements in education opportunities and advanced the achievement of Hispanics, according to the press release. Throughout her career, Luanelly has been a tireless champion for her students, creating a bilingual program for students recently arriving in the United States, Connecticut Education Association President Jeff Leake said in the release. Her efforts in the school community through family engagement continues to provide students the opportunity to have pride in their Hispanic heritage. The cultural exchanges that Luanelly brings to the classroom and the school community teach students the importance of honoring the past, embracing their culture and language, and working hard toward a bright future. Iglesias said being part of her local union and CEA has opened many doors for her during her 15 year career. Born in Puerto Rico, Iglesias worked in a factory to help support her family and was a bilingual student herself 30 years ago, when she moved from Puerto Rico, according to the release. I learned how to defeat many barriers through the power of education, she said at the CEA Representative Assembly last weekend. Many of our students spend more of their time with us than with their families. Iglesias will be honored by more than 8,000 of her peers across the country during a national ceremony celebrating educator excellence at the NEA Representative Assembly in Houston, Texas in July. Legislative leaders unveiled a bipartisan proposal Monday to provide police and firefighters suffering with post traumatic stress disorder with up to one year of workers compensation coverage. Joined also by union leaders and representatives of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, lawmakers predicted the compromise which ends a six-year debate on stress benefits for first-responders would be enacted before the 2019 session closes on June 5. The agreement, which advocates hailed as a national model, also limits eligibility for benefits to those personnel who have experienced at least one of six specific traumatic events. Post-traumatic stress is a real injury that you can define and recognize and treat and get people back on the job, said Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, who spearheaded the push to expand workers compensation coverage since the December 2012 shooting deaths of 26 children and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Osten, who is a former prison guard supervisor and who still serves as Spragues first selectwoman, brought perspective from both sides in the benefits debate. The people who are not here are the people we hold in great regard, Osten said, referring to police and firefighters who either took their own lives after witnessing a tragic event, or have suffered without treatment from PTSD and have never been able to return to the job. Critics of the current workers compensation system have argued it largely provides mental health benefits to emergency personnel who are the direct victims of violence, and not necessarily to those who witness it in gory detail. At the same time, municipal leaders expressed fears that if modifications werent crafted properly, it could become a huge fiscal burden on local property taxpayers. But advocates for cities and towns as well as for labor said Monday the compromise is one they can accept. I think it demonstrates the ability of labor and management to sit down and reach an agreement, said Peter Carozza, president of the Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association of Connecticut, which has more than 4,0000 members. New Britain Police Officer Jared Barsaleau, who is vice president of Local 1165 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said more officers died nationally from suicide in 2018 for the third year in a row than from any physical injury caused in the line of duty. Joe DeLong, executive director of CCM, recalled how his organization was running commercials one year ago at this time trying to defeat a PTSD bill that did not reflect a compromise. We are truly committed to doing right the right way, he said. The compromise would authorize benefits to police or firefighters who are diagnosed with PTSD and who have experienced at least one of the six following qualifying events: Viewing a deceased minor. Witnessing the death of a person. Witnessing an injury that causes the death of a person shortly thereafter. Treating an injured person who dies shortly thereafter. Carrying an injured person who dies shortly thereafter. Witnessing an incident that causes a person to lose a body part, to suffer a loss of body function, or that results in permanent disfigurement. The benefit expansion would be available to police officers, firefighters both professional and volunteer and parole officers. The compromise also would expand from 30 days to 180 days the evaluation period during which the employer can decide whether to accept or to deny a PTSD claim. The deal does not modify benefits currently provided to police officers who seek treatment after using deadly force. This is a good day when we finally recognize PTSD is something we have to address in the state of Connecticut, said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, who said one suicide tied to an untreated disorder is one too many, and it is preventable. House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, also predicted the measure would be enacted, and said she believes all legislators have wanted to help police and firefighters who face trauma. But it also was important to find a program that would reflect municipalities abilities to fund these benefits. There are a lot of good concepts in the legislature, she said. Its how we do them. This is a long time coming. GREENWICH Greenwich resident Gordon Caplan is no longer a lawyer for, or the co-chairman of, Manhattan-based international law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, after he announced Friday that he will plead guilty to the criminal charges brought against him in the Operation Varsity Blues college-admissions cheating scandal. The law firm had placed him on leave after he was accused in federal court documents of paying $75,000 to have a hand-picked proctor oversee an ACT exam taken by his daughter and correct the answers after she had completed it. Mr. Caplans departure is a result of his involvement in the college admissions matter and his recent statement regarding his intent to plead to a criminal charge, the firm said in a statement to The American Lawyer. At Willkie, nothing is more important to us than our integrity and we do not tolerate behavior that runs contrary to our core values. We remain focused on our responsibilities to our clients, partners and employees. Caplan appeared in federal court in Boston last Wednesday with others charged in the notorious case, including actress Lori Loughlin, of Full House, her fashion designer husband Mossimo Gianulli, and actress Felicity Huffman, a star of Desperate Housewives. He and the other defendants waived their right to a pre-trial hearing. I take full and sole responsibility for my conduct and I am deeply ashamed of my behavior and my actions, Caplan said in a statement released Friday. I apologize not only to my family, friends, colleagues and the legal bar, but also to students everywhere who have been accepted to college through their own hard work. His daughter is still more than a year away from going to college, and had no idea that he made arrangements to have her ACT test fixed, he said. I want to make clear that my daughter, whom I love more than anything in the world, is a high school junior and has not yet applied to college, much less been accepted by any school, he said. She had no knowledge whatsoever about my actions, has been devastated to learn what I did and has been hurt the most by it. My immediate goal is to focus on making amends for my actions to try to win back the trust and respect of my daughter, my family and my community. The remorse and shame I feel is more than I can convey, Caplan said in the statement. Caplan remains free on $500,000 bond. He faces a felony conviction, which would mean an automatic disbarment. The mail fraud charge also carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.com Former President Jimmy Carter is recovering from surgery to repair a broken hip after taking a fall at his home in Plains, Georgia. Carter, 94, fell as he was leaving to go turkey hunting Monday morning, according to a statement released by The Carter Center. Defense attorneys said Willie Jackson, 18 at the time, was acting out of fear for his safety when he shot Dayviontay Jackson, and that he was in such a state of panic that he shot the gun again outside the home as he was fleeing after being startled by a dog. Haiti - Politic : The opposition minority forces the Senate to postpone the ratification meeting of the PM Sunday, the session in Assembly in the Senate on the presentation of the General Policy and the ratification of the Prime Minister appointed Jean Michel Lapin, turned to the confrontation between the senators of the minority opposition and those of the majority acquired to the Head of State. The quorum having been reached with 26 senators present at the roll call, Prime Minister Lapin and members of his cabinet entered the Assembly Hall. It should be noted the absence of Jean Roudy Aly, the Minister of Justice renewed in the Government Lapin, target of the opposition during this session, which accuses him of being responsible for having removed these foreigners from the hands of the Haitian Justice by Authorizing Extraction in the United States https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27001-haiti-flash-not-a-transfer-but-an-extraction-of-the-members-of-commando.html of men of the mysterious commando of armed foreigners, arrested in Port-au-Prince on February 17, 2019 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27064-haiti-politic-in-the-senate-michel-ange-gedeon-refuses-to-say-what-he-knows-about-the-commando.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26963-haiti-flash-a-mysterious-commando-of-heavily-armed-foreigners-arrested-in-port-au-prince.html In addition, the opposition challenged the legality of this special session and the reappointment of several ministers in the new cabinet. A suspension of the session decided by the President of the Senate, Carl Murat Cantave set at 10 minutes lasted for almost 3 hours... Beyond the lively verbal exchanges Senators Beauplan and Belizaire even came to blows... In front of this distressing spectacle, at the request of the President of the Bureau, Carl Murat Cantave, a closed session was observed obliging the members of the Ministerial Cabinet accompanying the Prime Minister to leave the meeting room... Returning from behind closed doors, after long hours of hard talk and heated debate, the four senators of the uncompromising opposition, who demanded control of the sovereign commissions, refusing all compromises and proposals, forcing Carl Murat Cantave after a exchanges, to postpone "sine die" the ratification session "The presentation of Prime Minister Jean Michel Lapin's policy statement is suspended. A special conference of Presidents will be held Monday, May 13, 2019 at 9:00 am in the Senate announced the Senate Speaker. SL/ HaitiLibre A jewel of the Westhampton community, the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center opened its doors on July 4, 1998. Created from a shuttered movie theater, the Performing Arts Center has become a beloved community resource and a regional performing arts center. Hamptons.com recently spoke with Executive Director Julienne Penza-Boone about the center's programs and performances. Ms. Penza-Boone has been with the PAC for 13 years, building the after-school programs and becoming interim Executive Director in 2019; the position was made permanent in 2020. The Center has come a long way since its early days, with a... Treichl is Chairman of the Management Board of Erste Group Bank AG. Hier geht es zur deutschen Version des Essays. The fronts are clearly defined in the 2019 European election year: The pro-Europeans here frequently mentioned with the descriptor fervent , and the naysayers other there, the sceptics, the populists. Macron vs. Salvini, Merkel vs. Orban. Both sides have fired heavy artillery in the daily battle for citizens sympathies. Yet no one even bothers trying to persuade those from the opposing side anymore suffice to say its enough to strike a nerve among those in ones own camp, to mobilise the sympathisers. So the question is, what else do we Europeans have in common? What can be done to counteract the growing division? Though few want to hear it, one cannot help but note that in times of America First, many on this side of the Atlantic are also asking, Whats in it for me? What economic advantage do I get out of it? And this is precisely the point where the European Union should act to restore natural cohesion. Only it can unleash our greatest potential by realising a true internal market. At the heart of this must be the development of a common capital market. Top-Jobs des Tages Jetzt die besten Jobs finden und per E-Mail benachrichtigt werden. Standort erkennen Although more than 60 years have passed since the founding of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the EU has yet to bring a genuine internal market into existence. How do we know? Despite the fact that we are a market with more than 500 million relatively wealthy consumers, that we have every conceivable know-how at our disposal, that we are cosmopolitan and market-oriented, no significant start-ups have made it the big league of large global companies since the 1970s, with very few exceptions. Yet they seem to be springing up like mushrooms in the homogenous domestic markets of the United States and China. This inevitably raises the question as to what distinguishes our corporate world from that of other large domestic markets. One cannot point to a shortage of large, modern companies; Europe boasts a number of them and they are essential pillars of our economy. And the European economy as a whole is also in an excellent global position. What we lack are growth stars and starlets. In other words, companies that have the potential to develop global traction. Companies with a transformative character. We should therefore ask ourselves what needs to be done to get more European companies back into this league. Companies like these are growing into global players at an extremely fast pace in the digital age, striking a contrast to those of the past. They succeed where they can scale their business the easiest where the market is of a critical size. Pace in the 20th century was determined by natural factors, such as the expansion of logistics and production capacity. Today, these obstacles are usually eliminated, spotlighting the disadvantages of markets that are too small. There are no customs duties in the single European market, but there is a plethora of common directives that make it difficult to enter the pan-European market without complications. Each country has its own authorities, special rules, taxes, and languages. Brussels is building up the necessary additional bureaucracy, but is not dismantling any local bureaucracy. So its no wonder that European newcomers quickly lose the motivation to scale their business. The European market is a domestic market light compared to real domestic markets. Because companies only dream of real growth in the latter, true growth infrastructure has only been established in countries where such a market exists. This infrastructure is so successful that even our own growth companies are moving to these places. Failing equilibrium on the capital market And because it all works so well, investors are willing to play their part. While savings abroad and in the Far East end up on the capital market to finance successful growth companies, here they land in savings accounts in order to be lent exclusively to the safest clients possible. Because the banking business is risk-averse. What follows is a growth-inhibiting spiral of a lack of supply and a lack of demand on the capital market. Without our own Apples & Co. we lack the success stories to bring investors to the market. This leads to a pronounced risk aversion among private investors, surpassed only by politicians who then exploit this attitude for their own purposes, e.g. within the framework of pension schemes: Better not buy risky assets means in truth, Please finance the state, not our economy. Accordingly, very little money flows through the capital markets classic source of financing, institutional life and pension insurance, into growth financing. On the other hand, many potential financing candidates shy away from fragmented European capital markets because they appear too small, too expensive, too illiquid and therefore unnecessary. Lacking incentive to grow, they prefer to concentrate on the cheaper standard business that can be financed by banks. This article is an extract from the book: Sven Afhuppe, Thomas Sigmund (Hg.): Europa kann es besser Wie unser Kontinent zu neuer Starke findet. Ein Weckruf der Wirtschaft Herder publishing house 2019, 240 pages, 20 euros ISBN 978-3-451-39360-0 Published on 15. April 2019 Order the book on amazon. These weaknesses are, of course, well understood by the relevant institutions at European level first and foremost the European Commission and the European Central Bank. In 2015 the appointed Commission led by Jean-Claude Juncker immediately set out to remedy these shortcomings by launching an Action Plan for a Capital Markets Union in 2015 under the leadership of Briton Jonathan Hill. The initial euphoria soon suffered a setback. After the Brexit vote of his compatriots, the British commissioner no longer saw any sense in his activities. And so the only EU country with an actual capital market culture is slated to leave the Union. Switzerland another European country that actually understands importance of the capital market for prosperity will never join the Union. What followed was something all too familiar to European observers: Big ideas were visibly washed away until only small, easily digestible building blocks were left, which were then presented as mission accomplished shortly before elected officials left office. Yet nothing was accomplished at all, because there was no change whatsoever in the crucial issue of expanding a dynamic capital market also at the expense of the excessive dependence on bank financing. The stumbling blocks are the same as those of all integration efforts at the European level. No one wants to give in on issues of national sovereignty, let alone renounce rights, if not absolutely necessary. The development of the stock markets is only ever supported as long as ones own country profits, while big-picture solutions are postponed indefinitely. But a major solution is needed if we are to create a pan-European capital market that will become a real financing option for all types of companies. The capital market must also be available to the small and medium-sized enterprises that are so important for our economy. Additional financing options can make an enormous difference for them in particular. It takes a universe of innovative local stars to produce a global one. So it will take a great deal of effort to explain the importance of this issue to the newly appointed Commission after the European elections, and to convince it to raise the bar when it comes to the capital markets union. Which should not be too difficult, given that we are talking about the prosperity of EU citizens and the tangible value of this community for everyone. Three important issues Three essential levers will be impossible to avoid: A key aspect on which many of those responsible in Europe are flinching is the question of tax sovereignty. The embodiment, so to speak, of the sovereignty issue in Europe. Let us not kid ourselves: Financial professionals and private investors operate in the capital market. Taxes are a crucial factor for this group. Without a certain uniformity in the European Union, or at least medium-term convergence, there will be no great whole, only opposition. The second important issue is likewise economic in nature. Increased activity on the capital market has to be worthwhile for commercial stakeholders. The capital market is not a charity, but is fundamentally geared toward profit. There can be no incentives for stagnation financing at the expense of growth financing. Greater transparency on the part of companies active on the capital market should be incentivised. The unequal treatment of equity and debt capital will also have to end. Those responsible should maintain a healthy sense of proportion so that there are no socially harmful risk developments in Europe; consider the shadow banking system in China. The third and perhaps most important aspect concerns the risk associated with our European risk aversion. We should ask ourselves whether it is still justifiable, in times of impending poverty among the elderly of todays active population, to invest the overall economic savings with as little risk as possible. We should ask ourselves whether we are not already at a point where a healthy level of risk-sharing in the economy is not only justifiable, but morally appropriate. Many economic operators would be prepared to take on more risk. Banks and insurance companies would like to do more to finance growth. But at the moment this is actually penalised with regulatory measures. One can only hope that it will not take another major economic crisis to identify the need for action and make the necessary headway. From 5 a.m. to noon May 17, members of the Lake Zurich Police Department will be at the doughnut shop, 485 S. Rand Road, as part of their fundraising operations to support Special Olympics Illinois, she said. The office of Gov. Steve Bullock has sent the Havre Daily News a letter from Bullock explaining why he vetoed a bill that led to complaints about the veto, including from a couple of Havreites. Bullock vetoed Senate Bill 71, sponsored by Sen. Al Olszewski, R-Kalispell. State Auditor Matt Rosendale, whose office regulates securities and insurance in Montana, issued a release calling the veto siding with drug industry over Montanans. Its simply astonishing that Governor Bullock would side with the multi-billion-dollar drug companies instead of Montanans and the doctors, pharmacists, and other health care professionals who supported the bill, Rosendale said in the release. See related story online and on Page A2 of Fridays edition of The Havre Daily News. The release cites Havre City Council member and business owner Sarah McKinney, saying she was speaking as a private individual, not a council member, and cites Havre opthalmologist Dr. Marc Whitacre, as well as an antitrust lawyer and two pharmacy owners and Olszewski. I am disappointed that SB 71 failed due to the governors veto, Olszewski said in the release. This is a sad day for Montanans. Rosendales release said the bill, written by his office after two years of review of pharmaceutical prices in Montana, would have reformed the way health insurance companies contract with third-party middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers. The bill would have prohibited kickbacks, price gouging, and ended conflicts of interest. In his letter to Secretary of State Corey Stapleton saying he was vetoing the bill, Bullock wrote that it could have had other consequences. He wrote that he was signing a number of bills Thursday that were designed to lower prescription drug costs, but was vetoing SB 71. I appreciate and respect the sponsors commitment to lowering prescription drug costs. I share that commitment unfortunately, SB 71 is likely to do just the opposite of what the sponsor intends: It will increase costs. Bullock wrote. Most of the local legislators voted for SB 71, with Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, and Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, both saying they couldnt see why Bullock vetoed the bill. Temple said he cant understand how Bullock believes it would raise drug prices, and Windy Boy said he had no idea why Bullock decided to veto the bill. Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre, emailed the Havre Daily News Friday morning that he supported many bills dealing with prescription drug prices that legislators worked across the aisle to pass, but he had problems with SB 71. Bachmeier said the bill was soft on pharmacy benefit managers and hard on insurance companies, which could lead to higher premiums. He added that he appreciates Rosendale wanting to get involved, but that it looked to him like the auditor was trying to take over the debate on PBMs and prescription costs. I didnt see him involved in the conversation on all of the other successful bills we passed, he said. Reps. Josh Kassmier, R-Fort Benton, and Casey Knudsen, R-Malta, had not replied to the email the Havre Daily News sent Thursday by print deadline this morning. Sen. Mike Lang, R-Malta, said in an email Saturday that he would reply by today, but the Havre Daily had not received his reply by print deadline this morning. In his letter to Stapleton, Bullock wrote that the bill cut pharmacy benefit managers out of the rebate process, requiring that rebates go directly to insurers. That means that customers of smaller and nonprofit insurance companies would no longer receive the rebates, raising their drug costs, Bullock wrote. He wrote that it also increased the administrative costs for regional or nonprofit health plans, giving them 90 days to review and decide whether name-brand drugs would be covered, rather than 180 days given under federal law. Halving the time to review will lead to increased costs, which are likely to be passed on to insurance customers in the form of higher plan prices, Bullock wrote. The bill also prohibited some mail-order pharmacies, relied on by many rural Montanans who do not have easy access to a brick-and-mortar pharmacy, he said. It could also lead to fewer insurance polices being available in some areas, reducing competition, Bullock added. He said that, finally, SB 71 was directed only at the already most-volatile health insurance market, the individual market. The bill could lead to significant increases in prices by creating upward pressure in prescription drug prices, Bullock wrote. In the letter, Bullock also named several bills addressing health care he had signed or planned to sign: Senate Bill 83, which gets at the problem directly by applying strict protections from certain pharmacy benefit manager practices; Senate Bill 125, the reinsurance bill to lower individual insurance premiums; Senate Bill 270, which prohibits pharmacy benefit managers from requiring pharmacies to charge consumers more in copayments than it costs to make a drug; and Senate Bill 335, which protects federally qualified health centers from discrimination in prescription drug pricing. Hey Chinook, we did it again From Carla Jenewein, Red Cross blood drive coordinator for Chinook Our team registered 45 total donors, collected 42 pints of blood and recruited one first-time donor. Our goal was 40 pints. All of our efforts have helped boost the community blood supply and ensure hospital patients have the lifesaving blood they need. Each donation can save up to three lives. Because of your generosity, 129 lives will be saved. These numbers are really something to celebrate and we are grateful for each and every one of you who made our success possible. Don Ranstrom reached 15 gallons at this drive, Ken Maly 10 gallons, Linda Thompson eight gallons, Rita surber six gallons, Judy Johnson three gallons, Ken Schubert and Erica Smith one gallon. We also welcomed one first time donor, Lily Surber. Great job!! The canteen was hosted by the United Methodist Church ladies. Those tending to the canteen were Linda Sharples, Sonia Swank, Rita Surber and Monica Swank. The goodies and sandwiches were wonderful. We are all so happy to have had you participate in this important aspect of the blood drive. The door prizes were provided by the United Methodist Church ladies. The North Central Montana Cattle Women provided the beef certificates. Pastor Jack Mattingly and the United Methodist Church once again so graciously provided the site for the drive at Wallner Hall. Set up for the drive was accomplished by Carla Jenewein and Judy Johnson. Clean up for this drive was made possible by Chrissy Downs and the Jump Youth Group. Their willingness to assist in moving all those tables and chairs around is so appreciated. Taking home door prices were Tanya Getten, Cameron Huestis, Cary Qualls, Erica Smith, Paulie Miller, Amber Miller, Rob Kelley, Hope Hamilton and Lily Surber. Ken Schubert Others who most certainly need to be recognized for their willingness to contribute to the smooth running of the drive each time are the ladies at the welcome table: Donna Murdy, Judy Johnson and Linda Thompson. Sadly, I must make an announcement: Donna Murdy has decided to turn her volunteer duties over to Linda Thompson. Her many years of service to the Red Cross Blood Drive have not gone unnoticed and she will be missed. Welcome, Linda, we are looking forward to working with you. Paulette Keller, you again came through and got those beef gift certificates delivered to me promptly before the drive. To each and every one of you, my gratitude for your willingness to donate and to participate in one way or another is unending. I apologize in advance if I have forgotten anybody. Havre Police Department Claudine Chiefstick of Havre, 55, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge, after caller at a First Street West business reported Friday at 7:26 a.m. that an intoxicated woman was yelling at imaginary people. -- A Seventh Avenue caller reported Friday at 8:02 a.m. that someone had stolen a vehicle during the night. -- Canda Marsha McCully of Havre, 33, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant served at an 11th Street West business Friday at 8:09 a.m. -- A caller at a church on Sixth Avenue reported at 10:17 a.m. Friday that someone had stolen the backflow pipe on a rain gutter. -- Friday at 12:59 p.m. a caller at an 11th Street West business reported a gas drive off. -- Albert Kenneth Fisher of Havre, 78, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after a caller at a Second Avenue business reported a man would not leave the building. -- Gary James Golie of Havre, 42, was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended or revoked license and on a Justice or City court warrant. -- A caller with BNSF Railway reported Friday at 6:26 p.m. a contained diesel fuel spill with no injuries. No law enforcement action was required. -- A report from the emergency room Saturday at 10:03 a.m. that a woman wanted to speak to an officer was referred to another law enforcement agency. -- Officers provided assistance to a man who called from the hospital Saturday at 10:20 a.m., asking to speak to a deputy. -- At 10:45 a.m. Saturday, a caller on 10th Street reported the back window of a vehicle was shattered after someone shot it with a BB gun. -- A caller on First Street West reported Saturday at 1:54 p.m. that a car had hit a light pole. -- William Joe Skidmore of Havre, 38, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license, after an officer on First Street at 7:56 p.m. Saturday made a vehicle stop, which was related to a report of a suspicious group hanging around a First Street West establishment at 7:41 p.m. -- A 15-year-old was issued a summons on charges of juvenile curfew violations and probation violation after a caller on Lincoln Avenue reported Sunday at 7 a.m. her 15-year-old son was attacking her 12-year-old son. -- Everett Dale Windyboy Jr. of Havre, 31, was issued a summons on a dog-at-large charge after a caller at Sixth Street and Montana Avenue reported Sunday at 8:53 a.m. that a large white dog which was running loose almost bit the caller's child. -- Elisa Nicole Downhour of Havre, 27, was issued a summons on a charge of endangering the welfare of children after a caller at a Sixth Avenue church reported suspicious activity Sunday at 6:10 p.m. -- Beau Jordan Briese of Havre, 28, was arrested on charges of DUI and "other" traffic crime, during a vehicle stop on Fourth Avenue Sunday at 9:26 p.m. -- Percephone Sharee Onco of Rocky Boy, 26, of Justice or City court warrant after a caller on First Street Northeast reported people drinking outside Sunday at 11:11 p.m. -- Cameron James Eagleman of Box Elder, 36, was arrested on charges of partner or family member assault and DUI after a Fifth Street caller asked officers to assist a woman Sunday at 11:17 p.m. Hill County Sheriff's Office Tammy Ann Marinkovich of Box Elder was arrested on a charge of probation violation after a caller on Road 70 South reported Friday at 9:35 p.m. a couple was fighting. -- Deputies referred calls at 8:46 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. of dead deer along Sixth Street North to another agency. -- Erica Ann Dion of Boulder, Wyoming, 36, was issued a summons on a charge of obstructing a peace officer or other public servant, after deputies responded to a call made Saturday at 8:11 p.m. -- An arrest was made after a caller at a Box Elder establishment reported a man with a warrant in the building Sunday at 12:21 a.m. No details on the charges were provied Havre Fire Department Emergency medical personnel responded to four calls Friday, three calls Saturday and one Sunday. -- Firefighters were called to assist Havre police Sunday at 7:47 p.m. helping to get someone into their residence on the 700 Block of 10th Street. Havre Animal Shelter The Havre shelter this morning held three medium-hair cats, one long-hair cat and a medium-hair 9-month-old kitten all of unknown gender, two medium-hair male cats, one short-hair female cat and two medium-hair female cats. -- The Havre shelter also held this morning two female mixed-breed dogs, a female shepherd-Labrador retriever dog, a male shepherd dog, and two male mixed-breed 22-week-old puppies. From left, Logan Kinsella, 11, from left, Dax Ostwalt, 11, Reed Mantle, 11 and Aiden Moomey, 11, go for a ride in the back of a boat during their Kids Day field trip Friday at Fresno Reservoir west of Havre. The Fresno Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited continued a decades-old tradition Friday, bringing hundreds of children to Fresno Reservoir for a day of boating, fishing and education. Kids Day had 300 fifth- and sixth-graders in the area scheduled to attend, with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks on hand to do some education about boating safety and about fish and wildlife. Fresno Chapter members gave some pointers on how to cast and fish. The group also gave a new rod and reel to every child, and boat rides on the reservoir - then treated them all to a lunch of hot dogs and potato chips. See more photos in our Online Album. From U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations announces the Port of Wild Horse will begin operating on its summer hour schedule of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily, on May 15. The summer hours will continue until Sept. 30. The winter schedule of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. will resume Oct. 1. The port of Wild Horse, Montana is located about 1 hours south of Medicine Hat, Alberta, via Alberta 41, and 45 minutes north of Havre, Montana, via Montana Highway 232. CBP also offers travelers tips to help expedite processing at the port: Have requir... Tennessee man sentenced to 12 years in prison for child sex offense A Tennessee man was sentenced to 12 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in Henderson County Superior Court to soliciting to commit first degree sex offense with child. Superior Court Judge Peter Knight sentenced Justin C. Lehr, of Chattanooga, to 148 months in prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender for 30 years. In other cases in the recent term of Superior Court: SALLY Hughes is feeling excited about A Belly Full, the new dance-based comedy that has just opened at the Mill at Sonning, and about the theatres newly announced Christmas production of Singin in the Rain. Running until Saturday, June 15, A Belly Full has been created with the 215-seater Sonning Eye venue specifically in mind. When Marnie drags her much put-upon bestie Jane along to a belly dancing class they are swept into a shimmying circle of sometimes endearing, sometimes outrageous women. Their friendship is tested through the demands of their spouses, babies, work lives and the arrival of some unexpected roommates. But through all the bellyaches, dilemmas, betrayals and some very special cakes, the two friends learn to face lifes challenges as they prepare for a special charity night at their local Turkish restaurant. Sally, who has been the Mills artistic director since 1984 and took on the additional role of managing director in 2002, said: I have long been looking for a play that matches the success and popularity of Stepping Out and Calendar Girls. Well, I have found it in this wonderfully funny and heart-warming play charting the lives of seven women who join a local belly dancing class. Can you imagine the comic potential in that situation? Im delighted to welcome playwright and director Marcia Kash who, along with fellow writer Mary Colin Chisholm, has created this uplifting world premiere for the Mill. Sally revealed that the shows nine-strong cast have been going to belly dancing classes in order to do justice to the material. But when it comes to the Mills Christmas musical production of Singin in the Rain, based on the much-loved classic 1952 Gene Kelly film of the same name, the professionals will have to be on tap. You need seriously good tap dancers in it, says Sally. Its going to be new choreography, but everyone expects tap dancing with Singin in the Rain, so youve got to be a dancer not an actor that dances but a proper dancer to be in the show. Well start casting for it in July. The auditions for musicals go on for weeks because people have got to be able to do everything sing amazingly, act amazingly and dance even more amazingly. Taking charge of the 14-strong cast will be director-choreographer Joseph Pitcher, who will once again be joined by musical director Charlie Ingles. Together, the pair have been responsible for the last three Christmas musicals at the Mill High Society (2016), My Fair Lady (2017) and Guys and Dolls (2018). So great was the latters success that its run was extended by four weeks taking it up to three months in total. With Singin in the Rain booking for just over two months from November 30 to February 8 Sally is confident this years collaboration will prove just as successful. Ive known Joe since he was a young dancer, she says. In fact, he was in the National Theatre production of Singin in the Rain 19 years ago. We were doing a small musical here and we had a choreographer who suddenly couldnt make it at the last moment and they suggested Joe. So he came in as a young choreographer. He was great at working with actors who could move but werent dancers and making them look good. He subsequently did three or four or five shows for us, so when I directed Stepping Out at Christmas 2015 he choreographed the tap dance and movement in it. He was so good at working with actors that I said, Joe, I think you need to direct something. I said, Lets find a big musical that you can direct and choreograph. So we set about looking for a musical and it was High Society. And when I saw the first run-through I wanted to cry because it was so amazing. I mean, I did I just sort welled up. His work in staging the shows and the movement on the stage and everything was just wonderful. Having himself started out as a dancer, Joes love of the theatre saw him determined to broaden his understanding of it. He decided he wanted to change course, says Sally. He put himself through drama school he went to Bristol Old Vic, came back out, worked as an actor, went up to the RSC, and then he became resident director on Matilda in the West End. And he subseqently directed the international tour, so his career is on the rise. Having spotted his talent for directing, it must have been nice for Sally to see Joes career flourish in this way? Well, it is. Its great to bring new talent up. We just hope that on the way up they dont forget us and they come back! Joes working partnership with musical director Charlie Ingles is now firmly established at the Mill, though the pair had worked together before joining forces at the Sonning Eye venue. We looked at a few different musical directors that Joe had worked with in the past and liked, says Sally. Now Charlie is in his early 20s and hes a sort of a wunderkind hes just a musical genius at such a young age. In arranging music and also as musical director. And they kind of spark each other off with their ideas, so they work very well together. Have Joe and Charlie worked together away from the Mill? I dont think so, no. At the moment Charlies doing Club Tropicana, which is on tour, and Joes about to direct the Scottish play, which we wont mention the name of, and hes been asked to go and do the international tour of The Producers. So theyre working separately but they come together in Sonning for Christmas. Because everyone is tap dancing in Singin in the Rain, Joe is co-choreographing this year. I dont yet know who were going to get to co-choreograph with him, but for the tap routines hes going to get someone in who specialises in tap. With a cast of 14 and a five-piece band, the show is a big undertaking for the Mill, but Sally is clear that the investment is worth it provided the show in question is one that will appeal to people of all ages. There are lots of musicals that would be great in the theatre, but would the public come and see them especially at Christmas? So its not only a question of finding a show thats going to fit the Mill, but also that you know that every generation is going to want to come and see it. Its not just the younger generation, not just the older generation, but everybody. Between now and the opening night of Singin in the Rain, there are a further three shows to come. Tam Williams will direct Noel Cowards Private Lives, which runs from June 20 to August 3, having last been produced at the Mill in 1983. Then Brian Blessed will return to direct Agatha Christies Towards Zero from August 8 to September 28, before the veteran playwright Ray Cooney directs one of his most popular farces, Run for Your Wife, from October 3 to November 23 the fourth time in four decades that the show will have been staged at the Mill, but the first with Cooney at the helm. Evening performances of A Belly Full run from Tuesday to Saturday, with Saturday matinees each week and on the following Sundays: May 12 and 19 and June 2 and 9. For more information and to book, visit www.millatsonning.com I think going out there and going against the grain against the big competitors is great. It gives us a taste of the local brew, Tutaj said, adding, Youve always got to support local. WE need to talk more about death. Thats according to the Walkers, who are, perhaps not surprisingly, the directors of a funeral business. Julian, Matthew and Melissa Walker run A B Walker, which has branches in Henley and Caversham and has been in their family for five generations. They say that failing to discuss the subject of death can cause more pain for relatives when it occurs. They are encouraging people to make their funeral wishes clear so loved ones dont have to make too many decisions while they are still in shock at their loss. This could involve taking out a funeral plan, in which the service is planned and paid for in advance through a funeral director or insurance company, or simply by leaving instructions in a will. The Walkers, whose firm has offered a free bereavement counselling service since 2013, say people should also be aware of the different ways in which grief affects us. They say employers in particular should understand that some people take longer to adjust than others and should not feel pressured to get back to normal. They support Dying Matters Week, which starts on Monday and encourages people to think of death as a natural stage in everyones life. Hospice UK, which organises the annual initiative, says the subject has become taboo and this deters people from planning for a good death. Julian, who lives in Peppard with his wife Nicola and children Georgie, 16, Hettie, 14, and Monty, 12, urges caution over the growing number of online businesses which offer cheap funerals with no service. He says this might be tempting for families who havent previously considered their options but they may regret not fully celebrating the life of the departed. He explains: We understand why theres fear about discussing death because the trigger is often an illness or personal circumstances but we would promote talking about it routinely rather than being forced into it. Because people dont talk about death as much as they should, theyre not always prepared and dont have as good an understanding of what they or a family member would like. When looking online, people can be misinformed and tempted to avoid certain options which in the longer term proves disrespectful to the situation or hard to adjust to afterwards. They may make some choices, such as a no service funeral without resolution, simply because there hasnt been any discussion as to what the person who has died would choose for themselves. Funeral planning or just listing some wishes with friends and family or a solicitor often avoids a high level of distress yet the majority of people leave no indication of what they would like. Sixty per cent of people who arrange funerals are women and theyre often left to make decisions for their husbands or other male relatives without any guidance. More than half of funerals are arranged for parents or the preceding generation and, again, often theres no reference point. Our role, in addition to providing the service, is to advise on common choices appropriate to the age, habits, interests and religious beliefs of the individuals whove died to develop a funeral to suit the familys needs. Its an extremely trusted role which we take as a privilege. We have to get a sense, through the family, of who the person was. Mr Walker says most people take out funeral plans after being bereaved because they dont want relatives to struggle with their own death. The benefits are both financial and emotional, he says. At the very least we would guide people to make a will and to specify whos going to act for them and any choices they may wish to be followed. Those entering care homes or hospices are often asked for that information but, ironically, husbands and wives who live together for a lifetime dont often discuss it between themselves. The Dying Matters campaign wants people to talk about it without it becoming morbid, to create a shared understanding of what might happen and what someone might want to happen. A B Walker was founded in Reading by Benjamin Dunn in 1826 and passed to his son, also Benjamin, before being taken over by Alfred Blythe Walker in the 1870s. It had only the one office until 1994, when it opened a second in Bracknell, followed two years later by the branch in Reading Road, Henley. It then expanded to Wokingham, Thatcham, Gosbrook Road in Caversham, Maidenhead, Tilehurst and Woodley. It now employs 60 people across the nine sites and has a fleet of nine hearses. Brothers Julian, 50, and Matthew, 48, grew up in Kidmore End Road in Emmer Green with their parents Tony and Janice, who ran the firm with Tonys brother David until they retired in 2004. The boys attended Reading Blue Coat School in Sonning and when they were in the sixth form would carry out odd jobs like cleaning the hearses or carrying coffins during services. Julian studied clinical biology at the University of Sheffield, then worked in unrelated jobs after graduating before joining the business in 1994. Matthew went into the construction industry and ran his own firm before following suit in 1997. In the same year he married Melissa, a former Henley woman whom he had met five years earlier, at St Peters Church in Caversham. The couple now live in Goring with their children Oliver, 20, and Charlotte, 18. Julian says: It wasnt our parents expectation that we would go into the business and wasnt pre-ordained or pre-conceived it rather more evolved over time from a relatively loose relationship to the realisation that this was a career path. We did pick up on what our parents did certainly the challenges of working in a family business, of employing people and the general commercial pressures of running a business were frequently discussed. We grew up to understand it was an extremely sensitive role. It was constantly stressed that were involved in a very personal aspect of a familys life at an extremely distressing time. We knew it was an area where you always had to tread very carefully and it also carried the responsibility of operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Mrs Walker, 47, grew up in Northfield End, Henley, with her parents Pru and David and attended Gillotts School and The Henley College before working in a series of secretarial and customer service management roles. She joined A B Walker in 2002 to help her mother-in-law manage the finances and just over a decade later she launched The Link, a six-week group counselling course run in partnership with the bereavement charity Cruse. She has trained as a counsellor herself and was appointed a company director three years ago. Mrs Walker agreed to run The Link after she and the other directors realised there was little support for families after funerals. She explains: We felt a responsibility to show some leadership in bereavement care, which isnt regularly offered because death isnt talked about and its not obvious where you can go to talk in a way thats effective. Hospices can offer tea and sympathy but you have to pay for proper counselling whereas we dont charge anyone for our groups at all. Theres also a lot of support for deaths in specific circumstances, such as a particular disease or the death of a child, which is great of course, but that support isnt there for the bulk of deaths. At the end of the day, everyone will experience death, both their own and that of the people around them, so its crazy not to talk about it. The company has no plans to expand but could work with employers to help them support employees who have been bereaved. Mrs Walker said: Theres sometimes a gap in understanding the impact. It can affect a persons focus, their productivity and how they interact with others. Theres an expectation that by week X somebody should be all right but were all individuals and the process isnt the same for everyone. We see anger, frustration and general extremes of behaviour but theres no single, clear direction so theres a need for flexibility in how society supports those experiencing a bereavement. Years ago, a person would wear an item of black clothing to show they were in mourning but now when youre walking around the supermarket youve got no idea as to whos going through it. People can look fine while experiencing total bewilderment, numbness and a whole range of emotions that come with adjusting to loss. Their lives will never be the same again because it isnt something thats cured or goes away, only something you learn to live with. Some people find that easier than others and theres no right or wrong response. THEYRE credited with having originated British folk-rock music in the Sixties, but todays Fairport Convention retain a passion for live performance. On Monday, May 13, the band visit Nettlebed village club as part of their spring tour of the UK. Their set will feature a mixture of long-established favourites and new material drawn from their latest album 50:50@50 celebrating their golden anniversary. Doors open at 7.45pm at the High Street venue, with music from 8pm. Tickets are 23 in advance or 24 on the door. For more information and to book, call 01628 636620 or visit www.nettlebedfolkclub.co.uk A journalist facing a murder trial in Paris over the brutal killing of a Frenchwoman in west Cork claims he has no chance of justice. Ian Bailey (60) says the proceedings against him for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier 22 years ago are a show trial - and he has no intention of turning up to face charges. "As far as I can tell I have already been convicted," he said. He spoke out after the Herald learned that French prosecutors will act immediately to secure his extradition if he is convicted in his absence. Placate The Manchester-born freelance journalist and law graduate - who successfully fought a bid to extradite him in 2012 - fears he will be "sacrificed" by Ireland to placate the French. He has protested his innocence since he was first accused in 1996. The murder trial before the Paris Assizes or criminal high court is scheduled to open on May 27. The trial will take place before a panel of three judges and is expected to last at least a week. Under France's Napoleonic Code, prosecutions can be taken against individuals who are not within the French jurisdiction and for alleged offences which occurred overseas. French prosecutors believe that the majority of 40 Irish witnesses will either agree to travel to Paris for the planned trial or co-operate by giving video-link evidence. Most of them were interviewed as part of the original murder probe by gardai. None can be compelled to attend. The Herald has been told that the French authorities will not delay in seeking extradition if they secure a conviction in the trial. Ireland will be formally asked to comply with its international judicial commitments and act on an existing European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued for Mr Bailey. Mr Bailey has previously dismissed the French proceedings as "a show trial" and "farcical" while the authorities there say all proper procedures have been followed The journalist, who lives in Schull, West Cork, and has been in Ireland for 27 years, said he is now facing into "a very grim, dark period of my life". "It has been absolute hell," he said."The tragedy here is that the French will be convicting an innocent man - and the Irish (authorities) know it." Mr Bailey is charged in Paris with the murder of Ms du Plantier (39) at her holiday home outside Toormore, Schull, on December 23, 1996. The socialite and film executive was beaten to death on the laneway leading to her home after she apparently tried to flee from an intruder. She had been due to fly back to France the following day. Convicted Mr Bailey has previously claimed that the French seem intent on convicting a totally innocent man. "I am greatly, greatly imperilled here," he said. "I know that I had nothing to do with this and I am going to finish up a convicted murderer." Mr Bailey - who is now retraining as a specialist wood artist - has maintained that "sinister attempts" were made to frame him for the brutal killing of the mother of one. An American preacher who allegedly preaches about "exterminating" LGBT people and denies the Holocaust has been barred from entering Ireland. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has taken the rare step of issuing an exclusion order to prevent Pastor Steven Anderson from entering the country. Mr Anderson had planned to address followers in Dublin but a number of petitions had been organised calling for him to be banned from staging the event. He was due to travel to the capital on May 26 and estimated that 150 people would attend his planned sermon. "I have signed the exclusion order under my executive powers in the interests of public policy," Mr Flanagan told the Herald. Protocol The minister broke with the normal protocol of not commenting on individual cases to confirm the order, but he has declined to make any further comment. He used powers available under the Immigration Act 1999 to bar Mr Anderson with immediate effect. More than 14,000 people signed a petition against the visit set up by Changing Attitude Ireland, a liberal Church of Ireland group sympathetic to gay people. It claimed Mr Anderson has "advocated exterminating LGBT+ people". He also posted an online video in which he justified the murders of 49 people in the Pulse gay nightclub massacre in Orlando in 2016. The pastor has also claimed to pray nightly that former US president Barack Obama would die. It was expected that his trip to Dublin would have involved commentary on the outcome of the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment. Mr Anderson had already been banned from the 26 EU countries in the Schengen Area, which does not include Ireland. The 38-year-old recently posted a video in which he said his European tour was curtailed but he still planned to fly directly to Dublin. "So far so good on Dublin; it is still on," he said. "These events are still going on; the soul-winning and the preaching are still going on. "It's just yours truly who won't be there, except I am planning to be there in Ireland. "I am planning to fly directly to Dublin. So, unless they ban me, I'm still going to be there in Dublin." Mr Anderson called for UK followers to travel to the event in Ireland. They were to meet at a McDonald's restaurant near the airport from where they would be transported to a secret venue for the seminar. Mr Anderson is the founder of the Faithful Word Baptist Church, not affiliated to any Christian denominations. The church's website says his lectures have been translated into 115 languages. It also says people shouldn't expect anything contemporary or liberal, adding: "We are an old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible only, soul-winning Baptist church a young, family-integrated church." Mr Anderson has 10 children. He set up the church on Christmas Day 2005. His biography says that he holds no college degree but has "well over 140 chapters of the Bible memorised word-for-word, including approximately half of the New Testament". The website still lists Dublin an upcoming event on May 26. It also lists dates in Amsterdam and Stockholm, despite him being banned from the Netherlands and Sweden. Seven learner drivers a day are having cars seized from them after being caught driving unaccompanied. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said that in the three months after the new Clancy Amendment came into effect, more than 700 vehicles had been seized nationwide - an average of seven a day. The high rate has been hailed by road safety group Parc as proof of the scale of the problem of learner drivers flouting licensing rules. Mr Flanagan revealed the figures for December 22 to March 29 in reply to a parliamentary question from Tommy Broughan TD. It is understood the seizure rate was highest over Christmas and the new year. The minister was unable to give a breakdown of seizure totals by garda division because of the way statistics are compiled. Parc founder Susan Gray raised concerns about how such statistics are recorded. She warned that the IT Pulse system used by gardai has not been updated to record when a vehicle is seized from an un- accompanied learner. "These updates to the Pulse system are essential for statis- tical reasons and to allow for an ongoing analysis of the figures on a geographic basis,"she said. A time frame for implementation of IT updates to the Pulse system has not yet been agreed. The Herald revealed last week that only one in 10 Irish drivers with court disqualifications surrendered their licences to the Road Safety Authority (RSA). Parc has warned that much more still needs to be done to ensure road rules are enforced. The Clancy Amendment, which allows for the seizure of vehicles from unaccompanied learner drivers, was introduced following a Parc campaign after the tragic death of a mother and daughter in north Cork. Farmer Noel Clancy lost wife Geraldine (58) and daughter Louise (22) in a December 2015 collision that involved an unaccompanied learner. Azzam Raguragui is believed to have died from a single knife wound to the chest A teenager has been identified as the chief suspect in the murder of another boy in South Dublin. The youth was yesterday helping gardai with their investigation into the death of Azzam Raguragui (18). Azzam, whose family came to Ireland from Morocco, was stabbed to death on Friday night in Dundrum, allegedly following a row in a local park. He was described as a respectful and cheerful person and was due to attend evening prayers in Clonskeagh Mosque later that night. Detectives who launched a murder investigation have ruled out a racial motive. The Herald learned yesterday that gardai have spoken to the chief suspect. Expand Close Police search murder scene / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police search murder scene The teenager, who is from South Dublin, has claimed he acted in self-defence when he fatally stabbed Azzam. A source said the boy had presented himself to gardai on Saturday with a legal adviser and a prepared statement. Sensitive "No arrests have yet been made and a juvenile is continuing to assist gardai with their investigation," a senior source told the Herald. "This is a very sensitive investigation given the young ages of people involved. "Gardai will take their time progressing the inquiry to establish exactly what happened." Gardai have spoken to a number of people in relation to the murder, but are continuing to identify every person who was present at the scene on Friday night. Azzam suffered a stab wound at about 8pm. Emergency services were alerted and he was rushed to St James's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. It is understood gardai are continuing to search for the murder weapon and have been carrying out searches in Finsbury Park over the weekend. Officers have been called out to public order incidents in the area in recent weeks and responded to reports of a brawl involving a number of youths last Saturday week. In a tribute to the victim, a group called the Moroccan Community in Ireland claimed there had been an "unprovoked attack" on Azzam. " It is with a heavy heart we have to inform you that our young Moroccan-Irish (aged 18) was stabbed in Dundrum in an unprovoked attack and unfortunately he has died. "This young man, Azzam Raguragui, was known to be so friendly, helpful and easy-going. "We would like to express our most sincere condolences to his family and the whole Irish and Moroccan community for this terrible tragedy," the group said in a Facebook post. The Irish Sufi Foundation, an organisation of Muslims here, said Azzam was a "kind" and "courteous" young man who was attacked by "a gang of thugs" on Friday night. Heartbreaking "Just received the devastating and heartbreaking news that our young brother Azzam was set on by a gang of thugs and stabbed to death in a Dundrum park last night," the foundation said. "Azzam was a kind, courteous, respectful and cheerful young man who always had a smile on his face. "He was bright, talented and ambitious with aspirations to become a successful entrepreneur. "Such a tragic loss. A wonderful young life full of potential cut short. "My deepest condolences to Azzam's parents and family." Residents of the Finsbury Park area said yesterday they had made a number of complaints about anti-social behaviour to gardai in recent weeks. The complaints concerned groups of rowdy teenage boys congregating at night on a green space not overlooked by homes. Azzam and his family were members of the local Muslim community. His father, Abderrahmane, who is originally from Morocco, moved to Ireland in 2001. Mr Raguragui, his wife and their two other children were being comforted at their home in Dundrum last night. Mr Raguragui is a nursing home care worker who in a media interview some years ago described Ireland as a friendly and warm place with greater tolerance than other countries. Azzam, known as Azzy to his friends, was previously a student at De La Salle College in Churchtown and wanted to become an entrepreneur. Supt Martin Mc- Gonnell, of Dundrum Garda Station, said a family liaison officer had been appointed and gardai were continuing to engage with the local community. Appealing He also expressed his thanks to all the members of the public who had provided information in relation to the investigation. Supt McGonnell said he was appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident or who may have other information to contact Dundrum Garda Station. In a statement, gardai said the suspect presented himself to a South Dublin station on Saturday afternoon. "Investigating gardai are now following a definite line of inquiry," the statement said. "They are currently not considering any racial motive in relation to this ongoing investigation. "The post-mortem examination is being carried out by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan. Gardai continue to examine the scene of the incident." It is understood Azzam suffered a single knife wound to the chest. MENDOTA, Va. -- Court records in Washington County Virginia reveal that a Mendota man charged with three counts of capital murder knew the three female victims through his work with a traveling carnival. James Michael Wright, 23, confessed to police that he shot and killed the three females that had been reported missing between Feb. 28 and March 17. The females were identified in court records as Elizabeth VanMeter, 21, Athena Hopson, 25, and an unidentified 17-year-old. Wright said he shot and killed VanMeter following a domestic altercation on Feb. 28 and buried her body on land near his home. He confessed that he shot and killed Hopson on March 17 while on a walk near his home, according to court records. He said he tripped and fell two separate times and shot her in the head each time. Wright said Hopson's body fell out of the back of the truck on a bridge along Nordyke Road when he was transporting her to the hospital and her body rolled down to the river. He was arraigned in court Friday without bond. A news conference to release more information related to the case is scheduled for 2 p.m. today at the Washington County Sheriff's Office. 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. ABINGDON, Va. -- A federal judge in Abingdon has ordered a man who was charged with murder on the Appalachian Trail to undergo mental evaluations. James L. Jordan, 30, of Massachusetts, appeared in U.S. District Court this morning on federal murder and assault charges. Magistrate Judge Pamela Sergeant agreed to the government's request to send Jordan to a facility for a competency examination. She also approved a sanity examination. During the hearing Jordan asked about the whereabouts of his dog. Prosecutor Zachary Lee said the dog is at a no-kill animal shelter in Wythe County. The judge permitted Jordan to make arrangements for someone to pick up the dog. The government said they had no reason to keep the dog. Jordan had been hiking with his dog on the trail before he was arrested. Authorities have not identified the victims which include a man who was stabbed to death and a woman who was stabbed and seriously wounded. Jordan is represented by attorney Nancy Dickenson. 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. ABINGDON, Va. -- The Mendota man charged in the deaths of three women in Washington County is considered a serial killer, Sheriff Fred Newman said this afternoon. James Michael Wright, 23, is believed to have shot and killed three women over 18 days in February and March, Newman said during a news conference. Commonwealth's Attorney Josh Cumbow said it's early in the case but the death penalty is "definitely on the table." Wright met the women, two from Tennessee and a 17-year-old from Georgia, while he was working as a subcontractor for a traveling circus, Newman said. They were identified as Elizabeth Marie Vanmeter, 22, of Carter County, Tennessee; 17-year-old Joslyn M. Alsup, from Cobb County, Georgia; and Athina Hopson, 25, of Johnson City. Vanmeter is believed to have been shot and killed around Feb. 28, Alsup is believed to have died on or about March 9, and Hopson is believed to have died around March 17, the sheriff said. All are believed to have been shot and killed in Washington County. Everybody is sickened, said King, adding that the news has affected hikers, trail volunteers and people who want to be on the trail. Its something they love, he said. That was one of us. Hikers on the trail are likely anxious following news of the attacks, he added. They go through that thought process, said King, noting that hikers are likely more cautious when meeting other hikers. The trail is still a safe place to visit. King said hikers are more likely to be injured driving to the trail than actually hiking the trail. When hiking or planning to hike, King recommends people keep their families informed and dont tell strangers about plans. On the trail, If youre uncomfortable, move, he added. King also said many people like to hike with their dogs when they are uncomfortable or dont feel safe traveling alone. The attacks come one week before the start of Trail Days, a popular festival in Damascus, Virginia. King said he expects the incidents will be on the minds of those attending the events. Unrelated to that crash, Wright has since been charged with three counts of capital murder, three counts of use of a firearm in commission of a felony and three counts of disposing of a body, according to Cumbow. The Washington County Sheriffs Office plans to hold a media conference at 2 p.m. Monday at the Sheriffs Office in Abingdon to release information on the investigation that has led to a man being charged with three murders in the Mendota community, according to spokesman Darrell Dickenson. Nothing has been released about the deaths, including the identities of the victims or when and how they died. A multi-jurisdiction investigation continues in this case, which has included searching for human remains in the North Fork of the Holston River at Mendota, an isolated community at the base of Clinch Mountain near the Washington-Scott county border. Capt. Mike Mason at the Washington County Life Saving Crew has helped that search. We assisted in combing the river in certain locations as requested by the Sheriffs Office for the possibility of a body, Mason told the Herald Courier. Searching in a river can be taxing both emotionally and physically. A day on the river the size of this one can be physically draining with searching and moving the boats from location to location, Mason said. Emotionally, its the unknown. Not knowing what you might find if anything or anyone can be draining. 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. Robert Sorrell Follow Robert Sorrell Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today This episode was an immense tragedy for a lot of people and they are glad to have the case behind them, Wallace said. Noah disappeared from his familys rented mobile home while his mother napped. He was found after a four-day search when law enforcement officers drained a septic tank located just feet from the residences door. The septic tanks lid had not been fastened down. The boys cause of death was determined to be drowning, with hypothermia a contributing factor. An array of criminal and civil court proceedings followed. On the criminal side, Noahs parents, Ashley White and Thomas, both were convicted of two counts of child abuse and neglect. White also was convicted of child abuse and neglect leading to a death, but that conviction was reversed on appeal. The prosecutions argument was not that the parents did anything to directly harm Noah but that the situation particularly the unfastened septic tank lid so close to their home constituted neglect. On the civil side, Thomas sued landlords the Meadows and the maker of the septic tank lid, saying they caused Noahs death and asking for $5.3 million. The state plan will generate $280 million annually, of which about $150 million will go toward I-81. The Virginia Department of Transportation has identified $2 billion in improvements for the highway stretching 325 miles through Western Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. There are about 2,000 crashes each year on I-81, with about a quarter of them involving tractor-trailers. Nearly 12 million trucks travel I-81 each year, hauling freight valued at $312 billion. No other interstate in the commonwealth carries a heavier share of truck traffic. While Virginia has made significant efforts to fund improvements, additional options to direct federal resources toward I-81 should be on the table, Cline said. Cline, a former longtime member of the House of Delegates, has withheld his opinion on the states I-81 funding decision. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, who represents the district containing the southern section of I-81, praised the General Assembly for taking action and deferred to the legislature on what it viewed to be the best way to make progress at the state level. ABINGDON, Va. Students at Virginia Highlands Community College are learning that fish bones can be good storytellers. Nearly 40 students not all of them biology majors dissected fish recently in search of a special type of ear bone called an otolith, which can reveal the age of fish. The purpose of the research project is to learn more about the population growth of the mountain redbelly dace, a fish that has been discovered in the streams at Hungry Mother State Park that is not native to the area. Its presence there has worried some conservationists, who hope to preserve native fish populations by keeping the mountain redbelly dace confined to its natural habitats. The project is an ongoing collaboration with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and Virginia Highlands Community College. According to Dr. Kevin Hamed, a biology instructor at the community college who is leading the study, efforts have been made in the past two years to collect and remove mountain redbelly dace from an unnamed tributary that feeds into Hungry Mother Reservoir. While mountain redbelly dace are abundant in other river systems in Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia, they have occasionally made their way into other ecosystems, likely with the help of fishermen who use them as live bait. Hamed explained that the mountain redbelly dace pose a problem to their sister species, the Tennessee dace, also located in a stream at Hungry Mother State Park. Tennessee dace are rare in Virginia and are listed as state-endangered, so preserving any natural occurrence of the Tennessee dace is important to Virginia conservationists. The Tennessee dace are of a high conservation concern, so any possible threat has to be met with adaptive management plans, said Hopkins. That means removing any mountain redbelly dace found in Hungry Mother and transporting them to Hameds students, who dissect them to learn how rapidly they may be reproducing. There is concern that the mountain redbelly dace could out-compete the Tennessee dace or hybridize with them threatening the population. Hamed is also concerned that the invasion of the redbelly dace will prevent ideal conditions for the Tennessee dace to spawn and reproduce. Rings in their ears Nathan Ferguson, a freshman at the college, has helped Hamed with the research project throughout the year. He is using his work with the project to fulfill requirements for an honors component course, designed to sharpen skills and deepen knowledge in the biology field. After earning his associate in science degree from Virginia Highlands Community College, Ferguson plans to transfer to Virginia Tech to receive a dual major in wildlife conservation and environmental studies. During the project, Ferguson and the other students take the removed mountain redbelly dace and dissect them, recording each fishs sex and the number and weight of any eggs. The last step is to remove the ear bone of the invasive dace to help learn about the aging process. The ear bones, or otoliths, act as tree rings do, said Ferguson. Throughout the spring and summer, the fish eat a fair amount but slow down throughout the fall and winter. This causes the fish to grow during the spring and summer. Once the spring and summer ends, then the otolith has a dark band entered in the bone, which looks like a ring. This continues throughout the life of a fish. Through this project, we are able to control the number of mountain redbelly dace within Hungry Mother, and one day we hope that we can erase them from that specific area, said Ferguson. Mountain redbelly dace are mostly found in the New River System but hardly anywhere in the Tennessee River System, where Tennessee dace thrive. The research will indicate if our efforts are having an impact with the population of the invasive dace. Maybe the population is becoming older, which may mean there is less reproduction going on, said Hamed. Conserve, connect, protect Chanz Hopkins, a fisheries technician for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, said his role was to instruct the students on removing, prepping and aging the otoliths so they can collect the data. This is a similar exercise that is taught at Virginia Tech in the fisheries techniques and ichthyology classes, he said. Tennessee dace have not yet been observed in the same tributary as the mountain redbelly dace, but they exist in Hungry Mother Creek just above the reservoir, so we want to keep the mountain redbelly dace from spreading in the system, where they could compete and possibly overtake the native Tennessee Dace, said Hopkins. We work hard to conserve and manage all of the states wildlife resources, and a project like this one is also a great outreach opportunity to connect and help educate students who will have a future role in our field of study. This study correlates with our mission statement: Conserve, Connect and Protect, he added. Hamed said research projects like this one help to fuel students eagerness to learn. Many of the students who are helping with the project are considering careers in fisheries biology, said the instructor. This project will give them the tools to make them better prepared. The project is offered to all students across different majors who want to learn more about preserving our natural resources. Carolyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer in Glade Spring, Virginia. Contact her at citydesk@bristolnews.com. Other teams participating included World Slice, who pitched a food subscription box that allows families to try food from different countries; Chicago Photo and Video Service, which provides services for real estate agents and car dealerships; Hyper Hold, a company that makes cup holders for cars that fit any cup; ConnectEd School, which designed software to help students connect with their teachers on a more personal and emotional level, and Village Sitter, an online service that connects babysitters from local high schools to local families. Meritus enacts surge plan, pauses COVID antibody therapy Our projections now show that in the coming weeks, we could reach record levels of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Maryland," said Gov. Larry Hogan. No serious injuries were reported in the incident, which took place around 3:20 p.m. in the area of Church Street and Capitol Drive, said Cook County Sheriffs Department Spokeswoman Sophia Ansari. The chemical was released when a 10-year-old began testing a container of pepper spray she had in her possession while she was on a bus taking children home from school, Ansari said. We had the younger kids, and as it came by, I pointed out to Lauren, See? Theres your brother, Haynes said. (Clayton) had just gotten a new helmet and when he was hit, it got a few scratches on it. She looked at it and said, Hes going to be so mad. Im going to have to get him a new one. She wanted to do it with her own money. Ghrist said he and another teacher began the club because of their own interest in paranormal activity. It soon took off with students and the sponsors learned lessons they didnt expect. Last year, Scott-Sumpter became an occupational therapy patient again when an illness put her in the intensive care unit and nearly killed her. After relearning how to walk and restoring her memory, she returned to work and has no plans to retire anytime soon. Scott-Sumpter says she enjoys taking on the challenging patients. She isnt known for giving up on them, and she wont let them give up on recovery. I dont want them to go into a pity party, Scott-Sumpter said. Thats not what were here for. Scott-Sumpter uses her own story to help her patients see recovery is possible if youre willing to put in the work. I tell them sometimes I had to go through this too and it was very hard for me, she said. And I tell them I cried a lot of days where it hurt so bad, but I did go through it. Scott-Sumpter still lives in the home she nearly died in. And she still experiences what she calls flashbacks. But despite the challenges Scott-Sumpter has faced in her life, she has not let any of that hold her back. The federal government sees it as a possible path, according to an answer to a parliamentary query, the Welt am Sonntag newspaper reported. Several of Germanys 16 states had also signalled support in principle for the idea which would mirror Germanys voluntary Christian church tax, the newspaper said. Concern has grown in Germany about the influence of foreign funding sources on mosques for the countrys estimated five million Muslims, who hail mostly from Turkey and Arab countries. Some 900 mosques in Germany are run by the Turkish-Islamic Union of the Institute for Religion (Ditib), under the authority of President Recep Tayyip Erdogans government. Its imams are paid by the Turkish state, and the group has come under scrutiny with some of its members suspected of spying on Turkish dissidents living in Germany. At the height of a bitter row between Germany and Turkey in mid-2017, two German ministers warned in a Spiegel Online commentary that Erdogans dangerous ideologies must not be imported to Germany via certain mosques. In other cases, some mosques have come under police scrutiny or been closed for preaching radical and militant Islamist ideas. Welt am Sonntag said that, in the newspapers own survey, several states had affirmed that mosque communities in Germany should be able to finance themselves. The interior ministry of the regional state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had said it was open to mosque financing based on the church model to reduce foreign influence, including the danger of possible radicalisation. A spokesman for the interior ministry of Baden-Wuerttemberg state had also pointed to the threat of outside influence on theological content and political opinion. In the worst case, the spokesman had told the newspaper, this included radical Islamist or anti-democratic content or aspirations. Source : The Local People who try to pit Hindus against Muslims in India should be aware of the damage that they are doing by chipping away at the natural unity between the two communities. India has excellent relations with all Islamic nations ranging from the United Arab Emirates to Iran to Saudi Arabia. Narendra Modi is not only popular in these countries, he is the recipient of prestigious civilian awards in three Islamic countries. Clearly, they dont consider him anti-Muslim as portrayed in Time magazine. Our economy is one of the fastest growing in the world and the reforms begun by Modi are beginning to kick in. I dont deny that we have problems between the two communities. We do fight but we also make up. Yes, there is a divide between us but its not been exacerbated by Modi. He has, in fact, tried to remove fears about the majority community from Muslim minds, something which was assiduously promoted by the Congress and other so-called liberal parties. We are a multi-faith, multi-lingual society. We have Left fundamentalists and religious bigots in our midst. They were not produced and nurtured by Modi. This is our collective problem, not Modis alone. Modi has undertaken the task of uniting a divided country but this is a work in progress. Our prime minister is not a divider-in-chief. It is baffling how anyone can say that Hindu-Muslim relations are at an all-time low during Modis tenure. This is a serious allegation not backed by logic. I am an Indian Muslim, born and raised in the midst of Hindus. I can say with authority that relations between the two communities are nowhere near as dire as is being made out. It is not good enough to focus on only small areas where religious violence has recurred over decades. Muslims have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in droves because of Modi. He has undertaken various measures to bring them into the mainstream. His government has launched several affirmative programmes for religious minorities. I joined Modis revolution before the last general election. I come from a milieu which was nurtured on the apprehension that if Muslims didnt vote for the Congress or self-styled secular parties, the Hindus would make them second-class citizens. If Modi had been such a divider, Hindus and Muslims would not be living together as we do today. We still fight as siblings do. We still share hopes and we dream together as Indians. Indian Muslims have not been sent to Pakistan or thrown into the Indian Ocean or the Arabian Sea. We share our cultural heritage with the Hindus. Modi promotes this. We are safer here than the Shias and Ahmadiyyas in Pakistan. We are better off here than Muslims are in many other countries. Not that there have been no problems, as I mentioned. EM Forster refers to this in his A Passage To India in the early 20th century. There are numerous other authors who have chronicled those tensions. Were Muslims not killed in riots in the pre-Partition days? Were Hindus not hacked to death by Muslims in those days? There is no denying that there have been unfortunate incidents of lynchings carried out by anti-social elements in the guise of cow vigilantes. Its also true that most of the victims were Muslims and lower caste people. Modi has more than once cautioned those involved in cow-related lynchings saying they were not the true followers of the dharma. He warned people to not fall prey to such monsters and their claims about protecting cows. Unlike in the past, when Muslims were used only as vote banks, the Modi government has seen to it that all the government-sponsored schemes, such as Ujjwala reached the poorest and most disadvantaged in the Muslim community. Around 22% beneficiaries of several such schemes are Muslims. These sweeping generalisations about divisions between the two communities are based on ignorance. And it beyond comprehension to say that there is a conspiracy of silence on the part of the prime minister and his government when it comes to justice for Muslims. Syed Zafar Islam is a national spokesperson of the BJP and a former managing director of Deutsche Bank, India The views expressed are personal The first trailer for Kabir Singh, the upcoming romantic thriller starring Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani in lead roles, has been released. Shahid plays a stubborn, self destructive and very, very angry young man, who reacts to a bitter breakup by turning to drugs and alcohol. The film is an official remake of Vijay Deverakondas runaway Telugu hit Arjun Reddy. The trailer shows Kabir both before and after the heartbreak, where he goes from being a tenderhearted lover to (bearded) smoker of bongs and chaser of housemaids. Kabir, what do you like in me? Kiaras character asks him. I like the way you breathe, he says. We then see glimpses of the couple dancing in snowy mountains, lazing beside a bonfire and taking lovely bike rides together. One of such trip, theyre involved in an accident. But they shrug it off by kissing next to the wreckage. Thats the power of their love. So when the breakup happens, Kabir punches a couple of people, grows a thick beard, and throws his life down the drain. Things get so bad that Kabir even overdoses and ends up in the hospital. Earlier, talking about Arjun Reddy, Shahid called it very raw and very honest. The actor told PTI, I dont think there was anything in the film that was for effect. I just felt it said things as it is and was a brazen journey of a character who goes through an emotional arc which is extreme. The honesty of the film connected with the audience. Otherwise, for a film like that, there would be a limited audience. But it was loved across the board. The idea is to do it all over again. However, the Hindi film is not an absolute remake. Shahid had earlier said that while the film will be raw, there will be some differences as it will be based in north India with the character arc slightly different. Arjun Reddy went on to break records, going ahead to become 2017s breakout hit. The film starred Vijay Deverakonda as a brilliant medical student with anger management issue who goes on a self-destructive spiral after the woman he loves is married off to another man. Kabir Singh is being directed by Arjun Reddys Sandeep Vanga; the film is set to release on June 21. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Priyanka Chopra celebrated Mothers Day with her husband Nick Jonas and the entire Jonas clan in New York on Sunday. Both Priyanka and Nick shared pictures which also featured her mother-in-law Denise, nieces Valentina and Alena, Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner, Joe Jonas, Kevin Jr and his wife Daniella, father-in-law Kevin Sr and family friends. Sharing a family photograph, Priyanka wrote: Family first.. Mothers Day celebrations.. to my mom @madhumalati And all the amazing mothers who have been incredible influences in my life. Thank you and Im so grateful.. just tell ur mom you love her.. give her a hug. Feel the love. Miss u mom. Also read: Deepika Padukone meets Rishi Kapoor in New York, Neetu Singh calls her adorable. See pics Nick too shared a picture with his mother and wrote: Happy Mothers Day mom. Dont know how you had the patience to deal with us four crazy boys, but you did it and made it look easy. I am so grateful and honored to be your son. I love you so much. Nick, who is particularly fond of his niece Alena, shared a picture of Priyanka giving Nicks niece a ride of her shoulders and wrote: These two make me smile endlessly. On Sunday, Priyanka had shared a video and picture of her mother Dr Madhumalati and mother-in-law Denise, declaring how she was getting to celebrate two mothers. Priyanka got married to Nick in December last year in a lavish ceremony in Jodhpurs Umaid Bhawan. The ceremony saw the entire Jonas clan land in India to take part in the many ceremonies. On May 1, the Jonas family witnessed another wedding -- that of Joe and Sophie, who got married at a Las Vegas church. The wedding was rather impromptu and low-key. Priyanka later revealed that a more elaborate wedding has been planned for later in the year. A report in People says it will be France. Priyanka, who last appeared in the Hollywood film Isnt It Romantic, has completed shooting for her next Bollywood film, The Sky Is Pink, which also stars Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim. Follow @htshowbiz for more During their questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday, former ICICI Bank CEO, Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar submitted documents related to their personal finances as well as investments in different companies; details of movable and immovable properties; and disclosures made before the Reserve Bank of India, SEBI (Securities Exchange Board of India) and other regulators, according to an official familiar with the matter. The former leading banker has engaged Delhi-based advocate, Vijay Aggarwal, who is also Nirav Modis lawyer, to defend her. Aggarwal has successfully defended several accused in 2G scam case in the past. Interestingly, while they were being questioned at the ED office on Monday, the Kochhars also moved the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) appellate tribunal seeking the release of documents related to two companies linked to Deepak Kochhar Pacific Capital Services Pvt Ltd and Quality Techno Advisors Pvt Ltd -- which were seized by ED on March 1. Appearing for the Kochhars, Aggarwal argued that the companies were not named in the FIR and that the seizure of laptops, electronic records, hard disk is causing disruption in the day-to-day work of these companies. An ED officer familiar with the developments said that the agency had also seized 10 lakh cash from Kochhars, which the couple wants released. Aggarwal declined comment. An ED officer who asked not to be named said Kochhar was asked questions about the loans given to the Videocon group, Sterling Biotech Ltd, Bhushan Steel Pvt Ltd and the Jaypee Group by ICICI Bank when she was at the helm of affairs. The central agency is trying to figure out if Deepak Kochhars company NuPower Renewables received money from any company around the time a loan was disbursed by ICICI Bank to the latter. The ED officer cited above said the investments, bank account details and property documents submitted by the couple are being tallied with the information independently collected by the investigators from different sources. The couple is likely to be called again for questioning on Tuesday. Last month, Chanda Kochhars brother in law, Rajiv Kochhar was questioned by ED. The ED probe is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation FIR registered in January this year, in which Chanda Kochhar, is named as accused along with her husband Deepak Kochhar, and Videocon group MD, Venugopal Dhoot. ED has further extended its probe to other loans in March after receiving some fresh complaints from a whistleblower in Singapore (where Rajiv Kochhar is based), said the ED officer quoted above. It has been alleged that six high value loans worth 1,875 crores were illegally given to Videocon group companies between June 2009 and October 2011 when Chanda Kochhar was the bank CEO. It has been further alleged in the CBI FIR that the Kochhars received a quid-pro-quo through the transfer of Dhoots stake in NuPower Renewables to Deepak Kochhar (a co-promoter of the company) after a 300 crore loan was given to Videocon by ICICI Bank. Kochhar, who stepped down from ICICI Bank on October 4, defended herself before the ED in March this year saying the loans were given on merit and have no link with her husbands business. CBI, earlier this year issued a look out circular (LoC) at all the airports against Chanda Kochhar, Deepak Kochhar and Dhoot, to ensure they cannot travel out of India. India is going through one of the greatest periods of wealth creation -- and destruction -- all at the same time. A new breed of self-made entrepreneurs is vaulting into the ranks of the wealthy, offsetting billions lost by debt-burdened industrialists and members of the countrys old dynasties. The changes are set to help Indias ultra-rich population grow at the worlds fastest pace. Its a shift shaped partly by a debt-fueled expansion that left businesses from power generation to airlines with $190 billion in soured loans. Over the past few years, Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has cracked down on delinquent borrowers, and Indias banks moved to seize their assets, a dramatic change for a country where the wealthy once enjoyed almost complete protection. While old business clans continue to dominate Indias rich lists, a tenfold expansion in its economy since its opening in the 1990s has spawned new tycoons in fields like technology. The number of billionaires in India more than doubled to 119 between 2013 and 2018, according to Knight Frank. And the country will lead the global growth in ultrahigh net worth individuals, with its numbers rising 39 percent to 2,697 by 2023, the researcher estimates. The business environment has improved over the years, said Charles Dhanaraj, a professor at the Fox School of Business at Temple University in Philadelphia. The availability of venture capital and private equity has changed the opportunity space for promising businesses. So we should see more of these startups and scaleups in the coming years. Here are some well-known names who have seen a shift in their fortunes: Old Money Telecom Troubles: Anil Ambani, the younger brother of Asias richest man, inherited some of the newer businesses of Reliance Industries Ltd. in 2005 as part of a settlement with older sibling, Mukesh, following the death of their father Dhirubhai Ambani three years earlier. Now, more than a decade later, the younger Ambani has been fending off creditors and fighting multiple cases in courts amid his phone carrier Reliance Communications Ltd.s slide into bankruptcy. A representative for Anil Ambani didnt comment. The value of his holdings in companies has plunged to about $120 million from a net worth of at least $31 billion in 2008, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. A Boom and Crash: The first-generation entrepreneurs, Shashi and Ravi Ruia, started the Essar Group in 1969 as a construction company. Later they diversified into new businesses, investing about $18 billion between 2008 and 2012. The excessive leverage across the group and some adverse policy actions forced them to sell many of their assets. The Ruia brothers were jointly worth more than $4 billion at the start of 2015, and have since lost their billionaire status, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Turbine Maker: Tulsi Tantis Suzlon Energy Ltd. purchased German REpower Systems for nearly $2 billion in 2007 to be hailed as a global company, but things went downhill from there. Once the worlds top turbine maker, Suzlons debt-driven expansion caused one of Indias largest corporate debt default in 2012. Seven years later Tanti is struggling to repair his companys finances. Tanti, who had a net worth of more than $5.7 billion in 2007, has lost his billionaire status, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The Beer Baron: After inheriting his fathers liquor empire, Vijay Mallya, started Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. Struggling to repay lenders, the carrier was grounded seven years later. Mallya is currently fighting an extradition case in London after fleeing India. Lenders have sought to recover as much as $1.5 billion from the man known as the king of good times for his flamboyant lifestyle. New Money Retail Tycoons: Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal, who arent related, created Flipkart, Indias largest online retailer, within a decade. Last year, they sold their company to Walmart Inc., becoming billionaires. Binny left shortly after, with Walmart said to have conducted an inquiry into a consensual relationship he had with a woman. He still holds 4 percent of Flipkart and a board seat. Sachin exited Flipkart at the time of the Walmart acquisition. The Payment Guru: Vijay Shekhar Sharma founded One97 Communications in 2000 when fewer than 10 million Indians were online. Business at his Paytm digital payment unit soared after the Indian government eliminated 500- and 1,000-rupee banknotes at the end of 2016. An August 2018 funding round valued One97 at more than $10 billion, people familiar with the matter said at the time. Sharma currently owns 15 percent of the company, according to a person familiar with the matter. Laws of Motion: Byju Raveendran, chief executive of Bangalore-based Think & Learn Pvt., launched the Byjus K-12 education app in 2015. His videos explain fractions or the laws of motion at a conceptual level, drawing almost 30 million users from 1,700 Indian cities. A December funding round valued it at $3.6 billion. Raveendran, his wife and brother together own about 36 percent, according to Raveendran. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. ) In whats being criticised as a controversial and ambiguous law, Singapores Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation (Pofma) Law criminalising fake news and allowing the authorities to remove objectionable online content was passed recently. It went so far as to allow policing of private conversations to ensure that misinformation is not transmitted. Despite a backlash from opposition parties, human rights groups and tech companies due to its vagueness and anti-privacy stance, the law, or rather the intent of a law of this kind has merit. Indias battle against fake news has got fiercer with time, with the government pressuring tech companies for more content regulation, and tech companies attempting to clean up one mess after another. This is why we saw WhatsApp limit forwarded messages to five, and Facebook struggle to build an unbiased Artificial Intelligence system to detect and block fake news (it still hasnt succeeded fully). But to place the complete onus on for-profit companies (here, intermediaries largely guarded by law) to regulate content is irresponsible. With over 468 million smartphone users in India (a big broadcasting tool), WhatsApp and even regional language media platforms have been used to target marginalised groups, causing brutal lynching and murders on mere suspicion of illegal activity. So, if India were to move in the same direction as Singapore and enact a law, it should do so with caution to ensure that the intent of the law isnt to stifle freedom of speech but to safeguard citizens from the dangers of fake news and false information. It would require finding a fine balance to ensure authenticity without affecting free speech. Indias approach must be more nuanced. This includes defining fake news, ensuring a difference between fact and opinion (including only the former under the ambit), meeting privacy concerns under Article 21 of the Constitution, safeguarding the freedom of press and following due process of the law every time. India must not follow in the path of Singapore or even Russia, whose anti-fake news laws allow too much power to governments to stifle content unfavourable to them and their agenda. However, one positive aspect of Pofma which is beneficial for India is the ban on fake accounts and bots. Fake news is an online epidemic, and the way forward is three-pronged: One, rethinking the intermediary liability rules to ensure a greater degree of social responsibility and transparency from tech companies; two, passing a law that strictly defines fake news, and three, ensuring tech literacy through awareness drives, to inculcate the habit of verifying all content received. Weve witnessed the Internet build whats called a global village, changing the way we communicate with one another. Both, information and misinformation are at our fingertips. This only means that it is almost as easy to spread fake news as it is to verify it. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been proactive over the past week. While ruling himself out of the prime ministerial race which perhaps also stems from the recognition that the TDP may not do as well as he would have liked in the elections Mr Naidu has been keen on convening a meeting of the opposition parties between the end of polling and the announcement of results. Reports now indicate that two key pillars of any such opposition alliance Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati have told Mr Naidu that this would be premature and any such meeting should be held after the results come in. To be sure, the two leaders have not rejected opposition unity in principle, but they seem to believe that deliberations will be productive only once the arithmetic of the Lok Sabha becomes clear. Notwithstanding the specifics of when such a meeting is held, in the eventuality that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its existing allies fall short of a majority, the attention will shift to key regional outfits. They may have projected a united front against the BJP in rallies and meetings before the elections, but in key states, broad opposition unity remained an illusion once competitive politics took over. This was most obvious in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Delhi and Haryana. There are also clear contradictions. Mr Naidu may be proactive but the numbers may well dictate that his arch rivals, K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and Jagan Mohan Reddy be far more instrumental as swing forces if the opposition needs numbers to keep Mr Modi out. Who sits in the meetings and call the shots will be a function of the results. And then there will be the inevitable clash of ambitions. Till now, the non-BJP parties have been able to skirt around the question of who would be Prime Minister. But as soon as the numbers come in, four sets of actors will throw their hats in the ring. If the Congress is able to get above 140, it could well claim leadership. Ms Mayawati has already let her ambitions be known and if the alliance gets over 50 seats in UP and stops the BJPs march, she will be a contender. Ms Banerjee will think of herself as a PM candidate if she is able to prevent the BJP from rising in Bengal. Mr KCR is known to harbour ambitions too. And then there are dark horses, from Sharad Pawar to HD Deve Gowda, who may think of this as their last chance at national leadership. If the opposition had actually resolved the PM question before the elections, its credibility as an alternative would have been higher. But the dilemma was that if they had announced someone, all other elements of the opposition may well have sabotaged it or the person may not have had all-India acceptability to take on Mr Modi. With the oppositions firm belief that Mr Modi will fall short of a majority this could well be untrue for there is as strong a possibility of the NDA making it to government again the competitive game in their ranks is set to begin. Never once did he admonish me for it. Or preach to me about it. Or attempt to convert me to his beliefs, as so many too many believers have done over the decades. We not only broke bread together on many occasions, we also broke through a barrier that Im still trying to define. The result day is here. Over 5 lakh candidates will get their Telangana board Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or Class 10 exam results today. The Telangana board Secondary School Certificate (SSC) results will be declared today at 11:30 am. According to a press release that was issued by the directorate of government examinations on Friday, May 12, the TS SSC result 2019 will be declared at Telangana State Secretariat, Hyderabad on May 13 at 11:30 am. TS SSC Board Result 2019 : Follow live updates here Candidates can check their TS SSC result at www.bse.telangana.gov.in or results.cgg.gov.inafter it is declared. Candidates can check the Telangana Board SSC result using their roll number and date of birth. Candidates can follow these steps to check their class 10th result 2019. The TS SSC Exam 2019 was held between March 16 and April 3. In the year 2018, girls had outperformed boys in Telanganas Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations. A total of 5,38,726 students from 11,103 schools appeared for the Telangana Class 10 or SSC examinations, which was held from March 15 to 31, 2018. The pass percentage was 83.78% . The pass percentage for girls was 85.14% and for boys it was 82.46%. Telangana Board declared the intermediate examination results 2019 on April 18, this year. A total of 8,70,974 students appeared in the TS Inter exam in 2019, out of which 59.8% passed in the first year and 65% passed in the second year. Girls performed better than boys in both first and second year. 4374 schools get 100% pass percent 4374 schools of Telangana Board has achieved a pass percentage of 100 5.5 Lakh candidates had applied for the TS SSC Exam 2019 Out of the 5, 52,280 candidates who had applied for the Telangana Board exam, 546720 appeared. 92.43% of them passed the exam. TS SSC Result 2019: How to check on mobile Visit any of these website on your mobile www.bse.telangana.gov.in or results.cgg.gov.in. If these official websites do not open due to heavy traffic try visitingindiaresults.com or examresults.net. Enter your roll number and other required login credentials Click on submit Your result will be displayed on screen TS SSC Result 2019: Direct links to check result After the TS SSC Result 2019 has been declared at 11:30 am, the official websites of Telangana Board crashed due to heavy traffic. Candidates who are unable to access the official websites of board can check their results on indiaresults.com or examresults.net Jagital district topped state with 99.1 pass percent Jagital district topped Telangana state with a pass percent of 99.1 followed by Hyderabad at 88.9%. Read full details here TSBSE will conduct the advanced supplementary exam in June Telangana Board will conduct advanced supplementary exam for those candidates who failed from June 10 to 24. Candidates can apply for the exam till May 27. Nine schools registered zero results Secretary, Education, Janardhan Reddy in the press conference informed that nine schools had zero result. Girls outshine boys Pass percentage of girls is 93.68 while the pass percent of boys is 91.18 92.43% students pass the exam This year the pass percent of TS SSC 2019 is 92.43. Check details here TS SSC Results declared TS SSC Result 2019 has been declared. Telangana board officials announced the results in a press conference. Candidates can check their results at bse.telangana.gov.in. Just few minutes left for TS SSC Results Telangana Board will declare the results at 11:30 am. Check details here. TS SSC Result 2019: How to check class 10th result Candidates can check their class 10th results after it is declared at 11:30 am. Read here to know how. Candidates can check their results online After the TS SSC Result 2019 is declared, candidates will be able to check their results online at bse.telangana.gov.in or results.cgg.gov.in TS SSC Result 2019: Press conference to begin at 11:30 AM Press conference will begin at 11:30 am in Telangana government secretariat, Hyderabad. The board officials will announce the details of result. TS SSC Result 2019: Just one hour to go Just one hour is left for the TS SSC Result 2019 to be declared. The Telangana Board will release the results at 11:30 am. over 5 lakh candidates are anxiously waiting for their results. Candidates can check their TS SSC Results online After the result is declared, candidates can check their TS SSC Result online at bse.telangana.gov.in or results.cgg.gov.in Follow these steps to check your TS SSC Class 10th result 2019. TS SSC Result 2019: Just two hours left! Only two hours are left for the Telangana State SSC Result 2019. TSBSE officials will declare the class 10th result today at 11:30 am. A press conference will be held at Telangana government secretariat, Hyderabad where the officials will announce the details of the result. TS SSC Result 2019 exam was held in March Telangana Board had conducted the TS SSC Exam 2019 from March 16 to April 3, 2019 in which over 5 lakh candidates had appeared. TSBSE will hold a press conference to announce the class 10th results TS SSC result 2019 will be declared at Telangana State Secretariat, Hyderabad today at 11:30 am, a press release issued by the directorate of government exam, Telangana informed. Candidates will be able to check their class 10th result online after the result is declared by the TSBSE officials. TS SSC Result 2019: How to check Telangana Board class 10th result Candidates can check TS SSC Result 2019 online after the Telangana Board declares the class 10th results. Read here to know the four simple steps to check your results. TS SSC Result 2019: Take a look at last year result In the year 2018, girls had outperformed boys in Telanganas Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations. A total of 5,38,726 students from 11,103 schools appeared for the exam. The pass percentage was 83.78% . The pass percentage for girls was 85.14% and for boys it was 82.46%. TS SSC Result 2019: Where to check Telangana Board class 10th Result Candidates can check their TS SSC result at www.bse.telangana.gov.in or results.cgg.gov.inafter it is declared. TS SSC Result 2019 will be declared Telangana Board SSC or class 10 exam results will be declared today at 11:30 am. Candidates can check their results online at the official websites of board after it is released. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Ahmednagar case related to the alleged murder of a 19-year-old woman as a fall out of an inter-caste marriage has taken a new twist. The police have detained two brothers of the womans husband, Mangesh Ransingh, 23, who is now a suspect in the case of his wifes murder. Mangesh, who suffered 50% burns, is undergoing treatment at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune. Soon after the incident at Nighoj village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district on May 1, the police had formed a special team to arrest the father, who along with others, was accused of killing his pregnant daughter Rukmini and grievously injuring his son-in-law by setting them on fire to condemn their inter-caste marriage. On Monday, investigating officer assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Maneesh Kalvaniya said that Mangeshs brothers, Mahesh and Vikrant, have been detained for questioning. Kalvaniya is the divisional officer of Ahmednagar rural division of Ahmednagar police. According to Mangeshs sister Priya, one of the seven siblings, The two were taken a few days ago and have been incommunicado since then. Priya, who is in her early 20s, said, They (police) took all our phones, even mine. While the police did not comment on where the two were picked up from, Priya said that they were taken from Sasoon General Hospital. Meanwhile, the Ahmednagar police have requested a local court to release the two uncles of Rukmini earlier arrested in connection with the murder. In yet another revelation, Priya said that she had visited Rukmini at her parents house, a day before the incident. I had gone there to speak with her. But they did not allow me to speak to her. Her family members abused me and pushed me out of the house. So the next day he (Mangesh) went there, she said. Mangesh is now suspected to have set his wife ablaze. He is till unaware of his wifes death and is watched round-the-clock by two officials of Ahmednagar police who are changed every morning. The initial complaint in the matter, lodged based on Rukminis dying statement and Mangeshs statement, claimed that her family members set her ablaze for marrying a man from another caste. Mangesh, who is from the Lohar community, was married to Rukmini, who is from the Pasi community and was pregnant at the time of her death. We have 4-5 witnesses who have testified. This is not a case of honour killing. These witnesses have recorded their statements and there is circumstancial and technical evidence in the case, said ASP Kalvaniya. He said that there was a child inside the house, where Rukmini was set ablaze, who has blamed Mangesh. Some people who spoke to her in the ambulance have also said the same, he added. Two of Rukminis uncles, Surendra Bhartiya and Ghanshyam Saroj, were arrested in the case. They are currently in magisterial police custody in a case under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempted murder) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) registered at Parner police station of Ahmednagar. The medical condition of Rukminis father, who was also booked in the case, has prevented him from getting arrested. The Parner government hospital, which had referred him to a private hospital, advised the police against his arrest, ASP Kalvaniya said. The police subsequently submitted a report in a local court to release the arrested family members with immediately effect. However, the court is awaiting a statement from the complainant in the case. The deceased womans dying statement incriminates her family members who had allegedly locked the two inside the house and set it ablaze. The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday said the inquiry into the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in north Kashmirs Sumbal is being conducted on a fast track basis. I am personally monitoring the inquiry and it will be concluded very soon, divisional commissioner (Kashmir) Baseer Ahmad Khan said. He said justice will be done and the culprit will be given severe punishment as per the law. A neighbour allegedly raped the girl on May 8. The accused is being treated as a major even as the police are looking into the reports that he could be a minor. Officials said Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik has directed the inspector general of police S P Pani to work swiftly in the case and ensure that the culprit gets exemplary punishment. Meanwhile, protests against the rape continued on the fourth day on Monday at several places across the state. At many places, protestors clashed with the police. As many as 54 people were injured in the clashes, police said. The protesters also blocked traffic on the Srinagar-Baramulla national highway at Singhpora. Protests were also held in Magam, Sumbal, some parts of Srinagar and Shopian in South Kashmir. Students of Islamic University also held a protest on their campus and demanded exemplary punishment for the accused. A protest rally was also taken out at Srinagars business hub of Lal Chowk. A shutdown was observed in Srinagar and some other parts of the Valley. The protesters carried placards and banners and threw stones at the police and vehicles on the national highway. The police resorted to use of tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. A police spokesman said protesters threw stones at the security forces deployed on the national highway at Mirgund, Chainabal, Harthrath, Singhpora, Jheel bridge, Kripalpora Payeen, and Hanjiwera areas, resulting in injuries to 47 security forces personnel. An Assistant Commandant of Sashastra Seema Bal was hit on his head. The police maintained restraint...seven miscreants also got injured... they are all stable, he said. Former minister Sajad Lone condemned the use of pellets on the protesters. Use of pellets against those protesting the rape of a three-year-old girl goes against all norms. Has the J&K Police forgotten non-Lethal crowd control? Heavens sake. Understand there is anger and anger in such a case is normal, he tweeted. The accused has been arrested and police have constituted a special investigation team to probe the matter. A group of women under the banner of Kashmir Womens Collective asked the governor to provide institutionalised support to rape survivors. We request the governor to start a full-fledged rape crisis centre, build a shelter home for women, to have fast track courts, to have professionally run helplines, the group wrote on Facebook. The family of a 58-year-old man who died in a detention centre for illegal immigrants in Assams Tezpur accepted his body hours after police took it to his village in Nagaon on Sunday as they protested his wrongful confinement. Sonitpurs superintendent of police Kumar Sanjay Krishna said Basudev Biswas was lodged in a detention centre in Central Jail in Tezpur after he was declared a Bangladeshi by a foreigners tribunal in 2015. He was asthmatic and had grown weak. In the past, we had taken him to Guwahati for treatment. Yesterday (Saturday) evening, he again fell ill and died while he was being taken to the Tezpur Medical College and Hospital, Krishna said. The body of Basudev Biswas was sent to his village in Ambagan in Nagaon district by the police on Sunday. His family initially refused to receive his body, claiming he was an Indian. The standoff could only be resolved around midnight on Sunday. A havildar of Assam police, who travelled with Biswas body, said his family and villagers had launched a protest. They are saying we should take the dead body to Bangladesh and not bring it here if he was a Bangladeshi, the police official said. Sushil Biswas, a childhood friend of the dead man, said Basudev Biswas was an Indian citizen and went to school in Nagaon. His father came as a refugee from Bangladesh in the aftermath of partition. The family has all documents, yet he was declared a Bangladeshi. We both went to the same Bengali school in Ambagan, he claimed. The police did not even inform the family that his health is deteriorating. If he is a Bangladeshi they should have taken the dead body to Bangladesh, Sushil Biswas said. Basudev Biswas, according to Assam government documents, was declared a foreigner ex parte without being heard. Biswas, who had been in detention since 2015, would have been among the around 190 people eligible to be released after the Supreme Court on Friday ordered a conditional release of those who have served three years or more in detention. The top court is hearing a petition on the condition of the detention centres in Assam. Assam has 100 foreigners tribunals where those marked as suspected illegal immigrants either by the Border Organisation of Assam police or the local election officials have to prove they are Indian citizens. The number of foreigners tribunals is proposed to be increased to 1,100, which includes 200 new tribunals in the first phase. More than 1,00,000 people have been declared foreigners by the tribunals in Assam, and more than 800 of them are in detention in six detention centres which run out of overcrowded jails. Assam police have reactivated the task forces recently to nab the absconders and ordered fresh FIRs against them. Only four declared foreigners have been deported to Bangladesh till now. Air Asias Hyderabad-Delhi flight made an emergency landing on Monday morning at Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) due to suspected hydraulic failure. According to an official in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) of Delhi airport, the pilot had requested for emergency landing. At 11 am, ATC asked to declared full emergency for Air Asia flight I5-719 (Hyderabad-Delhi) as the pilot had informed about hydraulic failure. The flight landed safely on runway 28 at 11:15 am with fire tenders near the runway on the standby. The plane landed safely and taken to the parking bay and full emergency was terminated at 11:40 am, said an ATC official. A spokesperson for AirAsia said the crew carried out precautionary landing and detailed inspection of the aircraft is underway. AirAsia (India) Limited reports that i5-719 operating from Hyderabad to New Delhi had a technical issue during descent. The flight crew carried out a precautionary landing and the plane landed, following which the aircraft taxied back to the apron. Detailed inspection of the aircraft is underway, said the spokesperson. On May 8, a full emergency was declared on board a Delhi-bound Singapore Airlines flight with 228 passengers on board after the pilots detected a technical glitch in the front wheel of the aircraft. Singapore Airlines flight SQ 406 landed safely at the Delhi airport but the jet had to be towed away, due to which the runway was closed for about 18 minutes, delaying some flights. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Political leaders set the pitch for polling in the national Capital early Sunday morning with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal appealing to people to vote for those who have done work instead of those spreading hatred. Congress president Rahul Gandhi too echoed similar sentiments and said his party used love instead. Hoping that most of the 1.43 crore voters in Delhi would come out to vote, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Kejriwal wished people a good morning and said, Please vote. Vote for those who have done your work. Dont vote for those who are spreading hatred and venom and also stopping Delhis works. Your vote can change the country. Gandhi, on the other hand, said this election has seen a good fight between the two rival parties (BJP and Congress). Prime Minister Narendra Modi used hatred, we used love. And, I think love is going to win, Gandhi told reporters, after exercising his franchise along with Congress New Delhi constituency candidate Ajay Maken. Until 6pm, Delhi saw a turnout of 60.17%. Out of the seven parliamentary seats in the city, the highest turnout was in North East Delhi (63.45%) which has three-time CM Sheila Dikshit from the Congress, sitting MP and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari from BJP and AAPs senior leader Dilip Pandey in the fray. The lowest turnout was in the New Delhi (56.47%) segment where Maken, BJPs sitting MP Meenakshi Lekhi and AAPs Brijesh Goyal are contesting. In the high-stakes battle, the BJP was hoping for a high turnout in this election. But senior BJP leaders said the slight dip in voting percentage wouldnt spoil its chances of repeating 2014s electoral success. Delhi BJP in-charge Shyam Jaju said, A high voter turnout is usually favourable. But given the undercurrent for the BJP, we will sweep all seven seats. The two parties (AAP and the Congress) are competing for the second spot. When there is no direct competition for us, we have nothing to worry. But he admitted that this time the victory margins might not be as high as 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In 2014, almost all our candidates had won by one lakh to 1.5 lakh votes. Due to low voter turnout, this time the margins might not be very high, he said. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Delhis voter turnout was 65.07% the highest ever in the national Capital. In that election, the BJP got 46.6% votes, AAP got 33% and the Congress 15% votes in Delhi. Reacting to the turnout figures, Dikshit, the Congresss Delhi unit chief, said she was confident that the grand old party would win all seven seats. I hope the love that Delhiites have given to the Congress will translate into votes. Today (Sunday) the weather conditions were tough, but still a lot of people came out to vote and I am overwhelmed by it, she said. Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said Delhis voters have lauded the partys work in the fields of electricity, water, healthcare and education. I am certain people have voted against sealing, GST and demonetisation and that AAP will win on all seven seats, he said. The Rajasthan government said it will overhaul the history textbooks in the state removing eulogising references to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologues such as Veer Savakar and re-emphasise on the role of father of nation Mahatma Gandhi and Indias first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The move to introduce Savarkar as one who begged the British for mercy has not gone down well with the opposition BJP which said it was an attempt to distort history. The new Class 10 textbook for Social Science of the Rajasthan board to be introduced from the next academic year will mention that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar filed mercy petitions to the British government after being tortured in jail. The textbook presently used in the state board school mentions Savarkar as a great freedom fighter. Along with his education qualifications and upbringing, the textbook says that he made a lot of effort to prevent the division of India. The new textbook, which has not yet come into the market, adds to the existing introduction of Savarkar saying, Troubled by the afflictions in jail, Savarkar sent mercy petitions to the British government. For the first time, the mercy petitions were sent on August 30, 1910 and the other was sent on November 14, 1911, in which Savarkar mentions himself as son of Portugal. Education minister Govind Dotasara said the previous government forced its ideology and made changed in history which neglected the contributions other freedom fighters and instead glorified people such as Savarkar, who he said had no contributions in the independence struggle. We will remove the distortions and ensure that the contribution of all leaders including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru is rightly reflected in the textbooks, he said. He also acknowledged the role of former PM Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh in the nations development. But, it is not right to glorify Veer Savarkar and Deendayal Upadhyaya and describe them great, the minister said. Dotasara said the government had set up a review committee in February this year which had suggested changes on the basis of facts. He said the government wants to teach children the correct history. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot, at a press conference said a committee had been set to examine the issue. He said what should and should not be included in the course is a matter of debate. Gehlot said when governments changes at the centre or in a state, committees are constituted to examine. I believe whichever party it is - if they distort or twist history than they will never be able to create history. Former education minister and BJP leader Vasudev Devnani said that the Congress has always eulogised one family and ignored the history of other freedom fighters. It is a party that has been against Hindutva and it has always ignored nationalists. It is now trying to present distorted facts about a brave freedom fighter who has been associated with Hindutva, he said. Devnani said that the government move to change history and present baseless and twisted history about Savarkar, who was a brave warrior and a patriot, was condemanable. Savarkar was sentenced to life imprisonment twice and consistently fought against the British. Just because he was a supporter of Hindutva so distorted facts about him are being presented, said Devnani. Rajiv Gupta, former head of department of Sociology at the University of Rajasthan, said review of the content on Savarkar as taught in the textbooks was important. He was a radical freedom fighter in the beginning and he was punished severely, that is a fact. But he later sought forgiveness from the British, that his also a fact. If we give these facts about Savarkar, it will not diminish his personality. Gupta said there was nothing wrong with stating facts but we also do not know in what circumstances compelled them to take certain actions so passing hasty judgements is not right. The previous BJP government in the state had faced criticism over alleged efforts to saffronise textbooks by diminishing the role of leaders associated with the Congress such as Nehru and Gandhi and eulogising leaders associated with the RSS and the BJP. The textbooks also lauded prime minister Narendra Modis foreign policy, hailed demonetisation move as a drive to cleanse the country of black money and backed a uniform civil code. The panel of historians, which has submitted its report to the education department, has sought several changes in the textbooks for Class 8 to 12. The Maharashtra police have detained two brothers-in-law of a 19-year-old woman, who was burnt to death at Nighoj in Ahmednagar district on May 1. Rukminis husband, Mangesh Ransing, 23, who suffered 50% burns and is undergoing treatment at a Pune hospital, is now a suspect in his wifes murder. The police had on May 1 formed a special team to arrest Rukminis father, who was accused of killing his pregnant daughter and grievously injuring his son-in-law by setting them on fire. He was said to have been upset over their inter-caste marriage. Assistant superintendent of police Maneesh Kalvaniya, who is the investigating officer in the case, on Monday said Mahesh and Vikrant have been detained for questioning. Mangeshs sister, Priya, said the two were taken a few days ago. They [police] took all our phones, even mine. Priya said she visited Rukmini at her parents house a day before the murder. But they did not allow me to speak to her. Her family members abused me and pushed me out of the house. So the next day he [Mangesh] went there. Mangesh is unaware of his wifes death. The initial complaint in the matter was lodged on the basis of Rukminis dying declaration and Mangeshs statement. Rukmini had said that her family members set her ablaze for marrying a man from another caste. We have 4-5 witnesses who have testified. This is not a case of honour killing. These witnesses have recorded their statements and there is circumstantial and technical evidence in the case, said Kalvaniya. Two of Rukminis uncles, Surendra Bhartiya and Ghanshyam Saroj, were arrested in the case. Rukminis father, who was also booked in the case, was not arrested after doctors advised against arresting him because of his health condition, Kalvaniya said. The police have submitted a report in a local court seeking the release of the arrested members of Rukminis family. The court is awaiting a statement from the complainant in the case. Five Christian families in a village of Latehar district are facing social boycott from the residents after their refusal to reconvert to Sarna, an indigenous tribal religion characterised by nature worship, despite intervention by the police. Tetratola village in Banhardi panchayat at Latehar district have boycotted 5 Christian families for not reconverting to Sarna religion. Sarna is an indigenous tribal religion characterized by nature worship. Motilal Oraon (30), a resident of Tetratola village in Banhardi panchayat, said he, along with the families of Luku Oraon, Banarsi Oraon, Marwari Oraon and Rajesh Lohra, were being asked to reconvert to Sarna by the village residents for the last few months. All the five families, comprising over 35 members, had converted to Christianity in 2012. On April 10, the gram sabha asked them their final decision. When they refused to reconvert, the village residents unanimously decided to boycott them. The gram pradhan, Ramkeval Oraon, issued orders for their social boycott along with suspension of benefits from all government schemes, Motilal said. According to the order, a copy of which is with HT, village residents were prohibited from either inviting them to any social events or participating in their events. A fine of 1,000 would be imposed if the order was violated, it said. The order, signed by over 100 village residents, also said that the agricultural land owned by the five families would be distributed among their nearest relatives who were still Sarna. It also said their ration cards, along with membership of local self-help and womens groups, would be suspended. Besides facing the social boycott, we were also not allowed to use water from the village well and hand pump. Ration shop was out of bounds for us, Motilal said. On Monday, Chandwa police station officer-in-charge, Mohan Pandey, conducted a meeting with village residents, who said the officer tried to pacify them and settle the issue. Village mukhiyas husband Chandradeo Oraon said he was attending to the affairs of the village as his wife, Kaliya Oraon, was not present in the village. He said residents had unanimously boycotted the five families. But after the police officer conducted the meeting, they decided that the five families would not be denied any benefits in state-sponsored schemes nor would their land be divided. But their social boycott would continue, he said. Motilal said the ban on their use of water drawn from village well and hand pump was lifted. They were also promised that rations would be provided to them. Pandey, however, denied that the village residents had boycotted the five families. He said a small matter was being blown out of proportion. In February, Chief Minister Raghubar Das had announced in the state assembly that he would to recommend a separate religious code for Sarna to the central government. Earlier, in September 2017, the Jharkhand Religious Freedom Act came into force. As per its provisions, anyone found converting or abetting conversion through force, allurement or fraudulent means, would be punished with imprisonment of up to three years or with fine up to 50,000 or both. The imprisonment could go up to four years and the fine amount doubled if the person converted was a minor. At times he wrestles aloud with how to balance positive and negative. He has long said he would make his reelection slogan "Keep America Great," reasoning, "as much as I love 'Make America Great Again,' I don't know that we can carry it forward, because people will say, 'Well, what did we do for the last four years?'" The Delhi high court has sought response of the Delhi government on a plea, which had challenged the privatisation and transfer of the software operations and management of 181, a women safety helpline. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice AJ Bhambhani also issued notices to the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and the private firm seeking to know their stand by August 28. The court was hearing a plea filed by a bunch of people who said they had availed the benefits of the helpline that was started on December 30, 2012, soon after a young paramedic student was gang-raped inside a moving bus in 2012. The plea, filed through advocate Anindita Pujari, contended that the transfer of the helpline amounts to a breach of trust reposed by the aggrieved women who called a state-sponsored helpline for assistance as it maintains records of all information received regarding incidents of violence against women and children. According to the plea, the Delhi government had, in 2013, asked the private company to develop the software for the helpline. However, since the software developed was incapable of fulfilling the entire mandate of the helpline, the Indraprastha Institute of Information and Technology (IIIT), Delhi, agreed to develop a new system free of cost. The PIL further stated that the new software addressed all the issues faced by employees of the helpline. Besides, an alarm system was created for emergency cases. However, this new software, along with the operations and management, was transferred to the private entity on March 23. It said that even the office, which was earlier operational from the Delhi Secretariat, was shifted to Naraina. Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Mohan V Katarki submitted that records of sensitive information is maintained by the helpline and such information regarding incidents of violence against women and children cannot be transferred by the state to a private entity. The state cannot outsource the discharge of its socio-legal function to a private entity. Running the 181 Helpline is in aid of such function and hence cannot be outsourced, the plea said. With the DMK giving up its initial hesitation and deciding to entertain Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, his idea of a federal non-BJP and non-Congress front appears to be gathering momentum. KCR, as the president of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is popularly known, met DMK chief MK Stalin in Chennai late on Monday afternoon. With the Lok Sabha election over in the southern states, Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Raohas revived his pet project in the hope that the regional parties such as the DMK, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Trinamool Congress would perform better than the Congress or the BJP in the Lok Sabha election 2019. Last week, there was a cloud of uncertainty as to whether the meeting would take place since the DMK had not confirmed the date citing Stalins preoccupations with the campaign for the crucial by-poll for four assembly seats in Tamil Nadu. The by-election is slated for May 19, during the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha election. The ambivalence of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the uncertainty about the meeting stemmed from the fact that the opposition party in Tamil Nadu is a strong ally of the Congress. Stalin was also the first to endorse Congress president Rahul Gandhis name for the prime ministership. Now, it has emerged that the Congress itself has reached out to KCR and YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy. But, both have reportedly asked the national party to wait till the outcome of the Lok Sabha election on May 23. KCR has already met Kerala chief minister and CPI(M) veteran Pinarayi Vijayan on May 6 in Thiruvananthapuram. Vijayan too told the media that the meeting was significant. This would be the second time that KCR will be holding talks with Stalin on his ambitious political project, which is seen as the medium to catapult him on the national stage. The last time that he held discussions with Stalin was on April 2018, months before the death of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. Earlier, while the Congress was also apprehensive, other allies such as the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) of Thol Thirumavalavan termed KCR as a Trojan Horse of the BJP out to wreck the secular consolidation. However, the DMK had played them down and made it clear that there is nothing wrong in engaging with KCR. They have asked for a meeting. We can convince and win him over to our side. It is an opportunity to exchange views and discuss the political situation, was the explanation of the DMKs organising secretary TKS Elangovan. Interestingly, the federal front is KCRs counter to his rival and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidus mahagathbandhan to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A Delhi court on Friday convicted four persons of the murder of a man, who had died of septicaemia from a stab injury. The case dates back to July 30, 2013, when Vishal (single name), 18, was attacked by four members of a family from his neighbourhood and stabbed near his house in Delhis Nangloi. The same night, prior to the incident, Vishals family had confronted the family of the main accused, Abdul, for defaming his sister. According to the case papers, in 2011, Vishals sister had married a man of her choice and Abduls relative, Juned, used to call her names. Following the confrontation, the accused family started beating Vishals family and then returned to his house, dragging Vishal to the Sabji Mandi in the alley, outside their house. Abdul with the help of relatives Juned, Jamil and Ashfaq, stabbed Vishal in the abdomen. Vishal who was discharged from Sanjay Gandhi Memorial (SGM) Hospital the same day, died three months after the incident, at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on November 23, 2013, during the course of the treatment. His father Satya Prakash informed the court that Vishal was admitted at least thrice to the hospital following the incident, each time after his condition deteriorated due to the stab wound. The doctor in the post-mortem report informed the court that Vishal died of shock associated with septicaemia and felt that the death was a consequence of the stab injury. Relying on the doctors report and fathers statement, additional sessions judge Virender Kumar Goyal found Abdul and three other members of his family guilty of Vishals murder. Environmental clearance processes across industrial sectors have eased since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) assumed office, according to a compilation of official documents related to environment impact assessment (EIA) between December 2014 and January 2019. Industry bodies have welcomed the simplification of rules, documented in the compilation published by the environment ministry last Tuesday, but environmental experts say ecological concerns have, in the process, been overlooked. For example, on August 10, 2018, the ministry stipulated standard environmental clearance conditions for 25 industrial sectors such as coal mining, iron and steel plants, industrial estates, river valley and hydroelectric projects to speed up the process of granting clearances. Environmental experts said the uniform format overlooks the unique ecological concerns related to individual projects. For example, if you have a power plant on the coast or inland, the environmental concerns are different. This is not captured, said Kanchi Kohli, legal researcher at think tank Centre for Policy Research. On March 15, 2016, the ministry, for the first time, delegated the authority to grant environmental clearances for up to 5 hectares of individual mining lease of minor minerals and 25 hectares in clusters to the district EIA authority headed by the local district magistrate or district collector. The decision was challenged in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) because experts said district authorities lacked expertise in assessing the environmental impact of mining. On March 20, 2015, the environment ministry issued an office memorandum saying a project proponent will not require a fresh environmental clearance at the time of renewal of its mining lease if it already has a clearance. The ministry, in April 2016, also extended the validity of green clearances granted to projects depending on when they were granted the approvals. In March 2017, norms for thermal power plants were relaxed. Environmental clearances for thermal power plants, including the so-called ultra mega power plants capable of generating 4,000 megawatts or more of electricity, can be considered and granted without linking it to prior environmental clearance and Stage 1 forest clearance for the linked coal blocks, an official memorandum said. The same year, the ministry also issued a notification under the Environment Protection Act, allowing the appraisal of projects ex-post facto projects on which construction had begun without necessary environmental clearances. Another intervention which drew criticism from environmentalists was an amendment of the EIA notification 2006 to provide for integration of environmental clearances for real estate projects in the building by-laws, virtually exempting them from environmental appraisal. The NGT ordered a stay on the amendment, but the ministry has moved SC against the order. There are three set patterns which emerge in these office memoranda that significantly compromise the scope of the notification: First are exemptions from requirement of environment clearance or public hearings or both. Second is allowing all defaulters to seek post facto approvals with no threat of their operations being stopped. Third is the standardisation of environmental conditions giving less opportunity for site-specificity to define safeguards, added Kohli. Industry executives accept that in the past five years the government has tried to standardise and simplify the process of granting environmental clearances. But some configurational changes are still pending. For example, the transfer of environmental clearance from one project proponent to another is not integrated yet, said Jai Shankar Balan, assistant general manager, JSW Steel Limited, and a member of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India. The recent spell of hailstorm in Himachal Pradesh and its nearby areas has battered various vegetables and fruit crops, hampering the income prospects of scores of farmers. Villages in the vicinity of Shimla town for the second consecutive day experienced hailstones accompanied by rain, which partially damaged apple and cherry crop in Matiana and Narkanda. Areas between Dhalli and Kufri received heavy hailstorm for about 20 to 25 minutes on Sunday, resulting in similar damage. Crops such as apple and other stone fruits along with vegetables like peas, cauliflower, tomatoes, and cabbage have been damaged. A farmer from Baldaiyan village of Shimla district, Nittu, said, 50% of the vegetable crops have been destroyed in our village and the surrounding areas. Individual farmers have suffered a loss between Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 each. Frequent hailstorm has left the farmers worried as their crops are getting destroyed and they are unable to get fair price for their produce in the market. The farmers have appealed the state government to provide compensation as this year, the unpredictable weather has already jeopardised various crops. Kisan Sabha Samitis member Satyawan Pundir has urged the state government to revise the amount of compensation as the relief funds given by the government are very less and do not meet the need of the farmers. Hailstorm has destroyed our vegetables and the amount which the state government pays is not even enough to buy agricultural tools. The government should also provide seeds to the farmers as we will have to re-sow some crops, which takes at least 15 days, he added. Another farmer, Sher Singh, from Moolkoti village of Shimla district whose crops were damaged said the peas he had sown were totally damaged. Most of the farmers do not have any knowledge of government policies. There are very few farmers who approach the government for compensation, he added. Agriculture is the main source of income of the people of Himachal Pradesh. Pritismita Parida knew better when Cyclone Fani lashed Odishas coast at a speed exceeding 250 km per hour bringing the state to its knees on May 3. Hours before the strongest tropical cyclone to hit Odisha in last 20 years ripped through the coast, the woman constable at Talachua marine police station of Kendrapara district did what very few expected her to do. The 23-year-old constable rode her scooter and evacuated over 300 elderly, women and children who rode pillion on her bike to the safety of cyclone shelters. Many of the villagers were unwilling to shift to cyclone shelters. But a dogged Parida persisted and got them to come with her as she rode through the muddy and slippery roads. A week later, villagers are quietly thanking Parida for her help. Ten days after cyclone Fani battered Odisha coast, the tales of many such Good Samaritans are emerging from across the state. Human shields While Parida saved the lives of people on the coast, staff nurse in Bhubaneswars Capital Hospital Ramarani Biswal and several other nurses protected 23 newborn babies in the special newborn care unit (SNCU) of the government hospital. As Fani battered Bhubaneswar on May 3, the faux ceiling of SNCU started giving away. This is when Biswal and six other nurses hunched together to form a human umbrella over the newborn babies. Biswal suffered a serious spinal injury, but it seemed to be the last thing on her mind. We were holding babies with one hand and the collapsed ceiling portions on the other. We had to save the babies at any cost, she said. As the cyclone dumped rainwater through the ceiling and windows flooding the hospital floor, the nurses panicked but kept their nerves steady as they started shifting babies to the relatively safer ground floor. The nurses and doctors cant believe they pulled out the babies from the jaws of death. The babies were provided oxygen and later 11 of them were shifted to other hospitals. It is nothing short of a miracle, said a nurse. Also read: Cyclone Fani survivors block road in Odisha to protest lack of electricity A little goes a long way In Bargarh district, sisters Manisarani Padhan and Lipsarani Padhan of Bausenmora donated 10,000 from their piggy bank to the chief ministers relief fund. Former dean of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Prof Sidharth Das, donated his entire months pension to the CMRF while Odisha chief information commissioner Sunil Mishra donated his months salary. Bimohan Parhi alias Babu, who runs two restaurants in Bhubaneswar including the popular food joint Babu Moshai, fed about 5,000 people couple of days after the cyclone hit the city. Though his own restaurant was severely damaged and went without power, Parhi religiously cooked for cyclone survivors who thronged the bus stop outside his restaurant to eat rice and curry. Parhi closed the free kitchen two days ago, but the photo of people queuing up for food has gone viral on Facebook. I did not do anything great. I just thought of doing something to help my neighbours in distress, said Parhi. Many policemen and NDRF jawans who cleared the roads of fallen trees came to have food at my restaurant. It makes you feel good that you can help someone in whatever possible way. Yugabrat Kar, who runs the popular restaurant Wildgrass in Puri, has been hit hard by the cyclone with the galvanised tin sheets covering his roof blown away and the trees stripped bare. But Kar has opened his restaurant running a community canteen serving subsidised food to people around his restaurant. It may take quite some time before Puri gets power and for housewives, it would be difficult to cook. So we are offering subsidised lunch and dinner at 25, 50 and 100, said Kar. Kar is also running his vehicle-mounted water purifier around the city and offering it for free. The water that is being supplied by the municipality does not taste well and tastes a little salty. So our water purifiers are going around and purifying the water that the municipality is supplying. I am also offering my 3-kilowatt portable genset free to households for lifting water to their overhead tanks, he said. Tea-sellers Manguli Dora and Debendra Pradhan and labourer Goutam Karmakar were severely affected by the cyclone that tore through their asbestos-roofed houses in Mochisahi area of Puri. But the three pooled in money, bought rice and vegetables to run a community kitchen for the local people. Khalsa Aid International, an NGO run by Sikh volunteers, started providing cooked food and water to the cyclone victims in Puri from May 7 to around 5,000 people every day. We are here for helping the people and will serve food to the public. Its our duty, said a member of Gurudwara Singh Sabha in Bhubaneswar. The members of Hingula temple trust in Talcher have also been feeding thousands of affected people from their free kitchen on Puris Grand Road every day. Also read: Cyclone Fani: Odisha stares at ecological crisis Police to the rescue Odisha police, who routinely get panned for rising cases of crime and failure in prosecuting criminals, also became heroes to thousands of cyclone-affected people in Puri. Dolagobinda Swain, assistant sub-inspector of Bhubaneswars Khandagiri police station, passed out when a green coconut that fell on his head soon after the storm got over. Swain had rushed out of the police station after receiving a message that a man was injured after being hit by a fallen branch. The policeman regained his senses in the hospital several hours later and was advised rest for seven days. But he got himself discharged from the hospital two days later and was back at work clearing trees, said Bhubaneswar deputy commissioner of police Anup Kumar Sahu. In Pipili police station, woman constable Sanjukta Kujurs asbestos roof was blown away by the storm but that did not deter Kujur from reporting to duty. Since May 4 she has been coming to the police station with her two-year-old son as her home is waiting to be repaired. In Puri, the police have been running free kitchen called Karuna in 19 places of Puri district serving a steaming plate of rice and dalma (a preparation of lentil and several vegetables) to over one lakh people in Puri since May 5. While we are still grappling with the aftermath of the cyclone, I am proud that as the head of Odisha police I could motivate my officers and men and women to walk the extra mile in meeting the arduous challenge of rescue and restoration, tweeted Odisha DGP RP Sharma. In Puri, inspector general of police Soumendra Priyadarshi has been quietly getting relief material worth 8 crore through friends and well-wishers and distributing them among the affected people. People have donated everything that you can think of - from vegetables to candles, flattened rice, biscuit, mineral water, jaggery. As soon as the relief material reach us we are sending it for distribution in no time, said Priyadarshi. In Gajapati district, where cyclone Titli wreaked havoc causing the death of 49 people in October last year, superintendent of police Sara Sharma went around the town with a begging bowl seeking help for people affected by cyclone Fani. Sharma, who herself donated 10,000 and four days salary took the lead in collecting over 6 lakh in an hour. Not entirely convinced of the polices intention, some thought twice before chipping. But the IPS officer persisted in her effort beseeching people. I promise, every pie you donated will reach the needy, she said. Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan on Sunday wrote to environment minister Harsh Vardhan pointing to lapses which may have led to illegal cultivation of genetically modified Bt Brinjal in Haryana. A test report of a private lab in Ahmedabad was enclosed with the letter. The report says Brinjal samples collected from a farm in Haryanas Fatehabad have tested positive for genetically modified traits. The sample was analysed for GMO [genetically modified organisms] presence or absence by real-time qualitative PCR [Polymerase Chain Reaction] according to the test plant, GMO was detected, said the report. Samples from Fatehabad had tested positive for genetically modified traits after farm activists conducted lateral flow strip tests on them. This prompted the Haryana government last week to sent samples from Fatehabad to National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR). Haryanas horticulture department officials said they havent received NBPGR results. Bhushans letter urged the government to act immediately. uproot and destroy planted Bt Brinjal in farms and seedlings in nurseries, undertake a scaled-up exercise of testing of seeds and plantings, ascertain the supply chain -- from seed developers to intermediaries -- who are involved? What is the origin of the seed supply? Stiff penalties including criminal prosecution are required. Bhushan cited the urgency of containing any further contamination of Bt Brinjal. He said nothing short of a self-imposed moratorium was required immediately on the environmental release of any GMO, including field trials. He said the illegal cultivation of Bt Brinjal in Haryana would justify criminal proceedings against individuals and corporations that have participated in and facilitated its illegal sale and cultivation. Vardhan said he has not seen the letter. But I will go through it as soon as it reaches me. I read about it [Bt Brinjal]. I have asked my department to give a detailed report on the issue. I may be briefed about it tomorrow [Monday] morning. Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif arrived in New Delhi late on Monday on an unscheduled visit to lobby for Indias support in the face of rising tensions between Iran and the US, people familiar with developments said. Zarif last visited India in January, and the current trip was organised at short notice at Tehrans request, the people cited above said. Zarif will meet external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday morning before leaving India in the afternoon. India has been hit by the US decision to end exemptions to sanctions on Iranian oil imports. Tehran was among New Delhis top three energy suppliers, providing 23.6 million tonnes of oil last year, or about 10% of the countrys energy needs. The sanctions were imposed after President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. Last week, Iran said it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels within 60 days if the world powers failed to agree on new terms for the nuclear deal. The US sanctions on Iranian oil imports and the tensions between Tehran and Washington are expected to figure in talks between Zarif and Swaraj. Zarif is expected to brief the Indian side on his countrys position on the tensions. Iranian ambassador Ali Chegeni said last week that while India will decide on future oil imports according to its national interests, New Delhi is not expected to ignore a reliable energy supplier such as Tehran. Chegeni also said India, as a country that welcomed the Iran nuclear deal and as a big partner of the US, should defend the deal and talk to the Americans about the need to protect the arrangement. The Iran-US tensions spiked after Washington said Tehran was preparing for some kind of an attack and dispatched warships, including an aircraft carrier, and B-52 bombers, to the region. Iran has vowed to retaliate if it is attacked. An attack on four commercial vessels off the coast of the UAE over the weekend has added to tensions. Saudi Arabia said on Monday two of its oil tankers were among those attacked. Delhi Police head constable Varsha Yadav, who was stationed at a polling station in west Delhis Deenpur village for the sixth phase voting of the Lok Sabha elections on Sunday, said voters had lined up outside the station even before the gates were opened at 6am. There was no let up in the number of people turning up to vote after that, she said. We thought that around afternoon people will stop coming because of the heat. However, even around 2-3 pm voters kept coming in, Yadav said. During campaigns, many residents in these constituencies had complained of the absence of farmer issues in the agenda of political parties. However, at the polling stations, farmers were heard talking about the greater interest of the country. When asked, many farmers said lack of options with respect to farmer-friendly manifestos had left them with no choice but to pick from the better candidate from the available lot. In many villages around Najafgarh, voters were seen flocking to their respective polling stations. Most men were in dhoti kurtas while women in salwar kameez, with a ghunghat covering their faces. We had a woman official at the booths to check the identity cards of women voters so that women who insisted in covering their faces would feel comfortable, a polling official at the Shyam Vihar polling station said. For many in these areas, national security and the recent military strikes by the Indian Army were key issues while casting their vote. For others, however, local issues mattered more. The rural portion of the north-west Delhi constituency comprises around 85 villages mainly in Bawana, Badli, Mundka, Narela and Nagloi Jat. The rural belt, dominated by Jat villages, voted on issues ranging from lack of hospitals and higher education institutes and unemployment to poor connectivity with urban areas and inflated tube well bills. Umed Singh, 93, a resident of Salahpur Majra Dabas village said that though national security was an important issue, problems such as employment and lack of hospitals should not be forgotten. Hospitals and higher education institutes should be constructed in rural areas. Villagers have to travel at least 12 km for medical treatment. Similarly, students, especially girls, have to go as far as Alipur and Bawana to get higher education. We want the new MP to address these burning issues, Singh said. Kamla Chhikara, a resident of Jaunti village, which was adopted by sitting MP Udit Raj, said she hoped the new MP would pay attention to the sanitation and inflated tube well bills. For the last one year we have been getting inflated tube well bills. We have requested the government to address the issue but to no avail. The drains of the village are not regularly cleaned as sanitation staff often remains on strike, she said. In south Delhi, where the rural belt largely comes under assembly segments of Chhatarpur and Badarpur, a large number of voters said that they voted in hope of better public transport. Our address reflects that we are residents of Delhi, but practically it is not so. The way we live is quite different from that of the rest of the city and lack of transport has played a major role in that. There are not adequate bus routes which connect the city with villages. It is a big problem for people who do not own vehicles, 28-year-old Jyoti Rawat, a resident of Mithapur village in Badarpur, said. Towns of Kanpur, Agra, Varanasi, Allahabad (now Prayagraj) and Lucknow (KAVAL) have recorded nearly three times the permissible level of suspended particulate matter (SPM) or particulate matter 10 (PM 10), according to a recent report of the UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB). Interestingly, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanaths hometown, Gorakhpur, reported the highest level of air pollution with the SPM level more than three times the permissible limit. The maximum permissible limit of PM 10 is 100 microgram/cubic meter. UPPCB reports for the month of March 2019, put the level of pollutants in the air at a shocking 345.81 microgram/cubic meter near the Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority (GIDA), Gorakhpur, 334.53 microgram/cubic meter at Jal Kal Bhawan and 298.93 microgram/cubic meter at Madan Mohan Malaviya Engineering College (MMMEC), Gorakhpur. Further, in the five KAVAL towns, state capital Lucknow had the maximum level of SPM recorded at 317.31 microgram/cubic meter at Talkatora, followed by 310.78 microgram/cubic meter at Ansal traffic crossing in Lucknow. The sixth highest SPM level was recorded at 305.30 microgram/cubic meter at Ramadevi in Kanpur, while Sarai Mali Khan area in Lucknow secured seventh spot as pollution level was measured at 273 microgram/cubic meter. The report revealed, eight highest SPM or PM 10 level of 268.02 microgram/cubic meter was recorded in Johnstonganj in Prayagraj, while Chandpur in Varanasi secured ninth spot on the list with air pollution level recorded at 266.11 microgram/cubic meter. Prayagraj captured the tenth spot on the list with 260.79 microgram/cubic meter measured in Alopibagh area. According to UPPCB Allahabad region officer SK Mishra, excessive digging of roads besides constructions on a large scale and vehicular exhaust were contributing immensely to the PM 10 level rising in Sangam city. City based respiratory expert Dr Ashish Tandon said that the count of patients including children suffering with respiratory disorders was on the rise due to the excessive level of air pollution levels. Every month, five to six new cases of children between six and 14 years are arriving at my hospital, with the complaint of breathing trouble just because of high air pollution level. The condition of existing patients too is aggravating, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A group of members of the Maratha community has announced that it will hold a rally at Azad Maidan on Monday to protest against the Supreme Courts decision to strike down the 16% Maratha reservation for postgraduate medical seats this year. The group wants the state to reserve seats for Maratha students by enforcing an ordinance. Following the Apex courts decision, the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell had issued a notice of cancellation of admissions under the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC) quota. Around 290 students from the state have been affected by it. On Sunday, coordinators of Maratha Kranti Morcha in Mumbai staged a symbolic protest at Azad Maidan. They had also planned to gherao the chief ministers official residence Varsha at Malabar Hill but were detained by the police till 6pm. We have decided to hold a protest on Monday and have requested community members from Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and Nashik to participate in the agitation as we want justice for our students, said Virendra Pawar, organiser of the agitation. Pawar said the state can use section 17 of the SEBC Act which enables it to use special powers to remove any difficulty in implementing the provisions of said act. The simmering war of words between Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) boiled over on Monday with the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister bringing up Prime Minister Narendra Modis wife and his caste in comments that triggered a backlash from several senior BJP leaders, who called her unfit for public life. The barbs between Mayawati and Modi had started in connection with a case of gang rape in Rajasthans Alwar during their separate election rallies over Saturday and Sunday. How can he [Modi] respect others sisters and wives when he has left his own innocent wife for political gains, Mayawati said at a rally for the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) candidate in Gorakhpur, which is among the 59 constituencies set to go to polls in the final phase on May 19. She also said Modi was a fake OBC [other backward class] and that people use abusive language against him because he deserves it. The remarks were soon condemned by Union ministers. Behan [sister] Mayawati - She is firm on becoming a Prime Minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low. Her personal attack today on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life, said finance minister Arun Jaitley in a tweet. Jaitleys colleague, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, said Mayawatis comments reflected nervousness. Behen Mayawatiji has understood that her gathbandhan is getting nowhere and this is the reason for her worry and sense of insecurity, she said at a press conference in the capital. On Sunday, Mayawati and Modi targeted each other over a gang rape in Rajasthans Alwar, with the Prime Minister saying the UP leader was shedding crocodile tears and asking why she did not withdraw support to the Congress government in the state. She hit back with allegations that people, especially Dalits, were in greater danger since the Modi government came to power. I have come to know that in the BJP, women leaders get scared when they see their husbands going near PM Modi. They fear that like Modi they might also abandon their wives, Mayawati separately said while speaking to a news agency in Lucknow on Monday. The Alwar incident has become a subject of political debate after the husband of a woman raped by four men said that police hushed up the crime until the elections in the constituency had been held. Both leaders initially took aim at the Congress which is in power, before turning their attention towards each other. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ignoring facts and deliberately targeting him over the Alwar crime. PM Modi has personally targeted me on various occasions. Be it in election campaign in UP, MP or Rajasthan, he said. When I was in charge of Gujarat, he misled and provoked farmers there against me. He had no moral right to come to Rajasthan and campaign, he added. BSPs six legislators are part of the coalition heading the government in Rajasthan. The number of yaks that died of starvation in north Sikkim could be 500 or more, the authorities have said after talking to herders who graze the animals in Mukuthang Valley in the northeastern state near the border with China. Officials had said on Saturday that 300 yaks died at around 15,000 ft in Mukuthang after families, which looked after them, came down to lower altitudes to save themselves from the cold, leaving the flocks behind. The figure is likely to increase and may cross 500 if one goes by the claim made by local people, Raj Kumar Yadav, district collector of North Sikkim district, said. Two teams of the animal husbandry department and civil administration have reached the affected areas and are collating data, said Yadav. The report is supposed to reach the administration by Monday evening. Officials described the incident as catastrophic and unprecedented. The Sikkim government said in a statement on Saturday that the yaks were stranded at one place in Mukuthang since December which caused starvation and led to their death. Bad weather and heavy snowfall had blocked the road leading to Mukuthang for the last three months and several attempts at dropping fodder in helicopters for the yaks failed. It takes five-hours by a vehicle and another three to four-hour trek to reach Mukuthang Valley from Gangtok, the state capital. Experienced herders in Sikkim said this is the highest yak death toll in recent memory. They said yaks died in large numbers because of starvation in 1968, 1985 and 1995. I lost 80 of them in the last two few months and many are about to die. Many yaks have died in the past due to starvation and snowfall but the toll is highest this year. I somehow managed to return from Mukuthang Valley, Tsogyal Bhutia, a retired Sikkim police personnel who owned 200 yaks in Mukuthang Valley, said. I suspect that more than 900 yaks are dead by now in Mukuthang and nearby areas, 66-year-old Bhutia, whose family started herding when Sikkim was under the monarchy, said. Tenzing Lachungpa, a herder who lost ten yaks recently, said the deaths will have an adverse impact on everyone. Yaks are extensively used by the army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and local people to transport goods along the rough terrain, he said. Sonam Norgay Lachungpa, president of Travel AgentsAssociation of Sikkim (TAAS) who also belongs to a family of herders, said the yaks manage to survive on very little grass they get at these high altitudes. But non-stop snowfall killed all the grass and herders could not reach the valley with fodder. The yaks could not move to another location because of heavy snowfall. Their blood froze. There are reports of many yaks dying in Yumathang, 22 km from Lachung, he added. The herding families depend on the yaks and earn their living by selling their milk and cheese. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A controversy has erupted over Prime Minister Narendra Modis comments in a television interview in which he said that he sent an email in 1987-88. The Prime Minister was fact-checked by many on Twitter, who pointed out that email facilities were not available until 1995. In a video clip that is circulating wildly on social media, PM Modi says that he used a digital camera in 1997-88 to click a colour photo of LK Advani, adding that he used email at the time to send the photo to the national capital. First time I used digital camera in 1987 or 1988 then a handful of people had email. At one of the public meetings of (LK) Advani ji in Gujarats Viramgam, I had a digital camera. I took a photo of Advani Ji and transmitted it to Delhi. He was surprised and said how did my colour photo appear today, PM Modi said in the interview to News Nation. Soon after, social media was buzzing with tweets fact-checking PM Modi. The first digital camera, users pointed out, was sold by Nikon in 1987 and commercial emails were introduced in 1990-95 and the email facilities were not available until 1995. I will not mock Modi ji on the digital camera or email bit. If in 88/89 a poor chaiwalla with NO Money could afford this "luxury ", then imagine the transformation shree Rajiv Gandhi ji got. All you #Chowkidar 's please vote Congress#MondayMotivaton Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) May 13, 2019 More Modi gems. Nothing adds up. Poverty? Yet by own admission digital camera which few people had. pic.twitter.com/dd3BVkFUxT Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) May 13, 2019 The question is even if he did have an email id in 1988 when the rest of the world didnt, who was he sending emails to? ET? https://t.co/6akUH0nSa6 Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) May 12, 2019 Modi invented Digital camera, EMail, like gas from the gutter & clouds which could not be penetrated by radars. Ask any Bhakt. https://t.co/sPrmrSaFmZ shahid siddiqui (@shahid_siddiqui) May 13, 2019 Earlier on Sunday, a political row broke out over PM Modis comments in the same interview over the timing of the Balakot air strikes. In this interview, PM Modi had outlined how the government had decided to go ahead with the strike at Jaish-e-Mohammeds biggest terror training camp despite a cloud cover. PM Modis comment nevertheless triggered a series of reactions on social media from the Opposition parties. It didnt help that the BJPs Twitter handle, which tweeted the PMs remark soon after the interview, deleted it later. On February 27, the Indian Air Force had carried out the airstrikes at the Jaish camp deep inside Pakistan. The government said the strikes were designed to destroy the training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed for the Pulwama suicide bombing 13 days earlier. Forty CRPF soldiers were killed in the February 14 bombing, the deadliest terror attack on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir in three decades. The district registrar of firms and societies ordered the developer of Palm Grove Heights, a high-rise condominium in Ardee City in Sector 52, to hand over its maintenance to the residents welfare association (RWA) of the society. Earlier on March 20, the senior town planner office, Gurugram, had issued a similar order to the developer of the Ardee City. IS Yadav, district registrar firms and societies, said he had called a meeting of the representatives of the builder and members of the RWA on April 25 to discuss the matter. During the meeting, both the parties made an agreement regarding the transfer. Later on May 1, the RWA members submitted an undertaking in this office, stating that the builder has transferred security and housekeeping to them. On the basis of all these developments, I issued an order on May 10, asking the builder to transfer all the remaining services with immediate effect to the RWA, Yadav said. However, members of the RWA said water, sewerage, electricity, layout details with the licence plan are yet to be transferred by the builder to RWA. Naresh Khushalani, president of the association, said, The account of the society, water and sewer connections and the original plan of the building complex approved by the Haryana Town and Country Planning department need to be transferred to us by the builder. We will wait for another week for the transfer. Otherwise, we will file a case of contempt at the district registrars office. Anil Hasija, senior vice president, Ardee Infra, said, We have not given any undertaking to the RWA as the matter of transfer of societys maintenance is being heard by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The next date of hearing is scheduled for later this month. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As the drought situation worsens with summer, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday directed the guardian secretary of each district to visit drought-affected areas and submit their reports by May 21. The secretaries have also been asked to review the relief work taken up by the state. The directives come at a time when the Opposition is trying to corner the government over its failure to provide relief to drought-affected people. Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday resumed his tour of drought-affected areas, visiting villages in Satara district, interacting with farmers and visiting camps where the state provides fodder and water to cattle. On Monday, Pawar will visit villages from Ashti and Patoda tehsils of Beed district, considered one of the worst-affected districts in the state. The state has only 16.38% water left in the dams, whereas Marathwada, one of the worst-hit regions, has only 4.87% water left in all its reservoirs. Of its nine major reservoirs, eight, including the biggest reservoir Jayakwadi, have zero water stock. Last year, the region had 24.28% water stock covering all of its 964 dams, while the state had 28.26% water in the reservoirs. As of now, more than 4,054 villages are getting drinking water through tankers. According to rough estimates, more than 21,000 villages in the state are hit, as the state declared drought in 151 tehsils, 318 revenue circles and 4,518 villages. There are total 358 tehsils in the state and each revenue circle comprises 20-40 villages, while each tehsil comprises somewhere between 50 and 80 villages. To deal with the situation, the state has deployed 5,174 water tankers to provide drinking water to the affected areas. Of them, a maximum of 2,756 tankers are providing drinking water in eight districts of Marathwada, said a senior official from the water supply and sanitation department. The number of water tankers is going to rise in the coming days, he said. The state has deployed 1,054 tankers in Aurangabad district alone, the highest in the state, followed by Beed and Ahmednagar, with 830 and 771 tankers, respectively. Fadnavis have directed all guardian secretaries to visit their respective drought-affected districts to ensure effective implementation of mitigation measures and submit a detailed report by May 21, said a statement released by the chief ministers office (CMO) on Sunday. Just like ministers, the state appoints guardian secretaries who are responsible to monitor and review government-run welfare schemes etc. in their districts concerned. The chief minister has started holding review meetings of drought-hit districts on a daily basis from last Wednesday. Earlier, he had also directed all guardian ministers to visit the affected areas. The issue is likely to take centrestage in the state considering the Assembly elections are scheduled after five months. Pawar said, I am visiting drought-hit villages and meeting farmers to get first-hand information. After this, I will seek CM Fadnavis time and inform him about the actual scenario. I will ask the CM to take necessary steps. The former union agriculture minister also took a jibe at Fadnavis over his review meetings. I read somewhere that the chief minister is holding review meetings on phone, which anyone can do. Those in power should come on ground and visit the areas in person, only then they will learn about the actual situation, the NCP chief said. The Congress, too, had criticised the state, saying the entire relief work was stalled in the name of election code of conduct. A delegation led by state Congress president Ashok Chavan also met governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Friday requesting his intervention. For drought mitigation, the Centre has approved 4,717 crore, of which they have released 4,248.59 crore in two installments The citys tanker mafia allegedly damaged a water pipeline near the Pioneer Park residential society at Sector 61 on Saturday eveningthe third such incident in the area in the past two weeks. A Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) official said that the gate valve of the high pressure water pipeline was damaged using a JCB machine by miscreants, which resulted in a leak for over an hour and treated water from the Chandu Budhera water treatment plant was wasted. The damage in the pipeline disrupted the canal water supply to Pioneer Park society on Saturday evening and Sunday morning as well. According to residents, the miscreants who are believed to be behind these acts of sabotage are in the tanker water supplying business and do not want the GMDA to supply piped canal water to the residents living in the newly developed residential societies in sectors 58-67. We will take strict action in this regard. Discussions are underway to secure our lines, Rajesh Bansal, superintending engineer, GMDA, said. Miscreants had earlier damaged the GMDAs water pipeline on May 3 and 5 at the same place. On February 19, two persons had damaged the canal water pipeline of ATS Kocoon, Sector 109, and forced the society management to buy water from their tankers. Lalit Arora, chief engineer, GMDA, said, We are meeting police commissioner Muhammad Akil on Tuesday, as we need night patrolling of our water pipeline. All these cases took place after sunset.We had been mulling engaging a private security agency for night patrolling, but that is a lengthy process. We need to check these acts urgently, that is why we seek police help. Pioneer Park residents are unhappy with the district administration and the GMDA for not fixing the problem of tanker water mafia menace. Sudhir Krishna, resident, Pioneer Park, said, We will write to the police commissioner, since this is matter of law and order. Miscreants cannot sabotage government property, interrupting our water supply this way. The GMDA started canal water supply for sectors 58-67 from May 1. GMDA water costs are nominal 9.45 per kilolitre while water tankers charge between 15 to 17 per kilolitre, making the mafia neat profits before the pipeline was laid. Muhammad Akil, police commissioner, said, No one is supposed to sabotage water pipelines. I will definitely look into the matter. The wildlife department will start refilling natural and artificial water pits in the forested areas of the Aravallis on Wednesday, to ensure that wild animals do not stray too close to human settlements while searching for water. A special three-member team was formed on Monday to inspect the condition of water pits for animals. The department had identified a total of 35 water pits for animals last year. At the moment, these pits are located at a distance of approximately three kilometres, but our aim is to create more water bodies so that the animals do not have to walk for more than 1.5 kilometres, additional principal chief conservator of forests Vinod Kumar said. Forest department officials said that this was also being done to keep wildlife away from human habitations skirting the Aravallis. Last year in May, two leopards entered Gairatpur Bas village in Sohna in search of water, both fought and one killed the other. Officials had also discovered leopard pug marks near different water bodies in Aravalli villages last summer. The special team will submit its report on Tuesday, after which the department will take a call on whether or not to dig additional water pits. After some sightings of wildlife near water bodies in Aravalli villages last year, we are determined to provide enough water this summer so that the animals are self-sufficient in their own habitat, said Kumar. Shyam Sundar, deputy chief wildlife warden, Gurugram, has also requested the traffic department to allow their water tankers to enter the city after they are filled in Sultanpur during the morning. From 7am to 11am and 4pm to 8pm, trucks are not granted entry into the city. However, these are the ideal time slots to fill up the pits, so an exception made by the traffic police would help us, he said. This year, the wildlife department has sanctioned two additional water tankers with an added capacity of 13,000 litres to help with this task. Officials also said that there is no scarcity of water in the forest but there are a few places where there are no pits. This forces animals to venture out of their habitats into human territories. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The BJP on Monday hit out at the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, alleging the chief minister has replaced democracy with her dictatorship after the state administration denied permission to a rally by its president Amit Shah. Shah was scheduled to hold a rally in Jadhavpur Monday but the state administration denied permission for it last night and also withdrew its nod to the landing of Shahs chopper in the constituency, BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters here. He urged the Election Commission to take cognizance of the development, saying the state government wants to to reduce the poll panel to a mute spectator. This is murder of democracy. The EC should take cognizance of the matter. If important leaders are not allowed to hold rallies then what is the meaning of elections, Javadekar said. He said the West Bengal administration has been denying permission to Shahs poll programmes and events of other important BJP leaders. Banerjees dictatorship is on full play in the state, he said, criticising the chief minister and Trinamool Congress president. He asserted that the denial of permission reflected her frustration over the growing support for the BJP, claiming that people who had elected her earlier are determined to defeat her. Javadekar also slammed the state police for arresting a BJP youth-wing work for sharing a social media post, which mocked Banerjee, saying TMC leaders like Derek OBrien have shared uglier posts but no action was taken against them. Earlier Monday, BJP media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said his party will hold protests against the denial of permission for Shahs rally. It is unfortunate that the EC has become a mute spectator to all this and also use of violence by the TMC in the state, he said. He alleged the ruling party in Bengal was using undemocratic means to target the BJP. Nine seats will go to polls in the last phase of the general election in West Bengal (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being anti-tribal and suppressing their rights. Addressing a public meeting in Ratlam, about 300 km west of Bhopal, she attacked Modi hours after he had held a public meeting in another part of the city. This was Priyankas first visit to Madhya Pradesh during the current Lok Sabha elections. The Ratlam Lok Sabha seat, reserved for tribals, consists of tribal districts of Alirajpur and Jhabua along with Ratlam district, goes to polls on May 19. She declared that attacking the tribal is like attacking the soul of India as she exhorted the largely tribal audience to vote carefully and bring a party to power that gives them strength. Recalling the affection that her grandmother Indira Gandhi had for tribals she said, When we were children she used to bring small toys made by tribals and tell us how you live and preserve the forests, animals and land. She used to say that the tribals were the most forward when it came to protecting the environment. I have learnt from her (Indira Gandhi), I am her granddaughter, and I will safeguard you, she promised. Elaborating how the BJP was snatching tribal rights, she accused Modi of diluting the provisions of the Forest Rights Act that had been passed when the UPA was in power, Priyanka said, Nearly 60 per cent of the claims of tribals have been rejected. She also took Modi to task for his alleged role in circumventing the Land Acquisition Act and handing over land to industrialists. When we prevented Modi for diluting Act in Parliament, he made the BJP-ruled states amend the rules, she said. Hitting out at Modi for saying that he was a tapasvi, Priyanka said unlike a real tapasvi, Modis pride has not gone. He has no time for farmers and the youth. He has time only to roam around the world and meet top leaders. He only communicates through public rallies and he never bothered to visit even a single home in his Varanasi constituency. Priyanka said that Modis promise of 20 million jobs a year was a sham as was his promise to bring black money back home with demonetization for which the people were made to stand in queues. No black money came and 50 million jobs were lost due to demonetization, she said. She also accused Modi of making MGNREGA, the flagship scheme of the UPA government, weaker and did not provide sufficient employment in rural section. She promised a better MGNREGA with 150 days of jobs for every rural household, and 24 lakh jobs for youth in government sector. Priyanka also highlighted the benefits of the Nyay scheme and compared it with BJPs Kisan Samman Yojana. BJPs scheme will only give you Rs 2 per day and it is not a samman but apaman (insult) for farmers, she said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Alfredo Chong, a 70-year-old Cuban artist, has been showing Chinese culture through his paintings and papier-mache sculptures for twenty years. "I am the son of a Chinese man and a Cuban woman, and although I feel like just any other Cuban, I cannot hide the cultural legacy of my father," the painter told Xinhua in an interview at his cozy, self-designed home in a quiet Havana neighborhood. His sculpture "Distant Homesickness" was on view at the ongoing 13th Havana Biennial Art Exhibition, which concludes on Sunday. The art piece, showcasing an anonymous immigrant sitting on the sidewalk in Havana's Chinatown, is one of the many examples that demonstrates the strong influence of Chinese culture on his life. His father, Chong Yiman, a native of south China's Guangdong Province, came to Cuba in 1921 when he was 19 years old. The young man was then attracted by stories from his uncle who had settled in the city of Holguin, some 700 km east of Havana. Like many other immigrants, Chong Yiman's life was hard. He worked in the Cuban capital as a barber, learning Spanish as quickly as he could. He moved to Holguin before settling down in Camaguey in central Cuba, where he came to own a "bodega," a traditional grocery store. After a fire destroyed his burgeoning enterprise, Chong Yiman had to start from scratch, eventually building a modest restaurant where he worked together with his Cuban wife and five children. Alfredo Chong grew up in this atmosphere of hard work and dedication. He went on to study biology and entomology at the University of Havana, where he met his wife, Magaly Diaz, also a biologist and now a retired professor, with whom he shares two children. "My father influenced me a lot, but especially from a philosophical perspective. And he instilled in me a great love of nature, of all living things, giving a lot of value to things even when they are small," the artist said. Chong said he arrived late to painting, beginning at 50 year old. He was looking to express his rich inner world, in which feng shui, an ancient Chinese philosophy with roots in Taoism, has an important role in the conscious and harmonious organization of space. Being late to the world of art has made him a creator who is constantly experimenting with techniques, colors, and textures. "A large part of my paintings are done in black and white, because I'm very interested in achieving textures and portraying things not exactly as they are, but creating a fantasy in the eye of the viewer," he said. Chong also tends to paint in a vertical format with a distribution of figures that is reminiscent of Chinese paintings, leaving a free space for visual freedom, "so that the picture may breathe." The strong Chinese influence on Chong's art doesn't stop there. His fascinating papier-mache sculptures are almost all dedicated to figures tied to Havana's Chinatown, "as a humble tribute to so many Chinese immigrants who came to Cuba one way or another." This tribute, together with the cultural legacy left by his father, was the basis for his exhibition last year, "The Son of the Immigrant." Another one of his works honoring Chinese immigrants is "The Carrier of Culture," a piece that features one of the Chinese vegetable sellers that were once ubiquitous on the streets of Havana. Perhaps because of his immigrant descent, borders are an artistic obsession for Chong, who is determined to encourage discourse in breaking down barriers that restrict the free movement of people. BJPs Bengal unit general secretary and Lok Sabha candidate from Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district Sayantan Basu on Monday warned that party workers will resort to counter violence to thwart ruling Trinamool Congress if the central forces do not play their role in the seventh and last phase of elections on May 19. If the central forces perform their role properly, there will be no trouble. Else, we have to resort to counter violence to neutralise TMC. If we do that, TMC will be nowhere, because they have lost the support of the people. I will ask the central forces that if they (TMC) try to create trouble, shoot them in the chest, not at the legs, he told the media. The TMC dismissed Basus comments. His words are only an indication of the frustration of the BJP candidate, who knew that his defeat was certain, said TMC district president and minister Jyoti Priya Mallick. Basirhat is located on the Indo-Bangladesh border. The TMC won the seat in 2009 and 2014. Polling will be held in this constituency on May 19. On Sunday, central forces on election duty had come under fire from the TMC which accused them of forcing people in Jhargram to vote for the BJP in the 6th phase of polling. Last week, the Centre had sent an additional 30 companies of central paramilitary forces to West Bengal for the sixth and seventh phases of the general elections. Quite a few BJP candidates and leaders such as Locket Chatterjee and Bharati Ghosh had publicly expressed unhappiness at the role of the central forces in countering muscle flexing by TMC supporters on polling days. On Sunday, BJP Bengal president Dilip Ghosh told the media that the personal security guards of Ghatal party candidate Bharati Ghosh, who opened fire near a booth, should have aimed at the chest (of troublemakers). All six phases of the elections in the state so far have been marked by violent political clashes, allegations of booth capturing, glitches in Electronic Voting Machines. The BJP and the TMC have accused each initiating the violence and have approached the Election Commission with multiple complaints. Sayantan Basu is no stranger to incendiary comments. In the last week of March, Basu triggered a controversy when he said at an election rally that on poll day central forces would be asked to shoot troublemakers in the chest and not in the leg. He had also said that women in Basirhat will hack troublemakers with hatchets used for cutting coconuts in that the area. Leaders of Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) allies who jointly rule Karnataka - entered into a public war of words over demands by a section of Congressmen for the return of their legislature party leader Siddaramiah to the Chief Ministers chair. President of JD(S) Karnataka unit Adagooru H Vishwanath hit out at the former CM Siddaramiah, demanding that he follow coalition dharma as the CMs chair - currently occupied by HD Kumaraswamy - was not empty. He also questioned Siddaramaiahs track record when he was the CM of the state between 2013-2018. Several Congress leaders including home minister MB Patil have in the last few days been leading a chorus for the return of Siddaramaiah to the CMs post. On Monday, Congress MLA, ST Somashekar, who is the Chairman of Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), again reiterated that the former CM was the ideal candidate for heading the state and declared that any criticism of Siddaramaiah was akin to dogs barking when an elephant marches. Siddaramaiah who also heads the co-ordination committee set up to ensure smooth running of the government, took to social media platform Twitter to lambast the JD(S) President saying ..Will raise the jealousy ridden comments of H Vishwanath in the co-ordination committee meeting. First it was GT Deve Gowda now it is Vishwanath. Next who knows? It is better that JDS leadership reins in such irresponsible comments directed at me. GT Deve Gowda, who had defeated Siddaramaiah in the Chamundeshwari constitutency, had said JDS voters might have voted for BJP rather than the Congress candidate in Mysore. Siddaramaiah also went onto claim in a series of tweets that it was coalition dharma which was preventing him from speaking out. Vishwanath is known for his irresponsible statements. However, the regional partys state President hit back saying it was the former CMs culture to address everybody disrespectfully in singular and make irresponsible comments. This verbal spat comes amidst claims by the opposition BJP that after the May 23 results, there will be a change in the state government. KC Venugopal, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka, dismissed any threat to the state government and said it would complete its full five year term. The BJP can only dream of coming to power the coalition will complete its full five-year term. Ever since the coalition came to power they have been giving dates when the government will dissolve, Venugopal said. Political analyst Prof Harish Ramaswamy said this kind of sniping between the allies is likely to persist till the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls. Both Siddaramaiah and Vishwanath belong to the same community and hail from the same Mysuru region and are old adversaries. Inspite of all the public bickering nothing will happen till the poll results are out as both need each other. If the Congress or a coalition led by it comes to power at Centre, then the national party would not mind fresh elections in the state. However if the poll verdict is against them, the BJP might intensify its efforts to bring down the coalition government. In the 224-member assembly, Congress has 78 seats, BJP 104, JDS 37, BSP 1, KPJP 1 and one independent. Kundgol and Chincholi assembly seats will face by-polls on May 19th. Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan came under fire from the BJP on Monday after his comment that the first terrorist in free India was a Hindu referring to Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse. Kamal made this statement while campaigning at Aravakkurichi in a minority dominated area. Tamil Nadu state BJP President Tamilisai Sounderrajan and other leaders condemned Haasan for associating a community with the assassin of Gandhi. Haasan who heads the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), made the comment Sunday night while he was campaigning for his partys candidate S Mohanraj for Aravakkurichi assembly by-poll. I am one of the proud Indians who want an India with equality where the three colours in the Tricolour flag should remain intact, he said in an obvious reference to different faiths. He claimed that he was visiting Aravakkurichias as a great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. I am not saying this here (Aravakkurichi) as Muslims are high in numbers. But, I am saying this before the statue of Mahatma Gandhiji. In fact, Independent Indias first terrorist was a Hindu whose name is Nathuram Ghodse. I have come here to get an answer for Gandhijis murder, Haasan said while campaigning. He soon came under fire from the BJP. BJP state chief Tamilisai Sounderrarajan said that the MNM leader has no right to label an entire communtiy. Actor Kamalahasan recalling Gandhis assassination now and calling it Hindu terrorism is condemnable. Standing amidst minorities in TN by-election campaign he is lighting a dangerous fire to gain votes by minority appeasement, Tamilisai said. She further questioned why the MNM founder did not express any opinion on recent bomb blasts in Sri Lanka while speaking about Gandhis murder. But Haasan had reacted to the terror attacks in Sri Lankan and had called for justice. He dares to take up decades-old event which was well investigated and guilty punished. He threatened to leave India when his film (Viswaroopam) screening was prevented from being screened by religious groups. But, now he calls himself true Indian. He has started his true political acting now having lost the chances in the screenplay, Tamilisai charged. BJP national secretary H Raja said Haasan could hurt Hindus for gaining Muslims votes. MNM is a venomous plant which should be uprooted immediately, said Raja. Bollywood actor Vivek Anand Oberoi who played the lead role in the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi also questioned Kamal Haasans stance. Dear Kamal sir, you are a great artist. Just like art has no religion, terror has no religion either! You can say Ghodse was a terrorist, why would you specify Hindu? Is it because you were in a Muslim dominated area looking for votes? Please sir, from a much smaller artist to a great one, lets not divide this country, we are one, Oberoi tweeted. MNM leader R Rengarajan said Haasans remark should not be sensationalised. The matter should be handled with sense and should not be sensationalised, Rengarajan told reporters. Tamilisai however criticised Rengarajans statement, He has violated the poll code of conduct by uttering nonsense on a sensitive subject. Let us hope for EC to handle this as per law of the land against hate speech, she said. Tamil Nadu went to polls for 38 of its 39 Lok Sabha seats and 18 assembly by-polls on April 18. The election for the Vellore Lok Sabha seat was cancelled last month after massive cash seizures in raids from a DMK leaders associate. Bye-elctions for four more assembly seats will be held on May 19 along with the last phase of the LoK Sabha elections. mal Haasan has stoked a possible controversy, saying free Indias first terrorist was a Hindu, referring to Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Addressing an election campaign in Tamil Nadus Aravakurichi last night, the actor-politician said he was one of those proud Indians who desires an India with equality and where the three colours in the tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, remained intact. I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free Indias first terrorist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (terrorism, apparently) starts, he said. Haasan said he had come here seeking answers for that murder, referring to Gandhis assassination in 1948. Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that, he added. Reacting to Kamal Haasans comments, BJP leader Soundararajan in a tweet said recalling Mahatma Gandhis assassination now and calling it Hindu terrorism was condemnable. Standing amidst minorities in TN by-election campaign, he is lighting a dangerous fire to gain votes by minority appeasement. Kamal didnt opine on recent Sri Lanka bomb blast, why? Soundararajan tweeted. He (Kamal) threatened to leave India when his film (Vishwaroopam) screening was prevented by religious groups! But now he calls himself true Indian! True political acting started now having lost the chances in screenplay, he said. Earlier too, Haasan had stoked a row, when in November 2017, he took potshots at what he termed as Hindu extremism, which drew condemnation from the BJP and Hindu outfits. Aravakurichi is one of the four Assembly constituencies where bypolls are scheduled on May 19. MNM has fielded S Mohanraj from this segment. The race for the tribal vote is on. To help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) get an edge over the Congress, the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (VKA) has intensified campaigning in the three Lok Sabha seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Madhya Pradesh ahead of the last phase of the election on May 19. Volunteers of the VKA, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), are holding daily meetings and making door-to-door visits to ensure tribal votes do not drift away from the BJP again, as had happened during the 2018 assembly polls, resulting in a loss for the party. The RSS is the ideological fount of the BJP. Of MPs 29 LS seats, six are reserved for STs. Elections are over in Shahdol, Mandla and Betul, while Ratlam, Dhar and Khargone will go to the polls on May 19. According to a senior RSS functionary who requested not to be named, the VKA is buoyed by the increase in voter turnout in Shahdol, Mandla and Betul and sees it as an advantage for the BJP. However, there is no evidence that the claims made by the RSS are correct. In Shahdol, the overall voter turnout went up to 74.38% from 62.20% in 2014; In Mandla, the overall turnout went up to 77.6% from 66.71% in 2014; In Betul, the overall turnout went up to 79.28% from 66.48% in 2014; We feel that people have come out in large numbers to vote decisively for the BJP because tribal communities have been beneficiaries of the central governments schemes such as the hiked minimum support price for forest produce, rights over forest land and better health care, the functionary quoted above said. Also read: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh fails to vote. He regrets, then explains Asked why tribals did not vote for BJP in 2018 assembly polls, the functionary said it was because of campaigning that BJP was against reservation. RSS IN CHARGE The RSS was given charge of helming the BJPs campaign in Madhya Pradesh after the 2018 electoral setback. At key meetings chaired by the RSS and BJP brass, it was decided the Sangh would have a say in ticket distribution, especially in tribal areas where VKA has been working for years. The RSS has also suggested names of contestants to counter the growing influence of tribal leaders such as Hiralal Alawa of the Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti. Tribal voters are critical to the BJPs electoral prospects; it won 27 of the 41 tribal reserved seats it contested in the 2014 general elections with a vote share of 36.4%. The VKA, set up in 1925 by Balasaheb Deshpande at Jashpur in Madhya Pradesh by enrolling six children of the Oraon tribe, is a key organisation that has acted as a bridge between the BJP and the tribes. It runs schools, healthcare and animal welfare centres, self-help groups, and hosts social and religious events to foster ties with the tribal people. After the SC asked the governments of 17 states in February this year to evict an estimated one million tribal and other households living in forests after their claims of the right to live in forests were rejected under the Forest Rights Act, VKA was first off the blocks to petition the central government to take remedial measures. Many people think that Gujarat is the Sanghs laboratory. But the truth is it is Madhya Pradesh that has always been critical to the RSSs consolidation. Of all the states, RSS has concentrated the most on MP during the current election season. They want the BJP to win all 29 seats in the state, so their focus has been on increasing the voter turnout and encouraging people to not opt for NOTA [none of the above], said a second RSS functionary on condition of anonymity. In 13 seats, NOTA acted as a spoiler for the BJP in the 2018 assembly polls. MP has the largest number of tribal voters in India, making up almost 21 per cent of the electorate. However, in the last assembly election, the BJP lost both vote share and seat share in the tribal areas of MP as well as Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. After general elections were announced, the RSS set out to change the perception that the BJP was anti-minority and trying to subsume the tribal identity into the Hindutva fold. It also ran campaigns against the Congress poll promises of loan waivers and minimum income guarantee of 72,000 per annum to 20% of the poorest families. Our volunteers had to counter the anger against poor implementation of the Centres policy of giving land rights to forest dwellers and minimum support price for forest produce. We also had to counter the perception that the BJP wants to do away with reservation for STs, said the first RSS functionary quoted above. ANGER AMONG TRIBES According to Census 2011, over two-thirds of the countrys tribal population work as cultivators or agricultural labourers. Tribal activists allege there are gaps in implementation of central and state schemes. The only time governments think of the tribal people is when they need them to vote or when they need them to relocate because of some development projects, said Rohit Prajapati, an environmentalist. The absence of tribal leaders in the BJP has also upset tribal communities. There was a time when the BJP had leaders like Dilip Singh Judeo who wielded clout among tribals...tribals complain that while there are a few representatives among them, there are no leaders, said a VKA functionary based in Bhopal not wishing to be named. A group of tribal activists, under the banners Tribal Think Tank and Royal Tribal Forum, has released a manifesto demanding that political parties pledge to set up autonomous councils for self-governance in all areas having majority of tribals, forest dwellers, fisherfolk and hill people. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The returning officer in Rohtak on Sunday confined local MLA and BJP minister of state for cooperation Manish Grover to his office, hours after sitting MP and Congress candidate Deepender Hooda complained to the election commission that Grover, along with his aides, was illegally entering polling booths and intimidating voters. Acting on the complaint, the police arrested Grovers aides Ramesh Lohar, a history-sheeter facing charges in several criminal cases, and one Sunil Kumar. The police also seized 15 cartridges and lathis from the three cars they were using with temporary registration numbers, while many number plates were found in the vehicles which were confiscated. The high-pitched drama unfolded in the morning when former Rohtak Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra, along with Congress workers, confronted Grover and his aides inside a booth set up at Bharat Kanya Sr Sec School in old city area. Batra questioned Grover how he, along with gangsters, was entering polling booths. The two leaders first exchanged heated words and it ended with a scuffle. The Congress workers then stopped Grovers cavalcade from leaving the booth till the police checked the three cars and made two arrests. Batra was later joined by Deepender Hooda who reached Rohtak deputy commissioner-cum-returning officer Yash Gargs office to file a complaint against Grover. This has never happened anywhere in the country. BJP minister is openly entering the polling booths with his musclemen while the administration and the police are standing as mute spectators. He should be booked on charges of booth capturing, said Deepender, as his team handed an official complaint along with a video as proof, demanding an FIR be registered against Grover. Also Read | Lok Sabha elections 2019: Poll agent arrested for trying to influence voters inside Faridabad booth Rohtak DC Garg said based on the complaint, he restricted the ministers movement till the completion of polling. He has been asked to stay confined to his office and not go near any polling booth, Garg said. Grover, however, said he did not receive any such order. I am roaming around and meeting people, he told HT. Even as there were videos which showed Grover with Lohar at the polling booth, the minister said he didnt know the latter. He could be any BJP worker. I was not with him and I am not even aware of his arrest, Grover said. The minister said that it was the Congress leaders who were indulging in booth capturing and he, along with his supporters, had gone to stop them from doing so. We have also submitted a complaint against Congress leaders, including Batra. They tried to vitiate the atmosphere like they did in February 2016 when they set the entire city on fire. Today again, they were scared of losing the elections and resorted to booth capturing and threatening voters, he said. A history-sheeter facing charges in at least nine criminal cases registered in Haryana and Delhi, Lohar is an aide of Grover and has been spotted with him several times before. In March 2017, Lohar was shot at outside Rohtak courts complex allegedly by the member of a rival gang. He, along with one Sunil, have been booked under sections 188, 420, 483 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act in connection with Sundays seizures. Also Read | Lok Sabha elections 2019: 69% pollingin Haryana, turnout dips in Capital Also Read | Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Battle between three political dynasties in Haryana SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday trained his guns on Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for failing to cast his vote. Digvijaya Singh, the Congresss Bhopal candidate and a former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, could not travel to Rajgarh to vote in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Sunday. PM Modi said Digvijaya Singh not voting is just a sign of the Congresss arrogance. I went to Ahmedabad to cast my vote. The President and Vice President were in queues to cast their vote. But Diggy Raja (Digvijaya Singh) didnt care about democracy, he was only thinking about himself. He was thinking about the Bhopal seat, said Modi addressing a rally in Madhya Pradeshs Ratlam. Follow live updates here The prime minister asked Singh why was he so scared of going to Raigarh to vote. This is nothing but a sin and he (Digvijaya Singh) is setting out a wrong example for the first-time voters, Modi said. Digvijaya Singh is contesting the Bhopal seat, which the Congress has not won since 1984, where his rival is BJPs Pragya Singh Thakur. The Congress leader is a registered voter at his hometown Raghogarh, a part of Rajgarh parliamentary constituency. Rajgarh and Bhopal both went to polls on Sunday. Raghogarh is about 136 kilometres north west of Bhopal. Digvijaya Singh was seen visiting from one polling centre to another in Bhopal to motivate the party workers engaged as agents at polling stations and ensure that more and more people turn up at the polling booths to cast their votes. Union minister Arun Jaitley has questioned West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee over the political violence in the eastern state and criticised BSP leader Mayawati over her personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a series of tweets, Arun Jaitley questioned the two regional leaders over several issues, saying this is what Indias Opposition has to offer to the Nation. Mamata Didi Democracy has become a casualty in Bengal. Opposition workers are murdered, candidates are attacked, polling booths are captured and Opposition leaders are not entitled to organise rallies, Jaitley wrote. Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have engaged in a war of words after violent clashes that claimed the lives of a number of political workers and have marred all the six phases of polling in the ongoing Lok Sabha election. Read| Amit Shah denied permission to hold rally in West Bengals Jadavpur: Report Attacking Mayawati, Arun Jaitley wrote that the Bahujan Samal Party chief was not suitable for public life after she launched a scathing personal attack on Prime Minister Modi on Monday. Mayawati had said Modi could not be expected to respect the sisters and wives of others when he had left his own wife for political gains. Behan Mayawati - She is firm on becoming a Prime Minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low. Her personal attack today on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life, Jaitley posted. Also read| BJP activist held for sharing Mamata Banerjees morphed photo moves Supreme Court (With agency inputs) From cross-border terrorism to sealing of commercial establishments, Delhi on Sunday came out to vote for a wide variety of reasons. During the campaign, the Bharatiya Janata Partys main plank was national security while the Aam Aadmi Party had sought votes for getting Delhi the status of a full state. The Congress showcased works done by the partys government in Delhi. The choice of issues varied with economic background, neighbourhoods, gender and age group of the voter. While waiting for their turn outside the polling booth in east Delhis Khichripur village polling station, Nikesh Sharma, a businessman, and his friends were discussing how the Balakot air strike changed the political discourse in this elections. This election is about national security. By doing the air strike at Balakot, the government has given a befitting reply to Pakistan, said Sharma. Shubhankar Rai, 19, a resident of GK-II that falls in the New Delhi segment, said he voted for India to be a stronger country globally. The task is to choose the lesser of the two evils. I feel India, at present, needs a strong leader. Two things stand out as the boldest steps by the current PM - demonetisation and the Balakot airstrike, he said. For the traders in Chandni Chowk, demonetisation, roll out Goods and Services Tax and the sealing drive were the main concerns even though they felt national security was an equally important issue. However, opinions were divided in the order of priority. Business has never as bad as it has been in the past five years. Profit margin has been reduced to only 10-15%. The economy needs to be revived, said Mohammad Tazir, who owns a crockery business in the area. In Amar Colony market, which comes under the New Delhi seat, voters said they want the ongoing sealing drive to stop and their shops de-sealed. At least 400 shops were sealed in this market which were among 7,000 commercial units that have faced action in Delhi since December 2017. Cheshtha Dung, 27, who runs a general store at Amar Colony market said they had kept their shop shut for more than a month merely out of fear at the peak of sealing drive. Others might be voting for the countrys betterment or safety in this election, but for us it is only to get relief from sealing. My father had got so scared of the drive that he forced us to shut this shop and had called workers to dismantle the top floor. Now, we have reconstructed the whole thing afresh, she said. Uncertainty over their future was a key concern for the first time voters. Rahul Trehan, a resident of west Delhis Dabri Mor, said, I am a guest teacher at a municipal school, covering for the permanent teacher who has gone on maternity leave. In four months, I will be jobless again. I take tuition for students, but I need a permanent job. But where are the jobs? In North West Delhi constituency, Khairati Lal, 70, a retired MTNL employee, said youngsters are uncertain about getting a job after completing their education. Lals grandson, who is a post-graduate, recently got a job in a call centre. Lal said, Unemployment is a big issue which the government has failed to address. Young educated people are opting for odd jobs because the governments have failed to provide them work. The country can progress only if its youth is employed. People in slums, resettlement and unauthorised colonies, had local concerns such as health, education and sanitation. Yasmin, 32, a resident of Trilokpuri, was all praise for the improvement in health and education sector in Delhi after AAP took over. We cant afford private schools. This government has done a lot of work to improve the education standards in government schools. Even the mohalla clinics are good, said Yasmin. In Bawanas Shahbad Dairy area, Sushma Jha, 32, said the AAP government paid heed to issues faced by the people living in the unauthorised colonies. The AAP government has laid water and sewer lines in unauthorised colonies, provided free water and constructed streets in illegal colonies. The city government also provided battery operated e-rickshaws to the residents so that they can earn their livelihood, said Jha. The first is a senior Yadav government official. The second is a junior Jatav employee in a government department. Both belong to east Uttar Pradesh, but work in different parts of the state. Both cant be named because government regulations bar them from articulating political views openly. But in extended conversations with HT, both separately answered a question which perhaps lies at the heart of the battle in UP. Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has co-opted significant elements of Hindu society, including many backward and Dalit groups, two social formations Yadavs and Jatavs remain at the forefront of the opposition to the BJP. They, along with Muslims, form the core of the social coalition of the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alliance. How did this come about? And more crucially, amid reports of a very high degree of transfer of votes on both sides, how is it working on the ground? The tale of two voters illustrates the churn on the ground and indicates the possible synergy in the alliance is because of pressure from below, rather than talks or diktats at the top . The Yadav anger The story of BJPs attitude to Yadavs is one of exclusion, says the Yadav official. The community comprises close to 10% of the population. There are four broad metrics on which you can judge how a party is dealing with a community when in power. One is it giving representatives of the community share in political power, ministerial positions, tickets for elections? Two, is it giving the officials from the community important postings and responsibilities, or is it deliberately excluding them? Three, is it giving them political postings like chairmen of government departments? And four, on the ground, how do local government functionaries, particularly the daroga (police officer) in the thana (station), treat members of the community ? On all four metrics, the Yadav official claimed, the BJP government particularly the Yogi Adityanath regime has adopted a policy of deliberate exclusion of Yadavs. We have no political power; Yadav officials are harassed; Yadavs dont even go to the thana now because they feel there is no point. This is what has led to consolidation of all of us behind the SP-BSP alliance and shed our deep antagonism to the BSP. But was it not the case that when SP was in power, the reverse was true and Yadavs enjoyed all the power? The official rejects the contention and claimed the BJP had a historic opportunity to reconcile with the community after its victory. We anyway thought of the BJP as a party of savarnas, forward castes. Yet many Yadavs voted for Modi in 2014. But the partys general attitude and Yogis in particular, alienated us entirely. But hasnt the BJP now become a more inclusive outfit? Their attitude to backward (classes) is patronising, one of condescension. It is not willing to accept assertive backwards or Dalits. This anger, he claimed, generated pressure from below on SP and BSP to come together. Give no credit to Akhilesh Yadav or Mayawati for this alliance. It is all from the ground. The Dalit voice He works in the public works department in an east UP town which voted on Sunday. He belongs to the Jatav sub-caste, which is almost 14% of UPs population, and has been traditionally loyal to the BSP. And he is clear about his voting choice and what dictated it. I will vote for the BSP, irrespective of whether they win or lose. But did he feel cheated that Behenji, as Mayawati is called, tied up with SP, a party with which the community had a long antagonistic relationship? Not at all. Behenji realised that she cannot win on her own. An alliance was necessary. Modi may or may not become prime minister again but in my seat, and several other seats in Purvanchal, this alliance will do well. What was his problem with the BJP? We have no sunwai, hearing, when BJP comes to power. Our superiors in government offices look at us with suspicion. We are made to feel like outsiders. He added that there was another major concern in the community now. Many people feel that BJP is playing with reservations that Babasaheb (Ambedkar) had given us in the constitution. Look, they cut 10% and gave it to the upper castes. But when pointed out that this was not true and the reservation to economically weaker sections was an addition not at the cost of existing quotas the Dalit official responded, There is a game afoot. It is the first step. They will change the Constitution. And what about the welfare schemes, which Modi claims has benefited the poorest, among them many Dalits? He responded, Look at toilets. Most are incomplete. They are not used often. And when people go to ask for work to be completed, the village pradhan asks for his share in the money. Look at gas cylinders. How many households have been able to refill it? Like the Yadav official, the Dalit functionary claimed they may have given the benefit of doubt to Modi, but it was the Yogi governments attitude that alienated the community. Is it enough? The BJPs response to such voices is two-fold. On one hand, party strategists claim Yadavs and Jatavs will fragment and a section from both communities will vote for BJP. On the other hand, they also argue that these social groups did not vote for BJP in the last election, in any case, and by themselves, they would not be able to upset the BJPs tally too drastically. But both the men HT spoke to are confident that the Yadav-Jatav-Muslim combination will not only stay together but expand to bring in other groups. But irrespective of how the electoral math eventually shapes up, the tale of two voters of the alliance is an illustration of how caste politics, often viewed derisively, plays out on the ground. Caste determines opportunities and livelihoods. It is inextricably linked to political power in UP. And it is the exclusion from power which has led to pressure from below and the constitution of what is arguably the most important Opposition alliance in the country. Whether it is enough to change the outcome will be seen on May 23. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Atishi to appear before court to record her statement in Gambhir voter ID case Delhis Tees Hazari Court has fixed May 31 as the date to record the pre summoning evidence in the Gautam Gambhir voter ID case. Complainant Atishi is to appear before the court to record her statement in the matter, on next hearing. :ANI It is you who should be ashamed over 1984 riots, PM Modi tells naamdaars Is the mentor of the naamdaars being scolded for publically admitting what they all think about the 1984 riots? It is you who should be ashamed, said PM Modi. 1984 riots victims denied compensation due to Congs deeds: PM Modi in Bhatinda It has been 35 years since the 1984 riots. Because of the Congress deeds, the compensation that the victims deserved to get was denied to them. The Congress only formed committees and commissions and continued to dismiss the matter of compensation, said PM Modi in Punjabs Bhatinda. :BJP Priyanka Gandhi visits Mahakaleshwar temple Priyanka Gandhi visited Ujjains Mahakaleshwar temple while she was in Madhya Pradesh for election campaign, and prayed for the safety and prosperity of the nation. :ANI All politicians, including me, powered by your vote: Priyanka Gandhi All politicians, including me, are powered by your vote. Without the power bestowed upon them by you, none of the politicians have the guts to come to the stage and live lectures. Bring to power a government that will give your power back in your hands, said Priyanka Gandhi. Why does the ascetic, nationalist PM not keep farmers, youth, my sisters safe?: Priyanka Gandhi Why does the nationalist prime minister not keep the farmers, youth, or my sisters safe? Do they not deserve to be protected? asked Priyanka Gandhi. Farmers have been completely ignored in the past years: Priyanka Gandhi Farmers have been ignored in the past five years. The ascetic PM has not been able to give them the cost of production, or the seeds they required. The farmers came to Delhi barefoot in protests and asked the prime minister to listen to them but he does not have time for the poor people of the country, said Priyanka Gandhi in Ratlam. What posters advertising Modi govt say is contrary to reality: Priyanka Gandhi There has been a gap in reality and the advertisement done by the Modi government. I went to Uttar Pradesh only to find out that contrary to the posters saying Bijli bil par maari talvaar, ek baar phir Modi sarkar, there was no electricity in peoples houses and the bills were heavy, said Priyanka Gandhi in Ratlam. When questioned on their ancestors, they say hua to hua, says PM Modi They ask for votes in the name of their ancestors, but when questioned on their (ancestors) misdeeds, they say hua to hua, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. :ANI Priyanka Gandhi to address rally in Ratlam Congress General Secretary for UP (East), Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, at a rally in Madhya Pradeshs Ratlam. :ANI Congress General Secretary for UP (East), Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, at a rally in Ratlam, #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/QsS8ayNPnk ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 PM Modi addresses public rally in Solan Those who are themselves on bail search new words from their dictionary daily to abuse your chowkidaar. But your chowkidaar is not going to budge because of their abuses, We have also eaten the mushroom of Solan, said PM Modi in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. :ANI Sam Pitroda must apologise for his 1984 riots remarks: Rahul Gandhi While concluding his Punjabs Ludhiana, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said that he spoke to Congress leader Sam Pitroda over his remark on 1984 anti-Sikh riots and said that he must apologise for the remark. If Cong comes to power, no farmer will be jailed for non-repayment of loans: Rahul Gandhi As we have stated in our manifesto, once we get elected to power no farmer will ever go to jail to non-repayment of farm loans, said Rahul Gandhi in Punjabs Ludhiana. Nyay scheme will jump-start Indias economy: Rahul Gandhi Demonetisation and GST led to large scale unemployment. It affected the purchasing power of the people. Congresss Nyay scheme will jump-start Indias economy, said Rahul Gandhi in Ludhiana. Planned Nyay keeping in mind small businesses in the country: Rahul Gandhi I asked economists to come with an amount that can be given to the poor of the country without disturbing the economic activities in the country and also without hampering the activities of small businesses. Before we released the party manifesto they told us that we can give Rs 72,000 per year to crores of people, said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in Punjab. Rahul Gandi addresses poll rally in Punjabs Ludhiana While addressing a poll rally in Punjabs Ludhiana Congress national chief Rahul Gandhi said that at present over 27,000 youths lose employment every day in India. Need to oust TMC govt to restore Bengals glory: Amit Shah We have to restore Bengals glory, we need to oust TMC government, which is sheltering infiltrators, said BJP national chief Amit Shah in Joynagar. Mamata ji scared that her nephew will lose: Amit Shah in Bengal I was to visit 3 places today, but Mamatas jis nephew is contesting from one of the seats so she is scared her nephew will lose, and thats why she cancelled the permission for our rally, said BJP national chief Amit Shah while addressing a rally in West Bengals Joynagar. Digvijaya Singh committed a sin by not voting: PM Modi First-time voters of the country observe all political leaders very minutely. By not casting your vote, you (Digvijaya Singh) are implying to these first-time voters that voting is not important, You have committed a sin by not casting your vote said PM Narendra Modi while addressing a poll rally in Madhya Pradeshs Ratlam. Why so scared: PM on Digvijaya Singh failing to vote in MP Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig at Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for failing to caste vote during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls that were held on Sunday. He was only concerned about getting people to vote for him which is why he kept visiting poll booths himself and even failed to cast his vote yesterday in Bhopal, he said. Congress questioned surgical strike, IAF airstrike: PM Modi They raised questions about the 2016 surgical strike and the latest IAF airstrike, this approach of Congress has always led to causing damage to the nation, said PM Modi in Madhya Pradesh. Enough is enough is peoples response to Mahamilawat: PM Modi Now, enough is enough is peoples response to the Mahamilawat, said PM Modi in Madhya Pradesh. Congresss response to every difficult question is hua to hua: PM Modi Congresss response to everything that goes wrong or any difficult question is hua to hua said PM Narendra Modi. Naamdaar begin their speech by abusing: PM Modi in MP Congress has a problem with Bharat mata ki jai, they feel happy to abuse me but cant chant Bharat Mata ki jai, said PM narendra Modi. The naamdaar begin their speech by abusing, he added. PM Modi addresses poll rally in Madhya Pradesh PM Narendra Modi is currently addressing a poll rally in Madhya Pradeshs Ratlam. PM Modi to address rally in Madhya Pradesh In the last phase of poll campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address multiple rallies beginning with a public meeting Madhya Pradeshs Ratlam. A Chinese book introducing ceramics was presented on Saturday at the ongoing Thessaloniki Book Fair held in northern Greek port city of Thessaloniki. The book, titled "The World of Ceramics", was introduced by Jiangxi Publishing Group at the fair. Publishers from China also presented dozens of Chinese books on traditional culture, politics and children's literature. Catherine Fragou, a Greek publisher, will be in charge of the promotion of the book in Greece and other European countries. After signing the publishing agent agreement with Jiangxi Publishing Group, she told Xinhua that there are great potentials for Chinese books to be promoted in Greece because currently the percentage of Chinese books in Greek market is small due to translation and other difficulties. Apart from China, publishers across Greece and other countries and regions also took part in the book fair. The Thessaloniki Book Fair, established in 2004, is the most important annual event for the book and the professionals of the field organized in Greece. The 16th Thessaloniki Book Fair is taking place from May 9 to 12. The Spanish-speaking countries are being honored this year. At least 60.17% electors of the 1.43 crore voters in Delhi cast their votes till 6pm Sunday, according to the figures released by the Election Commission of India. The turnout was, however, nearly five percentage points lower as compared to that of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Senior election commission officials said the voter turnout was expected to rise marginally and could touch 61% as long queues were reported at more than 100 stations even after 6pm. According to the Election Commission of India, this years turnout was the second highest in the capital in 40 years. The highest voter turnout in Lok Sabha polls in the last three decades was in 2014, when more than 65% electors had cast their votes. Before that, it was in 1977 that more than 70% electors had turned up to vote. The lower turnout, as compared to 2014, however, came as a disappointment for the office of the chief electoral officer of Delhi who had organised an elaborate Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme this year. The voter turnout is not as we had expected. In 2014, it was around 65%. This time, it may be around 61% and that is a disappointment. We had invested lot of time, effort and money in SVEEP programmes, said Ranbir Singh, CEO of Delhi. Till 6pm, while North East Delhi registered 63.45% voter turnout the highest in the national capital, New Delhi constituency recorded 56.47% turnout, which was the lowest. The voter turnout on Sunday was 62.69% in the trader-dominated Chandni Chowk constituency; 60.64% in West Delhi; 57.3% in South Delhi; 61.95% in East Delhi and 58.99% in North West Delhi. Senior poll officials said there could be several reasons behind the low turnout. One of the reasons could be that this year, the elections coincided with summer vacations. Many might have already left the city on holidays. This year, elections are being held during peak summer. In 2014, elections were held on April 10 when the weather was slightly less hot. Also, elections this time were held on a weekend, a senior official from the CEOs office, said. The poll panel took several first-time initiatives such escorts for senior citizens, pick-up and drop facilities for centenarian voters and voters with disabilities. At least 47 centenarian voters and around 1,500 persons with disabilities availed of this facility. An expansion of the Narendra Modi governments cash-transfer scheme for small and marginal farmers, PM-Kisan, to cover all agricultural households is likely to be the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) governments key farm plank if it returns to power. The Prime Ministers Office had this month asked various department heads and secretaries to draw up a policy agenda for the next governments first 100 days. The agriculture ministry proposed expanding the coverage of PM-Kisan as part of its proposals to be accomplished in the first 100 days of the next government, two officials with knowledge of the matter said. Universal coverage of PM-Kisan among farmers is also a key manifesto promise of the BJP. A presentation before the PMO is on schedule, one of the officials cited above said on condition of anonymity. Results for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections are due on May 23. A new government is expected to take office soon after that. The headline objective for the farm sector is to double farm incomes by 2022 on the base year of 2017, a goal set by the current government, the second official Towards that objective, proposals being considered are higher public investment in the sector, short-term crop loans at zero per cent interest, boosting exports and a national warehousing grid along national highways. Also read| Naam bhi, kaam bhi: PM Modi breaks down BJPs election strategy PM-Kisan came in the wake of rural distress marked by negative returns to farmers over the past two years, setting off protests in many states. A range of crops, from soyabean to pulses, continued to sell below federally fixed minimum support prices (MSPs). The government sets MSPs, which are meant to act as a floor price to help avoid distress sales, for 23 farm commodities. Under PM-Kisan, the government hands out 6,000 a year to small and marginal in instalments of 2,000 each. Benefits under the programme are given on the basis of household land holdings. Small and marginal farmers are defined as those who own up to two hectares of land. The programme, first proposed in the 2019-20 Budget, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Uttar Pradeshs Gorakhpur on February 24. Currently, the scheme is designed to cover 125 million farmers. The country has 140 million operational land holdings, which refers to the number of land parcels owned by total households. Of these, 120 million or 86% -- are below two hectares, or those owned by small and marginal farmers. Farm production volatility has of course reduced. But price volatility continues to be the key issue. The government possibly has rightfully chosen some vulnerable sections for income support. But the next step in agriculture for the government should be to just step back and let farmers face the market, said Manoj Kumar Panda, director of Delhi Universitys Institute of Economic Growth. Panda said longterm solutions for Indias antiquated farm sector, on which nearly two-thirds of the population depend for a livelihood, depend on structural reforms. According to calculations of economist Ashok Gulati of the think-tank ICRIER, contained in an April 2018 paper, a national level income transfer scheme to all farmers will cost 1.97 lakh crore under the assumption that all farmers get 10,000/ha irrespective of what crops they are growing and whom they are selling. This is only slightly more than the 1.70 lakh crore that the country spends on its food subsidy bill. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A polling agent in Haryanas Faridabad was arrested after a video of him allegedly trying to influence voters went viral on social media. Faridabad voted in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 12. Election commissioner Ashok Lavasa confirmed that the polling agent was arrested on Sunday afternoon and a report on the issue will be examined by the Election Commission. In the video, the polling agent, wearing a blue T-shirt, can be seen walking up to the polling booth as a woman prepares to cast her vote. He appears to press a button on the EVM or pointing to a party symbol and then promptly returns to his seat. The man repeats the act with two other women voters. Several people tagged the Election Commission seeking action after the video went viral. DEO Faridabad reported that the observer, Sanjay Kumar investigated the entire matter. The person in the video is the Polling agent who has been arrested in the afternoon itself. FIR is lodged, Lavasa tweeted. The person in the video is the Polling agent who has been arrested in the afternoon itself. FIR lodged. He was trying to effect at least 3 lady voters. Observer & ARO with teams visited the booth at Asawati in prithala constituency. He is satisfied that voting was never vitiated DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICE FARIDABAD (@OfficeFaridabad) May 12, 2019 Ashok Lavasa said after receiving the full report action will be taken against those found wanting in their duty. He added that the scrutiny of this polling station will be comprehensive. The district election office in Faridabad said voting was not compromised. Prompt action taken. FIR lodged. Person behind bars. Observer enquired the matter personally and is satisfied that polling was never vitiated, DEO Faridabad tweeted. Faridabad, Haryana How impotent are the systems CEC, Please answer pic.twitter.com/0Lc8d516Xu Paul Koshy (@Paul_Koshy) May 12, 2019 The voter turnout was 64.48% in Faridabad. Union minister Krishan Pal Gurjar is contesting against Congresss Avtar Singh Bhadana and INLDs Mahender Chauhan in this seat. All 10 seats in Haryana went to polls on May 12. Results will be declared on May 23. Also read: EVM glitches, allegations of booth capturing convulse Rohtak voting Congress president Rahul Gandhi reiterated on Monday that Sam Pitroda must apologise for his comments on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. What Sam Pitroda said about 1984 is absolutely wrong and he should apologise to the nation for it. I told him this over the phone, I told him what he said was wrong, he should be ashamed and apologise publicly, Rahul Gandhi said at a rally in Punjabs Fatehgarh on Monday, ANI reported. On Friday, Pitroda, who is the chief of the Indian Overseas Congress, apologised for his hua toh hua remark over the 1984 riots. The remarks triggered a barrage of criticism, including by his colleagues and by BJP leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Pitrodas comment showed Congresss arrogance and character. One of the tallest leaders of the Congress, speaking in a loud voice on 1984, said, 84 ka danga hua to hua. Do you know who this leader is, he is very close to the Gandhi family this leader was a very good friend of Rajiv Gandhi and guru of Congress naamdar (dynast) president, Modi said at a rally in Rohtak on Friday. Senior leaders of the Congress distanced themselves from Pitrodas remarks . It is not the partys stand, the party condemns it. All leaders should be careful about what they say, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said at a press conference in Delhi. Congress has worked to provide justice to the victims of 1984 riots. No act of violence and riots can be forgiven, he added. Also read: Was misrepresented: Sam Pitroda apologises for 1984 riots remark While apologising, Pitroda also said his comment had been blown out of proportion. My Hindi is not that good, I think in English and translate in Hindi... I could not translate bura in my mind... what I really meant to say is jo hua bura hua tha (what happened was bad), he said. The 1984 riots took place at the end of October-early November 1984 year when mobs, some allegedly including members of the Congress party, killed members of the Sikh community in retaliation for Indira Gandhis assassination. At 9.30 am Sunday, 111-year-old Bachan Singh was escorted by the state election office staff from his home in West Delhis Shiv Vihar to the voting centre at Sant Garh in a car, where he exercised his franchise. Dressed in a white kurta pyjama and a neatly tied white turban, Singh, Delhis oldest voter, said he still doesnt understand why he was being applauded for something he has been doing since 1951. I have voted for the party that has worked for us. Not voting is not an option, he said, his speech faint and slurring as media persons surrounded him. As Singh entered the polling station, a volunteer steered him in a wheelchair into the booth where he cast his vote, assisted by his son. He was taken care of very well, just that he was surrounded by so many people that he got claustrophobic and kept asking for water. The station officials could not catch what he was saying and that made him irritable, said Singhs grandson, Gurcharan Singh. Ahead of polling, the state electoral office had identified and touched base with many as 96 voters who were more than 100 years old and offered transport to the polling stations. To get 110-year-old Rampyari Sankhwar to the polling station at Kondli Village, the returning officer of East Delhi constituency had made arrangements to pick and drop her. I dont get any pension. All old people should get pension. For me, another issue is better education for children, said Sankhwar, accompanied by son Ram Dani Sankhwar. Not all the elderly were, however, were as lucky as Singh and Sankhwar to get a red carpet welcome. Despite the difficult conditions at many stations, seniors were seen coming to vote in large numbers with family members. Kanta Rohini, 85, a resident of Dwarka sector 10, dragged herself, supported by her walking stick on the one side and her daughter-in-law on the other. They waited a long time for a wheelchair, but the only one was occupied. They closed the front entry and so we had to take a detour through the rutted tiles to reach the polling booth. Her (Rohinis) walking stick kept getting stuck, said Anju Agarwal, her daughter-in-law. Kishan Devi, 67, said though she had no clear reason to vote, she had never skipped an election. When asked why she votes, she said, I live, hence, I vote. Many said that for people of their generation voting day was not really a holiday but a day to come out, stand in queues and have political arguments with friends and neighbours. Waving three 100 rupee notes on Sunday evening, 16-year-old Nisha was brimming with excitement as she displayed her first salary. To earn the 300, she had spent 12 hours from 6am to 6pm escorting voters to booths and assisting them in the scorching heat on Sunday. There were a few visually impaired voters who had come and I assisted them from the moment they stepped out of their cars till they voted and got back into vehicles. Some senior citizens really appreciated the gesture and gave me their blessings, she said, while waiting for voters at the two polling booths at Nirman Bhawan in the New Delhi constituency. This was the first time the election commission has enlisted the help of school students of Delhi government schools as volunteers at polling stations. Nisha and her classmate Lata (17) from Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Pandara Road, were dropped at the polling stations by their parents at 5.45am. Thankfully, we brought lunch from home. They (poll officials) had sent lunch for us but it never reached us after a few policemen took the packets for security check this is a high-profile polling station, Lata said. Seven class 12 girls at Zeenat Mehal Senior Secondary School in Jafrabad were seen assisting physically challenged persons, senior citizens and lactating mothers who had come to vote at the polling station in their school on Sunday. The girls had to report at the booth at 5.30am. We are so excited to be a part of the electoral process. Its a proud day for us all, Kulsum, 17, said. The girls were given a day-long training by the EC on May 2. We were told how to communicate with the speech- and hearing-impaired voters and how to help the physically challenged voters while shifting them into wheelchairs. We were told to be polite, Nighat, another student, said. Around 2pm, the girls were taking a short break over a cold drink and samosas, when a senior citizen entered the polling centre. See, there is no break for us. Its a long day but by far, the most exciting one of my life. I will never forget it, Zeba Chaudhary, another volunteer, said. Yashika Bhat and her friend Kritika Sharma, both class 12 students of Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in West Vinod Nagar, helped nearly 12 physically challenged people within two hours of polling on Sunday. Things are well-organised here, as it is a model polling station. But there are a few people, especially the physically challenged and the elderly, who need assistance. We are just helping them with their wheelchairs, getting them water and other things they need, Bhat said. At the MCD primary school in Kondli Village, students and volunteers from Nehru Yuva Kendra were busy phoning people with disabilities from a list given to them to check if they needed assistance to reach the polling booth. We phoned nearly 57 people to offer assistance. We sent volunteers to their homes. We are making sure that those who need wheelchairs get them on time. Nearly 70% people we had phoned came to vote, Pawan Singh, a volunteer with the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, said. A communist veteran who served in the Left Front government of West Bengal, voted out in 2011 after being in power for 34 years, says the Bharatiya Janata Party has Trinamool Congress leader and chief minister Mamata Banerjee to thank for its entry into the state. He is resentful of the BJPs big-bang arrival in Bengal and the TMC remaining the largest political force and laments the decline of the Left and the Congress. All three are interlinked in many ways. The BJPs inability to find an electoral base in the nationalist state of Bengal has been a sore point for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates for decades. The Sangh Parivars groundwork did not reap electoral benefits for the BJP and past alliances, such as with Banerjee, did not deliver a payback.The BJP remained a fringe player in the state until the 2014 parliamentary elections that gave it the first ray of hope in Bengal two Lok Sabha seats out of 42 and nearly 8.7 million votes. It was the BJPs best performance ever on its own in Bengal. Today, it has grown in size, found a voice thats louder than it ever was before, inducted a new set of local leaders, and is trying to consolidate the Hindu vote with a hardline approach as an answer to Mamata Banerjees politics. The Banerjee regime much like the Left Front when it ruled Bengal banks on the support of the states 27% Muslim population. The Communists blame her for going too far unlike the Left Front to keep her hold over the minority vote, often mixing religion and politics that was alien to Bengal. There were controversies over a government ban on the immersion of idols after Vijayadashami during Durga Puja because it coincided with Muharram. The high court lifted the ban, and Banerjee did not shy away from expressing her displeasure. The daggers were out too when her government attempted a ban on the display of arms in Ram Navami processions. There were many more, and the BJP made the best of the Left Front leaders reluctance to take a position on religious matters. Under its current leadership, the BJP is aggressive and unapologetic about its Hindu credentials. The more Banerjee tried to keep her minority vote safe, the wider it left the door for the BJP to enter Bengal. The BJP and RSS affiliates did all they could to position themselves as the main challenger to Banerjee; questioning her track record in government and policies towards the minorities, and taking on her TMC on the ground. Bengals politics eventually became a BJP versus TMC battle. Banerjee stormed to power in Bengal in 2011 with a promise of poriborton (change). Her party today mirrors the Left Front in some ways. The involvement of the party cadre in government matters at the local level is rampant; and what Banerjee faced under Left Front rule, she unleashed on her rivals after coming to power. The chit fund scandal and allegations of political patronage that the suspects in it enjoyed took the sheen off Banerjees claim of change. Political violence in the run-up to elections and refusal to grant permission to opposition leaders to campaign exposed her vulnerability. With its resources and cadre, the BJP managed to milk each of these to rise as a political force in Bengal. The shifting loyalties of TMC leaders added more muscle to the BJP, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress struggled to stay afloat in the absence of a narrative and organisational structure. In some ways, the BJPs Bengal story mirrors that in Uttar Pradesh, which it won over by building a narrative, forging alliances and playing to the Hindu gallery. The result: BJP and its ally Apna Dal won 73 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in 2014, and followed that up by storming to power in Indias most populous state in 2017. The TMC remains the largest force in Bengal, but the BJP has arrived as a contender. For the BJP, if Uttar Pradesh was the story of 2014, it is hoping that Bengal will be the story of 2019. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In another low in coarsening political discourse in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, BJP president Amit Shah on Monday described West Bengal as kangal Bangla. Hitting back with an equally disturbing comment, Trinamool spokesperson Derek OBrien called the BJP president pukeworthy. Derek O Brien, also a Rajya Sabha member, questioned Shahs audacity to use such a term for the state and said that the people of Bengal will give him and Modi a fitting reply in Phase 7. In the seventh and last phase of election on May 19, polling will be held in nine parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal. Addressing a rally at Canning in Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency, Shah said Banerjee has turned sonar Bangla (golden Bengal) into kangal (pauper) Bangla. Shah also promised that he will restore Bengals glory. The BJP leader also dared West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to arrest him for chanting Jai Shri Ram, claiming that the TMC supremo can stop him from attending rallies in Bengal, but wont be able to stop BJPs victory march in the state. Mamata didi gets angry if someone chants Jai Shri Ram. I am chanting Jai Shri Ram here today, if you (Mamata) have the guts, arrest me. I will be in Kolkata tomorrow. A video clip showing Banerjee fuming at people for chanting Jai Shri Ram in Ghatal Lok Sabha seat went viral on social media recently. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked Congress president Rahul Gandhi hours after he said that Sam Pitroda should be ashamed of his comment on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Stinging the Congress president, the prime minister said that naamdaar (dynast) should be ashamed of himself rather than reprimanding his mentor for his remarks. You pretended to scold your mentor for what? Because he publicly said what had always been in Congresss heart? Its you who should be ashamed, PM Modi said at an election rally in Punjabs Bhatinda, from where union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal is seeking re-election. Congress is struggling to win 50 seats because the Congress leader is confused and their thinking is diffused, the prime minister said, adding that the opposition partys arrogance was at its peak. Earlier today Rahul Gandhi had said, What Sam Pitroda said about 1984 is absolutely wrong and he should apologise to the nation for it. I told this to him over the phone, I told him what he said was wrong, he should be ashamed and apologise publicly. Last week, asked to comment on the 1984 Sikh riots, Pitroda had said, hua to hua (what happened, happened). On Friday, Pitroda, who is the chief of the Indian Overseas Congress, apologised for the comment, but not before it triggered a barrage of criticism, including by his colleagues and the BJP leaders. Senior leaders of the Congress distanced themselves from Pitrodas remarks . While apologising, Pitroda had said his comment had been blown out of proportion. My Hindi is not that good, I think in English and translate in Hindi... I could not translate bura in my mind... what I really meant to say is jo hua bura hua tha (what happened was bad), he said. The 1984 riots took place at the end of October-early November when mobs, some allegedly including members of the Congress party, killed members of the Sikh community in retaliation for Indira Gandhis assassination. The Congress president, Rahul Gandhi, in two recent interviews, has indicated that the economic model which worked well in the 1990s, then between 2004 and 2009, had broken down by 2012. He acknowledged that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governments mistake was to continue with the model after that, and claimed that even former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had told him in a private conversation that the model had run its course. Mr Gandhi believes that Prime Minister Narendra Modis mistake has been continuing with the same model, which explains what he considers the economic mismanagement of the last five years. This is among the most significant, but also intriguing, statements Mr Gandhi has made in the course of the campaign and needs careful thought. When he speaks of the 1990s model, which he accepts led to great benefits too, one assumes he is talking about economic liberalisation, and lifting restrictions which allowed the Indian private sector to grow, India to get more economically integrated with the global economy and a middle class to flourish. When he speaks of the post-2004 model, one assumes he is referring to the addition of major social welfare initiatives like National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to the liberalisation mix in the spirit of creating inclusive growth. This was in response to the critique that the set of economic policies followed in the 1990s had exacerbated inequality and not taken care of the poorer segments of the population. What part of this model does Mr Gandhi thing broke down? In 2012 - the break off point for him - India was reeling from allegations of crony capitalism. The government was accused of policy paralysis, investments began dipping, and economic parameters began stumbling. Does he believe that a relatively liberal economic regime created conditions for this kind of corruption and stasis? And if that is the case, is Mr Gandhi suggesting a return to the pre-1991 form of heavy regulation in the economy and a drastic increase in State intervention? If that is so, the Congress may end up throwing out the baby with the bathwater because even if Indian capitalism has major problems, there can be no doubt that India needs more reforms, not less. Or does Mr Gandhi merely mean that the country needs more welfare initiatives in the form of schemes such as Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay), which the party has promised this time around? If this is the case, the Congress needs to think more carefully about how it plans to increase growth that will allow better redistribution. If the Congress does return to power, Mr Gandhis new economic model could well be its most significant departure. But the party needs to first be clear itself about what the components of this model are and explain to the electorate, in greater detail, its diagnosis of the broken old model and road map for the future. Chinese writer Lao She (1899-1966) is best known for his vivid descriptions of the lives of everyday folk that reflected the social reality of his time. The Beijing native, who was born as Shu Qingchun in a Manchu family, was also a specialist in depicting local culture in Beijing with his unique humor and use of the city's local dialect. Because this year marks the 120th anniversary of Lao She's birth, a series of activities are being held around the city. Beijing Quju Opera Troupe will stage shows adapted from Lao She's classic novels such as Rickshaw Boy and Four Generations Under One Roof. On Monday, an original Quju Opera show by the troupe, entitled Peaceful Year, will make its debut in Tianqiao Theater in Beijing. Telling the story of a family living in the courtyard of a traditional hutong (alleyway) in Beijing in 1949, against the backdrop of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the show, which runs through Friday, gathers veteran director Gu Wei and composer Dai Yisheng, as well as young Quju Opera talent. Highly detailed plot synopses of the fourth, fifth and sixth episodes of Game of Thrones final season were posted online more than two weeks ago, and after the release of episodes four and five, their accuracy has been corroborated. This suggests that the details of the final episode of the hit HBO show, which reveal how the show will end, might perhaps be true as well. Potential spoilers follow. Also read: Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 5 review The Bells: Daenerys hangry decision makes it series worst episode The leak originated on Reddit, and provided extremely accurate descriptions of the plot. While we wont be revealing spoilers here, click on the hyperlink at your own peril. Here are leaked details from episode five, which turned out to be true. Dany has Varys executed. Dany assaults Kings Landing and its one-sided as hell. The post continues, Kings Landing gets wrecked in the battle. Drogon burns Eurons fleet. The Hound fights his brother. They both die. Jaime fights Euron and kills him, but Jaime is mortally wounded. Jaime makes it to Cersei and they die together. Previously, plot details such as, Varys betrays Dany because he thinks Jon would be a better ruler, and Cersei has Missandei executed, were proven to be true. The leak of these details have been attributed to multiple sources, and some posts appeared as long as 11 months ago. The production went to great lengths to protect the plot from being leaked; they shot in closed environments, had stringent anti-piracy methods on set and, like Marvel, shot multiple versions of important scenes. I think theyre filming a bunch of stuff and theyre not telling us, actor Emilia Clarke told the Hollywood Reporter previously. Theres lots of different endings that could happen; I think were doing all of them and we arent being told which is actually whats going to happen. Sophie Turner said that a drone killer had been deployed on set. If a drone flies above sets, theres a thing that can kill the drones, which is really cool. It creates a field around it and the drones just drop. Its very X-Men, she said at an event. Scripts for the final season reportedly vanish after scenes have been shot. Said Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Theyre very, very strict. Its reached a crazy level this year. We actually get the scripts, and then when weve shot the scene and we only have it digitally and then when youve done the scene, it just vanishes. Its like Mission: Impossible. This will self-destruct. Game of Thrones will air its series finale on May 20, Monday, on Hotstar, and on Star World and Star World HD every Tuesday at 10 pm. Follow @htshowbiz for more Veep Cast - Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, Reid Scott, Matt Walsh, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole Rating - 4/5 While most of the world was distracted by Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snows adventures, a different sort of Game of Thrones was unfolding on another HBO show, also in its abridged final season. On Monday, Veep concludes its terrific seven-season run, which has been playing out in parallel to GoT. And without any help from fire-breathing dragons and mad queens - and despite being largely asexual - its achievements far outweigh anything weve seen on the more popular GoT. In its last couple of seasons, Veep has had to face the same moral quandary as House of Cards. Can any political show retain an element of shock and surprise in the current environment, when Donald Trumps America continues to blur the lines between satire and real life? House of Cards reacted to this mess with a shrug of disbelief, and decided to fully commit itself to transforming into a sappy soap opera. Veep, meanwhile, has retained its dignity. The final season is perhaps more subversive than the show has ever been. If anything, the Trump presidency has made Veep more cynical, and more fearless. Policies it jokingly suggested in earlier seasons have been adopted by real-life politicians, playful plot points have come true. For instance, Selina Meyers emails leaked years before Hilary Clintons, and her campaign slogan - Continuity with Change, devised with the express objective of sounding meaningless - was unfortunately ripped off by former Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull. This newfound nihilism has allowed showrunner David Mandel and his team to fully embrace the emptiness at the shows heart. After mistakenly landing at Cedar Plains instead of Cedar Rapids, Selina barks at her campaign advisors, If Mohamed Atta had you guys booking his travel hed still be alive today. Enticing her with a possible scam, her Chief of Staff quips, Youll be drowning with money so dark youll get shot entering your own apartment. A running joke is Selinas campaign speeches getting interrupted by mass shootings. Was he Muslim or white? she asks. White, her staff says. Which ones better for us? All this is pretty bold material, and an excellent example of how, despite its many troubles, free speech is still a cornerstone of American society. Its difficult to imagine similar jokes being made in an Indian context. And as Selina Meyer prepares for her presidential campaign - for real this time - her worst tendencies as a petty, opportunistic schemer emerge out of hibernation. This is the role of a lifetime for Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who despite Selinas inherent awfulness, finds ways to humanise her, and project her as a product of her environment. Shes won the Primetime Emmy six years in a row for playing Selina, and barring a major upset, will likely win her seventh, one for every season. I wonder if this is unprecedented. And while Game of Thrones flounders about, draining a decade of goodwill down the toilet, Veep ends on a resoundingly positive note. In its final season, the show leapfrogs over plain satire and ventures into the absurd. Congressman Jonah Ryan, once the butt of the most colourful insults, has transformed into an exaggerated version of a Trump-type candidate. There is no situation he cant make worse by simply opening his mouth. Over the course of the final seven episodes, he marries his step-sister and later learns that she is his half-sister; contracts small pox after going all-in on an anti-vaccine campaign, and inspires scores of women to start a #NotMe campaign, in which they provide proof of never having dated him in the past. Even the formerly miserable Black Mirror has found it in its heart to project some decency into the universe, but Veep has taken our sorry situation as an excuse to point fingers and take names. Toute nation a le gouvernement quelle merite, a wise Frenchman once said. Every nation gets the government it deserves. Its all your fault, Veep seems to suggest, with a disdain thatll continue to serve as a warning for future generations, just in case they feel the need to shake things up again. Follow @htshowbiz for more The author tweets @RohanNaahar Swedish prosecutors say they are reopening a rape case against Julian Assange, the founder of anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London A look at key events in the Assange saga: August 2010: Swedish prosecutor issues arrest warrant for Assange based on one womans allegation of rape and anothers allegation of molestation. The warrant was withdrawn shortly, with prosecutors citing insufficient evidence for the rape allegation. Assange denies the allegations. September 2010: Swedens director of prosecutions reopens rape investigation. Assange leaves Sweden for Britain Sept.27. November 2010: Swedish police issue international arrest warrant for Assange. December 2010: Assange surrenders to police in London and is detained pending extradition hearing. High Court grants Assange bail on Dec. 16. Feb. 24, 2011: District court in Britain rules Assange should be extradited to Sweden. Dec. 5, 2011: Assange granted an appeal to the Supreme Court. May 30, 2012: Supreme Court rejects Assanges appeal. June 2012: Assange asks Supreme Court to reopen case; court refuses. Assange enters Ecuadorian embassy in central London, seeking asylum on June 19. Police set up round-the-clock guard to arrest him if he steps outside. Aug. 16, 2012: Assange is granted political asylum by Ecuador. July 2014: Assange loses bid to have an arrest warrant issued in Sweden against him cancelled. A judge in Stockholm upholds the warrant alleging sexual offences against two women. March 2015: Swedish prosecutors ask to question Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy. Aug. 13, 2015: Swedish prosecutors drop investigations into some allegations against Assange because of the statute of limitations; investigation into a rape allegation remains active. Oct. 12, 2015: Metropolitan Police end their 24-hour guard outside the Ecuadorean embassy but say theyll arrest Assange if he leaves ending a three-year police operation estimated to have cost more than 12 million pounds ($17 million). Feb. 5, 2016: Assange claims total vindication as the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention finds that he has been unlawfully detained and recommends he be immediately freed and given compensation. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond calls the finding frankly ridiculous. April 6, 2017: Ecuadors president-elect, Lenin Moreno, warns Assange that as a condition of asylum granted in 2012, he is not allowed to meddle in politics following comments on Twitter. May 19, 2017: Swedish prosecutors drop their investigation into rape allegation against Assange, and the European arrest warrant is withdrawn because there is no prospect of bringing Assange to Sweden. British police say he is still wanted for jumping bail in 2012. September 2018: Ecuadors president says his country and Britain are working on a legal solution to allow Assange to leave the embassy in the medium term. October 2018: Assange seeks court injunction pressing Ecuador to provide him basic rights he said the country agreed to when it first granted him asylum. November 2018: A US court filing that appears to inadvertently reveal the existence of a sealed criminal case against Assange is discovered by a researcher. No details are confirmed. April 2, 2019: Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno blames WikiLeaks for recent allegations of corruption. April 5, 2019: A senior Ecuadorian official says no decision has been made to expel Assange from the London embassy despite rumors he could be kicked out soon. April 11, 2019: London police arrest Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy for breaching bail conditions in 2012, as well as on behalf of US authorities, shortly after Ecuadors government withdrew his asylum status. May 1, 2019: Assange sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching bail conditions in 2012. May 13, 2019: Swedish authorities reopen investigation ofSwedish against Assange and say they will seek his extradition. London: Serious doubts have been raised over the success of ongoing cross-party talks on Brexit after Labours chief negotiator on Monday insisted that any deal is unlikely to be passed on the House of Commons without another referendum, which is opposed by the ruling dispensation. Called a confirmatory referendum, Labours shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said unless it is part of any consensus reached in the cross-party talks, at least 150 of his party MPs would vote against it. If no new offer is on the table, Labour would call off the talks, he added. The Theresa May government has been exploring reaching a consensus position with Labour after the withdrawal agreement was voted down thrice in the House of Commons by many Conservative rebels as well as opposition MPs. There are also demands within the Conservative party that May should call off the talks since, according to the increasingly influential view, they are destined to fail. Doubts have also crept in over the fate of any deal when May has made clear her intentions to resign later in the year. Starmer told The Guardian: A significant number of Labour MPs, probably 120 if not 150, would not back a deal if it hasnt got a confirmatory vote. If the point of the exercise is to get a sustainable majority, over several weeks or months of delivering on the implementation, you cant leave a confirmatory vote out of the package. Ive made it clear that at this stage, at this 11th hour, any deal that comes through from this government ought to be subject to the lock of a confirmatory vote, Starmer added. Influential Conservative MPs such as Jacob Rees-Mogg believe a large number of party supporters will vote for the newly formed Brexit party in the May 23 elections to the European Parliament, when both main parties are expected to face another round of public anger after the recent local elections. There is much ennui over Labours ambiguous position on Brexit, at times presenting itself as a party of those wanting to remain in the European Union, but also committing itself to honour the 2016 referendum to leave the EU. The UK was due to leave the EU on March 29, but the deadline has now been pushed to October 31. Prosecutors in Sweden on Monday reopened an investigation into a rape allegation made against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who is facing an extradition trial in a London court and is currently lodged in the high-security Belmarsh prison. The Swedish inquiry has been revived at the request of the alleged victims lawyer, reports from Stockholm said. Assange, 47, denies the charges dating to 2010. He has avoided extradition to Sweden for seven years after seeking refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy in London in 2012. Assange has been jailed for 50 weeks for breaching his bail conditions after he was evicted from the embassy in April. Swedish prosecutors had previously decided to drop the rape case on the ground that it was not possible to progress it while he remained inside the embassy. Announcing reopening the rape probe, Swedens deputy director of public prosecutions, Eva-Marie Persson, said: There is still probable cause to suspect that Mr Assange committed rape. The prosecutor will shortly request that Julian Assange be detained in his absence suspected on probable cause for an allegation of rape. I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US. In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority, she added. The extradition trial is based on a request by the United States, where he is wanted for his alleged role in the release of classified military and diplomatic material in 2010. WikiLeaks said in a statement that reopening of the Swedish rape case would give (Assange) a chance to clear his name. There has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused significant damage to the vessels, one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the US. Khalid al-Falihs comments came as the US issued a new warning to sailors and the UAEs regional allies condemned the reported sabotage Sunday of four ships off the coast of the port city of Fujairah. The announcement came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the citys port. Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible. However, the reports come as the US has warned ships that Iran or its proxies could be targeting maritime traffic in the region, and as America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran. Tensions have risen in the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Irans economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. In his statement, al-Falih said the attacks on the two tankers happened at 6 am, Sunday. One of the two vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to Saudi Aramcos customers in the United States, al-Falih said. Fortunately, the attack didnt lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels. Saudi Arabia did not identify the vessels involved, nor did it say whom it suspected of carrying out the alleged sabotage. Underling the regional risk, the General Secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the alleged sabotage as a serious escalation in an overnight statement. Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger, Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemens internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage. A statement Sunday from the UAEs Foreign Ministry put the ships near the countrys territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah. It said it was investigating in cooperation with local and international bodies. It said there were no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels and no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel. The US Navys 5th Fleet, which oversees the region, did not immediately offer comment. Emirati officials declined to answer questions from The Associated Press, saying their investigation is ongoing. Earlier Sunday, Lebanons pro-Iran satellite channel Al-Mayadeen, quoting Gulf sources, falsely reported that a series of explosions had struck Fujairahs port. State and semi-official media in Iran picked up the report from Al-Mayadeen, which later published the names of vessels it claimed were involved. The AP, after speaking to Emirati officials and local witnesses, found the report about explosions at the port to be unsubstantiated. Fujairahs port is about 140 kilometers (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. The facility handles oil for bunkering and shipping, as well as general and bulk cargo. It is seen as strategically located, serving shipping routes in the Persian Gulf, the Indian subcontinent and Africa. Sundays incident comes after the US Maritime Administration, a division of the US Transportation Department, warned Thursday that Iran could target commercial sea traffic. Since early May, there is an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against US and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, the warning read. Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or US military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait or the Persian Gulf. Early Sunday, the agency issued a new warning to sailors about the alleged sabotage, while stressing the incident has not been confirmed. It urged shippers to exercise caution in the area for the next week. Publicly available satellite images of the area taken Sunday showed no smoke or fire. It remains unclear if the previous warning from the US Maritime Administration is the same perceived threat that prompted the White House to order the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region on May 4. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) F irst we had Living Coral, affable and animating, declared the colour of 2019 by pundits Pantone in the US. Then they added 11 extra shades for a fashion palette. Over half are citrus. They include Fiesta Orange for energy, passion and excitement; Mango Mohito, a golden yellow; Pepper Stem, yellow-green for natures healthy bounty, and Aspen Gold. Colour is emotional. We feel colours, says Marianne Shillingford, creative director of Dulux. The impact goes way beyond the wash of a wall and the stronger the colour, the stronger the punch. She explains that colours with a long visual wavelength such as orange are positive and energising with a feelgood factor. Yellow is happy and uplifting: Great for chilly north-facing rooms. With grounded and balanced greens, including lime and leafy shades, the waves are getting shorter: These colours go with everything. Fine-tune your citrus hues to suit your moods and home, going bright and brilliant, or tuning down the tones. A simple bowl of fruit is an instant citrus lift. Add a vase of yellow blooms for a double whammy. Add some colour to your outdoor space with these lemon yellow rattan garden chairs priced at 140 for two (John Lewis) Fine artist Annie Sloan, who publishes The Colourist bookazine twice a year (9.95; anniesloan.com), is a paint pioneer and a big fan of citrus hues. She says they are the most alive shades in the entire colour spectrum. Sloan has just added three colours to her palette of 39, all uniquely mixable for that personal touch. The new shades include a zesty green called Firle its a gentle kick and will make every other colour sing and a mustard. Paint is the default for a quick colour hit. Natural essences of lime, lemon and tangerine invigorate the senses, says Rebecca Craig of the Sanderson Studio. Use sunflower yellow for a dark London hall. For a softer look, add touches of lime green to teal or grey. Gen-Z yellow was a fashion fave last year, big again on the catwalk again for spring, and just now filtering down on to the high street. In Clarendon Cross, west London, Summerill & Bishop has been selling exclusive tableware for 25 years. Yellow is taking over this summer with lots of pottery, glass and handpainted napkins and tablecloths. June Summerilll says: We love how well yellow plays with other shades and finishes. Yellow pairs beautifully with cool blues and pretty pinks, as well as dark botanicals and wood. Victoria Atkin, of furniture brand Atkin and Thyme, says: You dont need to do the whole room. A single citrus statement is a boost. Avoid wishy-washy hues. Be confident. Use colour contrasts to modernise a neutral room with maxium style. She suggest a yellow armchair. Currently the shops are full of velvet in citrus hues. But the Strandmon wing chair from Ikea, a slimline take on a traditional favourite, is still a bargain at 195, with a neat row of buttons on a smooth, hardwearing buttery-yellow cover. Encouraged by Pinterest and Instagram, Londoners are using zingier, brighter citrus shades, says Charlie Marshall, whose Loaf Shack furniture stores are in Battersea, Notting Hill, Spitalfields, Guildford and St Albans. F ast train links, regeneration potential, plenty of open space and incredibly affordable prices for first-time buyers on a really tight budget it might just be that the only way really is Essex. Londons Essex fringes are seeing an influx of investment in housebuilding, and new shared-ownership homes have just become available from only 67,000. Ilford will come into sharper focus once Crossrail is up and running, giving fast, frequent services to the City in less than 20 minutes and the West End in 22 minutes. Lower-cost homes in Ilford From 67,000: a 25 per cent share of a one-bedroom flat at The Paragon Ilford Hill At The Paragon Ilford Hill, Nu Living, part of Swan Housing Association, has prices from 67,000 for 25 per cent of a one-bedroom flat with a full market value of 270,000. A five per cent deposit comes in at 3,350 and in addition to mortgage payments, buyers will need to find monthly rent of 464 and service charge from 101.19. Two-bedroom flats with a full market value of 335,000 start at 83,750 for a 25 per cent share, with 4,187.50 deposit, 576 monthly rent and 134.35 service charge. With two towers of 14 and 18 storeys The Paragon is high-rise by Ilford standards, with some great views from its upper apartments. Surrounded by a landscaped plaza, its within an easy walk of the town centre and station. Ilfords new cultural quarter Right now Ilford lacks atmosphere. The pedestrianised High Road has a good range of middle market chains but few independent shops and while you wont go short of a great curry, good bars and pubs are in short supply. However, this autumn Ilford is set to get a covered market on the town hall car park site as part of The Spark, a new cultural quarter. Mercato Metropolitano of Elephant & Castle will open Mercato Ilford, with international street food, dining and community events, and scope for start-ups and food entrepreneurs to establish and grow. There will also be artists studios and a business hub, with extra financial support from Redbridge council. Lower-cost homes in Barking A couple of miles away is another town on the Essex fringes with lower-cost homes. From 83,750: for a 25 per cent share of a one-bedroom flat at 360 Barking In central Barking, 360 Barking comprises four residential towers that will contain almost 300 new homes, including 100 earmarked for first-time buyers. The first residents have moved in and the whole site will complete this summer. Prices start from 83,750 for a 25 per cent share of a one-bedroom flat, with a five per cent deposit of 4,187.50. As well as mortgage repayments, buyers will need to pay monthly rent of 576 and service charge of 138.17. The local council has a stated ambition of transforming Barking into a mini-Manhattan on the eastern fringes of London. The ambitious plans include redeveloping the tired Vicarage Field Shopping Centre, building a new music venue and cinema, and improving the local range of restaurants. Work has also started on Fresh Wharf, with 900 new homes beside the River Roding, plus cafes, restaurants and shops 10 minutes from the town centre. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), and call for more attention to be paid to Tibetan orphans and poor children, an art show was staged by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) and the Shengji Art School on May 10 in Beijing. Attending the event were famous veteran artists such Tian Hua, Chen Duo, Bian Xiaozhen and Ye Peiying, as well as around 500 representatives of government, donating enterprises and cooperative organizations, and student representatives from Beijing's middle and primary schools. In his opening remarks, Jing Dunquan, vice chairman of the CSCLF, talked about the importance of educating ethnic minorities. He said that promoting the education of ethnic minorities is not only related to the growth of minority youths, but also plays an important role in strengthening national unity and maintaining social stability. The CSCLF set up the Shengji Fund in October 2015 to help Tibetan poor children and orphans in Beijing's Shengji Art School receive a good vocational education. According to Jing, "the fund helps disadvantaged young people from ethnic minorities in Tibet, Qinghai and Sichuan come to Beijing to receive free education. This is so that they can establish a correct outlook on life and the world." Since 2008, the Shengji Art School has enrolled 94 children from poverty-stricken areas and provided them with a free secondary vocational art education. Some have successfully completed their study and went on to further education. The art show was divided into four chapters: "My Motherland," "Ten Years of Public Welfare Endeavors," "Grateful Heart" and "Towards a Glorious Future." The show opened with a choral rendition of "My Motherland", a popular song written for the 1956 Chinese movie "Battle on Shangganling Mountain." More than 100 students from Beijing Shengji Art School, CSCLF's Peace Angel Art Troupe and the High School Affiliated to China University of Geosciences sang the song, expressing their love for the motherland. Famous soprano Ye Peiying, took the stage to perform a rendition of her popular hit, "I Love You, China." The octogenarian said, during an exclusive interview with China.org.cn, that it was her obligation to support the art show. "China is a big family of many ethnicities. Tibetan children are one of our offspring. The older generation feel that it is vital to provide them with a sound environment so they can grow up healthily. After 70 years of development, Chinese people are enjoying a good life. We must make sure every single child can enjoy the same benefits," Ye said. The number of registered nurses in China have increased over the years but are still insufficient, with much room for further growth, according to officials. The number of registered nurses in China exceeded 4 million at the end of 2018, rising to 3 nurses per 1,000 people, the National Health Commission announced at a recent press conference ahead of International Nurses Day, which falls on May 12. China still lags behind developed countries in terms of human resources indices on nurses and has much room for development in the regard, Jiao Yahui, an official with the commission, said. According to an official document on promoting reform and development of the nursing service sector issued by multi government agencies in 2018, China aims at considerable growth in the nursing workforce by 2020, with the number of registered nurses to exceed 4.45 million, more than 3.14 registered nurses per 1,000 people. With an increasingly aging society, China is stepping up efforts to cultivate more nursing workers to meet the growing elderly care. Meanwhile, the country also encourages senior registered nurses to work part-time at community-based clinics, among efforts to expand the coverage of high-quality nursing service in communities. According to Jiao, China needs to strengthen the cultivation of nurses and improve nursing practice management system to broaden the path for nurses' career development. China is piloting an "Internet plus nursing program," under which patients who are too old or restricted by their diseases to move can book nursing services via the internet, and then approved medical institutions send their nurses to communities or homes to serve patients. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) Hundreds of vote-counting machines (VCMs) malfunctioned and caused delays on election day, which was also marred by widespread vote-buying. The problem with VCMs emerged early as former Vice President Jejomar Binay stormed the canvassing headquarters of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Pasay City, complaining that his ballot was constantly rejected due to paper jam. Pasig mayoralty bet Vico Sotto also refused to cast his vote until the "defective" VCM in his precinct was replaced. The COMELEC reported that 400 to 600 VCMs out of 85,000, had issues creating long lines in polling centers across the country. These VCMs were also the ones used during the 2016 presidential elections, but the COMELEC admitted problems with the machines have tripled since the last polls. At 6 p.m., when polls were supposed to close, only 6.8 percent of the precincts had finished voting. READ: Defective vote-counting machines mar midterm polls In a precinct in Guadalupe Elementary School in Cebu City, voters were asked to sign a waiver authorizing the teachers, serving as Board of Election Inspectors, to insert the ballots in their behalf amid technical difficulties. This meant the voters would not be able to check if recipts from the VCMs reflected their votes accurately. President Rodrigo Duterte said it is too early for Malacanang to intervene. "Let COMELEC explain first to the people before we even initiate a sort of investigation," he said after casting his vote in Davao City. COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez said that the poll body has about 10,000 backup VCMs to be deployed as replacement for units with technical problems. 'Massive' vote buying The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, had a different battle as it cracked down on vote buying that persisted during the elections. "Ito yung malaking naging challenge din natin itong vote buying (Vote buying was also a big challenge for us)," PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said, adding that the widespread buying and selling of votes needs to be investigated. Albayalde said there have been at least 79 vote-buying incidents, with 240 confirmed violators. Of these, 230 have been arrested, while 10 remain at large. READ: Massive vote-buying continues on Election Day On eve of election day, Quezon City mayoral bet Vincent "Bingbong" Crisologo was arrested for unjust vexation, direct assault, and obstruction of justice in relation to suspected vote-buying of his supporters. Crisologo was ordered freed by the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday, enabling him to cast his votes. Meanwhile, congressional bet Heherson Alvarez bowed out of the race amid alleged vote buying in his district in Isabela. Duterte said all politicians are guilty of vote buying, but stressed that anyone caught doing so "shall be prosecuted to the fullness of the law." COMELEC data show that a total of 171 vote-buying complaints were filed with the poll body during the 2013 and 2016 elections. Of those, only six have made it to the court, while no one has landed in jail for vote buying. Now Open 13 May 2019 The highly anticipated Mr. C Coconut Grove, the first Mr. C hotel to debut in Florida from the fourth-generation hospitality leaders, brothers Ignazio and Maggio Cipriani, has officially opened its doors to begin welcoming guests. Alongside their premier hotel, the brothers are additionally introducing their contemporary Italian restaurant, Bellini, which will be serving guests morning into night daily. Mr. C Coconut Grove is the third property operated by the Cipriani brothers, who currently operate a 138 key luxury property in Beverly Hills, California and a 66 key luxury property located in the lower Manhattan neighborhood of the Seaport District New York. Accommodations at the well-appointed hotel include 100 guestrooms and suites with unmatched views of Biscayne Bay and the Coconut Grove skyline from the furnished room terraces. From its interior, the hotel draws inspiration from Italy's iconic coastal style and hints at the aesthetic elements of a classic yacht. Interior design includes high gloss timber paneling, leather-upholstered blue and caramel headboards, nautical style dressers, playful and comfortable sofas and armchairs in a range of soft and airy blue and white fabrics throughout the space. Acclaimed architecture and design firm, Arquitectonica, in conjunction with the Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, combined the stylish European glamour and nautical aesthetic Mr. C Hotels are best known for with the tropical surroundings of South Florida. The hotel offers a sprawling Presidential Suite to guests which includes a full-sized kitchen, dining room, living area, two outdoor terraces and two king-size bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. The bedrooms are also adjoining, making it a great option for families staying at Mr. C Coconut Grove. Mr. C Coconut Grove has also introduced Bellini Restaurant and Bar to the neighborhood, located on the hotel's top floor, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. The restaurant boasts a refreshing new Italian dining concept inspired by Ignazio and Maggio Cipriani's travels throughout Italy, and offers indoor and outdoor seating that exudes the intimate old-world atmosphere of coastal Italy while embracing a sleek and soothing Miami modern style. For corporate meetings and social events, Mr. C Coconut Grove also offers guests a top floor ballroom with panoramic views of the Biscayne Bay. The space can accommodate a seated dinner for approximately 180 guests and cocktail reception for 250 guests, with an additional pre-function space. A flexible event space is also available in the hotel's covered exterior ground floor for up to 750 guests. Other property amenities include a rooftop pool and pool deck with private cabanas and a pool bar, state-of-the-art fitness center featuring TechnoGym equipment, personal trainer and yoga classes upon request, a Lobby Lounge, and a private spa suite with a relaxation area, sauna and treatment room which can be reserved through the concierge team. Upon arrival, guests will receive a complimentary Bellini while the front desk handles their reservation. Appointment 13 May 2019 Before joining Radisson Hotel Group, Stuart has held numerous positions in the hospitality industry - for the last 11 years he has been based in the Middle East. His most recent roles were Cluster General Manager with Marriott in Dubai and General Manager roles with Starwood in Abu Dhabi & in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This is his first position within Radisson Hotel Group. He chose our company due to its dynamic growth & innovative spirit, alongside a long history of teamwork & collaboration aligned with an entrepreneurial approach to doing business. This will be the 10th property Stuart has been a part of with regards to either opening, rebranding or reopening. Stuart makes Every Moment Matter to our guests by personalizing the service his team and himself strive to deliver on a daily basis. His philosophy is to empower the team around him to be the best that they can be. His highlight moment was the opening of KidZania Jeddah - the first Edutainment venue in KSA. Event Were delighted to announce the plans for 2019s International Hotel Technology Forum. Were back for our 16th birthday and taking the event to new heights! Previous editions have seen IHTF move around Europe with host cities including Paris, Barcelona, Lisbon, and London. 2018s event in Palma, Mallorca saw us bring together IHTFs largest audience ever, with hoteliers traveling from across the EMEA region. Over the course of 3 days, attendees can expect to hear over 50 presenters tackle the most pressing issues facing the industry. We create interactive experiences and delegates can expect to take part in workshops, debates, round-tables, case studies and interviews. The programme is split into 2 streams one tackling technology and operations issues, the other focused on the dynamic area of marketing and distribution. Alongside a comprehensive learning programme, delegates and suppliers will have an opportunity to take part in a series of pre-scheduled business meetings where we match hoteliers with solution providers. IHTF - International Hotel Technology Forum 2019 is organized by Arena International Events Group External Article 13 May 2019 InterContinental Hotels Group has frequently been contrarian over the years when it comes to travel distribution. The chain recognizes that not all guests are brand loyal, and that it is wise to maintain healthy relationships with online travel agencies and metasearch engines. Advertisements InterContinental Hotels Group, which counts brands ranging from Holiday Inn to InterContinental Hotels and Kimpton in its portfolio, will announce the creation of a 17th brand next week, an official said. Speaking at the HotelBeds MarketHub Americas conference in Cancun on Wednesday, IHG's Philippe Garnier, the chain's vice president of third-party distribution, didn't reveal many details about the new brand, but said it would be in the suite space. At Skift Forum Europe in London April 30, CEO Keith Barr talked about the imminent brand launch, adding that it's vital to be strategic about brand additions to avoid brand bloat. While many of IHG's competitors, including Hilton and Marriott, have been running campaigns and emphasizing direct-bookings, where guests find the lowest rates for loyalty program members on the chains' websites, Garnier in Cancun said IHG recognizes that not everyone prefers or is able to book its properties direct. Opinion Article 13 May 2019 Market Profile Advertisements Cape Town is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants and expatriates to South Africa. As of 2018, the city had an estimated population of 4.5 million. The CTICC CEO Julie-May Ellingson has announced a R900m CTICC 2 development, this planned all glass sky bridge between the two parts of Cape Town International Convention Centre could become the mother city's latest tourist attraction. Source: Airports company South Africa 2018 HVS The economy is sophisticated, relying on the tertiary sector, primarily the financial and insurance sectors, and tourism. Infrastructure is adequate with extensive roads networking the city and the electricity network reaches most areas in the city. However, Cape Town was suffering from a massive drought in 2018 that had an impact on daily activities and tourism. 2019 shows a positive outlook although the presidential elections bring uncertainty to the country. Economic Indicators - South Africa Source: IMF, 2019 HVS Economical Background Since the appointment of the South Africa president Cyril Ramaphosa many changes have been made in the cabinet this included the appointment of minister of Finance Tito Mboweni who was sworn in after the resignation of the former minister of finance. With the upcoming election scheduled for May 2019 the outcome remains uncertain, but it is likely to have an impact on the South African economy. South Africa has a better outlook than previously expected; 2018 GDP was 0.8 % which showed an improvement of 0.1% in 2018 compared to the 0.7% of 2017. It is expected to grow further in the upcoming years. Unemployment fell by 1% towards the end of last year and is expected to further decrease as the political situation stabilizes. Exchange Rate USD: ZAR Source: Ferates.com HVS Hotel Performance With the announcement of the suspension of 'Day Zero' by the City of Cape Town, Hotel performance is expected to pick up in 2019. The upcoming elections are likely to impact the Hotels' performance as corporate and leisure activities will typically slow down during this period. However, the elections are expected to be peaceful. The decline RevPAR in 2018 is projected to rebound in 2019 and even exceed numbers from last year in 2020. Arrivals Cape Town, 2013-2018 Source: Airports Company South Africa HVS Tourism Demand The total number of international tourists arriving and staying in South Africa is steadily increasing at a compound rate of 5.3% over the last six years. Leisure and holiday accounts for over 70% of international arrivals followed by business and conferences at around 20% of arrivals. A weak currency may make South Africa a very cheap destination for international tourists, domestic travelers, mainly corporate, may struggle and reduce their travel expenses. Despite the drought and drop in occupancy, Cape Town has shown strong resilience: Cape Town International Airport had a growth of almost 9.1% in international arrivals in 2018 compared to 2017. The MICE events deferred in 2018 due to drought appear to be returning in 2019 as there are many of events scheduled throughout the city. Visitation 2014-2018 Source: Airports Company South Africa, 2018 HVS Hotel Supply Developers will be investing R2bn in Cape Town adding over 500 rooms to the city's accommodation inventory all to be operated by Marriott. This includes the 189-room AC Hotel Cape Town Waterfront that was opened in 2018 and the 200-room Cape Town Marriott Hotel Foreshore. The Design Hotel Group has introduced the Gorgeous George hotel to Cape Town. This 32-room hotel is created out of two restored heritage buildings and is scheduled for opening in April 2019. Brands not already represented in the city continue to search for properties and there is no evidence of a fall in demand for representation in Cape Town. There is limited supply coming to the market in the short term which will result in improvement in hotels' performance in the market, hotel supply grew by 0.02% in 2018. In the past few years Cape Town saw a significant increase in supply this is expected to slow down a bit, but most brands are still looking at Cape Town as the "place to be ". Hotel Pipeline 2019-2026 Source: STR, 2017 HVS Investment Market Cape Town's hotel market is rather illiquid due to the lack of transactions in recent years. However, as the city develops, and the political and economic situation improves, investors are likely to show further interest in the Mother City. The most recent transaction was the sale of the Communicare building opposite the CTICC for hotel development. Outlook Cape Town has been slowly recovering after the announcement of the suspension of Day zero in 2018 and is expected to grow in the upcoming years. Water supply must be secured for an anticipated faster growth in foreign and domestic tourism. The upcoming political election will cause unrest in the province due to uncertainties, this uncertainty will cause a drop-in occupancy in most hotels which may also have a negative impact on RevPAR, but only in the short term. The Mother City benefits from a strong reputation worldwide and its many touristic attractions will continue to attract millions of tourists every year. Hotels have a huge potential growth coming in the next few years. The increasing interest from major international brands and their development pipeline Cape Town make us believe that the growing demand will support the increase in supply in the next few years. Performance 13 May 2019 STR's preliminary April 2019 data for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, indicates high demand and occupancy levels. Based on daily data from April, Abu Dhabi reported the following in year-over-year comparisons: Supply: +4.6% Demand: +5.3% Occupancy: +0.7% to 80.4% Average daily rate (ADR): +2.8% to AED440.01 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +3.4% to AED353.98 The absolute occupancy level was the highest for any April in STR's Abu Dhabi database. STR analysts note that performance levels were pushed by events such as Culture Summit Abu Dhabi (7-11 April) and the Retail Abu Dhabi Spring Sales (15 April through 1 May). STR will release full April results later this month. 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 Owned by Pullman Hospitality LLC and managed by Regal Hospitality Inc., DoubleTree by Hilton Huntington is in the heart of downtown Huntington at 1001 3rd Ave, Huntington, West Virginia, 25701. Following a multimillion-dollar revitalization project, DoubleTree by Hilton Huntington opened last week as Hilton's first DoubleTree by Hilton property in West Virginia. The hotel welcomes guests to beautifully renovated guest rooms and meetings and events spaces, as well as a transformed lobby and business center. Additionally, the property boasts a new restaurant, Doppio Albero an Italian Restaurant, as well as Baker Joes Coffee Shop which offers homemade baked goods, and Bootleggers Pub, where guests can enjoy delicious beverages and burgers. The 20,000-square-foot, 183-room hotel and conference center opened in 1975 and quickly became a key attraction for travelers visiting Huntington, which is a vibrant, energetic city. Today, the hotel remains a valued destination in the city and welcomes business and leisure travelers alike to a contemporary, upscale travel destination. The hotel also boasts 20,000 square feet of flexible meetings and events space, making it an ideal destination for weddings, association conventions, local and regional business events and more. "We are thrilled to relaunch this iconic downtown hotel as DoubleTree by Hilton Huntington, as we celebrate a tremendous moment for the city and community of Huntington," said Rick Dinan, director of operations, Regal Hospitality. "We are proud to be the first full-service Hilton hotel in West Virginia and would like to thank the Huntington community for the warm welcome." To celebrate the hotel's opening, Hilton Honors members who stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Huntington between July 28, 2019 and January 28, 2020 will earn an additional 1,000 Points per night for up to four nights. Some restrictions apply. Guests can call 304-525-1001 for details. Owned by Pullman Hospitality LLC and managed by Regal Hospitality Inc., DoubleTree by Hilton Huntington is in the heart of downtown Huntington at 1001 3rd Ave, Huntington, West Virginia, 25701. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Consumers nervous, cutting back according to reports Excerpt from SF Gate Consumers nervous, cutting back according to reports Travel demand is almost always a good predictor of what's to come for the overall economy. It's like the canary in the coal mine. When consumers and big companies start to feel nervous about future prospects, travel is usually one of the first things to get cut (or reduced) from the family or corporate budget. So while employment and overall economic numbers still look like it's full steam ahead for the U.S. economy, the travel industry may be starting to feel a light recessionary chill. Some examples: Recommended Video"We have had 100plus straight months of travel expansion in the U.S., and there are now parts of the world that are just starting to join the travel revolution...But despite these positive factors, I see increasing and worrying signs about where worldwide demand is headed and evidence that suggests the U.S. is poised for a slowdown across every travel category" writes Clayton Reid, the CEO of MMGY Global, a giant marketing and communications firm in the travel space. MMGY's research shows an overall decline in demand for travel over the last two years, with a lot more travelers citing sensitivity to pricing as the reason for cutting back. It finds that business travel demand is currently a little stronger than leisure demand, which is propping up airfares and hotel rates, but that is also expected to decline in 2020. With economies outside the U.S. going soft, fewer travelers will be headed to big American gateway cities like New York or San Francisco, pushing down demand. Reid wrote, "According to The Wall Street Journal, 49% of economists predict a global recession late this year. Yes, that's only half of those polled, so the optimist in me wants to believe the other 51%. The problem: Half of the 51% think a recession is still coming in 2020, and, by the way, in 2007, only 44% of economists thought we were headed for a recession that came just months later." Click here to read complete article at SF Gate. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Yesterday, Kevin Hart celebrated Mother's Day by posting a photo of his mom on Instagram. Many started pointing out their similarities right away, telling the comedian that he definitely took after his mother. We don't know if she's also the reason Kevin is so quick on his feet as an actor and comedian but she likely contributed to it. Fans commented on the picture to say that they genuinely look like they could be twins. For real, Hart's mom looked just him with longer hair and more feminine features. 50 Cent decided to take a break from the trolling to point out just how much they look alike, joking with his friend about his upbringing. https://www.instagram.com/p/BxXoAvtl3CH Fiddy posted a side-by-side comparison of the two, remarking that they look like the same person. "Damn boy your father was there, but your mamma did all the work," wrote 50 as his caption. "@kevinhart4real what the fuck ai you look just like her," he said, echoing a sentiment that many pointed out on the original photo. These days, 50 Cent is usually preoccupied with his money, going public with all of his feuds and asking Teairra Mari, Randall Emmett, Jackie Long, and others to pay up. It's nice to see him doing something else for a change. "#PositiveVibesOnly," right Fofty? https://www.instagram.com/p/BxaFCzGneuS Nate Diaz will be making his long awaited return to the UFC on August 17 at the UFC 241 PPV event taking place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Diaz, who has not fought since August 2016, will be going up against Anthony Pettis in a Welterweight bout. During an appearance on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show, Pettis explained just how eager he is to get in the octagon with Diaz. Says Pettis, Its personal. I cant wait to put my hands on him. I cant wait to hurt this guy. "It's time to back it up; Everything he's been talking, all the stuff he's been saying and all the drama he's been trying to cause with the UFC vets. Aright, let's settle it now, in the octagon, exactly how I want it. Man, I'm excited for this fight, 100% motivated. I want to knock this guy out." https://twitter.com/_/status/1128026233491677184 https://twitter.com/_/status/1128001487546867712 Pettis, 32, is 22-8 in his career, including a 4-6 record in his last 10 fights. In his last bout, which marked his welterweight debut, Pettis picked up a second-round KO victory against Stephen Thompson. Diaz, who hasn't fought since losing to McGregor in an epic five-round bout in 2016, has been rumored for a return to the octagon on numerous occasions, but nothing ever came to fruition. He was linked to a fight against Poirier at UFC 230 back in November, though it all fell apart before anything became official. Barring any unforeseen issues, Pettis and Diaz will serve as the co-main event on the UFC 241 card, headlined by a heavyweight title rematch between Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic. https://twitter.com/_/status/1127385950194155522 Mother's Day brought the best in our favorite celebrities this past weekend. Many took it to social media to share their love for their mothers, sisters, aunts and baby mothers. And despite the celebrations, it remains essential to honor those who don't get to cherish the moment with their mother or related tie because of an untimely death. As previously reported, business mogul and Hip Hop pioneer Diddy has been experiencing difficulties since losing his children's mother, Kim Porter. The jack-of-all-trades took his grief to social media numerous times, keeping it transparent with his pain surrounding the loss. As such, the producer shared a photo of his late ex-wife via his social media account to honor her on Mother's Day. The post was linked to the following caption: "I FUCKIN MISS YOU SO MUCH. Happy mothers DAY ." While Diddy also ensured to post the other women in his life, which included his own mother, it is heartbreaking to see he won't get to celebrate this Mother's Day with Kim Porter. Furthermore, the post led to numerous comments by both close friends and fans, wishing the rapper healing from his loss. Prayers up emojis and hearts also flooded the picture's comment section. Rolling Loud Miami went down this past weekend and in short, it was eventful. With performances from some of the biggest names in hip-hop, as well as the most promising up-and-comers, it lived up to the standards of hip-hop's biggest festival. Unfortunately, one person who wasn't able to make it was G Herbo who was set to perform on Sunday but unfortunately, the rapper wasn't able to make it. G Herbo issued an apology to his fans and the organizers of Rolling Loud for missing his performance on Sunday, which may have actually worked out for the best. The rapper explained that he was trying his hardest to make sure that he could perform at the festival but the judge on his case didn't give him the required permission to travel. "I've been trying to make it all week. My judge told me I couldn't come, couldn't do the show," he said. "I've been trying to pull all kinds of strings, call in earlier, court arraignments, you know, go back in chambers with the judge. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go out and do it... I don't know if this was up to my P.I. team or whatever. I just didn't want to let too much time go by with everyone's questions unanswered." Skipping out of Rolling Loud Miami may have been for the better. There were a ton of mishaps that occurred during this weekend's festival which seems largely due to the police presence. The founders of Rolling Loud issued a statement on Saturday morning after rumors of an active shooter on the grounds began to take off on the Internet. Additionally, they lost two of their major performers, Lil Wayne, and Kodak Black. The former canceled his set after he refused to be checked in my police while the latter was arrested on state and federal firearms charges ahead of his performance. While Kawhi Leonard was busy sinking logic-defiant shots, television sets were also programmed elsewhere as fans continue to count down toward the series finale episode of Game of Thrones. Shortly after Sunday's showing of Episode 5 of Game Of Thrones in which Dany would finally burn King's Landing to the ground, HBO unveiled the trailer for episode 6th, the final episode of the cult favorite television series. In the new clip, we are given a clear shot of Dany's back as she walks toward and observes the now destroyed King's Landing, signaling toward her official transition. Naturally, the outcome of Sunday night's episode led to another domination of the internet, with the aforementioned Kawhi Leonard and his Toronto Raptors being the only non-GoT topics trending in the United States. The general consensus seems to be a distaste for the development of Dany's character. To supplement the outrage, showrunners David Benioff also provided insight into Dany's reason for burning up King's Landing in the latest edition of "Inside The Episode." "[Dany's] very much alone and that's a dangerous thing for someone who's got so much power to feel that isolated," says Benioff. "At the very time when she needs guidance, everyone/s gone. The series finale of Game of Thrones airs next Sunday, May 19th on HBO. Bradford Cohen, criminal defense attorney for Kodak Black, has spoken out for the first time since the South Florida native was arrested while en route to perform at Rolling Loud Miami. Cohen believes that the force is responsible for the viral new image of Kodak being held in custody while smiling, forgoing the typical mugshot that trails behind the news of an arrest. "I think the actions of the [police] in taking a photo of him in the police station in handcuffs and selling it or giving it to WSVN is a disgusting display of unprofessionalism," Cohen told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Sunday (May 12th). https://twitter.com/_/status/1127384673116672001 The photo was uploaded by WSVN's Brian Entin, who first confirmed the arrest of Kodak Black Saturday evening. While it is not entirely clear who took the photo, the picture does show a handcuffed Kodak as he smiles for the camera following a detainment in connection to firearms charges--the result of an operation lead by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Contrary to initial reports that Kodak Black was arrested while at Rolling Loud, the festival instead confirms that the rapper was en route to his set. Festival organizers went on to add that they had no knowledge or connection to the South Florida rapper's arrest. The Nike LeBron 3 will reportedly return to retailers in a Saint Vincent-Saint Mary's "Home" colorway for the first time since the kicks debuted in 2006. Official images of the Nike LeBron 3 "SVSM" surfaced a few months back, but today it was finally announced that the sneakers will be releasing on May 23. Nike LeBron 3 SVSM/Nike Inspired by LeBron's alma mater, the kicks sport a green and gold color scheme atop a white leather upper. The kicks also feature shamrock detailing on the heels, SVSM logos on the insoles and SVSM branding near the metallic gold eyelets. It remains to be seen how many stores will have the "SVSM" Nike LeBron 3s in stock but we'll keep you posted as the May 23 release date nears. Take a closer look at the official photos below and set aside $175 if you're feeling the look. Nike LeBron 3 SVSM/Nike Nike LeBron 3 SVSM/Nike Nike LeBron 3 SVSM/Nike Nike LeBron 3 SVSM/Nike Nike LeBron 3 SVSM/Nike A surefire way to turn a bleeding-heart liberal into a raging conservative is to propose an affordable housing development in his or her neighborhood. Folks talk a good game about fighting poverty and housing people. Most Americans know the best way to end poverty is to move children out of low-income neighborhoods to places where they can attend good schools and meet aspirational role models. Very few people, though, want to share their neighborhoods with people who do not make as much money as they do, or who dont look or sound like them. Homeowners worry that affordable housing might hurt their property values, even as they complain about rising taxes from sky-high valuations. On HoustonChronicle.com: GDP is a lousy way to measure economic progress Neighborhood associations have squashed dozens of affordable housing developments across the state in recent years. This opposition exacerbates a housing crisis that is driving the middle class from Texas cities and concentrating poverty in specific neighborhoods. The most difficult thing about doing any housing, affordable or not, is the economics of it. When you translate that down to the affordability side, its even that much harder to do, said Jamie Bryant, executive vice president of Midway, a private development firm where hes built two affordable housing projects in Houston. Affordable housing is different from voucher programs best known as Section 8. Affordable developments offer homes, for sale or rent, within the means of working people and dont necessarily house the indigent. Developers rely on state and federal tax credits and local incentives to lower their costs and thereby lower prices. The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, federally financed but state administered, is the largest and most competitive to win. Gaining community support is critical when applying for these limited credits, and many cities require neighborhood association support. In Houston, where there is no zoning, neighborhood associations become de facto zoning boards that can declare: Not in my backyard! Not being able to get those support letters is not a veto but the applications are so competitive it might as well be, said Bryant, who also serves on the board of Avenue, a non-profit, affordable housing developer in Houston. Bryant recalled working on a 70-unit project where neighborhood leaders complained it would create too much traffic. They said they wanted a mixed-use development instead, even though mixed-use projects generate twice as much traffic. They were not using logic. They had a pure NIMBY mindset, Bryant said. The backlash against affordable housing became so bad that the non-profit Alamo Area Mutual Housing Association in San Antonio had to change its name to Alamo Community Group. But through meetings with neighborhood leaders, and after a decrease in available housing, executive director Jennifer Gonzalez said she faces less opposition. Gonzalez said the conversation has changed over the last 20 years along with her typical customer. Affordable housing once focused on custodians and nursing aides, but applicants today are more likely to be teachers and nurses. The incomes have not risen, and the cost of housing has just continued to increase, Gonzalez said. Its a booming population; its property taxes, its the cost of construction, cost of general development. Its out-of-state money buying up real estate that looks so cheap to them. People are legitimately struggling here to pay for the cost of housing. To overcome opposition, her team introduces neighborhood leaders to the people who will live in the development. But thats not enough to overcome resistance in wealthy neighborhoods, where people dont want to mix with average Texans, or low-income communities, where residents are tired of being a repository for poverty, Gonzalez said. The sweet spot is where Gonzalez can meet a housing need in a middle-income area while providing social services to the entire neighborhood, not just her tenants. On HoustonChronicle.com: San Antonio program moves low-skilled workers into middle class The Texas economy is adding tens of thousands of jobs every year. Tens of thousands of people are moving to Texas to fill those jobs. They are driving the economy. We need more housing not only for these new arrivals but also for the teachers, nurses, cooks, delivery drivers and other middle-class workers who form the foundation of our cities. If we believe in the American dream that hard work will bring prosperity, we must make room for people to take their shot at it. Our communities are socially, culturally and politically more impoverished when we segregate ourselves by economic class and deny parents a safe place to live and educate their children. An open heart, an open mind and a helping hand will make us all stronger. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy. chris.tomlinson@chron.com twitter.com/cltomlinson Twice in the past six months, San Antonios business leaders have publicly allied themselves with Mayor Ron Nirenberg and against the citys public safety unions and came up short. Some of the citys wealthiest executives spent nearly $1.7 million on a campaign to defeat a trio of union-backed charter amendments aimed at kneecapping a loyal ally of theirs, then-City Manager Sheryl Sculley. The result? San Antonio voters approved two of the amendments in the November elections. Sculley announced her resignation soon after. A week ago, District 6 Councilman Greg Brockhouse supported by the police and fire unions and social conservatives forced Nirenberg into a runoff despite heavy business support for the incumbent heading into the municipal elections. I think that the business community may have been a little flat-footed going into this election, not because they did not like Ron, but because they did not sense that there was a real race here, philanthropist and real estate developer Gordon Hartman said. The unions have turned this into a race now. Had the mayoral election taken place in November at the time of the charter election, the business community wouldve been a monolith, said Richard Perez, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce CEO. But this year, he added, we had some issues. Most prominent among those issues was a March vote by City Council to strike Chick-fil-A, known for supporting organizations with anti-LGBTQ views, from an airport concessions contract. District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino introduced the change, and Nirenberg supported it, voting with the majority. The move sparked the ire of Christian conservatives and an investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The timing of the Chick-fil-A vote, so close to the May 4 election, likely didnt help Nirenberg make inroads with a business community thats still pretty conservative, Perez said. I think it ultimately hurt Ron, Perez said. Some business leaders fear Brockhouse will deplete the citys finances to satisfy the fire unions contract demands, jeopardizing the citys AAA bond rating a charge Brockhouse calls ridiculous and a Ron Nirenberg talking point. Nonetheless, the sentiment could re-energize the business communitys support of Nirenberg ahead of the June 8 mayoral runoff. Thats the only thing that has the clear prospect of bankrupting the city, former City Councilman Joe Krier said of the fire union contract. Tepid support Business donors tend to support incumbent mayors, said Laura Barberena, a veteran Democratic campaign operative in San Antonio. Even though business support has coalesced around Nirenberg, the support is tepid, she said. The question is, will they go from tepid to hot? Barberena said. I dont see anybody switching or changing their bet at this point. Billionaire B.J. Red McCombs a Republican donor who gave Nirenberg $1,000, the maximum contribution allowed under San Antonios campaign finance laws said he wouldnt be surprised if business donors stick with Nirenberg in the runoff. Its a hard job any way you look at it, McCombs said. But the more that you know about it, the better decisions that youre going to make. Nirenberg seemingly has given business leaders plenty of reasons to jump ship during his two years in office among them a reputation for excluding the business community from key decisions. But they havent proven enough to completely shake off business support. Some of them have been issues that probably, if he had handled them in a different way, could have been advantageous or would have been seen by the business community in a better way, Hartman said. Not a monolith Though the San Antonio business community often is thought of as a monolithic entity, reactions to moves made by Nirenberg show the community to be multi-faceted, with diverse and often competing political interests. To restaurateur Louis Barrios, the Chick-fil-A vote was the latest example of Nirenbergs tendency to focus on minor issues, he said. We have serious, serious, serious issues in this city, said Barrios, a Brockhouse supporter. And this has taken up all the oxygen in the room? Barrios added, It just makes San Antonio look like Small Town, U.S.A., when we shouldnt be. Jeff Buell, co-owner of local builder Sitterle Homes, gave Nirenbergs campaign $100 in March but said he was very disappointed in the Chick-fil-A fiasco. Buell hesitated to say whether he would give to Nirenberg again. He noted the mayors attitude toward business owners has improved during his term. He initially came in and I felt like he was not really paying attention to a lot of the business community, Buell said. But hes seemed to come around a little bit on that and be a little bit more open toward business. City Council members delayed a vote on a proposed plan to reduce the citys carbon emissions after local energy giants NuStar Energy and Valero Energy Corp. reportedly threatened to relocate their headquarters if the city adopted the plan. Each company, through their political action committees, gave $1,000 to Nirenbergs campaign last year. NuStar spokesman Chris Cho said the companys PAC plans to support Nirenberg in the runoff. Valero spokeswoman Lillian Riojas did not respond to an email requesting comment. The climate plan left many business owners scratching their heads about how much it would affect their bottom lines when the draft plan dropped in January, said Cristina Aldrete, CEO of the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. We wouldve appreciated that the mayor and city council reached out earlier than they did, Aldrete said. To say, Hey, this is something that we want to consider doing. What do you think? And start talking to people in smaller groups before they said, Yeah, were putting a stakeholder committee of 80 people together. Because a big group, youre never going to get consensus from. The Nirenberg-led City Council also has upset business people by wading into labor issues. Restaurant and small business owners seethed when council members passed an ordinance mandating that San Antonio firms provide paid sick leave to workers. Earlier, chamber leaders forced council members to ditch a Nirenberg-backed measure to enact a labor peace agreement as part of an airport concessions contract. The agreement would have barred employers from preventing their workers to unionize as long as the workers agreed to not strike. Nirenberg also has drawn scrutiny for rejecting two high-profile bids that critics say wouldve been boons for San Antonio. A joint city-county decision to forgo a bid for online retail giant Amazons proposed $5 billion second headquarters, known as HQ2, gained Nirenberg plaudits from some quarters for refusing to offer tax breaks or other inducements to one of the worlds most profitable companies. Others lamented losing an opportunity to compete for 50,000 high-paying jobs. The citys decision not to bid on the 2020 Republican National Convention estimated to generate $200 million worth of economic benefits riled hoteliers and others in the hospitality industry. Nirenberg cited public safety and traffic concerns after council members decided against competing for the convention in a closed session. Nirenberg and Brockhouse each backed a new fee paid by hotel guests to fund city tourism promotion efforts, said Liza Barratachea, CEO of the San Antonio Hotel and Lodging Association. But the lodging industry felt left out when it came to the RNC decision, she said. We really wouldve liked to have had a seat at the table, Barratachea said. Barratachea added, Its in the past. We cant change it. Its not the last time that well have an opportunity like that. The Republican convention could have shined a national spotlight on the city, which spent $325 million to renovate the Convention Center, Barrios said. Whoever made that decision behind closed doors thought about their position politically instead of thinking of the enterprise, Barrios said. The business brand Each candidate is positioning himself as the pro-business candidate. Nirenberg campaign manager Kelton Morgan cited strong job growth, rising wages and low unemployment during the mayors tenure but acknowledged that Nirenberg and the business community havent always seen eye-to-eye. Theres a realization that, yeah, we dont agree on 100 percent of things, but we agree on more than we disagree on, Morgan said. This is a mayor thats good for business and good for our economy. Brockhouse, conversely, is seen as erratic and unpredictable by people in the business community, Morgan said. Theres a pretty much universal sense that he would not be good for business. Brockhouse admits he hasnt garnered much support among the citys major business donors, but said Nirenbergs business support is a product of the power of the incumbency. If elected, Brockhouse said he intends to earn the business communitys trust in part by consistently including it in his decision-making. Nirenberg has not been favorable to the business community by any metric, Brockhouse said. What has he done for the business community? Hes done absolutely nothing. But how necessary is business support to a mayoral candidate? Nelson Wolff, for example, did not have the whole business community supporting him when he was elected mayor in 1991, said Ramiro Cavazos, who was Wolffs campaign manager. Wolff relied on a diverse coalition of neighborhood and business leaders in that race, said Cavazos, now U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO. Julian Castro did not have wide business support when he unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2005, said Perez of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. Castro landed more contributions and endorsements from business people when he ran again, and won, in 2009, and had their solid support in his re-election bids in 2011 and 2013. Brockhouses surge of support from the public safety unions is the wild race in the race, said Barberena, the political consultant. Do you need the business support to win? Yes, Barberena said. But, with this disrupting entity now, youre going to need either more of the business class or more of the working class. Youre going to need more of each or both to overcome this disrupter, which is the firefighters. Joshua Fechter is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering real estate, economic development and tourism. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreports There's not much I admittedly understand about John McAfee and his ways of the world, from admitting to his Twitter followers that he's armed at all times from the shower to the bed to his, ahem, signature 2020 cocktail of mezcal, vodka, Scotch, Kahlua and blue curacao. But you can't argue that he's boring. McAfee has long been a Bitcoin enthusiast and champions most things cryptocurrency, and has been more recently hyping a debit card-like Visa that one can load with Bitcoin, is apparently usable anywhere and converts to local currencies. (The first 12,000 "debit cards" apparently will bear his image on the front, for those that want it, apparently.) McAfee took out his development team for drinks Monday, according to his Twitter account, and used the new Bitcoin debit card for its first outing. In the process of showing off the card, he also offered up an interesting proposition to his followers: Why not send me some Bitcoins to test it? "People asked to see the back of the card," McAfee wrote in a tweet. "Here's front and back on the counter at the first bar ever to accept a Bitcoin credit card. The code on the back is for one of my test wallets. If you want to send me Bitcoins as a test please do so :)" It seems a number of people took McAfee up on his offer, and within three hours, he was begging people to stop. "When I suggested in my last tweet that naysayers saying the scan code on the back of my Bitcoin Visa card was not even real, should just try sending Bitcoins and see -- sure as heck, the BTC started arriving," McAfee wrote. "I insist this stop. Already the IRS hates me," he added. It's true, the IRS is no fan of McAfee; the former antivirus magnate was indicted by the IRS for not paying taxes and he is currently living in international waters, while also running for president in 2020. The controversial McAfee is also a "person of interest" for the 2012 murder of his neighbor in Belize. The Securities and Exchange Commission is also not a fan of McAfee: He's claimed he's been forced into hiding due to his involvement with cryptocurrency and problems with the SEC, and apparently encouraged his Twitter followers to harass SEC Chair Jay Clayton last year, and demand a debate between McAfee and Clayton. Prime real estate Yu recalls his family to be quite poor when he was a boy. As the fifth and the youngest child in the Nu ethnic family in one of China's poorest areas, he grew up with little food and clothing, and even had no shoes. What they did have was an extraordinarily picturesque view from their windows: A steep valley and a winding river the famous Nujiang River. The place remains primitive and intact from the world's hustle and bustle for many years. The only sign of touch by the outside world was a church built by French missionaries more than 100 years ago. Yu's home sits nearest to the church, and in the 1990s, he began noticing backpackers who trekked muddy roads to reach the remote village. Many asked his family for lodging and dining, and paid cash in gratitude when they left. Still, Yu had yet to consider it as a money-making opportunity. "We were just curious and wondered why they had nothing to do but backpacking in such a remote village," he said. Yu dropped out of high school in 1996 and went to Shanghai as an ethnic singer. That was the first time he went outside of the village. Seeing the metropolis was certainly a novelty to Yu, but homesickness grew day by day until he decided to go back to Laomudeng at the end of 1997. He married a girl of Dulong ethnicity who he met in Shanghai, a co-worker from the performance troupe. After coming home, they toiled in the farm, but found that they could barely make ends meet. He said, "Then we lived in a bamboo house. With little financial resources, we could buy new clothes for kids only once a year, and could hardly afford to go to the county's town." Fire talks to you. It does not lie. In Edward Zwicks new film Trial By Fire, opening Friday, these words are spoken by an arson investigator testifying in the murder trial of Cameron Todd Willingham, the Corsicana man accused of burning his three young children to death two days before Christmas 1991. But what if, the film asks, fire does lie? Or, at the very least, what if the story a fire tells another dubious forensic axiom under scrutiny here does not suit the wishes of a criminal justice system already predisposed to dismiss someone like Willingham, an unemployed mechanic known to sometimes drink too much and hit his wife, as a dirtbag? He was understood to be the Other, and we have a way of wanting to get rid of the Other from our midst if given the opportunity, reasons Zwick in a phone interview. I think that was something that happened too easily to him; and also, he had really no great defense against it. A Corsicana jury took little more than an hour to convict Willingham, who was 23 at the time of his childrens death. The case continues to smolder long after his 2004 execution by lethal injection. Trial By Fire is based on David Granns article of the same name, which The New Yorker originally published in August 2009. Not only was Willingham innocent of the murders, Granns article argued, but his conviction was based on testimony that amounted to so much hocus-pocus. Helping send Willingham to death row were a jailhouse snitch who had been offered a reduced sentence in exchange for fabricating a confession from Willingham he recanted his testimony years later, not that it made any difference and an arson expert whose conclusions are described later on in the film as astrology. After Granns article, these events were also covered in an episode of PBSs Frontline and Joe Bailey Jr. and Steve Mims 2011 documentary Incendiary: The Willingham Case. Now it returns to theaters as a dramatic feature starring Laura Dern and Jack OConnell and directed by Zwick, the Oscar-winning producer and director whose credits include Glory, Blood Diamond and the multiple Emmy-winning TV drama thirtysomething. The Houston connection Zwick recalls spending hours and hours with screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious) to craft Granns article into a workable screenplay, one that likewise leaves Willingham under suspicion as long as possible. One thing that we agreed on was that, in Davids article, the thing that was very compelling in the beginning was to be convinced of Todds guilt, as were those jurors in Corsicana and as were those forensic examiners, says Zwick. If the audience could be convinced and condemn him as they did, then they would be complicit, he adds, and they would then understand and feel the full weight of the story as it unfolds before them. But about 50 minutes into Trial By Fire, an unexpected ray of hope comes into Willinghams life in the form of Elizabeth Gilbert, played by Dern. A playwright and teacher from Houston, Gilbert began corresponding with Willingham around 1999, after becoming involved with an organization that helped arrange pen pals for death row inmates. Before long, their unlikely friendship inspired Gilbert to begin re-investigating Willinghams case. According to Zwick, this twist allowed him to focus on this remarkable relationship between these two people, he says. This unexpected coming together of these two people created extraordinary meaning for (Willingham), and actually for both of them, in the most unusual and unexpected circumstances. As played by Dern, Gilbert gradually regains her emotional footing after meeting Willingham. The film picks up shortly after her ex-husband has been diagnosed with cancer; he later dies, further complicating her relationship with her two teenage children. Gilbert was closely involved with the production, notes Zwick, and even allowed Fletcher to incorporate the letters Willingham had written her from prison into his screenplay. I think because of the seriousness of the story, we might not have credited her with a kind of lovely humor and life force that she has, says Zwick. I think Laura glimpsed that in her conversations with Liz. Its also something that Laura is possessed of in abundance, the director adds. I think that ended up giving them a much more dimensional and complex description of (Liz) rather than just the earnest do-gooder. Changing his life Willingham experiences a sort of awakening on death row, explains the man who plays him, British actor Jack OConnell. It seemed to me like he went into prison probably academically challenged, says OConnell, perhaps best known in the U.S. for his role in the grim Netflix western Godless. And when his life depended on it, it seemed to me that he did educate himself in the legal system, anyway. After meeting Gilbert, Willingham tried to give himself the best opportunity to be able to provide a learned case for himself, OConnell adds, because there was nobody available to do that for him. Despite the publicity created by Granns article and the continuing efforts of organizations like The Innocence Project to clear Willinghams name, any reform prompted by the case has been glacially slow. In 2015, the Texas State Bar Association brought misconduct charges against John Jackson, Willinghams prosecuting attorney, but he was acquitted after a two-week trial; Johnny Webb, the jailhouse informant whose testimony helped convict Willingham, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 50 times during the trial, according to the investigative nonprofit The Marshall Project. Leaning toward the light The epilogue of Trial By Fire focuses on Rick Perry, then governor of Texas, at a debate among 2012 Republican presidential candidates. Though the question is not explicitly about Willingham, moderator Brian Williams asks Perry if the thought of Texas possibly executing an innocent person ever keeps him from sleeping at night. Not surprisingly, the answer is no. The state of Texas has a very thoughtful, very clear process in place of which when someone commits the most heinous of crimes against our citizens: they get a fair hearing, they go though an appellate process, they go up to the Supreme Court of the United States if thats required, says the governor, now the U.S. secretary of energy. But in the state of Texas, if you come into our state and you kill one of our children, you kill a police officer, youre involved with another crime and you kill one of our citizens, continues Perry, you will face the ultimate justice in the state of Texas, and that is you will be executed. The audience at the debate applauds. Justice is a hard thing to carry out to its fullest, as far as human error can be accounted for, says OConnell. (It) has to be a thorough process, and with that takes time, resource, money and all these other things that perhaps werent available. I talked to a lot of men who were incarcerated, adds Zwick. One man said to me he has to make a decision every day about whether to despair or to lean toward the light. In Willinghams case, says the director, I think he, in the most cruel circumstances that I could ever imagine, was able to find some meaning in his life. Thats a hard thing for all of us sometimes, regardless of the sentence that were under; regardless of the tragedy that we suffer or the unfairness that we experience, he continues. In that sense (the film) is a larger metaphor than just about death row. Houston's annual Fourth of July celebration is taking us to a galaxy far, far, away. Sort of. This year's Freedom Over Texas event has partnered with NASA's Johnson Space Center to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The "Space City Experience" will feature astronauts, robotic demonstrations, virtual reality field trips to the International Space Station, the Space Exploration Vehicle and NASA's Destination Station. And you don't even have to leave the ground. This year's festivities, as usual, are at Eleanor Tinsley and Sam Houston Parks on Buffalo Bayou along Allen Parkway. MISSION MOON: We're counting down 50 years of NASA influence on Houston's culture only at HoustonChronicle.com Last year's Freedom Over Texas festivities were to feature The Mavericks and Chris Young. But the event was canceled because of flash flooding and torrential downpours. It was announced the same day. Only the fireworks went on as planned. This year's musical lineup is topped by country star Jake Owen, whose No. 1 hits include "Barefoot Blue Jean Night," "Alone with You" and "I Was Jack (You Were Diane)." Owen's sixth album, "Greetings ... From Jake" was released in March. Owen has performed three times at RodeoHouston, including a set in 2016. He's also in town this week for a private concert as part of Hilton Honors. He'll be joined by Kellie Pickler, whose personality won over fans during "American Idol" Season 5. You know, when the show was still good. Pickler went on to a successful country music career, scoring hits with "Red High Heels," "I Wonder" and "Best Days of Your Life." Pickler won Season 16 of "Dancing with the Stars" and has also found a home on CMT, where she's appeared in a reality show and hosted a talk show. IT'S NOT OVER: 'Game of Thrones' Live Concert Experience coming to The Woodlands Local and regional acts will perform throughout the day, including Austin-based blues musician, Jackie Venson and The Ernest Walker Band featuring Mary Griffin and De'Andre Nico from "The Voice." There will also be a kids zone featuring performances by norteno band Los Luzeros de Rioverde, a space tribute by Aldine Carver Dance Company and appearances by storybook characters and superheroes. Freedom Over Texas runs 4-10 p.m. July 4. Tickets are $5 online through May 31 at freedomovertexas.org, $8 online June 1-July 3 and $10 day of show. Children ages five and younger are free. KTRK ABC-13 will simulcast the day of the event. Joey Guerra is the music critic for the Houston Chronicle and also covers everything from "Drag Race" to "Idol." Follow him on Twitter. Send him news tips at joey.guerra@chron.com. On Twitter this morning, I saw this dreadful post: Really, New York Times? Three things: 1) No quick egg taco, using a store-bought tortilla, should take 45 minutes to make. 2) An over-easy egg? Yeah, I love a good runny yolk. And sure, over-easy is way more photogenic than scrambled. But how the heck are you going to eat that? When a taco requires a knife and fork, it has stopped being a taco. 3) Broccoli. I repeat: Broccoli. Of course I grumbled. That's what Twitter is for. One response surprised me: Jeff Forward, @VillageEditor1, tweeted: "In this morning's adventure of wading through the stuff in the "Twitter-verse," I've quickly realized "celebrate diversity" apparently doesn't apply to tacos..." I've heard this line of thinking before. Houston celebrates diversity, the argument goes. So shouldn't Houstonians love all tacos? The answer is no. No, no, no, no, no. All people deserve respect. But not all tacos. Not the ones from Taco Bell. Not the school-lunchroom kind with crispy shells soaked in grease. And not New York Times tacos with runny eggs and broccoli. Loving all tacos is the path to blind, wrong-headed taco mediocrity. Our city is better than that. Getty images Our restaurants and food trucks offer excellent tacos at every price point. We have great breakfast tacos, great vegetarian tacos, great chef-y tacos, great taco-truck tacos. They range from traditional Tex-Mex to Mexican regional to interesting new takes on the form. (Barbecue brisket tacos! why were those not invented a century ago?) Great tacos are more than the sum of their parts: their fillings, their salsas, their garnishes, and, crucially, their tortillas. Corn or flour? It seems like a burning question, one of our city's great divides, but really, it's not. Either kind of tortilla can be delicious here the traditional middle-and-southern Mexico maiz, or the biscuity Texas Mexican but it must be fresh. Lucky for you, home cook, Houston is to tortillerias as Paris is to bakeries. Yes, I understand why sometimes, in desperation, you might eat a lousy taco: Sometimes, it's the best you can do. I've been there. But you don't have to love it. Don't pretend that it's good. We are better than that. We live in a world of limits. You have only so much time and money, only so many opportunities to eat. Every bad taco you tolerate is a good taco you miss, a bid for excellence that you don't support. Don't let the bad drive out the good. Keep Houston a taco town. Lisa Gray (@LisaGray_HouTX) only wishes there were more great tacos near the Chronicle office. Bookmark Gray Matters? It seems like a burning question, one of our city's great divides, but really, it's not. With the current unstable trends in the global market, Kenya remains optimistic in its exploration of various business opportunities in China in a bid to boost its GDP. Kenya projects growth of about US$150 billion by 2024 against the current growth rate, which stands at US$79.21 billion. Most economists have advised the country to pay close attention to its transport network, which will help Kenya realize its "Vision 2030" to become a middle-income economy through improving agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. Modern infrastructure projects like roads, ports and railways financed by China have injected vitality into the country's major transformation project. As the country prepares its budget for the 2019/2020 fiscal year, which will be read in early June, one fact has emerged the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through the construction of the 478km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway remains the key determinant of Kenya's economic growth as well as the economic game changer of the entire East Africa. As a journalist who bears the responsibility of informing the society, I can attest to the fact that Kenya's economy will continue to thrive with its steady commitment to implementing the visions of the BRI. At the same time, the BRI will also continue to unlock different business and job opportunities for the youth. In essence, Kenya will be building a community for the shared future for mankind, which is a key objective of the BRI. A year after it first started full operations in January 2018, the freight services along the Chinese built railway generated nearly US$86.32 million (KSh8.72 billion under) for the whole year, according to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). The data also shows that the operator, the China Communications Construction Company, sold slightly more than 1.66 million tickets, earning about US$15.8 million (KSh1.61 billion) in revenue that year. At the same time, due to closer Sino-Kenya ties, the banking sector in Kenya has started to explore the Chinese market. The Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), a regional financial institution, plans to open a representative office in China next month to lower the cost of Sino-Africa trade, according to Lawrence Kimathi, KCB Group chief finance officer. "We hope to use the office to lower the cost of transactions between the Chinese and East African business communities by enabling payment for imports and exports in local currencies," said Kimathi. The Kenyan regional bank also plans to introduce the Chinese yuan in all its countries of operations by the end of the year. Kimathi noted that increasing Sino-African trade has created higher demand for Chinese currency. The availability of the Chinese yuan, or renminbi, will remove the need for Chinese and East Africa businesses to trade in goods and services using foreign currency. Abiding by its principle of extensive consultation and joint contributions for shared benefits, banking experts believe that as a result of practical cooperation based on inclusiveness and openness provided by the BRI, many Chinese construction firms in Kenya and beyond will continue to secure bonds and bids for their tender processes more easily than before. This move shows that China remains a key trading partner of Kenya and other African countries and that Kenya is leading Africa in the move away from over-reliance on Western assistance. Instead, it is advocating embracing the opportunities of the BRI for improved infrastructure like the Mombasa-Nairobi railway, which acts as the gateway to the Golden Segment of Maritime Silk Road. Another example is the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway, which has continued to improve regional integration initiatives, and is key to sustaining development and encouraging long-term prosperity for the entire region. Since Kenya joined the BRI in 2013, tremendous socio-economic achievements have followed. Currently, Kenya is the only African country allowed to export its avocados to China. At the same time, China is currently constructing the Nairobi-Naivasha railway, which is an extension of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway. As a result of stronger cooperation between the two countries, China will help the country modernize its old railway line to link Kenya to Uganda. This move will also enhance trade in East Africa as well as improve its economic growth and create more job opportunities for the growing number of graduates the country produces every year. Currently, the BRI has investments in 152 countries with a total estimated cost of US$6 trillion, and China has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 125 countries and 29 international organizations. In conclusion, critics, who say Kenya is saddling future generations with debt from China, need to first see that the BRI continues to enable Kenya to have win-win opportunities which will spur economic development. Victor Onyango is a journalist with Daily Nation, Nation Media Group. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. The Houston Ship Channel reopened Sunday as crews continued to clean up the scene of a collision Friday between two vessels, which spilled an estimated 9,000 barrels of gasoline blend into the busy waterway. Deep draft ships can now enter and exit the channel, although only while under tow so as to minimize their wakes as salvage operations are conducted, Unified Command officials said at a news conference. The channel was closed after the 755-foot tanker Genesis River, which was carrying liquefied natural gas, collided Friday afternoon with a tug boat pushing two barges. One barge capsized and the other was damaged, leaking a gasoline product called reformate, a highly flammable chemical that's mixed with gasoline and is dangerous to marine life. The man-made, 50-mile channel is one of the busiest ports in the world, and even short closures can carry a hefty price tag for companies that have to delay or re-route shipments. Cleanup efforts continued over the weekend. Officials estimated it will take up to two days to remove the fuel from the cargo tanks of the vessels involved in the collision. The removal has been complicated by the fact that the capsized barge is floating upside down. Because normal cargo access is underwater, a crew will have to cut through the barge's steel hull to remove its hazardous cargo. Jim Guidry, executive vice president of Kirby Inland Marine, which owns the barges, said they currently have almost 400 people working to mitigate impacts and clean up the spill. The Texas Department of State Health Services has halted oyster harvesting in Galveston Bay and advises against eating fish caught north of the line between Texas City Dike and Smith Point. Already, there have been reported wildlife deaths in the vicinity. "We have received some reports of wildlife impacts," said Craig Kartye of the Texas General Land Office's oil spill prevention program. "Specifically two dead seagulls located near the source of the incident, one dead raccoon in the city of Kemah and some dead fish at one spot along the west shoreline of Galveston Bay." He said wildlife rehabilitation teams were responding to the reports. Despite that, he said, the water is not dangerous for humans, which is why they've opted to re-open the channel. Crews deployed 3,800 feet of boom around the barges to contain the spill; more than 12,000 feet of additional boom was being deployed to protect sensitive areas around the bay. "We've collected 2,700 samples, none of which exceeded the established action levels," he said. Officials are still investigating the cause of the collision. Capt. Kevin Oditt of the Coast Guard said a team had retrieved voice recordings and data from the vessels and was in the process of collecting statements. He declined to offer specifics on what he said is an ongoing investigation into the spill, but said that the National Transportation Safety Board will also investigate. It's not the first investigation into crashes on the 530-foot-wide channel. In March 2014, a collision closed the channel and caused a spill of 168,000 gallons of bunker fuel oil. In March 2015, roughly 88,000 gallons of a hazardous additive to gasoline spilled into the channel after another collision. It was the fifth accident investigated by NTSB in as many years, and prompted the agency's chairman to urge officials to adopt better safety procedures along the channel. Authorities monitoring the air reported finding one detectable concentration of a volatile organic compound, but said it did not show up in subsequent tests, the Associated Press reported. Residents near the scene had reported a strong smell of gasoline. Chambers County officials said in a statement Sunday morning that "environmental monitoring stations are in place, and at this time impacts are not being detected within the county." Guidry said he hopes his company will learn from the spill. "We're always concerned about incidents like this, and I think the whole industry works together to prevent them," he said. "We'll all learn from this incident and make the Ship Channel safer." The closure was the first since March, when a massive chemical storage tank fire broke out at Intercontinental Terminals Co. in Deer Park. Petroleum products spilled into nearby waterways during that environmental disaster. That three-day closure cost the energy industry about $1 billion, experts estimated. The Harris County District Attorney's Office has since filed five environmental charges against ITC, accusing the company of "criminal levels" of contamination. ITC responded initially that although it had not seen the charges, "there is no question that there was a large fire and an enormous effort to extinguish it which resulted in a discharge into Tucker Bayou." Maria Burns, director of the University of Houston's logistics and transportation program, estimated at the time that closing the channel for a few days typically costs about $500 million in delayed shipments and lost materials for the thousands of companies that use the channel. She said it could cost another $500 million in indirect costs. rebecca.schuetz@chron.com robert.downen@chron.com Fluorescent lights beam down upon a group of 12 girls. They stand in a circle inside the gray walls of the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center. Their eyes follow along as each girl says her name and describes how she is feeling, accompanied by a pose or gesture. Jessica whose full name is not being used, is feeling confident and juts her hip to the side and puts her hands on them. Brittney, feeling energetic, draws an invisible arch in the air with fingers spread in jazz hands. Lizzie shrugs and throws her hands in the air, a vapid look on her face she is feeling moody. Throughout the next hour, Lizzies face gradually softens as she focuses on learning a hip-hop dance demonstrated by Houston Ballet instructors Jennifer Sommers and Lauren Anderson. By the end of class, Lizzie is laughing. Now Playing: Houston Ballet Education and and Community Engagement Director Jennifer Sommers shows the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center girls dance moves during a dance class on Friday, April 5, 2019, in Houston. The center has been increasing art and culture programs for the teenagers. Video: Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle The dance class is one of seven arts programs launched in various Harris County Juvenile Probation Department facilities since January as part of a new collaboration between Harris County and Theater District Houston. While arts programs have been implemented in juvenile and criminal detention facilities in Harris County and other districts in states such as California and Michigan, the rollout of these programs represents a widespread, coordinated collaboration. And the educational programs not only educate, say those involved, they provide a supportive, creative outlet for young people kids many of whom have experienced trauma to process their experiences, develop their characters and simply be kids. These programs are, for these youth, the hope that they can continue to reinvent themselves and find more productive and socially acceptable outlets for their energy and their creativity, said Michele Deitch, an attorney and criminal-justice consultant who teaches at UT-Austins LBJ School of Public Affairs. The collaboration came to fruition when Kathryn McNeil, CEO of Theater District, last summer approached then-Harris County Executive Judge Ed Emmett for funding to expand their outreach. The company received $82,000 from the county, McNeil said, to teach artistic expression to teens in the juvenile justice system through programs led by the Houston Grand Opera, Da Camera, Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet, Alley Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars and Society for the Performing Arts. Yi-Chin Lee, Staff / Staff photographer Empowering expression Applause and cheers followed Chris as he walked up to a podium at the front of a large, open room at Youth Village, a folded sheet of paper in his hand. Chris raised the microphone to his mouth, a half-smile turning into laughter as he stumbled over the first line of his poem. He started over, describing through rhymes and prose how his father used to abuse his mother. You were my hero, then you turned into a villain, Chris said. During this slam poetry competition in March, other kids recounted sexual abuse from family members, hearing gunshots in their neighborhoods and finding cockroaches in their homes. The names of the children in the story have been changed to protect their privacy because they are juvenile offenders. Now Playing: Alley Theatre's Sharon "Rain" Young takes the stage and performs to open the Harris County Juvenile Detention Centers poetry slam at Harris County Youth Village on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, in Seabrook. Eight participants recited their poems to the audience. Video: Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle To end up in this treatment-focused facility in Seabrook often means you have experienced extreme trauma, although mental health is an issue across the board for kids in the countys juvenile probation department. According to the departments 2017 annual report, nearly 2,500 of the 4,463 detained kids that year had been referred to the psychological and social services unit for therapy. A lot of my fights are about kids with mental illness, said state Rep. Gene Wu, a juvenile justice lawyer. He frequently urges colleagues to recognize the behavioral impacts of trauma and challenging environmental conditions. The kids are not necessarily bad because they want to be bad, but because we made them bad, Wu said. This is where art can serve as a powerful tool. Yi-Chin Lee, Staff / Staff photographer Chris, for instance, said he signed up for the poetry slam program put on by the Alley Theatre, with eight sessions leading up to the competition so that he could express himself. Relaying his experiences through poetry, he said, was easier for him than just saying it. Art just allows you to express yourself differently, said McNiel. You can use your words differently to tell a story, and I think that frees up the kids to express their emotions, their feelings, in a way more accessible for them. Kula Moore, of Art Therapy Houston, said that art is particularly powerful for people recovering from trauma. Trauma erodes our ability to trust or feel safe in our own bodies, said Moore, an art therapist. The art process can really help to integrate the mind and body, to recognize the ways that you coped with this and are adaptive. Yi-Chin Lee, Staff / Staff photographer Using art to work through trauma is also empowering, she said, because art highlights each victims strength and resilience. It shows that the victims didnt just survive they thrived. The slam poetry teachers, Vincent Johnson and Sharon Young (who goes by Rain), wanted to harness that feeling of agency and empowerment. The pair came armed with poetic devices, games and personal stories. They would give the students cut-up poems, then have them put the poems back together to practice structure. They would have the students write group poems. They would take away their students first poem drafts, then give it back to them after they finished a second draft, so the students could combine both into the final product. Most importantly, Johnson and Young told the kids to write about whatever they wanted and they didnt treat them any differently than they would students not in juvenile detention. I think they picked up on that, said Young. They would thank us every day. They loved the fact that they could express themselves. Johnson and Young also teach slam poetry at other schools in the Houston area. Disparities shine through when they compare the two groups of students. (The other students) have the same learning disabilities and (trauma) but they ended up in a private school, Johnson said. Then you have these kids in the juvenile justice system. I know had they been guided the right way, they wouldnt be here. Chris poem about his parents ended with him urging people to treat women well, saying, Womens lives matter. He won the poetry slam competition. Now, he dreams about writing an entire book of poems. Yi-Chin Lee, Staff / Staff photographer I see you Back at the JDC, the girls eyebrows furrow in concentration as they attempt to mimic the fluid movements of Sommers and Anderson, the Houston Ballet instructors. They plieed, strode and kick-ball-changed their way past posters that read Balance is Beautiful and Start by Starting, to the beat of Flo Ridas song Troublemaker. Lizzie, no longer moody, repeats sequences alone when the group finishe them, silently mouthing the beat to herself as she tries to master each move. The class took discipline and focus. While studies have demonstrated lower recidivism rates for adults and juveniles who participate in art programs, the objective for the Theater District arts programs is to develop their students characters and enrich their lives. Art is introduction to empathy, its bonding, its all these things that we take for granted if we grew up in a stable environment and had role models, said Chaney Tullos, assistant director of education at Alley Theatre. Yi-Chin Lee, Staff / Staff photographer When Sommers and Anderson teach hip hop at the JDC and at the Burnett-Bayland Reception Center (BBRC) in southwest Houston, their goal is to not only teach their students dance, but to also develop their cognitive, social and physical skills. Sommers proudly recalled how her male students at the BBRC worked together to learn difficult moves, like popping and locking or shoulder stands. They helped each other, and despite their exhaustion, didnt give up. The boys were in a place where they understood what good choices are and eagerly wanted to make them, Sommers said. I remember driving away and thinking that I hope they have an environment where they can. Many studies have shown that children who end up in the juvenile justice system often grew up in challenging, unsupportive environments, and may have learning disabilities and mental health issues. Wu has witnessed those trends himself during his time as a juvenile lawyer. Most, if not all, these kids their entire lives theyve been told that theyre worthless, Wu said, getting choked up. They were told youll never amount to anything. So after a while, they kind of give up. The Theater District arts programs work to build the students trust and confidence through supportive relationships and genuine connections. Instructors create energetic and fun atmospheres, they open up to their students, and express how theyre proud of them. The end of each finished dance sequence, the final word of each poem, is met with a rupture of applause, cheers and beaming smiles from the teachers and the students fail to hide the smiles they return. Young wrote and performed a poem for her students, called I See You. She alludes to each one of her students throughout the poem, without using their names but they know shes describing them. It burns my soul to see your smile hidden behind sweat shirt walls, she wrote. Accept your beautiful imperfections that makes you perfect at being you / The YOU, you have yet to see. massarah.mikat@chron.com Houston stands to lose $1,500 in government funding for every Houstonian not counted on the 2020 census, according to a study cited by city and county officials. In an effort to ensure a complete count next year, the city, Harris County and more than 50 local organizations have joined forces, sharing data on hard to count communities and developing culturally specific outreach events. A zero undercount takes all of us, said Ana Mac Naught, census coordinator of the Houston in Action coalition, referring to an accurate count. Formed last year with funding from the Houston Endowment, Houston in Action is coordinating groups working directly with communities that were hard to count in censuses past to ensure everyone is contacted while avoiding overlaps. Those communities include the homeless, refugees, immigrants, renter, college students, children under the age of 5, and the LGBTQ community, said Mayor Sylvester Turner. The complete counts efforts will focus on these hard-to-count Houstonians and will provide messaging in tailored messaging and languages, Turner said in a statement. There are a number of barriers working against a complete count including: making sure all families who remain displaced after Harvey are reached at their new addresses; making sure people understand how to fill out the census form online or how to request a paper form if needed; and the politicization of the census with the ongoing litigation over the inclusion of a citizenship question. In todays political climate, questions that ask about citizenship may discourage people from responding, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement. In Harris County, where a quarter of our population are immigrants, this could be catastrophic. Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved spending up to $4 million on a census engagement initiative aimed at communities least likely to participate in the census. Hidalgo said more than 1 million of the countys 4.7 million residents, many of whom are immigrants, will likely need additional encouragement. About 61,000 Harris County residents were not counted in the 2010 census, she said. To address any fear tied to a citizenship question, Mi Familia Vota, a national civic engagement group, is working with Latino high school students across school districts in the Houston region who can speak to their relatives about why they should fill out the census regardless of the inclusion of a citizenship question. Getting information about what the census does and doesnt do is vital, said Claudia Aguirre, president and CEO of the nonprofit, BakerRipley. They are fearful because of a lack of knowledge, Aguirre said. Its why BakerRipley is taking up a few minutes out of its regular program offerings like ESL courses, to teach community members exactly how to go online and fill out the census form. Aguirre, who joined the nonprofit to lead census outreach in 2010, noted that compared to the last census theres much more organization between community groups this time thanks in part to the creation of one government complete count committee and the leadership by Houston in Action. For its part the city of Houston has been communicating with U.S. Census Bureau officials for months, Turner said, and city officials submitted 21,756 new addresses and 4,880 modified addresses due to street name changes, to ensure the federal agency has the most up-to-date map of Houston households. The city will also spend at least $650,000 in community engagement this fiscal year doing promotional and grassroots work. Local partners like the nonprofit Boat People SOS, meanwhile, are already spreading the word about the census within its target communities. In the case of Boat People SOS, 15 members of Houstons Vietnamese community recently attended a two-hour training session on how to educate their neighbors and relatives about the census. Jannette Diep, the nonprofits executive director, noted that training attendees were unaware of basic census information including the fact that census data is used to distribute federal funding and apportion Congressional seats. The attendees also shared that the broader Vietnamese community wasnt aware the census was happening next year. Its not too early for people to take it more seriously, Diep said. Feedback from the training session will help guide the nonprofits outreach efforts going forward including posting census marketing materials in popular Vietnamese stores and restaurants, and sharing sample census questions early on to give people a sense of what to expect in 2020. Asian and Latino communities are among those with historic undercounts, according to Census officials. Houstons Vietnamese population has faced unique challenges, Diep said. RELATED: Fear drives mistrust between police, immigrant communities For instance, Diep knows there is a historic Vietnamese undercount in the Alief area because those living in large apartment complexes are often sharing rooms with non-blood relations. When its time to fill out the census form, the head of the household may not count everyone in the apartment because they are not related. Theres a lot of confusion over who should be counted, Diep said. She added that Boat People SOS will focus on Vietnamese communities living in Brazoria, Jefferson and Galveston counties as they are some of the more underserved populations they know. They are some of the last people to get help after a natural disaster, Diep said. They probably never filled out a census form. Get alerts Text "Houston" to 77453 to receive HoustonChronicle.com alerts on your phone. See More Collapse Other specific outreach strategies in Houston include an effort to create stronger WiFi hotspots at some 39 religious centers frequented by Koreans. Hyunja Norman, president of the Korean American Voters League, said that since many people in Houstons Korean community regularly attend Sunday services, she and others within her organization are partnering with churches and temples to set up stations outside where volunteers can help congregants fill out the census form digitally and on paper. Regardless of which approach each community organization takes, Aguirre at BakerRipley notes that a complete count is crucial to capturing the reality of Houston. The census is the biggest opportunity to articulate our changing demographics, she said. Staff writer Zach Despart contributed reporting. ileana.najarro@chron.com twitter.com/IleanaNajarro About 1,200 dead animals, most of them juvenile fish, washed up onto the Galveston Bay Foundations property in Kemah after two vessels collided on the Houston Ship Channel Friday. The spill sent about 9,000 barrels of gasoline blend into the busy waterway. Bob Stokes, president of the foundation, said about 1,000 juvenile fish, roughly 1-inch long, a handful of adult flounder, sheepshead and a variety of drum species, and about 200 blue crabs appeared Sunday on the property about eight miles southwest of the collision. The ship channel was temporarily closed after the 755-foot tanker Genesis River, carrying liquefied natural gas, collided Friday afternoon with a tugboat pushing two barges. One barge capsized and the other was damaged, leaking a gasoline product called reformate, a highly flammable chemical thats mixed with gasoline and is dangerous to marine life. It contains significant amounts of benzene, toluene, and xylene. Officials on Monday reported numerous dead fish in an isolated area, one raccoon and three birds were found dead on the barge. Foundation members also spotted dead fish Monday, but in much smaller numbers, Stokes said. Efforts to skim the material out of the ship channel may have contributed to the reduction. Theyve been doing a good job, but unfortunately it takes a little bit of time, he said. The concern with the smaller fish, he said, is that the birds easily pick them up. When we have a lot of dead juvenile fish floating around, its not good for the bird population either, Stokes said. The birds are likely to ingest whatever toxins are inside the fish and get sick. I suspect the number of dead seagulls will go up. The Kills and Spills Team of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department responded to the fish kill report from the Galveston Bay Foundation, the only report so far, said Julie Hagen, in the Coastal Fisheries Division. Given the compounds in reformate, high mortality of aquatic life is expected after a spill like this, but then it would typically drop down very quickly afterward as it evaporates and deteriorates, said George Guillen, executive director of the Environmental Institute of Houston. It has not been determined if the thousands of dead fish are a direct result of the spill. Shoreline cleanup assessment teams have been sent to areas where the gasoline product may have reached the shore. The next step is to determine the best cleanup process of the shoreline, Stokes said, whether thats washing it with water or removing sediment. The Galveston Bay Foundation has about 400 feet of shoreline. More information on the Ship Channel spill Claims Hotline: 1-800-241-9010 Regional Poison Control Center: 1-800-222-1222 Impact to fish and wildlife: 979-215-8835 Air monitoring information: 281-757-3017 Joint Information Center: 281-755-4670 Updates: www.bayport-response.com See More Collapse Six skimmers are also on scene and have recovered more than 376 barrels of product-water mixture, according to the latest release from the Bayport Channel Collision Response website. There is active cleaning underway along Bay Shoreline due to reports of sheen. More than 20,000-feet of boom has been deployed around the barges as well as surrounding sensitive shoreline areas. Containment boom was also placed around the damaged barge and skimming operations are in place as precautionary measures in case product is released when is transferred from the barge. Craig Kartye, with the Texas General Land Office, said they were expecting to be done transferring the product from the damaged barge Monday evening, which would give officials a better idea of how much was actually spilled. The barge has a capacity to carry 25,000 barrels. The Texas Department of State Health Services has halted oyster harvesting in Galveston Bay and advises against eating fish caught north of the line between the Texas City Dike and Smith Point. Oysters are particularly sensitive, Guillen said, because they are filter feeders and concentrate toxins. Continuous monitoring will be needed to determine any long-term impacts, experts said. Its definitely a major spill and certainly its effects will be very significant, Guillen said, how bad that is? Its very hard to tell. As of 3 p.m. Monday, the agencies reported that 4,735 air quality assessments had been taken in the community and that no results showed above actionable levels. The Houston Ship Channel is opened with the following restrictions in place: no meeting or overtaking at Light 73, wake and surge considerations from Light 66-76, vessels are to favor the red side of the channel as a safety precaution. The captain of the Port of Houston-Galveston has re-opened traffic to recreational boaters. A one nautical mile safety zone is in effect around the damaged barge. Chambers County sent out a release on Monday alerting the community of the possibility of increasing odors as a result of shifting winds. While its not common to have large spills like this, Stokes said, it does seem to occur at some level every few years. The man-made, 50-mile channel is one of the busiest ports in the world. Sometimes accidents happen, Stokes said, other times its Mother Nature (fog, wind, extra current in the bay). The important thing is to figure out what happened and to learn from it to ensure it doesnt happen again. perla.trevizo@chron.com Former Democratic congressman and Houston mayoral candidate Chris Bell says he's definitely interested in running against U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas in 2020. Bell, 59, said he had hoped to see Beto ORourke or U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, challenge Cornyn. But when the two Democrats decided to pursue other options, Bell said he started to give it serious consideration, as the Texas Tribune first reported Monday. Bell said he plans to decide by this summer. Its hard to have been in Washington and then to look at whats going on today and not think that perhaps you can make a positive difference and want to make a positive difference, he said. Bell, a lawyer with his own practice in Houston, said his experience holding and running for statewide office and advocating for issues such as climate change, immigration and gun reform over the last 20 years would give him a standing start. He said he was energized to stay involved in politics, like many Democrats, after President Donald Trumps election. For subscribers: Decorated veteran MJ Hegars candidacy brings heat to 2020 Texas Senate race Bell would join an already crowded field that includes MJ Hegar, who nearly unseated longtime Rep. John Carter in a congressional contest last year, and announced she would run in late-April. Several others have already jumped in the race: Beaumont NAACP chair Michael Cooper, who narrowly lost the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor last year to Mike Collier; Sema Hernandez, who was runner-up to Beto O'Rourke in last year's Democratic primary to challenge U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz; and Adrian Ocegueda, who pulled in 4.4 percent of the vote in the 2016 gubernatorial primary. Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, have also said theyre considering running. Bell, the runner-up in the 2006 gubernatorial campaign, has run for office at the local, state and federal levels over the past 20 years. He served on the Houston City Council from 1997 to 2001 and won a seat in the U.S. House in 2003 that he held for one term. For subscribers: Bell: Congress should pass new gun laws, even if it means losing an election He was one of the incumbent Texas Democrats who encountered a tough challenge after the states controversial redistricting, losing in the primary to Rep. Al Green in 2004. He came much closer to victory in his race for Governor in 2006 when he won the Democratic primary and picked up 30% of the vote in the general election but ultimately lost to Rick Perry, who won with 39% of the vote. In 2008, he competed in a special election for Texas Sen. Kyle Janeks District 17 seat (which he said he regrets as a moment when he bowed to the encouragement, you might say, and it didnt turn out well) and also lost campaigns for Houston mayor in 2001 and 2015. I never really let those setbacks define me because there have also been setbacks that led to great opportunities, Bell said. And theres something to be said for perseverance, and theres something to be said for resilience. Flash The ports of Sanya and Haikou on tropical Hainan island will soon be ready to serve Chinese-funded cruises to nowhere, with flags of convenience, amid the growing trend of cruises for leisure. While traditional cruise routes link land destinations, cruises to nowhere trace a unique itinerary without any specific destination at sea to allow passengers to experience a shortusually one or two nightsromantic, exciting and not always inexpensive cruise vacation on a floating resort at sea, experts said. The Ministry of Transport said on its website that Hainan's Sanya and Haikou cruise ports have received approval to begin on pilot basis Chinese-funded cruises to nowhere, with flags of convenience. Flag of convenience cruises refer to those registered in an "open registration country", with low cost and tax, and flying the flag of that country. The ministry encourages Chinese cruise enterprises to design a variety of nowhere cruises to accommodate various tastes and needs, such as watching sunrises at sea, sea diving and fishing, corporate leisure business trips and private gatherings. But lewd and gambling activities will be strictly forbidden. The ministry said the pilot program aims to help Chinese residents cultivate cruise leisure consumption concepts, promote the construction of the Sanya cruise home port, and support the development of Hainan International Tourism Consumption Center, one of the four strategic goals set for the China (Hainan) Pilot Free Trade Zone, the largest in the country. The Chinese-funded cruise operators should be legal representatives of domestic cruise transport businesses that own no less than 51 percent of the international cruise transport business, according to the ministry. The ministry will delegate the authority on cruise route examination and approval to Hainan province. The Hainan Department of Transportation will be responsible for market access management of pilot cruise enterprises and cruise liners, and keep local authorities in charge of foreign affairs, tourism, public security, border inspection, customs, maritime and other relevant departments informed in a timely manner. The ministry said pilot cruise enterprises should submit applications for prescheduled cruise to nowhere routes two months in advance, providing information on specific routes, times and voyage arrangements. The policy will allow tourists to embark on cruises with their identification cards or entry and exit documents, "a breakthrough that will greatly simplify the embarking procedures," said Zheng Weihang, executive vice-president of the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association. Jiang Yiyi, director of the China Tourism Academy's International Tourism Development Institute, said the pilot program will explore ways to enrich and upgrade tourism products and optimize tourist resources in Hainan. As more Chinese look for alternative experiences, cruises are becoming trendy because they offer relaxed luxury experiences or family fun. All major international cruise companies have entered the Chinese market. "The domestic market demand will provide good support to the pilot program, which can be introduced to other parts of the country when sufficient experience has been acquired. The cruises themselves are attractive destinations for especially families to experience cruise culture, new science and natural views," said Jiang. "Cruise enterprises and tourists are full of expectations on the new project, which will further broaden the room for tourism consumption," said Xie Xiangxiang, an associate professor of tourism at Hainan University. He said there will also be challenges in securing cruise liners, competitive prices and attractions that well combine cruise services with Hainan's unique maritime resources. According to the Cruise Lines International Association in Washington, the number of Chinese travelers who have gone on cruises is expected to grow to 8 to 10 million by 2025. However, the Chinese market is still at an early stage of development, with a market penetration rate of 0.02 percent. In the more developed markets in Europe, typical penetration is 2 to 3 percent. In April, a new policy made it possible for overseas yachts to enter waters off Hainan island and its adjacent scenic spots with temporary approval from the Hainan provincial authorities, the first province-level area to manage the entries directly. States from California to Colorado to Massachusetts have relaxed marijuana laws. They recognize how foolish it is to jam our courts and jails with people caught with small amounts of pot. Some have fully legalized (and taxed) the drug; many others have moved more cautiously and kept it illegal to grow or sell but reduced or removed the criminal penalty for possession. In Texas? Were like the last teetotaling holdouts of the Prohibition era. And were running out of time to do anything about it as the 2019 Texas Legislature hurtles toward its May 27 close. If you care about modern, common sense pot policies for Texas, or just about fairness in our criminal justice system, now is the time to call Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott or your Texas senator to demand they not let this opportunity pass. This session had looked so promising on the pot front. The GOP-led House passed three smart bills with huge, bipartisan vote margins, each vote reflecting Texas recent reputation for being not just tough on crime, but smart, too. That momentum is now at risk, just because Patrick appears determined to play the role of Dr. No in the Texas Senate. Texans should demand better. The three bills are different. Two passed last week that would expand - one by a lot and the other more conservatively - Texas tiny experiment with medical marijuana. Since 2015, somepatients have been allowed to buy cannabis seed oil to ease their symptoms. The bolder bill would grow from three to 12 the number of dispensaries that could be approved by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and would add many conditions and diseases to those that can be grounds for participating in the program. That bill, HB 1365, co-authored by Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville earns our strongest support. But a second, more cautious bill, by Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, which the House approved last Tuesday, would also be a step in the right direction. That bill is HB 3703, and it was referred to the Senate Health and Human Services committee Friday. The medical marijuana expansion would make life better for hundreds, maybe thousands, of Texans who rely on the oil made from cannabis to relieve their symptoms. In April, Marine veteran First Sgt. Arthur Davis, a Houston native with four combat tours, told us that pot was the only thing that has helped with his crippling anxiety attacks. Its marijuana. I have my life back, he said. Klicks bill would expand the program she created with 2015 legislation amid concerns about the growing epidemic of deadly overdoses from abuse of painkillers. We supported the program then, when Texas was one of the last states to approve medical marijuana, and support it now. It just needs to be bigger. Too few patients can enroll in the current program, even when the cost of traditional drugs can place treatment out of reach for many. The third bill is admittedly a bigger step for Texas - but one it only makes sense to take. The House voted 103-42 in favor of HB 63 by Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, which would virtually decriminalize small-time possession of pot. It builds on experience in Texas biggest jurisdictions, where local prosecutors have long argued criminal charges are not appropriate for most cases of pot possession. Tell them to do the right thing for Texas Office of Gov. Greg Abbott: 512-463-2000 Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick message line: 512: 463-5342 or office line: 512-463-0001 Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, chairman, Senate Criminal Justice Committee: 512-463-0115 or 713-864-8701 (Houston) Sen. Lois W. Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, chairwoman, Senate Committee on Health and Human Services: 512-463-0118 or 979-251-7888 (Brenham); 281-394-5610 (Katy) and 361-573-7300 (Victoria). See More Collapse Despite that, the number of pot arrests is staggering. In 2017, according to the Department of Public Safety, police across Texas made nearly 25,000 adult arrests for dealing marijuana but more than 64,000 arrests for possessing it. . That latter figure was more than the arrests for cocaine, heroin, or any other illegal drug. Thats crazy. Arrests for marijuana are also unfair to people of color, especially African-Americans. Black Texans age 17 and older made up just 11.8 percent of the Texas adult population in 2017, and yet their arrests accounted for 27 percent of the total that year. HB 63 would reduce those arrests, perhaps by thousands. The Senate needs to stop standing in the way of progress on marijuana reform in Texas. Bills to decriminalize pot and to expand medical exemptions for cannabis oil arent radical departures from Texas values. Theyre smart, humane and fair solutions that have already been tried and tested in other states. Reform can happen this session. Call Patrick and your local senators and tell them to do the right thing. Regarding To fight climate change, allow pipeline construction (Outlook, Friday): Websters dictionary defines oxymoron as a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings. Jumbo shrimp. Deafening silence. Seriously funny. Oxymoron. This was my first thought when I saw the headline for this op-ed. No doubt more pipelines would reduce flaring and allow wasted resources to get to market good for the economy and all involved. But CO2 is CO2. The chemistry of burning hydrocarbons does not change. This is a pay-me-now or pay-me-later situation. Once humankind-generated CO2 is in the atmosphere it is going to stay there until the mostly Mother Nature processes scrub it out. Currently there isnt as much effort by humankind to get it out as there was to put it there. If this op-ed had been about human efforts to remove CO2 from the atmosphere such as planting more trees and green stuff or efforts to industrialize photosynthesis or negative emission technologies, then OK. Now were talking. But fighting climate change with more pipelines? Best oxymoron Ive seen in a long time. Michael Jimenez, Tomball Freedom is the goal Regarding Haves and Havana (Editorial, May 8): How long should we continue President Obamas failed policy of allowing the Communist regime to survive via more trade? We have good relations and do a great amount of business with Vietnam. But has increased trade brought about the downfall of the Communist regime in that country? Obviously not, and it has strengthened that regime. The Soviet Union lasted 70 years and fell because Marxist economic policy doesnt work. Cuba has had 60 years of the same policy and certainly wont last much longer. The loss of $200 million in Texas agricultural products exported to Cuba is a small price to pay for the impending freedom of that country. Eric Johnson, Houston N.Y. states rights Regarding N.Y. Senate OKs bill giving access to Trump tax returns (Nation/World, Thursday): I am shocked at the law soon to be passed by New York state. It is currently illegal in the state of New York to release state tax returns to Congress or anyone else outside of the state and federal tax agencies. That is because people are required to truthfully tell tax agencies all their information, but they are protected by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution from self-incrimination. But what does New York care about the Constitution? The governor is a Democrat, the New York Senate has a Democratic majority. The New York Assembly has a Democratic majority. When they dont like a legitimate law that prevents partisanship, they simply pass a new law. This law, upon passage, will be challenged in court and ultimately determined unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Norman L. Rosenblatt, Kingwood Bargain with Big Pharma Regarding Lower drug prices could be costly later (Outlook, Friday): I generally agree with Megan McArdles thesis that allowing a bureaucracy to set drug prices is counterproductive. Yes indeed, pharmaceutical manufacturers must be paid enough to support a developmental pipeline of new and better drugs. But the current set up is totally absurd. The largest U.S. buyer of drugs, Medicare/Medicaid, is by law prevented from bargaining on the price it (we the taxpayer) pays for all those drugs it purchases. There is no restraint on what the drug companies decide is a good price. The Chronicle would not tolerate a law that forbid it from bargaining with suppliers over the cost of paper, ink and printing machines. Medicare/Medicaid should be allowed to negotiate drug prices. The drug industry is a business. It should have to operate as a business. Louis DuPree, Magnolia Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Flash The 2019 U.S.-China Cultural Tourism Festival opened Friday in Las Vegas, the U.S. state of Nevada, aiming to expand cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries. The three-day festival consists of various themes, including Chinese and American tourist cities, scenic spots, world heritage and intangible cultural heritage. It has attracted the attendance of 145 exhibitors from Chinese and American cultural, tourism and handicraft industries, with 65 of them coming from China, according to Las Vegas Committee of Enterprise and Commerce United, organizer of the event. "Tourism and travel is the vehicle served to promote the cultural exchanges among different countries," said Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Wang Donghua at the opening ceremony. "Strengthening the cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism is very important for deepening the mutual understanding, trust and further expanding China-U.S. exchanges and cooperation," he noted, adding that the festival is of great significance especially when being held on the occasion of the four-decade milestone in U.S.-China diplomatic relations. Richard Cherchio, a councilman in the City of North Las Vegas, told Xinhua that he expected the event would "draw the two cultures closer together, so we can complement one another and learn from each other." Fugees Pras Michel Charged With Campaign Finance Crimes Prakazrel Pras Michel, a founding member of the hip-hop group The Fugees, has been charged as part of a campaign finance conspiracy in the 2012 election. On Friday, the U.S. Justice Department announced that Michel and Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho (known as Jho Low) had been each charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States government and for being a conduit for foreign campaign contributions. Michel also was charged with one count of a scheme to conceal material facts and two counts of making a false entry in a record in connection with the conspiracy. According to the indictment, between June 2012 and November 2012, Low was alleged to have transferred more than $21 million from foreign entities and accounts to Michel to funnel into the 2012 presidential campaign. The DOJ alleges that Michel paid approximately $865,000 of the money received from Low to a group of straw donors in order to conceal the source of the campaign contributions. In addition, Michel personally directed more than $1 million of the money received from Low to an independent expenditure committee also involved in the presidential election in 2012. According to the DOJ, Michel caused the presidential joint fundraising committee to submit false reports to the Federal Election Commission, including a subsequent amended report dating to 2013, one year after the campaign concluded. Michel was also alleged to have submitted false statements to the Federal Elections Commission regarding his knowledge of the source of the contributions. In a statement to the Sacramento Bee, an attorney for Michel said: Mr. Michel is extremely disappointed that so many years after the fact the government would bring charges related to 2012 campaign contributions. Mr. Michel is innocent of these charges and looks forward to having the case heard by a jury. In a statement from Mr. Lows attorneys, he also denied any involvement. Mr. Low has never made any campaign contributions directly or indirectly in the U.S. and he unequivocally denies any involvement in or knowledge of the alleged activities, the statement said. Low was previously indicted for his alleged involvement in the embezzlement from Malaysian strategic investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, AKA 1MDB. The state-owned fund came under scrutiny in 2015 after it collapsed, accumulating debts of more than US$12bn. Following its collapse, several prominent newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, made compelling arguments that the fund had been effectively looted by its directors, prompting Malaysia to seek an external audit by international accountancy PriceWaterhouseCoopers. photo: MiamiFilmFestival [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons CelebrityAccess Share on: PledgeMusic Story Is Starting To Sound Like A Broken Record says Bandzoogles Dave Cool The demise of PledgeMusic and the hundreds of musicians left in its wake are a sadly familiar story for music industry veteran Dave Cool of Bandzoogle. "The company takes on millions in investment to support rapid growth," writes Cool. "Flashy headlines ensue." But when things fall apart, too often it's the unsuspecting musicians that suffer. ___________________________ By Dave Cool, Director of Artist & Industry Outreach at Bandzoogle "ever-growing list of tech companies that once aspired to help musicians succeed and disappeared" Weve all heard this one before: a music tech startup bursts onto the scene promising to revolutionize the industry, and help musicians succeed. The media buys-in. The industry buys-in. And musicians buy-in. The company takes on millions in investment to support rapid growth. Flashy headlines ensue. Founders and CEOs are at every music conference. Lavish parties are thrown to support brand awareness. Everything is going great, right? Sadly, beneath the surface, things are often not ok. PledgeMusic now joins the ever-growing list of tech companies that once aspired to help musicians succeed, and disappeared before the full promise of their platforms was realized. And unless there are systemic changes, there will no doubt be more to come. Ive been following the music tech industry closely ever since CD Baby first came onto the scene over 20 years ago. From making a documentary film about the indie music industry in 2006 (featuring CD Baby founder Derek Sivers), contributing to this very blog for over 10 years, and working for Bandzoogle the last 8 years. So I've been able to work closely with, or at the very least been friendly with, the founders and staff at many of these very tech companies that have come and gone. In my experience, theyre good people, often with great ideas, that have genuinely good intentions. But somewhere along the lines, those good intentions turn into broken promises. The market is overestimated. The company is overvalued. Founders take on investment too early. Or they take investment from the wrong people. Ambitions and egos aren't tempered. Companies become far too leveraged. Bad decisions are made under the pressure of meeting investor expectations. And sometimes, founders simply lose control over their own companies. Often, theyll get sold off so that investors can recoup some of their investment. In the best case scenario, these companies will continue to operate in some form. But theyre most often swallowed up or shut down. Others simply disappear without a trace. "it's the musicians that are left in the dust, and in the case of PledgeMusic, left to literally foot the bill for the failures of the company" The founders will start new companies. Investors will go on to invest in other startups. And the senior staff will find new jobs. But its the musicians that are left in the dust, and in the case of PledgeMusic, left to literally foot the bill for the failures of the company. After watching this story unfold over and over again for the last 15 years, it would be great to see more founders who are in the music industry for the long haul. And more founders who will stay with their companies until they build a sustainable business, before handing the keys over to someone else. It would also be great to see more of these companies remain independent for longer. Companies that focus on their product, and building long term sustainable growth, before taking on any significant investment. Its certainly not the most exciting route, and likely wont lead to fame and glory. But at some point, this seemingly endless cycle of music tech platforms coming and going needs to stop. If not, we risk forever alienating those we are really trying to help: musicians. Theyre the ones on the ground working hard to make a career out of their passion. Theyre the ones that create the music that we love, and for many of us, that fuels our very careers. "incredibly sad, frustrating, and when it comes to the lost artist payments, inexcusable" The PledgeMusic situation is incredibly sad, frustrating, and when it comes to the lost artist payments, inexcusable. One can only hope that the money raised by artists from their fans is somehow recovered, at least partially, to help offset the costs that many of the artists no doubt incurred during their campaigns. And I cant help but wonder if musicians will become distrustful of all tech companies after PledgeMusic? If they do, can we really blame them? Its yet another reminder that as an industry, we need to do much better by the musicians were trying to help. Share on: Translation: Trois recommandations pour accroitre les bienfaits de laviation en France (pdf) Paris - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that a strategic government agenda to improve competitiveness in Frances air transport sector could generate an additional 500,000 jobs and nearly 60 billion in extra GDP for the nations economy by 2037. These conclusions were reached in a new IATA report on French air transport regulatory competitiveness, which contained three key recommendations to enhance air connectivity in France and boost economic and social opportunities in the country. Aviation is the business of freedom, and already creates considerable benefits for France. But Frances competitive position in Europe is notably weak in infrastructure costs, air traffic management efficiency, the quality of regulation, and the costs of social charges. There are huge opportunities for more jobs and greater economic growth if these weaknesses are addressed. The Assises Nationales du Transport Aerien explored these issues but with no significant follow-up measures taken to boost competitiveness. The launch of this competitiveness report with FNAM and the BAR France provides an opportunity to strengthen the foundations of the National Strategy for Air Transportation 2025, which was announced by Minister Borne at the Assises, said Rafael Schvartzman, IATAs Regional Vice President for Europe. At present, aviation generates approximately 100 billion in GDP and 1.1 million jobs in France. Maximizing the competitiveness of the aviation sector could see these numbers increase to nearly 160 billion and 1.6 million jobs, by 2037. The reports three key recommendations for France are: 1. Reform economic regulation, such as by strengthening the independent economic regulator, to ensure charges are cost-related and efficient. 2. Implement a French ATM strategy to maximize capacity and efficiency of air traffic management. 3. Adopt smarter regulation principles, for example, promoting offsetting rather than taxation to tackle CO2 impacts from aviation. Robust Environmental Strategy Adoption of these recommendations could see passenger demand in France grow from around 90 million today to 142 million under the most optimistic scenario. The successful accommodation of demand for air travel, however, must sit alongside a robust environmental strategy to ensure a sustainable future for flight. Aviation must earn its license to grow by demonstrating its environmental credentials. We have ambitious global targets for carbon-neutral growth from next year, and to cut net emissions to half of 2005 levels by 2050. These targets are compatible with the wider goals of the Paris Agreement. The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) will generate $40 billion in finance for carbon reductions, but it needs strong support from the French government to ensure its success. Key to that is to resist calls for unilateral measures such as aviation climate taxes, which will provide no environmental benefit and could undermine the international consensus for combined action on aviation carbon emissions, said Schvartzman. The French Assises du Transport Aerien did not conclude with significant measures allowing the French air transport sector to become competitive versus its competitors. The weight of taxes, specific charges related to the sector, and the social charges in France are way above the European average and constitutes a heavy handicap for the airlines based in France, highlighted Alain Battisti, President of FNAM and Chalair Aviation. The capacity of the airspace and connectivity are two essential elements to the economic and tourist development of a country said Jean Pierre Sauvage, President of BAR France. The report on French air transport competitiveness benchmarked France against the rest of Europe across five key areas. Passenger facilitation: France has successfully implemented automated border control systems, but visa application processes are lengthy. Cargo Facilitation: Adoption of digital cargo processes such as e-Air Waybill is low, but initiatives to improve cargo movement facilitation are under way. Supply Chain Management: France has among the highest passenger charges and taxes in Europe, increasing the cost of traveling by air, and hampering connectivity. Infrastructure Management: France could improve its capacity use of existing terminals and runways, to allow costs to be reduced in the short-term, and create sufficient capacity for future longer-term growth. Regulatory Environment: Many regulations that apply in France are inconsistent with smarter regulation principles, particularly adopting a more systematic approach to consultation. For more information, please contact: Corporate Communications Tel: +41 22 770 2967 Email: corpcomms@iata.org Notes for Editors: Biniok stresses that CIMON is only a first step in bringing robotic AI into space. We cant really talk about the next steps yet, but I can tell you about our vision. In my mind, the goal is to create a real astronaut companion, a real assistant that is helping, not just on the ISS, but on other space stations, maybe on journeys to the moon and Mars and beyond thats the long-term vision. They will definitely need some AI to accomplish those journeys. He says he also hopes to see CIMONs value as a companion grow over time. When you go too far away from your mother planet, some interesting things happen from a psychological perspective. You get a little bit crazy, seeing earth only as a dot in the sky. Biniok suggests that CIMON could help in two ways first by offering an objective viewpoint, unaffected by the stresses of space travel, and second by providing companionship. Were working toward using Watson Tone Analyzer to enable CIMON to recognize the astronauts emotions, so that will trigger responses that accord to those emotions. And when chit-chat is not desired, the astronauts can hit CIMONs off button. There is also an offline button that doesnt turn CIMON completely off, but does disconnect it from the Internet so nothing gets sent back to earth. That feature comes with a very nice visualization, Biniok says. He will actually close his eyes as soon as hes in offline mode. While there is a sense of play in having CIMON aboard the ISS, CIMON is a scientific experiment itself, so the project was not undertaken lightly. The ISS is an extremely regulated environment, Biniok says, and we needed to confirm with all parties involved that CIMON cannot harm anybody or fly into anything. All of the content within CIMON was approved by a researcher who is responsible for the mental health of the astronauts. You are here: World Flash Six people, including a priest, were killed Sunday in an attack by unidentified militants in Dablo, a city in north Sanmentenga province, according to local security sources. According to the sources, a group of militants broke into the church on the Sunday morning and opened fire on people who were attending Mass, killing six people. The militants then set fire to shops near the church. No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack. Since 2015, the West African country has been faced with an unstable security situation. At the end of April, a pastor and four of his followers were slaughtered in a village in the north Soum province. Flash At least eight people including three militants, four civilians and a navy person were killed and six others injured when three militants stormed a five-star hotel in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province on Saturday, a military statement said Sunday. The suspects attempted entry into Pearl Continental Hotel located in Gwadar district of the province with an aim to target and take hostage the guests in the hotel, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistani military's media wing, said in the statement. "Security guards at the entry challenged terrorists denying them the entry into main hall and terrorists went to staircase leading to upper floors," the ISPR said, adding that the militants kept on firing indiscriminately while moving to staircase, killing and injuring hotel staff. Quick reaction forces of the army, the navy and the police immediately reached the hotel and evacuated guests and staff present in the hotel besides restricting the terrorists within the corridor of the fourth floor of the five-storey hotel. "After ensuring safe evacuation of guests and staff, clearance operation was launched to take on terrorists. Meanwhile, terrorists had made CCTV cameras dysfunctional and planted IEDs (improvised explosive devices) on all entry points leading to 4th floor," said the statement. Security forces made special entry points to get into 4th floor, shot down all terrorists and cleared planted IEDs, the statement added. A few hours after the attack on Saturday, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist organization of Baloch militants, claimed the attack in a tweet from an unverified Twitter account. The BLA also released a picture of four people clad in security forces uniform, claiming them as the miscreants who attacked the hotel. Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack, saying that the attempt is an effort to sabotage the country's economic projects and prosperity, and vowed that they will not allow such plans to succeed. Saturday's attack was the fourth major attack in Balochistan in less than a month. BLA and its allied groups claimed two of the four attacks that hit the province during the period. The earlier attack happened at Makran coastal highway in Gwadar district last month when about 15 to 20 militants stopped five passenger vehicles and killed 14 security personnel after identifying and off-loading them from the vans and letting the vehicles to leave with other civilian passengers. Following the attack, militant group BRAS, formed with the alliance of BLA and two other Baloch nationalist groups warned of more attacks on the economic interests of Pakistan. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the BRAS militants have their settlements including training camps across Pakistan-Iran border, in Iran, and they escaped back to the country after carrying out the attack in Balochistan. He said that his country shared actionable intelligence with Iran and is awaiting positive response from Iranian authorities, who assured them to take action against the militants after investigations. The other attack that hit Balochistan during the last one month targeted an ethnic community of minority Shiite Muslims in provincial capital of Quetta. The attack left 20 people killed and scores others injured. In a separate explosion in Balochistan earlier this week three people including a tribal elder were killed in a remote-controlled explosion. Imperial Valley News Center Department of Justice Files Statement of Interest in Vermont First Amendment Free Exercise Case Washington, DC - The Department of Justice Thursday filed a Statement of Interest in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont supporting parents and parochial high school students who claim that the State discriminated against them in violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. Constitution by barring them from a state program paying tuition for high school students to take up to two college courses. The case, A.M. v. French, involves children attending religious schools who challenge their exclusion from Vermonts Dual Enrollment Program. This program provides Vermont high school students the opportunity to take up to two college courses while still in high school, with tuition paid by the State. It is open to public school students, home school students, and students attending nonreligious private schools who do not have a public high school in their school district. The program, however, excludes those students without public high school in their district who choose to attend private religious schools. The Constitutions First Amendment makes clear that students may not be excluded from education programs like the Dual Enrollment Program because of their religious status or their religious choices, said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that all persons may participate in benefit programs without discrimination based on their faith. Religious liberty is a fundamental and foundational right in this country, said Christina Nolan, U.S. Attorney for Vermont. We support the rights of students to both exercise their religion and participate fully in Vermonts educational programs. We hope this case advances the twin paramount goals of maximizing educational opportunities for young Vermonters and vigilantly guarding religious freedom. The United States Statement of Interest emphasizes that excluding parochial school students from the Dual Enrollment Program would provide them with the same secular educational benefittuition at various local collegesoffered to other students. Excluding students from this secular benefit because they have chosen religious rather than nonreligious private schools is impermissible. The United States notes that two years ago, in Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer, the Supreme Court held that denying a generally available benefit solely on account of religious identity imposes a penalty on the free exercise of religion, and may only be justified by the most compelling governmental interests, which Vermont has not shown. Todays filing addresses issues set forth in the Department of Justices Guidance on Federal Law Protections for Religious Liberty issued on Oct. 6, 2017 at the direction of President Trumps May 4, 2017, Executive Order Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty. The Department of Justice Guidance states that government may not target persons or individuals because of their religion and observes that constitutional protections for religious liberty are not conditioned upon the willingness of a religious person or organization to remain separate from civil society . . . . Individuals do not give up their religious-liberty protections by providing or receiving social services, education, or healthcare. In July 2018, the Department of Justice announced the formation of the Religious Liberty Task Force. The Task Force brings together Department components to coordinate their work on religious liberty litigation and policy, and to implement the Attorney Generals 2017 Religious Liberty Guidance. Imperial Valley News Center Member of Sophisticated China-Based Hacking Group Indicted for Series of Computer Intrusions Washington, DC - A federal grand jury returned an indictment unsealed Thursday in Indianapolis, Indiana, charging a Chinese national as part of an extremely sophisticated hacking group operating in China and targeting large businesses in the United States, including a computer intrusion and data breach of Indianapolis-based health insurer Anthem Inc. (Anthem). Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler for the Southern District of Indiana, Assistant Director Matt Gorham of the FBIs Cyber Division and Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall of the FBIs Indianapolis Field office made the announcement. The four-count indictment alleges that Fujie Wang ( in Chinese Hanzi), 32, and other members of the hacking group, including another individual charged as John Doe, conducted a campaign of intrusions into U.S.-based computer systems. The indictment alleges that the defendants gained entry to the computer systems of Anthem and three other U.S. businesses, identified in the indictment as Victim Business 1, Victim Business 2 and Victim Business 3. As part of this international computer hacking scheme, the indictment alleges that beginning in February 2014, the defendants used sophisticated techniques to hack into the computer networks of the victim businesses without authorization, according to the indictment. They then installed malware and tools on the compromised computer systems to further compromise the computer networks of the victim businesses, after which they identified data of interest on the compromised computers, including personally identifiable information (PII) and confidential business information, the indictment alleges. The allegations in the indictment unsealed today outline the activities of a brazen China-based computer hacking group that committed one of the worst data breaches in history, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. These defendants allegedly attacked U.S. businesses operating in four distinct industry sectors, and violated the privacy of over 78 million people by stealing their PII. The Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting PII, and will aggressively prosecute perpetrators of hacking schemes like this, wherever they occur. The cyber attack of Anthem not only caused harm to Anthem, but also impacted tens of millions of Americans, said U.S. Attorney Minkler. This wanton violation of privacy will not stand, and we are committed to bringing those responsible to justice. I would also like to thank Anthem for its timely and substantial cooperation with our investigation. This case is significant not only because it showcases the FBIs cyber investigative capabilities, but also because it highlights the importance of FBI and private industry relationships, said Assistant Director Matt Gorham. Because the victim companies promptly notified the FBI of malicious cyber activity, we were able to successfully investigate and identify the perpetrators of this large-scale, highly sophisticated scheme. The FBI is committed to investigating cyber-attacks that compromise American industry and the American people. As we did in this case, we will work side by side with victim companies to ensure justice is served. "Anthem's cooperation and openness in working with the FBI on the investigation of this sophisticated cyber-attack was imperative in allowing for the identification of these individuals. This also speaks to the strong partnerships the FBI has with the private sector, as well as the tenacity and global reach of the Bureau," said Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall. "It should also be noted that the speed with which Anthem initially notified the FBI of the intrusion on their networks was also a key factor in being able to determine who was responsible for the breach and should serve as an example to other organizations that might find themselves in a similar situation." The indictment further alleges that the defendants then collected files and other information from the compromised computers and then stole this data. As part of the computer intrusion and data breach of Anthem, the defendants identified and ultimately stole data concerning approximately 78.8 million persons from Anthems computer network, including names, health identification numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, employment information and income data, according to the indictment. Wang and Doe are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity in relation to computers and identity theft, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and two substantive counts of intentional damage to a protected computer. According to the indictment, the defendants used extremely sophisticated techniques to hack into the computer networks of the victim businesses. These techniques included the sending of specially-tailored spearfishing emails with embedded hyperlinks to employees of the victim businesses. After a user accessed the hyperlink, a file was downloaded which, when executed, deployed malware that would compromise the users computer system by, in pertinent part, installing a tool known as a backdoor that would provide remote access to that computer system through a server controlled by the defendants. The defendants sometimes patiently waited months before taking further action, eventually engaging in reconnaissance by searching the network for data of interest, according to the indictment. This data included PII and confidential business information. The indictment alleges that the defendants accessed the computer network of Anthem without authorization for the purpose of conducting reconnaissance on Anthems enterprise data warehouse, a system that stores a large amount of PII, on multiple occasions in October and November 2014. The indictment further alleges that once the data of interest had been identified and located, the defendants then collected the relevant files and other information from the compromised computers using software tools. The defendants then allegedly stole the data of interest by placing it into encrypted archive files and then sending it through multiple computers to destinations in China. The indictment alleges that on multiple occasions in January 2015, the defendants accessed the computer network of Anthem, accessed Anthems enterprise data warehouse, and transferred encrypted archive files containing PII from Anthems enterprise data warehouse from the United States to China. Finally, the defendants allegedly then deleted the encrypted archive files from the computer networks of the victim businesses, in an attempt to avoid detection. In late January 2015, the defendants deleted certain archive files containing PII that they had previously transferred from Anthems enterprise data warehouse. Defendant Wang is specifically alleged to have controlled two domain names connected to the criminal activity. According to the indictment, one of these domain names was associated with a backdoor used in the intrusion victimizing Victim Business 1, and the other was associated by Wang with a server used to create an email account used to conduct spearfishing attacks against employees of Victim Business 3. This case was investigated by the FBIs Indianapolis Field Office. Senior Counsel William A. Hall, Jr. of the Criminal Divisions Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Chief of the General Crimes Unit Steven D. DeBrota of the Southern District of Indiana are prosecuting the case. Significant assistance was provided by the Justice Departments National Security Division and the Criminal Divisions Office of International Affairs. Charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Imperial Valley News Center Leader Of Sex Trafficking Ring Pleads Guilty To Multiple Felony Charges San Jose, California - Ariel Guizar-Cuellar pleaded guilty in federal court in San Jose Tuesday to sex trafficking of children and sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The Honorable Beth Labson Freeman, U.S. District Judge, accepted the plea. In pleading guilty, Guizar-Cuellar, 38, of San Jose, admitted that from approximately September of 2014 until approximately January of 2016, he and various co-conspirators operated an unlawful commercial sex venture in San Jose and Santa Clara that sold the sexual services of adult women and at least three minor girls. Guizar-Cuellar was the leader, primary facilitator, enforcer, and main financial beneficiary of the unlawful commercial sex venture. He recruited the minors through social media networks. He took pictures of the minors and caused those pictures to be posted in online advertisements for their sexual services on backpage.com. He transported the minors to various hotels and motels in the Bay Area to facilitate their prostitution dates with adult customers. He provided condoms for the minors to use during their prostitution dates and collected money from the minors after their dates. He also admitted that he made a recording of one of the minors engaging in sexual activity during a prostitution date in Sunnyvale and gave methamphetamine to some of the minors to entice them to continue working for him. He specifically told the minors to conceal their true ages. On April 7, 2016, a federal grand jury indicted Guizar-Cuellar charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371; three counts of sex trafficking of children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1591(a)(1) and (b) as to each minor victim; and one count of sexual exploitation of children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2251(a) and (e). Guizar-Cuellar pleaded guilty to all counts charged in the indictment. Guizar-Cuellar is currently in federal custody awaiting sentencing. Judge Freeman scheduled his sentencing hearing for October 22, 2019. The maximum statutory penalty for each violation of 18 U.S.C. 1591 is life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years. The maximum statutory penalty for child exploitation is 30 years, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. The maximum prison term for the conspiracy charge is five years in prison. Restitution is mandatory to all victims of sex trafficking. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Harris is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Tong Zhang. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the San Jose Police Department, and the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Santa Clara County Human Trafficking Task Force. Imperial Valley News Center Pueblo Bishop Bloods Gang Member Convicted at Retrial in RICO Case for Ambush Murder of Man in Front of Son Los Angeles, California - A member of the Pueblo Bishop Bloods street gang has been found guilty by a jury for the second time of racketeering offenses that included the slaying of a man in front of the victims 2-year-old son. Rondale Young, a.k.a. Pueblo Grump, 36, of South Los Angeles, was found guilty on Tuesday after a two-week trial. United States District Judge S. James Otero has scheduled an October 7 sentencing hearing, at which time Young is expected to receive a sentence of life in federal prison. The federal jury convicted Young of conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) in relation to the August 2, 2009 murder of Francisco Cornelio, a 23-year-old man with no gang affiliation who was shot to death at point-blank range while vacuuming his car and in front of his young son. The jury also found Young guilty of conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR); VICAR murder; and possessing, using and discharging a firearm resulting in death in relation to a crime of violence. According to the evidence presented at trial, on the day of Mr. Cornelios murder, Young, accompanied by other armed gang members, drove his car into rival gang territory, seeking retaliation for a fatal drive-by shooting of a Pueblo Bishop gang member. Mr. Cornelio was targeted simply because he was of Hispanic descent and was in rival gang territory. Local authorities originally charged Young in 2009 with killing Mr. Cornelio, but he was acquitted by a state jury. An August 2010 indictment charged Young and 44 other members and associates of the gang with being members of a criminal enterprise that engaged in drug dealing, firearms trafficking, murder, witness intimidation and armed robbery as part of the gangs efforts to control and terrorize the Pueblo Del Rio Housing Projects in South Los Angeles. In 2013, Young was convicted of racketeering charges in connection to the indictment and Mr. Cornelios murder and was sentenced to life in federal prison. That conviction was vacated in 2017 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which cited evidentiary errors during the first trial. The case was sent back to the district court for a retrial. Young has been in federal custody since the 2010 indictment. With Youngs conviction, all 45 defendants charged in this matter have been convicted of federal RICO and related charges, and have been held responsible for multiple murders. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Los Angeles Police Department; the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mack E. Jenkins, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section; Assistant United States Attorney Frances S. Lewis of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section; and Assistant United States Attorney Julia S. Choe of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section. Imperial Valley News Center Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Pornography Sacramento, California - Cameron Fox, 35, of Rocklin, pleaded guilty Thursday to distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, Fox met a minor victim online for sexual purposes and after meeting her in person, he sent her child pornography. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Marin County Sherriffs Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosanne Rust is prosecuting the case. Fox is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. on August 1. Fox faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the resources tab for information about internet safety education. Imperial Valley News Center Wells Fargo Bank Employee Charged with Fraud; Accused of Laundering Money for Fentanyl Traffickers San Diego, California - Leopoldo Aguilera, a former Wells Fargo personal banker, appeared in federal court Thursday in connection with charges that he used his position to launder millions of dollars for Mexico-based drug traffickers. Aguilera was arrested by FBI agents on May 2, 2019, on charges of bank fraud for his participation in an international money laundering organization based in Tijuana, Mexico, and which operated primarily in San Diego. At Thursdays hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt allowed the defendant to be released on a $40,000 bond secured by two financially responsible adults. The judge also ordered that the defendant be subject to home detention and GPS monitoring. According to the complaint, Aguilera abused his position of trust as a personal banker with Wells Fargo Bank and aided the money laundering organization by wire transferring millions of dollars to Mexico. The FBIs investigation linked these funds to the sale of narcotics, specifically the sale of multi-kilogram amounts of fentanyl in the Midwest. According to the complaint, with the knowledge of the money laundering organizations structure, scheme, and objectives, Aguilera performed a litany of financial transactions for the criminal organization. For instance, he opened 26 bank accounts at Wells Fargo Bank and executed 229 international wire transfers totaling $7.4 million. Of the 26 bank accounts that Aguilera opened for the organization, 11 of them were created by Aguilera with fictitious identities. Specifically, Aguilera used his position as a personal banker with Wells Fargo Bank to knowingly enter false names, passport numbers, and dates of birth on the 11 fictitious bank accounts. These fictitious bank accounts alone were used by the criminal organization to wire transfer a total of $3.1 million to Mexico, the vast majority of those wire transfers conducted by Aguilera himself. As part of the investigation, the FBI identified and seized 17 bank accounts that belonged to the organization and which contained at least $160,000 at the time of the seizure of the funds. The investigation found that Aguilera had received approximately $4,000 in cash payments from the criminal organization in exchange for his participation in the scheme. The case was investigated by the FBI San Diego Cross Border Violence Task Force and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California. The investigation was assisted by the participation of Wells Fargo Banks internal investigators in Arizona and California. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blanca Quintero. DEFENDANT Case Number: 19-MJ-1801-JLB Leopoldo Aguilera Age: 57 Tijuana, Mexico SUMMARY OF CHARGES Bank Fraud (18 U.S.C. 1344) Maximum Penalties: Thirty years in prison, $1 million fine AGENCIES Federal Bureau of Investigations San Diego Cross Border Violence Task Force *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. Imperial Valley News Center NIH awards will advance development of vaccines for sexually transmitted infections Washington, DC - The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced awards to establish four Cooperative Research Centers (CRCs) focused on developing vaccines to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The grants, totaling $41.6 million over five years, will support collaborative, multidisciplinary research on the bacteria that cause syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. At the end of the program, each center is expected to identify at least one candidate vaccine ready for testing in clinical trials. STI research has recently evolved rapidly on multiple fronts, and this new knowledge can now be applied to a critical remaining challenge the development of safe and effective vaccines for diseases that pose significant and growing public health burdens, said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. At this time, no vaccines are available to prevent syphilis, gonorrhea or chlamydia. However, research at these new centers should help fill the pipeline with several vaccine candidates that have feasible pathways to licensure in the U.S. The centers funded through this new program all involve multiple U.S. research institutions as well as international collaborators. Each center will conduct at least three research projects organized on a common theme. The centers will be supported by scientific cores that will supply shared research services including monoclonal antibody production, microbiology laboratory services and statistical expertise. One center, based at the UConn Health School of Medicine, will receive up to $11 million over five years to study syphilis. This center will be headed by UConn Health School of Medicine Professor Justin Radolf, M.D., and Duke University Associate Professor Michael Anthony Moody, M.D. Syphilis is the second leading cause of miscarriage and stillbirth worldwide. Left untreated, syphilis infection can lead to stroke, dementia or other neurological impairments. In 2017, 30,644 cases of early syphilis were reported in the United States, an increase of 76 percent since 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (link is external). Congenital syphilis (link is external), or infections passed from mother-to-baby during pregnancy or delivery, have also surged in recent years. The study team will build on earlier findings using structural biology approaches to investigate surface-exposed proteins within the outer membrane of Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis, which they believe could serve as targets for a vaccine. Two of the centers are focused on gonorrhea, an STI caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. More than half a million gonorrhea diagnoses were reported in the United States in 2017, an increase of 67 percent from 2013, according to the CDC. Especially concerning is the fact that the bacteria that cause gonorrhea have become resistant to most antibiotics. In recent years, the CDC reported that ceftriaxone is the only remaining highly effective antibiotic left to treat gonorrhea in the United States. In women, undiagnosed or untreated gonorrhea can lead to endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Babies born to infected mothers are at increased risk of blindness. Ann Jerse, Ph.D., of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, is the principal investigator for the Gonorrhea Vaccine Cooperative Research Center (GV CRC), which will receive up to $10.7 million over five years. Four research projects in the GV CRC will study immune signals that may provide evidence that a candidate gonorrhea vaccine has induced immunity. Among other projects, the team will assess samples from people and mice previously vaccinated with a candidate vaccine, 4CMenB, for which there is evidence of protection against gonorrhea. A center based at Georgia State University and headed by Cynthia Cornelissen, Ph.D., will receive up to $9.25 million over five years. Projects at this center will focus on interfering with bacterial nutrient transport as a protective strategy against gonococcal bacteria. They plan to develop vaccine candidates that target bacterial systems needed to acquire iron and zinc, thus starving the bacteria of required nutrients. One project will model the effectiveness of possible gonococcal vaccine formulations using protein antigen diversity information, antibiotic resistance prevalence and community acceptance data. A fourth center, based at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and led by Toni Darville, M.D., of the UNC School of Medicine, will receive up to $10.7 million over five years to advance chlamydia vaccine research. Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial pathogen in the world. CDC estimates that at least 1.7 million cases of chlamydia were diagnosed in the United States in 2017, 45 percent of which were in women aged 15 to 24 years. Most infections are asymptomatic, but untreated chlamydia infections in women can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease or infertility and have been linked to ovarian cancer. Projects planned by the UNC-Chlamydia Vaccine Initiative Cooperative Research Center include one that will follow a group of women at high risk of chlamydia re-infection for a year after antibiotic treatment to better understand immune responses to the infection. A subsequent project will use information gathered from studying womens immune system responses to chlamydia infection as a guide for developing candidate vaccines with the capacity to elicit robust T cell responses, which are believed to be essential in protecting against infection with chlamydia. Additional details about the new CRCs are available at the links below. NIAID expects to make two additional awards in this program later this year. 1 U19 AI144177-01 Awardee Organization: University of Connecticut School of Medicine Farmington, Connecticut Principal Investigator: Justin Radolf, M.D. Syphilis 1 U19 AI144180-01 Awardee Organization: Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Bethesda, Maryland Principal Investigator: Ann Jerse, Ph.D. Focus: Gonorrhea 1 U19 AI144182-01 Awardee Organization: Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia Principal Investigator: Cynthia Nau Cornelissen, Ph.D. Focus: Gonorrhea 1 U19 AI144181-01 Awardee Organization: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina Principal Investigator: Toni Darville, M.D. Focus: Chlamydia NIAID conducts and supports research at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. Stockton Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Trafficking Cocaine Base Sacramento, California - David Alhaqq, 56, of Stockton, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to five years in prison for distributing cocaine base, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Alhaqq pleaded guilty on January 3. According to court documents, in November 2016, a confidential source purchased six ounces of cocaine base from Alhaqq during a controlled buy in Lodi. Just before the buy, Alhaqq met with an unidentified third-party at a parking lot and retrieved a white box. Afterwards, Alhaqq met with the confidential source and gave him the white box, in exchange for $6,000. The box contained approximately six ounces of cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine). This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Stockton Safe Streets Task Force, and the Stockton Police Department, with special assistance from the San Joaquin County District Attorneys Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy H. Delgado and Quinn Hochhalter prosecuted the case. Colombian Narcotics Kingpin Pleads Guilty for Bribing Former Federal Agent to Dismiss Indictment Miami, Florida - A Colombian Cali Cartel cocaine trafficker pleaded guilty Friday for bribing a former Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent to secure the dismissal of a drug trafficking indictment filed against him, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. Jose Bayron Piedrahita-Ceballos, 60, of Medellin, Colombia, was extradited from the Republic of Colombia on April 5, 2019, and will be sentenced on July 19, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. of the Southern District of Florida. According to admissions in the plea agreement, Piedrahita-Ceballos offered and gave things of value to Christopher Ciccione II, 54, a former federal law enforcement agent, in exchange for Ciccione using his official position to cause a drug trafficking indictment against Piedrahita-Ceballos to be dismissed and to obtain official authorization for Piedrahita-Ceballos to enter the United States. At the time of the dismissal, Ciccione was the case agent for Operation Cornerstone, a large-scale Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case that resulted in indictments of over 100 Colombia-based cocaine traffickers from the Cali Cartel. Piedrahita-Ceballos, an Operation Cornerstone defendant, and Colombian national Juan Carlos Velasco, 51, gave Ciccione approximately $20,000 in cash, dinner, drinks and prostitution during an extended hotel stay in Bogota, Colombia, in exchange for official acts that resulted in the dismissal of the indictment against Piedrahita-Ceballos. Velasco served as the intermediary between Ciccione and Piedrahita-Ceballos. Velasco and Ciccione have previously pleaded guilty for their conduct in this matter. On Feb. 9, 2018, Ciccione was sentenced to 36 months in prison. On Jan. 19, 2018, Velasco was sentenced to 27 months in prison. In furtherance of this scheme to obstruct justice, Ciccione misled the U.S. Attorneys Office, HSI management and altered TECS records to represent to decision makers that Piedrahita-Ceballos was unidentified and that his case should be dismissed because all investigative efforts were exhausted all while maintaining contact with Piedrahita-Ceballos. Ciccone also falsified the concurrence of several other federal agents and attempted to parole Piedrahita-Ceballos into the United States through the United States Department of State. The U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Piedrahita as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act on May 3, 2016. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Office of Professional Responsibility, Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case. The Criminal Divisions Office of International Affairs, the Office of the Judicial Attache in Colombia and the Drug Enforcement Administration provided valuable assistance to the investigation. The Colombian Attorney Generals Office also provided invaluable support. Trial Attorney Jennifer A. Clarke of the Criminal Divisions Public Integrity Section is prosecuting the case. Many rotator cuff shoulder surgeries fail Understanding the tendon could help West Lafayette, Indiana - A few years ago, when Dianne Little was leading a horse around the corner of a barn, she was suddenly met by a piece of construction equipment with a tarp flapping heavily in the wind. The horse spooked, rearing up on its hind legs, and tried to head for the hills. Little held tight, refusing to lose control of the horse, but she left the barn that day with a partially dislocated shoulder and a torn rotator cuff. Rotator cuff tears can happen in a split second, like Littles did, or they can be caused by prolonged stress and degeneration over years or even decades, finally reaching a point of no return. Its estimated that up to 2 million people in the United States visit their doctors with a torn rotator cuff each year, with athletes and older active adults especially vulnerable. Little, an assistant professor of basic medical sciences at Purdue University, has been studying rotator cuff tears and how to repair them for several years. Rotator cuff tears are a really debilitating injury because you can no longer do simple things like brush your hair or put your seat belt on, she said. Once it gets to that point, many tears need to be repaired surgically. But the problem is, theres no way to do it that has guaranteed results. Depending on the patient population and on the size of the tear, up to 90 percent of tears repaired surgically fail, so theres a big push to try and find better solutions. Current methods to repair rotator cuff tears involve stitching the torn tendon back to the bone, using a biomaterial made from human or animal tissue or doing a transfer using tendon from nearby to replace rotator cuff function. In some cases, a joint replacement may be necessary. But due to the high physical demands on rotator cuffs and the complex anatomy of tendon, re-tears after surgery are common. Little wants to engineer tendon that would match the patients own rotator cuff. If surgeons were able to use tendon that matched that of the healthy tendon to repair it, they might be able to stimulate early regeneration, rather than scarring and fibrosis. But theres one big hurdle in the way of tendon engineering: researchers dont fully understand what tendon is. We know what tendon looks like and how it behaves, but we dont really know what it is. Theres no marker that tells you, This is tendon. There are certain markers for bone and cartilage, so when you see them, you know thats what youre looking at. But thats not true for tendon because we dont know enough about what tendon is, Little said. If youre trying to grow new tendon, you need to know what it is before you know whether or not youve recreated it. A $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health could help her toward a breakthrough in the field. For the next five years, Little will be trying to figure out what the rotator cuff tendon looks like at every level from the proteins, fats and metabolites, to the genetic code that makes tissue turn into tendon. For her study, shell use human tissue and stem cells from fat that arent suitable for transplantation to create new tendon. Then shell sequence all these levels and genetic factors of the engineered tendon and naturally occurring tendon to see how those profiles change. Well be able to see if the new tendon ends up being the same as the existing tendon or if its different, and if so, how we could push it to become better tendon, Little said. This research aligns with Purdue's Giant Leaps celebration, acknowledging the universitys global advancements made in health and longevity as part of Purdues 150th anniversary. This is one of the four themes of the yearlong celebrations Ideas Festival, designed to showcase Purdue as an intellectual center solving real-world issues. The project is supported by award 1R01AR073882-01A1 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Little will collaborate with Sarah Calve, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Purdue; Marxa Figueiredo, associate professor of basic medical sciences at Purdue; Uma Aryal and Jyothi Thimmapurum, researchers in Purdues Bindley Bioscience Center; and Dr. Grant Garrigues, of Midwest Orthopedics at Rush. Claremont Institute 40th Anniversary Gala: "A Foreign Policy From the Founding" Beverly Hills, California - Remarks at the Claremont Institute 40th Anniversary Gala: "A Foreign Policy From the Founding" Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo: SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you. Thank you all. People talk about my job being nerve-wracking. There is nothing as nerve-wracking as that much applause before you speak. (Laughter.) And you should know Ryan, thank you for the kind introduction too I was on this trip when I heard about this little dustup about the advertisement for this dinner, and it said they wouldnt let him post because of the offensive material. Im like, is that me? (Laughter.) But I also know a point with no advertisement and this crowd, youd have needed a much bigger room. So it is wonderful. It is great to be out with a group of people who care about America so deeply. Thank you for having me. (Applause.) I want to thank the Claremont Institute as well. As you said, I just got back on a trip where I had gone to Finland to talk about Americas interests in the Arctic. I made a little detour to Iraq (laughter) and then back to London. Makes Southern California weather feel pretty good. (Laughter.) First of all, I was you talked about this is home. I grew up at basically Harbor and McFadden. My father still lives in that house. I was there today. (Applause.) Yeah, it was really something. Hes lived in that house since 1961, and today they had the whole little street blocked off with California Highway Patrol and the security team, and the neighbors were all coming out like, I know that kid. (Laughter.) The Bible describes John the Baptist as the voice of one crying in the wilderness. And I sometimes think about the Claremont Institute that way. I call Kansas home. Its where I spent the bulk of my adult life outside of the military. But I had spent my childhood here, of course, when Ronald Reagan was the governor. And I have to tell you, California has changed a little bit since I left. (Laughter.) Im going to have to come back and help you all get it right. (Cheers and applause.) Its so important that you all know, all the people who make Claremont tick, Ryan and the team and all of those who contribute, your work goes way past California. And as Ryan said, theres been a lot written in the Claremont Review of Books that clarify the aims and undertakings of what were trying to do in this administration, and the hundreds of fellows that youve educated over the years who are defending the first principles on the front lines. In fact, Ryan mentioned I have a senior advisor, Mary Kissel, and a speechwriter, who is sitting over here to my left. The two of them wrote this tonight, so if you dont like it, it is on you. (Laughter.) It also looks like my Leo Strauss quote, Leos Strauss quote, so youre the only ones that might laugh at that joke, so thank you. (Laughter.) Look, all kidding aside, your work to preserve the ideals of the American Founding is absolutely what America needs. There is literally, as I travel the world, there is nothing more distinctive about the United States than our politics, and wonderfully so. We are the truly greatest experiment in human freedom that the world has ever seen, and I, as Americas senior diplomat, benefit from that every day. (Applause.) I want to do a little bit of the history, because the foreign policy of the early republic reflected the attitude of a free nation which has thrown off an imperial power, which, frankly, I just left. (Laughter.) And look, I think theres three words that characterize that. They would be realism, restraint, and respect, and Ill talk about each of them just for a moment. First, realism. The Founders were keen students of human nature and history. They saw that conflict is the normative experience for nations. Hamilton put this Federalist 34. He said, To judge from the history of mankind, we shall be compelled to conclude that the fiery and destructive passions of war reign in the human breast with much more powerful sway than the mild and [beneficial] sentiments of peace. Ill simplify: The Founders knew peace wasnt the norm. And in response to this reality, the Founders knew the first duty of the federal government was to provide for the safety of its citizens. Madison said, [Security] is an avowed and essential object of the American Union. You all know that. How about restraint? The Founders sought to protect our interests but avoid adventurism. The Barbary War, fought so soon after independence, was an effort of last resort to protect our vital commercial interests. The Monroe Doctrine relevant even today was a message of deterrence, not a license to grab land. Peace and friendship, said Jefferson, with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it. But the temper and folly of our enemies may not leave this in our choice. And finally, respect. The Founders had recently cast off the tyranny of an empire. They were not eager to subjugate others. In 1821, John Quincy Adams wrote that America goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy. But indeed, quite the opposite: She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. And as the first nation of its kind, the world would see America as a model for self-government and liberty. And a special bond would link America to any nation that loved those things. Lets contrast the Founders ideas to the foreign policy of the late 20th and early 21st century. American leaders had drifted from realism. At the dawn of the post-Cold war era, hopes were high that enfolding the likes of China and Russia into a so-called rules-based international order would hasten their domestic evolution towards democracy. We hoped this order comprised of institutions and agreed upon by codes of conduct would temper their actions towards neighbors and to our country. But we can see now 30 years on, after the end of the Cold War, that the Putin regime slays dissidents in cold blood and invades its neighbors; that the Chinese Communist Party has detained more than one million Chinese Muslims in labor camps, and it uses coercion and corruption as its primary tools of statecraft. And as Ill talk about here in just a little bit, both countries have foreign policies intent on eroding American power. We cant blame our leaders for their optimism, but we can blame them for having misjudged those regimes. America too had become unrestrained, untethered from common sense. The institutions, the institutions we built to defend the free world against the Soviet menace, had drifted from their original mission set. Indeed, some of them had become directly antagonistic to our interests, while we kept silent. We bought into trade agreements that helped hollow out our own middle class. We sacrificed American competitiveness for accolades from the UN and climate activists. And we engaged in conflicts without a clear sense of mission. No more. (Applause.) And to round out this trio, we had lost sight of respect not for other nations, but for our own people and for our ideals. We cozied up to Cuba. We struck a terrible agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran that put the regimes campaigns of terrorism and proxy wars on steroids. And many of our leaders were more eager to delight the Davos crowd than champion the principles that have made us the greatest nation that civilization has ever known. (Applause.) By the way, the Claremont Institute sadly knows, I could also name a certain tech company that we spoke about earlier thats forgotten our first principles too. (Applause.) I am very confident. I am very confident that the Founders would have been perplexed by those moves. We had too much confidence in the international system and not enough confidence in our own nation. And we had too little courage to confront regimes squarely opposed to our interests and to our values. (Applause.) But I bring you good news. One man said, Enough. And in 2016, you all sent him to the White House. (Cheers and applause.) President Trumps prescription for foreign policy was very simple, right? America First. Now, thats been mocked a bit. The media has spun this phrase as a dog-whistle for racists and xenophobes. But Ive spent a fair amount of time with President Trump, in fact, virtually every single day these past two years. (Laughter.) Yeah, sometimes so good, sometimes more challenging for all of us, yes. (Laughter.) But heres what this really means. It means that like millions and millions of Americans, President Trump loves this country and wants to see it do well in the world not at the expense of others, but to the benefit of our people, and by extension, the nations that share our values and our strategic goals. Its really that simple. If there is a natural law of foreign policy, this is it. And while he wishes every country enjoyed the freedoms we enjoy here, he has no aspiration to use force to spread the American model. You can see it in the administrations record of its using force. I can prove it to you. And so and so importantly he believes America is exceptional a place and history apart from normal human experience, the ones that our Founders spoke about. President Trump believes it is right indeed more than right for America to unashamedly advance policy that serves our interests and reflects American ideals. (Applause.) Certainly, our course of action in this administration reflects a gut-level a gut-level for love of country. But taking the pursuit of Americas interests up a notch is not just honorable; its urgent in this new era of great power competition. (Applause.) On China, the President has taken action to stop China from stealing our stuff. No longer will American companies be forced to hand over their technological crown jewels as the price of doing business in China. (Applause.) When a deal doesnt work for the United States, no deal shall be done. (Applause.) We have bolstered our military presence in the South China Sea, and weve put nations on notice around the world that the sale of key infrastructure and technology companies to China threatens their national security. And weve strengthened the group, the entity, that screens Chinese and other foreign investments here in the United States. We are also fighting the battle to make sure that the Chinese Communist Party cannot burrow into the data of billions of internet users through companies like Huawei and ZTE. (Applause.) The internet of tomorrow must have buried within it Western values and must not belong to China. (Applause.) This has been a real pivot to Asia. (Laughter.) So look, how else are we putting America First? As I I gave a speech in Brussels. I didnt get any of this applause. (Laughter.) (Cheers and applause.) I talked I spoke that day in Brussels about international agreements and institutions in which the United States enters, and I said that for us to continue to participate it must be with our consent and has to serve our interests and ideals. It seemed pretty straightforward. (Laughter.) Look, consider our stated intent to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty with Russia. I dont watch much TV, but I have seen the media mandarins swear up and down that America was putting the world closer to nuclear war. But as the 28 NATO Allies unanimously concurred, Russia is in violation of the treaty, putting Vladimir Putin closer to an asymmetric advantage of his nuclear forces. Why would one party honor a deal when the other wouldnt? It made no sense. (Applause.) We chose to abrogate the treaty but not abrogate defending the American people. (Applause.) Ill put it another way: Our decision on missiles wasnt rocket science. (Laughter.) Yeah, that was one of your own wrote that one. (Laughter.) Look, were also working to ensure that the future of international agreements unambiguously advances American interest. Past efforts, agreements that we entered into with North Korea, only produced more North Korean nukes and American diplomatic failure. Our diplomacy with the DPRK is laser-focused on making sure that we never again have to reopen the North Korean nuclear file. I just this past trip to Hanoi came across a major threshold. I had spent more time with Chairman Kim than even Dennis Rodman. (Laughter and applause.) But I want you all to know this is serious business. We want to make sure that Americans are safe, and we are determined to get our policy with North Korea and to get our allies, Japan and South Korea, and to convince the Russians and the Chinese that this is in the worlds best interest. And our diplomatic efforts to get the entire world to engage, to see the risk for what it is, and to help us get North Korea to a brighter future, is something that our administration is profoundly proud of. (Applause.) And finally, putting America First means proudly associating with nations that share our principles and are willing to defend them. Its true; we had some earlier comments from Washingtons Farewell Address. He warned against permanent alliances, but that same speech praised connections with nations based on policy, humanity, and interest. We have reaffirmed Americas historic alliance with the only free nation in the Middle East: Israel. (Cheers and applause.) We are banding together with the likeminded nations like Australia, India, Japan, and South Korea to make sure that each Indo-Pacific nation can protect its sovereignty from coercion. Its part of a greater commitment to a free and open order. You all know this: The distinctive mark of Western Civilization is the belief in the inherent worth of human beings, with the attendant respect for God-authored rights and liberties. Indeed, the Declaration says that all men are created equal. And we ought to help nations protect these first things and human rights as well. This new pride in taking Americas interests seriously is not just an American phenomenon. Countries all over the world are rediscovering their national identities, and we are supporting them. Were asking them to do whats best for their people as well. The wave of electoral surprises has swept from Britain to the United States and all the way to Brazil. Youve all heard the famous line, Whats good for General Motors is good for the United States. (Laughter.) I actually think the last administration would have said, Whats good for the world is good for the United States. Our focus is that, Whats good for the United States a foreign policy animated by love of our unique way of life is good for the world. (Applause.) And as I wrap out, I want to talk about why that is. First, countries who share our same principles find new avenues for collaboration with us. I mentioned before I returned from an Arctic Council Ministerial, a bunch of foreign ministers from eight countries whose nations touch the Arctics. I made it clear America is now sharpening its focus in an area of increasing strategic importance. We want to cooperate with likeminded democracies who share our vision of the Arctic, and guard against those who dont nations like China and Russia. My task as Americas most senior diplomat of building alliances is hard work, but they are essential for securing the rights the Founders sought to protect. Second, love of ones country forces leaders to better honor the will of their own people. President Trump does that every day. (Applause.) Hamilton had it right. Hamilton had the right idea. He said, Under every form of government, rulers are only trustees for the happiness and interest of their nation. If democratic leaders are not responsive to the jolts of patriotism which are sweeping the world, they wont be leaders for long. Those who understand that nations are the best vehicle for securing the rights of their citizens will have a much longer shelf life. (Applause.) Third the third reason why is that Ive always been a big believer in competition. I didnt like it when I ran a small business. I wanted my own little monopoly. (Laughter.) But the truth of the matter is we all know that America can compete and win against our adversaries on security and any economic issue. But even more importantly, competition forces the best ideas to rise. And among political ideas, there is none better than the American idea. (Cheers and applause.) I have the enormous privilege to serve as Americas most senior diplomat, and what I want the world to see the unsurpassed attractiveness of the American experiment is something I market every day. I want other nations to take this same path. Our first president desired the same thing. He used words like this. He said, The applause, the affection, and the adoption of every nation which is yet a stranger to it. Look, what Ive just outlined here is a foreign policy that returns America to old truths. We talk about this inside the State Department all the time. Lets speak about real facts and real truth. Its something I know that this institute, the Claremont Institute, has a deep appreciation for. President Trump has helped put the world back on track to a nation-first trajectory, and I am confident that this reawakening will last well beyond this, his presidency. As just one example you should see, look at how both parties now are on guard against the threat that China presents to America maybe except Joe Biden. (Laughter and applause.) God love him. (Laughter.) Winston Churchill a name very near to this, dear to this organization said, America is like a giant boiler. Light a fire under it, and theres no limit to the amount of heat it can generate. A fire was truly lit back in 2016. Bathed in its light, we have embarked on a foreign policy that takes seriously the Founders ideas of individual liberty and constitutional government. And because of it, American exceptionalism and the American Founding will remain alive and well in the 21st century. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless these United States of America. Man Convicted of Threatening Employees of the Arab American Institute Washington, DC - William Patrick Syring, 61, of Arlington, Virginia was convicted Thursday of threatening employees of the Arab American Institute (AAI), because of their race and national origin, threatening AAI employees because of their efforts to encourage Arab Americans to participate in political and civic life in the United States, and transmitting threats to AAI employees in interstate commerce. Syring was convicted on all 14 counts in the indictment. Threats aimed at individuals because of their race and national origin have no place in our society and violate federal civil rights laws, said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. The Department of Justice will continue to hold criminals accountable who commit such acts of hate so that all individuals in this country can engage in civic life and political discourse. Evidence presented at trial established that from 2012 to 2017, Syring sent over 700 emails to AAI employees, culminating in five death threats in 2017. According to court documents, Syring previously pleaded guilty in 2008 to sending threatening emails to AAI employees. Evidence presented at trial showed that Syring used nearly identical language that he admitted were threats in 2008 as he did in 2017. According to testimony in court, AAI employees were frightened of Syring, because he had sent them death threats in the past and continued to do so over a decade later. Additionally, according to witness testimony, many AAI employees lived in fear that Syring would follow through his threats and physically harm them. They further testified to the toll it took on them personally and their families and loved ones. Sentencing is set for Aug. 9. The maximum penalties for the convictions is 42 years of imprisonment. The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by Civil Rights Division Senior Legal Counsel Mark Blumberg and Trial Attorney Nick Reddick. For 29-year-old Krish Chopra, a first-generation American born to two Indian immigrants, becoming an entrepreneur was never on his radar, nor was reshaping what it means to be a nursing student. Today, he is doing both. Graduate nursing students throughout the U.S. are required to complete six- to eight-week-long rotations under the mentorship of a working nurse practitioner to fulfill graduation requirements. Finding working professionals who are willing to teach, however, can be a colossal task. Without the kinds of formal rotations like those used by physicians in training, nursing students often postpone graduation. Instead, Chopra wants them to give NPHub a try. The Atlanta-based company he co-founded in 2017 with Abhi Golhar, 34, automates the pairing of graduate nursing students with clinical educators in exchange for $12.50 per clinical hour of training. Students, on average, must complete 750 clinical hours to graduate. "We tell our students it used to take you six months to find a clinical rotation," says Chopra. "Now it will take two weeks." Though it is available in only 23 states--and the service has helped roughly 2,000 students secure arrangements--Chopra has big aspirations for NPHub. "We're in a hyper-growth mode," he says, adding that he anticipates his 10-person company will be available to nursing students in all 50 states by early 2020. He further expects NPHub's annual revenue to more than double, to $1.6 million, in 2019. And while nursing students themselves are now footing the bill for NPHub's services, Chopra's ultimate goal is to work directly with universities to build out rotations for their students. An evolution in education The idea for NPHub was born not out of personal experience--Chopra is not a nurse--but out of a separate, related business. After graduating from the University of Michigan in 2012 with a degree in international studies, then 24-year-old Chopra landed a job in corporate sales at AT&T. Despite making close to six figures, within a couple of years Chopra began feeling antsy. "I was overpaid and underworked," he says. "I was the definition of unfulfilled." In 2014, Chopra's hunt for gratification led him to co-found Rehabber's Academy, an educational course aimed at teaching people how to invest in real estate. His co-founder was Golhar, then a radio show host and real estate investor. Rehabber's Academy flopped after only nine months, leaving Chopra with just $6,000 left in his bank account. That same year, Chopra tried again--this time founding a company called United Medical Rotations, which offered networking services for medical school students in the Caribbean. Golhar had worked at a company in a similar industry, so he told Chopra that he thought the model might work for Caribbean clients. Then, in 2015, Chopra got a frantic call from a nursing student in the U.S. who needed help finding a nurse practitioner instructor. One turned into another and another. "One girl literally called crying" in frustration, says Chopra. He quickly hatched the idea for NPHub, which would connect U.S. nursing students with instructors. Golhar and Chopra are now phasing the United Medical Rotations operation into NPHub. When the company first started offering its services to U.S. nursing students, one part-time college intern worked alongside Chopra and Golhar and virtually all matchmaking was done over the phone. Things picked up in January 2019, when NPHub launched its online matchmaking website. Students can now filter for available educators by location preferences and medical specialty. But expenses also ticked up. The price tag for developing the platform clocked in at about $100,000, says Chopra. A $25,000 infusion from angel investor Danny Wong helped defray some of the costs. Ultimately, he sees the company as a smart bet in a burgeoning field. "Both the education and health care industries are ripe for disruption," he says, adding that NPHub is squarely in the middle. Fixing nursing school Of course, getting universities to sign on, which is how NPHub wants to eventually spin its model, won't be easy. The company initially tried selling its matchmaking services to nursing schools. Within a year of NPHub's launch, the company reached out to 40 graduate nursing programs. Chopra personally phoned 30 of the 40 universities to sell the service. "Twenty-nine of the 30 told me to f**k off," Chopra says. Even so, the problems he and his co-founder identified five years ago still exist. While some programs provide resources, such as lists of local clinical educators to contact, a vast majority of programs do not, Chopra says--especially distance-learning programs. Students often resort to Googling, cold-calling, and dropping in to clinics to find working professionals--a method Chopra compares to door-to-door sales. When students find nursing trainers, they may have to pay them upfront, but there is no standard for compensation. Typically, nurse practitioners who teach students are not compensated even though it is required for students to get this form of training, Chopra says. NPHub, rather, offers to pay educators anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of what a student pays to use the service; NPHub pockets the rest. Chopra says NPHub typically costs students between $1,500 and $1,800 per rotation for a total of $7,500 to $9,000, on average. The company also screens the nurse practitioners in its network, which has grown to 340 instructors. Teachers must work in their own practice and NPHub assesses if they are fit to teach. Otherwise, there's no telling what kind of trainer you'll get--particularly when students keep striking out, says Chopra. "They are looking for someone to say yes to teaching them as opposed to finding someone with good credentials." Chopra is convinced that universities will have to respond to these criticisms at some point. But even without their cooperation, he is bullish on the company's prospects. "Our goals are to solve the shortage for [qualified instructors] in nursing and then move on to something else that's plaguing nursing," Chopra says. EXPLORE MORE Rising Stars COMPANIES Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) Quezon City mayoral bet Vincent "Bingbong" Crisologo has been ordered released after being arrested by police Sunday night. In a resolution issued Monday afternoon, the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to release Crisologo, his son Frederick William, and 44 others arrested for alleged vote-buying activities. Police said they will file charges of unjust vexation, direct assault, and obstruction of justice against Crisologo for a reported run-in against cops in relation to a suspected vote-buying Sunday evening. Police reported that around 7:30 p.m., operations against vote-buying were conducted in a house in Barangay Bahay Toro. A certain Renato Echas was apprehended and found to have P800 and a volunteer card with Crisologos picture which led to the arrest of 43 others. Crisologo reportedly arrived just as the cops were to bring out the arrested, with the police saying that the candidate humiliated operatives and as pulled into the house. Crisologo was later on handcuffed and taken to Camp Karingal in Quezon City. Senatorial bet Larry Gadon stepped in Monday as Crisologo's lawyer. City prosecutors said Crisologo's warrantless arrest was not justified. "The evidence is presently unclear that the crime of vote buying and vote selling took place. There is no showing of a clear offer to purchase a vote and the acceptance of the offer," the inquest resolution read. The city prosecutor's office also ordered a "full-blown preliminary investigation" for the other charges against Crisologo and his supporters, which include grave coercion, resistance and disobedience, and usurpation and illegal detention. Crisologo was eventually able to vote at his precinct at Heroes Hill Community Center just two hours before polls closed. He is among the front-runners in the mayoral race in the city, running opposite Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte. The candidate is also facing a disqualification case for lacking proof of absolute pardon in relation to his double life imprisonment sentence for arson with homicide. Author's note: I have no affiliation with any of the companies or individuals mentioned in this article. Partnering with his engineer dad, Fred Hunstable, the duo discovered a new electric motor technology while designing a device that would bring much-needed power and water to developing countries. Over the span of seven years the Hunstable Electric Turbine (HET), an all-new class of electric motor was born. According to the Hunstables, the HET is more powerful, more efficient, and less costly than any other electric motor technology on the market, including Tesla's. I had a few questions about Brad Hunstable's fascinating entrepreneurial journey. Here's what he had to say. You just received seed-round funding of $4.5 million and licensed your technology to Sweden-based Abtery Advanced Drive Systems. How did you decide that Linear Labs was a business that could be marketable? Nearly fifty percent of the world's electricity passes through an electric motor and the need for energy is growing. Couple that with the fact that electric motor designs haven't drastically changed in 100 years, and it seemed apparent there was room to disrupt and innovate. We knew if we produced a more efficient motor, with more torque and better designs, there would be positive ramifications globally that would have an impact on the world, and we'd be able to market the business as an advocate for change with a superior product. What did you learn from building Ustream that you're able to apply to Linear Labs? Being an entrepreneur is a lifestyle choice. You operate with limited information, fewer resources, and are always trying to convince your customers, investors, and even potential employees to believe in your vision. You hear the word "no" many times before you hear "yes." One of the most important traits of a strong entrepreneur is to be able to quickly forget the "no's." While building Ustream I learned that you must develop a core management team built on a foundation of trust. This is the most determinate characteristic of a high-performing team. I call it TIPS: You build trust (T) by talking to your team regularly face to face, you keep them informed (I), you are predictable (P) as a leader, and most importantly you are sincere (S). Your team will then rally around you and it will be reflective of the spirit of the company. What are some advantages of working with your father in a family business? The biggest advantage of working with my father is that he is one of the most inventive people I've ever met. He's unique and an engineer that can invent and build with his hands, coming from a long line of mechanical-thinking heritage. One advantage of working with family is that you (hopefully) have a tremendous amount of trust. Working with family is not always easy and there will be tough conversations. Everyone on the team, be they related or not, must be on the same level of authenticity when it comes to decision making, putting the best interest of the company and mission first, the team second, and your personal interests last. During your days as CEO of Ustream, you commuted to Silicon Valley from your home in Texas, where you based Linear Labs. Do you recommend that entrepreneurs build their businesses closer to home? When choosing a location, it really comes down to what puts your company in the best position for success. Can the area support the talent you need? Is there an investor base there? Customers? It was a massive sacrifice to travel from Texas to California during the work week and return on weekends, but it's what needed to be done. With Linear Labs, Dallas is a perfect location. The city has a thriving technology scene now, with startups and established companies like Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter. There's also a highly educated talent pool, making Dallas/Fort Worth an incredible place to build a business. In addition to electric vehicles, you mention Linear Labs' technology will have use in micro-mobility -- the burgeoning e-Scooter industry everyone is talking about. What are some tips for staying ahead of trends and knowing what the next big industry-vertical might be? Do other people really like you? Do they enjoy being around you? More important, if you're the boss, how good are you at motivating and empowering others to do their best work? You can answer all these questions with a simple 12-question self-test called the Encouragement Character Strength Scale. The test was developed by a team of researchers led by Y. Joel Wong at Indiana University Bloomington, and it basically seeks to answer one question: How good are you at providing words of encouragement, inspiration, and affirmation to others? In addition to making you a better leader, this ability to encourage and inspire makes you more likable as well. In a recent study, a high score on the scale was shown to correlate with "secure attachment, generativity, empathy, kindness, optimism, social connectedness, the personality traits of agreeableness and extraversion, psychological well-being," the researchers write. And in a blog post about the ECSS on the Psychology Today website, Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., professor emerita at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, argues that a high score on the ECSS equates directly to likability. "Everyone likes people who make them feel good," she writes. "When you're around someone who allows you to feel capable, well-respected, and fun, you automatically feel that you'd like to spend more time with that person." And that's not all. "There are many ways to get people to like you, but if you're a true encourager, your character includes the qualities of optimism and empathy," she writes. Furthermore, "people will like you and want to be with you. All of this contributes to that higher sense of well-being that being high on encouragement will help build." So just how good are you at encouraging others? To find out, take the ECSS self-test, which is embedded in Whitbourne's post. As a preview, here's the first question on the test: How strongly would you agree or disagree with this statement? "Someone has told me that my words of encouragement to her or him provided hope during a difficult time in her or his lives." If you're a good boss, you may find you have a high score on the ECSS. But if you don't, Whitbourne writes, don't give up hope. Just because you're not good at encouraging others today doesn't mean you can't get better at it in the future. Begin by listening closely to what you say to others when they tell you they're facing a difficult problem, are afraid of failure, or have already failed. Is your response what you would want to hear if you were feeling similarly frightened or down? You may believe you'll be doing a greater service to you employee, colleague, or friend if you give an honest assessment and tell them where they've gone wrong. And indeed, they may need this information in order to do better next time. But when someone's confidence is rattled, providing words of encouragement is the best and most immediate thing you should do. Suggestions for how to improve should come later, and should be conveyed in an encouraging and positive way. There has been much controversy surrounding the evolution of Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen due to events of the shows most recent episodes, but one theory suggests her story is set to go in an even more surprising direction than fans could ever have imagined. With just two episodes to go until the HBO seriess finale, fans are theorising about how the Kings Landing battle for the Iron Throne will go down, especially after an outing that seemingly paved the way for Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) to follow in her fathers footsteps to become the Mad Queen something a lot of fans arent too happy about. This notion was backed up by the final words of the characters long-time aide, Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), who shouted the word Dracarys before having her head chopped off at the order of Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). You can read up on the meaning of that word here. Another twist to Danys story was the loss of a second dragon, leaving her with Drogon as the sole surviving fire-breather. But, a new theory suggests a huge twist could occur in episode five and that, in order to wreak destruction upon Kings landing, she will wait for it turn into an actual dragon. Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Show all 9 1 /9 Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Tyrion at Dragonstone on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Euron looking worried on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Greyworm at Dragonstone on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Daenerys at Dragonstone on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Jon Snow and Varys arriving at Dragonstone on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Davos and Jon Snow preparing for battle on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Cersei (and the Mountain) on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Davis, Jon Snow and Tyrion at King's Landing on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Golden Army leader Harry Strickland on 'Game of Thrones' Ryan Caldwell suggests that the clues have been there from the start. Firstly, its been expressed since the very first season that Daenerys is one of few Targaryens who can withstand fire one of her ancestors who tried to drink wildfire in an attempt to turn himself into a dragon backfried drastically. If Dany was to come up against wildfire maybe because of Cersei maybe it could unleash her true dragon form. Remember when her son with Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) was stillborn in the first season? Upon waking up, the witch Mirri Maz Duur (Mia Soteriou) tells her that the baby was monstrous and twisted. She says: He was scaled like a lizard. Blind, with leather wings, like the wings of a bat. When I touched him, his skin fell from his bones. Inside, he was full of graveworms. While Daenerys assumes this was because of her dealings with blood magic in an attempt to save Drogos life, Caldwell states that this could actually be because her body had created a baby dragon. When taking into account Missandeis final word in which she essentially ordered Dany to burn Kings Landing to the ground perhaps this was a direct order for the dragon queen to do it herself as opposed to Drogon. Levels of the damaging greenhouse gas carbon dioxide have reached an alarming new milestone at the worlds oldest measuring station in Hawaii. The Mauna Loa Observatory, which has measured the parts per million (ppm) of CO2 in the atmosphere since 1958, took a reading of 415.26ppm in the air on 11 May thought to be the highest concentration since humans evolved. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography measures CO2 levels at Mauna Loa daily. The observatory, on Hawaiis largest volcano, was built to test air quality on the remote Pacific islands because it is far from continents and pollution, while the area lacks vegetation, which can interfere with results. The readings form the Keeling curve, which shows the rapid increase in CO2 levels in the atmosphere as a result of human activity. The 1958 readings showed the concentration of CO2 was 313ppm in March 1958, and that had risen to 400ppm by May 2013. Thousands of mothers stage climate protest in London Show all 8 1 /8 Thousands of mothers stage climate protest in London Thousands of mothers stage climate protest in London AFP/Getty Images Thousands of mothers stage climate protest in London AFP/Getty Images Thousands of mothers stage climate protest in London REUTERS Thousands of mothers stage climate protest in London AFP/Getty Images Thousands of mothers stage climate protest in London AFP/Getty Images Thousands of mothers stage climate protest in London REUTERS Thousands of mothers stage climate protest in London REUTERS Thousands of mothers stage climate protest in London REUTERS Meteorologist Eric Holthouse retweeted the Mauna Loa readings and said: This is the first time in human history our planets atmosphere has had more than 415ppm CO2. Not just in recorded history, not just since the invention of agriculture 10,000 years ago. Since before modern humans existed millions of years ago. We dont know a planet like this. Ralph Keeling, the director of Scripps CO2 programme, said: The average growth rate is remaining on the high end. The increase from last year will probably be around three parts per million whereas the recent average has been 2.5ppm. He added: [Its] likely were seeing the effect of mild El Nino conditions on top of ongoing fossil fuel use. It is estimated the last time CO2 concentrations were this high was during the mid Pliocene epoch 2.5-5 million years ago. During this period, global temperatures were 2-3C higher than they are today, global sea levels were at least 25m higher, and sea ice at the Arctic had retreated and given way to forests, where summer temperatures regularly reached 15C. The Paris climate agreement, signed by most countries in 2015, is designed to try and limit average global temperature rises to 1.5C above what they were in the pre-industrial era. However, last years report by the United Nations scientific body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, warned the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases we are still putting into the atmosphere means we are currently on track to exceed 1.5C of warming between 2030 and 2052 if temperatures continue to increase at the current rate, and by 3C by the end of the century. Once we hit 2C warming, the report said the world will become a profoundly different place. There will be almost no coral reefs remaining, the Arctic will be completely free of ice during summer at least once a decade, and huge numbers of animals and plants will become extinct as their habitat becomes smaller and smaller. Devastating heatwaves and wildfires will become more frequent and could make some inhabited parts of the world impossible to continue living in. The impact for humans will be enormous, the report said, particularly in areas already vulnerable to sea level rise such as the low-lying coastal regions of Bangladesh and Vietnam, and island territories like Kiribati and the Maldives. Rising waters will drive millions from their homes, and crop yields will fall dramatically in sub-Saharan Africa, southeast Asia, and Central and South America. The report concluded limiting global warming to 1.5C would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society. The price of bitcoin has risen above $7,000 (5,380) for the first time since September, amid speculation that its value could double by the end of the year. It marks the seventh straight week of gains for the cryptocurrency, having spent the first three months of 2019 trading below $4,000. The latest price is still a long way of its late 2017 peak, when intense interest pushed bitcoin close to $20,000 before a major sell-off saw the market crash. Bitcoin's recovery began at the beginning of this year, though the biggest surge in value has come since the start of May. In less than two weeks bitcoin has risen by $2,000 and broken above the $6,000 mark that was seen by market analysts as a crucial test of its future prospects. Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Satoshi Nakamoto creates the first bitcoin block in 2009 On 3 January, 2009, the genesis block of bitcoin appeared. It came less than a year after the pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto detailed the cryptocurrency in a paper titled 'Bitcoin: A peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System' Reuters Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin is used as a currency for the first time On 22 May, 2010, the first ever real-world bitcoin transaction took place. Lazlo Hanyecz bought two pizzas for 10,000 bitcoins the equivalent of $90 million at today's prices Lazlo Hanyecz Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Silk Road opens for business Bitcoin soon gained notoriety for its use on the dark web. The Silk Road marketplace, established in 2011, was the first of hundreds of sites to offer illegal drugs and services in exchange for bitcoin Screenshot Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures The first bitcoin ATM appears On 29 October, 2013, the first ever bitcoin ATM was installed in a coffee shop in Vancouver, Canada. The machine allowed people to exchange bitcoins for cash Reuters Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures The fall of MtGox The world's biggest bitcoin exchange, MtGox, filed for bankruptcy in February 2014 after losing almost 750,000 of its customers bitcoins. At the time, this was around 7 per cent of all bitcoins and the market inevitably crashed Getty Images Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Would the real Satoshi Nakamoto please stand up In 2015, Australian police raided the home of Craig Wright after the entrepreneur claimed he was Satoshi Nakamoto. He later rescinded the claim Getty Images Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin's big split On 1 August, 2017, an unresolvable dispute within the bitcoin community saw the network split. The fork of bitcoin's underlying blockchain technology spawned a new cryptocurrency: Bitcoin cash Reuters Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin's price sky rockets Towards the end of 2017, the price of bitcoin surged to almost $20,000. This represented a 1,300 per cent increase from its price at the start of the year Reuters Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures What goes up... Bitcoin price crashes spectacularly, losing half of its value in a matter of days Getty Images Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin plunges The cryptocurrency eventually bottoms out below $4,000 in 2019 before slowly rebuilding momentum to outperform more traditional assets Getty Images "Breaking through the $6,000 barrier was a moment of truth for bitcoin... it holds a major psychological significance for the community," said Simon Peters, a cryptocurrency expert at the online trading platform eToro. Recommended Bitcoin trader faces death penalty after Thai navy seizes sea home "We could see prices reach levels last seen at the start of 2019, potentially hitting the $12,000 to $14,000 range by the end of the year." Other major cryptocurrencies have been significantly boosted by bitcoin's turnaround in fortunes, including ethereum, ripple, bitcoin cash and litecoin. The combined market capitalisations of the top four alternative cryptocurrencies have risen by nearly $10 billion since the start of May. The cryptocurrency market's remarkable recovery comes despite traditional markets seeing a relative slowdown in growth since the start of the year. "Given that global markets are having a bit of a wobble at the minute, bitcoin's price growth in recent weeks means it is one ot the strongest asset classes so far in 2019," Mr Peters said. Other experts have suggested similar positive movement in the months ahead, with financial adviser Nigel Green saying in April that "the so-called crypto winter has come to an end". Free Game of Thrones streams are still readily available across the internet but not quite as readily as it might at first appear. As the show comes to its end, fans are rushing to watch the shows as they air. But expensive streaming packages and the complete lack of legitimate options in particular regions have led some to search out free streams instead. Interest in watching the free streams does not appear to be abating. Google Searches certainly peaked during the premiere of season eight, but they have continued to hold strong in the weeks since, and millions of people are still thought to be watching illegal and free streams despite various warnings. Such streams can infect users' computers with malware, in addition to running the risk of sanctions for watching such illegal streams in the first place. And various websites, which can be relatively easily accessed through web searches, are claiming to offer free streams but in fact are tricking users into looking at websites and handing over valuable data. Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Show all 9 1 /9 Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Tyrion at Dragonstone on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Euron looking worried on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Greyworm at Dragonstone on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Daenerys at Dragonstone on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Jon Snow and Varys arriving at Dragonstone on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Davos and Jon Snow preparing for battle on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Cersei (and the Mountain) on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Davis, Jon Snow and Tyrion at King's Landing on 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5 photos Golden Army leader Harry Strickland on 'Game of Thrones' Many of what appear to be the most popular websites include buttons that suggest users will be able to watch or download the show for free, relatively easily. But clicking on them can take the users to various other parts of the internet usually leading them to look at adverts, but potentially at more harmful content, too. Recommended Game of Thrones climax may have been revealed in season 2 vision Some of the websites do in fact include videos, which appear to be unlicensed and pirated. Those videos are often hidden amid a Those same sites might also encourage users to sign up with accounts in order to access the streams. Since the sites themselves appear to be operating outside of regulations, it is not clear what happens to any information that users give up. Rather than setting up devoted websites, various people offering live streams have instead shared them through some of the world's most popular websites. That allows users to take advantage of relatively advanced and reliable streaming infrastructure and lets them hide the illegal streams in plain sight, by giving them innocent-looking names. In the UK, Game of Thrones is shown on Sky Atlantic or on Now TV. Signing up for a trial of the latter can actually allow users to watch the latest episodes for free, without running any of the numerous risks associated with the free streams. In the US, it is shown on HBO, where it can be watched either on cable or over streaming. The Moon is shrinking and shaking as it does, according to new Nasa data. Over the last decade, scientists have established that as the inside of the Moon cooled, it shrivelled up a like a raisin. That left it riven with cliffs called "thrust faults", marked all over its surface. Now a new analysis, using data from Nasa missions, suggests that the Moon could still be shrinking today. As it does, it is experiencing moonquakes along those thrust faults, with the rock shaking at the cliffs. Scientists compare the process to the way a grape will gradually wrinkle up, adding lines as it cools and shrinks. But unlike a grape's skin, the crust around the Moon cannot stretch and is instead brittle, making it break apart as the shrinking happens. The faults form when the crust moves around, and one part of the crust is pushed up over another. They form unusual-looking cliffs that can be seen from the surface, standing tall and many miles long. Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 more commonly known as WR 124 and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region The new research was made possible by the creation of an algorithm that processed seismic data that was taken in the 1960s and 1970s. It helped shed new light on those moonquakes, including allowing for a better understanding of where they are actually coming from. Recommended Rock smashed into Moon during lunar eclipse and left huge crater Once that location data was generated, it could be laid on top of the images of the thrust faults that were taken from a 2010 study that used pictures from Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Comparing the two, they found that at least eight of the rumbles were coming from movement of plates beneath the Moon's surface, not from asteroid impacts or other explanations. That helped confirm that the Moon is still experiencing true tectonic activity, according to the new paper published in Nature Geoscience. The instruments left by Apollo astronauts in the past finished their work in 1977. But scientists think this shaking and shrinking is still happening to this day, with images seeming to show evidence of recent movement, such as boulders and landslides that appear to have recently fallen over. One of thousands of the faults found on the Moon by Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LROC NAC frame M190844037LR; NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University/Smithsonian) "We found that a number of the quakes recorded in the Apollo data happened very close to the faults seen in the LRO imagery," said Nicholas Schmerr, an assistant professor of geology at the University of Maryland, in a statement. "It's quite likely that the faults are still active today. You don't often get to see active tectonics anywhere but Earth, so it's very exciting to think these faults may still be producing moonquakes." The seismic data was taken from instruments that astronauts dropped onto the surface during Apollo missions. The one left by Apollo 11 died after a few weeks but the rest kept measuring, eventually picking up 28 different, shallow moonquakes between 1969 and 1977. Of those quakes, eight were picked up near to the faults that could be seen in images of the Moon's surface. That led them to conclude the two were connected. What's more, most of the shakes happened when the Moon was at the point of its orbit furthest away from the Earth. That happens because the stress from Earth's gravity disrupts its crust. "We think it's very likely that these eight quakes were produced by faults slipping as stress built up when the lunar crust was compressed by global contraction and tidal forces, indicating that the Apollo seismometers recorded the shrinking moon and the moon is still tectonically active," said Thomas Watters, lead author of the research paper and senior scientist in the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. Scientists now hope to return to the Moon and learn more about what is happening to it. The Trump administration has ordered Nasa to head back as soon as it can, and hopes to have astronauts back on its surface in five years. "For me, these findings emphasize that we need to go back to the moon," Schmerr said. "We learned a lot from the Apollo missions, but they really only scratched the surface. With a larger network of modern seismometers, we could make huge strides in our understanding of the moon's geology. "This provides some very promising low-hanging fruit for science on a future mission to the moon." The universe was far brighter at its beginning than we ever thought, scientists have revealed in a breakthrough that could explain how the dazzling spectacle of the night sky came about. New data from Nasa's Spitzer Space Telescope found that some of the earliest galaxies to come into existence were brighter than had been expected. The extra light came about because the galaxies were releasing blazing amounts of ionising radiation. That discovery could help shed light on what is called the "Epoch of Reionization", the mysterious moment at which the universe's first lights started switching on, and which led to the starry sky we see at night. The new study looked at some of the universe's first ever galaxies, which formed less than a billion years after the big bang or more than 13 bilion years ago. It found that in some wavelengths of infrared light, the light coming from the stars were much brighter than had been expected. The study was the first time that scientists had seen the phenomenon in a big sample of different galaxies showing that the brightness was coming not from a few galaxies but that the average galaxies were much brighter than those we see today. Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 more commonly known as WR 124 and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region The birth of the first stars in the universe still remains largely mysterious, and scientists don't know exactly or definitively when it happened. But the existing evidence suggests the first lights started to switch on about 100 or 200 million years after the big bang, when the hydrogen gas that was floating around the universe gradually started to push itself into stars. After about a billion years, the universe was dazzling with the bright lights we see today. And the universe had changed fundamentally: the neutral hydrogen gas that had been floating around had disappeared, with the universe switching from being full of neutrogen hydrogen to being filled with ionised hydrogen. That process is known as the Epoch of Reionization and is key to the nature of the universe as we see it now. And while scientists understand what happened and how it changed the universe, they do not know how the universe was filled with enough radiation to switch over an entire universe, and what prompted it. "It's one of the biggest open questions in observational cosmology," Stephane De Barros, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Geneva in Switzerland said in a statement. "We know it happened, but what caused it? These new findings could be a big clue." To try and answer that question, researchers looked back in time, peering through the universe to see the moment just before the Epoch of Reionization came to an end. The Spitzer telescope looked at two specific parts of the sky for 200 hours, letting it see light that began its journey more than 13 billion years ago, coming from the very beginnings of the universe. In that data, the astronomers were able to find 135 distant galaxies, and spotted particular brightness in two specific wavelengths where light is produced during the process of ionizing radiation colliding with hydrogen and oxygen. It suggests those early galaxies had huge young stars made up of hydrogen and helium. Those are not the universe's first stars, but they among the oldest. As such, they offer a hint at how the universe evolved during the time they were born. "We did not expect that Spitzer, with a mirror no larger than a Hula-Hoop, would be capable of seeing galaxies so close to the dawn of time," said Michael Werner, Spitzer's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "But nature is full of surprises, and the unexpected brightness of these early galaxies, together with Spitzer's superb performance, puts them within range of our small but powerful observatory." Queues of panicked people outside Metro Bank branches are just the latest evidence of the spread of hoax messages on WhatsApp. The bank has been forced to assure customers that their money is safe after a viral message took off on the app, spreading quickly and worrying the people who read it. Before the bank could assure users, its share price dropped and people had waited outside branches to collect their money, as the messages had advised them to do. The messages have come after a tough period for the bank. But it said there was no truth to the rumours about safe deposit boxes, and that customers should not be concerned. The messages are just the latest in a run of hoax messages to fly across the app. And many have had even worse effects than those seen at Metro Bank, being blamed for attacks on people, widespread panic and even deaths. Most famous among them are the problems in India. There, numerous lynchings and mob attacks have been blamed on the app in most cases, false messages whip up panic by suggesting that some sort of dangerous person is in the area, and innocent people have been killed by those attempting to act on the messages. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Show all 12 1 /12 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Unsend messages You can unsend a message by tapping and holding it, hitting the Delete symbol and selecting Delete for Everyone. The feature works for all types of messages, but only if they were sent less than seven minutes ago. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Dodge the blue ticks WhatsApps blue ticks show when sent messages have been read, but you can disable them buy going to Settings > Account > Privacy > Read Receipts. However, bear in mind that, by doing so, youll lose the ability to see when your own sent messages have been read. Another, more fiddly way of reading your messages without triggering the blue ticks, is enabling Aeroplane Mode before opening your messages - just remember to close the app before switching Aeroplane Mode off again. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Hide your 'last seen' time Prevent your friends from finding out when you were last online by hiding your last seen time. Go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Last Seen. As is the case with disabling read receipts, hiding your last seen time will also stop you from seeing anybody elses. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Limit data usage You can control how much data you munch through on WhatsApp by limiting the types of media you automatically download on a mobile connection. Go to Settings > Data Usage and choose the best option for you. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Customise notifications If youre expecting an important WhatsApp message from someone, set a custom notification for them by opening the chat, tapping their name at the top and hitting Custom Notifications. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Format your messages To jazz up any of your messages, simply highlight it by tapping and holding it, hit the More Options key on the pop-up menu and tap the formatting option you want - bold, italic, strikethrough or monospace. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Type hands-free You can get Siri or Google Assistant to type your WhatsApp messages out for you by saying either Hey Siri or Okay Google, followed by the name of the person you want to message and the actual contents of the message. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Mark chats as unread When youve read a message but cant reply to it straight away, you can set a visual reminder by marking it as unread. On Android, long-press the conversation, and on iOS, swipe from left to right on a chat. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Email entire conversations You almost certainly wont do this on a regular basis, but its a handy option to have. You can export entire conversations - complete with emoji and media attachments - by hitting More inside a chat a selecting Email Chat. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Mass-message contacts You can send the same message to lots of your contacts without lumping them all into one group, much like the BCC option on email, by hitting the New Broadcast option on the apps main menu. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Pin conversations You pin up to three contacts and groups to the top of your WhatsApp conversation list by tapping and holding a chat, then hitting the pin icon. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Make things easier to find You can easily mark key messages with a star, allowing you to find them easily when you need to. Just tap and hold a message and hit the star icon to save it, and return to it later by selecting Starred Messages in WhatsApps main menu. Part of the problem with WhatsApp chats is that they are end-to-end encrypted, meaning there is technically no way for the company to regulate what is being shared on the app. Unlike public conversations on Facebook and Twitter, false stories can be spread without any oversight. What's more, WhatsApp has proven useful in communities that have been underserved by traditional news organisations. So those messages can often be useful, when they are fact, and it is difficult to tell the difference between those genuine messages and other fake ones when such stories might not be immediately verified in the news. WhatsApp has introduced a number of features intended to limit the spread of hoax and false messages, despite those limitations. For instance, last year it introduced a small label that is applied to forwarded messages whenever they are passed on. That is intended to allow people to know whether the message was actually written by the person sending it and encourage people to use extra caution if it wasn't. It also runs a special section on its site, which encourages people to be careful to spot hoax messages and other problems on WhatsApp. In addition to the warning about forwarding, users are encouraged to check photos and media they are being sent, look out for markers of questionable messages such as those that include spelling mistakes, be critical about anything that buys into your biases, view anything that has been shared a lot with some scepticism, and check any information that is being sent around on WhatsApp with other sources. It also advises people to make sure they help stop the spread of such messages, if they are confirmed to be hoaxes. "If you see something that's fake, tell the person that sent it to you and ask them to verify information before they share it," the page reads. "Don't share a message because someone tells you to do so. If a group or a contact is constantly sending fake news, report them." The Duke of Cambridge has teamed up with celebrities including Katy Perry, Stephen Fry, and Jameela Jamil to record a radio message to mark the start of mental health awareness week. The minute-long message was broadcast at 10.59am on Monday 13 May across more than 300 UK radio stations and featured Prince William and his fellow A-listers discussing the importance of listening and the positive role it can play in our mental health. At the beginning of the message, Perry said "while we are listening, were not really listening", before Fry added that "there are people out there who are desperate to be heard". Prince William joined in the conversation, telling listeners: "Being able to talk about how youre feeling is essential to keeping emotionally and physically healthy. "Each and everyone one of us has the power to make a difference." Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Show all 21 1 /21 Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their baby son, who was born on Monday morning, during a photocall in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in Berkshire Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their baby son, who was born on Monday morning, during a photocall in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in Berkshire Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/Reuters Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP The message marks a collaboration between Radiocentre, the industry body for commercial radio, and Heads Together, the mental health campaign spearheaded by the duke's Royal Foundation. The recording comes days after William joined forces with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to launch a text messaging helpline to support those struggling with poor mental health health. The initiative, dubbed Shout, was formed from a 3m grant donated from the Royal Foundation, the charity that the four royals run together and use to fund various philanthropic projects ranging from wildlife conservation to supporting young people. Shout aims to help those in need progress from crisis to calm by providing them with trained volunteers offering instant support. The service is anonymous, free to use and open 24/7. Earlier this year, William took part in a panel discussion about mental health at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. During the talk, the royal spoke about his own experiences with mental health in a bid to highlight the important role employers play in promoting health workplaces. Recalling one particular incident when he worked as an ambulance pilot, William said if he didnt have supportive colleagues to turn to about the situation, he would likely have gone down a slippery slope mentally. I still find it very difficult to talk about it, the father-of-three said. "I get very emotional about it because it relates very closely to my children and so it is very hard to talk about it. I know that if I hadnt taken the action that I did then, I would have definitely gone down a slippery slope and I would have been dealing with mental illness on a different level. Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from 13-19 May 2019. Meet the new bankers, same as the old bankers. That was The Independents headline at the top of a piece I wrote back in 2016, having delved into the backgrounds of the bosses of the challenger banks the government hoped would shake up Britains moribund banking industry. More than half of them were linked through having worked for Fred Goodwins Royal Bank of Scotland, which ended up nearly breaking the UK economy. Given the rash of negative stories about Metro Bank (its boss Craig Donaldson is one of the RBS alumni who were featured in that story), would that headline today read meet the new banks, same as the old banks? There was even, over the weekend, an incidence of people queuing to withdraw cash in west London, which brought back uncomfortable memories of a certain Northern Rock. For goodness sake, calm down, said the bank this morning, in response to some of the wild rumours flying around social media. Were not even close to being in the sort of situation the Rock was in. Yes, were raising 350m from our investors, but its to finance growth, not to bail us out and its going well. Well complete before the end of June. So move along, there really is nothing to see here. The trouble for Metro is that it created a rod for its own back when it had to admit that it had messed up with the risk classification of some of its loans for regulatory purposes a big no no and reported some disappointing results at the start of the year. The shares behaved as if theyd taken a right to the nose from Canelo Alvarez. Theyve been rolling around on the floor ever since. Shorting the stock has been a favoured tactic of hedge fund managers with their eyes on new yachts. In the space of not much more than a year, a stock that had reached the giddy heights of 35 has fallen back to just over 5. It was on the slide again this morning. The world outside Londons financial centre has taken note of this. It has only added fuel to the brush fires that Donaldson and his team are now trying to put out. Theyve pointed to the awards Metro has been winning for customer service, the fact that its opening branches when others are closing them, the profits it has declared. Your money is safe, and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme covers you up to 85,000 anyway, has been the message. Problem is, bitter past experience tells people theres no smoke without fire and logic says that if theyre worried its safer to get out. Even though depositor protection has markedly improved since the Rock hit the rocks, getting compensation takes time and causes inconvenience and worry. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. The best way, the only way, for the bank to prove that peoples concerns are unfounded and that this isnt a case of meet the new banks, same as the old banks is to weather the storm and then meet, and better beat, the Citys forecasts while putting its future loans in the right regulatory box. Only then will the shares recover along with peoples confidence. At some point in the near future, it might need to consider whether it needs a change at the top although right now such a move would only add to the bad mood music. As for the governments policy of encouraging challenger banks? After TSBs IT snafu and now this, its looking challenged. Car giant Honda has confirmed plans to close its UK factory in another major blow to the British car industry, with thousands set to lose their jobs. The Japanese company told workers at the Swindon factory that following a meaningful and robust consultation, no viable alternatives to the closure have been found. The plant, which employs 3,500 workers and is Hondas only manufacturing presence in the UK, will close at the end of the current Civic models production lifecycle, in 2021. No jobs cuts are expected prior to that date. Director of Honda UK Jason Smith said: It is with a heavy heart that today we confirm the closure of Hondas factory in Swindon. We understand the impact this decision has on our associates, suppliers and the wider community. We are committed to continuing to support them throughout the next phases of the consultation process. The Japanese carmaker had announced plans in February to leave the site in South Marston near Swindon. It said the change was not as a result of Brexit but because it is shifting focus to electric cars with most demand expected to be in Asia. Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Show all 15 1 /15 Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Pork There will be tariffs on pork in order to protect British farmers Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Cheese There will be tariffs in place on some cheeses including 22.10/100kg of cheddar, 19.10/100kg of processed cheese and 18.60/100kg on some blue cheeses Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Milk There will be no tariffs in place on milk Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Car Parts There will be no tariffs on car parts imported from Europe PA Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Cars However finished cars will face tariffs of 10.6% Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Alcoholic drinks There will be no tariffs on alcoholic drinks - except on some rums due to ingredients used in their distilling process Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Beef There will be tariffs on beef in order to protect British farmers Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Fish There will be no tariffs on many types of fish including cod, haddock, salmon and sea bass Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Fruit and vegetables There will be no tariffs on almost all fruit and vegetables Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Chocolate There will be no tariffs on chocolate or other cocoa products Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Poultry There will be tariffs on poultry in order to protect British farmers Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Ceramics There will be some tariffs in place on ceramis Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Steel There will be no tariffs on steel Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Coal There will be no tariffs on coal Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Lamb/Mutton There will be tariffs on the meat of sheep in order to protect British farmers Getty After consulting with the government and external consultants engaged by the Unite union, closure was deemed to be inevitable. Prime Minister Theresa Mays official spokesperson said: Clearly, this is a disappointing decision, despite the best efforts of local MPs, civic and business leaders and the trade unions since Hondas initial announcement in February. We recognise this is a worrying time for affected employees, their families and businesses in the supply chain. Business secretary Greg Clark has set up a local taskforce which aims to ensure that employees are able to move on to new skilled employment. That taskforce is due to hold its next meeting next week. Honda is one of a number of car manufacturers to cut back its presence in the UK this year. Nissan said in January that it would build its new X-Trail model in Japan instead of Sunderland, despite earlier reassurances. Ford is planning to offer redundancy to more than 500 staff at its Essex office, while Jaguar Land Rover confirmed in January that it would cut 4,500 jobs from its 40,000-strong UK workforce as it attempts to deal with a sharp drop in demand in China. Unite national officer for automotive industries Des Quinn said he believed there was a case for keeping the plant open and that the government would have provided public funding. It would have made Honda a global leader in emerging battery technology and in a strong position to exploit the growing global market for electric vehicles in the coming years, Mr Quinn said. Instead we have this body blow which is nothing short of a betrayal of the workforce, customers and the wider supply chain which relies on Honda Swindon for work. Unite can only conclude that Honda is taking a strategic decision to retreat out of Europe in favour of protecting its North American operations and avoiding president Trumps tariff threat on cars made in Europe. Honda said it was closing the Swindon factory as part of a broader global strategy in response to changes to the automotive industry. The company also faces the reality of uncertain tariffs on vehicle exports from the UK after Brexit. Meanwhile, Japan and the EU recently finalised a trade deal that will see tariffs on Japanese vehicles imported into the trading bloc reduced from 10 per cent to zero. Man who worked at Honda Swindon for 24 years sums out Brexit in 6 words In a statement on Monday, Honda said: As previously communicated in February, Honda is accelerating its electrification plans, and as a result resources, capabilities and production systems for electrified vehicles will be focused in regions with a high volume of customer demand. This concludes the first phase of the collective consultation process. The second phase which includes agreeing associate redundancy packages and identifying the impact on individual roles up until production ceases in 2021 will begin immediately. Honda will also intensify its engagement with the Swindon taskforce set up by secretary of state Greg Clark, in order to work with government and a broad range of stakeholders to mitigate the impact of this decision on the wider community. Banks should be subject to a legal duty to always act in customers best interests, an influential group of MPs has proposed. The Treasury Committee piled pressure on regulators to clamp down on lenders after a long-running string of scandals that has seen banks pay out more than 30bn to compensate consumers for missold endowment mortgages, PPI and pensions. Banks should also not be allowed to ignore communities when choosing to close branches or cash machines, the committee said. Some vulnerable consumers, particularly those that are older, have a disability, are less well off or lack tech skills, find themselves effectively excluded from access to financial services, the committee found. Directing people to use the Post Office when bank branches close is not good enough, the committees report said. The world's best banknote designs Show all 16 1 /16 The world's best banknote designs The world's best banknote designs Bahamas' 20 dollar note Introduced in September 2018. Equivalent to 15. Nominees for the International Bank Note Society's Banknote of the Year award 2018. Conversion to sterling correct as of March 11 2018. The world's best banknote designs Mauritania's 50 ouguiya note Introduced in January 2018. Equivalent to 1.05 The world's best banknote designs Solomon Islands 40 dollar note Introduced in July 2018. Equivalent to 3.77 The world's best banknote designs Sao Tome's 200 dobra note Introduced in January 2018. Equivalent to 6.75. The Dobra is the currency of the African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe The world's best banknote designs Canada's 10 dollar note Introduced in November 2018. Equivalent to 5.70 The world's best banknote designs Argentina's 50 peso note Introduced in August 2018. Equivalent to 93 pence The world's best banknote designs Australia's 50 dollar note Introduced in October 2018. Equivalent to 27 The world's best banknote designs Venezuela's 100 bolivare note Introduced in August 2018 The world's best banknote designs Armenia's 50,000 dram note Introduced in November 2018. Equivalent to 79 The world's best banknote designs China's 50 yuan note Introduced in December 2018. Equivalent to 5.70 The world's best banknote designs Switzerland's 200 franc Note Introduced in August 2018. Equivalent to 152 The world's best banknote designs Bolivia's 20 bolivianos note Introduced in July 2018. Equivalent to 2.22 The world's best banknote designs Russia's 100 rouble note Introduced in May 2018. Equivalent to 1.16 The world's best banknote designs Mexico's 500 peso note Introduced in August 2018. Equivalent to 20 The world's best banknote designs Norway's 500 kroner note Introduced in October 2018. Equivalent to 44 The world's best banknote designs Hong Kong's 1000 dollar note Introduced in December 2018. Equivalent to 98. David Clarke, head of policy at Positive Money, said banks enjoy billions in public subsidies but have repaid the favour by neglecting communities, closing branches and cutting our free cash-machine network. Todays report should be a final warning for the banks taking Britain for a ride. Proposals to give financial firms a legal duty of care and to preserve bank branches and free ATMs are welcome, but only a start. The wide-ranging report makes a number of recommendations to preserve and improve access to banking services. For example, where a branch is the last bank in an area to close, money should be provided for banking hubs in a local Post Office that will contain trained staff. Banks should also do more to tackle loyalty penalties where customers get a worse deal because they have stuck with the same provider. Details of the size of the penalty, which Citizens Advice says can be almost 1,000 per year, could be published, the committee said. Treasury Committee chair Nicky Morgan said: The financial inclusion of vulnerable consumers and we can all be vulnerable at some point in our lives should be of the utmost priority for financial services providers, the government and financial regulators. It can no longer be an option for banks to ignore financial inclusion. A patchwork of improvements and adjustments have been targeted at some groups of consumers, but the basic level of access is still not universal. There are significant areas of concern where vulnerable consumers are effectively excluded from participating with financial services providers. If regulators cannot ensure that banks are always acting in their customers best interests then the committee said it would support the introduction of a legal duty of care. Banks are currently relying on a government subsidy by pointing customers towards the Post Office to provide banking services, the committee said. The Post Office is publicly owned and run at a loss. The committee said the Post Office must receive adequate funding from banks for the services it provides on their behalf. The Post Office is not an optimum environment for customers, particularly vulnerable ones and should be thought of as comparable to an ATM, not a bank branch. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) figures show 1.3 million adults have no current account and no alternative e-money account. Meanwhile, 3.1 million adults have high-cost loans. Nearly six in 10 UK adults have no cash savings or savings of less than 5,000. Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: Its astounding that banks are not currently required to act in their customers best interests or pay attention to their specific circumstances. When they spot warning signs of financial difficulty, banks should provide support and set up a phone or face-to-face debt advice session. Stephen Jones, chief executive of UK Finance, said: The industry takes its societal responsibilities extremely seriously and is committed to looking after every customer, including those in vulnerable circumstances. The industrys commitment to financial inclusion is best illustrated by the basic bank account which offers free, if in credit, banking to nearly 7.5 million customers and is designed specifically to ensure that the widest range of citizens can have free, safe access to the banking system, including the disadvantaged. A 94-year-old Second World War veteran is planning to re-enact his parachute jump into Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Harry Read was a 20-year-old wireless operator when he first landed on the battlefields of northern France on 6 June 1944. After plunging into a flooded trench near Le Mesnil, he made it through the war before going on to become leader of the Salvation Army in the UK and a great-grandfather. During a visit to Normandy for last years D-Day commemorations, he thought to himself, Why not do it again? Mr Read, who admits it is a stupid thing to do, set about researching and preparing for the jump. During WWII Harry Read was a member of the 3rd Parachute Brigade (The Salvation Army) The more I thought, and prayed, the more foolish it appeared do a skydive in Normandy without having first done one here in the UK, he said. Last September he successfully completed a test skydive at the Old Sarum Airfield near Salisbury in Wiltshire after his doctor assured him his heart was as healthy as a middle-aged man. He found it a very different experience to his D-Day jump with the 3rd Parachute Brigade, which lasted just 30 seconds, but said he felt lucky to have been able to experience this at my age. He added: This was my first high-level skydive and whilst I was a little nervous I have always enjoyed the thrill of parachuting. It was amazing to experience the freefall and then cruising down was simply beautiful. Next month he will join the Red Devils parachute display team to carry out his jump with another D-Day veteran, 94-year-old Jock Hutton, and former Countdown star Carol Vorderman. We will fly over to Normandy where we will parachute into the celebrations, said Mr Read. He intends to sit in the same position in the Dakota plane seat number 12 as his D-Day jump. However, he will not be equipped with the same heavy radio equipment or a gun. The event, described as a Jump for Freedom on his fundraising webpage, has already raised more than 7,000 for the Salvation Army and its work to fight human trafficking and modern slavery. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Parachute jumps are dependent upon reasonable weather but all being well I will be jumping again on 5 June almost to the hour since my jump into Normandy 75 years ago, he said. Mr Read, who was awarded Frances highest honour, the Legion dHonneur, in 2016, said he was looking forward to the challenge. Yesterday is not our best, our best is tomorrow, he said. The youngest victim of the London Bridge terror attack fell over in high heels and was being helped to her feet by a man when both were fatally stabbed. Australian au pair Sara Zelenak, 21, was out with Priscila Goncalves on the evening of 3 June 2017, when three armed terrorists crashed a hire van into pedestrians before knifing others. When the attackers drove into bridge railings, Ms Zelenak and Ms Goncalves went to see what had happened before they heard shouts of run, an inquest at the Old Bailey heard. Ms Zelenak lost her balance and fell over on the wet pavement as she tried to get out of the way. James McMullan, 32, is thought to have tried to help her up before both were attacked with 12in blades, the inquest was told. London Bridge Terror Attack Show all 16 1 /16 London Bridge Terror Attack London Bridge Terror Attack Armed police on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Police Officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Armed police on Borough High Street as police deal with a 'major incident' at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Emergency services near the scene of the incident Screengrab London Bridge Terror Attack People run down Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge Reuters London Bridge Terror Attack Emergency services arrive at the scene near Borough market at London Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images London Bridge Terror Attack Emergency personnel on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Police sniffer dogs on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack A second helicopter lands on London Bridge as police are responding to three incidents in the capital, amid reports that a vehicle collided with pedestrians on London Bridge, Scotland Yard said. Officers are dealing with reports of stabbings in Borough Market, where armed officers attended and shots were fired. They are also at an incident in the Vauxhall area PA London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London REUTERS London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters London Bridge Terror Attack A police officer escorts members of the public to safety at London Bridge Getty Images London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident near London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters Erick Siguenza filmed terrified people screaming and running away as the pair were stabbed. As soon as the van crashed they stepped out and the driver stabbed the woman that had jumped out to get out of the way of the van crashing, he told the court. Thats when they started stabbing her. I believe there was a gentleman trying to help her get up and he was stabbed as well. As I was recording there was a lot of screaming and just people realising what was going on and just shouting in general. Sara Zelenak was one of eight people killed by terrorists in the attack (PA) Gareth Patterson QC, representing the victims families, said: We also know she was wearing high heels and on the ground it was quite wet that night. From what you saw of this man helping her, did you get the impression she lost her balance? Mr Siguenza replied: Yes. She was completely on the ground. He just grabbed her left arm and gently tried to pick her up but by then the attackers were in close proximity and that's when they started attacking. There was no time for him to be able to help her up because the driver and the other terrorists were already running towards them. Ms Zelenak was stabbed more than once and her helper, Mr McMullan, the only British victim, suffered a wound to his chest. The Old Bailey heard how Ms Zelenak and Ms Goncalves had set out to have a drink near London Bridge and ended up at the London Grind cocktail bar. The inquest was shown CCTV of the two friends leaving the bar just before the terrorists ploughed into pedestrians on the bridge. Ms Goncalves is then seen in a crowd running away without her friend. Mr Patterson QC suggested the high heels Ms Zelenak was wearing, coupled with wet weather might have caused her to suffer an ankle injury. He said: Maybe those two factors contributed to make her less stable than she might otherwise have been when this sudden attack came on her. Giving evidence, detective constable Alastair Hutchison replied: Yes, thats a possibility. Ms Goncalves told the inquest she and Ms Zelenak had decided to leave the London Grind and were walking to another bar across the road when they heard a crash and went to see what had happened. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events I had no idea what was going on, she told the court. We were together. People said run. I started to run. I thought she was with me and then I looked, she was not. Everybody was running. Ms Goncalves tried to contact her friend on Facebook after she took refuge in a hotel but was unable to get a response. Ms Zelenak and Mr McMullan were among eight people killed when Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, launched their van and knife rampage on London Bridge and in Borough Market. Xavier Thomas, 45, Christine Archibald, 30, Alexandre Pigeard, 26, Kirsty Boden, 28, Sebastien Belanger, 36, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, were also killed before their attackers were shot dead by armed police. Additional reporting by PA Animal welfare campaigners have welcomed a new law aimed at cracking down on so-called puppy farms run by unscrupulous breeders and dealers. The legislation, known as Lucys Law, will ban the sale of puppies and kittens by third parties and ensure that anyone buying or adopting one under six months old deals directly with the breeder or an animal rehoming centre, rather than a pet shop or commercial dealer. The new rules, which are being laid in parliament on Monday and need a debate in both houses to pass into law, would require animals to be born and reared in a safe environment, with their mother, and to be sold from their place of birth. Named after Lucy, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel who died in 2016 after being poorly treated on a puppy farm, the ban is scheduled to come into force on 6 April next year, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said. Bitches such as Lucy are used by unscrupulous puppy farmers to produce litters, which are separated from their mothers within weeks and either advertised online or sold to pet shops. Miley the husky puppy being rescued and nursed back to health Show all 8 1 /8 Miley the husky puppy being rescued and nursed back to health Miley the husky puppy being rescued and nursed back to health Miley was found in a rubbish dump in California, US Miley the husky puppy being rescued and nursed back to health The red fabric leash the rescue team use to lead dogs away from bad situations Miley the husky puppy being rescued and nursed back to health Miley in the car straight after she was found Miley the husky puppy being rescued and nursed back to health Miley's mangy coat being washed in the rescue home Miley the husky puppy being rescued and nursed back to health Vets looked over Miley and made sure she had the medical care needed Miley the husky puppy being rescued and nursed back to health Miley with Frankie the Chihuahua Miley the husky puppy being rescued and nursed back to health Miley and Frankie had been best of friends until they were taken into separate homes Miley the husky puppy being rescued and nursed back to health Miley around 10 months to a year later looking healthy and glossy in her new home The ban, which will apply to England, is also designed to deter smugglers who abuse the Pet Travel Scheme to bring young animals into the UK to be sold. Environment secretary Michael Gove said: This is about giving our animals the best possible start in life and making sure that no other animal suffers the same fate as Lucy. It will put an end to the early separation of puppies and kittens from their mothers, as well as the terrible conditions in which some of these animals are bred. Marc Abraham, Lucys Law campaigner and founder of Pup Aid, said: Im absolutely thrilled that Lucys Law is now being laid in parliament and will come into effect from April 2020. Lucys Law is named after one of the sweetest, bravest dogs Ive ever known, and is a fitting tribute to all the victims of the cruel third party puppy trade, both past and present. RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said he was absolutely thrilled with the legislation, but it required enforcement, adding that 2018 was the busiest year yet with 4,397 complaints about the puppy trade in England alone. He said: We hope this ban, alongside the tougher licensing regulations that were introduced in October, will help to stamp out the underground trade that exploits these wonderful animals simply to make a quick buck. But Paula Boyden, veterinary director at Dogs Trust, the UKs largest dog welfare charity, urged the government to go further. She said: Were pleased at todays news that a ban on third party sales is to be introduced in England. RSPCA release shocking puppy farm footage after government crack down We would like to see additional measures introduced to ensure the ban is as robust as possible. There is time before April 2020 for the government to consider regulation of rehoming organisations and sanctuaries, ensure full traceability of all puppies sold, and strengthen the Pet Travel Scheme. We urge the government to ensure the additional pieces of the puzzle in tackling the puppy trade are put in place as soon as possible to make the ban a success. Press Association Cross-party talks on a compromise Brexit deal are hanging in the balance, with Theresa May expected to come under pressure at Tuesday's Cabinet to pull the plug. No substantive progress is understood to have been made in talks on Monday evening, as Jeremy Corbyn told Labour MPs the Government was not shifting on its red lines. At a stormy meeting in Westminster, Mr Corbyn came under fire over his ambiguous Brexit stance from a string of Remain-backing MPs, with one warning the party was "haemorrhaging" votes in the upcoming European election to parties - like the Liberal Democrats and Greens - which have given clear backing to a Final Say referendum on any deal. As Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson and shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer both said it looked impossible to get a deal through Parliament without the promise of a "confirmatory" public vote, Mr Corbyn told backbench MPs he understood their frustrations. Cross-party talks now entering their seventh week broke up without agreement. And notably, there was no immediate announcement from either side of plans for further meetings. Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Show all 9 1 /9 Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Boris Johnson Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson has long been hopeful, he previously stood in the leadership contest that followed the Brexit vote and has at many times since been thought to be maneuvering himself towards the goal. He remains a darling of the party's right wing, particularly those in the ERG, and is the most popular choice among Tory voters but his leadership bid would be fiercely opposed by many MPs PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Michael Gove Environment secretary Michael Gove is another member who has long wanted to be leader. He has lately been known for rousing his party in the commons, his recent speeches on the Brexit deal and Labour's no confidence motion have overshadowed the Prime Minister's. He has been loyal to the Prime Minister, partly to shed his reputation as a backstabber who abandoned Boris Johnson to stand against him in the 2016 leadership election Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Dominic Raab Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has emerged as a favourite to be the Brexiteer candidate in a contest to succeed to Ms May. He displayed a grip on detail in his role as Brexit secretary. When asked recently if he would like to become prime minister he replied "never say never" Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Rory Stewart International development secretary Rory Stewart is pitching himself as the sensible candidate, promising to rule out both a second referendum and a no-deal Brexit. He was only recently promoted to the cabinet, previously serving as prisons minister, where he caught headlines with a pledge to resign if he could not reduce levels of violence within a year PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Esther McVey The former work and pensions secretary announced that she will be standing for the leadership when May leaves. McVey is the first to explicitly state that she intends to stand. She resigned from the cabinet in protest over May's Brexit deal AFP/Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Sajid Javid Home secretary Sajid Javid is said to have a plan in place for a leadership race. He made headlines over Christmas when he declared that people smuggling over the English channel was a "major incident" and more recently when he revoked the citizenship of ISIS bride Shamima Begum. Son of a bus driver, he wants the Conservatives to be seen as the party of social mobility PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Jeremy Hunt Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt was recently thought to be the favourite in the event of a leadership race as he could sell himself as the man to unite the party. Critics worry that his long stint as health secretary could return to haunt him at a general election. He has reportedly been holding meetings with Tory MPs over breakfast to promote his leadership PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Andrea Leadsom Following the Prime Minister's second defeat over her Brexit deal, Leader of the house Andrea Leadsom hosted a dinner party at which "leadership was the only topic of conversation", The Times heard. Leadsom ran against Theresa May in the 2016 leadership election before dropping out, allowing May to become Prime Minister AFP/Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Priti Patel Former international development secretary Priti Patel is thought to be positioning herself as a contender. One MP told The Independent "she knows she's from the right of the party, the part which is going to choose the next leader, so she's reminding everyone she's there." Patel left the government late in 2017 after it emerged that she had held undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials PA A Labour spokesman said simply that the shadow cabinet and trade unions would be "updated on what has been discussed". And Downing Street said: In preparation for an update to Cabinet tomorrow, todays meeting took stock across the range of issues discussed in talks over the last few weeks. We continue to seek to agree a way forward in order to secure our orderly withdrawal from the EU. Tuesday's Cabinet meeting is expected to feature a substantial debate on the state of talks, with some Tories warning that Ms May has no prospect of securing a deal which could win the backing of her own party. Some urged her to stand down after the May 23 Euro-elections, which polls suggest will deliver a drubbing for her party. The latest YouGov study for The Times put the Tories on just 10 per cent for the European poll, in an unprecedented fifth place behind Liberal Democrats and Greens. Nigel Farages Brexit Party enjoyed a comfortable lead on 34 per cent, ahead of Labour's 16 per cent. Ms May will be pressed to set out a timetable for her departure when she meets the executive of the backbench 1922 Committee on Thursday, amid speculation that they will clear the way for an early no-confidence vote if she refuses. One member of the 1922 executive, Nigel Evans, said he hoped Ms May will use Thursdays meeting to ask chairman Sir Graham Brady to fire the starting pistol in the race to replace her. Asked whether he expected a Tory humiliation in the May 23 vote, Mr Evans said: "Humiliation? No, it's worse than that. Leading Brexiter Jacob Rees-Mogg hit out at the "complete vacuum of leadership" at Westminster, and pleaded with Tory voters to stick with the party in order to provide a base for a new leader to rebuild. And former minister Ed Vaizey said Ms May should go after the Euro-elections, naming Michael Gove as his preferred replacement. The only thing I can see that would keep her in office would be if by some miracle she can produce a deal with Labour and argue that she needs time to see if she can get it through Parliament, he told Channel 4 News. Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, said it was "crunch week" for the cross-party negotiations, but rejected the possibility of a second referendum as a betrayal of what people voted for. But Sir Keir Starmer, warned it would be impossible to get an agreement through Parliament without the promise of a confirmatory ballot, as up to 150 Labour MPs would reject it. And Mr Watson said it would be very, very difficult to construct a deal which could secure Commons approval without a referendum. Tom Watson says it would be 'difficult' for his party to pass a Brexit deal without another referendum In direct contradiction of close Corbyn ally Barry Gardiners insistence that Labour was not a remain party, Mr Watson said it was a remain and reform party in the context of the Euro-elections. Their stance puts them at odds with Mr Corbyns position that a second referendum remains an option only to prevent no-deal or a damaging Tory Brexit. One Labour opponent of a Peoples Vote, backbencher Stephen Kinnock, warned that talks risk being torpedoed if Labour introduced an additional red line of a second referendum. Campaigning in Labour MP Yvette Coopers West Yorkshire constituency, Mr Farage denounced calls for a confirmatory referendum as the most outrageous proposal I've ever seen. He said Labour was vulnerable in the most extraordinary way in Leave areas and predicted a second referendum could pave the way for a Brexit Party majority at the next general election. Tom Watson has launched a fresh bid to convince Jeremy Corbyn to back another Brexit referendum by claiming that former party leader John Smith would have understood the need for a Final Say vote. In a speech on Monday, the partys deputy leader will admit that Labour supporters are not happy with its current Brexit policy and make an impassioned plea to them not to abandon the party in European parliament elections later this month. In comments that will be widely interpreted as on attack on Mr Corbyn, he will hit out at left-wing critics of the EU and say that they are just as wrong-headed as right-wing Eurosceptics. Mr Watson will use a lecture at the Fabian Society in memory of Smith, a popular figure in Labour, to pile pressure on Mr Corbyn to back a Final Say referendum. He will praise the pro-European internationalism of Smith, who died suddenly from a heart attack in 1994, less than two years into his term as Labour leader. Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Nigel Farage speaks at the launch of his new Brexit Party's campaign for the European elections Reuters Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Brexit Party candidate Annunziata Rees-Mogg, sister of Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, speaks at the launch AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures A supporter waits for Farage to speak AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Supporters wait for Farage to speak AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage's socks Reuters Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage and prospective candidate Annunziata Rees-Mogg wait at the launch AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Supporters listen as Farage speaks AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Free T-shirts for all attendees AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Posters on the seats for supporters of the Brexit Party AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures A safety sign is pictured AFP/Getty Speaking in London at an event to mark the 25th anniversary of Smiths death, Mr Watson is expected to say: If John was alive today to witness the great damage this process is wreaking on our country and our public debate, I have no doubt that he would have taken a stand very similar to that of his deputy, Margaret Beckett, and backed a peoples vote as a way out of this destructive mess. Dame Margaret, who remains a Labour MP, is one of the partys leading supporters of a Final Say vote. In comments that will be seen as a thinly veiled attack on the current Labour leadership and Eurosceptics in the party, Mr Watson will say that Smith saw anti-EU sentiment, whether of the right-wing independent trading nation variety, or the left-wing socialism in one country variety, as equally wrong-headed. The deputy Labour leader has spearheaded attempts to force Mr Corbyn and his team to commit fully to a second referendum but has so far been unsuccessful. Despite pressure on the party leadership from members and many of its MPs, Labours policy remains that it would only support another referendum if it is on Ms Mays deal or to avoid a no-deal outcome. It has refused to commit to giving the public a say on a Brexit deal that Labour supports. Mr Watson will acknowledge the anger among many Labour members at the partys failure to fully support another Brexit referendum but will plead with them to vote for Labour in European elections on 23 May to stop the rise of the far right. He is expected to say: I know many Labour supporters are not happy with the position we have taken on Brexit, but I urge those wavering to think about what is at stake in this election. He will add: There are only two forces that can win this election that nasty nationalism of the Farage Brexit Party or the tolerant, compassionate, outward-looking patriotism of the Labour Party. I can only plead with Labour supporters: dont stay at home, dont put that cross elsewhere, dont let them win. Polls suggest that Mr Farages Brexit Party is on course to win the elections, with Labour some way behind in second place. An Opinium survey published on Sunday predicted that the Brexit Party will win 34 per cent of the vote compared with Labours 21 per cent. The Liberal Democrats are on 12 per cent, narrowly ahead of the Conservatives on just 11 per cent. Mr Watson is expected to admit that corrosive far-right sentiment posing as patriotism will dominate this EU election and accuse Nigel Farage and far-right campaigner Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who uses the name Tommy Robinson, of being base nationalists of the nastiest kind the ultimate cynics, playing on fears and lies. Mr Watson will also call for further devolution in England, saying it is unfinished business and is needed to win back the hearts and minds of people. He will say: During the next two weeks we are engaged in a short-term battle against the forces of Farage and Tommy Robinson. But the longer-term struggle to win back the hearts and minds of people in England, who feel left behind and ignored, can only be achieved through a radical shift in power and returning control over their own lives. Jonathan Ashworth: 'We're in negotiations with the prime minister. They're not getting very far the prime minister isn't prepared to compromise' His speech comes after former Labour leader Tony Blair said Labour supporters who did not feel able to vote for the party because of its stance on Brexit should back pro-EU parties. Mr Blair told Sky Newss Sophy Ridge on Sunday: I do come across people who cannot vote for Labour, in which case I say dont stay at home vote for any of the other parties. At the end of this theres going to be a totting up and ... its important that the Remain side comes out because MPs will be making decisions based on that. The former prime minister also warned that the main political parties would face a silent revolution if there is a no-deal Brexit that would sweep them away. He said: If we go ahead and tumble out of the EU with a no-deal Brexit of the sort that Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson and people want, you are going to get a silent revolution in this country as well. There are going to be people who are going to feel so strongly about this I just say this to both main political parties: they are going to sweep them away. Close Debunking claims a final say isn't possible with Femi Oluwole Senior Labour figures have warned a cross-party Brexit deal will be "impossible" to get through the Commons unless it includes a fresh public vote. In an escalation of pressure on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, both shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer and deputy leader Tom Watson said up to 150 of the party's MPs could oppose any deal without a Final Say vote attached. It comes as cross-party talks enter their seventh week, with pressure on both Theresa May and Mr Corbyn to walk away from the negotiations. The latest session of talks began on Monday evening, with patience wearing out in the Tory ranks about Ms May's leadership and the attempt to strike a deal with Mr Corbyn's party. Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Nigel Farage speaks at the launch of his new Brexit Party's campaign for the European elections Reuters Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Brexit Party candidate Annunziata Rees-Mogg, sister of Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, speaks at the launch AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures A supporter waits for Farage to speak AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Supporters wait for Farage to speak AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage's socks Reuters Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage and prospective candidate Annunziata Rees-Mogg wait at the launch AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Supporters listen as Farage speaks AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Free T-shirts for all attendees AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Posters on the seats for supporters of the Brexit Party AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures A safety sign is pictured AFP/Getty Downing Street said the talks, which began in early April, had been "serious" but "difficult". Asked if Monday's meeting between the negotiating teams was the "last chance" to make progress, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Let's see how this evening plays out." Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said this week would be "crunch week" for the cross-party negotiations, adding that another public vote "would be a betrayal of what people voted for, and we want to implement the first referendum". This liveblog has now closed, but you can see Monday's events below A senior official in Nigel Farages new party defended the persecuted Tommy Robinson and mocked the concept of Islamophobia. Noel Matthews, the Brexit Partys national election agent, posted an article sympathetic to the far-right former English Defence League leader, writing: THIS. Tommy Robinson Drew Attention to Grooming Gangs. Britain Has Persecuted Him. He has also praised a rally organised by Robinson at the BBC, saying: Tommys no politician but it looks like he has the BBC bang to rights. His rally is about corrupt media. Its not about racism or fascism. The former Ukip candidate has written that Islamophobia is a silly, made up word and tweeted: Is it Islamaphobia or Islamophobia? I missed it when that word was made up. The past statements, uncovered by BuzzFeed, undermine Mr Farages efforts to distance himself from Ukip and what he has called his former partys fixation with Robinson and Islam. Poised to win the European elections, according to the polls, Mr Farage has also insisted that his new party is deeply intolerant of all intolerance. "Stephen Yakult Lennon" - The British public vs Tommy Robinson Show all 7 1 /7 "Stephen Yakult Lennon" - The British public vs Tommy Robinson "Stephen Yakult Lennon" - The British public vs Tommy Robinson Covered in a milkshake... While out on the campaign trail for the European Elections in Warrington, a man threw a milkshake in Tommy's face. Frame 1: Man throws milkshake. Frame 2: Robinson & Co beat man. Frame 3: Robinson covered in milkshake. @AzTheBaz/Twitter "Stephen Yakult Lennon" - The British public vs Tommy Robinson ...the day after being covered with a milkshake The day before in Bury, a suspected child threw a milkshake over Robinson before running away Paul Ryder/Youtube "Stephen Yakult Lennon" - The British public vs Tommy Robinson Confronted for his racism... Back in 2014, Robinson was not warmly received in his home town of Luton... ABC "Stephen Yakult Lennon" - The British public vs Tommy Robinson ...falls over while cowering away ...In attempting to back away from the three advancing men, he fell over a curb ABC "Stephen Yakult Lennon" - The British public vs Tommy Robinson Slapped in Luton The slap came as then-EDL leader was trying to drive away directly after making the subtitled comment Round8ere/Youtube "Stephen Yakult Lennon" - The British public vs Tommy Robinson Shouted down in Salford When trying to spread his message to the streets of Salford, this woman told him where to get off Beth Redmond/Twitter "Stephen Yakult Lennon" - The British public vs Tommy Robinson "You're not as famous as you think you are" A judge at Peterborough County Court explained this to Robinson as she dismissed his discrimination case against the police. Robinson had claimed that he was ejected from a pub on account of his beliefs, however the officer didn't recognise him and was ejecting him on account of his drunken behaviour PA Tell MAMA, the Islamophobia monitoring group, condemned Mr Matthews. Its director Iman Atta said: The comments from the lead officer and activist of the Brexit Party show a sympathy for Tommy Robinson as though he is being persecuted He has door-stepped members of the public, instigated mobbing-type activity online against individuals who call out his anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic slant and led demonstrations that have caused tensions in communities. This support does not bode well for how the Brexit Party is portrayed and people need to think carefully when they vote about what they are voting for when such individuals promoting divisive messages are involved. A spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain called on action to be taken, saying: We welcome the Brexit Partys bold claim to be deeply intolerant of intolerance. With these latest revelations of bigotry, that party must now demonstrate these words in deeds. Otherwise there will be no difference between it and the UK Independence Party that trades in hatred against Muslims. A Brexit Party spokesperson argued Mr Matthews previous comments came before he switched to the party, saying: The Brexit Party does not condone or endorse any of these views. Noel Matthews was tweeting in a personal capacity before his involvement in the Brexit Party. His views do not represent those of the party or its leader. His description of Islamophobia as a silly, made up word came in 2017, when he also said: Poor old islamophobia. Used to be the best excuse for closing down the debate until those others came along. In a 2018 post, he said Islamophobia was criticism of special treatment for those with religious conviction. Following the neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville at which a counter-protester was murdered, Matthews endorsed remarks by Donald Trump that both sides were to blame, writing: Hes right. Jacob Rees-Mogg has urged Theresa May to quit to end the complete vacuum of leadership as he claimed the majority of Tory members he meets say they would vote for the Brexit Party. The staunch Brexiteer said he did not see how a leader can go on with so little support from party faithful, saying Ms May had lost the backing of Conservative associations across the country. As a remarkable new poll put the Conservatives in fifth place in the upcoming European elections, Mr Rees-Mogg said the activists he was meeting were saying they would vote for Nigel Farages insurgent outfit. The YouGov survey ahead of next weeks contest place the Tories on just 10 per cent, some 24 points behind the Brexit Party, and trailing Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party. Mr Rees-Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group of backbench Brexiteers, told LBC: Ive never known the Tory Party in this position. Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Nigel Farage speaks at the launch of his new Brexit Party's campaign for the European elections Reuters Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Brexit Party candidate Annunziata Rees-Mogg, sister of Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, speaks at the launch AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures A supporter waits for Farage to speak AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Supporters wait for Farage to speak AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage's socks Reuters Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage and prospective candidate Annunziata Rees-Mogg wait at the launch AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Supporters listen as Farage speaks AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Free T-shirts for all attendees AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Posters on the seats for supporters of the Brexit Party AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures A safety sign is pictured AFP/Getty Normally when you go and speak to Conservative associations and youre not fully supportive of the leader of the party, whoever that leader happens to be, youre not the most popular person in the room. At the moment, nobody is saying anything supportive of the leader or of the leaders policy. The majority of the people at associations Im addressing and these are members of the party tell me theyre voting for the Brexit Party. I dont see how a leader can go on so removed from the support base of the party membership. Mr Rees-Mogg admitted the upcoming polls would be difficult for the party and appealed to voters to keep the faith. Recommended Tories slump to fifth place in remarkable new EU election poll In a message to Tories, he said: I would appeal to their loyalty, to their tradition, and to say that the Conservative Party will get a new leader at some point. He added: We want that new leader to have a base on which he or she can build and if we find that we are getting under 15 per cent of the vote, if we are coming fifth behind the Greens, then it will be harder for that figure to rebuild. His comments came as fellow Conservative Huw Merriman warned his party was in for an absolute mauling in the elections after the deadline for Britains exit from the EU was delayed to October. Mr Merriman, a parliamentary aide to chancellor Philip Hammond, told BBC Radio 4s Westminister Hour: The public will blame the Conservative government because we were the party that brought forward the referendum. So for those that didnt want it and wanted to remain, they will blame us for having tried to take us out and those who voted to leave, they will blame us for having not got the country out of the EU. So we are at the perfect storm. Yes, I think we will get an absolute mauling. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Nigel Evans, an executive member of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, also warned his party was going to get an absolute hammering in the elections. Even the opinion polls for the next general election are woeful for the Conservative Party, he told The Emma Barnett Show on BBC Radio 5 Live. Theyre the worst Ive seen in my political history and Ive been a member of the party for 44 years. The prime minister is due to meet Mr Evans and other Tory backbench leaders on Thursday, where she is expected to set out the roadmap for her departure from Downing Street. Ms May promised her angry party in March that she would resign once the first phase of Brexit was delivered, a pledge her advisers say she is committed to honouring. But cross-party talks with Labour have entered their seventh week without progress amid calls from both sides on their leaders to walk away from the negotiations. The Conservatives have plummeted to fifth place in the latest poll ahead of the European elections, 24 points behind the buoyant Brexit Party. The survey ahead of next weeks contest has the Tories on just 10 per cent, securing less backing than Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party. However, Nigel Farages newly-formed Brexit Party was in the lead, which despite only being launched weeks ago was on 34 per cent in the YouGov poll for The Times. Tory MP Huw Merriman warned his party was in for "an absolute mauling" in the elections, as deadlock and recriminations over the governments failure to yet lead Britain out the EU continue. Mr Merriman, parliamentary aide to Chancellor Philip Hammond, told BBC Radio 4's Westminister Hour: The public will blame the Conservative government because we were the party that brought forward the referendum. Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Nigel Farage speaks at the launch of his new Brexit Party's campaign for the European elections Reuters Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Brexit Party candidate Annunziata Rees-Mogg, sister of Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, speaks at the launch AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures A supporter waits for Farage to speak AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Supporters wait for Farage to speak AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage's socks Reuters Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage and prospective candidate Annunziata Rees-Mogg wait at the launch AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Supporters listen as Farage speaks AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Free T-shirts for all attendees AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Posters on the seats for supporters of the Brexit Party AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures A safety sign is pictured AFP/Getty So for those that didnt want it and wanted to remain, they will blame us for having tried to take us out and those who voted to leave, they will blame us for having not got the country out of the EU. So we are at the perfect storm. Yes, I think we will get an absolute mauling. After the Conservatives took a battering in the local elections losing more than 1,000 councillors they have also seen defections of major donors and former MPs to Mr Farages upstart outfit. Last week a major City financier who has donated millions to the Tories and Vote Leave in the past revealed he had given the Brexit Party 200,000. Labour is currently in second place in the YouGov poll, although they trail by 18 points from the Brexit Party on just 16 per cent. Just behind them are the Liberal Democrats, who have seen a significant boost in backing since their strong showing at the local elections. The Greens are at 11 per cent, ahead of the Tories on 10 per cent and Change UK on 5 per cent. Mr Farages party is also surging in polls for a possible general election as well. A separate poll by ComRes for The Sunday Telegraph on Sunday found they would receive more votes than the Conservatives. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The Tories were one point behind the Brexit Party on just 19 per cent, a result which would be the worst in the partys history. This would give the hard Brexit grouping a projected 49 seats in the House of Commons, some way behind the Conservatives on 179 but still a stunning breakthrough for the embryonic party. Partly as a result of the Brexit Partys success, pressure has continued to grow on Ms May from her own backbenchers to announce when she will stand down as prime minister. Labour's Brexit divisions have been laid bare once more, after two frontbenchers warned any Brexit deal was "impossible" to get through the Commons without a public vote attached. Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, and deputy leader Tom Watson have both thrown their weight behind calls for a second referendum on a cross-party agreement. But the prospect of a Final Say vote remains divisive among senior Labour figures, which has led, in part, to the party's carefully crafted Brexit position. So what are the views of those at the top of the party? Jeremy Corbyn (Alamy) (Alamy) The Labour leader has always been lukewarm towards the prospect of a second referendum. A long-time Eurosceptic, Mr Corbyn opposed the creation of the European Community in 1975 and the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty in 1993. Under his leadership, Labour campaigned to stay in the EU but he has since dedicated his efforts to fighting for a general election. His opposition to a Final Say shifted when Labour's party conference backed a motion in favour of a public vote, followed by the defection of a string of Labour MPs to form Change UK. Mr Corbyn then whipped his MPs to back a second referendum during indicative votes in the Commons - but he clearly still have reservations. Sir Keir Starmer The shadow Brexit secretary is seen as one of the influential voices backing a second referendum, working behind the scenes to shift Labour towards a carefully construction position. In his strongest intervention yet, Sir Keir said "probably 120 if not 150" of the party's 229 MPs could vote against the deal unless it was linked to a second referendum. He said: "I've made it clear that at this stage, at this eleventh hour, any deal that comes through from this government ought to be subject to the lock of a confirmatory vote." Sir Keir has also been clear that any referendum must have an option to remain on the ballot paper. John McDonnell 'We'll look at options, run the pilots and see if we can roll it out,' shadow chancellor says (AFP) Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has traditionally been in the Eurosceptic camp but he has been open to discussions with backbenchers over pursuing a fresh public vote. His first pursuit will always be a general election but he moved the dial by saying Labour would "inevitably" back a second referendum if an election was not possible. Tom Watson Labour's influential deputy leader played his cards close to his chest for a while. However Mr Watson has since come out a second referendum, arguing that Labour cannot "sit on the fence" of such an important issue. The shadow culture secretary has kept the pressure on Mr Corbyn, making several high-profile interventions in favour of a fresh public vote. Diane Abbott The shadow home secretary said the partys top team are preparing policies for the first 100 days of a Labour government (PA) The shadow home secretary is a close ally of Mr Corbyn, and has remained aligned to the Labour leader on all things Brexit. Last year, Ms Abbott warned pro-EU MPs to be careful what they wished for, as she said Leave was likely to win if there was a new Brexit referendum. She recently said Labour's attempt to appeal to both sides was "courageous and principled" in the face of criticism that the party was sitting on the fence. Emily Thornberry Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry has been a voice for a second referendum in the shadow cabinet. As well as speaking out about the need for a public vote, she has also been clear that an option to remain in the EU should be on the ballot paper. Rebecca Long-Bailey Ms Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary, is also a close ally of the Labour leader. She has publicly expressed her reservations about a second referendum, and also hinted that Labour could sign up to a Brexit deal without a confirmatory vote. Barry Gardiner (PA (PA) The outspoken international trade secretary famously described Labour's Brexit policy as "bollocks". Mr Gardiner recently said Labour was "not a remain party now" and it had "accepted the result of the referendum". Yvette Cooper A former frontbencher, Ms Cooper resigned from the shadow cabinet in protest at Mr Corbyn's leadership. Now the chair of the home affairs committee, Ms Cooper has become an effective backbench campaigner against a no-deal Brexit. However she has never explicitly supported a second referendum. Hilary Benn (Getty (Getty) The Brexit committee chairman has made his support for a public vote known, saying it is the only way to break the Brexit deadlock. Mr Benn also spoke in favour of having remain as an option on the ballot paper. Ian Lavery The Labour Party chairman is openly opposed to a second referendum, defying an order from Mr Corbyn to back it in a series of Commons votes. He said: There were 17.4m people who voted to leave the European Union. "Any attempt to try to cast their vote aside, as if they didnt mean it or didnt understand the consequences, whereas everybody else did, is a bit of a slur on the individuals who took the time to vote, many of them for the first time." Brazilian mothers and pregnant women accused of non-violent crimes are being illegally detained and held in pretrial detention in spite of a new law that explicitly bans this, a leading human rights organisation has warned. Human Rights Watch found courts have been slow to implement new legal protections for mothers - some of whom have small children and others who have offspring with disabilities - and pregnant women. They found they had ignored them completely in some cases. In 2018, a series of Supreme Court rulings and a new law put strict new limits on courts power to order pretrial detention for mothers and pregnant women. The law now mandates house arrest instead of pretrial detention for pregnant women, mothers of people with disabilities, and mothers of children under 12, apart from for those accused of violent crimes or of crimes against their dependents. Brazilian law could not be clearer that the mothers of small children or of people with disabilities and pregnant women should not be behind bars while awaiting trial for non-violent crimes, Maria Laura Canineu, Brazil director at Human Rights Watch, said. Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Show all 20 1 /20 Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro waves as he drives past before his swear-in ceremony Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters wait in front of the Planalto Palace, where he will take office EPA Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro gestures at the Congress before he is sworn AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters take pictures as Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro drives past Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Flanked by first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro waves to the crowd, as he rides in an open car after his swearing-in ceremony AP Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro reacts as he drives past Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration The National Congress before Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro is sworn in AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro gestures at the Congress AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AP Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration EPA Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AFP/Getty Yet there are worrying signs that some judges are ignoring these protections, leaving mothers who have not been convicted of a crime to spend Mothers Day [which falls on 12 May in Brazil and the US] in overcrowded, unsanitary cells instead of at home with their families. Data from 2018 shows that thousands of women who appear to have been eligible to these protections remained behind bars in pretrial detention, while more recent data from Rio de Janeiro state indicates that the problem has continued this year. Researchers found the latest available data from the Justice Ministrys National Prison Department shows that in September 2018, judges had released fewer than a third of the women who should have been released absent exceptional circumstances. This left more than 6,000 behind bars awaiting trial. In January, a Rio de Janeiro judge ordered the pretrial detention of a mother who was accused of drug dealing because, the judge said, she put her children at risk and damaged their development with her criminal activity despite the fact she had not been convicted. The judge concluded the woman was a bad example for the children. Women in Brazil still face substantial barriers to gender equality and campaigners have raised concerns the election of Jair Bolsonaro will roll back womens rights in the country. They have warned that the far right president poses a serious threat to human rights, particularly for women, the LGBT+ community, indigenous people, and Afro-Brazilians. Brazil has the fifth highest femicide the gender-motivated killing of women rate in the world, according to rights group Article 19. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has said that femicides are not an isolated problem but reflect sexist values deeply rooted in Brazilian society. The rights organisation noted that black women, those belonging to indigenous groups and the LGBT+ community, as well as women politicians and human rights activists are most at risk of being killed. More than 1,000 women were killed in hate crimes tied to their gender in Brazil in 2017. Brazil only has 74 shelters for victims of domestic violence despite having a population of more than 200 million, according to Human Rights Watch. Google has given $150,000 of free advertising to an anti-abortion group that tricks women into thinking it offers abortion services but actually seeks to stop abortion-minded women from having their pregnancies terminated. The Obria Group, a Southern California based non-profit that describes itself as being led by God, is a chain of crisis pregnancy centres that oppose abortion and do not offer contraceptives. Obria, which is said to be funded by Catholic organisations, runs a network of clinics across the country, many of which misleadingly suggest on their websites that they offer abortion. The Obria Group got a $120,000 Google advertising grant in 2015 and another of $32,000 in 2011, The Guardian reported. Obria was awarded the 2015 grant in spite of the fact Google came under heavy fire a year earlier after a pro-choice group found the platform was running deceptive ads for clinics that appeared to provide abortions and other medical services, but instead focused on counselling and information on alternatives to abortion. Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Show all 7 1 /7 Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Derry Girls cast members Siobhan McSweeney and Nicola Coughlan (right) join MPS and women impacted by Northern Ireland's strict abortion laws PA Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Heidi Allen (second right) joins the protest PA Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster A luggage tag on a suitcase, symbolising the women who travel from Northern Ireland to England for terminations PA Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster The campaigners march across Westminster Bridge PA Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Counter-protesters Rebecca Morgan (left) and her daughter Helen, one, demonstrate in favour of Northern Ireland's current laws Getty Images Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Protesters supporting Northern Ireland's abortion laws at Parliament Square Getty Images Northern Ireland abortion protest in Westminster Demonstrators pull suitcases to symbolise the women who travel from Northern Ireland to England for a termination AFP/Getty Images In some cases, such clinics, which are referred to as crisis pregnancy centres (CPCs), are situated close to Planned Parenthood clinics and provide some medical treatment, such as pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and prenatal counselling. However, they also strive to deter women who enter from seeking abortions and do not offer referrals for alternative treatment. Alice Huling, a lawyer for the Campaign for Accountability, a public interest watchdog, said: Google is the preeminent source of information on the internet, and is often the first resource for a woman with an unplanned pregnancy. "Google has said it will stop running deceptive ads from CPCs, yet we still see these types of advertisements appearing on its platform. Clearly Google is content to keep its head in the sand and allow these groups to run misleading ads. Unless Google acts, CPCs will continue to use deceptive online advertising to trick women into visiting their sites." Mary Alice Carter, executive director of Equity Forward, a reproductive rights group, said: "The more we learn about Obria, the more questions we have. We know why the federal government and its anti-abortion cronies rolled out the red carpet for a so-called health care provider that does not offer birth control and peddles medically unproven services. But why is Google following in those anti-science footsteps? Taxpayers and the hundreds of millions of Americans who use Google deserve an explanation." Google refused to comment on the grant but said all recipients have to comply with its policies - including one which states groups cant deceive users by excluding relevant information or giving misleading information. Obria chose not to comment on the Google grants. Google awarded the Obria grant as part of a program to help non-profit organisations across the world with in-kind donations worth up to $10,000 a month. Recommended Alyssa Milano calls for sex strike to protest Republican abortion laws Obria recently came under the spotlight after the Trump administration announced it would give it $5.1m (3.9m) in family planning funds. Were very concerned that by Obria entering into the program, they are denying women information about all their health care options, Julie Rabinovitz, president and CEO of Essential Access Health, said. It could really reduce the progress we have made in reducing unintended pregnancies. The Trump administrations decision to fund Obria is being seen as an indication of its wish to move family planning funds towards faith-based groups that oppose abortion and away from groups like Planned Parenthood. The funding comes from Title X, the federal grant program that subsidizes birth control, cancer screenings and other medical care for four million low-income patients. A Google spokesperson said: The Google Ad Grants program is open to qualified non-profits regardless of their position on abortion and we give grants to nearly 50 thousand organisations globally that represent a wide spectrum of views and causes. All grant recipients have to abide by our ad policies, which prohibit misrepresentation in ads. If we find ads that violate our policies, we remove them. Leaked documents appear to reveal the lavish spending of the National Rifle Association's chief executive Wayne LaPierre, who received luxury clothing and travel expenses paid for by the lobby group's longtime advertising firm Ackerman McQueen. A memo from the firm claims it spent $542,000 (415,000) of the NRA's money, which largely comes from contributions and membership fees, on expenses for Mr LaPierre over a 13-year period. The documents also show that the pro-gun organisation amassed more than $24m in legal fees to an outside counsel, Bill Brewer, over the last year alone, in what former president Oliver North described as an "existential threat to the financial stability of the NRA". In a statement, the NRA did not deny the authenticity of the documents. It admitted they came from a new leak and called it "pathetic" that someone would pass such information to the media, while at the same time attempting to dismiss it as "stale news". Mr LaPierre's expenses have previously been reported on, but this is the first time the specific figures have been revealed, according to the Wall Street Journal. They include $275,000 spent at a suit store, and $265,000 on travel. Forgotten Women: Domestic abuse and gun violence in America Show all 4 1 /4 Forgotten Women: Domestic abuse and gun violence in America Forgotten Women: Domestic abuse and gun violence in America Kate Ranta with her son, William, in hospital recovering from the shooting Forgotten Women: Domestic abuse and gun violence in America Kate Ranta shared a picture of her home after her ex-husband shot her and her father, Robert Ranta Kate Ranta Forgotten Women: Domestic abuse and gun violence in America Kate Ranta in hospital recovering from the shooting Forgotten Women: Domestic abuse and gun violence in America Gun violence and domestic abuse activist Kate Ranta Last month, the NRA sued Ackerman McQueen for documents regarding its expenses and bills. The Daily Beast reported that dozens of board members have had access to the documents, and that they could contain further embarrassing revelations. The leaks are the latest in a string of setbacks for the NRA, including a widely publicised battle with New York State, where the association is based, and which the president has weighed in on. In a statement, the new NRA president Carolyn Meadows said: This is stale newsbeing recycled by those with personal agendas. In any event, the entire board is fully aware of these issues. We have full confidence in Wayne LaPierre and the work hes doing in support of the NRA and its members. It is troubling and a bit pathetic that some people would resort to leaking information to advance their agendas. This has no bearing on the boards support of Wayneand the work the NRA does to protect Americas constitutional freedoms. Mike Pence has warned Christian graduates of an evangelical university that they should prepare to face ridicule for their beliefs. The deeply religious vice president told Liberty University students that some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs. In a commencement address at the college founded by right-wing preacher Jerry Falwell, he said: Throughout most of American history, its been pretty easy to call yourself Christian. It didnt even occur to people that you might be shunned or ridiculed for defending the teachings of the Bible. But things are different now. Youre going to be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith, youre going to be asked to endorse them. Youre going to be asked to bow down to the idols of the popular culture. 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 As an example, he cited attacks on his wife Karens decision to begin teaching at a school that bans LGBT+ pupils. And Mr Pence, who has said he would like to see the landmark Roe vs Wade decision overturned, reaffirmed the Trump administrations anti-abortion stance, saying it stood without apology for the sanctity of human life. Both the president and vice president have been vocal in their support for anti-abortion activists over the last two years, and have both previously visited Liberty University. The late Mr Falwells son, Jerry Jr, has provided advice to Mr Trump on faith matters and, during his speech, Mr Pence revealed that four Liberty University graduates worked in his White House office. The vice-presidents comments on Saturday came a day after a judge struck down a Kentucky law that would have restricted access to terminations after 15 weeks by cracking down on the dilation-and-evacuation procedure. The states governor vowed to appeal. State governments across the southern US are considering or have passed so-called heartbeat abortion laws that prohibit terminations after a fetal heartbeat can be detected which often occurs before a woman knows she is pregnant, at about six weeks gestation. Such restrictions in Georgia, in particular, have sparked threats of boycotts by Hollywood production companies. Actor Alyssa Milano called for a sex strike in protest. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned US officials about what he says could become an unintended escalation of conflict in the Persian Gulf. "We need to make sure that we dont end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation, he told reporters on Monday, before meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and EU foreign ministers. The meeting was scheduled to reportedly discuss the possibility of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East shortly after Donald Trump ordered US warplanes and an aircraft carrier to the increasingly unstable region. We are very worried about a conflict, and the risk of a conflict of an escalation that is unintended, Mr Hunt said after arriving in Brussels, according to Reuters. Mr Hunt also called for a period of calm so that everyone understands what the other side is thinking. Revolution in Iran: In pictures Show all 11 1 /11 Revolution in Iran: In pictures Revolution in Iran: In pictures A demonstration against the Shah in 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Armed women on guard in one of the main squares in Tehran at the beginning of the Iranian Revolution Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Demonstrators hold a poster of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in January 1979, in Tehran, during a demonstration against the Shah AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Iranian rebels pose with a U.S. flag they bayonetted upside down on trees at Sultanabad Garrison northeast of Tehran on February 12 2019 AP Revolution in Iran: In pictures A gun battle in Khorramshahr during the revolution, 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah among tear gas. The "black friday" caused the death of 200 people according to the Iranian government, 2000 according to the opposition, September 8 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Women wearing the traditional Chador demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah on September 7 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Demonstrators in Tehran calling for the replacement of the Shah of Iran during the Iranian Revolution, 1979. They carry placards depicting Ayatollah Mahmoud Talaghani, one of the leading revolutionaries Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah. The "black friday" caused the death of 200 people according to the Iranian government, 2000 according to the opposition, September 8 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Thousands of the Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters on the streets of Tehran calling for the religious leader's return in January 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures The Iranian Islamic Republic Army demonstrates in solidarity with people in the street during the Iranian revolution. They are carrying posters of the Ayatollah Khomeini, the Iranian religious and political leader Getty Despite US efforts to dismantle the Iran Nuclear Deal under Mr Trump, EU and German officials said on Monday they remained committed to the pact so long as Iran continued complying with international inspections. No one wants Iran to be in possession of a nuclear bomb, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said, describing the deal as necessary for our security. The EU has reportedly faced difficulties establishing a process for Iran to continue selling its oil under recent US sanctions. Additional details surrounding the bilateral meetings on Monday were not immediately clear. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Iran, meanwhile, has decried the Trump administrations move to send bombers to the region, saying it amounts to psychological warfare. Mr Pompeo is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after the meetings in Brussels with EU officials. Donald Trump has warned China it would be hurt very badly by a trade war in a rambling Twitter attack on president Xi Jinping, even as markets plunged amid fears of further escalation. The US president responded to criticism of his decision to increase tariffs by warning his Chinese counterpart not to retaliate and accusing him of backing out of a great deal. In a series of misspelled tweets, he also suggested that there will be nobody left in China to do business with if the dispute continued. As it was, Beijing did respond, announcing higher tariffs on Monday on $60bn worth of American goods and sending world financial markets into a slide. Tariffs of 5 per cent to 25 per cent take effect on June 1 on about 5,200 American products, including batteries, spinach and coffee, Chinas foreign ministry said. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty At the White House, Mr Trump claimed his negotiating tactics were working, and that for the first time the US was taking in tens of billions of dollars from tariffs. I love the position were in, he said. I think its working our really well. He said his administration was planning to provide about $15bn in aid to help US farmers whose products may be targeted with tariffs by China The announcement by China followed a move by the US on Friday to raise duties on $200bn of Chinese imports to 25 per cent up from 10 per cent. American officials, engaged in ongoing talks with Beijing, accused China of backtracking on commitments it made in earlier negotiations. The rambling barrage came after his top economic adviser Larry Kudlow admitted that the US would suffer as a result of the tariff increase because the public would have to pay more for goods. Mr Trumps affection for such tariffs breaks with Republican orthodoxy, as well as with the thinking of most economists. While the president is correct that the treasury department does receive millions or billions of dollars from the tariffs, that money comes from US importers, who usually pass on the cost to customers, and not from China. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events While tariffs protect local producers, it raises costs for industries that rely on items such as imported steel. Chinas retaliatory tariffs, make it more difficult for American farmers of produce such as soy beans many of whom voted the president to export their goods. Tariffs are taxes paid for by American consumers and businesses, not by China, said David French, a spokesman for for the National Retail Federation. The tit-for-tat actions reverberated around the world. The Dow Jones industrial average was down more than 600 points, in mid afternoon trading, while the Standard & Poors 500 also sank nearly 2.5 per cent. Earlier, stocks fell in Europe and Asia. Mr Trump started raising tariffs last July over complaints China steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. Washington also wants it to roll back government support for Chinese companies striving to become global leaders in robotics and other technology. The US and other trading partners say such efforts violate Beijings free-trade commitments. In his tweeks, Mr Trumps said tariffs can be completely avoided if you by from a non-Tariffed Country, or you buy the product inside the USA (the best idea). Many tariffed companies will be leaving China for Vietnam and other such countries in Asia. Thats why China wants to make a deal so badly!. Some people just dont get it!, he said. He said: There will be nobody left in China to do business with. Very bad for China, very good for USA! Therefore, China should not retaliate-will only get worse! Mr Trump told reporters he would soon be meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Were going to be meeting, as you know, at the G20 in Japan. And thatll be, I think, probably a very fruitful meeting, he said. Additional reporting by agencies Close Donald Trump says China 'broke the deal' after trade talks Donald Trump has been accused of attempting to provoke the Democrats into impeaching him for political advantage, allowing him to cultivate his Witch Hunt narrative in the wake of the Mueller report and illicit sympathy from voters in time for the 2020 presidential race. He certainly seems to be trying and maybe this is his perverse way of dividing us moreHe thinks thats to his political advantage, but its certainly not to the countrys advantage, said Adam Schiff, Democratic chair of the House Intelligence Committee. The president has meanwhile lashed out at Democrat Rashida Tlaib over comments she made about the Holocaust, claiming she has "tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people," while continuing to play hardball with China over ongoing trade tariff negotiations as far-right Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban flies in to meet him at the White House. The Michigan Democrat told a Yahoo News podcast that she gets "a calming feeling" when she thinks of "the tragedy of the Holocaust" and how the suffering of her Palestinian ancestors helped in trying to create "a safe haven" for Jews in the new state of Israel. The remark instantly ignited an online fight, with Republicans incorrectly describing Ms Tlaib's words as reflecting her feelings about the genocide itself that cost millions of lives, including those of 6 million Jews. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty It was the latest upheaval over the words of some of the first Muslims in Congress after Ilhan Omar questioned Israel's influence in Washington. Senior Democrats rebuked her, and Ms Omar eventually apologised. A Democratic leader has instead demanded an apology to Ms Tlaib. "If you read Rep. Tlaib's comments, it is clear that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are taking them out of context," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland. He added, They must stop, and they owe her an apology." Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events "Obviously I don't think that she hates Israel or hates Jews," Dan Kildee, also a Michigan Democrat, on Fox News. "She's not a hateful person. She's not a bigoted person." Additional reporting by AP. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load Donald Trump continued to defend his country's escalating trade war with China as his top economic adviser admitted that the US will suffer because of the latest tariffs. The president claimed that we are right where we want to be as he insisted that the import tax increase from 10 per cent to 25 per cent would bring in tens of billions of dollars. He also repeated his claim that the the tariff rises on $200bn of Chinese goods would eventually benefit starving people in nations around the world. Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-Tariffed countries, he wrote on Twitter. We will then spend (match or better) the money that China may no longer be spending with our Great Patriot Farmers (Agriculture), which is a small percentage of total tariffs received, and distribute the food to starving people in nations around the world! GREAT! #MAGA. However, Larry Kudlow, the director of the National Economic Council, the principal forum used by the president to consider economic policy matters, acknowledged that American companies and consumers would pay more as a result of the tariff increases. Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies Show all 7 1 /7 Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies Doctors and mothers killing babies At a rally in Wisconsin in April 2019, Mr Trump made this extraordinary claim. The baby is born, the mother meets with the doctor, they take care of the baby, Mr Trump said. They wrap the baby beautifully and then the doctor and the mother decide whether they will execute the baby Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "China rapes our country" At a rally in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2016, Mr Trump said this in reference to the US trade deficit with China: "we cant continue to allow China to rape our country and thats what theyre doing. Its the greatest theft in the history of the world" Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "EU formed to take advantage of US" At a rally for the midterm elections in October 2018, Mr Trump called the EU a "brutal" alliance that "formed to take advantage of us" AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "I will build a wall and Mexico will pay for it" Mr Trump first made this claim at the launch of his presidential campaign back in 2015: "I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words" AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "Horrible, horrendous people" At a Republican rally in Pennsylvania on August 3 2018, President Trump deemed all journalists in attendance "horrible, horrendous people". He later denounced the "fake, fake, disgusting news" for falsely reporting that he was late to his meeting with the Queen when visiting Britain AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody" Mr Trump said this in reference to his popularity during a rally in Iowa in 2016 AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "I wish I could punch him" Mr Trump said this in reference to a protester who was escorted out of his rally in Las Vegas on 22 February, 2016. There was often violence between protesters and supporters at Trump's campaign rallies AFP/Getty Asked on Fox News if that was the case, he replied: Yes, to some extent. He added: I dont disagree with that. Again, both sides ... both sides will suffer on this. However, he continued to claim that it was worthwhile because of the possible improvement in trade if the US and China reach a deal. His comments appeared to contradict Mr Trumps previous claims that Chinese companies would pay the tariffs. Mr Kudlow himself, has previously claimed that the trade war between the United States and China would end in a pot of gold. Recommended US trade war with China escalates as Trump banishes journalists China has not yet announced its response, but regulators in the country have threatened necessary countermeasures. It has also been reported that US companies in China are being targeted by delays in customs clearance for shipments and the issuing of business licenses. China matched Mr Trumps earliest tariff hikes last July but is said to be running out of goods to tax due to the lopsided trade balance. Forecasters warned that the US tariff hikes could knock 0.5 per cent off Chinas annual economic growth, which currently stands at 6.9 per cent. The US growth rate is around 2.2 per cent. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Chinas state newspaper The Peoples Daily said the tariff hikes were nothing to be afraid of. Considered a mouthpiece for the country's government, its editorial added: The US-instigated trade war against China is just a hurdle in Chinas development process. It is no big deal. Additional reporting by Associated Press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been skewered by the opposition for going ahead with an airstrike in Pakistan on the mistaken belief that cloudy skies would help India's air force avoid radar detection over experts' advice to delay the operation until the weather cleared. In a television interview broadcast Saturday, Mr Modi said he used his "raw wisdom" in the operation, believing Indian Air Force aircraft would benefit from the cloud cover. The opposition mocked Mr Modi's apparent lack of understanding of surveillance radar signals, which can easily pass through clouds. India's staggered national elections are underway, with the last day of voting set for 19 May. Results are expected four days later. Mr Modi has often mentioned the airstrike while campaigning to project strength in dealing with longtime nuclear-armed rival Pakistan. AP Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund reached an agreement on a loan of about $6 billion designed to help the South Asian nation avert an economic crisis. The lender's executive board will meet to approve the agreement for the 39-month loan, "subject to the timely implementation of prior actions and confirmation of international partners' financial commitments," IMF's mission chief Ernesto Ramirez Rigo said in a statement. The loan would represent the 13th bailout since the late 1980s from the IMF to Pakistan, which is facing a balance-of-payments crisis triggered by high fiscal and current-account deficits and dwindling foreign exchange reserves. The pact was reached after Prime Minister Imran Khan overhauled his economic team, including the installation of Reza Baqir, who previously served in senior positions at the IMF, as the central bank governor. Mr Rigo noted the efforts to stabilise the nation's economy but said more needs to be done. "Decisive policies and reforms, together with significant external financing are necessary to reduce vulnerabilities faster, increase confidence, and put the economy back on a sustainable growth path," he said. Educating brothel children in Pakistan Show all 9 1 /9 Educating brothel children in Pakistan Educating brothel children in Pakistan "A winding alleyway leads to a small, concrete building with green doors Thaslima Begum Educating brothel children in Pakistan An unexpected chanting of nursery rhymes can be heard Thaslima Begum Educating brothel children in Pakistan Inside, a cluttered, makeshift classroom equipped with wooden desks, an alphabet-strewn blackboard and walls plastered with colourful drawings Thaslima Begum Educating brothel children in Pakistan The voices belong to the children of Lahores sex workers Thaslima Begum Educating brothel children in Pakistan They are the forgotten by-product of Pakistans undercover sex trade; spending their days on the streets and returning at night to sleep on brothel floors Thaslima Begum Educating brothel children in Pakistan They face malnutrition, physical and mental abuse and are prime targets of trafficking." Thaslima Begum Thaslima Begum Educating brothel children in Pakistan Thaslima Begum Educating brothel children in Pakistan Thaslima Begum Educating brothel children in Pakistan Thaslima Begum Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, an economic adviser to the prime minister, told state-run Pakistan Television that there had been some overspending by the government, so to "recover costs we will have to increase prices in certain areas of the economy." The IMF facility "should be taken as a programme of structural changes" and its success depends upon how successfully the country implements it, he said. Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan extends offer to Modi for talks amid tension The crisis prompted rating companies to downgrade Pakistan's credit score, triggering an 18 per cent slide in the nation's currency and pushing the benchmark KSE-100 Index of stocks to near the lowest level in almost three years. "This bailout package should be a positive in the medium to long run, provided the reform agenda is religiously pursued," said Khurram Schehzad, chief executive of financial advisory firm Alpha Beta Core. Prime Minister Khan has faced criticism from economists and the opposition parties for delaying the loan and mishandling the economy. Khan had said the loan programme was delayed as he set about securing $3 billion of loans each from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China. The Washington Post Filipinos voted Monday in midterm elections highlighted by a showdown between President Rodrigo Duterte's allies who aim to dominate the Senate and opposition candidates fighting for checks and balances under a leader they regard as a looming dictator. Nearly 62 million Filipinos have registered to choose among 43,500 candidates vying for about 18,000 congressional and local posts, including 81 governors, 1,634 mayors and more than 13,000 city and town councillors in 81 provinces, in one of Asia's most rambunctious democracies. Many see the elections as a crucial referendum on Mr Duterte's rise to power with a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs that has left thousands dead, his unorthodox leadership style, combative and sexist joke-laden outbursts and contentious embrace of China. "President Duterte's name is not on the ballot but this is very much a referendum on his three years of very disruptive yet very popular presidency," Manila-based analyst Richard Heydarian said. The outcome of the polls would show whether the Filipino populace affirms or rejects Mr Duterte's authoritarian-style leadership in an Asian bastion of democracy, Mr Heydarian said. Philippines Elections Show all 14 1 /14 Philippines Elections Philippines Elections Filipinos look for their names and corresponding voting precincts on a board at a school in Manila, Philippines, 13 May 2019. Over 61 million Filipinos are expected to cast their vote in the country's mid-term elections, wherein over 43,000 candidates are vying for some 18,000 electoral posts including seats in the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG FRANCIS R. MALASIG EPA Philippines Elections A crowd of media are seen around Former Philippine President and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada (C) after he cast his ballot at an elementary school turned into a voting precinct in Manila, Philippines, 13 May 2019. Over 61 million Filipinos are expected to cast their vote in the country's mid-term elections, wherein over 43,000 candidates are vying for some 18,000 electoral posts including seats in the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG FRANCIS R. MALASIG EPA Philippines Elections Filipinos look for their names and corresponding voting precincts on a board at a school in Manila, Philippines, 13 May 2019. Over 61 million Filipinos are expected to cast their vote in the country's mid-term elections, wherein over 43,000 candidates are vying for some 18,000 electoral posts including seats in the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG FRANCIS R. MALASIG EPA Philippines Elections Filipinos enter a polling precinct to cast their votes on May 13, 2019 in Manila, Philippines. About 60 millions of Filipino voters will head to the polls on May 13 for the congressional midterm elections and bring a set of winners and losers for lawmakers and local government officials in the Philippines. Based on reports, Mondays midterm elections will be a test on Filipino President Rodrigo Dutertes popularity as recent polls show that his administration remains popular ahead of the midterm elections despite receiving largely negative attention overseas. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images) Ezra Acayan Getty Images Philippines Elections A Filipino Muslim woman fills out her ballot at an elementary school turned into a voting precinct in Manila, Philippines, 13 May 2019. Over 61 million Filipinos are expected to cast their vote in the country's mid-term elections, wherein over 43,000 candidates are vying for some 18,000 electoral posts including seats in the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG FRANCIS R. MALASIG EPA Philippines Elections A Filipino Muslim mother fills out her ballot at an elementary school turned into a voting precinct in Manila, Philippines, 13 May 2019. Over 61 million Filipinos are expected to cast their vote in the country's mid-term elections, wherein over 43,000 candidates are vying for some 18,000 electoral posts including seats in the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG FRANCIS R. MALASIG EPA Philippines Elections Filipinos fill out their ballots at an elementary school turned into a voting precinct in Quezon City, east of Manila, Philippines, 13 May 2019. Over 61 million Filipinos are expected to cast their vote in the country's mid-term elections, wherein over 43,000 candidates are vying for some 18,000 electoral posts including seats in the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives. EPA/ROLEX DELA PENA ROLEX DELA PENA EPA Philippines Elections Imee Marcos, left front, the eldest daughter of ousted Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, poses with her family, including her mother and former First Lady Imelda Marcos, second from right, and brother Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., right, as she files her certificate of candidacy for senator at the Commission on Elections in Manila, Philippines. President Rodrigo Duterte's name is not on the ballot but Monday's mid-term elections are seen as a referendum on his phenomenal rise to power, marked by his gory anti-drug crackdown and his embrace of China. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Bullit Marquez AP Philippines Elections Activists are flashed on a screen as opposition senatorial candidate Florin Hilbay addresses them during their rally at the People Power Monument, three days before the May 13 mid-term elections in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines. President Rodrigo Duterte's name is not on the ballot but Monday's mid-term elections are seen as a referendum on his phenomenal rise to power, marked by his gory anti-drug crackdown and his embrace of China. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Bullit Marquez AP Philippines Elections Randy Delos Santos walks with his daughter near an area where his 17-year-old nephew Kian Lloyd delos Santos was killed by police, during a drug crackdown in Quezon city, metropolitan Manila, Philippines. Three police officers were found guilty of killing delos Santos, a student they alleged was a drug dealer, in the first known such conviction under the president's deadly crackdown on drugs. President Rodrigo Duterte's name is not on the ballot but Monday's mid-term elections are seen as a referendum on his phenomenal rise to power, marked by his gory anti-drug crackdown and his embrace of China. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Aaron Favila AP Philippines Elections A woman points at an image of 17-year-old Kian Lloyd delos Santos, together with other alleged victims of the government's crackdown on drugs in Quezon city, metropolitan Manila, Philippines. Three police officers were found guilty of killing delos Santos, a student they alleged was a drug dealer, in the first known such conviction under the president's deadly crackdown on drugs. President Rodrigo Duterte's name is not on the ballot but Monday's mid-term elections are seen as a referendum on his phenomenal rise to power, marked by his gory anti-drug crackdown and his embrace of China. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Aaron Favila AP Philippines Elections A man walks past election banners in the slum district of Tondo, Manila, Philippines. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's name is not on the ballot but Monday's mid-term elections are seen as a referendum on his phenomenal rise to power, marked by his gory anti-drug crackdown and his embrace of China. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Aaron Favila AP Philippines Elections Muslim-Filipinos check their names at a Manila polling precinct prior to voting in the country's midterm elections in Manila, Monday, May 13, 2019. Nearly 62 million Filipinos have registered to choose among 43,500 candidates vying for about 18,000 congressional and local posts in Monday's elections in one of Asia's most rambunctious democracies. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Bullit Marquez AP Philippines Elections A Filipino-Muslim checks her name on the list outside a polling precinct prior to voting Monday, May 13, 2019 in the country's midterm elections highlighted by a showdown between President Rodrigo Duterte's allies who aim to dominate the Senate and an opposition fighting for check and balance under a leader they regard as a looming dictator. Nearly 62 million Filipinos have registered to choose among 43,500 candidates vying for about 18,000 congressional and local posts in Monday's elections in one of Asia's most rambunctious democracies. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Bullit Marquez AP The most crucial race is for 12 seats in the 24-member Senate, which Mr Duterte wants to fill with allies to bolster his legislative agenda. That includes the return of the death penalty, lowering the age for criminal liability of child offenders, and revising the country's 1987 constitution primarily to allow a shift to a federal form of government, a proposal some critics fear may be a cover to remove term limits. Military and police forces were on full alert to respond to any violence, especially in security hotspots that include the entire southern region of Mindanao, and help prevent cheating amid intense local political rivalries. Two suspected grenade blasts were reported in southern Maguindanao province, including one shortly before voting started at 6am. There were no reported injuries from the explosions. Commission on Elections spokesman James Jimenez said the elections season has been peaceful so far compared to past years. Police say 20 people have died in poll-related violence, out of 76 reported casualties. In Manila's financial district of Makati, former Vice President Jejomar Binay protested after his ballot was rejected by an automated counting machine, one of several similar complaints. At least two mayoral candidates have been put in police custody elsewhere, including one for alleged elections fraud. The world's most expensive private island has opened in Philippines Opposition aspirants consider the Senate the last bastion of checks and balances given the solid dominance of Mr Duterte's loyalists in the lower House of Representatives. Last year, opposition senators moved to block proposed bills they feared would undermine civil liberties. Mr Duterte's politics and key programs, including his drive against illegal drugs that has left more than 5,200 mostly urban poor suspects dead, have been scrutinised on the campaign trail and defended by close allies running for the Senate, led by his former national police chief Ronald dela Rosa, who first enforced the crackdown when the president took office in mid-2016. Aside from the drug killings, Mr Duterte's gutter language and what nationalists say is a policy of appeasement towards China that may undermine Philippine territorial claims in the South China Sea, have also been the cause of protests and criticism. A May 3-6 survey by independent pollster Pulse Asia showed 11 of Duterte-backed senatorial candidates and four other aspirants in the winning circle, including only one from the opposition. The survey also showed some favourites had narrow leads and a considerable number of voters were undecided, indicating a probability the results could change. The survey of 1,800 respondents had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. Mr Duterte himself remains hugely popular based on independent ratings surveys. Divided, cash-strapped and without a unified leader, opposition aspirants are fighting an uphill battle to capture the few Senate seats they need to stymie any hostile legislation. Many Filipinos seem more open to authoritarianism due to past failures of liberal leaders, Mr Heydarian said. Such a mindset has helped the family of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos to make a political comeback. Among many dirt-poor Filipinos, however, the concern is day-to-day survival. "Martial law is scary but we're more afraid of dying in hunger," Arturo Veles, a jobless father of six, told The Associated Press. Wiping away tears, Mr Veles spoke outside his family's shanty in the humid squalor atop Smokey Mountain, a long-closed dumpsite in Manila's Tondo slum that remains a symbol of the country's appalling poverty. His asthma-stricken wife, Agnes, said that not one congressional candidate had treaded the fly-strewn and trash-littered path to their cluster of crumbling huts, probably because of the smell and filth. Mr Veles said the poor always suffer the most, indicating he and his wife would not vote for administration candidates. "They only see the poor, those using and selling drugs. That's the only thing they see, not the depth of our poverty." Village guard Jose Mondejar, who lives in a Tondo community heavily festooned with elections streamers and posters, backed Mr Duterte's anti-crime campaign, saying it has reduced crimes, including daytime robberies by drug addicts of passing cargo trucks, by about 70 percent in his neighbourhood. AP At least one person has died after anti-Muslim rioting in Sri Lanka continued for a second day. Police officers fired tear gas at mobs attacking mosques and Muslim owned shops on Monday, after sectarian violence broke out following the Easter Sunday attacks in which more than 250 people were killed. A 42-year-old Muslim man identified locally as Mohamed Ameer Mohamed Sally died of stab wounds at the Marawila hospital, an officer said. There are hundreds of rioters, police and army are just watching, an anonymous resident of the predominantly Muslim Kottampitiya area said. They have burnt our mosques and smashed many shops owned by Muslims. Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Show all 38 1 /38 Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Special Task Force officers raid a house following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A blood-spattered statue of Jesus Christ while crime scene officials inspect the site of a bomb blast, as the sun shines through the blown-out roof, inside St Sebastian's Church in Negombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A police officer inspects the damage after a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan soldiers look on inside the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo following a bomb blast during the Easter service AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman cries next to a coffin of a bomb blast victim. A series of eight devastating bomb blasts ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri Lanka on April 21, killing more than 300 people AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People who live near the church that was attacked the day before, leave their houses as the military try to defuse a suspected van before it exploded in Colombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Shoes and belongings of victims are collected as evidence at St Sebastian's Church AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police were forded to clear an area while Special Task Force Bomb Squad officers inspected the site of an exploded van near a church the day after it was attacked Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Queues at the National Blood Bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a request for blood to aid in recovery efforts Mr Lavasquabble/Twitter Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Medical response team work to remove dead bodies from the scene of bombings in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel inspect the debris of a car after it exploded when police tried to defuse a bomb AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personnel work at the scene of a bombing at a church in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman is helped near St Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019. At least 130 people were killed and more than 500 hospitalised after near-simultaneous explosions hit three hotels and three churches on Easter Sunday. AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police officers clear the road as an ambulance drives through carrying injured of church blasts in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan soldier stands guard near a car explosion AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman prays at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests stand inside St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade church on the outskirts of Colombo after a bombing Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan woman living near St. Anthony's shrine runs for safety with her infant after police found explosive devices in a parked vehicle in Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People react during a mass for victims, two days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personal react as a device was detonated in a controled explosion in a van near the St Anthony's Church EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security forces inspect the scene of a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a bombing attack Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The damaged interior of a church in Negombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing attack Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police and security personnel stand guard outside the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo following a bombing attack EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Debris is seen at St Anthony's Church in this still image from video footage after explosions hit churches and hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Derana TV/via Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Damage inside a church following a bombing attack AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan Special Task Force officer scales a house during a raid following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A general interior view showing damage after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests walk into St Anthony's Shrine Kochchikade church after an explosion in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan police officer stands outside St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a blast on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A shoe of a victim is seen in front of the St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade Church Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Local and security officials gather at the scene at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath An ambulance is seen outside the church premises with gathered security personnel following a blast at St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Armed policemen patrol the area after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel keep watch outside the church premises following a blast at the St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police officers inspect the scene after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA When we try to come out of our house, police tell us to stay inside. The Abrar mosque in the town of Kiniyama was attacked overnight, with glass left strewn on the floor along with copies of the Quran. Recommended Sri Lanka reimposes social media ban after Easter Sunday bombings A 34-year-old witness told Reuters that a mob of 1,300 people had approached the mosque on Sunday, armed with swords and rods. He said the Muslims hidden inside the mosque asked local police officers for help. Officers told the worshippers that the people wanted to inspect the mosque for weapons. They destroyed and burned Qurans, broke every glass window and door and urinated on the water storage which Muslims used to take ablution, the witness said. The Sri Lankan police has imposed a nationwide curfew from 9pm on Monday to 4am on Tuesday. Authorities have also banned social media networks and messaging apps on a temporary basis after a sectarian clash was traced to a dispute on Facebook. Muslims are a minority in Sri Lanka and make up 10 per cent of the population, who are predominantly Sinhalese Buddhists. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Additional reporting by agencies Sri Lanka has temporarily blocked some social media networks and messaging apps, including Facebook and WhatsApp, after attacks on mosques and Muslim-owned businesses in the worst unrest since Easter bombings by Islamist militants. Several dozen people threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores and a man was beaten in the Christian-majority town of Chilaw on the west coast over the weekend in a dispute that started on Facebook, sources told the Reuters news agency. Authorities said they arrested the author of a Facebook post, identified as 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar, whose online comment "1 day u will cry" people said was interpreted as threatening violence. Authorities later arrested a group of men in the nearby Kurunegala district for allegedly attacking Muslim-owned businesses, a police source told Reuters. Military spokesman Sumith Atapattu said people in the mostly Buddhist district then demanded the arrested men's release. Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Show all 38 1 /38 Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Special Task Force officers raid a house following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A blood-spattered statue of Jesus Christ while crime scene officials inspect the site of a bomb blast, as the sun shines through the blown-out roof, inside St Sebastian's Church in Negombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A police officer inspects the damage after a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan soldiers look on inside the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo following a bomb blast during the Easter service AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman cries next to a coffin of a bomb blast victim. A series of eight devastating bomb blasts ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri Lanka on April 21, killing more than 300 people AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People who live near the church that was attacked the day before, leave their houses as the military try to defuse a suspected van before it exploded in Colombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Shoes and belongings of victims are collected as evidence at St Sebastian's Church AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police were forded to clear an area while Special Task Force Bomb Squad officers inspected the site of an exploded van near a church the day after it was attacked Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Queues at the National Blood Bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a request for blood to aid in recovery efforts Mr Lavasquabble/Twitter Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Medical response team work to remove dead bodies from the scene of bombings in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel inspect the debris of a car after it exploded when police tried to defuse a bomb AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personnel work at the scene of a bombing at a church in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman is helped near St Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019. At least 130 people were killed and more than 500 hospitalised after near-simultaneous explosions hit three hotels and three churches on Easter Sunday. AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police officers clear the road as an ambulance drives through carrying injured of church blasts in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan soldier stands guard near a car explosion AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman prays at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests stand inside St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade church on the outskirts of Colombo after a bombing Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan woman living near St. Anthony's shrine runs for safety with her infant after police found explosive devices in a parked vehicle in Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People react during a mass for victims, two days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personal react as a device was detonated in a controled explosion in a van near the St Anthony's Church EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security forces inspect the scene of a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a bombing attack Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The damaged interior of a church in Negombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing attack Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police and security personnel stand guard outside the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo following a bombing attack EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Debris is seen at St Anthony's Church in this still image from video footage after explosions hit churches and hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Derana TV/via Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Damage inside a church following a bombing attack AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan Special Task Force officer scales a house during a raid following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A general interior view showing damage after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests walk into St Anthony's Shrine Kochchikade church after an explosion in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan police officer stands outside St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a blast on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A shoe of a victim is seen in front of the St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade Church Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Local and security officials gather at the scene at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath An ambulance is seen outside the church premises with gathered security personnel following a blast at St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Armed policemen patrol the area after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel keep watch outside the church premises following a blast at the St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police officers inspect the scene after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA "To control the situation, a police curfew was imposed during the night," Mr Atapattu said. Several mosques and Muslim homes were damaged in the attack in the district, the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka said, but the precise extent of damage and the number of arrests was not immediately clear. The flare-up is the worst violence in the three weeks since Sri Lankan Islamist bombers blew themselves up in four hotels and three churches, killing more than 250 people. Since then, Muslim groups say they have received dozens of complaints about people being harassed. Other communities say they fear the government, which failed to act on successive warnings about looming Islamist attacks, has not caught all potential militants. Sri Lanka has used temporary bans on social media in a bid to deter misinformation and rumours. Sri Lankan police raid 'bomb factory' "Social media blocked again as a temporary measure to maintain peace in the country," said Nalaka Kaluwewa, director general of the government information department. On Twitter, Sri Lanka's leading mobile phone operator Dialog said it had also received instructions to block the apps Viber, IMO, Snapchat, Instagram and Youtube until further notice. A violent clash between Muslims and Christians erupted a week ago in Negombo, killing more than 100 people during Easter prayers, after a traffic dispute. The government also imposed a ban on social media after that clash. Reuters Azerbaijan is the worst place to be gay in Europe, according to LGBT+ rights group ILGA-Europe. The campaigners ranked countries along a scale, in which zero indicated gross human rights abuses and 100 per cent represented the greatest degree of equality. Now in its 10th year, the ranking analysed laws and policies governing LGBT+ matters across 49 European countries over the past 12 months. Marks were given across 69 individual categories, such as employment rights and marriage equality. Azerbaijan scored just 3 per cent in the survey, while Turkey and Armenia were awarded 5 per cent and 7 per cent each. LGBT+ rights around the globe Show all 9 1 /9 LGBT+ rights around the globe LGBT+ rights around the globe Russia Russias antipathy towards homosexuality has been well established following the efforts of human rights campaigners. However, while it is legal to be homosexual, LGBT couples are offered no protections from discrimination. They are also actively discriminated against by a 2013 law criminalising LGBT propaganda allowing the arrest of numerous Russian LGBT activists. AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Brunei Brunei recently introduced a law to make sodomy punishable by stoning to death. It was already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Mauritania Men who are found having sex with other men face stoning, while lesbians can be imprisoned, under Sharia law. However, the state has reportedly not executed anyone for this crime since 1987 Alamy LGBT+ rights around the globe Sudan Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Sudanese law. Men can be executed on their third offence, women on their fourth Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Saudi Arabia Homosexuality and gender realignment is illegal and punishable by death, imprisonment, whipping and chemical castration Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Yemen The official position within the country is that there are no gays. LGBT inviduals, if discovered by the government, are likely to face intense pressure. Punishments range from flogging to the death penalty Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Nigeria Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal and in some northern states punishable with death by stoning. This is not a policy enacted across the entire country, although there is a prevalent anti-LGBT agenda pushed by the government. In 2007 a Pew survey established that 97% of the population felt that homosexuality should not be accepted. It is punishable by 14 years in prison Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Somalia Homosexuality was established as a crime in 1888 and under new Somali Penal Code established in 1973 homosexual sex can be punishable by three years in prison. A person can be put to death for being a homosexual Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Iraq Although same-sex relationships have been decriminalised, much of the population still suffer from intense discrimination. Additionally, in some of the country over-run by the extremist organisation Isis, LGBT individuals can face death by stoning Getty In 2017 reports emerged of an alleged crackdown on LGBT+ people in Azerbaijan. Human rights groups condemned news of mass arrests and abuses and urged authorities to release those who were jailed. Azerbaijans Ministry of Internal Affairs has responded to criticism by activists in the past by claiming that such raids are not a specific attack on LGBT+ people but instead a crackdown on prostitution. The countries that did well in ILGAs ranking include Malta, which came first with 90 per cent. Belgium and Luxembourg were ranked as the second and third best European countries for LGBT+ rights. Those countries that continue to do really well and go up are those that ... clicked quite some time ago that the agenda was more than marriage equality, said Evelyne Paradis, the campaign groups executive director. Due to a shift in the number of categories included in the survey, several countries that had formerly been seen as leaders of LGBT+ equality, such as the UK, saw their overall percentages slip between 2018 and 2019. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Last year, Britain scored 73 per cent and was ranked equal with Finland and France at fourth. The UK fell to 66 per cent in the 2019 index, tied at seventh with Portugal. Additional reporting by agencies The family of a British man who has been missing for almost a week after disappearing on his way down a mountain overlooking Lake Garda in Italy have appealed for witnesses to come forward with any clues to his whereabouts. Felix Marr, 64, from Woodford in East London, vanished last Friday after climbing La Rocca near the city of Verona, having sent a text message to his wife at 7pm to say he was heading back for dinner. An intensive search operation has been underway since the weekend, with a 50-strong team of police and rescue workers using a helicopter and a rare type of specialist sniffer dog brought in to help from Milan, but to no avail. Though the animal picked up Mr Marr's scent in two locations on the mountain, no items of clothing or signs of his fate have been found. Mr Marr's son, Angelus, 32, said that he and his family initially feared he had been kidnapped. However, it has since been confirmed that his bankcard has not been used, and he now fears he may have slipped and fallen in an area thick with brambles and vegetation. "He looks really distinctive, he's a tall Chinese man and there are very few Asian tourists around here," he said. "It's very weird that nobody has spotted him, and deeply puzzling that not one single physical item has been found." Posters bearing Mr Marr's picture have been plastered across the nearby area, but in an area popular with British holidaymakers, Mr Marr hopes that tourists who returned home before the search effort had begun may be able to help. Mr Marr has a large build and is 5"9' tall, and was wearing a glasses, a checked short-sleeved shirt, beige shorts, and a turquoise bag with a picture of a pink bike on it with glasses. He was also using a hiking stick. Anyone who may have seen him has been asked to contact the police. Swedish prosecutors are to reopen a 2010 rape case against Julian Assange, the countrys deputy director of prosecutions has announced. Eva-Marie Persson said at a press conference the inquiry, which was shelved in 2017 because Assange refused to leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London, would be restarted. The woman who has accused him called for the investigation to be picked up again after the WikiLeaks founder was evicted from the embassy and arrested by police last month. Ms Persson said the inquiry had been reopened because Assanges circumstances had changed and his extradition to Sweden was now possible. There is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape, she told a press conference in Stockholm. It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required. Key moments for Julian Assange Show all 9 1 /9 Key moments for Julian Assange Key moments for Julian Assange The situation today Assange was arrested after Metropolitan Police officers were invited into the Ecuadorian embassy on April 11 2019. How did it come to this? Ruptly TV Key moments for Julian Assange The break Assange shows the front page of the Guardian on July 26 2010, the day that they broke the story of the thousands of military files leaked by WikiLeaks AFP/Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Wanted A warrant for Assange's arrest was issued in August 2010 for counts of rape and molestation in Sweden AFP/Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Ruling The UK's Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that Assange should be extradited to Sweden to face trial Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Sanctuary Following the ruling, Assange was given asylum by the Ecuadorian governement over fears that his human rights would be violated if he were extradited, he has since remained in the embassy in London Getty Key moments for Julian Assange A friend in Pam Friend Pamela Anderson delivers lunch to Assange at the embassy in October 2016. She has since spoken against his arrest Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Arbitrarily detained A UN panel found in 2016 that Assange had been arbitrarily detained and that he had not been able to claim his full right to asylum. It urged Sweden to withdraw the charges against him Getty Key moments for Julian Assange The cat ultimatum Last year, the Ecuadorian embassy threatened to revoke Assange's internet access unless he stopped making political statements online and started taking better care of James, his pet cat. Assange accused Ecuador of violating his rights Reuters Key moments for Julian Assange Arrest Assange was arrested on April 11 2019. Ecuador revoked his asylum status and invited the Metropolitan Police in to the embassy to arrest him. Reuters After conducting this new interview and once Assange has served his current 50-week prison sentence in Britain, Ms Persson said her office would issue a European arrest warrant to bring him to Sweden. Assange has consistently denied the allegations and insisted he only had consensual sex with the two women who came forward nine years ago. It was while he was on bail fighting efforts to extradite him to Sweden to face the accusations that Assange fled to the embassy, where he lived for the next seven years. The alleged victims lawyer, Elisabeth Massi Fritz, said her client was deeply grateful for the prosecutors decision. Today we got great news, Ms Fritz told reporters. She said it sent the message that no one stands above the law [and] the legal system in Sweden doesnt give a special treatment to anyone. WikiLeaks said the new investigation would give Assange an opportunity to prove his innocence. The websites editor-in-chief, Kristinn Hrafnsson, said in a statement: Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case. Assange was always willing to answer any questions from the Swedish authorities and repeatedly offered to do so, over six years. Its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name. Swedish lawyer for Assange Per Samuelsen said he was very surprised by the decision to reopen the rape case and described it as an embarrassment for Sweden. Eva-Marie Persson, the Swedish deputy director of public prosecutions, announced in Stockholm the rape investigation would be reopened (AFP) However, he insisted to the Swedish broadcaster SVT Assange was keen to assist the police in their inquiries and was only afraid of extradition to the United States. Ms Fritz had demanded Swedish police be given the chance to reinvestigate the WikiLeaks founder after his sudden expulsion from the embassy. We are going to do everything we possibly can to get the Swedish police investigation reopened so that Assange can be extradited to Sweden and prosecuted for rape, she said. No rape victim should have to wait nine years to see justice be served. Last month Assange was sentenced to almost a year in prison for skipping bail in 2012. Ms Persson also told reporters she believed the Swedish investigation could begin while Assange remained in HMP Belmarsh in south London, provided he agreed to be interviewed. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Since he was evicted from the embassy, the US has also announced it wants to extradite Assange so he can face computer hacking charges. Ms Persson said it was for the UK authorities to decide which extradition request would be given priority and this process was impossible to predict. Assange has long resisted any efforts to send him to face trial in the US, arguing his life would be at risk and the charges amount to the criminalisation of legitimate journalism. Swedish prosecutors are set to decide on Monday whether the rape investigation into Julian Assange will be reopened. The deputy director of public prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson will hold a press conference at 10am on Monday morning to reveal her decision. A lawyer for the victim of Mr Assanges alleged rape has already requested the Swedish authorities re-open the case. The case dates back to 2010, when two women in Sweden separately accused Mr Assange of rape and sexual assault. The Wikileaks founder denied the allegations and insisted he had only had consensual sex with the women. It was while he was on bail fighting efforts to extradite him to Sweden to face the accusations Mr Assange fled to the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he lived for the next seven years. Key moments for Julian Assange Show all 9 1 /9 Key moments for Julian Assange Key moments for Julian Assange The situation today Assange was arrested after Metropolitan Police officers were invited into the Ecuadorian embassy on April 11 2019. How did it come to this? Ruptly TV Key moments for Julian Assange The break Assange shows the front page of the Guardian on July 26 2010, the day that they broke the story of the thousands of military files leaked by WikiLeaks AFP/Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Wanted A warrant for Assange's arrest was issued in August 2010 for counts of rape and molestation in Sweden AFP/Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Ruling The UK's Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that Assange should be extradited to Sweden to face trial Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Sanctuary Following the ruling, Assange was given asylum by the Ecuadorian governement over fears that his human rights would be violated if he were extradited, he has since remained in the embassy in London Getty Key moments for Julian Assange A friend in Pam Friend Pamela Anderson delivers lunch to Assange at the embassy in October 2016. She has since spoken against his arrest Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Arbitrarily detained A UN panel found in 2016 that Assange had been arbitrarily detained and that he had not been able to claim his full right to asylum. It urged Sweden to withdraw the charges against him Getty Key moments for Julian Assange The cat ultimatum Last year, the Ecuadorian embassy threatened to revoke Assange's internet access unless he stopped making political statements online and started taking better care of James, his pet cat. Assange accused Ecuador of violating his rights Reuters Key moments for Julian Assange Arrest Assange was arrested on April 11 2019. Ecuador revoked his asylum status and invited the Metropolitan Police in to the embassy to arrest him. Reuters The sexual assault inquiry was dropped in 2015 when the statute of limitations had passed, and investigators also abandoned the rape investigation in 2017 because they were unable to continue their inquiries while Mr Assange was inaccessible in the embassy. Now Mr Assange has been evicted by Ecuador from the embassy and is back in the custody of the British courts, Ms Persson must decide if she will restart the case against him. The lawyer for one of Mr Assanges alleged victims, Elisabeth Massi Fritz, said after Mr Assanges sudden expulsion from the embassy and arrest: It did understandably come as a shock to my client that what we have been waiting and hoping for since 2012 has now finally happened. We are going to do everything we possibly can to get the Swedish police investigation re-opened so that Assange can be extradited to Sweden and prosecuted for rape. No rape victim should have to wait nine years to see justice be served. Under Swedish law, prosecutors have until next year to re-open the investigation, until the statute of limitations kicks in in August 2020. However, the Wikileaks boss is also being sought by the United States over computer hacking charges. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Last month Mr Assange was jailed for 50 weeks in prison for his bail offences from 2012. Once that sentence has been served the British authorities would have to choose between the two competing extradition requests, should Sweden decide to re-open its rape case. The home secretary Sajid Javid would be responsible for deciding which extradition request would take precedence. Mr Assange has long resisted any efforts to send him to face trial in the US, arguing his life would be at risk and the charges amount to the criminalisation of legitimate journalism. However, he also has fought extradition to Sweden ultimately choosing to hole up inside the embassy for years when it became clear the UK would hand him over to Stockholm. Poland has cancelled a visit by an Israeli delegation over suggestions it would focus on the issue of returning former Jewish property. The delegation was due to be headed by Avi Cohen-Scali, director general of the Israeli Ministry for Social Equality, and was scheduled for Monday. Polands Foreign Ministry announced the cancellation on Sunday and claimed the Israeli side made last-minute changes in the composition of the delegation suggesting that the talks would primarily focus on the issues related to property restitution. Former Jewish property in Poland has emerged as an emotional issue during campaigning ahead of European parliament elections this month and national elections later this year. Poland was once home to 3.3 million Jews, but most were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust and their properties were often looted and later nationalised by the communist regime. Remembering the Holocaust Show all 16 1 /16 Remembering the Holocaust Remembering the Holocaust 119165.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119169.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119229.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119167.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119162.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119166.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119163.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119224.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119168.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119228.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119152.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119226.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119150.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119151.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119147.bin Hannah Bills Remembering the Holocaust 119231.bin Hannah Bills Some Jewish organisations have been seeking restitution of former Jewish properties. On Saturday, thousands of nationalists marched in Warsaw to the US Embassy to protest American pressure on Poland to settle the outstanding matter of unpaid restitution. The protest took place amid a dramatic rise in antisemitic hate speech in Poland and it appeared to be one of the largest anti-Jewish street demonstrations in recent times. It also comes as far-right groups are gaining in popularity, pressuring the conservative government to move further to the right. Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, suffering extensive material losses, and those protesting argue it is not fair to ask Poland to compensate Jewish victims when Poland has never received adequate compensation from Germany. Poland is the only EU country that has not passed legislation regulating the compensation or restitution of property lost as a result of the war and communism. A string of governments have said it cannot afford to do so. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Polands right-wing government had been vowing to make demands on Germany and saying it would not pay any compensation for Jewish claims. Additional reporting by Associated Press Iran has accused one of its own citizens of spying for Britain and jailed them for 10 years. A government official told the Iranian Fars news agency the unidentified person worked for the British Councils Iran desk. An Iranian who was in charge of the Iran desk in the British Council and was cooperating with Britains intelligence agency ... was sentenced to 10 years in prison after clear confessions, Gholamhossein Esmaili, a judiciary spokesperson, said. The British Council is the UKs international agency which works to foster cultural and educational links with Britain in more than 100 countries. Last year, a London-based British Council employee, 32-year-old Aras Amiri, was arrested while she visited family back home in Iran. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures 2018 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe hugs her daughter Gabriella, in Iran after she was allowed to leave the Iranian prison, she is being held in, for three days. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested during a holiday with her toddler daughter in April 2016. Iranian authorities accuse her of plotting against the government. Her family denies this, saying says she was in Iran to visit family. Free Nazanin Campaign/AP Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella. Nazanin is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly plotting to overthrow Iran's government. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures June 2016 Richard Ratcliffe's daughter Gabriella had her British passport confiscated and was stranded in Iran with her grandparents after her mother Nazanin was jailed. He left left a giant birthday card on the doorstep of the Iranian embassy in central London to mark her second birthday in June 2016. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Nazanin has spent some of her prison sentence in solitary confinement. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard and daughter Gabriella. Family Handout Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures July 2016 Richard Ratcliffe delivering a letter of petition with his mother Barbara Ratcliffe and MP Tulip Siddiq, to 10, Downing Street on the 100th day of her detention, on July 12, 2016. Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Supporters of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe held a vigil outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to mark her 707 days in captivity. Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures January 2017 Richard Ratcliffe holds a '#Free Nazanin' sign and candle during a vigil for for wife on January 16, 2017. The vigil, being held outside the Iranian Embassy in London marks one year since the Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian and other US-Iranian dual-nationals were released from prison in Iran. Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Nazanin with her daughter Gabriella before they were detained by Iranian authorities. Change.org Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures September 2017 Gabriella, who is three-years-old in this picture, has now spent two years away from her mother. Richard Ratcliffe Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures November 2017 Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson meets with Richard Ratcliffe over Nazanin's case. They meet just days after Johnson told a parliamentary committee that she was in Iran "training journalists". WPA Pool/Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures November 2017 Actor Emma Thompson braved pneumonia to support Richard Ratcliffe in leading demonstrators before a march in support of Nazanin in November. Reuters Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures November 2017 Richard Ratcliffe after the march said: 'It is profoundly moving to see so many people here.' REUTERS Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures November 2017 A picture of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe shown on Iranian state TV as part of a report that made fresh allegations against her. They said she had been recruiting for banned broadcast services, as well as 'opposition cyber teams'. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures December 2017 Iranian president Hassan Rouhani greets British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson at the presidential office in Tehran, Iran. Johnson visited Tehran to discuss the fate of detained Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. EPA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her daughter Gabriella. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures December 2017 Photos of Richard Ratcliffe and his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on display at their home in north London. Mr Ratcliffe said he believed there was "still a chance" she may be released from an Iranian prison in time for a dream Christmas together. Unfortunately that didn't happen. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures February 2018 Richard Ratcliffe delivers a petition and a letter addressed to the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to demand her release, at the Iranian Embassy in London on February 21, 2018. He also left support letters for his spouse in the country's embassy, amid a visit by a deputy foreign minister. AFP/Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures August 2018 Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt meeting Richard Ratcliffe. Hunt has pledged to do everything possible to secure the release of a charity worker jailed in Iran Jeremy Hunt/PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures August 2018 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe hugs her daughter Gabriella, in Iran after she was allowed to leave the Iranian prison, she is being held in, for three days. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested during a holiday with her toddler daughter in April 2016. Iranian authorities accuse her of plotting against the government. Her family denies this, saying says she was in Iran to visit family. PA The chief executive of the council, Sir Ciaran Devane, said his organisation was aware of the reports but had not been able to confirm if the person sentenced in Iran was actually Ms Amiri. Our colleagues safety and wellbeing remain our first concern, as it has been throughout their detention, he said. We are in close contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The British Council also said Ms Amiri was not head of its organisations Iran desk but instead had a junior role in Britain to showcase the contemporary Iranian art scene to a UK audience. Mr Esmaili said the person who was sentenced was in charge of cultural infiltration projects in Iran but did not specify if they were also a British national. The British Council does not have offices or representatives in Iran, and we do not do any work in Iran, the body said in a statement. We are a non-political organisation committed to people-to-people engagement, and our staff are not connected to any espionage agency, Sir Ciaran added. We believe that when political or diplomatic relations become difficult, cultural exchange helps to maintain open dialogue between people and institutions. Iran has a long history of jailing and harassing Iranians who work for British institutions. In 2009 the council was forced to suspend all its operations in Iran after its local staff were intimidated by the Iranian authorities into leaving their posts. Many journalists working for the BBCs Persian service have been intimidated, or seen their families in Iran detained by the authorities, and had their bank accounts frozen. Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe's husband delivers card to Iranian embassy Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian dual national, has been imprisoned in Iran for three years after being convicted of spying during a visit to her family. She works for the charitable arm of the Thomson Reuters news agency. Hopes that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe could have be released as part of a prisoner swap were dashed last month after Iran backed away from reports of a possible deal. The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment. Q I am a Liverpool fan and have been watching the fares to reach Madrid for the final of the Champions League against Spurs on 1 June. It is despicable that airlines have increased their prices to such a degree that it is making it very difficult for the average person to afford this monumental moment in sporting history. All companies that have decided to take advantage of this remarkable situation should be utterly ashamed and embarrassed. Can we launch a boycott against them to stop them profiteering? Robin G A As soon as Liverpool beat Barcelona to qualify for the Champions League Final in Madrid, fares to the Spanish capital soared. The following evening, Spurs beat Ajax Amsterdam in the other semi-final, and prices rose even further. The standard return fare (economy class) on British Airways from Heathrow to Madrid and back at appropriate times increased to 1,300 return. Meanwhile fares on all alternative routes from northwest England airports to Spain also rose, on airlines such as easyJet and Jet2. Q My sister and her fiance have booked a honeymoon from Northern Ireland to Australia for a month. They booked it as a package holiday (a number of flights and hotels) with a local travel agent. They are due to fly from Belfast to Glasgow with Flybe then Glasgow to Dubai with Emirates for a few days stopover before they fly on to Australia. The connection time is quite short (90 minutes) and they are conscious Flybe flights are regularly delayed or cancelled from Belfast and they really dont want to miss the flight from Glasgow to Dubai. They have decided now they would prefer to fly to Glasgow the night before for peace of mind. They have been told by the travel agent the cost to change the Flybe flights to the day before would be 200 per person! If they book easyJet flights themselves online, the flights and luggage will only cost a total of 110. However, the travel agent has told them if they make their own arrangements and dont board the Flybe flight from Belfast that all their other flights will be cancelled. Is this legally correct? Can they not just advise Emirates that they wont be taking the Flybe flight from Belfast but still intend to board the Emirates flight in Glasgow and check in there? Name withheld Mike Pence is a fairly easy person to ridicule; what with his perennial, little boy half-smile and the background hovering that is the lot of all American vice presidents. His weekend speech to students at the private Liberty University, in which he told them to prepare to be shunned for their beliefs, seems on the face of it as ridiculous as the Pence pea-head. The VPs contention appeared to be that evangelical Christians like himself, whose conservative beliefs set them against such things as abortion and LGBT+ lifestyles, are no longer safe to practise their faith in modern-day America for fear or being discriminated against by a progressive, liberal media and political establishment. Coming from the second most powerful man in America, there is an intrinsic absurdity to such a notion especially when the only individual with more power than Pence has shown himself broadly amenable to policies which will win the approval of the Christian right. And, as has been widely noted, the trend at state level is for the rolling back (or attempted reversal) of progressive legislation when it comes to womens reproductive rights. Trump and Farage - a working friendship Show all 7 1 /7 Trump and Farage - a working friendship Trump and Farage - a working friendship Donald Trump and Nigel Farage pose in the golden elevator at Trump Tower on 12 November 2016, four days after Trump was elected president. Farage was the first British politician to meet with Trump after the election LeaveEUOffical/Twitter Trump and Farage - a working friendship Not long after their meeting at Trump Tower, then-president elect Trump tweeted in favour of Nigel Farage being appointed ambassador to the US Trump and Farage - a working friendship Farage appears at a Trump campaign rally in Jackson, Mississipi on 24 August 2016. Farage drew parallels between the recent vote for Brexit in the UK and a vote for Trump in the US, saying "they could take back control of their country, take back control of their borders and get back their pride and self-respect" Getty Images Trump and Farage - a working friendship Trump introduced Farage as "Mr. Brexit" Getty Images Trump and Farage - a working friendship President Trump with Nigel Farage when they met met face-to-face to discuss why the President should back a no-deal Brexit on 3 March 2019 PA Trump and Farage - a working friendship From left to right: Gerry Gunster (US pollster and campaign adviser to Leave.EU), Arron Banks (Leave.EU founder who is being investigated over the funding of the Brexit campaign), Donald Trump (then president-elect), Nigel Farage (then leader of UKIP), Andy Wigmore (communication director of Leave.EU) and Raheem Kassam (then-advisor to Farage and later UK editor of Breitbart news) Trump and Farage - a working friendship Farage and his adviser Raheem Kassam arrive to meet with Trump on November 12 2016 Getty Images So even if the students at Liberty University might not win friends as a result of their views, they may well find the law and the government are on their side and are imposing those same beliefs on others who do not share them. This is the crux. It is not the beliefs of people like Pence which cause anger; but the way those beliefs transfer into action and into laws which discriminate against individuals in their day to day lives. That is why Karen Pence, Mikes wife, provoked outrage when she took a job at a school which bans LGBT+ pupils, for example. And why there have been protests over the introduction of strict abortion prohibitions. There is also a difference between people being shunned for their beliefs, and being challenged over them. It is much easier for Pence to appeal to a sense of metaphorical martyrdom to pit the apparently put-upon evangelical Christian community against the rest than to acknowledge that religious beliefs can legitimately be contested; and indeed should be openly debated. It is only a short hop from this kind of narrative to one which sees a Christian west under assault either from the Islamic world and/or from an atheistic, amoral liberalism that is undermining traditional values. At its most extreme end, that can lead to the kind of violence inflicted by Anders Breivik in Norway in 2011. But you dont have to go that far to find similar messaging, co-opting the wests Christian heritage for ulterior, nationalistic purposes. There are plenty of writers and political activists from Ben Shapiro, fresh from his recent, bruising encounter with Andrew Neil, to Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) who proclaim the demise of Judeo-Christian culture in the face of institutionalised liberalism and the unthinking acceptance of multiculturalism. For those who count themselves as both liberals and Christians, there should be a clear imperative to stand up to that divisive approach. Just as there is for moderate Muslims in relation to calling out individuals of that faith who have used interpretations of Islam for extreme ends. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The fly in the ointment is that, just as some right-wing commentators and provocateurs like to lump all Muslims together as a homogenous group (usually to justify opposition to the religion), so there are some on the left who do the same when it comes to Christians either because of a perception that Christianity is intertwined with political and social conservatism; or simply because atheism at its most extreme is no more open to nuance than ultra-dogmatic religion. That attitude, ignoring as it does the wide spectrum of Christian beliefs, encourages an us vs them narrative just as much as Pences martyrish nonsense. How important is sex to you? Im asking because the recent news that British people are having less sex than ever before has got me thinking about the value of intimacy, and why abstaining from sex is often seen as an act of penance instead of one of self-love. According to a three-stage study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, published in the the British Medical Journal in May 2019, regular sexual activity between couples is on the decline. Less than half of men and women in the UK aged 16-44 years old have sex at least once a week, and the steepest decline was among those who are living together, and the over-25s. Researchers looked at data from the British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in 1991, 2001 and 2012, and found that millennials are having sex 4.9 times a month for men and 4.8 times for women, whereas 10 years ago it was 6.2 and 6.3 respectively. One of the reasons we are all having less sex seems to be attributed to you guessed it technology and the ubiquitousness of social media. Study authors suggested that the pattern of declining sex within the UK is linked to an increasing use of tech and the busyness of modern life. They even highlighted two key events that could have had a knock-on effect: the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 and the global recession of 2008. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners Show all 23 1 /23 The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 1. The Office of Gardens and Ponds by Didier Decoin Katsuro moaned as a bulge formed beneath the material of his kimono, a bulge that Miyuki seized, kneaded, massaged, squashed and crushed. With the fondling, Katsuros penis and testicles became one single mound that rolled around beneath the grip of her hand. Miyuki felt as though she was manipulating a small monkey that was curling up its paws. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 2. Pax by John Harvey She was burning hot and the heat was in him. He looked down on her perfect black slenderness. Her eyes were ravenous. Like his own they were fire and desire. More than torrid, more than tropical: they too were riding the Equator. They embraced as if with violent holding they could weld the two of them one The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 3. Katerina by James Frey Im hard and deep inside her fucking her on the bathroom sink her tight little black dress still on her thong on the floor my pants at my knees our eyes locked, our hearts and souls and bodies locked.Cum inside me. Cum inside me. Cum inside me. Blinding breathless shaking overwhelming exploding white God I cum inside her my cock throbbing were both moaning eyes hearts souls bodies one. One. White. God. Cum. Cum. Cum. I close my eyes let out my breath. Cum. I lean against her both breathing hard Im still inside her smiling. She takes my hands lifts them and places them around her body, she puts her arms around me, we stay still and breathe, hard inside her, tight and warm and wet around me, we breathe. She gently pushes me away, we look into each others eyes, she smiles. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 4. The Destroyers by Christopher Bollen (2017) She covers her breasts with her swimsuit. The rest of her remains so delectably exposed. The skin along her arms and shoulders are different shades of tan like water stains in a bathtub. Her face and vagina are competing for my attention, so I glance down at the billiard rack of my penis and testicles. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 5. Men Like Air by Tom Connolly (2016) The walkway to the terminal was all carpet, no oxygen. Dilly bundled Finn into the first restroom on offer, locked the cubicle door and pulled at his leather belt. Youre beautiful, she told him, going down on to her haunches and unzipping him. He watched her passport rise gradually out of the back pocket of her jeans in time with the rhythmic bobbing of her buttocks as she sucked him. He arched over her back and took hold of the passport before it landed on the pimpled floor. Despite the immediate circumstances, human nature obliged him to take a look at her passport photo. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 6. The Day Before Happiness by Erri De Luca (2016) She pushed on my hips, an order that thrust me in. I entered her. Not only my prick, but the whole of me entered her, into her guts, into her darkness, eyes wide open, seeing nothing. My whole body had gone inside her. I went in with her thrusts and stayed still. While I got used to the quiet and the pulsing of my blood in my ears and nose, she pushed me out a little, then in again. She did it again and again, holding me with force and moving me to the rhythm of the surf. She wiggled her breasts beneath my hands and intensified the pushing. I went in up to my groin and came out almost entirely. My body was her gearstick. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 7. List of the Lost by Morrissey (2015) At this, Eliza and Ezra rolled together into the one giggling snowball of full-figured copulation, screaming and shouting as they playfully bit and pulled at each other in a dangerous and clamorous rollercoaster coil of sexually violent rotation with Elizas breasts barrel-rolled across Ezras howling mouth and the pained frenzy of his bulbous salutation extenuating his excitement as it whacked and smacked its way into every muscle of Elizas body except for the otherwise central zone. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 8. Infrared by Nancy Huston (2012) In a delirium of restrained desire, I weigh, stroke and lick Kamal's balls, then take his penis in my hands, between my breasts, into my mouth. He sits up, reaches for me and I allow him to explore me in turn. He runs his tongue and lips over my breasts, the back of my neck, my toes, my stomach, the countless treasures between my legs, oh the sheer ecstasy of lips and tongues on genitals, either simultaneously or in alternation, never will I tire of that silvery fluidity, my sex swimming in joy like a fish in water, my self freed of both self and other, the quivering sensation, the carnal pink palpitation that detaches you from all colour and all flesh, making you see only stars, constellations, milky ways, propelling you bodiless and soulless into undulating space where the undulating skies make your non-body undulate. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 9. Ed King by David Guterson (2011) He freed himself from her nipple after a long attachment so as to kiss her on the mouth at length as if seeking to set the world record for kiss duration and she smelled her breast on his breath, which was otherwise piquant with saliva, a little tart, a little bitter, and humid with the churning underworld the raw metabolism and generative heat beneath the flawless exterior. Jim Long's odor had been a little like Naugahyde, and his mouth, lips, and tongue had often tasted metallic (or, just as often, steeped in vermouth), whereas Ed smelled vulnerably digestive, warm-blooded, moist, and, just now, breast-fed. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 10. 11.22.63 by Stephen King (2011) She said, Don't make me wait, I've had enough of that, and so I kissed the sweaty hollow of her temple and moved my hips forward ... She gasped, retreated a little, then raised her hips to meet me. Sadie? All right? Ohmygodyes, she said and I laughed. She opened her eyes and looked up at me with curiosity and hopefulness. Is it over, or is there more? A little more, I said. I don't know how much. I haven't been with a woman in a long time. It turned out there was quite a bit more At the end she began to gasp. Oh dear, oh my dear, oh my dear dear God, oh sugar! The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 11. The Shape of Her by Rowan Somerville (2010) The triangle of pubic hair, blond, a thin line bunched darkly, like desert vegetation following an underground stream. He placed his hand on the concave stretch that was her belly, letting two fingers rest in the yawn of her navel. He slipped downwards, grazing the tight skin of her waist with his fingertips. He reached her hair line and the muscles of her belly hardened as she raised herself up onto her elbows. She stayed his hand and drew him, yanked him, into a smothering kiss. She released his hair from her fingers and twisted onto her belly like a fish flipping itself, her movement so brusque his chin bounced off her head... The wet friction of her, tight around him, the sight of her open, stretched around him, the cleft of her body, it tore a climax out of him with a final lunge. Like a lepidopterist mounting a tough-skinned insect with a too blunt pin he screwed himself into her. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 12. The Death of Bunny Munro by Nick Cave (2009) He slips his hands under her cotton vest and her body spasms and slackens and he cups her small, cold breasts in his hands and feels the hard pearls of her nipples, like tiny secrets, against the barked palms of his hands. He feels the gradual winding down of her dying heart and can see a bluish tinge blossoming on the skin of her skull through her thin, ironed hair. 'Oh, my dear Avril,' he says. He puts his hands under her knees and manoeuvres her carefully so that her bottom rests on the edge of the settee. He slips his fingers underneath the worn elastic of her panties that are strung across the points of her hips, slips them to her ankles and softly draws apart her knees and feels again a watery ardour in his eyes as he negotiates a button and a zipper. It is exactly as he imagined it the hair, the lips, the hole and he slips his hands under her wasted buttocks and enters her like a fucking pile driver. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 13. The Humbling by Philip Roth (2009) First Pegeen stepped into the contraption, adjusted and secured the leather straps, and affixed the dildo so that it jutted straight out. Then she crouched above Tracy, brushing Tracy's lips and nipples with her mouth and fondling her breasts, and then she slid down a ways and gently penetrated Tracy with the dildo. Pegeen did not have to force her open... The green cock plunged in and out of the abundant naked body sprawled beneath it, slow at first, then faster and harder, then harder still, and all of Tracy's curves and hollows moved in unison with it. This was not soft porn. This was no longer two unclothed women caressing and kissing on a bed. There was something primitive about it now, this woman-on-woman violence, as though, in the room filled with shadows, Pegeen were a magical composite of shaman, acrobat, and animal. It was as if she were wearing a mask on her genitals, a weird totem mask, that made her into what she was not and was not supposed to be. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 14. Will by Christopher Rush (2007) O glorious pubes! The ultimate triangle, whose angles delve to hell but point to paradise. Let me sing the black banner, the blackbird's wing, the chink, the cleft, the keyhole in the door. The fig, the fanny, the cranny, the quim - I'd come close to it now, this sudden blush, this ancient avenue, the end of all odysseys and epic aim of life, pulling at my prick now, pulling like a lodestone. Anne Hathaway's cow-milking fingers, cradling my balls in her almond palm, now took pity on the poor anguished erection, and in the infinite agony of her desire, guided it to the quick of the wound. At the same time I searched wildly with the fingers of my left hand, groping blind as Cyclops, found the pulpy furred wetness, parted the old lips of time and slipped my middle finger into the sancta sanctorum. It welcomed me with soft sucking sounds, syllables older than language, solace lovelier than words. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 15. The Castle in the Forest by Norman Mailer (2007) Klara turned head to foot, and put her most unmentionable part down on his hard-breathing nose and mouth, and took his old battering ram into her lips. Uncle was now as soft as a coil of excrement. She sucked on him nonetheless with an avidity that could come only from the Evil One - that she knew. From there, the impulse had come. So now they both had their heads at the wrong end, and the Evil One was there. He had never been so close before. The Hound began to come to life. Right in her mouth. It surprised her. Alois had been so limp. But now he was a man again! His mouth lathered with her sap, he turned around and embraced her face with all the passion of his own lips and face, ready at last to grind into her with the Hound, drive it into her piety. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 16. Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (2006) If Dawn Madden's breasts were a pair of Danishes, Debby Crombie's got two Space Hoppers. Each armed with a gribbly nipple. Tom Yew kissed them in turn and his saliva glistened in the April sun. I know watching was wrong but I couldn't not. Tom Yew slipped off her red panties and stroked the cressy hair there... Tom Yew got on her and sort of jiggled there and she gasped like he was giving her a Chinese burn and wrapped her legs round him, froggily. Now he moved up and down, Man-from Atlantisly. His silver chain jiggled on his neck. Now her grubby soles met like they were praying. Now his skin was glazed in roast pork sweat. Now she made a noise like a tortured Moomintroll. Now Tom Yew's body jerkjerked judderily jackknifed and a noise like a ripping cable tore out of him. Once more, like he'd been booted in the balls. Her fingernails'd sunk salmony welts into his arse. Debby Crombie's mouth made a perfect O. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 17. Winkler by Giles Coren (2005) And he came hard in her mouth and his dick jumped around and rattled on her teeth and he blacked out and she took his dick out of her mouth and lifted herself from his face and whipped the pillow away and he gasped and glugged at the air, and he came again so hard that his dick wrenched out of her hand and a shot of it hit him straight in the eye and stung like nothing he'd ever had in there, and he yelled with the pain, but the yell could have been anything, and as she grabbed at his dick, which was leaping around like a shower dropped in an empty bath, she scratched his back deeply with the nails of both hands and he shot three more times, in thick stripes on her chest. Like Zorro. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 18. Young Turk by Moris Farhi (2004) I am stretched out on a sofa. My beloved is determined to assess my age. She has an infallible method for doing so: the way they ascertain a tree's age: by counting the rings in its trunk. Consequently, she has my member in her mouth. Her lips are thick with lipstick. Starting from the base of my penis, her mouth ambles upwards. At each half-centimetre, her lips imprint a red ring around the shaft. She continues until she runs out of length. She counts the rings. On this occasion they add up to thirty-six. (An hour ago, the number had been forty-one.) She cuddles up to me. She coos. Thirty-odd rings. What a mature oak in one so young! The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 19. I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe (2004) Slither slither slither slither went the tongue, but the hand that was what she tried to concentrate on, the hand, since it has the entire terrain of her torso to explore and not just the otorhinolaryngological caverns - oh God, it was not just at the border where the flesh of the breast joins the pectoral sheath of the chest - no, the hand was cupping her entire right - Now! She must say No, Hoyt and talk to him like a dog. The fingers went under the elastic of the panties moan moan moan moan moan went Hoyt as he slithered slithered slithered slithered and caress caress caress caress went the fingers until they must be only eighths of inches from the border of her public hair - what's that! - Her panties were so wet down. There - the fingers had definitely reached the outer stand of the field of pubic hair and would soon plunge into the wet mess that was waiting right. There-there- The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 20. The Crime Tsar by Nichola McAuliffe (2003) 'It's all right, I won't break,' she whispered. She felt him aware of his size and weight. His care not to hurt her. She moved to accommodate him and felt the blind probings before he slipped inside her. He was bigger than she had remembered. She tilted her hips and felt the weight of his balls on her... what? Small expanse of skin between vagina and anus. Perineum - was that it? Her mind screamed: Shut up, Lucy! You're not doing the Cosmopolitan crossword now. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 21. The Stranger at the Palazzo d'Oro by Paul Theroux (2003) The softness of her skin in the dark, far softer-seeming because of the dark, was irresistible. And the aroma of her lily-fragrant perfume mingled with the cat smell of her steaming cunt made me salivate and pant like a lion, my nose tormented by damp fur and hot blood. Still I could not tell where her soft skin ended and her silk began, and the complexity of her vaginal lips was like another elaborate silken garment she had put on for me to stroke. I adored the gleam of her body in the light from the streetlamps and the blistered moon... She knelt and worshipped my cock with her mouth and her gloved hands and she cried out louder than I did when I came, spattering her face as she licked. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 22. Bunker 13 by Aniruddha Bahal (2003) She's taking off her blouse. It's on the floor. Her breasts are placards for the endomorphically endowed. In spite of yourself a soft whistle of air escapes you. She's taking off her trousers now. They are a heap on the floor. Her panties are white and translucent. You can see the dark hair sticking to them inside. There's a design as well. You gasp. 'What's that?' you ask. You see a designer pussy. Hair razored and ordered in the shape of a swastika. The Aryan denominator. As your hands roam her back, her breasts, and trace the swastika on her mound you start feeling like an ancient Aryan warlord yourself. The 23 best / worst Bad Sex in Fiction award winners 23. Starcrossed by AA Gill (1999) His tongue is long and hard and tastes of mint. We don't say anything, but he pushes me to my knees in the middle of the shop. It's difficult to undo his flies. I put my hand in. It's hot and damp, and then, Christ; it's amazing, huge. It just goes on and on, as thick as... "As a magnum? A jeroboam? A methuselah? A bitter pump?" "A fucking salami. Shut up, John." But other arguments offered by the researchers seem far more persuasive to me. According to the paper, another reason millennials are having less sex is because of a shift in societal attitudes and changing norms. This makes perfect sense. Yes, mounting financial pressures and digital distractions may result in us prioritising sex less, but as a woman I feel that its more to do with the fact that so many of us are now less willing to succumb to bad sex. Were more informed when it comes to our sexual encounters and that reduces the likelihood of us having terrible sex. A decade ago, we couldnt find honest and open dialogues about sex online, but now we have Twitter gurus like Oloni lighting up our timelines, sex-positive vloggers like Shan Boody sharing their intimacy tips and comedy shows like Sex Education depicting normal, realistic relationships. All this sex-positive media is showing us what good, consensual intimacy looks like. And it also reminds us that we can get it any time we want it. As the study authors note, social pressure to over-report sexual activity may have eased, which makes sense. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Its like the old Streisand effect: banning or censoring something will often make that thing more desirable, and lead to people going to greater lengths to get it. In 2019 we can enjoy more open conversations around sex than ever before: female-directed porn is very much in, as is consent, and if you want no-strings-attached sex as a man or woman youve got a plethora of apps to choose from and a never-ending carousel of potential matches at your fingertips. As the study goes on to explain: Gender equality may now extend to the sexual sphere; where women might previously have felt obliged to meet their partners sexual needs irrespective of their own, they might now be less inclined to do so ... Men are maybe not so intent on boasting as they once were. Women are not so intent on showing that they are pure as driven snow. Millennials have redefined social expectations when it comes to sex, and we are more attuned than ever as to what constitutes a good sexual encounter. Because of that, were being more honest and we dont want to punish ourselves with crap sex. Weve raised our sexual standards. If were having less sex thats fine, because the sex we are having is the best weve ever had. I dont usually believe in a hierarchy of oppression, or putting one struggle ahead of another when theyre ultimately aiming for a common goal of gender equality. But there is one exception. One issue so grossly misogynistic, cruel and dangerous that it matters more than everything else and that is the rollback of abortion rights. This is a global concern, with right-wing political parties in countries including Spain, Poland and Ecuador recently gaining momentum in the race to legislate away womens rights to their own bodies. But its the US leading the way. Because this topic is so viscerally vital for so many women, I understand why, in the heat of the moment, Alyssa Milano got it so wrong. Her disastrous tweet was posted in response to the grotesquely named heartbeat law which was passed in Georgia last week. It banned abortions after six weeks (before many women even know theyre pregnant) and threatens women with life in prison should they get an abortion any later. Milano films her Netflix show Insatiable in Georgia, so has a personal tie to the state which just betrayed women in such an unthinkably dangerous way. But her solution was all kinds of flawed. In a tweet posted on Saturday, she urged the women of Georgia to go on a sex strike, refusing to have sex with men until womens bodily autonomy is returned. Almost immediately, she was called out for her suggestion, with women pointing out that actually they enjoyed having sex, and it seemed problematic for them to be expected to give up something they want to do in order to protest against something that is done to them. Its almost like the puritanical monsters trying to control our vaginas and our wombs would win. Milano seemed deaf to criticism though, doubling down in her responses, saying things like: We have the power of choice before pregnancy. Im going to exercise that choice, its just too dangerous to have sex with men nowadays, and be super careful. Sex is extremely dangerous for women. While its true that women who dont have sex with men may be less likely to require abortions, Milano isnt really offering a pragmatic solution to the problem of misogynists in congress trying to force us to have children. Shes suggesting that women refusing to have sex is in some way a protest, akin to workers striking for higher pay or fairer conditions, withholding their labour because they are not being adequately rewarded for it and pressuring for change because their collective bargaining power is so much stronger. This is not a case where people coming together will have an impact. Women are not about to achieve the power of 1970s trade unions any more than we can bring Lysistrata to life. To suggest this as a solution is not only misguided, but also dangerous in itself. The analogy fails to acknowledge the possibility that women derive any standalone pleasure from sex something feminists have been fighting until very recently to even have acknowledged by the social and medical establishment (the clitoris was essentially erased from female anatomy until 1998). Women still struggle to advocate for their own autonomy, consent and pleasure when it comes to sex with men. Theyre still constantly judged on their sexual appeal to men. The idea that all womens power lies in their sexuality is one of the most pervasive evils of a patriarchal society and this is exactly what Milano is reinforcing. She also ignores the reality that anti-abortion laws affect us all, including LGBT+ women who dont have PIV (penis-in-vagina) sex with cis men; including women too young to get pregnant, postmenopausal women, trans women or women medically unable to conceive for any reason. It also ignores sex workers who cannot go on a sex strike if they want to pay their rent and women in abusive or sexually coercive relationships for whom saying no could be life-threatening. As long as our political structure allows men in power to force womens bodies to do what they want, we are all in danger, regardless of whether we are directly affected. Perhaps most importantly though, Milanos sex strike narrative dances perilously close to that of anti-abortionists who argue for abstinence-only education (which we know categorically does not work) and claim that if women could only stop having sex for pleasure, we wouldnt have any abortions. If we begin to argue that women have it in their power to not need abortions, it naturally follows that those who do should be perceived as responsible for their indiscretions, and punished for them. Some women get pregnant as a result of rape, and others because a condom broke, or they were drunk and couldnt be bothered to use one. None of these women are more deserving of abortions than others, but Milano is flattening out this reality, and presuming that every womans experience is akin to her own, leaving other less privileged women out in the cold to deal with the consequences of a high-profile feminist saying that if women just kept their legs shut we wouldnt be in this mess. Its hard to tell if Milano truly believes that this sex strike would make a difference or whether shes being facetious to make a point. If its the latter, there are plenty of other thought experiments around how sexual politics could affect our attitudes around female reproductive freedom. My personal favourite is the suggestion that for every unwanted pregnancy, the sperm-haver should be forced to have a vasectomy a procedure which is safer and has much less of an impact than giving birth. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events If it sounds extreme to you to think that men should have to give up their rights to do what they want with their genitals and to choose when they want to have kids, simply for making one mistake good. Thats exactly the point. Vasectomies are the absolute best way to lower abortion numbers, if thats really want we want to achieve. And in an overpopulated world, this would actually be helpful to society, as opposed to the puritanical obsession with forcing women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, which hurts literally everyone involved the men, the women, the healthcare system, the environment and the foetus. But while the people in power continue to be men, womens bodies will always be perceived as objects for men to enjoy, control and discard at their will. I applaud Milano for using her platform to speak up about this issue, but there is a danger when a high-profile person makes a huge statement without thinking it through. We dont want young people who look up to her growing up believing that sex is transactional, that women withholding it is the only way to achieve equality, and that not doing so is somehow a moral failing. This plays right into the hands of the people we should be fighting against. Communications Minister Richard Bruton has said the private firm involved in the rural broadband rollout will have to foot the bill if its plan goes over budget. It was reported over the weekend that Granahan McCourt, the Governments chosen bidder for the National Broadband Plan, are to invest less than 200 million euro in equity into the plan, while taxpayer funds could provide in the region of five billion euro. Speaking in Wicklow on Monday, Mr Bruton would not comment on the amount of initial equity to be provided by Granahan McCourt. Im not commenting on what the actual initial equity will be in those contracts as we have yet to conclude those contracts, he said. The National Broadband Plan is the largest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification. It is just as important to the future as electricity was then. Richard Bruton (@RichardbrutonTD) May 7, 2019 He added that the state has a responsibility somewhat of the same sort, but part of the states cost is contingency which may not be called upon. They (Granahan McCourt) have responsibility under that contract to provide initial equity of course, and working capital equity, and also should there be any risks encountered, if they find that projections arent fulfilled, they are entirely on the hook for injecting new cash into the business to sustain it. The Government has come under sustained criticism in the week since announcing the plan, which they say is value for money despite the price being paid by taxpayers, and the fact the state will have no ownership of the project. Fianna Fail spokesperson on public expenditure and reform, Barry Cowen, has said that the Governments continued refusal to disclose documents in relation to the input of Granahan McCourt is an affront to taxpayers. Minister Donohoe (Minister for Public Expenditure) is taking the people of Ireland for mugs with his insistence that no capital projects will be impacted as a result of the costs of the plan. However, Mr Bruton remained steadfast on Monday, saying that the Government had reviewed every possible option for the delivery of the plan. My belief and the belief of Government is this is the best approach, the most cost-effective, and will deliver it quick as possible.Richard Bruton This isnt a leap of faith, there is a recognition that broadband is going to be crucial to participation in Irish society in the years ahead, he said. If we have 1.1 million people excluded from broadband, wed be cutting off opportunities for huge swathes of our population, and thats not acceptable. In terms of the model, weve looked at every alternative, we examined all of these, they all would either not deliver on the ambition or deliver it at higher cost or impose lengthy delays. My belief and the belief of Government is this is the best approach, the most cost-effective, and will deliver it quick as possible. Mr Bruton will appear before the Oireachtas joint committee on communications this week to discuss the process of selecting the rollout plan. Im going to committee this week to convince people that this is the best option and how we reached this decision, he said. We have analysed it in great depth and the ambition of including rural Ireland in broadband is an important goal. Documentation released by the Government last week showed that Secretary General Robert Watt and his officials had strongly recommended against the Government appointing the preferred bidder on grounds of affordability, risk and value for money. The top civil servant in the Department of Public Expenditure warned that the plan poses great financial risk and called for the procurement process to be cancelled. A consortium led by Granahan McCourt was announced as the preferred bidder after Cabinet approval. It was the only remaining bidder for the contract to deliver high-speed broadband to more than 540,000 homes and businesses. The rollout of the scheme, which will bring fibre broadband to 1.1 million people across the country, will begin at the end of the year. It is expected to take seven years to complete. Dublin is likely to need taller hotels according to a recent survey Dublin needs 2,000 more hotel rooms on top of the 4,000 that are currently under construction, according to a key industry analyst. There was also likely to be a push for taller hotels as major international brands look to establish themselves in the booming Dublin market, said Aiden Murphy of consultants Crowe - who carries out an influential annual hotel industry survey. "Dublin is very attractive and very much on the minds of international operators," Murphy told the Sunday Independent. "Cork and Galway are starting to follow and are getting good improvements in hotel occupancy and room rates. There is a need in those cities for hundreds of rooms rather than the thousands that are needed in Dublin." "Occupancy in Dublin is at 84pc - the highest of any European capital. We can see another 2,000 rooms on top of what is planned and still maintain occupancy over 80pc," he said. Murphy said that his detailed annual survey of turnover and profitability in the industry - due to be published later this summer - would show that profitability was up "across the board" in Dublin hotels during 2018. Dublin currently has approximately 19,000 hotel rooms but Irish brands such as Dalata are growing strongly and big international outfits such as including Marriott's Aloft, Moxy, Hilton's Hampton Inn and Hyatt's new Centric hotel have entered the market. Murphy said there was a sense in the market that the Competition Authority might not want to see a particular group control too many of the city's hotel rooms in order to ensure that price was not dictated. "Therefore it has been easier for a company like Dalata to expand and build rather than to acquire existing hotels," he said. "We are also seeing a focus on higher densities for hotels. With smaller hotel rooms and more compact site requirements, hotels lend themselves to taller buildings. There is a move to develop more eight- to 10-storey hotels and planners are more open to hotels instead of offices." Developer Johnny Ronan's Tara Street tower - which recently won approval from the planners - will incorporate both a hotel and offices and Murphy said that Dublin could see more of this type of split development. "Demand for hotel rooms in Dublin has been growing strongly and it is expected to continue to grow strongly for the next four to five years." Killer Patrick Quirke has spent most of his time in prison outlining how his Tipperary dairy farm should be run in his absence. Quirke, who was handed a life sentence for the murder of Tipperary quarry worker and part-time DJ Bobby Ryan (52), has adjusted well to prison life in his 12 days behind bars. The farmer (50), whose inmate number if 107243, is currently housed on Landing C1 in Mountjoy. However, he is expected to be transferred to the Midlands Prison in Laois as soon as space is available, for family visitation reasons. A prison source revealed that Quirke has been a model inmate since he arrived at the Dublin jail on May 1. Yet despite immediately signalling his intention to appeal his murder conviction by the Central Criminal Court jury, the majority of Quirke's time has been dominated by concerns over his Tipperary dairy operation rather than his legal challenge. Expand Close Gardai at Fawnagowan when Bobby Ryans body was discovered in 2013. Picture: Picture Liam Burke/Press 22 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gardai at Fawnagowan when Bobby Ryans body was discovered in 2013. Picture: Picture Liam Burke/Press 22 "Farming and his family seems to be his primary worry," one prison source said. "He has been a model inmate, he keeps to himself and seems mostly concerned about his family and what will happen with his farm." He has worked out detailed instructions on farm operations for his family, including lists of what needs to be done on the dairy holding. Quirke has been visited in Mountjoy by his wife, Imelda, who loyally stood by his side throughout the 15-week trial. His Breanshamore farm was described as a model dairy operation and one of the most progressive in Tipperary. Quirke ranked as one of the top young dairy farmers in Tipperary in the 1990s and 2000s. On the death of his brother-in-law, Martin Lowry, he also took over the operation of his Fawnagown farm on a lease basis. Mr Ryan, also known by his DJ moniker 'Mr Moonlight', was murdered and his body dumped in a run-off pit on the Fawnagown farm. His body was only found almost two years after his disappearance. The Central Criminal Court jury convicted Quirke of murder on a 10-2 majority verdict. Quirke had an affair with Mary Lowry, who was the widow of his wife's brother, but was envious of Ms Lowry's budding relationship with Mr Ryan. He was also worried about losing control of the Lowry farm, which he had operated since 2008-2009. Ms Lowry ended the affair with Quirke, describing their relationship as "seedy". Quirke admitted he was hurt by the manner in which the affair ended. His murder trial, which began in January, now ranks as the longest running in the history of the State. It also 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. He had also researched rates of decomposition of human bodies and Garda forensic and DNA sampling techniques. The jury was not told that Quirke had visited an internet blog with the title 'Why Joe O'Reilly thought he had committed the perfect murder', which was about the notorious killing of Rachel O'Reilly by her husband in October 2004. Quirke also researched articles on Siobhan Kearney, murdered by husband Brian in February 2006, and Jo Jo Dullard, who went missing in 1995 and whose killer has never been found. The leader of the trade union movement has accused bosses in the hotel, restaurant and retail sector of continuously opposing hikes in the 9.80 an hour minimum wage. General secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Patricia King, said the policy of employers in these industries is to work people as hard as they can for as little as they can. Ms King is a member of the Low Pay Commission, which is due to decide if another hike in the statutory rate of pay is justified this July. It remains to be seen if the government will achieve its target to increase the minimum wage to 10.50 an hour as pledged in its Programme for Government. The union chief said certain sectors, including accommodation and food and retail to name but a few, continuously argue for no change or increase to the minimum wage. There isnt such a thing as a low pay economy because their policy is to work people as hard as you can for as long as you can for as little as you can, she told a Unite conference in Malahide this morning. Theyve had that policy for decades, and unfortunately they continue to have it. She said her trade union umbrella body is drafting a policy paper for consideration by affiliate unions on the transformative effect that collective bargaining would have in the workplace. Ms King also said there are serious challenges posed by this chaotic Brexit. We appreciate that for the UK in general and for England and Wales in particular this has been an incredibly divisive issue. Irrespective of how people across the UK voted, they clearly didnt vote to become poorer or for an uncertain future for themselves and their families. She said the union movement has grave concerns about the negative impact of a hard Brexit on trade and jobs and the Good Friday Agreement. Ms King said that the existential threat posed by climate change is on a scale that we have never faced before, at a national or a global level. It requires a clear, concerted, coherent and strategic response, she said. It is not optional. There are no jobs on a dead planet. She said a primary priority must be to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decades and hasten an energy transition beyond fossil fuels. The union leader said this will pose particular challenges for workers in the energy sector, including Bord na Mona and sections of the ESB. She said there must be a commitment to state and European aid and the immediate establishment of a national Just Transition Forum. Ms King said this would be tasked with developing measures to ensure that neither the Bord na Mona workforce nor the local communities in the Midlands are left behind. In relation to housing, she said the emergency will worsen unless the state begins to build public housing on a sufficient scale. The chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins described her remarks as outrageous. Mr Cummins claimed Ictu has a vendetta against employers and noted that 55,000 jobs were created in the hospitality industry since the crash. It is now cheaper to pay a mortgage than to rent starter and family homes in all areas of the country, new research has found. The runaway rents are symptomatic of the housing crisis which is spreading to all parts of Ireland. The latest report from Daft.ie today reveals that rents nationwide rose by 1.5pc in the first quarter of the year and the average is now 1,366. In Dublin, the average price is much higher at 2,002 an increase of 6.8pc within the year. As the crisis deepens, new rules that will severely weaken landlords powers of eviction are to be signed into law within the next fortnight. Tenants are to benefit from a more than doubling of the notice period and stricter guidelines around the justifications for evictions. The key measures are designed to enhance the enforcement powers for the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The changes have been described by Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy as the most significant reforms in the sector since the introduction of rent pressure zones. New legislation also aims to clamp down on so-called renovictions. This is where a tenant feels forced out by renovations, before a new lodger is brought in at a higher rate. For the first time, landlords will now have to give a clear explanation if they ask a tenant to vacate a property in order to facilitate renovations. Daft.ie reports that the number of homes available to rent across the country is at the lowest ever level since the series began in 2006 at just 2,700 homes. As a result, with tight supply, listed rents rose again in all 54 markets covered by its report. In Dublin, rents are now an average of 39pc above their previous peak in 2008, while in Cork and Galway cities, rents are 32pc and 49pc above the levels recorded a dozen years ago. Mr Murphy said the Residential Tenancies Bill 2018 provides the "ambitious and wide-ranging reforms" which are exclusively "in favour of tenants". The legislation is expected to pass its final stage in the Seanad this week and will then be sent to President Michael D Higgins to be signed into law. The RTB will now be able to investigate and sanction landlords who engage in improper conduct including non-compliance with rent increase restrictions. Areas designated as rent pressure zones are to remain so until the end of 2021, meaning rent increases are limited to 4pc annually. For the first time, landlords will now have to give a clear explanation if they ask a tenant to vacate a property in order to facilitate renovations. So-called 'renovictions' have become increasingly contentious in recent years. Read More The new laws include a definition of the type of works that qualify as justification for breaking a lease. The changes to a property must be "substantial" and consist of either a permanent extension increasing the floor area by 25pc or a combination of other improvements. These include: a permanent alteration of the internal layout; adaptations for people with a disability; a permanent increase in the number of rooms; and an improvement in the BER rating by two or more points. Before a notice to leave is issued, the landlord must obtain a certificate from an architect or surveyor stating that the work would pose a health and safety risk requiring vacation by the tenants for at least three years. Where a landlord terminates a tenancy because they need to substantially refurbish or renovate the property, that property must be offered back to the former tenant upon completion of the works. There is also to be a clampdown on landlords claiming they need a property vacated in order to sell it. They must now enter into a contract for sale within nine months of the termination date, or else offer to re-let the space to the former tenant. In cases where a landlord ends a lease in order to allow a family member to take over the property, it must be offered back to the original tenant if the relative leaves within a year. Read More The duration of tenancy termination notice periods are to be significantly extended. Currently, a person who stays in a property for one year must be given 42 days' notice to leave. This is to be increased almost three-fold to 120 days. A tenant who has lived at a property for three years must be given six months' notice, up from 84 days. The changes received cross-party support in the Dail - but Opposition parties did want further measures introduced. The legislation stopped short of allowing for the publication of a much talked-about rent register, which would allow potential tenants to see what the previous occupant was paying. Mr Murphy said he will "continue to look at the rental sector and make sure all the necessary protections are in place". "But we also have to recognise as well that we have to have landlords," he said. The RTB has recorded a significant 53pc increase in the number of complaints from tenants over rental prices in the space of two years. It said that in 2015 there were just 313 dispute applications in relation to rents. By 2017, that figure had risen to 481. All private residential landlords and approved housing bodies are obliged to register their tenancies with the RTB. There are now 55pc of tenancies covered under rent pressure zone (RPZ) legislation and two additional RPZ areas were designated on March 28. These were Limerick City East LEA and Navan LEA. The RTB is rolling out an awareness campaign on rent pressure zones for landlords and tenants. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar listens to Communications Minister Richard Bruton speaking at the launch of the National Broadband Plan last week. Photo: Steve Humphreys We all thought that the principle of a State-subsidised rural broadband service was a settled thing in Ireland. For the last seven years, it has been national policy across successive governments and parties. Indeed, the main criticism has been that it has not come fast enough. It's popular, too. National opinion polls show that it's not just a country thing, with support for rural intervention standing at over 60pc among urban dwellers according to the most recent Red C survey on the topic. Yet there remains a significant feeling among a substantial number of people that something is amiss in this process. I believe that it's possible to summarise existing unease over this issue within three broad categories. (i) The Government is really bad at planning and executing national infrastructure plans. (ii) Despite the State's best efforts, we have somehow ended up in a situation where we have a flawed tender that is giving away too much for too little. (iii) The scale of the plan is unnecessarily grand and expensive in the first place. Fear (i) is difficult to argue with. There are umpteen examples in recent years of the State flopping on big decisions. Quite aside from issues such as the Children's Hospital, this column has repeatedly moaned about urban planning and housing policy in a tech-fuelled boom. This fuels scepticism and downright cynicism when it comes to things like the National Broadband Plan. Fear (ii) is a direct consequence of fear (i). If we're known for screwing up some infrastructure decisions, how can we have faith that this one isn't another cock-up? When a Minister for Communications is effectively fired for putting the process at risk through a series of meetings with the bidding company's principal executive, it's even harder to not to raise an eyebrow around a contract that most people don't understand in the first place. To add insult to injury, we seem set to ultimately give the whole thing away after investing billions in it! So isn't the sensible thing to scrap the whole process and do it from scratch, rather than screwing ourselves? As to Fear (iii) this is somewhat related to Fears (i) and (ii) but takes in a different, much wider, subset of reservations about the National Broadband Plan. Under this banner march those who variously believe that either (a) broadband simply isn't as critical as everyone makes out, (b) running fibre down every boreen to every home is crazy when wireless or 5G technologies are coming down the line or (c) it's bad policy to reward one-off housing in the first place and householders in bungalows must take some responsibility for their choice in where and how they live. As a tech journalist, I've mostly been focusing on this last issue. I'm no expert on cost or measuring value for money. And the rights and wrongs of one-off housing, or how those residents should be incentivised or penalised, is more a question for economists and environmentalists to spar over. But I do know something about how different broadband technologies work, from their strengths to their weaknesses. I also have a good idea of what's coming down the line. And from a technical perspective, there is almost no merit to the argument that wireless technologies will match fixed fibre to the home, let alone overtake it, anytime in the next decade. I could spend the rest of this column explaining why this is: from the fragility of the signals through bad weather and other obstacles to the requirement (impossible in Ireland) for up to 20,000 new masts around rural villages and open stretches of countryside. But suffice to say that a wireless alternative would have to drastically reduce the quality of the broadband to be rolled out. It would meet today's needs, to be sure. But in as little as five years' time, it would be almost certainly obsolete without a major, expensive upgrade. (This is what happened when the Government funded a 3G-based National Mobile Broadband Scheme 10 years ago. At the planning stage, pundits argued that 2Mbs 'would be enough for most people', echoing predictions decades before that of there only ever needing to be one computer per town.) If there was consensus on this - a temporary solution that would need to be upgraded at public cost in a few years' time - it would make sense to do it. But when you actually thrash through the requirements that people say they want from broadband over the next 20 years - a service that will reliably match the opportunity afforded to an urban dweller - it inevitably comes back to a fixed-fibre service. Does this mean that there is no alternative to the current contract deal on the table between Granahan McCourt and the State, or that it necessarily represents value for money? Absolutely not. From a financial perspective, it's almost impossible to have an authoritative view on that without seeing the figures. Unfortunately, the nature of a pre-signed contract means that only the principals (a handful of senior civil servants and ministers) have the comprehensive sets of data around the assessed bid. But it is fairly widely known in political telecom industry circles that there was little difference in the provisional cost estimates being worked on by Eir, Siro and Granahan McCourt. It is also accepted that a cost of 500m, initially flagged in 2012 as a possible subsidy level, was never a realistic infrastructure bill once the scale of the project crystallised into fibre to the home. Beyond that, the cost level is hard to judge at this point. "I believe in a subsidised rural service in general, just not this way of doing it," is the most common refrain heard among commentators who object to the National Broadband Plan as currently constituted. But this is a political decision. And looks like it's been made. China's BAIC Group is seeking to buy a stake of up to 5pc in Daimler as a way to secure its investment in Chinese Mercedes-Benz manufacturing company Beijing Benz Automotive, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Stock photo: Getty Images China's BAIC Group is seeking to buy a stake of up to 5pc in Daimler as a way to secure its investment in Chinese Mercedes-Benz manufacturing company Beijing Benz Automotive, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. BAIC, which is ranked as China's fourth or fifth-largest carmaker, informed Daimler of its intention to buy a 4-5pc stake in the German maker of Mercedes-Benz cars earlier this year, two of the three sources said. State-owned BAIC has asked local authorities in Beijing to support a 4-5pc stake purchase, two of these sources said. BAIC has started acquiring Daimler shares on the open market, one source said. BAIC did not respond to repeated phone calls and text messages seeking comment outside regular business hours. Daimler declined to comment. Rival Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group built a 9.69pc stake in Stuttgart-based Daimler in early 2018. Benedict Cumberbatch after winning the award for best actor (Ian West/PA) Ant and Dec on the Bafta red carpet ahead of the ceremony (Matt Crossick/PA) Jodie Comer in the press room with her Bafta (Matt Crossick/PA) It was the year that women dominated television, from the first female 'Doctor Who' to 'Killing Eve' and the killing off of Keeley Hawes in 'Bodyguard'. The Bafta TV awards stuck to the script, with 'Killing Eve' winning best drama, accepted by its creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and 'Bodyguard's most heart-stopping scene being named the year's must-see moment. The best actress award went to Jodie Comer as 'Killing Eve's assassin, beating her co-star Sandra Oh and Hawes. Comer dedicated the award to her late grandmother. "She never got to see Villanelle but she was the life and soul of everything when she was here," she said. Irish actress Fiona Shaw won best supporting actress for her role as spy chief Carolyn Martens in 'Killing Eve', her first Bafta nomination. She called playing the role "probably the greatest pleasure of my life" and thanked Waller-Bridge for her "glass-shattering genius". 'Derry Girls' lost out in the best scripted comedy category to 'Sally4Ever', while Lucy Worsley won the specialist factual award for her documentary 'Suffragettes'. Virgin Media's Must-See Moment, chosen by the public, went to the scene in 'Bodyguard' where Hawes' character was assassinated. If the past 12 months have also seen women promoted to top jobs at the BBC, the Bafta host, Graham Norton, was on hand to poke fun at the corporation's gender pay gap. Referring to the all-female line-up of 'Newsnight' and Fiona Bruce hosting 'Question Time', Norton quipped: "It's not only great for equality, but it saves the BBC a fortune." 'Patrick Melrose', the Sky Atlantic drama, won best miniseries, and star Benedict Cumberbatch best actor. "I'm used to being a bridesmaid, not the bride," he said. Ben Whishaw won best supporting actor for his role in 'A Very English Scandal'. The board of the Abbey theatre (our national theatre) has apparently written to Josepha Madigan, Minister for Culture, saying that the two points raised by more than 300 theatre professionals in an embittered letter to the same minister in January, have now been addressed. The professionals letter set out their reasons for believing that the national theatre was failing in its remit, and failing both professionals and audiences alike. Apparently unaware of this widespread dissatisfaction until then, the Arts Council announced it was withholding 300,000 of the Abbeys annual grant of 7m. The theatre undertook to engage with the profession, which was a breakthrough in that one of the joint directors Graham McLaren was on record as saying he disregarded all professional (journalistic) criticism, and a letter signed by 300-odd people was certainly proof that the theatre hadnt engaged with those who make theatre in Ireland either. The chair of the Abbey Board, Dr Frances Ruane, was interviewed recently on Morning Ireland, and said that the two issues in the letter had now been addressed. The pay issue (described by Dr Ruane as a perceived inequity) was one, she said. To cut a somewhat involved issue short, actors and other professionals working on the stages of the Abbey theatre would be paid Abbey rates from here on. That puts it baldly. In associate productions with other companies, as for instance Druid, which brought its magnificent Richard III to the Abbey stage under that banner, the actors were paid the Druid rate, which is considerably lower than that paid in the Abbey. And because the Abbey couldnt tell other companies what to pay, Dr Ruane said, the Abbey would no longer stage associate productions. But co-productions would remain, as the Abbey could control their rates of pay. Bryan Dobson asked if this meant that the diversity of voices would be reduced. This diversity had been translated in the professions open letter (the other issue) as an almost total dearth of work for Irish actors, designers and playwrights since McLaren and Murray took over. Dr Ruane disputed this but appeared to imply that the McLaren/Murray declared policy of broadening the types of production had now been diluted. And on face value, that aim of broadening seemed desirable and tenable, and an antidote to the cultural voices in Ireland who stridently demand that a national institution should limit itself to employing Irish personnel and producing only Irish work: a nationalist rather than a national theatre. But in practice, the McLaren/Murray version of diversity has meant that in-house Abbey productions have reduced disastrously since they have taken over, and that was a derogation (at a minimum) of the theatres remit as a producing rather than a receiving house. It also meant abandoning the remit of developing Irish creative talent and staging the national repertoire. And there was also a problem with what replaced in-house productions. Fresh from running the Scottish National Theatre, a political construct set up in the wake of Scottish devolution, the two seem to have maintained the essentially provincial range and level of their contacts since arriving in Ireland. Video of the Day Diversity translated into work from niche/ provincial/ fringe/ political activist companies such as Stratford East and Glasgows Tron (Murrays previous base). In fact there are times when it seems that the two mens artistic souls remain in the Scottish Nationalist Party with not even a nod to Ireland. Graham McLaren has expressed himself frustrated that nobody seems to want to write the great state of the nation play. But Fishambles Jim Culleton didnt, and doesnt agree. In 2017 Fishamble announced a competition to find a play for Ireland. The result was 380 submissions; thirty were chosen for development during 2018, and the winner, The Alternative, will be seen at the Dublin Theatre Festival. Written by Michael Patrick and Oisin Kearney. The Alternative examines what might have happened if we had no Rising, War of Independence or Civil War. Its set in 2019; we are holding a referendum on whether Ireland should leave the United Kingdom. And the prime minister is a Dubliner, and shes home to take part in the final debate on the issue from BBC Dublin. A state of the nation play? Three hundred and eighty people wanted to write one, but apparently not for the national theatre. Asked by Bryan Dobson if the Arts Council grant had been restored, Frances Ruane said two-thirds. 100,000 remains outstanding. And it remains to be seen if the 17 actions apparently proposed by the board in a letter to Minister Madigan will prove satisfactory. Those who have watched with dismay what has been happening to our national theatre may well feel that we need proof, not just declarations. A MAN who defrauded six customers out of almost 60,000 by taking payments for minibuses which he never handed over to them has been sentenced to three and half years. Mark Knight (43) was running a business in which he secured minibuses from the UK for interested clients, imported them back to Ireland and both serviced and registered them before delivering the vehicles to the customer. He advertised his business under two names Versatile Vehicles and Minibus World. Versatile Vehicles Ltd, was struck off by Companies Office in November 2009 for failure to comply with regulations, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. Knight had run a legitimate business and some of the victims of this fraud had approached him on the back of a recommendation from a trusted source. He either secured a deposit or received full payment for vehicles but never delivered them to the customers using a number of excuses such as the log book had been accidentally destroyed, the transport back to Ireland had been delayed by the snow or that the vehicle needed some work done on it. Knight ultimately pleaded guilty to the offences following a garda investigation but took a warrant in July 2012 when he failed to show up for his court hearing. He was tracked down in England, where he was working under his own name and brought back to Ireland on a European Arrest Warrant last month. Knight, previously of Lutrellstown Grove, Castleknock, Dublin pleaded guilty to dishonestly by deception inducing six individuals to pay a total of 58,950 for specific vehicles on dates between September 2009 and July 2011. He has 18 previous convictions, three of which are from Ireland. One of his convictions relate to obtaining money by deception while another is for making off without payment. A number of victim impact reports were handed into court outlining the effects the fraud had on his customers. One report stated that a man had paid 10,000 for a minibus to accommodate his family of ten. The money represented their life savings and it was 18 months before they could raise enough money to buy a suitable vehicle. In another case, a woman had paid 13,100 for a minibus for her company and when Knight failed to give her the bus she had to take out a loan to finance the purchase of another vehicle, This put her business under financial stress and she was concerned it would collapse. Judge Melanie Greally accepted that Knight had 58,505 in court to compensate his victims after his current employer lent him the cash. He has agreed to pay a further 9,885 within 12 months to compensate the woman who had to take out the loan, allowing for the interest she paid on it. The judge said Knight had given false undertakings and told lies concerning problems with the vehicles and delays and ultimately monies were not repaid. She noted that one person had 1,000 refunded while another, who had handed over 16,600 had received a cheque in the post for 16.60. Judge Greally accepted that Knight made admissions and assisted gardai on his arrest and had been living a law abiding and productive life after he fled Ireland. She acknowledged that a testimonial from his employer, who gave him the funds for compensation, stated that Knight played an important role in his company and his business was suffering from his absence. Judge Greally sentenced Knight to three and half years in prison but suspended the final 12 months on strict conditions including that he leave Ireland within seven days of his ultimate release from prison and not return to the country for 10 years. Convicted rapist Keith Hearne has failed in his Court of Appeal bid to reduce the 12 year sentence he was given for his attack on a young woman at a Dublin hotel. In 2017 Hearne (30) of Allenton Drive, Tallaght, Dublin pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, one count of oral rape and one count of falsely imprisoning Dominique Meehan at a convention in the Crowne Plaza hotel in Blanchardstown on July 4 2015. During his sentencing hearing in 2017 the court heard how he locked the door of a conference room in the hotel where he had cornered Dominique, bound her hands with his tie and raped her. When she screamed, he told her he had a knife in his bag and would use it if she wasn't quiet. Expand Close Dominique Meehan waived her right to anonymity so attacker Keith Hearne could be named / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dominique Meehan waived her right to anonymity so attacker Keith Hearne could be named His bag, containing a "rape kit" of a prop knife, handcuffs, condoms, a mask and "sado-masochistic" items, was later found at the scene, the Central Criminal Court heard. Dominique was only saved when another person forced their way into the room when they heard the disturbance inside. She waived her right to anonymity after Hearne was convicted so that he could be named in public. Hearne, now known as Prisoner 107512, is serving his time in the Midlands Prison. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy in 2017. At the time the judge said it was difficult to express the horror and seriousness of the offence. He said Hearne carried out a series of extremely violent sexual offences in circumstances which consisted of her false imprisonment over a period of time. The judge said Hearnes only mitigating factor was his plea of guilty. Hearne lodged an appeal to the severity of the sentence, and at a sitting of the court of appeal last month his lawyer argued that his mental state and the fact that he had no previous convictions should also have been taken into consideration. Barrister Roderick OHanlon said a report on Hearnes mental health had been submitted to the trial. At age seven he had come to the attention of a senior clinical psychologist, an occupational therapist in 1998, an educational psychology report in 2002, a letter from a consultant child and adolescents psychiatrist in 2004, and he was in St Patricks Hospital in 2004 where he was detained for approximately a week, he said. Mr OHanlon said the sentencing judge had disregarded the psychiatric history of Hearne. I accept that the judge was correct in holding that he was criminally responsible for the offending on the day in question but the assessment concluded he was suffering from a mental illness, he added. He (Hearne) is criminally responsible but the judge still had to consider him as someone with a mental illness, a personal disorder, and no previous convictions, he explained. But counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, who opposed Hearnes appeal that his sentence was too severe, argued that the severity of the crime warranted the headline 15 year sentence open to the judge, and that the reduction of the sentence to 12 years was a sufficient reflection of the guilty plea. Barrister Anne-Marie Lawlor said the gravity of the false imprisonment and rape was heinous and horrific and the depths of depravity, causing the victim extreme pain. She said that at one point Hearne had licked Ms Meehans cheek and said that any girl would love this. Ms Lawlor also said that the doctor who submitted the report into Hearnes mental health into evidence had said there was no causative link between Hearnes mental health and the offence. She also argued that there are cases where people committing their first offence receive long sentences, and that the sentence handed down to Hearne was appropriate. The three-judge Court of Appeal today ruled that Hearnes 12 year sentence was merited. While the appeal court said the trial judge had fallen into error in not taking into account that Hearne had no previous convictions, and that he had not considered how Hearnes mental state could impact on his capacity to serve his sentence, it said it was satisfied that the judge gave a significant reduction from 15 years to 12 years for the mitigating factor of the guilty plea. In the final analysis, we are satisfied that whilst the judge fell into error, this did not result in an error of substance. The offending conduct on the part of the appellant was of a most serious character and even taking the mitigating elements into account we are satisfied that the conduct merited a sentence of 12 years imprisonment, said Judge Isobel Kennedy. A serial sex offender who attacked three women in the space of eleven days after meeting them through Tinder will be sentenced next month following the completion of a Probation report. Patrick Nevin (37) attacked the women during their first meeting after they had being texting each other on the Tinder dating app and over the mobile phone. Nevin, previously of Meadowlands Court, Mounttown Road, Dun Laoghaire and Dundalk, Co Louth, picked up one victim at her home before driving to a secluded spot in north Dublin. After some kissing Nevin moved on top of her but the victim said she didn't want this. Nevin became extremely angry and began calling her a mickey tease and c*nt and told her she could get out and walk home if she wasn't going to have sex with him. Expand Close Serial sex offender: Patrick Nevins Tinder profile photo / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Serial sex offender: Patrick Nevins Tinder profile photo He told her that you shouldn't have aroused me and said she was making a thick out of me. The other victim, who Nevin raped, told the court last year: To say I was terrified is an understatement. After he raped me I was convinced he was going to leave me for dead in that area beside an old graveyard. I had images running through my head of how he was going to kill me. He had the strength. In July 2018 Nevin pleaded guilty to rape of this woman at Bellewstown, Co Meath on July 12, 2014 and to sexual assault four days later of the other woman at an unknown place in Co Meath. The father-of-two had been due to stand trial but changed his pleas to guilty following a legal ruling, which would allow the prosecution to introduce evidence from other women describing sexual assault by Nevin on a first date. The computer programmer is already serving a five and a half year sentence which he received last year for the sexual assault of a woman he also met on Tinder. This offence took place on July 23, 2014 and Nevin continues to deny it. Today Kathleen Noctor SC, prosecuting, told Mr Justice Michael White at the Central Criminal Court that it had already been indicated to the sentencing judge in Nevin's case that a Probation report ordered for today's scheduled sentence date would not be ready. Mr Justice White remanded Nevin in continuing custody for finalisation of sentence by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon on June 24 next. Previously the courts heard that in all of the Tinder attacks Nevin would convince the women to meet with him for a drive and he would pick them up at their home in a blue BMW. The court heard the women were fearful after the attack because Nevin knew where they lived. Lawyers for Nevin asked the court to consider in mitigation his guilty plea and said this plea was of comfort to the victims. Paddy McGrath SC, defending, said his client's plea was an expression of his remorse. The plea came after the defence lost a legal battle to prevent evidence of similar type first date attacks by Nevin being heard by the jury. Mr McGrath also said Nevin had written letters of apology to the victims. He said that his client was a relatively young man and asked the court to leave him some light at end of the tunnel. Gardai have identified a teenage boy as the chief suspect in the murder of a young man in south Dublin. Azzam Raguragui (18) was stabbed to death on Friday night in Dundrum following a row in a local park. The victim has been described as respectful and cheerful, and was due to attend evening prayers in Clonskeagh Mosque later. Detectives have launched a murder investigation into the killing and have ruled out a racial motive. Gardai have spoken to a teen who is the chief suspect in the killing. This boy, who is from south Dublin, has claimed that he acted in self-defence when he fatally stabbed Mr Raguragui. A source said the juvenile male presented to gardai on Saturday with a legal adviser and a prepared statement. Expand Close Gardai search an area close to the scene of the fatal stabbing / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gardai search an area close to the scene of the fatal stabbing "No arrests have yet been made and a juvenile teen is continuing to assist gardai with their investigation. "This is a very sensitive investigation given the young ages of people involved and gardai will take their time progressing the inquiry to establish exactly what happened," a senior source said. Gardai have spoken to a number of people in relation to the murder but are continuing to identify every person who was present on Friday. Shortly after 8pm the teenage victim received a stab wound. Emergency services were also alerted and he was rushed to St James's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. It is understood that gardai are continuing to search for the murder weapon and have been carrying out searches in Finsbury Park. In a tribute to the murder victim, a group called the Moroccan Community in Ireland described it as an "unprovoked attack". "It is with a heavy heart we have to inform you that our young Moroccan-Irish (aged 18) was stabbed in Dundrum in an unprovoked attack and unfortunately he has died. "This young man, Azzam Raguragui, was known to be so friendly, helpful and easy-going. We would like to express our most sincere condolences to his family and the whole Irish and Moroccan community for this terrible tragedy," the group said in a Facebook post. The Irish Sufi Foundation, a unity of Muslims in Ireland, said that Azzam was a "kind" and "courteous" young man who was attacked by "a gang of thugs" on Friday night. "Just received the devastating and heart-breaking news that our young brother Azzam was set on by a gang of thugs and stabbed to death in a Dundrum park last night. "Azzam was a kind, courteous, respectful and cheerful young man who always had a smile on his face. He was bright, talented and ambitious with aspirations to become a successful entrepreneur. "Such a tragic loss. A wonderful young life full of potential cut short," the Irish Sufi Foundation said. Azzam and his family were members of the local Muslim community. His father Abderrahmane, who is originally from Morocco, moved to Ireland in 2001. Mr Raguragui, his wife, and their two remaining children were being comforted at their Dundrum home last night. Mr Raguragui is a nursing home worker who in a media interview a few years ago described Ireland as a friendly place. Pat Quirke planted false rumours that drug dealers and Polish people were involved in the murder of Bobby Ryan, in a deliberate attempt to deflect suspicion, gardai believe. The dairy farmer, who was convicted 12 days ago of murdering his "love rival", Bobby Ryan, deliberately planted the rumour of Polish involvement in his killing, gardai believe. And when Mr Ryan first went missing, Quirke circulated the rumour that "drug dealers" had something to do with his disappearance. While Quirke is serving life in jail for murdering Mr Ryan, the rumours he started to get himself off the hook for murder took on a life of their own in Tipperary town last week, culminating in newspaper reports about a Polish suspect. According to the reports, the Polish national was allegedly involved in the murder with Quirke but took his own life before gardai got to interview him. But there was no "Polish suspect", claim sources close to the case, who say it was another of Quirke's devious inventions designed to divert suspicion elsewhere. The 50-year-old dairy farmer, from Tipperary, was found guilty of murdering Bobby Ryan, in the longest and one of the most talked about trials in Ireland's criminal history. At the heart of the case was Quirke's affair with Mary Lowry, a widow and his wife's sister-in-law, who ended their relationship to be with Bobby Ryan. Months later, in June 2011, Mr Ryan left Mary Lowry's home and disappeared. His body was found 22 months later in a disused run-off tank on her farm. The rumours began almost as soon as Bobby Ryan went missing, according to the people who helped search for him, even though Quirke was even then under suspicion. At that time Quirke was suspected of spreading a rumour that "drug dealers" were involved in Mr Ryan's disappearance. A former friend of Quirke's told the Sunday Independent that someone close to the dairy farmer told him that Mr Ryan had been targeted by drug dealers. The former friend believed Quirke was behind the rumour. It was utterly without foundation, he said. Bobby Ryan was beyond reproach in his character and habits. Within days of "accidentally" finding Mr Ryan's body, Quirke planted the rumour that Polish people were involved to his farmhand Gary Cunningham. Mr Cunningham, who testified at Quirke's trial, said Quirke asked if he heard any rumours about what happened to Mr Ryan. He could not recall his own response, but said Quirke told him that he'd heard a rumour that a "Polish group" was involved. Cross examined he said those rumours were going around. Catherine Costello, the former policewoman who led volunteer searches for Bobby Ryan, said the rumours in the locality of Polish involvement persisted, even during Quirke's trial. She said there were rumours that a Polish suspect had allegedly taken his own life and had left a note. "And his widow was going to be coming to the trial to give evidence for Quirke," she said. "If there was a shred of anything in that you would have used it," she said. "Nobody can actually give me this person's first name." Killer Patrick Quirke has spent most of his time in prison outlining how his Tipperary dairy farm should be run in his absence. Quirke, who was handed a life sentence for the murder of Tipperary quarry worker and part-time DJ Bobby Ryan (52), has adjusted well to prison life in his 12 days behind bars. The farmer (50), whose inmate number if 107243, is currently housed on Landing C1 in Mountjoy. However, he is expected to be transferred to the Midlands Prison in Laois as soon as space is available, for family visitation reasons. A prison source revealed that Quirke has been a model inmate since he arrived at the Dublin jail on May 1. Yet despite immediately signalling his intention to appeal his murder conviction by the Central Criminal Court jury, the majority of Quirke's time has been dominated by concerns over his Tipperary dairy operation rather than his legal challenge. "Farming and his family seems to be his primary worry," one prison source said. "He has been a model inmate, he keeps to himself and seems mostly concerned about his family and what will happen with his farm." He has worked out detailed instructions on farm operations for his family, including lists of what needs to be done on the dairy holding. Quirke has been visited in Mountjoy by his wife, Imelda, who loyally stood by his side throughout the 15-week trial. His Breanshamore farm was described as a model dairy operation and one of the most progressive in Tipperary. Quirke ranked as one of the top young dairy farmers in Tipperary in the 1990s and 2000s. On the death of his brother-in-law, Martin Lowry, he also took over the operation of his Fawnagown farm on a lease basis. Mr Ryan, also known by his DJ moniker 'Mr Moonlight', was murdered and his body dumped in a run-off pit on the Fawnagown farm. His body was only found almost two years after his disappearance. The Central Criminal Court jury convicted Quirke of murder on a 10-2 majority verdict. Quirke had an affair with Mary Lowry, who was the widow of his wife's brother, but was envious of Ms Lowry's budding relationship with Mr Ryan. He was also worried about losing control of the Lowry farm, which he had operated since 2008-2009. Ms Lowry ended the affair with Quirke, describing their relationship as "seedy". Quirke admitted he was hurt by the manner in which the affair ended. His murder trial, which began in January, now ranks as the longest running in the history of the State. It also 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. He had also researched rates of decomposition of human bodies and Garda forensic and DNA sampling techniques. The jury was not told that Quirke had visited an internet blog with the title 'Why Joe O'Reilly thought he had committed the perfect murder', which was about the notorious killing of Rachel O'Reilly by her husband in October 2004. Quirke also researched articles on Siobhan Kearney, murdered by husband Brian in February 2006, and Jo Jo Dullard, who went missing in 1995 and whose killer has never been found. Azzam Raguragui is believed to have died from a single knife wound to the chest THE parents of a teenage boy who was stabbed to death in a park have said: "We are resting our faith in the Irish justice system." Azzam Raguragui (18) was fatally stabbed on Friday night in Dundrum following a row in a local park. His devastated parents Abderrahmane Raguragui and Hajiba Elouaddaf thanking the public for their support and said they are hopeful that those responsible for Azzzam's murder will face justice. They said in a statement: "The past few days have been very difficult and challenging for our family. Expand Close Azzam Raguragui is believed to have died from a single knife wound to the chest / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Azzam Raguragui is believed to have died from a single knife wound to the chest "An Garda Siochana are leading in the investigation to uncover the truth behind our son Azzam Raguraguis murder and we are resting our faith in the Irish Justice system to hold the perpetrator(s) to account. "We are grateful for the community support we have received. "At this critical time we would like to request some space and privacy to allow us to grieve as a family." Read More Azzam has been described as respectful and cheerful, and was due to attend evening prayers in Clonskeagh Mosque after the incident. Detectives have launched a murder investigation into the killing and have ruled out a racial motive. Gardai have spoken to a teen who is the chief suspect in the killing. This boy, who is from south Dublin, has claimed that he acted in self-defence when he fatally stabbed Mr Raguragui. Expand Close Azzam Raguragui / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Azzam Raguragui A source said the juvenile male presented to gardai on Saturday with a legal adviser and a prepared statement. "No arrests have yet been made and a juvenile teen is continuing to assist gardai with their investigation. "This is a very sensitive investigation given the young ages of people involved and gardai will take their time progressing the inquiry to establish exactly what happened," a senior source said. Gardai have spoken to a number of people in relation to the murder but are continuing to identify every person who was present on Friday. Shortly after 8pm the teenage victim received a stab wound. Emergency services were also alerted and he was rushed to St James's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. It is understood that gardai are continuing to search for the murder weapon and have been carrying out searches in Finsbury Park. In a tribute to the murder victim, a group called the Moroccan Community in Ireland described it as an "unprovoked attack". "It is with a heavy heart we have to inform you that our young Moroccan-Irish (aged 18) was stabbed in Dundrum in an unprovoked attack and unfortunately he has died. "This young man, Azzam Raguragui, was known to be so friendly, helpful and easy-going. We would like to express our most sincere condolences to his family and the whole Irish and Moroccan community for this terrible tragedy," the group said in a Facebook post. Read More The Irish Sufi Foundation, a unity of Muslims in Ireland, said that Azzam was a "kind" and "courteous" young man who was attacked by "a gang of thugs" on Friday night. "Just received the devastating and heart-breaking news that our young brother Azzam was set on by a gang of thugs and stabbed to death in a Dundrum park last night. "Azzam was a kind, courteous, respectful and cheerful young man who always had a smile on his face. He was bright, talented and ambitious with aspirations to become a successful entrepreneur. "Such a tragic loss. A wonderful young life full of potential cut short," the Irish Sufi Foundation said. Azzam and his family were members of the local Muslim community. His father Abderrahmane, who is originally from Morocco, moved to Ireland in 2001. Mr Raguragui, his wife, and their two remaining children were being comforted at their Dundrum home last night. Mr Raguragui is a nursing home worker who in a media interview a few years ago described Ireland as a friendly place. Seven cars a day are being seized by gardai from unaccompanied learner drivers under the so-called Clancy Amendment. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan confirmed that since the new legislation came into effect last Christmas, more than 700 vehicles have been seized nationwide. That equates to an average of seven cars a day being confiscated. The high seizure rate has been hailed by road safety group Parc as proof of the scale of the problem, with many learner drivers flouting licensing rules by driving without an experienced fully licensed holder in the vehicle. "I am informed by an Garda Siochana that the number of vehicles seized from unaccompanied drivers under the Clancy Amendment is over 700 vehicles," Mr Flanagan said. "The figures are from December 22, 2018 to March 29, 2019." The figures were revealed in reply to a parliamentary question from Tommy Broughan TD. It is understood that the seizure rate was highest over Christmas and the New Year. However, the minister was unable to give a breakdown of the seizure totals by Garda division, because of the way gardai compile the statistics. Susan Gray, founder of Parc, warned the Garda IT Pulse system has not yet been updated to specifically record when a vehicle is seized from an unaccompanied learner. "These updates to the Garda Pulse system are essential for statistical reasons and to allow for an ongoing analysis of the figures on a geographic basis. "Garda HQ must make these updates a priority as it will assist in the identification of specific reasons for the detention of a vehicle under Section 41 of the 1994 Road Traffic Act," she said.. "There must be total transparency." However, a timeframe for implementation of the IT updates to the Pulse system has not been agreed. Last week the Irish Independent revealed that just one in 10 Irish drivers with court disqualifications surrendered their licences to the Road Safety Authority (RSA). Parc warned that much more still needs to be done to ensure that road safety rules are enforced across Ireland. Ms Gray's husband, Steve, was killed by an unaccompanied learner driver in Inishowen, Co Donegal. Clancy Amendment The Clancy Amendment which allows for the seizure of vehicles driven by unaccompanied learner drivers was introduced following a high-profile Parc campaign after the tragic death of a mother and daughter in north Cork. Noel Clancy lost his wife Geraldine (58) and daughter Louise (22) in a December 2015 collision which involved an unaccompanied learner driver. The mother and daughter drowned in a flooded ditch after their vehicle ploughed through a wall following the collision. The Cork farmer has become a road safety campaigner and participated in a high-profile RSA television campaign aimed at ensuring all learner drivers only get behind the wheel while properly accompanied. Hundreds of patients may be forced by the HSE to change practice, according to family doctor Nina Byrnes. Dr Byrnes said the patients had been seen by another GP at her Glenageary practice - but when he left, the HSE said it would be moving them. Now, the patients are set to be moved to another practice nearby while Dr Byrnes has been instructed to transfer the patient files. Dr Byrnes said the HSE "froze" the GMS (medical list) list that was in the departing GP's name. She contacted the HSE to ask could these patients be moved onto her list in the same practice in Dublin's Glenageary. "They said they couldn't, that they would freeze the list for a total of six months, meaning patients can't move on or off it and that the list would be advertised." Dr Byrnes said she wrote to patients "advising" them of what was happening. "Within two weeks we had received over 400 signed change of doctor forms to switch to my list, which accounted for nearly all of the 600-plus patients." However, Dr Byrnes claimed the HSE told her she was "in breach of my Castleknock contract by going between two practices". The doctor, who also has a practice in Castleknock, said this was "not true" as she has a contract stating "that I or my deputy need to be available 40 hours a week. We are open 8am to 6pm in both." She said: "I pointed out that we have dying patients, those with mental health issues, dementia and serious chronic disease, who had built up a relationship with us and had declared they wanted to remain in our care and were very upset at the thought of being forced to move." Dr Byrnes added: "The HSE stated policy is that a GP cannot have two lists but despite several requests they have been unable to produce the protocol or legislation that requires this." The HSE said: "GMS patient lists are assigned to a specific GP. If the GP no longer wishes to hold the list, there is a well-established process for the assignment of those patients to a new GP." It takes about eight months to recruit the first patient into a clinical drug trial in Ireland- significantly longer than in other countries, a conference was told today. The survey by the Irish Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association (IPHA) representing big drug firms was based on 90 trials set up between 2013 and 2018 across eleven therapy areas. In other countries, such as Denmark, the same process takes just six months. The conference was told that Ireland can have a lead role for clinical trials in Europe. It was held ahead of International Clinical Trials Week. Speaking at an event hosted by HRB-CRCI, in the Mansion House, Dublin, Dr Itziar Canamasas, Managing Director of the global life sciences company, Bayer, and representing IPHA urged clinicians, policymakers, patients and the innovator industry to continue to work together on steps that can improve Irelands performance on clinical trials. Dr Canamasas said, All of the key stakeholders including industry, must actively collaborative together to realise our shared ambition to make Ireland a leading location for clinical trials. We can draw on our strong base of international pharmaceutical companies and highly regarded healthcare professionals who are experts in managing clinical trials together with a supportive public policy environment, she added. Patients have been shown to have significantly better outcomes by taking part in clinical trials. As well as the positive human health impact, clinical trials enhance the value proposition for innovation on which Ireland needs to keep working to secure future global investment in manufacturing and discovery activity against significant competition, she said. The IPHA said if Ireland is to improve its clinical trials performance it should have a standardisation of site contracts (the Clinical Trial Agreement) that is standard in a number of other EU countries. This will shorten delays and save on legal fees for both hospitals and companies. There is a need for protected research time for clinicians and hospital staff. There must be realistic targets for clinical trials that are achievable and can be relied upon. This means meeting a lower target is better than partially meeting a higher target. Delegates at the conference,organised by the Health Research Board Clinical Research Coordination Ireland, were told some 423 clinical trials in medicines and medical devices offering patient access to innovative therapies are currently open in Ireland. The organisations chief executive Prof Pat O Mahony said a well-resourced and scaled up national infrastructure for clinical research offers more opportunity for patients to participate in trials, which provides for better patient outcomes overall. Other countries that have more mature and resourced clinical research approaches, such as Australia, have clearly shown that the benefit-to-cost ratio for clinical trials is almost $6 for every Australian dollar invested. In fact, a recent report, which looked at combined data from 25 trials, showed that for every $1 awarded in grants across the 25 trials, a return of $51.10 was achieved. Meeting: Tracey Brennan (second from right) with Labour Party health spokesperson Alan Kelly, Vicky Phelan, and Aine Morgan (right) in December. Vicky Phelan led tributes to "cervical cancer warrior" Tracey Brennan, who will be laid to rest today after realising her goal of equal access to the Pembrolizumab drug. Vicky Phelan led tributes to "cervical cancer warrior" Tracey Brennan, who will be laid to rest today after realising her goal of equal access to the Pembrolizumab drug. Ms Brennan, from Roscommon, had lobbied Government ardently, alongside Ms Phelan and fellow campaigner Aine Morgan, for the expensive drug to be available to every single woman enduring cervical cancer. The mother, diagnosed with stage-two cervical cancer in 2017 following a smear test, had received treatment but suffered a relapse in April 2018. Ms Phelan wrote on Twitter last night: "I was utterly heartbroken to hear this news... "RIP Tracey Brennan: friend, fellow cervical cancer warrior and campaigner. My sincere condolences to Aidan and Evan." A death notice stated Ms Brennan had passed away "peacefully in the devoted care of the staff at Galway University Hospital, surrounded by her loving family after a battle bravely fought". She was a "much-loved wife of Aidan and adoring mother to Evan. She will be very sadly missed by her heartbroken family, parents Pauline and MJ, sisters Amanda, Emma and Laura, brothers Michael and Tommie, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, nephew, relatives, extended family, neighbours and many friends." Ms Brennan's funeral is to take place today at St Patrick's Church, Cloverhill, Roscommon, at 12pm. In January, Ms Brennan and the other campaigners' demands were finally met. The Department of Health announced the immunotherapy drug known as 'Pembro' would be provided to all cervical cancer patients provided their doctors recommended the treatment. Ms Brennan told Shannonside FM at that time: "It's just an amazing day, a fantastic feeling. "We have lots of challenges to face on a daily basis but this is something...and we can go on, and go forward." Ms Phelan had received Pembro herself, and in November last year, said it had reduced her tumours. The drug had cost up to 8,500 every three weeks and it had been available only to patients with melanoma and a small number of other cancers, but not cervical. The three women's constant campaigning changed the medical landscape for all cervical cancer patients, ensuring there would be no wealth divide when it came to this treatment. Women of all ages can develop cervical cancer, but it mostly affects women aged 30 to 45. Cervical cancer is very rare in women under 25. Ms Brennan's family suggested mourners could make donations if desired to Roscommon Palliative Care. CONOR McGregor is off the hook for allegedly smashing a fans phone outside a hotel in Miami, after the complainant stopped cooperating with prosecutors. The MMA fighter was arrested on March 11, and charged with two felonies after allegedly stomping on the mobile phone outside of the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. Mr McGregor last month pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery by sudden snatching and criminal mischief. But prosecutors in the Florida city have dropped charges against the fighter - as the state believed it could no longer prove them. Court documents state that the prosecutor made several recent attempts to contact the complainant, Ahmed Abdirzak, without much luck. It is understood that Mr Abdirzak has returned to his native England and will no longer be participating in the prosecution of Mr McGregor. The Miami Herald reports Mr Abdirzak also dropped his civil lawsuit with McGregor after reaching a settlement. Expand Close Miami Beach Police mugshot of Conor McGregor after his arrest / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Miami Beach Police mugshot of Conor McGregor after his arrest And according to court documents, Mr Abdirzaks attorney told the prosecutor that his client has been made whole by Mr McGregor. The memorandum continues: Mr Abdirzak has had some time to reflect on his encounter with Mr McGregor... he no longer believes Mr McGregor sought to injure or damage him of his property or permanently or temporarily deprive him of his property. According to the lawsuit, Abdirzak and other fans were taking video of Mr McGregor outside a hotel when the fighter allegedly slapped the phone out of Abdirzaks hand, repeatedly stomped on it and walked off with it. The charges were formally dropped at a hearing in Miami yesterday. Prosecutor Khalil Madani said: The victim of the crime does not wish to return to the United States and prosecute this case. Mr McGregor did not appear in court for the hearing. The court documents further outline that even if the State were able to produce Mr Abdirzak at trial, he has credibility issues as hes changed his previously sworn testimony. Based on the witnesss credibility issues, his unwillingness to respond to subpoena, and the inability of the witnesses to testify as to his subjective mindset, the State of Florida cannot prove the charges against Mr McGregor beyond a reasonable doubt. Mr McGregor is a former two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship title holder who famously lost to boxing legend Floyd Mayweather in 2017. He has since retired. The Dubliner (30) also avoided a criminal record last July after he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct at a UFC event in New York. Several people were hurt when he hurled a trolley at a bus, smashing a window, as it left the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn in April 2018. McGregor avoided going to jail after striking a deal which saw him do community service. He also had to take anger management courses and pledged to keep the peace for a year. A MAN is being questioned after more than 27,000 illegal cigarettes were seized. 27,360 cigarettes were discovered by Revenue detector dog Gus in an Irish-registered vehicle as it arrived in Rosslare Europort from Cherbourg, France. The cigarettes, which were branded 'Marlboro Gold' are worth 17,000 and represent a loss of almost 14,000 to the Exchequer. A man in his 30s is being questioned in connection with the seizure. Expand Close Revenue Detector Dog Gus / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Revenue Detector Dog Gus If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on our confidential line 1800 295 295. Fianna Fail has called on a sitting MEP to withdraw as a candidate for the next general election or admit his European campaign "is a lie". Former minister Brendan Smith is targeting Sinn Fein's Matt Carthy, who he claims is "deeply dishonest and treating people like fools". The two men are going head to head in the Midlands-North West, which is likely to be the constituency most affected by Brexit. Mr Carthy has accused his rival of a "pathetic attack" that "smacks of desperation due to the fact that his own campaign thus far has been such a flop". A recent opinion poll put the Sinn Fein candidate in third place in the four-seat constituency on 9pc. Fianna Fail achieved 13pc but it was split between Mr Smith (8pc) and his running mate, Anne Rabbitte (5pc). As it stands, Mr Carthy is not committing to another five years in Brussels. He has been selected by Sinn Fein to replace TD Caoimhghin O Caolain for Cavan-Monaghan when he retires at the next general election. Meath councillor Darren O'Rourke is listed as replacement MEP, if Mr Carthy is elected to the Dail. Mr Smith said the Sinn Fein man is presenting himself as a voice for Border communities "but a vote for him is actually a vote for the South Meath councillor who will replace him when the general election takes place". "If Sinn Fein are serious about representing the interests of Border communities, their candidate will formally withdraw his general election candidacy and confirm that if elected he will serve a full term in the European Parliament. Otherwise, the Sinn Fein European campaign is a lie," he said. Mr Carthy told the Irish Independent: "I cannot predict the future but my focus if re-elected will be on continuing to fight for Ireland and delivering as an MEP on key issues such as curbing the free rein that Fianna Fail gave the banks and vulture funds and ensuring that EU funding is directed to the communities." A holocaust-denying American preacher who promotes anti-LGBT rhetoric has been barred from speaking in Ireland later this month. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has taken the rare step to prevent Pastor Steven Anderson from entering the country. Mr Anderson has been the subject of petitions calling for him not to be allowed to stage an event in Dublin. He is due to travel to the capital on May 26 and has estimated that 150 people would attend a planned sermon. However, Mr Flanagan told the Irish Independent: "I have signed the exclusion order under my executive powers in the interests of public policy." The minister broke with the normal protocol of not commenting on individual cases to confirm the order - but he declined to comment further. It is understood to be the first time Mr Flanagan has used the power available to him under the Immigration Act 1999. The ban on Mr Anderson takes immediate effect. More than 14,000 people had signed a petition set up by Changing Attitude Ireland, a liberal Church of Ireland group sympathetic to gay people. They claimed Mr Anderson has "advocated exterminating LGBT+ people". He previously posted an online video in which he justified the murders of 49 people in the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando in 2016. The pastor also claimed to pray at night that former US president Barack Obama would die. It was expected that his trip to Dublin would involve commentary on the outcome of the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment. Mr Anderson had already been banned from the 26 European countries in the Schengen Area, which does not include Ireland. The 38-year-old recently posted a video in which he said his European tour was curtailed but he still planned to fly directly to Dublin. "So far so good on Dublin. It is still on," he said. "These events are still going on; the soul-winning and the preaching are still going on. It's just yours truly who won't be there, except I am planning to be there in Ireland. "I am planning to fly directly to Dublin. So, unless they ban me, I'm still going to be there in Dublin," he said. Mr Anderson called for UK followers to travel to the event here. They were to meet at a McDonald's restaurant near the airport from where they would be transported to a secret venue for the seminar. Mr Anderson is a member of the Faithful Word Baptist Church which is not affiliated to any Christian denominations. The church's website says his lectures have been translated into 115 languages. "We are an old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible only, soul-winning Baptist church," it says. Mr Anderson has 10 children and set up the church on Christmas Day, 2005. His biography states that he holds no college degree but has "well over 140 chapters of the Bible memorised word-for-word, including approximately half of the New Testament". Killer Patrick Quirke has spent most of his time in prison outlining how his large dairy farm should be run in his absence. Quirke, who was handed a life sentence for the murder of Tipperary quarry worker and part-time DJ Bobby Ryan (52), has adjusted well to prison life in his 12 days behind bars. Yet despite immediately signalling his intention to appeal his murder conviction, the majority of Quirke's time has been dominated by concerns over running his Tipperary dairy operation. "Farming and his family seems to be his primary worry," one source revealed. He has worked out detailed instructions for his family, including lists of what needs to be done on the dairy holding. With its chic wine bars and outdoor terraces, Dublin's Grand Canal Dock is packed from morning to night during the summer months. Millennials, techies, hipsters and casual brunchers descend on the piece of urban heaven to make the most of the open space, waterside bars and modern architecture. But each year, groups of teenagers bring trouble. Carrying bags of cans and sometimes stereos, they sit on the granite-paved paths and spend their time swimming and socialising. All harmless fun until a mix of boredom, hormones and booze set in. After dark, they are still loitering and often causing havoc for restaurants, shops and bars, which have to deal with the fall-out. Two local workers spoke to the Sunday Independent, on condition of anonymity, about their experience and have called for gardai to act. One business owner said she witnessed a teenager behaving like "an animal" outside her premises. "Once the summer comes in, they are always out with their tinnies. They sit outside and drink. The girls are worse than the guys. They're always in and out of the premises trying to change their wet gear in our toilets after swimming in the canal," she said. "One day a girl came out of our toilets dripping wet and left a trail of water all the way to the door. There are no toilets or changing facilities outside for them. I said to her 'would you ever just bring a towel to wrap around yourself and change outside.' That is all I said. "She walked outside and pulled down her pants and defecated right in front of me. Now that's not second-hand, that's not hearsay, that happened to me in broad daylight at 5pm. You wouldn't expect it from an animal. "I've tried to talk to the guards but nothing is really ever done. The council has a nice place for people to come down and enjoy by the water but at the same time there are no toilets and no changing facilities so they are not providing the services for teens who want something to do when the weather turns good." Another manager said the antics are causing damage to the area and disrupting paying customers: "There are young delinquents. It's every summer. We have mentioned it to the guards a few times but nothing ever seems to come of it. The kids throw mud pies and other missiles and I know a business has had their window smashed in recently. "You have to treat them with kid gloves. If they see they are winding you up they get a kick out of it. They want a reaction, so we try our best not to give them a rise and sometimes they just get bored and their behaviour fizzles out. "I know you can't use force to remove them but I really wish the guards would do something more about it. "We've asked so many times and it's the same every summer." A local apartment owner said: "They can be intimidating if you are walking past them late at night. The area is beautiful and it is thriving regardless but these are teens, and they are someone's responsibility. And if their parents don't care what happens... it needs to be dealt with once and for all." Q I have suffered from menstrual pains all my life. I am now in my late 30s. Recently, my periods have gotten worse and my last one lasted for about three weeks. I had a laparoscopy before, which revealed a bit of scarring, but nothing conclusive. My GP is referring me for tests as a result of the length of my recent period. What tests would these be and what would they be checking for? Dr Nina replies: The medical term for painful periods is dysmenorrhoea. This is a very common condition. More than half of menstruating women will have some level of pain. In most cases, the pain is mild and only lasts one or two days, but in some cases, pain may be more severe and last longer. There are two types of dysmenorrhoea. Primary dysmenorrhoea starts within months of the first menstrual period. Secondary dysmenorrhoea usually comes on later in life. This pain is more likely to be associated with underlying problems and the pain may increase over time and last longer. Causes of secondary dysmenorrhoea include pelvic infection, endometriosis, a condition called adenomyosis where the tissue that usually lines the womb grows in the womb muscle, fibroids, which are growths in the wall of the womb, and narrowing of the cervix. It sounds like you have primary dysmenorrhoea. Cramps that are not severe and only last one or two days may be normal and don't necessarily require review by a doctor. Severe prolonged pain should be checked. Your doctor can examine you, take swabs to rule out infection and may recommend an ultrasound or other exam to further recheck the womb and ovaries. Ultrasound can pick up changes such as uterine fibroids or ovarian cysts, which may contribute to the pain. If no obvious cause is found, specialist referral is advised. The best way to diagnose endometriosis is by laparoscopy. This is what your doctor was looking for at laparoscopy. A gynaecologist can then see endometriosis if it is present. Nearly all methods of contraception can help reduce menstrual pain. The implant and the coil may result in the absence of menstruation so no periods, no pain. You said your periods are longer. This may be dysfunctional uterine bleeding. An underactive thyroid or polycystic ovarian syndrome are other causes. If you have not had blood recently, it is likely these will be arranged. Your consultant may also arrange a surgical procedure called a hysteroscopy. This allows them to directly view the inside of the womb. The lining of the womb may be scraped and sent for analysis (D&C) or a simple biopsy can be taken of the lining of the uterus. In some women, changes in menstruation start early and continue for many years before menopause finally occurs. This change may simply be part of what is normal menstrual life for you, but your doctor is being thorough, so I'm sure any treatable cause will be found. The elegant ante room to the kitchen hides the utilities behind panelled doors. The alabaster table is from Michael Mortell, the painting is by Eva. The Art Deco style window is clad in brass; the table, made by Conall Nolan, is based on one Eva saw in Paris When the unthinkable happened and artist Eva O'Donovan's beloved period home went up in flames, she watched the turmoil and felt numb. A kindly fireman asked, in the midst of handling the blaze, "What do you want to save?" She didn't hesitate: "The portraits," she said, "save the portraits." She was not referring to her own work - and portraiture is her speciality - but rather a series of old family portraits, given to her by an uncle. The engaging Eva is not the type to value her own work - superb and all as it is - above everything else. In any case, at the time of the fire in 2016, she was a fledging artist studying as a mature student at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD). She has come a long way since then and her stunning distinctive portraits on fabric are in big demand. She has featured in several prestigious exhibitions here and abroad, and just last week an exhibition of new work entitled 'Chrysalis' opened at the Rotunda Room, Dublin City Hall. Expand Close Artist Eva O'Donovan at home. Photo: Ruth Maria Murphy / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Artist Eva O'Donovan at home. Photo: Ruth Maria Murphy "I was in Paris last year for two weeks and I came across a photographic exhibition of transgender people and I realised I never knowingly painted trans people," says Eva. "I felt it was a discrepancy in my work. When I came home, I contacted a friend of mine whose daughter is transgender, she put me in touch with Teni - Transgender Equality Network Ireland. I had a lot of discussions with the CEO. I had to show my intentions were good. They put out a call and the first 14 trans feminine people who responded, I took. I got to know them, to get a sense of their personalities." Eva found a stylist and photographer and set up a photoshoot over a number of days. She worked from those photos to create her portraits. "Each person selected the fabrics I would work with for their portrait, it was an act of collaboration the whole way through," Eva says. "I feel how people feel now about trans people is kind of where everyone was 10, 15 years ago with gay rights, it's really all about exposure, openness, discussion." She got a lot out of the collaboration and hopes her subjects did too. "I found them all very inspiring. Originally it was about diversity in femininity but then it became about all these wonderful people. I became really good friends with them, I feel like I'm one of the gang. We set up a WhatsApp group and where they may have been isolated in their towns, they now have a forum, and there are friendships which have been made outside of me. It's about visibility and connections. So it became more than about the paintings." The portraits are so glamorous, provocative, evocative - so polished it's difficult to believe that Eva only took up the study of art so recently. However, the desire to create has been bubbling away under the surface throughout her adult life. She didn't do Art in school and after her Leaving Cert worked in various careers, including the HSE and the beauty, health and fitness worlds. She married at 21, her husband John is a pharmacist and they have three children, Lucy, 22, a cellist who is doing music therapy in London; Karen, 19, who plays the violin and harp and presents a Saturday radio show on RTEJr; and Ewan, 15, who plays the drums and piano. "I didn't do art in school, but I've always been artistic, creative. When Ewan was two, I started painting night classes and I loved them," says Eva. "After that I did a portfolio course in GMIT and I got into NCAD as a mature student. I got great encouragement from everybody, if I hadn't, I would not have got as far." While portraiture has been her focus, her work is constantly evolving to include new strands; as well as art she loves fashion and interiors and they come together in her paintings. All three passions are also evident in the interiors of her stunning home in Dublin 6 which she created in collaboration with interior designer Suzie Mc Adam after the fateful fire. The family had only been living in the house for three years at the time, having moved from Tullamore. They had tons of good reasons to move. "What happened was we really fancied a move. It was the bottom of the bust so property prices were good in Dublin," says Eva. "John had reduced his hours at the pharmacy [in Tullamore] so he could commute easily and he would be going in the opposite direction to most people, and it would be good for the children as they would be near universities." They had viewed the next-door house, and then saw this property come to market. "Even though it was the bottom of the market, it was still very expensive and I tried to get it out of my system. I viewed 10 other houses but they weren't right," Eva volunteers, "I don't know how many times I viewed this house, and anyway we finally went for it and we loved it." Then came the terrifying fire on January 4, 2016. "We thought it was Christmas lights but what happened was the low winter sun shone through a pair of reading glasses on the top floor," Eva recalls. "It was 11 o'clock. John had left for work, we were all in our pyjamas. Karen was the first to hear the alarm. We had to get out. The smoke filled the attic first, then the roof was on fire and then the ceilings all collapsed." For a few days, they were shell shocked but then something amazing happened. They began to feel ready for the new challenge. "We were all fine, no one was hurt. We never wallowed in self pity. You become brazen and more resilient." Virtually all their possessions were gone - they had to buy everything from underwear to make-up to towels - but they just got on with life and the complete renovation of the house, which meant moving out for two years. The property is listed which made reconstruction even more of a challenge. Fortunately they had a great architect - Suzanne MacDonald Vagge. The three-storey house, which dates from 1860, is red bricked, double fronted and has five bedrooms as well as two reception rooms, a piano nobile on the first floor and a cinema room. They restored it to its original state, apart from the flow of the ground floor and the kitchen. "I didn't want to change the integrity of the house too much. We took the back off part of the kitchen and added the dining area," Eva explains. However, they completely changed the interior - the walls, the floors, the lighting and all the furnishings - and Eva and Suzie Mc Adam worked together on the project. Eva's daughter spent an Erasmus year in Paris and she visited her there several times and was inspired by so much that she saw, including Art Deco touches and brasserie interiors and wanted to recreate some of that. She also had images of apartments in New York and a more industrial vibe. "Pinterest is a great man," she says with a laugh. "I had a very good idea of what I wanted, but I didn't know where to find it and, remember I was in college, so I didn't have time. Suzie's knowledge of everything international is astounding," she says, adding "before the fire I would have been safe, after the fire, I had more of a sense of freedom, less set in stone. Everything is transient so why not decorate and enjoy it. "Suzie's design is superb, she is so confident in her ideas and everything worked out as she said. The great thing was we were egging each other on." Many find renovations stressful but not Eva. "John was very involved and we really enjoyed the process. We chose everything together - every chair, every lamp, every handle. It was a lovely time." The result is bold, dramatic, theatrical, spectacular and yet it's still a warm and welcoming family home. And yes, the firemen did save the 19th-century portraits of the ancestors. And quite wonderfully they work very well on the walls as do Eva's own portraits. Eva's exhibition 'Chrysalis' transfers to the CHQ Gallery 1, May 31-June 10; and moves to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, June 29-July 4; Evaodonovan.com Interior designer Suzie Mc Adam is an Ambassador for house 2019 and appears on the Inspiration Stage, 24 May, 4-5pm; 25 and 26 May, 3.30-4.30pm; tickets on house-event.ie Suzie Mc Adam on getting the look 1 Understanding a client's look is a big feature of my approach. Eva loves vintage and mid-century design, and it is a strong theme in her house - 80pc of the pieces are vintage. We found mid-centuryonline.com and Michael Mortell on Francis Street great places to look. It will take more time and energy to source vintage, but you will find pieces that reflect your style and are unique. 2 Eva has very interesting art work and likes vivid colours, so we worked with that. Each piece stands on its own but is balanced by a softer palette. In the sitting room, which is huge, we split the room up by using varying shades (from Little Greene) to create a different atmosphere in each area. 3 Work with your natural light - Eva's sitting room has three windows so is very bright and could have looked harsh. We didn't want to use heavy curtains so used sheer voiles instead to soften the light - I was thinking of Baz Luhrmann's Great Gatsby, where the mansion has rooms that float with sheer fabrics. 4 Be playful - the shower tiles in the bathroom, pictured over, are not your normal go-to option but they give it loads of character. The image is an oil painting from the V&A's archive collection digitally printed on the tiles. Playfulness stops a room becoming too formal - in the dining room, right, for example, the handprinted wallpaper gives it more texture and character than plain joinery or paint. 5 Be brave and work with your style and preferences, especially in the kitchen, to avoid it looking very standard and repetitive. Eva adores Paris and brasserie-type restaurants and so we used key elements, such as bistro wall lights and high-gloss shelving, pictured over. But avoid overkill and don't reproduce the look slavishly, a touch here and there is enough. Expand Close Design trend: Maximalism / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Design trend: Maximalism 6 Use pattern wisely. Maximalism is a design trend at the moment and it can be very effective to create a contrast, pictured above, in one of the bedrooms. But it is important to use it with some restraint, and give it room to breathe - it will have more impact. Photography: Ruth Maria Murphy Canes repertoire has expanded. This cabinet from HK Living at livingandcompany.com, is a case in point. Plus, it offers storage and sleek design win-win. Back in the mists of time - or the 1980s - a glazing craze swept middle Ireland. Conservatories were banged on to homes, regardless of aspect or suitability and you were no one if you didn't have a small glass box with faux stained-glass panels wedged at the end of your dining room or kitchen. Soon, it became apparent that conservatories had two temperatures: sub-zero or akin to the burning core of the sun, so they became dumping grounds for the washing and that exercise bike you promised yourself to use three times a week. The other defining feature of the Irish conservatory was cane furniture with patterned upholstery that promised comfort but didn't quite deliver. Nowadays, if the conservatory hasn't been quietly demolished, it's been remodelled in favour of an open plan kitchen. The cane furniture fared badly too, and was banished into decor darkness. But like all trends, it has boomeranged. Cane, bamboo, wicker and rattan are now mainstream once more, and not just for conservatories - this look is for everywhere. The revival has been helped by the fact we go abroad so much, reckons interior designer Jill L'Estrange. "I think the trend of travel to boho-chic locations such as Bali and Tulum has brought the style and design back to our shores." L'Estrange is well versed. She designed the interiors for Dublin's healthy eating spot Nutbutter, as feted for its interiors as its food. "We wanted to create a rustic, boho, beachy environment that would transport customers from east coast Ireland to west coast California," she says. The focus was on "using a lot of raw, natural and sustainable materials, such as cane, rattan and reclaimed timber". Nutbutter's interiors are now some of the most Instagrammed in the city and it's not an accident: on trend, they have eco-credentials too. Bamboo, in particular, is an environmentally-friendly material. "Sustainability is an issue on people's minds, and I think we're gaining more consciousness into where materials are sourced and their impact on the environment, which I think has had an impact on the rising interest in cane and rattan," L'Estrange says. Second-hand is also a sustainable option for pieces such as the sought-after Peacock chair. "Check for any fraying on second-hand items, and test out the products if possible when shopping in vintage markets. Most of all, just trust your eye and your gut," she says - but the new breed of cane-style decor offers far wider choice. "What I love about this trend is how flexible it is. We're seeing amazing pieces such as headboards, dining chairs, feature lighting, cabinet doors, mirrors, side tables, and so much more being incorporated into home design," says L'Estrange. You want a light touch to integrate it into your existing pieces. "Just one or two pieces are all you need, and your room will have an instant lift," she says. Ailbhe Steger (11) and her 9 year-old sister,Aoibhlinn, examining the night sky as part of the new Stargazing in the Blackstairs experience. Photo: Dylan Vaughan Mary White in one of her new Shepherd's Huts at Blackstairs Eco Trails, Co Carlow Aoibhlinn Steger (9) and her 11 year-old sister, Ailbhe, try the stargazing with Mary White of Blackstairs Eco Trails in Co Carlow. Photo: Dylan Vaughan Burned-out? Looking to skip the city and recharge in a slow tourism paradise that doesn't involve a trip to the airport? Carlow could be the county for you. Our guests are coming from all over the world to switch off, says Mary White, former Green Party Minister and owner of Blackstairs Eco Trails near Borris. We had people here recently from New York and Berlin. One man came to us, just before he left, to say he hadnt slept as well since he was 10 years of age. "It simply is that peaceful, that restful here." "If you want to get off the treadmill, this is the place to come," says Charlie Horan of Go With The Flow River Adventures, which runs canoe trails on the River Barrow. "Knock off early on a Friday so you miss the mad rush of traffic, and within an hour you can be on the most incredible natural corridor - whether you choose to cycle, walk or paddle it... and the most stunning bits are in Carlow." "You can literally change your week by getting down here and taking a deep breath." Expand Close Graiguecullen, Co Carlow. Photo: Failte Ireland / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Graiguecullen, Co Carlow. Photo: Failte Ireland The message is a tempting one in a world of 24/7 connectivity. In 2016, an ESRI study found that 18pc of absences in the Irish workplace were down to stress, anxiety and depression - and growing numbers of businesses are offering opportunities to switch off and reboot, from "slow travel" sustainable tourism offerings to wellness getaways, digital detoxes and burnout breaks. Can Carlow compete? As one of the least-visited counties in Ireland, with just 79,000 overseas visitors in 2017, according to Failte Ireland, you may not think so. In a world of overtourism, however, that could also be an advantage. "The Barrow is still such an undiscovered gem," Horan says. "As far as I'm concerned, it deserves the status of the Cliffs of Moher or the Giant's Causeway." "It's mindfulness at its best. You're just there." Expand Close Mary White in one of her new Shepherd's Huts at Blackstairs Eco Trails, Co Carlow / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mary White in one of her new Shepherd's Huts at Blackstairs Eco Trails, Co Carlow "The motorway infrastructure means we're also within easy commuting distance of Dublin, but can offer a totally different experience to the normal hustle and bustle of everyday life," adds Kieran Comerford of Carlow County Council, which supports many tourism providers across the county, including Blackstairs Eco Trails. "Carlow is fast becoming the chill-out capital of Ireland," Mary White says. This week at Blackstairs Eco Trails, she and husband Robert are launching a new 'Stargazing in the Blackstairs' package - a digital detox that combines B&B in one of their cosy shepherd's huts together with hand-carved Viking reclining chairs, a comfy rug, cocoa and calendar of the night sky from 75 per night. When its time to leave, weve even had people asking if we might consider adopting them, the stay is that transformative, she quips. Exhausted executives and jaded millennials, take note. Read more: It is happening in just 11 days' time and it is the most important European Parliament election in the history of Ireland's EU membership. The terms of the UK-EU divorce deal have yet to get the necessary ratification in the London parliament. But if and when that happens, then the real negotiations will begin on a future EU-UK relationship on trade and other issues which will be of crucial interest to everyone on this island. We need people of political skill and a huge work-rate to represent us at every level in Brussels. We also need a much stronger debate in this parliamentary election. As the final week beckons, the party leaders and the key party figures must mobilise to give a lacklustre campaign thus far a badly needed boost. This is the seventh time we have been called to the polls to elect our Euro parliamentarians. When it first happened in 1979, the parliament was an after-thought in the decision-making system. But it has been gradually gathering power and influence to shape and veto EU initiatives over the ensuing four decades, with landmark gains in the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, the 1998 Amsterdam Treaty, the 2002 Nice Treaty, and the 2009 Lisbon Treaty. As former European Council president Herman Van Rompuy summed up, almost no legislation can be adopted without MEPs' assent, no budget or financial framework can be put in place, no international deal signed, or no key appointment made - including that of the powerful EU Commission. Taken together, that is some block of powers for the 751 MEPs. In the past two decades, Ireland has sent some top-notch political performers to Brussels who won respect and gained influence. They belied claims that, being few, their voices would be drowned out. Pat Cox was a one-man band as an independent member of the Liberal grouping. But he rose to be president of the parliament in the years 2002-2004. Similarly, another independent, Marian Harkin, who is not contesting this election after 15 years' service, won great respect for her work on things which could bring her no immediate political return. It has to be said that three of the Fine Gael MEPs packed a huge punch over the past five years in Brussels, exerting huge influence over European People's Party colleagues Jean-Claude Juncker and Michel Barnier, who were crucial players in Brexit. The work and reputation of Brian Hayes, who is not seeking re-election in Dublin, Sean Kelly, who is going again in South, and Mairead McGuinness, who is contesting Midlands-North-West, was very helpful to Ireland. We who like our politics are sometimes fixated by Brexit. Visitors to this country are often astonished at how much notice Irish people away from the political bubble give to it. But Brexit barely features as an electoral issue in the rest of the EU. As with Ireland, in this campaign across the EU a mix of domestic political issues and personal perceptions of the EU's value are at play. Yet Brexit has had an indirect influence. By now, almost all European mainstream parties have become more avowedly pro-EU. The public mood has also changed somewhat, with high approval ratings for the EU in most member states, though Ireland is solidly in the lead with nine out of 10 people wanting us to stay in. While there is a rise of anti-EU sentiment, few of the nationalist parties who were calling for exit referendums after the Brexit result in June 2016 are still doing so. The mainstream demand now is for the EU to be refashioned to give national governments the primary say. This rise of Euroscepticism will, however, change the dynamic of the European Parliament. The traditionally dominant centre-right EPP grouping, to which Fine Gael is allied, and the centre-left Socialist and Democrats, which includes Labour, are forecast to lose big numbers of seats. These two blocs have combined for 40 years to run the parliament. Against that the Liberal group, known by its initials ALDE, and Greens are expected to emerge stronger. An overall working majority will be harder to forge and make work. But the culture of the European Parliament is far more based on cross-party co-operation than national parliaments, which have been closer to winner-takes-all. Some kind of four-party collaboration is likely to emerge. So, in an ideal world, it would be beneficial for Ireland to have a presence in as many of these groups - EPP, Social Democrat, Liberal and Green - as is feasible. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has worked hard at cultivating links with the Liberal grouping, attending all recent leaders' summits, and we can expect some Fianna Fail MEPs to be returned. Yes, right-wing European populists such as Matteo Salvini in Italy and Marine Le Pen in France will also pack a punch in the new parliament, which will open for business on July 2. These and others will make a "European Alliance of People and Nations" all the stronger. But their presence could push for overdue EU reforms. All of this comes at a time of huge challenges, which put Brexit down a few notches in the priority stakes. There is climate change, migration pressures, threatened trade wars, eurozone reform, and regional security. There are also continuing tensions about defiance of the rule of law in Hungary and Poland. We must remember also that the new European Parliament must itself ratify the Brexit withdrawal agreement, again assuming it is ever cleared by Westminster. That 40-year-old stable majority of MEPs was generally on song with the European Commission's Brexit approach. But if this is disrupted by a larger than expected contingent of populist, EU-sceptical MEPs, there could be further complications. The new parliament will also have a considerable say in the make-up of the new Commission, which will eventually negotiate the EU's future relationship with the UK. And as we have noted at the outset, the MEPs must also agree the future post-Brexit EU-UK relationship itself. For all these reasons, Ireland needs the strongest possible team in Brussels and Strasbourg for the forthcoming five-year term. By now the fate of two extra MEPs to be elected, one each in Dublin and South, is known to be uncertain. It was never envisaged that the UK would still be in the EU at this stage so the two extra seats given to the Republic of Ireland from the UK allocation remain in doubt. Speculation now is that UK MEPs, including three from Northern Ireland, will be giving up their seats when Brexit finally happens. In the interim, British MEPs could affect the new parliament. They could well play a role in selecting the new commission, to be in place long after the UK has left. They also have a role in 'housekeeping', such as group formations and committee selections. The strange world that is Brexit continues. Elections are usually lost rather than won. The result tends not to come because one side ran a brilliant campaign - but simply because the others weren't as match fit. Enda Kenny led a disastrous Fine Gael canvass in 2016. He refused to talk "economic jargon" with the uneducated punters and called people in his own constituency "whingers". Even though Fine Gael made it into power, the sheer scale of its recovery from a being busted flush meant Fianna Fail was the winner of that day out. The 2014 local and European elections saw the Labour Party devoured due to Eamon Gilmore's inability to convince people austerity would be worthwhile in the end. He became a lightning rod for public anger. In 2011, Micheal Martin effectively gave up the hustings such was the public hostility towards Fianna Fail. So deciding who is categorised as the biggest winner and loser on May 24 will come down to who has foreseen the potholes in their campaign rather than who has produced the grander promises. It means the pressure is very much on Leo Varadkar, Micheal Martin, Mary Lou McDonald and Brendan Howlin to perform. Having wisely sat out the presidential contest, this is the first campaign for Varadkar since he took over at the helm of Fine Gael. "It kinda feels different," he told a woman on the canvass in Co Meath last week. The Dublin West TD has enjoyed almost unanimous support from his TDs and senators since becoming leader. The constant whispers of discontent that smothered Kenny have been absent, but recent opinion polls are causing anxiety. Senior party sources are concerned that his TV persona isn't translating into 'real life'. So far he has faced two big questions on the trail. His handling of the controversy over the mortuary at Waterford Hospital led people to see him more as a 'smart alec' than smart. And farmers have branded him a vegan, even though he eats meat on an almost daily basis. Everyone knows it's not true, but it's now a running joke. By contrast, Martin is now a campaign veteran. He has two general elections as well as a round of local and Europeans under his belt, admittedly with mixed results. He has lived the importance of local elections more than his competitors. Twenty-two councillors became first-time TDs for Fianna Fail in 2016. This time around he has 152 new council candidates which is impressive - but just 87 of its 415 total are women. So far Martin has steered clear of trouble, although that's easier to do from Opposition. Another way to stay out of trouble is to stay out of the way. We've seen very little of Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald lately. She has been heavily focused on Northern Ireland, where the party held its ground in the local elections. But the pressure is mounting. The party's decision to challenge Michael D Higgins for the keys of Aras an Uachtarain was politically misjudged. It gained 105 seats five years ago, so the room for improvement may be limited. Yet any loses will raise leadership questions. As for Howlin, his party is in survival mode. Labour subjects leaders to a confidence motion after each election. If he doesn't regain some of the massive 2014 losses, Howlin could be in trouble. The race is on and it looks like Micheal Martin is the least weighed down. He'll be 'plain' old Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. It's a bit of a burden for an infant not yet a week old, not to mention a mouthful, but while baby Archie is, to his parents Harry and Meghan, obviously the most important thing in their world, to the world, he's just another celebrity royal baby. To the royal family, he's not even royal, although their standards are more exacting that the rest of us. 'Second son' syndrome is part and parcel of the 'Heir and Spare' tradition of royals and aristocrats. Harry, unlike William whose destiny is set forth, will, over the years become increasingly irrelevant, constitutionally at any rate. As his brother becomes Prince of Wales and eventually king, Harry's role will recede to supportive at best. Ribbon-cutting, patron of this and that and very much second place to his older sibling. While William and Kate's children are styled 'Prince' and 'Princess', Harry and Meghan's new arrival will simply be 'Master' or 'Miss'. The danger for the 'second' family is that they remain mere celebrities, adjuncts to the main event, a role they seem happy enough to take on at the moment, but which the British public may not wish to support in years to come. Meghan is a media darling for now, but the current backlash at her American ways, eye-poppingly expensive wardrobe and penchant for lavish trips may serve to trip her up eventually, leaving the British public to wonder why she is there at all. Outside the 'super six' Expand Close Wallis Simpson and the Duke of Windsor, who let his younger brother become king / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Wallis Simpson and the Duke of Windsor, who let his younger brother become king The enactment of the Perth Agreement in 2015 limited the immediate succession line to six individuals but it was George V, after World War I, who ruled that only children and grandchildren of those immediately in line to the throne and their spouses would carry 'royal highness' status - unless the sovereign of the day deigned otherwise. The current super six are Charles, William, his three children (George, Charlotte and Louis) and Harry, with little Archie one place outside the order of lineage that would have automatically carried a HRH style and allowed him a proper title of a Prince or Duke. Because of their perceived importance, the 'super six' must get the queen's permission before marrying or travelling abroad. Once Charles ascends to the throne, Harry will go 'up' and at this point his son may become titled in his own right. This is at the discretion of the monarch, and the future King Charles III has already expressed his desire to 'trim back' the upper echelons, bowing to public pressure over the years. Video of the Day Only the top four are granted 'Counsellor of State' privileges, or official stand-in for the queen. Harry's children would not normally be granted a formal title, although Archie could, if his parents wished, be styled Earl of Dumbarton as a courtesy (Harry's secondary title, granted for his marriage), making him Lord Archie, which some unkind detractors might suggest would be an excellent name for a pub. Both Harry and Meghan have declined to do so "at this time", although they could change their minds when their son turns 18 or 21. Queen Elizabeth relented the titles rules for her beloved second son, Prince Andrew (it's said he insisted), which is why his children are HRH Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, while her other children, Edward and Anne, turned down HRHs for their children, preferring them to have a 'normal' life. Throughout history, second sons have always had an uncertain role. Barring their necessity in the event of the heir not making it to the throne (which famously happened for Henry VIII - his older brother Arthur died suddenly and Henry not only got the throne but Arthur's wife, Catherine of Aragon into the bargain, and again with Edward VIII, who chucked it all in for another American divorcee - Wallis Simpson - leaving younger brother George VI to don the mantle of monarchy) the 'spare' creates a dilemma. Royal, but with second-string duties. Important, but not important enough. Governorship role? In previous times, an army career followed by a governorship was the well-worn path. It kept the 'spare' out of the way (a long way if necessary) and made him appear useful as well as bestowing a valuable allowance for 'royal duties'. There's certainly enough on offer - the Commonwealth is made up of 53 countries although the queen is only sovereign of 16 of them. Depending on how troublesome or otherwise the spares to the heir were, they could be dispatched as honorary head of Jamaica or Australia. When the Duke of Windsor (formerly Edward VIII) scandalously fraternised with Hitler, he was promptly dispatched by his brother to be governor of the Bahamas in 1940, keeping him under wraps until the end of the war. These days banishment is seen as a bit out of order for obvious reasons, however even as late as last month there was talk of Harry and his family being dispatched to Canada or even Africa in some unspecified 'good works' role. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has wasted no time letting on what she thinks about her family's purpose: this is a celebrity opportunity on speed. Insta account, cute baby and a million pound wardrobe allowance... what's not to like? But already she has fallen foul of the po-faced court establishment, proving a little too 'out there' for comfort. The Sussexes' intense control of their 'brand' and media message may make them lose sight of their role (and value) to the British people. It is not enough to be a celebrity; they have a duty. Meghan's penchant for designer labels (her pregnancy alone cost up to 50,000 in maternity clothes alone), may put her and her family in danger of being seen as a drain on the royal purse, for limited return. The Sovereign Grant replaced the Civil List in 2012, providing the queen with funds to run the palaces, travel, communications and duties of the family. Some of it goes to the Sussexes, in return for public duties (and so they don't have to debase themselves with getting an actual job). But in reality, it's not enough and Prince Charles funds both Kate and Meghan's wardrobes from his Duchy of Cornwall income, which has an annual profit of around 20m. In truth, they're only as tolerated as the public allow. So, what of little Archie? Where does his future lie? Well, a similar one to James Wessex, Peter Phillips or David Linley most likely. Never heard of them? Don't worry, they turn up at births, weddings and funerals with 'proper' jobs to support themselves. They're all children of 'lesser' siblings in the royal round up and aren't directly funded by the UK taxpayer. Trimmed back royal family Expand Close Current heirs Prince William and George with Kate and Charlotte / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Current heirs Prince William and George with Kate and Charlotte Archie Mountbatten-Windsor (or Archie Sussex, as he may be known in school), will have a charmed life. Prep school, followed by Eton, Oxbridge and the army/navy; a range of charitable endeavours and honorary patronages and income as a gallery owner, city financier or country squire awaits him. He'll be expected to acquire a wife and 2.4 children, a few dogs and horses and, unless he upsets the apple cart, will simply join the aristos with whom he'll be carefully reared. It's a far cry from Victorian times (eight of Queen Vic's nine children became monarchs or married into royal families of Europe); these days it's a very trimmed-back royal family that Archie is joining. Although, for the time being at least, his value is eclipsed by his very 21st century celebrity. The danger is that he could end up with the worst of both worlds - too royal to be allowed mistakes, not royal enough to be anonymous when he makes them. Meghan holds the feet of her baby, Archie, just a few days after she first showed him off in public. Photo: Getty Images New arrival: Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex are joined by her mother, Doria Ragland, as they show their new son to the queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle on Wednesday Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex travel in the Ascot Landau Carriage during their carriage procession after their wedding on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have taken the decision not to publish their son's birth certificate in a bid to set boundaries over his privacy from the get-go. Britain's Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their first child - Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor - last week and and won't be sharing details of his birth certificate as is royal tradition. Kate Middleton and Prince William have shared birth certificates for their three children, but the Sussexes are choosing a different route in order to give their son as normal life as possible, which is part of the reason they declined in seeking he receive a title at birth. The birth certificate will be submitted to the local registrar. It means that details of the team which assisted in his birth and the hospital where Meghan delivered him will remain private. Aside from a photocall at Windsor Castle in which four members of the media were invited to attend and syndicate images, video and quotes, public appearances by Archie will be few and far between. Meghan and Harry are enjoying their new home at Frogmore Cottage and Queen Elizabeth has approved new accommodation for them at Buckingham Palace. Expand Close Meghan holds the feet of her baby, Archie, just a few days after she first showed him off in public. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meghan holds the feet of her baby, Archie, just a few days after she first showed him off in public. Photo: Getty Images It's standard fare for members of the British royal family who live outside London to have a central set-up and they moved out of their two-bedroom home Nottingham Cottage earlier this year. They shared a home there for nearly two years while Harry had been living at the property, next door to Kate and William, for a number of years previous. Their already tight circle of friends has become even tighter since Archie's birth, but Meghan has been maintaining her close friendships with stylist Jessica Mulroney, makeup artist Daniel Martin, Oprah Winfrey and Amal and George Clooney; while Hary reportedly told royals news of his son's birth in a family WhatsApp group. Fashion forward: Evelyn Roullier with some of her fashion students. Photo: Tony Gavin Evelyn Rouiller and Colin Atkinson have taken over the Grafton Academy One of Ireland's most respected fashion educational institutions is writing an exciting new chapter tailored to the constantly changing needs of the industry. The Grafton Academy of Fashion Design will deliver its first master of fine arts (MFA) in fashion design in September. The programme is being delivered in partnership with the American College Dublin (ACD). It is the first new course offered by the Grafton Academy following the change of management last September with the retirement of former principal Suzanne Marr. The new leadership team of Colin Atkinson and Evelyn Roullier have combined 35 years of fashion design education and a vision for the future of the famous academy. Expand Close Fashion forward: Evelyn Roullier with some of her fashion students. Photo: Tony Gavin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fashion forward: Evelyn Roullier with some of her fashion students. Photo: Tony Gavin Its list of alumni reads like a who's who of Irish fashion and includes Ib Jorgensen, Louise Kennedy, Paul Costelloe and the late Richard Lewis. Former students have gone on to work with designers like Alexander McQueen, Burberry, high street giants Ted Baker, Primark and M&S. Mr Atkinson, Grafton Academy principal, said the new masters programme has been designed to meet specific fashion-industry needs. "This collaboration will allow us to prepare students for a career in fashion and will develop students' expertise in the business side of the fashion industry," he said. It is being delivered under ACD's accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the US agency that accredits Princeton, Columbia and Johns Hopkins universities, along with leading fashion design schools. Entry is a relevant Level 8 honours degree or a Grafton Academy diploma or international/professional equivalent. The academy will also offer a 20-week fashion buying and merchandising certificate course from September. Originally called the Grafton Academy of Dress Designing, it was the first fashion design college in Ireland and opened its doors in 1938. Video of the Day Early graduates of the academy included Neilli Mulcahy and Clodagh Phipps, who both made a significant contribution in promoting Irish fashion culture, both home and abroad. Derry Girls star Saoirse Monica-Jackson is committed to promoting Irish fashion talent abroad. The 25-year-old actress was one the A-lister in attendance at Sunday night's TV BAFTAs wearing a tulle embellished mini-dress by Helen Cody, a Dublin-based designer whose work often graces the red carpet on Amy Huberman, Sarah Greene and Saoirse Ronan. The Channel 4 star was one of the recent guests at the Peter Mark VIP Style Awards last month where she met a number of talented Irish couturiers, including Cody, who was nominated in the Best Irish Designer category. She shared some behind the scenes footage of Saoirse Monica's dress on Instagram which took 150 hours to put together. She finished off her look with a pair of nude Christian Louboutin heels and jewellery from Loulerie, the Dublin boutique which specialises in stocking exclusive, high-end brands. Derry Girls was nominated in the Best Scripted Comedy category and while they didn't take home a statue, Cork native Fiona Shaw did win Best Supporting Actress on the night. Expand Close Saoirse-Monica Jackson attends the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards 2019 at The Royal Festival Hall on May 12, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Saoirse-Monica Jackson attends the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards 2019 at The Royal Festival Hall on May 12, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images) Her red carpet choices are reflective of a self-described "passion for fashion" as she tells the new issue of Stellar magazine that she spends much of her downtime shopping. "I'm mostly working and going to meetings, meeting up with my friends and probably doing too much shopping...other than that, I'm mainly into cooking. I find that quite therapeutic. It's something I do to relax me. "Luckily my passions is my job so that just involves in some sense being an actor all of the time, whether that involves reading books or going to plays. I also unfortunately have a passion for fashion. I probably shop way more than I should." Saoirse Monica was joined by Derry Girls co-stars Nicola Coughlan, Siobhan McSweeney, Louisa Harland, Kathy Kiera Clarke, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell and Dylan Llewellyn at last night's event. Other Irish stars in attendance were Andrew Scott and Graham Norton, who hosted the festivities. Whenever there is a headline about a person who is good looking for a living talking about 'body confidence' and encouraging us plebs to accept our gross bodies, an angel gets some back rolls. It's a modern-day scourge: these conventionally attractive women 'bravely' posing in bikinis, as if getting their perfect tits out is some kind of activism. So when I saw the headline, 'Roz Purcell's Instagram advice to anyone struggling to feel comfortable in a bikini', I sharpened my claws and licked the nib of my quill: I was going to go in for the kill. The article talked about Roz learning to love her "lady bumps, lumps" and how "your body doesn't equal your worth". My blood pressure was rising. But then I had a look at her Instagram: the standard influencer fare of a bowl of fruit salad between some long crossed sun-kissed legs. But - some stretch marks, familiar-looking fake tan settling into hair follicles and blue veins peeking through skin. I had never seen follicles on Instagram before. Yes, Roz Purcell is beyond gorgeous, with a body anyone would sell their granny for. But it was strangely striking, even on her objectively beautiful behind, to see a few small dimples - the evidence of real human flesh. Plenty of the influencers talk the faux-empowered talk of body positivity, while simultaneously watching their photo angles like a hawk and smoothing over dimples and marks on editing apps. I never thought I'd say it, but - fair play, Roz. And though I can only dream of having your "lady lumps", thanks for sharing them anyway. ***** It is fashion's big day out and always, but always, the campest night of the year. This year the Met Gala made it official, with the dress-code, "Camp: Notes on Fashion" encouraging its celebrity attendees to really go hard on sequins, accessories and literary theory. The theme was taken from a 1964 Susan Sontag essay Notes on 'Camp' and not since my first year college exams has there been such gratuitous cherry-picking of skim-read and barely-understood critical theory. It was wonderful and painful to see the frantic intellectualising of celebrity outfits, with dense Sontag quotes in Instagram captions under pictures of Katy Perry dressed as a chandelier. Ezra Miller, with five hours' worth of make-up done to give him five extra eyes: "The celebration of camp is almost funereal...It's almost like it dies as it walks in the room. But I think it consumes the other as well. You know? I think it's like fire and oxygen." Video of the Day Meanwhile, Tatler wrote how Frank Ocean's aggressively plain all-black outfit was "the perfect metaphor" for one of the essay's principle. "Deliberate, self-aware camp only exists thanks to pure, naive camp, which is unintentional. Pure camp is 'dead serious', or at least likes to think that it is. Because it comes from a place of naivete, it 'always intends to be serious, but fails'." Which is the very essence of Ocean's Met Gala look." No, me neither. Not a clue. Kim Kardashian was criticised for ignoring the dress-code, wearing latex that looked as if it was dripping, but of course she herself is camper than Christmas, so maybe that was the whole point. Predictably it was the supermodels who let the side down - Karlie Kloss wore a cute mini dress, apparently oblivious to the meaning of 'camp' despite having spent a significant portion of the past five years parading down the Victoria's Secret runway in Swarovski and absolutely huge feathery wings. After having to keep our heads down in guilty mortification last year for the 'Catholic imagination' theme which saw Rihanna dress as the Pope, Ireland made a strong case for itself at last week's Gala. Samantha Barry, editor-in-chief of Glamour, nailed the theme in head-to-toe gold with too-much-and-never-enough flares and shoulder pads; disability activist and contributing editor to Vogue Sinead Burke, made history as the first little person to attend the ball - and her powerful accompanying article was shared far and wide; Saoirse Ronan wore the Carlow colours (because what's camper than Carlow?) and Michaela O'Shaughnessy purloined a few flowers from the displays for her living room - shur they'd only be thrown away otherwise. ***** For a few years now, there have been pearl-clutching accounts of how millennials are killing sex. It was given the catchy title of "the sex recession" last year, this phenomenon of 30-year-old virgins, and 26-year-olds in sexless long-term relationships. Baby Boomers (no one asked you, Baby Boomers) took the opportunity to boast about they submit to their husbands once a week, on Wednesdays, and have done since 1972, and darkly muttered about how it was all this 'consent' nonsense that's ruining it for the snowflakes. Last week, the findings from the most recent National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in the UK dropped. The results, as usual, were damning: young people are screwed (metaphorically). Large numbers of us experience problems like pain or anxiety during sex, the inability to climax and finding intercourse difficult, apparently. However, although it was reported as another nail in the coffin of millennialism, a closer look at the numbers let us off the hook: they were actually talking about Gen Z, the generation born after 1996. A third of sexually active men aged 16-21 and 44.4pc of sexually active young women of the same age experienced unhappiness and sexual problems, according to the survey. The boys worry about climaxing too quickly, the girls about climaxing not at all. This checks out: I suspect that if the stats were broken down more specifically by age, we'd find that third of 16-21 year olds actually represents more like 100pc of 16 and 17-year-olds. Because what teenage boy, whether in 2019 or 1979 or 1949, has felt any level of sexual confidence, and lasted more than two minutes? Similarly, the 'huge' proportion of 'women' who don't orgasm during sex, according to the survey, are likely to be victims of said teenage boys; between them, they won't know one end of a vulva from the other. And that's very anxiety inducing indeed. And so it seems we are probably not in the midst of a sexual emergency, with entire generations growing up crippled by anxiety because of sex education and the internet. Back down, Baby Boomers, the kids will be all right. But as for us millennials - I don't know what our excuse is. South Africa's president has vowed to purge his party of "bad and deviant tendencies" as he prepares to appoint a new cabinet following a victory in national elections. The 57pc share of the vote was the worst-ever election showing for the African National Congress (ANC), which has ruled since the harsh apartheid system of racial discrimination ended 25 years ago. The party won 62pc of the vote in 2014. Low voter turnout of 65pc in the May 8 election also reflected the frustration of many South Africans after corruption scandals around the ANC that led former president Jacob Zuma to resign last year under party pressure. Turnout was 74pc in 2014. Current president Cyril Ramaphosa - in his first speech to supporters since the election win - said he would not appoint leaders who worked "to fill their own pockets". He told thousands of supporters in downtown Johannesburg that "we are going to end corruption whether they like it or not". The revelations by a government commission investigating graft, often aired live on television for fascinated South Africans, "must be things of the past," the president said. Mr Ramaphosa, however, is believed to be facing a revolt within the party by Zuma allies, one that could surface in the coming weeks as he decides on the make-up of his new government. Observers have said South Africa's economy, the most developed in sub-Saharan Africa, would be further weakened if Mr Ramaphosa is removed by his own party. He narrowly won the party leadership in late 2017, weeks before Mr Zuma was pushed out. Mr Ramaphosa yesterday urged ANC leaders to not hang out the party's "dirty linen in public" and said the party must be renewed "so that we cleanse it of all the bad and deviant tendencies". In South Africa, the president and parliament are not elected directly. The number of votes won by each party determines how many representatives are sent to the national 400-seat legislature. The president of the country is the leader of the party that gets the most votes. The ANC slipped to holding 230 parliament seats, while the main opposition Democratic Alliance now holds 84 and the populist Economic Freedom Fighters have 44. The EFF gained ground in just its second presidential and parliamentary election, winning 10.7pc of the vote, up from 6.3pc five years ago. Meanwhile, thousands of ANC supporters took to the streets of downtown Johannesburg to celebrate victory despite a lower share of the vote. "Ramaphosa has done the right thing by targeting corruption. It helped us win the election," said Tlaleng Radebe (45), an ANC member from Soweto township on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Another ANC member, Themba Shabalala (39), said he wanted to see Mr Ramaphosa, a union leader turned business tycoon, rid the country of the "scourge of unemployment". Around 27pc of South Africans do not have jobs. Mr Radebe and Mr Shabalala were part of a crowd of several thousand wearing the ANC colours of black, green and gold outside the party's headquarters, Luthuli House. Music blared from speakers and people waved party flags before Mr Ramaphosa and other ANC officials addressed them. Police in Arizona, US, have returned an emu back to its owner after the bird was found wandering the area. Officers at Phoenix Police Department were called to the bird on Sunday, where it had got loose and started roaming around the street. Posting a photo of the bird on Twitter, the department said: An emusing story Glad we were able to escort this bird home. The department continued: At around 6am, Phoenix Police responded to the area of 65th Street and Cactus Road for a call of a large bird loose in the area. An emusing story... Glad we were able to escort this bird home. #FindTheBLUEinYou #joinphxpd pic.twitter.com/RZsmpdrCh1 Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) May 12, 2019 Officers were able to secure the pet bird and located the owner after we posted it to social media. Thanks to a nearby Scottsdale PD officer for holding on to it until we can escort it home. Grounded: Firefighters work with a hose on the plane in the accident at Mandalay Airport in Myanmar. Passengers walked away unhurt. Photo: Aung Thura via AP A hero pilot landed his plane without front wheels, saving the lives of 89 people during an emergency at Mandalay International Airport in Myanmar. All 82 passengers and seven crew members aboard Flight UB103 from Yangon were unhurt after the Brazilian-made Embraer 190-LR touched down on its rear sets of wheels yesterday, before the plane's nose tilted down to scrape the runway, sending off a shower of sparks as it slowed to a stop. Captain Myat Moe Aung warned the control tower before landing that he was unable to pull down the nose wheels. He tried a back-up emergency procedure to pull down the wheels but that was unsuccessful. The aircraft did two fly-bys past the tower for air controllers to check visually whether the wheels had deployed. The captain followed emergency procedures to dump fuel to reduce the landing weight, and made a safe landing at 9.09am. Video apparently shot by one of the passengers and posted online showed an urgent but orderly evacuation of the passengers and crew. Passengers were seen walking away from the plane across the airfield, several of them smiling. Flights were suspended for more than two hours. Burkina Faso has been beset by a rise in attacks in 2019. Photo: PA Gunmen killed six people including a priest outside a Catholic church in Burkina Faso, the second attack on Christians in two weeks in a nation increasingly overrun by jihadists. Congregants were leaving church around 9am in the town of Dablo in the Central North region when about 20 men encircled them and shot six dead. The attackers then burned the church, looted stores and left, Dablo mayor Boucary Zongo said. "These terrorist groups are now attacking religion with the macabre aim of dividing us," a government statement said. Burkina Faso has been beset by a rise in attacks in 2019 as groups with links to Isil and al-Qa'ida based in neighbouring Mali seek to fuel local tensions and extend their influence over the porous borers of the Sahel, the arid scrubland south of the Sahara. The government declared a state of emergency in several northern provinces bordering Mali in December because of deadly Islamist attacks. But violence has only worsened since. Two French soldiers were killed in an operation to rescue four people taken hostage in Burkina last week, France said. In late April, unidentified gunmen killed a pastor and five congregants at a Protestant church, also in the north of the country. Energy giant E.Ons UK earnings have dived after it was dragged down by the impact of the energy price cap. The energy provider blamed keen competition and the increase in the level of the new default tariff price cap as UK earning slumped by 90 million euro (77 million). Its customer solutions business in the UK remained under considerable pressure, it said, after recording a 200 million euro (173 million) decline in UK sales over the three months to March 2019. UK customer numbers declined by roughly 200,000 over the quarter, from 6.6 million at the end of 2018, chief financial officer Marc Spieker said. E.On reported a reduction in power and gas volumes over the period in the UK. The decline in volumes follows British Gas owner Centricas announcement on Monday that warm weather would affect its results for the first half of the year. Centrica said it saw a challenging start to 2019 after it lost another 234,000 UK household customer accounts over the first four months of the year British customers have been quick to change energy providers after Ofgem introduced higher price caps designed to protect those on poor value deals. Earlier this year, E.On said that customers on its standard variable gas and electricity tariff would see bills increase by about 117 from 1,137 to 1,254 from April 1 as a result of the regulator changes. Gains in Germany helped buoy the global business, which stuck to its profits guidance for the year following an overall increase in sales for the quarter. Sales for the quarter rose by 4.5% year-on-year to 9.2 billion euro (7.9 billion), as it also benefited from growth in its renewables segment. Group adjusted earnings before interest and tax fell 8% to 1.67 billion euro (1.44 billion), while its retail unit saw a 44% fall in profits. Marc Spieker, E.On chief financial officer, said: Aside from the special case of the United Kingdom, our core businesses delivered a solid performance. We can therefore unequivocally reaffirm our forecast for the 2019 financial year. 'Game Of Thrones' star Maisie Williams has told how she struggles with feelings of self-hate and said it has been "impossible to turn a blind eye" to negative comments on social media since becoming famous. The actress rose to fame playing Arya Stark in the hit fantasy drama in 2011, the year she turned 14. Williams said of social media: "It got to me a lot because there's just a constant feed in your back pocket of what people think of you. It's impossible to turn a blind eye. When people are on social media they feel like whatever they write, no one's gonna see it, no one's gonna read it but they do and it will affect them for a really long time. "When I do feel myself going down a rabbit hole, it gets to a point where you're almost craving something negative so you can sit in a hole of sadness." 'Mrs Mays government hopes Britons elected to the European Parliament will not need to take their seats.' Photo: House of Commons/PA Wire THE Conservatives have admitted the European elections will be painful, after the party slumped into fourth place in an opinion poll, far behind Nigel Farage's new Brexit Party in top spot. Almost three years since Britain voted to leave the EU, the Brexit process has become mired in chaos with Prime Minister Theresa May's inability so far to get a deal through parliament fuelling anger among voters. With little movement in talks between the government and the opposition Labour Party, the elections to the European Parliament on May 23 will offer a new opportunity for voters to show discontent. Both of Britain's main parties, which are deeply divided over how to leave the EU, will be punished by frustrated Britons at the ballot box. "I don't think anyone is in any doubt these are going to be difficult elections for us... for some people this is the ultimate protest vote opportunity," Education Secretary Damian Hinds said yesterday. According to the latest Opinium poll for the 'Observer' newspaper, Mr Farage's party is on 34pc before the European election, with Labour in second place on 21pc and the Tories back in fourth on 11pc. Mrs May's government hopes Britons elected to the European Parliament will not need to take their seats. She aims to get a divorce deal passed by parliament before the end of June. But talks with Labour, to try to secure what ministers describe as the "stable majority" in parliament to get the Withdrawal Agreement ratified, have yet to find a breakthrough which would offer the government opposition votes. Labour policy chiefs offered little optimism that an agreement was in the offing, and Gavin Williamson, who was sacked as defence minister this month, said yesterday the talks "can only ever end in tears". Meanwhile, a poll in the 'Daily Telegraph' found the Brexit Party has overtaken the Conservatives in national polling for the first time, with Nigel Farage predicted to win 49 seats in a general election. The ComRes survey found that if a general election campaign led by Mrs May took place now, Labour would become the largest party by a margin of 137 seats, allowing Jeremy Corbyn to lead a minority government as the Tories fell to third place in terms of vote share. It would give the Tories their worst result in history - confirming the fears of Conservatives who decry the prime minister's handling of Brexit. Pope Francis's comments on women deacons show the Catholic Church is a "men's church", according to the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP). The organisation, which represents more than 1,000 Irish priests, expressed disappointment over the Pope's comments on women deacons while on the papal flight back to Rome after his three-day visit to Bulgaria and Macedonia. The pontiff revealed that the commission he appointed in 2016 to study the issue of women deacons was divided and could not reach a consensus on whether women who served as deacons in the early Church were ordained in the same way as male deacons. He said the commission could go no further. This weekend, the ACP said the Pope's comments were "an enormous blow to reforming the Church" and sent "all the wrong messages about women", adding that "it confirms that women are not good enough, and that in the eyes of the official Church, men are more worthy than women". The priests' group accused the Pope of "kicking the can down a timeless road" on the issue and said women's gifts would continue to be wasted. Co Limerick parish priest Fr Roy Donovan, an ACP spokesman, called on Irish bishops to demand concrete practical actions from Pope Francis to open up all structures of the Church to women. "We are seeing the end of an era in the Church where priests took over so many ministries," Fr Donovan told the Irish Independent. He said many women were already doing a lot of what a deacon does. Meanwhile, the Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research has said the lack of unanimity on the papal commission is likely to be used by the Vatican to continue excluding women from the diaconate. According to Miriam Duignan, a trustee of the Wijngaards Institute, manuscripts with identical ordination rites to the diaconate for men and women are preserved in the Vatican library itself. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) The endorsement of President Rodrigo Duterte seems to have worked for Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella, who so far currently leads the city's mayoral race against reelectionist Tomas "Tommy" Osmena and three other rivals. According the partial and unofficial tally of the Cebu City Board of Canvassers Monday, Labella, a PDP-Laban bet, is on top of the race with 245,658 votes against Osmena who got 228,690 votes. Third in the ranking is independ bet Paul Osmena with 2,540 votes, followed by Junry Concepcion and John Dayondon with 930 votes and 652 votes, respectively. At the homestretch of the 2019 polls, Labella's candidacy gained a major boost after he was endorsed by Duterte during a private meeting in Malacanang. Reports said the two also discussed plans for Cebu City. Osmena has been the city's chief executive for several terms since 1987. He first became the city's mayor from 1987 to 1995, then began another three-term stint in 2001 up to 2010. He lost the mayoral race in 2013 but was reelected in 2016. This is a developing story. Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has warned of a wave of approaching economic hardships that will be worse than during the 1980s war with Iraq as "unprecedented" pressure from international sanctions brings the country to its knees. "During the war we did not have a problem with our banks, oil sales or imports and exports, and there were only sanctions on arms purchases," he said. "But I do not despair and have great hope for the future and believe that we can move past these difficult conditions provided that we are united." The leader's comments, made to activists in Tehran, come as US-Iran relations, frosty since President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal a year ago, hit a new low. Last week, the US deployed forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to counter what it says is a rising threat from Iran to US forces. The presence of USS Abraham Lincoln, replacing a carrier rotated out last month, has been seen as a clear provocation by Iran's security establishment. "An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now... the threats have switched to opportunities," said Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Iranian Guards' aerospace division. "If [the Americans] make a move, we will hit them in the head." The commander of the Guards accused the US yesterday of starting a "psychological war" in the region. The regional sabre-rattling is picking up pace, with Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz yesterday warning that Israel may be in the line of fire from Iran-sponsored Hizbollah if the stand-off escalates. Back in Tehran, Mr Rouhani's warning of hard times to come appears designed to rally support for his embattled government, which has been criticised by hardliners since Mr Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal. Despite the increasingly loud voices of hawkish members of his administration, Mr Trump appears open to discussion, saying he wanted to talk. ( Daily Telegraph, London) U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a meeting with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria U.S. President Donald Trump greets Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria U.S. President Donald Trump praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday, describing him as "like me, a little controversial," and brushing off concerns about threats to democratic norms in Hungary during Orban's tenure. Welcoming the right-wing Hungarian leader for a meeting in the Oval Office, Trump lauded him for being tough on immigration, a policy area in which the two leaders have similar visions. "He's a respected man. And I know he's a tough man, but he's a respected man," Trump said, when asked whether he had concerns about a weakening of democracy in Hungary. "He's done the right thing, according to many people, on immigration. And you look at some of the problems that they have in Europe that are tremendous because they've done it a different way than the prime minister," said Trump, who is often accused by critics of being too close to authoritarian leaders. Expand Close Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria Orban, a nationalist, has often had conflicts with the European Union over his anti-immigration campaigns and judicial reforms. He clashed with the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, over what critics said was an erosion of democratic values by his government. Trump has also pushed what critics consider an anti-immigrant policy agenda, calling for a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico and banning travelers from several Muslim-majority countries at the beginning of his time in office. Orban noted that his government had been elected several times. Expand Close U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a meeting with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a meeting with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria "From the people, by the people, for the people. This is the basis for the Hungarian government," he said, adding, when pressed about the issue: "We have a new constitution accepted in 2011 and it's functioning well." He said Hungary was proud to stand with the United States on "fighting against illegal migration" and other issues. Senior Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. Congress told Trump in a letter on Friday they were concerned about Hungary's "downward democratic trajectory" and its close relationship with Russia. Hungary is a NATO ally. Trump is often accused of cozying up to autocratic leaders. He has sought a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin despite Russian meddling in the 2016 election and has praised his own relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with whom he has held summits in Singapore and Vietnam. Trump projected an air of kinship with Orban. "Highly respected. Respected all over Europe," Trump said. "Probably, like me, a little bit controversial, but that's okay. That's okay. You've done a good job and you've kept your country safe." Protesters shout slogans during a rally in Tirana on Monday (Hektor Pustina/AP) Anti-government protesters in Albania have hurled firebombs and flares at riot police standing in front of the main government building. Thousands of demonstrators, many holding umbrellas, were standing in driving rain as thick clouds of white smoke from flares hung above them on Monday. Protests over the weekend turned hostile, with opposition supporters showering police officers with firebombs as they responded with tear gas. Injuries were reported on both sides. Expand Close Protesters throw petrol bombs at the National Police Headquarters during clashes in Tirana on Monday (Hektor Pustina/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters throw petrol bombs at the National Police Headquarters during clashes in Tirana on Monday (Hektor Pustina/AP) Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama denounced the violent behaviour of protesters, saying Albania is damaged. Before Mondays protest, the Interior Ministry said the opposition would try to repeat the same acts of violence. But the opposition Democratic Party accused the government of trying to stir up confrontation, conflict and fear among citizens. We assure citizens that the Democratic Party is committed only to a peaceful protest, it said. Expand Close A protester falls as he tries to remove a fence (Hektor Pustina/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A protester falls as he tries to remove a fence (Hektor Pustina/AP) The opposition has been holding protests since mid-February, accusing government officials of corruption and stealing votes in the parliamentary election two years ago. They are demanding a transitory government and an early election. Opposition politicians relinquished their seats in parliament in protest, though many vacancies ultimately were filled by other opposition candidates. The governing Socialists have 74 seats in the 140-seat parliament. Violent demonstrations are damaging Albania's democratic reform efforts and the country's prospects for moving forward on the EU pathUS Embassy in Tirana A US Embassy statement in Tirana on Monday called on opposition leaders to condemn violence and ensure that all future public protests are orderly and peaceful. Violent demonstrations are damaging Albanias democratic reform efforts and the countrys prospects for moving forward on the EU path, it said, urging them to engage in a constructive dialogue aimed at bringing an end to the political impasse. European parliamentarians also called on Albanians to restrain from all forms of violence because the recent violence could give the wrong impression that Albania is not ready for the opening of the accession negotiations in June this year. Italian, German and British embassies also called for a peaceful protest and enter into dialogue. Albania expects to hear in June whether the EU will grant its request to launch full membership negotiations. Swedish prosecutors are to reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, deputy director of prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson announced. She told a press conference in Stockholm that circumstances had changes following Assange's arrest last month when he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he had lived for almost seven years. Swedish prosecutors dropped the rape investigation in 2017 because they were unable to proceed while he remained inside the embassy. Assange had also faced investigation for a second sex-related allegation in Sweden, which was dropped in 2017 because the statute of limitations had expired. He denied both allegations. Eva-Marie Persson said: "The prosecutor will shortly request that Julian Assange be detained in his absence suspected on probable cause for an allegation of rape from August 2010. "To be able to execute a detention order, the prosecutor will issue a European Arrest Warrant. An application for a detention order will be submitted to Uppsala District Court, as the suspected crime took place in Enkoping municipality. "On account of Julian Assange leaving the Ecuadorian embassy, the circumstances in this case have changed. I take the view that there exists the possibility to take the case forward. "Julian Assange has been convicted of a crime in the UK and will serve 25 weeks of his sentence before he can be released, according to information from UK authorities. "I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US. "In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority. The outcome of this process is impossible to predict. "However, in my view the Swedish case can proceed concurrently with the proceedings in the UK. Reopening the investigation means that a number of investigative measures will take place. "In my opinion a new interview with the suspect is required. It may be necessary, with the support of a European Investigation Order, to request an interview with Julian Assange be held in the UK. Such an interview, however, requires Julian Assange's consent." Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks said: "Since Julian Assange was arrested on April 11 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case. "Recall that it was initially dropped in 2010 when a prosecutor concluded that, 'no crime at all' had occurred. It was reopened as WikiLeaks prepared to publish the Iraq War Logs. "This case has been mishandled throughout. After the Swedish prosecutor refused to question Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy for years, it was only when forced by Swedish courts that she travelled to London to finally question Assange. "Then Sweden wanted to drop its arrest warrant for Assange as early as 2013. It was the British government that insisted that the case against him continue. "Since the investigation was closed in 2017, we have received reports of the destruction of records and correspondence on behalf of UK and Swedish authorities, surely an impediment to a thorough investigation. "Assange was always willing to answer any questions from the Swedish authorities and repeatedly offered to do so, over six years. The widespread media assertion that Assange 'evaded' Swedish questioning is false. "This investigation has been dropped before and its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name." Swedish prosecutors are set to reveal whether they will reopen a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Eva-Marie Persson, Swedens deputy director of public prosecutions, is scheduled to hold a news conference in Stockholm at 10am BST. If Sweden relaunches the case, that could leave the UK with a decision to make on whether to extradite Assange to the Scandinavian country or the United States. Expand Close The WikiLeaks founder had stayed at the Ecuadorian embassy in London for several years (Victoria Jones/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The WikiLeaks founder had stayed at the Ecuadorian embassy in London for several years (Victoria Jones/PA) Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010. Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which could not be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations in that case expires in August 2020. The case was opened following complaints from two Swedish women who said they were the victims of sex crimes committed by Assange. He has denied the allegations, asserting that they were politically motivated and that the sex was consensual. A police officer who heard the womens accounts decided there was reason to suspect they were victims of sex crimes and handed the case to a prosecutor. Assange left Sweden for Britain in September 2010. In November that year, a Stockholm court approved a request to detain him for questioning. The Australian took refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden. He was arrested by UK police on April 11 after Ecuador revoked his political asylum, accusing him of everything from meddling in the nations foreign affairs to poor hygiene. Currently, Assange is in Londons Belmarsh Prison serving a 50-week sentence for jumping bail in 2012. He is also being held on a US extradition warrant for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. If there are competing extradition requests from Sweden and the US, UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid is expected to have the final say over which claim takes priority. Ask those presidential candidates to explain the mess we call an election A story that journalism should report often: Our election framework needs a serious fix Indian Country Today Candidates are telling us why they should be the next president. And there are a lot of them. At least 20 Democrats , a major independent, and two Republicans, including the incumbent, Donald J. Trump. Many even have policy proposals that should get notice in Indian Country. One would return control of the Black Hills to the Lakota people. Several promise universal health insurance. Several have track records working with tribes as governors. At least two have serious approaches to climate change. Yet most have little or no footprint when it comes to treaty rights or policy issues that impact Indian Country. Those issues are not found on their campaign computer screens. Still most voters in Indian Country will sort through the lists hoping to find that one candidate who best understands the history and relationship between Americas Indigenous people and the government that is the United States. Who will work to help Indian Country reach its potential? Who will best honor the treaties? Who will bring more of our voices into the body politic at all levels from Congress to the cabinet? Who is that? Before picking any candidate we should consider the process itself. The way the United States picks its head of state makes no sense. This is a story that journalism should report often: The election framework needs reform. Lets start with the big picture. The point of an election is to ensure representation. It is a fact that American Indians and Alaska Natives are underrepresented in every government office. The result comes up short no matter which metric is used, population, property and land base, or historical promises. Charles Curtis, a citizen of the Kaw Nation, served as vice president from 1929 to 1933. He is the only Native American to have done so in the history of the United States. Photo: U.S. Library of Congress #RepresentationMatters There are a lot of ways to calculate the population. Lets use the Census Bureaus count of American Indians and Alaska Natives alone or in combination with other races. The total is 5.2 million or 1.7 percent of the US population. And how does that compare to any level of governance? Congress doubled the number of Native Americans serving in the House to four, two Democrats and two Republicans. That equals 2 out of 435, plus another 100 in the Senate, or three-quarters of one percent. (The actual number is .74766355 percent.) Congress even fails the representation test compared to the demographics of the nation. The 116th Congress is the most diverse ever, yet women only make up 25 percent of the Senate and 23 percent of the House. And the freshman class in the House includes at least 23 people of color, or about 22 percent. (All of the most recently elected senators are white.) Thats one of the closest markers: People of color make up about 26 percent of the country. And in the executive branch? There has only been one tribal citizen to serve as a president or vice president in the entire history of the country. And in the cabinet? Historically the commissioner of Indian Affairs and now the assistant secretary of the Interior (for Indian Affairs) or assistant secretary for Health and Human Services represents the ceiling (plus one solicitor in the Interior Department). Compare that to Canada. When the Trudeau government began there were two First Nations' represented as ministers, including the attorney general. (A number that is now back to zero representation.) The lowest representation in the U.S. government is at the federal courthouse. There are 870 Article III judges -- those appointed for life -- and there is one tribal citizen, U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa in Arizona. She is a member of the Hopi Tribe. And the math? That would be a little better than one-tenth of one percent. Or 0.11494252873563218 percent. Of all the data this is the most extraordinary. Indian Country has a long history of relations before the federal courts, cases that define tribal sovereignty, who is a tribal citizen, and the status of our own lands. And so to not be represented in the judicial sphere is an absolute failure of democratic institutions. Participants in Native Nations Rise gather outside of the headquarters of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on March 10, 2017. Whose property rights? A lesson from Standing Rock The United States government was designed to elevate property rights over representation. Officially, at least, the founders claim that property rights are supposed to be as important as individual freedoms. James Madison said as much in Federalist 54: Government is instituted no less for the protection of the property than of the persons of individuals. But it was clear that ultimately property was more important than individual rights. Madison later wrote that protection of the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate ... is the first object of government. But the first object of government does not include the property owned by Indian Country. The Department of Agriculture estimates that 60 percent of the land in the country is privately owned by individuals and companies; the federal government owns 29 percent; state and local governments own nine percent; and land owned by tribes accounts for about two percent. That means tribes are huge landowners with some 55 million acres from coast to coast. Its funny but that two percent metric ought to be in play again. Indian Country should have a say two times out of every 100 decisions involving land. Thats preposterous, of course, because some landowners have more say than others. In South Dakota (only the latest example) that picking one property right over another is the legislative protection for an oil pipeline. A new law that the state calls necessary for the support of the state government and its existing public institutions and its design is to prevent disruptive demonstrations against the Keystone XL pipeline. Both property rights and free speech are less important than this government-sanctioned private enterprise. And the same governmental power is used to strip property owners, land owners, of their very property. A Canadian company, TransCanada Corp., last year filed eminent domain actions against farm owners that did not want their land used for the purpose of a pipeline. The property rights of Native people have been ignored throughout the countrys history. Where to begin? This is a long list. My familys land was taken for an Army air base in Idaho. Tribes in the midwest have lost land (and communities) for dams . And under current law a tribe has to exist before 1934 to have the protection of trust land (double-edged sword that it is). (The subject of a presidential tweet on Wednesday.) Property rights as a governing framework? Perhaps it should be tried sometime. Republicans shouldnt vote for H.R. 312, a special interest casino Bill, backed by Elizabeth (Pocahontas) Warren. It is unfair and doesnt treat Native Americans equally! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2019 The supreme law of the land There is no question what the Constitution says about treaties with tribal nations. The supremacy clause found in Article VI, Clause 2 establishes treaties as the supreme law of the land. Yet the ignorance of that supremacy clause is pretty much a history of the country. (Again, there is a long list.) But in the area of governance, or representation, the failure of the supremacy clause is particularly egregious. Congress had the idea in 1830 that a delegate from the Choctaw Nation would be a good thing. So it included the provision in the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek . Other treaties had this provision. An official delegate in Congress still makes sense because it would codify the representation of Native people. There are six Delegates in Congress now, representing Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Indian Country is a natural fit in this picture. The Navajo Nation, a geographic, political entity, is far larger and has more people than the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa or the Northern Mariana Islands. The House could make this treaty right so with a majority vote. One vote by the majority party and there could be representation for tribal nations in the halls of Congress. "I am a Native voter." Photo: Alyssa Macy Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon Indianpendent voters Beyond Indian Country there is another question we should ask every candidate? Why is the system still rigged to favor only Democrats and Republicans? The world has changed. Independents outnumber Democrats or Republicans. survey by Pew Research in 2016 found that 38 percent of those surveyed describe themselves as Independents, up from 32 percent in 2008 and 30 percent in 2004. The big picture, Pew found, is that Independents today are more numerous that at any point in the last 70 years. So the question for any candidate ought to be: How does a country with a rigged, two-party system, reinvent itself as a multiparty democracy? There are many ways to do that, examples from other countries where the democratic institutions are more reflective of the population. In a paper for Stanfords Social Innovation, author George Cheung made that case As a generation, millennials are more ethnically diverse, hold more progressive views on social issues, and are more likely to favor a strong role for government than previous cohorts. How does this translate into affiliating with political parties? Cheung asked. A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center in early 2014, found that about half of millennials did not identify with either the Democratic or Republican political party, an increase from 38 percent in 2004. Further, only 31 percent of millennials saw big differences between the two parties, compared to 43 percent of all respondents in the same survey. Cheung linked the need for reform with voter apathy. Modernizing our system of election administration is critical to removing barriers to participation and instilling confidence that each vote will be counted, he wrote. But if voters do not have meaningful choices at the ballot box, why should they bother to show up? Its impossible to funnel the ideas of a country with 320 million people into two options. We need a better path for third, fourth and fifth parties, that starts with ballot access. The Green Party only made the ballot in 20 states. The Libertarian Party is in a little stronger shape, but still short of fifty state access. There is also the Constitution Party and its on the ballot in nearly 30 states. There are a lot of reforms worth considering, ranging from ranked choice voting to a presidential runoff election. Four years ago a run-off requirement would have meant a second ballot between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. One candidate would have had to get an actual majority before winning the election (instead of 46 percent). (And, as I have written before, I would love to see Indian Country have its own presidential primary because it would force candidates to answer questions about treaties, land, and even property rights for Native people.) Investing in fairness Even with the system now in place there is a problem. It favors status quo and yet some governments want to skew the vote even more in the cause of less representation. report on voting in January by the Native American Rights Fund and its Native American Voter Coalition found that over the past decade, a range of new suppressive registration and voting laws and practices have been implemented including: Restrictions on the hours, days and places that people can register and vote; Requirements that people provide government issued identification before voting; the removal of eligible voters from the lists of registered voters. Opponents of these measures argue that these laws disenfranchise large numbers of African Americans, Latinos, the poor, the elderly and the young, the report said. Little or no attention has been paid to whether Native Americans face similar substantial barriers in trying to register and vote in non- tribal elections. The voting rights coalition looked at elections in Arizona, New Mexico, South Dakota and Nevada. The problems began with the first step, registration. It was the number one reason cited in all four states for failing to register. The second most cited reason in all four states at a consistent rate was missing the deadline, and the third was a lack of interest in politics, the Native American Voting Rights Coalition said. The thing is: There is a solution. Voter registration works better when matched with other services, such as health care, motor vehicle registration or drivers licenses. The key point is that governments, all governments, should be encouraging every citizen to vote instead of making each and every step more difficult. Anything less is unfair and anti-democratic. Period. The idea of democracy pre-dates the United States. Tribes across the Americas had a variety of tools for citizen participation. Some used deliberative councils and others had a variety of designated, specific offices such as the peace chief. The People were involved. The goal still must be for every citizen to have a say. So before we pick a presidential candidate, any candidate, let's hear their plan to improve the mechanics of representation. 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 12, 2019. Join the Conversation The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is holding a business meeting on Wednesday to consider pending legislation. Three bills are on the agenda for the meeting . They are: S.279 , the Tribal School Federal Insurance Parity Act. The bipartisan bill provides employees of tribal grant schools with the ability to participate in federal health and life insurance programs. A hearing took place on May 1, with the Oglala Lakota Nation Education Coalition calling for passage in order to help tribal grant schools recruit and retain teachers in their communities. We have trouble recruiting staff due to the cost of their benefits, which is a really important component of a schools ability to bring in highly-qualified teachers, said Cecilia Fire Thunder, the president of the coalition. S.832, A bill to nullify the supplemental treaty between the United States and Confederated Tribes and Bands of Indian of Middle Oregon, concluded on November 15, 1865 . A hearing took place on May 1, with the Warm Springs Tribes calling for the repeal of the "fraudulent" agreement , which purports to restrict the rights of his people. "My tribe has never recognized it and the federal government has never sought to enforce it," Warm Springs council member Ron Suppah said of the disputed treaty. S.1207 , the Navajo Utah Water Rights Settlement Act. The bill ratifies a water rights agreement between the Navajo Nation, the state of Utah and the federal government. A hearing hasn't taken place in the 116th Congress but a prior version was advanced by the committee during the last session. "Many of our people still lack running water and this settlement will bring much-needed water infrastructure to build our communities and economy," Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said of the settlement. Approval of the bills at the business meeting clears the way for the legislation to be considered by the full Senate The business meeting takes place at 2:30pm Eastern on Wednesday. It will be immediately followed by an oversight hearing and legislative hearing Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notice Join the Conversation Notes from Indian Country The night of broken glass When the first movies came to Kyle, (Pejuta Haka, Medicine Root) on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the early 1930s, they were always shown at the school gymnasium at what is now Little Wound School. A large, white sheet was hung between two poles and this served as the movie screen. I was four years old in 1938 when I attended my first movie there. All of the small children were seated on the floor in front of the movie screen. The adults all sat on folding chairs behind us. In those days before every movie started with short subject, a short like the Three Stooges, but just before the short they always had what was known back then as a newsreel. The newsreel brought the news of the week in movie form for all of us to learn what was happening in the world. It was in mid-November of 1938 when I saw a newsreel with men marching through the streets of cities in Germany carrying lighted torches and waving flags with swastikas and wearing armbands with the same swastikas. In German they were shouting hate against the Jews and saying over and over, Blood and Soil, Blood and Soil. This was a night that became known all over the world as Kristallnacht, the night the German storm troopers began to smash the windows of all Jewish owned businesses. This was the night of broken glass. Fox Movietone News: America Condemns Nazi Terrorism Blood and Soil (German: Blut und Boden) refers to an ideology that focuses on ethnicity based on two factors, descent (Blood (of a folk)) and homeland/Heimat (Soil). It celebrates the relationship of a people to the land they occupy and cultivate, and it places a high value on the virtues of rural living. The second chant that night was Jews will not replace us. In two days and nights, more than 1,000 synagogues were burned or otherwise damaged. Rioters ransacked and looted about 7,500 Jewish businesses, killed at least 91 Jews, and vandalized Jewish hospitals, homes, schools, and cemeteries. The attackers were often neighbors. Some 30,000 Jewish males aged 16 to 60 were arrested. To accommodate so many new prisoners, the concentration camps at Dachau, Buchenwald, and Sachsenhausen were expanded. This happened in Nazi Germany on November 9, 1938. I saw it with my own eyes in the newsreels shown us in November of 1938 at Little Wound School in Kyle and I saw it again in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12, 2017 . White men and women carrying torches marched through the streets of Charlottesville chanting, Jews will not replace us and blood and soil. How could something as dreadful as this be happening in America? Is this how Trumps slogan of Make America Great Again is being interpreted by his dimwitted followers? Native Americans, Blacks, Hispanics and Asian Americans know that America never was that great. Each one of these ethnic minorities has suffered at the hands of the white supremacists. But, for a little while, we even had the remote feeling that things were getting better. And under President Obama they were. The biggest mistake Obama made to the new right is that he was black. When you see torch bearing Nazis parading on the streets of an American city shouting slogans of hate that led us into World War II, it really makes you wonder. What kind of fanatic is promoting this return to barbarism? A young lady is killed by one of the extremists when she is hit by his car. Many others are injured as this white supremist slams his car into the crowd. And Donald J. Trump, the supposed President of the United States says, There were good people on both sides. Which is his dog whistle to let the white racists know that he is on their side. Kristallnacht was the beginning of a time when 6 million Jews would be slaughtered in the concentration camps of Eastern Europe. And in America last week a group of American Nazis marched again and changed, Six million more, six million more. Instead of MAGA on the hats of the Trump followers, the hats should read, MAHA or Make America Hate Again. Like a train on a hill with no engine, we are sliding backwards fast with no brakes to stop us. Where it goes from here may not be pretty, but that is the direction America is headed and all though we, Native Americans, feel different about a lot of things in this country, many of us fought and many died in Americas wars to Make America Great and in this time of fear, we join all good and decent Americans in making an extreme effort in stopping this erosion of our Democracy. Nazism and White Supremacy have no place in this land of our ancestors. As a child of four I witnessed in a newsreel the night of broken glass and I was horrified. Hate begins in small ways and those small ways have begun. Contact Tim Giago at najournalist1@gmail.com White supremacists organized their "Unite the Right" event in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12, 2017, to defend a sculpture of a Confederate military leader. Photo: Rodney Dunning Join the Conversation Lakota Youth Head Out on Search and Rescue Mission on Horseback It took riders 10 hours to reach remote families stranded in the aftermath of the bomb cyclone that devastated the Pine Ridge community. YES! Magazine When Marvin Goings, a citizen of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Nation in South Dakota, founded a horseback riding group called Slim Buttes Riders for Lakota youth , it began as a way to keep them away from drugs and alcohol. But since a massive storm tore through Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in mid-March, his team of young Lakota horsemen and horsewomen are riding to save lives. The flooding that followed the bomb cyclone created a life-threatening situation on the already impoverished reservation. The riders are among those from the tribe working to get supplies to stranded people. The Lakota, widely known as the Horse Nation, traditionally hunted buffalo on horseback, and horses are at the center of Lakota culture. When he began Slim Buttes Riders in 2011, Goings wanted to give Pine Ridge youth experiences that connected them to this culture. Youth riders learn how to ride in the rain, snow, wind, and heat. They ride in the famed Memorial Rides , serve as funeral escorts, and go out on search and rescue missions. Many have grown up on these rides, and as they bring new friends, more youth are returning to Lakota traditions, Goings said. Slim Buttes Riders in the snow. Photo from Marvin Goings/Slim Buttes Riders Located in one of the poorest counties in the nation, Pine Ridge has been called a third-world country in the richest country in the world. Its a vast and sprawling network of towns and remote homes in the southwest part of the state, with an unemployment rate of 89% and many people who live in aging, substandard housing and overcrowded mobile homes. Charley NewHoly appealed for riders on Facebook when his nephew told him about families with children and infants living 15 miles from the nearest town of Oglala. They had been stuck behind snowed-in roads, swollen creeks, and flood waters for eight days after the storm without clean water, food, or infant formula. I knew the only way to get help to them was by horse, NewHoly says. It was nothing new to me to pack food and supplies out to the country. Goings saw NewHolys frantic appeal and put out a call on Facebook for his riders. The first day, 14 responded; the second, nine did. The youngest was 11. Were going in, rain, shine, or snow, NewHoly said. On two separate trips conducted two days in a row, he led them on 30-miles round trip from Oglala that took 10 hours on the first day, when they were breaking through thick snows and drifts frozen over the roads. Three youth joined the riders on foot the first ride, lugging water, food packages, and infant formula in their backpacks. Loading 7000 bottles of water for Oglala people. Photo from Charley NewHoly Jamie Turning Holy, who has ridden with Slim Buttes Riders for funeral escorts and in the Crazy Horse and Chief Big Foot Memorial Rides, said she grew up with the riders. Now 18 years old, she rode both days with NewHolys group. Some of the roads, she said, were nearly impassable. The flooding was terrible, Turning Holy said. Creeks and rivers that hadnt had any water running through them for years were filled up. Roads were completely washed out. Some ruts had to have been at least 5 feet deep or more. Once they arrived, though, it was the greatest feeling to look into the satisfied eyes of the children theyd helped, NewHoly said. They told him, Thank you for coming and I'm tired of drinking melted snow. Goings was a little blunter. They guzzled the water. When they left, NewHoly said, the whole world seemed to stop as they watched the sun set behind the Black Hills. Riding back, everyone became silent, lost in their own thoughts. Then one by one, in soft voices you heard, We did it. Sunset became total blackness on the prairie on the night ride back. Hearing nothing but the sounds of horse hooves and running creek waters was such a profound experience that Turning Holy said, Ill never forget it. Folks asked me why we do these things, NewHoly said. Its not for gloryits so our people may live. Thats what a warrior does. Trends in heavy rain events since earlier in the 1900s. Not only is annual rainfall increasing, but much of that extra rainfall is falling in a few yearly extreme rainfalls. That is how climate change loads the dice. #MetsUnite! pic.twitter.com/8m3p18kT69 Meteorologists United on Climate Change (@MetsUnite) March 18, 2019 The impetus for the storm was climate breakdown , reported CBS News Climate and weather meteorologist Jeff Berardelli. He called it a perfect storm of extreme weather and climate change, factors that drove the deadly phenomenon, which normally occurs in coastal areas, far inland. Since the early 1900s, annual precipitation has increased 15 to 20 percent in the upper Midwest, mostly from extreme weather events, which have caused nearly 40 percent more rain since 1958. In this case, the heavier rainfall hit tightly packed snow, so rather than being absorbed into the ground, it produced unprecedented flooding. Pine Ridge suffered some of the worst devastation from the explosive rise in the rivers. Oglala Sioux Tribe President Julian Bear Runner and Public Relations Director Chase Iron Eyes, together with the Lakota Peoples Law Project, have made repeated appeals for Federal Emergency Management Agency aid. In a video posted on the tribes website , Iron Eyes said that the process could take months. We dont have months. As of this date, FEMA has made disaster declarations for counties in Nebraska and Iowa but none for counties or tribal reservations in South Dakota. Oglala Sioux Tribe: State of Emergency Other tribes were the first to respond to the video appeal when Bear Runner posted it on Facebook. Barclay Farms on the Winnebago reservation in Nebraska donated a flatbed to haul hay for their livestock and water donated by the tribe to Pine Ridge. Volunteers drove it over 350 miles to Oglala. The Yankton Sioux Tribe donated 10,000 jugs of water. Other tribes quickly followed with their own donations. The governor of South Dakota sent the National Guard on the 13th day of flooding to distribute water to more than 8,000 residents who had been without, and 100 Red Cross volunteers distributed food, water, and cleanup kits. This writer discovered the role of Slim Buttes Riders when she donated to her cousin Saunie Wilson, a Pine Ridge resident, asking she distribute the funds wherever the need was greatest. Wilson gave it to the riders, who had continued delivering essential supplies to outlying districts in borrowed vehicles. That $300 gave us the fuel money to make another run, Goings said. When he notified the tribe of the funds, they rustled up additional donations for deliveries. We had maybe six vehicles total, Goings said. Thats our big downfall, not having enough fuel money to help as many people as need it. Left to right, Marvin Goings, South Dakota State Representative Peri Pourier, Ronnie Maria Brings Plenty, and Charley NewHoly. Photo from Marvin Goings/Slim Buttes Riders. One of their borrowed trucks turned over, nearly lost in the muck of thick, heavy mud. We borrowed another truck to pull our truck out. My son fixed the roof, so we made it drivable, Goings said. You use what you have. Thats the story of the Lakota: resilience. Their culture and traditions have endured for over 500 years. Through ancestors, elders, and youth like the Slim Buttes Riders, Lakota culture has withstood massacres, theft of the sacred Black Hills, extermination of buffalo, removal to reservations, boarding schools, and historical trauma. Now the tribe faces the devastating impacts of climate change. Residents of Pine Ridge are still recovering even as, just last week, the reservation was hit with yet another snowstorm. The snows brought new fears and fresh tears Another fear now is that the situation at Pine Ridge will be forgotten as news coverage fades, yet their needs remain immense. The damage, which the tribal government estimated could come to $100 million or more , will stretch out years, longer without outside help. Pine Ridge resident Saunie Wilson hands Marvin Goings a donation, enabling the delivery of 6 truckloads of supplies to outlying district. Photo from Saunie Wilson The Oglala Sioux Tribe is urging President Trump to provide federal disaster relief to the Pine Ridge Reservation and other flooded areas in South Dakota. Meanwhile, the Oglala Sioux Tribe has set up an Emergency Relief Fund and is accepting donations to assist with ongoing relief efforts Karin Eagle, the media relations specialist for the tribe, said that although the snow and ice have melted and the waters have receded, theyre having to deal with the challenge of roads and bridges washed out by the storms. Saunie Wilson said that as of May 8, it was still snowing in Pine Ridge. Photo from Butte County Sheriff's Office, South Dakota A lot of different people with four-wheel drives using their own private vehicles along with horseback riders are still delivering to people cut off from the main roads, she said. After the Slim Buttes Riders made the two rides to deliver aid, it was time for the youth riders to return to school. The adults in the program have continued the work, so far trucking five loads of water and hay to distant locations, including Red Shirt Village, 70 miles from the tribal offices in Pine Ridge. And volunteers from Slim Buttes Riders will continue their work, Goings said, providing any kind of aid they can to help people. Terri Hansen wrote this article for YES! Magazine . Terri is a member of the Winnebago tribe and has covered Native and Indigenous issues since 1993. Her focus is science and the environment. Follow her on Twitter @TerriHansen This article originally appeared on YES! Magazine on May 10, 2019. It is published under a Creative Commons license Join the Conversation After a really long wait, of about a year and a half, we finally have an update on Mindhunter season 2. David Fincher's detective drama about serial killers will drop its season 2 in August 2019, confirms executive producer Charlize Theron during her appearance on the Howard Stern Show. Twitter So, before Netflix could announce the date, Charlize Theron has made the big revelation already. Season two is coming out in August. I can't wait - deep, dark, it's wonderful," she said. The Fincher Analyst Mindhunter had debuted in Oct 2017. Netflix had renewed the show for yet another season in the same year itself. However, since then, the showrunners have remained quiet about it. Twitter Season 2 will showcase the story of Atlanta Child Murders. Executive producer David Fincher had confirmed this while talking to Billboard in 2017. Next year were looking at the Atlanta child murders, so well have a lot more African-American music which will be nice, he had said. Atlanta child murders is an incident that took place in 1979-1981 that left 28 children, teenagers as well as adults dead. All the victims were African-American. hearstapps.com Mindhunter revolves around agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) who work for Behavioural Sciences unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as they try to understand the patters of murderous behaviour by interviewing imprisoned serial killers. Its been long that we saw Shahid Kapoor in a film, right? The man is back with what he does the best. Giving us Kaminey and Udta Punjab vibes, Shahid Kapoor breaks bad as an alcoholic doctor and obsessive lover in the trailer of Kabir Singh. He plays the role of an alcoholic surgeon who is best at what he does, but his addiction and anger is getting out of control. The reason? He is trying to forget his lover Preeti, played by Kiara Advani. The movie is directed by Sandeep Vanga, the man who was behind the original one as well. Kabir Singh is the remake of 2017 super hit movie Arjun Reddy. Talking about playing Kabir Singh, Shahid Kapoor had earlier told IANS: I usually dont watch too many films in Telugu and it surprised me with its tonality, rawness, simplicity and the fact that it was so real and believable. The character is very fascinating for me as an actor because the emotional arc... is very original. I loved it and Vijay Deverakonda, who played Arjun, did it so well. Fun Fact: Did you know the director wanted Ranveer Singh to play the lead, but since things didnt work out, Shahid Kapoor was approached for the role. Whats more? The producers then wanted to rope in Arjun Kapoor for the role. Also, the female lead was supposed to be Tara Sutaria of Student Of The Year 2 fame. Kabir Singh is scheduled to be released on June 21. With the arrival of a baby boy on May 6, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been receiving congratulatory messages. The baby boy, Prince Archie (Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor) is in news as the British Royal family celebrates his arrival. From India, the famed Mumbai Dabbawalas have joined the group as well by sending a special gift for the royal baby Archie. Reuters While social media is abuzz with messages for the prince of Sussex, Dabbawalas from Mumbai have sent their blessings to the princeling in the form of silver jewellery all the way to the United Kingdom. Speaking to ANI, Subhash Talekar, the president of Mumbai Dabbawala Association said, "Prince Charles is our friend and has become a grandfather, so we've become grandfathers too. In Marathi culture, we present gifts to our grandchild." Mumbai's Dabbawalas have sent gifts to Archie,newborn son of Duke&Duchess of Sussex-Prince Harry&Meghan Markle. Dabbawala Assn Spox says, 'Prince Charles is our friend&has become a grandfather,so we've become grandfather too. In Marathi culture we present gifts to our grandchild" pic.twitter.com/1uo5am3naQ ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 The Dabbawalas have been celebrating almost every major event in the royal family for years now, courtesy their friendship with Prince Harry and had last year, on the occasion of Harry and Meghan's wedding, gifted a set of Maharashtrian wedding attire to the couple. PTI They have even celebrated the royal wedding by distributing sweets to patients of a government hospital in Mumbai. The relationship between the royal grandfather Prince Charles and the Dabbawalas from Mumbai blossomed during his 2003 visit to Mumbai and they even attended Charles' second marriage to Camilla making her the Duchess of Cornwall. Mumbai police have arrested a man on Sunday for allegedly flashing and touching a woman inappropriately inside an ATM kiosk. The accused has been identified as Sandeep Kumbharkar, a resident of Kopri, the Hindustan Times reported. Representational Image The incident took place in early morning at an ATM in Mulund (East) at Hari Om Nagar road as the woman had stopped to withdraw money in order to pay the rickshaw driver. While she faced an issue in withdrawing the money, the accused who was already inside the kiosk offered her to pay the driver. But when the complainant refused, he flashed her and touched her inappropriately. According to the reports, the complainant filmed the incident. The accused fled the spot as soon as he saw her filming him. She then approached the cop who were on patrol duty and showed them the video. The police nabbed the accused after chasing him for a kilometre. The person has been booked under relevant sections of the IPC. The woman took to social media and also tagged Mumbai Police. She also thanked Mumbai Police for arresting the accused. "What he did, was scary and terrifying. This was a locality wherein I felt safe. But he has ruined it for me. I can't walk the streets feeling the same sense of safety," she wrote. Nearly three months after his heroic actions inside Pakistani territory, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, is returning to work. He has now been posted to Suratgarh Air Force Base in Rajasthan. After reportedly shooting down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet, Abhinandan was captured by the Pakistan Army on February 27 and kept in captivity for nearly 60 hours. TNN report suggests that Abhinandan joined duty on Saturday. This is not the first time, when the IAF is in Rajasthan. He has also served in Bikaner. The IAF, however, has not confirmed Abhinandan's current posting. All defence postings are confidential and the only detail that we can confirm is that Wing Commander Abhinandan has been posted in Rajasthan. Further details cannot be divulged, said an official. Suratgarh Air Force Base has MiG-21 Bison aircraft and at this point it is not clear if Abhinandan will get back to flying since as per the protocol, once a pilot ejects, he is grounded. Having said that, the Wing Commanders case might be looked at differently, he added. Just a week back, a video of the Wing Commander had surfaced where he was seen interacting with the defence personnel at previous place of posting in J&K. Twitter Abhinandan was captured by the Pakistani army on February 27 after his MiG-21 Bison jet was shot down in a dogfight with Pakistani jets during an aerial combat. He took down an F-16 fighter of Pakistan before his plane was hit. He was handed over to India on March 1 following which he underwent debriefing process and was given sick leave. Wing Commander Abhinandan had to be hospitalized after he sustained injuries during his captivity in Pakistan. He was being treated at the Armys Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by the Pakistan Army on February 27 and kept in captivity for nearly 60 hours, has now been posted to Suratgarh Air Force Base in Rajasthan. He took over his assigned duties there on Saturday. This is not the IAF officers first tenure in Rajasthan as previously he had also served in Bikaner. Son of an IAF personnel, has also studied in the state when his father was posted here. However, the IAF has not confirmed the Wing Commanders current posting and an official said, All defence postings are confidential and the only detail that we can confirm is that Wing Commander Abhinandan has been posted in Rajasthan. Further details cannot be divulged. Meanwhile, local sources in Suratgarh told TOI that Abhinandan has joined the IAF station there. Suratgarh Air Force Base has MiG-21 Bison aircraft and at this point it is not clear if Abhinandan will get back to flying since as per the protocol, once a pilot ejects, he is grounded. Having said that, the Wing Commanders case might be looked at differently, added an officer. This is the officers first posting after his return from Pakistan. Just a week back, a video of the Wing Commander had surfaced where he was seen interacting with the defence personnel at previous place of posting in J&K. Twitter Abhinandan was captured by the Pakistani army on February 27 after his MiG-21 Bison jet was shot down in a dogfight with Pakistani jets during an aerial combat. A Pune man has sought permission from the Maharashtra CM, Devendra Fadnavis, for euthanasia, citing unhappiness with life. According to reports, the 35-years-old man is upset over lack of marriage proposals and unstable career. This letter was sent around 15-20 days ago. The letter said he (35-year-old man) felt he is not doing anything for his parents. He was upset with his career and lack of marriage prospects. He is okay now, Devidas Gheware, Senior Police Inspector, Dattawadi Police Station said while talking to ANI on Saturday. Reuters/Representational Image The letter was sent to Chief Ministers Office (CMO) in which the man had written about his ailing parents, according to the police officer. The officer also told ANI that his mother is 70-years-old and father is 83 years old. He felt that he is not able to do anything for them. He was having problems regarding marriage too. We counselled him, the senior police officer said. The youth is well educated and is from a well to do family. He was not frustrated just because of marriage issues. He loves his parents, added Gheware. In a shocking case of exploitation, crime and alleged police apathy in Uttar Pradesh, a widow in her late 20s was allegedly sold by her father and aunt for Rs 10,000, gang-raped by her keeper and his friends, and then turned away by the police when she approached them for help. The traumatised woman set herself on fire last month and is now battling for her life with 80% burns at a private hospital in Delhi. The woman, from Hapur in west UP, was allegedly sold after the death of her husband. The man who bought her had taken loans from several people and sent the woman as domestic help to the houses of his creditors, where she was repeatedly harassed and raped. On Sunday, Hapur SP Yashveer Singh said an FIR had now been registered against 14 persons under the sections of rape and an investigation initiated in the case. Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal has taken up her case and written to UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, seeking justice for the woman. DCW is in receipt of a representation from a survivor of gang-rape belonging to Hapur. The survivor has suffered unimaginable harassment at the hands of the UP police in Hapur who have refused to register an FIR despite repeated complaints, read the letter sent by the DCW chairperson. This insensitivity and shameful conduct of the UP police compelled the survivor to immolate herself. She is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Delhi, the letter adds. The DCW letter said the survivor was allegedly sold for Rs 10,000 to a Hapur resident. That person had borrowed money from several people and in return the survivor was forced to work as domestic help at the houses of these persons without any remuneration. Here, she was subjected to continuous harassment and gang-rape. Representational Image The woman alleged that she approached police officers as well as the Hapur SP, but they refused to register her complaint, let alone take any action against the accused, the letter says. The women tried to immolate herself on April 28. Expressing shock over the handling of the grievous matter, DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal asked the UP CM to release adequate compensation. She also called for an inquiry into the role of the Hapur police. We have received a complaint against at least 14 persons and a probe has been set up, said Rajesh Kumar Bharti, station house officer, Babugarh police station. In a video of the woman, which is being circulated on social media, the survivor can be seen saying, Police did not take any action and pushed the matter under the carpet by taking money. Apple CEO Tim Cook believes learning to code might be more important that perfecting your English. However, he doesn't believe you necessarily need to learn by taking a course on it. He reiterated once more this week, that a college degree isn't necessary to be a developer. Earlier this week, Cook was visiting an Apple store in Florida to meet with a 16-year-old scholarship winner who will be attending Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference next month. He told TechCrunch that it's impressive how accomplished the kid, Liam Rosenfeld, is with coding at such a young age. According to him, that's a perfect example of what he's said time and again. "I don't think a four year degree is necessary to be proficient at coding" Cook said. "I think that's an old, traditional view. What we found out is that if we can get coding in in the early grades and have a progression of difficulty over the tenure of somebody's high school years, by the time you graduate kids like Liam, as an example of this, they're already writing apps that could be put on the App Store." Tim Cook and Lioam Rosenfeld -TechCrunch That's not the only thing Cook thinks is outdated. He points out how businesses haven't yet embraced all the technological advances of the industry yet and for years "haven't changed a whole lot". "I think what it is is they haven't embraced mobility," Cook said. "They haven't embraced machine learning. They haven't embraced AR. All of this stuff is a bit foreign in some way. They're still fixing employees to a desk. That's not the modern workplace. Greta Thunberg started a protest against climate change outside the Swedish Parliament in August, 2018. Now, her initiative is a movement, with thousands as participants. Thunberg who has turned into one of the most compelling voices on the issue of climate change has made sure the message is driven across boundaries. Millions of students globally took part in her 'Fridays for the Future' movement calling for global awareness on the issue. Reuters Four years ago, the 16-year-old was diagnosed with Asperger's, a form of autism. But nothing dampened her spirit. In a recenrt interview with TOI, Thunberg, thanked Indian school students for becoming a part of such a big movement. "Those who arent striking, they should read about this climate crisis and see what is going on, and then they need to hold the older generation accountable," she said. She also had a very important message for PM Narendra Modi: "Take this seriously and act. Otherwise in the future you will not be taken seriously," she said with vehemence. Thunberg slammed India for emitting a lot of greenhouse gases since it has a big population and possessES dirty coal. "The most important thing everyone needs to do right now is to read and educate yourself. You will understand what you have to do. I am just a child, just a messenger." Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been shooting one wild claim after another and the Internet is exploding with memes. After his wild 'cloud theory' on Balakot airstrikes, which left many befuddled, Modi has gone ahead and made another unmissable claim on the interview some have termed 'scripted.' On News Nation, Modi was heard claiming that he was one of the first people in India to use a digital camera in 1988. And, that too, apparently to click a coloured photograph of BJP veteran leader LK Advani. Modi: "I used Digital Camera and Email in 1987-88." Fact: Kodak unveiled the first consumer digital camera (model DC 40) on March 28, 1995 in US Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) launched public Internet access in India on August 15, 1995 Modi is a pathological liar. pic.twitter.com/cCPEUigpNV Rofl Republic (@i_theindian) 12 May 2019 That's not all. He also said he was one of first few to have use electronic mail (email), back in 1988! And, of course, this information became new fodder for Netizens. From economists to authors, PM Modi reportedly got slammed from all sides. Economist Rupa Subramanya was flummoxed that while the rest of world gained access to email in 1995, Modi was the only one to use it in 1988. Even in the developed West (US, Canada) it would have been highly unusual for an average person to be sending an email as early as 1988. My first email 1996. But we know Modi is not your average person... Rupa Subramanya (@rupasubramanya) 12 May 2019 AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said he cannot possibly be trusted with our national security. @PMOIndia ke paas batwa nahi tha (kyunki paise nahi the!) lekin 1988 mein digital camera aur email tha? All of this would be really funny if it werent so embarrassing. A PM wholl literally say ANYTHING that comes to his mind cant possibly be trusted with our national security https://t.co/pmoGNQQtHi Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) 12 May 2019 Many users reminded Modi that state-owned telecommunications company VSNL had started the first internet service in India for the public in 1995! #1 Any guesses as to what @narendramodi email id was in 1988? dud@lol.com is my guess https://t.co/iVnSHtGsIn Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) 12 May 2019 #2 #FekuKaka ki Amar Kahaniyan# A riveting (56?) story collection, coming soon! Contributions welcome. pic.twitter.com/zJ6NZpUJt9 Rakesh Sharma (@rakeshfilm) 28 April 2019 #3 Narendra Modi emailing his first packet in 1988 via ARPANET on a cloudless day. pic.twitter.com/gUhEWHKsOn Amitabh Dubey (@dubeyamitabh) 13 May 2019 #4 Modi Ji has now claimed to use digital camera & email services even before its advent in India.After failing to deliver good governance,Modi ji has also failed with his research & is trying hard to bluff the people. Modi ji is justifying the famous quote "Old Habits,Die Hard". pic.twitter.com/4PUiDUwcFW Rajeev Satav (@SATAVRAJEEV) 13 May 2019 #5 The first commercial production digital camera went on sale in 1990. In 1987, Modi had a digital camera. Surely must have been this prototype. pic.twitter.com/H7b8FMclha Divider Pre Verde (@PresidentVerde) 13 May 2019 #6 Lets not blame Modi, he sees worshipful panna pramukhs gaze at him. The one thing he loves the camera is on him. The poor man gets carried away Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) 13 May 2019 The prime minister's statement from the interview was shared by the official Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and BJP Gujarat Twitter pages. They later deleted the tweets. Comedian Kunal Kamra shared morphed pictures of PM Modi in different timelines of some event and fiction series, from Avengers to Game of Thrones, with caption: "PM modi in several timelines giving people the right advice." *PM modi in several timelines giving people the right advice* pic.twitter.com/vpCCse62s8 Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) 12 May 2019 The Internet never forgets, screen-shots and clips from the Interview will remain proof as some of the most ridiculous and illogical statements ever made by a leader. If you wish to read more about the history of Internet in India click the link here. By Scott Reeves, China Daily | May 13, 2019 Boeing has met with some airlines and carriers to discuss software updates Boeing faces major technical and public relations problems as it prepares for this week's hearing of US House of Representatives subcommittee on the status of the 737 Max airliner. Daniel Elwell, acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, and Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, are scheduled to testify Wednesday in Washington, announced Representative Peter DeFazio, a Democrat from Oregon and chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. "Boeing continues to support the ongoing accident investigations and is committed to working closely with members of Congress, their staff and relevant officials," Peter Pedraza, a spokesman for Boeing in Chicago, said in a statement. All Boeing Max jets were grounded worldwide following crashes on March 10 in Ethiopia and October 29, 2018, in Indonesia. They killed a total of 346 passengers and crew. Preliminary investigations suggest the aircraft's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, an automated anti-stall device, may have forced the noses of Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines flights down and into a fatal plunge when it erroneously determined the aircraft were about to stall. Boeing has met with Southwest, American and United - the three US airlines that fly the 737 Max - and European carriers to discuss safety and software updates. The company has hired a public relations company and may run advertisements to promote the plane, The New York Times reported. The pilot or co-pilot can turn off the Max 737's automated system by pressing a button on the center console. But some pilots in the US have said Boeing did not fully inform them about the system. A group of pilots developed an ad hoc manual explaining its use and circulated it among pilots who flew the jets. Boeing's test pilots may not have known how quickly the automated anti-stall device would activate or how steeply it would point the nose of the plane down, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Seattle Times reported that federal regulators delegated much of the plane's safety review to Boeing and that the company's analysis contained key flaws. James Hall, former chairman of the Safety Board, told China Daily that lack of rigorous federal oversight may have led to problems with Max jets. The Post and Courier newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina, reported that some assembly activity was not rigorously checked by supervisors after mechanics approved their own work at a Boeing plant near Charleston. Reportedly, tools and debris have been discovered in the bodies of new planes before the planes were delivered to customers. Questions about the Max planes are beginning to hurt Boeing. In March, Boeing booked 44 orders valued at US$6.87 billion while Airbus, its European rival, booked 58 orders valued at US$6.92 billion. Wall Street analysts expect Boeing to spend about US$1 billion to update and install new software for the anti-stall system. Nevertheless, analysts expect the company to prosper in the future. Eight Wall Street investment banks or equity research firms, including Morgan Stanley and Citigroup, rate Boeing's stock "buy" while five rate the stock "hold". None rate the shares "sell". A survey conducted by TipRanks of 22 analysts setting 12-month price targets since the crashes found the average price target was US$428 a share with a high of US$500 and a low of US$333. A price target is an analyst's projected future value of a stock and it may change as new information becomes available. Boeing also faces lawsuits filed by families of those killed in the crashes alleging wrongful death, negligence and product liability. A federal court in Chicago is likely to delay action on the cases until the investigation is complete and the causes of the crashes are known, Robert Rabin, a law professor at Stanford University told China Daily. The US legal system tends to be more generous in awarding damages than any other in the world, Mark Dombroff, a Virginia attorney told China Daily. Chilean exports of iodine increased by almost 500 short tons year-on-year in the first four months of 2019, although it was not clear where the additional material came from, given that producer SQMs latest ramp-up in output was intended to build inventory. Export volumes rose by 481 tons to... The African Action Congress on Monday has suspended its presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, Omoyele Sowore; and eight others. According to reports, the suspension is to be on for a period of 6months. Swore was suspended alongside the partys Deputy National Chairman (South West), Ogunlana Rotimi Jacob, over alleged anti-party activities. The party jas now appointed Dr Leonard Ezenwa as its acting National Chairman, while Abayomi Francis Olufemi is the new Deputy National Chairman. Mazi Okwy, a member of the AAC National Executive Committee, who made this known to journalists in Abuja, said the allegation against both men bordered particularly on inflow of illegal foreign funds into the party and personally retaining same in contravention of Section 225 (3)(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), together with eight others. Ghanaian actress, Lydia Forson, has revealed that comments people make on social media affect actors and actresses in their personal lives. Lydia Forson made this statement while reacting to people accusing Chris Attoh of killing his wife, Bettie Jennifer who was shot dead on Friday. She advised that people should be mindful of the words they utter, as words have repercussion. More Gist: Please EFCC Pardon My Brothers Music Producer Begs For Release of Arrested Musicians The actress in her post stated that this is a time in Chris Attohs life that he needs to be consoled rather than being accused of killing his late wife. The actress who slammed people accusing Chris Attoh of killing his wife wrote; Chijioke Nnamani, a corp member has reportedly been imprisoned for daring to criticize the management of a certain University in Nigeria. Reports have it that Nnamani was allegedly arrested and jailed following a post he made on social media, about just how bad the school he graduated from poorly treats its staff. In a now viral post on Twitter, many are calling for his release. The post reads: Daddy Freeze called out the pastor, telling him he is a hypocrite for him to tell people to stop watching the game of thrones. In a lengthy Instagram post, he wrote: Dear Pastor, it is absolutely un-scholarly and downright hypocritical to tell people to stop watching `Game of Thrones` without telling them to also stop reading the Bible, because there is hardly any difference between the storylines of both. Game of Thrones had 865 deaths, the Bible had more than two million; David killed 200 men and cut their foreskins just to marry Sauls daughter. Game of Thrones had 17 rape cases; the Bible also had many: Davids daughter Tamar was raped by her own brother Amnon. Dinah, daughter of Jacob and Leah, was also raped and her brothers committed murder in their revenge. While many scholars suggest that David himself raped Bathsheba, Solomons mother; Solomon also murdered his own brother Adonijah because of a girl called Abishag. Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, says he is wiser now after spending almost four years as governor. The outgoing Lagos state governor said this on Monday while fielding questions from state house correspondents after his closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja. According to Ambode, who said he came to Abuja on behalf of Lagosians to thank Buhari for inaugurating some of the projects in the state, he knows better now. You see, every politician learns every day, he said. The fact remains that I came in as a technocrat, so I used to call myself a techno-politician. But I think I am wiser now. I am more of a politician than a technocrat. On his legacy in the state, Ambode said: In another 16 days or so, we will be leaving the office. But what is important is that I was able to have that opportunity to be elected as governor of Lagos State and to touch humanity in a way that I deem it fit. We did our best and most importantly the projects we did were people friendly and people central. I just think a lot more people have enjoyed the benefits and dividends of democracy than we actually met it. And that gives me joy that we were able to touch lives. Wherever you find yourself just make (a) positive difference to people and Nigerians, that is the whole essence of service. Im grateful that I had that opportunity. Nigerians have taken to their Twitter handle to refute calls by the Police chief that they request to search police officers who require to search them first before obliging the police officer. Police chiefs word: If the arrest requires the officer to conduct a search on you, demand to see the Search Warrant and comply with all legitimate instruction during the search (Note that there are a lot of instances where a policeman can search you with or without a warrant) Nigerians while reacting have said this is almost impossible. Reactions: In Nigeria or which part of the world,please Walelavender (@Walelavender) May 13, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Which officers? Nigerian officers or officers from space? the truth (@joevankas) May 13, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js For this same Nigeria? Abeg fellow Nigerians you better wise up!!!! Richard Uwayzor (@rautim) May 13, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Lol. Who wan die I dont want eczema either Victor Aikhionbare (@vicoromo1) May 13, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js By John Quigley, Bloomberg News | May 10, 2019 Viva Air, the Latin American group of carriers owned by a founder of Ireland's Ryanair Holdings Plc, has plans for a third airline in the region plus an initial public offering, to cash in on strong demand for discount air travel. The company aims to sell shares in New York within two years, Viva's biggest shareholder, Declan Ryan, said in an interview in Lima. The shares could also be listed on another exchange, such as Colombia's, he said. "We're effectively the Ryanair of Latin America," said Ryan, who was one of the founders of the budget Irish carrier. "The middle class in Latin America are moving every day. Colombia has a huge middle class so we're seeing a lot more people hopping on our planes." Low cost carriers are disrupting the transport industry across Latin America by luring travelers away from long bus journeys while forcing older airlines to cut prices. Viva has become the third-biggest carrier in Colombia, where it started seven years ago, and the number two operator in Peru where Viva Air Peru started operations in 2017. The company is considering Ecuador or Central America as the base for the third airline, Ryan said. As a precursor to the IPO, Ryan's Irelandia Aviation said Thursday that it had sold a US$50 million stake in Viva Air to Cartesian Capital Group, a New York-based private equity firm. The money will help fund the airline's pending deliveries of 50 new Airbus SE 320 jets. "Now that we have the bedrock of the equity in we can focus in on the IPO," said Ryan. "Airlines needs to be publicly listed for access to capital." Ryan said that at least US$100 million of Viva Air's equity will be put up for the IPO and that he expects the offering will value the firm, which is based near Medellin, Colombia, at more than US$500 million. Chile's low cost carriers Sky Airline and JetSmart have also expanded into neighboring countries this year. Cartesian previously invested in Argentina's Flybondi alongside former Ryanair chief operating officer Michael Cawley. Colombia and Peru will probably each get 20 of the new jets, with the rest going to the new base, Ryan said. In Central America the company favors Costa Rica and El Salvador, he said. Venezuela represents a "huge opportunity" when it overcomes its current crisis, he said. Ryan sees Viva Air flying as many as 100 planes in the region within a decade. Nigerians have taken to social media to react to the African Action Congress, AAC, announced the suspension of its national chairman and 2019 presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and nine others over alleged corruption and abuse of office. The party then appointed Leonard Nzenwa, as the new national chairman.l whom Sowore later expelled in a statement. According to the party, Sowores deliberate inability to convene or hold the constitutionally mandated quarterly meetings of the National Executive Committee and other organs of the party. In their reactions, some Nigerian Twitter users said the news of the suspension was a diversionary tactic to the Audio leaked indicting Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, just a day ago. Some reactions A day after Sowores Sahara Reporters exposed monumental fraud at Nigerias apex bank, they got a clown to suspend him from his political party. These looters got jokes. Comrade Deji Adeyanju (@adeyanjudeji) May 13, 2019 Sowore published AUDIO leak of CBN Gov, Emefiele's N500m scam yesterday, his party, AAC suspended him today. Issokay! Lere Olayinka Aresa 1 (@OlayinkaLere) May 13, 2019 @Chsrles Pemu wrote: I have trusted Sowore knowing he is one of the loyalists to @AsiwajuTinubu, but in this case about his suspension from his party should not distract Nigerians from the 500bn scandal, for it is glaring that this breaking news on his suspension is diversionary tactics. @AkinKkechukwu wrote: I believe you should start your revolution from your party. The time has come to build your party from scratch and reorganise to show democratic tendencies. You cant be the chairman and candidate Akinwunmi Ambode, the outgoing governor of Lagos state, revealed while fielding questions from journalists at the end of his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari that he is now wiser after spending four years as Governor. Nigerians while reacting to his comment have fired heavy shots at him. Reactions: Guy just dey look for ministerial position at all cost. Habeeb Olutayo (@Holutee) May 13, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Abeg, someone should tell Ambo-gone to Gbe body e!! We no get time for learners Used to be cynical about Nigerias future (@drbanj) May 13, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Hahahaha, when you are needed to be wiser you werent . Its now that you are wiser . Bros who do you this thing Juelz (@Master4_jee) May 13, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js How can? How can Ambode call himself a technocrat. What is technocrat about him?. olaomo ebunoluwa (@battablancad) May 13, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js According to reports, Betty Jennifer murdered wife of Ghanian actor, Chris Attoh was shot dead by an assassin from a drug boss who is believed to be her ex-husband. According to reports, Bettie Jenifer who was once married to a cartel boss, who is in jail never told the actor about her ex. However after news of their marriage made headlines, they started getting threats from cartel members. According to the source, it was Bettie Jenifer who convinced Chris Attoh to delete their photos from his Instagram page, to send the message to her ex-husband that they have separated. Also Read: Chris Attoh finally breaks his silence following the murder of his wife According to reports, it was alleged that Betties ex-husband was not pleased with the alleged unfaithfulness and thus ordered her murder, which led to Chris Attohs wife being shot dead by a suspect who is still on the run. South African police command has arrested a 27-year-old student at University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), for fooling KFC employees for 2 years straight by pretending to be doing inspections at a KFC outlet in Durban so as to eat free meals. The man reportedly tricked the company for two to get free food, telling them he was from the KFC headquarters to ensure quality assurance. The man whose identity is yet to be revealed was said to be very convincing in his act as he also had a name card from head office and always dressed smart and arrived in a limo. Rport also revealed that the driver of the limo, who is his friend, was also an accomplice. When he arrived we will all try to act our best so that we dont piss off man from head office, he was so convincing because he was so confident and even colleagues from other KFCs knows him When he comes in he rushed to the kitchen and check everything taking notes and then ask for samples of whatever he wants. He probably worked for KFC before because he knows everything. Graph databases, such as Neo4j, Apache Spark GraphX, DataStax Enterprise Graph, IBM Graph, JanusGraph, TigerGraph, AnzoGraph, the graph portion of Azure Cosmos DB, and the subject of this review, Amazon Neptune, are good for several kinds of applications involving highly connected data sets, such as providing recommendations based on social graphs, performing fraud detection, providing real-time product recommendations, and detecting incursions in network and IT operations. These are areas where traditional, relational databases tend to become inefficient and slow because of the need for complex SQL joins operating on large data sets. Neptune is a fully managed graph database service with ACID properties and immediate consistency, which has at its core a purpose-built, high-performance graph database engine that is optimized for storing billions of relationships and querying the graph with milliseconds latency. Neptune supports two of the most popular open source graph query languages, Apache TinkerPop Gremlin and W3C SPARQL. The popular Cypher Query Language (CQL) used in Neo4j started off proprietary, but later became open source. Gremlin and SPARQL address different kinds of graph database. Gremlin, like CQL, is for property graph databases; SPARQL is for Resource Description Framework (RDF) triples, designed for the web. Gremlin is a graph traversal language; SPARQL is a query language with SELECT and WHERE clauses. The Amazon Neptune implementation allows both the Gremlin and SPARQL languages in a single database instance, but they cant see each others data. The reason for allowing both is to let new users figure out which works better for their needs. The Neptune documentation has samples using the Gremlin-Groovy, Gremlin-Java, and Gremlin-Python variants of Gremlin. Neptune allows Gremlin in the console, HTTP REST calls, Java, Python, .Net, and Node.js programs. On the SPARQL side, Neptune supports the Eclipse RDF4J console and workbench, HTTP REST calls, and Java programs. 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. Pen Underwritings chief executive is joining hundreds of CEOs, business owners, and community and government leaders who will sleep outdoors over one of the longest and coldest nights of the year to support the many Australians who are experiencing homelessness. Pen Underwriting CEO Ken Keenan will take part in Vinnies CEO Sleepout event on June 20 in Sydney, in a bid to raise $5,000. The money will help provide homeless people with vital access to food and accommodation, as well as education, counselling, employment, and health services to help them overcome poverty in the long term. USCM said that Great-West grossly overstated fee growth projections, didnt pay fees and failed to provide dedicated staff for the program, according to a Pensions & Investments report. In January of 2018, following a two-week jury trial, the court found in favor of USCM and USME on all counts and awarded the organizations $8 million. Great-West appealed. Last week, however, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit upheld the jurys verdict in full. We are extremely gratified by this decision and the affirmation by the jury and the courts of the merits of the mayors position throughout these proceedings, said Tom Cochran, CEO and executive director of USCM. The courts decision strengthens our commitment to the health and financial wellbeing of municipal employees nationwide as we continue to fight for cities, their residents and their workers. Cyber risks will soon become bigger risks than natural catastrophes for the insurance sector, Scor Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Denis Kessler said, recommending the industry build a comprehensive, common global scale to assess cyber-related incidents. I dream of a kind of Richter scale for cyber security, Kessler said at a conference on cybersecurity held at the Bank of France, referring to the scale used to measure earthquakes. It would be very helpful to have measurement and modeling tools. Unless we can model, its very difficult for us to provide coverage. We have scenarios but not modeling tools. Cybersecurity experts and top executives in the financial sector as well as representatives from the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve and the central banks of Canada and Japan convened in Paris to assess the risk. Systemic Risk ECB Executive Board Member Sabine Lautenschlaeger said it was but a matter of time before serious incidents would hurt the systemic sector. To try and prepare for potential attacks, the Group of Seven currently presided by France will simulate a cross-border crisis next month. This is a world first and I am confident we will be able to learn a great deal from it, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said at the conference in Paris. Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy said the cybersecurity threats are a major and systemic risk to the financial sector as attacks are more frequent and public action on cyber attacks in the sector is sub-optimal. He said the crisis-simulations should be repeated to enhance the resilience of the financial system. The monetary impact of attacks so far was not so high, negligible. But I dont feel comfortable, calm, not at all, it is a question of time, let me be very clear, Lautenschlaeger said. She called on the financial institutions to review their information systems infrastructure, conduct stress tests and joint exercises to improve their resilience, she said. $600 Billion a Year While the cost of cyber risks has been small until now, the panel agreed it was only bound to increase. Kessler said the cyber risk could exceed $600 billion per year in the worst case scenario. That compares with the yearly cost of natural catastrophes, which he said is about $230 billion. The cyber risk would dwarf it. So it gives you a size of the risk, he said. Still, the demand for cyber risk coverage well exceeds the supply and this is an issue, Kessler said, calling for a re-balance of the situation. The lack of aggregated data monitoring incidents is partly responsible for the shortage of coverage, he said. Kessler said the sector needs to coordinate and also to partner with authorities to build databases and a taxonomy to share information, or a common vocabulary for policy makers and companies to use in assessing cyber-related impact on the financial or industrial sector. For Lautenschlaeger and Kessler, cybersecurity is shared responsibility and companies must invest to have better protections and understanding of the risk, they said. Related: Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Carriers Natural Disasters Cyber France Rolling Meadows, Ill.-based Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced the acquisition of Swiss insurance broker Verbag Versicherungsberatungs AG. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Based in Zug, Switzerland, Verbag offers commercial lines, employee benefits, accident & health and high-net-worth personal lines brokerage and consulting services, with revenues of approximately US$2 million. Thomas Renold and his associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Tanja Jung, CEO of Hesse, a Swiss-based Gallagher subsidiary. With Gallagher having invested in creating a specialist insurance broking platform in Continental Europe, offering strengths in marine, construction, trade credit, liability and waste-to-energy risks, we are very pleased to expand our capabilities yet further with a quality business like Verbag, said J. Patrick Gallagher Jr., chairman, president and CEO. Source: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Topics Mergers Agencies A.J. Gallagher Guy Carpenter & Co., the reinsurance broking subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Cos., announced a series of London-based hires designed to further build out the firms strategic advisory and analytics capabilities across its international platform. Richard Rodriguez will join Guy Carpenter on June 17 in a newly created role, in which he will lead the firms analytics and advisory capabilities for the UK and Global Specialties. Rodriguez will be based in London, reporting to Robert Bentley, CEO of Global Strategic Advisory. He will serve on both Guy Carpenters London Operating Committee and the Global Strategic Advisory Executive Committee. Rodriguez brings more than 30 years of insurance consulting experience and leadership to Guy Carpenter. Previously, he was chief actuary at Lloyds, responsible for developing the Lloyds capital model, establishing and working within the Lloyds regulatory environment and coordinating with agencies and syndicates. Prior to Lloyds, he was a partner at Willis Towers Watson, and was a senior equity partner at EMB. Guy Carpenter also has hired two insurance consulting experts in its London office to enhance the firms capital, volatility and growth advisory capabilities in London and internationally. Yuriy Krvavych joins Guy Carpenter from PwC where he provided insurance consulting services to Lloyds and London market companies. His expertise includes enterprise risk modelling, risk and capital modeling, model validation, predictive modeling, governance and compliance. Prior to PwC, Krvavych worked at Insurance Australia Group (IAG) where he was responsible for dynamic financial analysis (DFA) and capital modeling, capital allocation, strategic asset allocation, reinsurance optimization and dividend policy. Vasilka Bangeova joins Guy Carpenter from Grant Thornton LLP to enhance Guy Carpenters international accounting advisory capabilities, with an emphasis on IFRS 17. She brings extensive accounting and insurance consulting expertise, advising clients on insurance audit, capital management and financial and risk reporting challenges. Previously, Bangeova held senior roles in the Lloyds and London company markets at Swiss Re, Prudential Assurance and Aviva plc. She also worked at Ernst & Young. Our clients are facing unprecedented regulatory, accounting and reinsurance challenges associated with Solvency II, IFRS 17 and Basel III, said James Nash, CEO of Guy Carpenter International. We are committed to building expertise to help clients navigate these challenges and succeed. Peter Hearn, CEO of Guy Carpenter, said these appointments support Guy Carpenters strategic imperative to enhance our analytics and advisory services to support our clients who demand ever more sophisticated advice and solutions. Source: Guy Carpenter Topics Excess Surplus Lloyd's London The House on Friday passed a $19 billion disaster aid bill that would deliver long-sought relief to farmers, victims of hurricanes and floods, and rebuild southern military bases, as Democrats try to dislodge the legislation from a Senate logjam over aid to hurricane-slammed Puerto Rico. The measure passed by a 257-150 vote over the opposition of most Republicans, who said it should also include the Trump administrations $4.5 billion request for stepped up humanitarian aid and law enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border, which is facing a wave of migrants fleeing violence in Central America. The measure also would extend the federal flood insurance program, which is only authorized until May 31, through September to give lawmakers more time to renew the program, which enjoys broad bipartisan support. The additional time would give the House and Senate banking panels time to develop a longer-term extension of the program. The House had passed an earlier $14 billion version of the measure in January, but the legislation has been held up in the Senate amid a fight between President Donald Trump and Democrats over aid to Puerto Rico. Trump is feuding with Democratic officials on the island and falsely claims that Puerto Rico has already received $91 billion in aid. Trump took to Twitter on Thursday to urge Republicans to vote against the bill. House Republicans should not vote for the BAD DEMOCRAT Disaster Supplemental Bill which hurts our States, Farmers & Border Security, Trump tweeted. We want to do much better than this. All sides keep working and send a good BILL for immediate signing! After the vote, Trump tweeted in praise of GOP solidarity, although 34 Republicans broke with his position and supported the disaster aid. Great Republican vote today on Disaster Relief Bill. We will now work out a bipartisan solution that gets relief for our great States and Farmers. Thank you to all. Get me a Bill that I can quickly sign! Some of the Republicans who broke with Trump were from areas hit by the disasters, like Texas and Florida, and others were more moderate Republicans from the Northeast. Army Corps and Midwest Floods Disaster aid measures are usually among the few reliably bipartisan pieces of legislation left in an increasingly partisan Washington. But the pending measure faces several obstacles in addition to the battle over Puerto Rico, including an attempt by powerful Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., to boost Army Corps of Engineers harbor dredging efforts, of which the Port of Mobile in his state would be a major beneficiary. Shelbys relationship with White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney also appears strained. Since the House measure originally passed, Midwestern floods have added billions of dollars to the governments roster of disaster needs, while a rising wave of Central American migrants seeking refuge from violence in their countries is requiring additional billions of dollars to house and care for thousands of migrants. The bill languished for months in the Senate over assistance for Puerto Rico. And as it sat there, floods battered the Midwest and tornadoes swept the South, said House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. This legislation attempts to meet the needs of all of Americas disaster-stricken communities _ whether in Puerto Rico or the Midwest, California or the Carolinas. Republicans on Thursday delivered a new offer to Democrats in hopes of finally breaking the legislation free, adding money for Puerto Rico and flooded Midwestern states. Lawmakers had hoped to have the legislation enacted into law by now but are now eying Memorial Day as an informal deadline. Ive spoken to the president. Ive spoken to the leader on the Senate side. I believe we can solve this all by next week, said top House Republican Kevin McCarthy of California. Lets do this together. Lets show America that when it comes to a time of need that we all put partisanship aside. Democrats regard the offer in a positive light. The Republicans are finally starting to realize they cant leave Puerto Rico behind, and thats a step in the right direction, said a spokesman for top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York. Conversations continue. The White House and some Republicans want to add Trumps border request to the measure. We should provide much needed relief to communities recovering from hurricanes, floods, wildfires and tornadoes. But we cannot turn our backs on a border crisis that is growing worse by the day, said top Appropriations Committee Republican Kay Granger of Texas. Law enforcement and humanitarian relief organizations are being pushed to the limit, and we must act now. Democrats have resisted the idea of merging the border and disaster measures, saying that would delay the aid measure and complicate its passage. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., however, said in a brief interview that there may be some pieces of Trumps border request that could be added to the disaster aid measure in endgame negotiations. Well see. Fridays measure originally added $3 billion to the earlier House bill to help Midwest states such as Iowa and Nebraska recover from this springs floods but then was successfully amended on the floor numerous times by lawmakers in both parties, who added $1.9 billion to the measure, chiefly to rebuild military bases in Nebraska and Florida and deliver more flood aid for the Midwest. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Legislation Flood Agribusiness Hurricane U.S. states filed a lawsuit accusing Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. of orchestrating a sweeping scheme with 19 other drug companies to inflate drug prices sometimes by more than 1,000% and stifle competition for generic drugs, state prosecutors said on Saturday. Soaring drug prices from both branded and generic manufacturers have sparked outrage and investigations in the United States. The criticism has come from across the political spectrum, from President Donald Trump, a Republican, to progressive Democrats including U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is running for president. The 20 drug companies engaged in illegal conspiracies to divide up the market for drugs to avoid competing and, in some cases, conspired to either prevent prices from dropping or to raise them, according to the complaint by 44 U.S. states, filed on Friday in the U.S. District Court in Connecticut. A representative of Teva USA, a unit of Israeli company Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., said it will fight the lawsuit. The allegations in this new complaint, and in the litigation more generally, are just that allegations, it said in a statement. Teva continues to review the issue internally and has not engaged in any conduct that would lead to civil or criminal liability. The 500-page lawsuit accuses the generic drug industry, which mainly sells medicines that are off patent and should be less expensive, of a long history of discreet agreements to ensure that companies that are supposedly competitors each get a fair share. The situation worsened in 2012, the complaint said. Apparently unsatisfied with the status quo of fair share and the mere avoidance of price erosion, Teva and its co-conspirators embarked on one of the most egregious and damaging price-fixing conspiracies in the history of the United States, the complaint said. With Teva at the center of the conspiracy, the drug companies colluded to significantly raise prices on 86 medicines between July 2013 and January 2015, the complaint said. Representatives of Sandoz, another company named in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The drugs included everything from tablets and capsules to creams and ointments to treat conditions including diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cancer, epilepsy and more, they said. In some instances, the coordinated price increases were more than 1,000 percent, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit also names 15 individuals as defendants who it said carried out the schemes on a day-to-day basis. The level of corporate greed alleged in this multistate lawsuit is heartless and unconscionable, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak said in a statement. According to New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, more than half of the corporate defendants are based in New Jersey, and five of the individual defendants live in the state. The lawsuit seeks damages, civil penalties and actions by the court to restore competition to the generic drug market. Generic drugs can save drug buyers and taxpayers tens of billions of dollars a year because they are a lower-priced alternative to brand-name drugs. Generic drugs were one of the few bargains in the United States healthcare system, the lawsuit said. However, it added, Prices for hundreds of generic drugs have risen while some have skyrocketed, without explanation, sparking outrage from politicians, payers and consumers across the country whose costs have doubled, tripled, or even increased 1,000% or more. As a result of the drug companies conspiracies, it said, consumers and states paid substantially inflated and anticompetitive prices for numerous generic pharmaceutical drugs while the drug companies profited. The lawsuit filed on Friday is parallel to an action brought in December 2016 by the attorneys general of 45 states and the District of Columbia. That case was later expanded to include more than a dozen drugmakers. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington Additional reporting by Ishita Palli in Bengaluru and Nate Raymond in Boston Editing by Matthew Lewis) Topics Lawsuits USA Drugs A Florida bill that the insurance industry says will help modernize the states surplus lines system, as well as impact property insurer contracts under the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund and reduce bad faith lawsuits, is now awaiting the governors signature after being passed by state lawmakers. House Bill 301, sponsored by Representative David Santiago, was dubbed an omnibus bill because it included several insurance-related provisions, including: Increasing reimbursement from the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund for loss adjustment expenses from 5 percent to 10 percent of reimbursed losses beginning with contracts issued after June 1, 2019 Provides that workers compensation insurance applicants and their agents are not required to have their sworn statements notarized Prohibits an insured from filing a civil remedy notice with 60 days after an appraisal is invoked Expands the allowance of multiple policy discounts in certain circumstances Reduces the minimum amount of premium that must be collected for motor vehicle insurance at the initial issuance of a policy Many in the surplus lines industry praised other parts of the bill that they say will give the states Florida surplus lines industry a much-needed update. The bill eliminates a prescriptive cap on surplus lines agent policy fees and replaces it with the requirement that the fee be reasonable and separately disclosed to the customer, according to the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA), which worked with the Florida Surplus Lines Association (FSLA) to support the legislative reform effort. The law previously stated surplus lines agents could not charge more than $35 for filing surplus lines policies. Currently, Florida is one of the few states that caps the surplus lines broker policy fee. Once this legislation is signed into law by the governor, Florida will join a majority of states that permit reasonable fees to be charged in a surplus lines transaction, WSIA said in a statement. This simple revision not only modernizes Floridas laws, but it promotes increased options for consumers and a prosperous Florida economy. The provision also impacts surplus lines export eligibility by decreasing the residential structure dwelling replacement cost to $700,000 from $1 million as it relates to diligent effort procedures. Agents must currently make a diligent effort and have been rejected by at least three authorized admitted insurers before seeking coverage from the surplus lines market for a policy. However residential structures with a value of $1 million or more need only be rejected by one insurer. The new provision reduces the dwelling replacement cost threshold from $1 million to $700,000. FSLA President Elect Michael Franzese of R-T Specialty in Tampa called the passage of HB301 great news for the surplus lines insurance industry and ultimately Florida businesses of every size. As our industry has modernized over the years, keeping up with technology and new industries, the laws surrounding us had not. These changes will help us operate efficiently and promote a growing Florida economy, he said. FSLA, which supported the legislation and lobbied for other surplus lines changes this session that were not passed, said Florida is one of the top three consumers of surplus lines insurance in the country, with the industry writing more than $2 billion in premium for commercial property in the state annually. FSLA said there are currently 1,079 surplus lines agents in Florida actively writing policies, according to the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office. Surplus lines insurance is important to Florida consumers, businesses and the health of Floridas economy, said Joel Cavaness, WSIA president. But not everyone in Florida agreed the surplus lines changes were positive for the state. Lisa Miller, a former Florida Deputy Insurance Commissioner and current advocate for the states admitted market, said the changes in HB 301 make it easier for surplus lines insurers to compete with Floridas admitted market for high value personal residential homes and called it bad public policy and ultimately bad for consumers. Its the consumers who will lose, not at the time of policy issuance where prices may be artificially lower by surplus lines carriers but at the time of a claim when past history shows their poor claim handling performance simply because surplus lines answers to no one, said Miller. FSLSO said it is still analyzing the bills that passed and failed and will have more information in the coming week on what impacts the surplus lines community. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation said it had no comment on HB 301. Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund The FHCF was established in 1993 after Hurricane Andrew to operate as a form of reinsurance for residential property losses. Property insurers in Florida are currently reimbursed by the state-administered tax-exempt trust fund for a selected percentage of hurricane losses to residential property above the insurers deductible. According to the bills analysis, property insurers doing business in the state are required to enter into reimbursement contracts with FHCF to protect and advance the states interest in maintaining insurance capacity in Florida by providing reimbursements to insurers for a portion of their catastrophic hurricane losses. Insurers are charged the actuarily indicated premium for the coverage FHCF provides based on the insurers relative exposure to hurricane losses. FHCF also is required to reimburse insurers for adjustment expenses (LAE) at a current rate of 5 percent. Under HB 301 that rate increases to 10 percent beginning with contracts issued after Jan. 1, 2020. Civil Remedies Against Insurers HB 301 also contained a provision designed to reduce bad faith litigation by saying a civil remedy notice may not be filed within 60 days after appraisal is invoked by any party in a residential property insurance claim. It was included to address a decision in the case of Cammarata v. State Farm. In this case, a Florida Fourth District Court of Appeals held that the insurers liability for coverage and the extent of damages, and not the insurers liability for breach of contract, must be determined before a bad faith action became ripe. The Florida Justice Reform Institute praised the passage of the provision in HB 301. By giving appraisal time to work, and removing simple valuation as an issue in dispute, the bill should reduce the likelihood of a claimant subsequently moving forward with a claim of bad faith, said William Large, president of the FJRI. Florida HB 301 Correction: This story has been updated from an earlier version that incorrectly stated the effective date for changes to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund reimbursement for loss adjustment expenses. The correct date is for contracts issued after June 1, 2019. Topics Carriers Catastrophe Agencies Legislation Florida Excess Surplus Hurricane Property Legislators passed a ridesharing safety act that requires those services to display their license plate numbers on the front of their vehicles. The bill requires ridesharing drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft to display their license tag numbers on a sign on the front of their vehicle. The Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act also makes it a crime for a person to pose as a rideshare driver. The proposal was prompted by the death of Josephson, a University of South Carolina student who police said was killed after mistakenly entering the vehicle of a fake Uber driver. The bill is intended to improve safety of ridesharing services and is now headed to the South Carolina governors desk. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Education South Carolina Universities Sharing Economy Ridesharing A plan by Californias biggest utility to cut power on high-wind days during the onrushing wildfire season could plunge millions of residents into darkness. And the vast majority isnt ready for it. The plan by PG&E Corp. comes after the bankrupt utility said a transmission line that snapped in windy weather probably started last years Camp Fire, the deadliest in state history. While the plan may end one problem, it creates another as Californians seek ways to deal with what some fear could be days and days of blackouts. Some residents are turning to other power sources, a boon for home battery systems marketed by Sunrun Inc., Tesla Inc. and Vivint Solar Inc. But the numbers of those systems in use are relatively small when compared with PG&Es 5.4 million customers. Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom said hes budgeting $75 million to help communities deal with the threat. Im worried, Newsom said during a budget briefing in Sacramento. Were all worried about it for the elderly. Were worried about it because we could see peoples power shut off not for a day or two but potentially a week. Six of the 10 most destructive wildfires in California history have come in the last 18 months, killing 123 people, and often shutting down large sections of the states electrical grid. The wildfire season usually starts around June and runs through December, exacerbated by strong winds that race through the state and dry conditions that turn brush and plants into tinder. PG&E has warned the city of Calistoga that it could cut service as many as 15 times this fire season, said Chris Canning, mayor of the Napa Valley town scarred by wildfires two years ago. But in an interview, the companys vice president of electric operations, Aaron Johnson, said the number will depend on how extreme the weather is. The utility also plans to set up dozens of so-called resiliency centers, Johnson said by telephone, where backup generators can be brought in to run essential services. An initial pilot center is being built near Calistoga, he said. Canning said his community is working on its own solution. Hes looking at developing a small network of microgrids consisting of solar panels and batteries, which would allow his community to function when PG&E pulls the plug. Streetlights Dark The Calistoga mayor started seriously exploring the option after PG&E, fearing wildfire risk, cut power for nearly two days last fall, plunging his town into darkness. The outage meant assisted living facilities were crippled, streetlights were dark and gas pumps wouldnt work. At the time, hardly anyone in the town had a backup generator, he said. If this is the new normal, we have to accommodate for it, Canning said. The Camp Fire in November, along with fires from the prior year, exposed PG&E to an estimated $30 billion or more in claims from blazes, hastening its January bankruptcy. Since then, the utility giant has been under pressure to better ensure that its equipment wont spark fires. Earlier this year, PG&E said it would widen the scope of its power shutoffs to include high-transmission power lines, potentially impacting nearly 10 times the number of customers compared to an earlier plan. The states other investor-owned utilities also have shutoff programs, but on a smaller scale than PG&E. Challenging Program Its a very challenging program and not a decision that we take lightly given the safety risks that exist on either side, PG&Es Johnson said. Its also part of a larger utility program designed to reduce the likelihood of wildfires including stepped up tree trimming, inspections, grid repairs and hardening, he added. PG&E has been holding meetings and planning exercises with local and state officials as part of its preparations, Johnson said. The utility aims to give at least two days warning about a shutoff and has embarked on a public awareness campaign including mailing letters to customers and is working to identify vulnerable residents. It also will be working to get power restored in a day after a shutoff, though its customers could be out for as many as five days, according to Johnson. State regulators, meanwhile, have said theyre developing shutoff notification guidelines for PG&E and all of the states utilities, requiring them to coordinate with state and local agencies. They want PG&E to use shutoffs as a last resort. Solar-Battery Combinations At the same time, the prospect of power outages is driving up interest in solar-battery combinations, said Sunrun Chief Executive Officer Lynn Jurich in an interview this week. Wildfire outages are going to continue to happen, she said. Its not just a this-year thing. Melvin Hoagland is already sold. He lost power for seven days at his home on the edge of Sonoma, California from the 2017 wildfires. All the food in the house rotted, causing a terrible smell that lasted for months. So he had Sunrun install a 9-kilowatt system comprised of 27 solar panels and one battery for his 2,100 square-foot home. The system will power four rooms for about 8 to 12 hours during a power outage, according to Sunrun. In 2016, less than 400 homeowners had a home battery system, according to BloombergNEF. Almost 10,000 units were in place last year. The average cost: About $16,400 with incentives. Hoagland said he opted for a zero-down, 20-year home-solar and battery-service agreement. Hes glad he did, given PG&Es blackout warnings. We were interested in becoming more independent, he said. Its a very insecure feeling when theyre going to cut power off. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics California Catastrophe Wildfire May 13, 2019 (Investorideas.com Newswire) eToroX, the blockchain division of global investment company eToro, has today announced the addition of two commodity-stablecoins - eToro Gold (GOLDX) and eToro Silver (SLVX), two further fiat-stablecoins - eToro Ruble (RUBX) and eToro Yuan (CNYX) - plus 17 pairs to its crypto exchange. Commenting on the news, Yoni Assia, Co-founder and CEO of eToro, said: "The blockchain brings transparency and a new paradigm for asset ownership. We believe this is the future of finance and we'll see the greatest transfer of wealth ever onto the blockchain. "One of the key obstacles that cryptoassets need to overcome for mainstream adoption is price stability. Stablecoins largely eliminate this hurdle, creating a more user-friendly way to interact with the blockchain. By adding eToro Gold and eToro Silver and expanding our fiat-stablecoin range to 10, we are demonstrating the vast potential offered by tokenized assets." The new instruments added to the eToroX exchange are: 2 commodity-stablecoins: eToro Gold (GOLDX) and eToro Silver (SLVX) 2 new fiat-stablecoins: eToro Ruble (RUBX) and eToro Yuan (CNYX) 17 pairs: USDEX-EURX, USDEX-GBPX, USDEX-JPYX, USDEX-CHFX, USDEX-AUDX, USDEX-NZDX, USDEX-CADX, USDEX-RUBX, USDEX-CNYX, EURX-GBPX, EURX-JPYX, EUR-CHF, EURX-AUDX, EURX-NZDX, EURX-CADX, GOLDX-USDEX and SLVX-USDEX. This is in addition to the existing 8 fiat-stablecoins (eToro New Zealand Dollar (NZDX), eToro Japanese Yen (JPYX), eToro Swiss Franc (CHFX), eToro United States Dollar (USDEX), eToro Euro (EURX), eToro Pound Sterling (GBPX, eToro Australian Dollar (AUDX), eToro Canadian Dollar (CADX), 5 cryptos (Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), BitcoinCash (BCH) and Litecoin (LTC) and 43 pairs including BTC-USD, XRP-GBP etc. The 2 commodity-stablecoins and 10 fiat-stablecoins are all ERC20 tokens. Doron Rosenblum, Managing Director of eToroX, said: "The addition of these fiat pairs means that people can now trade FX 24/7 as well as traditional assets such as gold and silver. We are continuing to open up markets and this step allows people for the first time to trade, hedge and close exposure whenever they want. "The addition of 17 pairs and 4 assets to our exchange less than a month since we launched shows the commitment to grow our exchange and the huge possibilities offered by the blockchain. We don't want to just add established cryptoassets. We want to push the boundaries and continue to innovate." The exchange is managed by eToroX, a subsidiary of eToro Group. eToroX is one of the first companies to be certified as a regulated Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) provider by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC). About eToro eToro was founded in 2007 with the vision of opening up the global markets so that everyone can trade and invest in a simple and transparent way. The eToro Group consists of the eToro platform, our multi-asset trading and investment venue, and eToroX, which manages our crypto wallet and exchange. The eToro platform enables people to invest in the assets they want, from stocks and commodities to cryptoassets. We are a global community of more than ten million registered users who share their investment strategies; and anyone can follow the approaches of those who have been the most successful. Due to the simplicity of the platform users can easily buy, hold and sell assets, monitor their portfolio in real time, and transact whenever they want. As technology has evolved, so has our business. In 2018, we created eToroX, our tokenized asset subsidiary. eToroX provides the infrastructure, in the form of a crypto wallet and the forthcoming exchange, that supports our commitment to facilitating the evolution of tokenized assets. We believe that leveraging blockchain technology will enable us to become the first truly global service provider allowing everyone to trade, invest and save. About eToroX eToroX is a subsidiary of the eToro Group. The business was formed in 2018 to provide the infrastructure to support eToro Group's commitment to facilitating the evolution of tokenized assets. It provides eToro's newly launched wallet and runs the exchange. The distributed ledger technology (DLT) provider licence was granted by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission to eToroX in December 2018 (licence number FSC1333B). eToroX is incorporated in Gibraltar with company number 116348 and its registered office is at 57/63 Line Wall Road, Gibraltar. Disclaimer: eToro is regulated in Europe by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK. eToroX is incorporated in Gibraltar with company number 116348 and its registered office is at 57/63 Line Wall Road, Gibraltar. It's distributed ledger technology (DLT) provider licence was granted by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission in December 2018 (licence number FSC1333B). May 13, 2019 (Investorideas.com Newswire) This oil and gas firm's latest news and future catalysts were covered in a Mackie Research Capital Corp. report. In a May 8 research note, Mackie Research analyst Bill Newman reported that Pan Orient Energy Corp.'s (POE:TSX.V) four wells in the L53-DD field began stable production on April 27, 2019. He highlighted that this latest development increased the company's net production in Thailand to about 1,400 barrels of oil per day (1,400 bbl/d), more than quadruple the 2018 rate of 250 bbl/d. The analyst provided further production test results from three of those producing wells. L53-DD3 tested 570 bbl/d (285 bbl/d net) of 23.5 degree API oil from the DD/EE sands. "The well has been shut in to allow Pan Orient to test the BB sands in the well," Newman noted, adding that the testing will begin soon. L53-DD4 tested 729 bbl/d (365 bbl/d net) of 23.8 degree API oil from the BB/CC sands. L53-DD1 tested 514 bbl/d (257 bbl/d net) of 23.5 degree API oil from a new zone, the top of the AA sand. As for the fourth well, L53-DD2, the company restarted production from the BB/CC sands at about 883 bbl/d, or 442 net bbl/d. Newman described what to expect from Pan Orient further out. In late July/early August 2019 in Thailand, the company plans to launch a four- or five-well exploration program, followed in late 2019/early 2020 by the start of another multiple well exploration program targeting the L53-DD field. In Indonesia, Pan Orient will begin the approximate 31-day drilling of the Anggun-1X exploration well in August 2019 and if successful, follow with a subsequent appraisal well. Mackie is bullish on Pan Orient, Newman concluded, for its "strong financial position, growing production base in Thailand and the high-impact exploration potential of the Anggun-1X exploration well in Indonesia." The research firm has a Buy rating and a $3.26 per share price target on Pan Orient Energy, whose stock is currently trading at around $1.85 per share. Disclosure: 1) Doresa Banning compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Pan Orient Energy. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Pan Orient Energy Corp., a company mentioned in this article. Disclosures from Mackie Research, Pan Orient Energy Corp., Update, May 8, 2018 RELEVANT DISCLOSURES APPLICABLE TO COMPANIES UNDER COVERAGE Relevant disclosures required under Rule 3400 applicable to companies under coverage discussed in this research report are available on our web site at www.mackieresearch.com. ANALYST CERTIFICATION Each analyst of Mackie Research Capital Corporation whose name appears in this report hereby certifies that (i) the recommendations and opinions expressed in this research report accurately reflect the analyst's personal views and (ii) no part of the research analyst's compensation was or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific conclusions or recommendations expressed in this research report. Mackie Research Capital Corporation, its directors, officers and other employees may, from time to time, have positions in the securities mentioned herein. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp ARQ has a technology to help keep wind turbines and other machinery working, writes Trish Dromey. Cork start-up ARQ Asset Solutions plans to revolutionise industrial maintenance in Ireland with a smart green technology designed to reduce the risk machinery breaking down and cutting back on maintenance costs and oil usage. The company has plans to develop global exports with its monitoring solution which is set to have its first full-scale test on a wind turbine in Scotland this summer. It plans to start selling into the market from the summer in 2020. Our technology is designed to continually monitor the condition of machinery and can reduce the cost of maintenance for our customers by up to 30%, said company co-founder Conor OSullivan, who explains that the technology is green because it can reduce oil consumption and improve the carbon footprint of the companies using it. The first Irish company to develop this type of solution, and one of only a handful in the world, ARQ is entering a global market which is valued at $3bn (2.7bn). This technology is only in its infancy it has been forecast that this market will be worth $11bn by 2023, said Mr OSullivan. ARQ plans to start developing sales in Ireland and the UK by targeting the wind energy market, as well as the marine sector and the pharmaceutical industry, which are businesses in which machinery has a very high value. Our ambition is to develop global exports and by 2021, we expect to have sales in Europe, North America, and Canada, said Mr OSullivan. He said the key to keeping machinery in good order is to keep the lubricating oils in good condition. During their careers as engineers with the Irish Naval Service, he and fellow founder Ronan Carey, identified poor oil condition as a source of major problems. It wasnt widely recognised that such problems could cause repeated breakdowns and reduce the lifespan of the equipment. Tasked to look after the naval fleet working on a humanitarian mission in the Mediterranean, they focussed on maintaining oils in good condition and helped prevent the ships from losing a single day of service. Realising that this could have commercial applications, they began making plans to set up a company offering their expertise in oil lubrication to marine and pharmaceutical companies. As engineers without commercial experience, they began by enrolling in a start your own business course at South Cork Local Enterprise Office. Setting up in Blackrock in mid-2016, the founders offered training in lubrication management, oil condition monitoring and specialised root cause analysis and corrective solution. We started with a consultancy but decided that we could do something bigger. We had knowledge which we knew could apply to the creation of an exportable product. Encouraged by their LEO which gave them a feasibility grant, and by Enterprise Ireland, which provided 50,000 in Competitive Start Funding, ARQ took on some contract developers and set to work on developing a sensor which could monitor machinery condition remotely and continuously. They very quickly identified the wind energy market as offering the best immediate potential. The British government is about to make a major investment in wind energy, and, in Ireland, wind energy is seen as the best way of reaching alternative energy targets, said Mr OSullivan. ARQ is looking at selling to on-shore and off-shore wind sites. We are also planning to supply floating wind energy turbines which are being developed as the next generation of wind power, he said. Once the final field testing of the third version is complete, ARQ plans to have the kit made under contract in Ireland. Our aim is to market the product directly, gain some traction and secure investment to develop the company, said Mr OSullivan, explaining that ARQ plans to raise 500,000 early next year. The company already has a major wind turbine developer lined up as the companys first customer. To date, around 100,000 has been invested in ARQ. Long term we aim to have global customers for which we will monitor the condition of their high-value machinery from Ireland. Dublin Airport enjoyed the busiest April in its history increasing the number of passengers by 7% to 2.8 million. Passenger volumes to continental Europe increased by 9%, with almost 1.5 million passengers travelling last month. Ireland is the second country in the world to declare a climate emergency, but the Government must face up to promoting potentially unpopular hikes in carbon taxes, writes Kyran Fitzgerald. Economists agree that by using the right pricing signals, Ireland can help reduce the damaging emissions of carbon dioxide and other substances that threaten the planet. The Government has established a Climate Change Advisory Council and has begun taxing carbon, currently at 20 a tonne of CO2. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe passed up on the opportunity last October to increase the carbon tax to the 30 level. That annoyed environmentalists. But pressure has come on politicians from regulators. In February, outgoing Central Bank governor Philip Lane warned of threats to financial stability from changes in the climate, saying that losses from weather events jumped from 50bn a year in the mid-1980s to 150bn today. He pointed to the recommendation of the Climate Change Council that the carbon tax be raised, on a phased basis, to 80 per ton of CO2 by 2030. Sweden already taxes carbon at 112 per ton, Switzerland has an 81 tax, while Finlands is 62 a ton. Other major EU states are much closer to reaching targets. The Climate Council is chaired by John FitzGerald. The former senior economist at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has long-pressed for the introduction of carbon taxes. Over the years, Mr FitzGerald has issued many reports on the energy sector, focusing on the all-Ireland dimension and on investment in interconnection infrastructure. He favours carbon tax to send a signal to households and businesses to use energy more efficiently. The ESRI has continued to publish reports to promote policy reforms. Last October, it published the results of a joint research exercise with the Department of Finance and the Revenue Commissioners. The authors, Kelly de Bruin and Aykut Yakut, examined the economic effects of increases of 5 per ton and 20 per ton in carbon taxes. They did not look at the impact of emissions of other substances, such as methane and nitrous oxide, which account for the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Carbon taxation was introduced here in 2009. However, by 2014, the tax raised a modest amount of 390m, of which 150m came from diesel products and 67.5m from gasoline. The tax initially affected petrol and diesel, before being extended, in 2010, to non-transport fuels, such as kerosene, LPG, and natural gas. It was 2013 before the tax was extended to cover solid fuels, such as coal and peat, at a rate of 20 per ton. The authorities continue to dance around the problem, no doubt aware that voters in rural areas, along with vulnerable transport businesses, stand to be most affected (in the absence of targeted offsetting measures). Ms de Bruin and Mr Yakut argue that the effects of an increase in carbon taxes will, in fact, be modest. They acknowledge that fuel poverty is an important issue in Ireland, with many poorer households spending more than 10% of their income on fuel, often living in cold, damp, thermally inefficient homes. They estimate that a 20 rise in carbon tax per ton of C02 would increase the consumption cost of the richest households by 9.63, while the poorest households would face a hike of 2 per week. They conclude that an increased carbon tax does not make poorer households worse-off, as compared to richer, as the better-off use more diesel and gasoline in large cars. The benefits, in terms of reduced emissions, are real. A doubling in carbon tax, to 40 a ton, would reduce total emissions by 4.8%. The authors note, however, that such a reduction still falls well short of the ambitious carbon reduction targets set for 2020, which Ireland is now set to miss by a country mile, and leaving the State on the hook for heavy fines. A reluctance to increase carbon taxes is one problem. Another is the unwise use of tax incentives, subsidies, and allowances. In February of last year, the ESRI published a study, by Edgar Morgenroth, Martin Murphy, and Kyle Moore, that highlighted the unintended environmental impacts of tax breaks. The study found that 98 of 142 measures had impacts on the climate. Examples include a diesel rebate for hauliers, zero-rated Vat on fertilisers, and exemptions from vehicle registration tax. In 2015, the rebate to hauliers alone cost 70m. Subsidies have promoted the use of noxious diesel cars, which, in 2014, accounted for 73% of new car registrations. Ireland is one of eight EU member states providing tax relief for diesel commercial vehicles. As the authors note, some incentives can have perverse effects. Company-car tax breaks, for example, encourage people to increase their business mileage. And capital gains tax relief on the disposal of property to a child has promoted the sprawl of housing. The spread of one-off housing imposes a wider series of costs on the environment and on society. The zero-rating of Vat on fertiliser has encouraged the overuse of carbon-intensive product, which leeches into rivers and lakes, causing severe damage. Tackling this issue will not be straightforward. While raising the rate to the standard 23% makes sense, implementing the measure may be difficult, given that many farmers are not registered for Vat. As the ESRI studies make clear, Ireland has a long way to go before it matches EU countries that are leading the way. In strict economic terms, a doubling in carbon taxation can easily be absorbed, provided it is balanced by subsidies, or other measures, in the case of low-income households and struggling businesses. The yellow vest protests in France are a reminder that fundamental policy changes in taxation and pricing have to be carefully crafted and properly explained. Along the way, there will be further complications. As you may have guessed, the ESRI has been studying how Brexit is likely to impact on energy policy. As the ESRIs Muireann Lynch pointed out in a paper in June 2017, Irelands gas and electricity systems are currently exclusively connected to Britain, which raises concerns about security of supply as well as efficiency of trading. As the author observes, in the light of Brexit, it may be tempting to prioritise infrastructure projects, such as LNG terminals or the Celtic interconnector to France. The problem is that resources are anything but infinite, whatever politicians in Government, in times of economic buoyancy, may be tempted to believe. The extension of carbon taxation can serve another vital purpose in broadening the tax base, which most economic commentators believe is far too narrow. While the global marketplace for consumer goods moves towards more inclusivity, adaptive clothing is slowly catching up. Retailers like Asos and brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Nike have introduced adaptive clothing ranges in recent years. However, the industry has been slow to recognise the demand for clothes that cater to people with disabilities and limited mobility. Ireland has around 40,000 wheelchair users and an increasingly ageing population the number of over 65s is expected to double over the next two decades and many have problems finding stylish clothing to meet their needs. Maeve Donovan and her son Paul had spent a number of years caring for her aunt and uncle who both had dementia. They recognised that the process of dressing could be a distressing and painful experience. Ms Donovan says Adaptability Clothings story is like that of many startups: We set out to solve a problem we had ourselves. She had bought some adaptive clothing items while visiting her sister in the US and while the styles may not have been what her elderly relatives would have chosen to wear, the garments made a significant difference to the dressing experience. Using concealed velcro fastenings, the mother and son team has created a capsule wardrobe for men and women with items that can be mixed and matched and includes Breton tops, tunics, trousers, skirts, and wool wraps. While those with Alzheimers and dementia can become agitated while getting dressed, others can be hindered by stiffness in their upper body, Ms Donovan says. Imagine youre dressing an elderly relative, and you want to put a sweater or tunic on, but she cant raise her arms. Back fastenings allow a caregiver to slide sleeves onto the arms of someone who is sitting in a chair. The company which began trading earlier this year offers two clothing ranges; one for the independent dresser who has limited dexterity or mobility and one for those who need assistance to get dressed. The self-dressing range caters for those who have conditions like rheumatoid arthritis who want to look like themselves for work but cant manage their shirt buttons. Instead of buying items of clothing that are one or two sizes bigger to allow ease of dressing, that person can wear clothes that fit well and that they would have chosen to put on, Ms Donovan says. While designing the range, she spoke with doctors, carers and advocacy associations. She partnered with fashion consultant Maire Morris who advised her on fabric selection and helped her to create a tech pack to send to manufacturers. She continues to reach out to organisations such as the Parkinsons Association of Ireland and the Irish Wheelchair Association as she develops the brand. Fabrics that are comfortable and wash well are essential. However, Ms Donovan wants to move away from merely functional clothing and introduce colour and style to suit a wide range of people. It doesnt matter if youre 25 or 85; you want to look as well as you can. I set out to create a small range of simple classic designs. Theyre not old peoples clothes, she says. Keeping in mind that cost is a huge factor, particularly for those who require full-time care, pricing is affordable with items from 49.95 to 59.95. While the practical aspect is important, so too is the psychological element. This is an inclusion issue, she says. People with disabilities or the elderly shouldnt be excluded from the pleasure of having something colourful and bright and soft to wear. Theres more to dressing than function. Clothing is so much a part of our identity; we look in the mirror and say thats me. Ms Donovan says the demand for adaptive clothing is growing in Europe and as far as she knows Adaptability Clothing is the only Irish company offering these products. Ms Donovan, who retired as managing director of the Irish Times almost a decade ago, says a core part of the companys ethos is to make the buying experience straightforward. The bidder for the National Broadband Plan will have to invest 2.4bn in the project, according to the Minister for Communications. Richard Bruton claims that will be the cost to Granahan McCourt over the lifetime of the 25-year contract. The Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said last week the company was only putting 200m in to match the State's 3bn investment. However, Minister Bruton says the company's contribution is much larger. "They have a responsibility under this contract for 2.4bn of the total cost of the project," he said. "The State has a responsibility for somewhat the same sort, though part of the State's cost is a contingency, so may not be called upon. "They have a responsibility under that contract to provide initial equity, of course, but working capital equity," he said. All opposition parties are now calling for more clarity, with the government still citing commercial sensitivities around a contract that hasn't yet been signed. Fianna Fail have said they cannot back the project in its current form. The Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has accused Michael Martin of "aiding and abetting" the National Broadband Plan controversy and said he has been playing "spectator politics" up to now. Sinn Fein has urged the party to back a motion it is putting forward soon to give responsibility for the rollout of rural broadband to the ESB. Corks City Council agreed last night to change its rules on the replacement of certain councillors following a resignation, election, sickness, or death. However, the changes are too late to take effect for next weeks local elections and will only be effective for candidates running in the 2024 local elections. Under the rules governing the way the council operates, political parties nominate a replacement if one of their members steps down, is elected to the Dail or European Parliament, or dies. When an Independent councillor resigns or dies, however, the seat goes to the highest polling unelected candidate from the last election. The rule sparked a row in 2011 following the death of Independent councillor Dave McCarthy, a former Fianna Fail councillor. It led to former Fine Gael councillor Joe OCallaghan, who lost his seat at the previous local election, being co-opted onto the council. This is in spite of Mr McCarthys own efforts to change the co-option rule, which he said discriminates against Independent candidates. Mr McCarthy argued before his death that an Independent seat should remain Independent. The issue arose again in 2016 following the election to the Dail of former Anti-Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit councillor Mick Barry. Labour challenged the co-option of Fiona Ryan to fill the casual vacancy and questioned the validity of AAA/ PBPs nomination of Ms Ryan, given that Mr Barry was nominated to run for the council in 2014 by AAA, which deregistered as a political party last year after merging with PBP. Ms Ryan was co-opted onto the council. Three Independent councillors, Thomas Maloney, lord mayor Mick Finn, and Kieran McCarthy, tabled a motion to change the rule because of the increase in groupings involved in the rotation of committee chairs and outside committees. And that's it folks - the last #corkcc meeting before #LE19. Once the outcome of next week's election is known, the first meeting of the new council, for the enlarged #Cork city, is on June 7. The first ordinary meeting of the new council is June 10. Eoin English (@EoinBearla) May 13, 2019 They said the change would afford non-party members the same rights as the larger parties to nominate their replacements in such circumstances. Following discussion by party whips, the motion came before full council last night for approval. Fianna Fail councillor John Sheehan said that the motion should be supported to address what he described as a democratic deficit. Sinn Fein councillor Thomas Gould said when people vote Independent, the seat should remain Independent. Fine Gael councillor Des Cahill suggested an amendment that would require Independent candidates to nominate their alternatives before election. It was pointed out that it was too late for that amendment to take effect for this months elections but would be in effect for the 2024 elections. His amendment was agreed. The decision will see the councils standing orders changed in advance of the next local election. A British life peer in dispute with a trust over his occupation of one of Ireland's finest Georgian mansions is engaged in an "orchestrated and calculated strategy" to delay the completion of the sale of the property, the Commercial Court heard. Lord George Magan, who lives in Kensington, London, and once owned the Georgian Castletown Cox and its 513-acre estate in Kilkenny, is due in Kilkenny Circuit Court tomorrow to argue he is entitled to continue on as a tenant of the mansion. Last November, the High Court granted summary judgment for some 571,000 against Lord Magan which arose from a dispute about rent arrears for Castletown Cox which he says is his family's secondary home. The judgment was sought by a trust set up by Lord Magan called the CastletownFoundation. The foundation, managed by Jersey-based Yew Tree Trustees, was established to benefit two of his children, Edward Magan and Henrietta Black. On the basis of this arrangement, Lord Magan continued to be a tenant of the property. However, over the years, the trust said it had come under financial strain due to 14.5m in borrowings secured on the property along with the cost of maintaining it. The trust decided to sell the property and has agreed a price of 19m with an unidentified buyer. The foundation took over the house in May last year in what the court heard was a "dawn raid" when no member of the Magan family was present. The foundation also brought High Court proceedings claiming Lord Magan was trying to delay the sale. Lord Magan counter-claimed that the foundation had taken unlawful possession of the house and he was entitled to a continued tenancy under the Landlord and Tenant Act. Mr Justice Robert Haughton, who granted judgment against Lord Magan last November, put a stay on the foundation pursuing certain other reliefs against him pending determination of the landlord and tenant matter by the Circuit Court. Today, the judge granted lawyers for Lord Magan to permission to cease representing him. Rossa Fanning SC, for the foundation, said he was concerned this was part of an orchestrated and calculated strategy of continuing delay. This was the second firm of solicitors which had sought to cease representing him, he said. Mr Fanning said he was asking Mr Justice Haughton to lift the stay on the foundation pursuing other reliefs against Lord Magan so that the sale of the estate could be completed. The judge said he could not do so until Lord Magan has been given an opportunity to appear and state whether he was getting new solicitors or representing himself. He adjourned the matter for a week when the court will also be updated about what occurred in Kilkenny Circuit Court. A diver has died following an incident off the coast of Donegal. The diver was airlifted from a boat off Inishowen around 1pm yesterday afternoon. Brexit has damaged relations between Dublin and Belfast but those relations must be repaired, DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson has said. Speaking at the inaugural Daniel OConnell forum at Glasnevin cemetery, Mr Donaldson struck a very moderate tone in seeking the re-establishment of the Stormont assembly and also in support of the Irish language. He said the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Derry has given fresh impetus to try and restore Stormont but said moves to achieve that had been afoot before her untimely death. He said: At times when we have encountered difficulties, we tend to retreat and seek shelter in our own positions and identity. Brexit is difficult for relationships. We have had to deal with separation before. In truth, we dont deal with it very well on all sides. Maybe this time we can do better, maybe we need to do better, especially what we have come through in recent decades. Mr Donaldson insisted that, despite differences, Brexit must not become a vehicle by which to undermine the progress made under the Good Friday Agreement. There is a need to find a sensible solution, and certainly that is not a hard border on the island of Ireland, he said. However, he said that elements of the Good Friday Agreement have been dormant, citing the deterioration of north-south relations. Mr Donaldson said OConnell and his legacy speaks more for Irish nationalism more than those who engage in violence. To those who have advocated for violence, he said: You will not destroy that hope. Responding to questions about the collapse of Stormont in 2017, Mr Donaldson said he has no issue with the Irish language but said he has a problem with the politicisation of the Irish language by namely Sinn Fein. It was men of my Presbyterian faith who kept the language alive, said Mr Donaldson. I want Irish speakers in Northern Ireland to be accommodated. It must be inclusive. Speaking at the same event, Finance Minster Paschal Donohoe said Anglo-Irish relations will be radically different after Brexit but will not be diminished. Mr Donohoe said this is because of economic reasons, our shared culture, and our shared strategic interests. He called on centrist politicians to take up the challenge of speaking up in favour of the EU and warned against Brexit fatigue, given the potential negative impact on the Irish economy. Mr Donohoe said it falls to him and to the politicians and diplomats of this generation to try and insulate the Irish people from the impact of Brexit. Also at the event were the British, German, and French ambassadors to Ireland. Deike Potzel, the German ambassador said she is keeping a bottle of champagne in her fridge in case the UK changes its mind and decides to stay in the EU. She said Ireland will be most hit by Brexit, but that Germany and the rest of the EU stands in full solidarity with Ireland. Ms Potzel pointed to the very strong comments in support of Ireland by German chancellor Angela Merkel when she visited Dublin recently. French ambassador Stephanie Couzat highlighted the recent signing of a 930m energy deal to connect France to Ireland by way of a cable from Fishguard to Cork which will help to protect the single energy market on the island of Ireland. The family of slain 18-year-old Azzam Raguragui said they are resting their faith in the Irish justice system to hold the perpetrator of the attack to account. Parents Abderrahmane Raguragui and Hajiba Elouaddaf expressed their gratitude for the support of the community. Their statement came as a Muslim leader called on the State to take action to stop killings following the fatal stabbing of the Leaving Cert student in a south Dublin park last Friday. The young man was with friends in Finsbury Park, Dundrum, just after 8pm when he was stabbed. He was on his way to Clonskeagh Mosque to break his fast and say prayers. Gardai are investigating suspicions there may have been a fight organised between two local teen gangs at the park and are trying to determine how Mr Raguragui became embroiled in it. A juvenile, thought to be aged 16, subsequently went to a garda station and was spoken to by detectives, but has not yet been arrested. Gardai do not believe there was a racial motive behind the attack and said the rival gangs were thought to have come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. It is thought the incident may have been captured on mobile phone and gardai want to gain access to them. If those images can be retrieved they could be better than any witness statement, said a garda source. In a statement issued through the Gardai, parents, Abderrahmane Raguragui and Hajiba Elouaddaf said: An Garda Siochana are leading in the investigation to uncover the truth behind our son Azzam Raguraguis murder and we are resting our faith in the Irish Justice system to hold the perpetrator(s) to account. We are grateful for the community support we have received. At this critical time, we would like to request some space and privacy to allow us to grieve as a family. Ali Selim, spokesman for the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland, which is commonly known as the Clonskeagh Mosque, said some 1,300 people attended a special gathering on Saturday night to show their support of the parents and offer prayers to their son. The community is shocked, said Mr Selim. Azzam was such a promising child and to be stabbed to death. I knew him. It's terrible. If you even look at his image you can see he's very nice, you would never get the impression he is a rough boy. He added: Something has to done to stop killings and the taking of life. No one can bring life back. He said boy's father spoke briefly to the congregation. He paid tribute to his son and how great his loss was, Mr Selim said. He advised all young Muslims to be good and avoid any areas that are not safe. Imam Hussein Halawa was present and spoke as did Sgt David McInerney, head of the Garda National Diversity Bureau. Official figures show that domestic burglaries have been cut in half over the last four years - a trend gardai are attributing to a dedicated policing operation. The dramatic fall in reported break-ins continued over the last year, with a 10% reduction. Garda HQ released details today on the Winter Phase of Operation Thor, which targets travelling criminal gangs specialising in burglaries, often using high-powered vehicles. Residential burglaries fell from 12,057 in the winter of 2014/2015 to 5,997 during the winter of 2018/2019. The winter period for the purpose of the operation runs from October to March in the given year. The figures saw a 10% fall within the last 12 months, from 6,613 during the winter of 2017/18. Gardai say that international evidence showed that there was a surge in burglaries of around 20% during winter months. Assistant Commissioner, Special Crime Operations, John O'Driscoll said the success of Operation Thor highlights the benefits of a coordinated approach as opposed to separate initiatives taken locally. I have meetings and lead-out Operation Thor as Assistant Commissioner for Special Crime Operations and at those meetings we have detective superintendents for the regions, the regional traffic superintendent and national units, such as the Criminal Assets Bureau, Forensic Science Ireland and the Technical Bureau and we share intelligence. He said in one operation last month they tracked and intercepted a high powered vehicle believed to be involved in a cross border burglary spree and took it out of circulation. He said that where a burglary is in the process of taking place or has just been carried out, and they have intelligence as to who is involved or where they are travelling to, that they send a unit to intercept, often on the outskirts of Dublin. This is often done at the risk of personal injury to members, AC O'Driscoll said. He said that last month, CAB led an operation in Cork targeting a major gang involved in a range of serious criminality, including burglary. A total of 10 high-end vehicles were seized, including a 181 Toyota Hi Lus and a 191 Toyota Landcruiser, as well as more than 30,000 in cash and four Rolex watches. He said Operation Thor is active in targeting cross-border gangs. Asked if he thinks there has been an increase in cross-border burglaries he said it has been a constant feature over the lifetime of Operation Thor. He said he was in command of the Northern Region some three years ago and doesn't believe there is a huge difference between now and then in terms of the scale of cross-border burglaries. AC O'Driscoll said the Joint Agency Task Force targetted cross-border crime across six categories, one of them being rural crime. The Government is to sign off on an independent specialist research study on familicide today. Charlie Flanagan, the justice minister, is to seek Cabinet approval to set up the in-depth study on the supports available to families who are victims of familicide. The study will also look into rolling out domestic homicide reviews in Ireland. The move comes after Mr Flanagan met the family of Clodagh Hawe earlier this year to discuss her murder. Ms Hawe, 39, was killed along with her three young sons by her husband, the childrens father, Alan Hawe in the family home in Cavan in August 2016. The study, which is expected to take a year to complete, will involve State agencies, family members of victims, and non-governmental organisations. Mr Flanagan said he is very aware of the devastating effects familicide can have on those left behind, in the family, and the wider community. It is understood Mr Flanagan wants to ensure that clear protocols and guidelines are in place so that the State can provide all supports possible. Domestic homicide reviews have taken place for a number of years in England and Wales but the Department of Justice has consulted with NGOs and believes that model cannot be used here and would need to be tailored for this jurisdiction. The review will look at international best practice when it comes to domestic homicide reviews and recommendations will be made on how to apply them here. The study will also examine the adequacy and suitability of current policies and practices of state services in supporting close family members of those who die in familicides. The government has been told to adopt radical solutions to tackle the country's rental market or face a worsening of the housing crisis. It comes as a new report compiled for daft.ie showed a record low number of properties for rent at the start of this month, on top of an 8.3% annual rise in average monthly rents. Responding to the latest report, national housing charity Threshold tweeted that the rent increases "reinforce our concern about the inadequacy of the Housing Assistance Payment as a means of supporting those seeking increasingly expensive and scarce rental accommodation". It also said that the recent surge in planning applications for more than 6,000 residential properties would not lead to an increased supply of housing for families and individuals in receipt of HAP, minimum wage workers or key workers. #Rent increases in latest @daftmedia reinforce our concern about the inadequacy of the Housing Assistance Payment as a means of supporting those seeking increasingly expensive and scarce rental accommodation. #DaftReport #WhereWillWeLivehttps://t.co/dXG9rNXcun pic.twitter.com/QTKkQgKZz7 Threshold (@ThresholdIRE) May 13, 2019 Later Threshold's CEO, John Mark McCafferty, said the Government needed to consider all the options open to it to provide more affordable housing and that greater enforcement and stronger sanctions would need to be implemented to ensure landlords adhere to rent pressure zone regulations. He also said it was time for a review of the HAP system, which has not been changed since 2016. "There needs to be a change in the way social housing is delivered," Mr McCafferty told RTE's News At One programme. If the Government is really serious then they need to look at a very radical way. Ramping up supply is required in the meantime. On the same programme Prof Alan Ahearne, Professor of Economics at NUI Galway, warned that a lack of construction workers was one of the main obstacles to tackling the housing crisis. "At the end of the day, we need more housing supply, but we just dont have the workers, he said, adding that while consideration needed to be given to bringing in overseas workers, it was not feasible for armies of construction workers to arrive here when there are not enough houses in which they could live, or rent they could afford. He also said that including institutional landlords in rent pressure zones would not necessarily help the situation, suggesting that as new premises come on stream they were being rented at high prices as the landlords knew that they could not increase the rents in the future. Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy had earlier said that extending the rent pressure zones until 2021 to include institutional landlords will mean a new level of protection for tenants. We know there is more work to do, but there has been some progress," he said. "Last year there was a 25% increase in the number of houses built and there will be an increase again this year." But elsewhere political reaction to the daft.ie report was scornful of government efforts. Govt has failed renters, left them to spralling rents, insecurity and no prospects of relief. We need action - rent freeze, rent control, tax relief #RaiseTheRoof https://t.co/JwBM26FuCc Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) May 13, 2019 Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald tweeted that the government "has failed renters, left them to spiralling rents, insecurity and no prospects of relief. We need action - rent freeze, rent control, tax relief." Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said "a whole generation of renters have been effectively abandoned to the private rental sector" while Labour TD Jan O'Sullivan called on Minister Murphy to introduce a rent register and bring in rent controls across Ireland. The 3bn State investment in the controversial National Broadband Plan has been labelled the worst deal ever seen after it emerged that the private operator chosen to deliver it will only invest 200m equity in it. Opposition leaders and TDs lambasted the Government after it was revealed that Granahan McCourts investment will be just one-15th of the States, yet the consortium, and not the taxpayer, will own the asset at the end of 25 years. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said the deal was the best option open to the State and urged the Opposition to say how they would do it better and cheaper. I believe it is the best option open to the State to deliver 100% coverage in a way that protects us from risk, he said. If the Opposition believes there is an alternative way, it is incumbent on them to spell it out. He was speaking after Agriculture Minister Michael Creed let slip that Granahan McCourts investment is far lower than the 974m estimate included in official Government documents released last week. My understanding is and bear in mind were asking the company to build an infrastructure where the private sector wont go theyre putting in, I think, in the region of something shy of 200m, he told Clare FM. Despite his comments, Mr Donohoe, Tanaiste Simon Coveney, and Communications Minister Richard Bruton have all refused to confirm how much Granahan McCourt was contributing to the project. Mr Donohoe refused to do so again when pressed by reporters at an event at Dublins Glasnevin Cemetery. I am not in a position to reveal what that figure is, he said. The reason for that is that we have negotiations that will begin to sign the contracts, which will take up most of this year. While those discussions are under way, I have to respect the confidentiality of the company and the contribution they are making. However, Labour leader Brendan Howlin, Mr Donohoes predecessor as public expenditure minister, was scathing in his criticism. He said the revelation about the McCourt contribution is shocking. It is truly shocking and unacceptable if it was in the order of 200m versus a State investment of 3bn, said Mr Howlin. Absolutely unacceptable that, after that paltry investment, that they would own the asset forever more, and not the people of rural Ireland. On the face of it, it is the worst deal I have ever seen and it goes to the heart of politics trumping the taxpayer and the people. Mr Howlin said the Government must confirm the numbers and show people what they are paying for this collapsed deal. We have redacted pieces of information presented to us, he said. Lets just take out the redactions. If it is greater than 200m, then let us know that. This is beyond a time when such important facts are withheld from the people who are paying it. Barry Cowen, Fianna Fails spokesman on Public Expenditure and Reform, said Mr Donohoe is taking the people for mugs on the costs of the National Broadband Plan. He described the Granahan McCourt disclosure as farcical. Mr Cowen also said Mr Donohoes sums do not add up and he has failed to outline how the Government will pay for the extra 1.5bn to cover the projects cost. The Governments continued refusal to disclose documents in relation to the input of Granahan McCourt in the NBP is an affront to the taxpayers, he said. Revenue has seized 27,360 cigarettes in Rosslare, Co Wexford. The cigarettes were discovered with the assistance of detector dog Gus, when officers stopped and searched an Irish registered vehicle as it arrived in Rosslare from Cherbourg, France. Detector dog Gus The illegal cigarettes, branded Marlboro Gold, have a retail value of over 17,000 and represent a potential loss to the Exchequer of almost 14,000. An Irish man in his 30s has been questioned. Investigations are ongoing with a view to prosecution. Abuse survivor Louise OKeeffe has accused the State of trying to renege on its responsibilities to people who were sexually abused as children in schools after it emerged that a Government compensation scheme set up four years ago has paid nothing to survivors. Ms OKeeffe, whose landmark European court ruling against the State led to the setting up of the redress fund, said those who have applied to the fund and been rejected it is understood 44 of 50 applications have been rejected are being denied an acknowledgement by the State that it left them down. The State should not be reneging on its responsibility here, particularly where there has already been a conviction of an abuser, she said. I could call on the Minister for Education, Joe McHugh, to have the balls his predecessors didnt, to acknowledge the States responsibility here, and to do right by these people who were abused in our national schools. Ms OKeeffe spoke out after RTEs This Week radio programme revealed how the compensation scheme has paid nothing to survivors since its establishment in 2015. And the State Claims Agency has told one victim, John Allen from Cork City, a former pupil of the North Monastery Christian Brothers NS where two brothers were convicted of charges of child sexual abuse, that the Department of Education failed to provide it with documents it sought from officials some 18 months earlier to allow him process his claim. It appears as if the State wants you to just go away and shut up. This stuff in our dark history, keep the slime under the rock and do not lift the rock, Mr Allen told the programme. The department has said that it will not comment on individual cases. In 2014, following a 15-year legal battle with the State, Ms OKeeffe won a landmark ruling at the European Court of Human Rights that the State was vicariously liable for the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her former national school principal, Leo Hickey, at Dunderrow NS in Cork. In 2015, the Government set up an out-of-court compensation scheme for those in the same category as Ms OKeeffe and who had discontinued their legal cases against the State. However, claimants were told they had to prove they were abused by a school employee against whom a prior complaint of sexual abuse had been made. This condition has been sharply criticised by survivors and legal experts who say it is a misinterpretation of the European court ruling. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin described the condition as grotesque and immoral and accused the Government of deliberately misinterpreting the OKeeffe judgement to limit the compensation implications. The Government approach has been dishonest, cynical, and shows a cruel disregard for the victims of child sexual abuse in primary schools, he said. It emerged in March that retired High Court judge, Mr Justice Iarfhlaith ONeill, the independent assessor of the redress scheme, is investigating whether the department is correctly implementing the court decision. Mr Martin said it is time for the Government to do the right thing. There probably arent too many events in Ireland that combine bands and DJs with boat parties and synchronised swimming. Punters at It Takes A Village (ITAV) at Trabolgan in Co Cork got all this and more at the second incarnation of the festival, complete with the added bonus of constant sunshine across the three days. As well as the more offbeat attractions, the USP of ITAV is the convenience and comfort for those who dont fancy tents and muddy fields. Accommodation is in the centres chalets, so the venues, food outlets, pool, etc, are all within a five-minute walk from each other, and from your bed. That factor, and a three-day ticket price of about 250 (day passes available for the Sunday only, at 55) ensure the demographic is slightly older than most other music festivals. Whether that also contributes to the not a dickhead in sight factor referred to by Le Boom is a moot point, but the general vibe is definitely one of easy-going fun. Le Boom feat AE Mak at It Takes a Village in Trabolgan Picture: Shane J Horan Of the international brigade who travelled to Trabolgan, among the most interesting were Snapped Ankles they may have flown in from London, but they looked like theyd crawled out of the nearby woodland. Draped in shamanistic headgear, and incorporating branches into their stage set, they brought a welcome theatricality to proceedings late on Saturday night. Tree degrees, indeed. Just before the Ankles, BBC DJ Gilles Peterson had done his trademark joining of dots between all sorts of genres. It Takes a Village in Trabolgan - Snapped Ankles Picture: Shane J Horan Another act from the quality end of the British beatmerchant scale were The Herbaliser, with main production duo Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba being joined by a band that included a three-piece brass section. An impressive contingent of Irish acts reflected the eclectic range of emerging acts in the country at the moment. Jinx Lennon proved his force-of-nature reputation with mad songs about characters who will be familiar to you. Among them, Lovely Man perfectly described that sneaky c**t in work. Thumper underlined why theyre being talked about a lot recently; while AE Mak and Junior Brother were just two of the others who impressed. Two festivals in and It Takes A Village looks to have cemented its reputation as one of the best events on what is an increasingly-crowded calendar. Two years ago, Gerry Murphy was living in Abu Dhabi when, tuning into RTE radio, he heard the unmistakable strains of tunes painstakingly preserved by his grandfather 80 years previously. More than 3,000 miles from North Cork, Gerrys thoughts turned back home, where RTEs Kieran Hanrahan was broadcasting an edition of Ceili House from Buttevant to mark the launch of the Shandrum Ceili Bands debut CD. The North Cork band, on the crest of a wave after back-to-back all-Ireland Fleadh victories, had included on their album The Dawn three quadrilles collected by Gerrys grandfather, fiddle player John Boss Murphy. From Churchtown, not five miles from Buttevant, Boss Murphy had in the 1930s transcribed by hand around 300 tunes from the local repertoire, preserving them for posterity. In his collection were not only the jigs, reels, and hornpipes that constitute todays definition of Irish traditional music, but schottisches, flings, mazurkas, marches, and quadrilles, the dance tunes fashionable across Europe in the 19th century but since fallen from favour. My grandfathers music would have been from the late 1800s to the 1930s, and earlier too, because his father William Murphy was also a traditional fiddle player and no doubt he was influenced by him, explains Gerry. Boss Murphy played regularly at house dances, stages, and sessions, his music also strongly influenced by tunes he learned at Buttevants now-demolished military barracks. In the immense barracks complex, which once housed thousands of soldiers before and after duty on the Western Front in WWI, he found a musical melting pot, listening to bands rehearse and following the Buttevant Military Bands Sunday marches to Churchtown and Liscarroll. As house dances and their music waned with the advent of public dance halls, Boss Murphy began compiling his manuscripts of tunes, many from memory, a fantastic achievement for someone who had no formal musical training, adds Gerry. Following Boss Murphys death in 1955, Gerry says the manuscripts were kept on top of a wardrobe in my family home in Churchtown, with his fiddle. We always knew they were there when I was growing up. That was until 1985, when Dr Colette Moloney of Charleville, researching for her UCC music degree, was lent the manuscripts by Boss Murphys son Jack, her work later forming the basis of a 2003 book The Boss Murphy Musical Legacy. A copy of her book was given to Buttevant musician Alan Finn, who with fellow members of the Shandrum band, decided to put the tunes to use. Alan, whose grand-aunt Mary Cremins featured among the musicians in the Murphy book, selected some of the quadrilles for the bands debut CD and Ceili House recording. Gerry Murphy heard us play them on the radio and he contacted me, wondering would we be interested in recording an album exclusively of tunes taken from the book, Alan recalls. I said no problem, wed be more than delighted. The resultant album, The Boss Murphy Legacy, proclaims its North Cork roots in jigs such as The Rakes of Dromina and Walls of Liscarroll but reflects the wider Murphy repertoire. John Boss Murphy You have the usual jigs and reels, and then the more unusual schottisches, flings, and quadrilles, some of them lost for years, and its nice to get them revived, says Alan. Even the versions of the jigs and reels are not the versions that are played today the main body of the tune is there but there are different bars in the middle. With sheet music, but no recordings to work from, Alan interpreted the tunes to suit the band. A lot of the tunes I transposed to different keys to give them a bit of a lift. None of the tunes on the album would be considered ceili band tunes, and with the different versions and styles of tunes, its a fresh approach. A music teacher who has already started passing on Boss Murphys tunes to his students, Alan is confident schottisches and flings are heading back into the North Cork tradition. Boss, says grandson Gerry, would have been thrilled. He spent two to three years of his life writing down this music. "He did it because he thought traditional Irish music was dying and in the hope that somebody might take it up. "The idea that a band from North Cork would record this music at a world-class level, would I think be beyond belief for him. This will be an important CD from a heritage point of view, not just for Churchtown or Cork, but in terms of Irish traditional music. The Boss Murphy Legacy is launched this Saturday May 18, 8pm, St Marys Church, Buttevant, Co Cork There are some signs that we may be moving away from a saturation of conifers towards more broadleaf and native trees. It is to be hoped that a new scheme by EU farm commissioner Phil Hogan to encourage farmers plant four acres each will favour copses of native species. People who live in areas such as the highland territory bordering counties Kerry, Cork, and Limerick, with conifers all around, would be forgiven for thinking were completely over-forested. However, were away behind other EU countries. Only 10.5% of our land area is under trees compared to 38% elsewhere. The Government has been missing its tree-planting target in recent years. Anyone visiting our national parks, especially in May, will be enchanted by the magnificent oaks, yews, and other species. And can there be any better place to see trees, outside these arboreal sanctuaries, than the Munster Blackwater valley? Though conifers dominate in the area where the great river springs to life, a short distance above Ballydesmond, Co Cork, the situation improves as you move downstream, especially from Mallow onwards until it arrives at the broad estuary in Youghal. Beside Mallow Castle is an attractive, new amenity 25 acres of woodland, a project to regenerate a broadleaf area, mainly with oaks. It gets better as you move towards Fermoy and notable wooded landmarks such as Castle Hyde and Careysville. In his 2015 book, Walking The Munster Blackwater, Jim OMalley delves into the history and folklore surrounding some of the trees he encountered during his odyssey tracing the full length of the river. In the Ballyhooly area, for example, he came upon a sessile oak linked to the 16th century estate owner and poet Edmund Spenser, composer of The Faerie Queene. It seems Spenser went there for a bit of peace and to enjoy the river. O'Malley writes: The local story is that Spenser used sit on a favourite branch with the muse of poetry feeding him elevated thoughts, images and language for a higher mental statelegend or fact? We will never know Nearing his native Youghal, the author describes how mature oaks overarch the road, at Ballynatray Estate, and he delights in the wood with its under-storey of holly bushes. Sunlight comes dancing through the leafy canopy, throwing beams of light on the woodland floor. Meanwhile, the Irish Wildlife Trust, called on the Government to declare an emergency in the wake of the latest UN report on global mass extinction, cites conifer plantations among the reasons for the disappearance of nature. The trust also called for an end to plantation forestry. New royal mother Meghan Markle is said to have considered hiring a doula for the birth of her baby son, Archie. Greek in origin, a doula was traditionally a woman servant/caregiver, who attended to women during birth and in the postpartum period. A doulas a listening ear, a sounding board, a cheerleader, says doula Mary Tighe, co-founder of national doula agency DoulaCare Ireland. A doulas a non-medical support for the family, says Tighe, explaining that a birth doula, such as Meghan has apparently hired (there are also postnatal doulas), offers emotional and informational support throughout pregnancy, labour, and the immediate postpartum phase. Its usually one home visit in the second trimester and another in the third, says Tighe. During visits, a doula helps the expectant mother draw up birth preferences. Mum might decide she doesnt want to be offered pain relief; that if she wants it, shell ask for it. Doulas offer evidence-based informational support, so if a womans preference is for epidural which can slow labour her doula would explain that using a peanut-shaped exercise ball between her legs widens the pelvis and progresses labour. But the doula doesnt tell expectant mums what to do. Her roles advisory, says Tighe. We dont speak for parents; we support them to ask questions. For example, many parents want a natural birth. "But baby has its own agenda. We help mums prepare for the birth they want, while giving them tools for the birth they get. "These could be the same but, if things change, mums know how to ask questions: Is everything ok with the baby? Is there another option? What happens if we wait? "If mums hoping to use the birthing pool and then needs a caesarean, thats a big change. "At least being aware of why makes things less traumatic. Tighe checks in with clients to ask how theyre getting on. I always do after important hospital visits. When I heard, at 34 weeks, my baby was in the breech position and Id be having a caesarean, the first person I rang was my doula. "I rang her [before my midwife], because I was quite shaken, says Tighe. Doulas can pass on helpful tips, such as the benefits of eating six dates daily during final weeks of pregnancy. Mary Tighe Evidence shows dates help labour start on time; the woman doesnt go overdue. If mums interested, the doula might offer date bar recipes. Once the expectant woman reaches 37 weeks gestation, her doula will be on call 24/7 until labour starts. Once labour starts and mum needs support, the doula heads straight to her home. Some mums want support early; others potter round until things get intense, says Tighe. The doula will have educated mum about promoting labour-friendly hormones: shy oxytocin needs quiet; calm melatonin needs dim light. Often, when we arrive, things are set up beautifully: candles burning, aromatherapy oils, music playing. "In early labour, mums lucid, chatting away; the musics upbeat, maybe Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen! As labour progresses, mum gets quieter, more into herself; the musics gentler. Doulas dont tell women when to go to hospital. We help them figure it out. Women have the answers. Doulas provide emotional support. One mum said, when you arrived, I could relax. Another, [enduring] a hard labour, said, whenever I looked up at you, you were smiling, so I thought things must be ok. She said it helped her keep going. Dads-to-be benefit, too. If he wants to be hands-on at the labour, the doula will show him comfort techniques, like the double hip squeeze, which Tighe recommends for lower back pain partner places his hands onto mums hip bones, pushing them in and up towards her body/shoulders. Its sore on the arms, but Harry {Prince Harry} looks fit, so hed be grand! says Tighe. In Ireland, numbers using doulas are small, but growing, says Tighe. Her early clients were second-time mums wanting to improve on their first birth experience. Now, first-time mums are increasingly hiring doulas. On average, mums are aged 30-45 and from professional backgrounds, though weve had mums from other walks of life and were definitely busier in cities. Post-natal doula Genevieve OMalley debunks the idea that doulas are just for airy-fairy hippies and trendy, moneyed families. Its becoming more of a thing now, women seeing doulas as a necessity. I havent been to any family that had a home-birth and not all have breastfed. As a doula, OMalleys focus is on that forgotten fourth trimester, when mums landed back home after passing this tiny human out of herself and expected to get on with things. Genevieve O'Malley Years ago, she says, women had villages; people rallied round to help. Now, families are more fractured. And womens expectations of themselves are massive: to mind baby, keep the house going. "Theyre so vulnerable: hormones all over the place, perhaps sore after a caesarean, and they cant pick up the toddler whos scooting around the house. For up to six to eight weeks, OMalleys on hand three to four hours a morning. I let mum go back to bed if shes had a rough night. I make her breakfast, if she hasnt had any. "I do laundry, unpack the dishwasher, tidy up that breakfast bomb after the kids have gone to school. "This is a crucial time for mum to talk about her birth story, so I listen; no interjecting. Maybe the birth didnt go as she wanted, so she can talk, let go of that. Mums often recover sooner with input from a postnatal doula. And while doulas arent trained to help with postnatal depression, they are trained to spot red flags. And were required to always have in our toolkit an updated resource list, so we can refer mum on, says Genevieve. The mum who became a doula With Charlotte, her first-born, mum-of-three Jacquie Beamish had a long labour, with lots of medical intervention and, eventually, a caesarean. When pregnant with Alicia, now 6, the Cork mother was very anxious. I really wanted to avoid another caesarean and to have a more involved [birth] experience, she says. By now, shed heard of doulas and had met Mary Tighe. I thought what I need is someone for me. Midwives and doctors are there for mums, but their focus is on progress of labour, babys heart-rate, medical things, whereas, a doula gives emotional support. At one stage during the birth, I looked at Mary and said, I cant do this. She held my hand, looked me in the eye, and said, but you are doing it. "It really made me realise, I am doing this; at this moment, I am. It grounded me to go through the next bit. Even simple things helped: early in labour, suggesting a hot shower to ease back pain, reminding me to eat and go to the toilet. "In labour, youre so lost in sensations of what youre going through that you fall into a time warp and forget your body has other needs. Mary was doula, too, at the birth of Jacquies third daughter, Matilda, 3. Jacquie has since trained as a doula. I thought, this is amazing. Its something women need. How wonderful to be able to provide it. www.doulacare.ie Genevieve OMalley: www.doulacorkireland.com The guitar-shaped Ormonds Island lies close to the Cork/ Kerry border on the mountainous Beara Peninsula with the Kingdom just able to claim it by dint of a few kilometres. It has no residents now and is grazed by cattle who can loll across a connecting causeway at low tide. The island lies just across the busy road from the Cloonee lakes in the phenomenal Gleninchaquin valley whose glaciated forms includes all nouns of a glacial vocabulary: corries; striations; erratics. Oilean Urumhan in Irish (Ormond) is in the parish of Tuosist. The Island was once owned by relatives of the historic family of OSullivan Beare whose chieftain Donal Cam led 1,000 followers 500km north to Co Letirim in 1602 after his fortresses at Dunboy and Dursey were destroyed by the English under George Carew. The OSullivans of Ardea resided in a castle of the same name very close to Ormond Island. However, the castle was destroyed on Cromwells orders in 1643 and the family were obliged to rent their former property. The lands were passed down the generations. One member of the sept, Darby OSullivan, aged103, requested a renewal of the lease from the Earl of Shelburne in 1793. Ormond Island was named after the earls of Ormond, the Butlers, allied to the Crown and mortal enemies of the Gaelic chieftains. First Duke of Ormond, James Butler, member of an Anglo-Norman dynasty which controlled vast stretches of territory in Munster. It appears the island was unpopulated for a long time and was certainly had no one living on it during the Famine. The 1901 census records a family of three living there: Patrick Casey aged 66; Katie aged 25 and Jeremiah aged 22. With just three people available to work the farm, life would have been difficult, made more so when Jeremiah fell foul of the law. At a pattern in Kilmacillogue just up the road he was charged with assault having thrown a stone which inflicted injuries to the frontal and nasal bones of a Patrick OSullivan, reported the Kerry Sentinel. He was duly jailed. A ruined farmhouse with out buildings and a dwelling on the eastern end are all that remains today. Farming was obviously a mainstay of their existence but in all likelihood fishing too. Pilchard fishing provided huge employment in the Kenmare Bay from the 17th century till stocks dwindled away. Fish palaces for the smoking and curing of the pilchards were common up and down the bay. Nowadays whale-watching is almost a national past-time but 100 years and more ago cetaceans were a valuable commodity and the related industry supported hundreds of people not least at the Inishkea islands in Co Mayo where a Norwegian company operated. The presence of the whales was enough of a surprise in 1863 for The Tralee Chronicle and Killarney Echo to report that we were agreeably surprised here on Monday by the visit of no less than two monstrous whales. One of them came in with the tide and was first seen between Ormonds Island and Ardea by a man named Shea. However, the whale provoked more than curiosity as the paper reported: the sea monster soon floated into a creek and apparently fell asleep when Shea and two boys took out a boat and made him fast to a rock by means of a rope. The tide having receded, Shea dispatched the animal with an axe. It measured 26 feet in length and 15 feet in girth [probably a minke]. Crowds flocked to see it when suddenly another floated in to the creek. Its fate is not recorded. Ormonds Island has a couple of impressive standing stones. Not exactly news as there are probably more prehistoric structures on Beara Peninsula than cars. One archaeology websites refers to a small boulder burial in the fence line which will soon be lost to the sea. Further evidence, if any were needed, of how the sea is munching our past for lunch. It also suggests many burial sites were located on the island but were cleared for agriculture. The two stones and the 15m hill are perfectly aligned. Nowadays Ormond island is an unremarkable place but secures its place in history as being on the interface of the Gaelic/ English wars. How to get there: Stroll across the beach at low tide about 10km west of Kenmare Bridge. SAN FRANCISCO - In 2015, Uber Technologies Inc went on a fundraising spree in China, tapping venture capitalists and State-backed corporations for cash and connections in an effort to navigate the Chinese regulatory environment. Uber ultimately pulled out of China, but the investors it gained in the country became part of a gallery of far-flung Uber financiers that include US geopolitical rivals under intense regulatory scrutiny by the US government. Uber's investors come in all stripes: state-owned banks and corporations from China and Russia; sovereign wealth funds from Qatar, Singapore and Saudi Arabia; a Russian businessman arrested last year on embezzlement charges; venture capital funds from across Europe and the United Arab Emirates; Indian conglomerates and a Malaysian public pension fund. Many of these investors will likely have made a bundle last week in Uber's long-awaited initial public offering. The company priced its shares at $45 a piece, raising $8.1 billion in the largest US IPO since 2014, and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday. The ride-hailing company's aggressive pursuit of capital and international presence from early on gave executives greater access to foreign investors compared to other US startups. Uber was also seeking cash at a time of frenzied growth, with global investment into US startups jumping 50 percent from 2013 to 2014, according to PitchBook Inc data. That helped it raise nearly $14 billion in venture capital, making it the fourth best-funded startup globally. Uber has also raised more than $6 billion in debt, according to Pitch-Book. Uber, more than almost any other Silicon Valley company, symbolizes the glut of foreign money that has helped fuel a tech investing frenzy. But replicating its feat today would be an improbable task in the current regulatory climate, analysts and legal experts say. In August, US President Donald Trump signed a law to expand the powers of a government group known as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which is tasked with reviewing foreign investments for potential national security and competitive risks. It gives the CFIUS a mandate to probe transactions previously excluded from its purview, including attempts by foreigners to purchase minority stakes in US startups. It must approve deals between US companies employing sensitive technology and foreign investors with influence over the startup, such as a board seat. The CFIUS has so far approved only about 10 percent of the deals submitted under the new law, according to attorneys' estimates. "What happened (with Uber) in 2015, you certainly could not do that again," said an attorney who advises clients on CFIUS cases and who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. A spokesman for Uber declined to comment. Previously, Uber's former Chief Executive Travis Kalanick spoke publicly about the need to raise large sums quickly to buy market share and find local investors who would help smooth the regulatory path in different countries. The lion's share of Uber's fundraising was completed prior to the new CFIUS law, and there is no indication any of these investments were in any way unlawful. Chinese State-backed funds have invested in dozens of Silicon Valley companies, from drones to self-driving cars and cybersecurity. But the challenge of a tech company replicating Uber's fundraising today highlights just how much US regulators have cracked down on foreign investment. Reuters (China Daily 05/13/2019 page19) Cork is buzzing at the moment and for the next 20 years has the potential to be the fastest growing city in Ireland, says Tanaiste Simon Coveney. This is essential to overturn the dominance of Dublin and the east coast. At the end of next week the people of the city are going to be asked a question; do you want the power to directly elect the first citizen of Cork and give them real powers to make big decisions for Cork? In my view, Cork city being the first in the country to say Yes to a directly elected lord mayor will create the most powerful politician in Ireland outside the Cabinet. This why I am asking people to give that question a resounding Yes. Heres why it is such an opportunity. Central government serves all the people regardless of where ministers are from but local knowledge and demand is still key for getting things done. In the last 50 years, Cork has been served in cabinet by strong ministers from Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour but did you know that over those 50 years Ireland has only had one minister for transport from Cork, one minister for finance from Cork and no ministers for justice. Now imagine a political office with the power to walk into any government department, meet the minister of the day and, with the clout of 30,000 or 40,000 votes, say to the minister or the taoiseach that Cork needs more funding or a specific issue addressed in a specific way. That is what we are proposing with a directly elected lord mayor. This is the power we are trying to give to Corks first citizen. It will empower a champion for Cork and will be a vital tool to break the dominance of Dublin, where central government sits. There are those who want to see a directly elected lord mayor and have said as much for the last 20 years. However, they have sat on their hands and done nothing about it despite this being their opportunity. There are those who do not want to see the people of Cork directly elect their lord mayor. They have not come out to directly say so, instead they have put out red herring stories about footpaths and roads budgets being cut to pay for the new office. This is complete nonsense. However, there are people with legitimate reservations and lingering questions about directly electing the lord mayor. I would like to address the questions of these people and ask them to vote Yes. 1) The lord mayors salary is too high The Cabinet carefully considered the job we are envisaging and agreed that directly elected mayors should have the same salary as a junior minister, 130,000. This job will be a tough one for the man or woman who is elected. They will have major responsibility and expectations on their shoulders and there are checks and balances to ensure that he/she performs. There will be a deputy mayor elected from the ranks of the council and the lord mayor will have to pass his or her programme for office and budget with the councils permission. Working together, the council and a directly elected lord mayor will be a powerhouse for Corks priorities. He/she will ultimately be responsible for a budget of more than 160m per year, thats on par with some government departments. I believe we are proposing a professional and demanding political office and it is justified to pay that person the same salary as a junior minister. 2) If we directly elect the lord mayor, why do we need the city councils chief executive? This question is an understandable one and I would like to answer it through my experience working as a government minister for the last eight years. In a government department, there is the minister and the secretary general, who is the most senior civil servant. They work together towards the same goals of delivering things but they have very different jobs, one is the departments chief executive, the other is the peoples chief executive. Believe me, when the people arent happy with the minister, you know about it. The directly elected lord mayor will be akin to a minister for Cork. There will be more than enough work for the lord mayor and chief executive to tackle together but the major difference will be that the lord mayor will get his or her mandate directly from the people, they will have to face the media and they will have promises and projects to deliver on. If you vote No you will be voting to keep the city councils chief executive alone with no direct accountability to the people of Cork. 3) Directly elected Lord Mayor, good idea, but the Dublin government wants it so there must be a catch that takes power from Cork? I heard this one on the radio while I was driving last week from a broadcaster. It simply doesnt stack up. Look at what a person will have to do to become the directly elected lord mayor. Firstly, they will need to compete for a party nomination or make their name as a credible independent. Then they will need to announce policies, proposals and defend what they stand for. Forget Prime Time, imagine the fiery and competitive debates amongst the candidates. Finally, the ultimate test will be putting their faces on a ballot for the people of Cork to say Yes or No. All of the power will rest with the electorate in Cork. However, before any of that can happen you need to say Yes on May 24. This is a unique and once-off opportunity for Cork, lets not throw it away. Simon Coveney is Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs. Burma Fighting Spreads as AA Attacks Army Convoy in S. Rakhine An Army truck is badly damaged after being struck by a landmine in southern Rakhine State's Ann Township on Sunday. / Shinsaw Pu / Facebook YANGONThe Arakan Army (AA) ambushed a military convoy traveling in an area under the control of the Myanmar militarys Western Command in southern Rakhine States Ann Township on Sunday, injuring one soldier. Office of the Commander-in-Chief spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun confirmed that one soldier was wounded when Myanmar Army troops were attacked with remotely detonated landmines in Ann Township. He said the rebels detonated two landmines under a military convoy and retreated when soldiers fought back against them during the clash, which took place in a rural area of the township. The AA said its fighters destroyed three of the seven military trucks in the convoy. It said the three trucks were believed to be newly dispatched to Rakhine State. Tan Tin village administrator U Aung Than Myint, who was in Dat Taw village on Sunday, recalled clearly hearing explosions and a gunfight lasting about 30 minutes. The AA claimed it killed some troops during the short engagement in Ann Township. The fighting happened on the Ann-Sittwe Highway 25 kilometers from the urban center. On the same day, the AA said it had clashed with government troops in Ponnagyun Townships Laung Boat village and claimed to have killed at least four Myanmar Army soldiers. However, Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tun denied any armed engagement took place in Ponnagyun Township on Sunday. The AA says the Tatmadaw has been continually sending in more troops to Rakhine, reinforcing troops already deployed there from Light Infantry Division (LID) Nos. 22, 11, 44 and 55. The AA stated that in just the first 12 days of May, it clashed with the Myanmar Army on 33 occasions in Rakhine. Early Monday morning, fighting erupted in Kyauktaw Townships Tin Ma village, situated 16 km north of downtown Kyauktaw. Kyauktaw resident U Kyaw Hla Myint said that the militarys tactical command fired about 30 artillery rounds before noon. He said the armed conflict broke out 2 miles from the village, and residents of about five villages from that region were avoiding traveling outside during the day. Locals from Tin Ma and neighboring villages are scared of being struck by stray artillery rounds, said U Kyaw Hla Myint. Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tun said he had no information about the Kyauktaw clash as of Monday evening. You may also like these stories: Illegal Gravel Pit Collapse Kills 3 in Sagaing Region Groups to File Lawsuit Against Govt to Rewrite 2008 Constitution USDP to Contest Upcoming By-Election Curfew Imposed in 5 Townships in Northern Rakhine Burma Lawmaker Blocked from Asking about Govt-Military Ties on House Floor Military appointees in Parliament / Htet Naing Zaw / he Irrawaddy NAYPYITAWThe Lower House speaker refused to allow a National League for Democracy lawmakers question on relations between the Myanmar military and the government to be answered publicly on the House floor. U Than Lin Lin, a Lower House lawmaker from Maese constituency of Kayah State, submitted his query as a starred question so that it would be addressed publicly. He had asked whether the Tatmadaw is under the [command of] the Union government, and whether there are conflicts between the government and the ethnic armed organizations and wanted the question put into the parliamentary agenda for Fridays Lower House session, but it was removed from the starred list before the session began. The speaker would not allow the question to be asked publicly at the parliamentary session, said the lawmaker. But the director general of the Lower House of Parliament Office told me that the answer will be given in written form. But either way, I am satisfied as despite the objection, I was able to raise the question. U Tun Tun Hein, the deputy speaker of the Lower House, told the media after Fridays parliamentary session that the speaker has the authority to decide whether to put lawmakers questions on the starred list or to remove it from the agenda. If a lawmaker is given permission to ask the question, a Union-level minister or deputy minister has to be present before Parliament and answer the question, but when the question is not starred, the respective delegate answers the MPs question through the speaker. U Than Lin Lin said he asked the question as there is a public view that the government and the Tatmadaw are at odds. He said that being a member of an ethnic minority, he wanted to know if it was true. He declined to give his own view of the relations between the NLD government and the Tatmadaw, or of who has command over whom, but he said the two sides are cooperating and providing checks and balances for each other. But he said public opinion differed on that. He said his question was approved by the party, but not the speaker. Daw Zin Mar Aung, a Lower House lawmaker for the NLD said that as the Tatmadaw controls 25 percent of the legislature, plus three key ministerial portfolios in the executive branch in accordance with the Constitution, they are not under the hand of any ruling party. Under the 2008 Constitution, the Army chief has the right to name the ministers of defense, home affairs and border and security affairs, and the President appoints them with the approval of Parliament. All of them must have reached the age of 60, but not yet retired. Under the 2008 Constitution, [we are] not yet a democracy, Daw Zin Mar Aung told The Irrawaddy. Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun, the military spokesman, said the Tatmadaw follows the mandates set in the Constitution. And the Tatmadaw reports directly to the president on some issues, because the charter vests all executive power in the President. Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tun said, The Union government and the President are informed ahead of time of every action of the Tatmadaw, including the military operations and some others. The operations in Rakhine State are presented to the government and Presidents Office and proceed with their approval. He also said the commander-in-chief has the power to adjudicate cases involving defense services personnel in courts-martial, in line with international standards. But he said soldiers must follow the laws of both the military and civilians, and the cases of those who commit crimes such as murder and rape while off duty are transferred to civilian courts. Political observers in Naypyitaw say current civilian-military relations are more akin to diplomatic relations, rather than the relationship that existed under the previous administration, when General-turned-President U Thein Sein and the Army chief, Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, had a close relationship. However, the Presidents Office in October 2018 said State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing met privately and discussed the current affairs of the country. U Aung Thu Nyein, the director of communications at the Institute for Strategy and Policy in Myanmar, said, The role of civilian government should be expanded, if not, the role of the military would get bigger. For instance, there are things the government can do, such as calling meetings of the National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) and setting up guidelines on what to do at NDSC meetings. He said if the government could not take the leading role, the Tatmadaw would be taking initiatives by themselves as it enjoys its rights to specific authorities enshrined in the Constitution and the civilian sector cannot intervene in some cases. He said, the Army chief is at the same rank as the vice president. As far as we know, the Army chief informs the President prior to his domestic trips by letter. If he has to travel abroad, he informs the president himself. They follow the protocol. But in some cases, the current president needs to work harder and to lead. The Myanmar government is trying to achieve a democratic transition period and the Tatmadaws involvement is very important in this transition. Thus, the ruling party is making efforts to move forward and work together with the Tatmadaw under the policy of national reconciliation. In the meantime there are concerns of another military coup. You may also like these stories: With the Bear and the Dragon, Myanmar Military Plays Safe Army Shoots Motorcycle Driver Dead in N. Rakhine 6 Prisons Hit by Riots over Unfair Pardons; Inmates Reported Killed Military to Sue Comedy Performance Troupe Burma Warring Shan Armed Groups Agree to Ceasefire RCSS troops on parade to mark Shan National Day in their headquarters at Loi Tai Leng, Shan State in 2014. / Kyaw Kha / The Irrawaddy Following extended periods of conflict, two ethnic armed groups in Shan State have agreed to sign a ceasefire according to a statement released jointly by the two groups. The Shan State Army-North, the armed wing of the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and the Shan State Army-South, the armed wing of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) issued a joint statement on Saturday outlining a four-point agreement made by both sides to order their ground forces to cease fighting. Also in the ceasefire conditions, both sides agreed to continue ongoing peaceful negotiations; not to attack each other indirectly using social media; and to work together to eliminate the illicit drug trade. Our statement is intended to end fighting between the two Shan armed groups. We had to negotiate several times to be able to issue this ceasefire statement, Sai Su, lieutenant-colonel and spokesperson for the SSPP told The Irrawaddy on Monday. Fighting between the two armed groups has given Shan State a bad image and damaged the property of the Shan people, Sai Su added. Both the RCSS and the SSPP most recently met for negotiations in late April. Fighting between the two armed groups originally broke out over territorial disputes and many locals have been displaced as a result of the armed conflict which also caused the deaths of young children. The areas where the sides have ongoing disputes over territory include Namtu, Kyaukme, Hsipaw, and Kyethi townships. Col. Sai Ngern, a spokesperson for the RCSS confirmed to The Irrawaddy on Monday that they will continue to hold discussions on territory into the future. Our Shan [people] asked us to stop fighting. Even we understand that fighting each other has no advantages, he said. He also said that this current political platform, especially with a view to building a federal system, is important for the Shan people. Our actions (ceasefire) will benefit all people, not only our organizations, he said. A number of Shan political parties, community service organizations (CSOs) and internally displaced persons (IDPs) have long been requesting that the two armed groups stop fighting, but it has not been possible until now. Sai Aik Pao, head of Shan Nationalities Development Party (SNDP) and former chairperson of the Committee for Shan State Unity, said he wrote three letters to both armed groups requesting that they meet for peace talks. He described the current ceasefire agreement as a success for the ethnic Shan people. Shan Buddhist monks took the role of peace brokers between the two sides, according to Sai Aik Pao, and the groups ultimately agreed to a ceasefire upon the official request of Maing Hpone Sayadaw. Maing Hpone Sayadaw is a well-known and highly respected Shan Buddhist monk. Sai Aik Pao said armed conflict costs human lives, and their fighting particularly affectedeven causing the deaths oftheir own Shan people, as those living in areas controlled by both sides are Shan. It was not good to have fighting in the [Shan] brotherhood. What they really need is to negotiate, he said. Sai Tun Aung Lwin, an ethnic Shan journalist and researcher of armed conflict in Myanmar, said that it was good to see both of them agree to a ceasefire. The Shan people make up the ethnic majority in Shan State so it was sad to see them fighting each other. The Shan need to start building unity [with each other] before they try to build unity with other ethnic groups in Shan State, he said. For a continued and stable ceasefire, peace monitoring mechanisms need to be put in place as well as the relocation of army bases. Territorial disputes need to be settled, Sai Tun Aung Lwin said. You may also like these stories: After the Fanfare, Back to BasicsThe UWSA and Ceasefire Realities Rakhine State Lawmaker Suggests Union Govt Talk to AA to End Fighting RCSS Invites Rival Shan Group to Join Ceasefire, Excludes TNLA Selling Rakhine to the World Guest Column After the Fanfare, Back to BasicsThe UWSA and Ceasefire Realities Members of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) prepare for a military parade ahead of the groups 30th anniversary celebration in the Wa capital of Panghsang on the Chinese border in northern Shan State on April 14, 2019. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy As the dust settles from the marching soldiers and dancing students at the United Wa State Armys (UWSAS) 30th anniversary peace celebrations in Panghsang, capital of the Wa Self-Administered Zone in eastern Shan State, images of wealth and might have spread across the country. Weapons and ethnic garb were paraded, speeches made, troops inspected and representatives from the government and other ethnic armed groups showed up to celebrate. The fireworks and festivities did not mask the fact that this was a show of strength and autonomy, reminding us that nothing has changed in the peace process. Events like these, in Wa political culture, are a moment for building ties and demonstrating solidarity, creating circles of mutual obligation and respect. The Myanmar government was represented by U Thein Zaw of the Peace Commission and Union Minister U Thein Swe, a cordial gesture, though no significant commanders of the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, joined. While some reported quiet complaints or disappointment by UWSA officials about the low-level attendees, top UWSA leaders will be unsurprised by their counterparts staying away; they understand the optics of attendance. Chinese envoy Sun Guoxiangs appearance was an important reassurance. The rumour mill was also at it again, listing and relisting the UWSAs supposed arsenal by make and modelmissiles, helicopters, armoured vehicles, artillery, and small armsnot helped by the UWSAs decision to parade a set of unmanned drones. While some commentators have finally dropped the allegations of armed UWSA helicopters, others continue to rehash the same rumour. These lists of weaponry give the appearance of understanding, yet are filled with misinformation on UWSA internal politics and succession. Another report, perhaps misled by the jingoistic slogans and banners, wrongly branded the UWSA communist. To be sure, development has been grand and rapid, even from three years ago. The Wa have rebuilt a striking conference hall, a stadium refurbished with running track and grandstand, constructed new hotels, and repaved and painted roads through the entire towna calibrated demonstration showcasing what autonomy and revenue can provide. Former Communist Party of Burma (CPB) comrades have been impressed. Arakan Army commander Tun Mrat Naing took the opportunity to validate this armed autonomy as a model for other ethnic armed groups. There are constant questions about what they want, but UWSA leaders have been consistent in their overall stance: they have rejected any calls for independence and secession from the very beginning; they reiterate that the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) is meaningless because they already have a ceasefire; they were not involved in the initial drafting of the NCA and cannot now sign it in its present form; they seek an autonomous Wa State and political dialogue; they do not trust the Myanmar military and its contradictions with the NLD government; they do not wish to fight, but will maintain the armed self-defence status quo. None of their positions have substantially changed over the last 30 years, only new mechanisms (the NCA), actors (the National League for Democracy), and alliances like the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) have been introduced. In interviews the UWSA are always polite and diplomatic, proffering niceties about their openness to discussions with Myanmar counterparts (even if they ultimately send low-ranking officials), and sympathy for Daw Aung San Suu Kyis circumstances, occasionally adding harsher statements. Like parades, interviews and speeches can be rigid and staged. Formalities obscure true intentions, and sometimes more careful reading between the lines is required. The 2017 Documents Its instructive to revisit the three documents the UWSA released back in April 2017 when they formed the FPNCC with six other ethnic armed groups. These details and specific political demands, a rare public dissemination of information by the UWSA, are often glossed over by observers analysing the feasibility of larger calls for autonomy or a state. But these documents offer instead a careful insight into some of the UWSAs specific concerns, and a possible way to sequence them. The three documents were the FPNCCs General Principles, an amended NCA, and a document detailing the Process of Negotiations. They were drafted in Chinese, translated into Burmese and then into English, giving much room for imprecision. The General Principles made demands for constitutional change, stripping away the militarys parliamentary seats, the creation of autonomous ethnic regions, prefectures, and states based on population, and an almost implausibly high degree of autonomy in legislation, economy, natural resources, border and customs, currency, and even foreign relations. Some demands were so unreasonable that they were probably just attempts to establish a strong starting position. The Process of Negotiations recounted being humiliated by the military, which allegedly went back on promises to consider the proposal. Private negotiations were rejected publicly without first informing the UWSA, leading them to declare: the government of Myanmar has always shown no respect to ethnic minorities. This mentality has been vividly and thoroughly presented through this event. The most revealing document was the UWSAs proposed amendments to the NCA. It stated that political content was unduly emphasised in the original NCA, with little substantive detail as to how it would be enforced. It proposed a proper mapping out of ceasefire boundaries with landmarks, no fortifications and artillery to be deployed within a stipulated range of this boundary. It insisted on more freedom of movementno illegal checkpoints or taxationand restrictions on movement, with troops required to issue notification about traveling through designated areas. It also proposed the Myanmar government remove designations of terrorist group from signatories, refrain from prosecuting members of ethnic armed groups retroactively, and make requests that foreign countries revoke sanctions on UWSA leaders. It specifically called for Chinese and UN ceasefire monitors, and stipulated that transgressing the ceasefire boundaries trigger immediate termination. It added that non-government organizations (NGOs) and humanitarian aid should be allowed into areas controlled by ethnic armed groups. Most importantly, it set out terms for political dialogue and stipulated that a failure to hold political dialogue within 90 days would immediately void the agreement. These were all additions to the original NCA text. The documents reveal at least four key insights. First, that if any ceasefire is to be considered, the Wa want specific mechanisms to enforce it and terminate it when it fails, setting out clear boundaries within which the build-up of weapons is prohibited. These are the proposals of a group that has fought wars and maintained truces, insisting on the details of on-the-ground enforcement. They want accountability and consequences for military actions on both sides. Second, they want meaningful international involvement in NCA implementation, with monitoring access and humanitarian aid, not for the material benefits it brings, but for the witness role of an external audience, and the connections it enables. Third, the UWSA wants a ceasefire with momentum leading to political dialoguenot a mere symbol of peace trotted out for the international community to applaud. The UWSA was willing in 2017, at least on paper, to engage the terms of the NCA, but with a promise for political dialogue within 90 days. Now, however, sentiment appears to have hardened in the opposite directionpolitical dialogue first, then a signed agreement. Finally, they want the easing of legal and physical obstacles to their participation in the national economy and beyond. The UWSA has asked for identity cards to be issued to their people, less checkpoints and taxes on the flow of goods. At present, all minerals and rubber produced in the Wa region are sold to China, construction materials and household products come from across the border. These gestures will be taken as a test of the governments sincerity in integrating them into the Union. What Now? Astute commentators have suggested different possible paths for the UWSA: waiting for the constitutional amendment process of the NLD to unfold, going along slowly with the NCA process, gradually developingbetter ties between the UWSA and the military (which is not impossible), or insisting on elaborate and specific political dialogue before any agreement. There are obvious problemswhile narcotics trafficking and the status of South Wa are clear difficulties going forward, another issue is that the six townships and two sub-townships demarcated as Wa Self-Administered Division under the 2008 Constitution are not the same as the areas de facto controlled by the UWSA. UWSA-controlled areas include Mong Pawk and exclude Hopang, requiring constitutional amendment to reflect ground realities. Developing better ties is surely the place to start. This may take the form of informal government visits to build relationships and not to make demands, but demonstrate a genuine desire to understand and govern its border areas. Some observers, overly dramatic about the UWSA being protected by China or being its proxy, ignore the basic fact that the Myanmar government and military has done little to bring them into the Union, aside from personal business collaborations between leaders. The recent introduction of Mytel mobile network coverage in the Wa region is one way in which infrastructural connections can draw an autonomous region closer into the fold. Government support for Myanmar language education in the Wa region is another avenue the UWSA has previously shown interest in. Easing movement through checkpoints, facilitating private bus and taxi companies travelling across the Salween (or Thanlwin) River, are all moves that the UWSA leadership notices. Alternative pathways should be opened and brokers sought, aware of the sensitivities on both sides. While the UWSA invited foreign journalists, ambassadors, and development officials to the anniversary celebrations, the government refused to grant travel permission. This policy of isolating the UWSA from the international community has not worked for decades, it only strengthens UWSA reliance on shadowy routes into Laos, Thailand and China. Assistance provided by the international community during the period of opium substitution pales in comparison to other UWSA sources of income, its denial does not weaken them. Cutting off the UWSA is counter-productive for Myanmar and the US, as Bertil Lintner argues also in a new USIP report. Isolation denies UWSA exposure to alternative (non-Chinese) perspectives on politics and peace, weakening the prospects of broadening perspectives and finding common ground. Developing the political capacities of the UWSA would be an important outcome of such exposure. These are central to peace negotiations, as the incongruence of the NCA amendments have shown. The Myanmar governments and militarys strategy of urging the UWSA to sign the ceasefire without first supporting, or allowing others to support capacity building, is simply self-defeating. Few of the top politburo leaders speak Burmese, let alone are able to hold technical discussions about political arrangements and sector working groups. To eventually be able to integrate the Wa region into the Union, their administration would also have to match up with the rest of the country. At present, the UWSA certainly could not run a state-level parliament or draft legislation compatible with Union-level laws. They would hardly be able to host elections, foster meaningful alternative voices from civil society, or align customs regulations with Myanmar immigration. For entities like the Joint Peace Fund to support NCA signatories more than non-signatories, excluding groups that make up 80 percent of ethnic armed group strength, is a serious oversight. Its clear that the status quo suits the UWSA for now, even if they are constantly concerned about the nature of their relationship with China. Attempts to isolate the UWSA has not worked for three decades, and appealing to them now to sign the NCA, without any other trust-building gestures, will not work. Progress will require studying up on UWSA specific local level demands, its capacities, and political culture, and gradually building integrative ties through mutual demonstrations of sincerity. Failing which, parades of drones and menacing sniper platoons will continue for years to come. Andrew Ong is a postdoctoral fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from Harvard University. You may also like these stories: We Dont Expect a Single Amendment Will Be Made Mon Party Balks at Political Dialogue Meetings on Militarys Terms KIA Says Tatmadaw On the Offensive to Clear Economic Corridor Parliament Pushes for Identity Cards to be Issued to IDPs Monday, May 13th, 2019 (12:01 am) - Score 6,458 The Governments Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) has decided that it has too many different named broadband and full fibre programmes and as a result theyve today opted to simplify by aligning all of them under just two overarching programmes The UK Fibre Programme and Building Digital UK. At present the Broadband Delivery UK programme is still the primary container for many of these projects and is thus probably the most familiar to our readership (its been around since 2010/11, predominantly helping to bring superfast broadband speeds of 24Mbps+ to 96% of premises and rising). Alongside that there will soon be three programmes that have now adopted a more specific focus toward helping to foster the national availability of Gigabit capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband and Dark Fibre networks (e.g. Local Full Fibre Networks [LFFN] / Gigabit Vouchers, Superfast Broadband and the forthcoming Rural Gigabit Connectivity Programmes). Under the change all three of the full fibre centric programmes mentioned above (recent contracts under Superfast Broadband are all full fibre dominated) will from today simply be referred to as The UK Fibre Programme, while a long planned re-brand of Broadband Delivery UK means that it in turn will become Building Digital UK. As a result DCMS will have a simpler more relevant message that is about Building Digital UK with the UK Fibre Programme and 700MHz Clearance (4G/5G related). Practically speaking nothing else changes. Monday, May 13th, 2019 (9:10 am) - Score 815 The Chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, Sir John Armitt, has warned the UK Government not to merely pay lip service to their proposals for improving broadband, 5G, energy and transport by restating existing policy and offering vague promises when they set a National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS) this autumn. Over the past year the NIC has written several reports into the state of telecoms, energy and transport infrastructure across the United Kingdom (e.g. here and here). In keeping with that Armitts new open letter to the Governments Chancellor, Philip Hammond MP, recognises that there has been welcome progress in many areas, particularly on waste and water, and on digital connectivity, including the commitment to nationwide full fibre (FTTP/H) broadband coverage by 2033. However Armitt has also pledged to hold the governments feet to the fire in order to ensure that the final infrastructure strategy delivers a genuine, shared vision for the future of the country. In order to achieve that the NIC will thus be expecting some solid funding commitments, not least to help ensure that full fibre reaches rural and remote communities. NICs Key Tests for the National Infrastructure Strategy A long term perspective First, it needs to take a long-term perspective, looking beyond the immediate spending review period to set out the governments expectations for infrastructure funding and policy over the decades to come [up to 2050], in line with the Commissions remit and Assessment. Clear goals and plans to achieve them Second, it will need to specify clear goals and concrete plans to achieve them. Where the government endorses our recommendations, this should be underpinned by specific actions with proper deadlines and owners, to allow progress to be tracked and the desired outcomes to be achieved. Where it does not, it should provide a clear rationale which engages with the arguments set out in the National Infrastructure Assessment. A firm funding commitment Third, these need to be backed by a firm fiscal commitment, reflecting the fact that the upper bound of our funding guideline of 1.2% (of GDP) is needed to do anything more than meet current commitments over the next decade. Within this, the specific goals and plans should be matched with detailed funding allocations. A genuine commitment to change Fourth, it needs to demonstrate a genuine commitment to change. Many of our recommendations, whether on nuclear power, urban transport, electric and autonomous vehicles or flood risk management, do not represent tweaks to existing policy but a fundamental shift. The strategy needs to respond in the same spirit. The forthcoming 200m Gigabit Rural Connectivity Programme, which so far looks set to involve a mix of support for rural schools (here) and a voucher scheme (like the existing Gigabit Voucher Scheme), is one of the new full fibre booster projects that will be announced in the very near future. However it will still take billions of pounds more in order to fully close the rural fibre gap, which we suspect will not be something that is fully planned for and funded by the new strategy (i.e. probably too soon to do that awhile theyre still focused upon fostering ISPs to do most of the initial work themselves). Sir John Armitt said: The Commission was established to encourage a radical change in the way the UK plans and funds its infrastructure for the long term. These four tests represent our minimum requirements ahead of this autumns Spending Review for determining the effectiveness of the governments response. Weve seen positive steps from government in adopting our recommendations on reducing water leakage and tackling waste. But those were the easy wins. Real change is required if we are to boost our economic prosperity and quality of life up to 2050. That requires the governments National Infrastructure Strategy to be bold and transformative and commit to major changes like devolving funding for cities transport. Weve put forward a costed plan for how we do that, backed up by a wealth of new evidence in support. We now need the government to step up to the plate and share our ambition to create a bold future for the infrastructure that people across the country will use every day of their lives. An Openreach spokesperson said: We agree with Sir John Armitt that building the right infrastructure for the mid-21st century will help shape a new national and global identity. And for us, the right infrastructure for the future is digital. The Governments 2033 ambition for nationwide full-fibre broadband is a bold one, and weve been encouraged by its intentions to support private investment, but we urgently need action to address major barriers including an illogical tax on full-fibre infrastructure. This is a hugely complex national engineering project, but the benefits to UK productivity, prosperity and the environment could be immeasurable. And, if its going to happen, were determined for Openreach lead the way. Admittedly its unclear, aside from being very vocal, precisely how the NIC intends to hold the Governments feet to the fire if they dont see what they want in the forthcoming strategy. The NIC merely exists to provide the government with impartial, expert advice on major long-term infrastructure challenges and doesnt itself have much power. Not that we disagree with the sentiment, but at times the NIC can come across as somewhat of a toothless ideas factory. Meanwhile a spokesperson for HM Treasury said, In this parliament, public investment will reach its highest sustained level for 40 years, helping fund major improvements to our infrastructure. This includes the biggest rail investment since Victorian times, and the largest ever strategic roads programme. UPDATE 11:47am Added a comment from Openreach (BT) above. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - At least one security guard was killed and several people were injured when three or four gunmen stormed a five-star hotel in the Gwadar district of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Saturday, several official reports suggested. The Inter-Services Public Relations, Pakistani military's media wing, said in a statement that three terrorists attempted forced entry into Pearl Continental Hotel Gwadar, and were challenged by security guards who restrained them to a staircase. Balochistan Minister for Home Mir Zia Ullah Langau told local media that army and paramilitary troops were carrying out a joint operation against the militants. Langau said that the security forces took timely action to evacuate most parts of the hotel. Some local media reports said that Navy helicopters were used to shift hotel guests to safer places. Meanwhile, sharing initial reports with Xinhua on condition of anonymity, senior security sources from Gwadar said that four militants camouflaging as security personnel entered the hotel and engaged in a gunbattle with the hotel's private and public security personnel, leaving three of them dead. The dead included two private security guards and a soldier, the sources added. The militants were later cornered and killed on the first floor of the hotel by security forces, and a combing operation is going on which may take several hours to conclude, said the security sources. They added that three people including two security personnel and a civilian were also injured in the shootout, and had been shifted to a nearby hospital. The militants were using sophisticated weapons, and hurled hand grenades inside the hotel, the sources said. Separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army's (or BLA) Majeed Brigade faction confirmed the attack from an unverified Twitter account, warning to carry more attacks in the future. The BLA also released a picture of four militants wearing army uniforms and carrying weapons, claiming that they killed themselves after carrying out the attack at the hotel. Xinhua (China Daily 05/13/2019 page12) Swinburne University of Technology has partnered with Bendigo and Adelaide Bank to develop and deliver a Master of Financial Technologies (FinTech) degree. Built on its ongoing partnership with the bank, the degree course is promoted as the first of its kind post-graduate course commenced in Semester One 2019, and is delivered through Swinburnes Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship. We are very pleased to have Bendigo Bank on board for this new, bold collaboration that is based on the industry co-creation model which runs across all AGSE postgraduate programs, AGSE director Alexander Kaiser said. This partnership supports Swinburnes commitment to delivering courses that equip students with cutting-edge industry skills. Swinburnes director of the Master of FinTech, Dr Dimitrios Salampasis, said students would benefit greatly from being taught by leaders in the FinTech space. Bendigo Bank will contribute to our students gaining the best of both worlds with industry practitioners known as pracademics teaching alongside Swinburne academics, Dr Salampasis said. This practical application provides the ultimate innovative learning experience for our students in terms of relevance and professional exposure to a wide network of capabilities. Swinburne says the vision for the Master of FinTech is to meet current and future market demand for skills and qualifications in emerging technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence, while helping students translate technological developments into innovative business models. Dr Salampasis says that due to rapid growth in the industry, the course is centred on real industry cases and immersive learning taught by qualified academics and leading industry practitioners. Our approach to FinTech education encompasses the applied study of data-oriented, smart technologies and provides our students with comprehensive knowledge and specific, functional skills," he said. Partnering with Bendigo Bank allows us to move beyond the hype and develop a cutting-edge FinTech curriculum. Guest speakers, real-life case studies, on-site events, access to data, work-integrated learning and applied projects are just a few of the opportunities to arise from this co-creation model. Head of University Partnerships at Bendigo Bank, David Tudor, said its FinTech partnerships, innovation and strategic tertiary education partnerships, were proof of the banks Australian FinTech leadership. The advent of this new, hands-on Master of FinTech course will equip Swinburne students with practical skills and real-world experiences which they can draw on to accelerate their learning and career development," he said. The co-designed and co-delivered course will also help us build on our own knowledge base and internal capability, improve productivity and customer experience, and assist in accelerating our vision to be Australias bank of choice. This collaboration follows the launch of a Community Bank at Swinburne, which will invest banking profits into projects, scholarships, clubs, and research at Swinburne. Swinburnes vice-president (Engagement), Jane Ward, said she believed the partnership with Bendigo Bank reflected the universitys strong commitment to innovating and creating positive social change. We seek partnerships where our values align and where there is ample opportunity to benefit our community through funding, research, student placements or other co-created projects," she said. Bendigo Banks strategic partnership with Swinburne is part of the continuing evolution of the Bendigo Community Bank model and represents a further opportunity to strengthen our partnership with a leading Australian education institution and share value by feeding into the prosperity of the tertiary education sector. Ed Husic: "We've said consistently since December last year that we wanted to see the recommendations of the bipartisan parliamentary committee into the encryption bill reflected in the law." The Australian Labor Party has ruled out repealing the encryption law that was passed last year if it is elected, but says it will speedily incorporate the 170-odd amendments that were drafted, but not included in the law. Labor's Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy Ed Husic told iTWire in Melbourne on Monday that the government had pledged to include the amendments as soon as parliament resumed sitting this year. "We've said consistently since December last year that we wanted to see the recommendations of the bipartisan parliamentary committee into the encryption bill reflected in the law," he said. A review instituted by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security as soon as the bill was passed on 6 December last year, with a reporting date of 3 April, was expected to provide some solace to the technology industry. But the PJCIS, asking the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, Dr James Renwick, to review the law and report back by 1 March 2020. "The government said it would do that. We had an understanding that those [the amendments] would go through; they didn't and we are committed to reforming the bill along the lines of what's been recommended," Husic said. "Regardless of what the monitor [INSLM] is doing, we will still proceed with those amendments and then [the law] can be updated in due course based on what the monitor comes up with." Asked if anything could be done to extricate those who got caught up by the law in the interim, Husic said this concern had been communicated to him by people within the tech sector. "[These are] people who are actively considering ways to shield themselves, either by relocating data or relocating operations. They simply don't see the risk, compared to what the market is worth, is worth that cost and they're saying to me that they'll relocate. We need to get these laws fixed." Ed Husic has vigorously defended Labor's plan to set up a blockchain academy at a cost of $3 million. Photo: Sam Varghese He said in the interim, if anyone was caught in the dragnet of the law, they would have to "basically follow the letter of the law as it currently stands". "That's why I think there's a sense of urgency. We need to amend these laws because companies and individuals working for them shouldn't be put in that position to deal with a law that parliamentarians have have observed is deficient in key areas and needs to be fixed." When it was pointed out to him that many experts who had commented on the law before it was passed had said that the only way to make it work was to repeal it and start from scratch. Husic said he did not think there would be any move to repeal the entire law. "Our view is that, based on the advice we've received through a very thorough process, the amendments that have been proposed can achieve balance. We can do through amendments the type of things we need to see, particularly with respect to judicial oversight, and to change some of the really heavy-handed elements of the law." Asked about what plans Labor had to increase the percentage of women in the tech industry, and whether it would consider quotas as it had for its political party, Husic said: "We think that having diverse businesses is good for business. If you bring on people with a broad range of skills from different backgrounds it has been demonstrated as being good for business. So we want to work with business to make sure that happens as in the announcement we made today." He was referring to a pledge made on Monday to offer 5000 fee-free TAFE places to ICT students and ensuring that half of the places went to women. "We need to start the process of dealing with the gender imbalance that exists in the sector," Husic said. "While we're keen to work with industry on that, you know, we're not ruling things in or out. We haven't contemplated a quota system, but you can imagine the calls for such an arrangement will grow stronger if the sector doesn't address it. "But my dealings with various companies within tech is that they acknowledge it's an issue. They want to deal with it. Some of them are tracking performance, which is good because it means that if you've got the metrics you've got a clear picture of what's going on and you can measure if the proposals put in place to deal with it are actually working. So there is, I think, a commitment to do it, but we've got to see better results and if we don't, I think people will call for quotas." Husic vigorously defended Labor's election promise to allocate $3 million for a blockchain academy in Perth, when it was pointed out to him that the tech research firm Gartner had predicted that 90% of blockchain-based supply chain initiatives would suffer what they called blockchain fatigue by 2023. "Sometimes I get the feeling that the people who dismiss blockchain, it's almost akin to people saying why do I need the Internet when I can fax you?" he said. "You know, the reality is that technology is evolving. I haven't, you know, just decided out of the blue to support blockchain just because I woke up one morning and thought it was good. I'm watching what's happening. "It was used as a platform for the emergence of cryptocurrency, but beyond that you can see the ASX starting to actively contemplate the use of blockchain within their operations. So in the Australian context, you know, if you've got the Australian stock exchange prepared to change its trading system and use a blockchain-based platform to do so and you can see how advanced they are in the development of that, it sends a signal to you that the technology has been taken seriously. "Just as it is when Data61 examine the potential use of blockchain and they go through some of the scenarios that you pointed out. They have also identified there is a risk as there is with any new technology. I don't see this as a panacea. I don't see it as the next gold rush or anything like that. "What I am saying is that when you look in different parts of the world, or when you look locally, people are taking the tech seriously and if we want to consider a wider application of the tech we need the skills to be present and that's why we made the announcement about the blockchain academy. Talking to fintechs and knowing some of the firms in WA that are using blockchain as as a key part of their offering and their operations, you know, it's better for us to think ahead about this. "And I'm also surprised when people are sort of questioning us moving into this space because I contrast it with the regular criticism of government which is, how come government cannot think ahead and the moment we think ahead, they go, 'Oh we don't need to do that because there's something here already'. You know, you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't." Husic said Labor was putting forward the preparedness to invest. "We've seen what others are doing and we said to the industry they need to stump up as well. Like this won't be just underwritten entirely by government. We see industry stepping forward to make things like the blockchain academy work and we'll see where it goes from there." The Australian Labor Party will offer 5000 digital and ICT places in TAFEs free in order "to help prepare Australians for the jobs of the future" if the party is returned to power in Saturday's Federal Election. The announcement, made at the Box Hill TAFE on Monday by Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy Ed Husic, Shadow Minister for Skills, TAFEs and Apprenticeships, Senator Doug Cameron, and the Labor candidate for Chisholm, Jennifer Yang, said efforts would be made to ensure that half the seats went to women. "In government, Labor will also task its Apprenticeship Advocate to refresh and expand the digital traineeship pathway to help tackle digital skills shortages," the Labor trio said. They said these moves were part of a broader push to drive uptake of digital skills by Australians "to help us better adapt to future technological change". "The Apprenticeship Advocate will partner with industry, unions, TAFE educators and experts to expand the reach of quality apprenticeships and traineeships in the ICT sector," Husic, Senator Cameron and Yang said. "The Advocate will work with the partners to ensure high standards of on and off-the-job-training, leading to transferrable skills and qualifications." Justifying its moves, Labor said the Australian Computer Society and Deloitte Access Economics had reported in the 2018 Australias Digital Pulse report that the economy would need an additional 100,000 ICT workers in the next five years. And for the country to become a global digital leader, about 200,000 workers were needed. The report said only 5000 domestic graduates were emerging annually, well short of demand. Also cited was the Foundation for Young Australians who reported in 2019 that with 70% of young people acquiring skills that would be redundant by 2030, the mismatch between skills supply and demand was a pressing economic challenge. In 2016, the FYA had noted that the demand for digital literacy was up by 212%, a statistic that would have a significant impact on 4.3 million young people. In the World Economic Forums Network Readiness Index, Australias ranking had been more or less static in the last five years, rising by only one place since 2012. The lack of digitally qualified workers was having an impact, with one indication being the fact that Telstra in 2019 said it was opening a new staff hub in India, because it was unable to recruit workers with the necessary ICT skills in Australia. Last week, Labor announced that, if elected, it would boost the digital skills of Australians through the injection of $25 million to drive skills development in regional Australia. Victoria's Innovation Minister Martin Pakula was also present for the announcement. Businesses that earn the trust of their customers by being responsible stewards of their information will be rewarded with loyalty and positive word-of-mouth recommendations, Mark Perry, the chief technology officer of cloud security firm Ping Identity says. In comments to mark Australian Privacy Awareness Week which runs from 12 to 18 May, Perry said the observance of the week served to remind people that organisations which lack ways to protect data from unauthorised sharing, data breaches and misuse stand to lose this trust. That, he added, would translate into lost business. The Privacy Awareness Week is an initiative of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. "To thrive in this increasingly complex landscape, organisations must carefully control which customer data attributes are accessible to applications. They must ensure that apps only have access to the attributes they need and, particularly for partner applications, that customers have consented to sharing data," Perry said. "Finally, they must make these consents intuitive. Lengthy privacy policies full of legalese are a thing of the past. An organisations customers expect user-friendly controls that let them manage their consents and clearly see who has access to their data. "At the same time, centralised privacy management capabilities enable compliance with a growing number of dynamic privacy regulations. With centralised policies, businesses can confidently control how and where data is used. "Without them, its risky to embark on new initiatives to improve customer experience, and you risk tight restrictions from security, legal and compliance teams. Those are steep sacrifices in todays multi-channel marketplace, where competitive advantage lies in personalisation." Joanne Wong, senior regional marketing director for security intelligence firm LogRhythm in the Asia-Pacific, said the week served to remind both consumers and employees that they should have good privacy and personal data protection practices. "At work, you can adopt basic data protection practices for daily operational activities. It could be as simple as checking your emails to ensure there is no unnecessary personal data contained within before sending out," she said. "Another step is to practise password hygiene, which could be as simple as using different passwords across applications or multifactor authentication and changing passwords often. Akin to security locks for physical security, passwords have long been a standard means of protecting information, most importantly for information both offline or online. "We use it to lock our mobile devices, protect our online banking information and for businesses, protecting their network from unauthorised access. "At the same time, as bad actors become more persistent and increasingly sophisticated in their methods of gaining access to our critical digital assets and information, chief security information officers have an ongoing responsibility to emphasise the importance of password hygiene. "Indeed, companies need to put privacy at the heart of all new applications and processes. Privacy by design will need to be part of the organisations mind-set, not just an afterthought. This is really a principle that businesses need to be thinking about now, not later." Phil Kernick, co-founder and chief technology officer of cyber security specialist CQR Consulting, said: "In 2010, Facebook publicly said that the age of privacy is over. Today, they are saying that the future is private. "But what they arent acknowledging is that your private information is still yours, not theirs, even if you choose to share it on their platform. "Personal information is the currency of social media. You need to protect it the same way you protect your wallet, and choose where to spend it wisely." The Australian National Privacy Week provided a timely reminder to create or review privacy and security policies and ensure that staff training was part of any policy, according to Mark Sinclair, ANZ country manager of global network security vendor WatchGuard Technologies. "Educating users is often the most overlooked area of security and the public mandatory data breach legislation reports show that user error is quite often a cause of a privacy or data breach," he said. "Robust security technology is vital, but ensuring users are aware of policies, understanding how their privacy can be compromised, and the role they should take to keep data safe should be the first and last line of defence for every organisation." Michael Warnock, Australia country manager of security solutions firm Aura Information Security, said: "When you look back over the past five years, adoption of new technologies like mobile and cloud have completely transformed many industries for both consumers and businesses. All have come to expect access to services from consumers wherever they happen to be and at whatever time they need." He said at the same time, cyber-attacks demonstrated the vulnerable, expanded attack surface associated with greater cloud adoption. "As organisations work to secure their applications and other sensitive assets in the cloud as part of their digital transformation strategies, these attacks demonstrate the need to quickly implement consistent security controls across cloud and on-premises environments to protect user privacy. "After all, most people fail to only really care about cyber security until they are a victim of an attack. Cyber education in the workforce and awareness for individuals to manage their own privacy is not something people should do every 12 months with a few questions, it needs to be continuously reinforced and customised to front and centre of an organisations employee base." Petr Adamek, chief executive of the Canberra Innovation Network, an ACT Government initiative to accelerate innovation and diversify the economy, said people wanted reassurance that their data was safe and secure. "The best tech start-ups focus not only on attracting new customers and building amazing technology, but also on building trust of their customers," he said. "Being serious about privacy and data protection and demonstrating it is a key ingredient in building such trust and setting your startup for success. Budd Ilic, ANZ country manager of cloud security provider Zscaler, said the week provided an opportunity for Australian businesses to review the introduction of greater data cyber security hygiene into their enterprises. "Organisations today need to take a more proactive approach to protecting and managing their customer data. At the same time, companies need to ensure they have insight into the various data pools, often kept in different departments within an organisation and identify whether permission to use personally identifiable information has been obtained," he said. "Furthermore, in recent years, companies have had to put technology in place that helps them control and protect digital assets, and reconcile the disjointed conversations between departments to produce the shared insight necessary to update an organisations security posture. "Processes should really now be in place to manage the data more effectively as companies have gained a better understanding of where they store PII and who has access to this, a necessity to be able to comply with the reporting requirements in case of data loss and to support robust customer privacy." Albert Kuo, vice-president Asia Pacific for enterprise technology company ExtraHop, said: "Today, both business and consumer IT users experience encryption on a daily basis by way of the browsers and applications we use. "Application providers have invested heavily in elevating privacy and protecting sensitive data through encryption policies and technology, yet personal information is still often leaked largely because of unintentional human error, the weakest link in any defence." Kuo said if attackers obtained user credentials, then encryption was of no use. "For this reason, no organisation is free from the risk of a breach. As a result, organisations should protect their IT users privacy with comprehensive network visibility and automation that speeds up the investigation process," he said. "After all, the faster you can locate an attack source and mitigate the damage, the sooner its stopped, and the less damage done to users and the and the organisation's reputation." Phishing is seen by more than nearly half (44%) of Australian businesses as the biggest security threats they face, with ransomware, password and business email compromise continuing to beset organisations, according to a newly published survey. And, according to the survey, commissioned by security intelligence firm LogRhythm, Australian chief information security officers continue to struggle to combat a rising climate of cybersecurity compromise, often taking weeks to detect and deal with security breaches. The survey conducted between February and April this year found that more than half (55%) of respondents were able to detect their last security incident within hours, while 16% said it had taken them up to a week to detect their last security incident and 7% had taken even longer. These delays really do raise serious concerns for Australian businesses, which since the introduction of the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme, have been legally obliged to detect and report on breaches as rapidly as possible, said Joanne Wong, marketing director Asia Pacific and Japan, LogRhythm. One might well conclude that if businesses cannot detect and evaluate a data breach, the consumer protections put in place by the NDB scheme offer scant chance of remediating breach damage. According to LogRhythm, the broad spectrum of responses to the survey confirmed that security executives were facing a steady barrage of attacks that target access credentials, weaknesses in devices, and potential weaknesses in the extended connectivity chains that cloud computing and managed service provision have created. When asked how they would meet the threats they face in 2019, respondents said that more advanced email and Web security gateways, AI-based endpoint security systems, tighter control over user access rights, SIEM systems, application whitelisting, tools for secure coding, and offline back-ups were some of the critical tools being evaluated for improving their cyber posture. Ultimately, one of the greatest challenges IT teams face today is protecting their organisations from advanced and potentially costly attacks while operating with a limited budget and even fewer resources, said Wong. This is certainly not an easy task, but with the proper approach, its also not impossible to protect your organisations data and critical systems without impacting the agility of the business or increasing IT costs. The survey also found that 52% of respondents were streamlining their security technologies to reduce the complexity of their environments for their people. Just under half (48%) of these organisations are now turning to automation to assist employees transition away from security monitoring to focus on value adding tasks, the survey revealed. In addition, other respondents said they were focused on implementing managed services, careful application of software updates, security awareness programs, incident response plans, and extensive training and upskilling of their people to support their employees. According to LogRhythm, Australian companies still vary in maturity when it comes to adopting automation. Half the respondents said they had applied automated incident detection and response (IDR) to less than half of their infrastructure, while 16% said they had successfully rolled out automated incident detection and response capabilities across their entire infrastructure. This suggests there is still a long way for Australian businesses to go when it comes to deploying the cybersecurity scalability to match the growing demands of digital transformation, LogRhythm noted. When asked about budgets, 44% of respondents said their security budgets would increase by 5% or more in 2019 although an almost equal percentage (46%) said their budget would stay the same. LogRhythm says the survey found that security executives are facing a steady onslaught of risks in 2019 from malware and zero-day threats, identity theft, business email compromise, data loss, poor patching, credential theft, and data exfiltration. In addition, there was a growing risk of nation state-sponsored attacks; web site hacks leading to theft of customer information; man-in-the-middle WiFi attacks; cryptojacking; cloud security breaches; malicious mobile apps; insecure third parties; and Internet of Things devices. This is certainly not an easy task, but with the proper approach, its also not impossible to protect your organisations data and critical systems without impacting the agility of the business or increasing IT costs, Wong said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) An issue hounding the Commission on Elections' transparency server is causing delays in the release of poll results, but the agency clarified there are no problems with transmitting election data from vote-counting machines to public servers. "Hindi ito transmission problem. Ang transmission natin ay maayos," COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez said. "Katunayan, ang transmission natin is ay 80 percent right now. Ibig sabihin ang mga resulta galing sa VCM tuloy-tuloy ang pasok sa ating sistema." [Translation: This is not a transmission problem. Our transmission is fine. In fact, our transmission rate is at 80 percent right now. That means the results from the VCM continue to enter our system.] Jimenez argued the application that pushes the election data to media outlets' terminal is the cause of the problem, which he said is not easy to solve. The transparency server's personnel had sent a letter to the COMELEC en banc to request for permission to open up the error logs in the server in question. The poll body spokesperson said that as a workaround, media personnel in the transparency server's offices "are now being allowed to look into the results as they are coming in." He adds the unconsolidated results are in the public results website. Jimenez said issues with the system can be resolved as early as 4 a.m. Tuesday. The application causing the delay is part of the COMELEC's team up with Smartmatic, the poll systems provider. Smartmatic encountered another issue relating to changes made to the server script during the 2016 presidential and vice presidential polls. Transparency sought Atty. Howard Calleja, legal counsel of Parish Pastoral Counsel for Responsible Voting, sought for transparency from the COMELEC regarding the data delays in a joint statement with the Kapisanan ng Brodkasters ng Pilipinas (KBP). The organization also requested open recording devices for all stakeholders in the server to document the proceeding. "Along with their media partners and stakeholders, we urge the COMELEC to resolve this issue at the soonest possible time," Calleja said. Senator Francis Pangilinan, president of Liberal Party and the campaign manager of Otso Diretso, slammed the lack of explanation from COMELEC. "COMELEC, limang oras na mula ng huling naglabas ng resulta sa halalan sa Senado at hanggang ngayon ni katititing na paliwanag wala kaming naririnig sa inyo. Nasaan ang COMELEC? Nasaan ang spokesperson? Nasaan ang paliwanag?" Pangilinan said in a statement. [Translation: COMELEC, it's been five hours since the results were last released on the senatorial race and there has been no explanation from you. Where is COMELEC? Where is the spokesperson? Where is the explanation?] Pangilinan said the delay sparked rumors regarding the veracity of the results. "If you can't release the results, we demand an immediate explanation as to the reasons behind this delay in the release. Nearly zero results. Zero explanation. Completely and totally unacceptable. Surely you can do better than this," he added. The latest data release on the senatorial race from COMELEC servers -- which showed Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, and Bong Go taking the lead -- was out by 6:05 p.m., a mere five minutes after the polls have begun closing. Vice President Pence's Truthful Address NEWS PROVIDED BY May 13, 2019 NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 / Christian Newswire / -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Vice President Mike Pence's speech at Liberty University: On May 11, Vice President Mike Pence spoke at Liberty University's Commencement, offering a stirring address. "The truth is," he said, "we live in a time when the freedom of religion is under assault." He cited a report detailing how Christians are being persecuted more than any other religion today. Indeed, the very next day, six people, including a priest, were killed during a Sunday Mass by Islamists in Burkina Faso, a northwestern African nation; the church was burnt to the ground. Pence also talked about attacks on religion in the United States. He said that "we live in a time when it's become acceptable and even fashionable to ridicule and even discriminate against people of faith." He cited as an example the reaction on the part of "the media and the secular Left" to his wife's teaching at a Christian elementary school earlier this year; she was vilified for doing so. The vice president was right to say that "these attacks are un-American." He was also right to say that "Some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs." He didn't hold back in his admonition to the graduating class. He warned that "you're going to be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith; you're going to be asked to endorse them. You're going to be asked to bow down to the idols of the popular culture." If anyone wants proof that Pence is right, just read about the attacks on religious freedom coming from left-wing gay rights activists. They never stop. Their goal is not tolerance--they want affirmation, and they want to eviscerate the rights of those with whom they disagree. Pence does not exaggerate. Just last week the Catholic League called upon state lawmakers in Pennsylvania to initiate a vote of censure against Brian Sims, an LGBT activist and member of the PA House of Representatives. He recently badgered, and placed in danger, an elderly Catholic woman in a totally unprovoked attack. Her crime? She was praying the rosary outside a Planned Parenthood clinic. Sims previously victimized three Catholic teenage girls for the same "offense." What Sims did was fascistic, but the media did not call him out for this the way they should have. Already, Pence is being hammered by Charles Pierce, a left-wing secularist who hates Christianity. In an article posted on the website of Esquire, he calls Pence a "snowflake and drama queen." Is that what he would call the woman and the girls who were victimized by Sims? That's what Pence was getting at--serious stuff--not some stupid joke. The Catholic League's website provides all the evidence one needs to demonstrate the veracity of Pence's remarks. Congratulations to Vice President Mike Pence for telling the truth about the unhealthy state of religious liberty and the positive steps that the Trump administration is taking to remedy this situation. SOURCE Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights CONTACT: 212-371-3191, pr@catholicleague.org Related Links www.catholicleague.org Sweden has said it will seek to extradite WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange from the UK to face a reopened investigation into a rape allegation against him. Monday's announcement means that the UK will now have to decide whether to send Assange to Sweden or the US after he serves a 50-week jail term imposed for skipping bail in 2012. He took refuge in the Ecuador embassy in London after that, having been granted asylum by that country. The WikiLeaks founder was arrested by British police on 11 April after Ecuador withdrew its asylum and appeared in court shortly thereafter. He was found guilty of skipping bail and remanded to custody. At the time he fled into the Ecuador embassy, Assange was wanted in Sweden for questioning on the rape allegations. He has always maintained that he accepted the asylum offer because he feared the US would try to extradite him from Sweden to face charges over the release of thousands of documents relating to the US invasion of Iraq and the Afghanistan operation. In May 2017, Swedenthe rape probe against Assange, and revoked the arrest warrant that existed at the time. Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case, Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief said in a statement. Its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name." Sweden's deputy director of public prosecution Eva-Marie Persson said in a statement: "On account of Julian Assange leaving the Ecuadorian embassy, the circumstances in this case have changed. I take the view that there exists the possibility to take the case forward. Julian Assange has been convicted of a crime in the UK and will serve 25 weeks of his sentence before he can be released, according to information from UK authorities. "I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US. In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority. The outcome of this process is impossible to predict. However, in my view the Swedish case can proceed concurrently with the proceedings in the UK." The Assange saga began when he visited Sweden in August 2010 to attend a conference at which he was scheduled to give a talk. During that visit, he had sex with two women whom he met. The pair filed rape and molestation complaints against him later, claims that he denied. He was questioned by Swedish authorities and cleared of all accusations. He could have left the country then and there but stayed for a while, in case the authorities decided to question him again. Interpol issued a Red Notice for his arrest on 20 November 2010. On 27 November, Assange surrendered to authorities and appeared before a Westminster judge. Bail was granted to him in December after his backers provided 240,000 in cash and sureties. Then began a protracted period of legal back and forth that went on until June 2012, when Swedish prosecutors sought his extradition. Assange's lawyers, among them the world-renowned Australian Geoffrey Robertson, replied that if he agreed to the extradition request, then he could be flown to the US from there. On 19 June 2012, he jumped bail and took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, seeking asylum in the South American country. British police surrounded the building and blocked any chance of his leaving. Ecuador granted him asylum in August 2012. He stayed there until 11 April this year, when the asylum was withdrawn making his arrest possible. Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register An activist hedge-fund group, Legion Partners LP, has taken the top ownership stake in Primo Water Corp., according to a regulatory filing Friday. Legion expanded its holdings from 2.63 million shares and a 6.8% stake to 3.09 million shares and 7.91%. Private-equity firms are required to declare their ownership stakes annually, typically in February, or when they have a significant increase or decrease in shares. Legion, based in Beverly Hills, Calif., bills itself as deep value, long-term-oriented active investors. Its strategies include gaining representation on corporations boards of directors to impact policies or strategic direction or, in some cases, simply advocating specific business activities for the fundamental benefit of a portfolio company. Akre Capital Management LLC slid to second with 2.85 million Primo shares and a 7.3% stake as of Primos proxy filing on March 28. Wellington Management Co. held the top holding at 3.59 million shares and an 11.5% stake in June 2018. It is now in fourth place at 2.35 million shares and a 6.1% stake. Reform has restored public confidence. Think we could use more of that in Raleigh? Speaking to power Phillips, whos been at this for years, took his turn in the pulpit after the presentation. He worked with state Republicans, who prior to 2010 had been the minority party since 1870, when the GOP was howling for reform. Now hes working with Democrats who find themselves in the same position. Ive been at this a long time and you can see how successful Ive been, he said. Though self-deprecation is always a good hook in public speaking, Phillips and Common Cause have enjoyed some success challenging district maps in the court system. In 2017, a federal court found 27 North Carolina legislative districts to be illegal racial gerrymanders. Other federal courts ruled that our congressional district maps were illegal gerrymanders. The U.S. Supreme Court heard in March oral arguments and is expected to rule next month. It could be a game changer, Phillips said. On their face, the numbers show how skewed the system has become. A teacher at Paisley Magnet School in Winston-Salem was arrested Monday for allegedly storing a gun in her classroom last month after a student brought it to her, authorities said. Sarah Melissa Wilson, a language-arts teacher, was charged with aid to a minor to possess a firearm on educational property, Winston-Salem police said. Investigators consulted with District Attorney Jim ONeill before obtaining an arrest warrant against Wilson, police said. Investigators determined that the gun was at Paisley Magnet School during the week of April 22, police said. A juvenile student told Wilson about the gun and gave it to her. Wilson then allowed the firearm to be stored in the classroom, and the juvenile student to retrieve the handgun near the conclusion of the school day, police said. Wilson, 25, of Lexington surrendered to Winston-Salem Police and was released from custody on her written promise to appear in court on May 30, police said. Wilsons arrest came in the course of a police investigation of a firearm on the Paisley campus last week. The same weapon was involved in both the incident last week and the April case, police said in a news release Monday evening. GREENSBORO Two people were hurt in a shooting on Monday afternoon, Greensboro police said in a news release. At 3:19 p.m., police responded to a call about shots being fired in the 1100 block of Ogden Street. The officers located two victims, each suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound. The victims were taken to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening. The suspect is believed to be in a brown sedan, police said, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000 or text the tip to 274637 using the keyword badboyz. All calls to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and may result in a reward of up to $2,000. These factors suggest that your age will not automatically bar you from securing employment. However, there are a few things you can do to make yourself more marketable as you prepare for your job search. First of all, refresh your skills. Even if youve worked in the same industry for a number of years, its always a good idea to make yourself aware of the latest technology and trends. Community colleges are a good resource for getting more-structured continuing education. They are also a great place to start if you want to consider changing industries. Look at the career paths that are in high demand, such as the health-care field, and think about how your past experience and skills may translate. Perhaps starting a business and being self-employed is an option or working part time. Contemplate learning or brushing up on a second language. Being bilingual could make you a more competitive job candidate. "Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger," Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen's internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage. A statement Sunday from the UAE's Foreign Ministry put the ships near the country's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah. It said it was investigating "in cooperation with local and international bodies." It said there were "no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels" and "no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel." The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which oversees the region, did not immediately offer comment. Emirati officials declined to answer questions from The Associated Press, saying their investigation is ongoing. Earlier Sunday, Lebanon's pro-Iran satellite channel Al-Mayadeen, quoting "Gulf sources," falsely reported that a series of explosions had struck Fujairah's port. State and semi-official media in Iran picked up the report from Al-Mayadeen, which later published the names of vessels it claimed were involved. The AP, after speaking to Emirati officials and local witnesses, found the report about explosions at the port to be unsubstantiated. People here in North Carolina are asking, what is the hold-up with disaster relief funding? Hurricane Florence happened eight months ago, and within two weeks of the storm, Congress passed $8.8 billion in regular appropriations to FEMAs Disaster Relief Fund as well as supplemental appropriations including $1.7 billion for the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR). As disaster-struck communities wait for this CDBG-DR funding to be disbursed, people continue to suffer, in some cases, depleting their savings and taking on debt to cope with the disasters aftermath. Even more shocking is that many North Carolinians are not just talking about the last major storm to sweep through the state. They are referring to Hurricane Matthew, which hit on Oct. 8, 2016. As late as last week, some victims of Hurricane Matthew finally received CDBG-DR funds allocated to repair homes rendered unlivable more than two and a half years ago. Other victims are still waiting. This delay is unacceptable. The CDBG-DR program and the entire process for disaster relief appropriations are broken, and the solution is not to spend more money that wont assist the communities that are in need now. That is misguided policy at best and disingenuous political fodder at worst. GREENSBORO If the Moravian cookie becomes the official state cookie, you can thank 63 students from Brooks Global Studies. These fourth graders didnt want to just learn state history. They wanted to change it. Their teacher, John Phillips, told his three social studies classes that it was fourth graders who got sweet potatoes named the state vegetable in the mid-1990s. He challenged them to suggest new state symbols. They did lots of research and came up with two the state cookie should be the Moravian cookie, and the state battleship should be USS North Carolina. They gathered facts, learned how bills become laws, and each student wrote and typed a formal letter to at least one state legislator. They learned real quick that 10-year-olds can have a voice, Phillips said. You dont have to be old enough to vote to have a voice. In his letter, Logan Buckley told legislators that nearly all Moravian spice cookies are made in North Carolina. Roof-mounted solar panels on Scout Boats fourth building are expected to generate 775,752 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy, which is enough electricity to power 65 homes. U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-Charleston, speaks with Summerville residents on Saturday, May 11 at Coastal Coffee Roasters. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden Predator Mining Corp. (TSX.V:GPY, OTCQX:NTGSF) (the Company or Golden Predator) is pleased to announce that as of April 19, 2019, the Companys test processing plant (the plant), the first of its kind in Yukon, Canada, recommenced operations and processing of the 2018 3 Aces Project bulk sample following the winter hiatus. The processing facility is operating 96.2% of the available hours since restart, with minimal downtime for maintenance, and averaging 49.4 dry tonnes/day. Results from the processing, and contained gold recovered, will be reported following confirmation of assays. As we increase our understanding of the metallurgical and geological information from the bulk sample program we continue to improve recovery and operating efficiencies at the plant. The plant is now connected to the electrical grid, operates without the use of chemicals and realizes over 85% recovery of contained gold. The Company intends to complete the processing of the 2018 material over the coming months and conduct an additional bulk sample in 2019 at the 3 Aces project as part of its 2019 exploration program. A total of approximately 9,800 tonnes of material was systematically excavated in 2018 from a series of 2m benches in the Spades Zone of the 3 Aces Project in southeastern Yukon. Approximately 20% of the excavated material was transported to the processing facility before year-end, with the remainder to be transported in 2019. It is expected the plant will process the 2018 bulk sample until Q3/19 with results and progress reports on a monthly basis. Final reconciliation of recovery, tonnes and grade will be released for each bench as well as for the combined 9,800 tonne sample following complete processing and refining of the gold. An additional bulk sample, of up to the permitted 10,000 tonnes, is expected to be outlined and planned during Q2/19 with actual bulk sampling activities expected to commence in Q3/19. Processing activities associated with the planned 2019 bulk sample will continue into Q3/20. Dore bars poured by the Company from #1 concentrate are sent to a commercial refinery for final processing. The most recently poured dore bar contained 86.28% gold and 7.63% silver as reported by Asahi Refinery. Alternate processing methods are required for the #2 concentrate and the Company is currently finalizing plans for processing of the #2 concentrate. Total gold recovery of #1 and #2 concentrates is anticipated to be over 85% recovery of contained gold. Results of previous bulk sample reconciliations are available at: www.goldenpredator.com. 3 Aces Project Bulk Sample Program Overview The Company designed its 2018 bulk sample program to reconcile actual grade against grade predicted by drill results, confirm the pattern of gold distribution, improve metallurgy, and begin to understand rock mechanics. The bulk sample was planned utilizing a 3-D Leapfrog Edge model compiled from RC and core drilling in the Spades Zone including the close spaced drilling reported in September 2017 (GPYNR17-21). In the rigorous sampling process, material was excavated, segregated and processed to precisely correspond to specific 2 cubic meter blocks of model-predicted grade. The overall projected grade for the entire bulk sample is estimated at 20 g/t gold. Estimates of grade and tonnage from our bulk sampling program are specific to the limited and defined areas targeted by the study and should not be treated as representative of overall grade and tonnage of any deposit. There is no current mineral resource or mineral reserve on the 3 Aces project and further exploration work is required to define a mineral resource. The material processed to date is from the lower grade and/or smaller tonnage upper benches including 1203 m, 1201 m and 1199 m. During excavation of these upper benches, several new gold-bearing veins have been identified that were not intersected in previous drilling. Although drilling of the Spades Zone was tightly-spaced, bulk sampling has exposed previously unknown vein orientations and veining. New geological information has already been gained from the early stages of the bulk sampling. Golden Predator made an early decision to bulk sample at its 3 Aces Project when it realized that much of the gold contained in its veins is high grade (not uncommonly over 30 gtt gold) and nuggety. The nugget effect occurs when the gold is not distributed evenly throughout the deposit but rather is accumulated in clumps within the veins with visible gold often sitting loosely in open spaces (vugs) and along fractures. This form of mineralization often frustrates the conventional drilling and sampling processes. The best way to determine the true gold value of a nuggety gold system is to conduct large scale bulk sampling. The high grade nature of the gold occurrences at 3 Aces should largely offset the cost of this work. To eliminate the cost of shipping bulk sample materials outside of Yukon, and to effectively manage the processing costs, Golden Predator built its own closed system processing plant with a skilled team that, based on 2018 performance, operates at over 50 tonnes per day (tpd). The plant is a relatively simple gravity circuit utilizing a closed circuit water system with no chemicals due to the free-milling nature of 3 Aces gold. By having its own local pilot plant, the Company is able to address the security issues of gold recovery with much greater confidence than if done by a third party. An additional consideration was the benefit to the community from retaining capital expenditures, jobs, skills and knowledge in the Yukon. 3 Aces Project, Yukon The 3 Aces Project is an orogenic gold project in southeast Yukon. The Company has to date focused exploration on the 13.5 km2 Central Core Area, a broad gold-in-soil anomaly, where numerous orogenic gold-bearing quartz veins have been discovered. Exploration over the past two years has systematically advanced the project by establishing: (1) high gold grades can be reliably sampled; (2) gold mineralization is in predictable stratigraphic structural locations; (3) gold grades have robust continuity within the recognized controlling features; and (4) most of the gold is free-milling and readily recoverable by gravity concentration. Results from the Central Core Area support a stratigraphic structural model that predicts extensive lateral and vertical continuity of the 3 Aces mineral system. The Company is developing targeted drilling programs to establish continuity between the Central Core Area and other mineralized zones along the 35 km strike of the 3 Aces property. Orogenic gold deposits are among the worlds largest and richest such as the California Mother Lode Belt and the Juneau Gold Belt. The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Jeff Cary, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and an employee of the Company. Golden Predator Mining Corp. With a growing resource at the past-producing Brewery Creek project and an exciting high-grade gold exploration project advancing at its 3 Aces project, Golden Predator boasts good infrastructure, large land positions, strong community support and excellent growth prospects. The Brewery Creek project has an existing Quartz Mining License and Water License, and exploration drilling continues to expand resources while optimization studies are progressing to enhance the already positive project economics. We continue to expand on discoveries of native gold in quartz veins at the 3 Aces project, while bulk sampling and processing at our 50 tpd Company-owned processing plant has demonstrated gold recoveries of over 85% using a chemical-free process. This green gold provides for the mintage of .9999 gold coins from the Yukon Mint, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Golden Predator. For additional information: Janet Lee-Sheriff Chief Executive Officer (604) 260-5029 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.goldenpredator.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. This press release contains forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements express or implied regarding completion of the transactions described herein, the upcoming season at 3 Aces project, and projected grades and gold and silver recoveries from the 2018 and proposed 2019 bulk sample program, Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 13, 2019) - Bravada Gold Corporation (TSXV: BVA) (OTCQB: BGAVF) (FSE: BRTN) (the "Company" or "Bravada") announces that the Company has closed the first tranche of its previously reported non-brokered private placement by issuing 8,105,000 units at a price of $0.07 per unit for gross proceeds of $567,350. Each unit consists of one common share and one share purchase warrant exercisable to purchase one additional common share for a period of four years at an exercise price of $0.12 per share. Securities issued pursuant to this tranche of the private placement, including common shares and share purchase warrants carry a legend restricting trading of the securities until September 14, 2019. Finders' fees and commissions may be paid by the Company in relation to the units sold in this Offering. Net proceeds from the private placement will be used for exploration costs of, in order of priority, 1) an initial drilling program on the SF property, 2) geophysical testing at Wind Mountain, 3) property maintenance fees, permitting fees and associated ancillary costs, and 4) certain accounts payable and working capital. President Joe Kizis commented, "Closing this first tranche now allows Bravada to post our permit bond, purchase drill supplies, and construct drill sites for our upcoming program at SF. A reverse-circulation drill rig is scheduled to arrive in late June. SF is a Carlin-type exploration property located approximately 6km east of the large and high-grade Goldrush deposit, which is being developed by Barrick. The host rocks and structural setting at SF are similar to Goldrush. We expect the final tranche to close soon." About Bravada Bravada is an exploration company with a portfolio of high-quality properties in Nevada, one of the best mining jurisdictions in the world. The Company has successfully identified and advanced properties that have the potential to host high-margin deposits while successfully attracting partners to fund later stages of project development. With the addition of OceanaGold's option of Highland, four of Bravada's eleven Nevada properties are being funded by partners. As well, there are no NSR-type royalties to vendors that cannot be reduced. Bravada's value is underpinned by a substantial gold and silver resource with a positive PEA at Wind Mountain and the Company has significant upside potential from possible new discoveries at its exploration properties, most of which host encouraging drill intercepts of gold and which already have drill targets developed by the Company. -30- On behalf of the Board of Directors of Bravada Gold Corporation "Joseph A. Kizis, Jr." Joseph A. Kizis, Jr., Director, President, Bravada Gold Corporation For further information, please visit Bravada Gold Corporation's website at bravadagold.com or contact the Company at 604.684.9384 or 775.746.3780. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. These statements are based on a number of assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions regarding general economic conditions, interest rates, commodity markets, regulatory and governmental approvals for the company's projects, and the availability of financing for the company's development projects on reasonable terms. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Bravada Gold Corporation does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law. VANCOUVER, May 13, 2019 /CNW/ - Goldplay Exploration Ltd. (TSXV: GPLY, FRANKFURT: GPE, OTCQB: GLYXF) ("Goldplay" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of two highly regarded mining executives, Jonathan Rubenstein and Derek White, to the Company's Advisory Board. The Company's Advisory Board was created to bring in members with experience in business development, equity markets and the natural resource sector to advise the Company's management and Board of Directors. Jonathan Rubenstein Mr. Rubenstein is Chairman of the Board of MAG Silver Corp. (TSX: MAG, NYSE A: MAG) and a professional director, currently also serving on the Boards of Roxgold Inc. (TSX: ROXG). Mr. Rubenstein's career in the mining sector has included a wide range of functions for both junior and major mining companies, including managing public and private corporate activities, securities matters, and negotiating financings in Merger and Acquisitions transactions, totaling several billions of dollars in value. He has been directly involved with asset acquisitions, joint venture agreements, and other deals involving governments, regulators, banks, and local populations. He has played key roles on Special Committees, dealing with corporate, commercial and strategic matters, corporate planning and structuring, contract negotiation and management, litigation and arbitration, and regulatory compliance management. Mr. Rubenstein holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oakland University and a LL.B. from the University of British Columbia. He practiced law until 1994 and was a senior officer in several mining companies until late 2005. Mr. Rubenstein obtained his Accredited Director designation in 2011 and has also been a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors since 2011. Derek White Derek White is President & CEO of Ascot Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: AOT) and has over 30 years of experience in the mining and metals industry. He holds a degree in Geological Engineering from the University of British Columbia and is also a Chartered Professional Accountant. Prior to joining Ascot Resources Ltd., Mr. White was the Principal of Traxys Capital Partners LLP, a private equity firm specializing in the mining and minerals sectors. Mr. White was President and CEO of KGHM International Ltd. from 2012 to 2015, and also held the positions of Executive Vice President, Business Development and Chief Financial Officer of Quadra FNX Mining Ltd. from 2004 to 2012. Mr. White has held executive positions with International Vision Direct Ltd., BHP-Billiton Plc, Billiton International Metals BV and Impala Platinum Ltd., in Vancouver, Toronto, London, The Hague, and Johannesburg. Mr. White is also an ICSA Accredited Director. Both Mr. Rubenstein and Mr. White commented "We are very excited to become involved with Marcio and his team on Goldplay's current projects in Mexico, and to further the Company's vision to become a consolidator of the multi-million ounce historic Rosario Mining District in Mexico". Goldplay President and CEO Marcio Fonseca commented "Goldplay is thrilled to have Mr. Rubenstein and Mr. White join our Advisory Board. Both individuals are highly respected executives in the resource industry bringing invaluable experience in the sector, public markets and corporate development, to accelerate Goldplay's growth" About Goldplay Exploration Ltd. Goldplay owns a >250 sq. km exploration portfolio in the historical Rosario Au-Ag Mining District, Sinaloa, Mexico. Goldplay's current focus includes resource expansion at the San Marcial Project, becoming an emerging consolidator in a multi-million ounce historic mining district in Mexico. Goldplay is one largest concession holders in one of the most prolific mining districts in Mexico, controlling strategic concessions next to large gold and silver producers in Mexico. The San Marcial land package consists of 1,250 ha, located south of the La Rastra and Plomosas historical mines and 20 km from the Company's 100% owned El Habal Project in the Rosario Mining District, Sinaloa, Mexico. San Marcial is an attractive, near-surface high-grade silver, lead and zinc open pit project for which a NI 43-101 resource estimate was completed by Goldplay in early 2019. It is a low risk resource development stage project, fully permitted for all exploration activities and with support and authorization by local communities to carry out all necessary work on the project. San Marcial exhibits significant exploration upside supported by regional exploration programs completed by previous operators who identified 14 exploration targets similar to San Marcial within its 100% Goldplay-owned concessions. Some of these exploration targets consist of old shallow pits, caved shafts and historical underground workings in areas with extensive hydrothermal alteration, hosted by major regional structures. The El Habal Project is a drilling stage project. The oxidized gold mineralized zone outcrops along a series of rolling hills with evidence of historical shallow underground mining along a 6 km long prospective corridor. The El Habal Project is located near the historical gold-silver Rosario Mine which reportedly operated for over 250 years. Goldplay's team has over 30 years of experience with senior roles in exploration, financing, and development in the mining industry, including over ten years of extensive exploration experience in the Rosario Mining District, leading to previous successful discoveries. A current NI 43-101 report on the El Habal Project is filed on SEDAR. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company's current expectations. When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Mr. Marcio Fonseca P. Geo, President & CEO Goldplay Exploration Ltd. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. TORONTO, May 13, 2019 /CNW/ - RNC Minerals (TSX: RNX) ("RNC") is pleased to announce that it has exercised the previously-announced (see RNC news release dated March 26, 2019) purchase option to acquire the Higginsville Gold Operation ("HGO") from Westgold Resources Limited ("Westgold"). On closing, RNC will pay Westgold A$25 million in cash and A$21 million in RNC shares (satisfied by the issuance of 49.8 million RNC shares), for total consideration of A$50 million (including the A$4 million deposit previously satisfied in RNC shares). RNC expects to finance the cash component of the purchase price with cash on hand and additional non-dilutive capital. The acquisition is expected to close on or about June 10, 2019. The acquisition of the Higginsville operations and its modern, low cost 1.3 Mtpa gold mill will provide a key piece of RNC's strategy to unlock the significant potential of its Beta Hunt gold mine. The Higginsville mill will significantly reduce milling cost for Beta Hunt (RNC expects processing cost savings in excess of C$15 per tonne, a 35% reduction). HGO includes a 367,000 ounce reserve within a 1.2 million ounce measured & indicated gold resource, along with a further 0.7 million ounce inferred resource1, all located on a 386 square kilometer land position in the Kalgoorlie gold region. RNC successfully tolled Beta Hunt material through the HGO mill in 2018, achieving 94% gold recovery. Mark Selby, President and CEO of RNC, commented "With the completion of our extensive due diligence process, we look forward to completing this transaction. The combination of the Higginsville Mill and our Beta Hunt Mine will transform RNC's gold operations in Western Australia into a multi-mine operation anchored by the 1.3 Mtpa HGO Mill, the exciting high grade and resource potential at Beta Hunt, and a large land position in the Kalgoorlie gold region. Once the transaction closes, RNC will rapidly integrate Beta Hunt and HGO to begin unlocking this value for our shareholders." About the Higginsville Gold Project Higginsville is located 57km south of RNC's Beta Hunt Operation and 107km south of the regional mining centre of Kalgoorlie (Figure 1). The acquisition includes a 1.3Mt operating processing facility, historical JORC2 Mineral Resources of 1.9Mozs and Ore Reserves of 0.37Mozs, and 386 square kilometres of tenure with gold mineralization potential (Figure 1). A qualified person has not done sufficient work on behalf of RNC to classify the historical estimate noted Tables 1 and 2 below as current mineral resources or mineral reserves and RNC is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The Higginsville tenements are located along strike and close to the mining centres of Norseman and St Ives and cover over 50 kms of the highly prospective Norseman-Wiluna Greenstone belt. ___________________________ 1 The information is extracted from the report entitled '2018 Annual Update of Mineral Resources & Ore Reserves' dated on October 2, 2018 and is available to view on Westgold Resources Limited's website (www.westgold.com.au) and the ASX (www.asx.com.au). Mineral Resources are quoted inclusive of Ore Reserves. RNC confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Person's findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement.A qualified person has not done sufficient work on behalf of RNC to classify the historical estimate noted here and in Tables 1 and 2 as current mineral resources or mineral reserves and RNC is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. 2 As per the 2012 JORC (Joint Ore Reserves Committee) Code. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Alger St-Jean, Vice-President, Exploration of RNC, a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. About RNC Minerals RNC has a 100% interest in the producing Beta Hunt gold mine located in Western Australia where a significant high grade gold discovery - "Father's Day Vein" - was made. RNC is currently completing a 40,000 metre drill program, the results of which will be incorporated into an updated NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource Estimate targeted for Q2 2019. Beta Hunt gold resource potential is underpinned by multiple gold shears with gold intersections across a 4km strike length which remain open in multiple directions adjacent to an existing 5km ramp network. RNC also has a 28% interest in a nickel joint venture that owns the Dumont Nickel-Cobalt Project located in the Abitibi region of Quebec which contains the second largest nickel reserve and eighth largest cobalt reserve in the world. RNC owns a 33% interest in Orford Mining Corporation, a mineral explorer focused on highly prospective and underexplored areas of Northern Quebec. RNC has a strong management team and Board with over 100 years of mining experience. RNC's common shares trade on the TSX under the symbol RNX. RNC shares also trade on the OTCQX market under the symbol RNKLF. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" including without limitation statements relating to the completion of the Purchase Option, production guidance and the potential of the Beta Hunt Mine and Dumont Nickel Cobalt Project. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of RNC to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the results of drilling; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the properties; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; results of exploration programs; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining governmental approvals, projected cash operating costs, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to RNC's filings with Canadian securities regulators, including the most recent Annual Information Form, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although RNC has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and RNC disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. VANCOUVER, May 13, 2019 /CNW/ - Mawson Resources Limited ("Mawson") or (the "Company") (TSX:MAW) (Frankfurt:MXR) (PINKSHEETS: MWSNF) announces a new drill discovery at the Rumajarvi prospect of shallow gold-cobalt mineralization located 700 metres west and 1.1 kilometres south of the Raja and Palokas resource areas respectively, at the Company's 100% owned Rajapalot Project in northern Finland. Highlights include PAL0182 which intersected 7.4 metres @ 4.4 g/t gold equivalent ("AuEq"), 3.4 g/t gold ("Au") and 597 ppm cobalt ("Co") from 86.3 metres. Assay results continue to be received from drill holes that tested both the boundaries of Mineral Resources at the Raja, Palokas and South Palokas prospects, and earlier stage prospect areas including the Hut, Terry's Hammer and Rumajarvi (Figures 1 and 2). Mawson recently completed 44 holes (PAL0159PAL0201D1) for 15,059 metres during the 2019 winter drill season. Results from 6 holes from the Rumajarvi prospect are provided here, with additional results to be reported on a prospect-by-prospect basis. Twenty-three holes with full assays remain to be reported that were drilled predominantly down plunge from resource areas. Sulphidic (pyrrhotite-rich) intersections with visible gold provide encouraging signs in drill holes PAL0190 and PAL0191(Raja), PAL0194 (Palokas) and PAL0198 (South Palokas), where assays are yet to be received. "Our exploration success at Rumajarvi provides encouragement of continued growth of the Rajapalot mineral system," said Mr. Michael Hudson, Chairman and CEO of Mawson. "The discovery of these new gold-cobalt zones at Rumajarvi clearly demonstrate the potential to increase Rajapalot's gold-cobalt resources. Rajapalot is a significant and strategic growing gold-cobalt resource already positioned as one of Finland's top three gold resources by grade and contained ounces and one of a small group of cobalt resources in Europe prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 policy. We still have over half the winter season drill holes to report, and look forward to sharing results over the coming month." The newly discovered gold-cobalt corridor at Rumajarvi lies on the western flank of the mineralized Rajapalot trend and is indicated with dashed lines in Figures 1 and 2. The resource areas at Rajapalot trend to the north and east of this discovery within an overall 4 kilometre trend. Rajapalot remains untested to the south, west and north. The new Rumajarvi corridor is located 700m west and 1.1 km south of the Raja and Palokas Inferred Mineral Resources and represents a new drill-defined mineralized area within the Click Here where a total of 55 boulders and outcrops with >0.1 g/t gold have been discovered. Gold grades from a 10 hectare area range from 0.1 g/t gold to 3,870 g/t gold, with an average of 184 g/t gold and median of 0.6 g/t gold. Samples from boulders are grab samples, which are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades on the property Results are available from 6 of 9 holes drilled at Rumajarvi over winter (PAL0177, 179, 181, 182, 183 and 184). Results from 3 drill holes from Rumajarvi are awaited (PAL0178, 185 and 186). Better drill holes from this release include PAL0182 which intersected 7.4 metres @ 4.4 g/t gold equivalent ("AuEq"), 3.4 g/t gold ("Au") and 597 ppm cobalt ("Co") from 86.3 metres. PAL0179, drilled 200 metres to the NE of PAL0182 intersected 4.7 metres @ 1.9 g/t AuEq, 1.0 g/t Au and 578 ppm Co from 6.0 metres and PAL0183 intersected 0.6 metres @ 2.8 g/t AuEq, 2.2 g/t Au and 340 ppm Co from 142.5 metres. Geological Discussion Rumajarvi prospect area is a discovery at its early stages within the Rajapalot project. Drilling at depth at Rajapalot is driven by electromagnetic geophysics. At Rumajarvi six modelled geophysical conductors (two ground-based TEM and four airborne VTEMplus) have only been tested by four drill holes. The discovery is a result of systematically following up boulder trains, geophysical surveys and scout drilling to target further mineralization. Vein and fracture fill mineralization formed at multiple stratigraphic levels appears to be the main style associated with Rumajarvi. It is interpreted that drilling may have only intersected "thin" structurally controlled transgressive veins marginal to a main mineralized position. PAL0182 (7.4 metres @ 4.4 g/t AuEq from 86.3 m) was drilled to intersect an inferred linear, NNW plunging Au-Co sulphidic intersection down-plunge from earlier hole PAL0037 (19.5 metres @ 1.8 g/t AuEq, 0.7 g/t Au, 659ppm Co from 20.5 metres). Mineralization commences at the lower intersection of albite-rich rocks with schists in association with fine-grained muscovite schists. Unlike at Raja where mineralization lies close to the basal muscovite quartzite marker, mineralization at Rumajarvi is located over 300 metres structurally above this marker horizon. Drill hole PAL0179 (4.7 metres @ 1.9 g/t AuEq, 1.0 g/t Au and 578 ppm Co from 6.0 metres), commenced in mineralization at the base of the glacial till overburden in moderately foliated sulphidic breccia comprising pyrrhotite, pyrite chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena in a silicate host comprising chlorite, biotite, Mg-Fe amphiboles, albite, quartz and tourmaline. Geological interpretation suggest that mineralization may extend more than 300 metres to the west of current drilling at Rumajarvi where VTEMplus electromagnetic plates have not been drill tested. Notably, the only two holes drilled 320 metres NNW from PAL0182 (PAL0043 (3.0 metres @ 3.0 g/t AuEq, 2.6 g/t Au, 273 ppm Co from 10.6 metres) and PAL0184 (1.0 metre @ 1.7 g/t AuEq, 1.3 g/t Au, 206 ppm Co from 117.6 metres) have both intersected gold-cobalt mineralization. The principal undrilled target occurs in the large fold hinge where the sequence inverts from right-way-up in the north (South Palokas and upper sequence at The Hut) to upside down in the south (Raja and Rumajarvi). The construction of a 3D model (grade and structure/stratigraphy) to merge with geophysics (especially EM) is planned over the coming months to help target drilling at the end of the year. Technical and Environmental Background The gold equivalent ("AuEq") value used in the resource and this press release was calculated using the following formula: AuEq g/t = Au g/t + (Co ppm/608) with assumed prices of Co $30/lb; and Au $1,250/oz. AuEq varies with gold and cobalt prices. A long-term price point has been chosen for both commodities to maintain consistency of reporting individual drill holes against the resource dated December 2018. Approximate spot prices for gold and cobalt are currently $1280/oz and $16/lb respectively. Assuming a predominant stratabound control, the true thickness of the mineralized interval is interpreted to be approximately 90% of the sampled thickness. Quality control duplicates for all holes show good repeatability of gold assays. Intersections are reported with a lower-cut of 0.5g/t gold or 304ppm Co over 2 metre lower cut, except where indicated. No upper cut-off was applied. Four diamond drill rigs (K3 & K8) from the Arctic Drilling Company OY ("ADC"), Kati OY ("Kati") and MK Core Drilling OY ("MK"), all with water recirculation and drill cuttings collection systems were used for the drill program. Core diameter is NQ2 (50.7 mm). Core recoveries were excellent and average close to 100% in fresh rock. After photographing and logging in Mawson's Rovaniemi facilities, core intervals averaging 1 metre for mineralized samples and 2 metres for barren samples were cut in half at the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) core facilities in Rovaniemi, Finland. The remaining half core is retained for verification and reference purposes. Analytical samples were transported by Mawson personnel or commercial transport from site to the CRS Minlab Oy facility in Kempele, Finland. Samples were prepared and analyzed for gold using the PAL1000 technique which involves grinding the sample in steel pots with abrasive media in the presence of cyanide, followed by measuring the gold in solution with flame AAS equipment. Multi-element assays, including cobalt are determined using the ICP-MS method (IMS-230) of MS Analytical shipped directly from the CRS Minlab Oy facility. The QA/QC program of Mawson consists of the systematic insertion of certified standards of known gold content, duplicate samples by quartering the core, and blanks the within interpreted mineralized rock. In addition, CRS and MS Analytical insert blanks and standards into the analytical process. The qualified person for Mawson's Finnish projects, Dr. Nick Cook, President for Mawson and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining Metallurgy has reviewed and verified the contents of this release. NI 43-101 Technical Report On December 19, 2018, Mawson filed an independent National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report (the "NI 43-101 Technical Report") on the Mineral Resource Estimate for the Raja and Palokas Prospects, at the 100% owned Rajapalot Project in Finland, (the "NI 43-101 Technical Report"), in support of the Company's news release dated December 17, 2018. The NI 43-101 Technical Report was authorized by Mr. Rod Webster of AMC Consultants Pty Ltd ("AMC") of Melbourne, Australia, and Dr. Kurt Simon Forrester of Arn Perspective of Surrey, England. Each of Mr. Webster and Dr. Forrester are independent "qualified persons" as defined by National Instrument 43-101. The NI 43-101 Technical Report may be found on the Company's website at www.mawsonresources.com or under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About Mawson Resources Limited (TSX:MAW, FRANKFURT:MXR, PINKSHEETS:MWSNF) Mawson Resources Limited is a sustainable and ethical exploration and development company. Mawson has distinguished itself as a leading Nordic Arctic exploration company with a focus on the flagship Rajapalot gold-cobalt project in Finland. On behalf of the Board, "Michael Hudson" _____________________ Michael Hudson, Chairman & CEO Forward-Looking Statement This news release contains forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Although Mawson believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate, and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Mawson cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, capital and other costs varying significantly from estimates, changes in world metal markets, changes in equity markets, planned drill programs and results varying from expectations, delays in obtaining results, equipment failure, unexpected geological conditions, local community relations, dealings with non-governmental organizations, delays in operations due to permit grants, environmental and safety risks, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Mawson's most recent Annual Information Form filed on 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, Mawson disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Figure 1: Plan of Rajapalot project area showing new Rumajarvi discovery, drilling, outlines of 43-101 resource, modelled ground TEM plates over a background of 25 and 50 metre-spaced ground magnetics. Figure 2: Combined longitudinal section at Rajapalot prospect showing expansion of system into new areas at Rumajarvi and continuation of mineralization below existing resource. Outlines of existing resource are indicated. Table 1: Collar Information from 2019 Winter drilling at the Rajapalot Project (Finnish Grid, Projection KKJ3) Table 2: Better intersections report from the 2019 Winter Drill Program. Intersections are reported with a lower cut of 0.5g/t gold over 2 metre lower cut except where stated in the text. No upper cut-off was applied. Prospect Hole_id from to width AuEq Au Co Raja PAL0159 419.0 437.0 18.0 1.4 0.5 547 including 419.0 420.2 1.2 0.8 0.2 378 including 422.0 426.0 4.0 2.5 0.3 1377 Raja PAL0159 434.0 437.0 3.0 3.4 2.3 672 Raja including 429.0 432.0 3.0 0.9 0.1 488 Raja PAL0159 451.0 455.5 4.5 3.2 1.9 754 Raja PAL0161 305.5 313.0 7.5 1.1 0.0 636 Raja PAL0161 336.0 338.0 2.0 2.7 2.1 362 Raja PAL0161 344.0 349.0 5.0 3.3 2.3 600 Raja PAL0162 323.0 324.0 1.0 1.2 0.0 701 Raja PAL0162 452.0 453.0 1.0 0.9 0.0 562 Raja PAL0163 416.6 419.4 2.8 10.9 0.0 6604 Raja PAL0164 406.0 414.3 8.3 1.3 0.4 519 Raja PAL0164 418.4 419.7 1.3 0.9 0.0 546 Raja PAL0166 55.3 56.3 1.0 0.6 0.1 355 Raja PAL0166 67.8 68.8 1.0 1.0 0.0 568 Raja PAL0166 76.6 77.6 1.0 1.1 0.1 596 Raja PAL0166 79.3 80.3 1.0 1.6 0.0 958 Raja PAL0169 522.3 524.4 2.1 0.7 0.1 368 Raja PAL0171 299.0 300.1 1.1 0.9 0.0 528 Raja PAL0172 120.0 122.0 2.0 0.9 0.0 541 Raja PAL0172 329.0 332.0 3.0 1.0 0.0 573 South Palokas PAL0173 232.8 233.7 0.8 0.5 South Palokas PAL0173 264.0 281.0 17.0 3.4 including 264.0 269.0 5.0 4.9 including 276.1 281.0 4.9 4.6 South Palokas PAL0173 380.0 381.1 1.1 0.8 South Palokas PAL0173 384.8 385.8 1.0 2.0 Raja PAL0176 14.0 15.6 1.6 2.5 2.4 58 Raja PAL0176 20.5 31.9 11.4 1.4 0.8 382 Raja PAL0176 33.8 35.7 1.9 1.2 1.0 105 Raja PAL0176 49.0 52.0 3.0 4.0 3.8 86 Rumajarvi PAL0179 6.0 10.7 4.7 1.9 1.0 578 Rumajarvi PAL0179 37.0 38.0 1.0 0.6 0.1 311 Rumajarvi PAL0179 39.0 40.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 592 Rumajarvi PAL0179 48.0 51.0 3.0 0.6 0.0 344 Rumajarvi PAL0179 73.8 76.3 2.5 0.6 0.1 342 Rumajarvi PAL0182 86.3 93.7 7.4 4.4 3.4 597 Rumajarvi PAL0183 54.3 55.1 0.8 1.6 0.4 728 Rumajarvi PAL0183 112.3 114.2 1.9 0.7 0.1 364 Rumajarvi PAL0183 142.5 143.1 0.6 2.8 2.2 340 Rumajarvi PAL0184 117.6 118.6 1.0 1.7 1.3 206 Raja PAL0188 298.3 329.6 31.3 6.0 4.3 1030 Raja PAL0188 298.3 315.6 17.4 4.8 2.9 1113 Raja PAL0188 320.6 329.6 9.0 11.7 9.4 1412 Raja PAL0188 337.9 338.9 1.0 3.1 3.1 35 Raja PAL0189 165.0 165.8 0.8 1.1 1.1 0 Raja PAL0189 182.9 186.0 3.2 4.5 4.5 0 Raja PAL0189 194.0 195.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 0 Raja PAL0189 202.0 205.0 3.0 4.5 4.5 0 Raja PAL0189 210.0 211.0 1.0 1.6 1.6 0 Raja PAL0189 213.2 214.3 1.1 7.2 7.2 0 Raja PAL0189 220.6 221.6 1.0 0.5 0.5 0 Table 3: Individual assay data from key drill holes reported in this release. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anfield Energy Inc. (TSX.V: AEC; OTCQB: ANLDF; FRANKFURT: 0AD) (Anfield or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has engaged BRS Engineering to complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the recently-acquired Wyoming-based Charlie Uranium Project (Charlie Project). The PEA is expected to be completed by the end of June 2019. Anfield had previously issued a revised mineral resource technical report for the Charlie Project, entitled Charlie Uranium Project Mineral Resource NI 43-101 Technical Report, Johnson County, Wyoming, USA and dated February 7, 2019. This report is filed on SEDAR and states the following estimated mineral resources: An Indicated Mineral Resource of 1,255,000 tons with an average grade of 0.123% eU 3 O 8 (equivalent to an Indicated Resource of 3,100,000 pounds of eU 3 O 8 ); and O (equivalent to an Indicated Resource of 3,100,000 pounds of eU O ); and An Inferred Mineral Resource of 411,000 tons with an average grade of 0.12% eU 3 O 8 (equivalent to 988,000 pounds of eU 3 O 8 ). Corey Dias, Anfield CEO, states, We are pleased to begin the process of moving Charlie forward through the commissioning of a Preliminary Economic Assessment. We believe that, when combined with our Resin Process Agreement with Uranium One, this project will place Anfield in a strong position for potential future production. Moreover, with the U.S. Department of Commerces Section 232 recommendation before the White House to implement a supportive U.S. uranium policy, a positive outcome could prove a boon to companies such as Anfield with a U.S. production horizon. About BRS BRS, Inc. is an engineering and geology consulting corporation with expertise in mining and mineral exploration. Of particular note, it specializes in uranium exploration, mineral resource evaluation, mine design, feasibility, mine operations, and reclamation. It has completed numerous uranium projects including technical reports and feasibility studies for underground, open pit, ISR, and conventional uranium mills. Representative projects include technical reports and due diligence for project financing for conventional uranium projects including the Sheep Mountain and the JAB-RD open pit in Wyoming, the Cibola Project in New Mexico, the Coles Hill, Virginia open pit and underground mine, and numerous ISR uranium projects in Wyoming and Paraguay. Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G., the principal engineer at BRS, is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 with 40 years of professional and managerial experience. Mr. Beahm has a proven track record in a variety of mining and mine reclamation projects including surface and underground mining, heap leach recovery, ISR, and uranium mill tailings projects. Mr. Beahms experience includes coal, precious metals, and industrial minerals, but his emphasis throughout his career has been on uranium. 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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 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. Poland on Monday said it had cancelled a visit by Israeli officials over their intention to raise the issue of the restitution of Jewish properties seized during the Holocaust, a matter Warsaw insists is closed. Poland decided to cancel the visit of Israeli officials after the Israeli side made last minute changes in the composition of the delegation suggesting that the talks would primarily focus on the issues related to property restitution, the foreign ministry said in a statement posted to its website. It said a delegation headed by Avi Cohen-Scali, the director general of the Israeli Ministry for Social Equality, had been due in Warsaw on 13 May. Several thousand nationalists rallied in the Polish capital on Saturday against a US law on the restitution of Jewish properties seized during the Holocaust, an issue which has surfaced ahead of parliamentary elections later this year. Polands governing right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party as well as the centrist and liberal opposition have downplayed the law signed by US President Donald Trump in May 2018, insisting that it will have no impact on Poland. The US Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act known as the 447 law requires the US State Department to report to Congress on the progress of countries including Poland on the restitution of Jewish assets seized during World War II and its aftermath. Pre-war Poland was a Jewish heartland, with a centuries-old community numbering some 3.2 million, or around 10 percent of the countrys population at the time. Anti-Semitic concerns regarding Poland have recently resurfaced. Last year, Warsaw passed a law that made it illegal to accuse the Polish nation or state of complicity in Nazi German war crimes. The move sparked an outcry from Israel, which saw it as an attempt to ban testimonials on Polish crimes against Jews. In response, Warsaw amended the law to remove the possibility of fines or a prison sentence. In February, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz drew Polands ire by saying Poles suckle anti-Semitism with their mothers milk. In April, the World Jewish Congress condemned a Polish town after reports that residents hung and burnt an effigy made to look like a stereotypical Jew in a revival of an old Easter tradition. Large parts of Indian-administered Kashmir erupted in protest on Monday over the rape of a three-year-old child, leaving at least a dozen people injured in clashes with government forces, police said. The incident happened last Wednesday when a car mechanic, a neighbour of the victims family, allegedly lured the child into the toilet of a nearby school and sexually assaulted her. The accused, from the Sumbal area north of the main city of Srinagar and thought to be 20 years old, has already been arrested. On Monday, allegations emerged that the principal of another school issued a certificate for the accused that he was a minor, sparking anger and triggering protests across the Kashmir valley. At least a dozen people including government forces personnel were injured when tear gas and pellet shotguns were fired to quell the protests in many towns, top police officer Swayam Prakash Pani told AFP. One of the injured protestors is critically wounded, Pani said. We have registered a separate case against the school principal and detained him for questioning, he said. Thousands also protested in Srinagar and clashed with government forces. Across the Kashmir Valley, thousands of government forces personnel wearing riot gear were deployed to contain the spreading protests, officials said. Schools across the valley shut spontaneously as did shops and businesses. Hundreds of students inside three university campuses also protested, demanding capital punishment for the alleged perpetrator and action against the school principal. Lawyers abstained from work in the courts on Monday to express solidarity with the victim. Condemnations of the crime poured in from leaders from across the political spectrum appealing for calm, with a top separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq saying on Monday the incident was a crime against humanity. Another separatist leader with a wide following in Kashmir, Syed Ali Geelani, said the alleged crime was a black stain on the social fabric of the restive territory. Baseer Ahmad Khan the regions top administrator also appealed for calm and said in a statement that the enquiry of Sumbal incident is being conducted on a fast-track basis. In January 2018, an eight-year-old girl was abducted, starved for a week and murdered after she was raped by several people in the southern Kathua area of the territory. That incident caused widespread outrage and protests in Kashmir and many Indian cities and towns. Three Kansas State University students receive Fulbright awards to study/teach abroad Monday, May 13, 2019 MANHATTAN Three Kansas State University students will represent the United States as Fulbright award recipients. Jakob Hanschu, senior in anthropology and geography, Hillsboro; Sarah Marek, senior in secondary education, German and Spanish, Holton; and Hannah Harker, master's student in second language acquisition-Spanish, Marshallville, Ohio, are 2019-2020 Fulbright U.S. student grantees. The Fulbright programs create international educational exchange opportunities to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Fulbright grant recipients receive round-trip transportation, tuition when applicable and a monthly living stipend for one academic year abroad. Hanschu will attend the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom to study critical theory and politics. He is the president of the Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Student Ambassadors, vice president of Anthropology Club, and organizer of the Anthropology Book Club. During his undergraduate studies, he has authored five peer-reviewed articles, co-authored a peer-reviewed book chapter and given nearly 20 academic presentations. In addition to the Fulbright, Hanschu's other honors include being named a Rhodes Scholarship finalist; receiving the Huber Self Geography Scholarship, Patricia J. O'Brien Scholarship in Archaeology, Mark Chapman Scholarship, Peru-Sondor Field School Scholarship, Putnam Scholarship, Kassebaum Scholarship, Swogger Primary Texts Scholarship and the College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Award; and earning first place at the 2018 Great Plains/Rocky Mountain Division of the American Association of Geographers Undergraduate Paper Competition and receiving an Undergraduate Student Poster Award from the Society for American Archaeology/Institute for Field Research. A graduate of Hillsboro High School, Hanschu is the son of Jayson and Jan Hanschu, Hillsboro. Marek will teach English at a high school in Germany. A member of the University Honors Program, she is the president of German Club; a member of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education, Delta Phi Alpha National German Honorary Society and Sigma Delta Pi Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society; and house manager for the Manhattan Arts Center. Marek presented her undergraduate research on peer interactions in second language at the American Association of Applied Linguistics Conference. In addition to the Fulbright, Marek's honors include a Putnam Scholarship, Tomorrow's Teacher Scholarship and an Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Research Grant. A graduate of Rock Creek High School, Marek is the daughter of Norbert and Jennifer Marek, Holton. Harker will teach English and attend classes in Montevideo, Uruguay. She is the president of the Modern Languages Graduate Student Association and served as vice president of Sigma Delta Pi Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society. As part of her master's thesis, she is researching language change in Spanish literary texts during the 17th and 19th centuries. At Texas Tech University in March, she presented an earlier version of this project at the 20th annual Cefiro Conference, which focuses on Hispanic linguistic and cultural exchanges. A graduate of Smithville High School and Malone University, Harker is the daughter of Brad and Lorna Harker, Marshallville, Ohio. To learn more about competing for future Fulbright opportunities or other scholarships while a student at Kansas State University, contact Jim Hohenbary, director of the office of nationally competitive scholarships, at jimlth@k-state.edu. The deadline for the next round of Fulbright competition is Aug. 30. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) Thousands of voters and a number of candidates have encountered defective vote-counting machines in their polling precincts, with some bets refusing to vote until the problem is fixed. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) said there were issues with some 400 to 600 VCMs, based on its monitoring. The poll body said the machines have been replaced. The ballot of former Vice President Jejomar "Jojo" Binay was rejected eight times. The candidate of 1st District Rep. of Makati City was enraged after the vote-counting machine (VCM) rejected his ballot due to a paper jam. He quickly headed to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to petition the incident. "Sobra ang galit ko. Ako pa ang ginanon. Sa akin pa nangyari," he said in a media briefing. COMELEC spokesperson James Jimenez admitted that they machine deployed was faulty. "We determined that the problem was actually with the VCM. The VCM was rejecting ballot. The ballots that were preserved were later on refed to into the new machine," he told CNN Philippines. After the machine was replaced, it again rejected Binay's ballot. He was allowed to fill up a new ballot. The principal of the precinct said this was a special case. Binay's daughter, Makati mayoralty candidate Abby Binay, had to wait for an hour before she was able to vote after the VCM in her polling precinct at San Jose Elementary School malfunctioned. Meanwhile, Pasig mayoralty bet Vico Sotto refused to cast his vote until the "defective" VCM is replaced. He explained why he refused to leave his filled ballot for later feeding in the VCM. "By law it's allowed, but of course it may have problems later on sa pagpapasok ng balota. Kailangan talaga bantayan natin to make sure na una, mapasok talaga ang mga balota na naiwan doon. Pangalawa, para din hindi masingitan ng ibang balota, unused ballot na hindi na-shade," he told CNN Philippines. He added he has received reports of 35 machines in the city that are not working. Sen. Grace Poe arrived at her polling place in Greenhills, but she was told to leave because they are still repairing the machine. The issue has also affected several voting precincts, creating long lines in polling centers. In a precinct in Guadalupe Elementary School in Cebu City, the VCM has not been working properly since the polls opened at 6 am. The precinct supervisor said a back-up machine is already on its way. Meanwhile, a VCM in Gov. P.F. Espiritu Elementary School in Bacoor City, Cavite shut down due to overheating, forcing teacher volunteers to resort to more tedious manual voting. There are also reports of malfunctioning VCMs in Barangka Elementary School in Marikina. COMELEC prepared COMELEC said it will look into what went wrong once voting for the midterm elections ends at 6 p.m. "The main point right now is that we're able to provide new machines so the old ones are replaced as quickly as possible. Two hours is not your definition of quick but the voting hours will accommodate this delay," Jimenez said. The poll body said there are about 10,000 vote-counting machines that were set aside in case of technical problems. "We know for sure that machines will fail, that's why we have back up capacity," he said. COMELEC admitted the sheer number of reports on faulty vote-counting machines may cast doubt on the results of the elections that is seen as a referendum on the performance of President Rodrigo Duterte over his three years in office. "We've seen our share of problems and COMELEC is thankful we have also been able to resolve. But the number of reports we've received, this has an impact on public perception," Jimenez said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) President Rodrigo Duterte said he will let the Commission on Elections address faulty vote counting machines (VCMs) across polling precincts, adding he will not intervene just yet. Election day was marred by multiple reports of malfunctioning VCMs nationwide, including the one initially assigned to former Vice President Jejomar Binay's precinct which had him storming to the COMELEC canvassing headquarters in Pasay City after his ballots were initially rejected. But Duterte said this does not merit intervention from Malacanang just yet. "That will be early. COMELEC is an independent body. If there's any malfunction there or if there's any aberration at all in the prodecure and process of the conduct of the elections, let COMELEC explain first to the people before we even initiate a sort of investigation," Duterte told reporters after casting his vote in Davao City. "That is in recognizance of separation of powers," he added. Duterte went to the Daniel Aguinaldo High School in Barangay Matina about two hours before polls closed on Monday. He was accompanied by his partner Honeylet Avancena. The 74-year-old president did not vote during the May 2018 barangay elections. It was in this school where he voted during the May 2016 elections that saw him rise as the new president. The chair he sat on has since been encased and put on display inside the campus. After he finished voting, Duterte went to sit on this iconic chair and signed its desk. Asked about his assessment of the conduct of the elections, Duterte said there hasn't been any major hitches so far. "I have yet to receive something that is more than just the ordinary vote-buying and violence here, violence there, but nothing of a big one that could probably disturb the conduct of the elections throughout the nation," the President added. READ: Defective vote-counting machines mar midterm polls COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez said that the poll body has about 10,000 backup VCMs to be deployed as replacement for units with technical problems. Polls closed at 6 p.m. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) President Rodrigo Duterte said vote-buying incidents running up to election day remain rampant as many Filipinos remain poor. Although he said that anyone caught buying or selling votes "shall be prosecuted to the fullness of the law," Duterte said that this practice is fairly normal among Filipinos. "The practice of buying votes has been an integral part of an election in the Philippines... Walang hindi nagbibili ng boto dito, maniwala ka. Ituro mo kung sino ang hindi nagbili ng boto," Duterte said in a press conference shortly after casting his vote in Barangay Matina, Davao City. [Translation: There's no one who doesn't buy votes here, believe me. Show them to me if there's any.] Duterte said some people give or receive cash, but it may simply be just to ensure that a voter can commute to the polling precinct, cast a ballot, and return home. "Hindi naman lahat ng tao may pera (Not everyone has money)... Or, you send food to your leaders who are here sacrificing and waiting for the food to eat so they can last until the last vote is counted," Duterte added. "Kaya mahirap 'yang vote buying, it can take many forms. For as long as the Philippines remains to be a poor country, for as long as the feudal system exists lalo na sa rural areas, aggravated by the communists, 'yun." The Philippine National Police (PNP) has made several arrests so far covering 79 vote-buying incidents, which involve supporters of a certain candidate or even local bets themselves in the days ahead of decision day. PNP chief Gen Oscar Albayalde described vote-buying as "massive." Quezon City mayoral bet Vincent "Bingbong" Crisologo was temporarily detained on Sunday night along with supporters, while ex-senator and congressional bet Heherson Alvarez bowed out of the race on Saturday amid alleged vote buying in his district in Isabela. Vote-buying is considered an election offense. Commission on Elections Spokesperson James Jimenez said both the buyer and seller of votes may face up to six years in jail, plus disqualification from holding public office. NATIONAL -- When a baby comes home, the caring, the worrying and the sleepless nights can make it easy for new moms to put their own health on the back burner. According to Dr. Jeffrey Chapa, Cleveland Clinic, adjusting to life with a newborn baby, while keeping your own health a priority, can be overwhelming for new moms. "It's very easy for a lot of women to feel - to be overcome with feelings of anxiety; being overwhelmed, feeling sad; and that's a very commonn response," Chapa expalined. "It's actually called postpartum blues. And we see that anywhere from the first couple of weeks after a delivery, ... it's very normal." He said it's good for women to talk about these feelings, but if the feelings persist after a few weeks, it's time to call the doctor because it could be a sign of postpartum dperession. The difference: unlike postpartum "blues",postpartum depression is not short-term and requires some form of treatment. Chapa said adjusting to life as a new mom is challenging and women shouldn't have to hesitate to ask for help. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) It was a historic day for the biggest Moro group in the country as its core members and leaders voted for the first time in nationwide elections. Leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), led by its chairman Al Hajj Murad Ebrahim, participated in the national and election polls on Monday in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao. While MILF members first exercised their rights to vote in the January Bangsamoro plebiscite, Mondays elections marked their first participation in a partisan political process in decades. READ: Moro rebel group leader votes in historic Bangsamoro plebiscite This was also seen as a preparation for the Bangsamoro governments own elections in 2022. The Commission on Elections ratified the Bangsamoro Organic Law in January, paving the way for the creation of a new autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao. A transition body, headed by Murad, currently leads the interim government for the autonomous region. KEARNEY One of the key architects of Kearneys modern economy is being honored tonight by the Kearney Sertoma Club. Wayne McKinney, who worked 63 years as a banker and for even more years as a financial leader for Kearneys nonprofits and service clubs, is receiving the Sertoma Clubs Service to Mankind Award. Wayne has served the Kearney community in many ways. He has served on so many boards and committees over the years, I will not be able to mention them all, said Sertoma member Ron Bielenberg, who worked under McKinney for 11 years and nominated his old boss for the Sertoma honor. McKinney, 94, began his banking career in 1952 photographing and filing checks at what then was called Platte Valley State Bank. In 2015 he retired from First National Bank as chairman of the banks board of directors. It wasnt the only board on which McKinney served. His leadership was sought by multiple organizations, among them the boards of Good Samaritan Hospital, Richard Young Hospital, Kearney Area Community Foundation, Kearney Public Schools Foundation, University of Nebraska Foundation and Nebraska Business Development Corp. I found it impossible to watch "All Our Children" without crying. Increasingly, Im having the same reaction listening to Democratic politicians of all sorts seemingly falling over one another to outdo themselves in abortion extremism. We seem to have entered a new point in our discussion of the issue, in which euphemisms are giving way to a new boldness. Do we care to value and protect life or not? 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: "(W)e 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?" Sobering words, indeed, and unfortunately, theyre still very relevant. We would do well to ponder their ramifications, regardless of our individual political beliefs. Migrants seeking safety who manage to reach the United States can ask for asylum. Applicants outside the country are categorized as refugees, and Trump seems equally determined to slash that program as well. The administration says it will admit no more than 30,000 refugees in the current fiscal year, but it has erected so many obstacles that only 12,099 navigated the system during the first six months. At that pace, the U.S. will process about 25,000 refugees this year, compared to an average of almost 80,000 that had long prevailed under both Democratic and Republican administrations. This hard-hearted and immoral crackdown comes while the U.N. estimates that more than 68 million people are displaced around the world, with more than 25 million of them being refugees. "At a time when the administration could be leading the world in our humanitarian response, which has traditionally been a bipartisan effort, they are slow-walking the program," Jenny Yang of World Relief, a Christian humanitarian organization, told ABC. If only the politics surrounding the upcoming 2020 census were as cut and dried as Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which mandates an "actual enumeration" of Americans every 10 years. Congressional representation certainly is one of the most important outcomes stemming from this decennial tally, which will occur next year. But other vital procedures including the awarding of federal funds and the drawing of other political districts directly result. This critical count is far too significant for political stunts to undermine. The University of Nebraska at Omaha estimates just one missed resident will cost the state nearly $2,100 in federal funds per year or almost $21,000 over the course of the decade. Lincoln Sen. Matt Hansen introduced LB436 that would join every state other than South Dakota in creating a citizens committee to ensure an accurate census. Gov. Pete Ricketts has opposed the measure, which comes with an estimated $111,000 price tag. What more way to have a special weekend than spending it with your lover. Fela and Tara Durotoye were in Maldives over the weekend for a special trip to celebrate Fela Durotoyes birthday and their 18th wedding anniversary. Celebrating the occasion, the couple had sweet words to say to each other. Tara wrote: This man 18 years ago was given to me As a GIFT ! I knew it then and now that I won a JACKPOT Olufela.Happy 18th anniversary to us and Happy birthday to you . Thank you for being the real meaning of a HUSBAND . I am confident because you flame all the good things about me . I can dream big because your dreams for me are bigger . I love NIgeria because I live with one who shows his love for NIgeria by the example you set . You make me a better Christian cos when the chips are down you will ask what will Jesus Do? I feel beautiful ,sexy ,wanted and cherished cos you say it in your eyes when I walk pass you ,you say it in your words when I am with you and not with you . You make it very easy to submit ,support and respect you .You dont insist ;you only show the example .The example of a considerate man who puts his family first . You give me space to be me (the good ,the bad & the ugly ) I know them ;I have worked on some ,have failed at many but your emphasis are on my good .As you say focus creates blindness Thank you FOR BEING AN EXAMPLE IN WORDS AND ACTION. You still make me smile when you walk into a room . Your smile,your thoughtfulness ,your compassion,kindness . I have seen you in your highs and in your lows and still my heart throbs for you . When I am 48 I want to be like you . Cheers to more years with you . I celebrate you ,I honor and my respect is for you . Oko mi I started our journey 18 years ago calling you broda because of how you dotted over me ;Asking if I had eaten ,asking about how the day went at work ,coming up with business solutions or helping with picking up the kids (even though you always seemed overwhelmed by )etc . After a few years I changed your name to sugar as it was the only word that could describe your sweetness & generosity . My Lord is the name I call you when you tell me off with your piercing eyes or ignore me for days if you think I havent treated anyone well or any one of the other things that I do to drive you nuts . Today I call you are my hero ! I saw a side of you that was tested ,pressed ,challenged but I saw your values unwavered & I saw you rise and respond.You made me proud to live in the same house as you . Your children are proud of you and so am I . You live your conviction with gusto! You believe and you DO! Your spirit is UNBREAKABLE ! And you make allowances for those who dont see what you see . You make it easy to love you . Happy birthday Ayinde mi Nick Pilarski is an unabashedly proud Midwesterner. But a community within the nations largest city has been a focal point for him in recent years as he has helmed a project that intermingles storytelling with virtual video game technology. Pilarski, a professor at Carthage College, helped shepherd a project nearing completion on efforts to restore peace in Brownsville, a neighborhood within Brooklyn, N.Y., that holds the distinction of having the highest concentration of public housing in the U.S. Brownsville also has a deep history of poverty and violence. But Pilarski, who had an opportunity to immerse himself within the community, said he saw boundless opportunity and began collaborating with neighborhood residents on a project to help turn the tide of systemic issues. That project, dubbed Fireflies, has been described as the largest virtual reality documentary ever created. The goal, Pilarski said, is to use gaming technology as a mechanism that gives users a glimpse into the community. This is an area that historically has experienced violence, Pilarski said. There are long-term tensions and patterns of broken and structural issues. Grad school project Pilarski, who joined the Carthage faculty in January 2018, became intimately acquainted with Brownsville through an opportunity in graduate school. An opportunity was given to me to fellow and work in Brownsville, Pilarski said. My main issue has been about class. I had the opportunity to meet people there. I wanted to look at ways to improve the situation. The name behind the video game project is symbolic and closely aligned to what Pilarski said he hopes users will take away from the experience. Fireflies, of course, can light up the night sky with their natural-born abilities, and Pilarski said the goal of the endeavor is to light up the Brownsville neighborhood with renewed hope and optimism Project nearing end The project, which began three years ago, is in the post-production phase, Pilarski said. More than 100 Brooklyn residents within Brownsville played a role in creating the project. Young people from all of the different housing developments worked on it together, Pilarski said. Theyre trying to use technology to solve real problems. The project also has local hands involved. Pilarski said several Carthage students are assisting with the finishing stages of the project, which is set to be released to the public early next year. The work of Pilarski and others on the team has gained growing, widespread attention. Officials within the city of New York have officially endorsed the project. Finalist for award More recently, Pilarski also caught the attention of the Tim Hetherington Trust, which named him and his team as a finalist to the organizations annual Visionary Award. Hetherington, who was killed in the Libyan civil war in 2011, was noted for his human rights advocacy work, in addition to his journalism and visual storytelling abilities. Pilarski described being named to the Visionary Award as an extreme honor, but said he sees a greater purpose behind the recognition. Im happy that these young people, who are putting their hearts into this, are being recognized, Pilarski said. It is important that these stories are being told on this scale. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. 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. The possibility exists that enough of these small-group meetings could be held to reach a quorum tacitly. 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. 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 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines Staff, May 13) A Quezon City mayoral candidate will face a number of charges after he was arrested Sunday. PGen. Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, said charges of unjust vexation, direct assault, and obstruction of justice will be filed against Quezon City Rep. Vincent "Bingbong" Crisologo. Crisologo was arrested after an altercation with police in relation to alleged vote-buying incidents Sunday evening. Crisologo arrived at the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office Monday where he will go through inquest proceedings. Police reported that around 7:30 p.m., operations against vote-buying were conducted in a house in Barangay Bahay Toro. A certain Renato Echas was apprehended and was found to have P800 and a volunteer card with Crisologos picture, which led to the arrest of 43 others. When operatives were supposed to bring out the arrested people, Crisologo arrived. The report stated Crisologo humiliated the police officers. The operations leader, PCMS Luisito Maninang, was injured after he was pulled by Crisologo and house owner Arturo delos Reyes inside the house. This led to Crisologos arrest and detention with his son Frederick at the Quezon City police headquarters Crisologo arrived at the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office Monday where he will go through inquest proceedings. Senatorial candidate Larry Gadon arrived at the Quezon City Hall of Justice earlier and confirmed that he is now Crisologo's lawyer. He said he will assist the incumbent lawmaker for inquest proceedings for the charges. "Walang kwentang kaso ito, kayang-kayang itong ipa-dismiss [Translation: This is a worthless case, it will be easy to get it dismissed]," Gadon said in a video he posted online. He added that no vote buying happened. "I assure the public there is no vote buying. There is no buying. Walang ebidensya. In fact, noong sumugod yung mga pulis doon sa lugar, 'yun ay isang private property. 'Yun ay headquarters ni Bingbong Crisologo and the only money they saw was 200 to 800... Kung meron mang 800 doon, pambili nila ng meryenda 'yun." said Gadon. [Translation: I assure the public there is no vote buying. There is no buying. There is no evidence. In fact, when the police went there, it was private property. It was the headquarters of Bingbong Crisologo and the only money they saw there was 200 to 800... If there was 800 there, it was for their snacks.] Gadon also said the search of the rooms and Crisologo's arrest were both "totally illegal." He added that they would request that Crisologo be allowed to vote because he is not a convicted criminal. Before the proceedings began, however, Crisologo's police escorts said that they will escort him back to Camp Karingal pending the resolution of the complaint. This comes with just four hours left for voting, as precincts close at 6 p.m. The mayoral candidate is also facing a disqualification case for lacking proof of absolute pardon in relation to his double life imprisonment sentence for arson with homicide. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 14) Three of President Rodrigo Duterte's children, as expected, are apparent winners of the elections in Davao City, making a sweep of the posts of mayor, vice mayor, and House representative. A partial, unofficial tally of the Davao City Board of Canvassers on Monday showed incumbent Mayor Sara Duterte leading the mayoral race with 551,393 votes, while her sole rival, independent candidate Jun Marcellones only got 3,853. If Sara is proclaimed winner, she will serve along with her brother, Sebastian "Baste" Duterte who ran unopposed as vice mayor. Meanwhile, the President's eldest son, former Vice Mayor Paolo "Pulong" Duterte, is also on top of the race for a seat in the House of Representatives representing the 1st District of Davao City. He garnered 190,155 votes, ahead of independent candidates Rex Labis and Susan Uyanguren who got 2,064 and 4,950 votes, respectively. President Duterte served as mayor of Davao City for seven terms or 22 years, although not consecutively. When he was elected President in 2016, Sara took over the mayorship. Duterte has praised his daughter's leadership and called her a "dictator" for her tough policies in Davao City. However, the President has repeatedly said he does not want his daughter to succeed him as the country's chief executive. Shortly after filing their certificates of candidacy in October 2018, Sara Duterte admitted that her and Sebastian's election bids could result in a political dynasty, but argued that it "is still a democratic process," since the voters will have the final say. The President, meanwhile, said, "I do not want a dynasty, but we were forced." This is a developing story. Cebu City (May 13, CNN Philippines) An election officer has stepped down after receiving threats to his life Sunday afternoon. Marchel Sarno received two messages that told him to vacate his post as chairman of the canvassing board of the Commission on Elections in Cebu City South District. Sarno reported to the police on Sunday afternoon that he received two text messages which states: "usa ra ka ka bala (all it takes is one bullet)" and "tago na lang (hide)." Sarno quit for the threats to stop, said Veronico Petalcorin, the acting regional election director (RED) of Comelec-Central Visayas. "Maybe he was suspected of being biased towards a certain political group that's why he was threatened," said Petalcorin. Sarno was replaced by Chaunsey Boholst as chair of the Board of Canvassers. He maintained however his post as election officer of Cebu City's South District. "We are already investigating this incident and we have provided security to Sarno," said PBGen. Debold Sinas, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas. Sinas has ordered an investigation on the threats. 178 Shares Share All good doctors learn to filter what parents say to them during history taking, to examine each parental statement for reliability, likelihood, and sheer outlandishness. Parents of sick children are a cross-section of humanity and, like all of us, vary in their observational skills, their ability to express themselves, and their tendency to exaggerate or minimize what they see. Parents, not being physicians, may not notice and comment on things a doctor would notice. Good doctors also understand that parents of sick children, especially very sick children, are stressed by their situation and sometimes rendered more than a little incoherent by that. In spite of all these issues, the fundamental principle of medical interviewing is that parents are virtually always telling the truth as they understand it. They will not see things as through a doctors eyes (unless they have read my book, of course), but they will nearly always faithfully report what they see if the doctor is reasonably skillful at bringing out the salient points during the conversation. Unless a doctor has very compelling evidence to the contrary, she assumes goodwill on the part of the parents. What that means in practice is that parents who give disorganized, difficult-to-interpret histories are not intentionally trying to deceive her; they are simply doing the best they can to describe what they see. The disbelieving doctor is not inclined to trust the truth of that statement. This variety of poorly communicating doctor can be a troublesome one for parents to deal with. She may seem pleasant in conversation, but this kind of doctor also may come across to parents as brusque, even antagonistic and confrontational in demeanor. Parents interviewed by doctors like this sometimes feel as if they are being cross-examined, not interviewed; instead of a two-way, mutual conversation, the encounter feels more like a grilling by a suspicious police officer. That is an extreme description, but it is one parents have used when telling me about unsatisfactory encounters with doctors. Milder metaphors I have heard from parents about these situations include feeling like a teenager being quizzed by a parent over staying out too late, or like a student who has mislaid his homework assignment. There are several underlying themes for this kind of dysfunctional conversation. One is that parents feel as if the doctor does not really believe what they are saying, as if the parents need to produce some objective evidence to prove that what they are saying is true. The nuance can be subtle, but nonetheless obvious. If most doctors hear a parent say, Johnny had a fever, they will follow up by asking how high the fever was. If the parents reply is something like I didnt take ithe felt hot, most doctors note that fact and proceed with the interview. In contrast, the disbelieving doctor is inclined to say something like Why didnt you take his temperature? or Why dont you have a thermometer? Physicians inclined to disbelieve what parents say to them are, at root, manifesting the old tendency for physicians to set themselves above the patient. Treating what parents have to say as being at best uninformed, at worst outright deceptive, is another example of how some doctors regard themselves as superior to others. It is another face of medical paternalism. From what I have seen over the years, I suspect that this attitude and behavior is a little more prevalent in pediatric practice than in other kinds of medical encounters because many parents of infants and young children are, in comparison to the doctor, themselves young. An age disparity between parents young enough to be a middle-aged doctors children and the doctor can make the doctor behave a little like a parent herself in how she treats her patients parents. What should parents do if they find themselves meeting this kind of doctor? My best advice is to realize they are unlikely to change the doctors behavior much, and that overt confrontation generally does not work well because it tends to confirm in the disbelieving doctors mind her impression that parents, rather than being allies in the childs evaluation process, are more often unreliable adversaries. It works better for parents to recognize what is happening and respond by taking extra pains to be precise and consistent in what they say, perhaps using statements like This may seem strange to you, but or I know I should have paid more attention to the rash, but it seemed to me at the time that An extreme tendency to disbelieve what parents are saying is a bad trait in a physician, and it likely will impede her ability to do the best job for the child. But as with other kinds of poor physician communicators, I think most disbelieving physicians are not fully aware of how their manner interferes with their interactions with parents. Still, it is not a parents job to educate the doctor about that, and it is probably best not to try. Christopher Johnson is a pediatric intensive care physician and author of Keeping Your Kids Out of the Emergency Room: A Guide to Childhood Injuries and Illnesses, Your Critically Ill Child: Life and Death Choices Parents Must Face, How to Talk to Your Childs Doctor: A Handbook for Parents, and How Your Child Heals: An Inside Look At Common Childhood Ailments. He blogs at his self-titled site, Christopher Johnson, MD. Image credit: Shutterstock.com OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) According to the FBI a 62-year-old man sought in connection with a series of alleged sex assaults on children 23 years ago has surrendered himself to the Oregon City Police Department, Oregonlive.com/The Oregonian reported. The FBI said Wayne Arthur Silsbee, who turned himself in Friday, was wanted for his alleged involvement in incidents of sexual assault involving girls who were between the ages of 8 and 10 at the time of the offenses, the newspaper reported. In a news release the FBI said Saturday that the alleged assaults occurred between September 1995 and April 1996 in Clackamas County. The agency said Silsbee was acquainted with each of the victims. The Oregonian reports, that an arrest warrant for Silsbee was issued in Clackamas County in 1996. That same year the FBI obtained a federal arrest warrant charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) Police have received reports of explosions in a number of areas in Mindanao on election day. According to the Maguindanao Police Provincial Office, a blast happened at 1:05 a.m. in Barangay Poblacion Dalican in Datu Odin Sinsuat. The police said the blast may have been from a hand grenade thrown by "unidentified motorcycle riding suspects." No one was reported hurt, and authorities are investigating the incident. This was the second explosion in the province, the first after 9 p.m. Sunday in Datu Saudi Ampatuan. Another blast was also reported in Cotabato City around 10 p.m. Sunday. Speaking to CNN Philippines Monday, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, PGen. Oscar Albayalde said the blasts were "grenade throwing incidents in vacant lots" and happened far from polling centers. Albayalde believes the incidents were meant to scare people. Albayalde also mentioned a shooting near a polling center in Estino, Sulu where six people were injured. "This incident is probably an election-related incident," he said. CNN Philippines stringer Dennis Arcon contributed to this report. Kilkenny LEADER Partnership community broadband roadshows kick off this week with information meetings in Freshford Community Hall on Tuesday night, May 14, and another in Mullinavat Community Hall on Wednesday evening, all beginning at 8pm sharp. KLP has teamed up with internationally-renowned fibre expert, John Graves, for the Blue Town Initiative which includes a final roadshow in Kilkenny citys Pembroke Hotel on Tuesday, May 21. MC for all three events is broadcaster and journalist, Helen Carroll. With Mr Graves assistance, KLP will help rural communities across the county to prepare the planning groundwork needed to set up their own community broadband schemes and turn their broadband not spots into high-speed hot spots with a far more affordable broadband service. In all, 20 rural Kilkenny communities are identified as Blue Areas in the National Broadband Plan (NBP). These will not receive any extra investment under the multi-billion NBP investment. The only option for them, KLP says, is to set up their own schemes, lay their own cable and run broadband clusters the same way many of the communities already operate group water schemes. The 20 Blue Town areas in Kilkenny are Urlingford, Johnstown, Freshford, Ballyragget, Clogh/Moneenroe, Tullaroan, Kilmanagh, Bennettsbridge, Gowran, Paulstown, Goresbridge, Inistioge, Tullagher, Knocktopher, Ballyhale, Mullinavat, Slieverue, Piltown, Kilmacow and Mooncoin. KLP is inviting expressions of interest in the county-wide competition from Kilkenny communities and small businesses interested in setting up fibre to the premises (FTTP) broadband networks. FTTP is the only accepted future proofed broadband option, KLP says, and it will help communities who submit best plans in the competition. KLP CEO, Declan Rice, said: People living in cities have options when it comes to choosing a broadband provider. Even if you live in a rural community that has an acceptable level of broadband, you probably have only one source - two at most. But if you live in a community that owns the network, then you have clout. Similar schemes have been undertaken across Europe - including our neighbours in the UK. Communities there have dug their own trenches, laid cable, hooked-up homes and businesses and are now managing their own high speed networks. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) Six people were wounded in a shooting near a polling center in Panglima Estino town, Sulu on election day. This was confirmed by Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde in an interview with CNN Philippines. "This is probably an election-related incident," the country's top cop said. As of May 11, the PNP has recorded 43 election-related incidents, with 20 killed and 24 injured. Also on Monday, supporters of two mayoralty candidates in Narra town in Palawan were wounded in a supposed shootout. Police identified the victims as businessman Andy Maala, 38, supporter of incumbent Narra Mayor Lucena Demaala; and Fred Danao, 51, brother of indpendent mayoralty candidate Gerandy Danao. Albayalde said except for some incidents, including grenade-throwing in some Mindanao areas, the midterm elections can be considered "peaceful." Senior Producers, Larger-Cap Near-Term Production Aluminum Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 10-May-19 (MM) (US$MM) 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2019E % Alcoa Inc AA 2.1 US$25.04 186 $4,646 3.58 0.87 2.47 28.8 10.1 2.38 4.76 7.15 5.3 3.5 6.6 0.0% Alumina Ltd AWC 2.3 US$1.58 2880 $4,536 0.24 0.18 0.15 8.9 10.5 0.22 0.18 0.17 8.9 9.4 5.9 13.9% Aluminum Corp China Ltd (ADR) ACH 2.2 CNY$2.37 17023 $8,749 0.04 0.12 0.18 19.5 13.4 0.77 0.99 0.99 2.4 2.4 13.5 0.0% Century Aluminum CENX 2.7 US$7.88 89 $700 (0.14) (0.82) 0.77 -- 10.2 (0.79) 0.38 1.81 20.7 4.4 32.7 0.0% United Company Rusal Ltd (HK) 486 1.9 US$0.40 15193 $6,059 0.11 0.11 0.13 3.5 3.2 0.05 0.12 0.11 3.4 3.6 9.0 0.0% Average 15.2 9.5 8.1 4.6 13.6 Iron Ore Cliffs Natural Resources CLF 2.2 US$10.25 283 $2,899 3.71 1.70 1.43 6.0 7.2 1.57 2.16 2.03 4.7 5.1 12.8 1.0% Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (AU) FMG 2.8 US$5.28 3079 $16,251 0.55 0.73 0.63 7.2 8.4 0.79 1.06 1.00 5.0 5.3 4.9 7.7% Kumba Iron Ore Ltd (SA) KIO 4.0 ZAR$423.24 322 $9,507 30.06 45.64 32.85 9.3 12.9 47.32 66.03 55.72 6.4 7.6 7.3 10.7% Labrador Iron Ore Royalty (CN) LIF 2.3 C$30.68 64 $1,464 2.01 3.05 2.56 10.0 12.0 2.32 2.96 2.81 10.4 10.9 21.0 3.2% Mount Gibson Iron Limited (AU) MGX 4.0 AUD$1.18 1128 $932 0.06 0.09 0.07 12.9 16.0 0.09 0.10 0.11 12.0 10.4 42.8 5.6% Average 9.1 11.3 7.7 7.8 17.8 Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets. The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items. Thomson Consensus Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters. Base Metals & Diversified Large Cap Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 10-May-19 (MM) (US$MM) 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2019E % Anglo American PLC (UK) AAL 2.4 US$24.60 1405 $34,571 2.50 2.88 2.58 8.5 9.5 5.50 5.69 5.40 4.3 4.6 7.1 4.5% Antofagasta PLC (UK) ANTO 2.7 US$10.86 986 $10,708 0.52 0.74 0.74 14.8 14.7 1.33 2.23 2.05 4.9 5.3 8.9 0.7% BHP Billiton Ltd BHP 2.8 US$25.76 5058 $123,739 1.86 1.96 1.94 13.1 13.3 3.33 3.28 3.29 7.8 7.8 8.5 5.1% China Molybdenum Co Ltd (HK) 3993 3.3 CNY$2.29 21599 $11,682 0.22 0.13 0.15 17.4 15.2 0.44 0.34 0.26 6.8 8.7 39.2 3.9% Freeport McMoran C&G FCX 2.6 US$11.37 1451 $16,494 1.52 0.44 0.93 25.8 12.2 2.65 1.63 2.35 7.0 4.8 6.8 1.6% Glencore International PLC (UK) GLEN 2.0 US$3.65 13784 $50,321 0.41 0.36 0.41 10.2 8.9 0.81 0.76 0.87 4.8 4.2 8.1 5.4% Grupo Mexico (MX) GMEXICOB 2.6 US$2.68 7785 $20,890 0.17 0.27 0.29 10.1 9.3 0.22 0.36 0.41 7.4 6.5 8.7 5.6% Hindustan Zinc (IN) HZ 2.9 INR$260.40 4225 $15,676 19.47 21.53 23.22 12.1 11.2 24.09 27.76 28.28 9.4 9.2 8.7 0.0% MMC Norilsk Nickel (RU) GMKN -- RU$5,429.84 158 $33,779 -- 899.94 1210.92 6.0 4.5 -- 689.72 1388.13 7.9 3.9 12.2 12.0% Rio Tinto PLC (UK) RIO 2.7 US$57.35 1634 $97,165 5.12 5.78 4.99 9.9 11.5 6.88 8.62 7.98 6.7 7.2 8.3 6.3% Sesa Sterlite Ltd (ADR) SSLT 2.7 INR$155.95 3702 $8,226 17.89 22.27 25.29 7.0 6.2 46.00 53.54 59.76 2.9 2.6 4.9 10.2% South32 Ltd (AU) S32 2.7 US$2.30 5031 $11,566 0.24 0.23 0.23 9.9 10.1 0.36 0.39 0.39 5.9 5.9 6.1 4.8% Southern Copper Corp SCCO 2.8 US$35.65 773 $27,559 2.00 2.32 2.60 15.4 13.7 3.02 3.14 3.48 11.3 10.2 14.7 4.5% Sumitomo Metal Mining (JP) 5713 2.4 JPY$2,890 291 $7,879 265.40 262.78 275.43 11.0 10.5 438.78 431.56 433.20 6.7 6.7 10.8 2.2% Teck Resources Ltd TCK 1.9 C$29.40 565 $12,336 4.07 3.88 3.39 7.6 8.7 7.62 7.46 7.05 3.9 4.2 6.4 0.6% Vale SA (ADR) VALE 2.6 US$49.34 5284 $66,059 5.27 7.17 6.47 6.9 7.6 9.94 9.89 9.35 5.0 5.3 9.7 3.8% Average 11.6 10.4 6.4 6.1 10.6 Mid Cap Assore Ltd (SA) ASR 3.7 ZAR$367.49 140 $3,578 54.64 55.11 46.84 6.7 7.8 26.39 25.12 21.14 14.6 17.4 14.7 7.6% Aurubis AG (GR) NDA 2.6 EUR$40.46 45 $2,041 5.55 4.70 5.01 8.6 8.1 5.13 6.89 6.33 5.9 6.4 5.8 3.6% Boliden AB (SW) BOL 3.0 SEK$238.20 274 $6,751 26.32 23.87 22.77 10.0 10.5 43.03 40.56 42.06 5.9 5.7 6.7 3.3% Eramet (FR) ERA 1.8 EUR$53.94 27 $1,612 1.83 9.50 10.44 5.7 5.2 16.01 20.15 22.32 2.7 2.4 6.6 1.0% Exxaro Resources Ltd (SA) EXX 1.8 ZAR$163.16 359 $4,082 20.57 27.86 27.19 5.9 6.0 (0.17) 20.28 17.68 8.0 9.2 10.7 7.9% First Quantum Minerals (CN) FM 2.1 US$9.28 689 $6,399 0.71 0.78 1.21 11.9 7.7 2.87 2.07 2.98 4.5 3.1 15.2 0.1% Iluka Resources Ltd (AU) ILU 2.2 AUD$8.65 422 $2,558 0.72 0.89 0.94 9.8 9.2 1.49 1.21 1.27 7.1 6.8 -- 3.8% Jiangxi Copper Co "H" (HK) 358 2.6 CNY$8.53 3463 $6,085 0.70 0.83 0.86 10.3 9.9 1.54 1.23 1.34 6.9 6.4 11.5 2.5% Kazakhmys PLC (UK) KAZ 2.5 US$7.52 471 $3,542 1.18 1.12 1.19 6.7 6.3 1.51 1.64 1.65 4.6 4.6 23.5 1.8% KGHM Polska Miedz (PO) KGH 3.3 PLN$95.64 200 $4,992 8.29 11.73 12.11 8.2 7.9 16.48 21.27 22.74 4.5 4.2 5.6 0.0% Lundin Mining Corp (CN) LUN 1.9 US$4.95 736 $3,643 0.30 0.40 0.66 12.4 7.5 0.65 0.88 1.33 5.6 3.7 5.8 0.0% MMG Ltd (HK) 1208 3.1 US$0.37 8052 $3,017 0.01 0.03 0.03 14.7 12.3 0.21 0.19 0.20 2.0 1.9 12.8 0.0% Turquoise Hill Resources TRQ 3.0 US$1.38 2012 $2,747 0.20 0.07 0.09 20.6 14.7 0.09 0.04 0.14 32.0 9.9 11.4 0.0% Vale Indonesia Tbk PT (ID) INCO 2.0 US$0.20 9936 $1,974 0.01 0.01 0.01 27.2 18.1 0.02 0.02 0.02 10.2 8.1 12.9 0.0% Vedanta Resources PLC (UK) VED -- US$10.85 285 $3,089 -- 0.87 1.24 12.5 8.7 -- 9.96 12.60 1.1 0.9 -- 6.6% Average 11.4 9.3 7.7 6.0 11.0 Small Cap Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 10-May-19 (MM) (US$MM) 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2019E % Capstone Mining Corp (CN) CS 2.0 US$0.47 400 $187 0.08 0.07 0.09 6.4 5.3 0.34 0.24 0.29 1.9 1.6 2.8 0.0% Hudbay Minerals HBM 2.3 US$5.37 261 $1,403 0.40 0.25 0.40 21.3 13.3 1.84 1.59 1.77 3.4 3.0 4.2 0.2% Independence Group NL (AU) IGO 2.4 AUD$4.55 590 $1,881 0.12 0.21 0.28 21.8 16.1 0.60 0.68 0.71 6.6 6.4 17.8 1.0% Ivanhoe Mines Ltd (CN) IVP 1.9 US$2.42 1018 $2,455 0.03 (0.03) 0.06 -- 40.5 (0.02) (0.01) 0.05 -- 48.5 -- 0.0% Mechel OAO (ADR) MTL 4.0 RU$67.06 555 $654 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 8.2 0.0% Mineral Resources Ltd (AU) MIN 1.8 AUD$15.02 188 $1,978 1.10 1.38 1.64 10.9 9.2 1.73 1.73 2.25 8.7 6.7 8.8 0.0% Mitsui Mining & Smelting (JP) 5706 2.3 JPY$2,580 57 $1,359 58.51 236.12 314.39 10.9 8.2 649.22 827.66 879.07 3.1 2.9 6.4 -- Outokumpu (FN) OUT1V 3.1 EUR$2.84 416 $1,326 0.34 0.18 0.44 15.8 6.4 0.52 0.73 0.97 3.9 2.9 8.5 4.6% Oz Minerals (AU) OZL 2.6 AUD$9.35 324 $2,120 0.73 0.58 0.74 16.2 12.7 1.45 1.35 1.60 6.9 5.8 6.9 2.6% Philex Mining Corp (PH) PX 3.0 Php$3.06 4940 $290 0.15 0.16 0.12 19.1 25.5 -- -- -- -- -- 6.0 1.3% Sandfire Resources NL (AU) SFR 2.8 AUD$6.72 160 $751 0.75 0.98 1.21 6.8 5.6 1.53 1.81 2.00 3.7 3.4 4.4 3.9% Sherritt International (CN) S 2.5 C$0.22 397 $64 (0.13) (0.25) (0.11) -- -- 0.02 (0.05) (0.01) -- -- 15.3 0.0% Volcan Cia Ninera VOLABC1 3.0 US$0.15 4077 $2,103 0.01 0.01 0.01 15.4 15.4 -- -- -- -- -- 10.3 2.2% Western Areas NL (AU) WSA 2.3 AUD$2.13 274 $408 0.05 0.13 0.22 16.5 9.7 0.30 0.38 0.47 5.6 4.5 7.2 1.0% Average 14.7 14.0 4.9 8.6 8.2 Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets. The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items. Thomson Consensus Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters. Gold Large Cap Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 10-May-19 (MM) (US$MM) 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2019E % Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd AEM 2.1 US$40.40 236 $9,523 0.31 0.58 0.98 69.6 41.3 2.60 3.26 4.14 12.4 9.7 12.6 1.0% Barrick Gold Corp ABX 2.9 US$12.01 1752 $21,018 0.35 0.38 0.46 31.6 26.1 1.51 1.49 1.59 8.1 7.6 7.2 1.2% Franco-Nevada FNV 2.1 US$73.20 187 $13,703 1.17 1.26 1.54 58.0 47.7 2.55 2.83 3.26 25.9 22.4 28.2 1.3% Newcrest Mining Ltd (AU) NCM 2.8 AUD$17.83 768 $13,701 0.67 0.84 0.91 21.2 19.7 1.75 1.80 1.93 9.9 9.2 10.9 1.2% Newmont Mining NEM 2.2 US$30.15 820 $24,712 1.34 1.31 1.49 23.1 20.3 3.41 4.23 4.46 7.1 6.8 11.2 1.6% Polyus Gold International (UK) PGIL 1.8 RU$4,990.00 134 $10,240 617.74 648.69 709.51 7.7 7.0 589.63 826.83 862.76 6.0 5.8 -- 5.1% Zijin Mining Group (HK) 2899 1.8 CNY$2.48 23031 $10,323 0.18 0.20 0.22 12.3 11.5 0.44 0.44 0.51 5.7 4.8 17.7 3.6% Average 31.9 24.8 10.7 9.5 14.6 Mid Cap Alamos Gold AGI 2.4 US$4.45 389 $1,732 0.05 0.16 0.19 28.1 24.0 0.55 0.64 0.72 7.0 6.2 10.3 0.6% AngloGold Ashanti Ltd AU 3.0 US$11.58 414 $4,732 0.51 1.04 1.19 11.1 9.8 2.05 2.83 3.38 4.1 3.4 4.2 0.5% B2Gold Corp BTG 1.7 US$2.63 1008 $2,653 0.16 0.16 0.20 16.2 13.0 0.43 0.41 0.49 6.4 5.3 9.3 0.0% Buenaventura (ADR) BVN 2.6 US$15.04 276 $4,404 (0.02) 0.63 0.78 23.8 19.2 1.36 1.19 1.35 12.6 11.1 15.2 0.6% Evolution Mining Ltd (AU) EVN 2.7 AUD$3.33 1697 $3,956 0.14 0.17 0.20 19.8 16.6 0.38 0.39 0.43 8.6 7.8 8.6 2.0% Gold Fields Ltd (ADR) GFI 3.0 US$3.72 829 $3,046 0.07 0.13 0.22 29.8 17.3 0.75 1.05 1.24 3.6 3.0 4.0 1.6% Kinross Gold Corp KGC 2.6 US$3.05 1252 $3,810 0.10 0.14 0.16 21.3 19.0 0.63 0.78 0.82 3.9 3.7 6.3 0.0% Kirkland Lake Gold (CN) KL 2.3 C$33.07 210 $6,904 1.36 2.18 2.28 15.2 14.5 2.58 3.25 3.46 10.2 9.6 36.9 0.3% Northern Star Resources (AU) NST 2.7 AUD$8.95 639 $4,006 0.33 0.49 0.66 18.3 13.7 0.61 0.84 1.06 10.7 8.4 12.8 1.2% Oceanagold Corp (AU) OGC 2.5 US$2.86 622 $1,755 0.20 0.13 0.17 21.6 17.2 0.55 0.43 0.45 6.6 6.4 6.5 0.7% Polymetal International PLC (UK) POLY 2.5 US$10.09 470 $4,745 1.00 1.10 1.15 9.2 8.7 1.14 1.48 1.63 6.8 6.2 8.3 4.6% Royal Gold Inc RGLD 2.4 US$82.92 66 $5,433 1.68 1.87 2.24 44.2 37.0 4.68 4.55 4.90 18.2 16.9 20.4 1.1% Sibanye Gold Ltd (SA) SGL 2.2 ZAR$12.36 2380 $2,051 (0.01) 1.65 2.64 7.5 4.7 5.31 4.43 5.62 2.8 2.2 5.0 0.0% Yamana Gold Inc AUY 2.5 US$2.02 950 $1,920 0.12 0.04 0.05 52.0 39.0 0.43 0.45 0.52 4.5 3.9 6.1 0.8% Zhaojin Mining Industry Co Ltd (HK) 1818 2.4 CNY$6.08 3221 $2,873 0.15 0.22 0.30 27.2 20.6 0.83 0.69 1.14 8.8 5.3 17.2 0.6% Average 23.0 18.3 7.6 6.6 11.4 Small Cap Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 10-May-19 (MM) (US$MM) 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2019E % Acacia Mining PLC (UK) ACAA 2.7 US$1.94 410 $798 0.11 0.19 0.24 10.0 8.2 0.31 0.47 0.56 4.2 3.5 1.7 0.0% Alacer Gold Corp (CN) ASR 2.5 US$2.65 294 $780 0.05 0.31 0.37 8.5 7.2 0.33 0.65 0.74 4.1 3.6 36.5 0.0% Centamin Egypt (CN) CEE 2.2 US$1.16 1155 $1,343 0.06 0.06 0.08 18.9 15.4 0.19 0.13 0.14 8.9 8.5 2.7 9.0% Centerra Gold (CN) CG 2.7 US$5.56 292 $1,627 0.26 0.52 0.84 10.7 6.6 0.74 1.35 1.77 4.1 3.1 4.7 0.0% Detour Gold Corp (CN) DGC 1.9 US$8.92 176 $1,561 0.37 0.31 0.48 28.6 18.4 1.47 1.47 1.59 6.1 5.6 6.2 0.0% Eldorado Gold Corp EGO 2.8 US$3.94 159 $555 (0.17) 0.10 0.57 39.9 6.9 0.42 1.07 1.84 3.7 2.1 6.3 0.0% Endeavour Mining Corp (CN) EDV 1.8 US$14.83 110 $1,622 0.49 0.62 1.55 24.1 9.5 2.33 2.72 3.65 5.5 4.1 9.9 0.0% Harmony Gold Mining Ltd HAR 2.8 ZAR$23.28 540 $876 1.69 2.67 3.15 8.7 7.4 9.12 11.06 11.28 2.1 2.1 3.9 0.0% Hecla Mining Co HL 3.2 US$1.56 486 $759 (0.11) (0.05) 0.01 -- NM 0.22 0.19 0.31 8.1 5.1 5.4 0.4% Highland Gold Mining Ltd (UK) HGM 2.3 US$2.08 364 $759 0.15 0.22 0.22 9.7 9.7 0.37 0.38 0.38 5.5 5.6 6.4 7.9% Hochschild Mining PLC (UK) HOC 2.4 US$2.22 511 $1,137 0.05 0.09 0.13 24.9 17.6 0.36 0.47 0.49 4.7 4.6 3.9 2.0% Iamgold Corp IAG 2.3 US$2.38 468 $1,108 0.06 0.04 0.08 61.7 29.0 0.41 0.69 0.70 3.4 3.4 2.8 0.0% Lundin Gold Inc (CN) LUG 2.2 US$3.88 222 $858 (0.12) (0.14) 0.20 -- 19.1 (0.17) (0.16) 0.53 -- 7.3 -- 0.0% Pretium Resources PVG 2.1 US$7.65 184 $1,410 0.54 0.48 0.77 16.1 9.9 1.07 1.13 1.55 6.8 4.9 -- 0.0% Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd OR 2.1 C$13.13 155 $1,517 0.20 0.19 0.26 71.0 50.4 0.53 0.65 0.75 20.3 17.4 53.4 1.3% Regis Resources Ltd (AU) RRL 3.4 AUD$4.48 508 $1,593 0.34 0.36 0.38 12.4 11.7 0.49 0.49 0.54 9.1 8.3 8.5 3.3% St Barbara Ltd (AU) SBM 2.4 AUD$3.18 526 $1,169 0.35 0.30 0.28 10.6 11.4 0.54 0.46 0.45 6.9 7.1 5.0 2.6% Sandstorm Gold Ltd (CN) SAND 2.1 US$5.08 179 $906 0.03 0.09 0.10 59.0 52.3 0.24 0.30 0.33 16.9 15.4 24.6 0.0% Saracen Mineral Holdings (AU) SAR 3.0 AUD$3.03 820 $1,737 0.11 0.16 0.20 19.0 15.3 0.25 0.28 0.30 10.8 10.1 25.4 0.0% Semafo (CN) SMF 1.9 US$2.83 333 $941 (0.01) 0.33 0.35 8.5 8.0 0.34 0.82 0.81 3.5 3.5 6.8 0.0% SSR Mining SSRM 2.4 US$10.73 121 $1,301 0.23 0.38 0.52 28.2 20.8 0.50 1.42 1.62 7.6 6.6 5.6 0.0% Torex Gold Resources (CN) TXG 1.9 US$9.16 85 $780 0.23 0.58 0.65 15.9 14.2 2.68 2.48 2.66 3.7 3.4 6.2 0.0% Average 24.3 16.6 6.9 6.1 11.3 Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets. The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items. Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters. Silver Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 10-May-19 (MM) (US$MM) 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2019E % Americas Silver Corp (CN) USA 1.7 US$1.83 70 $128 (0.25) (0.01) 0.17 -- 10.8 0.21 0.23 0.49 8.0 3.8 0.0 0.0% Coeur Mining Corp CDE 2.0 US$3.13 205 $642 (0.01) (0.29) (0.03) -- -- 0.11 0.57 0.97 5.5 3.2 4.8 0.0% Endeavour Silver Corp EXK 3.0 US$1.87 131 $245 (0.10) (0.17) 0.00 -- NM 0.21 0.09 0.22 22.0 8.4 6.7 0.0% First Majestic Silver Corp AG 2.6 US$5.90 199 $1,176 (0.21) (0.06) 0.07 -- 86.7 0.18 0.48 0.73 12.2 8.0 10.9 0.0% Fortuna Silver Mines FSM 2.3 US$2.86 160 $455 0.24 0.20 0.47 14.3 6.1 0.52 0.42 0.85 6.9 3.4 4.5 0.0% Fresnillo (UK) FRES 2.3 US$9.42 737 $6,943 0.46 0.44 0.56 21.2 16.7 1.09 1.03 1.10 9.2 8.6 7.1 3.7% Mag Silver Corp MAG 1.8 US$9.29 86 $791 (0.09) (0.06) 0.50 -- 18.7 (0.05) (0.05) 0.42 -- 22.1 88.2 -- Pan American Silver PAAS 2.5 US$11.44 209 $2,389 0.39 0.29 0.59 39.3 19.4 1.01 1.60 2.12 7.2 5.4 9.7 1.1% Wheaton Precious Metals WPM 1.9 US$20.14 446 $8,981 0.48 0.53 0.67 37.6 30.1 1.22 1.16 1.29 17.3 15.7 16.6 1.5% Silvercorp SVM 2.0 US$2.15 170 $366 0.21 0.21 0.24 10.1 9.2 0.37 0.38 0.40 5.6 5.4 -- 1.2% Average 24.5 24.7 10.4 8.4 16.5 Platinum Group Metals African Rainbow Minerals (SA) ARI 2.3 ZAR$164.35 222 $2,544 26.53 28.35 24.98 5.8 6.6 21.20 28.30 38.63 5.8 4.3 35.1 8.1% Anglo Platinum Ltd (SA) AMS 3.3 ZAR$712.63 270 $13,403 28.22 40.48 43.66 17.6 16.3 59.17 55.99 57.03 12.7 12.5 20.5 2.1% Impala Platinum (SA) IMP 2.4 ZAR$57.85 735 $3,300 1.84 5.11 5.02 11.3 11.5 5.53 8.17 7.72 7.1 7.5 16.3 0.0% Lonmin PLC (UK) LMI 3.4 US$0.81 283 $230 0.17 0.23 0.26 3.5 3.2 0.32 0.24 0.02 3.4 42.0 -- 0.0% Northam Platinum Ltd (SA) NHM 2.5 ZAR$57.00 510 $2,027 (0.70) 1.59 2.51 35.8 22.7 3.84 9.11 8.97 6.3 6.4 46.2 0.0% Average 14.8 12.1 7.1 14.5 29.5 Diamonds & Gems Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 10-May-19 (MM) (US$MM) 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2019E % AK Alrosa PAO (RU) ALRS 2.4 RU$1.03 7365 $10,787 0.19 0.21 0.23 5.0 4.5 0.26 0.25 0.29 4.1 3.6 3.9 11.3% Lucara Diamond Corp (CN) LUC 1.7 US$1.22 397 $482 0.03 0.08 0.09 14.7 13.7 0.11 0.18 0.16 6.9 7.8 2.5 6.5% Mountain Province Diamonds (CN) MPVD 2.3 US$1.60 210 $251 (0.10) 0.18 0.22 9.1 7.4 0.69 0.56 0.71 2.9 2.2 -- 2.1% Petra Diamonds Ltd (UK) PDL 2.1 US$0.34 865 $296 0.01 0.04 0.07 8.5 4.7 0.12 0.14 0.18 2.5 1.9 5.7 0.0% Stornoway Diamond Corp (CN) SWY 3.7 C$0.06 924 $41 (0.16) (0.08) (0.06) -- -- 0.01 0.04 0.05 1.6 1.3 -- 0.0% Average 9.3 7.6 3.6 3.4 4.0 Fertilizers Arab Potash Co (JR) APOT -- JOD$17.00 83 $2,001 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 12.4 6.8% CF Industries CF 2.5 US$41.62 221 $9,201 1.24 2.12 2.74 19.6 15.2 6.40 5.87 6.47 7.1 6.4 18.6 2.9% Compass Minerals CMP 2.3 US$54.13 34 $1,834 1.93 2.66 3.97 20.3 13.6 5.63 8.02 8.72 6.8 6.2 11.2 5.3% Incitec Pivot Ltd (AU) IPL 2.4 AUD$3.27 1606 $3,676 0.19 0.18 0.25 18.5 13.0 0.39 0.37 0.45 8.7 7.2 10.1 2.7% Israel Chemical (IS) ICL 2.3 US$5.53 1280 $7,083 0.37 0.37 0.40 15.1 13.7 0.48 0.65 0.66 8.6 8.4 9.3 3.8% K & S Aktiengesellschaft (GR) SDF 2.1 EUR$17.78 191 $3,817 0.22 1.19 1.58 14.9 11.2 1.88 3.26 3.66 5.4 4.9 12.4 1.6% Mosaic Co MOS 2.4 US$23.90 386 $9,220 2.12 1.78 2.39 13.4 10.0 3.75 4.01 4.75 6.0 5.0 12.4 0.4% Sociedad Quimica Minera (ADR) SQM 2.6 US$34.99 263 $8,992 1.67 1.69 2.16 20.7 16.2 1.99 2.62 2.65 13.4 13.2 12.5 5.2% Yara International ASA (NO) YAR 2.6 NOK$41.71 273 $11,307 1.68 2.94 3.76 14.2 11.1 2.77 6.68 6.23 6.2 6.7 9.5 1.8% Average 17.1 13.0 7.8 7.3 12.0 Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets. The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items. Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters. Uranium Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 10-May-19 (MM) (US$MM) 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2019E % Cameco Corp CCJ 2.4 C$13.85 396 $4,087 0.53 0.04 0.20 NM 70.2 1.68 0.73 0.79 18.9 17.5 9.8 0.5% Denison Mines DNN 2.4 US$0.67 589 $294 (0.04) (0.04) (0.03) -- -- (0.04) (0.03) (0.03) -- -- -- 0.0% Energy Resources Australia (AU) ERA 4.0 AUD$0.22 518 $78 0.04 (0.05) (0.02) -- -- (0.15) 0.12 0.03 1.8 7.2 -- 0.0% Uranium Participation Corp (CN) U 1.9 C$4.14 138 $424 (0.03) (0.03) (0.03) -- -- (0.04) (0.04) (0.04) -- -- -- 0.0% Average 70.2 10.4 12.3 9.8 Coal Large - Mid Cap Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 10-May-19 (MM) (US$MM) 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2018 2019E 2020E 2019E 2020E 2019E % Adaro Energy TBK (ID) ADRO 2.1 US$0.09 31986 $2,826 0.01 0.01 0.01 7.7 7.1 0.03 0.02 0.02 3.9 3.7 4.9 2.5% Banpu Public Co Ltd (TH) BANPU 2.1 THB$0.50 5162 $2,583 0.08 0.06 0.06 7.8 8.2 0.08 0.10 0.09 5.1 5.5 17.6 4.7% China Coal Energy Co (HK) 1898 2.5 CNY$2.80 13259 $8,232 0.34 0.37 0.37 7.5 7.6 1.09 1.21 1.25 2.3 2.2 11.8 2.9% China Shenhua Energy Co (HK) 1088 2.3 CNY$14.69 19890 $52,307 2.22 2.17 2.16 6.8 6.8 4.11 3.83 3.59 3.8 4.1 5.4 5.8% Consol Energy CNX 2.4 US$9.14 195 $1,787 1.36 0.64 0.79 14.4 11.5 4.13 3.95 4.02 2.3 2.3 7.3 0.0% Whitehaven Coal Lyd (AU) WHC 2.0 AUD$4.20 1026 $3,017 0.56 0.52 0.43 8.0 9.8 0.86 0.77 0.62 5.4 6.7 0.0 0.0% Yancoal Australia Lyd YAL -- AUD$3.40 1320 $3,137 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0 0.0% Yanzhou Coal Mining Co Ltd (HK) 1171 2.3 CNY$6.83 4912 $6,632 1.75 1.52 1.43 4.5 4.8 3.71 2.89 3.08 2.4 2.2 18.5 9.7% Average 8.1 8.0 3.6 3.8 8.2 Small Cap Fushan Int'l Energy Group (HK) 639 2.3 HK$1.80 5302 $1,216 0.21 0.21 0.22 8.4 8.3 0.23 0.29 0.30 6.1 5.9 8.4 10.6% NLC India Ltd (IN) NLCINDIA -- INR$64.75 1387 $1,279 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 5.9 5.4% New Hope Corp Ltd (AU) NHC 3.0 AUD$2.69 831 $1,565 0.38 0.44 0.32 6.1 8.3 0.53 0.52 0.39 5.1 6.8 15.4 4.0% PT Tambang Batubara Bukit (ID) PTBA 2.5 IDR$3,080 11521 $2,474 477.00 425.11 444.31 7.2 6.9 746.44 429.91 462.75 7.2 6.7 10.5 8.1% PT Bumi Resources (ID) BUMI -- US$0.01 65476 $567 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0% Average 7.9 8.0 4.3 4.6 9.1 Limited Partnership Alliance Resource Partners LP ARLP 2.0 US$18.46 128 $2,370 2.99 3.84 2.54 4.8 7.3 5.31 3.26 3.10 5.7 6.0 4.2 10.3% Natural Resource Partners LP NRP 3.0 US$40.00 12 $490 6.43 5.75 6.15 7.0 6.5 9.19 6.55 7.97 6.1 5.0 4.8 4.8% Average 5.9 6.9 5.9 5.5 4.5 Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets. The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items. Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters. Recent and Forecast Commodity Prices Cash Price (10-May-19) Aluminum ($0.80 / lb) Cobalt ($15.76 / lb) Copper ($2.78 / lb) Lead ($0.83 / lb) Molybdenum ($12.32 / lb) Nickel ($5.38 / lb) Tin ($8.91 / lb) Zinc ($1.25 / lb) Palladium ($1333 / oz) Platinum ($863 / oz) Silver ($14.74 / oz) Uranium ($25.00 / lb) LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - The price gap between palladium and its sister metal platinum needs to shrink as number one platinum producer South Africa requires a higher price for the metal to keep investing in new supply, Russia's Norilsk Nickel said. Norilsk is the number one producer of palladium, accounting for more than 40 percent of global output, and is also a leading supplier of platinum. Both metals are used to curb harmful emissions from cars. While palladium prices have soared by more than a third in the last five years, platinum has slumped by more than 40 percent. It is now around $490 an ounce cheaper than palladium, against an average premium over the last 30 years of $435. Neither metal is likely to see any major growth in global supplies within six years, after which new projects from Nornickel and other miners will start producing, the Russian firm said. "There is some growth in production from 2025, while consumption will be rising for all upcoming years," Anton Berlin, head of Nornickel's marketing department, told Reuters. More than half of global platinum group metals (PGMs) come from ore containing a mix of other minerals such as copper, nickel, gold and silver, like that found in Nornickel's Arctic assets. Their production cannot be increased sharply. Growth in PGMs demand from autocatalyst makers will continue over the coming years, Berlin said. He expects hybrid cars, which use catalysts in their internal combustion engines, to further support demand along with tougher emissions regulation in China and Europe. On the subject of stockpiles, a long-standing wild card in the palladium market, Berlin said the status of a significant proportion of above-ground palladium stock remained opaque. Accumulated stockpiles around the world are difficult to estimate because the Soviet Union, which ceased to exist in early 1990s, did not disclose its production, domestic consumption or exports. According to some analysts' estimates, a significant amount of the Soviet stockpile was sold abroad by the Russian government in the 1990s to raise cash. Estimates of global palladium stocks vary from 2.5 million troy ounces to 25 million ounces, Berlin said, though no-one could pinpoint them for sure. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by Jan Harvey) LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren pledged on Monday that if she wins the White House in 2020, her education secretary will be a former public school teacher who is committed to public education. In remarks Warren planned to deliver to a teachers union in Philadelphia, the U.S. senator from Massachusetts described Republican president Donald Trumps education secretary, Betsy DeVos, as the worst secretary of education weve seen. Liz Hill, press secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, said: The accusations lobbed at the secretary are nothing more than political pandering. DeVos is a reviled figure among many Democrats and teachers unions. She is a proponent of school vouchers, school choice and charter schools, options critics see as undermining public education. DeVos, who has no teaching experience, has also eased regulations on for-profit colleges. Warren, a former educator, vowed to take a different course. Lets get a person with real teaching experience, Warren said in an email ahead of the town hall. A person who understands how low pay, tattered textbooks, and crumbling classrooms hurt students and educators. A person who understands the crushing burden of student debt on students and young professionals and who is committed to actually doing something about it. The Education Department did not immediately respond to Warrens comments. Warren was appearing before a gathering of the American Federation of Teachers, the countrys second-largest teachers union. Her remarks come as many of her Democratic rivals court Americas teachers, an important constituency in the partys nominating contest, in their battle to become the candidate to take on Trump in next years presidential election. U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California, another Democratic candidate, has pledged $315 billion over 10 years to increase teacher pay. It was the first major policy proposal Harris rolled out after she declared her candidacy. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union finance ministers are set to remove this week the British overseas territory of Bermuda, the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba and Barbados from the blocs blacklist of tax havens, an EU official said on Monday. The three islands were added to the list in March because the EU found shortfalls in their tax rules that could favor tax evasion in other states. The decision, which is due to be formalized by EU finance ministers in a meeting on Friday, will remove from the list the only EU territories that are currently on it. EU countries are not even screened as they are deemed compliant, although the EU Parliament has accused seven of them of acting as tax havens. They are Luxembourg, Cyprus, Ireland, Malta, Hungary, Belgium and the Netherlands. Listing decisions are made by the 28 EU governments. Each one of them has the power to veto any decision on the matter. Jurisdictions are removed from the blacklist when they address their main shortfalls and commit to further reforms to increase tax transparency. With this weeks removal of the three islands, the blacklist will shrink to twelve jurisdictions. It will still include the United Arab Emirates, Oman and the three U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Other jurisdictions on the list are Belize, Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, Dominica, Samoa and Trinidad and Tobago. Blacklisted states face reputational damage and stricter controls on transactions with the EU. The EU set up the blacklist in December 2017 after revelations of widespread tax avoidance schemes used by corporations and wealthy individuals to lower their tax bills. The list initially comprised 17 jurisdictions, but it is subject to regular reviews. Countries with legal shortfalls are added if they do not amend their rules by set deadlines. Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Toby Chopra. 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 near steady levels in early-morning U.S. trading Monday. Prices are near daily highs and have erased modest overnight losses as it looks to be another rough day for the U.S. stock market. June gold futures were last up $0.10 an ounce at $1,287.70. July Comex silver was last down $0.12 at $14.67 an ounce. World stock markets were mostly down overnight. U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward solidly lower openings when the New York day session begins, and are close to last weeks five-week lows. The failure of the U.S. and China to reach a trade deal late last week and the resulting new tariffs put in place by the U.S., including retaliatory threats from China, have the world marketplace in a downbeat mood to start the trading week. Trade officials from both countries will continue talking, however. Keener risk aversion in the marketplace generally works in favor of the safe-haven metals markets. The marketplace is so far not being significantly impacted by news two Saudi oil tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hurmuz over the weekend. The attackers are apparently unknown. However, tensions between the U.S. and Iran have ratcheted up in recent weeks, with some speculating Iran may be behind the weekend attacks on the Saudi ships, which were not sunk but did sustain significant damage. The key outside markets today see the U.S. dollar index slightly lower. Meantime, Nymex crude oil prices are higher and trading around $62.50 a barrel. There is not major U.S. economic data due for release Monday. Technically, the gold bears have the overall near-term technical advantage. A nearly three-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 last weeks high of $1,292.80 and then at $1,300.00. First support is seen at the overnight low of $1,282.40 and then at the May low of $1,278.10. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 3.5 July silver futures bears have the firm overall near-term technical advantage. Prices are in a nearly three-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 the November low of $14.175. First resistance is seen at the overnight high of $14.795 and then at $14.875. Next support is seen at the May low of $14.57 and then at $14.50. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 3.0. LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - Lead prices sunk to the lowest in nearly three years on Monday on worries that industrial metals demand would suffer from renewed U.S.-Chinese trade tensions. Aluminium, however, rose after reports of reduced supply of raw material alumina from China. Metals slid along with other financial markets after the trade war between the world's top two economies ratcheted up a gear and China vowed on Monday never to surrender to external pressure. "Trade frictions weigh on future demand expectations so you're naturally going to get caution on asset allocations for commodities on the whole and base metals in particular," said Colin Hamilton, director of commodities research at BMO Capital. Lead was the hardest hit partly because seasonally this was the weakest period for lead demand while recycled supply was healthy, Hamilton added. Benchmark lead on the London Metal Exchange was down 1.3% to $1,798 a tonne by 1030 GMT, its lowest since Aug. 9, 2016. Shanghai lead dropped to as low as 15,940 yuan ($2,322.23) a tonne, its weakest since August last year. * CHINESE ALUMINA: Alumina output would be curtailed in China's Shanxi province due to environmental issues, according to reports. "To me, it looks like that's going to take out about 4% of Chinese alumina capacity," Hamilton said. * ALUMINIUM PRICE: Reduced alumina supply and higher prices for the raw material to make aluminium lifted three-month aluminium , the only LME metal in positive territory, by 0.1% to $1,809 a tonne. * COPPER PRICES: LME copper shed 0.7% to $6,083 a tonne. The net speculative short position on the LME had expanded to 2.1% of open interest, back to levels not seen since late January, Alastair Munro at broker Marex Spectron said in a note. * COPPER SMELTER MAINTENANCE: Copper prices could gain some support from falling output in China as some smelters there are scheduled to go into maintenance in May, said copper analyst He Tianyu of metal consultants CRU. * COPPER STOCKS: Copper stocks in warehouses tracked by the ShFE dropped to a 3-1/2-month low on Friday, while copper inventories in LME-approved warehouses fell to a two-week low, the latest data showed. * CHINA CARS: Also weighing on metals prices was data showing that vehicle sales in China, the world's top auto market, fell 14.6% in April annually, marking the 10th consecutive month of decline. * OTHER PRICES: LME zinc fell 1% to $2,605 a tonne, nickel lost 0.8% to $11,835 and tin gave up 1.1% to $19,415. (Additional reporting by Mai Nguyen in Singapore; editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) The world's two biggest economies appeared at a deadlock over trade negotiations on Sunday as Washington demanded promises of concrete changes to Chinese law and Beijing said it would not swallow any "bitter fruit" that harmed its interests. At 0605 GMT, the rand traded at 14.2100 per dollar, 0.26% weaker than its New York close on Friday. South African markets strengthened on Friday on expectations of political continuity, as the governing African National Congress (ANC) headed for a national election victory. "In spite of last week's election and a perceived investor-friendly outcome, the rand has been largely driven by international factors with the election contributing only marginally to its direction," Peregrine Treasury Solutions Corporate Treasury Manager Bianca Botes said. In fixed income, the yield on the benchmark instrument due in 2026 fell 1.5 basis points to 8.445% in early trade. (Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, editing by Louise Heavens) WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday warned China not to retaliate against a hike in tariffs he imposed last week and said that the nation "will be hurt very badly if you don't make a deal." There "is no reason for the U.S. Consumer to pay the Tariffs, which take effect on China today ... China should not retaliate-will only get worse!" Trump tweeted, adding that tariffs can be avoided if manufacturers shift production from China to other countries. Trump lifted tariffs to 25% from 10% on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports last week. He also ordered U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to draft paperwork imposing tariffs on an additional $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, which would effectively blanket all Chinese imports with duties. The president's denial that U.S. consumers would be affected by the spike in tariffs ran counter to the words of his own economic adviser. White House National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow said in an interview on Sunday that "both sides" would likely suffer amid increased trade tensions with China. Trump continued to accuse China of reneging on a trade deal the two countries had been negotiating and threatened the nation with economic pain if the trade war drags on, saying businesses will leave China in droves. "I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you don't make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries. Too expensive to buy in China. You had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out!" Trump said. (Reporting by Makini Brice Editing by Peter Graff and Jeffrey Benkoe) Human Progress writes: Unwarranted panic about overpopulation is a big problem that has led to human rights abuses and much pointless suffering. Consider the long history of overpopulation alarmism, and how the doomsayers fears have failed to materialize again and again. Two centuries ago, Thomas Malthuss Essay on Population warned that out-of-control population growth would deplete resources and bring about widespread famine. His preferred solution was to decrease the birth rate by delaying marriage, but if that didnt work he endorsed some rather extreme measures to slash the population. To prevent famine, he thought it was morally permissible to court the return of the plague by making the poor live in swamps and even to ban specific remedies for ravaging diseases. After Malthus died, the Industrial Revolution brought about unprecedented prosperity that funded the construction of safe water supplies and sewage systems at a scale never before achieved. Living standards were transformed and lifespans lengthened. As farms mechanized, food became more plentiful even as the population grew. Famine became rarer. Yet Malthuss ideas proved enduringly popular. By the 1970s, overpopulation hysteria came fully back into vogue. Stanford University biologist Paul Ehrlich published The Population Bomb in 1968, which opened with the lines, The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now. Shortly thereafter, in 1972, the Club of Rome issued a report called The Limits to Growth. It bolstered the old argument that population growth would deplete resources and lead to a collapse of society with evidence from computer simulations based on dubious assumptions. Those jeremiads led to human rights abuses including millions of forced sterilizations in Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, Indonesia, Bangladesh and India, as well as Chinas draconian one-child (now two-child) policy. In 1975, officials sterilized 8 million men and women in India alone. Were these human rights abuses necessary? No. Instead of facing widespread starvation and resource shortages, humanity managed to make resources more plentiful by using them more efficiently, increasing the supply and developing substitutes. 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. Physicists discover new type of spin waves Current technologies for information transfer and processing are challenged by fundamental physical limits. The more powerful they become, the more energy they need and more heat is released to the environment. Also, there are physical limits on the smallness and efficiency of communication devices. The recent discovery by physicists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and Lanzhou University in China offers a new route for progress on these issues. In the latest edition of the scientific journal Nature Communications, they describe a novel type of spin waves that can be used to transmit and process information with considerably higher efficiency and lower energy consumption. Conventional IT applications are based on electric charge currents. "This results inevitably in energy losses heating up the environment" said MLU physicist Professor Jamal Berakdar. The researcher added that more energy is needed and also dissipated to operate more powerful and compact devices. Thus, it is very challenging to maintain the pace of advancement based on charge-current based technology. For their study, the teams led by Professor Berakdar and Professor Chenglong Jia of Lanzhou University examined therefore alternative concepts for data communication and processing. Their work revolved around something known as magnons. "These are waves that are stimulated in ferromagnets by just a fraction of the energy needed for generating the required charge currents," explained Berakdar. "Magnons can be used to transmit signals and for logical operations in various components while producing virtually no heat." In this latest study, the German-Chinese research team describes a type of twisted magnons for which the twist or the winding number is protected against damping. Technically the twist is related to magnon orbital angular momentum and can be controlled in magnitude and orientation by electric voltages. This renders possible a multiplex twist-based signal encoding and transmission across large distances. According to the scientists, the reported results open the way to high density information transmission via magnons. In addition to the energy efficiency, the magnon wavelengths are controllable and short compared to optical waves which itself is advantageous for miniaturization. Magnonic elements can also be integrated in existing technologies. ### This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11474138 and 11834005), the German Research Foundation (No. SFB 762 and SFB TRR 227), and the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (No. IRT-16R35). This story has been published on: 2019-05-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) President Rodrigo Duterte vouched for the credibility of a supposed conspiracy to oust him, but admitted he does not know the source of the wiretapped conversations where it was based. "Totoo 'yung matrix, pati 'yung Bikoy. Kita mo naman. Pati spectral analysis ng boses nila. Totoo talaga 'yun (The matrix is real, including Bikoy. Look, even the spectral analysis of their voices. That is really true)," Duterte told reporters shortly after voting in the midterm elections in Davao City Monday. "Bikoy" is the supposed whistleblower in the "Ang Totoong Narco List" videos which alleged that members of the Duterte family, along with former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Bong Go, are deep into the drug syndicate. The Palace, in presenting the "Oust Duterte" matrix last week, said it included personalities who shared the "Bikoy" videos on social media. The Palace said an analysis of the voices in the video showed that "Bikoy" is Peter Joemel Advincula, who is now being hunted by the police, while the video narrator is a certain Bong Banal. "There were a lot of communications there that were recorded," Duterte said. But the President added, "Sino ang nag-wiretap (Who wiretapped), I really don't know. Finished product na 'yan e." He also acknowledged that wiretapping is against the country's law, but stressed that "only when you use it in court it cannot be accepted as evidence." Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, who presented the matrix on a white cartolina in a May 8 briefing, said he also did not know the President's sources. He said those in the matrix are working together to discredit the Duterte administration and boost the candidacy of the opposition senatorial slate Otso Diresto. Members of the opposition and the rest of the accused personalities have denied involvement in efforts to overthrow the government. When Savannah Hidalgo graduates college next week, she will be the most recent in several generations of her family to accomplish the feat; even more impressive, she finished all her associate degree coursework while still in high school. "I wanted to get ahead," she said Sunday. The college graduate now has a guaranteed spot in Butler's nursing program. Hidalgo is one of 70 students graduating from Butler Community College's . The program helps high school students accelerate their collegiate academics while still in high school. "For her to be able to take advantage of this program they offer, it's just amazing," said Amy Hidalgo, Savannah's mom. The 70 high school and college graduates were awarded their cords and certificates Sunday during a special ceremony at Butler's El Dorado campus. The students are all invited to participate in BUCO's graduation Friday. For some, they will receive their college degree just before walking across the stage for their high school diploma. "These are the exact same college classes we offer on campus," explained Meg McGranaghan, Associate Vice President of Academics at Butler Community College. "We do not water them down; this is the real thing." Students participating in the program take all their required coursework either during morning or afternoon sessions at any of the four Butler campuses: Augusta, Rose Hill, Andover, or El Dorado. The cost of the credits is tuition-based, but the school offers tuition assistance and the state pays for some of the classes in certain circumstances. "The vast majority will go on to a four-year university," said McGranaghan. The 70 students combined earned nearly $800,000 in scholarships towards their next academic steps. For some, like Ashley Small, that means they can earn a masters degree earlier than most people can finish a bachelor's program. "It was so worth it," said Small. "You definitely have to be focussed and motivated. It is hard work, but it's worth it in the end." The college graduate hopes to pursue a masters in business administration at Friends University. Small encourages any students who want to advance their career to take advantage of the Early College Academies. "It's about getting ahead. That's one of the reasons I took the opportunity." Naomi Shihab Nye has become the first Arab American author to be named the Young Peoples Poet Laureate. Nye, a Palestinian American writer and longtime fixture of the San Antonio literary scene, is the seventh poet to be named to the post by the Poetry Foundation. Foundation Director Katherine Litwin praised Nye, a St. Louis native who has lived for decades in San Antonio. Her writing is so warm and accessible it can be funny and also very sophisticated, Litwin told Texas Monthly. It never talks down to the reader, and that is what I hope young people will receive from hearing her. Advertisement Nye is the author of several poetry collections. She made her literary debut with the 1980 book Different Ways to Pray, and she has since published collections such as Fuel, Transfer and, most recently, The Tiny Journalist. A longtime teacher, Nye has been praised for her work in the field of young peoples literature before. She won the Jane Addams Childrens Book Award in 1998 for her acclaimed young adult novel Habibi, and in 2013, she received the NSK Neustadt Prize for Childrens Literature. Nye is a literary celebrity in San Antonio, where she attended college and has taught writing for years. Author John Phillip Santos, one of her former students, told Texas Monthly that Nye has contributed to the citys literary scene in immeasurable ways. Just about every poet I know in San Antonio had contact with Naomi at some point, he said. That was her mission worldwide, to help awaken an audacity within us and experience the joy of seeing your work printed out for the first time. Her unique voice and her perspective it put our city on the map. The San Antonio Currents Bryan Rindfuss recalled visits from Nye to his school when he was a student. Based on conversations with friends, I can confirm that Im not the only one who cherishes the memory of sitting in a circle and watching Nye sing her original tune The Rutabaga Song a quirky earworm from her 1979 album Rutabaga-Roo (Ive Got a Song and Its for You), Rindfuss wrote. A visit from Nye meant not only a break from the doldrums of desk time, but an uplifting spell with an adult who was likely cooler than the teacher and better at connecting with kids. The Poetry Foundation established the position of Young Peoples Poet Laureate in 2006 to raise awareness that young people have a natural receptivity to poetry and are its most appreciative audience, especially when poems are written specifically for them. Nye succeeds Los Angeles native Margarita Engle as Young Peoples Poet Laureate. Her term lasts from 2019 to 2021. Deepening a trade battle and sending financial markets into a tailspin, China announced Monday it was raising tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. goods in retaliation for the latest hike in U.S. tariffs on its exports. The Finance Ministry said Monday the new penalty duties of 5% to 25% on hundreds of U.S. products including batteries, spinach and coffee will take effect June 1. That followed Trumps increase on Friday of duties on $200 billion of Chinese imports from 10% to 25% after charging that China had backtracked on commitments it made in earlier negotiations in a dispute over Beijings technology ambitions and perennial trade surplus. Resuming his messages over Twitter early Monday, President Trump warned Chinese President Xi Jinping that China will be hurt very badly if it doesnt agree to a trade deal. Advertisement Trump tweeted China had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out! Trump insisted the tariffs the U.S. has placed on Chinese goods dont hurt American consumers, saying there is no reason for the U.S. Consumer to pay the Tariffs. White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow acknowledged Sunday that U.S. consumers and businesses pay the tariffs. Both sides will pay, he told Fox News. China had vowed necessary countermeasures on Friday against Trumps escalation of the tariff conflict. Beijing is running out of U.S. imports for penalties due to the lopsided trade balance between the worlds two largest economies. Regulators have targeted American companies in China by slowing down customs clearance for shipments and processing of business licenses. The new tariffs are likely to hurt exporters on both sides, as well as European and Asian companies that trade between the United States and China or supply components and raw materials to their manufacturers. The increases already in place have disrupted trade in goods from soybeans to medical equipment and sent shock waves through other Asian economies that supply Chinese factories. Forecasters have warned that the U.S. tariff hikes could disrupt a Chinese recovery that had appeared to be gaining traction. Growth in the worlds second-largest economy held steady at 6.4% over a year earlier in January-March, supported by higher government spending and bank lending. The tensions raise fresh doubts about this recovery path, Morgan Stanley economists Robin Xing, Jenny Zheng and Zhipeng Cai said in a report. The latest U.S. charges could knock 0.5 percentage points off annual Chinese economic growth and that loss could widen to 1 percentage point if both sides extend penalties to all of each others exports, economists say. That would pull annual growth below 6%, raising the risk of politically dangerous job losses. The latest talks ended with no word of progress on Friday. Trump might meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during next months meeting of the Group of 20 major economies in Osaka, Japan, Kudlow said. Chinese officials have invited the top U.S. envoys -- U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to Beijing, Kudlow said on Fox News. But he said there were no definite plans. Trump started raising tariffs in July over complaints China steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. Washington wants Beijing to roll back government support for Chinese companies striving to become global leaders in robotics and other technology. The U.S. and other trading partners say such efforts violate Beijings free-trade commitments. A stumbling block has been U.S. insistence on an enforcement mechanism with penalties to ensure Beijing carries out its commitments. Economists say Chinese leaders probably reject that as a violation of Chinese sovereignty. Welcome to California Inc., the weekly newsletter of the L.A. Times Business Section. Im Business columnist David Lazarus, and heres a rundown of upcoming stories this week and the highlights of last week. Wall Street limped to the finish line Friday. Uber had a less-than-stellar debut in its initial public offering, dropping about 7.5%, even though the Dow managed to claw its way back into positive territory after some hopeful remarks from President Trump about trade talks with China. LOOKING AHEAD Advertisement Retail sales: The latest look at retail sales comes out Wednesday. Sales surged in March at the fastest pace since late 2017, rising a seasonally adjusted 1.6% from February. That was the strongest increase since September 2017. Jobless claims: Weekly jobless claims will be posted Thursday. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell by 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 228,000 for the week ended May 4. Data for the prior week was unrevised. Consumer sentiment: Well see how consumers are feeling Friday when Mays consumer sentiment index is released. The survey slipped to a preliminary 96.9 in April from 98.4 in March. Consumer sentiment is now slightly below year-ago levels. Doggone fun: Book your room at the Continental Hotel. John Wick comes roaring back Friday for the third installment in the action-packed series starring Keanu Reeves. For decidedly mellower fare, consider The Sun Is Also a Star, based on the bestselling book, and featuring Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton as young New Yorkers dealing with love and deportation. THE AGENDA Mondays Business section stops by the Apple store and asks how a once-great idea has become so uncool. Critics say that, mostly Apple stores have become an exercise in branding and no longer do a good job serving shoppers. Meanwhile, the quality of staff has slipped during an 18-year expansion in which Apple has opened more than 500 locations and hired 70,000 people. STORY LINES Here are some of the other stories that ran in the Times Business section in recent days that were continuing to follow: Trump tariffs:U.S. and Chinese officials ended trade talks in Washington without reaching an agreement. The two sides had sought to avert President Trumps deadline for ratcheting up punitive tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, including components used in manufacturing but also many consumer products. Slow lane: It was a long-awaited initial public offering that raised $8.1 billion, the ninth largest of all time, but Ubers IPO was still a dud. Shares were priced at $45 the low end of their expected range yet they fell 7.6% on their trading debut. Analysts said investors may have been put off by rival Lyfts disappointing IPO and Ubers money-losing ways. Tax breaks: With Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin declining to provide President Trumps recent tax returns to House Democrats, the New York Times got hold of tax summaries showing Trumps businesses lost more than $1 billion between 1985 and 1994. Trump paid very little in federal income taxes during the period by exploiting generous tax breaks he has criticized Amazon for using. Wild blue yonder: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos unveiled a mock-up of a lunar lander that he said could help build out infrastructure on the moon and lead to humanitys expansion into space. Bezos, whose Blue Origin startup is building rockets to ferry humans beyond the Earths atmosphere, said the lander would be ready in time to meet Vice President Mike Pences call to return U.S. astronauts to the moon within five years. Times Up: Disneyland has spent so much time hyping its $1-billion Star Wars: Galaxys Edge attraction opening May 31, it has a problem on its hands: how to get visitors to leave. The plan is to require visitors to wear bracelets signifying specific four-hour windows, with the time limit gently enforced by employees posed as Star Wars characters. How about a tap on the shoulder from an Imperial Stormtrooper? WHAT WERE READING And some recent stories from other publications that caught our eye: Cashing out: In light of Ubers IPO, the New York Times reveals what early employees of some tech startups do with their windfalls. Once their wealth was assured, these tech workers quit the companies and fled California, which has the nations highest state income tax, at more than 13%, to reside in lower-tax states like Texas and Florida, where there is no personal state income tax. Avengers assemble: These are boom times for hackers, says the Wall Street Journal, as Silicon Valley firms seek white-hat pros for cybersecurity gigs. The companies hope to attract talent with the right combination of attitude and know-how capable of testing and protecting troves of data stored on cloud systems and internet-connected devices. Cycle of life: Fast Company says a new breed of e-bikes will help us as we grow old. Between 1995 and 2009, the number of people aged 60 to 79 who bike increased by 320%, and the recent boom in electric bicycle technology is creating more opportunities for older Americans to consider biking as a mode of transportation. Stirring the pot: Can you mess with online algorithms to make social-media platforms more unpredictable and interesting? Yes, says the Atlantic, but it takes work. Every month or so, says an anthropologist who researches internet culture, I selectively follow a bunch of accounts sometimes to do with a specific country or demographic of people or culture on Instagram, in a bid to change up my feed. Failing upward: The New Yorker weighs in on President Trumps impressive business losses, as reported by the New York Times. Even now, there are a lot of Americans who believe that the president is a savvy and successful businessman who knows what he is doing. The actual record ... reveals Trump to be a reckless conman who burned money and relied on his father, even as he was fashioning a myth that eventually took him all the way to the White House. SPARE CHANGE In honor of the presidents singular business accomplishments, some songs about not having money. Creedence Clearwater Revival had some pertinent things to say on the topic. As did Loretta Lynn. And Clarence Carter. And Roger Miller. But maybe this one from Abba is most appropriate when discussing a certain someones finances (or lack thereof). For the latest money news, go to www.latimes.com/business. Mad props to Laurence Darmiento for helping put this thing together. Until next time, Ill see you in the Business section. Nearly two years after the #MeToo movement launched a worldwide reckoning, the bad behavior of men is still on the mind of those at the Cannes Film Festival. Not that festival director Thierry Fremaux is much interested in discussing it. At the festivals kick-off press conference Monday, Fremaux dodged questions about allegations of misconduct against directors Quentin Tarantino and Abdellatif Kechiche, who both have films in the competition program. He also tried to shut down a question about why French actor Alain Delon is receiving an honorary Palme dOr despite his admission that he has physically abused women and is against same-sex parents adopting children. What are you saying? What did Alain Delon do? Fremaux asked a journalist in the crowd, before deciding to speak about the actor because he felt a sense of protest in the room. He said the festival is not giving the Nobel Peace Prize to the 83-year-old, and added that Delon is entitled to express his views even if personally [I] am not in agreement with them. Cannes as a festival condemns certain statements, but we are in favor of freedom of expression, Fremaux said. He also implied that an American petition calling to ban Delon from the festival which has nearly 15,000 signatures and refers to the Purple Noon star as racist, homophobic and misogynistic was misguided. Advertisement Why arent there more petitions for climate change and the U.S. president? he asked. Nobodys perfect. Neither is Alain Delon. And Im sure you arent either. As for Kechiche, Fremaux had no comment on the director, whose four-hour Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo will debut here May 23. In October, a 29-year-old actress filed a sexual assault complaint with French authorities against the 58-year-old; the Paris prosecutors office said that month that it had opened a preliminary investigation into Kechiche. The Palme dOr-winner also faced criticism from his Blue Is the Warmest Color stars Lea Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos, who said after the 2013 release that they were forced to do multiple takes of a nude sex scene that they felt were excessive and embarrassing. Meanwhile, Fremaux said he wanted Tarantino in the competition with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood because hes one of the most important directors of his generation and hes a friend, and its very pleasant to have ones friend back in the festival. General Delegate of the Cannes Film Festival Thierry Fremaux took questions from the press on Monday. (Betrand Guay / AFP / Getty Images) Last year, Tarantino said he deeply regretted urging Uma Thurman to perform a dangerous car stunt on the set of Kill Bill that the actress said left her with a permanently damaged neck and screwed-up knees. Thurman also said that she had told Tarantino that Harvey Weinstein had allegedly attempted to sexually assault her prior to Kill Bill, and yet he continued to make films with the producer. But Thurman has remained supportive of the filmmaker, maintaining that she has always had a good relationship with Tarantino and would work with him again in the future. Tarantino has not faced significant backlash in the film industry, and his latest project is one of the festivals most anticipated titles, featuring major stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Al Pacino. Last year, after 82 women walked the Palais de Festival steps a symbolic gesture meant to honor the number of females whod ever had films in the Cannes competition Fremaux signed a gender parity pledge promising to be more transparent about how the festival selected its slate. And indeed, the 2019 competition was picked by four women and four men. But while in terms of management, things are extremely equal at Cannes, Fremaux said the idea of [the pledge] was never that the selection would be based on gender parity. According to a festival release, there are 20 female directors represented in this years official selection up from 11 last year. But only four female filmmakers will compete in the prestigious main competition section, representing just 19% of the program. Cannes is always criticized because they are asked to do things other festivals arent asked to do. The Cannes Film Festival is asked to be absolutely perfect and impeccable, Fremaux said. It would show a lack of respect if you picked a film simply because it was by a woman. ...I was speaking to a newspaper editor, and they were saying, Oh, well, gender parity what about that? And I said: Well, lets start with you. Because I had five men opposite me. So you have to be careful whenever you read an editorial written by a male journalist. I feel like saying, Well, why dont you give up your place and give it to a woman? The single best thing I ate during a recent trip to Tokyo was a 54-day-old piece of swordfish the color of a smoggy L.A. sunset. It was the final course of an exceptional omakase dinner at Kimura, Koji Kimuras two-Michelin star, eight-seat restaurant, that consisted mostly of aged fish. Most sushi connoisseurs prize a pristine surf clam still wriggling when it hits the counter or a sweet shrimp dancing on the plate. There are different levels of freshness when it comes to sushi, including flash-frozen fish that is defrosted before service, and the stuff picked out at the market that morning. But fish that has been sitting in the fridge for weeks before service, thats a hard sell for most Americans. You can find some form of preserved or aged fish at Q in downtown L.A., and a couple pieces on menus around the city, but in the States, restaurants pride themselves on letting as little time pass as possible between the boat and your plate. Kimura takes pride in how long he can age his fish before it turns to a mushy pile of rot. You could classify his style of sushi as uniquely his own a variant on edomae (raw fish with cooked rice seasoned with vinegar). Chef Koji Kimura serves sushi during dinner service at his restaurant Kimura in Tokyo. (Shiho Fukada / For The Times) Advertisement Kimuras desire to age fish wasnt born from an enlightened search for umami, or a desire to find a marketable gimmick. Three years after he opened Kimura in 2005, he was losing money. He was faced with a near-empty dining room night after night, and most of his inventory was ending up in the garbage. One night, he decided to cut down a large piece of fish that was about to spoil. Because there were few customers for a long time, and I had spare time, this fish became spoiled, and since it was big, I thought of cutting it in half to throw it away, Kimura said. When he peered inside, I found that the color around the spinal cord was not black, but still alive. Kimura scooped out a bit of the meat and was surprised that it was not only edible but also that he liked it. It had a taste stronger than the fishs usual taste, Kimura said. Wanting to duplicate that intense flavor, he started experimenting. He eventually came up with an aging process that included removing the blood, trimming parts of the fish near the skin that gradually oxidize and controlling the temperature. Where he trims and how much varies from fish to fish, depending on the parts that are exposed to the most air. But Kimura says he tries to keep the fish at a temperature of 1 degree Celsius, or just under 34 degrees Fahrenheit. His method for deciding how long to age each fish is a little less precise. Koji Kimura trims a piece of fish before service. (Shiho Fukada / For The Times) The decision on how many days to ferment is made when I insert the knife into the fish, Kimura said. Depending on what the fish grew up eating, what kind of sea it grew up in, the quality of the fish meat when inserting a knife differs completely. And the moment the knife enters, I know instantly whether the length of fermentation should be short or long. Kimura has experimented with aging fish for 90 days, but the amount of meat he had to cut away versus the usable parts wasnt economical. The longest hes aged a fish for dinner is 60 days. Kimura, who said he knew he wanted to be a sushi chef when he was in kindergarten, is a jolly host. He smiles while he works, makes two peace signs in photos and will gladly accept a cup of sake between courses. As a meal at Kimura progresses, so does the age of the fish served. The chef may start dinner with a soup made from boiling down 13 pounds of clams for eight hours. Then comes a sakura (cherry blossom) shrimp paste made with shrimp you can fish only during springs cherry blossom season. Theres uni with soba, and then the nigiri begins: aged white squid shaved into translucent ribbons, 6-day-old Kawahagi filefish and its liver, 10-day-old Katsuo bonito smoked with straw and soaked in a mustard soy sauce, a 10-day-old sardine and the 54-day-old swordfish. There is no fishy odor. Instead, the flavors are bolder than with their fresher counterparts. The umami builds as dinner unfolds each fish a super-concentrated version of itself and the texture approaches room temperature butter. I believe the recognition that sushi is something that is processed properly is returning, Kimura said. To create his flavor bombs, Kimura starts with the freshest ingredients possible, visiting the new Toyosu fish market in Tokyo daily. Going to Toyosu every day is the same as a lady going to the department store and buying as many bags as they want, Kimura said. Theres no such job as fun as this. Kimura will be cooking in Los Angeles in May as part of Food Bowl, The Times monthlong food festival. More details can be found at lafoodbowl.com. jenn.harris@latimes.com Instagram: @Jenn_Harris_ Two pivotal, looming elections are a study in contradictions for the Los Angeles Unified School District. In one contest, two powerful unions have become heated rivals; in the other, theyve remained best of friends. In one election, philanthropist Eli Broad remains the quintessential enemy of the teachers union; in the other, hes become an ally. The two elections are a Tuesday runoff for a school-board seat, followed hard by a June 4 vote for a property tax to benefit local public schools. Advertisement The atypical alignments have been accompanied by the spending of millions of dollars. For the most part, theres an underlying logic to the shifting alliances, said UCLA education professor John Rogers. Parties warring over the board seat agree, Rogers said, that Los Angeles schools are underfunded relative to the nation and relative to what L.A. students need. They are finding common cause over Measure EE. The two unions at war and in alliance are Local 99 of Service Employees International and United Teachers Los Angeles. Local 99 represents about 30,000 mostly lower-salaried non-teaching employees in L.A. Unified. UTLA represents a comparable number of teachers, nurses, librarians and counselors. For the Board of Education seat, the teachers are supporting Jackie Goldberg, a former school board member and longtime elected official. Union leaders see her as the best choice to end a series of recent losses by candidates they have endorsed in school-board elections. Those losses led in 2017 to the first-ever board majority elected with substantial funding from charter-school supporters. Charters are privately operated and compete with district-run schools for students. With overall enrollment dropping, the strain is showing on the district budget, with spending outpacing revenue, according to officials. Moreover, most charters are non-union, which would suggest a natural alliance between teachers and Local 99. Not so. Local 99 is going with Heather Repenning, a district parent who resigned from a seat on the citys public works commission to run for office. Local 99 wanted its own candidate and also was lobbied by allies of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, who has put his influence behind Repenning, a longtime aide. Although both Repenning and Goldberg insist theyd treat charter schools and all schools fairly, some charter backers have contributed funds to help Repenning. Two pro-charter philanthropists, Eli Broad ($100,000) and Bill Bloomfield ($5,000), donated to help Local 99 with its pro-Repenning efforts. Broad said his actions were consistent. We are constantly seeking to improve education for L.A.s youth, so we were proud to partner with SEIU in supporting Heather ... and in supporting Measure EE to secure more resources for all of our public schools. Overall, charter backers have been comparatively restrained this election cycle. Part of the reason is indecision and turnover within the California Charter School Assn. and its affiliated political action committee. Charter backers suffered disappointing losses to their favored candidates in the contests for governor and state superintendent of public instruction. Moreover, the PAC never settled on a pro-charter school board candidate, and some in the group were hesitant to play too forward a role in the current L.A. Unified board race. Some of that hesitancy seemed to stem from incidents surrounding the resignation of Ref Rodriguez. Tuesdays election will fill Rodriguezs school board seat in District 5, which represents neighborhoods north of downtown Los Angeles as well as cities in southeast L.A. County. Rodriguez, a charter school co-founder, pleaded guilty last July to criminal campaign finance violations. Its uncertain to what extent the criminal case could have a negative impact on the charter brand and perhaps boost Goldbergs chances. Until this race, charter backers had been the biggest spenders in L.A. school board elections, far surpassing even the teachers union. With much of the charter money on the sidelines, Local 99 spent about $1 million, compared with nearly $700,000 by UTLA, in the lead-up to the March primary. Since then, UTLA has caught up, spending over $600,000 more, about double the new money that Local 99 put in, according to filings with the city. In the primary, Local 99 distributed hard-hitting and somewhat misleading fliers against Goldberg, implying, for example, that she tried to cut funding for schools. In the runoff, Local 99 has stopped running negative ads perhaps not wanting to risk personal offense to someone who may win. Instead, the negative ads against Goldberg are being disseminated by New York-based Students for Education Reform Action Network, which is associated with donors who support charter schools. UTLA has not run negative ads against Repenning to date. In the March primary, Goldberg finished far ahead in a crowded field but failed to claim a majority, which would have won the seat outright. Repenning could win on Tuesday if shes able to consolidate the voters who did not support Goldberg in the first round. Another election is around the corner. In June, voters will cast ballots on Measure EE, a property tax that would raise an estimated $500 million a year for 12 years to benefit local schools. Both district-run and charter schools would benefit. Here, the two unions are allied, joined by Garcetti and Broad, who contributed $250,000 to the Yes on EE campaign. The pro-charter PAC also recommends a yes vote. The largest local business groups are opposed to the tax in a split with L.A. Unified Supt. Austin Beutner, a businessman who long maintained cordial relations with these groups before taking the job as schools chief. The multimillion-dollar campaign for the measure has outraised the campaign against it, with the two unions leading the way. Ultimately, SEIU Local 99 and UTLA are allies in the fight for quality education, said Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias. What we all agree on is that our schools are starved of resources, and students are the victims of this starvation, said teachers union President Alex Caputo-Pearl. Now is not the time to fight. Now is the time for a city to come together. howard.blume@latimes.com @howardblume A former Los Angeles police officer pleaded no contest Monday to a charge of possessing child pornography, officials said. Clark Warren Baker, 61, was arrested last month after a previous search of his Hollywood Hills home turned up an external hard drive that contained child pornography, according to a news release issued by the Los Angeles County district attorneys office. He faces up to three years in prison when he is sentenced in June, prosecutors said. Baker was arrested April 10, six months after members of the LAPDs Internet Crimes Against Children Unit removed computer equipment from his home, investigators said. Attempts to contact Baker or his attorney have been unsuccessful. Advertisement Baker was employed by the Los Angeles Police Department for two decades, from 1980 to 2000, according to a department spokeswoman. The LAPD has declined to comment further on Bakers case. During his time with the department, Baker was assigned to the Valley Traffic Division and was involved in an incident that led to him being convicted of battery in 1992. He had been accused of slapping, kicking and dragging a 21-year-old Salvadoran immigrant who had been suspected of jaywalking. An internal LAPD panel had previously cleared him of wrongdoing. Bakers 1992 conviction was later overturned by an appeals panel, which ruled a prosecutor improperly made reference to the Rodney King trial and turned Bakers case into a referendum on police reform at the time. james.queally@latimes.com Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California. A longtime Orange County pastor was charged Monday with child molestation based on allegations that he abused seven children one as young as 5 over a 14-year period, according to prosecutors. John Rodgers McFarland, 67, is facing seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14 and four felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor between 14 and 15, according to Orange County Superior Court records. McFarland was arrested last week and is being held in Orange County Jail in lieu of $2-million bail. Prosecutors allege the abuse occurred between 2003 and 2017. Authorities have not specified where McFarland met the children. However, he has worked as a pastor first in San Diego County and then in Orange County since the late 1970s, according to prosecutors and public records. Advertisement McFarland served as a youth pastor at the San Dieguito United Methodist Church in Encinitas from 1978 to 1981 and attended Christian youth camps during his ministry. His first appointment as senior pastor was at Calexico United Methodist Church, where he served from 1981 to 1988, according to prosecutors. From 1988 to 2016, he worked as the senior pastor at Fountain Valley United Methodist Church. He was a pastor at Surf City Church in Huntington Beach between 2011 and 2016. Prosecutors said McFarland has been the head pastor at Orangethorpe United Methodist Church in Fullerton since 2016. His name is listed on the churchs website as a current pastor. A woman who answered the phone at the church Monday declined to comment. McFarland also has served as a volunteer chaplain for the Fountain Valley Police Department and the citys Fire Department, according to prosecutors. Last year, prosecutors in San Diego County filed charges against him alleging that he had molested a girl who was younger than 14. According to the criminal complaint, the San Diego County charges stem from incidents in 2012 and 2013. Other details such as the alleged victims age have not been made public. McFarland has pleaded not guilty in that case. As part of last years investigation, search warrants were issued for his home as well as churches where he has worked, police said. Investigators said they found evidence that he abused other victims during his time as a pastor in Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach. If convicted in Orange County, McFarland faces a maximum sentence of 179 years to life in prison. Times Community News staff writer Julia Sclafani contributed to this report. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @Hannahnfry The San Francisco Police Department appears to have violated state and federal laws when its officers searched the San Francisco home of a journalist in an apparent bid to identify a confidential source, 1st Amendment experts said Sunday. The officers carted away phones, computers, tablets and notebooks Friday after using a sledgehammer to try to break through Bryan Carmodys front gate. Officers also searched his independent news organization, North Bay News, and seized a thumb drive, CDs and a police report about the death of San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi. Carmody said he suspects the searches were carried out in a bid to identify the confidential source who provided him with the police report. Two investigators visited his home a few weeks ago and politely pressed him to disclose the name of his source, but he said he declined. California has a shield law that protects journalists from being held in contempt for refusing to identify their sources, said David Snyder, a lawyer and executive director of the First Amendment Coalition. Advertisement Its pretty plainly unlawful, said Snyder, who noted that the statute governing search warrants expressly forbids police from seizing items covered by the shield law. They are trying to root out the source, and thats the core of what Californias journalist shield law protects, he said. Its something youd expect out of an authoritarian regime, not the city of San Francisco. Carmody is not the only victim of the Police Departments questionable searches, according to the Society of Professional Journalists branch in Northern California. An attack on the rights of one journalist is an attack on the rights of all journalists, the organizations freedom of information committee said in a statement. San Franciscos wrongful actions against Carmody threaten fundamental journalistic freedoms which are vital to a functioning democracy. A Police Department spokesman defended the searches as part of a complete and thorough investigation into this leak and said the raid was a step in the process of investigating a potential case of obstruction of justice along with the illegal distribution of confidential police material. The spokesman, David Stevenson, added that judges signed off on warrants to conduct both searches. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Gail Dekreon approved the warrant to search Carmodys home on Thursday, and Judge Victor Hwang approved the warrant to seize materials from the office of North Bay News on Friday, according to records provided to The Times. Its unclear what police told the judges to secure the warrants. The affidavits outlining probable cause for the warrants were sealed by the court. A spokesman for the San Francisco district attorneys office said Sunday that their prosecutors were not involved in preparing or signing off on the warrants. When a reporter would not betray his source, police came to his home with guns and a sledgehammer The investigation has made Carmody a cause celebre of 1st Amendment advocates and renewed concern about press freedoms in a time when freelancers, contractors and independent journalists work with multiple news outlets across a variety of platforms. Carmody was part of a throng of journalists chasing details about the Feb. 22 death of Adachi, 59. He ultimately obtained an incident report that detailed the public defenders final moments. The document, as reported by KGO-TV in San Francisco, said Adachi had dinner with a woman named Caterina, who was not his wife, then returned to an apartment he was using for the weekend. The woman called 911 for emergency medical help, and Adachi was rushed to the hospital. Later that night, officers went to the apartment and found alcohol, cannabis-infused gummies and syringes believed to have been used by the paramedics, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The city medical examiner would later conclude that Adachi died of an accidental overdose of cocaine and alcohol. Images of the apartment were circulated online by KTVU, a Fox affiliate in Oakland, as well as KGO-TV. Carmody told the Chronicle that he sold the package, which generally includes documents, video and other reporting material, to three TV stations. Adachis widow and city officials chastised San Francisco police for allowing the details of a confidential report to get into the medias hands. John Hamasaki, a member of the citys Police Commission and a defense attorney, said an underlying concern was that the reports release was done by Jeff Adachis enemies within the Police Department to tarnish his legacy. As public defender, Adachi cast himself as a police watchdog and champion of civil rights. Hamasaki, who described Adachi as a friend and mentor, said that although he did not appreciate the incident reports sordid content, he did support outlets like the Chronicle that published details it contained. However, he claimed Carmodys situation was different. Carmody wasnt reporting on the document, but trying to sell it to other news agencies, Hamasaki argued. Thats not journalism. Lucy Dalglish, an attorney and the dean of the University of Maryland journalism school, compared Carmody to a small broadcast wire service, feeding local news organizations with original reporting. She said the Police Departments actions turn on whether its investigators strongly believe Carmody broke into a police station or engaged in other illegal behavior in order to steal the report. But if all this guy did was receive a copy of a police report, then sorry, thats a bad search, Dalglish said. Publishing something because someone handed you a document is not a violation of the law. Dalglish, who previously served as director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, pointed to the federal Privacy Protection Act, which prevents law enforcement from searching a newsroom and seizing journalists equipment and work product. The statute was passed in 1980 in response to a Supreme Court ruling that dealt a blow to press freedoms. The court ruled that a 1971 search of the Stanford Daily student newspapers offices by Palo Alto police was constitutional. Following the Supreme Court ruling, California voters enshrined the shield laws provisions in the state Constitution. If you want information from a journalist, what you are supposed to do is issue a subpoena, Dalglish said. Carmodys attorney, Thomas Burke, said police have not told him or his client that he is suspected of a crime or that he could face charges. He added that theres no dispute about whether Carmody did anything wrong. These packages he does video and the documents that support the video its done every day by freelancers, said Burke, a partner with the firm Davis Wright Tremaine who has previously represented the Los Angeles Times. Its not anything unusual. Its how the news is done. matt.hamilton@latimes.com Twitter: @MattHjourno Former President Carter broke his hip Monday at his Georgia home, underwent successful surgery and was recovering comfortably, a spokeswoman for the Carter Center said. Carter was on his way to go turkey hunting, the spokeswoman, Deanna Congileo, said in a statement. She said that he was treated in Americus, Ga., near his home in Plains, and that his wife, Rosalynn, was with him. In the statement, Congileo said: President Carter said his main concern is that turkey season ends this week, and he has not reached his limit. He hopes the state of Georgia will allow him to roll over the unused limit to next year. Carter, 94, disclosed in 2015 that cancer had been discovered on his liver and had also been found on his brain. He received treatment for seven months until scans showed no sign of the disease. Advertisement At the time he revealed the cancer, he said he felt perfectly at ease with whatever comes. Ive had a wonderful life, he said. Ive had thousands of friends, Ive had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is widely accused of undermining his countrys democratic institutions, is scheduled to meet President Trump on Monday, the latest authoritarian leader to get a White House invitation. Although Hungary is a European Union member and a NATO ally, Orban has become notorious for his attacks on the media, academia, the judiciary and other democratic institutions since he became prime minister in 2010. Hes really hollowed out the democratic underpinnings of Hungary and is seeking to do so across Europe, said Sarah Margon, the Washington director of Human Rights Watch. Partly as a result, Orbans White House visit sparked discontent on Capitol Hill. Advertisement Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and 10 other House Democrats called for the White House to cancel the planned meeting. In the Senate, senior Republicans and Democrats on the Foreign Relations Committee urged Trump in a letter to express concern to Orban about Hungarys downward democratic trajectory. Trump has nurtured friendly relationships with an array of global strongmen, including Egypts President Abdel Fattah Sisi, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. But Orban, arguably the most influential nationalist-populist leader in Europe, embraces a nativist agenda that gives him special affinity with Trump. In 2015, when Europe struggled with an influx of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, he likened migrants to rapists and terrorists, echoing Trumps harsh rhetoric about migrants on the U.S. southern border. Orbans harsh depictions of Muslims, whom he calls a threat to Christian European culture, are part of a political agenda that he calls illiberal democracy, one in which elections are held but traditional liberties erode. Orban made no secret of his wish to visit the White House after being snubbed by President Obama, who never even granted him a phone call. In mid-2016, Orban became the first European head of state to endorse Trumps candidacy. Trump in turn has praised the Hungarian leader even as Orban has subverted legal checks and balances and enriched his inner circle. The White House defends Trumps engagement with Orban, arguing that periodic scolding by the Obama administration did little to dissuade Orban from anti-democratic moves. On Monday, Trump and Orban will discuss ways to deepen cooperation on a range of issues, including trade, energy and cyber-security, according to the White House. Foreign policy analysts say Orbans Hungary has become a target for Russian influence inside the NATO military alliance because his nationalist-fueled views are at odds with Europes dim view of Russias aggression in Ukraine. The Kremlin sees lots of opportunities for influencing institutions in Hungary, especially in finance, energy and law enforcement, said Hal Brands of the Johns Hopkins Universitys School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. Hungary recently has allowed Russias International Investment Bank to open in Budapest even though its director has known ties to Russian intelligence. And last year, Hungary rejected a request from Washington to extradite a pair of suspected Russian arms dealers, instead sending them back to Moscow to stand trial. That move drew criticism from the State Department. Orban is really at the front of an autocratic revival in Europe and NATO, said Brands. He sees Trump as an ideological fellow traveler. Orbans right-wing Fidesz party is expected to perform strongly in the May 23-26 European elections. It has campaigned on an anti-immigrant platform although attempted migration to and via Hungary has dropped dramatically in recent years. Hungary has 21 seats in the 751-member European Parliament, and polls suggest Orbans conservative party may win up to 14. Orbans supporters will see his White House meeting as an endorsement by Trump, James Kirchick, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, said by phone from London. Orban appears a disruptor in the election at a time when traditional mainstream political parties are under threat by populist insurgents in several European countries. Italys far-right leader, Matteo Salvini, for example, is seeking to assemble a Europe-wide political bloc built largely on anti-immigrant sentiment and skepticism toward the European Union. In March, the Fidesz party was suspended from the center-right European Peoples Party over his anti-democratic moves, including constitutional changes and curbing of judicial independence. The European Peoples Party is likely to win the largest number of seats in the election. But because it is not expected to win a majority, it will need to seek allies to control the chamber, which will allow it to influence Europe-wide policy for the five-year term. That may give Orban leverage over the larger party. Although Hungary has received billions of euros in aid from the European Union, Orban is one of the blocs leading critics as it struggles with fallout from Brexit, Britains disorderly and delayed departure. He shares that antipathy with Trump, who has slammed the European Union as a foe on trade, boosted Brexit as a way to reset trade relations with Europe, and rattled NATO by suggesting it is obsolete. Last year, Hungary joined the U.S. and four other countries in voting against a global compact on migration, which was negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations and approved by 152 nations. Like Trump, Orban is a fan of border barriers, erecting a formidable double fence topped with razor wire and bristling with sensors and watchtowers on Hungarys southern border with Serbia. And like Trump, he has few qualms about demonizing his opponents. Orban has repeatedly attacked Hungarian-born George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist who grew up under Nazi occupation. Soros battled anti-Semitism and false claims that Soros-funded groups supported unchecked immigration. The campaign culminated in a drive to push the illustrious Soros-founded Central European University out of Hungary, a drive that appears on track to succeed. laura.king@latimes.com @laurakingLAT Doris Day, a leading box office star of the mid-20th century who achieved indelible fame in big-screen bedroom farces, died on Monday, May 13. She was 97. In 2012, Times columnist Patt Morrison spoke with the beloved singer and actress. Add it all up, and Doris Days singular singing voice has spent more than 11 years on the Billboard charts. Her three dozen-plus films made millions of fans and dollars. And now, after nearly two decades of living below the radar in Carmel, Doris Day is back on the charts. My Heart is a bakers dozen of songs from the vaults, many produced by her late son, Terry Melcher, who worked with the Byrds and who co-wrote and sang Happy Endings on the CD, and sang a second song on it with his mother. The proceeds from My Heart go to the Doris Day Animal Foundation, which supports her work protecting animals (thats a rescue dog in the 1993 photo). For that, shes broken a long silence, with a little catch in her voice when she speaks of her departed loved ones -- and, now and again, with that unmistakable throaty Doris Day laugh. Youve been on the charts so often, and here you are again. Take that, Lady Gaga! [She chuckles.] Lady Gaga! Its a surprise to me, I can tell you that, but its thrilling. Im hearing from people all over the world. And Im so happy that my son was able to do something with me. What is it like hearing your two voices together? I was sort of used to that. When we talked about songs, he would always play the piano. We would sing together, and I loved his singing. He wasnt a person who pushed himself. I used to say to him, You should be singing and really using your talents. He was just shy about it. Hes so good. I miss him terribly, and when we put out the recording, it was difficult for me to hear. There are two animal-related songs on the CD. One of them, Stewball, is an old folk song about a racehorse. And didnt you have one of your dogs, Biggest, in mind when you recorded You Are So Beautiful? I did. He was something else -- such a darling, precious doggie. I knew Cleveland Amory, the writer and animal activist, and so did you. He used to talk about you and your critters. I have some horses on his property in Texas right now. [The Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center, for abused and neglected horses, is on the grounds of the Black Beauty Ranch that Amory founded.] Do you remember when you first had dogs? When I was able to make a film! When I was [singing] on the bandstand, traveling all the time, I couldnt. So the minute I started my first film, I had a dog. Then I had another one. Oh, I had so many. If Id find a dog, Id try to find the owner, of course, but it was mine! I just cant live without them, I love them so much. I have cats too. People call me all the time and say, We know of a couple of cats people dont care for, and I say, Bring them! Thats it -- two words. Im always open for that. During the making of The Man Who Knew Too Much, in Morocco, you told Alfred Hitchcock to treat the animals in the film better. And he did. He did. On the film, all the animals, the way they were treated -- it was not nice. Everybody got told, and everything changed. We turned the whole thing around. Your work has changed animals lives. How have animals changed your life? I couldnt be without them. I couldnt. Its hard to explain. They are so true, and I love that. You know, its just a few weeks [ago] that I lost three [dogs] in a week. Its so hard; they should live forever. Its terrible their lifeline is so short. Theyre so precious. They just go so soon. I have a feeling that you love them the way I do. I do. I am very sorry to hear about your dogs. I keep all my dogs ashes, and when its my turn, well all be mixed in together. Thats very sweet. I have [mine] all buried right in [an] area all fenced off for them. Youre from Cincinnati, and on this CD is the song Ohio -- Why oh why oh why oh did I ever leave Ohio? Then you lived for years in Beverly Hills, and now Carmel. Why oh why oh why oh did you ever leave Beverly Hills? I loved it there. It was so comfortable and the days were lovely, but then it started changing so much. I wanted to be in a small town. When Terry and I started walking around, up and down the streets [in Carmel], we didnt see any dogs. I looked at him and said, You know, this is not a dog town. And thats when I decided to get involved with the hotel [the Cypress Inn in Carmel, where pets are now allowed]. We found out that the gentleman who owned it decided he would like to have a partner, and thats how I brought all the dogs in. Do you miss anything about performing? I really enjoyed films. And I was kind of homesick to think about doing some films. [But] I just got so involved with animals that I didnt. I loved it here, and my son was here, and I could have all the doggies I wanted, and cats, so its better to be here than in L.A., I think. Youre associated with a lot of classic songs. There were times when I wasnt too thrilled about the songs, but we had to do them because Columbia [Records] said, You have to. But I was definite about doing the best that I could, and hav[ing] fun with it. Would you name one you didnt like? I lost those titles! I dont know where they went! Do you sing to yourself? Oh any time, and anywhere. What do you sing? Anything that I know. I knew just about every song there was, but I dont now. Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries -- also on the CD -- is one youve been singing for more than 70 years. When I was a teeny little girl, I was in dancing school, and I sang. We had to put a dance to a song, so I went to the 10-cent store one day and looked at all the sheet music. It was all laid out, and I picked Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries. I asked the lady [working in the store] if she could play that for me; this little elderly lady played da, da, da, da, da, doo, doo. It was fast and I thought, This is going to be nice for me to dance to. Everybody liked it, and it was done in a very fast tempo. And then [years later] I put it the way it was supposed to be, soft and lovely. It was my favorite. It took me back to when I sang it as a little girl. Your movies are still popular. Do you miss acting? It was just a wonderful part of my life. I couldnt wait to get to work. Sometimes I think I should have stayed longer and I should have done more films. [But] I just got so involved with animals that I didnt. Youd always be welcomed back. As a grandma? [Day has one grandson.] I certainly think so. I could play grandmas. Im not an old lady, and yet Im up there in years, but I dont feel like that at all. Do you ever watch your movies? Ive been looking at my old films recently, now that you mention it. Are you watching like a fan or an actress? I watch them like Im there. I never did that when I was making films -- I never saw them. Im having a lot of fun seeing them now. I [analyze myself] and think, Um hm, what am I going to do with this? I laugh when Im laughing in the scene. I laugh sitting in my chair watching. If you could wave a wand, what would you wish the world to do for animals? I would like for people to know theyre part of the family -- and [for animals to have] the best life they could ever have. patt.morrison@latimes.com This interview was edited and excerpted from a longer taped transcript. Interview archive: latimes.com/pattasks. Agriculture generates 9% of Californias greenhouse gas emissions, which makes it the states fourth-largest emitter, after transportation, industry and buildings. But agriculture often seen as an enemy of the environment is the only one of these sectors with the potential to also remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Healthy soil teems with life more than a billion microorganisms per teaspoon along with, crucially, carbon. Unfortunately, tilled soil releases a lot of that carbon, which combines with oxygen to add CO2 to the atmosphere. Whats called regenerative or carbon-focused farming composting, minimizing tillage, using cover crops and crop rotation, planting hedgerows and windbreaks to foster biodiversity and cut down on blowing soil, and retaining crop residue on farmland can slow the carbon loss and even pull it, through photosynthesis, from the atmosphere into vegetation and soil. That draw down capacity is a crucial tool in the struggle to limit climate change, and, for California, in its attempt to meet its goal of carbon neutrality by 2045. Science shows that carbon-focused farming can also improve crop yields and livestock health, increase crop resilience to drought, reduce erosion and flooding, improve soil water-holding capacity and allow farmers to cut back on the use of synthetic fertilizers. Over time, these practices can lower costs for farmers, and by building resilience in crops, they may also reduce federal crop insurance payouts, saving taxpayers money. Even buttressed with a solid knowledge base, a farms successful transition to carbon-focused practices can take several years. Advertisement Rattan Lal, an Ohio State University soil scientist, calls regenerative agriculture a win-win-win option. But, he says, its advantages are not widely understood by policymakers and the general public and even most farmers. One indication of the general incomprehension is the tepid support that California officials have given to regenerative farming. The state began providing grants to farmers and researchers for implementing and demonstrating carbon-focused practices in 2017. The budget for the Healthy Soils Program was just $7.5 million. That same year, California spent $165 million on electric car rebates. The soils program also obligated farmers to fill out maddeningly complex grant applications, not something required to collect a car rebate. CalCAN, the nonprofit California Climate and Agriculture Network, reported on the outcome: Nearly 400 farmers and ranchers attended government- and nonprofit-sponsored workshops designed to explain how Healthy Soils would work, and 175 started the application process. But only 96 completed it, largely because of the applications complexity and the time needed to fill it out. In January, state agencies outlined two scenarios of varying degrees of ambition to increase carbon-focused farming in California. The more ambitious, but still modest, plan envisioned engaging 1 million acres of farmland roughly 4% of the states agricultural acreage by 2030, at a cost of $36.3 million a year. Add to that money for demonstration projects and technical assistance, and CalCAN calculates a total investment of around $50 million a year. Yet Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has referred to healthy soils as an interesting passion of mine, is budgeting just $28 million for the effort. As Jeff Creque, agricultural director at the Carbon Cycle Institute, which promotes carbon-focused agriculture, told me, the state should instead be aiming to engage 3% of its agricultural land annually, so that by 2050 all of the states 25 million acres of agricultural land becomes a net carbon sink thats the kind of commitment needed to meet the states decarbonization goals. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute This kind of agricultural transformation wont be simple. For starters, most farmers arent swayed by emphasis on climate benefits. They need to know that the transition wont bankrupt them, and that it could ultimately lead to higher profits or other farmland benefits. And while the principles of carbon-focused agriculture are settled science, implementing them in California requires more research and experimentation. Even buttressed with a solid knowledge base, a farms successful transition to carbon-focused practices can take several years. The state should be going all out to fund and support research and outreach, and to provide technical support for farmers willing to make the shift. Over and over again, as producers become familiar with carbon farming, Creque said, weve watched the light bulbs go on in their heads as they begin to understand the benefits to their agricultural operations. Anthropogenic climate change isnt just a fossil fuel problem. Ancient farmers took the first steps towards the current climate crisis simply by tilling soil, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Some 12,000 years later, its both urgent and appropriate for farmers to get a chance to put it back. Jacques Leslie is a contributing writer to Opinion. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook The polls may be middling, the fundraising so-so, but Elizabeth Warren has one key asset in her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination a campaign plan more clearly defined than that of just about any other candidate. While many of her rivals are recalibrating their strategies and looking for new ways to stand out in a huge field largely eclipsed by former Vice President Joe Biden, Warren is pressing ahead, tortoise and hare style. She is unfurling one carefully honed policy proposal after another child care, student debt relief, a tax on giant fortunes, combating opioid addiction. Ive got a plan for that! is her stump speech mantra. Advertisement Warren has also invested heavily in campaign staff in Iowa and other states with early primaries. She has a crisp, unchanging populist message rooted in years of arguing, as a professor and politician, that the government now works for people with money and power, not the middle class. This is my lifes work, she said in a phone interview while traveling in Ohio recently. What happened to the American middle class has been the central issue Ive worked on for decades. This presidential primary gives me a chance to get out and talk about whats broken and how to fix it. Warren has been on a roll over the last month, in a series of well-received performances at candidate forums on CNN, before women of color and other black activists, at a labor-backed event. For the first time, a national poll in April showed her in second place albeit just barely, and way behind Biden. She is on the cover of this weeks Time magazine. People are coming off the sidelines, she said in the interview. When I talk about whats broken, they get it. When I talk about how to fix it, they get it. But most polls still show her lagging, and two gigantic boulders block her path. One is Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, her ideological soul mate, who has dominated among progressive voters who might otherwise have been her base. Bernie Sanders never had this before: A campaign machine thats crushing it Even if Warren were to surpass Sanders as the lefts principal alternative to Biden, however, the other impediment looms. She is being held back by a peculiarity of this years Democratic primary electorate: Voters, more than ever, are acting like pundits and basing their own candidate preferences on electability their guesses about how candidates will fare in a general election more than a year away. I love Elizabeth Warrens energy, said Rosa Wilson, president of a Communications Workers of America local in eastern Iowa, who heard Warren speak at a Democratic party dinner here but supports Sanders. But I dont think shell be able to beat Trump. The old money is not ready for a woman. Standing out and gaining voter attention in a field of more than 20 poses a challenge to all the candidates who are not named Biden or Sanders. Sen. Kamala Harris of California recently seized an opportunity to shine again in her signature tough-questioner role, confronting Atty. Gen. William Barr in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Former Rep. Beto ORourke of Texas traveled to Yosemite National Park to roll out a climate change plan. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey tried to up the ante in the gun safety debate by calling for firearms to be licensed. But Warrens struggles have been particularly perplexing because she entered the 2020 race with far more political assets than most of her rivals. She had a big national fan base for her work as a consumer advocate. She was a darling of the left in 2016 when progressives begged her to run against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary. When she didnt run, progressives flocked to Sanders and many still harbor resentment against Warren for refusing to endorse him in his primary fight against Clinton. The latest from Washington Warren and Sanders, long-standing allies in progressive causes, have avoided taking shots at each other now that they are rivals in the Democratic partys left lane. Asked after a campaign event in Iowa why progressive voters should support her over Sanders, Warren dodged the question. All I can do is tell you what I am fighting for and my plan to get there, she told reporters. But there are clear contrasts between the two. Sanders, a democratic socialist who criticizes some in the party establishment and is still not registered as a Democrat, paints mostly in broad thematic strokes when he campaigns for his signature issues of Medicare for all, free public college and a higher minimum wage. Warren proclaims herself a capitalist who thinks markets should be firmly regulated, not abolished. She is presenting herself as a less divisive candidate with a much more policy-specific, concrete vision. At a candidate forum held by She the People, an organization for women of color, Warren got a standing ovation for speaking bluntly about racism and her specific plans to remedy it in healthcare, housing and other areas. Sanders drew some jeers from the same audience who thought him insufficiently focused on the concerns of people of color. Early polls can be volatile, but polling averages calculated by the nonpartisan Real Clear Politics website show a clear trend in national surveys: Sanders has outpolled Warren by wide margins, but since Biden got in the race, the edge has narrowed. Sanders and several other candidates have lost ground; Warren has remained stable. Joe Biden opens 2020 campaign on home turf: A Pennsylvania union hall Warren may have more room for growth than Sanders among potential primary voters, according to a survey in late April by two progressive groups, Data for Progress and YouGov Blue. Asked which candidates they were considering or ruling out, the survey found that 13% said they were not considering Warren and 40% were considering her; 28% were not considering Sanders, and 36% were. She brought her message to red states late last week by traveling through West Virginia and Ohio to promote her new initiative to combat opioid addiction. Warrens camp has sought to rebut the idea that shes less electable than a candidate like Biden. Roger Lau, her campaign manager, put out a memo earlier this spring challenging the assumption that cautious, centrist ideas would be more successful in 2020 than a bolder progressive agenda. This is not a moment for incrementalism or timidity; it is a moment for moral clarity about the structure of our economy, our society, and our democracy, he wrote. Elections are not won by nominees chosen to appeal to or pacify the other side: elections are won by candidates who inspire their partys voters to turn out on election day and who have an effective organization to drive it home. Another source of doubt comes from a common belief, even among many women, that after Clintons defeat in 2016, Democrats risk another loss if they nominate a woman. When Warren was asked about that at the Houston forum, she took a deep breath, edged forward in her chair and answered with the passion of someone whose campaign depended on this point. Are we going to show up for people that we didnt actually believe in because were too afraid to do anything else? Warren said. Thats not who we are. She also reminds voters that she faced similarly deep doubts when she ran for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts in 2012 against a popular Republican incumbent, Scott Brown. People warned then that the state was not ready to elect a woman. Ive been around this block before, she said. When I first ran for Senate in Massachusetts, reporters wanted to talk about my clothes. Pundits wanted to talk about my voice. Indeed, some voters still comment on her voice and speaking style. She is often described as schoolmarmish and shrill even by some admirers, reacting to a presentation style of a woman who spent years in teaching before coming to the Senate. But Warren has formidable skill in retail politicking that could help her counter negative perceptions one selfie at a time. She can rivet an audience with her life story. She tells how her financially strapped Oklahoma family got by on the ragged edge of the middle class after her father died young; how she dropped out of college at 19 to get married; how she realized a childhood dream when she became a special education teacher. She seldom mentions Harvard, where she taught law before becoming a senator. Her story could have been my story, said Julie Ann Nealy, a 72-year-old from Delmar, Iowa, who heard Warren in a community center gym. At a typical event, after her stump speech, Warren takes a few questions, then sticks around for photos with as many people as want them. (Shes taken more than 20,000 selfies, by her campaigns count.) Thats the treatment that may have won over Deborah VanderGaast, director of a child care center in Tipton, Iowa, who attended a recent Warren event in a local restaurant. VanderGaast supported Sanders in 2016 but is now impressed by Warrens thick portfolio of policies to help the middle class, by her specific answer to a question she asked about child care, and also by her willingness to take time to connect with voters one on one. She remembered that Sanders had been prickly and impatient when she met him in a photo line in 2016. By contrast, she said, Warren took multiple photos with her and was so animated, so engaged. She didnt seem like this person on an ivory tower, she said. More stories from Janet Hook Jared Kushners plan to reform the U.S. immigration system by increasing money for border security and giving more visas for certain foreign workers while reducing family reunification has a little something for everyone to hate. Even before Kushner, President Trumps son-in-law and senior advisor, submitted the immigration plan that the White House began to roll out last week, administration supporters and critics alike were rejecting his nascent effort. On the right, backers of reduced immigration to the United States criticized the plan as too lenient because it does not cut overall immigration levels. Immigration advocates criticized the proposals as too harsh, for emphasizing border security and giving preference to certain American industries, such as tech and agriculture, but keeping families apart. Advertisement And both dinged the draft for largely dodging the question of what to do with the estimated 10.7 million people currently in the country without documentation, as well those who arrived illegally in the country as kids, known as Dreamers. Immigration reform has eluded U.S. policymakers for more than a generation. But Trump, who won the White House in large part with anti-immigrant rhetoric and sweeping promises to build a border wall and crack down on illegal immigration, has brought an already heated issue to a boil likely dooming Kushners plan before its even released. Roy Beck, the head of NumbersUSA, a leading immigration restriction group, attended meetings in recent months with Kushner, but said there had been little narrowing in the distance between advocates for immigration restrictions and lobbyists from the Chamber of Commerce and Koch Industries, which have pushed for more migration to expand an increasingly tight labor market. We totally oppose any major overhaul that doesnt reduce the numbers, Beck said. Were about lowering immigration. You wonder how President Trump will look at this, he added. How will this feel next January when the campaign gets going in earnest? Is this something he can actually run on and inspire his base? I think not. On the opposite side, Frank Sharry of Americas Voice, a liberal immigration group, said of Kushners plan, I dont take it that seriously. Im not even sure Trump is going to embrace it, he said. With the president pushing an anti-immigration agenda in his 2020 reelection bid, the idea they will create deal space for Democrats to work with is ridiculous, Sharry said. According to officials, outside groups and lawmakers who have been consulted as Kushner has crafted the plan, the proposal would increase funds for border security, including efforts to modernize ports of entry. At the same time, it would change the system for legal immigration to give preference to workers with certain skills and reduce openings for migrants with relatives already in the United States. Separate legislation would address what the administration argues are loopholes in U.S. asylum law that they see as contributing to the recent surge in families and unaccompanied children arriving at the southern border, primarily from Central America. But administration officials have given no time frame for the plan or indication for how they intend to bring the opposing sides together to make it a reality, whether within the White House or on Capitol Hill. In a recent Oval Office meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Trump called the situation at the border a disaster. Pelosi countered by talking about the need for comprehensive immigration reform. The president invited a dozen senators to the White House on Tuesday to brief them on the Kushner proposal, but the group was primarily conservative administration allies. Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), one of the attendees, said Trump was very supportive of Kushners plan. As for the details, thats all still being worked on, he told reporters Wednesday. The conversation was about border security and also the legal immigration side how to become much more effective in allowing the right kind of workers to come here, Perdue said. Theyll stay at the current [immigration] levels and rejigger how the mix is, frankly, and I think a lot of people will see the benefits of that. Asked about when a draft might be sent to Capitol Hill, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), said, The fact they shared it with 12 senators tells me theyre gonna do it soon. Still, he hinted at how difficult it would be for the White House to thread the needle between the conservative Republican lawmakers and Democrats theyd need for any measure to pass. There was a time not long ago when the president was advocating for a lower number, Cramer told reporters. If they settle on a number thats neutral, thats probably politically the most likely spot for the most people. A top Democratic staff member who has worked on immigration reform for 15 years said Kushner and the White House hadnt reached out to any Democrats about the plan. Kushner did play a key role on criminal justice reform, and that was a bipartisan effort in the House and the Senate, but its very different from immigration, which is in many ways the animating political issue for this president, said the aide, who was not authorized to speak on the record. Its also kind of hard to ignore whats happening on almost a daily basis with new efforts coming out of the White House to crack down on immigrants. It also remains unclear whether Kushners plan has buy-in from Stephen Miller, perhaps the most influential of Trumps aides on immigration. Kushner has been careful to emphasize that he and Miller have a good working relationship, but his proposal could set the advisors on a collision course. Miller has long advocated a reduction in legal immigration as well as a crackdown on illegal border crossings. Frustrated by the failure of administration policies to deter near-record numbers at the U.S.-Mexico border, Miller engineered a recent purge of top Homeland Security officials deemed not tough enough. With many initiatives blocked by the courts or Congress, the administration declared a national emergency to tap into billions in federal funding for Trumps long-promised border wall. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has moved $1.5 billion in the Pentagon budget to build more than 80 miles of barriers on the border with Mexico, with about $600 million shifted from training and equipping security forces in Afghanistan, a Defense Department official said Friday. Jeremy Robbins, the executive director at New American Economy, a bipartisan coalition of more than 500 chief executives and mayors who support immigration reform for economic reasons, said it was unclear who gets the final say at the White House. Kushner is trying to write a bill that will increase immigration but that Stephen Miller would be comfortable with, he said. We are always trying to figure out how to get to yes, but its unclear to me who the ultimate deciders are. Domingo Garcia, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, a longtime Latino civics organization, attended recent White House meetings on the plan and has been in email contact with Kushners office. We need a bipartisan bill or we get to gridlock, Garcia said, and that continues the crisis on the border, and paralysis in 2020. Times staff writers Jennifer Haberkorn and David S. Cloud in Washington contributed to this report. The Supreme Court gave a boost to antitrust laws in the digital era as it cleared the way Monday for Apple to be sued for allegedly monopolizing the sale of apps on its iPhones. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, joined by the courts four liberal justices, rejected Apples defense that it could not be sued over the price of apps because it simply offered a platform for others to sell their products. That ruling potentially opens the way for similar lawsuits against other giant tech platforms that have a business model similar to Apples, legal experts said. Todays decision unquestionably opens the door to consumer claims against a wide range of digital platforms that use their market power to their advantage, said Deepak Gupta, a Washington lawyer who represented the Open Markets Institute in the case. Going forward, this is going to be a significant ruling for the big platforms from Apple to Amazon. Advertisement Much of corporate America had joined in support of Apple and argued that such broad antitrust claims should be blocked at the starting gate. So did the Trump administration. The plaintiffs in the case, Apple vs. Pepper, alleged that Apple locks iPhone users into buying only from Apple and takes a 30% commission on all app sales, Kavanaugh noted. They argued that, as a result, apps cost more than they would if Apple did not control the sales. Ever since Congress overwhelmingly passed the Sherman Act of 1890, protecting consumers from monopoly prices has been the central concern of antitrust. That is why we have antitrust law, Kavanaugh wrote. The consumers who sued purchased apps directly from Apple, the jurist added. And the antitrust laws protect any person who pays too much because of an anti-competitive conspiracy. That is enough for the suit to proceed, he said, even though it did not mean the plaintiffs would finally prevail. If the plaintiffs do prevail, the suit could lead to a huge verdict or settlement. The case potentially involves an extraordinary number of plaintiffs, and Apples sales of services, including the App Store, run to tens of billions of dollars a year. Apple said it expected to win in the end. Were confident we will prevail when the facts are presented and that the App Store is a not a monopoly by any metric, the company said in a statement. Were proud to have created the safest, most secure and trusted platform for customers and a great business opportunity for all developers around the world. Developers set the price they want to charge for their app, and Apple has no role in that. Dan Ives, equity analyst at Wedbush Securities, said Apples store services had been key to the companys growth. Apple has seen net sales of its services, including the App Store, grow from roughly $24 billion in 2016 to $37 billion in 2018. This opens up Pandoras box, he said. Its never a good thing for a tech titan like Apple to be walking into the Supreme Court with a ruling that could have implications for the App Store for years to come. Especially with the dreaded M word being used monopoly. In 2007, Apple started selling iPhones. And the next year, Apple launched the App Store, where, as the court noted, iPhone users can purchase apps to send messages, take photos, watch videos, buy clothes, order food or arrange transportation. Theres an app for that has become a part of the 21st century American lexicon, Kavanaugh said. The antitrust lawsuit began in 2011. Initially, a federal judge in Northern California ordered it dismissed on the grounds that purchasers of iPhone apps had no antitrust claim against Apple. But the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 3-0 opinion, revived the claim and allowed the suit to proceed on the grounds that consumers were direct purchasers of apps from Apple and might have been forced to pay monopoly prices. Apple sells the apps and adds a 30% commission, Judge William Fletcher wrote for the 9th Circuit. It is a distributor of the iPhone apps, selling them directly to purchasers through its App Store. As such, the plaintiffs have standing to sue Apple for allegedly monopolizing and attempting to monopolize the sale of iPhone apps. Apples new TV app lets users download this seasons Game of Thrones episodes Lawyers for Apple had told the justices that the company was like the owner of a shopping mall, which could not be held liable for monopoly prices charged by one or more of the retail stores. The company relied on a Supreme Court precedent from 1977 that said only direct purchasers could sue a company under the antitrust laws. This meant, for example, a consumer could sue a retailer, but not a wholesaler or a manufacturer of a product. When the justices heard arguments in the case in November, most of them sounded skeptical of tossing out the antitrust claim entirely based on legal precedents set during the industrial era. But the justices were closely split in the final decision on the question of whether consumers were buying directly from Apple or indirectly when they made purchases through the App Store. The latest from Washington The opinions in the case displayed a split between President Trumps two appointees to the court, with Kavanaugh writing for the majority and Justice Neil M. Gorsuch writing the dissent. Kavanaugh said consumers were buying directly from Apple and possibly paying too much. IPhone owners purchase apps directly from the retailer Apple, who is the alleged antitrust violator. The iPhone owners pay the alleged overcharge directly to Apple, he wrote. We decline to green-light monopolistic retailers to exploit their market position in that way. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan signed onto his opinion. In dissent, Gorsuch said the majority was misinterpreting the 1977 decision, known as Illinois Brick. In that case, the justices said the state of Illinois could not sue over the high price of construction projects because brick makers had allegedly conspired to fix prices. Only direct purchasers of bricks could sue. Gorsuch and the dissenters said the majority in the Apple case failed to grapple with the economic reality of the transactions. The problem is that the 30% commission falls initially on developers. So if the commission is in fact a monopolistic overcharge, the developers are the parties who are directly injured by it and they should be the ones entitled to sue, Gorsuch wrote. App developers might pass Apples 30% commission along to consumers, but they might not, he noted. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. agreed. More stories from David G. Savage Escalating a feud with cities over marijuana, state lawmakers are pushing to require municipalities to lift bans on cannabis stores if voters there supported Proposition 64, the 2016 initiative that legalized sale of the drug for recreational use in California. A bill moving through the Legislature would require those cities to permit at least one cannabis retailer for every four bars or restaurants with a liquor license or one for every 10,000 residents, whichever is fewer. Assembly Bill 1356 would mandate 2,200 new cannabis stores throughout the state, more than three times the 631 shops legally operating now, state officials estimate. For the record: A previous version of article incorrectly described the type of liquor license that the legislation proposes to use to calculate how many pot shops should be allowed. The bill would base the calculation on the number of liquor licenses for on-site sales, which includes bars and restaurants, not liquor stores. The legislation opens a second front in an ongoing battle between state officials and cities and counties over cannabis sales, a month after local governments sued the Newsom administration to challenge the legality of a rule allowing the home delivery of pot in cities that have banned marijuana shops. Democrats behind the new proposal note that while Proposition 64 was approved by voters in 388 out of Californias 540 cities and counties, two-thirds of local governments have outlawed cannabis shops. Advertisement Its unfortunate that the cities and the counties really havent fulfilled the will of the voters to provide legal access under Proposition 64, said Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), author of the measure. The bill received a significant boost recently when 12 Democratic Assembly members voted in favor of it in a key policy committee. A panel that weighs the fiscal effect of bills is set to act on the measure on Thursday. Ting is hopeful it will get to the Assembly floor and eventually the governors desk. But a large coalition of cities and counties is fighting the legislation, calling it a power play by the state that tramples on the rights of local governments to determine what businesses operate in their cities. I think its ridiculous and I think its an overreach, Burbank Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy said of the proposal. The bill is an example of Sacramento deciding what should happen at the local level, and its just wrong. Burbank officials have made their city off-limits to cannabis stores, though 61% of Burbank voters supported Proposition 64. Cities that have banned cannabis stores say they have public safety concerns about bringing businesses that sell a drug still illegal under federal law into their neighborhoods. One of the problems is the handling of the cash involved in cannabis sales, said Gabel-Luddy, a former L.A. city planner. It is a concern for us when there are large amounts of cash lying around. (Los Angeles Times Graphics) The decision of most cities and counties to ban pot shops has stunted the growth of the legal cannabis market in California. Proposition 64, which was supported by Gov. Gavin Newsom, was approved by 57% of voters statewide and set up a system in which the state licenses pot shops, but only if a business is also given a permit by the city in which it plans to operate. The number of shops licensed so far is only about 10% of what state officials originally expected. On Thursday, Newsom said he expects the state to bring in $359 million from cannabis taxes next year, down $156 million from earlier estimates as the newly legalized market struggles to gain footing. The governor has not taken a public position on Tings bill. He said Thursday that the refusal of many cities to approve pot shops was anticipated when he and other supporters of Proposition 64 agreed to give cities the final say on where pot shops are located, a concession so they would not oppose the initiative. Because of the commitment we had to make to cities and counties we knew they would be stubborn on providing access and providing retail locations, and that would take longer than some other states, Newsom said at a news conference on his state budget. He said his office is working on increasing the number of cannabis retailers. Im committed to getting this back on track, he said. Ting says his proposal reflects the will of voters, who approved Proposition 64 in 342 of the states 482 cities, and 46 of Californias 58 counties. What this bill does is insure that the voters who voted for Proposition 64 have access to cannabis especially in jurisdictions that approved it, Ting told colleagues during a recent legislative hearing. If you live in a jurisdiction that didnt approve it, this doesnt affect you at all. Cannabis businesses that have been shut out of most cities are frustrated with the status quo. Hilary Bricken, a Los Angeles attorney who represents cannabis firms, said she welcomes Tings proposal. I think its a positive undertaking because without decent access to regulated products, many cities and counties are stifling the democratic experiment that is legalization, Bricken said. Unless things change, she warned, the black market will continue to rage on. Supporters of the legislation say it is necessary in order to address shortcomings in the states efforts to provide access to cannabis throughout California. The state must ensure people who are ill, including those with cancer, have access to medical marijuana, said Florence C. Crowson, who provides in-home care for the disabled and is an activist with United Domestic Workers of America. She said there are no marijuana dispensaries to serve ill people in Placer County. No one should be burdened by the lack of access, she testified at the legislative hearing. Tings bill would also exempt cities whose voters have approved local initiatives barring cannabis stores. City councils that dont want to allow marijuana retailers could also put the question to voters, and new shops would not be required if they are rejected in an election. And the bill makes allowances for smaller cities, requiring no more than one cannabis store for every 10,000 people, rather than one for every four on-site liquor licenses. Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) said that as a result of that provision, Solana Beach with a population of some 13,400 people would have to issue a permit for only one marijuana store. The legislation is not as far-reaching as some supporters might have hoped. To help the bill advance, Ting amended it by giving cities the option to limit new cannabis stores to selling medical marijuana, preserving local bans on recreational sales. But critics of the bill say people have been able to game the system, getting access to medical cannabis by lying about ailments. Burbank would have to permit at least 10 cannabis stores based on its population of about 104,000, less than half the number of shops that otherwise would be required if the number was instead based on the citys 92 liquor licenses. The proposed law would also affect Anaheim, where 51% of voters supported Proposition 64. Up to 35 cannabis shops could be required in Anaheim if the population formula is used, a lower number than if retailers were approved based on the citys 176 on-site liquor licenses. We certainly acknowledge the voters in our city who supported Proposition 64, said Erin W. Ryan, a spokeswoman for the city. While we dont allow dispensaries in Anaheim, there are plenty of options all around us in our neighboring cities. Ryan said the decision to ban dispensaries was made in the best interest of our neighborhoods, adding that any future decision about dispensaries in our city should rest with our council. The fight against the legislation in Sacramento is being led by the League of California Cities, which represents the states 482 municipalities. The bill is very troubling, League lobbyist Charles Harvey said during the legislative hearing. It would completely erode the local control of cities and counties to regulate brick-and-mortar retail cannabis shops. The legislation drew a lively debate when it was approved by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee last month. The measure was opposed by five Republicans and two Democrats on the committee, including Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton), who worried about the state usurping local control. She noted that besides Santa Ana, cities in Orange County have not approved pot shops. AB 1356 eliminates local control over the locations of marijuana shops in areas where the voters were closely divided, Quirk-Silva said. Local governments and communities should determine whether or not dispensaries should be operated in their city, and not ... the state. Ting said having legal pot shops in only two cities in Orange County is not good for consumers. You can get cannabis in all the other cities its just on the black market, Ting said. He noted that cannabis purchased from unlicensed sources does not have to meet the state standards for toxic substances such as pesticides aimed at protecting consumer health. Legalization advocates who backed Proposition 64 said action is needed because the initiatives promise has been thwarted by city councils throughout California. We remain concerned that there remain a number of large, mainly rural counties where severely ill medical patients have no legal access at all, said Dale Gieringer, director of California NORML, a pro-legalization group that supported Proposition 64. Some patients there have to drive over 100 miles to find legal stores. Sign up for our Essential Politics newsletter patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com Twitter: @mcgreevy99 California filed its 50th lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, challenging a new federal rule that the state argues interferes with the ability to deduct union dues from the paychecks of workers in a government program that helps the elderly and disabled in their homes. State Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said the new rule applies to Californias 500,000 workers in the states In-Home Supportive Services program who provide homebound clients with services such as bathing, feeding, house cleaning and administering medications. Many workers are represented by the Service Employees International Union. The federal government covers about half of the cost of the program, but a new Medicaid rule creates barriers for deducting employee medical benefits and voluntary union dues from workers paychecks, according to the lawsuit filed by California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington. The rule affects home healthcare workers in the other states as well. Advertisement With this rule, the Trump administration is not only harming Medicaid skilled home-care workers who have joined unions, but the millions of seniors and people with disabilities who depend on these indispensable workers, Becerra said in a statement. About half of home-care workers elect to join a union, Becerra added. The rule is a shameful political attack on home-care providers who are largely women and people of color, said April Verrett, president of SEIU Local 2015, during a news conference held with Becerra in Sacramento. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in California. The new rule shows the reckless disregard of this administration for healthcare and these workers, Becerra said at the news conference. It will disrupt these unions and the care their workers provide in monumental ways. Becerras previous 49 lawsuits against the Trump administration include 24 lawsuits on environmental issues, of which the state won 15 in court, and 11 involving immigration matters in which the attorney general has prevailed five times, his representative said. Other lawsuits were over gun control, the U.S. census, consumer protection, education and civil rights issues. Becerras office has previously filed seven lawsuits against Trump healthcare policies, including six in which the state won in court, a representative for Becerra said. The attorney general was asked Monday about reaching the milestone of 50 lawsuits against the Trump administration. Thats a lot of lawsuits, he said. That is a lot of wrongdoing and a lot of unlawfulness by the president of the United States. California has passed the milestone set when Republican attorneys general in Texas filed 48 lawsuits against the Democratic administration of President Obama on issues such as healthcare, immigration, climate change and transgender bathroom policies. Becerra was appointed attorney general by then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2017 to fill a post vacated when Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate. Becerra previously served 12 terms in Congress, where he was part of the Democratic leadership. He won his first statewide election as attorney general last year. During the campaign, Becerras Republican challengers accused him of spending too much time chasing the national spotlight with lawsuits against Trump and not enough time dealing with Californias problems. They are political lawsuits that have little value to California, such as the lawsuit on the border wall, Republican challenger Steven C. Bailey, a retired judge, said at the time. Sign up for our Essential Politics newsletter patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com Twitter: @mcgreevy99 When it comes to governing California, it doesnt get much more action-packed than right now. Big decisions are about to be made that will affect millions of the states residents. On Thursday, the appropriations committees in the state Senate and Assembly will meet to either send proposed laws that cost money to their respective houses floor for a final vote or quietly kill the bill, often with no explanation to the public. Its the clearing of whats known in Sacramento as the suspense file, a way station where bills costing a noticeable amount of money are held until the final deadline for action. Lawmakers will say that it only makes sense to weigh all the bills against one another, to set priorities for state spending. Sign up for the Essential Politics newsletter Advertisement Perhaps. But bills are amended in real time no written changes until much later, instead only verbal notes offered at breakneck speed by the committees chair. And as stated earlier, a bill can be held in committee without a vote. In both cases, the public has very little idea whats going on until the dust settles. One lobbyist put the estimate of more than 1,000 bills that will live or die on Thursday, most of those in the Assembly. NEWSOMS FINE PRINT RAISES EYEBROWS Meanwhile, lawmakers will be taking a close look at Gov. Gavin Newsoms latest budget proposal, rolled out last week with more spending and an even larger tax windfall. But not all the spending is what it looked like at first blush. Neither lawmakers nor the news media knew that one of his big moves last week to eliminate the sales taxes collected on diapers and menstrual products was only a two-year commitment. After that, the taxes would automatically be reinstated. The governor has had other instances, too, where the rhetoric and reality havent quite matched up during his first four months in office. I dont want to compare Newsom to Trump, but I will for just a second, said Joseph S. Tuman, a professor of political and legal communications at San Francisco State University. I must say this is a characterization you see in both of them, which is running to report something and make headlines before youve dotted the is and crossed the ts. SEE HOW MUCH LAND IS ZONED ONLY FOR SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES Few bills at the state Capitol have been as talked about this spring as Senate Bill 50, the sweeping effort to push cities and counties to allow more density when it comes to building new homes more people living on less land in urban and even some suburban communities. Researchers have found that between half and three-quarters of the developable land in much of the state is zoned for single-family housing only. And in two of the states biggest cities, the challenge is especially daunting. Liam Dillon, along with mapping work by Kyle Kim, took a closer look at Los Angeles and San Francisco. L.A. alone has zoned 62% of the developable areas for single-family residences. TODAYS ESSENTIALS -- Escalating a feud between Californias cities and the state over legalized marijuana, state lawmakers are pushing a bill that would require municipalities that voted for Proposition 64 to allow one cannabis retailer for every four liquor stores. -- California is considering pro-vaccine legislation to give the state more oversight of doctors who exempt schoolchildren from immunizations. But opponents say the state cant be trusted to safeguard private medical data that would be collected under the bill. -- California is debating new rules for CalGang, its statewide database of gang members and associates. At the heart of the conversation is deciding where public safety ends and racial profiling begins. -- The U.S. Department of Transportation has cut off communication with Californias bullet train agency, a radio silence that may further set back the project. -- California is poised to spend $35 billion more on K-12 education than just five years ago. So why are so many school districts sounding a financial alarm? NATIONAL LIGHTNING ROUND -- Jared Kushners long-awaited plan to reform the U.S. immigration system has a little something for everyone to hate. It already appears DOA in Congress. -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, accused of systematically dismantling his countrys democratic institutions, is due at the Oval Office on Monday. -- President Trumps personal attorney Rudolph Giuliani has scrapped plans to visit Ukraine after Democrats denounced his effort to push the Eastern European nation to open investigations that he hopes could benefit Trump politically. -- Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan visited a border city in Texas on Saturday and said he intends to accelerate planning to secure the border and bolster the administrations ability to accomplish that without the Pentagons continuous help. -- Attorneys general from more than 40 states are alleging the nations largest generic drug manufacturers conspired to artificially inflate and manipulate prices for more than 100 different generic drugs, including treatments for diabetes, cancer, arthritis and other medical conditions. -- The House passed a disaster aid bill that would deliver long-sought relief to farmers, victims of hurricanes and floods, and rebuild southern military bases. -- House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal issued subpoenas Friday for six years of Trumps tax returns. 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. California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday pardoned seven former felons, including two Cambodian refugees the Trump administration wants to deport, in his first acts of clemency since the Democrat took office in January. Newsom adopted a policy of his predecessor, former Gov. Jerry Brown, to use his state constitutional authority to issue pardons to shield immigrants targeted by federal immigration officials. The pardons are an unmistakable rebuke to President Trump, whose fiery anti-immigrant rhetoric and demands for a giant wall along the U.S.-Mexico border have been central to the escalating political feud between Newsom and the White House. Newsom took another shot at Trump just hours before announcing the pardons while speaking to members of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Assn., a national nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization based in Sacramento. Newsom compared Trump to the anti-immigrant demagogues in San Francisco who championed the federal Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 the nations first immigration ban on a specific group of people. Advertisement Im constantly trying to understand the moment were living in, the xenophobia, the nativism that marks the populism of this moment, Newsom said. Any of us who are students of history know that its not without precedent. Its not novel. Its hardly new. Its very familiar. Trump restricts asylum further but faces legal and financial limits One of the Cambodian refugees pardoned by Newsom, Hay Hov of Oakland, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in March. He has since been released. Hov, a naturalized citizen who arrived in the United States in 1985 as a legal refugee when he was 6, was convicted of solicitation to commit murder and participation in a criminal street gang in 2001, when he was 21, according to the Newsom administration. The other refugee, Kang Hen of San Francisco, like Hov, fled to the Bay Area with his family to escape the Cambodian genocide in the 1980s. Hen was convicted of grand theft in 1994 when he was 18. Hen, who has a 4-year-old son and a partner with kidney and heart problems, was taken into custody by ICE in April. Both Hov and Hen are being processed for deportation to Cambodia. The pardons do not automatically end a deportation effort but remove the underlying criminal offense that triggered the federal removal actions. The pardons come as the federal government continues a crackdown on the Cambodian community that began in 2017 when Trump forced Cambodia to agree to take back more deportees. Many of the Cambodians facing deportation were refugees from the brutal Khmer Rouge regime that killed thousands, and came to the United States legally as children. They have few memories or ties to the country. But because they committed crimes, even if convicted decades ago, they can be deported. In the 2016 fiscal year, ICE reported removing 74 Cambodians. In 2017, 29 Cambodians were removed. In 2018, that number has jumped to 110 thus far. ICE reported that, as of March 26, there were 1,784 non-detained Cambodians nationals in the United States with a final order of removal. Of those, 1,294 had criminal records. All seven of the people Newsom pardoned on Monday had completed their prison sentences. By granting these pardons to people who are transforming their lives, the Governor is seeking to remove barriers to employment and public service, restore civic rights and responsibilities and prevent unjust collateral consequences of conviction, the governors office said in a statement released Monday afternoon. The other five people pardoned committed offenses that varied from selling or possessing drugs to forgery. Brown granted a historic 1,332 pardons and 283 commutations during his last two terms as governor. However, the California Supreme Court rejected 10 grants of clemency issued by Brown, the first time the high court has blocked a pardon or commutation in more than 50 years. The court did not issue an explanation for the action. Under the California Constitution, the governor cannot grant a pardon or commute a sentence of anyone convicted of two separate felonies without the approval of the state Supreme Court. None of the people whom Newsom pardoned on Monday had multiple felonies, according to a governors office spokesperson. phil.willon@latimes.com Twitter: @philwillon If you live in a single-family home in California, its likely everyone else in your neighborhood does too. That could change under a state measure that would require California cities and counties to permit duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes on much of the residential land now zoned for only single-family houses. The proposal was recently added to Senate Bill 50, legislation by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) that also would allow mid-rise apartment construction near mass transit as well as small apartment complexes and town homes in wealthy communities in large counties including Los Angeles. The bill would not spell the end of single-family housing in the state. Developers could continue to build such homes on their land if they chose, and the legislation prohibits the demolition of single-family homes to build fourplexes without further government review. Even so, allowing as many as four homes on parcels of land where now just one is permitted would trigger significant change compared with how California has grown over much of the last century. Nearly two-thirds of the residences in California are single-family homes, according to U.S. census data. And between half and three-quarters of the developable land in much of the state is zoned for single-family housing only, according to a 2018 survey by UC Berkeleys Terner Center for Housing Innovation that included responses from half the states cities and counties. Advertisement The state can no longer dedicate that much land to single-family housing if California is to become more affordable and if political leaders want to meet aggressive goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, said Carol Galante, director of the Terner Center. I do not think its possible to solve housing affordability problems and meet climate change goals without dealing with this issue of single-family homes only, Galante said. We have population growth. We have job growth. People need to live somewhere, and theyre now competing for a very limited supply. But doing away with single-family-only zoning would unalterably diminish California for current and future residents, said Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and a former Los Angeles County supervisor. When people around the world think of L.A., one of the things they think of is a home with a backyard, Yaroslavsky said. I think much of it should be preserved. High-profile California housing bill clears hurdle after tense debate over local control In the city of Los Angeles, 62% of the developable area is zoned for single-family homes only. Neighborhoods such as Tarzana, Bel-Air, Brentwood and Jefferson Park are examples of communities dominated by single-family zoning. Source: Los Angeles Planning Department (Kyle Kim / Los Angeles Times Graphics) In San Francisco, the percentage of land zoned for single-family homes only is much smaller about 37% and includes the Sunset District, Forest Hill, Excelsior, Portola and other neighborhoods concentrated in the citys south and west. Source: San Francisco Planning Department (Kyle Kim / Los Angeles Times Graphics) But by other metrics, the city still reserves a lot of its land for low-density building. Nearly three-quarters of the privately owned parcels in San Francisco are zoned for single-family homes or duplexes only, according to the citys planning department. Across the state, communities big and small, wealthy and poor, north and south, coastal and inland have large sections zoned for single-family homes. The wealthy Bay Area town of Atherton sets aside at least 95% of its land for single-family housing, according to the UC Berkeley survey. Between half and three-quarters of the developable land in Sacramento and Stockton is also reserved for single-family homes, the survey said. Recently, policymakers in California and across the country have scrutinized single-family zoning as housing affordability problems have become more acute. Three years ago, state legislators passed two bills aimed at making it easier to build small accessory homes in backyards. Since then, applications to build secondary units have increased by the hundreds in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other larger coastal communities. In some areas in counties with more than 600,000 residents, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Santa Clara and San Francisco, Wieners bill would also allow larger apartment buildings on land previously zoned single-family only though local height limits would remain intact. To qualify for density increases, such neighborhoods would have to be high-income and near quality jobs and public schools. Mayors in some of Californias biggest cities are considering doing away with zoning that allows only for single-family homes. At a housing forum in the Bay Area last week, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said they supported ending single-family-only zoning in their communities, and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said his city was considering doing so. The trio has endorsed SB 50, as has San Francisco Mayor London Breed. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who hasnt taken a position on SB 50, told The Times this year he was considering a proposal that would allow triplexes in the citys single-family communities. You could have one generation of a family, their parents, their kids in the back house, all living together, Garcetti said. That would probably overnight add about 50% more housing stock to Los Angeles in a way that is also neighborhood compatible. Garcetti cited Minneapolis as inspiration for the idea. In 2018, Minneapolis became the nations first big city to do away with single-family zoning by allowing duplexes and triplexes on parcels that previously allowed just one home. Conversation there focused on the history of single-family zoning, which originated out of the desire to exclude poor people or nonwhites from certain communities. In the early 20th century, court rulings blocked zoning rules that explicitly barred nonwhite people from living in certain neighborhoods. But in 1926 the U.S. Supreme Court decided that proposals allowing only single-family homes in neighborhoods were constitutional, even though many supporters of those plans pushed the zoning as a means to segregate their communities, according to the book Segregation by Design by Jessica Trounstine, an associate professor at UC Merced. In addition, racist deed covenants barred people from selling homes to nonwhites, and government-sponsored lending practices provided low-cost mortgages only to whites through the middle of the 20th century. Some single-family neighborhoods have changed over time many communities in South L.A., for example, that once were reserved for whites are now home to predominantly black and Latino residents. But the exclusionary effects of single-family zoning remain today, especially between low-density suburbs and their higher-density neighbors, Trounstine said. Communities with a predominance of single-family homes still contribute to race and class segregation, she said. Trounstine believes that even if SB 50 passes, wealthier single-family-only communities will still take advantage of the bills restrictions or use other political or legal means to ensure their areas remain as they are. As it stands, the bill has limits on where developers could build fourplexes. Under the legislation, developers would not be able to demolish a single-family house to build a fourplex without local government approval, but a single-family home could be remodeled into a fourplex if it doesnt increase in size by more than 15%. The bill also places restrictions on building fourplexes in single-family areas that are in flood plains, communities at high risk of wildfire and some historic zones. These limitations would blunt the bills ability to spur construction of fourplexes in single-family-only neighborhoods, says Mott Smith, a principal at Civic Enterprise Development in Los Angeles. But he still expects a significant number of property owners to be able to take advantage. I wish that it were less restrictive, Smith said. But at the same time, this is quite momentous: the abolition of single-family zoning in California. The fourplex provision in SB 50 and the rest of the bill are likely to face additional changes if it moves through the Legislature. The bill faces a May 31 deadline to advance from the state Senate, and it has to clear both houses of the Legislature by mid-September. liam.dillon@latimes.com @dillonliam The Supreme Court on Monday ended a 28-year-old tax suit bought against California by a wealthy inventor who moved to Nevada, issuing a broad ruling that shields states from private lawsuits filed in other states. The 5-4 ruling is both a win for the California Franchise Tax Board and a victory for the conservative principle of state sovereign immunity. The decision by Justice Clarence Thomas overturned a 40-year-old precedent to now hold that states retain their sovereign immunity from private suits brought in the courts of other states. The courts four liberals sounded a warning about the willingness of the conservative majority to overturn precedents. Advertisement Todays decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the court will overrule next, Justice Stephen G. Breyer wrote, citing the 1992 case of Planned Parenthood vs. Casey in which the justices, by a 5-4 vote, reaffirmed a womans right to have an abortion. Many abortion rights supporters fear that Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh could provide the courts conservative bloc a fifth vote to overturn some or all of the courts abortion rulings. There was no compelling reason today for the court to overturn the 1979 precedent that allowed the tax suit to proceed, Breyer wrote. The tax case began in 1991 when Gilbert Hyatt, a California resident, began earning millions in royalties from a computer patent. He sold his house and rented an apartment in Nevada. And when he filed his tax returns in 1991 and 1992, he claimed his primary residence was Nevada, which had no tax state income tax. California tax authorities thought his move was a sham and launched an investigation, including in Nevada, to show he maintained his residence in California. The high court noted that the Franchise Board concluded Hyatt owed California more than $10 million in back taxes, interest and penalties. Hyatt lodged a protest, but the audit was upheld after an 11-year administrative proceeding. Thomas noted an appeal of the audit remains pending. But Hyatt sued in Nevada, arguing that California tax authorities had harassed him and engaged in unconstitutional invasions of privacy. And he won a series of large judgments in the state courts. Californias lawyers continued to fight the claims from the Nevada courts. And Monday, they finally prevailed in the case of Franchise Tax Board vs. Hyatt. Thomas said the framers of the Constitution had an understanding that states retained immunity from private suits, both in their own courts and in other courts. In the 1990s, the high courts conservative majority handed down a series of decisions that shielded states from anti-discrimination claims filed by their residents. The four dissenting justices said lawsuits of this sort were extremely rare. They would have maintained the rule set down in the 1979 case, which permitted such claims to go forward. In the earlier case, Nevada vs. Hall, a divided court allowed a suit against Nevada in a California court over a highway accident caused by a state-owned bus. That case held that the Constitution allows states to provide immunity for other states, but does not require them to do so. Mondays ruling makes such immunity mandatory. There is simply nothing in the Constitution that requires such a rule, Breyer wrote. More stories from David G. Savage A heat wave baking the Southland through the weekend began with record-breaking temperatures on Friday throughout the area, including Burbank. Burbank reached a record high of 113 degrees for the day, breaking the 1976 record of 103 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Cities that also saw record-breaking heat on Friday included Los Angeles with 106 degrees, Palmdale with 110 degrees and Woodland Hills with 115 degrees. The high temperatures resulted in the weather service issuing an excessive heat warning that was expected to remain in effect through the end of Saturday. Several brush fires erupted as a result of the sweltering temperatures, including one that consumed more than 350 acres in San Diego. Extremely critical Red Flag fire weather conditions today into Saturday across portions of SW California due to widespread record breaking triple digit heat, gusty north winds, and widespread single digit humidities. #LAheat #cawx #LAweather pic.twitter.com/HXlq0kaioK NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) July 6, 2018 With the extreme heat expected today and Saturday we thought we'd share some warning signs of heat related illnesses as well as some tips to keep cool. #CAwx #LAweather #laheat #SoCal pic.twitter.com/dcdKdd0VG6 NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) July 6, 2018 Burbank officials urged residents to reduce their time spent outdoors and to seek refuge from the heat. Several sites around the city have been designated as cooling centers during the heat wave including Buena Vista Library, the Town Center Mall and the Joslyn Adult Center. Riders at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank also readied their horses to deal with the heat by utilizing misters that sprayed cool water, along with large industrial fans. David Josiah, a trainer at the center, said the horses are exercised earlier in the morning when the temperatures are not so high and breaks are taken more frequently. Horses also have their water intake monitored closely. andy.nguyen@latimes.com Twitter: @Andy_Truc Hundreds stood at attention Friday morning as retired Chief Warrant Officer Gary Linfoot made his way to the podium at McCambridge Park aided by his wife, Mari, and the use of a robotic exoskeleton, which is a suit that returns movement to the hips and knees. The retired Army officer was the guest speaker at the city of Burbanks annual Veterans Day ceremony this year. Coming from a military family, Linfoot said he was inspired to serve after seeing the sacrifices his relatives have made. Veterans have always been my personal heroes and people that Ive always looked up to, he said. They played a great part in forming me as a young man. Join the conversation on Facebook >> While wearing a robotic exoskeleton that helps him move, retired Chief Warrant Officer Gary Linfoot addresses the crowd at the city of Burbanks annual Veterans Day event. (Photo by Ross A. Benson) The Tennessee resident, who grew up in Huntington Park, enlisted in the Army in 1987 and flew helicopter missions for years. He was paralyzed in 2008 after a helicopter he was flying experienced a malfunction and crashed in Iraq. It was his 19th combat tour in the country. Now, the ex-soldier gets around using an exoskeleton that was acquired for him by a nonprofit called Infinite Hero Foundation. Regardless of the circumstances, Linfoot said hes proud to be a veteran and thankful for the support he and others have received. Coming home for different generations of veterans is different, for Vietnam it was very difficult. It was shameful what happened, he said. It was that group of veterans that made sure when this generations [veterans] came home, we came home to celebration and open arms for that, Im truly grateful. City officials and Veterans Committee member gather around retired Chief Warrant Officer Gary Linfoot and his family during Burbanks annual Veterans Day event. (Photo by Ross A. Benson) The ceremony has been held at the park for the last 28 years. Organized by the Burbank Veterans Committee, the first event was held in 1988 at the dedication of the Korean and Vietnam War Memorial. Mickey DePalo, the committees chair, said the memorial was a way for the city to honor its residents who lost their lives in service to their country. Burbank has always given a lot of respect to its veterans and their families, he said. City native Kattee Kokrak, a sergeant in the Marines, was also honored during the ceremony as part of the citys Military Service Recognition Program, which honors local residents who joined the armed forces with individualized banners that hang along Third Street. Kokraks mother, Tenly Bates, was on hand to receive the banner because Kokrak was unable to attend. Its just been such a pleasure driving by and seeing her name there and all of the other names of people that she knew and others after her, she said. Longtime Burbank resident and Vietnam veteran Mike Nolan greets Burbank City Councilman Bob Frutos. (Photo by Ross A. Benson) Mayor Jess Talamantes and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) also expressed their appreciation for veterans during the ceremony. The mayor said veterans deserve respect every day, not just on holidays. Its important for us to reflect on the sacrifices and commitments of all those who have greatly served this nation. Let us honor our veterans, he said. The congressman said that the most inspiring part of his job is the opportunity to meet service members and praised Linfoot for his bravery and sacrifice. Schiff also took the time to reflect on the presidential election. The country is divided and its people owe it to veterans to bridge that divide, he said. We owe it to those who have served this country in uniform, those who have fought and sacrificed for this country, he said. We owe it to them to come together again as a country and work on perfecting our union -- Andy Nguyen, andy.nguyen@latimes.com Twitter: @Andy_Truc Newport Beach officials are asking an Orange County Superior Court judge to block a marijuana business from operating in two homes in violation of city law. A civil lawsuit filed May 4 seeks an injunction to forbid the business known as OC Healing House, Bud Man OC and Bud Man Newport Beach from operating at a home on Drakes Bay Drive in Corona del Mar and a home on Promontory Drive in Newports Promontory Point community. The city attorneys office says the business was using the homes for marijuana delivery and distribution. The lawsuit calls the business a public nuisance. Cultivation, processing, distribution and delivery of cannabis has been banned in Newport Beach since 2016. Brick-and-mortar dispensaries also are prohibited, according to the municipal code. The decision was made years ago in Newport Beach that were not going to allow that type of activity, City Attorney Aaron Harp said Wednesday. Were just enforcing the laws. In response, Bud Man has stopped operating in the residential neighborhoods and is talking with the citys attorneys, according to Harp. Nicholas Frank, who is listed in court papers as the operator of Bud Man, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Bud Man Newport Beach is listed on Weedmaps an online marijuana forum that allows users to review cannabis strains and local dispensaries as a delivery-only business selling marijuana herbs, wax, extracts, edibles, topical products and tinctures. Customers on the website give it 4.8 out of a possible five stars. Police and city officials began investigating the matter in February after officers received a tip from a neighbor Jan. 29 about suspicious activities at the Drakes Bay Drive home, including people coming and going at odd hours, according to police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella. It isnt clear how the city determined the Promontory Drive property was involved. A hearing on the lawsuit has not been set, according to court records. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN UPDATES: 5:15 p.m. Aug. 6: This article originally included the specific addresses of two homes that city officials alleged were being used for marijuana delivery and distribution. The article has been updated to remove the house numbers for privacy reasons. This article was originally published at 4:15 p.m. May 30. Three men have been charged in a months-long probe into what Costa Mesa detectives and federal agents allege was a scheme to distribute counterfeit opioids, authorities said Thursday. Wyatt Pasek, 21, of Santa Ana, Isaiah Suarez, 22, of Newport Beach and Duc Cao, 20, of Orange are facing one felony count each of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Authorities became aware of the possible scheme in May through a tip from a confidential FBI source about two men in Orange County selling counterfeit pharmaceutical pills. The investigation culminated Tuesday, when Pasek, Suarez and Cao were arrested and thousands of fake oxycodone pills, a pill press lab and hoards of cash were seized, according to a police affidavit. Authorities allege the men used fentanyl, a synthetic opioid more powerful than heroin, and a similar drug they bought online to manufacture counterfeit pills designed to look like brand-name oxycodone. The pill press allegedly was used to make the drugs and stamp them with numbers to make them appear legitimate. They were then mailed to buyers, authorities said. We recognize that the opioid epidemic transcends the boundaries of our Costa Mesa community, and this case is a prime example of that, Costa Mesa Police Chief Rob Sharpnack said in a statement Thursday. Fentanyl is a highly dangerous opioid that contributes heavily to the epidemic. The affidavit says one of the men had a business in Costa Mesa, but it does not provide details. Using fentanyl in a counterfeit pill that appears to look like a less-lethal opioid dramatically increases the possibility of overdoses and deaths that we see far too often, U.S. Attorney Nicola Hanna said in a statement. Authorities allege the men, collectively using the online moniker Oxygod, arranged the sales through Dream Market, a marketplace on the dark net where the primary currency of doing business is bitcoin, according to the affidavit. The dark net is an encrypted portion of the internet that is not indexed and not accessible through typical internet browsing software. The investigation gained momentum in January when detectives with the Costa Mesa Police Departments special investigations unit staked out a luxury high-rise apartment building on MacArthur Boulevard in Santa Ana, where Pasek lived in a $5,749-per-month unit on the top floor. Detectives watched as Pasek pulled into the parking garage with Cao riding in a black Lamborghini. Paseks luxurious accommodations and exotic cars didnt seem to jibe with his lack of a legitimate place of work, according to the affidavit. During the investigation, authorities placed devices on Paseks Ferrari and SUV and Caos Mercedes-Benz and used data from Paseks cellphone to track their movements. Authorities watched for months as Pasek made frequent trips from his apartment to his mothers house on Bedford Lane in Newport Beach, where he stopped briefly before continuing to Suarezs apartment at 705 E. Balboa Blvd. Authorities later determined that the Balboa Peninsula apartment was the site of the pill pressing operation, according to the affidavit. On March 5, authorities said, detectives watched Cao deposit seven packages into a mailbox near the Balboa Boulevard apartment. They waited for Cao to return to the residence and then seized the parcels. Inside the packages, which were being shipped to addresses in several states, detectives found about 1,400 blue pills marked A215 and made to resemble 30mg pills of oxycodone. The pills tested positive for fentanyl, according to the affidavit. On Monday, Cao visited Paseks apartment, traveled to Suarezs apartment and then drove to a post office on Sunflower Avenue in Santa Ana, where authorities later recovered 13 boxes similar to those seized March 5. The 13 boxes contained more than 4,000 A215 pills, authorities said. Authorities arrested the three men a day later as they drove from the Balboa Peninsula apartment. Law enforcement said a pill press lab was seized at Suarezs apartment, along with bags containing nearly 3 kilograms of possible counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax pills and other bags containing about 4.5 kilograms of white and blue powders that are being tested. In Paseks apartment, detectives reported finding cash and about 13,000 pills that appeared to be counterfeit oxycodone. Cao, a citizen of Vietnam who is in the United States on an expired student visa, is scheduled to be arraigned April 23. Suarez was due in court for a bail hearing Thursday afternoon, and Pasek is due in court Friday. If convicted, each could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. attorneys office. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN Laguna Beach police are warning local businesses to beware of scammers after several calls in the past week, including one in which a business handed over about $1,000 to a man pretending to be with power company Southern California Edison. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory manager Brittany Anniballi said a man called Friday saying the store was overdue on bills and that the power would be shut off if they were not paid. The store owner spoke with the caller and eventually gave him information for a couple of prepaid credit cards, Anniballi said. Afterward, she said, a friend of the owner suggested he call Edison and verify the call. Thats when he found out the store had been duped. The store was able to cancel one of the cards, but the scammer made off with nearly $1,000, Anniballi said. It seemed super legit, she said. [The caller] even had a callback center. Jordan Villwock, Laguna Beachs emergency operations coordinator, said the Police Department received a handful of reports from other local businesses that had received the same sort of call. They kind of provide that anxiety that in just a few hours, your business could not [have power] anymore, Villwock said. He said the Police Department does not investigate phone scams but sends the reports to the FBI, since the calls often come from overseas. The department advised people who receive such a call to hang up and call the service provider the caller claims to be from to verify their account status. Edison also gave tips for how to identify spoof calls: Calls come multiple times in a day Calls come outside normal business hours Caller asks about the customers usage or meter information Caller recommends buying alternative energy products Caller asks for a Social Security number or other personal information The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce sent an email Friday warning local businesses about the scam. Remember, when you receive a phone call that feels wrong it often is. Stop, pause ask a friend or call the police before you send money to anyone on the phone for any reason, said the email from the chambers executive director, Paula Hornbuckle-Arnold. Be vigilant! Hornbuckle-Arnold said the chamber received messages from several businesses about other scams circulating recently. One person told her of a call from a Social Security Department asking for the persons Social Security number because it had been compromised. Another told of a man who visited the persons business pretending to be a federal employee checking on the businesss labor rules. The man gave the business a fake bill for not properly displaying the information. An ongoing scam, Hornbuckle-Arnold said, is a caller pretending to be from Google wanting information to make an account change. I guess theres a bunch of them going on right now, Hornbuckle-Arnold said. About two months ago, Laguna Beach was the target of a virtual kidnapping phone scam. Scammers contacted two parents in early March claiming to have kidnapped their daughters and demanding ransom. One parent wired $5,000 to a Mexican account before learning that his daughter was safe and had not been kidnapped. The other parent called Laguna Beach police and confirmed her daughter was safe. The Federal Communications Commission released warnings last week about two phone scams. In the one ring scam, wireless consumers receive a call that appears to be from a U.S. number but is actually international. Such calls often disconnect after one ring. A consumer who calls back may be connected to an international hotline that charges significant fees. The other, a Mexico collect call scam, often targets people with Spanish surnames. A caller claims to be an operator with a collect call from a family member who has an emergency or important message. The person who accepts the call is charged a large collect call fee and may even be charged if the call is not accepted. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. The founding members of a fledgling political action committee in Laguna Beach have filed complaints at the federal, state and local levels containing a variety of allegations against Village Laguna, a longstanding local activist group. San Francisco lawyer Peter Bagatelos, who represents Sam Goldstein, Michael Ray and Cindy Shopoff co-founders of the PAC, called Liberate Laguna alleges in five complaints that Village Laguna does not file appropriate taxes or properly disclose campaign donations and that the organization has contributed more to local campaigns than is legally allowed. For the record: This article originally reported incorrectly that Liberate Laguna contributed $12,714 to incumbent City Council candidate Toni Iseman. The PAC actually spent the money opposing Iseman. [Village Laguna] has been operating as a PAC for many years and influencing and also putting money into campaigns without disclosing it, said Shopoff, co-owner and executive vice president of Shopoff Realty Investments in Irvine. I dont have any problem with Village Laguna. I think that they are a fine organization and that they have done good work through the years. The only problem is, everybody should have to play by the same rules. Village Laguna, founded in 1971, promotes preservation of the citys historical buildings and downtown and supports community programs. Bagatelos said he filed the complaints signed by Goldstein, Ray and Shopoff in November with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the California attorney generals office, Fair Political Practices Commission and Franchise Tax Board, and the Laguna Beach city attorney and city clerk. Laguna Beach artist and developer Louis Longi, who is not affiliated with Liberate Laguna, also signed the complaints to the FPPC and the city. Village Laguna is taxed as a political organization, according to the IRS database. But because of the groups activities such as preparing meals for homeless people at Laguna Beachs Alternative Sleeping Location, donating food and giving out scholarships, Bagatelos argues it should have a separate tax filing as a charitable organization. Records from the state attorney generals office show Village Laguna last filed as a charity in 2001 and that the status expired in 2003. If youre going to engage in a charitable activity, you need to be organized as a charity, Bagatelos said. Village Laguna engages in everything under the sun. He pointed to the organizations annual Charm House Tour, a bus ride featuring Laguna Beach homes and iconic areas for $50 to $60 a ticket. God knows what theyre using the money for, Bagatelos said. City Attorney Phil Kohn sent all the complainants a letter Nov. 21 saying he had received the complaints and that the city would begin looking into them by Dec. 15. In his letter, Kohn said he could decide to file a civil action or conduct a criminal investigation into Village Laguna if the situation warranted. In a follow-up letter Thursday, Kohn said he would need more time to examine the matters. Johanna Felder, president of Village Lagunas board of directors, said the organization has two arms a nonprofit and a PAC with separate bank accounts for each. She said the accusation that Village Laguna improperly reported its finances from either account is false. I see these complaints as frivolous, she said. [Liberate Laguna members] would like us to go away so they dont have to deal with somebody who wants to maintain the village character of Laguna Beach, so they can develop untethered. Shopoff, Goldstein and Ray founded Liberate Laguna as a PAC earlier this year. Within months, the group raised more than $150,000 from real estate and development companies and hefty donations from each of the three founders, according to disclosure forms filed in October. According to records a week before the Nov. 6 Laguna Beach City Council election, the PAC had contributed a total of $13,053 to candidate Sue Kempf and $12,573 to candidate Peter Blake, both of whom were elected for the first time. The PAC also spent $12,714 opposing incumbent candidate Toni Iseman, who was elected to her sixth term. In campaign disclosure documents filed with the Laguna Beach city clerk, Village Laguna shows several contributions to itself over the years by Village Laguna Inc. The amounts ranged from $2,000 in August 2016 to $11,348 in June 2017. If the funds are being solicited from other sources and being transferred to the committee checking account, then the sources of the funds should be disclosed, according to a complaint Bagatelos filed with Kohn and City Clerk Lisette Chel-Walker. Richard Picheny, Village Lagunas treasurer, said money does move from the nonprofit arm to the PAC arm and that the FPPC approved of the practice in a letter to the organization 15 years ago. According to the letter, he said, only individual contributions above a certain amount must be disclosed as campaign funds. Anything else such as Charm House Tour tickets, membership dues and smaller contributions can go toward the nonprofit account and then transfer to the PAC account, he said. We earn money from the Charm House Tour and from membership dues and every couple of times a year ... we deposit that money into the account thats used for campaigns, Picheny said. I believed I filed all forms that were necessary to be filed. I dont know of any that were to be filed that I didnt file. Bagatelos said rules for campaign finance disclosures have changed since 2003 and that the letter no longer applies. An anonymous complaint which Ray and Goldstein have since acknowledged came from Bagatelos was filed with the FPPC this summer, alleging that Village Laguna had failed to disclose a contribution from 2016 City Council candidate Vera Rollingers campaign committee. In a Nov. 6 letter to Felder and Picheny, the FPPC said it rejected the complaint because of insufficient evidence. The Liberate Laguna founders refiled that complaint using their names, along with several new complaints about other disclosures. The FPPC has not ruled on those. The complaints allege Village Laguna improperly labeled several expenditures to avoid filling out certain financial reporting forms that would require details such as the names of candidates the organization supported and the cumulative payment made to a candidate to date. In doing so, Bagatelos said, the group also exceeded Laguna Beachs $360 campaign contribution limit. None of Village Lagunas campaign disclosure documents filed with the city clerk listed which candidates or ballot measures the organization supported. Thats not in the public interest is it, if you cant tell who theyre supporting or opposing? Bagatelos said. Picheny said his understanding was that the forms the group did file dont require listing candidates. Weve never had any agency that weve filed with complain about anything that weve ever done, Felder said. Weve done this ever since we became incorporated. faith.pinho@latimes.com Twitter: @faithepinho One day last November, constituents of the 74th Assembly District (my district) woke up to find they suddenly had real representation in Sacramento. Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach) began serving the people in her district in ways her predecessor, Matthew Harper, never did or could. Not only are her constituents finally being heard in Sacramento, where the Democrats control power, but she is able to work closely with new congressional representatives like Harley Rouda (D-Laguna Beach) because Democrats won all of the Orange County races in reaction to being ignored by Republicans for far too long. For Republican challengers like Newport Beach Mayor Diane Dixon and Orange County Deputy District Atty. Kelly Ernby to claim they could do a better job than Petrie-Norris ignores their political party and the realities of a changed electorate. Despite current political registration advantages the GOP has here and elsewhere in Orange County, the party has kicked away its right to represent us effectively. Dixon and Ernby must bear the burden of that failure, despite any personal qualifications they may have. No more partisan puppets who spew the Republican National Committee line or ideologues who are routinely ignored now at all levels of government. That ship has sailed. Democrats like Petrie-Norris and Rouda have proven for months they are the better public servants for all the constituents of their districts. On May 9, Rouda set up a field station at the Huntington Beach Senior Center to address senior needs and concerns, something his predecessor, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), would not have done. Just recently I have attended several public Coffee with Cottie events where she reaches out to all her constituents. Republicans can bluster all they want, but the proof of the pudding is in the representation. We are now getting it, and we get it! Tim Geddes lives in Huntington Beach. As Orange Countys smarter conservatives including some on the O.C. Water District board begin to realize what an unnecessary, unaffordable piece of corporate welfare Poseidons proposed Huntington Beach desalination plant is, the Boston-based hedge fund group has begun to focus its bottomless lobbying resources at liberals and Democrats instead (Barbara Boxer will lobby for an environmentally controversial desalination plant in Huntington Beach, April 19). Heads spun, in bewilderment and dismay, to see how quickly liberal icon and four-term Sen. Barbara Boxer morphed, at the age of 76, into a paid Poseidon lobbyist, betraying in one fell swoop at least two of her proudest legacies. First, Boxer had become known over her 36 years in Congress as the staunchest of consumer advocates always fighting to protect the little guy from corporate greed and destructiveness, from medical malpractice to dangerous toys to bank bailouts. How could someone with this record try to foist the Poseidon boondoggle onto Orange County taxpayers? Is she even aware of all the dirty details of the proposal? The subsidies Poseidon demands to ensure its profits? The 50-year take-or-pay contract forcing us to buy their overpriced water when we want it and when we dont? The basic fact that desal is not only unnecessary but also one of the most expensive, energy-intensive methods of producing drinking water known to mankind? Maybe she just thinks the people of this county can afford anything. Second, the senator has always been known as a fierce advocate for the environment. For this longtime defender of Californias atmosphere, coastline and fisheries to grant her green blessing to this project is baffling. Her self-justifications do not, so to speak, hold water. The form letter shes been sending all her critics posits a zero-sum game in which, if we dont build this billion-dollar sea life-slaughtering desal plant, well be doomed to a world of fish-slaughtering dams when, in fact, we can do without either. She crows of the plant being carbon-neutral a notorious shell game in which they can pump pollution into our atmosphere while buying carbon credits and passing the cost on to us. And the former senators indifference to creating a hyper-salinated dead zone along Huntington Beachs coast is jarring, given her long history of protecting other parts of Californias coast from oil spills and pollution. Anyone familiar with the career of Boxers fellow Democratic Poseidon lobbyist Fabian Nunez, a former state Assembly speaker, is not surprised to see him running after money. The enthusiasm of the building trades unions for the project is understandable, given their desperation for any construction jobs, even short-term.But it is a real shame, a mortification, to see someone with the record of Boxer being so easily bamboozled, bought, or both. Vern Nelson, a Huntington Beach native and Anaheim musician, runs the Orange Juice Blog. The allegations that Shayna Lathus, a former member of the Huntington Beach, Citizens Participation Advisory Board, is associated in any way with any extremist groups are unfounded. I was the lead organizer for one of several local groups who attended the April 27 rally to counter the anti-immigrant rhetoric of the March to End Sanctuary State being held by the far-right Republican group What You Can Do Now, and I acted as police liaison on behalf of all peaceful counter-protesters in attendance. I first contacted the Huntington Beach Police Department eight days prior to the event to notify it of our intentions to peacefully assemble, as per our constitutionally protected 1st Amendment rights, and remained in communication with a sergeant during the week leading up to the event. We spoke several times on Saturday before, during, and after the rally, and legal observers from the National Lawyers Guild were present at our request to document all interaction with the HBPD or with the group we were counter-protesting. An extremist group would not take those precautions to ensure the communitys safety. No one in attendance, including Lathus, had reason to expect anything other than a peaceful 1st Amendment assembly and passive resistance. We cannot control who attends a public event, and anyone choosing to exercise active resistance is responsible for their own actions. As Lathus has stated, she and her friends left the area at the first sign of any altercations, however minor. The lack of transparency surrounding Shaynas removal is alarming. The CPAB strives to represent the diverse views of the community, yet the communitys views were not sought. Its shameful that a small, but vocal, group of residents were able to pressure the H.B. City Council into unceremoniously removing her by mounting an unwarranted and partisan smear campaign. Andy Lewandowski Orange * Councilwoman caved to far-right social media As a past chair of the Huntington Beach Participatory Advisory Board, I dont recall revoking my 1st Amendment right to free speech and assembly to volunteer my service. Shayna Lathus had the right to be present at any rally that she chose. While right-wingers might not agree with her activism, it should not have caused her removal from her appointed position. The City Council member who appointed Lathus, Kim Carr, allowed herself to be pressured by right-wing social media into removing her. Lathus actions had nothing to do with the HBCPAB or any city business. The Daily Pilot accurately reported the incident, as it was newsworthy, and enlightened the public about the nefarious activities of the H.B. far right. To demonstrate her independence, Carr should reappoint Shayna Lathus to the board. Richard C. Armendariz Huntington Beach * Rainbow flag isnt right for City Hall Regarding the rainbow flag being flown to celebrate Harvey Milk: I get the sentiment but think such a display belongs on ones personal house, not City Hall (Costa Mesa council votes to fly pride flag at City Hall to honor Harvey Milk Day and LGBT Pride Month). One of my family members is part of a firm that fought for gay marriage in the Supreme Court (and won), so I am not saying Milk did not do great things. If we are going to wave flags at City Hall, in addition to the American flag, which celebrates every citizen regardless of age, race, creed or sexual orientation, we should start with waving flags on Martin Luther King Day or perhaps a flag on Abraham Lincolns birthday. We could also wave a Christian flag during December and April to celebrate Christmas and Easter, a flag during Hannakuh, and more. If you want to celebrate Milk thats fine, but it does not need to take place at City Hall unless you are going to wave flags for every resident who wants to celebrate this or that person, or this or that event. Rebecca Trahan Costa Mesa The writer is a former City Council candidate. * Support clean energy solutions Mother Earth has been a generous provider for humankind. Yet hubris, greed and selfishness have led to poisoning her air, water and soil. Our addiction to fossil fuels has created global warming. Heat waves, droughts, wild fires, floods and extreme weather are now our lot. But this doesnt have to be our future. The marketplace failed to price into coal, oil and gas products the death and destruction they have wrought. If priced appropriately, cheaper, clean energy alternatives would have emerged. A promising bipartisan bill in Congress, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, corrects the market to make polluting companies pay an increasing fee on their pollution, distributes the net revenues as a monthly dividend to American families to cope with increasing energy costs, and affects a global solution through a border carbon adjustment, which incentivizes trading partners to adopt similar policies. Bob Taylor Newport 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. A public hearing will be held Wednesday on the planned Gus & Andys Montrose Grill that may occupy the former Rocky Cola Cafe site in Montrose. Last year, Tom Christopoulos of La Canada Flintridge who, along with his family, has owned and operated several restaurants throughout the country during the past 30 years announced plans to open a family-oriented restaurant with a vintage Montrose facade. The planning hearing for the 2201 Honolulu Ave. site will be for applicant Janelle Williams of Williams Land Use Services to request permits for the operation of a fast-food restaurant, with a permit for consumption of alcohol. The applicant will also seek to reduce the number of parking spaces by seven to accommodate the change [of] use from a full-service restaurant to a fast-food restaurant, according to documents filed with the city. Christopoulos previously described the proposed grill to the Glendale News-Press as a fresh, casual breakfast, lunch and dinner spot, where customers can order at the counter, get seated and receive table service. Rocky Cola Cafe first opened in February 1988 and was a Montrose staple for nearly 25 years until it closed in late 2012. The public hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in Room 105 at 633 E. Broadway. jeff.landa@latimes.com Twitter: @JeffLanda Opposition to a proposed three-story, 64-room hotel in Glendales Rancho Riverside neighborhood was dealt a terminal blow on Tuesday when the City Council voted 4-1 to uphold the Design Review Boards decision to approve it back in January. Resistance to the project, called the Victory Hotel and spearheaded by developer Jayesh Kumar, was led by resident Phillip Marks, who launched an opposition website and filed an appeal of the boards decision that was heard and rejected during a City Council meeting last week. According to Marks and his supporters, the project planned at 1633 Victory Blvd. would compound traffic problems in a 20-foot public alley that is slated to be used as the entrance and exit to the hotels two-level, subterranean parking lot. They also list a host of other complaints. Photos of service and delivery trucks clogging the alley, presented by Marks, as well as testimony from some residents, did not sway the majority of the council. To allay some concerns, Kumar and his team had previously agreed to set back the hotel an additional 3 feet to expand the part of the alley abutting the hotel to 23 feet. I got the distinct impression that the neighborhood did not want this hotel, and not because the access is from the alley, Mayor Ara Najarian said during deliberations. Touring the neighborhood, Najarian said he saw two terrible motels, a body shop and a liquor store near the proposed hotel site on the northwest corner of South Victory and Winchester Avenue. This hotel would be an incredibly beneficial addition to the neighborhood, Najarian said. Councilwoman Paula Devine cast the lone vote in favor of overturning the projects approval, agreeing with the appellant that the alley entrance presented too many logistical problems. Going on a fact-finding mission similar to Najarians, Devine said she found herself trying to turn into the alley while another car was trying to leave, causing a standstill and subsequent five-car backup. With everything thats right about this project, this one glaring flaw, to me, is a killer, Devine said. I just dont think its going to work. In an effort to reach a compromise, council members who supported the project added a condition that the developer expand the alley along the project by 1 more foot, bringing it to 24 feet, or the typical width of a two-way alley. An earlier design of the hotel was unanimously rejected by the Design Review Board in June. Board members, at the time, requested that Kumar and architect Nikhil Kamat completely redesign the buildings facades and use a more restrained color palette, redesign the pool area to limit noise impacts, enhance visual privacy for neighbors to the north and create a denser landscaped area at the property line to the north. For the most part, Design Review Board members agreed those conditions had been addressed in the new plans. The hotel, which will include a second-floor pool deck and cafe, was also at the center of two lawsuits. In February, the city filed a criminal suit against Kumar for failing to maintain the property. Less than a month after that suit was served, Kumar filed a trespassing suit against Marks and his wife. In light of the failed appeal, Joanne Hedge, president of the Glendale Rancho Neighborhood Assn., said shes now urging a conversation between city staff and residents to create a plan to visually upgrade Victory Boulevards commercial properties with revamped frontage, signage and landscaping echoing Najarians comments that the area could use a cleanup. It could possibly involve incentives or other creative means the city deems effective, Hedge said. Asian tiger mosquitoes have been discovered in La Canada Flintridge, according to City Manager Mark Alexander. He said City Hall was notified of the discovery Wednesday by the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District. The black-and-white mosquitoes, one of three invasive species of the insect that have arrived in recent years in the Southland, were found in a neighborhood near Hillard and Fairmount avenues, Alexander said. Previously, the Asian tiger mosquito was confirmed in the communities of Avocado Heights, Elysian Valley, Pico Rivera, Silver Lake, South El Monte, South Whittier and Whittier. They were first detected in El Monte in 2011, according to the Los Angeles Times, and are believed to have arrived in California in shipments of bamboo plants that came from Southeast Asia. The Asian tiger mosquito currently poses the biggest health risk in Los Angeles County because they have taken a broad hold of our communities and have rapidly expanded in less than four years, according to the vector control districts website. They and the yellow fever mosquito can transmit denge, yellow fever and chikungunya viruses. The district asks that those who encounter daytime-biting mosquitoes call (562) 944-9656 to report them, or log onto ReportMosquitoes.org. Free treatment and service is available. To discourage the mosquitoes, residents are advised to make sure that there is no standing water around their properties, as the insects can lay their eggs in stagnant water sources, even in amounts as small as a bottle cap. When outdoors, wear insect repellent that contains DEET, Picaridin, IR 3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus, the district advises. For more information, visit glacvcd.org. -- Carol Cormaci, carol.cormaci@latimes.com Twitter: @CarolCormaci Anti-government protesters in Albania hurled firebombs and flares at riot officers standing in front of the main government building and national police headquarters Monday, hours after the U.S. and European Union lawmakers called for restraint. Thousands of demonstrators, many holding umbrellas, marched in driving rain as thick clouds of white smoke from flares hung above them at times. So far, police havent responded. It is a march of protest against the illegitimate government, said Lulzim Basha, leader of the main opposition center-right Democratic Party. The protesters were heading to five locations symbolizing the institutions captured by the government, he said in an address to protesters. Advertisement They are the prime ministers office, the national police headquarters, parliament, the interior ministry and the Tirana city police department, where 50 opposition demonstrators were arrested after a violent protest Saturday. The opposition has been holding protests since mid-February, accusing government officials of corruption and of stealing votes in the parliamentary election two years ago. They are demanding a transitory government and an early election. Opposition lawmakers relinquished their seats in parliament in protest, though many vacancies ultimately were filled by other opposition candidates. The governing Socialists have 74 seats in the 140-seat parliament. Protests over the weekend also turned hostile, with opposition supporters showering police officers with firebombs while police responded with tear gas. Injuries were reported on both sides. Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama denounced the violent behavior of protesters, saying, Albania is damaged. Before Mondays protest, the Interior Ministry said that the opposition would try to repeat the same acts of violence. But the Democratic Party accused the government of trying to stir up confrontation, conflict and fear among citizens. A U.S. Embassy statement in Tirana on Monday called on opposition leaders to condemn violence and ensure that all future public protests are orderly and peaceful. Violent demonstrations are damaging Albanias democratic reform efforts and the countrys prospects for moving forward on the EU path, it said, urging them to engage in a constructive dialogue aimed at bringing an end to the political impasse. European parliamentarians also called on Albanians to restrain from all forms of violence because the recent violence could give the wrong impression that Albania is not ready for the opening of the accession negotiations in June this year. Italian, German and British embassies also called for a peaceful protest and for all sides to enter into dialogue. The leaders of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also called for utmost restraint and dialogue. They also denounced attempted intimidation directed at the OSCEs presence in Albania. On Sunday, threatening words were written at the building where the OSCE ambassador in Tirana lives. Albania expects to hear in June whether the EU will grant its request to launch full membership negotiations. As China hit the U.S. with retaliatory tariffs and the stock market tumbled, President Trump moved Monday to shield American farmers, but also expressed hope that a possible meeting next month with Chinese President Xi Jinping could resolve their escalating trade war. Even as Trump defended his heavy use of tariffs to extract trade concessions from China, he told reporters at the White House that he planned to see Xi at the Group of 20 leaders summit in Japan in late June. He said that it would probably be a very fruitful meeting. In the meantime, Trump said he was devising a new relief package for farmers of about $15 billion, an amount that he said was equivalent to the largest Chinese purchase of U.S. agricultural goods. U.S. agricultural exports to China reached $19.6 billion, more than 14% of total U.S. agricultural exports, in 2017 before falling sharply in 2018 as the trade war got underway. The administration last year provided $12 billion in farm aid after Chinas retaliatory tariffs hammered producers of soybean and other products. Advertisement Theyll be planting. Theyll be able to sell for less, and theyll make the same kind of money until such time as its all straightened out, Trump said. So our farmers will be very happy. His comments came after China announced new tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods, saying it would never surrender to outside pressure. China published a list of more than 5,000 items that would be hit by tariffs of 5% to 25% covering a wide range of U.S. goods including agricultural products but also chemicals, metals and fabrics. Stock markets worldwide fell significantly on the news. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 617 points, or 2.4%, the biggest drop since Jan. 3. Both sides have given themselves some room to continue negotiating a way out of the escalating trade conflict. The new Chinese tariffs dont take effect until June 1, and the higher tariffs that Trump announced last week on Chinese goods also mostly have a delayed effect. Also, China has invited U.S. negotiators to Beijing to continue talks, and Trumps announcement that he would attend the G-20 meeting offered additional hope that the two sides could put an end to a yearlong trade battle between the two largest economies. But although those delays and talks provide a potential off-ramp, neither side sounded in a hurry to take it. We have said many times that adding tariffs wont resolve any problem. China will never surrender to external pressure. We have the confidence and the ability to protect our lawful and legitimate rights, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a briefing. A few hours before China announced its action, Trump warned in a tweet that China should not retaliate-will only get worse! I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you dont make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries. Too expensive to buy in China. You had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out! he said in another tweet. I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you dont make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries. Too expensive to buy in China. You had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2019 Later Monday, he said that the U.S. is in a good position economically to battle China, and that the fight will yield money for the Treasury. Weve never taken in 10 cents until I got elected. Now were taking in billions and billions, he said, referring to revenue from the tariffs. This is a very positive step. I love the position were in. Trump administration officials have acknowledged, however, that escalating tariffs will hurt both economies. Tariffs are taxes on imports. Although Trump often says the tariffs are paid by China, theyre not: Consumers and the firms that import goods pay the cost. Just a couple of weeks ago, businesses and investors were optimistic amid signs that a U.S.-China trade deal was close after multiple rounds of talks. But a dramatic hardening of positions on both sides in recent days has jolted markets and alarmed international leaders who are fearful a full-blown trade war could harm the global economy. After trade talks in Washington broke off Friday and the Trump administration went ahead and hiked taxes on $200 billion of imported Chinese goods to 25% from 10%, a Chinese response was widely expected. Chinese state media blamed Washington for the crisis and argued that Chinas economy and political system were strong enough to outlast the U.S. in a battle of wills. The editor of the Communist Party-owned Global Times, Hu Xijin, earlier tweeted that Chinas countermeasures would be carefully designed to ensure that its plan hits the U.S. while minimizing damage to itself. The Finance Ministry said in a statement that the latest tariffs were a response to unilateralism and trade protectionism. China hopes that the United States will return to the right track of bilateral trade negotiations, work together with China and meet China halfway to reach a mutually beneficial, win-win agreement on the basis of mutual respect and equality, the ministry statement said. After talks ended Friday without agreement, Vice Premier Liu He, Xis chief negotiator, publicly spelled out his countrys demands in comments to Chinese media: All additional tariffs must be lifted; demands that China buy more from the U.S. should be realistic; and a final deal should be balanced. Liu, however, didnt say what he meant by additional tariffs, as there had been three rounds of tariffs before Fridays. That could give the Chinese and U.S. negotiators more latitude for compromise; American officials have sought to keep some tariffs in place to enforce any agreement reached between the two countries. Administration negotiators led by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer have been insisting that Beijing agree to enforcement mechanisms on any deal. Washington has long complained that Chinas negotiating strategy has involved keeping commitments as vague as possible. Trump has so far slapped 25% tariffs on a total of $250 billion of Chinese goods. He took his first action in June after his administration concluded that China has for many years engaged in intellectual property theft and policies that coerce U.S. firms to hand over technologies in order to gain access to Chinese markets. His next threatened step would be to impose 25% tariffs on all of the remaining Chinese merchandise that enters the U.S. roughly $300 billion more worth of goods. That would include many consumer products, including such high-profile imports as iPhones, which are not currently subject to import taxes. A public hearing on these tariffs has been set for June 17. Trump said Monday that I have not made a decision yet on those further tariffs, although he noted that that is a tremendous amount of money that would come into our country. Since the trade fight began, China has imposed new or higher duties on $110 billion of American imports. Last year China imported about $156 billion of merchandise from the United States, according to Chinas customs data. (U.S. data put the figure at about $120 billion.) State media, which had been restrained during much of the conflict with the United States, lashed out at the Trump administration and voiced Chinas determination to prevail. An opinion piece in the Peoples Daily condemned Washingtons reckless leap into the dark and said China would never compromise on matters of principle. The U.S. wielded the tariff stick once again because it misjudged Chinas strength, capability and willpower. By further escalating the trade tensions, does it really want to push its trade ties with China to the breaking point? read a piece bearing the byline Zhong Sheng, a pen name often used by the daily to express its opinions on foreign policy. A Global Times editorial said Washingtons fierce offensive would hurt America more than China. The U.S.-China trade war just got a lot worse. And theres no quick fix for relations Washington obviously hopes that the fierce tariff war, which is unprecedented in trade history, will crush Chinas will in one fell swoop and force China to accept an unequal deal in a short term, said the newspaper. However, once the country is strategically coerced, nothing is unbearable for China in order to safeguard its sovereignty and dignity as well as the long-term development rights of the Chinese people. At the heart of the trade issue is Washingtons complaint that China failed to live up to commitments it made to open up the nations economy to foreign companies when it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. The U.S. complains that China has blocked market access to key areas of its economy, forced foreign companies to surrender trade secrets and subsidized state-owned companies in strategic technology sectors, giving them an unfair trade advantage. Although the U.S. presidential election is 18 months away, the political space for compromise with Beijing appears to be shrinking fast, with Trump unwilling to look weak on China. Meanwhile, Xi is also unwilling to look as if he has been bullied into a deal by Trump. Robert Z. Lawrence, senior fellow with the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, argues that China may have miscalculated, believing that Trump needed a deal for political reasons in the lead-up to elections. Instead, he said, Trump saw Fridays tariff hike as delivering on a long-held promise. This is one of the few things that Donald Trump has had the intention of [doing] imposing 25% tariffs on China, and that is what he is achieving, Lawrence said. Hes very enthusiastic about these tariffs. Dixon reported from Beijing and Lee from Washington. Gaochao Zhang of The Times Beijing bureau contributed to this report. robyn.dixon@latimes.com Twitter: @RobynDixon_LAT Poland abruptly canceled the visit of an official Israeli delegation en route to Warsaw on Monday over concerns that talks would focus on restitution of seized Jewish property. The diplomatic conflict comes amid an escalating dispute over Polands role in the Holocaust and two days after Polish nationalists marched on the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw to demand there be no restitution of Jewish assets seized during or following World War II. The Polish Foreign Ministry said on Twitter that it had decided to cancel the visit of Israeli officials after the Israeli side made last minute changes in the composition of the delegation suggesting that the talks would primarily focus on the issues related to property restitution. The delegation, headed by a top official from Israels Ministry for Social Equality, had already left for Warsaw. The decision followed the revelation that the head of the Israeli Foreign Ministrys unit for property restitution was joining the delegation. Advertisement Restitution for Polish Jews who survived the Holocaust, only to see their property confiscated by the postwar Communist government, has become a hot-button issue in Poland, magnified by European Parliament elections later this month, and national elections in November. Far-right activists claim Jews, backed by the United States, are trying to bankrupt Poland with demands for up to $300 billion in compensation. Israels Netanyahu and his foreign minister enrage Poland with Holocaust finger-pointing; summit collapses On Saturday, thousands of nationalist protesters marched from the prime ministers office to the U.S. Embassy in central Warsaw carrying signs with slogans including Poland has no obligations and Holocaust hyenas. They were demonstrating against the United States Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today Act, signed by President Trump last year. The law, also known as Act 447, requires the State Department to report to Congress on the compliance of 47 countries, including Poland, regarding the restitution of Jewish assets. Holocaust survivor Edward Mossberg participates in the March of the Living at the former Nazi death camp Auschwitz I in Oswiecim, Poland, on May 2. (Andrezej Grygiel / EPA-EFE/REX) U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, visiting Poland in February, urged the nation to move forward with comprehensive private property restitution legislation for those who lost property during the Holocaust era. Pompeos remarks, on the heels of the JUST Act passage, caused huge concern in Poland, said Gideon Taylor, who heads the World Jewish Restitution Organization. Poland correctly sees these as powerful statements of support by the administration regarding restitution, Taylor said in an interview with The Times. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki during a Saturday campaign rally echoed the slogans of nationalist protesters, saying that Poles, who suffered during World War II under Nazi occupation, are those who deserve compensation. Morawiecki had canceled a trip to Jerusalem in February after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Poles had cooperated with Nazis. A 2018 Polish law criminalizes assertions of collaboration during World War II with sentences of up to three years in jail. It is correct that Poland was a victim country, Taylor said. The Nazi occupation brought terrible devastation, with mass killing of Jews and non-Jews. But we are talking about buildings taken by the Polish government from survivors. Poland is the only former Soviet member of the European Union that has not passed comprehensive legislation regarding private property confiscated by the Nazis or successive regimes. The latest conflict between Poland and Israel was sparked by comments made by Israels social equality minister, Gila Gamliel. In anticipation of the meeting, she applauded the Polish government for its steadfastness in the face of anti-Semitic protests. Before World War II, Poland was home to more than 3 million Jews, most of whom were killed by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. In Poland, there are growing calls for reparations from Germany for the destruction caused during the Nazi era. In October, President Andrzej Duda told the German newspaper Bild that the damage caused during the war was never compensated for. Tarnopolsky is a special correspondent. Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused significant damage to the vessels, one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States. The announcement by the kingdoms energy minister, Khalid Falih, came as the U.S. issued a new warning to sailors and the UAEs regional allies condemned Sundays incident that targeted at least four ships, including the two Saudi tankers, off the port city of Fujairah. The statement came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at Fujairahs port. Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible. The U.S. has warned ships that Iran or its proxies could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. The U.S. is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran. Advertisement Shortly after the Saudi announcement, Irans Foreign Ministry called for further clarification about what exactly happened with the vessels. The ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying there should be more information about the incident. Mousavi also warned against any conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers and adventurism by foreigners to undermine the maritime regions stability and security. Tensions have risen since President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring U.S. sanctions that have pushed Irans economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. Falihs statement said the attacks on the two Saudi tankers happened at 6 a.m. Sunday. He did not identify the vessels involved, say who was suspected of carrying out the alleged sabotage or give any details about the other vessels reported attacked. One of the two vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to Saudi Aramcos customers in the United States, Falih said. Fortunately, the attack didnt lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels. The kingdoms Foreign Ministry, in a statement published on the state-run Saudi Press Agency on Monday, condemned the incident as a criminal act that threatens the safety of maritime traffic, which reflects negatively on regional and international peace and security. Falih also said the attack aimed to undermine the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world and emphasized the joint responsibility of the international community to protect the safety of maritime navigation and oil tankers. Sudanese prosecutors have charged ousted President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir with involvement in killing protesters and incitement to kill protesters during the uprising that drove him from power last month, the state-run Sudan News Agency reported Monday. It was not immediately clear what punishment he might face. Protest organizers say security forces killed about 100 demonstrators during the four months of rallies leading to Bashirs overthrow. The transitional military council ruling Sudan has said Bashir will face justice in the country and will not be extradited to The Hague, where the International Criminal Court has charged him with war crimes and genocide linked to the Darfur conflict in the 2000s. Bashir, who was the only sitting head of state to be subject to an international arrest warrant, was imprisoned in the capital, Khartoum, days after the military removed him from power. Advertisement The military ousted Bashir on April 11, but the demonstrators have remained in the streets, demanding the dismantling of his government and a swift transition to civilian rule. In recent weeks they have threatened a general strike and civil disobedience. The protesters resumed negotiations with the army on Monday while calling for more demonstrations. Lt. Gen. Shams Deen Kabashi, a spokesman for the military council, said Mondays meeting, the first in over a week, was held in a more optimistic atmosphere. The protesters are represented by the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, a coalition of opposition groups led by the Sudanese Professionals Assn., which has spearheaded the protests since December. Kabashi said they agreed on the creation of a sovereign council, a Cabinet and a legislative body that would govern the country during the transition. He said they will discuss the makeup of the three bodies and the duration of the transition on Tuesday. The two sides remain divided over what role the military, which is dominated by Bashir appointees, should have in the transition period until elections can be held. The military wants to play a leading role in a transition lasting up to two years, while the protesters have demanded an immediate transition to a civilian-led authority that would govern for four years. The protesters fear the army will cling to power or select one of its own to succeed Bashir. They also worry that Islamists and other factions close to the deposed leader will be granted a role in the transition. The military agreed last month to recognize the the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change as the uprisings only legitimate representative in a victory for the protesters. But the generals have called for other political parties with the exception of Bashirs National Congress Party to be included in the transition. The opposition has vowed to continue protests, centered on a sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum. It has called for a series of nationwide protests, including another march to the main sit-in, for the coming week. Video circulating online Monday showed protesters blocking roads in Khartoum with burning tires and trees. Other video showed men from the Rapid Support Forces forcibly dispersing protesters. The paramilitary group, which has led counterinsurgency campaigns in Darfur and other regions, is led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy head of the military council. The Sudanese Professionals Assn. said the road closures were in response to the military councils delay in handing over power to civilians. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) The young Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso won the Manila mayor race, besting his former allies and two older leaders of the Philippine capital outgoing Manila Mayor Joseph Erap Ejercito Estrada and former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. Moreno's victory was by a wide margin, bagging 357,925 votes, ahead of Estrada, who got 210,605 votes. Estrada is backed by Hugpong ng Pagbabago, the regional party of presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. Coming in third is Lim, of the administration party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan with 138,923 votes. In campaigning to become the next chief executive of Manila, Moreno emphasized the need for someone younger at the helm: "Mas aasenso ang bayan 'pag bata ang mayor. [Translation: This city will be better if the mayor is more youthful.] While he has defeated seasoned politicians, Moreno is no stranger to politics himself. After being plucked out of the slums of Manila to become an actor, Moreno eventually became a member of the Manila City Council in 1998. He later served as the citys vice mayor for three consecutive terms from 2007 to 2016, winning as running mate of both Lim and Estrada in different elections. For this, Moreno has been called an ingrate by the Estrada camp. Challenge for the youngsters Moreno expressed his gratitude to Manila voters for their trust and support. He said his victory was a huge challenge for younger politicians like him. Siguro nagiging iba na rin ang trend ng mga botante ngayon, as you can see, marami ring mga bata na talagang nag-excel this elections at marami pong tinamaan na dynasty, Moreno said in an interview with CNN Philippines. Huawei Technologies Co has overtaken Apple Inc to get the number two spot in the smartphones market, and close to displacing Samsung as the number one. Huawei has been having a steady growth over Apple Inc and Samsung with its much received high-end devices, especially in the Chinese market, Bloomberg reports. READ ALSO: BREAKING: NLC commences nationwide protest It should, however, be noted that the iPhone maker and Samsung also enjoyed a bit of market stabilisation after they had a disappointing outing during the holiday period. Reports have it that despite the relative market stability that both Apple and Samsung had, Huawei should get to the second spot throughout the rest of the year 2019. The overall smartphone market continues to be challenged in almost all areas, yet Huawei was able to grow shipments by 50 percent. This new ranking of Samsung, Huawei, and Apple is very likely what well see when 2019 is all said and done, Ryab Reith, the vice president of IDCs Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, said. This new ranking came after Huawei faced a damning accusation that it aided Chinese spying earlier this year. Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Chris Hughes, the co-founder of facebook who helped it transform from a dorm-room project into a real business, is now calling for the company to be broken up. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Hughes said this in an opinion article published in the New York Times on Thursday, May 9, adding that Mark Zukerberg has unchecked power more than anyone else in the private sector or in government. The co-founder said that regulators should look into the company and break it up, adding that Zukerberg has sacrificed civility for clicks. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better I want to build a television set -13-yr-old aspiring engineer | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Bethlehem police are seeking witnesses to the car crash that killed a 69-year-old driver Monday morning. The man, whose identity eventually will be released by the Northampton County coroner, was driving a coupe that collided with a sedan at Linden Street (Route 191) and Westbury Drive at 9:33 a.m., police announced in an afternoon news release. The other driver was a 70-year-old woman, police said. Her injuries, if any, were not disclosed in the news release. Route 191 was still closed as of 4 p.m. between Butztown Road and North Boulevard, according to 511pa.com. As the investigation continues, Bethlehem police ask anyone with information about the crash to contact Officer Matthew Vanic at 610-865-7180. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez is urging all of the citys boards to make it easier for citizens to participate in their meetings. Hes sent a memo to the citys boards, authorities and commissions asking members to consider moving their meetings to 6 p.m. or later next year. I think the issues raised over several years about moving certain meetings to 6 oclock, 7 oclock, to make it very convenient for citizens to attend has a lot of merit to it, Donchez said Monday. The idea came to the forefront recently at the Bethlehem Planning Commission meeting on the Martin Tower masterplan because the commission meets at 4 p.m. Resident Diane Szabo Backus noted at the Martin Tower meeting how tough it is for a working person to make a meeting scheduled during the workday. Councilwoman Dr. Paige Van Wirt echoed that critique at the commission meeting and brought the issue up at the April 16 council meeting. (All meetings) should be filmed in here (Town Hall) live and should be at a time people who work can come and talk, Van Wirt said. Especially the zoning hearing board, the redevelopment authority, parking authority board and the planning commission, because they are so fundamental to how we use our tax dollars and time," she said. At the April council meeting, Donchez said he agreed and had just discussed the idea that morning. The planning commission is very important and it should be easy for citizens to attend their meetings and weigh in, Donchez said Monday. Sometimes meetings at 4 oclock can be very inconvenient, he said. The mayor followed up with a May 6 memo requesting that starting January 2020 all meetings begin at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. He noted that the 2019 meeting schedule is already set and advertised. In the spirt of transparency and open government, I am requesting that your meetings be either videotaped, live streamed or recorded for the public to view or listen to, Donchez wrote in the memo. In case you were not aware, Town Hall has the capability to live stream meetings. Council began lives streaming its meetings earlier this year and archives the videos on YouTube. The mayor hopes to hear back from all the entities within the month, he said. Well see what the response is, Donchez said. I wanted to get the memorandum out and I wanted them to have enough time to discuss it before they finalize their 2020 schedule. City Solicitor William Leeson is also going to review city ordinances that could dictate when boards meet, he said. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. John Bennett is one of 180,000 inmates incarcerated in federal prisons across the country. And hed like to get out of prison early. Now that hes been denied twice, along with a number of other factors, the 83-year-old says he meets the criteria to be released under the First Step Act signed by President Trump in December, according to a recent motion filed in federal court in New Jersey. Bennett, the former CEO of a Canadian hazardous waste treatment company, is serving a 63-month term for white collar crimes in New Jersey related to kickback and fraud schemes committed in an attempt to win a government contract for a toxic waste site in Manville, Somerset County. (In addition to prison, handed down in 2016, the judge also ordered him to pay over $3 million in restitution.) Bennett argues in his motion that hes over 65 years old, has served approximately 60 percent of of his sentence, has prostate cancer as well as 18 other medical conditions such as hypertension and Type II diabetes. They all make his survival unlikely. Bennetts daughter, Jane Ten Vaanholt also filed the motion on her fathers behalf and would like the CEO to be transferred back to Canada where he could receive medical care and cancer treatment for free she says. The First Step Act, a bi-partisan criminal justice bill widely-publicized with reforms like getting juveniles in solitary confinement and allowing non-violent and drug crime inmates gain early release, has been successful for others. The New York Times reported in April that former Hilary Clinton finance chair Hassan Nemazee was released that month from federal prison in Maryland and allowed to finish the rest of his sentence in home confinement. Nemazee was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2009 after being convicted for defrauding banks of over $300 million, but he now resides in Manhattan. In addition to a number of criteria Bennett listed in the motion for his release, authorities must determine the applying inmate does not have a risk of committing new crimes or harming others. If he gets his freedom, Bennett would still be among the first to benefit from the bill. Approximately 10 prisoners have been released into home confinement since Trump signed the bill into law, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, as reported by the New York Times. A response to Bennetts motion has not yet been filed. Bennetts currently doing his time at Moshannon Valley Correctional Center in the center of Pennsylvania, with about 1,700 other federal offenders. Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. 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. Jerry Seinfeld just cant seem to stay away from the Lehigh Valley. He last appeared here in November. And before that, he had a main-stage show at Musikfest 2015, where the iconic Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces got his attention. When did you realize you had rust? Seinfeld asked during his performance. 'You know what weve got that nobody else has got? Weve got a ton of rust! Lets make it an attraction.' You know what else Bethlehem has? The Sands Events Center, where the 65-year-old comedian is adding a Sept. 21 gig to his ongoing tour. Tickets will go for $99.50 and $159.50, with a members-only presale from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday. The sale opens up to everyone starting 10 a.m. Friday. Since his eponymous 90s sitcom Seinfeld topped the ratings in its 9-season run, Jerry Seinfeld has also created the reality show The Marriage Ref and the interview series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. He last appeared at Sands in 2018. Before that, in 2015, Seinfeld became the first non-musical headliner in Musikfests 30-plus-year run. During his set, he remarked on his brief stay in the Christmas City. "We've been here in Bethlehem for a couple of days and the people are nice, and the town is fun and it's been a very pleasant stay that we've had, he told the Musikfest audience. But I'll be honest with you: At this point, I've got to get the hell out of here." Yeah, well: Hello again, Jerry. CORRECTION: This post originally omitted Seinfelds 2018 Sands appearance. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. UPDATE: 69-year-old driver fatally injured in crash that closed Route 191 The Northampton County Coroners Office responded Monday morning to a crash in Bethlehem. The wreck happened about 9:30 a.m. at Linden Street and Westbury Drive and the main artery, also known as Route 191, remained closed at 11:15 a.m., according to a Northampton County emergency dispatch supervisor. The coroners office only responds in cases where people have died. The coroner will determine the cause and manner of death and work with city police on the investigation. Someone was taken to a hospital from the crash scene, the supervisor said. It wasnt immediately clear how many vehicles were involved in the wreck. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. UPDATE: Will killer get death penalty? Were here to determine whether Dekota Baptiste will live or die. An Easton man convicted of murder last week turned down a deal Monday that would take the death penlty off the table. Dekota Baptiste, 26, of Easton, could have avoided the death penalty had he agreed to forgo all his appeal rights. He refused to do that. Defense attorney Brian Monahan said he discussed the deal with Baptiste on Sunday in Northampton County Prison. Instead, the death penalty phase of his trial started Monday. Are you sure you want to refuse this deal? asked Northampton County Judge Samuel Murray. Yes, Im sure, Baptiste answered. Baptiste was convicted on Friday of killing 36-year-old Terrance Lex" Ferguson, of Bangor, on Feb. 23, 2017. He fired shots into a car Ferguson drove to the AutoZone store in Palmer Township. Now that hes refused the deal, Assistant District Attorney Abraham Kassis has taken the deal off the table. Baptiste wont be able to take the deal if he changes his mind. In addition to killing Ferguson, Baptiste also put Thressa Duarte in danger. She was in the passenger seat. A witness said Baptiste was upset that Ferguson was with Duarte but Baptiste denied he was romantically involved with Duarte. He said he shot Ferguson in self-defense, but the jury called it premeditated murder. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Paris Baptiste doesnt see Dekota Baptiste as a cold-blooded killer. She sees her brother as a an amazing person. She teared up and elicited tears from her brother Monday during the death penalty phase of his murder trial. Dekota Baptiste, 26, of Easton, faces the death penalty after he was convicted Friday of the murder of Terrance Lex Ferguson. Ferguson, 36, of Bangor, was fatally shot Feb. 23, 2017, at the AutoZone store in Palmer Township. Paris Baptiste was one of a handful of witnesses to present mitigating evidence to convince jurors to impose a life sentence rather than the death penalty. She said her brother is like a father to her two sons. I dont know why you guys want to take my brothers life from us. I just dont think thats reasonable, you know, Paris Baptiste said through tears. Hes not a monster. Hes a really good person. He was always good to me, said Zakiyyia Al-Shabazz. She was Dekota Baptistes girlfriend for most of the past 10 years. Mitigation specialist Cynthia Hallock said Al-Shabazzs father is dead and her mother is heavily involved with drugs. When she had nowhere to stay as a teenager, Al-Shabazz temporarily moved in with Baptiste and his family. The two were not romantically involved at the time of the murder, however. The prosecution says Thressa Duarte was Baptistes girlfriend at the time and he killed Ferguson because he was jealous that Duarte was with Ferguson that day. Baptiste testified he was not romantically involved with Duarte. Hallock testified Dekota Baptiste attended Public School No. 25 in Brooklyn until he was 10. The school was in the bottom 5 percent of schools in the country according to academic performance. Weapons offenses, sexual assaults and thefts in the school contributed to its problems, she said. They were actually going to close the school because it was so bad, Hallock said. Baptiste and his family moved to Easton when he was 10. Hallock said Baptistes brother was shot during a gang initiation when Dekota Baptiste was in his young teens. His father had an affair and left the family, she said. Psychologist Frank Dattilio said Baptiste was of low average to borderline-mentally-deficient intelligence. Dattilio said the two family-related traumas and the fact that his learning disability wasnt found until he came to Pennsylvania are all mitigating factors in considering the death penalty. So is his personality, which Dattilio described as paranoid, irritable and chronically bitter. Psychologist John S. OBrien II testified none of Baptistes issues was severe enough to warrant mitigation. Baptiste had a strong family structure to support him and his learning disabilities werent as severe as Dattilio claimed, he said. He said Baptiste did not have mental deficits that prevented him from understanding criminal behavior. Theres no automatic connection between experiencing the shooting of his brother and turning to a life of crime, he said. Dattilio said Baptiste started selling marijuana as a teenager. When he was about 15, he assaulted a customer and took his money, Dattilio said. Dattilio said Baptistes life could have turned out differently had he been sent away for a special program to address his needs. That didnt happen. After a brief stint in juvenile detention for the robbery, he was released. I think he kind of fell through the cracks, Dattilio said. Kassis said Baptiste threatened the victim of his juvenile crime to try to keep him quiet. Baptiste allegedly told the victim, If you dont get me out of trouble I will pop you and your family. Both sides presented all their evidence Monday. The jury will hear closing arguments and start deliberations Tuesday on the death penalty. Baptiste turned down a deal Monday to waive his appeal rights in exchange for a life sentence. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Now that a Northampton County jury has convicted Dekota Baptiste of first-degree murder, that jury was tasked Monday with hearing evidence to decide whether to sentence the 26-year-old Easton man to death. Baptiste was convicted Friday of killing Terrance Lex Ferguson by shooting into his car in the parking lot of the Palmer Township AutoZone. Assistant District Attorney Abraham Kassis offered not to seek the death penalty if Baptiste would agree to waive his right to appeal that conviction. Baptiste rejected that offer. Kassis told the jurors Baptistes crime warrants the death penalty because he killed Ferguson while perpetrating other felonies. For one, he attempted to kill Thressa Duarte by shooting into the car in which she was sitting with Ferguson. Its a miracle she was not injured or killed, Kassis said. Baptiste also committed aggravated assault against her and committed felony weapons offenses, Kassis said. Defense attorney Brian Monahan said mitigating factors he will introduce include Baptistes relatively clean criminal record. He committed a robbery, but he was a young teen at the time and the crime was adjudicated in the juvenile system. Baptistes youth is also a factor, Monahan said. Monahan said nobody deserves to go to Pennsylvanias death row. His experts will tell jurors how death row inmates live in solitude. They get one hour a day to exercise in a yard. Meals are slid under their door. The light remains on 24 hours in their 8-foot by 10-foot cells and they have no human contact. It would almost be more merciful to kill a death row inmate than keep one living under these conditions for decades, Monahan said. The living environment for death penalty inmates we would submit to you is inhuman, he said. The lesser punishment, life in prison, will assure jurors that Baptiste can never harm any member of the public again, he said. Ferguson, of Bangor, was originally from Philadelphia. He was 36 when he died on Feb. 23, 2017. Fergusons cousin and aunt testified Monday about how his loss has hurt their family. His aunt, Brendan Hinton, said Fergusons mother lost her husband a year or two ago and was too grief-stricken over her sons loss to attend court Monday. Her life is on hold at the moment, she said. Fergusons cousin, Iris Hinton, said the murder has left Fergusons 2-year-old daughter without any parents. The childs mother died of an overdose about a month after Fergusons death, she said. Monahan expects to call psychologist Frank Dattilio, mitigation expert Cynthia Hallock and friends and family of Baptiste to testify. Were here to determine whether Dekota Baptiste will live or die, Monahan told the jury. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Even if it were determined that Marcia Hausers death on May 4 could in any way be attributed to grave injuries she suffered June 6, 1986 -- when Martin Appel and Stanley Hertzog entered a bank in East Allen Township and killed three women and wounded two other people -- Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli wouldnt reopen the case against Appel, he said Monday. Appel is currently serving three life sentences for killing three bank employees and wounding a customer that day at the First National Bank of Bath. It was Hertzog who shot Hauser in the head, leg and wrist and left her for dead. Hertzog died in Oct. 3, 2017, from natural causes while serving his sentence in state prison, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections said Sunday. Even though Hertzog pulled the trigger, Appel could be held responsible since they were committing a felony in robbing the bank. Appel pleaded guilty to three counts of homicide, two counts of attempted homicide and various other charges, including robbery, in the case. With Hertzog dead and Appel serving out his time with no ability to appeal, there is no basis for us to proceed with an upgraded charge if a ruling tied Hausers death to the long-ago crime. And such a ruling isnt likely anyway. The Philadelphia Office of the Medical Examiner said it wasnt involved in any investigation of Hausers death at Wesley Enhanced Living at Stapeley in the city. Typically, a coroner or medical examiner would determine the cause and manner of a death in such a case and forward that information to the Northampton County District Attorneys Office for possible consideration of charges. That hasnt happened and the district attorney said he hasnt been told of any connection between the shooting and Hausers subsequent death. Marcias life was never the same after that terrible day, Morganelli said Sunday. Nevertheless, she continued on in life and I considered her a truly heroic person. The case is closed, Morganelli said Monday. I dont think it serves any public purpose to reopen it, he added. Reporter Pamela Sroka-Holzmann contributed to this post. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. al gore Former vice president Al Gore reviews his notes in the green room of Ebenezer Baptist Church prior to an interfaith service titled "A Moral Call to Action on the Climate Crisis," the culmination of the first day of his leadership training in Atlanta. For The Washington Post The recent opinion column by Lebanon Valley College professor Michael Schroeder (Climate illiteracy or worse promoted in Pa. Legislature, May 8) makes me ashamed and embarrassed to admit that I am an LVC alumnus, and again makes me question why I subscribe to this paper. Schroeder obviously has an opinion and agenda, and to use the fact that all of his students agree with him as evidence that Gregory Whitestones book (Inconvenient facts: The Science Al Gore Doesnt Want You to Know) should be ignored is nonsense. In todays educational environment, the pressure for good grades will restrain many students from challenging their professor and his opinions. Certainly freshman students are very likely to be easily persuaded and manipulated by their professor as they adjust to the collegiate life. Schroeder provides no evidence that Whitestones facts are wrong. In Schroeders view since the facts question the science of climate change, they must be wrong. While I will freely admit that I have not yet read Whitestones book, I will state that I personally know him, and have always found his opinions to be sincere with a sound foundation. I believe the truth about climate change to be somewhere in the middle, and I believe the best approach is a free and open discussion. To state that it is settled science is dishonest and corrupt, and to use the opinions of easily guided freshman college students to support ones proselytizing is inappropriate. Certainly this newspaper should know better. Alan Kull Oxford A woman found dead Saturday morning at the scene of a two-alarm blaze in Bethlehem had worked for more than three decades as a church secretary in Phillipsburg. Saint Philip and Saint James Catholic Church posted a message to its website over the weekend asking parishioners to please say a prayer for Cathy Steigerwalt and her family. Rev. John Barbella announced her death at weekend services. Confirmation from the Northampton County Coroner came late Monday afternoon: 55-year-old Steigerwalt had died of smoke inhalation at her 971 Wyandotte Street home. Her death was ruled an accident. She cared deeply about the people of this parish, and had a very good heart, Barbella said in a statement emailed by a diocesan representative. My biggest consolation at this time -- after our faith in the Resurrection -- is the number of people who have stepped up to offer their help and, more importantly, their prayers, at this time. My condolences and prayers go out particularly to Cathys family at this time, Barbella said. The cause of Saturdays blaze is under investigation. The fire department expects to release more information later in the week. Brian Diederich, a neighbor, described seeing black smoke pouring from the third story of the building. Diederich said was Steigerwalt was a nice lady" and known to feed stray cats in the neighborhood. Members of the Lehigh Valley County Animal Response Team were called in to remove any cats that might have been in the home. The Phillipsburg church will have a memorial service for Steigerwalt at 7 p.m. May 20 with a gathering afterward in Mercy Hall, according to the announcement on the churchs website. The funeral will be held privately at a later date, the church stated. EDITORS NOTE: The Northampton County coroner officially released the victims name and cause of death Monday afternoon. This post has been updated to include the new information. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A public protest has taken place in a Laois town against the impending move of a Post Office out of the town centre. Plans are advanced to move the Post Office in Mountmellick from its 114 year old home, to a SuperValu supermarket off the main street. See story on protest here. The move is to happen over the June bank holiday weekend, with work already underway on a unit that will be accessed from the supermarket as well as from Connolly Street. However local businesses and community groups are hoping to call a halt on it. "Our understanding is it is not over the line yet," one shopkeeper told the Leinster Express. Traders say the move could mean the closure of shops in the town centre, and it would mean a longer walk for elderly residents to collect their pensions. Shopkeepers, residents and concerned groups are planning to gather at 9am on Tuesday morning May 14 in O'Connell Square, with some politicians also attending. Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan shares their concerns and wants the Post Office to stay where it is in his home town. "I have a personal association with the Post office over many years from my childhood. I expressed concern to An Post. My preference is that it would remain where it's been for the past 100 years," he told the Leinster Express. However he said the government has no power to avert the move. "It's not an issue over which the government has any power," the Minister said. He understands that An Post and the Postmistress Thelma Graham are looking to have a more modern facility where there is footfall, and that the owner of the existing property has plans for it. However he said he would pursue the matter. "I asked An Post not to proceed until every opportunity around the square is pursued," Minister Flanagan said. 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. Sienna and I had visited the Martin Luther King Historic Site and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta for back in February. While we were there we picked up this inspiring set of graphic novels by Congressman John Lewis: March by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell Winner of the National Book Award for Young Peoples Literature. An inside story of the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of one of its most iconic figures, Congressman John Lewis. Sienna read all three books before we even made it home, and shes reread them so many times I knew we had to make it to Selma, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Montgomery and any other place we could stop along the way. My plan in Selma was to walk across the bridge and hopefully to see some art by Charlie Lucas. I dont like to make too many plans in advance because I like to let life just happen to us on our road trips and that exactly what happened on this trip. As we drove toward Selma at dusk one night I still didnt know where exactly we were going to stay. I got onto Instagram and looked up the only hashtag that made sense: #selmaalabama and I kept coming across this one account, AC Reeves, that was posting about the Woolworth Lofts that had been recently renovated as Airbnbs. I contacted AC about staying the night, and she just happened to have availability, but we also immediately hit it off as two passionate artists. I was floored when she asked if Id meet her in the morning so she could take me to visit her studio, Charlie Lucass studio and her mother Anne Strands studio. I mean.what?!!! Charlie Lucas, Tin Man AC only had an hour the next morning so we quickly made the rounds to her studio a few streets over (I cant believe I didnt take any photos!). Then we visited Charlie Lucass studio and he greeted us at the door with his dog TT. We toured the studio and I was just in awe of everything. Charlie and AC discussing what artists discuss: An hour or so later I returned to the studio with Brett and Sienna: TT followed Sienna around the whole time as we looked at art: And then they just settled down to discuss what girls and dogs discuss: What a sweet soul: I didnt want to leave without a piece of Charlies art. We picked out this piece called Key to the World: I asked Charlie if he could sign his book for us and he sat down at the table and proceeded to draw all sorts of pictures in the book with a Sharpieand as he did he told story after story: Sienna was really taken with the Tin Man. Shell never forget the few hours we spent with him. So of course we definitely have to go back sooner rather than later. I love this pic so much. Charlie likes dogs. And dogs like him. And we like dogs. So naturally we are just all great friends now. My favorite thing about meeting Charlie is his smile and his laugh. I find myself flipping through his book often because of all the honest wisdom in his words about being an artist. This passage below is one of my favorites and the first time I read it I almost started cryingbut then laughing all at the same time because its all so, so true: See, the things people dont understand about an artist, when the idea come in his head, it faces many other ideas. So the thing is, is to take that one out of the way. That way, the rest of em dont jump on it and go to fighting with it. And then that way you can keep it separated. Thats the discipline within yourself. You got to make sure yourself is disciplined to realize BOOM! I got to take this out right now. And then the next one come in there, he aint got no room to be arguing with this one over here. Because you done already took him out of the way anyway. And then that way, its more pressure, its more stronger and have more reasons to you. And it dont mess your mind up. Art will actually run you crazy if you dont understand the rhythm in it. The more you learn about it, the more education it expands you more out. It aint like it slows you down, it expands you more out. Every time I see something different, Im expanded. I know how to produce things but I dont know hot to actually keep up with them. [] I can put things in my head and take them out of my head, but I dont have no concept how to keep hp with them. You only get that flash moment of it and then something else moves right in its place. Its like walking up to the river watching the water flow by you and you cant just reach in there, say Im gonna get this section of water and put it back in the river, and then walk down the river ten miles and find that piece of water. You can never do that. Its never the same. It still will be water but it will never be the same. All of this is telling me that my mind is free. And it takes a lot to keep your mind free. From Pages 70-72 of Charlie Lucas The Bridge Tenders House Another surprise adventure in Selma was visiting artist Anne Strand in her studio which also happens to be the historic Bridge Tenders House. Its that cute little yellow cottage sitting on the edge of the Alabama river: The house was built in 1884 and the old bridge used to pass right next to it. The bridge tender would open the bridge when needed and also collect tolls. In 1940, this bridge was replaced with the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Anne Strand happens to be ACs mother and when we stopped by to meet her early in the morning I overheard a conversation that Anne needed some art brought over from the lofts for an upcoming show and I volunteered to do itI mean really, I would have opted for nothing else in the day! I brought Brett and Sienna back with me and we got the full cottage tour. I could have moved right in! Those stairs.. So many vignettes of awesome things around: Part of the art studio: The entire house is filled with Annes work as well as the best collections of antiques and finds: The plates and the baskets! I could barely contain myself. I love this beautiful floral painting by Anne: I mean I was trying to act normal but it was a little impossible to not try and peek into every nook and cranny: You know you want to see more and read more about this placeand you can! It was featured in the The Cottage Journal a few years ago. Read the article here. The Edmund Pettus Bridge Our afternoon in Selma was spent walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and at the Interpretative Center. We walked silently across, taking in the significance of the site of 1965s Bloody Sunday and March to Montgomery: It was important for us to visit the ground zero of the fight for voting rights, and the beginning of the historic march to Montgomery: Theres a great site for the entire U.S Civil Rights Trail that gives history and landmarks in 14 states that were part of the Civil Rights Movement. You can click here or click the image below: The Woolworth Lofts I have to show you where we stayed! The Woolworth Lofts. Heres what the old Selma Drug Store looked like around 1908 when it was built. In the 1930s the owners wanted to recruit Woolworths so they changed the facade: Heres the inside before it was renovated: And now its been renovated and the inside is so cute! Our welcome sign from AC: One of the loftshanging on the wall are original ceiling tins from the building before renovation: I just loved every little touchthe artwork: The old quilts: Collections on the walls: So many cute details everywhere I looked: Well remember our trip to Selma forever and I want to go back soon. It was funny, as we were leaving, we took a backroad and there was this guy sitting in the middle of the road but for as far as I could see there was no roadwork being doneand we were the only car in sight. We sat there for a few minutes before I wondered if we were on one of those What Would You Do? episodes. I finally got out to talk to this guy for a little bit and he assured me there actually WAS roadwork being done a few miles up the road on a bridge. I think we were supposed to just sit there for a while and reflect on our stay a little longer. Heres a link to Charlies book: Charlie Lucas, Tin Man by Ben Windham Charlie Lucas is a self-taught artist. Although he has made art since childhood, only since a debilitating accident in 1984 did Lucas turn to art seriously as a form of personal expression. He has since become recognized nationally and internationally as a great innovator in the field of American folk art. From his workshop in Pink Lily, Alabamaa rural wonderland of objects, sculptures, paintings, buildings, and installationsCharlie Lucas makes his art from materials that others have discarded (as he himself believes he was once discarded): old tin, bicycle wheels, shovels, car mufflers, tractor seats, metal banding, wire, and gears. His work is visionary, in every sense of the word, each creation the result of an intense communion with his heritage, ancestors, race, family, and his own choices in life. Every work is imbued with a story. With more than 200 vivid color photographsof the artist at work, his studio environments, and his finished creationsTin Man presents Lucas through his own words and storieshis troubled and impoverished childhood, his self-awakening to the depths of his own artistic vision, his perseverance through years of derision and misapprehension, and the salvation that has come through international acclaim and recognition, love of family, and his role as a teacher of children. Thank you AC Reeves, Charlie Lucas, Anne Strand and Selma, Alabama. A LIMERICK academic, who joined Mary Immaculate College in 2006 as a mature student, has launched his first publication, exploring the fortunes of a provincial family who came to prominence in the early nineteenth century. The Glynns of Kilrush, County Clare, 1811-1940: Family, business and politics, by MIC lecturer Dr Paul OBrien, examines the networking strategies and business acumen of the entrepreneurial family. Published by Four Courts Press, the book is available to purchase in bookstores and on-line. "The book addresses the issue of middle-class identity, examining the ways in which it was constructed and represented to the wider community, Dr OBrien said. It also explores the mechanisms used by the middle classes to establish and maintain their economic, social and cultural hegemony, and how these were reproduced down the Glynn generations." Launching the publication, Professor David Dickson of Trinity College Dublin said: "The social history of Irish business families has rarely been attempted, but Paul O'Brien has done just that. He has given us a most revealing study of the Glynns, the merchant princes of Kilrush, and he has done full justice to the superb family archive on which this handsome book is based." Dr O'Brien, who was a research fellow at the Irish College, Paris in 2016, first joined MIC as a mature student on the Liberal Arts programme in 2006, studying History and Philosophy. "The quality of teaching and supervision which I received during the course of my undergraduate degree inspired my decision to continue my studies in History to postgraduate level," he said. Dr O'Brien, who is a recipient of the Military Heritage Trust of Ireland award for his research into recruitment practices during the First World War, received his doctorate from the Department of History at Mary Immaculate College in 2016 under the supervision of Dr Maura Cronin. This publication is a monograph based on his PhD thesis for which he was given access to the Glynn family archive, c.1790-1980. THE co-leader of the Social Democrats, who chaired the committee that produced the Slaintecare report for health reform, has described the announcement of a review into Limericks hospital overcrowding as long fingering the issues. Co-leaders of the Social Democrats Roisin Shortall and Catherine Murphy visited University Hospital Limerick with local election candidates Sarah Jane Hennelly, Limerick City East, and Kieran Walsh, Limerick City North, on a recent trip to Limerick. When asked about the enhanced expert review, announced by Health Minister Simon Harris, Deputy Shortall said: That to me sounds very much like long fingering the issues here. For several years now, UHL has been complaining about the lack of capacity, both in terms of beds and in terms of staff capacity. They have been making this complaint consistently and it seems the Government has not been listening. Deputy Shortall said, with a population that is both growing and aging there arent sufficient beds at UHL. There aren't enough acute hospital beds, ICU beds or step down beds. The Health Minister is responding very late in the day, by promising a review. All of this data is available, its collected periodically by the HSE so they have known for a long time that there are serious capacity problems here and the Government hasnt responded to them. Deputy Murphy said: You can have an advanced review and we can probably estimate that one of the findings of that will be that there is a need for more beds. We can predict that at this stage from the information that is already available. It was very important for the team and I to bring Roisin and Catherine to UHL, Sarah Jane Hennelly said. Roisin has an unparalleled track-record of leading on health service reform and we are all very proud of that. I felt her political leadership and expertise in health would add weight and insight to the ongoing campaign for UHL reform. Promises of investigations three weeks out from a local election we should be very sceptical of that. We might think the issues in UHL are far too serious for such political insincerity, but the broken promises we have seen in recent times tell us otherwise, she added. TRIBUTES were paid today to the Limerickman who died while climbing on Carrauntoohil over the weekend. Ger Duffy, 58, originally from St Josephs Street in Limerick City had been living Clonlara, County Clare for the past 10 years. The father-of-three was an avid motorcycle enthusiast, and had a passion for mountaineering. He died from the fall at around midday. Kerry Mountain Rescue was involved in the recovery of his body. The Rescue 115 helicopter, which flew from Shannon, was unable to land due to the rough terrain and instead ferried a number of people to the scene who were then followed by around 20 volunteers on foot. Cllr John Costello, who was a childhood neighbour and friend of Mr Duffy, offered his condolences to the Duffy family. Ger was like a father figure to a lot of the younger kids in the area. He loved bikes, and always gave great advice. He was a real character, really well liked and was from a lovely family, Cllr Costelloe said. He will be sadly missed, he was really one of the good guys., he added. Mr Duffy was an experienced hill walking and mountain climbing. He had only recently returned from three week-long motorbike trip to Cambodia. A friend of Mr Duffys spoke his love for motorbikes and mountain climbing. If a person gets killed biking then they were doing what they loved doing and they died happy, making it easier to accept. Ger loved climbing and was following his passion to explore the terrain, they said. Mr Duffy will be deeply regretted by his loving wife Carmel (nee Madden) and his children Siobhan, Aisling and Gavin. He will be deeply missed by his mother Bernie, sisters Miriam, Ruth, Helen, Tessa, Maggie and Rachel (Derryfadda), sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours, and his many friends. His reposing will take place at his residence (EirCode V94 EKF1) this Tuesday evening May 14, from 5pm to 8pm. The Funeral Mass will take place at St Senans Church, Clonlara on Wednesday 15 at 11:30am with burial afterwards in Teampaill Cemetery. Donations, if desired, to Kerry Mountain Rescue. A COMPANY which is set to create 125 new jobs in the city has said it is regrettable that there is a fresh objection to its 35m plan. And there are now fears that Nautilus will simply go elsewhere. As exclusively revealed by the Leader, the Californian firm is proposing to construct a floating data centre at Limericks docklands. But a group of other companies in the area have appealed against Limerick City and County Councils decision to grant permission for the scheme to An Bord Pleanala, a move which the company says is regrettable and will substantially delay the plans. Businessman and Fianna Fail councillor Jerry ODea said he would fear the firm scrapping its proposals for Limerick, while a business source warned: This could be another Apple. They were referring to the decision by the technology giant to cancel a plan to build an 850m data centre at Athenry in Co Galway, after objections. The proposed floating data centre could service a number of small to medium sized firm, or a single firm, with facilities like these in big demand among technology community. In a statement, Nautilus president James L Connaughton said: The main issue raised in the appeal is whether there are capacity of constraints at Limerick Docklands Currently, just 18% is used, leaving ample room for new business. We believe Nautilus should have the same ability as any other port user to licence available berth space for a vessel. Our operations will provide innovative technology and new revenues which will help modernist port infrastructure and sustain port operations over the long term, he added. Shannon Foynes Port Company, which has submitted the application, said in a statement any concerns about port capacity are unfounded. Cllr ODea added: This project is standing out as one which is very worthwhile, and id be disappointed if people cannot see the bigger picture. Keynote speaker at the Globacom-sponsored Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance Lecture, Professor Ayodele Olukotun (2nd left), Globacoms representative at the Lecture, Mr. Folu Aderibigbe (1stleft), with the panel discussants, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu and Mrs Olukotun, at the event held in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, on Friday. Adenuga, others harp on grassroots governance at Awujale lecture Globacom Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., and the current Chair of the Oba Adetona Professorial Chair of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Professor Ayo Olukotun, have thrown their weight behind the need for effective local government administration as an antidote to Nigeria's underdevelopment. In a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by Mr. Folu Aderibigbe, at the 3rd Annual Oba Adetona Professorial Chair Lecture, Dr. Adenuga said that Nigeria needed to adopt the right approach to leadership at the grassroots, adding that "if we get it right at the local government level, we would get it right at the top as all politics is local". He recommended the inculcation of the noble values of honesty, hard work, integrity, probity and good character enshrined in the "Omoluabi paradigm" for the entrenchment of good governance in the country. "Omoluabi" is a cultural concept of the Yoruba people used to describe a person of diligence and integrity. Also speaking on the theme "Grassroots Governance, the soft underbelly of Nigeria's political architecture", Professor Olukotun who delivered the lecture on Friday, submitted that local governments in the country had failed and should be replaced because of the manifest development gaps in the country. He challenged Nigerians to provide redemptive alternatives to what is currently in existence. Globacoms representative at the Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance Lecture, Mr. Folu Aderibigbe (middle), with the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, and Awujales wife, Olori Kemi Adetana, at the 3rd Annual Professorial Chair in Governance Lecture sponsored in honour of the Awujale by digital transformation leader, Globacom, in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, on Friday. The lecture was held in Ijebu Ode on Friday to commemorate the 85th birthday of the Paramount Ruler of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona. In a keynote remark, Oba Adetona who was also marking his 59th year as King thanked God, the people of Ijebuland and Globacom for the huge support that had birthed great development and progress in his domain. He prayed especially for long life, good health and continuous progress for Dr Adenuga who sponsored the lecture. In his remarks, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Professorial Chair, Mr. Olatunji Ayanlaja, recalled that the first lecture delivered by Professor Akin Mabogunje in 2016 x-rayed the role of money in politics. Ayanlaja announced that Oba Adetona had created a N1 Billion Trust Fund of his personal money for the maintenance of the Awujale's Palace in perpetuity. He added that the official residence and the office of the Chair of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona Professorial Chair on Good Governance at the Olabisi Onabanjo University would be ready for commissioning in three months. A purported audio tape of Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele, discussing how himself and some of his senior executives would cover up a N500 billion allegedly stolen from the apex bank, has surfaced online. Sahara Reporters shared the audio tape online with claims that Emefiele and his Deputy Edward Lametek Adamu alongside the Director for Finance in the apex bank, Dayo M. Arowosegbe as well as one of the Special Advisers to the CBN Governor, Emmanuel Ukeje, were discussing on how to cover up the loss of over N500billion stolen from the CBN in a private investment that flopped. Below is how Sahara Reporters shared the story Two authentic telephone audio tapes exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters reveal how the governor and top officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria haggled over plots to conceal the loss of huge sums of monies in a Dubai investment according to sources at the bank. Emefiele is heard saying in the audio to the deputy governor Adamu: "To avoid any serious problem is just, the government to have to agree to give us at least 100 billion cash but the government will not agree.They will kick against it". Expressing fear over what the opposition will say about the loss of the money which will slip Nigeria into hard times, the CBN governor can be heard in the audio saying: "How do I handle this? to which the deputy governor replied "we have to rack our brain and do something out because we cant afford it at all, not at this time. Emefiele replies "the implication for the economy is, no no, no". "The opposition will say it should have depreciated in the project. The tapes revealed how the top officials managing Nigeria's central bank connived and conspired to cover up financial fraud which has affected the Nigerian economy. Mr. Emefiele a former Managing Director of Zenith Bank of Nigeria was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan to head the CBN in June 2014. Since assuming the governorship of the Central Bank taking over from now embattled Emor of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, it has been reported that the Central bank Governor has engaged in a series financial scams including foreign currency manipulation, money laundering and roundtripping to favor a group of politically exposed persons close to President Muhammadu Buhari. He was the governor of the Central Bank when Nigeria slipped into the worse recession in 29 years. Last week, Mr. Emefiele was renominated for a five-year tenure by President Buhari. These audio clips show Emefiele discussing extensively with top officials of the bank to conceal the loss made with the shareholders' funds from commercial banks, the monies were reportedly diverted to invest in Dubai to the tune of N500 Billion sometimes towards the end of 2018 and they reportedly lost that investment. Emefiele repeatedly lamented the hopelessness of a way out of the problem: "I'll have to think of a way out because we cannot afford it at all. "The implications are just too many to even think about and damaging. We cannot allow this like this, we cannot" he said. In the discussions captured on tape, top financial officers at the CBN blamed one Arowosegbe and at several points contemplated cooking up the books, discarding several ideas. At some point in the conversation, they plotted to ask the federal government for the shortfall through the Ministry of Finance but decided against it to limit outside exposure. As the conversation went on they didn't know what to do to avoid a negative balance sheet for the shareholders' fund entrusted to the apex bank. SaharaReporters sources at the CBN say Mr. Emefiele and others in the bank eventually found a way out of their dilemma by diverting funds in possession of the CBN and also printing hard cold cash. An extinct bird has seemingly resurfaced 30,000 years after it became extinct. The flightless bird was rendered extinct thousands of years ago when its home island became flooded by the sea. But it recently appeared on an island. British researchers from the University of Portsmouth and the Natural History Museum found that the bird reappeared through evolution after a 30,000 year gap. They found the species of rail successfully colonised an isolated atoll called Aldabra in the Indian Ocean on two occasions separated by tens of thousands of years. And on both occasions, the white-throated rail indigenous to Madagascar evolved completely independently to become flightless, Metro reports. The last surviving colony of the flightless rails is still found on the island. A University of Portsmouth spokesman said: "This is the first time that iterative evolution the repeated evolution of similar or parallel structures from the same ancestor but at different times has been seen in rails and one of the most significant in bird records." He explained that the rail species are persistent colonisers that would migrate from Madagascar during frequent population explosions. One group colonised the Aldabra atoll and because of the lack of predators, like the dodo of Mauritius, they evolved in a way that they lost the ability to fly. He explained: "Aldabra disappeared when it was completely covered by the sea during a major inundation event around 136,000 years ago, wiping out all fauna and flora including the flightless rail. "The researchers studied fossil evidence from 100,000 years ago when the sea-levels fell during the subsequent ice age and the atoll was recolonised by flightless rails. The researchers compared the bones of a fossilised rail from before the inundation event with bones from a rail after the inundation event. They found that the wing bone showed an advanced state of flightlessness and the ankle bones showed distinct properties that it was evolving toward flightlessness. This means that one species from Madagascar gave rise to two different species of flightless rail on Aldabra in the space of a few thousand years." Dr Julian Hume, avian paleontologist at the Natural History Museum, said: "These unique fossils provide irrefutable evidence that a member of the rail family colonised the atoll, most likely from Madagascar, and became flightless independently on each occasion. Fossil evidence presented here is unique for rails, and epitomises the ability of these birds to successfully colonise isolated islands and evolve flightlessness on multiple occasions." Co-author of the study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Professor David Martill from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Portsmouth, said: We know of no other example in rails, or of birds in general, that demonstrates this phenomenon so evidently. Only on Aldabra, which has the oldest palaeontological record of any oceanic island within the Indian Ocean region, is fossil evidence available that demonstrates the effects of changing sea levels on extinction and recolonisation events. "Conditions were such on Aldabra, the most important being the absence of terrestrial predators and competing mammals, that a rail was able to evolve flightlessness independently on each occasion." Credit: Metro UK. Unknown gunmen have killed six people including a Catholic priest as Mass was being celebrated in a church located in Dablo, northern Burkina Faso. According to a government statement, the worshippers were attending morning mass when at least 20 men surrounded them and shot six dead. "These terrorist groups are now attacking religion with the macabre aim of dividing us," the statement said. "Towards 9 a.m. during mass, armed individuals burst into the Catholic Church," the mayor of Dablo, Ousmane Zongo said. "They started firing as the congregation tried to flee." The attackers then burned down the church, a shop, two vehicles, and also looted a health centre. No one has claimed responsibility for the church attack, but fighters affiliated to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as the local Ansarul Islam, have been active in the region, according to BBC. Last month, attackers targeted a Protestant church in the town of Silgadji, killing at least six people and earlier in April, four people died when a Catholic church was attacked in a nearby village, the bishop of Dori in northern Burkina Faso told Vatican news agency Fides. An Afghan journalist and political advisor, Mena Mangal, who was vocal about womens rights in the country, has been shot dead in broad daylight, just days after saying she believed her life was in danger. Mena Mangal was shot dead on Saturday morning in a public place while she was on her way to work in the capital city of Kabul. Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman for the interior ministry, said one or possibly more assailants had escaped the scene but no one has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack and police say it is not yet clear whether the murder was a terror attack or an attack from someone Ms Mangal knew. Womens rights activists have expressed grief and anger that Ms Mangal was not better protected by authorities despite making her fears clear. This woman had already shared that her life was in danger. Why did nothing happen? We need answers, Wazhma Frogh, an Afghan human rights lawyer and womens rights campaigner said in a post on Twitter. Frogh said Mangal had recently posted on Facebook that she feared for her life and was receiving threats. Mangal was a highly regarded former journalist who had worked at Tolo TV, the largest private broadcaster in Afghanistan, as well as Shamshad and Lemar television stations. She had also recently become a cultural adviser to the lower chamber of Afghanistans national parliament. Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar, the two Nigerians who were wrongly arrested in Saudi Arabia for drug trafficking have arrived in Nigeria. They arrived Nigeria today Monday May 13th and were received by delegates of the Nigerian government and their parents. The two were accused of trafficking tramadol, a banned substance, into Saudi Arabia, an offence that is punishable by death in the country. However, an investigation by the Nigerian government revealed that a drug cartel that specializes in planting hard drugs in the luggages of unsuspecting travelers, was behind their travail. After much oucry from Nigerians and with the intervention of President Buhari, Aliyu and Abubakar were released to Garba Satomi Grema, the acting Consul-General, Nigerian Consulate, on May 2nd. Whats so special about Panipat or Noida, or some parts of Punjab? For some it is home, for others these may be places they pass through, the same old crowded roads with slow moving haphazard traffic, the livestock on the roads. Still others may place them vaguely in north India. Others couldnt care less. But there is something about these places, and several others across India, that is throwing up red flag after red flag. Take the case of Panipat. Some life insurance firms subject proposals for this (and many other identified cities and districts) with extra care when issuing policies. Say the word Indore and the capital market regulator sits up to notice investment advisor activity with greater scrutiny. Even as the financialisation of Indian household savings is slow and spasmodic, the great Indian minds have figured out ways to defraud both clients and firms. Retail investors have traditionally been at the receiving end of fraudulent sales and products, but with insurance, the fraud comes against the insurance firms themselves. Both life insurance and distribution firms I spoke to break down life insurance frauds into two categories. One, the Robin Hood fraud. This has the local mastermind who is in cahoots with a cancer (or any other disease that kills) patient, his family, the local doctor and the police. A term life insurance policy, usually for 30-50 lakh is bought from three or four life insurance firms each. The premium is a few thousand rupees. The cancer patient dies. The death is shown as an accident, the cancer is undisclosed. The insurance money is collected and shared across all the participants. Robin Hoodbecause rich insurance firms paid up to all the poor guysat least thats what the fraudsters tell themselves. Two, the Bahu Bali fraud. Dont read this as baahubali, the strong man, read this as daughter-in-law or wife and sacrificebahu ki baliwhere bali is sacrifice. Several high-value policies are bought for the housewife. She dies in a year. Large life insurance payout collected across the various policies bought. Of course, she doesnt die" but is killed. In a mofussil Indian patriarchal town, who raises an eyebrow at another dowry death? The juicy internal rate of return on a term insurance policy of a thousand or two thousand times is triggering fraud and crime. Buy a term cover for 10,000 and collect over a crore in a few months. Underwriting, or the due diligence done by the insurance firm at the time of policy issuance, is clearly the weak link, but there are other parts of the system that are not working as well. Insurers speak of the huge damage done by the withdrawal of Aadhaar as the biometric identifier of the life assured. When the courts ruled in favour of privacy, they may have opened the door to insurance fraud a bit wider. Insurers are trying to use big data, data sharing and patterns to identify and curb such frauds. When a certain city has an unusually high claims being filed, or when a married woman with limited income becomes the life assured for a high-value policy, or when the agents seem to bring clients who seem to die quickly, the bells of fraud begin to ring for the firms. While the return on investment is the highest in a term life plan for the fraudsters, medical insurance too comes close. The medical insurance fraud again has the whole system participating in procedures that did not happen, in stents that were never put, in medical bills that are fully forged. Not just the insurance firms, the Ayushman Bharat Scheme too is battling this fraud. While firms are being defrauded in insurance, is it the customers who are being cheated by some investment advisors according to the capital market regulator. Its March order against Indore-based Zoid Research (bit.ly/2Juzm0x and bit.ly/2WCErYC) finds a stock market product that promises assured returns to clients and money extraction from clients once they are hooked by the deal offered. Fraud is bad for the entire system. It causes people to lose trust, encourages crime and makes products more expensive for genuine investors. Regulators need to set aside their turf issues and invest in a joint big data venture that will work to identify and catch this fraud. There needs to be far better co-ordination so that data is shared and metrics developed to catch this fraud. Courts need to take another look at the use of Aadhaar in the financial sector. In a country the size (both geographically and population wise) of India, a biometric identifier is a key piece in the anti-fraud measures that regulators and firms can take. Monika Halan is consulting editor at Mint and writes on household finance, policy and regulation Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics A man in eastern China recently visited a hospital with complaints of "a crawling sensation" in his right ear. Upon examination, the doctor found a spider that had really made itself at home. The tiny arachnid had spun a web that covered the patient's entire ear canal. Dr. Zhang Pan of the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University treated the man, inserting an endoscope into his ear and capturing footage of the eight-legged intruder, which was shared online by Newsflare on May 8. [27 Oddest Medical Cases] The video shows a tube descending deep into the man's ear, revealing a small spider squatting very comfortably near the tympanic membrane, or eardrum. Wispy, pale filaments of its web are visible nearby though it did not appear to have caught anything yet. Zhang told The Sun that the spider was so small he couldn't see it until he inserted the endoscope. He first tried to snatch the spider from the ear canal with a pair of tweezers, but it escaped him; Zhang then successfully flushed the spider out with a squirt of saline, The Sun reported. Cases of spiders and insects taking up residence inside people's ears are rare though, perhaps not rare enough. A boy from Connecticut who complained of a buzzing in his ear was recently found to have a tick latched to his eardrum. In Florida last year, a woman awoke from a sound sleep to discover a cockroach had invaded her ear. And in 2017, a man in China who suffered from severe ear pain found that it had a very unlikely source: a live gecko albeit a very, very small one that was curled up in his ear canal. Because the patient with the spider in his ear sought treatment so quickly, there was no damage to his eardrum, Zhang told The Sun. However, the fate of the spider after its removal remains unknown, The Sun reported. Originally published on Live Science. A hidden vault filled with dirt and adorned with vivid paintings such as a centaur, a sphinx and an attacking panther has been discovered in the ruins of Emperor Nero's ancient Roman palace. Archaeologists have discovered a hidden vault in the ruins of Roman Emperor Nero's sprawling palace, hidden under the hills near Rome's ancient Colosseum. According to a statement (translated from Italian) from the Colosseum archeological park, which includes the palace's ruins, the chamber has sat hidden for nearly 2,000 years, likely dating to between A.D. 65 and A.D. 68. The chamber, nicknamed the Sphinx Room, is richly adorned with murals of real and mythical creatures including you guessed it a sphinx. Painted in rich red, green and yellow pigments that have survived the last two millennia incredibly well, the vaulted room is also decorated with images of a centaur, the goat-rumped god Pan, myriad plant and water ornaments, and a scene of a sword-wielding man being attacked by a panther. [Was Emperor Nero's Evil Reputation 'Fake News'?] According to the statement, the Sphinx Room was discovered accidentally, while researchers were setting up to restore a nearby chamber. The room's curved ceilings are 15 feet (4.5 meters) high, and much of the room is still filled in with dirt. Nero began constructing his massive palace known as the Domus Aurea, or "golden house" in A.D. 64, after a devastating, six-day-long fire reduced two-thirds of Rome to ashes. That researchers are still uncovering new rooms in the Domus Aurea after hundreds of years of excavation (the ruins were first rediscovered in the 15th century) is no surprise. In its prime, the palace sprawled over four of Rome's famous seven hills, and is believed to have included at least 300 rooms. Thanks, in part, to his narcissistic construction project, Nero's reputation suffered in the eyes of history, and he is remembered today as a power-mad despot. Following Nero's suicide in A.D. 68, much of his palace was looted, filled with earth, and built over. One of the palace's central features, a large manmade lake, was eventually covered up by the Flavian Amphitheater better known as the Roman Colosseum in A.D. 70. Thanks to the lake's infrastructure, the bottom of the Colosseum was occasionally flooded to wage mock naval battles, bringing glory to the mad emperor's successors. Originally published on Live Science. The submersible reaches the bottom of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. Explorer and businessman Victor Vescovo descended 35,853 feet (10,927 meters) into the Pacific Ocean, breaking the record for deepest dive ever. At the very bottom, he found colorful rocky structures, weird critters and the ever-pervasive mark of humankind plastic. Until now, only two people have successfully made it to the bottom of Challenger Deep, the planet's deepest point at the southern end of the Mariana Trench. Back in 1960, oceanographer Don Walsh was the first to make it down to the trench successfully, reaching about 35,814 feet (10,916 m). He took the journey with Swiss oceanographer and engineer Jacques Piccard. [In Photos: James Cameron's Epic Dive to Challenger Deep] Over 50 years later, Canadian explorer and filmmaker (writer and director of movies such as "Avatar" and the "Titanic") James Cameron took the first solo dive and reached a depth of 35,787 feet (10,908 m). In the recent dive, Walsh accompanied a team up above on the ship, as Vescovo descended alone in a submersible called the DSV Limiting Factor. It took 3.5 to 4 hours to reach the record-breaking depth a flat, beige basin covered with a thick layer of silt. The team launches the submersible, DSV Limiting Factor (Image credit: Tamara Stubbs) From inside the submersible designed to withstand extreme pressures, he spent hours observing and documenting the quiet, dark alien world. It was chilly; it was quiet; and "it was so very peaceful," he told Live Science. "I was surrounded by enormous pressure, but I was safely cocooned in my technological bubble." The pressure at that depth is about 16,000 pounds per square inch, over a thousand times more than the pressure at sea level. After Vescovo's record-breaking dive, other team members took four other subsequent dives to the trench. In the depths, during those five dives, they discovered red and yellow rocky outcrops that could be chemical deposits or bacterial mats, which are made by chemosynthetic microbes, meaning they can convert carbon-containing molecules into organic matter. They also observed a variety of critters. "There were some small, translucent animals," gently moving about, Vescovo said. They saw arrowtooth eels at 9,843 feet (3,000 m) and a wriggly little spoon worm (Echuria) at 22,966 feet (7,000 m). At 26,247 feet (8,000 m), they observed Mariana snailfish and supergiant amphipods (Alicella species) creatures about 20 times larger than typical amphipods. The team also found what they think are four new species of amphipods, or shell-less crustaceans. They found one 8,530 feet (2,600 m) below the surface, one 14,600 feet (4,450 m) and two at the deepest point they reached. At the deepest point, they were accompanied by some transparent bottom-dwelling sea cucumbers (Holothurians) and an amphipod called the Hirondellia gigas. Because on previous missions these amphipods have been found to have microplastics in their guts, the team collected samples to test how much. Sitting there in the deepest point of the planet, Vescovo also came across a plastic bag and candy wrappers. A robotic lander photographs anthropods and the submersible in the Mariana Trench. (Image credit: Atlantic Productions for Discovery Channel) After spending hours crisscrossing the bottom of the Challenger Deep, collecting video evidence of different wildlife, geological formations and man-made objects, Vescovo stopped for a second. "Honestly, toward the end, I simply turned the thrusters off, leaned back in the cockpit and enjoyed a tuna fish sandwich while I very slowly drifted just above the bottom of the deepest place on Earth, enjoying the view and appreciating what the team had done technically," Vescovo said. "It was a very happy, peaceful moment for me." Don Walsh (left) and Victor Vescovo (right) aboard the ship, DSSV Pressure Drop. (Image credit: ReeveJolliffe) In the months leading up to this dive, the explorer reached the deepest points of the Atlantic, Southern and Indian oceans as part of the Five Deeps Expedition, which aims to reach the bottom of every ocean on the planet. The expedition is being filmed for "Deep Planet," a documentary series that will air on the Discovery Channel later this year. The submersible returns from the depths of the Mariana Trench, is pulled up onto the ship, the DSSV Pressure Drop. (Image credit: ReeveJolliffe) Originally published on Live Science. The Apology by Eve Ensler Bloomsbury. 128 pp. $22. --- When Eve Ensler was 5, her father started sexually abusing her at night while she lay in bed. As she grew older, he began beating her. She developed strange infections, suffered night terrors and began drinking. Eventually, she broke away, and in 1996 she wrote "The Vagina Monologues," one of the most celebrated plays of the 20th century. But before that, her father did everything he could to undermine her, humiliate her, poison her. Although Ensler knew he never would, she waited for him to say he was sorry. Even after he died, she kept waiting. Until now. "The Apology" contains the words that Ensler needed to hear her father say. It's a slim book of unbearable heft. The text is presented as a letter written by her father from a kind of void beyond the grave, "floating, unmoored, spinning." He candidly describes the atrocities he committed, he confesses the weakness that made him so cruel, and he acknowledges the damage he wrought on her tender mind and body. "The Apology" is not a creation of psychological realism so much as an act of therapeutic imagination. For Ensler, now 65, writing out these sentences brought freedom - finally. Talking to me from her home in New York, she breaks down briefly as she tries to describe just how different the world suddenly feels. "I don't even know what this place is going to be now," she says, her tears turning to laughter. "My heart feels so open in a way it hasn't been able to be open. It's like driving a new car - I don't know how to drive this car!" Ensler had been trapped in an internal dialogue with her father every day for decades. Then, in one intense four-month period, she wrote morning and night until the book was done. "It takes so long to get to a place where you can open yourself to feel what your perpetrator feels," she says, "and to know what they've been through, to know who they are because it's so much easier and less painful to cast them as a kind of monolithic monster." As difficult as "The Apology" is to read, it was infinitely harder to write. "I didn't want to climb into my father," Ensler admits. "I didn't want to know what was inside my father. It was too painful." That process involved thinking deeply about the way her abuser was raised and acculturated in what she calls the "rape paradigm." His own parents, following the brutal child-rearing advice of a popular German physician, were severe and unaffectionate. Her father was taught to be strong and proud, charming rather than loving. Any expressions of vulnerability or regret were signs of weakness to be repressed in himself, scorned in others. But Ensler isn't letting her father - or any abuser - off the hook. "I needed to understand what led my father to do what he did in order to make sense of it," she says. "I didn't feel like it was justification. I felt like it was explanation." "The Apology" may be a very personal act of therapeutic recovery for the author, but Ensler also offers it as model for others. Most abused women, after all, will never hear an expression of sorrow from their tormentors. Ensler hopes victims can experience a degree of healing by writing the letter they need to hear. That process is already in use at City of Joy, a women's center Ensler founded in the Congo. "We can actually shift the way those predators live inside us," she says, "and move them inside us from a monster to an apologist." But she has a very different audience in mind for "The Apology," too: men. A couple of years into the #MeToo era, she's yet to hear what she thinks needs to be said. "We've told our stories. We've broken the silence. A few men have lost their jobs (but seem to be getting them back fairly quickly). Some have gone to prison. But I really haven't heard one man make a true, thorough, public accounting: an apology for what he's done, reflecting any self-interrogation, reflecting that he went back into therapy or worked with his clergy or looked into himself to figure out what the seeds of this are." For those men - the famous and the unknown - "The Apology" is a blueprint of contrition. It's surprising for one of America's most famous playwrights to turn to prose instead of drama, but Ensler says she needed the isolation of a book to get her story down. Someday, though, she'd like to see it performed as a monologue on the stage. The audiobook version of "The Apology" moves in that direction (sample). Ensler has vowed never to read publicly from the book, so it's narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, who won the Audie Award for best male narrator earlier this year. He found the process of inhabiting the mind of Ensler's father devastating. At points, he couldn't help weeping as he read. Next week, Ensler will be talking about "The Apology" with Glenn Close at the 92nd Street Y in New York; James Naughton will read passages from the book. "I think many people will pay money to come hear a man make an apology, seeing that we've never heard it before," she says with a rueful laugh. "It's like a foreign language." UPDATE: Lucas Sierra was a 17-year-old Hispanic boy who died May 12 from multiple gunshot wounds at 1403 Cypress Creek Parkway, Houston. ORIGINAL STORY: A security guard at a Walgreens on FM 1960 opened fire on two armed, masked teens who were preparing to enter the store, critically wounding one of them. He later died at the hospital. The double shooting happened around midnight Saturday at the Walgreens at FM 1960 and Ella Boulevard in northeast Harris County, just west of Interstate 45. Lt. L.R. Rush of the Harris County Sheriff's Office told Metro Video that two cousins, ages 18 and 16, approached the store in what authorities believe was a planned robbery. They did not see the security guard, who came from around the corner and approached the pair. He told them to stop, at which time one of the armed men pulled a gun from his waist band and pointed it at the guard. STAY INFORMED: Get all the news you need to know to start your day, delivered to your inbox The guard pulled his gun and opened fire on both. The security guard "engaged them at this point and verbally ordered them to put their guns down," Rush said. "The one with the gun pointed at him and he let fly. He took both of them down." The 16-year-old, who allegedly pulled his gun, was shot multiple times and transported to the hospital in critical condition. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez later tweeted that he had been "confirmed deceased" at the hospital. The 18-year-old was shot in the calf and tried to run. Rush, who happened to be in the vicinity, responded to the scene and apprehended the second suspect. HPD INVESTIGATIONS: Bail set at $1 million for Maleah Davis' stepfather "I just advised him, 'Don't move,'" Rush said of the man, who was transported to the hospital in stable condition. He was facing an aggravated robbery charge, Gonzalez tweeted. It does not appear that the teens fired any shots, and the security guard was not injured. "As far as I can tell, the security guard did an excellent job," Rush told Metro Video. He said investigators will review store surveillance tapes. They are also looking into whether the two are linked to other robberies in the area. A new New York Warrior Promise Wall exhibit will commemorate the servicemen and women from the Capital Region and elsewhere in the state who redeployed home but later succumbed to suicide. The wall will be unveiled as a supplement to a traveling exhibit at the Times Union Center in Albany. That exhibit will be part of Remembering Our Fallen, a photographic war memorial that commemorates military personnel from New York state who were killed during the war on terror from Sept. 11, 2001, to the present. The Albany County Veterans Service Bureau is bringing the exhibit, which includes the photographs of the 306 servicemen and women from New York state who were killed in combat. The Promise Wall will be unveiled for the first time to families of the fallen. The following are being commemorated in the Promise Wall exhibit: Air National Guard Sgt. Kristie A. Roberts; Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert F. Vedder Jr.; Army Sgt. Elijah P. Willette; Army Sgt. Nathan M. Higginbotham; Army Sgt. James R. Morrison; Army Sgt. Raymond Warlikowski Jr. Their portraits are accompanied by written narratives. Both exhibits will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, at the entrance of the third level of the parking garage at the Times Union Center in Albany. Also included in the exhibits will be photos depicting the terrible effects on our servicemen and women brought on by serving in combat. The names of the fallen will be spoken. Unlike brick-and-mortar memorials, Remembering Our Fallen is designed to travel and includes both military and personal photos. Remembering Our Fallen was created in 2010 by Bill and Evonne Williams of Patriotic Productions, a nonprofit organization in Nebraska. The creators say their objectives are "to honor the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, to provide comfort to friends and family of the fallen, while reminding others of the tremendous cost paid by some. Its legacy will be that these men and women will be remembered and their names will be spoken, while helping to lessen the grief of their families." The inspiration for the project came after reading a story in the Omaha World-Herald in 2010, about a father whose pain and grief were even greater four years after his son, Sgt. Joshua Ford, had died in Iraq. Why? Because he felt that his son had been forgotten and the war was not even over yet. After the traveling Remembering Our Fallen wall was exhibited in locations throughout the country, it was placed into storage. But Laurene Allen Sandstrom of Monroe, Orange County, took the New York state part of the exhibit out of storage in 2016, and that part has been on display in various cities across the state since then. Allen Sandstrom is the sister of a New York Army National Guard soldier, 1st Lt. Louis Allen, who was killed in the Iraq war. Allen Sandstrom and Justine Crowley-Duncan of Latham supplemented the New York Warrior Promise Wall to the Remembering Our Fallen memorial. Documenting veterans William Willette of Queensbury, a Patriot Images photographer, will return for an Art4Vets session from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, at the Zaloga American Legion Post, Everett Road, Colonie. Willette, an Air Force veteran of the Iraq war, is photographing veterans for display in Faces of Veterans exhibits. Veterans are welcome to have their photos taken for Faces of Veterans. For information, contact Penny Deere at (607) 437-1732 or email her at pennylee56@yahoo.com and register at https://www.patriotimages.org/Faces-of-Veterans/Albany-County. National Poppy Day National Poppy Day is Friday, May 24, according to Kim Quick, a spokeswoman for the Department of New York American Legion Auxiliary. The American Legion had asked Congress to designate the Friday before Memorial Day as National Poppy Day. "Now the American Legion Auxiliary asks that everyone wear a red poppy to honor the fallen and support the living who have worn our nation's uniform," Quick says. "We ask that Memorial Day weekend not be the unofficial beginning of summer, but time to remember those who have given their lives in the cause of justice, freedom, and democracy." The poppy is a nationally recognized symbol of sacrifice worn by Americans since World War I to honor those who served and died for our country in all wars, she adds. "It reminds us of the sacrifices made by our veterans while protecting our freedoms. National Poppy Day is a strong renewal of our nation's commitment to a powerful reminder of the cost of our freedom." The red poppy became the symbol of the blood shed during battle following the publication of the poem "In Flanders Fields," written by Dr. (Lt. Col.) John McCrae while serving on the front lines in World War I. The American Legion Auxiliary distributes handmade poppies annually, for a donation, to benefit veteran outreach programs. News of your troops and units can be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or brownt@timesunion.com. Laredo Colleges Vocational Nursing program is now the fifth in the state among all other higher education institutions. LC was in seventh place last year, and is now fifth out of 76 Texas programs, according to Practicalnursing.org. Nursing Instructor Jose Luis Santos said the rankings criteria includes graduates job placement, their graduation rate and scores for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses. He said sometimes the rank can go down not because a program did something wrong but because other programs may have surpassed it with their graduation rates or some other factors. The ranking fluctuates and depends on job placement and ease of entry and the initiation and completion of the program. Santos said. The program is for a certificate after one year of instruction and clinical practice in the areas of fundamentals, psychiatric, medical/surgical and maternity/pediatric. READ MORE: Cantu Early College students graduate with nursing certificates Courses and lessons include basic human anatomy, pharmacology, physiology, nutrition, growth development and the legal and ethical aspects of nursing, according to LCs website. Besides this program, LC also offers the two-year Associate Degree Nursing program leading to an Associate in Applied Science Degree. Students in either program must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses. The college is working on offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) starting in August, pending accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. As the college works on recruiting students, open spots for any nursing program are limited due to the structure of classes due to the cohorts and how many students instructors oversee. Santos said although there are lots of qualified applicants, the college can only take so many people depending on what the cohorts are like. There are about 40 to 50 students per cohort, Santos said. Santos said the number of open spaces changes depending on how many have completed instruction, are returning or have been held back. If some are held back, then that can potentially limit how many new students the programs can take on. He also said one cohort can test worse than the previous one, or admission is easier, and so that also factors how many open spots are available. READ MORE: LC breaks graduation record with 1.8K graduates Clinical instructors also can only have about ten students so they can carefully observe and train students, so there are also limited spaces. Lecture classes can be much larger though, so there can be more instructors who lecture. Santos said often colleges have difficulty recruiting nursing instructors because it is a competitive field and they may have better offers elsewhere. For example, Texas A&M International University offers a two masters of science in nursing. It has a masters for family nurse practitioner and in nursing administration. A graduate instructor may make around $100,000 while instructors beginning salary for LCs nursing certifications is $45,000 to $60,000 depending on stipends. We have to find someone who wants to teach and knows that this isnt their pot of gold, Santos said. He added LC tries to recruit people from the community who are aware of the amount of health care professionals in the area and know what the community needs. Hearing from the community helps with our students who need instruction, direction and mentoring, Santos said. Nursing instructor Melissa Jimenez said retaining instructors and students from the community helps the programs network as students and instructors learn from each other. Its a trade in leadership, Jimenez said. We like to grow our faculty. Although there is some limited space for clinical instruction, the Lopez Nursing Building at the Fort McIntosh campus has many mannequins which simulate health issues students practice on. The mannequins can have high blood pressure, asthma and other issues with vital signs that can be changed with monitors above their hospital beds. The building also has an automatic medication dispensing system students use to practice proper safe storage, dispensing and tracking of medications. Nursing students can expect to train and work at the LC South Campus four-story allied health building, under construction and is set to be completed in the summer of 2020. It will include a clinic, dentist office and other spaces for medical students and instructors. Lisa Dreher can be reached at 956-728-2567 or lisa.dreher@lmtonline.com When two organizations aimed at making a difference in the community come together, good things happen and a ripple effect begins. Catholic Charities Diocese of Laredo will continue to tell the stories of every family and individual theyve helped thanks to the donation they received from Womens City Club this week. Womens City Club donated a desktop computer, laptop and camera that will allow Catholic Charities to continue working in a more efficient way to help those in need in the community. Benjamin De La Garza said Catholic Charities is very thankful and blessed for the Womens City Clubs donation and support to Catholic Charities. The desktop computer will be an addition to their office on 1919 Cedar Avenue, De La Garza said, meanwhile, the laptop will be used out in the field and the camera will allow them to take pictures and videos of the things Catholic Charities is doing throughout the community. We are not just sitting down here in the office, De La Garza said. Because we have all of our programs that we run outside during crises, a laptop is very helpful because it is easier to have on the go. READ MORE: Laredo Heat Soccer Club donates 1,000 onesies to LMC We like to create stories that otherwise people wouldnt know about, and the camera will be very helpful for that. Sometimes an image is worth more than a thousand words. Womens City Club is composed by a group of women that work to raise money for the community, said WCC president Ana Laura Guajardo. Its a fundraising club to raise money, and all the money goes back into the community, she said. We go to a balance of zero every single year which is a challenge because (every) January we start all over again. It is to give back and to benefit anyone in the community where there might be a need. Womens City Club felt Catholic Charities is a blessing to the community, Guajardo said. Catholic Charities is very close to my heart and to a lot of the ladies because it is a service that theyre providing for local people and also for people that are transitioning through our city in very difficult circumstances, she said. There is such a need in Laredo, and they are such a blessing. That was one of the main reasons that Catholic Charities was given the three items they asked for. READ MORE: End in sight for school after 115 years Guajardo said that Womens City Club works with the organizations theyve helped to continue raising funds intended to help the community. We do form a partnership where theyre included in all of our events and fundraisers, she said. De La Garza said Catholic Charities likes to assist to the Womens City Clubs meetings and participating as much as they can. We are close friends because of the things we do for the community, he said. For more information on Womens City Club, visit www.facebook.com/womenscityclub. For more information on Catholic Charities, visit www.dioceseoflaredo.com. Maria Salas may be reached at msalas@lmtonline.com A man bit and scratched another male during a struggle they had in the room of a local hotel, according to police. Jesus Mata, 25, was arrested and charged with assault, family violence. LONDON - Swedish prosecutors are reopening an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Speaking at a Monday news conference in Stockholm, Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, said that there is "still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape." In her assessment, she said, "a new questioning of Assange is required." Last month, Assange was expelled from the Ecuadoran Embassy in London and later sentenced to 50 weeks in a British prison for skipping bail. He fled to the Ecuardoran Embassy in 2012 after Sweden requested his extradition in a case investigating sexual assault allegations. Sweden discontinued the investigation in 2017 because they said they were unable to advance the case while Assange was holed up at the embassy. The Swedish investigation has been reopened at the request of the alleged victim. Assange is also fighting a legal battle against extradition to the United States, where he is wanted for his part in the release of a trove of classified military and diplomatic cables. With two countries seeking to extradite Assange, it will be up to British officials to decide which request, if any, to prioritize. Swedish prosecutors argued on Monday that time is of essence in their case because the statute of limitations in the rape case expires in August 2020. The 2017 edition of the Wall High School yearbook had something missing - the slogan "TRUMP Make America Great Again!" was edited out of at least one student's T-shirt. Grant Berardo wore the Trump shirt on photo day for his junior class picture. But when the yearbook came out, the slogan wasn't there. Berardo's dark-colored T-shirt was blank. The former yearbook adviser, Susan Parsons, was blamed for the change and was put on paid leave when Berardo and his family accused her of censoring him. Now, Parsons is saying it was the school that asked her to do so, and that she opposed the change. In fact, she said, she voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election. A secretary at Wall High School in central New Jersey told Parsons, the yearbook adviser, that the student's shirt "has to go," Parsons says in a lawsuit filed Monday, and that the district forbade Parsons from telling news reporters she had opposed the edit. "The motivating reason for this lawsuit is so that she has the ability to get her story out to the world," Parsons' attorney, Christopher Eibeler, told The Washington Post. Parsons, a technology teacher who has been with Wall High School since 2003, says she received a death threat, got other harassing messages and heard people outside her home soon after the incident became public. She was denied her annual raise after the district's investigation into the incident and, though she still teaches at the school, no longer oversees the yearbook staff, the lawsuit says. "This is 'hate mail,' " read an anonymous letter to Parsons, according to the lawsuit. "You deserve it. Deal with it." Parsons' legal action, first reported by NJ.com, is the latest update to one of many recent incidents in which school districts have drawn public ire for allegedly censoring political or controversial messages. An Oregon high school student got a $25,000 settlement last year after he said he was punished for wearing a shirt that supported Trump's proposed border wall. In Minnesota, a student said the words "Deport racists" were removed from a photo of his shirt before his high school tweeted it. Berardo's father previously told The Post that the 2016 presidential contest was the first election his son had shown interest in. "His question was, 'Is it OK? Did someone do something here that they shouldn't have done?' " Joseph Berardo said in 2017. "That's why I'm pursuing it." District Superintendent Cheryl Dyer said Tuesday that she investigated the photo's censorship soon after it happened and that the district was considering its legal options. "I'm confident that when the full facts come to light, all of the actions of this office and the Board of Education will be found to be wholly appropriate," Dyer said in an emailed statement. Two other students, Wyatt and Montana Dobrovich-Fago, had also complained that their references to Trump were removed from the yearbook. A student on the yearbook staff had mistakenly left out a quote attributed to Trump, the lawsuit says, and the district's outside photographer had cropped a Trump logo out of a photo. Trump waded into the controversy in 2017 to thank Wyatt and Montana for publicizing the omissions. "Thank you Wyatt and Montana - two young Americans who aren't afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Our movement to #MAGA is working because of great people like you!" read a post on the president's Facebook page. His campaign sent the students a letter and "Make America Great Again" memorabilia. Wall High School's administration signs off on all pages of the yearbook every year, the lawsuit says, and it directed Parsons to make several changes in 2017. Parsons says she pushed back on several edit requests and told the administration that the "yearbook should reflect reality." Dyer told the public that the district's dress code does not ban political speech, the lawsuit says, and that the school had been unaware of the edits. Dyer said the district does not condone censorship, according to the lawsuit. The district's media policy bans teachers from talking to reporters without the superintendent's consent. Parsons says in the lawsuit that she was reprimanded when she was quoted by the New York Post as saying "We have never made any action against any political party." Dyer wrote in a letter to parents in 2017 that the yearbooks would be corrected and reissued. Parsons' lawsuit says the school district's media policy violates her First Amendment rights, and she asks that it be found unconstitutional so she can speak publicly. "If and when she's able to speak to the media," Eibeler said, "she intends to." With at least two dozen women staring at her - all of them wearing long, platinum wigs and Daenerys Targaryen attire actress Emilia Clarke told a near-capacity crowd at Comicpalooza a story about standing on a toilet in a museum restroom receiving a call from her agent about an audition for Game of Thrones. Clarke was the headliner at this years Comicpalooza, nifty timing as the Thrones panel with her co-star Nathalie Emmanuel fell one day before the shows penultimate episode. Both told tales of their struggles to get jobs in film. I was incredibly unemployed, Clarke said. Emmanuel said, I was working retail, with a mortgage, paying the bills. I phoned my agent about the show. Never heard of it dragons this sounds ridiculous. When Emmanuels agent called to tell her she got the job, the actor thought shed landed a TV commercial. Both expressed a bittersweet feeling about the shows end. Neither sees the episodes in advance. So when Emmanuels Missandei lost her head last week, Clarke didnt know it was coming at that moment. I thought, Oh, the credits will roll in a minute oh no, its THAT ONE. They described an instant friendship that arose as they began working together on a show where the male-centric storyline has evolved over eight seasons. Both will likely find future work offers pouring in. In Clarkes case, the visit to Houston also brought with it a chance to see the Rockets - a losing effort by the home team at a game also attended by Houston native Beyonce Knowles. The queen was in the building, Clarke said, adding that her pre-shoot playlists throughout Game of Thrones have been greatly informed by Beyonces music. As for the rest of Comicpalooza, it continues to operate as an efficient convention with some expansion and a continuation of features that work. The north side of the George R. Brown Convention Center was once something of a dead zone, where the event would host races between Doctor Who Daleks. Now its a hive of gaming activity, a low hum and a high glow emanating from the room. The vendor floor continues to be a draw with artists and comic book writers selling their wares. Its not an easy event to work: Like TK-421, it can be challenging to cover the event and stay at ones post. Louisiana native Danny Allains art greets many convention goers the moment the enter the showroom floor. He uses India ink to draw a skeletal structure - say the inside of a shark or a human hand inside a Kermit the Frog puppet - and paints water color over it. It was an experiment, he said. Watercolor, you cant really control. It. You let it dry and it does what it does. So the bones were a way to control it just a little. I was just throwing darts to see what would stick. Vehicles were on display, as usual: Speed Racers car, the A-Teams van. Various Game of Thrones iron thrones were made available for photo ops. One booth was occupied by the Knights of the Drunk Watch. Motto: We drink and we watch things. WEBTOON had a strong presence on the floor and a strong audience all day. The company provides a digital publishing platform for graphic storytellers. It built a strong readership in Japan and Korea before launching in the States five years ago. WEBTOON currently has 55 million monthly readers. The company offers space to fledgling artists with the hopes of building a readership that can grow into the tends of thousands and then beyond. Successful artists on the platform are offered contracts. Leeanne Krecic, who writes the Lets Play comic under the name Mongie, drew a long line of fans Saturday afternoon. The Kansas City natives road to being a comics author ran through years of spirit-crushing work in IT, helping other people make lots of money. Two years ago she left her job and debuted Lets Play through WEBTOONs Discovery program, and quickly found her readership growing by a few thousand and then tens of thousands each week. Shes now one of the companys Top 5 most-read artists. I dont take any of it for granted, she said. And I appreciate the readers who are there. Theres enough (expletive) in the world to bring people down. If I can make them laugh, or just feel outside of it all for two or five or 20 minutes, thats enough for me, Junepurrr is another rising artist on the platform who turned down working a numbers job to make art. She graduated from University of Houston with a masters in accounting and took an internship where she found herself drawing more than interning. Id stare at spreadsheets, she said. I knew if I didnt at least try to do this, Id be looking at them the rest of my life. She also went through the Discovery program starting in May 2017 with her series Sub Zero and now has between 70,000 and 80,000 readers each week. Many of them were lined up inside the convention center. And those are the sorts of stories that make the event such a magical one. People trading spreadsheets for art. Fans making costumes from materials found around the house. Bobby Edge of the Houston Brick Club spent 80 or so hours creating an Alamo from LEGOs, taking pieces from all sorts of sets: His Mexican soldiers were built in part from old pirate LEGO sets. Some of the Texans were pilfered from a Lord of the Rings set. Overall, the crowd represented all corners of fan culture, with billowing capes and clinging spandex. There were lots of Game of Thrones fans, including a family of four in different character guises, as well as an Arya Stark bearing her fairly new two-bladed dragonglass spear. There were Doctors and Daleks, Padawan and Jedi, Mulder and Scully, a bunch of Jon Snows and even more Daenerys Targaryens. Thrones actor Emmanuel was talking about her character at a panel, but she couldve been talking about this event, where space exists for all worlds, an approach centered on being kind and meeting people where theyre at. Politicians fearful of the National Rifle Association have allowed the gun lobby to run amok so that America now has more guns than people, but there is still true heroism out there in the face of gun violence: students who rush shooters at the risk of their own lives. Lets celebrate, and mourn, a student named Kendrick Castillo, 18, just days away from graduating in Highlands Ranch, Colo., who last week helped save his classmates in English literature class from a gunman. Kendrick lunged at him, and he shot Kendrick, giving all of us enough time to get underneath our desks, to get ourselves safe, and to run across the room to escape, Nui Giasolli, a student in the classroom, told the Today show. Kendrick was killed, and eight other students were injured. At least three boys in the class one of them Brendan Bialy, who hopes to become a Marine tackled and disarmed the gunman. They were very heroic, Nui said. Bravo as well to the police officers who arrived within two minutes of the shooting and seized the two attackers. The courage of those students in Colorado echoes the previous weeks bravery of Riley Howell, a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Riley, 21, charged a gunman there and continued even as he was shot twice. As he tackled the gunman he was shot a third time, in the head, and killed, but he ended the shooting. Riley was deservedly given a heros funeral, and presumably the same will happen with Kendrick. But their parents didnt want martyrs; they wanted children and grandchildren. And it is appalling that we as a society have abandoned American kids so that they must die to save their classmates. When New Zealand experienced a mass shooting in March, it took the government of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern just 26 days to tighten gun laws and ban assault rifles. In contrast, America has had 53 years of inaction since the University of Texas tower shooting in 1966 claimed 17 lives. Sandy Hook ... Las Vegas ... Parkland so many dead; so little done. Since 1970, 1.45 million Americans have died from guns suicides, murders and accidents. Thats more than the 1.4 million Americans estimated to have died in all the wars in U.S. history going back to the American Revolution. This should also make us all cringe: In a typical year, more American children ages 4 and younger die from firearms (110 in 2016) than police officers do in the line of duty (65 in 2016). So lets send thoughts and prayers to the families of victims in Colorado and North Carolina, but lets also push for a sensible gun policy that would make such heroics less necessary. Granted, this is complicated. America has so many guns out there that new restrictions may not be as effective as we would hope. The 10-year ban on assault rifles from 1994 to 2004 had trouble defining assault weapons and had an uncertain impact. Still, there are obvious steps worth taking. A starting point would be to require universal background checks before all firearms sales. Some 22 percent of guns are still acquired in the U.S. without a background check; a person wanting to adopt a rescue dog often undergoes a more thorough check than a person buying an assault rifle. Safe storage of guns in gun safes or with trigger locks prevents children and others from accessing firearms. Voluntary gun buybacks would reduce the pool of firearms out there. We should also invest in smart gun technologies that require a code or fingerprint to fire. We need more red-flag laws that make it more difficult for people to obtain guns when they present a threat to themselves or others. And tell me: Why do we bar people on the terrorism watch list from boarding planes while still allowing them to purchase guns? In 2011, a spokesman for al-Qaida, Adam Gadahn, urged would-be terrorists in America to pick up an assault rifle at a gun show, where there might not be a background check. Other steps to lower gun deaths dont even directly involve firearms. Programs like Cure Violence and Becoming a Man have been shown effective in reducing violence among at-risk young people. The military has conducted experiments showing that counseling can reduce suicides (a majority of gun deaths in America are suicides). Every day in 2017, the last year for which we have figures, an average of 107 people died in America from guns. We need not have the courage of the students who charged gunmen; we just need to demand action from our members of Congress and state legislators. Thats the best way to honor heroes like Kendrick Castillo and Riley Howell, by making such heroics less necessary in classrooms around America. Based in Netownforbes, Tony Reilly will contest the upcoming elections as an Independent candidate. Items on Tony's agenda if elected includes looking after the elderly in the area; ensuring sufficient mental health services for the people of Longford; employment and legal related issues; and support for small business owners. Senior citizens, having cared for us, need the support in their senior years, having worked hard all their lives in the workplace and raising their families, Mr Reilly explained in the Tony Reilly Election Trail group on social media. I pledge to try and set groups up in the area where people can come to talk about any issues regarding mental health In rural areas some may find it difficult to travel to the large towns to seek help. Tony said people have the right to work in a safe environment, free from harassment and discrimination, with fair wages, treatment and adequate holidays and rest periods. Workplace law can be extremely confusing to a lot of employees. I pledge to help make it as easy to resolve any issue an employee may have and explain what your rights are. We all have the right to work in harmony without fear of harassment, bullying or indeed abuse of any other nature. Going to work should not be a dread every day. Also read: Letter to the editor: Astonishing that 30 days of posters causes outrage Local News, Crime, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: May 13 2019 Frank Zenon, 55, has been charged with two counts of Criminal Impersonation and having an open warrant. The First Squad reports the arrest of a Baldwin man for Criminal Impersonation that occurred on Saturday, May 11, 2019 at 10:50 a.m. in Oceanside. According to detectives, while conducting an investigation into an unrelated case at a 7-11 at 475 Merrick Road, they were approached by the defendant, Frank Zenon, 55. The defendant identified himself to the detectives as a detective with the NYPD. After a brief conversation the detectives became suspicious of the individual. A subsequent investigation showed the defendant had an open warrant from New Jersey. Detectives responded to the defendants home and placed him under arrest without incident. During the search of the defendant two NYPD detective shields were recovered. The defendant, Frank Zenon has been charged with two (2) counts of Criminal Impersonation 2nd Degree and having an Open Warrant from out of state. He will be arraigned on Sunday, May 12, 2019 at First District Court, 99 Main Street in Hempstead. The Nassau County Police Department requests anyone that feels they may be a victim of the defendant to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous. Nearly a month after the ousting of former president Omar al-Bashir, thousands of protesters continue to camp in front of the Ministry of Defense demanding a quick transfer of power to a civilian government. In the crowd that gathers day and night outside the headquarters of the military and armed forces, Sudanese women, who have defied traffic jams, the heat and stampedes, are making their voices heard. According to observers, over the four months that it has taken for the revolution to unfold, women have made up two thirds of the people in the streets. Turqa, a 17-year-old protester, is full of rage. There is hatred and the need for justice, if not revenge, in her big, almond eyes. On February 16, I was arrested in Omdurman, she says amidst the commotion of the crowd. Security forces hit me. I had a severe trauma on my head and lost a lot of blood. They also shaved my head in order to humiliate me. Turqa is not the only woman to face harsh treatment. Dozens of women and girls are telling similar stories of violent arrests, threats of rape, humiliation and ponytails cut with razor blades. In a recent report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) described how women have been deliberately targeted by the regimes security forces in their response to the protests. Since December, more than 45 women have found themselves behind bars. Security forces loyal to al-Bashir felt threatened by women because they were aware of their power and the strength of their commitment, says 21-year-old Amani, wearing dark sunglasses. A few weeks ago, she lost an eye after being hit by a sting ball grenade launched by the police. I have no doubt that it was a voluntary act on their part, she says. In a little cafe hidden under a tree a few steps away from the sit-in, Amani gulps down a ginger tea and quickly gathers her things: she has to go. The revolution is not over yet. Jehanne Henry, associate director in Human Rights Watchs Africa division, recently drew attention to the significant role played historically by Sudanese women in the arena of political activism and confirmed that there is no reliable evidence proving that women are more active during this revolution than in any previous protests in the country. Icon of the revolution Sudan has a long history of female activism. Women of the urban North were among the first to start civil society organizations in the country. The most important was the Sudanese Womens Union, founded in 1952. There were other pioneering groups as well, such as the League of Cultivated Girls, the Association for the Advancement of Women and the Republican Sisters. In addition to these exclusively feminist organizations, Sudanese women also joined the Communist Party, which was then the only political party in Sudan that allowed women to become members. The activists were also strong supporters of the nationalist movement. In 1953, when Sudans independence was looming, hundreds of women organized a march from Khartoum to Omdurman, explains Marie-Grace Brown, professor of history at the University of Kansas and author of Khartoum at Night: Politics and Fashion Politics in Imperial Sudan. Unlike what happened in Egypt, for instance, the Sudanese woman doesnt feel like she is breaking a taboo by going out on the streets. For her, the mobilization is a natural thing, says Marc Lavergne, a Sudan specialist and researcher at CNRS. One has to really get over the general idea that because the woman is veiled and wears a toub [it] means that she is disengaged and submissive. The toub, a traditional Sudanese garment, is not just a simple accessory: its a symbol with strong political meaning. In the 1940s, toubs were the working uniform of women in middle-class and upper-class. The activists have now adopted it, and it was brought up-to-date a few weeks ago by Alaa Salah, a young protester who, dressed in white, became an icon of the revolution after a video of her leading chants on al-Qiyada went viral. During the Bashir years, the regime tried to make women abandon this coat, which comes in very colorful versions, for a black one seen as more Islamic, more decent, but to no avail, Lavergne adds. Claiming equality Despite the political legacy of Sudanese women, al-Bashirs regime had deprived them of some of their social and political freedoms. Al-Bashir was highly influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood and acted to limit the presence of women in the public sphere by leveraging moral, personal and criminal laws against them. According to the United Nations Development Programs (UNDP) Gender Equality Index, Sudan fell from 109th out of 147 countries in 1995 to 129th last year20 places in less than 25 years. Lubaba al-Fadol is one of the many Sudanese women committed to seeing Sudan close the gender equality gap. She led the Womens March on May 1 in Khartoum and wants to remind the military as well as the leaders of the Association for Freedom and Change, which is leading the protest movement, that women will not just help the next group of men get into positions of power. Until now, women accounted for only 20 to 30 percent of high-ranking positions in the country, in ministries and in parliament. Today, we want to reclaim equality. We are demanding 50 percent. Mothers and daughters, we had the courage to take to the streets. We want to be represented, she said. (This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour on the 5th of May) During its I/O Developers Conference on Tuesday, Google did a live demo of the next-generation of Google Assistant running on a Pixel phone. Its a dramatic rethinking of how the Assistant interacts with you and your phone, down to its interface, which barely takes up any space on the screen. With a single Hey Google command, the presenter was able to execute 12 actions in 40 seconds, including launching and searching within third-party apps: Open Calendar Open Calculator Open Photos Set a timer for 10 minutes Whats the weather today? What about tomorrow? Show me John Legend on Twitter Get a Lyft ride to my hotel Turn the flashlight on Turn it off Take a selfie All that took just 40 seconds, but its not just the speed thats impressive. Google Assistant only had to be summoned once, and it continued listening, understood the context of what was being asked, and didnt require any, um, assistance. When asked to get a Lyft ride to my hotel, it knew where she was staying. It launched John Legends profile in the Twitter app. It even started a countdown after opening the front camera. Google Google demoed its next-gen Assistant at I/O 2019, and the interface is little more than a tiny string of text in the bottom right corner of the screen. I tried the same thing with Siri and wasnt nearly as successful. I had to press the button each time, since Siri doesnt wait around after completing a task. (To be fair, Google Assistant doesnt on phones yet either.) Siri was able to parse it to mean flashlight when I asked to turn it off, but Siri wasnt able to launch a route on Lyft, and merely showed recent tweets about John Legend. I still had to press the shutter when the selfie cam came up. All in all, it still took more than 50 seconds to accomplish fewer tasks. Google Assistant is so far ahead, Im not sure Apple can ever catch up. The next-generation Assistant is due to launch in the fall on Pixel phones, and quite frankly, Siri isnt even as good as this generation. Where does Apple go from here? Shrinking the cloud To accomplish the tremendous speed boost, Google moved the entire AI model to the device itself, trimming the whole stack from 100GB down to 50MB. That means requests dont need to be routed through Googles servers, and Assistant can work even when your internet doesnt. Its not clear exactly how much youll be able to do without being online, but general tasks like checking your calendar appointments and turning on the flashlight can be done locally on your phone. Michael Simon/IDG Siri still takes over the whole screen when you want to ask it something, and even local tasks require an internet connection. That might sound familiar. Apple has made a big deal about on-device processing and machine learning as part of its privacy push, and there has been persistent speculation that it is developing an offline Siri. To that end, Apple has been anonymizing and encrypting Siri data for years and using differential privacy to analyze data without collecting it. Its been a line in the sand between Apple and Google thats gotten thicker over time, but with the second-generation Assistant, Google is proving that it can both collect and protect your data. Of course, Google still accesses far more data than Apple doesin fact, one of the key new Assistant features, Personal References, rifles through your messages and calendar entries to learn more about the people in your lifebut Google is definitely rethinking how much needs to leave your phone. You can credit Apple with that shift in methodology, but Google appears to be doing a lot more. From the unobtrusive interface to the tremendous speed boost, Google understands what people want out of an assistant, and that includes keeping things as private as possible. In an op-ed for the New York Times earlier this week, Google CEO Sundar Pichai outlined a new approach for AI called federated learning, which sounds an awful lot like Apples differential privacy: Were also working hard to challenge the assumption that products need more data to be more helpful. Data minimization is an important privacy principle for us, and were encouraged by advances developed by Google A.I. researchers called federated learning. It allows Googles products to work better for everyone without collecting raw data from your device. IDG Siri has way more problems than speed. Skeptics will scoff at Googles privacy assertions and claims here, but the fact of the matter is, Google is doing incredible things with a fully on-device and offline Assistant. No matter how many toggles they build into Android, privacy issues will always plague Google, and for many Apple fans, its efforts will never be enough. But Assistant is acting in ways Siri is still only thinking about. The fact of the matter is Google is taking the fight to Apple in a big way. Apple has been banging the privacy drum for a while, but its yet to show how it can keep data local and streamline Siris usefulness. With the next-gen Assistant, Google is doing both, leaving Siri to play catch-up. How does Apple respond? With WWDC set to kick off in just a few weeks, all eyes will be on Siri and Apples new senior vice president of Machine Learning and AI Strategy John Giannandrea, who was plucked from Google last year. Its been years since Apple outlined its stance on using data to bolster Siris smarts, and now its time to show us all what it can do. Because pretty soon, it might be too late. One of most challenging discussions in the field of exclusive rights is how artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting on the assessment of those rights. Particularly in the realm of patents and copyright works, experts wonder if AI is likely to alter some of the most fundamental pillars of exclusive rights. Think just for a moment about the fulfilment of the novelty and non-obviousness requirements (basic issues connected to patents) or the authorship of machines or robots in relation to literary or artistic works or even performances, not to mention the ethical consequences of the use of AI. What is AI? The concept of AI takes us to a reality other than just a computerised routine. AI takes us to machines that mimic cognitive functions normally associated with human minds. Even if we go further and think of deep or advanced AI, the fact is that AI engineers work hard to evoke human feeling and to imitate human characteristics such as love, sense of humour, wrath, mercy, a sense of justice, and above all abstract reasoning. Human behaviour is achieved thanks to extremely complicated software routines and artificial nets. As a result, in many people's view, AI is really associated with technical or technological procedures that mimic human beings and with the computerisation of code source based on previously programmed reactions, which run as specific external causes appear. Can a feeling be programmed? Can a human feeling be programmed? If so, would it not be just an automatic technological routine (for example, when identifying a smile in a child, the reaction must also be that of a smile)? We may agree that the response of AI to an external stimulation may be programmed before, but in the same way that human beings have also been educated. The difference between a pre-programmed mimetic response, and a spontaneous human reaction is the key to upgrading the status of androids or robots and, eventually, to establishing a rule of law that they also deserve rights. The difference is an AI programmed with a number of pre-established responses, but with the capacity to learn and deduct by itself when faced with external experiences not previously taken into consideration by the human programmer. Computerisation programming is being achieved nowadays (see IBM Watson or Apple's Siri) and will be probably be standardised in the coming decades. AI is part of our lives, and in some cases AI-based robots are even like citizens (see, for instance, Deep Knowledge, which is a Japanese company which named a robot as a member of its board of directors in 2014). How is AI actually impacting on IP rights? AI is patent subject-matter. This is irrefutable. DeepMind is an example of this, a leading AI research company, which, founded in 2010, was acquired in 2014 by Google. DeepMind has applied for several (PCT) patents. The claims of these applications are mainly focused on neuronal nets and the achievement of a similar outcome to rational human thinking, as well as procedures of machine learning. It is obvious to say that these PCT applications have not been granted yet, as they have not entered into the national phase. However, also unarguable is the fact that DeepMind will not have to fight with the examiners in order to defend the novelty and non-obviousness requirement, especially if the neuronal net seems similar to human beings' neuronal system. This example makes us think about patent rules. It is important not to forget that machine learning systems are not always patent subject matter (at least in the EU and the US). A consistent consensus statement on this should be reached by patent offices, especially when their filters of what is and what is not patentable differ. However, the fact is that some examples of AI have been patented, like the Creativity Machine developed by Stephen Thaler in 1994, which was capable of generating new ideas through artificial neural networks (US Patent No. 5,852,815, granted in May 1998), and John Koza's invention, based on AI, which was granted a patent in January 2005 (US Patent 6,847,851). This leads us to the question of what the subject matter eligibility standard for AI is. US Supreme Court Alice decision doctrine has been interpreted as saying that patent claims whose subject matter can be performed through "an ordinary mental process", "in the human mind" or by "a human using a pen and paper", with the limited exception of claims that specifically provide procedures to achieve technological improvements over tasks previously performed by people (e.g. containing an inventive concept) must be excluded from patent claims. US courts have already discussed this issue, since they have refused the patentability of AI patents on the grounds that AI patent applications are based on a replication of human thinking. Similarly, see Blue Spike, LLC v. Google, Inc., stating that the intended patent application only had the purpose of covering "an abstract idea long undertaken with the human mind", because the claims sought to model the highly effective ability of humans to identify and recognise a signal on a computer. Applications for AI patents have been granted in the field of medicine (e.g. by advising on the existence of skin tumours), as well as to help doctors in assessing the correct treatment for cancer. IBM Watson (AI on a computer) successfully diagnosed a woman suffering from leukemia. Also to be taken into account is Natural Language Processing (NLP), that is, AI algorithms that enable a computer to understand and process human languages, or the Natural Language Searches (NLS), algorithms that identify contents that match topics and machine learning algorithms, a method of data analysis that automatises analytical model building, by using algorithms that iteratively learn from data. Machine learning allows computers to find hidden areas of research without being explicitly programmed to do so. An example of this is Cloem, a French company, which has applied NLP technologies to assist patent applicants with inventing variants of patent claims. This is achieved by using NLP algorithms and text mining to artificially compose text for infinite patent claims which cover thousands of potential new patents. Patentability and inventorship AI inventions Another topic is whether AI should be considered legally as an inventor of inventions. Should this be the case, notwithstanding that said inventions have not actually been invented by a human being? Under the current legal framework, assuming that this type of AI invention has not been invented by a human being primarily, the inventor cannot be, legally speaking, an AI being. But should the law be changed so that it recognises AI as the inventor? Some argue that this step forward would accelerate innovation and promote economic richness, whereas many others contend that supplanting human invention with AI could lead to the suppression of highly qualified researchers. Assessment of patent rights patent offices using AI Another field where AI is gaining importance is patent offices using AI in order to assess novelty and non-obviousness requirements. Patent offices are facing a hard task having to evaluate these requirements. It is essential not to forget that the information on patent applications and already existing patents has increased vastly. Some figures give us a better understanding of this titanic effort: US applications climbed up to 10,000,000 in mid-2018. More than 100 million patent documents are related, and there are more than four billion indexed web pages that need to be examined in order to duly assess the novelty requirement. The overwhelming task of any patent office to search in previously-known state of art is even worse when we realise that approximately 60% of the patent documentation worldwide is published either in Korean, Chinese or Japanese. The Japan Patent Office has publicly announced that it is looking into AI technology "to automate processes such as screening patent, trademark and design applications". This deployment is intended to come into action in the April 2018 to March 2019 fiscal year. Other patents offices (Europe, China, Korea, Japan and US) have correctly considered AI in the field of patent assessment as a top strategic priority. Copyright and AI authorship and creativity There are already examples of AI created works of art. Is this copyrightable even if created by an algorithm? If so, who is its author, the AI or the programmer of it? Google has created an AI program, which is capable of writing news articles. In 2016, museums and researchers in the Netherlands unveiled a portrait entitled The Next Rembrandt, an AI work of art created by a computer, whose process of creation was due to the analysis of thousands of works by the 17th-century Dutch artist Rembrandt. A short novel written by a Japanese computer program in 2016 reached the second round of a national literary prize and the Google-owned AI company DeepMind has created software that can generate music by listening to recordings. In my view, the issue is whether or not AI should be called an author in the sense of a copyright creator of a work. The problem is that in many legal systems, authorship is essentially associated with the human condition. In addition, court decisions refuse to acknowledge authors for works created by software. On the contrary, however, some legislation recognises the authorship of the programmer, and goes beyond the traditional legal frameworks, for example, Section 9(3) of the UK Copyright, Design and Patents Act, which states: "In the case of a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work which is computer-generated, the author shall be taken to be the person by whom the arrangements necessary for the creation of the work are undertaken". Moreover, Section 178 of the same act defines a computer-generated work as one that "is generated by computer in circumstances such that there is no human author of the work". Will the day come in which AI will be named a creator of a work? Rules stated by the European Parliament One final example of the importance of AI and how this intelligence is being taken seriously by parliaments and governments is that on February 16 2017 the European Parliament approved a resolution with recommendations to the commission on Civil Law Rules on Robotics (2015/2103(INL). The European Parliament is conscious that humankind is on the threshold of an era where AI will surpass humans' skills and capacities, and this special moment requires the establishment of fundamental directives on how a future relationship between human beings and AI should be conducted. This resolution is of significant importance because it establishes a series of rules, in particular those governing liability and accountability, which must guide the construction of AI, as well as ethical principles to be respected in the development, programming and use of robots and AI, so that this technology serves humanity and the benefits of AI are shared broadly. Jose Carlos Erdozain Jose Carlos Erdozain began his legal career in 1997 and has since developed strong expertise mainly in the field of intellectual property. He has broad experience in litigation, arbitration and business consulting, both on a national and international level. He has worked for companies in different industries, including the textile, audiovisual, creative, energy, construction, and publishing sectors. He has extensive knowledge of international contracts and arbitrations. He is the author of several monographs and articles focused on intellectual property. He is invited as a speaker to various conferences. He is currently a member of ALADDA and AIPPI. He can speak Spanish, English and German. The material on this site is for law firms, companies and other IP specialists. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Notice before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws. 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQs. Share this article It appears the Martinsville's fiscal year 2019-2020 proposed budget will pass during Tuesdays city council meeting, with all members except Jennifer Bowles seemingly in agreement. Bowles had recommended a tax increase because the city is in such bad shape from prior decisions made by the city administration and previous councils that the current council is now forced to make extremely tough decisions, she wrote in an email. We have to find ways for the city to survive. The proposed budget totals $94,619,054, a 1.24% increase over the original 2018-19 budget, and includes $32,129,019 in the general fund and $22,221,198 for schools. As it stands, the citys proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2020, which will start on July 1, would increase sewer bills by $2.50 per user, and there might also end up being a water rate increase of $2. That increase is not in dispute by council members. Bowles had proposed a 4-cent per $100 valuation on real property, which would generate an extra $220,000 per year. The largest business in the city, which is assessed over $3 million, would pay an extra $1,000 per year. The typical taxpayer an extra $10-$50 per year, she wrote. I also considered a personal-property-tax increase from a suggestion by Mayor Kathy Lawson to tax the majority [most people have personal property] rather than the minority [most people do not own houses]. This increase would have been $0.20 to generate $220,000. This increase would range from $15.00 $500.00 based on how much personal property you owned, she wrote. She said her concerns were in providing funding for increased ambulance service in the city, as well as to bring the schools closer to their requested amount. As budget talks went on, she wrote, I wanted the city manager and the finance director to recommend where the funds go based on their expertise. I also stated I wish we could fund all our departments, because they deserve it and prepare a precise, conservative budget each year. These tax increases would affect me as I own a home and have personal property, but I believe the safety of our citizens and the education of our children does not have a price tag, she wrote. Although I would prefer not to raise taxes and I want the city to be more business friendly and affordable, we are in such dire straits, therefore, these options have to be explored and discussed. Mayor Kathy Lawson said no one else on the council went along with Bowles' ideas. None of council other than Miss Bowles considered raising taxes, she wrote in an email. Normally when a tax increase is on the agenda its discussed at the beginning of the budget work sessions. She did not make the request until the end of the work sessions. City Manager Leon Towarnicki told us from the get go that this would be a tough budget year and it has been, Lawson wrote. Other than the small increase of $2.50 in sewer there are no fee and tax increases. The budget as presented is a workable budget. At a recent budget work session, the council agreed to allocate an additional $200,000 for schools but would not appropriate the amount until the student enrollment was confirmed to be more than the estimated number based on census in September, according to Lawson. Council member Danny Turner called the citys budget not sustainable. A major concern he identified was that the budget is out of balance by over half a million dollars. To balance its general fund and meet its obligated contributions to reserves, the city would plan to borrow $1,394,674 from its reserves, continuing a trend that has fueled the ongoing discussions about reverting from a city to a town and merging operations into Henry County. There also are transfers from the water, telecommunications and refuse departments. City administration is saying that on a regular basis money comes back at the end of the year to cover that last year the schools turned in about $400,000, to give an example, Turner said. I dont know if thats reliable, because everybody keeps cutting to the bone. The budget also assumes the city will receive a $600,000 FEMA grant for costs related to storm cleanup in the fall, Turner said. The city probably would get that grant, based on indications from FEMA and Congressman Bill Griffins office, Turner said, but its not appropriate to count on that money before its actually guaranteed. The citys enterprise fund, a safety net for the utility departments, is supposed to be $5 million, and its only $100,000 in it, Turner said. Each enterprise account refuse, water, sewer, electricity, MiNET are all supposed to have 10 percent reserves, Turner said. However, we draw some of the down. Its politically embarrassing for the administration because they got us into AMP Ohio, and AMP Ohio is our problem. AMP Ohio is American Municipal Power, a company through which the city buys wholesale power to distribute to electric department customers. The city is responsible for the some of the costs of some generation plants. The city manager is counting on at least half a million dollars coming back unspent from everybodys budget, every department, Turner said. Theres half a million dollars were counting on from unspent money thats been written into each department. Overall, weve done some wasteful spending and made some major-league errors, Turner said. On short term I was opposed to sending $1.7 million down to Commonwealth Crossing because we didnt have it. Look at the Patriot Center in shared revenue lots: We never have received any money from there. When it comes to Commonwealth Crossing, wed be lucky to get a dime out of it in 15 years. We can spend ourselves broke on places like Commonwealth Crossing. The city also has not done enough to reinforce an agreement with the county on funding renovations to the sewer plant, he added. Overall, Turner said, things are bad. The reversion study that came out in 2013 said that in order to maintain the same level of services, property taxes would have to be $2.17 per $100 valuation instead of $1.06. Council members Chad Martin and Jim Woods did not respond to requests for comments on the budget. Its the same issue, increased cost of operating a city with little to no increase in revenue, Lawson wrote. It is going to be one hell of a problem to figure out next years budget, Turner said. Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. SMITH IV Charles Purnell July 2, 1970 May 7, 2019 Charles Purnell Smith IV, 48, from Richmond, Virginia died on May 7, 2019 at his home in Richmond, Virginia. Born July 2, 1970 in Martinsville, Virginia, he attended Carlisle School in Martinsville and is a 1988 graduate of Woodberry Forest School in Orange, Virginia. Charles received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Hampden-Sydney College in 1992, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He served as Managing Partner at GSA Staffing, a professional recruiting and placement agency, and was a member of the Commonwealth Club, and the Society of Colonial Wars. His warmth and humor was admired by all he knew, and his avid and passionate love of cooking was shared often with his family and friends. He is survived by his parents; a daughter and a son; and two sisters and their children. Donations in his honor may be made to: The Substance Abuse & Addiction Recovery Alliance (SAARA). SAARA of Virginia is a grassroots recovery community organization, https://www.saara.org/. A Boston police officer has been indicted on a charge of misleading investigators after authorities responded to his home in 2018 and found his wife with a gunshot wound. A Suffolk County grand jury returned an indictment against 33-year-old Korey Franklin of Hyde Park on Friday, according to the Suffolk District Attorneys Office. The indictment is for a single count of misleading police. Franklin will be arraigned May 30 in Suffolk Superior Court. Franklin, a seven-year member of the Boston Police Department assigned to the Youth Violence Strike Force, had been on paid administrative leave since the shooting. He is accused of lying to a 911 dispatcher and Boston police officers about how the shooting occurred, authorities said. Investigators were called to Franklins home on Christmas Eve for a report of a woman shot. The woman, Franklins wife, was shot once in the groin and seriously injured. Authorities first said it appeared the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, but then learned Franklin fired his personal weapon and his wife was shot. Franklin told responding officers that the victim had shot herself accidentally while trying to put a personal firearm not Franklins service weapon into a gun safe, according to the Suffolk District Attorneys Office in a previously issued news release. This statement was contradicted by physical aspects of the crime scene and other evidence gathered by investigators. Investigators believe Franklin was manipulating the gun in the living room and ejected at least two live rounds by moving the guns slide back and forth. The gun went off and struck Franklins wife. She was a few feet away, authorities said. Originally the officer was charged with reckless assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling and misleading police. Based on a lengthy grand jury investigation and review of forensic findings, the evidence at present supported the single indictment, a felony under the Massachusetts witness intimidation statute, the district attorneys office said Monday. WEST SPRINGFIELD Clemenzas Brick Oven Pizza and Cafe owner Anthony Martone is opening in a new location at 816 Westfield St. "We are going to specialize in our brick-oven pizza," Martone said. "We are also introducing new Tuscan bread pressed sandwiches and we'll have an outdoor area for a late-night coffee." Hes shut down his Clemenzas location on Elm Street in Westfield while he and his staff move things to the new location. He said Monday there is a plan to reopen the Westfield location at some point, but hes in negotiations with his landlord in Westfield. The Tuscan bread is like a French baguette, airy and light, he said. We can make some interesting sandwiches with them,Martone said. We are also working on some new pasta dishes. He said restaurant operators have had to adjust to a door-dash, uber -eats world where folks want to get food quickly and eat it at home. Im going for more of a quick-service menu, he said. Like a trattoria . The new West Springfield location opens in the next week or two after renovations are completed and everything is set up, Martone said. Martones father ran the first Clemenzas on Page Boulevard in Springfield. He opened the Westfield location in August of 2013. He also owns the Rapids in Huntington but leases that location out to another operator. Martone runs food concessions each year at the Big E, often closing the Westfield restaurant during the fair. The new West Springfield location is more convenient to the Big E, he said, and the restaurant on busy Route 20 gets a lot of traffic. The new locations will have the brick oven from the Westfield location but a more open, industrial feel. It's a former Subway , but Martone said he's having it completely renovated. The West Springfield Clemenzas will have outdoor dining in a covered patio. Itll seat 40 or 50 people inside and about 30 outside. Martone said he used to offer cafe seating on the sidewalk at the Westfield location, but he gave it up after customers complained about being harassed by passersby. A Massachusetts man accused of murder on the Appalachian Trail will be held while he undergoes a psychological examination, according to federal filings. James L. Jordan, a 30-year-old man from West Yarmouth, is accused of fatally stabbing one man and attacking a woman on the trail over the weekend. The woman is still recovering in the hospital. He was brought to a Virginia federal court Monday on charges of murder and assault with intent to commit murder. Federal records show Jordan was ordered detained for a psychological or psychiatric examination. He cannot be held for more than 45 days. The examination will review if Jordan is suffering from a mental disease or defect rendering him mentally incompetent to the extent he cannot understand the charges against him and whether Jordan had some type of mental breakdown at the time of the alleged attacks. WJHL reports Jordan was only in court for 15 minutes. He asked the judge about his dog, according to the television station. The judge told Jordan the dog was in an animal shelter and someone could pick up the animal for him, WJHL reports. A federal affidavit filed in the case against Jordan said he threatened a group of hikers before the fatal attack. FBI Agent Micah Childers wrote Jordan approached four hikers on the trail Friday in Smyth County, Virginia. Jordan was already known as someone who threatened people on the trail, said the FBI agent, noting an incident in Tennessee a month early. Jordan was disturbed and unstable and was playing his guitar and singing when he approached the four hikers, authorities said. The hikers then set up camp in the Wythe County, Virginia section of the trail. Jordan began randomly approaching the hikers tents, making noises and threatening the hikers, Childers said. Jordan spoke to the hikers through their tents and threatened to pour gasoline on their tents and burn them to death. When the four hikers decided to leave, Jordan allegedly ran after two of them with a knife. Authorities said he returned to the campsite and began stabbing a man. A woman, who watched as the attack unfolded, ran away. Childers said Jordan chased down the woman and stabbed her several times. The woman played dead. Jordan went back to find his dog. The woman then found help from two hikers. They hiked another six miles and called 911. The woman was taken to the hospital. On Saturday, a Wythe County Sheriffs Office tactical team converged on the campsite where the attack took place and arrested Jordan. Jordan had blood on his clothing, authorities said. The male victim was found dead at the site. A knife was near his body. Childers said witnesses identified Jordan as the attacker. James L. Jordan, the Massachusetts man accused of killing one person and severely injuring a second person on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, was known to threaten hikers, according to a recently unsealed affidavit in federal court. Jordan, of West Yarmouth, is facing charges of murder and assault with intent to commit murder in a Virginia federal court today. FBI Agent Micah Childers said on Friday, Jordan approached four hikers in Smyth County, Virginia on the Appalachian Trail located within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. Jordan was known by the hikers as a suspicious person through social media as a result of an incident in April 2019 in Unicoi County, Tennessee, in which Jordan had allegedly threatened hikers on the Appalachian Trail, the FBI agent wrote. Authorities say when the 30-year-old approached the four hikers, he acted disturbed and unstable and was playing his guitar and singing. Later that same evening, two of the hikers set up camp in the Wythe County, Virginia section of the trail. Jordan began randomly approaching the hikers tents, making noises and threatening the hikers, Childers said. Jordan spoke to the hikers through their tents and threatened to pour gasoline on their tents and burn them to death. The four hikers decided they were going to leave the campsite. They were afraid of Jordan, authorities said in the federal affidavit. Jordan approached the hikers with a knife as they tried to leave, Childers said. Two hikers began to run but Jordan chased them. Authorities said Jordan then returned to the campsite and began to argue with a man and a woman. Jordan began stabbing the man in the upper part of his body, the federal affidavit said. The woman saw the man fall to the ground. She began to run. Childers said Jordan chased the woman and caught up to her as she got tired. She turned to face Jordan and raised her arms as if to surrender when Jordan began stabbing her and she received multiple stab wounds, Childers wrote. The woman played dead. Jordan left to find his dog. Authorities say the woman ran down the trail toward Smyth County. Two hikers saw her and helped the woman hike another six miles into Smyth County, where they called 911. It was around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday when dispatchers in Wythe County receive a 911 call. Two of the hikers chased by Jordan as he wielded a machete reported the incident to dispatchers, authorities said. Around 3:12 a.m., the Smyth County 911 center received a call from the woman who investigators said was stabbed by Jordan. The woman was taken to an area hospital. A Wythe County Sheriffs Office tactical team converged on the campsite where the attack took place around 6:14 a.m. Jordan was taken into custody. Authorities said Jordan had blood on his clothing. The male victim was found dead. A knife was found near his body. WSLS reported authorities used the male victims GPS to find him after he sent out an emergency notification on his cell phone. Investigators spoke with the female victim. She identified Jordan as the attacker, Childers said. Police also spoke to the other two hikers. They also identified Jordan as the man who chased them with a knife. Those two hikers had a cell phone picture of Jordan from his prior incident in Tennessee, authorities said. WJHL reports Jordan was given probation and ordered to pay fines after he threatened hikers on the trail with an ax a month earlier. He pleaded guilty to criminal impersonation, drug possession and public intoxication in a Tennessee court, the television station reported. According to authorities, Jordan went by the name Sovereign while on the trail. James L. Jordan, a 30-year-old man from Cape Cod, is accused of killing a hiker on the Appalachian Trail over the weekend. Authorities also accuse Jordan, who is from West Yarmouth, of stabbing a second hiker, leaving her severely injured. Jordan is now facing murder and assault with intent to murder in a Virginia federal court. A federal affidavit unsealed Monday said Jordan threatened a group of hikers before the fatal attack. The four hikers were in Smyth County, Virginia on the Appalachian Trail located within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. The accusations against Jordan can be found here: The great 1972 Billie Holiday biopic was titled Lady Sings the Blues. Next weekend, Theodores will have a two-night run that could be called Ladies Sing the Blues. The downtown Springfield club will have an all-female blues weekend on May 24-25, featuring two artists who take different approaches to their music, but who both pack a wallop with both their singing and style. On Friday, May 24, Michelle Willson brings her powerhouse voice to both her original songs and a catalog of soul and R&B by legends such as Dinah Washington, Ruth Brown and Etta James. While Willson doesnt read music, her intensity and soulfulness have ensured that her lack of theory has not held he career back. The Boston native made four albums with Bullseye Records (a subsidiary of Rounder Records) with such producers as Ron Levy (who also played keyboards with B.B. King for many years) and the Grammy Award-winning Scott Billington, who has more than 100 albums to his credit. Willson was also nominated for the W.C. Handy Award for best blues vocalist (only losing to the legendary Etta James). Then on Saturday, May 25, Detroits Laura Rain and the Caesars will bring their funky soul and R&B to the Springfield stage. Rain also employs a powerful and soulful voice to fuel the band, which was formed Motor City in 2012 with Rains husband, George Friend. The pair garnered many accolades for their debut release Electrified in 2013, which featured a pared-down lineup of organ, guitar and drums. While the group originally developed a vintage sound, its second release, Closer (2014) expanded the sonic landscape with splashes of Memphis soul, juke-joint blues and Detroit funk. Starting in Chicago with regular appearances at the House of Blues and Buddy Guys Legends, Rain has now performed in over 25 states from California to New York, and has been featured at the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, Marquette Area Blues Festival, Edmonton Blues Festival, the Legendary Blues Cruise and many other top tier clubs and festivals. The band issued a third album, Gold, in 2015 and a fourth, Walk With Me, in 2017. Theodores is located at 201 Worthington St. Scouting report Blue Cube Jazz will feature Secondary Messengers on Friday, May 17, from 7 to 10 p.m. The series is held at Collegian Court, 89 Park St. in Chicopee. The Healys with Charlie Bongiovi are set to play Friday, May 17, at Donovans Irish Pub at the Eastfield Mall. On Saturday night, check out Paul Pender at Donovans. Sierra Grilles Reanimate the Baystate series will feature Beasthampton, Gentle Hen, and New Parents on Thursday, May 23. Sierra Grille is at 41 Strong Ave. in Northampton. Do you have a cool event coming up at a local club? Send me a note about it at least two weeks in advance to geolenker@yahoo.com and Ill try to get it in this space. 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 - ONE AND A HALF STARS - (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 in this uninspiring comedy. (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.) JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM - not yet reviewed (PG-13) Assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returns in the third installment of the action franchise with a $14 million price tag on his head and bounty-hunters on his trail. (131 minutes) 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) Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a Democrat, will travel to Washington, D.C., this week to advocate for more infrastructure funding. The main point were looking to accomplish is to put a Democrat and a Republican, a mayor and a governor, in front of a bunch of folks on the executive and legislative side, Congress and Senate, to talk about why this is important and why we believe this is something that both parties and the administration should be able to find a way to get to yes on, Baker told reporters at the Statehouse on Monday. The trip is timed to coincide with Infrastructure Week, a joint initiative by a coalition of business and labor groups to highlight the need for greater investment in building infrastructure, such as transportation, water, energy and communications systems. Baker and Walsh plan to advocate for greater federal investment in transportation, housing and the environment. On Wednesday, Walsh and Baker will meet with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, House Transportation Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, and the ranking Republican member of that committee, Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri. Thursday morning, Baker and Walsh will participate in a panel discussion with the online public affairs publication Axios on the opportunities and challenges surrounding transportation infrastructure. They will then meet with Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and with members of Massachusetts congressional delegation. Baker said he and Walsh are not advocating for any particular project, but trying to get people into some kind of state of understanding that this is something people should be willing to cooperate on and work together on. Its certainly something that if you talk to Republicans or Democrats at the state or municipal level, theyll all tell you its a really important priority, Baker said. I know theres a lot of other stuff going on in Washington, but I think both of us would like to see people focus on this. HOLYOKE The citys public schools welcomed two new principals for the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year. State Receiver Dr. Stephen Zrike announced the appointments of Sacha Garcia-Mailloux and Sal Canata. Garcia-Mailloux will lead the Lt. Clayre Sullivan School beginning July 8. A Holyoke native, Garcia-Mailloux attended Lawrence, Kelly and Lynch Schools, graduating from Holyoke High School. For the last 24 years, Ms. Garcia-Mailloux has distinguished herself as a passionate teacher, strong school leader and fierce advocate for students, read the statement. Garcia-Mailloux began as a foreign language teacher in the Springfield Public Schools. She spent her summers as a counselor, teachers and dorm head with the Upward Bound program, of which she attended in her youth. Garcia-Mailloux began a series of leadership roles in Springfield, including Service Team Facilitator, Internal Service Consultant and assistant principal. She was promoted to assistant principal at the Renaissance School, which has a 95 percent graduation rate and 100 percent college acceptance rate. Stephen Mahoney, the executive principal of Holyoke High School North and Dean Campus, led the Renaissance School from 2005 to 2015. Garcia-Mailloux earned a Bachelors in Spanish Literature-History and Education from Bates College and a Masters in School Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students and families can meet Garcia-Mailloux at Sullivan School May 29 at 3:45 p.m. Canata will lead the Holyoke STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Academy beginning July 1. For nearly 30 years, Canata worked as a classroom and special education teacher, department head, educational team leader, dean of students and administrator. In the Northampton Public Schools, he worked as an elementary and middle school assistant principal and principal. For the past six years, Canata served as the principal of Leeds Elementary. Through strategic and intentional work on school culture, the school improved from being a Level 3 to a Level 2 school, according to the statement. Canata earned a Bachelors in Middle School Education at North Adams State College (Massachusetts Collee of Liberal Arts) and a Masters in Special Education from American International College. Two Massachusetts law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty last year will be honored in Washington D.C. Monday night, when their names will be dedicated to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. The names of Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon and Weymouth Police Sgt. Michael Chesna, along with those of 369 other U.S. law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty, will be formally dedicated on the walls of the memorial during the 31st annual vigil on the National Mall Monday night. Both Gannon and Chesna died in 2018 and were remembered as model law enforcement officers to their communities and loyal family members. Gannon, 32, was slain while serving a warrant in Marstons Mills on April 12, 2018. Recently, on the one-year anniversary of his death, his wife Dara Gannon penned a letter in which she urged others to follow the lead of her late husband, who she said acted on his principles and led by example. At the time of his death, Gannon worked as a K-9 officer alongside his police dog Nero, who survived the April 12 shooting. Chesna, 42, was killed just before his six-year anniversary as an officer in the Weymouth Police Department, when he was fatally shot while responding to an erratic driver early on July 15, 2018. He left behind his wife and two children, and had also served two tours with the U.S. Army in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was described by a Weymouth police captain as an American hero and patriot. The vigil will also recognize a third Massachusetts fallen officer who died nearly nine decades ago. Leon F. Moody, a member of the Worcester Police Department who died on Sep. 29, 1932 after injuring his hip on an ambulance door while assisting a patient, will also be honored during the D.C. vigil. The 371 names added to the memorial in 2019 include 158 law enforcement officers who died in 2018, and 213 officers who died earlier in history, according to a statement from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The vigil on Monday will hear special remarks from U.S. Attorney General William Barr, who will also read aloud the names of the fallen officers. With the additions of the new fallen heroes, there are now 21,910 officers names engraved on the memorial, which includes a reflecting pool surrounded by stone walkways across three acres. The memorial represents the names of officers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, federal law enforcement, and military police agencies, according to the NLEO Memorial Fund. Over the past five years in Massachusetts, 18 colleges have closed or merged. This includes the abrupt shuttering of Mount Ida College last year, which led to anger and upheaval among students and staff, who were given little notice. State education officials are pushing for a bill introduced by Gov. Charlie Baker in March that would require schools to notify the state Board of Higher Education of any known liabilities or risks which may result in the imminent closure of the institution or jeopardize the institutions ability to fulfill its obligations to current and admitted students. The Legislatures Higher Education Committee held a public hearing on the bill Monday. Until now, our approach has been totally reactive, said Higher Education Commissioner Carlos Santiago, testifying at the hearing. We have to move from a reactive state to a proactive state. Mount Ida, a small private college in Newton, announced in April 2018 that it planned to close after graduation in May, after a proposed merger with Lasell College fell through. Students were left scrambling to transfer to campuses that may not offer the same majors at Mount Ida, and faculty were left without work. The closure resulted in a lawsuit by former students and a review by Attorney General Maura Healey, who decided not to sue. State officials say there have been 17 other closures or mergers over the past five years, which have generally gone more smoothly. Newbury College in Brookline this weekend held its final commencement before shutting down. Hampshire College in Amherst admitted just 15 first-year students for next year as it considers restructuring or merging. Education Secretary Jim Peyser said demographic shifts are expected to continue to result in fewer students looking to attend college in the northeast. Despite incredible successes, the ground is shifting underneath our feet, Peyser said. Bakers bill, S.2183, would require any institution at financial risk of closing to notify the Board of Higher Education and develop a contingency closure plan for notifying students, maintaining student records and helping students transfer if the institution closes. The bill would give the board authority to request financial data from schools and impose sanctions on schools that do not comply. The information provided to the board would be confidential. Peyser said in testimony that the bill envisions a process that would use multiple financial indicators to judge a schools fiscal health. It would safeguard confidentiality, put in place a predictable process and try to ensure that decisions are made public in a timely manner that is not too soon or too late. Peyser said it is not fair to students to wait until every possible turnaround opportunity is fully explored, but it is also unfair to an institution to announce their fiscal problems prematurely, which could lead to students withdrawing, and hasten the schools demise. Santiago said Bakers bill would let state officials have conversations with institutions before financial problems are made public. We have to better understand their plans to get out of financial distress, Santiago said. The legislation fits with a proposal made by the Board of Higher Education that would create a new state agency with authority to require colleges to notify students by Dec. 1 that they are at risk of not being sustainable for another 18 months. The agency would also require colleges to institute plans for things like transferring students or merging. That plan has been somewhat controversial. The Pioneer Institute think tank warned in a recent report that it could result in colleges being falsely labeled as high-risk, which could doom the college. The Pioneer report cites additional concerns about confidentiality, political influence and unfair sanctions. The presidents of Simmons University and Regis College recently warned in an op-ed in the Boston Globe that regulators need to consider that financially struggling colleges can turn themselves around. The risk of publicly identifying an institution on a watch list will preclude any chance of a turnaround and potentially cause undue harm to institutions that are working hard to succeed, wrote Simmons President Helen Drinan and Regis President Antoinette Hays. But Mondays hearing drew little attention, with only two people testifying on Bakers bill other than administration officials. Laura DeVeau, the former vice president of student affairs at Mount Ida College, warned of the devastating impact a school closure can have on faculty. For the 240 full-time staff and faculty who worked at Mount Ida, DeVeau said, The job search left many unemployed, underemployed or having to leave higher education entirely. DeVeau said any model to identify financial stress needs to account for each schools individual business model. She also stressed the importance of having a centralized place to store student transcripts and other records, so students can access them even after the college closes. Rich Doherty, president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, said the schools he represents are not opposed to new regulations to prevent another abrupt closure like Mount Ida. But AICUM wants to see changes considered carefully to avoid unintended consequences that will result from a rushed process. AICUM is pushing for the creation of a dashboard of multiple metrics that can be used to assess financial health. The organization supports annual reviews conducted by a regional accreditation agency, rather than by the state Department of Higher Education. After a battle in the Legislature and at the ballot box, Massachusetts in 2013 instituted a right to repair law, giving independent car repair shops the same access to diagnostic information as car manufacturers. Now, some repair shops are saying it is time for an update. The latest salvo in the fight between car manufacturers and repair shop owners is over how the law applies to new technology. Independent shops say the law does not adequately address telematics, which are systems that transmit information wirelessly. But manufacturers say the old law is working just fine. If the fight cannot be solved legislatively, the Right to Repair Coalition says they will consider going to the ballot in 2020. You cannot have a system of information the independent repair shop doesnt have access to to fix or diagnose a car, especially in newer cars, said Tommy Hickey, director of the Right to Repair Coalition, which includes independent repair shops, parts stores and consumer groups. That will put independent repair shops out of businesses going forward. But Wayne Weikel, director of state government affairs for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said under current law, automakers already provide all the information necessary to diagnose and repair a vehicle. The issue at hand is not about if you can get your vehicle repaired, its about who has real time, remote access to your driving data, Weikel said. The 2013 law requires manufacturers to provide independent repair shops with the same access to diagnostic and repair information as the manufacturers give their own dealerships. This is done through a port in a car that repair shops can plug into. Manufacturers sell the necessary software and updates to independent repair shops. But the current law excludes telematics, which are systems that can transfer information wirelessly. This includes remote diagnostic information, notifications of crashes and airbag deployment, remote door unlock, navigation, transmittal of the location of a stolen vehicle and other information. Bills pending in the Legislature would require manufacturers to give access to all telematics systems to the vehicle owner and any repair shop authorized by that owner through a mobile-based app. The repair shop would have to be allowed to communicate with the telematic system. Hickey, a lobbyist who was involved in getting the 2013 law passed, said by 2022, 90% of cars will have telematic systems. These systems will be able to tell a person, for example, when their brakes need repairs or if the car has a problem. The data is sent in real time to manufacturers. As far as were concerned, the consumer should have access to and control of the data being collected by their car, Hickey said. He said updating the right to repair law would let the consumer provide that data to an independent repair shop to diagnose and fix their car. The spirit of the law is to allow consumers to get their car fixed where they choose, Hickey said. That needs to be updated to advance with technology. Owners of several independent repair shops said they worry about the lack of future access to data they need to fix cars. Bruno Parrotta, owner of Parrottas Auto Service in Agawam, said repair shops can plug into the port to get diagnostic information but he worries that will change. Manufacturers are working on exploiting a loophole in the law and making it wireless and having only the dealer having access to it, Parrotta said. Brad Leveillee, president and founder of Brad's Service Center in Chicopee, said he already pays up to $60,000 a year for updates to the manufacturers software. I feel as though my industry is being overtaken by the dealers, and theyre wanting to control the manufacturers software, Leveilee said. Armando Ruiz, owner of A&S Tires Plus in Agawam, said having access to telematic data gives you better insight to whats going on, whats creating the issue at hand, how the issue actually was created to begin with. Its being proactive versus being reactive, Ruiz said. But Weikel, who represents car manufacturers, said there are no signs that cars will eliminate the diagnostic port, and Massachusetts right to repair law already covers any information a repair shop needs to diagnose and fix a car even if that information is generated telematically. Weikel says the bill would provide wider access to real-time driving data, which creates privacy concerns. Theres no scenario in which real time remote access is needed to diagnose and repair a vehicle, Weikel said. He said already, car manufacturers provide more information to independent repair shops than any other industry, such as appliance or TV repairs. Around 70 percent of car repairs are done outside of an authorized dealer and, Weikel said, Theres no indication that thats going to change. SPRINGFIELD Members of local building trade unions demonstrated outside the Skyview Downtown apartment tower at State and Chestnut streets Monday morning, saying the use of a New Jersey-based general contractor and out-of-state workers for a $50 million renovation is a slap in the face to local employment. About 125 union workers participated in the protest outside the 489-unit apartment complex, once known as Chestnut Towers. The demonstration eventually moved to the steps of nearby City Hall at Court Square. The apartment property is owned by Related Companies, of New York, N.Y., and the cost of renovations is aided by public funds, union officials said. Contina Brooks, of Springfield, who works as an operating engineer, said she has been unemployed since last September, when she was among hundreds of workers employed at the $960 million MGM Springfield casino project. "I'm here because it's a slap in the face to see non-union contractors come in and take jobs from a taxpayer," Brooks said. "I'm a resident of Springfield. These are Springfield jobs that could employ Springfield residents. We need jobs." She and other union laborers said the city can do more to ensure that construction jobs on projects involving public funds go to local workers, not out-of-state companies. City officials could approve stronger ordinances or enforce existing ordinances regarding construction and local hiring requirements, they said. Brooks said she worked at the MGM construction project from the projects groundbreaking until the end in September of last year. The demonstrators carried signs with messages such as "Springfield Construction Workers Matter" and "Local Jobs for Local People." Related Companies. through a spokesperson, said it believes it is in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in regard to the work and procedures undertaken. Michael Langone, president of the Pioneer Valley Building Trades Council, said Mondays demonstration was designed as an informational picket. The city, as part of its approval of the MGM Springfield project, required MGM to meet quotas for hiring of local residents, minorities, women and veterans, which were met by MGM as the right thing to do he said. "Now, as you can see, we're all out of work," Langone said. "There are people from Connecticut, there are people from the contractor in New Jersey doing Chestnut Towers. There are a bunch of laborers in Chestnut Tower right now. We need to put Springfield residents back to work." The contractor for the project is ETC of New Jersey, Langone said. This is not nor has it ever been about union or non-union Langone said. Its about local workers. He estimated that unemployment among the local building trades is 35-40 percent Top-to-bottom renovations are taking place at the 34-story tower that was built more than 40 years ago. Related, which owns affordable housing complexes across the country, took over management at Chestnut Park in 2017, and has had an ownership stake in the complex since 1996. Earlier this year, MassHousing, the states quasi-public housing finance agency, agreed to provide $50 million in affordable financing to Related at Chestnut. In February, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City Council approved a newly revised Responsible Employer ordinance that requires contractors on public construction projects to meet minimum hiring requirements for local residents, women, minorities and veterans. Some union members said they believe that either that ordinance, or an ordinance that could be crafted by city officials should be able to make a requirement for local jobs for project such as Skyview Downtown. In addition, an earlier version of the Responsible Employers Ordinance was not being enforced by the city, union officials said. Dan D'Alma, business manager for the electricians union, Local 7, said the unions are fighting for jobs for local residents. "You've got a project going on right behind us and there is out-of-state workers here, and we're just showing we want jobs for Springfield residents," D'Alma said. There are laborers from New Jersey and painters from Connecticut, DAlma said. Joe Tranghese, president of the Laborers Local 999, said the city "has failed to support the building trades." D.J. Tranghese, a cousin, business manager for the laborers, said a lot of members are 'sitting on the bench this year" with a very slow start to construction jobs. And then to have a project of that size go non-union, and bring in workers from out of town, its really tough to see it, D.J. Tranghese said. SPRINGFIELD City councilors said Monday they share the concerns of trades unions but may not have the power to push for more local construction jobs at a $50 million renovation project at the Skyview Downtown apartments. Members of various unions held a demonstration Monday morning outside the complex at State and Chestnut streets, saying the project employs out-of-state construction workers while local tradespeople are out of work. The private property owner, Related Companies, of New York City, defended the affordable housing renovation project, saying it was competitively bid. ETC Companies LLC, based in Ramsey, New Jersey, was hired for the project at Skyview Downtown, previously known as Chestnut Park. I hear the union workers of Springfield loud and clear, Council President Justin Hurst said in an interview. While he understands the frustrations, and while the city does have legislation to promote local hiring, Hurst said he must defer to City Solicitor Edward Pikula on whether those rules apply to Skyview Downtown. Councilor Melvin Edwards joined in raising concerns about local hiring, but questioned the citys ability to require local hiring when a project does not use city funds. Their concerns are legitimate, Edwards said of the union demonstrators. Its a travesty to have a company from as far away as New Jersey and be able to do work here and local people not employed. Related Companies said its renovation contractor is licensed to do business in Massachusetts and nearly all the subcontractors are Massachusetts based and sources their employment in-state. The company said it believes it has met all applicable laws and regulation pertaining to the project. The first phase, which targets the 34-story apartment tower, was competitively bid and well over 70 percent of the initial work has been awarded to union labor, Related Companies said. The complex also includes two smaller buildings. Edwards was among the city councilors who helped pass a revised Responsible Employer ordinance in February, promoting the hiring of Springfield residents, minorities, women and veterans. The ordinance addresses projects that involve city financing or city tax incentives, which may not be the case with Related Companies, Edwards said. Hurst also noted the Skyview project started well before the Responsible Employer ordinance was revised this year. An earlier version of the ordinance was not rigorously enforced. MassHousing, the states quasi-public housing finance agency, agreed to provide $50 million in affordable financing to Related for the Skyview project. Advocates for local hiring might wish to contact state legislators on their concerns, Edwards said. "The city and City Council have done yeoman's work trying to address this with projects involving city funds," he said. Edwards noted Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City Council did reach an agreement with MGM Springfield, as part of its host community agreement, to meet certain quotas for local hiring and for the hiring of minorities, women and veterans. Sarno declined comment Monday. SPRINGIELD -- A city man pleaded guilty to selling heroin to two people who then had it sold in Vermont, where prices are higher for illegal drugs. Oscar Rosario, 33, pleaded guilty to one count to distribute heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine and two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute of heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine in Springfield federal court Monday, said Christina DiLorio-Sterling, spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling. Rosario admitted to supplying heroin to co-defendants, Nia Moore-Bush and Dinelson Dinzey, on Nov. 17 and Dec. 8, 2017. The two then allegedly sold the drugs or used couriers to bring the narcotics to Barre Vermont, which is just south of Montpellier, she said. Rosario, who served at least a year in prison for a previous conviction for a violent offense, faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $2 million. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young on July 31, she said. WEST SPRINGFIELD First Congregational Church of West Springfield sold its church building the oldest part dates back to 1872 and the adjacent parsonage to the city for $750,000. Its part of a series of ongoing property purchases West Springfields made, or plans to make, in the neighborhood totaling $1.7 million and involving more than 5.5 acres of land. It includes the church, parsonage and four other houses. West Springfield has purchased a total of six properties on Park and Lathrop streets to improve access to the Philip G. Coburn Elementary School around the corner at 115 Southworth St. West Springfield plans to build a new school in what's now the Coburn school's playground and then merge Coburn with the neighborhood's other school, Cowing Alternative School at 160 Park St., the corner of Park and Union. The Cowing building would close, according to documents on file with the Massachusetts School Building Authority. In October, the Massachusetts School Building Authority voted to move the Coburn School project into the schematic design phase meaning its moving forward in the states process for approving and funding new schools. The church building at 108 Park St. sold in December for $650,000. The parsonage at 42 Lathrop St. sold May 2 for $100,000, both according to documents on file with the Hampden County Registry of Deeds. The home at 66-68 Lathrop was sold to the town for $252,000 and one at 50-52 Lathrup was sold to the town for $223,400, according to deeds on file with the Hampden Registry of Deeds. Both deeds were filed in late April A land acquisition authorization filed in April also with the Hamden Registry of Deeds authorizes the town to buy 60-62 Lathrop St. for $219,000 and 56-58 Lathrop St. for $224,000. But those two deeds have not yet been filed. "We are continuing to work with the property owners and tenants," said Kate O'Brien, the city attorney. She expects demolition to begin at the five homes in 2020. Some are still occupied, she said. Most of the 5 acres West Springfield is buying the church property. The homes, including the parsonage, total only abut six tenths of an acre in total. At First Church, the dwindling congregation just couldn't keep up with building anymore, said Madelyn K. Miller, of the church's divestiture subcommittee. "I think if you look around the country, you see a lot of congregations that have gotten smaller, smaller in terms of human bodies and smaller in terms of income," Miller said. "This is a big building. You need human resources and funds to take care of it." The church has a nine-year agreement to rent back a portion of the building including Sunday and special-event use of the soaring sanctuary space. Kate OBrien, the city attorney, said the rental is nominal although she declined to provide a figure. The city is exploring plans to create a community center and offer early childhood programs in an addition the church added in 1952. Is asking someone to make a false claim about obstruction of justice potentially obstruction of justice in its own right? Only in an awfully messy presidential administration would such a question be raised, and also be pertinent. As such, now isn't a bad time at all to be asking it. According to several recent news accounts, President Donald Trump asked former White House counsel Don McGahn to assert that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III found no case for obstruction in his 448-page report. Even though such a claim would have been patently untrue. Not surprisingly, McGahn demurred. The former White House lawyer spoke for some 30 hours with Mueller's team as the special counsel was investigating Russian interference in our nation's 2016 presidential election, possible connections between the Trump campaign and those efforts, and any attempt to obstruct the probe. The report states that Trump had at one point asked McGahn to fire Mueller, but had been rebuffed. The president, maintaining his usual method of operation -- deny, deny, deny -- says he never approached McGahn about axing Mueller, and further asserts that the most recent reports regarding his request of McGahn are untrue. And if you believe that, you likely also take at face value Trump's claim that he is "a very stable genius." From the first, Trump railed against the probe of Russian election meddling with the fervor of someone who had something serious to hide. Though the Mueller report did not find solid evidence of coordination between the campaign and Kremlin operatives looking to tilt the election toward Trump, it surely did uncover a campaign apparatus that was quite happy to allow Russia to lend a hand. Once elected, though, Trump simply couldn't admit that it was anything less than his own brilliance as a candidate that had elevated him to the White House. If Russia's efforts were probably true -- and they were -- then his election was tainted. This formed the foundation for Trump's dismay over the probe, first undertaken by the FBI, and later, after the president fired then-bureau director James Comey, by Mueller. What's long been holding this administration back isn't the legitimate probe of Russian meddling, but is instead Trump's badly flawed personality, specifically his unblinking narcissism, coupled with his always-wobbly grasp of history and of actual facts. But since he cannot admit that, ever, Russia will remain a threat to corrupt our nations elections going forward, including in 2020, when Trump will be seeking a replay of what he improbably pulled off in 2016. The Red Sox halted Dustin Pedroias rehab assignment Monday, pulling him out of Portland due to minor left knee soreness. He remains on the injured list. Pedroia was supposed to play three straight games over the weekend with Portland but was scratched from the lineup before Saturdays game when his knee flared up. Sox manager Alex Cora downplayed the injury Sunday but said Pedroia would meet with team doctors Monday. Mondays setback is the latest in a long line of them for Pedroia, who played just three games last year while rehabbing his knee. After missing the first 11 games of this season, the 35-year-old played six games before re-injuring himself April 17 in New York and going back on the injured list. He joined the SeaDogs for a rehab stint May 2 and played five games before being shut down again. The Red Sox have Michael Chavis and Eduardo Nunez as its primary options at second base and expect Brock Holt to rejoin the team later this week as well. Its unclear if or when Pedroia could become a part of the major-league picture again. Following a 10-month investigation, a 35-year-old Leominster man is now facing a manslaughter charge in connection with a crash last summer that killed Emilia Ortiz, a passenger in the car, officials said. McNally was arrested on Friday following the investigation by the Massachusetts State Police detectives, Leominster police and the Central Mass. Law Enforcement Councils crash reconstruction unit. Gregory McNally was driving a 2014 Nissan Rogue on July 22 when the car slammed into trees along Johnny Appleseed Lane in Leominster. The crash killed Ortiz, a 35-year-old Framingham woman, according to the office of Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. On Monday, McNally was arraigned on a charge of manslaughter in Leominster District Court, Earlys office wrote in a statement. Judge Mark Noonan ordered McNally held on $50,000 bail. If McNally posts bail, he will be released with conditions that he be confined to his home with GPS monitoring, have no contact with the victims friends or family, remain drug- and alcohol-free, and undergo a mental health evaluation, Earlys office said. McNallys grandfather posted bail, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, citing court documents. Just before the crash, McNally was driving 86 miles per hour, the Telegram reported, citing a police report. McNally told police that he purposely accelerated, trying to scare Ortiz because he was upset over their relationship, the newspaper reported. Ortiz broke up with McNally a month before, prompting a similar crash, the Telegram reported. Ortiz then sought a restraining order. A mother of two and Certified Nursing Assistant who specialized in hospice care, Emely Ortiz spent most of her life in Framingham, moving to the United States from Guatemala when she was 3 years old, according to her obituary. Emely was a very hard-worker and enjoyed spending her free time with her family and friends. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her, the obituary read. McNally is scheduled to return to court June 3. Sobs filled the courtroom as a four-minute video played, showing photos of Walter Adam Armstrong, his wife Laura Elva Jolicoeur Armstrong and their children. The images, spanning from black-and-white photos dating to the 1930s to color photos taken in the 21st Century, helped tell the story of a happy family. Armstrong and his wife built a good life for their children in Massachusetts, the family recalled Monday, and the parents shared a true love. "Dad called mom the love of his life, Lynne Doherty said to a judge in Worcester Superior Court. I believe she truly was. I hope that they can both rest peacefully now that justice has been served and I take comfort in knowing that they are together again. Those memories were shared Monday as Glenn Armstrong, one of the couples children, was sentenced to life in prison more than two years after killing his father. Armstrong, 50, was found guilty of first-degree murder Thursday after a Worcester Superior Court Jury deliberated for just a few hours. He was also found guilty of larceny of a motor vehicle. First-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. Walter Armstrong was found dead in his home at 36 Summer St. in Blackstone on Jan. 11, 2017. Following the killing, Glenn Armstrong drove off in his fathers pickup truck. He was found the next day in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, after the truck ran out of gas and was arrested. The younger Armstrong sat silently in court as his siblings fondly recalled the love they felt growing up in Blackstone. At times, his eyes were closed. Doherty and her brother, Walter Allen Armstrong, shared a history of the family, starting with their fathers difficult upbringing during the Great Depression, his military service, and then to his marriage and the joys of their family life. The elder Armstrong had a rare blood type, AB-, Doherty said, and would donate blood without hesitation whenever he was called on. Her father was a perfectionist, a man who loved music, loved to dance, Doherty recalled with a quick chuckle, and was a maverick when it came to new ideas, making 36 Summer St. one of the first homes in the area to have solar panels. The elder Armstrongs favorite saying, Doherty recalled, was anything worth doing is worth doing right. Doherty and her brother both shed tears as they shared the stories with the court, remarking on their difficulties in hearing about their fathers death and seeing it reported by the media. We were raised by two of the most decent, caring and honest people I have ever known, the younger Walter Armstrong wrote in a victim impact statement, which another relative read for him in court. What happened in January 2017 was not our fault. We all did what we could to help. We need to put this behind us now. He, too, remarked on the love shared by his parents. I am comforted, however, by the fact I know that he is in a better place, with our mom, and that wherever he is now, she was there to greet him, the younger Armstrong wrote. Judge Daniel Wrenn imposed the mandatory life sentence for Glenn Armstrong, as well as a concurrent sentence of no less than two years and no more than three years on the larceny of a motor vehicle charge. Armstrong will receive 844 days credit for time served. Walter Armstrong died of multiple blunt trauma injuries and asphyxia by ligature strangulation, according to the office of Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. During the trial, the jury was told that the elder Armstrong was badly beaten and was found with a trash bag over his head, with a belt securing the bag, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Dr. Maria Del Mar Capo-Martinez of the state medical examiners office testified that it was her opinion the elder Armstrong was still alive when the bag was placed on his head, the Telegram reported. Armstrong had a previous criminal record. In 2015, he was sentenced to serve nine months in prison for an assault and battery that occurred at a Blackstone bar. Armstrong was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 1994 after threatening to kill then-President Bill Clinton. Armstrong, who was living in Uxbridge at the time, was placed on probation for 36 months, according to federal court records. A McDowell Early College freshman will serve as a delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders this summer. McKenize Inman, a ninth-grader from Old Fort, will travel to Lowell, Massachusetts June 23-25. The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields. The purpose of this event is to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country who aspire to be physicians or medical scientists, to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal. I have been interested in the medical field since I was little, Inman said to The McDowell News. I am excited and I hope to learn more about how to be a doctor, and different kinds of surgeries and transplants. Inmans nomination letter was signed by Dr. Mario Capecchi, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and the science director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, to represent McDowell Early College based on her academic achievement, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine. A foster care employee in Marion was arrested and charged after allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a minor for almost a month, authorities said Monday. Detective Billie Brown of the McDowell County Sheriffs Office charged Tiffany Lynn Forscutt, 32, address listed as North McDowell Avenue in Marion, with statutory rape/statutory sex offense and sex act by a governmental or private institutional employee. According to an incident report, Forscutt was employed by Clear Sky Behavioral, a local therapeutic leadership academy for boys. It is alleged that she had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 14-year-old male that lasted for approximately a month earlier this year. Forscutts bond was set at $250,000. Jennifer Darwin, senior vice president of corporate communications, said to The McDowell News on Monday the customer accounts at the Marion location will be transferred to the closest financial center, which is in Morganton at the 100 N. Green St. Customers who opened accounts or transact regularly at the center were mailed letters last week and information is being distributed in the financial center, she said. As for the reason behind the closing, it is because of how the banking industry itself is changing. We are seeing a shift in how our clients are banking, said Darwin to The McDowell News. Every day, more customers use their mobile phone or online banking to do their basic transactions, and they come into our centers when they want advice and guidance for their more complex needs. In some instances, this has resulted in the closing of financial centers, like this one. Our decision here is really based on the need to balance customer preference and opportunities for growing our business. We make every effort to accommodate employees at our other locations and within the company. But the evidence was strange, Cameron pointed out, and only the giant impact seemed to fit it. It was big enough to generate the global magma ocean in which the anorthosite formed. It explained why the moon's and Earth's chemical fingerprints were so similar - they formed from the same swirl of exploded rock. It accounted for the missing volatiles, which would have been blown into space when Earth and Theia collided. The hypothesis was also supported by data from science experiments astronauts performed during their time on the lunar surface. Seismometers deployed by Armstrong's comrade Buzz Aldrin and his successors on later Apollo missions revealed that the moon has relatively little iron at its center. After the collision, the theory goes, heavy elements such as iron sank into Earth's core while lighter elements were blasted away into what became the moon. (Notably, Earth is the densest planet in the solar system.) Dental Trauma Market Information: By Type (Tooth Fracture, Injuries of the Periodontal Apparatus, Injuries to Supporting Bone Tissues), Treatment (Cosmetic Dentistry, Laser Dentistry), End User (Dental Clinics, Laboratories) Global Forecast till 2023 During last decade the number of procedures have increased which has influenced the growth of the market positively. Moreover, increasing demand for the better treatment and changing reimbursement policies has boosted the market growth. Increasing number of patients suffering from different dental diseases have increased the demand different treatments in the market. During the last few years, the dental consumables have changed the treatment scenario. The market is expecting a healthy growth during the next decade. Moreover, well developed technology has supported the growth of the market in this region. To Get Free Sample Report visit https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5301 According to the Pew Center on the States, in 2010, Americans spend USD 106 billion on dental care. According to the American Dental Association, in 2010, over 600 million dental procedures were performed which will continuously increase in coming future. Approximately 75 % of all procedures were diagnostic procedures of which children aged 020 accounts for 41% of all procedures. The Global Dental Trauma Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~8.6 % during the forecast period 2017-2023. Key Players for Global Dental Trauma Market Market Research Future (MRFR) recognizes the following companies as the key players in Dental Trauma Market: There are plenty of large and small market players which operate in this market all over the globe. Some of key the players in the market are Patterson Dental (U.S.), Henry Schein (U.S.), Dentsply Sirona (U.S.), 3M (U.S.), Straumann (Switzerland), Danaher Corporation (Switzerland), PLANMECA OY (Finland), Carestream Health, Inc. (U.S.), Biolase Inc (U.S.), KERR Corporation (U.S.), GC orthodontics (Germany), American Orthodontics (U.S.), Zimmer Holdings Inc. (U.S.), Ivoclar Vivadent AG (Liechtenstein), Gentle Dentistry, LLC (U.S.) and others. Segments for Global Dental Trauma Market The global dental trauma market is segmented on the basis of types, by treatment, and by end user. On the basis of type, the market is segmented into tooth fracture, injuries of the periodontal apparatus, and injuries to supporting bone tissues. Tooth fracture is further segmented into enamel infraction, enamel fracture, enamel-dentine fracture, complex fracture of tooth, root fracture of tooth. Injuries of the periodontal apparatus is further segmented into subluxation of the tooth (tooth knocked loose), luxation of the tooth, intrusion of the tooth (tooth jammed into tooth socket), avulsion of the tooth. Injuries to supporting bone tissues is further segmented into fracture of mandibular/maxillary socket wall, fracture of mandibular/maxillary alveolar processes, fracture of mandible/maxilla. Based on the treatment, it is segmented into cosmetic dentistry, laser dentistry, and others. On the basis of end user, it is segmented into dental clinics, dental laboratories, research laboratories, and others. Regional Analysis for Global Dental Trauma Market The Americas dominate the global dental trauma market owing to the presence of huge patient population with dental injuries, high healthcare spending, and increasing government support for research & development. Europe holds the second largest share of the global dental trauma market as result of increasing focus of various government agencies on the treatment of dental diseases. Moreover, the growing public awareness about dental trauma likely to boost the European market. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing dental trauma market across the globe. Japan holds the major share of the regional market due to availability of advanced technology and huge healthcare spending. Moreover, rapidly developing economy, increasing healthcare expenditure, and the governments initiatives for research & development projected to drive the market in China and India over the forecasted period. The Middle East and Africa holds the least share of the global market due to limited availability of medical facilities. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait are expected to drive the Middle East & African market. Whereas, the African region is expected to witness a moderate growth. To Browse Complete Report visit https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/dental-trauma-market-5301 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Theis expected to grow significantly over the forecast period. It is estimated that the global gene expression analysis market is expected to hold a market value ofand register aduring the forecast period of 2018 to 2023. Gene expression analysis is research dedicated towards functional genomics extending the application purview of studying genes and gene transcripts. Synthesizing functional gene products such as functional RNAs and protein species offers insights on how an intact organism survives when a particular gene goes missing. Growth in personalized medicine and technological developments are driving market growth. According to a data published by the Foley & Lardner LLP, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 16 new personalized medicines in 2017. Moreover, the development of genomic databases and increased government funding towards genomics is fueling market growth. Get Free Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/7805 However, the lack of skilled labor and the high cost of instruments may hamper market growth during the assessment period. Key Players GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, Illumina, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc., BGI, PerkinElmer Inc., Agilent Technologies, Inc., QIAGEN, Oxford Gene Technology, Eurofins Scientific, Danaher, Genotypic Technology Pvt Ltd, Macrogen Inc. Segmentation The global gene expression analysis market has been segmented into product, services, application, end-user, and region. The market, on the basis of product, has been segmented into consumables and instruments. The market, based on consumables, has been further segmented into reagents and DNA chips. The market, based on instruments, has been further segmented into polymerase chain reaction (PCR), next-generation sequencing (NGS), microarray, Sanger sequencing, and others. The market, by services, has been segmented into gene expression profiling services, sequencing services, bioinformatics solutions, and others. The market, by application, has been segmented into drug discovery, diagnosis, research, and others. The market, by end-user, has been segmented into pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, academic & research institutes, contract research organizations, and others. The market has been segmented, by region, into the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. The gene expression analysis market in the Americas has further been segmented into North America and South America, with the North American market divided into the US and Canada. The European gene expression analysis market has been segmented into Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Western Europe has further been classified as Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, and the rest of Western Europe. The gene expression analysis market in Asia-Pacific has been segmented into Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, and the rest of Asia-Pacific. The gene expression analysis market in the Middle East & Africa has been segmented into the Middle East and Africa. Regional Market Summary Geographically, the Americas is anticipated to dominate the global gene expression analysis market owing to the increasing research activities and the rising popularity of gene expression tests. Additionally, the well-developed healthcare sector is anticipated to boost the American gene expression analysis market. Europe is expected to hold the second largest position in the global gene expression analysis market. The market growth in this region is attributed to the availability of funds for research. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing region in the market due to the growing investment from governments in the field of genomics, and continuously developing economies. According to a report published by the International Journal of Social and Developmental Concerns in October 2017, in Malaysia, the growth of the public primary, as well as secondary care facilities, has decreased in the past few years, and it has not kept pace with the rapid urbanization. Thus, such factors restraint the growth of the market in this region. On the other hand, the Middle East & Africa has the least share of the market. About US: Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Market Synopsis Chronic ailment multiple sclerosis affects the central nervous system, specifically the communication between the brain and other parts of the body. Treatment for this ailment is a big market in the medical sector. Market Research Future (MRFR) has published a report about the global multiple sclerosis treatment market that predicts a raise for this market with 3.5% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) between 2017 and 2023. Get a FREE Sample Report with Complete TOC @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/940 During the forecast period, the factors primarily driving the growth of this market include the greater screening and need for better treatment options and increasing patient population. The significant gap between early diagnosis and the actual initiation of therapy is still a restraining factor that can harm market growth. The lack of cure and limitations regarding effective treatment can dillydally the growth of the global multiple sclerosis treatment market. Market Potential and Pitfalls Multiple sclerosis treatment market is anticipated to expand at a healthy CAGR throughout the forecast period owing to several driving factors. With augmenting patient population across the world and the need for better treatment options and greater screening, the market for multiple sclerosis treatment is estimated to flourish. As the aging population is more susceptible to the disease, the market is flourishing with the increasing geriatric population. Research and development activities are also considered to yield benefits with huge gain for the market. For instance, the introduction of a new drug with partial curing rate is expected to be welcomed by the market with minimum marketing efforts and cost. Such efforts are estimated to contribute to the market growth. Furthermore, with the augmenting incidences of muscle weakness, the market is likely to flourish in the coming years. Additional factor promoting the market growth is the presence of high unmet clinical requirements, especially in the developing economies. Organizations across the globe are spreading awareness related to progressive multiple sclerosis coupled with the symptoms associated with it, which is further estimated to propel the market growth. With reimbursement programs, the penetration of multiple sclerosis drugs is also likely to augment, thereby contributing to the market growth. Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market Segments MRFR has segmented its analysis into five key dynamics for enhanced understanding. By Drug Type : Immunomodulators and Immunosuppressant among others. By Route of Administration : Injectable, Oral and other. By Diagnosis : Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scans, Simple Electrical Stimulation Tests, and Lumbar Puncture among others. By End-users : Hospitals, Clinics and others. By Regions : North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest-of-the-World. Regional Insights Geographically, the multiple sclerosis treatment market spans across regions namely, America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East & Africa. Among all the regions, America is considered to occupy the largest market share owing to the presence of U.K. in this region. U.S. is estimated to dominate the market due to the increasing R&D activities for better treatment of the disease and extensive development in the medical sector. An increasing number of hospitalization procedures owing to healthcare penetration in Canada and the U.S. are estimated to propel the market growth. Additional factors influencing the market growth are the high concentration of key hospitals and good reimbursement rates. European is presumed to occupy the second largest market share and is likely to retain its dominance over the years. The growth is credited to the augmenting healthcare industry along with healthcare penetration. The region is mainly led by economies like France and Germany, where Germany is considered to be the fastest growing region due to the presence of its large pharmaceutical industry. The Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at a rapid pace and is presumed to lead the market owing to the large unmet needs coupled with the fast-developing healthcare sector in this region. South East Asian economies like India, China, and Malaysia highly contribute to the market growth. Additionally, penetration of the healthcare sector is likely to fuel the future multiple sclerosis market. Competitive Dashboard The prominent players operating the global multiple sclerosis treatment market are Pfizer AbbVie Teva Pharmaceuticals Merck Bayer Healthcare Novartis Sanofi Aventis Biogen Idec Table Of Content Report Prologue Market Introduction Research Methodology Market Dynamics Market Factor Analysis Global Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market Drug Type Global Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market, By Route of Administration Global Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market, By Diagnosis Browse Complete Report with Niche Segments and Top Industry Players at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/multiple-sclerosis-treatment-market-940 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com , a Canadian firm, just won FDA clearance for its eMurmur ID system that spots and classifies heart murmurs, as well as S1, S2 heart sounds. The offering, the core of which resides in the cloud, relies on sounds recorded using a third-party electronic stethoscope. The user simply pairs a Bluetooth-capable stethoscope to a smartphone running the eMurmur ID app and performs an auscultation. The app takes the sounds it receives from the stethoscope and passes those along to a series of algorithms that are applied on the cloud to the recording. These perform the signal analysis the results of which are almost immediately provided to the clinician. It is hoped that with a system like this, primary care doctors will be able to screen patients for a variety of cardiac conditions that would normally require a cardiologist to notice. Moreover, specialty and employer-provided facilities may soon be able to take advantage as well. The eMurmur ID solution has the potential to disrupt medical care, said Dr. Derek Exner, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Clinical Trials at the University of Calgary, in a published statement. The evidence for its utility is solid and includes five studies on over 1000 patients, including blinded, multi-centre trials. This system has been shown to be accurate, informative, and easy-to-use. It provides healthcare professionals with a potent screening tool and method to confirm their clinical diagnoses, enhancing patient care. Heres a quick demonstration of the eMurmur ID system: Product page: eMurmur ID Via: eMurmur Market Research Future published a research report on Global Spinal Traction Market and Predicted that global spinal traction market is expected to reach USD 6.0 billion by 2023 at a CAGR of ~ 7.7 % during the forecast period 2017-2023. Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 50 market data tables and figures spread over 100 pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content (TOC) & market synopsis on Global Spinal Traction Market Research Report Forecast till 2023. Spinal Traction Market Information: By Type (Manual Spinal Traction, Mechanical Spinal Traction), Applications (Slipped Discs, Bone Spurs, Degenerative Disc Disease, Herniated Discs, Facet Disease, Sciatica, Foramina Stenosis, Pinched Nerves), Devices (Continuous Traction, Gravity-Dependent Traction, Manual Traction) Global Forecast till 2023 Get Free Sample Report Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1902 Key Players Some of the key players profiled in the report are Fujifilm Holdings, GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Shimadzu Corporation, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, pfizer plc., Baxter, Mylan N.V., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Hitachi Medical Corporation, and others. Spinal Traction Market Overview The market drivers for the spinal traction devices market are growing geriatric population, rising cases of spinal cord diseases and trauma, rising number of spinal surgery, increasing awareness and screening, and developing healthcare. On the other hand, lack of experimental clinical data in support of traction devices in medical treatment, high cost of devices, demand for minimally invasive procedures, risks of surgery such as pain, risk of infection and damage to the spine, may hamper the marker growth over the review period. Innovation remains the best strategy for the global spinal traction devices. Thus, many companies are focusing on developing new devices offering better diagnostics and treatment of various spine conditions. Wireless sensor technology is the latest wave with advanced products have been connected to external devices for further analysis of the problem and the healing progress. However, cost of the product projected to be a crucial factor in the developing regions such as Asia Pacific and Africa. Increasing geriatric population, rising cases of spinal cord diseases and trauma, rising number of spinal surgery, growing screening, rising awareness, and growing income are the major drivers of this market. On the other hand, lack of clinical evidence, high cost of the devices coupled with low healthcare expenditure in developing regions may restrain the market growth during the given period. Regional Analysis: The Americas accounts for a significant market share owing to high expenditure on the health care. Additionally, the fastest uptake of new diagnostics and drugs in the U.S. drives the mesenteric ischemia market. Furthermore, concentration of the major healthcare companies and large hospitals in the developed countries of this region coupled with large insurance penetration are adding fuel to the market growth. The U.S. expend high amount on its healthcare in 2015, which accounted for 16% of total GDP which, in turn, likely to drive the mesenteric ischemia market. Europe is the second largest market in the world due to high income and strong healthcare penetration. The European market growth is led by countries such as Germany and France. The UK is expected to be the fastest growing market over the assessment period. However the southern European nations have witnessed a greater incidence of infective mesenteric ischemia due to associated environmental conditional. Owing to strong pharmaceutical industry, Germany dominates the European market. Asia Pacific region is expected to grow rapidly; China and India are likely to lead this market due to the fast growing healthcare sector and large unmet needs over the forecast period. South East Asian countries such as China, India, and Malaysia are projected to contribute highly to the market growth. Furthermore, growing penetration of healthcare insurance in the Asia Pacific region is expected to drive the future mesenteric ischemia market in the region. Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are estimated to drive the Middle East & African market. Other Middle East nations to watch out for are Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and Iran. The African region is expected to witness a moderate growth owing to poor economic and political conditions, and poor healthcare development. However, the poor countries and developing regions have the greatest unmet needs, which needs to be tapped. Browse Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/spinal-traction-market-1902 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com by Tanya Gazdik , May 12, 2019 Honda has joined forces with this years Hot Wheels Legends Tour, adding a tuner component called the Honda Super Tuner Legends Series. The automaker is conducting a national search for a life-size custom car worthy of being immortalized as a Hot Wheels toy car. One finalist from each of the four tuner events will be selected, and then a winner will be chosen as the Honda Super Tuner, with his/her vehicle being featured at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas in November. For nearly two decades, Honda and Hot Wheels have partnered to design dozens of Honda Hot Wheels toys, including 20 currently in production. In 2018, Hot Wheels released a series of eight 1:64 scaled die-cast Honda Hot Wheels toys, including the Honda CR-X, '90 Honda Civic EF, Honda S2000 and Honda Odyssey. advertisement advertisement Honda vehicles are favorites of car enthusiasts and the tuner crowd -- owners who customize their vehicles with top-of-the-line enhancements. The company has celebrated this relationship at SEMA and other exhibitions and rallies. The automaker is offering sanctioned "genuine" accessories that provide vehicle owners the ability to personalize their builds, while enhancing appearance and functionality. The Honda Super Tuner Legends Series debuts May 18 at Mattel headquarters in El Segundo, Calif. with stops in Denver (Aug. 10), Seattle (Aug. 24) and Santa Clarita, Calif. (Oct. 19). All three Honda Super Tuner Legends Series stops following the kick-off event will take place at Walmart store parking lots as part of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. This will give attendees the chance to learn about Hondas history with Hot Wheels, showcase some of the most interesting Honda tuner vehicles in each region, pick up a reusable Honda tote and check out Hondas exclusive Civic Type R that was featured at Hondas 2018 SEMA exhibit. The first Hot Wheels Legends Tour was held in 2018 to commemorate the toy cars 50th anniversary and drew in more than 3,600 cars and 65,000 fans. This year, Hot Wheels has partnered with brands including Honda, Mobil 1, Dickies, Microsoft Xbox and Mechanix, expanding the Legends Tour to include more than 18 stops throughout the country at Walmart stores. by Larissa Faw , May 13, 2019 Although Publicis Groupe's $4.4 billion acquisition of Epsilon was officially consummated under CEO Arthur Sadoun in April, the process actually began under Executive Chairman Maurice Levy several years prior, when Levy was still served as the Groupe's chief executive. "It was a formidable and complicated deal," Levy explains during a one-on-one with MediaPost. Levys involvement with the deal one of the largest in Adland history underscores the fact that he remains fully engaged and extensively involved in the Groupes activities. He works "shoulder to shoulder" with Sadoun, Levy says. "I have a beautiful role," he jokes. "It allows me to sleep at night while Arthur does not." Kidding aside, Levy says his current role is to "assist" Sadoun to achieve the Groupe's goals whatever they may be. His current to-do list includes potential acquisitions and outlining strategic objectives. advertisement advertisement "My role on the Supervisory Committee works in tandem with Arthur," he explains. "We are all on the same boat rolling in the same direction." He points out this relationship was similar to his partnership with the previous Chairperson Elisabeth Badinter, daughter of Publicis founder Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, when he was CEO. "When there is something we must do, we make sure it gets assistance." Levy became the second Frenchman, joining Bleustein-Blanchet, to be inducted into the American Advertising Federation's Hall of Fame on April 30. Levy previously demurred from the nomination because he felt it was "not appropriate" to be inducted while serving as the Publicis Groupe's CEO. Now, this acknowledgement recognizes his 30 years at the head of the company, when he led it to become the third largest communications group in the world. Levys decades-long experience provides him with singular insight into the evolving Adland landscape. When asked whether he believes the industry is headed more toward "Math Men" a la data experts versus creative Mad Men, Levy says in regards to both Math Men and Women, notably including both genders in his response, it isn't one discipline taking priority over the other, but "and." Nowadays, creativity and data are so intertwined you need both to succeed. Levy has always worked both sides of the debate. As leader, he pushed for higher levels of creativity, but his background was rooted in technology, having joined Publicis in 1971 as IT director. Publicis' return to Cannes this year for the Festival of Creativity will also feature Levy, who is expected to be on the ground for "less than 48 hours," most likely during the latter part of the week. This week, however, Levy is gearing up for Viva Tech, an annual Paris-based technology conference founded in 2016 by Publicis Groupe and Groupe Les Echos. The event has exceeded Levys "wildest dreams" with notable speakers at this year's May 16-18 event, including Canada's Prime Minster Justin Trudeau and Olympic superstar Usain Bolt, supporting the Bolt electric scooter. Three members of the European Commission will discuss leadership challenges ahead of the European Parliament elections happening May 23 to 26. Ex-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will address China as well as intellectual property concerns. Securing Alibaba's Jack Ma's appearance was "complicated" after he spontaneously accepted Levy's offer, but then realized he had a conflicting board meeting happening at the same time. The fact he moved his meeting tells a lot about Ma's honor and the importance of Viva Tech, says Levy. HOLLYWOOD, Fla. May 13, 2019 David Pulver Aventura South Florida South Florida New York Israel Middle East South Florida Alan Frent South Florida Israel Benjamin Dekel South Florida community Israel Israel State of Israel Israel Daphna Cramer Aventura South Florida Israel Middle East Israel Tel-Aviv University /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- American Friends of Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer is proud to announce that Dr.ofhas been tapped to serve as Chairman overseeing thechapter's Advisory Committee. (Dr. Pulver's headshot is attached).*American Friends of Sheba Medical Center is a nonprofit organization based inandcommitted to supporting the work of Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer. The largest and most comprehensive hospital inand the entire, Sheba was recently named by Newsweek as one of the ten best hospitals in the world."We are honored to welcome Dr. Pulver as our inaugural chairman for," said, South Florida Regional Director, American Friends of Sheba Medical Center. "Dr. Pulver's passion for Sheba's cutting-edge research will help shape how the organization raises awareness and philanthropic support for Sheba in."A physician with a specialty interest in hematology, Dr. Pulver met with researchers at Sheba inlast year and had the opportunity to observe their work. Dr. Pulver became particularly interested in the work of Sheba researcher Prof.and his innovative approach to renal disease, including renal cancer. Since then, Dr. Pulver and his wife Lisa have made a three-year commitment to supporting Prof. Dekel's laboratory."I am delighted to assume the role as Chairman, and look forward to providing structure and support to the members of the Advisory Committee. Together, we will inform theabout Sheba and the tremendous value and impact our support will have on Sheba,, and the world Jewish community," said Dr. Pulver."Sheba possesses a unique combination of attributes that sets it apart from other hospitals, both in the U.S. and in," Dr. Pulver continued. "Sheba is in many ways THE national medical center of the. When we hear of the many global humanitarian efforts undertaken by, Sheba is the vehicle through which many of those efforts are accomplished. Additionally, Sheba is home to major specialized research centers which integrate basic research and clinical studies across a broad spectrum of medical disciplines."Dr. Pulver and his wife Lisa have supported Sheba for over ten years. Most recently, Lisa and her friendco-chaired a launch event infor the opening of American Friends of Sheba's newoffice.About Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomerBorn together within 1948, Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer is the largest and most comprehensive medical center in the. Sheba is the only medical center inthat combines an acute care hospital and a rehabilitation hospital on one campus, and it is at the forefront of medical treatments, patient care, research and education. As a university teaching hospital affiliated with the Sackler School of Medicine at, it welcomes people from all over the world indiscriminately. For more information, visit: eng.sheba.co.ilSOURCE Friends of Sheba Medical Center Have you ever wondered how sparkling wine is made? Or how a Rose could be different from a Red Wine? Ever thought about what it's like to go to a wine tasting and experience different wines, ripe and fresh from the barrels? How long do you reckon would it take to get drunk on these little sips of wine? I got to experience exactly that last week in Bengaluru. MensXP/Simran Arora Grover Zampa Vineyards unveiled a newly renovated hotbed for wine tastings and sales at their winery in Bangaluru last week. MensXP/Simran Arora From my experience, the tour was very different from how I had imagined it to be. I mean, I had pictured the tasting bit right, but not the endless and yet breathtaking vineyards or the ginormous stainless steel barrels that take up most of the space inside of what would normally be an average seating hall with an approximate height of two floors. MensXP/Simran Arora And barrels that give the aesthetics of a typical cowboy western films I'd seen growing up. MensXP/Simran Arora There were also enormous sorting machines and crushing machines imported from countries like Germany, promising maximum efficiency in the initial stages of berry sorting and crushing, all the factors that are necessary for the production of a good wine. MensXP/Simran Arora The tour guide informed us that the harvesting time is crucial in determining the kind of wine it'll produce. For example, berries picked from old vines that aren't ripe yet, make for the most premium of wines if aged properly, while the ripest of berries make for a good dessert wine batch. MensXP/Simran Arora A dessert wine is the sweet kind, usually paired with desserts, but a good sommelier will tell you that it complements the Indian food palate just as well. The high sugar content in a dessert wine comes from the ripe berries and can sometimes go up to 133 grams per litre, which on a scale, can be intimidating. However, at the right temperature on hot Summer evenings could be a refreshing sip, a wonderful choice to get initiated with, if you wish to start exploring wines. MensXP/Simran Arora In a masterclass with Sonal Holland, pressed on the importance of pairing dessert wines with anything and everything that isn't sweet because the dessert wine, in all its glory, has been quite underestimated. The Vendanges Tardives (my favourite amongst the lot) a new launch of Grover Zampa Vineyards, is a sweet wine. There is a long-standing analogy of the similar taste notes of dessert wines and gulab jamun, but unlike gulab jamun, the Vendanges Tardives doesn't stay put on the palate as it clears itself, as Sonal Holland notably pointed out. The dry wines take an experienced palate to appreciate, and while you may brush this off quickly, a brand of wine like La Reserve Royale Brut, which is fermented in barrels and aged for more than 30 months at a go and has intricate notes of lemon zest, flowers, fresh hazelnuts and brioche, can only be dissected to the T by an experienced connoisseur. On the palate, the wine is elegant and you can see tiny persistent bubbles when you swirl it in your glass, something that Sonal Holland made us notice. In all honesty, after learning the minute details, I started to put more emphasis on my sips. But here's how I learned to sniff wine: you near the cup to your nose and sniff with the utmost concentration and then finally take a tiny sip that has to be gargled and taken in. The interesting part is that you can even sniff wine through its cork. Checking things like acidity also has a similar process of swirling it around the glass and gargling but also has the addition of leaning forward and checking for a tingling sensation at the back of your throat which signifies acidity. And here's an interesting thing I learnt from Sonal Holland's masterclass: acidity to white wine is like cheese to pizza. A fellow Sommelier, Kriti Malhotra talked about how in the workshops that she conducts, she likes to take her attendees to a world of familiarity to explore the unfamiliar notes of the wine. For example, she said, "a wine high on MLF, also known as a malolactic conversion, would have an aroma akin to your mother boiling milk in the kitchen". It would also have a "buttery taste" which on careful observation of more than three sips, I could sense and very excitedly confirmed that it did, in fact, have a milky tinge to it. Similarly, notes of citrus are sometimes mingled with vanilla and the barrel of wine it is aged in, in this wine's case, it was Oakwood. Finally, we were made to taste the Grover Zampa's most premium label 'Insignia', which is fermented in French oak barrels for 24 months which is equivalent to the ageing of average champagne production, this intensifies the richness of Shiraz grapes from a single vineyard. Insignia is a dry wine that leaves a trail of fruit-berries, coffee and chocolate, with a hint of black pepper that blends into a smooth finish. A wine like that is made to be aged even after being bought and needs someone well-initiated to appreciate its nuances, which is probably why I think if I would've had a developed palate like the connoisseurs around me, I would've learned to appreciate it better. And that's the thing about wine in general, while it's not everyone's cup of tea, I've learned that in order to enjoy a good glass of wine, you need it to be at the right temperature, you need an experienced palate and a couple of swirls before taking a sip. And those are exactly all the things I'm beginning to enjoy after this illuminating experience. Luxury brands should stick to what they do best: make luxurious products that are often well designed and are (mostly) overpriced. Some luxury companies have tried to get on the wearable bandwagon by launching their own smartwatches and even bracelets. While they may look awesome, they don't work as well as something that costs Rs 1,500 maybe. Twitter Luxury brand Louis Vuitton has now made a handbag that is an odd fusion between technology and fashion. It was presented as a part of its 2020 cruise collection and has OLED screens on a duffle bag. The company also presented a bucket bag that also has OLED screens on each side. Twitter The company describes it as a fusion of cutting-edge technology with the Maison's signature savoir-faire, the new canvas displays moving images while taking the form of some of Louis Vuitton's most iconic bags". We would like to give LV full marks for the effort but the design of the bag simply looks ghastly. Why would anyone stitch OLED screen on the side of the bag? The OLED screen on the duffle bag shows video clips of different cities. The bucket bag comes with screens on each side and the OLED panel on this bag can also be used as a touchscreen. Both bags from LV simply do not exude luxury but simply looks like something a knock-off store would make in the fake goods markets in South Asia. Louis Vuitton The OLED panels on the bags are said to be flexible but I guess the people at LV didn't hear about Samsung's fiasco with foldable smartphones. These bags are going to experience the same problems as the foldable phone and look ugly at the same time. Charles Li, chief executive officer of Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEX), said the London Metals Exchange is in talks with the Guangdong government to pilot establishing LME warehouses in mainland China. Li hopes the move can be sped up given Chinas newly blueprinted Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area program plan. Chinese policymakers plan to develop the area made up of nine mainland cities and two special administrative regions into a technology and innovation hub.Last year before LME Asia Week 2018, Li told Fastmarkets in an exclusive interview that opening LME warehouses in China remained a top priority but HKEX was not aggressively pushing for it. LME has struggled to establish warehouses in China for seven years. According to conference delegates, the main reason why Chinese authorities have not given the LME permission to... Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Markos Bolaris will participate in the presentation of the album Collection of works of art of the Greek Embassy in Cyprus which will be held in the Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens on Monday, 20 May 2019 at 19:00. The album was edited by art historian Dr. Eleni Nikita, who undertook the recording and documentation of the collection. The company EKO Hellenic Petroleum of Cyprus supported issuing of the album. The Embassys collection started being created during the 1960s. The yellow fields of summer, a landscape by Telemachos Kanthos, was recorded as the first purchase in April 1959 by the General Consulate of Greece in Cyprus at the time. The Embassy's collection was gradually enriched through the purchase of additional works of art. It should be noted that after 1974, during the tenure of Ambassador Michalis Dountas, the largest portion of artwork by Cypriot artists was acquired. Issuing of the album is included in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs broader policy for the promotion of cultural diversity, as well as the close cultural ties between Greece and Cyprus. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Markos Bolaris as well as Greece's Ambassador to Cyprus, Ilias Fotopoulos, will deliver welcome speeches. In addition, the following people will participate as speakers: Dimitris Sevastakis, Associate Professor at the School of Architectural Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens and President of Parliament's Permanent Committee on Educational Affairs; Dimitris Pavlopoulos, Associate Professor of History and Art at the Department of History and Archaeology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; as well as Dr. Eleni Nikita, Art Historian and editor of the publication. (CNN) Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two of its oil tankers had been sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, in attacks it described as posing a threat to the security of global oil supplies. Tensions have risen in the oil-rich region in recent weeks amid the deployment of a growing number of United States military assets to the Middle East due to deteriorating relations with Iran. On Thursday, the U.S. Maritime Administration issued an advisory warning that "Iran or its proxies" could be targeting commercial vessels and oil production infrastructure in the region. One of the two Saudi vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to customers in the U.S., Saudi Arabia's state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Monday. While the agency didn't mention casualties or oil spills, it did say there had been "significant damage to the structures of the two vessels." On Sunday, the UAE said that four commercial cargo ships were targeted by "sabotage operations" off its eastern coast. The apparent sabotage took place near to UAE territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the emirate of Fujairah, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said Sunday. It is unclear if the ships mentioned by Saudi Arabia and the UAE are part of the same incident. The UAE ministry did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged sabotage, or offer any indication as to who might be responsible, including whether it was carried out by individuals or a larger group or country. The UAE ministry said authorities were working with local and international bodies to investigate the incident, which it described as a "dangerous development." It said there were no injuries or deaths. "The international community (needs to) assume its responsibilities to prevent any parties trying to undermine the security and safety of maritime traffic," the ministry said. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said on Monday that the incidents were "alarming and regrettable," and requested further information on the alleged sabotage. The Iran spokesman warned against "plots by ill-wishers to disrupt regional security" and called for "vigilance of regional states in the face of any adventurism by foreign elements." Iran borders the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Hormuz. In comments Monday, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the "acts of sabotage" and expressed solidarity with the UAE, the Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The comments follow an earlier statement from Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih in which he described the attack as an attempt to "undermine the freedom of maritime navigation, and the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world." UAE denies earlier reports The accusations of sabotage come less than 24 hours after the UAE government denied reports alleging that seven oil tankers were involved in an explosion in the port of Fujairah on Sunday morning. The reports were carried first by Lebanon's pro-Hezbollah Al-Mayadeen satellite channel and later picked up by Iran's state-owned Press TV and other outlets. "The operations at the port are going as normal," a statement from the Emirates News Agency said Sunday. "Media outlets must be responsible and rely on official sources." Fujairah is located close to the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. The US Energy Information Administration calls the Strait of Hormuz "the world's most important oil transit chokepoint," with an estimated 20% of oil traded worldwide moving through the channel, which is about 30 miles wide at its narrowest point. In a statement Sunday, the Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the "sabotage operations," with council General Secretary Abdul Latif bin Rashid al-Zayani calling the incident a "dangerous escalation (that) speaks of the evil intentions" of whoever carried out the attack. "The general secretary calls on the international community and the international maritime organizations to practice its politics and lawfulness to stop any sides that try to harm the safety or the maritime flow in this strategic part to the world," read the statement. "These irresponsible acts only adds to the tension and conflict in the region and jeopardize the interests of their peoples." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Two Saudi oil tankers damaged in 'sabotage attack,' says press agency." HARTFORD About 150 people who do not want to be forced to vaccinate their children threatened Monday to vote against lawmakers who might remove Connecticuts wide-ranging religious exemption. But during a seven-hour hearing on a plan to end the exemption, amid a recent report about declining Connecticut vaccination rates particularly in religious and private schools, at least one lawmaker said she was offended by the potential promised payback, charging that she does not make decisions based on possible political retribution. The incident occurred about 90 minutes into an informational hearing before the Public Health Committee attended by about 500 people, including dozens of preschoolers who filled two meeting rooms on the second floor of the Legislative Office Building, and another room on the first floor. LeeAnn Ducat, founder of an anti-vaccination group called Informed Choice CT, asked for a display of support from parents in attendance opposed to legislative efforts to change the states law that gives parents the option on any religious grounds. Im not sure that certain legislators realize the generational damage that they are doing to their own party, Ducat said at the end of a six-minute presentation. By show of hands in this room, how many people will never again vote for the party who inserted their decisionmaking over their parental shoes? Nearly everyone in the meeting room raised their hands. Many of the spectators held signs with slogans like: Facts not fear; Stop medical tyranny; and Do no harm first. Rep. Pat Wilson Pheanious, whose district includes Ashford, Tolland and Willington, took offense. I have to say that I certainly appreciate the passion in this room. But I find myself offended by the show of hands, as though to suggest that that would make a difference to me in my vote. When I take a vote, as somebody who has taken an oath of office to do the very best I can to make decisions, they will never be made on the basis of people holding up their hands and saying they wont vote for me because of a position Ive taken. Ducat turned into the major spokeswoman for those opposed to the plan from Democrats, including House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Hartford. I find it unfortunate that people in the state of Connecticut have had their First Amendment rights violated already, because of course the mandatory vaccination statutes in the state of Connecticut dont allow parents to speak up on any other subject other than religious, Ducat said, charging an alleged lack of science and flawed data used by health officials and the pharmaceutical industry to make immunizations mandatory. This is a little bit of fly-by-night, said Ducat, a paralegal for a New York injury lawyer who specializes in litigation over damages alleged to be caused by vaccines. She criticized the late-breaking scheduling of the meeting in recent days without a fully written bill to review and a possible vote this week in the House of Representatives. Thats not acceptable. Its not democratic and its really not very American. There is no data to support that a non-vaccinated individual is of any threat to an immuno-compromised individual. There is no emergency for the removal of First Amendment rights, including my freedom of religion. Ducat said requiring vaccinations in itself is a religious standpoint. The infant-drug program, commonly know as the vaccine program is a religion and the mandates are equivalent to forcing a religion onto those with different beliefs, she said. With infant drugs, one must believe that drug or the vaccine is safe. effective and necessary, as they are told by their doctors or priests who are given instructions by the CDC their church leaders who are governed by the pharmaceutical industry, their church. I do not share the belief in vaccination. I am secure in my faith and I do not consent to participate in a forced religion. Her testimony was preceded by state health professionals who said that so-called herd immunity in schools can become compromised if there is a higher percentage of students who do not seek vaccinations and a disease outbreak occurs such as the recent outbreak in religious schools in Brooklyn. The United States is one of the few developed countries that actually ties vaccinations to school admissions, said Dr. Matt Cartter, state epidemiologist. In Europe, for example, theyre mandated by age, and actually have much higher rates of immunization at age 2 than we have in the United States. Dr. Jody Terranova, speaking in favor of vaccines for the Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians, said immunizations are best for the majority. Herd immunity or community immunity is indirect protection, she said. When the vast majority of the population cant acquire a transmitted disease because theyre immunized, its very difficult to spread to an unvaccinated person. Exemptions are what lower our herd-immunity rates. She said exemptions for non-medical reasons are ending throughout the country because they put people at risk. We need to be the leaders on this and join West Virginia, Mississippi and California in removing all non-medical exemptions, she said. Fortunately, in Connecticut we are not seeing the large outbreaks that other states have seen in measles, pertussis (whooping cough) and varicella (chicken pox). Rabbi Tzvi Bernstein, dean of the Bi-Cultural Academy in Stamford, an Orthodox Jewish school, said hes worried about the potential for the current state law, in which parents can attest to even vague religious beliefs, could lead to disease outbreaks. Rep. Jack Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, the General Assemblys leading proponent in the rights of parents not to vaccinate their kids, started off the hearing by asking those in favor of retaining the current law to demonstrate their presence. After a burst of applause, Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, co-chairman of the committee, warned that another demonstration would result in the expulsion of those who participate. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT Vincent Ferrara, the former East Haven police officer whose testimony on the harassment and assault of Latinos helped send four crooked town cops to prison, died Saturday, at age 54. His death, in the Connecticut Hospice in Branford, came 17 months after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. He had a 17-year career in law enforcement. In 2010, Ferrara helped the U.S. Department of Justice gather evidence of a systemic, department-wide pattern of abuse and corruption. He later filed an active federal civil rights case against the town, including East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr., charging that he was a victim of retribution from fellow officers and town officials Ferrara said he was shunned, and called a rat, in a departmental atmosphere where veterans of the scandal told younger officers to stay away from him. His lawsuit alleges that fellow officers, asked to back him up in potentially dangerous street encounters, were either slow to respond or failed entirely in arriving. In January the 11-year veteran of the department was fired over the alleged misuse of his agency computer. More for you Whistleblower cop fired Ferraras attorney, James Brewer, said Monday that the lawsuit will continue. He stuck his neck out, Brewer said. It took a lot of moral courage to stand up to people he knew were a physical and emotional threat to him. I think he made a decision to not stand by and watch the abuses. He was an honest cop. Some of these other folks should probably look in the mirror and ask what it takes to be a law enforcement officer. In late 2017, around the time Ferrara was suspended over issues that led to his firing over a year later, a series of headaches sent him to doctors who diagnosed the kind of brain tumor that killed U.S. Sen. John McCain. He was put on paid administrative leave for most of 2018. Vincent B. Ferrara Jr. was born in Brooklyn, NY April 16, 1965, the son of Denyse Clolery Ferrara of New Haven and the late Vincent B. Ferrara, Sr. He is survived by his wife and mother, and his children, Allison Grace and Addison James Ferrara of Branford; his grandson Jaxson Ferrara of Branford; and five brothers and sisters. The family will greet visitors Tuesday from 4:00 -8:00 p.m. at the W. S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home, 244 North Main Street, Branford. Funeral services will be Wednesday morning at 10:00 in the Branford Evangelical Free Church, 231 Leetes Island Road, Branford. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that memorial donations be sent to the Smilow Cancer Hospital, 20 York Street, New Haven, CT 06510. Brewer said he visited Ferrara in recent weeks in the intensive care unit at Yale New Haven Hospital, where he had obviously taken a turn for the worse. He was courageous, Brewer said. Others made decisions not to cooperate with the FBI. I will always wonder what kind of toll the stress took on Vince. Brewer said that procedurally, Ferraras estate will next become the plaintiff in U.S. District Court in New Haven. It doesnt change anything, Brewer said. Vince was adamant that we would go to the conclusion. We have no doubt well win the case on the testimony of the defendants. Vince was a great guy, and he was treated like dirt by these people. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT MIDDLETOWN Mayor Dan Drew took to Facebook Live late Monday afternoon to dispel rumors over posts made by parents regarding a threat Friday involving the high school, which he said caused the incident to metastasize and evoke panic. The issue was prompted by a student overhearing a hypothetical conversation between two other students Friday, Drew said. They were engaging in conjecture about who would be a school shooter if there were to be a school shooting here. The fact that kids are thinking that way is horrible and a sign of the times in which we live and is just a tragedy, he wrote. Many parents kept their children home Monday in response to the perceived threat described by Superintendent of Schools Michael Conner as unsubstantiated and not credible. Approximately 35 percent of students were absent from Middletown high, according to Assistant Superintendent of Schools Enza Macri. Director of Operations Marco Gaylord broke down the figures: 341 unexcused absences and 116 excused absences a total of 451 students not in school Monday. Conner said students not attending because of the incident will be excusted. High school parents received an email from district Gaylord at 12:31 a.m. Monday which said police were taking the threat very seriously, and had been working since 8 p.m. Sunday to address the matter. Drew said on Facebook Live that he found out about the situation late Sunday night and, following multiple requests for widespread notification, is thinking about revising such procedures in the future. The mayor urged parents and community members to call police immediately when they have concerns of this nature, rather than first take to social media. This is safe environment, Conner insisted outside the front entrance to Middletown High School just before 7:30 a.m., where three police officers met students entering the building and spoke to curious parents. Counseling is available for anyone who seeks it, Conner said. Parents were told that extra police and security were present at all the citys schools under an overabundance of caution, said Conner, who praised the coordination between police, Drew and Middletown schools as phenomenal. I understand and share the fear we all feel for our kids safety. Our country has a sickness. Children pay the price for it. But every day in this community, we do our best to see that our kids are safe and will continue to do so, Drew said on his Facebook page. Middletown High parent DeLita Marie Rose-Daniels learned of the incident from her child, who received a group text from friends. Yes, [school shootings] happen a dime a dozen, considering were 50 states and how many schools we have statistically put it that way however, this is not a far-fetched situation that cant happen or wont happen in todays society, so what do you do with that information? she said. She emailed school administrators just before 11 p.m. Sunday asking whether anyone knew of the situation. Knowing it was late and she wasnt likely to get a response that evening, Rose-Daniels posed a question to members of the Parents of Middletown CT Students group, asking whether anyone else had heard anything. She never intended to cause alarm. I simply utilized a forum that seemed appropriate. It elicited several responses from parents saying their students had shared similar information. I can openly and vulnerably confess there was a measure of anxiety or concern that was inducing my conversation. I responded the best way I know how, Rose-Daniels sad. Soon after, Macri contacted her, and, over the course of a phone conversation and subsequent texts, lasting between 30 and 40 minutes, Rose-Daniels explained what she had heard. After Macri heard her concerns, Rose-Daniels deleted her post. I felt confident something was going to happen to rectify the situation by alerting school officials. I didnt call the police thats not my first go-to. My first thought was to call leadership. On Facebook, Drew acknowledged rumors are perpetuated because our kids live in fear. They see other kids attacked across the country, and they see an impotent federal government that cares more about the NRA than them. Parents are understandably terrified to send their kids to school. Drew, whose children attend Middletown Public Schools, said he understands parents fears. It bothers me that my kids, as well as yours, are growing up in a world where their innocence has been stolen not just by the people who perpetrate these attacks, but by the people who allow them to happen, because they dont have the intestinal fortitude to make changes to policy, because theyre under the thumb of organizations that dont want anything but as many arms sales as possible. Drew apologized to people who feel his opinion is politically driven. We have a martial culture that glorifies gun violence and means that carrying a weapon around, and the scarier the weapon is, the more macho you are, he said. Meanwhile, the day was proceeding as normal at the high school, said Conner, who was walking the halls and speaking to students, teachers and staff. There is a citywide security protocol in instances such as these which district officials must follow thoroughly. We cant breach protocol outlined in the plan. Were not working as an independent entity from City Hall, the Police Department, mayor and schools, Conner said in response to suggestions all parents should be notified immediately about an issue involving the schools. Investigations into reports arent uncommon, the mayor said. This case was no different except that, in this instance, parents were posting online that they were hearing rumors of an attack and did so based on rumors circulating amongst their kids. Some of the information was misconstrued and was not true, Conner said. We wanted to take the [precaution] today to ensure we have increased police presence as well as secure all the perimeters and conduct sweeps just to make sure were being proactive instead of reactive, Conner said. Its important to not lay blame on parents concerned about the well-being of their children, said Diana Martinez, a parent of a student at the high school. You hear about shootings all the time. Its natural to be afraid, said Martinez, whose child told her everyone at school is talking about the incident. Her student chose to go to class Monday, which she allowed, but by mid-morning, Martinez said she almost wished her child had stayed home. Thats a natural response, especially for those who dont have close friends or neighbors with kids at the HS to reach out to for advice, she wrote on Facebook. Drew charged Congress and the White House are owned wholesale by the NRA. We all live with this fear because there are people in Washington, people in our country, for whom the reality of the gun industrys desires is greater than the need to have children survive, and the need to have children live innocent lives. I think that is a terrible tragedy, Drew said on Facebook Live. Anyone with questions may call Drew at 860-638-4801 or email mayor@middletownct.gov. Editors note: Reporter Lisa Backus contributed to this story. NEW HAVEN The fire that scarred the Diyanet Mosque of New Haven Sunday was intentionally set, Fire Chief John Alston said Monday. Alston stood in the steady rain before the blackened front and the white minarets of the house of worship as he announced the initial results of the inquiry, gathered close to city officials and congregants from the mosque. Weve detected that there is intent in this fire. This was intentionally set, said Alston, who said his heart went out to those who worship at the mosque. Alston declined to say what evidence was found or whether there was surveillance footage of the area. Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said officials would not discuss any aspect of the investigation at this time to ensure its integrity is maintained. Reyes said the criminal investigation was in its infancy stages. He asked that anyone in the community with any information, however minimal you think it might be, come forward, as it may prove useful. A reward of up to $2,500 has been offered for any information that leads to an arrest or conviction in the case, officials said. The mosque currently is uninhabitable, Alston said. Gov. Ned Lamont said it was especially hurtful and hateful to attack a house of worship. The one thing I find hopeful is, I heard from the imam (that) other houses of worship, churches and synagogues, have stepped forward and said, We want to help. And what I heard here from the folks at this mosque is they welcome the help, but they want to worship right here in this place, said Lamont. And were going to do everything we can to make that happen. A police car was parked in the otherwise-empty lot outside the mosque Monday morning. Soon after noon, there was a truck from the New Haven Fire Departments fire investigation unit at the scene, as well. Yellow police tape barred entry to the mosque. Ahead of the news conference Monday, Mosque President Haydar Elevli said local churches had offered the congregation a place to hold services after Sundays fire, but no decision had been made as to where theyll hold services. Elevli said he was unsure of the extent of the damage at the mosque, but thankful no one was hurt. The fire was a blow, he said the mosque, under construction for some time, was months away from completion, and the blaze comes during the holy month of Ramadan. Its sad thats all I can say, said Elevli. Elevli said funds would be raised from the Muslim community and the Turkish government to help repair the damage and continue construction. Were going to keep going, said Elevli. The Diyanet Center of America, the umbrella organization of which the New Haven mosque is a part, described the damage to the mosque as huge in a Facebook post Sunday and asked people to consider offering donations. Diyanet Center of America is an operating name of the Turkish American Community Center, a Maryland-based nonprofit, according to its website. The community center was established in 1993 by a group of Turkish-Americans to provide religious, social and educational services to Turkish immigrants and Muslims living in the United States, the site says. Diyanet Center of America receives its major support from Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), an institution of the Turkish Government, the site says. Elevli declined to comment after the news conference, noting, in response to a question, that it was somewhat of a relief to know the cause of the fire. Fire officials reported Sunday that a two-alarm blaze broke out at the mosque, with fire on the first floor extending to the second. Frank Ricci, president of Fire Union Local 825, said on Twitter that firefighters had saved the place of worship with an (a)ggressive, coordinated fire attack and salvage. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com OLD SAYBROOK - The First Church of Christ in Saybrook (Congregational) recently completed repairs to its bell tower clock. Sean Kane, owner of About Time Restorations, LLC of Higganum made the repairs. The Board of Trustees received many concerns from the congregation and town residents about when the repairs would be made. so the clock could again be relied on to display the correct time. Louis Bombaci, Jr., a trustee at First Church, is relieved to have the process behind him. Hopefully I will not be needed to go up into the bell tower to do pre-repair investigations for some time now, he said. It was somewhat of a frightening experience to navigate the towers series of vertical ladders, ramps and hatchways. The first ladder is a straight up vertical climb of about 25 feet and in very tight quarters. He said he appreciated the help of Norman Swanson, a longtime member of First Church, who is very familiar with the building and moves around the tower with ease. The climb was worth it though, once up there, the view up and down Main Street and across the South Green is amazing, Bombaci said. Several other repairs have been necessary over time. In 1853, the upper half of the original bell tower was removed and rebuilt after being damaged in a storm in 1851. The clock was given in memory of Richard N. Dowd in 1905. Its original mechanical clock mechanism, manufactured by E. Howard & Co. of Boston, MA is still in place although no longer used. Originally the clock required someone to climb up the bell tower for weekly windings but is now electrified. The face, hands and shafts to the hands are all original from 1905, so the clock may be a minute or two off as it is very difficult to set after many years of wear and tear, Bombaci said. Kane, when not working locally, spends most of his time working on clocks in Manhattan. For more information regarding About Time Restorations, LLC call 860-345-7655, email skaneabouttime@gmail.com, or visit www.abouttimect.com. First Church of Christ in Saybrook works together with many missions and ministries including the Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries, Boy/Girl Scouts, Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Alanon, Heat and Eat and the Red Cross. For more information about First Church of Christ in Saybrook, visit in person at 366 Main St., Old Saybrook, call 860-388-3008, email info@firstchurchsaybrook.org, or visit www.firstchurchsaybrook.org. The churchs motto is: No matter where you are on lifes journey, you are welcome here. Artists wanted for festival, show ESSEX Artists are invited to participate in the Essex Green Summer Arts Festival, Saturday and Sunday, June 15 and 16. Annual event includes an outdoor festival on the Essex Town Green and a Gallery Group Show. Artists are invited to participate on the Green as well as submit work for a 6-week show at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, set for May 31-July 14 with receiving May 19-23. Festival space is limited and fills quickly. Visit spectrumartgallery.org/future-exhibitions or email 3-4 high resolution jpegs of work with titles, medium, dimensions to Barbara@spectrumartgallery.org. Artists are also wanted for the 15th Autumn Arts Festival on the Madison Connecticut Town Green (Boston Post Rd/Route 1 and Copse Road) Saturday, Oct. 12-13, with a rain date of Oct. 14. Artists and fine artisans are welcome including representational and abstract painters, collage artists, photographers, potters and ceramicists, glass artisans and jewelry designers. This year there will be several large covered tents available to participants or artists can choose to use their own. Artists are invited to participate on the Green as well as submit work for a 6-week show at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Sept. 27-Nov. 10. Receiving is Sept. 15-20, 12:30-6 p.m., except Sept. 18. Visit spectrumartgallery.org/future-exhibitions or email 3-4 high resolution jpegs of work with titles, medium, dimensions to Barbara@spectrumartgallery.org. Shad museum to open for season The Haddam Shad Museum, 212 Saybrook Road, Haddam, behind the Fuel gas station, is open on Sundays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. until June 16. The museum, a one-of-a-kind, displays the history of shad on the Connecticut River since colonial times. Groups and individuals who cant visit on Sundays can call for an appointment to visit at 860-267-0388. There is no admission charge. Church to present Day of Tears 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. A new search feature announced Friday by Google and designed specifically for military spouse job seekers aims to make it easier to find remote jobs. Thanks to the upgrade, now users need only type their field of work and "work from home" or a similar phrase into the search box to specifically pull out jobs that can be done remotely, Google officials said. The search upgrade was one of several announcements made Friday by Google to coincide with Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Although it will not only look for jobs targeted at military spouses and can be used by anyone interested in remote work, the company launched it because of its ongoing efforts to promote veteran and spouse economic growth, said Jacqueline Fuller, vice president of Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm. "This announcement is really about the unique needs of the military spouse," she said. "This is one of the things we've seen is the top queries in job searches. We've seen huge growth on this -- the remote work feature is something that we've really been excited to see launch." Google last year introduced a new search feature designed to help veterans find civilian jobs that correlate with their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). Related: Use the Military.com Veteran Skills Translator Fuller said Google is also expanding its scholarship partnership with Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) this month. That program gives scholarships for the Google IT Professional Support Certificate program. Of the 15,000 scholarships they plan to distribute, 1,000 are earmarked specifically for military spouses, she said. The company is also partnering with Blue Star Families to teach digital skills to military spouse remote employees, she said. Journalist and author Mark Bowden had already enjoyed a successful career when his investigation into the Battle of Mogadishu and subsequent book "Black Hawk Down" launched him into his current role as one of America's most respected history writers. The movie version of "Black Hawk Down" has just been upgraded and reissued in a spectacular new 4K UHD version supervised by director Ridley Scott. Since the story of the movie tracks back to Mark Bowden's original series of investigative stories in the Philadelphia Inquirer and his 1999 book, he spoke with us about his own experiences and offered valuable background on the real-life history for anyone too young to remember the actual events of 1993. Bowden has written more than a dozen books in his celebrated career, but we also checked in with him on the status of his 2017 Vietnam War history, "Hue 1968," and talked about his new true crime history, "The Last Stone." A lot of our readers are too young to remember the events in Somalia. What kind of shock was it in 1993 when it happened? Did Americans have an idea of what the military was up to in the world? Is it something that people were paying attention to in the lead-up to when it happened? I don't think people had been paying close attention to what was going on in Somalia. It had created a lot of news when Marines first landed there in December of 1992. In fact, there were CNN cameramen on the beach. So, there was a lot of attention focused on the humanitarian mission, which was pronounced and, in fact, was successful fairly quickly. After that, I don't think many people were aware -- I certainly wasn't -- of how that mission had shifted to support U.N. efforts to create a new government in Mogadishu. No one was ready, including the White House, for the kind of pitched battle that happened on October 3rd and 4th. A second thing I would say is that 1993 was a certain high watermark for people's impression of the impregnability or the invincibility of the American military. The Persian Gulf War had been accomplished so quickly and with so few casualties that most Americans were convinced that our military was so powerful and so effective that it really couldn't be successfully contested. This is also coming on the heels of the collapse of the Soviet Union, with the recognition of the United States being the sole military power of its size and strength in the world. So, it was a very heady period for people's perception of the United States military. Number one, no one was expecting the kind of fighting that took place in Mogadishu. Secondly, it came as a double surprise, given that the Somalis were essentially just mobs of armed militia against the vaunted U.S. military. So, the images of dead American soldiers being dragged through the streets [were] a tremendous shock. Mohamed Farah Aidid (YouTube) I was thinking about Mohamed Farrah Aidid in comparison to Osama Bin Laden. I don't think very many people were paying attention, but bin Laden had been reported on consistently for five, maybe even 10 years before 9/11. Was Aidid a name that people who were paying attention would have known before this attack took place or was he a new character on our radar? Completely new. He was really only known in Somalia, in Mogadishu, which was a place that was so obscure. I doubt very many Americans could have found it on a map. Certainly Aidid, unlike Bin Laden, had never declared war on the United States of America and had never been linked to any international terrorism. He was a local figure in Somalia, primarily in Mogadishu, who was the head of one of the more powerful of the local clans. Other than people who were working in country, his was not a name that anyone would have recognized. "Black Hawk Down" (Sony) So, it's the nineties, you're working for a daily newspaper in the U.S. How do you convince your editors to let you devote the time to tell this story? Well, to begin with, I didn't even try. Usually the way I worked was I would find something that I was interested in and I would get the newspaper to support me as much as I could. In the case of something that might turn out to be a book, I might give the Inquirer a magazine piece or a couple of articles that would see me into the reporting process. Then, at some point, I would need to get a book contract in order to be able to go out and fully write the book. I had made some efforts to get the Inquirer to support my reporting about this battle without any success, initially. In fact, notably without success. Nobody thought this was important or worth doing. I started, actually, reporting the story on my own dime, which basically I just charged my travel and expenses to my credit card. I figured that I would eventually be able to get somebody at the Inquirer to pay it. And I did, ultimately, but they weren't all that interested. What happened was I got a job offer from The New York Times, and the editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer was eager for me to stay, so he matched the offer from The New York Times and added that I could do anything I wanted. At that point, I told him, "Well, here's what I really want to do, but it's a book." And he said, "Why don't you do it, and we'll run it as a serial in the newspaper before it's published as a book?" And that was how that came to be. RELATED: Eric Bana Shares Memories of Making the Classic War Movie 'Black Hawk Down' What was the response to your articles and the book? At what point did you get a movie deal? The series started, if I remember correctly, in late November or December of 1997, and it was an immediate hit. At the time, the Inquirer's web presence was very small, but the greatest number of hits that they had ever gotten at their website was like 9,000 in a day and that was the day that Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Richie Ashburn died. And this story began getting 10, 20, 30 -- 40,000 hits a day, from all over the world, so there was tremendous excitement over it. The newspaper circulation went up while the series was running. I remember the head of circulation came into the newsroom and asked to be introduced to me. That's the first time that ever happened. Right around that time, Jerry Bruckheimer bought the movie rights. So, that's before the book came out? Yes, but I think it was after I had finally gotten a publisher for the book. My intention with "Black Hawk Down" all along was to write a book and I had struck out, not just at the Inquirer, but with every major publisher in New York. They all turned down my proposal for "Black Hawk Down." I ultimately made a deal with Morgan Entrekin at Grove/Atlantic, who didn't have a lot of money to give me as an advance, but he liked the idea and thought it would make a good book. So at that point, I was just delighted to have a publisher. I had been enabled to report the story by the Philadelphia Inquirer, but I had also made a deal with the editor that I would own the rights after initial publication, which is what gave me the opportunity to sell it to a publisher. That's where things stood when the series started in the paper, and then Jerry Bruckheimer bought the movie rights. Did you have any involvement with the movie? Did you see the script as it was being written or did you have a chance to visit the set? Chad Oman had come across the series in the newspaper. I don't know whether my agent tipped him off to it or he came across it on his own, but Jerry bought the movie rights off of the serial in the newspaper. He invited me to come out to meet him in Santa Monica. As part of the deal, I had given myself the opportunity to do the first draft of the screenplay, and I had never written a screenplay before. I remember flying out to Santa Monica and meeting Jerry, and he told me how excited he was to have the project and that he really wanted to make a movie different than any of his other movies -- his other films being things like "Top Gun." And, at that point, I think he had made "Armageddon." They were kind of pop, almost fun, but sort of comic book movies, and Jerry said he wanted to make a very realistic, almost documentary-like version of this story and wanted it to adhere very closely to what I had written. I remember thinking at the time, "Oh, this was probably what they always tell the writer when he shows up." But Jerry was absolutely true to his word. From the beginning, he was determined to make "Black Hawk Down" as realistically and as faithfully as possible, and I think he did that. As far as my involvement, I did the first draft of the screenplay. It was the first screenplay I had ever written, and then they subsequently hired Ken Nolan, who is a much better screenwriter than I am. He, as far as I know, paid very little attention to my first draft in crafting his own take on it. Then Ridley Scott came onboard to direct, and Ridley went back and read my original account. There were certain things in my screenplay that he really liked, mostly having to do with creating roles for Somali characters, so some of those ideas in my draft got incorporated into Ken's work on the screenplay. But, in the end, I felt that the screenplay was Ken Nolan's work. "Black Hawk Down" (Sony) It's been over 25 years since the battle in Mogadishu and it's 15+ years since the movie. How much has it stayed a part of your life over time? It's huge. It was a life-changing experience for me. The book itself was, and then the film just made it that much more so. After "Black Hawk Down" came out as a book, which was before the film, it was a #1 best seller on The New York Times list, it was a National Book Award finalist, it got a lot of attention, and it sold really well. And yet I would still run into people all the time who would, after I'd been introduced to them, they would ask, "What do you do for a living?" and I'd say, "Oh, I'm a writer." And they'd say, "Oh, really, what have you written?" And I would say, my last book was called 'Black Hawk Down.'" And they would say, "Really, what was that about?" After the movie came out, no one in my life has ever asked me that question again. Anywhere in the world, people know what "Black Hawk Down" is. It's led to tremendous opportunities for me as a journalist, and it's been very rewarding financially. It was a terrific, terrific experience for me. When we interviewed you about your book "Hue 1968," you hinted that there was possibly a deal with Michael Mann for a series. Can you give us an update on the status there? I did make a deal with Michael. He has made his own deal with FX. He is well along preparing to shoot this as an eight- to nine-hour-long miniseries on location. He was unable to get permission to shoot in Vietnam but, as of right now, he's building sets in [the Philippines] and Thailand. He was still waiting for a greenlight from FX, but it's a very expensive project, so it's not surprising that they're being careful about it. But he's got scripts for almost all of the episodes, which I think are amazing, and I've been giving him feedback about those scripts. I met with him 10 days ago, I guess a week before last, when I was in LA, and they were showing me pictures of the work that they've done and the construction that's taking place, so it appears to me as though it's on the verge of happening. I guess we all need to call Disney since it's their dime now that they own FX. Yes, exactly. I think that's actually what's held up some of the authorization to go ahead because it's just such a big-ticket item. I think nobody wanted to sign off on it while this deal with Disney was still being worked out. Let's talk about your true crime story, "The Last Stone." What was the backstory there? This is the first big story that I ever covered as a reporter. I was 23 years old at the Baltimore News-American when these two sisters disappeared. I spent weeks covering the story, getting to know the family and the detectives who were working on it. And, of course, there was never any resolution to it. The fact that these two little girls had vanished and no one knew why or who had done it for all these years always haunted me, as it would anyone who had gotten close to the story. In 2015, I read a little article in The Washington Post that said that they had zeroed in on a suspect in the Lyon sisters' case. I drove down to Maryland, and I interviewed the detectives who worked on it. They explained how they had built their case against Lloyd Welch. I thought this is something I want to do. I want to write an ending to that story. This book could make a great movie. Almost the entire picture could take place in that police interview room. There are so many amazing characters. It's a great role for somebody as Lloyd. I think that right now there are a couple different studios that are interested in it. We haven't made a deal, but I think we probably will sell the movie rights here soon. Of course, many people sell the movie rights to things, but nothing gets made, so we'll have to wait and see if anything comes of that. The book was a real challenge. When I started working as a reporter, if I was writing a story and there happened to be some audio or some video or a still photograph, that was a very rare thing and I always tried to make the most of it. Nowadays, given the fact that cameras and recorders are almost everywhere, omnipresent, it's actually remarkable that more and more, when I write a true story, I have the actual raw material, the recordings. With "Black Hawk Down," for instance, I had recordings or transcripts of all of the radio traffic during the battle. That's increasingly becoming a challenge for nonfiction writers. I ended up watching 70+ hours of video of Lloyd Welch being interrogated. What's in the book, even though there's a lot of it in there, represents only about 1/100th of everything that I watched. Editing that down was a big challenge in writing that book. Part of what's great is how repetitive Lloyd is in the book and how irritating that is. I can only imagine how much of it you had to wade through with all of the hours. Your brain must have melted. I remember my wife asking me, "When are you gonna finish this thing? I'm so sick of hearing this guy's voice." Because I'd be watching it on my laptop, and she'd be having to hear it. Google will give $1.7 million worth of scholarships to military spouses to become information technology specialists through the tech giant's IT Professional Support Certificate program. The donation will fund 1,500 scholarships and support services available through Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) for spouses to become certified IT support specialists. To qualify, spouses need to enroll in IVMF's Onward to Opportunity training program, available at 18 military bases as well as remotely. The Google IT Professional Support Certificate program is an online training course that prepares students to become entry-level IT support specialists within eight to 12 months. The course itself is free, but it is offered through the Coursera online training platform, which costs $49 a month to join. Google already had provided $2.5 million in grants to provide the training to troops, military spouses and veterans through the USO; the latest donation will specifically expand spouse training opportunities, Google.org executives said. Related: Use the Military.com Veteran Skills Translator "Military spouses are the unsung heroes of our armed forces. With frequent moves and families to care for while their partners are deployed, military spouses face steep challenges when trying to land a meaningful job," said Jacqueline Fuller, Google.org president, in a news release. Military spouses have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, estimated to be between 16 percent and 24 percent. They also tend to be underemployed and make, on average, 40% less per year than their civilian peers, according to IVMF. "Meaningful employment remains a pressing concern for those who have shouldered the burden of our nation's defense, to include military spouses," said Mike Haynie, a former Air Force officer who founded IVMF and serves as its executive director. To access the course, spouses, including those of active-duty personnel, active members of U.S. National Guard or Reserve, or veterans with at least 180 days of service and an honorable discharge, should enroll in Onward to Opportunity, or O2O, which also offers more than 30 courses across three career tracks. More than 33,000 veterans have been helped through the O2O program since 2015, either receiving help choosing a career path, receiving training, preparing for interviews or taking advantage of the program's job placement services. O2O has connections with more than 400 companies. Google also announced Friday that it has launched a new search feature to help military spouses find remote jobs. An upgrade to Google's software allows users to type their field of work and "work from home" or "work remotely" in the search box to find opportunities. Earlier this year, the tech firm introduced its military occupational specialty skills translator and other efforts to help veterans find jobs to the general public in a major Super Bowl advertisement. Reactions to the translator have been mixed, however, with some veterans saying that the Google version is similar to those that were already available on the web. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @patriciakime. Isaak Olson was two months from graduating in 2014 when he disclosed that his fiancee had given birth several months earlier... The top enlisted sailor with a California-based helicopter squadron has been removed from his job over a loss in confidence in his ability to lead. Command Master Chief Brian Morris, with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Four based at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, California, was relieved of his role May 10, Navy officials said Monday. The decision was made by Cmdr. Ryan Hayes, the helicopter squadron's commanding officer. Morris was relieved "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to perform the duties of a command master chief," said Cmdr. Ron Flanders, a spokesman with Naval Air Forces. Those duties include leading the command's sailors and advising the commanding officer. Helicopter Sea Combat Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet, has conducted an investigation into Morris, Flanders said, but the command master chief is not believed to be the subject of an ongoing probe. Morris has been temporarily reassigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Master Chief Aircraft Maintenanceman Dan Poblete has temporarily assumed duties as the squadron's acting command master chief until a permanent replacement is identified, Flanders said. Morris joined the Navy in 1991 and deployed to Iraq in 2009. He has served with Afloat Training Group in San Diego and aboard the supercarrier Ronald Reagan, during which time he received a senior enlisted leadership excellence award from the Navy and Marine Corps Association. Morris is an enlisted aviation warfare specialist, enlisted surface warfare specialist, information warfare specialist, master training specialist and afloat training specialist, according to his official bio. He has a Joint Commendation Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. Last week, the senior enlisted leader aboard the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman resigned. Command Master Chief Jonas Carter stepped down after telling his sailors to "clap like we're at a strip club" ahead of a visit from Vice President Mike Pence. Carter's command quickly called the command master chief's comments inappropriate. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Minutes after Tate Jolly arrived at the diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, a mortar hit the compound where an ambassador and another American had been killed and dozens more were trapped. The Marine gunnery sergeant was one of only two U.S. troops with a small task force that rushed to respond to what quickly became clear was a coordinated attack on the U.S. State Department facility. It was a remarkable mission. The closest military backup was hours away, which later led to fierce debate about how U.S. troops should be postured to protect Americans and diplomatic posts overseas. "There was no one even remotely close to being able to go and get them in North Africa," a source familiar with the operation planning said. "The nearest airplanes were hours away and the nearest ground troops a day away or further." The source spoke under the condition of anonymity to talk freely about the Sept. 11, 2012, incident, which remains a topic of controversy in Washington seven years later. The scene was chaotic when the team arrived, and they quickly tried to restore order. There were nearly 30 panicked people who needed to be evacuated quickly, but the compound was under fire from multiple sides. "Unfortunately, it was not a whole lot of offense; it was a whole lot of just holding guys off as long as they could to try and get out," the person familiar with the mission said. Jolly, who declined a request for an interview, would ultimately be awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism there. The soldier with him, Master Sgt. David Halbruner, received the Army's Distinguished Service Cross. The valor awards are exceeded only by the Medal of Honor. In this Sept. 14, 2012, photo, Libyan followers of Ansar al-Shariah Brigades burn a U.S. flag, in Benghazi. (AP/Mohammad Hannon) Little has been known about Jollys actions in Benghazi. There was no public ceremony when he received his valor award and, until recently, his name has not been publicly tied to the mission in media reports. His hometown paper in North Carolina, the Wilkes Journal-Patriot, recently reported that the 36-year-old who'd graduated from high school about 90 miles north of Charlotte was the Marine who'd gone above and beyond to save other Americans. Jolly recently retired as a master sergeant. According to testimony, public documents and the person familiar with his actions, Jolly was calm in the face of deadly chaos. He and Halbruner are credited with saving numerous lives that day. With a rifle strapped to his back amid an onslaught of mortars and machine-gun fire, Jolly tended to the wounded, at one point throwing a man onto his back and shuffling him down a ladder amid a barrage of enemy fire. He helped some get back into the fight and provided vital care to others with life-threatening injuries. Here's how then-Gunnery Sgt. Jolly helped get other Americans to safety during a situation that caused a years-long political firestorm thousands of miles away in Washington, D.C. A Delta Force Marine Jolly, an infantry assault Marine, was assigned to a Delta Force detachment in Libya at the time of the Benghazi attack. It's rare, though not unheard of, for Marines to join the elite Army special-operations teams. The Marine had deployed to Iraq twice before joining the secretive counterterrorism force, spending about five years carrying out clandestine missions before the Benghazi attack and another five after, according to information about his career obtained by Military.com. He racked up more than a dozen total deployments with Delta Force. The Navy Cross Jolly received for his actions in Benghazi was his fourth valor award. He has two Bronze Stars with combat "V" devices -- one of which he earned for undisclosed reasons during his time with Delta Force, and a second from a 2004-2005 deployment to Ramadi, Iraq. Jolly also earned a Navy Commendation Medal with combat distinguishing device and a Purple Heart for injuries sustained during that deployment. According to his award citations, Jolly repeatedly braved enemy fire in Ramadi to help take out an enemy sniper who had ambushed a government center. He received the Navy Commendation Medal for risking his life to destroy roadside bombs when an explosive ordnance disposal team couldn't reach his unit. On the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Jolly was about 600 miles away from Benghazi in Tripoli -- roughly the same distance between Chicago and Washington, D.C. Since Jolly and Halbruner were some of the only troops in-country, the operation was coordinated not by U.S. Africa Command, but the CIA. In this photo, a Libyan man walks in the rubble of the damaged U.S. consulate on Sept. 11, 2012 in Benghazi. AP/Mohammad Hannon Team Tripoli, made up of Jolly, Halbruner and five others, arrived in Benghazi at about 1:30 a.m. That was about four hours after the attack began, and two since Ambassador Christopher J. Stevens had last been seen alive. The team was led by Glen Doherty, a Global Response Staff (GRS) security officer and former Navy SEAL, who was later killed. He was Team Tripoli's medic. The plan, according to the person familiar with the mission, was to leave the airport and head to the hospital, where they believed Stevens was being treated. When they found out Stevens had died, the first ambassador to be killed in the line of duty since 1979, the team headed to the consulate to bolster the diplomatic security personnel and GRS, a group of private military contractors who were fending off the attackers. "It could've gone really, really bad," said the source familiar with the mission. "It could've become 30 American hostages in North Africa. There were seven shooters going in to protect people who don't shoot for a living." By the time they arrived, Sean Smith, a State Department foreign service officer, had also died. It was still dark, just after 5 a.m., according to a congressional timeline of the attack. Within minutes, the first mortar hit. The attacks continued, with one witness estimating there were as many as 100 insurgents spotted surrounding their location in 20- or 30-man groups. It was a skilled enemy, one of the troops there later told members of Congress. "It's not easy ... to shoot inside the city and get something on the target within two shots -- that's difficult," the witness testified. "I would say they were definitely a trained mortar team or had been trained to do something similar to that. "I was kind of surprised," the service member added. "... It was unusual." They were there a matter of hours, but at times witnesses said the team feared they wouldn't make it out alive. It began to "rain down on us," one of them told lawmakers. ''I really believe that this attack was planned," the witness said. "The accuracy with which the mortars hit us was too good for any regular revolutionaries." In total, six 81-millimeter mortars assaulted the annex within a minute and 13 seconds, a congressional report on the attack states. Doherty and Tyrone Woods, another former SEAL with the GRS, didn't survive. Dave Ubben, a State Department security agent, and Mark "Oz" Geist, another GRS member, were badly hurt. The men were defending the compound from the rooftop, determined to make it look like they had a lot more firepower than they actually did. "There was a lot of shooting, a lot of indirect fire and explosions," the source with knowledge of the response said. "It was just guys being really aggressive and doing a good job at making it seem like their element was bigger than it was, like they were less hurt than they were." Ubben -- who'd testified before a federal court in 2017 that he took shrapnel to his head, nearly lost his leg, and had a grapefruit-sized piece of his arm taken off -- was losing blood fast. Geist also had a serious arm injury that needed immediate attention. Jolly and Halbruner were determined to save them. Amid the fight, they were tying tourniquets to the men's bodies. Ubben is alive because Jolly helped move him from the rooftop to a building where diplomatic personnel were hunkered down. Gregory Hicks, who became the acting chief of mission after Stevens died, later described how the gunny did it during a congressional hearing. "One guy ... full of combat gear climbed up [to the roof], strapped David Ubben, who is a large man, to his back and carried him down the ladder, saved him," Hicks said. Jolly and Halbruner also went back out to the rooftop to recover the bodies of the fallen. "They didn't know whether any more mortars were going to come in. The accuracy was terribly precise," Hicks said. "... They climbed up on the roof, and they carried Glen's body and Tyrone's body down." It was for Jolly's "valorous actions, dedication to duty and willingness to place himself in harm's way" to save numerous unarmed Americans' lives that he earned the Navy Cross, according to his citation. Bracing for the Worst That attack was traumatic for many of the civilians trapped inside one of the buildings, according to the person with knowledge of the operation. They'd lost their ambassador and another colleague, and they had no experience being caught in a life-and-death combat situation. Once Jolly and Halbruner brought the injured men in from off the rooftop, the diplomatic staff helped treat their wounds, according to the source familiar with the situation. It gave them a mission as the onslaught continued outside. As the sun came up, the remaining team members worried that terrorists would overtake the facility. First believed to be the work of the Benghazi-based Ansar al-Sharia group, the attack was coordinated by several networks in the region, including al-Qaida affiliates. Throughout the night, the Americans had the advantage of night vision, the person familiar with the mission said. In the daylight, it could quickly become an even playing field. Surprisingly though, it got quieter. They gathered inside one of the buildings and formed an evacuation plan to move the diplomatic staff to the airport and eventually out of Benghazi. "[They had to talk about] things like, 'What happens if they came under attack on the way out? Do you know where to go if you are separated from the group or are being shot at?'" according to the person familiar with the plans. They prepared for the worst: that as the convoy left the compound, they'd be ambushed, everyone would panic, and the terrorists would take hostages. But they made it to the airport without issue and, by 7:31 a.m., the first plane with survivors took off for Tripoli. "Who would've thought seven people could go into Benghazi and get more than 25 people out? Especially without traditional military support?" the person familiar with the mission said. "... But you can do a lot if you're determined and have no other choice." The Defense Department and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton later faced a host of criticism over their response to the attack. Critics called it too slow -- a congressional investigation finding that despite President Barack Obama and former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta clearly ordering the military to deploy response forces, none were sent until almost eight hours after the attacks began. A burnt car in front of the U.S. consulate, after an attack in Benghazi, Libya, Sept. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon) Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey was asked to explain why he hadn't dispatched F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets from Italy. He told lawmakers it would've been "the wrong tool for the job." The Marine Corps, the nation's go-to crisis-response force, has been particularly responsive in the aftermath of the attack. Since there aren't enough amphibious ships to stage Marines everywhere they'd like to be at sea, they've set up land-based crisis-response forces built to respond to emergencies quickly. Those units include up to 2,200 personnel, along with aircraft and logistics capabilities. Those units are now based in Europe, the Middle East and Central America. Those assigned to Africa and the Middle East have fielded several State Department requests to evacuate embassy personnel or shore up security when intelligence has indicated a high risk for attack. The Marine Corps and State Department have also bolstered the number of embassy guards placed at diplomatic posts around the world, standing up dozens of new detachments that previously did not have military personnel. It was a tragedy to see a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans killed in Benghazi but, sadly, it sometimes takes an awful situation to get the attention of those in charge of policy, the person familiar with the response said. "It was a bad situation, but a lot of priorities changed after this tragedy that would otherwise never have gotten fixed." -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. The B-52 Stratofortress bombers that deployed to the Middle East last week to counter unspecified threats from Iran have begun patrols over the Persian Gulf, Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT) said Monday. "The B-52s were deployed to U.S. Central Command to defend U.S. forces and deter any aggression. They have begun flying deterrence missions in the region, including over the Arabian Gulf," AFCENT spokeswoman Maj. Holly Brauer said in an email. CNN reported that F-15C Eagles and F-35A Joint Strike Fighters that were already deployed to the Middle East for operations in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan have joined the B-52s for "visible patrols" over the Persian Gulf. A defense official confirmed on background that the aircraft have begun "show of presence" flights over the gulf. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson on Monday touted the B-52's rapid deployment to the region after the Trump administration announced May 5 it was sending the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and a bomber task force. Related content: Wilson told audiences at a Meridian International Center event that it took "a little over 50 hours [from] when we got the call to send forces forward to when [the B-52s] were on the ramp in the Middle East." NBC News reported last week that the U.S. had received credible intelligence that an Iranian official had approved attacks against U.S. military personnel operating in the region, including possible missile attacks from small Iranian ships. Four bombers from the 20th Bomb Squadron, out of Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, arrived at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on May 8. Meanwhile, F-15Cs already deployed to the Middle East have been flying alongside the Air Force's premier stealth fighter. AFCENT posted photos Monday showing the F-35 and F-15 over an "undisclosed location" in Southwest Asia. F-15s took over the F-22 Raptor's mission earlier this year, while the F-35 fifth-generation fighter deployed to the theater in April; the American F-35A conducted its first combat strike mission in Iraq on April 30. On Friday, the U.S. added even more firepower to the region. On the heels of his nomination as permanent secretary of defense, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan approved sending the amphibious transport dock Arlington and a Patriot missile battery to the region for extra deterrence. "The Department of Defense continues to closely monitor the activities of the Iranian regime, their military and proxies," the Pentagon said. "Due to operational security, we will not discuss timelines or location of forces." Officials added that the U.S. "does not seek conflict with Iran, but we are postured and ready to defend U.S. forces and interests in the region." Related Video: A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress aircraft taxis for takeoff at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, May 12, 2019. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Navy to Shutter Reservist-Specific Officer Training School Reserve officers who would have attended Direct Commission Officer Training will soon attend a longer, more thorough training with their active-duty counterparts. The change, set to start Oct. 1, means both reserve Direct Commission Officers and Limited Duty Officers/Chief Warrant Officers will complete their training at Officer Development School and the Limited Duty Officer/Chief Warrant Officer Academy. Currently, reservists entering the Navy through the Direct Commission Officer program are required to spend two weeks at Direct Commission Officer School within one year of their commissioning. 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... Sylvester Stallone, age 72 and turning 73 in July, is now older than John Wayne was when The Duke passed away in 1979. Wayne was looking a bit saggy over his last decade in film, but Stallone keeps pumping iron and delivering the action at a level unimaginable for a man his age. Sly returns to the role of Ray Breslin for "Escape Plan: The Extractors," the third movie in his prison escape action series. He's joined by former wrestler and current Guardian of the Galaxy Dave Bautista and rapper/action star Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. "Escape Plan: The Extractor" will arrive on Digital 4K Ultra HD copy, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital on July 2. We've got a premiere of the movie's teaser trailer. Stallone, Bautista and Jackson break into a supposedly impenetrable Latvian prison to rescue Stallone's girlfriend, played by Jaime King, 40. It's an action movie, so things don't go according to plan. DETROIT -- Mark Bessner, a former Michigan State Police trooper, will spend between five and 15 years in prison for the death of a teen killed in an ATV crash after Bessner had used a taser on him. Bessners sentence was handed down in court Monday, after last months conviction for involuntary manslaughter in the death of 15-year-old Damon Grimes. Sentencing guidelines recommended between 19-38 months, but Judge Margaret Van Houten said there were circumstances that warranted exceeding those guidelines. The defendant is a grown man who should have taken more care with his actions that day, Van Houten said, before also citing Bessners training as an officer as a reason he should have known better. Van Houten also cited the victims age as a reason why she went beyond the guidelines, and said Bessner was an officer sworn to protect the public. You abused the public trust placed in police officers, Van Houten said. Bessner was immediately taken into custody to be transferred to the Michigan Department of Corrections. Grimes died in 2017 after crashing his all-terrain vehicle when Bessner shot him with a taser. Bessner was accused of shooting Grimes with the taser from the passenger seat of a patrol car while he and his partner chased the teenager. It was revealed during the trial that Bessner had previously been disciplined for misuse of a taser and that he thought Grimes was reaching for a gun when he deployed the taser. Two months before Grimes death, Bessner was cleared by an arbitrator after he was nearly suspended for allegedly using his taser on a man who was in handcuffs, but fled from police. Bessner was also suspended in 2014 for firing his taser at another man who was in handcuffs. Prior to the sentencing, Helen Stinson, Grimes aunt, gave a victim impact statement where she asked Bessner to think about the teen as he watches his own children grow up and experience events like graduating, getting married and having children of their own. Bessner addressed the court prior to sentencing. He said he understood the anger of the victims family and why they are upset. He also asked the judge to consider a sentence in the lower end of the sentencing guidelines. He also apologized directly to the family and said he wished he could change what happened. I cant imagine what it would be like to lose a child," Bessner said. Bessner went on to say that being a police officer is a no-win situation and that officers cannot always get it right. He asked Van Houten to consider his own family as he has a 5-year-old daughter at home and a wife who is also a police officer. Still, Van Houten said Bessners actions in the incident required a more serious sentence and she did not give him any leniency. Bessner was given credit for 69 days served and must also pay $8,000 in restitution to the Grimes family. DETROIT -- U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, is firing back at Republicans whove made accusations of anti-Semitism against her. Tlaib appeared on Yahoos Skullduggery podcast last week, discussing impeachment efforts and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She spoke about her support for a one-state solution to the conflict. And compared the current state of conditions in Israel to Jim Crow-era segregation in the U.S. The congresswoman, who is of Palestinian descent and plans to lead a congressional delegation on a trip to the West Bank in August, said she took some time to reflect on the Holocaust several weeks ago, and found herself humbled that it was my ancestors that had to suffer in order to create a safe haven for Jews after World War II. And theres kind of a calming feeling, I always tell folks, when I think of the Holocaust and the tragedy of the Holocaust and the fact that it was my ancestors, Palestinians, who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence, in many ways have been wiped out all of it was just in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews post the Holocaust, post the tragedy and horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. And I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right? In many ways. But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away and it was forced on them, Tlaib said in the podcast. On Twitter, U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming, called upon House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to take action against vile anti-Semitism," and in a Monday tweet, claimed Tlaib was spreading lies to delegitimize the state of Israel." A message was left with Cheneys office seeking further comment. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, called her comments twisted and disgusting ... days after the annual Day of Holocaust Remembrance." More than six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust; there is nothing calming about that fact, Scalise said in a statement. Unfortunately, this is far from the first display of heinous anti-Semitic comments coming from Democrat House members this year, and its clear this is now the norm for their caucus. The way Republicans and and Congresswoman Liz Cheney have attacked Congresswoman Tlaib is flat out false, Tlaib spokesman Denzel McCampbell told MLive. They misconstrued and changed around her words to say she said something about the Holocaust that she didnt say. Lawmakers did not directly contact Tlaibs office to express their disapproval, McCampbell said. Tlaib was quick to respond on Twitter: Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win. Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 13, 2019 Update: Tlaib on Monday issued a statement further criticizing Republicans and denouncing anti-Semitism. View the full statement here. McCampbell accused Republicans and right-wing extremists of trying to incite hate by spreading lies. The effort to provide a safe haven for people fleeing persecution brought calm to (Tlaib) because her ancestors were involved in helping those tragically impacted by the Holocaust, McCampbell said. The Congresswoman did not in any way praise the Holocaust, nor did she say the Holocaust itself brought a calming feeling to her. In fact, she repeatedly called the Holocaust a tragedy and a horrific persecution of Jewish people, McCampbell said in a statement. "This behavior by a bankrupt Republican leadership is dangerous and only increases hateful rhetoric from those who want to cause harm to oppressed people. The Republican party has reached a new low. President Trump also took aim at Tlaib on Twitter and said she has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people." Can you imagine what would happen if I ever said what she said, and says? Trump said in a tweet. Democrat Rep. Tlaib is being slammed for her horrible and highly insensitive statement on the Holocaust. She obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. Can you imagine what would happen if I ever said what she said, and says? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2019 Tlaib also denied Skullduggery host Daniel Klaidmans suggestion that she was playing with fire by supporting a one-state solution, because extremists on both sides of the conflict often call for a one-state solution that involves expelling either Arabs or Jews. Im coming from a place of love, for equality and justice," Tlaib said in the podcast. "I truly am. I want a safe haven for Jews. Who doesnt want to be safe? I am humbled by the fact that it was my ancestors that had to suffer for that to happen, but I will not turn my back and allow others to hijack it and say that its some extremist approach because theyre coming from a place of whatever it is of division, inequality. But you know, if you look at (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, he is the first person to come out and support President Trumps wall. Presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, defended Tlaib, taking aim at Trump for what he described as dividing the American people up by their religion, their race or their country of origin. He called on the president to stop attacks against Muslim women in Congress. Mr. President: Stop dividing the American people up by their religion, their race or their country of origin--and stop your ugly attacks against Muslim women in Congress. You are taking Rep. @RashidaTlaib's comments out of context and should apologize. https://t.co/QlYNn46zXQ Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 13, 2019 Liberal political action group Democracy for America also came to Tlaibs defense Monday. No matter how perversely they try to twist their words, theyre not going to bully Rashida Tlaib or any of the other bold, unapologetic progressive women of color into sitting down and shutting up, said CEO Yvette Simpson. FLINT, MI -- Theres another long delay ahead in a Flint water prosecution -- one that stretches all the way to December. Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and attorneys for former Flint emergency manager Gerald Ambrose have agreed to adjourn his Genesee Circuit Court case, according to records. Hammoud, who has been in charge of Flint water prosecutions since Attorney General Dana Nessel, appointed her to replace former special prosecutor Todd Flood in February, said in an email to MLive-The Flint Journal that she will continue to request adjournments in each of the pending criminal cases tied to the citys water crisis. To date, no case had been pushed as deep into the calendar as Ambroses delay. Charged with false pretenses, conspiracy to commit false pretenses, willful neglect of duty and misconduct in office, Ambrose now isnt due back before Judge Joseph Farah until nine days before Christmas. He was first charged with Flint water crimes in December 2016 and waived his preliminary examination while his attorneys negotiated toward a plea agreement that has yet to develop. Hammoud has received some but not all of the delays she has sought since taking over the prosecution of the eight pending criminal Flint water cases. District Court Judge Nathaniel Perry postponed the preliminary exams of former emergency manager Darnell Earley and former Flint Department of Public Works Department Director Howard Croft until November, but District Court Judge Jennifer Manley hasnt signed off on a request to delay the case of Patrick Cook, a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality official, for six months even though his attorney and Hammoud asked for it. On Friday, Hammoud filed another request for a six-month delay in the preliminary exams of two Department of Health and Human Services officials -- Nancy Peeler and Robert Scott. If granted, the adjournments would be the seventh so far in the dual prosecutions of Peeler and Scott, who are due to appear before Manley on Wednesday, May 15. The request for adjournment cites systemic improprieties regarding the collection of evidence in the case. Just last week, the solicitor general made a similar request and argument in the circuit court case against Nick Lyon, the former Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Department director who was bound over to face a jury trial in August. Farah granted a six-week delay in the Lyon case. Hammoud has said the long delays are necessary in the Flint cases because of problems in the discovery process, issues that were discovered after millions of pages of potential evidence were discovered earlier this year in the basement of a state-owned building. FLINT, MI-- Keishaun Wade said he started believing in himself as a freshman when Jalen Parks earned a full ride to Yale University. Parks, a graduate of Burtons Atherton High School, graduated and got into the Ivy League school in 2015. Now Wade is following in his footsteps. The 18-year-old Flint native is attending Cornell University on a full-ride scholarship after graduating from Southwestern Classical Academy in June. I remember the first time seeing someone that looks like me and came from the same place as me get accepted into an Ivy League school, Wade said. I was starstruck, that really was the defining moment for me determining my worth and where I could potentially go. Wade said his road to the Ivy League has been fraught with obstacles and that hes been dodging daggers his whole life. In kindergarten, he was held back and remembers having nightmares of being a grown adult sitting in his kindergarten class. I remember all of my friends leaving ... and me having to stay, Wade said. His parents expectations were always high regardless, he said. They always made it a point to tell us our possibilities are limitless, Wade said. They always joked around about me being an Ivy League scholar and now its come into fruition. His mother graduated high school, but couldnt finish college because Wade and his younger brother were born. My dad lost his mom when he was 15 or 16 and didnt have the motivation to finish high school, Wade said. Wade moved around a lot growing up before finally coming back to Flint when he was a junior in high school. The reason why I moved around so much wasnt to travel, it was because my parents didnt have an education, Wade said. They searched and searched for a place to better our situation and they never really found one. Despite his circumstances, Wade set his eyes on attending an Ivy League school and his teachers at Southwestern Classical Academy l kept him in line along the way. Theyre on my butt 24/7, they never let up, Wade said. They have pretty high expectations of my classmates and I. They want the best for us. Wade said his experience with Flint Community Schools has been positive, despite the district being synonymous with ... many negative connotations of what people believe it is or has degraded to. Flint Public Schools is much more that. Its like having a family outside of home, Wade said. Not to get it wrong, we do struggle at Flint Community Schools, but were not defined by that struggle. In his junior year, and with some encouragement from a friend, Wade applied for the Yale Bassett Award for community involvement. I heard back in May that I won, Wade said. Wade was one of 15 students to receive the award. The next year, Wade toured Yale University and had an opportunity to meet Parks, who inspired him to strive for success. Wade was searching for an SAT tutor when met Carol Bernard, who tutored Parks in the past. After hearing about Wades goals, she connected him with Parks. I just wanted to visit or touch my feet on the cement there (Yale)," Wade said. Not only did I get to do it, but I got to do it on my 18th birthday and got to meet Jalen Parks on Yales campus. Though he applied, Wade didnt get into Yale. That didnt discourage him, he said, it just solidified his purpose at Cornell even more. Youre most unhappy when youre comparing yourself to other people, Wade said. You have to realize youre an individual and as an individual you have certain unique attributes that no one else has. Once you determine your worth, no one can take it away from you. The first step to determining that worth, Wade said, is seeing someone succeeding in the pursuit of their dreams. Statistically, it seems like kids like me end up in really bad situations, Wade said. Ive also suffered challenges. If I can do it than you can do it, too. And if you can do it then someone will look up to you and think they can too." Wade said if more black kids saw other black kids getting into Ivy League schools, then "wed have more of these things. It wouldnt be as rare. In August, Wade will attend Cornell as part of its class of 2023 where hell major in urban and regional studies and minor in public policy. Coming from Flint inspired his fields of study, he said. FLINT, MI A 37-year-old man is accused of secretly recording video of nieces and others in his familys Vienna Township home. Matthew Elgie Walton was arraigned May 10 in 67th District Court on four counts of surveilling unclothed person and using a computer to commit a crime. At a Monday, May 13 press conference, Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell said Waltons wife was visiting him at the hospital when she picked up his phone to contact his employer to tell him he wouldnt be making it into work. When she picked up that phone, she picked up the key to an unknown sort of life that he was leading, said Pickell. A hidden camera was found in the bathroom during a search of Waltons Jennings Road home, according to Pickell. We learned from our investigation that (the wife) would have young girls, nieces come over to the house and babysit and they would stay all night, said Pickell. The camera recorded girls in their teens and an 11-year-old boy taking showers and using the bathroom. More than 100 images were also allegedly found on a hard drive, Pickell said. The sheriff referenced the case involving a former Tim Hortons employee in Fenton accused of filming others. When youre in your homeand being recorded going to the bathroom and taking a shower, it just transcends anything you would reasonably believe to be private, said Pickell. Walton is expected to face additional charges in connection with the case and was ordered to have no unsupervised contact with anyone under 18, no contact with the victims, and not to own or possess an internet capable device or video or audio recording device. He was released on a $12,000 cash/surety bond on the eight charges and faces a May 23 probable cause conference in front of Genesee District Judge Mark C. McCabe. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A man who provided fraudulent documents for sale in West Michigan expects to be deported and leave behind his family. Benjamin Morales-Sales was sentenced Monday, May 13, in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids to six months in prison, with credit for six months already served, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce and traffic in fraudulent identification documents. Judge Janet Neff ordered Morales-Sales be remanded to the custody of U.S. marshals. Another man involved in the conspiracy was sentenced Monday while a third awaits sentencing. Morales-Sales, 33, of Grand Rapids, was described as a hard-working family man who cared for his girlfriend and her children, along with a child they had together. A citizen of Guatemala, he entered the U.S. in 2001 after an earlier unsuccessful try - and moved to Michigan four years later. A school social worker said that his family is devastated to lose him. She works with two of the girls who consider Morales-Salles their father. She diagnosed the girls with post-traumatic stress disorder. The girls talk about all the great memories they have of how great a father Benjamin is, the social worker wrote. They talk of how he always has them in mind and works hard to provide what they need most. (Their) eyes light up when they remember the money he saved to buy everyone a bicycle so they all go riding bikes together. He also helped them with homework and made sure they kept up with school work. She said that the couples young son doesnt understand why his dad is gone so long. Morales-Sales has family in Guatemala. He had a job doing concrete construction on area bridges and could get his job back if he were to stay in the U.S., his boss said. A federal prosecutor said the defendant, with alleged ties to a Chicago organization, caused significant problems in West Michigan. Those involved in the conspiracy and others flooded the Grand Rapids area with fraudulent identification documents, Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay West wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Employers and the general public were unable to rely on the validity of identification documents, and the purchasers of these documents were themselves opening themselves to prosecution for false attestation of lawful permanent residence . This conspiracy has long ranging negative effects on the lives of many in the district, and cannot be under estimated. A co-defendant, Alendro Mondragon-Interino, was also sentenced on Monday. He was given eight months in prison. He has already spent six months locked up. He will be deported when his sentence ends, his attorney said. Another co-defendant, Zaira Nunez-Sanchez, awaits sentencing on June 3. Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce and traffic in fraudulent identification documents. U.S. Homeland Security Investigations said the group was linked to a business card, containing the image of Jesus, that advertised for Pancheros Painters. The documents produced by the group were probably some of the best quality weve seen, said Khaalid Walls, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. By calling the phone number on the business card, customers could obtain lawful-permanent resident cards or Social Security cards for $200, using a photo and fictitious background information. Morales-Sales delivered documents, the government said. A confidential informant told investigators that Morales-Sales once "had so many envelopes with fake cards that he had to read off names to find the ones the informant ordered, an investigator said in court records. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A 21-year-old man fatally shot early Sunday morning has been identified as Jordan Kyree Brown, a Grand Rapids resident. Brown was dropped off at Mercy Health St. Marys Hospital around 2:40 a.m. Sunday, May 12, with serious injuries later identified as at least one gunshot wound, according to Grand Rapids police. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. His death has been ruled a homicide. Investigators believe he might have been shot in the 500 block of Highland Street SE, where there were reports of shots fired minutes before Brown arrived at the hospital. Police located a possible shooting scene in that area. No suspects in Browns slaying are in custody at this time. Grand Rapids police ask anyone with information about the shooting, or events leading up to it, to call them at 616-456-3400. People can also give tips anonymously through Silent Observer at 616-774-2345, or online at www.silentobserver.org. BENZIE COUNTY, MI Searchers are looking for a plane that went missing in Northern Michigan on Sunday, May 12, UpNorthLive reports. Two people were on the single-engine plane when it went missing sometime after 8 p.m., four miles west of Frankfort, the station said. UpNorthLive said that the U.S. Coast Guard is searching Lake Michigan. A helicopter was also used in the search. Benzie County Sheriffs Department is investigating. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI A former West Ottawa High student who brought a gun to school was told Monday, May 13, that he could go home after spending the last 239 days in jail. Davian Weston, 17, was sentenced by Ottawa County Circuit Judge Karen Miedema to 239 days in jail followed by two years on probation. The judge rejected a defense request that Weston be sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act which would have kept the conviction off public records if he stayed out of trouble. I just want to apologize for what Ive done and I take full responsibility for it, Weston, in an orange jail jumpsuit, told the judge. Defense attorney John Moritz, standing next to his client, said: Hes obviously a young kid who made a very serious mistake. Weston traded a 12-gauge shotgun for a .38-caliber revolver he brought to school in his backpack on Sept. 13. He said he just wanted to show it to friends. A student told Ottawa County sheriffs deputies assigned to the school who arrested him as he walked between the north and south campuses at West Ottawa High School. His attorney said Weston had no plans to harm anyone. The gun was inoperable and Weston had no ammunition, Moritz said. The judge said that everyone knows not to bring a gun to school. She was also concerned about a rap video he allegedly produced soon after his arrest that appeared to be a threat to the student who turned him in. Weston was locked up on $750,000 bond after the video came to light. The court is concerned about your remorse, or lack of remorse, Miedema said. She ordered Weston to earn his high-school diploma through adult education while on probation. He cannot return to West Ottawa. He also has to undergo mental-health treatment if ordered by his probation officer. After the hearing, his mother, Stacy Puente, said she was just grateful to be able to bring him home. This is the longest Ive ever been away from him since birth, she said. She said he would not have harmed anyone. Davian, hes a really good young man, hes a sweetheart. He would never want to hurt anybody. She said he paid a big penalty for a terrible decision. Moritz, the attorney, said he hoped Weston would successfully complete probation, stay out of trouble and get on with his life. Hes just a kid. He made, no one will question, a stupid mistake. JACKSON, MI -- Graham Macomber got his associates degree in mechanical engineering when he graduated from Baker College on May 5. The next step? Earning his high school diploma. Macomber, 18, is a Jackson Preparatory & Early College senior. But, because hes enrolled in the Jackson Area College and Career Connection Early/Middle College -- JAC3 for short -- he will have a 13th year of high school and wont receive a high school diploma until next year. By then, he plans to be pursuing a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering at Baker College. JAC3 is a program that unites Jackson Countys education and manufacturing communities in an effort to help the area prosper. Its students work toward a high school diploma, an associates degree through Jackson College or Baker College and a technical certification through the U.S. Department of Labor. Students join the three-year program as high school juniors and participate in a registered school-to-work apprenticeship with a Jackson-area manufacturer. Macomber currently works at LeMatic, a Jackson manufacturing company that builds slicing and packaging equipment. In his apprenticeship, Macomber adjusts and changes drawings of machine parts based off directions from his boss or someone in charge of manufacturing, he said. When he works extra hours, he likes to do small design projects related to creating parts, he said. Sometimes Ill notice things that dont make sense with the drawing that isnt listed to change, Macomber said. Then they let me add adjustments to their adjustments listed and I can learn more about how the machines work. Macomber chose to focus on engineering for the same reason he joined robotics his freshman year -- he likes math and solving problems creatively, he said. The college classes were difficult in a way he didnt expect -- it was the pace, not the content that made it hard, he said. College courses are only a few weeks long, while high school classes typically last a few months or even the year, he said. Once he got the schedule down, it wasnt much different than high school, he said. Its nice because now I can go to college without having to pay as much out of pocket compared to if I went right after graduation," Macomber said. "That makes it a lot less stressful. Even balancing his classes, apprenticeship, JAC3 program and friendships wasnt too complicated after establishing a schedule, he said. Most of his friends were also in his classes, robotics club or JAC3, allowing them to keep touch during class instead of struggling to find time outside of school. Macomber plans on pursuing a career connected to engineering, and is considering eventually going to the University of Michigan for a masters degree in robotics engineering, he said. Everyone in robotics loves it and the absolute craziness of it all, he said. A team works together to build things and then you watch your work actually go around the room or do tasks. Its amazing. OTSEGO, MI The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys demolition of a building containing asbestos in Otsego is under way. The EPA is on site this week, executing a plan to spend an estimated nearly $1 million to demolish Rock Tenn Paper Mill, 431 Helen Avenue, which is contaminated with asbestos, Paul Ruesch of the EPA said. That building was trashed. It was really dangerous, Ruesch said on Friday, May 10, as demolition was progressing and much of the building had come down. Im happy the EPA is able to take away the environmental hazard and the safety hazard," he said. Workers used heavy machinery equipped with shears, grapples and other tools to begin ripping down parts of the building this week, and a process is in place to control the dust during the project, Ruesch said. Contractors licensed to work with asbestos materials will remove the debris from the site and it will be disposed of in a special way, he said. Beginning in the next week, residents will see an increase of slow-moving traffic on West River Street (also known as 106th Avenue) as trucks haul materials off the site, Ruesch said. People will be there using flags to alert motorists. Some metal pieces will remain on the site once crews leave the area, Ruesch said on Friday. The work began in April and is expected to be complete by the end of May, he said, and the project is expected to come in significantly under budget. A previous environmental assessment identified asbestos contamination at the building that was part of the former RockTenn paper mill at 431 Helen Avenue in Otsego, Allegan County Executive Director of Services Dan Wedge has said. Allegan County took ownership of the 48-acre property that includes the building where asbestos was found through a tax foreclosure, Wedge said. The project announcement comes after a joint request from the Allegan County Treasurers Office and the City of Otsego submitted June 28. The funds have been made available under the EPA Time-Critical Removal Action, Allegan County said. The funding allows for the entire power house building to be demolished and removed by EPA contractors, the county said. The money comes from U.S. EPA funds for Superfund sites, and the EPA will attempt to recover the cost from responsible parties, Ruesch said. The paper mill closed in 2004. Anthony M. Davis of Canton bought the former Rock-Tenn site in 2006 and the property entered foreclosure in April 2011 after Davis company, Cogswell Property LLF, failed to pay overdue property taxes. Davis was sentenced to a year in prison in 2013 after he pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Clean Air Act by failing to obtain a thorough asbestos inspection for the mills powerhouse building before stripping out pipes that he knew were wrapped in insulation containing asbestos. He was sentenced to pay $168,029.59 in restitution to the the EPA. In 2012, the EPA arranged to remove about 200 drums and bins of toxic waste from the former RockTenn site. The land is for sale now and will be available for purchase for a minimal investment, Wedge said previously. The demolition is meant to help bring more redevelopment opportunities, he said. MUSKEGON, MI The Great Lakes Maritime Academy will dock its training vessel, T/S State of Michigan, in Muskegon this week as part of an effort to build interest in maritime careers. Muskegons fourth annual Maritime Career Day is scheduled for Thursday, May 16, at Mart Dock, 560 Mart St. in downtown Muskegon, according to a news release. There are two sessions starting at 10:30 a.m. and noon. Attendees will have opportunities to hear from instructors and students who work and train on the State of Michigan and from local maritime professionals who will share first-hand accounts of their time sailing the Great Lakes, according to the release. Starting maritime career salaries average $60,000 annually with a bachelors degree, according to the academy website. We hope to introduce area students to what is involved in a maritime career, Max McKee, Mart Dock president, said in a written statement. We are ecstatic that the Great Lakes Maritime Academys State of Michigan will be part of the learning experience. This is the first time the State of Michigan will dock in Muskegon, he said. The training ship is used as a floating classroom for hands-on learning, according to the release. The ship will bring about 12 instructors and 55 student cadets to Muskegon to provide first-hand stories about crew life on the Great Lakes, according to the release. The academy was formed to prepare deck and engineering officers for high-skilled positions aboard ships and to teach the business skills needed in commercial shipping, according to the release. The academy prepares students to become merchant marine officers and business professionals in the global marketplace. Prior to becoming a classroom, the 224-foot State of Michigan was a U.S. Navy submarine surveillance vessel. The 18 Stalwart-class T-AGOS ship, formerly named Persistent, was built in 1986. It was designed to tow sonar devices that tracked Soviet submarines. The Persistent was decommissioned and transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard for drug enforcement in the 1990s. It eventually was transferred to the academy through the U.S. Maritime Administration. It moors in Traverse City with other training vessels. The academy is partnered with Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City and Ferris State University in Big Rapids. Captain Ed Hogan, vice president of Port City Marine Services in Muskegon, and other maritime professionals will be on hand to talk about jobs available in the industry. Attendees will also be given a tour of the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum, which is moored at Mart Dock year-round. The Maritime Career Day is free, but reservations are required. Email kmcdermott@sandproductscorp.com or call 231-722-6691 to reserve a spot. BUENA VISTA TWP, MI Police are skeptical of a teens story that he was shot near the border of Saginaw and Buena Vista Township. After 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, police from Buena Vista, the city of Saginaw and troopers from the Michigan State Police were dispatched to the area of Holland Avenue, east of Cumberland Street, near the train bridge for a report of a shooting. A 17-year-old male reported that he had been shot by an unknown person, according to Lt. David Kaiser of MSP. The victim suffered a wound to the front side of his thigh, however, inspection of the victims pants did not show evidence of the entrance or exit of a bullet, Kaiser said. Witnesses of the shooting also gave different accounts, according to Kaiser. Kaiser said that based on the wound it did not seem possible that the victim was shot by a subject standing several feet away due to the absence of a bullet hole. Despite the discrepancies, Kaiser said the victim denied the wound was self-inflicted. No weapon was recovered and the victim treated at a local hospital, Kaiser said. Buena Vista detective are investigating the incident. Republican lawmakers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block order a U.S. District Court order to redraw Michigan political districts until similar gerrymandering cases are resolved. Attorneys representing congressional and state GOP lawmakers filed an emergency application on May 10 asking Justice Sonya Sotomayor to suspend the order until the High Court rules on gerrymandering cases in Maryland and North Carolina. The application argues lawmakers wont have enough time to introduce redistricting legislation by an Aug. 1 deadline set by a panel of three U.S. District Court judges. The legislatures time and resources were already strained, the application reads. The District Courts order ... may well cause gridlock in the legislature and prevent or delay action on some of the most pressing priorities for the people of Michigan. Federal judges ruled in favor of the League of Women Voters and Democratic plaintiffs who alleged Michigans 2011 legislative apportionment plan violates voters Constitutional rights. GOP lawmakers appealed the ruling on April 30 and strongly condemned the courts decision in the May 10 application. Attorneys representing Michigans Republican congressional delegation and House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, the states lawmakers and citizens will suffer numerous and imminent irreparable harm if a stay isnt granted. The District Court order harms Michigans sovereignty, the attorneys said. It forgoes the presumption of legislative good faith, foundational principles of federalism and First Amendment rights, attorneys wrote. The court determined Michigans House, Senate and congressional districts were unconstitutionally drawn to give Republicans an unfair advantage. It ordered Michigans legislature to pass new redistricting legislation before 2020 elections. The legislature will have to prioritize redistricting legislation over other important matters to meet the deadline, attorneys argued. Michigan politicians are grappling with passing a budget, reforming auto insurance and funding infrastructure improvements. Legislative review deadlines under Michigans Constitution means legislation must be approved by both chambers and sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by July 18. To accomplish this, attorneys said both chambers must amend their session calendars and introduce a bill by July 8. The District Court order anoints itself as a super-legislature by requiring Michigan to pass a redistricting plan and provide a detailed description of the process it used, attorneys said. While the District Court has the power to declare laws unconstitutional, it does not have the power to make the Michigan Legislature its vassal, the application states. Attorneys asked the Supreme Court to stop the court order until the High Court makes a ruling on similar redistricting cases, expected to occur by July. One case involves congressional redistricting plans that gave Republicans an advantage in North Carolina. The other involves one Maryland congressional district redrawn to help Democrats unseat an entrenched Republican incumbent. Attorneys argued the Supreme Courts ruling will impact the lower courts Michigan ruling. Whether the court can set limits on partisan gerrymandering is an open question, attorneys said, and the Supreme Court will rule on unsettled legal principles. Because there is a reasonable probability that this Court will review this case and a fair prospect that this Court will vacate the District Courts decision, this Court should grant the requested stay, the attorneys wrote. Redistricting that discriminates on racial, ethnic and partisan grounds was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, but the court has been reluctant to articulate a standard for when partisan gerrymandering runs afoul of the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court could uphold the ruling, reverse the lower courts decision or send it back for reconsideration in U.S. District Court in light of a decision in the other apportionment cases. The District Court found a "wide breadth of statistical evidence pointing to partisan bias that strongly advantaged Republicans and disadvantaged Democrats. LANSING, MI -- Michigan agricultural industry leaders said President Donald Trumps escalating trade war with China saddles the negative impacts from tariffs on farmers and consumers. Representatives of several Michigan agribusiness organization said retaliation foreign tariffs, especially new duties imposed by China, stall Michigan business growth while ongoing negotiations create a frustrating fog of uncertainty for farmers. Industry leaders said it is vital that Congress pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, but acknowledged at a Monday press conference the trade deal is likely dead unless tariffs are lifted on steel and aluminum imports. The overall situation related to trade is extraordinarily frustrating, said Jim Byrum, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association. We are behind the eight ball in the United States in terms of being able to meet world demand ... We have always claimed we are reliable, consistent and trustworthy, and today we are demonstrating anything but that." The USMCA would replace North American Free Trade Agreement if ratified by the legislatures of all three countries. However, the deal finds little appetite in Congress while the tariffs remain in place. The Trump administration also struggles to finalize trade negotiations with China, the third-largest export market in 2018. Retaliatory tariffs imposed by all three trading partners are expected to offset some benefits of the USMCA. Revenge for U.S. tariffs Trump instituted tariffs after the U.S. Commerce Department determined dependence on foreign steel and aluminum poses a national security risk. Mexico and Canada retaliated against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum by imposing their own duties on U.S. meat, dairy and other food products. The Chinese government announced Monday it will raise tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods on June 1 as revenge for Trumps decision to raise duties on $200 billion in Chinese imports to 25% from 10%. An analysis of the USMCA by the U.S. International Trade Commission found agriculture exports would likely increase by 1%. The U.S. Department of Agriculture found it would have positive effects on Michigans $2.7 billion agricultural industry. However, the retaliatory tariffs imposed by all three countries will could offset those benefits. U.S. agricultural exports could decline by $1.8 billion, according to an analysis by the non-partisan Farm Foundation. Undoubtedly, the steel and aluminum tariffs have to be addressed, Byrum said. We havent seen a willingness to do that. Trump tweeted Monday there is no reason the U.S. consumer will pay for the new Chinese tariffs. Byrum said that contention is extremely frustrating, because American consumers will pay higher prices and lose export opportunities. National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow acknowledged Sunday in an appearance on Fox News that American consumers will end up paying for the administrations tariffs on Chinese imports. Chris talks to @larry_kudlow about who actually pays the tariffs with China if they were to be imposed #FNS pic.twitter.com/cwl89OyLDK FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) May 12, 2019 There is no reason for the U.S. Consumer to pay the Tariffs, which take effect on China today. This has been proven recently when only 4 points were paid by the U.S., 21 points by China because China subsidizes product to such a large degree. Also, the Tariffs can be..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2019 Ken Nobis, senior policy advisory with the Michigan Milk Producers Association told reporters the Chinese tariffs spell bad news for Americans. Its a tax on U.S. citizens, its a tax on doing business here, its a tax on purchasing products in this country, he said. China is the largest customer of soybeans from the U.S., said Kathy Maurer, financial and international marketing director for the Michigan Soybean Association. The impact of tariffs on soybeans can extend to other agribusinesses that use the crop to feed livestock. Mary Kelpinski, CEO of the Michigan Pork Producers Association, said counter-tariffs from Mexico damages business between American pork producers and their largest customer. Its cost pork producers $1.5 billion annually, she said. She said retaliatory tariffs also hurt the ability for American business to expand their market into China -- the worlds biggest pork market -- while it faces a domestic shortage from a deadly pig virus. China eats a lot of pork and theyre going to have to fill their market somewhere. Theyre going to look to other countries instead of the United States if they have to pay more, she said. Robert Geers, merchandising manager at Michigan Agricultural Commodities said the U.S. has fallen behind to competing countries to secure trade agreements that preserve international markets. Byrum, who has a four-decade career in building international markets, said other countries are escalating production to fill the void left by a lack of U.S. products. I am very concerned that the very fabric of American agriculture has been damaged, Byrum said. Some of those folks who have bought from us in the past may not come running back. Praise for USMCA Michigan agricultural business leaders applauded the impact of free trade under NAFTA, and said the USMCA will preserve a positive environment for trade. Exports of agricultural products to Mexico and Canada flourished under NAFTA, they said. Agricultural exports to the two countries more than quadrupled since NAFTA was enacted in 1994. Agricultural trade is a $2.7 billion per year industry that supports 22,800 jobs in Michigan. Canada and Mexico are the United States top export markets for U.S. agriculture, totaling a combined $40 billion in 2018. Without a trade deal in place between Canada, Mexico and the U.S., the largely tariff-free trade relationship between the nations could end, Greer said, damaging the U.S. balance of trade and the economies of all three countries. Byrum said ratification of deal is needed as soon as possible to restore stability in the market. Vice President Mike Pence stumped for the USMCA in Michigan last month as part of an effort to pressure Congress to ratify the agreement. Executives with Michigans big three automakers praised the deal, but said they are hurt by costs related to steel and aluminum tariffs. Pence told reporters at the event that those tariffs could be reconsidered if the USMCA is passed. Well give due consideration to other tariffs that have been imposed," he said. "But the priority right now is to get USMCA approved by Congress and have Canada and Mexico approve it. B-52 bombers have commenced air operations from the US base in Qatar, as Washington continues to amass its forces in the Persian Gulf. The White House says it is to deter an alleged Iranian attack on US interests. US Central Command (CENTCOM) made no attempt to keep Sundays operations secret, broadcasting photos of the B-52H Stratofortress bombers as they took off from Al Udeid Air Base near Doha, Qatar. Precise details of the mission were not publicized, but the Pentagon said its purpose was to defend American forces and interests in the region. The bombers arrived in the CENTCOM region last Friday, which covers the Middle East and Central Asia, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and the USS Kearsarge amphibious ready group. READ MORE: US deploys B-52 bombers to Qatar amid Iran threat hiatus In all, the ramped up US presence around the Persian Gulf comprises a number of warships including aircraft carriers, destroyers and cruisers a Patriot missile battery, an expeditionary unit of US Marines, as well as several warplanes, including the nuclear-capable B-52s. US National Security Advisor John Bolton said the buildup was meant to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Islamic Republic and ward off a threat, though he provided little detail about what that could be. Tehran sharply denies the accusation, countering that American officials are engaged in psychological warfare. Also on rt.com US smart enough not to want war against Iran unless Pompeo & Bolton get their way to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said his country isnt interested in negotiating a nuclear arms control treaty with the US and Russia. Wang was in Russias Sochi for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday, a day before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to do the same. US President Donald Trump is withdrawing from a landmark nuclear treaty with Russia and has said he wants a new agreement that includes China as well. Wang told reporters that China has no interest in being part of such a treaty, AP reported. He added that China keeps its arsenal of nuclear weapons at the minimal level to ensure the defense policies. China has no interest in joining US-Russia nuclear deal FM China has no interest in joining US-Russia nuclear deal FM Source : RT - Daily news Indias proposal to safeguard the right of special provisions for emerging economies that have been challenged by Washington will be supported by Chinese and South African authorities, according to the Economic Times. South Africa and China are excited about our proposal and the meeting, the media outlet reported, citing an official familiar with details of the issue. The Indian government is currently seeking to amend regulations on unilateral action by members on trade issues. The topic is set to be discussed during a two-day ministerial meeting kicking off in New Delhi on Monday. Also on rt.com US playing cowboy & abusing power in Venezuela & Cuba Spains FM According to the source, India may modify the proposal as per other countries, if necessary. The official stated that South Africas Trade and Industry Minister Robert Davies and a 14-member delegation from China headed by the countrys Assistant Minister of Commerce Ren Hongbin will attend the meeting. The comment comes ahead of the next G-20 summit planned for late June in the Japanese city of Osaka. The special and differential treatment (S&DT) is aimed at granting the developing countries longer time periods to implement agreements and commitments, as well as to implement measures to boost their trading opportunities. The provisions are also intended to safeguard the interests of the emerging economies in the sphere of international trade, increasing their capacity to handle disputes and implement technical standards. Also on rt.com Global trade losing momentum as trade tensions persist WTO We want to have development through S&DT as the core of WTO reform, along with appellate body appointments. We will also discuss ways to address asymmetries in various global trade agreements especially on agriculture, the official told the media. The White House has proposed the withdrawal of such special rights and exemptions for emerging nations that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), G20 Group, which are defined by the World Bank as high income states or those that account for more than 0.5 percent of global commerce trade. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section A campaign launched by Coca-Cola Norway aimed at celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan has sparked accusations of political correctness gone mad, with some even threatening to protest the move by drinking Pepsi. Coca-Cola is known to roll out Ramada campaigns in Muslim-majority nations, but this is the first time the company has marked the Islamic month of fasting in Norway, where an estimated 5.7 percent of the countrys 5.2 million inhabitants are Muslim. The campaign features the iconic Coca-Cola logo adorned with a crescent moon, an important symbol in Islam. The marketing manager for Coca-Cola Norway told Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet that the company wanted to take a firm stance on the importance of celebrating diversity. Also on rt.com Reebok embraces social justice in Russia with bizarre face-sitting feminist ad Diversity and inclusion have always been important to Coca-Cola. For example, many do not know that in the 1950s we were actively engaged in the civil rights movement. Cola was the first to front women in advertising campaigns, Johanna Kosanovic said. But some Norwegian Coke drinkers clearly couldnt stomach the ad. Islam is not welcome or wanted in beautiful Norway. Go to an Islamic country with this c**p. Try marketing Christian holidays there, one user wrote in response to a Happy Ramadan message posted on Coca-Cola Norways Instagram account. Then it'll be Pepsi from here onwards I hope Coca-Cola sales plunge, a dissatisfied soda drinker noted on Facebook. No more Cola. Yuck! another social media user declared. Others were more supportive of the move, however. I Doubt Coke needs racist money, one fan of the campaign wrote on Facebook. Others said they would pass on the infamously unhealthy beverage regardless of what religious labels are put on Coke cans. Corporations have faced backlash in the past for trying to show that they are inclusive or woke. A feminist Reebok ad in Russia featuring bizarre face-sitting was widely panned, while Gillette learned a hard lesson in social media blowback after lecturing to its male customer base about toxic masculinity. Also on rt.com Hack job: Gillette tries to teach men social justice, meets massive online backlash Like this story? Share it with a friend! Ecuador's Attorney General has informed a Julian Assange lawyer that the WikiLeaks co-founder's files, computer, mobile phones and other electronic devices will be seized during a search at the London embassy and sent to the US. After an unsuccessful attempt by WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson to retrieve Assange's personal belongings from Ecuador's UK embassy, where Assange had been holed up for almost 7 years before his arrest and incarceration last month, the Ecuadorian government reportedly greenlighted the US request to provide it access to the documents and electronic devices left behind by the jailed WikiLeaks editor after he was hauled out of the embassy by the British police on April, 11. Also on rt.com WikiLeaks editor denied entry to Ecuadorian Embassy to retrieve Assanges belongings The searches inside the embassy quarters formerly occupied by Assange are set to be conducted by police on May 20, El Pais reported, citing a notice sent to Assange's Ecuadorian lawyer Carlos Poveda. Assange's personal files, his computer, mobile phones, memory sticks, CDs and any other electronic devices uncovered during the searches will then be seized and sent to the US as a part of Ecuador's response to the Department of Justice's judicial request. The US is currently building a case to extradite on hacking charges. The files contain troves of sensitive information, include Assange's communication with his lawyers and other legal documents which, the lawyers argue, deprive him of the right to proper defense. Having this data will potentially allow the US to "build and create new charges" to extradite Assange in violation of Ecuador's own asylum policies. READ MORE: 'We need to save his life': Pamela Anderson speaks of emotional visit to Assange prison The news of the looming handover came as a bolt out of the blue for Assange's defense team, Poveda told RT Spanish, adding that it's impossible to be sure his things in the embassy haven't been tampered with already. "Since Mr. Assange left the embassy, we cannot know for sure what has been happening inside these rooms." The lawyers have requested CCTV records for the period since Assange's arrest, Poveda said. The US has until June 12 to build a case for Assange' extradition. Last week, Assange, who has been serving a 50-week sentence in a maximum-security Guantanamo Bay-style prison for skipping bail, faced an extradition judge for the first time. The WikiLeaks co-founder said he would not surrender himself to extradition for simply "doing journalism" that has earned his site many international awards. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! The EU fully supports the international nuclear accord with Iran and wants rival powers to avoid any further escalation over the issue, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has said. We will continue to support it as much as we can with all our instruments and all our political will, Mogherini said on Monday before a meeting with the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, the signatories to the deal. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to meet EU officials in Brussels on Monday to talk about Iran, Reuters reported. Mogherini said she was informed during the night of Pompeos arrival to Brussels. We will see during the day how and if will manage to arrange a meeting. Hes always welcome obviously, but there are no precise plans at the moment, Mogherini said. Pompeo is on his way to Russias Black Sea resort of Sochi where he plans to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday to discuss Iran. EU fully supports Iran nuclear deal, Mogherini says as USs Pompeo heads to Brussels EU fully supports Iran nuclear deal, Mogherini says as USs Pompeo heads to Brussels Source : RT - Daily news Officials loyal to the US-backed self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido have requested a meeting with US Southern Command to begin planning a military intervention in Venezuela, after multiple failed attempts to take power. Guaidos ambassador to the US, Carlos Vecchio, published on Monday a letter he sent to SOUTHCOM requesting a meeting with a technical delegation to advance in strategic and operational planning in order to restore democracy in Venezuela. The letter is dated May 11. Two days prior, SOUTHCOM tweeted out a statement by its commander, Admiral Craig Faller, saying We stand ready! to support Venezuelan military officers who are willing to side against the government in Caracas and were only waiting for Guaidos invitation. Earlier this month, Faller voiced the same sentiment to a congressional committee, urging Venezuelan officials currently loyal to President Nicolas Maduro to do the right thing and switch their allegiance to the US-backed opposition leader. Though Vecchios request was sent on Venezuelan embassy stationery, he does not actually have access to the embassy building in Washington, DC. After Maduros government severed diplomatic ties with the US, it gave permission to a group of American activists calling themselves the Embassy Protection Collective to occupy the building in order to prevent it from falling into the hands of Guaido supporters. Attempts to force them out by cutting off food supplies, water and electricity have so far been unsuccessful. Guaido, elected to chair the National Assembly last December, declared himself interim president in January, calling Maduro a dictator and usurper. Despite claiming to command the loyalty of most Venezuelans, all of Guaidos attempts to take over Miraflores Palace have ended in failure. The most recent stunt involved an attempted military takeover, but fizzled out within a few hours when only a handful of troops joined his cause. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Twitter-famous conspiracy theorist Louise Mensch has been bombarded by snarky comments after she accused former US senator Mike Gravel of betraying his country. His treasonous crime? Agreeing to an interview with RT. Gravel, who is currently running for president, shared a clip from his appearance on RTs Going Underground on Twitter, noting that he was honored to come on the show and discuss the US-backed coup in Venezuela. Mensch, who is British, apparently thought that the former Alaska senators performance was an affront to the crown or something. Traitor, Mensch tweeted in response to the video. As usual, her poignant insight was countered by a severe internet tongue-lashing. Louise I have evidence that Mike Gravel is a sorcerer. Follow back so I can DM, one Twitter user joked, likely appealing to Menschs penchant for unsubstantiated bombshells. Another comment inquired about the status of one of Menschs most memorable, treason-related jewels of punditry, in which she reported that former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon would be arrested and executed for colluding with the Kremlin. Others reminded Mensch about her much-publicized mental health problems, which according to her, resulted from taking hard drugs. Even Gravel got in on the Mensch-bashing action (although his account is managed by a group of his supporters), replying with the short but sweet retort: Louise Mensch, journalist. Dozens of other Twitter users pushed back at Mensch, describing her as an imperialist, a xenophobe, and a psychotic former MP (yes, incredibly, she once served in parliament). With comments overwhelmingly negative, a senior adviser to Gravels presidential campaign weighed in on Menschs hot take: Nice ratio you got going here. Mensch has a long history of tweeting out mind-melting garble on Twitter, only to receive waves of blowback. Her top hits include the prediction that Donald Trump would be impeached and replaced by Utah Senator Orrin Hatch (showing her deep, British understanding of US government) and panning the #MeToo movement as Russian propaganda. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! The volume of trade between Russia and the United States totaled six billion dollars in the first quarter of the current year, having soared by nearly 25 percent year-on-year, according to the Russian Customs Service. The agency reported that Russian exports to the US saw a surge of 18 percent from January through March and amounted to US$2.686 billion. At the same time, imports from the US to Russia grew by 29.4 percent and totaled $3.292 billion. The US share in Russias foreign trade turnover reportedly increased to 3.8 percent from 3.1 percent a year ago. Also on rt.com Russias trade surplus poised to smash pre-sanction record reports In 2018, trade turnover between the countries amounted to around $25 billion, marking a 7.86 percent increase against the previous year. The modest year-on-year growth comes amid a massive sanctions campaign launched by Washington against Moscow in 2014. The economic penalties were introduced over Russias alleged involvement in the crisis in eastern Ukraine and following the Crimean referendum to secede from Ukraine and rejoin Russia. Since then, the measures have been expanded for various reasons with the Kremlin responding in kind. Also on rt.com US trade deficit soars to decade high of $621 billion despite Trump pledge to bridge the gap Russias overall trade turnover amounted to $158.6 billion in the January-March period, up 0.1 percent from the same period last year. Exports reached $104.9 billion, having increased 1.4 percent, while imports were down 2.4 percent year-on-year to $53.8 billion. Meanwhile, trade between Russia and China grew 3.4 percent to $24.95 billion in the first quarter. China reportedly accounted for 15.8 percent of Russian trade in the first three months of this year, up from 15.3 percent against the first quarter of 2018. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section A van grazed German Chancellor Angela Merkels parked government jet, damaging the planes hull. Merkel was not on board at the time, but the incident is the latest in a series involving German government aircraft. The van, a Renault Trafic, rolled into the Bombardier Global 5000 jet at Dortmund airport on Monday afternoon. Three crew members on board were unharmed, and the extent of the damage is unclear. Merkel herself was in Dortmund for a series of meetings and will be flown back to Berlin on another plane, the Luftwaffe confirmed on Monday. A government source told German tabloid Bild, perhaps jokingly, that the vans driver had been so fascinated with seeing Merkels jet that they got out for a closer look and forgot to apply the handbrake, causing the crash. An unremarkable incident, save for the fact that the 12 aircraft of the German government fleet have already been involved in a shocking six technical incidents so far this year. A Luftwaffe Global 5000 was forced to make an emergency landing at Berlins Schoenefeld Airport last month, scraping the ground with both wings and injuring the crew. The governments flagship Airbus A340 the Konrad Adenauer suffered two technical mishaps in April too, once in Cologne and once in New York, with Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on board. Also on rt.com Grounded 6 times in 4 months: Berlin crash-landing is latest woe to strike German govt fleet Maas was stuck in Mali in February after a government A319 suffered a problem with its landing gear, while Development Minister Gerd Mueller was delayed in Zambia and Malawi after his Bombardier Global 5000 suffered engine trouble on two separate occasions in January. Mueller, who had to cancel a trip to Namibia as a result of the delays, went on to say that the incidents were an embarrassment for Germanys reputation as a technological powerhouse, and damaged the Made in Germany brand. Perhaps most embarassingly, Merkel missed the opening of last November's G20 summit in Buenos Aires, after the Konrad Adenauer suffered a technical fault one hour into the 15-hour flight and made an emergency landing at Cologne. Merkel herself was forced to catch a commercial flight to Argentina the following day. to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you. As the US ramps up pressure on China to end the trade war, crude oil might actually end up being the common ground the two countries need to find a solution On Wednesday, US president Donald Trump crushed any hopes of a trade deal with China when he announced that China broke the deal and that, as a consequence, the US will enforce even higher tariffs on some imports from China starting on Friday, May 10. When the worlds first and second largest economies are quarrelling, it goes without saying that it puts the entire global market on edge. The international oil market is no exception. According to MarketWatch, Those concerns have more than offset the price-supportive weekly decline in US crude inventories reported Wednesday, though traders continue to keep watch on growing tensions between the US and Iran, which raises the threat of disruptions to Middle East output. Crude prices in the US fell as well. The West Texas Intermediate crude benchmark fell 42 cents, or 0.7 percent, to settle at $61.70 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, putting prices on track for a weekly loss of 0.4 percent. According to some experts, however, the dip in crude prices is just temporary. With global crude supply tightening thanks to sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, as well as a surprise decline in US crude production, long-term price projections are looking up. In fact, West Texas Intermediate and Brent futures are up by 30 percent or more year to date, and MarketWatch reports that analysts at Barclays are extremely optimistic, already increasing their third-quarter forecasts by $4 each for both benchmarks. Barclays analyst Amarpreet Singh went on to tell MarketWatch that, lower output due to planned maintenance in the North Sea and the Caspian Sea over the next few weeks, coupled with dwindling Iranian exports due to tighter US sanctions and what has so far been a very measured Saudi response just before the peak demand season, should support prices, in our view. Also on rt.com Easier & quicker: Trump says tariffs are actually better than deal with China Not all experts agree with this outlook, however. David Sheppard of Financial Times, who says that the threat of a trade war with China is a more immediate risk than any Mideast geopolitics and US sanctions putting the squeeze on global oil supplies. In fact, Sheppards opinion piece argues that the United States trade dispute with China may actually be a roundabout way of achieving just what the Trump administration wants: lower oil prices. If US president Donald Trump wants the lower oil prices he has consistently demanded, then escalating a trade war with China is one unconventional method of meeting that short-term goal, Sheppard writes. Where the US was once the worlds biggest importer of crude oil, this distinction is now given to China. Together with the US, the first and second biggest economies in the world represent nearly a third of total global oil consumption. So the duo plays an outsized role in the oil market, before even starting to account for the spillover effects that a damaging trade war would have on the wider global economy. This is all to say that the far-reaching economic implications of a trade dispute between these two giants should not be underestimated. And although oil is not the major point of contention between the US and China, its role should not be dismissed, nor should its precarious position thanks to the massive share of the oil market that the US and China dominate. This means that energy could also play a key role in the ultimate resolution of the currently escalating trade war. The United States has become one of the most important energy producers and currently the fastest growing producer of global energy supplies thanks to the shale oil boom in the West Texas Permian Basin. At the exact same time, China has become the fastest-growing energy consumer, especially when it comes to oil and liquefied natural gas both of which the US has in spades. So while the dispute around tariffs goes far beyond trade balances, argues Sheppard, energy is one area where the two countries have a mutual interest in finding common ground. This article was originally published on Oilprice.com Warsaw decided to cancel a visit by an Israeli delegation at the last minute after it emerged that Tel Aviv planned to raise the issue of returning Jewish property that was seized during World War II. The delegation was due to arrive on Monday but the trip was called off because the Israeli side made last-minute changes in the composition of the delegation suggesting that the talks would primarily focus on the issues related to property restitution, according to the Polish Foreign Ministry. Also on rt.com No obligations: Polish nationalists march against Holocaust compensation law (PHOTOS) Warsaw maintains that the matter of property restitution has already been settled a point of view apparently not shared by Tel Aviv and Washington. On Saturday, thousands of people took to the streets of Warsaw to protest against US pressure on Poland to compensate Jews who lost assets during the Holocaust. American legislation known as the 447 law or the Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act requires the State Department to supervise the progress of countries including Poland on the restitution of Jewish properties seized during the Holocaust. Polish protesters against the legislation say it could ruin the countrys economy. Poland was once home to 3.3 million Jews, most of whom were murdered by Nazi Germany. Their properties were looted and later nationalized by the communist government. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! A revised war reparations bill owed by Germany and calculated by a Polish parliamentary committee may exceed $1 trillion, the senior lawmaker in charge of a report into the matter has suggested. Speaking to the Polish conservative weekly Sieci, Arkadiusz Mularchyk, head of the Polish parliamentary group on war reparations, said the document compiled by his group comprehensively assesses the losses suffered by Poland during World War II. While Mularchyk did not want to disclose the total amount of damage calculated for the report, he noted that it significantly exceeded the amount originally calculated at the end of the conflict and that current calculations indicated a bill in excess of $1 trillion. Also on rt.com Poland cancels Israeli visit over WWII property restitution row after mass protests in Warsaw In 1947, a report published by the Office of War Compensation valued the scale of Nazi damage in Poland at $48 billion $850 billion at todays rate. However, since entering government in 2015, the ruling Law & Justice Party (PiS) has reignited the issue of war reparations as a central part of its nationalist agenda. Mularchyks committee has spent the last two years trying to calculate the adjusted figure, looking at demographic losses, loss of livelihoods, mental and physical conditions suffered, and the drop in post-war productivity due to the widespread destruction and killing. Mularchyk said that the report will be forwarded to the senior government figures for review in the coming days, including President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Moravetsky, noting that the next steps are now a question for the leadership of our state. However, he suggested that the report is made available for the public on September 1, to mark the 80th anniversary of Adolf Hitlers invasion. Also on rt.com Until its wiped from memory: Polish MP blasts Germany over shirking issue of WWII reparations During the brutal six-year Nazi occupation of Poland, more than six million Poles, including three million Polish Jews, were killed. Others faced forced deportations and years of slave labor and many Polish cities were left in ruins. Warsaw is joined by Greece in demanding fresh compensation for Nazi crimes, with Athens voting last month to launch a diplomatic push for a payout. However, Berlin has repeatedly rebuffed such calls saying too much time has passed for such compensation to be justified. The matter of reparations is unlikely to go away for Germany, despite it considering the matter closed, as PiS leadership have publicly demanded for discussions to be reopened. In December, President Duda told Germanys Bild that the damage caused by Germany was never compensated for. Noting how the capital Warsaw was razed to the ground during the conflict, Duda said the matter of proper restitution was a question of truth and responsibility. READ MORE: Poland cancels Israeli visit over WWII property restitution row after mass protests in Warsaw Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is not coming to Moscow on Monday as previously planned, according to a report citing a State Department official. He will still meet the Russian president and foreign minister on Tuesday. Instead of going to the Russian capital straight away, on Monday Pompeo will hold talks with European officials about "Iran and other issues," Reuters cites an anonymous State Department official. MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW Pompeo cancels Moscow visit to talk about Iran in Brussels report Pompeo cancels Moscow visit to talk about Iran in Brussels report Source : RT - Daily news Global grain production is set for a sharp increase in the next 12 months with Russia remaining the top exporter, according to a report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA projects global wheat production to grow by 46 million tons from the previous year to a record 777 million tons. Russia will be the worlds leading wheat exporter with supplies of 36 million tons, slightly down from the 2018 2019 level. The country is forecast to harvest its second-largest wheat crop of 77 million tons. The total amount of Russian crops is expected to be more than 115 million tons. Global wheat consumption is set to increase by more than 21 million tons to 759 million tons to cater for a rise in food usage, USDA said. Also on rt.com From Russia with wheat: Exports by global grain superpower soar 80% The Russian Ministry of Agriculture projects the countrys grain harvest to grow by five percent this year to 118 million tons, including around 78 million tons of wheat. The ministrys projection included data from the Crimean peninsula. Russian agricultural production has surged by 20 percent over the past five years. The country has managed to capture more than half of the global wheat market in recent years, becoming the worlds biggest exporter of grain, thanks to bumper harvests and attractive pricing. In 2016, the country became the world leader in wheat exports. Since the early 2000s, its share of the global wheat market has quadrupled. According to the Director of the SovEcon analytical center, Andrey Sizov, Russias agricultural export market is actively expanding. The country supplies grain to Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iran. Saudi Arabia has announced plans to become a major hub for Russian agricultural products in the Middle East. Also on rt.com Putin orders Russian brand of green non-GMO produce to be set up Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier the country has ensured its independence on the global wheat market. He added that Russias enormous natural resources should serve as a guarantee for high-quality food production and should be used specifically to increase the production of organic, non-GMO food products. I instruct the government to create a protected domestic brand of environmentally friendly, green products. We should ensure that only safe for human health technologies are used in that production, said Putin. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section Satellite photos that purport to show Soviet-made S-300PT air defense systems at a US military site have surfaced online, prompting various theories about how and why they ended up there. The speculations began after an image of what appear to be two 5P85PT launchers on semi-trailers and a 30N6 fire control system were posted online by a military enthusiast. The installations are an integral part of the S-300PT surface-to-air missile systems. The blogger, who says he is "geolocating all sort of military stuff" in his profile description, has since deleted the post but not before it gained traction online and attracted the attention of Russian media and the Defense Blog online magazine. In his original post on May 1, tamydoolittle (@border9999) did not provide any details on where the installations were deployed apart from a vague "somewhere in the USA." Manufactured in the Soviet Union in 1975, the first S-300 air defense complexes entered service in 1979. In the following years, the complexes were delivered to over a dozen countries, including China, Algeria, Venezuela, Iran, Vietnam, Ukraine as well as US' NATO allies Bulgaria and Slovakia. Also on rt.com 49 pieces of hardware: Syria gets S-300 missile system & more from Russia in wake of Il-20 downing The fact that the complexes are believed to still be deployed by some NATO members might hold a key to the mystery as to how they landed on American soil. According to some reports, the US has retained at least one S-300 installation since the early 1990s, which it allegedly acquired from Belarus amidst the turmoil following the Soviet Union's collapse. The New York Times reported back in 1994 that the Pentagon's chief military intelligence bought "components" of the S-300 in a secretive deal in order to study the system. The complexes reportedly came without electronics and radar equipment. The Pentagon's interest in the Soviet-era technology has apparently not faded since. It was reported in October last year that US and Israeli military specialists made a secretive trip to Ukraine to study and test the installations there. Kiev reportedly provided Tel Aviv and Washington with technical details and some S-300s for further field tests. While it is unclear if the "S-300" allegedly spotted in the US is a mockup or a real one, some Russian media have speculated that the US military might be conducting tests in preparation for a military operation in Venezuela, which uses the complexes for air defense. Like this story? Share it with a friend! A Saudi ship, prevented by rights groups from loading an arms cargo at the French port of Le Havre on Friday, arrived at the Spanish port of Santander early Monday, Reuters reported. French rights group ACAT argued in a legal challenge on Thursday that the arms consignment contravened a UN treaty because the weapons might be used against civilians in Yemen. The case was thrown out by a French judge. The vessel, Bahri-Yanbu, set course for Santander shortly after the ruling but without the weapons it was charged with collecting. Saudi ship, blocked by rights groups from loading arms cargo in France, arrives at Spanish port Saudi ship, blocked by rights groups from loading arms cargo in France, arrives at Spanish port Source : RT - Daily news When it comes to political bias online, left-leaning Facebook and Twitter have been the most common punching bags, but a new study confirms that Googles search algorithms are also skewed in favor of liberal viewpoints. Researchers from Northwestern University performed an algorithm audit of the Google Top Stories box, which is a major driver of traffic to news publishers and therefore prime online real estate. They examined results for nearly 200 searches relating to news events for one month in late 2017 and found a left-leaning ideological skew. Also on rt.com Google flipped seats, shifted millions of votes to Dems in 2018 midterms, researcher tells RT The researchers did allow some leeway for Google to defend itself, however, saying that while the left-leaning bias was detected, it is possible that the dominance of particular sources is a result of "successful strategic behavior" by those sources to achieve "algorithmic recognizability" but whatever the reason, liberal sources still far eclipsed conservatives ones. CNN, perhaps the outlet most-reviled by conservatives, was Googles overall favorite source. Of the 6,302 articles appearing on Google's top stories during the month in focus, more than 10 percent came from CNN. The New York Times and Washington Post were up next, garnering 6.5 and 5.6 percent of the results, respectively. Fox News, the most mainstream right-wing outlet, was the source for only 3 percent of stories appearing in the top box. Then it was back to liberal outlets, with the BBC, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Politico and ABC News filling out the rest of the top 10. Overall, 62.4 percent of the most common sources were left-leaning, while only 11.3 perfect were said to be right-leaning. Ironically, despite the heavy promotion from Google in the online realm, CNNs overall audience declined by a colossal 26 percent in April compared to a year earlier and network boss Jeff Zucker admitted last November that CNN's audience just goes away any time the channel switches from its (overwhelmingly negative) coverage of President Donald Trump to other topics. So it seems CNN is stuck in a vicious cycle; criticized for focusing too much on negative Trump stories, yet not being able to stop for fear of losing more viewers. Perhaps an even more damning indictment than Googles detected liberal bias, however, is that nearly all (86 percent) of the stories promoted by the search giant came from just 20 sources across the entire internet, which doesnt exactly display much of a commitment to diversity of information and opinion. Also on rt.com 'Poisonous connection' of big tech: Google staff confer over anti-Trump search tweak Publishers selected for the top box receive "a significant boost in traffic" which demonstrates Google's ability to pick winners and losers based on where they decide to direct most of our attention. Such power and bias in favor of major sources could also be linked to the decline of local news, which is competing in an unfair online environment, the study suggested. The detection of Googles left-leaning preferences will hardly come as a shock to conservatives, who have been complaining in recent years that powerful online platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google have all shown clear bias against conservative perspectives. The grumbling has not been without cause, either. Most recently, Facebook slapped a number of popular conservative commentators with permanent lifetime bans and Twitter has been caught out shadowbanning Republicans and is accused of being quicker to suspend or ban conservative users over liberals for alleged rule-breaking. Yet, while Facebook and Twitter have engaged in what many analysts and critics are calling direct political censorship, the story is more complicated when it comes to Google. The researchers found that its not simply whether a source is left or right-leaning that determines whether it goes into the top stories box. Writing for the Columbia Journalism Review, one of the study authors acknowledged that there appears to be more news produced on the left overall, something which also affects the results. Even so, Googles curation algorithms were still found to be slightly magnifying the already left-leaning skew in online news production. Then theres the bias toward timeliness; the fresher the story, the more likely it was to be promoted in the top box. The researchers called this Googles predilection towards recency and said that huge news organizations like CNN which have the potential to quickly generate fresh content "may be better positioned" to garner more attention. If Google really values diversity, the authors suggest it should acknowledge that high-quality journalism can have a longer shelf life and consider relaxing the timeliness constraint to widen the scope of sources available to its curation algorithm. Also on rt.com Five examples that show internet censorship is as much a threat to the left as the right The results put to bed the notion, promoted by many Democrats and liberals that Google algorithm bias is a myth. Rep. Jerry Nadler last year called the notion of liberal bias online a "delusion" and a "right-wing conspiracy theory although Nadler, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee is still a chief proponent of the disproven conspiracy theory that Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. Google has always denied that it is politically biased or abusing its monopoly position, but it looks like the search engine has plenty of work to do on its curation algorithms before it can convince anyone of its fairness. Like this story? Share it with a friend! to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you. The Swedish Public Prosecutor announced Monday that the case of alleged rape against Julian Assange dating back to 2010 was now reopened and that authorities were seeking his extradition but what exactly is he accused of? In 2010, two women, dubbed AA and SW, claimed they had sexual encounters with Julian Assange which, following interviews with police regarding the risk of contracting STIs, were determined to be potentially criminal in nature. SW met with Assange on August 16, 2010, at a talk in Stockholm. We had consensual sexual intercourse on four or five occasions, Assange said. Her words, her expressions and her physical reactions made it clear to me that she encouraged and enjoyed our interactions. Also on rt.com Swedish prosecutor reopens case probing Assange rape allegations According to her statement, she was half asleep and didn't have the energy to insist, once again, that Assange wear a condom having raised the issue multiple times during their affair together. SW reportedly did not wish to press charges against Assange and that it was the police who made up the charges [sic]. Prior to his sexual encounter with SW, Assange allegedly had sexual relations with AA, which she described as fast and in which she claimed Assange was rough and impatient, again refusing to wear a condom, at least initially. Anna states that she had consented to have sex with Assange, but that she would not have done so if she had known that he was not wearing a condom, the police interview reads. Assange and his legal team repeatedly offered to travel to Sweden for questioning on condition that the government could guarantee he would not be extradited to the US. In addition, he also repeatedly offered to be questioned in London. Also on rt.com Exposing collateral murder and mass surveillance: Why the world should be grateful to Assange At one point in the protracted affair Sweden tried to wash its hands of its attempts to bring Assange to justice but it was stopped from doing so by UK authorities. Here, RT.com looks at the timelines of events which let to Mondays decision to reopen the case. Timeline of events August 20, 2010 A 26-year-old living in Enkoping and a 31-year-old living in Stockholm accused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange of having unprotected sex with them which surpassed the level of consent they had given him. After an a preliminary investigation, then-Chief Public Prosecutor Eva Finne declared, I don't think there is reason to suspect that he has committed rape, though Assange remained under suspicion of molestation. The investigation was suspended on August 25 but the pair's lawyer appealed the prosecutor's decision to terminate part of the investigation and the Director of Public Prosecution, Marianne Ny reinstated the primary investigation soon after on September 1, 2010. Assange left Sweden for the UK on September 27, 2010. An arrest warrant for Assange was issued on November 18, 2010 by Ny on suspicion of rape, three counts of sexual molestation and one count of unlawful coercion. A European Arrest Warrant was issued by the Stockholm District Court, though the warrant was appealed and lowered to suspicion of rape of a lesser degree while one of the charges of molestation was also dropped. Assange's legal team argued that the use of the word rape was a mistranslation from Swedish and that the allegations made by the women did not fall under the English or European legal definitions of rape. Also on rt.com 'We need to save his life': Pamela Anderson speaks of emotional visit to Assange prison An extradition hearing took place in February 2011 and the extradition warrant was upheld on the 24th of that month and again later in November 2011 by the High Court on appeal. In December, Assange was refused permission to appeal the decision in the British Supreme Court. Assange then sought refuge at Ecuador's Embassy in London on June 19, 2012. In the months and years that followed, Assange's legal team filed multiple requests to dismiss his detention, to force Swedish prosecutors into action to either continue or drop the case, and finally, to have the decision to reopen the case overruled. In 2013, Sweden attempted to drop the extradition but was prevented from doing so by the English Crown Prosecution Service. On November 20, 2014, the Swedish Court of Appeal refused the Assange team's request to have the case dismissed. Later, in August 2015, the statute of limitations ran out for the lesser charges of molestation and unlawful coercion. The rape allegation would not be subject to the statute of limitations until 2020, however. Chief Prosecutor Ingrid Isgren interviewed Assange in relation to this charge in November 2016. On May 19, 2017 the Swedish chief prosecutor applied to rescind the arrest warrant for Assange, effectively ending the investigation. A little over a year later, following worsening relations with the Ecuadorian government, Assanges asylum was revoked and British police were invited into the nations London embassy to arrest the whistleblower on April 11, 2019. Immediately after his arrest, the lawyer of Assanges two accusers announced that she would request the case be reopened. On Monday, May 13, the Swedish Prosecutors office announced that the case was officially reopened and that it would seek Assanges extradition to face trial. Meanwhile the US is also seeking to extradite the whistleblower on charges that he conspired with Chelsea Manning to hack a Pentagon computer and steal state secrets. The Swedish prosecutor said that it is up to UK authorities whether the Swedish or US extradition requests take priority. Assange potentially faces the death penalty if convicted of the charges he faces in the United States. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! US President Donald Trump has lashed out at Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, accusing her of tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people after she made controversial comments about the Holocaust. Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to the US Congress, said during a recent Yahoo News podcast that when she thinks of the Holocaust she remembers that Palestinians lost their land and some lost their lives all in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews. Thinking of the Palestinian losses and Palestinian effort to help Jews post-tragedy, she said, gives her kind of a calming feeling although some conservative news organizations and Republicans interpreted her words to mean that thinking of the Holocaust itself evoked the calming feeling. Trump took to Twitter on Monday to slam what he called the horrible and highly insensitive statement and accused the congresswoman of hating Jewish people and the state of Israel. Can you imagine what would happen if I ever said what she said, and says? he wrote. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise also condemned Tlaib for the vile comments and called on House speaker Nancy Pelosi to take swift action against her. Also on rt.com Despicable New York Times apologizes for flagrantly anti-Semitic cartoon During the podcast, however, Tlaib also spoke of the horrific persecution of Jews but said that Palestinians were forced to give up their land in a way that took their human dignity away. Tlaib has stood by her words despite condemnation from conservatives, releasing a statement on Sunday accusing right-wing activists and Republicans of spreading outright lies to incite hate. The congresswoman did not in any way praise the Holocaust, nor did she say the Holocaust itself brought a calming feeling to her, the statement added. The Tlaib comments controversy is the latest in a line of recent accusations of anti-Semitism being lobbed from both sides of the US political divide. Also on rt.com Omar anti-Semitism debate widens split in Democratic party Like this story? Share it with a friend! The US peace deal for the Middle East includes establishing Israeli law over the Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli TV channel has reported. The condition has been a no-go for Palestine. More than two years in the making and bogged down by delays, the Trump administration's "peace deal" for Israel and Palestine is finally expected to be unveiled next month. With that day approaching, parts of the draft, shrouded in a thick veil of secrecy, have been leaked to media, confirming the general expectations of it being heavily skewed in Israel's favor. Also on rt.com US & Palestine clash over peace plan, settlements at UNSC meeting The latest leak reported by Channel 12 on Sunday suggested that the deal envisages the implementation of Israeli civil law over the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. The practice of rampant settlement construction has become a hallmark of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. The PM, who is set to become the longest-serving Israeli leader this summer after his reelection last month, made the issue of Israel's sovereignty over the West Bank settlements one of the core tenets of his campaign. The new report is in line with an alleged draft of the plan reportedly leaked by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom earlier this week. According to the draft, a demilitarized 'New Palestine' state will be established, while all illegal settlements would be de-facto annexed by Tel Aviv. Jerusalem, according to the draft, is set to become a shared capital of two states. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has long indicated that he will not sign any deal that does not envisage an end to the Israeli occupation and the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. In Israel, left-wing opposition has cried foul over the proposed "deal of the century," saying its blatant support of Netanyahu's hardline policies leave no place for a Palestinian state - or for peace. Some right-winger lawmakers, on the other hand, are reportedly unhappy that it compromises too much, instead of fully annexing the West Bank. The UN continues to view the Jewish settlements built on occupied Palestinian land as illegal under international law. The latest UN Security Council meeting over the issue took place as recently as Thursday and saw Palestinian and US envoys sparring over the notion. Speaking at the meeting, Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riad Malki called the proposed deal "not a piece plan, but rather conditions for surrender" while US envoy Jason Greenblatt accused the Council of anti-Israel bias. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! UN envoy to the Mideast Nikolay Mladenov said on Monday its the last chance to prevent an all-out conflict between Israel and Gaza fighters. The risk of war remains imminent, Mladenov said, a week after a ceasefire between Israel and Gazas Hamas rulers ended the worst fighting since a 2014 war. The diplomat was inaugurating a solar power plant for a Gaza hospital. He said parties must consolidate the understandings of the ceasefire. The deal, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the UN, promises to let in fuel and humanitarian aid and ease the movement of people from the blockaded territory. On Monday, a Qatari cash infusion arrived, meant for thousands of needy families as part of the ceasefire agreement, AP reported. UN envoy to Mideast says its last chance to prevent war between Israel, Hamas UN envoy to Mideast says its last chance to prevent war between Israel, Hamas Source : RT - Daily news British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned that a conflict in the Gulf between the US and Iran could flare up by accident, following rising tensions in the region over the past week. The warning comes after the US announced the deployment of aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the Persian Gulf to counter an alleged threat from Iran. Also on rt.com US military in Gulf was threat but now opportunity Irans elite IRGC Addressing reporters in Brussels on Monday, where Britains top diplomat is set to hold talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Hunt called for calm to avoid a full-blown conflict between the two adversaries. We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict The region is already on edge because of the standoff between Washington and Tehran over the Iran nuclear deal. Hunt urged the two parties to come up with a peaceful resolution and avoid a scenario of putting Iran back on the path to renuclearisation, adding this is already the most unstable region in the world and it would be a massive step in the wrong direction. Saudi Arabia claims two of its oil tankers were damaged in sabotage attacks in the Gulf, with Iran calling for an inquiry and warning of adventurism by foreign states to disrupt maritime security. Also on rt.com Iran warns of conspiracy by ill-wishers, urges probe into sabotage attack off UAE coast The US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord a year ago, saying it does nothing to prevent Iran from developing stockpiles of missiles or destabilizing the Middle East. Tensions increased last week, when Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that signatories to the deal had 60 days to come up with a plan to shield his country from the sanctions handed down by US President Donald Trump. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you. The US is smart enough not to ignite a war with Iran because it will push the world to the brink of economic disaster and lead to a shortage of oil. But Washington and Gulf hawks could get their way, an analyst told RT. Tensions in the already troubled Persian Gulf ratcheted up again after the United Arab Emirates claimed that four commercial ships among them two Saudi tankers were targeted in what they loosely called a sabotage operation. The UAE and Iran called to investigate the incident which is still surrounded by mystery. But could the alleged act of sabotage be conveniently used to pin the blame on Iran an arch-rival of many Gulf monarchies and eventually become a prelude to military action against the country? Also on rt.com 2 Saudi oil tankers targeted by 'sabotage' near UAE energy minister Some regional powers are eager to take aim at Iran but the US is not, believes Mohammad Marandi, a professor at the University of Tehran. I think that the Israeli regime, the Saudis and the Emiratis are looking for a war but the US government doesnt want a war except for [John] Bolton and maybe [Mike] Pompeo, he told RT. The United States knows that if there is a war, all the oil and gas [facilities] in the Persian Gulf and all the tankers will be destroyed. These facilities are located close to each other which makes them especially vulnerable in case of war. If annihilated, they will not be rebuilt for years, plunging the world into a great economic depression. Also on rt.com Tehran could attack Israel if US-Iran tension escalates Israeli minister It is highly doubtful that there will be such a conflict because no one would win, including the US itself, Marandi reiterated. Instead, the whole world would suffer as the result of a huge shortage of oil and gas that would be very long-term. The Americans are smart enough not to want a war, but there are [Iran-hostile] elements in the US government, the Saudi Arabia [sic], Israel and the UAE ... and therefore it would be very possible that they would carry out a false flag operation [outside Fujairah]. Washington has raised tension with Iran to new heights recently by deploying a number of warships, including an aircraft carrier and a landing dock, to the Middle East. But, Iranian leaders didnt believe that an open conflict between the US and the Islamic Republic could break out. Major General Hossein Salami, the commander of Irans elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), said that the Americans have started a psychological war because the comings and goings of their military is a normal matter. Another senior IRGC officer, Amirali Hajiadeh, said such deployments are not a threat but an opportunity. An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past, he was quoted by the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA). Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Washington has reportedly requested a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, according to Russian newspaper Kommersant. If confirmed, a meeting could take place on the sidelines of the upcoming G20 summit. Citing a US State Department source, Kommersant said on Monday that the likelihood of a meeting between the two leaders is high. Washington is now waiting on Moscows response, the report claimed. Such a meeting could potentially take place on the sidelines of the upcoming G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, at the end of next month. The Kommersant report comes a day before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday. Pompeo and Lavrov are expected to clash over the ongoing Venezuela crisis and Irans nuclear program, as well as the US recent withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Also on rt.com US Secretary of State Pompeo to meet Russias President Putin & Foreign Minister Lavrov on May 14 Russian Deputy FM Sergey Ryabkov told RIA Novosti that Pompeo and Lavrov will likely also discuss the rumored Putin-Trump meeting. The report comes less than two weeks after Trump and Putin discussed trade, arms control, and geopolitical issues in a lengthy phone conversation. Although cleared of all accusations of Russian collusion by Special Counsel Robert Muellers final report, Trump was nevertheless excoriated by the American media for the phone call, as he was for meeting with Putin in Helsinki last summer. RT has reached out to the US State Department for comment on the unconfirmed meeting plans, and is awaiting a response. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has savaged the European Unions regulatory madness, and called for the scrapping of 1,000 regulations. The center-right leaders broadside comes ahead of pivotal EU parliament elections. People demand answers from the EU on major issues such as security, external border control or climate change, Kurz said in a statement sent to Austrian news agency APA on Sunday. But nobody needs EU regulations on how to make a schnitzel or fries. Instead of demanding more and more money, the EU should stop telling people more and more how to live, the 32-year-old leader added, before calling for the abolishment of 1,000 unspecified EU regulations. Also on rt.com Let down by establishment: Voters anger may lead to dramatic change in European Parliament Since taking office in 2017, Kurz has clashed with Brussels on a range of issues, most prominently immigration. Kurz has called for penalties on EU states who take in too many migrants, and has sealed off his own countrys borders with Hungary and Slovenia to stem the flow of migrants. Kurz has not outright rejected the idea of a European Union, but slammed its paternalism and called earlier this month for generational change at the top of the bloc. The Austrian leader is not the first politician to ridicule the unions more nitpicky regulations. Former British Home Secretary Boris Johnson repeatedly chided the union for Regulation 1333/2011 in the runup to 2016s Brexit vote. Regulation 1333/2011 dictates that bananas sold in the union must be free from abnormal curvature of the fingers, unless they come from designated areas of Portugal or Greece. And Kurzs fictional schnitzel regulation is not too far removed from the truth either. Regulation 2017/2158 sets out to minimize the presence of carcinogenic acrylamide in fried foods. Although its text does not mention the deep-fried Austrian delicacy by name, the measure was slammed by Agriculture Minister Andra Rupprechter, who accused the EU fry police of meddling with citizens snack foods. Also on rt.com Most ridiculous interview ever: Farage blasts BBC in testy live exchange on Marr show The schnitzel war is a minor proxy battle in the ongoing struggle to shape the future of the European Union. Kurzs party is a member of the EU-wide European Peoples Party conservative bloc. The group is the largest bloc in the European Parliament, and according to the parliaments own figures, looks set to consolidate its power after the May 23 vote. More hardened Euroskeptic parties also look set to make gains on election day. In the UK, Nigel Farages Brexit Party is on course to take more votes than the Conservative and Labour parties combined, according to a recent poll. In the Netherlands, the anti-establishment Forum for Democracy (FvD) could also become the largest individual party, after emerging from recent provincial elections as the biggest party in the Dutch senate. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! With the Venezuela crisis making regime change once again the talk of the town in Washington, the US Special Operations Command has published a paper chronicling the highs and lows of seven decades of foreign interference. The 250-page study, entitled Support to Resistance: Strategic Purpose and Effectiveness, was penned by Army Special Forces veteran Will Irwin, and published by the Joint Special Operations University, where Irwin is a resident senior fellow. Few nations have universities dedicated to the art of the coup, but few nations have a history of foreign intervention quite like the US. Since the end of World War II, the United States has brought its military might to bear on dozens of countries and sponsored scores of insurgencies and regime change operations worldwide. Irwin was first faced with the task of whittling down the list to something manageable. Also on rt.com Hawks at the wheel: Bolton and Pompeo steering US towards confrontation everywhere After discounting coups that involved no resistance movements like those in Iran in 1953 and Guatemala in 1954 as well as those that involved actions against non-state actors, the researcher was left with 47 cases. Recent US proxy wars, like those in Syria, Ukraine and Libya, were also discounted. Sponsoring foreign resistance movements transcends partisan divisions. Even presidents who, prior to their election, looked upon such activity with disfavor, found themselves compelled to use it after taking office, Irwin wrote glowingly. Whats the magic formula? So everybody does it, but what makes a successful coup a successful coup? To the untrained observer, the USs willingness to get into bed with shady resistance fighters seems to be marked by a persistent inability to learn from the past. Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan both armed the Afghan mujahedin in their fight against the Soviets in the 1980s, only for US forces would be shot at with the same weapons just two decades later. That experience didnt deter Barack Obama from arming hand-selected moderate rebels in Syria just five years ago. Shockingly, many of these weapons ended up in the hands of Al-Nusra and Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) jihadists. Irwin identifies mixed results. Of the 47 cases studied, 23 were deemed successful and another 20 failures. Two were marked as partially successful, and another two inconclusive. Attempts to outright overthrow governments failed 71 percent of the time, as was the case for the CIAs ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. Attempts to strong-arm foreign governments into toeing the line were more successful, working in three-quarters of instances as was the case when the Carter and Reagan administrations sponsored Contra rebels in Nicaragua in the 1980s, as a means of coercing the countrys communist-leaning government into halting arms shipments to neighboring El Salvador. "Disruptive actions like the failed parachuting of anti-communist guerillas into Yugoslavia in 1948 to stir up resistance failed just less than half the time. In 1948, the Chetnik guerillas literally fell into the hands of the Yugoslav authorities, who were waiting at the drop zone with weapons drawn. No matter what the purpose of the action, Irwin found that operations carried out under wartime conditions were twice as successful as those carried out in peacetime. Support to nonviolent civil resistance was also more likely to succeed, but that too was "most effective when conducted in direct support of a military campaign, rather than as a standalone operation. Long term consequences For Irwin, the success or failure of a foreign intervention was judged on one simple criterion: Did it achieve the strategic objectives the US set out to achieve? However, as shown in the Afghanistan example mentioned above, short-term victory can have long-term consequences. The defeat of the Soviets led to the rise of a US-armed and battle-tested mujahedin, many of whose members would later join Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Irwin admits this seemingly obvious contradiction, writing that intervention and regime change most often addresses immediate issues and short-term rather than longer-term interests. Fast forwarding to the present day, what lessons can be learned from Irwins how-to manual? The United States is currently providing political support to opposition leader Juan Guaido in Venezuela. Under Irwins definitions, Washington is sponsoring (for the most part) non-violent resistance during peacetime, an approach more successful than outright guerilla warfare, but less effective than if it were carried out alongside a military attack. Also on rt.com Guaido tells supporters he wants direct relationship with Pentagon Not that military action doesnt have its supporters. State Secretary Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton, and President Donald Trump have all repeatedly uttered the phrase all options are on the table when it comes to dethroning Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. With soft support for Guaido thus far failing to dislodge Maduro from power, and with Washington increasingly agitated at Moscow for its support for Maduros regime, there are plenty of opportunities for things to escalate in Venezuela. However, the hawks in Washington would do well to remember the abiding lesson from 'coup university': Success is never guaranteed, and short-term victory comes with long-term consequences. to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More In December 2016, India saw the entry of the first private sector reinsurance company. ITI Reinsurance (ITI Re), promoted by Sun Pharma founder Dilip Shanghvi's brother-in-law Sudhir Valia, came into the sector as a pure reinsurance business entity. Till then, General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) was the sole reinsurer in the country. Being the sole domestic reinsurer, it also had the obligatory cession, meaning a certain portion of the business written by each general insurer would be ceded to GIC Re. But just two years later, the insurance regulator has cancelled the license of reinsurance firm ITI Reinsurance. In a notification on May 10, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) said that the reinsurer was unable to commence business operations within the stipulated time. "The ITI management was very ambitious. They should have clarified the contours of what business they could write before signing up," said a senior official operating in the reinsurance space in India. The beginning In 2014, Valia, his family members and a few other investors acquired a majority stake in Fortune Financial Services (now called Investment Trust of India) from founders J T Poonja and Nimish Shah. Following this, in March 2016, Fortune Financial Services announced that it had acquired Kohinoor India Reinsurance Company and was planning to enter the reinsurance venture through this subsidiary. Reinsurance is taken by insurance companies to mitigate the financial risks that they take on their books by offering covers to entities. This covers them from any potential losses that they could face due to high claims. ITI or Investment Trust of India (earlier called Fortune Financial Services) is the promoter of ITI Re. While the Investment Trust of India (earlier called Fortune Financial Services) holds 80 percent stake in the reinsurance entity, Lakshdeep Investment & Finance and Suraksha Realty hold 10 percent each. Managing the domestic reinsurer tag The initial process of the business was to look at whether ITI Re would get a domestic reinsurer status. This would have ensured that they are treated on par with GIC Re and also would be eligible for getting mandatory cessions. However, since they did not have an adequate credit rating from an agency, procuring business seemed like an uphill task. Sources told Moneycontrol that insurance companies were reluctant to tie-up with ITI Re because they did not have the credentials. On the other hand, they were not given the domestic reinsurer status so they could not be treated on par with the government-owned ITI Re. The company was hoping to get this tag so that they would also be eligible for getting first preference in reinsurance contracts like GIC Re. Foreign reinsurers enter the market While ITI Re was trying to procure business from the domestic market, several foreign reinsurers set their eyes on the Indian market. Through their India branch offices, a host of players including Swiss Re, Munich Re, Hannover Re among others entered the market to do business closer to the Indian market. While the foreign reinsurers were still writing business risks from India, a branch meant that they would get closer access to the Indian market. This toughened competition for ITI Re, as insurance companies preferred an MNC that came with a rich legacy. M&A proposal In June 2018, it was announced that Investment Trust of India will sell 80 percent of the holding in its subsidiary ITI Reinsurance to Go Digit Infoworks Services, backed by Prem Watsa of the Fairfax Group. However, this deal could not materialise as it did not receive IRDAI clearance. Sources said that the regulator was not in favour of a plain transfer of license from one entity to the other. Time runs out ITI Res license was only valid till December 29, 2018. Neither was the company able to finalise the deal, nor was it to able to find clients to write adequate business. During the signing of the deal, the company had announced that it will take around three months to complete the sale from the date of receipt of approval from IRDAI. The only option was for the ITI Re management was to surrender the license. And they promptly did. Unsolicited bidders of Jet Airways have reached out to Etihad Airways, which was the only shortlisted bidder to submit its bid for the Indian airline last week. Lakshay Uttam, who is part of the consortium that also includes British entrepreneur Jason Unsworth, has reached out to Etihad eliciting interest to partner with the airline. He has also written to Rajnish Kumar, Chairman of State Bank of India, the lead lender of Jet Airways. AdiGro Aviation, part of the AdiGroup, had said it has already met officials of Etihad to partner with the airline in its bid for Jet Airways. The interest from these unsolicited bidders will help both Etihad and Jet Airways' lenders as the Abu Dhabi-based airline has made it clear that it will remain a minority shareholder in the cash-strapped airline. Reports suggest that Etihad has offered to invest just Rs 1,700 crore in Jet Airways. That is just a fraction of the total investment that is needed to revive Jet Airways. The airline, which suspended operations on April 17 for want of funds, owes banks over Rs 8,000 crore and has total liabilities of thousands of crores more. Each of the unsolicited bidders has claimed to have the backing of investors. Separately, a group of Jet Airways' employees had also come forward to take control of the airline and promised to invest Rs 7,000 crore. While SBI Caps, which is overseeing the process, had said it will consider unsolicited bids only after the formal bidding is over, it may need to take a relook now that Etihad's proposal is not enough to revive Jet Airways. In his mail to the SBI Chairman, Uttam said that he has reached out to Etihad's senior officials. "We are looking forward to work in collaboration with Etihad for a solution to the Jet Airways' crisis," he stated. Earlier, AdiGro Aviation founder Sanjay Viswanathan had told Moneycontrol that he has reached out to Etihad for a possible partnership to turnaround Jet Airways. Etihad owns 24 percent stake in the cash strapped airline. "We are very keen to work with Etihad. It's a key partner for the airline. If Etihad wants to continue with Jet Airways, we would love to partner with them," said Viswanathan, who has met with senior officials at the Abu Dhabi-based airline. The unsolicited bidders will now have to wait to hear from SBI Caps and Etihad. SBI Caps and other lenders are expected to examine Etihad's proposal this week. A high-level panel led by former RBI governor Bimal Jalan, set up to decide the appropriate capital reserves that the central bank should maintain, is likely to submit its report next month. The six-member Jalan panel was appointed on December 26, 2018 to review the Economic Capital Framework for the RBI. The broadly finalised report on RBI economic capital framework will be submitted to the apex bank in June, sources said after meeting of the panel on Monday here. Prior to the submission of its report there will be one more meeting in June, sources said. The panel has already got extension beyond three months term. The committee was to submit its report in 90 days from the first day of its meeting, which held on January 8. The other key members of the committee include Rakesh Mohan, former deputy governor of RBI as the vice-chairman, finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, RBI deputy governor NS Vishwanathan, and two RBI central board members -- Bharat Doshi and Sudhir Mankad. The panel has been entrusted with the task of reviewing the best practices followed by central banks worldwide in making assessment and provisions for risks. The panel, having former economic affairs secretary Rakesh Mohan as its vice chairman, will propose a suitable profit distribution policy, taking into account all the likely situations of the RBI, including the requirement of holding more provisions than required. The government and the RBI under previous governor Urjit Patel had been at loggerheads over the Rs 9.6 lakh crore surplus capital with the central bank. The finance ministry was of the view that the buffer of 28 per cent of gross assets maintained by the central bank is well above the global norm of around 14 per cent. Following this, the RBI board in its meeting on November 19, 2018 decided to constitute a panel to examine Economic Capital Framework. In the past, the issue of the ideal size of the Reserve Bank of India reserves was examined by three committees -- V Subrahmanyam in 1997, Usha Thorat in 2004 and YH Malegam in 2013. While the Subrahmanyam panel recommended for building a 12 per cent contingency reserve, the Thorat panel suggested it should be maintained at a higher 18 per cent of the total assets of the central bank. The RBI board did not accept the recommendation of the Thorat committee and decided to continue with the recommendation of the Subrahmanyam committee. The Malegam panel said the RBI should transfer an adequate amount of its profit to the contingency reserves annually but did not ascribe any particular number. According to a report of by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the Jalan committee is likely to identify an excess buffer of up to Rs 3 lakh crore. This includes the excess capital in contingency reserves and also revaluation of reserves. Halving of the contingency reserves to a level of 3.25 per cent from the present 6.5 per cent will release Rs 1.282 lakh crore, the report said, pointing out that the level is still 50 per cent higher than what central banks in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping have. Similarly, halving the yield cover hike to 4.5 per cent from the present 9 per cent will release another Rs 1.170 lakh crore, it said. After consolidating around 100-days exponential moving average (EMA), traders were confident that Nifty50 should be able to hold on to this level on May 13 but late hour selling pushed Nifty in the red for the 9th consecutive days in a row. The index posted its longest losing streak for the first time in the last 8 years, CNBC-TV18 data quoted. The NSE Advance-Decline Ratio at 1:4. The index broke below its crucial 100-days exponential moving average (EMA) placed at 11,253 to form a bearish candle. The next support could now be placed at its 200-days EMA placed around 11,035. The final tally on D-Street the S&P BSE Sensex plunged 372 points to close at 37,090 while the Nifty50 fell 130 points to close at 11,148. In terms of sectors, the Nifty PSU Bank lost 5 percent, followed by Nifty Pharma which lost 4.3 percent, and the Nifty Media was down by 3.7 percent. The broader market underperformed the benchmark index. The Nifty Midcap index was down 2.69 percent while the Nifty Midcap index dropped 2.1 percent. More than 200 companies on the NSE and over 300 companies on the BSE hit fresh 52-week low which includes names like Eicher Motors, M&M, Biocon, Sun Pharma, Wockhardt, Dabur India, Cadila Healthcare, etc. among others. What led to the fall in markets? Indian markets witnessed a rangebound trade in the first half of the trading session but bears soon took control and pushed the index in deep red in the second half. Four factors which weighed on sentiment include a) on-going tensions between the US & China kept investors on the edge across Asian markets, b) weak economic data as well as, and c) disappointing results from India Inc. d) In terms of technicals, a break below 100-days exponential moving averages followed by 11200 levels added to selling pressure. The next target for the index is placed around its 100-days EMA placed around 11035 levels. The near term resistance zone, on the other hand, shifts lower to 11280-11300. Markets slumped sharply lower and lost over a percent, continuing its corrective phase. Weak IIP data and the escalating trade war between the US and China were weighing on the sentiment from the beginning, Jayant Manglik, President - Retail Distribution, Religare Broking Ltd told Moneycontrol. Though the benchmark traded range bound for most of the session sharp decline in last hour pushed the bulls completely on the back foot. Almost all the sectoral indices felt the pressure wherein pharma and PSU banks lost maximum, he said. Manglik further added that considering the volatility, we suggest preferring options strategies instead of naked trades in the future segment. Stocks in news: Eicher Motors declined 8 percent as CLSA slashed its target price post Q4 results to Rs 22500 from Rs 23900 earlier with outperform rating. Shares of Sun Pharmaceuticals dived 21 percent intra-day, just days after more than 40 states in the US filed a lawsuit alleging drug manufacturers of artificially inflating prices, CNBC-TV18 reported. The stock closed 9.3% lower at 396.85. It hit a fresh 52-week low of 350.40 on the BSE. ITC: ITC closes below 200-DMA as Q4 margin misses estimates. The operating profit or Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of the company was at Rs 4,572 crore, while margin was at 38.1%, compared to CNBC-TV18 poll of 39.2%. Cadila Healthcare touched a 52-week low of Rs 265.95, falling over 7 percent after broking firm CLSA downgraded the stocks to sell from buy, and cut target to Rs 250 from Rs 430 per share. The share price of Delta Corp touched a 52-week low of Rs 182 on the back of news report of GST evasion. The stock closed 12.6 percent lower at Rs 186.40. Global Markets: Asian shares declined on Monday amid uncertainty on the US-China trade front after tariffs on Chinese goods were raised last Friday. The Shanghai Composite tumbled 1.21% to close at 2,903.71 and the Shenzhen component fell 1.43% to finish its trading day at 9,103.36. The Nikkei 225 in Japan declined 0.72% to close at 21,191.28. In South Korea, the Kospi fell 1.38% to close at 2,079.01, while Australias ASX 200 shed 0.21% to finish its trading day Down Under at 6,297.60. Markets in Europe traded lower on Monday with investors continuing to monitor trade developments between the US and China. EssilorLuxottica declared an end to a feud between its French and Italian partners on May 13, saying it would drop all legal proceedings and focus on integrating the eyewear group formed by last year's 54 billion euro ($61 billion) merger. The company, which brings together Ray-Ban maker Luxottica and lenses specialist Essilor, also reaffirmed its ambition to find a new chief executive by the end of 2020. Shares in EssilorLuxottica, which have been rattled as the dispute was fought out in public, were up 0.27 percent at 1422 GMT, among the rare gainers on the Paris benchmark CAC-40 index, which was down 1.4 percent. "The settlement allows a step forward in restoring a more constructive spirit between sides, (a) precondition to seize potential synergies of the merger," equity broker Equita wrote in a note to clients. The merger parties were supposed to have equal weight in the combined group's leadership, but the French and Italian sides have increasingly accused each other of trying to dominate in recent months. Tensions surfaced in November when Luxottica's founder, Leonardo Del Vecchio, who is chairman of the merged entity and its largest shareholder, appeared to tap his right-hand man and Luxottica chief executive Francesco Milleri, as the next CEO. The battle culminated in March when Del Vecchio's holding company Delfin said it would seek arbitration in the International Chamber of Commerce, prompting Essilor to ask a Paris court to nominate an outside mediator. EssilorLuxottica said in a statement on Monday that Del Vecchio and executive vice chairman Hubert Sagnieres had "empowered" Milleri and Laurent Vacherot, Essilor's current CEO, to focus on the integration process and define strategy. As part of the agreement, neither Milleri nor Vacherot will apply for the future CEO role. Vacherot was also appointed as a director of EssilorLuxottica to ensure the board keeps a strict balance between the two companies. FOLLOW THE MONEY EssilorLuxottica, now owner of a portfolio spanning brands including Oakley, Persol, Oliver Peoples and Varilux, is due to hold its annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, where some minority investors are expected to voice their frustration over the leadership row. Some investors have also expressed concern that the leadership crisis might delay or scupper promised savings, at the very core of the proposed deal when presented in 2017. Last week, however, the group confirmed 2019 targets, including a rise in sales of 3.5 to 5 percent, and pledged to deliver on planned synergies of up to 600 million euros annually in the next three to five years. Before Monday's announcements, several minority shareholders including management companies Phitrust and Comgest, submitted resolutions to appoint additional independent directors at Thursday's annual meeting. EssilorLuxottica's board had advised shareholders to reject the proposals. "It is very likely that we will maintain our submitted resolutions," Denis Branche, managing director with Phitrust told Reuters. Valoptec, a group representing more than 10,000 former and active employees which had also been pushing for the nomination of an independent director, said on Monday it was withdrawing its resolution. The association will join EssilorLuxottica's strategy and integration committee. Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty has invested an undisclosed amount in Pune-based fitness startup Squats. The funds will be used to enhance the technological framework, strengthen the team, and expand pan-India operations, the company said. Launched in January 2016 as a community on Facebook to address fitness issues and concerns, the platform focuses on preventive health techniques. So far, Squats claims to have 70,000 paid customers and a cumulative revenue worth $8.5 million. It also claims to have received more than 200,000 downloads of its app. "Suniel Shetty has clarity of vision. At 58, he is fitter than most people in their mid-20s. This coming together of mutual synergies is a testament to the strength of the Squats' result-oriented approach to fitness," said Jitendra Chouksey, Founder, Squats. Fitness as a sector seems to be witnessing high interest from actors and celebrities. Last week, Mumbai-based fitness startup Sarva roped in actors such as Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez and Malaika Arora as its investors. Angel Commodities' report on Cotton MCX cotton fell close to 3% last week and slipped to 4-month low (21,500 levels). However, it recovered and close at 21,640 rupees per bale. Due to higher domestic prices there will be higher imports of about 31 lakh bales this season. In April, cotton prices increased to highest levels in 2019 but now correcting. USDA in its latest monthly India will be back to number one position in 2019/20 season with projected production of 28.5 million bales. Recently, CAI has projected cotton exports at 46 lakh bales, a tad lower than earlier estimate of 47 lakh bales due to higher prices and smaller crop size. Due to small crop size closing stock as on September 30, 2019 is estimated by the CCIs Cotton Crop Committee at 13 lakh bales of 170 kgs each. Outlook Cotton futures expected to trade sideways to lower on reports of increase imports, decreased exports and weakness in International cotton. Moreover, forecast of near normal monsoon, improving in imports and decreasing exports may be bearish for prices. For all commodities report, click here Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Read More Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a swipe at the opposition alliance in the state on May 13, saying the Samajwadi Party's 'bicycle' will "puncture" under the weight of the Bahujan Samaj Party's 'elephant'. The chief minister addressed four rallies in Maharajganj, Fazilnagar, Pipraich and Jaitpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where polling for the Lok Sabha election will be held on the seventh and last phase on May 19. "The 'bicycle' will puncture as the elephant is riding it," he said, referring to the poll symbols of the two parties. The SP's poll symbol is bicycle and the BSP's elephant. Listing the "good work" done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Adityanath said, "Whatever welfare schemes we have implemented so far, we did not discriminate people in the name of caste and religion. These were implemented in the interest of the poor." "In Kumbh Mela, Modi ji washed the feet of sanitation workers like Lord Krishna washed the feet of Sudama," he said. Appealing for votes in favour of the BJP candidate from Gorakhpur, he," In order to help the youth in pursuing a career in the film industry, the party has given ticket to actor Ravi Kishan. I urge the people of Gorakhpur to vote in favour of him in large numbers." Attacking the Congress, the chief minister said, "Earlier, the Congress had given an affidavit before the Supreme Court saying that there was no existence of Lord Ram and Krishna. If they do not exist, to whom (Congress president) Rahul Gandhi worship in temples?" BJP President Amit Shah attacked the Congress party over its leader Sam Pitroda's 'hua to hua' remark on 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Shah asked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi whether the matter had ended with Pitroda tendering an apology for "justifying" the Sikh killings. Shah asserted that the Narendra Modi government had ensured justice to the families of the 1984 riot victims. "It was the Modi government which ensured sending those involved in anti-Sikh riots behind bars," said Shah, adding that compensation was also given to the families of the victims. Addressing a poll rally in favour of BJP nominee and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, Shah said, "Recently a question was asked to Rahul Gandhi's guru (Pitroda) on 1984 riots, to which he said 'hua to hua' (what happened, happened). What was inside Congress party's heart was uttered by Pitroda. "The Congress president is asking Pitroda to apologise (for the remark). I want to ask the Congress president whether the matter has ended with an apology by your leader who justified the Sikh genocide. "Had there been any intention of the Congress to give justice in 1984 riots, the accused would have been behind the bars and compensation would have been given to the families of victims. But congress party had always ignored the 1984 riots," said Shah. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday in Rohtak had hit out at the Congress for the remarks made by Pitroda, who is the Congress' Indian Overseas chief, saying it reflected the "character and arrogance" of the opposition. Shah urged the people to vote for the BJP candidate. "All the voters want their MP to become a minister. I want to tell the people of Amritsar that we have sent you a readymade minister to become a Parliamentarian. First, a constituency elects an MP and thereafter the prime minister makes him a minister. We have sent you a minister for electing him as MP," said Shah. The BJP chief praised former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for carrying out development works in Punjab and lauded him for the heritage street in Amritsar. He lashed out at the Amarinder Singh-led state government, accusing it of not extending support to development projects initiated by the Centre. Puri, a former diplomat, is pitted against sitting MP and Congress nominee Gurjit Singh Aujla. Kamlendra Kanwar Its advantage Congress in Punjab. The northern state is one of the few areas where the Congress is seemingly in the drivers seat for the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 19. With both the Akali Dal and the nascent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) having split, the Opposition is in disarray. The BJP, which leans heavily on the Akalis, is yet to throw up a mass leader. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has managed the state reasonably well with no howlers and gaffes to pull him down. As a result his proverbial honeymoon with the electorate is apparently still on. But the Congress comfort level also has a lot to do with the sorry state of the opposition. The Akalis are still smarting from the 2017 assembly election blows. The big jolt came when, after the assembly polls, Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmanpura, along with former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala and former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, jumped the boat and floated a new entity called Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali). The real bone of contention was the arrogance of Sukhbir Singh Badal during his father Parkash Singh Badals reign as chief minister (2007-17). In the familiar Indian style, Sukhbirs succession to the coveted chair through lineage was considered non-negotiable. There was considerable anger among Sikhs over flip-flops in pardoning jailed Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The compromises that the Akali Dal made in seeking Dera votes in earlier assembly elections too added to the electorates ire. The last straw was when two Sikhs lost their lives after the police opened fire on protesters agitating against the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot in 2015. The Sikh masses evidently decided that enough was enough. The new group with its claimed secular and democratic outlook professed to free the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) from the clutches of the Badal family. The charge against the Akali Dal was that it had abandoned panthic values (deviating from the path of the Sikh gurus). Another criticism that made a deep impact was that when in power, some Akali leaders were conniving with drug smugglers from across the Pakistan border. While drug peddling continues, there is an impression that things have improved after the Amarinder government took power. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-Akali Dal combine won six of the 13 seats in the state, buoyed by the Narendra Modi wave, while the Aam Aadmi Party, a fledgling outfit at that point, made its debut by winning four seats. The Congress won just three seats. Fortunes changed in the 2017 assembly polls. The tide turned with the Congress winning 77 of 117 seats, followed by the AAP that got 20 seats. The Akalis managed 15 while the BJP emerged with only three. The Lok Insaaf Party won two seats as well. As for the AAP, it was a flash in the pan. It raised hopes of a new refreshing brand of healthy and clean politics only to belie the hopes as factionalism surfaced. In 2016, two of its four MPs -- Patialas Dharamvir Gandhi and Fatehpur Sahibs Harinder Singh Khalsa -- were thrown out for alleged anti-party activities. Sukhpal Khaira, former leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, quit the party a little later, piqued with the high command and party chief Arvind Kejriwals public apology to controversial Akali leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia in a drug defamation case. The next shock came when prominent lawyer H S Phoolka, a key figure seeking justice for 1984 Sikh riots victims, decided to quit active politics to concentrate on activism. Today, while the Akali Dals downslide is ongoing, the AAP has ceased to be a factor in the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP is still to get out of inertia and its leadership vacuum in the state is all too manifest. The impending election rallies by Prime Minister Modi may inject some life into the party, but the BJP will have to fight hard to win seats in Punjab. Months after Dharanvir Gandhi quit the AAP, he floated the Nawan Punjab Party, but the new outfit with limited resources is struggling to make its mark. Sukhpal Khaira also made a similar move and floated the Punjabi Ekta Party. The new parties have set their sights on the Assembly polls in 2022, knowing that the Lok Sabha poll is already upon them. The Amarinder government has had it easy so far, but will confront new challenges in coming months. The states total debt is a whopping Rs 2 lakh crore. While farm loan waiver scheme wrote off loans worth Rs 2 lakh each, the average farmer has taken a loan of Rs 10-12 lakh. Drug peddling continues and the slowdown in industry, especially in the small scale sector, is still a major issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying dynasty can take him to the top position of a party, but it "doesn't bring vision and wisdom". Addressing a rally in Indore, Modi expressed confidence about his re-election, claiming that while there was anti-incumbency against the Congress-led UPA government in 2014, there is pro-incumbency now. He said people from Kanyakumari to Kashmir have decided to re-elect his government. "In 2014 (under UPA rule), protests were at its peak because of policy paralysis. But now the faith of the people is at its peak. In 2014 people had heard about Modi, but now they know about his work. The 2019 polls is being contested by 130 crore people, not just the BJP," he said. He said the Congress's arrogance reflected in its senior leader Sam Pitroda's remark "hua toh hua" about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Targeting the Congress-led UPA government of the time, Modi said it could not host Indian Premier League matches in 2009 and 2014 and these had to be shifted out of the country (as they were clashing with general polls) while the current government had shown that both could be held simultaneously. "During the Lok Sabha polls itself, we successfully shifted 12 lakh people to safer places and saved thousands of lives as Cyclone Fani made landfall," he said. He took a dig at Rahul Gandhi saying the latter had said, while campaigning for the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, that mobile phones would be manufactured in Indore and Mandsaur, but nothing had come out of the claim. Taking a swipe at the Kamal Nath government which came to power in the state in December last year, Modi said farmers were not getting loan waivers or loans from banks and were further being harassed by the police. He also attacked the opposition parties, saying it had too many prime ministerial aspirants. "In Karnataka, a party contesting eight seats thinks it can get the PM's post. Those who are contesting elections on eight, 20 or 30 seats are eyeing the PM's post," he mocked. He said the NDA had given clean governance over the past years and had ensured that money from the treasury did not go into the wrong hands as was the case previously. The country had become safe since 2014 and it had not suffered any bomb blast during this period, Modi told the crowd, adding that it was not him but the power of the people's vote that had brought about this change. He said the wrong policies of the Congress had strengthened terrorism and Naxalism, adding that it had led to the deaths of hundreds of innocent countrymen. He also spoke on the gang rape of a Dalit woman in Alwar and said the Congress government in Rajasthan made efforts to suppress it in view of the Lok Sabha polls. Modi also took a swipe at BSP supremo Mayawati, saying her party should withdraw support to the Congress-led Rajasthan government if she was really concerned over the incident. Addressing the rally in Indore, the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, the prime minister said that a mechanism would be put in place to strengthen start-ups. "My government has given importance to technology and transparency in the last five years. We will strengthen the funding mechanism of start-ups in the next five years," Modi said, adding that India had become the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world. Union minister Muktar Abbas Naqvi said the country wants a permanent and decisive prime minister, instead of a contractual one. Hitting out at the opposition alliance for having "too many" contenders for the PM's post, Naqvi said the country "does not want a contractual prime minister, where you have someone as prime minister for six months and somebody else for the next six months." Asserting that the people want a strong and decisive government, he told a press conference here, "The country does not want a 'juggad' or 'jod tod ki sarkar' (stop-gap arrangement leading to the formation of an unstable government)." The people, the Union Minister of Minority Affairs claimed, will vote for the developmental work done in the last five years. Mocking the opposition alliance for fighting a battle of survival, Naqvi added, "Most of the opposition parties will lose their recognition after elections. They are all fighting a battle for survival." Naqvi said that the last five years of Narendra Modi-led Government have proved to be years of performance, progress and prosperity. "Despite of negative and obstructionist politics of the Opposition, the Modi Government has tirelessly and honestly worked for the welfare of every section of the society. Earlier the opposition used to abuse Narendra Modi but now they have started abusing EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) also," he said. Criticising opposition parties for questioning EVMs, the union minister said this proves that the opposition parties have surrendered even before the Lok Sabha election results are declared. Hitting out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her "arrogance, Naqvi said the opposition parties like TMC wants to convert "the legacy of Satyamev Jayate" into "the politics of Jhuthmev (lies) Jayate". Subir Roy The last Left Front chief minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, has in an interview to the CPI(M) mouthpiece Ganashakti told the partys supporters, There is no use in leaping from a TMC (Trinamool Congress) frying pan into the BJPs fireplace. He was addressing a phenomenon that has marked the current political scene in West Bengal as it goes through the parliamentary elections. Large sections of Left Front supporters are now expected to vote for the BJP. What is highly surprising to those who know the firm ideological commitment of the left-leaning is that the switch has gathered within its fold not just supporters of the left but also some of the cadre of its leading party, CPI(M). An indication of this is there in the switch made by the CPI(M) MLA from Habibpur in Malda district, Khagen Murmu, who moved over to the BJP in March this year and went on to become the BJPs candidate from the Malda North parliamentary constituency in the current elections. So dramatic and unprecedented has been this switch that the established BJP cadre of the area have publicly protested against Murmu being given the party ticket. What explains all this? Supporters and particularly cadre of a communist party do not sprout overnight. Those higher up in the party are only able to get there by slowly working their way up the party hierarchy which involves years of imbibing the world view of the Marxist credo. So over time they become ideologically committed or, if you like, thoroughly indoctrinated. It is absolutely out of character for such people to switch sides prior to an election in the manner of the aya ram gaya ram run-of-the-mill Indian politician who switches party labels without much compunction when he finds it in his self-interest to do so. One of the reasons cited by former Left Front supporters for switching their support to the BJP is the feeling that there is no point in supporting a loser such as the Left Front. Thus foremost, there is no doubt among Left Front supporters that the formation will lose popular support further in the coming elections after seeing its share of the popular vote in the state going down in the 2016 assembly elections to 25.6 per cent to from 39.6 percent in 2011. This also explains why the support is not going to the Congress which is widely considered to be in some kind of terminal decline. But this does not explain why the support should not shift to the Trinamool Congress as it is widely expected to win the largest number of seats by a good margin. The only argument is over how many additional seats the BJP is likely to get. Irrespective of the very expansive claims made by campaigning BJP leaders, its seat tally, according to analysts, is predicted to go up from the current two to between six and ten. The reality is that left supporters and cadre still cannot get over the fact of being routed by the Trinamool Congress-led alliance in the 2011 elections, a feat that it repeated in 2016. If this is so then many left supporters vote will be going to the BJP by default, not by active choice as there is no other credible party to vote for. But this still does not explain how left supporters can support a sectarian and divisive communal party like the BJP when secularism has been a cornerstone of the leftist credo, stemming from the basic Marxist theoretical position of shunning all religious beliefs. In fact, three decades of Left Front rule in West Bengal was marked by a total absence of any kind of communal flare-up, creating the belief that leftism had cured West Bengal of the legacy of sectarian strife that led to the partition of Bengal. An answer to this riddle may be found in what is happening to the states of Eastern and Central Europe which were part of the Soviet Union. The fall of the iron curtain created the hope among liberal opinion across the world that these countries would embrace liberal democracy out of their love of freedom, which was manifest in the revolt in Hungary and protests later in Poland. But in the post-Soviet era, many of these countries have drifted towards support for the essentially undemocratic radical right. The instability in the new states has led to the rise of nationalist movements. There is also a complexity rooted in Indias cultural history in the case of Murmu. He has been the MLA for Habibpur constituency, which is reserved for scheduled tribes and he is one of them. This highlights a reality about the left movement in West Bengal. Sage advice has been offered by former chief minister Bhattacharya, a Brahmin, which is not in sync with the mindset of a tribal party member and MLA. Is it possible that tribals commitment to the left movement is different from that of its caste Hindu leadership? And the scheduled castes and tribes do not figure much among West Bengals left leadership. The RSS has, on the other hand, been working for decades among tribals in the state for their uplift and slowly gaining their support. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress of looting public resources and building big bungalows for themselves using government funds. Addressing election rallies in Kushinagar, Ghosi and Gorakhpur, Adityanath claimed that the SP-BSP-RLD alliance was worried after seeing India "growing and developing" each passing day. "The SP, BSP and the Congress have looted the resources of the public. They never built houses for the poor, but made sure to build their big bungalows using government funds," Adityanath said. "These parties have never done any work in public interest. They kept the public in dark because thieves do not like full-moon night." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader took a jibe at SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and said: "When the Supreme Court had ordered (Akhilesh) to vacate the bungalow, 'babua' stole the government tap (from the vacated house). He had misused the government funds during his tenure too." Without taking any name, Adityanath said a broker was already locked in jail. "In the same way, many other brokers will be behind the bars soon. Terrorists will also be eliminated from the country in the future," he said. The chief minister appealed to the people to reject those who play the "politics" of caste and creed. "We made sure to free 54,000 hectares from the land mafia who were nurtured during the tenures of the SP and the BSP. We took initiatives to construct schools, hospitals and cow shelters." Adityanath said the slogans of "Modi hai to mumkin hai" (If there's Modi, its possible) and "phir ek baar, Modi sarkar (once again, Modi government) were "echoing" across India. The BJP leader claimed that for the first time since Independence, the Musahar and Vantangiya community got "honour" because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Modi ji helped the Musahar community of Kushinagar to get benefits of housing and other several welfare schemes of the government," Adityanath said. The Vantangiya community have also been linked to the mainstream and got the benefits of house, electricity and all other facilities, he added. BJP national president Amit Shah on Monday dared West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to arrest him for chanting "Jai Shri Ram", claiming that the TMC supremo can stop him from attending rallies in Bengal, but won't be able to stop BJP's victory march in the state. Addressing a rally at Canning, which comes under Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency, he said, "Mamatadi gets angry if someone chants Jai Shri Ram. I am chanting Jai Shri Ram here today. If you (Mamata) have the guts, arrest me. I will be in Kolkata tomorrow." Hitting out at the TMC government over denial of permission for his chopper to land in Baruipur, Shah said, "The Mamata Banerjee government is visibly perplexed. She wants to stop me from attending rallies. The TMC can stop me from addressing rallies, but can't stop the victory march of BJP in Bengal." Shah's scheduled rally in Jadavpur Lok Sabha seat was called off on Monday after the state government denied him permission to land his chopper and hold a public address at Baruipur. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP continuing their attack on the Congress over Sam Pitroda's remarks on the 1984 riots, party chief Rahul Gandhi on May 13 said the leader should be ashamed of himself and seek apology from the country. Gandhi was addressing a poll rally in favour of Congress candidate Amar Singh, who is pitted against SAD nominee D S Guru from Fatehgarh Sahib (reserve) constituency. "What Sam Pitroda said about 1984 (anti-Sikh riots) was totally wrong and he should seek an apology from the country. I am saying this publicly and I also said the same to him over phone. Pitroda ji, what you had said was completely wrong and you should be ashamed of yourself. You should seek public apology," he said winding up his speech here. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was also present at the event. The BJP has stepped up offensive against the Congress over the Indian Overseas Congress chief's remarks as the 1984 anti-Sikh riots is an emotive issue in Punjab which is going to polls on May 19. During campaigning in Rohtak in Haryana and at Hoshiarpur in Punjab, Modi on May 10 had hit out at the Congress, saying Pitroda's remarks reflected the "character and arrogance" of the opposition party. On May 12 in Amritsar, BJP chief Amit Shah had asked Gandhi whether the matter has ended with Pitroda tendering an apology for "justifying" the Sikh genocide. Maruti Suzuki Baleno | 21,971 | The Maruti Suzuki Baleno, too, retains its second spot selling 21,971 units. This is up 35 percent from last years 16,237 units. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Maruti Suzukis parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation and heavyweight Toyota could be looking to learn sales, marketing and service methods from each other to bolster their front-end set up as rivals gear up to challenge the duo. In the first week in May when more than 1,200 Maruti Suzuki dealers were invited to Macau, the car market leader hinted at plans to expand its parent companys ties with Toyota and, perhaps, integrate Toyotas way of selling and servicing cars. A Maruti Suzuki dealer who attended the summit said, One key takeaway from the summit was that Maruti will take help from Toyota in areas beyond technology also. Toyotas sales training module, its processes will be adapted by Maruti. Toyota does not have the best priced vehicle in the world but it has the best system in the world. As per a J D Power 2018 India Customer Service Index (Mass Market) study, Maruti Suzukis score stood at 804 points on the scale of 1,000, much below the industry average of 838 points and far below that of Hyundai which topped the ranking with 912 points for the second consecutive year. Marutis ranking in 2018 in the same study slipped to the eight position from the second position in 2017 and from the top position in 2016. In 2018, Toyota fared better than Maruti Suzuki with 827 points. The study evaluates and ranks companies based on the satisfaction of consumers who took their cars for servicing. Maruti, which has a market-share of around 50 percent in the domestic passenger car space, has more than 2,400 dealerships including those from the newly-formed premium division Nexa. In comparison, Toyota has only 365 dealerships with a huge focus on urban pockets. Under Toyotas way of working things, if a service center promises delivery of the car within one hour then it is the same in any country and the car will be delivered within one hour after servicing. But thats not necessarily the case at Maruti. That is why it is important to learn Toyotas processes, added another dealer. In an effort to go as mass market as possible, Maruti stretched itself thin on resources. According to market watchers, this forced it to go soft on aspects such as sales, marketing and service. This is happening at a time when Maruti is steadily bolstering its premium image with a number of models planned under the Nexa range. The market leader is planning at least one new model addition to the Nexa range this financial year though it has been very tight-lipped about the product. It has been nearly 30 months since Maruti added a new model to the Nexa range. The last addition came in January 2017 with the launch of the Ignis. Mumbais famous dabbawalas have decided to join the world in celebrating the birth of Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, the firstborn of the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex -- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The royal baby was born on May 6, and the tiffin makers association went shopping for the baby on May 10. The dabbawalas, who share a very special bond with the British Royal family, have decided to gift silverware to the baby boy. Notably, this is not the first time the association decided to extend their affection towards the royals. Even when the young couple got married, they sent special wedding gifts. According to a Newsbytes report, Subhash Talekar, Spokesperson, Mumbai Dabbawalas Association, said they will gift Archie a typical Maharashtrian gift hamper comprising silver waist-band (kamarpatta), a pair of wristbands (toda) and a pair of anklets (wala). The rationale behind the choice of gifts is grandparents gift these to their grandson at birth, as per Maharashtrian tradition. Although, as Talekar says, the association of dabbawalas would have loved to present the auspicious gifts in gold, their fiscal constraint allowed for silver jewellery only. However, they believe that the thought behind the gesture was far more important than the monetary value of the gifts. Interestingly, last year, when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex got married, the dabbawalas had distributed sweets to all patients and their kin at the Wadia Hospital and Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital. Mumbai's Dabbawalas have sent gifts to Archie,newborn son of Duke&Duchess of Sussex-Prince Harry&Meghan Markle. Dabbawala Assn Spox says, 'Prince Charles is our friend&has become a grandfather,so we've become grandfather too. In Marathi culture we present gifts to our grandchild" pic.twitter.com/1uo5am3naQ ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 They also shipped traditional Maharashtrian wedding attire all the way to England, which included a set of kurta and pyjama for the groom and a Nauvari saree for the bride, along with a headgear (pheta), sacred necklace (mangalsutra) and seven green bangles, which hold great symbolic relevance among Maharashtrians. The gratitude and reverence for the British Royals among the dabbawalas started with two office-bearers of the association being sent an all-expense paid invitation to the wedding of Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005. The British Royal visited Mumbai back in 2003 when he was highly impressed with the efficiency of the service provided by the citys tiffin-carriers. Picture for representation During the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls, a polling agent was arrested by the police after a video where he appears to be trying to influence the voters at a Faridabad polling booth, went viral on social media. An FIR was registered against the accused polling agent, Giriraj Singh. He was later produced in court and granted bail. Notably, polling agents are appointed by respective candidates fighting elections to oversee the voting in the particular station. | ? ? href="https://t.co/R8SRQ6U5aP">pic.twitter.com/R8SRQ6U5aP Anurag Dhanda (@anuragdhanda) May 12, 2019 Amit Atri, the presiding officer of Haryanas Faridabad constituency, mentioned in his complaint to the police that the accused used the excuse of helping voters to press the button meant for casting votes three times. I stopped him each time, but Singh did not listen. While he was trying to cast a vote, someone made a video, which went viral later. Within this time, a host of other voters arrived, and Singh managed to escape, Atri stated. In the viral video, Singh, who is in a blue t-shirt, can be seen walking up to the polling booth thrice within a span of 1.30 minutes. It appears as though he either points to the party symbol on the voting machine or presses the button, all the three times. When he gets up to approach the booth for the third time, he is informed that he has been called outside. Disregarding it, he walks into the booth. The person in the video is the Polling agent who has been arrested in the afternoon itself. FIR lodged. He was trying to effect at least 3 lady voters. Observer & ARO with teams visited the booth at Asawati in prithala constituency. He is satisfied that voting was never vitiated DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICE FARIDABAD (@OfficeFaridabad) May 12, 2019 Election commissioner Ashok Lavasa confirmed through a tweet later that the agent was arrested and that the Election Commission will also look into the issue once the observer submits his report. All 10 seats in Haryana went to polls on May 12, i.e., Sunday. Moneycontrol couldn't independently verify the claims made in the video. Saudi Arabia said on May 13 that two Saudi oil tankers were among vessels targeted in a "sabotage attack" off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, condemning it as an attempt to undermine the security of global crude supplies. The UAE said on May 12 that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not say who was behind the operation, which took place amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. Iran's foreign ministry called the incidents "worrisome and dreadful" and asked for an investigation. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond, has been at the heart of regional tensions for decades. Below is some background about the Strait: WHAT IS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ? The waterway separates Iran and Oman, linking the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. The Strait is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just two miles (three km) wide in either direction. WHY DOES IT MATTER? The US Energy Information Administration estimated that 18.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of seaborne oil passed through the waterway in 2016. That was about 30 percent of crude and other oil liquids traded by sea in 2016. About 17.2 million bpd of crude and condensates were estimated to have been shipped through the Strait in 2017 and about 17.4 million bpd in the first half of 2018, according to oil analytics firm Vortexa. With global oil consumption standing at about 100 million bpd, that means almost a fifth passes through the Strait. Most crude exported from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq -- all members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries -- is shipped through the waterway. It is also the route used for nearly all the liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced by the world's biggest LNG exporter, Qatar. During the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, the two sides sought to disrupt each other's oil exports in what was known as the Tanker War. The US Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, is tasked with protecting the commercial ships in the area. "While the presence of the US Fifth Fleet should ensure that the critical waterway remains open, provocative Iranian military manoeuvres are likely in the immediate offing as is a nuclear restart", analysts at bank RBC wrote on April 22. Iran agreed to rein in its nuclear programme in return for an easing of sanctions under a 2015 deal with the United States and five other global powers. Washington pulled out of the pact in 2018. Western powers fear Iran wants to make nuclear weapons. Tehran denies this. "All of these geopolitical stories could present a cruel summer scenario for President (Donald) Trump as he seeks to keep oil prices in check," the RBC analysts wrote. ARE THERE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES FOR GULF OIL? The UAE and Saudi Arabia have sought to find other routes to bypass the Strait, including building more oil pipelines. The following EIA table shows existing pipelines and proposed projects: HAVE THERE BEEN INCIDENTS IN THE STRAIT BEFORE? In July 1988, the US warship Vincennes shot down an Iranian airliner, killing all 290 aboard, in what Washington said was an accident after crew mistook the plane for a fighter. Tehran said it was a deliberate attack. The United States said the Vincennes was in the area to protect neutral vessels against Iranian navy attacks. In early 2008, the United States said Iranian boats threatened its warships after they approached three US naval ships in the Strait. In June 2008, the then Revolutionary Guards commander-in-chief, Mohammad Ali Jafari, said Iran would impose controls on shipping in the Strait if it was attacked. In July 2010, Japanese oil tanker M Star was attacked in the Strait. A militant group called Abdullah Azzam Brigades, which is linked to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility. In January 2012, Iran threatened to block the Strait in retaliation for US and European sanctions that targeted its oil revenues in an attempt to stop Tehran's nuclear programme. In May 2015, Iranian ships fired shots at a Singapore-flagged tanker which it said damaged an Iranian oil platform, causing the vessel to flee. It also seized a container ship in the Strait. In July 2018, President Hassan Rouhani hinted Iran could disrupt oil flows through the Strait in response to US calls to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero. A Revolutionary Guards commander also said Iran would block all exports through the Strait if Iranian exports were stopped. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to visit Brussels on Monday to discuss "pressing matters" including Iran, a State Department official said Sunday. As a result, the top US diplomat is scrapping a stop expected on Monday in Moscow. But he will still head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the official added just before Pompeo left Washington. An EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting is scheduled in Brussels on Monday, but the State Department did not offer specific details of Pompeo's revised agenda. It simply said talks would be held with officials from France, the UK and Germany -- the three European signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Iran announced on May 8, one year after the US withdrew from the deal, that it was suspending some of its commitments under the agreement. President Hassan Rouhani issued an ultimatum to the Europeans, threatening that Iran would go further if they fail to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance US President Donald Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. The European powers rejected that ultimatum. The US has continued to build pressure on Iran, with Pompeo accusing Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks. The Pentagon announced Friday that it is deploying an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to bolster an aircraft carrier force sent to counter alleged threats from Iran. Pompeo has already cancelled in recent days trips to Berlin and Greenland to focus on the Iran issue. In Moscow, Pompeo had been due to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier dedicated to Soviet troops killed in World War II -- an era when Moscow and Washington were allied. The hype around Udan (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme and low entry-barrier prompted a rich farmer from Maharashtra to approach the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to launch air services on select routes. But his initial enthusiasm soon fizzled out. The much-publicised Udan or regional connectivity scheme (RCS), now in its third year, also seems to have lost steam with the latest data showing that a fourth of the routes out of 688 awarded so far getting regular flights. While 18 routes awarded to Deccan Charters and Air Odisha have been cancelled due to prolonged grounding of flights, as many as 10 routes awarded to crisis-hit Jet Airways are under review and may soon be cancelled. "We had relaxed the regulations to allow more entities to participate in the scheme. A farmer from Maharashtra came to discuss the launch of services but did not follow up. There are many issues such as availability of funds, cost of operations and weak demand preventing the spread of RCS," said a senior official handling the flagship scheme. A total of 688 routes have been awarded to various air-operators in three rounds of bidding. In the first round of UDAN bidding, the government in March 2017 awarded 128 routes to five airlines for 43 un-served destinations. As many as 325 routes were awarded to 15 airline operators in January 2018 under RCS-2. The Civil Aviation Ministry in January this year awarded 235 routes, comprising 189 RCS and 46 tourism routes, across 29 states to airlines under the third phase of the scheme. The government has promised to make air travel affordable for the common man and provides subsidy by way of lower tax rates, waiver of airport charges and other concessions to airlines for cheaper air tickets. The ticket price has been capped at Rs 2,500 on RCS routes connecting smaller towns. The slow pace in growth of RCS flights, however, means lower subsidy outgo for the government. Going by the fund requirement, if all the routes awarded so far become operational, the total subsidy could go up to Rs 1,800 crore while the available funds from all sources are about Rs 1,000 crore. "The disbursement on account of subsidy has been low as not many routes have been operationalised," the official said. 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. At time of writing, the share prices of Macquarie Group Ltd [ASX:MQG], Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd [ASX:ANZ] and Commonwealth Bank of Australia [ASX:CBA] are all down. While Macquarie and ANZ are trading ex-dividend, the share price of CBA was down on the revelation that its third quarter profit fell 28% to $1.7 billion in the three months to March. Shares typically trade lower on the ex-dividend date as investors price in the income missing from the dividend that shareholders are not entitled to following this date. CBA share price lower as company details remediation The CBA share price is down 2.72% at time of writing, with the company providing details on its $714 million in remediation mainly for the actions of its wealth division. It noted that the total remediation bill has now reached $2.17 billion when factoring in compensation payments and administration costs. There was some good news for the company though, with a 2.3% increase in business credit, a 2.8% increase in household deposits and 2.5% growth in its mortgage book. There was an uptick in customers falling behind on their mortgage payments by three months or more up to 0.71% from 0.67%. It also noted that 3% of its mortgage customers were in negative equity a situation that arises when the outstanding balance of a home loan exceeds the value of the house. Whats the outlook for the CBA share price? As you can see in the chart below, the CBA share price has been on a run since the conclusion of the Banking Royal Commission: Source: tradingview.com Its had rising bottoms until it hit resistance in the $7576 range. The ongoing downturn in the housing market could impact its earnings going forward. CEO Matt Comyn discussed todays announcement saying: While headline profitability was impacted by higher remediation provisions, our sound business fundamentals ensure we remain well-placed in a challenging environment, highlighted in this quarter by volume growth in our core businesses, a strong capital position and continued balance sheet strength. I personally expect CBAs share price performance to be middling over the next few months. Meaning, its not going to go flying through the roof or crash through the floor. Its got a hefty dividend, but the downside risks of the housing market reduce its appeal. Instead of owning CBA, it may be better to take a peek at our Top Five Dividend Stocks for 2019. The free report details five stocks that could be poised for an excellent year. Regards, Lachlann Tierney, For Money Morning May 13, 2019 Syria - OPCW Engineering Assessment: The Douma 'Chemical Weapon Attack' Was Staged On April 7 2018 Syrian 'rebels' claimed that the Syrian government used chlorine gas and Sarin in an attack on the besieged Douma suburb near the Syrian capital Damascus. They published a series of videos which showed dead bodies of mainly women and children. The claim of the 'chemical attack' was made shortly after U.S. President Trump had announced that he wanted U.S. troops to leave Syria. It was designed to "pull him back in" which it indeed did. In an illegal 'retaliation' the U.S., Britain and France launched a number of cruise missiles against Syria. Most of them failed to reach their targets. Moon of Alabama published a number of pieces on the issue which are listed below. It seemed obvious from the very first claims of the 'gas attack' that it did not happen at all. The Syrian government had no motive to use any chemical weapon or an irritant like chlorine in Douma. It had already won the battle. The incident was obviously staged, like others before it, to drag the U.S. into a new attack on Syria. Of special interest on the incident scene were two gas cylinders which were photo- and video-graphed near to where the dead bodies were found. It was claimed that the cylinders were dropped from Syrian army helicopters and crashed through concrete roofs. One cylinder allegedly 'bumped' after completely penetrating the roof and came to rest on a bed. The other cylinder allegedly broke a roof open and came to rest on a balcony. To anyone with a bit of 'feel' for material behavior of concrete and metal on impact, it was obvious that the damages caused on the concrete and on the cylinders were incompatible with each other. The concrete, reinforced with steel, was thoroughly penetrated while the cylinders showed only minimal damage. The roofs were most likely penetrated by artillery impact while the cylinders were most likely put there by hand. Shortly after the incident the NATO aligned propaganda group Bellingcat asserted that the cylinders were dropped from helicopters. In June 2018 the New York Times published a rather laughable virtual crime scene analysis of the Douma incident. Neither included an engineering assessment of the impact forces and the related damages on the cylinders and roofs. Neither had visited the scene. From observing superficial visual markings both falsely concluded that the gas cylinders were dropped from helicopters. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which sent a Fact Finding Mission to the scene to investigate the case, made a detailed engineering analysis of the impact and damage. But the results of the engineering assessment were left out of its mealy-mouthed and inconclusive final report (pdf). Now the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media obtained a copy of the 15 pages long OPCW Engineering assessment of two cylinders observed at the Douma incident - 27 February 2019 (pdf). [UPDATE May 16]: The OPCW confirmed to Peter Hitchens of Mail Online that the obtained Engineering assessment is genuine. It provided no additional information. [End Update] After testing various hypotheses through experiments, simulations and finite element analysis the engineering sub-group of the OPCW investigation concluded (emphasis added): 32. At this stage the FFM engineering sub-team cannot be certain that the cylinders at either location arrived there as a result of being dropped from an aircraft. The dimensions, characteristics and appearances of the cylinders and the surrounding scene of the incidents, were inconsistent with what would have been expected in the case of either cylinder having been delivered from an aircraft. In each case the alternative hypothesis produced the only plausible explanation for observations at the scene. 33. In summary, observations at the scene of the two locations, together with subsequent analysis, suggest that there is a higher probability that both cylinders were manually placed at those two locations rather than being delivered from aircraft. The engineering assessment confirms our earlier conclusion. The whole scene as depicted by 'rebels' and propaganda organs was staged. The more than 34 dead on the scene were murdered elsewhere under unknown circumstances. In its discussion of the OPCW engineering assessment and its suppression by the OPCW management, the Working Group states: The new information we have removes all doubt that the organization has been hijacked at the top by France, UK and the US. We have no doubt that most OPCW staff continue to do their jobs professionally, and that some who are uneasy about the direction that the organization has taken nevertheless wish to protect its reputation. However what is at stake here is more than the reputation of the organization: the staged incident in Douma provoked a missile attack by the US, UK and France on 14 April 2018 that could have led to all-out war. The cover-up of evidence that the Douma incident was staged is not merely misconduct. As the staging of the Douma incident entailed mass murder of civilians, those in OPCW who have suppressed the evidence of staging are, unwittingly or otherwise, colluding with mass murder. --- Earlier coverage of the Douma incident published by Moon of Alabama: Posted by b on May 13, 2019 at 11:55 UTC | Permalink Comments Fonterra has confirmed its selling ice cream company Tip Top to a foreign company. The dairy giant said on Monday UK-based Froneri, owned by Nestle and R&R Ice Cream, has bought the company for $380 million. Fonterra will continue to supply the milk used in the ice cream, and will retain ownership of the Kapiti brand. "One of the big attractions for Froneri is the fact that Tip Top and Kapiti ice cream both use fresh milk and cream, from New Zealand grass-fed cows," Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell said. "We've signed an agreement with the new owners to supply milk which ensures that Fonterra farmers will continue to be part of the Tip Top story. "We will also retain full global ownership of the Kapiti brand and will be licencing its use for ice cream to Froneri. This means our popular Kapiti cheese isn't going anywhere." Reports surfaced last week TipTop was close to being sold to a foriegn buyer. Farmers have long criticised the move, one even starting a petition to stop it. "Tip Top is a brand that a lot of Kiwis know and trust, and farmers want it owned by New Zealand farmers and just keep that strong link from farm to freezer," Fonterra farmer and petition starter Mathew Herbert said in December. Froneri CEO Ibrahim Najafi said the company will roll out TipTop ice cream to new markets. "We have always admired Tip Top, which is an iconic brand in New Zealand with a long proud history and we are looking forward to welcoming the team into Froneri. "Our vision is to build the world's best ice cream company; an important part of our strategy is to develop local market successes and roll them out across our other markets." Production will stay at TipTop's factory in Mt Wellington, Auckland, and the current management team will stay on. Newshub. If you're like many parents and grandparents, college savings is probably on your to-do list. Here are some tips on how to get started and keep saving in a 529 plan. Why Save in a 529? These accounts have become popular vehicles for college savings because they allow savers to sock away a significant amount of money, and they have money-saving tax advantages--including state tax breaks on contributions and tax-free compounding and withdrawals for qualified higher-education expenses. In addition, 529 plans reduce the financial-aid impact compared with money held in the student's name. According to the College Savings Plan Network, children whose families have money saved in a dedicated college savings account are six times more likely to attend a four-year college compared with children with no dedicated college savings account. In addition, compound interest is a great thing on the asset side, but it's not such a great thing on the liability side. If you start to save as much as you can, as soon as you can, you will reduce the amount your student will need to borrow. If you haven't already started, the best time to start is today. "Inertia is a powerful force. If you're not doing something right now, open the account, put something in there. Make regular deposits," said Young Boozer, state treasurer of Alabama and former chair of the College Savings Plan Network. Tips for Getting Started The first step is to select a 529 plan. Morningstar can help with due diligence, as we rate the largest 529 plans. After you've chosen a plan, it's fairly easy to set it up. There are no income restrictions on either the account owner or the beneficiary. In addition, most plans have very low initial contribution requirements, making them attractive to families, regardless of income level. Some plans have minimums as low as $15, according to CSPN. There are a few ways to set up a 529 plan. In many cases, you can read about a plan on its website, open the account, manage the account, and add to the account online. For those who are comfortable setting up accounts and transferring funds online, this can be a very convenient option. If you would prefer not to transact online, however, you can call the administrators of a plan's program for details. You could request printed materials and an application, and speak with or meet someone who can further explain features or answer specific questions. (Collegesavings.org provides links to 529 plans' websites.) Finally, there is the advisor-sold 529 plan option. A financial advisor can do everything you need--open the account and set up initial and recurring investments. An advisor can also look at your financial situation holistically and help determine a savings rate that makes sense considering your college-savings goals and what your budget allows. The advisor should also be able to assess various 529 plans, including any tax benefits associated with your home state's plan, and help you decide which 529 to invest in. Tips for Keeping It Up The best way to stay on course with your college savings is to pick an amount you feel comfortable setting aside from your budget, and set up automatic withdrawals from your checking account. Revisit the amount if you get a pay raise or a yearly bonus, and see if you can afford to increase the amount you contribute. You could also see if your employer offers an automatic (aftertax) 529 payroll deduction, or even a 529 contribution match. Though not terribly common, a few states, such as Illinois and Nevada, offer businesses a tax credit for matching employees' 529 contributions. (Make sure you do some due diligence on the employer-promoted plan, however; not only could it be a subpar plan, but if the plan is not in your state of residence, you could be forgoing some in-state tax benefits by contributing to it.) Looking at data from the Alabama College Counts 529 plan, Boozer said nearly 40% of direct-sold plans (and about a fourth of advisor-sold plans) have automatic payment set up. Of that total, the average automatic investment is $170 for direct, and $157 for advisor-sold, per month. That adds up: A college-saver who keeps up a $170 a month contribution rate, assuming it compounds at a (very hypothetical) 6% annual rate, will amass more than $66,000 in 18 years. "Encourage your family and friends to put money in; that's a big plus, too," Boozer said. Most plans will accept direct contributions by a third party via a check sent to the plan administrator, which requires noting the account number on the check, and perhaps submitting a contribution form. Some state plans have gift cards available, and there is also the option of gift card companies such as Leaf College Savings or GiftofCollege.com (which charge the gift-giver a fee but can be redeemed for free). Note that gift cards are generally not tax-deductible for the gift-giver. "Overcome the inertia, open the account, and get something in it. If you can afford to get something in there on a monthly basis, do it. If not, do it quarterly," said Boozer. "Birthdays, Christmas, special days--any time you would anticipate giving a child a present, take the money that you would put into a hot new toy, and put it into a 529 plan. No one can take a college education away, and it doesn't go out of style." The threat of a trade war with the United States roiled Chinas equity markets in 2018, with about a 30% peak-to-trough decline in the Shanghai Composite. Earlier in 2019, optimism about a deal between the countries led Chinese equities to recover almost all of their losses, but the most recent tensions have diminished those gains. Deal or no deal, we think its no time to get complacent about the long-term threat of conflict between the U.S. and China and the economic impact this could have on the latter. Weve lowered our long-term (10-year average) China GDP growth forecast to 3.25% from 3.5% after incorporating the likelihood of scenarios of conflict between China and the U.S. In particular, we are concerned about the onset of a new cold war between the U.S. and China, a new era of great power conflict falling short of all-out war but in which the U.S. seeks to use all available economic means to curb Chinas continued rise, the most important of which is cutting off almost all its trade with China. A new cold war is not our base-case scenario, but we assess its probability at 16%. In this scenario, Chinas GDP growth takes a 1-percentage-point annual hit owing chiefly to lower trade, given the link between trade and economic growth. Office vacancy rates in Toronto and Vancouver are highly likely to increase by more than twofold in less than half a decade, according to a new study by CoStar Group Inc. By the end of 2023, vacancies in downtown Torontos offices will rise to about 6%, from a historic low of 2.9% in Q2 2018. Vancouver is also predicted to reach 6% in four years, from a record 2% this quarter. This trend will be fuelled by a rush of new offices entering the market. In the next five years, as many as 25 new office or mixed-use buildings are projected to be completed in downtown Toronto, along with 15 new towers in Vancouver. In a presentation at the Museum of the Southwest last month, Paul Stevenson Oles discussed drawing corners and the nuances of that when it comes to illustration. That seemed like such a small thing to mention, but for Oles, its most crucial. For Oles, if a corner isnt perfect, then there are consequences. Oles, who goes by the name Steve, is an architectural illustrator who has often collaborated with famed architect I.M. Pei. Throughout his career, Oles and Pei have worked together on such projects as the Louvre renovation in Paris, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas and closer to home, the proposal for the MGF Center in downtown Midland that would have resulted in a 60-story tower. I never knew who clients were, but they were clearly wealthy Midland folks, he said. They wanted to turn the Tall City into a tall city. Oles presentation was April 13 at the Museum of the Southwest, where the exhibition Truth in Architecture: Works by Paul Stevenson Oles FAIA opened featuring a collection of Oles illustrations of some of his most iconic works around the world. The show is paired with Frank Lloyd Wright: Architecture of the Interior. The exhibition and his talk were also a homecoming for the Midland native. IF YOU GO: "Truth in Architecture: Works by Paul Stevenson Oles FAIA" is on display through June 9 at the Museum of the Southwest, 1705 W. Missouri Ave. museumsw.org. See More Collapse To use an expression from kids, Im pretty pumped about being back, he said, with a laugh. It is so terrific. I was always familiar with the Turner House, but it was not a museum in those days. I never thought Id set foot in this house, and now to have the run of the place is very thrilling. Oles career spans 50 years with more than 40 of those spent in the Boston area as an independent illustrator, architect and professor. He said the last time he lived here was 1954 and to return to Midland for his work was a moving moment. To be at the twilight of my career and then return to where it all started is quite profound, he said. Im delighted to be back in this context and its fulfilling to see your lifes work admired. Oles, who lives in Santa Fe, even recalled a quote from architect Louis Kahn to describe his feelings. He said What we try to do is get to an end that remembers the beginning. Thats what this feels like. The Texas Tech University graduate helped found the American Society of Architectural Illustrators in 1985. He taught at Harvard, Yale and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from the 1970s into the early 2000s. He also works as an architect as well as illustrator and continues to conduct workshops on imaging and software. Although hes been away from Midland for many years, he said the character of the city is embedded in his own. Theres a pragmatism and grit I respect from this part of the country, and to a certain extent, I have that myself. Im glad to be imbued with those characteristics myself, which I think are very descriptive of the Midland character and the Southwest character. Its not faint praise when I say Im really glad to be from here, he said. While his work has been celebrated throughout the globe, Peis MGF Center development proposal of 1982 is of most interest locally. The building would have significantly changed the landscape of downtown Midland, much like the Energy Tower would have done when it was proposed in 2013. It would have been a product of the extreme excess of money back then, he said. Midland was fantastically wealthy. It was a halcyon time. The building was designed as both commercial and residential with thoughts on construction that would work with the West Texas winds. But, alas, the tower never happened. Very shortly after these drawings were done, the bottom fell out, he said. And yet, hes glad for the renderings; a colorful one is on display at the exhibition. Its kind of a good thing. A drawing can be better in some ways. If the building went up and you have the pictures, but then its torn down, you have the real thing. But if something doesnt get built, the drawing is all you got, he said. He went on to explain that an architects best ideas are often the ones that dont get built and are more to communicate an idea that is more interesting than commercial. Sometimes, a drawing isnt just a pretty picture, but a cultural record of what folks who are defining the culture of an era are thinking and believing and aspiring to, he said. The Museum of the Southwest introduced its new Architecture series with these two exhibitions and will finish with the West Texas AIA Tiny Home competition award winners show in May. Museum executive director Dan Eck was happy to lead that with a native son. Our museum was born here in Midland, raised and nurtured by thousands and thousands of our neighbors over 50-plus years. So, naturally, we were delighted to present another exhibition of a Midland native who has reached international prominence. I.M. Peis glass pyramid addition to the Louvre and Maya Lins Vietnam War Memorial are only two of the amazing works Steve has contributed to in his career, Eck said in an email. His conceptual illustrations translated those project plans into works of art, previewing the incredible cultural and emotional impact those monuments would have once built, and were a critical element in those projects actually becoming reality. Indra to Supply Deployable Military Radar to UK The page you requested is only available to subscribers. 1. If you are a Premium Service subscriber, please log in here to access this story: Log-in : Password : 2. If you are not a subcriber, you can: -- buy access to this page: unlimited access for seven days costs 3.00 EUR + VAT (at 20%) if applicable. Clicking on the "Ok" button below will place the item in your shopping cart and return you to our home page, where you will be able to select additional stories. -- select additional stories and services from our home page and pay for them at the same time. -- see your shopping cart. You can also see the contents of your shopping cart at any time by clicking on the "Order" tab on the navigation bar at the top of any page, or by clicking on the "Your order" light blue link in the top right-hand corner of our home page, immediately under the log-on box. One could not select a more serene location for a homicide. On July 17, 1982, a womans body was found in a meadow in the mountains that run along the border between California and Nevada, not far from Lake Tahoe. Footprints revealed that she and her killer had strolled half a mile or so from the road to an area known as Sheeps Flat. It appeared that she was seated on a log when she was shot in the back of the head. I found that unusual, said Len Iljana, who was a deputy at the Washoe County Sheriffs Office at the time. For years, he and his colleagues tried to identify the woman. They circulated news releases that stated she was in her 20s or 30s, was 5 1/2 feet tall and had hazel eyes and brown hair, which she wore in a bun at the time of her death. The quality of the dental work suggested she might be European. Her last meal was a salad. None of that led anywhere. The team became desperate enough to explore leads from psychics, he said. On Tuesday, more than 36 years after she died, the Washoe County Sheriffs Office announced her name: Mary Edith Silvani, born Sept. 29, 1948. Detectives also believe they now know who killed her. These two puzzles of identity were solved with genetic genealogy, a technique that puts a name to DNA with the help of relatives on genealogy sites. Over the past year, the method has been used to advance dozens of cold cases. This is the first time officials have announced in one fell swoop that the technique has been used to identify an adult victims body as well as the persons killer. The role that a group of volunteer sleuths played in the investigation is a bit different from that in other recent cases. The role played by infidelity and adoption is very much the same. Naming the victim In February 2018, investigators in Nevada heard about a method for identifying DNA developed by Colleen Fitzpatrick, a physicist turned forensic genealogist. They contracted the DNA Doe Project, an organization founded by Fitzpatrick and Margaret Press, a mystery writer and software developer. The pair assigned about a dozen volunteers to the case. Some are in their 20s, some are in their 70s, Press said of their pool of regulars, and some are grandmothers, some are former law enforcement. After uploading the victims DNA to GEDmatch, a genealogical database, the group had a list of relatives to work with. Each volunteer was assigned to build a tree around one match. Whenever volunteers ran into trouble, they knew they could throw it out to others who would pounce on it like a bunch of sharks, said Ruth Foreman, a retired human resources director who served as a team leader for the group. One common reason to do a DNA test is to find a parent, so many people on genealogy sites are adoptees. One close relative of Silvanis fell into this category. The volunteers helped identify her mother. From there, they quickly arrived at a couple who seemed as if they could be the victims parents: John and Blanche Silvani of Detroit. A relative said the Silvanis had one son and two daughters. The volunteers found that in 1982, the year Mary Silvani was killed, the son, Charles Silvani, jumped off a parking structure in San Diego and died. His life had been troubled for years: In 1972, he killed a bar owner in Fresno, California. A tip from a man claiming to be Mary Silvanis nephew revealed that there was another brother, Bob, whose profile page on the Internet Movie Database revealed mostly pornography projects from the 1970s, according to Cheryl Hester of Frisco, Texas, a volunteer charged with taking screenshots of his face. They never looked at the camera, she said. It was awful. Eventually property records led to a former neighbor of John and Blanche Silvanis in Detroit. He clarified that the couple had two sons and one daughter not one son and two daughters. That meant Sheeps Flat Jane Doe had to be Mary Silvani, who was 33 at her death. Had she lived, she would be 70. Detective Kathleen Bishop of the Washoe County Sheriffs Office located a 1974 misdemeanor arrest for loitering in Detroit. The fingerprints matched. Finding the killer The DNA Doe Project seeks to identify only bodies, not killers. Fitzpatrick leads a separate organization, Identifinders, that tracks down suspects. Upon uploading a DNA profile to GEDmatch that had been extracted from semen discovered at the scene, Fitzpatrick identified a second cousin living in Texas. From there, Hester, who honed her genealogical skills by helping Vietnam War babies find their fathers, took the lead. She eventually identified a man who seemed likely to be the suspects father. Family records showed he had one son. Law enforcement was dispatched to collect discarded DNA when the son left his house. But he never emerged, Fitzpatrick said, because he had recently died. That was not the end. Investigators located a son of the newly deceased man in a criminal database. It ruled out his father as the killer. What did that mean? It meant the deceased man had a half brother, one he might not have known about. Confused? Actually, discrepancies between families as defined by records versus by DNA are common. Follow any family line long enough and you are will encounter at least one nonpaternity event, to use genealogists polite term. Sometimes they involve infidelity. Critics of this new approach to cold cases warn that sooner or later confusing family records will lead to the wrong person. Forensic genealogy has misled the police before. But for defenders of the approach, its complexity is part of the reason they say critics are overreacting: Even though most Americans DNA is now identifiable, you cannot simply upload DNA into a machine that will single out a name. Sometimes, to get from point A to point B, you must build a tree containing 16,000 people. That is what Hester did. Eventually, another critical match emerged, and a 90-year-old relative agreed to upload DNA. That led to James Richard Curry, born in Texas in 1946. The more Hester read, the more excited she grew. He had confessed to three homicides around the time of Silvanis death and went after people he knew. He killed himself in January 1983, but his children offered their DNA, providing investigators with the confirmation they needed. The team was elated. And frustrated. Mary Silvani had a name, but she was still just a collection of facts. She was born in Pontiac, Michigan, to a mother who spent her life in and out of mental hospitals and a father who died when she was 16, leaving her homeless. She may or may not have had a baby whom she gave up for adoption in Detroit. She never had a drivers license, as far as the team could tell. She was never reported missing. She wore a blue bathing suit under her Lee Rider jeans, hinting at plans to swim on the day she died. Mary Silvanis nephew, Robert Silvani Jr., 53, was the closest living relative located. He barely knew his own father and had never met his aunt. She gets to be remembered now, he said, adding that, in a family with the background mine has, hes grateful anytime something works out. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. I did not authorise payment for ... First Apache Helicopter Formally Handed Over to India The page you requested is only available to subscribers. 1. If you are a Premium Service subscriber, please log in here to access this story: Log-in : Password : 2. If you are not a subcriber, you can: -- buy access to this page: unlimited access for seven days costs 3.00 EUR + VAT (at 20%) if applicable. Clicking on the "Ok" button below will place the item in your shopping cart and return you to our home page, where you will be able to select additional stories. -- select additional stories and services from our home page and pay for them at the same time. -- see your shopping cart. You can also see the contents of your shopping cart at any time by clicking on the "Order" tab on the navigation bar at the top of any page, or by clicking on the "Your order" light blue link in the top right-hand corner of our home page, immediately under the log-on box. The family of a woman murdered in Chester nearly 40 years ago is taking exception to rapper and TV cop Ice-T getting involved in an appeals process for one of her convicted killers. Hes not only misinformed, but I dont even know how he got involved, said John Kaisner, a former Chester police officer and husband of victim Emily Leos niece, Theresa Kaisner. For a guy that started out making the big living hes making now by rapping kill cops, I have no respect for him anyhow, but he has no basis in this case. Ice-T, best known now for his role as Detective Fin Tutuola on NBCs Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, is a longtime rapper who previously fronted the metal band Body Count, famous for their song Cop Killer. He released a video earlier this week calling on Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland to allow DNA testing in the case of Leroy Evans, a Chester man currently serving a life sentence for the 1980 murder of Avon Lady Emily Leo. All he is fighting for is DNA testing, but they refuse to test, even despite another man confessing to it, Ice-T said in a video message uploaded by theblast.com Wednesday. So, come on, D.A., you know Im not a real cop, I just play one on TV. But I think this man after 39 years in prison whatever the crime might be he deserves at least to get that DNA test so he can clear himself. Evans was convicted at trial on first-degree murder charges for the Nov. 11, 1980 beating that caused Leos fatal injuries. His conviction rested largely on the testimony of another man also currently serving a life sentence for the murder, Anthony Jones. Jones testified at trial in 1981 that it was Evans idea to lure Leo into the house in the 3000 block of West 11th Street under the pretense of buying Avon products. He said Evans choked Leo with a clothesline in the kitchen and beat her about the head with an iron before Jones put her into a trashcan and took her to a nearby vacant lot. A truck driver called police after seeing Jones throwing rocks at Leos near-lifeless body. Jones ran off but was arrested later that same day. Leo remained in critical condition at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland until her death Nov. 28. Jones, who was 17 at the time, made a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty and name his alleged accomplice in order to avoid the death penalty. Jones testimony that Evans hatched the plan and carried out the attack was the only thing linking him to the murder, according to Evans defense attorney, Mike Malloy. Evans, now 61, was 24 years old when he was sentenced to life in prison for Leos murder. He maintained throughout the trial that he was innocent and had been at home repairing a dresser at the time, but did admit to stealing some clothes from Joness home and burning them. Evans has long appealed his conviction with the help of a large contingent of friends and family who claim he is incapable of committing murder. Jones also provided a statement to defense attorney Mike Malloy exonerating Evans from taking any part in Leos death. Malloy has moved in recent years to have DNA testing conducted on the clothesline and some of her personal effects. He contended that if Evans DNA was not present, it raises the possibility that Jones is telling the truth. Assistant District Attorney William Toal III argued at a hearing in 2017 that the relief being sought is well outside the statute of limitations for Evans case and that there are no new facts that would justify reopening the investigation. One defense witness also testified that the absence of Evans DNA on the rope would not rule out that he had touched it due to the length of time since the crime, as well as collection and evidence storage techniques available in 1980 that were not designed to protect DNA evidence. Back then, we didnt know enough about DNA to preserve it, to go to the extra lengths we do now to preserve it, said Kaisner. Our DNA was all over the place. (The evidence) was in the cold, it was in a wet basement, it was in the heat. It degraded. It was just touched by everybody and everything. James Wright, an attorney who was representing Jones in another matter, also previously said Jones does not stand by his statement to Malloy and does not intend to testify at any future proceedings for Evans. Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge James Bradley denied Malloys request for DNA testing in October and Malloy appealed to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. Briefs are due in that appeal June 21, according to online records. Democratic District Attorney candidate Jack Stollsteimer began pressing Copeland to open up DNA testing in the case earlier this year, arguing that it is clear some reasonable doubt might now exist. In a recent letter to the Delco Times, Kaisner questioned the motives behind Stollsteimer backing DNA testing in the case and called it a political stunt that is clearly at odds with established court decisions and case law, as well as basic common sense. But Stollsteimer, a former assistant district attorney and assistant U.S. attorney, said Friday that DNA testing is just the first step in taking a deeper look at Evans conviction. After reviewing the evidence with two former assistant district attorneys, a former homicide detective and Malloy, Stollsteimer said serious questions still remain as to Evans guilt. I appreciate the familys sentiment, but the reality is this conviction rests entirely on Joness testimony, Stollsteimer said. Hes recanted that testimony and I think we need to get to the truth. If (Evans) DNA is on that rope, case closed. If its not on rope, then it leads to a series of other questions about whether his conviction is proper. Stollsteimer said Jones provided additional missing pieces of the narrative in his statement to Malloy that might be useful in deciphering the truth, including a lack of blood at the scene where Leo was allegedly bludgeoned by an iron and where the piece of line used to strangle her came from. Stollsteimer noted Jones originally testified Evans had the cord in his pocket, though there might be testimony available from an officer that it matched a clothesline behind the house. If there is any additional evidence to that fact that was not presented to the jury or anything else that would shake Joness original testimony Stollsteimer said it should be the prosecutors duty to take a second look. We have a responsibility to seek justice for all, he said. Thats everybody in our society, whether they are people being investigated or people being incarcerated, and for whom there might be some possibility theyve been unjustly prosecuted. The facts of this case cry out for there to be whatever inquiry is needed, just to be sure the conviction is correct. Copeland, a registered Republican who was appointed to fill the remainder of former D.A. Jack Whelans unexpired term when he became a Common Pleas judge in January 2018, is running for a full term this year. Copeland campaign spokesman Pete Peterson noted that Evans has had competent legal representation through a litany of appeals and that while the district attorney has supported the use of DNA testing in certain cases, this is not one of them. DNA testing did not result in his conviction in 1981 and, given the circumstances under which evidence was collected and stored, no DNA test will exonerate Leroy Evans for his role in the brutal murder, said Peterson. Continued debate about DNA testing that would serve no value only re-victimizes the family of Emily Leo. Kaisner said Friday that there has been a lifetime of trauma for his wifes family following the murder. He had to identify Leo at the hospital and said it was the worst thing he had ever seen in service to his community or country. Her death killed the family, he said. While there is a lot to the case, Kaisner noted Jones has given previous recantations before, only to withdraw them, and Evans has admitted to destroying evidence, making him at the very least an accomplice. Looking back at what I know about the case, what Ive seen and what I know personally about it, I do believe Evans was complicit in the murder, Kaisner said. Whether he burnt clothes or whatever else he did, he might as well have choked her to death himself if he did that. In his own letter to the Times Friday, Malloy said he understands the frustrations of everyone involved, but suggested Stollsteimers position should speak to the concerns of both families. Hes not asking that they just open the gates and let Leroy walk out of jail tomorrow, said Malloy. Hes merely stating that, after hes reviewed the case, there are facts that are difficult to reconcile with the guilty verdict and the specific facts and evidence in the case, and for those reasons he is simply asking to open up an investigation A thorough investigation may show that Leroy is guilty or it may show that an innocent man has been in jail for almost 40 years. Both families should just want the peace that comes from knowing the truth. President Trump spoke to Military Mothers and their spouses in the East Room of the White House. Trump was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: Military moms are the backbone of America. This afternoon, I want to express our incredible appreciation to all of you: the moms serving our nation in uniform, the mothers of our great heroes, and the moms with spouses who serve in the armed forces. Your unwavering dedication and support strengthens our entire nation. Today, we honor you. We celebrate you. We salute you and everything that you do so many things, so many great things for our country. To the active-duty moms here today: We thank you for your courage, and we applaud your noble service. You have two of the most important jobs in the world: bravely defending America from our enemies and helping to raise the next generation of American patriots. You have spent Mothers Days (applause) and, you know come on, lets go. (Applause.) Lets go. You have spent Mothers Days on ships out at sea, on bases in faraway lands, and staring down foreign threats in very, very dangerous areas. And youve done it all out of love for family, for country, and for duty. Our nation is forever in your debt. Thank you very much. Great job. Incredible job. (Applause.) Were also honored to be joined today by the moms whose spouses are serving in the military. We know that you also make that tremendous sacrifice for your country so much so. They would never be as successful without you, I have to tell you. (Laughter and applause.) And most of them know that. Most of them. Im not sure all of them know that, but most of them know that, right? (Laughter.) When you married an American warrior which is exactly what they are you became part of an elite group of heroes. As military spouses, you help carry your families through frequent moves and long deployments. You uplift your communities, care for your fellow military families, and sustain our service members through their most difficult battles. You know that one of the great challenges of military spouses is to find a meaningful job as you move in support of your active-duty spouse. Thats why, one year ago, I took action to increase employment opportunities, as you probably know I hope youre all taking advantage of it; Im sure you are for military spouses all across our nation. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Thank you! (Laughter.) THE PRESIDENT: Incredible people. Thank you. (Laughs.) Who said that? Stand up. I want to see. Who said that? (Applause.) Thank you. We want military spouses to be able to pursue their careers and help their families thrive. Finally, to the moms in this room who raised children that grew up to join the United States Armed Forces, you have given our country a gift beyond measure. You raised your children to live by the sacred values of loyalty, bravery, patriotism and service. The greatest honor of my life is serving as your Commander-in-Chief. This extraordinary group of men and women and theres nobody like you on the face of the Earth the heroes of the American Armed Forces are more courageous, selfless, and fearless than any fighting force in all of human history. So true. And Mike and I have worked very, very long and hard. Our military is now regaining strength like its never had before. We had budgets of $700 billion far, far more than ever before. And this year, $716 billion. And I know were going for $750 billion. And we had a very depleted military. You know it better than I did. And now its raring. Its just something special. Hopefully, we dont have to use it. Theyre going to look at it, and theyre going to say, We dont want to mess with them. Right? (Laughter.) We dont want to mess with them. So, our military is in great shape and I think its something you know, but I want you to know it just in case you had any questions. Anybody have any questions? (Applause.) It really is. Thank you. And I just have to say that our nation is eternally grateful to our military mothers. Your love and devotion and sacrifice keeps America safe, strong, proud, and free. Today, and every day, we thank God for our military moms. You have always been there for us, and my administration will always be there for you. And you know that. You know that. (Applause.) So I just want to finish by saying to let me, once again, wish everyone in this room a very, very Happy Mothers Day. You are very special people. I dont even know if you know how special you are. You work so hard. Sometimes you dont realize it. But you are very, very special people. And I want to just say, God bless you and God bless our great country. God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you everybody. (Applause.) Thank you. 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. The Permian Basin continues to exceed state and even national rates of growth, and unfortunately that also applies to drug and alcohol abuse. Rhonda Murphy, office manager in the Midland office of Drug Screen Compliance, said that the positivity rate for drug tests nationwide is 9 percent. But in the Permian Basin, it's 18 percent. She said marijuana is the most frequent to show up in positive tests, followed by cocaine. Methamphetamines and opiates trade the third and fourth spots, she said. Nationwide, the positivity rate has soared 51 percent, but Murphy explained that was because the U.S. Department of Transportation added new screening panels for oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone and hydromorphone. In the thriving Permian Basin, Murphy speculated that some truck drivers may use drugs to help them navigate long hours and many consecutive days at work, so they can earn overtime. But then, she said, the script flips so they're working overtime to earn money to buy drugs. RELATED: Oil and drugs: A toxic mix She said everyone thinks of truck drivers, but truck drivers are only one of six entities under the Department of Transportation that must undergo drug testing. Others include the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Federal Railroad Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard. And the DOT is only one of three federal entities that test for drugs, she said. The issue has attracted attention. As the staff prepared to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the West Texas Safety Training Center, they decided addiction should be the focus of the keynote address. "Here we are in 2019, and drugs have crept deeper and deeper into our workplaces. Drugs have caused injuries and accidents," said Phil Young, president and chief executive officer of the center. "People tell us it's hard for the industry to find employees and applicants who can pass the drug tests; for the industry it's a big problem," he said. Agreed keynote speaker Christopher Pierce, director of marketing at The Springboard Center, a nonprofit substance abuse treatment center in Midland. "Drugs and alcohol are a very touchy subject. Companies say, 'It never happens here.' But on a day-to-day basis, I've seen first-hand the last two years -- from the very top to the very bottom, I've seen addiction," said Pierce, addressing the annual meeting of the West Texas Safety Training Center recently at the MCM Elegante Hotel. Murphy said that drug use may actually be more widespread than believed because "we're not testing people who are unemployed." Noting that he used heroin for 15 years as he worked his way up the ranks of the oil and gas industry, Pierce said he thought he was special because he was making $100,000 a year in the industry. After he got sober, he spent nine months working at Domino's before being offered a job at Springboard. It was something as small as "a change in attitude" like working at Domino's that made a difference, he said. He said there were drug tests and other attempts to detect use of drugs and alcohol during his time in the oil field services industry, but "there are people you can hire to keep your career on track" by helping fake drug tests. "That's a loophole people exploit." The Permian Basin oil and gas industry is "amazing. We're setting the standards for the world," said Pierce. But "we have the highest driving while intoxicated rate in the state of Texas here. Alcohol is raging, and people need to pay attention to what's going on." He urged companies to implement an open-door policy when it comes to addiction. "I'm an advocate for addicts. There (are) people that can help. Addicts need to be able to go in and say 'I'm drinking a lot. I love my job, but I need help.'" Having that open-door policy "opens a dialogue and makes a person feel that much safer in opening up," Pierce said. He said the energy industry is getting better about that openness but "it's a work in progress." Murphy recommends that companies send supervisors to her company's "reasonable suspicion" classes to learn how to approach employees they suspect are using. The company can also provide information on how to react to positive results from random tests so "they're not willy-nilly firing people." She said local companies need to be more responsive and proactive about drug testing, not just pre-employment testing but randomly testing employees throughout their employment. "Companies realize it's up to them to get ahead of the issue," she said. Midland-Odessa and the Permian Basin are thriving as the heart of the nation's oil production surge. But the Environmental Integrity Project claims that the health of the region's residents is being impacted by that growth. In its just-released report, "Sour Winds in West Texas," EIP says the area is seeing unhealthy emissions of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from the rising number of oil and gas facilities and flaring of natural gas. "We've shown beyond a doubt there is a serious, serious air pollution problem in the Permian Basin that's not being addressed," Ilan Levin, Texas director of the EIP and lead author of the report, said in a phone interview. He said the report used the same model that regulators use to determine the impacts of the oil and gas industry's self-reported emissions from flaring, then modeled those emissions alongside the weather conditions at the time and hired an atmospheric scientist to run an air dispersion model. Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association, told the Reporter-Telegram by email, "The report's claims are based on modeling which used reported emissions data to estimate concentrations across a wide region, a complex method that inherently overestimates concentration. Sound science and facts demonstrate that at the same time that growth in energy production has occurred in the Permian Basin, the U.S. has led the world in emission reductions. The oil and natural gas industry is the leading investor in zero- and low-carbon technology, investing billions in advanced technologies that are protecting and improving our environment. The industry's success has elevated the United States to become the world's top oil and natural gas producer and is providing undeniable benefits to Texas in the form of abundant, reliable and affordable energy, hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, and billions of dollars in state and local tax revenues. And all of these have occurred simultaneously due to industry's commitment to innovative solutions. "It is broadly accepted that when there is a lack of infrastructure, safety protocols demand natural gas be flared in many instances. The Texas oil and natural gas industry is working overtime to build the necessary infrastructure to catch up with the phenomenal production that is generating billions of dollars in state revenues, which fund our schools, roads and first responders," Staples continued. The study examined the impact of unauthorized sulfur dioxide emissions in and around Ector County. About 35 percent of Ector County experienced sulfur dioxide pollution in excess of the level set by the Environmental Protection Agency as the National Ambient Air Quality Standard between 2014 and 2017, according to an analysis. Levin noted that while the Houston region has more than 60 active air quality-monitoring stations, the Permian Basin has three, and only one of those can monitor for sulfur dioxide. That station is located in Big Spring and data from this monitor exceeded national air quality standards for sulfur dioxide at least 30 times between December 2016 and April 2019. EIP identified Occidental Permian as the company with the most emissions in 2017, the most recent data available. Occidental owns 74 facilities, that according to the report, released 10.6 million pounds of sulfur dioxide during 500 incidents. This information was from a state database of emissions during accidental or "upset" incidents, including maintenance and shutdowns. Occidental's Sealy Smith Clearfork No. 7 facility in Ward County had the most unauthorized air pollution in 2017, releasing 6.8 million pounds of sulfur dioxide in 10 incidents. "In reviewing EIP's repot, we have determined that some of the analytical data used in the calculations were inaccurate and the values were significantly less than reported. In fact, the total Sealy Smith 7 emissions are actually more than 90 percent lower," Merritt Talbott, Permian Basin communications manager with Occidental, told the Reporter-Telegram by email. "We appreciate this information and will file revised reports to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality," she said. "Occidental actively engages in programs to control, monitor and minimize emissions across our operations. We take emissions control seriously and will continue to address these issues in a safe and responsible manner." Grant Swartzwelder, president of OTA Compression/Kimark Systems, told the Reporter-Telegram that while the focus has been on methane emissions, "with the methane are some very harmful and dangerous components. While methane hurts the environment, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and other parts of the gas stream can cause human harm. (But) it's very expensive to process these out to sell the gas, so it's easier and better to burn it." He explained that Permian Basin residents see more flares because they handle higher volumes than combustors and are cheaper, "but unfortunately don't have the same regulatory oversight. This results in them not being as efficient as combustors." Levin said the report listed six recommendations as the beginning of solutions to emissions issues. He said they fall into two categories. First, he called on the TCEQ and EPA to monitor air in the Permian Basin the way they monitor air in other parts of the state "It's clear there's a need in the Permian Basin," he said. "We call on the agencies to check the air quality in the Permian basin." A representative of the EPA referred questions about additional air monitoring systems to the TCEQ, which did not respond to requests for comment. Secondly, Levin called for stricter enforcement of pollution regulations by the agencies. "We are confident in the regulations. The rules on the books are pretty good," Levin said. "We're highlighting the lack of enforcement. The state and the EPA are not doing their jobs. They're not enforcing the laws on the books that are pretty good. It's like the speed limit. If you're driving to work, you can't break the speed limit, just so you won't be late for work. You need to follow the law. What the oil and gas companies are doing is violating the laws with impunity." He noted that Permian Basin production has doubled over the last 10 years. "The industry forecasts I'm seeing are for it to double again. This is not unexpected. This is the plan. And that's fine, but they still have to follow the law." Levin called on oil and gas companies to put the technological advances they've developed into mitigating flares. "They should put as much effort into mitigating flaring and following environmental law as they put into enhancing production," he said. There is a lot of equipment in place to mitigate the environmental impact of flaring, agreed Swartzwelder. The key is maintaining that equipment, he said. "A lot of people have equipment, but it's not operational or at a level that meets EPA standards," he told the Reporter-Telegram by telephone. "Any piece of equipment needs preventative maintenance, to be taken care of so it can do its job." He added that his company is seeing a lot of safety issues related to flares, and that goes back to maintenance of the equipment. "It also speaks to the facilities and making sure they're laid out correctly," he said. Until takeaway capacity is in place to move much more of the natural gas that is being produced in association with Permian Basin crude, and/or until natural gas prices rise, Swartzwelder said it will continue to be seen as a secondary fuel and operators will continue to find it cheaper to flare. West Texans deserve the same environmental protection as the rest of the state, concluded Levin. "There's no reason why West Texans should suffer from health problems because the regulators aren't doing their jobs," he said. "The Office," one of the most popular shows on Netflix Inc., looks like it will be heading to NBCUniversal's new streaming TV service. At a presentation Monday, NBC suggested that the comedy about office workers in Scranton, Pennsylvania, will probably be part of an ad-supported online channel that's slated to debut next year. But it's unclear if the show will appear on the new service on Day One -- and whether it will remain on Netflix too. Gone are the days when visitors would make a trip to San Antonio solely for theme parks and the River Walk and Forbes is highlighting spots that likely will not be featured on a gas station brochure. Forbes, the national business magazine, recently published a wrap up of "Where To Eat, Sleep And Play in San Antonio" for the website's lifestyle section. In it, San Antonio is described as a city "entering a new phase." Cobb-Europe drives innovation in southern Africa Cobb Europe recently partnered with RCL Foods and Hybrid Poultry Farm Zambia (Ltd) to host two technical schools for poultry professionals and farm managers across southern Africa. More than 80 individuals attended the two events to learn about current best management practices, share challenges and opportunities, and network with others in the field. Attendees heard from Cobb specialists as well as technical experts from each partnering company. Beginning on March 23, Cobb Europe and RCL Foods hosted a three-day technical school in Rustenburg, South Africa, for farm and hatchery managers of grandparent and parent stock lines, including presentations on rearing, laying, broilers and hatcheries. "The technical school is a great learning experience, not only because of the presentations and illustrations but also because of the interactions with people from different regions and departments," said Theo Bezuidenhout, technical executive at RCL Foods. "The purpose of this workshop was to enable people to make more informed decisions in the workplace and I think we achieved that with great success." Three days later, Cobb Europe and Hybrid Poultry Farm hosted the second technical school in Lusaka, Zambia, on behalf of Africa Poultry Development Limited (APDL) Group. The ADPL Group is a holding company of four entities that trade in African countries, including Hybrid Poultry Farm. The sessions brought together managers from the four entities, along with some of their key customers, to discuss poultry performance. "We always enjoy bringing the teams together across the ADPL Group," said Richard Keeley, director at Hybrid Poultry Farm. "It is an ideal opportunity to expose our managers to Cobb technical support firsthand, giving them quality resources to pass on to their teams." Both technical schools provided attendees up-to-date information on new technology, innovation, and automation of breeders, hatcheries and broiler housing. Experts also discussed the economics of broiler production and the new-generation vaccines and held practical sessions to help work through the material. In the months ahead, senior poultry leadership from customers across Africa will be invited to the Europe, Middle East and Africa technical school in Harderwijk, Netherlands, in July. - Cobb Google Maps An assault suspect died Friday after a confrontation with police at a southeast Houston home, according to a news release from the department. The suspect was found to be under the influence of PCP and cocaine at the time of his death, but an official ruling has not been made, police said. The unidentified man suffered a heart attack before he was pronounced dead by hospital staff, police said. Police are asking for the public's help in locating and identifying the gunman who fatally shot a former cook at Fort Sam Houston in December 2017. Lonnie Franklin Jr., 47, was shot in the doorway of his residence in the 4700 block of Belinda Lee at about 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2017. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox A close friend and his roommate were the first to find him after hearing the gunshot. Authorities pronounced him dead at the scene. Prior to the shooting, Franklin had stepped outside to start his car, according to police. He went back inside, then the gunman approached him at the doorway and killed him. "The suspect had to have known who this individual was, because he walked up to him," said Sgt. Michelle Ramos, a spokeswoman for the San Antonio Police Department. "That's what homicide detectives are investigating at this point: Who would want to do this?" RELATED: Family, friends react in disbelief to shooting death of beloved Fort Sam Houston cook Franklin had been promoted to head cook at Ft. Sam shortly before he was killed. He was the father to two young daughters. Anyone with information on the gunman responsible for his death is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 210-224-7867. Crime Stoppers may pay up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest of a suspect. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Caleb Downs covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | cdowns@mysa.com | @calebjdowns A man was arrested early Monday after he allegedly crashed into a building in downtown San Antonio while drunk, police said. The driver and his passenger got into a fight at about 2:45 a.m. while traveling down Commerce Street near Flores Street. The newest report on sexual assault in the military shows more service members report being victimized. Translated: Pentagon efforts to eliminate this scourge are not making headway. This newspapers 2011 series Twice Betrayed and reporting by this newspaper and others of abuse scandals, including at recruit training at Lackland revealed rampant sexual assault in the military. Since then the military has instituted reforms. But its clear these are not enough. The culture that allows such behavior to occur is apparently still flourishing. Although men are also victimized, the vast majority are servicewomen. The Defense Departments report, done biannually, revealed that 6.2 percent of female service members between the ages of 17 and 24 reported being attacked. Thats up from 4.3 percent in 2016. That means 13,000 service women reported some sort of sexual contact or penetrative assault. Women make up about 20 percent of the armed forces. And in one indication that the culture that abets this behavior lingers, the figures also show that only 38 percent of women victims, and 17 percent of men, report their assault. Among active-duty women, 1 in 4 reported sexual harassment, as did 6.3 percent of active-duty men. Sexual harassment and assault are linked. The harassment is an indication that the culture that discourages reporting is at work. And heres what else is part of the culture: Commanders still have authority over prosecutions in the case of sexual assaults. The newspapers series found a widespread reluctance for commanders to act and, too often, allowing or turning a blind eye toward retaliation against those who report. Retaliation is now a crime because of past reforms, and, still, 1 in 5 women reporting assault said they were also victims of retaliation. Something is seriously askew here. All the more reason to take the authority to prosecute out of commanders hands. These decisions must be made by professional prosecutors, those steeped in the law. That is a logical next step one that must be imposed by Congress because the military is opposed. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, acknowledging failure, directed the Pentagon to develop tools for a plan to be presented by Sept. 30. Those plans must also explore why trials for reported offenses remain relatively rare. Congress has given the Defense Department ample time to address all these problems. This latest report reveals that for whatever reason, the Pentagon is faltering. Civilian oversight of the military is one of the strengths of our form of government. It must be more fully exercised when it comes to sexual assault in the military. Zimbabwe Republic Police officer Constable Moses Nigel Jalasi, who allegedly raped and fatally stabbed his stepdaughter 15 times with a scissors at their home in Eastlea on Friday last week, is expected to appear in court today after his arrest on Saturday. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed the arrest. I can confirm the arrest of a police officer who last week raped and stabbed his step daughter 15 times in Eastlea Harare. The officer, who had been on the run since Friday, was arrested in Harare on Saturday, he said. The officer has been identified as Constable Moses Nigel Jalasi and is in custody. He will appear at the Harare Magistrates court on tommorow (today). The incident occurred around 10am on Friday at a flat owned by the ZRP in Eastlea. Herald Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Dr Thokozani Khupe on Saturday said she is ready to lead the MDC after the High Court judgment which nullified the appointment of Mr Nelson Chamisa and Engineer Elias Mudzuri as MDC-T vice-presidents by the late Morgan Tsvangirai in 2016. This is despite the fact that she has her own party, MDC-T, which bears the name of the late founder Morgan Tsvangirai. Khupe who contested the 2018 elections and performed dismally now wants to ditch her own party and grab Nelson Chamisas. Speaking during a press conference on Saturday, Dr Khupe welcomed the ruling and indicated that she would be guided by it. On May 8, Justice Judith Mushore handed down a judgment with regards to our party MDC and placed its leadership back to February 14, 2014 status. I accept and appreciate the judgment and I stand guided by it. The judgment has placed me back as the leader of MDC-T. I therefore accept the huge responsibility that it places on me. She said the ruling has raised legal issues which call for all respondents mentioned in the court order to come up with a way forward on how to implement it. The judgment has raised legal and salient political issues to which I and my colleagues have a responsibility to. In this regard, we have no choice, but to find a way of talking around on how to move from February 2014 as the court has nullified everything that happened after February 2014, she said. There is therefore an urgent need for dialogue between all the parties mentioned in this court order including the applicant on how we can implement it. To achieve this we have instructed our legal counsel to engage the other partys lawyers so that we can dialogue and together map a way forward. This offer is being made without prejudice, but let it be on record that in the event that other parties are not forthcoming, we are still open to other legal remedies, Dr Khupe said. She said MDC was founded on principles of democracy, non-violence, respect of rule of law, constitutionalism and good governance. Herald Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News USMEF: First quarter beef, pork exports below last year's pace For the first quarter of 2019, US beef exports were slightly below last year's record pace while pork exports continued to be slowed by trade barriers, according to March data released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF). March beef exports totaled 107,655 tonnes, down 4% year-over-year, while value fell 2% to US$678 million. For the first quarter, exports were down 3% at 307,306 tonnes valued at US$1.9 billion (down 0.8%). March beef exports were very strong on a per-head basis, with export value per head of fed slaughter averaging US$335.81 up 1% from a year ago and the highest since December. The first quarter average was US$309.32/head, down 2% from a year ago. March exports accounted for 13.6% of total US beef production and 11% for muscle cuts only, which was fairly steady with last March. For the first quarter, these ratios were 12.9% and 10.2%, down from 13.2% and 10.7%, respectively, a year ago. Pork exports totaled 211,688 tonnes in March, down 7% from a year ago, valued at US$520.7 million (down 15%). First quarter exports were 6% below last year's pace in volume (600,268 tonnes) and down 14% in value (US$1.47 billion). Pork export value averaged US$48.55 per head slaughtered in March, down 15% from a year ago. For January through March, export value averaged US$46.15 per head, down 16% from the first quarter of 2018. March exports accounted for 25.6% of total US pork production and 22.7% for muscle cuts only down from 27.5% and 23.5%, respectively in March 2018. First quarter exports accounted for 24.4% of total pork production (down from 26.6%) and 21.3% for muscle cuts (down from 23%). Beef exports to Korea still red-hot; Japan cools slightly in March South Korea continues to be the growth leader for US beef exports, with first quarter volume climbing 8% year-over-year to 56,173 tonnes, while value (US$414.2 million) was 13% above last year's record-shattering pace. US beef has achieved remarkable success in Korea's traditional retail and restaurant sectors but is also rapidly gaining popularity in outlets such as convenience stores and e-commerce platforms. Recent export growth is not only in the ever-popular short rib category, but also in short plate, briskets, clods and rounds, as end-users recognise the versatility and affordability of high-quality US beef. Beef exports to Japan were moderately lower than a year ago in March, but still finished the first quarter 2% above last year's pace in volume (74,147 mt) and 5% higher in value ($480.4 million). This was fueled by growth in variety meat exports, with the US shipping more tongues and skirt meat to Japan. US beef faces a widening tariff disadvantage in Japan compared to imports from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Mexico, and the latest tariff reduction for these countries didn't take effect until April 1. "US beef cuts are still subject to a 38.5% tariff in Japan while our competitors' rate is nearly one-third lower at 26.6%," explained Dan Halstrom, USMEF president and CEO. "This really underscores the urgency of the US-Japan trade negotiations, which must progress quickly if we are going to continue to have success in the leading value market for US beef and pork." Japan's tariffs on beef variety meat are lower, but US shipments are subject to a duty of 12.8% while competitors pay less than half that rate. Other first quarter highlights for US beef include: - Beef muscle cut exports to Mexico continued to shine, with first quarter volume up 14% from a year ago to 35,481 tonnes and value climbing 16% to US$220.7 million. While variety meat exports trended lower year-over-year, combined beef/beef variety volume still increased 1% to 57,591 tonnes while value jumped 12% to US$280.2 million. - Exports to Taiwan were 3% above last year's record pace at 13,487 tonnes, though value slipped 7% to US$117.8 million. US beef dominates Taiwan's chilled beef market with nearly 75% market share the highest of any Asian destination. - CAFTA-DR markets continue to be an excellent source of growth for US beef exports, with first quarter volume to Central America up 15% from a year ago to 3,628 tonnes and value up 19% to US$21.2 million. Exports to the Dominican Republic soared 71% to 2,345 tonnes valued at US$18.9 million (up 65%). - Lower exports to Hong Kong and Canada offset some of the first quarter growth in other markets. Exports to Hong Kong trailed last year's pace by 36% in volume (21,304 tonnes) and 30% in value (US$177.1 million). Exports to Canada were down 14% in both volume (23,199 tonnes) and value (US$143.8 million). - US exports to China were up 4% from a year ago to 1,723 tonnes, but this came at lower prices as export value fell 17% to US$13.2 million. There is tremendous potential in the Chinese market for US beef, but due to China's restrictive import requirements and retaliatory duties pushing the tariff rate to 37%, US prices are significantly higher than the competition. By comparison, most beef suppliers are subject to a 12% tariff in China while beef from New Zealand is duty-free and Australian beef pays only a 6% rate. Australia's grain-fed beef exports to China in the first quarter totaled 14,347 tonnes, up 77% year-over-year. Market access obstacles take toll on first quarter pork exports Since mid-2018, most US pork entering Mexico has faced a 20% retaliatory duty imposed in response to US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. This turn of events ended six consecutive years of record export volumes to Mexico, and early 2019 is showing no signs of relief. First quarter exports to Mexico were down 13% year-over-year in volume (177,420 tonnes) and sank 29% in value (US$261.9 million). The US is still Mexico's primary supplier of imported pork but Canada, Chile and the EU have gained market share in 2019 and Mexico's domestic pork production is trending significantly higher. US pork also faces retaliatory duties in China, raising the total tariff rate from the normal 12% to 62%. This will make it difficult for US pork to capitalise on any increase in China's demand for imported pork, which analysts are projecting in the second half of 2019 and beyond, due to the spread of African swine fever. Through March, US exports to the China/Hong Kong region were 20% below last year's pace in volume (89,689 tonnes) and down 34% in value (US$172.1 million). Leading value market Japan has not imposed any new tariffs on US pork, but US exports are at a disadvantage compared to pork from the EU, Canada and Mexico due to their new trade agreements with Japan. As with beef, this gap will widen unless the US and Japan reach a trade agreement. Through the first quarter, US exports to Japan were 9% below last year's pace in volume (92,503 tonnes) and 11% lower in value (US$374.9 million). "The current environment for US pork is a good illustration of why it has been such a high priority for the US industry to develop a wider range of international destinations," Halstrom said. "Though we absolutely must get back on a level playing field in Mexico, China and Japan, larger exports to emerging markets have offset some of the decline." First quarter highlights for US pork include: - Continued strong growth in Colombia and a large increase in shipments to Chile and Peru pushed exports to South America 41% above last year's record pace in volume (40,998 tonens) and 40% higher in value (US$99.3 million). - Exports to Central America and the Dominican Republic also continue to exceed the record pace of 2018. Strong growth in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama along with continued growth to top market Honduras pushed exports to Central America 12% higher in volume (20,903 tonnes) and 7% higher in value (US$48.1 million). Export volume to the Dominican Republic increased 15% to 10,969 tonnes while value was up 13% to US$24.2 million. - Oceania is a key market for hams and other muscle cuts destined for further processing, and first quarter exports increased significantly to both Australia and New Zealand. Export volume to the region was up 31% from a year ago to 30,070 tonnes while value increased 14% to US$78.6 million. - Exports to Taiwan surged 83% in volume (6,584 tonnes, the highest first quarter since 2011) and 57% in value (US$14.3 million). US pork has been limited in Taiwan by a zero-tolerance policy for beta agonists, but exports have still trended higher over the past two years. In 2019, the US is the only major pork supplier reporting larger exports to Taiwan. - USMEF Lambert here: The author forgot to include the Internet. By Keith A. Spencer, a cultural critic, essayist, and editor at Salon.com. Cross-posted from Alternet. The word innovation has become synonymous with Silicon Valley to the point of absurdity. Indeed, the tech industrys entrepreneurs and thoughtfluencers throw it around as casually as a dodgeball in a middle-school P.E. class; what it really means is perpetually unclear and purposefully hazy. It is vague enough to be suitable in nearly any situation where a new product, service or thing is advertised as superior to the old never mind if the so-called old thing has some distinct advantages, or if the new things superiority is solely that it makes more money than the old thing, or if there are other old things that are actually superior yet which wont make anyone rich. (Consider Apple removing the headphone jack from its new phones to be Exhibit A.) That summary may sound flippant, but it is a good explication of the path of the tech industry over the past two decades: Some venture capitalbacked entrepreneurs jackhammer their way into a new industry, tech-ify it in some way, undermine the competition and declare their new way superior once the old is bankrupted. Thus, rather than confine themselves to operating systems and PC software like they did in the 1980s and 1990s, the tech industry has figured out that the real money lies in being a middleman. By that I mean serving as the in-between point for, say, web traffic to newspapers and magazines (like this one); or being the go-between for taxi services, coordinating drivers and passengers through apps. In both of these examples, the original product isnt that different from the pre-tech world: a taxi ride, in the latter case, a news article in the former. The difference is that a tech behemoth takes a cut of the transaction. And also in many cases, the labor the people making and producing and doing the things the tech industry takes a slice from is more precarious, less well-remunerated, and less safe than it was in the pre-tech era. Looking at it this way, the tech industry doesnt really seem innovative at all. Or rather, its sole innovation seems to be exploiting workers with more cruelty, and positioning itself in the middle of more transactions. Granted, there are certain services that have become more convenientbecause of apps and smartphones but there is no reason that convenience must come at the high cost that it does, besides the tech industrys insatiable lust for profit. Here are but a few examples of how our livelihoods and our societies have been worsened by Silicon Valley as it sinks its talons into new industries. Public transit was never great in the United States, with the exception of a few big cities like New York, and thus private taxi services were around to supplement. Being a taxi driver was once a much-vaunted job, so much so that a taxi medallion was perceived of as a ticket to the middle class. Then came Uber and Lyft, who flooded the market for private transit and undercut the taxi industry by de-skilling the industry and paying their workers far, far less. Driving a taxi is no longer a middle class job; once-valuable taxi medallions have become burdens for some taxi drivers. The outlook for career taxi drivers is so dismal that an alarming number of taxi drivers have been committing suicide. Meanwhile, because of the precarious nature of Lyft and Uber jobs, those drivers are frequently not vetted or under-vetted resulting in significant safety concerns for passengers. And unlike a taxi back in the old days, being a rideshare driver isnt a ticket to the middle-class at all: a recent study of such employees revealed that most contractors use these kinds of jobs not as their sole source of income, but as supplementary jobs to make ends meet. Richard D. Wolff, an economics professor at the New School in New York City, describes gig economy companies like Uber as winning the competition by taking shortcuts that frequently endanger the public. Regulatory agencies for taxis were created in most countries, Wolff says, because taxi companies were historically unsafe. Taxi companies are required now to have insurance, training for drivers, well-inspected cars, and other safeguards to protect the public. The cost of riding in a taxi reflects those safeguards, Wolff said, adding: theres always the incentive for somebody to come in and operate, once again, inadequately insured, inadequately maintained, inadequately vetted drivers to come in with a cheaper cab service [that is] unregulated by the taxi commission. Thats all that Uber and Lyft [are] they undercut the old arrangement and offer cheaper and more competitive services by cutting corners. Home Appliances Lightbulbs have existed for around 140 years, and home refrigerators for about 100. In that span, they havent changed too much, besides getting more energy-efficient, mostly because they havent really needed to: we need to keep food cold, and we need light. The appliances that do these things dont really need to do much else. Now, tech companies are putting wi-fi and Bluetooth chips in all kinds of things that didnt used to be internet-connected. They call it the smart home, and while the word is open-ended, the common thread with smart home devices is that they can generally be monitored via an app. The smart home is sold to us as next-gen, a new advance on traditional appliances. But these devices tend to waste more of our time, and have both privacy and safety risks that regular appliances lack. You cant just put a wi-fi chip in a mundane household object like a lightbulb or a smoke detector without doing something to fix the security holes that emerge with having another device connected 24/7 to the web. But that is exactly what happened: a tremendous number of smart home devices have been hacked and turned into digital soldiers forming massive botnets that can be called up by hackers to engage in distributed denial of service attacks. An Atlantic reporter did an experiment that found that their fake smart home device attracted hundreds of hacking attempts in a matter of hours after being plugged in. Part of the reason that companies are so eager to market the smart home to us is because these devices can be used to build digital dossiers on customers to market things to them. A refrigerator without an internet connection cant generate any data about a consumer, but a fridge with one can regularly report back all kinds of data on the person using it data that can be monetized and sold. Even barring the hacking issue or the privacy issue, smart home devices arent necessarily an innovation because their whole function seems to be to create more work for us and turn us into (essentially) managers. There is a certain managerial mindset that trickles down from the devices creators (who are, at some level, managers themselves) to consumers as if I wanted to spend my days and nights studying graphs and charts of my fridges power consumption, or do a data analysis on my Roombas path. That sounds horrible. Additionally, the difficulty of setting up many of these devices in the first place can be mind-numbing for those lacking technical savvy; notably, drastically increasing the number of wi-fi enabled devices in ones house often means that you need to invest in new internet equipment, either routers or faster internet service or both. Not everyone is an engineer, nor wants to be, but smart home devices often compel us to be and this increasingly complex domain of appliances is supposed to be superior to the simplicity of flicking a lightswitch on the wall. And speaking of turning us into managers Fitness Steve Jobs greatest genius was not in engineering, but in marketing. He understood that late capitalism no longer fulfill needs, but create them; inevitably, Apple became the premier exporter of desire, master marketers who compel us lust over their clean-looking products and obsess over them once we own them. To that end, there was never really anything wrong with fitness; it wasnt an industry that needed to be disrupted, to use Silicon Valleys favorite dystopian verb. But if you slap monitoring devices on your shoes, your watch, your armband, and your water bottle, suddenly you have a huge cache of data points about your body and activity that you can analyze later. Apple and a slew of other apps even help you monitor your ovulation cycle, and some analyze and monetize that intimate customer data. This can create some funny situations when those devices stop being updated or get corrupted; Nike was widely mocked when a $350 pair of smart sneakers were ruined by a faulty update. The idea of being able to hack into someones shoes and ruin them is not exactly where I thought the future was headed. I suppose if you were dreaming of being a statistician collecting data on your body constantly might seem kind of interesting, but if you arent, its just a new source of busyness in your life. Again, building devices to quantize as much fitness data as possible wasnt an example of capitalism fulfilling consumer desire no one, save a few data scientists, ever said, I want to turn my leisure activities and exercise regime into spreadsheets but the tech industry has been very effective at making us desire just that. This obsession with quantifying our existence is known in academic circles as computationalism. Previously I interviewed Professor David Golumbia, who has written about this extensively, and who describes computationalism as the philosophical idea that the brain is a computer as well as a broader worldview according to which people or society are seen as computers, or that we might be living inside of a simulation. There is a small group of people who become obsessed with quantification, Golumbia told me. Not just about exercise, but like, about intimate details of their life how much time spent with ones kids, how many orgasms you have most people arent like that; they do counting for a while [and] then they get tired of counting. The counting part seems oppressive. Convenience Stores In many of the above cases, Silicon Valley has torn into an industry and taken good jobs and turned them into bad jobs. In the case of the corner store, Silicon Valleys aim seems to be to eliminate the human component altogether. There are a few different business spins on how this might be done. The most infamous is Bodega (now known as Stockwell), which we reported on in 2017: Two former Google employees are hoping to take over street corners, dorm rooms, gyms, or anywhere convenient in urban residential neighborhoods, with their reinvention of the vending machine. Paul McDonald and Ashwath Rajan launched a new startup called Bodega, with the goal of making convenient stores all but a thing of the past. Bodega sets up five-foot-wide pantry boxes filled with non-perishable items you might pick up at a convenience store, Fast Company reported. An app will allow you to unlock the box and cameras powered with computer vision will register what youve picked up, automatically charging your credit card. Employees? They would become things of the past as well, because no one will work the bodegas, and all transactions will be electronic. Unsurprisingly given that the friendly neighborhood corner marketplace is something that has existed for centuries across most cultures, seeing a group of out-of-touch tech bros working hard to destroy that touched a collective nerve. In the wake of internet outrage, the two of them apologized and then later rebranded. Stockwell/Bodega is far from the only example of Silicon Valleys crusade against human interaction. Theres a company that is trying to make robots that make, serve and sell smoothies, which we reported on ruefully last year. There are multiple companies, including CafeX, making robot baristas. Amazon is creating Amazon Go stores that lack cashiers, and rather rely on cameras to track what people pick up and then bill them accordingly. The thing is, baristas and cashiers arent things that we are all dying to get rid of; this isnt a comparable situation to the horse-and-buggy days, where cars felt like a serious improvement on using beasts of burden for transit. Silicon Valley is only trying to put baristas and cashiers out of business because human labor costs money; the difference between a $4 coffee from a robot and a $4 coffee from a human is that there are no labor costs in the former purchase, something that makes Silicon Valley go googly-eyed with dollar signs. The tech industrys vision of the future is of a world with less human interaction, less conversation, less humanity; and more surveillance and more monetization of our buying habits. No one wants this, but its being forced upon us. Yves here. This article has an important finding, that having health care industry professionals in the family is a plus for longevity in lower-income households. However, it also has a disturbing blame the poors subtext, in that it assumes that having relatives in the health biz leads to better lifestyle choices, as if not having an uncle who is a doctor means someone is more likely to swill Coke and eat Big Macs. This piece utterly looks past what one of my highly credentialed friends who came from a blue collar family and has a lot of nurses and later MDs in his family: that even when he was as fully armed as a medical professional in dealing with medical professional and institutions on behalf of his father, who suffered from dementia, he would be treated completely differently than his physician brother. Medical professionals take other medical professionals far more seriously than laypeople. My friends case showed that having a medical professional relative act as an advocate made a big difference in responsiveness, which can affect outcomes. On a more mundane level, having a medical expert readily accessible also helps in getting advice, not on lifestyle, but in dealing with accidents or anomalies. It makes a big difference to be able to call a family heath professional and ask if they should visit the doctor or even go to the ER over a worrying health condition. Even in a system with free health care, seeing a doctor is still a tax on your time, something the authors ignore, and low income people are typically more time-poor than well-off people in a country like Sweden with enlightened workplace policies. By Yiqun Chen, Petra Persson Assistant Professor of Economics, Stanford University and Maria Polyakova, Assistant Professor of Health Policy, Stanford University. Originally published at VoxEU Poorer people have worse health at birth, are sicker in adulthood, and die younger than richer people. Apart from socioeconomic status, exposure to informal health expertise may also affect health. Using data from Sweden, this column examines whether having a health professional in the family has an effect on health. It concludes that differences in exposure to informal health expertise can account for some of the observed patterns of health inequality, even in an environment with universal health insurance and equal formal access to healthcare. Poorer people have worse health at birth, are sicker in adulthood, and die younger than richer people. Indeed, growing evidence across various disciplines reveals stark correlations between health capital and socioeconomic status (e.g. Marmot et al. 1991, Case et al. 2002, Deaton 2002, Currie 2009, Lleras-Muney 2018). Yet, the mechanisms underlying these associations are poorly understood. Several proposed explanations suggest that individuals growing up in poor households make fewer investments into their health throughout their lifetime, albeit we do not know why that is the case. In a recent paper, we ask whether unequal access to informal health expertise contributes to health inequality (Chen et al. 2019). The overwhelming share of individuals decisions about their own health investments happens outside of the walls of the formal healthcare system. If, from a very young age, children in poorer households are exposed to less health-related expertise, and, as a result, acquire less tacit knowledge about how to invest in their health, then we would expect these children to have worse health and higher mortality as adults. Thus, our hypothesis is that exposure to informal health expertise affects health, and, consequently, that unequal access to such expertise may perpetuate differences in health between richer and poorer households. To test this hypothesis empirically, we consider one quantifiable measure of exposure to informal health expertise: having a health professional a medical doctor or a nurse in the family. For our analysis, we use rich administrative data from Sweden. These data include rich socioeconomic information, precise information about education, detailed birth records, health care records, and prescription drug records, and mappings of family trees spanning four generations. Despite Swedens universal health insurance system and generous social safety net, we document pronounced inequality in mortality and morbidity. For example, out of 100 individuals that are alive at age 55, nearly 45 will have died by age 80 at the bottom of the income distribution (lowest 5%), while fewer than 25 will have died among the top 5%. We find similarly large differences in the prevalence of lifestyle-related chronic conditions at older ages, in the rate of preventive investments among adolescents, and in the rate of prenatal tobacco exposure. Hence, despite equalised formal access to healthcare and a well-developed social safety net, Sweden exhibits substantial health inequality, measured across a wide range of ages and conditions. In fact, we find that at age 75, mortality inequality is equally pronounced in Sweden as it is in the US. These facts motivated us to examine a mechanism other than differences in health insurance or access to care that may perpetuate socioeconomic differences in health. Specifically, we ask whether a lifetime of differences in exposure to informal health expertise can account for some of the observed patterns of health inequality. Differences in the tacit knowledge of how to invest in ones health, it seems, could persist even in an environment with universal health insurance and equal formal access to healthcare. We start by comparing individuals who have a doctor or a nurse in the family to observationally similar individuals who do not. We find that individuals with relatives in the health profession are 10% more likely to live beyond age 80. They are also significantly less likely to have chronic lifestyle-related conditions, such as heart attacks, heart failure, and diabetes. Younger relatives within the health professionals extended family also see gains: they are more likely to get vaccinated, have fewer hospital admissions, and have a lower prevalence of drug or alcohol addiction. In addition, the closer the relatives are to their familial medical sourceeither geographically or within the family treethe more pronounced are the health benefits, according to our findings. Naturally, we may be concerned that families with a nurse or a doctor are simply different from other families in some ways we cannot observe. These families may talk more about health, may have healthier habits, and may make larger preventive health investments, for example. In a nutshell, they may both be healthier and have a health professional in the family because of their interest in healthrather than the other way around. To overcome this and to quantify the role of informal exposure to health expertise via a medical professional in the family, while avoiding results that would be muddled with other differences between individuals with and without a doctor in the family, we use two different empirical approaches. First, we take advantage of the fact that in some years and for some sets of applicants, randomisation was used to break ties among equally qualified applicants to Swedens medical schools. This allows us to use medical school application records and compare the health of family members of applicants who won and lost such lotteries (applicants can reapply, so we use the lottery outcome on an applicants first admission attempt). We find that having a relative matriculate into medicine reduces older individuals risk of heart attack and heart disease, raises preventive investments and adherence to cardiovascular medication, and generally improves health. All these effects are measured over a period of 6 to 8 years from the relatives matriculation into medical school. Younger generations also benefit from having a relative get medical training: they make larger preventive investments, are more likely to get vaccinated, and have fewer hospital admissions and addiction cases. Second, we examine long-run outcomes by comparing mortality and the prevalence of chronic conditions in the extended families of individuals who train as medical doctors and lawyers, respectively. While both professions enjoy similar levels of income and social status, doctors have a higher degree of health expertise that they can transmit to their families. Comparing more than 30 years of detailed health records, we find that family members of doctors are 10% more likely to be alive than family members of lawyers 25 years after their younger family member matriculated in medical or law studies (see Figure 1). The relatives of doctors also faced lower prospects of lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Figure 1 Doctor in the family and long-run mortality: Event study Notes: The figure illustrates the impact of having a family member trained as a physician (relative to having a family member trained as a lawyer) on the probability of death, along with 95% confidence intervals. The regressions are centred at event year -1, i.e. 1 year before the year of matriculation in a medical (or legal) degree. The dashed vertical line marks the average graduation time for physicians. Standard errors are clustered at the family level. The estimates reveal a clear slowdown in the relative mortality rate among relatives of doctors (as compared to the relatives of lawyers) that starts emerging around year 8 after the young relative matriculates into college. The mortality gap then steadily widens for two decades. The point estimates suggest a 1.7-percentage-point decrease in the probability of death by event time 25, which corresponds to a 10% decline off the mean among relatives of lawyers, which is 17%. The sample includes family members born in Sweden between 1936 and 1940. We exclude family members who are themselves a health professional or have a health professional spouse. An explanation that is commonly discussed in policy circles for the existence and persistence of a negative correlation between socioeconomic status and health is differences in access to healthcare across the socioeconomic spectrum. Our evidence suggests that this explanation can only be one piece of the health inequality puzzle. Whats more, our results imply that a scarcity of access to expertise in households at the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder can create and sustain inequality in health outcomeseven in an environment with fully equalised access to formal healthcare, generous social insurance programs, and a wide social safety net. It is encouraging, however, that the benefits accruing to medical professionals family members appear to be scalable. Our analysis suggests that access to expertise improves health not through preferential treatment, but rather through intra-family transmission of low-tech (and hence, cheap) determinants of health, likely ranging from the sharing of nuanced knowledge about healthy behaviours to reminders about adherence to chronic medication, and to frequent and trustful communication about existing health. This implies that public health policies, as well as carefully designed public and private health insurance contracts that successfully mimic intra-family transmission of health-related expertise, would have the potential to close a significant shareour estimates suggest as much as 18%of the income-mortality gap. See original post for references In these regions, when winter comes, ready or not, creatures big and small endure the coldest and most unforgiving landscapes on the planet. Thursdays from 8:30pm AEDT. Forces from across NATO are currently taking part in exercise Spring Storm in Estonia. Taking place in the north-east of the country, the exercise brings together over 9,000 troops, among them thousands of Estonian conscripts, reservists, active servicemen and hundreds of vehicles from 15 NATO countries and partners. It is the largest annual exercise conducted by the Estonian armed forces. Part of Spring Storm involves exercising in urban areas and the countryside. Estonian Defence Forces have been coordinating air, land and naval forces, testing cooperation between various command levels and conducting readiness drills. Spring Storm shows NATO is capable to defend against any adversary, said NATO deputy spokesman Piers Cazalet. It tests how well our forces work together and it is a strong expression of Allied solidarity. The exercise will test the readiness of NATO forces in responding to a fictional crisis. Around 1,000 Allied troops assigned to NATOs multinational battlegroup stationed in Estonia are taking part in the training. They are supported by Typhoon fighter aircraft from the United Kingdom and Germany alongside Polish aircraft, and Wildcat, Apache and Pavehawk helicopters. Some 2,600 Estonian conscripts are also taking part in the exercise which will mark the completion of their training. Spring Strom is also the main training opportunity for the countrys reservists with more than 2,300 taking part. Spring Storm started on 6 May and will carry on until 17 May 2019. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met the United Nations Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Libya Ghassan Salame at NATO headquarters on Monday (13 May 2019) for talks on the security situation in Libya. The Secretary General expressed the Alliances deep concern over the situation in Libya and stressed that he would continue to urge all parties to end the fighting and join again the political process, as called for by the United Nations. The Secretary General further emphasized that the current conflict is increasing the suffering of the Libyan people and putting civilian lives at risk. He made clear that there is no military solution to the situation in Libya. NATO fully supports the work of the United Nations in Libya and the Secretary General thanked the Special Representative for his work to broker a truce and to find a political solution to the crisis. NATO will continue to urge all parties in Libya, and all members of the international community, to support the UN-led process. The Secretary General stressed that NATO is prepared to help Libya build effective security institutions, including a modern Ministry of Defence and effective security services under the civilian control of the government. This would be done at the request of the Libyan government and only when the security conditions allow it. During his visit, Mr. Salame also briefed the North Atlantic Council. All Allies reiterated that there is no military solution to the current crisis in Libya. They also reiterated their full support to the UN continued efforts in the country. The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will travel to London on Tuesday 14 May and Wednesday 15 May 2019. The Secretary Generals bilateral programme includes meetings with the Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Theresa May, and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, The Right Honourable Jeremy Hunt. During his visit, the Secretary General will deliver a speech at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council London Annual Meeting: A world of risk. Photographs and video of the events will be available afterwards on the NATO website. Follow us on Twitter (@NATO, @NATOPress and @jensstoltenberg). (Natural News) Sauna bathing is a relaxing activity that originated in Finland. According to an interesting study, spending time in a dry sauna can also boost your cardiovascular health. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland and published in the journal BMC Medicine. Earlier research on saunas and heart health usually focused on its benefits for men. However, this study was the first of its kind to report that, regardless of gender, people can enjoy major health benefits from sauna bathing. (Related: Regular sauna bathing reduces your risk of vascular disease and mental health disorders, according to new study.) According to Tanjaniina Laukkanen, first author of the study: Frequent sauna baths are linked to a reduced risk of fatal cardiovascular disease (CVD) events (e.g., heart attack and stroke) and all-cause mortality. But it remains unknown why saunas are linked to these health benefits. Saunas and lower risk for heart conditions For the study, the researchers referenced the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease (KIHD) Study, an earlier population-based heart disease study done in Finland. Using the KIHD study, the team analyzed the occurrence of cardiovascular disease incidents among a cohort of 1,688 volunteers. This included both men and women aged 53 to 74. The researchers initially examined the participants between 1998 and 2001 and had regular follow-up visits with them afterwards. They instructed the volunteers to report their sauna bathing habits, including how often they went every week, how long each sauna bath took, and the temperature of the sauna room. The researchers divided the volunteers into one of three groups based on sauna frequency: Those who went once per week, twice to thrice a week, or four to seven times per week. The researchers reported that a total of 181 fatal CVD events occurred during the roughly 15 years of follow-up. They also found that the participants who used saunas more frequently were less likely to die. Based on their data, the researchers confirmed that the lowest risk of CVD-related mortality was in the group that took sauna baths four to seven times weekly. Those in the group that only took one sauna bath weekly had about four times as many deaths as the group of frequent users. The volunteers who usually took longer sauna baths of about 45 minutes or longer per session, compared to 15 minutes or less, also had better outcomes in terms of CVD-related mortality. Sauna bathing in the U.S. Dr. Cindy Grines, chair of cardiology at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in New York, explained that heat therapy benefits various systems of the body. To illustrate, someone whos sick develops a fever because the heat lets their body fight the infection better. However, the study findings present several challenges for Americans. In Finland, sauna bathing is a common and culturally significant activity. On the other hand, dry saunas are only found in gyms or day spas in the U.S. Dr. Grines added that while saunas offered the greatest benefit to the volunteers who bathed at least four to seven times a week, this is a frequency that Americans are unlikely to achieve. Safety tips for sauna bathing When you enter a sauna in the U.S., you will often see a warning for people with heart conditions. While saunas are generally safe, those who have had a previous heart attack or other heart-related medical emergencies must consult a physician to determine if they can safely go sauna bathing. Surprisingly, this study and previous research suggest that saunas are actually beneficial for people with heart problems. To ensure your safety, keep the following recommendations in mind when taking sauna baths. Dont drink alcohol before, during, or after using a sauna. Stay hydrated while in the sauna. Bring water with you and drink while youre bathing. The heat from a sauna can lower your blood pressure. It can also cause dizziness, especially upon standing up. Stand up slowly and be aware of your surroundings in a sauna. Lift your legs while youre in the sauna to promote blood flow to the brain. Drink at least two to four glasses of cool water after each sauna bath. If youre not used to saunas, Laukkanen advised that you should take a quick bath until you get used to the heat. You should also cool down in room temperature and avoid extreme temperature changes. Try going to a sauna with your friends, and boost your heart health by taking several sauna baths weekly. Sources include: Healthline.com Health.Harvard.edu (Natural News) There is nothing fair or equitable or even remotely close to honest when it comes to the tech giant social media platforms and how they go about deciding who gets to stay online and who must be booted off. Two of the most common reasons the platforms use when censoring or banning people is that they spread hate or condone or advocate violence. But when you look at a list of banned/censored whos who, what you mostly find is a collection of Right-leaning, Libertarian-minded, Trump supporters and conservative pundits. And when you see who Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the other social media behemoths allow to remain on their platforms, you begin to realize that yes, the banning and the censoring really does have a political undertone. For instance, just last week Facebook deplatformed Alex Jones, Infowars, Mike Adams the Health Ranger, Paul Joseph Watson, and Laura Loomer all conservatives. For good measure, Facebook also banned Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, a serial anti-Semite who the Democrat-friendly establishment media labeled Right-wing. Twitter, meanwhile, banned an account that was used to actually track violence committed against POTUS Trump supporters. And yet, people who claim to be associated with Antifa, a Left-wing violence broker once considered a potential terrorist organization by Obamas Department of Homeland Security, remain on these platforms, no questions asked, no concerns voiced, The Gateway Pundit reported. In fact, according to monitoring site Far Left Watch, Antifa-linked accounts have been responsible for doxxing Immigration and Customs Enforcemen t officials and their family members (one of the main reasons behind revealing personal information about someone, including their address, is so they can be targeted for harassment and potential violence). Far Left Watch noted in October: In the lead up to the midterms, social media giants like Google, Twitter, and Facebook have rolled out waves of censorship designed to minimize the influence of conservative activists online. Despite the consistent suspension of conservative and right-wing accounts, Twitter has taken no action against hundreds of violent far-left accounts that use the platform to recruit new members and organize criminal activity. The time has come to regulate these haters Nothing has changed since then. The monitor site tweeted this week that Antifa can freely use social media platforms to encourage their followers to study Communism and take up arms against the right. Meanwhile, the right cant even say learn to code without being banned. Why is that? Antifa can freely use social media platforms to encourage their followers to study Communism and take up arms against "the right". "The right" can't even say "learn to code" without being banned. Why is that? pic.twitter.com/R2Dc8P8wQR Far Left Watch (@FarLeftWatch) May 9, 2019 So, Americans can encourage others to study or support a competing political ideology Communism because thats a form of protected political speech and expression. However, when you combine the message with words and images suggesting violence and even murder a hooded, armed figure with the words Defend your class and Fight the right, thats a different story. That is a blatant call to violence, and anyone who says otherwise and claims to have anything close to a functional IQ is being intentionally misleading. If this isnt enough evidence a) that the social media behemoths are selectively censoring mostly conservatives and Right-leaning voices; and b) that some federal agency somewhere should step in and force them to behave in a fair manner then such evidence will never exist. The Right is in a pickle here in that conservatives traditionally are small-government types who rarely favor government intervention outside of governments traditional roles as enumerated in the Constitution. But clearly, working to undermine one political point of view while claiming to be treating all users the same is not just a willful misrepresentation, it is giving aid and in-kind donations to certain political candidates and their supporters. Its time for big tech to face the censorship music. Is it coming? Attorney General William Barr said earlier this year during his confirmation process he was interested in having antitrust at the Justice Department look at the power of the tech giants. Read more about Antifa-related violence and the tech giants censorship of conservatives at AntifaWatch.news and TechGiants.news. Sources include: NewsTarget.com TheGatewayPundit.com FarLeftWatch.com JUPITER, Fla. - A toxic protein linked to Huntington's disease can move from neuron to neuron through a nanotube tunnel whose construction is initiated by a protein called Rhes, say scientists at Scripps Research. The finding, by Scripps Research neuroscientist Srinivasa Subramaniam, PhD, improves understanding of how and why this disease attacks and destroys certain brain cells. The research was published Friday, May 10 in the Journal of Cell Biology. "We are excited about this result because it may explain why the patient gets the disease in this area of the brain called the striatum," says Subramaniam, an associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Scripps Research-Florida. People with Huntington's disease inherit a damaged protein that is somehow complicit in destroying brain cells. Scientists discovered this protein in 1993 but are still piecing together its role in this degenerative disease. Scans show Huntington's disease brains are shrunken and degraded. As the neurons deteriorate, people lose motor control, they can have emotional problems and their thinking and memory suffer. Symptoms usually begin around age 30 to 40 and last 15 to 20 years until death. A rarer and more aggressive form of the disease affects children, cutting their childhood and lives short. About 3 to 7 people out of 100,000 have the disease and it has mostly affected those with European ancestry. However, Subramaniam believes the disease is underreported in other areas, including India. "There is a lot of stigma associated with the disease," says Subramaniam. His laboratory investigates the molecular mechanics of Huntington's disease and other neurodegenerative illnesses, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, to find potential therapy targets. "In the case of Huntington's, the question is can we block this transport, and does it have any benefit or effect?" says Subramaniam. For this study, Subramaniam and colleague Manish Sharma, PhD, looked at mouse neurons under a confocal microscope and saw that the cells formed sticky, string-like protrusions around 150 microns long which floated above the cells, connecting them. "When I saw Rhes making these tunnel-like tubes between the cells I was excited and at the same time perplexed," says Sharma, the first author of the study. "They may have been missed before because they are on a different plane," says Subramaniam. "You have to be really looking for it. It's like a bridge over a lake. If you are on the lake, you may not see the bridge above, but if you are on shore, you can see the bridge." Scientists first described another type of tunneling nanotube in rat neurons in 2004. Since then, a number of researchers have observed them in cancer and other types of cells. But how they form and what they do was less clear. To find out, Subramaniam and Sharma tracked cell cargo moving through this tunnel bridge. They inserted the Huntington human disease protein into the mouse brain cells, tagged it with fluorescence and then watched as it crossed over and crawled up to enter the neighboring cell. Once the tunnel delivered its shipment it released and sprang back. Lysosomes and endosomes, cellular cargo bins that transport cell pieces or waste, also travel these intercellular highways, Subramaniam says. The Rhes protein exists in both mouse and human brains sick with Huntington's disease. Knocking out the Rhes gene in diseased mice results in less brain damage. In 2009 study, Subramaniam found that Rhes also alters the Huntington disease protein's structure making it more toxic to brain cells. "The Rhes protein makes its own road. That is what is surprising to us," says Subramaniam. "But it not only transports itself. Once the road is made, many things can be transported." Subramaniam's group continues to investigate what other proteins may be helping with tunnel construction and if other disease proteins move along these membranous highways. His laboratory is also developing ways to identify how the Huntington's disease protein travels in the live brain. This Content is contributed by Scripps Research Turkeys largest military exercise Sea Wolf (Denizkurdu) began on May 13. Turkeys largest military exercise Sea Wolf (Denizkurdu) began on May 13. A helicopter lands on a frigate deck during 'Blue Homeland 2019' naval drill in Antalya, Turkey (2019)(Picture source: AA) The exercise, supervised by the Turkish navy, will run through May 25 in the eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Sea with 131 warships, 57 warplanes and 33 helicopters. Turkish Naval Forces will carry out the strategic and operational exercise with scenarios similar to crisis-tension situations and wartime. Domestic and national weapon systems including high-speed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Simsek and anti-surface defence boat Albatros will take part in the drills. High-level submarines, frigates, naval artilleries, armed UAVs, as well as search and rescue units will also participate. A Coast Guard lieutenant accused of stockpiling guns and compiling a hit list of prominent Democrats and TV journalists will remain in custody until trial. Prosecutors in Maryland urged U.S. District Judge George Hazel to revoke a magistrate's order to free 50-year-old Christopher Hasson from custody while he awaits trial on firearms and drug charges. Hazel heard the prosecutors' appeal Monday and ordered Hasson detained pending trial. U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day decided last Tuesday that Hasson could be released from custody and supervised by relatives in Virginia. But Day didn't order Hasson's immediate release. He gave prosecutors time to appeal. Prosecutors called Hasson a domestic terrorist who plotted a killing spree, but they haven't filed any terrorism-related charges against him since his Feb. 15 arrest. Hasson is a self-described white nationalist who espoused extremist views for years and "intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country," Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom wrote in a previous court filing. Prosecutors said Hasson compiled what appeared to be a computer-spreadsheet hit list that included Democratic presidential hopefuls Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Also mentioned were such figures as MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNN's Chris Cuomo and Van Jones. Prosecutors also say Hasson targeted two Supreme Court justices and two social media company executives and searched online for their home addresses in March 2018, within minutes before and after searching firearm sales websites. During last month's hearing, Day said he still has "grave concerns" about Hasson based on information prosecutors have presented. But the magistrate also took into account the defense's argument that he hasn't been charged with any terrorism-related offenses since his arrest. Defense attorney Liz Oyer said conditions of Hasson's release should include home detention with electronic location monitoring, as well as no access to firearms, a computer or other internet-capable devices. Oyer has said her client hadn't made any direct or specific threats to harm anyone. Prosecutors are seeking to punish Hasson for "private thoughts" that he never shared, she said. "They have not come forward with evidence that Mr. Hasson is a domestic terrorist because he is not," she told Day last month. Hasson has pleaded not guilty to charges of illegal possession of firearm silencers, possession of firearms by a drug addict and unlawful user, and possession of a controlled substance. Investigators found 15 guns, including seven rifles, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition at Hasson's basement apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland, prosecutors said. Hasson's Feb. 27 indictment also accuses him of illegal possession of tramadol, an opioid painkiller. Hasson, a former Marine, worked at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington on a program to acquire advanced new cutters for the agency. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group is being deployed to the Persian Gulf to counter an alleged but still-unspecified threat from Iran, the latest in a long line of such deployments to the strategic region. It comes as Iran has started backing away from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision last year to withdraw from the accord and restore crippling sanctions. A look at the aircraft carrier strike group and how it may fit into Washington's strategy. A CITY AT SEA The USS Abraham Lincoln is a Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Commissioned in 1989, the carrier has berthing to carry over 6,000 officers and enlisted sailors. At 332 meters (1,092 feet), it is nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall. It has a 4.5-acre flight deck that carries F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, MH-60 Seahawk helicopters and other aircraft. Inside, its narrow passageways and tight metal stairs lead through a labyrinth of work and living spaces. NEVER ALONE The Lincoln, like other aircraft carriers, moves in a strike group for protection. Accompanying the Lincoln to the Mideast are three destroyers the USS Bainbridge, the USS Mason and the USS Nitze as well as the guided-missile cruiser the USS Leyte Gulf and a Spanish frigate, the ESPS Mendez Nunez. The Lincoln also can defend itself with machine guns and missiles. MOBILE THREAT A carrier allows the military to move an air field into areas where it may not have access to ground facilities. It can cut flight times for warplanes, allowing them to be over battlefields longer. It also serves as a way for a country to project power into a region that may be far from home, which the Lincoln will do once it transits the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil traded at sea passes. IRANIAN RESPONSES The Strait of Hormuz, though considered an international waterway, cuts through Iranian territorial waters. Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary force answerable only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, often follows and cuts in front of carriers with a swarm of fast boats. Iran also flies surveillance drones over aircraft carriers, with the footage often appearing on state television months later as propaganda. They also test-fire missiles and their own weapons as carriers pass. While there hasn't been an armed naval confrontation between Iran and the U.S. since 1988, the encounters can be tense. Iran several times over the years has conducted drills in which they destroy mock-up aircraft carriers similar to the Lincoln. Given the tension between the Iran and the U.S., especially recently, any incident involving the carrier could have far-reaching and unpredictable consequences. Britain's princes keep following in one New Zealand mother's footsteps when it comes to naming their kids, NBC News reported. When Harry and the former Meghan Markle announced they were naming their baby Archie, it was the "icing on the cake" for Jo Stafford, who has a 4-year-old with the same name. She also has an 11-year-old named Charlotte and a 7-year-old named George, plus a 9-year-old named Harry. William and the former Kate Middleton have a Charlotte, 4, and a George, 5, of their own, along with 1-year-old Louis. "I think it's all a little bit of a giggle," Stafford said in an interview from her home in Mosgiel, New Zealand. "It just worked out that way." When his Freightliner box truck clipped an overpass earlier this year in McKinley Park, Gregory Bolden was relieved when a tow driver showed up, unannounced, to haul it away. The driver, who identified himself only as Mike, appeared to be a generous, very authentic guy, Bolden said. I was already kind of vulnerable, and I was feeling bad because I had gotten into a major accident and I didnt know what to do, Bolden told the Chicago Sun-Times. So I felt as if he was helping us out a lot. Bolden now acknowledges his first impression was wrong. A lawsuit filed Thursday by the company Bolden works for, Atlanta-based Critical Logistics, claims Mike was actually 30-year-old felon Jon Twist. The suit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges that Twist towed the semitrailer and has refused to release it until hes paid $10,000. A few weeks after Boldens semitrailer was hauled away, Twist was accused of running a predatory towing scam. Twist and 26-year-old Angel Camacho, both of Brighton Park, were arrested April 5 and accused of impersonating city workers and trying to tow another semi that was wedged under a viaduct near Racine and Pershing, according to Chicago police and Cook County prosecutors. Both men were charged with a felony count of tower solicitation, and Twist also faces a misdemeanor count of unlawful possession of a police scanner. It was on March 18 that Twist had shown up at the scene of Boldens crash in the 3300 block of South Archer. He told the driver he could take the truck to TMTs storage yard at 3503 S. Artesian, according to the suit. Bolden then signed off on a pre-tow disclosure on behalf of Critical Logistics and agreed to pay $450 for the tow and the overnight storage of the truck, the suit claims. At that time, according to the suit, Twist told Bolden he would report the crash to police on behalf of Bolden and his company. But when Bolden showed up at the tow yard the next day, another TMT employee gave him a second, previously unseen disclosure that included a bill for $15,108.50, the suit says. Among other charges, the bill sought $3,950 for the tow. The suit claims Bolden was told that he would need to make a $10,000 down payment to get the truck back. I wanted to see the breakdown of how they actually got to $10,000 because things werent adding up to me at all, Bolden said. A red flag was thrown up as if it was a scam. Thats when Bolden contacted his boss, Anthony Walters, who then spoke with Twist and objected to the change in the fee agreement and the outrageous nature of the second invoice, the suit says. That same day, Walters called the cops and learned that Twist had never filed a police report about the crash. On March 28, Critical Logistics sent a letter to TMT demanding the truck be released from the tow yard, according to the suit. The company has not received a response to the letter, and the truck hasnt been returned. Walters told the Sun-Times the ordeal has been horrible, noting that the truck was his main source of income. That was everything I was riding on, Walters said. I invested almost everything into that truck to make a better life for my family. After Twists arrest last month, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said his operation may have ties to gangs. Guglielmi also said investigators were working to determine whether similar incidents in the Chicago Lawn, Deering and Ogden police districts were part of the predatory scheme. Twist, who was granted a $10,000 personal recognizance bond, was formally indicted on the charges in Cook County on Friday, court records show. Twist and another man were also charged in March 2018 with stealing a recreational vehicle from a storage facility in Elmhurst, according to the DuPage County states attorneys office. Paul Darrah, a spokesman for the states attorneys office, said Twist went free after posting 10% of his $50,000 bail in that case. He is scheduled to appear in court again in Cook and DuPage counties on May 21, according to Darrah and court records. At his bail hearing last month, Cook County prosecutors said Twist was sentenced to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after being convicted of a 2006 aggravated battery. Walters, who lives in Georgia as does Bolden, said he was recently made aware of Twists criminal history. Critical Logistics lawsuit accuses Twist and TMT of breach of contract, conversion and using deceptive practices and fraud to tow the semi and hold it indefinitely. The suit seeks the truck, damages, future relief and court costs and attorneys fees. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., on Monday defended recent remarks she made about the Holocaust and Israel and lashed out at President Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers for "spreading outright lies" about her, NBC News reported. During an interview on Yahoo Newss "Skullduggery" podcast released Friday, Tlaib was asked about her support for a one-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. Tlaib responded by noting that Holocaust Remembrance Day recently occurred and said, "There's kind of a calming feeling I always tell folks when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors, Palestinians, who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some people's passports." She continued, "I mean, just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time, and I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways. But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away, right, and it was forced on them. And so when I think about a one-state, I think about the fact that, why couldn't we do it in a better way?" A number of Republicans, including Rep. Liz Cheney, of Wyoming, slammed Tlaib for using the words "a calming feeling" when speaking about the Holocaust even though she appeared to say she had that feeling when thinking about a safe haven created for Jews after the Holocaust. There is new support for transit workers from some of Connecticut's representatives in Washington, D.C. New federal legislation is aimed at better protecting transit workers from assault and other dangers on the job. NBC Connecticut Investigates has been looking into the issue of assaults on Connecticut bus drivers since last year. Now cosponsoring the Transit Worker & Pedestrian Protection Act are U.S. Congressmen Joe Courtney (D-2nd District), Jim Himes (D-4th District) and John Larson (D-1st District). "Assaults and other mistreatment of public transit workers is a growing issue, one that places increased risk on both the workers and other passengers, as well as bystanders who might be impacted by a distracted or injured driver," Himes said in a statement. Surveillance video obtained by NBC Connecticut Investigates showed passengers spitting on bus drivers time after time. The videos also showed food and drinks being thrown at drivers and even a passenger punching a driver in the face. Of 42 assaults reported between 2016 and 2018, only five had resulted in arrests or charges, according to CT Transit. The incidents were documented in reports filed with CT Transit by the drivers themselves. If signed into law, it would for the first time require local agencies, such as CT Transit, to report assaults to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Currently, there is no requirement that each assault be included in the department's National Transit Database. A representative from Rep. Larson's office said that the congressman is supportive of finding ways to protect workers because no one should feel unsafe in their workplace. Our transit workers serve our communities every day, and these protections are the least we can do to keep transit workers safe. Everyone should feel safe in their place of work, Larson said. Rep. Courtney said this the legislation is a smart way to reduce the safety risk for transit workers. "The people who get us safely to and from work and home deserve our respect and protection. This bill is a step in that direction," said Rep. Himes. The proposal would also require agencies to construct physical barriers around bus driver seats. CT Transit told NBC Connecticut Investigates last year that the bus company would be launching its own barrier pilot program. Last month, Cole Pouliot, general manager of CT Transit, said that only one bus has been equipped with a barrier so far. H.R. 1139 has been referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. Stratford Police are investigating an armed home invasion that left one person injured on Monday morning. Police said it appears three men entered the home on Light Street around 4:15 a.m. and demanded money from the residents. The suspects fled after one of the residents grabbed a knife held by one of the invaders. The victim's hand was cut when he grabbed the blade, but his injury is considered non-life threatening, according to officers. Authorities said they believe the incident specifically targeted the residents and the home and that it was not a random act. The incident remains under investigation. A 19-year-old Brooklyn, Connecticut woman was killed in a crash on Saturday evening. State police said Alyssa Wetnicka was driving south on Wolf Den Road in Brooklyn just before 6 p.m. on Saturday, went across the northbound lane, veered off the road and hit a tree. She was pronounced dead at the scene. State police are investigating. There will be extra police at Middletown High School on Monday after an investigation into a threat, officers said. Police investigated a threat that was determined to be unfounded at the school, according to officers. The extra officers at the school will be there in addition to the normal school resource officers that work there. Police did not release details about what the unfounded threat said or how it was discovered. Police are searching for a man who is wanted for questioning after he allegedly assaulted his father in Bloomfield on Sunday morning. Authorities said he is considered dangerous. Officers responded to Glenwood Avenue aroudn 10:40 a.m. after getting a report of a domestic assault involving a son assaulting his father, police said. When police arrived, they said they found an unresponsive 60-year-old man bleeding heavily from his head. Officers said they were told by the complainant that the suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Anthony Lewis Bussey, had been involved in a physical fight with the man. The complainant said he was in the basement of the home when he heard what he thought was a fight and when he went upstairs, he saw Bussey go into a bedroom and slam the door behind him. The complainant then said he found the man on the floor bleeding heavily from his head. Police checked the home and attempted to find Bussey, but could not find him. They said it appears he fled before officers arrived. The man was transported to St. Francis Hospital where he was assessed to have a broken arm and a skull fracture, police said. Medical personnel advised police that there is a strong likelihood that he may not survive the injuries to his head. Due to the significant nature of the incident, detectives advised the State Prosecutor's Office, who recommended the State Police Major Crime Unit process the scene. A search warrant was secured and executed to process the scene, police said. According to police, Anthony Lewis Bussey is wanted for questioning and is considered dangerous. He is 5'8" tall and weighs 200 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. Bussey was last seen without any shirt or shoes, however, police said it's likely he was fully clothed before he fled the home. His possible whereabouts are unknown. Anyone with information about the incident or information about where Bussey may be is asked to contact Bloomfield Police Department at (860) 242-5501. The State of Connecticut is offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the death of a baby boy in Greenwich that happened in 1986. Officers are continuing to investigate the unsolved death of a baby boy who died on May 16, 1986. He would have been 33 years old this week, police said. According to police, the baby boy, who investigators named Baby John, was found dead in a dumpster of an apartment building on Mason Street in downtown Greenwich. The medical examiner determined Baby John was killed shortly after he was born. The state is offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people who are responsible for Baby John's death. Greenwich Police ask anyone with information on Baby John's death or the circumstances around it to contact the tip line at (203) 622-3333 or (800) 372-1176. We're in the midst of one of the worst measles outbreaks in years and as the contagious virus spreads across the country, lawmakers here in Connecticut are trying to stop this and future outbreaks. Right now, state law requires all school children to be vaccinated unless they have a religious or medical exemption. On Monday, state lawmakers are discussing the possibility of removing the religious exemption. This discussion comes amid a nationwide measles outbreak. Recently, the state Department of Public Health released data on the immunization rates for the state's public and private schools. More than 100 Connecticut schools fall under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended 95 percent immunization rate for measles, mumps and rubella vaccines in kindergartners. While some of the data is being questioned, Governor Ned Lamont called the data "startling." Attorney General William Tong said the state may create, eliminate or suspend the religious exemption to protect public safety and health. Opponents said the state has a high vaccination rate and lawmakers should not be dictating a public health policy. All members of the General Assembly have been invited to participate in the hearing. There is also a public comment period following the testimony from legislators, public health experts, clergy and medical professionals. North Texas is one of the fastest growing regions in the nation, but it doesnt come without its fair share of growing pains. The commute through far West Fort Worth is marred with gridlock and growing frustrations for those who travel on Interstates 30 and 20. Some wonder if a bottleneck is in the future of the area. I dont know that I would say in the future, unless you mean at 4 this afternoon, because I think we already have the bottleneck, said Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley. The issue is the symptom if major growth in the area; particularly in the Morning Star and Walsh developments. The forecast is tens of thousands of homes. Not just thousands, but tens of thousands of homes. All that traffic is coming in in the morning and all that traffic is going out in the afternoon, Whitley said. Tarrant County, Fort Worth and the Texas Department of Transportation are looking for solutions. Weve been looking at everything west of 35 for a number of years, TxDOT has some expansion of I-30 from 820 to Linkcreast, Whitley said. But, thats not even scheduled to start construction until 2023. Were doing a lot of work on 199 to bring that in. Whitley said funding remains a challenge. I think that some of the legislation we are seeing right now is going to put roadblocks on our ability to try to at least stay up with the growth, because we you dont stay up with it, then I think you being to discourage it, he said. I always say, if we are going to keep people moving here, then weve got to keep them moving after they get here. Whitley said he isnt sure governing bodies can ever get ahead of the growth, but should at least keep up with it. I think it is going to be difficult to see any meaningful building or completion until somewhere around 2023 [or] 2024. Its a long time in coming, he said. A missing Grand Prairie mother and young daughter have been found safe, according to a report from our media partners at The Dallas Morning News. Amanda Sims, 27, and her daughter, 5-year-old Olivia Boyd, were reported missing by police Monday morning. They were in a white, 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe with Texas plates AB3-9165. A Canadian man was sentenced Monday to a year behind bars for his role in a scheme to dupe Southern California grandparents into believing their grandchildren or other relatives were in danger in foreign countries and immediately required money. Pascal Gaudreault, 48, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner to serve two years under supervised release after he is released from federal prison. He pleaded guilty in March to one federal count of wire fraud. Gaudreault and his co-defendants contacted grandparents throughout Southern California and falsely told them that money needed to be sent to resolve a relative's purported problem, such as a car accident, in which bail money or repair expenses were immediately needed. The defendants -- who had no actual association with the relatives -- instructed the grandparents to use wire transfer services to send money that did not end up going to help their grandchildren or other relatives, according to the indictment filed 2012 in Los Angeles federal court. In some cases, the victims were contacted again to send additional money to fully resolve their relative's supposed problem. Wire transfers were sent from victims in six California cities, including Burbank, Canyon Country, Tarzana and Irvine. The transfers involved amounts ranging from $1,000 to nearly $3,000, according to court papers. Investigators determined that the grandparents were identified through mass-produced lead lists that targeted a specific victim demographic. Pascal Goyer, 36, was sentenced in November 2014 to five years in federal prison for orchestrating the scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. A 41-year-old homeless man was arrested Sunday for allegedly burning an American flag left at a California Highway Patrol memorial in the city of Industry, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. Scott Kennard was arrested at the memorial near the intersection of Valley Boulevard and Turnbull Canyon Road about 10 a.m., Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez said. The memorial was set up for David Romero, a CHP motorcycle officer who died in 2005 when a suspected drunken driver hit him while he was stopped at a red light, according to the sheriff's department. Kennard caught the attention of a CHP officer who was at the memorial after he was seen wandering around the shrine, Navarro-Suarez said. The CHP officer allegedly saw Kennard grab an American flag placed at the memorial and shield it with his hand before flames erupted from the flag as Kennard began walking away, Navarro-Suarez said. The CHP officer tried to save the flag but it was too badly burned, Navarro-Suarez said. Kennard was then arrested and taken to the Industry sheriff's station -- where he was charged with alleged felony arson of property. Kennard was jailed on $50,000 bail. There's no word yet as to why he burned the flag, which has been replaced. He's scheduled to head to court in West Covina on Tuesday, according to jail records. Police say an Arizona man has been arrested and accused of manslaughter after his baby daughter was left alone in a hot car and died. Lake Havasu City police say 23-year-old Ty Martin allegedly left the infant unattended in a car for up to an hour Saturday while visiting a friend, who was charged in a marijuana grow operation. Officers began CPR on the unresponsive child until a city fire department crew arrived and transported her to the hospital. Lake Havasu City Police Department Police say the baby was pronounced dead a short time later. The Mohave County Medical Examiner will determine a cause of death. Police didn't immediately release the name of the child and it was unclear Monday if Martin has a lawyer yet who can speak on his behalf. A home intruder who was shot dead in Lancaster was identified Monday as 27-year-old Michael Clark Lashomb by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. The shooting in the 45100 block of Loma Vista Drive was reported to authorities at 6:43 a.m. on Sunday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Information Bureau reported. Deputies were sent to a home in response to a "burglary now, person shot" call and located a man who had suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A family was inside of the home and heard loud banging noises. A family member then entered the upstairs bedroom, where "fearing for his safety and the safety of his children, the resident armed himself with a handgun and fired one shot, striking the suspect," according to a sheriff's statement. No residents were injured. It appears the suspected burglar entered the home through one of the downstairs rear windows. Sheriff's homicide detectives asked anyone with information regarding the shooting death to call them at 323-890-5500. Author Natasha Tynes sparked outrage on social media after she tweeted a photo of a black Metro employee eating on the train and reported the woman to officials. Now, Tynes may lose her book deal. Tynes, a writer and World Bank employee in Washington, tweeted a photo Friday morning of a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority employee in uniform eating on one of the service's trains, NBC News reported. "When youre on your morning commute & see @wmata employee in UNIFORM eating on the train," Tynes wrote in the tweet, which she has since deleted. I thought we were not allowed to eat on the train. This is unacceptable. Hope @wmata responds. When I asked the employee about this, her response was, worry about yourself.'" Transit officials responded to her tweet within an hour and thanked her for "catching" the employee eating and "helping" to "make sure all Metro employees are held accountable." The response said: "Can you confirm the time you were on the train, the direction you were headed and what line you were on? Tynes provided those details and added: "Thank you for responding. Appreciate it." Eating, drinking, smoking and littering is banned on Metro buses or trains and in stations. But the backlash began immediately. University of New Hampshire professor Chanda Prescod-Weinstein commented: "Eating while Black." Swedish prosecutors said Monday they are reopening a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and seek his extradition after he has served his 50-week prison term in Britain for jumping bail. Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference in Stockholm that "there is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape." She added: "It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required." Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges a step short of formal charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010, following complaints from two Swedish women who said they were the victims of sex crimes committed by Assange. The Australian secret-spiller left Sweden for Britain in September 2010, and took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition. After almost seven years holed up in the building, he was arrested by British police April 11 when Ecuador revoked his political asylum, accusing him of everything from meddling in the nation's foreign affairs to poor hygiene. He is currently in London's Belmarsh Prison serving a 50-week sentence for jumping bail in 2012. He is also being held on a U.S. extradition warrant for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. While a Swedish case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped in 2017 when the statute of limitations expired, a rape allegation remains. Swedish authorities have had to shelf it because Assange was living at the embassy at the time and there was no prospect of bringing him to Sweden. The statute of limitations on that case expires next August. Assange has denied wrongdoing, asserting that the allegations were politically motivated and that the sex was consensual. Julian Assange's Swedish lawyer Per E. Samuelsen told Swedish broadcaster SVT on Monday he was "very suprised" by the decision to reopen the case. "I do not understand the Swedish prosecutor's ... reasoning for reopening a 10-year old case," he said. Persson said a European arrest warrant will be issued for Assange. A Swedish court would formally issue the extradition request, which Assange could appeal. She added that while there is a risk the case may cut close to the statute of limitations deadline, "there is also a chance that we will be able to get him extradited before August 17 next year." The Swedish move would leave British authorities to decide whether to extradite Assange to Sweden or to the United States, where he is wanted separately for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. There was no immediate reaction from Elisabeth Massi Fritz, the lawyer for the woman who reported being raped by Assange. The 47-year-old Australian met the women in connection with a lecture in August 2010 in Stockholm. One was involved in organizing an event for Sweden's center-left Social Democratic Party and offered to host Assange at her apartment. The other was in the audience. A police officer who heard the women's accounts decided there was reason to suspect they were victims of sex crimes and handed the case to a prosecutor. Neither of the alleged victims has been named publicly. Assange faces a maximum of four years in prison in Sweden. The British extradition process is not swift, and Assange could appeal several times if decisions go against him. It's expected it would take a year or longer for him to be sent to the United States or possibly to Sweden even if he ultimately loses in court. WikiLeaks' Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said the decision to reopen the case against Assange "will give Julian a chance to clear his name." He said in a statement that Swedish prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson had been under "intense political pressure" to reopen the case, and criticized authorities for "mishandling" it from the start. Gregory Katz contributed to this report. The White House's top economic adviser acknowledged Sunday that U.S. consumers and businesses pay the tariffs that the Trump administration has imposed on billions of dollars of Chinese goods, even as President Trump himself insisted in a tweet, incorrectly, that China pays. "Yes, I don't disagree with that," said Larry Kudlow, the head of the president's National Economic Council, when Chris Wallace, host of "Fox News Sunday," asked him, "It's U.S. businesses and U.S. consumers who pay, correct?" Kudlow added, "Both sides will pay," but he stipulated that China "will suffer (economic) losses" from reduced exports to the U.S., not from paying the tariffs. Kudlow's admission contradicts many of Trump's comments and tweets to the effect that Chinese companies pay the tariffs in what amounts, in the president's view, to a massive transfer of wealth to the United States from China. Yet almost no economist has agreed with Trump's view and fact-checkers routinely brand Trump's assertion false and point out that American importers of goods from China pay the tariffs. Trump has also asserted that trade wars are "easy to win," but Kudlow accepted that they come with costs for the U.S. economy, though he downplayed the impact. On Friday, the Trump administration raised duties on $200 billion of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%, after charging that China had backtracked on commitments it made earlier in the talks. The administration has already hit $50 billion of additional Chinese goods with 25% duties. Later Sunday, Trump reiterated his view in a tweet: "We will be taking in Tens of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs from China. Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-Tariffed countries." Yet Carl Weinberg, chief international economist at High Frequency Economics, a forecasting firm, pointed out that many goods made in China aren't manufactured elsewhere. That's why many U.S. importers have little choice but to pay the tariff. "So if you need that new iPad, it is you who will be paying the import duty, not some worker in China," Weinberg wrote in a research note. Trump has also threatened to impose import taxes on the remaining $300 billion in Chinese imports, a step that Kudlow estimated would take several months to implement. Imposing those tariffs would impact a wide range of consumer goods clothes, shoes, toys, and electronics such as iPhones that have been mostly exempted so far and could prompt steep cost increases that many Americans would likely notice. Kudlow, however, said the economic impact of placing tariffs on all Chinese imports would be to cut economic growth 0.2 percentage points, "a very modest number." Independent economists, though, think the impact would be larger. Gregory Daco, an economist at Oxford Economics, estimates it would reduce U.S. growth by a half percentage point and cost 300,000 jobs. Kudlow also said the U.S. is awaiting retaliation from China over the increased tariffs, after talks in Washington ended on Friday without a deal. "The expected countermeasures have not yet materialized. We may know more today or even this evening or tomorrow," he told "Fox News Sunday." Both sides have indicated that future talks are likely. Kudlow said on Sunday that Chinese officials have invited U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to visit Beijing, though nothing has been scheduled. Kudlow also said that Trump and China's President, Xi Jingping, may meet in late June at the G-20 international conference in Japan. On Saturday, Trump tweeted that he thought that "China felt they were being beaten so badly in the recent negotiation that they may as well wait around for the next election, 2020, to see if they could get lucky & have a Democrat win." Beijing retaliated for previous tariff hikes by raising duties on $110 billion of American imports. And officials have targeted American companies operating in China by slowing customs clearance and stepping up regulatory scrutiny. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told ABC's "This Week" that he advised the president to finalize a trade deal with China soon, "because the longer we're involved in a tariff battle or a trade war, the better chance there is that we could actually enter into a recession because of it." The two countries are sparring over U.S. allegations that China steals technology and pressures American companies into handing over trade secrets, part of an aggressive campaign to turn Chinese companies into world leaders in robotics, electric cars and other advanced industries. A North Korean cargo ship seized by the U.S. because of suspicion it was used to violate international sanctions arrived at the capital of this American territory, where it will undergo inspections. The Wise Honest was slowly towed to the port of Pago Pago during a cloudy Saturday morning and docked at the main docking section of the port that afternoon. The trip from Indonesia took about three weeks and American Samoa, in the South Pacific, was chosen because of "its central strategic location," U.S. Coast Guard public affairs officer Amanda Wyrick said. "We also have a good strong relationship and partnership with the American Samoan government," Wyrick said. "With that being said, we also already have the resources that are able to ensure the security of the vessel but most importantly the Port of Pago Pago." Indonesian authorities detained the ship in April 2018. Justice Department officials announced Thursday the U.S. had seized the ship. Asked as to how long the ship will be in the territory, Wyrick said the U.S. Department of Justice is "leading the investigation so they will be conducting that. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the ship will be moved." But she said the next destination is unknown. "I do know that Justice Department is going to do the investigation as fast as they can," Wyrick added. She said she didn't have the exact number of U.S. Coast Guard personnel or people from other federal agencies who have traveled to American Samoa for the investigation. "We have a marine and safety security team here from Honolulu," Wyrick said. "We're conducting random patrols, also conducting inspection of the vessel and the Port of Pago Pago, keep an eye on things such as security breaches or vandalization of the ship itself." Officials are also making sure the port is protected, she said. "We especially in the Coast Guard, we understand the importance of the port. It's a lifeline in getting goods to the islands," Wyrick said. "So we want to make sure that we're doing everything we can, to make sure that there's absolutely no disruption to the flow of commerce coming in and out." The U.S. government dispatched an inspection team to the ship before it docked in Pago Pago, she said. Wyrick noted there was an inspection conducted before leaving Indonesia and, because the ship has been at sea for three weeks, "it's subject to the elements." "The inspection of the ship before entering the harbor is to make sure the structure integrity of the boat is still intact. In that way, once we get the thumb's up, and the green light, and the inspectors deem it safe, then it will enter the port," Wyrick said. U.S. officials made the announcement of the ship's seizure hours after North Korea fired two suspected short-range missiles toward the sea, the second weapons launch in five days and a possible signal that stalled talks over its nuclear weapons program are in trouble. It was called "collateral" nude photos and other embarrassing material that female members of an upstate New York self-improvement group turned over to their "masters" to ensure obedience, silence and sexual fealty to the organization's spiritual leader, Keith Raniere. Now some former members of the group, NXIVM, are poised to break their vow of silence for the first time by testifying against Raniere, who has been compared to a cult leader. Opening arguments are set for Tuesday at a federal court in Brooklyn. Among the more sensational allegations: Some women "slaves" in a secret NXIVM sorority were branded with Raniere's initials as part of their initiation. Others were threatened with the release of their collateral if they didn't have unwanted sex with him. Prosecutors have been tight-lipped about who will testify about the sorority, called DOS, an acronym for a Latin phrase roughly translated as "Lord/master of obedient women." There's speculation that former members of Raniere's inner circle including TV actress Allison Mack and Lauren Salzman, the daughter of the group's top executive, could take the witness stand against him. 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 testify measures needed to protect them from "potential harassment" and "undue embarrassment." Raniere, 58, 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 court's view, the witness is a victim of a sex crime who is in danger." Either way, the case has resulted in a dramatic downfall for Raniere from a time when he was known as "Vanguard" by devotees in the United State and Mexico. Promotional material for the now-disbanded NXIVM once hailed him as a "scientist, mathematician, philosopher, entrepreneur, educator, inventor and author" who has "devoted his life to developing new tools for human empowerment, expression and ethics." Last year, after a New York Times expose on the group and reports that investigators were interviewing some women who had defected from DOS, Raniere fled to Mexico. He was ultimately found staying with Mack and other women in a luxury villa in Puerta Vallarta and taken into custody on a U.S. warrant. Mack, best known for her role as a young Superman's close friend on the series "Smallville," also was charged, along with Clare Bronfman , an heir to the Seagram liquor fortune who bankrolled NXIVM. Salzman and two others also faced charges. But after prosecutors added child exploitation charges against Raniere earlier this year based evidence he had sex with a 15-year-old girl, all of his co-defendants pleaded guilty . Salzman admitted in her guilty plea they she held a Mexican woman hostage in an upstate home for more than two years under threat of having her deported, "if she did not complete labor requested by myself and others." At her plea hearing, Mack tearfully said she had collected "collateral" against women and expressed regret about getting involved with Raniere a change of heart from when she told The New York Times that, as one of the DOS "masters," she saw the women's servitude and willingness to be branded as acts of devotion. Authorities say the branding was done using a cautery pen without anesthesia by a doctor who is now under investigation by state health officials. Eight "Jane Does" in that case have refused to answer questions, saying through their lawyers "the branding was a voluntary free expression of personal beliefs." In the court papers, defense lawyers have similarly claimed the alleged victims were never abused. The women are instead described as "independent, smart, curious adults" in search of "happiness, fulfillment and meaning." But legions of NXIVM defectors and detractors have called the self-help rhetoric a brainwashing device that has destroyed lives. Among the most vocal opponents has been TV actress Catherine Oxenberg of "Dynasty" fame, whose daughter is a former NXIVM member who once revealed to her mother she had been branded and considered it "character building." Hearing that, "My heart broke into a millions pieces," Oxenberg said at a recent forum on the subject. "I knew I had lost her." A Florida man who was caught on camera standing through his Cadillac's sunroof while driving down a highway told troopers he'd "rather go to jail than go back home" to his wife, authorities said. Leonard O. Olsen, 70, was arrested back on May 7 on a misdemeanor reckless driving charge, according to a Florida Highway Patrol arrest report. FHP officials released cell phone footage showing Olsen standing up through the sunroof, his arms spread wide, as his Cadillac traveled down I-4. "I thought it would be a nice way to praise God for a minute, and I thought it would be nice at the time and that's what I did," Olsen told a trooper, according to the report. The report said an off-duty Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy spotted Olsen standing out of the car and said he was going over 100 mph at one point. The deputy filmed the incident and contacted FHP, and a trooper stopped Olsen's car, the report said. Olsen, of Lakeland, told troopers that the car was on cruise control. "The car drives itself and has a gigantic computer in it," he said, according to the report. The report said Olsen also asked if he could turn himself in. "My wife treats me like a servant and she's the mistress and I'm tired of this s---," he said, according to the report. "Lock me up, I'd rather go to jail than go back home." Olsen was taken into custody, and was given $1,000 bond on the reckless driving charge, jail records showed. Attorney information wasn't available. What to Know Kefford will be replacing Ty Thompson, who announced Friday that he will be stepping down from his position at the end of the school year. Just days after the principal of a Parkland high school the day of a deadly mass shooting on campus announced he was stepping down, students and teachers are finding out who will be taking his spot starting next fall. Sources with Broward County Schools told NBC 6 that Michelle Kefford will take over starting in the 2019-20 school year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Kefford, who has spent 17 years in education and has degrees from Florida State University, FIU and Florida Atlantic University, comes to MSD from Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines where she has been in charge since 2011 and was named the state of Floridas Principal of The Year this past school year. An official announcement will take place Monday afternoon. Kefford will be replacing Ty Thompson, who announced Friday that he will be stepping down from his position at the end of the school year citing health and family as his reasons for leaving. "Advisors and fellow colleagues always said take care of yourself. If at any point you feel like it is affecting your family or your health you need to make a change. That time has come, Thompson said in a message to MSD families. I wanted to stay and see this through but I just can't continue at this pace. My decision was not an easy one." Thompson was principal in February 2018 when authorities say a former student opened fire at the school, killing 17 people. He was added to a school district investigation in March, when his responsibilities were reassigned to other administrators as the schools day-to-day operations have been managed by Principal Teresa Hall, who joined MSD as co-principal in July 2018. Thompson, who has led MSD since 2013, was not on campus when the shooting happened. A state panel investigating the shooting criticized Thompson in December for not being informed on how his administration handled student threats. What to Know Cops arrested yet another suspect in connection with the death of a 21-year-old man they say was hunted down "like an animal," officials say Donovan McDay was arrested in upstate NY and extradited to Brooklyn in connection with the death of Tyquan Eversley, sources said Eversley was shot to death in broad daylight behind a home on Elton Street in East New York on March 19, police said Police have arrested yet another suspect in connection with the death of a 21-year-old man they say was hunted down "like an animal" before he was shot to death, officials say. Donavin McDay, 29, of Brooklyn, was arrested in upstate New York and was extradited to Brooklyn in connection with the death of Tyquan Eversley, law enforcement sources told News 4 on Monday. McDay is charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Attorney information for McDay wasn't immediately available. Eversley was shot to death in broad daylight behind a home on Elton Street in East New York on March 19, police said. Police have already arrested Alfred Crooks, 22, Frank Cook, 33, Leroy Dunn, 35, Rahmel Briggs, 29, and Michael Reid, 25, all of Brooklyn, as well as Anthony Frazier, 37, of Pennsylvania, in connection with Eversley's death. Two other suspects, Shacore Huff and Rakiem Smith, are still at large, according to police. Police say a group of gang members chased Eversley down the streets and through at least one backyard before shooting him five times, killing him. A series of surveillance videos show the suspects waving their guns as they run down a sidewalk, past a home, through an alleyway and into a backyard while chasing him. Eversley tries to hop a fence behind a home, but gets slowed down by barbed wire, video shows. Thats when his attackers catch up to him and shoot him, according to police. Ultimately, hes cornered like an animal, in the back of a private residence, where hes shot multiple times, NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said at a press conference after Eversley's death. This was difficult to watch for a lot of different reasons. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS. A Hofstra University fraternity on Long Island, New York, has been temporarily suspended after video was shared on social media purportedly showing Alpha Epsilon Pi members forcing a dog to drink beer from a keg at an off-campus party, NBC News reports. In a five-second video that has been viewed almost 100,000 times on Twitter, a male can be seen holding a small dog over a keg while another male squirts beer into the dog's mouth. The video was recorded at an off-campus fraternity house in Hempstead, New York, and posted on Snapchat by an Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity member over the weekend, students said. A spokeswoman for the university told NBC News on Monday that the behavior seen on the video is "unacceptable" and in violation of its Code of Community Standards. Jonathan Pierce, a former international president of Alpha Epsilon Pi and the fraternity's spokesman, said the Hofstra University chapter has been placed on a "cease and desist" due to suspected violations of the organization's health and safety policies. Federal authorities say a Massachusetts man has been arrested in an attack on the Appalachian Trail that left one person dead and another severely injured. U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen said in a news release Sunday that 30-year-old James L. Jordan of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, was arrested early Saturday and charged with murder and assault. The Wythe County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Saturday that two hikers reported a man with a machete was attacking people. The federal release doesn't identify the weapon but describes the attack as a "deadly stabbing.'' Authorities say the federal charges against Jordan will be filed officially on Monday and Jordan will have a first appearance in U.S. District Court in Abingdon. It wasn't clear Sunday if Jordan has an attorney. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has changed the schedule for his latest trip to Europe, substituting a stop in Moscow for one in Brussels to discuss Iran and other issues with European officials. A State Department official says Pompeo, who departed Sunday night, is still expected to meet Tuesday in Sochi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The official isn't authorized to discuss the itinerary by name and requested anonymity. The visit to Sochi will be Pompeo's first to Russia as secretary of state. Twice last week Pompeo changed his travel schedule at the last minute, also citing matters dealing with Iran. He cancelled a stop in Berlin to fly to Iran, then canceled a stop in Greenland to fly home from London. What to Know Delaware lawmakers are considering a ban on single-use plastic bags. The bill to be voted on is aimed at cutting down on the amount of bags cluttering landfills, littering roadways and clogging systems. Restaurants are excluded from the bag ban, which also allows exceptions for bags used to wrap meat, fish, flowers or plants. The state House is set to vote on a bill that largely prohibits retailers in Delaware from providing single-use carryout plastic bags to customers. The bill to be voted on Tuesday is aimed at cutting down on the amount of plastic bags cluttering landfills, littering roadways and clogging stormwater systems. The bill applies to stores with more than 7,000 square feet of sales space, and chain stores with three or more locations having at least 3,000 square feet of sales space. Restaurants are excluded from the bag ban, which also allows exceptions for bags used to wrap meat, fish, flowers or plants, or that contain unwrapped food items. You could also still carry a goldfish home from a pet store, or your laundry from the dry cleaners, in plastic bags. What to Know Videos show teens and police fighting at a carnival in Norristown, Pennsylvania. One of the officers in the video appears to place a teen girl in a chokehold and exchanges punches with another. Police say several arrests were made and they continue to investigate the incident. Police in Montgomery County are investigating after an officer was captured on video seemingly applying a chokehold to a teenage girl and exchanging punches with another during a melee at a community carnival. Various cellphone videos show two Norristown Police Department officers attempting to detain a grounded teenage girl as a group of shouting juveniles surrounds them Saturday night at the St. Francis Spring Carnival in Norristown. The officers were responding to a call of a fight involving more than 50 youths, Norristown Chief of Police Mark Talbot said. "The crowd ignored all orders by the police and continued to fight. Officers reported being kicked, shoved, and punched and were forced to call for assistance from several surrounding departments," Talbot said. One video shows that as one officer pins to the ground the girl who they were initially trying to detain, a second officer tries to keep the crowd away. The second officer then goes to assist his partner, which is when some of the teens get closer, one girl reaching between the girl on the ground and the officers. The second officer then shoves the girl away and gets up, apparently trying to detain her. Various teens then swarm him as two other girls turn their attention to the girl and the officer still on the ground. The girls stand inches away from the officer, who is now using his left arm to hold on to the grounded girl by the throat, and repeatedly shout at him as he motions for them to get back. One of them takes a step toward the officer, prompting him to punch her in the torso with his free hand. As the second officer returns and continues to keep the crowd at bay, the second girl juts her head toward the grounded officer and continues to shout at him, which is when he uses his free hand and seemingly punches her in the face. The girl responds by punching the officer four times in the head before his partner tackles her to the ground. Various youths then get on top of both officers, seemingly grabbing at them and trying to pull them off the girls. A third officer finally arrives, pushing away many of the juveniles before grabbing his pepper spray and repeatedly shouting at them to "get back." That's when many of the teens run away and an onlooker seemingly attempts to shield the police as the third officer assists the other two in trying to detain the grounded girls. Officers made "several" arrests, Talbot said. "A full and thorough investigation is being conducted. We are committed to uncovering all of the relevant facts and will proceed in a transparent and impartial fashion," the chief added. On Sunday, Chief Talbot held an open forum in which he addressed the community's concerns regarding the video. "This is not a racist police department," Talbot said. "This wasn't an act of terror by police. These officers were overcoming a significant amount of resistance." Police will investigate the conduct of the officers involved and determine whether the hold the officer placed on the girl was warranted. The teen girl who was placed in the headlock as well as her mother both spoke to NBC10. The girl claims the responding officers mistakenly believed she was involved in an earlier fight between a group of teens. "I was saying, 'I can't breathe. Can you please let me go?' It was pressing right on my neck. I couldn't breathe at all. It was terrible," the girl told NBC10. The girl also said her cousin was the teen who was punched by the officer and later body slammed to the ground. The girl's cousin remains in custody and will have a court hearing Monday after being accused of assaulting an officer. The girl and her mother both want an apology from the officer and for him to be fired. Josh Nelson, who attended the carnival with his family and witnessed the fight, defended the officers' actions, telling NBC10 they did nothing wrong. "They did what they had to do," Nelson said. "They jumped in the middle of the crowd. Started moving people. People started hitting them. They were just pretty much trying to police the situation." On Monday at 2 p.m., students from nearby Stewart Middle School walked out of class and arrived at the carnival site to protest the incident. They said they wanted the officers involved to be held accountable but they also condemned the actions of the teens who were fighting as well. "I'm helping them to understand it was two," Yvette Madden, one of the students, told NBC10. "It was both parties. They made some wrongs. The officers made some wrongs as well." NBC10 also spoke with Jamison Rogers, a police expert who analyzed the videos and concluded the officers handled the situation as best as they could. "There are guns that are exposed to the backs of the officers that anyone could get a hold of," Rogers said. "I do believe there was an immense amount of restraint." Rogers also pointed out that no weapons were drawn during the altercation. All of the officers involved in the incident remain on duty as the investigation continues. What to Know The number of U.S. measles cases connected to the current outbreak hit 839 as of Friday, the CDC said Monday The burgeoning national outbreak has been fueled by outbreaks in New York, primarily in the city and Rockland County Brooklyn and Queens had 466 confirmed cases as of last week, while New York's Rockland County had 225, according to health department data Nearly 100 more measles cases have been reported across the nation since last week, marking a 10 percent increase in total cases as the number in the U.S.' worst outbreak in decades eclipses the 800 mark, officials said Monday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 839 cases had been reported as of Friday. It's the most in the U.S. since 1994, when 963 were reported, and affects 23 states, though the lion's share of cases are in New York. More than 40 new cases were reported in Brooklyn and Queens, which have 466 confirmed cases -- more than half of the entire U.S. outbreak concentrated in two boroughs, officials say. City health department data only goes up until May 6, four days earlier than the CDC total. 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, had 225 confirmed cases as of Friday, an increase of nearly a dozen over the prior reporting period. New Jersey's numbers haven't been updated on the state health department website, but there are more than a dozen confirmed cases in Ocean County and a number of exposure risks in Monmouth and Middlesex counties as well. 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. 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 remains in effect, and a number of schools have already been shut down. While the order includes highly Orthodox parts of Williamsburg, it also covers 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. A Carlsbad resort hosted a special brunch for military moms and their families this Mothers Day. There are a unique set of challenges for military moms or partners of active-duty servicemembers, so Sundays brunch hoped to provide a morning of love, support, and a much-needed break for these hard-working women. This is exciting just to have breakfast a break, said Sabrina King, the deployment readiness coordinator for the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines. Its a wonderful thing. King said Westin has been hosting the free brunch for the past five years. It has become a beloved tradition for military families from Camp Pendleton. Cherry Tolliver, the mother of a third-grader at Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary School, attended the brunch with her son, while her husband remains on deployment. Its so special, otherwise, I wouldnt plan a brunch for myself, so this is nice that we are here. Were surrounded by friends and friends who feel like family. So, its really special to come out and be together and understand what were all going through, said Tolliver. Tolliver told NBC 7 her husband was expected to return home within the week. Well celebrate Mothers Day when he gets back, along with Thanksgiving, Christmas all the holidays he missed, she said. Roughly 150 moms and their families attended the Mothers Day brunch. A new report gave Californias infrastructure a grade of C-, which means it requires attention despite being better than the country's average. The report by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) said Californias infrastructure is average when graded in 17 categories, including aviation, roads, transit, drinking water, and more. The annual infrastructure report card talked about the progress San Diego has made and where the city needs to improve. The report found that the San Diego International Airport may need to think ahead. ASCE said the airport needs to start preparing for a possible sea-level rise and for what would happen in the event of an earthquake. It reported that a 6.9-magnitude earthquake would substantially weaken the soil around the airport, so much so it would act like a liquid -- known as soil liquefaction. The report additionally discovered Californias drinking water infrastructure is aging. It reported that the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department operates over 3,000 miles of pipelines. The cast-iron mains, which are almost 100-years-old, are only ten percent of the system but are to blame for around 75 percent of water main breaks. The report card gave an average grade to Californias mass transit system and new water sources which include seawater desalination. This includes the construction of the Mid-Coast Trolley project, which is half-way finished. This project will extend the Blue Line Trolley by nine-stops connecting Old Town to University City. The San Diego County Water Authority currently serves drinking water to residents of San Diego County thanks to the construction of its 40 billion gallon seawater desalination facility, said the report. Some of the solutions mentioned in this report have increased public awareness and increased state and local funding. Here is a breakdown of how California scored in the various categories considered in the report: C+: Aviation, Ports, Wastewater C: Rail, Drinking Water, Schools C-: Dams, Bridges, Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste, Transit D+: Public Parks, Stormwater D: Roads, Inland Waterways, Levees D-: Energy To view the full report please visit ASCEs website. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan signed more than 180 bills Monday morning, including legislation raising the age to purchase tobacco products to 21 and Laura and Reids Law, which brings harsher punishments to people who commit crimes against pregnant women. Laura and Reids Law (Senate Bill 561) is named after Laura Wallen and her unborn son, Reid, who were murdered in 2017 by Wallens boyfriend, Tyler Tessier. Tessier only was charged for the murder of Wallen, as the state's attorney was unable to charge him for the loss of Reid, who was only 14 weeks in development and not yet viable outside the womb. The new bill will punish a person for committing a violent crime against another person who the offender knows or suspects to be pregnant, legislators said. An individual who is found to have violated this law will be charged with an additional felony and will be subject to the possibility of a prison sentence up to 10 years on top of the penalties for their other crimes. Im grateful for Gov. Hogans support and signature on this critically important legislation that takes a big step in protecting pregnant women, Sen. Justin Ready said in a press release Monday. Pregnancy-associated homicide in Maryland is 10 times the national average. This added penalty will give prosecutors stronger tools to go after abusers and protect pregnant victims. In addition to this bill, Hogan signed House Bill 1169, which raised the minimum age to buy tobacco products, including vaping materials, to 21 amid an epidemic of teen vaping, legislators said. There is no more important job than protecting the health and safety of Marylanders, Hogan said. The bipartisan measures we are enacting today to confront the sharp rise in teen vaping and protect pregnant women and unborn children are important steps in achieving that goal. Kevin Burns, JUUL Labs Chief Executive Officer, commended the governor's decision to sign the bill. We cannot fulfill our mission to provide the worlds one billion adult smokers with a true alternative to combustible cigarettes, the number one cause of preventable death in this country, if youth-use continues unabated," said Burns. "Tobacco 21 laws fight one of the largest contributors to this problem." Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed the Wesley Charles Lipicky Act Monday, prohibiting anyone from operating a motorized partition when students are in a room at school unless the wall has a safety sensor installed with it. The legislation brings a bittersweet resolution to the grieving parents of Wesley Lipicky one year after their son was crushed to death by a motorized partition. "It's hard to explain, it's hard to understand and recently it's gotten harder," mother Amy Lipicky previously told News4. The legislation was introduced after a News4 consumer investigation revealed that most schools in the D.C. area have no formal policy or safeguard in place for their motorized partitions. Following advocacy from Wesley's parents and grandmother, the Virginia General Assembly passed the legislation. Both parents were present for the ceremonial bill signing ceremony at Franconia Elementary School. Virginia House Delegate Mark Sickles, who represented the Lipickys and introduced the legislation, also was present. "We're saving some child's life here with this legislation," Sickles said. May 18 will mark one year since Wesley died. The Lipickys say while they're still struggling to cope with their loss, this bill is a positive outcome that Wesley would have appreciated. "The bill is a good thing and it's OK to look at it that way," father Josh Lipicky said. A Maryland woman who was gunned down while leaving her office on Friday was married to two different men simultaneously, one of whom is a convicted Baltimore drug lord, police said Sunday. Greenbelt police said 44-year-old Bettie Jenifer of Bowie, left her office in the 6300 block of Ivy Lane about 5 p.m. and was walking to her car when a man armed with a handgun approached her. When she tried to run away, the man followed her and fired multiple rounds. At least one bullet struck her in the head, police said. The suspect took off in a vehicle. Police described the suspect as black and having a thin build with black hair. He was wearing dark clothing and may have been in a blue car. "The fact that this was in broad daylight, in front of multiple witnesses, whoever did this - it didn't seem to matter to the person who committed this crime. So, that in and of itself is extremely shocking," Greenbelt Police Department spokesperson George Mathews said. Police confirmed Saturday that Jenifer was married to Chris Attoh, a well-known actor and TV host in Ghana. The two married in October in Ghana, following Attoh's divorce from his first wife, multiple outlets reported. On Sunday, police said Jenifer was also married to 47-year-old Kedrick Jenifer, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for importing large amounts of cocaine into Baltimore from Texas. The U.S. District Attorney's Office said the kingpin's "Jenifer drug trafficking organization" distributed at least 450 kilograms of cocaine in Baltimore and Woodbridge, Virginia. #CHRIS ATTOH When it comes to relationships, remaining faithful is never an option but a priority. Loyalty is ever... Chris Attoh (@chrisattoh) May 10, 2019 "Kedrick Jenifer lived large as a major Baltimore drug dealer, but now he will lose all of his toys and live for two decades in federal prison," then-U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein said in a news release after his sentencing, according to the Baltimore Sun. Court records show that Kedrick Jenifer filed for a divorce on April 9. Bettie Jenifer then filed for divorce six days later. The attorneys involved declined News4's request for comment. Bettie Jenifer lived in Kedrick Jenifer's house in Bowie. Greenbelt police confirmed Sunday the shooting was targeted and not a random incident. Police have not named a suspect or motive in the case. Coworkers said Bettie Jenifer worked at a temporary staffing agency on the first floor. A spokesperson for Attoh's talent agency gave the following statement: "Waka Talent Agency is saddened by the death of Bettie Jenifer, who was married to our client, Mr. Chris Attoh. We would like to note that the family has requested to mourn in private and therefore will not be doing any press interviews or commenting on the death." A Massachusetts mayor is rallying services to assist about 150 employees of a fish processing company that abruptly closed. The Gloucester Daily Times reports that Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken said in a statement that members of her administration were to meet with Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday about the closure Friday of National Fish & Seafood. She says some employees received 60 days of pay and an indefinite continuation of health insurance. The city has worked with state Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr and state Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, both of Gloucester, to launch a response team through the state's Office of Business Development. Those services include assistance with unemployment insurance, job skills and career center referrals. Fishing Partnership Support Services will help answer health insurance questions from the workers. What to Know Mayor Bill de Blasio scheduled a rally Monday in Trump Tower to promote the citys Green New Deal he citys Green New Deal which aims to make the city carbon-neutral by 2050 and buildings more energy efficient De Blasio told those in attendance the Green New Deal is "bold," "audacious," and "necessary" Mayor Bill de Blasio scheduled a rally Monday morning at President Donald Trumps doorsteps right in the lobby of Trump Tower to promote the city's Green New Deal which aims to make the city carbon-neutral by 2050 and buildings more energy efficient. Speaking at a podium steps from the spot where President Donald Trump announced his own presidential run in 2015, the Democrat said he had come to Trump Tower to promote a new city air pollution law requiring skyscraper owners to cut greenhouse gas emissions or face fines. The rally was held as rumors continue to swirl about de Blasio's own possible presidential run. Amid chants of Our planet. Not your profit, De Blasio told those in attendance that the city's Green New Deal is "bold," "audacious," and "necessary." "President Trump, you're on notice. Your polluting buildings are part of the problem," he said. The rally went hand in hand with De Blasio putting the Trump Organization on notice Monday for the millions of dollars the organization will owe on its properties under new climate change legislation that requires large buildings in New York City to dramatically cut their greenhouse gas emissions. The law, a world-first, takes effect on May 17. "Our message is loud and clear, De Blasio said in a statement. Were tackling climate change head-on with NYCs Green New Deal and are the first city in the world to require all big buildings to cut their emissions, with the goal of a carbon neutral city by 2050. President Trump youre on notice. Your polluting buildings are part of the problem. Cut your emissions or pay the price. New York Citys Green New Deal is comprised of $14 billion in new and committed investments, legislation and action at the city level that will ensure a nearly 30 percent additional reduction in emissions by 2030. While the rally seemed to bring out supporters, opponents were also visible riding the escalators behind the mayor's podium with signs that read "Failed Mayor" and "Trump 2020" as they whistled, booed and chanted against the mayor. Loud music also played over the building's sound system for part of the event. De Blasio had to shout to be heard. "It's so nice of them to serenade us at Trump Tower. Clearly, they are uncomfortable with the truth," he said. Under a deal that Trump struck with the city decades ago, Trump Tower's lobby is considered a public space for much of each day. Responding to a reporter's question, De Blasio - still shouting - said he was discussing a possible presidential run with his family and will make a final decision this week. Across New York City, the Trump Organization owns at least eight large buildings that do not meet 2030 emissions levels under the law, according to the City, which adds that the buildings pump approximately 27,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases into our air each year, the equivalent of 5,800 cars. If Trump does not clean up these buildings, he will owe approximately $2.1 million in fines every year starting in 2030. According to the city, the buildings that do not meet the emissions levels are: the Trump International Hotel & Tower, the Trump Building, the Trump World Tower, the Trump Tower, Trump Park Avenue, Trump Parc, Trump Parc East and Trump Palace. Reducing emissions from buildings is a key strategy for implementing New York Citys Green New Deal and upholding the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In addition to the building mandates, the Green New Deal includes other initiatives to reduce emissions, a plan to switch city government operations to clean electricity, banning new inefficient glass buildings, and committing the city to carbon neutrality by 2050. WNBC 4 New York reached out via email to Trump Organization for comment. A man has died and two others have been injured in a car crash in Hancock, Maine. According to Maine State Police, 93-year-old Joseph Ryan, of Hancock, died following a two-car crash on Route 1 Sunday morning. Ryan died shortly after arriving at the Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital. The two occupants of the second car, identified by authorities as 53-year-old Michel Taccyl and 56-year-old Noel Antenord, both of Jonesport, were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The crash closed a section of Route 1 for two and a half hours on Sunday. It's almost time for Maine's moose hunters to submit their applications for a fall hunting season that could expand for the second year in a row. The deadline to apply to participate in the 2019 moose hunting season is Wednesday. There are typically thousands more applicants than permits, and the state uses a lottery to determine who will be able to participate. Biologists in the state have suggested increasing the number of moose permits by more than 10 percent, to more than 2,800. That follows a year in which the permits grew by about 20 percent. Previously, the permit levels had experienced years of cutbacks. The biologists have said the moose herd has had less trouble with winter ticks recently. The ticks are a major parasite of moose. Shocking cellphone video shows the principal of Gardner Academy in Massachusetts allegedly in an altercation with a student inside this school bus last Thursday. Principal Peter McMorrow is on paid administrative leave. "He has him bent over a seat with his arms restrained behind his back," said Gardner Academy sophomore Isaiah Clarke. Clarke said McMorrow had confronted his friend, a junior at the alternative high school, over a tipped vending machine. "My first reaction was getting him to stop hurting my friend, so I started banging on the window," Clarke said. "I was like, 'Stop doing that, he's a kid, he's a kid, you don't need to be doing that.'" When McMorrow allegedly wouldn't stop, Clarke said he got on the bus to try to intervene. "I ran up to the principal and I told him to stop, and he still wouldn't, and so I grabbed his hands and I pulled him off," said Clarke. "Then, at that point, I saw him raise his hand like he was going to punch the kid." The police eventually arrived as McMorrow exited the bus. Now, Clarke and his friend are facing expulsion from school and criminal charges. "They might lose their educations over this," said Isaiahs mom, Tracy Clarke. "It's not fair." "While I'm sure no one will deny that photos and videos posted on public media accurately depict brief moments of the end of this incident, they also create a narrative that is incomplete, misleading, and one-sided," the superintendent of Gardner Public Schools said in a statement. But Tracy Clarke says the video shows enough to convince her McMorrow should be removed from his job. "You see the man come off the bus, his fists are clenched, like he's in anger mode," she said. The school said video from inside the bus gives a fuller picture of what happened, but the parents have not been allowed to see that video. NBC10 Boston reached out to McMorrow, but has not heard back. Federal authorities say a man accused of killing one hiker and severely injuring another on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia had earlier acted "unstable" and allegedly threatened to pour gasoline on their tents and burn them to death. James Jordan of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, was arrested Saturday. Jordan made an initial appearance Monday in federal court in Abingdon, Virginia, where a judge granted a request from prosecutors to send him to a facility for a psychiatric examination. His attorney declined to comment. In an affidavit, an FBI agent said Jordan approached four hikers multiple times Friday in southwestern Virginia, singing, playing his guitar, making noises and threatening them. The agent said two hikers got away, but Jordan stabbed a man who later died, and a female hiker, who survived. Initial reports said the attacker used a machete, but the affidavit called it a knife. A Florida man is facing charges after police in Maine say he entered a York home and got into bed with a juvenile girl early Monday morning. Claudio Pinto, 31, of Miami, is facing charges of burglary and assault in connection with the incident at the home on Orchard Farms Road. Police said they received a 911 call from a juvenile at 2:30 a.m. reporting a man had entered her bedroom and got into bed with her. The man fled the scene before the victim made the call. The victim was not hurt. Police from both York, Kittery and Ogunquit assisted in the search for the suspect and located him at a local hotel He was later identified as Pinto. York Police Sgt. John Lizanecz described the incident as isolated and said the general public is not in danger. It's unclear when Pinto is scheduled to be arraigned or if he has an attorney. A 14-year-old Massachusetts girl suffered life-threatening injuries when an off-road vehicle she was riding in flipped over on top of her on Sunday in New Hampshire. New Hampshire Fish and Game said officers responded to a 911 call around 2 p.m. for a serious off-highway recreational vehicle accident in Francestown. They said a 49-year-old woman was driving a utility vehicle on a sloped section of lawn when the vehicle fell over on its side, trapping the teenage girl underneath. Authorities said friends and family lifted the vehicle off the girl and called 911. First responders decided that due to the severity of the girl's injuries she should be transported by helicopter to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital. The driver of the vehicle reportedly refused to be taken to the hospital. According to officials, neither the driver nor passenger were wearing seat belts or helmets and the passenger was not related to the driver. The accident is under investigation, though authorities said the initial investigation indicates the inexperience of the driver was a contributing factor. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators are renewing an effort to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Ghost Army of World War II. The Ghost Army was made up of two U.S. Army units the 23rd Special Headquarters Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company charged with the task of creating decoy army divisions. The 23rd, numbering just 1,100 men, impersonated up to two divisions the equivalent of 30,000 soldiers physically, sonically, and radiographically. They were credited with holding a position for eight days, allowing General George S. Patton to direct all fighting forces at German defenses. The legislative push is being led by Sens. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Susan Collins, a Maine Republican. Similar legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House. The Rhode Island tax administrator is warning residents about a tax scam that has returned to the state. Neena Savage asked taxpayers, businesses and tax professionals to watch out for scammers claiming to be from the Rhode Island Division of Taxation. Residents recently contacted the state attorney general's office about the scam. Savage says in one version, the person who answers the phone is told to call another number, then they're asked for money, personal information or access to their home. In another version, the person receives a voicemail about an issue with their tax return and is asked to call immediately. The taxation division contacts taxpayers by mail first, not by phone, email or social media. Anyone who receives a call can contact the attorney general's consumer protection unit. A judge has ruled that a Maine teenager accused of killing his grandmother last year will be tried as an adult. Dominic Sylvester was 16 when 55-year-old Beulah "Marie'' Sylvester was found unconscious inside their Bowdoinham home. He was initially charged as a juvenile. But a judge's ruling last week means Sylvester, now 18, will be tried as an adult on a charge of depraved indifference murder, which carries a sentence of 25 years to life. Court records indicate he called 911 in February 2018 and told detectives at the hospital that he had hit his grandmother on the head with a stick. A judge must consider the nature of the crime, the maturity of the defendant, and sentencing alternatives in determining whether to try him as an adult. A Massachusetts doctor accused of killing a 6-month-old infant in her care has been found guilty of second-degree murder. Dr. Pallavi Macharla, 45, of Burlington, was charged with the March 27, 2014, death of Ridhima Dhekane, who died in Macharla's apartment while the defendant was babysitting her. The jury reached its verdict after about eight hours of deliberations. Judge Kenneth Fishman sentenced Macharla to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 15 years. Following the verdict, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Burlington Chief of Police Michael Kent held a news conference. "The victim's family trusted Ms. Macharla to protect and care for their child. In part that trust was due to the defendants background as a trained medical professional. However, at about 2:40 p.m., when the baby became unresponsive while in the defendants care, Ms. Macharla called the victims mother instead of dialing 911," said Ryan. "The loss of any child is tragic," said Kent. "To lose an innocent and defenseless child in such a violent and senseless manner is devastating. I extend my deepest condolences to the victim's family. No guilty verdict can ever bring their loved one back, but I hope they will find some comfort in knowing the defendant will now be held accountable." In court last week, the judge instructed the jury they had four possible verdicts to consider: not guilty, guilty of first-degree murder, guilty of second-degree murder or guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors had said Macharla, a physician in her native India who ran a daycare out of her home, shook Dhekane so violently her brain bled. "We know that Ridhima was subject to violent force when she was alone with the defendant," Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Katharine Folger said during closing arguments Friday. "We know that that force was enough to cause bleeding in her brain." Folger said Macharla knew she had inflicted injuries Dhekane would not survive. "She was not concerned about Ridhima, it was all about her... not the life of the little baby she was entrusted to protect," said Folger. She also said Macharla was a medical doctor but never practiced on her own, instead following her husband to the United States and choosing to focus on raising her own children while offering child care services. "But all of that unraveled by March 27, 2014," stated Folger. Defense attorney J.W. Carney said the baby died from cardiac arrest and suggested she may have choked on homemade applesauce or her own vomit. Macharla, who pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, took the stand in her own defense to describe how she heard the baby gurgle and saw her eyes close. "At that time, all I knew was that she was not breathing she had labored breathing, so at that time all I was thinking was to bring her back to breathing," recalled Macharla. She said she called the baby's mother and performed CPR on her, but did not call 911, saying her goal was to get the infant to breathe. Carney argued that Marcharla never changed her story as was suggested by prosecutors. He said she only lied about one thing. "She lies about one thing, when Pallavi went to get her son, she asked (a neighbor who used to watch her) to stay with her for 30 minutes while she was sleeping," said Carney. Prosecutors say Macharla didn't promptly call 911, instead calling the baby's mother, and as a trained doctor she should have known better. The baby died at a hospital days later. Carney had argued for the judge to instruct jurors on involuntary manslaughter as an option. He said the medical examiner who performed an autopsy on the baby changed her mind and said she no longer believed the baby died from "shaken baby syndrome." Prosecutors argued that the child was a "perfectly healthy" infant leading up to the day of her death, and the only explanation is that Macharla inflicted the fatal injuries. Carney argued on Friday that the child had no rib fractures, exterior injuries and no signs of shaken baby syndrome. Authorities in Wilmington, Massachusetts are searching for a gunman after they received a report of shots fired overnight. Police said they responded to the report at about 12:45 a.m. Monday near the intersection of Ring Avenue and Salem Street. At the scene, officers found five shell casings. Officials then secured the area and deemed it safe. No injuries or property damage was reported in connection to the shooting, according to officials. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the Wilmington Police Department at 978-658-5071. 'Those around you now know what youve been up to' - judge A LAMBOURN horseracing employee collected child pornography then shared the images with other paedophiles. A judge expressed concern that Steven Patrick Kelly, of Francomes Field, Lambourn, might even have been encouraging the abuse of one particular child to order. The 58-year-old appeared for sentencing at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday, April 23, having pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing indecent images of children. Some of them were of Category A, depicting the most extreme kind of sexual child abuse and all the offences were committed in Lambourn between October 21, 2016, and May 20, 2017. Charles Royle, prosecuting, said police raided Kellys home and seized two phones containing the images. The court heard that, while he accepted he had downloaded the images, he continued to deny any sexual interest in children. But Judge Emma Nott said: Its clear from some of the text messages that he... has been asking for more photographs from someone who, the inference is, is making the images by getting someone to pose. Has he given you any names? Mr Royle replied: No. Judge Nott added: Therefore that person has not been identified as part of a wider operation, so theres no true remorse. Nick Cotter, defending, handed in character references from Kellys wife, father and sister-in-law plus a letter from his employer, Lambourn racehorse trainer Brendan Powell. He said Kelly had been handed an eviction letter from his landlords after an earlier court hearing was publicised and added: He is now out of work. His employer, Mr Powell, is moving to Ireland where he will continue in the horseracing industry. Mr Cotter went on: These are serious offences and all I can really say is that, in all my dealings with him, he has been frank and straightforward. This was challenged by Judge Nott who interjected: Im not entirely sure he has been overly frank, considering his denial of a sexual interest in children. The messages clearly show he has a sexual interest in children. Mr Cotter conceded the point and said: Its up to Mr Kelly to face up to the reality of the situation hes put himself in he sought the images, he obtained and distributed them. He said Kellys wife of 31 years stood by him and pleaded with the judge to spare his client from immediate imprisonment. Judge Nott told Kelly he had obtained and distributed images depicting the most serious sexual exploitation of children and added: They were subject to the vilest exploitation, which people like you are responsible for. She then read out graphic messages Kelly had sent to other paedophiles and told him: There are worrying aspects to these messages. You expressed a desire to move towards contact offences you were testing the water and the person sending the images appears to perhaps be the one taking those images. You said how do you get a girl so young to...? and said youd like to be the one doing it. Judge Nott said the shame from any publicity would help to protect the community in future because those around you now know what youve been up to. She sentenced Kelly to two years in jail, but suspended that for 18 months. In addition, she ordered him to pay 500 costs, plus a 115 statutory victim services surcharge. Finally, Judge Nott made Kelly subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for seven years. The Bethel Library is hosting an art show by a family of three artists Saturday, May 18, through Friday, June 14. Titled Lineage, the show will feature the works of Jo-Ann Cordes, her husband James Cordes and daughter Ashley Cordes. There will be a public reception May 18 from 12:30 to 2 p.m., with the artists onhand to and talk about their work, which will be on exhibit in the Maria Parloa Community Room. No registration is required. For the past decade, considerable discussion has been made on the extent to which cognitive bias can impact how decisions are made in forensics. Although cognitive bias can arise naturally for a number of different reasons, significant consequences - including incorrect conclusions, overstatements, and impartial decisions - may occur. The critical role of forensic evidence in court proceedings, therefore, requires intense investigation into the role that cognitive bias has in forensics, as well as different practices that can be adopted to counteract its effects. Exploring bias in forensic DNA profiling | Dan Krane | TEDxDayton Play What is cognitive bias? The term cognitive bias is used to describe various, and often natural, processes that can lead an individual to make incorrect judgments or interpretations. To date, over 180 different types of cognitive biases have been proposed, ranging from actor-observer bias to confirmation bias. Forensic confirmation bias In the field of forensic science, a specific type of cognitive bias, termed forensic confirmation bias, describes how an individuals beliefs, motives, and situational context can affect the way in which criminal evidence is collected and evaluated. For example, a forensic scientist that has been provided with extraneous information, such as the suspects ethnicity, previous criminal record, eyewitness identification, or other types of evidence, can potentially bias the examiner throughout the course of their analysis. Despite the widespread evidence demonstrating the influence that outside information can have on forensic scientists, many experts in this field still believe that they are impervious to forensic confirmation bias and that their judgments are consistently 100% accurate. A survey conducted in 2017 found that the majority of forensic examiners maintain a bias blind spot. The experts recognized the possibility that outside information could affect their analysis but ultimately denied that those expectations would ever affect their final conclusions. This study also found that many of the surveyed examiners were not properly trained about cognitive bias and were, therefore, unable to properly mitigate this bias in their work. It is important to note that the examiners surveyed in this study that did undergo bias training were still ineffective in overcoming the effects that this bias had on their work. Exposure control approach as a countermeasure to cognitive bias The adoption of an exposure control approach has also been postulated as a method to prevent cognitive bias in forensics. This approach involves taking various measures, either by the forensic examiner themselves or through external intervention, in order to ensure that the examiner is not exposed to any potentially biasing information throughout the analysis process. For example, in 2016, the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology stressed the importance that forensic scientists are blinded throughout the course of a criminal case in order to prevent the potential bias of any relevant information. Forensic experts can be blinded to extraneous information by case managers who can ensure that only relevant and appropriate information is provided to the forensics team. Although the use of double-blinded studies is a standard approach in clinical studies, forensic science has not fully incorporated this countermeasure into its practices. Linear Sequential Unmasking protocols (LSUs) Another method associated with the exposure control approach in forensics involves the use of Linear Sequential Unmasking (LSU) protocols. LSU protocols detail the flow of information presented to examiners in an effort to prevent their unnecessary exposure to extraneous information. LSUs have exhibited significant success in forensics, as they ensure that only relevant contextual information is provided to examiners. Forensic scientists are, therefore, free to repeat experiments as necessary and revise initial judgments without fearing that irrelevant information has compromised the validity of their results. Further Reading The number of people dying prematurely from heart and circulatory diseases in the UK is on the rise for the first time in 50 years, according to an analysis conducted by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Crevis | Shutterstock The BHF says that stark inequalities could be leading to avoidable deaths among people aged under 75 and is now setting new goals for the UK to reduce the premature death rate. According to the latest national health statistics, there has been an upward trend in deaths from the diseases since 2014. Conditions such as heart attacks and stroke accounted for 42,384 deaths among people aged under 75 in 2017, compared with 41,042 deaths in 2014. The number of people dying from heart and circulatory diseases before they reach the age of 65 is also on the increase, with the figure in 2017 at 18,668, compared with a figure of 17,982 in 2012. This represents a 4% rise in death rates from the diseases over the last five years, as opposed to what had been a 19% decline in the death rate five years previously. We are deeply concerned Chief executive at BHF, Simon Gillespie, says: In the UK weve made phenomenal progress in reducing the number of people who die of a heart attack or stroke. But were seeing more people die each year from heart and circulatory diseases in the UK before they reach their 75th, or even 65th, birthday. We are deeply concerned by this reversal. The BHF says that the reduction in death rates has slowed and that this, combined with an ever-increasing population, are two factors partly contributing to the problem. Between 2012 and 2017, the number of people who died prematurely from the diseases fell by just 9%, whereas between 2007 and 2012, the rate had fallen by 25%. The slowdown in improvement follows decades of progress that had reduced the annual death count by half since the 1960s, partly through improved treatments and partly through improved lifestyle factors such as a decline in smoking rates. The findings come as the BHF launches a new strategy, which is setting new goals for the UK to halve the rates of premature death and disability from stroke by 2030. It is also setting the goal of increasing heart attack survival by 90% within this time limit. Heart and circulatory diseases remain a leading cause of death in the UK, with millions at risk because of conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. We need to work in partnership with governments, the NHS and the medical research community to increase research investment and accelerate innovative approaches to diagnose and support the millions of people at risk of a heart attack or stroke. Simon Gillespie, British Heart Foundation Wider action needed Commenting on potential reasons for the increase in the premature and potentially avoidable deaths, the BHF says uncontrolled and undiagnosed risk factors, as well as stark inequalities, may be contributing to the problem. During the past five years, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes across the nation has increased by 18%. An estimated 920,000 individuals also have diabetes but have not been diagnosed. In addition, approximately 5 million people are thought to have high blood pressure that has also gone undiagnosed. Premature death due to heart and circulatory disease is three times more common in some areas of the UK, compared with others and among the 15 million adults now living with obesity, the condition is significantly more prevalent in poorer areas. GP and national clinical director for cardiovascular disease prevention, Matt Kearney, says the BHF are right to point to the threat that preventable risks like obesity and type 2 diabetes pose to cardiovascular health and the need for wider action to tackle these problems at source, including tackling added salt and junk calories in our processed food. Raising 1 billion to fund research As part of their new strategy, the BHF is aiming to raise one-billion pounds worth of funding for research over the next decade that will help to save and improve the lives of individuals who have heart and circulatory diseases. Key measures at the heart of the strategy are to ensure earlier detection and treatment for those living with or at risk for the conditions, with more effective medications and interventions made available and accessible. The BHF says that every individual, irrespective of age, gender, place of residence and ethnicity should have access to the treatment and healthcare support that they need. "Only through the continued commitment of our researchers, the publics generous support, and determination from governments, can we shift the dial and imagine a 2030 where fewer people live with the fear of heart and circulatory disease," concluded Simon. BHF's strategy to 2030 - What we're going to do Play Am I at risk of a heart and circulatory disease? Also known as cardiovascular disease, heart and circulatory diseases include coronary heart disease, angina, heart attack, congenital heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and vascular dementia. Other examples of these diseases are cardiomyopathy and heart valve disease. Some of the main risk factors for the conditions include physical inactivity, hypertension, high blood cholesterol, overweight or obesity, diabetes, and older age. The more risk factors a person has, the more likely they are to develop cardiovascular disease, but there are many measures people can take to address these factors, reduce the risks and help to protect heart health. Children living in food-insecure households are more likely to attend school on Fridays if they're participating in a food-distribution program that provides them with backpacks of meals for the weekend, researchers at the University of Illinois found in a new study. Students participating in the BackPack food program missed one Friday on average during the school year, about the same rate as the 155 children in the comparison group, said Barbara H. Fiese, the first author of the study and the director of the U. of I.'s Family Resiliency Center. The study included 444 students at 16 schools in east central Illinois. Of these students, 289 were participants in Feeding America's BackPack Program, a national initiative that provides children in food-insecure households with backpacks containing nutritious, easy-to-prepare meals to eat over the weekend. Children in the program, who received their backpacks of weekend meals at school on Fridays, had fewer absences on Fridays than other school days. BackPack students' rates of perfect attendance on Fridays were similar to those of students in the comparison group, at 26% and 27%, respectively. "Given that children in the BackPack program were more likely to miss school than children in the comparison group, we consider this effect noteworthy for academic engagement. Even if these children attend just a few more days per school year, over time that may improve their academic progress," Fiese said. "Thus, the simple act of distributing food on a Friday may have educational benefits for a particularly vulnerable group of children," she said. Improved attendance as a result of participating in the food program may have spillover benefits for these children's classmates as well, since chronic absenteeism has been found to negatively affect classmates' academic performance too, the researchers wrote. Eastern Illinois Foodbank identified prospective schools to participate in the program based upon the rate of free and reduced lunches provided in the community and school administrators' willingness to participate in the project. The participating elementary schools signed partnership agreements with the local food bank and appointed a staff member such as a principal, social worker or secretary to coordinate the BackPack program and select students from kindergarten to fifth grade to participate. Eastern Illinois Foodbank provided a one-hour training session for the coordinators to teach them how to identify children from food-insecure households, based upon physical and behavioral indicators such as extreme thinness or students rushing the school lunch line. Families of students at each school were mailed a six-item questionnaire that assessed whether they were food-insecure, based upon their using a food pantry or receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits during the prior 30 days. Of the parents who returned the survey, about 44% were employed and about 20% were unemployed but seeking work, according to the study. Among households whose children were selected for the BackPack program, 72% were food insecure versus 50% of families on the wait list, the researchers found. The rates of food insecurity among these families were more than double and triple the national and county rates, which were both around 19% when the study was conducted during the 2011-12 school year, the researchers noted. When assessing students' families for food programs, it's important for school officials to look beyond any income-based criteria and recognize that families may be struggling with multiple demands and limited resources, the researchers wrote. "Although food insecurity is associated with poverty and lack of economic resources, it is not equivalent to poverty, as some poor families are not food insecure and some food-insecure families may have incomes above the threshold to participate in some or all of the federal nutrition programs," Fiese said. "In some cases, food insecurity may be associated with being a single parent with a low-paying job, or with being a married couple who had a recent job loss and have multiple mouths to feed." Governments at the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP14) of the Basel Convention acted to restrict rampant plastic waste exports by requiring countries to obtain prior informed consent before exporting contaminated or mixed plastic waste. A deluge of plastic waste exports from developed countries has polluted developing countries in Southeast Asia after China closed the door to waste imports in 2018. IPEN, the global network of environmental health, science and public interest organizations that has exposed environmental impacts of plastic waste exports to developing countries, applauded the move as a critical step to stem the toxic tide of plastic waste. Norway proposed the new restrictions and received overwhelming support at the meeting. Opponents of the decision included Argentina, Brazil, US, and the chemicals and plastics industries. Aggressive industry and US lobbying at a previous UN meeting temporarily slowed progress on the plastics waste issue, but at this meeting, governments took a dramatic step forward. The decision occurred against a backdrop of a UNEP report on combatting marine litter and microplastics and consensus resolutions on this topic at the 3rd and 4th meetings of the UN Environment Assembly. The new UN decision will have the greatest impact on the US because the treaty prohibits the export of listed wastes from countries that have not ratified the Convention (such as the US). In 2018, the United States exported 157,000 large shipping containers of mixed plastic wastes to developing countries already overwhelmed with plastic pollution. The new UN decision will force the US to deal with its own plastic waste into the future. "With this amendment, many developing countries will, for the first time, have information about plastic wastes entering their country and be empowered to refuse plastic waste dumping," said Dr. Sara Brosche, IPEN Science Advisor. "For far too long developed countries like the US and Canada have been exporting their mixed toxic plastic wastes to developing Asian countries claiming it would be recycled in the receiving country. Instead, much of this contaminated mixed waste cannot be recycled and is instead dumped or burned, or finds its way into the ocean." Governments noted that plastic can contain hazardous substances and that plastic pollution is, "a serious environmental problem on a global scale." Previous studies of consumer products demonstrate that hazardous substances in plastics are carried into new products when recycled. Countries acknowledged the rapidly increasing levels of marine plastic litter and microplastics and the serious impacts it is having on marine biodiversity, ecosystems, fisheries, tourism, and local communities. At the meeting, a Stockholm Convention regional center documented concerns over hazardous chemicals present in plastics. The unanimously adopted actions on plastic wastes include: Removing or reducing the use of hazardous chemicals in plastics production and at any subsequent stage of their life cycle. Setting of specific collection targets and obligations for plastics producers to cover the costs of waste management and clean-up. Preventing and minimizing the generation of plastic waste, including through increasing the durability, reusability and recyclability of plastic products. Significant reduction of single-use plastic products. Unfortunately, a group of cured resins and fluorinated polymers was not included in the requirement of prior informed consent, which means they can be freely traded without notification. Some of these resins and polymers release toxic chemicals during breakdown, including fluoropolymers that can breakdown to hazardous fluorinated chemicals. However, delegates agreed to review these allowances at their next meeting in 2021. "This historic decision stops plastic trash dumping at the borders of exporting countries," said Dr. Mariann Lloyd-Smith, IPEN Senior Advisor. Source: https://ipen.org/news/new-global-rules-curb-unrestricted-plastic-waste-exports As the EFSA Focal Point in Germany, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is also represented in the campaign with publications on the latest challenges, such as antimicrobial resistance and microplastics in food. "Food safety is one of the most urgent tasks of consumer protection," says BfR President, Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel. Through this measure on EU level, risks such as foodborne disease outbreaks and antimicrobial resistance are to be reduced. The health of humans, animals and the environment is interconnected in many ways. To ensure that fruit and vegetables, meat, milk and eggs are safe, the entire food chain has to be observed - from the field to the shed to the processing plant. The EFSA campaign "EU and My Food" shows how the interplay of agriculture with the food industry and veterinary and health authorities works on EU level. One of the main components and an information anchor of the campaign is the accompanying internet portal in English which leads to the corresponding websites in the 23 other official EU languages. The portal offers more detailed links to food safety topics in the EU member states. "EU and My Food" focuses on food safety measures in the EU. A video explains the close connection between food safety, livestock farming, environmental protection and nature conservation. Animations illustrate the dependency of humans, animals and the environment with regard to health. These three main pillars of the EU food safety system require safe and nutritious food for people in the EU, improved living conditions for livestock, the sustainable cultivation of food and environmental protection. "EU and My Food" describes how the EU monitors the safety of food in line with internationally recognized scientific standards and in cooperation with the authorities in the member states. Aspects that are monitored include the production, ingredients, processing, storage, packaging and labeling of foods. Increasing global networking of production and trading processes poses fresh challenges to the safety of food for all stakeholders along the complex international supply chains. Antimicrobial resistance in the food chain is one of the most volatile examples of this. Source: https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/press_information/2019/15/food_in_the_eu_subject_to_strictest_standards-240656.html Dissatisfaction over genital size can influence a mans sexuality and have negative psychological outcomes. Image Credit: HenadziPechan/Shutterstock.com Average penis size of 13 cm or 5 inches (when erect) is considered normal. Despite having a normal penile length, many men have an exaggerated idea regarding normal size and this assumption leads to an interest in various interventions that claim to increase penile length or girth. Which are the various penis enlargement methods? Several options are available that attempt to increase penile length/girth; some of them are described below: Non-surgical methods 1. Pills and lotions Pills and lotions for penile enlargement generally contain herbs, hormones, and vitamins that the marketers claim to increase penis size; however, these products can be marketed directly to consumers with no studies to show that they work. As per some researchers, these products may contain traces of lead, pesticides and may be harmful. 2. Vacuum devices Certain vacuum devices such as pumps are also used for penis enlargement. A vacuum pump technique involves placing a tube-like structure over the penis and then pumping out the air to create a vacuum, which draws blood into the penis and makes the penis swell and appear large. These pumps are used for the short-term treatment of impotence; however overusing it can damage the tissue of the penis, leading to weaker erections. 3. Penile extenders Penile extenders use traction to stretch the penis. Though there have been some positive outcomes with this technique; experts recommend physician supervision before using such a procedure. 4. Jelqing Jelqing is a pulling exercise aimed at increasing the blood circulation in the tissues of the penis, which ultimately makes the penis look larger; however, this technique too lacks scientific evidence. It may also cause pain or scarring over time. Surgical methods There are two main types of penis enlargement surgery: Penile augmentation and suspensory ligament release. Penile augmentation may be done in two ways - either by grafting fat cells from elsewhere in the body onto the penis or by the injection of fat cells into the penis. Over time, the body can reabsorb the fat, returning the penis to its former size. In the suspensory ligament release technique, the ligament which holds the penis to the pubic area is surgically removed. This procedure is meant to change the angle of the penis, which can make the penis appear longer. However, when erect, the angle of the penis will differ, and this may interfere with sex. Clinical studies on penis enlargement surgery As per a recent meta-analysis study, penis enlargement surgeries are usually ineffective and can cause substantial psychological and physical damage to men. The study found that the suspensory ligament incision and injection of derma fillers were the two most common forms of procedures performed for penis enlargement. The study which analyzed 17 studies described that even though some men reported a significant size increase, complications were not infrequent, and none of the techniques were validated. Further, the study found that these surgeries were associated with poor treatment outcomes and low satisfaction rates. Adverse effects on penis enlargement surgery The safety and efficacy of penile length and girth enhancement surgery has not been established. Penile enlargement surgery can result in the following complications. Infections Poor wound healing. Wound dehiscence, surgical complications in which wound ruptures partially or completely along the sutures Distal flap loss Pubic deformation or buried penis Silicone injection can result in drifting, distant migration, and swelling. They can also cause penile distortion and granulomatous reactions. Silicone injection can also damage blood vessels and nerves, which, in turn, may lead to decreased sensation and erectile dysfunction The use of fat transplantation to increase penile girth can lead to fat necrosis and reabsorption. It can also lead to penile curvature, nodules, or calcification Conclusion Penis enlargement surgery in normal men is associated with serious risks and is based on only low-quality evidence. Penile dysmorphophobic disorder is a psychological condition in which a man suffers from severe preoccupation with penis size despite having a physiologically normal penis. In such cases, patients may benefit from psychotherapy. Structured counseling should be always performed rather than risky procedures. Consulting a doctor or sex therapist is highly recommended in people concerned about the size of their penis. Sources Marra G, et al., (2019). Systematic Review of Surgical and Nonsurgical Interventions in Normal Men Complaining of Small Penis Size. Sex Med Rev. PII: S2050-0521(19)30012-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2019.01.004. Furr J, et al.,(2018). Complications of Genital Enlargement Surgery. J Sex Med. 2018;15(12):1811-1817. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2018.10.007. Penis-enlargement products: Do they work? Mayoclinic. Available at: www.mayoclinic.org/.../art-20045363. Accessed on: 19 November 2019. Penis-enlargement. NHS. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/penis-enlargement/. Accessed on: 19 November 2019. Further Reading A multi-institution project involving ten universities and led by the University of Granada (UGR) has designed a resource manual to measure the physical fitness of pre-school children and the prevalence of obesitywhich affects up to 35% of children in this age rangein a bid to correct risk factors. The PREFIT project (Evaluation of FITness in PRE-School-Age Children), led by researchers from the UGR, has been rolled-out across ten Spanish cities to gather data on the physical and anthropometric condition of over 3,000 children aged between 3 and 5 years. "Assessing the physical condition of children aged 3 to 5 years is a challenge, but the fact that they are among the youngest in our society doesn't mean they are any less important," explains researcher Francisco B. Ortega. "It was for that very reason that we recognized the need to create a battery of tests to assess their level of physical fitness." The study has also gathered data on the prevalence of obesity among pre-school childrena population that, until now, has not been studied due to the lack of a resource manual suitable for this age group. The participating universities are those of: Cadiz, Almeria, Castilla-La Mancha, Navarra, Zaragoza, and Islas Baleares, together with Madrid Complutense, Jaume I (Valencia), and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This joint effort, coordinated from Granada, has evolved into a ground-breaking study that leads the way worldwide in providing fitness data from this population. What is more, the team's analysis of the data has shown that, even at this early age, there are differences in the level of physical fitness according to gender, which become more marked over the years. Cristina Cadenas-Sanchez, author of the first study to come out of the PREFIT project, explains: "The project set out to create a method by which to assess the physical condition of such young children by applying a battery of tests specially adapted to their age-group. Our objective was to establish reference values with which to interpret the data we collected in these tests." Helping pre-schoolers improve their fitness Cadenas-Sanchez notes that that the results of the research can help any professional working in the realm of health, sports, and education, because they identify those pre-schoolers with a very low level of physical fitness or those who are worryingly obeseand help them improve. Childhood obesity is one of the biggest health problems faced by public health systems, both nationally and globally. This study measured its prevalence among pre-school children by analyzing the weight, height, body mass index, and waist circumference of over 3,000 children. The PREFIT study has revealed that the percentage of Spanish pre-school children who are obese or overweight is between 21%35%, and that 2.5% of the country's pre-school population now present the most dangerous typeclassified 'morbid' obesity. Data from the project has helped raise the alarm about the need to implement changes to minimize these obesity rates. The resource manual that was designed as a result of the project addresses an important gap, in providing guidance on measuring physical fitness and detecting issues of excess weight, specifically tailored to this pre-school population. It has been made freely available to the public, and is already in use in other European and Latin American countries. Since its establishment as a Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Pittcon has emerged as the world's biggest annual conference and exposition for laboratory science. The annual congresses are always highly anticipated as a special chance to connect with peers from around the world, discover cutting-edge innovations, and investigate solutions to forthcoming laboratory challenges alongside developers of the latest technology and apparatus. This years congress possessed additional appeal, as it represented Pittcons 70th anniversary. The 70th Pittcon Annual meeting occurred at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia between the 17th and 21st of March 2019. Attendance was nearly 10% more than in 2018, comprising over 12,500 delegates from 94 countries worldwide representing government, academia and industry. Outside of the United States, the top five attending countries were China, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and Mexico. The interests of the attendees were similarly wide ranging, including various scientific disciplines, which ranged from agriculture and food science to drug discovery and nanotechnology. Additionally, the Pittcon exposition featured stands from 713 companies exhibiting the most recent analytical instrumentation, products and services. Of these companies, 101 were exhibiting at Pittcon for the first time. Many of the booths provided delegates with hands-on experience of the latest technologies. The main attraction of the Pittcon congress, its dynamic scientific programme, was also extensive, and offered over 2,000 technical presentations and 75 short courses, each imparting skills training and continuing education for laboratory professionals across a broad spectrum of subjects. The Pittcon charity focus of 2019 was the Parent Education & Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center. Pittcon 2019 offered an extra space for the PEAL Center to increase awareness for individuals with autism and other disabilities. This repeats a similar productive partnership in 2011. Former Pittcon President Penny Gardner exclaimed, After 2011, I honestly didnt think Id get another opportunity to preach the message of autism awareness at Pittcon. Weve got a lot of irons in the fire this year in terms of fundraising and awareness and we expect it to be a very successful effort. The PEAL Center The PEAL Center assists families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs throughout Pennsylvania. It supports them in connecting with the services they require, supplies them with access to specialist tools designed to augment awareness and skills for coping with special needs, and helps them to access inclusive education, health care, and community-based services. PEAL consistently endeavors to defeat stereotypes and destroy barriers for people with disabilities. This year, Pittcon helped to generate donations and knowledge to underpin the invaluable work of the PEAL Center during its 2019 annual conference. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) One of the disabilities for which the PEAL Center is increasing awareness is autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. People with ASD are usually perceived as being different, and the PEAL Center is striving to teach people that this does not need to be viewed negatively, to advocate their integration into society and to enhance their employment opportunities. Photographee.eu/Shutterstock.com ASD is a permanent developmental condition that generates difficulties with communication and social interaction, and is linked to restricted/repetitive interests and behaviors. These are often associated with sensory problems, such an oversensitivity to touch, sounds or smells. The conjunction of these issues may cause behavioral difficulties for certain individuals. Moreover, while there are some shared attributes, autism manifests differently in different people. The specific composition and seriousness of symptoms are widely varied, which is why it is designated as a spectrum disorder. It is necessary to recall that, while people with ASD might struggle with communication or empathy, they can be highly capable and can offer valuable skills. Significantly, many people on the autism spectrum can exist entirely autonomously. Nevertheless, individuals with ASD often experience exclusion as a result of their abnormal behaviors being misapprehended. Public Awareness of ASD ASD impacts on roughly 1% of the worlds population, with over 3.5 million Americans coping with the disorder alone. Unfortunately, the general public remain regretfully uneducated about ASD, its properties and its symptoms. In a survey of over 200 people, 60% believed that autistic people were more likely to suffer from epilepsy and less than 50% believed that autistic children could attend regular schools. Moreover, roughly 20% of those questioned thought autism to be related to cerebral palsy or akin to mental retardation. Only 9% of respondents appraised themselves to have a sound understanding of ASD. The survey thus exposed the substantial extent of common misconception and misinformation regarding ASD. Focused educational campaigns are therefore essential to improving the treatment and achievement prospects for people diagnosed with autism, as well as reducing possible linked social stigma. Ongoing ASD Research The state of affairs is aggravated by the restricted understanding of the pathogenesis of ASD. Additional research into the disorder is needed to detect dependable biomarkers and clinical phenotypes of ASD. The Autism Research Center is dedicated to identifying the fundamental causal pathways of ASD and administers seven continuing research programs committed to realizing this objective. It possesses already developed screening techniques to enable early diagnosis of ASD and has also spearheaded the evolution of therapies to aid children with ASD in the management of their symptoms. Contemporary psychological studies are being utilized to progress experimental methodologies for the objective evaluation of ASD communication impediments, while the foundations of sensory hypersensitivity are also being investigated. Pittcons Contribution to Raising Awareness of ASD For its 2019 program, Pittcon assimilated a selection of events to generate awareness and donations to reinforce the objectives of the PEAL Center. Pittcon events featured a presentation by Penny Gardner, Former Pittcon President, indicating the value of increasing autism awareness. Cindy Duch, Director of Parent Advising at the PEAL Center provided a summary of the activities of their Parent Training and Information Center, which helps to augment opportunities for children with ASD in the home, classroom, and community. Autism Awareness - Dream Big Play Furthermore, a networking session entitled Barriers and Misconceptions Concerning Employment for Individuals with Disabilities dealt with a variety of topics connected to the employment of people with disabilities, including customized employment opportunities, alternative ways to evaluate individual strengths and approach interviews, and techniques to connect people with appropriate potential employers. Fundraising activities featured a 5 km Walk/Run in collaboration with Anton Paar and a variety of exciting events in the exposition space, including a planetarium experience. Additionally, donations to the PEAL Center were offered by Pittcon exhibitors: KNF donated $500, and Tosoh Bioscience and Fritsch Milling and Sizing Inc. donated $1 for each badge scanned. Altogether, the endeavors of the Pittcon 2019 organizing committee, exhibitors, and attendees helped to collect roughly $9,000 for the PEAL Center. Pittcon will return next year and nominations are already open for the distinguished Pittcon awards at the 2020 Conference & Expo, which will take place 1st to 5th March in Chicago, Illinois, USA. About Pittcon Pittcon is the worlds largest annual premier conference and exposition on laboratory science. Pittcon attracts more than 16,000 attendees from industry, academia and government from over 90 countries worldwide. Their mission is to sponsor and sustain educational and charitable activities for the advancement and benefit of scientific endeavor. Pittcons target audience is not just analytical chemists, but all laboratory scientists anyone who identifies, quantifies, analyzes or tests the chemical or biological properties of compounds or molecules, or who manages these laboratory scientists. Having grown beyond its roots in analytical chemistry and spectroscopy, Pittcon has evolved into an event that now also serves a diverse constituency encompassing life sciences, pharmaceutical discovery and QA, food safety, environmental, bioterrorism and other emerging markets. Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments. Two Lynchburg men were hospitalized after an exchange of gunfire Sunday night, police said. Police responded at 9:22 p.m. to the 1600 block of 12th Street in Lynchburg on multiple reports of a person being shot. The initial investigation showed two people exchanged gunshots in front of a business. One of the two ran away, police said in a news release. Police said the man, age 20, who didn't flee the scene was taken to Lynchburg General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Shortly after, medics took the other man, also 20, to the hospital with a single gunshot wound to his midsection. Police said they believe this is an isolated incident. Police ask anyone with information about this incident to call Detective Tucker at (434) 455-6116 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-798-5900. Visit the Central Virginia Crime Stoppers website at www.cvcrimestoppers.org. Enter a tip online at http://p3tips.com or use the P3 app on your mobile device. Contact Matt Busse at (434) 385-5534 or mbusse@newsadvance.com. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 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 (Newser) With a less capable pilot, Flight UB103 could have been a disaster. Instead, all 89 passengers and crew escaped without injury Sunday after the Myanmar National Airlines pilot managed to land the aircraft despite a front landing gear malfunction, ABC reports. The airline says that after the front landing gear failed to deploy, Capt. Myat Moe Aung circled Mandalay International Airport to burn off fuel before bringing the Embraer 190 down on its back wheels. Video of the landing shows the plane lowering its nose and sliding to a stop before passengers were evacuated via the slide, reports Reuters. "Myanmar National Airlines would like to express our deepest appreciation to all the passengers onboard and our crews," the airline said. (Read more landing gear stories.) (Newser) A Penn State professor is accused of putting two women through a terrifying experience while moonlighting as an Uber driver. Police in Pittsburgh say Richard Lomotey, 36, departed from the app's route after picking the two women up around 1:30am Saturday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. He told them that they were attractive and he wanted to "get with them," according to a police report. Police say Lomotey eventually pulled over, put the vehicle in park, tried to lock the doors, and told the women: "You're not going anywhere." The women escaped the vehicle and ran away, screaming for help and asking bystanders to call 911, according to the police report. story continues below Pittsburgh police spokesman Chris Togneri tells CNN that Lomotey was arrested after he was identified through the Uber app. He faces two counts each of kidnapping, false imprisonment, and harassment. "What's been described is unacceptable," an Uber spokesperson said in a statement. "The driver's access to the app has been removed and we stand ready to cooperate with law enforcement to support their investigation." According to university websites, Lomotey is an assistant professor of information sciences and technology at Penn State's Beaver campus, the Daily Collegian reports. He is also listed as a part-time instructor at the University of Pittsburghs School of Computing and Information. (This Uber driver charged a woman more than $1,000 for the "ride from hell.") (Newser) A 30-year-old Massachusetts man is in custody after the first murder on the Appalachian Trail since 2011. Police say the suspect attacked a man and a woman with a machete on a section of trail in Virginia early Saturday, killing the man and severely injuring the woman, WSLS reports. Wythe County Sheriff Keith Dunagan says the woman pretended to be dead, then took off running when the suspect, James Jordan, walked away after his dog, reports the Washington Post. The woman walked six miles before encountering another group of hikers, who called for help. The sheriff says officers found Jordan and the victim with GPS technology after the man managed to trigger an SOS signal on his phone. story continues below Jordanwho went by the name "Sovereign" on the trailfaces federal charges of murder and assault with intent to murder. Appalachian Trail Conservancy spokesman Brian King tells the Daily Beast that Jordan had become "well known" on the trail in recent weeks for threatening hikers. King says Jordan was arrested, fined, and released after an altercation with hikers on the Tennessee/North Carolina border in late April. Authorities say that before Saturday's attack, Jordan threatened a group of four hikers who were camped out. Two fled north and reported the attack to authorities. Jordan initially pursued the two who fled north, then chased and caught up with the two who had fled south, authorities say. (Read more Appalachian Trail stories.) (Newser) San Francisco is on track to become the first US city to ban the use of facial recognition by police and other city agencies, reflecting a growing backlash against a technology that's creeping into airports, motor vehicle departments, stores, stadiums, and home security cameras, the AP reports. Government agencies around the US have used the technology for more than a decade to scan databases for suspects and prevent identity fraud. But recent advances in artificial intelligence have created more sophisticated computer vision tools, making it easier for police to pinpoint a missing child or protester in a moving crowdor for retailers to analyze a shopper's facial expressions as they peruse store shelves. story continues below San Francisco's proposed face-recognition ban is part of broader legislation aimed at regulating the use of surveillance by city departments. The legislation applies only to San Francisco government and would not affect companies or people who want to use the technology. It also would not affect the use of facial recognition at San Francisco International Airport, where security is mostly overseen by federal agencies. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the bill Tuesday. Supervisor Aaron Peskin acknowledges his legislation, called the "Stop Secret Surveillance Ordinance," isn't very tech-friendly. But public oversight is critical given the potential for abuse, he says. San Francisco police say they stopped testing face recognition in 2017. (Amazon's facial recognition software falsely identified 28 lawmakers as crooks.) (Newser) Sweden has reopened the Julian Assange rape investigation, raising the possibility of a legal tug-of-war between Stockholm and Washington over the WikiLeaks founder. Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, said Monday that she had decided to reopen the investigation because "there is still probable cause to suspect that Mr. Assange committed rape" in 2010, the BBC reports. Assange, who fled to Ecuador's London embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden and spent the next seven years holed up there, is currently serving a 50-week sentence in a British prison for skipping bail. The US is seeking to extradite Assange for his alleged role in the Chelsea Manning document leak. story continues below Two sex-related allegations against Assange were dropped in 2015 after they expired. In what an Assange lawyer described at the time as a "total victory," the rape case was also dropped in 2017 when authorities decided he would not be extradited to Sweden in the "foreseeable future." A lawyer for the woman in the rape case asked for the investigation to be resumed after Assange was kicked out of the embassy last month, the Guardian reports. Assange has always denied the allegations and WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson says reopening the case will give him a chance to "clear his name." "There has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case," Hrafnsson said in a statement. (Read more Julian Assange stories.) (Newser) An overheard conversation between inmates in a Colorado jail sounded on the surface like a casual chat about a pizza delivery. But upon closer listen, a deputy realized something more chilling was afoot, and now an alleged gang member has been charged with plotting to murder the Weld County district attorney. The Greeley Tribune reports 32-year-old Billie Allen, who's been behind bars since April 2018 on multiple drug and weapons charges, was apparently angry at DA Michael Rourke for bringing those charges against him. "I'm going to make sure something happens," Allen, said to be a member of the white supremacist gang 211 Crew, was overheard telling a fellow inmate in December 2018, according to court records cited by the Washington Post. "I'm going to make sure I have a pizza delivered to him. He's going to get that f---ing pizza." story continues below The Durango Herald notes Allen allegedly wanted the hit on Rourke carried out at 2:11am (in an alleged tribute to the gang) on Christmas Eve, per the court documents. Authorities believe the "pizza party" reference was prompted by the March 2013 assassination of Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements, who was killed by an ex-inmate who showed up at his home posing as a pizza delivery man. Allen also reportedly had a plan B in case the murder plot fell through: He would bite Rourke's face when his trial started up. Now added to Allen's weapons and drugs charges is one count of solicitation of first-degree murder, which could earn him up to 24 additional years behind bars. He'll next be in court June 18. (Read more white supremacists stories.) (Newser) A radical American preacher is now banned from all 28 European Union countries, including Ireland, which has used an exclusion order for the first time under its 20-year-old immigration law. Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan signed the order Sunday to keep out Steven Anderson, the anti-gay extremist pastor of a fundamentalist Baptist church in Arizona, the Irish Times reports. Anderson, who has been likened to an "American Taliban" and once told parishioners he prayed every night for former President Obama's death, was due to speak at an event in Dublin on May 26. His Faithful Word church has described gay people as "abominations which God punishes with the death penalty." story continues below Anderson, who also denies the Holocaust, has praised the gunman who killed 49 people in the Pulse nightclub attack in Florida in 2016. "I have signed the exclusion order under my executive powers in the interests of public policy," said Flanagan. This is the first time an exclusion order has been granted since the Immigration Act was introduced in 1999, the BBC reports. After Anderson's Ireland visit was announced, more than 14,000 people signed a petition calling for him to be banned from the country. The Netherlands banned Anderson last month under what officials said was a policy of "taking strong action against extremist speakers who, by spreading their beliefs, restrict the freedoms of others or even incite hatred or violence." (Read more Steven Anderson stories.) (Newser) Not a bad Mother's Day morning: A family out for a stroll in Australia found a 20-ounce gold nugget estimated to be worth more than $24,000. "I actually walked right past it but my daughter pretty much kicked it as she was walking," the dad, who is staying anonymous, tells the Bendigo Advertiser. "She then goes, 'Dad, is this gold?'" It was. Also of note: The family dog on the stroll was named Lucky; they didn't know how to weigh it, so they took it to the local supermarket; and the Mother's Day stroll actually featured just Dad, their two daughters, and Lucky. Mom stayed home. story continues below The New Zealand Herald notes that finding gold nuggets isn't unheard of in Australia, with a prospector finding one worth $76,000 in a remote region last September. But anyone hoping to duplicate the family's find in Bendigo has much searching to do. The spot is identified only as being on the "outskirts of town," and the anonymous family plans to go back themselves for a more thorough search. They also plan to sell the nugget. (In Pennsylvania, the legend of a Civil War stash of gold endures.) (Newser) Amazon is racing to deliver packages faster, and it's is turning to its employees with a proposition: Quit your job and we'll help you start a business delivering Amazon packages. The offer, announced Monday, comes as Amazon seeks to speed up its shipping time from two days to one for its Prime members, per the AP. The company sees the new incentive as a way to get more packages delivered to shoppers' doorsteps faster. Amazon says it will cover up to $10,000 in startup costs for employees who are accepted into the program and leave their jobs; it will also pay them three months' worth of salary. The offer is open to most part-time and full-time Amazon employees, including warehouse workers who pack and ship orders. Whole Foods employees aren't eligible. story continues below The company declined to say how many employees it expects to take them up on the offer. The new incentive is part of a program Amazon in 2018 that lets anyone apply to launch an independent Amazon delivery business. It's part of the company's plan to control more of its deliveries on its own, rather than rely on UPS, the USPS, and others. Contractors that take part can lease blue vans with the Amazon smile logo stamped on the side. More than 200 Amazon delivery businesses have been created since last June. So how is Amazon planning on replacing the workers who defect? A hint may lie with Reuters, which quotes sources who say the company is heading toward automation by introducing machines that can box customer orders. They could replace more than 1,300 humans in the near term. (Come July, you won't have to mail Amazon returns.) (Newser) Dealing with fever, night sweats, headaches, back pain, and other flu-like symptoms? If you live in Iowa and are around dogs a lot, it may not be the flu, but rather Canine Brucellosis. The illness is exactly what it sounds likea disease that typically affects dogs, but can be transmitted to humans in rare cases. The Iowa State Veterinarian has confirmed multiple cases of it in dogs in the state, and the state Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship is now warning anyone who has "recently acquired a new, small breed dog from Marion [County]" to contact their vet. A handout from Iowa State University says, among other things, to "always wash your hands after touching animals." But the good news is, most people are not at high risk for infection. The disease most often occurs in kennels and breeding facilities, the Des Moines Register reports. story continues below The disease causes reproductive failure in dogs, and is typically spread between dogs through contact with infected birthing tissues and fluids, per the Iowa State handout. For that reason, "dog breeders, veterinary staff, and anyone who comes in contact with blood, tissues and fluids during the birthing process may be at higher risk and should consult their primary physician," state agriculture authorities say. Close contact with dogs is required for transmission. The small dog commercial breeding facility in Marion County where the disease originated is quarantined and dogs there are being tested, CNN reports. In humans, in rare cases, the disease can affect the nervous system, eyes, or heart; long-term cases can also cause arthritis and re-occurring fevers. (She saved a stray. Then, what Norway hadn't seen in more than 200 years.) (Newser) When Jim Ficken spoke to the press recently in front of his Dunedin, Florida, home, his lawn was neatly cut. That hasn't always been the case, and that fact has made national news. That's because last year Ficken was fined $500 a day over his grass, which exceeded 10 inches in height, ultimately landing him a fine of $30,000. He didn't pay up, and on Tuesday, Dunedin's Code Enforcement Board moved to foreclose on his home. The 69-year-old filed suit the same day. Inside the story: The initial problem: The grass problem dates back to 2015, when Ficken traveled to South Carolina to help his dying mother. While away, he was cited for the length of his grass. That citation stipulated that he would be classified a repeat offender if he violated city code over the next five years, reports the Tampa Bay Times. According to the city, he did. The grass problem dates back to 2015, when Ficken traveled to South Carolina to help his dying mother. While away, he was cited for the length of his grass. That citation stipulated that he would be classified a repeat offender if he violated city code over the next five years, reports the Tampa Bay Times. According to the city, he did. The summer of 2018: His mother died in 2016, and he spent two weeks in South Carolina in July 2018 settling her estate. The man he hired to care for his lawn died when he was away. Ficken's own mower broke when he tried to use it upon his return. The grass kept growing. story continues below Then came the fine: Ficken says the first he heard of the looming bill was on Aug. 20, when a code enforcement official on his daily rounds warned Ficken about a "big bill." Ficken immediately bought a new mower and cut the grass on Aug. 21. He was ordered to appear at a Sept. 4 hearing but was again out of state dealing with estate issues. The Code Enforcement Board met and upheld the finewhich grew larger during that last trip out of town. Fox 13 reports there were 57 days of violations. Ficken says the first he heard of the looming bill was on Aug. 20, when a code enforcement official on his daily rounds warned Ficken about a "big bill." Ficken immediately bought a new mower and cut the grass on Aug. 21. He was ordered to appear at a Sept. 4 hearing but was again out of state dealing with estate issues. The Code Enforcement Board met and upheld the finewhich grew larger during that last trip out of town. Fox 13 reports there were 57 days of violations. Perspective: The total fine was $29,833.50. The county appraised his home at 1341 Lady Marion Lane at $125,541. The total fine was $29,833.50. The county appraised his home at 1341 Lady Marion Lane at $125,541. Ficken's standout quote: Per WFTS: "That's about five or six years of living expenses for me. So, theyre really trying to take five years of my life." Per WFTS: "That's about five or six years of living expenses for me. So, theyre really trying to take five years of my life." Dunedin's perspective: The city tells WTSP the violations actually date to 2007, and that Ficken was told in person by an inspector at the beginning of July that the fine was $500 a day. But Business Insider notes Ficken's suit says the fines came "without warning." The city tells WTSP the violations actually date to 2007, and that Ficken was told in person by an inspector at the beginning of July that the fine was $500 a day. But Business Insider notes Ficken's suit says the fines came "without warning." His suit: Ficken turned to the property-rights-focused Institute for Justice, which garnered press this February for winning a Supreme Court fight. They're taking on his case pro bono. The Washington Post reports the suit revolves around the Eighth Amendments ban on excessive fines and argues the fine is exactly that considering the offense and that the city did not take into account the retiree's ability to pay (the Post points out Ficken is on food stamps). He's seeking $1 in nominal damages, attorney's fees, and injunctions that would wipe away the fines. Ficken turned to the property-rights-focused Institute for Justice, which garnered press this February for winning a Supreme Court fight. They're taking on his case pro bono. The Washington Post reports the suit revolves around the Eighth Amendments ban on excessive fines and argues the fine is exactly that considering the offense and that the city did not take into account the retiree's ability to pay (the Post points out Ficken is on food stamps). He's seeking $1 in nominal damages, attorney's fees, and injunctions that would wipe away the fines. Dunedin's fee collection: While Dunedin Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski told the Tampa Bay Times, "We are not interested in making money on the backs of our citizens," the paper notes the money the city has made from code violations has exploded from $34,000 in 2007 to $1.3 million last year. (A single mom was thrown in jail over her lawn .) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Monday defending his tariff policy blamed China for breaking the trade deal. The worlds two largest economies are in a bruising trade war after the latest round of talks ended without an agreement. In a series of tweets, Trump wrote, we are right where we want to be with China. Remember, they broke the deal with us and tried to renegotiate, Trump said, justifying his decision to impose a hefty tax on Chinese products, including fish, handbags, clothing and footwear. The new taxes would result in hefty revenue to the US, he said. We will be taking in tens of billions of dollars in tariffs from China. Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-tariffed countries..., he said. We will then spend (match or better) the money that China may no longer be spending with our Great Patriot Farmers (Agriculture), which is a small percentage of total tariffs received, and distribute the food to starving people in nations around the world! GREAT! #MAGA, Trump said. In latest developments, US President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping are likely to meet next month to hash out their differences on trade. However, nothing officially has been announced till now. The meeting is expected to take place on the sidelines of the G20 summit which is scheduled to take place in Osaka on June 28-29. The world's top two economies ended two days of negotiations in Washington on Friday with no deal. The chances of Trump and Xi meeting during the Group of 20 summit in Japan in late June "are probably pretty good," the top White House aide said. Trump had accused Beijing of reneging on its commitments in trade talks and ordered new punitive duties, which took effect Friday, on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, raising them to 25 percent from 10 percent. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: US President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping are likely to meet next month to hash out their differences on trade. However, nothing officially has been announced till now. The meeting is expected to take place on the sidelines of the G20 summit which is scheduled to take place in Osaka on June 28-29. The world's top two economies ended two days of negotiations in Washington on Friday with no deal. The chances of Trump and Xi meeting during the Group of 20 summit in Japan in late June "are probably pretty good," the top White House aide said. Trump had accused Beijing of reneging on its commitments in trade talks and ordered new punitive duties, which took effect Friday, on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, raising them to 25 percent from 10 percent. With punishing US tariffs on hundreds of billions in Chinese merchandise due to jump after midnight, Trump had earlier told reporters he had received a letter from his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, and would likely speak to him by telephone later. Its possible to do it, Trump said of the trade deal at the White House. I did get last night a very beautiful letter from President Xi. But Trump warned he was also more than happy to use tariffs in resolving his differences with China. I am different than a lot of people. I happen to think that tariffs, for our country, are very powerful. Chinese producers said the abrupt tariff hike announcement wreaked havoc on operations and would bring high costs, layoffs and further shifts of production to Southeast Asia. While US companies complain of lost export markets, disrupted supply chains and higher costs, the US continues to see steady growth and falling unemployment. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kolkata: The Home Ministry has cancelled the registration of Bengaluru-based NGO Infosys Foundation for alleged violation of norms in receiving foreign grants, officials said on Monday. Now, the company has issued a clarification on the show cause notice to the company for failing to submit annual income and expenditure statement. The statement reads, ''Infosys Foundation would like to clarify that it has not violated any FCRA norms and was de-registered from FCRA following its request to the Ministry. The Foundation was registered under the FCRA Act in January 2016. In May 2016, the Government amended the FCRA Act in the Finance Bill with retrospective effect from 2010 as a result of which Foundation no longer fell under the purview of the FCRA Act''. ''The Foundation thereafter applied for its de-registration from FCRA with an additional request to cancel the FCRA registration in June 2016, and received acknowledgement from the FCRA wing in the same month. The Foundation has submitted its annual returns for FY16, FY17 and FY18, though it did not fall under the purview of Act following its amendment. Additionally, the Foundation has also submitted necessary paperwork to the Government in July 2018, to showcase that the Foundation has not received any foreign funding. The Foundation has not received any notice to file returns pertaining to FCRA after April 2018''. All non-government organisations (NGOs) are mandatorily required to be registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act or FCRA to receive foreign funding. The Home Ministry had last year served show cause notice to Infosys Foundation for failing to submit annual income and expenditure statement on foreign funding for up to six years despite repeated reminders, officials said. Established in 1996, Infosys Foundation supports projects in education, rural development, health care, arts and culture, and destitute care. According to the foundations website, its mission is to work in remote regions of India. Sudha Murthy is the chairperson of Infosys Foundation. (With inputs from PTI ) For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a shocking incident, a three-year-old girl was allegedly raped in Sumbal village of Jammu and Kashmirs Bandipora district. The accused identified as Tahir Ahmad Mir has been arrested by local police. On Sunday, the incident triggered massive protests across the Valley and shutdown has been called by religious groups for today. The protests were led by president Anjuman Shari Shian Aga Syed Hasan Almosvi Alsafvi. The incident has evoked unambiguous condemnations cutting across political and ideological divides. Following protests in various parts, police had to fire teargas shells to diffuse crowds. Six protestors sustained minor injuries following clashes with police. The authorities had to snap internet services in north Kashmir and parts of central Kashmir to calm tensions. According to toddler's father, the accused took the minor to a nearby government school. The time was near to the pre-dawn prayers. The minor made no signs returning home. Her family members soon started panicking and went out to look for her. They were unable to trace her until they heard her cries from the washroom of a local school which is located very near to their home. They opened the door of the toilet only to see her lying down. The minor soon told them that she was brought here by some elder after buying her chewing gum. Her parents started searching for the accused and he was in the same shop where he bought her the chewing gum. The accused bought five chewing gums and two shampoo packets. The next day, the shopkeeper is said to have found used shampoo packets at the spot where the minor was allegedly raped, according to a media report. Police have constituted a special investigating team to probe the case. SIT comprising SDPO Sumbal, SHO Sumbal, and Senior Prosecuting Officer would investigate into the entire case, according to SSP Bandipora. Meanwhile, condemning the incident former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, said that such people should be stoned to death. Mortified to hear about the rape of a 3-year-old girl in Sumbal. What kind of a sick pervert would do this? Society often blames women for inviting unwanted attention but what was this childs fault? Times like these, Shariah law seems apt so that such paedophiles are stoned to death, she tweeted. Senior separatist Syed Ali Geelani making a fervent appeal to the people for patience, discipline he asked people to keep a constant vigil on the breeding social evils and nude fashions which have ruined our social fabric. Calling for Valley-wide shutdown today, Itehadul Muslimeen president Moulana Masroor Abbas Ansari said, the presence of people with such ill intentions are proving a rot for the society known for upholding its moral values for centuries. There is a dire need for evolving a joint strategy to deal with these elements, he said. "Deeply disturbed by the shocking heinous crime committed on a 3-year-old child in Sumbal. Such repeated incidents raise a serious question mark on how much of our moral and religious values have been imbibed within us and are reflected in our collective behaviour as a society, Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq tweeted. Appeal all to maintain calm and introspect while demanding stern punishment and speedy justice for the victim, he added. For all the Latest Crime News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a horrifying case that yet again highlights the poor state of women security in India, a young widow was sold by her father, gangraped by her buyer and his friends in Uttar Pradeshs Hapur. According to the Times of India report, after the local police refused to listen to her and take any action the accused, the young widow in her 20s set herself on fire. The victim has suffered 80 per cent burns, and right now she is battling for her life, the TOI report said. The report said that the father and the aunt of the woman sold her for Rs 10,000 to a man. The buyer, who had took loans from several people, decided to repay the money by employing the widow as a domestic help at creditors houses. These men would not only make her do the household chores but also rape her. Agonised by the constant, unimaginable torture, the woman decided to approach local police. Instead of registering her complaint, the police turned her away. Feeling dejected, the woman decided to set herself on fire. It was only on Sunday when the incident came to light that the UP Police sprung into action. Now, a case has been registered against 14 people, the TOI report said. Since the woman is admitted in the national capital, the Delhi Commission for Woman has taken cognizance of the case. DCW chief Swati Maliwal has now written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and sought justice for the woman. The Hapur news comes at a time when the Alwar gangrape in distant Rajasthan has caused massive outrage. On April 26, the accused stopped the couple's motorcycle on Thanagaji-Alwar road and beat the husband. They stripped the couple and raped the woman in front of her husband. One of accused also shot a video. "The incident occurred on April 26. This all happened for nearly three hours. The husband of the victim has revealed the shocking apathy of Rajasthan police post their traumatic experience. He claimed that they were in a state of shock due to the incident and decided to keep quiet. But, when one of the accused called him and demanded money or else threatened to distribute the video on social media, they decided to file a police complaint. The 2017 crime statistics also point out at grim status of women safety in India. A look at the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) shows crime against women has increased by more than 200 percent over the last two decades, with rape incidents listing the top in offence chart. For all the Latest Crime News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a big remark that comes during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday apologised for former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's decision to impose Emergency in the nation in 1975. In an exclusive interview to News Nation, Rahul admitted that imposing Emergency was a big mistake and even Indira Gandhi had apologised for it. The big admission comes amid the BJP's continous attack on the Congress over the Emergency and Operation Blue Star during India Gandhi's tenure as prime minister. The Emergency was imposed on this day in 1975 by the then Congress government led by Indira Gandhi. The imposition of the Emergency had then evoked a nationwide outrage and triggered a mass movement which forced Gandhi to lift it in 1977. Rahul also criticised Congress Overseas head Sam Pitroda for his "hua toh hua remarks" on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and said that he had asked the latter to apologise for what he said. The Gandhi scion further launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale fighter jet deal. Rahul said while he apologised for attributing his "chowkidar chor hai" jibe to the Supreme Court verdict, he is still firm on his claim that there has been "chori" in the fighter jet deal. "I apologised for saying "chowkidar chor hai" in relation to the Supreme Court order, but I have never apologised for the fact that there has been "chori" in the Rafale deal," Rahul said. On a question that will be shown when Rahul Gandhi's Full Interview to News Nation is aired at 9 pm on Monday, the Congress chief seemed upset and asked Deepak Chaurasia and Ajay Kumar to edit that part if they felt "nervous". He also said that the BJP gifted him "hatred" but he denied taking it. He added that the RSS speaks without thinking. "RSS is an instrument of adverstiment, it does not think but only speaks. It is an amplifier," he said. The complete interview of Rahul Gandhi with News Nation will be aired at 9 pm tonight. Viewers can also watch the interview on News Nation Live TV and YouTube. New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and party's Bhopal candidate Digvijaya Singh spent the entire day on Sunday in the city overseeing the voting during the Phase six of ongoing Lok Sabha Elections and amidst all this, he missed voting himself. Digvijaya, who was fielded against Bharatiya Janata Partys Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, was enlisted as a voter in Rajgarh parliamentary seat. "I regret that I could not reach Rajgarh to cast my ballot. Next time, I will ensure that my vote is registered in Bhopal," Singh told ANI. According to reports, Digvijaya visited various polling stations in Bhopal to track the voting and thats why failed to visit Rajgarh, which is over 130 kms away from Bhopal. Meanwhile, the BJP claimed that the former chief minister Singh had camped out in Bhopal as he was "nervous" about the outcome of the contest. "Buzz from Bhopal: a nervous Digvijaya Singh is camping in Bhopal and has so far not left for Raghopur, place where he was supposed to cast his vote from. So the two time CM is struggling against the Sadhvi," BJP's Amit Malviya tweeted. Singh had decided to contest from Bhopal, which has been a stronghold of the BJP, after being dared by Chief Minister Kamal Nath. Earlier, Seeking to counter the BJP's Hindutva plank, hundreds of sadhus chanted "Jai Shree Ram" as they took part in a roadshow held by Singh. Singh along with religious leader Namdev Tyagi alias Computer Baba led the roadshow from Bhawani Chowk to Lal Parade ground, moving through main roads of the city, to seek votes. Computer Baba, who was recently appointed chairman of a river trust by the Congress government, on Tuesday said the BJP remained in power for five years but it failed to construct the Ram temple. "Ab Ram Mandir nahi toh Modi nahi (when there is no Ram Mandir then there should be no Narendra Modi too)," the self-styled godman said. New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday hit out at the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, alleging the chief minister has replaced democracy with her "dictatorship" after the state administration denied permission to a rally by its star campaigner and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Earlier in the day BJP president Amit Shah was denied permission to hold a in Jadhavpur. Lashing out at the Bengal government, BJPas national secretary Sunil Deodhar tweeted: aDemocracy is a joke in West Bengal - Granted Permission cancelled at last moment for @AmitShah Jias rally at Jadhavpur - Once again @myogiadityanath Jias rally permission cancelled in South Kolkata. DM & CEO both are working as agent of ruling Trinamool Congress.a Democracy is a joke in West Bengal - Granted Permission cancelled at last moment for @AmitShah Jias rally at Jadhavpur - Once again @myogiadityanath Jias rally permission cancelled in South Kolkata. DM & CEO both are working as agent of ruling Trinamool Congress. a Chowkidar Sunil Deodhar (@Sunil_Deodhar) May 13, 2019 Shah was scheduled to hold a rally Monday but the state administration denied permission for it last night and also withdrew its nod to the landing of Shah's chopper in the constituency, BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters. Meanwhile, the BJP said on Monday the Election Commission has become a "mute spectator" to the Trinamool Congress's alleged undemocratic means to target the saffron party. BJP media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said his party will hold protests and also move the EC. Shah's rally was scheduled for Monday in Jadhavpur, which goes to the polls on May 19 in the last phase, but the permission for it was denied at the last minute by the state administration, he said. Subsequently, the permission for Shah's chopper to land was also withdrawn, Baluni said. "It is unfortunate that the EC has become a mute spectator to all this and also use of violence by the TMC in the state," he said. He alleged the ruling party in Bengal was using undemocratic means to target the BJP. Nine seats will go to polls in the last phase of the general election. This is not the first time when the Amit Shah's proposed event has been denied permission by the West Bengal government.A In January, the BJP had alleged that the state government did not allow a helicopter carrying party chief Amit Shah to land, a charge the state government denied. Earlier on December 6, 2018, Shah was denied permission to hold 'rath yatra' from Coochbehar on grounds that it might cause communal tension.A The state government has in the past denied permissions to land chopper of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, senior party leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan and even Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress and the BJP are involved in a war of word over alleged use of hawala route to transfer money for distribution among the voters.A Trinamool alleged that BJP is using the hawala route to transfer money for distribution among the voters and law enforcing agencies are not taking any action in this regard. The money is being transported under Z plus security and is changing hands through the hawala route among the people, she charged at a poll meeting here in support of TMC's Barasat Lok Sabha seat candidate Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.A The BJP has called Banerjee's charge "baseless". "This operation is being carried out by BJP during the night when campaigning is over. It is surprising that no enforcing agency is taking any action. We need to keep a watch on this," the Trinamool supremo alleged. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday spoke on a range of issues from the 1975 Emergency to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. In an exclusive interview to News Nation, Rahul responded to a host of charges levelled against him and the Congress by the ruling Modi government. Here are the excerpts of Rahuls exclusive interview to News Nation: Q. You want to change the nations ideology, you want to give a new direction to the nation? But can this be done only with a change a governance? A. We want to form the government on the basis of nations ideology which is of love, brotherhood, justice and moving together. In the last five years, Modi ji ran the government single-handedly, without listening to anyone. He implemented demonetisation, Gabbar Singh Tax without asking anyone. He defunct Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes without discussing with the Finance Minister, Finance Ministry. The RBI Governor did not know about it. We want to listen to the nations voice and run the government accordingly. There should not be a government run by one man. Q. Modi ji claims that the Congress has damaged all the Constitutions since the very beginning. A. The Congress never sidelined the RBI. Never during the Congress rule, four judges of the Supreme Court came out in public and said that an external force is stopping us from working. Whom where they talking about? They took Judge Loyas name. It is obvious that external force is Narendra Modi. Modi ji damaged the Planning Commission, Election Commission, RBI. Congress never did this. Even if the Congress want to, it cannot. The reason is the system of the Congress is not like that of the RSS. Congress system is now of control, indeed it is very chaotic. Congress first listens and then works. RSS speaks, RSS is an instrument of advertisement. RSS does not think, it is an amplifier. Our party speaks after listening to the nation. Our party carried out bank nationalisation, you can call it Left of Centre, the same party brought liberalisation 10-15 years later, you can call it Right of Centre. The same party gave MNREGA, it also talked about GST. The Congress works pragmatically after listening to everyone. Congress does not have a central rigid ideology. We work after listening to the nation. An institution like the RSS attacks the institutions of India. When Narendra Modi demonetised the Rs 500 notes without asking the RBI Governor. They did not listen to the nation. The nation has said that in financial matters, we will make this institution our advisor. Narendra Modi ji sidelined them. Congress would have never done that. Congress has built the institutions. Congress fought the most important war of freedom. Q. Priyanka Gandhi during Delhi roadshow said now elections should be fought on the issues of demonetisation and GST. News Nation had asked this question to Narendra Modi during an interview two days ago. He said that election on the issue of demonetisation has been done in Uttar Pradesh and we won it with 3/4th majority. Congress fought the Gujarat Assembly elections on GST and we won all the seats in Surat. And now elections are being fought on the basis of work done in last five years. A. Did this answer come from Modi jis memory or from the note sheet he had in his hand. The truth is the youth of the nation is talking about unemployment, corruption, farmers plight and the attack Narendra Modi ji carried out with demonetisation and GST. And it will come out clear on May 23. It will be clear on what issues the election has been fought. News Nation: During his interview to News Nation two days ago, nowhere did Modi ji refer to the note pad. Rahul: You can edit this if you want. I allow you to edit this part. If you did not like what I said, you can edit it. If you are feeling afraid, you can edit this. Q. Narendra Modi ji says that ask the sarve sarva if his family did not impose the Emergency. A. Indira Gandhi ji imposed the Emergency and Indira Gandhi ji admitted that it was a mistake and I also admit that Emergency was a mistake. Q. Narendra Modi has questioned the Congress manifesto. He has said that the Congress is fooling the people by showing them false dreams. A. Narendra Modi speaks what he has in his heart and what he himself does. The Congress manifesto has a small picture of me and another of Congress, along with the picture of the people all over it. This is our philosophy. It has been prepared after talking to people. Whether it is about farmers, labourers, NYAY scheme or Rs 3,60,000 in five years. Narendra Modi told a lie of Rs 15 lakh. Rafale Issue Ask him what happened to Rs 15 lakh. Ask him what happened to 2 crore jobs to youth. Ask him to come for a debate of 15 minutes with me on Rafale. I challenge he will have to bring a book, a note pad wont do. And even after that, inquiry will be held and two names will come out Narendra Modi and Anil Ambani because Chowkidar Chor Hai. I will ask him four questions on Rafale 1. Narendra Modi told French president that the contract should be given to Anil Ambani. Modi ji said jets should not be manufactured in India. HAL has been manufacturing jets for the last 70 years. It manufactured Mig, Jaguar, Mirage and PM says HAL cant be given the contract. PM Modi tells French President that jet worth Rs 526 crore will be bought for Rs 1,600 crore. The Hindu, in its report, said the defence ministry officials said in their official document that the prime minister held parallel negotiations. Parrikar ji said he knew only about the first contract with HAL and has now idea about the Rs 1600-crore deal. If Narendra Modi ji had not stolen in the deal, he would have said that he will order an inquiry in five minutes. But in the last three years, Narendra Modi has neither come for a debate with me because chowkidar ne chori ki hai. Q. If Congress or any non-BJP government comes to power at the Centre, will the Rafale deal be renegotiated or the offset partner be changed? A. There will be no vindictiveness or witch-hunt. Inquiry will be held and culprits will be punished. Before cancelling the contract, we will have to ask the Defence officials. PM, who calls himself chowkidar is not ordering an inquiry because he knows that something wrong has been done in the deal. Q. Matter is sub-judice. How can an inquiry be ordered in such a case when the matter is in Supreme Court? A. I apologised to the Supreme Court for attributing the chowkidar chor hai to the verdict. I directed the remark saying the Supreme Court that chowkidar is chor. But I did not apologise for my statement that chowkidar did chori in the Rafale deal. Q. When Pragya Thakurs name was announced as BJP candidate, then a statement by PM said that you have linked Hindu with terrorism. A. Terrorism cannot be linked with any religion. Religion and terrorism are two different things. I have never said this. This is totally wrong. Q. BJP has alleged that you are fighting from Wayanad where Hindus are minority. A. I am fighting from Amethi also. Modis politics in south India Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha gave these states an impression that there is no place for them in India. He seemed to tell the southern states that country will run from Nagpur and Chennai has nothing to do with it. To give South India a message, I am fighting from two places. Sam Pitroda's Hua toh hua remark There cannot be hua so hua. Justice should be delivered and those who have done wrong should be punished. I have clearly told Sam Pitroda to say sorry and apologise, you should not have said this. Q. BJP has alleged that the Congress was responsible for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Do you agree with it? A. I have said that whatever happened in 1984 was wrong. Law should be implemented and whoever did violence and hurt people and killed them, they must be punished. Q. You hugged PM Modi in the Parliament and the camera also caught your wink. It was then compared to Priya Varriers wink. What led you to do that because such things are unusual in the Parliament. What was going in your mind? A. I was listening to Prime Ministers speech and he had so much hatred in his heart about me, my family and the Congress. I was not catching the anger thrown at me. I had love in my heart, I did not accept the gift of hatred from him. I gave him the gift of love and hugged him. I dont hate Narendra Modi. Narendra Modi is an ideology and I am fighting it and we are going to defeat it in the elections. I have no personal enmity with him. Q. On your announcement of Rs 72,000 per year under NYAY scheme, PM Modi said during his interview that they have track-recorder while Congress has tape-recorder. A. May 23 will decide who has delivered what. Narendra Modi delivered note ban, Gabbar Singh Tax, demolished the economy which was the strength of the nation. He did not deliver 2 crore jobs to youth, Rs 15 lakh that he promised, adequate prices to farmers, farm loan waiver. He delivered Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani. He waived off loans worth Rs 5,55,000 crore given to 15 people. Arun Jaitley met Vijay Mallya before he fled to London. You called Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi and Anil Ambani bhai, you delivered for them. New Delhi: A polling agent was caught on camera for ainfluencinga voters inside a booth in Haryanaas Faridabad during the sixth round of the Lok Sabha polls on Sunday. After the video of the alleged act went viral, the Election Commission ordered arrest of the agent, who has not been identified as of now. A The one minute, 18-second long clip shows the man dressed in a blue t-shirt and jeans going and apparently pressing the EVM button as the women voters prepare to cast their votes. The small clip doesnat show anyone inside the Faridabad polling booth to stop the agent. A Matter taken very seriously by the administration of Faridabad district. ARO Bharat Bhushan Gogia HCS rushed to the spot . Soon he was joined by the observer SH. Sanjay Kumar who investigated the entire matter. a DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICE FARIDABAD (@OfficeFaridabad) May 12, 2019 After outrage on Twitter, many people tagged the Election Commission and demanded answer. Later in the day, the poll panelas Faridabad office took to Twitter and announced the action taken against the agent. aMatter taken very seriously by the administration of Faridabad district. ARO Bharat Bhushan Gogia HCS rushed to the spot . Soon he was joined by the observer SH. Sanjay Kumar who investigated the entire matter.a aThe person in the video is the Polling agent who has been arrested in the afternoon itself. FIR lodged. He was trying to effect at least 3 lady voters. Observer & ARO with teams visited the booth at Asawati in Prithala constituency. He is satisfied that voting was never vitiated,a the Faridabad poll panel said.A A The voter turnout was 64.48% in Faridabad. Union minister Krishan Pal Gurjar is contesting against Congressas Avtar Singh Bhadana and INLDas Mahender Chauhan in this seat. All 10 seats in Haryana went to polls on May 12. Results will be declared on May 23. A voter turnout of 69.50 per cent was recorded on Sunday in the 10 Lok Sabha seats of Haryana, where 223 candidates, including two Union ministers and a former chief minister, are in the fray. In the 2014 general election, the overall poll percentage stood at 71.86. Till compiling of figures at 11 pm, 69.50 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the polls, Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer Rajeev Ranjan said. A total of 1.80 crore electorate in the state was eligible to exercise their franchise. The highest polling percentage (till 11 pm) was recorded in the Sirsa parliamentary constituency (74.08), followed by Kurukshetra (72.70), Hisar (71.17), Ambala (70.84), Bhiwani-Mahendergarh (69.88), Rohtak (69.36), Sonipat (69.08), Gurgaon (68.45). Across the state, there were some assembly constituencies, including some reserved segments, which are part of Lok Sabha seats, where the voter turnout was quite high. (With inputs from PTI) New Delhi: BJP national president Amit Shah on Monday dared West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to arrest him for chanting Jai Shri Ram, claiming that the TMC supremo can stop him from attending rallies in Bengal, but wont be able to stop BJPs victory march in the state. Addressing a rally at Canning, which comes under Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency, he said, Mamatadi gets angry if someone chants Jai Shri Ram. I am chanting Jai Shri Ram here today. If you (Mamata) have the guts, arrest me. I will be in Kolkata tomorrow. Hitting out at the TMC government over denial of permission for his chopper to land in Baruipur, Shah said, The Mamata Banerjee government is visibly perplexed. She wants to stop me from attending rallies. The TMC can stop me from addressing rallies, but cant stop the victory march of BJP in Bengal. Amit Shahs scheduled rally in Jadavpur Lok Sabha seat was called off on Monday after the state government denied him permission to land his chopper and hold a public address at Baruipur. New Delhi: Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has refused permission to Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah's proposed roadshow in Jadavpur. According to reports, the government has also denied permission to land his chopper.A "Party President Amit Shah denied permission to hold road show in Jadavpur, also denied permission to land chopper," BJP sources were quoted as saying by news agency ANI.A BJP sources: Party President Amit Shah denied permission to hold road show in Jadavpur, also denied permission to land chopper. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/yb0VDh8ci4 a ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019 Meanwhile, the BJP said on Monday the Election Commission has become a "mute spectator" to the Trinamool Congress's alleged undemocratic means to target the saffron party. BJP media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said his party will hold protests and also move the EC. Shah's rally was scheduled for Monday in Jadhavpur, which goes to the polls on May 19 in the last phase, but the permission for it was denied at the last minute by the state administration, he said. Subsequently, the permission for Shah's chopper to land was also withdrawn, Baluni said. "It is unfortunate that the EC has become a mute spectator to all this and also use of violence by the TMC in the state," he said. He alleged the ruling party in Bengal was using undemocratic means to target the BJP. Nine seats will go to polls in the last phase of the general election. This is not the first time when the Amit Shah's proposed event has been denied permission by the West Bengal government.A In January, the BJP had alleged that the state government did not allow a helicopter carrying party chief Amit Shah to land, a charge the state government denied. Earlier on December 6, 2018, Shah was denied permission to hold 'rath yatra' from Coochbehar on grounds that it might cause communal tension.A The state government has in the past denied permissions to land chopper of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, senior party leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan and even Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress and the BJP are involved in a war of word over alleged use of hawala route to transfer money for distribution among the voters.A Trinamool alleged that BJP is using the hawala route to transfer money for distribution among the voters and law enforcing agencies are not taking any action in this regard. The money is being transported under Z plus security and is changing hands through the hawala route among the people, she charged at a poll meeting here in support of TMC's Barasat Lok Sabha seat candidate Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.A A A The BJP has called Banerjee's charge "baseless". "This operation is being carried out by BJP during the night when campaigning is over. It is surprising that no enforcing agency is taking any action. We need to keep a watch on this," the Trinamool supremo alleged. With PTI Inputs New Delhi: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday sharpened his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of working for the benefit of the rich and looting the Air Force and the poor. Referring to the BJP's slogan of 'chowkidar', Gandhi said that only rich people can afford "chowkidar" (watchman) and not farmers. Addressing a public rally in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone, the Congress chief said that while the prime minister claims to be awake for 22 hours, he could not find to answers his questions on the Rafale deal. "He claims to be awake for 22 hours but in all this time he did not find the time to figure out answers to my questions on the Rafale deal," he said, accusing Modi of looting the Indian Air Force. The prime minister didnt even spared the farmers, labourers and small shopkeepers and looted them too, he added. The Congress president said that while HAL was manufacturing the aircrafts for 70 years, Anil Ambani's compnay had no such experience and it was floated just 10 days before the deal was announced. Despite the fact that Anil Ambani had a debt of Rs 45 Crore, the contract of Rafale jets was given to him. He also countered the Narendra Modi-led BJP government for its demonetisation move and implementation of "Gabbar Singh Tax", his abbreviation for the GST. Boasting about the Congress's NYAY scheme, which promsies minimum income guarantee for the poor families, Rahul claimed that 72,000 crore will be given back to the people of the country under the scheme. New Delhi: Standing by his chowkidar chor hai jibe on the Prime Minister, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, in an exclusive interview to News Nation, said had Narendra Modi not stolen in the Rafale fighter jets deal, he would have ordered an inquiry into the case in five minutes. Speaking with News Nations Deepak Chaurasia and Ajay Kumar, Rahul Gandhi said he challenged Modi to come for a debate of 15 minutes with me on the controversial deal. I apologised to the Supreme Court for attributing the chowkidar chor hai to the verdict. I directed the remark saying the Supreme Court that chowkidar is chor. But I did not apologise for my statement that chowkidar did chori in the deal, Gandhi said on being asked how can an inquiry be ordered in such a case when the issue is sub-judice. If Narendra Modi ji had not stolen in the deal, he would have ordered an inquiry into it in five minutes. But in the last three years, Narendra Modi has neither come for a debate with me because Chowkidar ne chori ki hai, Gandhi said. I challenge he will have to bring a book, a note pad wont do. And even after that, inquiry will be held and two names will come out Narendra Modi and Anil Ambani, he said. Gandhi also said there will be no witch-hunt if the Congress or any non-BJP government comes to power at the Centre. Inquiry will be held and culprits will be punished. Before cancelling the contract, we will have to ask defence officials. The PM is not ordering an inquiry because he knows that something wrong has been done in the deal, Gandhi said. The president also questioned why was the Rafale deal was given to Anil Ambanis Reliance Defence. Narendra Modi told the French president that the contract should be given to Anil Ambani. Modi ji said jets should not be manufactured in India. The HAL has been manufacturing jets for the last 70 years. It manufactured MiG, Jaguar, Mirage and the PM says the HAL cant be given the contract. PM Modi tells the French president that jet worth Rs 526 crore will be bought for Rs 1,600 crore, he said. The Hindu, in its report, said the defence ministry officials said in their official document that the prime minister held parallel negotiations. (Manohar) Parrikar ji said he knew only about the first contract with the HAL and has now idea about the Rs 1,600-crore deal, he added. On Friday, the Supreme Court reserved its verdict on petitions challenging its December 14 judgment on the Rafale fighter jet deal. The court directed the parties to file written submissions within two weeks. In a separate hearing, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi also reserved the verdict on the criminal contempt plea filed against him by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi. In its order last December, the apex court had dismissed the plea filed by Sinha, Shourie and Bhushan seeking probe into alleged irregularities in the multi-crore Rafale fighter jet purchase deal with France. New Delhi: It has been almost 10 months since Rahul Gandhi amused everyone with a hug to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the end of his speech followed by a wink during the no-confidence motion debate in the Lok Sabha on July 20, 2018. The Congress president still mains that he has no personal grudges against the PM. Speaking with News Nationas Deepak Chaurasia and Ajay Kumar in an exclusive interview, said: aI donat hate Narendra Modi. He is an ideology and I am fighting it. I have no personal enmity with him.aA A Gandhi's no-holds barred attack at Modi on a range of issues including the controversial Rafale jet deal in his hour-long speech during a debate on the no-confidence motion against the government often sparked loud protests from the treasury benches, but it was his walk across the green-carpeted Well of House at the end to hug Modi that left almost everyone, not the least the prime minister, surprised. Modi shook Gandhi's hands but ignored his call to stand so that he could hug the BJP leader. The Congress chief, however, embraced him as he remained seated. Modi initially looked nonplussed and did not stand up to hug him, but recovered quickly and called Gandhi back and patted him on the back. He also appeared to say a few words, which were inaudible Gandhi presented it as his show of love for the BJP despite its "abuses", including calling him 'pappu', "hate" and "anger". He said he was thankful to the BJP and the RSS for teaching him the meaning of Lord Shiva and what it means to be a Hindu and a Congressman. When News Nation asked Gandhi what led him to do that because such things are unusual in the Parliament, the Congress leader said: aI was listening to Prime Ministeras speech and he had so much hatred in his heart about me, my family and the Congress. I was not catching the anger thrown at me. I had love in my heart, I did not accept the gift of hatred from him. I gave him the gift of love and hugged him.a "I donat hate Narendra Modi. Narendra Modi is an ideology and I am fighting it. I have no personal enmity with him," says @RahulGandhi@_Kumar_Ajay and @DChaurasia2312#RahulOnNewsnation Follow LIVE Updates: https://t.co/cjVSaki2Jx Watch LIVE TV: https://t.co/8BhJ6kHL2g pic.twitter.com/SaI95pfzC3 a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) May 13, 2019 Gandhias winking picture had gone viral, with Twitter users drawing a parallel between the Congress president and Malayalam actor Priya Prakash Varrier who became an internet sensation with her wink from a film song, aManikya Malaraya Poovia.A New Delhi: Can the change of governance give India a new direction and ideology? Is Congress fooling the people of India by showing them false dreams in its election manifesto? What is the controversial Rafale allegations on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government? - Congress president Rahul Gandhi, in an exclusive interview to News Nation's Deepak Chaurasia and Ajay Kumar, on Monday opened up on these wide range of issues concerning the nation today. The Gandhi scion has also criticised the party's Indian Overseas chief Sam Pitroda for his controversial 'Hua so Hua' remark on 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Other important factors, the Congress chief spoke about, include the 1975 Emergency, imposed by former prime minister Indira Gandhi, the implementation of GST and demonetisation by the BJP-led dispensation, the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2019, which is scheduled to end on May 19. Here are the Highlights on Rahul Gandhis super exclusive interview with News Nation: 03:18 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Ajay Kumar: Narendra Modi ji says that ask the "sarve sarva" if his family did not impose the Emergency. Rahul Gandhi: Indira Gandhiji imposed the Emergency and she herself admitted that it was a mistake and I also admit that Emergency was a mistake. 03:04 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Deepak Chaurasia: On your announcement of Rs 72,000 per year under NYAY scheme, PM Modi said during his interview that they have track-recorder while Congress has tape-recorder. Rahul Gandhi: May 23 will decide who has delivered what. Narendra Modi delivered note ban, Gabbar Singh Tax, he demolished the economy which was the strength of the nation. He did not deliver 2 crore jobs to youth, Rs 15 lakh that he promised, adequate prices to farmers, farm loan waiver. He delivered Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani. He waived off loans worth Rs 5,55,000 crore given to 15 people. Arun Jaitley met Vijay Mallya before he fled to London. You called Mehul Choksi and Anil Ambani bhai, you delivered for them. 21:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Ajay Kumar: You hugged PM Modi in the Parliament and the camera also caught your wink. It was then compared to Priya Varriers wink. What led you to do that because such things are unusual in the Parliament. Rahul Gandhi: I was listening to Prime Ministers speech and he had so much hatred in his heart about me, my family and the Congress. I was not caching the anger thrown at me. I had love in my heart, I did not accept the gift of hatred from him. I gave him the gift of love and hugged him. I dont hate Narendra Modi. Narendra Modi is an ideology and I am fighting it. I have no personal enmity with him. READ | PM on News Nation: Why Modi planned Balakot airstrike on February 26 03:01 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Deepak Chaurasia: BJP has alleged that the Congress was responsible for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Do you agree with it? Rahul Gandhi: I have said that whatever happened was wrong. Law should be implemented and whoever did violence and hurt people must be punished. 02:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Ajay Kumar: Hua so hua remark from Sam Pitroda on 1984 anti-Sikh riots... Rahul Gandhi: There cannot be hua so hua. I have clearly told Sam Pitroda to say sorry and apologise for his statement. He should not have said this. 02:55 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Ajay Kumar: BJP has alleged that you are fighting from Wayanad where Hindus are minority. Rahul Gandhi: I am fighting from Amethi also. Modis politics in south India Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha told these states that there is no place for them in India. To give South India a message, I am fighting from two places. 02:54 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Ajay Kumar: When Pragya Thakurs name was announced as a BJP candidate, then there was a statement by PM that you have linked the Hindu with terrorism. Rahul Gandhi: Terrorism cannot be linked with any religion. Religion and terrorism are two different things. I have never said this. 21:18 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Deepak Chaurasia: Matter is sub-judice. How can an inquiry be ordered in such a case. Rahul Gandhi: I apologised to the Supreme Court for attributing the "chowkidar chor hai" to the verdict. I directed the remark saying the Supreme Court that chowkidar is chor. But I did not apologise for my statement that chowkidar did chori in the deal. 02:52 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Ajay Kumar: Narendra Modi has questioned the Congress manifesto. He has said that the Congress is fooling the people by showing them false dreams. Rahul Gandhi: Narendra Modi speaks what he has in his heart and what he himself does. The Congress manifesto has a small picture of me and another of Congress, along with the picture of the people all over it. This is our philosophy. It has been prepared after talking to people. Whether it is about farmers, labourers, NYAY scheme or Rs 3,60,000 in five years. Narendra Modi told a lie of Rs 15 lakh. Ask him what happened to Rs 15 lakh. Ask him what happened to 2 crore jobs to youth. Ask him to come for a debate of 15 minutes with me on Rafale. I challenge he will have to bring a book, a note pad wont do. And even after that, inquiry will be held and two names will come out Narendra Modi and Anil Ambani. "Chowkidar Chor Hai". I will ask him four questions on Rafale 1. Narendra Modi told French president that the contract should be given to Anil Ambani. Modi ji said jets should not be manufactured in India. HAL has been manufacturing jets for the last 70 years. It manufactured Mig, Jaguar, Mirage and PM says HAL cant be given the contract. PM Modi tells French President that jet worth Rs 526 crore will be bought for Rs 1,600 crore. The Hindu, in its report, said the defence ministry officials said in their official document that the prime minister held parallel negotiations. Parrikar ji said he knew only about the first contract with HAL and has now idea about the Rs 1600-crore deal. If Narendra Modi ji had not stolen in the deal, he would have said that he will order an inquiry in five minutes. But in the last three years, Narendra Modi has neither come for a debate nor ordered an inquiry. Because "chowkidar ne chori ki hai". 02:24 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Deepak Chaurasia: During the interview, nowhere did Modi ji refer to the note pad. Rahul Gandhi: You can edit this if you want. I allow you to edit this part. If you did not like what I said, you can edit it. If you are afraid of that, you can edit this. 02:36 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Deepak Chaurasia: Priyanka Gandhiji during her Delhi roadshow said that now elections should be fought on the issues of demonetisation and GST. News Nation had asked this question to Narendra Modi during an interview two days ago. He said that election on the issue of demonetisation has been fought in Uttar Pradesh and we won it with 3/4th majority. Congress fought the Gujarat Assembly elections on GST and we won all the seats in Surat. And now elections are being fought on the basis of work done in the last five years. Rahul Gandhi: Did this answer come from Modi jis memory or from the note sheet he had in his hand. The truth is the youth of the nation is talking about unemployment, corruption, farmers plight and the attack Narendra Modi ji carried out with demonetisation and GST. And it will come out clear on May 23. It will be clear on what issues the election has been fought. READ | PM on News Nation: Not only Pulwama, Opposition will blame me even for a pothole in Pune 21:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Ajay Kumar: Modiji claims that the Congress has damaged all the Constitutions since the very beginning. Rahul Gandhi: The Congress never sidelined the RBI. Never during the Congress rule, four judges of the Supreme Court came out in public and said that an "external force is stopping us from working. Whom where they talking about? They took Judge Loyas name. It is obvious that external force" is Narendra Modi. Modi ji damaged the Planning Commission, Election Commission, RBI. Congress never did this. Even if the Congress want to, it cannot. The reason is the system of the Congress is not like that of the RSS. Congress' system is now of control, indeed it is very chaotic. Congress first listens and then works. RSS speaks, RSS is an instrument of advertisement. RSS does not think, it is an amplifier. Our party speaks after listening to the nation. Our party carried out bank nationalisation, you can call it Left of Centre, the same party brought liberalisation 10-15 years later, you can call it Right of Centre. The same party gave MNREGA, it also talked about GST. The Congress works pragmatically after listening to everyone. Congress does not have a central rigid ideology. We work after listening to the nation. An institution like the RSS attacks the institutions of India. When Narendra Modi demonetised the Rs 500 notes without asking the RBI Governor. They did not listen to the nation. The nation has said that in financial matters, we will make this institution our advisor. Narendra Modi ji sidelined them. Congress would have never done that. Congress has built the institutions. Congress fought the most important war of freedom. 22:08 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Ajay Kumar: You want to change the nation's ideology, you want to give a new direction to India? But can this be done only with a change of governance? Rahul Gandhi: We want to form the government on the basis of nation's ideology which is of love, brotherhood, justice and moving together. In the last five years, Modiji ran the government single-handedly, without listening to anyone. He implemented demonetisation, Gabbar Singh Tax without asking anyone. He defunct Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes without any discussion with the Finance Minister and the Finance Ministry. The RBI Governor did not know about it. We want to listen to the nations voice and run the government accordingly. There should not be a government run by one man. READ | PM on News Nation: Will personally go and honour a journalist who questions Opposition on Rafale 20:54 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In What did Rahul Gandhi say about his apology to the Supreme Court over 'Chowkidaar Chor Hai' remark? Watch Rahul Gandhi's exclusive interview today at 9 pm only on News Nation. 20:51 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Was Congress party responsible for the anti-Sikh riots in 1984? Does terrorism have a religion? Join us using #RahulOnNewsNation to get the answer of these burning questions today at 9 pm. 20:45 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Gandhi's interview with News Nation comes at a time when India awaits the May 23 Lok Sabha verdict following the conclusion of 39-day-long General Elections on May 19. Watch full interview at 9 pm only on News Nation. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday made admittance on two major issues the 1975-77 Emergency period and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots which the BJP has been using to attack the Congress. In an exclusive interview to News Nation, Rahul responded to a host of allegations and at the same launched hard-hitting rebuttals on the Narendra Modi government. Here is how Rahul took on the major issues in the 23-minute-long interview to news Nation: On Emergency Rahul said former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi admitted that Emergency as a mistake and he admitted too. Indira Gandhi ji imposed the Emergency and Indira Gandhi ji admitted that it was a mistake and I also admit that Emergency was a mistake, he said. The Emergency was imposed on this day in 1975 by the then Congress government led by Indira Gandhi. The imposition of the Emergency had then evoked a nationwide outrage and triggered a mass movement which forced Gandhi to lift it in 1977. On 1984 anti-Sikh riots I have said that whatever happened in 1984 was wrong. Law should be implemented and whoever did violence and hurt people and killed them, they must be punished, Rahul said. Responding to Sam Pitrodas remark on 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Rahul said what the Congress Overseas head said was not acceptable, adding that he had asked him to apologise. There cannot be hua toh hua. Justice should be delivered and those who have done wrong should be punished. I have clearly told Sam Pitroda to say sorry and apologise, you should not have said this, he said. Rahul's remarks came in an apparent damage control exercise after an uproar over Pitroda's "hua toh hua" response to a query on the riots. On Rafale deal Launching a scathing attack on Narendra Modi over the controversy surrounding the Rafale fighter jet deal, Rahul challenged the prime minister for a 15-minute debate on the issue and also dared him to order an inquiry into the Rs 60,000-crore deal. If Narendra Modi ji had not stolen in the deal, he would have said that he will order an inquiry in five minutes. But in the last three years, Narendra Modi has neither come for a debate with me because chowkidar ne chori ki hai, he said. Rahul questioned the governments decision to choose Anil Ambanis Reliance Defence as the offset partner over indigenous Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Ask him to come for a debate of 15 minutes with me on Rafale. I challenge he will have to bring a book, a note pad wont do. And even after that, inquiry will be held and two names will come out Narendra Modi and Anil Ambani because Chowkidar Chor Hai, he said. Narendra Modi told French president that the contract should be given to Anil Ambani. Modi ji said jets should not be manufactured in India. HAL has been manufacturing jets for the last 70 years. It manufactured Mig, Jaguar, Mirage and PM says HAL cant be given the contract. PM Modi tells French President that jet worth Rs 526 crore will be bought for Rs 1,600 crore, the Congress chief added. Asked whether the Rafale deal be renegotiated if the Congress comes to power at the Centre, Rahul said that an inquiry will be carried out to bring the wrongdoings into light. There will be no vindictiveness or witch-hunt. Inquiry will be held and culprits will be punished. Before cancelling the contract, we will have to ask the Defence officials. PM, who calls himself chowkidar is not ordering an inquiry because he knows that something wrong has been done in the deal, he said. Hug-and-wink episode Responding to a question on the famous hug-and-wink episode in the Parliament, Rahul said he had no personal enmity with the prime minister and that he only responded to Modis hatred with his love. I was listening to Prime Ministers speech and he had so much hatred in his heart about me, my family and the Congress. I was not catching the anger thrown at me. I had love in my heart, I did not accept the gift of hatred from him. I gave him the gift of love and hugged him. I dont hate Narendra Modi. Narendra Modi is an ideology and I am fighting it and we are going to defeat it in the elections. I have no personal enmity with him, he said. On contesting from Wayanad Hitting back at the BJP for criticising his decision to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Keralas Wayanad, Rahul said he was fighting from Amethi too and that he chose the former as the second seat to send a message to the southern states. I am fighting from Amethi also. Modis politics in south India Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha gave these states an impression that there is no place for them in India. He seemed to tell the southern states that country will run from Nagpur and Chennai has nothing to do with it. To give South India a message, I am fighting from two places, he said. The BJP has been has been targeting him for contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad in Kerala which has a sizeable Muslim population. Wayanad will witness a triangular contest with Left Front constituent CPI's P P Suneer and BJP-backed NDA candidate Thushar Vellappally also in the fray. On note ban and GST Rahul alleged that PM Modi destroyed the nations economy by implementing demonetisation and the GST. He implemented demonetisation, Gabbar Singh Tax without asking anyone. He defunct Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes without discussing with the Finance Minister, Finance Ministry. The RBI Governor did not know about it, he said. The truth is the youth of the nation is talking about unemployment, corruption, farmers plight and the attack Narendra Modi ji carried out with demonetisation and GST. And it will come out clear on May 23. It will be clear on what issues the election has been fought, the Congress chief said. On Hindu terror Responding to BJPs allegation that the Congress linked the Hindu community with terrorism, Rahul said that terror has no religion. Terrorism cannot be linked with any religion. Religion and terrorism are two different things. I have never said this. This is totally wrong, he said. The BJP has accused the Congress of coining the term Hindu terror and has tried to corner the latter for criticising the nomination of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur a Malegaon blast accused as party candidate from Bhopal. PM Modi has been attacking the Congress of hatching the 'Hindu terror' conspiracy to defame the country's religious heritage. On RSS Rahul said the RSS has been attacking the institutions of the country and works as instrument of advertisement. RSS speaks, RSS is an instrument of advertisement. RSS does not think, it is an amplifier, he said. New Delhi: Senior party official of Congress has resigned from the party alleging humiliation by AICC general secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East). According to reports, the party's Bhadohi district president Neelam Misra has accused Gandhi of extremely bad behaviour after they approached her with a complaint regarding the candidate and quit the party. Several other officer bearers have also resigned from the party. Misra said Lok Sabha ticket was given to an outsider Ramakant Yadav who came from Bharatiya Janata Party and it was a huge blow for us. "A complaint was made to Priyanka Gandhi about Congress candidate Ramakant Yadav not coordinating with anyone in the unit on Friday and she was also told that none of the office bearers were invited for a rally here," Congress's Bhadohi district president Neelam Misra told newspersons here. Priyanka Gandhi addressed an election rally in Bhadohi in support of the party candidate Yadav on Friday. Misra alleged that Priyanka Gandhi not only ignored their grievance but also used "strong words" against her publicly. "But the AICC general secretary paid no heed and said if they are feeling humiliated over this then they can continue to feel this way," Misra claimed. Misra said she and other office-bearers had approached Priyanka Gandhi as she is the Congress's eastern Uttar Pradesh in-charge. "But it seems that she does not have the thinking that could encourage the partymen," Misra said. She said after resigning, they held a meeting and resolved to support Rangnath Misra, the joint candidate of the SP-BSP alliance for the election slated for Sunday. When contacted, district vice president of the Congress Mushir Iqbal said Misra and others have taken this step in "haste" and need to have waited for the elections to be over. With Agency Inputs New Delhi: Actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol had a close save on Monday when his car met with an accident near Sohal village on Gurdaspur National Highway. According to reports, Sunny Deol's car first got hit by a car coming from the wrong side. Following the collision, a tyre of his vehicle burst and the car then rammed into a divider. "It was a close shave for actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol on May 13, when one of the tyres of the sport utility vehicle he was travelling in burst on the Amritsar-Gurdaspur national highway," police was quoted as saying by IANS. At least four vehicles in his convoy rammed into each other when the actor was on his way for a roadshow. However, no one was injured. Deol- who is contesting Lok Sabha Elections from Gurdaspur parliamentary seat - later, left the spot in another vehicle. The 62-year-old has been pitted against Congress's Sunil Jakhar. Sunil won the seat in the 2017 bypoll, which was necessitated after the death of Vinod Khanna in April that year. Sunil is son of veteran Congress leader Balram Jhakar. The Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat had been represented by late actor Vinod Khanna four-times--1998, 1999, 2004 and 2014. Meanwhile, Dharmendra, who is campaigning for his son, told reporters that he has come to Gurdaspur to understand people's pain and to become the remedy. Dharmendra said Sunil Jakhar is like his son as he had good relations with his father and former Lok Sabha speaker Balram Jakhar. "Balram Jakhar was like my brother, had I known his son Sunil Jakhar was contesting from Gurdaspur, I would have not allowed Sunny (to contest against him)," Dharmendra was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. He said he had refused to contest against Balram Jakhar from Churu in Rajasthan in 2004 Lok Sabha polls. Dharmendra had then contested from Bikaner seat on BJP ticket. Dharmendra said he got emotional to see people supporting Sunny Deol on his first roadshow which he held after filling nomination papers for the Gurdaspur seat. New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear the plea of a BJP youth activist, Priyanka Sharma, challenging her arrest by the West Bengal Police for allegedly sharing a morphed photo of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media. Priyanka Sharma is accused of sharing a photo in which Mamata Banerjee's face has been photoshopped on the form of actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas at the MET Gala in New York on her Facebook timeline. She was picked up by the police from her home. She has been sent to two weeks' judicial custody. A vacation bench, comprising justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna, on Monday took note of the plea of advocate NK Kaul, representing the activist, that the issue of her arrest be accorded urgent hearing. We will hear the bail plea of BJP youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma on Tuesday, the bench said. The bench posted the plea for hearing on Tuesday after the senior lawyer submitted that there has been a complete strike in West Bengal and it has forced the woman to challenge her arrest in the apex court. The senior lawyer said the woman activist is in judicial custody following her arrest by the police. A complaint filed at Dasnagar Police station against Priyanka Sharma, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, accuses her of "violating community guidelines", an official of Howrah City police's Cyber Cell is quoted as telling news agency IANS. The complaint was reportedly filed by a Trinamool leader, Bibhas Hazra. "This is a malicious effort to define our beloved CM who is working tirelessly for our state. We have lodged a police complaint and want stern action to be initiated. She has not just insulted our CM, but also the culture of Bengal," Mr Hazra reportedly complained. The charges cited on the complaint include "defamation and offensive messages". New Delhi: Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtriya Samithi chief K Chandrasekhar Rao or KCR as he is popularly called and DMK president MK Stalin will meet at Stalins residence in Chennai on Monday. KCR left for Tamil Nadu on Sunday afternoon. He would first visit Tiruchirappalli, official sources said. The DMK, which is an ally of the UPA, had earlier attempted to play down the meeting, terming it as a 'courtesy'. The Congress has in the past accused KCR of being the B-team of the BJP, while Stalin was the first leader to endorse Congress President Rahul Gandhi for Prime Minister. The DMK had earlier called of the meet citing Stalins campaign commitments for the bye-elections to four constituencies in Tamil Nadu that are set to take place on May 19. Last year, Rao met Stalin in Chennai and discussed issues related to state autonomy, finances and the political situation. Rao called on Stalin after meeting then DMK president M Karunanidhi, who passed away a few months later. Stalin said KCR was in talks with other political parties and he would himself talk about various issues with other like-minded parties in Tamil Nadu and at different levels within the DMK. The TRS supremo had stepped up efforts to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties and on May 6 met his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram. He has also planned to meet Karnataka CM AND JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy and may follow it up with Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. YSRCP leader Jagan Mohan Reddy is already part of KCRs Federal Front and has said that the two Telugu states will bargain as a bloc. New Delhi: Responding to BJPs allegation of the Congress linking Hindus to terrorism, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that terror cannot be linked with religion. Speaking in an exclusive interview to News Nation, Rahul said: Terrorism cannot be linked with any religion. Religion and terrorism are two different things. I have never said this. This is totally wrong. The Congress chief was responding to News Nations question that the BJP has alleged him and the Congress of linking Hindu community with terrorism, after Sadhi Pragya Thakur was announced as the BJP candidate from Bhopal. Six persons were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested Thakur and others, claiming that they were part of a Hindu extremist group which carried out the blast. The National Investigation Agency, in 2016, gave a clean chit to Thakur, but the trial court refused to discharge her, and she is facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been attacking the Congress of hatching the 'Hindu terror' conspiracy to defame the country's religious heritage. The Congress has hatched the 'Hindu atankwad' (terrorism) conspiracy to defame our religious heritage, he said at an election meeting in Madhya Pradeshs Khandwa on Sunday. New Delhi: Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi on Sunday countered Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan's remark that India's first "terrorist was a Hindu" and asked whether he made the statement to get Muslim votes. "Dear Kamal sir, you are a great artist. Just like art has no religion, terror has no religion either! You can say Ghodse was a terrorist, why would you specify Hindu ? Is it because you were in a Muslim dominated area looking for votes?" Oberoi, who is playing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a biopic on his life. Addressing a rally in Tamil Nadus Aravakurichi, a Muslim dominated area, Haasan on Sunday courted controversy by saying terrorism in free India had started with the murder of Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse, who killed the 'father of the nation', was the first terrorist. I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free Indias first terrorist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (terrorism, apparently) starts, Haasan said. The MNM chief's remark didn't go down well with the Bollywood actor, who appealed the earlier not to devide the country. "Please sir, from a much smaller artist to a great one, lets not divide this country, we are one Jai Hind #AkhandBharat #UnDividedIndia (sic)," he said in a series of tweets. The remarks of Kamal Haasan were also criticsed by Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan, who warned him of "lightening a dangerous fire" to gain votes by minority appeasement. Actor Kamala Haasan recalling Gandhis assassination now and calling it Hindu terrorism is condemnable. Standing amidst minorities in TN by-election campaign he is lighting a dangerous fire to gain votes by minority appeasement. kamal didnt opine on recent Sri Lanka bomb blast why? (sic), Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan tweeted. Mumbai: Shahid Kapoor Monday said his film Kabir Singh portrays a flawed man with all honesty and if the audience only wants to watch nice characters, cinema won't go far. Kabir Singh is the remake of the Telugu hit Arjun Reddy, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who has also helmed the Hindi version. While the film became a rage quickly after its release in 2017, it was criticised for glorifying toxic masculinity and for using anger as a tool to justify the titular character's abuse of women and people around him. When asked if the criticism played on his mind before he started with the Hindi film, the director told reporters, "Anger is a very special quality. There is nothing wrong in using anger as a tool. It can be used in anyway an individual wants. I don't think the opinion of critics, what they mentioned during the Telugu film (was) playing in the back of my mind." Responding to the criticism, Shahid said sometimes "we are very hypocritical about how we tend to look at cinema made in India." "We then watch things made internationally and praise them for the fact that they are so honest, straight and not trying to be politically correct all the time. Cinema is meant to showcase different people. It's not about wonderful, perfect people. I think we all are imperfect in our own ways. We all have grey areas within ourselves, we go through good and bad phases," he said. The actor, who was speaking at the trailer launch of the film, said everyone has been angry, hurt and negative at some point. "To me, watching a film like 'Kabir Singh' will help understand that when you allow yourself to be affected by those things, it can take you on the path of destruction. It can warn you from going in that route. "For people who might've been there, it can be therapeutic. Cinema acts as a medicine. If you see something you relate to, it helps you have catharsis of sorts." The "Padmaavat" star said for him, "Kabir Singh" is a cathartic film. "It makes you honestly go through that journey of a man, without trying to sugar coat it, because then that's being manipulative. Sandeep has made an honest film and people should watch it knowing that. "If people only want to come and see people going 'hey hey ha ha' then cinema won't go far. We need to be able to make real films." When asked about the treatment of aggression in the original and if the makers avoided it in the remake, Shahid said the interpretation of films with evolving times cannot "always show the right thing." "I did 'Jab We Met'. Who was the aggressive character in the film? I played the submissive character. In 'Padmaavat', I was playing much more quieter character and now I've done 'Kabir Singh' where I am playing an aggressive character." When prodded further about how his character is territorial towards women, Shahid said in college there are alpha males, men who feel they have a sense of territorial ownership over a certain place. "There are other men who aren't so aggressive in their behaviour. Some films depict those kind of characters, this film depicts this kind of character." However, when asked specifically if he justifies the acts of his character, the actor said, "You see the film and see what happens to him. Tommy Singh (in 'Udta Punjab') does much worse things than 'Kabir Singh.' If I start justifying characters, I can't be an actor." Kabir Singh, also featuring Kiara Advani, is slated to release on June 21. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: The 72nd Cannes Film Festival kicks off on Tuesday with India missing from the official selection for the first time this decade. The last time the world's largest movie-producing nation drew a blank in Cannes was in 2009. The 2019 edition of the 12-day festival (May 14 to 25) will open with the screening of Jim Jarmusch's zombie satire "The Dead Don't Die", one of 21 titles competing for the Palme d'Or. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Deepika Padukone and Huma Qureshi will, as always, walk the red carpet but India will have nothing to show for its massive yearly output of films in any of the main sections of the festival this year. However, three ex-students of Kolkata's Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), who are just starting out in their careers, will ensure peripheral but genuine presence for the country in the globe's biggest cinema carnival. Since 2010, the year Vikramaditya Motwane's Udaan made it to Un Certain Regard, India has had a film every single year in Cannes' official selection. "Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told" (Out of Competition, 2011), "Miss Lovely" (Un Certain Regard, 2012), "Monsoon Shootout" (Out of Competition, 2013), "Bombay Talkies" (Special Screenings, 2013), "Titli" (Un Certain Regard, 2014), "Masaan" and "Chauthi Koot" (both Un Certain Regard, 2015), "Gudh" (Cinefondation, 2016) and "The Cinema Travellers" (Cannes Classics, 2016), "Afternoon Clouds" (Cinefondation, 2017) and "Manto" (Un Certain Regard, 2018) made the Cannescut after "Udaan" had ended a six-year drought. In 2017, Cannes did not select any feature-length Indian film, but Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) alumna Payal Kapadia's short film "Afternoon Clouds" made it to the festival's Cinefondation competition for film schools. Meghalaya's Dominic Sangma, Darjeeling lad Saurav Rai (maker of the 2016 Cannes entry "Gudh") and cinematographer Modhura Palit will be in the festival this year to participate in three different official segments. Sangma, whose debut film, the Garo-language "Ma'Ama" (Moan), premiered in the Mumbai Film Festival last year, will explore co-production tie-ups for his sophomore effort, "Rapture". The under-production film is one of ten projects in La Fabrique des Cinema du Monde, a programme hosted by Institut Francais. It invites ten directors working on their first or second features to the festival along with their producers. Sangma will participate along with Chinese co-producer Jianshang Xu, who was also involved in the making of "Ma'Ama". The up-and-coming filmmaker will receive guidance from Mira Nair, the first Indian to win the Camera d'Or in Cannes (for 'Salaam Bombay', 1988). She has been named the patron of La Fabrique 2019. Saurav Rai will pitch his debut work-in-progress narrative feature, "Nimtoh" (Invitation), in the 'HAF (Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum) Goes to Cannes' programme in the festival's Marche du Film (Film Market). "Nimtoh" is among five projects selected by the HAF Work-in-Progress Lab in March to participate in a pitching session in Cannes. The film's co-producer Sanjay Gulati will be in attendance. Kolkata cinematographer Modhura Palit will travel to Cannes to be part of the 7th edition of the Angenieux Excel Lens in Cinematography ceremony. She will receive the Angenieux Special Encouragement, which is given to a young professional. The first winner of the Special Encouragement, introduced in 2018, was the young Chinese DOP Cecile Zhang. The recognition will entitle Palit to the use on loan of the best Angenieux lenses on her next project. Named after the founder of the 80-year-old French company that makes high-end zoom lenses, this year's Angenieux tribute will be received by the five-time Oscar-nominated French director of photography Bruno Delbonnel. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Actress Surveen Chawla, who tied the knot with Akshay Thakker in Northern Italy in July 2015, was blessed with a baby girl on April 15. The couple has named their little bundle of joy Eva. She took to her Instagram handle and posted a picture of her little babyas tiny toes. She captioned it as, ''We now have her tiny feet to fill the tiny shoes! Blessed by her wonderful arrival in our little family! Welcoming our daughter EvaY @akshaythakker.'' While we all have been waiting to see a face-glimpse of baby Eva, sufficing to our requests, Surveen Chawla, today took to Instagram and shared a dreamy picture of a perfect mother-daughter moment. Sharing the picture, Surveen wrote, ''To love ...I know now.... @butnaturalphotography.'' Surveen Chawla was discharged from the hospital on April 21, 2019, and as they were all set to leave for their home, shutterbugs had grabbed most of their first family picture.A The actress had earlier shared her excitement about her impending motherhood. She had said, "Itas a beautiful feeling and more so, as it has come completely unexpected for Akshay and me. Suddenly, life has become beautiful. I am looking forward to every step now. Of course, itas unfamiliar territory, but the only one that comes with a guarantee of being wonderful. Akshay and I feel really blessed!" Meanwhile, talking about Surveenas magical love story, the actress in an interview with the Filmfare had revealed, ''We decided to marry in just a few months into our relationship. It just felt so right...time is never the criteria when you meet the right person. How long you know the person is of no relevance. We chose to keep it private and have a hush-hush affair. To tie the knot in Italy and have a white wedding was always how I had dreamt it to be and Akshay happily made this dream ours. It was the summer of 2015 when we exchanged vows.'' On the work front, Surveen made her television debut with Ekta Kapooras Kahin Toh Hoga. She is also known for playing Prerna (Shweta Tiwari) and Mr Bajaj's (Ronit Roy) daughter Kashish in Kasauti Zindagi Kay. She has also worked in numerous Bollywood films like Parched, Hate Story and Creature 3D.A New Delhi: An AirAsia plane, a Malaysian low-cost airline, flying from Hyderabad to Delhi, carrying 174 passengers onboard, made an emergency landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Monday morning after it was declared full emergency. The reason for the emergency landing is suspected to be hydraulic failure. According to a report in Hindustan Times, the pilot had requested an emergency landing to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) of Delhi airport. The ATC asked to declare a full emergency for Air Asia flight I5-719, at 11 am, as the pilot informed about hydraulic failure. The plane landed safely at 11: 15 am and was taken to the parking bay and full emergency was eliminated at 11:40 am, an ATC official was quoted saying by Hindustan Times. News agency ANI reported that all 174 passengers onboard are safe. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan after downing their F-16 fighter jet on February 27, has been posted at Rajasthans Suratgarh air base. According to a report in Times of India, the IAF pilot took over his duties at the base on Saturday itself. However, the Indian Air Force has not officially confirmed Abhinandans Suratgarh posting. The TOI report quoted an IAF official as saying that, defence posting are confidential. We can only confirm that Wing Commander Abhinandan has been posted in Rajasthan. This is not the first time that the IAF pilot has got Rajasthan posting. Prior to Suratgarh stint, the Wing Commander was posted at Bikaner base. The officer quoted by the TOI also added that the Suratgarh fight base has MiG-21 combat aircraft, however, it is still not clear whether Abhinanadn will fly it or not. Earlier this month, a video of IAF Wing Commander in which he can be seen interacting with his colleagues in Jammu and Kashmir had gone viral. In the video, Abhinandan was seen smiling and posing for selfies with IAF personnel, Garud special forces jawans and Defence Security Corps personnel (DSC). He was also heard saying that all photographs being taken of him are for the families of the jawans who prayed for his wellbeing. Last month, the Indian Air Force transferred Abhinandan Varthaman out of the Srinagar airbase amid concerns over his security. He has now been posted to an important airbase in the Western sector. The posting order of the officer has been issued and he would soon be moving out of the Srinagar airbase to his new place of posting, ANI quoted government sources as saying. On Saturday, in an exclusive interview to News Nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time had revealed what happened after Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistani forces during a dogfight on February 27. While speaking with News Nations Deepak Chaurasia and Peenaz Tyagi, in an exclusive interview, Modi said India had asked Pakistan officials not to harm Abhinandan, or else it will ruin everything. First, I got to know about airspace violation, Then I got know about Abhinandan. We had told them (Pakistan officials) very clearly. Dont touch Abhinandan, else it will ruin everything, Modi said in the interview. Varthaman was captured by the Pakistani Army after his MiG-21 Bison jet was shot down in a dogfight with Pakistani jets during aerial combat. Before his jet was hit, he downed an F-16 fighter of Pakistan. Varthaman was released on the night of March 1 by Pakistan.After he was captured, Varthaman showed courage and grace in handling the most difficult circumstances for which he was praised by politicians, strategic affairs experts, ex-servicemen, celebrities and people in general. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after Indian fighters bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammeds biggest training camp near Balakot, deep inside Pakistan on February 26. Pakistan retaliated by attempting to target Indian military installations the next day. However, the IAF thwarted their plans. The Indian strike on the JeM camp came 12 days after the terror outfit claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Art of Living founder and renowned spiritual leader, is celebrating his 63rd birthday . Born on , 1953, Sri Sri has always been a frontrunner in mediating some of the most controversial matters in India and across the world, starting from Keralas Sabarimala Temple to Ayodhya issue. It was Sri Sris Art of Living Foundation which organised a unique gathering of victims of Kashmir conflict through Paigam-e-Mohabaat. The program brought together family members of terrorists and victims of cross-firing from Kashmir and families of defence and security personnel from all over India who have been martyred in the Valley. The initiative also received praises from former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. The PDP chief took to Twitter and wrote, A positive initiative by @SriSri. I earnestly hope that this marks a beginning in the process of truth & reconciliation. Such programmes are imperative to understand the agonising pain endured by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The civil society in the rest of the country must do more to dismantle the walls of mutual distrust and suspicion that have isolated J&K, she added. However, Sri Sri Ravishankar is no stranger in bringing opposing parties to reconciliation. He effectively played a pivotal role in Colombia in 2015 by convincing the leaders of the Colombian rebel group FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), who were holding up to global pressure for negotiations, to the adopt the Gandhian principle of Ahimsa or non-violence. His reconciliation efforts culminated not only in the rebel group, which had been waging a guerrilla war for five decades that claimed more than 220,000 lives, signing a peace treaty with the government, but also to seeking forgiveness from the victims of the conflict. Apart from solving and mediating some of the most controversial issues in India and around the globe, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is known for his stellar role in ending hunger strikes of many people. In 2011, when Anna Hazare drew massive, public support after he burst onto the national scene with his indefinite fast in New Delhi to demand the enactment of the Lokpal Bill, it was Sri Sri who appealed to the social activist to end his fast and continue his agitation. In the same year, Yoga guru Ramdev also for an indefinite hunger strike demanding the black money to be declared a national asset under the Constitution. Soon, Baba Ramdev developed complications at the fasting venue at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar. Then, it was Sri Sri Ravi Shankar who convinced him and his supporters to break their fast. Finally, Ramdev broke his indefinite fast by accepting fruit juice from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust hospital. , on his birthday, the followers of Sri Sri are organising various social activities, starting from blood donation camps to distribution of cloths and foods. The Art of Living International Ashram in Bengaluru is also decked up to celebrate the big day. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a globally revered spiritual and humanitarian leader. His organisations, the Art of Living and the International Association for Human Values are rapidly growing and have presence across 155 countries. Sri Sri has reached an estimated 370 million people. He has developed unique, impactful programs that empower, equip and transform individuals to tackle challenges at global, national, community and individual levels. (Image Courtesy: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Facebook page) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has started a probe against Google for alleged anti-competitive practices with respect to its popular Android platform for mobile phones, an official said Friday. The fair-trade watchdog has been looking into the matter for some time, especially after a European Commission ruling last year. The official said the regulator has started investigation into alleged abuse of Android platform and the issues are similar to those dealt with by the European Commission. A majority of smartphones in India are powered by the Android platform. Other mobile platforms include iOS (Apple), among others. The CCI starts probe into a matter only when there is prima-facie evidence of violation of competition rules. Android has enabled millions of Indians to connect to the internet by making mobile devices more affordable. We look forward to working with the Competition Commission of India to demonstrate how Android has led to more competition and innovation, not less, a Google spokesperson said in a statement. In July 2018, the European Commission slapped a fine of 4.34 billion euros on Google for imposing illegal restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators to cement its dominant position in general internet search. The ruling was challenged by Google. Last year, the CCI imposed a penalty of Rs 136 crore on Google for unfair business practices in Indian market for online search. This ruling was also challenged. New Delhi: Irans move to stop respecting some of the agreed limits on its nuclear deal proves that it is not in a position of weakness, a deputy speaker of the Iran parliament said on Sunday amid mounting tensions between Washington and Tehran. The timely decision of the Islamic republic regarding its commitments in the (nuclear deal) showed that Iran is not in a position of weakness, said Ali Mottahari, according to the official IRNA news agency. Tehran announced Wednesday that it would stop respecting some of the curbs on its nuclear activities imposed under the landmark 2015 deal with world powers. Earlier, Irans top commander had said that Tehran will not talk with the United States. This came a day after President Donald Trump said hed like Iranian leaders to call me. Trump had told reporters, What I would like to see with Iran, I would like to see them call me. There will be no negotiations with America, Iranian media quoted Gen Yadollah Javani as saying. The Iranian commander also claimed the US would not dare take military action against Iran. President Hassan Rouhani had said that Iran would no longer implement parts of the deal and threatened to go further if the remaining members of the pact failed to deliver sanctions relief to counterbalance Trump's renewed assault on the Iranian economy within 60 days. Trump has also targeted Irans steel and mining sectors in his latest tough sanctions. Trump however said that he someday hoped to negotiate face-to-face with the Iranian regime. This came after Iran said it was suspending some limits set by a multinational nuclear deal on the one-year anniversary of Trumps pull out from the accord. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: At least four policemen were killed and ten others injured in a blast near a police van in Quettas mini market on Monday. Notably, the explosion took place when people were assembling for prayers near the mosque. According to the sources, rescue team immediately arrived on the spot and security forces cordoned off the area immediately. The injured have been shifted to hospital for medical treatment. Quetta police chief Abdul Razzaq Cheema said the four dead were all police and there were two police among the wounded. As per the local media, the blast took place near a police van and bomb was planted in motorbike. The nature of the blast has not yet been determined. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. Importantly, the explosion comes few days after three terrorists stormed a five-star hotel in Gwadar. However, the terrorists were killed by the security forces during the combat operation. During the operation, five were including four hotel employees and a Pakistan Navy soldier. Six individuals got injured including two Army captains, two Navy soldiers and two hotel employees. The luxury hotel is located on the Koh-e-Batil Hill, south of West Bay on Fish Harbour Road and overlooks the Arabian Sea. Recently, as many as five people including two Pakistani soldiers were killed in a gun and bomb attack in the coal mining area of troubled Balochistan province. Last week, at least 10 people were killed in a suicide attack on a police van guarding a major Sufi shrine in the eastern city of Lahore. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital, in Long Beach, continued a years-long tradition this week of wrapping infants born on or right before Christmas in red stockings. New Delhi: Sri Lanka blocked some social media platforms after violence was reported in parts of country on Monday. The development comes a day after the police imposed curfew in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw. The town saw clashes after a mosque and few shops owned by Muslims were attacked by a mob, authorities said. The curfew was imposed till 6 am Monday as a precaution, the police said. However, it is still not clear if the curfew has been lifted or not. Additional troops have been deployed in the city to bring the situation under control, they said. Tension was brewing since Saturday between the Catholics and Muslims in the Christian dominated town. This is a fallout from the Easter Sunday attacks in which over 250 people were killed. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 258 people and injuring over 500 others on the Easter Sunday. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group, the National Thawheed Jama'ath (NTJ), for the bombings. Some inflammatory exchanges happened between the two communities in the town since Saturday, the residents said. A Catholic woman claimed that she was threatened inside a Muslim-owned shop. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, cancelled all masses since the Easter Sunday until the security situation could improve. It was on Sunday morning that churches resumed their normal services since the attack. Early this month, several people were injured in clashes between Muslims and Christians in Negombo, a majority Christian town where St. Sebastian's Church was targeted during the Easter attacks. After clashes in Negombo, Cardinal Ranjith appealed to Christians and other communities to show restraint. "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. "Therefore please avoid hurting them and try to create a better spirit of understanding and good relations between all the communities of Sri Lanka." In his address to the nation after the Easter Sunday blasts, President Maithripala Sirisena called on the public to refrain from looking at the Muslim community with a suspicious eye following the attacks. "It was only a small group which had engaged in such acts of terror," he added. 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. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. European elections in Bonn : "Die Rechte" party election posters cause controversy Bonn Jewish communities consider the slogan Stop Zionism: Israel is our misfortune! Put an end to it! inflammatory. The national security services have reached a different conclusion. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Die Rechte (the Right) party election posters in Bonn have enraged one GA reader. They contain the slogan Stop Zionism: Israel is our misfortune! Put an end to it! which the party, which is being monitored by the Federal and State Offices for Protection of the Constitution in North-Rhine Westphalia, is using to canvass for votes in the European elections. On Friday, the city received a citizens complaint, which, according to Stefanie Zienitz from the press office, will be passed on to police for further examination. According to information from the Bonn security services, there have so far been no complaints from their jurisdiction about the posters, their spokesperson Frank Piontek said. The posters with the above-mentioned wording and another slogan, which reads We dont just hang posters have already led to discussions in other places and in several federal states and led to investigations by state security agencies. The Jewish community of Westphalia-Lippe has filed a complaint of incitement to hatred in Dortmund. However, the national security agencies there, as well as the public prosecutors office, have found the slogans to be compatible with freedom of expression. The Jewish community takes a different view. The background is the similarity to a sentence of Heinrich Gotthard von Treitschkes. The German historian wrote in an essay in the 19th century: The Jews are our misfortune. The anti-Semitic weekly newspaper Der Sturmer used this expression to stir up hatred against Jews during the National Socialist era. Michael Rubinstein, head of the state association of Jewish communities in the North Rhine area told the GA that they were in contact not only with the public prosecutors office in Dortmund, but also with the one in Cologne about the posters. We dont accept the assessment of the national securities agencies that these statements are protected by freedom of expression. Die Rechte party has its headquarters in Dortmund. Piontek explained that as the Jewish community in Dortmund had lodged another complaint in connection with the election posters, another criminal examination is still pending. When asked why Die Rechte had modified a statement used by the Sturmer, Sascha Krolzig from the party responded: This is your personal interpretation, which we do not adopt. Bahrain yesterday strongly condemned the acts of sabotage which targeted commercial and civilian vessels near the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf of Oman, east of Fujairah. The Foreign Ministry, in a statement, denounced the criminal act saying, the acts are aimed at threatening the security and stability of marine navigation. The ministry statement also affirmed Bahrains solidarity with the United Arab Emirates in all the measures it takes to preserve its security and safeguard its interests. The statement also urged the international community to assume its responsibility. Four commercial, civilian trading vessels of various nationalities this morning suffered acts of sabotage off the UAEs eastern coast, the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement. His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa yesterday lauded the role played by the United States in supporting efforts to strengthen security and stability across the region and the world. There is a need to enhancing joint efforts and action through international alliances to face various challenges aimed at subverting security and stability, said HRH the Premier. The Prime Minister was meeting Commander of the United States Naval Forces Central Command and the US Fifth Fleet, Vice Admiral James J. Malloy at the Gudaibiya Palace in the presence of the US Ambassador to Bahrain, Justin Siberell. They discussed the long-standing bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation, as well as ways to bolster them in various fields. HRH the Prime Minister stressed the depth of the solid strategic Bahrain-US relations which, he said, are based on the two friendly countries shared desire to achieve their common aspirations. The meeting also focused on the latest regional and global developments, in addition to ways to strengthen the existing partnership between the two countries in various fields. Twenty-three teenage Rohingya girls were rescued after being brought from refugee camps to the capital Dhaka to be sent to Malaysia by air, Bangladesh police said yesterday. Dhaka police also arrested four human traffickers including a Rohingya couple and recovered over 50 Bangladeshi passports from them on Saturday. Police spokesman Mokhlesur Rahman said they raided a residence in the northern part of the city and found the teenagers hiding in a room behind a tailoring shop. They were promised jobs in Malaysia and brought from refugee camps in Coxs Bazar, he said, referring to the Rohingya settlements in Bangladeshs southeastern coastal district. The girls -- aged between 15 and 19 -- could have been potential victims of forced prostitution, the official said. We have filed cases against the four arrested persons and sent the girls back to their camps in Coxs Bazar, Rahman said. Gunmen killed a priest and five parishioners during mass Sunday in an attack on a Catholic church in Dablo, northern Burkina Faso, security sources and a local official said. Towards 9:00 am, during mass, armed individuals burst into the Catholic church, the mayor of Dablo, Ousmane Zongo, told AFP. They started firing as the congregation tried to flee. The attackers -- between 20 and 30 according to a security source -- managed to trap some of the worshippers, Zongo added. They killed five of them. The priest, who was celebrating mass, was also killed, bringing the number of dead to six. The gunmen then set fire to the church, several shops and a small cafe before heading to the local health centre, which they looted, burning the chief nurses vehicle. There is an atmosphere of panic in the town, said Zongo. People are holed up in their homes, nothing is going on. The shops and stores are closed. Its practically a ghost town, he added. Security reinforcements were sent from Barsalogho, about 45 kilometres (30 miles) south of Dablo, and were combing the area, a security source told AFP. Dablo is located in the northern province of Sanmatenga. The attack came two days after French special forces freed four foreign hostages in the north of the country in an overnight raid that cost the lives of two soldiers. The operation was ordered to free French hostages Patrick Picque and Laurent Lassimouillas who disappeared while on holiday in the remote Pendjari National Park in Benin on May 1. The team also found two other female captives, an American woman and a South Korean. Christian, clerics targeted Sundays church strike came two weeks after a similar attack against a Protestant church in Silgadji, also in the north, when gunmen on motorbikes killed a pastor and five worshippers. Burkina Faso has suffered from increasingly frequent and deadly attacks attributed to a number of jihadist groups, including the Ansarul Islam group, the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. The raids began in 2015 in the north before targeting the capital Ouagadougou and other regions, notably in the east. Nearly 400 people have been killed since 2015 -- mainly in hit-and-run raids -- according to an AFP tally. Jihadist groups target both Muslim and Christian clerics, mainly in the north. According to security sources, the jihadists do not consider certain Muslim clerics sufficiently radical and sometimes accuse them of having collaborated with the authorities. Religious leaders are not the only people targeted by the extremists. Last month, jihadists attacked a village school in Maitaougou, in the eastern province of Koulpelogo, killing five teachers and a municipal worker. Former colonial ruler France has deployed 4,500 troops in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in a mission codenamed Barkhane to help local forces flush out jihadist groups. Around 4.3 million people have been driven from their homes in the worsening violence that has engulfed the entire Sahel region, including one million over the past year, according to UN humanitarian officials. The Senate is a problem for Democrats. Well, its two problems. The first is short term. The odds that the Democratic Party will win a Senate majority in 2020 are slim. To get to 50 seats which is enough only if they win the White House they need a net gain of three seats. But while there are 22 Republicans up for re-election next year, only two of them are in Democratic-leaning states, and one of those incumbents Susan Collins of Maine is incredibly popular with her constituents. There are almost-swing states that Democrats could win, but the strongest candidates have either declined to run (Stacey Abrams of Georgia) or set their eyes on the presidency (Beto ORourke and Julian Castro of Texas). And there are states that Democrats hold, like Alabama, that will fall back to Republicans unless everything breaks in the incumbents favour. If, somehow, Democrats win a Senate majority and defeat President Trump, theyll have to make fundamental changes to the rules of the chamber like ending the filibuster if they want their agenda to move forward. And if they cant win a majority, Mitch McConnell may cripple a Democratic presidency from the start, blocking judicial and executive branch nominations in an even more extreme replay of his blockade of President Barack Obamas final Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland. Without the Senate in hand, Democrats could win the immediate fight against Donald Trump in 2020 but lose the larger battle against the Republican Party that supported and enabled him. The second problem is a set of long-term trends that will benefit the Republican Party as long as it maintains its hold on the least populated states and will burden the Democratic Party as long as it represents most of the densest, most diverse and fastest-growing major metropolitan areas in the country. In 1790, the largest state was Virginia, with 747,610 people, and the smallest was Delaware, with 59,094 people. Because of the Senates equal representation of states, Delawareans had more than 12 times the voting power of Virginians a large disparity, but not a yawning one. Today, the largest state is California, with nearly 40 million residents, and the smallest is Wyoming, with just under 600,000 people, a disparity that gives a person in Wyoming 67 times the voting power of one in California. These population disparities will only get worse. By 2040, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Weldon Cooper Centre for Public Service at the University of Virginia, half the population will live in eight states, with eight other states representing the next 20 percent of the population. The remaining 34 states will hold 30 percent of the population. In the Senate, this would give them 68 seats. Over all, half the countrys population would control 84 of the 100 seats in the chamber. As it stands now, the Senate is highly undemocratic and strikingly unrepresentative, with an affluent membership composed mostly of white men, who are about 30 percent of the population but hold 71 of the seats. Under current demographic trends this will get worse, as whites become a plurality of all Americans but remain a majority in most states. The Republican coalition of rural whites, exurban whites and anti-tax suburbanites may not be large enough to win the national popular vote in a head-to-head matchup with Democrats. But it covers a much larger part of the countrys landmass, giving it a powerful advantage in the Senate. And while this coalition or its Democratic counterpart of liberal whites and the overwhelming majority of nonwhites isnt set in stone, it could be years, even decades, before we see meaningful change in the demographic contours of our partisan divides. Politics is unpredictable and events matter, but its also clear that Republicans are on the verge of a durable structural advantage in the Senate that will make Democratic majorities rare outside of the occasional wave election. There are no immediate solutions to this problem. But progressives who have the most to lose if the Senate becomes an even larger obstacle to their preferred policies have started to brainstorm about reforms that might make the Senate more democratic and representative without changing the Constitution itself. One path involves statehood. In his book Its Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority, David Faris, a political scientist at Roosevelt University in Chicago, calls for at least eight new states. The first is Washington, D.C. The second is Puerto Rico, assuming its inhabitants agree to statehood. And the next six would be formed from Americas superstate, California. If the state were more or less evenly divided between left and right, its comparative lack of power in the federal government would be less of an issue, Faris writes. But California is now one of a handful of the most left-leaning states in the entire union, and Californians lack of voting power and Senate representation means that the country is pulled inexorably to the right. Its a radical solution, and while it might work, it has one clear downside Republicans could respond in kind with similar schemes for conservative megastates like Texas and, to a lesser degree, Florida. And thats assuming California voters would sign on to the project. But finding ways to expand the Senate with new members is the right idea, and a recent report from the Roosevelt Institute, a progressive think tank, offers an approach that doesnt rely on extreme forms of constitutional hardball. To accommodate the demographic trends of the next few decades, the institute calls for expanding the Senate to include other federal units besides states, for the sake of greater democracy and representation: A modern Senate should reflect a modern federalism encompassing not only states and the federal government but also the district, territories and tribes. Under the Roosevelt Institute proposal, Washington, D.C., the Atlantic territories, the Pacific territories and the Native tribes would each receive two senators and a voting member in the House of Representatives. Individual units could still pursue statehood, but the lack of that recognition wouldnt preclude representation in Congress. The logic is straightforward. Native Americans have long been grossly underrepresented. And in addition to states, the United States has dominion over a number of other political units with little or no representation in Congress. Not only is this unfair in principle, but excluding those districts and territories also serves to exacerbate the Senates problems with representation, since most of those areas are majority nonwhite. Other democracies Australia, Brazil, France, Finland and Denmark, for example grant equal representation to federal districts and overseas territories. New Zealand, notes the Roosevelt Institute, has had reserved seats for the Maori Indigenous population in its unicameral legislature since 1867. Whats more, its far from the most radical change made to the Senate. That distinction would go to the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, which allowed direct election of senators. This move, which decoupled the interests of a states senators from the states legislature, was a fundamental change to the Senate, virtually obliterating the direct link the framers envisioned for the Senate and the states. If Congress was willing to renege on a central purpose of one of its chambers, the Roosevelt report argues, a mere expansion of the Senates numbers for the purpose of representational equality is modest in comparison. The Democratic Partys singular focus on Donald Trump makes sense: Beating him removes the most immediate threat to the nations political health. But Americas problems are also structural, and reform, whether short-term or long-run, depends on an active Senate that represents the entire United States. Given a Republican Party whose political interests lie in restricting the scope of our democracy, its up to Democrats to act. They need to win the Senate so that they can fix the Senate. NEW MILFORD Voters will decide on the more than $103 million budget for the town and schools in a referendum next week. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 21. This year marks the first time the school and town budgets will be voted on independently in the referendum. The two budgets will still be voted on separately, but because of the recent charter revisions, only the rejected budget will need to be changed. Previously, both the town and school budgets would go back to the Town Council for changes, even if only one failed. The spending plan voters will decide on allocates about $39 million for the town side and about $64 million for the schools. It is a combined $1 million more than the current budget, due to the schools increase. The budget also includes some items Town Council had previously cut that the Board of Finance added back last month. The Board of Finance added $400,000 back to the schools budget after the Town Council cut the request by about $1 million. This means the Board of Education budget is about $1 million more than the current year, though still less than the boards request of $64.4 million. The town budget is about $21,000 less than the current year. At the time, several council members said they cut the schools by that amount because it didnt look like the state was going to give that money to New Milford. The finance board also added the town attorney position back into the budget and removed the money added for legal services that would have filled the gap of the in-house position. The budget going before voters also includes about $174,000 more in state revenues. The school board had already cut $423,000 from the superintendents proposal before sending it on to Town Council. This included removing capital projects, an assistant principal at Sarah Noble Intermediate School and a director of curriculum and instruction. It does include a new special education position to oversee the K-5 levels, as well as removing pay to play. The biggest reasons for the increase are personnel costs and transportation, as well as less state revenue. kkoerting@newstimes.com; 203-731-3345 DANBURY City school officials are examining safety procedures as they investigate a complaint by a mother of a kindergarten student who said her 5-year-old son left school alone and unnoticed last week. The childs mother, Allison Solis, said the boys grandmother spotted him riding his bike as she walked to South Street School to pick him up around 3 p.m. Thursday. Dismissal time at the school is 3:30 p.m. Solis filed a complaint with the school district on Friday and kept her son home on Monday. I just need to know that I can be comfortable with him being at the school, she said. Right now, Im not not until a plan is put in place. Kim Thompson, human resources director for Danbury Public Schools, said the district was mid-process in its investigation on Monday. Safety is our primary concern right now, Thompson said. Were sifting through what we know and going through our processes. If something goes wrong, we want to find out what happened and fix it. The district is also evaluating its procedures and working with staff to make sure everything is being followed, she said. Thompson said she doesnt know how long it will take to complete the investigation. She said reviewing school procedures is a constant process and the district is always looking to tune up [its] processes. Making sure safety procedures are followed isnt enough, Solis said Friday. I want all the teachers not just at South Street, but at all the elementary schools in Danbury to understand that its not OK to not know where students are, she said. If it takes retraining, so be it. This should not have happened. Solis met with school staff, Principal Carmen Vargas-Guevara and the assistant superintendent Monday afternoon to discuss her complaint. Solis said she wasnt going into the meeting looking for answers. Its more about what [the schools] are going to do now, she said. WEST HAVEN The vacant Edgar C. Stiles and Clarence E. Thompson elementary schools will be sold to an Indiana real estate developer for $852,000, if the City Council approves, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi announced this week. The city recently issued a request for proposals for both properties, with Indianapolis-based KCG Development LLC submitting the highest offer with the best plan for the sites, Planning and Development Commissioner Fred Messore said in a release Monday. Our entire team is honored to have been chosen to collaborate with the city of West Haven on these important projects, said Joel Silver, vice president of KCG, also in the release. We look forward to bringing new life to these schools and adjacent property by creating a vibrant mixed-income and mixed-use community. Rossi said she will soon submit a package and all the details to the City Council, so it can set up a public hearing and vote on the proposal. Messore said the Thompson building, at 165 Richards St., would be a mixed-use approach that would include commercial and business incubator spaces and about 71 market-rate housing units. The Stiles building, 575 Main St., in the Transit-Oriented Development District around the train station, would include about 50 market-rate housing and studio units that would be marketed to millennials because of the proximity of the site to the station and Interstate 95, the release said. Rossi said the former schools have been vacant for years with no real plans for development. Stiles closed in 2004 and Thompson in 2010. Rossi said in the release the buildings have been deteriorating. This agreement would generate needed tax revenue and would be promoted to commuting millennials and others because of their location with easy access to public transportation and I-95. Neither one of these properties includes any tax abatements, which will make them fully taxable on day one, Rossi said. City officials said in the press release the estimated value of the renovated Stiles building would be about $13 million, with an assessment for taxation of about $9.1 million that would generate an estimated $330,000 in annual tax revenue. The renovated Thompson building would be valued around $10 million, with an assessment of $7 million that would produce about $254,000 in annual tax revenue for the city. The one-time influx of cash from the sales will further improve the citys fiscal health, but beyond the short term, these properties will generate about $584,000 in tax revenue a year, Rossi said in the release. With this transaction, we will be growing our grand list, relieving the burden of ownership on the citys taxpayers, and anticipating the improvements that come with restoration and modernization. I read with interest the article Communities push for fast track link to NYC on April 28. As a 52 year, and going, railroader, I find that story a bit misleading. 1. If the train leaves from the existing Danbury station, it would have to head north around the loop, past the museum, and then make a reverse move to head west on the Maybrook line. 2. Unless there is new construction in New York state, the current connection of the Maybrook line to the Harlem (Brewster) line at Dykemans requires an additional backup move. I believe that even if the Maybrook line is upgraded to 50 mph operation, it will still take 45 minutes to make the move from Danbury to Southeast. 3. If you have to change trains at Southeast, then add additional minutes to the schedule. Current collective bargaining agreements may require a crew change at Southeast. Ultimately, the time of the trip will be about the same as the existing trip from Danbury and certainly nowhere near the statement The idea promises to cut an hour off the commute from Danbury to midtown Manhattan. The current Danbury line is not outdated as you describe. The state of Connecticut has poured millions of dollars into the branch with a new signal system , centralized traffics control, continuous welded rail, and Positive Train Control. The fact of the matter is that the existing branch has numerous vehicular crossings and an over abundance of curves that require permanent speed restrictions. I would like nothing better than to see a rebirth of traffic on the Maybrook line, but the cost of refurbishment must provide real value. It seems implausible that the capital required will reap the benefits mentioned in the article. Tom DeJoseph Senior Advisor, Industry Relations Loram M/W Inc Danbury resident OTTAWA, May 10, 2019 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is working with partners to reduce Northern communities' reliance on diesel for heating and electricity by increasing the use of local renewable energy sources and improving energy efficiency. This will result in environmental, social and economic benefits that will support healthier, more sustainable Northern communities across the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut. Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced that since its inception in 2017-2018, the Government of Canada has supported 85 projects with an investment of $13.9 million through its Northern Responsible Energy Approach for Community Heat and Electricity Program (Northern REACHE) to assist communities that are working to reduce their reliance on diesel fuel. These investments are part of Canada's nearly $700 million commitment to help rural and remote communities get off diesel, including through programs delivered by Natural Resources Canada and Infrastructure Canada. Through Canada's climate action plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, the Government is working with provinces, territories and Indigenous Peoples to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build resilience to a changing climate, and support the transition to a clean growth economy. Quotes "Indigenous communities are on the front line of climate change. They are committed to be part of solutions. It is impressive to see so many communities making meaningful progress transitioning to clean energy. These investments, together with other federal programs, are helping communities reduce their reliance on imported diesel, resulting in less pollution, lower energy costs and a cleaner energy future for all." The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, M.D., P.C., M.P. Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Quick Facts Budget 2016 and 2017 invested $64.2 million over 12 years for the Northern REACHE program. over 12 years for the Northern REACHE program. Budget 2016 and 2017 committed a total of $220.6 million to Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to create five new climate change programs as a part of the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. to Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to create five new climate change programs as a part of the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. To date, these investments have supported hundreds of projects in northern and Indigenous communities for a range of climate change activities, including monitoring the effects of climate change on marine life and adapting to climate change-induced coastal erosion. Associated Links Stay connected Join the conversation about Indigenous peoples in Canada: Twitter: GovCan Indigenous Facebook: GovCan Indigenous Peoples Instagram: @gcIndigenous You can subscribe to receive our news releases and speeches via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.cirnac.gc.ca/RSS SOURCE Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) For further information: media may contact: Matthew Dillon-Leitch, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, 819-997-0002; Media Relations, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, 819-934-2302, [email protected] Related Links https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca Q1 2019 Highlights (unless other noted, all financial amounts in this news release are expressed in U.S. dollars) $108.5 million in revenue in revenue Net income of $12.2 million , or $0.31 per share , or per share Adjusted Net Income (1) of $8.1 million , or $0.21 per share of , or per share Adjusted EBITDA (1) of $16.5 million of Quarter-end closes with $70.5 million of net cash after paying $2.9 million in dividends to the shareholders. of net cash after paying in dividends to the shareholders. An increase in the quarterly dividend to Cdn$0.10 per common share was declared on May 9, 2019 for shareholders of record at June 20, 2019 , with a payment date of June 28, 2019 . TORONTO, May 13, 2019 /CNW/ - Neo Performance Materials Inc. ("Neo", the "Company") (TSX:NEO), a global leader in the innovation and manufacturing of rare earth and rare metal-based functional materials, today released its first quarter 2019 financial results. The financial statements and management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") of these results can be viewed on Neo's web site at www.neomaterials.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. HIGHLIGHTS OF Q1 2019 CONSOLIDATED PERFORMANCE For the three months ended March 31, 2019, consolidated revenue was $108.5 million, compared to $120.2 million in the prior year; a decrease of $11.7 million or 9.7%. The majority of the revenue decrease was in the Magnequench segment where revenues declined $8.2 million or 14.7%. This decrease is mainly attributed to lower rare earth commodity prices which are passed through to Neo's customers. Net income totaled $12.2 million, or $0.31 per share, compared to $8.9 million, or $0.22 per share, in the three months ended March 31, 2018. Adjusted Net Income(1) totaled $8.1 million, or $0.21 per share. As of March 31, 2019, Neo reported cash and cash equivalents of $76.1 million, compared to $71.0 million as at December 31, 2018. Neo has approximately $7.9 million available under its credit facilities with $5.6 million drawn from the revolving line of credit. In addition, Neo paid $2.9 million in dividends to its shareholders in the three months ended March 31, 2019. and re-purchased $0.9 million of stock under its Normal Course Issuer Bid Program. (1) Neo reports non-IFRS measures such as "Adjusted Net Income", "Adjusted Earnings per Share", "Adjusted EBITDA", "Adjusted EBITDA Margin" and "EBITDA". Please see information on this and other non-IFRS measures in the "Non-IFRS Measures" section of this new release and in the MD&A, available on Neo's website at www.neomaterials.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. SELECTED FINANCIAL RESULTS TABLE 1: Selected Consolidated Results Year-over-Year Comparison Q1 2019 Q1 2018 ($000s) Revenue $108,530 $120,185 Operating income $16,239 $13,505 EBITDA(1) $20,839 $16,672 Adjusted EBITDA(1) $16,486 $19,288 Adjusted EBITDA %(1) 15.2% 16.0% _________________________ (1)Neo reports non-IFRS measures such as "Adjusted Net Income", "Adjusted Earnings per Share", "Adjusted EBITDA", "Adjusted EBITDA Margin" and "EBITDA". Please see information on this and other non-IFRS measures in the "Non-IFRS Measures" section of this news release and in the MD&A. Consolidated revenue in the quarter ended March 31, 2019 of $108.5 million was 9.7% below the comparable quarter of 2018, while operating income of $16.2 million rose 20.2% and net income of $12.2 million increased by 38.1% in those respective periods. Both operating income and net income were affected by unusual transactions related to the termination of the arrangement agreement with Luxfer Holdings plc ("Luxfer") as announced on March 10, 2019. Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 2019 of $16.5 million was 14.5% lower than in Q1 2018, with the Magnequench and Rare Metals segments lower but the Chemicals and Oxides ("C&O") segment showing improvement. MAGNEQUENCH SEGMENT RESULTS TABLE 2: Selected Magnequench Results Year-over-Year Comparison Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Volume (tonnes) 1,445 1,527 ($000s) Revenue $47,555 $55,734 Operating income $9,481 $13,341 EBITDA(1) $11,423 $15,328 Adjusted EBITDA(1) $10,929 $15,475 _________________________ (1)Neo reports non-IFRS measures such as "Adjusted Net Income", "Adjusted Earnings per Share", "Adjusted EBITDA", "Adjusted EBITDA Margin" and "EBITDA". Please see information on this and other non-IFRS measures in the "Non-IFRS Measures" section of this news release and in the MD&A. In the quarter ended March 31, 2019, Magnequench continued to see growth in newer products such as traction motors for hybrid and electric vehicles and other platforms that are still ramping up volumes to full production levels. This was offset by a slowdown in auto sales and slower economic performance in China generally, which continued from the second half of 2018. Volume declined by 5.4% year-over-year ("YOY"), and revenue decreased by 14.7%. Operating income was down by 28.9% YOY, and Adjusted EBITDA was lower by 29.4%. The decrease in first quarter volume, revenue, and Adjusted EBITDA is primarily attributable to changes in commodity rare earth prices. Magnequench has material pass-through agreements with the vast majority of its customers, which enables Magnequench to pass through changes in rare earth costs into selling price on a lagged basis. A rapid change in rare earth costs in the latter half of 2017 had a lagging pass-through effect which translated into higher selling prices in the last quarter of 2017 and first three months of 2018. In contrast, rare earth costs, and the associated pass-through pricing, have been relatively stable in the second half of 2018 and into the first three months of 2019. CHEMICALS AND OXIDES ("C&O") SEGMENT RESULTS TABLE 3: Selected C&O Results Year-over-Year Comparison Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Volume (tonnes) 2,135 2,007 ($000s) Revenue $43,573 $45,156 Operating income $6,626 $2,117 EBITDA(1) $7,790 $3,277 Adjusted EBITDA(1) $6,988 $3,520 _________________________ (1)Neo reports non-IFRS measures such as "Adjusted Net Income", "Adjusted Earnings per Share", "Adjusted EBITDA", "Adjusted EBITDA Margin" and "EBITDA". Please see information on this and other non-IFRS measures in the "Non-IFRS Measures" section of this news release and in the MD&A. In the first quarter of 2019, auto catalyst product volumes were adversely impacted by lower demand due to the slowdown in the automotive market continuing from the second half of 2018. Gasoline vehicle catalysts remained stable year over year, while diesel products continued to see decreases due to changes in market dynamics that have affected diesel sales from the second quarter of 2018. The segment's rare earth separation business benefited from the timing of high-value spot sales orders in the quarter (which is common in the rare earth separation business), and this had a positive impact on operating income and EBITDA. There were few spot sales in the first quarter of 2018. C&O revenue in Q1 2019 of $43.6 million was lower by 3.5% YOY, while operating income of $6.6 million was 213.0% higher YOY. Adjusted EBITDA of $7.0 million was a 98.5% increase over the comparable period of 2018, which was driven in part by the fact that $3.0 million in expedited freight expenses were incurred in Q1 of 2018 but were not repeated in 2019. RARE METALS SEGMENT RESULTS TABLE 4: Selected Rare Metals Results Year-over-Year Comparison Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Volume (tonnes) 118 135 ($000s) Revenue $21,531 $22,771 Operating income $157 $2,479 EBITDA(1) $1,362 $3,709 Adjusted EBITDA(1) $1,175 $3,796 _________________________ (1)Neo reports non-IFRS measures such as "Adjusted Net Income", "Adjusted Earnings per Share", "Adjusted EBITDA", "Adjusted EBITDA Margin" and "EBITDA". Please see information on this and other non-IFRS measures in the "Non-IFRS Measures" section of this news release and in the MD&A. For the first three months of 2019, Rare Metals was adversely affected by the continued impact of a rapid price decline in tantalum-based products that occurred in late 2018. The Rare Metals segment has considerable raw material on hand so when material prices change, there is a lead-lag impact into current period results as the operations is processing and selling material on hand purchased in a prior period. The segment saw stronger demand for hafnium-based products, as the business was successful in generating additional demand from both new and existing customers. The Rare Metals segment continues to develop new products and focus on value-added margins to mitigate short-term variations in its earnings due to material price volatility. Segment revenue in Q1 2019 of $21.5 million was lower by 5.4% over the prior-year period, while operating income of $0.2 million compared to $2.5 million in Q1 2018. Adjusted EBITDA of $1.2 million in the quarter compares to $3.8 million in the comparable period of 2018. CONFERENCE CALL ON MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019 AT 10 AM EASTERN Management will host a teleconference call on Monday, May 13, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss the first quarter 2019 results. Interested parties may access the teleconference by calling (647) 427-7450 (local) or (888) 231-8191 (toll-free long distance) or by visiting http://cnw.en.mediaroom.com/events. A recording of the teleconference may be accessed by calling (416) 849-0833 (local) or (855) 859-2056 (toll-free long distance), and entering pass code 5948329# until June 13, 2019 or by visiting http://cnw.en.mediaroom.com/events. NON-IFRS MEASURES This news release refers to certain non-IFRS financial measures such as "Adjusted Net Income", "EBITDA", "Adjusted EBITDA", and "Adjusted EBITDA Margin". These measures are not recognized measures under IFRS, do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS, and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Rather, these measures are provided as additional information to complement IFRS financial measures by providing further understanding of Neo's results of operations from management's perspective. Neo's definitions of non-IFRS measures used in this news release may not be the same as the definitions for such measures used by other companies in their reporting. Non-IFRS measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for analysis of Neo's financial information reported under IFRS. Neo uses non-IFRS financial measures to provide investors with supplemental measures of its base-line operating performance and to eliminate items that have less bearing on operating performance or operating conditions and thus highlight trends in its core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS financial measures. Neo believes that securities analysts, investors and other interested parties frequently use non-IFRS financial measures in the evaluation of issuers. Neo's management also uses non-IFRS financial measures in order to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period. For the operating segments, Neo also uses "OIBDA" and "Adjusted OIBDA", which reconciles to operating income. Neo uses Adjusted OIBDA and Adjusted EBITDA interchangeably as the use of adjustments in each measure provides the same calculated outcome of operating performance. For definitions of how Neo defines such financial measures, please see the "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" section of Neo's management's discussion and analysis filing for the three months ended March 31, 2019, available on Neo's web site at www.neomaterials.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. TABLE 5: CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION ($000s) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 ASSETS Current Cash and cash equivalents $ 76,136 $ 71,015 Restricted cash 1,562 1,650 Accounts receivable 59,009 49,544 Inventories 131,766 136,350 Income taxes receivable 263 343 Other current assets 22,077 20,554 Total current assets 290,813 279,456 Property, plant and equipment 91,862 86,963 Intangible assets 66,433 66,721 Goodwill 100,471 99,365 Investments 8,843 8,605 Deferred tax assets 884 1,079 Other non-current assets 845 834 Total non-current assets 269,338 263,567 Total assets $ 560,151 $ 543,023 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current Bank advances and other short-term debt $ 5,631 $ 3,970 Accounts payable and other accrued charges 55,336 59,877 Income taxes payable 6,731 6,566 Lease obligations 1,386 Other current liabilities 146 777 Total current liabilities 69,230 71,190 Employee benefits 1,986 2,125 Derivative liability 10,883 9,525 Provisions 4,717 4,717 Deferred tax liabilities 18,563 17,730 Lease obligations 3,445 Other non-current liabilities 2,554 559 Total non-current liabilities 42,148 34,656 Total liabilities 111,378 105,846 Non-controlling interest 4,760 4,758 Equity attributable to equity holders of Neo Performance Materials Inc 444,013 432,419 Total equity 448,773 437,177 Total liabilities and equity $ 560,151 $ 543,023 ____________________________ See accompanying notes to this table in Neo's Consolidated Financial Statements for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019, available on Neo's website at www.neomaterials.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. TABLE 6: CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Comparison of the three months ended March 31, 2019 to the three months ended March 31, 2018: ($000s) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Revenue $ 108,530 $ 120,185 Costs of sales Costs excluding depreciation and amortization 78,389 83,686 Depreciation and amortization 2,410 2,510 Gross profit 27,731 33,989 Expenses Selling, general and administrative 7,296 13,146 Share-based compensation (390) 1,090 Depreciation and amortization 1,985 1,882 Research and development 2,601 4,366 11,492 20,484 Operating income 16,239 13,505 Other expense (126) (34) Finance costs, net (1,382) (237) Foreign exchange gain (loss) 93 (171) Income from operations before income taxes and equity income (loss) of associates 14,824 13,063 Income tax expense (2,835) (3,191) Income (loss) from operations before equity income (loss) of associates 11,989 9,872 Equity income (loss) of associates (net of income tax) 238 (1,020) Net income $ 12,227 $ 8,852 Attributable to: Equity holders of Neo Performance Materials Inc $ 12,247 $ 8,667 Non-controlling interest (20) 185 $ 12,227 $ 8,852 Earnings per share attributable to equity holders of Neo Performance Materials Inc.: Basic $ 0.31 $ 0.22 Diluted $ 0.31 $ 0.21 ____________________________ See Management's Discussion and Analysis for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019, available on Neo's website at www.neomaterials.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. TABLE 7: RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO EBITDA, ADJUSTED EBITDA AND FREE CASH FLOW ($000s) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Net income $ 12,227 $ 8,852 Add back (deduct): Finance costs, net 1,382 237 Income tax expense 2,835 3,191 Depreciation and amortization included in costs of sales 2,410 2,510 Depreciation and amortization 1,985 1,882 EBITDA 20,839 16,672 Adjustments to EBITDA: Equity (income) loss in associates (238) 1,020 Other expense (1) 126 34 Foreign exchange (gain) loss (2) (93) 171 Share and value-based compensation (recovery) expense (3) (2,199) 1,391 Non-recurring transaction cost (4) (1,949) Adjusted EBITDA $ 16,486 $ 19,288 Adjusted EBITDA Margins 15.2% 16.0% Less: Capital expenditures 2,665 2,305 Free Cash Flow 13,821 16,983 Free Cash Flow Conversion (5) 83.8% 88.0% Notes: (1) Represents other expenses resulting from non-operational related activities. These costs and recoveries are not indicative of Neo's ongoing activities. (2) Represents unrealized and realized foreign exchange losses (gains) that include non-cash adjustments in translating foreign denominated monetary assets and liabilities. (3) Represents share and value-based compensation expense in respect of the Legacy Plan, the LTIP and the long-term value bonus plan, which has similar vesting criteria to the share-based plan and is settled in cash for non-executives and non-North Americans where implementation of a share settlement plan would have been prohibitively expensive in terms of administration and compliance. Value-based compensation (recovery)/expense of $(1,809) and $302 is included in selling, general, and administration expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and three months ended March 31, 2018, respectively. Neo has removed both the share and value-based compensation expense from EBITDA to provide comparability with historic periods and to treat it consistently with the share-based awards that they are intended to replace. (4) These represents legal, professional advisory fees and other transaction costs incurred netted with the amounts recoverable from Luxfer for the termination of the Luxfer Transaction. These net recoveries were included in selling, general, and administration expense. (5) Calculated as Free Cash Flow divided by Adjusted EBITDA. TABLE 8: RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO ADJUSTED NET INCOME ($000s) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Net income $ 12,227 $ 8,852 Adjustments to net income: Foreign exchange (gain) loss (1) (93) 171 Share and value-based compensation (recovery) expense (2) (2,199) 1,391 Non-recurring transaction cost (3) (1,949) Tax impact of the above items 154 (146) Adjusted net income $ 8,140 $ 10,268 Attributable to: Equity holders of Neo Performance Materials Inc 8,160 10,083 Non-controlling interest (20) 185 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding: Basic 39,641,879 39,920,140 Diluted 39,964,500 40,402,139 Adjusted earnings per share (4) attributable to equity shareholders of Neo Performance Materials Inc.: Basic $ 0.21 $ 0.25 Diluted $ 0.20 $ 0.25 Notes: (1) Represents unrealized and realized foreign exchange losses (gains) that include non-cash adjustments in translating foreign denominated monetary assets and liabilities. (2) Represents share and value-based compensation expense in respect of the Legacy Plan, the LTIP and the long-term value bonus plan, which has similar vesting criteria to the share-based plan and is settled in cash for non-executives and non-North Americans where implementation of a share settlement plan would have been prohibitively expensive in terms of administration and compliance. Value-based compensation (recovery)/expense of $(1,809) and $302 is included in selling, general, and administration expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and three months ended March 31, 2018, respectively. Neo has removed both the share and value-based compensation expense from net income to provide comparability with historic periods and to treat it consistently with the share-based awards that they are intended to replace. (3) These represents legal, professional advisory fees and other transaction costs incurred netted with the amounts recoverable from Luxfer for the termination of the Luxfer Transaction. These net recoveries were included in selling, general, and administration expense. (4) Neo reports non-IFRS measures such as "Adjusted Net Income", "Adjusted Earnings per Share", "Adjusted EBITDA", "Adjusted EBITDA Margin" and "EBITDA". Please see information on this and other non-IFRS measures in the "Non-IFRS Measures" section of this new release and in the MD&A, available on Neo's website www.neomaterials.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Notice of Shareholder Meeting Neo will hold its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on Thursday, June 20, 2019 at 4:00 pm (Toronto time) at the offices of Fogler, Rubinoff LLP, 77 King Street West, Suite 3000, Toronto, Ontario. About Neo Performance Materials Neo Performance Materials is a global leader in the innovation and manufacturing of rare earth and rare metal-based functional materials, which are essential inputs to high technology, high growth, future-facing industries. The business of Neo is organized along three segments: Magnequench, Chemicals & Oxides and Rare Metals. Neo is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; with corporate offices in Greenwood Village, Colorado, US; and Beijing, China. Neo operates globally with sales and production across 10 countries, being Japan, China, Thailand, Estonia, Singapore, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, United States, and South Korea. For more information, please visit www.neomaterials.com. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws in Canada. Forward-looking information may relate to future events or future performance of Neo. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, with respect to Neo's objectives and goals, as well as statements with respect to its beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, and intentions, are forward-looking information. Specific forward-looking statements in this discussion include, but are not limited to: expectations regarding certain of Neo's future results and information, including, among other things, revenue, expenses, sales growth, capital expenditures, and operations; statements with respect to expected use of cash balances; continuation of prudent management of working capital; source of funds for ongoing business requirements and capital investments; expectations regarding sufficiency of the allowance for uncollectible accounts and inventory provisions; analysis regarding sensitivity of the business to changes in exchange rates; impact of recently adopted accounting pronouncements; risk factors relating to intellectual property protection and intellectual property litigation; and, expectations concerning any remediation efforts to Neo's design of its internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "continues", "forecasts", "projects", "predicts", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes", or variations of, or the negatives of, such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. This information involves 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 information. Neo believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information included in this discussion and analysis should not be unduly relied upon. For more information on Neo, investors should review Neo's continuous disclosure filings that are available under Neo's profile at www.sedar.com. SOURCE Neo Performance Materials, Inc. For further information: Ali Mahdavi, Investor Relations, (416) 962-3300, Email: [email protected]; Jim Sims, Media Relations, (303) 503-6203, Email: [email protected]; Website: www.neomaterials.com Related Links www.neomaterials.com HARTFORD As the legislature prepares to vote on tolls, Gov. Ned Lamont is already starting negotiations with other states to share information about drivers with outstanding toll bills in an effort to maximize collections. Lamont is pursuing reciprocity agreements with neighboring states. These agreements would help Connecticut get the names and addresses of drivers without E-Z passes and if they dont respond to bills, block them from renewing their vehicle registrations in their home states. But the agreements will likely also mean that Connecticut residents who have been dodging toll bills from other states will have to pay up or risk their registrations. That is particularly good news for Massachusetts, where Connecticut drivers are the biggest offenders of unpaid tolls, compared to other states. Massachusetts is waiting to recoup about $5 million in overdue toll bills from Connecticut drivers, the Associated Press reported. Lamont said that in the next two weeks he would be meeting with Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to discuss reciprocity in collections. I have a feeling Gov. Baker will bring that up when he comes in, said Lamont. Lamont added he will discuss reciprocity with Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York. Sen. Carlo Leone, D-Stamford, called these negotiations ongoing. A spokesperson for the governor, Colleen Flanagan Johnson, said Connecticuts Department of Transportation is in constant contact with the Federal Highway Administration and state highway authorities about tolling best practices and administrative procedures. When asked if the negotiations would include discussions of providing out-of-state drivers with discount toll rates offered to in-state residents, Lamont said he would discuss reciprocity in the rates with the other governors. Members of his staff later said the rate issue would not be on the table. Strong toll collection will be important to ensuring Connecticut sees the $800 million in annual revenue the governors office predicts will come from tolls. Out-of-state drivers are projected to account for 40 percent of that money. In order for us to really actualize our goal for out-of-state residents, really pay for so much of our infrastructure costs that theyre using, is ensuring that theyre paying their bill, said Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven. The only way to really do that is to enter into these reciprocity agreements with our surrounding states, primarily New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island. Those are the states where we are seeing large numbers of folks using Connecticut roadways. Tolls are not yet a certainty in Connecticut. The General Assembly still must vote on a final toll bill. After several committee votes, lawmakers have been drafting the bill behind closed doors and are expected to have a finished project this week, said Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, on Monday. Say Connecticut license plate 12345 drives through New York. They cant figure out who Connecticut driver 12345 is unless they have access to Connecticut DMV [Department of Motor Vehicles] data, said Lemar. Our DMVs would need to be communicating with each other and saying Okay Connecticut resident 12345 is this person at this address and similarly, theyll be sending us their data for those people. Connecticut could also negotiate different stages of enforcement in response to drivers with outstanding bills, Lemar said. What do you do if a New York resident owes the state of Connecticut $700 in unpaid tolls because theyve been driving through our state every day for three years? Lemar asked. What most states is say Okay, if you agree to hold that persons [vehicle] registration in your state, well agree to hold our peoples registrations in our state that way we can ensure were both collecting from them. The registration hold is the common way states do that. emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson Vincent Ferrara, the former East Haven police officer whose testimony on the harassment and assault of Latinos helped send four crooked town cops to prison, died Saturday, at age 54. His death, in the Connecticut Hospice in Branford, came 17 months after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. He had a 17-year career in law enforcement. In 2010, Ferrara helped the U.S. Department of Justice gather evidence of a systemic, department-wide pattern of abuse and corruption. He later filed an active federal civil rights case against the town, including East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr., charging that he was a victim of retribution from fellow officers and town officials Ferrara said he was shunned, and called a rat, in a departmental atmosphere where veterans of the scandal told younger officers to stay away from him. His lawsuit alleges that fellow officers, asked to back him up in potentially dangerous street encounters, were either slow to respond or failed entirely in arriving. In January the 11-year veteran of the department was fired over the alleged misuse of his agency computer. More News Whistleblower cop fired Ferraras attorney, James Brewer, said Monday that the lawsuit will continue. He stuck his neck out, Brewer said. It took a lot of moral courage to stand up to people he knew were a physical and emotional threat to him. I think he made a decision to not stand by and watch the abuses. He was an honest cop. Some of these other folks should probably look in the mirror and ask what it takes to be a law enforcement officer. In late 2017, around the time Ferrara was suspended over issues that led to his firing over a year later, a series of headaches sent him to doctors who diagnosed the kind of brain tumor that killed U.S. Sen. John McCain. He was put on paid administrative leave for most of 2018. Vincent B. Ferrara Jr. was born in Brooklyn, NY April 16, 1965, the son of Denyse Clolery Ferrara of New Haven and the late Vincent B. Ferrara, Sr. He is survived by his wife and mother, and his children, Allison Grace and Addison James Ferrara of Branford; his grandson Jaxson Ferrara of Branford; and five brothers and sisters. The family will greet visitors Tuesday from 4:00 -8:00 p.m. at the W. S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home, 244 North Main Street, Branford. Funeral services will be Wednesday morning at 10:00 in the Branford Evangelical Free Church, 231 Leetes Island Road, Branford. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that memorial donations be sent to the Smilow Cancer Hospital, 20 York Street, New Haven, CT 06510. Brewer said he visited Ferrara in recent weeks in the intensive care unit at Yale New Haven Hospital, where he had obviously taken a turn for the worse. He was courageous, Brewer said. Others made decisions not to cooperate with the FBI. I will always wonder what kind of toll the stress took on Vince. Brewer said that procedurally, Ferraras estate will next become the plaintiff in U.S. District Court in New Haven. It doesnt change anything, Brewer said. Vince was adamant that we would go to the conclusion. We have no doubt well win the case on the testimony of the defendants. Vince was a great guy, and he was treated like dirt by these people. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT English Dutch Regulated information - Inside information Nazareth (Belgium)/Rotterdam (The Netherlands), May 13th, 2019 - 7:00am CET Fagron enters Mexican market with acquisition of Cedrosa Fagron announces today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Central de Drogas, S.A. de C.V. ('Cedrosa'), a leading supplier of raw materials (Essentials) to compounding pharmacies and the pharmaceutical industry in Mexico, on May 10th, 2019. Through the acquisition of Cedrosa, Fagron enters the attractive (growing) Mexican market for personalized medicine, further strengthening its position in the Latin American continent. Cedrosa is located in Naucalpan, just northwest of Mexico City, employs 98 FTE, and reported turnover of Mex$ 480 million (c. 22.5 million) and an EBITDA-margin of 14.5%. The acquisition perfectly fits Fagron's buy-and-build strategy as it opens up the interesting Mexican market for personalized medicine. With its favorable demographics, a rapidly growing middle class and a focus on prevention and lifestyle, the Mexican market represents substantial growth potential for Fagron. Rafael Padilla, CEO of Fagron, said: "The Mexican market for personalized medicine presents a very promising opportunity for Fagron to expand our existing footprint in Latin America. Although Mexico has the same growth drivers as Brazil, the market for personalized medicine in Mexico is still in its infancy, offering a lot of growth potential for Fagron. We are very excited to further develop, innovate and grow the market in Mexico, in close collaboration with the experienced team of Cedrosa. We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues from Cedrosa into the Fagron family." The acquisition price for Cedrosa amounts to Mex$ 352.0 million (c. 16.5 million) in cash, with the potential for an EBITDA-linked earn-out of up to Mex$ 110.5 million (c. 5.2 million) in cash over a two-year period. The total consideration for the acquisition of Cedrosa is capped at Mex$ 462.5 million (c. 21.7 million). The acquisition will be financed from the existing debt facilities of Fagron. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019 and is subject to customary closing conditions. Conference call Fagron will organize a conference call today to provide further information regarding the acquisition of Cedrosa in Mexico. The conference call starts at 10:00 CET. As of 10 minutes in advance, you will be able to dial in using the numbers and confirmation code below: Belgium/Europe: +32 (0)2 404 0659 The Netherlands: +31 (0)20 703 8211 Spain: +34 91 419 2307 United Kingdom: +44 (0)330 336 9127 United States: +1 323 994 2093 Confirmation code: 3636991 In the event of differences between the English translation and the Dutch original of this press release, the latter prevails. For more information: Constantijn van Rietschoten Chief Communications Officer Tel. +31 6 53 69 15 85 constantijn.van.rietschoten@fagron.com Please open the link below for the press release: HAMDEN The town is trying to turn around its contaminated sites for development, and is getting some help from university students. Toward this goal, the towns economic development department is working with University of Connecticut students and faculty to identify brownfield sites for revitalization. The Connecticut Brownfield Initiative at UConn trains students on brownfield remediation and redevelopment while offering support to municipalities and economic development agencies that have limited resources to pursue redevelopment of abandoned properties with no identifiable responsible party. When you drive by the sites of boarded-up or blighted properties, theres a story to be told, town Economic Development Director Dale Kroop said. Hamden has been progressive in brownfield redevelopment, he said, but the department, like many, doesnt have the extra resources to dedicate to brownfield projects. The university works with municipalities, state agencies and private industry professionals on redevelopment projects to solve brownfield remediation and redevelopment challenges across the state. Through the initiative, participating UConn undergraduates will attend a year-long program, which involves one semester of training in the classroom and one semester of application on brownfield projects in collaboration with Connecticut towns. We provide training and educations to student by providing aid to the municipality, said Nefeli Bompoti, assistant research professor for the CBI at UConn. Students learn and towns get something out of it. UConn students Robin Rittgers, Matt McKenna and Will Adsit were each in the CBI cohort this year. Connecticut law defines a brownfield as any abandoned or underutilized site where redevelopment, reuse or expansion has not occurred due to the presence or potential presence of pollution in the buildings, soil or groundwater that requires investigation or remediation before or in conjunction with the redevelopment, reuse or expansion of the property. They can be former industrial sites in urban centers or small, historic towns. The sites usually have been abandoned or underutilized largely because the cost of remediating contamination has made redevelopment economically infeasible. There are hundreds of brownfields in major cities, Kroop said, and huge projects can bury the cost of remediation. It can cost millions to clean up a site that then would sell for only $200,000 to $300,000, such as many small gas stations, he said. So many brownfields are in highly desirable and visible places for towns, such as along a riverfront or in downtown areas, Bompoti said. So redevelopment is about making communities a better place. Additionally, revitalizing a brownfield can take the place of using scarce green space so towns avoid having to develop precious land, said UConn student Will Adsit, who is working with Branford on developing a portfolio of brownfield sites. The work being done by students is the first phase for completing a brownfield grant application of several hundred pages to be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency. Depending on the municipalitys or agencys needs, students in the program assist with creating redevelopment plans to attract potential developers, help prepare grant proposals for site investigation or cleanup, conduct partial Phase I investigations for town-owned abandoned sites or draft a Phase II sampling plan or remedial action plan under the supervision of environmental consultants. Hamden and Branford asked for brownfield site inventories that included full property histories, tax information, possible contamination, owners and any information already provided by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. We need help in the process to understand the story behind the inventory before I can think about EPA applications, Kroop said. Were letting the program help us get to the next stage. Every story cannot be solved in an election or budget cycle. The team identified about 10 sites that could qualify for brownfield remediation in Hamden to be redeveloped. Up to 10 more sites already are in various stages of remediation, but those dont count residental properties that also could be considered brownfields, Kroop said. Kroop showed the UConn team several brownfield sites in Hamdens Newhall neighborhood, including the old middle school, the business incubator and a dilapidated auto center. Newhall is the ultimate in brownfields and revitalization, Kroop said. The nearby Newhallville neighborhood in New Haven was home to the headquarters of Winchester Repeating Arms Co., which dumped industrial waste in formerly low-lying swampland. The homes around the factory for industrial workers of the company were built on the dump site. (There were as many as 14 spots in the Newhall area that were used as dumps for contaminated material, several of which were used exclusively by Winchester.) Until about 1930, industrial waste was dumped in the wetlands, but the contamination only came to light in 2000, when school officials began planning an expansion for the old middle school, which also had been built on the dump site. The entire neighborhood, poisoned for decades by industrial waste buried beneath homes, yards, schools and playgrounds, underwent the largest residential cleanup in state history, Kroop said. The top four feet of earth over 18 square blocks was scooped up and hauled away, replaced by clean soil, trees, lawns, bushes and shrubs. Cleaning up the 230 affected houses cost around $60 million. The middle school, which will be fully remediated in 2020, will be converted to a community center and apartments, Kroop said. To date, the state has invested $223 million in more than 246 old or vacant factories, mills, warehouses and other contaminated sites. Many brownfield sites still remain in the neighborhood and across Hamden. Kroop said the work UConn students and faculty perform is the essence of the first EPA application phase. It will be the foundation for years of applications, he said. I would either have to dedicate myself to the work or it wouldnt be done because we dont otherwise have the staff, or we could try to get a grant. Kroop said the program is critical for towns and hopes more utilize it. mdignan@hearstmediact.com Manchester native Ariana Valdes feels a special emotion when talking about coming back to The Bushnell in Hartford to perform in the touring production of The Sound of Music Friday-Sunday, May 17-19. She earned a fellowship from The Bushnell in high school, with lessons at an outside location but a couple of performances at the ornate Bushnell. Also in high school, she played the title role in the schools Kiss Me Kate that was at The Bushnell for one night on the Belding stage. So its so important and exciting for me to do this performance at the Bushnell after two years because back then ... I noticed that people signed the walls (from) past productions... and when we were there, we were told we werent allowed to sign the wall, just because we werent part of any of the (professional) tours. One of the stage hands said something to me, and it kind of makes me a little emotional to think about, he said, You know, one day if you keep doing this, I bet youll be back on this Bushnell stage and youll get to sign the wall. So... when I saw that the Bushnell was on our tour, I knew I had to stay with it and keep doing it. Valdes, who plays Sister Berthe and Baroness Elberfeld in the show, comes from a humble version of a theater family and caught the performance bug as a child. Valdes mother, Linda, ran a costume design business in Hartford called Red Wagon Design. She started a production of Annie and she brought me to rehearsals every night and ... she told me that I came home one night, riding in the car, singing every single song and she had no idea I could sing, said Valdes. And I knew word for word all the lyrics. Her mother found a local theater doing a production of Annie in the summer and bartered with producers to do their costumes if they could find young Ariana a spot in the show. We didnt have the most money... so thats where I got my start. Bubbly and upbeat in a phone chat from a rainy tour stop in Richmond, Kentucky, Valdes sounds nothing like her character in the show, the self-righteous kill-joy Sister Berthe. Valdez was with this show when it played the Shubert Theatre in New Haven in 2018 (but playing only the baroness). As Sister Berthe, she gets to sing part of How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? In her second season of the show, Valdes has logged about 450 performances of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic that had its premiere in New Haven at the Shubert in 1959. The Sound of Music is a familiar story from the 1965 film, 2013 live TV production and countless community theater versions. This production, with its seasoned cast and crew, music and story, has no trouble staying relevant. Its easy to keep it fresh every night, Valdes said, because of being in so many different venues. Every single night is like an opening night, she said. When the tour ends next month, Valdes has a voice instruction studio on Long Island to resume, but in the fall she will move to Manhattan to begin a role in the off-Broadway production called The Green Room. She likes teaching because it makes her think of herself as a kid, without a lot of musical knowledge then but a thirst that would take her to the Boston Conservatory to study voice. And he likes the thought of music as healer in this show with Maria and the loss-torn captain. Music really connects to people, no matter what. And theres something for everyone in this show ... I think the (theme) in this show that will never go away... is that its a story about music and how music helps you find your place in life. And I kind of relate to that personally because as Ive been searching for who I am and figuring out where I want to be in life, the thing I always come back to is that very thought. More Information The Bushnell Performing Arts Center, Mortensen Hall, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford. Friday, May 17, 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 18, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 19, 1 p.m. $103.50-$22.50. 860-987-5900, www.bushnell.org See More Collapse jamarante@ctcentral.com; Twitter: @Joeammo WEST HAVEN The state board overseeing the citys troubled finances is holding West Haven officials to strict standards before releasing $6 million in a state restructuring grant to get them through 2020 with a balanced budget. The chairwoman of the states Municipality Accountability Review Board has outlined more specifically to Mayor Nancy Rossi the changes MARB wants to see in the proposed 2020 budget and five-year plan before considering approval needed to get the city $6 million in state money. MARB earlier this month rejected Rossis proposed budget, which had been approved by the City Council, and sent it back for revision. Chairwoman Melissa McCaw, secretary of the state Office of Policy and Management, wrote in a May 9 letter to Rossi, obtained by the Register, that chief concerns among MARB members were related to deviations in the budget from the citys approved five-year-plan. McCaw wrote that the budget presented to MARB continued to rely on $6 million in restructuring funds to be paid by state taxpayers. The overall effect of the budget as proposed disregards planned efficiencies and revenues, thereby shifting this burden to state taxpayers to subsidize the citys structural budget gap. This is an unacceptable approach that MARB members did not support. In her letter, McCaw said the fiscal year 2020 budget, as proposed, wasshort by $1 million in revenue compared to the original plan because there is no tax rate increase as was in the original plan; there were no commitments for achieving administrative efficiencies the city had committed to achieving net savings of about $1.2 million in 2020; elimination of funding for a health claims margin; and advance funding for an Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) trust. More specifically, McCaw suggested addressing the $1 million revenue shortfall; budget for a health claims margin of $319,000; budget for an advance OPEB contribution of $50,000; and add $100,000 for continued MARB expenses. The MARB subcommittee and the city are expected to discuss changes Tuesday at a meeting in Hartford. MARB member had a strong, unfavorable reaction earlier this month to the budget approved 9-4 by the City Council. One member said that when he saw a 55 percent increase in health care, given the restructuring money the city has received, Thats when I lost my cookies. Another MARB member who criticized the lack of structural changes said he was disappointed the five-year plan showed a reduction in the grand list. You are taking a victory lap by not doing a mill rate increase, he said. Rossi has said the MARBs rejection of the budget appears to be a result of communication issues. Campaign season has kicked off early in West Haven and Rossi has taken every chance she can to speak favorably of the direction of the city since she took office, saying, We have turned budget deficits into surpluses and have a fund balance or rainy day fund for the first time in over a decade. This year alone we are projecting more than a $3.5 million surplus. But her critics have said those positives are only because the state gave West Haven millions in aid. Amsterdam, The Netherlands 13 May 2019 Esperite N.V. announced on 30 April 2019 that the publication of the Annual Report 2018 will be delayed. The Company has made significant progress and it is confident in its ability to publish the Annual Report 2018 and Half Year Results 2018 before the end of June 2019. Esperite N.V. with his subsidiary The Cell Factory wants to confirm that the recent adverse situation does not affect the companys R&D projects in the field of Exosomes and Micro Vesicules. Esperite N.V. is in full control of the Intellectual Property and Patents related to these projects. The production unit in Niel has faced an adverse situation due to local regulation. The Cell Factory has been put in liquidation due to its negative equity despite the positive cash position which was sufficient to cover the claims of the first ranked creditors and most of the others. Esperite NV continues the negotiations with the potential investors as it was announced previously and will update as soon as necessary. About ESPERITE ESPERITE group, listed at Euronext Amsterdam and Paris, is a leading international company in regenerative and precision medicine founded in 2000. To learn more about the ESPERITE Group, or to book an interview with CEO Frederic Amar: +31 575 548 998 - ir@esperite.com or visit the websites at www.esperite.com , www.genoma.com and www.cryo-save.com . *** This press release contains inside information as referred to in article 7 paragraph 1 of Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (Market Abuse Regulation). Attachment Connecticut is facing financial distress with mounting underfunded public pension liabilities and chronic budget shortfalls. Any further foregone tax revenues will likely be recouped at the expense of programs benefiting middle and lower income residents. Yet a recent proposal to repeal the estate tax went before the Connecticut General Assemblys Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee. This myopic proposal would exacerbate Connecticuts budget problems and rising income-inequality, while benefiting only the wealthiest 1 percent of Connecticut residents. In contrast, keeping the estate tax would ensure that those fortunate enough to have accumulated significant wealth will pay their share for the schools, roads, health care, and other investments that help our communities thrive. The estate tax is a substantial and stable source of revenue for Connecticut, bringing in an average of $221 million per year over the past three years. Even with the exemption scheduled to increase next year, the tax is projected to raise $155.8 million of badly needed revenues. While opponents of the estate tax fear that it might cause millionaires to migrate to states with lower taxes, there is no credible evidence to support this claim. In fact, Connecticut would be breaking ranks with almost every one of its peer states if it chooses to abolish its estate tax. New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia all have estate or inheritance taxes. Connecticut completely exempts smaller estates from any taxation, and the exemption threshold is slated to increase from $2.6 million to $11.4 million over the next five years. By 2023, Connecticut will have one of the largest estate tax exemptions among its peer states. Additionally, Connecticut is the only one of these states that caps the total amount of estate tax paid. The progressivity of the estate tax is also well-equipped to address the top-heavy economic growth in the country in the last decade. Inequality has become especially pronounced in Connecticut, the third most unequal state in the country, where the wealthiest 1 percent of the population takes home 27.3 percent of all income. The Department of Revenue Services estimated that the gift and estate taxes fell on less than 1 percent of Connecticut households in 2011, and only 656 filers paid the estate tax in 2018, when the exemption was $2.6 million. This number will surely shrink as the exemption level continues to rise. Much of the wealth in these large estates will go untaxed if not for the estate tax. Capital gains tax is due only on the realized appreciation of assets. The appreciation is never subject to income tax if the owner holds on to the asset until death. If one dies without selling these assets, they can be passed to heirs on a stepped-up basis, meaning when the heirs sell the stock, the calculation of capital gains is based on the value of the assets when they received it. Without the estate tax, assets can be bequeathed to and cashed by the inheritors tax free. Nationally, unrealized capital gains account for 32 percent of estates worth between $5 million and $10 million and 55 percent of the value of estates worth more than $100 million. Some critics contend that the estate tax hurts small and family owned farms and businesses. However, the tax code allows farm real estate to be valued at farm-use rather than fair-market value, significantly reducing the probability that an estate tax will be levied on these properties. The USDA estimated that in 2017 less than 0.8 percent of farm-estates nationwide would have to pay an estate tax. Furthermore, the Tax Policy Center estimates that in 2013 less than 0.16 percent of estates paid the federal tax, and only 20 of these estates owned family farms or small businesses. Small businesses paying the estate tax will become even more unlikely under the increased exemption of $11.2 million under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Connecticut should not mortgage the future of its children, further increase income and wealth inequality, and break ranks with almost every one of its peer states in order to provide a tax break for the wealthiest 1 percent of Connecticut residents. Michael Enseki-Frank is a student at Yale Law School and an intern with the schools Legislative Advocacy Clinic. BRANFORD Last week, Branfords Rosemarie Davis celebrated her 93rd birthday. All she wanted was an ice cream cake, but it had to be from Ashleys Ice Cream. I am simply hooked on Ashleys, said Davis, who enjoyed an Oreo Chocolate cake with friends and family. I would never go anywhere else. The animated nonagenarian was 53 when, in 1979, Ashleys, named after the frisbee-catching dog that took the world by storm beginning in 1974, first opened its doors on College Street in New Haven. Ashleys, which marks its 40th anniversary this month, came into being during what can only be considered the Dark Ages of ice cream. Ben and Jerry were college students. Pints of Haagen-Dazs were just appearing in supermarket freezers. Brightly colored ice pops were the frozen treat of choice. Before Ashleys became a perennial Best Ice Cream winner in the ShoreLine Times Readers Poll, those on the Shoreline regularly crossed the Q bridge at odd hours in search of a cone from its New Haven store. Then came a shop in Guilford in 1993, Branford in 1996, and Madison in 2008. (Theres also a Hamden location that opened in 1983.) The steady expansion is due, first and foremost, to the product itself, according to co-owner Brian Anderson, who worked for Ashleys in high school and signed on with founder and co-owner Joe Ametrano after college and another job almost 20 years ago. Our ice cream is made personally, in small batches, by our own staff, he said. We never use artificial colors or flavors or preservatives. Theres also the percentage of butterfat which affords Ashleys ice cream super-premium status and gives each flavor a giddy creaminess. The majority of ice cream makers use 12 percent butterfat in their mix. We use 16 percent, Anderson said. Many of the strawberries, blueberries and peaches that make up Ashleys most popular summer flavors come from local farms. We use fresh ingredients whenever possible, Anderson said. There are exceptions. The popular Peep ice cream, for example, that hops in around Easter and blends chunks of chicks and bunnies into a marshmallow ice cream. And Nutella chip, a concoction of Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread with chocolate chips mixed in. The Nutella chip came from a create-a-flavor contest for kids in 2011 and is still a stand-by, Anderson said. Likewise, the patriotic Red-White-and-Blueberry Ice Cream, the co-winner of that contest, a mixture of blueberries and cherries and white chocolate chips blended in sweet cream. That yet another flavor, Coconut Raspberry, originated in a customers coconut raspberry cheesecake recipe, is testament to the home-grown nature of both Ashleys ice cream and the people whove been keeping it going for the last four decades. We have our consistent favorites like Salted Caramel, Coffee Oreo and Honeycomb Crunch, but were also able to respond to the more out-of-the-box ideas because were small enough where we can say that would be good, and then make it the next day, Anderson said. Thats because both Joe and I are at a store every day, Anderson said. We both scoop cones, so were talking with our customers, were keeping in touch with them, were hearing what they want. Such is the loyalty that their hands-on approach has inspired that when a Ben & Jerrys opened on Main Street a few doors down from Ashleys in 2012, we never let up and our customers kept coming, Anderson said. Three years later, the Vermont-based ice cream chain closed its doors. That kind of support, said Anderson, is in no small part due to the crew that scoops alongside the co-owners. Theyre friendly, outgoing, and upbeat, Anderson said. Weve been really fortunate. Its safe to say that Davis, whos made a trip to Ashleys at least once a week since 2008, feels the same. Once you taste their ice cream, she said, its over for any other ice cream. Theres simply nothing like it. I said that the first time I tasted it and Im still saying it now. Ashleys is located on 1016 Main Street, Branford, 203-481-5558; on 942 Boston Post Road in Guilford, 203-458-3040; and on 724 Boston Post Road in Madison, 203-245-1113. For more information, visit www.ashleysicecream.net Two Egg Harbor City men have been arrested following a narcotics investigation that recovered 25 pounds of marijuana along with heroin, cocaine, weapons and money, authorities said. Officials executed search warrants on Wednesday and Thursday and found 6,750 bags of heroin (with an additional unpackaged 3 ounces), 1 ounce of cocaine, 25 pounds of marijuana, a handgun, ammunition and $52,000, the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office announced Monday. Steven Martinez, 30, and Joshua Cortes, 25, face a slew of drug charges. Martinez faces two first-degree charges of possession with intent to distribute heroin and operation of a drug production facility used for manufacturing controlled dangerous substances, along with nine second-degree or lower weapons offenses, money laundering, drug possession and endangering a child charges, authorities said. Cortes faces second-degree charges of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances, as well as a fourth-degree possession of marijuana charge, according to the prosecutors office. Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said the arrests were a small victory" for the community. Had this operation been allowed to continue to operate uninterrupted, 6,750 bags of heroin would have reached every municipality in our county and would have had a significant impact on an untold number of lives of addicts, their family members, and the many faceless victims of drug abuse, he said in a statement. Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Q. How are the funeral expenses paid for an adult child who is destitute? Need to know A. There are resources available for you. First, the New Jersey Department of Human Services may help pay for the funerals of needy adults. The first place to start is by making an appointment with a funeral director, said Jeanne Kane, a financial planner with JFL Total Wealth Management in Boonton. Tell the funeral director that you think the deceased is eligible for a public assistance funeral. The funeral director will work with the county board of social services to see if the deceased qualifies, Kane said. To be eligible, your child would have to have been receiving assistance from a program such as Work First NJ (WFNJ), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid. The state pays up to $2,770 for funeral home and cemetery expenses, Kane said. Thats not a lot considering that the average cost of a funeral is between $7,000 and $9,000. Kane said New Jersey allows friends and family to supplement what the state provides by up to $1,570. Any amount that you contribute above that reduces the state benefit dollar for dollar. Another source of funding to pay funeral expenses would be to ask your church, temple or synagogue, Kane said. On the tax side, you cant deduct your contribution to your adult childs funeral expenses on your tax return, Kane said. Money that you pay towards their funeral would be a gift. The deceased may be able to deduct their funeral expense can on their own estate tax return, she said. However, only estates with more than $11.4 million will need to do so. Given that he/she was destitute, then this would not apply. If eligible for Social Security benefits, then a one-time $255 death benefit could be used to pay for death benefits, Kane said. Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com. Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter. DEINOVE has developed a unique bioproduction process that leads to the first 100% pure Phytoene with an anti-aging action which mechanism of action has been discovered and reveals a target of choice in cell regeneration. Solvay promoted these new data to cosmetic customers at the annual congress of the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists (NYSCC). A worldwide leader in specialty ingredients for Personal Care applications, Solvay markets this asset in North America and Asia on an exclusive basis under the ReGeN-oPhyt brand. Progress in the marketing of the asset is now tangible: several tens of clients have been sampled worldwide. The outlooks for revenues in 2019 are reaffirmed, as well as a future potential of several tons per year. DEINOVE (Euronext Growth Paris: ALDEI), a French biotech company that uses a disruptive approach to develop innovative antibiotics and bio-based active ingredients for cosmetics and nutrition, announced that its partner Solvay presented the innovative Phytoene mechanism of cell regeneration at the 40th annual congress of the NYSCC (07 - 08 May 2019 | New York, US). Extensive studies have discovered that Phytoene acts on laminin, one of the main components of the basal blade, the junction layer between the dermis and the epidermis. Complementary proteomic studies conducted by DEINOVE have shown that Phytoene stimulates laminin production. Laminins are major protein components of the basal lamina, just like collagen. The basal blade is the junction between the epidermis and the dermis. The role of laminin in maintaining skin health - maintaining cell structure, communication between dermis and epidermis, release of repair substances - has been demonstrated several times1, placing laminin as a target of choice for dermocosmetic applications. Coralie MARTIN, Head of Marketing at DEINOVE, states: "The in-depth studies we have conducted show that Phytoene acts at the cellular level, in addition to collagen, to promote cellular regeneration and therefore anti-aging action. This is an innovative mechanism of action and is of obvious interest to the cosmetics industry. This tangible scientific data strengthens the sales argument for Phytoene worldwide and allows it to differentiate itself in an extremely competitive way compared to other solutions available today. To date, several tens of customers have been sampled with this innovative asset for confirmatory testing and the first sales should start by the end of the year. Eventually, such an asset which benefits are clinically proven and which mechanism of action is identified can represent sales of several tons and generate a turnover of several million. This is the first of a portfolio of assets developed in full by DEINOVE, which will include several of them by the time the next major cosmetics trade fair is held in April 2020 (In-Cosmetics 2020). ABOUT PHYTOENE A breakthrough in naturally-sourced active ingredients: DEINOVE bioproduced the 1st pure Phytoene. Nature is a prodigious laboratory, capable of designing highly efficient molecules. Both skin cells and plants rely on a common substance to protect themselves from oxidative stress: Phytoene, the original precursor of all carotenoids. However, unlike plants, skin cannot synthesize it. Phytoene counts among these essential molecules that need to be brought through food or external supplementation, either oral of topical. So far there was no way to extract pure Phytoene. None of the available production processes from plants allows the production of pure Phytoene. They provide only a mix of carotenoids, at low concentration, and with varying degrees of stability and colors. Tapping into the extraordinary resources of biomimetism and symbiosis, harnessing the potential of Deinococcus geothermalis, a UV-resistant extremophile bacterium, DEINOVE has for the first time ever achieved the bioproduction of pure Phytoene. Extended anti-aging properties Carotenoids are known for their anti-oxidant properties. Phytoene has been successfully tested for its ability to reduce the amount of lipoperoxidation products, appearing after cells exposure to UV radiations. Indeed, phytoene accumulates in cellular membranes to prevent cellular degradation. By protecting membranes lipids from free radicals and peroxidation, Phytoene reduces the harmful effects of oxidation and, ultimately, skin aging. DEINOVE went even further while putting in place a systematic screening of its active ingredients across several dimensions. This comprehensive, innovative approach has highlighted a previously untapped feature under the carotenoid family: cell renewal stimulation. Wounded skin is able to regenerate under the action of phytoene. These properties were subsequently confirmed by a conclusive clinical study, demonstrating its beneficial effect on skin firmness, elasticity and radiance. Above all, Phytoene has a significant anti-wrinkles action. This makes Phytoene a thorough anti-aging active ingredient for the beauty industry. ABOUT DEINOVE DEINOVE is a French biotechnology company, a leader in disruptive innovation, which aims to help meet the challenges of antibiotic resistance and the transition to a sustainable production model for the cosmetics and nutrition industries. DEINOVE has developed a unique and comprehensive expertise in the field of rare bacteria that it can decipher, culture, and optimize to disclose unsuspected possibilities and induce them to produce biobased molecules with activities of interest on an industrial scale. To do so, DEINOVE has been building and documenting since its creation an unparalleled biodiversity bank that it exploits thanks to a unique technological platform in Europe. DEINOVE is organized around two areas of expertise: ANTIBIOTICS, new-generation anti-infective agents : DEINOVE is preparing to enter a first antibiotic candidate into Phase II. The Company is also pursuing the systematic exploration of biodiversity to supply its portfolio with new leads, drawing notably on partnerships with Naicons, bioMerieux, and the Institut Pasteur (AGIR program supported by Bpifrance). : DEINOVE is preparing to enter a first antibiotic candidate into Phase II. The Company is also pursuing the systematic exploration of biodiversity to supply its portfolio with new leads, drawing notably on partnerships with Naicons, bioMerieux, and the Institut Pasteur (AGIR program supported by Bpifrance). BIOACTIVES, Active ingredients of natural origin with cosmetics as the first market and potential in nutrition and health: DEINOVE already markets a first innovative active ingredient, a second in partnership with Greentech, while two others are in development with Oleos (Hallstar Group). It also runs a program in animal nutrition with Groupe Avril. Several other partnerships are also being planned. Within the Euromedecine science park located in Montpellier, DEINOVE employs 62 employees, mainly researchers, engineers, and technicians, and has filed more than 310 patent applications internationally. The Company has been listed on EURONEXT GROWTH since April 2010. CONTACTS Investors Coralie Martin Communication, Marketing and Investor Relations Ph.: +33 (0)4 48 19 01 60 coralie.martin@deinove.com Media ALIZE RP Aurore Gangloff Ph.: +33 (0)1 44 54 36 66 deinove@alizerp.com 1 Adv Wound Care (New Rochelle), 2015 Apr 1; 4(4): 250263, Laminins: Roles and Utility in Wound Repair, Valentina Iorio, Lee D. Troughton, Kevin J. Hamill Adv Exp Med Biol, 2014; 802:31-47, Basic components of connective tissues and extracellular matrix, Halper J, Kjaer M. J Dermatol Sci., 2000 Dec;24 Suppl 1:S51-9., The importance of laminin 5 in the dermal-epidermal basement membrane. Nishiyama T, Amano S, Tsunenaga M Attachment A Baltimore, Maryland man who was visiting Hoboken with friends last weekend has been reported missing, Hoboken police said. Jaime Kwebetchou, 27, an Air Force veteran, was last seen on May 5 at 12:15 a.m. after visiting the Wicked Wolf Tavern and Mikes Wild Moose Saloon, both on the waterfront, Hoboken Lt. Edgardo Cruz said. He was wearing a white T-shirt, black leather jacket and blue jeans at the time. Kwebetchou is described as 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, with a thin muscular build and afro style hair (cut short on the sides). Friends and family have not heard from Kwebetchou since May 5, Cruz said. He was initially reported missing with the Baltimore Police Department. Anyone with information as to his whereabouts is asked to call Det. Arturo Gonzalez at 201-420-2132 or email at gonzalezar@hobokenpd.org Friends have said on social media that Kwebetchous cell phone is dead and that there has been no activity on his bank account. EDITORS NOTE: Entrepreneurs everywhere are eyeing the billion-dollar legal weed industry, an economic opportunity unrivaled in modern N.J. history. NJ Cannabis Insider features exclusive and premium weekly content geared toward those interested in the marijuana industry. View a sample issue. Beginning next week, the state Health Department will have new legal authority to expand the supply and demand for medical cannabis in New Jersey a major priority for Gov. Phil Murphys administration as the effort to legalize recreational marijuana is looking unlikely this year. For the first time, the department will be able to create a permit-granting system that divides up the industry between cultivators, manufacturers, and retailers. The six operating nonprofits which serve the 46,300 registered patients control all aspects of the process, as will the next six which were awarded contracts in December. Issuing permits for the various segments of the medicinal cannabis business is expected to open the door to smaller entrepreneurs, promote the industrys growth and generate more medicine as roughly 2,000 patients join the program every month. Other new rules that take effect on May 20 will permit the health commissioner to add medical conditions that qualify patients for the program. This would replace the process, adopted under the 2010 law, which requires the Medicinal Marijuana Review Panel to hold multiple public hearings over six months before it makes a recommendation to the health commissioner. The more conditions the state adds, the greater the demand will be for the program. These rules solidify key program reforms to ensure greater patient access to this effective therapy, state Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal announced. With these changes, the Department will be able to add conditions more rapidly, remove barriers for minors and increase supply of product available. The new rules also eliminate the requirement that minor patients must be recommended by a psychiatrist before they are enrolled in the program a burden in the early years as doctors resisted being associated with what is still an illegal act under federal law. The rule-making process in state government requires changes to be advertised in the New Jersey Register, a biweekly publication, and solicit oral and written comment from the public. The amended rules are published again before they take effect. The latest rule changes are scheduled to appear in the May 20 edition of the Register. Many of the rule changes took effect 14 months ago under executive order by the governor. They include: Reducing the registration fee for qualifying patients and their caregivers from $200 to $100, and adding seniors and veterans to those eligible for the reduced registration fee of $20; Allowing patients to designate up to two primary caregivers instead of just one, to buy their cannabis at dispensaries; Adding anxiety, several forms of chronic pain, migraines, Tourette syndrome, and Opioid Use Disorder to the list of qualifying conditions; Expanding the forms of medical marijuana available to include oil-based products. State legislators are expected to approve a new medicinal marijuana law that would usher in even broader changes, but its fate is tied to the legalization bill, which doesnt have enough support to pass yet. Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. The Childrens book P is for Palestine has divided a New Jersey town. The books author was scheduled to read it during story time at the Highland Park Public Library this month, but after some locals who claimed the book promotes violence complained, library officials are reconsidering. Many critics took issue with the I is for Intifada page, saying it recalls two stints of violence between Palestinians and Israelis between 1987and 1991, and 2000 and 2005. Hundreds of people from both sides died. The idea of this person visiting our community - and being accepted - makes me feel unsafe, local Lindsay Erin said. I is for Intifada - encouraging children to rise up any way they see fit to resist. Far from peaceful and far from appropriate. But book author Goldbarg Bashi said her book does not promote violence or anti-Semitism, but simply celebrates Palestinian culture. The word intifada has been unfairly linked to violence, she said. It really means resistance, which has mostly been peaceful, she added. Intifada can include wearing embroidered Palestinian-style dresses or cooking a Palestinian dish; or for Americans, marching in the Womens March, she argued. Some residents have supported her reading. Rachel Kleinman, who grew up in Highland Park and is Jewish, described the two square mile bedroom community as a very Jewish town." Kleinman said she was surprised at the blatant racism against Palestinians because residents are usually very open-minded. Due to extraordinary public response about the P is for Palestine author talk, we would like our patrons to know what we... Posted by Highland Park Public Library on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 The librarys board of trustees will discuss the issue at its next public meeting on May 20, according to a statement posted on the librarys Facebook page. The event was removed from the librarys schedule, pending the boards decision. A library employee told NJ Advance Media that the director was on vacation and unavailable for comment. Bashi, a former Rutgers professor, said she has faced push-back against her book before. Leaders of a prominent Upper West Side synagogue threatened to cancel a book fair in 2017 when they discovered a local book store was promoting and selling the book, according to the New York Daily News. Bashi added that she regularly receives threats, and said no bookstore in New York would dare to contact me, because store owners dont want to be caught up in a similar controversy. Bashi plans to publish a second Palestinian-themed book soon, she said. This one will focus on numbers. Cassidy Grom may be reached at cgrom@njadvancemedia.com Follow her at @cassidygrom . Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips . Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. For Anthony Archibald, the sight of a wrong-way driver speeding toward him on a highway in Morris County was too much to process. Im like are you kidding me? Archibald, 40, of Hopatcong, said on Monday. It was coming at me 80 miles an hour, six inches away from my truck. It was surreal. Archibald said the close call occurred about 3:20 a.m. Sunday as he drove his tow truck on Route 280 East in Parsippany looking to make some money helping stranded motorists. He was in the fast lane traveling in the opposite direction as the rest of traffic. People were pulling over to get out of this guys way, Archibald said. Its a miracle nobody was killed, he said. Archibald, who works for Ajaco Towing, said his newly purchased dashboard camera captured the glaring headlights of the wrong-way driver coming at him. He said he got the camera in case hes involved in an accident or for something crazy like this. I watched it after I pulled over. It was incredible, he said. But first Archibald called New Jersey State Police to report the driver. The call was also recorded on his dashcam. Theres a guy on the east side of 280 racing up the highway in the wrong direction onto 80, he told a State Police dispatcher. I dont know what kind of car it was, but he passed me (going) at least 80 miles an hour. Archibald said his dashcam later captured a driver pulled over on Route 80. He believes the traffic stop involved the same driver. A State Police spokesman said a driver had been arrested and charged with DWI after driving the wrong way Sunday morning on Route 80 East in Roxbury Township. However, the spokesman could not confirm the man was the same driver Archibald reported traveling the wrong way on Route 280 East in Parsippany. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Two New Jersey families have filed a class-action lawsuit against former Fox & Friends host Clayton Morris, alleging he organized a scheme to defraud customers for his own financial gain by selling them Indiana rental properties with the promise to rehab and rent them, and failing to do so. Michael and Victor DeJesus, under the company PH53 LLC, and Jihua Liu filed the lawsuit against Morris, his wife, Natali, and a slew of real estate companies related to the alleged scheme, in Middlesex County Superior Court on Friday. Their attorney, Lisa Buckenooghe, told NJ Advance Media in March that a lawsuit was coming after the Indianapolis Star and New York Times reported stories outlining the alleged fraud and the experiences of people who invested in property through Morris company, Morris Invest. Morris is the target of at least five lawsuits filed by out-of-state investors, and there are eight open complaints against him with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, according to the IndyStar. According to the lawsuit, Morris attracted investors through his podcast, blog and YouTube videos, where the self-described real estate expert promised to rehab the homes, secure tenants and offer property management services. Investors would then receive monthly checks from the rent collected. But the DeJesuses and Liu claim nothing close to that occurred after they wired money to buy the Indianapolis properties. According to the lawsuit, Victor DeJesus, a Plainsboro resident, emailed Clayton Morris in November 2017 expressing interest in a turnkey real estate investment. He signed a purchase agreement shortly there after, investing $42,500 to buy the property. After signing the agreement, DeJesus emailed Morris with concerns regarding negative comments online about working with Morris Invest. Morris responded that he has the highest (return on investment) low expenses out there and the negative comments were competition trying to undermine him, according to the lawsuit. A month later, DeJesus inquired about the progress of the rehabilitation of the home. He did not receive a response, and soon began receiving notices and fines issued by local authorities, including for violating numerous code violations and for the removal of raw sewage in the basement of the home, according to the lawsuit. DeJesus sold the property to a third party for $17,500 in April 2019. Liu, an Avenel resident, and his wife, Lin Wang, had a similar experience. After being enticed by Morris YouTube videos, Liu soon began the process of buying a property through Morris in April 2018 for $50,000 and was told the rehabs would happen within 10 to 12 weeks. To date, the property has not been rehabilitated, according to the lawsuit. Liu said in an interview in March that his experience was nowhere near what they advertised or promised. When asked if he thought Morris stole from him, Liu answered, You could say that, yeah. The four-count lawsuit includes allegations of violating New Jerseys Consumer Fraud Act, breach of contract, unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy. An attorney representing Morris did not immediately return a message seeking comment. According to the New York Times, Morris Invest helped sell at least 1,000 properties over the past two years and took in more than $5 million in referral fees and profits. A Fox News spokeswoman said in March the cable news network had absolutely no knowledge of the fraud accusations against Morris, who left the network in 2017. While Morris and Morris Invest are at the center of the class-action lawsuit filed last week, various other limited liability companies and real estate professionals are named in the lawsuit. Morris told the IndyStar that the main culprit of the alleged scheme was his business partner, Bert Whalen, a longtime real estate salesman in Indianapolis who ran Oceanpointe and other property management companies that were named in the lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, Whalens real estate license expired in 2010 and was revoked by the Indiana Real Estate Commission in January 2018. Clayton Morris and Morris Invest identify with the many investors who lost money through home-renovation, property-management, and other failures by Oceanpointe and its various corporate entities and employees," David Hensel, Morris attorney, said in an emailed statement to the IndyStar in March. "Clayton Morris and his family purchased properties and were similarly damaged by Oceanpointes misconduct. The Morris family and Morris Invest have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Clayton and Morris Invest deny all allegations of wrongdoing. But the lawsuit paints a different picture then Morris previous denial. Clayton B. Morris and Morris Invest actively directed and controlled the daily activities of Defendants and totally dominated it, the lawsuit says. Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow on Twitter @monavage. 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 62-year-old Ocean County man, who is required to register under Megans Law, is facing charges he failed to tell police he was living in Seaside Heights, county prosecutors say. Edward Krogman, 62, is listed as a Tier 2 or moderate-risk sex offender from a conviction in 2000, according to the state Megans Law registry. The registry says Krogman is homeless, but authorities said he is now living in Seaside Heights and required to report that address to police. Krogman was arrested on May 8 and charged with failure to register as a sex offender. Megans Law, established in 1994, requires certain offenders to register with their local police departments whenever they move or change their residential address. My office, in conjunction with local police departments will be vigilant in making sure individuals required to register under Megans Law are in compliance with their obligations, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a statement. Krogman is being held at Ocean County Jail. Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip?Tell us. nj.com/tips. A former chiropractor who admitted evading more than $500,000 in income tax and failing to report a Russian bank account he kept for his family was given more prison time by the state on top of the five years he was sentenced to in federal court. Carlo Amato, 57, of Beachwood, was sentenced to five years in federal prison earlier this month. Late last week, a state Superior Court sentenced Amato to 15 years in state prison, Ocean County Prosecutors said Monday. Amato ran Chiropractic Care Consultants Inc. and Accident Recovery Physical Therapy in Lakewood from 2012 to 2015, federal authorities said. During that time, several checks for chiropractic services were deposited into accounts in his childrens names, and not reported on his income tax returns. In 2014, he reported $0 in income and $0 in tax owed, despite making $561,258 that year and owing the IRS nearly $200,000 in taxes. That year, Amato had an account at UniCredit Bank in Russia, and wired more than $1.5 million to accounts in that country, including his own. Those funds were not reported, and were part of a scheme he admitted to in April in Superior Court of Ocean County, in which he over billed six insurance companies for services not performed. For this crime, he was sentenced to 10 years in state prison by Judge Michael T. Collins, prosecutors said. Amato also admitted to collecting $116,000 in disability payments over the course of two years while he continued working. When investigators learned of this, they used a search warrant on his home and found $182,000 in cash and various forms of fake identifications stashed in a wall in his home. On that, he was sentenced to a consecutive five years in state prison for defrauding the state. Amatos pattern of criminal behavior occurred over a number of years," Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a statement. "Our detectives, assistant prosecutors and federal partners did an amazing job of putting all the pieces together in this case. Amato will serve the 15-year state sentence after serving his five-year federal sentence, authorities said. Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip?Tell us. nj.com/tips. They have to destroy the forest to save it. Thats the state Sierra Club directors ironic take on a plan by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to clear-cut 16 acres of white pine trees in Bass River State Forest that are blocking part of the view from a forest fire lookout tower. Destroy the forest to save it, the Sierra Clubs Jeff Tittel wrote in an email, substituting forest for village to paraphrase the twisted dictum from the Vietnam conflict. In this case, the conflict is between environmentalists and others who want to preserve what they say is an historic grove of stately evergreens, and the DEPs priority to spot and prevent forest fires that could threaten not only trees and wildlife in the environmentally-sensitive Pinelands region, but also the human life and property mixed in with it. Opponents of the clearcutting say the aging tower should be moved or replaced on higher ground, or that cameras be mounted on existing radio towers, alternatives the DEP has dismissed as too expensive or unreliable. On April 12, the DEP was granted approval by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission to cut down a stand of eastern white pines blocking the lookout towers view of forest to the south and east. The pines were planted in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal-era federal agency whose works included the re-planting of deforested areas. The trees will remain standing for at least another month, while the DEP solicits and weighs bids for the clear-cutting, a DEP spokesperson, Caryn Shinke, said on Monday. No additional permits are needed before the trees are cut down, Shinske said. The 16.4 acres marked for clear-cutting are among a 100-acre stand of white pines planted during the Great Depression by the CCC in Bass River State Forest, a 24,000-acre preserve in southern Ocean County, created in 1905 as New Jerseys first state forest. Nearly a century later, the non-native, fast-growing evergreen species has towered over a nearby 86-foot forest fire lookout tower built at about the same time the trees were planted, the Pinelands Commission noted in a March 22 review of the DEP application. And so the state Forest Fire Service, a division of the DEP, wants to clear a swath close to the tower to give lookouts a clearer view of smoke or fire. The purpose of the clear-cutting is to relieve high risk visibility issues from the adjacent fire tower lines of sight to reduce public safety hazards in the detection and suppression of wildfire, the forest fire service stated in a Jan. 24 document submitted to the Pinelands Commission, a regulatory panel that must approve projects in New Jerseys million-acre New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve. Shinke noted that the DEPs permit application included forest restoration plan for the 16 acres, under which native tree species" would be planted, while existing seedbank from species that currently occupy the stands will also help to naturally regenerate at a density of 400 to 800 trees per acre. Until the bid closes and all bids are received, we will not know if there will be a cost for the project, Shinke said in an email. Tittel wrote to Gov. Phil Murphy three days after the cutting was approved, asking the governor to veto the commissions April 12 minutes, and thus nullify the decision. Tittel said he never got a reply from the governor. Murphys press secretary, Dan Bryan, acknowledged receipt of a request for comment on the issue, but his office did not provide a response. Fire safety concerns have grown recently in the Pinelands, after a blaze blackened more than 11,000 acres of Penn State Forest in Burlington County in late March. Even before then, local opposition to the clear-cutting was by no means unanimous. Early detection is the key to effective response and this is especially crucial in the Pinelands with a known fire history, increased fuel hazard and fire risk, Manchester Townships emergency management coordinator, Arthur Abline, wrote to the Pinelands Commission in a March 4 letter in support of the clear-cutting. Felling the white pines has occurred before, in 1995, when 2.7 acres of the same stand were cleared, also for visibility reasons, the Pinelands Commission noted in its favorable review of the DEP application. The commission conditioned its approval on the DEPs taking several measures to protect flora and fauna, including a visual survey of the doomed pines for the presence of Barred owl cavities or nests, which would require that the tree be left standing. But the provisions failed to satisfy Mayor Barbara Buzby-Cope of Bass River Township, an opponent of the clear-cutting, who said 90 percent of her constituents felt the same way. The white pines are taller, with broader trunks and a more robust appearance than the pitch pines that dominate the region, and they are popular among hikers, dog walkers and others, Buzby-Cope said. Like something youd see out in California, in the West, said Buzby-Cope, who called for broader fire safety measures than merely tree-clearing, such as controlled burns and cameras. I get it, safety is the first thing, the mayor said. But, she added, If they could relocate the tower at a higher elevation that would help tremendously, because down the road, theyre going to have to replace the tower anyway. Asked if she agreed with the Sierra Club directors ironic take on the forest being destroyed to save it, the mayor responded with another well-worn trope to suggest that state officials seemed unwilling or unable to look at alternatives to clear-cutting. Well, she said, you could say they cant see the forest for the trees. The Spring Hill fire and backfire in Woodland Township, N.J., Sunday, March, 31, 2019 NOTE: This article was updated to include comments from the DEP Monday regarding how much longer the white pines would remain standing. Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. 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. Newark cops have a sordid history of burying complaints of police abuse or brutality. In 2014, the Department of Justice found after a three-year investigation that excessive force was a problem concentrated in a small number of officers, who had an outsized effect because they stayed on the street. Residents who complained were treated like criminals and given Miranda warnings. Yet even if an officer faced multiple accusations, there was no meaningful investigation by internal affairs. Cops looked out for cops. As a result, out of 261 internal affairs complaints over a two-year period, just one was substantiated which was implausible on its face, the DOJ concluded. All this inspired Newark to try to create an oversight board of civilians, to review accusations of police misconduct. It was set up, but never got to review any cases. It would have had the power to subpoena witnesses or documents and recommend punishment, although the police director still makes the final decision on discipline. A careful balance. Yet that board has just been neutered in court. Phil Murphys Attorney General, Gurbir Grewal, is stepping into the legal fight led by the police union, submitting a brief that argues it violates state statute and AG guidelines to have a civilian oversight board with investigative power. If thats the case still under legal dispute then Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is right: We must change the law and the AG should change his guidelines. Because without subpoena power, this board would be utterly toothless. The accused cop wouldnt have to show up to answer questions, witnesses might be afraid to come forward voluntarily and the officers history would remain a mystery. No city could have meaningful civilian oversight of its police that way. Its just like why you want to have an independent prosecutor, the same thing the state is doing, Baraka said Friday. The idea of having the police investigate themselves has not been going over very well nationally and doesnt have a good track record. No indeed. Our state policy was written with internal affairs units in mind, but the same rigorous standards could, and should, apply to a civilian oversight board. This includes protecting victim, witness and officer privacy, and deferring to the prosecutor in a criminal matter. Were not talking about turning the reins of this department over to activists out for retribution against police. Board members could never get the police director to agree to a punishment without backing it up with solid facts. And the American Civil Liberties Union and community groups each get only one seat on this board, and stand to lose it if their nominee screws up. So everyone has a stake in getting this right. The board would adhere to the same privacy standards as an internal affairs unit, keeping the details of a case confidential unless it gets to a disciplinary hearing. And if theres so much as a whiff of criminal wrongdoing, it would be required to inform the prosecutor, who takes over. On the prosecutors request, the board would halt its parallel investigation, so as not to taint the criminal probe. The federal Department of Justice has stepped in and is monitoring the Newark police through a consent decree, but thats not enough. We need deeper oversight, to increase the faith that people have in the policy, as Baraka argues. Cops should welcome an outside board that relieves them of the burden of being responsible for policing themselves. If internal affairs imposes discipline, the officers still have to work under the same roof. And if it doesnt, it may be dismissed as corrupt, which inflames community distrust and makes it harder to do police work. This board gives officers the due process they deserve, and the community more trust in their cops. The vast majority of officers, who do nothing wrong, have nothing to fear from a more transparent process. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. A group of Paterson police officers who conspired to steal money from people they searched had a special code word for their scheme. The text message whos in the mood for weekend mangoes[?] was actually an invitation to his colleagues to detain people and rob them while on duty, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. In the past year, other officers in the same squad have been charged with taking money from drivers and from people they stopped on the street, and omitting those encounters in reports. Sometimes, the officers would hand over fake paperwork to trick someone into believing it was a legitimate interaction with police, authorities said. In federal court on Monday, one of the officers admitted to his role in the scheme, Carpenito said in a news release. Matthew Torres, 30, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to violate civil rights and filing a false police report. Torres and fellow officer Eudy Ramos stopped a vehicle in Paterson on Dec. 7, 2017 and a passenger told the two officers he had a small amount of marijuana with him, authorities said. He also had $3,100. The officers told the passenger they could take $500 and have him sign a piece of paper, authorities said. Then, Ramos made a call, which he said was to his superior, before telling the passenger to hand over $800 instead, authorities said. The passenger signed the paper and Torres and Ramos released them, authorities said. The officers shared the cash and did not put the stop in their daily activity logs, authorities said. In a separate incident, Ramos was accused of stopping a car, handcuffing the occupants and stealing about $10,000, which he split with another unnamed officer, authorities said. Ramos was indicted in March and the charges remain pending. Torres pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine Hayden in Newark. He faces up to 10 years on the civil rights charge and up to 20 for false records, and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 9. Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. 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. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IONIC Brands Corp., formerly Zara Resources Inc. (CSE: IONC; FRA: IB3) (IONIC BRANDS or the Company) is pleased to announce that its innovative concentrates brand Ionic is targeting the cannabis mood specific market with three distinct mood offerings and available across the entire product line. As distillation techniques have become more sophisticated and new methods have been pioneered, choices for the cannabis consumer have expanded. Ionics product line will now offer popular strains formulated for curated and consistent experiences - SOCIAL (Hybrid), RELAX (Indica) and FOCUS (Sativa). The best experiences in life are meant to be shared. The SOCIAL (Hybrid) mood formula is Ionics signature blend created using the highest quality hybrid strains for universal appeal and effortless sociability. For a relaxing mood, Ionic offers RELAX, a sublime blending of the highest quality Indica strains for the ultimate in tranquility and serenity. RELAX is a truly noteworthy blend to savor while you sit back and unwind. The third mood formula FOCUS (sativa) is a prolific experience crafted from the highest quality Sativa strains, is balanced and delightful. FOCUS is an exquisite blend enjoyed while being creative or collaborative. Offering the three mood enhancements to each of Ionics six product lines results in 18 different options all designed to generate brand loyalty and bottom-line revenue. Ionic is passionate about crafting the finest small batch cannabis oils and concentrates in the world. Ionics brand pillars of Quality, Responsibility and Respectability are the guiding principles that have inspired distinct finish and curated experiences. John Gorst, IONIC BRANDS CEO and Chairman, states we now offer the finest Ionic Black, Black 50/50, Ionic White, White 50/50, Cask Oil and Ionic Pure cannabis oil formulas. Each available with any of the three mood enhancements. We believe adding mood enhancements to our products is one of the reasons we are a Top 10 Brand and have maintained such brand recognition since our inception. Our trusted luxury products use only the highest quality materials available which we carefully source to consistently deliver remarkable product experiences. To learn more about our cannabis oil cartridge blends and mood enhancements go to https://ionic.social/ionic-products/ About IONIC Brands Corp IONIC BRANDS is a national cannabis holdings company based in Washington, led by a team of successful entrepreneurs. The company is focused on building a multi-state consumer-focused cannabis concentrate brand portfolio focusing on the premium and luxury segments. The cornerstone brand of the portfolio, Ionic, is an accomplished #1 vaporizer brand in Washington State has aggressively expanded throughout the west coast of the United States and is currently operating in Washington, Oregon and California. IONIC BRANDS strategy is to be the leader of the highest-value segments of the cannabis market and expand nationally. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS John Gorst John Gorst Chairman and CEO For further information, please contact John Gorst, Chairman & CEO Email: info@ionicbrands.com | Website: www.ionicbrands.com | Phone: 253-248-7927. The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. 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: 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. A Passaic County police chief has plans to sue the city after he was left with the blame for an unpopular plan that would force police officers also serving in the military to use vacation pay while training. A notice of intent to sue dated April 17 names the City of Clifton as well as city manager Dominick Villano and unnamed city employees, officials and officers. (Such a notice is required before a lawsuit is filed against a public entity.) The notice states the city defamed, libeled and slandered Chief Centurione in numerous ways" by stating to the public and news outlets that he was behind the plan. He has additionally received adverse treatment for his own veteran status, according to the claim. It seeks unspecified damages, as they are unliquidated and continuing to accrue. In March, 17 police officers who also serve in the military said they been harassed and bullied by bosses for the time they spent away from the department, and planned to sue. They had allegedly received letters in November ordering them to produce seven years of military pay stubs to prove they were actually deployed overseas during specific times. The proposed pay plan, which has since been withdrawn, required officers to use vacation and personal time while attending training sessions for the National Guard. The Clifton Police Department has never denied military leave to anyone at any time, the chiefs said in a statement at the time. Additionally, all employees have always received 100 percent of their due compensation. The details of how both salaries (police and military) are conjointly allocated, is currently in the process of being determined. Then, in April, officers overwhelmingly issued a vote of no confidence in the chief, citing unaddressed workplace conditions. Centurione claimed the vote was sparked by the military pay issue, according to NorthJersey.com. Centuriones attorney, Maurice McLaughlin, said in a statement that the chief could not respond to the attacks due to his position, but highlighted the chiefs veteran status and service in Operation Desert Storm, saying he is committed to all his officers, including of course his fellow veterans and current reservists and National Guard members, just as he remains committed to serving the City of Clifton and all its residents, just as he has served his country and his community all his life. It is my firm opinion that eventually the truth will come out, and the actual facts will see the light of day and will become clear to all," the statement said. Villano said he could not comment on the notice. Matthew Priore, the city attorney for Clifton, did not return a phone call Monday afternoon. Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Looks like there wont be much light shed soon on the dark money that secretly funds New Jersey politics. Not with the kind of fighting thats happening between the states top political leaders. Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday rejected a bill that would force more political action organizations to disclose their donors. The governor conditionally vetoed the measure, which gained momentum because of a feud between he and state Senate President Stephen Sweeney. The legislation took a swipe at a Murphy political ally, his former campaign manager Brendan Gill. In response, Murphy, while arguing he strengthened the legislation with his conditional veto, removed any language from the bill that was aimed at his supporters and instead took a swipe at a Sweeney ally, George Norcross III. Sweeney pushed for the legislation in an attempt to put pressure on a Murphy-aligned group that broke its promise to be transparent and show who donated to it. Sweeney, D-Gloucester, went after the group, New Direction New Jersey, a 501(c)4 , which is run by members of Murphys inner circle, including Gill, who was the governors campaign manager. The bill was written a way that would force the New Direction New Jersey to disclose its donors. Murphy, however, argued in his conditional veto that the proposal had a loophole that would allow groups like New Direction New Jersey to be exempt from disclosure merely by coordinating certain activities with a candidate, which they are permitted to do. Murphy closed that loophole and effectively strengthened the bill, his office argued. The bill would have also have barred elected officials from having any involvement in independent expenditure committees. This was a clearly aimed at Gill, who is an Essex County freeholder. Murphy removed that piece with his conditional veto. The governor then added language that would require entities that receive more than $25,000 in tax credit subsidies from the state to be more transparent. This was a swipe at Norcross, in the wake of news reports and findings from a special task force Murphy set up to investigate how tax credits were doled out under former Gov. Chris Christie. Tens of millions of dollars in tax incentives had been awarded to companies and a non-profit associated with Norcross in Camden, where he is chairman of Conner Strong & Buckelew, an insurance brokerage, and chairman of Cooper Health System. Under current state law, so-called super PACs, 527 groups, and 501(c)4 social welfare organizations are allowed to keep their donors secret as long as they spend less than half of their funds on political activities. But the legislation (S1500) would require groups to disclose donors who gave $10,000 or more. Lawmakers can now accept Murphys conditions, or try to override his veto. Its unclear if theres support for either, which would mean nothing would change. New Direction gained attention, and angered Sweeney, last year after running ads advocating for the Democratic governors agenda during tense budget negotiations last summer with Democratic legislative leaders. The group promised to name its donors by the end of last year. But that still hasnt happened, even though Murphy has repeatedly called on the organizations leaders to be transparent. When the group broke its promise to disclose its donors, Sweeney called for legislation that would force New Direction New Jersey to do so by having the bill require disclosure retroactive to January 2018. That provision, however, was stripped from the bill that was sent to Murphy. The governor, in a statement, argued if lawmakers adopted his changes theyd be strengthening disclosure requirements that would help bring greater transparency to the work of government and enhance public trust in the political process. But the bills sponsors, meanwhile, assailed Murphy for the conditional veto, saying they are flabbergasted by the explanation presented." The governor says that this bill falls short of the goal to bring greater transparency to our political process. That is a gross misrepresentation of months, and frankly, years of hard work," state Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, and Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker, D-Somerset, said in a statement. While we are pleased we were able to draw attention to this important issue, and elevated the conversation about the need for true reform in this area, the Governors actions today are, ironically, an example of politics at its worst, they added. The bill passed the state Senate 33-0 and the state Assembly 66-2 in March. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Bus riders in the Jersey City Heights who have questions and concerns about how bus service is keeping up with demand will get a chance to talk to NJ Transits boss Tuesday night. The forum with NJ Transit Executive Director Kevin Corbett will take place at 7 p.m., Tuesday at Alaris 178 Ogden Street, between Franklin and Ferry Streets in Jersey City. Yes, you can take an 84, 87 or 123 bus there. The meeting was arranged by state Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, D-Hudson after a petition was presented to him calling for better bus service last year, signed by about 800 Heights bus riders, said Roger Heitmann, Riverview Neighborhood Association Treasurer. Buses have been overcrowded, bunched up and unreliable for a long time, said Heitmann, who is also Better Bus Service in the Heights Committee Chairman. In particular we will discuss the 119 and 87 bus service, (and) the Hudson-Bergen Light rail (Paterson Plank Road) crossing traffic delays. Those delays snarl traffic into and out of Hoboken. The discussion also will include all bus routes in the Heights and a new issue, break-downs of the light rail elevator between the Heights and the 9th Street Light rail Station in Hoboken, he said. There are several bus lines that serve the Heights neighborhood, the 123 and 119 to and from New York, the 86, 87 and 84 local routes that use Palisade Avenue and the 85 and 88 local buses, in addition to the 82 and 83 on Summit Avenue. Community members said the pace of residential development is putting a strain on NJ Transits bus system on weekdays and even on weekends, on routes that go to and from New York. The 119 doesnt run on Sunday, making the 123 the only New York bus from the eastern part of the heights. The 119 is also the only bus that serves the Central Avenue business district. Corbett will take questions from residents so NJ Transit officials can understand the issues residents are experiencing. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters The attorney for John Wetteland maintained the pitchers innocence Monday as the former New York Yankees reliever appeared in Denton County (Texas) for his first court date since being arrested in January, the Dallas Morning News reports. According to the report, Wetteland, the 1996 World Series MVP, was indicted in March on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Wettelands attorney, Derek Adame, spoke Monday after the arraignment hearing. Per the Dallas Morning News: What theyve accused him of, the only thing worse is murder. He was completely shocked [by the allegations]. Neither Wetteland nor his wife, Rebecca Wetteland, spoke to reporters as they left Judge Brody Shanklins courtroom ... Think about someone you think the world of, who you trust, Adame said. Thats John Wetteland, for a lot of people. Adame says Wetteland will be pleading not guilty, according to the Dallas Morning News: We look forward to the opportunity to prove our innocence, which is what Mr. Wetteland is. According to the report, Wetteland, now 52, allegedly forced a relative to have sex with him three times, starting in 2004. At the time of the alleged assault, the relative was 4 years old. Wetteland assaulted the relative at his home in Texas twice more in the next two years, the accuser told police, according to the report. Wetteland pitched 12 seasons in the majors. He was a three-time All-Star once with the Yankees in 1996, who beat the Braves in the World Series; and twice with the Texas Rangers in 1998 and 1999. He had a 2.93 ERA and 330 career saves. The Dallas Morning News reports Wetteland is scheduled to return to court in July. (NJ Advance Medias Brendan Kuty contributed to this report.) Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A Killona man is facing arson charges after authorities say he set fire to two homes Sunday evening. The Killona Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a fire at a residence in the 200 block of Killona Drive, according to Ashley Rodrigue, spokeswoman for the Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal. 4 shot in Central City While battling the blaze at the house, a man named Eli Davis, 29, approached the firefighters and told them a trailer was also on fire across the street, Rodrigue said. Sure enough, a small trailer across from the single-story home was ablaze. Suspicious firefighters alerted the St. Charles Parish Sheriffs Office, and deputies took Davis into custody. Investigators later determined the fires at the house and trailer were set intentionally, Rodrigue said. The sheriffs office linked Davis to the blazes and booked him with two counts of simple arson. Davis was being held Monday at the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center in Killona in lieu of a $25,000 bond. A man charged with killing a Subway sandwich shop owner in an attempted armed robbery at the Gentilly store pleaded guilty Monday (May 13) and was sentenced in 60 years in prison. Lavar Butler, 22, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and to being a felon in possession of a firearm, admitting he killed 51-year-old Adnan Alasar during a Dec. 6, 2017 robbery of Alasars Subway restaurant in the 2100 bock of Caton Street. Alasars family and Criminal District Judge Paul Bonin approved the plea deal, according to District Attorney Leon Cannizzaros office. The attempted robbery was caught on surveillance video, according to New Orleans police. The video showed Alasar and Butler struggling over the gun, police said. A physical altercation started inside and spilled into the street. Police said two shots were fired during the altercation. Alasar was shot in the chest. Alasar, a father of three, and his wife were natives of Syria, and had been in the metro New Orleans area for about 20 years at the time he was killed. He owned two other Subway restaurants in Mid-City, on City Park Avenue and South Carrollton Avenue. 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 Friends said Alasar went out of his way to welcome customers. Hed make food that wasnt on the menu and was known to give neighbors free meals. 'Confused, scared, sad': Killing of Gentilly Subway owner stuns family Police identified Butler as a suspect two days after the shooting and he was arrested in California last July. He was sentenced Monday as a double felony offender, as authorities said he had a 2015 aggravated robbery conviction in Texas. In that case, Cannizzaro said Butler was convicted of robbing a McDonalds at gunpoint when he was a teenager. Cannizzaro offered condolences to Alavars family, adding Butler deserves every day of the six-decade sentence the judge imposed today to consider whether his own life was worth throwing away over a few dollars he chose not to work and earn. Assistant District Attorneys Michael Trummel and John Nickel prosecuted the case. Juan Fiol of the Orleans Public Defenders represented Butler. If youre looking for ways to spice up your taco game at home, a stroll through the Top Taco New Orleans festival on Thursday (May 16) in Woldenberg Park might provide inspiration. Chefs from more than 40 restaurants will compete for the titles of best traditional and most creative tacos. Tacos and cocktails are judged by both professional judges and the festival-goers at the one-day festival, which is open to those 21 and older. It opens at 7 p.m. with live music and plenty of tequila. Tickets are $75. The festival was rescheduled from its original date in March due to a severe weather forecast at that time. Tickets purchased for the original date will be honored on Thursday. Tickets still are available through the festival website: toptaconola.com. The fest will feature a silent auction to raise money for Foster Nola, a nonprofit that helps foster children transition into adulthood. As you taste your way through the festival, its easy to ask a few questions and pick up tips. And the competitive aspect of the event means youll find plenty of creative takes on this popular dish. See all the 2018 Top Taco winners for tacos and cocktails Among them is beer-battered redfish tacos from Los Jefes in Metairie. The fish is fried with Abita Purple Haze, tucked in a flour tortilla and topped with guacamole, spicy lime slaw and mango chipotle sauce and garnished with cilantro. Check out Espiritu Mezcaleria & Cocinas vegan contribution. The restaurant on Capdeville Street is serving a roasted cauliflower taco served with a cashew habanero crema, pickled beets and chimichurri on a flour tortilla. Flamingo A-Go-Go on Magazine Street is doing a jerk chicken taco, adding a little Caribbean flavor to the event. It will be topped with a mango pico de gallo and a crema flavored with cumin and jalapeno. Last year, Arana Taqueria y Cantina came in second in the Peoples Choice for traditional taco. Richard Papier, executive chef and partner in the Magazine Street restaurant, is aiming for first place this year. He is making what he calls a modernized pibil, the traditional Mexican slow-roasted pork dish. Papier is using sous vide pork belly marinated with habaneros, achiote paste, Mexican cinnamon and kumquats. The marinade will be reduced with piloncillo, a Mexican brown sugar, to become a glaze. The pork belly will be fried, tossed in the glaze and topped with a homemade salsa macha, a thick spread of dried chipotles, peanuts, sesame seed, olive oil and garlic. The taco will be finished with pickled carrots. Everything were doing is traditional flavors, he said. Were just using nontraditional means. We really want to keep it in the traditional category. Home cooks dont have to go to this extreme to add fresh flavor to their tacos, said Papier, who learned how to took Mexican food from Guillermo Peters, who ran the upscale Taqueros y Coyoacan. Do you remember Taqueros y Coyoacan? A lost New Orleans restaurant Papier recommends visiting international markets, such as Ideal Market or La Morenita Meat Market on the West Bank, to look for marinades for your proteins, for example. If you see something youve never played with it before, pick it up, he said. Theres little cheats. Its good ingredients that you dont have to spend all day making. One shopping tip: Unless its a rub or a seasoning, try not to buy anything in a dry format, he said. A few of the participating chefs offered tips for upping your taco game at home. We give you three super simple recipes for taco toppers below: guacamole, pico de gallo and crema. Hold the beef and chicken. Experiment with fish, shrimp and pork. Try grilled, fried or sauteed proteins oruse a favorite roasted vegetable, such as cauliflower. Season your protein: Use marinades and rubs to give proteins more depth of flavor. Switch out the greens. Rather than lettuces, opt for shredded cabbage. Make a tangy slaw from shredded carrots, broccoli rabe or even apples and fennel. Vary your dairy. Rather than sour cream, buy or make crema, the slightly tangy Mexican condiment. Rather than cheddar, experiment with other cheeses such queso fresco, cotija or manchego. This salsa has so many other uses, too, especially during Lent, said Ralph Pausina, culinary director at Flamingo A-Go-Go. Its a fruitier version of a typical salsa and because of the fruit and sweetness its great with anything grilled. Or just add it to your salad or serve it with chips for a unique dip. Note: When handling jalapenos, wear plastic gloves to avoid getting irritating oils on hands. Mango Agave Pico de Gallo Makes 2 cups 2 fresh jalapeno peppers 1 cup red onion, chopped 1 ripe mango, seeded and chopped 1-1/2 cups chopped tomato 1 cup cilantro 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons agave syrup 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste Cut jalapeno in half and remove seeds and ribs. Chop into small dice and place in bowl. Add chopped onion, tomato and mango to bowl of jalapenos. Remove cilantro leaves from stems and chop. Add to bowl. Add lime, agave, cumin and salt to bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve chilled. Aranas Richard Papier said he had to learn how to make food look good while working on the sets of films, such as The Butler. The secret to his very simple guacamole is the green puree, he said. It not only gives the dish a bright flavor, it prevents the avocado from turning brown. Aranas guacamole Makes about 3 cups 1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped 1/4 cup cilantro 1/4 cup chopped onion 3 garlic cloves 3 tablespoons lime juice 4 ripe avocados 1 cup fresh pico de gallo Place jalapeno, cilantro, onion, garlic and lime juice in blender and puree. Scoop out avocado into large bowl. Add green puree to avocado and mix with a potato masher. Stir in pico de gallo. Add salt to taste. Crema is a tangy, slightly sour Mexican condiment that makes helps balance the spices in tacos and other Mexican dishes. It is easy to make. See variations for flavor below recipe. Some people use buttermilk instead of the heavy cream. Crema Makes 2 cups 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 teaspoon kosher salt Bring heavy cream and sour cream to room temperature. Place in bowl with lime juice and salt. Whisk until fully mixed. Cover bowl loosely and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. If not using right away, place in airtight container in refrigerator until ready to use. Variations: Try adding a couple of teaspoons of dried seasoning such as ground cumin or chipotle chili pepper. Or, go the sweet route with 2 teaspoons of honey. TOP TACO What: Food and drink from dozens of restaurants and spirits and beverage companies will be served. The event, which also features live music and a silent auction, raises money for Foster Nola, a nonprofit that helps children transition into adulthood. Must be 21 to attend. Where: Woldenberg Park, 1 Canal St., on the Mississippi River. When: Thursday (May 16). The event opens at 7 p.m., 6 p.m. for VIPs. Tickets: $75 for general admission, which includes unlimited grand taco and cocktail tastings, tequila tastings and four Peoples Choice voting chips. First Tasting tickets are $95 and include early admission at 6 p.m. and special tastings. VIP tickets are $125 and add A Night in Paradiso presented by El Tesoro package with 6 p.m. entry, a private lounge, chef prepared foods, an open bar, dessert station and private restrooms. Information: To buy tickets or for more details, visit toptaconola.com. All original tickets purchased for March 14th event will be honored on Thursday. Correction: The original version of this story gave the wrong website for Top Taco on first reference. Ann Maloney writes about cooking and dining out for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. She can be reached at amaloney@nola.com. Follow her on Twitter at @wherenoleats, on Instagram at @wherenolaeats and join the Where NOLA Eats Facebook group and/or the Where NOLA Eats page. Subscribe to the free Where NOLA Eats weekly newsletter here. A district court judge has ruled against Sophie B. Wright Charter School, prohibiting school staff from barring students from Mondays graduation ceremony. However, the ruling came shortly before the graduation ended, so it was too late for the barred students to walk in the ceremony. Wright suspended several students for a week after school officials said the teens used water guns, eggs, vinegar, mustard and water balloons on the Uptown campus on April 5. Tracie Washington, Wrights school attorney, said the prank damaged public property, and school principal Sharon Clark said water on the first and third floors caused two teachers and a student to slip. Officials have said students were warned several times beforehand not to participate. The students had their privileges revoked, including walking at graduation, senior prom, senior picnic and activities on their last day of school. Wright has since rescinded the suspensions, and some students were allowed to walk at graduation if they proved they completed 20 hours of community service by May 6. A document obtained by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune at 9:50 a.m. shows Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Christopher Bruno granted a preliminary injunction requested by the Southern Poverty Law Center to ensure students could attend the graduation ceremony. The ruling, however, came too late in the morning, as Wrights ceremony at Xavier University began at 9 a.m. and ended around 10 a.m. The ruling also comes days after a student in another civil action case against Wright decided to drop her case against the school. In a statement, Washington said the plaintiffs and their counsel in Mondays case didnt serve Wright with filed pleadings or any order by the court to appear in court Monday morning. She stressed her clients "were blindsided and ambushed. Defendants are confident had they been served properly they would have appeared in Court and would have received the same outcome as occurred Friday before Judge Julien," Washington stated. Washington continued, stating "the fact Southern Poverty Law Center attempted to disrupt this joyous celebration by 101 Sophie B. Wright students who followed the rules to participate in their graduation ceremony, says volumes about the futility of SPLCs Childrens Rights New Orleans office. This was a case of lawyer ego run amok and shame on them! Parents, advocates protest discipline practices at Sophie B. Wright school Mondays ruling was a deemed a victory by Victor Jones, senior supervising attorney for the SPLC, who said by phone the students allegedly involved in the prank know they had a right to be at the ceremony they missed. Nuestra Voz (Our Voice), an educational equality advocacy group that has criticized Wrights discipline practices, in a statement said the ruling sets an important precedent for any school leadership attempting similar tactics in the future. 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 Sophie B. Wright tried to break the spirit of our children in the name of discipline, and they failed. Rather than act in the interest of the community they serve, they acted to perpetuate draconian punishments that serve the school-to-prison pipeline. We shouldnt have to go to court to remind them to be responsive to the community. When our community comes together, we cannot be defeated. We claim victory over those who would retaliate against parents advocating for their children," Nuestra Voz executive director Mary Moran said in a statement. Enrollment data from the state Department of Education shows Wright enrolls 530 students, including 130 seniors. It was not clear how many students were ultimately not allowed to walk in the graduation ceremony. Two of the students barred from the ceremony because they were allegedly involved in the prank spoke out in front of Wrights Uptown New Orleans campus Monday afternoon. One student could be seen wiping tears from her eyes. The other student, 19-year-old senior Heaven Cloud, told NOLA.com | the Times-Picayune she was happy they won the case. She never thought the prank was that serious, and she questioned why Clark would restore senior privileges for some of the suspended seniors. Wanda Evans, the grandmother of another student allegedly involved in the prank, said she never condoned the actions of the students, but stressed the students were only being kids. I dont think the punishment they received fit the crime, Evans said. Before the OPSB renews their charter, they really need to look at whats going on behind these doors. Members of the community are inviting all Wright seniors to participate in a community-held graduation ceremony at 7 p.m. Tuesday (May 14) located at the Mount Zion United Methodist Church at 2722 Louisiana Avenue. Sophie B. Wright leads city in school expulsion recommendations, data shows 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. "Filthy Rich," the Kim Cattrall drama that filmed its pilot episode in New Orleans in March, has been ordered to series by Fox. It will get a mid-season premiere in 2020, although an exact date has yet to be announced. Created by "The Help" filmmaker and Mississippi native Tate Taylor, "Filthy Rich" is based on a New Zealand series of the same name. It is described as a prime-time soap with comedic elements that focuses on the Monreauxes, a Southern family whose patriarch dies suddenly, leaving his survivors in charge of a popular Christian television network. They soon find themselves struggling to control it with the secret family they never knew he had. Cattrall plays an Oprah-like star of a lifestyle show who is also the wife of the deceased family patriarch. Others in the cast include Gerald McRaney, Corey Cott, Aubrey Dollar, Melia Kreiling, Benjamin Levy Aguilar and Mark L. Young. "With monumental twists and turns, not to mention lies, deceit and shade from every direction, 'Filthy Rich' presents a world in which everyone has an ulterior motive -- and no one is going down without a fight," reads a network synopsis. Duplass brothers of New Orleans among those boycotting Georgia film industry According to paperwork filed with the state, the "Filthy Rich" pilot cost $9.9 million to make. Of that, $8 million was spent in Louisiana, including $3 million on in-state payroll. Its unclear if the series will return to New Orleans for the remainder of its episodes, but if it does it will join a crowded local TV landscape that includes locally shot series such as CBS NCIS: New Orleans, OWNs Queen Sugar, USA Networks The Purge, TNTs Claws, Disney/Freeforms Cloak and Dagger, YouTube Premiums On Becoming a God in Central Florida, and Hulus Looking for Alaska. Filthy Rich is among six new dramas and four new comedies announced Monday (May 13) by Fox as part of its 2019-2020 upfront presentation. Some good news for those nervously watching the rising rivers across in St. Tammany Parish: Most had hit their crests and were receding by late Monday morning (May 13). Of the major rivers across the parish, only the Pearl River had yet to crest. The Pearl is expected to crest on Tuesday afternoon at Pearl River at around 18 feet, which is well above flood stage but not particularly worrisome to parish officials. Bands of heavy rain moving across the region in recent days pushed more water into swollen rivers and prompted some fears that structures in low-lying areas might be flooded. Storms Sunday swamped numerous vehicles and flooded homes in New Orleans. Rains swamp region Dexter Accardo, St. Tammany Parishs director of homeland security and emergency preparedness, said Monday that there had been no calls to 911 over the weekend from residents seeking rescues from flooded areas. The Sheriffs Office had staged rescue equipment near chronic flood-prone areas along Louisiana 1077 but did not have to use any of it, he said. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Many roads that had been closed due to high water were reopened, Accardo said. Everythings starting to recede, he said. Some roads, such as Isabell Swamp Road near the Bogue Chitto River, remained closed, however, the parish said on its social media feeds. (River stages -- see them here.) The Bogue Falaya River had crested at moderate flood stage at Boston Street and Camp Covington on Sunday. The Tchefuncte River near Covington, which has caused some structural flooding in recent years, crested at moderate flood stage Monday morning. Newport Beach, Calif, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DPW Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: DPW), a diversified holding company (the Company, or DPW), today announced that the Company anticipates offering 3-year non-convertible promissory notes (Notes) to raise new capital to be used for various purposes including the funding of a variety of loans through its wholly owned subsidiary, Digital Power Lending, LLC (DPL), including loans to related parties. The Company anticipates that the Notes will accrue annualized interest of between 5% and 15% that will be paid rata monthly and will be offered on a continuous basis, in each case as determined by the Company in its sole discretion. The Notes will be made available only at www.monthlyinterest.com , an online lending platform operated by DPL, a licensed California Finance Lender. DPL recently announced the completion of its beta test of its lending platform by successfully executing a series of commercial loans to publicly traded companies. The Company has filed an Offering Statement on Form 1-A pursuant to Regulation A promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission), pursuant to which the Notes will be offered and sold once the Commission has qualified the Offering Statement. No Notes will be offered for sale before such qualification has occurred. The Company stated that it anticipates the net proceeds might be used to fund the expansion of Digital Farms, Inc., its wholly owned subsidiary, as well as fund the acquisitions of equity in other companies, whether public or private. The net proceeds may also be used to fund the repayment of the Companys debts, to repurchase DPWs shares of common stock and estimates approximately 5% of the proceeds might be used for general corporate purposes, including expenses associated with this offering. The Company plans gross proceeds from the sale of its securities to be no more than $50,000,000 on an annual basis and estimates the net proceeds from the sale of its securities, after deducting estimated commissions and expenses, will be approximately $49,500,000, assuming the expenses to execute and support such activities do not exceed $500,000. The Companys management team retains sole discretion regarding the use of the net proceeds and will determine the ratio of their allocation between loan investments, acquisitions, the other purposes noted above and general corporate purposes. General corporate purposes may include, but are not limited to, the cost of outside legal and accounting expenses, employee payroll and associated costs, rent and real estate expenses, utilities, computer hardware and software, and promotion and marketing. The Company will announce when the Offering Circular has been circulated, assuming such qualification occurs, and therefore when these Notes are available for offer and sale and additional details of the terms, conditions and other information regarding the Notes and their purchase by retail, accredited, institutional and other investors. For more information on DPW Holdings and its subsidiaries, the Company recommends that stockholders, investors and any other interested parties read the Companys public filings and press releases available under the Investor Relations section at www.DPWHoldings.com or available at www.sec.gov . About DPW Holdings, Inc. DPW Holdings, Inc. is a diversified holding company pursuing growth by acquiring undervalued businesses and disruptive technologies that hold global potential. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries and strategic investments, the Company provides mission-critical products that support a diverse range of industries, including defense/aerospace, industrial, telecommunications, medical, crypto-mining, and textiles. In addition, the Company owns a select portfolio of commercial hospitality properties and extends credit to select entrepreneurial businesses through a licensed lending subsidiary. DPWs headquarters are located at 201 Shipyard Way, Suite E, Newport Beach, CA 92663; www.DPWHoldings.com . Forward Looking Statements 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 The New Orleans Saints clearly liked what they saw from some players during rookie minicamp last weekend as the team announced Monday the signing of 10 men who tried out during the three days of practice. Among the additions to the roster is defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, a first-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2013. Williams brings an abundance of experience as hes played 89 games with 63 starts after spending four years with the Broncos, one with the Titans and then splitting time with the Lions and Dolphins in 2018. The other nine players the Saints signed were fullback Michael Burton, defensive lineman Geneo Grissom, wide receiver Cyril Grayson Jr., center Marcus Henry, offensive tackle Ulrick John, linebacker Colton Jumper, running back A.J. Ouellette, cornerback David Simmons Jr. and wide receiver Micah Wright. Burton was a fifth-round pick by the Lions in 2015, and Grissom was a third-round pick by the Patriots the same year. John was a seventh-round pick by the Colts in 2014. Henry initially began his career with the Saints after going undrafted in 2016, and Jumper was with the Saints last offseason after he went undrafted. Grayson has been with three teams since going undrafted in 2017. Ouellette, Simmons and Wright are undrafted rookies. The Saints also waived running back Darnell Holland, defensive tackle Tomasi Laulile and cornerback Darius Williams. The team entered rookie minicamp with eight slots open on the 90-man roster, and after the 10 signings and three cuts, they still have one spot open. Rookie center Erik McCoy loving Saints scheme so far Voting on all three motions was unanimous. Koertner was at work on Monday but unaware of the executive session regarding her office. Lincoln County Sheriffs office notified her of the boards action immediately after the votes were taken. Hewgley also said Koertners deputy county treasurer, Jennifer Hergenrader, will no longer be employed by the county and Fleck will be able to choose her own deputy. Hergenrader worked in the motor vehicle department of the treasurers office before serving as deputy treasurer, according to County Clerk Rebecca Rossell. Koertner and Hergenrader had served as treasurer and deputy treasurer only since Jan. 3, when Koertner was sworn in. Koertner ran unopposed in the general election last November after defeating Michelle Gurciullo in the Republican primary election in May. Hewgley said he hopes a representative of the state auditors office will be here by Tuesday or Wednesday to begin the attestation, and he expects that the auditors report will be released in two to three weeks. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eldorado Gold Corporation (Eldorado, the Company or We) is pleased to announce that the Company has received commitments from a syndicate of lenders for a US$450 million Senior Secured Credit Facility (the Facility). The Facility consists of a US$200 million term loan (the Term Loan) and a US$250 million revolving credit facility (the RCF). The Facility will replace the existing revolving credit facility established by HSBC Bank Canada and certain other lenders. The Facility is subject to completion of customary closing conditions, with expected completion of conditions precedent on or prior to the end of Q2 2019. Eldorado has received commitments for the Facility from HSBC, Bank of Montreal, National Bank of Canada, BNP Paribas, Bank of America N.A. Canada Branch, Export Development Canada, and Ressources Quebec Inc. The Joint Lead Arrangers for the Facility were HSBC, BMO Capital Markets and National Bank Financial Markets. Term Loan and Revolving Credit Facility The Company has outstanding approximately US$71 million in letters of credit issued to secure certain obligations in connection with its operations, which, for the purposes of the Facility, are deemed to be outstanding under the Facility. Table 1: Key terms of the Facility Term Loan Revolving Credit Facility (RCF) Amount US$200 million US$250 million Type Senior, secured, and to be fully drawn at closing Senior, secured, revolving, and a portion to be deemed outstanding at closing Purpose Together with other proceeds, to redeem the 6.125% Senior Notes due 2020 General corporate, working capital and capital expenditures Repayments Six equal semi-annual payments from June 30, 2020 Outstanding amounts due four years from closing Interest LIBOR plus margin of 2.25% - 3.25% About Eldorado Gold Eldorado is a gold and base metals producer with mining, development and exploration operations in Turkey, Canada, Greece, Romania, Serbia, and Brazil. The Company has a highly skilled and dedicated workforce, safe and responsible operations, a portfolio of high-quality assets, and long-term partnerships with local communities. Eldorado's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: ELD) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EGO). Contacts Investor Relations Peter Lekich, Manager Investor Relations 604.687.4018 or 1.888.353.8166 peter.lekich@eldoradogold.com Media Louise Burgess, Director Communications & Government Relations 604.687.4018 or 1.888.353.8166 louiseb@eldoradogold.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward looking statements and forward looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information herein include, but are not limited to the completion of the transactions in connection with the new Senior Secured Credit Facility, the redemption of the existing unsecured notes due 2020. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. We have made certain assumptions about the forward-looking statements and information and even though our management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statement or information will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, the following: the need to negotiate and execute a [credit agreement] and related documents; the need for continued cooperation of the lenders; gold price volatility; the need to obtain any required consents and related documents, discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; mining operational and development risk; litigation risks; regulatory restrictions, including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability; risks of sovereign investment; currency fluctuations; speculative nature of gold exploration; global economic climate; dilution; share price volatility; competition; loss of key employees; additional funding requirements; and defective title to mineral claims or property, as well as those factors discussed in the sections entitled Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors in the Company's Annual Information Form & Form 40-F dated March 29, 2019. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained herein. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update forward-looking statements and information continually as conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion of the Company's business contained in the Company's reports filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the U.S. Property owners would win the right to challenge land seizures for renewable energy projects in court with the Legislatures unanimous passage Monday of state Sen. Tom Brewers 2019 priority bill. Lawmakers also would assert their authority to protect the Sandhills and other environmentally sensitive areas under Legislative Bill 155, which won 44-0 final approval. The measure, which now goes to Gov. Pete Ricketts for his signature, had been one of two Brewer-introduced bills pitting renewable-energy advocates against Sandhills residents fearful of lasting damage from planting heavy wind turbines in their fragile topsoil. The other, LB 373, would limit future wind energy projects after a two-year interim period to counties that have adopted zoning regulations for wind projects. That bill remains in the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, which Brewer chairs. LB 155 opens the courthouse doors to our farmers and ranchers when their homes and livelihoods are threatened, Brewer, the District 43 senator from Gordon, said after Mondays final vote. It is a modest first victory for property rights. I will fight to make sure it is not the last. Despite the clear benefits of local broadcast television, there are now companies who are refusing to provide these channels in dozens of rural markets. There isnt a technological barrier to this; they are simply refusing to provide what should be a basic option. One of the largest media companies, DirecTV, is at fault for this, making a business decision not to serve these rural areas. How is this possible? An outdated law called the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization allows companies such as DirecTV to import network broadcast programming rather than negotiating in the free market. This results in providing only the highly rated national shows, such as those based in Los Angeles or New York, rather than broadcasting local news, which is what viewers want. This legislation incentivizes large media companies to cater only to national programs, leaving local and regional news outlets, and viewers, behind. Companies like DirecTV know this is a disservice to rural communities, because it promised back in 2004 when this legislation was drafted to provide local markets with local news by 2008; yet here we are over 10 years later with no broadband, no-Gs and no local broadcasts: only broken promises. Congress now has an opportunity to remedy this situation and provide equal access for all communities to their local and regional broadcast television. This subsidy is set to expire at the end of the year, and Congress should let it do just that. Let the subsidy expire and ensure all local broadcast channels are available to all local communities. You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person. Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else. A Valparaiso firm was honored for its entrepreneurial success and growth during the state's celebration of Small Business Week. The Indiana Small Business Development Center honored 14 small businesses across the Hoosier state for helping to grow Indiana's economy. Valparaiso-based Lokring Midwest won the 2019 Small Business Impact Award for Northwest Indiana. "With more than 512,000 companies employing 1.2 million Hoosiers, small businesses play a critical role in maintaining long-term economic growth in Indiana and supporting good jobs in our communities," said Elaine Bedel, president of the Indiana Economic Development Corp., which oversees the ISBDC. "As a state, we're committed to building on the entrepreneurial climate that has helped launch companies like the ones being honored today and equipping Hoosier innovators with the tools they need to start and grow their dream businesses." Lokring, located at 2502 Beech St., makes fluid and gas transfer connectors for a range of users, including steel mills, oil refineries, railroads and ports. It distributes to customers in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. "Lokring Midwest, an exclusive distributor of Ohio-based Lokring Technology weld alternative pipe and tube fittings, is a veteran-owned business serving nuclear, petrochemical, health care, steel and defense customers across the Midwest," the ISBDC said in a press release. "Started by U.S. Army-veteran Steve Burke in 2009, the company, which has four full-time employees in Northwest Indiana, has undergone multiple expansions with the help of the Indiana SBDC and plans to break ground on a new warehouse this year." 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. GARY, Ind., May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After launching a vigorous grassroots campaign asking Gary, Indiana voters to Reimagine Gary, Jerome Prince successfully unseated incumbent Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson following the Democratic Party Primary Elections on Tuesday, May 7. Prince won 48% of the vote compared to Freeman-Wilsons 37%. The people of Gary have spoken, said Prince. They want solutions, and they want action. The message from voters is loud and clear. Its time to strive for a better way of life and to Reimagine Gary. My goals are to bring back jobs and economic development, strengthen our infrastructure, fight crime and poverty, and champion the rights of every citizen. The Prince campaign latched onto five key issues that resonated with voters: 1. Public safety (Police and Fire) 2. Mismanagement of city resources and revenues 3. City properties that violate code enforcement laws/standards 4. Poorly performing schools 5. Lack of assessed valuation A former city councilman from 2000 to 2008, Prince managed to stand out in a very crowded race of candidates. He is well known in Gary as a former Gary representative on the Lake County Council from 2008 to 2014 and boss of the city's Democratic Party since 2016. He currently oversees the setting of real estate values for taxing purposes for about 240,000 parcels across the county. Seven other candidates also ran in the Democratic primary: Councilwoman LaVetta Sparks-Wade, Kerry Rice Sr, Eddie Tarver Jr, Mildred Alcorn, Carl Jones, Joe White, and James McKnight II. Im excited for myself, family and our residents," Prince told reporters with the Northwest Indiana Times. "I think they were looking for new direction, and the numbers have proven out we were right. The challenge is to bring that to them. Ive got a big job ahead of me. I think Im up for the challenge. Im going to assemble the right group of like-minded folks around me and keep the politics as far away from the business end of this as possible. I think Ive proven in 20 years I can do that and still be effective." Prince currently faces no opponent in the Nov. 5 general election. For More Information Contact: Taroue Brooks Taroue.brooks@yahoo.com 202-431-1119 Journeyman Distillery, just across the state line in Harbor Country, plans to drop what Esquire Magazine describes as Best Whiskey in Michigan on May 24. Its Kissing Cousins is Featherbone Bourbon aged in wine barrels for a blend of whiskey and wine. "This limited batch craft spirit has all the character of Journeyman's award-winning Featherbone Bourbon, with deep, earthy notes gained from an extra finish in wine barrels sourced from nearby Dablon Vineyards," Journeyman Distillery said in a news release. "Kissing Cousins is a single-distillation from 70% organic corn, 25% organic wheat and 5% organic rye ready to be enjoyed today or saved for a special occasion." The distillery at 109 Generation Drive in downtown Three Oaks, Michigan, will do its annual release of the bourbon that was aged for one year in white oak barrels and then split between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay barrels to be aged for a second year. The artisan distiller then blended the bourbon back together and cut it to 90 proof. It's available only at the distillery tasting room in a former corset and buggy whip factory off the second Interstate 94 exit when you cross the Michigan state line. CROWN POINT An East Chicago man previously convicted of sexually assaulting his neighbor in 2014 and sentenced to 100 years in prison is likely to face a shorter sentence following his new trial and conviction last week. A Lake County jury on Friday returned a mixed verdict for Major Wilson, 67, on 10 counts related to the sexual assault. Jurors found Wilson guilty of two counts of criminal deviate conduct and one count each of sexual battery, burglary and criminal confinement. Wilson was acquitted of five additional counts including some that carried the longest possible sentences related to his alleged use of a knife during the attack. The woman gave investigators a different description of the knife Wilson was accused of using, and testimony during trial showed East Chicago police photographed knives in Wilson's apartment, but never collected them as evidence. Wilson initially was convicted on all counts during a trial in 2014 and sentenced to 50 years for criminal deviate conduct, 20 years for burglary and 30 years for being a habitual offender. The sentences were to be served consecutively, for a total of 100 years. Jones appeared in court Monday with an out-of-state attorney, who had not entered the case on his behalf, according to prosecutors. Jones also voiced interest in filing a challenge to the science being used against him. Susan Jones, the former wife of Curtis and mother of the injured child, 3-year-old Braxson, said Monday she is pleased with the new prosecutor's handling of the case. "I believe we are close to reaching justice for my little boy," she said. "Its been almost three years post injury, the nature of this case is pretty old and should not have been continued as many times as it has especially since Larry Rogers troubles with his law license has delayed the case significantly." Curtis, who now is living and working in Florida, is accused of injuring the child July 24, 2016, and is charged with felony counts of battery resulting in serious bodily injury to a person less than 14 years of age, aggravated battery and neglect of a dependent. Rain pelted a sea of umbrellas outside the Old Courthouse in downtown Crown Point, where hundreds of family and friends broke into periodic sobs during a candlelight vigil for Clayton Gaudry, the 17-year-old who suffered catastrophic injuries in a motorcycle accident last week. On Sunday night, many classmates remembered Gaudry an honors student who was set to study finance at Indiana University Bloomington as a caring and thoughtful friend, a diligent student who would sometimes study until 3 a.m. and a vibrant spirit who liked to goof around. "I never thought I would experience this hell on earth," said his mother, Jessica Gaudry. "Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be where I'm at now. But what's done is done. Everything that led up to this point happened for a reason." Her son was declared dead on Saturday morning, but remained on life support at a Chicago hospital until his organs could be donated, Jessica Gaudry said. Clayton's younger siblings, Ethan, 14, and Lauryn, 10, both have cystic fibrosis and may need lung transplants someday. Gaudry was on his motorcycle on U.S. 231 slowing to turn into the driveway of his home when an 85-year-old Monee man in a pickup truck rear-ended him on Tuesday. The work that is involved at Mental Health America is a type that involves a great deal of emotion. Being able to see individuals and families better their lives can have an effect on those that work there. The overall contact with mothers and listening to their stories has had an emotional impact on Ajibade. The overall contact with mothers and listening to their stories is concerning, Ajibade said. Being able to serve as a form of support for those that cant afford to properly provide for their family has been very impactful on me. To be with an organization such as Mental Health America and making a difference for 20 years is an accomplishment for which both are very grateful. In order to do something for 20 years, you have to love what you do, and I love working for Mental Health America of Northwest Indiana," Llano said. Mental Health America of Northwest Indiana has served the Northwest Indiana community for more than 60 years, transforming the community through proven programs that educate, empower, and strengthen the way families function for life. Here are 20 photos of holiday lights around the world. In the darkest days of the year, in a very dark time, there is a longing for illumination. INDIANAPOLIS The family of former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar says those wishing to attend his funeral Wednesday must register in advance. The Lugar Center in Washington announced Friday people can register at an online link or at www.thelugarcenter.org . The family says it will notify those requesting seats via email with details about attendance or if all the seats have been taken. The funeral will be held at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Indianapolis. The family now says it will greet callers while Lugar lies in state in the Statehouse Rotunda from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. That's a change from earlier hours it announced. The six-term senator and former Indianapolis mayor died April 28 at age 87. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BEIJING One year ago, when he began a multibillion-dollar trade war with China that shook the global economy, President Trump demanded that Beijing end lavish government spending aimed at making the country a world power in computer chips, robotics, commercial aircraft and other industries of the future. Today, as the two sides struggle to reach a truce, the Trump administration is finding just how difficult that will be. Trade talks between the United States and China nearly ground to a halt this past week, and a seemingly intractable dispute over subsidies is a big part of it. Robert E. Lighthizer, the United States trade representative, accused China last Monday of reneging on what he described as good, firm commitments on eliminating market-distorting subsidies. Vice Premier Liu He, the leader of Chinas negotiating team, said that it was normal for negotiations to have ups and downs, but has also nodded to the subsidies issue in vowing repeatedly over the last several days not to bend on Chinas principles. President Trump on Friday raised tariffs on $200 billion a year worth of Chinese goods, hitting goods leaving Chinas shores as of that day. He has directed Mr. Lighthizer to start on Monday the long process for raising tariffs on all Chinese goods. Lenora Lapidus, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, who expanded the organizations fight for gender equality beyond the concerns of middle-class white women to include domestic workers, women in combat and others, died on May 5 at her home in Brooklyn. She was 55. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the A.C.L.U., said the cause was breast cancer. For nearly two decades, Ms. Lapidus (pronounced LAP-uh-dus) led the A.C.L.U.s Womens Rights Project. The project, co-founded in 1972 by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, now an associate justice of the Supreme Court, became the major legal arm of the growing movement for gender equality and a powerful force in urging the courts to see womens rights as civil rights, with the same constitutional protections. Ms. Lapidus started as a summer intern for the Womens Rights Project in 1988. After law school, she served as legal director of the A.C.L.U. of New Jersey. She had been director of the rights project since 2001. At that time, the project was not engaged in active litigation. But that quickly changed under her leadership, as she pursued a broad range of cases. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GoverMedia Plus Canada Corp. (GoverMedia or the Company), discloses today that it has failed to comply with the requirement to file, within the time period prescribed, annual financial statements for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, the related managements discussion and analysis and the related officer certifications of the annual filings (collectively, the 2018 Annual Financial Filings). As a result, on May 6, 2019 the British Columbia Securities Commission issued a cease trade order (the Cease Trade Order) against the Company pursuant to National Policy 11-207 Failure-to-File Cease Trade Orders and Revocations in Multiple Jurisdictions and its common shares have been halted from trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the CSE). The Company was unable to complete and file its 2018 Annual Financial Filings before the filing deadline of April 30, 2019, in part, because it has not received the financial results from its Russian subsidiary, GoverMedia Plus LLC (GoverMedia Russia). In addition, the Company was unable to reach an engagement agreement with KPMG LLP, the Companys auditor, with respect to auditing the Companys 2018 financial statements. As a result, the Company intends to ask KPMG LLP to resign as auditor of the Company and to engage another firm in its place. The Company is in the process of selecting a replacement auditor. Once this process is completed, KPMG LLC formally resigns or is terminated, and a new auditor is appointed, the Company will make further public disclosure, undertake the procedures and make the filings with respect to these events, as required under applicable securities laws. GoverMedia Russia also intends to engage an audit firm to replace KPMG LLC as its auditors. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The statements made in this press release may contain certain forward-looking statements concerning potential developments affecting the business, prospects, financial condition and other aspects of GoverMedia. The words "will", "may", "anticipate", "intend", "plan" and similar words and expressions are used to identify forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the expected filing of the 2018 Financial Filings, the application for the revocation of the cease trade order once the 2018 Financial Filings have been made, that the Company will resume trading on the CSE, the Companys financing and transaction plans and its planned business operations and the cessation thereof. The actual results of the specific items described in this release, and the Company's operations generally, may differ materially from what is projected in such forward-looking statements. Although such statements are based upon the best judgments of GoverMedia's management as of the date of this release, significant deviations in magnitude, timing and other factors may result from business risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, GoverMedia's dependence on third parties, general market and economic conditions, technical factors, the availability of outside capital, receipt of revenues and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of GoverMedia. GoverMedia disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement unless required by applicable securities laws. The trade war continues after the latest round of trade talks between the United States and China ended without a deal. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. We watch daily as the constitutional and conventional fabric of this country is clawed at and unraveled by Donald Trump, while those with any power to prevent or punish his actions are suspended in a state of listlessness, making political calculations rather than performing constitutional duty. We are drifting dangerously close to an imperial presidency that exists above and outside the rules we thought were designed to prevent such an occurrence. There is no doubt whatsoever that Trump broke the law by obstructing justice, as he sought to end investigations into him, his campaign and his administration. The Mueller report makes that abundantly clear. Special Counsel Robert Mueller refused to state declaratively that Trump committed a crime because of Department of Justice guidelines issued by the Office of Legal Counsel that are against indicting a sitting president. However, as the Mueller report made clear, A President does not have immunity after he leaves office. The report continues: And if individuals other than the President committed an obstruction offense, they may be prosecuted at this time. Given those considerations, the facts known to us, and the strong public interest in safeguarding the integrity of the criminal justice system, we conducted a thorough factual investigation in order to preserve the evidence when memories were fresh and documentary materials were available. MANILA Millions of Filipinos voted Monday to choose half of the nations Senate in what was widely seen as a proxy battle between President Rodrigo Duterte and politicians opposed to his deadly war on drugs. Throughout the day, the police reported scattered incidents of violence and voter intimidation, including a shooting that injured five people at one voting area, as well as bombings believed to be connected to the elections. Nearly 300,000 police officers and members of the armed forces were deployed nationwide to prevent violence, with the national police reporting that at least 20 people had been killed and 24 injured in election-related attacks in the weeks leading up to the voting. Up for grabs are 12 Senate seats, nearly 300 seats in the House of Representatives and thousands of local posts, including mayor and governor positions, according to the Commission on Elections. But the spotlight was on the races for the Senate, where a tiny minority has been successful in blocking Mr. Dutertes legislative agenda. Results are expected to be released in a few days. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. [music] michael barbaro Today, Iran is warning that it may resume production on its nuclear program, reviving a crisis that had been contained by the signing of the Iran nuclear deal four years ago how one man within the U.S. government may have intentionally brought us to this point. Its Monday, May 13. Mark Landler, tell me how we got to this point in the relationship between the U.S. and Iran. mark landler Well, Michael, the story really starts almost exactly a year ago archived recording (donald trump) Today, I want to update the world on our efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. mark landler When President Trump finally makes good on a pledge he had made during the 2016 campaign. archived recording (donald trump) I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. mark landler Recall, the Iran nuclear deal was signed between Iran on the one side, the United States, and three European countries Britain, France and Germany. michael barbaro Mm-hm. mark landler And the idea behind the deal was, in return for deferring whatever nuclear ambitions it had, Iran was going to be released from these very onerous sanctions that the U.S. and the international community had imposed on it, and as a result, was going to be able to build up the rest of its economy, even while accepting that its nuclear program was going to be hindered for this period of time roughly 15 to 20 years. archived recording 1 Tonight, the breaking news a major shakeup at the White House moments ago. We are just learning mark landler At the same time that President Trump is making good on this campaign promise to hold the United States out of this deal, you have a new personality, a new figure entering the White House. archived recording 2 National security advisor H. R. McMaster is gone. mark landler President Trump dismisses his former national security advisor, General H. R. McMaster. And McMaster is replaced by a man named John Bolton. [music] michael barbaro And what is significant about these two things pulling out of the Iran deal and appointing John Bolton happening at the same time, roughly? mark landler Well, for one thing, it puts Iran on a collision course with the United States. You have the jeopardizing of this deal, which itself had resolved more than a decade of confrontation between Iran and the West. archived recording (john bolton) The Iran deal was, in fact, the worst diplomatic debacle in American history. mark landler The importance of John Boltons arrival is that now you have an official in the middle of the policy making mix who has perhaps the hardest line record toward Iran of any senior figure in the mainstream foreign policy community. archived recording (john bolton) If you cross us, our allies or our partners, you harm our citizens. If you continue to lie, cheat and deceive, yes, there will indeed be hell to pay. mark landler And John Bolton comes at Iran from a very different place than Donald Trump. Where they differ is really what the ultimate objective is. For Trump, hes willing to sit down and talk to the existing leadership in pursuit of a better deal. archived recording (john bolton) Look, the president has said, since really, beginning in the 2016 campaign, hes open to negotiating with leaders like Rouhani, like with Kim Jong-un, to sit down with them. The Iranians have used negotiations in the past just to delay mark landler For John Bolton, its something much more fundamental. He wants to install new democratic leaders in that country. He wants regime change. archived recording (john bolton) We should provide material financial support to the opposition if they desire it. We should work with intelligence services from other countries archived recording 1 O.K. archived recording (john bolton) Saudi, Israel, to provide more pressure. Theres a lot we can do. And we should do it. Our goal should be regime change in Iran. mark landler So regime change as a concept has been a part of American foreign policy, really, since World War II. The U.S. has always debated the wisdom of trying to take out or roll back enemy or adversarial governments. But what happened in the last 15 years is the phrase regime change became identified with the Iraq War, a war that was far more costly, far longer, far more trouble-prone than the Bush administration ever hoped. michael barbaro Right. mark landler And I think, ever since that experience and those difficult days, the idea of regime change has simply become toxic to a large portion of the foreign policy community, but also the political class, both Republican and Democrat. When people say the words regime change, people think about Iraq. Hence, no one wants to say those words, and so the combination of the jeopardizing of the deal and John Bolton is a very combustible mixture. [music] michael barbaro And what is Boltons argument for this focus on regime change in Iran? mark landler Boltons argument is that the Iranian regime is archived recording (john bolton) The worlds largest financier of international terrorism. mark landler The worlds largest state sponsor of terrorism archived recording (john bolton) It continues to pursue ballistic missiles. mark landler A potential nuclear proliferator on a grand scale archived recording (john bolton) The only real purpose of which is to deliver nuclear weapons when they get that capability. mark landler A malign influence in the region, fomenting unrest, financing militant groups in Syria, in Yemen archived recording (john bolton) Theres no doubt this regime is a threat in the region and globally. mark landler A country that is bent on the destruction of the state of Israel, a great American ally. So he really believes that much of the ills that afflict the Middle East can be laid at Tehrans doorstep. archived recording (john bolton) That the Tehran regime is the central problem in the Middle East. mark landler And that hence, the only answer, the only way to bring Iran back into the community of civilized nations is to affect a change in leadership. michael barbaro So basically, people so terrible that they cant possibly be trusted to negotiate a nuclear deal. mark landler In a word, yes. michael barbaro And how does Bolton begin to set that goal in motion? archived recording 1 At the stroke of midnight, the U.S. will reimpose stiff economic sanctions on Iran. mark landler Well, the first thing he does is he reimposes the sanctions that had been lifted as a consequence of the deal. archived recording 2 The sanctions target Irans gold and metal Industries, its auto sector and restrict Iran from using U.S. dollars in financial transactions. mark landler And his goal here is to squeeze the vise around the Iranian economy to raise the pain threshold for the Iranian government, so that, in effect, theyre forced to knuckle under, to come back to the table, to acknowledge that theyre willing to swallow a less advantageous deal. archived recording (john bolton) And I think weve already seen the consequences in Iran. The rial, the currencys declined by 70 percent since the sanctions. Inflation has quadrupled. The country is in recession. I think this is going to cut into Irans ability to continue their nuclear program, to finance terrorism, and to engage in military activity around the Middle East. And I think michael barbaro So the goal here is to make the Iranian government so frustrated with this situation that they just throw up their hands and walk away from the entire nuclear deal? mark landler Thats exactly right. But the Iranians do something unexpected. [music] mark landler Rather than pull out of the deal themselves, they decide to stay in it. michael barbaro Hm. mark landler And they do that for a couple of reasons. One is that the European signatories of the deal Britain, France and Germany all pledged to stay in the deal. So the Iranians hope that even if theyre cut off from all contact with the U.S. economy, they can continue to do some level of trading with the Europeans. And secondly, they make this calculation that Donald Trump is a one-term president, and that if they simply wait him out, perhaps he will be replaced by a friendlier successor, perhaps another Democrat. Most Democrats are on the record as saying they would reinstate the Iran nuclear deal. So there is this belief in Tehran and its encouraged, by the way, by both European officials and by some people here in the United States that they should sit tight, dont rip up the deal and see if they can wait out Donald Trump. [music] michael barbaro So once Iran has decided to basically wait out the Trump presidency, how does the Trump administration respond to what is clearly an act of defiance by Iran? mark landler Well what the Trump administration does publicly is it imposes enormous pressure on the Europeans to fall in line archived recording (donald trump) Any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also be strongly sanctioned by the United States. mark landler to start cutting off links to the Iranian government. archived recording 1 Whether its the German manufacturer Siemens, the Danish shipping company Maersk, the French carmaker PSA or the French energy giant Total all of these companies have decided to either scale down or completely pull out of Iran from fear of U.S. sanctions. mark landler So thats the public side of what the Trump administration is doing. But privately, John Bolton is really building up his Iran cadre within the National Security Council. And hes doing so by bringing in these extremely hardline figures who are experts in sanctions strategy. And hes beginning to lay in place the pieces for sort of the next phase of the pressure campaign. archived recording (john bolton) Good morning. Im here to make an important foreign policy announcement concerning the Islamic Republic of Iran. mark landler And among the things that he begins exploring and laying the groundwork for archived recording (john bolton) I am announcing our intent to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps mark landler are designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is this sort of military wing of the Iranian leadership, designating the IRGC archived recording (john bolton) as a foreign terrorist organization. mark landler As a foreign terrorist organization. archived recording 1 This is the first time Washington has formally labeled an arm of another countrys military as a terrorist group. The Trump administration says the Iranian force actively participates in, finances and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft. michael barbaro And what would be the significance of that in terms of Boltons ultimate goal here? mark landler Well, going after the I.R.G.C. not only hinders Irans ability to project malign influence around the region. It also hits at a very important source of revenue for politically connected leaders in Iran. The I.R.G.C. is, in fact, the vehicle by which a lot of Irans leadership enriches themselves. So going after that group both hurts Iran domestically and hurts its ability to operate internationally. Bolton also begins laying the groundwork for an even more draconian set of sanctions on Irans oil industry. Up until this point, the U.S. had allowed countries, some of whom are U.S. allies and are very dependent on Iranian oil, to continue to buy from Iran for some temporary period of time. But what happens now is that the administration revokes those waivers. archived recording 1 Eight countries will be affected. mark landler It basically says to all of these countries China archived recording 2 Japan. mark landler South Korea archived recording 3 South Korea, Turkey, Greece mark landler India archived recording 4 and Italy. mark landler That no country that wants to avoid itself being blacklisted by the United States can continue to buy oil from Iran. archived recording 5 Now you either have to cooperate or face sanctions. Heres what mark landler And the effect of this step is truly devastating to the Iranian oil industry, because it was kind of limping along, continuing to export a certain amount of oil to these countries that were operating under waivers. But once these waivers are gone, truly all of Irans customers are basically put in a position of saying, we cannot buy oil from you anymore. michael barbaro And because oil is so central to Irans economy, that is the economic equivalent of just kind of strangling it. mark landler It really is the economic lifeline of the Iranian economy, and so cutting it off 100 percent just has a truly devastating effect. archived recording 1 Its currency, the rial, has already lost two-thirds of its value against the dollar since the year began. The I.M.F. said the Iranian economy would shrink 6 percent this year. And that was before the latest U.S. moves. mark landler This is a level of pressure, this is a tightening of the economic vise unlike anything the Iranians have so far experienced. michael barbaro But how exactly does it get to Boltons goal of regime change? mark landler Well, one school of thought is that if you reduce Irans oil exports to zero, you crater its currency, you tank its economy and you throw millions of Iranian people into poverty, you could, in fact, spark the kind of uprising that people like John Bolton have been waiting for for a quarter century an uprising that would actually topple the regime from inside. michael barbaro Hm. So the idea is that you squeeze Iran hard enough that the regular people of Iran rise up and oust the regime, which is a little bit different than I think how most people think of regime change. You remember Iraq. Regime change was the U.S. invading. Here, its making the people in that country so miserable in a way that they decide to take out their own leaders. mark landler And its driven by a couple of different things. One is that, unlike Iraq, invading Iran would be a monumentally difficult undertaking. So the notion of an American invasion of Iran is really not on the table. This is more about can we make life miserable enough that we can actually bring about regime change from internally? michael barbaro To the degree that the administration is behind Boltons strategy right now, which it seems it is, are there signs that its actually working, that the Iranian regime is starting to collapse from within, as its supposed to? mark landler I think the short answer to that is no. There is no question that these sanctions have really hurt the Iranian economy, have devastated its oil exports. But in the main, this is a regime that seems as firmly entrenched as ever. And its also a regime that is still able to exert influence around the region. It continues to be active in Lebanon; it continues to be active in Syria; it continues to have a role to play in Yemen. So the answer to that is no. Neither internally nor in its neighborhood is there evidence that the Trump administration is really jeopardizing the survival of the regime. [music] mark landler And yet, this week archived recording 1 Weve got some breaking news just coming across the wire out of the Middle East. mark landler We finally did see some signs that Iran is growing impatient. archived recording 2 Just one year to the day after President Trump withdrew the United States from a landmark Iran nuclear agreement, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says he has sent letters to the remaining signatories of the deal, saying mark landler Irans president, Hassan Rouhani, announced that Iran would begin to pull away, in a modest way, from parts of the Iranian nuclear deal. archived recording (hassan rouhani) [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] mark landler They would begin some very small scale enrichment of nuclear material. So theyre not violating the deal in any dramatic fashion but theyre beginning to peel away from the edges of the deal. And, perhaps more significantly, theyre putting the Europeans in a box. archived recording 3 Iran says other countries have two months to implement their commitments to the deal, or Iran will, quote, reduce its own. mark landler So remember, the Europeans pledged to stay in the deal. michael barbaro Right. mark landler They pledged to continue to give Iran the benefits of the deal even if the United States pulled out. And essentially, what the Iranian government said to the Europeans this week is you have a certain period of time to show us that we are going to get these economic benefits, and if you cant show us, then were going to pull out of the deal in a much more wholesale fashion. archived recording 4 The Iranian president says the country will start enriching uranium again in 60 days. Thats unless Europe, Russia, and China can help Iran counter U.S. sanctions on its oil sales. mark landler So in effect, what theyve done is theyve put the Europeans in the middle of their evolving battle with the United States. [music] michael barbaro And kind of encouraged them to choose between Iran and the U.S. mark landler And its a very difficult choice. So on the one hand, the Europeans can defy President Trump and say, were going to continue to do business with the Iranians, in which case, the president could theoretically say, fine, Im going to sanction you. On the other hand, if the Europeans say to the Iranians, we cant afford to defy the United States, then Iran could say, in that case, we have a pretext, a reasonable case, for leaving this deal entirely, which is something, of course, the Europeans have been desperately trying to avoid. michael barbaro So is this a sign that Boltons plan is working? Or is it a sign that maybe it backfired? mark landler Well, it depends on your perspective. From the perspective of someone who wants to keep Irans nuclear program bottled up, it has totally backfired. From the perspective of someone who is hungry for a confrontation with Iran, it actually provides you with more of a rationale. michael barbaro What do you mean? mark landler Well, in the sense that theyre now in breach of the agreement. michael barbaro Hm. mark landler Beforehand, the United States was imposing all this pressure on Iran without really having the legal high ground, because the Iranians were complying with the terms of the deal. The American argument was, its a terrible deal. Now, the Iranians are in breach of the deal. So it actually gives more of a pretext, more of a case for the Trump administration to tighten the vise on the Iranians. michael barbaro So if you are somebody who favors regime change, not just going back to the negotiating table, this is a reasonably good place to be. mark landler Its a better place to be, because now youre dealing with a regime that has, to some extent, gone rogue, a regime that signed a deal with the international community, which won a lot of credit in Europe for sticking to the terms of that deal, which won a lot of credit at the United Nations for sticking with the terms of that deal. Well, now, suddenly, the Iranians are also in breach. So I think it does improve your position if your goal is conflict rather than some kind of diplomatic resolution. michael barbaro If youre John Bolton. mark landler If youre, in other words, John Bolton. [music] michael barbaro Mark, is one way to think about this that John Bolton would never have signed the Iran deal in the first place, as Obama did? So hes basically trying to get us right back where we were before that deal was signed, which is Iran developing a nuclear program, but this time, rather than solve it through a nuclear deal, he wants to solve it another way, regime change? mark landler I think thats right, because I think that John Boltons argument is the way to forever guarantee that Iran doesnt develop a nuclear weapon is not to put on these complicated timelines that expire at some point in the future, but to fundamentally change the character of the government in Iran, so you just dont have to worry about this nuclear threat at all. And trying to achieve it through arrangements, through complicated treaties, is simply never going to work because of the nature of the leadership youre dealing with. Better to start off with a new leadership, perhaps a leadership that has no nuclear ambitions at all, and just change the equation in a more fundamental way. michael barbaro So Mark, are we still on a collision course with Iran? mark landler Id say the more accurate way to put it is were back on a collision course. We had been on a collision course with Iran for much of the last decade. And there was this brief period while the deal was in place, where one could say that there was an understanding. But were now back in a very familiar dynamic. We continue to ratchet up the pressure. We see acts of Iranian defiance. And its very uncertain how the story plays out. [music] michael barbaro Mark, thank you very much. mark landler Thank you, Michael. [music] michael barbaro Late last week, the Trump administration announced a new round of sanctions on Iranian steel, aluminum, copper and iron aimed at further squeezing its economy. At the same time, the U.S. said it would build up its military presence around Iran, including an antiaircraft defense system, B-52 bombers and a warship. The military movements are based on U.S. intelligence suggesting that Irans government may try to provoke a conflict with the U.S. to cement its hold on power as the economic toll of U.S. sanctions continues to grow. Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. archived recording 1 The E.U. Parliament has only limited powers. It doesnt even propose the laws that it votes on. Its actually the unelected European Commission that comes up with those laws, which are then fleshed out by a different structure. michael barbaro The Times reports that Russia appears to be engaging in a widespread campaign of misinformation aimed at influencing upcoming elections for the European Parliament, the legislative branch of the European Union. Those elections, scheduled for late May, feature populist candidates who, if elected, would be hostile to the E.U. and sympathetic to Russia. The Russian campaign involves promoting right wing parties in Italy and Germany and raising questions on TV networks like Russia Today about the legitimacy of the European Parliament itself. archived recording 2 Perhaps, though, the real question is, does it matter who you vote for? Because, in reality, even a seismic shakeup at M.E.P. level wont have any impact on the commission nor the council, where it seems the power base really lies. michael barbaro Is Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York the biggest comic book character of 2019? Her story has all the twists of a comic book origin: Shes a former bartender and activist turned congresswoman; shes a confident public speaker and a social-media whiz (where she once quoted from the Watchmen graphic novel); and shes a champion for progressive issues and the environment. Readers will be able to decide for themselves where she ranks among their comic book favorites on Wednesday when Issue No. 1 of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Freshman Force arrives in stores. The tales in this anthology include the absurdist and the hopeful. In one, written by Nick Accardi and drawn by Travis Hymel, the world of politics is transferred to a wrestling ring where Ocasio-Cortez participates in a Senate Slam against diabolical special-interest groups. She is visited the night before the match by someone who introduces themselves as New Yorks Greatest Senator. When she guesses Hillary Clinton, there is an angry response: No Dag Nabbit ! Its me Franklin Delano Roosevelt! I would have loved to have done that story, to do something closer to the book version, even as a mini-series. Im so thankful for every single second I got with Euron. Just to do one minute on Game of Thrones, actors would die for it. I am so thankful I got to do three seasons not many scenes, but the scenes that Ive done, Ive been the driving force. When I became a part of Game of Thrones, I didnt know which way the character would go. I just knew to do the best work I could possibly do and to enjoy it. But of course, to build a character, you need more time and space. So I denied dying. David and Dan were super cool with it because they thought it was fun. They were like: Dude, you get stabbed by a sword through the chest. Youre going to die. And I was like, Eh, wait and see. Then I had a long discussion with [the episodes director, Miguel Sapochnik] a couple of days prior to shooting the scene, and he was like: You know what I feel when I read the script? I feel like hes the only one who is kind of happy, because he feels like his life has been fulfilled. So I was like: You know what, Miguel? I like that. Im going to go out with a smile. Euron seems especially pleased with the idea that he might have killed the Kingslayer. Has he been obsessed with Jaime Lannister all along? Why does he care? Its a fascination. Jaime is one of the male leads, and Im a supporting role, so my story line is reflected in the main characters story line. You need to find ways to connect the characters and fill out those gaps. And I think David and Dan thought it would be fun if Jaime Lannister and Euron Greyjoy had a fight. And maybe they just thought: You know what? Maybe its fun that [the actor playing Euron] is Danish, and 15 years younger, and they know each other. Maybe [Coster-Waldau] will be irritated! You never know with David and Dan because theyre pranksters. Theyre tricksters. They called it Dane Bowl on the behind-the-scenes feature. Dane Bowl! Thats what it said in the script, too. Two men enter, one man leaves. Except one of them doesnt want to accept that hes dying! [Laughs] Those scenes were tricky because of the tide, so we couldnt shoot it chronologically, which is always irritating when youre doing fight scenes where youve rehearsed the choreography for weeks. Tell me about your book. Its basically my life story up until I got the commutation, from my birth to my time in school and going to the army and going to prison and the court-martial process. Its a personal narrative of what was going on in my life surrounding that time and what led to the leaks, what led to prison, and how this whole ordeal has really shaped me and changed me. I view this book as a coming-of-age story. For instance, how my colleagues in the intelligence field really were the driving force behind my questioning of assumptions that I had come into the military with how jaded they were, some of them having done two three four deployments previously. And then also there is a lot of stuff about how prisons are awful, and how prisoners survive and get through being in confinement. Do you have a title yet? There is no title yet. I am trying very hard to have some control over that, but none has been decided yet. Noreen Malone from New York magazine worked on it with me. She did a lot of the groundwork in terms of the research, and I did the storytelling, so it was a collaborative effort. Im still going through and editing where she has taken independent sources to help refine my story, fact-check, verify things and provide a third-person perspective in shaping things. Is it written in first-person or third-person? It is written in first-person, but there are parts of the book that reference material that are independent of me. Im still under obligation under the court rules and the Classified Information Procedures Act of 1980 to not disclose closed court-martial testimony or verify evidence that was put in the record. Things like that. So I cant talk about that stuff and Im not going to, and so Im trying to keep this and maintain this as more of a personal story. There are parts of it that might reference reports or whatnot but Im just going to say, the media reported this, but Im not confirming or denying it. Are you going to submit the manuscript to the government for a classified information review? Were trying our best to avoid the review process. There is a lot of stuff that is not going to be in the book that people would expect to be in there, but rules are rules and we cant get around it. Its more about personal experiences I had rather than anything specific. Im not trying to relitigate the case, just tell my personal story. So if it ends with you getting out of military prison, youre not going to address your current situation with the grand jury investigating WikiLeaks? Doris Day, who was the top box-office star of the early 1960s, died this week at 97. Read these books to learn more about her life and career, and gain insight into who she was. Image DORIS DAY Her Own Story By A. E. Hotchner 305 pp. William Morrow and Company. (1976) This book is Days autobiography, based on a series of interviews she granted to Hotchner. In the introduction, Day promises no holds barred, no pandering to the public image. True to her word, the book exposes the gap between her sunny reputation and the personal challenges she faced, including a violent first marriage and a third husband who embezzled her money, a fact she discovered only after his death. Despite these setbacks, she has apparently never suffered from selfpity one of the most refreshing aspects of this untypical Hollywood biography, our reviewer wrote. When Karen Russells short stories appear in The New Yorker, as they frequently do, I make a point to read them. With their fantastical settings and themes in one, a boy drags a 2,000-year-old girl out of a bog and takes her to school, Weekend at Bernies-style they bring a tang of the magical to a magazine normally devoted to zealous fact-checking. Each is like a haunted Charles Addams house that pops up in a sleek, modern subdivision. Each resembles the vampire in one of her stories who slips and starts letting a fang hang out over his lower lip in public. Russells new collection, Orange World, is her third. (She is also the author of the 2011 novel Swamplandia! and a 2014 novella called Sleep Donation.) I gravitate to her writing, too, because a good deal of it is set in Southwest Florida, where I spent a large part of my childhood. I have ineluctable loyalties to writers who set potent fiction there. BELFIELD, N.D. , May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meridian Energy Group, Inc., the emerging growth refining firm and leading innovator in advanced technology and environmentally-beneficial petroleum processing facilities, announced today that the company has selected Emerson, a global leader in automation control systems and technologies, as the Main Automation Partner at the Davis Refinery in Belfield, North Dakota. The Davis Refinery is the first full-conversion greenfield refinery being constructed in the United States since 1976. Emerson, headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., with local offices in Williston and Mandan, N.D., is a leader in helping customers complete projects on time and under budget and optimize overall refinery operational performance. The control systems and technologies that Emerson will provide to the Davis project are just one more measure Meridian has employed to ensure that Davis will set the standard of the Lowest Achievable Emission Rates (LAER) in the industry. Meridian has initiated site preparation and grading at the Davis Refinery site and is proceeding with final design and equipment fabrication and procurement with full construction resuming in 2019. We are pleased to have partnered MDR with Emerson and we are looking forward to developing the Davis Refinery with the support of their technology, said Lance Medlin, Meridian Executive Vice President of Projects. Emerson is committed to helping the industry improve capital project execution while also optimizing long-term operations through improved safety and production performance, said Nathan Pettus, Vice President of Global Sales and Projects for Emersons systems and solutions business. Advanced automation technologies are making those improvements achievable, and we look forward to helping Meridian reach their goals. The Emerson solution includes the integrated control and safety system as well as terminal manager, truck loading, leak detection, tank gauging, and other components that, combined, enable Meridian to have a safe and reliable facility, as well as maximum output and limited downtime. Mark Fonda, Meridian Executive Vice President of Engineering, said of the signed agreement with Emerson, The Davis Refinery will utilize the latest generation of digital technology from the ground up to provide the most efficient and powerful data handling environment. This will include technologies such as a wireless smart grid, advanced process control, integrated field data management and predictive analytics to optimize the operation in real-time. In totality, these systems will generate intrinsic benefits in equipment reliability, health and safety, and environmental compliance. John Wilson, Vice President of Global Projects and Strategic Accounts for Emersons final control technologies, said, Emerson is honored to work with Meridian as partners to ensure the Davis Refinery project, using digital technologies, achieves the LAER standards, which are the best in the industry. Emersons final control portfolio of valves and actuation offer a unique solution, when integrated to the Emerson digital ecosystem, that will enable Meridian to have the benefit of a full-scale data analysis and reliability system. About Meridian Energy Group, Inc. The Mission of Meridian Energy Group, Inc. is to provide long-term shareholder value through the development and operation of the cleanest, most environmentally-beneficial and profitable crude oil refineries in the world, with refinery developments in both North Dakota and Texas. Established in 2013, Meridian has offices in Belfield, North Dakota, Houston, Texas and Irvine, California. For more information, visit: http://www.meridianenergygroupinc.com RABBITS FOR FOOD By Binnie Kirshenbaum The first half of Rabbits for Food, Binnie Kirshenbaums seventh novel, chronicles a breakdown. The second half deals with the resultant stay in a mental hospital. The Bell Jar was divided this way too, and the balance is wrong. Plath jettisoned the beguiling wit of her opening chapters for a more crumpled account of what can happen post-breakdown. Philip Roth made a similar mistake in Portnoys Complaint, retreating from the heights of hilarity into all that Monkey business. (He too involves shrinks.) The problem is, youre combining two different books. Plath and Roth got away with it, more or less, but its a tricky artistic model. Bunny, a sometime novelist with a penchant for put-downs, a glutinous approach to cats, and a hypersensitivity to the color brown, has settled into severe depression. She traces it back to various deaths (a cat, a friend, a grandfather) and the six seamless years of immaculate misery we all face during adolescence. But Bunny is far from experiencing any camaraderie of common suffering. Her depression folds her inward and keeps everyone at bay. Shes convinced people dont like her. Some do fear her; some fear for her; others just dread her causing a scene. Her zoologist husband, Albie, is patient and loyal as can be while seeing an undemanding Englishwoman on the side. [ This book was one of our most anticipated titles of May. See the full list. ] Bunny cries a lot and can hardly eat, sleep or articulate a need. (Except for cigarettes. She must be one of the last smokers in New York.) She doesnt shower or change her underwear. She forgets to drink her coffee. Her favorite foods taste rotten. Her current cat annoys her. She has to lie about voting for Obama in 2008, since she couldnt get out of bed. She still manages to make it to the loo, though, as Albies girlfriend cattily points out. While telling herself shes not suicidal, Bunny eventually indulges in a symbolic self-obliteration, destroying documents attesting to her existence and identity: passport, bank statements, family photos. And it is an indulgence, a greedy bid for power. Shes not someone who should ever be let loose near a shredder. Unlike American plants, which matured in an environment where constant oversight made shortcuts risky, the Indian industry evolved in a culture in which outwitting inefficient bureaucracies was an essential skill. There the most rational approach was to stress speed and production over accuracy and quality and deal with the occasional inspector with some sleight of hand and greasing of palm. The F.D.A. was utterly unprepared for this, and largely blind as well to the implications of both its own and the Indian industrys cultural assumptions. Lost, it tried to get by, Eban writes, with a system built on wishful thinking and infrequent scrutiny. Especially early on, inspections of foreign factories were rare as few as 100 a year in the 1990s, which worked out to a rate of one inspection per plant every 11 years. These inspections were seldom surprises, because the State Department, valuing good relations over good drugs, asked the F.D.A. to give plants several weeks notice. So instead of flashing a badge and roaming at will, inspectors would be fetched from their hotels by drug-company cars and escorted into receptions and plant tours hosted by up to a dozen corporate officers flown in from headquarters. Meanwhile, as more aggressive inspectors eventually learned, a second set of corporate officers would be in back rooms and production areas destroying failed quality test results and fabricating documents showing successful tests. Some plants even built, just for these inspections, fake production and testing areas that were kept pristine while the drugs were made in substandard conditions elsewhere. These high jinks read like farce but hit like poison, as tainted drugs daily enter patients bloodstreams worldwide. In Africa, which the companies consider the safest place to send faulty drugs, doctors regularly find that drugs for AIDS, bacterial infections and other conditions are underpowered. In the United States, imports from India now make up 40 percent of all generics used, and 80 percent of the active ingredients used in both generic and brand-name medications come from India and China. In 2007, when scores of kidney patients across the United States died from allergic reactions after dialysis, experts traced the cause to a contaminant in the blood thinner heparin provided by a Chinese plant contracted by Baxter, the leading American supplier. The F.D.A. had never inspected this plant. Someone there, it seems, had intentionally added a chemical to stretch the drugs yield and profitability. The prognosis is grim. The World Health Organization has established, and some plants follow, a definition of good management practice for drug manufacture, but no international regulatory body exists to enforce it. The F.D.A. is overmatched and uninspired. And with Big Pharma using saturation advertising to drive demand for its expensive drugs, an overmedicalized society is demanding more and more drugs sooner and cheaper. At the same time, even brand-name companies are increasingly hiring poorly regulated Indian and Asian plants to make their ingredients or formulations just as the generic industry is being prosecuted for price-fixing. The entire drug supply, as one prominent American cardiologist concluded, is sick. Bottle of Lies is an invaluable expose, a reportorial tour de force and a well-turned epic. Is it news you can use? I cant give medical advice. Our best medicines are indeed wondrous; many of us owe our lives to them. But I can relate that Eban quotes inspector after inspector saying that they themselves fill only the most essential prescriptions and will pay anything to avoid taking a drug made overseas. Theyve seen how those drugs are produced, and they live in fear of them. Image Credit... And whatever praise Manasseh Cutler and his supporters might deserve, their designated Eden had an original sin: dispossession of the regions native inhabitants paradise lost, indeed. McCullough plays down the violence that displaced the Indians, including the actual Ohio people. He adopts settlers prejudiced language about savages and wilderness, words that denied Indians humanity and active use of their land. He also states that the Ohio Territory was unsettled. No, it had people in it, as he slightly admits in a paragraph on how the Indians considered the land to be theirs. That paragraph begins, however, with a description of the Northwest Territory as teeming with wolves, bears, wild boars, panthers, rattlesnakes and the even more deadly copperheads, as if the native people were comparably wild and venomous, to be hunted down, beaten back, exterminated. Despite the Northwest Ordinances declaration that the utmost good faith shall always be observed toward the Indians, several indigenous nations refused to recognize the treaties that, under United States law, nullified their land rights. A confederation of the Shawnee, Miami and Lenape (Delaware) led by their leaders, Waweyapiersenwaw (Blue Jacket), Mishikinaakwa (Little Turtle) and Buckongahelas resisted the settlers advance. After several attacks, American officials dispatched troops, who built a new fort. Their effort resulted in a battle at the Wabash River (Nov. 4, 1791), which came to be known as St. Clairs Defeat, a rout worse than any suffered in the American Revolution: 623 men and officers lost, plus an estimated 200 civilians. (Indian fatalities were estimated at 21.) But the United States won a significant victory three years later at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, where Gen. Anthony Wayne defeated Blue Jackets forces on Aug. 20. The Treaty of Greenville (1795) drew yet another line, one that demanded Indians remove themselves north and west of the Ohio Territory. McCullough presents this as the end of conflict between settlers and indigenous groups. It wasnt, not even in Ohio. He simply omits the succeeding confrontations there, as well as in the Northwest Territory and in the greater Midwest, where settlers continued to challenge Indians. In their desire to remove Indians, Ohios settlers uncomfortably resembled their white counterparts in the slaveholding South. Local xenophobia re-emerged when freed blacks made their way to the Midwest after the Civil War, joined by new streams of immigrants: Many white Ohioans became members and supporters of the Ku Klux Klan. That probably would have surprised (if not saddened) Cutler. McCullough is quite right not to have written a glib lament for a falling-off from an originary moral peak. But his fondness for the sweetly evoked Midwest of the early to mid-20th century he admires Thornton Wilders Our Town and Conrad Richters The Awakening Land trilogy betrays an ahistorical vision. Cutlers plan had not prevented a violent preference for a white-dominated society. Can we do better? Mars has no indigenous inhabitants. Maybe that will make it easier for Musk for anyone to craft a colony that satisfies basic definitions of justice, with a good answer to the basic question: Who gets to go? For that to happen, we need clear and critical views of previous flawed attempts to be pioneers. Otherwise, we boldly go back to where many others have gone before. China hits back at the U.S. by raising tariffs, too The countrys finance ministry announced that it would increase duties on a wide range of American goods to 20 or 25 percent from 10 percent on June 1. The news rippled through Wall Street, which had its worst day since the beginning of the year, as investors digested the prospect that the trade war could persist. Takeaway: While Chinas decision intensifies the ongoing trade war, delaying implementation leaves room to reach a deal that could end the standoff. The move mirrors the Trump administrations increased tariffs on Chinese goods. Those wont bite immediately, either: they will apply to shipments that left China on Friday, which typically take two to four weeks by sea to reach the U.S. Good Monday. (Want this by email? Sign up here.) All eyes on Ubers Day 2 Today is a big test for Uber: Can it overcome tumbling 7.6 percent from its I.P.O. price on Friday to do better during its second day on the public stock markets? Uber suffered the worst first-day dollar loss of any U.S. I.P.O. ever. Thats a terrible start for the biggest market debut in years. What was supposed to be a celebration turned into an exercise in expectations management: I think we came public on a tough day, and a tough week, Dara Khosrowshahi, the companys C.E.O., told Mike Isaac of the NYT. And thats a bad omen. If a stock falls below its I.P.O. price on the first day or even in the weeks that follow, the offering is considered a flop a red flag that investors have concerns about a companys outlook, Stephen Grocer of DealBook writes. It can also put a chill on the I.P.O. market, making investors wary of buying into other big deals to come. Potential culprits for the mess include: Stock market investors who were jittery about the U.S.-China trade war (though by late Friday afternoon, Uber shares were still down even as the S&P 500 rose) There is no doubt in my mind The promise of fusion energy seems fantastic and unapproachable: It is the power behind the sun and the stars. The spark comes when hydrogen nuclei fuse to become heavier atoms. The tremendous burst of energy released in the resulting transformation creates sunlight, and the conditions that enabled our creation. Without it, the universe would be cold, dark and lifeless. Since the 1930s, scientists have been trying to harness fusion, thinking that it could run the electric power plants of the future and even send people to other planets. The fusing of hydrogen atoms requires incredible heat and pressure, and for decades fusion research has been the exclusive province of big science, like ITER , a 35-nation thermonuclear project in the south of France that covers 100 acres and is expected to ultimately cost more than $20 billion. Such initiatives, though, have made slow progress toward the ultimate goal of building a machine that generates more power than it takes in. These smaller companies, which often have thinner profit margins and less negotiating power with suppliers and customers, could be poorly positioned to handle the next round of tariff increases. The escalation of tariffs is creating these problems that corporate America is going to have to work around, said Lori Calvasina, head of United States equity strategy at RBC Capital Markets. Its just going to be tougher for the smaller guys. For now, stock investors continue to sit on sizable gains. The S&P 500 remains up more than 12 percent in 2019. But the sell-off also shows Wall Street is factoring in the prospect that the trade fight drags on, even as it closely monitors comments from officials in Beijing and Washington. On Monday, anxiety about the economy appeared in other financial markets too. Prices dropped for soybeans and copper, both of which are sensitive to global growth and trade. Interest rates rose in corporate bond markets, an indication that investors were seeking higher premiums in response to the increased risks of a worsening trade fight. In the stock market, the damage required less interpretation. Shares of companies particularly dependent on trade with China, including semiconductor makers that rely on production networks in the country, fared badly. Apple, which counts China as a major market for the sale of its iPhone and other devices and leans heavily on Chinese suppliers to produce them, fell 5.8 percent. Marriott International made a down payment of sorts on a sweeping overhaul of the Sheraton brand last year, buying the Sheraton Grand Phoenix for $255 million to remake it into a prototype for the new face of the brand. Work began in March on an extensive renovation of the 1,000-room hotel. Guest-room furniture will be lighter in color and more streamlined. There will be adjustable tables in lieu of desks, updated lighting and multiple seating options. Public spaces are being restyled to be gathering places, with semiprivate studios and phone-booth-like pods in the lobby where people can retreat for private calls. Sheraton was one of the brands that came with Marriotts acquisition of Starwood Hotels in 2016, and Marriott knew from the start that travelers saw the chain now 82 years old as tired and dated. As Douglas DeBoer, chief executive of Rebel Design & Group, a hotel design consulting firm that is not working for Marriott on the rebranding, put it, Sheraton is the epitome of the beige hotel. PARIS Maria Cristina Buccellati, global communications and marketing director at her familys jewelry house, was visibly excited on one particular gray January day in Paris. It was partly because a new Buccellati flagship was to open a few days later on the Rue St.-Honore, and partly because her family had been selecting more than 200 of its creations for what it calls a Vintage Collection, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Milan-based brand. The collection included a necklace of sculpted crystal beads, created by Mario Buccellati, Ms. Buccellatis grandfather and founder of the jewelry house. The piece was a gift for the Italian writer Gabriele DAnnunzio to present to his lover, the Italian actress Eleonora Duse. Take a look at the photo and caption above. If you hadnt been alerted to the misspelling of the word responsibility by the caption, do you think you would have noticed it on Australias new $50 bill? Do you think this error reflects poorly on the Australian government, or the citizens of Australia, in any way? Or do you sympathize with the people responsible for printing the money after all, mistakes happen? Are you a good speller? Do you tend to notice misspellings? In your opinion, how much does correct spelling matter? In Getting the Spelling Right on 46 Million Bank Notes? Its a Big Responsibilty, Niraj Chokshi writes: It is our duty, our responsibility, to bring you this news: Australia put 46 million new dollar bills into circulation in October and months passed before anyone seemed to have noticed that the currency contained an unfortunate spelling error. The admittedly tiny mistake, on the new $50 note, came to light this week, according to local reports, after someone spotted the typo and anonymously alerted a radio station to the problem: The last i in the word responsibility was missing. The Reserve Bank of Australia told local publications that it would fix the mistake, but leave the millions of notes bearing the misspelled word in circulation. The article also states: The error appears in what the bank describes as microprint, a miniature section of text, which in this case also doubles as the ground beneath a womens and maternity hospital depicted on the note. The hospital was established a century ago with help from several prominent Australian women, including Edith Cowan, the first female member of any Australian parliament. The passage is an excerpt from Ms. Cowans first speech to the Western Australian Parliament. It is a great responsibility to be the only woman here, and I want to emphasize the necessity which exists for other women being here, she said in the speech, delivered in July 1921. Students, read the entire article, then tell us: Did you notice that The New York Times opted to feature the misspelling of responsibility in the headline for the article? Why do you think that decision was made? Was it a good one, in your opinion? What are your thoughts on the decision to leave the bills that bear the misspelling in circulation? Do you think the size of the type or its location played a role? What about the cost of replacing them? Do you generally notice misspellings in things like signs, advertisements, articles, text messages and social media posts? Do you care when you see a misspelled word? How important do adults in your life, such as teachers, parents, grandparents and bosses, think correct spelling is? Is this sentiment in line with how important you think it is? Does correct spelling matter? Explain. NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC announces investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC or the Company) (NYSE: UMC) and certain of its officers, on behalf of shareholders who purchased or otherwise acquired UMC securities during the period between October 28, 2015 and November 1, 2018, inclusive (the Class Period). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firms site: www.bgandg.com/umc. This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Complaint alleges that Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) UMC conspired with Fujian to steal trade secrets from Micron relating to its research and development of DRAM; (2) UMC hired former Micron employees for the purpose of stealing such information from Micron; (3) the foregoing conduct placed UMC and certain of its employees at an increased risk of criminal and regulatory investigation by the U.S. government; and (4) as a result, UMCs public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On November 1, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted UMC, Fujian, and Chen Zhengkun a.k.a. Stephen Chen (Chen), a former Micron employee hired by UMC, for conspiracy to commit economic espionage, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets, and economic espionage (receiving and possessing stolen trade secrets). The indictment stated that the companies conspired to steal trade secrets from Micron relating to its research and development of memory storage devices. According to the indictment, the conspiracy to commit economic espionage began in or around January 2016, the conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets began in or about October 2015, and the economic espionage (receiving and possessing stolen trade secrets) began in or about February 2016. According to the DOJs indictment, Chen, a Taiwanese national, resigned as the President of Microns subsidiary, Micron Memory Taiwan Co., Ltd. (MMT), in July 2015. Thereafter, Chen began working for UMC as its Senior Vice President and Fabrication Director in Taiwan in September 2015. According to the indictment, Chen, as well as agents of UMC, later hired additional former employees of Micron who stole Micron trade secrets and, at the direction of UMC employees, used such trade secrets to enhance UMCs DRAM technologies. As news of UMCs indictment reached the market, UMCs ADS price fell by $0.19 per share, or nearly 10%, over the following two trading sessions to close at $1.71 per share on November 5, 2018. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint you can visit the firms site: www.bgandg.com/umc or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Investor Relations Analyst, Yael Hurwitz of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484. If you suffered a loss in United Microelectronics you have until May 13, 2019 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff. Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique. Our primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of our clients. In addition to representing institutions and other investor plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firms expertise includes general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities arbitration. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contact: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC Peretz Bronstein or Yael Hurwitz 212-697-6484 | info@bgandg.com Two influential lawmakers in New York plan to introduce a new bill this week tailored to win Mr. Cuomos backing, and activists are organizing a last-minute push. And in New Jersey, the proposals sponsors have discussed changing the current bill, including removing an expungement provision that would have cleared convictions for people who were caught in possession of up to five pounds of marijuana. But the same challenges that doomed the previous effort remain. A well-coordinated coalition of opponents, including law enforcement officials and parent-teacher associations, has warned skittish lawmakers of public safety consequences. The pro-legalization movement has also been divided by a debate over how to guarantee economic reinvestment in minority communities. In New York, four counties have already declared their intention to opt out of any legalization law, including both populous counties on Long Island. More than 40 towns in New Jersey have also declared they would opt out, or have already voted to ban marijuana businesses from opening there. There are no models for what New York and New Jersey are trying to do. Of the 10 states that have legalized recreational marijuana, only Vermont did so through legislation rather than by ballot initiative. But Vermont does not allow commercial sales, effectively confining the drug to be grown in homes. States that have already legalized marijuana through ballot referendums have run into problems: Emergency room visits rose in Colorado, the black market continued to thrive in California and every state saw vast racial disparities in marijuana business ownership. Lawmakers in New York and New Jersey had promised to learn from those examples. They set ambitious goals: addressing racial inequity in the industry; clearing past criminal records for minor drug offenses; and keeping taxes low enough to wipe out the black market, but high enough to generate meaningful revenue. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] UTICA, N.Y. Over the past few decades, as a manufacturing decline left homes vacant and storefronts dark, New Yorks upstate cities opened their doors to refugees. The influx, while modest, gave new life to neighborhoods, helped alleviate labor shortages and shored up city budgets. But that rejuvenating bounce for cities such as Utica, Buffalo and Syracuse ended after the Trump administration drastically cut the number of refugees allowed into the country. New York received 1,281 refugees in the last fiscal year, compared with 5,026 just two years before, according to the State Department. Officials in those cities worried they had lost a small but important bulwark against population decline. Now, some are testing out a new strategy: luring refugees who have settled in other parts of the United States to move to New York. They are advertising job placement, English language and housing services, hoping to draw enough people to offset the shortfall. New York is not alone in trying novel ways to reverse its dwindling population. Maine, for example, has offered an outstretched hand to refugees in hope of expanding its work force. Vermont has dangled $10,000 grants to entice people to move to the state and to work from home, in a bid to attract young tech workers. And Wyoming is trying to woo people born there back home by deploying recruiters to help them find jobs. Goro Shimura, a mathematician whose insights provided the foundation for the proof of Fermats Last Theorem and led to tools widely used in modern cryptography, died on May 3 at his home in Princeton, N.J. He was 89. The death was announced by Princeton University, where Dr. Shimura had been a professor from 1964 until his retirement in 1999. In 1955, Yutaka Taniyama, a colleague and friend of Dr. Shimuras, posed some questions about mathematical objects called elliptic curves. Dr. Shimura helped refine Dr. Taniyamas speculations into an assertion now known as the Taniyama-Shimura conjecture. But no one knew how to prove it. The conjecture appeared unconnected to Fermats Last Theorem, a seemingly simple statement made by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in 1637: Equations of the form an + bn = cn do not have solutions when n is an integer greater than 2 and a, b and c are positive integers. (If n is equal to 2, the statement becomes the Pythagorean theorem, which says that the squares of the lengths of two sides of a right-angled triangle equal the square of the length of the hypotenuse; this equation a2 + b2 = c2 has many solutions where all of the numbers are integers. For example, 32+ 42= 52.) Jenna Welch, whose $8,000 loss in the Enron scandal was invoked by her son-in-law, President George W. Bush, to distance himself from his energy company connections, died on Friday in Texas. She was 99. Her daughter, former First Lady Laura Bush, confirmed the death on Instagram, saying her mother had been a true daughter of West Texas who loved her family, books, and nature. Her granddaughter and namesake, Jenna Bush Hager, a correspondent for the NBC show Today, said on Twitter that Mrs. Welch, a self-educated naturalist, taught me how to slow down and appreciate every bird, and every plant in West Texas. Mrs. Welch was rarely in the limelight during the Bush presidency. She lived in Midland, Tex., where she had moved with her husband, Harold, after World War II. In the early hours of Sept. 7, 1944, Robert Maxwell, an Army communications specialist, made a split-second decision that was virtually certain to bring his death. Technician Fifth Grade Maxwell and a few other G.I.s were on observation duty outside their battalion headquarters near the city of Besancon in eastern France when German soldiers got within yards of their outpost and opened fire. The Germans blasted away with automatic weapons and even antiaircraft guns, seeking to destroy the stone house where the battalion commanders were stationed. The G.I.s on sentry duty were armed only with .45-caliber automatic pistols, but they fired back. And then a grenade was hurled over the fence in front of the houses courtyard and landed beside Technician Maxwell. Using an Army blanket for protection, he fell on the grenade. This article is part of David Leonhardts newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it each weekday. See if you can name this group of Americans: It is one of the largest and fastest-growing demographic groups in the United States, according to a recent Washington Post column. It suffers from substantial discrimination. About 40 percent of Americans say they wouldnt vote for someone from this group to be president. By comparison, 7 percent say the same about an African-American candidate, 8 percent about a female candidate, 18 percent about a Mormon candidate and 24 percent about a gay candidate. Not one 2020 presidential candidate comes from this group. The group Im describing? Atheists. Id encourage you to read Max Boots recent column in The Post the one I quote above about the discrimination they face. You sometimes hear arguments that religious people in the United States suffer from discrimination, and thats true in some sense. Specific religions do suffer discrimination. And in some parts of secular, liberal America, there is a skepticism about religion that can veer into disrespect. [Listen to The Argument podcast every Thursday morning, with Ross Douthat, Michelle Goldberg and David Leonhardt.] A partial explanation is that during the regions exploitation, promoted by the dictatorship, there was no lasting, sustainable development plan, nor was the rule of law truly implemented. Frequently, pillaging of resources prevailed, Wild West-style, and it continues to do so today. The Brazilian Amazon, which Global Witness declared the most dangerous place in the world for environmental activists, has had a worrisome increase in murders linked to the control of agricultural borders. During my two and a half years of research in the Amazon, I have seen such violence in many regions. Hit men, sometimes hired by large landowners, kill those opposed to replacing the forest with single-crop farming. Destroying the Amazon to stimulate the economy in the short term, as Mr. Bolsonaro proposes, will only displace more small farmers, nut gatherers and fishermen toward the peripheries of cities such as Manaus or Belem, where the favelas grow day by day. In these impoverished areas, vulnerable populations run the risk of falling into the hands of criminal organizations that have turned the Amazon into a dangerous cocaine-trafficking corridor. Its not a coincidence that the homicide rate in Brazil has bifurcated over the last decade. While in the states of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, it fell by 18.1 and 41.9 percent, in the Amazonian states it grew by 89 percent, according to a large-scale study. Mr. Bolsonaros government must radically change its plans for the Amazon. It must heed civil society, indigenous groups and scientists who propose projects that generate wealth without destroying the forest or causing disorderly exoduses to the city. Given the biodiversity of the worlds largest tropical forest, the possibilities are endless. The good news is that Brazil does not need to continue expanding its agricultural frontiers productivity can be sufficiently improved through investment and technology. For instance, acai berries, which come from the acai palm and are considered a super fruit, have conquered world markets. Traditionally and ecologically harvested, their collection employs tens of thousands of people and generates hundreds of millions of dollars. The international community must also play a key, active role. The Amazon is the Earths patrimony and its destruction will impact us all. Within the framework of climate agreements, Brazil should receive generous funds from developed nations in exchange for preserving the Amazon; it already receives large donations from Norway and, to a lesser extent, Germany. For the rain forest to survive, the country needs an economy that revolves around its conservation instead of its destruction. Recreational fishing is a pastime in which people have come to expect the fish they want in the places they happen to want them. That is, they want their fish stocked and ready to catch, even in places those fish never originally lived. This practice can seem harmless, or even beneficial. But the introduction of one beneficial species in Yellowstone National Park suggests how rejiggering the natural world for human convenience can cause ecological disaster for almost everything else. All it took at Yellowstone Lake, the 136-square-mile centerpiece of the park, was the introduction of lake trout, a fish originally found mainly in the Northeast and Canada and beloved by anglers everywhere. The federal government had transplanted them to smaller lakes within the park in the 1890s, a time when planting fish in remote fishless lakes seemed like a smart way to spread around Americas amazing abundance. But a century later, in 1994, the introduced species turned up in Yellowstone Lake, which was already celebrated for its own native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Park managers theorized that an angler illegally introduced the fish, either by accident or in the misguided belief that it would improve a big lake with plenty of potential for further sportfishing. One result is that anglers now catch 20,000 lake trout a year there. But the lake trout went on to gorge on the young of the cutthroat trout, and the population of the native subspecies plummeted. Because there were fewer cutthroat trout around to eat them, large water fleas soon proliferated. The water fleas in turn gobbled up the microscopic plants at the bottom of the food web, causing the lake water to become clearer and probably also warmer near the surface, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances. When the cutthroat trout largely vanished from the shallow waters they prefer, the lake trout didnt take their place, because they like deeper waters. So the switch deprived ospreys, white pelicans, bald eagles and other fish-eating birds of their main food source. The osprey population around the lake soon dropped from 38 nesting pairs, with almost 60 percent of them successfully fledging young birds, to just three nests with zero success. Eagles likewise declined almost to a level last seen during the height of DDT use in the 1960s, again with zero reproductive success. Because far fewer cutthroat trout were making their springtime spawning run up streams around the lake, grizzly and black bears that once lined the banks to feed on them had to go elsewhere in search of food. The density of river otters also fell to the lowest levels known for that species. To casual park visitors the lake no doubt still looked wild and beautiful (that clear water!). But it was like visiting a celebrated European city when all the locals have vanished and everybody you bump into is a tourist. But Johnston anticipated this maneuver and withdrew his forces to a position behind the Rappahannock, forcing McClellan to improvise. When Union forces eventually surveyed the evacuated Confederate position at Manassas, they found modest defenses, not the impenetrable fortress McClellan feared. The fancied impregnability of the position turns out to be a sham, a newspaper correspondent wrote. Utterly dispirited, ashamed, and humiliated, wrote another reporter, I return from this visit to the rebel stronghold, feeling that their retreat is our defeat. McClellans new plan was a landing and assault on the peninsula formed by the York and James rivers. He pulled off the logistics. But when half of his army approached rebel defenses near Yorktown, Va., he hesitated. McClellan believed he was at a disadvantage, if not outnumbered. In reality, his 55,000 men greatly outnumbered the roughly 13,000 Confederate defenders. Lincoln urged him to attack and warned that with delay the enemy will relatively gain upon you. But a wary McClellan opted for an artillery siege instead. This pattern would repeat itself over the course of the campaign, with McClellan overestimating Confederate strength and opening his armies up to attack and defeat. At the Battle of Seven Pines outside of Richmond, Union armies sustained heavy casualties but successfully repelled a rebel assault. Unnerved by the experience, McClellan settled in for a siege of the capital rather than press his advantage. Now led by General Robert E. Lee, Confederate armies fortified defenses around Richmond and counterattacked, ultimately breaking McClellans will to fight. The Union commander withdrew to a base on the James River before returning to Washington on Lincolns command. A potential strategic breakthrough had become a bona fide defeat that would prolong an already brutal war. The way I see it, the Democrats are roughly in McClellans position. With the House of Representatives in hand, they have the power and authority to aggressively check the presidents behavior. Voters, who cast a vote against Trump as much as they did for a Democratic majority, may not expect it, but its hard to think they would oppose it. And Trump is unpopular, with a 42 percent approval rating despite presiding over strong economic growth. Democrats have the upper hand, but they arent acting like it. Yes, they have taken action against the president thats why he has fought to stymie their investigations. But the logic of their arguments and accusations leads to impeachment, and there, they have flinched, worried that the public or at least Republican voters will rally to his side. Instead of a direct confrontation using everything at their disposal, Democrats want to maneuver around the president as if theres another path to victory. But there isnt. The next election will be about Trump. His base, as well as most Republican voters, will almost certainly be with him. What Democrats need is the confidence of their position. At this stage, when most Americans say they wont vote for Trump in 2020, they have the public. They have evidence of wrongdoing. They have all the tools they need to seize the initiative and center the next year of political conflict on the presidents contempt for the Constitution and the welfare of the American people. On April 9, 1862, an agitated Lincoln sent McClellan a telegram, urging him to move against Confederate defenses. I beg to assure you that I have never written you, or spoken to you, in greater kindness of feeling than now, nor with a fuller purpose to sustain you, so far as in my most anxious judgment, I consistently can. But you must act. McClellan refused, the Confederacy claimed the field, and the Union paid the price. Many legal scholars have identified stare decisis as a substantial obstacle to the overturning of Roe, since women have relied on Roe and it is not unworkable. Roe is also not an aberration it is part of a long line of cases protecting rights that are not specifically enumerated in the Constitution. Nor does Roe rest on outdated facts; medical advances have made abortion safer, whereas maternal mortality rates in the United States have climbed. Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, who says she is pro-choice, invoked stare decisis to explain her votes to confirm the nominations of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the court. She pointed to the nominees promises to adhere to stare decisis in their confirmation hearings to ward off the suggestion that they would overturn Roe. People sometimes likewise suggest that Chief Justice John Roberts, who has a reputation for being an institutionalist, will display a strong commitment to stare decisis. In Hyatt, however, the five conservative justices based their decision to overrule the earlier decision almost exclusively on their belief that it was an erroneous precedent that is contrary to our constitutional design. The justices lack of respect for precedent was evident in the amount of space the majority opinion devoted to stare decisis a mere three paragraphs and in what the court said about it. Everything the court said about stare decisis in Hyatt could be part of a decision that overrules Roe v. Wade. For example, the courts first paragraph on stare decisis declared that stare decisis is weakest and it is easier to overrule a decision when the decision interpreted the constitution rather than a federal statute. The second paragraph focused on how the earlier decision was wrong and stands as an outlier. You can imagine the conservative justices saying the same about Roe as they overrule it. In the third and final paragraph on stare decisis, the justices said that the reliance of some parties on the prior decision was insufficient to persuade us to adhere to an incorrect resolution of an important constitutional question. Women who have structured their lives around being able to decide when and whether to have a child should take note. NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP have filed an investor claim on behalf of five investors alleging over $2 million in damages against Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation (Lincoln Financial) and Barry Horowitz (Horowitz) over allegation of a referral relationship with a known securities fraudster Thomas Renison (Renison). The complaint alleges that Horowitz and his law firm Nirenstein, Horowitz & Associates (NHA) advertised to clients that the firm could help with their estate planning and financial investment needs. The investors claim that Horowitz specifically advertised that NHA could help investors avoid Ponzi schemes and scam artists to ensure that they were not left penniless by dishonest swindlers. Instead, the claims allege that Horowitz preyed upon their trust and referred them to the very fraudsters he warned clients to avoid. Renison is alleged to have established a securities scam called ARO Equity, LLC (ARO Equity). Renison and ARO Equity purportedly sold investors unregistered securities in the form of unsecured promissory notes promising 8-12% annual returns. The complaint alleges that ARO Equity bore classic hallmark signs of a Ponzi scheme. The claim alleges that Lincoln Financial failed to supervise Horowitzs investment related advertising, referral relationship with Renison, and other facets of Horowitzs investment dealings. It is incredible that a licensed Lincoln Financial broker could advertise for investment services for many years through his law firms website without adequate supervision or oversight of the advertisements or the actual investment services provided, said Adam Weinstein, a partner with Gana Weinstein LLP. Investors dealing with their estate planning attorney who is also a licensed broker shouldnt have to worry about being cheated out of their retirement savings. Gana Weinstein LLP is a leading law firm nationally for investor protection. If you were an investor in ARO Equity and want a free consultation with an attorney please contact Adam Weinstein at (212) 776-4252 or by e-mail at AWeinstein@GanaLLP.com. You may also visit the firms website at www.ganalawfirm.com. When Carolyn and Bill Thornton decided to retire to Manhattan from San Antonio, where Mr. Thornton had been mayor in the mid-1990s, they started by looking at apartments in placid residential neighborhoods like the Upper West Side. But they always came away from the tree-lined streets feeling something was lacking. They were moving to New York, in part, to be closer to their son and daughter. But they werent coming here for the peace and quiet. What they wanted was action. They found it on the 34th floor of a Herald Square high-rise. When I walked in here, I was like, Oh, my gosh, Ms. Thornton said. We wanted those views. Mr. Thornton added: Its a great way to wake up seeing the sky, the clouds, the light. At night, its so beautiful. We always say it looks like diamonds. Or picture President Thomas Jefferson sending a party to scout passage to the Pacific Ocean in 1803, then saying, dont touch a thing, especially not the ocean because Lewis and Clark are scheduled to do that the following year. It seems unfathomable, to go all that way, to take all of those risks and then pull back, not grabbing the brass ring and reaping the rewards. In a sense, though, those were the instructions, and that was the burden, borne by the relatively unheralded crew of Apollo 10 fifty years ago this month. Spurred by President John F. Kennedys 1961 speech challenging the nation to commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth, NASA went on an 8-year lunar sprint. This bold endeavor would employ close to a half million engineers, technicians, scientists and others both in government and industry. It also cost the lives of three heroic astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee who perished in the 1967 Apollo 1 fire. Successive Apollo flights had to become both safer and more daring at the same time to meet Kennedys deadline. Delays in the completion of the lunar lander, also known as the Lunar Excursion Module, meant that Apollo 8 would be the first crewed lunar mission to fly the command module only, from which 1968s famed Earthrise photo was taken. It fell to the crew of Apollo 9 in March 1969, to fly the first test mission of the lander into space, spending 10 days in Earth orbit. The stage was set, then for a full dress rehearsal by the next crew to the launchpad. Apollo 10s officers had all earned astronaut wings during Project Gemini, NASAs precursor to Apollo. Their mission aboard was simple: Practice and work out the kinks and set the stage for a successful landing on the moon (and safe return to Earth). Recovering after heartbreak is about boundaries, space and finding yourself. Kris Drewry doesnt consider herself an expert in breakups, but she is confident that she is better at breakups than you are. After her first marriage fell apart, the image shed carefully constructed for herself as a modern-day Martha Stewart the sort who was a contributor to Today, who always hosted the perfect dinner party, who globe-trotted at a breakneck pace with her husband fell apart along with it. What ensued was a period of what she describes as bitterness, anxiety, resentment and depression. But out of the ashes of her first marriage and the seemingly perfect life she had constructed rose something more beautiful than perfection: happiness. I dont want to tell anyone that Im the best at breakups or the best at divorces, said Ms. Drewry, the author of Breakup Positive: Turn Your Heartbreak Into Happiness. I made a lot of mistakes. I dont have regrets, because I recovered well and Im a better person now. And, looking back on it, I feel like I can help others like its my duty to help other people going through breakups. If someone cares so much about helping you through your breakup your messy, heartbreaking, excruciatingly boring breakup shouldnt you listen to what she has to say? I mean, everyone else but you is done with talking about your breakup. The biggest American social networks predate the presidency of Donald J. Trump, some by more than a decade. All were changed by Mr. Trumps arrival to power, joining many other American institutions in a conspicuous struggle to account for or accommodate political and social upheaval. Each social network has expressed its intention to be a place where people can gather, communicate and act. Their shared surprise at what it actually meant to find themselves at the center of American politics was, if were being generous, a failure of imagination. In 2018, just two years into the declared era of America First, Musical.ly, a lip-syncing app popular with young teenagers that had recently been purchased by the Chinese technology conglomerate ByteDance, was merged into TikTok, known in its home market as Douyin . The resulting app, a short-video-sharing platform combining elements of Instagram, Snapchat and Vine (R.I.P.), glued together with heavy-handed recommendation algorithms, became an enormous hit. Its success it claims far more daily active users than Twitter, for example also came as a surprise to the tech industry, even after ByteDance spent lavishly to advertise its app on American platforms, and as videos created on TikTok spread across competitor networks like Instagram. In its American form, at least, its the first post-Trump social network. So what do its users think of the president? This was the third time Id sailed up the Inside Passage in a boat. The third time Id watched surf explode from the rocky headlands of northern Vancouver Island, the swell rhythmically shifting my view of the horizon. The umpteenth time Id listened to the weather forecast on the VHF radio while gulls catapulted past me in the wind. But it was the first time Id done a trip like this with young children on board. Last June, in the lengthening days of summer, my husband, Pat, and I launched north from Bellingham, Wash., on a 32-foot sailboat with our sons for crew. In 15 years together, wed learned that we were happiest when we were outdoors; now, we were applying these same lessons as a family. We set out, like we had so many times before, in search of wilderness, adventure, and the thrill that comes when we push beyond our comfort zones. Under the tutelage of a barely-4-year-old and a not-quite-2-year-old, in a floating home the size of a childs bedroom, we soon discovered that the best rewards were those wed never imagined. Mommy, when I pee in the ocean it gets fuller, Huxley announced. My older son gazed back at me with serious dark eyes as he shared his latest observation. With one hand, I held onto the back of his life jacket while he relieved himself over the lifeline of our sailboat; with the other arm, I balanced my younger son on my bent knee. Pat was adjusting the sails while keeping watch for a flailing child. We juggled between single-handing the boat and managing kids. Each shift, Pat and I drew straws. The winner got the boat. But on this day, I was the lucky one. As I helped Huxley pull up his rain pants, a humpback whale surfaced 40 feet from us. Huxley heard the whale before he saw it; his eyes widening at the whales loud whoosh as he turned instinctively toward the sound. Grinning, he pointed to its enormous silvery back as a plume of breath rose into the sky. So close I could make out the barnacles and unique markings on its skin, I held my boys tight and we peered together into a magical, underwater world. A moment later, the whale was gone, leaving only a stream of bubbles in its wake. This meant that about 7 percent of all children in the United States lived in a house in which at least one gun was stored in an unsafe manner. This was about twice the number reported in the previous national survey, published in 2002. Other research suggests that many people in gun-owning households, typically not the primary owner of the gun, think they are safely stored when they are not. Critics of gun-storage laws say homeowners need to be able to act quickly if a criminal tries to enter a home. Its not easy to measure how often guns are used in self-defense when someone attempts a break-in, but research suggests its a rare occurrence. Suicides are less rare than self-defense shootings and, along with accidents, they are more likely in children who have parents who abuse alcohol. Studies have also found that children living with an adult who misuses alcohol were more likely to live in a house with a gun stored unsafely, and that heavy alcohol use was most common in those who store guns loaded and unlocked. We know from prior studies that children who live with alcohol-misusing adults are at a greater risk of suicide attempt, bullying victimization and perpetration, and unintentional injuries, said Dr. Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Washingtons School of Public Health. Critics also say safe storage laws are hard to enforce because of privacy concerns. As a model from Mondays study in JAMA Pediatrics shows, though, even a modest intervention that motivates households to safely store guns could reduce youth firearm deaths by 6 percent to 32 percent. Possible safety measures Last year, in the journal Injury Prevention, Dr. Rowhani-Rahbar and other researchers reported on the results of two community-based firearm safety events in Washington State. They found that presenting people with information and offering to sell them trigger guards or lockboxes resulted in an increase of about 14 percent of households that stored all guns locked and 9 percent more that stored them unloaded. In 2017, the Government Accountability Office reviewed 16 public or nonprofit programs that aimed to improve the storage of guns. It also reviewed studies of these programs. It found that distributing locks led to more safely stored guns. Few of these evaluations were rigorous, however. (Gun research, as with most things related to guns, is a politically divisive issue, and for many years research funding has been very low relative to other major causes of death.) Early on Saturday, sheriffs deputies in southwest Virginia received an unusual message. An emergency signal had been sent from a hikers GPS device on the Appalachian Trail. So the deputies went into the forest to look for him. As they stopped to talk to other hikers on the trail, a dog wandered up to the group. The dog led them to its owner, James L. Jordan, who was standing about 30 yards away, according to Sheriff Keith Dunagan of Wythe County, who recounted the events on Monday. Then they found the body of the missing hiker, who had been stabbed to death. A companion of the hikers had also been wounded. That led the authorities to charge Mr. Jordan, a 30-year-old from West Yarmouth, Mass., in federal court on Monday with one count of murder and one count of assault with the intent to murder, the United States Attorneys Office for the Western District of Virginia said. Mr. Jordan did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody, said Brian McGinn, a spokesman for the office. Mr. Jordans public defender could not be reached for comment on Monday. The attack on the hiker, who has not been publicly identified, and his companion has unnerved denizens of the hiking world who meander through the wilderness of the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Many members of this disparate, determined and close-knit group yearn to disconnect from the world and find solitude on the trail, but they often depend on an online network of guides and social media groups to keep informed and to stay safe. There is no question that judicial opinions cannot be copyrighted. The last time the Supreme Court addressed the matter, in 1888, it ruled that the whole work done by the judges constitutes the authentic exposition and interpretation of the law, which, binding every citizen, is free for publication to all. Lower courts have said the same thing about statutes. But the status of other sorts of legal materials has not been definitively resolved. In the Georgia case, the question is whether annotations commissioned and approved by the state may be copyrighted. The annotations include descriptions of judicial decisions interpreting the statutes. Only a very bad lawyer would fail to consult them in determining the meaning of a statute. For instance, Georgia has a law on the books making sodomy a crime. An annotation tells the reader that the law has been held unconstitutional insofar as it criminalizes the performance of private, unforced, noncommercial acts of sexual intimacy between persons legally able to consent. Professor Street said she tells her law students to be sure to consult the annotations in Georgias official code. When you go to a statute, you see the language of the statute, but that doesnt necessarily tell you the meaning, she said. You go to the annotations, which leads you to the court decisions, where the judges actually tell you what the words mean. In ruling for Mr. Malamud, the appeals court made a similar point. The annotations clearly have authoritative weight in explicating and establishing the meaning and effect of Georgias laws, Judge Stanley Marcus wrote for a unanimous three-judge panel of the court, the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, in Atlanta. Georgias courts have cited to the annotations as authoritative sources on statutory meaning and legislative intent. This was Iowa caucus night back in the mid-1970s. And these are members of the national media covering the voting. It was so unusual to see national media in Iowa back then that people actually paid to watch them. The Democratic Party charged $15 a head for people to watch the media watch the people. See, in previous years, Iowas caucuses just hadnt attracted national attention. There are 3,000 frozen media members in downtown Des Moines Just over a decade later, Iowa is the place to be. Its Iowa caucus night. Lets party. [shouting] The caucuses are now a key part of the presidential election cycle. Bush, 57. Theyre the first chance to see what kind of support candidates have among voters. So how did we get here, from caucuses that only Iowans seem to care about to the national spectacle we see today? Turns out, a lot of it was accidental. For most of Iowas history, its caucuses were dominated by political insiders. There was little room for input from rank-and-file members. An historian writing in the 1940s put it like this: The larger number of party voters were deprived of a voice. But the old ways start coming to an end in 1968. The countrys in turmoil, and so is the Democratic Party, mostly over the Vietnam War and civil rights. Basically, the party establishment wants to handle things one way, and many rank-and-file members have other ideas. All this comes to a head as the Democrats hold their national convention. Protesters gather outside. So do police. Inside, the mood is also tense. All this division leads the Democratic Party to rethink the nomination rules to include the voices of all party members in the process. This is how we come to the moment when Iowa becomes key to electing a president, basically by accident. First up, how Iowa became first to hold a presidential contest. It starts with new rules to give everyday members more of a say. So by 1972, winning Iowa now involves four stages. Iowans choose their top candidates, first at the precinct level. These are the caucuses at the heart of this story. But technically, theres further voting at the county, congressional district and state levels. The new rules make things a lot more inclusive, but this creates new delays. Committees need to be formed, and everyone needs to have up-to-date party materials. The problem is, the state party only has an old mimeograph machine to make copies of all this. Its really slow. So because of an old machine and a bunch of new logistics, the party decides it needs at least a month between each step to do it all. The national convention is set for early July, so youd think that the state-level convention would happen about a month before, in June. Except, the party cant find a venue thats available to hold everyone. That little detail helps push everything earlier in a chain reaction. See whats going on here? The precinct caucuses now have to happen early in the year. The party chooses a date that makes Iowas the first presidential contest. The New Hampshire primary has been the first kickoff contest since the 1950s, but Iowa Democrats arent necessarily looking for national attention. They just think itll be fun to be first. Still, attention is what they get. The story begins with George McGovern. People didnt know much about the Iowa caucuses. As a matter of fact, there wasnt a great deal of interest in them. Hes the long-shot candidate. Hes been at the bottom of national polls. He often walked the campaign trail alone, little known by the voters. Most people think this guy, Edmund Muskie, is going to be the big winner in Iowa. That challenge is great, but we can meet it. Then comes caucus night. As the people vote, state party officials gather at their headquarters. Richard Bender is one of them. And we had about 10 or 12 press people show up. These press people included one guy, Johnny Apple. Johnny Apple, a 37-year-old political correspondent for The New York Times. Iowas Democrats arent ready to publicize the results right away. They hadnt expected much demand. According to Bender, only Johnny Apple asked for them that night. I happen to be fascinated with such things, so I made it my business, beforehand, to understand it. Bender sets up a phone tree to gather results from across the state. He adds them up himself with a calculator. And the next day, Apples article helps swing the national spotlight onto the caucuses. Hes got quite the story to tell. Muskies won, but just barely. Not the runaway win people were expecting. And McGovern comes in a strong second. No one expected that, either. The reformed caucus rules helped a long-shot candidate rise to the top. And because this is happening so early in the election now, and because Apples article gives the results national coverage, something else happens. That got picked up by some of the national news shows. The Democratic front-runner has been damaged in Iowa. And wow, all of a sudden, we were being paid attention to. McGovern eventually wins the Democratic nomination. I accept your nomination with a full and grateful heart. He loses the presidential election, but some havent forgotten what those early caucuses did for McGovern, including Georgias former governor, Jimmy Carter. Three years later There was a major headline on the editorial page of the Atlanta Constitution that said, Jimmy Carters running for what? [laughter] And the What was about this big. [applause] Im running for president. Carter heads to Iowa before any other Democratic candidate. Hes got no national profile. He didnt have hordes of press following him around. It was a very lonely campaign. Washington pundits call his candidacy laughable. I remember when we couldnt find a microphone. Jimmy Who? becomes a catchphrase. Carters own campaign film plays it up. Jimmy who? I dont know who he is. But as long as Iowans come to know him and like him, Carter bets that the media will start paying attention, just like with McGovern four years earlier. Carter campaigns as locally as possible. One day, he learns that hes been invited on a local TV show. And I said, that is great. I cant believe it. I said, What are we going to do? He said, Do you have any favorite recipes? And I said, What do you mean, recipes? He said, Well, this is a cooking show. Well, they put a white apron on me and a chefs hat. That was my only access to TV when I first began to campaign in Iowa. His opponents are in Iowa, too, but they spend far less time there. Carter wins. Surprisingly top of the class after his win in a somewhat obscure race in Iowa against the others. You cant tell until we go to the other 49 states, but its encouraging for us. A year later I, Jimmy Carter, do solemnly swear he becomes the 39th president. Now we need to head to 1980 because we havent talked about the Republicans yet. Heres the states Republican chairman that year. Hes asked why Iowas caucuses have become so important. I think because Jimmy Carter got his start in Iowa in 1976. The Republicans in Iowa are keen to copy the Democrats success, and one candidate in particular gets inspired by Carters underdog win: George H.W. Bush. Hes running against Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and others, and hes near the bottom of the pack. Your name isnt really a household word, but Ronald Reagan can But Bush goes big in Iowa. He gets a surprise win. Its a far cry from just months before. I was an asterisk in those days. And my feelings got hurt. And now, Im no longer an asterisk. Bush is now the third underdog to get a boost from the caucuses. The next morning on CBS, he distills the essence of this new Iowa effect. We will have forward, Big Mo on our side, as they say in athletics. Big Mo? Yeah. Mo momentum. Bush loses to Reagan, but becomes vice president. And the desire to capture the Big Mo from Iowa has only grown, thanks in large part to Iowas embrace of being first, and the media storm that descends every four years. Thats despite the fact that most candidates who win This is a job interview. dont become president. Plus, many point out that the states overwhelmingly white population doesnt reflect the countrys diversity. I actually think that we can find places that represent that balance of urban and rural better. But the race to get the Big Mo out of Iowa persists because its the first chance to upend expectations, and put political fates in the voters hands. HAMPTON, N.H. Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. defended his record on climate change on Monday in the face of criticism from rivals for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, and called for a green revolution that is rational and affordable. During his first campaign swing in New Hampshire since entering the race for president, Mr. Biden also said that breaking up big technology companies such as Facebook is something we should take a really hard look at, and derided President Trumps tariffs on Chinese goods. Speaking at a New Hampshire pizza restaurant, Mr. Biden pledged to deliver a major speech in detail by the end of May outlining his environmental priorities. That promise followed an article by Reuters in which one person advising Mr. Biden described him as seeking a middle ground in the fight against the planets warming. The Biden campaign said that characterization was inaccurate, but liberal activists and candidates like Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont questioned his boldness on climate. Mr. Biden, echoing the language of revolution used by Mr. Sanders, said Monday that the nation needed environmental revolution and dismissed the Reuters article by citing a PolitiFact assessment of his work on the issue. The fact-checking outlet ruled last week that he had, in fact, introduced the first bill addressing climate change in the 1980s. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novo Resources Corp. (Novo or the Company) (TSX-V: NVO; OTCQX: NSRPF) is pleased to announce that it has filed a technical report prepared pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) related to its April 1, 2019 news release ( http://novoresources.com/news-media/news/display/index.php?content_id=346 ) announcing the increased resource estimate for its Beatons Creek Gold Project, Western Australia (the 2019 Resource Estimate). The independent technical report, entitled NI 43-101 Technical Report, Mineral Resource Update, Beatons Creek Conglomerate Gold Project, Pilbara Region, Western Australia (the 2019 Technical Report), with an effective date of February 28, 2019 and an issue date of May 13, 2019, was prepared for Novo by Dr. Simon C. Dominy (FAusIMM (CPGeo)) of Surrey, UK and Dr. Quinton T. Hennigh (P.Geo.) of Longmont, USA. Dr. Dominy and Dr. Hennigh are qualified persons as defined under NI 43-101. The 2019 Technical Report is available under the Companys profile on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) website at www.sedar.com (filing date: May 13, 2019) and on the Companys website at www.novoresources.com . Highlights: The updated 2019 Resource Estimate includes a 30% increase in tonnes driven predominantly by an improved geological framework from the recent diamond drilling program compared to the previous 2018 estimate supported by the technical report titled NI 43-101 Technical Report Resource Update, Beatons Creek Gold Project, Pilbara Region, Australia issued on November 20, 2018 (the 2018 Resource Estimate ) and filed on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ) under the Companys profile on November 21, 2018. ) and filed on SEDAR ( ) under the Companys profile on November 21, 2018. The new model sees an increase of 115,000 oz Au (+33%) in the Indicated Mineral Resource category (over the 2018 Resource Estimates Measured + Indicated) within the Open Pit. Recent three-stage gravity recoverable gold ( GRG ) test work on the fresh mineralization achieved a gravity recovery in the range of 89-95%. ) test work on the fresh mineralization achieved a gravity recovery in the range of 89-95%. The expanded 2019 Resource Estimate, along with Beatons Creeks high metallurgical recovery (+97% gravity + carbon-in-leach; please refer to the Companys news release dated March 7, 2017 for further details), make it the premier gold deposit in the Nullagine mining camp in the eastern Pilbara region. Mineralization remains open to the north-west and south-west with several areas identified for resource development drilling. 2019 Resource Estimate: Open Pit Mineral Resources (oxide and fresh mineralization) Cut-off Grade Tonnes Grade Ounces Troy Au Classification Au g/t (x1000) Au g/t (x1000) Indicated 0.5 6,645 2.1 457 Inferred 0.5 3,410 2.7 294 Open Pit Mineral Resources (oxide mineralization) Cut-off Grade Tonnes Grade Ounces Troy Au Classification Au g/t (x1000) Au g/t (x1000) Indicated 0.5 4,500 1.9 272 Inferred 0.5 765 1.8 44 Open Pit Mineral Resources (fresh mineralization) Cut-off Grade Tonnes Grade Ounces Troy Au Classification Au g/t (x1000) Au g/t (x1000) Indicated 0.5 2,145 2.7 185 Inferred 0.5 2,645 2.9 250 Underground Mineral Resources (fresh mineralization) Cut-off Grade Tonnes Grade Ounces Troy Au Classification Au g/t (x1000) Au g/t (x1000) Inferred 3.5 885 5.3 152 Total Mineral Resources (oxide and fresh mineralization; open pit and underground) Cut-off Grade Tonnes Grade Ounces Troy Au Classification Au g/t (x1000) Au g/t (x1000) Indicated 0.5 6,645 2.1 457 Inferred 0.5, 3.5 4,295 3.2 446 Notes: 1. Open pit Mineral Resources contain oxide and fresh mineralization within an optimized shell and constrained within a mineralized wireframe. 2. An optimized Whittle pit shell was estimated with the following indicative parameters: (a) USD $1,311 (AUD $1,850) / troy ounce; (b) Metallurgical recoveries of 95% oxide and 90% fresh; (c) SGs applied: Oxide 2.40 t/m3 and fresh 2.85 t/m3 based on measurements taken on drill core; (d) USD $2.40 / tonne mining cost for oxide and USD $3.68 / tonne for fresh; (e) USD $17.00 / tonne oxide and USD $19.00 / tonne fresh processing cost; and (f) USD $3.00 / tonne general and administrative costs. 3. Underground Mineral Resources contain fresh mineralization outside the optimized shell. Underground resources are constrained to discrete areas of contiguous mineralization. NB: cut-off grade for underground resource has been increased from 2.0 Au g/t to 3.5 Au g/t for the 2019 Resource Estimate. 4. Columns may not total due to rounding. 5. One troy ounce is equal to 31.1034768 grams. In this news release, the terms Mineral Resource, Inferred Mineral Resource, Indicated Mineral Resource and Measured Mineral Resource have the meanings given in the CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Council. Dr. Quinton Hennigh (P.Geo.) is the qualified person pursuant to NI 43-101 responsible for, and having reviewed and approved, the technical information contained in this news release. Dr. Hennigh is President, Chairman, and a director of Novo Resources Corp. About Novo Resources Corp. Novos focus is to explore and develop gold projects in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, and Novo has built up a significant land package covering approximately 12,000 sq km with varying ownership interests. For more information, please contact Leo Karabelas at (416) 543-3120 or e-mail leo@novoresources.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors, Novo Resources Corp. Quinton Hennigh Quinton Hennigh President and Chairman 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 news release. Cautionary Note to U.S. Readers Regarding Estimates of Inferred, Indicated and Measured Resources This news release uses the term "inferred mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "measured mineral resources". We caution U.S. investors that while these terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, they are not recognized by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of a feasibility study or prefeasibility studies. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of an inferred mineral resource exists or is economically or legally mineable. The terms "indicated mineral resources" and "measured mineral resources" are not defined under SEC Industry Guide 7 and are not normally permitted to be used in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 reserves. Julian Castro, whose campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination has so far struggled to gain much momentum, unveiled a proposal Monday to create a national, federally funded prekindergarten program, eliminate tuition at public universities and community colleges and alter the student-debt repayment process, part of a sweeping policy plan that his campaign hopes could reshape public education. Under the plan put forth by Mr. Castro, the former housing secretary and San Antonio mayor, borrowers would pay nothing until they earned at least 250 percent of the federal poverty level. The plan also includes investing $150 billion to update school facilities for pre-K through high school and imparting a federal tax credit that would increase teacher pay by up to $10,000 per year. He is proposing paying for the plan, which his campaign estimates will cost upward of $1 trillion to implement, by repealing the Trump tax cuts and raising tax rates for corporations and high-income earners. Chronic underinvestment in our schools, teachers and students over many decades and at all levels has allowed our competitors to leave us behind, and made an already unequal system more inequitable, Mr. Castro wrote in announcing the plan. Our antiquated commitment to a K-12 system, he said, has left our students and nation at a disadvantage. Candidates who qualify through polling, but not with donors, will be the next group in, the D.N.C. said. (Currently, thats another six or so people.) And officials have now also specified that candidates with the highest polling average will get priority. The polling average, they said, will be calculated using the top three polling results for each candidate, as opposed to, say, an average of all qualifying polls, or the most recent ones. If for some reason multiple candidates fighting for the final spots all end up with the same polling average, the D.N.C. said it would take the ones that had drawn 1 percent support in the largest number of qualifying polls. And then, if there are still spaces left, candidates who have qualified only with donors will be invited to participate. The candidates with the highest number of unique donors will get priority in that situation, officials said. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York criticized the 65,000-donor threshold which she has not yet reached as random and inaccurate in an interview with CNN on Monday. I dont think its a measure of success, she said. The cutoff date to submit polling and donor data will be June 13, the D.N.C. added, which is about two weeks before the first debate. These criteria are expected to stay in place for the second debate in July. But after that, the committee has said the thresholds to qualify for the debates will go up, though it has not specified how. ____________________ What to read tonight An enormous antitrust class-action suit against Apple advanced, with the Supreme Court saying consumers should be allowed to try to prove that the technology giant used monopoly power. WASHINGTON Several Supreme Court justices on Monday continued a heated debate on how to handle last-minute requests in death penalty cases, issuing a series of unusual opinions about actions the court had taken several weeks ago. Continuing to fight those battles is an indication that feelings remain raw on a court that is increasingly divided over capital cases. A guiding principle at the Supreme Court, Justice Stephen G. Breyer has said, is that tomorrow is another day. The court very rarely supplements its original rulings with later explanations and responses. In one opinion, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., explained why they had voted in March to stay the execution of Patrick H. Murphy, a Buddhist inmate in Texas whose request that his spiritual adviser accompany him to the death chamber had been denied though Christian and Muslim chaplains were allowed. WASHINGTON President Trump lavished praise on Monday on Viktor Orban, the authoritarian prime minister of Hungary and one of Europes leading nationalists, brushing aside concerns about his rollback of democratic institutions and warming ties with Russia. Viktor Orban has done a tremendous job in so many different ways, Mr. Trump said as he hosted the prime minister at the White House. Highly respected. Respected all over Europe. Probably like me, a little bit controversial, but thats O.K. Thats O.K. Youve done a good job, and youve kept your country safe. For Mr. Orban, the American presidents embrace was a welcome affirmation, not to mention a striking contrast to the chilly reception he often gets from European leaders who see him as a threat to their vision of a modern, integrated and pluralistic continent. Mr. Orban has vowed to build an alternative to liberal democracy, casting himself as a defender of a Christian homeland against Muslim migrants. Mr. Orban is just the latest of the worlds strongmen to find a warm reception in Mr. Trumps White House. The president has hosted or praised autocrats from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Philippines and Kazakhstan, fell in love with North Koreas Kim Jong-un and upended his entire Syria policy after a phone call with Turkeys iron-fisted leader, triggering the resignation in protest of his own defense secretary. Good Monday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today. _____________________ President Trumps chief economic adviser said that American consumers would face economic pain from the escalating trade war with China, contradicting Mr. Trumps claim that his tariffs are a multibillion-dollar, mostly one-way payment by China to the American Treasury. A trade standoff between the United States and China may be an initial skirmish in a broader war that may persist for decades, as both countries battle for global dominance, stature and wealth. As 21 candidates compete to become the Democratic Partys nominee in 2020, Mr. Trump is running on the strongest economy of any president seeking re-election since Bill Clinton in 1996. An Uber driver in Pittsburgh has been charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment after he tried to lock two female passengers in his car and told them, Youre not going anywhere, the police said. The women told the police that around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, the driver picked them up, remarked on their looks, parked the car at an intersection and made the threatening comment, according to Chris Togneri, a spokesman for the Pittsburgh Police Department. When the driver tried to lock the doors, the women jumped out of the back seat and ran away from the car shouting for help, Mr. Togneri said. The authorities found the Uber driver, Richard Lomotey, 36, through his Uber app identification and photo. Mr. Lomotey, who is also an assistant professor of information sciences and technology at Penn State Beaver, a commonwealth campus of the state university in Monaca, Pa., was arrested and charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of harassment and two counts of false imprisonment. The arrest was a new blow to Uber, which has struggled with allegations of sexual misconduct by drivers and is trying to recover from a disappointing initial public offering last week. A single injectio n of antibiotics significantly reduces the risk of infections when women who are giving birth require the aid of forceps or vacuum extraction, a new study concludes. The routine use of the prophylactic shot actually reduces antibiotic use in the long run, the study found. British researchers randomly assigned 3,420 women who had operative vaginal births to one of two groups: The first received a single shot of Augmentin (amoxicillin and clavulanic acid) within six hours of giving birth, and the second a placebo saline shot. Then they tracked infections over the next six weeks. The study is in Lancet. Compared with the placebo group, women who got the antibiotic had a 42 percent reduced risk for any infection, and a 56 percent lower risk of a body-wide infection. Antibiotic users had about half the risk of perineal wound infection compared with the placebo group, and they used less pain medication. The researchers calculated that for each additional 100 doses of antibiotic used preventively, 168 doses of antibiotics to treat infections would be saved . The evidence is very clear, said the lead author, Dr. Marian Knight, a professor at the University of Oxford. There is a benefit in a single dose of antibiotics after operational birth less chance of infection, less chance of pain, less chance of problems with the wound. And were actually reducing the amount of antibiotics that would be used. CAIRO Sudans former president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, has been charged over his role in the killing of protesters during demonstrations that led to his ouster last month, the nations public prosecutor said in a statement on Monday. The prosecutors office accused Mr. al-Bashir and others of inciting and criminal complicity in the deaths of demonstrators, according to Sudans official news agency. The announcement came on a day of bloody clashes in Khartoum, the capital, between armed groups of unclear affiliation and protesters who are demanding civilian rule. The military denied any role in the violence and blamed saboteurs for the deaths. On Tuesday, the Sudan Doctors Committee said six people had been killed, including an army officer, during clashes overnight in several parts of the country. Protest organizers urged people to rally again, saying on Twitter that our moral obligation to protect and complete our revolution is rising. KABUL, Afghanistan A Taliban attack on two aid organizations last week, the deadliest episode in a recent surge of violence against humanitarian workers in Afghanistan, is a signal to many that as peace talks falter, the insurgents are lashing out against so-called soft targets. Wednesdays attack killed three workers for CARE, the American aid group, and at least six others, most of them civilians. Aid workers said the true death toll was 13. In either case, it was the single biggest loss of life among the countrys 2,000 nongovernmental organizations in over a year. The bombing, which struck CARE and Counterpart International offices, came as the sixth round of peace negotiations between the Taliban and Americans limped to an end in Qatar. The Afghan government was excluded from the talks, which ended after seven fitful days with a sense of fading optimism. The Taliban vowed that the assault on the aid groups would not be their last. Even before the attack, casualties among aid workers had started to rise after several years of decline. Through April, five aid workers had been killed, 12 injured and 18 abducted this year in Afghanistan, according to the United Nations humanitarian coordinator, Toby Lanzer. Hello. Im Emma Cott from The New York Times. How are you? Good. How are you? Fine. This is your fathers shop? Yes. Can we go in? Yeah. You come here. Wow. So, what was here before? And this happened when? Sunday. The day of the terrorist attack? Yeah. Between 7:30. In the evening. So the terrorist attack happened in the morning and this happened in the evening. Do you have any idea who was responsible? Mohamed Ifaz and his father were born and raised in Sri Lanka. They live south of the capital city. Like most of the shopkeepers on this street, theyre Muslim, which could explain why their store was torched right after the terrorist attacks here. We traveled to Negombo, to the site of the deadliest of eight suicide bombings that ripped through this country on Easter morning. People here told us theyre now scared to gather, even to grieve. We came to witness a country in mourning, and to see whats being done to prevent that grief from leading to more violence. Sri Lanka has a long history of ethnic tension. Nearly three decades of civil war ended in 2009, but that conflict was between Tamils, who are mostly Hindu, and the Sinhalese majority, who are mostly Buddhist. More recently, Buddhist extremists have attacked Muslims and Christians. And now, theres a growing concern that Sundays bombings could create a new rift between those two minorities. The police tell us theres a mosque thats sheltering Muslim refugees from Pakistan and Afghanistan, who are fearing for their lives. We heard that some families are living here that have been moved. Yeah, Pakistan families, yeah. O.K., the ones that have been moved since the bombings? Yeah. Since Sunday, the cops have been dropping people off here for their own protection. Theyre sleeping on the floor and theres almost no food, and they have no idea when it will be safe to go back to their homes. Reporter: What happened to make you come here? Reporter: Somebody came to your house with knives and sticks? Reporter: People were outside your very house? Reporter: And what were they saying? Only some of the people we talked to say they were actually threatened by mobs, but everyone is sharing stories, and the uneasiness spreads. Reporter: You said Sri Lankan people were fighting at your house? Reporter: And saying what? You are Reporter: And how was it before the Sunday attacks? Reporter: When you heard what? We decide to head to a police station to see what the cops are doing to defuse tensions. Nice to meet you. Thank you. Thank you for speaking with us. But as soon as we arrive, an officer interrupts our meeting. Someone has called to report Muslims in the area. We rush out to see how police will respond. By the time we get there, a crowd has gathered outside an apartment. People tell us that the Muslims living there havent come out for days, which seems suspicious. Reporter: Is this the family? Theyre taking them in? Minutes later, a family appears. This van will take them to the police station where theyll be registered, then to the mosque where theyll join the other refugees. Its not safe for them to stay here anymore. [praying] Back in town, the funerals continue. As soon as one finishes, another begins. No one here is calling for revenge. There is only grief and shock. But a flier is distributed, urging survivors of the bombings not to lash out against their neighbors. The terrorists want to disrupt society by pitting one group against another. More violence would only give them what they want. NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is investigating potential claims against the board of directors of Amber Road, Inc. (NYSE: AMBR) on behalf of Amber shareholders concerning the proposed acquisition of the company by E2open. Click here to participate in the action. Pursuant to the proposed transaction, announced on May 13, 2019 and valued at $425 million, Amber shareholders will receive $13.05 in cash for each share of Amber common stock owned. The investigation focuses on whether Amber and its board of directors violated the federal securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to the Companys shareholders by failing to conduct a fair process and whether and by how much the proposed transaction undervalues the Company. If you own Amber shares, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker or Melissa Fortunato by email at investigations@bespc.com , or telephone at (212) 308-1869, or by filling out this contact form . There is no cost or obligation to you. Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a New York-based law firm concentrating in commercial and securities litigation. For additional information concerning our investigation of Amber please go to https://bespc.com/ambr/ . For additional information about Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. please go to www.bespc.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. DUBLIN The government of Ireland has barred an Arizona-based Baptist pastor accused of anti-Semitic and homophobic hate speech from entering the country, invoking for the first time a 1999 immigration act that allows such exclusion orders on grounds of national security or public policy. Charlie Flanagan, Irelands minister for justice and equality, said on Sunday that he had signed the order barring the pastor, Steven L. Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church, under my executive powers in the interests of public policy. He did not issue any further comment. Pastor Andersons Faithful Word Baptist Church has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and by the Anti-Defamation League. He first gained prominence outside his ministry, which is in a Tempe, Ariz., strip mall, when he announced in 2009 that he hated President Barack Obama and prayed for his death. He has called for the United States government to exterminate all gay people and welcomed the murder of 49 people in the mass shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., in 2016. The good news is that theres 50 less pedophiles in this world, because, you know, these homosexuals are a bunch of disgusting perverts and pedophiles, Pastor Anderson said in a video he posted online. Thats who was a victim here, are a bunch of just disgusting homosexuals at a gay bar, O.K.? The Swedish authorities announced on Monday that they would reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, who is serving a prison term in Britain for jumping bail as the United States seeks his extradition over accusations that he tried to assist in a huge breach of classified data. The United States has already begun trying to extradite Mr. Assange, an effort that was expected to be prolonged and complex even before the announcement in Stockholm on Monday. British officials will determine which case takes precedence, Swedish prosecutors said, adding that if Mr. Assange were eventually extradited to Sweden, he could not be sent to the United States without the consent of Britain. The investigation stems from an accusation in August 2010 made by a Swedish woman who said Mr. Assange had sexually assaulted her. BEIRUT, Lebanon Charges that four oil vessels were attacked at the mouth of the Persian Gulf over the weekend have amplified fears across the region about the escalating tensions between Iran and the West. The unconfirmed reports come as the United States has tightened sanctions against Iran and mobilized an aircraft carrier, bombers and an antimissile battery to the gulf to deter what the Trump administration has said is a heightened risk of Iranian aggression. Saudi Arabia said Monday that two of its oil tankers had been sabotaged, and a Norwegian company reported that one of its tankers was damaged in the same area, near the Strait of Hormuz. The fourth ship belonged to the United Arab Emirates, which, like Saudi Arabia, is an avowed enemy of Iran. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the United Arab Emirates assigned blame, made public any evidence of damage to their ships or described the nature of the sabotage. Natasha Pickowicz. Photo: Scott Heins On Wednesday, November 9, 2016, Natasha Pickowicz woke up, like many Americans, after a fitful night of sleep. The pastry chef at Cafe Altro Paradiso in Soho and Flora Bar on the Upper East Side never had much time to devote to politics, but she says that when she went to work that day after the presidential election, there was this overwhelming sense of shame, of confusion, anger, guilt. A meeting among managers and chefs turned into a kind of call to action, she remembers. There was this sense of, How can we take this energy and funnel it into something positive? What does that look like? A bake sale was born. The first year, in the spring of 2017, Pickowicz and the team at Altro Paradiso, a relatively compact 75-seat restaurant, invited 18 pastry chefs and friends to bake 50 items each. The plan was to see how many they could sell for $5 apiece, with all of the revenue going to Planned Parenthood. I didnt think anyone would show up and Id have to apologize to all of these chefs for asking them to work on their day off, Pickowicz recalls. But on the day of the sale, I saw a line around the block half an hour before the doors opened, and I thought, Who are these people and where did they come from? That first sale raised over $8,000 for Planned Parenthood New York. I remember being stunned. Excited, but stunned. I kept walking around and telling people, We sold $8,000 of pastries! Can you believe this?! A year later, buoyed by the positive experience of the first sale, and with a bigger goal in mind, Pickowicz and her team of bakers, chefs, and volunteers raised $22,000. Now in its third year, the bake sale is growing again. When it arrives this Sunday, May 19, it will be bigger than ever, not only expanding into an outdoor plaza next to the restaurant, but also involving florists, savory chefs, and even Central Parkstyle portraits. Grub Street sat down with Pickowicz to see how she turned a once-humble bake sale into a flourishing community in support of a powerful cause. Its so good to see you. Hows it going? I just got out of a bake-sale meeting. There are so many moving parts. We have biweekly meetings to just go over every little thing. Its kind of insane. What are you working on now? Were gathering volunteers. Its kind of crazy to me that everyone who is coming out to support is in the industry. Not even just to donate product, theyre coming to help with setup, cleanup Yossy Arefi, Ana Ortiz, Erin Patinkin from Ovenly, the lead host at Eleven Madison Park, the cake designer Nicole Pensabene. Theyre like my bake-sale angels. Lets back up a bit. Why a bake sale? Three years ago, when we were trying to figure out what to do, how to put our energy into something good, I remembered participating in bake sales as a kid. This was the one time my parents let me make a mess in the kitchen. I remember laying out the box-mix brownies on those fluted white paper plates, and how I felt so grown-up because I was going to raise money for whatever it was a field trip or school-bus repairs. At its core, a bake sale is empowering and inclusive everyone can participate. Theres a very low barrier to entry both in action and cost. You dont even need to buy anything! You can just come hang out. When we were first talking about it at the restaurant, a lot of us had these same memories. There was this real nostalgia for it. I wanted to do something that would evoke that sense of pride, but on a grander scale. I also wanted it to be a reflection of what my strengths were as a pastry person and a baker. And also something that not just the one percent could donate to. Galas are great; we do those, too. But I wanted the people in my world to be able to come, and bring their kids and their dogs. Did you think the message of the bake sale would work at such a formal restaurant? In the service industry sometimes, you get the feeling from guests that they dont want to acknowledge that restaurants are these organisms that are full of people theres a humanity that comprises restaurants. Were not just bricks and tile. It was really important for me that I could work somewhere where I could be as vocal about my values as I wanted to be, and that no one was going to stifle me or say that I was being inappropriate, or like, No one wants to know what you think; just make desserts. I think you are kind of seeing this more now, where restaurants are becoming fiercely personal. I believe our humanity should be visible to anybody that comes into this space, that we arent a neutral space, and we have values. I want everyone here to be proud to say, I stand with Planned Parenthood. Why did you choose Planned Parenthood? It was always going to be Planned Parenthood NYC. Every woman and their family and children deserve the right to access good health services. At its core, this bake sale is about community. The PPNYC headquarters are nearby on Bleecker Street, and it represents Manhattan and all the surrounding boroughs. I remember when I moved to New York six years ago. I was working as a pastry cook at Marlow & Sons, making minimum wage which at the time was $11.50 and I didnt have health insurance. I had moved from Montreal. I had no money. I was shocked at how expensive rent was But what was the one thing I knew that was available to me? It was Planned Parenthood. I grew up with the centers near me in San Diego, and even here, now, theres one in Queens thats within walking distance from my apartment in Greenpoint. Its been this constant presence in my life. Have you gotten any pushback about your choice of supporting Planned Parenthood? In terms of bringing awareness about Planned Parenthood, obviously the thing that is polarizing is abortions, and while they do that, they also provide so many services to so many people. Its about empowering people to monitor their own health and take care of their bodies and be safe and enjoy life. Providing safe and legal abortions is part of that. So, yes. From the first bake sale, when we started to promote it on Instagram, people would comment, like, I was going to come in for dinner on this day, but Im not going to now. Or like, Youre a restaurant, I dont want to know your political beliefs! And we were like, Wow, well, were glad to know that this restaurant is not for you. And thats okay. Id rather be absolutely transparent about our values as a restaurant. How is the bake sale shaping up for this year? Its become this tremendous production. This year, the bake sale will be outside in the plaza behind the restaurant, with tents and tables for each pastry chef. And, yes, theres a rain contingency plan. All of last years crew will be there, and then some: Jess Shadbolt and Clare de Boer from King; Marie-Aude Rose from La Mercerie; Fany Gerson from La Newyorkina; Zoe Kanan from Simon & the Whale; Miro Uskokovic from Gramercy Tavern; Daniel Skurnick from Le Coucou; and Thomas Raquel from Le Bernardin. The whole inside of the restaurant is going to be a hang-out zone, and this year were also selling savory food. Chef de cuisine Zach Zeidman is doing a savory bite: a marinated squid and chickpea salad. Cervos is doing a fried shrimp skewer in a lettuce wrap. Lindustrie Pizzeria and Scarrs are doing a collab. Morgensterns ice-cream cart is coming back. Chef Patch Troffer from Marlow & Sons is making his okonomiyaki. All of the food will be for sale just outside the restaurant for $5. Then were selling drinks, for $5, inside. Atla is making a mezcal cocktail. NY Distilling will be there. Theres going to be a flower station, where people can buy corsages for $5. Were doing the gift bags again, for $150 each, and they are packed with more pastries, clothing, little gifts, drinks, so many amazing things. My idea is that people are going to go on with their day, and youre going to see throughout the city these little markers of who was there Like a trail of bread crumbs throughout the city. Yes! And we didnt want it to veer too much outside of the bake-sale format, or become too much like a street fair, but Simone Shubuck from the Wifey pop-up in Brooklyn and Andrew Kuo from Earl Boykins are partnering up to do little ten-minute, Central Parkstyle portraits, for $5. I wanted this year to be kid-friendly. Planned Parenthood just published a coloring book for kids, so theres going to be a coloring table where kids can hang out. I want people to bring their babies and their dogs, and to stay and snack. The idea is that people will get one of everything, have a drink, and just hang out. So how many participants will you have this year? We have three times as many bakers and chefs as we had in the first year. We went from 18 to 27 in the second year, to 50 this year. The first two years, I wanted it to be the expression of the New York City pastry community, but now I want people to feel encouraged to do it where they live, so I reached out to some of my pastry friends in other cities, because I love the idea of it kind of spreading across the country. Sasha Piligian, the pastry chef from Sqirl in Los Angeles is coming; Camille Cogswell from Zahav in Philly; Briana Holt, the head baker at Tandem in Maine; Rebekah Turshen from City House in Nashville; plus, the Montreal Cake Club. Part of it growing has been recruiting talent from outside of New York, so people who have never been to L.A. can have a Sqirl morning bun, or people who havent been to Zahav can try Camilles stuff. Also a new thing this year was figuring out how to invite brilliant bakers and pastry chefs who dont necessarily have a restaurant or bakery, and whose relationship with their fan base is through sharing their recipes, like Alison Roman, for example. I was scared at first to ask them to participate because I know they dont have a team or a huge commercial kitchen But actually were finding out that these women are the most organized of all the participants. Theyre doing research and development a month out whereas some of the chefs, I just know, are going to be figuring out what theyre making the week of. How often can you have something that Claire Saffitz, Erin McDowell, or Dorie Greenspan made or even interact with them? Thats what, to me, makes this a cant-miss event. What have you learned in the three years? Weve learned so much since year one. I am so, so grateful for our team here, and being able to delegate to Kelsey Shaw, our general manager; Maureen Rogers, whos director of special events; and Ariel Nir, whos a wiz with graphic design and social media. Working with this team of capable, amazing women makes me feel so much more confident. We sold out almost immediately the first year, when I asked chefs to bring 50 pieces. And we sold out within hours the second year, when they brought 100. So hopefully 200 is enough! To make room for more chefs, we had to admit that wed literally grown out of our space. So we moved it outside. We had to figure out how to get permits to do that, how to get approval from the city. It was a process. What happens when you grow? Is there a plan? As were growing, we have to take a step back. I remember the first year, being shocked that we raised $8,000 with pastries. I could not believe it. And now Im like: Show me that $40,000! Its funny how your perspective shifts as you get more ambitious and gain more experience and support. And even though we were happy last year having raised almost $23,000, this year, you know what? Thats not good enough. I want to double it. Why wouldnt you be ambitious with what your goals are? Why wouldnt you want it to be as impactful as it can be? Im not saying that the bake sale is going to get bigger every year. It will have a limit. I hope that it can become this sincere tradition for Altro. Traditions are really important to me. Creating traditions, creating rituals I love that. Did you ever see yourself turning into a community organizer? I had no experience with fundraising or event planning at all three years ago. There was so much that we made up as we went along. A takeaway from these years of doing it has been learning how to reach out and ask for advice. Erin Patinkin from Ovenly who lives down the street from me worked in fundraising before starting her own bakery, so I asked her a lot of questions. I was really inspired by the Cherry Bombe Jubilee, so I reached out to Kerry Diamond, and asked how she recruited the Bombe Squad of volunteers. Last year, I also met with Planned Parenthood to see how we could make this more of a two-way street, where its less about what were doing, and more how we can do this thing together. Its about collaborating with, and pulling wisdom from, this group of women who know more than me. This is so much about what personal growth is, too, for me, but on a bigger level. As I get more experience in developing my pastry programs and hiring my teams, as my experience grows, my expectations for myself are constantly shifting and changing. Im constantly checking my values and holding myself accountable to push myself forward. Traditionally a bake sale is held to support a community. For me I think, What does it mean for me to create a community? There are several communities here, but theres a bigger community here, where Altro can be a center, I think. Sometimes New York can feel really overwhelming. It can feel like were each just one of millions and millions, but there are pockets of community. I hope we can become one and inspire other bakers and people in other cities to organize bake sales in support of great things, too. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. This post has been updated to correct the name of Sqirls pastry chef. 8. Trumps tax returns House Ways and Means Committee The committee is seeking six years of Mr. Trumps personal and business tax returns. Technically, the request was made as part of a committee investigation into the I.R.S.s practice of conducting mandatory audits of presidents, but the presidents allies say the committees real goal is to get the returns. (Mr. Trump is the first president in four decades to not publicly release his tax returns.) The Treasury Department said on May 6 that it would not release the returns voluntarily, and the committee issued a subpoena, setting up a legal battle that is likely to be resolved by the Supreme Court. The House filed a lawsuit on July 2 to force the Treasury Department to turn over the tax returns. No more. Photo: Melissa Hom Rightfully so, the restaurants and bars that New Yorkers lament tend to be ones that, a wistful regular will tell you, were part of the fabric of the city. Its a sign of the times that the bar where Dylan Thomas used to hang is unceremoniously shuttered, or that the owners of one of the citys soup-dumplings destinations cant make it work in Flushing. Short-lived restaurants dont get the same treatment, for obvious reasons, but its unfortunate when ambitious places from established players fizzle out fast. There are all kinds of reasons why these closings happen (and the same can be said for why a 60-year-old pub closes, even if we reflexively need to frame it in the battle of good versus evil that is New York City real estate). But its still a bummer to hear that Bushwicks Teo has closed after just five months of serving cast-iron-skillet okonomiyakis. The closing came out of nowhere, given what the restaurant had going for it. It wasnt a rookie chefs project. The owner was Joaquin Baca, who was David Changs first employee at Momofuku Noodle Bar and helped right the ship at Ssam Bar after a rocky start. Baca helped shape Momofuku in its earliest years before going on to open Williamsburgs the Brooklyn Star, which closed in May after nine years in Williamsburg. Hes a talented chef who was cooking food people want to eat; short rib over kimchee fried rice, oysters coated in cornmeal and then fried, a confit duck-leg ramen. The news was announced on the restaurants Instagram and website, but no reason was given. (Grub has reached out to Baca for comment about the closing.) Five months is a short period of time, but Baca invested much more into the restaurant. He told Grub hed been in negotiations on the space for three years. I missed the format a lot, he said back in December, of the small, izakaya-ish sort of place he was opening. It was a return to the sort of cooking hed made his name with. Teo isnt the only relatively quick closing to happen so far this month, as Gunter Seeger NY has closed after just under three years. The restaurant marked the return of its eponymous chef after a decade away from restaurants. Seeger spent 30 years cooking in Atlanta, and Atlanta magazine called his last restaurant there what the French Laundry was to San Francisco or Restaurant Daniel was to New York: a highly personal beacon of artistic gastronomy. At least in the circles that Grub runs in, Gunter Seeger NY wasnt a restaurant you heard a lot of food geeks talk about. Still, it received a two-star review from Pete Wells in the New York Times. The critic noted the closing on Twitter, as well as the reality that New York restaurants are often the victims of difficult-to-navigate trend winds: I had issues with the high initial price at GSNY, but very few complaints about the cooking, which had the economy and gestural potency of poetry. Seeger is better than many NYC chefs with far more famous names. https://t.co/byAY0qfeJK Pete Wells (@pete_wells) May 2, 2019 One thing that hurt Seeger: It's very hard for chefs to know exactly what kind of room, service, lighting will feel up to date to a New Yorker, whose desire on such matters swings like an electrocardiogram needle. Pete Wells (@pete_wells) May 2, 2019 Auburn police say the investigation is ongoing and more charges are possible as they are working to have Carter extradited back to Alabama. Carter will be eligible for a $50,000 bond once in custody in Lee County, police added. Carter was arrested on Friday by Blacksburg police and was charged with possession of child pornography, The Roanoke Times reported. He was taken before a magistrate and was released on a $3,500 bond, the newspaper reports. Carter then was being held Monday in Western Regional Jail without bond awaiting extradition on the Alabama charges. Carter was listed as a lecturer on Auburn Universitys website. However, his profile page had been removed as of Monday afternoon. The now-removed page had described Carter as a former parking attendant, dietary worker, autoclave operator, OR tech and registered nurse. The page also described him as a longtime resident of Roanoke, Virginia. The Opelika-Auburn News reached out to Auburn University who confirmed Carter was an employee of the university but has since been terminated. "William Matthew Carters employment with Auburn University ended on May 10," Auburn University said in a statement. "Any further questions should be directed to either the Auburn Police Department or the Blacksburg, Virginia, Police Department." 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. Opelika Police Department >First-degree theft of property occurred in the 100 block of North 17th Street. >Travis Marque Woods, 21, of Opelika, was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery. >A burglary and criminal mischief occurred in the 1200 block of Northwick Lane. Auburn Police Division >Possession of child pornography was reported in the 1000 block of Chinook Street. >First-degree theft of property was reported in the 1400 block of Opelika Road. >Antrell JaVon Thiena, 25, of N. Lauderdale, Florida, was arrested and charged with two counts of fraudulent use of credit/debit card, third-degree theft of property and unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle. >Thomas Franklin Garris III, 22, of Auburn, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence (alcohol). >Daniel Fernando Silva Izquierdo was arrested and charged with public intoxication. A Camp Hill fire at a former high school building has claimed the life of a male victim whose identity is not yet released by authorities. At about 12:15 p.m. on Friday, law enforcement and fire officials were dispatched to the Old Camp Hill High School in reference to a structure fire, Camp Hill police said in a release. Upon arrival, officials discovered the structure to be fully engulfed in flames. A short time later, a first responder located a burn victim behind the structure lying in a small puddle of water, police said. The victim was taken by EMS paramedics to the campus of Lyman Ward Military Academy, where emergency personnel airlifted him to the University of Alabama Birmingham Burn Center with life-threatening injuries, the Dadeville Fire Department said in a release. After several hours of being treated for injuries sustained from the fire, the victim died, Camp Hill police said. The victims name is not being released at this time, according to police. Jody Williams, left, and Rita Sodi at Bar Pisellino. Photo: Jonas Fredwall Karlsson Between the two of them, the newly crowned James Beard Foundation Best New York City Chefs Jody Williams and Rita Sodi own a French-inspired gastrotheque (Buvette), a traditional Tuscan ristorante (I Sodi), and a lively Italian neighborhood canteen (Via Carota), all within a three-block West Village radius. Still, something was lacking. Running three incessantly mobbed restaurants in New York wasnt enough. What was needed to make their mini-fiefdom complete, according to the married couple, was a classic Italian bar the kind of civilized oasis they loved to visit in the old countrys cultural capitals and longed for when they returned home. And so over the last year or so, theyve created their own version of that iconic social institution and christened it Bar Pisellino, and will open it this week opposite Via Carota on a Seventh Avenue South corner that sorely needed some sprucing up. The goal, says Williams, is to capture a particular mood, something akin to what you might experience while traveling in Europe. I think this place has the feeling of a train station out in the country, where you end up at the bar and you miss your next three trains because you met somebody and youre having such a good time. At only 600 square feet, the corner space has almost three times more seats outside than in, but most of the activity is meant to ensue at the standing bar, an expanse of oak panels and Carrara marble that segues from serving Italian-style morning coffee and pastries to afternoon tramezzini and Aperol Spritz on tap, and an array of original cocktails listed in hand-lettered booklets published six times a year. Although the room feels like it could have been airlifted intact from the back alleys of Rome, Venice, or Sodis native Florence, the owners feel it fits seamlessly into the context of its neighborhood, with a view overlooking the Stonewall National Monument and what Williams calls four blocks of Greenwich Village history. Heres a look at Bar Pisellinos bar, and what youll find on, behind, and around it. The bar is the focal point at Bar Pisellino, where Jon Mullen (third from left), late of Maison Premiere, leads a team in stirring, shaking, and throwing drinks and will also preside over a basement lab. Photo: Jonas Fredwall Karlsson From Anisette Frappes to Tuna Tramezzini, Its All in the Details Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Anisette Frappe This elegant tray of espresso, club soda, and anisette shaken with sugar over pebble ice is meant to translate the Sambuca-spiked caffe corretto into a refreshing aperitif. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Aperol Spritz An aperitivo bar is not an aperitivo bar without an Aperol Spritz. To keep the orangey-red thirst-quenchers flowing at a steady clip, theyre served here on tap. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Bomboloni Italian doughnuts are filled with Nutella, pastry cream, or raspberry jam and run about the size of a Dunkin Munchkin. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Bottled Cocktails Americanos, Americano Biancos, and Boulevardiers are ready to drink. Photo: New York Magazine Cinghialino Williams found this iron baby-boars head at a hardware store while visiting Sodis hometown of Barberino di Mugello and hung it on the wall for good luck. I love to go into hardware stores all over the world, says Williams. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Dirty Doilies Doilies crocheted by a Signora Crespi in Milan bear parolacce, or dirty words, in keeping with the bars cheeky name; pisellino is slang for little dick, what Williams describes as a nod to the unique history of the Village and its gay bars. Photo: New York Magazine Floor Tile The brown-and-cream mosaic tile floor is made by American Restoration Tile in Little Rock, Arkansas. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Ice In keeping with current cocktail orthodoxy, hand-cut blocks from Hundredweight in Long Island City are delivered to the bar, where theyre carved, crushed, and even branded with the letter P. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Napkins Williams and Sodi have a soft spot for the flimsy, scratchy, remarkably unabsorbent napkins they say you find in all the finest aperitivo bars in Italy. Theyre almost useless, says Williams, but nostalgic for Rita and me. The New York graphic designer Louise Fili created the logotype. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Olive-Oil Cake Soaked with a blend of honey and olive oil and topped with sea salt and fennel seed. Photo: 05-09-strat-bar-pisellino-019-Sgroppino.jpg bar-pisellino-chicken-Milanese_S7A0670.jpg bar-pisellino-tile.jpg Panini Sandwiches like this chicken Milanese panino arrive later in the day. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Patatine Instead of Goldfish and Rold Golds: housemade cacio e pepe potato chips. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Pistachio Cocktail This original tipple was inspired by a dessert that bar manager Jon Mullen had in India; it blends pistachio-green-cardamom orgeat with gin, the Alpine herbal liqueur genepy, bitters, and lime juice. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Pinguini The chefs call these little chocolate-covered ice-cream treats pinguini (penguins) because theyre frozen. Theyre like miniature Italian Klondike bars wrapped in traditional Italian confectionary wrappers custom-made in Lombardy. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Sgroppino The great Venetian dessertdrinkpalate cleanser of lemon sorbetto, Prosecco, and vodka is made to order not in a blender or a slushie machine but in a copper bowl with a whisk at the bar. Part of the fun is mixing in the kitchen utensils and cooking techniques with bartending, says Williams. Its inevitable when chefs build a bar. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Shakerato Espresso shaken with ice and sweetened with a creamy paste of sugar blended with espresso. I think thats how they do the sugar at Sant Eustachio, says Williams. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Spumoni Cocktail This riff on the drink adds gin and a pink-peppercorn tincture to the standard combo of grapefruit, tonic, and Campari. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Sugar Bowl Various serving pieces and teapots were sourced from Londons silver vaults on a trip the partners made over Christmas. Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine Tramezzini One of the bars inspirations is Turins Caffe Mulassano, the birthplace of the tramezzino. Bar Pisellinos will run the gamut from tuna with fennel to the one pictured here with peas, prosciutto, and mascarpone. 52 Grove St., at Seventh Ave. S.; no phone *A version of this article appears in the May 13, 2019, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now! EAT LIKE THE EXPERTS. Sign up for the Grub Street newsletter. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. In a desperate attempt to get a break from his nagging in-laws and regain his privacy, a Reddit user allegedly took advantage of his mother-in-laws severe arachnophobia by getting a tarantula as a pet. Reddit user ProbablyAssholeGuy isnt really into tarantulas. He thinks theyre cool and all, but he wouldnt have actually gotten one as a pet if werent for the added bonus of keeping his wifes mother away from his house. In a post that recently went viral on the social network, the man said that his traditional Chinese in-laws had really been getting on his nerves with their unannounced visits and blatant breaches of privacy, but despite complaining to his wife about it for years, she just ignored his concerns. So when he notice his mother-in-laws reaction to simply seeing a spider sitting in the corner of the house, he got the idea to use her arachnophobia to keep her away. Photo: missie26870/Pixabay I have insufferable in laws. Father in law is manageable, but mother in law is crazy, the Reddit user wrote. Anyway, mother in law is arachnophobic. A few months ago she went crazy after a (wolf?) spider was simply in the corner doing nothing. Panic attack and all. So I got the idea to get a tarantula as a way to prevent her coming so often. Its in a big enclosure in the living room. Asked wife before hand if its okay, but didnt tell her the motivation. Worked like a charm, the dad still comes but the mother cant stand to be in the same house as it. The man posted his story in the AmITheAsshole subreddit, where people ask the community to judge whether they were in the wrong for doing certain things in certain circumstances. This particular user wanted to know if he was an A-hole for not being upfront with his wife, even though she didnt object when he said he wanted to get a tarantula. Im mainly asking if AITA as I wasnt upfront with my wife. But shes continued to ignore my concerns about boundaries for years, I dont think I had a choice. Plus the tarantula makes a cool pet, the man wrote. Most people agreed that what he did was ok, because he did ask his wife before getting the tarantula, and she was aware of her mothers arachnophobia. It makes me think she really does want space from her mom, but doesnt want the fallout of trying to get it, one person commented on the thread. Im sure shes aware of her mothers arachnophobia and thought she could play dumb and have it be a win-win, someone else wrote. Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform, Barry Cowen, has said that weekend reports that Granahan McCourt, the Governments chosen bidder for the NBP, are to invest less than 200million in equity into the plan, while the taxpayer is expected to stump up in the region of 5 billion, is farcical. Deputy Cowen also said that the Minister for Finance has failed to outline how the Government will pay for the extra 1.5 billion needed to cover the cost of Broadband in the National Development Plan. He explained, "The Governments continued refusal to disclose documents in relation to the input of Granahan McCourt in the NBP is an affront to the taxpayers. Minister Donohoe is taking the people of Ireland for mugs with his insistence that no capital projects will be impacted as a result of the costs of the plan, given that his own Department has outlined the possible implications of spending an extra 1.5 billion." "The prudent Fine Gael moniker seems to be a thing of the past. Last week Minister Donohoe made headlines when he warned his cabinet colleagues against overspending. The Government spin machine would like us to believe they are a safe pair of hands and fiscally responsible." "However, the documents released from his own Department make it clear that the Minister has ignored the advice of officials and has been less than forthcoming in telling us how he will pay for the National Broadband Plan," Cowen added. "The fact that Granahan McCourt are only putting forward a fraction of the cost in this plan is further evidence of the Governments negligence and carelessness when it comes to the economy." "The Department of Public Expenditure indicated that the 1.5 billion in extra funding could impact negatively on the delivery of primary schools, ambulance services, social housing, road infrastructure and primary care centres around the country. Yet the Minister insists that no project will be impacted. How is he going to pay for this? Will he raise taxes, will he rely on the uncertain corporation tax receipts, will he take it from other capital projects, or will he make cuts to current expenditure such as health, housing, or education?" "This debacle comes on the back of the calamitous overspend on the National Childrens Hospital and the 654 million cost overruns at the Department of Health. The Minister can no longer lecture to the rest of us on how he is a safe pair of hands when he cannot answer basic questions on the Broadband Plan and its impact on the National Development Plan." "Ive lost count of the number of times Minister Donohoe has told us that no capital projects will be postponed or abandoned because of Government overspends. Let me be very clear, there is no doubt that we need Broadband, but the Minister must be more upfront in what it is going to cost us in real terms, concluded Deputy Cowen. Local election candidate Joe Wynne (Independent) has backed beef farmers in their battle to win greater support from the government, saying, "our farmers want a hand-up, not a hand-out." With the local elections only a couple of weeks away, the Ferbane man, who comes from a small farming family himself, has voiced his support for a section of the farming community for whom the effects of an impending Brexit are already being felt. "Beef farmers in this country are suffering greatly because of Brexit, and that should be sounding alarm bells in government. Because by the time Brexit actually happens, it could well be too late to act. And the more drawn out Brexit negotiations remain, the greater the damage that's being done," Joe said. "With losses running at over 100 million, I fully support the I.F.A. as they rightly call on both the government and the E.U. to compensate farmers for such losses." Continuing, Mr Wynne said that stockpiles of beef in the UK, combined with poor factory prices are causing great financial hardship to beef producers. "I've seen a figure of 8% of beef farmers who are turning to dairy production to prevent financial ruin and to remain on their land. Here in Offaly, we have the second lowest level of disposable income in the country, and reducing beef prices are definitely a factor in that." "And of course, it has a devastating knock-on effect in ways that are all interlinked. For example, sales of machinery were down by as much as 50% in the first four months of 2019. Now, if there's no money there, how can farmers spend it? And if farmers aren't buying farm machinery, then who else will?" "You can see how quickly that can - and is - escalating, and causing problems in the farming community, the beef sector and beyond." "The long and the short of the situation," concluded Mr Wynne, "is that Irish beef farmers had no hand, act or part in Brexit. But they've been drawn into the whirlpool of devastation it's creating." "The current situation of so many beef farmers facing the prospect of financial ruin is simply not sustainable. It's an important national industry, which the government needs to recognise, not just with words now, but with actions. These are the men and women who help to keep the country fed, they're not afraid of hard work or getting their hands dirty. They never have been. All they want now is a hand-up, not a hand-out. And it's high time the government acknowledged this." Now in its 9th year, one of Irelands longest running air displays returns to Birr on Bank Holiday Monday, August 5. Birr Air Display is Irelands only land-based Air Display and is based at Ormand Flying Club to the backdrop of historic Birr, its castle, world-famous telescope and the beautiful Slieve Bloom mountains. From its humble beginnings with just a few Irish aerobatic pilots for the local community it has now grown to a show attracting major international acts from Ireland and the UK. This years show comprises of Rich Goodwin & Pitts Special Bi Plane (UK); Mark Petrie Strike Master Jet (UK); Raven Display Team 5 Team Aerobatic Display (UK); Miss Helen P51 Mustang (UK); Aero Superbatics Winger Walker Display Team Boeing Stearman (UK); Irish Aer Corp (Ireland); Garda Helicopter (Ireland); Coast Guard Search & Rescue Helicopter (Ireland); Chimpmunks Display Team Irish Historic Flight (Ireland); Dave Bruton Sukhoi (Ireland); Eddie Goggins CAP 32 (Ireland); Andrew Fenton Christian Eagle (Ireland). No other air display in Ireland allows its attendees the unique experience of seeing the planes up close and watching many of the acts take off and land for their display. It is Irelands only airshow where you can meet the pilots and get their autograph. Every other air display in Ireland takes place over the sea with planes taking off and landing at airports miles away. At Birr you truly are part of the experience; you hear the noise of the planes, smell them. Just close your eyes and you can imagine you are flying through the skies in one of these amazing flying machines. With plenty of fun activities for all the family, a wide variety of food options there is something for everyone. Children under 12 go free, general admission tickets are 15, our fabulous grandstand package is only 40 and of course, parking is free for everyone who comes and only a short stroll to see the show. Local independent election candidate Joe Wynne has called on the government and their partners in the confidence-and-supply arrangement to signal an immediate halt to the nationwide broadband process, declaring, "making the new National Children's Hospital look like it's going to be value for money is no achievement to be proud of. This surely calls into question the current confidence-and-supply arrangement." The Ferbane man continued: "This is something that comes up again and again with people I've been meeting over the last while because Irish people are not easily fooled. So when they get a sense that they're being taken for fools, their frustration is hard to contain. And in the case of the way the whole national broadband scheme is going, that frustration is completely understandable." "In my opinion, the whole process - if that's the word for it - needs to be halted immediately. To have just one bidder involved in a project like this should make the whole thing null-and-void. How can we expect to get the best deal possible for the country in the long-term, when there's only one bidder?" "That's the question everyone is asking when broadband comes up in conversation. But there's no answer coming. Certainly not one that makes sense anyway." But while that question may be the cause of frustration to many, according to Mr Wynne, it's the amount of money involved which is causing that frustration to be replaced by anger. "The Irish State will be investing at least three-billion euro, and there are suggestions that this figure could rise to closer to five billion euro, in this project. The one bidder involved will be investing two-hundred-million. But at the end of the day, when everything is in place, the State will actually own nothing, and therefore will not be in control of anything to do with the broadband system that's supposed to serve the country," Joe continued. "No, a private firm will own it and will control it. There are very few people who could stand with their hands on their heart and say that's a good return on the country's investment. Those involved in the confidence-and-supply arrangement are allowing this process to proceed at the tax-payers expense," Joe concluded. Job Archive July 2021 (524) June 2021 (681) May 2021 (698) April 2021 (659) March 2021 (688) February 2021 (615) January 2021 (700) December 2020 (714) November 2020 (671) October 2020 (631) September 2020 (690) August 2020 (713) July 2020 (713) June 2020 (690) May 2020 (713) April 2020 (690) March 2020 (713) February 2020 (667) January 2020 (713) December 2019 (713) November 2019 (687) October 2019 (711) September 2019 (689) August 2019 (711) July 2019 (707) June 2019 (688) May 2019 (2002) April 2019 (1979) March 2019 (2039) February 2019 (1689) January 2019 (2259) December 2018 (2111) November 2018 (1935) October 2018 (1993) September 2018 (1918) August 2018 (39) July 2018 (72) June 2018 (44) May 2018 (76) April 2018 (65) March 2018 (16) February 2018 (32) January 2018 (201) December 2017 (352) November 2017 (381) October 2017 (600) September 2017 (1211) August 2017 (1655) July 2017 (1590) June 2017 (1506) May 2017 (1903) April 2017 (1965) March 2017 (1417) February 2017 (1808) January 2017 (1807) December 2016 (1593) November 2016 (1377) October 2016 (1408) September 2016 (1317) August 2016 (1499) July 2016 (1505) June 2016 (1421) May 2016 (1392) April 2016 (1340) March 2016 (1476) February 2016 (1396) January 2016 (1474) December 2015 (1409) November 2015 (1367) October 2015 (1478) September 2015 (1443) August 2015 (1468) July 2015 (1465) June 2015 (1410) May 2015 (1058) April 2015 (1269) March 2015 (1133) February 2015 (1155) January 2015 (1154) December 2014 (1156) November 2014 (1268) October 2014 (81) Inclusion Ireland is hosting a local elections hustings event for the Offaly constituency this evening, Tuesday, May 14, 11am-12:30pm, at the Darmagh Community Centre, Clontarf Road, Tullamore. The event is being chaired by Dr. Michael Tobin, Athlone Institute of Technology, Tullamore Resident, & parent of a child with Down Syndrome. Nine candidates will be in attendance: Christine Traynor (Fianna Fail, Edenderry); Pippa Hackett (Green Party, Edenderry) Robert McDermott (Fianna Fail, Edenderry); Clare Claffey (Social Democrats, Birr); Ann Marie Ennis (Sinn Fein, Tullamore); Deirdre Fox (Fine Gael, Tullamore); Tony McCormack (Fianna Fail, Tullamore); John Leahy (Renua, Tullamore); Ken Smollen, Irish Democratic Party, Tullamore. Calling on prospective Councillors to promote the rights of people with intellectual disabilities, Inclusion Ireland interim CEO, Sarah Lennon said: There are 643,131 disabled people in Ireland and each one of those individuals is a potential voter, as are their family members. Inclusion Ireland is asking prospective candidates to consider this constituency of people and to commit to working to ensure equality for disabled people in Ireland and Europe. Inclusion Ireland is asking all candidates running for local election to work towards promoting the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities by advocating for equality-proofing of housing and planning, ensuring accessible transport and generating meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities in their communities. Sarah Lennon said: Locally elected councillors have a fantastic opportunity to work to ensure their constituents with a disability are fully included and we are asking Councillors to ensure the participation of people with disabilities in the planning of services by local authorities." Inclusion Ireland is asking that Councillors work to ensure that people with disabilities will have access to a good supply of accessible accommodation in which they can live independent and well-connected lives within the community and that transport that is accessible and affordable is ensured. The recent spate of abortion bills that try to ban abortion early into pregnancy focus on duration some states picked 16 weeks, others (like Georgia) are down to six. Alabama took it one step further. Under the new legislation, the state has said all it requires is pregnancy. "By making the fetus a person, it's an end run around Roe," she said. "Once you determine a fetus is a person, you can't kill." For Collins, the Alabama state representative, the bill's true purpose is to trigger litigation that would force the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade. "My point on keeping an amendment about rape or incest out of this bill is that Roe v. Wade does not mention that issue and I want this bill to focus on the reasoning used in the Roe v. Wade decision, 'Is the baby in the womb a person?' Any amendment would contradict that point." Even in Alabama, it seems, there's still a dispute over why a woman should be able to have an abortion. "That's what Roe is all about no one should be able to decide why a woman should have an abortion," Sanger said. A traveling exhibit to raise awareness about and recruit volunteers for a national research initiative that seeks health information from a million Americans will stop over the next two weeks in Omaha and Grand Island. The National Institutes of Health launched its unprecedented All of Us program in 2015 to gather genetic, biological, environmental, health and lifestyle data that researchers can tap to learn more about how differences in those factors can influence health and disease. The ultimate goal is to use that information to prevent and treat diseases in an approach known as precision medicine. But first, they need to reach all of us. The All of Us Journey comprises two mobile units that are traveling across the country in partnership with various organizations, including the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. The University of Nebraska Medical Center and community partners are hosting the Nebraska stops in conjunction with the alliance. Jane Delgado, the alliances president and CEO, said the outreach is intended to ensure that the initiative is based on good science. In the past, Hispanics, African Americans, women and older people have felt that they were not well-represented in scientific research. To underscore the fact, Chevron wont use its $1 billion deal-break fee to build a war chest for another takeover. Instead, it will buy back shares in an unexciting but shareholder-friendly move. Chevron was the best-performing oil stock in the S&P 500 Index with a 2.5 percent gain. We have no intention to do an acquisition unless its exceptionally good, Wirth said. In withdrawing Chevrons bid for the Texas-based crude explorer, Wirth is hewing to the tightfisted investment ethos that has been the defining characteristic of his 19-year run in senior management at the company. The University of Colorado-trained engineer and Chevron lifer rose through the ranks of the companys sprawling, worldwide oil-refining division before succeeding John Watson as CEO in early 2018. As refining boss and one of Watsons top lieutenants, Wirth divested underperforming plants and quit entire markets to improve profits, a model that was subsequently adapted to Chevrons crude and natural gas unit with similar results. Boston Beer Co., the Sam Adams brewer, saw it shares jump after it announced the acquisition of Dogfish Head Brewery in a deal valued at $300 million, combining two well-known craft beer pioneers in the U.S. Its the largest acquisition in the history of Boston Beer, which was founded in 1984 and in recent years has added products like Angry Orchard cider, Twisted Tea and spiked seltzer. But until now, the company hadnt diversified much in beer beyond Sam Adams. The rise of brands like Dogfish, started about 23 years ago in Delaware as a tiny craft brewery, have put a dent in the sales of beer-industry leaders like Bud Light and Coors. Now Dogfish is combining with Sam Adams at a time when craft beer has slowed down from its initial boom. Boston Beer saw an opportunity to pounce, at least in part because the valuations of craft beer companies have come down, according to CEO Dave Burwick. We feel like now is the time to fortify and grow our beer business, Burwick said in an interview. Were committed to craft beer for the long term. Instead, he got blitzed and hopped on the Kennedy Freeway at Cornhusker Road in Bellevue. Heading north, he rode the tail of a car before using the left lane to pass that car and another one. He then whipped back across the traffic lanes to the right, apparently trying to make it to the L Street exit. For some reason, Smocks car was stalled, or barely moving, in the exit lane. She took the brunt of the collision. A crash expert estimated that Carmona-Martinez was going at least 55 mph at impact. A coroners physician determined that Smocks spinal column snapped at the base of her skull. Smocks daughter, Michelle Hickey, said her mother was a spunky, outgoing woman of strong faith. She was so full of life, she said. The world was a better place with her in it. Hickey said the family is haunted by Carmona-Martinezs selfish act. Every New Years Day and every Mothers Day is a reminder of their loss, she said. Smock left behind four children and nine grandchildren. Officer Wes Chrisman went 24 hours without a break and worked 65 hours over four days. He was instrumental in keeping the National Weather Service and others apprised of rising river levels on the Elkhorn. The nearby gauge (Maple Street bridge) had been disabled by flooding, so Chrisman rigged surveying stakes to measure river levels. He also patrolled the levee watching for leaks. Officer Lane Pacha is semiretired and was enjoying time off in Arizona when the flood struck. After a couple of days of checking in by phone with Donahue, he got the green light to come back and help out. On his own dime, Pacha caught the next flight and was in Waterloo and at work at 6 a.m. the next day. Pacha worked about 120 hours in the two weeks after the flooding so that other officers could get time off. It was nice, we were pretty burned out, Donahue said. Chief Donahue didnt nominate himself for a certificate of merit, but his contributions were certainly noteworthy. He was there alongside his men, working virtually without sleep from Friday morning, March 15, until Sunday night, March 17. A total of 60 hours of work over those three days. School officials say having fewer class periods during a school day will increase instructional time in core academic subjects, enabling teachers to better prepare students for high school and success on state assessments. Members of the public, however, argued that this type of cut strikes at Millards view of itself as a world-class district that is recognized for its programs. Alli Lueders, 17, president of the German Club at Millard West High School, told the board that language has expanded her world view. The limits of my language are the limits of my world, she told them. Language courses will still be offered at the high school level, but some speakers said that cuts at the middle school level will result in fewer students taking French and German in high school, eventually leading to elimination of the courses at that level too. Board member Dave Anderson said the district is committed to using restraint in its ability to take advantage of its additional taxing authority. It doesnt want to tap the entire levy override to save a particular curriculum program. Near Verbatim Transcripts From VIPs Visit To South Sudan "This visit is really timely because we want to build on the momentum and we wanted to show that the three organisations are together. And we hope that the parties also will be at the level of their responsibilities this time." Near Verbatim Transcript Media Briefing by the High-Level UN/ AU/ IGAD Joint Delegation Saturday, 11 May 2019 Near Verbatim Transcripts From VIPs Visit To South Sudan Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, Mr. David Shearer : Good afternoon to all our Radio Miraya listeners. This is David Shearer, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, speaking to you today. And a special welcome to our people who are listening in and to the event of the visit of the high-level with representatives from the United Nations, the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). From the UN here, we have visiting with us the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, from the AU, the Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ismail Chergui, and from the IGAD is the Special Envoy for South Sudan, Ismail Wais. We also have, with this delegation, the C5 grouping from the AU chaired by the Ambassador of South Africa in Addis, and also with him, the ambassadors from Chad, Algeria, Rwanda and Nigeria, who are also joining this high-level delegation. They have made a special trip to South Sudan to demonstrate their united and full support for the peace process and to ensure that the revitalized agreement signed by the parties last September is fully implemented. As we all know, the visit comes at an important time in the process, after the IGAD Council of Ministers endorsed a unanimous decision by the parties to extend the pre-transitional period for a further six months. And that gives extra time to resolve the outstanding issues before a transitional government of national unity is formed in November. As I have said many times on this programme, it is vital that we get in behind the agreement to ensure it is fully implemented. This visit is evidence, I think, of the strong commitment of the AU/UN/IGAD to do everything we can to make that happen. The agreement is not perfect I dont think there has ever been a peace agreement that has ever been perfect but there is no Plan B. This is it. This is the Plan A and we all need to work together to make this agreement a reality. With those very brief remarks, I would like to hand over to my colleagues to make some opening remarks and then I would welcome your questions to the panel we have in front of us. Thank you very much again. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix: Good afternoon. This is Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General of the UN for Peace Operations. Thank you, David, and a warm salute to all our listeners on Radio Miraya and a special salute to our colleagues from UNMISS who are doing a tremendous job here. As David was saying, this is a visit that, first of all, is a demonstration of unity between the UN, the AU and the IGAD. And we made it clear to all whom we met with, starting with the President, the members of the Government and the members of all the committees in charge of implementing the agreement. We also met with womens groups. We made it clear that we are totally united in support of the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement. This is an agreement that we supported at the outset. And today, we recognize that the agreement has brought improvement, and particularly improvement regarding the security situation, with less violence and, therefore, more lives that were saved as a result of the agreement, and a stronger or greater capacity for our humanitarian colleagues, to whom I want to pay tribute as well, to deliver the much needed humanitarian assistance. But there is much more to do. There are pending issues, very important ones, and there is also this humanitarian situation which is still very critical in the country. So, our purpose is to be supportive so that the next six-month after this extension of the pre-transitional period will be used to generate substantial advances in the implementation of the peace agreement, in the improvement of the lives of millions and millions of South Sudanese. We stated our joint commitment to be supportive, not only in words but also in very concrete terms with practical support, with whatever funding our organization could either provide or could encourage others to provide. And we also agreed that this is very much a collective undertaking. The presence today of the ambassadors of the C5 group is also extremely important as a very strong symbol of our unity. I will stop here and my brother, Commissioner Chergui, will, I think, continue. AU Commissioner for Peace & Security, Ambassador Smail Chergui: Thank you very much, Jean-Pierre, I want to join David and yourself in thanking UNMISS and also our representation here in Juba in organizing this visit, together with the IGAD Special Envoy and my dear ambassadors representing the C5 all together to demonstrate unity of purpose, unity of determination, unity also in our resolve to make the parties to this revitalized agreement now be at the level of what their people are expecting from them in terms of implementing each and every article of this agreement in total honesty. I think that we are, after this visit which comes after the one we undertook last October Jean-Pierre and myself we are rather encouraged by the fact that the cessation of hostilities is holding and that, overall, though the humanitarian situation is still appalling, but the humanitarians are doing a much easier work than before. We wanted also to say quite clearly that this extension should be the last one. We are expecting the parties now to do every effort possible, every sacrifice, so that we have the transitional government in place next November. Secondly, we appreciate the fact that the Government has now devoted USD$100 million to the implementation process. This, I hope, will allow the other partners and friends of South Sudan to open up and really join the efforts in also financing the peace process. Thirdly, we also wanted to indicate that the issues of justice are very important. Here, we renewed our call for what the Peace and Security Council has approached, that is healing, reconciliation and justice. All this has to happen. And we also recalled to the authorities here that we are ready to sign immediately the memorandum of understanding related to the hybrid court. We want it as soon as possible in place. The other issue which is also very serious is the issue of gender-related violence. As much as we say that all the organisations here cannot tolerate such behavior, we want to thank David and his team for pushing forward the process in helping the Government to create the mobile gender-based violence courts. This is one of the solutions, but it is not the main solution. But we are expecting from all the commanders on the ground and all the authorities to make sure that this issue is taken very seriously and that those who are committing the crimes are brought to justice. So, in a nutshell, this visit is really timely because we want to build on the momentum and we wanted to show that the three organisations are together. And we hope that the parties also will be at the level of their responsibilities this time. Thank you. IGAD Special Envoy to South Sudan, Dr. Ismail Wais: Good afternoon. This is Ismail Wais, IGAD Special Envoy. Well, the moving together of the IGAD, AU and UN is not, in fact, for the first time. It is a well established cooperation. It shows and demonstrates to the people of South Sudan that the three institutions are cooperating and are very serious about this peace process in South Sudan. This week, South Sudan has witnessed a series of activities. The first one was the meeting of the political parties of South Sudan in Addis Ababa, where they have unanimously decided to extend the pre-transitional period for six months. A very wise decision which, in fact, gives the whole process a new momentum and the chance to implement all the provisions of this agreement. It also witnessed the presence of the IGAD Council of Ministers meeting here in Juba in the last three days on the 7th and 8th - that also endorsed the decision of the political parties and the extension of the pre-transitional period by six months. Now, again, we witness the coming of the AU and the UN together to Juba, which also shows, in fact, a very strong support to the people of South Sudan. Rest assured that these three institutions will do everything possible to cooperate with the rest of the international community to mobilise the necessary support for this peace process. We have a lot to do and a long way to go. We are not at the end of the process. In fact, we are starting with very challenging activities. But the cooperation we are hearing from others, including the AU and the UN and the presence of the C5 member-states is very promising and will indeed bring this process forward. We still urge the political parties, the mechanisms, also to do the rest at their level best to implement this process so that at least the people of South Sudan deserve what they really earned and that is, at least, peace in this country. Thank you very much. SRSG Shearer: Thank you very much. Unfortunately, and because of the flight schedules and the need to get off quickly, we are going to have to have a very short time for questions. But please can I ask the journalists here who would like to ask a question to the panel to do so. VoA: Thank you. My name is Waakhe from the Voice of America (VoA). My first question is that the parties say that the major challenge to the implementation of the peace deal has been resources. With the extension by six months of the pre-transitional period, is the UN ready to pump in funding? Perhaps in which area? My last question goes to Special Envoy Ismail Wais. You are the mediator of the South Sudan peace talks. What has been the major problem that has hindered implementation of the peace deal? Is it the lack of resources or lack of the political will from the parties? Thank you. AP: Hi, Sam from the Associated Press. I guess this question is for the Special Envoy and the Commissioner. What would be any different in this six-month extension than we have already seen in the past eight months? There is a lot of talk about there is an extension but that doesnt necessarily mean that anything will have changed. The other question is that some people have talked about having a third-party protection force come in instead of having a unified army to speed-up the process. I was wondering of your thoughts on that. USG Lacroix: Thank you very much. I think when we talk about taking forward and supporting the implementation of the agreement, everything is linked. For the key provisions of the agreement, particularly for the security arrangement, there has to be further work done in preparing the process because it includes, not only, cantonment, but it includes many other things, moving forward training, reintegration, building what ultimately will be a reconfigured South Sudanese security force. For that, there is a need for capacity building and expertise and this is what we are prepared to do, and this is what we are already doing and IGADs decision to take that forward very quickly with the holding of the workshop, I think, is very important. And the UN is also preparing to provide expertise. I think it is clear that there is also a need for additional funding. This has to come on a voluntary basis by the partners of South Sudan. Some countries have already come forward, others should come forward, but I think that the more preparatory work advances, I think the more likely other donors might be willing to support that process. I think everything is linked taking forward the good work that is undertaken now and reaching out to partners so that they support with concrete assistance financial, material assistance and, again, expertise, is very much interlinked. And just to pick up on your question, I believe that there are many things that have to be taken forward in the next six months. I think it is important to recognize what the revitalized peace agreement has brought, which is a significant decrease in violence and that means a lot. And a number of things have also been done in putting together the key mechanisms that are tasked with implementing the agreement and monitoring implementation. But clearly there is a need to move on the critical issues and some strategic decisions will have to be made ultimately by the parties at the highest level. But this is what we came here for: to convey the message that these six months really need to be put to the best use and that we are really committed to support that so that we dont end up six months from now with having to, again, decide whether they will have another postponement or not. That wouldnt be a good outcome at all. Commissioner Chergui: In addition to what Jean-Pierre said, I think we are lacking many things in this process. First is confidence between the parties and we have to work on that during the six months. Second is the lack of capacity of institutions of this country - the lack of expertise and we hope that we will be working to fill the gaps, mainly on the first issue that I indicated. And here, it would help me to respond to your second question. If then we have a better relation between the parties, and mainly between the President and Dr. Riek Machar, I dont think we will need additional VIP force to come in to the country because, I think, President Salva Kiir is ready to assure the security of Dr. Riek Machar. So, it is very important and vital that we work on this issue of building the trust between the parties and this will have a very good impact on the implementation of the peace agreement. Special Envoy Wais: I think the question which was posed to me is already answered by my two colleagues. But just to repeat, everything is interlinked, and we have capacity gaps as well as funding gaps. We also have gaps of expertise and in the last one week, we had a lot of promises from the IGAD Member-States to support the mechanisms here in Juba also in these aspects. So, the willingness of the members was there to provide experts from their own institutions to assist the mechanisms with this expertise. Also, we could assure the support of the C5 member-states that they would also like to provide in-kind support for some of the activities. We all know that, for example in South Sudan, the economy itself is very weak. We dont have the production of food or medicine, and these have to come from outside. Members have promised to provide in-kind support also for some of the cantonment sites in the country. With all that support plus the USD$100 million pledged from the Government, we are now very confident that we can run the permanent ceasefire and security arrangements in this country. Thank you. AP: On that USD$100 million, the Government did commit money during the initial phase, I think it was USD$10 million, and I think it took a lot of time for that to arrive if it did. There is speculation that this USD$100 million doesnt exist, and if it does exist that it will also not be availed. What happens if it is not? Special Envoy Wais: As you can imagine, honestly, we dont want to participate in speculation. The Government paid the USD$10 million plus one from Japan, that is clear and it is a fact. We met the President today and yesterday and one of our questions is, in fact, to make available this resource as soon as possible. And the reasoning is simple: the security mechanisms were meeting yesterday and today, and they will be meeting up to the end of the 18th here in Juba. When the results are there, we would like to move very quickly and implement the security arrangements. And we told the President that the resources should be ready by then. As I said, we dont want to participate in speculation. We believe what the Government is saying and what the President said and that he would stand up to his word and we will see what happens when it comes to the time. MBC: Emmanuel Tombe from the MBC. I have two questions. One is that in the last eight months, the parties have failed to implement the peace agreement. They have now extended to a further six months. What is the guarantee if the parties fail to implement the agreement in the next six months, what is the process forward? Number two: Dr. Machar is supposed to be here in Juba tomorrow. What preparations are there for his arrival and what are the guarantees? USG Lacroix: Thank you. What is important is to do our best so that things will improve and that the implementation of the peace agreement will be taken forward. This is not the moment to speculate failure. This is the moment to work together. And of course, the primary responsibility lies with the South Sudanese themselves and primarily with the parties and, in particular, with the leaders. That is clear. We want to be supportive, we want to be helpful to the South Sudanese to make the right decisions, to help with the technical assistance, capacity building, material and financial support. This is what we are here for. And, of course, political support to make sure that whatever good decisions will be made will be adequately supported and that there will be encouragement from the international community. Regarding your second question, as we said before, we do believe that there are critical decisions that ultimately can only be made by the highest leadership of the parties. And, therefore, as my brother Commissioner Chergui was saying earlier, it is important that both His Excellency President Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar should be able to address those questions face to face. We are supportive of that and we definitely hope that such meetings will occur so as to generate the kind of strategic advances that are needed in that process. SRSG Shearer: Just coming back on your point, I think it was a very good question. What has been interesting over the last few months is that we have had a lot of the opposition, well nearly all of the opposition groups, moving around Juba very freely, attending meetings without any problems. That has built a lot of trust and confidence and I believe that trust and confidence thats been built over the last few weeks was one of the reasons why the unanimous decision was made in Addis last week that they were able to go forward together. One of the things that the United Nations pushed and was picked up by others was the need for President Salva Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar to have similar discussions together so that they can build that trust and confidence as well. That was picked up and is part of the resolution that was confirmed by the IGAD Council of Ministers this week. So, I think there is some good advance there and, as Smail Chergui said, ultimately it all falls on trust and confidence between the parties. If that trust and confidence can be built, then there is nothing we cant do in terms of moving the peace process forward. AP: This is a question about the Protection of Civilians (PoC) site. I am wondering what the plan is for them and if the current state of whats happening with the extension of the peace deal, if that makes you more cautious about what those plans may be? One other question is that there has been increased military presence in Juba in the past couple of days. People have attributed it to different things, one of them being potential protests next week, although no one is really sure. Just wondering what your message would be for the Government if people do come out and protest. USG Lacroix: For your first question, I think, whatever the conditions are, we hope that internally displaced persons and those who are in the PoC camps will be able to return to their homes. And in fact, I think the Mission has observed in a few cases that there is an increasing number of persons returning to their homes but still its a relatively limited number. And there is also planning going on in certain locations, I think Malakal, to sort of prepare or take a look at whether the conditions are there for IDPs to return or at least to see what would be those conditions. This is definitely an important objective. At the same time, returns should take place when these conditions are met and particularly, they have to be voluntary. People need to be able to return to their home, they need to be able to return to safety, they need to be able to return to the community that would be at peace and where they would be in a position to resume their normal life. And that has to be prepared and of course it depends a lot on the further improvement of the security, the building of trust it all boils down to that and therefore depends a lot on further progress in the implementation of the revitalized agreement. I think I would leave the second question to David you are here all the time; I am not SRSG Shearer: Just to build on what Jean-Pierre was saying, about the PoCs. I think people seem to forget about the ceasefire that has happened with the peace agreement. When you look back at how many people were dying in conflict, now with the peace agreement that is not happening the political violence. There is other cattle-related violence that is going on but not political violence. And that is giving people more confidence and we have seen people start to move back to their homes as they feel it is safer. The big issue that we face is that people living in the PoC are not wanting to go back to their homes as they dont have services in their homes, as the services are not there schools arent there, health facilities arent there. In some ways, it is becoming less an issue of security and more an issue of services that people want to move to and why some people are staying in the POcs because they get education for their children there. Now the big challenge for us is to move out and get those services in the surrounding areas so that people will feel not only confident to go back because of security but also because they can get the same opportunities for their families., And I feel very strongly that those people who do want to go back and, as Jean-Pierre said voluntarily, if they want to leave, that we should provide the support for them to go home because I think it is important that they dont get condemned to a PoC camp when they want to go back and restart their lives. With regards to the military presence, yes, we have observed this as well. There were some people on the streets, I think it was Thursday and Friday. I have checked with the Government and they were telling me that it is a practice of a drill that was ongoing. So, I cant comment more than what they have told us but, obviously, the presence of the military large numbers of the military on the ground and in the city is not necessarily a comforting thing and can also be a disturbing thing. I pointed out that just to remember that people like to move around freely and the presence sometimes of military makes people more anxious than less anxious and that should perhaps reflect. I think what we might do is call it quits. I just want to say once thank you very much to our Radio Miraya listeners who are listening in today. I hope you have a good weekend. All the very best and, as I said before, it has been a fantastic opportunity to have the three organisations here with us today Ambassador Chergui, who had to leave for his flight just a couple of minutes ago, and Ambassador Wais as well who was here, but also to have with me my colleague and the head of the UN Peace Operations in New York, Jean-Pierre Lacroix. It was a great opportunity to have you here and thank you very much for making the time to come to South Sudan and to provide that support and that solidarity from the three organisations in getting behind the peace agreement. I very much appreciate it, so thank you very much. Vanderharr became pinned under the last car, Brueggemann said. The car was lifted by several people at the scene, freeing Vanderharr. Medical helicopters were unavailable to fly Vanderharr and Ramsey to a hospital because of storms in the area. Several other people suffered minor injuries during the incident, but they all either refused treatment or were treated at area hospitals and released, Brueggemann said. Adam Gullion posted on Facebook that Vanderharr is in the intensive care unit. He is in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator, Gullion said. He currently remains in the ICU with a severe brain injury, Gullion wrote. He sustained multiple skull fractures, brain bleed and swelling. Unfortunately, monitoring and time is all they can do right now as no surgery will help. Vanderharr also suffered a broken leg that will need surgery, Gullion said, but nothing will be done about the fracture until the brain injury improves. A mans death in a crash on Mothers Day continued a string of tragedies for an Omaha family, his father said Sunday. Vernon E. Welchen Jr., 32, was pronounced dead early Sunday at the Nebraska Medical Center, police said. The crash occurred shortly after midnight when the 2003 Mitsubishi Galant that Welchen was driving east on Ames Avenue left the roadway and collided with a tree in Fontenelle Park near 46th Street. Welchen, who was the sole occupant of the Mitsubishi, had called his father, Vernon E. Welchen Sr., of Rapid City, South Dakota, earlier in the evening. The younger Welchen just wanted to check in, his father said. We had also talked a couple days earlier when he called to tell me about a job that he had just gotten, the elder Welchen said. I dont remember the company name, but they take orders for Amazon and he was so excited. This (crash) coming on Mothers Day has been really hard on all of us. The elder Welchen said his son, who attended North High but didnt graduate, had a tough time adjusting to the deaths of his mother and brother. The European Union needs to step up, targeting more of Maduros helpers with visa bans and asset freezes. So does the Lima Group of mostly Latin American nations. So far, only a few of its members have frozen any Venezuelan assets; many still lack the laws that would let them do this. The outrageous arrest of the opposition-controlled National Assemblys vice president is a reminder the coalition needs a wider range of tools at its disposal to persuade the regime to change its ways. Vice President Mike Pence took a step in the right direction by announcing the U.S. would lift sanctions on the former head of Venezuelas national intelligence service one of the few high-level officials who abandoned Maduro for Guaido. Its good, too, that the U.S. is sending the USNS Comfort to provide medical care to Venezuelan refugees. It would have been better if Pence had also announced an extension of Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans who have fled to the U.S. Once Maduro exits, Venezuela will need all the help it can get. Even with the plans and pledges of the International Monetary Fund and other multilateral institutions, restarting Venezuelas economy and repairing its democratic institutions will take years. Yet hope, at least, can be quickly restored. Before Venezuela became one of the worlds biggest humanitarian disasters, it was Latin Americas richest country. It can prosper again. Getting rid of Maduro and holding free and fair elections are the essential first steps. Nebraska school districts were understandably wary several years ago when the state said it would start intervening locally to try to boost academic performance at low-performing schools. The experience was new, and government intervention can be heavy-handed. But Nebraskas approach has turned out to be carefully crafted, with the emphasis on collaboration in working to help priority schools turn things around. The results in most cases so far have been positive. This experience is important for districts, such as the Santee Community Schools, to appreciate as the state continues to work with districts needing help. Omaha Public Schools Druid Hill Elementary took significant steps for improvement even before being designated a priority school, for example, and the relationship with the state during the intervention period was cooperative, said Principal Cherice Williams. There was no disruption to what was already going on, she said. The state has removed Druid Hill from its priority school list. The other Innovation That Inspires projects were very interesting and would be amazing resources to help aid us in teaching and research, Ormond says. Some of these required millions in capital to implement. Seeing our project amidst these other projects was incredible. The success of the project, Braymen and Ormond say, stems from its collaborative nature. One example of this is working with the Radlab to add solar-powered capability to the devices. Junior physics and mathematics student Mason Rhodes was an intern at Radlab during that time, and he says working on the BlueBox Project gave him technical skills and the feeling he was making a difference. Every obstacle we encountered was overcome with persistence and the desire to provide these educational tools to those in need, Rhodes says. Just when we were on the edge of throwing in the towel, we would find some breakthrough to get us back on track. 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. Ten years ago I introduced myself to the voters in the Oneida City School District as a write-in candidate for the school board. Today, I again ask for your vote and to address, What has changed in 10 years? Almost everything, as life is always in flux. While serving on the OCSD school board, I have kept up-to-date on educational issues by attending many NYS School Board Institute workshops and presentations on school law, school curriculum and community concerns. I was pleased to have been one of 25 school board members from all of NYS to be invited to participate in a workshop presented by our then-commissioner John King to help NYS put some common sense into the Common Core curriculum. This year, there is a new federal approach, ESSA Every Student Succeeds Act. Education has always been data driven; but the scope of data collected has expanded to such a degree that schools have needed to hire additional data personnel to collect and summarize it. These data reports help define what needs to be accomplished in our schools. It is an ongoing learning experience to be part of our school board. My teaching career spanned 34 years; 22 of which were happily spent at Oneida High School. Previously, my teaching years were spent in Spencerport, Brockport and at the NYS Correctional Facility in Albion. Those years taught me much; being a school board member has taught me a different dimension of our educational system. During my tenure as a school board member, I have cast numerous votes on many agenda items. Very few of those votes were the result of easy decision-making. Education is a serious and ever-changing dynamic -back awhile there was a giant outcry when school boards decided to drop Greek from its high school curriculum! It is the one privilege offered to all; it is the gateway to our childrens futures; we devote the first 18-plus years of a persons life to it.. Each and every one of my votes have been and will be cast in the best educational interests of our students and our community. One thing has not changed: I am still the proud parent of two Oneida High School graduates: Dr. Andrew Lippert, Academic Executive Officer of the Department of Strategy, Leadership and Management at the US Army War College, and Kristen Lippert-Martin, published author of Young Adult science-fiction novels. The OCSD provides such a wonderful educational foundation for our students. Our amazing teachers and staff are devoted to giving your children the BEST. Please vote YES for the school budget. Thank you to those supporters who gave me their time and their signatures to be a candidate for the school board. Amit Shah dares Mamata Banerjee to arrest him for chanting 'Jai Shree Ram' India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 13: Bharatiya Janata Dal (BJP) national president Amit Shah dared West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to arrest him for shouting "Jai Shri Ram", claiming that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo can stop him from attending rallies in Bengal, but won't be able to stop BJP's victory march in the state. Addressing a rally at Canning, which comes under Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency, he said, "Mamatadi gets angry if someone chants Jai Shri Ram. I am chanting Jai Shri Ram here today. If you (Mamata) have the guts, arrest me. I will be in Kolkata tomorrow." "I was to visit three places today, but Mamata's ji's nephew is contesting from one of the seats so she is scared her nephew will lose, and that's why she cancelled the permission for our rally," Amit Shah said, addressing the gathering. Amit Shah denied permission to hold rally in WB's Jadavpur Hitting out at the TMC government over denial of permission for his chopper to land in Baruipur, Shah said, "The Mamata Banerjee government is visibly perplexed. She wants to stop me from attending rallies. The TMC can stop me from addressing rallies, but can't stop the victory march of BJP in Bengal." The BJP said Amit Shah was "compelled to hold only two rallies" but the people would give a fitting reply to Mamata Banerjee on May 23, the day the results will be declared. Mamata Banerjee upset after not being allowed to speak during PMs meet Amit Shah denied permission to hold rally in WB's Jadavpur India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 13: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has refused permission to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah's proposed rally in Jadavpur. According to reports, the government has also denied permission to land his chopper. The BJP plans to approach the Election Commission against the move. However, this isn't the first time, earlier too, in the month of January, citing upgradation of work, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government denied permission to the state BJP to land party president Amit Shah's chopper at the Malda airstrip ahead of his rally. Maya, Mamata to give post poll opposition meet a miss It can be recalled that the general election is currently being held in seven phases from 11 April to 19 May 2019 to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha. The counting of votes will be conducted on 23 May and on the same day the results will be declared. Polling in the last (seventh) phase will be held on May 19. At 46, Iron Lady of Manipur Irom Sharmila gives birth to twins on Mother's Day India oi-Madhuri Adnal Bengaluru, May 13: Irom Sharmila, known across the world as the Iron Lady of Manipur for her 16-year long hunger strike against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the state, delivered twin girls on Mother's Day in Bengaluru. The 46-year-old had settled in Kodaikanal after her marriage with Desmond Coutinho in 2017. She gave birth after 35 weeks of pregnancy through a C-section delivery at Malleshwaram branch of the Cloudnine hospital at 9:21 am on Sunday. The activist and her husband, Goan-born British national Desmond Coutinho, have named their daughters Nix Sakhi and Autumn Tara. Srinagar: Irom Sharmila calls on Mehbooba Mufti The babies weighed 2.16 kg and 2.15 kg, respectively, at the time of the delivery. Their obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr Sripada Vinekar said that both Sharmila and the babies were doing fine and that the mother was resting with her two bundles of joy, with her husband by her side. The couple wanted to keep the development a private affair. Kamal Haasan rules out alliance with AIADMK, DMK, says will not go with kazhagams BJP demands 5-day ban on Kamal Haasan for Hindu terrorist' remark India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 13: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday moved the Election Commission for 5-Day ban on Kamal Haasan over the actor-politician's remark that Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse was independent India's first terrorist.The complaint has been filed by BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay. "The leader of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, the BJP said the actor-politician was trying to create a rift among two groups in the name of religion," the BJP said. The first terrorist was a Hindu, his name was Nathuram Godse: Kamal Haasan "Actor Kamal Haasan recalling Gandhi's assassination now and calling it Hindu terrorism is condemnable. Standing amidst minorities in TN byelection campaign, he is lighting a dangerous fire to gain votes by minority appeasement," president of Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit Tamilisai Soundararajan? tweeted on Monday. "Uttering nonsense in a sensitive subject violating the poll code of conduct. Let us hope for EC to handle with all sense as per law of the land against hate speech," Soundararajan added. She also reminded Kamal Haasan of the time when he had threatened to leave India is his movie (Vishwaroopam) was not allowed to release. "Now he calls himself true Indian! True political acting started now having lost the chances in screenplay," she added. Earlier in the day, Kamal Haasan had stoked a possible controversy by saying "free India's first terrorist was a Hindu," referring to Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. The actor-politician said he was one of those "proud Indians" who desired an India with equality and where the "three colours" in the Tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, "remained intact." 'How can you be so careless': Kamal Haasan slams AIADMK over Pollachi case He said, "I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India's first terrorist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it [terrorism, apparently] starts." Aravakurichi is one of the four Assembly constituencies where bypolls are scheduled on May 19. MNM has fielded S. Mohanraj from this segment. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 13, 2019, 15:16 [IST] Don turned politician Atiq Ahmed withdraws from poll battle against PM Modi in Varanasi India oi-Madhuri Adnal Lucknow, May 13: Former MP Atiq Ahmed, who was poised to fight the Lok Sabha elections against PM Narendra Modi in Varanasi as an Independent candidate, has decided to withdraw his nomination. In a letter issued to the media, Atiq explained that he was forced to do so as he had not been granted parole by the court. He also added that he was not going to put his weight behind any candidate. In his application in court, Atiq had sought three weeks' parole so that he could campaign for his election. His application had pointed out that while he is behind the bars, he will not be able to campaign even though it was his democratic right to contest elections. At Delhi's all women booths, polling high despite overall low turnout Atiq Ahmed, after nomination as an Independent candidate, had filed for parole application so he could campaign. First, the MP, MLA Court, and then the high court rejected his appeal. His election agent, Advocate Shahnawaz Alam, released the letter written by Atiq from Naini Jail on Sunday. It must be noted that Atiq is in jail for ruckus at Allahabad's SHUATS university. In other cases on him, Atiq is out on bail. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 13, 2019, 12:12 [IST] Federal front gathers steam as KCR meets Stalin at his residence India oi-Deepika S Chennai, May 13: In his bid to gather forces for a federal front, Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao met DMK president MK Stalin at his residence in Chennai. The TRS supremo had stepped up efforts to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties and recently met his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram. The meeting between the two leaders comes days after the DMK called off the meet citing Stalin's campaign commitments for the bye-elections to four constituencies in Tamil Nadu that are set to take place on May 19. The DMK, which is an ally of the UPA, had earlier attempted to play down the meeting, terming it as a 'courtesy'. "It is a courtesy call," was all that Stalin said in a statement about the more than an hour-long discussion with KCR, as Rao is known. A DMK member, however, said that the party has made it clear to the Telangana CM that it was in firm in its alliance with the Congress and steadfastly opposed to the BJP, said reports. "Why didn't Stalin meet the media after the meeting with KCR? Why was he shying away?" asked Tamilisai Soundarrajan, president of BJP's Tamil Nadu unit. KCR's federal front dream: Will Stalin play spoilsport KCR has been trying to a forge a non-BJP, non-Congress Federal Front. He is convinced that both these national parties will not be able to form a government on their own and this will lead to an opportunity for regional parties and leaders like Stalin, HD Kumaraswamy, Mamata Banerjee and him to combine. Woman who returned from South Africa to Chandigarh jumps home quarantine, goes to 5-star hotel Chandigarh reports its first case of Omicron; 20-year-old with travel history test positive for new variant Here is what BJP, Congress, AAP are doing in Chandigarh India oi-Hardeep Singh Bedi New Delhi, May 13: Voting will be conducted in the Union Territory Chandigarh in the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 19. The Union territory (UT) is the capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana, and has only one Lok Sabha seat with 6,19,792 eligible voters. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has repeated its sitting MP Kirron Kher and the Congress has given the ticket to former Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who won the seat for the party in 1991, 1999, 2004, and 2009. Here is analysis of 2019 Lok Sabha candidates In 2014, Kher defeated Bansal by a margin of 69,643 votes. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Gul Panag was on the third spot by bagging 10,8,679 votes. AAP has replaced Gul Panag with Harmohan Dhawan, a senior BJP leader who joined AAP in November 2018. Dhawan's candidature has made the fight triangular. Chances are that Dhawan might take away traditional BJP votes as he had supported Kirron Kher in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Dhawan has been telling voters that Kher has ignored them after winning the election as most of the time she stayed away from Chandigarh. However, the BJP doesn't see Dhawan as a real threat. "Gul Panag had got over 1 lakh votes in 2014 because she had earned a name for herself in the film industry. Moreover, AAP was quite popular at that time. Now, the situation is different,"says a BJP leader. Both BJP and Congress think Rajiv Gandhi issue suitable "Many AAP leaders have joined the Congress. The AAP's popularity has nosedived and it will be a challenge for Dhawan to retain those voters who had supported Panag in 2014, " adds the leader. He claims that Kher would again win the seat as the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is still intact. However, a journalist tells OneIndia that taking Dhawan lightly may not be a wise idea as he is an old hawk in Chandigarh politics and won the seat back in 1989. Congress candidate Bansal has also been targeting Kirron Kher by saying that she didn't keep even her single promise of 2014. Both Dhawan and Bansal have been cornering Kher by raising issues such as unemployment, water scarcity, drugs and the crime committed by the addicts. However, the journalist says that Kher's personal equation with the electorate gives her an edge as the city has a rich and urban population that tends to give nationalism a lot of importance. Rather than Dhawan, the BJP is considering Bansal as a threat considering his track record of winning the Chandigarh seat. "Therefore, in one to one campaigning the BJP cadres are also refreshing up the corruption case involving Bansal's nephew in 2013. Though Bansal has been given a clean chit by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), but many still believe that his nephew couldn't have accepted the money without being confident of getting his client the desired post," the journalist tells OneIndia. The CBI had arrested his nephew Vijay Singla on May 3, 2013, for taking a bribe of Rs 90 lakh to provide a plum posting on the railway board to one Mahesh Kumar. Ten people, including Kumar and Singla, were named in the chargesheet. After the scam came to light, the CBI interrogated Bansal for ten hours, but failed to find substantial evidence to nail him. In his statement, Bansal denied having any knowledge of his nephew's activities. Interestingly, Chandigarh has the highest average number of candidates contesting among the Union Territories. There are 36 candidates in the fray for one seat. According to the journalist, many of these candidates are dummy candidates who have been contesting the elections with the covert support of BJP, Congress, or AAP to divide votes of their opponents. Reality of Live TV Shows from India Gate, Connaught Place A look back says that the Congress has won the seat seven times and BJP three times. However, the first election in 1967 was won by BJP's mother organisation Bharatiya Jan Sangh. Anti-Indira wave in 1977 had made Janata Party candidate victorious. AAP candidate Dhawan had bagged the seat in 1989 as now-defunct Janata Dal candidate. J&K: Terrorists shoot at civilian in Shopian, injured a close aide of NC leader India oi-Vikas SV Srinagar, May 13: Terrorists reportedly shot at a political worker in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian area on Monday. The incident took place at Chitragam Kalan in Shopian and the victim has been identified as one Sajad Ahmad Ganaie. Sajad Ahmad is said to be close associate of National Conference leader and MLC Showkat Hussian Ganaie, said reports. On may 4, Gul Muhammad Mir, a BJP worker, was shot dead by suspected terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. Mir, who was BJP's vice district president of Anantnag district, was hit by bullets on chest and abdomen. [Accused of being informer, girl shot dead at point blank range in Kashmir] On march 27, terrorists shot dead a civilian in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian. The incident took place at Kachdoora village in south Kashmir's Shopian. On March 19, a 25-year-old man was shot dead by terrorists in Pulwama district of J&K. The terrorists fired upon Mohsin Wani near his residence in Reshipora area of Tral in the south Kashmir. Wani succumbed to injuries on the way to a hospital. On January 28, a terrorist had reportedly shot at a civilian in J&K's Pulwama region. The person was identified as one Tariq Ahmad Wani from Reshipora. Key contests to watch out for in seventh and final phase of LS polls 2019 India oi-Vikas SV New Delhi, May 14: The final phase of the quinquennial Lok Sabha elections would be held on May 19, 2019, during which 59 parliamentary seats would vote. All the parliamentary constituencies in Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab would vote during the last phase. Of these 59 seats that are voting on May 19, the BJP-led NDA had won 40 in 2014. The seventh and the last phase of polls is crucial for both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition. Some of the high-profile constituencies that will go to polls in the seventh phase includes Patna Sahib (Bihar), Chandigarh, Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Amritsar (Punjab), Gorakhpur and Ghazipur (both UP). Gorakhpur: The constituency that Yogi Adityanath represented for five terms before vacating it in 2017 was wrested away from the BJP in a bypoll. Samajwadi Party's Praveen Kumar Nishad defeated BJP's Upendra Dutt Shukla by a margin of 21,881 votes in the by elections, dealing a blow to the BJP's prestige. The BJP is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that Gorakhpur is back in their kitty. With SP, BSP and RLD forming a magathbandhan, and Congress and BJP in the fray, Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency is set for a three-way contest. [All about the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections] This time, BJP has fielded actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan from the constituency. He is up against Congress' Madhusudan Tiwari and SP's Ram Bhuwal Nishad. One cause of worry for the BJP is that out of the 20 lakh population of Gorakhpur, BJP's traditional vote bank - the Brahmins and the Upper Caste- are just 4 lakh. The BSP and the SP are contesting the Lok Sabha polls together and are claiming to stop the BJP juggernaut with their carefully stitched alliance based on caste equations. Patna Sahib: Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat in Bihar is one of those seats that is being keenly watched by the political analysts and media. For, sitting dissident Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shatrughan Sinha is contesting this time on a Congress ticket and he would be facing BJP candidate Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Due to its large Kayastha (upper caste) population, Patna Sahib seat is considered one of the safest seats for BJP in India. It was created from the erstwhile Patna Lok Sabha constituency in 2008 after delimitation and that made it an urban seat. [How expensive is the 2019 Lok Sabha election? Rs 50,000 crore] The second seat that came into existence after the delimitation is Patliputra. Sinha, who is a Kayastha, has been winning Patna Sahib seat since 2009. He is eyeing to make a hat-trick by defeating Prasad, who is also a Kayastha and like Sinha, belongs to Patna. Prasad, however, is contesting Lok Sabha election for the first time. According to the sources, the BJP high command has tasked Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and Patliputra MP Ram Kripal Yadav to ensure a sounding defeat of rebel Sinha. Chandigarh: The Union territory (UT) is the capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana, and has one Lok Sabha seat with 6,19,792 eligible voters. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has repeated its sitting MP Kirron Kher and the Congress has given the ticket to former Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who won the seat for the party in 1991, 1999, 2004, and 2009. In 2014, Kher defeated Bansal by a margin of 69643 votes. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Gul Panag was on the third spot by bagging 108679 votes. [Can elections be won by politicising Army actions?] AAP has replaced Gul Panag with Harmohan Dhawan, a senior BJP leader who joined AAP in November 2018. Dhawan's candidature has made the fight triangular. Chances are that Dhawan might take away traditional BJP votes as he had supported Kirron Kher in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Dhawan has been telling voters that Kher has ignored them after winning the election as most of the time she stayed away from Chandigarh. Congress candidate Bansal has also been targeting Kirron Kher by saying that she didn't keep even her single promise of 2014. Both Dhawan and Bansal have been cornering Kher by raising issues such as unemployment, water scarcity, drugs and the crime committed by the addicts Amritsar: Voting in Punjab will be held on May 19 in the seventh phase of Lok Sabha elections and electoral battle in Amritsar is between diplomat-turned-politician Union minister Hardeep Puri and sitting MP Gurjeet Aujla of the Congress. In 2014 polls, the seat witnessed a fierce battle between Captain Amarinder Singh and Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in which the former triumphed. Puri is projecting himself as someone who is capable of bringing mega-projects to the area while Aujla is trying to cash in on his local connect, terming his opponent as a migratory bird. Aujla, who is a Jat-Sikh fits well in the caste calculations for the seat. He claims himself to be a 'son-of-the-soil' while terming Puri as an 'outsider', Puri meanwhile is banking on the Modi factor and the central ministry he holds. Indore: Indore Lok Sabha constituency is highly urban in nature. Nicknamed "Little Mumbai", Indore is the commercial nerve-centre of Madhya Pradesh. The seat has long been held by Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Last month, the eight-term parliamentarian wrote an open letter and declared that she would not contest the Lok Sabha polls. Mahajan is popularly known as Tai in Indore constituency that she has represented since 1989. She is the longest-serving woman MP currently in Parliament. [Satta bazaar prediction of the Lok Sabha election 2019] The BJP has fielded Shankar Lalwani, the chairperson of the Indore Development Authority, from the Indore parliamentary seat. He is up against Congress' Pankaj Sanghvi and BSP's Deepchan Ahirwal. All the eight seats in the final round of polls in Madhya Pradesh are in Malwa-Nimar region, which has seen a shift in power from the BJP to the Congress between the last Lok Sabha election and the assembly election held in 2018. Dove Award-winning Newsboys United bassist and Zealand frontman Phil Joel is set to add author to his diverse credits with the April 16 release of Redwoods and Whales: Becoming Who You Actually Are. Published by Thomas Nelson's Emanate Books, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Redwoods and Whales is a collection of Joel's own epiphanies of God's greatness and transforming power told through personal stories and truths learned from his life and musical journey. Addressing such timely topics as depression, addiction and suicide, Joel encourages readers that breakthrough is possible when we align our hearts and minds with God's Truth. Believing He is bigger than we imagine and life with Him is more exciting than what we've settled for, in Christ we can take hold of the abundant lives we were born to live. Q: Thank you so much Phil for doing this interview with us. Congratulations on your new book, how did this book come about? It actually wasn't something I planned to do, it just kinda happened after I decided to write in my journal about a profound experience I had in Northern California a couple of years back. I was walking on a beach near Bodega Bay late one night when I came across a beached whale. Not something that happens too often, right? This whale had died there on the beach. This was a young grey whale that had lost its way somehow and became disoriented. It ended up stranded on the beach, breathing shallow and dying slowly. I felt like I was being shown a powerful metaphor of how so many people are experiencing life and it really saddened me. The very next day I found myself driving along a road surrounded by massive redwoods that were healthy and tall with their roots running deep, drinking from the river that ran beside the road. This scene was beautiful and correct. It was the perfect Biblical image of how life is meant to be lived. It was just like Psalm 1 or in Jeremiah 17 where we read about God's vision for our lives being like trees planted by a river, living healthy and bearing fruit. Q: Being your first book, what are some of the joys and challenges in being an author? For me, writing a book was a lot like writing a song. You want to capture the imagination at the beginning of the tune and then deliver content as you keep people humming along. I feel like we all prefer conversation as opposed to mere information, and that's what authentic music does-it communicates from one person's heart to another. I just took the same approach to writing the book. It needed to be a conversation, not just information. As for the most challenging aspect, I think it was figuring out just how much of my own story to put into the book without it becoming me-centric. Story and testimony are so important, but they need to be used as a vehicle and can't become the primary focus in a book like this. Q: The book addresses many relevant issues today such as depression, addiction and suicide. What is the ultimate answer to all of these issues? Sadly, there are a lot of tough things that are now a part of everyday life, and if you're going to write a book that's primarily for students, then you have to address these issues. Something we all need to realize is that every human being is born with an innate need to be seen, understood and loved. If we don't first understand that God offers these things in a very real way through a very real and honest relationship with Him, then we'll look for satisfaction in other people and other things. In fact, looking for lasting satisfaction in anything other than God will just make us sick. For example, the voices of social media promise that we'll be seen and heard and liked, but that ends up never being enough. We'll be disappointed and will find ourselves breathing shallow. Q: How does this book help people suffering from these issues? First, let me say that although the book does address these issues, it's not primarily about these things-it's mainly about the beauty of life that's available when we allow ourselves to open up to the Truth of who God actually is and who He says we are. And who He says we are is "Golden, fearfully and wonderfully made." Too often we get our heads twisted because we've believed rubbish- lies that need to be replaced with truth. I can't get into it too deeply here, but you can read more in the book. Q: Together with the Newsboys, you have a new album out too? What are you most excited about with this new record? The songs and the production on the new record are fantastic and I think Newsboys fans, both past and present, are going to find it sounds fresh, yet familiar. We're excited for its release but beyond that I think what we're most excited about is the name "United." That's a really powerful statement in a world full of division. Newsboys is a diverse group made up of six very different individuals who love and respect each other immensely, and it comes across with this record and with the live show. Unity is really powerful stuff. Q: Being part of the Newsboys and blessing us with so many Godly songs, we want to say thank you. What do you think is your greatest blessing in your career? Years ago, in the liner notes of my first Newsboys record I remember thanking the Lord for making me feel like Forest Gump. The thing is, I still feel like Forest Gump. Life with the Lord is such an unexpected and undeserved adventure, but the wildest and most fulfilling part for me has been being married to my beautiful wife and raising our kids together. I hope that doesn't sound cliche, but it's true. Keeping family central in my life is where it's at, and I thank the Lord for the opportunity to love and serve them. Thanks so much for the interview and for the interest in the book. You guys are great- keep up the good work. Tags : Redwoods and Whales: Becoming Who You Actually Are phil joel phil joel new book phil joel news phil joel interview phil joel Redwoods and Whales Air Pollution: You want to ban industries in Pakistan? Court asks UP govt Mamata Meme Row: SC agrees to hear BJP activist Priyanka Sharma's plea tomorrow India pti-PTI New Delhi, May 13: The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Tuesday the plea of a woman BJP activist challenging her arrest by the West Bengal police for allegedly sharing a morphed photo of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media. A vacation Bench, comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna, on Monday took note of the plea of advocate N K Kaul, representing the activist, that the issue of her arrest be accorded urgent hearing. The senior lawyer submitted that there had been a complete strike in West Bengal and it had forced the woman to challenge her arrest in the apex court. He said the activist was in judicial custody. SC to hear plea against Delhi HC verdict quashing cadre allocation of IAS, IPS officers BJP Yuva Morcha leader Priyanka Sharma allegedly shared on Facebook a photo in which Banerjee's face was photoshopped on to actor Priyanka Chopra's picture from the MET Gala event in New York. Sharma, against whom a complaint was filed at the Dasnagar Police station, has been sent to two weeks judicial custody. She is seeking bail. The BJP and social media users have protested against her arrest. PTI Maya, Mamata to give post poll opposition meet a miss India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, May 13: The opposition led by the Congress has decided to have a meeting post the election results. The meeting however may not be attended by Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav. It may be recalled that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu had met Mamata in Bengal recently to invite her for the meeting. However she is understood to have refused to be part of the meeting. One of the primary issues for the three avoiding the meeting is because of the contentious issue as to who will be the prime minister. Both Mamata and Mayawati have been open about their ambitions. On the other hand the likes of M K Stalin, the DMK chief have backed the candidature of Rahul Gandhi. Opposition mocks Modi for Cloud, rain and radar comment on Balakot airstrike Mayawati has been the most vocal about her ambitions. She refused to let the Congress into the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh and has also threatened to pull out of the Kamal Nath led government in Madhya Pradesh, which is surviving on a thin majority. On Sunday, she also hit out at the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan over the Alwar rape case. Making her intentions clear, Mayawati had recently said that if all goes well, she may have to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Ambedkar Nagar constituency. Mamata Banerjee on the other hand too has been open about her ambitions Her party leaders too have backed her candidature as the PM. This had prompted Narendra Modi to say that anyone fighting on 40, 25, 20 seats want to become the PM. 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 Mayawati 'unfit' for public life: Arun Jaitley after attack on PM Modi India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 13: Slamming Bahujan SAmaj Party (BSP) Supremo Mayawati for her personal comments against PM Modi, Union minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said that she was "unfit" for public life. "Behan Mayawati - She is firm on becoming a Prime Minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low. Her personal attack today on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life," Jaitley posted. Mayawati had said Modi could not be expected to respect the sisters and wives of others when he had left his own wife for political gains. Modi is trying to play dirty politics over Alwar gangrape case, says Mayawati Jaitley also questioned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the political violence in the eastern state and criticised BSP leader Mayawati over her personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Mamata Didi - Democracy has become a casualty in Bengal. Opposition workers are murdered, candidates are attacked, polling booths are captured and Opposition leaders are not entitled to organise rallies," Jaitley wrote. Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have engaged in a war of words after violent clashes that claimed the lives of a number of political workers have marred all the six phases of polling in the ongoing Lok Sabha election. 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 Modi is trying to play dirty politics over Alwar gangrape case, says Mayawati India oi-Madhuri Adnal Lucknow, May 13: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'show of fake love' to the Dalits will not benefit him and alleges that the PM is 'least concerned' about their atrocities. Calling his love for Dalits 'fake', Mayawati said,"PM want to attract Dalit votes so he is showing fake love for Dalits in his rallies. Dalits have not forgotten Shabbirpur incidnent of Saharanpur. Dalits have not forgotten Rohit vemula and Una incidents." Addressing a press conference, BSP chief Mayawati made a personal attack on Prime Minister Modi. PM Modi, Mayawati indulge in war of words over Alwar gang rape Hitting out at PM over Alwar rape case, Mayawati said, "Narendra Modi was silent on Alwar gangrape case. He's trying to play dirty politics over it so that in the elections his party can be benefited. It is extremely shamefully. How can he respect others' sisters and wives when he has left his own wife for political gains? She further added that BJP women politicians fear Modi meeting their husbands. "Married women in the party fear Modi will separate them just like he has left his wife," she said. PM Modi during his rally in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday had accused Mayawati of "shedding crocodile tears" over the incident. Taking over the world of social media as one of the top young singers is Armaan Thakur Modis cloud comment and the radar theory explained India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 13: Prime Minister's comment on how he believed that clouds and heavy rain prevented Pakistani radars from detecting Indian fighter jets have received brickbats from the opposition leaders and people on various social media platforms. Modi said that he gave the Indian Air Force (IAF) the green signal to proceed with its airstrike on a target in Pakistan's Balakot area on February 26 despite bad weather because "the clouds could actually help our planes escape the radars". Speaking to News Nation, PM Modi said, "The weather suddenly turned bad, there were clouds... heavy rain. There was a doubt about whether we can go in the clouds. During a review (of the Balakot plan), by and large, the opinion of experts was - what if we change the date. I had two issues in mind. One was secrecy... second, I said I am not someone who knows the science. I said there is so much cloud and rain. There is a benefit. I have a raw vision, the clouds can benefit us too. We can escape the radar. Everyone was confused. Ultimately I said there are clouds... let's proceed." Painfully embarrassing says Mehbooba on Modi's cloud comment The prime minister did, however, acknowledge that he was not an expert on the matter. However, Opposition were quick to roast the PM over his comments. But how far is Modi's 'cloud theory' right? Well, the Stealth technology in fighter planes used by countries like Americans have the capability to escape (less visible) to the radars. Stealth technology works by engineering an aircraft with external contours and heat signatures designed to elude detection from enemy radar systems. The absence of defined edges, noticeable heat emissions, weapons hanging on pylons or other easily detectable aircraft features, means that radar 'pings' can have trouble receiving a return electromagnetic signal allowing them to identify an approaching bomber. The concept of stealth is to operate or hide without giving enemy forces any indication as to the presence of friendly forces. However, not only stealth configuration, IR suppression and radar-evading materials but also other important elements such as electronic warfare 'jamming' defenses, operating during adverse weather conditions to lower the acoustic signature and conducting attacks in tandem with other less-stealthy aircraft likely to command attention from enemy air defense systems. Don turned politician Atiq Ahmed withdraws from poll battle against PM Modi in Varanasi Stealth fighter jets, such as the F-22 and F-35, have an entirely different configuration and rely upon some vertical flight control surfaces such as tails and wings. Being more vulnerable to lower frequency surveillance radars due to having a fighter jet configuration, an F-35 or F-22 would depend upon its speed, maneuverability and air-to-air attack systems to fully defend against enemies. But the fighter jets used during the Balakot attack by India were Mirage 2000 which do not have these capabilities, so the question of escaping Pakistani radars does not arise. However, what could have favoured India was the short response time left for Pakistan and the attack made during poor weather conditions, which is highly unexpected in such difficult mountainous terrain. It can be recalled that India had carried out the Balakot air strikes on February 25 targetting Jaish-e-Mohammed's training camps in Pakistan in response to the dastardly Pulwama attack on February 14. At least 40 CRPF personnel had lost their lives in the terror attack. Is PM Modi hiding something from the people on Omicron? Kharge on latest address to nation 'Mann Ki Baat' Highlights: Only our collective strength can defeat Corona, says PM Modi PM Modi's address to nation on last Mann Ki Baat of 2021: Full text here Nothing but a sin: PM Modi on Digvijaya Singh not voting India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took a dig at senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for not exercising his franchise in Rajgarh parliamentary constituency on Sunday. Despite being a registered voter in home town Raghogarh assembly segment of Rajgarh seat (which neighbours Bhopal), the Congress candidate didn't travel to Rajgarh to vote for close aide and Congress candidate Mona Sustani, as he was preoccupied with zipping through polling booths. "Diggy Raja you have committed a big sin...in the festival of democracy, the President, Vice President stood in queues to cast their votes, but Diggy Raja did not," Modi said at a rally in the state's Ratlam district. What were police personnel doing with saffron head scarves at Digvijaya's road show "His (Singh's) arrogance came to light yesterday in Bhopal. When people are electing their representatives and even I exercised my franchise in Ahmedabad, Diggy Raja neither cared for democracy nor people," he said in remarks laced with sarcasm. "You (Singh) were very busy asking people to vote... save me. Why you are so frightened of losing your job?" the prime minister asked. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 13, 2019, 16:42 [IST] Violence against Hindus: How Bengal is becoming a Kashmir Valley of the 1990s Outrage in Kashmir after 3-year-old raped by neighbour in bathroom India oi-Madhuri Adnal Jammu, May 13: A shocking incident has rocked the Kashmir Valley during the holy month of Ramzan. There has been a widespread outrage in Kashmir over the rape of three-year-old girl by her neighbour. A 3-year-old girl was raped by a 20-year-old neighbour at Malikpora village in the Tregam area of Sumbal, North Kashmir on Friday. The girl was admitted to the hospital and her condition is still critical. It is unbelievable that a local welfare trust named Islamic Educational Trust has come to the rescue of the rapist, Tahir Ashraf Mir, by calling him a minor. BJP demands resignation of Ashok Gehlot over Alwar gangrape A certificate issued by the institute that has gone viral on social media which refers to Tahir as a minor who studied there till 2017 and was born in July 2009. The J&K Police has arrested the accused rapist, Tahir who is stated to be a paedophile and may have abused many local minor girls. The residents of Malikpora village staged a demonstration at Srinagar demanding the culprit to be hanged. While various political, social and religious organisations of the Valley have demanded a fast-track investigation into the case and exemplary punishment for the culprit, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti sought application of Islamic Sharia law, which calls for death penalty for such offenses as a punishment. On Sunday, massive protests were held by angry crowds in various parts of the Valley's Bandipore and Baramulla districts against the incident. At places, the police used force to break up these protests, the witnesses said. The protesters were demanding death for the accused who has already been arrested by the police. They criticised the management of a local school for certifying that the accused is a minor and demanded impartial probe into the entire incident. Kerala nun case: Rape-accused bishop Franco Mulakkal bail extended till June 7 Meanwhile, Condemning the rape of a three-year-old girl, Ittehadul Muslimeen has called for a complete shutdown across Kashmir on Monday. The incident has occurred barely a year after an 8-year-old girl belonging to a nomadic Bakarwal community in Jammu's Kathua district was gang-raped, drugged and murdered by the acquaintances of a local temple priest and policemen, which shocked the entire country. Why such anger against Kashmiris for celebrating Pakistan's win: Mehbooba Mufti Mehbooba Mufti writes to PM Modi over action against students after Pak's T20 win We want Mahatma Gandhi's India, people of Kashmir cannot live with Godse's India: Mehbooba Mufti Painfully embarrassing says Mehbooba on Modis cloud comment India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa Srinagar, May 13: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reported remarks about clouds helping the Indian Air Force jets escape Pakistani radars during Balakot airstrikes as "painfully embarrassing". Mehbooba wondered whether the prime minister authorising the operation in bad weather by overruling the advice of the IAF led to the strikes "failing" to hit the intended target. "No secret that Balakot strikes failed to hit the intended target. Was it because PM overruled the advice of IAF & authorised airstrikes in bad weather?" Mehbooba asked in a tweet. "Cloud cover logic is painfully embarrassing. Remind me again, why is RG (Congress president Rahul Gandhi) derided as Pappu? #cloudonradargone". The Peoples Democratic Party president said the Bharatiya Janata Party's ability to "suspend logic" in its quest to win another term is "mind numbingly fatuous", adding that the armed forces do not deserve this. Why Mufti thinks Modi's brashtachar reference to Rajiv Gandhi will help Congress "I was raked over the coals for questioning veracity of Balakot strikes. But seeing Pak media & journos troll PM on cloud gaffe is awfully embarrassing," Mehbooba added. National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah also took a sarcastic dig at Modi over the comments. "Pakistani radar doesn't penetrate clouds. This is an important piece of tactical information that will be critical when planning future air strikes," he tweeted. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 13, 2019, 6:36 [IST] Punjab govt to file defamation suit against SAD's Bikram Singh Majithia India pti-PTI Chandigarh, May 13: The Punjab government on Monday said that it will file a case of intimidation and defamation against Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, for "threatening" IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh. Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda said the case will be filed in the court on Tuesday on the directive of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who had instructed the state government's legal team to pursue the matter with the judiciary. Pratap Singh is a member of the Special Investigating Team (SIT) set up by the Punjab government last year to probe the 2015 sacrilege and the subsequent police firing incidents at Kotakpura and Behbal Kalan wherein two protesters were killed. Amarinder Singh made it clear that he would not tolerate such threats and intimidation of his officers by the Akalis or anyone else. [Here is what BJP, Congress, AAP are doing in Chandigarh] "The Akali leaders had the habit of browbeating and threatening anyone who dared to go against them," he said, pointing out that they had earlier too used offensive language against Justice Ranjit Singh, who headed the Commission that inquired into sacrilege cases. Amarinder, in a release, said the alleged abusive and threatening language used by Majithia against Pratap Singh in a TV interview showed the desperation of the Akali leaders, given the fact that the IGP was all set to get back into the SIT and resume the probe against into the 2015 sacrilege and police firing incidents. [All about the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections] The Election Commission of India had on April 8 directed the Punjab government to divest Pratap Singh of his charge as inspector general (IG) of police, crime, and the additional charge of Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU) for "violating" the model code of conduct. Amarinder Singh alleged that the Akali leaders had tried to scuttle the probe by getting Kunwar Vijay Pratap transferred out of the SIT through the Election Commission, which was acting as a tool of the BJP government at the Centre. However, realising that they had only managed to gain a few days and would soon be back in the dock, the Akali leaders were clearly getting desperate and resorting to personal attacks and threats, he added. "The IGP will complete his investigations and we will ensure that his findings are taken to their logical conclusion, through the due process of law, to bring the guilty to book," the chief minister said. The Badals will not escape justice for their acts, the chief minister warned, reiterating that the sacrilege incidents took place under them, and the firing could not have taken place without their knowledge. Amarinder Singh reiterated that the IGP would be back in the SIT, the day after polling concludes in the state to take the case to its logical conclusion. "If Majithia or anyone thinks they can intimidate any of my officers into backing off, they can think again. I will not let them pressurise or threaten my officers or attack them personally," the Chief Minister said. "That kind of jungle raj prevailed under the Akali rule, it does not under my government," he added. PTI "Puzzled and perplexed" to see regional parties more interested in fighting Cong: Khurshid India pti-PTI Kolkata, May 13: Some regional parties are more keen to fight the Congress, rather than the BJP, says senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, stressing they can't keep "abusing" the grand old party and expect its support after the election results. Without naming any party, Khurshid said regional parties should move away from "transactional politics" towards the politics of principle, and ruled out any possibility of either a regional front or the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance coming to power after May 23. "Sadly, some of them are very weak on politics of principle," he told PTI in an interview. "Transactional politics for them dictated something different before the election. It may dictate something different after the election," he said, "But the point really is people should shift from transactional to principle politics." Asked which parties were weak on politics of principle, the former UP Congress chief said, "Whoever is not with us". On whether the doors of the Congress-led UPA would remain open for the Trinamool Congress in a post-poll scenario, Khurshid said, "It's for TMC to think about it". "They should think over it. We have made an offer to everybody to come together. We made an offer, they didn't accept that offer, they declined that offer. Now it is for them to make up their mind," the 66-year-old lawyer-politician said. "The fact remains they (regional parties) will join either the UPA or the NDA. Now that's for their workers and their supporters and they themselves to decide," he said. Asked whether SP, BSP, TMC and other non-NDA parties will support the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in case of a fractured mandate, he said he hoped parties which claim to fight the BJP will continue to remain constant in their opposition to the saffron party. Also, non-NDA parties are more inclined towards the Congress than the BJP, he asserted. But, Khurshid added, he was "puzzled and perplexed" to see that a section of regional parties was more interested in fighting the Congress than the BJP. [Federal front gathers steam as KCR meets Stalin at his residence] "If an ordinary person thinks and believes that everybody has to come together. How is that leaders of these parties have not thought about this? Or will they just eat their words and come (together) after May 23," he wondered. Mocking the proposal of a "Third Front" led by regional parties coming to power, the former foreign minister said, "Anybody who knows the arithmetic of India won't believe it". Asked, nonetheless, to comment if Congress would support a front of regional parties, Khurshid said, "You (regional parties) are abusing Congress and hoping that Congress would support you. Does that make sense? "We are working for a full-fledged UPA victory. We are confident that UPA would come to power. Now if somebody has other intentions, we don't want to speculate," he said. Asked about Rahul Gandhi's prime ministerial candidature, Khurshid said the reality of Indian politics states that the Congress president's candidature "looms large over everyone else... Yet he has not thrown his hat for prime ministership". "But he has said we will decide this together after the elections," the Congress leader said, adding the prime ministerial candidate will be chosen based on the ground reality beyond May 23. "Of course people have asked him whether he wants to become the prime minister and he has said if people want 'why not'. But that doesn't mean he is demanding prime ministership." Khurshid accused BJP of trying to break the opposition unity by talking about the prime ministerial post. Maintaining that the Modi government is on its way out and the replacement would be an "alliance", Khurshid said the question is whether the alliance will be of people who came together before the election or there will be add-ons after the poll results. Terming "rubbish" the allegations that coalition governments are not able to provide good governance, Khurshid said India's economic growth had come under a coalition government. "We are determined to give a strong government. India's economic growth has come during coalition governments. UPA was a coalition government and has given us the maximum growth. Compare it with the non-coalition of the Modi government, you will understand the difference," he said. PTI Air Pollution: You want to ban industries in Pakistan? Court asks UP govt SC dismisses plea to advance poll timing during Ramzan India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 13: The Supreme Court vacation bench on Monday dismissed the petition filed by lawyer, Nizamuddin Pasha, challenging the ECI's decision refusing to prepone voting commencement time from 7 am to 5 am for the last phase of voting to,'ease difficulty for Muslims during the holy month of Ramzan'. The plea was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna which said it would be heard by a vacation bench on May 13. On May 2, the top court had asked the poll panel to pass "necessary orders" on a representation seeking advancing of the voting timing from 7 am for the remaining phase of the Lok Sabha polls. EC rejects plea seeking rescheduling of polling timings during Ramzan The Election Commission (EC) on May 5 had rejected the representation in this regard. Following the poll panel's decision, advocate Mohammad Nizamuddin Pasha has approached the apex court seeking a direction to the EC to advance the voting timing to 5.30 am or 6 am instead of the notified 7 am in view of the heat condition and onset of Ramzan. He said, in the plea, that poll panel has turned down his representation as being "administratively not feasible". Polling for seventh phases of the ongoing general elections will be held on May 19. The petitioner had earlier told the top court that during Ramzan, Muslims keep fast and do not consume food or water from one-and-a-half hours before dawn till dusk every day. The plea had said that the Indian Meteorological Department has issued warnings indicating severe heatwave conditions over the next few days, with temperatures rising up to five degrees Celsius than normal in poll bound areas of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. The petitioner had said that the harsh weather conditions would make it difficult for Muslims to go out and vote. I have been assaulted by Rabri Devi, driven out of her house: Tej Pratap's wife Aishwarya Rai Tej Pratap joins brother Tejashwi, campaigns for RJD in Bihar, repeats Krishna-Arjun equation India oi-Madhuri Adnal Patna, May 13: Rashtriya Janata Dal's first family, Tej Pratap Yadav joined his younger brother Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Sunday and campaigned for the RJD party together. The two leaders were seen sitting in a helicopter ahead of the campaigning in the state. A former Bihar Minister, Tej Pratap had called his younger brother Tejashwi 'Arjun' and said that the opposition will be defeated and the RJD will win on all the seats. This is the first time that Tej Pratap, apparently upset with the party leadership over the non-inclusion of his choice candidates in Sheohar and Jehanabad, has accompanied younger brother Tejashwi for joint campaigning after avoiding two such previous occasions. An emotional note from Tej Pratap Yadav to his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav In the past, Tej Pratap took the same stand, positioning Tejashwi as Arjun and himself as Krishna, who as the charioteer, would usher his brother to his 'destination' (chief minister's chair) in 2020. There were differences reported within the Yadav family after Tej Pratap resigned from RJD's student wing after he said that he was being sidelined. He had also floated his own outfit named Lalu-Rabri Morcha and had said that he will tour 20 seats in Bihar for the election. Notably, Tej Pratap Yadav is living separately in Patna. He has not returned home since he visited his father Lalu Prasad in Ranchi last year, after filing a petition in court seeking divorce from his newly-wedded wife, family sources said. Tej Pratap Yadav got married in May last year to Aishwariya Rai, the daughter of a senior RJD leader. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 13, 2019, 11:07 [IST] Ready to quit cinema if it becomes hurdle to political career: Kamal Haasan Chennai Rains: Kamal Haasan asks fans to help flood victims as his birthday gift The first terrorist was a Hindu, his name was Nathuram Godse: Kamal Haasan India oi-Madhuri Adnal Chennai, May 13: Actor-turned-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) Chief Kamal Hassan spoke about Hindu terror while campaigning for the by polls in Aravakkurichi, Tamil Nadu, along with candidate S Mohanraj. Addressing a rally during a by-poll campaign, the MNM founder said that Nathuram Godse was the first terrorist of independent India. He said, "In independent India, the first terrorist was a Hindu- his name was Nathuram Godse. That's how it all began. It started back then. I'm here to question Gandhi's murder." Kamal Haasan not to contest LS polls He added that he didn't say this because Aravakkurichi is a muslim dominated area. Haasan clarified that his statement was not meant to appeal to the Muslim-majority electorate in the constituency. "I am not saying this because there are Muslims here," Hassan added. Reacting to it, Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) president Tamilisai Soundararajan took a dig at Hassan over his statements on Hindu terror. She reminded him of the actors earlier statement where he has stated that he will leave India if his movie is not allowed to be released. 'How can you be so careless': Kamal Haasan slams AIADMK over Pollachi case In her twitter account, Tamilisai reacted to statements made by Kamal Hassan on Hindu terror where the actor said he is a proud Indian. In 2013, Kamal Hassan's Viswaroopam movie faced trouble from Muslim group and TN government had banned the movie. During that time Kamal in an emotional press conference said if his movie is not released he would leave India. While looking at ISIS in Kerala, why we must not lose sight of Bengal India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, May 13: Even as the intelligence agencies assess the threat posed by the Islamic State, the danger that stares at us is the rapid pace at which the outfit is growing in West Bengal. To focus extensively on Bengal and Bangladesh, the ISIS had appointed Abu Mohammad al-Bengali as the emir. While, India had managed to keep the situation under control, there is a new lurking danger emerging in the aftermath of the suicide bombing in Sri Lanka. It has been found that the ISIS has been aligning with local radical groups to spread its wings of terror. Investigations carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) show that the ISIS has tied up with several radical Islamic groups in Southern India in the past couple of months. Wilayah of Hind: ISIS announces new terror group for India The case is similar in Bengal as well. For long radical groups have been in touch with the ISIS. An Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer tells OneIndia that the ISIS works closely with the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen in both Bengal and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh wing of this outfit, JMB had set up shop a few years ago. The first signs of what this group actually planned was visible during the Burdwan blasts. The plot was to create a large number of bombs and carry out attacks both in Bengal and Bangladesh. Further terror attacks and targeting liberals in Bangladesh were found to be the handiwork of the JMB, which over the years has been largely inspired by the Islamic State. Investigations conducted by the NIA also found that operatives of the ISIS were in close touch with JMB men who carried out the Dhaka cafe attack. Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials say that the ISIS tapped the JMB due the large network the group has in Bangladesh and Bengal. The ISIS inspires and funds the attacks to be carried out by the JMB. It is a worrisome situation as the network of the JMB is deeply infested in Bengal, the IB says. Post the Burdwan incident, it was found that the JMB had around 500 operatives in Bengal and Assam alone. Officials say that the JMB-ISIS nexus is not restricted to Bengal and Assam alone. They have a strong network in these states, but were planning on expanding operations into Jammu and Kashmir as well. Further investigations found that a major operation was being planned in Srinagar. One of the operatives was asked to carry out a reconnaissance at Dal Lake. The ISIS was happy with the plan of carrying out a stabbing attack on foreigners at the Dal Lake. However, the operation was foiled thanks to the security agencies. How a free hand to surveil the terrorist gave agencies the upper hand over the ISIS Informed sources tell OneIndia that the ISIS is trying to expand its network across the country. It is already in touch with radical groups in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and we are witnessing the same thing in West Bengal as well. The officer says that we are staring at a dangerous situation and unless the infiltrations are completely curbed and appeasement is shunned, the fight would be a futile one. Former officer with the Research and Analysis Wing says that the situation is as dangerous as ever. The security agencies need to be given a free hand or else, the days is not far when Bengal turns into another Kashmir. Pakistan: Cops find woman in deep sleep next to body parts of 70 year old man Post Gen Rawats demise, Pak us ing conspiracy theories to create unrest in India Pakistans disinformation campaign on overdrive mode and how India hit back Pakistan reaches agreement with IMF on bailout package International oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa Islamabad, May 13: Pakistan has reached an agreement with the IMF on a bailout package under which the cash-strapped country will receive $6 billion over three years, according to a top official on Sunday. The agreement now awaits a formal approval by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) board, Dawn news quoted adviser to prime minister on finance, revenue and economic affairs Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh as saying. Pakistani technical teams have reached an agreement with the IMF on a bailout package, he said. Pak govt bans 11 organisations for having links with JuD, FIF, JeM Pakistan would receive $6 billion worth of assistance under the IMF programme over a period of three years, Shaikh told the state-run PTV News. "The Pakistani authorities and the IMF team have reached a staff level agreement on economic policies that could be supported by a 39-month Extended Fund Arrangement (EFF) for about $6 billion," IMF mission chief for Pakistan Ernesto Ramirez Rigo said in a statement. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 13, 2019, 6:22 [IST] Tamil Nadu govt assures to get 63 boats released from Sri Lanka Ready to give presidential pardon to jailed Tamil youths with LTTE links: SL Prez Rajapaksa 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 blocks Facebook, WhatsApp after anti-Muslim riots International oi-PTI Colombo, May 13: Sri Lanka has blocked access to Facebook and WhatsApp on Monday after a posting sparked anti-Muslim riots across several towns in the latest fallout from the Easter Sunday suicide attacks. The blockade comes a day after Sri Lankan police imposed curfew in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw where a mob attacked a mosque and some shops owned by Muslims in a dispute that started on a Facebook post by a Muslim shop owner. The blockade of Facebook and WhatsApp has been imposed form midnight following violent incidents between the minority Muslim and majority Sinhalese communities, officials said. Late in the evening on Sunday, the unrest spread to Kuliyapitiya where a mosque and a few Muslim owned shops came under attack, prompting the authorities to impose curfew in the northwest town. "The curfew imposed in Kuliyapitya and Chilaw has been lifted," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. Sri Lanka Catholics hold 1st Sunday Mass since attacks The majority nationalist groups have been active on Facebook, reviving calls for boycotts of Muslim-owned businesses and spreading hate. The voilence is a direct fallout from the Eastern Sunday's suicide bombings. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 258 people and injuring over 500 others on April 21. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group, the National Thawheed Jama'ath (NTJ), for the bombings. Sri Lanka has previously blocked social media several times after the Eastern Sunday bombings to prevent the spread of false news reports. The Sunday curfews came as Catholic churches held teir first Sunday mass amid tight security. Addressing a service here, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith the Archbishop of Colombo, said everyone responsible for neglecting the intelligence and prior warnings on the attacks including the political leadership must be brought to book. The security remained tight on Monday as another warning of a possible attack later in the day was doing rounds. The primary schools which did not open after the attacks resumed classes Monday with low attendance. The attendance of classes above grade 5 was very low. Parents had refused to send their children to schools despite repeated assurances from the security establishment that the threats of more attacks had been nullified. Over 1,000 have been arrested since the attacks. Sri Lanka's police say they have either killed or arrested all those responsible for the bombings but that the threat of global terrorism persists. President Maithripala Sirisena has vowed to eliminate the militants and restore normality in the country. 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. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 13, 2019, 11:39 [IST] Delhi gang wars: Three arrested for shooting dead a man outside Saket court New Delhi oi-Vikas SV New Delhi, May 13: In connection with the shooting dead of a person over rivalries between local gangs on may 6, the Delhi Police today arrested three men. They were arrested for allegedly killing a rival gang member near Saket court on May 6, a PTI report quoted police as saying. The arrested accused are Badal (27), a resident of Ambedkar Nagar, Satender (26), from Govindpuri, and Asfak Ahmed (24), a resident of Dakshinpuri, they said. Acting on a tip-off, police apprehended Badal on Sunday from Khanpur village, where he had arrived to cast his vote, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ram Gopal Naik said. On his instance, Satender and Asfak Ahmed were also arrested, the police officer said. During interrogation, it was revealed that the victim, Prince, had threatened his rival gang member Rohit Choudhary publicly. [Delhi: Two members of 'Thak-Thak' gang held] Following this, Badal, Ahmed and Satender shot dead Prince near Saket court on May 6. Before that, there were two unsuccessful attempts on Prince's life, Naik said. Four mobile phones and one motorcycle were seized from the accused, the DCP said. Last week, an exchange of fire took place between notorious gangster Paramjeet Dalal and a team of NR Special Cell in which the wanted criminal was injured, and later arrested. The encounter took place near Sector 37 in West Delhi's Rohini locality. Paramjeet Dalal was one of the criminals who was in the top-ten wanted persons list released by Delhi Police's Special Cell in 2017. [Islamic State module planning to bomb Delhi, UP busted] Dalal is wanted in connection with abduction, robberies and murders. In 2016, he had abducted a businessman from Vijat Vihar area and demanded a ransom on Rs 25 lakh. Reports say that eventually, some 90 lakh rupees had to be paid to free the businessman. On April 26, two suspected members of the "Thak-Thak" gang, including a juvenile, were apprehended from south Delhi and an amount of nearly Rs 50 lakh was recovered from them Delhi's top 10 most wanted criminals: Jitender Gogi was on top of the list released by Delhi Police's Special Cell in 2017 followed by Sandeep Dhillu and Amit Tajpuria at second and third places, respectively. Kuldeep Fajja, Hashim Baba and Rohit Moi were then at fourth, fifth and sixth places, respectively. Paramjeet Dalal was at eight place, while Sanjay Lakra and Samunder Khatri were at ninth and tenth places, respectively. At one point, Rajesh Bharti gang was also a menace in Delhi. But in June 2018, four memers of the Rajesh Bharti gang were gunned down by Delhi Police's Special cell. Six police personnel and one gang member were also injured. The gang leader Rajesh Bharti was also shot dead by the police. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 13, 2019, 21:26 [IST] 25 US counties identified as most at risk for measles outbreaks AUSTIN, Texas -- Twenty-five counties across the country have been identified to be most at risk for a measles outbreak due to low-vaccination rates compounded by a high volume of international travel, according to an analysis by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Johns Hopkins University. Since January 2019, there have been more than 700 confirmed measles cases in 22 states -- nearly double the amount of last year and the highest number reported since the virus was eradicated in the United States in 2000. In a paper published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, researchers warn the epidemic will worsen, identifying the 25 counties that are most at risk for an outbreak. Their analysis considered an area's volume of international travel from foreign countries with large measles outbreaks and the prevalence of nonmedical exemptions from childhood vaccinations. "For measles, most experts believe that there will be one to two deaths per 1,000 cases, most likely infants. We are set to see over 1,000 cases in the U.S. in 2019. So, for the first time since the 1980s, we may expect infant deaths from measles in the U.S.," said the study's lead author, Sahotra Sarkar, a philosophy and integrative biology professor at UT Austin and an expert on public health. "We have long known that vaccine avoidance is a critical public health issue in the U.S. and Europe. Our results show how travel from regions elsewhere compounds this risk." Sarkar and his team's measles risk analysis correctly predicted areas in Washington, Oregon and New York that are already experiencing major outbreaks. Furthermore, 30 of the 45 counties that have reported measles cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were either included on the researchers' list of 25 high-risk counties or are adjacent to a county listed. "Critically, we recommend that public health officials and policymakers prioritize monitoring the counties we identify to be at high risk that have not yet reported cases, especially those that lie adjacent to counties with ongoing outbreaks and those that house large international airports," said Lauren Gardner, an associate professor of civil engineering at Johns Hopkins and a UT Austin engineering alumna. Researchers warned the most at-risk areas that have yet to report a case are those near international airports, such as Travis County in Texas, Honolulu County, Salt Lake County and multiple counties in Florida. The Study showed that travel from countries such as India, China, Mexico, Japan, Ukraine, Philippines and Thailand appears to pose the greatest measles risk. The U.S. has already seen measles cases imported from Ukraine, Philippines and Thailand. Beyond the study, researchers suggest the risk analysis be applied to other vaccine-preventable illnesses, such as mumps, rubella and pertussis, and should be used to inform public health policy in an age when nonmedical exemption rates are becoming increasingly prevalent. "The vaccine avoidance problem is not limited to measles. Pertussis -- whooping cough -- is another disease making a comeback because of dropping vaccination rates, and we predict serious outbreaks in the U.S. in the near future," Sarkar said. "Policymakers must focus on centers of vaccination refusal as well as regions with a lot of passenger inflow from affected countries worldwide if there are even small local pockets of unvaccinated people." ### This story has been published on: 2019-05-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: The value of fund assets under administration in Ireland has grown by over 200% since 2008, with the overall value of Irish-domiciled and non-domiciled funds reaching a combined value of 4.2tn by the end of 2018, said a report. Growth has been faster amongst Irish-domiciled assets, which saw an average annual rate of increase of 14.1%, compared to 9.1% per annum for non-Irish domiciled funds. According to Indecon's Economic Impact Assessment report launched by the Minister for Financial Services, Michael D'Arcy and Pat Lardner, CEO of Irish Funds, a total of 9.27bn in revenue was generated by the investment funds sector in Ireland in 2018. Investment and asset managers made up the largest portion of this revenue, followed by administrators/depositaries, and fund management companies, it said. As at the end of December 2018, there were 13,914 funds under administration in Ireland, the report said. These funds were either Domiciled Funds or Non-domiciled Funds. The overall number of funds under administration has experienced a sustained upward trend since 2008, growing by 28.2% over this period. The strengths of Ireland as a centre for establishing and servicing funds is also evidenced by the mix of funds: 7,290 (52.4%) of the funds under administration at the end of 2018 were Irishdomiciled, while 6,624 funds (47.6%) were non-domiciled. The funds industry in Ireland contributes 837m annually in direct taxes to...................... To view our full article Click here Global (United States, European Union and China) SUV ACC Radar Market Research Report 2019-2025 https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com/reports/621171/global-united-states-european-union-china https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com/reports/621171/global-united-states-european-union-china https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com Market Research Report Store offers a latest published report on SUV ACC Radar Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 158 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Click to view the full report TOC, figure and tables:In 2019, the market size of SUV ACC Radar is million US$ and it will reach million US$ in 2025, growing at a CAGR of from 2019; while in China, the market size is valued at xx million US$ and will increase to xx million US$ in 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during forecast period.In this report, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2019 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for SUV ACC Radar.This report studies the global market size of SUV ACC Radar, especially focuses on the key regions like United States, European Union, China, and other regions (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia).This study presents the SUV ACC Radar production, revenue, market share and growth rate for each key company, and also covers the breakdown data (production, consumption, revenue and market share) by regions, type and applications. history breakdown data from 2014 to 2019, and forecast to 2025.For top companies in United States, European Union and China, this report investigates and analyzes the production, value, price, market share and growth rate for the top manufacturers, key data from 2014 to 2019.In global market, the following companies are covered:BoschDensoFujitsuContinentalAutolivDelphiZFValeoHellaMarket Segment by Product TypeOEMAftermarketMarket Segment by Application5 Seats7 SeatsOthersKey Regions split in this report: breakdown data for each region.United StatesChinaEuropean UnionRest of World (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)The study objectives are:To analyze and research the SUV ACC Radar status and future forecast in United States, European Union and China, involving sales, value (revenue), growth rate (CAGR), market share, historical and forecast.To present the key SUV ACC Radar manufacturers, presenting the sales, revenue, market share, and recent development for key players.To split the breakdown data by regions, type, companies and applicationsTo analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends, drivers, influence factors in global and regionsTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketIn this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of SUV ACC Radar are as follows:History Year: 2014-2018Base Year: 2018Estimated Year: 2019Forecast Year 2019 to 2025For More Information On This Report, Please Visit @Related Information:North America SUV ACC Radar Market Growth 2019-2024United States SUV ACC Radar Market Growth 2019-2024Asia-Pacific SUV ACC Radar Market Growth 2019-2024Europe SUV ACC Radar Market Growth 2019-2024EMEA SUV ACC Radar Market Growth 2019-2024Global SUV ACC Radar Market Growth 2019-2024China SUV ACC Radar 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: Global Butadiene Industry Outlook for Active, Planned and Announced Plants by Country and Scope , Industry Players : TPC Group Inc, Carbon Holdings, Zhejiang Rongsheng Holding Group Co Ltd https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=2330656 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-butadiene-industry-outlook-to-2023-capacity-and-capital-expenditure-forecasts-with-details-of-all-active-and-planned-plants-report.html It has been observed that, the global market for Butadiene Industry would be experiencing steady growth marked in million US$ by 2025. Such advancements can be attributed to the efforts put in by prime manufacturers operating in the global Butadiene Industry Outlook period 2023. All such statistics and figures are carefully enclosed in a recently uploaded research report titled Global Butadiene Industry Outlook to 2023 - Capacity and Capital Expenditure Forecasts with Details of All Active and Planned Plants, onto its broad online database. Readers are enlightened about different aspects associated to the global Butadiene Industry which covers growth rate, revenue share, geographical market share, sales channel and Porters Five Forces analysisGet Sample Copy of this Report@Global Butadiene Industry Outlook to 2023 - Capacity and Capital Expenditure Forecasts with Details of All Active and Planned PlantsSummaryGlobal butadiene capacity is expected to experience considerable growth over the next five years from around 16 mtpa in 2018 to more than 20 mtpa by 2023. More than 31 planned and announced butadiene plants are expected to come online, primarily in Asia, Former Soviet Union and the Middle East over the next five years. TPC Group Inc, Carbon Holdings and Zhejiang Rongsheng Holding Group Co Ltd are the top three companies in terms of planned and announced capacity additions during the outlook period.Scope- Global butadiene capacity outlook by region- Global butadiene capacity outlook by country- Butadiene planned and announced plants details- Capacity share of the major butadiene producers globally- Global butadiene capital expenditure outlook by region- Global butadiene capital expenditure outlook by country.Reasons to buy- Obtain the most up to date information available on all active and planned butadiene plants globally- Understand regional butadiene supply scenario- Identify opportunities in the global butadiene industry with the help of upcoming projects and capital expenditure outlook- Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historical and forecast of butadiene capacity data.Request TOC of the Report @1 Table of Contents1.1. List of Tables1.2. List of Figures2. Global Butadiene Capacity and Capital Expenditure Review2.1. Global Butadiene Industry, An Overview2.2. Global Butadiene Industry, Capacity by Key Countries, 2013-20232.3. Global Butadiene Industry, Capacity Share vis--vis Growth by Key Countries, 2013-20182.4. Major Global Butadiene Industry, Top 10 Planned and Announced Plants2.5. Global Butadiene Industry, Installed Plant Capacity by Production Process, 20182.6. Global Butadiene Capacity Contribution by Region2.7. Key Companies by Butadiene Capacity Contribution (% Share), 20182.8. Key Countries by Active Global Capacity Contribution to Butadiene Industry2.9. Regional Capacity Additions from Planned and Announced Plants2.10. Global Capacity Additions from Planned and Announced Plants by Key Countries2.11. Global Capacity Additions from Planned and Announced Plants by Key Companies2.12. Regional Capex Spending on Planned and Announced Plants2.13. Global Capex Spending on Planned and Announced Plants by Key Countries3. Global Planned and Announced Butadiene Plants4. Africa Butadiene Industry4.1. Africa Butadiene Industry, An Overview4.2. Africa Butadiene Industry, Capacity by Countries, 2013-20234.3. Africa Butadiene Industry, Capacity Share vis--vis Growth by Key Countries, 2013-20184.4. Africa Butadiene Industry, Installed Plant Capacity by Production Process, 20184.5. Africa Butadiene Industry, Installed Plant Capacity by Technology, 20184.6. Africa Butadiene Industry, Annual New Build and Expansion Capital Expenditure Outlook for Active, Planned and Announced Plants4.7. Africa Butadiene Industry, Annual New Build and Expansion Capital Expenditure Outlook for Active, Planned and Announced Plants by Country4.8. Butadiene Industry in Egypt5. Asia Butadiene Industry5.1. Asia Butadiene Industry, An Overview5.2. Asia Butadiene Industry, Capacity by Key Countries, 2013-20235.3. Asia Butadiene Industry, Capacity Share vis--vis Growth by Key Countries, 2013-20185.4. Asia Butadiene Industry, Annual New Build and Expansion Capital Expenditure Outlook for Active, Planned and Announced Plants5.5. Asia Butadiene Industry, Annual New Build and Expansion Capital Expenditure Outlook for Active, Planned and Announced Plants by Country5.6. Butadiene Industry in China5.7. Butadiene Industry in India5.8. Butadiene Industry in Philippines5.9. Butadiene Industry in Malaysia5.10. Butadiene Industry in South Korea5.11. Butadiene Industry in Taiwan5.12. Butadiene Industry in Thailand5.13. Butadiene Industry in Singapore5.14. Butadiene Industry in Indonesia5.15. Butadiene Industry in Japan5.16. Butadiene Industry in Vietnam6. Europe Butadiene IndustryContinued.@#About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like Chemicals market research and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of industry reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.com Circulators Market Anticipated to Register Sustained Demand During the Forecast Period 2018 to 2026 // Grant Instruments, PolyScience, Princetel, Inc. General Photonics Corporation, Teledyne e2v (UK) Ltd https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2789 https://www.factmr.com/report/2789/circulators-market https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2789 https://www.factmr.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ A circulator is a non-reciprocal multi-port device which allows transmission of radio or microwave frequencies from one port to another, thereby controlling the flow of the signal or a fluid. A circulator is an effective and low-cost device used to control any flow in a system. Circulators are commonly found in refrigerators, immersions and heater systems. They are also widely used in laboratories and petroleum industries to control the flow of liquid, gas or slurry in a closed circuit. Circulators usually have three or four ports. However, when one port of a three port circulator is blocked or terminated, it acts as an isolator. Residential, commercial and industrial end-use industries are major consumers of circulators.Request TOC of this Report-The Global Circulators Market is directly correlated with industrial and infrastructural development activities. Regional governments in emerging countries are aiming to achieve continued modernization to address infrastructural deficits. In line with this agenda, respective governments are laying emphasis on domestic waste and wastewater management systems. Further, the growing issue of water scarcity plaguing various regions, such as Latin America and the Middle East Africa, has turned the focus of the governments towards the exploration of new water resources and construction of these systems is expected to create substantial demand in the respective regions. Furthermore, in various countries, such as Brazil and India, the state government has mandated the recycling and reuse of wastewater, which in turn, is anticipated to drive the demand for circulators in near future.Additionally, the ability of a circulator to control temperature while saving a sizable amount of energy, will augment the demand for circulators during the forecast period. The global circulator market is anticipated to witness above average growth from the residential sector owing to increasing installation or adoption of heater and temperature regulators.Moreover, circulator are widely adopted in sectors where transition of oil, gas or slurry is required. Decreasing prices of crude oil and gas are estimated to increase the production of oil and gas, which in turn, is estimated to drive the demand for circulators, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, which have abundant oil and gas reservoirs. Also, circulators are easy to maintain and cost effective devices, which makes them a viable choice for transmission control. Owing to all these factors, the market is anticipated to register sustained demand during the forecast period.To know more about the Circulators Market Visit the link-Rapidly growing urbanization in developing countries, such as China and India, has increased the demand for infrastructural equipment. This, in turn, is anticipated to add to the growth of the global circulator market. Additionally, the increasing number of subsidies offered by governments to promote the development of rural areas will also augment the growth of the market over the forecast period. That apart, awareness regarding wastewater management is also likely to push the unit sales of circulators. For Instance, in 2015, the government of China spent around US$ 60 Bn on wastewater management in urban areas.Circulators: Key Market PlayersThe global circulator market is estimated to be fragmented owning the presence of a number of players. Examples of some of the market participants operating across the value chain of the global Circulators market are Flowserve Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Smiths Interconnect, Armstrong Fluid Technology, Grant Instruments, PolyScience, Princetel, Inc. General Photonics Corporation, Teledyne e2v (UK) LtdThe Circulators research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the Circulators 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 Circulators research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, application, and industry.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 - Health and Medical Insurance Market Analysis 2019 - 2024 and Key Business Strategies by Top Key Vendors - UnitedHealth Group, Anthem, DKV, BUPA, Kaiser Permanente, Aetna Inc, PICC, PingAn Health and Medical Insurance Market https://www.businessindustryreports.com/sample-request/154065 https://www.businessindustryreports.com/buy-now/154065/single Global Health and Medical Insurance Market Report 2019 report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability. The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.Global Health and Medical Insurance Market Overview:The report spread across 118 pages is an overview of the Global Health and Medical Insurance Market Report 2019. The Global Health and Medical Insurance Market is projected to grow at a healthy growth rate from 2019 to 2024 according to new research. The study focuses on market trends, leading players, supply chain trends, technological innovations, key developments, and future strategies.This report studies the Global Health and Medical Insurance Market over the forecast period of 2019 to 2023. The Global Health and Medical Insurance Market is expected to grow at an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2019 to 2023.Available Exclusive Sample Copy of this Report @The Health and Medical Insurance Market is at an embryonic stage, with generally 25% of the populace under its inclusion. There exists a colossal potential for development and penetration of Health and Medical Insurance to a bigger populace. Moreover, there are two chances and restrictions in the marketing and distribution of health insurance items. This report is an endeavor to reveal the possibilities of fruitful marketing of such items from the standpoint of insurance advertisers and see issues blocking the development of the Health and Medical Insurance Market.The Global Health and Medical Insurance Market is segmented on the basis of Type, Application and Region. Based on the Type, the Global Health and Medical Insurance Market is sub-segmented into Single/Individual Health Insurance Products and Group Health Insurance Products. On the basis of Application, the Global Health and Medical Insurance Market is classified into Short-term Health Insurance and Long-term Health Insurance.Latest Business News:UnitedHealth Group (May 9, 2019) UnitedHealthcare Helps Support Moms and Babies Health Before and After Delivery with New Bundled Payment Program for Maternity Care UnitedHealth Group company, has introduced a new bundled payment program for maternity care to help support the well-being of moms and babies before and after delivery by closing gaps in care and encouraging healthy, full-term pregnancies.The new bundled payment program for maternity care has launched with two health care providers, Lifeline Medical Associates in New Jersey and Privia Medical Group Gulf Coast in Texas, to help encourage more coordinated care and better health outcomes for expectant mothers enrolled in UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored health plans. By year-end 2019, UnitedHealthcare will expand the bundled payment program to as many as 20 care provider groups, including ones affiliated with the U.S. Womens Health Alliance, a national organization of leading health care practices.Top Leading Key Manufacturers are: Anthem, UnitedHealth Group, DKV, BUPA, Kaiser Permanente, Aetna Inc, PICC, PingAn, Kunlun and others. New product launches and continuous technological innovations are the key strategies adopted by the major players.Purchase this report online with 118 Pages, List of Tables & Figures and in-depth Table of Contents on Global Health and Medical Insurance Market Report 2019 @Region segment: This report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share (%) and growth Rate (%) of Health and Medical Insurance in these regions, from 2013 to 2024 (forecast), covering: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South AmericaMajor Points in Table of Contents:Global Health and Medical Insurance Market Report 20191 Scope of the Report1.1 Market Introduction1.2 Research Objectives1.3 Years Considered1.4 Market Research Methodology1.5 Economic Indicators1.6 Currency Considered2 Executive Summary2.1 World Market Overview2.1.1 Global Health and Medical Insurance Market Size 2014-20242.1.2 Health and Medical Insurance Market Size CAGR by Region2.2 Health and Medical Insurance Segment by Type2.2.1 Single/Individual Health Insurance Products. Request free sample to get a complete Table of ContentAbout usBusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940 Theranostics Market Revenue Growth Factor By Key Vendors Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Beckman Coulter, Inc., Focus Diagnostics, AmeriPath, Inc. Theranostics Market https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/2043 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/2043 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/2043 Theranostics involves combination of targeted diagnostic tests with targeted therapy. It is also known as companion diagnostics, integrated medicine, Dx/Rx partnering, and pharmacodiagnostics. Implementation of theranostics into the patient care plan (in case of selected diseases for which diagnostic tests are available along with respective therapy) may turn into personalized therapy, which could further improve medical outcomes.Download PDF Brochure Of This Research Report @Theranostics include use of specific diagnostic test, which shows a particular molecular target on a tumor or any other disease causing agent. Any disease pathophysiology involves specific biological pathways, which are targeted with the help of diagnostic tests. Diagnostic images of the particular molecule then identifies presence of the specific mutation or receptors (in case of cancer), which can be targeted with the help of therapeutic agents. This approach avoids trial and error treatment and could be used to offer patient specific treatment at the right time. Accurate dose calibration and precisely targeted approach could highly be useful in management of chronic diseases such as cancer.For instance, neuro endocrine tumors can be diagnosed to assess extent of disease via PET-CT (Positron Emission Tomography Computer Tomography) using Ga-68 DOTATOC (a radioactive positron emitter). Ga-68 targets somatostatin receptor (SSTR2) on the tumor cell membrane, and is injected through vein, which travels and binds to the SSTR2 indication the presence of tumor on PET scan. Furthermore, Ga-68 can be replaced by a therapeutic agent to target the tumor.Global Theranostics Market Drivers:-Development of novel companion diagnostic tests to be used with available treatment options is expected to boost the global theranostics market growth over the forecast period. Leading manufacturers are engaged in introduction of novel companion diagnostic tests in market. For instance, Illumina, Inc. announced launch of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved extended RAS panel for identification of patients eligible for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer with Vectibix (panitumumab) in 2017.Increasing adoption of companion diagnostic tests by laboratories is further expected to foster global theranostics market growth over the forecast period. BloodCenter of Wisconsin's Diagnostic Laboratories started offering Abbott RealTime IDH1 assay for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in July 2018. Moreover, Cancer Genetics, Inc. started offering FDA approved companion diagnostic Thermo Fisher Scientific's Oncomine Dx Target - the first Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based Companion Diagnostic (CDx) test in 2017. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings launched OmniSeq Advance in partnership with OmniSeq for tumor cancers in June 2018.Request Sample Copy of Research Report @Partnerships and collaborations by leading manufacturers to develop innovative companion diagnostics is expected to foster global theranostics market growth over the forecast period. For instance, Foundation Medicine, Inc. and Pfizer, Inc. entered into a partnership for development, regulatory support, and commercialization of companion diagnostics (CDx) in January 2018. Moreover, Qiagen, Inc., and Freenome partnered in June 2018, to accelerate the development and commercialization of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) tests to enable precision medicine in cancer treatment.Pierre Fabre and Roche have been working on development of a robust prototype immunohistochemistry assay as a future companion diagnostic test for W0101 (the drug candidate which they are developing together) and extended this collaboration in May 2018. Abbott Laboratories, Inc. collaborated with Celgene Corporation, and Agios Pharmaceuticals, to develop diagnostic tests on Abbotts m2000 RealTime system that identifies certain genomic mutations associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2016. These factors are expected to support global theranostics market growth over the forecast period.Global Theranostics Market Regional Insights:-North America is expected to witness significant growth in the global theranostics market over the forecast period. Presence of leading manufacturers, collaborations, robust research, and development activities, and increasing adoption of companion diagnostics is expected to support global theranostics market growth over the forecast period. Biocartis Group NV and Amgen, Inc. partnered to develop companion diagnostic test for Amgen's drug Vectibix (panitumumab) in 2017. For instance, Genome Canada launched a national initiative for clinical implementation of precision health in June 2018, which would ultimately impact global theranostics market growth over the forecast period.Asia Pacific theranostics market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period, owing to collaborations in the region by global organizations and increasing awareness regarding companion diagnostics. For instance, Qiagen collaborated with Japan based clinical lab testing company, SRL, Inc. for introduction of new companion diagnostics with new drug approvals in August 2018.Key players of Global Theranostics Market:-Key players operating in the global theranostics market include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Beckman Coulter, Inc., Focus Diagnostics, AmeriPath, Inc., Illumina, Inc., F.Hoffmann LA-Roche Ltd., Qiagen NV, Myriad Genetics, Inc., Agilent Technologies, Abbott Laboratories, Foundation Medicine, Inc., and Oxford Cancer Biomarkers, Ltd.Request For Customization of Research Report @About Coherent Market InsightsCoherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Medical Implants Sterile Packaging Market detailed in new research report and Top Players Beacon, SteriPack, Wipak, Oliver- Tolas, Rexam, Oracle Packaging, Riverside Medical Packaging Medical Implants Sterile https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/995 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/995 Medical Implants are devices that are sited inside or on the surface of the body and are being used in every organ of the human body. According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA), medical implants are classified into three different classes, such as class I, class II, and Class III depending on the risk the medical device may impose on the user. However, risk associated with implants is complications during placement or removal of the implant. Once a medical device has been designed, tested, and approved it needs to be delivered in sterile conditions. Sterile packaging plays an essential role in packaging the devices, which protect the device from the physical damage and contamination. Packaging for these devices must serve two purposes, such as creating the sterile barrier for the device and protecting the functionality of device. Sterile packaging market has shown tremendous growth in recent years due to its several advantages. It allows penetration of the chosen sterilant, maintains the sterility of the package contents until it is open, and it can be opened aseptically without contaminating the contents.Furthermore, micro packaging is the current trend that is influencing the market, such as nanotechnology, which has altered the drug delivery systems and it is expected to have the same influence on medical devices packaging. Micro packaging includes addition of certain nanoparticles into films and shaped objects to condense the light for fire-resistant and it enhances thermal and mechanical performance as well as reduce permeability to gases. Micro packaging, established on the platform of nano technology is poised to have a strong impact on packaging, owing to its ability to enhance stability of the medical devices. Micro packaging with amalgamation of nano-engineered materials such as nano composite-based packaging films and nano coatings controls microbial growth and delays oxidation ensuring the safety of medical devices for longer period.The global medical implants sterile packaging market is estimated to be valued at US$ 1,719.5 Million in 2017 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period (2017 2025).Request A Sample Copy:Medical implants sterile packaging market is the rapidly growing segment of the healthcare sector. However, these implants encounter challenges while ensuring safety during transportation and storage. Protection of medical implants from contamination and physical damage is increasing the requirement for reliable and sterile packaging solutions in healthcare industry. On the basis of regions, North America accounts for the largest share in the global medical implants sterile packaging market, followed by Europe. This is mainly attributed to the forming and sealing process, which ensures the safety of the sterile packaging medical devices. For instance, according to Food and Drug Administration (FDA), packaging of medical implants needs to follow the quality regulations and requirement. Many innovative packaging solutions have been introduced, which have boosted the growth of the medical implants sterile packaging market in these regions. For instance, Flexshield launched by UFP Technologies, a pouch packaging solution for implants, screws, rods, and other instruments. FlexShield is known for protecting the medical device from abrasion and puncture. Moreover, QTS has also introduced the durable nylon pouches for packaging of orthopedic implants, surgical instruments, and surgical procedure kits. Furthermore, Asia Pacific is expected to exhibit the high growth rate over the forecast period due to diversification of markets, expansion, and stringent regulations of medical product packaging industries.The innovative Fortis packaging launched by Amcor is expected to propel the market growth.The major players in medical implants sterile packaging market are Beacon, SteriPack, Wipak, Oliver- Tolas, Rexam, Oracle Packaging, Riverside Medical Packaging, West Pharmaceutical Services, Amcor, Rollprint Packaging Products, and Sealed Air Corporation. The key players are focusing on strategic mergers and acquisition and development of innovative packaging systems. For instance, Amcor has launched an innovative packaging technology in 2016, known as Fortis sterile breather bag (an uncoated Tyvek header bag), which delivers strength, sustainability, and tear resistance to hold sharp, heavy, and bulky packs in contrast to conventional header bags. Fortis header bags opening allows aseptic removal of contents easier thereby, reduces the risk of contamination to the sterile field.Download the PDF brochure:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr.ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email:sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Paper Packaging Market 2019-2023 Forecast Analysis: Key Major Players are Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Limited, Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Ltd, Shenzhen YUTO Packaging Technology and Shenzhen Jinjia Group Co Ltd http://www.marketreportsonline.com/contacts/requestsample.php?name=784732 http://www.marketreportsonline.com/contacts/purchase.php?name=784732 This latest research report China Paper Packaging Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2019-2023) provides an extensive research and detailed analysis of the present market along with future outlook. Key players i.e. Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Limited, Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Ltd, Shenzhen YUTO Packaging Technology and Shenzhen Jinjia Group Co Ltd are being profiled along with their respective financials and growth strategies.Request Free Sample Copy of this Report @Paper packaging products are light-weight yet flexible in nature, which makes them perfect for transporting, protecting and preserving a wide variety of consumable items ranging from fragile glassware to perishable goods. The demand is highest from food and beverages sector, mainly owing to high preference for these products by vegetarian populace for carrying vegetables and fruits. On the basis of segments, paper packaging materials are broadly classified into containerboards (regular box, die cut box & pre-print box) and boxboards (coated duplex board & ivory board).Chinas paper packaging market is anticipated to be driven by increasing urban populace, growing e-commerce parcel market, declining pulp prices and improving population awareness about environmental friendly packaging.Purchase a copy of this China Paper Packaging Market report at USD 800 (Single User License)Key trends and developments of industry include increasing folding boxboards consumption, containerboard capacity additions and technological advancements. However, there are some factors which can hinder the market growth including stringent regulations and product quality.About Us:Market Reports Online is a comprehensive online library of more than 100,000 reports, in-depth market research studies on thousands of micro markets and a range of industries. The reports are analytically and statistically rich, and offer a comprehensive view of the dynamic market scenario across the globe. We offer online and offline support services to ensure your research requirements are met on time.Contact Us:Vishal KalraTel: + 1 888 391 5441Email: sales@marketreportsonline.com Global Encapsulated Flavors Market Growth Factors 2018 - Glatt GmbH, Etosha Pan, LycoRed Limited, Nexira https://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/359284/request-sample https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-encapsulated-flavors-market-growth-2018-2023-359284.html www.fiormarkets.com Fior Markets has added a new market study on Global Encapsulated Flavors Market Growth 2018-2023, offering an extensive and precise estimates and forecasts study of market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. The report covering details from 2013 to 2018 and forecast to 2023 portrays definition, an investigation of significant improvements in the market, as well as budgetary examination and profound aggressive investigation. In short, this report will help you in setting up new business trends in the market. The Encapsulated Flavors market is expected to exceed more than US$ xxx million by 2023 at a CAGR of xx% in the given forecast period.About The Industry:The report logically examines raw materials, deals channel, downstream purchasers, and the element of item course of this industry. With this study, you will be able to establish a display of modern advancement and qualities of the market. Valuable information such as facts and figures, skilled opinions are also added in the report. Further, regional classification, along with their growth including segmentation and sub-segmentation are included. The competitive section enfolds key players company profile, product capacity, price, revenue, cost, gross, and contact information as well as their latest updates such as new product development, expansions, and acquisitions and mergers.DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT:Regional Analysis: Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with production, consumption, revenue (M USD), market share and growth rate of Encapsulated Flavors in these regions, from 2013 to 2023 (forecast), covering Americas (United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil), APAC (China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Australia), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain), Middle East & Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, GCC Countries)Top manufacturers for the market (share, demand, growth, production supply analysis): Balchem Corporation, Archer Daniels Midland, Glatt GmbH, Etosha Pan (India), LycoRed Limited, Friesland Campina Kievit, Tate & Lyle PLC, Groupe Legris Industries, Ingredion Incorporated, BUCHI Labortechnik, Synthite Industries, Sensient Technologies Corporation, Fona International, Carmi Flavor & Fragrance, Cargill, AVEKA Group, Symrise AG, Naturex, Nexira, International Flavours & FragrancesResearch Methodology:Primary research was performed by interrogating the key executives from the industry. These discussions help to fill-in the data gaps after secondary research.Secondary sources such as encyclopaedia, website, directories, and databases were used to explore and obtain information useful for this extensive study.Experts from manufacturers and particular suppliers have been interviewed to get and verify critical information as well as to analyze the future forecasts.The report provides an in-depth analysis of the market segmentation, which is a key element of the reports.Market segment by product type, split into Spray Congealing/Chilling, Sprays Drying, Glass Encapsulation, Fluid Bed Coating along with their consumption (sales), market share and growth rate.ACCESS FULL REPORT:Market segment by application, split into Pharmaceutical and Personal Care, Beverages and Instant Drinks, Food along with their consumption (sales), market share and growth rate.Moreover, Encapsulated Flavors industry report study provides an analysis based on opportunities, challenges, and obstacles which enhances the understanding, scope, and application of this report. The complete value chain and downstream and upstream essentials are scrutinized in this report. Essential trends like globalization, growth progress boost fragmentation regulation & ecological concerns.About us-Fior Markets is a futuristic market intelligence company, helping customers flourish their business strategies and make better decisions using actionable intelligence.We are leaders in analytics, research and advisory services for companies, scores of high potential startups, and financial institutions. Our success stories have proven why we are a preeminent provider of cutting-edge syndicated and customized research services. Leverage the best of our seasoned research analysts who hold a keen interest and enviable expertise in global, regional and local market intelligence.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice-102, Sanskriti AspirationsBaner Road, Pune,MH 411045IndiaPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb: Global Bulk Bags Market Growth Factors 2018 - Greif, Berry Group, AmeriGlobe, Conitex Sonoco https://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/359287/request-sample https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-bulk-bags-market-growth-2018-2023-359287.html www.fiormarkets.com Fior Markets latest research publication offering titled Global Bulk Bags Market Growth 2018-2023 assesses historical, latest values, and current changes to forecast market way for upcoming years from 2018 to 2023. Each segment are studied in detail and covered and market estimates and forecasts at the regional and country level are provided in this report. The segment analysis will help to know the probable opportunities and growth areas of the market.The report serves necessary information regarding the market key participants including both established companies and new market entries. This global market has been progressing at a faster pace with the advance inventive systems and growth tendency. The detailed segmentation by product type, application, and various processes and systems has been given in the report. It has mentioned strategically significant competitor information and insights to develop effective R&D strategies as well as identify emerging players with a product portfolio to formulate effective counter-strategies. Additionally, the report figures out the product price, specification, financial and technical details, and research methodologies that will help businesses expand their market operations.DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT:Market competition by top manufacturers, with production, revenue (value) and market size for each manufacturer; the key players including as follow: Greif, Berry Global Group, AmeriGlobe, Conitex Sonoco, Halsted Corporation, BAG Corp, Sackmakers, Intertape Polymer Group, LC Packaging International, Emmbi Industries, Rishi FIBC Solutions, Bulk Lift International, Mini Bulk Bags, Langston Companies, Taihua Group, RDA Bulk Packaging, Yixing Wellknit Container-bag, Jumbo Bag, Bang Polypack, Yantai Haiwan Plastic ProductsThe Bulk Bags market report mainly throws light on dominant players in the regions of Americas (United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil), APAC (China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Australia), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain), Middle East & Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, GCC Countries). The estimates of market size and revenue depend on the demand of major segment within the diverse category.The Scope of the Report:Further, in-depth information about the vital elements of the market such as the key growth drivers, opportunities, restraining factors, and trends is given in the report. It then focuses on the qualitative impact of these factors on market segments and geographies. The report also covers the industry size, industry talk, growth, key sections, CAGR, and SWOT analysis. The reader will also find a comprehensive description of the value chain and its distributor analysis.Market by product type: Large (More Than 1.5 Cu. M), Medium (Between 0.75 and 1.5 Cu. M), Small (Less Than 0.75 Cu. M)Market by applications: Food, Chemicals and Fertilizers, Construction, Mining, Pharmaceuticals, OthersOne of the sections of this report gives the descriptive analysis of the parent market considering the elite players, present, past, and futuristic data that will guide industry competitors. The report has discussed emerging globalization trends, product escalation study, and exceeding production capacity in the market.ACCESS FULL REPORT:Key Reasons to Purchase the Market Report:Gain perceptive analysis of the market and have a complete understanding of the Bulk Bags market and its commercial landscape.Calculate the key problems, production developments, and solutions to manipulate the progress threat.Study about the market policies that are being utilized by top organizations.Understand the maximum affecting driving and preventive forces in the market and its impact on the global market.Identify the upcoming position and forecasts for the market.About us-Fior Markets is a futuristic market intelligence company, helping customers flourish their business strategies and make better decisions using actionable intelligence.We are leaders in analytics, research and advisory services for companies, scores of high potential startups, and financial institutions. Our success stories have proven why we are a preeminent provider of cutting-edge syndicated and customized research services. Leverage the best of our seasoned research analysts who hold a keen interest and enviable expertise in global, regional and local market intelligence.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice-102, Sanskriti AspirationsBaner Road, Pune,MH 411045IndiaPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb: Diabetes Care Devices Market 2019 Recent Study Including Growth Factors, With BD, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Company, Medtronic, Tandem Diabetes Care, Insulet Corporation, Diabetes Care Devices Market http://bit.ly/2W2ILQn http://bit.ly/2W0Nh1H http://bit.ly/2W8jCEc The global diabetes care devices market accounted to US$ 23,354.3 Mn in 2018 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period 2019 2027, to account to US$ 39,382.3 Mn by 2027.Diabetes Care Devices Market Research Report will assist you to take thoughtful decisions about market by explaining what the market Segments, demand, classifications, applications, engagements and Growth are and informing you about all the recent changes in Market, product launches & their researches, their merges, accusations, and joint ventures, and also explaining about all the scope and regional framework which are collected using SWOT analysis.Get Sample Copy OF Report@According to a new market research study titled "Diabetes Care Devices Market - Global Analysis and Forecasts by Product and End User", the global diabetes care devices market is expected to reach US$ 39,382.3 Mn in 2027 from US$ 23,354.3 Mn in 2018. The market is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 6.1% from 2019-2027. The report highlights the trends prevalent in the global diabetes care devices market and the factors driving the market along with those that act as deterrents to its growth.The global diabetes care devices market by product segments was led by glucose monitoring devices segment. In 2018, the glucose monitoring devices held a largest market share of 54.1% of the diabetes care devices market, by product. The glucose monitoring devices segments is also expected to be the fastest growing segments the market in 2027 owing to the presence of the various market players that are offering various products and rise in the technological advancements are likely to propel the growth of the market during the forecast period.Global Leading Key Players In Industry: BD Novo Nordisk A/S B. Braun Melsungen AG Insulet Corporation Medtronic Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. Eli Lilly and Company Dexcom, Inc. Terumo Corporation F. Hoffman-LA Roche Ltd.The market players are focused towards bringing new and innovative products and services to sustain their position in the market. For instance, in February 2019, Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified the t:slim X2 insulin pump as the first in a new device category called Alternate Controller Enabled Infusion Pumps (ACE pumps).Comparative Analysis:This Report also includes the profiles of Others key market companies along with their SWOT analysis and market various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. In addition, the report focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, components and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years.Table of Contents:1 Executive Summary2 Scope of the Report3 Global Diabetes Care Devices Market by Players4 Diabetes Care Devices Market by Regions5 Market Drivers, Challenges and Trends6 Marketing, Distributors and Customer7 Global Diabetes Care Devices Market Forecast 20278 Key Players Analysis Research, Findings and ConclusionToc continued! Provided With Sample CopyGet More Analysis about Research Report@Strategic Insights:Product launches and up gradation were observed as the most adopted strategy in global diabetes care devices industry. For instance, in March 2019, Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc has announced that it is now registered as an approved vendor of insulin pumps and supplies under the Assistive Devices Program (ADP) in Ontario, Canada. Thus, the expansion move by the company is likely to boost up the growth of its own and is likely to contribute to the market in the coming future.DIABETES CARE DEVICES MARKET SEGMENTATIONGlobal Diabetes Care Devices Market By Product Glucose Monitoring Deviceso Glucometerso Lancetso Testing Stripso Other Glucose Monitoring Devices Insulin Delivery Deviceso Insulin Penso Insulin Syringeso Insulin Pumpso Other Insulin Delivery DevicesGlobal Diabetes Care Devices Market By End User Hospitals & Clinics HomecareBy GeographyThe report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global Diabetes Care Devices market based on various segments. It also provides market size and forecast estimates from year 2017 to 2027 with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) South & Central America.The Diabetes Care Devices market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of 18 countries globally along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.Click For More Discount Offers@About Us:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services.We are committed to providing highest quality research and consulting services to our customers. We help our clients understand key market trends, identify opportunities, and make informed decisions by providing market research solutions at an affordable cost.Contact us:The Insight partners,Phone: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.com Solid Tumors Treatment Market Clinical Review, Drug Descriptions, Analysis And Synthesis 2026 | Abbott Laboratories, Biogen Idec Incorporated, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson Solid Tumors Treatment Market www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/793 www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/793 Emerging trend of Biosimilars therapy is expected to propel the growth of solid tumors treatment marketAccording to data published in International Journal of Pharma Sciences and Research (IJPSR) in 2011, there were around 9 million deaths due to cancer. In 2015, 11.4 million people are expected to die in 2030, among this prevalence of cancer maximum is due to solid tumors. Growing prevalence of solid tumors is the major driving factor for the growth of solid tumors treatment market. Additionally, some other factors fuelling the growth of solid tumors treatment market include unmet demand for cancer treatment and rising investment in the research and development of cancer drugs. However, increase in the volume of generic therapeutic products, the high cost of cancer therapy, and growing drug patent cliff are some of the restraints that might hinder the growth of solid tumors treatment market.Request For Sample Copy of This Research Report:A solid tumor is an abnormal mass or lump of tissues without liquid or cysts. It is not necessary that tumor should always be cancerous. On the basis tumor nature, it can be classified as the malignant tumor (cancerous) and the benign tumor (non-cancerous). Based on the cell type, tumors can be classified as carcinomas, sarcomas, and lymphomas. The Solid tumors might occur in several places such as muscle, bone, and organs. Treatments for solid tumors include prevention of tumor and combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. However, new forms of treatment are emerging in the market.Moreover, the emerging trend of biosimilars is contributing to the growth of solid tumors treatment market due to their low cost and their similarity to originator compound. For instance, some of the biologics available for solid tumors treatment includes Herceptin, MabThera, Avastin, and Erbitux. The advantages of this biosimilars to overcome the limitations of generic drugs in the treatments is expected to propel the growth of solid tumors treatments market.Chemotherapy segment holds the maximum share in solid tumor treatment market due to its efficacy by combining with some other therapies to treat solid tumors.Rising incidences of solid tumor cases in North America is the factor contributing to the growth of solid tumor treatment marketRegional segmentation of Solid Tumors Treatment market by Coherent Market Insights comprises of North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. North America dominates in the solid tumors treatment market due to the presence of well-established healthcare infrastructure, and rise in the number of solid tumor cases. For instance, According to the data provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2013 around 230,815 females and 2109 men in the U.S. were diagnosed with breast cancer. Asia Pacific is expected to grow in the solid tumors market due to the increase in healthcare expenditure, rising patient population, medical tourism, and increasing affordability of people in this region.Advanced drug therapy is expected to help the industry players to sustain in the solid tumors treatment marketKey industry players operating solid tumors treatment market include Abbott Laboratories Inc., Biogen Idec Incorporated, AstraZeneca Plc., Johnson & Johnson Company, Amgen Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb Company, GlaxoSmithKline Plc., Sanofi, and Baxter International Incorporated. Advancements in the cancer therapy such as nanomedicines used for the treatment of cancer might help the industry players to provide effective patient care in the solid tumors treatment. Whereas, stringent regulatory policies for drug manufacturing may restrain the growth of the market. For instance, by regulations provided by the Indian government in late 2012, there are cap prices of 348 drugs on Essential Drug List (EDL), and drug manufacturers need to keep the cost of their drugs below the ceiling price.Download The PDF Brochure:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr.ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email:sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Batten Disease Treatment Market Trends, Research And Projections For 2018-2026 | Seneb BioSciences, BioMarin Pharmaceuticals and ReGenX Biosciences Batten Disease Treatment www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/831 www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/831 Batten disease is a rare, inherent, and fatal autosomal recessive neural disorder that begins in the childhood but may take a few years to show symptoms. Batten disease is one of the approximately 50 diseases that fall under the category of lysosome shortage disorders. The batten disease also referred as Neuronal ceroid Lipofuscinoses (NCLs), which is a class of life-limiting genetic neurogenerative diseases that are caused due to abnormality of genes resulting in their inability to synthesize required protein. This disease is characterized by malfunctioning of body, which usually appears around the age of 2-10 with symptoms, such as seizures or gradual onset of vision problem.Download The PDF Brochure:The early signs may show subtle changes in behavior and learning, however over time, the child suffers from mental impairment, progressive loss of sight, speech and motor reactions, worsening seizures, eventually leading to blindness dementia, and finally death. These disease is diagnosed with the help of certain tests, such as blood or urine tests, skin or tissue dampening, brain scans, and imaging techniques, which includes, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The batten disease is characterized into four types as follows:Infantile NCL: more than 2 yearsLate Infantile NCL: 2-4 years (Life span of child varies between 8-12 years)Juvenile NCL: 5-8 years (Life span varies between teens to early 20s)Adult NCL: more than 40 years (Variable lifespan)European countries facing rising prevalence and incidence of batten diseaseAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Batten disease is observed in 2-4 per 100,000 live births in the United States on an average. The Batten disease although is rare but has high incidence rates in Finland, Sweden, and other parts of the Europe as compared to rest of the world. According to the Batten Disease Support and Research Association, the batten disease has often been encountered in more than one children of the same family.Attempts by collaborations of research bodies for introduction to reliable treatment options for batten disease giving hopes to commonersThe batten disease treatment market is not dense on the global level, however the developed economies of North America and Europe are expected to contribute to the growth of the market. This attributes to the increasing incidence of batten disease and high prevalence rates in American as well as European countries. For instance, a joint study between Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Childrens Hospital, and Kings College London have discovered a treatment that has helped to improve the neurological symptoms in the mouse model of juvenile batten disease. This research held a novel approach of counteracting the accumulation of the cellular waste in Batten disease by acting on TFEB, which is a master transcription factor that stimulates the production of lysosomes by the cell body and directs cellular apoptosis. This has brought a ray of hope to patients and families affected by battens disease.Request For Sample Copy Of this Research Report:Improper treatment facility for batten disease responsible to attract the attention of various players to enter the untapped potential batten disease treatment marketThe rising incidence of the batten disease without effective treatment option for the prevention and cure of the disease is the primary driver for batten disease market, due to which several companies are vying to enter into the untapped global batten disease treatment market. However, the lack of awareness among manufacturers and patient population as well as unavailability of treatment for this disease are greatly hampering the growth of the global batten disease treatment market.Although, the global batten disease treatment market is very scarce, few key players offering cell regeneration therapies and few other forms of medication include Seneb BioSciences, Inc., BioMarin Pharmaceuticals and ReGenX Biosciences LLC. The U.S. FDA has recently approved BioMarins first ever drug to treat batten disease known as Brineura in 2017.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr.ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email:sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Sepsis Diagnostics Market 2019 By Healthcare Industry: Abbott, Becton, Dickinson, biorieux SA, Bruker Corporation, F. Hoffmann-LA Roche Ltd, Immunexpress https://marketprognosis.com/sample-request/19793 https://marketprognosis.com/discount-request/19793 https://marketprognosis.com/enquiry/19793 The major factors for the growth of the sepsis diagnostics market include the increasing prevalence of sepsis, the growing incidence of hospital-acquired infections, increasing number of pneumonia cases, rise in the number of sepsis procedures, and an increase in funding for sepsis-related research activities.Detailed Sample Copy of Updated Analysis @Note: If this link doesnt work in Internet Explorer, kindly try copy pasting it in other browsers.Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are the most common complications among hospitalized patients, with an estimated incidence of 4.5 HAIs per 100 hospital admissions and an annual cost ranging between USD 35 billion and USD 45 billion. These HAIs are also called nosocomial infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in every 20 patients, who are admitted for the treatment, may develop a nosocomial infection. Hospital-acquired infections result in more than 99,000 deaths each year. HAIs are ranked among the top five leading causes of death in the United States. Some of the most common hospital-acquired infection cases include surgical infections, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, and bloodstream infections. Post-surgery bloodstream infections have increased by 8%, while urinary tract infections, due to the use of a catheter after surgery, have increased by 3.6%, as per the American Hospital Association. Healthcare facilities, care teams, and individual doctors and nurses are also aware of infection-related issues and take specific steps to prevent them. Similar status of hospital-acquired infections has been observed across the world and is boosting the need for sepsis diagnosis. Hence, the rise in hospital-acquired infections is expected to drive the overall growth of the sepsis diagnosis market over the forecast period.Competitive LandscapeThe market studied is moderately consolidated owing to the presence of a few key players. Some of the market players are Abbott, Becton, Dickinson, and Company, bioMu00e9rieux SA, Bruker Corporation, F. Hoffmann-LA Roche Ltd, Immunexpress Inc., Luminex Corporation, Response Biomedical Corp., T2 Biosystems, Inc., and Thermo Fisher Scientific.Request Discount on this report @Note: If this link doesnt work in Internet Explorer, kindly try copy pasting it in other browsers.Scope of the ReportAs per the scope of this report, sepsis diagnostics is the study of diagnosis of sepsis, which is a serious and life-threatening clinical condition that generally results from a primary bacterial infection or, less frequently, from a fungal and/or viral infection The market is segmented by technology, product, diagnostic method, pathogen, and geography.Key Market TrendsMolecular Diagnostics Segment under Technology-wise Segmentation is expected to be the Fastest Growing Segment over the Forecast Period.Sepsis, affecting nearly 1 out of every 23 hospitalized patients, is the sixth-most common reason for hospitalization. Rapid and accurate profiling of infection-causing pathogens remains a significant challenge in modern healthcare. Finally, identification of the causative pathogen is essential in selecting appropriate antibiotic therapy as part of the treatment. These requirements make molecular diagnostics (MDx) an attractive approach to consider for sepsis diagnostics. Molecular diagnostics have attracted several multinational companies and institutions, owing to their easy feasibility and accuracy in detection methods. The blood culture analysis for rapid and accurate profiling of infections has been the gold standard for the molecular diagnostic method. However, the cost of molecular diagnostics has remained very high, as compared to conventional procedures, which restricts its market growth. Several companies are investing in point of care molecular diagnostics for early diagnosis of bacterial and viral pathogens and better patient management. The well-established healthcare infrastructure with high adoption of advanced diagnostic technologies and raising awareness for early disease diagnosis is expected to drive the growth of the market studied.North America is expected to hold the Largest Market Share in the Global MarketNorth America is found to hold a major share for the sepsis diagnostics market and is expected to show a similar trend over the forecast period, without significant fluctuations. According to the CDC statistics in 2018, sepsis affects more than a million Americans every year and leads to 15% to 30% deaths in the United States. Furthermore, the number of cases of sepsis is rising on a yearly basis in the country, due to factors, such as the rise in geriatric population, infections that are incurable by antibiotics, and higher risks of the disease among people who have undergone an organ transplant. The National Institutes of Health supports many studies that are focused on sepsis, which is evaluating various potential treatments for the disease. CDC launched the u2018Get Ahead of Sepsis, which is an educational initiative to protect Americans from the effect of sepsis. This initiative calls on healthcare professionals to educate patients, prevent infections, identify and diagnose sepsis at an early stage, and start sepsis treatment fast. Emerging technologies linked with an enhanced understanding of the immature and developing neonatal immune system responses to early infection provide an opportunity to develop critically needed biomarkers to improve early identiufb01cation in this high-risk population. So, the increasing prevalence of sepsis, along with government initiative may augment the growth of the market studied.Enquiry Before Buying @Note: If this link doesnt work in Internet Explorer, kindly try copy pasting it in other browsers.About Market PrognosisWe at Market Prognosis believe in giving a crystal clear view of market dynamics for achieving success in todays complex and competitive marketplace through our quantitative & qualitative research methods.We help our clients identify the best market insights and analysis required for their business thus enabling them to take strategic and intelligent decision.We believe in delivering actionable insights for your business growth and success.Contact us:ProgMark Pvt Ltd,Thane - 421501India.Contact No: +1 973 241 5193Email: sales@marketprognosis.com 3D Semiconductor Packaging Market 2019 In-Depth Analysis Globally by Top Key Players: Amkor Technology, SUSS Microtek, ASE Group, Sony Corp https://www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/requestsample.aspx?name=2177346 https://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=2177346 https://www.reportsnreports.com/knowledge-store-subscription?utm_source=AeroKS&utm_medium=Wasim 3D Semiconductor Packaging Market report categorizes by top players/brands, region, type and end user. This report also studies the global 3D Semiconductor Packaging market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities, challenges, sales channels and distributors.The global 3D Semiconductor Packaging market is valued at million USD in 2018 and is expected to reach million USD by the end of 2024, growing at a CAGR of between 2019 and 2024.The Asia-Pacific will occupy for more market share in following years, especially in China, also fast growing India and Southeast Asia regions.North America, especially The United States, will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of 3D Semiconductor Packaging.Download Free Sample PDF Copy @This report studies the 3D Semiconductor Packaging market status and outlook of Global and major regions, from angles of players, countries, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top players in global market, and splits the 3D Semiconductor Packaging market by product type and applications/end industries.3D Semiconductor Packaging Market Segment by Top Key Companies, this report covers:- Amkor Technology- SUSS Microtek- ASE Group- Sony Corp- Tokyo Electron- Siliconware Precision Industries Co., Ltd.- Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology Co. Ltd.- International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)- Intel Corporation- Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and more3D Semiconductor Packaging Market Segment by Type covers:- 3D Through Silicon Via- 3D Package On Package- 3D Fan Out Based- 3D Wire Bonded3D Semiconductor Packaging Market Segment by Applications can be divided into:- Electronics- Industrial- Automotive & Transport- Healthcare- IT & Telecommunication- Aerospace & DefenseGet Access of Full Report @The content of the study subjects, includes a total of 15 chapters:Chapter 1, to describe 3D Semiconductor Packaging product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market driving force and market risks. Chapter 2, to profile the top manufacturers of 3D Semiconductor Packaging, with price, sales, revenue and global market share of 3D Semiconductor Packaging in 2017 and 2018.Chapter 3, the 3D Semiconductor Packaging competitive situation, sales, revenue and global market share of top manufacturers are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast. Chapter 4, the 3D Semiconductor Packaging breakdown data are shown at the regional level, to show the sales, revenue and growth by regions, from 2014 to 2019.Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to break the sales data at the country level, with sales, revenue and market share for key countries in the world, from 2014 to 2019. Chapter 10 and 11, to segment the sales by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2014 to 2019.Chapter 12, 3D Semiconductor Packaging market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2019 to 2024. Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe 3D Semiconductor Packaging sales channel, distributors, customers, research findings and conclusion, appendix and data source.We also recommend MarketsandMarkets Knowledge Store Subscription.Key Benefits of Purchasing Knowledge Store Subscription."Knowledgestore" 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.Know more about The Knowledgestore / Talk to Our Analyst @ReportsnReports.com is your single source for all market research needs. Our database includes 500,000+ market research reports from over 95 leading global publishers & in-depth market research studies of over 5000 micro markets. We provide 24/7 online and offline support to our customers.E-mail: sales@reportsandreports.comPhone: +1 888 391 5441 Vanadium Flow Batteries Market 2019 | Worldwide Forecast 2025 | Major Players Imergy, Cellennium (Thailand) Company Limited, American Vanadium Corp Vanadium Flow Batteries Market https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/95243 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/95243 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/95243 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/request_for_discount/95243 www.upmarketresearch.com Up Market Research published a detailed report on Vanadium Flow Batteries Market. The report provides an in-depth overview of industry and competitive landscape, covering multiple market segments and elaborates market outlook and status to 2025.Get Exclusive Free Sample Copy Of This Report @The report highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Vanadium Flow Batteries Market research report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period. It is a professional and a detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, leading segments and geographical analysis. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Vanadium Flow Batteries Market global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 20192025.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.For More Information On This Report, Please VisitThe generated report is firmly based on primary research, interviews with top executives, news sources and information insiders. Secondary research techniques are implemented for better understanding and clarity for data analysis.The report for Vanadium Flow Batteries Market analysis & forecast 2019-2025 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Global Vanadium Flow Batteries Market Segmentation Includes:Region-wise Analysis covers: North America Europe China Japan India Southeast Asia Other regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa)The Major players include: Imergy Cellennium (Thailand) Company Limited American Vanadium Corp Vanadis VionxProduct Type Analysis: VRB VESS OthersApplication Analysis: Power Plants Electrical Grids OtherGet Exclusive Free Sample Copy Of This Report @Vanadium Flow Batteries Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 report helps the clients to take business decisions and to understand strategies of major players in the industry. The report also calls for market- driven results deriving feasibility studies for client needs. UpMarketResearch ensures qualified and verifiable aspects of market data operating in the real- time scenario. The analytical studies are conducted ensuring client needs with a thorough understanding of market capacities in the real- time scenario.Key Reasons to Purchase:- To gain insightful analysis of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Global Vanadium Flow Batteries Market and its commercial landscape.- Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations.- To understand the future outlook and prospects for Vanadium Flow Batteries Market analysis and forecast 2019-2025.Avail Discount On This Report @Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About UpMarketResearch:The UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well- defined we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States. What's driving the Industrial IoT (IIoT) Market growth in 2026? With Top firms like- ABB Ltd., Cisco Systems, Inc., General Electric Company, Siemens AG, Rockwell Automation, Inc., IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, ARM Ltd. https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1695039?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=PC https://www.marketstudyreport.com/enquiry-before-buying/1695039?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=PC https://www.marketstudyreport.com/securecheckout/paymenta/1695039?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=PC?msfpaycode=sumsf The study on the 'Industrial IoT (IIoT) market' by Market Study Report, LLC, is a compilation of systematic details in terms of market valuation, market size, revenue estimation, and geographical spectrum of the business vertical. The study also offers a precise analysis of the key challenges and growth prospects awaiting key players of the Industrial IoT (IIoT) market, including a concise summary of their corporate strategies and competitive setting.Some of the major players operating in the Industrial IoT include Corning Incorporated, ABB Ltd., Cisco Systems, Inc., General Electric Company, Siemens AG, Rockwell Automation, Inc., IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, ARM Ltd., Intel Corporation, and Kuka AG among others.Request a sample Report of Industrial IoT (IIoT) Market at:According to a new study published by Polaris Market, the global Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market is anticipated to reach USD 771.72 billion by 2026. Industries worldwide are looking for new business models to construct a connected enterprise for merging their operational and information departments. This transformation is expected to enhance the overall productivity, operational efficiency, and visibility as well as decrease the complexities of diverse procedures in the industry. The capability of IIoT to decrease costs is the major factor responsible for its high adoption by the industries. Other factors include increased productivity, time-to-market, and process automation. Moreover, decreasing sensors prices has also helped in the reduction of overall costs related to data collection and analytics.The market in the Asia Pacific region is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR owing to considerable adoption of IIoT in the countries such as Japan, Taiwan and China. Manufacturing companies across these countries are recognizing the advantages offered by the implementation of IIoT in their production line. China is the dominating country in the Asia Pacific market due to the presence of several manufacturing companies in the region and high adoption of automation technologies.Enquiry about Industrial IoT (IIoT) market report before Buying at:The role of IIoT is becoming more prominent in allowing easy access to machines and devices. The adoption of IIoT is further anticipated to escalate globally attributed to increasing innovative efforts by major players such as GE, Cisco and Huawei, as well as increasing initiatives sponsored by governments.For instance, the government of Germany is sponsoring a multi-year strategic initiative 'Industrie 4.0', focused on uniting the major participants from public and private sectors along with academia for the creation of an action plan and a broad vision to implement digital technologies in the country's industrial sector. Furthermore, 'Made in China 2025? initiative of the Chinese government is helping the promotion and integration of digital technologies in the industrial sector of China.Industrial IoT (IIoT) Market share by Major regions included:United StatesNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeMiddle East & AfricaPurchase full report of Industrial IoT (IIoT) market at:Some of the Major Highlights of TOC covers:Chapter 1: Methodology & ScopeDefinition and forecast parametersMethodology and forecast parametersData SourcesChapter 2: Executive SummaryBusiness trendsRegional trendsProduct trendsEnd-use trendsChapter 3: Industrial IoT (IIoT) Industry InsightsIndustry segmentationIndustry landscapeVendor matrixTechnological and innovation landscapeChapter 4: Industrial IoT (IIoT) Market, By RegionChapter 5: Company ProfileBusiness OverviewFinancial DataProduct LandscapeStrategic OutlookSWOT AnalysisAbout Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study ReportPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email:sales@marketstudyreport.com Despite winning five of its final six games that included a three-game sweep at Oregon, Oregon State was left out of the 2019 NCAA softball tournament field. The 64-team bracket was unveiled Sunday night, and five Pac-12 teams landed in the field, including UCLA, Washington and Arizona among the top six seeds. But left out was Oregon State, which has participated in the past three NCAA tournaments. Oregon State, which had an RPI of 41 heading into the week, was one of the first four teams excluded from the field. No team with a higher RPI missed the tournament field. The Beavers conclude their season with a 26-19 record. Also out is Oregon, which finished last in the Pac-12. This is the first time since 2009 that the Beavers and Ducks didnt qualify for postseason play. --Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Three environmental advocacy groups Monday filed suit to block the renewal of a 10-year grazing permit for Hammond Ranches Inc., run by Dwight Hammond Jr. and son Steven Hammond. Western Watersheds Project, the Center for Biological Diversity and Wildearth Guardians filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Pendleton against the interior secretary, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the district manager of the land bureaus Burns District office. The three groups argue that then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinkes renewal of the grazing permit after the Hammonds were issued pardons violated federal administrative regulations because it failed to consider the Hammonds unsatisfactory record. The groups contend the father and sons cattle-grazing record violated regulations set by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Department of Interior and that the new permit didnt undergo proper environmental assessments. They contend the renewed grazing will harm sage-grouse habitats in the region and increase invasive weeds and the likelihood of destructive fires. On Jan. 29, Zinke ordered the permit renewal for Hammond Ranches Inc. to last through 2024. In February 2014, the federal agency rejected the Hammonds renewal application, citing their criminal convictions for setting fire to public land. They were convicted in 2012 of arson on Harney County land where they had grazing rights for their cattle. They were ordered back to prison in early 2016 to serve out five-year sentences in a case that incited right-wing militias and inspired the 41-day armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, which abuts the Hammond family ranch. But on July 10, the Trump administration pardoned the father and son. The complaint filed Monday says that the Hammonds, between 2001 and 2006, engaged in a pattern of setting fires on the public lands to remove sagebrush and juniper and increase forage for their cattle that endangered firefighters and members of the public. Its appalling to watch the Trump administration make up the rules as they go along, said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity. Weve seen this type of lawlessness infect all aspects of public lands management under Trump, and were going to fight it. The public lands at stake are important sage-grouse habitat, highly vulnerable to invasive species, and are just beginning to recover. The suit is filed against David Bernhardt, current interior secretary, and Jeffrey Rose, district manager of the the BLMs Burns District office. After she was informed of the lawsuit Monday, Susie Hammond, wife of Dwight Hammond Jr. and mother to Steven Hammond, said of the plaintiffs suing, "I dont know what they know that the president of the United States and the head of the BLM doesnt know.' Both Dwight and Steven Hammond were convicted of setting a fire in 2001, and the son was convicted of setting a second fire in 2006. Dwight Hammond Jr. set a prescribed burn on about 300 acres of his own land that then traveled onto Bureau of Land Management property and burned an additional 139 acres, his lawyer wrote in a petition for clemency. The elder Hammond said he was trying to fend off invasive species. Prosecutors argued the fire also was to cover up illegal deer poaching and got out of control, placing firefighters who had to be airlifted out of the area in grave danger. Susie and Dwight Hammond bought their ranch in 1964. Hammond Ranches Inc. has operated on a combination of private and public land -- 12,872 acres of deeded territory and another 26,421 acres on grazing allotments -- before the federal government curtailed its permits. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. A former Oregon lawyer pleaded not guilty Monday to a 24-count federal indictment accusing her of defrauding her clients for nearly a decade. Lori E. Deveny, 53, is accused of stealing money she held in trust for clients and using it to pay off credit card debt and loans and to support a lavish lifestyle that included numerous big game hunting trips to Africa, taxidermy costs that resulted from those trips, other vacations, her husbands photography business, home remodeling and expensive cigars, according to investigators from the Internal Revenue Service and the FBI. The money came from insurance proceeds that were supposed to be paid to her clients, according to the indictment, ordered unsealed Monday. The indictment says Deveny defrauded clients from April 2011 through May 2019 by way of mail, wire and bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering and the filing of false tax returns. Investigators say Deveny forged client signatures on settlement documents she sent to various insurance companies, transferred funds without authorization to personal accounts and lied to clients that the insurance companies were to blame for any delays in settling claims. Many of Devenys clients never received the insurance payouts they were owed. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claire Fay said Deveny relinquished her license to practice law in Oregon in May 2018 but has "held herself out as a lawyer'' since then. Fay urged a judge to order Deveny to have no contact with any clients and hand over all her clients paper and electronic files to the Oregon State Bar. The state bar has been appointed as custodian of Devenys law practice, including her client files and business accounts. The federal prosecutor also urged the court to order Deveny to preserve the approximately dozen guns found in her house and exotic taxidermy heads of animals, including a giraffe, zebra, and lion, but dispose of any ammunition in the home. Fay said Devenys husband took his own life in the home a year ago with a gun. Devenys assistant federal public defender, Mark Ahlemeyer, said Deveny was cataloging the firearms for sale to pay off debt and urged the court to allow Deveny to continue to do so. He also asked that the government limit any restrictions placed on Devenys contact with former clients because some of them from 20 years ago have nothing to do with the case and have become her friends. U.S. Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta allowed Deveny to be released with special conditions after she made her first court appearance. Federal agents arrested her at her home Monday morning. The judge ordered Deveny to keep a detailed accounting of her sales of any guns and taxidermy items and provide that information to her pretrial services officer. She must ensure that any ammunition is turned over to the officer or her lawyer for "proper disposal,'' Acosta said. Deveny also must not open any new bank accounts without prior approval and must restrict her travel to within Oregon. She has turned over her passport and was ordered not to get a new one. The government must provide a list of clients that Deveny must not have contact with, Acosta ordered. A seven-day trial was tentatively set for July 16. In a separate civil suit, a man accusing Oregon Democratic donor Terrence Terry Bean of sexually abusing him as a teenager, claims Deveny, his former attorney, committed legal malpractice by negotiating settlement deals without his consent and pocketing most of the money. The Oregon State Bar has received $2.4 million in Client Security Fund claims as a result of Devenys cases, and has paid out $305,000 so far to her former clients who said they lost money as a result of the lawyers dishonesty, according to the bar. This is the highest claims total - by a large margin - ever seen in our fund by a single lawyer,'' said Kateri Walsh, bar spokeswoman. "The Deveny allegations are among the worst in recent history, and offend the most foundational principals of what it means to be a lawyer.'' If any of Devenys former clients have questions about their files or about making a claim, the state bar can be reached at (503) 620-0222. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. SALEM -- The Oregon House approved a 10 percent increase in funding for public schools in the coming two years, sending the measure to the Senate for its consideration. The $9 billion allocation for schools would be $100 million more than the House and Senate budget co-chairs recommended in their original budget framework. House members voted 55-4 to approve it, with four Republicans voting no and one absent. Its $200 million more than legislative analysts concluded was needed to pay to maintain schools current level of services, even when rising salaries, health insurance costs and pension contributions are taken into account. The last $200 million would come from a one-time allocation of a proposed business tax that has yet to be approved by the Senate. That tax, if approved, would raise $1 billion or more a year for schools and early childhood funding beginning in 2020. According to the most recent federal figures, from 2015-16, Oregon pays 5 percent less per student than the national average. Note: This article was updated May 24 to remove an inaccurate reference to Gov. Kate Browns $9 billion budget proposal for K-12 schools. -- From staff and Associated Press reports Subscribe to get the Morning Briefing newsletter delivered to your email inbox weekdays at 7 a.m. Todays stories BLAZERS WIN: Portland is headed to the Western Conference finals for the first time in 19 years. Read more. LEGISLATIVE STANDOFF: Republicans in the Oregon Senate have brought business to a halt by denying Democrats a 20-member quorum. As the stalemate heads into a second week, it is unclear how it will resolve. Read more. PSU PRESIDENT: Rahmat Shoureshi, president of Portland State University for just 21 months, has agreed to quit. Read more. POLICE RESPONSE: A deadly rampage in rural house unfolded for an hour as deputies arrived and waited outside. Read more. HOUSING: An Oregon House bill aims to make new condos more common and less expensive by making it harder for owners to sue builders. Read more. DEFENDANTS RIGHTS: Attorneys revived a 17-year-old court case Friday, saying in new motions that Oregon officials are infringing upon mentally ill defendants rights in violation of a court order and should be held in contempt. Read more. FUGITIVE CAPTURED: A man wanted for 23 years walked into the Oregon City Police Department on Friday and surrendered. Read more. Snap of the day The Oregon Humane Society's Doggie Dash, which it says is the largest dog run/walk fundraiser on the West Coast, drew thousands of four-legged floofs to downtown Portland on Saturday morning.Dave Killen/Staff See more. More news Legislative leaders unveil a short term pension fix Beaverton firm must pay workers $98,000 for overtime violations Wrongful death lawsuit against romance novelist is put on hold Beaver emoji might finally give Oregons state animal its due Bat-wielding woman goes on the attack, then rams police cruisers during chase, authorities say Cape Falcon hike is one of the most scenic on the Oregon coast Dear Abby: Where is the line between supporting a spouse and watching out for the rest of the family? Ask Amy: Slurping soup eater is driving co-worker crazy Carolyn Hax: Yes, she can invite ex daughter-in-law to the family reunion Find more at oregonlive.com Odd in Oregon SELFIE STATE: Oregon is the 7th most 'selfie-obsessed' state in the U.S., a report finds. Read more. Today's comics Click here to see today's comics Today's obituaries Click here to find area deaths reported recently Today in history AROUND THE WORLD: In 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots, married her third husband, James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell, who had been implicated in (but acquitted of) the death of Marys second husband, Lord Darnley. By Amy McClintick McClintick is chief expansion officer at Cura Partners, Inc. Earlier this month, Cura Partners Inc., a business founded and headquartered in Portland, was acquired by a leading medical and wellness cannabis operator in the United States for more than $1 billion. Ordinarily, that would be cause for celebration, both within the local business community and the local media. But instead of celebrating the success of a major hometown win, The Oregonian/OregonLive chose to publish a story that missed the mark (Cura Cannabis, Portlands billion-dollar cannabis company, has a tortured past. May 1). Specifically, The Oregonian chose to go after my mentor and former Chief Executive, Nitin Khanna and that, frankly, makes me livid. Here's the thing: as a single woman who has struggled to keep her footing in a business culture that often stacks the deck against us as virtually every career-minded woman can identify with the opportunities to earn a key position in a fast-growing startup are few and far between. Even more rare is finding opportunities in a company that embraces and values the perspective that women bring to the table. Yet that's exactly what I found when I went to work for Nitin and Cura. Within the first week of employment, I discovered that this was not just a job, but a place of care and nurturing, both personally and professionally. And that started from the top and worked its way throughout the entire organization. The examples of that care and concern are numerous. Cura was the first company in the local cannabis industry to offer health insurance to all employees. We were the first to raise the minimum wage for a starting employee to $14 an hour, while encouraging the rest of the industry to follow suit. We are always focused on building a diverse, inclusive team where passion for excellence is the defining feature of our members. Perhaps that's why we were named a "Best Company to Work for in Oregon" two years in a row, all while growing the number of employees by more than 400 percent. When I first joined the company, I was coming out of a career where I had spent almost 20 years, until a physical injury prevented me from continuing in that profession. Nitin Khanna gave me a chance to prove myself and continued to support my professional growth. Today, I have the privilege of serving the company as chief expansion officer, despite never having held a position like this previously. I can do it, and do it well, because of the mentoring and professional growth opportunities I've had along the way. There are many stories like mine. One colleague struggled in minimum wage jobs with no health insurance. She is now able to support her daughter and is excelling in her role at Cura. And another employee who started at the ground floor level grew to be our senior human resources director. Im in awe of her every day. Thats the Cura I know. I get it: a billion dollars is a lot of money. Our acquisition by the leading East Coast cannabis company is one of the biggest deals ever in the cannabis industry. When a deal that size comes along, its going to bring out the critics. But along with the criticism, please remember that this company is doing a lot of good for a lot of people of all gender identities, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, abilities and disabilities, ages and more. Lets not forget that. Lets never forget that. SALEM Oregon Senate Republicans could return to the Capitol for a vote on a contentious education funding bill as early as this afternoon, under a potential deal with Democrats. Update: As of just after 3 p.m., Republicans have returned to the Senate floor and business has resumed. Earlier Monday, Senate Republican Leader Herman Baertschiger Jr. of Grants Pass said his caucus would meet at 2 p.m. to discuss their next steps. "Im not ready to talk about it yet, Baertschiger said of the possible deal. Republicans had been denying Democrats the 20-member quorum necessary to vote on the education bill and other legislation since last Tuesday, in an attempt to force Democrats into concessions on the education bill and other legislation. Republicans oppose the new business tax that Democrats want to use to fund education programs under House Bill 3427. With a three-fifths supermajority in the Senate, Democrats can pass tax increases without a single Republican vote. But Sen. Lee Beyer, a Springfield Democrat, said two of the other bills Republicans wanted to kill proposals to tighten the states vaccine mandate and increase gun regulations might have lacked the votes necessary to pass in the Senate anyway. The potential deal was first reported by Willamette Week. Beyer said he planned to vote no on the vaccine legislation, House Bill 3063, because it went too far on infringing on peoples rights," and he had not yet decided how he would vote on Senate Bill 978. That bill is a package of gun law changes including penalties for some gun owners who fail to lock up their weapons and a provision to allow gun dealers to refuse to sell guns to people younger than 21. I dont know whether they had the votes to pass that, Beyer said of the gun bill. Beyer said he expects both proposals to return in a future legislative session, perhaps as soon as 2020. Other Senate Democrats opposed to the vaccine bill include Sen. Betsy Johnson of Scappoose, who voted against it in committee, and Sen. Jeff Golden of Ashland who has spoken publicly against it. With the support of Hood River Republican Sen. Chuck Thomsen, the bill might at best have passed the Senate on a razor thin margin of 16-14. Rather than focus on proposals that might die as a result of the deal, Senate Democrats sought to emphasize the important goal it would achieve: allowing them to raise additional taxes to spend on education. Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-Portland, is a longtime supporter of tightening Oregons immunization laws. She declined to comment on the potential demise of the bill, instead writing in a text that she is focused on passing (House Bill 3427)," the business tax and education funding plan. Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson, D-Gresham, declined to comment on which bills Democrats might have agreed to kill. I want to focus on education, whatever we can do to get that passed ..." It was not immediately clear on Monday whether Democrats offer to Republicans included any other items on the Senate GOPs long list of demands, as reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive last week. Sen. Arnie Roblan, a Coos Bay Democrat who had a central role in developing the business tax and education funding bill, said Democrats are not planning to make any changes to House Bill 3427. Publicly, Senate Republicans pushed for Democrats to ask voters to enshrine a mandate in the Oregon Constitution that the new tax money could only be spent on education. Republicans had also offered to provide five votes to pass a fix to the states public pension funding shortfall, suggesting Democrats lack the votes to do so on their own. Although Beyer would not say on Monday whether this was still part of the deal, he acknowledged it will take a bipartisan vote" to pass the changes. As The Oregonian/OregonLive reported last week, Democratic leaders pension plan would provide temporary relief to public employers facing steep increases in their mandatory pension contribution rates but it would do so by underfunding the system and leaving it vulnerable to future market downturns. Roblan said Gov. Kate Brown was heavily involved in negotiating a deal with Republicans, which was presented to the Democratic caucus on Monday morning. A spokeswoman for Brown didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on the governors role. She and (Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem) worked with them all weekend, Roblan said. As news of the agreement spread on Monday, supporters of the targeted bills expressed concern. Ceasefire Oregon hopes that legislators will not make deals that will hurt and cost the lives of Oregonians, said Penny Okamoto, executive director of the gun control advocacy group. In the Oregon House, Bend Republican Rep. Cheri Helt, a chief sponsor of the vaccine bill, described the agreement as disappointing. This bill was about saving lives, protecting children and ensuring our shared immunity from dangerous and preventable diseases," Helt said. Its disappointing that once again the loudest, most extreme voices in our politics prevailed and the sensible-center and thoughtful policy-making lost. Reporter Chris Lehman contributed to this report. 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 sale of Beaverton startup Nvoicepay earlier this year was worth somewhere close to $255 million, according to a new regulatory filing. Nvoicepay provides automated invoicing services for more than 400 customers. It sold to a Georgia company, Fleetcor, a major player in the commercial payments industry with $2.4 billion in sales last year. Fleetcor announced the deal in March and completed the transaction April 1. In a financial filing late Friday, Fleetcor said it acquired Nvoicepay and another company at the same time for a combined price of $255 million. Fleetcor didnt disclose how much each deal was worth, but described the other transaction as a small international acquisition and didnt identify the company involved. If Nvoicepay sold for somewhere north of $200 million that would make the deal among the largest in recent years for young Oregon tech companies. The Beaverton company had reported $22 million in funding. For comparison, Portland-based Elemental Technologies sold to Amazon in 2015 for $296 million and last year another Portland tech company, Janrain, sold for $125 million. Nvoicepay did not respond to a request for comment. -- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 Visitors headed to Multnomah Falls this week might have to view Oregons tallest waterfall from afar. The lower viewpoint at the base of the waterfall will be closed to the public from Monday through Wednesday, the U.S. Forest Service announced Monday morning, as crews work on removing loose rock from a cliff overhead. While the lower viewing platform is only expected to be closed during the three days of work, the trail to the upper viewpoint on Benson Bridge will likely remain closed for longer, the forest service said. Multnomah Falls Lodge will remain open throughout the closures. In April, the forest service closed the trail that leads from Benson Bridge to the top of the falls, after a rock slide cascaded onto the paved pathway. The agency said the trail will reopen once a loose rock overhang is removed and the path is deemed safe for hikers. Officials offered no firm timeline for that process. That closure also shuttered a portion of the Wahkeena Trail, which leads to nearby Wahkeena Falls. Its possible the rock slide was caused in part by the damage done by the Eagle Creek Fire in September, 2017, but geologists believe it was the result of the natural thawing process that happens every spring in the Columbia Gorge. Visitors can get updates on the closures before they go out by calling the lodge at 503-695-2372. --Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB Hirlevel feliratkozas Ne maradjon le az ORIGO cikkeirol, iratkozzon fel hirlevelunkre! Adja meg a nevet es az e-mail cimet es elkuldjuk Onnek a nap legfontosabb hireit. Richard Eckstrom is a CPA and the states Comptroller. Contact him at 803-734-2121. Often when a child is taken to an emergency room or is admitted to the hospital, there is a lot of waiting time while tests are run. It can be a scary experience, especially for young children. Lions Clubs in the area wanted to do something to help and hospital bags for children became a district project. Lions District Governor Al Roeseler, a member of Coleman Lions, had participated in a similar project at the Lions USA/Canada Forum in Columbus last fall and thought it would be something the club could do. He mentioned the idea to Lion Shiela Ferrel (Mesick Lions), who is the district Global Service Team chairperson. Ferrel asked clubs to donate funds or items for the project. Picture books were donated by Coleman and Midland Lions. Other items included in the bags are activity books, bookmarks to color, crayons, sticker books, wrist bands, stress balls, journals, brain teaser games, and a stuffed lion. All items have been places in a string backpack. MidMichigan Medical Center - Midland has received Michigan's Quality Improvement Organization 2019 Governor's Award of Excellence for outstanding achievement in "Effective Reporting and Measurement: Outpatient Quality Reporting Acute Care Hospitals," and "Effective Reporting and Measurement: Hospital Value-based Purchasing Acute Care Hospitals." MidMichigan Medical Centers in Alpena, Clare, Gladwin and Gratiot also were recipients of a 2019 Governor's Award of Excellence. This year, more than 130 Michigan hospitals, physician practices, nursing homes, inpatient psychiatric facilities, ambulatory surgery centers and home health agencies were honored with the Governor's Award of Excellence. This award recognizes participants for their dedication and success in improving healthcare quality and patient safety in Michigan. To be eligible for the award, participants must have achieved, maintained and continually improved in specific and rigorous milestones related to the award they received. "Earning this recognition shows the overall commitment to providing excellent patient care by our health care providers and staff," said Greg Rogers, president, MidMichigan Medical Center - Midland. "We are making a measurable difference in the health of our patients and the communities we serve, and we stand strong in our dedication to patient satisfaction, safety, quality for those we serve." The Governor's Award of Excellence was first developed in 2003. The current award is based upon work from 2017-2018 in the following areas: improving heart health, increasing adult immunizations, lowering the risk of infection in hospitals, effective reporting and measurement, improving care in nursing homes, increasing identification of behavioral health conditions, and improving diabetes management. People interested in more information about the Governor's Award of Excellence, including a list of winners, may visit http://www.mpro.org/gae2019. (HedgeCo.Net) 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 SECs 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. Roveccios 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 Roveccios 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 SECs Office of Investor Education and Advocacy and Broker-Dealer Task Force has issued an Investor Alert about excessive trading in brokerage accounts. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) The Burkinabe Army has rejected claims of discontent among soldiers as the country is persistently under terrorist attacks in almost all regions Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Council of the European Union (EU) said here Monday that "the military attack in Tripoli by the LNA and the ensuing escalation in and around the capital pose a threat to international peace and security and threaten Libya's stability", an official source said Kampala, Uganda (PANA) The European Union (EU) has disbursed to the government of Uganda 20 million Euros for budget support for the financial year 2018/19, a statement from the Delegation of the European Union in Uganda has said Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) Computer software firm, Microsoft Corporation, has commenced talks with the government of Kenya on its plan to set up a technology development centre in Kenya, the office of the President said on Monday New York, US (PANA) A human rights group says the United Nations Security Councils decision to hold an informal meeting on Cameroon on Monday gives momentum to international efforts to address the human rights crisis in the countrys Anglophone regions New York, US (PANA) - Senior UN officials, including Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have voiced their outrage at a deadly attack on a Catholic church in the north of Burkina Faso on Sunday, during which six people were reportedly killed by gunmen 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. "Preface"; May 19-July 9, Jan Brandt Gallery, 1305 Morrissey Drive, Bloomington; opening reception, 2-4 p.m. May 19; contact janbrandtgallery@gmail.com for viewing appointments; Brandt and Sara Quah; collaborative process of beginning a children's book. 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; through 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; Pontiac Museum Complex, 110 W. Howard St., Pontiac, second floor; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. 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. SPRINGFIELD Dog owners who have their four-legged friends microchipped hope doing so will speed the dogs return if they get lost. Legislation being considered in the General Assembly might help speed that process. Recently, Illinois Senate passed SB1572 that requires people who find a stray dog to bring it to their local animal control agency or police department within 48 hours so the dog can be scanned for a microchip. If not brought, those who find stray dogs face fines from $50 to $500. The bill moved to the House for consideration, but was sent back to a House committee this week where it awaits further action. Rep. Diane Pappas, D-Itasca, who is sponsoring the bill in the House, said that while the law wouldnt likely be enforced often, its only fair to people whove gone to the trouble of microchipping their pets to have a good-faith effort put into returning them. I think this bill strikes a good balance between protecting the rights of the owners of the dog who went through the expenses of having the dog microchipped and the rights of the person who finds the dog and wants to keep the dog, Pappas said. Rep. Margo McDermed, R-Mokena, called the legislation such a suburban bill and questioned if there is a cost associated with having a pets chip scanned. Also, she said the law would be unfair to those in rural communities because of the extra effort it might take for someone to bring a recovered pet to animal control. This assumes they own a car, McDermed said. This assumes it's a five-minute drive to the vet. What if its out in the country and its a 30-mile drive? Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan, was just as critical, saying the threat of a fine would discourage people from coming forward with a wayward pet. To impose a fee or fine on somebody whos trying to do the right thing, I think this is just wrong, Mayfield said. I think its overstepping, and this would actually discourage individuals from being a good Samaritan. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 The Library of Congress has dozens of historical photos of Bloomington-Normal and beyond. Look up more here. Talouselama on Sunday wrote that Matias Makynen and Marcus Rantala, who respectively have been assigned to the negotiations by the Social Democrats and Swedish Peoples Party, are both employed by Rud Pedersen Public Affairs, a lobby firm operating in the Nordics. THE ROLE OF LOBBYISTS has continued to vivify the debate surrounding the coalition formation negotiations led by Antti Rinne, the chairperson of the Social Democrats. The public perception is that such assignments are problematic in that lobby firms have declined to disclose their clientele and what interests their clients may have in regards to the Finnish government. Politiken in 2017 reported that Rud Pedersen has been hired to lobby for Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany, in Denmark. Another Danish newspaper, Berlingske, has similarly reported that the lobby firm has been hired to lobby for the much-discussed energy project. The project has come under scrutiny due to concerns that it could increase the dependence of Europe on Russia. Esa Suominen, the chief executive of Rud Pedersen in Finland, told Talouselama on Sunday that Makynen and Rantala are employed by the Finnish subsidiary of the lobby firm, underlining that the subsidiary is not involved with Nord Stream 2. His statement was confirmed by Minna Sundelin, the head of stakeholder relations for Nord Stream 2 in Finland and Estonia. Rud Pedersen supports the representative of Nord Stream 2 only in Denmark, she said in an e-mail to the business-oriented newspaper. Both Rud Pedersen and Miltton Networks have also lobbied for companies vying for the up to 10 billion-euro contract to replace the ageing fighter jet fleet of the Finnish Air Force, the former for Frances Dassault and the latter for Swedens Saab, according to Talouselama. Elina Moisio, a partner at Miltton Networks, withdrew from the coalition formation negotiations on Friday. She had been assigned to a task force focusing on developing working life by the Greens. Petteri Orpo, the chairperson of the National Coalition, on Saturday demanded that the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) and lobby firms be kicked out of the negotiations, adding that no lobbyists were allowed to the talks led four years ago by Juha Sipila (Centre). Rinne, in turn, suggested concerns about the role of lobbyists have been blown out of proportion. Aleksi Teivainen HT Source: Uusi Suomi CHICAGO Some of Illinois' largest companies would have to take a critical look at who's calling the shots in their boardrooms if a bill making its way through the state legislature becomes reality. The legislation, which narrowly passed the House last month, would require any publicly traded company with an Illinois headquarters to have at least one woman and one African-American on its board of directors by the end of 2020 or face a fine of $100,000. Last week, the Senate version of the bill added an amendment requiring a Latino board member. The legislation, which experts say could face a legal challenge if it becomes law, comes on the heels of a bill passed last year in California that required public companies headquartered in the state to have at least one woman on their boards by year's end. While some companies are taking steps themselves to improve their diversity, advocates for the bill say Illinois companies need an extra push to add new faces, experiences and backgrounds to weigh in on matters like a company's strategic direction, senior leadershipand finances. A Chicago Tribune review of the state's 30 largest companies, as measured by their May 3 stock market valuations, found that when it comes to recruiting minorities for their boards, there would be a lot of work to do before the end of next year. The review found African-American directors hold 9 percent of the seats and Latinos, just 2 percent, though not all companies responded to questions about their board's ethnic makeup. Female directors hold 26 percent of the board seats. Supporters of the Illinois measure say boardroom diversity is not only the right thing to do, but the diverse perspectives are crucial to companies' bottom lines. A McKinsey report found that in 2017, companies with the most ethnically and culturally diverse boards worldwide were 43 percent more likely to report higher profits. It's a finding embraced by advocates. "Diversity from ethnicity, gender, age, all make a difference in a management team and in a boardroom," said Sam Scott III, former chairman and CEO of Corn Products International (now Ingredion). Scott, who is African-American, is a member of several publicly traded corporate boards including Abbott Laboratories, Motorola Solutions and Bank of New York Mellon. "Most businesses are dealing with customers who are from those diverse groups." In the Tribune's review, all but one company CNA Financial had at least three women on their boards. CNA had one female director. Others, such as Chicago-based CME Group and Vernon Hills-based CDW had four women. Abbott and Ulta Beauty had five female directors. Meanwhile, half of the 30 corporate boards had only one African-American member and seven of them including Walgreens, Kraft Heinz (which has headquarters in both Chicago and Pittsburgh), Oreo cookie-maker Mondelez and insurance company Arthur J. Gallagher had no African-Americans. CME Group had four women on its 21-member board, but no African-Americans. However, Phyllis Lockett was elected to the board at the company's annual shareholders' meeting Wednesday, said spokeswoman Laurie Bischel. Lockett is the first African-American board member in the company's 170-year history, Bischel said. Lockett, the CEO of education curriculum provider Leap Innovations, said her background in entrepreneurship and education make her uniquely suited for the CME board. "This movement toward more diversity on boards is important progress," she said in an email. "As corporate boards increasingly focus on diversity, the companies they serve will only become stronger by being informed with, and challenged by, a variety of leadership perspectives and life experiences." John Rogers, chairman and CEO of Ariel Investments, co-founded the Black Corporate Directors Conference in 2002 as a way to foster diversity in corporations' managerial and boardroom ranks. He supports the Illinois legislation as a means of ensuring boards have people of diverse backgrounds. "The vast majority of these companies have put in writing they are committed to diversity and inclusion, but in reality they are not living the values they have said they believe in," said Rogers, an African-American who serves on the boards of McDonald's, Nike and The New York Times Co. Diversity at the board level trickles down to employees and customers. While national data show that last year, women and minorities made up half of new directors on boards, one fact of boardroom life that has slowed diversity efforts is the long tenure of board members, said Julie Hembrock Daum, a consultant at executive search firm SpencerStuart. Because retirement age on most boards, if they have one, can be age 75 or older, board membership turnover is just 8 or 9 percent annually. "That means year in and year out, only a few (seats) are turning over, so change is slow," Daum said. The Illinois measure would allow a company to expand its board to comply. Recruiting people of color is particularly difficult, proponents say, because boards have historically looked to the C-suite chief executive officers, chief marketing officers and chief financial officers instead of searching for specific skill sets. Since there are few blacks and Latinos at the top of America's executive ladder, that approach to board recruitment leaves the pickings slim. "The whole misnomer that you have to be a CEO to be those things makes the pool impossible, because there are just not that many CEOs and CFOs of color in those positions," said Skipp Spriggs, president and CEO of the Executive Leadership Council, an 800-member group focused on increasing the number of African-Americans in C-suites and boardrooms. "When you start to focus on skill sets and look beyond recruiting a CEO or CFO, we have found there's an amazing pipeline of talent," he said. Added Scott, "If they say they can't find diverse talent, they aren't looking." Latinos and Latinas should also have a seat at the table, according to Esther Aguilera, president and CEO of the Latino Corporate Directors Association. "Illinois has the fifth-largest population of Latinos, representing $14 billion in purchasing power and over 70,000 business owners," she said. Board diversity isn't just an issue for Illinois companies. Last year, more than 1,000 board seats were filled by directors new to the boards of Fortune 500 companies. The vast majority of those seats were filled by white men and women. Nearly 60 percent were filled by white men, according to the Alliance for Board Diversity/Deloitte study. In the Fortune 100 company category, more than 77 percent of the board seats were filled by white men and women. Just over 51 percent were filled by white men. Minority corporate directors are slowly yet steadily gaining ground. Black women gained 13 seats. Still, the 42 seats held by black women comprise only 3.4 percent of all board seats in the Fortune 100. Black men gained 4 seats. In total, black men hold 84 board seats among Fortune 100 companies, representing 7.7 percent of all board seats, according to the Alliance for Board Diversity. Nationally, Hispanic/Latino men gained 21 board seats in 2018, the research found. Hispanic/Latina women didn't fare as well, gaining four seats in 2018. If the Illinois legislation is signed into law, some legal experts expect the law to be challenged on constitutional grounds. "It's fundamentally undemocratic. By mandating (board seats) you you create the problem of reverse discrimination," said Charles Elson, the Edgar S. Woolard Jr. chair in corporate governance and the director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware. "It's the shareholder's role, not the government's, to decide who is elected to the board." Also, companies that are headquartered in Illinois but were incorporated in another state have legal grounds to challenge the law, said H. Todd Henderson, a law professor at the University of Chicago Law School. There's another reason why the proposed measure could face a legal challenge, experts say. A company's so-called internal affairs are organized in the state in which it was incorporated, raising the question of whether one state's laws would apply to the internal affairs of a business set up in another state. "It's a bad idea and they'll just move," Elson said. The California law however, has not been challenged in the courts, according to Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, CEO of nonprofit 2020 Women On Boards, an advocacy group which supported the California legislation. Proponents of the bill say they are less worried about lawsuits than they are about leveling the playing field for talented minority executives and raising awareness of the issue. "We are not asking companies to lower the bar," said Billy Dexter, a partner at executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles and co-chair of the Executive Leadership Council's corporate board initiative. "All we want is the opportunity to be considered." Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 A poll came out today from South Carolinathe fourth primary or caucus in the 2020 Democratic primary, and the last before the all-important Super Tuesday racesand the results are not encouraging if youre a progressive, or even if youre not a progressive but want someone other than Joe Biden to become the nominee: Post & Courier SC Dem poll by race: White Biden 38% Buttigieg 18% Sanders 16% Warren 11% Harris 9% Booker 2% Klobuchar 2% ORourke 2% Bennet 1% Delaney 1% Gabbard 1% Yang 1% Black Biden 58% Sanders 15% Harris 12% Warren 5% Booker 5% Yang 3% Abrams 2% ORourke 1% Buttigieg 0% Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) May 13, 2019 Thats an emphatic overall lead for the former vice president, and his even wider lead among black voters signals that just like Hillary Clinton, he has a good chance to coast to lopsided victories in the many southern states that frontload the primary. On Super Tuesday alone, voters in Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia will head to the polls, with Georgia likely to join that group before long. In each of those states in 2016, Hillary Clinton scored a big victory, spurred on by her massive support advantage among black voters. If Biden is the big winner of this poll, Pete Buttigieg is the one with the most to be alarmed abouthis support among black voters doesnt even register a full percentage point, which means his seemingly meteoric rise in the last month has been limited all along, and will run into a brick wall at the start of the primaries. There is slightly more geographic balance to the 2020 primary scheduleCalifornia joins the Super Tuesday slate, for onebut at the moment, it looks like the playbook that worked so well for Clinton is going to deliver Biden similar results. There are still seven months until voters turn out in Iowa, and thats an eternity in politics, so in theory the old cliche of anything can happen applies. But there are also certain indisputable facts that tend to change less than many would think, since most voters dont really change their minds. Almost every recent poll, whether in an individual state or for the primary as a whole, has shown Biden doubling up his nearest competitor. In order for that ground to shift, something very dramatic will have to happen to cut into Bidens support, or the polls themselves will have to be fatally flawed. In mid-March Spotify filed a formal complaint against Apple with the European Commission about it's unfair Apple Store. Even though it's not the Spotify case, I'm sure that they couldn't be more pleased to learn today that the U.S. Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for a lawsuit by consumers accusing Apple Inc of monopolizing the market for iPhone software applications and forcing them to overpay. This could make it easier for the EU to proceed with their case. Today the court rejected Apple's bid to escape claims that its practices violate federal antitrust law. Reuters is claiming that "Apple shares fell more than 5% after the justices, in a 5-4 ruling, upheld a lower courts decision to allow the proposed class action lawsuit to proceed." Though in-part the stock drop was also due to the trade war with China escalating. You could stay on top of the stock fluctuating throughout the day here. Reuters further noted reported that "The plaintiffs said the Cupertino, California-based technology company required apps be sold through its App Store and extracted an excessive 30 percent commission on purchases. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, an appointee of President Donald Trump, joined the courts four liberal justices to rule against Apple and wrote the decision. Explaining the ruling from the bench, Kavanaugh said, "Leaving consumers at the mercy of monopolistic retailers simply because upstream suppliers could also sue the retailers would directly contradict the longstanding goal of effective private enforcement in antitrust cases." The company, backed by the Trump administration, argued that it was only acting as an agent for app developers, who set their own prices and pay Apples commission. Apple had argued that a Supreme Court ruling allowing the case to proceed could pose a threat to e-commerce, a rapidly expanding segment of the U.S. economy worth hundreds of billions of dollars in annual sales. For more on this read the full Reuters report here. 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. Patna: In what could have been a major human and environmental disaster, an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) tanker truck in Patna on Sunday afternoon lost control and after slamming a parked tractor and an auto-rickshaw, fell sideways on a service lane on New Bypass Road. As reported, the IOC tanker loaded with Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) had just left its depot in Sipara on Sunday afternoon. As it approached Khemanichak area, one of its tires busted forcing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. As the driver tried to regain control of the tanker, it slammed into a parked tractor causing severe damage to it. It then sided an auto-rickshaw before turning on its side on the service lane below the main road. The incident caused a panic in the area as people, expecting the worse, ran away from the site of accident in case the tanker caught fire and exploded. By some miracle, the tanker did not blow up and people began returning to their homes and places of business as soon as IOC officials and disaster relief force arrived at the scene of accident. Though the driver of the tanker-truck Dinesh Rai was seriously hurt in the incident and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital, no other person was injured in the incident as both the tractor and the auto-rickshaw had no one in it at the time. On May 13, 1985, police dropped a bomb on the radical fringe group MOVE that resulted in the deaths of 11 people and the destruction of 61 homes. According to history.com, members of MOVE, lead by John Africa, were collecting weapons and building bunkers in their row house on Osage Avenue in Philadelphia: Officers lift gunshot victim James Ramp into police van after he was shot during confrontation with radical group "MOVE" Tuesday morning, August 8, 1978 in Philadelphia's west side. Ramp was killed and at least 10 other persons were injured in the shootout. (AP Photo/Paul Shane)AP The roots of the 1985 incident date back to 1978 when a confrontation between MOVE and the police left Officer James Ramp dead. Several innocent MOVE members were convicted of murder, enraging other members. Leader John Africa began a counterattack on Christmas Eve, 1983. At the MOVE headquarters at 6221 Osage Avenue, members set up several loudspeakers and began shouting profanities at their neighbors. Even more ominously, MOVE began assembling a cache of weapons and building bunkers in their row house, according to history.com. A woman member of the anarchist organization MOVE carries a naked baby out of tear gas smoke near the group's headquarters to surrender during a shootout with Philadelphia police, Aug. 8, 1978. (AP Photo/Paul Shane)AP A year before the 1978 incident, city police under the direction of Mayor Frank Rizzo, ordered MOVE to vacate their home on North 33rd Street. They agreed to move and surrender their weapons if police released some of their members who were in jail. The police released the people, but MOVE did not comply. In May 1978, the city placed barricades around the house and attempted to starve them out. Flames and billowing smoke tower over the west Philadelphia neighborhood where a fire, which began when Philadelphia police dropped explosives into the house occupied by the radical group MOVE, moved throughout the block of homes on May 13, 1985. (AP PHOTO)AP In August 1978, police tried to enter the house. Ramp was shot in the back of his neck. Nine people were charged and convicted of killing Ramp and given sentences of up to 100 years in prison. In 1981 MOVE relocated to a home on Osage Avenue. Neighbors complained repeatedly about trash, confrontations and other incidents. Smoke rises from the ashes of a West Philadelphia neighborhood in this May 14, 1985 photo, the morning after a siege between Philadelphia police and members of the radical group MOVE left 11 people dead and 61 homes destroyed. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)ASSOCIATED PRESS In 1985 police obtained arrest warrants. On Monday, May 13, 1985, about 500 police officers tried to clear the residence. Water and electricity were shut off. When MOVE members did not respond, police tried to forcefully remove them. After police shot tear gas into the home, a gunfight started then two one-pound bombs were dropped on the roof of the property. That bomb started a fire that raged out of control. Six adults and five children inside the MOVE home died. Armed Philadelphia police officers man a rooftop as the sky is illuminated by the flames from a neighborhood in West Philadelphia, Pa., that burned after police dropped a bomb on a building occupied by members of anarchist group MOVE, May 13, 1985. (AP Photo/George Widman)AP A report issued in 1986 determined police used grossly negligent tactics and committed an unconscionable act by dropping a bomb on an occupied row house. MOVE survivors later sued the city and policy and in 1996 were awarded a $1.5 million settlement. Philadelphia earned the reputation as the city that bombed itself. FILE - In this May, 1985 file photo, a Philadelphia policeman is seen on a rooftop as flames rise from a row of burning homes beyond, in Philadelphia. The fire started when police dropped a bomb onto the house of the militant group MOVE, on May 13, 1985 and fire spread throughout the area. (AP Photo/George Widman)AP The MOVE bombing has since become an inspiration for an jazz/hip hop opera as well as an art exhibition devoted to activism. Police, firemen and workers search through the rubble on Osage Avenue in West Philadelphia, May 15, 1985 in the aftermath of the Monday blaze which destroyed 61 homes in the neighborhood. Eleven bodies were found in the rubble of the house that was occupied by members of the radical group MOVE. (AP Photo/George Widman)AP Practically all that remains on the West Philadelphia neighborhood, where 61 homes that were destroyed on May 13 from the siege between Philadelphia police and members of the radical MOVE, is a barren expanse of dirt. The neighborhood shown, June 10, 1985 in Philadelphia is to be rebuilt and the residents moved back into the new homes by Christmas 1985. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)AP Good Morning, Pennsylvania Sign up now for Good Morning, Pennsylvania, and get the most important headlines delivered free to your inbox by 6 a.m. Monday-Friday. Northern York School Districts Superintendent Eric Eshbach absolutely hates everything about having armed school security personnel walk the halls of the middle and high schools. Yet, in the wake of last years Parkland school shooting, Eshbach has come to terms with having hired private armed security officers in his districts schools, saying it gives him peace of mind knowing he has done everything possible to keep kids safe. That contentment, however, got shaken when he and other superintendents around the state received a letter from the state Department of Education in February with its interpretation of Act 44, a school safety and security law, enacted last June. The state Department of Education's interpretation of a state law regarding what school security personnel can be armed on the job left some school superintendents concerned that their district may be running afoul of the law. The letter essentially said contracted school security guards are not permitted to possess a firearm on the job. Immediately, Eshbach reached out to his state Sen. Mike Regan, and said, Can you help me? That brings us to this past Wednesday the same day as the recent deadly school shooting in Colorado. A couple hours before the shots rang out in that suburban Denver school that left one student dead and eight others wounded, Regan, R-Cumberland/York counties, sat before the Senate Education Committee to talk about Senate Bill 621. He said it would fix the problem that confronted Eshbach and officials in other districts had surrounding the issue of armed officers in schools and the education departments interpretation of Act 44. School districts found themselves questioning whether or not they were following the law, Regan told the committee. This bill clarifies some uncertainty in interpretations surrounding the individuals allowed to carry a firearm within their official duties as a school security provider. Regan went on to say that he met with globally recognized experts in the field of school safety and asked what one thing theyd do to make a school safer. Like clockwork, all of them responded with this: Put an armed vetted trained school security officer on the ground, Regan said. He succeeded in getting the committee to approve his bill by a 9-0 vote. It would allow school security personnel who have training in school-based law enforcement to carry firearms in schools, which resolves Northern Yorks issue. The bill recognizes training by the National Association of School Resource Officers, or a state-approved equivalent. Regans bill further clarifies, among other things, that active trained sheriffs or sheriff deputies could be used as school resource officers. That part of his bill addresses a problem Big Spring School District officials encountered. That western Cumberland County school district has an arrangement with the county sheriffs department to provide an armed school resource officer at the high school. District Superintendent Richard Fry said the district wanted to bring a second resource officer on board to be stationed at the middle school but found that made county officials uneasy. The way Act 44 is worded it specified that school resource officers had to have a type of training that the county officers didnt possess, but Regans bill makes it good to go for us if it moves forward, Fry said. For Regan, the latest shooting at the Colorado school reemphasized the urgency and need to fine-tune the laws and refocus efforts to making sure Pennsylvania students are safe at school. Regan plans to push for more school safety funding in the 2019-20 state budget and has legislation calling for depression screening so we can give those kids who are suffering the opportunity to seek help, he said. In the meantime, Fry said Big Spring is continuing on with its plan to work with the county sheriffs department to provide a second school resource officer to be stationed at its middle school. And Northern York is keeping its contracted armed school security officers from G-Force Investigations on the job after securing a letter from York County District Attorney Dave Sunday saying he is comfortable with the districts decision and that it fits under his interpretation of the law. So we didnt change anything throughout the course of the year, Eshbach said. I get a lot of comments from community members saying thank you. Still, he added: I absolutely hate the fact that we even have to have this conversation. I mean I absolutely hate the fact that this is even a topic of discussion." Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Everything you need to know to start your day. Sign up for Good Morning Pennsylvania. When young people participate in an open dialogue with police officers, great things can happen, such as a 50 percent reduction in juvenile arrests of minorities, said Joseph Robinson Jr., the citizen honoree at Dauphin Countys second annual local law enforcement awards. Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo, along with local law enforcement leaders, recognized outstanding police officers, prosecutors and citizens "who exemplify professionalism, dedication and commitment to public safety at Mondays ceremony. Robinson helped Susquehanna Townships youth outreach program move forward after reports showed a higher rate of arrests of minority juveniles. The program has been effective at breaking down barriers between youth and police, Robinson said. It was offered to Susquehanna Township middle and high school students as an opportunity to ask police officers a lot of tough questions, he said. Students mostly wanted answers to why it seemed like cops were harassing them or bothering them when they werent doing anything wrong. In many cases, the students learned that officers were just making sure the students were safe from harm, Robinson explained. "There was a lot of learning taking place, and a breaking down of barriers, and thats what has lead, I believe, to the reduction in youth arrests, Robinson said. "In the township, youre beginning to see more and more relationships being established. That was the ultimate purpose of the program. Robinson received the Outstanding Service by a Citizen award. He said he only played a minor part in launching the program, which began in late 2014 with a Youth-Law Enforcement Forum. Susquehanna Township Chief Rob Martin asked Robinson to take part in the program. I think its important that all of us in our community do whatever we can to help break down these barriers cause were living in a time when theres so much division in our country, on so many different fronts, that anything we can do to try to ameliorate the situation, and break down those barriers, all of us have a responsibility to do that, he said. Other recipients: The first officer to receive the Lieutenant Robert Bo McCallister Memorial Award for Outstanding Service as a Patrol Officer was Officer Daril Foose of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. The Lieutenant Robert Bo McCallister Memorial Award for Outstanding Service as a Patrol Officer: Officer Daril Foose of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. This was the first year the Lieutenant Robert Bo McCallister Memorial Award was given out. Chardo said Foose was deserving of it because she earned her spot in the Harrisburg Police Department after having been a victim of aggravated assault. Police Commissioner Thomas Carter reached out to her, and after speaking to him, she decided to become a police officer. Shes worked tirelessly using social media to identify people involved in criminal activity, and has made a direct impact on public safety by getting guns off the streets that otherwise could have been used in criminal activity, Chardo said. The award is based on McCallisters commitment to an officers duty, and his character. He was shot in February 1981 in pursuit of a bank robbery suspect. The bullet was lodged against his spine in a way that it couldnt be removed, Susquehanna Township Police Chief Rob Martin said. The bullet remained intact until McCallister recently passed away. Martin said McCallister never complained about any pain he endured, and that he should be remembered as a model police officer. The Detective Samuel Thomas Kohr Memorial Award for Outstanding Service as a Detective was awarded to retired Detective Dennis Woodring of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Dauphin County District Attorneys Office, who previously retired as a Lieutenant from the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. The Detective Samuel Thomas Kohr Memorial Award for Outstanding Service as a Detective: Retired Detective Dennis Woodring of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Dauphin County District Attorneys Office, who previously retired as a Lieutenant from the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. It is fitting that he receives this award because he wouldnt be receiving the award if it werent for Detective Samual Kohr, who recruited Woodring to the police department. Woodring decided to go into arson investigation, a very difficult area to pursue. He was dogged in his pursuits, and hes always pursued the truth, Chardo said. The LeRoy S. Zimmerman Award for Outstanding Service as a Prosecutor went to Dauphin County Chief Deputy District Attorneys Sean M. McCormack and Jennifer W. Gettle. Its not often that a county judgeship comes open, so its no surprise that five attorneys, all Republicans, are jostling for the two seats up for grabs on Cumberland Countys bench It is a battle that might not end with the May 21 primary even though its a one-party show. Four of the candidates, Lisa Grayson, Matt Smith, Kirk Sohonage and Ron Tomasko, are cross-filed, meaning they will appear on both the GOP and the Democratic ballots in the primary, so there still, theoretically, could be a four-way race going into the fall. The fifth candidate, Derek Clepper, will be listed only on the Republican ballot. One of the judge seats is open because Skip Ebert relinquished his judgeship to be appointed district attorney when former DA Dave Freed was named the U.S. attorney for Middle District Court in 2017. The other is a newly-created spot on the bench. Two of the candidates already are employed by the county. Grayson is the countys register of wills. Smith is the first assistant district attorney, the No.2 man in that office. Sohonage, a former prosecutor, is a private attorney, as is Tomasko, while Clepper is a college professor and former assistant DA. The other four hopefuls all touted their experience in a variety of areas of the law. Lisa Grayson I have civil, criminal, orphans court experience, said Grayson, a North Middleton Township resident. Ive done military lawI have a vast background of court and attorney experience. She is in her second term as register of wills and is a judge advocate general a military lawyer - with the U.S. Air Force. If elected a judge, Grayson, 52, said she will advocate for creation of a special veterans court to aid military veterans who fall afoul of the law due to service-related issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse and homelessness. Theyre not succeeding at life because of those issues. We just need to help them get back on track, she said. Its smarter all around. Other Pennsylvania counties, including neighboring Dauphin County, have veterans courts, which involve mentorships by other veterans. Grayson said those programs are effective at getting troubled vets out of the legal system and on with their lives. In general, she says, the county court needs to consider specialization, assigning judges specifically to certain types of cases, including those involving children and families. Such family law matters make up about a third of the courts caseload. Grayson said her key asset is integrity and that encompasses more than just fairness. Its also honor. Its doing what is right even when no one is looking. Smith, 46, also has a military law background. He is a judge advocate general for the Army, and a combat veteran who completed his latest deployment to the Middle East last year. Hes also a 17-year veteran of the DAs office who said he has prosecuted more than 100 jury trials and 500 nonjury trials. The Camp Hill resident ran unsuccessfully for a county judgeship in 2015. Matt Smith Consistency will be his watchword if he is elected to the bench, Smith said. You must abide by the rules, he said. You want to be consistent. You want to treat everyone fairlyI want it to be a pleasure (to try a case in his courtroom), win or lose. He vowed to apply the law, not try to alter it and promised not to litigate from the bench. His experience as a prosecutor and under fire equip him to make the decisions, some of them rapid, that a judge is called on to produce, Smith said. You want someone whos used to making tough decisions, small and large, on a daily basis, he said. A judge has to be able to make a decision from the bench. Especially in criminal trials, you have to be able to manage the ebb and flow. Sohonage, 50, a former prosecutor for Fayette County, bills himself as proven, tough, conservative. The Camp Hill resident owns SOHO Legal Services, which represents senior citizens in legal cases involving health care. Sohonage also has been a solicitor for the county orphans court and the prothonotarys office. Kirk Sohonage He said the court needs more specialization and supports the creation of an orphans court division to address family law issues. Other counties have such programs, he said. Its something I think we should consider, Sohonage said. Our county is growing larger. He, too, cited intergrity as a personal trait. Its important that judges have integrity and make the right decisions. People want to know their judges are honest, Sohonage said. As a judge, you have to approach it with fairness and integrity. A judge is everyones judge. Whoever comes before you deserves justice. His background in both criminal and civil law fits him to don a black robe and dispense such justice, he said. At the end of the day, lets put courtroom experience on the bench, Sohonage said. Tomasko, 54, is a Mechanicsburg attorney who has represented individuals and small businesses since 1991. Hes served as a municipal solicitor, too. Ron Tomasko He said his practical, real-world trial experience, particularly in civil court matters would be an asset on a county bench where many of the judges are former criminal prosecutors. I would think the people would want someone who has actually participated in trials to be a judge, Tomasko said. I think the bench and the citizens of the county would benefit from a different (civil practice) perspective. As a judge, he would have a presence and an involvement in the community, he said. Judges who hide behind the bench in their polyester black robes, I dont agree with that, Tomasko said. Im a strong believer in transparency in judicial decisions so people have confidence that the court system is working in the way it should be working, he added. The citizens deserve an explanation as to Why did you rule in a certain way? County judges rarely encounter complex constitutional law issues, he said, but must be more skilled in making consistent calls on community-level criminal and civil matters. He said he has the background to be more process oriented, meaning applying the law to the facts in a dispassionate way. Derek Clepper Clepper, 43, of Boiling Springs, is a former county prosecutor, served on the South Middleton School Board and currently is a professor and director of the criminal justice program for the University of Valley Forge. Attempts to contact him for this story were not successful. After past efforts to glom various reforms to Pennsylvanias 22-year-old charter school law into one bill failed, a different tact is being tried in the latest go-round. This time the reforms are sprinkled across four different bills. All of them gained House Education Committee approval on Monday, two of them winning only Republican votes. One of the bills that won bi-partisan support would impose ethical and transparency requirements on charter schools such as filing statements of financial interest with the State Ethics Commission and bar charter school board members from participating in decisions if they have a conflict of interest. The other would allow charter schools to enter into dual enrollment agreements with post-secondary institutions to allow students to earn college credit while in secondary school. The ones that passed the committee along party-line votes dealt with charter school facilities and changes to the charter application and process, which took away some authority that now rests with school boards and potentially could cost districts more. Susan Spicka, executive director of Education Voters of PA, accused the Republic members who supported those controversial changes of delivering on the charter school industrys wish list instead of supporting students and communities they represent. None of the bills dealt with the most touchy issue of all when it comes to charter schools funding. Some charter schools say they dont get enough and school districts complain cyber charters especially get too much. Spicka and public school officials, including some urban school district superintendents in the Capitol Rotunda on Monday, bemoan the amount of district funds that gets diverted to charter schools. In a statement, Spicka contends the bills the House committee passed would only worsen the problem. Republican members of the House Education Committee voted to strip control from communities and put local taxpayers on the hook for paying the increased property taxes that would be necessary to cover additional charter school tuition payments that would result from the unfettered expansion of charter schools if these bills become law, she said. But Ana Meyers, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools, argues that interest in charter schools is growing as evidenced by long waiting lists. She said the charter school movement needs a win. I think it is quite possible we may be able to get something done, Meyers said. It may not be everything we hoped for but this is Pennsylvania and well take one bite of the apple at a time, which is why were not pushing for comprehensive reform. House Education Committee Chairman Curt Sonney, R-Erie County, voiced a willingness to work in a bipartisan manner to address concerns that Democratic members raised during the committees discussion. He said moving the bills out of the committee will allow that conversation to get started. These are issues that need to be addressed, so Im hoping that given a little more time, we can clean these up a little bit and we can get more people on board, Sonney said. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. You need more than headlines. Sign up for Good Morning, Pennsylvania Several mosques have reported seemingly physical threats, including the Hershey Islamic Center, which on Saturday, reported to law enforcement an incident involving a man who walked up and down the front of the mosque waving a confederate flag. Everybody is scared, said Muhammed Uddin of the Hershey Islamic Center. You never know. People in the world are crazy. They can do anything, anywhere. Religious places are not safe no more. Muslims in the U.S. and across Europe have seen a surge in the number of anti-Muslim hate crimes since a white supremacist in March carried out a massacre at two New Zealand mosques leaving 49 worshippers dead and scores more injured. But the latest surge comes in the wake of a video posted by a Philadelphia Islamic center showing children reciting violent songs and poetry in Arabic. The video sparked international outrage and is under investigation by the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations. Since the airing of the video, Muslim leaders have been logging incidents of anti-Muslim threats from across the state. Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu, the outreach and education director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, on Monday said he had reached out to community leaders across the state, including the Harrisburg area. He is condemning a string of hate-filled speech on social media platforms, including an exchange posted on a public Facebook page known as Pro Trump Pa. The feed includes an image of the Hershey mosque, which includes the location of the mosque. A reply in the comments section includes the post: "blow it up like they do to us." I recognize their First Amendment right to free speech but when you say blow them up that is another thing, he said. Tekelioglu decried the April 17 video of the childrens program at the Muslim American Societys program for Ummah Day. Ummah is Arabic for community. The video includes footage of two young girls reading from a prepared text: We will chop off their heads, and we will liberate the sorrowful and exalted Al-Aqsa Mosque. The site, holy for both Muslims and Jews, has been the flashpoint of violence in the past. This was a very unfortunate incident, Tekelioglu said. It was an unfortunate mistake. Theyve apologized for it and have said that in no way do they want to hurt or harm our Jewish brothers and sisters. They realize it should have never been part of a school performance. Tekelioglu said right-wing extremists have exploited the video. The right wing continues to exploit it and to use it as an excuse to threaten mosques and Islamic organizations and to put out vile, hateful messages and continue the chatter of hatred and violence, he said. Jewish communities across the country have also seen an uptick in anti-Semitic crimes in recent years, most horrifically carried out this fall at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, when a man stormed the Squirrel Hill synagogue and opened fire, killing 11 people. Federal prosecutors have filed hate crime charges against Robert Bowers, who in addition to allegedly carrying out the rampage, made anti-Semitic statements during the shooting and targeted Jews on social media, according to federal authorities. Muslims are in the midst of celebrating Ramadan, a holy period of fasting, which involves regular worship and prayer services at mosques. Uddin of the Hershey Islamic Center said his community is considering the social media post as threatening. It looked like a threat, he said. We dont appreciate they way they are commenting on Facebook. The Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg, one of the oldest and most established mosques in Pennsylvania, also logged a report. Members of the mosque reported seeing an individual photographing the mosque. In addition, protesters marched outside Al Hidaya Islamic Center in Philadelphia, Tekelioglu said. There is definitely a heightened sense of being alert across the Muslim community, he said. A coalition of mosque communities from across the state last month received active shooter training from law enforcement agencies, Tekelioglu said. He expressed concern, however, that many communities lack the financial resources to hire security personnel. Theres definitely an aura of being alert, Tekelioglu said. Being dignified but being alert. Rue Landau, the executive director of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, said the organization does not comment on the specifics of ongoing investigations. In a statement, Landau said PCHR continued to respond to ongoing developments and to ensure everyone feels safe and welcome in our city. She said the organization was actively working with the Muslim American Society, local Muslim and Jewish leaders, mosques, synagogues, and other faith-based organizations. We have made significant progress and expect to share information soon regarding the actions taken by PCHR to facilitate dialogue, trainings, and other next steps to foster improved cooperation, relations, and peace amongst our communities, Landau said. Americans make hundreds of millions of visits to the doctor each year, according to the CDC/National Center for Health Statistics. Thats a lot of doctor visits. So, how many doctors are meeting that demand in the U.S.? In 2016 there were fewer than 900,000 active physicians in the U.S., and the availability of doctors varied greatly widely among the states. A new study by The SeniorList suggests that in 2030, just a little more than a decade from now, we could reach a physician shortage of more than 120,000 in the U.S. Where will those shortages be most severe? The study ranked the states by looking at the number of physicans in the workforce now in each state; the percentage of doctors nearing retirement age; and the proportion of medical residents nearing the end of their education. Higher numbers equate to higher risk of a physician shortage. Where does Pennsylvania stand? Read on. Shutterstock illustration To achieve balance between the number of physicians and patients, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends 283 physicians per 100,000 people. Here are the 10 states most likely to face doctor shortages, ranked. You can compare the number of physicians per 100,000 to the recommended. 10. Indiana National rank: 106 Physicians per 100,000 people: 226.5 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 29.5% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 21.6 9. New Mexico National rank: 109 Physicians per 100,000 people: 241.4 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 37% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 28 8. Idaho National rank: 110 Physicians per 100,000 people: 192.6 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 28.2% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 6.7 7. Florida National rank: 111 Physicians per 100,000 people: 260.4 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 34.3% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 22.6 6. Nevada National rank: 114 Physicians per 100,000 people: 200.1 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 29.3% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 15.5 5. Arkansas National rank: 115 Physicians per 100,000 people: 203.7 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 31.9% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 25.7 4. Oklahoma National rank: 129 Physicians per 100,000 people: 205.3 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 33% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 22.3 3. Mississippi National rank: 130 Physicians per 100,000 people: 186.1 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 32.3% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 21.7 2. Montana National rank: 133 Physicians per 100,000 people: 230.3 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 35% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 7.7 1. Wyoming National rank: 140 Physicians per 100,000 people: 199 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 33.1% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 6.8 Doctor (Shutterstock illlustration) The following 10 states, plus Washington, D.C., are least likely to face doctor shortages. Theyre ranked - higher numbers equate to higher risk. 8 (tie). Pennsylvania National rank: 50 Physicians per 100,000 people: 311.8 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 32.2% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 63.7 8 (tie). New York National rank: 50 Physicians per 100,000 people: 365.1 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 33.4% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 82.4 8 (tie). Michigan National rank: 50 Physicians per 100,000 people: 284.1 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 30.4% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 57 8 (tie). Connecticut National rank: 50 Physicians per 100,000 people: 345.1 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 32.6% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 65.5 6 (tie). Illinois National rank: 48 Physicians per 100,000 people: 280.6 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 29.4% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 47.6 6 (tie). Delaware National rank: 48 Physicians per 100,000 people: 272.3 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 28.5% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 37.5 5. Minnesota National rank: 31 Physicians per 100,000 people: 291.8 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 26.7% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 41.4 4. Ohio National rank: 29 Physicians per 100,000 people: 289.5 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 27% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 52.6 3. Washington, D.C. National rank: 26 Physicians per 100,000 people: 866.3 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 29.8% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 241.6 1 (tie). Rhode Island National rank: 24 Physicians per 100,000 people: 356.9 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 29% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 79.6 1 (tie). Massachusetts National rank: 24 Physicians per 100,000 people: 443.5 Percentage of doctors nearing retirement age: 29.3% Residents/fellows in accredited programs per 100,000 people: 82.7 Shutterstock illustration For Pennsylvanians its somewhat reassuring to note that the state falls within the 10 states least likely to experience a physician shortage. Based on the three metrics outlined earlier, Pennsylvania ranks at 50 in the nation in terms of its likelihood of a physician shortfall in the coming years, and ties with three other states: New York, Michigan and Connecticut. In comparison, the most likely state, Wyoming, ranks 140, while the two least likely states, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, rank at 24. The SeniorList U.S. doctor shortage study image. (Attribution: https://www.theseniorlist.com/data/doctor-shortage) Items to be noted: More than half the states fall below the current baseline level of 283 physicians per 100,000 people, meaning there are too few doctors for too many people in most of the U.S. The baseline is projected to change to 291 per 100,000 people by 2020. Because the most recent active physician figures are from 2016, the baseline projection used here was calculated for 2015, which was 283 per 100,000 people. As the population changes, the number of doctors needed was projected to rise nearly 30 percent between 2000 and 2020. In several states, about a third of the physician workforce is nearing retirement age. Factors that strain the medical community include shortfall of doctors; politics and policy; and population growth and aging, which are the primary factors that have created the growing crisis. - Shutterstock illustrationshutterstock Sources for the study: Information on active physicians and their ages as well as enrollment in accredited graduate medical education programs came from the Association of American Medical Colleges most recent annual report. Information on the shortfalls and projections in physician supply came from AAMCs supply and demand report. The doctor supply baseline and shortage projections were published here by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration. People information came from the U.S. Census Bureaus People Clock and multiple projection publications. Get the news when it breaks. Sign up for PennLives free Breaking News email. A 43-year-old man was shot twice in York City when he intervened in a fight, The York Dispatch reported. Rafael Peluyera arrived Thursday at Memorial Hospital in a private vehicle, York City Police Detective First Class Andy Shaffer reportedly confirmed. He tried to break up a fight that broke out at 9:20 p.m. in the 400 block of Walnut Street. His injuries were not life-threatening. Police are still investigating the incident. No arrests have been made, according to The York Dispatch. We do not think he was the intended target, Shaffer said. Anyone with any information about the shooting is asked to call York City Police at 717-846-1234 or text yorktips and the information to 847-411. Texting tips is the best method for conveying information in this case, and it is anonymous. It started off as the police helping a stranded driver, and it ended in chaos. Now, the driver is being treated for a gunshot wound, the officer is scrapped up from being dragged by the car and another officer is suffering from non-life-threatening head injuries from a crash, NBC 10 of Philadelphia is reporting. According to reports, two Philadelphia highway patrol officers were trying to help a man with a flat tire on Broad Street around 10:50 p.m. Saturday when one of them smelled what they thought was marijuana and noticed what he thought was a gun in the drivers waistband. The driver took off, dragging the officer a few feet and crashed into a SEPTA police vehicle with an officer inside at Temple University, police Captain Sekou Kinnebrew told reporters. The dragged officers partner caught up and struggled with the driver, shooting twice and hitting him in the forearm, reports indicate. The suspect still ran away before being arrested by a responding officer. His name has not yet been released, but he is in stable condition at the hospital. Police found a gun they believe belongs to the suspect a nearby alley, reports indicate. Hoping to address a critical concern about insufficient numbers of Pennsylvania National Guard members re-enlisting, the state House of Representatives on Monday gave its stamp of approval to a first-of-its-kind educational incentive program that benefits service members family. By a 199-0 vote, the chamber voted to send to the state Senate a bill that offers up to 10 semesters of tuition-free education to a service members spouse or children upon signing up for a six-year re-enlistment in the Guard. The benefit can be divvied out among immediate family members. Gov. Tom Wolf proposed this Pennsylvania National Guard Military Family Education Program in his 2019-20 budget. Sen. Mike Regan, R-Cumberland/York counties, has a similar bill authorizing this program that is making its way through the Senate. If signed into law, the program would make this novel form of family assistance available to soldiers and airmen starting in the fall of 2020. Rep. Stephen Barrar, R-Delaware County, who chairs the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness, sponsored the House bill. He said the program is a way to retain service members as the Pennsylvania National Guard faces more than 2,300 members who are retiring or completing their commitments. Also, he said, Its a way to support the family members of our National Guard who endure many hardships and sacrifices daily in the support of their spouse and parents serving in the National Guard. Rep. Chris Sainato, D-Lawrence County, the ranking Democrat on the veterans affairs and emergency preparedness committee, called it a much-needed retention tool for the Guard as well as a shining example about what happens when you work together [in a bipartisan fashion] and focus on something that is truly needed. The state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs estimates that this program would cost the commonwealth $2.7 million in 2019-20. The amount of assistance paid would be capped at Pennsylvanias State System of Higher Education base in-state tuition rate, which this year is $3,858 per semester. The grant could be used to pay for an education leading to an industrial certificate up to and including a graduate degree. Further, the benefit can be used by service members spouse or their children up through age 26 immediately while the soldier or airman is serving in the Guard or any time after they leave the service. The member would be obligated to repay all or part of the grant payments is they fail to meet the six-year obligation. Only Minnesota offers a similar educational benefit to its Guard members but that program is limited to the service members spouse, according to the governors office. 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. Subscribe to get this free newsletter, Good Morning, Pennsylvania, delivered to your email inbox at 6 a.m. weekdays. This is the May 13, 2019, edition. Weather High: 50, low: 45. Rain. Photo of the Day A couple attending a military event at Hershey Lodge takes a selfie with students arriving for the Palmyra Area High School prom also at the Hershey Lodge, Hershey, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Vicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLiveVicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLive Celebrations Style and sass: Several central Pa. high schools held their proms this weekend. Our photographers captured some: Red Land | Dauphin County Tech | Palmyra |Hempfield | Lower Dauphin | Carlisle | more 30 The 2019 HACC graduation at Giant Center Ends and beginnings: College students are putting away books and sending out resumes. Harrisburg University and HACC students graduated last week. Ellen Greenberg with her dad. Joshua and Sandra Greenberg are searching for justice and answers to their daughter Ellen's death in 2011. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.comPENNLIVE.COM Todays talkers It didnt make sense: When a 27-year-old Pa. teacher was found dead with 20 stab wounds, it was ruled a suicide. Then a homicide. Then a suicide. Years later, her parents are still struggling to find the truth. Read more. Safety vs. law: School personnel thought they were following state law while making students safer: Armed security guards patrolled the halls. Turns out, that might not be what Pennsylvania allows. Read more. Pennsylvania Capitol Police announced on the department's Facebook page that they've adopted a puppy and are asking people to suggest names for the dog. Offbeat Get off my ... road: A Pa. lawmaker wants grass clippings to be kept off streets. He says that would protect motorcyclists and the environment. Read more. Here, whatsyourname: Capitol Police have a new puppy mascot, and theyre turning to the public to name it. Finalists will be announced today. Read more. 43 Philadelphia Eagles rookie camp In sports Record-setter: Northern junior and long-distance runner Marlee Starliper set a Pennsylvania record on Saturday, finishing the 3200 in 9:54.75. Read more. Blue, white, green: There was Penn State flavor to the Philadelphia Eagles rookie camp. Four former Nittany Lions participated. Read more. In brief Stormy Daniels performs at Harrisburg club; Harrisburg judge shot estranged husband, sources say; football star Julian Fleming has Penn State in his top 5; why teachers leave Harrisburg; new businesses opening; child kidnapping suspect due in court; human remains found along river; pro wrestler dies in ring Theres more than one way to fill a budget gap administrative salary cuts, property tax increases, lobbying lawmakers. Those are just a few ideas that some Harrisburg City school board members say could remedy their current $3 million budget deficit in the districts 2019-20 budget. But time is starting to run out. The first budget draft was recently released, and it needs to be approved by June 30. Acting Business Manager Bilal Hasan said he recommends that board members increase property taxes. He provided an overview of the next budget May 6 at a district committee meeting. "Instead of passing it on to the taxpayers once again, why arent we proposing that the administration take a 5 percent pay cut across the board, board member Carrie Fowler said four days after the initial presentation. Thats the right thing to do. The increase Hasan initially pitched to Judd Pittman and Brian Carter, who sit on the budget, finance and facilities committee, was .9792 mills for a total millage rate of 29.7800 mills for next school year. That would cost an average homeowner an additional $41.91, Hasan said. The increase would bring in another $1.37 million in revenue for the district. The median value of homes in Harrisburg is $42,800. The district also raised property taxes last year, even with a proposal to cut administrative salaries during that time, Fowler said. Shes hoping the second time gets a different result. Its not fair for taxpayers in the city of Harrisburg to continue to pay for ballooned administrative salaries, administrative costs, lawsuits and the continuous failure in our education system, Fowler said. "Its just not fair. President Danielle Robison agrees that it is unfair to raise city residents property taxes, but she has a different take on how to help the districts funding objectives. We have all of these government buildings here that are not paying anything," she said following the draft budget presentation. Robinson doesnt sit on the budget, finance and facilities committee; however, she attended last Mondays meeting. Our community cant afford increased taxes, and were trying to keep them as low as possible, she said. We are the state capital of Pennsylvania. It makes absolutely no sense that the government buildings pay nothing. Those departments, and the employees in those departments, benefit from being here in Harrisburg, and yet they do nothing. The district only receives 51 percent of property taxes from its tax base due to the large amount of exempt properties in the city, Hasan explained during his budget presentation. The current school years local share of that was $38,449,168, and the projected revenue amount for 2019-20 that includes a millage rate increase is $39,387,853. Harrisburgs problems arent dramatically different from other school systems in the state, she said. People always expect something bad to happen in Harrisburg, Robinson said. They dont expect the good. How powerful would it be if the parents who showed up to our meeting would walk across the [State Street] bridge and say to lawmakers we demand financial help for our students? But, instead, the community wants to come in here and get mad about a burnt hot dog that somebody posted online. Its frustrating. The districts revenue is made up of local, state and federal dollars. State and federal mandates can be restrictive if funds arent allocated with them, Robinson continued. For example, she said, for the past three years shes traveled to Washington D.C. to seek help from Congressional lawmakers on the districts Individuals with Disabilities Education Act funding. She said it seems like no one wants to help. They say theyll look into it, and nothing happens, Robinson said. As of Monday, over two weeks have passed since the state department of education froze $10.9 million of the school systems federal funding. The department hired a third party to audit the districts books. The state said it would release the funds back to the district when administrators complied with a list of demands. The district did respond and adhere to the requests of the state, but the state still hasnt returned the funds to the school system. Board members said they are feeling squeezed. Pittman said at the committee meeting that until board members get a really good sense of the numbers," he thinks every board member is going to have to wrestle with the idea of increasing property taxes for the second year in a row. We have to look the community in the eye and say is the return on investment for what were providing worth the Act 1 index in taxes, he asked. School board members passed an Act 1 index resolution earlier this year, which means the district wants to be able to raise district residents property taxes to the maximum legal limit as defined by the state Department of Education. Even if the school board voted for increased property taxes, members would still have to consider also withdrawing funds from the districts general fund. Blending a tax increase with fund balance dollars, the district could draw down the fund balance by about $1.6 million. Hasan said hes going to set up four meetings, which will take place weekly at different schools throughout the district, to gather the publics input on the 2019-20 budget. The first meeting is scheduled for tonight at Camp Curtin Academy. But, thats almost too little too late because the district needs to have a proposed budget inspected by the public and approved by the school board by June 30, Fowler said. We havent even seen the budget, which was due in January, so that we could start looking at numbers, looking at what the administration is proposing, looking at where we need to be, Fowler said. Weve seen nothing. President Donald Trump will hold a rally in Montoursville, Lycoming County, on Monday a day before a special election will be held to fill the 12th Congressional District seat. Trumps campaign said hell be there to show support for GOP candidate Fred Keller, who is running against Democrat Marc Friedenberg in the heavily Republican district, according to The Morning Call. The appearance also comes two days after an appearance a presidential rival, Joe Biden, will hold a rally in Philadelphia. Trump is scheduled to appear at 7 p.m. Monday at the Williamsport Regional Airport in Montoursville on May 20. Doors open for the event at 4 p.m. Tickets to attend the event can be obtained here; they will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. According to the National Partnership for Women & Families (NPWF), in 2017 there were 168,215 family households headed by women that fell below the poverty level. If there is an average of two children in those households, the reality is over 400,000 children in poverty. Many will say the wage gap has occurred because of the choices women have made when choosing their professions (teachers, service industry, healthcare). What the data has shown is that across all industries, women are paid lower salaries than men. Occupations such as sales, production, management, and office support have the same result. The NPWF contends that although statistics will show 62 percent of the wage gap can be attributed to occupational and industry differences, experience, education, race, religion, and unions, there is still 38 percent unaccounted for. In order for Pennsylvania to take the next step toward achieving equal pay, everyone should encourage their Representative to prioritize passage of PA House Bill No. 166, Session 2019, which enhances the Equal Pay Act of 1959 to ensure things like the motherhood penalty, job title, job description, and prior earning history are addressed and protected. Enacting a policy like this has nothing but a positive impact on women and children, the communities where they live, and the entire state. Christian Rock, Waynesboro; and Jacqueline Stone, Newville; Master of Social Work students, Shippensburg University Too often our nations veterans return home to face challenges they werent prepared for. They may be adjusting to life with a physical handicap or an invisible wound such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. They may be struggling with starting over, finding it difficult to secure a new career path. Our vets gave so much to maintain our security and stability. We owe it to our veterans to provide them with the necessary means to meet their basic needs. Yet without financial assistance for transportation, many veterans would not be able to reach critical medical care or day-to-day necessities such as employment or access to healthy food options. Its easy to take transportation for granted. But without a reliable mode of transportation, think of the difficulties you would face to get groceries, see a doctor, or maintain employment. How could you plan for your future? Despite the generous support of PennDOT, Central Pennsylvania has many transportation gaps where there is no easy access to public transportation. In order to meet the needs of those stranded by these gaps, rabbittransit created 3P Ride, a non-profit organization devoted to removing transportation barriers for vulnerable populations in communities we serve. In the past 3 years, rabbittransit and 3P Ride have provided over 10,000 trips for veterans to the Lebanon VA Hospital. Thanks to a recent grant from the Veterans Trust Fund, 3P Ride and Capital Area Transit will be able to partner with rabbittransit to begin expanding veterans transportation from York and Cumberland into Dauphin County. The grant was award to 29 Pennsylvania organizations that support veterans programs throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Its a privilege to be able to begin offering these new connections to our veterans. This grant is the catalyst for the launch of expanding the Veterans program. We need help. We invite all who are able to donate to join us in our mission of achieving Veterans mobility. Donations, both small and large, can help ensure that our Veterans get the ride they need. Help support our mission through financial contributions, in-kind donations, or by volunteering. Find out more at 3p-ride.org/give. Richard H. Farr is Executive Director of Capital Area Transit, Harrisburg, PA. Government workers have hard jobs. Theres no argument on that point. Many are on call 24/7, work under significant stress, as well as a public microscope. And their salaries are often far below what they could get in the private sector. Governor Tom Wolf, First Lady Frances Wolf, Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman and Gisele Fetterman host an open house at the Governor's residence. January 15, 2019 Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com PENNLIVE.COM But the news about Gov. Tom Wolf awarding double-digit raises to his staff earlier this year has raised some eyebrows. While his hard-working employees may deserve pay hikes, the optics just arent good. PennLives Jan Murphy has reported that nine Wolf staffers received double-digit raises in December or January, right after he was elected to his second and final term in office. Overall, his staff received increases ranging from $25,000 to more than $33,000. Thats a bit more than the average Jill can expect in her annual raise. And without more context and marketplace jobs data, the raises look excessive. Nathan Benefield, vice president of the conservative-leaning Commonwealth Foundation in Harrisburg, expressed what many people are thinking. Its frustrating for taxpayers to see [the governor offer pay] increases above what theyre seeing in the private sector and getting them on top of what is already a very generous benefit system," he told Murphy. Benefield rightly noted benefits, including health insurance and retirement, are more generous for state workers than for people who work in the private sector. But the more generous benefits may not really make up for the lower salaries. And retaining qualified, experienced and dedicated staff in government service means paying them what theyre worth . . . or they will go somewhere else, especially in todays strong job market. [FILE CAPITALVIEW1 JCW P3] View of the Pennsylvania State Capital and the Susquehanna River from the DEP building on Market Street in Harrisburg. (JOHN C. WHITEHEAD) Photographer: JOHN C. WHITEHEAD Credit: PN City: HARRISBURG State: PA Date: 20010619 Object Name: FILE CAPITALVIEW1 JCW P3 Caption Writer: JOHN C. WHITEHEAD Category: CI Keyword: PN CI 20010619 Keyword: HARRISBURG Keyword: PA Keyword: JOHN C. WHITEHEAD Harrisburg Patriot-NewsHarrisburg Patriot-News Benefield also warned the increases could impact labor union negotiations this summer when several contracts expire. How will the administration hold the line on big salary increases for union workers when the governors own staff has benefitted from hefty raises? The truth is, we need people of dedication and experience helping the administration keep the functions of government running smoothly. If we want responsible, efficient government, we need capable administrators. And quality doesnt come cheap. Many government workers generally accept the low pay out of a sense of public service. Wolfs staff may have been working far below market rate for his entire first term. The case has not been effectively made to justify the increases. But that can be rectified. The administration should clearly explain to Pennsylvania taxpayers what compelled the salary increases, and it should provide honest salary and benefits comparisons. In fact, it would have been better to be open and transparent about the whole thing from the beginning -- announcing the raises when they took effect at the beginning of the year and not waiting for a reporter to break the news months later. No, the optics arent good. And there are disturbing questions about transparency. If the increases are deserved, as they may be, the facts should be clearly presented to the public, even though they may not satisfy political opponents who will certainly try to paint a picture of excess. But Governor Wolf has a stellar track record emphasizing integrity in public office and fiscal accountability, even placing a strict ban on his staff receiving gifts. Many people will be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt once the facts are clear. Being open, honest and transparent is the key to weathering this storm. Press Secretary J.J. Abbott, who received a more than $9000 raise, provided some context, saying, These positions are some of the most high-level in state government, are responsible for overseeing the entire or specific work of multiple major state agencies. And he contends the increases are in line with salaries of senior-level staffers earn in the private sector. He may be right. But give taxpayers the details they need, so they can make that determination for themselves. Winter is waiting for you in Charlevoix Back on the calendar are several options for entertainment, community camaraderie, and experiencing the beauty of Charlevoixs winter amenities. The Trump administrations tariffs (taxes) on Chinese imports are beginning to drive up costs for Philadelphia-area manufacturers. But orders remain so strong that firms are struggling to meet demand on time because they cant find enough factory workers. When parts and labor costs rise, theres only so much you can pass on to a customer before they source products elsewhere, warned Michael Coakley, head of the manufacturing group at Kreischer Miller, a Horsham accounting and auditing firm that questioned 94 local manufacturers on tariffs, labor, and other factory challenges for its yearly survey. Some highlights from that survey: Teikoku USA Inc., the U.S. arm of a Japanese company that makes pumps for grocery and frozen-foods companies at its Warminster plant, is among the nearly half of firms that Kreischer Miller surveyed who think that higher tariffs are threatening their growth. These levies are designed to discourage imports and pressure China into complying with international copyright, trademark, and anti-dumping rules. Teikoku was hit with a 25 percent tariff imposed by the Trump administration on the Chinese parts it uses, said Linda Scheurer, the firms director of finance, in an email. Thats an unplanned expense that company accountants say will cost around $500,000 -- or more if sales of Warminster-built pumps continue to rise. The company employs 75 at the plant, where it had hoped to double volume over the next five years and to hire another 15 or so factory workers, salespeople, and engineers. "We are currently the market leader and we dont want to lose business to any of our competitors, so theres not much room for a price increase, Scheurer said. So the company has to absorb the added expense, cutting the companys gross profit margin in the sector by six percent. Low-cost Chinese parts have made the Warminster plant competitive in the marketplace, Scheurer added. The company has been unable to find comparable American-made parts. Its not just a question of price: For some parts, "no one in the U.S. will even give us a quote. That could slow the planned expansion: We will need to increase our prices to cover the tariff costs, Scheurer said. "If our growth is stifled by the tariffs, who wins? Teikoku will also have to replace current workers nearing retirement age, Scheurer concluded. "We really struggle with finding skilled machinists, welders, and metal fabricators, she said. Over in Cinnaminson, N.J., the 80-worker Ram Electronic Industries, Inc. plant faces similar pressures. The contract manufacturer of computer and audio/video cables buys parts from U.S. distributors who, in turn, buy from China and other foreign manufacturers. Controller Eric Sklansky says Ram is able to pass tariff costs onto its U.S. customers, but the administrative burden of tracking and assigning tariff expenses on a product-by-product basis keeps too many employees busy when they should be producing or out selling. Its also been getting harder to bring parts out of China, Sklansky added. Shippers arent clear whether this is "a result of general trade conditions, or deliberate moves on the part of the Chinese government in response to the imposition of tariffs. Like Teikoku, Ram faces a tough time finding younger people, especially with fewer people immigrating to the U.S. to work in factories. Legal immigration helps us. When it slows, our potential labor pool shrinks. New Jerseys $10-an-hour minimum wage coming by July will boost costs, but Ram already gives annual wage hikes, so its more an accelerator than a shock. International Chemical Co., a family-owned Philadelphia manufacturer of industrial metalworking compounds such as tool-rust preventers, buys materials in the U.S. so its not directly affected by tariffs, said president Michael Pelham by email. But its customers -- sink manufacturers, for example -- buy a lot of metal, so they are more directly affected by rising import prices. Pelham worries that higher costs could slow the economy. Hes less concerned about labor, crediting a careful balance of profit-sharing, retirement savings, free summer hours off, and other benefits with boosting recruiting. Some of these challenges are side effects of the growth that has sustained U.S. manufacturing. Among the factory accountants polled, four-fifths expect higher sales this year; two-thirds expect to hire more workers, up from just over half two years ago, though many complained of uncertainty over future demand and the long-term impact of last years federal tax cuts. A lot of clients made significant investments coming out of the recession, concluded Coakley. But the lack of ready workers is threatening to lengthen production backlogs. They have orders. Its a matter of getting them to the production floor and out the door." Although 70 percent of U.S. taxpayers are eligible to file for free, fewer than 2.5 percent actually use the program. Read more (Bloomberg) Intuit Inc., maker of TurboTax tax-preparation software, lured customers into using the service with the promise of free filing of U.S. returns only to charge them anyway, according to a lawsuit on behalf of disgruntled customers. For the 2018 tax season, any taxpayer whose adjusted gross income was $66,000 or less is eligible to use tax preparation software from any of a consortium of tax-preparation providers known as the Free File Alliance, which is led by TurboTax, according to the complaint filed Sunday in federal court in San Jose, California. Although 70 percent of U.S. taxpayers are eligible to file for free, fewer than 2.5 percent actually use the program. The reason for this stark discrepancy, the plaintiffs allege, is due in no small part to an array of deceptive practices employed by TurboTax (and its competitors) to prevent lower-income taxpayers from utilizing the program in favor of its paid product offerings. An Intuit spokeswoman, Diane Carlini, declined to comment. The class-action suit was filed by three plaintiffs who seek to represent other customers. Probes into TurboTax and its competitors were spawned as ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative journalism organization, published installments of its series on how tax-preparation companies have worked against making tax preparation easier and less costly. Last week, Intuit and H&R Block Inc. were sued by the Los Angeles City Attorney, Mike Feuer, who accused the companies of undermining the Internal Revenue Services Free File program. Earlier, Senator Elizabeth Warren and other lawmakers asked the IRS and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether tax preparation companies are hiding their free services by manipulating search engines. The case is Sinohui v. Intuit Inc., 5:19-cv-2546, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Jose). Jeannine Payne, principal of Richard Wright Elementary, at 27th and Dauphin Streets, is shown in this file photo. Richard Wright is one of five new community schools announced by the city Monday. Read more Five Philadelphia schools were named community schools Monday, earning them extra resources from the citys Office of Education paid for with the citys controversial sweetened beverage tax. The new cohort, announced by Mayor Jim Kenney and Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. at Richard Wright Elementary, are the first new community schools named since 2017. They were chosen from among a pool of 28 applicants. They are: Wright, a K-5 school enrolling 500 students in North Philadelphia. Alexander K. McClure, a K-5 school serving 651 students in Hunting Park. Overbrook Educational Center, a K-8 school in West Philadelphia enrolling 300. John H. Webster Elementary, a K-5 school educating 750 children in Kensington. Hamilton Disston School, a K-8 school serving 900 students in Tacony. The five join 12 existing community schools, which with the additions will have a proposed five-year budget of $36.4 million. (The current community schools are Cramp, F.S. Edmonds, Gideon, Gompers, Locke, Logan, and Southwark Elementary Schools; Tilden Middle School; and Dobbins, Kensington Health Sciences, and South Philadelphia and George Washington High Schools.) Community schools are a signature initiative of the Kenney administration; they embed social services and other supports inside Philadelphia School District buildings in an effort to remove barriers to learning. Each school gets a city-paid staffer to assess the school and communitys needs and to build and maintain partnerships based on those needs. Each community school has a different focus. For example, George Washington High School focuses on college and career exploration, cultural and social opportunities for students, and supports for immigrants. Logan Elementarys priorities are mental and behavioral health supports for students, after-school activities, and access to healthy foods. Community schools were a campaign promise from Kenneys first mayoral race. He initially pledged 25 community schools by 2020; a lengthy court battle over the legality of the sweetened beverage tax scaled back those ambitions. The administration now promises 20 by 2020. Attendance at current community schools has improved 13 percent on average, and the schools have expanded after-school programs for hundreds of elementary students and connected hundreds of adults to job training and adult education classes, officials said. A recent study by Research for Action, a nonpartisan nonprofit, concluded that the efforts results have been mixed. Community schools have netted some victories, but have not yet been transformed, the study said. It also said the initiative has been held back by lacks of standardized systems, stronger central leadership and more collaboration across sectors. I am encouraged by the early signs of success at community schools, Kenney said Monday at a news conference announcing the new schools. Principals of the chosen schools said they were eager to begin work. Five new community school coordinators will be hired this summer, and needs assessments will be completed for each school and community. Jeannine Payne, Wrights principal, said shes hoping to be able to strengthen work already being done around nutrition. Wright could also use more after-school programs and parent-education courses, she said. And Alyson Cohen, a teacher at Overbrook Education Center who helped write the schools application for the city program, sees benefits for her students, third through fifth graders with special needs. Overbrook is the only Philadelphia public school that educates children with visual impairments, and its children come from all over the city. Id like more access to the things our kids need vision screenings, dental screenings, Cohen said. Private insurers paid four times as much as Medicare and Medicaid for dialysis treatments from DaVita, according to new analysis by UCLA researchers. Read more Private health insurers paid one of the nations largest dialysis companies treatment rates that were four times more than Medicare and Medicaid, according to an analysis by researchers at UCLA. A research letter detailing their findings was published online Monday by JAMA Internal Medicine. The context Private insurers commonly pay more for health-care services than Medicare or Medicaid, but exactly how much more is often hard to pin down because commercial rates are considered proprietary information. But as health-care costs continue to rise, employers (who subsidize their workers health costs) and individuals (who are paying an ever-increasing share of those costs) are hungry for information that can help them determine whether theyre paying fair and reasonable rates for care. A recent Rand Corp. report, for example, found that employer-sponsored health plans pay 2.4 times the Medicare rate for hospital services. Researchers at UCLA sought to find out how those discrepancies shake out for dialysis, an increasingly prescribed kidney failure treatment that removes waste from a patients blood when the kidneys are no longer able to do so. The market is dominated by two for-profit companies Fresenius Medical Care and DaVita Kidney Care. The data Researchers used publicly available annual financial statements for DaVita from 2010 through 2017 to analyze the volume of dialysis patients and treatments, and payment amount for commercial and government payers. The company, which controls about 38 percent of the dialysis market, had 2,510 clinics across the country, which saw nearly 200,000 patients in 2017 and provided about 28.3 million treatments. The funding The studys lead author, Christopher Childers, a general surgery resident at UCLA, is supported by a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The results DaVita reported revenue for dialysis and laboratory services of $9.36 billion in 2017. That comes to $47,321 a patient a year, or $331 per treatment. But not everyone paid the same price. Patients with private health insurance accounted for 10.5 percent of DaVitas volume, while accounting for 33 percent of DaVitas dialysis revenue in 2017, according to researchers analysis. Commercial insurers paid $148,722 a patient in 2017, or $1,041 a treatment. The government, meanwhile, paid $35,424 a patient that year, or $248 per treatment. The caveats Private insurers may pay for dialysis services differently, skewing results. Researchers also noted a discrepancy in the price DaVita has reported that Medicare pays per dialysis treatment ($269) and the price reported by the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee ($243), which researchers said could reflect inaccuracies in the Medicare cost reports or DaVitas financial statements. The per treatment price researchers estimated that Medicare paid ($248) is closer to Medicares own estimate. DaVita did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. Gail Stern is president of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and administrator of the Lehigh Valley Health Networks department of psychiatry. Read more More than half of American adults and 80 percent of children with mental-health needs do not receive treatment, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Servicess mental-health website. Some dont want to seek care and the cost of treatment is a barrier for others. But even those with resources who want care are running into a pervasive problem: There are not enough mental-health care workers in the United States. Even speaking broadly including psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers theres really a huge shortage, said Jed Magen, president of the American Association of Chairs of Departments of Psychiatry. (The organization represents psychiatry departments at medical schools in the U.S. and Canada.) The shortage of providers forces people to wait weeks or months for appointments. Experts say its likely contributing to the rising rate of suicides across the country and the growing number of people going to hospital emergency departments for mental-health concerns. Now nurses are raising their hands to fill the gap, but they say state laws are limiting their abilities. The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) recently published a report detailing the need for more expansive powers for psychiatric nurses. Often, people say, I need to see a psychiatrist. But you know what? You could see a psychiatric mental health nurse, too, said Gail Stern, president of the APNA and administrator of the Lehigh Valley Health Networks department of psychiatry. Psychiatric mental health (PMH) nurses include both registered nurses and advanced practice nurses. Nationally certified PMH registered nurses have been in the field at least two years and have completed 2,000 hours of mental-health clinical practice and 30 hours of continuing education. PMH advanced practice nurses have additional degrees and licenses in mental-health care. PMH advanced practice nurses are trained to diagnose mental illness, prescribe medication, and provide psychotherapy. But in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, theyre required to have a supervising physician sign off on any prescriptions. The APNA says that restriction is unnecessary. Given the shortage of providers, we want to use the ones we have as well as we can, Stern said. Studies show that more than 96 percent of all U.S. counties have an unmet need for mental-health prescribers, and the shortage is most profound in rural areas. The APNA report points to 21 states that already allow PMH advanced practice nurses to prescribe on their own as models. Working as a team Although physician groups have traditionally opposed expanding nurses practice parameters, the desperate need in mental-health care may shift some peoples perspectives. There will never be enough psychiatrists, said Magen, who is a practicing child and adolescent psychiatrist and chair of the department of psychiatry at Michigan State University. Its really important to be able to use these other professionals to address the shortage. There are about 26,000 psychiatrists in the U.S. and 16,000 PMH nurses. But the majority of psychiatrists are nearing retirement, and it takes a long time to produce new ones, Magen said. Psychiatrists have to go through four years of medical school and four to five years of residency. Theres also a limit on how many can be educated each year, as federal funding limits the number of psychiatry residencies in the country to 1,400. Thats why Magen advocates for a team-based approach to mental-health care, in which patients see different providers based on their level of need. For instance, if someone who has been generally functioning well develops depression, a nurse or primary-care physician can likely handle that case well, Magen said. If that person doesnt respond to therapy or multiple medications, then it becomes a more complicated case that should involve a psychiatrist. This type of approach works only if all parties are clear on how they contribute to the team, Magen said. If you just throw people in together without discussions about roles, you are not going to do well. Building trust with diverse patients Recruiting more PMH nurses and expanding their scope of practice may also help address the disproportionate impact of mental illness among racial, cultural, and ethnic minorities in America, Stern said. Minority communities have high levels of unmet mental-health needs in part because of cost and language barriers, but also due to mistrust of the medical system. Throughout history, minorities have been used in medical experiments without their consent or misled about treatment options. This is where nurses can act as a bridge, Stern said. Nurses have been ranked the most-trusted profession in the U.S. for 20 years. If we think about who can improve the trust, access, and comfort level of people to get mental-health services, we need to say nurses, Stern said. But the field has a long way to go in terms of diversifying its own ranks another component to increasing cultural competence and trust among diverse communities. Data from the National Nursing Workforce Survey show that 72 percent of PMH nurses are white, and 86 percent are female. Stern said she hopes getting the word out about job opportunities in this field theres been a 58 percent increase in open positions in recent years will help attract more diverse candidates. It might also be a more feasible path for those unable to take on medical school debt, she said. We want people to understand that we are here. This is an option, Stern said. Its a wonderful, fulfilling profession to care about people in this way. Students, parents, and supporters of charter schools rally outside the Philadelphia school administration building in 2013. Read more While charter schools have encountered controversy nationally over their role in public education, in Philadelphia, twice as many voters support as oppose them, according to a recent Inquirer poll. But nearly as many voters as those who were opposed said charters were neither good nor bad for the city, in the pre-May 21 primary poll. Martin West, a professor at Harvards Graduate School of Education, said the results were a bit surprising. Nationally, if we look at members of the Democratic Party, we find more opposition than you saw in Philadelphia, which is obviously a heavily Democratic city, said West, who conducts an annual national poll on education issues. Controversy over charters Meant as alternatives to traditional public schools, charter schools are publicly funded but independently run. In Pennsylvania, school districts send money to charters based on enrollment. That has contributed to budget pressures in many districts. While charter schools cannot have admissions requirements, some have been accused of unfair practices. In Philadelphia, where one-third of public-school students attend charters, the schools serve a more advantaged population than district-run schools, according to a recent study by the Education Law Center. Charters have also faced scrutiny over their management and academic performance. In Pennsylvania, which also has a large cyber-charter presence, test scores have been uneven. What Philadelphia voters think Despite those issues, a plurality of the citys voters expressed support for charters in the Inquirer poll, conduced by SurveyUSA. Asked whether the schools are good for the city or bad, 43 percent said they were good, while 20 percent said bad. An additional 22 percent said the schools were of no importance one way or another." And 15 percent were not sure. Voter opinions were largely unfavorable toward Philadelphias school system, with 56 percent saying the schools were getting worse, compared with 11 percent who said they were getting better. The poll collected opinions from 865 registered Philadelphia voters between April 17 and 23. Its unclear how their view of charters compares with previous years. Polling by the Pew Charitable Trusts in 2015 and 2013 asked Philadelphians not just registered voters about charters, but in a different way. In 2015, 58 percent agreed with the statement that charters improve education options and help keep middle-class families in the city," while 33 percent agreed that charters take too much money away from the public schools and lack sufficient oversight." Support for charters was slightly higher in 2013, when 64 percent agreed with the first statement, and 26 percent, the second. Because the questions and methodology were different, Larry Eichel, project director of the Pew Charitable Trusts Philadelphia research initiative, said he couldnt compare Pews findings with The Inquirers. But he said Pews polling found nuance. Even though most people in 2015 chose the positive statement about charter schools, when asked how to improve the citys educational system, 55 percent said government should spend more on traditional public schools, compared with 35 percent who called for the creation of more charter schools and other options. To me, that reflected a certain ambivalence about charter schools, Eichel said. National trends Nationally, public opinion toward charters was remarkably consistent for most of the last decade, with about a 2-1 ratio supporting them, West said. But support took a big dip in 2017, when 39 percent of respondents backed the formation of charter schools down from 51 percent a year earlier. While some have speculated President Donald Trumps support has harmed charters image, West said the 2017 decline was among Republicans and Democrats. That was a period where we were seeing increased debate nationally about the impact of charters on the education system, West said. You saw increased criticism of the charter school movement, including from civil rights groups like the NAACP. By 2018, though, backing for charters in Wests poll increased, growing to 44 percent with 35 percent opposed. The uptick was driven almost exclusively by support among Republicans, West said, of whom 57 percent were in favor and 27 percent opposed. Among Democrats nationally, just 36 percent were in favor, and 42 percent were opposed. In Philadelphia, The Inquirer poll also found partisan differences. Among Republicans, 61 percent said charters were good for the city, while 12 percent said they were bad. Democrats which make up the bulk of the citys voters were less enthusiastic, though they still supported charters by close to 2-1, with 41 percent deeming them good for the city and 22 percent opposed. The many people who are neutral or not sure A full 37 percent of voters in The Inquirer poll didnt take a side on charters, saying the schools were of no importance" or that they were unsure. Thats expected, West said. When pollsters ask factual questions about charters, he said, most Americans cant answer, and those that do are as likely to get it wrong as right. There is still a lot of confusion about what exactly a charter school is, he said. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren addresses members of the American Federation of Teachers, at the Plumbers Local 690 Union Hall in Northeast Philadelphia May 13, 2019. Read more Sen. Elizabeth Warrens first presidential campaign event in Pennsylvania was spent in a Northeast Philadelphia union hall, taking questions from teachers and students and rousing the crowd with the prospect of putting a former public schoolteacher in the White House. The senator from Massachusetts spoke to about 200 educators and 100 students from Abraham Lincoln High School in Holmesburg. The afternoon conversation, hosted by the American Federation of Teachers as part of its vetting of candidates for endorsement, was closed to the public but available on the AFTs Facebook page. Warren said she knew in second grade that she wanted to be a public-school teacher. I practiced, I used to line my dollies up and teach school," she said. "I was tough but fair. She said she wants to be president to give people more opportunity: Teachers understand this: We invest in the future. Warren, a law professor who worked as a New Jersey special education teacher earlier in her career, has stumped on the need for more federal funding of public schools, universal child care, and pay standards for early-childhood teachers. She has also unveiled a plan for student-debt forgiveness and free tuition to two- and four-year public colleges all topics she touched on Monday. Promises of a pro-public school administration Hours before her appearance, Warren promised in a tweet that her secretary of education would have experience teaching in a public school. I want someone who has seen tattered textbooks or who has tried to manage when there are too many kids in a classroom someone who has actually been there and taught a child to read, Warren told the crowd, drawing cheers. The event came five days before Joe Biden holds his first public event in Philadelphia at Eakins Oval on Saturday and a week ahead of a rally for President Donald Trump near Williamsport. The AFT has also hosted town hall events recently with other contenders Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, and Kamala Harris, as well as Rep. Tim Ryan. Union president Randi Weingarten introduced Warren as a friend of students and educators and nurses for as long as she has been a student and an educator of all of us. Heres how Warren responded to some questions. On student loan debt forgiveness Warren, whose mantra on the campaign trail has become, I have a plan for that, eagerly laid out her plan to forgive 95 percent of student loan debt, paid for by a 2 percent tax on wealth of $50 million or more. It would cancel up to $50,000 of loans for 43 million students. This is one of the core changes we need to make in this economy, Warren said. Student loan debt, she said, is like dumping rocks on students, particularly minorities. No great country builds a future by crushing people who are trying to get an education. She said the plan would reduce high teacher turnover, which in some cases stems from younger teachers unable to pay off student loans on public school salaries. On whether she can appeal to Republicans and beat Trump Warren, a leader of the Democratic Partys liberal wing, has at times faced skepticism over her ability to win compared with a candidate seen as more moderate, like Biden. One educator, who is registered as independent, asked Warren how she would bridge the partisan divide to appeal to independents or even conservatives. She told the crowd that her economic justice policies, such as student debt forgiveness, are popular across party lines. She mentioned her own family: Only one of three brothers is a Democrat. Imagine our Thanksgivings, she joked. "But the point is, on the core values, were all there. All of her brothers support access to affordable health care, pre-K education, and affordable college, she said. "They want to see an America thats opening opportunities, so I think we can do this. Asked how shed empower women, Warren recalled the way she overcame being written off in her bid for her Senate seat. Her mantra became: Im running for Senate because thats what girls do. Marc Vetri plans to open a casual pasta bar in an old butcher shop near the Italian Market, modeled off the pop-up noodle events that brought throngs to the second-floor demo space at his Vetri Cucina. Vetri said he will call it Fiorella, after the family that sold him the building at 817 Christian St. For more than a century, it housed Fiorella Sausage. Fiorella, which he hopes to open in the fall, will include one long counter seating 11 to 13 people, who will be served by the cooks, he said. The menu will include six different pastas, three or four salads and appetizers, and a dessert of the day. Thats it, he told me. You get a noodle, a salad, and leave. Dishes will be priced a la carte and no reservations will be accepted. Customers can join the waiting list, leave their cell number, and go take a walk on Ninth Street, he said. It will be open five night a week for dinner, leaving the other nights available for chef takeovers and private events. Vetri said he would maintain much of the interior, adding an antique Venetian chandelier to spruce it up, and an antique espresso machine to satisfy his obsession for coffee. The walk-in refrigerator and elevator will be incorporated in the design. I was looking for somewhere to do the pasta bar after we had a couple of them pop up upstairs at Vetri, said Vetri, adding that he almost bought a building in Fishtown but then put it on hold because of the Vetri Cucina opening in Las Vegas. Then I heard about Fiorella and thought it was perfect, he told me. I liked the real estate investment and I loved the shop. It had so much character. Meeting Dan and Trisha [Fiorella] sealed the deal. After considering various names for the pasta bar, Vetri had an a-ha moment, This was Fiorella for a hundred years, he said. How could I name it anything else? Vetri said Fiorella would not only use the Fiorella sausage recipe but Dan Fiorella himself would make the ragu. A bit of drama unfolded at Fiorella over the weekend. When Dan Fiorella stopped at the shop to meet with Vetri on Friday, he noticed that the brass, circa-1901 cash register, purchased by his great-grandfather Luigi, was missing. Many workers had access to the shop. After Vetri sounded the alarm on social media, two men noticed it Saturday at an antiques shop in Northeast Philadelphia, Vetri said. The register is back, but has been stashed in a safer location, he said. Democratic candidates for mayor Alan Butkovitz, left, Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, right, and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, center, participate in a live televised debate, Monday May 13, 2019, at the Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia. NBC10 Photo/ Joseph Kaczmarek, Pool. Read more Mayor Jim Kenney skirmished with his Democratic primary challengers Monday evening in the races only televised debate, as State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams and former City Controller Alan Butkovitz derided his record in office. The conversation turned testy toward the end of the hour-long debate, which aired on NBC10, when Kenney threw a barb at Butkovitz, who lost a bid for a fourth term as controller two years ago. The fact of the matter is, Mr. Butkovitz was fired by the voters because he didnt do his job, Kenney said, accusing Butkovitz of failing to adequately audit city agencies. Butkovitz said he lost because he had always bucked the citys political establishment and didnt ask for permission of John Dougherty and the powers that be before I do something. That was a reference to the leader of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, a power broker and key Kenney ally, who was indicted in January, accused with seven other union officials of embezzling more than $600,000. As Butkovitz and Kenney bickered, Williams drew a laugh by leaning into his microphone and saying, Im Anthony Hardy Williams and Im running for mayor. The sweetened beverage tax Williams and Butkovitz continued to attack Kenneys sweetened beverage tax, which pays for pre-K education and other programs. Williams said the city could fund those programs through its budget surplus instead of taxing people, an option Kenney rejects. I think the Philadelphia government has more than enough money to support pre-K and other after-school programs they believe in, Williams said. Kenney said the citys budget surplus had to be maintained in case of economic downturn. You never know when youre going to have a recession, he said. Supervised injection sites Williams and Butkovitz also tag-teamed Kenney on his support for supervised injection sites, where addicted people could use illegal drugs surrounded by medical help to prevent overdoses. Kenney said nothing was imminent in that proposal, which would be run by a nonprofit, but acknowledged community concern about one proposed location. If theyre out on the street in an alleyway, theyre going to be dead, Kenney said. We have to be near where people are injecting. Williams dismissed proximity as a problem. People come from all over the place, he said. You could put it in Rittenhouse Square and it would be overrun. Butkovitz, who opposes such sites, accused Kenney of backpedaling in an election year, calling it classic Jim Kenney, hes both for it and against it at the same time. The homicide rate Kenney defended his administration and the Philadelphia Police Department, noting that he had declared a public health crisis for the homicide rate, which is increasing even as violent crime overall dips. The mayor complained about Republican efforts in the Assembly to preempt cities and counties from enacting and enforcing their own gun laws. One of the problems we have is, this state is a crazy gun state, Kenney said. Williams recited the names of four murder victims this year, accusing Kenney of trying to sound as if hes accomplishing something. These are not drug dealers, Williams said. These are the names of people who have been murdered in Philadelphia. Poverty The candidates differed on what they believe a mayor can do to alleviate the citys high poverty rate currently 26 percent, the highest of the countrys largest cities. Butkovitz said the city needs to employ more people at the port, citing a 2007 study that projected as many as 25,000 jobs could be created there. All you have to do is pass a urine and drug test, show up to work every day, he said. The laser focus of this city government should be in attracting the kind of jobs that match the type of people who have been locked out of the employment market. Kenney countered that under his administration, new cranes have gone up at the port, and that he is working to expand jobs there. But Kenney said his plan for reducing poverty is investing in education. Williams said he would appoint a cabinet-level official charged with cutting the poverty rate by half. We are going to work with the private sector to create jobs, he said. What we wont do is further tax poor people with the soda tax. Sanctuary city There was one area where the three candidates found common ground: supporting Philadelphias sanctuary city policy, which withholds from federal law enforcement agencies some information about undocumented people in city jails. President Donald Trump recently threatened to bus people crossing the countrys border illegally to sanctuary cities. Butkovitz dismissed Trumps talk as a demagogue political move. Williams called the president a bully. Kenney said he thought Trump was bluffing. Im glad we agree on something, Kenney added. I didnt think that was going to happen tonight. Their last time together Williams waited until the debate was nearly half-over to note thank the hosts, including The Inquirer and AARP. He thanked Kenney for even showing up tonight." Kenney, knowing political history is on his side as he seeks a second term, has intentionally limited his joint appearances with the challengers. He skipped a KYW Newsradio debate last week. This was the second and final joint appearance for the three Democrats. Republican Billy Ciancaglini, a defense attorney, is running unopposed in his partys primary next week. The challengers face an uphill battle. No incumbent mayor who has sought a second term has been denied since two terms were first authorized seven decades ago in the Home Rule Charter. They are over-matched in resources. Kenney reported $703,190 in the bank last week while Williams had $51,098 and Butkovitz had $41,725. Following the debate, Butkovitz said he was pleased with his performance and thought Kenneys momentum is slowing. Williams, however, expressed disappointment in the sparring between Kenney and Butkovitz. I thought the bickering was embarrassing in front of voters who have one debate to see us perform, Williams said. Especially young voters, who already think we are out of touch with their lives. Kenney did not take questions. Julian Assange is taken from court, where he appeared on charges of jumping British bail seven years ago, on May 1 in London. Read more STOCKHOLM Swedish prosecutors said Monday they are reopening a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and will seek his extradition after he has served his 50-week prison term in Britain for jumping bail. Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference in Stockholm that "there is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape." She added: "It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required." Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges a step short of formal charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010, following complaints from two Swedish women who said they were the victims of sex crimes committed by Assange. The Australian secret-spiller left Sweden for Britain in September 2010, and took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition. After almost seven years holed up inside the building, he was arrested by British police April 11 when Ecuador revoked his political asylum, accusing him of everything from meddling in the nation's foreign affairs to poor hygiene. He is currently in London's Belmarsh Prison serving a 50-week sentence for jumping bail in 2012. He is also being held on a U.S. extradition warrant for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. While a Swedish case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped in 2017 when the statute of limitations expired, a rape allegation remains. Swedish authorities have had to shelf it because Assange was living at the embassy at the time and there was no prospect of bringing him to Sweden. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August next year. Assange has denied wrongdoing, asserting that the allegations were politically motivated and that the sex was consensual. Julian Assange's Swedish lawyer Per E. Samuelsen told The Associated Press on Monday that the decision to reopen the case is "outrageous." "He is in prison in the U.K., he faces the risk of being extradited to the United States and on top of that, to demand that he's going to put all his energy into looking into a 10-year-old story from Sweden is just too much," he said. Persson said a European arrest warrant will be issued for Assange. A Swedish court would formally issue the extradition request, which Assange could appeal. She added that while there is a risk the case may cut close to the statute of limitations deadline, "there is also a chance that we will be able to get him extradited before August 17 next year." The Swedish move would leave British authorities to decide whether to extradite Assange to Sweden or to the United States, where he is wanted separately for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. Persson said it was "impossible to predict" how the extradition process would unfold. There was no immediate reaction from Elisabeth Massi Fritz, the lawyer for the woman who reported being raped by Assange. The 47-year-old Australian met the women in connection with a lecture in August 2010 in Stockholm. One was involved in organizing an event for Sweden's center-left Social Democratic Party and offered to host Assange at her apartment. The other was in the audience. A police officer who heard the women's accounts decided there was reason to suspect they were victims of sex crimes and handed the case to a prosecutor. Neither of the alleged victims has been named publicly. Assange faces a maximum of four years in prison in Sweden. The British extradition process is not swift, and Assange could appeal several times if decisions go against him. It's expected it would take a year or longer for him to be sent to the United States or possibly to Sweden even if he ultimately loses in court. WikiLeaks' Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said the decision to reopen the case against Assange "will give Julian a chance to clear his name." He said in a statement that Persson had been under "intense political pressure" to reopen the case, and criticized authorities for "mishandling" it from the start. Olsen reported from Copenhagen, Denmark. Gregory Katz contributed from London. New Jersey Shore homeowners and renters took a step closer Monday to receiving some relief from the states new tax on short-term property rentals. In reaction to the tax on Airbnb bookings and other rentals, a Senate committee voted to move forward a bill that would exempt homeowners from paying taxes on rentals if they deal directly with a client to rent their homes. Since the tax, aimed at home-sharing marketplace Airbnb, took effect in October, some Shore homeowners have complained about its impact after they raised prices to cover the tax. Im really having a hard time this year because of this tax, Duane Watlington, who owns a home on Long Beach Island, told senators. In the past, weve always been fully booked by now. The bill approved by the Community and Urban Affairs Committee would still charge taxes on Shore rentals booked via marketplaces, such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and other websites. But it would offer some help to homeowners such as Watlington, who is a founding member of the NJ Shore Rentals Coalition. The group formed last year to push for repealing or changing the tax. Many states, including Pennsylvania, have taxes on Airbnb and similar services. New Jerseys levy applies the 6.625 percent state sales tax and 5 percent occupancy fee to short-term rentals. It is projected to raise $8 million by the end of the fiscal year in June. Rentals arranged through licensed real estate brokers as are the case for many Shore rentals have been exempt from the Airbnb tax" since it took effect last year. That carve-out angered homeowners who do not use licensed brokers to rent out their properties. While the Senate bill would not exempt all Shore rentals, some homeowners have said they have long-standing relationships with some renters who return to their homes every summer, and dont complete every transaction through a website or other advertising platform. The bill would exempt those rentals, although its unclear how many property owners might be covered. These people are looking to allow for the correction to occur so that they can rent to individuals outside of internet transactions through personal bookings without the imposition of the tax, Tony Pizzutillo, a lobbyist hired by the NJ Shore Rentals Coalition, told the Senate committee. Airbnb, which supported the bill creating the tax last year, opposes the proposed change. Josh Meltzer, who works on public policy issues for the company, wrote in submitted testimony that it would affect rentals in newspaper and magazine classifieds in addition to websites, because they would also classify as rental marketplaces. This disadvantage is not only bad for Airbnb and our hosts it would also reduce tax revenue by incentivizing operators to change their business model to elude the tax requirement and cause confusion for consumers, who could see varying prices for the same accommodation depending on whether it is offered on or off a platform, Meltzer wrote. Watlington warned lawmakers that families may not vacation at the Shore due to the tax or they may have less money to spend at shops and restaurants while there. Were the canaries in the coal mine here for our Jersey shoreline and the tourism at the Shore this summer, he said. The bill will now go to the full Senate. A similar bill is pending in the Assembly. Garfield DeMarco, a former Burlington County, N.J. Republican chairman, died May 13, 2019 at age 80. He sold his 9,000 cranberry bog to the New Jersey Conservation Foundation at half the appraised value and it is now the Franklin Parker Preserve in the Pinelands. Read more J. Garfield DeMarco, 80, a longtime Burlington County Republican Party chairman and cranberry magnate, died in his sleep Monday morning at the Mount Holly Samaritan Hospice. Mr. DeMarco, a colorful political boss from 1974 to 1990, said in a recent interview that he was a lefty Republican who later declared himself an independent and voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. His cousin is Kellyanne Conway, an adviser to President Donald Trump, who also grew up in and around Hammonton, Atlantic County, home to cranberry bogs and blueberry farms. In a December interview, Mr. DeMarco called her a very skilled political operative but said he disliked Trump and questioned how she could reconcile his behavior with her deep religious belief. Mr. DeMarco, whose nickname was Gar, came out as gay publicly in 2015 after marrying his longtime partner, William Wilson, whom he met at a 1995 AIDS fundraiser in Center City. Mr. DeMarco said that it was hard to pretend for so long and that he knew other gay people who had committed suicide because they had to hide their personal life. Glenn Paulsen, who took over as the leader of the Burlington County GOP when Mr. DeMarco stepped down, said Monday that he had fond memories of him. He was a big man with a big personality and a big laugh, and most of all a big heart, Paulsen said. Former Gov. Thomas H. Kean once called Mr. DeMarco the chairman of the chairmen. Until recently, Mr. DeMarco lived in Hammonton, where he grew up in a family that owned nearly 10,000 acres of land used for cranberry farming in the Pinelands for six decades. At the time, A.R. DeMarco Enterprises was the third-largest cranberry operation in the country. When his father died in a car crash in 1964, he took over the family businesses. His father was a founding member of the Ocean Spray cooperative and Mr. DeMarco replaced him on the board of directors. In 2004, Mr. DeMarco sold 9,400 acres to the New Jersey Conservation Foundation at half the appraised $24 million value. He called that decision "one of my proudest achievements. But there were detractors who noted that Mr. DeMarco had already received $7.2 million for restricting the deed through the Pinelands Development Credits program. The land was already protected because the property could not be developed due to Pinelands zoning. Environmentalists, however, were mostly supportive of the sale of the land, which includes lakes and forests. Called the Franklin Parker Preserve, it is open to the public for hiking. Robert Shinn, a former freeholder director and commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, said that early on, Mr. DeMarco was concerned about the property rights of those who owned land in the Pinelands, but that he later embraced conservation. I told him, the more conservation easements we could buy in the Pinelands by purchasing development rights, the less arbitrary and mandatory this would be, Shinn said. The land Mr. DeMarco sold was home to a variety of protected species, he said. Shinn said his first meeting with Mr. DeMarco was on a high school football field, when Shinn accused Mr. DeMarco of being a ringer because he showed up as a tackle and was 6-foot, 3 inches, and 240 pounds when he played for Hammonton High. Mr. DeMarco was a star player and scholar who was recruited by top universities. He graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1959, was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study medieval history at the University of Naples, and earned a law degree from Yale in 1964. In 1976, when Shinn was the mayor of Hainesport, a small Burlington County town, he said he learned from a news article that he was running for freeholder. Mr. DeMarco later explained that he had submitted Shinns name to the Republican committee because he wanted him to run. Mr. DeMarco also had a consultant come in from Washington each week and meet with Shinn at his house to prepare him for a tight race, Shinn said. He was a chairman for the right reasons, and totally acted on what was best for the county in the long run, Shinn said. Because he was a lawyer, he would cross-examine me when I brought an issue to him, and he would take up issue after issue this way, and listen to everything that was said. Thats why I have respect for him to this day. Paulsen said that he, too, greatly admired Mr. DeMarco and learned from him. Mr. DeMarco was "one of the greatest influences on my life, Paulsen said. He recruited me to replace him after he built up the Republican Party in Burlington. ... So when I took over, it was an ideal time, and he provided me with a war chest, and we worked together. ... He was always there when I needed advice. Bill Layton, who succeeded Paulsen, said he, too, looked up to Mr. DeMarco. Garfield was an icon in New Jersey and Burlington County politics. He was a one-of-a-kind class act who was way ahead of his time. His success and the people he helped are part of a legacy of public service that will be remembered in Burlington County for years to come, Layton said in an email. In his younger days, Mr. DeMarco was a Democrat, and said he had voted for John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. But he switched parties in the 70s, he said, influenced after a meeting with Edwin Forsythe, the Republican congressman and conservationist from Moorestown. When Mr. DeMarco led the county GOP committee, he said, he selected conservative candidates who won year after year but did not lean too far right. None of his incumbents ever lost a reelection bid. But in January, after 40 years of control over Burlington County government, the Republicans lost their majority to Democrats in the mid-term elections. Under Mr. DeMarcos tenure, the GOPs four-decade reign began, when Republicans took control from the Democrats in 1976. In addition to his husband, he is survived by a niece and nephew, who said in a statement, Anyone who knew Garfield found him to be brilliant, engaging, and welcoming. He was larger than life. He will be missed. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Monday, May 20, at St. Mary of Mount Carmel Parish-St. Joseph Church, 226 French St., Hammonton, followed by a Funeral Mass. Burial services will be private. Donations for the memorial and entombment may be made to the Marinella Funeral Home, 102 N. Third St., Hammonton, N.J. 08037. Sean Kratz (left) and Cosmo DiNardo (right) were charged in the Bucks County slayings of four young men in July 2017. Read more A jury will be able to hear Sean Kratz tell investigators how he and Cosmo DiNardo murdered three young men on a Solebury Township farm in July 2017. Bucks County Judge Jeffrey L. Finley denied a defense request to suppress Kratzs April 2018 statement, given as part of a plea deal he backed out of at the last minute. Kratzs new attorney, A. Charles Peruto Jr., wanted the video recording thrown out, he said, because his client didnt fully understand the terms of the deal. In rejecting the suppression request, the judge said he disagreed with that assertion. With Finleys ruling on Monday, the case is ready to head to trial, although a date has not been set. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Kratz, 22, of Northeast Philadelphia, who is charged with helping kill and bury three of his cousin DiNardos four victims. Nearly two years ago, authorities discovered the remains of Jimi Patrick, 19, of Newtown Township; Dean Finocchiaro, 19, of Middletown Township; Thomas Meo, 21, of Plumstead Township; and Mark Sturgis, 22, of Pennsburg, after an exhaustive, days-long search. Kratz is charged in the killings of Finocchiaro, Meo, and Sturgis. DiNardo, 22, of Bensalem, pleaded guilty to all four murders and was sentenced to life in prison; the death penalty was taken off the table in exchange for his cooperation. In DiNardos confession which wont be admissible at Kratzs trial unless DiNardo is called to testify DiNardo said he lured his victims by saying he had marijuana to sell. But once the young men got to his parents 90-acre property, he shot and killed them, ran one over with a backhoe, and tried to burn the bodies before burying them. After Kratz balked at his plea deal, his now-former lawyer Craig Penglase admitted to leaking recordings of DiNardos and Kratzs statements, parts of which aired on NBC10 and Fox29. On the tapes, according to the NBC10 report, Kratz tells investigators that he killed the three young men out of fear that DiNardo would hurt him or his family. (Clockwise from top left) Sheriff Jewell Williams, and Democratic opponents for his post Rochelle Bilal, Malika Rahman, and Larry King Sr. Read more When Jewell Williams took over as Philadelphia sheriff in 2012, he inherited an office with a $13 million budget and about 230 employees that was in the middle of a federal investigation. He promised transparency and reform. Since then, the budget has doubled, and there are 410 authorized employees. Williams did prohibit office employees or contractors from buying properties at sheriffs sales and banned cash payments. But he also gave professional services contracts to campaign contributors and solicited campaign donations from his employees. Still, no Democrat challenged him in 2015 and he was reelected. Since then, though, Williams has been embroiled in three different cases alleging sexual harassment. Two have been settled and one is pending. Williams, 61, has vehemently denied all three allegations and said he did not approve the settlements the state and city made. But in the #MeToo era, he has faced backlash: The Democratic City Committee reversed its decision to endorse Williams; Mayor Jim Kenney and some City Council members have called for him to resign. As he runs for a third term in the May 21 primary, Williams faces three Democratic challengers. Two former sheriffs deputies, Malika Rahman and Larry King Sr., and former Philadelphia Police Officer Rochelle Bilal, are aiming to oust him. (No Republican is running.) In addition to demanding his resignation, the three opponents say Williams has mismanaged the office by running up overtime costs, not doing enough to prevent people from losing their homes to foreclosure, and taking campaign money from his employees. The Sheriffs Office is an independently elected office charged with court security, transporting prisoners to court, and running monthly sheriffs sales of delinquent properties. In recent years, Williams added other responsibilities: serving warrants and guarding City Council and the new Family Courthouse. Williams said the office more than pays for itself with the delinquent tax payments it collects. I did nothing but make sure city of Philadelphia gets their monies, Williams said during an interview with The Inquirers editorial board. Were up to $61 million this year of giving the city their money. His opponents, however, have concerns about the entire sale process. Bilal, a former Philadelphia police officer who is president of the Guardian Civic League, wants to prevent homes from even going to sale. Im working on trying to keep families in their homes and not spending all that money advertising to sell peoples homes Bilal, 62, said, referring to the sheriffs $6 million budget to advertise sales in various newspapers. She instead wants to pay for community programs to help distressed families. Rahman, who had worked as a deputy since 2012 and quit in December to take on the boss, would like to provide better resources to prevent evictions of renters. People are being displaced because of evictions, said Rahman, 32. If we can provide them with resources prior to [eviction] with information, then we do us a service overall. And King, who retired as a deputy before Williams became sheriff, said he is concerned about the fees tacked on to the sale of a delinquent property, paid by the owner whose home is being foreclosed. The fees include advertising costs and lunch for the sheriffs staff working the sales. I believe there needs to be a moratorium until everything is thoroughly investigated as to what is going on with these sheriff sales, said King, 63. Williams predecessor, Sheriff John Green, pleaded guilty last month to felony charges that he steered $35 million in contracts to a campaign contributor who also gave him gifts, including home renovations and a no-interest loan. During his interview with The Inquirer editorial board, Williams said he still lives in the same North Philadelphia rowhouse he has for decades and hasnt taken gifts, as Green did. One of his largest annual professional service contracts, for $745,000, is with City Line Abstract, a title company, which is run by frequent campaign contributor Andrew L. Miller. Williams said he didnt know who Miller was. Have you looked at the mayors? People who do bids with the city and how much money they give? See, thats what Im talking about, he said. I dont even know these people. Other contracts have also gone to campaign contributors. Williams has also come under fire for soliciting and accepting campaign donations from his own employees. His annual fund-raiser, which doubles as a birthday party, is well-attended by staffers. No one is being pressured to give, he said. Rahman, who donated to Williams birthday fund-raiser during her tenure at the office, said it is part of the culture to contribute to the boss birthday party and campaign. All three challengers said they would end the tradition. The Committee of Seventy, along with others groups, has argued for the abolishment of the office, in part because of its entanglement in politics but also because it says the duties could be picked up by the courts, police and other existing government bodies. Williams said he has improved the office and that everything we do is fully transparent. When Williams came into office, he installed cameras and purchased a new accounting system named JEWELL to better keep track of sheriffs sale receipts. But he quickly drew controversy. During his first budget hearing as sheriff, Williams asked for a $3.5 million increase to hire more deputies and purchase new cars, especially a pursuit vehicle for himself. He has awarded contracts outside of the citys procurement practice of having the finance and law departments sign off. Despite doubling his budget and adding staff, Williams office consistently exceeds its overtime budget. He is expected to spend $6 million on overtime this year, nearly $4 million over budget. Williams blames the overtime on 50 vacancies in the office, traffic on I-95, and judges keeping juries late. During his fiscal year 2020 budget hearing before City Council last week, in which Williams requested $27 million , Councilman Allan Domb pointed out that the number of prisoners transported annually by the sheriffs office had dropped 40 percent. Williams said its more complicated and went through the deputies schedule and what could happen if a jail goes into lockdown or if the deputies are delayed by traffic on the way to court. If you deploy your people fairly, you wont have as much overtime, Bilal said. Rahman and King agreed. Bilal had her own brush with controversy when she was at the Philadelphia Police Department. She retired in 2013 amid an investigation into a second job she had with Colwyn Borough. Bilal said she was not double-dipping. Despite the rhetoric, Williams three opponents have raised little money and other than attending various candidate forums are not running visible campaigns. (Williams has skipped most forums so far.) Rahman said that people want change but are perhaps apprehensive for their own personal reasons. Its very hard step outside of that because peoples families depend on politics. Thats the reality, she said. They get their friends jobs, their cousins jobs, their neighbors jobs. ... They are fearful that if I go this way that there will be negative consequences because that has happened in the past. As the nations birthplace, Philadelphia is by American metrics old. Founded in the 1600s by William Penn, it was the nations first city and first capital, and, during the American Revolution, was the largest English-speaking city in the world after London. But how much of that 17th-century history can still be seen in Philadelphia? Thats what one reader asked via Curious Philly, a forum where we answer your questions about your community. And while 400-year-old structures arent common, there are a couple of buildings that have been standing since the 1600s. Here are two known to have been around that long. Home built by William Penns physician Located at 5125 Woodbine Ave., Wynnestay is a historic landmark and private residence built by Thomas Wynne in 1689, according the Wynnstay Foundation. The 7,500-square-foot, two-story house rests on an acre of land in the Wynnefield neighborhood, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Wynne, William Penns personal physician, traveled across the Atlantic with Philadelphias founder in 1682, according to the foundation. Wynne did not stay in the home, instead spending time on Chestnut Street, which was called Wynne Street until 1684. It was not until after Wynnes death in 1691 that his son, Jonathan, discovered he had not claimed acres of land west of Philadelphia owned by his family. Jonathan moved his family into Wynnestay, and it remained in the family for nearly two centuries. Swedish church along the Delaware Across town stands another 1600s gem. A 20-minute walk south of Penns Landing near Christian Street and Columbus Boulevard, the 300-year-old Gloria Dei Church still stands near the Delaware River. Built between 1698 and 1700 for Swedish settlers, the church locally known as Old Swedes served as the Swedish Lutheran Church for almost 150 years before becoming part of the Episcopal Church, according to the National Park Service. The church and cemetery are open to visitors from Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The rest of the 17th-century city So what did Philadelphia look like in the 17th century when these buildings were constructed? When Penn arrived in Philadelphia in 1682, he commissioned Thomas Holme to draw up a plan for the new city. According to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Holme created an orderly, rectangular grid the pioneering pattern that would revolutionize American city planning that included two main streets: Broad and High, known today as Market. These streets were kept wide to prevent massive blazes, like the Great Fire of London, from happening in Philadelphia. Finished in 1683, the city plan was published in London to entice new settlers. Before Penn named it Philadelphia, though, the area was called New Sweden. Swedish settlers arrived in the 1600s and occupied land near the Delaware River and some of present-day Philadelphia, but were in frequent territorial disputes with the Dutch. Before that, the Lenni-Lenape tribe inhabited the land along the Delaware River. They traded with Swedish settlers, and signed a treaty with Penn in 1683. The Lenape occupied the Philadelphia area almost 10,000 years before Europeans arrived, Chet Brooks, a member of the tribe, told NPR. While much of what we see today around our streets was not around more than a couple of centuries ago, there are some specks of Philadelphia that tell stories older than we think. President Donald Trump, right, accompanied by Sen. Ron Johnson, (R., Wisc.), left, arrives in Green Bay, Wis. on April 27. Trump's reelection campaign has announced a May 20 rally in Pennsylvania. Read more WASHINGTON President Donald Trump is planning to return to Pennsylvania on Monday, May 20, for a rally, his presidential campaign announced Monday. The event will be held in Montoursville, near Williamsport. While it is ostensibly in support of State Rep. Fred Keller, a Republican running for an open congressional seat in a special election this month, it comes as Democrats, and especially former Vice President Joe Biden, have increased their appearances in the Keystone State, one of the most critical states in the 2020 election. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) spoke to the teachers union in Philadelphia on Monday and Biden is due in the city for a rally Saturday, two days before Trumps event. Biden also held a rally in Pittsburgh late last month and Sen. Bernie Sanders (Ind., Vt.) also visited the Steel City and Bethlehem in April. And voters across the state will head to the polls Tuesday for primary elections in municipal, judicial and school board races. Since Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 by 44,000 votes, or less than 1 percentage point, the state has been considered a must-win for Democrats. President Trump will be returning to Pennsylvania to share his long litany of achievements on behalf of the American people," said a statement from Michael Glassner, chief operating officer of Trumps reelection campaign. In addition to celebrating his accomplishments, President Trump looks forward to supporting State Rep. Fred Keller in his race to become the next congressman for Pennsylvanias 12th District. >> READ MORE: Pa. hit a record low in unemployment. Will that help Trump win again in 2020? Keller is competing with Democrat Marc Friedenberg for the seat vacated by former U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, a Republican. It is a deeply Republican district. Clinton County Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, left, and Philly Rep. Brian Sims and have brought national attention to the state legislature. Read more When youre one of 50 states, its nice to get a little national notice. Washington state, for example, is getting attention for passing free and reduced college tuition for its low- and middle-income students. Iowa gets cited for ranking first in the nation in high school graduation rates. Pennsylvania? Well, the education focus here of late is a tad more basic. Its schooling members of our legislature to not be haters, and to respect the views of others. Embarrassingly elemental, yet clearly needed. So, House Republican and Democratic leaders stood together last week on the House floor to scold their own colleagues. House GOP Leader Bryan Cutler: There is no room for hate in any form in this chamber or in our own lives. The people of Pennsylvania expect better from us. House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody: We should all respect the views of all Pennsylvanians and we need to respect each other. The nation is watching. Can I get an amen? (That is not a reference to the recent House prayer controversy.) And, yeah, the leaders reprimand was generic and dishwater-weak. No names or incidents mentioned. It was over in less than two minutes. It should have been stronger and longer. But its still noteworthy. Rarely does any legislative leader seem interested in the image of the institution. Its just that lawmakers recently are acting as if auditioning for a return of the TV series Horrible People. And its getting noticed. Philly Democratic Rep. Brian Sims erratic, bullying, intolerant and self-videoed harassment of antiabortion protesters outside a Planned Parenthood clinic attracted the likes of the Washington Post, USA Today, and the National Review. And, I must say, the Reviews piece by Kevin Williamson, a former editor of the briefly revived Philadelphia Bulletin (2004-2009), reflected a familiarity with our legislature: As witless a collection of moldering goofs and ravening mediocrities as you will find in any of our state capitals. Can I get a hat tip? The Sims story, which played out on social media, drew hundreds of antiabortion activists rallying outside the same clinic on Friday and calling for Sims resignation. Some Republicans want investigations by local, state and federal authorities, and the House Ethics Commission. So, who knows whether its over. Gov. Tom Wolfs statement after Sims video was about as soft as the leaders statement. It said that as a former Planned Parenthood escort, Wolf understands the horrific shaming that patients face [but] believes we can support and defend our positions without engaging in aggressive tactics. I suspect if a GOP lawmaker similarly harassed Planned Parenthood patients, our Democratic governors statement would have been stronger. Next, in an apparent spirit of bipartisanship, Rep. Stephanie Borowicz (R., Clinton), picked up some new attention. Last week, she was seen posing for a selfie with a man in a shirt emblazoned with the name of a group, the American Guard, reportedly tied to white supremacists. This was at a Locked and Loaded rally for gun rights, an annual event at the Capitol, sponsored by Rep. Daryl Metcalf (R., Butler). You may recall Borowicz made national news in March after offering a prayer in the House praising Jesus 13 times and President Donald Trump for his support of Israel on the day the states first Muslim lawmaker, Philly Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell, was sworn into office. The prayer was criticized as divisive and Islamophobic. Gov. Wolf said he was horrified by it. Theres more. Rep. Danielle Friel Otten (D., Chester) recently compared union workers installing a pipeline she opposes to Nazis. And GOP House Speaker Mike Turzai, speaking to an antiabortion group in March, suggested some abortion-rights folks think like the Nazi regime. Oh, brother. Seems that Cutler and Dermody need to get specific and stress that, as a general rule, lets drop all references to Nazis. Meanwhile, our legislatures reputation, such as it is, continues to spread (and plummet). And Pennsylvania continues to rank with bottom-dwelling states in almost everything from infrastructure to education. But I guess that happens when people you elect require lectures on even the fundamentals of civil behavior -- such as tolerance and decency. Imagine a legal proceeding where all of your rights are taken from you and given to someone else. You may have never met that person who now controls your life decisions. You likely did not have an attorney representing you and you may not even have been present at the hearing. Suddenly you have no control over your money, your home, or possessions, where you live, who you interact with, or what health care you receive. Sounds like incarceration, right? Its not. You arent being accused of a crime, and in Pennsylvania, if you cant afford an attorney, you have no right to have one appointed to represent you. Unfortunately, this happens to Pennsylvanians all too often. Its called guardianship, and few legal proceedings have more impact on an individuals fundamental rights and liberties. Thats why Pennsylvania needs a right to counsel for people facing guardianship proceedings, as well as reforms to protect the health and safety of individuals deemed incapacitated. Guardianship can be an important legal tool for very vulnerable, severely cognitively impaired individuals who need someone usually a trusted family member to step in to make financial, medical, and other decisions, if they are unable to do so. But guardianship should only be used when other less restrictive ways of supporting a person are not available. Thats because it is ripe for abuse, neglect, and exploitation in the wrong hands. Recent reporting by the Inquirer revealed that a court-appointed guardian, who had control of hundreds of elderly peoples lives and finances, had previously been convicted of financial fraud and forgery. She was removed from that role, and the courts found she had misappropriated the funds of people for whom she was caring. Last month, she was arrested on multiple felony charges stemming from those thefts. There are about 1.3 million adult guardianships in the U.S., which control over $50 billion in assets and the guardianship abuse and exploitation exposed by The Inquirer is not unique. In Nevada, a professional guardian and her colleagues faced over 250 felony charges for exploiting over 150 vulnerable individuals under their watch. She was not a guardian to me, said one of her victims, she did not protect me. As each day passed, I felt like I was in a grave, buried alive. This guardian was arrested, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 16 to 40 years in prison. At her sentencing, a Las Vegas courtroom was packed with victims and relatives of those who died under her watch and those too ill or weak to attend as a result of her actions. Stories like these are emblematic of a cycle of guardianship abuse that has reached crisis levels nationwide. Fixing this in Pennsylvania begins with ensuring individuals facing guardianship proceedings have a lawyer to advocate for their wishes and represent their interests. Unlike the great majority of other states, in Pennsylvania there is no right to have an attorney appointed in a guardianship case. As a result, people facing a guardianship proceeding are often unrepresented because they are unable to afford or find one or do not have the opportunity to do so. This results in people going to court alone to fight for their most fundamental rights of freedom and autonomy, with no legal support, and having to face an opposing party that is represented by a seasoned attorney. Legislation has been introduced in each session of the General Assembly for the past several years to improve Pennsylvanias guardianship law. Beyond creating a right to counsel in these cases, the General Assembly should ensure that unqualified individuals cannot be appointed guardians. Specifically, professional guardians who serve three or more individuals should be required to obtain certification, to pass a criminal-background check, and to comply with professional and ethical standards. The time has come for Pennsylvania to make sure vulnerable adults have legal counsel and that safeguards are in place to ensure professional guardians fulfill their important responsibilities. Nevada, where abusive guardians once reigned, is now the gold standard for guardianship law in the nation. In Nevada, every individual facing or in guardianship is now appointed a nonprofit legal aid attorney to protect her rights and ensure his or her voice is heard, throughout the duration of the guardianship. These attorneys do not bill the individual or their estate and have no economic conflict. Their only interest is the well-being of their client. Surely vulnerable Pennsylvanians deserve the same. Karen C. Buck is executive director of SeniorLAW Center. Pamela Walz and Sam Brooks are supervising attorneys in the aging and disabilities unit at Community Legal Services A ship under construction in the dry dock at the Aker shipyard at the Navy Yard in South Philadelphia. Read more As chairman of the Philadelphia Shipyard Development Corporation, I know how vital the Jones Act is when it comes to supporting the nations waterways. Thats why I was disappointed to read the Cato Institutes recent attack on the Jones Act, which appeared as an op-ed in The Inquirer: The Jones Act is protecting US shipyards to death. What that op-ed ignores is the vital role that the Jones Act plays in securing our homeland and overlooks the fact that the U.S. is not alone in efforts to protect its domestic waterways. A 2007 impact scorecard developed by Carnegie Mellon concluded that the Philadelphia Shipyard had supported 7,874 direct and indirect jobs in 2006. Today, Philadelphia is home to a world-class shipyard facility, the most modern full-scale shipyard in the Jones Act market. Philadelphia has an ISO 9000 certified union workforce that can move 25,000 tons of steel and build three large commercial sea-going ships per year. In the 15 years Philly Shipyard has been building ships, it has built nearly 50 percent of all the large commercial sea-going ships in the U.S., and the shipyard has been responsible for over $1 billion in wages paid to workers and subcontractors. None of this would have been possible without the Jones Act. In testimony before a House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing, Admiral Karl Schultz, commandant of the United States Coast Guard, testified that the Jones Act is important to the security of our nation, the merchant fleet here, and our ability to move military supplies and military outloads. The Jones Act came into being nearly 100 years ago, to ensure that our great nation would at any time be able to maintain a sizeable fleet of U.S.-built, -owned, and -crewed commercial vessels, available for military use in national emergencies and to protect our domestic waterways. The U.S. is not alone in this strategy. Nearly two-thirds of the maritime states of the United Nations, covering every geographic region of the world, provide some degree of governance support for their respective maritime cabotage trades that favor each nations domestic ships. UN member states with cabotage include China and Russia. It is easy to find fault with such restrictions, but as in the U.S. they are often grounded in national security concerns, which should outweigh any faults. Many foreign governments also richly subsidize their commercial shipbuilders operations, but U.S. shipyards such as the Philly Shipyard must fend for themselves. Our countrys war plans assume the availability of a sizeable U.S. commercial fleet that can supplement reserve ships. Thanks to the Jones Act, it is the U.S.-flagged tankers and container ships that make up this supplemental reserve fleet. If the Jones Act were repealed, these vessels would either cease operation or likely be registered elsewhere, and then the Navy would have to greatly expand its organic sealift assets, costing billions of dollars. In addition, without the Jones Act, U.S. construction of large, commercial oceangoing vessels would cease, and foreign ships and mariners would likely take over critical U.S. economic infrastructure, which would create major security concerns, as our domestic waterborne commerce is critical to the U.S. auto, appliance, machinery, and railcar industries. In the 91 Gulf War, our armed forces were forced to rely on foreign-flagged ships to carry cargo to the war zone. The foreign crews on 13 of those vessels mutinied, forcing those ships to abandon their military mission. Can our country really afford to take those risks? Do we really want our ability to move military supplies and outloads in the hands of foreign countries? As noted by Loren Thompson, an expert national security writer, the bottom line is the Jones Act provides major national security benefits that critics seldom acknowledge. One only needs to contemplate the possibility of Chinese or Liberian tankers transporting oil in our domestic waterways, which could greatly increase the likelihood of domestic terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and economic disruption, especially in wartime. Without the Jones Act, the challenge of monitoring, regulating, and overseeing foreign-controlled, foreign-crewed vessels in coastal and internal waterways would be much more difficult and costly. Manuel N. Stamatakis is chairman of the Philadelphia Shipyard Development Corporation. Under a rule finalized by the Trump administration last week, health providers such as Planned Parenthood will no longer be allowed to directly refer patients for abortions if they accept Title X money. That funding supports family planning services and related preventative care. Read more As new members of Congress, we are taking a stand against dangerous and unpopular attacks on Title X the national family planning program. All people deserve affordable, reliable, and accurate reproductive health care. Yet with unethical and illegal policies like the Title X gag rule, the Trump-Pence administration is committed to eroding access to care. Though three federal courts have issued nationwide injunctions preventing the rule from going into effect for now, we know the fight is far from over. In fact, the fight has now come to us, in Congress. We are proud to stand with our fellow Southeastern Pennsylvania representatives Congressmen Brendan Boyle and Dwight Evans in our unwavering support for the Title X national family planning program. Congress is in charge of the Title X program, and we will not fund the administrations dangerous changes to it. We support our colleagues in the House who have introduced a bill with a Title X Protection that not only defends patients and doctors by blocking the administrations policy, but also increases funding for the program. The Title X program ensures that everyone regardless of how much money they make or whether theyre insured has access to basic, preventive reproductive health care. This includes birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and annual exams. Title X providers are unable to use Title X to provide abortions. This administrations Title X rule would prohibit providers that receive Title X funds from making referrals for lifesaving family planning services. It would criminalize and gag doctors who try to provide their patients with full and accurate medical information. It would increase the massive health-care inequities that already exist in this country. It would block providers, like Planned Parenthood, from participating in the program, and leave thousands of people across the Commonwealth without access to reproductive health care. This includes a patient like Sydney, a 23-year-old Pennsylvanian, who was able to get treatment at her local Planned Parenthood health center for a persistent UTI after her mother unexpectedly lost her job, along with their health insurance. And it includes someone like Jeanette, from Springfield, a mother of two and cancer survivor who was able to get care through the Title X program, including cancer screenings and annual checkups. She knows these basic preventive services can be critical to early detection, and ultimately be lifesaving. Title X serves nearly 170,000 people in Pennsylvania annually, at 169 health centers. The Title X gag rule is especially harmful to communities that are already unable to access quality health care due to racism, sexism, classism, xenophobia, and other systemic barriers, including communities of color, people with low incomes, and rural communities. The majority of patients in the Title X program identify as people of color, Hispanic, or Latino. Attacks on our communities most vulnerable populations are unacceptable. We know how dangerous cutting safety-net providers, such as Planned Parenthood, out of Title X will be. With the implementation of this new rule, many Pennsylvanians would be forced to go without health care. Last November, voters told us loudly and clearly that they want and need more access to health care, not less. Seventy-five percent of American adults support the Title X program. That includes 66 percent of Republicans, 75 percent of Independents, and 85 percent of Democrats. Furthermore, investing in public health is fiscally responsible. We know that every dollar invested in the Title X program saves more than seven dollars in Medicaid-related costs a total savings of seven billion dollars annually for federal and state governments. We are not alone in opposing the changes to the Title X program. One hundred and ten public health organizations have said this rule violates medical ethics and will harm patients. As newly elected officials, we know that our job is to serve our communities, not interfere with doctors providing full and accurate medical information to their patients. All people deserve the freedom to live full, healthy lives. We will never stop fighting for Pennsylvanians health care, and that is why we urge our colleagues in Congress to stand strong and protect Title X. Madeleine Dean, Chrissy Houlahan, and Mary Gay Scanlon represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition to choosing a mayor, district and at-large City Council members, City Commissioners, Register of Wills, and multiple judges on May 21, voters will also vote on four proposed charter changes. Here are our recommendations. Question #1: Gender neutral titles for Council Shall The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to change certain gender specific references (such as councilman, councilmen, and Councilmanic) to gender neutral references (such as councilmember, councilmembers, and Council)? Philadelphias home rule charter was written in 1951. It refers to councilmen on multiple occasions. While Philadelphia is still far from parity current Council is 35 percent female over the decades many women had served and led on Council. Earlier this year, Council member Derek Green introduced a bill to replace councilman to councilmember and councilmanic to council. There is no reason for gender to be a part of the way we describe the leadership in our city. We recommend that you vote YES. Question #2: Designated office for immigration establish and define the functions of the Office of Immigrant Affairs, headed by a Director of Immigrant Affairs? In 2013, then-Mayor Michael Nutter signed an executive order to establish the Office of Immigrant Affairs to serve the immigrant community in Philadelphia. Mayor Jim Kenney has continuedthe office. Since the office is already established, this would not have an immediate impact on the budget. About 15 percent of Philadelphia is foreign born, a number that continues to grow. This constituency deserves an advocate. We recommend that you vote YES. Question #3: $15 minimum wage, sort of call on the General Assembly to either increase the Pennsylvania minimum wage now, so that it reaches $15 an hour, in stages, by 2025; or allow the City of Philadelphia to itself provide for a decent, family sustaining, living wage for working Philadelphians? The minimum wage in Philadelphia is $7.25 an hour. State law preempts the city from setting its own minimum wage, though Philadelphia has increased it for those who work for the city. Republicans in Harrisburg oppose efforts to increase the wage. The measure is symbolic and nonbinding. We recommend that you vote YES. Question #4: Traffic cops require the establishment of Public Safety Enforcement Officers to assist the Police Department in regulating the flow of traffic; to enforce and assist the appropriate City officers in the enforcement of ordinances relating to the quality of life in the Citys neighborhoods; and to perform such other related duties as the Managing Director or Council may require? Traffic congestion in Center City is bad and getting worse. In the fall, Council President Darrell L. Clarke proposed creating a new class of civil officers who would help navigate traffic, enforce civil violations, and assist police with special events. This question mostly pertains to establishing the authority to create this class of officers. In the fall, Clarke estimated that there would be 100 new officers. There is no budget yet for such a plan. Opponents argue it is in violation of state law. Traffic enforcers are a good idea, but success will depend on the details. We recommend that you vote YES. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, second from left, and United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, right, speak with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, left, as he departs the Office of the United States Trade Representative in Washington, Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Read more WASHINGTON (AP) The White House's top economic adviser acknowledged Sunday that U.S. consumers and businesses pay the tariffs that the Trump administration has imposed on billions of dollars of Chinese goods, even as President Trump himself insisted in a tweet, incorrectly, that China pays. "Yes, I don't disagree with that," said Larry Kudlow, the head of the president's National Economic Council, when Chris Wallace, host of "Fox News Sunday," asked him, "It's U.S. businesses and U.S. consumers who pay, correct?" Kudlow added, "Both sides will pay," but he stipulated that China "will suffer (economic) losses" from reduced exports to the U.S., not from paying the tariffs. Kudlow's admission contradicts many of Trump's comments and tweets to the effect that Chinese companies pay the tariffs in what amounts, in the president's view, to a massive transfer of wealth to the United States from China. Yet almost no economist has agreed with Trump's view and fact-checkers routinely brand Trump's assertion false and point out that American importers of goods from China pay the tariffs. Trump has also asserted that trade wars are "easy to win," but Kudlow accepted that they come with costs for the U.S. economy, though he downplayed the impact. On Friday, the Trump administration raised duties on $200 billion of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%, after charging that China had backtracked on commitments it made earlier in the talks. The administration has already hit $50 billion of additional Chinese goods with 25% duties. Later Sunday, Trump reiterated his view in a tweet: "We will be taking in Tens of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs from China. Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-Tariffed countries." Yet Carl Weinberg, chief international economist at High Frequency Economics, a forecasting firm, pointed out that many goods made in China aren't manufactured elsewhere. That's why many U.S. importers have little choice but to pay the tariff. "So if you need that new iPad, it is you who will be paying the import duty, not some worker in China," Weinberg wrote in a research note. Trump has also threatened to impose import taxes on the remaining $300 billion in Chinese imports, a step that Kudlow estimated would take several months to implement. Imposing those tariffs would impact a wide range of consumer goods clothes, shoes, toys, and electronics such as iPhones that have been mostly exempted so far and could prompt steep cost increases that many Americans would likely notice. Kudlow, however, said the economic impact of placing tariffs on all Chinese imports would be to cut economic growth 0.2 percentage points, "a very modest number." Independent economists, though, think the impact would be larger. Gregory Daco, an economist at Oxford Economics, estimates it would reduce U.S. growth by a half percentage point and cost 300,000 jobs. Kudlow also said the U.S. is awaiting retaliation from China over the increased tariffs, after talks in Washington ended on Friday without a deal. "The expected countermeasures have not yet materialized. We may know more today or even this evening or tomorrow," he told "Fox News Sunday." Both sides have indicated that future talks are likely. Kudlow said on Sunday that Chinese officials have invited U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to visit Beijing, though nothing has been scheduled. Kudlow also said that Trump and China's President, Xi Jingping, may meet in late June at the G-20 international conference in Japan. On Saturday, Trump tweeted that he thought that "China felt they were being beaten so badly in the recent negotiation that they may as well wait around for the next election, 2020, to see if they could get lucky & have a Democrat win." Beijing retaliated for previous tariff hikes by raising duties on $110 billion of American imports. And officials have targeted American companies operating in China by slowing customs clearance and stepping up regulatory scrutiny. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told ABC's "This Week" that he advised the president to finalize a trade deal with China soon, "because the longer we're involved in a tariff battle or a trade war, the better chance there is that we could actually enter into a recession because of it." The two countries are sparring over U.S. allegations that China steals technology and pressures American companies into handing over trade secrets, part of an aggressive campaign to turn Chinese companies into world leaders in robotics, electric cars and other advanced industries. Tammy Painter of Bethlehem, Pa., holds a sign for President Donald Trump outside the Steel Stacks Event Center in Bethlehem, where Democrat Bernie Sanders held a town hall meeting in April. Read more WASHINGTON Most voters really dont like President Donald Trump, the polls say. But those same surveys show that many like this: Unemployment is the lowest in 50 years, the stock market has soared, and wages are rising. If economic gains continue, those factors could be the defining elements of the 2020 presidential campaign. His job performance is extremely negative, and his favorability is negative, and theres real intensity to it, said Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster who helps run the bipartisan Battleground Poll. What Democrats have to be most worried about is the economy. There we see the president getting very solid job performance ratings and the Democrats being far behind. The question of economic strength is particularly relevant in Pennsylvania, one of the most critical swing states, and a place Trump won in 2016 with promises to revive old postindustrial towns. There are signs of progress: The Keystone State hit an all-time low in unemployment in March, 3.9 percent. Meanwhile, the states job count lifted to a record 6.2 million. Pennsylvania is having one of the best economic years in its history, with lowest unemployment EVER, Trump tweeted April 29, just ahead of a Pittsburgh rally for former Vice President Joe Biden. Democrats argue that the headline numbers, though, have not brought tangible benefits for middle-class workers. The stock market is roaring, but you dont feel it, Biden said in a Pittsburgh Teamsters union hall. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) also stopped in the Steel City last month and reached out to the blue-collar voters who helped tip the state to Trump. The president, Sanders said, had betrayed working people by pushing to repeal the protections of the Affordable Care Act and signing a tax bill that mostly helped the wealthy. We will not accept the massive levels of income and wealth inequality that exist in America today, Sanders said. So where does Pennsylvania stand? Measuring the economy in a political context, of course, comes with caveats. For one, individual experiences shape perceptions, regardless of trends. What the objective economy looks like isnt necessarily how voters interpret the economy, said Marc Meredith, an associate professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania. Democrats note that Trump inherited a steadily growing economy and declining unemployment. And there are many ways to measure performance. In some counties, for example, the unemployment rate has dropped steeply, but few new jobs have been added. (The contrast could be explained by people moving away, dying, or leaving the workforce.) Its also impossible to predict how long the surge will last. Trumps tariff hike Friday escalated a trade war with China and added a dose of economic uncertainty after a week that had seen stocks slip. The tariffs have aided the steel industry but hampered other businesses that use steel and that employ far more people. Farmers also have struggled with retaliatory tariffs. Tariffs tend to have more losers than winners, said David Buehler, an associate professor of economics at Penn States Harrisburg campus. In a big state, economic gains and losses arent always equal Beneath the statewide figures are significant variations. There is no Pennsylvania economy. We are a collection of regions, said Chris Briem, a regional economist at the University of Pittsburgh. Although every county has seen unemployment rates fall, some have enjoyed more gains than others. In what could be a concern for Trump, several of the long-struggling counties that decisively swung his way have continued to lag. Job Growth in Pennsylvania Under Trump Counties voting for Trump The number of jobs in the counties that voted for Donald Trump in 2016 have increased by 1.6 percent during Trump's presidency so far, a rate that is lower than the statewide boost of 1.9 percent. Job growth has trailed the statewide rate in 29 of the 56 counties, and the number of jobs has declined in eight others. Counties voting for Clinton Job growth in the counties that voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 has been 2.9 percent, higher than the statewide rate. Jobs in Philadelphia and its four suburban counties, which all voted for Clinton, have increased by 3.3 percent since Trump took office. SOURCE: Pa. Department of Labor and Industry JOHN DUCHNESKIE / Staff Artist Luzerne County, for example, saw a 32,000-vote swing toward Trump in 2016, compared with the 2012 presidential results. And the Northeastern Pennsylvania county has seen a sharp drop in unemployment, from 6.2 percent when Trump took office to 4.8 percent in March. But its unemployment rate was still above the state average and ranked 58th out of Pennsylvanias 67 counties. Luzerne has seen a 1.3 percent increase in jobs since the end of 2016, less than the state average. Nearby Lackawanna County, which also swung dramatically to Trump, has seen 800 new jobs, less than a 1 percent increase, according to state data. Other parts of so-called Trump country, however, have seen significant gains. In Western Pennsylvania, Beaver County, home to a massive construction project for a new Shell petrochemical complex, has added 1,800 jobs, a 2.3 percent increase from December 2016. Its unemployment rate has fallen from 6 percent the month Trump took office to 3.7 percent, 18th lowest in the state. (The Shell facility, tied to the natural gas industry, was approved before Trumps election.) Westmoreland County, in the Southwest, also surged toward Trump in 2016 and has added 3,900 jobs, one of the largest gains outside of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and their suburbs. Philadelphia gains jobs, but cant shake persistent poverty Philadelphia had seen a 4.4 percent increase in jobs as of March 2019. But worries about inequality persist. A census report found the citys poverty rate stuck at 25.7 percent in 2017, nearly the same as the 25.8 percent level in 2015. It had the highest poverty rate of the 10 most populous U.S. cities. Unemployment in March was 4.7 percent, higher than the state average. After a lull, wages might finally be ticking up Wages long lagged behind in the recovery, but in April the national average hourly earnings were 3.2 percent higher than one year earlier. That was the ninth straight month of growth over 3 percent. The greatest gains over the last year have gone to people in the bottom 25 percent of the wage scale, according to a New York Times analysis of public data. Its difficult to say exactly how that has affected Pennsylvania because regional wage data are reported more slowly. The most recent regional analysis from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is from September 2018, when the average weekly wages rose 3.3 percent nationally compared with one year earlier. Some parts of Pennsylvania did even better than that, including Luzerne (3.9 percent growth), Butler (4.5 percent), and Westmoreland (4.2 percent). Each of those, however, was still well behind the national average of $1,055 earnings a week. Again, though, some counties where Trump surged, such as Lackawanna (2.3 percent) and Northampton (2.3 percent), trailed. Erie saw 0.8 percent wage growth, ranking it 327 out of the countrys 350 largest counties for that time span. In Philadelphia, wages grew by just 1.7 percent. State data from Pennsylvanias Center for Workforce Information & Analysis show that in the first full fiscal year under Trump, July 2017 to June 2018, the states average weekly wages rose to $1,048.73, or 2.29 percent. In the seven full fiscal years under Barack Obama, by comparison, average wage increases beat that mark three times, and fell short four. Meanwhile, the number of workers earning the minimum wage or less fell to an estimated 96,300 people in 2018, the lowest since 2006, according to Pennsylvanias Minimum Wage Advisory Board. Andreas Christoforou Wins the 2019 Merit Poker Classic Main Event May 13, 2019 Shirley Ang More than thirteen hours after the final day started, a winner has been crowned in the Merit Poker Classic $5,300 Main Event. Its a home island win for Cyprus own Andreas Christoforou, who grabbed the first-place prize of $565,157 by defeating Israels Liran Twito heads-up. The tournament was organized by Merit Poker, in conjunction with partypoker LIVE and Poker Club Management here in the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino and attracted 649 entries in total, which included 211 entries, which created a total prize pool of $2,990,267. This win is Christoforous biggest cash ever in the live tournament circuit, nearly doubling his total winnings in one fell swoop (according to The Hendon Mob) and will take him to second place on the Cyprus All Time Money List. Christoforou started the day at the short stack but managed to wield himself through the minefield of eliminations to claim the win in the end with a huge rail cheering him on along the way. Other notable players to have reached the final table of ten included the two partypoker pros Kristen Bicknell and Ludovic Geilich, Basil Yaiche, Anton Morgenstern, Mustafa Biz, and Florian Duta. 2019 Merit Poker Classic Main Event Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize (USD) 1 Andreas Christoforou Cyprus $565,157 2 Liran Twito Israel $416,245 3 Kristen Bicknell Canada $254,770 4 Daniel Braude Israel $188,685 5 Basil Yaiche France $141,440 6 Ludovic Geilich United Kingdom $113,330 7 Selahaddin Bedir Turkey $94,490 8 Anton Morgenstern Germany $75,355 9 Mustafa Biz Turkey $56,515 10 Florian Duta Romania $41,565 The 2019 Merit Poker Classic Main Event Final Table 2019 Merit Poker Classic Main Event Final Day Action Sixteen players returned at noon local time for the final day of the Merit Poker Classic, with start-of-the-day chip leader Geilich was off to a bad start when he first doubled up Anatoly Suvarov and Duta. Geilich quickly recovered by eliminating Sharar Levi, as well as Pavel Kovalenko. The latter went down with jacks against jacks, where the Scotsman spiked a four-flush to send him out. Despite doubling earlier, Suvarov was next to go when he shoved his last ten big blinds with queen-jack and also fell victim to Geilich who held ace-seven. However, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for the popular Scotsman, and Christoforou started off his ascent towards the eventual victory by doubling through Geilich with a rivered a pair of aces against pocket nines. His stack still consisted of mere crumbs at that point: once the final table kicked off Geilich was holding the chip lead, while Christoforou was the second shortest stack. Florian Duta and Mustafa Biz were the first to bow out from the ten-handed final table before notable German pro Anton Morgenstern fell in eight. It took three hours of eight-handed play before the German busted in a classic coin flip with ace-king versus Twito's pocket jacks. Selahaddin Bedir also got cooked by Twito, this time with Bedir holding jacks onto to walk into Twito's pocket aces. The blades held up to leave six at dinner with Twito leading. Ludovic Geilich finished in 6th place for $113,330 & Kristen Bicknell finished in 3rd place for $254,770 After dinner, former chip leader Geilich fell to Twito when he ran jack-ten suited into the Israeli's ace-jack and didn't improve. Twito went four for four just five minutes after, taking out Basil Yaiche with eights versus sixes. Holding half the chips in play at that point, Twito ramped up the aggression on the other three, but it was Christoforou that took care of fourth-place finisher Braude to bring the field down to its final three hopefuls. The three were ready to discuss a deal and agreed to look at the numbers but decided to play out the current hand first before entering negotiations. That decision proved to be crucial for Christoforou who doubled up with pocket queens through Twito to decrease the gap between them. The new state of affairs eventually resulted in a declined deal, which proved unfortunate for Bicknell as she busted out in third by shoving king-six into the ace-ten of Christoforou. Liran Twito finished runner-up for $416,245 Numbers were once again considered, but no deal was agreed and play continued. The chip lead went back and forth over the span of almost two hours, and Christoforou held the lead when the final hand occurred. Twito shoved with ace-eight. Christoforou called with king-ten suited and turned a flush while avoiding another club on the river which would have given Twito the nut-flush. With the rail and Christoforou himself exploding from happiness, the Merit Poker tournament was over with the home town hero claiming the gold. This concludes PokerNews live coverage from the Merit Crystal Cove & Hotel in Cyprus. There's plenty more from Merit Poker on the horizon. The next partypoker LIVE tournament is around the corner, when the Playground Poker Club in Montreal will host the partypoker LIVE MILLIONS North America event. PokerNews will be back on the floor to cover all the action. 1.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Democrats are in talks with Robert Mueller to get him to testify before the House Judiciary Committee within the next two weeks. Mueller could testify within the next two weeks The APs Jonathan Lemire said on MSNBCs Morning Joe: In terms of Robert Mueller, what we have here is a few things. Robert Mueller, when the investigation wound down, there was talk from his spokesman that he was going to soon be leaving the Department of Justice. They didnt give an exact timeline, but they said it would sooner than later. He hasnt yet. Hes still an employee of the Department of Justice. And as long as he remains there, its much easier for the executive branch, for the president, to try to curtail to prevent him from testifying. Democrats still obviously want to see him there. Nadler, as you said, on Friday, suggested it wouldnt be this week as they originally hoped, but there are still talks ongoing. We could see him as soon as next week or the week after. This is still very much an active hope to have him there. The president has suggested publicly that he would be okay with Robert Mueller testifying. But as weve been reporting, privately, hes saying something very different. And eventually, he did shift his tone publicly as well. Hes afraid of what that spectacle will look like. He remembers. Hes told people around him, he remembers how the media basically stopped when Michael Cohen went before Congress. And it was days worth of coverage, very damaging and embarrassing for the president. It upstaged a summit with Kim Jong-un in Vietnam at the time. And he thinks with Mueller, someone who has been, in the presidents belief, unfairly lionized for years, in the media, that when Mueller gets before Congress, even though Mueller is an institutionalist, seems unlikely to really turn a flame thrower to the department of justice, but the president is still concerned that if hes there and commands the nations and worlds attention that nothing good of that will come for the president. And his political future, his prelim standing has always been his paramount concern more than the due process of law and investigation. Video: Mueller is going to testify eventually Democrats are so confident that Robert Mueller will testify because the special counsel is leaving the DOJ, and will be a private citizen. It will be much more difficult for Trump to stop Mueller once he is no longer employed by the Executive Branch. Robert Mueller is going to testify. As has been seen with other witnesses, terms have to be negotiated, and those negotiations take some time. Mueller could be in front of Congress before Memorial Day, which means that some of Trumps biggest fears are about to come true. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 6.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The myth that Fox has a news side and an opinion side was shattered a by a new report documenting the lies that Fox told to their viewers during their news segments of their programming. Foxs news side lies to viewers Here is a smattering of some of the lies pushed as news by Fox anchors: Anchor Harris Faulkner claimed Democrats have gotten Muellers ndings through that four-page report from the AG. Anchor Maria Bartiromo suggested that Democrats dont support border security because they didnt vote for three specic proposals Anchor Bill Hemmer said the Trump/Russia investigation began with the original sin of the dirty dossier. Chief national correspondent Ed Henry said, House Democrats already seem to be, at least, encouraging illegal immigrants to vote through voting and campaign nance reform bill HR 1. Anchor Sandra Smith parroted a highly misleading claim that Medicare for All would cost $33 trillion in its rst 10 years. Read the report from Media Matters: 409793749-The-Fox-News-Lie The supposed news side is telling the same lies to viewers that Sean Hannity is spewing at night. Fox is giving the lies news like presentation, but they are still partisan false statements that are designed to misinform and mislead viewers. Foxs news reporters were caught in leaked emails discussing how they could defend Trump against Joe Biden. There is no news side and opinion side separation. Propaganda, Trump supporting lies, and partisan misinformation are the backbone of Fox News. Fox could deliver news with conservative analysis, but that is not what the network chooses to do. They use the pretense of news to spread partisan misinformation and misinform the public. Fox News has nothing to do with journalism and the news. One of the last remaining cover stories for Foxs propaganda has been exposed, and no American who wants to be accurately informed should give Fox News one second of their time. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 1.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump is doubling down on his lie that the United States is taking hundreds of billions of dollars in tariff payments from China. Trump falsely claims that the US is making money on tariffs Trump said at the White House: China has been taking advantage of the United States for many, many years. Im not just talking about during the Obama administration. You can go back long before that. Its been taken out 400, 500, $600 billion a year. Weve gone up a lot since our great election in 2016, and if you look at the numbers, theyve gone down quite a bit. Were dealing with them. We have a very good relationship. Maybe something will happen. Were going to be meeting, as you know, at the G-20 in Japan and that will be, I think, probably a very fruitful meeting. But were taking in right now hundreds of billions of dollars. Were taking in billions of dollars of tariffs, and those tariffs are going to be tremendously if you look at what weve done thus far, weve never taken in 10 cents before I got elected, now were taking in billions and billions. It went up Friday very substantially. Its 25% and 200 billion, so now the total is 25% on $250 billion. In addition to that, we have another $325 billion that we can do if we decide to do it. So we are taking in $200 billion. Weve never done that with China, weve never done that before with anybody, frankly, because weve been taken advantage of on all our trade deals, frankly. This is a very positive step. I love the position were in. There can be some retaliation but it can be very, very substantial by comparison. And out of the billions of dollars that were taking in, a small portion of that will be going to our farmers because China will be retaliating to a certain extent against our farmers. Well be taking the highest year, the biggest purchase that China has ever made with our farmers, which is about $15 billion and do something reciprocal to our farmers so our farmers can be doing well. Video: Trump made the stock market even worse with his remarks The market had clawed its way back from a 719 loss to a roughly 550 point loss while Trump was talking. After the president spoke, the market losses climbed to over 600 points as it was the worst day for stocks since January 3. Trump doesnt reassure markets. He destabilizes them. Trumps talk of imposing even more tariffs on China made the situation worse, while his fundamental ignorance of how tariffs work did nothing to ease the concerns of investors. The more Trump talks the worse the market gets. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 2.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump started frantically retweeting himself as the stock market plummeted and no one believed his tariff lies. Trump tries to stop a stock market plunge by retweeted himself As the stock market went lower and lower, this is what Trumps Twitter account looked like: Each of Trumps tweets about his trade war with China got half to one-third as many retweets as he normally gets. His lies about tariffs are not playing well with his most devoted followers. Trump didnt try to speak to reporters and offer any reassuring statements to the country after China retaliated and raised tariffs on US goods coming into their country. The president doubled down on lies about how tariffs are making money for America and forcing China to pay. Trumps trade agenda is imploding Politico reported that Trumps trade agenda is imploding, President Donald Trump is heading toward his 2020 reelection campaign with virtually nothing to show for his big trade promises except for angry farmers and a jittery stock marketTrumps failure to reach agreements with Americas trading partners could have a brutal impact on the economy and his reelection effort, even if his base likes his tough talk on China. By the time voters head to the polls in 2020, the prices of consumer goods could be skyrocketing. Farmers may be swamped with products they cant sell abroad. And a bear market could be shrinking everyones retirement savings. It is all falling apart for Trump, and the only thing that the impotent president knows how to do is tweet his lies in the desperate hope that he can brainwash the nation into following him off the economic cliff. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 1.8k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard A Ukrainian lawmaker is claiming that the countrys top prosecutor made up a conspiracy against Joe Biden to win favor with Trump. Bloomberg reported: The lawmaker, Serhiy Leshchenko, said he had been given parts of a letter written by the prosecutor with the intent of currying favor with the Trump administration. The letter was sent by the prosecutor through unofficial channels to President Donald Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, the lawmaker told journalists on Monday in Kiev as he distributed copies of two pages. Serhiy Leshchenko The letter, purportedly written by Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko, said that Biden, while U.S. vice president, personally received income from a Ukrainian natural gas company in exchange for lobbying activities and political support. The lawmaker said those allegations were false. The allegations were made against Biden so that the prosecutor could hold on to his job in the new Ukrainian administration by showing himself to be a useful partner for Trump Trumps Ukreinian Scheme Against Biden Falls Apart Trump was planning on running the same campaign that he ran against Hillary Clinton against Joe Biden in 2020, but that plan has quickly crumbled. However, this should be a warning to all Democrats. The world has learned from Russias manipulation of Trump. They know that Trump is on the hunt for anything that he can use against Joe Biden. People will be feeding Trump false information about the former vice president for as long as he is in the 2020 race. Donald Trump wont be able to get away with stunts that he pulled while he was running against Hillary Clinton. Trump is a one-trick pony, and in 2020, Democrats have their eyes wide open and are looking out for that trick. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Charleston, SC (29403) Today Plentiful sunshine. Near record high temperatures. High 76F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds from time to time. Low 56F. Winds light and variable. 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. 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. The Trump administration has chosen South Carolina as one of seven states to help wipe out HIV by 2030 because there are so many cases in rural areas of the state. But during a recent roundtable and conference call discussion with executives of national HIV advocacy organizations, the health leaders highlighted their concern with the plan. Experts say that America has never eradicated a virus without either a vaccine or cure; HIV has neither. Were trying to do something that has never been done before," said Paul Kawata, executive director of NMAC, formerly known as the National Minority AIDS Council. At this year's State of the Union Address, President Donald Trump announced a plan to eradicate HIV that came with a promise of $291 million in federal funds. The federal Health Resources and Services Administration explained parts of the plan. One is to give more funding to HRSA and its health centers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will also get additional funding for testing and prevention. The hope is to strengthen HIV diagnosis, prevention, treatment and response in areas where the HIV burden is heavy. The initiative will kick-start in 2020. The goal is to reduce the number of new HIV infections to less than 3,000 by 2030. In 2017, CDC reported over 10 times that number of cases. Kawata said all of the most affected communities having a voice during the planning is crucial for the 3,000 goal to be reached. It's even more important due to the absence of a vaccine. It's going to take all of us working together to make that happen," Kawata said. What does it mean for SC? The Trump plan will focus on Washington, D.C., San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 48 counties, all of which have high HIV burdens. It will also focus efforts in South Carolina and six other states with a high rural HIV burden. Jason Kirk, the development director with Palmetto Community Care, said the Trump plan needs more fleshing out. Were worried that this is sort of short-sighted," he said. Palmetto Community Care is a Lowcountry-based health agency that works to address the HIV epidemic. Kirk explained that they are excited to see HIV being talked about more. Increased awareness means more people know it's still a problem, he said. In 2018 Palmetto recorded 23 positive cases of HIV. This was an increase from the numbers seen in 2017 and 2016. But it's going to take more coordination for South Carolina to benefit from the plan, Kirk said. For example, he said Palmetto has learned to address several individual needs while addressing a person's HIV needs. He said if a person is in need of housing or food, their health often doesn't get prioritized. So the nonprofit works to secure HIV patients with housing, jobs and transportation in addition to medical support. "Thats when people are taking the best care of themselves medically," he said. So any plan to eradicate HIV has to take those extra needs into account he said. Trump's plan so far hasn't offered information on whether that will be addressed, he said. He and Kawata agree the plan has to make room for erasing the HIV stigma. The reason, they explained, is that it's creating a lot of barriers to prevention, awareness and people seeking HIV treatments. We need local communities to fight the stigma and discrimination," Kawata said. The advantage of a lot of urban communities Kirk said, is that there is more room for anonymity. In rural communities it's different. "You know everyone, you know their business," he said. So there are more personal hurdles for people getting help with tests and treatments, he said. Going more in-depth Demographics that are the most affected by the virus also have to be invited to have their voices heard, Kawata said. Particularly, people of color. According to NMAC, there are 400,000 people living with HIV who have fallen out of care and most of them are people of color, Kawata said. In South Carolina, the state health department reports that almost 20,000 were living with HIV as of December 2017. The majority of those cases were African American men and women. Black gay men and the transgender community are also affected by the virus, Kirk said. So erasing stigmas associated with those communities is a vital component of ending the epidemic. Between 2009 and 2014, the CDC reported that over 2,000 transgender people received an HIV diagnosis. Around half of transgender people who received that diagnosis were from Southern states. In 2019, the CDC estimates that 14 percent of transgender women have HIV. Most of them are African American. Yet they're being stigmatized and ostracized even more than ever," Kirk said. Thats a whole community thats being left out. Kirk compared eradicating HIV to a four-legged stool. The medical side is one leg. For HIV prevention the world has Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis or PrEP, a daily pill that significantly reduces a person's risk of HIV infection. There are also treatments that make the virus manageable. So the medical leg is strong, he said. But even with this the CDC and the health department are still seeing high HIV numbers. A lack of emphasis on social services, housing and stigmas will weaken other legs, Kirk said. If the other vital legs are weak, it doesn't matter how strong the medical side is. "The stool doesnt work anymore," he said. Kawata and Kirk say the Trump plan needs more information. They first want to know which organizations will get funding. They also want to know if that funding comes with heavy oversight. For Palmetto Community Care, Kirk said it would be ideal if they would get more creative freedom with the funds. That way if a program is not working, they can immediately make adjustments. Though the plan to get to less than 3,000 new cases by 2030 is a lot, experts like Kirk and Kawata believe it is possible. It's just going to take a lot of effort and participation. At this point Kawata believes the plan has to work. If we fail, we fail in communities that are sometimes the most marginalized communities in our society," he said. Paul Bowers is an education reporter and father of three living in North Charleston. He previously worked at the Charleston City Paper, where he was twice named South Carolina Journalist of the Year in the weekly category. Thomas Novelly is a political reporter based in Charleston. He also covers the military community and veterans throughout South Carolina. Previously, he wrote for the Courier Journal in Kentucky. He is a fan of Southern rock, bourbon and horse racing. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. The Post and Courier provides a forum for our readers to share their opinions, and to hold up a mirror to our community. Publication does not imply endorsement by the newspaper; the editorial staff attempts to select a representative sample of letters because we believe its important to let our readers see the range of opinions their neighbors submit for publication. Hillary Clinton's former communications director says the double standard in the current crop of 2020 candidates is easy to spot. The men, such as Beto O'Rourke and Pete Buttigeig, are compared to the likes of John and Bobby Kennedy, Bill Clinton or Barack Obama. The women, meanwhile, have only one barometer: Hillary Clinton. Female candidates "are just in a different place because they can't remind us of a leader who we've seen before," said Jennifer Palmieri, who worked for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and also inside the Bill Clinton White House. "I don't think that means that the women can't break out later," she added. Palmieri will be in Charleston on Tuesday promoting her 2018 book "Dear Madam President: An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World." She will appear at Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King St., at 5:30 p.m. Palmieri has been a key player in modern politics for the past two decades. Her resume includes White House communications director for Obama. She was also national press secretary for the Democratic Party and press secretary for John Edwards' 2004 White House run. When the 2020 race started, the early storyline emphasized the fact that so many women were in the Democratic field. That has since been overcome by polling trends that puts white men out front. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! The trend is consistent in South Carolina, where Joe Biden is preferred by 46 percent of likely S.C. Democratic primary voters, up 14 points from a month ago, according to a Post and Courier-Change Research poll released Sunday. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is in second at 15 percent, with California Sen. Kamala Harris following at 10 percent. The struggle in the current atmosphere, Palmieri said, is there still is a novelty among some in seeing women stepping up and seeking power positions. "At the root of that is these women are doing something different, something we haven't seen before," she said. That doesn't mean people won't support women candidates, she said, "it just means that we carry these biases ... these models in our head of what leaders look and sound like." The Hillary Clinton comparison is more often to their detriment, Palmieri said, and that it is often followed by the question "Is she electable?" With more than 20 Democrats in the race, Palmieri said the race is still pretty open since voters are not ready to make their decisions this early. "We're still in the prelims," she said. "The dynamics of this race have yet to reveal themselves fully." Physicians performed open-heart surgery on Elenilza Souza in her native Brazil when she was just 18 years old, replacing a faulty valve that had left her gasping for breath after the slightest exertion. The fix worked for a while, but at age 25, by then living in Mount Laurel, she felt the dreaded symptoms again. One time, when she went to the gym with husband, Taylor Tritten, she had to quit after just a few leg lifts. Specialists at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden, N. J., told her they could replace the faulty valve yet again. But given her young age and recent marriage, they asked a key question: Was she pregnant? Unbeknownst to Souza, she was. What followed, according to her physicians, was a medical first. ADVERTISEMENT TIMING IS EVERYTHING The valve that needed replacing was Souzas mitral valve, a vital gateway that directs oxygenated blood into the left ventricle before it is pumped out to the body. Lourdes physicians told her they could replace it with a newer technique that avoided the rigors of surgery, using a catheter to insert the new valve. But when Souza called two to three weeks later with the news that she was nine weeks along, the question of timing became crucial. The valve procedure, though not surgery, still would mean exposure to anesthesia and radiation. The team needed to wait until the fetal organs had developed. Yet the doctors could not wait too long, as Souzas body would be producing more blood with every month to cope with the growing demands of pregnancy. Without a new valve to handle the increased flow, the lives of the fetus and mother would be at risk, said Arthur Martella, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Lourdes. "By the time you get to that third trimester, she would be in heart failure," he said. After consulting specialists, Martella and colleague Ibrahim Moussa told Souza that the best window for her procedure was the 16th week of pregnancy. No other pregnant woman had undergone the procedure, as far as they knew after consulting the medical literature and the company that made the valve. But the device, approved less than two years ago for use in the mitral opening, had worked well in most other patients who were ineligible for surgery. It seemed like her best option. On April 16, the team inserted a catheter into a vein in Souzas groin, snaking the slender instrument up into her heart. To reach the opening where the new valve would be placed, they first needed to poke a hole through the atrial septum, a wall between two chambers of the heart. ADVERTISEMENT Then came another twist. Because of Souzas open-heart surgery seven years earlier, her septum was tough and scarred. Try as they might, they could not get through. UNTREATED INFECTION At first, it felt like a bad sore throat. Souza was 9 years old, growing up on a farm outside Sao Paulo, and her parents gave her lots of soothing hot tea. But after a week or two, her illness got worse. She started to feel pain in her joints, and eventually, her hands began to twitch. Untreated with antibiotics, her strep-like infection had developed into rheumatic fever. The disease is rare in the United States because strep infections tend to be diagnosed and treated promptly, but it remains common in some developing nations. She went to one hospital, then another, finally getting the right diagnosis and treatment with penicillin but the damage to her heart was done. Doctors told her she would likely need valve-replacement surgery someday, and, sure enough, that happened when she turned 18. ADVERTISEMENT The surgery helped, and in 2017 Souza moved to the United States to work as an au pair, taking care of a young couples children. She started going to the gym. "I worked out so I could be in good shape, to keep moving with the kids," she said, often exercising with Tritten. But by the time the two were married last December, she felt increasingly fatigued. Her replacement mitral valve, which was expected to last at least a decade, had started to fail. FROM DOLLAR TO DIME Ordinarily, when the leaflets in the mitral valve fold open to allow the flow of blood with each heartbeat, the opening is the size of a silver dollar, said Moussa, medical director of the structural heart program at Lourdes. In Souzas case, the leaflets in her replacement valve had become calcified and stuck together. The opening had shrunk to the size of a dime. The new valve that they planned to insert, made by Edwards Lifesciences of Irvine, Calif., was designed to replace a different structure in the heart called the aortic valve. Still, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows the similar-sized aortic device to be used in the mitral opening so long as two conditions are met. First, the patient must previously have undergone a surgical valve replacement, providing a sort of anchor so that physicians can wedge the new valve easily inside the old one. Second, the patient must be at high risk for undergoing a second valve replacement through traditional surgery. Souza fit both descriptions. Inserting a new valve with a catheter, her physicians agreed, was the way to go. There was pushback at first from Souzas health insurance, which she gets through her husband, who serves in the Air Force. But once Lourdes physicians called to explain that she had no other good options, the insurer gave the go-ahead. THROUGH THE RIB CAGE On the day of the procedure, when the physicians were unable to poke through her septum to deliver the new valve, it was not entirely a surprise. Having looked at her heart in advance with a type of ultrasound, doctors could tell that the wall between the chambers might be scarred. So they were prepared for Option B: cutting through her rib cage to implant the valve in her heart from the other direction. And if for some reason that didnt work, there was still the option of open-heart surgery, though that would endanger the fetus. Moussa and Martella met multiple times in advance with colleagues who had expertise in pharmacy, anesthesia, maternal fetal medicine, and cardiology. "I wanted everybody to think about the worst-case scenario," Moussa said. "We had her ready for Plan A and Plan B and Plan C in case things didnt work out." The rib cage approach Plan B worked. Souza was in pain from the incision for a few days, but she was up and about by day four. The size of her mitral opening is not quite normal, but it is much bigger than it had been. "We can never bring the silver dollar back," Moussa said. "We took her from a dime to a little bit over a quarter." OH, BABY And her baby, due in early October, appears fine. "Its incredible what they did," Souza said, in an interview just nine days after the procedure. At Mayo Clinic, which performed many of the procedures that paved the way for FDA clearance to use the aortic device in the mitral opening, physicians say they are unaware of other pregnant patients who have undergone such a procedure. Transcatheter valves designed specifically for the mitral opening, which is a slightly different shape than the aortic opening, are still in development, said the Mayos Mackram Eleid, an interventional cardiologist. But for now, the aortic version is considered a good option. Physicians do not know how long the devices, made from a combination of animal tissue and synthetic material, will last, though they seem to be good for at least a decade. Someday, Souza likely will undergo a second open-heart surgery to receive yet another device: a fully mechanical valve that will last the rest of her life. (That kind of implant was not an option this time around, as she would have needed to take blood thinners, endangering the fetus.) For now, she can enjoy the life of a healthy pregnant woman. She is supposed to take it easy for four to six weeks. But the day before speaking about her experience, she felt well enough to go shopping with her mother-in-law, Terri Tritten. They made a Target run, and picked out a baby crib. After more than a year in business, it looks like last call for a Rochester liquor store is coming soon. Barrel House Spirits in the former CHS/Cenexstation at 545 16th Ave. NW has signs saying it is closing May 31. The store by Civic Center Drive Northwest is the creation of Chris Fierstand Steve Lee, who also own the downtown nightspots, Half Barrel Bar and Kitchenas well as Bar Buffalo . It opened in early 2018. After years running a gas station and convenience store in the building, St. Paul-based CHS Inc. shut down the fuel business in October of 2017 and issued a statement saying the station was being sold to Joe Peter . Peter owns the neighboring business of Joes Auto and Tire. He is leasing the building to Barrel House Spirits. ADVERTISEMENT Biz buzz On the topic of changes in the local alcohol retail scene, another Rochester shop changed owners earlier this year. Ed Campbellpurchased Woodys Liquorat 316 Elton Hills Drive N.W. in the Valhalla Shopping Plaza in March. He bought it from John Ajouri. Campbell, who grew up in the Elton Hills neighborhood, said hes excited to run a business in the area. His goal is to offer the best selection of beer, wine and alcohol at competitive prices in the more than 2,000-square-foot store. John Woodopened this version of Woodys Liquor in 2009 . Wood previously had a store of the same name in the same center, which closed in 2001. MAZEPPA The Mazeppa Municipal Liquor store has been honored with the 2019 Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association Facility of the Year award for Best Themed Promotion. Heather Groby, the store manager, accepted the award, which included a $250 community monetary project award for its efforts to change the face of the liquor store and bar into a community leader in promoting family-friendly events and community enrichment, according to the MMBA. In winning the award, the MMBA noted how Mazeppa Municipal Liquor has implemented all-ages events geared toward community involvement. This has included using alternative space such as the bars upstairs game room so adults and children to partake in games and activities without unintentionally crossing tavern patrons paths. Halloween and Christmas parties were particularly family-friendly, the MMBA noted, with painted pumpkins, free pizza and soda, movies and games at Halloween, and Santa, cookie decorating, movies and a giving wall to help local families facing hardship. Growing up the son of a law enforcement officer, Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose knew Doug and Kathy Claassen. Kathy worked at the Dodge County Sheriffs Office, and both she and Doug were big supporters of the police and sheriff. But Rose said he didnt know the rest of the story until much later. Rose said he was talking with the Claassens daughter, Jean Allen, who works in administration for Dodge County, about Sheriffs Capt. Loring Guenther, who had died of a heart attack in 2013. Rose and Jean had been friends since they were teens, so when Jean "said something to the effect that I understand the challenges with my dads line-of-duty death," Rose was caught off guard. As far as hed known, Kathy Claassen was someone who worked with his dad, and Doug was a nice guy who, as long as hed known him, was confined to a wheelchair. Friday night, at the 2019 SE Minnesota National Police Week Memorial Service at Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial, former Hayfield Police Chief Douglas Claassens real story was be honored, Rose said, as it should have been years ago. ADVERTISEMENT The backstory Rose said that on that day in 2013, he asked Jean what she meant about her dad, and the story came out. On April 30, 1977, while trying to arrest a suspect after a car chase and eventual traffic stop, Doug was repeatedly kicked in the head by the suspect. While Doug went back to work after the incident, it didnt take long for the pain to become nearly unbearable. So, Claassen, then the chief of police in Hayfield (hed also worked as a Claremont police officer and a Dodge County Sheriffs deputy) went to the doctor and got the bad news. The pain was related to a spinal cord injury, and it was only a matter of time before he would be confined to a wheelchair. By the time Rose, then a teenager, met Doug, the former peace officer was in that wheelchair. He had one arm, in a sling, that worked just a little and another that didnt work at all. "In spite of his physical condition, he was always upbeat and positive always joking around and always let you know what he thought about things," Rose said. "He enjoyed everyones company, especially law enforcement." That was true of both Claassens. In the days before a Caseys or Kwik Trip could be found in nearly every small town, Rose said there was really nowhere for a law enforcement officer to take a break in the middle of the night. So, Doug and Kathy left their porch light on all night and their door open for officers and deputies who needed some coffee or cookies or, in the summer, a bit of ice cream. ADVERTISEMENT Dougs slow decline As it turns out, the Claassens were likely awake anyway. Dougs injuries affected more than just his mobility. His circulatory and respiratory systems were compromised. At night, hed stop breathing, which kept Kathy awake to reposition him, Rose said. Eventually, Doug had to sleep in a chair in the living room. Kathy slept nearby on a sofa. And every cop and deputy knew that porch light meant a welcome respite during a long night on duty. "The guy sacrificed everything for the community he lived in," Rose said. Finally, after nearly 22 years from the night he pulled a suspect out of a car in a field east of Hayfield then got kicked in the head for his efforts, Doug Claassen died on March 13, 1999, from complications due to his injuries. Family of service "Until I was sheriff, I hadnt known he was hurt in the line of duty," Rose said. ADVERTISEMENT The family never talked about how Doug had ended up in that wheelchair, they never complained about how that night had changed their lives, Rose said. Seeing Doug Claassen honored during the memorial service Friday meant a lot to Rose, he said, and he hopes it meant more to Kathy, Jean and Jeans brothers, Mark and Bill. "For the longest time, they never got him recognized as a line-of-duty death," Rose said. Kathy worked for several sheriffs through the years but, Rose said, she always felt they were too busy to be bothered. And it took several years before Kathy received line-of-duty death benefits from the state and federal governments. "For me its huge," Rose said. "I thought, You need to see him recognized." Dougs name was eventually added to the wall at the federal memorial in Washington, D.C., Rose said, and he helped make sure Kathy was flown out to a ceremony where Dougs name was read. Fridays ceremony is another step in that process of thanking Doug, Kathy and the whole family for Dougs sacrifice, the sheriff said. "Its a pretty amazing story, I think, and its been missed so long," Rose said. "It feels good to make that right for the family." MINNEAPOLIS The city of Minneapolis $20 million payout to the family of Justine Ruszczyk, killed by former police officer Mohamed Noor in 2017, is an outlier and a big one. The payout in that one case the largest police misconduct settlement in Minnesota is nearly as large as the total amount of police misconduct settlements and judgments the city paid out over the past 15 years. In the week since the Ruszczyk settlement was announced, city officials have been weighing its effect on how Minneapolis will negotiate ongoing and future police misconduct lawsuits. And it sets a new standard by which lawyers will measure future misconduct cases. "You look to what prior settlements have been," said attorney Fred Goetz, who has been litigating civil rights cases for 30 years. "What are prior settlements in this area of similar cases? What are prior verdicts? And now we have a $20 million case. That raises the bar." Ruszczyk was a white woman from Australia, killed by a Somali-American officer. The city may feel the impact of that precedent in the near future, as it continues to negotiate a possible settlement in the case of Jamar Clark. Clark, who was African American, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in 2015. His father sued the city. ADVERTISEMENT Last week, the attorney handling the lawsuit said in light of the big payout, hes going to push for a "transformative settlement." He wouldnt say how much was on the table, but called it "nominal." On the same day the council voted to approve the Ruszczyk settlement, it rejected a possible deal in the Clark case. Council member Cam Gordon said he cant discuss why the council voted the Clark deal down. He said its possible that council members will consider the proportionality between the Ruszczyk payout amount and Clarks circumstances. "Its something well be aware of and maybe implicitly will be influencing everybodys decision," said Gordon. "And were going to be looking at similarities and differences in all past cases as we look at each new case that comes up in front of us." A settlement conference in the Clark case is scheduled for later this month. The Ruszczyk payout will come from the citys self-insurance fund. City departments pay into the fund with money they get directly from the public in user fees or indirectly through property taxes. ADVERTISEMENT Workers compensation claims are the most common payouts from the fund, not police misconduct lawsuit settlements. City chief financial officer Mark Ruff said the net balance of the fund is around $25 million. Although the Ruszczyk settlement amounts to 80 percent of that balance, Ruff said it will not drain the fund. He said the city has cash on hand to absorb variations in payouts from year to year. "But this is an impactful settlement," said Ruff. "So well certainly be mindful of that as we work with the mayor and the council for the rest of the year developing, not just the budget for 2020, but looking longer-term." Ruff said budget talks routinely include discussions with department heads about how they can avoid payouts due to job-related accident claims or lawsuits. Council vice president Andrea Jenkins is concerned about the financial impact the settlement will have on the citys self-insurance fund. And she recommended a basic way to repay the fund. "The best way to compensate is to not have to continuously pay out these settlements," said Jenkins. Jenkins said shes confident in Police Chief Medaria Arradondos ability to make changes in police training and culture that will reduce use of deadly force and future possible lawsuits. And she said Noors murder and manslaughter convictions will deter officers from using excessive force in the future. Jenkins said she also wants to make sure that the standards that determine criminal action by officers are equally applied no matter the race of the officer or the race of the person who experienced the force. "When that becomes a reality, then I think the community will think there is justice for all," said Jenkins. ADVERTISEMENT Use of force by Minneapolis police has been dropping over the past few years. The number of officer misconduct settlements has also decreased over a similar period. WEAVER Two pickup trucks bumped on U.S. Highway 61, sending one of the vehicles into a ditch and one of the drivers to the hospital. Theodore Richard Swantz, 56, of Lakeland, was driving a green 2004 Chevy Silverado south on Highway 61 just north of the Minnesota Highway 74 intersection at about 9:37 a.m. Sunday when he moved into the left lane to pass a southbound white 2004 Chevy Silverado driven by John Peter Langteau, 33, of Mindoro, Wis. The white Silverado was towing a horse trailer, according to a Minnesota State Patrol report. The two trucks sideswiped one another, and the green Silverado ended up in the left-hand ditch where it rolled before coming to a stop. Swantz was transported to St. Elizabeths Medical Center in Wabasha with non-life threatening injuries. No update on his condition was available. Neither Langteau nor his passenger, Kathleen Rose Langteau, 31, and also of Mindoro, Wis., was transported from the scene for medical care. The Wabasha County Sheriffs Office also responded to the scene. A Rochester woman was arrested Saturday evening after she allegedly had two people beat up her roommate over the theft of 65 cents. A Rochester police officer was flagged down around 7:45 p.m. Saturday by a woman who reported that she had been assaulted in the area of Seventh Avenue Southwest, according to police. The woman told the officer that she had a verbal argument with Turana Vitela, 44, and during the argument Vitela stated she was going to call someone she knew to beat the woman up, Rochester Police Lt. Gretchen ONeil said. A short time later, two people Vitela knew arrived and assaulted the woman causing injury to her face and eyes. The woman was taken to Olmsted Medical Center for her injuries, Capt. Casey Moilanen said. ADVERTISEMENT Vitela was arrested on a third-degree riot charge as well as an unrelated warrant. Charges against the two other people alleged to have been involved, a 38-year-old Rochester man and a 22-year-old Rochester woman, are being referred to the County Attorneys Office by police. Since the U.S. was established, there has never been a time in history where all its citizens could vote. At first, only property owning white men 21 and older could vote. In 1868 the right to vote was white men who were 21 and older. It wasnt until 1870 that black men were allowed to vote. It took another 50 years before women could vote. American Indians were disenfranchised until less than 100 years ago. Today, more than 6 million citizens are still disqualified from voting as a result of their incarceration. ADVERTISEMENT This new suffrage movement has arisen because more and more Americans have come to realize our democracy is flawed due to these draconian practices that inconsistently restrict citizens civil liberties. Many other democratic nations including Canada, Israel, Germany, Norway, South Africa and Spain fully enfranchise their incarcerated population by allowing prisoners to vote. Incarcerated citizens have intimate knowledge of the criminal justice system that prison officials, staff and outside citizens dont. We fail to take advantage of their direct experience to shape policy when we do not take their vote into consideration. Prisoners desire, for example, to make our nations corrections facilities safer, rehabilitative and more effective far outweigh that of other citizens because their lives depend on it. We, as a nation, cheat ourselves of the opportunity to shape our system around what works for impacted populations when we do not incorporate their votes. Currently there is no one held responsible for the deplorable, volatile conditions of our nations overcrowded prisons. Prisoners having their voting rights restored would make politicians accountable to prisoners and the conditions of our nations prisons. Restoring prisoners right to vote could also reduce recidivism rates. Fifty-four percent _ more than half of citizens impacted by incarceration believe that voting would help them stay out of federal and state prisons and local jails after their internment. ADVERTISEMENT Citizens participating in their society with a feeling of belonging because they are included in the development of law and public policy are less likely to commit crimes against it. A main issue for citizens reintegrating from prison is their lack of knowledge in the many ways that society has changed by the time of their release. We can help make sure that incarcerated citizens stay informed about societal evolutions by incentivizing them to stay engaged with politics through the practice of voting. Many incarcerated individuals lost their voting rights prior to ever practicing them. Only 37 percent of todays prison population said they voted before they were incarcerated. Felony disenfranchisement is a symptom left behind from Jim Crow. The rights of formerly enslaved Africans were tweaked, trimmed and stripped throughout the Jim Crow era. A country committed to the abolition of slavery also would need to be committed to dismantling all of those policies that were created to uphold slavery practices, including the exploitation of labor and stripping the voting rights of incarcerated populations. With the era of mass incarceration ushered in by the failed war on drugs, its essential that our government take a serious stance against decades of its dehumanization of prisoners because of overly punitive legislation. We can begin by restoring incarcerated citizens voting rights. Our nation is much too focused on punishment. The rehabilitative aspect of corrections departments along with rebuilding trust in government can be strengthened by fully enfranchising all of our nations citizens including those who are incarcerated. Every now and then we get the itch to travel. We want to leave Guam and see the world. Read more NORRISTOWN A Lansdale man will be under court supervision for several years after he admitted to illegally possessing a firearm and drugs. Brett Michael Conville, 35, of the 300 block of Delaware Avenue, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to two years probation after he pleaded guilty to charges of carrying a firearm without a license and possession of a controlled substance in connection with a May 2018 incident in Montgomery Township. Judge William R. Carpenter ordered Conville to forfeit his firearm, a 9mm Sig Sauer handgun, to county detectives. The judge said Conville also must undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation and abide by all recommendations for treatment. An investigation began about 8:10 a.m. May 20, 2018, when Montgomery Township police conducted a traffic stop of Conville, who was operating a Toyota Camry near Welsh Road and DeKalb Pike, for an alleged traffic violation, according to a criminal complaint. As I began speaking with Conville, I observed a camouflage NRA pistol range bag sitting in plain view on the front passenger seat. I did not see a valid license to carry a firearm when checking his information, Montgomery Township Police Officer John Rushin alleged in the arrest affidavit. When questioned by police, Conville admitted that he a firearm in the bag and confirmed he did not have a concealed carry permit, according to court papers. Police seized the bag for officer safety reasons and noticed an odor of marijuana emanating from the bag, Rushin alleged. I opened the bag to secure the firearm and found a brown 9mm Sig Sauer handgun, Rushin alleged. The handgun had a fully loaded magazine inserted into the magazine well full of live rounds. Police also seized a large bag of marijuana which was labeled Tropical Kush, Suboxone wrappers and several pills, including morphine sulfate and oxycodone, for which Conville did not have a prescription, according to the criminal complaint. Conville was placed under arrest at the scene, court papers indicate. Johns post yesterday about how Denmarks left-leaning social democrats are turning against immigrationnot just any immigration but specifically from you-know-wherehas prompted me to writing about a broader dilemma that, sooner or later, Americas liberals will need to confront. Milton Friedman and other libertarians long argued that you can have high rates of unskilled immigration, or a generous welfare state, but not both. The basic thought is that high rates of unskilled immigrants will eventually bankrupt the welfare state, and while this may yet prove true, the deeper reason is not fiscal, but cultural and social. This is what the Danes have figured out. It turns out there is a lot of academic literature about the link between ethnic homogeneity and the generosity of the welfare state. This inquiry should begin with the work of Harvards Robert Putnama smart liberalwho disrupted the ideology of diversity over a decade ago with the finding that diversity (defined as ethnically mixed geographical areas) reduces social trust. Some key excerpts from his 2007 study E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the TwentyFirst Century (which I understand he delayed publishing because he didnt like where the data led him): In the short run, however, immigration and ethnic diversity tend to reduce social solidarity and social capital. New evidence from the US suggests that in ethnically diverse neighbourhoods residents of all races tend to hunker down. Trust (even of ones own race) is lower, altruism and community cooperation rarer, friends fewer. . . Inter-racial trust is relatively high in homogeneous South Dakota and relatively low in heterogeneous San Francisco or Los Angeles. The more ethnically diverse the people we live around, the less we trust them. This pattern may be distressing normatively, but it seems to be consistent with conflict theory. Even worse, empirical studies relating to local regions of the US, Australia, Sweden, Canada and Britain show that rising ethnic diversity is accompanied by falling social trust and sometimes even falling investment in public goods . . . This is not just an American or even European phenomenon: Even in the Third World, diversity brings deleterious effects. Studies show that in Pakistan, with rising clan or religious differences, this diversity is connected with the failure of the maintenance of collective infrastructure (see Karlan 2002; Miguel and Gugerty 2005; Khwaja 2006). Putnams findings, well known to social scientists who study questions of social trust and social capital, are devastating for the identity-politics/multicultural left, which may be one reason why you never hear this subject much discussed in the mainstream media. But one implication is clear, and buttressed by other social science research: when social trust declines, voter support for the welfare state declines along with it. For European social democrats, moderating immigration is necessary to preserve their welfare states. For example, see Sustainable Welfare and Sustainable Growth: The Future of the Welfare State Consensus, a 2007 study of 16 European nations that found, among other things: Welfare spending rates in countries with higher immigration grow significantly smaller than in countries limiting immigration. . . [G]rowing social diversity will eventually force European welfare states to reduce social spending on account of the pressure caused by growing social diversity, and adopt a system more similar to the US model. It was around that time that The Economist magazine, in one of its periodic fits of sense amidst its long-running schizophrenia, offered up an article entitled Diversity or the Welfare State: Choose One. I wonder when Democrats in this country will confront this question honestly? Instead, we have Kamala Harris saying over the weekend that illegal immigrants should be eligible for Medicare for All. Oh please, please Democrats: do run on this. Is popcorn affected by Trumps China tariffs? Could run up my household tab a lot. The Daily Mail reports on a Northwestern University study that attempted to quantify the liberal bias of Googles top stories feature: Googles bias towards left-wing media outlets has been laid bare by an algorithm which detected that it favors sites including CNN and The New York Times over others. According to data compiled by researchers from Northwestern University, the search engine promoted those sites over others repeatedly in November 2017. Of the 6,302 articles that appeared in Googles top stories page that month after a term was searched, more than 10 percent were by CNN. This is ridiculous, given CNNs status as a failing, cranky, obsessively anti-Trump network that cant compete in the marketplace. The New York Times was the second most favored and accounted for 6.5 percent of articles. The Washington Post was third with 5.6 percent. By contrast, Fox News, the most right-wing outlet in mainstream media, was the source of just three percent of the stories which appeared. No surprise there. More on the Northwestern study: Nearly all (86 percent) of the stories came from just 20 sources and of them, 62 percent were considered to be left-leaning. Here is the list of the 20 sources that accounted for 86% of Googles top stories. My question is, on what theory can only 62% of these sources (weighted by percentage, presumably) be considered left-leaning? I would say that 19 of the 20 are left-leaning, with Fox News being the only exception. Which makes is a little hard to understand what follows: The data also revealed that while left-leaning sites produced more articles on any given subject (2.2 times as many as those on the right), Googles Top Stories selection seemed to inflate the difference. In Google Top Stories, that ratio was 3.2, indicating that the curation algorithm was slightly magnifying the left-leaning skew, Nicholas Diakopoulos, one of the two researchers, writes in The Columbia Journalism Review. If those numbers are right, Google is magnifying the left-leaning skew by nearly 50%, which is hardly slightly. The real problem, of course, is that almost the entire mainstream media, to which Google understandably turns for its top stories, is liberal. Google apparently accentuates the problem by favoring aggressively left-wing outlets like CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post, but any algorithm that is confined to mainstream sources will yield results that are almost entirely left-leaning. I dont see any prospect of that changing any time soon. We have been writing for years about the fact that any European who expresses skepticism about the wisdom of mass immigration is immediately branded far right, no matter what his other views may be. This has had the unhealthy effect of driving voters toward parties that, in some cases, have indeed been unsavory. But it was probably only a matter of time before mainstream parties would see the writing on the wall. That is happening in Denmark, currently governed by a conservative, immigration-skeptic coalition. With an election around the corner, the front-runners are the Social Democrats, who are stealing the rights thunder on Islamic immigration: The 41-year-old [Mette Frederiksen] has all the momentum, with her left-of-centre bloc starting with an eight percentage point lead, and few doubting that she will become Denmarks youngest-ever prime minister after the election on 5 June. *** A victory for Frederiksen would be a boon for Europes social democrats as they gaze across the continent at a dispiriting political landscape. But it would not be without controversy, for under Frederiksen the party has been ruthlessly reshaped: dragged to the left economically and sharply to the right on immigration. For me, it is becoming increasingly clear that the price of unregulated globalisation, mass immigration and the free movement of labour is paid for by the lower classes, she wrote in a recent biography. Donald Trump couldnt have said it better. But the Social Democrats go much farther than Trumps administration in drawing a line against mass immigration: Under her leadership, the SD have called for a cap on non-western immigrants, for asylum seekers to be expelled to a reception centre in North Africa, and for all immigrants to be forced to work 37 hours a week in exchange for benefits. She has reached out to the populist Danish Peoples party (DPP), doing a series of joint interviews with its leader, Kristian Thulesen Dahl, and discussing cooperating with them in government. But it is the government policies her party has supported which have been most alarming for her allies in the left-of-centre red bloc. These include a law allowing jewellery to be stripped from refugees, a burqa and niqab ban, mandatory handshakes irrespective of religious sentiment at citizenship ceremonies, and a plan to house criminal asylum seekers on an island used for researching contagious animal diseases. In February, she backed what the DPP has branded a paradigm shift a push to make repatriation, rather than integration, the goal of asylum policy. In a democracy, the voters will eventually get what they want. And Danish voters have made it clear they are not interested in becoming Libya North. Joe Bidens entry into the presidential race has solidified his status as the clear frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. Hes the first choice of around 40 percent of Democrats, according to polls . No other candidate is close. But how do the friends and associates of Barack Obama feel about Biden? The Washington Post tried to find out. It says it interviewed 53 former Obama advisers, senior White House and Cabinet staff, and campaign professionals about Bidens presidential bid. As a group, these folks arent enthusiastic about Biden, according to the Post. He has yet to become [their] consensus pick. Indeed, only eight of the 53 said they are committed to or leaning toward the former vice president. Eleven have committed to other candidates. The remaining 34 said they are waiting to decide. The lack of enthusiasm for Biden is understandable. A cohort that was in the vanguard of a hope and change movement isnt going to be happy that, 12 years later, the Democrats might nominate a thoroughly uninspiring establishment hack like Joe Biden. Wheres the hope and change in that? As one of the interviewees reminded the Post, Obama selected Biden because he was a vanilla guy who could reassure voters that the black man at the head of the ticket wasnt a radical. To end up with the vanilla guy leading the party would feel like a bad joke a whimper, not a bang. Which candidates other than Biden appeal to the Obama gang? According to the Post, support is split among Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Beto ORourke. None supports Bernie Sanders. Thats too much bang. The Post also analyzed donations by 1,300 major donors to Obamas two presidential campaigns. Only about 10 percent have made contributions of $2,700 dollars or more to a candidate this early in the cycle. Harris tops the list, followed by Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand. Keep in mind, however, that Biden didnt enter the race until after the reporting deadline on contributions. The extent to which Obamas associates end up backing Biden will depend, I think, on how he performs on the campaign trail and in polls. If Biden remains the clear-cut frontrunner, I expect Obamas people, many of whom probably aspire to serve in the next Democratic administration, to fall in line. If Biden under performs, most in the group the Post interviewed will likely steer clear of the former vice president. If a particular candidate other than Sanders emerges from the pack as a strong challenger, they will probably flock to him or her. I think most of the 53 are hoping for that scenario. Thats the headline of a Washington Post story (print edition) about the clash between the White House and House Democrats over the latters investigations of the former. The article notes that President Trump is blocking more than 20 separate Democratic inquiries. According to the Post, this amount[s] to what many experts call the most expansive White House obstruction effort in decades. The Posts claim of obstruction is dishonest in at least some cases. It says that William Barr has blocked Justice Department official John Gore from appearing for subpoenaed testimony on the addition of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. The Post neglects to inform its readers that the administration is fine with having Gore testify, insisting only that he have a lawyer with him, a condition Democrats have rejected. Moreover, the Post has the big picture backwards. It is House Democrats, having launched more than 20 separate investigations of the president, including many relating to his personal and business affairs (and those of family members), who are waging all-out war against Trump. They are engaged in the most expansive harassment campaign against a president in decades, and probably ever. Its natural a matter of simple math that the more investigations the House launches against a president, the more instances of resistance it will encounter. Thats especially true when House committees insist on unreasonable conditions like refusing to let witnesses bring White House lawyers with them. Moreover, at some point any self-respecting White House will conclude that the House is acting in bad faith. At that point, the pattern of harassment will be countered by a pattern of resistance. Thats what has happened here. The Democrats all-out war on Trump has resulted in an all-out defensive war by the president. The Post doesnt consider that this might be the case. It compares the extent of the Trump administrations non-cooperation with that of the Obama administrations (though it never quantifies the latter), but makes no attempt to compare the extent, scope, and nature of the probes launched against the two presidents. The Post does, at least, quote Sen. Lindsey Graham. He sums up the situation nicely: Oversights one thing. Revenge is another. House Democrats are under pressure from their left-wing base to impeach President Trump. Leadership doesnt seem eager to do so because of the political risk involved. Hoping to keep the base happy, House Dems offer it an all-out harassment campaign against Trump, instead of impeachment (at least for now). This approach may make political sense, but that doesnt mean Trump has to play along. He shouldnt allow himself to become a punching bag, and its quite clear that he will not. PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-13 17:45:02 Blackstone Resources AG Acquires Subsidiary in Chile Blackstone Resources AG T: +41 41 449 61 63 F: +41 41 449 61 69 info@blackstoneresources.ch Investor Relations Manuela Pereira ir@blackstoneresources.ch Media Enquires Manuela Pereira media@blackstoneresources.ch Blackstone Resources AG (SWX: BLS; STU: 4BR, FRA: 4BR, BEB: 4BR) (Blackstone) is pleased to announce that it has acquired Blackstone Resources Chile SpA, a 100% subsidiary of Blackstone Resources AG. Part of Blackstones vision is to source valuable battery-metal materials to achieve a sustainable clean energy world through electro-mobility and mass energy storage. In Chile, the company has now made a number of on-site visits since November 2018. Blackstone Resources Chile SpA is in the process of evaluating and exploring a number of potential mining projects specially cobalt and lithium. Blackstone Resources Chile SpA Cerro el Plomo 5855 Office 406 Las Condes Santiago Chile Blackstone Resources AG Blackstone Resources is a Swiss Holding Company, with its legal domicile in Baar, Kanton Zug and is concentrating on the battery metals market as primary metals. In addition, it sets up, develops and manages refineries used for gold and battery metals. It offers direct exposure to the battery metal revolution that is being driven by the demand of electric vehicles that need vast quantities of these metals. These include cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, graphite and lithium. In addition, Blackstone Resources has started a research programme on new battery technologies. For more information please visit www.blackstoneresources.ch. The disclaimer is an integral part of this press release. Please ensure you consult the disclaimer for a full understanding of the content within: http://www.blackstoneresources.ch/about-us/disclai View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005 PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-13 15:15:56 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 962 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 13, 2019 / Global Cannabis Applications Corp. ("GCAC" or the "Company") (CSE: APP, FSE: 2FA, OTCQB: FUAPF), a leading developer of innovative data and AI technologies for the medical cannabis industry, is pleased to announce it has signed a Software License Agreement (the "License Agreement") for its Citizen Green Prescriptii Patient-Care Solution ("Prescriptii") with Sequoya Cannabis Ltd. ("Sequoya"), a Canadian medical cannabis distribution & CBD extraction firm with operations in Poland.Pursuant to the execution of the License Agreement GCAC will become a significant shareholder of Sequoya."The Sequoya-GCAC partnership is the completion of our first stage of becoming vertically integrated, leveraging our Citizen Green technology and relationships in the EU and Israel to acquire interests in production, extraction and distribution. We are keen to get to work with Sequoya since they have been developing their business and relationships in Poland since legalization," said Brad Moore, CEO of GCAC. "Poland is an excellent example of the opportunities in the EU and the role GCAC can play. EU regulatory demands for information will be powered by data from Citizen Green technology. The next step of our vertical integration strategy will be working with Israeli Licensed Producers who truly understand the opportunities of medical cannabis from decades of state-sponsored programs in Israel." "The ability to manage cannabis prescriptions and educate the marketplace on treatments based on research is vital for pharmacies, doctors, and patients. The solution offered by GCAC will give Sequoya Cannabis Ltd a competitive advantage in Poland, as we plan to offer our CBD products and the Prescriptii software as a combined offering, differentiating us from others that offer just a "product" to a full solution. Prescriptii provides Polish pharmacies with a tool to track the prescriptions and treatments as strictly required by law. In addition, it offers market insights that will help pharmacies take advantage of this growing market for medical cannabis which has much higher margins than non-organic medication offered by pharmaceutical companies." Says Shemek Fedyczkowski, CEO of Seqouya Cannabis Ltd.In addition, GCAC and Grand Rock Capital Inc, ("GRC"), have signed a Letter of Intent ("LOI") to provide capital markets advice and invest in Sequoya to fund the development of a CBD extraction facility in Krakow, Poland. The capital raise and investment are subject to due diligence. Further details will be disclosed after definitive term sheets are executed.Poland legalized the use of medical cannabis in 2017. With a population of close to 40,000,000 and over 350,000 registered patients, the Polish market is in the early stages of adoption. Poland has implemented strict regulations for distribution of medical cannabis through pharmacies. Sequoya will market Prescriptii to Poland's 13,700 pharmacies to assist them with management of medical cannabis patient treatment, and to collect and analyze medical cannabis data.Under the License Agreement, Sequoya has the exclusive right to market GCAC's Citizen Green Prescriptii Patient-Care Solution to over 13,700 pharmacies in Poland. For exclusivity, Sequoya shall: i) issue GCAC 5,000,000 common shares of Sequoya; ii) pay GCAC $100,000 by way of convertible debenture; and, iii) pay GCAC a monthly fee based on the number of users. The term of the License Agreement is one-year period with an automatic renewal.GCAC will also purchase an additional 5,000,000 shares of Sequoya in exchange for 4,000,000 shares of GCAC. Sequoya will grant GCAC an option (the "Option") to purchase 10,000,000 shares of Sequoya for $600,000 for a term of 90 days from the execution of the License Agreement. Subject to regulatory approval GCAC will own 10,000,000 shares of Sequoya and have an option to purchase an additional 10,000,000 shares. Sequoya now has approximately 70,310,000 issued, such that GCAC will own approximately 12.5% of Sequoya and 22% if it exercises the Option.About Sequoya Cannabis LtdSequoya Cannabis Ltd is a Canadian and European wholesale distributor of Cannabis based products to the Polish market place and Europe in general. Sequoya Cannabis Ltd is presently going to stage 2 of their business plan and preparing to manufacture CBD Isolates and to become a licensed importer for Medical Marijuana and various derivatives for the European marketplace.About Global Cannabis Applications Corp.Global Cannabis Applications Corp. is a global leader in designing, developing, marketing and acquiring innovative data technologies for the medical cannabis industry. The Citizen Green platform is the world's first end-to-end - from patient to regulator - medical cannabis data solution. It uses six core technologies: mobile applications, artificial intelligence, regtech, smart databases, blockchain and digital reward tokens, to qualify candidates for clinical studies. These technologies facilitate the proliferation of digital conversations by like-minded people in the medical cannabis community. Managed by digital and cannabis industry experts, GCAC is focused on viral global expansion by providing the best digital experience in the cannabis market.For more information about the Company, please visit online at www.cannappscorp.com , or review its profiles www.sedar.com and on the Canadian Securities Exchange's website ( www.thecse.com) To schedule an interview, please contact:Bradley MooreChief Executive OfficerTelephone: 514.561.9091Email: bmoore@ cannappscorp.com For more information, please contact:Corporate CommunicationsTelephone: 1.855.269.9554Email: info@ cannappscorp.com Corporate Communications United StatesHayden IRTelephone: 1.917.658.7878Email: hart@ haydenir.com Forward-Looking InformationThis news release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of GCAC. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of GCAC. Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because GCAC can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-13 12:07:28 Press Information Published by ACN Newswire +65 6304 8926 e-mail https://www.acnnewswire.com/ # 767 Words ACN Newswire+65 6304 8926 NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited ("NetDragon" or "the Company", Hong Kong Stock Code: 777), a global leader in building internet communities, is pleased to announce on 7 May, its educational subsidiary Elernity has signed a framework agreement for strategic cooperation with Encyclopaedia Britannica at the Digital Maritime Silk Road Sub-forum of the 2nd Digital China Summit. Both parties will fully integrate their respective advantages in areas including education resources, Internet technologies, solutions and branding, as well as expand efforts in the field of "Internet + Education" to promote digital learning development worldwide. Nenad Popovic, Minister without Portfolio of Serbia in charge of Innovations and Technological Development, Dr. Xiong Li, CEO of NetDragon, Chen Changjie, Vice President of NetDragon, Karthik Krishnan, Global CEO of Encyclopaedia Britannica and Sal De Spirito, Senior Vice President of Encyclopaedia Britannica attended the signing ceremony.Digital learning is a huge and noble business. As a global leader in building internet communities, NetDragon has actively responded to the national policy on the Belt and Road Initiative in recent years, accelerating education development continuously through the "Internet + Education" model to promote digital education worldwide. With over 100 million registered users, NetDragon's educational products currently cover more than 1.3 million classrooms in 192 countries, making it one of the world's largest K12 education community networks and ecosystems. The signing of this framework agreement on strategic coopration indicates that both parties will give full play to their respective advantages in content and resources, create leading digitalized education products, and jointly promote the development of global digital learning.Encyclopaedia Britannica plans to assist Elernity in promoting virtual laboratory in regions outside of China, in order to stimulate future construction and development of virutal laboratories. Elernity's virtual laboratory is an open, free and fun platform for experiment simulations. It integrates experiment resources of K12 physics, chemistry, and biology subjects, meeting the teaching and learning needs in experiments for both teachers and students. The laboratory also provides voice and text reminders, so as to guide students to complete experiments independently. When there are non-standard procedures, the system will give users authentic and immersive experience through its simulation engine.Elernity is considering introducing Encyclopaedia Britannica's resources into its flagship product 101 Education PPT. As a 250 years old globally renowned education corporation, Encyclopaedia Britannica brings together the knowledge of global educational leaders including Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize winners and serves more than 140 million students with high quality content resources and standards that are widely recognized across over 80 countries around the world. On the other hand, 101 Education PPT is an integrated educational software for teachers to prepare and deliver lessons. It contains rich teaching resources and mutifaceted interactive teaching features, hence helping teachers prepare and deliver lessons efficiently. Currently, its installed base has exceeded 5 million. Meanwhile, the two parties will also be cooperating on digital interactive courses for preschool education, taking full advantage of their education resources, Internet technologies, solutions and branding, and further expanding efforts in the field of "Internet + Education" to promote digital learning development worldwide.About NetDragon Websoft Holdings LimitedNetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) is a global leader in building internet communities with a long track record of developing and scaling multiple internet and mobile platforms that impact hundreds of millions of users. These include China's number one online gaming portal, 17173.com, and China's most influential smartphone app store platform, 91 Wireless, which was sold to Baidu for US$1.9 billion in 2013 as the largest Internet M&A transaction in China.Established in 1999, NetDragon is one of the most reputable and well-known online game developers in China with a history of successful game titles including Eudemons Online, Heroes Evolved and Conquer Online. In recent years, NetDragon has also started to scale its online education business on the back of management's vision to create the largest global online learning community, and to bring the "classroom of the future" to every school around the world.For more information, please visit www.netdragon.com About Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica brings together the knowledge of global educational leaders including Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize winners. Combined with the expertises of Encyclopaedia Britannica in-house editors, course specialists, designers and web developers, its content resources are of the highest quality and standard, making teaching and learning more effective. The Encyclopaedia Britannica band has a 250-year history, widely recognized as the most reliable source over 80 countries around the world, providing service to more than 140 million students.For investor enquiries, please contact:NetDragon Websoft Holdings LimitedMs. Maggie ZhouSenior Director of Investor RelationsTel.: +852 2850 7266 / +86 591 8754 3120Email: maggie@ nd.com.cn Website: ir.netdragon.com Bettie Jennifer, the wife of popular Ghanaian actor, Chris Attoh, who was shot dead on Friday, was married to two different men, one of whom is a convicted Baltimore drug lord, U.S. police officials said Sunday. The Greenbelt Police Department said in a statement that Jenifer had been chased through the parking lot of an office building at around 5:00 p.m. before being shot in the head in a targeted and not a random incident. Police confirmed, on Saturday, that Bettie was married to 47-year-old Kedrick Jenifer, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for importing large amounts of cocaine into Baltimore from Texas. The U.S. District Attorneys Office said the kingpins drug trafficking organisation distributed at least 450kg of cocaine in Baltimore and Woodbridge, Virginia. The U.S. District Attorneys Office said the kingpins Jenifer drug trafficking organisation distributed at least 450 kilograms of cocaine in Baltimore and Woodbridge, Virginia. Kedrick Jenifer lived large as a major Baltimore drug dealer, but now he will lose all of his toys and live for two decades in federal prison, then-U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein said in a news release after his sentencing, according to the Baltimore Sun. However, Kedrick filed for divorce from Jenifer, on April 9, 2019, while she followed suit by filing hers, six days later. Attoh married the deceased in a private ceremony in North Kaneshie, Ghana, less than a year ago following his divorce from popular Nollywood actress, Damilola Adegbite. Attoh, 44, is best known for his role in the popular soap opera Tinsel. A spokesperson for Attohs talent agency gave the following statement: Waka Talent Agency is saddened by the death of Bettie Jenifer, who was married to our client, Mr. Chris Attoh. We would like to note that the family has requested to mourn in private and therefore will not be doing any press interviews or commenting on the death. By Ephraims Sheyin Thomas Jefferson, the third American President, is credited with what many regard as the most flattering attribute to journalism. Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the later, Jefferson wrote in January 1787. Unfortunately for the newshounds, Jefferson is also credited with what is seen as the most devastating remark on the media. The man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them, Jefferson wrote a few years later. In as much as he knows nothing, he is nearer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehood and errors. Jeffersons dramatic u-turn may just have been caused by the preponderance of fake news, something that has taken over todays media space, with both the social and traditional media struggling to outdo each other in the spread of hoaxes. Consider this. A state governor is reported to be involved in a road accident which killed the driver and left the governor with a broken spinal cord. He is reportedly ferried, unconscious, to a foreign country for urgent medical attention. The governor appears days later, hale and hearty, to the shame of newspaper editors, who had splashed the road crash rumour on front pages. Or this. A gateman, Musa Usman, makes it to the front pages of several newspapers and enjoys prime time on televisions and radio for rejecting a house offered him by an Indian boss he had served for 25 years, opting to rather have a borehole in his community. For placing public good above personal interest, he is celebrated as a model, with encomiums flowing from all directions. Usman has, however, declared that no house was offered to him. He says that his Indian master did not give him such an option. The house offer story was just someones imagination. Not long ago, a news medium quoted a governor as pouring encomiums on his former political godfather, now a bitter political rival, at a ceremony to mark the latters birthday. Such a report should ordinarily be a simple and harmless one. But, a few minutes after the story was published, the organ received threats of legal action. The event never happened. It was a hoax by a reporter, who had no qualms feeding the public with utter falsehood. The news was fake. A cheap lie. The instances are just everywhere. Aside from the fake news, photos or videos are purposefully created and spread to confuse and misinform. Photos or videos are also manipulated to deceive, while old pictures are often shared as new. In some cases, photos from other shores are shared in the Nigerian space, ostensibly to create the impression that they are local scenes. Commenting on the trend recently, Umaru Pate, Head, Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano, said it was dangerous, unethical, provocative and subversive to peace and societal serenity. Fake news misinforms and misdirects society with severe consequences on individual and national systems. It heightens tension, builds fear and mistrust among people. The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has also deplored the trend, declaring recently that fake news could threaten and destroy the country. He has also launched a campaign against it. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo echoed similar worry in a speech at the biennial convention of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), in Lagos recently. Fake news will make media practice lose its appeal; it will challenge the credibility which is the base of journalism practice, he said. He called on editors to consciously take back the space by infusing online media practice with traditional and professional competence, to right the wrongs in the industry. Some people must take up the role of speaking against the bastardisation of journalism by the new media, he declared. Mr Osinbajo called for the resuscitation of investigative journalism to tackle national challenges and help government plan better, noting specifically that the advent of the new media had increased misinformation through the spread of fake news and other negative reports that often caused confusion, disaffection and disunity. Advertisements Editors must evolve strategies that will keep journalism in its place as the digital media appears to be moving away from the newsroom to the clouds, he said. Mr Osinbajo regretted that the role of the newspaper was gradually being usurped as the print media continued in its pursuit of traffic, rather than accuracy. He called on media stakeholders to equip newsrooms with gadgets and technologies that could detect and remove fake images from news items and emphasised the need for accurate, fair, balanced and objective reportage at all times. Like Mr Osinbajo, many media analysts blame the worsening trend of fake news on the collapse of investigative journalism. Peter Amine, Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Plateau chapter, for instance, believes that the spread of fake news can be minimised if reporters and editors insisted on the dictum when in doubt, leave out. What we have, regrettably, is a situation where reporters, in a hurry to be the first with the news, hurl every rumour at the public. One can even understand the `wild freedom in the social media where there is no control, no editors, and no consequences for lying. But, what does one make of similar lies celebrated in the traditional media? he queried. He blamed the preponderance of fake news on laziness and the loss of the investigative culture that should be the hallmark of functional journalism. He urged editors to rise up to the challenge of curtailing the activities of erring reporters. But, as stakeholders strive to minimise the incidences of fake news, analysts have suggested a deeper look into why it is getting more common and becoming the norm. According to Mr Pate: Fake news is partly caused by the absence, or late arrival of official information, which creates a vacuum filled by rumours and imaginations. According to him, desperate politicians, ethnic jingoists, foreign interests and mischief makers have also taken advantage of the explosion in social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google, Nairaline and WhatsApp to spew fake news and hate messages which inflict confusion into the society. While urging media houses to focus more on investigative reporting, he cautioned against selective reporting and the promotion of prejudicial stereotypes about groups and individuals based on incomplete facts, mischief and ignorance. Other analysts have also called for more training to reporters and editors to boost research capacities among media professionals so as to minimise shallow reporting and episodic attitudes in news coverage and programme production. They have also cautioned the media against promoting statements of politicians, ethnic champions, religious zealots and other interested parties without critical inquiry about specific social conflicts. They noted that such groups were usually prone to spreading fake news against perceived rivals. While urging media gatekeepers and news content managers to be more critical, the analysts have pointed out that publishing fake news could confer legitimacy, credibility and massive reach to such fakery and confuse the audience about truth and falsehood. Worried by the effects of such misinformation, many Nigerians have always wondered if it is possible to quickly spot fake news to avoid being misled. Sylvestre Dada, a communication expert, offers suggestions. The readers, listeners or viewers must check multiple sources, and try to establish trusted brands over time. They should also use various verification tools, with news content managers encouraged to check and think, before broadcasting or publishing. He added that young people should be educated on what was trustworthy, as against what is fake, so that they could draw a line between the two. But as Nigeria strives for reliable information crucial to her growth, media professionals saddled with that task appear to face lots of challenges, including the limited knowledge of the country by even top editors. Another challenge is the commercialisation of news. Other limitations include ownership influence, social malpractices and corruption, media professionals acting as judges or advocates for hidden interests, and cases of senior editorial staff acting as consultants to politicians and religious groups. The existence of cartels among reporters covering specific beats has also led to the adulteration of what is reported as the media gangs only decide what information to publish after discussing and agreeing with the news sources. Analysts say that such unholy fraternity has often led to the burial of some hard truths that would have been useful in the nations search for greatness. Another challenge is the copy-me syndrome, a practice where reporters receive reports of events they did not cover, from colleagues, and publish same, not minding if what they had been copied is fake news. Not a few reporters have lost their jobs to this scary practice, yet it still persists. To effectively battle fake news, observers have suggested closer working relationships among credible media organisations to facilitate the dissemination of only credible and verified news to reduce the attention to fake information by social media. They have also called for increased and continuous training for media professionals, with regulatory outfits encouraged to strictly apply the rules, while professional bodies keep eagle eyes on members to guide against derailment. (NANFeatures) Tyer Proposes $175 Million Municipal Budget PITTSFIELD, Mass. Mayor Linda Tyer is asking for nearly a $7 million increase in the fiscal 2020 budget. The proposed spending plan will be given to the City Council on Tuesday and a series of budget hearings will be held later in the month. The mayor's proposal calls for a $175,485,414 operating budget budget, which is 3.9 percent more than the current year. The budget for schools is proposed to increase by about $2.9 million and the rest of the municipal budget is proposed to increase by about $4 million. Meanwhile, the city is expecting $2.4 million more in revenues outside of property taxes, particularly driven by an increase in state aid for schools. In a letter to the City Council, Tyer wrote that the biggest drivers of the increase include a $1.4 million hike in health insurance, a $200,524 increase in retirement contributions, and a $188,448 increase in solid waste collection and disposal. "The level of funding proposed in this budget reflects our commitment to excellence in customer service, our dedication to meaningful community engagement, and our collective desire to do as much as we responsibly can to meet the urgent and varying needs facing Pittsfield today and into the future," the mayor wrote. The largest departmental budget outside of the schools is the Police Department, which is proposed at $10,899,632. That is $866,389 more than the current year, or 8.6 percent. The raise includes a new line to fund ShotSpotter -- the gunshot detection system the city contracted and was hoping to get private donations to pay for but fell short of the total price. That line is proposed at $240,000. The budget is also has a contractual allowances increase of about $150,000 for uniforms and boot issues to officers -- a line for uniforms was subsequently reduced by $56,600. The proposal also includes a new line to pay for community outreach overtime. The department has been undertaking many community policing efforts in recent years but had been on the individual officer's off time or on regular overtime. The new line of $12,500 accounts for those efforts. Scheduled overtime is also proposed to increase by $100,000 -- a line that has historically and publicly been noted as being underfunded. The Department of Public Services is the second largest department budget at a proposed $8,076,245. That is $109,508 more than this year, most of which is driven by contractual salary increases. The building inspectors department is looking at a 16.9 percent increase, which equals $64,671. The majority of that increase is simply moving the inspector of weights and measures job back to the budget from the Department of Public Services -- and a matching reduction in that budget was made. The department is also adding a part-time senior clerk. Percentage-wise, five departments are seeing greater than a 10 percent increase. The Fire Department is seeing the largest overall increase to the tune of $1,050,509. The majority of the increase is contractual salary increases accounting for $998,509. The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) has a large percentage increase at 13.8 percent but it is a relatively small line in the budget so the increase is $10,906, all of which is related to salary increases for the staff. The budget calls for a $150,000 increase for maintenance of schools. That is $125,000 for contractual services and $25,000 in supplies. The Berkshire Athenaeum is proposed to receive a 10.1 percent increase, $108,822, mostly driven by contractual salary increases but also a significant increase in the amount spent on books and audio and visual material. Three departments will see reduced funding: the city solicitor's office, the airport, and worker's compensation. The city contracts the solicitor services and that amount hasn't changed but there is a cut of $4,300 in other expenses. The airport is dropping by $1,960. That is accounted for in a reduction of overtime by $5,000, about $3,000 of which is used in salary increases. Worker's compensation is being reduced by $25,000. The city is also seeing a decrease in long-term debt to the tune of $2,299,695. That savings is mostly offset by the increase in health insurance in the unclassified budget, which overall is seeing a 0.2 percent increase. The mayor is also proposing to apply $750,000 in free cash to the budget to reduce the tax rate. The city has been scaling back the amount it uses to offset the budget each year following the auditor's recommendations. The mayor is also proposing a $10,789,300 capital budget. That budget calls for borrowing for a number of projects, the largest of which is a $2 million reconstruction of Tyler Street and $2.5 million for general street improvements. The ECOWAS Parliament on Monday condoled with Burkina Faso over Sundays attack on a Catholic church, which left six people dead. Its Second Deputy Speaker, Aminata Toungara, expressed the condolence at the parliaments ongoing ordinary session in Abuja. According to reports, the victims a priest and five churchgoers were killed by gunmen during mass at about 9am in the town of Dablo. The attackers, between 20 and 30 years of age, also set fire to the church, several shops, and a small cafe. Security source said that the attackers also went to the local health centre and looted it. Mrs Toungara prayed that the perpetrators of the crime would be exposed and brought to justice. We express our condolences with Burkina Faso and to the President and let him know that we are with them. We deplore what has happened and the entire parliament is sorry about what happened. It is particularly sad because these were people who went to church and were not expecting to be killed and they are no more today. May their souls rest in perfect peace and we pray that God exposes the perpetrators, she said. The 2019 ordinary session of the parliament is considering country reports and has expressed concerns over issues of security situation in some countries in region. The parliament has also proposed a regional defence force that would assist in the enforcement of security in member states. (NAN) The President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NIC), Babatunde Adejumo, says judges aspiring to the bench of the court must eschew corruption if they must succeed. Mr Adejumo said aspiring judges must be incorruptible and hardworking individuals to scale the hurdles of screening. He said the industrial court had been hindered in its mandate of settling trade disputes by the lopsided and faulty way of appointing its members. He spoke on Saturday at a lecture entitled, How to Become A Judge of National Industrial Court, delivered to mark the 2019 Attorney Generals Colloquium in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital. . Mr Adejumo said apart from the fact that corrupt judges in the industrial court cannot make headway, their corrupt tendencies would be easily exposed to the public. It is important to hint that anyone who may aspire to become a judge of the court must understand the law, most particularly in the area of labour and industrial relations, he stated. He must be of impeccable character; he must abhor corruption and other related vices; he must be hardworking and dedicated with no moral or professional blemish. The foregoing is in line with Rule 4 of the 2014 Revised National Judicial Council(NJC) Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the appointment of judicial officers of all superior courts of records in Nigeria. He said most of the trade disputes the court hears are government- labour industrial feuds, which he said further predisposed the judges to intense lobbying. He stressed that all these must be resisted to protect justice and the integrity of the bench. Mr Adejumo said the industrial court failed to live up to the expectations of the people since its establishment via Trade Disputes Decree No 7 of 1976 due to the mode of appointment of the judges of the court. At inception, there was a problem of dual procedure for the appointment of the president and other judges of the court, he explained. By virtue of section 19 and 25 of the Trade Union Act, the President of Nigeria appoints its president on the recommendation of the Federal Judicial Service Commission while the other members are appointed by the president through the recommendation of the Minister of Labour. These procedures created a lot of problems to be the extent that no quorum could be formed without the NIC president on seat. But with National Industrial Court Act 2006, the process was normalised and NJC is now the recommending authority just like the procedure for the appointment of judges of other superior courts. He urged lawyers intending to serve as judges of the court to be apolitical, shun corruption and live a modest lifestyle to be able to pass the judicial scrutiny that would qualify them to the bench of NIC. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Sunday scrambled a rebuttal to deny media reports that it lost over N500 billion after a private investment by some of its top officials went awry. Sahara Reporters had reported earlier a telephone conversation involving the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele; his deputy, Edward Adamu; the Director of Finance, Dayo Arowosegbe; and the Special Adviser to the CBN Governor, Emmanuel Ukeje. The online medium said the discussion of the top CBN officials was about a plot to cover up the huge loss after a private investment in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, went bad. But, the bank in a statement by its spokesperson, Isaac Okorafor, denied any money was either stolen or missing from is vaults. It admitted the audio was authentic but said they were selective conversations. Mr Okorafor said contrary to insinuations that the audio recording of selective conversations by Mr Emefiele and the officials were about a fraudulent transaction, it was simply to proffer solutions to a misunderstanding that affected the Banks balance sheet. According to Sahara Reporters, in the audio, Mr Emefiele was heard saying To avoid any serious problem is just, the government to have to agree to give us at least 100 billion cash but the government will not agree. They will kick against it. The officials also discussed the possible reaction of the opposition as well as the impact of their actions on the economy. Ill have to think of a way out because we cannot afford it at all. The implications are just too many to even think about and damaging. We cannot allow this like this, we cannot, Mr Emefiele was quoted as saying in the audio. CBN Explains Audio According to Mr Okorafor, the National Economic Management Team and the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, had approached the CBN in 2015 to assist state governments with Conditional Budget Support. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo The support was to assist states to pay the salaries, pensions and gratuities of their workers in the aftermath of the significant drop in global oil prices and associated Federation Accounts allocations. He said to facilitate the recovery of the economy from the continuous impact of the recession, the CBN provided about N650 billion in loans at 9 per cent with a two-year grace period to 35 states of the Federation. These monies were distributed to the states monthly with documented approval of the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Presidency. In closing the Banks 2018 accounts, external auditors in their Draft Account, erroneously classified about N150 billion of these loans as bad, which negatively affected the Banks Balance Sheet and shareholders fund, Mr Okorafor said. He said the selective conversation referred to in the online report was simply a discussion to ascertain why the auditors took that position and next steps to resolve it. Central bank of Nigeria building The CBN spokesperson said following the discussion, it became clear to the officials that a state governments loan cannot be classified as bad or irrecoverable when the state still exists and receiving monthly allocations from FAAC. Consequently, he said, the CBN reached out to the Federal Ministry of Finance, which jointly confirmed to the auditors who accepted the discrepancy in writing that these monies would be repaid. He said on this basis, the auditors reversed the negative entry and certified that the CBNs 2018 accounts were a true reflection of the state of affairs. Reconciliation of Balance Sheet items are regular conversations amongst senior management of many agencies and should not be misconstrued as anything but that, Mr Okorafor said. He urged all well-meaning Nigerians to disregard the audio and continue to trust that the Bank is doing everything it can to represent their interests in the best possible way. Under the leadership of Governor Emefiele, the CBN has always stood for, and vigorously pursued transparency in its stewardship of public resources and policies. NO MONIES ARE MISSING OR STOLEN. Advertisements The integrity of the CBN Governor remains unassailable. He has no account in Dubai or anywhere in the world and would never convert the funds of CBN for personal use. Not in the past, not now and not ever. The use of selective wiretapped conversations of the Banks Management, to malign his character and integrity will never stand. The Bank will pursue every legal means to bring the perpetrators to justice, he said. Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has presented the staff of office to the new emirs he appointed in the state last week. This was despite a court order which the governor said came after he had made the appointments. According to a statement on Monday by his Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar, the governor presented the instrument to Aminu Ado-Bayero, the eldest son of the late Emir of Kano, as the Emir of Bichi. Emir of Kano, Alh. Aminu Ado Bayero [Photo: KNDG Media] Others who received the Staff of Office were the Emir of Karaye, Ibrahim Abubakar II; the Emir of Rano, Tafida Abubakar-Ila; and the Emir of Gaya, Ibrahim Abdulkadir. Mr Ganduje congratulated the new first class traditional rulers on their upgrade and urged them to always abide by what their Staff of Office represents. This Staff of Office represents dedication and commitment to serve your subjects in the areas of security, health care delivery system, education and environment among others. We, as a government, are always ready to work with you hand in hand for the growth and development of our state in particular and the nation in general, Mr Ganduje said. You should place greater priority on education, health and the security of your domains. As a government, we will always respond positively to your people-oriented yearnings and aspirations. Sarkin Karaye, Alh. Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar II [Photo: KNDG Media] Sarkin Gaya, Alh. Ibrahim Abdulqadir Gaya [Photo: KNDG Media] Sarkin Rano, Alh. Tafida Abubakar Ila [Photo: KNDG Media] As leaders who are closer to your subjects, you should join hand with government and other security agencies to make sure that security is not only improved but maintained. Efforts towards strengthening community policing, as practised globally, should form part of your commitment. Ours is to, together, ensure that global best practices are observed. He urged the traditional rulers to always consider workable and viable synergy with all the stakeholders in their domains, so as to make the state safer. Security is on the shoulders of all of us. Government alone cannot tackle the issue of security. And traditional institution plays a vital role in this area. The emirs assured the governor of their support in his bid to develop the state. They promised to give special consideration to all the areas he highlighted, for the overall development of the state. They promised to give special attention to education, particularly girl child education. Jubilant Residents Welcome Emir Sanusi Back to Kano Thousands of Kano residents on Sunday received the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, who arrived at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport on Sunday evening after observing the lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia. The emirs plane landed at the airport at 4.25 p.m to a tumultuous reception by his loyalists. His convoy then drove straight to his palace from the airport. Due to the large crowd, the usually 15-minute journey took the convoy hours. Among the traditional titleholders at the airport were Makaman Kano and the district head of Wudil, Abdullahi Sarki-Ibrahim, whose people on Saturday rejected their inclusion in the new Gaya Emirate. Also at the airport were the district head of Doguwa, Aliyu Harazimi-Umar, Dan Isan Kano and District Head of Warawa, Kabiru Tijjani-Hashim. Governor Ganduje appointed the new emirs last week shortly after assenting to an amendment by the State House of Assembly to the chieftaincy law of the state. In the amendment, the Kano Emirate, which covered all the 44 local government areas of the state, was split into five. Officials from the social development office in Abuja on Monday demolished Caramelo, a night club at the heart of the Nigerian capital. The Caramelo Bar in the exquisite Ukato neighbourhood was pulled down by earth-moving hardware on Monday morning, two days after a demolition notice was delivered for workers and guests to vacate. The club owners have blamed Abuja minister, Bello Mohammed, for the demolition, describing it as a vindictive measure that did not consider the countrys flailing economy. A spokesperson for the minister did not return PREMIUM TIMES requests for comments Monday afternoon. City administration officials present at the demolition scene also declined comments Monday afternoon. Caramelo was also known to operate an upscale gentlemans club and a two-star hotel in its one-storey structure. Its presence was easily noticed amongst other properties in the neighbourhood. A view from the second intersection corner of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Way revealed the extent of the damage to Caramelo, which was amongst the most famous night stops in Abuja. Although the perimetre fence was spared, a heap of excavated concrete, rising more than 10 feet, covered where the property sat for seven years. Furniture, electronics and other household items were submerged in the concrete that formed the larger part of the debris. A Fuzzy Dispute Many of those who witnessed the demotion at about 7:00 a.m. on Monday told PREMIUM TIMES that officials did not respond to a barrage of demands for an explanation. We asked them many times, but they did not answer us, a witness said. They came early and left early. The witnesses said the conduct bore a striking similarity to what transpired when the bar was raided on April 19. At least 34 women were arrested, PREMIUM TIMES reported. The officials who carried out the controversial raid did not comment when they arrived, even though they engaged in fisticuffs with bouncers. Following widespread outrage that some of the women who were arrested were only out to revel and were not commercial sex workers, the police and Abuja city administration later issued a statement, saying they were on a mission to rid the nations capital of prostitution and other acts they deemed immoral. The city administration also said Caramelo was built on a piece of land marked for a hospital or school by the town planning office, an arrangement that was breached for the seven years the club served as a prominent spot for fun-seekers. The authorities said neighbours had complained about heavy activities of Caramelo owners and guests but did not present any petition or oral reservations against the property. They also did not show evidence that the owners were formally notified about objections to the clubs location, neither did they suggest what should be done to address them. Struggling economy sheds another N500 million The city administrations claims were rebuffed by Maxwell Eze, the club owner. PREMIUM TIMES found Mr Eze surveying the destruction just before 2:00 p.m. With his eyebrows soaked, he decried the manner with which his property was destroyed, describing himself as a law-abiding citizen. Mr Eze gave PREMIUM TIMES an insight into the hopelessness he felt about the situation, which he described as entirely avoidable. They just destroyed N500 million in a struggling economy, Mr Eze said. This is deliberate sabotage of this countrys economy. Mr Eze said at least 105 Nigerians were in direct employment at Caramelo, with the lowest paid not getting below the minimum wage. Now, not only the 105 people have been rendered jobless, our suppliers and other indirect labourers will have to find ways to earn a living for themselves and families, Mr Eze said. At least two of his staff members who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES expressed dismay at governments action, expressing fears about their livelihood. Advertisements Anguish is the only thing I feel right now, Sunday Enenche, a Caramelo barman, told PREMIUM TIMES. This is the only employment I have known and I have used to feed my family for many years. He also said Caramelo was properly registered and paid federal taxes and other levies to at least 15 offices from neighbourhood and professional associations to federal agencies. Yet the property was destroyed with only a two-day notification, he said. Mr Eze displayed the notice to reporters on Monday morning. It said the building was illegally constructed and had been constituting a nuisance to residents. It was the first time an official reason would be cited for the governments crackdown on the famed bar, Mr Eze said. Demolitions are not uncommon across Abuja, as the government attempts to enforce a master plan that was first drafted when it was identified as a new capital in the mid-1970s. This often pits city administration officials against residents and business owners. Hundreds of buildings were demolished when Nasir El-Rufai was the minister in the 2000s. As with Mr Bello now, Mr El-Rufai was accused of being vindictive. He denied the allegations. Some of the demolitions were later deemed inappropriate in court. While Mr Bello has not embarked on a full-scale demolition of unapproved buildings, he has signed off on a few demolitions that were deemed controversial. Last month, an orphanage housing more than 200 children was destroyed in Kubwa after a short notice, a development that earned the minister widespread ridicule on social media. At least three Nigerian soldiers were killed, while four suffered critical injuries after a roadside bomb ripped through a military convoy on Monday morning, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt. A lieutenant-colonel was amongst those killed in the attack, alongside his driver and orderly, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. The development marked the latest loss for the military, which has grappled with a prolonged insurgency in Nigerias northeastern region since 2009. The loss of the lieutenant-colonel came roughly six months after the army lost Ibrahim Sakaba, a lieutenant colonel and troop commander, in the battle that claimed nearly 120 soldiers in Metele, Borno State. PREMIUM TIMES has withheld the slain commanders identity to allow the military the needed time to formally notify his loved ones. The officers of 145 Task Force Battalion were on an anti-terrorism patrol when an improvised explosive devise planted by Boko Haram terrorists went off in Borno State at about 9:30 a.m. Monday, military sources with knowledge of the incident told PREMIUM TIMES Monday night. The attack occurred along Mauli-Borgozo Road, which is one of the few settlements where Boko Haram elements continue to hibernate in the restive North-east, sources said. A reinforcement was dispatched from 29 Task Force Brigade in Benisheikh and 154 Task Force Battalion to recover bodies and rescue the wounded soldiers. The status of the rescue operation could not be immediately ascertained as of press time Monday night. Two gun trucks and a Tata truck were amongst the military hardware damaged by the explosion, sources said. Security level was immediately heightened, it was learnt. A spokesperson for the Nigerian Army did not immediately return requests for comments on Monday night. The military has not issued a public statement about the development as of 7:30 p.m. Monday. The attack came as Nigerian troops were regaining control of vast areas where pockets of insurgents were still hibernating between Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, the three states worse hit by the 10-year-long insurgency. At least four Boko Haram suspects were killed during battles to fortify some villages in Borno; the military said at the weekend. The police Rapid Response Squad in Lagos have arrested three robbery suspects in the Lekki area of the state for allegedly dispossessing a 25-year-old of her valuables. Two of the suspects are ex-convicts, the RRS said in a statement Sunday. The suspects dispossessed the lady of her valuables under the guise that they were cultists and were attracted to her because she was wearing the colour of a rival cult group, the police said. After being robbed, the victim raised an alarm and the suspects were apprehended by operatives of RRS that were patrolling the area, Olufemi Malik, the RRS spokesperson, said in the statement. The suspects were identified as Emmanuel Michael, Simeon Michael, and Mohammed Abubakar. According to the police, Messrs Michael and Abubakar were released from prison in April 2019, and September 2018 respectively. Mr Michael was released from Oke Kura Prison, Kwara State, on April 26 after serving a four-year jail term for manslaughter. He was re-arrested on Monday in Lekki, Lagos, alongside his colleague. Mr Abubakar, on the other hand, was released from Ikoyi Prison in December 2018. He worked as a stylist at Maryland, Lagos, before his arrest. Mr Michael said after his release from prison, he moved to Alaba-Rago in Ojo, Lagos. It was in that ghetto I met Mohammed Abubakar, who said I should accompany him to Lekki, he said. He paid all the transport fare from Ojo to Lekki. He didnt tell me he was coming to rob. He only told me to play along with him. The police said Mr Abubakar confessed to the crime. We were on student parole,' he said. We saw the lady and our interest was to scare her into parting away with her mobile phone. We told her we were Aiye Cult members and that the colour of her dress gave her out as a rival cult member. Mr Abubakar denied they were members of a secret cult. We only use that code to dispossess her of the phone she was holding. What we did is common among teenagers raised in Alaba. It is called student parole. The police said the suspects had been transferred to the State Anti-Robbery Unit for further investigation. The Nigerian police say they arrested three suspected kidnappers, rescued two victims and recovered arms through ongoing operations to curb crime. According to a statement by police spokesperson, Frank Mba, the victory was recorded through the Operation Puff Adder. Operation Puff Adder is one of the strategies designed to help curb insecurity in Nigeria. The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammad Adamu, had earlier announced the commencement of counter-kidnapping strategies which are intelligence-driven. The highways across the country have been under the siege of kidnappers in recent weeks. Last week, the police reported that about 157 kidnappers were arrested alongside 275 armed robbery suspects since the launch of Operation Puff Adder in April. The police launched the operation on April 5 as a strategy to address internal security threats in Nigeria within the shortest possible time. The police boss said Kaduna State recorded the highest number of arrests. Latest arrest We recorded victory with the rescue of two kidnapped victims and subsequent arrest of three male suspects and the recovery of two (2) Ak47 rifles and Two hundred and fifty-eight (258) rounds of live ammunition of 7.62mm caliber, the current statement revealed. The two victims, Ali Abu Sale, (male), 34 years and Bala Bawa, (male), 37 years, were earlier kidnapped from their residence at Maijaki village via Lapai LGA of Niger State on May 1. They were held at two separate camps, but rescued following a joint tactical rescue mission involving the police from the Technical Intelligence Units, Special Tactical Squad and other undercover operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder. While Mr Sale was rescued at Mai Lamba forest, near Lapai, Niger State, Mr Bawa was rescued at Gada Biu, on the outskirts of Abuja. The statement said prior to the successful rescue operation, the kidnappers were demanding for a ransom of N8 million for the two victims. Suspects The three suspects, according to the police, are Mohammed Bello, aka Dan Hajia, 42 years; Suleiman Musa, aka Dan Auta, 38 years and Abubakar Bello, aka Abu Kango, 28 years; all males. They are currently in police custody. The statement said one of the suspects, following a serious gun-duel with the police, was fatally injured and subsequently died from the injuries. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) announced Monday it was starting a nationwide protest over the leadership tussle at the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) board. The union and the labour ministry have backed different people for the chairmanship of the board of NSITF. On Sunday, the Presidency said the decisions of the minister of labour and productivity, Chris Ngige, on the matter had the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari. It said the board will be inaurgurated on Monday. It also redeployed the labour campaigner, Frank Kokori, to the labour institute in Kwara State. Mr Kokori was earlier appointed by the president to head the board at NSITF, but the minister has opposed his nomination while the NLC suport him. Last week, journalists and members of the NLC were attacked by thugs suspected to have been sent by Mr Ngige, during a protest at the ministers residence in Asokoro, Abuja. The nationwide protest, which began 9 am on Monday, started from the Labour house. NLC national protest against Ngige in Abuja. NLC national protest against Ngige in Abuja. It had members of affiliated unions in attendance. The union is protesting over the ministers unwillingness to inaugurate of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) board. Speaking at the protest, the national president of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, said the union are protesting the attack on Nigerian workers during a protest to his house. NLC national protest against Ngige in Abuja. NLC national protest against Ngige in Abuja. NLC national protest against Ngige in Abuja. Members of International Labour Congress in Geneva will be protesting against Ngige on June 18, he said. According to him, Nigerian workers have the rights to protest and picket. A senior Nigerian lawyer, Femi Falana, has called for the release of 10 civilians detained by the Nigerian Navy. He made the call in a letter addressed to the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. Mr Falana, in the letter made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, said the detainees were intercepted by naval personnel aboard a vessel which was hijacked by a gang of pirates in October 2018. He added that while the detainees were rescued and the pirates arrested, the crew members who were not indicted in the investigation conducted by the navy into the hijacking of the vessel has since been detained aboard the ship. The senior advocate stressed that the action of the security operatives was a breach of the detainees fundamental rights to personal liberty and fair hearing as provided for in the Constitution. He also decried that apart from detaining the crew members in a dehumanising military facility, they have been compelled to wear the same dress for seven months. Mr Falana said since the detainees are civilians who are not subject to service law, the navy ought to have reported them to the police if there was reasonable suspicion that they committed any criminal offence whatsoever. He, therefore, urged the AGF to direct the naval authorities to release the detainees from custody without any further delay. Read the full letter below. May 10, 2019 The Attorney-General of the Federation & Minister of Justice, Federal Ministry of Justice, Maitama District, Abuja, FCT. Request for the release of 10 civilians detained by the Nigerian Navy since October 27, 2018 We have confirmed the illegal detention of another group of 10 Nigerian citizens aboard a ship in Marina, Lagos since October 27, 2018, on the orders of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas. The names of the detainees are: 1. Oloyede Ademola Yisau; 2. Omogoye Wasiu Bolaji; 3. Edu Fidelis; 4. Richard David; 5. Mike Simeon; 6. Umoren Daniel; Advertisements 7. Okoghene Asaiki 8. Udom Victor; 9. James Archibong; 10. Umon Godswill Emmanuel At the time of the arrest of the detainees seven months ago, they were crew members aboard a vessel known as NESO II which was hijacked by a gang of pirates. However, the detainees were rescued while the pirates were arrested by the Beecroft Naval Base. Curiously, the crew members who were not indicted in the investigation conducted by the Nigerian Navy into the hijacking of the vessel have since been detained aboard the ship in Marina, Lagos in breach of their fundamental rights to personal liberty and fair hearing guaranteed by Sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended). Apart from detaining the crew members in a dehumanizing military facility, the Nigerian Navy has compelled each of them to wear the same dress for seven months. Thus, the fundamental rights of the detainees to dignity and freedom of movement have also been violated. Since the detainees are civilians who are not subject to service law the Nigerian Navy ought to have reported them to the Nigeria Police Force if there was reasonable suspicion that they committed any criminal offence whatsoever. However, in view of the fact that the detainees have not been charged with any criminal offence before any competent court, we are compelled to request you to direct the Chief of Naval Staff to release them from unlawful custody without any further delay. We also request you to use your good offices to prosecute the Chief of Naval Staff for subjecting the detainees to physical and mental torture contrary to the provisions of the Anti Torture Act, 2017. Take notice that if you fail to accede to our request within 48 hours of the receipt of this letter we shall not hesitate to file an application at the Federal High Court to secure the enforcement of the fundamental rights of the detainees to personal liberty, dignity, fair hearing and movement and seek an order of mandamus to compel you to prosecute of the Chief of Naval Staff. Finally, since the country is under a democratic dispensation we urge the Federal Government to sanction members of the Nigeria Police Force, Armed Forces and other security agencies who engage in the incessant arrest and detention of innocent citizens without any legal basis. Yours sincerely, FEMI FALANA, SAN, FCI Arb. Author Jamaica Kincaid Speaking at Simon's Rock Commencement GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. Jamaica Kincaid, author of a dozen seminal works of fiction and nonfiction and professor of African and African American Studies in Residence at Harvard University, will address graduates at the 50th commencement ceremony of Bard College at Simon's Rock on Saturday, May 18, at 11 a.m. on Blodgett lawn. Known for candid and emotionally honest writing, Kincaid has carved out a place in the American literary landscape. Through her books and novels, including "Annie John," "Lucy," "At the Bottom of the River" and "A Small Place," she has attracted devoted fans across generations and ethnic boundaries with her distinctive, melodic style and penetrating treatment of social and political issues. Kincaid's literary voice is deeply rooted in her experiences as a child in her native Antigua and has said growing up under the colonial rule of England instilled a tragic perspective. "I never give up thinking about the way I came into the world, how my ancestors came from Africa to the West Indies as slaves. I just never forget it. It's like a big wave that's still pulsing," she said. Her work has been honored with numerous nominations and awards, including the 2014 American Book Award, which celebrates multiculturalism and free expression. "A Small Place," a critical look at the legacies of colonialism in Antigua, inspired the 2001 documentary "Life and Debt," about the impact globalization can have on a developing country. Kincaid started her career as a staff writer and feature columnist for The New Yorker for nine years. She began her academic career in 1991 at Harvard, holding joint appointments in the English and African-American Studies departments. Today, she is the Professor of African and African American Studies in Residence at Harvard University. Bard College at Simon's Rock is the only college in the country specifically designed for bright, highly motivated students ready to enter college after the 10th or 11th grade. The liberal arts and sciences program is taught exclusively in small seminars by faculty who are leading scholars in their fields. It grants degrees in more than 35 majors. Less than four weeks after Nigeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Council of Police Organisations (INTERPOl), the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, will this week host a meeting of police and security chiefs from INTERPOL, West Africa and some key countries in Africa. According to a statement by the Nigeria police spokesperson, Frank Mba, the meeting will hold in Abuja from May 14 to 16 under the auspices of the West African Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO). The Nigerian government had last month announced that it would begin to implement the West African Police Information System (WAPIS) under the agreement with INTERPOL. It said the system will strengthen the information systems of the countrys security agencies. WAPIS is implemented by INTERPOL with funding from the European Union. Its aim is to strengthen information exchange and coordination among the regions law enforcement agencies. The system supports the efforts of national authorities and ECOWAS in improving national security and is being implemented at three levels: national, regional and global. The West African Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO) is a structure under ECOWAS designed to bring together Heads of Police of ECOWAS Member States to exchange and share intelligence. The forum promotes collaboration among countries in the region in the fight against criminality and security threats. WAPCCOs areas of interest include tackling of illicit trade on drugs, enforcement of immigration laws, policing of marine space, customs activities, and financial intelligence amongst others. The statement said the meeting in Abuja will be an opportunity for security chiefs in the sub-region to recommit to collaborating more effectively to tackling trans-border crimes and other regional security threats in an increasingly globalised world. The event will have in attendance the INTERPOL Secretary-General and representatives of the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL). Also, members of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in South Africa and representatives from the Committee of Chiefs of Police from Central Africa among other key security stakeholders will be in attendance. The Concerned Professionals Congress (CPC) has endorsed a call by the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Enoch Adeboye, that replacing the Service Chiefs hastily may create fresh problems capable of compounding the security challenges currently facing nation. The highly-respected cleric who spoke to journalists at the weekend in Ebute- Meta, Lagos at the RCCGs Throne of Grace headquarters after a thanksgiving sermon delivered by the Assistant General Overseer, Administration and Personnel, Johnson Odesola, said that it was obvious that the service chiefs were working hard to combat insecurity in the country according to the situation on ground. I believe the service chiefs are workingThey have been studying the situation of the country in terms of security and would have some plans they are working on. If they are just changed, the new service chiefs would have to start all over again. The group, in a joint statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its Chief Media Strategist, Emeka Nwankpa, and the Regional Rapporteur (North), Baba Al-Kasim, described Mr Adeboyes call for public understanding and support to the service chiefs as the highest manifestation of illumination and statesmanship urgently needed at the nation currently wades through its crucial moment. The group maintained that the current security challenges in the country were symptoms of socio-economic and political problems that many years of incremental leadership failures, impunity, bad governance and misplacement of priorities had created in the country resulting in restiveness in parts of the country, pointing out that the present crop of leadership of the armed forces and other security agencies in the country were now left to contend with the practical fallout and consequences of years of misrule. The group noted that notwithstanding the obvious challenges, the security forces under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gabriel Olonisakin, and the service chiefs have courageously turned the tide against insurgents in the counter-terrorism operations in the North-East even up to the Federal Capital Territory, militancy in the Niger Delta, kidnappings in the South West as well as the senseless killings in Benue/Plateau axis. These feats and many more are no mean feats. Under the watch of the CDS, General Gabriel Olonisakin and the service chiefs, democracy was restored in the Gambia by our gallant armed forces with the active support and understanding of President Muhammadu Buhari. There is no doubt that in the coming weeks, a drastic change of dynamics in the ongoing joint security operations against all form of insecurity across the country is bound to take place. We hereby call for more prayers, support and understanding from the civilian populace, Mr Nwankpa said. The group further maintained that the armed forces and families deserved more appreciation and support owing to scores of service personnel that had lost their lives thereby paying the supreme price in combat operations to keep the nation safe, secure and stable. The civil advocacy group praised President Muhammadu Buhari for his total commitment and support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the synergy-driven leadership of Mr Olonisakin and the service chiefs. Mr Nwankpa contended that his selection of the top echelon of the Armed Forces has brought immense gains especially in the entire North East which has been rescued from Boko Haram. President Buhari deserves kudos for putting together selecting these courageous military chiefs led by the tireless CDS, General Abayomi Olonisakin. The present threats to our national security and stability are unprecedented in form, scale and range but our defence forces have been very resilient for the sake of our nation. Our gallant soldiers have paid the supreme price. Our military leaders have been resilient in rising to grave security challenges by dislodging criminal elements threatening the security, stability, peace and unity of the country. The dynamics of the war against terror in the days ahead will take a new positive turn. We commend their efforts. We salute the tireless Chief of Defence, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin whose synergy-driven leadership of the service chiefs and other security agencies has galvanized the entire national security architecture to effectively tackle Boko Haram and other national security threats, he said. The group urged Nigerians irrespective of race, region, religion or political leaning to close ranks and fully support the military and other security forces to confront armed banditry, kidnapping, Boko Haram and other non-state actors in the interest of the peace, unity, stability, health and sovereignty of the nation. A federal high court in Abuja has remanded a businessman, David Umoh, in Kuje Prison for alleged N10 million fraud. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Tony Orilade, said Mr Umoh was charged before Justice Salisu Garba of the Federal High Court in Maitama with eight counts bordering on breach of trust and forgery. Mr Umoh was accused of committing the crime on May 27, 2009, in Abuja. According to the statement, the accused converted to himself 400,000 units of shares of Nigerian Flour Mills belonging to a businessman, Abba Rimi. The EFCC said the accused fled to Ghana when he realised that the anti-graft agency was investigating the alleged fraud, prompting the commission to declare him wanted. The EFCC later apprehended Mr Umoh on his return to Nigeria in April 2019, after his Ghanaian employers read the publications. That you, Marshall David Umo and Dihoen Consult Limited, on or about the 27th of May, 2009, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while being entrusted with certain property to wit: The sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) by Alhaji Abba Musa Rimi for the purchase of 400,00.00 units of shares of Nigerian Flour Mills did commit criminal breach of trust by dishonestly converting the said sum to your own use, And thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penalty Code Cap 532 laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 2004 and punishable under Section 312 of the same act, the charges read. Court Session According to the statement, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges. In view to his plea, the prosecution counsel, identified as Odibo, asked the court for a trial date and that the accused be remanded in prison custody. The defence counsel, Abel Adaji, however, told the court he had applied for bail for his client which was later protested by the prosecution counsel because it was served the court same morning and he needed time to respond to it. Consequently, the defence counsel asked for a short adjournment and prayed that the defendant is remanded in EFCCs custody. The prosecution counsel objected to the prayer, preferring a remand in prison custody. Ruling Justice Garba adjourned the matter to Friday, May 17, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered the defendant to be remanded in Kuje Prison. The Nigerian Police Force has appointed a new head for its Complaint Response Unit. Markus Basiran, an assistant commissioner of police, is to replace Abayomi Shogunle who was re-deployed last week. Mr Shogunle was redeployed as Area Commander Nkalangi, Ebonyi State. The new head of the CRU resumed duty fully Monday, a statement said. The police made this known via its official Twitter account. Prior to his appointment, Mr Basiran has held different positions within the Force, some of which include; Police Public Relations Officer, Zone 12 Bauchi, Unit Commander in the Police Mobile Force (PMF) in Abuja and Bayelsa, O/C Research and Planning, Peacekeeping Office, FHQ Abuja, O/C Zonal Intelligence Bureau, Lokoja, Area Commander, Nkalagu, Ebonyi State. He has attended the Policy, Strategy & Leadership Course at Kuru Jos and Tactical Intelligence Command and Management Course in Enugu. He is a graduate of Sociology from Ahmadu Bello University & holds a certificate in Crime Mgt & Prevention from Bayero University, Kano. He is expected to use his wide field experience in refocusing the CRU on its core mandate of running a community-oriented Complaint Management System using multi-platform reporting mechanism through which citizens complaints will be attended to, the statement noted. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) authorities say they are yet aware of alleged seal-off of houses believed to belong to President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki. Acting Head, Media and Publicity of the commission, Tony Orilade, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday that his office was unaware of the issue. I have not been briefed; so, I dont have any information on it, he said. The alleged sealed property are multiple residential houses located in highbrow Ikoyi, Lagos. Mr Saraki had recently come under pressure from the anti-graft agency. The EFCC had confirmed reports that it had opened a fresh investigation into Mr Sarakis stewardship as President of the Senate as well as a probe of his earnings as governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011. Mr Orilade, had in a statement, said the EFCC was obligated by law to enthrone probity and accountability in the governance space and had supremely pursued this duty without ill-will or malice against anyone. It is in the interest of the public, and for Sarakis personal good, that he is not only above board, but be seen at all times to be so. Indeed, all the instances in which the EFCC have had cause to sleuth into his financial activities either as a former governor or President of the Senate were driven by overarching public interest and due process of the law, he said. He added that with indicting petitions and other evidence available to EFCC, even Mr Saraki will agree with the Commission that putting him through a legitimate forensic inquiry is the legitimate route to establish his integrity as public servant. In his reaction, Mr Saraki insisted that the action of the EFCC was a witch-hunt. Our attention has been drawn to the fact that the EFCC has marked certain property belonging to President of the Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, obviously under the claim that they are subject of investigation. The action of the EFCC only reinforced our earlier stated position that their current investigation is mischievous, contrary to the tenets of the rule of law and only aimed at settling scores. This position is founded on the fact that these same buildings were the subject of earlier investigations by the EFCC as well as the case initiated by the Federal Government at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Also, the case went all the way to the highest court in our country, the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In that case, Saraki was discharged and acquitted because the courts believe the government has no case. The EFCCs move to investigate him is a mere witch-hunt exercise, aimed at settling scores, laced with malicious and partisan motives, Mr Sarakis media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said in a statement. (NAN) A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Jabi, has adjourned hearing of an application seeking a warrant of arrest against Nigerian officials implicated in the controversial Malabu Oil scandal. The application was brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and seeks the arrest of Dan Etete, a former petroleum minister, and Mohammed Adoke, a former justice minister. Also involved were Raph Wetzels, Casula Roberto, Pujato Stefano, and Burrato Sebastiano. In a statement signed by EFCC spokesperson, Tony Orilade, on Monday, it said Justice Danlami Senchi of the court refused to grant the application on the grounds that the substantive suit was yet to be argued by the parties in the matter. According to the statement, Mr Senchi had ordered the arrest of Messrs Etete, Adoke, Ralph Wetzels, Casula Roberto, Pujato Stefeno, and Burrato Sebastiano on April 17, 2019, for not making themselves available for trial since 2017. PREMIUM TIMES reported April 17 how the judge granted the EFCC a warrant of arrest against the Nigerian officials involved in the controversial deal. Backstory The EFCC, in 2017 pressed charges against Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Co. Ltd, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Eni Spa, Raph Wetzels, Casula Roberto, Pujato Stefeno, Burrato Sebastiano, Duazia Louya Etete (aka Dan Etete), Mohammed Bello Adoke, Aliyu Abubakar and Malabu Oil & Gas Limited. The Malabu scandal involved the transfer of about $1.1 billion by oil multinationals, Shell and ENI, through the Nigerian government to accounts controlled by Mr Etete. From accounts controlled by Mr Etete, about half the money ($520 million) went to the accounts of companies controlled by Abubakar Aliyu, popularly known in Nigeria as the owner of AA oil. Anti-corruption investigators and activists suspect he fronted for top officials of the Goodluck Jonathan administration as well of officials of Shell and ENI. The transaction was authorised in 2011 by former President Goodluck Jonathan through some of his cabinet ministers, and the money was payment for OPL 245, one of Nigerias richest oil blocks. 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. Shell, Eni, Mr Etete, Mr Aliyu and several officials of the oil firms are being prosecuted in Italy for their roles in the scandal. Court session In suit No. FCT/HC/M/546/2019, Mr Etetes counsel, L.O Ikwegwe told the court that she had just been served with the EFCCs counter-affidavit and will need time to respond to it. The counsel representing the fifth, sixth and seventh defendants, Joe Gadzama, told the court he was yet to see the EFCCs counter-affidavit and therefore, will be asking for an adjournment. Mr Gadzama also reportedly told the court that he served the EFCC the defendants affidavit since April 24, 2019, accompanied with the hearing notice, He added that with the new issues introduced in the counter-affidavit, he will be filing additional processes. According to the statement, Mr Gadzama urged the court to make the prosecution an undertaking not to proceed with the arrest since there was a legal challenge to it. Faje Opasanya, counsel to Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Ltd, Nigeria Agip Exploration Ltd, Eni SPA, also told the court that he was also constrained to ask for adjournment as new allegations were raised in the EFCCs counter-affidavit. He also told the court to restrain the EFCC from carrying out the arrest order. The counsel to EFCC, Aliyu Yusuf, reminded the court that the defendants applications were for a stay of execution of the warrant of arrest and therefore prayed the court to reject the oral application for the stay. Ruling According to the statement, Justice Senchi adjourned the matter till June 11 to rule on all the motions and counter-motions before the court and for the parties to argue the substantive suit. He said the oral stay of execution submission made by the defendants touched on the main application and ordered an accelerated hearing on the matter. Advertisements He further ordered that any party that needed to file any processes must do so by June 5, 2019, and that no processes shall be accepted after the date. As Nigerians continue to grapple with multi-faceted security crises in different parts of the country, the Buhari administration has released some measures being taken by the police and security forces to address the challenges. Violent crimes, especially armed robbery, banditry and kidnapping, have taken a heavy toll on the country in recent weeks. Both the affluent and average citizens have been wantonly abducted for ransom in several states. Armed bandits have also held several states in the northwest to a standstill, and armed robbery remains prevalent. President Muhammadu Buhari has been criticised for not handling the crises with the seriousness they deserve. The president said the challenges were numerous and difficult to combat and blamed some community leaders for being complicit in the chaos. He, however, promised to do his best to impose resolve the challenges. In a statement on Sunday, presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina listed efforts currently underway to address the crises. Read Mr Adesinas full statement below. These are no doubt times of great security challenges for our country, and the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government is not leaving any stone unturned to restore sanity and calm. For the records, below are some of the security initiatives taken between January and now, for the safety and security of Nigerians: Operation Puff Adder (Nigerian Police), Operation HARBIN KUNAMA 3 (Nigerian Army) and Exercise Egwu Eke 3 (Nigerian Army) have all been launched in 2019, to complement the existing Operations Sharan Daji (launched in 2016 by the Nigerian Army) and Diran Mikiya (launched 2018 by the Nigerian Air Force). All of these operations are focused on tackling banditry and criminality in the North West of Nigeria. Operation HARBIN KUNAMA 3 was launched on 1 April 2019 to ensure the complete defeat of the bandits fleeing military operations in Zamfara and escaping into Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Niger and Sokoto States. Hundreds of kidnappers and bandits have been arrested or killed since January, several camps/hideouts destroyed; and hundreds of hostages rescued. In a two-week operation in February (lasting from Feb 4 to Feb 14), 80 hostages were freed by the Nigerian Army, with 37 bandits killed. Aerial bombardments of bandits camps have been intensified in recent months. A new Air Force Base the 271 Nigerian Air Force Detachment (271 NAF Det) was commissioned at Birinin Gwari in Kaduna State in May 2019, to complement the 207 Quick Response Group (QRG) established in Gusau, Zamfara State, in 2017. NIGERIAN POLICE: Between January 2019 and the 1st week of May, 2019, a total of 270 suspected kidnappers, 275 suspected armed robbers, were arrested and 105 assorted weapons plus a large cache of ammunition recovered by the Nigerian Police within the states of the North West and North Central Nigeria. April 5- The Nigerian Police launched Operation Puff Adder, a multi-agency strategy, in collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Department of State Services (DSS), tailored towards ridding the Kaduna Abuja Expressway, Kogi, Katsina, Niger and Zamfara states of all forms of crimes and criminality- kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling, amongst others. April 9- Police operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder arrested three notorious criminals involved in the kidnap of Channels Televisions staff, Mr. Friday Okeregbe- Hanniel Patrick, Abdulwahab Isah and Salisu Mohammed. April 10- Officers of the Operation Puff Adder killed nine notorious criminals on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway. 6 Ak47 Rifles, 1 Pump Action Gun, 1,206 Rounds of Ak47 Ammunition, 7 Magazines, 28 Cartridges And 158 Expended Shells were recovered from the criminals. April 16- Operatives attached to Operation Puff Adderarrested one Mallam Salisu Abubakar, 48yrs old, a native of Dutsinma LGA, Katsina State. The Mallam, is a self-confessed spiritual father of kidnappers terrorizing Abuja-Kaduna expressway and parts of other North-West/North-Central states. Following the arrest of the kidnappers spiritual father, Police detectives attached to Operation Puff Adder, arrested 18 notorious kidnappers and armed robbers at different times and places across the country. A total of twenty- two (22) AK 47 rifles, five (5) locally fabricated pistols and a cache of live ammunition were recovered from the bandits. May 5- Operatives from Operation Puff Adderrescued unhurt 27 kidnap victims including 5 Chinese nationals. The Chinese citizens who were earlier kidnapped on 15th April, 2019 in Bobi, Niger State, were safely and successfully rescued from a forest in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, following painstaking investigative efforts, including both air and ground surveillance. Two of the kidnappers died from injuries sustained during exchange of gun fire with the Police in the course of the rescue mission. Twenty-two other kidnap victims were rescued in Zamfara State and other parts of the country. NIGERIAN ARMY: 8 January The Army flagged off Exercise EGWU EKE III in 8 Division Nigerian Armys area of responsibility at 1 Battalion, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State. 2 February- Troops of 8 Division of the Nigerian Army on Exercise EGWU EKE III, in conjunction with other security agencies recovered dangerous weapons from criminals and political thugs in Sokoto State. This has really contributed immensely to a peaceful security situation in the state. Advertisements 15 March- Troops of 72 Special Forces Makurdi, deployed at Yelwata, in Guma LGA, which is a border town between Benue and Nasarawa states, while on patrol along Yelwata-Kadarko road engaged armed robbers in a gun battle, which resulted in the elimination of one of the armed robbers, while others took to their heels. The suspects were dressed in military desert camouflage and robbing motorists along the road. 13 April- Troops conducting Operation Sharan Daji in Zamfara State killed 23 bandits and arrested 18 suspected informants, cattle rustlers, kidnappers and logistics suppliers to armed criminals in the state. 20 April- Troops on Operation HABIN KUNAMA III, based on credible intelligence about bandits movements in Kirsa and Sunke in Anka LGA, Zamfara State, continued with the clearance operation into the hinterland to clear the brigands, arresting 18 informants and recovering arms and motorcycles. 22 April- Troops of 72 Special Forces (SF) Battalion Makurdi deployed for internal security operation in Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue State, averted a terrible clash between two Tiv clans-Shitile and Ikyora in the early hours of that day. They exterminated 5 mercenaries, recovered arms and ammunition. May 8- A patrol team of 1 Division of the Nigerian Army raided a bandits den at Gonan Bature East of Rijana and Kasarami farm house in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. The abandoned Kasarami farm house was reportedly forcefully occupied by criminals and had been used as a shelter and a place where victims of kidnapping were kept. May 8- Troops on Exercise HARBIN KUNAMA III arrested a notorious logistics supplier for bandits crouching between Jibia-Batsari axis -one Marwana Abubakar was arrested at Kwashabawa village in Jibia LGA, Katsina State. May 8- Troops of 311 Artillery Regiment successfully conducted a raid operation on a suspected facility in Kontagora township, Niger State. During the raid, some weapons were discovered and recovered. NIGERIAN AIR FORCE: 19 January- The Nigerian Air Force deployed a fighter aircraft, along with support equipment, and a detachment of Special Forces (SF) personnel to Sokoto to further boost anti-banditry operations in Northwest Nigeria under Operation DIRAN MIKIYA. The deployment is aimed at adding value to the efforts to deal with the spate of insecurity in some parts of Sokoto State and the border areas between Zamfara and Sokoto States. 7 February- The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation DIRAN MIKIYA intensified the bombardment of armed bandits hideouts in Zamfara State and environs, after several camps being used by the bandits to launch attacks against innocent civilians were identified. 21 February- The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) provided a mobile Jet A-1 fuelling facility to enable the refuelling of NAF Helicopters that would operate out of the 23 Quick Response Wing (23 QRW) Nguroje. This will further enhance security on the Mambilla Plateau. 12 March- In continuation of efforts to enhance security in Kaduna State and its environs, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), working with other security agencies, intensified aerial surveillance over identified hotspots and flashpoints in the state while sustaining its air patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway. Some of the areas covered in the surveillance missions include Gonin Gora, Kajuru, Kujama, Kasuwar Maganin and surrounding settlements. 31 March- A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Special Forces (SF) Team operating in Zamfara State successfully repelled attacks by armed bandits who attempted to invade Hayin Mahe and Hayin Kanawa Villages in Gusau Local Government Area. 8 April- The Air Task Force (ATF) for Operation DIRAN MIKIYA renewed air offensive against armed bandits in Zamfara State and its environs. The air strikes are aimed at flushing out the bandits from their hideouts in Sububu, Rugu and Kagara Forests, amongst others, whilst ensuring the protection of the lives and properties of citizens in Northwest Nigeria. 9 April- The Air Task Force (ATF), Operation DIRAN MIKIYA neutralized dozens of armed bandits in Sector 2 Area of Operation in Zamfara State and also supported surface forces to move into the attacked areas to mop-up the fleeing survivors and recover their weapons. Some of the bandits fled across the border into Niger Republic. 13 April- The Air Task Force (ATF) for Operation DIRAN MIKIYA destroyed some logistics stores belonging to bandits at a location within Kagara Forest, Zamfara State. Some of the armed bandits who had fled their camps as a result of NAFs earlier air strikes had relocated some logistics items, including fuel, motorcycles and local arms-making equipment, to another location within Kagara Forest. 16 April- In response to reports that high profile armed bandits were gathering around Rafi and Doka villages of Mada District in Gusau Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State, which is under the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the 207 Quick Response Group (207 QRG), a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Special Forces (SF) Team was dispatched to the area to secure the 2 settlements. 22 April- The Air Task Force (ATF) for Operation DIRAN MIKIYA neutralized about 10 armed bandits at Sububu Forest area in Zamfara State. This was achieved while the ATF was responding to a request for close air support by ground troops of Sector 7 Area of Responsibility of Operation SHARAN DAJI, who had come into contact with armed bandits in Shinkafi Local Government Area (LGA). 4 May- NAF commissioned the 271 Nigerian Air Force Detachment (271 NAF Det) at Birinin Gwari in Kaduna State. The Detachment was established to serve as support Base and a blocking force for troops in Operations DIRAN MIKIYA and SHARAN DAJI. It is the constitutional duty and responsibility of government to safeguard lives and properties. The Buhari administration remains committed to this, and despite recent spikes in the spate of crime and criminality, the evildoers will be beaten, and badly, too. The ravening clouds can never be victorious. Soon, they shall no longer possess the sky. The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has said that having spent almost four years running the affairs of Lagos, he is wiser now. Mr Ambode said this while fielding questions from state house correspondents during his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja. The governor said he visited Abuja on behalf of Lagosians to appreciate Mr Buhari for inaugurating some of the projects in the state. When asked about what lessons he has learnt as a politician in Lagos, the governor said he has learnt a lot of things which has shaped his identity as someone who came into government as a technocrat. You see, every politician learns every day, the governor said. The fact remains that I came in as a technocrat, so I used to call myself a techno-politician. But I think I am wiser now. I am more of a politician than a technocrat. Failed Ambition Mr Ambode lost his bid to seek re-election on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) last year after the party leadership stood against him. He was replaced by Babajide Sanwo-Olu in a primary election characterised by name-calling and bitter rivalry. Mr Sanwo-Olu would later emerge the governor-elect of Lagos after beating Jimi Agbaje of the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Speaking about his legacy in the state, Mr Ambode said he has touched humanity with his policies and programme as Lagos governor. He said: In another 16 days or so, we will be leaving office. But what is important is that I was able to have that opportunity to be elected as governor of Lagos State and to touch humanity in a way that I deem it fit. We did our best and most importantly the projects we did were people friendly and people central. I just think a lot more people have enjoyed the benefits and dividends of democracy than we actually met it. And that gives me joy that we were able to touch lives. Wherever you find yourself just make (a) positive difference to people and Nigerians, that is the whole essence of service. Im grateful that I had that opportunity. Mr Ambodes loss last September makes him the first governor to lose re-election in Lagos since 1999. Two former governors of the state had governed for eight years before Mr Ambode emerged in 2015. While Bola Tinubu, a leader in the APC, governed between 1999 and 2007, Babatunde Fashola, Nigerias minister of power, works and housing, governed between 2007 and 2015. President Muhammadu Buhari Monday hosted some state governors in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Mr Buhari first met behind closed doors with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State. Mr Ambode told State House correspondents that he was at the villa to thank Mr Buhari for visiting Lagos to commission some people-oriented projects in the state. The governor also said serving for one term as a governor of Lagos state has transformed him from a technocrat to wise politician. Mr Buhari also met behind closed doors with Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State. Mr Ortom said he visited the president to brief him on the security situation in his state. He said three local governments are facing serious security breaches owing to the activities of one Gana who he said is behind most acts of criminality in Benue State. Mr Ortom said the law on ranching, which he put in place, is working very well. He said over 500 persons have been arrested cutting across Fulani, Tiv and Idoma ethnic groups. Mr Buhari also met with the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai; Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe and Governor Willy Obiano of Anambra state. Speaking after his meeting with the president, Mr El-Rufai of Kaduna said he discussed security matters affecting his state with Mr Buhari. He said the meeting also discussed the Abuja/ Kaduna expressway. He assured that based on the measures taken so far by security agencies, the Kaduna/Abuja expressway is now safe for travellers. Mr El- Rufai also spoke about his comments on godfathers in Nigerian politics which has generated a lot of interests. He said all he did was to discuss a template of defeating godfathers which he used in Kaduna State successfully. Whoever feels offended, that is his problem, he said. Mr Obiano of Anambra State, who also spoke with journalists, said he was in the villa to thank Mr Buhari for the continuation of work at the second Niger bridge. Also, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, met with Mr Buhari in his office. The meeting with the CBN governor, whose re-appointment was announced last week, came on the heels of reports alleging that the bank lost N500 billion in a controversial deal. Mr Emefiele was caught in a leaked audio, first published by Sahara Reporters, discussing the controversial deal. The CBN has since defended the audio content, saying the bank and Mr Emefiele did nothing wrong. The Nigeria Police have once again given tips to Nigerians on what to do when encountering police officers on duty. The police gave the tips via their verified Twitter handle, @PoliceNG, on Monday. According to the tips, Nigerians should politely request to search an officer who wants to search their houses or cars. The police also advised Nigerians to always request for a search warrant and cooperate with the instructions passed to avoid unnecessary issues. The advice came against the backdrop of recent killings and brutality of citizens by police officers, which have drawn widespread condemnation from advocacy groups. Many Nigerians have held public protests in parts of the country against police brutality. On May 6, the police in a post via its verified tweeter account advised Nigerians on how to avoid clashes with officers at police checkpoints. Here are the new tips from the Police on how to relate with officers on duty 1. If an officer wants to search you in your house/ car, he must first surrender himself for searching. This is the procedure. Ask politely. #AskThePolice 2. If the arrest requires the officer to conduct a search on you, demand to see the Search Warrant and comply with all legitimate instruction during the search (Note that there are a lot of instances where a policeman can search you with or without a warrant) the police added. 3. On a lighter note, but also seriously speaking, every encounter with the police, including an arrest/invitation scenario is an opportunity to learn more about the Police, the security community, your rights and privileges & make friends with them. Please make effective use of it! 4. Politely request that the officers allow you inform a trusted friend or a family member or a lawyer, soon after your arrest in order to avoid unnecessary apprehension as to your whereabouts or safety. 5. You should immediately make full disclosures. Demand to see the warrant of arrest where necessary (Note however that not all invitation/arrest requires a warrant). As a matter of fact, under our laws, the Police have wide powers to arrest without warrant in many circumstances. 6. Always let the officers know your health challenge (if any) after arrest. This is important in case you may need immediate medical attention, particularly asthmatic patients, persons with history of epilepsy, high blood pressure, diabetes especially those on insulin etc. 7. Politely demand to know the reason for your arrest. It is your right to know. Also, where the officers have not disclosed their identity, courteously request their identity and where they came from, or the office where they work. Monday Devotional: Partners in Gods Purposes The Fellowship | May 13, 2019 Close up of hand pointing to text in the Torah. Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid.Jeremiah 46:27 This month, Israel honored its fallen soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in securing and protecting Gods Holy Land, and celebrated its 71st anniversary as the modern Jewish State. Join us as we explore through the timeless teachings of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein how God has watched over His land and His people since biblical times. To find out how you can support Gods watchmen on the wall, visit holylandmoments.org/help. Our Scripture today come from a section in Jeremiah that focused on Egypts downfall and the Egyptians imminent capture by the Babylonians. However, in the last two verses, the prophet turned to the children of Israel who knew that they were also destined to be overtaken by the Babylonians. In this instance, the prophet came to reassure them. He wanted them to know that Gods plans for them were different from His intentions for the Egyptians. The children of Israel were Gods people and He promised them a bright future. Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel, the prophet began. Jeremiah continued: I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. I love this verse, not just because it demonstrates Gods love for His people, but also because it is a verse that is very much alive and real today. Here at The Fellowship, we have witnessed how the children of Israel have returned to the Holy Land through our ministry, On Wings of Eagles. Long-lost Jews have resurfaced in Israel from all four corners of the world. However, the verse is not completely fulfilled as of yet. Unfortunately, we cannot say that Israel lives in peace and security. We dont yet live in a world where no one tries to make Israel afraid. On the contrary, we witness daily provocations from Israels enemies who openly threaten to wipe the Jewish state off the map. So this verse is particularly interesting. It is in the process of being fulfilled. What makes it even more exciting to me is that God has given us the opportunity to be partners with Him in making these prophecies come true. After the Israelites had left Egypt hundreds of years earlier, they were in the desert and it was time to build the Tabernacle, a temporary dwelling for God. God had instructed Moses to take contributions from the people in order to build the sanctuary. Does that strike you as strange? Why would the God who performed all the miracles in Egypt need help in building His dwelling? The Jewish sages explain that God doesnt need any help, but by His grace and compassion, He gives us the privilege of contributing to His purposes. At The Fellowship, we are honored to contribute to Gods purposes. Bringing Gods people home to Israel and building bomb shelters for security are just a few of our many lifesaving, biblical, and prophetic projects. We hope that you will join us in serving Gods purposes until every last prophecy is brought to fruition. Find out how you can support Gods watchmen on the wall, the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, when you visit holylandmoments.org/help. The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, says Nigerian workers will take their campaign against the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, to the centenary celebration of the International Labour Congress in Geneva, Switzerland. Mr Wabba said this on Monday during the protest by the workers in Abuja against the minister over the composition of the governing board of the National Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF). At the centenary celebration of the International Labour Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland on June 18, 2019, we will stage international protest against Ngiges action against Nigerian workers, the union leader said. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the workers protested against the attack on workers by thugs allegedly sent by the minister during a protest last week at the residence of the minister. The labour union was also protesting against the delay in the inauguration of the board of the NSITF by the minister more than three years after the expiration of the tenure of the previous board. Mondays protest happened about the same time the NSITF board was being inaugurated at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The Protest Led by Mr Wabba and the presidents of the member labour unions, the protesters moved from Labour House in Abuja at 9 a.m. to the Ministry of Labour and Employment building at the Federal Secretariat. Their movement disrupted traffic on the adjoining highways for several hours. At the Federal Secretariat, the protesters blocked the private entrance of the minister into his ministry. Among the protesters were members of ASUU, SSANU, NUPENG, NULGE and other unions. Most of the union leaders who spoke passed a vote of no confidence on the minister. They accused him of deliberately delaying the inauguration of the NSITF board in order to loot the fund in the scheme as the sole administrator. Addressing the protesters, Mr Wabba accused Mr Ngige of masterminding the impasse in order to retain control of the NSITF money. We will expose the minister because even under the military rule, force against armless workers was not witnessed. The law says the right to protest and picket does not require authorisation but police presence, he said. We call on the Federal Government to come clean and offer an explanation for the removal of Frank Kokori as the NSITF board chairman even before his inauguration, after being named by the government and passing security screening. Kokori is eminently qualified to lead NSITF. The only thing he has not done is stealing money. Our money has been stolen by these people. Failure to consult labour before taking the decision in NSITF is in itself an illegality, he said. If you want to swap Kokori, why not say it early enough. Ngige invited Kokori four times to discuss NSITF issue with him after he was nominated. One of the meetings took place in Ngiges residence. But the minister later told Mr Kokori will be difficult to do business with. Kokori is not an orphan because we will always be with him, Mr Wabba said. In his remarks, the national president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Biodun Ogunyemi, said the attack on workers was an attempt to erode democracy which had been planted in Nigeria. The government on its own approached Kokori in order to purge NSITF of corrupt tendencies. If that is the case, we are saying that if Nigeria is ready to fight corruption, Kokori must be allowed to lead NSITF and if someone has violated that, Nigerian workers call for an investigation, he said. Mr Ogunyemi asked President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a powerful panel to investigate the attack on workers at Mr Ngiges residence. The President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), William Akporeha, said although the presidency had spoken on Mr Kokoris case, the workers were not ignorant of the fact that Mr Kokoris uprightness and integrity were factors that were used against him. Workers know the truth; Kokori is an icon. Why do we avoid people of integrity in Nigeria? We are blessed to have Kokori around us and we will not abandon him, he said. Background PREMIUM TIMES had reported the tussle between the NLC and the labour minister over the inauguration of the NSITF board, which was constituted by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in October 2017 in his capacity as Acting President. Advertisements The union and the labour ministry had backed different people for the chairmanship of the board. On Sunday, the presidency said the decisions of Mr Ngige on the matter had the approval of President Buhari. It said the board would be inaugurated on Monday. It also redeployed the labour campaigner, Mr Kokori, to the labour institute in Kwara State. Mr Kokori was earlier appointed by the president to head the board at NSITF, but the minister has opposed his nomination while the NLC supports the nominee. An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has adjourned to June 3 the suit seeking an order stopping the appointment of the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammed, as the substantive chief justice. The court presided over by Inyang Ekwo made the adjournment after the lawyer representing the plaintiff, Malcolm Omirhobo, said he had through the courts bailiff served all the defendants, except Justice Muhammed, with the suit and the courts May 3 order for the Monday hearing. Mr Omirhobo said due to the inability of the courts bailiff to serve Mr Muhammad, he had filed an ex-parte application for substituted service of the court processes on the acting CJN. But Mr Omirhobo later withdrew the ex-parte motion and had it struck out by the judge, following the concession of Mr Muhammeds counsel, K.O. Ajayi, to accept service on his behalf in the open court. Mr Omirhobo also withdrew his motion on notice seeking a restraining order against the acting CJNs substantive appointment after the judge said he was more interested in the quick determination of the suit on merit than on interlocutory orders. Mr Ekwo then gave the defendants 14 days to respond to the suit. The judge adjourned hearing till June 3. He ordered that hearing notices be served on all the parties that were absent from Mondays proceedings. The applicant in the suit with number FHC/ABJ/CS/420/2019 filed in April alleged that Mr Muhammad availed himself as a tool in the violation of the Constitution, especially with regards to the illegal removal of the embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen. President Muhammadu Buhari had sworn in Mr Muhammad as the acting CJN after suspending Mr Onnoghen in January. The president, with the consent of the National Judicial Council (NJC), had last month extended the acting tenure of Mr Muhammad by another three months. The suit has the NJC, the Federal Judicial Service Commission, the President, Mr Muhammad, the Federal Government, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Senate as defendants. The applicant is seeking the courts declaration that the Constitution never contemplated suspension or removal from office by an exparte order of the court as one of the grounds for which the office of the Chief Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria can become vacant. The applicant also seeks a declaration that the suspension and/or removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria from office is a shared responsibility of the NJC, the President and the Senate. The applicant added that the President does not have the vires or power under the law to unilaterally suspend and/or remove the Chief Justice of Nigeria from office. He seeks an order restraining the Senate from confirming the appointment of Mr Muhammad as the substantive CJN. After his controversial suspension, Mr Onnoghen was convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal for false asset declaration. The tribunal ordered his sack from office. It also ruled that he should forfeit his undeclared asset. Mr Onnoghen has appealed the ruling. On his mission to the villa? A: I came to see Mr President to brief him on the general security situation in Kaduna, which I do from time to time and also to update him on the various initiatives by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the SSS, and the Army with a view to improving the security situation in Kaduna in general and particularly along the Abuja-Kaduna road. I want to say that the initiatives put in place have made the road quite safe now. I dont want to go into details of the measures that have already been put in place, but I am confident with the security system in place now that people can be confident to drive on the Abuja-Kaduna road without any fear. On APC leader, Bola Tinubu A: There is no dispute between me and anyone in the APC. The APC is one family, I dont dispute with my own party. They may dispute with me but I dont. I made comments in Lagos about how to retire godfathers, its a template that we have used in Kaduna and it has worked. If anybody thinks he is a godfather, the template may apply to him, but I am not in dispute with anyone. I expressed my views firmly and very clearly, there is no human being that I am afraid to express my views on. And when I am ready to express my views specifically on a particular name, then I will do so. But I havent. I made a general statement but people have gone into overdrive, creating fake news, abusing me and so on. I am thick-skinned, I can take the abuse and I will wait for my time when I want to. Q: Are you in good terms with Sen Bola Ahmed Tinubu? A: We are in the same party, we get along very well as I know. Q: Would you want him retired? A: I dont know if he is the godfather of Lagos, its up to him to say that. What I know for sure is that we have retired godfathers in Kaduna and I have told those that asked me the question that there are six million registered voters in Lagos but only one million voted, in the last election. So there are five million people that you can bring into the electoral playground and you can defeat anyone if you work hard. Its hard work, its four years. That is what I said and if anyone feels offended by that, that is his business or her business. Q: So you want Lagos to follow your template on retirement of godfathers? A: I have made no recommendations to Lagos. I am the governor of Kaduna State, I know Kaduna politics pretty well and I played my role in my party towards the success of the party. I have not made a recommendation for anyone. I am just saying, if I am asked a question and I gave an answer, anyone that feels offended by the answer, its his own business. I have no apologies, I dont apologise for my views. My views are thought-out and I put them there. I dont have to explain anything to anyone. This is a democracy, and in a democratic space, there must be room for people to express their views. You can disagree, you can abuse me if you dont like my views but that is it. Q: Just last week, the Nigerian Senate described the Kaduna-Abuja expressway as the most dangerous highway in Africa, and you are saying it is safe, how? A: If you believe everything that comes out of the Nigerian Senate, you will have serious mental health problems. There are things that are said that are just for the gallery, for the media. I dont know what statistics was used to determine that the Kaduna-Abuja road is the most dangerous anywhere. I like facts, I like using figures. I wish the people that said that would use figures. But I am saying that no matter what anyone said last week, I am assuring Nigerians that the Kaduna -Abuja road is quite safe now and would be so long as the initiatives put in place by the various security agencies (are implemented), details of which I am not willing to disclose. Q: Are you guaranteeing the safety of travellers? A: Only God can guarantee total safety. But I am saying as the governor of the state, based on the security measures put in place, I am confident that the road is safe and I drive on that road. Bandits on Sunday attacked and killed six members of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara, Vice Chairman of the council, Sani Galadima said. Mr Galadima made this known on Monday when he received the Minister of Interior, Abdurrahman Dambazau, who was on a visit to the state as part of efforts by the federal government to find sustainable solutions to the security challenges in the state. Six members of Civilian JTF were attacked and killed yesterday, Sunday, by the bandits after receiving their payments from Shinkafi town and were on their way back to their villages, the vice chairman said. He added: Even yesterday, these bandits sent a letter to the district head of Shinkafi town (saying) that they were coming to attack Shinkafi town. This ugly situation is very disheartening; everyday we pay millions of naira as ransom to these bandits. We really need governments urgent support to end this problem. Our women also suffer a lot (because) the bandits attack communities and abduct ladies from their parents homes. People no longer sleep with their two eyes closed in the night in Shinkafi LGA. We want the government to solve the issue of shortage of manpower including the army and police personnel. We only have 19 soldiers in this town. We need urgent intervention from the government; we are not satisfied with the efforts and strategies of security agencies. We all know the camps where these bandits stay; even the security men are aware of these camps; our major concern is that security personnel are not getting to these bandits. We are hoping that with this visit, this problem will come to an end, he said. According to Mr Galadima, at least 98 communities in Shinkafi LGA have been deserted due to the activities of bandits in the state. In his remarks, Mr Dambazau, a retired army general, who was also in Anka Local Government Area, said he was in the state on assessment visit to stakeholders over the security challenges facing the state. He said President Muhammad Buhari was concerned about the security situation in the state. This is not my first visit to Zamfara; we started this process to ensure lasting solutions to these problems not only in Zamfara State. President Buhari asked me to visit Shinkafi and Anka Emirates in Zamfara to carry out the assessment and discuss these issues. The president also expresses his condolence over loss of lives and destruction of properties as a result of this insecurity. It is the responsibility of government to ensure lives and properties are secure. That is why as government we must do everything to ensure the end of this situation. We commenced this process by meeting with leaders of Miyetti Allah; we are going to consult with traditional rulers and governors of the most affected states, Mr Dambazau stated. The Emir of Shinkafi, Muhammad Makwashe-Isah, expressed appreciation to the minister for the visit and urged the federal government to do more in fighting banditry in the state. Advertisements (NAN) The army has rescued 54 Boko Haram kidnapped persons in Borno, including 29 women and 25 children. In a statement on Monday, Sagir Musa, the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, said the victims were freed after troops cleared Maallasuwa and Yaa-Munye villages in the state. Mr Musa said that the terrorists fled troops onslaught and abandoned the victims. He also said that troops on clearance operation in Damasak general area of Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno destroyed two Boko Haram logistics vehicles and makeshift camp. In another development, Mr Musa said that a mobile policeman, Markus John, with number PNo 383106 was arrested at Njimtilo checkpoint on Maiduguri-Damaturu road, while on transit to Lagos. He said that at the time of arrest, Mr John was in possession of two magazines, 146 rounds of 7.62 mm Special ammunition and one round of anti-aircraft gun concealed in his bag. On May 10, Mr Musa said the army in conjunction with the police, arrested two soldiers, Paul Ojochegbe (14NA7113208) and Oko Eke (12NA672586), also at the Njimtilo checkpoint. He alleged that they were in possession of one disassembled AK 47 rifle. Mr Musa restated the armys appeal to the public to continue to provide useful information about suspicious movement of terrorists/criminals wherever they were seen hibernating in the country. (NAN) I have finally accepted Gods calling to preach salvation of souls through Christ Jesus, and to witness to the power of the Resurrection. Those were the words of John Udoedehe, a well-known opposition politician in Akwa Ibom State, who announced on Facebook, April 29, that he was now a pastor. Probably, sensing that people could misinterpret it as retirement from politics, Mr Udoedehe, a former senator, added the phrase .alongside my political and business career, as a role model to this generation to his Facebook post. Photos of Mr Udoedehe preaching to congregants and administering Holy Communion have flooded Facebook. Mr Udoedehe is one of the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom. He has contested for the APC governorship ticket in the state, at least twice. The former senator, then a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member, directed the campaign for the election of Godswill Akpabio as governor in 2007. He fell apart with Mr Akpabio and left the PDP for the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) where, as the partys governorship candidate, he contested the 2011 election against Mr Akpabio. Mr Akpabio won re-election, but Mr Udoedehe almost lost his life when he and his campaign team were violently attacked in Ikot Ekpene, March 2011, by thugs suspected to have been hired by the PDP. Some of the ACN supporters were killed in the attack. Mr Udoedehe, ironically, was subsequently arrested, detained, and charged to court for murder and arson by the Akwa Ibom State Government, but was later discharged and acquitted. The former senator after his incarceration continued as a voice of the opposition politics in Akwa Ibom, while Mr Akpabio became a PDP senator, representing Akwa Ibom North-West. However, in a twist of irony, Mr Akpabio resigned his position as the Senate minority leader and left the PDP to Mr Udoedehes APC last year. Both politicians reconciled last year as they prepared their party, the APC, for the 2019 general elections. But the APC lost the governorship and all the elections in the state, including Mr Akpabios re-election bid. Apart from his past representation of Akwa Ibom North-East in the Senate, Mr Udoedehe has served as the chairman of Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom, and as a minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Mr Udoedehe, noted for some controversial remarks, early last year said he would not mind accepting an appointment as a messenger or a cleaner from President Muhammadu Buhari. The remark, which elicited disapproval from some of his supporters, came after Mr Udoedehe was appointed a board member for the Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency. His supporters felt the appointment was humiliating, considering his reach in politics. It will be disrespectful to the president for me to reject the offer, I am a loyal party member. If the president finds me worthy to be a messenger or a cleaner in the government, as a Christian I should humble myself and accept it, Mr. Udoedehe had told PREMIUM TIMES. To foreclose any argument on whether he was still going to be involved in active politics, the former senator later issued another press statement through his media office where he explicitly said, It should be noted that Senator Akpanudoedehe will execute his commission, alongside pursuit of his political aspirations, business interests, and other social endeavours, because he remains an active politician and a committed businessman. It is hoped that this clarification will serve the intended purpose of guiding the public aright, and inspiring other politicians, businessmen and citizens out there, to acknowledge Christ, and join the effort to import His message into our politics, business, and social life, the statement added. Mr Udoedehes media aide, Ata Etuk, in response to a question from PREMIUM TIMES, said on Sunday that the former senators future political ambition depends on what his people would decide. For now, he is a party man who is doing everything he can to build his party, support President Buhari, support his party and do everything to get his party to do well in the next election, Mr Etuk said. Advertisements The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has recalled 12 local government council chairmen suspended last month by his administration. The affected chairmen are those of Okrika, Emohua, Abua/Odual, Degema, Khana, and Gokana local government areas. Others are Ahoada East, Ikwerre, Eleme, Andoni, Omuma and Ogu/Bolo. An aide to Mr Wike had said the council chairmen were suspended because of their failure to participate in an official function. The information on the lifting of the suspension is contained in some Twitter posts from Mr Wikes Twitter handle @GovWike on Monday. Mr Wikes spokesperson, Simon Nwakaudu, confirmed the content of the tweets. Mr Wike is said to have charged the council chairmen to serve their people diligently and not to be indifference to governance. The governor also directed the chairmen to tackle security challenges in their local government areas. The governor threatened to remove any chairman who acts in breach of the laws. The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, granted leave to a senator from Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio, to be heard in a suit seeking his removal and 53 others from office over their defection from one political party to another. A group, the Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), had on September 14, 2018, asked the Federal High Court to order that the members of the National Assembly who defected should vacate their seats. In July 2018, 37 members of the House of Representatives defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC). About 32 of them joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), four joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) while one did not announce his new party at the time. On the same day, 14 APC senators defected to the PDP. Meanwhile, being part of the defendants, the lawmakers which includes the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in their response asked the court to dismiss the suit filed by the group on grounds that it is an abuse of court process. The duo added that the suit lacked merit. The defendants had submitted that the plaintiff, which instituted the suit against them and praying for their removal from the National Assembly, has no locus standi to institute the case. The presiding judge, Okon Abang, after listening to the argument from parties, had on April 30, adjourned till May 17 for judgment. However, barely few days to the adjourned date for judgment, Mr Akpabio approached the court for permission to personally challenge the suit seeking their removal from office on grounds of their defection. Ruling on Mr Akpabios application on Monday, the judge agreed with submissions of his lawyer, Sunday Ameh, that the suit is not a class action, hence, the applicant is entitled to be heard before judgment is delivered. Mr Abang held that it would not be proper to shut the applicant out of the case, when he was not aware of the tendency of the case, adding that it is mandatory to hear all parties before a decision is taken. Serving of originating process on a person cannot be presumed, it cannot be waived. He must be heard, it is his fundamental right Mr Abang said. He further disagreed with the plaintiff that the application was an abuse of court process which is aimed at arresting judgment slated for May 17. He subsequently adjourned the matter to May 14, for parties to adopt their processes, adding that the court may still go ahead with the judgment on May 17. Mr Akpabio, who was elected senator in 2015 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had in 2018, decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In his filed motion, Mr Akpabio, had prayed the court for an extension of time to personally file his response before a decision is taken in the originating summons filed by LEDAP. He contended that he was not consulted by the leadership of the National Assembly in defending the suit. Mr Akpabio insisted that his attention was not drawn to the suit by the Clerk of the National Assembly, neither was he personally served with the suit. He added that he did not author the letter of engagement of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mahmoud Magaji, who has been representing the 54 lawmakers in the suit. He insisted that the suit was not a class action, hence he is at liberty to use a counsel of his choice and to personally defend him. Responding, the counsel to the plaintiff, Ede Uko, urged the court to discountenance the application as it was meant to arrest judgment slated for May 17. He argued that Mr Akpabio was afforded time for fair hearing but refused to furnish the court with the facts of the case, adding that he cannot now turn around to seek leave of court to file any process after the matter has been heard and adjourned for judgment. Advertisements Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State says his administration has transformed Oyo State and made it better, using all the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The governor made the disclosure while receiving University of Ibadan management team, led by its Vice-Chancellor, Idowu Olayinka, a professor, in his office on Monday. From a general paradigm, we have done a lot in improving people of the state by reducing the culture of impunity and dependency, he said. Mr Ajimobi said his administration had accomplished its restoration, transformation and repositioning agenda through security and peace. We have done entry and exit roads of Oyo State. All these areas we have covered in infrastructure, not only in terms of physical infrastructure, but also in social infrastructure. In education, we have been able to establish what we call School Governing Board, which is a participatory educational system, where everybody is participating. I must say UI also contributed by helping us in supervision, monitoring and control, which has helped our quality of education. We have introduced health insurance scheme, built many hospitals and refurbished others, he said. The governor said his leadership had expressed and demonstrated not only the ability to envision, but courage to implement. He expressed profound appreciation for the support received from the University of Ibadan in terms of their relationship, which he described as very good. The governor also appreciated the people of the state for giving him the opportunity to serve as the governor for eight years. Mr Olayinka, on his part, congratulated Mr Ajimobi on the successful completion of his two terms as governor, saying it was unprecedented in the history of the state. He commended the governor for the feats recorded by his administration, lauding him for giving his best to the state. The governor also received another delegation led by the French Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Jerome Pasquier Mr Ajimobi, while receiving Pasquier, pledged to advocate the introduction of French language into the schools curriculum. He said it was another avenue to build stronger relationship with France. Mr Pasquier told the governor that Ibadan was very important, and cited two important programmes ongoing in the city. According to him, there is Institut Francais de Researche en Afrique (IFRA) at the University of Ibadan, and Alliance Francaise, another institution located in the Iyaganku area of the city. We are willing to see more people from the state start learning French, considering their programmes in the state and closeness to French-speaking countries, he said. (NAN) pts20190513037 Forschung/Entwicklung, Medizin/Wellness AOP Orphan, AOP Orphan IP AG and orphanix GmbH join forces to develop RetinolX to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia Wien (pts037/13.05.2019/13:45) - AOP Orphan IP AG and AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG have entered into a partnership with orphanix GmbH to jointly develop RetinolX, an innovative medicine for the prevention of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD). BPD is a life-threatening lung disease affecting very preterm infants. Around 1 % of births are very preterm and potentially affected by this severe disease. However, no authorized preventive medicine exists yet on a global level. The joint parties are collaborating closely with expert physicians in neonatal intensive care to develop a new solution to prevent this devastating lung disease. The project aims to deliver an EU-wide market authorization by Q1 2022 under the centralized authorization procedure. Financial terms were not disclosed. The collaboration includes rights to additional unspecified orphan conditions. "This cooperation is a perfect match, as orphanix, AOP Orphan IP AG and AOP Orphan are all passionately dedicated to creating new treatments for patients with severe rare conditions. In addition, we all offer strong specialized capabilities. We are thrilled about the partnership given the successful history and track record of AOP Orphan and AOP Orphan IP AG", explains Dr. Philipp Heinrich Novak, CEO and Founder of orphanix. "RetinolX will solve a high unmet medical need for the prevention of BPD across the globe", states orphanix Co-Founder Dr. Stefan Johansson, consultant neonatologist and Associate Professor in Paediatrics in Stockholm, Sweden. Dr. Rudolf Widmann, Founder and Chief Therapeutic Development Officer of AOP Orphan, adds "We are excited to work with orphanix to develop and commercialize this potentially life-changing treatment. Projects like this are the reason I founded AOP Orphan." Michael Steiger, Managing Director of AOP Orphan IP AG, points out that "the collaboration with orphanix opens a new therapeutic area for AOP Orphan IP AG and strengthens the companys focus on rare and severe diseases." About RetinolX Safe, effective and easy-to-administer: RetinolX is being developed as a parenteral medicinal product (IM/IV) based on Retinol (Vitamin A), specifically addressing the needs of very preterm infants in intensive care. Retinol is recommended for prevention of BPD in international neonatology guidelines. About Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) BPD is a life-threatening lung disease of very preterm and very low birthweight infants (<1,500g/<32 weeks at birth) potentially leading to long-term consequences. Around 1 % of births globally are very preterm and potentially affected by BPD. About AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG AOP Orphan is a multinational company with headquarters in Vienna, Austria focusing on clinical research, development and distribution of medicines for rare and complex diseases. The company also provides individualized and customized services to meet and accommodate the needs of physicians and patients across Europe, the Middle East & Asia. Currently AOP Orphan is concentrating on orphan and complex diseases in HematoOncology, Cardiology & Pulmonology and Neurology & Metabolic Disorders. About AOP Orphan IP AG AOP Orphan IP AG is a member of the group of companies of AOP Orphan International AG with headquarters in Vaduz, Principality of Liechtenstein, the core activity of which is the acquisition, development and commercial exploitation of intellectual properties, mainly in the medical area. An increasingly growing importance lies in the research and development of medical and related technical products. About orphanix GmbH orphanix GmbH is a medical development company headquartered in Linz / Austria. In line with its mission of "Filling the blind spot in medicine", orphanix is dedicated to developing innovative solutions for high unmet medical needs in the rare disease space. orphanix has received orphan designations for prevention of neonatal diseases by EMA and FDA. Contacts AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG Wilhelminenstrasse 91/IIf, 1160 Vienna, Austria Dr. Rudolf Widmann, Chief Therapeutic Development Officer E: publicaffairs@aoporphan.com I: http://www.aoporphan.com AOP Orphan IP AG Stadtle 28, 9490 Vaduz, Principality of Liechtenstein Mr. Michael A. Steiger, Managing Director E: michael.steiger@maruag.li orphanix GmbH Lederergasse 18/1, 4020 Linz, Austria Dr. Philipp Heinrich Novak, Chief Executive Officer E: dr.no@orphanix.com I: http://orphanix.com Aussender: AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals Aktiengesellschaft Ansprechpartner: AOP Tel.: +43 503 72 44 24 E-Mail: olena.weissenbacher@aoporphan.com Website: www.aoporphan.at (Ende) Israels First Line of Defense Stand for Israel | May 13, 2019 Surrounded on all sides by enemies who seek her destruction, Israel must be wary of anyone or anything crossing into Israeli territory. The ability to quickly respond to threats that are hidden is one way in which the IDF keeps Israel safe. JNS Yaakov Lappin tells us of a recent instance in which a soldiers hunch kept a massacre from happening: When a Palestinian vehicle pulled up at the Azaim Crossing point between Jerusalem and the West Bank on April 9, the day of Israels national elections, the two Military Police officers guarding the site had a feeling something was wrong. Sgt. Michael Sivan and Sgt. Roman Ambar approached the vehicle and saw that the male driver was behaving in a suspicious mannerhe was hesitant, fearful and acted with insecuritythey said. They diverted the driver to a lane where more in-depth security checks occur. When they opened the trunk of the car, they discovered two M-16 automatic assault rifles, a Galilee assault rifle and hundreds of ammunition rounds. The policemen cocked their weapons and arrested the man, passing him on to the Shin Bet for questioning. I always had a motivation to get drafted to this role. When these incidents occur and you understand what you did, the motivation only grows. My friend Michael and I handled this incident together throughout, cooperating with a clear objective, Sgt. Roman Ambar told JNS. The ability to quickly identify hidden threats and respond in time is a core part of Military Police training, but it is also a skill that develops over time in the field, a Military Police company commander explained It very much depends on the gut feeling of soldiers, said Charash. Training teaches us to identify all sorts of suspicious activityan ability that makes our work easier. Yet with time, we start developing a gut feeling, and we pay attention to details, to things that look a little suspicious. We dont want to take any chances. Especially when our mission is to defend the State of Israel and its residents Stand for Israel by supporting the watchmen on her walls. 1.) Line dance. Ever want to learn to line dance? Heres the perfect opportunity to do so. From 2-3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 19, head on over to the Sea Isle City Community Lodge at 300 JFK Blvd. to line dance at an event titled Dancing Down a Pink Line. Instructor Cathy Cashmere of CCC Inspire will lead the crowd for a boot-stomping good time. The entrance fee is $15 at the door and proceeds go toward Casting for Recovery, an organization that provides healing outdoor retreats for women with breast cancer, at no cost. Call 609-425-1775 for more info. 2.) Come out of your shell. Sea Isle Citys Beachcomber Guides will host their annual fundraiser, the Beachcomber Bash (formerly known as the Turtle Party) from 4-8 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at the Oar House Pub, 318 42nd Place in Sea Isle City. A $35 ticket gets you dinner, select drinks, live music by Steve Moore and the M.I.A. Band, dancing and more. The event benefits the Beachcombers Guide program, which is sponsored by the Sea Isle City Environmental Commission. For more info, contact Abby Powell at 215-595-4601. Birds eye views Forsythe is a uniquely unspoiled destination and, even for many locals, still undiscovered. Spring is a good time to visit. Terrapins are about to lay their eggs, pairs of geese are tending their goslings and osprey are on their platform nests along circular Wildlife Drive, which meanders through eight miles of coastal marsh and wetlands. This is the place to observe wild things in their natural element Chelius has even seen otters at play ironically, with the Atlantic City skyline in the distance. What you get to witness is concentrations of wildlife, and it can be spectacular, Rettig says. Were in the middle of spring migration now, with lots of songbirds; one morning youll hear great crested flycatchers everywhere, because they just came in from Central America. Its amazing. Its not unusual to spot wild turkeys, peregrine falcons, and rarer species like roseate spoonbills, green shanks, boreal chickadees and gyrfalcons. Bald eagles are also in residence; both male and female have the distinctive white head plumage, but surprisingly, females are about 25 percent larger than their mates. Bring your camera. Cordeiro said she wasnt sure she could do it, but knew she couldnt say no. She attended school at night, worked full-time during the day, and took classes for her certification in alcohol and drug counseling, all while raising three children on her own. Cordeiro plans to enroll next semester for her masters degree in social work. Im just going to keep pushing. This has taught me no matter what how strong we can be if we just put our mind to it, Cordeiro said. Veletta Mister, of Pleasantville, took a different route to graduation Friday. Mister graduated from Passaic County College in the 1970s with an associate degree in marketing, and although she was accepted to Rutgers at the time, she decided to move to Atlantic City for a job in the casinos. She was laid off from Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort when it closed in October 2016 and enrolled at Atlantic Cape Community College, then transferred to Stockton. Ive always wanted to go back to school, said Mister, who identified herself as a senior citizen but declined to give her age. She graduated Friday with her bachelors degree in liberal arts. MAYS LANDING In complete silence, Ray Mullen drove as fast as he could away from Cologne Avenue. There, minutes before, a group of young men stood by and watched as Mullen was set on fire, going up in a ball of flames on their friends lawn. No one said stop. No one said a word, Mullen said. I thought they were gonna kill me. Almost two months since the night of March 15, Mullen, 27, remains just as bewildered as he was on his breakneck ride back to Brigantine. He spent about a month in Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia for third-degree burns and will need to take six months to a year off from work to recover. He has permanent nerve damage, an inability to perspire and extensive skin grafts across his left arm and his entire blistered, red back. His mother, Debra, on leave from work, is his sole caretaker. He has a detailed recovery plan, steps to regain some semblance of normalcy. And the two men charged with attacking him that night David Sult and Brandon Perez are awaiting their day in court. But as for why he was attacked, Mullen may always be in the dark. All he can do is retrace his steps. Jacob Davis, 19, of Ocean City, was riding the line Monday with two friends to Philadelphia to meet up with another friend for a road trip to Montreal. It just makes things easier in terms of parking and mobility, Davis said. I have friends that live in Philly so (the shutdown) kind of made it hard to go see them. But for others, the new schedule, which added two new run times to Philadelphia before noon and axed late night times, has thrown a wrench into their routines. I used to ride with a group, and we all work in Philly, Valenzano said. Wed take the 6:40 train and it was great. And now they changed it to 6:56, and Im taking it. The other ladies have decided to take the earlier train. George Smith, 61, of Newtonville, takes the line to his job at the John Brooks Recovery Center in Atlantic City on Mondays and Fridays. I used to take the 6:30 train. But now its 7:17, Smith said. So anybody who works at 7:30 is pretty much, you know, screwed. ... It puts me an hour behind schedule for Monday. VENTNOR An NJ Transit bus driver, three passengers and the driver of another vehicle were injured Monday morning following a collision on Wellington Avenue. At 10:50 a.m., the bus carrying three passengers was exiting the Ventnor Shopping Plaza at the traffic light, making a left turn to head west. Police said a 2014 Volkswagon Jetta, driven by 20-year-old David Cullen, of Margate, was eastbound on Wellington Avenue when it entered the intersection and collided with the front portion of the bus. The bus driver Arnaldo Figueroa, 51, of Egg Harbor Township, Cullen and the passengers aboard the bus: Bonnie Hartwell, 52, Carlos Soto, 67, both of Ventnor, and Jovita Vorgas-Moknez, 36, of Atlantic City, were transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus in Atlantic City, with injuries not considered life-threatening. The Ventnor, Margate and Longport fire departments worked at the scene. Both vehicles were disabled and towed. Ventnor police said the road was closed for about an hour and a half. Police said an investigation found Cullen failed to follow the traffic signal, and he was issued a summons. 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 race is to fill the unexpired portion of U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drews term as state senator. Van Drew left to join Congress in January, and Andrzejczak was appointed to his seat until the special election. Van Drew said he, too, often raised money later in the campaign season because he was focused on legislative work. Offshore wind, nuclear subsidies draw lobbying dollars South Jersey was in the eye of the storm for lobbying in New Jersey in 2018, with two of the Believe me, they will raise money and they will win, Van Drew said of the Democrat team. Andrzejczak said his work on the budget committee and constituent services has been his focus. I assure you further down the road we will be campaigning, Andrzejczak said. Right now, my focus is just doing the job I was elected to do. Testa, the Cumberland County Republican chairman, said he is building momentum needed to try to unseat an incumbent. The way to gain momentum is to be very active. Our strategy is to carry this momentum into November. He stressed the Republican lean of the district, which voted for the GOPs Kim Guadagno in the last gubernatorial election and for Bob Hugin in last years U.S. Senate race against Democrat U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez. +4 South Jersey 2017 election spending breaks another record South Jersey blazed another trail in election spending again this year as one legislative ra With the reopening Sunday, many who use the line for work and other reasons were eager to get back on a reliable schedule. Still, some elected officials and riders have expressed concerns about a possible dip in ridership stemming from the extended closure. The lines schedule was adjusted to include earlier train times to accommodate commuters, but the possibility remains that some former riders have found new jobs or an easier commute in driving. The people that I spoke to, theres very few of them that are coming back, said Carol Stephens, 60, of Galloway Township, who rode the line for 28 years to her paralegal job in Camden. Its a shame. Assemblymen Mazzeo and John Armato, also D-Atlantic, said an advertising push could help make up for lost time. We have never seen an advertisement for the train that goes from Philadelphia to Atlantic City, Armato said. They have to market this a lot better. Annual ridership on the line dropped from 1.38 million in 2011 to less than 1 million in 2017, according to NJ Transit. It was down another 4.1% in 2018 before the service was suspended. +2 Atlantic City Rail Line to reopen early with added service ATLANTIC CITY NJ Transit will reopen the Atlantic City Rail Line almost two weeks earlier Closed roads and threatened cars are typical in towns that experience nuisance flooding, smaller rain events that happen multiple times per year. The city recently enhanced its alert system with nearly 80 warning signs that blink when a road is underwater. If one of the yellow signs is flashing, motorists know to turn their car around. Following the lead of Wildwood and Long Beach Island, Sea Isle City also passed a No Wake ordinance in April that prohibits motorists from driving through flooded streets and creating waves that can damage nearby homes and businesses. As we all know, life on a barrier island comes with certain challenges, Mayor Leonard Desiderio said at the news conference. We want to be able to notify and let those who are visiting our community know that heres where you can look. The camera cost $5,000 and was funded through a grant from OceanFirst Bank to the New Jersey Coastal Coalition. In the next few years, coalition Executive President Tom Quirk said he wants similar flood cameras set up in most shore towns. He said he is in talks with 10 coastal communities in Atlantic and Cape May counties about joining the initiative. Stockton University to honor Whitman and Florio Two former New Jersey governors will be recognized for their public service during the biennial Hughes Center Honors award ceremony. Former Govs. Jim Florio and Christie Whitman will receive Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Awards along with three other New Jersey leaders during the ceremony Nov. 14 at Seaview, a Dolce Hotel in Galloway Township. Christopher Denn, 48, a Mainland Regional High School teacher, was arrested this month after he exposed himself while he was working as a lifeguard on Ocean City's beach, police said. Denn is due for a pre-indictment conference in front of Judge Michael Donohue at 8:45 a.m. Sept. 12 in Cape May County Superior Court. Google Play Store gets a new feature that suggests users with a list of unused old apps to uninstall from their Android devices to free up some space. This new feature can be very useful, as downloading and installing apps to Android smartphones is easy, so it is understandable if people accumulate apps that they do not regularly use. This new feature was first spotted by Netherlands-based Android World when a new notification started appearing in the notification tray to tell people that they can "remove unused apps for extra storage". Tapping on the alert will bring up a list of apps that have not been opened in a while. Each app on the list comes with a description, as well as information on when it was last launched. From there, the apps that are fine to be uninstalled may be selected, with the Google Play Store then summarizing the space that was freed up in the process. The feature will help in removing the clutter in Android devices, but it remains unclear if it has started rolling out worldwide. It is also unknown how long an app must go unused before it appears in the list of suggestions. Google Play Store - App Uninstall Notification According to one user's screenshot, we can see that the Play Store will show you what you have not used in a while, and it looks like you will also be able to delete those apps right from that menu. The notification only appears, when you are running out space or when you are trying to install an app with not enough free space for installation. The new feature goes hand in hand with the Google I/O 2019 announcement that there will be a new app and game review calibration for the Google Play Store by August. In the updated approach, app reviews will be designed to highlight the more recent and relevant ones, with Google Play Store ratings to be recalculated to give more weight to the most recent ratings. The notification is far from universal, but that is par for Play Store features and you might never see it if you keep your phone light on apps. There is no word as to when this new feature will roll out to everyone, but it looks like it will start sometime soon. 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. The Golden Laurel Professional Reception honors local leaders in their chosen careers. In years past, Recorder Media Group, home of Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper and Indiana Minority Business Magazine, honored individuals in a particular field. This year, however, we are pleased to honor Rising Stars in various industries. While these Rising Stars already exemplify qualities of a leader, theyre just getting started. More accomplishments are on the horizon, and their impact in their professional space and the community will continue to grow. The Golden Laurel Professional Reception not only recognizes minorities in the workplace, it also provides a way to bring professionals together to provide support and encouragement as they rise above the obstacles created by systemic barriers especially in industries where theres a shortage of minority role models. And while these Rising Stars shine in their professional roles, they dont stop there. They take time to give back to their communities, creating an impact that will last well into the future. Recorder Media Group is committed to highlighting the achievements of leaders in our community. In fact, it is something we are very intentional about, said Robert Shegog, president and chief operating officer. Next week, we will recognize talented individuals whose efforts help make Indianapolis an even better place to live and work. I am incredibly proud of the work our honorees have done and will continue to do. Their contributions to the community will enhance Indianapolis for years to come. In keeping with our 124-year-old tradition of recognizing minorities who excel, Recorder Media Group will honor 10 professionals during the Golden Laurel Professional Reception, sponsored by Indiana Donor Network and Indianapolis Urban League, 5:30-7 p.m. May 16 at Mid-State Minority Supplier Development Council, 2126 N. Meridian St. Light refreshments catered by Chef Tia and Co. Restaurant and Catering. Listed below are this years recipients. Bunmi Akintomide systems specialists manager at Salesforce Ebony Chappel multiracial community relations coordinator at Indiana Donor Network Taylor Fitzgerald pharmaceutical representative for Eli Lilly Juan Gonzalez Central Indiana market president for KeyBank Ashley Gurvitz community development manager for Eastern Star Church Jordan Rodriguez director of the Office of International and Latino Affairs for the mayors office of Indianapolis Rima Shahid executive director of Women4Change Adrianne Slash senior employee program specialist, talent management-human resources at Community Health Network; president of The Exchange for Indianapolis Urban League Amy Titus co-owner of Rooted Scales Sean Washington entrepreneur and motivational speaker Golden Laurel Located in the southern city of Amin, the plant will be commissioned by the end of 2019 and will power Petroleum Development Oman's interior operations by using Arctech's SkySmart tracking system. The solar plant not only marks the first of its kind in Oman and the world's first utility-scale solar project with an oil and gas company as the sole wholesale buyer of electricity, but also being the single-largest tracking system project with bifacial modules in Middle East to date. "We are delighted to make an effort to this landmark solar project in Oman," said Mr. Guy Rong, President of Arctech Solar's international business. "To date, Arctech has already supplied almost 700MW of SkySmart trackers for projects across the globe, including in Spain, Mexico and Australia, which demonstrates our ability to scale and innovate with our customers in new markets massively. We will remain committed to providing efficient solar tracking and racking systems in support of the Middle East's rapid development and potential for renewable energy." With its innovative structural design that effectively reduces module backside standing and its efficient factory pre-assembly, Arctech's SkySmart tracking system will be deployed on the project to offer higher energy output, while also reducing the labor cost associated with field installation. The plant will be Arctech's second project in the Middle East, following a solar power plant project in Saudi Arabia, and is part of the manufacturer's ongoing internationalization strategy. The deal comes off the back of Arctech's ranking fourth globally for market share among solar PV tracker suppliers, according to the Global Solar PV Tracker Market Shares and Shipment Trends Report 2019, released by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables. In addition to supplying trackers for the plant, Arctech will continue to accelerate its global presence in 2019 and beyond through increased trade show participation, as part of the company's dedication to bringing clean energy to the world. Arctech Solar is constantly moving higher with the rise in the technological innovation and new technology application, except the above-mentioned SkySmart tracking system, Skyline tracking system is another competitive product of Arctech's sky series solar tracking and racking systems. In the coming Intersolar Europe exhibition 2019, Skyline will be exhibiting at booth A2-660 from 15 to 17 May. We sincerely invite you to visit our booth! About Arctech Solar Arctech Solar is one of the world's leading manufacturers and solution providers of solar tracking and racking systems. In the past decade, Arctech Solar has successfully set up overseas subsidiaries/service centers in the US, India, Japan, Spain, Mexico, Australia and UAE. As of the end of 2018, Arctech has cumulatively installed approximately 19GW capacity and completed 900 projects in 24 countries, and is now recognized as a reliable partner in the global PV tracking and racking industry. For more information, please visit www.arctechsolar.com For media enquiries, please contact: Lisa Zhou Telephone: +86-18918888669 Email Address: lisa.zhou@arctechsolar.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/885729/Arctech_Solar.jpg Related Links http://www.arctechsolar.com SOURCE Arctech Solar On May 12, Manchester City defeated Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (Brighton) 4-1 making it the sixth league title to be won by the Club. Throughout the season, Manchester City and Liverpool went back and forth, trading the lead. When the championship for the 2018/19 season drew near, Manchester City's last game against Brighton was a significant win as the Club has won the Carabao Cup and Premier League for the second year in a row. "As the Official Tire Partner of Manchester City, we would like to congratulate the Club for their outstanding victory," said Travis Kang, Global CEO of Nexen Tire. "Ever since we partnered with Manchester City and became the Official Sleeve Partner, the Club continued to display records of success. Not only is this meaningful for the company, but this is also a reminder of the hard effort and team work that the Club put forward." "It was another momentous season for Manchester City and Nexen Tire is proud to support and be a longstanding partner with Manchester City in this winning season and we will continue to reach out to more fans globally and drive our brand awareness." Nexen Tire extended its multi-year partnership with Manchester City in March 2017, becoming the first ever Official Sleeve Partner in the EPL history. Since the partnership, Manchester City has been on a continuing success with two Premiere League wins for two years in a row. Through this partnership, the company has been increasing its global brand awareness and plans to continue its wide range of marketing efforts with the club. 2019 is also a momentous year for Nexen Tire as it completed four major facilities - R&D centers in Magok, the US, and Europe as well as a new plant that will open in Europe. With Nexen Tire's accomplishments and Manchester City's second-year win, the two partners created a synergy effect. Meanwhile, Nexen Tire is scheduled to launch various local and international events for B2B and B2C to celebrate Manchester City's win. About Nexen Tire Nexen Tire, established in 1942, is a global tire manufacturer headquartered in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, and in Seoul, South Korea. Nexen Tire, one of the world's fastest growing tire manufacturers, works with 491 dealers based in 141 countries around the world (as of July 2015) and owns three manufacturing plants - two in Korea (Yangsan and Changnyeong) and one in Qingdao, China. Another plant in Zatec, Czech Republic will be operational by 2019. Nexen Tire produces tires for passenger cars, SUVs, and light trucks with advanced technology and excellence in design. The company also focuses on producing UHP tires, which are based on advanced technologies. Nexen Tire supplies OE tires to global car makers in various countries around the world. In 2014, the company achieved a grand slam of the world's top 4 design awards for the first time amongst the various tire makers in the world. For more information, please visit http://www.nexentire.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/885813/Nexen_Tires_Manchester_City.jpg Related Links http://www.nexentire.com SOURCE Nexen Tire CHICAGO, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Annual Meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology, Dr. David Norris, President of American Skin Association (ASA), presented the David Martin Carter Mentor Award and the Research Achievement Awards. Since 1989, ASA's David Martin Carter Mentor Award has honored members of the dermatology community who embody the characteristics that made the late Dr. David Martin Carter an inspiration to many dermatologists, investigators, colleagues and medical students throughout the world. Dr. Carter and ASA's late founder, Dr. George Hambrick, were dear friends who worked tirelessly to grow the organization into a leading force to defeat melanoma, skin cancer and other skin diseases. This year, the David Martin Carter Mentor Award was presented to Dr. Luis Diaz of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Dr. John Stanley of the University of Pennsylvania. For five decades, Dr. Diaz has influenced the field of dermatology as a distinguished researcher, mentor and educator. He is also a notable author, having worked on hundreds of scholarly articles. Dr. Diaz is the C.E. Wheeler Jr. Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Stanley is a renowned dermatologist with nearly forty years of experience in education and leadership in dermatological research and immunology. He is Emeritus Professor of Dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Norris said: "We are honored to present Drs. Diaz and Stanley with the 2019 David Martin Carter Mentor Award. Renowned researchers and educators, Drs. Diaz and Stanley are the 27th and 28th honorees to receive this prestigious award. Throughout their distinguished research careers, both doctors have prepared a generation of young scientists for careers in investigative dermatology." Recent recipients of the David Martin Carter Mentor Award include: Dr. Gerald Lazarus of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2014), Dr. Howard Baden of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (2015), Dr. Barbara Gilchrest of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (2016), Dr. Richard Edelson of Yale School of Medicine (2017) and Dr. Kathleen Green of Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University (2018). ASA's Research Achievement Awards were instituted in 1989 to identify established scientists in investigative dermatology and cutaneous biology. This year, ASA recognized those who have greatly advanced work related to autoimmune and inflammatory skin diseases, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, as well as vitiligo and pigment cell disorders. The following awards were presented: Nicole Ward, PhD Case Western Reserve University Research Achievement Award in Psoriasis Victoria Werth, MD University of Pennsylvania Research Achievement Award in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Skin Disorders William Pavan, PhD National Institutes of Health Research Achievement Award in Vitiligo and Pigment Cell Biology Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD University of Washington Research Achievement Award in Melanoma and Skin Cancer Mary Margaret Chren, MD Vanderbilt University Research Achievement Award in Public Policy and Medical Education "We are delighted to present the Research Achievement Awards this year to such exceptional doctors. Drs. Ward, Werth, Pavan, Nghiem and Chren have all made tremendous contributions in their respective fields. ASA is proud to celebrate their brilliant achievements," said Dr. Norris. ABOUT AMERICAN SKIN ASSOCIATION ASA is a unique collaboration of patients, families, advocates, physicians and scientists, and has evolved over thirty-one years into a leading force in efforts to defeat melanoma, skin cancer and important inflammatory and genetic skin diseases. Established to serve the now more than 100 million Americans one third of the U.S. population afflicted with skin disorders, the organization's mission remains to: advance research, champion skin health particularly among children, and drive public awareness about skin disease. For more information, visit americanskin.org. American Skin Association is a 4-Star Charity Navigator rated foundation. SOURCE American Skin Association Related Links http://www.americanskin.org LONDON, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlantis Healthcare, a global leader in personalised health solutions, announced the adoption of a new health psychology approach to guide development of medication adherence support programmes. Created by a team of prominent health psychologists, the Intentional Non-Adherence Scale (INAS)1 is an assessment tool that reveals previously unrecognised factors for why people choose to not take their medication, providing specialists with new territories in communications and education. "The INAS greatly expands the understanding of non-adherence within healthcare, and highlights critical gaps in current interventions and programmes designed to improve adherence," said John Weinman, Professor of Psychology as applied to Medicines at King's College, London. Professor Weinman is co-principal author of the INAS research with Keith Petrie, Professor of Health Psychology, University of Auckland Medical School, New Zealand. "The great advantage of the INAS assessment is that the scale provides insights into the specific reasons why patients don't take their medication. This opens up the potential to specifically target these drivers in an intervention," said Professor Petrie. Professors Weinman and Petrie have led the global health psychology team at Atlantis Healthcare for over ten years. Professor Weinman was recently awarded the status of Distinguished International Affiliate by the American Psychological Society's Division of Health Psychology, currently held by only 32 academics worldwide, in recognition of outstanding contributions to health psychology. Professor Petrie was awarded the Mason Durie Medal in 2015 for his research into patients' perceptions of illness and how these perceptions impact recovery and coping. "The INAS questions are very targeted and are seldom raised with patients or health consumers," said Jonny Duder, CEO, Atlantis Healthcare. "This new 'lens' allows us to evolve our research and solution design methodologies, as well as review existing interventions to identify areas for optimisation. We are now working with a number of healthcare stakeholders who are asking us to leverage this new tool to assess their programmes globally." New Understandings About Non-Adherence According to Professors Weinman and Petrie, the goal of this research was to develop and test a scale that could assess different components of non-adherence and help explain variance in adherence using both subjective (self-report) and objective (clinical) measures. As with other foundational health psychology approaches, the research focused on the underlying beliefs driving non-adherent behaviours. Among valuable insights, the 22-item scale revealed two important factors not included in other widely used theoretical frameworks2: Resisting Illness defined as a reluctance to take medicines regularly because they are a constant reminder of an illness, and signal a desire to feel normal again defined as a reluctance to take medicines regularly because they are a constant reminder of an illness, and signal a desire to feel normal again Testing Treatment including reasons for omitting or reducing treatment, including whether they could "do without it" or "really need it" The discovery of additional drivers behind intentional non-adherence represents an evolution of current health psychology theory, and has potential to add to the effectiveness of both theoretical and practical interventions in patient support. While the pivotal research assessed patients in oncology, hypertension and gout, the scale is likely to be relevant for individuals taking prescribed medication across chronic conditions. "This new scale can be applied in the early research stages of program development to guide selection of behaviour change techniques, as well as inform content development of communications and educational materials," said Professor Weinman. About Atlantis Healthcare Atlantis Healthcare conducts and leverages the latest health psychology and behavioural science to develop and deliver personalised, cost-effective support solutions for healthcare customers and consumers to improve outcomes and experiences. They work with leading pharmaceutical/biotech brands, payers and healthcare institutions on developing new and optimizing existing local/regional and global programs from hubs in US, UK, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. https://atlantishealthcare.com/en-us/. 1 The Intentional Non-Adherence Scale (INAS): Initial Development and Validation. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 115 (December 2018) 110-116 2 Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) and Patient Activation Measure (PAM) Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Atlantis Healthcare Related Links http://atlantishealthcare.com/en-us May 13, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - - Lets start with the long 16th Century which, as with the 21st, also saw a turbulent process of marketization. At that time, the Jesuits and the Counter-Reformation were trying to rebound across Asia but within a context where the rivalry between the Iberian superpowers of the age, Spain and Portugal, still lingered. The Reformation first attached itself to the Dutch trade thalassocracy a seaborne empire, under which commerce was paramount over strict propaganda of religious dogma. Britains maritime realm was still biding its time. The emergence of Protestantism proceeded in parallel to the emergence of neo-Confucianism in East Asia. Fast forward to our turbulent times. Marketization renamed as globalization seems to be in crisis. But not in the Middle Kingdom, which is now investing in globalization 2.0 amid increasing rivalry with the other superpower, the US. The American thalassocracy is being superseded by the Revenge of the Heartland, in the form of the Russia-China strategic partnership for whom Eurasian trade integration, as expressed by the New Silk Roads, or Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is paramount over the Make America Great Again (MAGA) dogma. Meanwhile, the re-emergence of Right populism in the West mirrors the re-emergence of pragmatic neo-Confucianism across Asia. BRI the prime vehicle for Eurasia integration would have never come to light without Chinas four decades of breakneck economic development. Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter My sharpest and most informed geopolitical readers, such as the wonderfully enigmatic Larchmonter, are in synch with my running conversations for years now with top analysts in Russia, China, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan; following the Obama administrations fuzzy pivot to Asia, the Trump administrations response to Chinas emergence has been to throw all sorts of spanners in the works. Thus, the current hysteria over tariffs, the trade offensive, the demonization of BRI, Made in China 2025 and Huaweis 5G dominance, and all manner of disruptive Hybrid War tactics such as repeatedly claiming freedom of navigation in the South China Sea to progressive weaponizing of Taiwan. All that duly fueled by non-stop hatchet jobs on media outlets, as in branding Huawei as suspect or permanently untrustworthy. From the point of view of the hyperpower, there can be only one possible endgame: an amputated, permanently crippled and preferably non-stop aching Chinese economy with unfavorable demographics to boot. Where are our jobs? Pause on the sound and fury for necessary precision. Even if the Trump administration slaps 25% tariffs on all Chinese exports to the US, the IMF has projected that would trim just a meager slither 0.55% off Chinas GDP. And America is unlikely to profit, because the extra tariffs wont bring back manufacturing jobs to the US something that Steve Jobs told Barack Obama eons ago. What happens is that global supply chains will be redirected to economies that offer comparative advantages in relation to China, such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Laos. And this redirection is already happening anyway including by Chinese companies. BRI represents a massive geopolitical and financial investment by China, as well as its partners; over 130 states and territories have signed on. Beijing is using its immense pool of capital to make its own transition towards a consumer-based economy while advancing the necessary pan-Eurasian infrastructure development with all those ports, high-speed rail, fiber optics, electrical grids expanding to most Global South latitudes. The end result, up to 2049 BRIs time span will be the advent of an integrated market of no less than 4.5 billion people, by that time with access to a Chinese supply chain of high-tech exports as well as more prosaic consumer goods. Anyone who has followed the nuts and bolts of the Chinese miracle launched by Little Helmsman Deng Xiaoping in 1978 knows that Beijing is essentially exporting the mechanism that led Chinas own 800 million citizens to, in a flash, become members of a global middle class. As much as the Trump administration may bet on maximum pressure to restrict or even block Chinese access to whole sectors of the US market, what really matters is BRIs advance will be able to generate multiple, extra US markets over the next two decades. We dont do win-win There are no illusions in the Zhongnanhai, as there are no illusions in Tehran or in the Kremlin. These three top actors of Eurasian integration have exhaustively studied how Washington, in the 1990s, devastated Russias post-USSR economy (until Putin engineered a recovery) and how Washington has been trying to utterly destroy Iran for four decades. Beijing, as well as Moscow and Tehran, know everything there is to know about Hybrid War, which is an American intel concept. They know the ultimate strategic target of Hybrid War, whatever the tactics, is social chaos and regime change. The case of Brazil a BRICS member like China and Russia was even more sophisticated: a Hybrid War initially crafted by NSA spying evolved into lawfare and regime change via the ballot box. But it ended with mission accomplished Brazil has been reduced to the lowly status of an American neo-colony. Lets remember an ancient mariner, the legendary Chinese Muslim Admiral Zheng He, who for three decades, from 1405 to 1433, led seven expeditions across the seas all the way to Arabia and Eastern Africa, reaching Champa, Borneo, Java, Malacca, Sumatra, Ceylon, Calicut, Hormuz, Aden, Jeddah, Mogadiscio, Mombasa, bringing tons of goods to trade (silk, porcelain, silver, cotton, iron tools, leather utensils). That was the original Maritime Silk Road, progressing in parallel to Emperor Yong Le establishing a Pax Sinica in Asia with no need for colonies and religious proselytism. But then the Ming dynasty retreated and China was back to its agricultural vocation of looking at itself. They wont make the same mistake again. Even knowing that the current hegemon does not do win-win. Get ready for the real hardcore yet to come. Pepe Escobar is correspondent-at-large at Asia Times. His latest book is 2030. Follow him on Facebook. SAN DIEGO, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aya Healthcare, the company transforming travel nurse staffing and healthcare workforce solutions across the United States, was named to the Modern Healthcare 2019 Best Places to Work in Healthcare list for the third consecutive year. The award is based on results from a confidential employee survey and honors outstanding employers in the healthcare industry on a national level for empowering employees and promoting an exceptional workplace culture. In the survey, employees rate job satisfaction, work-life balance, benefits and more. "Cultivating a workplace that engages and excites our employees is a huge focus at Aya," said Alan Braynin, President and CEO of Aya Healthcare. "This recognition is a testament to our belief that giving employees freedom, flexibility and a voice is beneficial for the entire company, including the clinicians and clients we serve." Aya's focus on creating exceptional experiences for clinicians and clients applies to corporate employees as well. The company's industry-leading employee perks include 100% employer-paid healthcare, free on-site fitness classes, fully stocked kitchens of healthy food, flexible schedules with work-from home options, unlimited paid time off and more. "We have such a strong team of intelligent, kind, motivated and innovative people here," said Amber Zeeb, VP of Employee Experience at Aya Healthcare. "We're delighted to be recognized by Modern Healthcare for the culture we work to strengthen every day." The company continues to experience rapid growth and market share gains as it reshapes the healthcare staffing industry by focusing on what truly matters most: people. Aya's corporate headquarters are in San Diego, Calif., with additional offices in Los Angeles, Calif., Sacramento, Calif., Marshall, Mich., and Virginia Beach, Va. If you're interested in starting your career with Aya Healthcare, visit www.ayahealthcare.com/careers. About Aya Healthcare Aya Healthcare is reimagining healthcare staffing and workforce solutions in the United States. We are the largest privately held travel nurse and workforce solutions provider and deliver solutions for all aspects of healthcare staffing including locums, allied health and just-in-time local staff. The company continues to experience rapid growth as it reshapes the healthcare workforce landscape through its transformative use of technology including its cloud-based MSP solution and real-time Shifts app for per diem clinicians. Aya's platform provides access to one of the largest sources of contract clinicians in the country, which improves efficiency, increases quality and reduces costs for healthcare systems. To learn more about Aya Healthcare, visit www.ayahealthcare.com. Media Contact: Heidi Everly Corporate Communications Manager Aya Healthcare [email protected] 619.917.9167 SOURCE Aya Healthcare Related Links http://www.ayahealthcare.com LONDON, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Brambles Limited (ASX: BXB, ADR: BXBLY), today announced that Director of Investor Relations, Raluca Chiriacescu, will present at the dbVIC - Deutsche Bank American Depositary Receipt (ADR) Virtual Investor Conference on May 16. This virtual investor conference is aimed exclusively at introducing global companies with ADR programs to investors. DATE: May 16, 2019 TIME: 12:00 PM ET LINK: https://tinyurl.com/May19dbVIC It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates. Participation is free of charge. About Brambles Brambles Limited (ASX: BXB) Brambles helps move more goods to more people, in more places than any other organisation on earth. Its pallets and containers form the invisible backbone of the global supply chain and the world's biggest brands trust Brambles to help them transport their goods more efficiently, sustainably and safely. As pioneers of the sharing economy, Brambles created one of the world's most sustainable logistics businesses through the share and reuse of its platforms under a model known as 'pooling'. Brambles primarily serves the fastmoving consumer goods (e.g. dry food, grocery, and health and personal care), fresh produce, beverage, retail and general manufacturing industries. The Group employs approximately 11,000 people and own approximately 630 million pallets, crates and containers through a network of more than 850 service centres. Brambles operates in more than 60 countries with its largest operations in North America and Western Europe. Brambles announced on 25 February 2019, that it had entered into a binding agreement to sell its IFCO reusable plastic containers business to Triton and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed during the second quarter of calendar year 2019. For further information, please visit www.brambles.com 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 dbVIC - Deutsche Bank Virtual Investor Conference Dionisio Gutierrez started the meeting discussing the discredit of politics due to drug trafficking: "Drug trafficking is the largest problem of politics, it has turned into the murderer of democracy, and the principal cause of the breakdown of the rule of law. It has led to violence, death, corruption and criminal governments." Andres Pastrana said: "fight against drug trafficking should not be a single-party effort, but the country's priority. It must be a government policy that remains over each administration." Gutierrez explained that in order for Guatemala and other Latin American countries to overcome organized crime and reach acceptable development levels, they should focus on strengthening the rule of law: "The path to law compliance and the rule of law goes through politics recovery and a government that accomplishes its functions in a modern world. This is an essential effort to consolidate democracy." Pastrana remarked that Guatemala and other countries such as Venezuela would need a strategy akin to Plan Colombia which focused on four points: strengthen the justice system, strengthen the military force, illicit cocaine crops eradication, and social investment and alternative development. Gutierrez finished the meeting discussing about the responsibility of the political and economic elites and the necessity of leading experts to generate positive changes. He said that the accomplishments of Plan Colombia "were done because of Pastrana's leadership and his capacity to strengthen the justice system and the government, which achieve large-scale changes for his country." Gutierrez seized Pastrana's visit to interview him on the TV program Razon de Estado. SOURCE Fundacion Libertad y Desarrollo HABO, Sweden, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Order intake was MSEK 1,588.2 (1,428.1), which is an overall increase of 11.2% adjusted to -13.1% for acquisitions of MSEK 305.4 and currency effects of MSEK 41.1 Net sales were MSEK 1,594.3 (1,270.7), which is an overall growth of 25.5% adjusted to -3.7% for acquisitions of MSEK 327.7 and currency effects of MSEK 43.2 Operating profit was MSEK 158.1 (138.6) representing a 14.1% increase with an operating margin of 9.9 (10.9)% Earnings after tax were MSEK 93.0 (97.0), a decrease of 4.1% Earnings per share were SEK 0.76 (0.85) (0.85) Cash flow from operating activities was MSEK 82.2 (-87.3) Comments from the CEO Bodil Sonesson: Firstly, a very warm welcome to all colleagues from iGuzzini who join the Group. I very much look forward to work together and I am already seeing new relationships being formed. Also, on the business side we are very pleased with iGuzzini's good start for March. We enter 2019 in a healthy and strong position and for the first quarter I am very pleased with our strong development in Northern Europe , whilst some other regions have more challenges. , whilst some other regions have more challenges. In the short and medium term we have initiated performance enhancing activities to strengthen the performance in some of our regions with challenges. We have also initiated a strategic review to further strengthen the Group and take advantage of now being one of Europe's largest and one of the most successful lighting companies. largest and one of the most successful lighting companies. As a part of the strategic review we also separately address connectivity to ensure we continue to have market leading lighting solutions for our customers. So far 2019, has been, and will continue to be a busy and active year for all involved at Fagerhult Group. We look forward to the challenge. Contact: Disclosures may be submitted by Bodil Sonesson CEO, mobile: +46 72223 7602 e-mail: [email protected] Michael Wood CFO, mobile: +46 73 087 46 47 e-mail: [email protected] This information is inside information that AB Fagerhult (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and information that AB Fagerhult (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 13.50 CET on May 13, 2019. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/fagerhult/r/interim-report-january-march-2019,c2811002 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/1781/2811002/1044294.pdf Fagerhult, Interim Report January-March 2019 SOURCE Fagerhult DUBLIN, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Digital Advertising and Marketing - Market Analysis, Trends, and Forecasts" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2016 through 2024. Also, a five-year historic analysis is provided for these markets. This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Digital Advertising and Marketing in terms of Digital Advertising Spending (wired internet as well as mobile internet) in US$ Million by the following formats: Search Display Other Modes/Formats The report profiles 498 companies including many key and niche players such as: Acxiom Corporation ( USA ) ) Alibaba Group Holding Limited ( China ) ) Amazon.com, Inc. ( USA ) ) Baidu, Inc. ( China ) ) Conversant, Inc. ( USA ) ) Dentsu Aegis Network (UK) Eniro AB ( Sweden ) ) Facebook, Inc. ( USA ) ) Google, Inc. ( USA ) ) DoubleClick, Inc. ( USA ) ) IAC/InterActiveCorp. ( USA ) ) InfoSpace, Inc. ( USA ) ) Microsoft Corporation ( USA ) ) LinkedIn Corporation ( USA ) ) Oath, Inc. ( USA ) ) AOL, Inc. ( USA ) ) ONE by AOL ( USA ) ) Yahoo!, Inc. ( USA ) ) Pandora Media, Inc. ( USA ) ) Sina Corporation ( China ) ) Sohu.com, Inc. ( China ) ) Tencent , Inc. ( China ) , Inc. ( ) TOM Group Limited ( China ) ) TradeDoubler AB ( Sweden ) ) Twitter, Inc. ( USA ) ) Xaxis ( USA ) Key Topics Covered: 1. INDUSTRY OVERVIEW Digital Advertising and Marketing: Transforming, Transitioning and Conditioning Brand-Consumer Relationships Rapid Shift of Media Spending from Traditional to Digital: Cornerstone for Present & Future Growth of Digital Ad Market Print Media Advertising including Newspapers and Magazines: The Worst Hit by the Transition Expanding Digital Media User Base Triggers Massive Growth Opportunities Superior Attributes of Digital Advertising over Other Ad Media Drives Market Adoption Various Advertising Media & their Corresponding Benefits Comparison of Different Advertising Media Based on Varied Parameters Future Prospects Remain Buoyant Display Advertising: The Largest Contributor to Global Digital Ad Spend Despite Cannibalization by Display, Search Advertising to Sustain Growth Momentum Developed Regions: Primary Revenue Generators Developing Countries Continue to Turbo Charge Current and Future Growth Asia-Pacific: Robust Demand for the Digital Experience Drive Faster Market Growth Stable Economic Scenario Lends Momentum for Market Growth Rapid Urbanization & Expanding Middle Class: Mega Trends Strengthening Market Prospects 2. COMPETITION Google: The Leader in the Global Digital Advertising and Marketing Market Intense Competition Drives Google to Develop Innovative Options and Incentives Facebook Leads the Social Media Marketing Space Competition: Noteworthy Trends Mobile Advertising Companies Adopt Data-Driven Technologies Programmatic Advertising: The New Mantra for Success in the Marketplace Behavioral Targeting: An Out-of-the-Box Service Brand Advertisers: Taking Digital Advertising Seriously in Marketing Strategies Click-through-Rate Continues to Rise in Paid Search Advertising Market Participants Increasingly Prefer Open Source Solutions Software Technology Improvements Enable Advanced Online Ads Production Video Advertising Attract Greater Attention of Publishers and Advertisers Increasing Adoption of Deal IDs over Insertion Orders in Digital Advertising Key Problems Faced by Service Providers in Monetizing Media Campaigns Ad-Blocking: A Threat for Digital Advertising Revenues? Vendors Prioritize M&A Route to Gain Competitive Edge Select M&A Deals in the World Digital Advertising & Marketing Market (2015-2018) 3. MARKET TRENDS, ISSUES & DRIVERS Expanding Internet User Base: Fertile Environment for the Growth of Digital Media Marketing The Emergence of Mobile Devices as the Preferred Digital Media Platform: A Strong Growth Driver for Mobile Digital Advertising Key Factors Driving Growth in the Mobile Advertising Market Growing Proliferation of Smartphones & Tablets Rising Mobile Internet Subscriptions & Robust Mobile Data Consumption Wider Roll Out 4G Networks Social Media Advertising: A Major Beneficiary of the Transforming Social Networking Landscape Social Networking Sites (SNS): Facts and Figures in a Nutshell Top 10 Social Networking Platforms Worldwide Ranked by Active Usage: 2017E Social Media Networks: A Key Enabler of Social Selling Smart TV Triggers New Growth Opportunities for Digital Advertising Digital Advertising Innovations and Advancements: Spearheading Growth Augmented Reality (AR) Buy Buttons Digital Assistants Video Ads in Search Results Wearable Technology Real-Time Bidding (RTB): The Next Generation Automated Display Advertising Technology Mobile Marketing Technology Developments NFC Geo-fencing Cross-Platform Ad Campaigns Gain Edge over Single Platform Campaigns Select Cross-Platform, Hashtag-based Marketing Campaigns in the Recent Past HBO Game of Thrones Influencer Boxes MakeItCount by Nike lovehome by HGTV captureeuphoria by Ben & Jerry's SoLongVampires by Audi Pepsi Pulse and #LiveForNow by Pepsi Cocooning Trend: Significant Market Opportunity for Cross- Platform Advertisers Increasing Trend towards Mobile Apps: Enormous Growth Opportunities for Digital Cross-Platform Advertising In-App Advertising: A Promising Platform for Reaching the Desired Audience Growing Prominence of IoT and the Resulting Growth in Connected Devices Set to Take Digital Advertising to the Next Level Effective Delivery and Streaming of Ad Content Drives Demand for Digital Video Advertising Rising Prominence of OTT Platforms Augurs Well for Digital Video Advertising Driven by Multiple Factors, Mobile Video Ads Surpass Online Video Ads Singular Focus Less Distraction Not Limited to Peak Hours Applications Engage Users Easier Frequency Management Native Advertising: The Next Big Thing in Display Advertising FTC Issues Guidelines on Native Ads Flourishing Gaming Market Generate Lucrative Opportunities for In-Game Advertising Wireless Gaming: Opportunities Galore for In-Game Advertising Rising Adoption of GPS-Enabled Devices Boosts Demand for Location-based Advertising Maximum Visibility Attribute Drive Increasing Interest in Free Online Classified Ads Robust E-Commerce Activity Lends Traction to Market Growth Supported by Efficient Broadband Connectivity, Demand for Rich Media Ads Gain Momentum Tailored Emails for Smarter Customer Engagement Sustain Demand for E-mail Advertising Key Issues and Challenges Hampering Prospects for Digital Advertising Digital Advertising Frauds Major Bottlenecks in Online Advertising 4. DIGITAL ADVERTISING AND MARKETING: A CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW Introduction Digital Media Marketing Benefits of Digital Marketing Social Media Marketing Mobile Marketing Digital Advertising and Marketing Formats Search Paid listings Contextual Search Paid Inclusion Display Advertising Classifieds and Auctions Rich Media Interstitial Sponsorship Referrals Slotting Fees E-mail Advertising Network Model 5. PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS/INNOVATIONS Google Unveils TrueView for Action to Enhance Ad Performance on YouTube Acxiom Enhances Acxiom Measurement Solution for Marketers LiveRamp Introduces IdentityLink for Agencies LinkedIn to Commence Video Service for Sponsored Content Pandora Enhances Pandora Premium Twitter Rolls Out Promote Mode Ad Service for Small Businesses Xaxis to Roll Out New Rich Media Ad Service in the UK Primedia Broadcasting Unveils New Service for Advertisers Acxiom Re-Launches Digital Impact as New Acxiom Impact 6. RECENT INDUSTRY ACTIVITY Dentsu Aegis Network Acquires Character LiveRamp Acquires Pacific Data Partners Pandora Implements Organizational Restructuring Program Acxiom to Realign Business Portfolio Dentsu Aegis Network to Acquire RED8 Verizon Acquires Yahoo Dentsu Aegis Network Acquires DWA Dentsu Aegis Network Acquires Swirl HY Connect Acquires Merge Design + Interactive Acxiom Expands Partnership with DataXu Acxiom Partners with Verve Facebook Selects Gravitational Marketing as a Facebook Marketing Partner Altitude Digital Merges with Genesis Media Market Track Acquires Brandtale Sublime Skinz Acquires Kpsule Altice to Acquire Teads Denstu Aegis to Merge Steak with Fetch Dentsu Aegis Network Launches dentsuX Dentsu Aegis Network Acquires SesliHarfler Dentsu Aegis Network to Acquire Oxyma Group Tradedoubler Acquires Metapic GroupM to Merge MEC and Maxus Fork Media Acquires Majority Stake in Rappio Advertising Dentsu Aegis Network to Acquire Sokrati Dentsu Aegis Network to Acquire Valuklik Dentsu Aegis Network Snaps Up Novus Group Microsoft Acquires LinkedIn LinkedIn Decides to Close Ad Network Business Gannett to Fully Acquire ReachLocal Create Digital to Merge with AuthX Bulldog Creative Services Snaps Up Snowball Digital Marketing LiveRamp Teams Up with DigitasLBi LiveRamp Acquires Arbor and Circulate AOL Snaps UP Ryot Xaxis Snaps Up Triad Retail Media Deloitte Digital Acquires Heat Snap Acquires Flite Adaptive Medias to Merge with AdSupply IBM Snaps Up ecx.io TfL Selects Exterion Media Cognizant to Acquire Mirabeau Digidee and Twomoon Digital Merge with Relevant Jajja Merges with Eurovator to Establish the Jajja Media Group Tradedoubler Collaborates with Curalate Dentsu Aegis Network to Acquire Darwin Marketing Rich Brand Groups Launches Res-Q Digital Verizon Acquires AOL AOL Signs Deal to Manage Microsoft's Display Ad Business AOL Takes Over Millennial Media Voice Media and Endexx Join Forces to Roll out Digital Marketing Strategies Citigroup Signs Marketing Alliance Deal with Zillow Dentsu Aegis Network Acquires Band DDB Worldwide Takes Over Grupo ABC Swrve Takes Over adaptiv.io Endurance International Group to Acquire Constant Contact Dentsu Aegis Network to Take Over Pontomobi RetailNext Takes Over Pikato Evolving Systems Takes Over Sixth Sense Media Ironistic Acquires ArtForm Business Solutions' Web and Online Marketing Division NetBooster Group Acquires Internet Advantage Komli Media Merges with SVG Media Spredfast Takes Over Shoutlet NetPlay TV Takes Over Otherside Sysomos Acquires Expion Flipkart Takes Over Appiterate Publicis Groupe Takes Over Sapient 7. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS 8. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE Total Companies Profiled: 498 (including Divisions/Subsidiaries 520) The United States (200) (200) Canada (25) (25) Europe (184) (184) France (14) (14) Germany (10) (10) The United Kingdom (80) (80) Italy (10) (10) Spain (12) (12) Rest of Europe (58) (58) Asia-Pacific (Excluding Japan) (81) (Excluding Japan) (81) Middle East (26) (26) Africa (4) For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d0j3d4 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 NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Audit, tax and advisory firm KPMG LLP has named a University of Kentucky professor as the 2019 KPMG James Marwick Professor-In-Residence, underscoring the firm's commitment to encourage continuous learning. Jeff Payne, PhD, the KPMG Professor in the Von Allmen School of Accountancy at the University of Kentucky, believes accounting students should understand the opportunities that technology provides in improving financial statement audits, but also importantly, the new risks that are created by their use. Jeff Payne, PhD, the KPMG Professor in the Von Allmen School of Accountancy at the University of Kentucky, has been named the 2019 KPMG James Marwick Professor-In-Residence. "As an accounting professor, it's important to expose my students to new and emerging technologies that may impact audit processes," said Payne, who incorporates IDEA, Tableau, and other data manipulation software programs into his courses. "This lays a foundation for future learning, helping them understand that technology will continue to evolve, and that they will need to evolve along with it. They are on a continual learning paradigm." Payne represents the fourth academic to hold the Marwick professorship. His academic research focuses on financial accounting and auditing topics, and he teaches graduate courses in auditing, fraud examination and IT auditing. While at KPMG, Payne will research innovative ways to collect audit evidence with advanced technologies. The KPMG James Marwick Professor-in-Residence program offers academics an insider's view of the profession's evolution, helping them adapt their curriculum to better prepare future leaders while also giving them an appreciation of the work required to meet regulatory expectations. "The program is a concrete example of our firm's culture of learning and how we are seeking innovative ways to enhance audit quality," said Jackie Daylor, KPMG National Managing Partner - Audit Quality and Professional Practice. "With his extensive background in auditing and support of the use of data and technology in the audit, Jeff is well-positioned to embed the innovative thinking required for auditing in the future in his students." Established in 2017, the KPMG James Marwick Professor-in-Residence program focuses on evolving innovation opportunities and understanding challenges in the audit profession. It helps academics understand the technical, regulatory, and innovation challenges affecting the audit profession. The program benefits the accounting profession and firms like KPMG by helping students become future ready before they enter the job market. The professorship was named in honor of James Marwick, the "M" in KPMG, an accounting pioneer committed to the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. The professorship is a concrete example of how the firm encourages a culture of continuous learning and creates opportunities to strengthen relationships with prestigious U.S. colleges and universities. In addition to the professor-in-residence program, KPMG learning opportunities include KPMG faculty instructors, a Master of Accounting with Data and Analytics Program, and other academic initiatives that support the firm's award-winning digital and classroom training programs, including KPMG Lakehouse in Florida, which will offer interactive, collaborative and engaging learning experiences. About KPMG KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm (www.kpmg.com/us), is the independent U.S. member firm of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"). KPMG International's independent member firms have 207,000 professionals working in 153 countries and territories. Contacts: Elizabeth Lynch KPMG, LLP 201-505-6316 [email protected] SOURCE KPMG LLP Related Links http://www.kpmg.com/us TULSA, Okla., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: MMP) announced today that Michael Mears, chief executive officer, is scheduled to participate in a question and answer session about Magellan at the 2019 MLP & Energy Infrastructure Conference hosted by the Master Limited Partnership Association at 9:15 a.m. Pacific Time on Wed., May 15 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The session will be moderated by Mirek Zak, Citi equity research analyst, with an audio webcast available live on the day of the event on the partnership's website at www.magellanlp.com/investors/webcasts.aspx. A replay of the webcast also will be available for 30 days at www.magellanlp.com. In addition, management will be meeting with institutional investors and research analysts during the conference. The slides used for these meetings also will be available at www.magellanlp.com/investors/webcasts.aspx. About Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: MMP) is a publicly traded partnership that primarily transports, stores and distributes refined petroleum products and crude oil. The partnership owns the longest refined petroleum products pipeline system in the country, with access to nearly 50% of the nation's refining capacity, and can store more than 100 million barrels of petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and crude oil. More information is available at www.magellanlp.com. SOURCE Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. Related Links http://www.magellanlp.com WASHINGTON, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The associations representing the Mexican tomato growers continue to negotiate in good faith on a new agreement to suspend the antidumping investigation on fresh tomatoes from Mexico. The proposals from the Florida Tomato Exchange for more than a year, however, include several demands that are unlawful, which is the reason the growers rejected the Commerce Department's latest proposal last Friday. That proposal would have stripped U.S. supermarkets and other buyers of Mexican tomatoes of their legal rights to reject tomatoes with condition defects and be reimbursed for their costs. In the meantime, the Mexican growers have taken several key actions to protect their legal rights in light of several disappointing actions taken by the U.S. Commerce Department. First, the Mexican growers filed for an injunction from a U.S. court to stop Commerce's investigation from going forward and stop cash deposits from being imposed. The basis for this lawsuit is that the Commerce Department's termination of the agreement was unlawful. Second, the Mexican growers shortened the period they will be subject to cash deposits by 60 days. If the resumed investigation does go forward, the Commerce Department must now conclude its dumping determination on July 21, and the U.S. International Trade Commission must conclude its injury determination on September 4. While the Mexican growers remain committed to a new agreement, it must be fully reflective of U.S. law and the evidence on the record of the proceeding. The Mexican growers will continue to work with the Commerce Department to that end. Otherwise, they look forward to the outcome of the investigation, in which they will seek vindication at the International Trade Commission from FTE's baseless claims of injury. The growers were denied their legal right to have the ITC consider whether the Florida growers have the right to any protection at all in the recent sunset review because the Commerce Department terminated the agreement two days before the ITC's scheduled vote. That right to a so-called "sunset review," in which the need for continued protection is reviewed every five years, is required under U.S. law and U.S. commitments under the World Trade Organization agreement. "We would prefer to continue the stability that the suspension agreement has brought to the U.S. tomato market for the past 22 years," said Rosario Beltran, president of the Mexican grower association, CAADES. "But we need a fair deal and one that does not require us to enter contracts that strip our U.S. customers of their legal rights." SOURCE Mexican Tomato Growers COO will introduce Magento technology partners to NexTech's eCommerce platform and highlight the value augmented reality brings to online retail NEW YORK and TORONTO, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - NexTech AR Solutions (the "Company" or "NexTech") (OTCQB: NEXCF) (CSE: NTAR) (FSE: N29) today announced that it will showcase its industry-leading augmented reality (AR) solutions for online retail as a Silver Sponsor of this year's Magento Imagine Conference , taking place May 13-15, 2019 at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. COO Reuben Tozman will demonstrate NexTech's AR eCommerce platform from booth #614 in the event exhibit hall. "As one of Magento's only true AR technology partners, this year's conference presents a tremendous opportunity to introduce our solutions to other partners and industry thought-leaders who may be seeking immersive AR experiences to enrich their consumer's path to purchase," said Reuben Tozman, COO of NexTech AR Solutions. "At NexTech we're proud to offer scalable AR features that retailers can incorporate into their existing eCommerce ecosystem, effectively democratizing the AR experience and making this powerful technology available to online retailers of all sizes. I'm excited to introduce the value of our platform to other partners at Imagine this year." Imagine is an annual eCommerce conference, which brings together industry leaders, merchants, retailers, agencies and developers for live keynote and breakout sessions, customer panels and networking events. Magento is an open-source eCommerce platform, handling over $100 billion in gross merchandising volume each year. NexTech has built its AR and AI eCommerce platform as an affordable, scalable, customizable, and most importantly, easy solution to integrate within an existing web interface, making NexTech one of the leaders in the rapidly growing AR industry, estimated to hit $120 billion by 2022, according to Statista. Gartner reports 100 million consumers will shop in augmented reality online and in-store by 2020. NexTech is building out its AR and AI eCommerce offerings, which include using AI to create a guided and knowledgeable curator that can be programmed to be used for eCommerce or for education in the medical device market. About NexTech AR Solutions Corp. NexTech is bringing a next generation web enabled augmented reality (AR) platform with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and analytics to the Cannabis industry, eCommerce, education, training, healthcare and video conferencing. Having integrated with Shopify, Magento and Wordpress, its technology offers eCommerce sites a universal 3D shopping solution. With just a few lines of embed code, the Company's patent-pending platform offers the most technologically advanced 3D AR, AI technology anywhere. Online retailers can subscribe to NexTech's state-of-the-art, 3D AR/AI solution for $79/mo. The Company has created the AR industry's first end-to-end affordable, intelligent, frictionless, scalable platform. To learn more, please follow us on Twitter , YouTube , Instagram , LinkedIn , and Facebook , or visit our website: https://www.nextechar.com . On behalf of the Board of NexTech AR Solutions Corp. "Evan Gappelberg" CEO and Director The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be", "looking forward" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the Company increasing investors awareness are based on the Company's estimates and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of NexTech to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including capital expenditures and other costs. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. NexTech will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE NexTech AR Solutions Corp. Related Links www.nextechar.com NETANYA, Israel, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Theranica today announced OMRON VENTURES has joined its $35 million series B funding round. OMRON VENTURES has committed to providing key insight and support to Theranica as the remote electrical neuromodulation startup continues to develop its unique approach to acute treatment of migraine. Theranica's series B funding round announced two months ago was led by aMoon, and included all previous investors of the company Lightspeed Venture Partners, LionBird, Corundum Open Innovation and Takoa. The new funds will allow Theranica to mass produce its product, Nerivio Migra, the company's remote electrical neuromodulation device for acute treatment of migraine, and, subject to FDA clearance, to launch the product, initially in the USA. "Being the world's leading manufacturer and distributor of personal health and wellness products, we are excited to partner with a company that shares OMRON HEALTHCARE's mission of improving people's health at home through science and technology," said Tomoko Inoue, CEO of OMRON VENTURES. "Theranica's forward-thinking approach of investing in science, building strong physician-community relationships and developing health products that center around the patients and their ability to improve their own well-being is the right model for today and the future." Theranica is a medical device company that combines advanced neuromodulation therapy with modern wireless technology to develop proprietary electroceuticals that address prevalent medical conditions and diseases. The company's first low-cost, low side effect wearable, the Nerivio Migra addresses migraines and is currently under review of the FDA. "OMRON is a pioneer in innovative home medical equipment and therapeutic devices, and the recognition and commitment expressed by the decision of Ms. Inoue and her team to make this strategic investment is highly valued and appreciated by Theranica," said Alon Ironi, CEO and co-founder of Theranica. "OMRON HEALTHCARE has been a champion in enabling consumers to improve their health using convenient, affordable, easy to use health products. Aside from the financial resources OMRON VENTURES is committing to Theranica, we look forward to learning from such a healthcare market leader." About Theranica Theranica is a medical device company, founded in 2016 by Alon Ironi, Ronen Jashek, Rotislav (Slava) Barabash and Dr. Shimon Eckhouse, with the vision of combining advanced neuromodulation therapy with modern wireless technology to develop proprietary electroceuticals that address prevalent medical conditions and diseases. For more information visit our website, http://theranica.com. Media Contact: Goel Jasper [email protected] +1-929-222-8002 Theranica Contact: Ronen Jashek [email protected] +972-72-390-9750 About OMRON VENTURES OMRON VENTURES is the venture capital arm of OMRON Corporation and its affiliated companies. Its mission is to create a new world by joining hands with entrepreneurs all over the globe who see things in their own free way, who are unencumbered by conventional practice, and who seriously believe they can change the world. For more information, visit our website,https://www.omron.com/ventures/. OMRON VENTURES Contact: Yuichi Hisamatsu [email protected] +81-3-6718-3433 SOURCE Theranica Bio-Electronics Related Links https://www.omron.com/ventures/ Judgment Day for John Brennan By Mike Whitney May 13, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - Sometime in the next 4 weeks, the Justice Departments inspector general will release an internal review that will reveal the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation. Among other matters, the IGs report is expected to determine whether there was sufficient justification under existing guidelines for the FBI to have started an investigation in the first place. Critics of the Trump-collusion probe believe that there was never probable cause that a crime had been committed, therefore, there was no legal basis for launching the investigation. The findings of the Mueller report that there was no cooperation or collusion between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign seem to underscore this broader point and suggest that the fictitious Trump-Russia connection was merely a pretext for spying on the campaign of a Beltway outsider whose political views clashed with those of the foreign policy establishment. In any event, the upcoming release of the Horowitz report will formally end the the first phase of the long-running Russiagate scandal and mark the beginning of Phase 2, in which high-profile officials from the previous administration face criminal prosecution for their role in what looks to be a botched attempt at a coup detat. Heres a brief summary from political analyst, Larry C. Johnson, who previously worked at the CIA and U.S. State Department: The evidence is plainthere was a broad, coordinated effort by the Obama Administration, with the help of foreign governments, to target Donald Trump and paint him as a stooge of Russia. The Mueller Report provides irrefutable evidence that the so-called Russian collusion case against Donald Trump was a deliberate fabrication by intelligence and law enforcement organizations in the US and UK and organizations aligned with the Clinton Campaign. (How US and Foreign Intel Agencies Interfered in a US Election, Larry C. Johnson, Consortium News) Bingo. Attorney General William Barr has already stated his belief that spying on the Trump campaign did occur and that, in his mind, it is a big deal. He also reiterated his commitment to thoroughly investigate the matter in order to find out whether the spying was adequately predicated, that is, whether the FBI followed the required protocols for such spying, or not. Barr already knows the answer to this question as he is fully aware of the fact that the FBI used information that they knew was false to obtain warrants to spy on the Trump campaign. Having no hard evidence of cooperation with the Kremlin, senior-level FBI officials and their counterparts at the Obama Justice Department used parts of an opposition research document (The Trump Dossier) that they knew was unreliable to procure warrants that allowed them to treat a presidential campaign the same way the intelligence agencies treat foreign enemies; using electronic surveillance, wiretapping, confidential informants and honey trap schemes designed to gather embarrassing or incriminating information on their target. Barr knows all of this already which is why the Democrats are doing everything in their power to discredit him and have him removed from office. His determination to get to the bottom of this is not just a threat to the FBI, its a threat to multiple agencies that may have had a hand in this expansive domestic espionage operation including the CIA, the NSA, the DOJ, the State Department and, perhaps, even the Obama White House. No one knows yet how far up the political food-chain the skulduggery actually goes, but Barr appears to be serious about finding out. Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter Heres Barr again: Many people seem to assume that the only intelligence collection that occurred was a single confidential informant.I would like to find out whether that is in fact true. It strikes me as a fairly anemic effort if that was the counterintelligence effort designed to stop the threat as its being represented. In other words, Barr knows that the Trump campaign was riddled with spies and he is going to do his damnedest to find out what happened. He also knows that the FISA warrants were improperly obtained using the shabby disinformation from an opposition research hit piece (The Steele Dossier) that was paid for by Hillary Clinton and the DNC, just like he knows that government agents had concocted a strategy for leaking classified information to the media to fuel the public hysteria. Barr knows most of what happened already. Its just a matter of compiling the research in the proper format and delivering it in a way that helps to emphasize how trusted government agents abused their power by pursuing a vicious partisan plot to either destroy the presidents reputation or force him from office. Like Barr said, thats a big deal. The name that seems to feature larger than all others in the ongoing Trump-Russia saga, is James Comey, the former FBI Director who oversaw the spying operations that are now under investigation at the DOJ. But was Comey really the central figure in these felonious hi-jinks or was he a mere lieutenant following directives from someone more powerful than himself? While the preponderance of new evidence suggests that the FBI was deeply involved, it does not answer this crucial question. For example, just this week, a report by veteran journalist John Solomon, showed that former British spy Christopher Steele admitted to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kathleen Kavalec that his Trump Dossier was political research, implying that the contents couldnt be trusted because they were shaped by Steeles political bias. Kavalec passed along this information to the FBI which shrugged it off and then, just days later, used the dossier to obtain warrants to spy on members of the Trump campaign. Think about that for a minute. The FBI had written proof . that Steele had a political motive, but went ahead and used the dossier to procure the warrants anyway. Thats what Id call a premeditated felony. But evidence of wrongdoing is not proof that Comey was the ringleader, he was just the hapless sad sack who was left holding the bag. The truth is, Comey was just a reluctant follower. The real architect of the Trump-Russia treachery was the boss-man at the nations premier intelligence agency, the CIA. Thats where the headwaters of this shameful burlesque are located, in Langley. More on that in a minute, but first check out this excerpt from an article at The Hill which sums up Comeys role fairly well: (There) will be an examination of whether Comey was unduly influenced by political agendas emanating from the previous White House and its director of national intelligence, CIA director and attorney general. This, above all, is whats causing the 360-degree head spin. There are early indicators that troubling behaviors may have occurred in all three scenarios. Barr will want to zero in on a particular area of concern: the use by the FBI of confidential human sources, whether its own or those offered up by the then-CIA director. In addition, the cast of characters leveraged by the FBI against the Trump campaign all appear to have their genesis as CIA sources (assets, in agency vernacular) shared at times with the FBI. From Stefan Halper and possibly Joseph Mifsud, to Christopher Steele, to Carter Page himself, and now a mysterious government investigator posing as Halpers assistant and cited in The New York Times article, legitimate questions arise as to whether Comey was manipulated into furthering a CIA political operation more than an FBI counterintelligence case. (James Comey is in trouble and he knows it, The Hill) Why is the Inspector General so curious as to whether Comey was unduly influenced by political agendas emanating from the previous White House and its director of national intelligence, CIA director? And why did Comey draw from a cast of characters . that all appear to have their genesis as CIA sources?? Could it be that Comey was just an unwitting pawn in a domestic regime change operation launched by former CIA Director John Brennan, the one public figure who has expressed greater personal animus towards Trump than all the others combined? Could Trumps promise to normalize relations with Russia have intensified Brennans visceral hatred of him given the fact that Russia had frustrated Brennans strategic plans in Ukraine and Syria? Keep in mind, the CIA had been arming, training and providing logistical support to the Sunni militants who were trying to overthrow Syrian president Bashar al Assad. Putins intervention crushed the jihadist militias delivering a humiliating defeat to Generalissimo Brennan who, soon after, left office in disgrace. Isnt this at least part of the reason why Brennan hates Trump? Regular readers of this column know that I have always thought that Brennan was the central figure in the Trump-Russia charade. It was Brennan who first referred the case to Comey, just as it was Brennan who hand-picked the analysts who stitched together the dodgy Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) (which said that Putin and the Russian government aspired to helpTrumps election chances.) It was also Brennan who persuaded Harry Reid to petition Comey to open an investigation in the first place. Brennan was chief instigator of the Trump-Russia fiasco, the omniscient puppet-master who persuaded Clapper and Comey to do his bidding while still-unidentified agents strategically leaked stories to the media to inflame passions and sow social unrest. At every turn, Brennan was there guiding the perfidious project along. According to journalist Philip Giraldi, the CIA may have even assisted in the obtaining of FISA warrants on Trump campaign aids as this excerpt from an article at The Unz Review indicates: Brennan was the key to the operation because the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court refused to approve several requests by the FBI to initiate taps on Trump associates and Trump Tower as there was no probable cause to do so but the British and other European intelligence services were legally able to intercept communications linked to American sources. Brennan was able to use his connections with those foreign intelligence agencies, primarily the British GCHQ, to make it look like the concerns about Trump were coming from friendly and allied countries and therefore had to be responded to as part of routine intelligence sharing. As a result, Paul Manafort, Carter Page, Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Gen. Michael Flynn were all wiretapped. And likely there were others. This all happened during the primaries and after Trump became the GOP nominee. (The Conspiracy Against Trump, Philip Giraldi) Can you see how important this is? The FBI was having trouble getting warrants to spy on the Trump campaign, so Brennan helped them out by persuading his foreign intelligence allies (the British and other European intelligence services) to come up with bogus intercepted communications linked to American sources, which helped to secure the FISA warrants. We have no idea of what these foreign agents heard on these alleged intercepted communications, all we know is that they were effectively used to achieve Brennans ultimate objective, which was to acquire the means of taking down Trump via a relentless and expansive surveillance campaign. According to a report in The Guardian (where the story first appeared.): GCHQ (British Government Communications Headquarters) played an early, prominent role in kickstarting the FBIs Trump-Russia investigation, which began in late July 2016. One source called the British eavesdropping agency the principal whistleblower. (British spies were first to spot Trump teams links with Russia , The Guardian) Okay, so Brennan twisted a few arms and got his foreign Intel buddies to make uncorroborated claims that got the investigative ball rolling, but then what? If there was any meat to Brennans foreign intel, then Mueller would have dug it up and used it in his report, right? But he didnt. Why? Because there was nothing there, the whole thing was a sham from the get go. Brennan probably sexed up the intelligence so it would sound like something it really wasnt. (Think: WMD) Again, if there was even a scintilla of hard evidence that Trumps campaign assistants were in bed with Russia, Mueller would have shrieked it from every mountaintop across America. But he didnt, because there wasnt any. There was no cooperation, no conspiracy and no collusion. Trump was falsely accused. End of story. Heres more from the same article: The Guardian has been told the FBI and the CIA were slow to appreciate the extensive nature of contacts between Trumps team and Moscow ahead of the US election. (Guardian) The extensive nature of contacts between Trumps team and Moscow??? Really? This is precisely the type of hyperventilating journalism that fueled the absurd conspiracy theory that the president of the United States was a Russian agent. Its hard to believe that were even discussing the matter at this point. There was an interesting aside in John Solomons article that suggests that he might be thinking along the same lines. He says: One legal justification cited for redacting the Oct. 13, 2016, email is the National Security Act of 1947, which can be used to shield communications involving the CIA or the White House National Security Council. Why would Solomon draw attention to to shielding communications involving the CIA or the White House, after all, the bulk of his article focused on the State Department and the FBI? Is he suggesting that the CIA and Obama White House may have been involved in these spying shenanigans, is that why Kavalecs damning notes (which stated that Steeles dossier could not be trusted.) have been retroactively classified? Take a look at this email from the FBIs chief investigator in the Russia collusion probe, Peter Strzok, to his fellow agents in April 2017. Im beginning to think the agency (CIA) got info a lot earlier than we thought and hasnt shared it completely with us. Might explain all those weird/seemingly incorrect leads all these media folks have. Would also highlight agency as source of some leaks. -Peter Strzok. Ha! So even the FBIs chief investigator was in the dark about the CIAs shadowy machinations behind the scenes. Clearly, Brennan wanted to prevent the other junta leaders from fully knowing what he was up to. All of this is bound to come out in the inspector generals report sometime in the next month or so. Both Attorney General William Barr and IG Horowitz appear to be fully committed to revealing the criminal leaks, the illegal electronic surveillance, the improperly obtained FISA warrants, and the multiple confidential human sources (spies) that were placed in the Trump campaign. They are going to face withering criticism for their efforts, but they are resolutely moving forward all the same. Bravo, for that. Bottom line: The agents and officials who conducted this seditious attack on the presidency never thought theyd be held accountable for their crimes. But they were wrong, and now their day of reckoning is fast approaching. The main players in this palace coup are about to be exposed, criminally charged and prosecuted. Some of them will probably wind up in jail. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine. Mike lives in Washington state. He can be reached at fergiewhitney@msn.com. Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Noose tightens around Steele, as US State Department exposes UK spys political ties Ex-top FBI lawyer James Baker admits he is 'nervous' about DOJ inspector general 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 Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. 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SAN DIEGO, May 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry today signed the Department of Energy's authorization allowing Sempra Energy's (NYSE: SRE) Port Arthur LNG to export approximately 13.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of U.S.-produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries that do not have a free-trade agreement (FTA) with the U.S. during the first U.S.-EU Energy Council High-Level Energy Forum in Brussels, Belgium. "I am pleased to announce the order signed today authorizing Port Arthur LNG to export up to 1.91 billion cubic feet per day of LNG, to any country that does not have an FTA with the United States," said Perry. "The United States is in its third consecutive year as a net exporter of natural gas, now exporting domestic LNG to 35 countries. I applaud the American private sector for continuing to reach new milestones and look forward to continued growth in this sector." The Port Arthur LNG export project in development in Jefferson County, Texas is expected to include two liquefaction trains, up to three LNG storage tanks and associated facilities. "Today's approval marks a major regulatory step for the development of Port Arthur LNG that would allow LNG to be exported from Port Arthur to all European, Asian and other markets around the world," said Carlos Ruiz Sacristan, chairman and CEO of Sempra North American Infrastructure. "Port Arthur LNG is one of Sempra Energy's five LNG-export projects under development that we believe will help to further establish the U.S. as a global leader in LNG exports." Port Arthur LNG is expected to create approximately 3,500 on-site engineering and construction jobs, as well as several hundred jobs in Texas in support of the project, including fabrication and operational jobs. Nearly 200 full-time jobs will be created to operate and maintain Port Arthur LNG facility. Last month, Port Arthur LNG received authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to site, construct and operate the liquefaction project. In December 2018, Port Arthur LNG and the Polish Oil & Gas Company signed a definitive 20-year sale-and-purchase agreement for 2 Mtpa of LNG from the Port Arthur LNG project, subject to certain conditions. Bechtel has been selected as the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contractor for the project, subject to reaching a definitive agreement. Development of the Port Arthur LNG project is contingent upon obtaining additional customer commitments, completing the required commercial agreements, obtaining financing, incentives and other factors, as well as reaching a final investment decision. Sempra LNG develops, builds and invests in natural gas liquefaction facilities and is pursuing the development of five strategically located LNG projects in North America with a goal of delivering 45 Mtpa of clean natural gas to the largest world markets, making Sempra Energy one of North America's largest developers of LNG-export facilities. This press release contains statements that are not historical fact and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "contemplates," "assumes," "depends," "should," "could," "would," "will," "confident," "may," "can," "potential," "possible," "proposed," "target," "pursue," "outlook," "maintain," or similar expressions or when we discuss our guidance, strategy, plans, goals, vision, opportunities, projections, initiatives, objectives or intentions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Future results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Factors, among others, that could cause our actual results and future actions to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties relating to: actions and the timing of actions, including decisions, new regulations and issuances of authorizations by the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, states, cities and counties, and other regulatory and governmental bodies in the U.S. and other countries in which we operate; the success of business development efforts and construction projects, including risks in (i) obtaining or maintaining authorizations; (ii) completing construction projects on schedule and budget; (iii) obtaining the consent of partners; (iv) counterparties' ability to fulfill contractual commitments; and (v) the ability to realize anticipated benefits from any of these efforts once completed; the availability of natural gas and liquefied natural gas, and natural gas pipeline and storage capacity; equipment failures; changes in energy markets; volatility in commodity prices; moves to reduce or eliminate reliance on natural gas; risks posed by actions of third parties who control the operations of our investments; weather conditions, natural disasters, accidents, equipment failures, explosions, terrorist attacks and other events that disrupt our operations, damage our facilities and systems, cause the release of harmful materials, and subject us to third-party liability for property damage or personal injuries, fines and penalties, some of which may not be covered by insurance (including costs in excess of applicable policy limits) or may be disputed by insurers; cybersecurity threats to storage and pipeline infrastructure, the information and systems used to operate our businesses; the impact of recent federal tax reform and our ability to mitigate adverse impacts; changes in foreign and domestic trade policies and laws, including border tariffs, revisions to or the replacement of international trade agreements, and changes that make our exports less competitive or otherwise restrict our ability to export; and other uncertainties, some of which may be difficult to predict and are beyond our control. These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the reports that Sempra Energy has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on the company's website at www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely unduly on any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forecasts or projections or other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Sempra LNG and Port Arthur LNG, LLC are not the same as the California Utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) or Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), or Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor) and are not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. SOURCE Sempra Energy BETHESDA, Md., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of its reimagined global design strategy, Renaissance Hotels , part of Marriott International, today announced its continued brand evolution with a new "Discover This Way" marketing campaign that reinforces the brand's promise of delivering the unexpected. To celebrate, Renaissance Hotels will help guests uncover the soul of neighborhoods around the world with exclusive experiences and perks from the brand's This Way partners on the 8th annual Global Day of Discovery taking place Thursday, May 16. The brand will also begin to introduce a new visual identity for the first time in nearly eight years, which will reflect what Renaissance Hotels offers today: a sense of clever theatricality and an open invitation to experience something a little unexpected during guests' travels. The Discover This Way campaign, featuring Judith Hills new single, Upside. This year's annual Global Day of Discovery celebration, which takes place at 160 hotels in more than 35 countries, will spotlight the Renaissance Hotel Navigator, who counter to a typical concierge knows how to show guests how to discover destinations like a local by handpicking discoveries that cannot be found in a guidebook. "We have been on a mission to continue to evolve what Renaissance Hotels offers today, and this year's Global Day of Discovery and new "Discover This Way" campaign officially marks a new era for the brand," said George Fleck, Vice President of Global Brand Marketing & Management, Renaissance Hotels. "Today's travelers want to feel like they've experienced the DNA of the neighborhood in the destination they are visiting and make the most of their trip. With help from our This Way neighborhood partners, we are committed to giving travelers something a little bit unexpected every step along their journey." From the Hallways of Renaissance Paris Vendome to the Streets of Bangkok, Renaissance Hotels Takes Cues from the Neighborhood for New Marketing Campaign Developed and produced by creative agency Venables Bell + Partners collaboratively with the Renaissance Hotels' marketing team and based on consumer insights, the brand's new "Discover This Way" campaign was inspired by the idea that every trip can be a tale. From the brand's surprising approach to design, to its original take on cocktails and its team of local Navigators, Renaissance Hotels will help its global travelers make the most of every stay. Directed by Jojo Zunke and tuned to Judith Hill's yet-to-be released single "Upside," which will premiere in this campaign, the :60 hero film centers on a hotel guest as he follows a bespoke path plotted by the Navigator using footprints, taking him on a spontaneous journey through Renaissance's neighborhoods around the world. The guest moves rhythmically as he follows the sequence of footsteps inspired by guided steps in a local dance class discovering the neighborhood through playful, unexpected twists and turns. Led by the hero film that will premiere during Global Day of Discovery, shorter executions that showcase each of the brand's pillars of evenings, theatrical design and neighborhood will roll out across a variety of platforms around the globe. Navigators Uncover Local Haunts for Guests on Global Day of Discovery, with Experiences That Go Beyond the Convention of Travel Beginning on Global Day of Discovery and continuing regularly thereafter, Renaissance Hotels across the globe will collaborate with a diverse group of local businesses and notable personalities who embody the soul of the neighborhood to serve as This Way partners. Each This Way partner will help give travelers a glimpse into Renaissance Hotels' storied neighborhoods, highlighting the style, eats and beats of the destinations. Upon check-in, guests will be given a Navigator map leading travelers to hidden gems, along with a token for travelers to present to these local establishments in order to access exclusive perks. To punctuate the new "Discover This Way" campaign and 8th annual Global Day of Discovery, Renaissance Hotels will shine a light on New York City, where the brand is set to expand its footprint with openings in Chelsea in Fall 2019, as well as Flushing and Harlem in 2020. Renaissance New York Chelsea South Hotel, a new build on the former Antiques Garage Flea Market site, will give a wink-and-nod to the neighboring floral district, while Renaissance Flushing LaGuardia Airport will be the brand's first hotel in Queens and will underscore the brand's commitment to re-imagining the staid airport hotel experience. Renaissance Harlem Hotel will restore and playfully reimagine the Loew's Victoria Theater, which was at the center of the vibrant "Harlem Renaissance" era in the 1920s and 1930s when art began to flourish in northern Manhattan. Some of Renaissance Hotels' most passionate future neighbors in Harlem will help give travelers a glimpse into this iconic neighborhood, highlighting its underground style, eats and beats. Additional global discoveries will include: Guests from all six Renaissance hotels in Paris will follow footsteps that lead to a secret room within a neighborhood cafe, revealing an interactive local art gallery where nothing is as it seems. Travelers will sip champagne punch as they are surprised with unexpected moments that ignite all the senses throughout the evening. will follow footsteps that lead to a secret room within a neighborhood cafe, revealing an interactive local art gallery where nothing is as it seems. Travelers will sip champagne punch as they are surprised with unexpected moments that ignite all the senses throughout the evening. One of Thailand's most notable archeologists will help guests of Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel to explore street art in Chalerm La Park, Lakshmi Shrine at Gaysorn Village, neon night markets and other local discoveries. Upon returning to the hotel, guests will be welcomed by a Thai Night Festival featuring the destination's arts and culture scene, complete with an exclusive performance by Thai celebrity actor, model and DJ Push Puttichai. most notable archeologists will help guests of to explore street art in Chalerm La Park, Lakshmi Shrine at Gaysorn Village, neon night markets and other local discoveries. Upon returning to the hotel, guests will be welcomed by a Thai Night Festival featuring the destination's arts and culture scene, complete with an exclusive performance by Thai celebrity actor, model and DJ Push Puttichai. Travelers visiting Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai will cross the canal to the city's budding arts district in the industrial area of Al Quoz. As guests arrive at Alserkal Avenue, they will follow footsteps imprinted on mounds of spices that lead to a variety of cultural experiences showcasing the district's distinct blend of global cultures. will cross the canal to the city's budding arts district in the industrial area of Al Quoz. As guests arrive at Alserkal Avenue, they will follow footsteps imprinted on mounds of spices that lead to a variety of cultural experiences showcasing the district's distinct blend of global cultures. Renaissance Sao Paulo Hotel guests will venture out to uncover the colors, soul and intriguing stories of Conjunto Nacional , a symbolic building located on Paulista Avenue. Unexpected art, dance and musical experiences will pop up during stops at Livraria Cultura, a beautifully designed bookstore by architect Fernando Brandao in 1969, and CINEARTE, the locale's indie movie theatre that showcases hard-to-find Brazilian and Latin productions, to name a few. Global 'Renaissance' Continues with a New Visual Identity That Spotlights Moments of Discovery Around Every Neighborhood Street Corner On the heels of Renaissance Hotels' continued global design evolution, the brand is furthering its ongoing renaissance by introducing a fresh new visual identity for the first time in nearly eight years. Inspired by the new "Discover This Way" campaign and on-property experiences, the new visual identity which will include a refreshed color palette, photography and font type - will begin to roll out in-room and through all of the brand's digital channels, starting in June. Renaissance Hotels' marketing and design teams developed the neighborhood-inspired color palette of muted and rich colors, from grayish pavement to deepest midnight to downtown cargo. The palette captures the brand's signature mix of high and low, raw and polished elements all of which make up a modern neighborhood. To learn more about Renaissance Hotels please visit www.renhotels.com. For the full lineup of performances and events planned on Global Day of Discovery and throughout the year at Renaissance Hotels, please visit www.renhotels.com/events . Join the conversation at #RenHotels and #DiscoverThisWay. About Renaissance Hotels: With over 160 hotels in more than 35 countries around the world, Renaissance Hotels has hit its stride with the strongest hotel portfolio in its history, doubling down on its commitment to design with dramatic renovations and dynamic global growth on the horizon. Around the world, Renaissance Hotels connects travelers to the spirit of the neighborhood through its unexpected design, entertaining evening bar rituals and engaging Navigators, extending an open invitation to experience the unexpected both inside and out of the hotel. Stay connected with Renaissance Hotels on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and twitter @RenHotels. Renaissance Hotels is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the new name of Marriott's travel program replacing Marriott Rewards, The Ritz- Carlton Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG). The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including earning points toward free hotel stays and nights toward Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.marriott.com . SOURCE Marriott International, Inc. Related Links http://www.marriott.com LONDON and MONACO, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Billions of dollars are being invested in Data Centres on a monthly basis, attracting a larger and more diverse set of investors. Global investors, financiers and analysts will meet this year at the Finvest Summit in Monaco to assess market outlook and sentiment for the vibrant data centre, cloud and Edge sector. ( http://www.datacloudcongress.com/finvest ) The Finvest Summit is presented by BroadGroup's Data Economy, the leading international technology business news and opinion website, magazine and broadcaster and will take place on 5th June 2019 to run alongside the annual Datacloud Global Congress in Monaco. Joao Marques Lima, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Data Economy said, "Over $10 billion have already been disclosed, as having been spent on M&A business and facility acquisitions, possibly driving 2019 to break all M&A records in the data center space. Finvest uniquely offers for the first time a global forum for investors to debate the risk and rewards in this rapidly expanding sector." With the heritage of a decade of producing the finance and investment forum, the inaugural summit is the first time global executives in financial, legal, real estate and professional advisory firms have met globally with a stellar academy of expert speakers to assess the risks and rewards in the rapidly expanding IT infrastructure sector. Speakers include investors, private equity, hedge funds, pension funds, property specialists and bankers, as well as the IT infrastructure leadership of data centre businesses. Some of the speakers include: Avner Papouchado , CEO, ServerFarm , CEO, ServerFarm Eric Crabtree , Chief Investment Officer, IFC , Chief Investment Officer, IFC Fernando Chueca , mD, Carlyle Europe Technology Partners , mD, Carlyle Europe Technology Partners Guy Willner , Founder and CEO, IXcellerate , Founder and CEO, IXcellerate Hossein Fateh , Chairman & CEO, CloudHQ , Chairman & CEO, CloudHQ Isaac Vaz , Director Infrastructure Equity, Aviva Investors , Director Infrastructure Equity, Aviva Investors Jeffrey Ferry , Director, Goldman Sachs , Director, Goldman Sachs Jeffrey Krogh , Managing Director, BNP Paribas , Managing Director, BNP Paribas Jonathan Schildkraut , EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, CyrusOne , EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, CyrusOne Kemal Hawa , Partner & Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP , Partner & Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP Lance Crosby , CEO, Stackpath , CEO, Stackpath Madonna Park , Managing Director, RBC Capital Markets , Managing Director, RBC Capital Markets Marit Salte , CFO, Smedvig Family Office , CFO, Smedvig Family Office Matthew Dent , CCO, Global Switch , CCO, Global Switch Michael Tobin OBE, Industry Entrepeneur Peter Marin , CEO, T5 Data Centers , CEO, T5 Data Centers Pierre Pozzo , Principal, Permira , Principal, Permira Randy Brouckman , CEO, EdgeConneX , CEO, EdgeConneX Rupert Robson , CEO, Torch Partners , CEO, Torch Partners Zachary Smith , CEO, Packet Data Economy will also announce the first ever Finvest accolades at the Datacloud Awards on the evening of 4th June. Contact: Julia Vockrodt +44(0)203-282-7144 [email protected] SOURCE BroadGroup Related Links http://www.datacloudcongress.com/finvest GALWAY, Ireland and TAMPA, Fla., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading cloud security vendor TitanHQ today announced its new Partner Program called TitanShield. The launch of TitanShield coincides with the 20-year anniversary of TitanHQ. The program supports MSPs, Resellers, Cloud Distributors, Wi-Fi Providers, OEM partners and Technology Alliance Partners. Over the past 20 years, TitanHQ has undergone phenomenal growth, especially within the MSP, OEM and Service Provider communities. The company has matured from an indigenous Irish company selling anti-spam appliances locally to a global provider of network security solutions including email security, DNS web filtering and email archiving solutions. The three core solutions are SpamTitan email security, WebTitan web filter, and ArcTitan email archiving. TitanHQ had increased its partner base by over 40% in the last 9 months and is committed to providing additional sales and technical resources, flexible pricing models and competitive margins, that meet the needs of our MSP and strategic partner success and revenue growth. Partners will be given extensive sales enablement and marketing support, allied with dedicated account managers, engineers and support team. The TitanShield Program allows partners across various sectors to take advantage of TitanHQ's multitenant, cloud-based email and web platforms, proven technology, and accessible APIs so that they can easily sell, onboard, manage and deliver advanced network security solutions directly to their client base. The program offers all qualified partners: flexible and volume-based monthly pricing models, profitable margins, free sales, and technical support resources, deal-registration, as well as marketing and lead-generation resources. With enhancements to the overall partner program, TitanHQ continues to make it easier than ever for partners of all sizes to bring advanced security capabilities to their customers to help them defend against advanced cyber threats. The TitanShield partner program is headed up by Mr. Rocco Donnino, Executive VP of Strategic Alliances at TitanHQ. Mr. Donnino commented: "Our new Shield partner program allows us to separate our partners into their specific areas so that we can make sure they are receiving best practices, simple pricing models and focused information for the markets and customers they service." Donnino said, "Our program takes a unique and strategic approach for our partners and can be customized to fit all business models." Mr. Andrew Lierman, Manager of at IT Authorities in Tampa, Florida, added: "As a managed service provider utilizing TitanHQ's web security service, you not only get effective security solutions, you also get great service and partner support," said Andrew Lierman, manager of engineering at IT Authorities. "We partner with TitanHQ to provide enterprise-level security at a price point our customers can afford. In the rare case, you encounter an issue or need additional product information, TitanHQ's well-trained employees are there to support your needs as a partner. That gives me peace of mind, which is invaluable in today's business climate." The TitanShield Program is open for enrollment now. Interested partners who would like to partner with TitanHQ can reach out at [email protected]. About TitanHQ TitanHQ is a 20-year-old, multi-award-winning web filtering, email filtering and email archiving SaaS business. We protect 7,500 businesses and work daily with over 1,500 MSPs. We protect your customers from malware, ransomware, phishing, viruses, botnets and other cyber threats. Most importantly our products were built from the ground up with MSPs for MSPs. We save MSPs support and engineering time by stopping problems at their source while also providing ideal products to sell in your technology stack. For more information on the TitanShield partner program, partners can visit https://www.titanhq.com/titanshield. Press Contact - Geraldine Hunt ([email protected]) Related Images titanshield.jpg TitanShield TitanShield partner program makes it easier for partners of all sizes to bring advanced security capabilities to their customers to help them defend against advanced cyber threats. Related Links TitanShield SOURCE TitanHQ Related Links https://www.titanhq.com ICE pulled Bryan over on March 5, 2019 when he was driving two undocumented immigrants to a local courthouse in Hudson, New York for traffic infractions. The ICE agents insisted they had jurisdiction over Bryan's vehicle, but through Bryan's familiarity with U.S. constitutional law, ICE later retreated. "The document that the ICE agent had was a Department of Homeland Security order," he explained. "It was entitled a 'warrant for arrest of alien'...it is really just a document from the Department of Homeland Security." ICE would have needed a judicial warrant signed by a federal judge under the Fourth Amendment in order to allow for a search and seizure of private space, he clarified. Since Trump took presidential office, ICE arrests in New York State Courthouses increased by 1700 percent, according to the Immigrant Defense Project. And although the New York State Office of Court Administration recently ruled ICE can't arrest immigrants in state courthouses without warrants, it has not stopped the agencies' ruthless car tailing tactics, as seen in Bryan's case. "What we really want people to know, is that if they [ICE] does not slide a judicial warrant under your door, you have no obligation to open your door and allow them to come in," he told Brad Bernstein, the host of "Brad Show Live." Actively looking to inform undocumented persons of their legal rights, Bryan is also the executive director for the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement and organizes various "Know Your Rights" trainings and seminars. Check out the full interview for more on Bryan's advocacy work, and startling encounter with ICE, and watch "Brad Show Live" with host Brad Bernstein Monday through Friday, 5:30-7:30 p.m. EST, on Facebook & YouTube. https://www.facebook.com/SparBernstein/ https://www.youtube.com/user/sparandbernstein/featured Contact: Jill Gould, [email protected] SOURCE Brad Show Live PORTLAND, Ore., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For maximizing health outcomes in its Medicare population, Moda Health , an Oregon-based health plan provider, has replaced a manual Health Risk Assessment (HRA) process with an online tool from Wellsource , a premier provider of evidenced-based, NCQA-certified HRA and self-management tools. The Wellsource WellSuite IV HRA for Medicare has improved efficiency for both the health plan provider and its Medicare plan members to help facilitate better healthcare decisions. "Wellness is an evolving industry and we constantly look at whether we are doing it in an efficient and effective way to foster the best population outcomes," said Mark Mitchell, Supervisor of Wellness and Health Operations for Moda Health. "After successfully using the Wellsource products for our workforce population, we extended the same online functionality for our Medicare population. The HRA not only speeds up what had been paper-based mail-in process with manual tabulation, but also drives our Medicare plan members to the MyModa portal where they can access Explanation of Benefits (EOBs), claims information and health tips from experts." Adhering to the CDC framework , the WellSuite IV HRA for Medicare addresses a range of health topics to help Moda create care plans that successfully drive behavior change. Questions are written in plain language without medical jargon to collect data on demographics, self-assessment of health status, biometric values, psychological and behavioral risks, compliance with screenings and activity levels. The HRA also measures factors specific to senior populations, like cognitive decline, frailty and fall risk. "Unlike a generic one-size-fits-all assessment, our NCQA -certified Medicare HRA is designed specifically to help health and wellness professionals improve the health and well-being of their age 65-plus members," said Dr. Brittany U. Carter, Director of Health and Research for Wellsource. "We understand the unique challenges that seniors face, and the challenges to care for them. Our assessment collects valuable data to help identify health risks, inform care plans, and comply with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requirements." Mitchell at Moda appreciates the HRA's ability to engage patients, which is why it's given prominent placement on the MyModa portal, as well as its certifications and reporting capacity for internal use. "We've placed the HRA near the top of the online portal and positioned it as a self-help tool for making lifestyle changes that improve health outcomes, in addition to all the other health information members can access from the portal," said Mitchell. "It lets members get a health baseline, which can be a big eye opener, and is perfect for those who don't like group health challenges. For Moda, we can use the HRA data and claims data to identify members that may need additional support managing their health, and the HRA's NCQA certification takes a huge load off our shoulders. The HRA balances simplicity of use for members with providing meaningful data for us." In addition to its Medicare offering, Wellsource offers an HRA solution tailored for Medicaid . Dr. Carter will discuss related HRA and health topics at the 4th Annual Population Health Payer Innovations for Medicaid, Medicare & Duals on Tuesday, May 14, at the Hyatt Center in Arlington, Va. Her panel discussion on "Collecting, Sharing & Utilizing Data to Boost Outcomes" is at 2:40 p.m. Wellsource Wellsource Inc. has been a premier provider of evidence-based health risk assessments (HRAs) and self-management tools for four decades. With a strong reputation for scientific research and validity, the company offers an innovative family of products that empower wellness companies, health plans, ACOs and healthcare providers to inspire healthy lifestyles, prevent disease and reduce unnecessary healthcare costs. Wellsource's assessments connect lifestyle choices with healthy outcomes, measure readiness to change for maximum results and drive informed decisions with actionable data. For more information about Wellsource products, please visit www.wellsource.com or connect with Wellsource at [email protected] . Contact: Kira Perdue Carabiner Communications +1 404-556-0062 [email protected] SOURCE Wellsource Related Links http://www.wellsource.com BRENTWOOD, Tenn., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AAC Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAC) today announced that on Monday, May 13, 2019 it will unveil a new long-term strategic vision for the Company on a planned conference call. Management will host a conference call and live webcast at 3:30 p.m. CT to layout the vision for the company over the course of the next decade to unlock value through delivering best-in-class clinical care, online content and science and technology. The number to call for this teleconference is 1-877-224-7960. The live webcast of the 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. A replay of the conference call will be available through May 27, 2019, by dialing 1-877-344-7529 and entering the replay access code, 10131628. 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. Forward Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "estimates," "expects," "may," "potential," "predicts," "projects," "should," "will," "would," and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements may include information concerning AAC Holdings, Inc.'s (collectively with its subsidiaries; "AAC Holdings" or the "Company") possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of the Company's revenue, profitability, outlook and overall business strategy. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results and performance to be materially different from the information contained in the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, without limitation: (i) the Company's inability to effectively operate its facilities; (ii) the Company's reliance on its sales and marketing program to continuously attract and enroll clients; (iii) a reduction in reimbursement rates by certain third-party payors for inpatient and outpatient services and point-of-care and definitive lab testing; (iv) the Company's failure to successfully achieve growth through acquisitions and de novo projects; (v) risks associated with estimates of the value of accounts receivable or deterioration in collectability of accounts receivable; (vi) a failure to achieve anticipated financial results from contemplated and prior acquisitions; (vii) the possibility that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of an acquisition; (viii) the Company's failure to achieve anticipated financial results from contemplated and prior acquisitions; (ix) a disruption in the Company's ability to perform diagnostic laboratory services; (x) maintaining compliance with applicable regulatory authorities, licensure and permits to operate the Company's facilities and laboratories; (xi) a disruption in the Company's business and reputational and economic risks associated with the civil securities claims brought by shareholders or claims by various parties; (xii) inability to meet the covenants in the Company's loan documents or lack of borrowing capacity; and (xiii) general economic conditions, as well as other risks discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this release will prove to be accurate. Investors should not place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements. SOURCE AAC Holdings, Inc. Related Links http://AmericanAddictionCenters.org The 0:30 second TV spot airing today is part of the brand's multi-million-dollar "Meet The Smoothest Taste on Earth" campaign, showcasing the brand's new bottle and logo. The campaign will air nationally across broadcast, digital, and social channels through Fall 2019. "Meet The Smoothest Taste on Earth" brings to life key values of Acqua Panna exploration, discovery and spontaneity while showcasing the one-of-a-kind smooth tasting water that flows through the sun-drenched hills of Tuscany. "These are big changes for our storied brand. The premium still category is expected to grow over $1 billion in the next three years and now is the perfect time to share the smooth taste of Acqua Panna with new consumers," said Yumiko Clevenger-Lee, Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer of Nestle Waters North America. "With our 'Meet The Smoothest Taste on Earth' campaign, we want to inspire consumers to experience a new journey of their own. We hope they will be as inspired as we are by the water's 14-year journey through the hills of Tuscany, which gives Acqua Panna the perfect mineral balance for the smoothest taste. We look forward to connecting with our consumers and continuing to provide them with the highest quality and most coveted product on shelves worldwide." Acqua Panna is expanding distribution across all retail channels this year with a new PET bottle collection. Elevated with clean lines, the new bottles are symbolic of the smooth taste of Acqua Panna and bring to life the brand's Tuscan roots. The visual design features the iconic Florentine fleur-de-lis, the family crest of the influential Medici family who founded the water originally and retains the brand's bold signature orange color. The new PET bottle formats include 1L PET, 750mL PET with flip cap, and 0.5L PET. All formats will be available along with the existing glass line-up, nationwide. Both glass and PET formats are also available for home and office delivery through ReadyRefresh by Nestle in select markets. To learn more about Acqua Panna, visit www.acquapanna.com/us and join the social conversation on Instagram @AcquaPannaUSA. Download the Commercial Here. Download High Resolution Images Here. Media Contact CURICH|WEISS Rachel Kasab [email protected] (646) 512-9026 CURICH|WEISS Annie Given Fink [email protected] (310) 721-6179 About Acqua Panna Established in 1564, Acqua Panna Natural Spring Water is crafted by nature as it flows through the sun-drenched hills of Tuscany, north of Florence, Italy. The name Acqua Panna originates from the respected Villa Panna, an estate owned by the Medici family during the age of the Renaissance, on which the Acqua Panna source was discovered. The estate is still run according to strict rules, using controlled, certified organic farming on over 3,000 acres which includes a nature reserve. Acqua Panna natural spring water is perfected by its 14-year journey to the spring it is filtered naturally as it flows, resulting in a special mineral balance that gives the water an unparalleled smooth taste and makes it naturally alkaline with pH of 8.0 or higher. For more information, visit www.acquapanna.com/us. SOURCE Acqua Panna Related Links http://www.acquapanna.com/us CHICAGO, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Aircraft Sensors Market by Connectivity, Platform (UAV, Fixed, Rotary), Sensor (Pressure, Temperature, Speed, Proximity, Gyro) Application (Engine, Door, Environmental Control), End Use (OEM, Aftermarket), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Aircraft Sensors Market is projected to grow from USD 3.8 billion in 2019 to USD 4.9 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 4.48% during the forecast period. Increase in aircraft orders is one of the key factors driving the aircraft sensors market. According to the Boeing Current Market Outlook 2018, the demand for commercial aircraft will grow significantly in the future. Rising military expenditure of emerging economies will also contribute to the growth of the aircraft sensors market. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=53630527 Based on application, the flight deck & flight controls segment of the aircraft sensors market is estimated to account for the largest market share during the forecast period. Flight deck & flight controls is expected to be the largest application segment of the aircraft sensors market during the forecast period. The rise in demand for new aircraft, high ASP of premium quality sensors used in flight deck & flight control, and increased adoption rate of these sensors in commercial passenger aircraft are expected to drive the flight deck & flight controls segment during the forecast period. Based on platform, the UAV segment of the aircraft sensors market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2019 to 2025. Based on platform, the UAV segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Sensors such as pressure sensors, accelerometers, flow sensors, and gyroscopes are integral components of UAVs. The increasing use of UAVs in various military applications such as monitoring, surveying & mapping, and combat operations is also contributing to the growth of the aircraft sensors market across the globe. Based on connectivity, the wireless sensors segment of the aircraft sensors market is projected to grow at a higher CAGR from 2019 to 2025. Based on connectivity, the wireless sensors segment of the aircraft sensors market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Wireless sensors reduce the installation and maintenance costs of sensors for an aircraft. These sensors also reduce subsystems design complexity of the aircraft. Increased deployment of structural health monitoring systems in aircraft, which use IoT technologies, is expected to drive the growth of the wireless sensors segment during the forecast period. North America is estimated to be the largest market for aircraft sensors in 2019. North America is expected to lead the aircraft sensors market during the forecast period, owing to the presence of major aircraft manufacturers, such as Boeing (US), Bombardier (Canada), Lockheed Martin (US), Bell Helicopter (US), and Sikorsky Aircraft (US), coupled with the growth of the aviation industry in the region. The increasing use of military aircraft for border and maritime surveillance activities in countries such as the US and Canada is driving the growth of the aircraft sensors market in the North American region. Browse in-depth TOC on "Aircraft Sensors Market" 100 Tables 42 Figures 192 Pages Request Sample pages of the Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=53630527 Key players operating in the aircraft sensors market are Honeywell International, Inc., (US), TE Connectivity Ltd. (Switzerland), Ametek, Inc. (US), General Electric Company (US), Meggitt PLC (UK), Safran Electronics & Defense (France), Woodward Inc. (US), Thales Group (France), and Zodiac Aerospace (France). These companies have well-equipped manufacturing facilities and strong distribution network across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Please Explore Relevant Reports: Air Data Systems Market by End User (Civil and Military), Aircraft Type (NBA, WBA, RTA, VLA, UAV, RWA, Military Aircraft, General Aviation, and Fighter Jet), Component (Electronic Unit, Probes, and Sensors) and Region - Global Forecast to 2021 Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) Market by Type (AHRS, ADAHRS, GPS AHRS), Component (Inertial Sensors, Magnetic Sensors, & Processor), End-use (Civil Aviation, Military Aviation, Unmanned Vehicles, & Marine) & 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/aircraft-sensors-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com SOURCE MarketsandMarkets SANDY, Utah, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ally Bank (Ally), the customer-obsessed online banking arm of Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY), will commemorate its 10th anniversary Tuesday, May 14, by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). What launched a decade ago on the heels of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, has grown into an award-winning online bank offering a modern, 24-hour digital experience that its customers love. Two members of the original team that launched the Ally brand, Diane Morais, president of Consumer and Commercial Banking Products for Ally Bank, and Andrea Brimmer, chief marketing and public relations officer, along with other members of the executive team, will be alongside CEO Jeffrey J. Brown as he rings the bell. "It's an honor to be invited back to the NYSE to ring the Opening Bell," said Morais. "Many view this opportunity as a sign of accomplishment, and although we feel we've done something special to create a better banking experience, we see this as a celebration of our customers' financial accomplishments. Unlike other banks that depend on fees as a business model, Ally exists to make money with customers, not off them." Born out of the financial crisis, Ally Bank aimed to create a better experience for customers versus traditional retail banking right from the start. Ally eliminated monthly account fees and offered 24/7 customer service, as well as a compelling and transparent experience featuring rates among the best in the country. A rate comparison tool, easy-to-understand disclosures, and no minimum balances rounded out its initial offerings. From there, Ally leapt past the competition when it created a best-in-class web and mobile app experience helping its customers interact with the bank no matter how, when, or where they wanted. "Our journey began at a place others just plain ignored the customer," said Brimmer. "Our customers are our cause and our brand became our promise: to be an ally to our customers." Celebrating a Decade of Excellence When Ally launched in May 2009, a Gartner study indicated fewer than half of consumers banked online. Today that number is closer to 9 out of 10 according to Javelin. Ally, with no brick-and-mortar locations, is among the top 20 largest banks in terms of dollars deposited in the United States. Ally has had double-digit growth every year, is coming off its best quarter in its history with more than $6 billion deposited and is one of the five fastest growing bank brands in the world according to The Financial Brand. Over the past 10 years, Ally added popular online and mobile features for deposit customers to make managing their money simple and seamless, such as remote check deposit, bill pay and money transfer. The bank also added self-service capabilities over the years like the Ally Assist virtual assistant and Ally SkillSM for Amazon Alexa, plus Zelle payment service, Ally Card ControlsSM and more. Besides additional banking tools and resources, Ally broadened its product portfolio to include low-cost investing and brokerage product offerings, as well as a direct-to-consumer mortgage portfolio that gives customers a powerful value proposition for their financial well-being. "Technology has reshaped every industry. Customers don't compare their banking experience to just other banks. People's shopping and banking experiences are online and on their phone," Morais said. "With the future of banking being digital, we will work tirelessly to ensure we provide our customers a more personal and relevant banking experience for the next 10 years and beyond." About Ally Financial Inc. Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a leading digital financial-services company with $180.1 billion in assets as of March 31, 2019. As a customer-centric company with passionate customer service and innovative financial solutions, we are relentlessly focused on "Doing it Right" and being a trusted financial-services provider to our consumer, commercial, and corporate customers. We are one of the largest full-service automotive-finance operations in the country and offer a wide range of financial services and insurance products to automotive dealerships and consumers. Our award-winning online bank (Ally Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender) offers mortgage-lending services and a variety of deposit and other banking products, including savings, money-market, and checking accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). We also support the Ally CashBack Credit Card. Additionally, we offer securities-brokerage and investment-advisory services through Ally Invest. Our robust corporate finance business offers capital for equity sponsors and middle-market companies. For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures. Contact: Justin Nicolette 980-312-8636 [email protected] SOURCE Ally Financial Related Links https://www.ally.com By Tom O'Connor May 13, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - The official school of the United States' Special Operations Command has published a new paper detailing a decades-long history of Pentagon-backed interference around the world, hoping to provide insight on how best to approach such efforts in the present and future. The 250-page study, "Support to Resistance: Strategic Purpose and Effectiveness," was compiled by Army Special Forces veteran Will Irwin and published earlier this week by the official Joint Special Operations University, where he was a resident senior fellow. Though the report notes that its views "are entirely those of the author," its findings present a comprehensive look at how the U.S. has supported efforts to pressure, undermine and overthrow foreign governments. The report includes some 47 case studies spanning from 1941 to 2003, detailing a legacy of mixed results that included assisting partisans against the Axis Power satellites during World War II, bolstering anti-communist forces throughout the Cold War and taking on post-9/11 adversaries in Afghanistan and Iraq. The numerous Washington-orchestrated coups of the past 70 years were "not included in this study as they did not involve legitimate resistance movements." "This work will serve as a benchmark reference on resistance movements for the benefit of the special operations community and its civilian leadership," the report reads. The cases were broken down into three major support to resistance (STR) categories: disruption, coercion and regime change. The report found that "from 1940 to the present, nearly 70 percent of STR operations were conducted for disruptive purposes," while "non-disruptive cases were about equally divided between coercion and overthrow." Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter Of the 47 cases analyzed, 23 were deemed "successful," 20 were designated "failures," two were classified as "partially successful" and two moreboth during World War IIwere called "inconclusive" as the broader conflict led to an Allied victory anyway. Coercion was the most successful method at a three-quarters rate of success or partial success, while disruption worked just over half the time and regime change only yielded the desired result in 29 percent of the cases reviewed. Other major findings included observations that most operations "were carried out under wartime conditions, with those being nearly twice as successful as cases conducted under peacetime conditions" and "support to nonviolent civil resistance seems to be more likely to succeed than support to armed resistance." At the same time, they were also "most effective when conducted in direct support of a military campaign rather than as an independent or main effort operation." In eight of the 20 failures found, the author blamed security breaches that clued the enemy in ahead of time, sometimes potentially through coverage in U.S. media, as may have been the case with newspaper stories prior to the abortive CIA-backed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. The paper also acknowledged that this kind of mission "most often addresses immediate issues and short-term rather than longer-term interests," though it defended unintended consequences of U.S. assistance for Afghan mujahedeen, some of whom went on to form the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, by suggesting the Soviet satellite state they were fighting may have turned out to be an even more formidable enemy. "One thing common to all 47 cases reviewed in this study is the fact that the targeted state was ruled either by an unfriendly occupying force or by a repressive authoritarian regime," the author wrote, before asserting that in the present day, "Russia and China have boldly demonstrated expansionist tendencies." The U.S. has identified Russia and China as its top rivals in recent years, with President Donald Trump specifically calling the powers out by name in major strategy documents. Under Trump, Washington has also waged economic wars with other stated foes such as Iran, Syria and Venezuelawhose governments the White House has publicly sought to oust, accusing them of human rights abuses as posing a threat to the national security of the U.S. and its allies. LONDON, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A&P Worldwide Solutions Limited ("or the "Company"), a Reinsurance Broker in London, is pleased to announce that the company has been granted the status of Lloyd's broker. Registering with Lloyd's will empower A&P to expand its operations while continuing to provide the first-rate service its customers have come to expect. Commenting on the registration, Antish Ramrup, ACII, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, said: "We are delighted to achieve Lloyd's broker status. This will help us to grow our insurance and reinsurance brokerage business worldwide." Managing Director Sabrina Ramrup followed up: "We are incredibly proud and privileged to be approved as a Lloyd's broker. Lloyd's financial strength is derived from its unique capital structure, and this will help us provide world class service to all our customers." About Lloyd's Lloyd's is the world's specialist insurance and reinsurance market. With expertise earned over centuries, Lloyd's is the foundation of the insurance industry and the future of it. Led by expert underwriters and brokers in more than 200 territories, the Lloyd's market develops the essential, complex and critical insurance needed to underwrite human progress. Backed by diverse global capital and excellent financial ratings, Lloyd's works with a global network of over 4000 insurance professionals to grow the insured world building resilience for businesses and local communities and strengthening economic growth around the world. About A&P A&P is a registered Lloyd's broker and is authorised and regulated by the FCA, registered in England and Wales under company number 8891951. Incorporated in 2014, A&P is a proud member of the British Insurance Brokers Association, London & International Insurance Brokers' Association (LIIBA) and a member of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO). Our Commitment A&P will continue to provide world-class service to all its partners, ensuring the Global Markets have accessed to "Lloyd's unique attributes the ability to access unparalleled underwriting expertise, financial security and market access all in one place. A&P will also encourage entrepreneurial skills, assist on providing expertise on new products and risk management, increase the awareness of the role of Insurance on a global scale. A&P can help on Treaty and facultative Reinsurance on mainly Credit Risks Insurance, Energy, Professional risks (Directors and Officers liability, Professional Indemnity, Bankers Blanket Bonds and Speciality Lines (agriculture, Space and Cyber Liability). We are proud sponsors of Cancer Research UK and Great Ormond Street Hospital and we will continue to give back to the community. Contacts: Antish Ramrup Chief Executive Officer Sabrina Ramrup Managing Director 1st Floor, 6 Bevis Mark London, EC3A 7BA Web: www.apw.uk.com SOURCE A&P Worldwide Solutions Limited Related Links http://www.apw.uk.com TEL AVIV, Israel, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Arbe is a third-place winner in the Vision/Camera Systems and Components category of the AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards program by the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI) for its Phoenix Radar System. Selected from a pool of accomplished applicants that have also demonstrated achievements in the unmanned systems field, Arbe continues to rank among the best in the industry. Winners were announced during the awards ceremony at AUVSI XPONENTIAL on Tuesday, April 30 at the McCormick Place in Chicago. "We are excited to not only be a finalist but also rank among the industry's best in autonomous technologies," said Kobi Marenko, CEO of Arbe. "This achievement highlights our commitment to transforming radar's role to be the backbone of the sensor suite. Our goal is to become the foundation for driver sensors in all levels of vehicle autonomy." First unveiled at CES 2019, Arbe's latest chipset, front end of Phoenix, is an ultra-high-resolution automotive radar system that powers the next-generation of imaging radar by classifying objects in elevation and azimuth. The chipset is expected to transform the role of automotive radar from a supportive sensor to the mainstay of the driver assistance and autonomous driving sensor suite. Phoenix provides an image 100 times more detailed than other top industry radars, offering superior separation of stationary and moving objects in real time an industry first. The AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards honor innovators in the unmanned systems industry, including individuals and organizations, with a demonstrated commitment to advancing technology, leading and promoting safe operations, and developing programs that use unmanned systems to improve the human condition. About Arbe Arbe is the world's first company to demonstrate ultra-high-resolution 4D imaging radar with post processing and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping). It is disrupting autonomous driving sensor development by bridging the gap between radar and optics with its proprietary imaging radar solution that provides optic sensor resolution with the reliability and maturity of radar technology for all levels of vehicle autonomy. As the winner of Frost and Sullivan's Global Technology Innovation Award, and "Most Innovative ADAS Technology" award from Tech.AD Arbe continues to innovate real time 4D imaging. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, Arbe has business development and customer service locations in the United States and China. The company was founded in 2015 and raised $23 million in funding to date. For more information, visit www.arberobotics.com. About AUVSI The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and roboticsrepresents corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in industry, government and academia. AUVSI members work in the defense, civil and commercial markets. For more information, visit AUVSI.org. Contact: Shlomit Hacohen +972-54-5422432 [email protected] SOURCE Arbe Related Links http://www.arberobotics.com CENTREVILLE, Va., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Registry for Internet Numbers, Ltd. (ARIN) defeated an elaborate multi-year scheme to defraud the Internet community of approximately 735,000 IPv4 addresses, has successfully required the return of all the addresses, and stopped the defrauding party from continuing their scheme. The emergent IPv4 address transfer market and increasing demand have resulted in more attempts to fraudulently obtain IPv4 addresses from ARIN, the nonprofit member-based organization responsible for distributing Internet number resources in the US, Canada, and parts of the Caribbean. "Fraud will not be tolerated. The vast majority of organizations obtain their address space from ARIN in good faith according to the policies set out by the community. However, ARIN detected fraud as a result of internal due diligence processes, and took action to respond in this particularly egregious case," said John Curran, ARIN President and CEO. "We are stepping up our efforts to actively investigate suspected cases of fraud against ARIN and will revoke resources and report unlawful activity to law enforcement whenever appropriate." In the first arbitration ever brought under an ARIN Registration Services Agreement, and related proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, ARIN was able to prove an intricate scheme to fraudulently obtain resources had occurred which included many falsely notarized officer attestations sent to ARIN. A company in South Carolina obtained and utilized 11 shelf companies across the United States, and intentionally created false aliases purporting to be officers of those companies, to induce ARIN into issuing the fraudulently sought IPv4 resources and approving related transfers and reassignments of these addresses. The defrauding party was monetizing the assets obtained in the transfer market, and obtained resources under ARIN's waiting list process. On May 1, 2019, ARIN obtained a final and very favorable arbitration award which included revocation of all resources issued pursuant to fraud and $350,000 to ARIN for its legal fees. ARIN will continue to carefully review all requests for resources and address transfers. ARIN takes the responsibility of protecting the community's number resources and upholding community-developed policy very seriously. For more information on how ARIN takes a hard line on fraud, read about it on ARIN's blog TeamARIN.net. About the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) ARIN is the nonprofit corporation that manages the distribution of Internet number resources IPv4, IPv6, and Autonomous System numbers in many Caribbean and North Atlantic islands, Canada, and the United States. Organizations that need IP address space and ASNs can request them directly from ARIN. More information about ARIN services, IPv6, and more is available at https://www.arin.net/ and https://teamarin.net/get6/. Contact: Abigail Major +1-202-756-8140 [email protected] SOURCE American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) Related Links http://www.arin.net ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. today announced the acquisition of Swiss insurance broker Verbag Versicherungsberatungs AG ("Verbag"). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Based in Zug, Switzerland, Verbag offers commercial lines, employee benefits, accident & health and high-net-worth personal lines brokerage and consulting services, with revenues of approximately $2 million (USD). Thomas Renold and his associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Tanja Jung, CEO of Hesse - A Gallagher Company, in Switzerland. "With Gallagher having invested in creating a specialist insurance broking platform in Continental Europe, offering strengths in marine, construction, trade credit, liability and waste-to-energy risks, we are very pleased to expand our capabilities yet further with a quality business like Verbag," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I am delighted to welcome Thomas and his associates to Gallagher." Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 35 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Investors: Ray Iardella Media: Linda J. Collins VP Investor Relations VP Corporate Communications 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-4009/ [email protected] SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Related Links http://www.ajg.com VANCOUVER, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - B2Gold Corp. (TSX: BTO, NYSE AMERICAN: BTG, NSX: B2G) ("B2Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated March 26, 2019, announcing results from the Expansion Study Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Fekola Mine located in Mali, on May 10, 2019, the Company filed a National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects technical report entitled "Fekola Gold Mine Mali NI 43-101 Technical Report" with an effective date of March 26, 2019 (the "Report"). The Report was prepared by Mr. Tom Garagan, P.Geo., Mr. Peter Montano, P.E., Mr. John Rajala, P.E. and Mr. Ken Jones, P.E. of B2Gold. There are no material differences in the Mineral Reserves, the Mineral Resources or the results of the PEA in the Report and those contained in the March 26, 2019, news release. For additional details, please refer to the Report which may be found under B2Gold's corporate profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Fekola Expansion Technical Report Highlights: As currently envisioned, the Fekola Mine Expansion will include a mine fleet expansion and a processing plant upgrade. The plant upgrade will focus on increased ball mill power, with upgrades to other components including a new cyclone classification system, pebble crushers, and additional leach capacity to support the higher throughput and increase operability Assuming an effective date of January 1, 2019 , a gold price of $1,300 per ounce and a discount rate of 5%, project economics highlights from the Expansion Study PEA include: , a gold price of per ounce and a discount rate of 5%, project economics highlights from the Expansion Study PEA include: Estimated optimized life of mine ("LoM") extended into 2030, including significant estimated increases in average annual gold production to over 550,000 ounces per year during the five-year period 2020 - 2024 and over 400,000 ounces per year over the LoM (2019 - 2030) Projected gold production of approximately 5,000,000 ounces over the new mine life of 12 years of mining and processing (including 2019). Prior to 2019, the Fekola Mine produced more than 550,000 ounces. The Fekola Mineral Resource remains open to the north An increase in project pre-tax NPV of approximately $500 million versus the comparable amounts in the Company's latest Annual Information Form ("AIF") Mineral Reserve LoM model (filed on SEDAR on March 20, 2019 ) versus the comparable amounts in the Company's latest Annual Information Form ("AIF") Mineral Reserve LoM model (filed on SEDAR on ) Forecast LoM pre-tax net cash flow of approximately $2.8 billion and post-tax net cash flow of approximately $2.2 billion and post-tax net cash flow of approximately Forecast LoM pre-tax net present value of over $2.2 billion and post-tax net present value of approximately $1.7 billion and post-tax net present value of approximately Based on the post-tax cash flow results in the Expansion Study PEA, B2Gold is projecting LoM cash operating costs of approximately $465 per ounce (see Non-IFRS Measures) and all-in sustaining costs ("AISC") (see Non-IFRS Measures) of approximately $725 per ounce. Cash costs and AISC remain low despite mining a larger open pit at a slightly lower gold grade. This is due to economies of scale arising from increased mining and processing rates and the new optimized mining schedule per ounce (see Non-IFRS Measures) and all-in sustaining costs ("AISC") (see Non-IFRS Measures) of approximately per ounce. Cash costs and AISC remain low despite mining a larger open pit at a slightly lower gold grade. This is due to economies of scale arising from increased mining and processing rates and the new optimized mining schedule Forecast expansion capital payback period of less than one year Estimated processing plant expansion capital cost of approximately $50 million over a period of approximately 18 months for processing expansion and upgrades (through Q3 2020). Half of this capital is expected to be spent in 2019 with the remaining half in 2020. It is anticipated that this will be financed from existing Fekola Mine cash flows . To date this year, the Company has ordered long lead items totaling approximately $12 million including all items on the critical path for commencement of increased throughput in Q3 2020 over a period of approximately 18 months for processing expansion and upgrades (through Q3 2020). Half of this capital is expected to be spent in 2019 with the remaining half in 2020. It is anticipated that this will be financed from existing Fekola Mine cash flows To date this year, the Company has ordered long lead items totaling approximately including all items on the critical path for commencement of increased throughput in Q3 2020 Projected annual mining rate increased to a baseline of approximately 54 million tonnes per annum ("Mtpa") and subsequently stepped up to approximately 76 Mtpa to support the increased processing and stockpiling necessary to maintain plant feed grade Staged mining fleet additions totalling approximately $56 million over the LoM are expected to be equipment loans financed over respective five-year periods, on terms similar to the existing Fekola fleet loan terms over the LoM are expected to be equipment loans financed over respective five-year periods, on terms similar to the existing Fekola fleet loan terms The Company continues to work on further optimizing the PEA and expects to incorporate these results into an updated Fekola LoM study which will be available in Q4 2019 Projected annual processing rate increased to a baseline of 7.5 Mtpa (current capacity of 6 Mtpa plus 1.5 Mtpa) Ongoing drilling continues to infill the existing Inferred Mineral Resources to Indicated Mineral Resources. Mineralization remains open to the north and down plunge, indicating the potential to further increase Fekola Mineral Resources and Reserves (see news release dated October 25, 2018 ) an updated Mineral Resource will be announced in Q4 2019. A large exploration drilling program will commence in Q3 2019 to further test the Fekola North, Fekola South, Cardinal and Anaconda zones The Expansion Study PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. About B2Gold Corp. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, B2Gold Corp. is the world's new senior gold producer. Founded in 2007, today, B2Gold has five operating gold mines, and numerous exploration and development projects in various countries including Nicaragua, the Philippines, Namibia, Mali, Burkina Faso and Colombia. B2Gold will maintain a strong and profitable production profile in 2019 with consolidated gold production forecast to be between 935,000 and 975,000 ounces. Based on current assumptions, consolidated cash operating costs are projected to be between $520 and $560 per ounce and consolidated AISC are projected to be between $835 and $875 per ounce. The Company continues to maximize cash flows by optimizing its impressive operational and financial performance from existing mines. In addition, the Company will balance its ongoing program of debt reduction with pursuing expansion opportunities at existing operations. Also, B2Gold will remain focussed on adding shareholder value through growth, driven by the exploration, development and expansion of its impressive pipeline of existing projects. Potential acquisitions will focus on exploration opportunities. Qualified Persons Tom Garagan, Senior Vice President of Exploration at B2Gold, a qualified person under NI 43-101, has approved the scientific and technical information regarding exploration matters and the Mineral Resource estimate contained in this news release. Mr. Garagan has visited the Fekola mine site a number of times since 2015 and has reviewed and approved the exploration practices that B2Gold conducts on site. John Rajala P.E., Vice President of Metallurgy at B2Gold, a qualified person under NI 43-101, has approved the scientific and technical information regarding mineral processing related to Fekola expansion studies. Mr. Rajala has visited the Fekola mine site multiple times since 2017 and has reviewed the technical aspects of the Expansion Study that form the basis for this release. Peter D. Montano P.E., Project Director at B2Gold, a qualified person under NI 43-101, has approved the scientific and technical information related to operations matters contained in this news release. Mr. Montano has visited the Fekola mine site several times since 2015 and has reviewed the mining operations and has reviewed the technical aspects of the Expansion Study that form the basis for this release. Ken Jones, Manager, Health, Safety, Environment and Permitting at B2Gold, a qualified person under NI 43-101, has approved the scientific and technical information regarding environmental matters contained in this news release. Mr. Jones has visited the Fekola mine site a number of times since 2015 and has reviewed and approved the environmental practices that B2Gold conducts on site. ON BEHALF OF B2GOLD CORP. "Clive T. Johnson" President & Chief Executive Officer For more information on B2Gold, please visit the Company website at www.b2gold.com or contact: Ian MacLean Katie Bromley Vice President, Investor Relations Manager, Investor Relations & Public Relations 604-681-8371 604-681-8371 [email protected] [email protected] The Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE American LLC neither approve nor disapprove the information contained in this news release. Production results and production guidance presented in this news release reflect the total production at the mines B2Gold operates on a 100% basis. Please see our Annual Information Form dated March 20, 2019 for a discussion of our ownership interest in the mines B2Gold operates. This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation, including: projections; outlook; guidance; forecasts; estimates; and other statements regarding future or estimated financial and operational performance events, gold production and sales, revenues and cash flows, capital and operating costs, including projected cash operating costs and AISC, and budgets; statements regarding future or estimated mine life, metal price assumptions, ore grades or sources, stripping ratios, throughput, ore processing; statements regarding anticipated exploration, drilling, development, construction, permitting and other activities or achievements of B2Gold; and including, without limitation: the results of and estimates in the Fekola Expansion PEA, including the mine life extending to 2030, increases in annual production, projected total gold production, increased NPV, post-tax net cash flow, net present value, cash operating costs and AISC, payback, capital costs to complete the expansion and the timing and source of funding and mining rate; an updated life of mine study being available in Q4 2019; the potential to convert inferred resources to indicated, and to further increase resources and reserves; B2Gold maintaining a strong and profitable production profile in 2019; projected consolidated gold production in 2019; maximising cash flows by optimizing operational and financial performance at existing mines; balancing ongoing debt reduction and expansion opportunities at existing operations; and potential acquisitions. Estimates of mineral resources and reserves are also forward-looking statements because they constitute projections regarding the amount of minerals that may be encountered in the future and/or the anticipated economics of production, should a production decision be made. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "project", "target", "potential", "schedule", "forecast", "budget", "estimate", "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond B2Gold's control, including risks and uncertainties identified in the Expansion Study PEA and risks associated with or related to: the volatility of metal prices and B2Gold's common shares; changes in tax laws; the dangers inherent in exploration, development and mining activities; the uncertainty of reserve and resource estimates; not achieving production, cost or other estimates; actual production, development plans and costs differing materially from the estimates in B2Gold's feasibility studies; the ability to obtain and maintain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for mining activities; the current ongoing instability in Nicaragua and the ramifications thereof; environmental regulations or hazards and compliance with complex regulations associated with mining activities; climate change and climate change regulations; the ability to replace mineral reserves and identify acquisition opportunities; the unknown liabilities of companies acquired by B2Gold; the ability to successfully integrate new acquisitions; fluctuations in exchange rates; the availability of financing; financing and debt activities, including potential restrictions imposed on B2Gold's operations as a result thereof and the ability to generate sufficient cash flows; operations in foreign and developing countries and the compliance with foreign laws, including those associated with operations in Mali, Namibia, the Philippines, Nicaragua and Burkina Faso and including risks related to changes in foreign laws and changing policies related to mining and local ownership requirements or resource nationalization generally; remote operations and the availability of adequate infrastructure; fluctuations in price and availability of energy and other inputs necessary for mining operations; shortages or cost increases in necessary equipment, supplies and labour; regulatory, political and country risks, including local instability or acts of terrorism and the effects thereof; the reliance upon contractors, third parties and joint venture partners; the lack of sole decision-making authority related to Filminera Resources Corporation, which owns the Masbate Project; challenges to title or surface rights; the dependence on key personnel and the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; the risk of an uninsurable or uninsured loss; adverse climate and weather conditions; litigation risk; competition with other mining companies; community support for B2Gold's operations, including risks related to strikes and the halting of such operations from time to time; conflicts with small scale miners; failures of information systems or information security threats; the final outcome of the audit by the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources in relation to the Masbate Project; the ability to maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting as required by law, including Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; compliance with anti-corruption laws, and sanctions or other similar measures; social media and B2Gold's reputation; as well as other factors identified and as described in more detail under the heading "Risk Factors" in B2Gold's most recent Annual Information Form, B2Gold's current Form 40-F Annual Report and B2Gold's other filings with Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which may be viewed at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively (the "Websites"). The list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect B2Gold's forward-looking statements. B2Gold's forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. These assumptions and factors include, but are not limited to, assumptions contained in the Expansion Study PEA and assumptions and factors related to B2Gold's ability to carry on current and future operations, including: development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; B2Gold's ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the availability and cost of inputs; the price and market for outputs, including gold; the timely receipt of necessary approvals or permits; the ability to meet current and future obligations; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions; and other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry. B2Gold's forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management and reflect their current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. B2Gold does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits or liabilities B2Gold will derive therefrom. For the reasons set forth above, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Non-IFRS Measures This news release includes certain terms or performance measures commonly used in the mining industry that are not defined under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), including "cash operating costs" and "all-in sustaining costs" (or "AISC"). Non-IFRS measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore they may not be comparable to similar measures employed by other companies. The data presented is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS and should be read in conjunction with B2Gold's consolidated financial statements. Readers should refer to B2Gold's Management Discussion and Analysis, available on the Websites, under the heading "Non-IFRS Measures" for a more detailed discussion of how B2Gold calculates certain of such measures and a reconciliation of certain measures to IFRS terms. Cautionary Note to United States Investors The disclosure in this news release was prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"), which differs significantly from the current requirements of the SEC set out in Industry Guide 7. Accordingly, such disclosure may not be comparable to similar information made public by companies that report in accordance with Industry Guide 7. In particular, this news release may refer to "mineral resources," "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources". While these categories of mineralization are recognized and required by Canadian securities laws, they are not recognized by Industry Guide 7 and are not normally permitted to be disclosed in SEC filings by U.S. companies. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part of a "mineral resource," "indicated mineral resource" or "inferred mineral resource" will ever be converted into a "reserve." In addition, this news release uses the terms "reserves" and "mineral reserves" which are reported by the Company under Canadian standards and may not qualify as reserves under Industry Guide 7. Under Industry Guide 7, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the mineralization can be economically and legally extracted or produced at the time the "reserve" determination is made. Accordingly, information contained or referenced in this news release containing descriptions of the Company's mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of Industry Guide 7. "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Further, while NI 43-101 permits companies to disclose economic projections contained in preliminary economic assessments and pre-feasibility studies, which are not based on "reserves", U.S. companies have not generally been permitted to disclose economic projections for a mineral property in their SEC filings prior to the establishment of "reserves." Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian reporting standards; however, Industry Guide 7 normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by Industry Guide 7 standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. Historical results or feasibility models presented herein are not guarantees or expectations of future performance. SOURCE B2Gold Corp. LONDON, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Citizen Cosmetics Limited announced today that Taseer Badar's Family Office had increased its equity position in the Company. This increase makes Mr. Badar one of the largest investors in the Company in addition to his nomination to the Board of Directors. Smart Girls Get More Cosmetics Mr. Badar said, "I was one of the first investors in Citizen and have been monitoring the Company's growth and development from day one. I felt that enough progress had been made to validate Citizen's growth potential and thus I have increased my equity stake and had accepted my nomination to the Board of Directors. I am excited about the Company's prospects and look forward to contributing to its growth." Tariq Khan, Chairman & CEO of Citizen Cosmetics Limited stated, "Taseer was one of our first supporters when we launched Citizen and has not only been one of our key investors, but also a valued advisor from the first day we started. With his extensive relationships in the US markets, we look forward to his further contributions." The Badar Family Office have extensive investments in various verticals including Heathcare, Automotive, Finance, Hospitality and Real Estate and is the principal shareholder in ZT Corporate, ZT Motors and Altus Health Systems amongst several other investments in its portfolio. Citizen Cosmetics Limited ( www.citizencosmetics.com ) is a London based color cosmetics company that was founded by Aleena, Aleezeh and Naseeha Khan. The three sisters wanted to create inclusive color cosmetics products focusing on a wide range of skin tones using only Vegan and Vegetarian formulas. Its premium consumer brand is CTZN Cosmetics (www.ctzncosmetics.com ) which is currently produced in Italy and launching on May 15th, 2019. Its mass market brand Smart Girls Get More (www.sggmcosmetics.com) is produced in Poland. Both are produced under strict EU compliance and in a cruelty free environment. For more information please email: [email protected] Media Contact: Tariq Khan +44 7555 345885 [email protected] SOURCE Citizen Cosmetics Limited Related Links https://citizencosmetics.com SEOUL, South Korea, May 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bespin Global (www.bespinglobal.com), the largest cloud managed service provider (MSP) in East Asia, continues to grow its operational presence in China. Bespin Global announced today that the cloud company recently signed a strategic partnership with Lenovo, the Chinese multinational technology company. Bespin Global is Lenovo's first MSP partner in China. The partnership will proliferate the adoption of hybrid cloud in China with OpsNow, Bespin Global's proprietary cloud management platform (CMP), enlarging the customer base and the cloud eco-system in the region. Bespin Global will provide Lenovo-based Microsoft Azure Stack, while Lenovo will optimize its cloud delivery with Bespin Global's services. The partnership will also expand Bespin Global's capabilities in China's private cloud arena. "The partnership with Lenovo is strategically significant for Bespin Global. We have been providing cloud services to the public sector, the financial services industry and the private enterprises in China. Our alliance with Lenovo proves Bespin Global's position as the most secure and reliable MSP in East Asia," commented Brad Lee, the CEO of Bespin Global China. Bespin Global, which has more than 300 clients in China, provides cloud services to PetroChina, People's Daily, Changhong, Samsung Electronics, Amore-Pacific, BOE, ABinBev, Cheetah Mobile, Canon, Bosch, BMW, Ford, Volvo and Toyota. Bespin Global has placed in the Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Professional and Managed Services Worldwide for 3 consecutive years. SOURCE Bespin Global Related Links http://www.bespinglobal.com PHOENIX, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bishop Fox, the largest private professional services firm focused on offensive security testing, announced today that Bill Carroll has joined the firm as Chief Operating Officer (COO), where he will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company. As COO, Carroll will have oversight of operations, customer experience, IT, and human resources (HR) in addition to strategic cross-firm initiatives including delivery of consulting services and the company's new managed services business. He will report directly to Vincent Liu, co-founder and CEO of Bishop Fox. Bill Carroll has joined Bishop Fox as Chief Operating Officer, where he will be responsible for the companys day-to-day operations. He will oversee operations, customer experience, IT, and human resources in addition to strategic cross-firm initiatives including delivery of consulting services and the companys new managed services business. Carroll has nearly three decades of experience driving bottom line results for some of the worlds largest and most complex service organizations. Carroll has nearly three decades of experience driving bottom line results for some of the world's largest and most complex service organizations. Prior to joining Bishop Fox, he was the CEO of Aasonn, a global HR strategy and technology services company. At Aasonn, he led a business turnaround that was so successful that the company was acquired less than two years later. "Bill is an experienced and disciplined executive and we are thrilled to have him join our team in this important leadership role. He has a proven ability to manage companies in rapid expansion mode and will be a tremendous asset to our firm as we continue our ambitious growth plans," said Liu. "He is also a perfect fit for our corporate culture, which values smart, hardworking professionals who thrive in a positive and good-humored environment." Before Aasonn, Carroll was vice president of Fruition Partners, where he was responsible for streamlining the delivery of ITSM SaaS professional services globally and improving overall operations at the company, which led to its successful acquisition. Before that, he was vice president and general manager of CSC Global Platform & Enterprise Service Management, where he led a team of over 3,000 people globally with budget responsibility of $250 million. Carroll also spent seven years as vice president at HP, most recently as VP of Global Professional Services across all HP products, where he led more than 2,000 people in over 60 countries. Carroll received his Master of Science Administration (MSA) and Bachelor of Science Business Administration (BSBA) from Central Michigan University. About Bishop Fox Bishop Fox is the largest private professional services firm focused on offensive security testing. Since 2005, the firm has provided security consulting services to the world's leading organizations working with over 25% of the Fortune 100 to help secure their products, applications, networks, and cloud resources with penetration testing and security assessments. In February 2019, Bishop Fox closed $25 million in Series A funding from ForgePoint Capital, which will allow the company to continue to grow its research capabilities and develop next generation offensive security technologies. The company is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ and has offices in Atlanta, GA; San Francisco, CA; New York, NY; and Barcelona, Spain. Contact: Amy Blumenthal 617-879-1511 [email protected] SOURCE Bishop Fox Related Links http://www.bishopfox.com DUBLIN, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "India Business Aviation Market Outlook to 2030 - by Revenue Stream, by Fleet Type and by Fleet Distribution" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Business Aviation market has witnessed subdued growth primarily due to high operational cost, difficulty in ease of doing business, complicated tax structures, inadequate infrastructure and complex process to obtain operating licenses. The industry has experienced a small positive growth rate in financial year 2018 primarily because of an increase in the number of HNI's and diversification of fleet size. Development of new and existing airports, stirring regulations, regional connectivity, persistent efforts of industry leaders in changing industry perception, growth in the oil industry, and the overall boom in the economy have also contributed to the increasing demand. Increased use of private charters by High Net worth Individuals (HNWI), politicians, business executives, for oil transportation, development of infrastructure and air ambulance has helped the market to revive from a negative growth scenario. Major companies have diversified their revenue streams, entered into international affiliations and upgraded their aircrafts to foster the market demand. The review period has witnessed an improved focus on developing the infrastructural facilities, expansion of company operations, regulatory liberalizations, leading to a gradual increase in demand and recovery of the market. There has been a significant increase and higher recognition by government to promote the business aviation sector. For instance, the industry has been included for the first time in the UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme in 2018. Future Analysis and Projections Development of airports, manufacturing sector, oil and gas sector, tourism, air ambulance and pilgrimage sector, coupled with government liberalizations, connectivity schemes like UDAN RCS, the efforts of BAOA and the increase in HNIs in India will support the growth of the business aviation market. Moreover, addition of secondary airports in Mumbai & Delhi, up-gradation of existing regional airport under the RCS scheme, changes in aircraft leasing & import regulations and favorable regulations for aircraft management companies would be other growth opportunities. Use of business aviation aircrafts and helicopters in fields whose potential has not yet been utilized such as seaplanes, aerial surveys, air ambulance, managing traffic, law enforcement and others are expected to open-up and provide boast to the revenue segments. Market Segmentation By Revenue Streams: Air Charter Income has captured a major part, accounting for highest market share in financial year 2018. Major players focus on charter operations and outsource related services to other companies. MRO occupies second highest share with Mumbai being home to over 80% of the MRO facilities in the country. Ground handling followed by Aircraft sales commission and hospitality services (F&B) has been the third, fourth and fifth highest revenue streams respectively in 2018. being home to over 80% of the MRO facilities in the country. Ground handling followed by Aircraft sales commission and hospitality services (F&B) has been the third, fourth and fifth highest revenue streams respectively in 2018. By Fleet Type: Helicopters are the most demanded air-object type in the business aviation sector of India . It covers almost half of the market share in financial year 2018 in terms of fleet size. The inherent flexibility of helicopters makes it an appropriate choice for air ambulance, transportation, slung work, pilgrimage visits and for politicians during elections. Use of helicopters for off-site operations such as for oil & gas stations, ore sites, mineral traction and others have resulted in its big fleet size. Business jets have the second highest share, followed by turboprops. India operates the third largest fleet of business jets in Asia-Pacific . Business jets are preferred by corporate houses due to their comfort, luxury and connectivity features. . It covers almost half of the market share in financial year 2018 in terms of fleet size. The inherent flexibility of helicopters makes it an appropriate choice for air ambulance, transportation, slung work, pilgrimage visits and for politicians during elections. Use of helicopters for off-site operations such as for oil & gas stations, ore sites, mineral traction and others have resulted in its big fleet size. Business jets have the second highest share, followed by turboprops. operates the third largest fleet of business jets in . Business jets are preferred by corporate houses due to their comfort, luxury and connectivity features. By Region: The western and northern regions have been preeminent in registered fleet for business aircrafts. Delhi and Mumbai , two business and medical centers of the country, witness the highest demand. Dominance of huge number of wealthy individuals, major political movement and presence of renowned hospitals has led to such proportionate shares. They are also the base of a number of operators or aircraft management companies. Mumbai is also the home of the sole business aviation airport in India . East, northeast and central parts of India have a meager share. However, the situation is likely to change with the regional connectivity program of the government in the years to come. Competitive Landscape Competition in India business aviation market is fragmented with about 111 non-scheduled operators providing charter services, ground handling, aircrafts maintenance, training academies, MRO and other facilities. Each company is trying to expand its fleet size, regional presence and operational services to capture higher market share. In financial year 2018, Reliance Commercial Dealers Limited, Reliance Transport and Travels, Poonawalla Aviation and Air Charter Aviation have been some of the major players in terms of fleet size. Global Vectra Hellicorp, Pawan Hans and Himalayan Heli are the main operators in the helicopter sector. In terms of revenue, Reliance Commercial dealers, Air Charter Aviation, AR Aviation and Orbit Aviation have led the market. Delhi and Mumbai are the two dominant catchment areas. The major challenges faced by the companies include infrastructural limitations, stringent regulations, high taxation, high operating costs and preference to scheduled airlines. Key Topics Covered 1. About Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) 2. Acknowledgement 3. Objective of Study: Does India have the Business Aviation Growth Potential? 4. Executive Summary & Market overview 5. Research Methodology 5.1 Market Definitions 5.2 Abbreviations 5.3 Market Sizing and Modeling 5.4 Approach - Market Sizing 5.5 Market Limitations 5.6 Variables (Dependent and Independent) 5.7 Multi Factor Based Sensitivity Model 5.8 Regression Matrix 5.9 Final Conclusion 6. Introduction to India Business Aviation Market 6.1. Category Nomenclature 6.2. Business Aviation Market Genesis, Financial Year 2000-2015 6.3. Business Aviation as an Economy Driver: Role & Significance in Nation Building 6.3.1. Contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 6.3.2. World of Business Aviation: Analysis on Sector Implication & Economic Impact 6.4. India Business Aviation Market Ecosystem: Entities Involved 7. Value Chain in India Business Aviation Market 7.1 Value chain in a nutshell 8. Revenue Generated & Market Overview: India Business Aviation Market, FY'13-FY'18 8.1. Market Overview, FY'13-FY'18 8.2. Market Size (By Revenue, Number of Operators, Aircraft Hours, Passengers Carried, Aircraft Departures & Fleet Size) FY'2013-FY'2018 8.2.1 Graphical Analysis 8.3. Who Avails Business Aviation Services: Different Types of End Users 8.4. Major Market Challenges 9. India Business Aviation Market Segmentation, FY'13-FY'18 9.1. By Major Revenue Streams, FY'18 9.2. By Fleet Type (On the Basis of Number of Aircrafts & Helicopters), 2012-2018 9.2.1 Aircraft & Helicopter Transactions for Registrations in India, Financial Year 2018 9.3. By Fleet Distribution Across Regions, 2015-2018 9.3.1 North Region: HNI's & Industry Analysis 2017 9.3.2 South Region: HNI's & Industry Analysis 2017 9.3.3 Eastern Region: HNI's & Industry Analysis 2017 9.3.4 Western and Central Region: HNI's & Industry Analysis 2017 10. GST Implication on Business Aviation Market India 11. Regulations in India Business Aviation Market 11.1. Regulatory Bodies 11.2. General Regulations 11.3. Steps involved in Obtaining an Operating License 11.4. Tax Implications 12. Snapshots on India Business Aviation Market 12.1. Air Ambulance Market in India 12.2. Pilgrimage Charter Services Market in India 12.3. Aircraft Leasing and Financing 12.4. Fuel Consumption By Business Aviation Market In India 12.5. Used Business Aircraft Transactions 12.6. Aircraft Connectivity 12.7. Business Aviation in Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) 12.8. Private Jet Insurance Market 13. India Business Aviation Competitive Landscape 13.1. Competitive Scenario (Competition Stage, Competitive Positions and Competition Parameters), Financial Year 2018 13.2. Market Share of Major Players in India Business Aviation Market 13.2.1 Helicopter Operators (NSOP, PRIVATE & Government) by Number of Flights Operated and Revenue, FY'17-FY'18 13.2.2 Domestic & International Business Aircraft Operators (NSOP, PRIVATE & Government) by Number of Flights Operated 13.2.3 Business Aircraft & Helicopter Operators (NSOP, Private & Government) by Revenue, FY'12-FY'17 13.3. Strengths and Weaknesses of Major Players, FY'18 13.4. Comparative Landscape-India Business Aviation Market, FY'17-18 14. Company Profile of Major Players in India Business Aviation Market 14.1. Global Vectra Helicorp Limited 14.2. Himalayan Heli Services Private Limited 14.3. Air Charter Services Private Limited 14.4. India Flysafe Aviation Limited 14.5. Air One Aviation Private Limited 14.6. Airmid Aviation Services Limited 14.7. GMR Aviation Private Limited 14.8. Pinnacle Air Private Limited 14.9. Club One Air (AR Airways Private Limited) 14.10. Indamer Aviation Private Limited (Business Aviation MRO) 14.11. Airworks MRO Services Private Limited (Business Aviation MRO) 14.12. Ligare Aviation Engineering Private Limited Company Financials 14.13. Orbit Aviation Private Limited Company Financials 14.14. Reliance Commercial Dealers Limited Company Financials 14.15. Air Car Airlines Private Limited Company Financials 14.16. Karnavati Aviation Private Limited Company Financials 14.17. Pawan Hans Company Financials 15. SWOT Analysis of India Business Aviation Market 16. Future Industry Analysis (By Fleet Size and Revenue) 16.1. India Business Aviation Market Future Outlook and Projections by Fleet Size, 2019-2030 16.1.1 Base Case 16.1.2 Median Growth Case 16.1.3 Best Growth Case 16.1.4 CAGR Traced (2018-2030) 16.2. India Business Aviation Market Future Outlook and Projections by Revenue, FY'2019-FY'2024 16.3. Upcoming Business Models 16.3.1 Fractional Ownership 17. Analyst Recommendations 17.1. For New Market Entrants 17.1.2 For Existing Players 18. Industry Speaks-Past, Present and Future of Business Aviation Market through the Eyes of Leading Industry Veterans 18.1 Mr. Rohit Kapur - President BAOA 18.2 Wing. Cdr. Julian D'Souza - Governing Board Member BAOA 18.3 Sanjay Verma - Chief Operations Officer Ashley Aviation 18.4 Gp. Capt. Rajesh K. Bali - Managing Director BAOA 18.5 Mr. Atiesh Mishra - Founder AJM Jet Management 18.6 Mr. Jayant Nadkarni - Director - Invision Air 19. Acknowledgement For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cawdtj 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 SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In a monumental step for Californians impacted by sickle cell disease, leaders in science and health care policy met last week at "The Impacts of Sickle Cell Disease in California Legislative Briefing" led by the California Legislative Black Caucus and the California Biotechnology Foundation to educate stakeholders about gaps in care, listen to the patient experience, and note proposed landmark legislation to begin to solve this crisis. "Sickle Cell Disease is a rare disorder that has never received the attention it deserves from a policy or awareness perspective," said Dr. Judith Baker, Policy Director for the Center for Inherited Blood Disorders and Pacific Sickle Cell Regional Collaborative. "This requires a real, intentional, purposeful plan to try to solve the complexities and tragedies of lack of access to knowledgeable sickle cell care, particularly for adults." Assembly Bill 1105, authored by Assemblyman Mike Gipson, is a three-year pilot program that will improve care and treatment for those living with sickle cell disease. The bill appropriates $15 million from the state budget to the Department of Public Health. Working with the Department of Health Care Services, these resources will be used to develop at least five adult sickle cell disease clinics that are networked with one another in a hub and spoke model across the state. Clinics will expand upon existing but currently fragmented and inadequate services -- in the geographic areas where the largest numbers of adults with sickle cell disease live. These include Los Angeles/Orange counties, Fresno/Madera counties, Alameda/San Francisco and surrounding counties, Sacramento/San Joaquin counties, San Bernardino/Kern/Riverside and San Diego counties. They will provide team based preventive primary and specialty care, supported by tele-mentoring, and connect patients to a range of services in the outpatient, inpatient and community settings that will help them live healthier and longer lives. "The bill would support clinical workforce development to strengthen doctors' and nurses' understanding of current care guidelines, outreach and education, and expand tracking to better monitor care and outcomes," said Mary Brown, President and CEO of the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation. "Our state's lack of action impacts the thousands of Californians living with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that causes severe pain, debilitating inflammation, infections, blood clots and premature death," Gipson said. "AB 1105 is a massive step forward in ensuring all Californians impacted by this terrible disease are able to receive the quality health care they need and deserve." Currently, sickle cell disease patients needlessly suffer due to the absence of a cohesive health care system to address their needs. California adults with sickle cell disease die at younger ages, at higher rates, and have a higher rate of emergency room visits and hospitalizations compared to sickle cell disease patients in other states. Although sickle cell disease affects all races and ethnic groups, African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans are affected at higher rates, especially in the Los Angeles area, where close to 2,000 patients live with sickle cell disease. In the midst of this significant event aimed at raising awareness, Lance Jasper Jones, a Californian with sickle cell disease, offered sobering words: "I've been hospitalized over 100 times, with more than seven surgeries. This past January I was hospitalized with levels of organ failure. I'm exhausted," Jones said. The state lacks adult clinics, as well as adult medical and other clinical workers trained to screen for and address inherited blood disorders for people who have sickle cell disease, as they now live into adulthood. Historically, sickle cell disease has been ignored and those who have it have been faced with discrimination and racism. The CDC recently issued a clarification that national efforts to address the opioid epidemic should not allow clinicians to inappropriately deny necessary pain medications to people with sickle cell disease. Dr. Diane Nugent, the President and Medical Director for the Center for Inherited Blood Disorders, said that because of the deficits, Californians with sickle cell disease have poor health outcomes and are subject to premature death: "In the United States, life expectancy for sickle cell is 61 years. In the UK, it's 70 years. In the state of California, it's now down to 43 years." "I have goals and aspirations just like everybody else. I'm set to get married next year and my fear and concern is that I will not be able to meet her at the altar," Jones said. About Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California (SCDF) is the first and oldest non-profit, social service, sickle cell disease organization in the United States today. Founded in 1957, the SCDF has maintained a viable and reputable organization for over 60 years. The SCDF addresses the needs of individuals with sickle cell disease and their families by emphasizing educational and support programs and services that meet the physical, psycho social and economic needs of their clients. With a growing population of individuals with sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait, the primary focus of the SCDF is to educate, screen and counsel those persons at risk of having children with sickle cell disease and other hemoglobin disorders. About Center for Inherited Blood Disorders Center for Inherited Blood Disorders (CIBD) is the federally-recognized hemophilia treatment center (HTC) for Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, and parts of Los Angeles County. As one of over 130 non-profit centers nationwide recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CIBD's hematology specialists collaborates with doctors, clinics and hospitals to provide comprehensive care to children, teens and adults with inherited blood disorders. CIBD is the recipient of the HRSA Sickle Cell Disease Treatment and Demonstration Program provided by the Pacific Sickle Cell Regional Collaborative. CIBD was also the host of a stakeholder meeting at the University of California, Davis campus to discuss the State Action Plan for sickle cell disease. SOURCE Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California (SCDF); Center for Inherited Blood Disorders (CIBD) Related Links http://cibd-ca.org By Jacob G. Hornberger May 13, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - In his Fourth of July address to Congress in 1821, U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams stated that if America were ever to abandon its founding foreign policy of non-interventionism, she would inevitably become the worlds dictatress and begin behaving accordingly. No can can deny that Adams prediction has come true. America has truly become the worlds dictatress an arrogant, ruthless, brutal dictatress that brooks no dissent from anyone in the world. Now, I use the term America because thats the term Adams used. In actuality, however, its not America that has become the worlds dictatress. It is the U.S. government that has become the worlds dictatress. A good example of this phenomenon involves Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese citizen who serves as chief financial officer of the giant Chinese technology firm Huawei. Having been arrested by Canadian authorities and placed under house arrest, Meng is suffering the wrath of the worlds dictatress. What is her purported crime? That she violated U.S. sanctions against Iran. What do U.S. sanctions on Iran have to do with her? Exactly! Shes a Chinese citizen, not an American citizen. So, why is she being prosecuted by the U.S. government? Sanctions have become a standard tool of U.S. foreign policy. With the exception of libertarians, hardly anyone raises an eyebrow over their imposition and enforcement. Their objective is to target foreign citizens with death, suffering, and economic privation as a way to bend their regime to the will of the U.S. dictratress and her brutal and ruthless agents. Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter After all, what could be more brutal and ruthless than to target innocent people with death and impoverishment as a way to get to their government? Most foreign citizens have as little control over the actions of their government as individual American citizens have over the actions of their government. Where is the morality in targeting innocent people, especially as a way to achieve a political goal? Isnt that why people condemn terrorism? Its bad enough to target innocent foreign citizens with death and impoverishment to achieve a political goal. But its also important to keep in mind that sanctions are an attack on the economic liberty of the American people. Sanctions impose criminal penalties on U.S. citizens who trade with Iranians. If an American trades with Iranians, the dictatress goes after him with a vengeance, either with criminal prosecution or civil fines or both. A good example of this phenomenon took place when the dictatress was enforcing its system of sanctions against Iraq during the 1990s. The sanctions were killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children. Thats didnt bother the dictatress, at least not enough to bring an end to the sanctions. The idea was that if a sufficiently large number of children could be killed, Iraqs dictator Saddam Hussein would abdicate in favor of a U.S.-approved dictator, or that there would be a coup or a violent revolution that would accomplish the same thing. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Madeleine Albright expressed the official view of the dictatress when she announced that the deaths of half-a-million Iraqi children from the sanctions were worth it. An American citizen named Bert Sacks, who was stricken by a crisis of conscience, traveled to Iraq with medicines to help out the Iraqi people. The dictatress went after him with a vengeance, hitting him with a fine and then pursuing its collection for around a decade. See here and here.) That is bad enough. But here is where Adams point comes into play. The federal government is not satisfied with just requiring its own citizens to comply with its evil system. In its role as worldwide dictatress, the federal government requires everyone in the world to comply with its evil system. The dictatress claims worldwide jurisdiction for its evil system of sanctions. Thats why Meng Wanzhou was arrested and placed under house arrest in Canada. Yes, Canada! She wasnt even in the United States when she was arrested. The dictatress announced that she had violated its Iran sanctions in some dealings that she supposedly had with some bank located thousands of miles away from American shores.The dictatress then prevailed on Canada to arrest her while she was in that country so that she could be extradited to the United States to stand trial for her purported violation of U.S. sanctions on Iran. Why are innocent foreign citizens be targeted for death and economic suffering simply because U.S. officials dont like their government? Why are American citizens have their freedoms destroyed for the same reason? And why are foreign citizens around the world be targeted with criminal prosecution for violating the federal governments evil system of sanctions? Its all because of what John Quincy Adams observed almost 200 years ago: If the United States were ever to abandon its founding foreign policy of non-interventionism, the federal government would inevitably become the worlds dictatress, and a brutal, ruthless one at that. This article was originally published by "FFF " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here The walk-around cocktail soiree pairs a handful of invited chefs along with VIP-invited and select paid guests to help kick off New York City's annual Pride weekend. Each chef must prepare a signature canape or hors d'oeuvre for event guests to sample, and then get the chance to socialize with them at the party. In addition to the revelry of the Pride parade and scheduled events celebrating the LGBTQ lifestyle and civil rights, this year also commemorates the 50th anniversary of the landmark Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village, which heralded a new era in civil rights for the LGBTQ community and helped spurn the formation of the Gay Liberation Front as well as other gay, lesbian and bisexual civil rights organizations. "I am beyond thrilled and very humbled to be included as a participating chef at this event," said Earick, who has wowed restaurant-goers for 13 years at his beachside location in Central Florida with upscale dining using local, fresh ingredients in a casually elegant restaurant. A self-taught chef, Earick previously owned a popular upscale Italian restaurant in Tampa and produced and hosted a network cooking show in Tallahassee called "Capital Dish," where he offered cooking lessons to political dignitaries and local illuminati, among others. (Video of Capital Dish and Scott Earick's Cooking Lessons are available on YouTube). Earick, a former model and actor with television and movie credits in the US and abroad, lives with his husband Hank near the beach with their adorable dachshunds Pepino and Angelina and their frisky cat, Mr. Peepers. www.scottsonfifth.com SOURCE Scotts On Fifth Related Links http://www.scottsonfifth.com HAVERFORD, Pa., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- High Street, et al v. Cigna, et al., Case No. 2:12-cv-07243-NIQA (E.D. Pa.) LEGAL NOTICE A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit on behalf of all Out-of-Network Chiropractic Providers who provided clinical services to a Cigna Plan member, whose claims for reimbursement of such services were denied in part or in whole. The lawsuit alleges violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 U.S.C 1132(a)(1)(B) ("ERISA"), related to the denial of out-of-network Plan benefits claims for chiropractic services based on Cigna Corp. ("Cigna") and American Specialty Health Inc.'s ("ASH") utilization management review ("UMR") processes. The Settlement Class includes: All ONET Chiropractic Providers who provided clinical services up to the Final Approval Date to a Plan Member, and whose claims for reimbursement of such services were subjected to the ASH policies or practices as part of the claims review or benefit determination process and where some or all of the claim was denied. What does the Settlement provide? A Settlement totaling approximately $11.75 million has been reached with Cigna, ASH and each of their subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents (collectively known as "Defendants"). You do not need to do anything to receive a payment from the Settlement. Each Settlement Class Member will automatically receive a pro rata payment based on the amount of each class members' respective bills (as reflected in Defendants' records) that were denied in whole or part pursuant to Defendants' UMR processes. Settlement checks will be mailed to the address listed on this postcard notice. If your address changes, please notify the Settlement Administrator using the enclosed change of address card, visit www.HighStreetChiroSettlement.com, or by phone at 1-888-208-9083. How Much Money Can I Get? Your payment amount will be determined based on the amount remaining in the Net Settlement Fund after deductions for Court-approved Notice and Administration expenses, Attorneys' fees and expenses, Service Awards to the Lead Plaintiffs, and taxes. Payments will be made only if the Court grants final approval of the Settlement and any objections and appeals are resolved. Class members were mailed notice postcards on May 6, 2019. These postcards included the estimated payment for each class member. If you disagree with the estimated payment amount, you may challenge this determination by submitting a request in writing and providing evidence of the total claims for reimbursement of clinical services which were subjected to the ASH policies or practices as part of the claims review or benefit determination process and where some or all of the claim was denied. These requests must be submitted in writing to the Settlement Administrator at the address provided on the opposite side of this postcard. What are my rights? If you remain a Settlement Class Member, you will give up your right to sue the Defendants on your own for the claims described in the Settlement Agreement. You will also be bound by any decisions by the Court relating to the Settlement. The Defendants will be released from claims stemming from the alleged conduct concerning Defendants' denial of claims pursuant to the UMR process as identified in the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement describes the released claims in further detail. Requests for exclusion from the Settlement Class must be submitted to the Settlement Administrator by July 10, 2019. If you stay in the Settlement Class, you may object in writing to the Settlement by July 10, 2019. The Settlement Agreement, along with details on how to exclude yourself or object, are available at www.HighStreetChiroSettlement.com . When is the Final Fairness Hearing? The Court will hold a Final Fairness Hearing at 1:00 p.m. on August 9, 2019, at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Office, 601 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. The hearing may be moved to a different date or time without additional notice, so check www.HighStreetChiroSettlement.com to confirm that the date has not been changed. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. If there are objections or comments, the Court will consider them at that time and may listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing. The Court may also decide how much to pay Lead Counsel and whether to reimburse Lead Counsel for certain costs, and whether to pay Service Awards to the Lead Plaintiffs. At or after the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement. QUESTIONS? VISIT WWW.HIGHSTREETCHIROSETTLEMENT.COM OR CALL 1-888-208-9083 SOURCE Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP and Zuckerman Spaeder LLP Related Links http://www.highstreetchirosettlement.com HAVERFORD, Pa., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In re Cigna-American Specialty Health Administrative Fee Litigation Case No. 2:16-cv-03967-NIQA (E.D. Pa.) LEGAL NOTICE A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit on behalf of patients who received chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture, naturopathy, occupational therapy, and/or massage therapy services and were charged an allegedly improper administrative fee. The Settlement Class includes: Any Plan Member whose Plan benefits and/or cost share under a Plan were determined based on ASH's charges to Cigna through the Final Approval Date for the following types of services: chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, naturopathy, physical therapy, or occupational therapy. What does the Settlement provide? A Settlement totaling approximately $8.25 million has been reached with Cigna Corp. ("Cigna"), American Specialty Health Group, Inc. ("ASH"), and each of their subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents (collectively known as "Defendants"). You do not need to do anything to receive a payment from the Settlement. Each Settlement Class Member will automatically receive a pro rata payment from the Net Settlement Fund for every instance that a Settlement Class Member paid co-insurance or deductible amounts for an approved health benefit claim for services from an ASH contracted provider based on ASH's charges to Cigna, rather than the ASH contracted provider's charges to ASH. At this time, it is unknown exactly how much each Settlement Class Member will receive. How Can I Get a Payment? You do not need to do anything to receive a payment from the Settlement. Inclusion is automatic and you will be included, unless you specifically request to exclude yourself from the Settlement. Class members were mailed notice postcards on May 6, 2019. Settlement checks will be mailed to the same address utilized for the postcard notice. What are my rights? If you remain a Settlement Class Member, you will give up your right to sue the Defendants on your own for the claims described in the Settlement Agreement. You will also be bound by any decisions by the Court relating to the Settlement. The Defendants will be released from claims stemming from the alleged conduct concerning administrative fees charged to Plan Members and Plans identified in the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement describes the released claims in further detail. Requests for exclusion from the Settlement Class must be submitted to the Settlement Administrator by July 10, 2019. If you stay in the Settlement Class, you may object in writing to the Settlement by July 10, 2019. The Settlement Agreement, along with details on how to exclude yourself or object, are available at www.AdminFeeSettlement.com . When is the Final Fairness Hearing? The Court will hold a Final Fairness Hearing at 1:00 p.m. on August 9, 2019, at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Office, 601 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. If there are objections or comments, the Court will consider them at that time and may listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing. The Court may also decide how much to pay Lead Counsel and whether to reimburse Lead Counsel for certain costs, and whether to pay Service Awards to the Lead Plaintiffs. At or after the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement. This Notice summarizes the proposed Settlement. For the precise terms and conditions of the Settlement, please see the Long Form Notice and the Settlement Agreement available at www.AdminFeeSettlement.com . For more information on the Settlement, please contact the Settlement Administrator at 888-206-2123. QUESTIONS? VISIT WWW.ADMINFEESETTLEMENT.COM OR CALL 1-888-206-2123. SOURCE Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP and Zuckerman Spaeder LLP DUBLIN, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Research Report on Natural Gas Import in China, 2019-2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The growing Chinese economy and stricter environmental protection policies drive the growth of natural gas consumption in China. In 2018, the Chinese government introduced several environmental protection policies to further prevent and control atmospheric pollution and replace coal with natural gas in key areas, which pushed up natural gas consumption in China. According to the preliminary estimate, the consumption of natural gas in China exceeded 27 million cubic meters in 2018, registering a YOY increase of more than 10%. The market survey shows that in 2018, the consumption of natural gas for power generation, household use, and industrial purposes increased significantly while the consumption of natural gas in the chemical industry decreased slightly. The consumption of natural gas grew rapidly in the central and eastern regions which have a developed economy and high population density while grew slowly in the western regions. In 2018, the consumption of natural gas in provinces such as Hebei, Jiangsu and Guangdong all saw an increase of more than 3 billion cubic meters. According to this analysis, as restricted by reserves and exploitation conditions, the production volume of natural gas in China has little growth potential. In 2018, the production volume of natural gas in China was about 160.30 billion cubic meters, representing a YOY increase of 8.30%, a growth rate far lower than that of the consumption volume. But it is noteworthy that the production volume of shale gas reached 11 billion cubic meters with a YOY increase of about 20%. Because of insufficient domestic production, China needs to import a large quantity of natural gas to meet domestic demand. In recent years, China's reliance on natural gas imports is rising sharply with the rapidly growing import volume of natural gas. In 2018, China surpassed Japan to become the world's largest natural gas importer. According to the preliminary estimate, in 2018, the import volume of natural gas in China was about 90.39 million tons, representing a YOY increase of 31.80% and import reliance of more than 40%. The natural gas imports in China include pipeline natural gas and LNG. As the import of LNG does not require pipeline construction and the shipping costs are low, LNG dominates China's natural gas imports. According to this analysis, in 2018, the import volume of LNG in China reached 53.78 million tons, increasing by 41% YOY. The growth was mainly driven by China's increasing demand for LNG, the use of new LNG terminals and the performance of new LNG contracts. At the end of 2018, the annual handling capacity of LNG terminals in China reached 66.95 million tons. Phase I of the seven LNG terminals under construction had an annual handing capacity of 16.20 million tons. In addition, LNG terminals under extended construction in Tangshan, Qingdao and Rudong will see a significant increase in handling capacity after they are put into service. According to this analysis, the natural gas importers in China have signed many LNG procurement contracts with global natural gas suppliers. For example, in 2018, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) signed LNG import contracts with Cheniere, Qatargas and Exxon Mobil; China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) signed LNG import contract with Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS). In addition, CNOOC's LNG contract with British Petroleum (BP) will be honored in 2019, which means that CNOOC's new LNG contract volume will exceed 10 million tons/year. Meanwhile, China is building long-distance pipelines to facilitate the transportation and allocation of natural gas on the domestic market. At the end of 2018, the total length of China's long-distance natural gas pipelines was close to 76,000 kilometers. The Erdos-Anping-Zhangzhou Gas Pipeline (Phase I), Inner Mongolia-Shanxi Gas Pipeline (Phase I) and Chuxiong-Panzhihua Natural Gas Pipeline (a branch line of China-Myanmar Pipeline) have been put into service, and parts of the China-Russia East-Route Natural Gas Pipeline and the Qianjiang-Shaoguan Natural Gas Pipeline have been completed. Constant progress is being made in the construction of regional pipeline networks. For example, the construction of six major pipeline networks in the eastern, western and northern parts of Guangdong has been started and is planned to be completed at the end of 2020. With the construction of domestic long-distance natural gas pipelines, the number of natural gas users in China will keep rising, which will stimulate the consumption of natural gas. As natural gas is environmentally friendly and easy to transport and use, the demand for natural gas in China is expected to keep rising from 2019 to 2023. As the growth rate of the production volume is far lower than that of the demand, the import volume of natural gas in China will keep growing from 2019 to 2023. Topics Covered Analysis on the supply of and demand for natural gas in China China's policies on natural gas import policies on natural gas import Volume and price of China's natural gas imports natural gas imports Progress in the construction of LNG terminals and natural gas pipelines in China Major sources of China's natural gas imports natural gas imports Analysis of factors influencing natural gas import in China from 2019 to 2023 from 2019 to 2023 Forecast on natural gas import in China from 2019 to 2023 Full List of Topics Covered 1 Overview of Natural Gas Industry 1.1 Definition of Natural Gas 1.2 Classification of Natural Gas 1.3 Analysis on Industry Chain of Natural Gas 2 Development Environment of China's Natural Gas Industry, 2019-2023 2.1 Economic Environment 2.2 Policy Environment 2.2.1 China's Policies on Natural Gas Import 2.2.2 China's Import Tariffs on Natural Gas 2.3 Social Environment 2.4 Analysis on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminals in China 2.4.1 Capacity of LNG Terminals in China 2.4.2 China's Policies on LNG Terminals 3 Analysis on Supply of and Demand for Natural Gas in China 3.1 Analysis on Supply of Natural Gas in China 3.1.1 China's Natural Gas Reserves 3.1.2 Production Volume of Natural Gas in China 3.2 Analysis on Demand for Natural Gas in China 3.2.1 Consumption of Natural Gas in China 3.2.2 Major Consumer Groups of Natural Gas in China 4 Analysis on Natural Gas Import in China 4.1 Analysis on Scale of Natural Gas Import in China 4.1.1 Import Volume of Natural Gas in China 4.1.2 Import Value of Natural Gas in China 4.2 Analysis on Average Import Price of Natural Gas in China 4.3 Comparison of Prices of Domestic and Imported Natural Gas 4.3.1 Average Import Price of Natural Gas in CNY 4.3.2 Prices of Domestic Natural Gas 4.3.3 Comparison of Prices of Domestic and Imported Natural Gas 4.4 Analysis on China's Reliance on Natural Gas Imports 4.5 Analysis on Sources of China's Natural Gas Imports 4.6 Analysis on Natural Gas Imports by Type in China 5 Pipeline Natural Gas Import in China 5.1 Analysis on Scale of Pipeline Natural Gas Import in China 5.1.1 Import Volume of Pipeline Natural Gas in China 5.1.2 Import Value of Pipeline Natural Gas in China 5.2 Average Import Price of Pipeline Natural Gas in China 5.3 Analysis on Sources of China's Pipeline Natural Gas Imports 6 Analysis on LNG Import in China 6.1 Analysis on Scale of LNG Import in China 6.1.1 Import Volume of LNG in China 6.1.2 Import Value of LNG in China 6.2 Average Import Price of LNG in China 6.3 Sources of China's LNG Imports 7 Major Natural Gas Importers in China, 2018-2019 7.1 China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) 7.1.1 Enterprise Profile 7.1.2 Operation Status of Natural Gas Business 7.2 China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) 7.3 China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec) 7.4 JOVO Group 7.5 Guanghui Energy Co. Ltd. 8 Prospect of Natural Gas Import in China, 2019-2023 8.1 Major Factors Influencing Natural Gas Import in China 8.1.1 Major Driving Forces and Market Opportunities 8.1.2 Threats and Challenges 8.2 Forecast on Natural Gas Import in China, 2019-2023 8.3 Forecast on Demand for Natural Gas Imports in China, 2019-2023 For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rxu34h 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 LONDON and PHILADELPHIA, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarivate Analytics Plc (NYSE: CCC, CCC.WS) (the "Company" or "Clarivate"), a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics to accelerate the pace of innovation, will report its financial results for the first quarter of 2019 before the market opens on Wednesday, May 15th. The press release and earnings supplement, with accompanying financial information, will be posted on the Clarivate investor website at www.clarivate.com. The Company will host a conference call and webcast to review the results for the quarter: Wednesday, May 15 th at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time Interested parties may access the live audio broadcast by dialing: Participant dial in (US toll free): 1-888-317-6003 Participant dial in (International): 1-412-317-6061 Participant dial in ( Canada ): 1-866-284-3684 ): 1-866-284-3684 Conference ID number: 5065159 An audio replay will be available approximately two hours after the completion of the call at 1-877-344-7529 in the United States, 1-412-317-0088 for international, and 1-855-669-9658 in Canada. The Replay Conference ID number is 10131395. The recording will be available for replay through May 29, 2019. A live webcast of the call will also be available on the investor relations section the Company's website. Please go the website https://services.choruscall.com/links/clarivate190515.html. A replay will also be available as a webcast on the investor relations section of the Company's website. About Clarivate Analytics Clarivate Analytics is a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics to accelerate the pace of innovation. We have built some of the most trusted brands across the innovation lifecycle, including Web of Science, Cortellis, Derwent, CompuMark, MarkMonitor and Techstreet. Today, Clarivate Analytics is a new and independent company, on a bold entrepreneurial mission to help our clients reduce the time from new ideas to life-changing innovations. For more information, please visit www.clarivate.com. SOURCE Clarivate Analytics Related Links http://www.clarivate.com James P. Steyer, CEO and Founder, Common Sense Tristan Harris, Founder, Center for Humane Technology Tony Sebro, Interim General Counsel, Wikimedia Foundation Dr. Jenny Radesky, Pediatrician and Researcher Ellen Pao, Co-Founder, Project Include Craig Newmark, Founder, Craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies Alicia Blum Ross, Global Public Policy Lead, Google Cameron Kasky, Co-Founder, March for Our Lives Dave Eggers and students from 826 Valencia ...and many more! Click here to see the full list of speakers and detailed agenda. CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- This month, Newswise launches Google Fact Check as a new submission option for their network of communicators at more than 400 institutions worldwide. Submissions to this feed will be configured specifically for indexing as a fact check article in Google News and traditional search, in addition to standard distribution in the Newswise wires and website reaching more than 7,000 media subscribers. "We designed Newswise-Google Fact Check to provide communicators with tools to engage in digital media conversations," says Jessica Johnson, CEO of Newswise. "Our member organizations now have a clear channel to provide research and expertise to fact check topics where claims might be at odds with the truth." As reporters work to fight disinformation by doing quality journalism, Newswise is focused on providing them with sources for expert commentary and fact checking based on the most rigorous academic standards. Services such as Fast Pitch, Expert Pitch, Expert Directory, and the new Google Fact Check feed provide reporters with leading experts from the world's top institutions on Newswise to help them do their jobs. "The Google Fact Check feed on Newswise will enable reporters to add deeper layers of analysis to their reporting," says Johnson. "Having fact-checking already done by an expert source will enable them to write their stories more quickly and efficiently, without the sometimes lengthy back and forth required to get a statement from an expert." Submissions to the Google Fact Check feed on Newswise will include the ability to review claims made by public figures, news outlets, documentaries, corporations, and viral social media trends. Members in the Newswise network are encouraged to provide fact check articles on a variety of topics, including science, medicine, politics, and business news. "With subjects like vaccines, climate, and public policy, there is a veritable minefield of disinformation put out by special interests, without regard for the facts," says Newswise Client Services Manager Thom Canalichio. "Journalists do their best, but sometimes bad science makes it into mainstream media. We are going to help combat this." About Newswise Newswise delivers breaking news, feature content, and expert pitches directly to reporters affiliated with more than 2,200 media outlets in the targeted content areas of medicine, science, health, the social sciences, humanities, business, and technology. Newswise was the world's first e-wire news distribution service for reporters. It continues to provide journalists with free embargo access to news from universities, associations, healthcare systems, and government agencies around the world. ____________ This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Newswise Related Links http://www.newswire.com As sponsors and CROs throughout the Asia-Pacific region continue to expand clinical operations, they deserve and require local support for best-in-class eCOA, eConsent, patient engagement, IRT, clinical supply optimization, and endpoint quality solutions. With global operations in over 100 countries, across thousands of sites, CRF Bracket respects and understands the unique needs of Asia-Pacific clinical trials and is excited to help drug development achieve their patient-centric goals using integrated technology that improves data quality and the patient experience without adding burden. Speaking at the opening, James Jay said: "We are delighted to open our new office in Tokyo, and proud to partner with so many innovative sponsors and CROs throughout Asia who are passionate about using technology to improve the patient experience in clinical trials. CRF Bracket has a proven history supporting successful trials by working closely with study teams across the region including a recent approval resulting from a collaboration in our specialist field of Neuroscience, involving a large Central Rating program in Japan and China. As our customers and partners in Asia continue to achieve milestones and increase their global reach with their outstanding clinical research programs, we are honored to support their efforts with world class technology and scientific capabilities, including our leading TrialMax eCOA platform." Mike Nolte, CEO at CRF Bracket, commented: "The impact of the Asia-Pacific region on clinical research is evolving rapidly, and the entire global community is impressed by the advancements being made by sponsors and CROs. Our Tokyo office has been established to respond to increasing investment in agile technology platforms and global reach, as well as the increased focus on risk and regulatory management in clinical trials. CRF Bracket expanding into Asia meets growing demand from life science companies in the region for the pioneering services we provide deep therapeutic area expertise, Scientific and Clinical Consulting, and Data Quality Analytics that help companies and CROs leverage technology to transform their businesses." To learn more about CRF Bracket's solutions for eCOA, eConsent, Patient Engagement, IRT, Clinical Supply Optimization, and Endpoint Quality scientific and data support services, visit www.crfhealth.com and www.bracketglobal.com. About CRF Bracket CRF Bracket was formed in 2018 by the merger of CRF Health and Bracket to provide life science companies with patient-centric technology solutions that advance clinical research and transform the patient experience. The company's solutions include electronic clinical outcome assessments (eCOAs), eConsent, patient engagement, interactive response technology (IRT), clinical supply forecasting and management, and endpoint quality services that combine advanced analytics and therapeutic area-specific scientific consulting. CRF Bracket's applications are trusted by pharmaceutical companies of all sizes, including all of the top 20 pharmas, as well as CROs, biotechs, and academic institutions on over 4,000 global clinical trials. For nearly 20 years, CRF Bracket has been committed to helping life science companies bring life-changing therapies to patients and communities around the world. To learn more visit www.crfhealth.com and www.bracketglobal.com. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE CRF Bracket The inaugural Africa Wire, Cable & Tube Conference, co-organised by CRU and The Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK), will be held on 11-13 November 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. wire and Tube Dusseldorf, the world's largest trade shows in this field, are lead sponsors of this important new conference. This unique partnership is the basis for creating an event in which the international wire, cable, tube and pipe supply chain will meet and make new trade partnerships with key African stakeholders. Nicola Coslett, CEO of CRU Events explained the rationale behind this new project "CRU is a leading authority in wire and cable markets. We are delighted to build a unique partnership with AHK and Messe Dusseldorf. This important inaugural event is being launched in response to the interest in these rapidly changing markets and offers an ideal opportunity for local industry and key decision-makers to meet with the international supply chain." Frank Aletter, Deputy CEO of The Southern Africa-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry commented, "We are excited to be co-organising this new conference, which will serve to benefit local enterprise and the region's best interests as well as establishing a dialogue with international investors wishing to make contact with local manufacturers and producers. We look forward to helping to build long-lasting relationships between South African SME's and their new partners, and to the many discussions around the future business opportunities in the region." Discussions at the conference will explore the main trends impacting the global steel, copper and aluminium wire, cable and tube products and what this means for Africa. Delegates will also be brought up-to-date on the expected consumption trends within Africa for these products in mining, utilities, oil and gas, construction and infrastructure. Attendees will gain insights into the current political and investment climates across the continent from local experts and international organisations with real case studies. Investors will also have the chance to assess greenfield and brownfield project showcase presentations. In other sessions, industry experts will discuss the latest global technological advances in wire, cable, tube and pipe manufacturing, and how this can be applied to African operations. The inaugural Africa Wire, Cable & Tube Conference will be held on 11-13 November 2019 at the Emperors Palace, Johannesburg, South Africa. Please visit http://bit.ly/CRUAWCTPR for more details and to book your place. We would like to invite all members of the press involved in these industries to support the conference. Please contact email [email protected] to request free access or to discuss media partnerships. About CRU CRU offers unrivalled business intelligence on the global metals, mining and fertilizer industries through market analysis, price assessments, consultancy and events. In 2019, CRU celebrates 50 years in business. Since our foundation by Robert Perlman in 1969, we have consistently invested in primary research and robust methodologies, and developed expert teams in key locations worldwide, including in hard-to-reach markets such as China. CRU employs over 280 experts and has more than 11 offices around the world, in Europe, the Americas, China, Asia and Australia our office in Beijing opened in 2004 and Singapore in 2018. When facing critical business decisions, you can rely on our first-hand knowledge to give you a complete view of a commodity market. And you can engage with our experts directly, for the full picture and a personalised response. CRU big enough to deliver a high-quality service, small enough to care about all of our customers. Read more about CRU: http://bit.ly/About_CRU Media contacts: For further information and interviews, please contact: Kay Beloe, CRU Events, Tel: +44-(0)-20-7903-2091, Email: [email protected] About AHK The Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAGCC) is the largest bi-lateral business chamber in South Africa and has been supporting and facilitating the establishment of business links between Southern African (SADC) and German companies since 1952. The Chamber serves more than 600 members and offers a multitude of services. Our field of expertise covers all aspects of trade and investment between Southern Africa and Germany, bringing together potential trade partners, and offering a wide range of business support. The SAGCC is part of the Global Network of German Chambers of Commerce (AHK), which is represented by 140 offices in 92 countries. www.germanchamber.co.za About Messe Dusseldorf wire Dusseldorf | World's leading trade fair for the wire industry As an international trade fair wire Dusseldorf provides exhibitors and suppliers of wires and cables in addition to the latest technology, specialty products and innovative machines concerning wire and cable manufacturing, a unique communication platform. Experts from all over the world use the trade fair not only as an information center for the developments and trends in wire, cable and wire-processing industries. This key fair is also an international forum for the purpose of setting up closer business contacts and for intensifying existing relations with customers. https://www.wire-tradefair.com/ Tube Dusseldorf | World's leading trade fair for the tube industry The Tube is the world's leading exhibition for the pipe industry and thus the most important showcase for all professionals manufacturing, processing and using pipes. The fair takes place every two years in Dusseldorf in conjunction with the wire, the international trade fair for the wire and cable industry, and has become internationally well established with offshots in Russia, India, Southeast Asia, China and Arabia. https://www.tube-tradefair.com/ SOURCE CRU FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jorg Lamparter, Head of Mobility Services, to become Daimler Financial Services AG Board Member, leading newly created Digital and Mobility Solutions division, effective June 1, 2019 Benedikt Schell , currently Chief Experience Officer (CXO) on the Board of Management for Daimler Financial Services AG, moving to the position of Chairman of Mercedes-Benz Bank AG in Germany Rodolfo Dominguez , Vice President of Business Transformation and Chief Digital Officer for the Americas to assume new, expanded role as Global Head of Digital Solution Centers and Chief Digital Officer for Daimler Financial Services Klaus Entenmann , Chairman of Daimler Financial Services AG: "In Jorg Lamparter, we are gaining a recognized expert in digital mobility services as a new Member of the Board of Management. Within Daimler Financial Services AG, which will change its name to Daimler Mobility AG this summer, he will systematically merge the growing fields of digitization and mobility." Daimler Financial Services AG is strategically realigning key areas of its business by establishing a new division on its Board of Management. Effective June 1, 2019, Jorg Lamparter, currently head of Daimler Mobility Services GmbH, is poised to become a new Member of the Daimler Financial Services AG Board of Management, leading the Digital and Mobility division. As Head of Daimler Mobility Services GmbH, Lamparter has been responsible for Daimler's mobility services. At the end of 2018, Daimler AG had approximately 31 million customers worldwide. Lamparter also played a major role in spearheading the joint ventures with BMW Group in January 2019, bringing Daimler's mobility products and services - car2go, moovel and mytaxi - under the newly-created company YOUR NOW. In his new role, Lamparter will be responsible for the company's strategic journey of digitalizing products and processes within the company. He will also remain Head of Daimler Mobility Services GmbH. "In Jorg Lamparter, we are gaining a recognized expert in the field of digital mobility services as a new Member of the Board of Management. Within Daimler Financial Services AG, he will play a fundamental role in merging the growing fields of digitization and mobility," stated Klaus Entenmann, Chairman of Daimler Financial Services AG. Supporting the newly created Digital and Mobility Solutions division, Rodolfo Dominguez, currently Vice President of Business Transformation and Chief Digital Officer for Mercedes-Benz Financial Services in the U.S. will transition to an expanded role as Global Head of Digital Solution Centers (DSC) and Chief Digital Officer for Daimler Financial Services, effective June 1, 2019. He will be based out of the company's global headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, reporting to Jorg Lamparter. With these personnel and organizational changes, the company is preparing for its renaming as Daimler Mobility AG in July. Franz Reiner, currently Member of the Board of Management for the Europe Region and current Chairman of Mercedes-Benz Bank AG in Germany, will become the company's new Chairman on June 1, 2019, succeeding Klaus Entenmann, who will retire at the end of the year. Benedikt Schell, currently Chief Experience Officer (CXO) and Member of the Board of Management for Daimler Financial Services AG will take over the position of Chairman of Mercedes-Benz Bank AG in Germany, succeeding Franz Reiner on June 1, 2019. At the same time, Schell will step down from Daimler Financial Services AG's Board of Management. Klaus Entenmann: "As CXO, Benedikt Schell played a fundamental role in the successful implementation of our digitalization strategy to date. The Digital Solution Centers that were established under his leadership are a key element of our digital transformation and are critical in our ability to swiftly launch scalable products and services." About Jorg Lamparter: In his function as Head of Mobility Services at Daimler Financial Services AG, Jorg Lamparter is responsible for areas that will change the future of mobility. An important milestone was January 31, 2019, which saw the successful completion of the mobility joint ventures between Daimler AG and the BMW Group in the areas of ride-hailing (FREE NOW), carsharing (SHARE NOW), multimodal mobility (REACH NOW), parking (PARK NOW) and charging (CHARGE NOW). As Head of Mobility Services, Lamparter is also responsible for autonomous services, digital mobility solutions, urban mobility concepts and for the management of portfolio investments in several companies, such as Blacklane, FlixMobility, Taxify, Turo, Via, among others. These topics will continue to report under Lamparter. Lamparter, a technical business economist graduate, joined the former Daimler-Benz AG in 1996 and has held various positions in Germany and abroad. In the early 2000s, he played a central role in establishing an internet-based, car financing startup in the USA. From June 2006 until the end of 2011, Lamparter was responsible for setting up and developing Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Canada Corporation outside Toronto, Canada. Following, he became Director - Sales & Marketing, managing the sales and marketing activities for the Passenger Car and Commercial Vehicle unit of Daimler Financial Services AG in Stuttgart until September 2013. From July 2013 to February 2016, he was Head of Sales at Mercedes-Benz Bank AG. Between March 2016 and October 2017, Lamparter was CEO of the moovel Group, responsible for all activities of the moovel Group (Stuttgart) and moovel North America (Portland, Oregon). About Rodolfo Dominguez: In his expanded role, Dominguez will be responsible for accelerating the adoption and scaling of digital technologies to deliver a first-class experience for dealers and customers through the company's Digital Solution Centers in China, Germany, Singapore and the United States. Prior to his new position, Dominguez worked as the Vice President of Business Transformation and Chief Digital Officer for the U.S. and Canada, where he led the establishment of a newly created Digital Solution Center with focus on digitally enabled, customer self-service capabilities, delivered through scaled agile frameworks. Dominguez has over 20 years of automotive finance and leadership experience in Mexico, Canada and the U.S. His previous positions include: Vice President Enterprise Portfolio Management; Vice President - Global Products Processes and Systems; President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Canada; and Business Center Director in Canada. Before joining the company in 1996, Dominguez worked for Hussmann Refrigeration and KPMG in Mexico. Dominguez earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with Major in Public Accounting and a Master's degree in Information Technologies and Business Administration from the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM). He is passionate about giving back to the community and developing future leaders through his involvement with several non-profit organizations, including a three-year tenure as the Michigan Chapter President of the Association of Latino Professionals for America. He was named in 2016 an "Automotive News All-Star" in the Finance & Insurance category. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, he was selected for the "HITEC 100" list by the Hispanic IT Executive Council, which recognizes the top 100 most influential and notable Hispanic Professionals in the information technology industry. More information from Daimler is available online at: www.media.daimler.com and www.daimler.com This document contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current views about future events. The words "anticipate", "assume", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "can", "could", "plan", "project", "should" and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties, including an adverse development of global economic conditions, in particular a decline of demand in our most important markets; a deterioration of our refinancing possibilities on the credit and financial markets; events of force majeure including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, political unrest, armed conflicts, industrial accidents and their effects on our sales, purchasing, production or financial services activities; changes in currency exchange rates; a shift in consumer preferences towards smaller, lower-margin vehicles; a possible lack of acceptance of our products or services which limits our ability to achieve prices and adequately utilize our production capacities; price increases for fuel or raw materials; disruption of production due to shortages of materials, labor strikes or supplier insolvencies; a decline in resale prices of used vehicles; the effective implementation of cost-reduction and efficiency-optimization measures; the business outlook for companies in which we hold a significant equity interest; the successful implementation of strategic cooperations and joint ventures; changes in laws, regulations and government policies, particularly those relating to vehicle emissions, fuel economy and safety; the resolution of pending government investigations or government-initiated investigations and the conclusion of pending or threatened future legal proceedings; and other risks and uncertainties, some of which we describe under the heading "Risk and Opportunity Report" in this Annual Report. If any of these risks and uncertainties materializes, or if the assumptions underlying any of our forward-looking statements prove to be incorrect, the actual results may be materially different from those we express or imply by such statements. We do not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements since they are based solely on the circumstances at the date of publication. Daimler at a glance Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the vehicle manufacturer is one of the biggest suppliers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance, financial investments, credit cards, and innovative mobility services. The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As a pioneer in vehicle manufacturing, Daimler sees making the future of mobility safe and sustainable as both a motivating factor and an obligation. The Group's focus is on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior vehicles which exude a very special fascination. Daimler consistently invests in the development of efficient drive systems ranging from hybrid vehicles to all-electric vehicles powered by either batteries or a fuel cell. The Group's long-term goal here is emission-free driving. What's more, the company is emphatically pushing for intelligent networking of its vehicles, as well as autonomous driving and new mobility concepts. Daimler is committed to championing a responsible approach in the interests of society and the environment. Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa. Besides Mercedes-Benz as the world's most valuable premium automobile brand (source: inter-brand study, 4.10.2018), the Group's portfolio also includes Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and Mercedes me, as well as the brands smart, EQ, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, FUSO, Setra and Thomas Built Buses, not to mention the Daimler Financial Services brands: Mercedes-Benz Bank, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, Daimler Truck Financial, moovel, car2go and mytaxi. The company is listed on the Frankfurt and Stuttgart stock exchanges (stock exchange symbol DAI). Group unit sales totaled around 3.3 million vehicles in 2017, with a workforce of more than 289,300. The application of IFRS 15 and IFRS 9 in the 2017 financial year would have produced corporate sales of 164.2 billion and a corporate EBIT of 14.3 billion. Before the change to IFRS 15 and 9, corporate sales for the 2017 financial year as reported were 164.3 billion with a corporate EBIT for the 2017 financial year of 14.7 billion. SOURCE Daimler Financial Services By Caitlin Johnstone May 13, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - Whenever you speak out on a public forum against internet censorship, like the recent Instagram/Facebook banning of Louis Farrakhan, Infowars, and several right-wing pundits, you always offend two major political groups. The first group are the power-serving authoritarians who identify with the left side of the political spectrum; they argue that its good and right to trust Silicon Valley plutocrats to regulate political speech on giant monopolistic platforms. The second group are the capitalism cheerleaders who believe theres a free market solution to every problem; they argue that these Silicon Valley giants are private companies which are completely separate from the government, so its not accurate to refer to what they do with their own property as censorship. Is that really true, though? Is it really accurate to claim that these sprawling corporations that nobodys been able to compete with are simply private companies, separate and distinct from the government of the nation theyre based in? If you look at their behavior, it certainly doesnt seem like it. The US government is working to topple the government of Venezuela and replace it with a puppet regime. On the off chance that you were still in denial of this self-evident fact, check out this April 24th fact sheet on the website for the US embassy in Brazil which openly boasts about the way economic and diplomatic pressures are being deliberately placed on the Venezuelan government to install Washington puppet Juan Guaido to the nations leadership. Trumps National Security Advisor has blatantly threatened that the US will starve the families of Venezuelan military officers if they dont overthrow their government, right there on Twitter. This is a known, unconcealed US government agenda. And the Silicon Valley giants are actively facilitating it. For example, as highlighted by journalist Max Blumenthal, if you go to Google and look up Venezuelas embassy in Washington, DC, the result you get looks like this: Google lists Venezuelas ambassador to the US as Carlos Vecchio, who has no governmental power and no authority to issue Venezuelan passports, because he represents no actual government but rather the puppet government that the US is attempting to install. Google has no reason to refer to this US government propaganda construct as Ambassador, but it does so anyway in support of the US governments aggressive campaign to replace the Venezuelan government staff in the DC embassy with the staff of its imaginary puppet regime. Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter Google, by the way, has been financially intertwined with US intelligence agencies since its very inception when it received research grants from the CIA and NSA for mass surveillance. It pours massive amounts of money into federal lobbying and DC think tanks, has a cozy relationship with the NSA, and has been a military-intelligence contractor from the beginning. With Wikipedia, whose leadership allows it to serve as a narrative management operation for the US-centralized empire, its the same thing. Look up Juan Guaido, who has no actual political power and no authority whatsoever in Venezuela, and this is what youll see: Its been that way since January. With Twitter its the same. During and immediately after the April 30th failed coup attempt in Venezuela the site suspended numerous Venezuelan government accounts, some permanently, and earlier this year Twitter deleted the accounts of nearly 2,000 pro-Maduro users. In 2017 we saw the same, with thousands more pro-Maduro accounts deleted. Nothing comparable has ever happened with the governments of US-allied nations. With Facebook weve seen the pages of Venezuela Analysis and TeleSUR English temporarily suspended, along with the permanent deletion of inauthentic Venezuelan, Iranian and Russian accounts in conjunction with Twitter. Facebooks censorship program is directed by the Atlantic Council narrative control firm, which is funded by the governments of the US and its allies. There is no legitimate reason for these massive Silicon Valley corporations to be acting in the interests of US State Department agendas, and yet here they are doing exactly that. Friendly reminder that in an October 2017 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, senators spoke with top legal and security officials for Facebook, Twitter and Google in a very disturbing way about the need for a Ministry of Truth to silence dissenting voices. Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii demanded that the companies adopt a mission statement declaring their commitment to prevent the fomenting of discord. Think tank narrative manager and former FBI agent Clint Watts kicked it up even further, saying, Civil wars dont start with gunshots, they start with words. Americas war with itself has already begun. We all must act now on the social media battlefield to quell information rebellions that can quickly lead to violent confrontations and easily transform us into the Divided States of America. Stopping the false information artillery barrage landing on social media users comes only when those outlets distributing bogus stories are silenced silence the guns and the barrage will end, Watts added. Daniel Mai won the final round of the 2019 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition by answering the question: "What is the quotient of 5040 divided by the product of its unique prime factors?" during the Countdown Round, in which the top 12 Mathletes competed in head-to-head matchups. He gave the correct answer, 24, in just 22.53 seconds. As National Champion, Daniel Mai is the recipient of the $20,000 Donald G. Weinert College Scholarship and a trip to U.S. Space Camp. Daniel Mai was the second-ranked competitor going into the Countdown Round, based on his written test scores. Eighth grader Suyash Pandit, 14, of Portland, Oregon, was the Countdown Round Runner-Up. The other two semifinalists were both from Virginia, Samuel Wang and Ethan Zhou. In the team competition, Massachusetts captured the title of First Place Team. Team members include Kaylee Ji, Huaye Lin, Daniel Mai and Max Xu. The Florida state team took second place, and the California team placed third. Taking place 50 years after the first moon landing, the 2019 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition commemorated the moonshot achievements of yesterday by celebrating the moonshot thinkers of tomorrow. "Congratulations to Daniel Mai and all the competitors from across the country who embraced their love of math and participated in the MATHCOUNTS National Competition," said Raytheon Chairman and CEO Tom Kennedy. "Like the pioneers who helped send humans to the moon and back, your dedication and perseverance show that the next generation will soon be ready to help unlock the moonshots of tomorrow." This is the 11th year that Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has served as Title Sponsor of the MATHCOUNTS National Competition as part of its global commitment to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. To continue developing the next generation of STEM innovators and professionals, Raytheon has extended its sponsorship of this elite math competition through 2025. Daniel Mai was among 224 competitors from all 50 states, plus U.S. territories and schools that serve the U.S. State and Defense departments, who traveled to Orlando after earning a spot in the national competition. More than 90,000 students participated in the local and state competitions that led to this weekend's event, the 36th in the MATHCOUNTS Foundation's history. "The world needs problem-solvers like our national competitors who embrace challenges and collaborate to achieve what seems impossible," said Kristen Chandler, executive director of MATHCOUNTS. "I am so proud of our national competitors and cannot wait to see what they accomplish in the future." About MATHCOUNTS Foundation MATHCOUNTS is a nonprofit organization that strives to engage middle school students of all ability and interest levels in fun, challenging math programs, in order to expand their academic and professional opportunities. Middle school students exist at a critical juncture in which their love for mathematics must be nurtured, or their fear of mathematics must be overcome. For more than 30 years, MATHCOUNTS has provided free, high-quality resources to educators and enriching, extracurricular opportunities to students to lay a foundation for future success. Materials and information are available at www.mathcounts.org. 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 Contacts MATHCOUNTS Molly Gormley +1.703.299.9006 [email protected] Raytheon Company Kevin Wynn +1.781.522.5186 [email protected] SOURCE Raytheon Company Related Links http://www.raytheon.com NORTH CANTON, Ohio, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) today announced that the merger/squeeze-out of Diebold Nixdorf AG, the company's German public subsidiary, is complete, streamlining and simplifying the company's corporate structure. The merger/squeeze-out eliminates Diebold Nixdorf AG as a separate corporate entity and immediately terminates its listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. In addition, under German law, Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated has now acquired all of the remaining minority shares of Diebold Nixdorf AG utilizing approximately $85 million of funds set aside for this purpose in the company's refinancing transaction in August 2018. With the completion of the merger/squeeze-out, only Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated remains publicly-listed and has no longer subsidiary-level free float in Germany. 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. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/diebold Twitter: twitter.com/dieboldnixdorf Facebook: www.facebook.com/DieboldNixdorf YouTube: www.youtube.com/dieboldnixdorf SOURCE Diebold Nixdorf Related Links http://www.dieboldnixdorf.com STOCKHOLM, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Elkem is a world-leading supplier of specialised silicon materials to a range of industries, including aluminum, electronics, silicone chemicals, polysilicon, construction, refractories and oilfield. The speciality product Silgrain has become an essential part of key advanced products such as batteries used in a variety of aerospace applications. EaglePicher Technologies is the leading provider of battery solutions for U.S. space missions. EaglePicher has powered launch vehicles, satellites, landers, and manned and unmanned missions since the beginning of the U.S. space program. In fact, EaglePicher batteries have over 2.6 billion cell hours in space without a mission failure. EaglePicher's non-rechargeable thermal batteries were successfully used on the landing systems of the Mars Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity rovers, the InSight lander and will be used on the upcoming Mars 2020 mission. Thermal batteries can be designed for storage of 20 plus years and provide extremely high-power outputs over a short period of time in extreme environments. These features make them ideal for supplying the electrical power requirements to the critical deployment of landing subsystems during the entry, descent and landing phases of a mission. Elkem's Silgrain has been used exclusively by EaglePicher for more than ten years in the production of their thermal batteries. - "Silicon materials from Elkem are an integral component in EaglePicher thermal battery designs. In January 2019, we completed a delivery of thermal batteries that will support the Mars 2020 mission. As a key supplier, Elkem Silgrain was used in these batteries", said Ron Nowlin, Vice President and General Manager of Aerospace Systems. Elkem is proud of its long-term relationship with EaglePicher which is taking Silgrain produced in Norway far beyond our terrestrial boundaries in the pursuit of knowledge about one of Earth's closest planetary neighbour. - "Elkem appreciates its long-term relationship with EaglePicher and recognises their contribution to mankind's search for knowledge through the peaceful exploration of space. Elkem is proud to be a part of this effort through the dependable supply of Silgrain used in EaglePicher's thermal battery systems", says Senior Vice President, Elkem Silicon Materials, Trond Sterstad. For more information, please contact: Richard Wolf Elkem Silicon Materials tel: +1-614-477-1524 Heather Smriga EaglePicher tel: +1-314-797-8605 About Elkem ASA Founded in 1904, Elkem is one of the world's leading suppliers of silicon-based advanced materials with operations throughout the value chain from quartz to specialty silicones, as well as attractive market positions in specialty ferrosilicon alloys and carbon materials. Elkem is a publicly listed company on the Oslo Stock Exchange, and is headquartered in Oslo. The company has 6200 employees with 27 production sites and sales offices in a total of 28 countries worldwide. In 2018 Elkem had revenues of 25.9 billion NOK. To learn more, please visit www.elkem.com. About EaglePicher EaglePicher Technologies, designs, develops and produces mission-critical power solutions. EaglePicher is an industry leading producer of batteries, battery management systems and energetic devices. For over 75 years, the company has served highly demanding requirements for aerospace, aviation, defense and medical battery applications. As the leading provider of thermal battery systems to the Department of Defense, EaglePicher supplies power for the majority of the U.S. military's missile and precision guided munitions systems. EaglePicher's space heritage dates to the earliest days of the U.S. space program, from the first satellite to the Mars rovers. The company has provided lithium-ion batteries to military aircraft and high altitude unmanned aerial vehicles. EaglePicher has nine North American manufacturing and research and development sites and employees over 900 team members. For more information, please visit www.eaglepicher.com. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Public/16930/2808328/a9f57c53e9a4bc98_org.jpg Silgrain space 1 -photo by NASA JPL - Caltech https://mb.cision.com/Public/16930/2808328/82f6c2f8308044ed_org.jpg Silgrain Nasa space selfie photo credit NASA JPL - Caltech SOURCE Elkem KADIMA-TZORAN, Israel, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Eviation Aircraft Ltd. announced that at its Special General Meeting of the Shareholders held at the Company's offices on Monday, May 6, 2019, the following resolutions were adopted: To approve the issuance of Ordinary Shares of no par value to the controlling shareholder of the Company, and that the purchase of such shares shall be deemed a private placement for the purpose of enabling the controlling shareholder to acquire at least forty-five percent (45%) of the voting power in the Company without requiring a special tender offer, in accordance with Section 328(b)(1) of the Israeli Companies Law. To approve an amendment of the Company's Articles of Association (the "Articles"). To approve the repayment of certain outstanding amounts owing from the Company to its shareholders. To approve the payment of compensation to certain of the Company's officers and directors. To approve a grant of options to a director of the Company. About Eviation Aircraft Eviation Aircraft Ltd. is developing and manufacturing efficient electric aircraft in an effort to make electric aviation a fast, competitive, and sustainable answer to the on-demand mobility of people and goods. Its distributed propulsion, high-energy density batteries, mission-driven energy management, and new airframe are designed from the ground up to maximize these technological advances for regional flight operators. Eviation is a member of NASA's on-demand mobility program, and serves on the electric aviation committees of the General Aviation Manufacturers' Association (GAMA) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Please visit us at www.eviation.co. SOURCE Eviation Aircraft Ltd. Related Links https://www.eviation.co WASHINGTON, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac;NYSE: AGM and AGM.A) announced that it intends to provide notice to the holders of its 6.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series B (the "Series B Preferred Stock") of the redemption of all of its outstanding 3,000,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock. Farmer Mac will redeem the Series B Preferred Stock for a redemption price of $25.00 per share, plus any declared and unpaid dividends through and including the redemption date. The redemption date will be June 12, 2019. On and after the redemption date, dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock will cease to accrue. All shares of Series B Preferred Stock are issued in book-entry form only through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company ("DTC"). Accordingly, the redemption of the Series B Preferred Stock, including payment of the redemption price, will be completed according to DTC's procedures. A notice of redemption will be given today to the holders of Series B Preferred Stock. Payment to DTC for the Series B Preferred Stock so redeemed will be made by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as transfer agent. Forward-Looking Statements In addition to historical information, this release includes forward-looking statements that reflect management's current expectations for the redemption, including the redemption date. Management's expectations for Farmer Mac's future necessarily involve a number of assumptions and estimates and the evaluation of risks and uncertainties. You should pay particular attention to the risk factors discussed in Farmer Mac's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as filed with the SEC on February 21, 2019. In light of these potential risks and uncertainties, no undue reliance should be placed on any forward-looking statements expressed in this release. The forward-looking statements contained in this release represent management's expectations as of the date of this release. Farmer Mac undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of revisions to any forward-looking statements included in this release to reflect new information or any future events or circumstances, except as the SEC otherwise requires. About Farmer Mac Farmer Mac is a vital part of the agricultural credit markets and was created to increase access to and reduce the cost of capital for the benefit of American agricultural and rural communities. As the nation's largest secondary market for agricultural credit, we provide financial solutions to a broad spectrum of the agricultural community, including agricultural lenders, agribusinesses, and other institutions that can benefit from access to flexible, low-cost financing and risk management tools. Farmer Mac's customers benefit from our low cost of funds, low overhead costs, and high operational efficiency. SOURCE Farmer Mac Related Links http://www.farmermac.com HOUSTON, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Oilfield Water Connection announces that registration is open for the first-ever conference entirely focused on the rapid evolution of the oilfield water business model. On June 21, 2019, in downtown Houston, attendees will have a chance to participate in an executive discussion on the business, market structure and finance aspects of oilfield water management. Join us on June 21 in Houston to discuss oilfield water business trends For more information and to register for the conference please visit www.oilfieldwater.com. "For the first time in history, the biggest business uncertainties facing the U.S. oil industry relate to a liquid other than crude," said Oilfield Water Connection co-founder Joseph Triepke. "Oilfield water management is a structural problem which requires a business model revolution to solve. I'm excited about gathering the industry's smartest business leaders to advance the discussion." Oilfield Water Connection co-founder Pete Cook said: "Industry leaders have reacted enthusiastically to how the event examines the procurement, financial and business model options in midstream water today. While there are several high-quality events focused on emerging oilfield water technology, industry leaders are excited to finally have one focused on the business side of the industry." Appearing on stage will be about 20 oilfield water thought leaders in panels and presentations. Topics on the agenda include: Capital Markets Update 2020 Vision: Economic Outlook for Permian Water in the Next Decade Midstream or Services? Valuing and Optimizing Oilfield Water Solutions Private Equity, Transaction, and Valuation Considerations in the Water Pipeline Produced Water Trading - Commoditization Is in the Air (and the Water) ... Cost Center or Profit Center? Extracting a Critical Path Function from the E&P Industry Water Solutions and Financing in Basins Not Named Permian Early confirmed conference presenters include executives and experts from H2O Midstream, Layne Water Midstream, Lagoon Water Solutions, Primexx Energy Partners, Rice University's Baker Institute, B3 Insights, Sourcewater Inc, Alpha SWD, and Infill Thinking among others. The latest agenda, speaker line-up and sponsor recognition can be seen at www.oilfieldwater.com, where you can also now register to attend or sponsor this conference. For Speaking, Sponsorship, Attendance, or Press Inquiries Contact: Pete Cook (817) 918-3347 [email protected] Or Joseph Triepke (817) 918-3347 [email protected] About Oilfield Water Connection: Oilfield Water Connection is the first knowledge sharing event platform devoted to the business, marketplace and finance aspects of oilfield water management. The company was created in 2019 to deliver a dedicated forum to E&P, midstream and service executives, as well as oilfield water industry investors. The format, topics and speakers at Oilfield Water Connection conferences are carefully selected to provide valuable information and opportunities for business leaders. For more information and to sign up for the popular Water Weekly Digest, please visit www.oilfieldwater.com . Related Images event-flyer.jpg Event Flyer Join us on June 21 in Houston to discuss oilfield water business trends SOURCE Oilfield Water Connection ROCKVILLE, Md., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: RGRX) ("the Company" or "RegeneRx"), a clinical-stage drug development company focused on tissue protection, repair and regeneration, announced today that the first patient has been enrolled in ARISE-3, a phase 3 clinical trial sponsored by ReGenTree LLC, a U.S. joint venture between RegeneRx and GtreeBNT, a Korean biopharmaceutical company. The clinical trial will evaluate RGN-259, a sterile, preservative-free eye drop in 700 patients with dry eye syndrome (DES) at approximately fifteen nationwide clinical sites across the U.S., including hospitals and clinics specializing in ophthalmology, comparing the drug candidate to placebo. Completion is expected during mid-2020. Additional information may be found at clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03937882?term=arise-3&rank=1 . "We are very pleased that ARISE-3 has begun enrolling patients. This is a critical trial for us and our partner, which we believe, if successful, should significantly enhance the value of RegeneRx. To that end, the Novartis purchase of Xiidra for up to $5.4 billion indicates the value of the rapidly growing market for FDA-approved dry eye drugs and is a benchmark for the potential future value of RGN-259 eye drops for DES. We believe RGN-259 is significantly differentiated from Xiidra and Restasis, the two FDA-approved drugs used for dry eye, as RGN-259 has shown no toxicities or patient discomfort in the hundreds of patients treated to date and appears to act more rapidly to reduce inflammation and alleviate the signs and symptoms of dry eye," stated J.J. Finkelstein, president and chief executive officer. Dry eye syndrome is a common condition affecting millions of people throughout the world. DES is a disorder where loss of homeostasis of the tear film results in pain, itching, blurry vision, and dryness, among other symptoms. RGN-259 eye drops contain an active small protein, thymosin beta 4, which is naturally occurring in tears and other body fluids. RGN-259 eye drops have demonstrated wide-ranging and multifunctional activities. Such activities underlie the efficacy of RGN-259 eye drops seen to date in alleviating both the signs and symptoms of dry eye. Moreover, RGN-259 eye drops are safe and well-tolerated by patients, and in both ARISE-1 and ARISE-2, patients reported minimal ocular discomfort similar to that of the placebo. About RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.regenerx.com) RegeneRx is focused on the development of novel therapeutic peptides, including Thymosin beta 4 (T4) and its constituent fragments, for tissue and organ protection, repair and regeneration. RegeneRx currently has three drug candidates in clinical development for ophthalmic, cardiac and dermal indications, three active strategic licensing agreements in the U.S., China, and Pan Asia (Korea, Japan, and Australia, among others), and has patents and patent applications covering its products in many countries throughout the world. RGN-259, the Company's ophthalmic eye drop, is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials for dry eye syndrome and neurotrophic keratopathy. For additional information about RegeneRx please visit www.regenerx.com. Forward Looking Statements Any statements in this shareholder letter that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements made under the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this shareholder letter include, but are not limited to, competitive products, statements regarding our strategic and research partnerships, clinical trials, regulatory applications and approvals, the development and value of our drug candidates, and the use of our drug candidates to treat various conditions. All forward-looking statements are expectations and estimates based upon information obtained and calculated by the Company at this time and are subject to change. Moreover, there is no guarantee any clinical trial will be successful or confirm previous clinical results. Please view these and other risks described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including those identified in the "Risk Factors" section of the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, and subsequent quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q, as well as other filings it makes with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements in this shareholder letter represent the Company's views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update this information, as a result of future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. SOURCE RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Related Links http://www.regenerx.com WASHINGTON, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) is pleased to announce Kelly Phillips Erb, will deliver the Opening Plenary Session on Monday, July 29, 2019 at 5 p.m. View the conference schedule and register at https://www.naea.org/national-conference. Kelly Phillips Erb has both her JD and LL.M. in Taxation from Temple University School of Law. Her primary practice area is tax law including trusts and estates; domestic and international tax planning; formation and administration of nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations; and tax controversy matters such as delinquencies, offers in compromise and audits. Kelly graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, NC, before heading to Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. While at law school, Kelly interned at the estates attorney division of the Internal Revenue Service. At the IRS, she participated in the review and audit of federal estate tax returns. She authors the popular Taxgirl blog as a senior contributor with Forbes.com, which has been consistently recognized by the ABA Journal as one of the top blogs written by lawyers: in 2014, the blog was added to the ABA Journal "Blawg 100 Hall of Fame." In addition, Kelly has written and has been interviewed about taxes for CNN Money, CNBC, Reuters, Time, and US News & World Report. She has been tapped for her ability to explain taxes in plain English by numerous media outlets, including National Public Radio's Marketplace, Esquire, CBS Radio, Inc., Martha Stewart's Living, and Marketwatch, as well as many podcasts. #NATCON2019 will take place at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and features education sessions covering marijuana tax issues, tax representation, and cryptocurrency audit issues eligible for continuing education credits available as part of NAEA's 33rd National Tax Practice Institute (NTPI). For more information on NAEA, please visit https://www.naea.org/about-naea. Join the conversation on Twitter: #NATCON2019. About the National Association of Enrolled Agents The National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) has been powering enrolled agents, America's tax experts, for more than 45 years. NAEA is a non-profit membership organization composed of tax specialists licensed by the U.S. Treasury Department. NAEA provides the networking, educational opportunities, programs and services that enable enrolled agents and other tax professionals to excel beyond their peers. Enrolled agents are the only federally-licensed tax practitioners who both specialize in taxation and have unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service. To find out more, visit www.naea.org and follow NAEA on Facebook and Twitter. SOURCE The National Association of Enrolled Agents Related Links http://www.naea.org TOKYO and PALO ALTO, Calif., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Fujitsu and Autonomic , a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Smart Mobility, today announce a joint collaboration to offer OEMs1 worldwide a fast and flexible solution to support the automotive industry's transformation to mobility-as-a-service2 models. Leveraging Autonomic's expertise in cloud services for connected vehicles and Fujitsu's capabilities in technology integration and experience in the automotive space, the companies will initially deliver the Transportation Mobility Cloud (TMC) and Fujitsu systems integration services to Ford Motor Company, followed by a rollout to other automakers globally. With the growth in connected cars, autonomous driving, sharing services, ride-hailing, and electric vehicles, the automotive industry is moving towards a services-led automotive ecosystem commonly known as mobility-as-a-service. This has dramatically increased the demand for a fast and flexible mobility service platform that's capable of rapidly processing the vast quantity of data that mobility innovation generates, as well as streamlining applications' access to that data and those vehicles. Through the new partnership, Fujitsu and Autonomic will combine their business acumen, industry expertise, and digital technologies to accelerate mobility-as-a-service adoption. Autonomic's TMC gives car makers and developers the infrastructure to build customer experiences for connected vehicles. Supported by Amazon Web Services, the TMC connects diverse elements of urban mobility systems (connected vehicles, mass transit, personal mobile devices, city infrastructure, and service providers) with the goal of orchestrating a safer, more efficient and sustainable transportation network. With the TMC, Autonomic delivers a flexible and secure platform that provides automakers and other developers the building blocks necessary for connected mobility applications ranging from self-driving car routing, management of large-scale fleets, transit planning and more. Fujitsu brings its deep experience in OEM systems integration to offer mobility technologies and services including Fujitsu's stream data processing technology (Dracena3). This solution enhancement speeds up the deployment of mobility services to individual customers through the continuous and dynamic processing of vast quantities of IoT data from OEMs, insurance companies, and other verticalized input. As part of the collaboration, Fujitsu also will offer access to its broader digital consulting, services and solutions, as well as its global sales network, to enhance sales. "Fujitsu is committed to its partnership with Autonomic to realize the future of mobility. We embrace co-creation, where we bring together knowledge, expertise, and technology from our ecosystem partners and customers to create better solutions," said Junichi Azuma, corporate executive officer and executive vice president, and head of Private Enterprise Business in the Technology Solution Business at Fujitsu Limited. "Our collaboration with Autonomic exemplifies how co-creation can help us achieve our vision to create a human-centric intelligent society a safer, more sustainable world and rewarding place for future generations." "We are delighted to partner with Fujitsu to increase the ease and speed with which the automotive industry can offer mobility services to its customers," said Gavin Sherry, CEO at Autonomic. "In bringing together the power of the Transportation Mobility Cloud and Fujitsu's digital technology innovation and expertise in OEM systems integration, we can help automakers enter new markets and achieve new revenue streams." "As we transform our business to deliver smart vehicles for a smart world, the partnership between Autonomic and Fujitsu will be a powerful enabler of our strategy," said Rich Strader, vice president, Mobility Platforms and Products at Ford Motor Company. "With their combined industry knowledge, technical expertise, and world-class technology, they will be able to accelerate the delivery of holistic, and genuinely useful mobility applications." Availability The Autonomic platform and systems integration services from Fujitsu will be made available in the US and other regions globally. Note to editors OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer): A company that produces parts and equipment to be marketed and sold by another manufacturer. Mobility-as-a-Service: Mobility solutions that are consumed as a service; reflecting a shift away from personally-owned modes of transportation. Dracena (Dynamically Reconfigurable Asynchronous Consistent Event-processing Architecture): Developed by Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., a stream processing architecture that can add or change content while processing large volumes of IoT data, without stopping. Online Resources Fujitsu Read the Fujitsu blog: http://blog.ts.fujitsu.com Follow Fujitsu on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FujitsuAmerica Follow Fujitsu on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/fujitsu-america Find Fujitsu on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Fujitsu Fujitsu pictures and media server: http://mediaportal.ts.fujitsu.com/pages/portal.php For regular Fujitsu news updates, bookmark the Fujitsu newsroom: http://www.fujitsu.com/us/about/resources/news/ Autonomic Follow Autonomic on Twitter: https://twitter.com/autonomic Follow Autonomic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autonomic Find Autonomic on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drivenbysoftware/ For regular Autonomic news updates, bookmark the Autonomic newsroom: https://autonomic.ai/news About Fujitsu Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 140,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.1 trillion yen (US $39 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com . About Fujitsu Americas Fujitsu America, Inc. is the parent and/or management company of a group of Fujitsu-owned companies operating in North, Central and South America dedicated to delivering the full range of Fujitsu products, solutions and services in ICT to our customers in the Western Hemisphere. These companies are collectively referred to as Fujitsu Americas. Fujitsu enables clients to meet their business objectives through integrated offerings and solutions, including consulting, systems integration, managed services, outsourcing and cloud services for infrastructure, platforms and applications; data center and field services; and server, storage, software and mobile/tablet technologies. For more information, please visit: http://fujitsu.com/us and http://twitter.com/fujitsuamerica About Autonomic Autonomic is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Smart Mobility LLC and is set to usher in a new era of connected vehicles and transform how people move around cities. As the creator of the world's foremost transportation and mobility platform for connected vehicles -- the Transportation Mobility Cloud -- Autonomic gives car makers and developers a way to build customer experiences for connected vehicles. To learn more about Autonomic, go to https://autonomic.ai. About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets, and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 196,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com . Fujitsu and the Fujitsu logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fujitsu Limited in the United States and other countries. All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice. SOURCE Fujitsu NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Needle coke with merits of good orientation and excellent conductivity and thermal conductivity, is mainly used in graphite electrodes for electric steelmaking and lithium battery anode materials. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3345226/?utm_source=PRN Against the backdrop of environmental regulation and supply-side reform in China, electric steelmaking demand has soared since 2017, boosting the demand for needle coke for ultrahigh & high power graphite electrodes; also, the demand for lithium battery artificial graphite anode material keeps rising, all of which led to short supply of needle coke in the Chinese market. In particular, China's dependence on imported quality needle coke has widened the gap. In 2018, China imported 220 kilotons of needle coke mainly from Japan, South Korea, UK and the United States, 29.4% more than in the previous year, among which 40% was for graphite electrodes and 60% for anode materials. The supply and demand gap and strong demand from downstream markets have pushed up needle coke prices in China since 2017. By the end of 2018, raw needle coke prices ranged at RMB14,000-16,000/ton and burnt needle coke at RMB25,000-30,000/ton; imported needle coke for graphite electrode was priced at USD3,200-4,000/ton and that for anode material at USD1,200-2,000/ton. In the first half of 2019, prices of imported Phillips 66 needle cokes hiked, of which those for graphite electrodes and anode materials surged by 23.53% and 16.67%, respectively. In China, typical petroleum-based needle coke companies include Jinzhou Petrochemical, Shandong Yida New Material and Shandong Jingyang Technology; main coal-based needle coke players are Shanxi Hongte Coal Chemical, Anshan Open Carbon Thermal New Materials, Baowu Carbon, Qitaihe Baotailong Coal&Coal Chemicals Public and Fangda Xikemo (Jiangsu) Needle Coke Technology. A great number of companies at home and abroad have been allured by huge profits into the industry since 2017, as they do in 2019 when a few projects will be put into production, including Ansteel's 40kt/a needle coke project, Pingdingshan Xuyang Xingyu New Materials Co., Ltd.'s 50kt/a needle coke project and Henan Kaitan New Materials Co., Ltd.'s 40kt/a needle coke project. China will boast a new needle coke capacity of about 450kt/a in late 2019 and 300kt/a in 2020. The report highlights the following: Global needle coke market (supply, demand and competition); China needle coke market (development environment (including policy, technology and trade), supply and demand, competitive pattern, price trend and key projects); China graphite electrode market (supply and demand, competitive pattern, price trend and needle coke demand); China lithium battery anode material market (supply and demand, competitive pattern, price trend and needle coke demand); 7 global and 15 Chinese needle coke companies (operation, needle coke business, etc.). Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3345226/?utm_source=PRN About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com By Al Manar May 13, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - The small Venezuelan counterintelligence service SEBIN (Bolivian National Intelligence Service) managed to humiliate the CIA, revealed the Romanian expert Valentin Vasilescu. According to him, the US intel service had undertaken an initiative in Venezuela aiming to overthrowing the president, Nicolas Maduro making use of its HUMINT section (human intelligence), that is, espionage carried out by infiltrated US agents, who in turn have networks of local informants. But, says Valsilescu, SEBIN has managed to infiltrate all opposition groups trying to seize power in Caracas through its counterintelligence agents. He (SEBIN; ndt) has also infiltrated his officers into the US-funded press and there has been an operation aimed at selecting and publishing the most miraculous but false news related to political events in Venezuela. Therefore, there were several leaks that were delivered to the CIA, such as, for example, the intention of some generals to betray Maduro. To earn the trust of CIA agents, SEBIN members even organized conspiracy meetings with Venezuelan generals, under the full control of Venezuelas intelligence service and military counterintelligence. The desertion of General Manuel Figuera, head of the SEBIN, the release of Leopoldo Lopez from his house arrest and the provision, for Juan Guaido, of a platoon of more than 1,000 soldiers belonging to the SEBIN to take the garrison of Carlota, in Caracas, they were part of the intoxication operation directed at the CIA agents to convince Washington of the success of the coup. When the White House finally gave the green light to the action on April 30, it became one of the biggest failures for the CIA in recent decades. Venezuela has shown that fighting with patriotism and professionalism, even for an embargoed country, can disrupt the plans of the CIA, according to the Romanian expert. Translation by Ana - original: http://spanish. almanar.com.lb/315636 This article was originally published by "The Saker " - PORTLAND, Oregon, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "IE4 Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors Market by Product (Less than 20kW, 20200kW, and More than 200kW) and Application (Material Handling, Liquid Pumps, Fans & Ventilation, Cooling Compressors, Air Compressors & Vacuum Pumps, Blowers, and Coolers): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20132025". According to the report, the global IE4 permanent magnet synchronous motors market accounted for $101.74 million in 2017 and is expected to garner $206.62 million by 2025, registering a CAGR of 9.8% during the forecast period, 2018-2025. The growth of the global IE4 permanent magnet synchronous motors market is driven by increased demand for energy-efficient motors and rise in adoption of motors with minimum operating cost. However, the constant challenges faced by domestic manufacturers to adapt to mass production of IE4 PMS motors impede the market growth. Nonetheless, rapid improvements in design methods to reduce carbon emissions would provide lucrative opportunities to emerging market players in the near future. Purchase Enquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/5258 20-200 kW segment to maintain its lions share in the near future By product, the 20-200 kW segment generated almost one-half of the total market revenue in 2017 and is expected to continue its dominance through 2025. This is attributed to its greater energy efficiency that has propelled its demand in sugar processing industry. However, the >200 kW segment is poised to grow at the highest CAGR of 10.3% during the forecast period. Coolers segment to encounter the fastest growth rate through 2025 By application, the coolers segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 10.4% from 2018 to 2025, owing to rise in investments in wind power generation. However, the air compressors & vacuum pumps segment is expected continue its dominance and occupy almost one-fifth of the overall shares by 2025. Download Sample Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/5258 Asia-Pacific to garner the largest revenue throughout the forecast period Asia-Pacific contributed more than two-fifths of the overall market revenue in 2017 and is expected to maintain its lions share throughout the forecast period, owing to increased utilization of the motors in packaging & plastic processing industries throughout the region. The segment is also anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of 10.3% from 2018 to 2025, on account of rise in industrial activities, surge in electric vehicle penetration, and emergence of manufacturing facilities from fast growing economies. Torchbearers of the industry The key players analyzed in the report include ABB, Altra Industrial Motion Corp, Anhui Wannan Electric Machine Co., Ltd., Bharat Bijlee, CG global, Danfoss, Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., Hitachi Ltd., Kaeser Kompressoren, Kienle + Spiess GmbH, KSB SE & Co. KGaA, Lafert, Merkes GmbH, Nidec, NORD Drive systems, O.M.E. Motori Elettrici s.r.l., OEMER, Siemens AG, Toshiba Corporation, VEM Group, and Weg S.A. They have adopted different strategies including collaborations, joint ventures, partnerships, expansions, mergers & acquisitions, and others to gain a strong position in the industry. 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: Global Interior Doors Market Expected to Reach $85,410 Million by 2025 Friction Products and Materials Market to Garner $24,533 Million, Globally, by 2025 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 DUBLIN, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring and Diagnostic Market: Analysis By Type, By Service, By Region, By Country (2019 Edition): Opportunities and Forecast (2014-2024)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market has been analysed for the historical period of 2014-2018 and the forecast period of 2019-2024. According to the research report, global market by value is projected to display growth represented by a CAGR of over 8.83% during 2019-2024, primarily driven by growing urbanization and major initiatives taken by the governments in developing countries for the development of power sector. Global Power transformer remote monitoring and diagnostic market is expected to grow owing to the increase in the power supply demand, government regulations and initiatives targeting the monitoring and control of the transmission networks. Power generation capacity is rising globally to meet the increasing demand of growing population and emerging industrialization in various parts of the world. This rapid growth in power sector has led to large number of installations of power plants which is propelling the market. Leading transformer manufacturing companies are developing more reliable and long-lasting solution services which are more relying on the latest technology. The demand is growing from major developing countries for the installation of power plants under power projects. Scope of the Report Global Power Transformer Remote Monitoring and Diagnostic Market (Value) - Size, Growth, Forecast By Type - Hardware Solution, Software Solution By Services - Oil and Gas Monitoring, Bushing Monitoring, others Other Report Highlights Market Dynamics - Drivers and Restraints Market Trends Porter Five Force Analysis Competitive Landscape Company Analysis - Siemens AG, Qualitrol Corp, Camlin Power Inc, BPL Global LLC, ABB, Wilson Transformer Company, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC, Honeywell International, Advanced Power Technologies, Eaton Corporation Key Topics Covered 1. Research Methodology 2. Executive Summary 3. Strategic Recommendations 4. Product Overview 5. Market Dynamics 5.1 Market Drivers 5.2 Market Trends 5.3 Market Challenges 6. Competitive Landscape 6.1 Porter's Five Force Analysis 6.2 SWOT Analysis 6.3 Market share of Leading Power Transformer Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Companies 7. Global Power Transformer - Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market 8. Americas Power Transformer - Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market: An Analysis 9. Europe Power Transformer - Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market: An Analysis 10. Asia Pacific Power Transformer - Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market: An Analysis 11. Rest of World Power Transformer -Remote Monitoring & Diagnostic Market 12. Company Profiles 12.1 Siemens AG 12.2 Qualitrol Corp. 12.3 Camlin Power Inc. 12.4 BPL Global LLC 12.5 ABB 12.6 Wilson Transformer Company 12.7 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC 12.8 Honeywell International 12.9 Advanced Power Technologies 12.10 Eaton Corporation PLC For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gxogom 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 VANCOUVER, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Golden Queen Mining Co. Ltd. (TSX:GQM;OTCQX:GQMNF) (the "Company" or "Golden Queen") is pleased to provide the detailed voting results on the items of business considered at the Company's Annual General and Special Meeting (the "Meeting"). The Meeting of Shareholders was held on Monday, May 13, 2019 (the "Meeting"). A total of 265,793,953 common shares were voted, representing 88.57% of the outstanding common shares. The Company wishes to thank the shareholders for their support of the Board of Directors' recommendations. All resolutions proposed in the notice calling the meeting were approved. The percentage of votes cast for each is as follows: Proposal 1 - Number of Directors The number of directors for the Board of Directors of the Company was set as three. Votes of shares for % votes cast Votes against % votes cast 215,794,898 98.36% 3,593,132 1.64% Proposal 2 - Election of Directors Each of the nominee directors listed in the Company's proxy statement and management information circular dated April 10, 2019 was elected as a director, without a vote by ballot being conducted. Golden Queen received proxies directing voting on the three directors nominated for election as set forth in the table below: Name of nominee Votes for % votes cast Votes withheld/abstain % votes cast Paul M. Blythe 213,958,773 97.53% 5,429,257 2.47% Bryan A. Coates 213,481,477 97.31% 5,906,553 2.69% Bernard Guarnera 213,522,601 97.33% 5,865,429 2.67% Proposal 3 - Appointment of Auditors According to proxies received and a vote by show of hands, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was appointed as the Company's auditors until the next general meeting of shareholders or until a successor is appointed and the directors were authorized to fix the auditors' remuneration. Votes of shares for % votes cast Votes withheld/abstain % votes cast 261,433,050 98.36% 4,360,903 1.64% Proposal 4 Approval of the Company's Stock Option Plan According to proxies received and a vote by show of hands, the Company's Stock Option Plan is approved and the Company continues to have the ability to grant options under the Plan until May 13, 2022. Votes of shares for % votes cast Votes against % votes cast 170,830,141 77.87% 48,557,889 22.13% Proposal 5 Approval of the Sale of the Soledad Mountain Project According to the proxies received and a vote by show of hands, the sale of the Soledad Mountain Project is approved and the Company will proceed with the share purchase agreement described in the Information Circular dated April 10, 2019. Votes of shares for % votes cast Votes against % votes cast 212,246,238 96.74% 7,141,792 3.26% Proposal 6 Approval of Share Consolidation According to the proxies received and a vote by show of hands, the consolidation of the Company's shares on the basis of ten existing shares for each one post-consolidation share is approved. Votes of shares for % votes cast Votes against % votes cast 214,275,012 97.67% 5,113,018 2.33% Advisory Voting The shareholders were asked to consider the Advisory Say on Pay resolution to approve the Company's approach to executive compensation as disclosed in the Information Circular dated April 10, 2019 ('say on pay'). This resolution was approved with 85.51% of votes cast in favour. Full details of all proposals are fully described in the Company's Management Information Circular available on the Company's website at www.goldenqueen.com, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov and the detailed results of voting on each proposal are included in the Report of Voting Results filed on SEDAR and on EDGAR. SOURCE Golden Queen Mining Co. Ltd. Related Links www.goldenqueen.com A five-year $15.5 million grant from WKKF to GVSU will enable the university to partner with BCPS to provide middle and high school students a pathway to high-demand jobs in the health care and education sectors; offer teachers enhanced professional development and mentorship opportunities; and continue to build a pipeline of talented educators here in Battle Creek. Additionally, GVSU will open an outreach center in downtown Battle Creek this summer to coordinate student services, also enabling the entire community to inquire and access the university's resources. "We've had a long-standing relationship with the Kellogg Foundation and we are honored they looked to us to provide targeted educational programs in Battle Creek," said Thomas J. Haas, president of Grand Valley State University. "We know how education positively affects the entire climate of a region, and we look forward to a fruitful relationship and successful outcomes for the students, teachers and members of the community." The grant to GVSU marks the beginning of a strong partnership and vision to increase access to higher education options and build a powerful talent pool locally. It builds on a series of long-term investments to support the economic growth of the region. "This new partnership reflects the commitment to collaboration that is guiding our shared efforts for children and families in Battle Creek," said La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. "It is creating a new pathway in our community one that ultimately can increase access to jobs and talent in our region." BETTER JOBS AND A BETTER FUTURE FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE Jobs in science, technology and health are not only among the most high-paying jobs, but they are industries that continue to grow and need more skilled workers. Middle and high school students enrolled at BCPS will be able to attend STEM-focused summer camps where they will get hands-on experience in the health care, engineering and science fields. They will receive valuable and highly-coveted exposure to a range of jobs available, and these programs will help encourage and position them to pursue these careers. High school students can enroll in university classes in education and health sciences to get a head start in their pathway to college and career. Additionally, special camps will encourage young girls to explore math and sciences to promote greater gender equity in these fields. HELPING TEACHERS HELP OUR KIDS Recognizing the need to invest in and retain public school teachers in Battle Creek, GVSU's College of Education will offer professional development opportunities to Battle Creek Public School teachers through new teacher mentoring, leadership development and various programs to support curriculum design and instructional practices. Additionally, classroom assistants will receive support to become certified public school teachers, and pipeline programs will be established to bring more educators to Battle Creek. "The GVSU partnership will open up new, creative ways for BCPS to attract and retain talented teachers, create a student teacher pipeline to develop the next generation of local teachers right here in Battle Creek and help further develop our current teaching staff through university-led mentorships and professional development," said Kimberly Carter, Battle Creek Public Schools superintendent. "We are thrilled that this partnership will help us continue to scale up excellence for our BCPS educators and students." Maria Cimitile, provost and executive vice president for Academic and Student Affairs of Grand Valley State University, said the university looks forward to building a strong partnership with the district and community. "We are pleased at the opportunity to work with Battle Creek Public Schools to offer their talented teachers professional development and teach students about the vital careers in health care and education," Cimitile said. "Our faculty and staff are dedicated to excellence in learning and community engagement. We are excited to contribute our faculty's expertise to help in the growth and economic health of the community." About W.K. Kellogg Foundation: The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life. The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Mich., and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. About Grand Valley State University: Grand Valley State University, one of the 100 largest universities in the nation, attracts nearly 25,000 students with high-quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities. Grand Valley is a comprehensive university serving students from all 83 Michigan counties and dozens of other states and foreign countries. Grand Valley offers 91 undergraduate and 41 graduate degree programs, and has campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids and Holland. The university offers programming and classes from centers in Traverse City and Detroit. The university is dedicated to individual student achievement, going beyond the traditional classroom experience, with research opportunities and business partnerships. About Battle Creek Public Schools: Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS) is a school district located in Calhoun County, Mich., serving the City of Battle Creek as well as parts of Emmett, Pennfield and Bedford townships, and the City of Springfield. With a bold goal of achieving 100% success for every Bearcat, the district offers a broad range of educational experiences to meet the individual needs of students at all levels, including experiential learning, individualized instruction, advanced and accelerated curricula, and outdoor education. In 2017, BCPS received a historic investment from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The district is now in the second year of a five-year transformation plan, advancing bold, top-to-bottom changes to provide a world-class career-, college- and culture-ready education for every student, in every grade, at every school. SOURCE W.K. Kellogg Foundation ROCKVILLE, Maryland, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Natural food preservatives avert multiplication of microorganisms, thereby suspending the development of spoilage. In the present scenario, natural food preservatives market is likely to broaden vigorously since high demand for organic foods has consequences on preservative categories required to maintain product freshness. According to a smart research study published by Fact.MR, mounting demand for organic food is powering growth of natural food preservatives. This report is titled "Natural Food Preservatives Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking - Global Review 2018 to 2028", which attentively focuses on the trends and opportunities set to impact the global natural food preservatives market. Based on research findings, the natural food preservatives market is predicted to witness 5.1% CAGR between 2018 and 2028. This assessment tends to enlighten readers about the different market factors influencing the growth of natural food preservatives market for the period until 2028. In the recent years, sales of natural food preservatives have beheld sheer proliferation merged with growing consumer inclination for clean label products. According to examined statistics, the revenue from sales of natural food preservatives is anticipated to reach US$ 796.5 MN during the forecast period (2018-2028). Request For Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=3056 Acceptance of Performance-Driven Tactics Gaining Prominence As observed in the natural food preservatives market, some of the rapidly transforming trends include development of revised and highly advanced natural preservatives having additional efficiency to increase shelf life. The demand for such modified preservative is soaring and has instigated rigorous competition across the concerned market. Interestingly, manufacturers of natural food preservatives are motivated to encourage innovation and technology associated to manufacturing processes for gaining an extra edge. Furthermore, to capitalize over the rising demand for organic food preservatives as well as to receive hefty shares across the natural food preservatives market, several top players are adopting unique market strategies like mergers, acquisitions, inventive product development, partnerships, along with extension of existing facilities. Browse Full Report on Natural Food Preservatives Market with TOC- https://www.factmr.com/report/3056/natural-food-preservatives-market Safety Aspects of Natural Food Preservatives Lead to Increased Adoption It is important to note that, natural food preservatives are seen as a reliable option due to the presence of safe nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Since natural food preservatives uphold same taste, flavors, as well as long shelf life of food, the adoption of natural food preservatives is expected to reach higher numbers concerned with raw and cooked food. On the other hand, natural food preservatives are pulling great demand from F&B industry, which has actively pushed natural food preservatives' manufacturers to a higher ground. They are now stressing on the development of preservation techniques that enhance safety and microbial quality without negotiating on nutritional value. Furthermore, natural food preservatives are gaining additional traction from food technologists, who are scanning them as replacements to chemical- and physical-based antimicrobial treatments. Request Methodology of this Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RM&rep_id=3056 Cost-Related Restraint Hampering Sustained Growth The report highlights the fact that elevated pricing of natural food preservatives as compared to synthetic counterparts has been obstructing the growth of natural food preservatives market. It is noticed that several natural food preservatives market entrants along with emerging market players from the food and beverage industry endure to limit their production to embrace synthetic and chemical-based food preservatives as a result of affordability factor. The final section of the report climax information related to the major players functioning in the global natural food preservative market. Some of the prominent companies mentioned in the report are Archer Daniels Midland Company, Tate & Lyle, Handary S.A., E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Cargill, Naturex SA, Merck KGaA, Kemin Industries, Inc., Danisco, Kalsec Inc., BTSA Biotecnologias Aplicadas, Brenntag Inc, Kerry Group Plc and Zhengzhou Bainafo Bioengineering Co., Ltd. To Buy Natural Food Preservatives Market Report, Visit- https://www.factmr.com/checkout/3056/S Popular Food Industry Market Reports from Fact.MR Carotenoids Market- Fact.MR study estimates that Europe will be the most lucrative region for carotenoids market, with the demand exceeding 2 million kg in 2018. Carotenoids have become highly popular among health-conscious consumers in Europe. Weight Management Packaged Food Market- The outlook of the weight management packaged food market is projected to remain positive. Stakeholders can expect a steady stream of opportunities with the weight management packaged food market expanding at a value CAGR of 6.2% throughout the period of forecast, 2018-2028. Poultry Feed Market- According to Fact.MR, the demand for poultry feed is projected to expand at a CAGR of 7.1% in terms of volume during the period of forecast, 2018-2027. The poultry feed market report also reveals that the sales volume of poultry feed are likely to cross 890,000,000 tons by the end of 2027. About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports. Contact Us Rohit Bhisey Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.factmr.com/ SOURCE Fact.MR PFAFFIKON, Switzerland, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- iKO Media Group, a global end-to-end service provider for broadcasters and content owners, has launched a new suite of services offering 4K playout and satellite distribution and IP delivery, as well as other advanced broadcasting solutions. iKO Media Group's management and sales team will be at this year's WEBIT.FESTIVAL Europe 2019 on 13-15 May 2019 in NDK, Sofia. Webit Europe is one of the largest events for networking key players in European innovation, digital and tech ecosystems. For more information, visit https://www.webit.org/festival/2019/index.php. iKOMG's AVP Sales Western Europe & Africa, Mr. Dan Akrich will be participating in a professional panel discussing the demystification of the UHD HDR delivery, rationale standards and compatibility of next-level user experience. Among the members of the panel will also be Amos Rozenberg - CEO and Founder, Paramax Films and Bill Wijdeveld, Vice President Business Development, M7 Group. "I am very excited to have been invited to participate in a panel at Webit Europe. As a leading service provider, we pride ourselves in providing the most up-to-date and in-demand services to our customers. We've been successful in this endeavor because we are always on the lookout for new technologies and market trends that will help our customers succeed," said Dan Akrich, iKO's AVP Sales Western Europe & Africa. About iKO Media Group iKO Media Group is a boutique end-to-end media service partner for broadcasters and content owners. They provide tailor-made solutions focused on customer needs through dedicated service to a wide range of global and local networks. iKOMG differs from other service providers thanks to a holistic approach and a keen ability to offer the best SLA for mid-size networks. This approach allows iKOMG to deliver effective solutions customized to specific budgets and requirements without compromising on quality of service. As a trusted partner to dozens of global and local networks, iKOMG is identified with expert knowledge, dedicated service and professionalism. iKOMG is committed to operating its business with the goal of creating value for all stakeholders. The company's sustainability strategy focuses on social, environmental, and economic responsibility. For more information, visit www.ikomg.com/news Press Contact iKOMG Yael Ayalon Marketing Manager [email protected] www.ikomg.com SOURCE iKO Media Group Related Links http://www.ikomg.com Commenting on his gift, Mr. Snyder emphasized how important the mission of Brothers of Mercy is to the quality of life in Clarence and Western New York. "inLighten looks for ways to contribute to our shared community, so that it's a place where our employees enjoy living and working, and which offers valuable resources for their families. I believe one of the most meaningful investments we can make in Clarence is to ensure that, when the need for assistance and skilled services arises, Brothers of Mercy has the facilities and capacity to offer the care they've been faithfully providing for so long." inLighten has its headquarters on Wehrle Drive, not far from the Brothers of Mercy campus, making the organizations neighbors with roots in the community that go deep. Mr. Snyder explained, "inLighten is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and is hiring the executives and staff today that will be the future leaders of our organization and this community. I'm proud to support this campus expansion so that the same high-quality, compassionate care for which Brothers of Mercy is known will be available to our employees' families, the Clarence community and to Western New York for years to come." inLighten is a recognized leader in networked digital media solutions including digital signage products, self-service kiosks, on-hold and environment audio services, check-in and queueing systems and speech privacy solutions that empower clients to effectively and securely communicate with their intended audience to deliver an enhanced consumer experience. For 30 years, inLighten has served clients in the financial services, higher education, healthcare, manufacturing, utility, governmental and not-for-profit sectors. inLighten's headquarters and operations are located in Clarence, New York. SOURCE inLighten DALLAS, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SoftVest, L.P., Horizon Kinetics LLC and ART-FGT Family Partners, which collectively beneficially own over 25% of the outstanding shares of Texas Pacific Land Trust (NYSE: TPL), issued today the following statement: To The TPL Trustees: For weeks we have publicly expressed our concern that you would do anything in your power, even going beyond your Trustee authority, to prevent shareholders from exercising their voting rights if you could not count on the election of your hand-picked nominee, General Cook. Unfortunately, you proved us right. On May 8, 2019, you issued a press release announcing your intent to adjourn the special meeting to purportedly give shareholders time to review a proxy supplement about General Cook's one-sentence commitment to resign after three years if elected trustee. Apparently, little did it matter to you and your advisors that you had disseminated the news a week earlier via multiple channels, and had before May 8 already mailed a letter i.e., a "supplement" to shareholders touting the General's token gesture. The headline of your May 8 press release stated that a proxy supplement was "required by [the] SEC." The release specifically goes on to say that the "SEC ADVISED THE TRUST THAT A SUPPLEMENT TO THE TRUST'S PROXY STATEMENT IS REQUIRED because General Cook's commitment constitutes a fundamental change to the Trust's proxy solicitation." (emphasis added). But two days later, buried in your proxy supplement filed late last Friday, your explanation for delaying the vote had changed: "General Cook's commitment to resign after no more than three years following his election may constitute a "fundamental change" . If so, the filing and mailing of a supplement to the Proxy Statement is required. THE STAFF OF THE SEC ASKED THE TRUST'S COUNSEL FOR AN ANALYSIS OF THIS LEGAL ISSUE. AFTER ANALYZING THIS ISSUE, THE TRUST'S COUNSEL WAS UNABLE TO COME TO A CONCLUSIVE ANSWER . Therefore THE TRUST HAS DECIDED to prepare this Proxy Supplement." (emphasis added). Your initial May 8 announcement declared that the Trustees had been advised by the SEC that a supplement was "required." Yet, as of Friday evening it seems the decision to adjourn the meeting was ultimately yours and your counsel's "out of an abundance of caution." What made you change your story in less than 48 hours? Your reputation and character as a fiduciary Trustee with the responsibility to protect shareholders' interests -- whether their voting rights or their property-- is ultimately built upon the series of actions taken. Scapegoating a regulatory bodythe SECfor your decision to delay the vote, rather than publicly acknowledge it was ultimately your call, is one suchand grave--decision. Once again, your actions speak volumes about your lack of commitment to good governance. It is also unfortunate that General Cook, who has based his qualifications as a candidate for Trustee upon his championing of good stewardship has chosen to remain passively on the sidelinessave for extolling a commitment to high standards of governancewhile you, his sponsors, engage in this type of behavior. At this time we believe your actions have by far bypassed your legal authority and powers under TPL's declaration of trust. In your vehemence to win a proxy contest, you seem to have forgotten that as trustees of a 19th century-created trust, you can be held personally accountable for operating outside the narrow confines of the authority and delegation of power granted to you under a six-page deed from 1888. By your own choice, you are not directors of a modern corporation with broad charter powers and expansive director exculpatory provisions. Bottom line: We believe there are no legitimate reasons for you to attempt to delay the shareholder vote on a new trustee -- only excuses. Since March 4, 2019 , when you nominated Preston Young , you have had an abundance of TIME to communicate your message to shareholders. , when you nominated , you have had an abundance of TIME to communicate your message to shareholders. You have had an abundance of MONEY -- the bank of shareholder capital expended for the most part in an impermissible manner in our view -- to protect your lifetime trustee appointments. You have WITHHELD the NOBO list and directed your solicitors to bombard shareholders with evening solicitation phone calls. That was not enough. You continue to SPEND lavishly on social mediaGoogle, Twitter and Facebook ads, on lawyers, ad agents, solicitors and private investigators, to spread your vicious character attacks on us, long-term shareholders who wish to propose more open governance. Your own senior executives have privately expressed their embarrassment at your tactics. We believe most shareholders are simply tired of your messages and are ready to have their votes counted. We will see you at 10 am on May 22, 2019 in Dallas, Texas , and we intend that the holders present in person or by proxy at the special meeting will have a final say on this matter. *** Important Information SoftVest, L.P. has filed a definitive proxy statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with the solicitation of proxies for a special meeting of holders of the sub-share certificates of proprietary interests for the election of a new trustee of TPL. Investors are strongly advised to read the proxy statement because it contains important information. Investors may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, or by contacting D.F. King, SoftVest LP's proxy solicitor, by phone (212-269-5550) or e-mail ([email protected]). SOURCE SoftVest, L.P., Horizon Kinetics LLC and ART-FGT Family Partners Jason Johnson, GM of the Bandit Big Rig Series, sees fan excitement building as the Madison race approaches. "Fan support has just been incredible the first two races of the series," said Johnson. "I still get a kick out of seeing people's faces as they watch big rigs actually racing out there - they just can't believe how intense the action can get - much less at speeds approaching 100mph. Truck racing has been popular over in Europe for decades, and now with the Bandit Big Rig Series, American race fans are getting a taste of it and loving it." Key sponsors for the Madison race include Foodliner who will be on-site for recruiting opportunities, Minimizer, Big' Uns Nuts, TruckerNation.org and Air Dog Heavy Duty Diesel Fuel Systems who will give-away one of their fuel systems as a prize package. Tickets for this event are on sale now and fans can purchase online at https://www.banditseries.com/ This exciting and affordable family event has activities for the kids and events going on all day - including a Fan Series Truck Show beginning at 11:00am followed by the thrill of big rig racing. Race gates open at 3:00pm. Fans are invited to meet the drivers of the Bandit Big Rig Series on the front stretch of the speedway starting at 5:00pm - the green flag drops at 7:00pm. About Bandit Big Rig Series The Bandit Big Rig Series brings back big rig truck racing to the short track in the United States. The series was designed to be affordable and accessible for anyone wishing to put together a race team, and something new and exciting for the average fan. News Contact: Jason Johnson, General Manager of Bandit Big Rig Series 507.676.1987 [email protected] SOURCE Bandit Big Rig Series Related Links https://www.banditseries.com/ KELOWNA, B.C., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Valens GroWorks Corp. (CSE: VGW) (OTC: VGWCF) (the "Company" or "Valens"), a multi-licensed, vertically integrated provider of cannabis products and services focused on various proprietary extraction methodologies, distillation, cannabinoid isolation and purification, as well as associated quality testing announced today that Deepak Anand has been appointed to its Board of Directors as an independent member. Mr. Anand is recognized as a thought leader in the global cannabis space. He currently serves as the co-founder & CEO of Materia Ventures, a European-focused supply and distribution company for medical cannabis and CBD products. He previously served as vice president of business development and government relations at a Canadian cannabis consulting firm; vice president of a Health Canada-licensed producer; and as a board member for various pharmaceutical associations across Canada, the United States and Europe. "Over the last decade I have had the honor of working with many licensed producers, doctors, patients, policy makers and senior government officials in the cannabis industry," says Deepak Anand. "I look forward to leveraging the knowledge and expertise I gained in the industry to guide Valens as they enter an exciting new chapter of rapid domestic and international growth." "We are extremely excited to announce the joining of Mr. Anand to our board," says Tyler Robson, CEO of Valens GroWorks. "No stranger to the international cannabis sector, his regulatory expertise and global cannabis network is unparalleled. Bringing this international industry specific knowledge to our board will be extremely valuable as we continue to execute on our growth strategies." About Valens GroWorks Valens GroWorks Corp. is a research-driven, vertically integrated Canadian cannabis company focused on downstream secondary extraction methodology, distillation and cannabinoid isolation and purification, as well as associated quality testing with three wholly-owned subsidiaries located in and around Kelowna, BC. Subsidiary Valens Agritech ("VAL") holds a license to cultivate cannabis and produce cannabis oil under the Cannabis Act, as well as a license to conduct analytical testing for the cannabis industry. VAL currently has extraction processing and supply agreements with various leading producers across Canada. Subsidiary Valens Labs is a Health Canada licensed ISO 17025 accredited cannabis testing lab providing sector-leading analytical services and has partnered with Thermo Fisher Scientific to develop a Centre of Excellence in Plant Based Science. Subsidiary Valens Farms is in the process of becoming a purpose-built facility in compliance with European Union (EU) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards, ensuring the product from this facility can be exported anywhere in the world where Cannabis is nationally legal for medical or adult usage purposes. For more information, please visit http://valensgroworks.com. The Company's investor deck can be found specifically at http://valensgroworks.com/investors/ Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of such statements under applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates", "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed", "positioned" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Corporation is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. The CSE or other regulatory authority has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release. We seek Safe Harbour. SOURCE Valens GroWorks Corp. RESTON, Va., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, was named to the 2019 Military Times' Best for Vets Employer List. This marks the company's sixth consecutive year making this list, honoring its continuous dedication to hiring and supporting our nation's military veterans and their families. The Best for Vets Employer List is a distinguished catalogue of the nation's top employers, selected and ranked through a months-long thorough application and vetting process. This year, Military Times received a record breaking number of applicants, with nearly 200 companies submitting for a spot on the list. Leidos ranked at #16 out of 113 companies, the highest ranking the company has received on this list to date. "One of our key business advantages is that one in four of our 32,000 employees at Leidos are military veterans, and we work hard and dutifully to recruit and continually nurture these talented employees in our company," said Paul Engola, Leidos Chief Human Resources Officer & Head of Business Partnerships. "This high and consistent ranking honors the company's ongoing commitment to our veterans and their families, which remains at the helm of our company's driving mission and values." Leidos works to recruit military veterans through Operation MVP, its military veteran program. This company-wide initiative is dedicated to finding, hiring, and supporting transitioning military veterans and their families. Currently, Leidos has over 7,000 veterans employed across the world. The Military Times' Best for Vets Employer List works to objectively and particularly rank the nation's top companies in terms of their support, recruitment, and care for military veterans, service members, and their families. Transitioning service members look to this prestigious list for top companies to apply to, and as such, this list is an honorable recognition and recruitment tool for companies nationwide. For a full list of all ranked companies, visit https://charts.militarytimes.com/chart/13. About Leidos Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 32,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $10.19 billion for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2018. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com. Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 28, 2018, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. SOURCE Leidos Related Links http://www.leidos.com Orloff who will report to Shaun Kelly, President, GRS Distribution leads a team of six regional executives and a wholesale executive, each with a staff that oversees broker relationships and strategy on a local level. "The creation of this role and appointment of Marc helps us deliver on our commitment that distribution partners can easily access the full capability of Liberty and Ironshore, and it will create new opportunities for us to partner in a multiline, collaborative way," explains Kelly. "Since joining Liberty Mutual eight years ago, Marc has built a strong track record of achieving business results, building partnerships internally and externally, developing talent and managing key broker relationships, all of which are critical in this new role." Prior to his new role, Orloff was General Manager for Liberty Mutual's National Insurance Casualty and Middle Market Northeast operation. About Liberty Mutual Insurance Liberty Mutual's purpose is to help people embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow. The promise we make to our customers throughout the world is to provide protection for the unexpected, delivered with care. In business since 1912, and headquartered in Boston, Mass., today we are the fifth largest global property and casualty insurer based on 2017 gross written premium. We also rank 68th on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2017 revenue. As of December 31, 2018, we had $41.6 billion in annual consolidated revenue. We employ nearly 50,000 people in 30 countries and economies around the world. We offer a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, specialty lines, reinsurance, commercial multiple-peril, workers compensation, commercial automobile, general liability, surety, and commercial property. You can learn more about us by visiting www.libertymutualinsurance.com. Contact: Richard Angevine, 1-617-574-6638, [email protected] SOURCE Liberty Mutual Insurance Related Links http://www.libertymutual.com INDIANAPOLIS, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved CYRAMZA (ramucirumab injection, 10 mg/mL solution), as a single agent, for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) of 400 ng/mL and have been treated with sorafenib. Concurrent with this FDA approval the fifth for CYRAMZA the FDA has also removed the boxed warning from the CYRAMZA labeling. HCC is the most common form of liver cancer, which is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.1,2 In the U.S., liver cancer is one of the few major cancers with incidence rates that continue to rise every year3 and is the fastest rising cause of cancer death.4 AFP is a prognostic biomarker that can be assessed through a simple blood test, now allowing physicians to select patients who may benefit from treatment and to monitor disease progression in advanced HCC.5-8 "This approval of CYRAMZA is an important step forward in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma," said Andrew X. Zhu, M.D., director of Liver Cancer Research at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and principal investigator of the REACH-2 trial. "While there have been some recent advances, there are still limited treatment options for people with this type of cancer and until now there was no treatment option specifically indicated for patients with increased alpha-fetoprotein concentrations. These patients can have more aggressive disease and a poorer prognosis with increased angiogenesis." This approval is based on the results from the REACH-2 study, the first positive Phase 3 HCC trial in a biomarker-selected patient population. REACH-2 is a global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study of CYRAMZA compared to placebo in patients with HCC who have been treated with sorafenib and are AFP-High (AFP 400 ng/mL). "This new indication for CYRAMZA further reinforces Lilly's ongoing commitment to delivering meaningful medicines that are tailored for people with advanced cancers and the physicians that work in partnership with them," said Anne White, president of Lilly Oncology. "Our work is focused on helping people who are living with cancer and Lilly is making strides in its efforts to develop precision medicine-based therapies for patients, to give them a fighting chance against their disease." "There is an urgent need for new liver cancer treatments that take into account the things that make each patient unique, particularly for those with advanced stages of the disease," said Donna Cryer, president and CEO of the Global Liver Institute. "We welcome this approval and the hope it may bring to people living with this devastating disease." This approval adds to the body of evidence demonstrating the safety of CYRAMZA. The FDA has removed the boxed warning from the CYRAMZA labeling which highlighted warnings pertaining to hemorrhage, gastrointestinal perforation and impaired wound healing. The updated CYRAMZA labeling continues to provide important information on these specific risks, as well as other adverse events, to physicians and the patients that work in partnership with them so that they can make informed decisions regarding cancer care. The labeling for CYRAMZA contains warnings and precautions for hemorrhage and GI hemorrhage, including severe and sometimes fatal events; gastrointestinal (GI) perforations, a potentially fatal event; impaired wound healing; arterial thromboembolic events (ATEs), including serious and sometimes fatal events; hypertension; infusion-related reactions; worsening of pre-existing hepatic impairment, reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS); proteinuria including nephrotic syndrome; thyroid dysfunction; and embryo-fetal toxicity. CYRAMZA should be permanently discontinued in patients who experience severe bleeding, a GI perforation, an ATE, uncontrolled hypertension, RPLS, or nephrotic syndrome. CYRAMZA should be withheld prior to surgery and discontinued if a patient develops wound healing complications. The most common adverse reactions (all Grades) observed in single agent CYRAMZA-treated HCC patients at a rate of 15 percent and 2 percent higher than placebo were fatigue (36% vs 20%), peripheral edema (25% vs 14%), hypertension (25% vs 13%), abdominal pain (25% vs 16%), decreased appetite (23% vs 20%), proteinuria (20% vs 4%), nausea (19% vs 12%), ascites (18% vs 7%). Please see Important Safety Information below. REACH-2 Trial Results Supporting the Approval In the REACH-2 trial, CYRAMZA showed a statistically significant benefit in the primary endpoint of overall survival (OS) and in the secondary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS). REACH-2 Trial Endpoint CYRAMZA + BSC N=197 Placebo + BSC N=95 OS Number of deaths (%) 147 (75%) 74 (78%) Median in months (95% CI) 8.5 (7.010.6) 7.3 (5.49.1) Hazard ratio (95% CI) 0.71 (0.530.95) p-Value 0.020 PFS Number of deaths (%)* 172 (87%) 86 (91%) Median in months (95% CI) 2.8 (2.84.1) 1.6 (1.52.7) Hazard ratio (95% CI) 0.45 (0.340.60) p-Value <0.0001 ORR Overall response rate (95% CI) 4.6% (1.77.5) 1.1% (0.03.1) Abbreviations: BSC = best supportive care; CI = confidence interval * 26 of 172 events in CYRAMZA-treated patients and 9 of 86 events in placebo-treated patients were deaths. Does not include stable disease; all responses were partial. Disease progression and tumor response were assessed by investigators in accordance with Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1. The REACH-2 study design was informed by findings from the REACH study, which uncovered AFP as a potential predictive biomarker in HCC. CYRAMZA was discontinued due to adverse reactions in 18 percent of CYRAMZA-treated patients, with proteinuria being the most frequent (2%). The most common adverse reactions of any grade observed in single agent CYRAMZA-treated HCC patients at a rate of 15 percent and 2 percent higher than placebo were fatigue (36%), peripheral edema (25%), hypertension (25%), abdominal pain (25%), decreased appetite (23%), proteinuria (20%), nausea (19%), and ascites (18%). The most common serious adverse reactions with CYRAMZA were ascites (3%) and pneumonia (3%). The most common laboratory abnormalities occurring in >30 percent of patients and 2 percent higher than placebo were thrombocytopenia (46%), hypoalbuminemia (33%), and hyponatremia (32%). Lilly has also submitted applications for marketing authorization in the European Union and Japan based on the REACH-2 results and regulatory action in these geographies is expected in mid-2019. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines recognize ramucirumab (CYRAMZA) as a Category 1 recommendation treatment option for second-line HCC patients who have AFP 400 ng/mL and have been treated with sorafenib.9 With this approval, Lilly has now received five FDA approvals for CYRAMZA to treat four of the world's most deadly cancers. These approvals are based on a demonstrated survival benefit in Phase 3 studies of advanced forms of gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, metastatic colorectal cancer, and AFP-High HCC. Two of these studies have shown the proven benefit of CYRAMZA as a single agent in treating advanced gastric cancer and AFP-High HCC. Additionally, Lilly recently announced top-line results from its Phase 3 study of CYRAMZA in EGFR-mutated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. These results will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2019 Annual Meeting and are the basis for global regulatory submissions planned in mid-2019. Notes to Editors About Alpha-Fetoprotein Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a glycoprotein that is produced in early fetal life by the liver and by a variety of tumors including HCC, hepatoblastoma, and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the ovary and testis. A person's AFP, measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), is assessed through a blood test. An AFP level of less than 10 ng/mL is generally considered normal for adults.10 It is estimated that approximately forty percent of all people with advanced HCC are AFP-High (AFP 400 ng/mL) and these patients are known to have a poorer prognosis relative to the general HCC patient population.11 Specifically, these patients can have more aggressive disease and a poorer prognosis with increased angiogenesis, tumor activity, and tumor burden. Tumor burden is the amount of cancer in a person's body. About Hepatocellular Carcinoma Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer accounting for up to ninety percent of all cases.12 Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related death. Each year approximately 841,000 new cases of liver cancer are diagnosed worldwide, and more than 781,000 will die of the disease. In Europe and Japan, an estimated 82,000 and 36,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer, and 62,000 and 33,000 will die, respectively. In the U.S., approximately 38,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer, and 30,000 will die from the disease each year.1 Liver cancer is one of the few major cancers with incidence rates that continue to rise every year in the U.S.3 and is the fastest rising cause of cancer death.4 The prognosis for advanced HCC patients is typically very poor. Surgery is not an option for the majority of advanced HCC patients, as the tumor has often grown or metastasized to the extent that resection is not feasible. Advanced HCC is a disease with few approved systemic treatments, and most patients have significant liver damage which can further limit therapy options. Once patients who are AFP-High enter the second-line treatment setting, the expected survival is three to five months if untreated.11 Despite recent advances in the treatment of chronic liver disease, the incidence of HCC is still expected to rise in the coming decades due to several factors: under-diagnosis of chronic liver disease; increasing prevalence of diabetes, obesity and fatty liver disease; lack of access to viral hepatitis disease therapy; and the persistent risk of cancer even after viral hepatitis cure.13 About CYRAMZA (ramucirumab) In the U.S., CYRAMZA (ramucirumab) has five FDA approvals to treat four different types of cancers. CYRAMZA is being investigated in a broad global development program that has enrolled more than 15,000 patients across more than 110 trials worldwide. These include several studies investigating CYRAMZA in combination with other anti-cancer therapies for the treatment of multiple tumor types. CYRAMZA is an antiangiogenic therapy. It is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) Receptor 2 antagonist that binds specifically to VEGFR-2, thereby blocking the binding of the receptor ligands (VEGF-A, VEGF-C, and VEGF-D) which may slow tumor growth. CYRAMZA inhibited angiogenesis in an in vivo animal model. About Angiogenesis and VEGF Protein Angiogenesis is the process of making new blood vessels. In a person with cancer, angiogenesis creates new blood vessels that give a tumor its own blood supply, allowing it to grow and spread. Some tumors create proteins called VEGF. These proteins attach to the VEGF receptors of blood vessel cells causing new blood vessels to form around the tumors, enabling growth. Blocking the VEGF protein from binding to the receptors located on the surface of blood vessels helps to inhibit tumor growth by slowing angiogenesis and the blood supply that feeds tumors. Of the three known VEGF receptors, VEGF Receptor 2 is linked most closely to VEGF-induced tumor angiogenesis. INDICATIONS Gastric Cancer CYRAMZA, as a single agent, or in combination with paclitaxel, is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma with disease progression on or after prior fluoropyrimidine- or platinum-containing chemotherapy. Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer CYRAMZA, in combination with docetaxel, is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving CYRAMZA. Colorectal Cancer CYRAMZA, in combination with FOLFIRI (irinotecan, folinic acid, and 5-fluorouracil), is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with disease progression on or after prior therapy with bevacizumab, oxaliplatin, and a fluoropyrimidine. Hepatocellular Carcinoma CYRAMZA, as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) of 400 ng/mL and have been treated with sorafenib. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR CYRAMZA (ramucirumab) Warnings and Precautions Hemorrhage CYRAMZA increased the risk of hemorrhage and gastrointestinal hemorrhage, including Grade 3 hemorrhagic events. Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA, the incidence of all Grade hemorrhage occurred between 13-44%. Grade 3-5 hemorrhage incidence ranged from 2-5%. Patients with gastric cancer receiving nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were excluded from enrollment in REGARD and RAINBOW; therefore, the risk of gastric hemorrhage in CYRAMZAtreated patients with gastric tumors receiving NSAIDs is unknown. Patients with NSCLC receiving therapeutic anticoagulation or chronic therapy with NSAIDs or other antiplatelet therapy other than once daily aspirin or with radiographic evidence of major airway or blood vessel invasion or intratumor cavitation were excluded from REVEL; therefore the risk of pulmonary hemorrhage in these groups of patients is unknown. Permanently discontinue CYRAMZA in patients who experience severe (Grade 3 or 4) bleeding. Gastrointestinal Perforations CYRAMZA can increase the risk of gastrointestinal perforation, a potentially fatal event. Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA, the incidence of all Grade and Grade 3-5 gastrointestinal perforations ranged from <1-2%. Permanently discontinue CYRAMZA in patients who experience a gastrointestinal perforation. Impaired Wound Healing Impaired wound healing can occur in patients who receive drugs that inhibit the VEGF or VEGFR pathway. CYRAMZA, a VEGFR2 antagonist, has the potential to adversely affect wound healing. CYRAMZA has not been studied in patients with serious or non-healing wounds Withhold CYRAMZA for 28 days prior to elective surgery. Do not administer CYRAMZA for at least 28 days following a major surgical procedure and until the wound is fully healed. Discontinue CYRAMZA in patients who develop wound healing complications that require medical intervention. Arterial Thromboembolic Events Serious, sometimes fatal, arterial thromboembolic events (ATEs), including myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, cerebrovascular accident, and cerebral ischemia, occurred across clinical trials. Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA, the incidence of all Grade ATE was 2-3%. Grade 3-5 ATE incidence was 1-2%. Permanently discontinue CYRAMZA in patients who experience an ATE. Hypertension An increased incidence of severe hypertension occurred in patients receiving CYRAMZA. Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA, the incidence of all Grade hypertension occurred between 1126%. Grade 3-5 hypertension incidence ranged from 615%. Control hypertension prior to initiating treatment with CYRAMZA. Monitor blood pressure every two weeks or more frequently as indicated during treatment. Withhold CYRAMZA for severe hypertension until medically controlled. Permanently discontinue CYRAMZA for medically significant hypertension that cannot be controlled with antihypertensive therapy or in patients with hypertensive crisis or hypertensive encephalopathy. Infusion-Related Reactions Prior to the institution of premedication recommendations across clinical trials of CYRAMZA, IRRs occurred in 6 out of 37 patients (16%), including two severe events. The majority of IRRs across trials occurred during or following a first or second CYRAMZA infusion. Symptoms of IRRs included rigors/tremors, back pain/spasms, chest pain and/or tightness, chills, flushing, dyspnea, wheezing, hypoxia, and paresthesia. In severe cases, symptoms included bronchospasm, supraventricular tachycardia, and hypotension. Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA in which premedication was recommended or required, the incidence of all Grade IRRs occurred between <1-9%. Grade 3-5 IRRs incidence was <1%. Monitor patients during the infusion for signs and symptoms of IRRs in a setting with available resuscitation equipment. Premedicate prior to each CYRAMZA infusion. Reduce the infusion rate by 50% for Grade 1-2 IRRs. Permanently discontinue CYRAMZA for Grade 3-4 IRRs. Worsening of Pre-existing Hepatic Impairment Clinical deterioration, manifested by new onset or worsening encephalopathy, ascites, or hepatorenal syndrome, was reported in patients with Child-Pugh B or C cirrhosis who received single agent CYRAMZA. Use CYRAMZA in patients with Child-Pugh B or C cirrhosis only if the potential benefits of treatment are judged to outweigh the risks of clinical deterioration. Based on safety data from REACH2, in patients with Child-Pugh A liver cirrhosis, the pooled incidence of hepatic encephalopathy and hepatorenal syndrome was higher for patients who received CYRAMZA (6%) compared to patients who received placebo (0%). Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome (RPLS) has been reported in <0.1% of 1916 patients enrolled in five clinical studies with CYRAMZA. Confirm the diagnosis of RPLS with magnetic resonance imaging and permanently discontinue CYRAMZA in patients who develop RPLS. Symptoms may resolve or improve within days, although some patients with RPLS can experience ongoing neurologic sequelae or death. Proteinuria Including Nephrotic Syndrome Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA, the incidence of all Grade proteinuria ranged from 3-20%. Grade 3 proteinuria (including 4 patients with nephrotic syndrome) incidence ranged from <1-3%. Monitor proteinuria by urine dipstick and/or urinary protein creatinine ratio. If the result of the urine dipstick is 2+ or greater, perform a 24-hour urine collection for protein measurement. Withhold CYRAMZA for urine protein levels that are 2 or more grams over 24 hours. Reinitiate CYRAMZA at a reduced dose once the urine protein level returns to less than 2 grams over 24 hours. Permanently discontinue CYRAMZA for urine protein levels greater than 3 grams over 24 hours or in the setting of nephrotic syndrome. Thyroid Dysfunction Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA, the incidence of Grade 1-2 hypothyroidism ranged from <1-3%; there were no reports of Grade 3-5 hypothyroidism. Monitor thyroid function during treatment with CYRAMZA. Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on its mechanism of action, CYRAMZA can cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant women. Animal models link angiogenesis, VEGF and VEGFR2 to critical aspects of female reproduction, embryo-fetal development, and postnatal development. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with CYRAMZA and for 3 months after the last dose. Lactation Because of the potential risk for serious adverse reactions in breastfed children from ramucirumab, advise women not to breastfeed during treatment with CYRAMZA and for 2 months after the last dose. Most Common Adverse Reactions CYRAMZA Administered as a Single Agent (REGARD) The most commonly reported adverse reactions (all Grades; Grade 3-4) occurring in 5% of patients receiving CYRAMZA and 2% higher than placebo in REGARD were hypertension (16% vs 8%; 8% vs 3%), diarrhea (14% vs 9%; 1% vs 2%), headache (9% vs 3%; 0% vs 0%), and hyponatremia (6% vs 2%; 3% vs 1%). The most common serious adverse events with CYRAMZA were anemia (3.8%) and intestinal obstruction (2.1%). Red blood cell transfusions were given to 11% of CYRAMZA-treated patients vs 8.7% of patients who received placebo. Clinically relevant adverse reactions reported in 1% and <5% of CYRAMZA-treated patients in REGARD were: neutropenia (4.7%), epistaxis (4.7%), rash (4.2%), intestinal obstruction (2.1%), and arterial thromboembolic events (1.7%). Across clinical trials of CYRAMZA administered as a single agent, clinically relevant adverse reactions (including Grade 3) reported in CYRAMZA-treated patients included proteinuria, gastrointestinal perforation, and IRRs. In REGARD, according to laboratory assessment, 8% of CYRAMZA-treated patients developed proteinuria vs 3% of placebo-treated patients. Two patients discontinued CYRAMZA due to proteinuria. The rate of gastrointestinal perforation in REGARD was 0.8% and the rate of IRRs was 0.4%. Most Common Adverse Reactions CYRAMZA Administered in Combination with Paclitaxel (RAINBOW) The most commonly reported adverse reactions (all Grades; Grade 3) occurring in 5% of patients receiving CYRAMZA with paclitaxel and 2% higher than placebo with paclitaxel in RAINBOW were fatigue/asthenia (57% vs 44%; 12% vs 6%), neutropenia (54% vs 31%; 41% vs 19%), diarrhea (32% vs 23%; 4% vs 2%), epistaxis (31% vs 7%; 0% vs 0%), hypertension (25% vs 6%; 15% vs 3%), peripheral edema (25% vs 14%; 2% vs 1%), stomatitis (20% vs 7%; 1% vs 1%), proteinuria (17% vs 6%; 1% vs 0%), thrombocytopenia (13% vs 6%; 2% vs 2%), hypoalbuminemia (11% vs 5%; 1% vs 1%), and gastrointestinal hemorrhage events (10% vs 6%; 4% vs 2%). The most common serious adverse reactions in patients who received CYRAMZA with paclitaxel were neutropenia (3.7%) and febrile neutropenia (2.4%); 19% of patients who received CYRAMZA with paclitaxel received granulocyte colony-stimulating factors. Adverse reactions resulting in discontinuation of any component of the CYRAMZA with paclitaxel combination in 2% of patients in RAINBOW were neutropenia (4%) and thrombocytopenia (3%). Clinically relevant adverse reactions reported in 1% and <5% of patients receiving CYRAMZA with paclitaxel were sepsis (3.1%), including 5 fatal events, and gastrointestinal perforations (1.2%), including 1 fatal event. Most Common Adverse Reactions CYRAMZA Administered in Combination with Docetaxel (REVEL) The most commonly reported adverse reactions (all Grades; Grade 3-4) occurring in 5% of patients receiving CYRAMZA with docetaxel and 2% higher than placebo with docetaxel in REVEL were neutropenia (55% vs 46%; 49% vs 40%), fatigue/asthenia (55% vs 50%; 14% vs 11%), stomatitis/mucosal inflammation (37% vs 19%; 7% vs 2%), epistaxis (19% vs 7%; <1% vs <1%), febrile neutropenia (16% vs 10%; 16% vs 10%), peripheral edema (16% vs 9%; 0% vs <1%), thrombocytopenia (13% vs 5%; 3% vs <1%), lacrimation increased (13% vs 5%; <1% vs 0%), and hypertension (11% vs 5%; 6% vs 2%). The most common serious adverse events in patients who received CYRAMZA with docetaxel were febrile neutropenia (14%), pneumonia (6%), and neutropenia (5%). The use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors was 42% in CYRAMZA with docetaxel-treated patients versus 37% in patients who received placebo with docetaxel. Treatment discontinuation due to adverse reactions occurred more frequently in CYRAMZA with docetaxel-treated patients (9%) than in placebo with docetaxel-treated patients (5%). The most common adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation of CYRAMZA were IRR (0.5%) and epistaxis (0.3%). For patients with non-squamous histology, the overall incidence of pulmonary hemorrhage was 7% and the incidence of Grade 3 pulmonary hemorrhage was 1% for CYRAMZA with docetaxel compared to 6% overall incidence and 1% for Grade 3 pulmonary hemorrhage for placebo with docetaxel. For patients with squamous histology, the overall incidence of pulmonary hemorrhage was 10% and the incidence of Grade 3 pulmonary hemorrhage was 2% for CYRAMZA with docetaxel compared to 12% overall incidence and 2% for Grade 3 pulmonary hemorrhage for placebo with docetaxel. Clinically relevant adverse reactions reported in 1% and <5% of CYRAMZA with docetaxel-treated patients in REVEL were hyponatremia (4.8%) and proteinuria (3.3%). Most Common Adverse Reactions CYRAMZA Administered in Combination with FOLFIRI (RAISE) The most commonly reported adverse reactions (all Grades; Grade 3) occurring in 5% of patients receiving CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI and 2% higher than placebo with FOLFIRI in RAISE were diarrhea (60% vs 51%; 11% vs 10%), neutropenia (59% vs 46%; 38% vs 23%), decreased appetite (37% vs 27%; 2% vs 2%), epistaxis (33% vs 15%; 0% vs 0%), stomatitis (31% vs 21%; 4% vs 2%), thrombocytopenia (28% vs 14%; 3% vs <1%), hypertension (26% vs 9%; 11% vs 3%), peripheral edema (20% vs 9%; <1% vs 0%), proteinuria (17% vs 5%; 3% vs <1%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (13% vs 5%; 1% vs <1%), gastrointestinal hemorrhage events (12% vs 7%; 2% vs 1%), and hypoalbuminemia (6% vs 2%; 1% vs 0%). Twenty percent of patients treated with CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI received granulocyte colony-stimulating factors. The most common serious adverse reactions with CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI were diarrhea (3.6%), intestinal obstruction (3.0%), and febrile neutropenia (2.8%). Treatment discontinuation of any study drug due to adverse reactions occurred more frequently in CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI-treated patients (29%) than in placebo with FOLFIRI-treated patients (13%). The most common adverse reactions leading to discontinuation of any component of CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI as compared to placebo with FOLFIRI were neutropenia (12.5% vs 5.3%) and thrombocytopenia (4.2% vs 0.8%). The most common adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation of CYRAMZA were proteinuria (1.5%) and gastrointestinal perforation (1.7%). Clinically relevant adverse reaction reported in 1% and <5% of patients receiving CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI was gastrointestinal perforation (1.7%) including 4 fatal events. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were evaluated in 224 patients (115 CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI-treated patients and 109 placebo with FOLFIRI-treated patients) with normal baseline TSH levels. Increased TSH levels were observed in 53 (46%) patients treated with CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI compared with 4 (4%) patients treated with placebo with FOLFIRI. Most Common Adverse Reactions CYRAMZA Administered as a Single Agent (REACH-2) The most commonly reported adverse reactions (all Grades; Grade 3) occurring in 10% of patients receiving CYRAMZA and 2% higher than placebo in REACH-2 were fatigue (36% vs 20%; 5% vs 3%), peripheral edema (25% vs 14%; 2% vs 0%), hypertension (25% vs 13%; 13% vs 5%), abdominal pain (25% vs 16%; 2% vs 2%), decreased appetite (23% vs 20%; 2% vs 1%), proteinuria (20% vs 4%; 2% vs 0%), nausea (19% vs 12%; 0% vs 0%), ascites (18% vs 7%; 4% vs 1%), headache (14% vs 5%; 0% vs 1%), epistaxis (14% vs 3%; <1% vs 0%), insomnia (11% vs 6%; 0% vs 1%), pyrexia (10% vs 3%; 0% vs 0%), vomiting (10% vs 7%; 0% vs 0%), and back pain (10% vs 7%; <1% vs 1%). The most common laboratory abnormalities (all Grades: Grade 3) occurring in 15% of patients receiving CYRAMZA and 2% higher than placebo were thrombocytopenia (46% vs 15%; 8% vs 1%), hypoalbuminemia (33% vs 16%; <1% vs 0%), hyponatremia (32% vs 25%; 16% vs 5%), neutropenia (24% vs 12%; 8% vs 3%), and hypocalcemia (16% vs 5%; 2% vs 0%). The most common serious adverse reactions with CYRAMZA were ascites (3%) and pneumonia (3%). Treatment discontinuations due to adverse reactions occurred in 18% of CYRAMZA-treated patients, with proteinuria being the most frequent (2%). Clinically relevant adverse reactions reported in 1% and <10% of CYRAMZA-treated patients in REACH-2 were IRRs (9%), hepatic encephalopathy (5%) including 1 fatal event, and hepatorenal syndrome (2%) including 1 fatal event. Please see full Prescribing Information for CYRAMZA. RB-P HCP ISI 10MAY2019 About Lilly Oncology For more than 50 years, Lilly has been dedicated to delivering life-changing medicines and support to people living with cancer and those who care for them. Lilly is determined to build on this heritage and continue making life better for all those affected by cancer around the world. To learn more about Lilly's commitment to people with cancer, please visit www.LillyOncology.com. About Eli Lilly and Company Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com and http://newsroom.lilly.com/social-channels. P-LLY PP-RB-US-1734 05/2019 Lilly USA, LLC 2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CYRAMZA is a trademark owned by or licensed to Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates. National Comprehensive Cancer Network and NCCN are trademarks owned by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. Lilly Forward-Looking Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements (as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) about CYRAMZA as a treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and reflects Lilly's current beliefs. However, as with any pharmaceutical product, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of development and commercialization. Among other things, there can be no guarantee that CYRAMZA will receive additional regulatory approvals or be commercially successful. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see Lilly's most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release. 1 Ferlay J, Shin HR, Bray F et al. GLOBOCAN 2018 Fact Sheet, Estimated Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide: IARC CancerBase No. 10 [Internet]. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2018. Available at http://globocan.iarc.fr/Pages/fact_sheets_cancer.aspx. Accessed on May 10, 2019. 2 Ghouri YA, Mian I, Rowe JH. Review of hepatocellular carcinoma: Epidemiology, etiology, and carcinogenesis. J Carcinog. 2017;16:1. 3 Siegel RL, Miller KD, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2018. CA Cancer J Clin. 2018;68:7-30. 4 Islami F, Miller KD, Siegel RL, et al. Disparities in liver cancer occurrence in the United States by race/ethnicity and state. CA Cancer J Clin. 2017;67:273289. 5 Mitsuhashi N, Kobayashi S, Doki T, et al. Clinical significance of -fetoprotein: involvement in proliferation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008;23(7, pt 2):e189-e197. 6 Gopal P, Yopp AC, Waljee AK, et al. Factors that affect accuracy of -fetoprotein test in detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014;12(5):870-877. 7 Chan SL, Chan ATC, Yeo W. Role of alpha-fetoprotein in hepatocellular carcinoma: prognostication, treatment monitoring or both? Future Oncol. 2009;5(6):889-899. 8 Mizejewski GJ. Does alpha-fetoprotein contribute to the mortality and morbidity of human hepatocellular carcinoma? A commentary. J Hepatocell Carcinoma. 2016;3:37-40 9 Referenced with permission from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Hepatobiliary Cancers V.2.2019. National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. 2019. All rights reserved. Accessed May 10, 2019. To view the most recent and complete version of the guideline, go online to NCCN.org. NCCN makes no warranties of any kind whatsoever regarding their content use or application and disclaims any responsibility for their application or use in any way. Category 1 recommendations are made based upon high-level evidence, there is uniform NCCN consensus that the intervention is appropriate. 10 University of Rochester Medical Center. Health Encyclopedia: Alpha-Fetoprotein Tumor Marker (Blood). Available at https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&contentid=alpha_fetoprotein_tumor_marker. Accessed May 10, 2018. 11 Zhu AX, Park JO, Ryoo BY et al. Ramucirumab Versus Placebo as Second-Line Treatment in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Following First-Line Therapy with Sorafenib (REACH): A Randomised, Double-Blind, Multicentre, Phase 3 Trial. Lancet Oncol. 2015;16(7): 859-870 12 National Organization for Rare Disorders. Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Available at: https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/hepatocellular-carcinoma. Accessed May 10, 2019. 13 Venook, AP, Papandreou, C, Furuse, J et al. The Incidence and Epidemiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Global and Regional Perspective. The Oncologist. 2010;15(suppl 4): 5-13. Refer to: Tracy Henrikson; [email protected]; 609-454-7116 (media) Kevin Hern; [email protected]; 317-277-1838 (investors) SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company Related Links http://www.lilly.com BROOKLYN, N.Y., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Spiridon (Spiro) Spireas, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of SigmaPharm Laboratories, and Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D., an award-winning serial entrepreneur, clinical psychologist and clinical hypnotherapist, will each receive honorary degrees at LIU Brooklyn's commencement ceremony this year, on May 14, 2019 at 10 a.m. at the Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn. Students from LIU Brooklyn, LIU Pharmacy, LIU Global and LIU Hudson will receive their degrees. With $100 million in scholarships and financial aid awarded annually, LIU has 19 Schools and Colleges, 400 academic programs, a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and 110 student-run clubs and organizations. Payscale has ranked LIU Brooklyn as the "Best in the Nation for Health Professions" and one of the "Top 50 Colleges in the Northeast for Salary Potential." Forbes ranked LIU in its Top Ten "Hot Colleges in the Making Under Innovative Management." A tenured Professor of Pharmacy at LIU Pharmacy, Dr. Spiridon Spireas will receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree from LIU President Dr. Kimberly R. Cline. He is the inventor and author of more than 130 international and domestic patents and patent-publications, and 200 scientific papers, books and other publication in the fields of industrial pharmacy, pharmaceutical technology, pharmacokinetics and analytical chemistry. He is also the inventor of several newly developed proprietary drug delivery systems used by the Pennsylvania-based company. Founder of The Soor Center for Professional Therapy and Assessment in Kuwait, Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. A licensed psychologist in New York State, Dubai, Qatar and Kuwait, he is a member of the American Psychological Association and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. He has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from LIU, where he also earned a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Al-Mutawa has done extensive clinical work with former prisoners of war in Kuwait as well as with the Survivors of Political Torture Unit at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. He is the author of a children's book that won a UNESCO Prize for Literature in the Service of Tolerance, and the creator of THE 99, the first group of comic superheroes born of an Islamic archetype, which drew praise from Forbes magazine as well as President Barack Obama. About Long Island University (LIU) LIU is one of the nation's most comprehensive private universities. Since 1926, LIU has provided high quality academic programs taught by world-class faculty. LIU offers 400 accredited programs, with a network of over 260,000 alumni, including leaders in industries across the globe. Visit liu.edu for more information. SOURCE Long Island University Related Links https://www.liu.edu CHICAGO, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mae Whiteside, President/CEO of CKL Engineers, LLC delivers the "Women STEM Entrepreneurs Breakfast Forum" at the JW Marriott Chicago, 151 West Adams Street on Wednesday, June 5th, 2019 from 7:45 AM 9:45 AM. CKL Engineers, LLC is proud to host the "Women STEM Entrepreneurs Breakfast Forum" for the second year in a row. The event host, Darlene Hill will interview successful women STEM entrepreneurs, discussing their company growth and evolving industry challenges. The panelist includes Rosemarie S. Andolino of MAG USA, Rosemary Swierk of Direct Steel and Construction, Natalie Coleman of After the Peanut, Nicole T. Wilson of Cubic Transportation Systems and Mae Whiteside, President/CEO of CKL Engineers. CKL Engineers, LLC will host a complimentary networking event on Tuesday, June 4th, 2019 from 6:00 PM 9:00 PM at VU Rooftop, 133 East Cermak Rd. All are invited to meet and network with industry professionals. For more information regarding registration and tickets, please visit Eventbrite at http://bit.ly/2YhJlKX. Darlene Hill, the event moderator, is a three-time Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist. Darlene spent more than two decades at FOX32 in Chicago. During her career, she won numerous regional and national awards, including the prestigious Peabody Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award, and multiple Emmy Awards. CKL Engineers, LLC is one of Chicago's leading African American woman-owned civil engineering and management firms celebrating ten years in business, with projects in aviation, toll roads, and local highways. CKL Engineers, LLC has a strong focus on safety and quality in any project they are involved in. SOURCE CKL Engineers, LLC Related Links http://www.ckleng.com BALA CYNWYD, Pa., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MassMutual Greater Philadelphia (MMGP) will host its 15th Annual Special Needs Awareness Night at the Phillies game on May 14th, while also expanding the program to include a similar event with the Lehigh Iron Pigs in June. MMGP will make a night at the ballpark possible for 950 people with disabilities, caregivers and families from Friendship Circle, J'Chai, HMS School, Epilepsy Foundation, Adults with Developmental Disabilities, Timothy School, ARC of Philadelphia, and Easterseals. MMGP has arranged for an advocate to throw the first pitch, a facility tour for a special family, and game-time recognition for ARC of Philadelphia, a nonprofit that advocates with and for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, promotes active citizenship, self-determination, and full inclusion. "We take great pride in celebrating the perseverance, positivity, and dedication of those whose lives are touched by disabilities," said Bruce Sham, SVP and Special Care Planner with MMGP and father of a special needs daughter who is now an independent-living adult. Sham has made it his life's mission to help families and individuals with special needs achieve financial security. Over the past 15 years, MMGP has hosted 8,500 people at Special Needs Awareness ballgames. The firm will also host its inaugural Special Needs Awareness Night at an upcoming Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs game. "These events have brought us and others tremendous joy, and we're delighted to replicate their success in Lehigh Valley" added Harris Fishman, President and CEO, MMGP. About MassMutual Greater Philadelphia Pivotal life events often occur without warning. At MMPG, we take great pride in knowing we've helped our neighbors, friends, families and business owners make good decisions to become financially prepared for the unexpected. We put the needs of our clients first and hold the strong belief that doing business the right way leads to long-lasting relationships with the communities we serve. For more information, visit www.GreaterPhiladelphia.MassMutual.com or follow MassMutual Greater Philadelphia on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Local firms are sales offices of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), and are not subsidiaries of MassMutual or its affiliated companies. Securities, investment advisory and financial planning services offered through qualified registered representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC. Member SIPC. 2 Bala Plaza, Suite 901, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004, Tel: 610766-3000. CRN202105-247297 SOURCE MassMutual Greater Philadelphia Related Links https://greaterphiladelphia.massmutual.com DUBLIN, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mdcl today announced it has joined the NVIDIA Inception program , which is designed to nurture startups that are revolutionizing industries with advancements in AI and data sciences. Mdcl Director & Consultant Endocrinologist, Dr Tomas Ahern Mdcl Co-Founder, Declan Lee, at Mdcl Headquarters. Mdcl is an Irish start-up working to create a better everyday life for people living with diabetes. Mdcl aims to do this through StreamLine, a Diabetes Hospital Clinic Management System. Consisting of three distinct components Smart Clinic, Connected Clinic & Data Intelligence StreamLine reduces clinic administration time, remotely monitors patients and uses state-of-the-art algorithms and machine learning techniques to assist with patient care. The NVIDIA Inception program will benefit Mdcl by connecting its data scientists to the latest breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. Mdcl will use NVIDIA's expertise in AI to aid in the development of software as a medical device (SaMD) diabetes solutions that will have a positive impact on the treatment and management of diabetes. Mdcl will use NVIDIA GPUs for deep learning modelling techniques to build a repository of disease estimators that can be used to accurately predict in real time the likelihood of disease presence and progression. "At Mdcl, we believe that an early steer from an expert can save weeks in development time. With NVIDIA's expertise in AI relating to medical applications and the support of its Inception program, we aim to accelerate our design process, bringing a better product to market in a shorter time frame," said Sean McMahon, co-founder & CEO of Mdcl. NVIDIA's Inception program is a virtual accelerator program that helps startups during critical stages of product development, prototyping and deployment. Every Inception member gets a custom set of ongoing benefits, from hardware grants and marketing support to training with deep learning experts. About Mdcl Mdcl is a Medical Software Company developing a Diabetes Hospital Clinic Management System called StreamLine. Mdcl, founded by Sean McMahon, Declan Lee & Dr Tomas Ahern, is developing a novel product that reduces clinic administration time, provides usable & flexible data structures, increases patient visibility, reduces waiting lists and optimizes patient care. StreamLine is designed to meet the actual requirements of Consultant Endocrinologists. It is designed so that consultants can run their clinic the way they want to run it. Mdcl's StreamLine platform, (which is currently being trialed by an Irish Hospital), will revolutionize diabetes healthcare delivery. The company is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. To discover more, visit www.mdcl.io . Contact about this news: Mdcl Ltd Sean McMahon, Co-Founder & CEO. e-mail: [email protected] phone: 0873122853 website: https://mdcl.io/ linkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanjmcmahon/ SOURCE Mdcl Ltd Related Links https://mdcl.io OTTAWA, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Beer Canada has released its 2018 Industry Trends update. The remarkable growth in the number of breweries in Canada is a clear sign of a vibrant and fiercely competitive domestic beer scene. Industry Trends data for the beer industry covering the most recent five years is now available for all provinces and territories. The number of licensed brewing facilities operating in Canada increased to 995 in 2018, more than double the number in operation just 5 years ago. Alberta led the way with 42 breweries added to its landscape last year alone. Ontario was the runner up with 40 facilities that started up last year. The density of breweries was highest in New Brunswick, with eight brewing facilities for every 100,000 drinking age residents. The national average was 3.4 for every 100,000 drinking age residents. The growth in breweries far outpaced the growth in domestic beer sales, which inched up just 0.3% in 2018. Imported beer sales declined for the first time, down 3.4%. The decline in imported beer sales resulted in the overall beer market contracting by 0.3%. More brewers selling into a slightly smaller market translates into an intensely competitive environment for Canada's brewers. The consumer price index for beer saw store prices shift upward 1.9% on average across Canada in 2018. Saskatchewan, home to some of the highest beer taxes in the country, saw the biggest climb in beer prices with its store-price index pushing up 5.3%. Government tax on beer makes up 47% of the price on average in Canada. It's 51% in Saskatchewan. Upward pressure on beer prices is expected to continue as a result of the federal Government's annual excise escalator tax brought in under Budget 2017. The federal escalator tax has a knock-on effect - every annual increase drives up provincial beer markups and all sales taxes, making beer less and less affordable for the average beer drinker. QUICK FACTS Canadian beer continues to out-perform imported beer by a ratio of almost 6 to 1. Glass bottles are no longer the dominate packaging format for beer as cans make up 62% of sales. Per capita beer drinking slid to 74.6 litres from 80.9 litres five years ago. Saskatchewan had the sharpest year-over-year decline in beer sales, down 4.1%. had the sharpest year-over-year decline in beer sales, down 4.1%. Four out of 10 provinces saw beer sales increase in 2018, with New Brunswick ranking #1. The sale of beer supports 149,000 Canadian jobs, generates $14 billion in Gross Domestic Product and $5.7 billion in government tax revenues. In 2018, Canada hit an all-time high in the number of breweries in operation, giving beer drinkers an unprecedented number of beers to choose from. It is an exciting and vibrant time for beer in Canada, but high taxes and flat growth make the beer market intensely competitive. ASSOCIATED LINKS 2018 Industry Trends ABOUT BEER CANADA Beer Canada is the voice of the people who make our nations beers. Beer Canada is a voluntary industry trade association with members accounting for 90% of the beer produced in Canada. Beer Canada has represented Canadian brewers since 1943 and offers the most comprehensive and timely statistical overview of monthly and annual trends in the beer industry. SOURCE Beer Canada Related Links https://beercanada.com/homepage WASHINGTON, D.C., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The American News Women's Club will honor Wolf Blitzer, CNN's lead political anchor and the anchor of "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer," with its Excellence in Journalism Award May 15 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Proceeds from the annual benefit provide scholarships for area journalism students, who will also be recognized at the dinner. CNN's Dana Bash will serve as emcee for the event. Wolf will be "roasted and toasted" by friends and newsmakers including Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief of USA TODAY (2017 recipient of the award); Paxton Baker, businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist and minority owner, Washington Nationals; Jay Shaylor, executive producer of "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer"; Sam Feist, CNN's Washington bureau chief and senior vice president; and Ana Navarro, political commentator. "For more than 40 years Wolf has admirably practiced the fundamental values of good journalism, reporting the news accurately, honestly, responsibly and fairly. The ultimate professional, Wolf's work truly has made him an icon in journalism," said Janis Lamar, ANWC president. "He is also an exceptionally strong, articulate advocate for a free press, always reminding us it is a necessity not a luxury." The longest-serving anchor at CNN, Blitzer began his career in 1972 with Reuters in Tel Aviv and as a Washington, D.C., correspondent for The Jerusalem Post beginning in 1973. Blitzer joined CNN in 1990 and has served as the network's military-affairs correspondent at the Pentagon, CNN's senior White House correspondent, and the anchor of CNN's Sunday public affairs program "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer." CNN launched "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer" in 2005, with Blitzer providing in-depth reports about political, international and breaking news stories of the day. The ANWC began awarding its Excellence in Journalism Award in 1993. Past recipients include Walter Cronkite, Barbara Walters, Katie Couric, Andrea Mitchell, Norah O'Donnell, Susan Page and, in 2018, Ann Curry. Blitzer is the first male journalist honored since the ANWC selected Brian Lamb in 2006. The festivities begin with a cocktail reception at 7:00 p.m.; dinner will be served at 7:45 p.m. The American News Women's Club is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving excellence in journalism; expanding the advancement of women in journalism and related media professions; and providing networking, mentoring and development opportunities; and educational programs. Founded in 1932, the ANWC is one of our nation's first women's press clubs. Learn more about the ANWC at www.anwc.org . SOURCE American News Women's Club Despite the fact it isnt quite the start of this years Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has something to announce. And it just so happens to be one of the most oft-requested features for Apple Pay, and brings the company one step closer to offering a completely full-service digital wallet. Today, during the TRANSACT Conference taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, Apples Vice President of Apple Pay, Jennifer Bailey, announced a new feature for Apple Pay. Starting later this year, Apple Pay will support special NFC tags that can launch an Apple Pay purchase when tapped. This means that youll just need to tap the NFC tag, confirm the purchase through Apple Pay (through Face ID or Touch ID), and be on your way. No need to launch a separate app. It will all be handled with Apple Pay and the Wallet app. To start, Apple confirmed two partners: PaybyPhone parking meters and Bird scooters. This will make quick, on-the-go purchases a lot easier and faster. Just look at Bird for an example. Now, instead of having to load up a separate app, or deal with a hunky piece of tech for the point-of-sale, you can simply tap your iPhone or Apple Watch against a small NFC-equipped tag. This can top up your time with the Bird scooter, or with the parking meters, get you some more time to keep your car where it is. Thats not all, though. The company also announced users will be able to sign up for a loyalty card within the Wallet app. All with a single tap. The company did not go into great detail with this future feature, though. There is no specific date for when these features will launch. However, it is expected to arrive sometime later this year. Its likely that we will hear more about this at WWDC next month, too. We Want To Hear From You What do you think of this new feature? [via 9to5Mac NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TreasuryXpress, the global leader in on-demand treasury management software today announced that Orange Lake Resorts, a leader in the vacation ownership industry, has selected the firm's enterprise treasury management solution (TMS), to help achieve greater control over their treasury management and payment processes. Powered by sustainable, digital technology, TreasuryXpress is the leading innovator in on-demand treasury management software. The on-demand treasury management (TMS) solution model is characterized by a frequent and controlled Agile development methodology, immediate logon access for clients, short implementation times, and digital integrations and bank connectivity. For Orange Lake Resort, the ability to achieve greater visibility over their cash positions and improve controls and efficiencies around their payment processes was critical to restructuring and optimizing their treasury operations. TreasuryXpress provides companies of any size access to enterprise-level cash visibility, liquidity management, bank connectivity, payments workflow, and custom reporting capabilities; thereby streamlining cash management processes. "As a leader in their industry, we are pleased that Orange Lake Resorts has selected TreasuryXpress to help them gain greater control and efficiency across their treasury operations," say Anis Rahal, CEO and founder of TreasuryXpress. TreasuryXpress provides companies of any size access to enterprise-level cash visibility, liquidity management, bank connectivity, payments workflow, debt and investment management, and self-service custom reporting capabilities. Powered by sustainable, digital technology, TreasuryXpress is the leading innovator in on-demand treasury management software. The on-demand treasury management (TMS) solution model is characterized by a frequent and controlled Agile development methodology, immediate logon access for clients, short implementation times, and digital integrations and bank connectivity. ABOUT TREASURYXPRESS At TreasuryXpress, we specialize in delivering innovative solutions that work for treasury making it easy to achieve 100% bank visibility, consolidate cash information, manage end-to-end payment processing, and distribute useful and critical reports to all internal stakeholders automatically and efficiently. Our solutions centralize more than 10,000 bank accounts daily and process electronic payments for over 7 billion USD each year. And, our rapid time-to-market and diverse hosting options make it easy for treasuries to do business with us. From solution development to delivery and service, our teams actively engage with customers regularly and proactively. The result? TreasuryXpress provides simply better, more innovative solutions that solve business problems. To learn more about TreasuryXpress, visit us at www.treasuryxpress.com or contact us directly at [email protected]. ABOUT ORANGE LAKE RESORTS Orange Lake Resorts encompasses 28 resorts and 7,600 villas in the U.S., with more than 350,000 timeshare owners and 5,000+ employees. Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the vacation ownership industry with more than three decades of proven success, operates Holiday Inn Club. The Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand was created in 2008 through a strategic alliance with IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies. The flagship Holiday Inn Club Vacations property in Orlando, Fla., located next to the Walt Disney World Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson. For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations or to book reservations, visit holidayinnclubvacations.com. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/hiclubvacations or Twitter at twitter.com/hiclubvacations. Press Contact: Tracy Kantrowitz VP, Chief Marketing Officer, TreasuryXpress Phone: +1.347.920.1673 | Email: [email protected] SOURCE TreasuryXpress, Inc. Related Links https://treasuryxpress.com NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Head massage specialist salon Goku no Kimochi may be the most sought-after massage establishment in Japan. Since they opened their first shop in Kyoto in 2008, their waiting list across all branches now exceeds 436,000 people. This popular spa is officially opening in New York City (18 W 38th St. / 2nd floor) on May 20th. One of Goku most requested services is their "Zeccho Sleep." Aligning the hands and fingers to provide perfect pressure on the scalp, a Japanese head massage therapist releases tension in muscles around the head and eye areas, promoting good blood circulation. As a result, the mind and brain become totally relaxed, leading to improved health, focus, and lower stress levels. When it's over, individuals will emerge with a euphoric feeling, released from stress. The quality of your sleep may also improve for the next few nights after the treatment. This massage is especially beneficial for people with brain tiredness caused by: stress, over-work, worry and/or constant computer use. Another service offered at Goku is "The Kamiwaza Technique." This head massage technique was developed and refined over with the help of Japan's top health care professionals, from diverse fields including: neuroscience, acupuncture, psychology, and massage therapy. This is a dry treatment, no water, lotion, or oils are used. "Zeccho Sleep has been satisfying people especially who suffer stress and insomnia in Japan. As New York is the city that never sleeps as well as the world capital of finance and business, we are thrilled to open our spa here," said Momoka Yamazaki. For more information about Goku spa, please call (929) 336-3088 and visit: https://www.gokusleep.com/ For all interviews, please call Ryan McCormick of Goldman McCormick Public Relations (www.goldmanmccormick.com) at 516-901-1103 / 919-377-1200 SOURCE Goku MIAMI, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Rainforest Cruises, a premier provider of exotic river cruise travel packages, is pleased to announce new cruise itineraries along the Mekong River and Irrawaddy River. A river cruise in Cambodia, Vietnam or Myanmar is an ideal way to tour these emerging destinations. These cruises cover vast distances in areas where infrastructure is still developing, and visit numerous destinations, allowing for an intimate look at life on the river as it was centuries ago, with the unspoiled beauty of ancient temples, surrounding landscape, and local people. Mekong River Cruise Mekong Navigator River Cruise Rainforest Cruises is offering exclusive cruise deals with select Mekong River and Irrawaddy River cruises. Offers include: Save $300 per person in 2019 aboard the Indochine River Cruises and the Toum Tiou River cruise per person in 2019 aboard the Indochine River Cruises and the Toum Tiou River cruise Save 20% off aboard the Aqua Mekong on Early-Bird bookings Get 2 Nights Free at the Hotels des Arts in Saigon , or at the Sofitel Angkor in Siem Reap , or at the Sofitel Angkor in Save up to 30% off select Irrawaddy River cruise itineraries aboard the Anawrahta River Cruise in Myanmar "Building on our success in the Amazon and Galapagos, we believe expanding our offering to Southeast Asia is a natural fit. Southeast Asia is rich in cultural, archeological and biological treasures with numerous navigable rivers. Additionally, vessels available in the region are world-class, and allow for guests to visit several countries in a single itinerary." Jeremy Clubb, Director of Rainforest Cruises The Mekong Navigator offers an outstanding selection of 34 spacious and indulgent suites with meticulous attention to every modern detail and comfort. Guest will experience an unforgettable 8-Day journey along the Mekong River. The ancient temples of Angkor Wat, the spectacular Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, a water blessing by the monks of Wat Arang and the French architecture of the Opera House in Ho Chi Minh City are only a few itinerary highlights. The Indochine II cruise offers longer itineraries ranging from 9-day to 11-days with custom land tour extension options to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, covering the highlights of Northern Vietnam. About: Rainforest Cruises is a boutique travel company specializing in adventure cruises on the Amazon River, Galapagos Islands, Mekong and Irrawaddy River. As travel experts, Rainforest Cruises provides the finest collection of cruises and tours, at unbeatable prices in South America and Southeast Asia. Rainforest Cruises has been featured in Fodor's Best Cruises, as well as many other top news sources: USA Today, NY Times, Travel & Leisure, Bloomberg, among others. Media Contact: Pats Krysiak +1-888-215-3555 [email protected] SOURCE Rainforest Cruises Related Links http://www.rainforestcruises.com "The modernized receivers give GPS OCX the ability to receive and decrypt all GPS III military and civil signals, a critical capability the current system doesn't have," said Dave Wajsgras, president of Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. "Monitor station receiver installation keeps us on track for full system delivery by our June 2021 contractual deadline." The modernized receivers will measure and monitor legacy military and civilian signals sent by the current GPS satellite constellation plus the new signals sent by the next-generation GPS III. The receivers will also feed correction models at the master control station, giving U.S. Air Force satellite controllers the information necessary to make key adjustments to maximize accuracy. To learn more about the program's progress and additional capabilities, visit us here. 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 Contacts Heather Uberuaga +1.520.891.8421 [email protected] SOURCE Raytheon Company Related Links http://www.raytheon.com DALLAS, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- RREAF Holdings LLC, a Dallas-headquartered commercial real estate investment firm, has assumed management of RealtyShares, a San Francisco-based commercial real estate technology company. RREAF will provide management services to RealtyShares' investors and its existing investment portfolio. RealtyShares, formed in 2013 and one of the largest real estate investment technology platforms in the U.S., successfully closed over 1,100 deals and deployed $870 million in committed capital from over 100,000 registered accredited and institutional investors. RREAF will be part of a concentrated effort to continue managing over 300 active projects, representing over $400 million in debt and equity capital raised from nearly 7,000 investors in over 40 states valued at approximately $1.5 billion. By becoming part of the RREAF family, RealtyShares' investors will gain direct access to a commercial real estate firm with industry roots that go back over 35 years. As an industry-leading owner, operator and developer, RREAF has experienced first-hand how technology platforms such as RealtyShares are transforming the commercial real estate landscape, allowing tremendous access and exposure for hundreds of thousands of accredited investors to a sector of investing that was not fully accessible to them just a few years ago. RREAF is committing management resources to the RealtyShares portfolio to serve the existing investors and allow this new form of real estate investing to continue to thrive. Kip Sowden, CEO of RREAF, said, "It is absolutely critical to us that the investors who backed more than 1,100 deals through RealtyShares have their accounts professionally managed and serviced. RREAF brings to RealtyShares' investors management expertise based on decades of first-hand experience in the real estate market which will help ensure that the existing investments are managed as prudent as possible. RREAF has eight transactions in which RealtyShares raised common or preferred equity from several hundred investors and assisting our investors, along with thousands of others that faced significant uncertainty in the wake of RealtyShares' difficulties, is our top priority." Doug McKnight, RREAF COO, added, "RREAF will continue to expand its core commercial real estate disciplines in value-add multifamily and leisure resort/hospitality that cater to the middle-America workforce community, along with situational ground-up development. By introducing RealtyShares' investors to the RREAF family, thousands more investors will be able to access and participate in a principal-based and sponsor-managed real estate platform that is backed by over 35 years of experience in acquiring, managing and exiting transactions through varying degrees of complexities and market cycles, while maintaining a balanced approach to risk mitigation and outsized performance." About RREAF Holdings LLC RREAF Holdings LLC is a privately held commercial real estate company based in Dallas, Texas, with roots that go back over 35 years in the industry. During the first 17 years of operations, RREAF principals and predecessor companies were initially involved in commercial real estate investment banking, focusing primarily on mortgage originations and investment sales before transitioning to the principal side of commercial real estate over the past nearly 20 years. More recently, RREAF has focused on expanding its real estate portfolio through a programmatic value-add multifamily acquisition platform, an opportunistic hospitality and resort redevelopment platform, along with targeted ground-up development. RREAF's vertically integrated corporate structure employs over 240 people across many regions of the nation handling all aspects of commercial real estate. Underwriting, due diligence, capital markets and legal teams work closely together during the acquisition phase. Once acquired, a property benefits from in-house asset management, property management, construction/development management, project/CapEx implementation and ongoing accounting and legal support. RREAF's mission is to provide an outstanding level of service, excellence and expertise in the commercial real estate market while striving to meet or exceed the high expectations of its investors, partners, residents and guests at all its owned and operated properties. As principal partner, RREAF has built a diversified portfolio through its core competencies in excess of $850 million over the past five years, with current pipeline projections pushing the portfolio past $1.2 billion in AUM by the end of 2019. For more information, visit https://www.rreaf.com/. The above may contain forward-looking statements. Actual results and trends in the future may differ materially from those suggested or implied by any forward-looking statements in the above depending on a variety of factors. Such statements are based on management's current estimates, assumptions that management believes to be reasonable, and currently available competitive, financial, and economic data as of the date hereof. Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of events, factors and conditions, many of which are beyond our control and not all of which are known to us. Written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the previous statements. Except for any obligations to disclose information as required by applicable laws, we undertake no obligation to update any information contained above or to publicly release the results of any revisions to any statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances that occur, or that we become aware of, after the date of the publishing of the above. SOURCE RREAF Holdings LLC Related Links https://www.rreaf.com SAN DIEGO, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The first IT-Ready class in San Diego will graduate this Friday, May 17, according to Creating IT Futures, CompTIA's tech workforce charity. Local IT hiring managers are asked to consider these job candidates for their entry-level helpdesk job openings, especially as two-thirds of the students are military veterans ready to launch their second careers in the private sector and all the students are ready to work. Formerly an electronics journeyman for the U.S. Air Force, Jason Robinson had been unemployed on and off for the last six months before enrolling in IT-Ready this spring in San Diego. "I had IT skills knowledge, but no formal training. Many jobs that I had been applying for required a CompTIA A+ certification," said Robinson. "Thank you for this opportunity to gain this certification. The certification and camaraderie of a group of people looking for a successful opportunity for their life is a huge morale boost." Creating IT Futures has a long track record of placing its IT-Ready students into full-time IT careers with more than 86% of graduates landing jobs due to their blend of hard tech skills and business soft skills training and certification. "For San Diego businesses hiring IT-Ready graduates, not only are they making smart employment decisions, but also diversifying their tech workforce. We train motivated people with an aptitude for technology from multiple underserved populations, including military veterans," Sue Wallace, executive director, national workforce solutions, Creating IT Futures, said. "After eight weeks in our full-time class, students have the tech and business skills to be ready for work on day one of their new jobs." IT-Ready is provided to students in San Diego completely free of charge, thanks to financial support from the Cognizant U.S. Foundation and in partnership with Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). "We're really excited about the beginning of this partnership," said Tom Kastner, financial wellness vice president at WWP. "Warriors are gaining interest in this collaboration, which is leading these men and women to meaningful careers and more fulfilled lives." How IT-Ready Works IT-Ready is an eight-week, classroom-based, instructor-led program that teaches a wide range of hardware and networking skills people need to secure entry-level IT positions. Just as importantly, IT-Ready also teaches critical "soft" skills, such as workplace etiquette, communication, collaboration, problem-solving and customer service. At the end of IT-Ready training, students sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam. This vendor-neutral certification has become the IT industry's preferred qualifying credential for an entry-level tech role. San Diego-area businesses interested in reviewing resumes of IT-Ready graduates and interviewing them for entry-level IT positions should contact Nicole Maseberg at [email protected] or visit https://www.creatingitfutures.org/hire/hire-overview. Prospective IT-Ready candidates can submit their applications online now for San Diego's next IT-Ready class. The course begins September 16, and the application deadline is August 16. No previous tech experience is necessary to participate in IT-Ready, and only a high school diploma or GED is required. Prospective students can apply at https://www.creatingitfutures.org/apply. IT-Ready students receive free tuition, books and learning materials, more than 240 hours of training, and certification vouchers. Classes run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every weekday for eight weeks. By working with dozens of local and national employer partners, Creating IT Futures connects its graduates to full-time jobs in the tech industry. About Creating IT Futures Founded in 1998 by CompTIA, Creating IT Futures is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org. Media Contact: Lisa Fasold Creating IT Futures 630-678-8558 [email protected] SOURCE Creating IT Futures Related Links http://www.creatingITfutures.org Shenandoah Growers was recognized at GIANT'S annual "Locally Grown" event and was chosen for its ability to consistently exceed the company's expectations in quality, service, communication, and promotional support. Shenandoah Growers currently packs 16 varieties of the GIANT branded fresh cut herbs and supplies its stores with an additional six varieties of organic living herbs, packaged under Shenandoah Growers' THAT'S TASTY brand. "As a dedicated retail partner, going above and beyond for our customers is a top priority this award is a testament to that commitment. We're proud to serve GIANT Food Stores and are honored to be recognized for our support and high-quality products," said Steve Wright, Chief Customer Officer at Shenandoah Growers. "GIANT has been a part of the Shenandoah Growers family for over two decades, and we look forward to continuing to build on our strong partnership together." Shenandoah Growers is the largest producer of culinary herbs in the United States, providing sustainable, USDA organic, regionally-grown products to retailers coast-to-coast, including its new line of Stir-In Purees. In addition to offering a wide portfolio of organic, high-quality products, Shenandoah Growers provides an array of value-added services for retailers including data and analytics, category insights, merchandising solutions, in-store racking and marketing materials to help drive sales and growth for its partners. For more information, please visit www.shenandoahgrowers.com . About Shenandoah Growers, Inc. With over 30 years of experience and largest share of the U.S. market retail market, Shenandoah Growers is the largest grower and marketer of fresh organic culinary herbs in the United States, providing sustainable, USDA organic, regionally grown products to retailers coast-to-coast. The Rockingham, Virginia-based company pioneered the world's largest indoor organic bioponic growing system and continues to redefine how to bring organic, sustainable, produce to marketoperating across a nationally integrated platform of farms, production facilities and logistics in 11 states. Under the THAT'S TASTY BRAND, Shenandoah Growers provides USDA organic, non-GMO, regionally grown, and sustainably farmed fresh culinary herbs. Launched in 2017, the THAT'S TASTY BRAND offers consumers ways to add Easy, Ridiculous Flavor to their everyday cooking by offering a full line of products including living organic herb plants, fresh-cut herbs, lettuce, microgreens and Stir-In Purees. Contact: Jon Keller, Zeno PR [email protected] +1-312-396-9783, ext. 5755 SOURCE Shenandoah Growers, Inc. Related Links https://www.shenandoahgrowers.com SEATTLE, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Slalom, a modern consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation, today announced its partnership with Amperity, an AI-powered customer data management provider. The partnership offers Slalom's clients a powerful platform to ingest, unify, and manage data to gain a 360-degree view of their customers. The announcement coincides with a shift in consumer expectations. In a recent survey from Harvard Business Review, 90 percent of respondents said their customers expect them to know their interests and anticipate their needs. To deliver those personalized experiences, companies need to master their customer data. Many companies are a long way from mastery, storing customer data in dozens of systems that often aren't integrated with one another. It's a missed opportunity to drive loyalty and revenue with personalization, targeting, and segmentation. That's where Slalom and Amperity's partnership comes in. Slalom helps build solutions with best-of-breed technologies, tailored to meet its clients' unique needs. Amperity uses the latest advances in cloud infrastructure and machine learning to process billions of customer records continually, resolving them into rich and current profiles. These profiles are then segmented and orchestrated downstream to any system, fueling better personalization, targeting, and seamless experiences. "Slalom is the best solution integrator partner we could hope for," said Kabir Shahani, CEO at Amperity. "They combine deep subject matter expertise with a value-focused approach to integration, and our shared customers couldn't be happier." "Our clients need ways to power a data-driven approach to personalized marketing. The next wave of revenue growth will come from harnessing massive stores of customer data to deliver great personalized experiences," says Garret Carlson, Managing Director at Slalom. "Amperity's end-to-end solution is one of the fastest ways to unlock that growth and manage the complexity and scale of the data." About Slalom Slalom is a modern consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 27 cities across the US, UK, and Canada, Slalom's teams have autonomy to move fast and do what's right. They're backed by seven regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world's top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 6,500 employees. Slalom was named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2018 and is regularly recognized by employees as a best place to work. Learn more at slalom.com. About Amperity Amperity is the leading Customer Data and Identity Platform, revolutionizing the way companies identify, understand, and ultimately engage their customers. Amperity's unique technology applies machine learning at a massive scale to help consumer brands achieve a truly unified view of the customer, for the first time. We serve many of the world's most loved brands, including Alaska Airlines, Lucky Brand, Moet Hennessy USA, TGI Fridays, Wynn Las Vegas, Kendra Scott, Brooks Running, Sounders, Stanley, and many more. Learn more at amperity.com. SOURCE Amperity DALLAS, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A moving "spirit of generosity" has inspired a North Texas business owner to voluntarily dismiss a hard-fought trade secret lawsuit against former employees accused of stealing company secrets and forming a competing business as the trial date approached. Businessman John Rogers, founder of Richardson-based oilfield and industrial pump pulsation control equipment manufacturer Performance Pulsation Control, described a moving moment during a faith-based Journey of Generosity (JoG) retreat earlier this month. He said he was called upon by God through a series of challenges to practice generosity in matters of importance in his life. The lawsuit, in particular, was approaching and was deeply important to him personally and professionally. "I received a clear message from God to be generous in the lawsuit, followed by a second message to me to forgive and leave the former employees in God's hands," Mr. Rogers wrote in a letter to U.S. District Court Judge Amos Mazzant. "God was challenging me." "I realize that I'm giving up a lot," Mr. Rogers said. "But I'm doing what God asked me to do." A key question from JoG was, "Are you willing to accept or give up anything God asks you to do?" Over the next two days, Mr. Rogers had conversations with a mentor with the C12 Christian business leadership peer group, as well as his wife, and his General Manager. "Nothing said by them or asked of me changed my feelings, and thoughts about what God had told me to do. And about what he had asked me to give up in obedience to him," he wrote. On Thursday, May 9, Mr. Rogers sent the unprecedented letter to Judge Mazzant, marked Exhibit A in an agreed motion to dismiss. The entire letter can be found here. Later that day, Judge Mazzant signed an agreed order dismissing the case with prejudice, meaning that no claims in the lawsuit can be refiled at a later date. The case is Performance Pulsation Control v Sigma Drilling Technologies et al., filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Case No.: 4:17-cv-00450-ALM. The lawsuit was filed in 2017 against former PPC employees alleging that they took proprietary trade secrets and formed a competing business, Sigma Drilling Technologies. PPC prevailed in response to important motions in which Sigma sought unsuccessfully to have the lawsuit dismissed, and the stage was set for a jury trial in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on May 20. Performance Pulsation Control, Inc. was represented by John Palter and Nathanial Martinez of the Dallas-based law firm of Palter Sims Martinez PLLC. "My decision is not an admission that PPC has done anything wrong in pursuing this lawsuit, or that the former employees and their company would prevail," Mr. Rogers explained in his letter to the judge. "Rather, I am confident that we will prevail at trial and that the former employees will be held fully accountable by a jury of our peers." Performance Pulsation Control is an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of pulsation dampeners for pumps used in oil, gas and mining operations that protect components from damage and improve their efficiency, reliability and safety. To speak with Mr. Rogers about this lawsuit, contact: Robert Tharp 214-559-4630 [email protected] SOURCE Palter Sims Martinez PLLC Related Links http://palterlaw.com "iQuanti is focused on creating exponentially better solutions for enterprise clients through better use of data. We've done it with ALPS in the enterprise SEO space and we look forward to Sreekant creating transformative solutions in the paid media space." said Vish Sastry Rachakonda, CEO, iQuanti. "Companies are looking to get a lot more through their digital marketing dollars and Sreekant will help lead iQuanti's efforts to transform this space." iQuanti had launched its Analytics Led Platform for Search (ALPS), a transformative enterprise SEO platform that helped make SEO programs a lot more predictable. Now, the company is working on paid solutions to drive much better targeting and effectiveness. Sreekant joins iQuanti from Google, where he served as Head of Programmatic Account Strategy at the company's Hyderabad location. In this role, he led a global team providing programmatic strategy and activation across a wide range of clients and verticals to drive client business results. Sreekant also held senior positions within Google in its sales organization in Mountain View. Prior to his time at Google, Lanka worked as a Strategy Consultant at Accenture, where he worked with financial services clients to drive operational efficiency of technology and realizing the value of their IT investments. "iQuanti's commitment to data driven insights and leadership in digital marketing were highly appealing to me," Sreekant said. "I am thrilled to join the iQuanti team and help companies get much more from their digital marketing spends, through a relentless application of insights and custom products." Lanka also serves as an advisor and investors to few startups in India on their marketing strategy. Educated in both India and the United States, Sreekant holds a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Andhra University and an MBA from INSEAD. Sreekant is also a widely recognized speaker, having served as a TEDx speaker and a panelist on talks at Google. About iQuanti iQuanti is a data-driven digital marketing firm that uses analytics and proprietary models to deliver high-performance marketing programs. With more than 10 years of experience, iQuanti turns consumer insights into actionable growth strategies for some of the nation's largest companies. iQuanti's proprietary enterprise SEO tool ALPS leverages predictive modeling and algorithmic simulations to drive more effective client campaigns. CONTACT: Bill Daddi Daddi Brand Communications 646-370-1341 917-620-3717 [email protected] SOURCE iQuanti Related Links www.iquanti.com The Supreme Court has ruled 5-4 against an anticompetitive hearing against the App Store. This move means that iPhone users can go ahead with their lawsuit against Apple over the App Store. Apple has a monopoly over the App Store through which millions of people download apps and games on their iPhone or iPad. While Apple allows third-party developers to upload and sell their apps through the App Store, these apps must adhere to Apples own guidelines which the company can change or tweak to its benefit any time. The company has in the past tweaked or changed App Store rules to remove third-party apps which competed with some features in iOS. Apple also requires that all iOS apps be sold through the App Store thereby thwarting the development of other App Stores. The lawsuit was initially filed against Apple in 2011 but it was dismissed by the California district court in 2013. The U.S. Court of Appeals received the case in 2017 which led Apple to appeal to the Supreme Court to throw the case out. However, both parties gave their arguments last fall where Apple lawyers failed to give any convincing reply as to why the company did not allow third-party app stores. With the decision going against Apple, the lawsuit over the companys monopolistic approach with the App Store can go ahead. If Apple ends up losing the case, it could have a serious impact on the way it runs the App Store. You can read the full judgment from the Supreme Court over here. [Via CNBC MELBOURNE, Australia, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Telstra Corporation Limited (TLS.AX; TLSYY) based in Australia and focused on telecommunications services, today announced that Head of Investor Relations, Ross Moffat, will present at the dbVIC - Deutsche Bank American Depositary Receipt (ADR) Virtual Investor Conference on 16 May. This virtual investor conference is aimed exclusively at introducing global companies with ADR programs to investors. DATE: 16 May 2019 TIME: 9:30 AM ET LINK: https://tinyurl.com/May19dbVIC This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask international companies their questions in real-time and to download a company's information in their "virtual trade booth" in the Exhibits section. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an on-demand archive will be available for 90 days. Participation is free of charge. It is recommended that investors pre-register to save time and receive event updates. Recent Company Highlights 5 December 2018 5G Update 5G Update 14 February 2019 1H19 results announcement About Telstra Corporation Limited Telstra is a leading telecommunications and technology company. We offer a full range of services and compete in all telecommunications markets in Australia, operating the largest mobile and Wi-Fi networks. Globally, we provide end-to-end solutions including managed network services, global connectivity, cloud, voice, colocation, conferencing and satellite solutions. We have licenses in Asia, Europe and the United States and offer access to more than 2,000 points of presence across the globe. For more information visit www.telstra.com. 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 dbVIC - Deutsche Bank Virtual Investor Conference NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) (PGS/PGD) Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By PGD/PGS, By Type (Embryo Testing, Aneuploidy Screening), By Application, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2024 Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05768000/?utm_source=PRN The global preimplantation genetic testing market is expected to reach USD 107.3 million by 2024, at a CAGR of 6.2% over the forecast period. It is primarily driven by a rising awareness among couples to undergo diagnostic and screening tests to minimize genetic diseases and aneuploidy in fetus. The ability of preimplantation genetic testing to detect genetic disorders and rare diseases, such as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive, is anticipated to propel the growth. High adoption of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technique consequently upsurges the utilization of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD).These techniques are advantageous in a way that they allow the development of a healthy fetus and prevent the risk of selective pregnancy termination. Hence, PGT acts as an addendum to assisted reproductive technology. A substantial number of patients with infertility and impaired fecundity are recommended to embrace IVF therapy in combination with PGT procedures, which in turn is expected to stimulate the growth. In addition, public and private authorities are promoting reproductive health by undertaking initiatives is also anticipated to drive the Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) (PGS/PGD) market. Further key findings from the report suggest: Availability of a significant number of services related to early diagnosis of specific gene mutation in embryo marked the dominant position of PGD in 2018 Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) seems to be reasonable intervention to enhance efficiency of selecting chromosomally normal embryo during IVF cycles. It is increasingly being applied for embryo screening due to ever-expanding IVF, which is projected to create lucrative growth opportunities in near future Advancements in detection of chromosomal anomalies by executing non-invasive prenatal testing results in a maximum share of this segment in 2018 Expanding utilization rate of FISH probe sets and benefits associated with the detection of a single-gene disorder is expected to fuel the growth of X-linked diseases segment Implementation of PGT in embryo HLA typing for stem cell therapy is expected to impose segment growth. This is further attributed to the advantages pertaining to PGS testing for identification of HLA compatible embryos during stem cell therapy Europe accounts for largest revenue share in 2018 owing to increased usage of PGD and PGS for the delivery of genetically healthy offspring during IVF procedures Asia Pacific market is observed to reveal the fastest CAGR due to the rise in medical tourism and the continuous development of IVF and PGD clinics in Asian countries Key players that have commercialized PGT services include Natera, Inc.; CooperSurgical, Inc.; F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG; Illumina, Inc.; IGENOMIX; and others Key participants are actively involved in expansion of the distribution network for their products as well as R&D activities for the development of novel PGT services. In October 2018, Illumina Inc. signed an agreement with Vitrolife AB under which Vitrolife act as a distributor supplier of Illumina's PGT products in EMEA and America. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05768000/?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 NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Growth in demand for splicing tapes in paper & printing application is driving the market. The splicing tapes s market size 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. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05774641/?utm_source=PRN The growth of the market is primarily due to the increasing use of splicing tapes in paper & printing production.APAC accounts for the major share of the overall splicing tapes market due to the increase in demand for printing and writing papers and packaging applications. However, the environmental regulations related to the production of repulpable paper could act as a major restraint to the market. The market in the developed countries, in regions such as Europe and North America, is expected to decline in the near future, owing to the stagnant nature of their markets. Growth in the demand for paper/tissue backing material from paper & printing applications is expected to fuel the demand for splicing tapes. Paper/tissue is the most popular backing material used in the manufacturing of splicing tapes because they are easily available, flexible, and offer a high degree of printability.Also, paper/ tissue backing type comes with many attractive features such as UV resistance, repulpability, liner less, and others. Also, paper/tissue can be recycled easily as compared to other backing materials used in splicing tapes. Electronics is expected to be the fastest-growing application during the forecast period. The splicing tapes are used in tabbing and holding lithium-ion battery and also used in different electronics items for color coding in the electronics industry.The increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries will trigger the splicing tapes market growth during the forecast period. Lithium-ion batteries are gaining prominence as one of the fastest-growing batteries in the global electronic vehicle market. APAC to record the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The APAC splicing tapes market is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period, due to the rising demand for splicing tapes from Japan, India, China, and South Korea.Even though per capita consumption of paper is lower in the paper & printing industry in APAC, the industry is expected to register the highest growth in the global market due to higher production than the other regions. China is expected to lead the demand for splicing tapes due to the increased paper and film production which uses splicing tapes during the production process.In APAC, China and India have shown a high growth potential as the demand for paper and packaged products is increasing. It is also reportedly among the largest consumers of splicing tapes the region. By Company type: Tier 1 60%, Tier 2 30%, and Tier 3 10% By Designation: C Level 30%, Director Level 60%, and Others 10% By Region: Europe 45%, North America 30%, APAC 10%, South America 10%, and the Middle East & Africa 5% The splicing tapes market comprises major solution providers, such as 3M Company (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). The study includes an in-depth competitive analysis of these key players in the splicing tapes market, with their company profiles, recent developments, and key market strategies. Research Coverage: The study covers the splicing tapes market across segments.It aims at estimating the size and the growth potential of this market across different segments based on resin, backing material, application, and region. The study also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market, along with their company profiles, key observations related to product and business offerings, recent developments, and key market strategies. Key Benefits of Buying the Report: The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall splicing tapes market and the sub segments.This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to better position their businesses and plan suitable go-to-market strategies. The report will also help stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provide them information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05774641/?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 For its 10 th edition, the show will focus on poultry industry and showcase the industry's current and future innovations in technology, products and services. The poultry industry is the most advanced of the Malaysian livestock sector, with a highly commercialized and integrated production system. Industry players have continuously transformed, moved forward, and adopted modern production and feeding technologies as they have become available. The event was founded by the late Tan Sri Dato Dr Mustaffa Babjee, a visionary who dedicated his life for the industry in Malaysia and internationally. "The move to Melaka will strengthen our position to emphasise the growing Malaysian markets and will be a constructive approach to boost the local markets. However, we still promote our show internationally. Repositioning the show to Melaka is our first step to show we are moving ourselves closer to production area and the farmers," said M Gandhi, Group Managing Director ASEAN Business and Senior VP Asia, Informa Markets/UBM. Situated in the middle of major livestock producing states, such as Johor, Negeri Sembilan & Selangor, Malacca, is the ideal hub to conduct Livestock Malaysia 2020 with all four states combined contributes a total of 70% of Malaysia's broiler farms. On top of that, Malacca's state government has increased 5% of its agricultural activities since 2018 to make Malacca the country's agriculture hub as well as supporting the output of innovative products to breed competitive and capable modern agropreneurs to contribute on food production. The state government is also active since 2017 in regards to structural transformation to increase commercial production along with focuses on promoting a vibrant industry for agricultural by-products and provide logistics and infrastructure that revolutionises the industry. Malacca's livestock population is going through steady increase annually with 2017 recording figures: Sheep - 6,905, Buffalo - 4.404, Cattle - 28,721, Goat - 35,804, Duck - 79,091 and Poultry - 25,000,446. (Source: www.dvs.gov.my) "The Agriculture and Agro-Based industry is growing rapidly in Malaysia, particularly in the southern part of Malaysia, contributing greatly to the economic growth and development of the Malaysian Livestock industry. It is extremely timely for Livestock Malaysia to be held at the Melaka International Trade Centre in 2020 for continual support and encouragement of the local farmers and producers of the Livestock industry," said Datuk Jeffrey Ng, President of Federation of Livestock Farmers' Associations of Malaysia (FLFAM). The trade exhibition is open to trade visitors in the Livestock and Agriculture industries only. Admission is free. The previous series recorded an astounding 6,286 Trade Visitors, more than 200 exhibitors from international and local suppliers, and 63 speakers from 31 countries living up to its name as the premier international feed, livestock & meat industry show. Exhibition opens for booking now. More information, visit www.livestockmalaysia.com. Notes to Editor: About Livestock Malaysia Livestock Malaysia 2020 is organised by UBM, which is a part of Informa plc. UBM is also the Organiser of the regional Livestock series events in Southeast Asia including Vietstock (Vietnam) and Livestock Philippines to play a role in creating business networking opportunities for the industry professionals contributing to the important developments to the ASEAN Livestock industry to be the hub of Livestock production to feed the world. SOURCE Livestock Malaysia Related Links http://www.livestockmalaysia.com CHAPEL HILL, N.C., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Value Colleges ( www.valuecolleges.com ), an independent online guide to the best values in undergraduate and graduate education, is pleased to share two valuable new rankings: Top 25 Best Value Campus Bachelor's in Graphic Design for 2019 https://www.valuecolleges.com/ranking/best-bachelor-graphic-design-schools/ Top 15 Best Online Graphic Design Bachelor's for 2019 https://www.valuecolleges.com/ranking/best-online-graphic-design-degree/ Top 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor's Programs in Graphic Design 2019 https://www.valuecolleges.com/rankings/most-affordable-online-undergraduate-graphic-design/ Value Colleges' rankings of the Best Value Campus Bachelor's, the Best Online Bachelor's, and the Most Affordable Online Bachelor's in Graphic Design focus on programs that provide the best overall return on investment. For both rankings, Value Colleges focused specifically on regionally accredited colleges and universities with an established reputation for quality. Schools are ranked based on their in-state tuition rates. To make a long story short, the top 3 online graphic design bachelor's programs are: 1) Virginia Tech, 2) Carnegie Mellon University, and 3) UCLA. The top 3 online graphic design master's programs are: 1) Penn State World Campus, 2) National University, and 3) California Baptist University. The Most Affordable online graphic design bachelor's programs are: 1) Bellevue University; 2) University of Maryland University College; and 3) Arizona State University. Value Colleges congratulates the top 3 in each category, as well as all of the top graphic design schools! The full lists, in alphabetical order, can be found below. "There's a maxim about good graphic design: good graphic design is invisible it's the truly bad and the truly great that get noticed," according to VC editors. That's just as true today as in the past, but "In the 21st century, where advertising is quite literally everywhere, graphic design degrees are valuable to aspiring marketing professionals who want to stand out and get noticed as consummate professionals." Value Colleges' rankings of the best value on-campus and online graphic design bachelor's degrees, and the most affordable online graphic design programs, are for all sorts of graphic design students: traditional-aged and nontraditional, working professionals already in the field and career-changing adults. As always, Value Colleges is most concerned with guiding students to programs that will provide a real return on their investment. Value Colleges has a mission to help future students - whether they are working professionals, new graduates, minority and first-generation students, or others - to find residential and online degree programs that will help them make their goals a reality. Value Colleges is independent and unbiased, ranking degree programs, providing guides for the complex financial and professional questions of college students, and offering honest facts about the potential and pitfalls of a college education. Top 25 Best Value Campus Bachelor's in Graphic Design for 2019 (in alphabetical order) Academy of Art University Art Center College of Design Auburn University Carnegie Mellon University The Cooper Union Drexel University Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY) Howard University Kennesaw State University Louisiana State University The New School Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Rutgers University Camden The Sage Colleges Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Syracuse University Temple University Texas State University Thomas Jefferson University UCLA University of Cincinnati University of Southern California Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Tech Woodbury University Top 15 Best Online Graphic Design Bachelor's for 2019 (in alphabetical order) California Baptist University Full Sail University Independence University Kentucky Wesleyan University LA Film School Liberty University Midway University National University Penn State World Campus Rasmussen College Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Savannah College of Art and Design Southeastern University Southern New Hampshire University Upper Iowa University Top 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor's Programs in Graphic Design 2019 (in alphabetical order) Academy of Art University Arizona State University Bellevue University Grand Canyon University Hodges University Kentucky Wesleyan University Rasmussen College Regent University Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design University of Maryland University College Contact: Rhonda Corey Media Manager, Value Colleges [email protected] (919) 864-2220 SOURCE Value Colleges Related Links http://www.valuecolleges.com HILLSBOROUGH, N.J., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vantage Solutions, the manufacturing efficiency experts, today announced it will host a series of webinars featuring Verification Router Services (VRS) solutions from multiple vendors. The series will run from May 14 through May 23, and is intended to provide a snapshot of each vendor's solution approach and their view of the industry. WHAT: The VRS solutions webinar series will be hosted by Vantage Solutions, and feature a question and answer format to learn about VRS solutions, including: Company backgrounds & position in the market Product profiles & standards used Interfaces & testing Pricing models WHO: Vantage Solutions President John Jordon will host the webinars and Vantage Consulting Group Executive Vice President, Vito Pirrera will lead the spokesperson from each vendor through the Q&A session. WHEN: Adents, Tuesday, May 14 2:30 PM EDT Registration Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1422638702494813451 Chronicled, Wednesday, May 15 2:30 PM EDT Registration Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6542439830462632973 rfxcel, Tuesday, May 21 2:30 PM EDT Registration Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8026209881408083468 LSPediA, Wednesday, May 22 10:00 AM EDT Registration Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7781704883672369677 Antares Vision, Thursday, May 23 2:30 PM EDT Registration Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6504940986382000141 WHERE: Online. Register at the links above to attend. About Vantage Solutions Vantage is the manufacturing productivity company. For manufacturers facing safety, quality, or efficiency challenges, we provide strategic guidance and cost-effective execution of initiatives to improve serialization, packaging, inspection and more. Our team is seasoned, lean, on time and within your budget. www.vantage-cg.com. SOURCE Vantage Solutions Related Links http://www.vantage-cg.com DES PLAINES, Ill., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that Venture Global LNG, Inc. will use a series of technologies from Honeywell UOP to remove various contaminants from natural gas prior to liquefaction at its Calcasieu Pass LNG export facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Honeywell UOP will provide engineering, procurement and fabrication services for the complex which, when completed, will produce 10 million tons per annum (MTPA) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for export to markets in Asia, Europe and other locations. "With this project, Honeywell UOP is helping Venture Global LNG build a facility that provides the lowest-cost supply of LNG by using large-scale high-performance equipment," said Ben Owens, vice president and general manager of Honeywell UOP's Gas Processing and Hydrogen business. "By delivering this technology in modular form, we can reduce construction and installation costs compared with traditional field-constructed systems." "Honeywell UOP is an established leader in advanced proprietary technologies for gas pretreatment, and we're pleased to be partnered with them on this critical project," said Bob Pender, co-CEO of Venture Global LNG. "These technologies are proven and reliable, and the delivery of those technologies in modular form provides better quality and adherence to delivery schedules," added co-CEO Mike Sabel. The project will include a Honeywell UOP Mercury Removal Unit (MRU) and three separate trains each consisting of an Acid Gas Removal Unit (AGRU) and molecular sieve dehydration unit. Taken together, these modular units will remove water, mercury, carbon dioxide and sulfur from 1.6 billion standard cubic feet per day of natural gas so it can be liquefied and safely transported to customers on ocean-going vessels. Mercury occurs naturally in small concentrations in most natural gas. Effective mercury removal processes are necessary to protect cryogenic equipment used to liquefy natural gas. UOP's non-regenerable adsorbents in the MRU remove even trace quantities of mercury effectively. Other naturally occurring contaminants such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, often referred to as acid gases, must be removed from natural gas before it can be liquefied. The natural gas is treated by passing it through an amine solution in the AGRU. After being treated, the natural gas is dehydrated using UOP molecular sieves to remove all the water to prevent freezing in the cryogenic liquefaction process. Honeywell UOP is the global leader in gas processing technologies. Its solutions for contaminant removal and hydrocarbon management are used to produce 40 percent of the world's liquefied natural gas. These technologies are optimized for onshore and offshore natural gas conditioning, treating and natural gas liquids recovery, LNG pretreatment and synthesis gas purification from single-unit to highly integrated, multiple technology operations. Venture Global LNG is a long-term, low-cost provider of LNG to be supplied from resource rich North American natural gas basins. Venture Global LNG has begun construction of the 10 MTPA Venture Global Calcasieu Pass facility at the intersection of the Calcasieu Ship Channel and the Gulf of Mexico and is developing the 20 MTPA Venture Global Plaquemines LNG facility 30 miles south of New Orleans on the Mississippi River, and the 20 MTPA Venture Global Delta LNG facility, also on the Mississippi River south of New Orleans. Venture Global has raised $855 million of capital to date to support the development of its projects. More can be found at www.venturegloballng.com. Honeywell UOP (www.uop.com) is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell's Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com), a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries. Honeywell ( www.honeywell.com ) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom . SOURCE Honeywell Related Links http://www.honeywell.com BEAVERTON, Ore., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting in June, Vernier Software & Technology will host multiple full-day, hands-on STEM professional development workshops around the country to help science educators learn how to integrate data-collection technology into their curricula. Attendees will work alongside an experienced science educator as they explore classroom-ready experiments and activities using Vernier data-collection technology, including the award-winning family of Go Direct sensors. "For 17 years, our institutes have provided educators with valuable professional development over the summer months," said John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Software & Technology. "This year, we will have even more innovative activities to use with our sensors, including our Go Direct Force and Acceleration Sensor and our Go Direct SpectroVis Plus Spectrophotometer. During these institutes, educators will gain fresh ideas for integrating data-collection technology into their curricula as they engage in collaborative learning with fellow teachers." The six-hour institutes support educators who teach a wide variety of grade levels and science disciplines, including physics, chemistry, biology, environmental/Earth science, coding/robotics, and more. The $99 registration fee includes training, lunch, downloadable classroom-ready training materials, and the choice of a Vernier electronic lab book. Science educators can select dates from the summer schedule. June 2019 Summer Institute dates and locations June 11: Denver, CO June 14: Salt Lake City, UT June 18: Los Angeles, CA June 20: San Diego, CA July 2019 Summer Institute dates and locations July 15: Philadelphia, PA July 17: Long Island, NY July 19: Boston, MA July 22: Chicago, IL July 24: Indianapolis, IN July 26: Columbus, OH Vernier will also host a two-day STEM Professional Development Institute July 1112, 2019 at its headquarters in Beaverton, OR. This institute will provide middle school, high school, and college-level educators with multiple hands-on sessions covering biology, chemistry, coding/robotics, environmental science, and physics. The $199 registration fee includes training, lunch on both days, downloadable experiment handouts covered in the sessions, and the choice of a Vernier lab book. To learn more and to register for a Vernier Summer Institute, visit https://www.vernier.com/summer-institutes. To learn more and to register for the STEM Professional Development Institute, visit https://www.vernier.com/training/stem-institute/. About Vernier Software & Technology Vernier Software & Technology has led the innovation of scientific data-collection technology for 38 years. Vernier was founded by a former physics teacher and employs educators at all levels of the organization. The company is committed to teachers and to developing creative ways to teach and learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) using hands-on science. Vernier creates easy-to-use and affordable science interfaces, sensors, and graphing/analysis software. With worldwide distribution to over 150 countries, Vernier data loggers are used by educators and students from elementary school to university. Vernier technology-based solutions enhance STEM education, increase learning, build students' critical thinking skills, and support the science and engineering practices detailed in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The Vernier business culture is grounded in Earth-friendly policies and practices, and the company provides a family-friendly workplace. For more information, visit https://www.vernier.com. SOURCE Vernier Software & Technology Related Links https://www.vernier.com NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is using a $1 million grant from Wells Fargo to support economic recovery in storm-ravaged communities in Puerto Rico. The grant is helping fund LISC's new Kiva Puerto Rico Match Fund, which is expected to finance 70 businesses across the island over the next two years. The fund is already beginning to deploy capital, with its first loan supporting Editorial Destellos, a children's book publisher featuring Puerto Rican illustrators and storytellers. Other loans are supporting a food production business, led by a local chemical engineer; an apparel business, driven by a trio of young designers; and a small gourmet mushroom farm, launched by an agricultural entrepreneur. Loan amounts under the program range from $500 to $10,000. "We recognize that small business recovery after a natural disaster can be long and stressful," said Connie Smith, who leads Wells Fargo's Diverse Community Capital program, which provides funding to help diverse small business owners. "This grant puts more resources in place to help many talented entrepreneurs in Puerto Rico rebuild and to create new momentum in the small business community." Small businesses make up 99.7 percent of all enterprises on the island, and 81 percent of their credit demand is for small dollar amounts, according to a 2018 survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. What's more, the number of micro-enterprises, with revenues of $50,000 or less, has been increasing, as has their need for capital, the New York Fed found. "Puerto Rico has a great potential for economic growth through the activities of our small and medium-sized businesses," said Ana Maria Cintron, director of Causa Local, Corp. and capital access manager for Kiva in Puerto Rico. "Having an access-to-capital alternative such as Kiva is a game changer in the area of financial support to existing and developing businesses that are looking for unconventional ways to fund their plans. The contributions of Wells Fargo and LISC are key in the development and growth of Kiva locally, and we're beyond grateful to have them as partners in the goal of achieving great economic impact in Puerto Rico." Other supporters of LISC's Kiva Puerto Rico Match Fund include the fund's new trustees: Pathstone Corporation, Foundation for Puerto Rico, Centro para Emprendedores, Inc., Vitrina Solidaria, Inc., Santurce Pop, Grupo Guayacan, Inc., as well as Causa Local. "Small businesses are the economic backbone of our communities," said Javier E. Zapata-Rodriguez, deputy director for economic development at Pathstone and one of LISC's 2019 Rubinger Fellows, working on a documentary about disaster recovery on the island. "These are business owners that would otherwise have a very difficult time borrowing because they are viewed as too small, too new or too innovative to assess their risk," he explained. "The Kiva match fund recognizes their potential, understands how to evaluate micro-loan risk and can bridge that capital gap so these businesses can build and grow." In addition to the fund, the two-year Wells Fargo grant is also helping LISC expand its overall capacity to support disaster recovery. LISC has long been engaged in this work, including major response and rebuilding efforts following hurricanes in New York, Texas, and along the Gulf Coast. Given the increased number and severity of storms, LISC is building on that local experience with national tools to support future recovery efforts. "We're grateful to Wells Fargo for helping fuel small businesses and, by extension, the economic future of the communities where they operate," said Maurice A. Jones, LISC president and CEO. "Targeted support for entrepreneurs is especially important in the wake of disasters, when the need to reopen businesses and restore jobs is so vital to recovery." LISC and Wells Fargo have a more than 30-year collaboration to invest in affordable housing, businesses and jobs that lift up urban and rural communities, and catalyze opportunity for thousands of residents. To lend to a small business in Puerto Rico through LISC's Kiva match fund, visit https://www.kiva.org/lender/liscpuertorico4001 About LISC With residents and partners, LISC forges resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families. Since 1979, LISC has invested $20 billion to build or rehab 400,500 affordable homes and apartments and develop 66.8 million square feet of retail, community and educational space. To learn more, visit www.lisc.org. About Wells Fargo Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,800 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs, and the internet (wellsfargo.com). Wells Fargo's vision is to satisfy customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially. With approximately 259,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune's 2018 rankings of America's largest corporations. In 2018, Wells Fargo donated $444 million to nearly 11,000 nonprofits in support of affordable housing, small business growth, financial education, and sustainability, among other community needs. For 10 consecutive years, Wells Fargo has held the honor of No. 1 in workplace giving by United Way Worldwide. Wells Fargo team members also make a difference by donating more than 2 million hours of volunteer time in the last year. News, insights and more information on the company's corporate responsibility are available at Wells Fargo Stories. About Kiva Kiva is an international nonprofit with a mission to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive. In the U.S., Kiva partners with local government, community development, and philanthropy stakeholders to advance financial inclusion and bring capital to fuel small businesses across the country. Since 2011, Kiva has lent $27 million to 5,000+ borrowers in 50 states with the help of 800+ trustees, 13 market hubs, and 200,000+ lenders. Through Kiva U.S., loans are accessible to entrepreneurs, who are underserved and excluded from the traditional financial mainstream, including: 62 percent women-owned businesses, 60 percent to minority entrepreneurs, 36 percent to businesses in their first year of operations, and 71 percent to business owners who either have a credit score below 650 or that don't know their score. Media Contact: Colleen Mulcahy, for LISC 312-342-8244 or [email protected] SOURCE LISC Related Links http://www.lisc.org KIBBUTZ SHEFAYIM, Israel, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Zebra Medical Vision (https://www.zebra-med.com/), the deep learning imaging analytics company, today announces that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for HealthPNX - an AI alert for pneumothorax (PNX), based on chest X-rays. Zebra Medical Vision receives FDA approval for worlds first AI chest X-ray triage product Zebra Medical Vision receives FDA approval for worlds first AI chest X-ray triage product The latest FDA clearance, received in May 2019, focuses on an AI alert for "stat" (urgent) findings of pneumothorax and demonstrates a promising potential to substantially reduce turnaround time and increase the radiologist's confidence in making this diagnosis. Chest X-rays are one of the world's most used imaging modalities. Pneumothorax is a condition in which there is an accumulation of gas within the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Without prompt management, pneumothorax can lead to total lung collapse and other potentially fatal complications. This condition is most commonly diagnosed by a chest X-ray scan, though it is one of the hardest to interpret, and is known for high disagreement rates even between experienced radiologists. Misdiagnosis or late-diagnosis of Pneumothorax impacts around 74,000 Americans per year. The patent pending technology automatically detects findings suggestive of Pneumothorax based on CXR or digital radiography (DR) scans, and alerts the medical team. In hospitals where Zebra-Med's "All in one" (AI1) solution is integrated into the radiologist's worklist, the scan is flagged so that the radiologist can address it in a timely manner. This first of its kind FDA cleared solution can save physicians more than 80% of the time taken to reach the acute condition, compared to the traditional First In First Out (FIFO) methodology. The Pneumotorax product is a result of the extensive work accomplished by the Zebra-Med's research lab. The chest X-ray AI network was trained using millions of images to identify over 40 common clinical findings. The results of the Textray study establish a new bar for AI research in medical imaging, demonstrating high rates of agreement between the algorithm and human radiologist experts. "We are happy to add this important capability to our All-in-One (AI1) package and add more value to busy radiology departments," says Eyal Gura, Zebra-Med's CEO and Co-Founder. "Health providers across the U.S. that already use the many Zebra-integrated PACS and worklist systems, will be able to easily deploy our triage solution and improve their patients' care and outcomes". "In a clinical validation study we performed, Zebra-Med's acute CXR pneumothorax and CT Brain bleed products demonstrated a promising potential to substantially reduce turnaround time and increase the radiologist's confidence in making these diagnoses," said Dr. Terence Matalon, Chairman of Imaging at Albert Einstein Medical Center. Zebra-Med's AI1 Triage Solution is the first of its kind for both CTs and X-rays, and currently addresses two acute conditions: intracranial hemorrhages (head CTs, FDA pending), and pneumothorax (chest X-rays). Zebra-Med's previous FDA approval, received in July of 2018, focuses on coronary calcium scoring algorithm, which can detect coronary artery disease (CAD). The growing number of regulatory approvals within Zebra-Med's AI portfolio allows the company to continue to enter new markets. With nine CE marked products and more FDA pending applications in the pipeline, Zebra-Med will continue to expand its footprint in the United States, and release additional automated solutions worldwide, to help radiologists and health providers produce more comprehensive, accurate outcomes, without compromising the quality of care. Read more about the X-ray product team journey here. About Zebra Medical Vision Zebra Medical Vision's Imaging Analytics Platform allows healthcare institutions to identify patients at risk of disease and offer improved, preventative treatment pathways to improve patient care. Zebra-Med was founded in 2014 by Eyal Toledano, Eyal Gura, and Elad Benjamin and funded by Khosla Ventures, Marc Benioff, Intermountain Investment Fund, OurCrowd Qure, Aurum, aMoon, Nvidia, J&J, and Dolby Ventures. Zebra Medical Vision has raised $50 million in funding to date, and was named a Fast Company Top-5 AI and Machine Learning company. Company Media Contact: Alona Stein Blonde 2.0 for Zebra Medical Vision [email protected] +972-507782344 SOURCE Zebra Medical Vision Related Links https://www.zebra-med.com/ Upon arrival, visitors are immersed into what can be likened to a museum, with one-of-a-kind vintage ZEISS lenses, microscopes, and binoculars on display as a nod to the rich company history. A few steps further and you've entered a sleek, bright white haven tailor-made for filmmakers. The space boasts a 9-seat 4K HDR theater, full editorial suite with DaVinci Resolve and Nuke software, and lens projection bay equipped with GECKO-PRO technology. The prep floor is replete with third-party cameras ready to be outfitted with ZEISS optics. Private demonstrations are appointment-based, primarily targeting cinematographers eager to learn about large format capabilities, or other unique optical opportunities ZEISS can support. Although the showroom is intended for these consultations, the facility will be utilized for educational workshops and events regularly. "ZEISS is committed to serving the artistic community," explains Snehal Patel, ZEISS Cine Sales Manager at a press preview. "Our goal is to create a home for cinematographers in Los Angeles, where they can experience all of our offerings." For more information, please contact: ZEISS Cinema Lens Demo Center 15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 820 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403, USA 818-582-4910 Email: [email protected] Press contact Camera Lenses Jorn Leonhardt Phone +49 7364 20-4694 Email: [email protected] www.zeiss.com/newsroom About ZEISS ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling more than 5.8 billion euros in its four segments Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (status: 30 September 2018). For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars. With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future far beyond the optics and optoelectronics industries. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership. With approximately 30,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in almost 50 countries with around 60 of its own sales and service companies, more than 30 production sites and around 25 development sites. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG. Further information is available at www.zeiss.com ZEISS Consumer Products ZEISS Consumer Products combines the company's business with camera and cine lenses, binoculars, spotting scopes and hunting optics. The unit is allocated to the Consumer Markets segment and is represented at sites in Oberkochen and Wetzlar. SOURCE ZEISS Related Links https://www.zeiss.com Written by Richard Larson on May 13, 2019 . Posted in Articles. The two of us recently completed a fun trip with a small group to Bhutan after visiting Nepal on our own. The country is amazing and everything we had hoped for. Bhutan is a mainly Buddhist country and their philosophy and approach to life permeated so much of our trip. It gave us inspiration to share a few lessons we learned along the way and try to relate them to product and process work. A shortcut is not always faster. One of the most famous sites in Bhutan (if not the world) is the Tigers Nest Monastery. Reaching it requires a steep climb of 3000 feet, which was daunting in part because of the altitude. Our group had 8 people in it and our guide was behind us helping one woman arrange for a horse to ride partway up (slacker!). Given our guide wasnt present, 3 of us in the lead hit a crossroad. Not knowing which way to go, we followed a group of hikers in front of us as they took a route to the right and up. The opposite way to the left seemed to lead away from our destination so we went right. A hiker in the group ahead said it was a shortcut and by that point we were tired enough that a shortcut sounded wonderful! Well, we found out later that the shortcut was also steeper! And more tiring! Some of the slower hikers behind us went the long way and got to the meeting point much faster and were less tired. The longer way was flatter with a more gradual climb and easier footing. So, the moral of this point is that when we are tempted to take shortcuts, be sure to get enough facts or data to help you make an intelligent choice. How many times on projects have we taken or been tempted to take shortcuts? They often result in rework and missed requirements. We can miss a crucial business need or overlook someones expectation by the need to move quickly. Organization pressures to develop solutions quickly tempt us into shortcuts, but the point is that we need to be mindful when deciding to take them. Advertisement Some, but not all change is good. Although Bhutanese people like to maintain their culture and keep it intact far more than other countries weve been to, they also embrace modern technology. For example, they dont allow western franchises like McDonalds or KFC. But they have eagerly taken advantage of wi-fi and cellular technology. Monks in centuries-old monasteries use cell phones and laptops but they didnt walk around with Starbucks cups. In other words, they have embraced some change, but rejected other changes that run counter to their cultural norms. For product management, it is a good reminder that not all change is equal. We all know that product features need to be prioritized. But, how often do people have difficulty prioritizing them? (Answer: often!) This lesson is not a magic answer for how to prioritize. Instead, perhaps in the spirit of Bhutanese Buddhists, we need to ask: Are we fulfilling the organizations strategy with this feature or that requirement? Are we any worse off if we dont make this particular change? What will the future be like if we add this function? If we do not add it? If these questions sound a bit like traceability, they should. We need to be asking these types of questions no matter what type of product or project approach in place. Instead of asking how important is this new feature? Maybe we should be asking how might we benefit without it? No Hurry No Worry. We all know errors happen when we rush things, but thats not what we are referring to here. The roads in Bhutan were filled not with billboards but cogent sayings like No Hurry No Worry which appealed greatly to our group. It was a pleasant reminder that hurrying through a task or sprint or project is not helpful but can lead to errors and rework. That doesnt mean we should tarry either. Instead it might mean rather than hurrying to build solutions, we should remember why we are doing the work we do. What is the higher purpose of it? What business objective or public policy does our work serve? A no hurry approach might cause us to dig a little deeper to find the root causes of problems to help us generate better and more effective solutions. One of the authors personally objects to the concept of satisficing, which has made the rounds in Agile circles. Proponents of this notion believe that finding the first viable solution to a problem that satisfies and is sufficient will be good enough. We understand the appeal, but it doesnt provide time enough to understand and to get to know the problem well enough to build lasting solutions. The satisficing approach may or may not get to the same end point eventually, but will usually take more time and expense of reworking solutions to get there. In summary, our trip to a Buddhist country gave us many opportunities for refection. We wanted to share some and relate them to product and process work. (Check out our follow-up article inspired by Bhutan that focuses on process.) Here are some mantras for you to consider in your work: 1. Shortcuts can be long cuts. 2. Not all change is good. 3. No Hurry No Worry Written by: Richard Larson and Elizabeth Larson Wellington, May 13 : A Royal Commission of Inquiry on Monday began its investigation into the March 15 Christchurch terror attacks that left 51 people dead in two mosques, a New Zealand government spokesperson has confirmed. The special commission, which is chaired by Supreme Court Justice Sir William Young along with Jacquie Caine, New Zealand's former Ambassador to Chile, will now establish how the investigation will be conducted, Efe news quoted the spokesperson as saying. "They have the powers to call people to appear before them," said the spokesperson. "They have the ability to look through a lot of material, and their powers are very broad." "We want them to leave no stone unturned." The commission, which was set up on April 8, will look into the activities of the alleged Australian gunman, Brenton Tarrant before and after his arrival in New Zealand, his travels and how he obtained weapons and ammunition. Tarrant, who had no police record, is charged with attacking the two mosques armed with military weapons and shooting at worshippers gathered for the Friday prayers while broadcasting the massacre live on social media. The commission will also investigate the social networking activities of Tarrant, an former fitness trainer now facing 50 charges of murder and 39 for attempted murder, in addition to his national and international connections. One of the key tasks will be to scrutinise the role played by New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service, the Government Communications Security Bureau, Police, Customs, Immigration and any other relevant department of the government. The commission will have to submit its conclusions by December 10. On its website, the commission says its "purpose is to reassure the New Zealand public, including all Muslim communities, that all reasonable measures are being taken by State sector agencies to ensure their safety and protection". New Delhi, May 13 : Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of throttling democracy and said BSP chief Mayawati's personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed she was unfit to hold any public post. Jaitley said democracy had become a casualty in West Bengal. The Minister tweeted: "Mamata Didi - Democracy has become a casualty in Bengal. Opposition workers are murdered, candidates are attacked, polling booths are captured and Opposition leaders are not entitled to organise rallies." A rally of BJP President Amit Shah was axed after the land owner who had rented out his property withdrew his consent. In an interview to a news agency, Mayawati mounted a scathing personal attack on the Prime Minister saying that he could not be expected to respect other's sisters and wives when he had left his own wife for political gains. Jaitley tweeted: "Behan Mayawati - She is firm on becoming a Prime Minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low. Her personal attack on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too hit out at Banerjee for not allowing Amit Shah's chopper to land and let him hold an election rally in Jadavpur. Addressing the media at the BJP headquarters, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said Banerjee was "crushing" democracy and the people will give her a befitting reply through the ballot. "Amit Shah was to hold a rally in Jadavpur. Permission regarding the rally was sought four-five days ago. They (administration) suddenly denied permission at 8.30 p.m. on Sunday without citing any reason. At around 11.30 p.m. on Sunday, they also denied permission for landing of the BJP President's chopper there," Javadekar said. He urged the Election Commission to take note of what the West Bengal government had done. Javadekar said Banerjee was so rattled that she was seeing the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel as members of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). "She is desperate." Lahore, May 13 : The death toll from the suicide blast outside Pakistan's oldest Sufi shrine in Lahore has risen to 13 after another civilian succumbed to his injuries, the media reported on Monday. Tahir Aslam, 18, was working at a shop nearby when the blast took place near a police patrol vehicle stationed outside the entrance of Data Darbar shrine on Wednesday. He was among the critically injured and rushed to hospital where he died on Sunday, Dawn online reported. The bombing claimed the lives of six policemen and seven civilians. Even as the death toll increased, law-enforcement agencies were yet to make any substantial progress in the probe into the attack, a senior police official told the daily. The country's Counter-Terrorism DepAartment (CTD) has so far arrested five suspected facilitators of Data Darbar attack from Lahore's Garhi Shahu area after conducting a raid at a tea stall. But they were no big leads, the report said. The bombing on the shrine was claimed by the Hizbul Ahrar, a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban. New Delhi, May 13 : Samsung is likely to launch the much-awaited Galaxy M40 smartphone early next month for nearly Rs 25,000 in India. Featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and a triple camera system, Galaxy M40 -- the India-first smartphone in the popular Galaxy M series -- is set to be the most powerful offering in the series, industry sources told IANS on Monday. The first three Galaxy M smartphones -- Galaxy M10, M20 and M30 -- are powered by Exynos processors. Samsung is also likely to introduce some flagship features on Galaxy M40, starting with the "Hole-in-Display", a technology that's currently found on the South Korean tech giant's flagship S10 series. The #OMG campaign that Samsung has launched is linked to the upcoming release of the Galaxy M40, the sources said. Samsung India launched Galaxy M30 in two storage variants in February, starting at Rs 14,990. M30's 6GB+128GB variant was priced at Rs 17,990 and the 4GB+64GB variant was available for Rs 14,990. Samsung launched the Galaxy M10 and M20 smartphones in January. Patna, May 13 : Rashtriya Janata Party (RJD) President Lalu Prasad on Monday accused Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar of looking for shortcuts, making compromises and betraying the people of the state. He also attacked the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), saying its election symbol 'arrow' represented violence whereas the RJD's symbol 'lantern' removes darkness. Lalu Prasad's letter to the Chief Minister was uploaded on social media. It read: "My younger brother Nitish, it seems you have started hating light... Are you aware that lantern is synonymous with light? It is a symbol of love and brotherhood... But your 'arrow' is a symbol of violence." Lalu Prasad slammed Kumar and his party, saying that they were unaware of the ideological and theoretical principles required to fight hatred. He said: "It is your old habit to look for shortcuts and make compromises." In a reply to the RJD leader's letter, the JD-U wrote a letter to him saying "arrow is a tool used remove corruption". JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said: "Why are you trying to restrict Bihar to the era of lanterns? Bihar has moved way ahead. Lanterns is identified in Bihar for corruption, acquiring illegal property and 'jungleraj'. Arrow has been used against corruption, miscreants." New Delhi, May 13 : India's crude import bill will grow fatter despite numerous measures by successive governments to reduce its dependence on crude. A Moody's report on Monday said that "India's oil and gas consumption will support its investments in refining capacity and upstream production, but crude imports will keep growing amid stagnant production". India imports nearly 80 per cent of its oil requirement which makes is highly dependent to imported oil and hence susceptible to wild fluctuations in the international oil market. The governments push towards electric vehicles to reduce dependence on imported oil was also not seen to bearing fruit in the near term. Moody's said: "Even though the government is encouraging faster adoption and manufacturing of electric vehicles, the response has not been great because of a lack of high-quality, affordable vehicles and the evolving charging infrastructure". Besides, the government pressure for shareholder returns will "temper National Oil Company's (NOC) credit quality", Moody's flagged. New Delhi, May 13 : The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking to prepone polling hours from 7 a.m. to 5 a.m. for the remaining phases of the general election. Advocate Mohammad Nizam Pasha moved the apex court seeking a direction for advancing the polling hours on account of commencement of Ramzan and heat wave forecast in many states. Earlier, the petition was moved before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi which had asked the Election Commission to look into the matter. Advocate Amit Sharma, appearing for the Election Commission, told that Court that poll body had already heard the petitioner and his representation in detail and passed an order declining advancement of the polls. The Vacation Bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna observed that the poll panel had already taken a decision and so the court dismissed the plea. Last week, the Supreme Court had directed the petitioner to present the case before the Election Commission. Rejecting the plea, the EC said it does not think altering the timing for polls is feasible for the remaining three phases of the general election. The poll body in its response said the Commission had factored into -- shortage of manpower, logistics, heat wave conditions, presence of polling agents during mock polls, adequate facilities at each polling station, and the polling officers were already working at extended hours to complete the job. Therefore, in view of these circumstances, polling hours were already long enough, it was best not to alter the timing, it said. The poll body also cited that the timing of the sunrise varies in states going to polls, and in this case the balloting would have to start before sunrise. In such a scenario, additional logistical and administrative changes would have to be introduced, in addition to the security arrangements. It also told the petitioner that election officials were already hard-pressed, and clocking nearly 16 hours at work on the polling day, and starting the polls early would further impact the mock poll process too. The petition was filed by advocates Mohammed Nizammuddin Pasha and Asad Hayat, before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for urgent hearing. The bench directed the poll body's counsel to take a decision on the issue. New Delhi, May 13 : In the midst of the Lok Sabha election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received about three times more TV airtime than Congress President Rahul Gandhi during the April 1 to April 28 period, reveals data from television viewership monitoring agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). Modi was shown by television news channels for more than 722 hours during this period, while Rahul Gandhi was shown for a little less than 252 hours during the same period, Dainik Bhaskar reported on Monday citing BARC data. Modi took the huge lead over Rahul Gandhi inspite of addressing one rally less than the 65 that the Congress President addressed during the April 1 to April 28 period. Similarly, BJP President Amit Shah got nearly 124 hours TV airtime, while Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was shown by news channels for over 84 hours. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati was shown by TV news channels for about 85 hours. Modi got more airtime because showing him apparently earns TV channels more target rating points (TRP). Stockholm, May 13 : Swedish prosecutors on Monday reopened investigation into the rape allegation against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, currently lodged at a high-security jail in the UK. Sweden's Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson announced the decision at a press conference here saying, "I have today taken the decision to reopen the preliminary investigation," the Guardian reported Prosecutors dropped the investigation in 2017 because they were unable to proceed while Assange stayed put at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The investigation could be reopened if the situation changed, they had said at that time. Assange, 47, was removed from the embassy last month after seven years as the Ecuadorian government withdrew his asylum protection, and was arrested for breach of bail conditions. A lawyer for one of the women involved in the Swedish allegations subsequently asked for resumption of the investigation. Assange had also faced investigation for a second sex-related allegation, which was dropped in 2015 because time had run out. He has denied both allegations. Immediately after his arrest in April, the US authorities requested for his extradition in a case relating to a WikiLeaks' release of sensitive military and diplomatic documents. In the US, he faces charges of conspiring with a former intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to download classified data. The charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison. Assange is being held at the Belmarsh high-security prison in London after being sentenced to 50 weeks for a bail violation, the Guardian said. He appeared at the Westminster magistrates court on May 2 via video link and said he did not consent to be extradited to the US. The court heard that the extradition process would take "many months". The case was adjourned until May 30. The Swedish allegations date to 2010. Assange unsuccessfully fought through the British courts to get the extradition order and preliminary investigation dropped. Assange feared that the Swedish authorities would hand him over to the US to face prosecution in the WikiLeaks case, his lawyers said. On the reopening of the Swedish investigation, WikiLeaks said it would give Assange a chance to clear his name. "Since Assange was arrested on April 11, 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen investigations, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case," Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief, said in a statement. "Its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name," Hrafnsson said. Mumbai, May 13 : Weeks after voting for the Lok Sabha elections and with months to go for the Assembly elections, Maharashtra's ruling and opposition politicians have started taking stock of the drought stituation, billed as the worst in 47 years. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered all his Ministers - from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena - to go to the districts where they are appointed 'Guardian Ministers' and prepare detailed ground reports on the water crises. Officials have also been asked to tour their respective districts and submit comprehensive reports by May 21. These reports would include the exact status of water availability in some of the worst hit areas in Marathwada, Konkan and Vidarbha, Western and North Maharashtra. Around 21,000 villages in 151 tehsils across the state are in the grip of drought, covering almost half the geographical area of the state. With water levels in all the big and small dams in these regions receding fast, Fadnavis is reviewing the status on a daily basis. He asked all Guardian Ministers and Secretaries to ensure prompt implementation of drought mitigation measures, including jobs under the Employment Guarantee Schemes for the affected people. Not to be left behind, opposition leaders too are out assessing the damage. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar has already started a two-day tour of Marathwada from Sunday. "The drought this year is worse than in 1972. Back then, people only wanted jobs. This time there are no jobs, no drinking water for man and animal, no water for farmland, crops and plantations have completely dried up," said a grim Pawar after meeting farmers in Beed. He informed the farmers that he would submit a detailed status report to the Chief Minister and urge him to extend relief without any delay or discrimination, ensure jobs for the people, provision of clean drinking water, prompt drought aid and crop insurance and other initiatives for the suffering masses. Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that 11 party legislators will fan out across the state soon and submit their ground assessment of the situation to the party leadership. A government official said that the state has set up over 1,250 fodder camps for 850,000 cattle and tankers are ferrying water to around 12,116 villages. An amount of Rs 4,412.57 crore has been deposited in the bank accounts of nearly 6.80 million farmers and another Rs 1,100 crore disbursed as crop insurance, said another official at the Mantralaya. The official said the dams in the state had barely 1.35 per cent water left and Marathwada was the worst hit with just 4.87 per cent in all its reservoirs. Marathwada's nine major reservoirs -- Paithan, Yeldari, Manjara, Majalgaon, Siddeshwar, Sina-Kolegaon, Lower Terna, Lower Manar and Lower Dudhana -- have barely 0.7 per cent water left, and the minimal stock in the biggest, Jayakwadi may be wiped out soon. Colombo, May 13 : Sri Lanka on Monday temporarily blocked social media websites and messaging apps, including Facebook, Viber and WhatsApp and reimposed curfew in certain areas after a post sparked anti-Muslim riots in several towns of the country. A group of people had stormed into Chilaw town on Sunday following a controversial Facebook post by a Muslim shopkeeper about "an attack plan". Reports said that several people threw stones at mosques and attacked Muslim-owned shops and a man was also beaten up in the violence. Amid the unrest, the Army fired shots in the air to disperse the mobs but the unrest spread to other towns, the Daily Mirror reported. An overnight curfew was imposed in Chilaw and Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Hettipola and Dummalasuriya areas and the social media ban was imposed to prevent circulation of fake news and incitement to violence. The police reimposed the curfew in Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Dummalasuriya and Hettipola on Monday till 4 a.m. Tuesday and said that "tough action will be taken against anyone disrupting the peace". The latest unrest began as Catholic churches resumed Sunday mass for the first time since the Easter bombings which killed over 250 people and injured hundreds. According to the the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) -- the main body of Islamic clerics -- there has been increased suspicion of Muslims after the April 21 bombings blamed on local Islamic group National Thowheed Jamath, which is believed to have links with the Islamic State (IS) that claimed the carnage. Sri Lankan authorities say most of the 150 people suspected to have been linked to the last month's attacks have died or been arrested, but other communities in the country still fear that the government has not caught all potential militants. Seoul, May 13 : The UN said on Monday that North Korea was facing an acute food shortage and the country was in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. David Beasley, the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), appealed for donations to resolve the crisis and vowed that he would ensure that the aid reaches the people there, reports Efe news. Beasley was in Seoul to meet South Korean Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-Chul and discuss the findings of a recent joint report by the WFP and the Food and Agriculture Organization on the critical food situation in North Korea. The report stressed that some 10 million North Koreans (40 per cent of its population) face an imminent shortage of food, especially in the summer months preceding the next big harvest, due to the worst agricultural yield in a decade. "We are very concerned about the situation there, and we are hopeful that we can come up with some solutions," Beasley told the media here. The meeting comes after the South Korean government last week expressed its intention to provide food aid to its neighbour. In 2017, the South Korean government approved an aid package for the North valued at $8 million to be channelled through international agencies, although the package is yet to be sent due to the lack of progress in denuclearization talks. The last time Seoul sent food assistance (5,000 tonnes of rice) to Pyongyang was in 2010. London, May 13 : A 31-year-old Indian woman has been threatened with deportation by UK Home Office officials despite being in a coma after having a major operation. Bhavani Espathi, 31, who was in a vegetative state for a week and a half after undergoing the operation, received a letter stating that her application for leave to remain had been refused and that she was liable to be forcibly removed, the Independent reported on Monday. The UK Home Office has been accused of being "cruel and insensitive" after the move. Lawyers and politicians said the case demonstrated how the UK immigration rules were permitting the government to "send people to their death abroad" as part of the hostile environment. Espathi's fiance, Martin Mangler, 33, appealed against the decision while she was still unconscious, providing medical letters from her doctors stating that her life would be at risk if she travelled. But the Home Office said that while the medical treatment she was receiving was "unlikely" to be available to the same standard in India, this did not entitle her to remain in the UK - and that she could receive "palliative care" in her home country if the appropriate treatment wasn't available there, the daily reported. Espathi, who came to the UK on a study visa in 2010 and proceeded to work in the arts industry before she fell ill with Crohn's disease -- a digestive tract disorder -- said she would be "risking her life" if she had to leave the country. She has launched an online campaign to seek support for her case. "I thought there was no way they could dispute my application. I wasn't expecting them to say that 'even if the drugs aren't available then you could receive palliative care'." "I'm trying to be rational. I don't think they would put me on a plane if they actually saw me. I have tubes all over me. But then I also read stories about them coming to get people with no time to get legal representation," she said. Espathi had initially been living in Britain on student and work visas, but when she fell ill she reapplied under human rights medical grounds. Her application was refused in September 2018 while she was unconscious in hospital and her appeal was refused two months later. She had to be admitted to hospital again in April due to complications with her bowel. She currently relies on a drip, has a bag attached to her stomach and is waiting to undergo further surgery in the summer. Chai Patel, legal director at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), said the Home Office's decision to issue Espathi a removal order when she was in a coma was "inhumane and cruel", but "not surprising from a department where officials are trained in how to reject human rights claims". Kolkata, May 13 : A man, who claimed to be a personal assistant to BJP's West Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh, was arrested along with an accomplice after Rs 1 crore of unaccounted money was seized from them in Asansol station on Monday, Railway Police sources said. The duo were apprehended by the Railway Police along with a bag containing the cash as they were about to board a train to Kolkata. The Railway Police challenged Gautam Chattopadhyaya and Lakshmikant Shaw, who were seen moving suspiciously with a huge bag at the Asansol station. When searched, an amount of Rs one crore was found in the bag. The police arrested the duo after they failed to account for the money. When queried by reporters, Chattopadhyaya said that the money belonged to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was being taken to Kolkata. The police said Chattopadhyaya claimed that he was a personal assistant to Dilip Ghosh, the chief of the BJP's state unit. Later, Chattopadhyaya and Shaw were presented before a lower court which remanded them to police custody for four days. Despite persistent efforts by the IANS, Ghosh did not answer or return calls. The seizure has come only a couple of days after over Rs 1 lakh was seized from the car of Bharati Ghosh, a former IPS officer and the BJP candidate from the Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency. Ratlam : , May 13 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked the Congress saying that the party had a problem saying "Bharat Mata ki jai" but found pleasure in abusing him. He said that the country will now decide whether it would be run by "desh bhakti" (patriotism) or by "gaali bhakti" (abuse). Modi was addressing a rally here for the BJP candidate from Ratlam. "Bofors scam, submarine scam, helicopter scam, 2G scam all took place during Congress rule, but if you question them about these, you are told "hua toh hua (so what)," he said making a snide reference to Congress leader Sam Pitroda's remark on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Last week replying to a question on the 1984 genocide, in which 3,000 Sikhs were killed, Pitroda said, "Hua to hua. Hua to kya hua. It happens, so what." The Prime Minister accused the past Congress regimes of playing with the lives of Indian soldiers saying that they lost their lives in Naxal attacks for want of bulletproof jackets. "But if you question them about these, you are told hua toh hua (so what)," he said. According to Modi: "Bomb blasts, by people with links across the border, were the routine in the country once. It was the wrong policies of the past Congress governments that created the term 'Hindu terror'. The Congress conspired to tarnish the great Hindu tradition and save the real culprits, who continued to spill the blood of innocents." Modi also hit out at Congress candidate from Bhopal Digvijaya Singh for not casting his vote in the Rajgarh parliamentary constituency on Sunday, saying that the Congress leader had set an unhealthy precedent for young voters. "The country is electing its representatives, even I went to Ahmedabad to cast my vote. The President and the Vice-President of the country were standing in queues to cast their votes. But 'Diggi Raja' didn't feel the need to cast his vote. What message are you giving to the young generation, Diggi Raja? You are committing a sin. A big sin," he said. Beijing, May 13 : China on Monday strongly condemned the terror attack at a five-star hotel in Pakistan's port city Gwadar, which is being developed by the Chinese. Three gunmen stormed the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar on Saturday, killing four hotel workers and one Navy official. They were later shot dead by the security forces. The hotel in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province is popular among the Chinese developing the port city under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). "China strongly condemns the terrorist attack. We offer our condolences to Pakistan personnel who sacrificed their lives and our sympathy to the family of the victims," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, adding that there were no Chinese casualties. "The Pakistani security forces took swift measures to take on the terrorist forces and protect the regional security and stability. "China appreciates their efforts and will continue to support Pakistan in counterterrorism efforts and we believe the Pakistani government and security forces have the ability to maintain national security and stability. "We noticed Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan condemnation of the attack. He called it an attempt to sabotage the economic projects in Pakistan. He also said that Pakistan should not allow this agenda to succeed. We consistently support Pakistan's development and will continue to offer our support for the country's development," Geng added. The CPEC is the artery of China's Belt and Road connectivity project. It links China's Kashgar in troubled Xinjiang with Gwadar port in restive Balochistan. The multi-billion dollar project has run into controversies because of route and financial implications. The locals in Balochistan say the project has displaced many people and has little to offer them. Chinese nationals working on the project have often been targeted, a scenario that worries Beijing. Besides, India also opposes the CPEC as it passes through the disputed part of Kashmir held by Pakistan. Hyderabad, May 13 : Saudi Arabia's low-cost carrier Flynas on Monday announced the launch of five direct flights between Riyadh and New Delhi and two additional flights between the Saudi capital and Hyderabad from July. Flynas will operate five flights every week from Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport to New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. The flights will be operated on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, the airline said in a statement. To cater to the growing demand for direct and more economical flights from Hyderabad to Riyadh, the airlines has also stepped up the frequency of flights between the two cities to four per week. Flynas currently operates flights between Hyderabad and Riyadh on Friday and Sunday. The new flights between the two cities are scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting July 1. Airbus A320 Neo aircraft with a passenger capacity of 174 will be used for these flights. The airline said the launch of the new flights and increase in frequency was aimed at meeting the growing demand among passengers for flights between Saudi Arabia and India. Flynas commenced its operations in India with the launch of the Riyadh-Hyderabad flight in June last year. As part of its global expansion strategy, the airline will be introducing new destinations, including flights from different Saudi cities to Vienna, Batumi, Baku, Tbilisi and Athens from June. Tehran, May 13 : Iran has sentenced its national to 10 years in prison for spying for the UK, the state media reported on Monday. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said on state television that the unnamed individual was "in charge of the Iran desk of the British Council and confessed to co-operating with British intelligence". The official did not identify the person who was sentenced. But a London-based British Council employee and art student, Aras Amiri, was held in Iran in March 2018, the BBC reported. Amiri's cousin said in May 2018 that she had been accused of "acting against national security" - a charge that has been laid by Iranian authorities against a range of activists, journalists and a number of dual citizens and foreign nationals detained in recent years. The UK is currently engaged in a protracted effort to free another woman, the dual British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, from prison in Tehran. She was also accused of spying, a charge she has denied. The British Council -- the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities -- said last year that it was aware that one of its staff had been detained in Iran while making a private family visit. On Monday, its Chief Executive Ciaran Devane said: "We have seen reports that an Iranian national, claimed to be an employee of the British Council, has been sentenced. However, we have not been able to confirm that this is our colleague. "Our colleague's safety and wellbeing remain our first concern as it has been throughout their detention. We are in close contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office." The British Council said that the employee detained last year was not head of "the Iran desk", but someone who "worked in the UK in a junior role to support and showcase the Iranian contemporary art scene to UK audiences". The British Council said it does not have offices or representatives in Iran and it does not do any work in Iran. "We are a non-political organisation committed to people-to-people engagement and our staff are not connected to any espionage agency," Ciaran added. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "The British Embassy officials in Tehran are in touch with the Iranian government to seek further information." Lahore High Court LHC Jobs 2019 Latest Lahore High Court LHC Management Posts Lahore 2021 Lahore High Court LHC, Government of the Punjab are seeks candidates for the posts of Cook, Driver, Court Attendant, Tandoorchi, Cook Helper, Helper Tandoorchi, Bearer, Waiter,Dish Washer, Counter Staff, Denter, Painter, Mali, Sweeper, Sanitary Worker, Farash, Farash Man, Water Man, Dusting Coolie, Chowkidar, Watch Man, Washer Man. How to Apply on Lahore High Court LHC Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted. Mumbai, May 13 : Actor Shahid Kapoor says he is hopeful that his forthcoming film "Kabir Singh" will get a U/A certificate from the Censor Board. Shahid, Kiara Advani and the makers of the film launched the trailer of "Kabir Singh", a remake of the 2017 Telugu film "Arjun Reddy". The film is laced with foul language and shows alcohol and drug abuse. The film is yet to be certified by the Central Board of Film Certification. Shahid said: "We are hoping to get a U/A certificate. We don't know whether we will get it or not. There is only belief that there is no reason for us not to get the U/A certificate. It is important that today we are able to tell stories honestly without sugar coating. Image Source: https://twitter.com/shahidkapoor 'Kabir Singh' poster "I think audiences are mature enough to understand that and censors should give into that. There is nothing in the film which is off-putting. It is an honest depiction and it should be allowed to showcase itself." The film was earlier clashing with Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao's "Mental Hai Kya" on June 21, but later the latter film's producer Ekta Kapoor shifted the date to July 26. As a result, "Kabir Singh" will have a solo release. Shahid has wished Kangana and Rajkummar good luck with their film. "We announced the release date of the film a year back, and we are very clear that we are coming on this date. We are happy that we had a solo release. "Now, of course, there was announcement that they (Ekta Kapoor) chose to shift the dates themselves. I wish them all the best. Rajkummar Rao and Kangana Ranaut are fantastic actors and we're happy that we have a solo release right now." "Kabir Singh" is written and directed by Sandeep Vanga and is jointly produced by Cine1 Studios and T-Series. New York, May 13 : Heated political discourse over proposed laws involving marginalised groups, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, can contribute to an increase in bullying linked to students' identity in schools, says a study. "We think young people do not hear what adults and lawmakers are talking about, but they do," said senior study author Stephen Russell from the University of Texas at Austin, the US. In the run-up to a statewide voter referendum to ban gay marriage in California, young people reported significantly more homophobic bullying, showed the findings published in the journal Pediatrics. In fact, homophobic bullying peaked and declined after the public debate about the initiative in question, Proposition 8, subsided. The study looked at yearly survey data from nearly 5 million middle and high school students in over 5,000 schools in California, from 2001 to 2015, and whether those students experienced homophobic bullying. The rate of homophobic bullying of students increased from 7.6 per cent in the 2001-02 school year to 10.8 per cent in the 2008-09 school year when the Proposition 8 vote took place. This occurred even as trends in other types of bullying related to race or ethnicity, religion and gender declined, the study said. "The data are telling us that straight kids are getting bullied for this, too," Russell said and added, "It's all about what the bullies perceive." Solan : , May 13 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday again raked up Congress leader Sam Pitroda's controversial remark in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, as he picked holes in the 10-year rule of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the the Centre. Without naming Pitroda or talking about the anti-Sikh riots, Modi, in his 30-minute speech here, time and again took jibes at the UPA government by saying that its attitude towards policies such as defence matters were "hua toh hua" (it just happened). Indian Oversees Congress chief Pitroda had on last Thursday brushed off the 1984 anti-Sikh riots by saying, "hua toh hua" (it just happened). Modi also told the gathering that the opposition was just looking for new words to "abuse your chowkidar (watchman)". "Those who are themselves out on bail are searching for new words in their dictionary daily to abuse your 'chowkidar'. But your 'chowkidar' is not going to budge because of their abuses," he said. Donning a traditional Himachali cap, the Prime Minister in his address in Hindi tried to build a bond with the gathering by saying that Solan was known for cultivating mushroom, peas, delicious tomatoes and ginger. He also recollected the days he spent in Solan by remembering shopkeeper Manohar Lal, who used to sell roasted "chanas". The Prime Minister, who was here on Monday for his second and last election meeting in the hill state, said the "Opposition's mission was to ruin his image while his mission was to build India's image on a global platform." Claiming that the BJP was heading for a bigger victory in the Lok Sabha polls than in 2014, Modi made a special appeal to the first-time voters who were born in the 21st century and who want a new-"age development agenda". The Prime Minister further said that many prosperous countries in the world have not been able to provide free treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh to their people. "Ayushman Bharat (National Health Protection Mission) is the biggest healthcare programme which is benefitting 50 crore people, equal to the population of Canada, Mexico and the US put together," Modi said. The four parliamentary constituencies of Himachal Pradesh -- Shimla, Hamirpur, Mandi and Kangra -- will go to the polls in the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 19. New Delhi, May 13 : In connection with its ongoing probe into the Axis Bank demonetised currency case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said that it has attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 2.95 crore belonging to Puneet Jain, Hemraj Singh, Vinod Deshmukh, Rajeev Singh Kushwaha, Mehfooz Khan, Pravesh Kumar Gandhi and others. The ED in a statement said that the properties were attached provisionally under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The agency has registered a case on the basis of a case registered by Delhi Police after it had seized Rs 3.70 crore in the form of demonetised Rs 1,000 crurrency notes. The statement said that during investigation it was revealed that following the November 2016 demonetisation announcement, the accused Mohit Garg, Nitin Gupta, Vineet Gupta, Shobhit Sinha and Axis Bank officials used the shell companies - Beagle Marketing, Sunrise Trading Co, R. D. Traders, Himalayan Traders - of Rajeev Singh Kushwaha for illegal exchange of the demonetised currencies of Vinod Deshmukh, Puneet Jain, Hemraj Singh, Pravesh Kumar Gandhi and others. The agency said the accused Garg, Gupta and Kushwaha used to collect demonetised currency from different persons and deposit them into the account of shell companies operated by Kushwaha. "This was done with the help of Axis Bank officials. The amount deposited in these sell companies were further transferred to the account of different bullion traders for buying gold and, thus, they converted demonetised currency into gold or RTGS form on commission basis and illegally exchanged demonetized currency into gold," the agency said. The agency also said that during the probe it was also revealed that demonetised currency worth Rs 40 crore in possession of different persons was converted in this manner. "Garg and Kushwaha illegally earned commission 15 per cent of the total amount deposited in the account of shell companies and the Axis Bank officials illegally received commission of 2 per cent of the deposited amount," it said. The ED had earlier arrested Kushwaha, Gupta and Sinha, all three of whom are Axis Bank officials and currently out on bail. The ED had filed a chargesheet in connection with the case against Gupta, Sinha and Kushwaha on February 1, 2017. The agency has also filed a supplementary chargesheet against another 18 accused. The agency has earlier attached movable and immovable property worth Rs 11.86 crore, in connection with the case and seized properties worth Rs 3.36 crore during searches. It has till date attached properties involved in the case worth Rs 18.19 crore. Chennai, May 13 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekar Rao on Monday evening called on DMK President M.K. Stalin at his residence here in an attempt to form a non-Congress, non-BJP grouping of political parties. The meeting between the two leaders lasted over an hour. Rao left Stalin's residence without meeting the mediapersons. Details from the meeting were not immediately available. Stalin had earlier proposed Congress President Rahul Gandhi's name for the Prime Minister's post and continues to stick to that. Apart from Stalin, other senior DMK leaders were present at the meeting with Rao. Rao had earlier met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and spoken to Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in his efforts to bring in a non-BJP, non-Congress government after the Lok Sabha election results are out. A DMK leader had earlier told IANS that the stability of the government at the Centre may be an issue as previous experiences at a non-BJP, non-Congress government were not good. Last year, Rao met Stalin here and discussed issues related to state autonomy, finances and the political situation. KCR, the founder of Telangana's ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, is a strong votary of federalism and secularism. Earlier on Monday, Rao prayed at the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam near Trichy in Tamil Nadu. New Delhi, May 13 : The BJP on Monday moved the Election Commission seeking a 5-day ban on renowned actor and MNM President Kamal Haasan for describing Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as the first Hindu terrorist in independent India. The complaint has been filed by BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay, saying the statement was intended to outrage religious feelings of millions of Hindus. Haasan was speaking at an election rally for his party candidate in Aravakurichi Assembly constituency where by-elections will be held on May 19. Haasan according to the complaint, said: "The first terrorist post India's independence is a Hindu." Establishing the comment as a corrupt practice, the complaint said: "It is necessary to state that the statement was made deliberately in the presence of a Muslim majority crowd for electoral gain, which is clearly a corrupt practice under Section 123 (3) the Representation of the People Act 1951." Upadhyay said the speech at a political rally has also breached the Model Code of Conduct as no one can appeal to caste or communal feelings to secure votes. The complaint claimed that the statement was a deliberate and malicious act, and prejudiced the maintenance of "harmony and brotherhooda between communities, which is punishable under Section 153A of the IPC". The compliant urged the poll panel to invoke Article 324 of the Constitution and "restrict Haasan from campaigning for at least five days, lodge a FIR against him under respective sections of IPC and take steps to de-register his political party". According to media reports, Kamal Haasan clarified that his statement did not focus on the dominant Muslim electorate in the constituency. "I am not saying this because many Muslims are here. I'm saying this in front of Gandhi's statue. The first terrorist post India's independence is a Hindu. His name is Nathuram Godse." New Delhi, May 13 : Amid growing tensions between the US and Iran, the Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif will pay a visit here and hold talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tomorrow. The discussions between Swaraj and Zarif are expected to focus on the bilateral relations as well as the deteriorating ties between Iran and the US, which recently ended a waiver on export of oil from the Persian nation to India and some other countries. The US last month announced that it would not extend the exemptions granted in November last year to India and seven other countries for importing oil from Iran for a period of 180 days, which expired on May 2. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, while making the announcement on April 22, warned that any nation or entity "interacting with Iran should do its diligence and err on the side of caution. The risks are simply not going to be worth the benefits." Lately, the tensions in the Persian Gulf have also been increasing after the US said that Iran was preparing some kind of an attack and has dispatched Naval warships, including an aircraft carrier, along with B-52 bombers, to the region. Iran has vowed to retaliate if it is attacked. With the aim of stepping up pressure on Iran, the Trump administration on May 8 imposed sanctions on Iran's iron, steel, aluminum and copper sectors, in addition to those applied on several sectors last year, including banking and oil. US President Donald Trump has also abandoned the nuclear pact with Iran despite other signatories expressing their commitment to it and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) certifying on 14 occasions that Iran was continuing to comply with its commitments under the agreement. On May 8, exactly a year after the US withdrew from the agreement, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that the country was reducing its own commitments under the agreement, signed in Vienna in 2015 in order to prevent the country from building nuclear weapons. Rouhani also gave a 60-day deadline to the pact's remaining signatories to fulfill Iran's demands and save the country's banking system and oil trade from international sanctions. Significantly, Pompeo on Monday made an unscheduled visit to Brussels to hold talks with European Union officials on Iran. Pompeo, who had been scheduled to head to Russia, landed in Brussels to discuss pressing issues with EU diplomats, said a US State Department official. UK Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt spoke in Brussels of the dangers of an accidentally-triggered conflict between the US and Iran over the unraveling of the 2015 nuclear pact signed by Iran, Russia, China, the EU, the UK, France, Germany and the US. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended," Hunt said it was important not to push Iran back towards re-nuclearization. The EU has taken a number of measures to counter the sanctions imposed by the US last year to isolate Iran economically. On Monday, a joint statement issued by the High Representative of the European Union and the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the UK said, "we regret the re-imposition of sanctions by the United States following their withdrawal from the JCPoA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). We are determined to continue pursuing efforts to enable the continuation of legitimate trade with Iran, including through the operationalisation of the special purpose vehicle "INSTEX". Jaipur, May 13 : The Rajasthan government has courted controversy by proposing changes in freedom fighter and Hindutva proponent Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's profile in the school syllabus. Three years ago, the then BJP government had introduced Savarkar in the school syllabus as a freedom fighter, a patriot and great revolutionary. The new Congress government wants to change this profile and portray Savarkar as a man who sent four mercy petitions to the British government to get freedom after being tortured at the Cellular jail in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. This has triggered a war of words between the Congress and the BJP. "The Congress hates Hindutva and is therefore trying to belittle the heroism of Savarkar, who is associated with Hindutva and the saffron parties," said former Education Minister Vasudev Devnani. "Biographies of revolutionaries were included in the syllabus so that children could seek inspiration from them. Changing the facts about their life is insulting them," Devnani added. Minister of State for Education Govind Singh Dotasara said the changes have been proposed based on the recommendations of a committee formed to review the school syllabus. "There is no politics in this matter. But we will look into the matter if there are still any issues," he said. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot too said: "Every party in power discusses and reviews a state's education policy based on its ideology. The Vasundhara Raje government did so during its term. We are doing the same now. But the changes are still a proposal based on the recommendations of a committee formed to review the school syllabus." Chennai, May 13 : Tamil Nadu Minister for Milk and Dairy Development K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji on Monday said actor-politician Kamal Haasan's tongue should be chopped for saying the first terrorist of independent India was a Hindu. Speaking to reporters in Thoothukudi, Bhalaji said Haasan's tongue should be cut for saying that as terrorism does not have any religion. Bhalaji said Haasan made the remark to gain the votes of minorities in Aravakuruchi Assembly constituency where a bye-election is to be held on May 19. The Minister said Haasan spews venom and wondered why he was doing that. Haasan's party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) should be banned and the Election Commission should take action, Bhalaji added. Campaigning for his party candidate on Sunday, Haasan has said: "The first terrorist of independent India was a Hindu -- Nathuram Godse." Godse shot dead Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948 in New Delhi. "I am here to question that killing," Haasan said. New Delhi/Bengaluru, May 13 : The government on Monday dismissed a news report that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had cancelled the registration of Infosys Foundation for violating Foreign Contribution (regulation) Act (FCRA) norms. Ministry sources said, "The licence was cancelled at the request of Infosys, and not for any violation." A news agency on Monday had carried a report that the MHA had cancelled the registration of Bengaluru-based NGO Infosys Foundation for alleged violation of norms in receiving foreign grants. Sources said the news was completely false and that the MHA had not cancelled its registration for any violation. On its part, Infosys Foundation clarified that it has not violated any FCRA norm and that it was de-registered from the FCRA following its own request to the Ministry. "The Foundation was registered under the FCRA Act in January 2016. In May 2016, the government amended the FCRA Act in the Finance Bill with retrospective effect from 2010 as a result of which the Foundation no longer fell under the purview of the FCRA Act," the Foundation said in a statement. "The Foundation thereafter applied for its de-registration from FCRA with an additional request to cancel the FCRA registration in June 2016, and received acknowledgement from the FCRA wing in the same month," it added. According to the statement, the Foundation has submitted its annual returns for FY16, FY17 and FY18, though it did not fall under the purview of the Act following its amendment. Additionally, the Foundation said that it has submitted necessary paperwork to the government in July 2018 to showcase that it has not received any foreign funding. "The Foundation has not received any notice to file returns pertaining to FCRA after April 2018," the statement added. Swimming Pool Man & Technician Jobs 2019 in Saudi Arabia Latest Iqbal Manpower Consultant Management Posts Saudi Arabia 2021 A well known and reputed oversea company requires the services of technical and hardworking personnel for the posts of Swimming Pool Man, Swimming Pool Technician in Saudi Arabia. How to Apply on Iqbal Manpower Consultant Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted. Thiruvananthapuram : With just over a week left for the declaration of results of the Lok Sabha polls, the congress Thiruvananthapuram district leadership is a worried lot. The possibility of a consolidation of votes of the majority Hindu community on account of the Sabarimala factor in favour of BJP candidate Kummanam Rajasekharan has been giving local congress leaders in the district nightmares. Even senior leaders at the local level who had been in charge of Tharoors campaign are saying in hushed tones that the BJP could garner as much as 70 per cent of the votes of the majority community. A consolidation of that scale would surely put BJP candidate Kummanam Rajasekharan on the path to victory for minority votes are likely to be split between Shashi Tharoor and LDFs C Divakaran. The LDF fielding CPIs C Divakaran, a sitting MLA, has complicated matters for the congress. In 2014 LDF had fielded a political lightweight like Bennet Abraham, virtually helping Tharoor corner secular votes. This time, however, the LDF is likely to retain the votes it lost in 2014 owing to the political goodwill that Divakaran commands. The more optimistic of local congress are counting on two factors: consolidation of minority votes in favour of Shashi Tharoor due to opinion polls of news channels showing Kummanam Rajasekharan winning and Tharoor finishing a close second. They believe the opinion polls had changed the poll scenario with the minority community determined to defeat the BJP deciding to throw their weight behind Tharoor regardless of their political leanings since he stood the best chance of defeating the BJP candidate. Secondly, they are hoping Dalit voters would not have been swayed by the frenzy kicked up by the Sabarimala controversy and voted en bloc for the congress candidate. They also hope that Tharoors statesman-like image and reputation as an intellectual would have helped him woo the votes of the educated youth and white-collar professionals like techies, which represent a sizeable vote bank in the urban constituencies. The brisk polling that coastal areas and the suburban constituencies witnessed have raised the confidence of the congress as these segments have traditionally stood with the UDF candidate. However, local congress leaders are unanimous in their opinion that the Sabarimala women entry row and the LDF governments stubborn insistence on implementing the supreme court verdict lifting curbs on entry of women would prove decisive in determining the fate of two constituencies, namely Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta. A seasoned congress politician from Kovalam assembly constituency lamented that even family members of certain CPI(M) and congress workers voted for the BJP this time due to the Sabarimala issue. He fears it is a pointer to a massive consolidation of Hindu votes in favour of the BJP. He also rued that senior congress functionaries in the state did not do enough to energize the rank and file and mobile the grassroots workers to put up a spirited fight in Thiruvananthapuram constituency despite all polls predicting a groundswell of support for the BJP. New Delhi, May 13 : Employment, healthcare facilities and drinking water were the top priorities for the Indian voters, but the government's performance on these fronts was "below average", according to a survey by the Association of Democratic Alliance (ADR). The ADR said that it was a matter of "serious concern" that in none of the 31 listed voters' priorities, the performance of the government was rated "average" or "above average". For the voters, employment and basic amenities were above all the governance issues such as terrorism and strong military, revealed the survey conducted by the non-profit organisation which interviewed 2,73,487 voters spread across 534 Lok Sabha constituencies during October-December 2018. As per the survey, better employment opportunities (46.80 per cent), better healthcare (34.60 per cent) and drinking water (30.50 per cent) were the top three voters' priorities at the all-India level, followed by better roads (28.34 per cent) and improved public transport (27.35 per cent). The significance of better employment opportunities as the voters' highest priority increased from 30 per cent in 2017 to 47 per cent in 2018. Similarly, the significance of better healthcare facilities increased from 25 per cent in 2017 to 35 per cent in 2018 and in case of drinking water, it increased from 12 per cent to 30 per cent. Farm related issues also featured among the voters' top concerns as availability of water for agriculture (26.40 per cent) ranked sixth among their priorities, followed by agriculture loan availability (25.62 per cent), higher price realisation for farm products (25.42 per cent) and agriculture subsidy for seeds and fertilisers (25.06 per cent). Better law and order and policing figured at the 10th place. The worst performance of the government was in the issues of encroachment of public lands and lakes, terrorism, training for jobs, strong defence and military, eradication of corruption, lower food prices for consumers and mining and quarrying. In 29 of the 32 states and Union Territories, voters have given "below average" ratings to the government for its performance in all the top three voters' priorities at the state level, with the exception of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Puducherry. Out of all the eight Empowered Action Group (EAG) states, which are considered most socio-economically backward, in seven states (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh), better employment opportunities was the foremost voters' priority. Drinking water was the top most voters' priority in Odisha, Karnataka and Daman and Diu. Kolkata, May 13 : A man, who claimed to be a personal assistant to BJP's West Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh, was arrested along with an accomplice after Rs 1 crore of unaccounted money was seized from them in Asansol station on Monday, Railway Police sources said. The two were apprehended by the Railway Police along with a bag containing the cash as they were about to board a train to Kolkata. The Railway Police challenged Gautam Chattopadhyaya and Lakshmikant Shaw, who were seen moving suspiciously with a huge bag at the Asansol station. When searched, an amount of Rs one crore was found in the bag. The police arrested the two after they failed to account for the money. When queried by reporters, Chattopadhyaya said that the money belonged to the Bharatiya Janata Party and was being taken to Kolkata. The police said Chattopadhyaya claimed that he was a personal assistant to Dilip Ghosh, the chief of the BJP's state unit. Ghosh, however, said Chattopadhyaya was not his personal assistant, but a party worker with whom he had connections. "I am busy with the elections. He was with me and used to oversee works in my Kharagpur Assembly Constituency. Currently, he is not my personal assistant but I have connections with him as he is a party worker. I do not know the details of it. We need to examine whether it is a conspiracy," Ghosh said. Later, Chattopadhyaya and Shaw were presented before a lower court which remanded them in police custody for four days. The seizure has come only a couple of days after over Rs 1 lakh was seized from the car of Bharati Ghosh, a former IPS officer and the BJP candidate from the Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency. New Delhi, May 13 : In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 342 candidates with criminal cases are contesting the elections than the number in 2009 polls, according to National Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). "Out of the 7,928 candidates analysed in Lok Sabha 2019, 1,500 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, out of 8,205 candidates analysed, 1,404 candidates had declared criminal cases against themselves," a report released by the ADR on Monday said.A In 2009, out of 7,810 candidates analysed 1,158 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves, the ADR added. A total of 462 more candidates contesting in Lok Sabha 2019 have declared serious criminal cases including cases related to rape, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women when compared to 2009. "A total of 1,070 candidates contesting in Lok Sabha 2019 Elections have declared serious criminal cases including cases related to rape, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women etc. "Out of 8,205 candidates analysed during Lok Sabha elections in 2014, 908 candidates had declared serious criminal cases against themselves. Out of 7,810 candidates analysed during Lok Sabha elections in 2009, 608 candidates had declared serious criminal cases against themselves," it said. While the Congress has named 47 more candidates with criminal cases this time than in 2009, the BJP has named 59 more such candidates. Out of 433 candidtes from BJP contesting in 2019, 175 have criminal cases, while A124 have declared serious criminal cases. A total of 164 out of 419 candidates from Congress, 85 out of 381 candidates from BSP, 40 out of 69 candidates fielded by CPI(M) and 400 out of 3,370 AIndependent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits," the ADR said. On candidates with serious criminal cases, the ADR said, "107 out of 419 candidates from Congress, 61 out of 381 candidates from BSP, 24 out of 69 candidates fielded by CPI(M) and 292 out of 3,370 Independent candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits." In terms of crorepatis, 1,048 more crorepatis are contesting the 2019 polls. "Out of the 7,928 candidates analysed, 2,297 are crorepatis. Out of 8,205 candidates analysed during Lok Sabha 2014 elections, 2,217 candidates were crorepatis. Out of 7,810 candidates analysed during Lok Sabha 2009 elections, 1,249 candidates were crorepatis," the ADR added. Srinagar, May 13 : Militants shot and critically injured a National Conference (NC) worker on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, police said. Police sources said militants fired at Sajad Ahmad, an NC worker in Chitragam Kalan village of Shopian district on Monday evening. "He was shifted to a hospital in a critical condition. The area has been marked off for searches", a police source said. Hyderabad, May 13 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao may not be averse to extending support to Congress-led government at the Centre, sources said. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief is believed to have conveyed this to DMK leader M.K. Stalin during the meeting with the latter in Chennai on Monday. While Rao called on Stalin to drum up support for proposed Federal Front for formation of a non-BJP and non-Congress government at the Centre, the DMK leader suggested that TRS should extend support to Congress-led coalition to prevent BJP from coming to power. Sources said KCR told Stalin that if Congress emerges as the single largest or second largest party in Lok Sabha, he may not be averse to extending support to it. He recalled that TRS was earlier a constituent of United Progress Alliance (UPA) led by Congress. KCR's meeting with Stalin came a week after the TRS chief called on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram to discuss federal front. Karanata Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's telephonic conversation with KCR last week also came amid stepped up efforts by the TRS chief to give a shape to an alliance of regional parties. The series of meetings with leaders from south also sparked the buzz that KCR is trying to push for a leader from the south as the prime ministerial candidate. Despite fact that DMK is an ally of Congress and Stalin on more than one occasion proposed Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister candidate, KCR's meeting with him threw hints that he is ready to bury the hatchet and work with Congress. The Congress is KCR's main adversary in Telangana and since last month 11 out of 19 MLAs of Congress have defected to TRS. KCR, who was part of Manmohan Singh cabinet in UPA-I, had cordial relations with Congress leadership. In fact, one of the reasons for Congress granting statehood to Telangana was its calculation that TRS will merge with it. However, after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, KCR decided to keep TRS as a political entity, evoking sharp reaction from Congress, which accused him of betrayal. In this context, the meetings with Stalin and telephonic talk with Kumaraswamy are being seen as attempts by KCR to build the bridges with Congress. It has been a year since KCR floated the idea of Federal Front as an alternative to both BJP and Congress to bring a qualitative change in the national politics. The agenda he tried to project was the cooperative federalism. He wants the Centre to allow states to grow in true spirit of the federal structure enshrined in the Constitution. Sources said KCR may be trying to bring southern states on a common platform to demand the Centre to fully implement cooperative federalism by devolving more powers and funds to the states. The TRS chief remained confident that once the poll results were announced, it would not take much time for Federal Front to take shape. His son and TRS working president K. T. Rama Rao recalled that even UPA had come into existence only after 2004 polls. The TRS leaders believe that both NDA and UPA will fall short of majority by huge numbers. They predicted 150-160 seats for BJP-led NDA and 100-110 seats for Congress-led UPA. They are of the view that Federal Front will give a platform to the parties where they can root for their respective states and the rights of the states in more federalistic setup. TRS is counting on the support from YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which is likely to win 20-22 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh. TRS leaders believe that this along with their 17 (including one seat of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) will give the Telugu states a good bargaining power. The southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka together have 129 Lok Sabha seats. TRS leaders expect that if non-BJP non-Congress parties win 150-170 seats, they will be in a position to decide who the next prime minister should be. Kolkata, May 13 : On a day BJP President Amit Shah's meeting was cancelled in West Bengal, party national secretary Sunil Deodhar said that permission for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's election meeting in South Kolkata has been withdrawn. "Democracy is a joke in West Bengal. Permission cancelled at the last moment for @AmitShah Ji's rally at Jadavpur. Once again Yogi Adityanath Ji's rally permission cancelled in South Kolkata. DM & CEO both are working as agent of ruling Trinamool Congress," Deodhar said in a tweet. BJP sources said the local administration had withdrawn permission for Adityanath's May 15 rally in Behala's James Long Sarani after initially giving the go-ahead. Earlier in the day, Shah's scheduled rally in Baruipur under Jadavpur parliamentary constituency was cancelled after the landowner who had rented out his property withdrew his consent, a party spokesperson said here. The land was rented out for the rally as well as for setting up a helipad. "The landowner who had rented out the land for the meeting and also for the helipad, withdrew his permission citing that the property was earlier rented out to another political party for organising a rally," said sources privy to the development. The saffron party alleged that they were forced to cancel the meeting due to the "autocracy" of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool government. "Mamata Banerjee is running autocracy in Bengal. Today (Monday) Amit Shah was supposed to hold a rally in Jadavpur (Baruipur is in the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency) for which we sought the permission 4-5 days ago. That time we were given a hope, but it was suddenly denied yesterday (Sunday) at 8.30 p.m.," the party said in its Twitter handle. "This is a murder of democracy. The Election Commission must take action against it," it said. Mumbai, May 13 : Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh, son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh, on Monday replied to Union Minister Piyush Goyel who accused the late politician of being busy with film producers for his actor-son while the deadly 26/11 terrorist attack took place in the city in 2008. Riteish took the social media and tweeted, "Honourable Minister, It is true that I had visited the Taj/Oberoi but untrue that I was there while the 'Shooting and Bombing' was happening as you claimed. It is true that I had accompanied my father but untrue that he was trying to get me a role in a film." The actor 'Housefull' famed actor also wrote, "He never ever spoke to a director or a producer to cast me in film & I take pride in that. You have every right to question a CM but it is wrong to accuse someone who is not here to defend himself. A bit late, 7 years ago - He would have replied to you. My best wishes with your campaign Sir. Love & regards, Riteish Vilasrao Deshmukh". Last week, during an event in Ludhiana, Goyal addressed the business community and said, "You might remember the 26/11 terror attack. The then Congress government was weak and could not do anything. The then chief minister (Vilasrao Deshmukh) had brought a film producer outside Oberoi Hotel while shooting and bombing were going on inside." "The CM was concerned about getting his child a film role," it read. New Delhi, May 13 : The Congress on Monday described the BJP as 'Bharatiya Jinnah Party' two days after its party's Ratlam Jhabua Lok Sabha candidate Guman Singh Damor stirred a controversy saying that the Partition could have been avoided if Jawaharlal Nehru had allowed Muhammad Ali Jinnah to be the first Prime Minister. The Congress also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for participating in a public meeting of Damoh and demanded an apology. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, party spokesperson Pawan Khera said, "Those who earlier created a furore over Jinnah's photograph at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) are now campaigning for the people who have praised Jinnah." He said the BJP candidate's statements have exposed the thinking of the BJP as well as of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). Khera said Damor had hoped that Jinnah would be the first Prime Minister. "Either this is hatred for Nehru or they have shown their love for Jinnah," he said. His remarks came soon after the Prime Minister addressed a public meeting in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam where election is due on May 19 in the seventh phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. On Saturday, while addressing a gathering in his Lok Sabha seat, Damor praised Jinnah and said, "Jinnah was an advocate and a learned man. If a decision was taken to make him the Prime Minister, then India would not have been divided." Hitting out at the BJP, Khera said, "We condemn the statement and demand an apology from the Prime Minister, Shah, Jaitley and senior leaders of the BJP." Tehran, May 14 : Iran may quit the nuclear deal it clinched with major world powers in 2015 if the case is sent back to the UN Security Council, an Iranian official has said. Iran has a host of different measures to take, including withdrawal from the nuclear accord, if its nuclear case is sent back to the UN Security Council, Xinhua quoted Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, as saying to Press TV on Monday. "If Iran's case is sent to the UN Security Council, the deal will be ruined ... and will not be alive anymore," he explained. Last week, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced his country's withdrawal from complying with the restrictions set by the nuke accord, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on Iran's enriched uranium reserves and heavy water supplies. Rouhani also set a 60-day deadline for the remaining parties to the deal to fulfil their obligations, particularly in preserving Iran's interests in the areas of banking and oil. The Iranian president threatened to increase the level of uranium enrichment and start modernizing the heavy water reactor if the deadline was not met. Tehran's decision to suspend some of its nuclear deal commitments was meant to allow Europeans more time to comply with their obligations and to bring the international agreement back on its right track, Kamalvandi noted. The main objective of the JCPOA was the removal of sanctions against Iran in a bid to help the country avail itself of the benefits of the deal, he said. However, the restrictive measures are still in place despite Tehran's full compliance, the Iranian spokesman added. Despite some significant rainfall in parts of the state this month, NSW continues to experience prolonged and widespread drought conditions. On the NSW Combined Drought Indicator (CDI), 98.6% of the state is still in one of three drought categories. Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Adam Marshall said that while the rainfall was welcome, farmers across the state were still doing it incredibly tough. This rain will help ease conditions in some areas and is timely for winter crop sowing, but it is far from enough to represent a break from the drought, Marshall said. While the west, north-west and south of the state received between 25 to 100 millimeters of rain at the end of last week, were still seeing 98.6% of the state in drought, which is only a minor decrease from 99.5% figure as at the end of March. Im heartened by that improvement but the reality is we still require significant follow- up rainfalls to ensure any improvements are sustained and our rural communities start to feel a reprieve from one of the worst droughts in living memory. Click here to enlarge: Source: NSW Government The latest CDI shows the Northern Tablelands, North West and Western Local Land Service regions remain the worst hit by ongoing dry conditions. Drought conditions are unrelenting and thats why as Minister my number one priority right now is delivering a new drought funding package to provide our farming and rural communities with the support they need, Marshall said. Over the coming weeks Ill be getting out and about to chat to rural communities about what else the NSW Government can do to continue to provide much needed relief. To date the NSW Governments Emergency Drought Relief Package has provided more than $1.5 billion in support and assistance measures to farmers and rural and regional communities. It has been a $280 a week rental in recent years. The agent's price guide had been $195,000 to $210,000. The studio sold for well inexcess of the ANZ Realas website price estimate which suggested its value as $181,000. The 1920s first floor studio apartment had last sold at $143,500 in 2007. The cheapest sale across the capital cities was $216,500 in Melbourne when 7/254-256 Dandenong Rd, St Kilda East was sold though hockingstuart. Brogan noted the success rate was holding around 10 percentage points higher than late last year, "reflecting a better fit between buyer and seller expectations on prices." "Although the clearance rate will adjust lower on the full set of results, the trend over the past two months has seen final auction clearance rates holding around the low-to-mid 50 per cent range and we expect a similar finalised result this week." CoreLogic auction analyst Kevin Brogan noted compared to last year, volumes continue to trend lower each week, with almost double the volume of homes taken to auction over the same week in 2018 (2,279) when 58.2 per cent sold. Last week, a higher 1,479 auctions were held with the final clearance rate rising to 52.5 per cent; the second highest clearance rate seen over the year-to-date. There were 1,210 homes taken to auction across the combined capital cities this week, returning a preliminary auction clearance rate of 58.1 per cent. In Melbourne, the preliminary auction clearance rate of 56.8 per cent was recorded across 545 auctions, up slightly from the 56.6 per cent final clearance rate last week when a higher 672 homes were auctioned. One year ago, the clearance rate was a stronger 77.5 per cent across 1,099 auctions. Melbourne's top result was 343 Montague Street, Albert Park (below) which fetched $3.29 million though Cayzer Real Estate. Its pre-auction price guidance was $3 million to $3.3 million. The 1890s terrace last sold at $400,000 in 1992. There were 441 auctions held in Sydney returning a preliminary auction clearance rate of 65.6 per cent; the strongest preliminary result across the capital cities, compared to 57.2 per cent across 539 last week, and 57.5 per cent across 787 auctions one year ago. Sydney's top sale was 89 Johnston Street, Annandale (below) which fetched $4,025,000 through BresicWhitney, after being passed in at $3.9 million. It last sold at $2.1 million in 2008. Set on a 10m-wide block, the five bedroom two bathroom home comes with Himalayan sandstone flooring in its entertaining space. Across the smaller auction markets, preliminary results show that Perth was the best performing in terms of clearance rate with 53 per cent of auctions successful, however there was only 18 auctions held across the city. The 1890s Perth home at 37 Glendower Street, a three-bedroom, two-bathroom offering redesigned in the 1980s by one of WA's avant-garde architects, failed to find a buyer though Brent Morfesse of Mack Hall. Brisbane was the weakest performing auction market, according to preliminary results with 83 homes auctioned and 39 per cent been sold under the hammer. Brisbane's top sale was $881,000 when the four bedroom home at 3 Kirstin Steet, Eight Mile Plains was sold for the first time. It was the first sale since the land sold in 1973 at $14,000. Things were looking bleak when 169 Gladstone Street, Highgate Hill (below), went to auction with just the two onlookers who'd yet to get their finances organised and no registered bidders. But mid-auction, the neighbour stuck their head out of the window, then registered and placed a bid to buy it. The buyers were the vendors children, who had grown up in the property and then moved next door. Its probably the strangest auction Ive ever had in my career," agent Tom Lyne, of Ray White New Farm told Domain. It had been for sale over the past two years seeking $850,000 plus, having sold at $905,000 in 2007. The unrenovated six bedrooms, three bathroom home, with potential for re-development, currently has a $985 rental return per week. The NAB bank bosss former chief of staff Rosemary Rogers has listed her Williamstown home, according to Your Money. The television network's chief business reporter Leo Shanahan reported the listing was not on websites, but just had a sign on its front fence. Rogers bought her $3.8 million trophy home with an NAB mortgage in September 2017 with her husband. It was alleged the $380,000 deposit was paid to the real estate agent by Helen Rosamond from The Human Group. She has resigned from NAB after years working as executive assistant to the previous CEO, Cameron Clyne, and then chief of staff to Andrew Thorburn. NSW Police searched Rogers' home in the Melbourne suburb last December. The senior executive at the National Australia Bank has since been charged with 56 offences after voluntarily flying to Sydney from Melbourne for questioning over an alleged $40 million fraud surrounding the bank. The elegant four-bedroom Victorian home in Williamstown was built in 1880 on 1000 square metres. It boasts a tessellated tiled veranda. The Williamstown home also features a barbecue kitchen, pizza oven and a climate-controlled pavilion with indoor pool. We are thrilled to continue to be a driver in the conversation of inclusion and moving the needle forward on diversity, equality, and inclusion, particularly as it pertains to leadership positions within the legal industry. Mary-Olga Lovett and Jennifer Tomsen, attorneys in the Houston office of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, will be participating in panel discussions at the 2019 Women, Diversity & Change Summit: Houston, May 16. The conference is part of The Women in Law Summit series which aims to provide women and minorities in the legal profession with tools, strategies, and insights to enhance their careers. Lovett, Senior Vice President of Greenberg Traurig and Co-Regional Operating Shareholder of the firm's Texas offices, will speak on the panel "Increasing the Diversity of Legal & Corporate Leadership." Tomsen, a Greenberg Traurig shareholder, focuses her practice on commercial litigation as well as securities employment arbitrations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and JAMS. She will be featured on the panel "Lessons Learned from Female & Minority Leaders, Litigators and Dealmakers." The firm is honored to support The Women in Law Summit series and its mission to support women and minorities in the legal profession, Lovett said. We are thrilled to continue to be a driver in the conversation of inclusion and moving the needle forward on diversity, equality, and inclusion, particularly as it pertains to leadership positions within the legal industry. Greenberg Traurig is a sponsor of the 2019 Women, Diversity & Change Summit: Houston. More information about this conference can be found here. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP Texas: Texas is important to Greenberg Traurig, LLP and part of its history. With more than 125 Texas lawyers in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Greenberg Traurig, LLP has deep roots in the Texas business, legal, and governmental communities. Greenberg Traurig Texas works with clients to address their interdisciplinary legal needs across the state utilizing the firms global platform. The Texas attorneys are experienced in industries key to the states future, including: aviation, chemicals, construction, education, energy and natural resources, financial institutions, health care, hedge funds, hospitality, infrastructure, insurance, media, medical devices, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, real estate, retail, sports, technology and software, telecommunications, transportation, and video games and esports. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 39 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law Southern Utah University to offer 3-year bachelor degree option. The three-year degree is an optional program for students to accelerate the traditional undergraduate process and enter the workforce earlier, while still gaining the professional hands-on experiences needed for the job market. Students might be able to get in and out of college faster and with potentially less student debt, thanks to a new three-year bachelor degree program at Southern Utah University in southern Utah. Utah Governor Gary Herbert and the Utah Legislature approved and funded a three-year bachelors degree pilot program at Southern Utah University. The school received $3.8 million ongoing funding for the project and will be ready to launch the program in January 2020. The legislature has been working with our higher education institutions to find innovative ways to allow students the opportunity to finish their education in a more timely manner, thus allowing them to enter the workforce sooner, said Utah State Senator Evan Vickers. Southern Utah University's three-year bachelor degree program certainly fits that criteria. ... We are eagerly anticipating the outcome and success of this program and hope to be able to replicate it in other state institutions. The three-year degree is an optional program for students to accelerate the traditional undergraduate process and enter the workforce earlier, while still gaining the professional hands-on experiences needed for the job market. SUU administration, faculty and staff members are reviewing the current academic model and may make significant adjustments to ensure student success. SUU has earned a strong reputation in Utah for being an innovative university and has gained the trust of policymakers, said SUU President Scott L Wyatt. This initiative is a significant investment in SUU and our success in developing this program will benefit our students, community, and employees, and may pave the way for other schools to follow our lead. The three-year degree program will reduce barriers to graduation making it easier for a student to save time and money. If students choose to participate, they could have lower living expenses, greater work stability, smaller class sizes, and access to SUUs summer community, including attending the Utah Shakespeare Festival, participating in the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games, and exploring the various outdoor opportunities around SUU. The fall 2019 semester will remain on the same academic calendar as scheduled, but the new calendar goes into effect in January 2020. On the new 2020 calendar, the fall semester will start after Labor Day and conclude in the middle of December. Spring semester will begin in early January and will conclude with commencement in the middle of April, and the new summer semester will begin in May and finish during the first week of August. SUU asked for and received input from the students, faculty and staff members in the planning of the academic calendar. Approximately half of SUUs current degree programs will be available with a three-year option starting January 2020. Other degrees will become available in subsequent academic years. Currently, scholarships at SUU cover four years. Scholarship language will be updated to say eight semesters instead, allowing students the flexibility to apply money to any semester in which they are enrolled. Pell grants are already available for three academic semesters each year, and qualifying students can also apply for state and federal aid to further reduce college expenses. New structural changes will also include robust online offerings and summer classes, providing students with multiple opportunities to customize their degree to match their academic and career goals. For more information, visit the SUU 3-Year Bachelors Degree website: https://www.suu.edu/three-year-bachelors/ Xtalks Life Science Webinars In the United States, both large commercial labs and large health systems offer NGS tumor testing, and it is anticipated that this landscape will change the availability of a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved NGS tumor panel. Even though next-generation sequencing (NGS) cancer testing has moved from a rarity to a common feature of clinical practice in recent years, reimbursement policies for NGS testing still vary widely among private and public insurers across different countries. In the United States, both large commercial labs and large health systems offer NGS tumor testing, and it is anticipated that this landscape will change the availability of a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved NGS tumor panel. Meanwhile, healthcare systems in Europe are taking what is, in many ways, a very different approach to reimbursement of clinical sequencing with NGS. In France, for example, a network of regional laboratories will be reimbursed to provide molecular testing services. Similarly, genomic laboratory hubs will provide access to whole genome sequencing in the UK beginning in 2019. Join Dr. Bruce Quinn, MD, PhD, Principal at Bruce Quinn Associates LLC and Joseph V. Ferrara, President & CEO of Boston Healthcare Associates in a live webinar on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at 11am EDT (4pm BST/UK) to learn about: An overview of NGS testing in cancer Recent policy changes and announcements for NGS coverage, reimbursement and determination Predictions for what lies ahead for the industry in the US and EU For more information or to register for this event, visit A Rapidly Moving Market: NGS Testing in Cancer in the US and EU. ABOUT XTALKS Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers. To learn more about Xtalks visit http://xtalks.com For information about hosting a webinar visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/ Abhishek Pakhira I am humbled and thrilled to be accepted into Forbes Technology Council. I am vehemently passionate about helping companies and our community excel in technology, especially in an ever-evolving technological world. Companies need support in this transition in order to stay relevant and to thrive, an Abhishek Pakhira, COO of Aureus Tech Systems, an accelerated digital transformation company and Microsoft Gold & Co-sell partner, headquartered in Denver, CO, has been accepted into Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives. Abhishek Pakhira was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of his experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors. We are honored to welcome Abhishek Pakhira into the community, said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Technology Council. Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world. As an accepted member of the Council, he will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum. Abhishek will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com, and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts. I am humbled and thrilled to be accepted into Forbes Technology Council. I am vehemently passionate about helping companies and our community excel in technology, especially in an ever-evolving technological world. Companies need support in this transition in order to stay relevant and to thrive, and Im thankful to be able to use my position on the highly-revered Forbes Technology Council to further bolster thought-leadership, discussion, collaboration, and all-around business growth for our economy and companies large and small said Abhishek Pakhira, COO, Aureus Tech Systems. ABOUT FORBES COUNCILS Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive. For more information about Forbes Technology Council, visit forbestechcouncil.com. To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com. Aureus offers Cloud Migration, Application Modernization, Digital Workplace, Predictive Analytics & Data Visualizations and IoT solutions using Microsoft365/Azure as an integrated one-platform experience. Some of Aureus clients include Allergan, Imagine Communications, Jamba Juice, Morrison Foerster, and Forbes Law Group. For more information on Aureuss products and services, visit http://www.aureustechsystems.com. For press inquiries, please contact aclute@aureustechsystems.com. Luxury car shoppers will enjoy an unrivaled experience when they choose Autos of Dallas with low prices, an incredible pre-owned luxury inventory and free delivery in Texas. Many automotive dealerships promise a one-of-a-kind experience few deliver at every turn like Autos of Dallas. Located in Plano, Autos of Dallas is a premier pre-owned luxury car dealership that tailors the experience to fit customer needs. An extensive online inventory of more than 1,100 pre-owned luxury cars, trucks and crossovers, affordable price points, free luxury car delivery in the state of Texas and available nationwide shipping are just a few examples of the factors that set Autos of Dallas apart. With a business model that caters to online car shoppers who know and understand their budget, Autos of Dallas features many models priced below $30,000 in an inventory of more than 1,100 pre-owned luxury vehicles. When potential owners visit the dealerships inventory, they will find many of their favorite luxury automakers that include Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, Audi, Infiniti, Acura, Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche, Tesla, Cadillac, Lincoln, Maserati, Volvo and more. Luxury car shoppers who visit the Autos of Dallas inventory will have the ability to navigate the inventory by brand, model, trim level, body style, color, price, mileage and more. When car shoppers find their dream car online, the Autos of Dallas experience allows individuals to tailor the price to fit their budget with a tool called Precise Price. Individuals who have found a luxury car, truck or crossover that fits their lifestyle and budget can use Precise Price to set a down payment, finance term length and a monthly payment amount that will meet their financial criteria. Luxury car shoppers in the Lone Star State who find their dream car online at Autos of Dallas can purchase their vehicle online with no haggle prices and Precise Price and have it shipped to their home at no cost. Nationwide shipping is available for an affordable fee. Dallas-area car shoppers who would like to learn more about the Autos of Dallas experience can visit the dealership online at http://www.autosofdallas.com. Those who prefer a more personal interaction can contact a dealership sales representative directly by calling 972-484-9200. American IRA CEO, Jim Hitt Not only are mobile home parks an interesting opportunity for any investor, but for someone using a Self-Directed IRA, the possibility of using a retirement account for this type of investment can be intriguing for a number of reasons, including tax benefits With the freedom afforded to investors with a Self-Directed IRA, a number of different assets can be included in a retirement portfolio. But one investment type that not many retirement investors consider, according to a recent post at American IRA: a mobile home park. You may never have thought about investing in mobile home parks, writes the post, published at American IRAs site at http://www.AmericanIRA.com. But it points out that the Self-Directed IRA can be a powerful tool for diversifying a portfolio into alternative assets such as real estate. An investment in a mobile home park would mean separating some retirement money out of the traditional investments of funds and in the stock market, which adds another layer of security with the right investment. According to the article, the advances of a mobile home park investment include low cost to purchase, high demand for mobile homes, and the high potential for profits. The article also notes that these parks have a high cap rate, at roughly 7-12%. The goal with this piece was to introduce people to the idea of a different asset, said Jim Hitt, CEO of American IRA. Not only are mobile home parks an interesting opportunity for any investor, but for someone using a Self-Directed IRA, the possibility of using a retirement account for this type of investment can be intriguing for a number of reasons, including tax benefits. The post went on to list additional reasons that mobile home parks can be valuable income-generators, including loyal tenants and low overall turnover in multi-family properties. And with low maintenance costs, such an investment would not be a drain on the pocketbook. People hear the term mobile home park and they have too many assumptions already, said Jim Hitt. But if you are open-minded to a wide variety of assets and asset classes, as those with a Self-Directed IRA generally are, then it opens up a whole new world of investment possibilities. For more information about investing in a Self-Directed IRA, visit the blog at http://www.AmericanIRA.com as well as additional guides available on the site. For more information about American IRA, call 866-7500-IRA. "About: American IRA, LLC was established in 2004 by Jim Hitt, CEO in Asheville, NC. The mission of American IRA is to provide the highest level of customer service in the self-directed retirement industry. Jim Hitt and his team have grown the company to over $400 million in assets under administration by educating the public that their Self-Directed IRA account can invest in a variety of assets such as real estate, private lending, limited liability companies, precious metals and much more. As a Self-Directed IRA administrator, they are a neutral third party. They do not make any recommendations to any person or entity associated with investments of any type (including financial representatives, investment promoters or companies, or employees, agents or representatives associated with these firms). They are not responsible for and are not bound by any statements, representations, warranties or agreements made by any such person or entity and do not provide any recommendation on the quality profitability or reputability of any investment, individual or company. The term "they" refers to American IRA, located in Asheville and Charlotte, NC." The inaugural cohort of American University School of Educations online Masters in Education Policy and Leadership (EPL) program graduated this past weekend, May 11, 2019. This marks the premiere graduating class for the online EPL at AU and the first graduating cohort across all of Noodle Partners programs. American University joined forces with Noodle Partners in 2017 to bring their highly reputable Masters in Education Policy and Leadership program online. The program, designed for those looking to drive social change through policy, focuses on avenues to equitable education and increased access to quality learning environments. The AU EPL was one of the first programs to launch in collaboration with Noodle Partners, and the partnership soon expanded to include the Master of Arts in Teaching and Doctor of Education programs. Noodle Partners has since added more than 30 programs and 15 additional universities to its roster. Many of the recent graduates of the AU EPL program originate from Teach For America, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and City Year. Victoria Daniels, a member of the inaugural cohort, spent her undergraduate years at Howard University, and enrolled in the EPL program when she realized that her passion for inspiring students went beyond teaching. I started to realize the problem I wanted to solve was greater than any one classroom, Daniels said. My real aim was educational reform having a hand in reforming curricula and getting more programs that reinvigorate learners installed in schools, particularly in urban areas where the school-to-prison pipeline is strongest. To date, graduates of the on-campus program have seen a vast array of career offerings upon graduation. Within six months of completing their programs, 97% of American Universitys Education in Policy and Leadership graduates are working, continuing their education, or both. Graduation is always exciting for our students in the School of Education; however, this graduation is a true milestone because its our first graduating class of online masters students in education leadership, AU School of Education Dean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy said. The graduation marks a major success for Noodle Partners as well, as they work to pioneer a new model of public-private relationships in higher education. Our first graduating class represents the power of access and equity for all. We are excited about their future and the impact they will make in their communities and beyond, AU School of Education Assistant Dean Julie Sara Boyd said. AU trusted us very early on to upend the conventional online program manager (OPM) model and built a program they could be extremely proud of, without us being an overbearing force, CEO of Noodle Partners, John Katzman said. We are immensely grateful for their trust, and together weve built a really powerful program. For enrollment inquiries please visit: soeonline.american.edu or email soeonline(at)american(dot)edu. About American Universitys School of Education AUs School of Education is committed to producing graduates with the skills and knowledge to create equitable and excellent learning environments for all students. AU faculty, including researchers and distinguished scholars, produce cutting-edge research, lead innovative partnerships and outreach, develop relevant and evidence-based coursework, and effect positive change in the most vulnerable communities, nationally and globally. Our graduates are ready for todays real-world education careers, with 100 percent of masters students from the on-campus programs employed six months after graduation. Graduates secure employment with school districts, charter schools, and organizations such as Teach for America, U. S. Department of Education, and The Smithsonian Institution. American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 130 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nations capital and around the world. About Noodle Partners Founded by a team of education and technology veterans, Noodle Partners creates innovative online and hybrid programs while improving traditional classroom models. Noodle Partners has the capability to work with universities on every aspect of building a certificate or degree program that they choosemarketing, student recruitment, enrollment, curriculum design, student engagement, support services, graduate placement, and alumni engagementand provides a high level of fit and finish. For more information, visit noodlepartners.com or follow us on Twitter @Noodle_Partners or LinkedIn. Attorney-Driven Legal Web Marketing The class will help attorneys define their online marketing goals and identify strategies to meet those goals. Over 70 percent of people who need a lawyer conduct online research before making a decision. Still, many West Virginia law firms are hesitant to explore online marketing as a way to meet their goals. Attorney Krista Duncan Black of legal web marketing agency TwoDogBlog hopes to change that by offering attorney-led CLEs here in the Mountain state. The next class is Thursday, May 16th in Charleston. We canvassed websites of all West Virginia firms with three or more attorneys and found only a handful that were structured to perform their best online, says Black. Unfortunately, many lawyers assume that if they build an attractive website, visitors will just show up. Nothing could be further from the truth. Born and raised in West Virginia, Black is passionate about helping clients build custom strategies that fit their goals and current online presence. Many of our clients have already worked with marketing agencies that don't understand the legal field and don't tailor services to the needs of their firm, says Black, the CEO of legal web marketing agency TwoDogBlog. I love seeing the reactions of new clients when they see start seeing results, says Black. Interested attorneys can earn 3.5 credits by taking TwoDogBlogs upcoming CLE to be given on May 16th: Build Your Legal Web Marketing Plan in This CLE. The class will help attorneys define their online marketing goals and identify strategies to meet those goals. To learn more about TwoDog's services, visit https://twodogblog.biz. 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. Dr. David Pulver Together, we will inform the South Florida community about Sheba and the tremendous value and impact our support will have on Sheba, Israel, and the world Jewish community. American Friends of Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer is proud to announce that Dr. David Pulver of Aventura has been tapped to serve as Chairman overseeing the South Florida chapters Advisory Committee. (Dr. Pulvers headshot is attached).* American Friends of Sheba Medical Center is a nonprofit organization based in South Florida and New York committed to supporting the work of Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer. The largest and most comprehensive hospital in Israel and the entire Middle East, Sheba was recently named by Newsweek as one of the ten best hospitals in the world. We are honored to welcome Dr. Pulver as our inaugural chairman for South Florida, said Alan Frent, South Florida Regional Director, American Friends of Sheba Medical Center. Dr. Pulvers passion for Shebas cutting-edge research will help shape how the organization raises awareness and philanthropic support for Sheba in South Florida. A physician with a specialty interest in hematology, Dr. Pulver met with researchers at Sheba in Israel last year and had the opportunity to observe their work. Dr. Pulver became particularly interested in the work of Sheba researcher Prof. Benjamin Dekel and his innovative approach to renal disease, including renal cancer. Since then, Dr. Pulver and his wife Lisa have made a three-year commitment to supporting Prof. Dekels laboratory. I am delighted to assume the role as Chairman, and look forward to providing structure and support to the members of the Advisory Committee. Together, we will inform the South Florida community about Sheba and the tremendous value and impact our support will have on Sheba, Israel, and the world Jewish community, said Dr. Pulver. Sheba possesses a unique combination of attributes that sets it apart from other hospitals, both in the U.S. and in Israel, Dr. Pulver continued. Sheba is in many ways THE national medical center of the State of Israel. When we hear of the many global humanitarian efforts undertaken by Israel, Sheba is the vehicle through which many of those efforts are accomplished. Additionally, Sheba is home to major specialized research centers which integrate basic research and clinical studies across a broad spectrum of medical disciplines. Dr. Pulver and his wife Lisa have supported Sheba for over ten years. Most recently, Lisa and her friend Daphna Cramer co-chaired a launch event in Aventura for the opening of American Friends of Shebas new South Florida office. About Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer Born together with Israel in 1948, Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer is the largest and most comprehensive medical center in the Middle East. Sheba is the only medical center in Israel that combines an acute care hospital and a rehabilitation hospital on one campus, and it is at the forefront of medical treatments, patient care, research and education. As a university teaching hospital affiliated with the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University, it welcomes people from all over the world indiscriminately. For more information, visit: eng.sheba.co.il I love our Paint the Town Cabernet event because its an opportunity for those thinking of making their next move to check out multiple properties within their area in one weekend." Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group has announced that on Saturday, May 18th and Sunday, May 19th, 2019, the company will hold a Paint the Town Cabernet Open House Blitz to showcase properties for sale throughout Chicagoland. The name of the event, inspired by the companys cabernet color, is a reference to the cabernet-colored open house tent signs that will be outside Chicagoland homes that weekend en masse. We expect to have around 500 open houses during this weekend. A comprehensive list of the open houses can be found at PaintTheTownCabernet.com or KoenigRubloff.com. Open houses are also promoted through social media and advertising. Nancy Nagy, CEO of KoenigRubloff, said, I love this event because its an opportunity for those thinking of making their next move to check out multiple properties within their area in one weekend. We hope we can help them find the perfect place to call home! She continued, Its also a fun way see whats going on in the real estate market within the Chicagoland communities. ABOUT BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES KOENIGRUBLOFF REALTY GROUP Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group is a full-service real estate firm with nearly 1,500 real estate professionals and staff in 24 offices serving customers throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, the North Shore, West Suburban communities, Southern Wisconsin, Northwest Indiana, and Harbor Country, Michigan. Deep local roots are complemented by the extensive global reach of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the top real estate brand in the nation. Affiliated and ancillary services in the form of HomeServices Lending, Fort Dearborn Title, and HomeServices Insurance complete the comprehensive services offered to clients. Visit KoenigRubloff.com. Lennart Stadler, Advanced Wound Care Senior Analyst, shows off his diving skills for SmartTRAK! The Wound Care space is constantly evolving and were excited to share our perspective on whats new and where the market is going. BioMedGPS is excited to host its subscribers and guests on Tuesday, June 4th, at a very special Pre-EWMA 2019 event at Gothenburgs Universeum Aquarium. Guests will be treated to an aquarium tour, dinner and briefing on the latest Trends, Opportunities and Innovations in Advanced Wound Care. SmartTRAKs Advanced Wound Care Experts will serve as panelists. Susan Paquette SmartTRAK VP & General Manager, Wound will be providing overall insights on the wound market and Lennart Stadler SmartTRAK Senior Analyst, Advanced Wound Care will be presenting data on important trends and innovations. We are looking forward to an amazing, informative event. The Wound Care space is constantly evolving and were excited to share our perspective on whats new and where the market is going, says Susan Paquette, VP & General Manager, Wound SmartTRAK, about the presentation at the event. SmartTRAKs Wound Care Reception will be held on Tuesday, June 4th, 2019 from 18:30 to 21:00 at Universeum Aquarium, Sodra Vagen 50, Gothenburg, Sweden. Advanced wound care manufacturers who are interested in attending may register at smarttrak.com/contact-us. Early registration is encouraged as space is limited. About BioMedGPS BioMedGPS, LLC is the developer of SmartTRAK Business Intelligence, the leading portal for real-time data and analysis on the life sciences industry. Known for expert analysis and innovative tools, SmartTRAK provides daily updates, strategic insights and in-depth analyses of the wound care, orthopedics, regenerative medicine and neuro therapies markets. For more information about SmartTRAK please visit SmartTRAK.com or contact BioMedGPS. Cambridge Semantics, the leading provider of modern data management and enterprise analytics software, today introduced a new version of its AnzoGraph analytics database to support Docker and Kubernetes containers. This update allows for a wider array of deployment options for AnzoGraph, a market-leading graph database that offers fast, scalable analytics. By deploying in the Kubernetes environment, IT organizations can easily define and install massively parallel graph database clusters on-demand to meet the scale and size of enterprise environments; should those needs change, IT organizations can quickly spin up and down AnzoGraph clusters to meet current data analytics needs. Databases are traditionally huge monolithic applications and have been difficult to run in containers, said Frank Schwichtenberg, Vice President, Cloud, Cambridge Semantics. Integrating AnzoGraph in the leading microservices architecture represents a game-changer for database deployment. On-demand, data-driven scale-out deployments are just easier in Kubernetes. Modern database users often have more increasingly variable uses for data and analytics, and containers can help support that market trend. By being able to quickly spin up a containerized analytics environment that loads fast, computes quickly and hibernates in seconds, companies can realize amazing cost savings over static bare metal servers or cloud environments. Kubernetes has been rapidly growing and maturing as the leading management layer for docker containers. Key recent advancements in Kubernetes and its ecosystem have provided the table stakes to implement a robust, secure architecture. In addition, operational advancements like Helm provide handy command-line-based release management. More importantly, intelligent Kubernetes operators allow seamless enterprise integration of databases-as-a-service. The intelligent operator architecture enables users to start simple with a single AnzoGraph node and then easily scale up and out just by providing the deployment specification to the AnzoGraph operator that automatically manages the deployment. Zeppelin and Jupyter notebooks are very popular among data scientists and analysts and AnzoGraph supports both. Cambridge Semantics offers AnzoGraph with a free docker container with an enhanced Zeppelin notebook that supports SPARQL-based notebooks. AnzoGraphs unique Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) database engine, makes it well-suited for deep analysis of both small and large data sets. For more information about AnzoGraph, visit https://www.cambridgesemantics.com/product/anzograph/. About Cambridge Semantics Cambridge Semantics Inc., The Smart Data Company, is a modern data management and enterprise analytics software company that enables seamless access, integration and analysis of all enterprise data via a graph driven data fabric architecture. The company delivers products and solutions to IT departments and business users across all industries that accelerate data delivery and meaningful insights across the business at hyper-speed and scale. Cambridge Semantics is based in Boston, Massachusetts. For more information visit http://www.cambridgesemantics.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter: @CamSemantics. ...Being a part of this council means that I have a forum to share my experiences and provide information that help business people solve complex problems. Jack Kurtz, CEO and Founder of Fortuitas, a Digital Agency that specializes in marketing, integration, and eCommerce solutions headquartered in Valencia, CA has been accepted into Forbes Los Angeles Business Council, the foremost growth and networking organization for successful business owners and leaders in Greater Los Angeles. Jack Kurtz was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of his experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors. We are honored to welcome Jack Kurtz into the community, said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Los Angeles Business Council. Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world. As an accepted member of the Council, Jack has access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help him reach peak professional influence. He will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum and at members-only events. Jack will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com, and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts. Finally, Jack will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils member concierge team. I am grateful for the opportunity to join the Forbes Los Angeles Business Council, said Jack, CEO and Founder of Fortuitas. Being a part of this council means that I have a forum to share my experiences and provide information that help business people solve complex problems. About Forbes Councils Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive. For more information about Forbes Los Angeles Business Council, visit forbeslacouncil.com. To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com. About Fortuitas Fortuitas is an award-winning digital agency that specializes in designing and building custom Marketing, Integration, and eCommerce Solutions. Our executive team has over 20 years of experience providing creative technology solutions to enterprise businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations. Founded in 2006, Fortuitas is committed to its core values of Quality, Integrity, and Service. For more information, please visit https://www.fortuitas.com. Its an exciting opportunity for both of our companies. The markets served by Wanke Cascade really are the sweet spot for the eco focused construction of Cleo and we are confident Rob and his team will have incredible successful with the line." Congoleum Corp. is pleased to announce that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Wanke Cascade (http://www.wanke.com), a subsidiary of Buckwold Western Ltd., to bring Cleo flooring to their northwest markets. Introduced in 2018, Cleo Home is an innovative and patented construction that practically eliminates visual repeats with high fidelity digital imaging applied directly to an eco-forward mineral base. Cleo is a resilient product that is free of all PVC, plasticizers, phthalates and chlor-chemicals. The market has welcomed Cleo with incredible enthusiasm and its not surprising when you see everything Cleo deliversPVC-free, made in the United States and incredible designs that have been described as visual artistry said Congoleum Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, Kurt Denman. Rob Tarver, President of Wanke Cascade said, we have always prided ourselves in offering the industrys top brands and the latest technology. Our employees and our customers are excited about Cleo for the same reason. You get an eco-focused floor with awesome durability and amazing visuals. You dont have to make compromises with Cleo. There is nothing else like it. Congoleum Chief Executive Officer, Chris OConnor stated, Its an exciting opportunity for both of our companies. The markets served by Wanke Cascade really are the sweet spot for the eco focused construction of Cleo and we are confident Rob and his team will have incredible successful with the line. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship between our two organizations. About Congoleum Since 1886 Congoleum Corporation has been committed to developing innovative flooring products that push the industry forward. Congoleum holds numerous patents for novel creations over the years, and these patents have resulted in products that are like no others in the industry. Congoleum manufactures residential and commercial resilient products that are engineered with state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and that demonstrate Congoleums quality and design leadership. With more than 5,000 retailers selling Congoleum products across North America, Congoleum is proud of its strong and iconic past, energized by the future and as always, unwavering in its commitment to quality, design and innovation. About Cleo Home CLEO Home, an eco-forward product, is NSF/ANSI 332 Certified at the Platinum level, a rigorous sustainability certification that reviews raw materials in the product, production methods and recyclability. CLEO is also FloorScore certified, which measures indoor air quality based on total VOCs being less than/equal to 0.5 mg/m3, and is certified as asthma & allergy friendly. https://cleoflooring.com/ Students deserve opportunities to learn, grow, and explore, and teachers give a lot of time, resources, and energy to ensure they provide a great education. DonorsChoose.org, an education crowdfunding nonprofit, announced today that Craig Newmark Philanthropies has pledged $1 million to match donations for public school teachers and students on its platform. Donors will have their gifts doubled, while funds last, helping provide books, art supplies, field trips, technology, and other classroom materials and experiences for teachers across the country. We are grateful for Craigs long-standing support of our community, said Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose.org. This gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies will help us engage the public in supporting classrooms across the country, ensuring that thousands of teachers and students have vital resources to end their school year on a high note. The resources funded through the match will help teachers finish their school year strong at a time when some classroom resources can be in short supply. It will also help as teachers start to prepare for next years incoming classes. Students deserve opportunities to learn, grow, and explore, and teachers give a lot of time, resources, and energy to ensure they provide a great education, said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. All Americans need to support students and teachers year-round, and Im very proud to help people do so by making their money go even further. Newmark has been a long-time supporter of DonorsChoose.org. In 2017, he made a $1 million match donation to support the classroom projects of public schools that serve military children. In 2018, he gave over $1 million to match donations made to STEM classroom projects, with a special focus on efforts that supported girls education on these topics. He has also given to schools damaged by Hurricane Harvey and to classrooms in New Jersey. Donors can participate in this Million Dollar Match Campaign starting at 7 AM Eastern Time on Monday, May 13. To support a classroom project that is eligible for the Craig Newmark Philanthropies match, click here. About Craig Newmark Philanthropies Craig Newmark Philanthropies was created by craigslist founder Craig Newmark to support and connect people and drive broad civic engagement. The organization works to advance people and grassroots organizations that are getting stuff done in areas that include trustworthy journalism, voter protection, gender diversity in technology, and veterans and military families. For more information, please visit CraigNewmarkPhilanthropies.org. About DonorsChoose.org DonorsChoose.org is the leading platform for giving to public schools. Teachers across America use the site to create projects requesting resources their students need, and donors give to the projects that inspire them. Since its founding by a Bronx teacher in 2000, more than 3.7 million people and partners have given $820 million to projects reaching 33.7 million students. Unique among education funding platforms, the DonorsChoose.org team vets each project request and ships resources directly to the school. Every donor receives photos of their project in action, thank-yous from the classroom, and a cost report showing how every dollar was spent. DonorsChoose.org was the first charity to make the top 10 on Fast Companys list of the Most Innovative Companies in the World. The ability to provide a healthy and confident smile for patients at all stages of life is such a great privilege. I am honored to receive this award because it validates that my patients are satisfied with my level of care, says Dr. Lea Porcaro of Grateful Dental Dr. Leia Porcaro is a Brazilian-born dentist who holds extensive training in multiple facets of dentistry. Her Marietta practice, Grateful Dental, offers a complete realm of dental care services for all ages, including treatments in general, restorative and cosmetic dentistry. While Dr. Porcaro places a strong emphasis on preventative care, she proudly offers some of the most advanced procedures in modern dentistry, including CEREC one-visit dental crowns, Six Month Smiles, ZOOM Whitening and dental implants using 3D imaging technology. Dr. Porcaros commitment to cutting-edge dentistry combined with her compassionate and conscientious approach has fostered countless five-star ratings and outstanding reviews from her actual patients. This favorable feedback across multiple online sources has led Find Local Doctors to feature Dr. Porcaro of Grateful Dental as a 2019 Top Patient-Rated Marietta Dentist. Find Local Doctors is an established online directory that helps consumers easily locate qualified and reputable providers in their area. The ability to provide a healthy and confident smile for patients at all stages of life is such a great privilege. I am honored to receive this award because it validates that my patients are satisfied with my level of care, says Dr. Lea Porcaro of Grateful Dental Grateful Dental is located at 2000 Powers Ferry Road in Marietta, GA 30067. The practice is currently accepting new pediatric and adult patients, and they work with most major dental insurance companies. More About Leia Porcaro, D.M.D. Dr. Leia Porcaro, D.M.D. who graduated from the University of Alfenas in Brazil with a degree in Dentistry. While in Brazil, Dr. Porcaro opened a private dental practice where she practiced for over 8 years and specialized in cosmetic dentistry and earned an advanced degree in Orthodontics. She has deep experience managing her own dental practice while also seeking ways to provide dental care to the underprivileged. In 2004, Dr. Porcaro began her dentistry career in the United States was one of 25 international applicants out of 850 chosen to attend the prestigious Nova Southeastern University college of dental medicine in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Dr. Porcaro achieved her dream of opening her own private dental practice in the United States: Grateful Dental in Marietta, Georgia. Grateful Dental is a comprehensive, family dental practice that serves children and adults of all ages. The practice has a mission to deliver high quality preventative, general, restorative and cosmetic dentistry in a supportive, caring environment. For more information on the services offered by Dr. Porcaro at Grateful Dental, visit http://www.gratefuldental.com or contact her office in Marietta directly at (678) 593-2979. MichBio has done an exceptional job in hosting this summit, stated Dr. Carmine Jabri, President and CEO. Medical Device innovation is thriving in Michigan and we are excited to be part of this great event". E.M.M.A. International Consulting Group, Inc. (EMMA International) a global leader in compliance consulting and enterprise quality management software solutions will participate on MichBios Medical Device Summit panel, Quality, Compliance and Validation: Facing the Challenge through Proactive Preparation. This summit, hosted by MichBio, will be the first medical device focused summit held in Michigan. Dr. Carmine Jabri, President and CEO of EMMA International, will discuss best practices for medical device manufacturers to mitigate risks and what to focus on when it comes to quality and regulatory obligations. MichBio has done an exceptional job in hosting this summit, stated Dr. Carmine Jabri, President and CEO. Medical Device innovation is thriving in Michigan and we are excited to be part of this great event. EMMA International provides unique quality and compliance services to the medical device community in Michigan and we are looking forward to the opportunity to network with medical device manufacturers. About E.M.M.A. International E.M.M.A. International Consulting Group, Inc. (EMMA International) is a global leader in compliance consulting and enterprise quality management software solutions. Headquartered in Farmington Hills, MI, with offices in FL, NC, PA, India and MENA. We focus on quality, regulatory, and compliance services for the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Device industries. For more information, visit http://www.emmainternational.com/ "This grant provides critical funding to our Anglican partners in Kenya and Zambia to help strengthen their capacity for community development, making lasting change that will benefit future generations, said Rob Radtke, President & CEO of Episcopal Relief & Development. Episcopal Relief & Development is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the Episcopal Health Foundation to strengthen a five-year integrated early childhood development (ECD) program in Kenya and Zambia. The grant aligns with the mission and commitment of both organizations to support healthy brain development through parental bonding with babies and toddlers. Moments That Matter (MTM), a program partnership of Episcopal Relief & Development, is a caregiver and parent empowerment program that leverages the role of faith-based leaders and trained volunteers in working directly with community members and impacted families. It is also supported in part by grants from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada and other donations to Episcopal Relief & Development. Research shows that early childhood experiences have a profound effect on brain development and on subsequent success later in life. The first three years of life, starting even before pregnancy begins, do more than strengthen the mind and body. They decide each childs lifelong capacity to grow, to learn, to stay healthy, and to interact well with others. MTM focuses on caregiver-child interactions that contribute to childrens cognitive, language, social-emotional and motor skills development. This grant from Episcopal Health Foundation will help strengthen the early childhood development capabilities of our communities, using Anglican church leaders to mobilize other faith and local leaders and volunteers, said Felicia Sakala, Country Director, Zambia Anglican Council Outreach Programmes (ZACOP), Episcopal Relief & Developments implementing partner organization. The Episcopal Health Foundation and Episcopal Relief & Development share a vision of activating communities and building the foundation for young children to realize their full developmental potential. This grant, the third to Episcopal Relief & Development from the Foundation, will enable the MTM program to grow and expand through faith-based networks and the Anglican Church to reach vulnerable communities. Episcopal Relief & Developments Early Childhood Development program has shown success in increasing primary caregivers nurturing care and in strengthening their connections to services, said Anna Steiner, Program Officer, Episcopal Health Foundation. The programs support of strong brain development is helping build a foundation for lifelong health by helping families to implement best practices for healthy brain development. Investing in early childhood development can transform entire communities. I am deeply grateful to the Episcopal Health Foundation for their support of Moments That Matter, said Rob Radtke, President & CEO of Episcopal Relief & Development. This grant provides critical funding to our Anglican partners in Kenya and Zambia to help strengthen their capacity for community development, making lasting change that will benefit future generations. To learn more about Episcopal Relief & Developments integrated early childhood development programs, please visit the Episcopal Relief & Development website. For over 75 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate. Outgoing Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) for Kansas City, Mo., Bob Bennett, has announced the launch of B2 Civic Solutions, a "smart city" consulting company. The challenges cities face will increasingly be solved by communities and corporations working together. Companies bring in capital investment and cutting-edge technology, while cities control the access, right of way and prioritization of services, says Bob Bennett. Outgoing Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) for Kansas City, Mo., Bob Bennett, announced the launch of B2 Civic Solutions today at the Smart Cities NYC 2019 conference. B2 Civic Solutions has developed a replicable model for identifying, planning and resourcing smart city solutions for communities of all sizes. Bennetts current clients include Smart City Media, one of the fastest growing companies in the Internet of Things (IoT) market, Cimcon Lighting, the leading provider of smart and connected lighting solutions, and the city of Parkville, Mo. Bennett has also been named chair of the Cities Today Institute, which focuses on best practices for sustainable urban development. In this role, Bennett will work with the team leading the 20-20 Cities Today project, which hosts events to explore smart city and urban applications. The Institute will provide a cities-first perspective on aggregating and sharing best practices in the emerging smart city marketplace. The challenges cities face will increasingly be solved by communities and corporations working together, says Bennett. Companies bring in capital investment and cutting-edge technology, while cities control the access, right of way and prioritization of services. Bennett recently spoke at the Digital Government Summit in Phoenix, Ariz. Upcoming speaking engagements for the smart city expert include the 2019 SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C., and the Government Performance and Innovation Summit in Minneapolis, Minn. My goal is to help companies, cities and citizens collaborate, innovate and prepare for the next century, he continues. As CIO, Bennett oversaw Kansas Citys Smart City initiative, billed as the worlds most connected smart city program. The $15 million public-private partnership includes Sprint Wi-Fi, a free outdoor public Wi-Fi deployment across more than 50 square blocks downtown, 138 smart streetlights along a two-mile stretch of the new KC Streetcar line and 25 interactive kiosks to engage citizens. Prior to joining Kansas City, Mo., in 2015, Bennett served in the U.S. Army for 25 years, where his roles included operations executive, strategic planner and educator. He planned, synchronized and coordinated over 500 operations in Africa from 2012-14, and oversaw development and integration of cutting-edge technologies into standing U.S. Army policies and operations. About B2 Civic Solutions LLC The B2 Civic Solutions team, led by smart city practitioner and thought leader Bob Bennett, has developed a replicable model for identifying, planning and resourcing Smart City solutions for communities of all sizes. Twenty-first century citizens will not wait for cities to modernize; they expect results now. B2 Civic Solutions helps deliver them. http://www.bbcivicsolutions.com. Gerone Blomgren, an unapologetic lifelong comic book nerd who lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains with his family, has completed his book Walls of Sakaret: a riveting pages-turner depicting a looming battle between an evil force and mankind in an enchanted world. Alsed has known nothing beyond the enchanted walls of Sakaret. None of the citizens of the ancient hidden city have seen the outside world since their home was sealed off two millennia ago. But an outsider named Jeresa, on a mission to save her people, shatters Sakarets isolated bliss as Alsed and his friends become entangled in a sinister plot set into motion by a psychotic demigod bent on vengeance. Few of the citizens of Sakaret will rise to the challenge of trying to save a people theyve never known. Those that do will face unimaginable terrors that most will not survive. Guided by a mysterious stranger, hunted by a sadistic predator, and besieged by an army of assassins and swarms of the undying, Alsed and Jeresa must survive the bloody path that will lead them and their companions to the ultimate confrontation. The only small hope of success requires that Alsed be reborn, becoming something the world has never seen, and changing the fate of nations forever. Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Gerone Blomgrens book is a thrilling adventure for fantasy fiction readers. Readers who wish to experience this engrossing work can purchase Walls of Sakaret at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional New York-based, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not overwhelmed with logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of accomplished authors and publishing professionals allows writers to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Gilbane Building Company Celebrates Groundbreaking of Expansion for Miami Valley Career Technology Center Officials from Miami Valley Career Technology Center (MVCTC), Gilbane Building Company, state and local officials, students and staff recently came together to celebrate the official groundbreaking for the complete transformation of the Miami Valley Career Technology Center to create the largest K-12 building being administered by the OFCC in the State of Ohio. Gilbane is providing construction management at-risk services for the expansion of the Miami Valley Career Technology Center. The existing campus consists of three main buildings (West, East and South) and several smaller structures that support both educational and building services. The project will consist of renovating more than 139,000 SF of the existing West Building over three phases for enhanced programs such as healthcare, cosmetology and the student activity center/food service area. Approximately 431,000 SF of additions to the West Building will include two stories of new classroom space, as well as a new maintenance building and high bay learning areas for aviation maintenance, precision machining, welding, diesel, carpentry and HVAC. All work on campus will be performed around existing operations and large portions of the campus will remain open while work is ongoing. The MVCTC will continue to operate normally throughout the remodeling and expansion project. As always, student and staff safety will be a priority. The MVCTC is proud to be partnering with Gilbane Building Company. When the district went through the CMR selection process, there were many qualified companies. Gilbane Building Company demonstrated that they understood our unique facility needs and committed to work as part of a team to build a safe, highly-functional, and efficient building. So far, they have exceeded our expectations. We look forward to starting the construction phase and continuing to build our relationship, said Dr. Nick Weldy, MVCTC Superintendent Our project team has enjoyed the working relationship weve developed with Miami Valley Career Technology Center, Garmann/Miller & Associates, Ohio Facilities Construction Commission and local authorities on this project to date. Gilbane is very anxious to get the actual work started in the field and have the project underway. The MVCTC project is a huge win for Gilbane in many ways, and we look forward to continuing to show the district why they chose our team. We have a strong, local team and look forward to continuing to engage with the students on site and the community as the project progresses, said Matt Niemeyer, Gilbane Building Company Senior Project Manager About Gilbane Building Company Gilbane provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services from pre-construction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, general contracting, design-build and facility management services for clients across various markets. Founded in 1873 and still a privately held, family-owned company, Gilbane has more than 45 office locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.gilbaneco.com. Gilbane is one of the most experienced builders in the Central Midwest market and is currently one of the largest construction managers in the Columbus market. Our established relationships with area subcontractors/suppliers, local and state authorities, M/WBE contractors and top design and engineering professionals have resulted in satisfied clients and repeat business throughout the state. With more than 50 years of success in the highly competitive construction market, Gilbane is committed to continuing the strong tradition of excellence in the Ohio construction industry. About Miami Valley Career Technology Center Currently, the MVCTC serves 27 area high schools, in five counties and their communities. MVCTC offers over 40 career technical programs for high school juniors and seniors, educational opportunities for adult students, and career technical programming at 18 partner district satellite locations working with grades 6 through 12. Working with local business and industry partners, MVCTC helps attract and create jobs for the region's economic growth. For more information about MVCTC, please visit http://www.mvctc.com. GKhair Inspires at Beautyworld Middle East 2019 The CEO of GKhair, Mr Van Tibolli spoke about the vision of GKhair at the stage. GKhair made an appearance at Beautyworld Middle East 2019 held at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center, this April. Owing to GKhair's long term partnerships and presence in not only UAE but GCC and Middle East, attending Beautyworld annually is significant for the brand. The event lasted for three days during which, GKhair hosted a consistently packed audience at their booth. Noted local hair professionals as well as two international hair professionals and GKhair artists Tricia Ostrom and Wojciech Jewula represented the brand, carried out stunning transformations and spoke about the sophisticated GKhair product line. A number of local influencers and celebrities also visited the GKhair booth. The stage was claimed by GKhair on the second day of the event, twice. During the morning slot, Tricia Ostrom displayed amazing color techniques using Juvexin Cream Colors. These colors are permanent colors infused with Juvexin and Ceramides that give bright results, keeping damage at bay. In the evening, Wojciech Jewula built upon hair treatments. GKhair offers hair treatments to resolve all hair problems in a healthy and effective way. The CEO of GKhair, Mr Van Tibolli spoke about the vision of GKhair at the stage. Apart from that, GKhair's newest launches in technology - three new flat irons including One Control Titanium Flat Iron with Extra Large Plates and other bonus features - were also presented and demonstrated. One Control Titanium Flat Iron, Easy Control Titanium Flat Iron and D700 Titanium Flat Iron will soon be making their way to the market. The CEO of GKhair, Mr Van Tibolli and the CEO of Cosmetica, Mr Ali Ibrahim Hashim remained active during the meet and greet sessions on all three days. The event concluded at the glad note of GKhair attending the event next year again with renewed zeal. Watch highlights of the event, here. About GKhair Operating in more than 75 countries, GKhair is a US-based haircare brand that has millions of clients across the world. Nicki Zvik, Founder of Green Solar Technologies The idea of the Green New Deal (GND), made famous by New York Congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has captured the nations focus. The GND in short is a proposed stimulus package to completely cut carbon emissions and boost the U.S. economy by switching to 100% renewable sources of energy. But even as a nationwide shift to renewable energy will happen gradually, some city leaders--most notably, Mayor Garcetti of Los Angeles, CA, have forged ahead of the pack by proposing immediate, citywide Green New Deal programs. Mayor Eric Garcettis recently released Green New Deal plan for L.A. would put the city on track to carbon neutrality by 2050. Green Solar Technologies Founder and renewable energy advocate, Nicki Zvik, comments on Mayor Garcettis progressive plan, stating, Green Solar Technologies is proud to support the efforts of Mayor Garcetti and his team who are diligently working to create a cleaner, greener, and more economically efficient city for those living in and visiting Los Angeles. With environmental threats like pollution and climate change, its so important to have forward-thinking leaders like Garcetti who are committed to switching to renewable energy sources. According to the official website of Mayor Garcetti, L.A.s Green New Deal is guided by four key principles: a commitment to uphold the Paris Climate Agreement; a promise to deliver environmental justice and equity through an inclusive green economy; a plan to ensure every Angeleno has the ability to join the green economy by creating pipelines to good paying, green jobs; and a determination to lead by example within City government, showing the world what an urban Green New Deal looks like in practice. Its especially encouraging that Mayor Garcettis plan includes making green energy affordable to all, states Zvik, Ensuring that green energy alternatives are not just financially feasible but also financially advantageous to all people will help move us closer to the end goal of a healthier environment. Solar technology will be a key component in the L.A. Green New Deal. Beginning in 2020, it will be required that all new homes built in Los Angeles (including apartment complexes up to three stories) have solar energy systems installed upon construction. Companies like Green Solar Technologies have been pioneers in the industry, allowing customers across the United States to get a head start on the inevitable and exciting shift to using 100% renewable sources. Nicki Zvik adds, Weve known for a long time that green energy, specifically solar, would be embraced both by the nation and globally. Los Angeles is simply the beginning of the domino effect well be seeing shortly. The innovators at Green Solar are thrilled to see L.A.s Green New Deal embraced, and for our company to be headquartered in the city leading the green energy movement is truly rewarding. We have exciting times ahead of us not just as a solar company, but as a community striving toward a cleaner and enriching environment that we can be proud to call home. Nicki Zvik is the founder of Green Solar Technologies and Spectrum Properties LLC, a real estate investment company based in Los Angeles, CA. Hallcon is thrilled to announce that effective Monday, May 6th, 2019, Matt Streem joins our team as Vice President, Aviation Services based in the San Francisco Bay Area. As Hallcon continues to aggressively expand its capabilities into new market segments, Matt will bring new expertise to the team related to airlines and airport services. He will report directly to Hallcons President & CEO, John R. Stoiber, and will join Hallcons Corporate Executive Team. Matt brings 15 years of experience to Hallcon in various leadership roles within the airline industry, including companies such as American Airlines, Virgin America and American Eagle Airlines. Matt has also held key leadership roles with WeDriveU, where he served as Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Safety and Technology. Matt shared, I am incredibly excited to join this great team and help bring Hallcons proven experience to the aviation industry. Hallcon has a unique perspective on airlines and airports and the ways we can enhance their passenger experience. Pairing a customer-first attitude with Hallcons deep understanding of transportation analytics creates amazing opportunities to innovate and add tremendous value for our partners. Matt holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. John R. Stoiber added, I am excited about the impact that Matt can make on Hallcons growth in the aviation industry. We look forward to leveraging his expertise to expand our transportation and customer service capabilities with new and existing airline and airport clients. ABOUT HALLCON With corporate offices in Lenexa, Kansas, Toronto, Ontario, and South San Francisco, California, Hallcon provides a broad portfolio of outsourced transportation services in private and public transit, including solutions for the rail, oil and gas, technology, corporate, airport, public transit, and university transportation sectors. Hallcon provides rail employee transports, technology employee commuter transports, transportation vehicle cleaning, transit station cleaning, business park transportation, station attendant services, airport parking and rental car shuttles, airport hardstand shuttles, university transportation, specialty staffing and training, vehicle maintenance and operations center management. More information can be found at http://www.hallcon.com Hanley Wood, the premier information, media, event, and strategic marketing services company serving the residential, commercial design and construction industries, announces that Century Communities has repeated in 2019 as the Builder 100s Fastest-Growing Public Builder; Clayton Homes eclipsed its peers as the Fastest-Growing Private Builder in the Builder 100; and Cornerstone Communities earned honors as the Fastest-Growing Private Builder in the Next 100. At the same time, BUILDER has named Maryville,Tenn.-based Clayton as its 2019 Builder of the Year. These awards will be presented at the 2019 Housing Leadership Summit, May 13th at the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point, California. Americas leading home builders met with well-noted headwinds in 2018, some on the supply-side, like chronic labor constraint and shortages of lots, and some impacting demand, like the threat of higher mortgages, but the Builder 100 group still grew 11% in volume in 2018 over 2017, said Jeff Meyers, CEO of Hanley Wood. These builders serve as real-world examples of how responding to the urgent need for more affordable options can be, and is, a successful business model. They have truly begun to tap ingenuity and innovation and transform their strategies for design, workflows, and customer focus to benefit both their business and home buying consumers needs. Builder of the Year: BUILDER honors Clayton Homes as its 2019 Builder of the Year, a salute to cultural and business transformation from within thats having disruptive impact on the market-rate home construction business as a whole. In his special report profile of Clayton, John McManus, VP/Editorial Director of the Hanley Wood Residential Group writes Claytons got goals going right now to overcome two big challenges. One is to evolve from the No. 1 builder of manufactured homes to a new class of single-family home builder, purpose-focused to crash affordabilitys steepening barriers among working American households. The second is to do it by marrying the best and most innovative practices of both the on-site,stick-built world of detached single-family builders with the off-site, vertically-integrated, conditioned-space, precision-manufactured, and increasingly automated factory-assembly world of manufactured housing. Claytons marriage of the indoor-outdoor construction and assembly balance may very well mark the origin of a new species of hybrid home building enterprise that can actually drive cost savings into asking price relief for buyers. Fastest-Growing Public Builder Award in the Builder 100: Century Communities Century Communities is this years winner for the Fastest-Growing Private Builder Award for the second year in a row. The Greenwood Village, Co.based builder continues to strengthen its position through acquisitions allowing it to gain market share and provide a lower price point for entry level buyers. Century Communities went from 4,281 closings in 2017 to 7,092 in 2018, a 39 percent growth. Co-CEOs, Dale and Rob Francescon, focused on building the foundation of a strong, experienced management team that could identify new opportunities and maintain financial flexibility to seize those opportunities. The companys geographic reach has grown along with its appeal to a wider variety of buyer demographics and diversity of its product portfolio. Fastest-Growing Private Builder in the Builder 100: Clayton Homes Clayton Homes has been growing its portfolio of on-site builders and now boasts nine nationwide.The company operates in 15 states and is on pace to build 7,000 homes by the end of 2019, which would qualify it as a Top 10 U.S. builder. The companys mission-driven focus on the democratization of homeownership at a time affordable housing is in high demand helps set it apart and fuel its exponential growth; going from 857 home starts in 2016 to 4,000 in 2018 a 367% change. Its No. 20-ranking on the 2019 Builder 100 list does not account for the recent acquisition of Central Florida builder Highland Homes as the 9th site-build firm in its fast-growing family of operators. Fastest-Growing Private Builder in the Next 100: Cornerstone Communities A truly versatile builder, California-based Cornerstone Communities offers product to serve any customer demographic, from entry-level to luxury custom, and its strategic time-released surge of building lots in the past 24 months propelled it to honors as this years Fastest-Growing Builder in the Next 100 list. By taking calculated land risks in 2013, fresh out of the Recession, the company had 140% growth over a three-year span, leap-frogging from 105 closings in 2016 to 252 closings in 2018, securing a place, for the first time, on the BUILDER Next 100 list at 154. Its offerings include workforce and affordable homes in a high demand housing area, with average home sale prices of $495,000. About BUILDER Published by Hanley Wood, BUILDER is the authority in the residential construction industry and serves as the magazine of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). For more than three decades, BUILDER has provided essential news, information and resources about products, technologies, trends, regulatory requirements and best practices to help home building professionals build smart. About Hanley Wood Hanley Wood is the premier company serving the information, media, and marketing needs of the residential, commercial design and construction industry. Utilizing the largest analytics and editorially driven Construction Industry Database - powered by Metrostudy - the company provides business intelligence and data-driven services. The company produces award-winning media, high-profile executive events, and strategic marketing solutions. To learn more, visit hanleywood.com. Brianna is recognized as a world-class educator in oncology, said David Horowitz, Senior Vice President and Director of Sales at Harborside. Were thrilled to have her clinical expertise and knowledge of the marketplace working on behalf of Harborside. Harborside, a market-leading communications company with a focus in oncology, welcomes Brianna Hoffner, MS, ANP-BC, AOCNP, as its new Director of Clinical Outreach and Development. Ms. Hoffner joins Harborside after a decade of clinical work as an oncology nurse practitioner. She will be responsible for developing and extending Harborsides programs for oncology advanced practitioners. Brianna is recognized as a world-class educator in oncology, said David Horowitz, Senior Vice President and Director of Sales at Harborside. Were thrilled to have her clinical expertise and knowledge of the marketplace working on behalf of Harborside. In her most recent role, Brianna served as the Lead Advanced Practice Provider for Medical Oncology and the Medical Director of the Clinical Assessment and Rapid Evaluation (CARE) Clinic at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. She provided clinical care to patients with advanced malignancies in the outpatient clinic, oncology urgent care, and research settings. Her primary area of expertise is the management of immune-related adverse events. Prior to joining the faculty at University of Colorado, she worked as the Supervisor of Clinical Research Operations at The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai. Ms. Hoffner received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Boston College and Master of Science Nursing in Adult Oncology from Yale University. We have been fortunate to work closely with Brianna the past few years as a member of our faculty at the JADPRO Live conference, said Anthony Cutrone, President of Harborside. Her knowledge and connections in this industry will have an immediate impact on our growth as a company. Im thrilled to join the Harborside team, said Ms. Hoffner. Ive seen their creativity, dedication, and innovation up close, and Im looking forward to expanding their impact and influence among the advanced practitioner community. Ms. Hoffner will work closely with the business development team at Harborside to create programs to support the work of advanced practitioners. In addition, she will liaison with educators and marketers in the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industry to drive new revenue opportunities for the company. Ms. Hoffner will also contribute her clinical expertise to Harborsides award-winning content across its publishing portfolio. About Harborside: Harborside is the foremost medical communications company that oncology clinicians turn to for accurate content, news, and education. Harborside publishes JNCCN--Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, The ASCO Post, the Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology (JADPRO), and the Journal of Oncology Practice. Harborside also produces JADPRO Live, a conference for advanced practitioners working in the field of oncology. Harborside also represents Journal of Clincial Oncology (JCO) and the entire suite of JCO publications. xagent has been one of our fastest-growing partners that serve U.S. independent agents, said Steve Langan, CEO of Hiscox USA. We believe strongly in the power of choice, and this expanded partnership will help us increase our visibility to the widest audience of qualified agents. xagent, the single-entry market access solution for property and casualty (P&C) agents, announced today that international specialist insurer Hiscox has become the first member of its Carrier Leadership Council. With this appointment, Hiscox will become a strategic development partner with xagent, providing market and product input and gaining early access to new features, leads and small business customers. xagent has been one of our fastest-growing partners that serve U.S. independent agents, said Steve Langan, CEO of Hiscox USA. We believe strongly in the power of choice, and this expanded partnership will help us increase our visibility to the widest audience of qualified agents. In conjunction with this announcement, Hiscox has also become a carrier partner of TrustedChoice.com, the nations largest digital marketing platform for independent agents and brokers. As an affiliate of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big I), more than 20,000 IIABA members have access to TrustedChoice.coms digital marketing solutions to help them compete and thrive in the insurance marketplace. These agents will now be able to find and purchase Hiscox Business Owners (BOP), General Liability, and Professional Liability policies 100% online through xagents integration with TrustedChoice.com. xagent will connect their insurance consumer referrals to the xagent - Hiscox automated systems to eliminate manual processes, duplicate entries, and wasted time. Hiscox continues to innovate with creative online options for business insurance, and Im proud they have selected xagent to deliver another level of access and choice to agents and their clients, said Bryan Baird, xagents CEO. About xagent: xagent (http://www.xagent.com) was built by agents for agents, and delivers on the promise of a truly independent single-entry multi-quote exchange for standard and surplus lines business insurance in all 50 states. About Hiscox: Hiscox is a global specialist insurer, headquartered in Bermuda and listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:HSX). Our ambition is to be a respected specialist insurer with a diverse portfolio by product and geography. We believe that building balance between catastrophe-exposed business and less volatile local specialty business gives us opportunities for profitable growth throughout the insurance cycle. Its a long-standing strategy which in 2018 saw the business deliver a profit before tax of $137.4 million in a challenging year for insurers. The Hiscox Group employs over 3,300 people in 14 countries and has customers worldwide. Through the retail businesses in the UK, Europe, Asia and the US, we offer a range of specialist insurance for professionals and business customers as well as homeowners. Internationally traded, bigger ticket business and reinsurance is underwritten through Hiscox London Market and Hiscox Re & ILS. Hiscoxs small business insurance policies available through xagent are underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Inc., a Chicago-based insurer. This information is neither intended nor should be construed to be a solicitation for the purchase of insurance by any US person or entity. For further information visit http://www.hiscox.com Follow Hiscox USA on Twitter @HiscoxSmallbiz Susan Kootnekoff is a lawyer with Inspire Law. Phone: 250-764-7710. Email: info@inspirelaw.ca. On the web: inspirelaw.ca. The content of this column is intended to provide general thoughts and general information, not to provide legal advice. This column appears Fridays in The Daily Courier. Real-time marketing campaign data at i76 Solutions Data drives every decision we make today. But there is way too much of it coming at us, from all directions, at the same time. We needed a solution that would allow everyone in the agency to have accountability for the outcome of our clients campaigns. i76 Solutions, a full-service strategic marketing agency and Google Partner, with particular expertise in driving results for their clients through digital marketing, is excited to announce the expansion and relocation of its headquarters to 676 W. Germantown Pike in Plymouth Meeting, PA, a Philadelphia suburb that sits at the hub of I-276, I-476 and just a few miles from I-76. As part of the marketing agencys move, the new office, located inside a historic building that is rumored to have once been part of the Underground Railroad, has been transformed into a hi-tech office and data center where client campaigns are monitored in real-time throughout the building. Drew Salamone, the President and Founder of the agency, has had a vision for the technology build-out since the agencys start years ago. Data drives every decision we make today. But there is way too much of it coming at us, from all directions, at the same time. We needed a solution that would allow everyone in the agency to have accountability for the outcome of our clients campaigns. When it comes to success, we all have to speak the language and we all have to be on the same page. Missing a data trend or competitive opportunity can be the difference between a campaigns success or failure," said Salamone. Strategically-placed monitors throughout the building rotate through client campaign dashboards during the workday so that everyone in the agency can monitor activity across multi-channel marketing campaigns. Screens located in every employee office, in every department, all the way down to the employee lounge and kitchen, showcase the current active campaigns for the agencys roster of clients. If a clients radio or TV campaign is active in a market, we want to see the traffic its driving to their website in real-time and the effect it has on visitors over time. By the same token, monitoring search queries that trigger paid search ads as they happen allows us to optimize more efficiently, ultimately driving higher CTRs and better results for our clients," Salamone stated. i76 Solutions Director of Digital Marketing & Strategy, Alexa Minnick, leads the agencys digital practice in the areas of search, social media, display advertising, SMS, email & direct mail, video, and content. We have always been a forward-thinking digital agency at the core, and now our digital analytics dashboard network helps us drive top-notch performance across all our client marketing campaigns. But it goes beyond just understanding and monitoring that data this is about making changes and optimizing campaigns as we go to drive success," said Minnick. Decisions to alter the course of a campaign can be made swiftly once enough data is analyzed to ensure clients yield the highest possible return on their marketing investment. The system allows the agency to monitor real-time digital metrics across search, display and social, traditional media and offline data to get an accurate view of the impact the larger marketing plan has on driving the goals and objectives of a client strategy. Layering data from any source and visualizing that on-screen provides us with a complete picture of a clients marketing funnel and allows us to immediately identify tactics that are driving results," said Salamone. About i76 Solutions i76 Solutions is a strategic marketing agency that connects brands with consumers. With a deep understanding and passion for digital marketing and technology, i76 Solutions provides a forward-thinking approach to solving business challenges for their clients. The agency provides marketing services in the areas of paid search, social media, display advertising, traditional media, website development and technology integration. i76 solutions is a national media buyer for TV, Radio and Outdoor advertising, including placement on streaming services like Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Firestick and Hulu. As a long-time Google Partner, the agency holds certifications in Google Ads, Search (PPC), Mobile, Shopping and Analytics. i76 Solutions client roster includes AAA, YMCA, NextGen Healthcare, Bayer Properties, The Forbes Group, AmeriGas, Draper James, Lululemon, LundyLaw, The Philly Pops, Skippack Village, University of Florida and others. i76 Solutions was recognized as a Top Philadelphia Marketing Agency and has received multiple awards for their work in the industry. Semicrol will facilitate the entry of Clinerion into Mexico through its subsidiary Inpharamo. Inpharamos network of contacts will serve as the gateway for the Swiss company into the country. Ian Rentsch, CEO of Clinerion, and Ricardo Marquez, Medical Director of Inpharamo, will officially launch the partnership during the second edition of the International Congress of Clinical Research, Mexico, to be held from May 16th to 18th, in Guadalajara (Jalisco). The partnership between Inpharamo and Clinerion is grounded on the success to-date of the alliance established by Semicrol and Clinerion in September, 2018, which has enabled the integration of the functionality of Clinerions Patient Network Explorer with that of Semicrols Fundanet CTMS (clinical trial management system). This has provided a new tool for Fundanet users that improves the process of identifying candidate patients for clinical trials. After a successful collaboration in Spain and Colombia, this partnership now expands to include Mexican hospitals and clinical research institutes in the network participating in Clinerions community. In support of this, Ian Rentsch, CEO of Clinerion, will speak at the International Congress of Clinical Research in Mexico, addressing the benefits of the introduction of Big Data technologies in clinical research and the impact they have on the growth of studies. Patient Network Explorer dramatically accelerates clinical research by substantially improving the efficiency and effectiveness of patient recruitment for clinical trials. It streamlines the process of locating and selecting potential participants for a clinical trial. Its incorporation to the services offered by Fundanet CTMS gives users access to a network of more than 70 million patients in 17 countries. Inpharamo and Clinerion previously jointly attended the IMC Summit, organized by the Mexican Medical Training Institute (IMC) in Mexico City, in March. There, both firms stressed the importance of modernizing clinical research processes with innovative tools and processes based on new technologies. Luis Magalhaes, representing Clinerion, gave a talk entitled "Electronic Health Records: the future of medical records and their importance in specialized medicine." Clinerions entry into the clinical research field in Mexico provides great advantages when it comes to optimizing the creation of clinical protocols, making them based on real patient data in the clinical context of interest, and enables the most proactive selection of candidates eligible for participation in the trials, says Ricardo Marquez Onate, Medical Director of Inpharamo. This saves time, minimizes costs and boosts the local research market. This will make Mexico a more attractive location when it comes to the selection of trial centers by collaborating institutions or sponsors. Clinerion and Semicrols technologies complementarily support the optimal set-up and running of clinical trials, says Ian Rentsch, CEO of Clinerion. Together, we bring great benefits of acceleration and efficiency to clinical research teams. We are pleased that this new partnership with Inpharamo offers another way for the two companies to work together, accelerating patient access to innovative medical treatments in Mexico. International Congress of Clinical Research website: http://www.myiccr.com 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(dot)com About Semicrol and Inpharamo Semicrol is a leading company in designing and developing software solutions aimed at achieving excellence in research management. The company provides Cloud-based systems and tools that increase the efficiency and profitability of clinical research processes. Inpharamo is a company created to introduce in Mexico innovative connected medical devices that already work in other parts of the world such as Europe or the United States. The new company, 50% owned by Semicrol, aims to replicate in Mexico the model of success achieved through Alive Health Systems in Spain. Inpharamo was born from the excellent relationship between Semicrol and the research consultancy Science Innovation Mexico, directed by Dr. Ricardo Marquez. Fundanet CTMS is a world-class clinical trial management system designed to provide quick and easy access to study or subject information using simple and intuitive navigation. It is one of the customizable modules that make up Fundanet Suite. Semicrol is an international company headquartered in the Science and Technology Park of Santander (Spain). It also has local offices in Mexico and Colombia for the LATAM region. Semicrol is composed of more than 70 people dedicated to consulting, software development, implementation and maintenance of information systems and applications for hospitals, research institutes, universities, pharmaceutical companies, CROs and medical device companies. Semicrols website: http://www.semicrol.es Semicrols Fundanet Suite: http://www.fundanet.es Inpharamos website: http://www.inpharamo.com For more information, please contact: Vicente Alciturri Fernandez International Director SEMICROL S.L. C/ Isabel Torres, 7, 39011 Santander, Cantabria, Spain Tel.: +34 942 314 224 vicente.alciturri(dot)fernandez(at)semicrol(dot)com Alissas powerful track record, experience and ability to build win-win enterprise relationships will prove invaluable in continuing to drive our enterprise and strategic growth efforts. Inside Real Estate, the company behind powerhouse real estate tech platform kvCORE which supports over 190,000 agents, teams and some of the industries most prominent brokerage firms, has added Alissa Harper to their already impressive leadership team. Alissa joins as the new SVP of Strategic Growth, and brings over 15 years of experience at some of the fastest growing tech companies in the real estate space. Weve followed Alissas success in the space and are thrilled to welcome her to our world-class leadership team, says Joe Skousen, President of Inside Real Estate. Alissas powerful track record, experience and ability to build win-win enterprise relationships will prove invaluable in continuing to drive our enterprise and strategic growth efforts." With roots in residential real estate and a passion for driving growth through strategic partnerships, Alissa has helped create and scale brokerage business lines at companies like RealtyGenerator, Market Leader, Trulia and Zillow Group. Most recently Alissa lead sales & marketing at Buyside, driving triple-digit growth for the early stage start-up over the past 2 years. Alissa will lead strategic growth at Inside Real Estate, as the company doubles-down on providing extensive support to large brokerages and brands, along with providing the most robust and ROI-driven technology to their agents and teams. Their highly sought after platform kvCORE currently powers dozens of leading real estate firms including The Keyes Company, Baird & Warner, First Team Real Estate, eXp Realty, and Fathom Realty. Many more of the largest brokerages in the country are prepping now for their upcoming kvCORE rollout. "I'm thrilled to be joining this amazing team," said Alissa. Every major brokerage and enterprise brand today is looking for that true technology partner and Inside Real Estate is uniquely positioned to be just that. Their powerful technology, executional expertise, and resources to fuel ongoing success are unmatched in this space and I'm excited to help expand our impact with top brokerages & brands." Alissa will join a veteran group of industry leaders and over 175 total employees at Inside Real Estate as they position themselves for continued growth this year. About Inside Real Estate Inside Real Estate is among the fastest growing real estate software companies in the industry and serves over 190,000 agents, teams, and brokers throughout the U.S. and Canada. The company is the developer of the kvCORE Platform, the only comprehensive brokerage platform that serves the needs of the broker, team and agent in one integrated system. To cater to the unique needs of every business, 50+ deep integrations and vetted partner solutions are available to platform users through the Marketplace, the cloud-based integration center for Inside Real Estate. For standalone teams with brokerages not supported by kvCORE, the k+ TEAM Platform is available with features designed specifically for the team business model. To learn more about Inside Real Estate solutions, visit insiderealestate.com. Frankie Furgele I am thrilled to join the Red Banyan team. I look forward to bringing my expertise to our diverse range of clients. Its exciting to be working with a great group of such talented professionals that drive real results day in and day out. Red Banyan, a top strategic communications and international PR firm, today announced the hiring of Frankie Furgele as its Senior Social Media Manager. Working in the firms South Florida headquarters, Furgele will use her strong background in social media and digital marketing to help Red Banyans clients strategically maximize their online impact. Furgele brings to Red Banyan years of experience in social media management, content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) and more. Using these skills and a fluency in the latest tools of the trade, she will work directly with clients to streamline, optimize and grow their social and digital presence. Furgele holds bachelors degrees in both Public Relations and Psychology from Pennsylvania State University. We are very excited to bring Frankie onto our team of communications professionals, said Red Banyan Founder and CEO Evan Nierman. Her skill in the arenas of digital marketing and social media, along with her background in public relations, align perfectly with Red Banyans comprehensive approach to strategic communications. Furgele added: I am thrilled to join the Red Banyan team. I look forward to bringing my expertise to our diverse range of clients. Its exciting to be working with a great group of such talented professionals that drive real results day in and day out. Furgeles hiring is the latest development in Red Banyans rapid expansion over the last year. Thanks to its strong reputation for providing meaningful results to its clients, the international public relations firm has undergone substantial growth. It has added several new members, as well as opened additional offices across the nation, to accommodate for the increased demand for its specialized services. About Red Banyan Red Banyan is a top public relations agency with clients across the country and internationally. With offices in Florida, Texas, Washington, D.C. and Georgia, Red Banyan combines a substantive understanding of complex issues with the experience and skills needed to execute campaigns that deliver results. Specializing in crisis communications, corporate public relations, government relations, and legal PR, Red Banyan provides an integrated approach to communications rooted in strategy. Learn more at https://www.redbanyan.com, become a fan on the Red Banyan Facebook page and follow the firm on Twitter, and LinkedIn. Marion M. Walsh, Partner at Littman Krooks LLP Our work at Littman Krooks is aligned to NAMIs work in helping individuals with mental health concerns, from youth to elderly, says Marion. We work to help families ensure that their loved ones have the right legal protections, services and public benefits." she says. Littman Krooks LLP is proud to be a sponsor of NAMIWalks Westchester. Team LK will walk with NAMI on Saturday, May 18th, rain or shine, at the Rye Town Park, Rye, NY to raise awareness of mental health and to support our friends and families. Team LK will be led by partner Marion M. Walsh, a Board Member of NAMI Westchester, who focuses much of her legal practice on helping students with mental health conditions find the appropriate services and placement in school. Our work at Littman Krooks is aligned to NAMIs work in helping individuals with mental health concerns, from youth to elderly, says Marion. We work to help families ensure that their loved ones have the right legal protections, services and public benefits. Advocating for those with mental health conditions is a social justice movement to help those disenfranchised, isolated and misunderstood, she says. Here are a few reasons to join Team LK and support NAMI Westchester: NAMI works to end the pervasive and undeserved stigma that our society still perpetuates for individuals with mental health disorders. Mental health affects everyone and is part of the human condition. NAMI understands that, with treatment and services, individuals with mental health concerns can lead fulfilled and productive lives. At Littman Krooks, we work to end stigma for our clients, which leads to isolation, decline and inappropriate services. NAMI works to educate youth on mental health and suicide prevention, though the Ending the Silence Program. Marion is a volunteer for this program. At Littman Krooks, we work tirelessly to help young people at risk of suicide obtain appropriate educational and community services. NAMI provides an essential public health service by providing resources and help to families in supporting loved ones. We applaud NAMIs commitment to build a community of hope for all those in need through support groups and activities. At Littman Krooks, we work to help families navigate services and to obtain appropriate public benefits. Join us on May 18 beginning at 8:50AM at Rye Town Park, Rye, NY. Bring your dogs and family. Here is a link to our Team LK page: https://www.namiwalks.org/team/28275 To learn more about Marion M. Walsh, click here. About Littman Krooks LLP Littman Krooks LLP provides sophisticated legal advice and the high level of expertise ordinarily associated with large law firms along with the personal attention and responsiveness of smaller firms. These ingredients, which are the cornerstone of effective representation and necessary to a successful lawyer/client relationship, have become the foundation of the firms success. Littman Krooks LLP offers legal services in several areas of law, including elder law, estate planning, special needs planning, special education advocacy, and corporate and securities. Their offices are located at 655 Third Avenue, New York, New York and 399 Knollwood Road, White Plains, New York. For more information about Littman Krooks LLP, visit http://www.littmankrooks.com. Josephine Marrocco at Carnegie Council Josephine Marrocco's research examines the use of government propaganda in the context of Russia's AIDS crisis. On May 3, 2019, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs held its fifth annual student conference at its headquarters in New York City. This year, the Council received 36 applications from 12 universities around the New York City area and across the United States. Out of the 36 applications, 11 projects, including one group project from The New School, were selected to present at the conference. The winning presentation was by Josephine Marrocco of Fordham University in New York. Her presentation was titled, "Sex, Drugs and Propaganda: Why AIDS persists in the Russian Federation." It examined the use of government propaganda in the context of Russia's AIDS crisis. For more on Marrocco's research, read her email interview with Carnegie Council Senior Fellow Devin Stewart, who organized the conference: https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/articles_papers_reports/sex-drugs-and-propaganda-why-aids-persists-in-the-russian-federation As the winner, Marrocco received a one-year membership to the Council's Carnegie New Leaders program. "The student conference was a truly unique and thought-provoking event; it was amazing to hear and discuss extremely high-levels of research from numerous disciplines and schools across the country, and to have the chance to network a bit with such intelligent and capable peers," said Marrocco. "I strongly encourage any student to apply!" Other presentations touched on various ethical issues, including climate change, state terrorism, U.S. democracy, trade disputes, gender equality, poverty reduction, immigration, student activism, and humanitarian policy. The panel of judges included scholars from Hunter College and Carnegie Council. The presentations were judged on their originality, persuasiveness, logical coherence, and relevance to ethics. Carnegie Council would like to thank all those who took part. ABOUT CARNEGIE COUNCIL Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1914, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs is an educational, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that produces lectures, publications, and multimedia materials on the ethical challenges of living in a globalized world. Go to https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/. The 2019 honorees demonstrate how members of the Lex Mundi Network are using their pro bono resources, time and expertise to make a tremendous impact with many of the worlds leading social entrepreneurs. The 10th Annual Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation Awards were presented during the 2019 Lex Mundi Leadership Summit and Annual Conference in London. These awards honor Lex Mundi member law firms that have provided critical pro bono legal services - helping to strengthen the global rule of law, support the global social entrepreneurship movement and improve lives and communities around the world. The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation (the "Foundation") was proud to honor the following award recipients: Lex Mundi member firms are critical allies supporting social entrepreneurs great efforts. They help these organizations to start, grow and achieve their powerful missions. The 2019 honorees demonstrate how members of the Lex Mundi Network are using their pro bono resources, time and expertise to make a tremendous impact with many of the worlds leading social entrepreneurs. Our member firm recipients, as leading law firms in their jurisdictions, are committed to growing and strengthening the global pro bono culture, said the Foundation's Managing Director, Isis Bous. Examples of the diverse group of social entrepreneurs supported by this years honorees, as well as other firms within Lex Mundis global network, include: Peace First is an international nonprofit organization that invests in young peoples abilities to solve injustices. EOS International empowers rural families in Central America by providing simple, inexpensive technology solutions to improve health, generate income and deliver access to clean water. Eneza Education is an education technology company that provides low-cost access to quality curriculum aligned content to students in Africa over SMS, USSD and web applications. Mothers2Mothers is an organization addressing the prevalence of AIDS in Africa through a mother-mentor program. Global Fund to End Modern Slavery is a bold public-private partnership coordinating a coherent global strategy to end modern slavery. Through the Foundation, Lex Mundi member firms have provided critical pro bono support to more than 700 social entrepreneurs on more than 1,400 projects over the last 12 years. This support has enabled social entrepreneurs to deepen their impact and improve communities and lives around the world. About the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of Lex Mundi, the worlds leading network of independent law firms. The Foundations mission is to engage Lex Mundis global network of leading independent law firms to support and empower those working to bring about high impact and sustainable social change that improves communities and lives. Lex Mundi lawyers provide critical pro bono legal services to the worlds leading social entrepreneurs. About Lex Mundi Lex Mundi is the worlds leading network of independent law firms with in-depth experience in 100+ countries. Lex Mundi member firms offer clients preferred access to more than 21,000 lawyers worldwide a global resource of unmatched breadth and depth. Each member firm is selected on the basis of its leadership in and continued commitment to its local market. The Lex Mundi principle is one independent firm for each jurisdiction. Firms must maintain their level of excellence to retain membership within Lex Mundi. Through close collaboration, information-sharing, training and inter-firm initiatives, the Lex Mundi network is an assurance of connected, on-the ground expertise in every market in which a client needs to operate. Working together, Lex Mundi members are able to seamlessly handle their clients most challenging cross-border transactions and disputes. Member law firms are located throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and North America. Through Lex Mundis nonprofit affiliate, the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation, members also provide pro bono legal assistance to social entrepreneurs around the globe. For more information, please visit http://www.lexmundi.com and http://www.lexmundiprobono.org. CBRE | FacilitySource, a high growth leader in technology-based procurement and facilities management for real estate occupiers, today announced the appointment of Lisa Barnhart as Vice President of Human Resources. Bill Hayden, CEO of CBRE | FacilitySource, expressed his excitement of Barnharts hiring, and believes that she will help encourage a positive, constructive work culture. It has been our consistent goal to build the CBRE | FacilitySource culture as one that attracts and retains the best talent in the industry, Hayden said. As a member of CBRE | FacilitySources executive team, Lisa will play a vital role in working towards this goal. Throughout past several years, CBRE | FacilitySource has experienced rapid growth - consistently growing over 50% year over year. As the organization continuously drives to be a $1 billion division within CBRE, the hiring of new key players, such as Barnhart, is critical to the companys long-term success. CBRE | FacilitySources growth is attributed to its success in providing technology-based facilities management solutions to large, multi-location portfolios of real estate occupiers. With each new client engagement, new jobs are created in its Columbus, Phoenix and Charlotte operations centers. CBRE | FacilitySource is in an impressive period of evolution, Barnhart said. There has been a tremendous amount of growth and change - with more on the horizon. Im excited to have the opportunity to help the company grow and scale effectively. Barnhart brings over 15 years of strategic human resource experience to her new position. Throughout her career, Barnhart held leadership roles in a variety of industries including financial services, software, retail, and electric utility. In her new position with CBRE | FacilitySource, Barnhart will be responsible for managing human resource functions including talent solutions, employee relations, engagement, training, and organization development, as well as providing a new, strategic insight for the organizations existing People Programs. CBRE | FacilitySources human resources programs feature a variety of initiatives to ensure each employee experiences a positive, inclusive working environment. The programs include charitable and fundraising activities, employee satisfaction feedback forums, employee recognition opportunities, training resources, and quarterly town halls, to keep associates informed about organizational news. There is already a great foundation in place at CBRE | FacilitySource and Im looking forward to helping bring the organization to the next level, Barnhart said. Barnhart is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she received her degree in culture and communications. She will be based out of the CBRE | FacilitySource office in Phoenix, Arizona. CBRE | FacilitySource provides an innovative, technology-driven, single-source facility management and support solution to leading brands across North America. CBRE | FacilitySource maintains the industrys largest and most reliable data repository to provide business intelligence, transparency, flexibility, support and the Elite Network of Service Providers to save clients money and get the most out of their facilities while offering peace of mind. Established in 2005, FacilitySource was acquired in 2018 by CBRE Group, Inc., the largest commercial real estate services and investment firm in the world. For more information, visit http://www.facilitysource.com. MD Gage, an Emeritus professor of History at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas who currently operates a registered Simbrah cattle ranch in Clay County, has completed his book The Formative Years of Benjamin Bird: the first in a series following the life of a young boy born in the Depression-era South. The story of Benjamin Bird is set in Western Oklahoma in the Dust Bowl years of the Great Depression. Benjamin was born in 1934, the third child of a sharecropper. Bens heritage encompasses the history of late nineteenth-century frontier America, for his grandfathers were born in the aftermath of the Civil War. His paternal grandfather was the son of a former slave owner, and his maternal grandfather, the youngest son of a Confederate veteran, was from an extended family who, for generations, had subsisted squatting on public land beyond the edge of the farming frontier. Like nomads, when the frontier was closed, they owned no land. Benjamins first memory was when, in late 1935, his farm family moved into a two-room frame shack whose plastered walls were pasted over with 1932 newspaper front pages, to seal the cracks. Benjamin was a happy boy who found joyous harmony in the natural world on the hardscrabble farm on which they subsisted, while the 1932 newspaper headlines kept him inquisitive about the world beyond his boundaries. He was secure in the love and support of his parents, his brother, and his sister. Nearby, Bens grandparents, uncles and aunts, and sturdy, competitive cousins provided a support system, sharing what they had, a blood-related social security system, a workforce during harvest, a force to turn to for help in crisis. He loved them all and remained loyal to them throughout his formative years, even after he detected among them certain blemishes of character, even after their occasional hurtful words made him seem inferior, even after he began to doubt the infallibility of their fundamentalist religious convictions, even after he developed a secret, forbidden, gripping crush on a handsome, roguish older neighbor boy. In conflict of conscience, will Ben defy his heritage and lose his beloved familys love and support by rejecting their religious fundamentalism? Will they condemn him and shun him as a heretic? How will Ben cope with confusion about his sexuality without being guilt-ridden, inhibited, closeted, or shunned, filled with self-loathing? Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, MD Gages book is a compelling novel exploring the innocence of childhood and a young boys growing self-awareness in a world that is fundamentally hostile to his truth. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchaseThe Formative Years of Benjamin Bird at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional New York-based, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not overwhelmed with logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of accomplished authors and publishing professionals allows writers to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Over the years, weve seen the impact our work can have, and we look forward to improving the service life of these bridges for the Michigan community. Modjeski and Masters, a nationwide leader in the design, inspection, and rehabilitation of all bridge types, including long-span and movable structures, today announced its recent selection for five projects in Michigan, including four projects with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Modjeski and Masters was selected by MDOT for two bridge rehabilitation projects, one for the Charlevoix Bascule Bridge and a second for the Grand Haven Bridge. As the prime consultant on Charlevoix Bascule Bridge contract, Modjeski and Masters will provide structural repairs to deficiencies in rolling lift girders, submarine cable replacement, and PLC upgrades. In addition, Modjeski and Masters will perform electrical, mechanical, and structural rehabilitation on the four-leaf Grand Haven Bascule Bridge, which serves as a critical link in the region as it is the only bridge that spans the navigable waterway of the Grand River for nearly 16 miles. The third MDOT project involves a detailed inspection of the Bagley Avenue Pedestrian Cable-Stay Bridge where Modjeski and Masters will serve as the primary inspector. Having previously performed a design and constructability review of the asymmetrical bridge in 2004 and 2005, the firm is very familiar with the structure, as well as MDOTs quality standards. The fourth MDOT project involves performing routine, in-depth, and quality control bridge safety inspections on complex structures in accordance with the National Bridge Safety Inspection Standards. As part of this contract, Modjeski and Masters may inspect up to 88 complex bridges on an as-needed basis, consisting of various structure types, throughout the state of Michigan. As a part of the inspections, Modjeski and Masters will use a unique technical and rope access (TA) method. Unlike traditional bridge inspection methods, TA inspection is performed by an individual using specialized equipment and techniques mimicking rock and mountain climbers. The alternative method minimizes overall inspection time and costs, service interruptions for users during the inspection process, aerial lifts, snooper vehicles and traditional rigging. Were proud to continue growing our work in Michigan with these project selections, said Mike Britt, CEO of Modjeski and Masters. Dating back to the 1930s when the firms co-founder Ralph Modjeski designed the MDOTs first Blue Water bridge, Modjeski and Masters has developed a strong relationship with the state and understanding of its structures. Over the years, weve seen the impact our work can have, and we look forward to improving the service life of these bridges for the Michigan community. Additionally, Modjeski and Masters will conduct Movable bridge inspections for Wayne County in Michigan. As part of this contract, the firm will develop and document inspection produces for various movable bridges in Wayne County, including Grosse Ile Parkway over Trenton Channel, Jefferson Road over Rouge River, and Dix Road over Rogue River. In addition, the firm will work with Great Lakes Engineering to perform the structural inspections and provide quality assurance for MDOT standards. For more information about Modjeski and Masters work on bridge inspections, movable bridges, and other services, visit: https://www.modjeski.com/services. About Modjeski and Masters Modjeski and Masters is one of the worlds leading bridge engineering firms, with a reputation for technical excellence and innovation that goes beyond current standards. Established more than 125 years ago, the firm is responsible for the design and maintenance of some of our nations most recognizable structures. Services include fixed and movable bridge design, inspection and rehabilitation, and all facets of life-cycle maintenance, research and code development. For more information, including in-depth videos of Modjeski and Masters at work, please visit http://www.modjeski.com. Former CEO of Lynch, Jones & Ryan brokerage now works to improve the business district of Fifth Avenue in New York City. Some of the NGO participants from Japan at Palazzo della Gran Guardia, Verona, where on April 6th, 2019 they attended the program orientation conference as well as the OperaWine event. This EU sponsored educational project is seen as an injection of vigor in the hopes of reaching maximum potential in markets such as Japans, as well as supporting the importance of European culture and quality abroad. The Native Grape Odyssey (NGO) project had invited 27 Japan-based wine industry experts to Verona, Italy during its flagship edition. The programs activities were praised by all attendees who felt it provided an excellent opportunity to take part in an in-depth crash course in European wine, in the midst of Vinitaly, the largest wine and spirits fair on the continent. They also echoed the sentiment that education is exactly what is needed to further promote European high-quality products to foreign consumers. The rolling out of the NGO educational program and the European Trade Agreement (EPA) are not mutually exclusive events, they go hand-in-hand, because of the incredible significance European wine has yet to play in the Japanese market. The EPA agreement went into effect on February 1st, 2019. This trade agreement opened the flood gates for trade between the EU and Japan. The talks between Japan and the EU have been ongoing since 2013 and there was a long lull between the two powers. When the US Trump administration decided to pull out of the Trans-pacific Partnership in 2016, this move provided the stimulus for Japan and the EU to complete their own negotiations, as many felt the US was being overly nationalistic and undermining international institutions in such a globalized era. According to Prof. Emile Kirchner in his article for The Conversation, the EU-Japan economic agreement ultimately removes 97% of the tariffs that Japan applied to European goods and 99% of those applied by the EU. It is estimated that EU companies will save 1 billion a year in duties which they currently pay when exporting to Japan. Kirchner goes on to say that as Japan removed duties on agricultural products, Europeans stand to gain most from exports of consumer products, such as cheese, pork, and wines. The EU commission estimated that annual trade between the EU and Japan could increase by nearly 36 billion once the agreement is implemented in full. Having forecasted the benefits that stood to be gained from the EPA, the EU invested in projects such as the Native Grape Odyssey program to help bolster awareness of European wine. The volume of product variety, especially in the wine industry, is daunting, it has been clear for some time that there are knowledge gaps and education is necessary to provide impetus to professionals and consumers, helping people to discern the difference between high quality wine and the latter. This EU sponsored educational project is seen as an injection of vigor in the hopes of reaching maximum potential in markets such as Japans, as well as supporting the importance of European culture and quality abroad. The Native Grape Odyssey program took on the responsibility of providing a clear educational path forward and their flagship series of events in April was well received by all wine professionals in attendance. They exhibited a genuine interest in fulfilling their roles as spokespeople for EU wine in a seemingly Odyssean journey through a vast sea of grape varieties. Among the multitude of wine-related activities over the allotted three days, participants schedule encompassed two seminars on European native grapes hosted by Prof. Attilio Scienza, full professor at the University of Milan and leading expert in vine genetics and viticultural research. The first seminaralso co-led by Faculty member at the Vinitaly International Academy Henry Davar (IWE) for the tasting componentexplored the close genetic relationship between Sangiovese and numerous other grape varieties in Italy. In the second seminar Scienza discussed some of oldest vines in the world, exemplifying the particular wines made with these grapes; the tasting session for this seminar was guided by Lynne Sherriff MW. Subsequent interviews of the 27 participants from Japan helped sponsors and organizers to glean important insights into the current knowledge gaps and possible future trends of European wine imports to Japan. European wine has had a presence in Japan since the sixties, however, participants expressed that there is still lack of information, specifically with regards to European quality rankings and appellations in Japan. Taku Iguchi, owner of an Italian restaurant in Osaka, remarked, When buying European wine, Japanese consumers usually do not look at appellations, but rather at the country of production and at the wine name. Yasuhiko Motegi, Italian wine buyer at a wine-import company in Japan, expressed the same consideration: There are many consumers with poor knowledge of European denominations of quality in Japan. These opinions support the value of the mission undertaken by the NGO program, and since there is anticipation to reap the benefits of a flowering market climate in Japan, many experts are keen to do their part in helping to spread the word of quality European products. Shigeru Hayashi, a leading Italian wine industry expert in Japan, is one of these individuals. Hayashi was invited to Vinitaly to hold a seminar on the ins and outs of Italian wine imports to Japan as well as on Japanese food and Italian wine pairing. He explained that since the EPA took effect, from February 1st, 2019, large supermarket chains lowered prices on products such as Italian food and wine from 1% to 10%. Big importers lowered wine prices from 1% to 20% on March 1, 2019. This bodes well for the European wine market in Japan, since lower prices should drive public interest and sales up. Programs like the NGO will be able to fill the need for more information, as their vision goes beyond basic education: they believe that the key to breaking real ground is to create spokespeople for European wine abroad, true wine heroes who can become guides for European-specific quality denominations. This mission will have important implications for the growth of European wines in the Japanese market in the coming years and this future is looking very bright. About: Native Grape Odyssey is a project financed by the European Union and managed by Unione Italiana Vini and Zante Agricultural Cooperatives Union for the promotion of PDO and PGI European wines abroad, in particular in three countries: Japan, Canada and Russia. In order to achieve this, the Native Grape Odyssey educational program will organize wine seminars, workshops and b2b meetings both in these countries and in Verona, Italy, inviting wine experts and influencers from these countries. These events, realized in the span of three years (2019-21) aim at creating awareness about European native wines abroad, in particular Italian and Greek wines, which share a long tradition and a high standard of quality. Author George S. Haines presents his latest page turner with his exciting fictional mystery novel, Intrigue at 404 Appalling Street. Suitable for readers of all ages, the story follows detectives Sam and Howies latest adventure as they look to unravel the mysterious happenings going on at an abandoned mansion in their small town. Agent Red Fox, a former Nazi Panzer tank commander, is back in town operating a secret chemical laboratory. He is at work producing a mysterious compound dubbed BrainX which he hopes will enable him to control the minds and actions of human subjects. Agent Red Fox finds the abandoned mansion located at 404 Appalling Street to be perfect for his secret and ambitious laboratory procedures while the detectives try to uncover his evil plan. Haines, a successful fiction author and former teacher, wrote Intrigue at 404 Appalling Street to interest people of all ages and motivate them to read and write. I want to make reading an enjoyable experience by writing a challenging mystery, said Haines. I hope readers will be influenced by my book to write about their own personal experiences and expand into fiction. Will detectives Sam and Howie be able to stop Agent Red Fox before it is too late? Readers will be on the edge of their seat as the mysterious events unfold before their eyes with a thrilling conclusion. Intrigue at 404 Appalling Street By George S. Haines ISBN: 978-1-5462-3395-4 (sc); 978-1-5462-3393-0 (hc); 978-1-5462-3394-7 (e) Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AuthorHouse About the author George S. Haines, reared on a working farm in Indiana, received his bachelors and masters degrees from Purdue University and earned his doctorate at George Peabody College for Teachers (now a college at Vanderbilt University). He taught students at the seventh grade level thru adults. While at Taylor University, Haines served as professor of education and director of teacher education during a 17 year tenure. He now focuses his time on his writing, having published numerous books following the adventures of main characters Sam and Howie, and currently resides in Fort Myers, Florida. For Review Copies and Interview Requests: LAVIDGE Phoenix Lauren Dickerson 480-998-2600 x 601 ldickerson(at)lavidge(dot)com We are humbled and honored to receive this award on behalf of the entire Pathways team. We wouldnt be here without the hard work and dedication of our exceptional staff, stated President and Founder, Becky Lamont. Pathways Behavioral Consulting, LLC., dba Pathways Autism Center (PAC) leadership team of Becky and Jeff Lamont were awarded by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the 2019 Georgia Small Business Persons of the Year. On Monday May 6, 2019, the Lamonts were honored at a ceremony recognizing all state winners as a part of National Small Business Week in the nations capital. We are humbled and honored to receive this award on behalf of the entire Pathways team. We wouldnt be here without the hard work and dedication of our exceptional staff, stated President and Founder, Becky Lamont. During National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration shines a spotlight on our nations 30 million small businesses. It is a time for the small business owners and entrepreneurs in our community to come together and celebrate our accomplishments. Through local events across the country, the SBA showcases entrepreneurs whose achievements over the past year stand out. Jeff Lamont, Director of Operations proclaimed, Pathways is truly committed to being an industry leader and dedicated to providing quality services to families across Georgia. Pathways is a leading provider of applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy services serving individuals with autism from 18 months to adult in home, school, and their Sandy Springs and Marietta clinic locations. Pathways is recognized as a top 10% provider nationally by the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE). The award celebrates exceptional special needs providers that excel in the areas of clinical quality, staff satisfaction, qualifications and consumer satisfaction. For more information, please visit http://www.pathwaysautismcenter.com or call 678-691-2206. "Ophir and the Pearl team are transforming the dental industry," said Craft Co-Founder and General Partner David Sacks. Pearl (http://www.hellopearl.com), a new company pioneering artificial intelligence for the dental industry, has closed $11M in Series A funding led by top tech VC firm Craft Ventures and strategic dental industry partners. Major names in the dental category will be participating in the round. The company also announced a cutting-edge product set, ushering in a new era of AI-powered dentistry. Pearls founder, AI veteran Ophir Tanz, is leading as CEO. "Ophir and the Pearl team are transforming the dental industry," said Craft Co-Founder and General Partner David Sacks. "We believe that the future of dentistry and oral healthcare will be enabled by computer vision, and were excited to see how Pearls first set of products advance X-ray practice and margin marking." Pearl is deploying the latest innovations in computer vision and deep learning technology to bring greater efficiency, accuracy, and intelligence to core segments of the dental industry. Those segments include clinical practices, labs, device manufacturers and insurance companies. The caliber of VC and dental industry leaders supporting Pearl attests to the value of the companys initial offerings. Pearl is launching with three market-ready products. Second Opinion reads dental x-rays and instantly identifies pathologies and natural anatomy to help ensure error-free diagnosis and automate charting. Practice Intelligence delivers advanced analytics that allow dental practices and groups to maximize patient care and operational efficiency. And Smart Margin provides real-time feedback on the quality of intraoral scans and automates the laborious process of hand-marking the scans for labs and manufacturers use in the dental restoration creation process. Pearl will have an immediate positive impact on the dental category, said Tanz, It will streamline tedious, repetitive tasks, enhance profitability across dentistry, and, most importantly, it will improve the standard of care by validating diagnoses, removing large elements of uncertainty from the dental equation. Tanz, a serial entrepreneur with a B.S. and M.S. from Carnegie Mellon University, spearheaded the development of dental AI technologies at GumGum, an applied computer vision media company, he founded in 2008. Last month, Tanz spun out GumGums dental division and stepped down as GumGum CEO in order to focus exclusively on the new dental company. The world-class Pearl team includes CTO Cambron Carter, who leads a corps of computer vision specialists, and Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Kyle Stanley, a renowned implant surgeon, professor, and thought leader. In addition to its funding partnerships, Pearl has also partnered with several leaders in the dental industry -- including DSO groups and universities -- for solution testing and deployment. Pearl plans to use its new funding to expand its current dental product set and pursue applications of its proprietary technologies to link oral health to overall health. Healthcare is rapidly becoming a focal point of the AI revolution and AIs impacton patient care and, ultimately, humanityis both exciting and profound, concluded Tanz. Were in the thick of it and that feels good. For more information or to request a demonstration, please visit http://www.hellopearl.com. PRI Physicians' Club Campaign Launch PRI has always been an advocate and supporter of physicians. The creation of the Physicians Club is just one of the many ways PRI continues to support doctors in the New York area. Physicians Reciprocal Insurers (PRI), the second largest admitted medical malpractice insurer in New York State, is excited to announce the creation of the PRI Physicians Club, which will provide a unique opportunity for doctors within the New York area. PRI has always been an advocate and supporter of physicians. The creation of the Physicians Club is just one of the many ways PRI continues to support doctors in the New York area. The concept behind the club is to create a regular forum where physicians can talk and socialize in a relaxed environment. The meetings will provide a unique opportunity for doctors to exchange ideas, build relationships, and support each other. There is much joy and satisfaction that can be found within the practice of medicine, which is sometimes lost in the stress of daily practice. The club is a place to relax and an opportunity to share experiences with other physicians. Membership in the PRI Physicians Club is free, and the club is open to all New York physicians, both PRI insureds and non-PRI insureds. The first meeting will include a discussion on work-life balance. Physicians Reciprocal Insurers cares about its doctors; defending lawsuits is not its only mission. The health and well-being of both PRIs clients and physicians across the country are important to the long-term success of the healthcare industry as a whole, as well as the people they provide services to. The first meeting of the PRI Physicians Club will take place on Friday, May 31st from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at PRIs Roslyn headquarters, 1800 Northern Boulevard, Roslyn NY. This event is free of charge; wine and cheese will be served. Registration for this event is required; RSVP can be completed via this Registration Link. Potironne Company kicks off National Escargot Day 2019 The sustainably conducted month-long search for the true Wild Burgundy Snail, across vast tracts of European wilderness, culminates in a feast recognizing National Escargot Day on May 24, 2019. A tribute to the world's most versatile protein, National Escargot Day menus celebrate the most sought-after escargots in the world and showcase the Helix Pomatia Linne in all its glory. Boston, Massachusetts, is this year's host city, and diners will experience multi-course tasting menus and a la carte options of this Kobe beef of snails beginning May 21, 2019. The finest of the 116 edible varieties of helix snail and the only variety that can be truly called "Burgundy Snail", the Helix Pomatia Linne is also nutritionally unbeatable, 100% organic and 100% natural. Low-methane, antibiotic-free, this gateway protein is always wild, never farmed. Highlights of National Escargot Day and the Helix Pomatia Linne can also been seen in Bon Appetit (March, 2005), Saveur (October, 2005), Sante (May, 2006), the Wall Street Journal (January, 2007), Philadelphia Inquirer (May, 2007), Philadelphia Magazine (August, 2009), Tasting Table (March 11, 2014), 5280 Magazine (August, 2014), and MasterCooks Blog (June, 2017). Also featured in books such as: Daniel Boulud's My French Cuisine, Thomas Keller's The Bouchon Cookbook; Marc Vetri's Il Viaggio de Vetri Cookbook; Vitaly Paley'sThe Paley's Place Cookbook. For more information about National Escargot Day, visit http://www.nationalescargotday.com and follow on Twitter @thesnailman and Instagram @thesnailman. #NationalEscargotDay #NED19. About Potironne Company Potironne Company U.S. is an importer of French escargot including the Wild Burgundy Snails of la Maison de l'Escargot, exclusively imported from France. Previously available only to the most elite European restaurants, the Helix Pomatia Linne are the most sought-after escargots in the world. Referred to as the Kobe Beef of Snails and Land Lobsters based on their incomparable texture, the snails of Potironne are harvested by hand in the wild and delivered live, hand-sorted by size, washed, and prepared using a cooking method perfected in 1894. Using 100% natural and organic ingredients and complying to the strictest hygienic standards (HAACP Certified), the escargots are then conserved for sale. Remote Lands, the worlds leading luxe and intrepid Asia travel designer, is excited to announce The Bensley Trail, an exclusive expedition in conjunction with renowned architect and interior designer Bill Bensley, taking place February 16 March 1, 2020. This extraordinary 14-day itinerary will take just 16 guests on an unforgettable journey through Southeast Asia including Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, where they will enjoy luxurious accommodations in four of Bill Bensleys most iconic resorts, each one a truly magical experience that brings to life the destination. Participants will be treated to a deep exploration of each country including immersing in nature, adventure and astounding national beauty, marveling in the culture, history and architecture of metropolitan Asian cities, indulging in authentic regional cuisine and relaxing on picturesque beaches. We are thrilled to be partnering with the renowned Bill Bensley on this new exciting new expedition, said Catherine Heald, CEO and Co-Founder of Remote Lands. We are a huge fan of Bills properties and love his vibrant and unique style. Similar to Bill, we also aim to give our clientele an immersive exploration into the destinations they visit with us, arranging truly special experiences. Southeast Asia offers a wealth of nature, adventure, culture, architecture and more and we are excited for guests to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience. As a client of Remote Lands, I am honored to be working with them on this journey to showcase some of my favorite works of hospitality in these incredible destinations, said Bill Bensley. I am passionate about conservation and helping folks and animals in need, and my inspiration in developing this trip was to use hospitality to help people that need it in a sustainable fashion. We will be working with the Shinta Mani Foundation, which aims to enhance the lives and livelihood of people in the communities where they operate, to help families in a rural Cambodian village, providing quality water, a hospitality school and youth dentistry programs. Our hope is that this trip will educate and inspire, while providing remarkable experiences in incredible places. The journey begins in Laos at Bensleys Rosewood Luang Prabang resort, the former estate of French colonial civil servant and diplomat Auguste Pavie, and the first luxury villa and tent resort within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang. Nestled in the beautiful Nahm Dong Valley, the 23-room resort is centered around a natural waterfall and has a Laotian-French tropical architectural style, combing world-class luxuries with local aesthetics. While spending three nights in this natural paradise, travelers will get the chance to explore Laos, experiencing the nature and wildlife as they interact with elephants at the MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary, cruise downstream on the Mekong River and enjoy a temple walk with Rosewoods resident Buddhism expert. For a cultural immersion, guests will also get the chance to participate in a farm-to-table cooking lesson at Rosewood, receive a blessing at the Wat Mai monastery, discover the cultural sites and attractions of Luang Prabang, participate in an alms giving ceremony and stroll the Hmong Night Market, shopping for textiles and other handmade creations. After departing Laos, participants will then make their way to Cambodia where they will stay in two different properties in the Bensley Collection, including the Shinta Mani Siem Reap in Angkor, a lush, Art Deco-inspired private villa resort which offers a serene oasis just moments away from one of Cambodias most exciting towns; and the new Shinta Mani Wild, a 15-tent luxury adventure camp in the heart of the Cambodian jungle which plays a vital role in protecting a small part of Cardamom National Park. As part of the collaboration with the Shinta Mani Foundation, a portion of the proceeds from this trip will go towards building a water well in the name of each guest in a remote Cambodian village, which provides a family and its immediate neighbors with easily accessible hand pumped clean water. In Siem Reap, highlights include exploring the iconic Angkor Wat; visiting the rural Cambodian village where the constructed water wells are being built to meet the families whose lives have been impacted by these generous donations; enjoying a private temple dinner complete with gourmet Khmer cuisine and a traditional Cambodian dance performance; taking a private helicopter tour over Siem Reap; and visiting the Conservatoire of Aspara Dance, which began as part of a humanitarian effort to deliver the essentials to the rural areas of Cambodia. Following Siem Reap, the group will head to the Cambodia wild in Southern Cardamom National Park. The experience will be an adventure and nature lovers paradise beginning with an incredible zip-lining arrival experience to check in to Shinta Mani Wild in style. There is more than enough right around the resort to keep guests occupied including Jeep safaris, motorbiking, boating, indigenous cooking lessons, visiting the naturalists research center, viewing wildlife and more. As downtime, guests can enjoy the Boulder Spa, indulge in incredible alfresco dining and kick back at a mobile cocktail party in Shinta Mani Wilds Land Rover Bar: a WW2 vehicle reimagined as a portable, playful bar. The group will next head to Thailands metropolitan capital Bangkok, where they will check into the brand new Rosewood Bangkok, an outstanding urban retreat in the heart of the city and the only non-Bensley designed property on the Bensley Trail. This part of the journey includes an exclusive soiree at Bill Bensleys private home, an exclusive hard hat tour of Bensleys latest project by the river led by Bensley himself, exploring the Buddhist temples and shrines of the city, discovering authentic neighborhoods, cruising on a private long-tail boat along the Chao Praya River, a Muy Thai lesson, and receiving an optional Sank Yant Tattoo, a traditional form of tattooing magical ancient geometric and deity symbols with Buddhist prayers onto the body. The itinerary ends in Danang, Vietnam for three days of beachside relaxation after an adventure-packed trip. The final resort on The Bensley Trail is the Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, a whimsical realm spread across four levels Heaven, Sky, Earth and Sea taking advantage of the incredible vistas from the mountaintop and pristine beach. Bensley was inspired by Vietnamese temples in his design and brought this idea into the resort in a light-hearted, innovative way. Participants will spend the final days at leisure, enjoying the resorts luxurious facilities or heading offsite for a city excursion. On this expedition, all touring is private and each guest or couple will have their own private car, driver and guide for all airport transfers and touring, along with highly personalized and customizable itineraries. Remote Lands The Bensley Trail expedition will take place from February 16 March 1, 2020 and costs $37,888 per person based on double occupancy, with places limited to 16 guests. To find out more about this expedition, visit https://www.remotelands.com/special/bill-bensley/. About Remote Lands, Inc. Remote Lands, Inc. creates highly personalized and unique, luxury and intrepid holidays throughout Asia. Based in New York and Bangkok, the company specializes in extraordinary experiences that are difficult to arrange and require privileged access to important people and exclusive events, drawing upon Remote Lands relationships with remarkable people around Asia. Unparalleled service, creative itineraries and extreme attention to detail are what set Remote Lands apart. Media Contacts: Emma Silverman Eleven Six PR emma@elevensixpr.com 646-780-0159 It was both inspiring and humbling to be a guest lecturer at Stanford University. Financial Poise is pleased to congratulate Ron Diamond, Chair of The Family Office Advisor, a Financial Poise editorial board and CEO of Diamond Wealth Strategies, on his selection as a permanent guest lecturer at Stanford Universitys graduate business and engineering schools. Mr. Diamond is a highly sought after speaker and preeminent authority on family office investment strategies. On April 8th, Diamond addressed the senior Economics class, presenting upon entrepreneurship and the ways in which family offices are starting to disrupt traditional industries like venture capital, private equity, and real estate. Diamond also provided career guidance with insight as to which industries offer the most opportunity for graduates. Mr. Diamond noted that "it was both inspiring and humbling to be a guest lecturer at Stanford University. " About Financial Poise Financial Poise has one mission: to provide reliable plain English business, financial and legal education to individual investors and private business owners. Financial Poise content is created by seasoned, respected experts who are invited to join our Faculty only after being recommended by current Faculty Members. Our editorial staff then works to make sure that all content is easily digestible. Financial Poise is a meritocracy; nobody can buy her way onto the Financial Poise Faculty. Start learning today at https://www.financialpoise.com/ Simply Connect announced that it is a Gold Sponsor of McKnights Long-Term Care News and McKnights Senior Livings Women of Distinction event on May 16 in Chicago, Ill. The event celebrates both long-standing professionals who have had a significant impact on the senior living industry and those who are distinguishing themselves early in their careers. "Simply Connect is proud and honored to join with McKnight's Long-Term Care News and McKnight's Senior Living to recognize and celebrate these accomplished and impressive women," said Simply Connect CEO Craig Patnode. "They have all, in their own right, had a major impact in this field and will continue to do so for years to come. We are excited to play a role in making sure that they get the recognition that they so rightly deserve." The program will recognize 19 Hall of Honor recipients and 21 Rising Stars. Rising Stars nominees are those under the age of 40 or who have less than 15 years of experience in the industry. McKnights Hall of Honor nominees are women at an executive level, either in administration or direct care, at any senior living community, also including skilled and assisted living. "It's a monumental year for women in eldercare services, and we're excited and humbled to be able to celebrate them," said McKnights Vice President and Editorial Director John OConnor. From those who have spent their careers serving seniors to rising stars who are creating new and innovative strategies, this is a class that represents the best of our industry. Simply Connect deserves applause for seeing the potential of this event and signing on as our Gold Sponsor." About Simply Connect Simply Connect is a comprehensive care management platform that combines a robust cloud-based Personal Health Record (PHR) and mobile app to enable the safe, efficient sharing of patient health information with the patient and all members of the patient care team. The Simply Connect care management platform, supported by a patient opt in/out platform, integrates seamlessly with provider networks to facilitate improved care coordination through the use of actionable alerts and secure messaging. Care coordination is essential to optimizing patient health and quality of life, empowering patients to live more independently while reducing the overall cost of care. Additional services available through the Simply Connect care management platform include medication therapy management, pharmacogenetic testing, telehealth, and nonemergency medical transportation scheduling. For more information, visit http://www.simplyconnect.me. We have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the TMA, said Kevin Ryan, President of TAS United Medical Exchange. TAS United Medical Exchange, a leading, Texas-based call center and answering service, is proud to announce its sponsorship of TexMed 2019, which will be held May 17-18 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. TexMed 2019 is the Texas Medical Associations (TMA) largest annual conference, educational showcase, and expo, where physicians throughout the state conduct business, network, and attend CME programs. Over the years, we have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the TMA, said Kevin Ryan, President of TAS United Medical Exchange. As a Texas-based company operating in the medical sector, we place a high value on supporting the TMA and other medical societies throughout the state that are doing great work to serve physicians and promote patient health and well being. At TexMed, TAS United Medical Exchange will be located at Booth 44. Several team members will be in attendance, including: Kevin Ryan, President; Dan Kilday, Senior Account Executive; and Clay McElroy, Sales Representative. To schedule a meeting in advance of the conference, please contact Dan Kilday at 210-561-8700 or dkilday(at)tasunited.com. TAS United Medical Exchange has been providing dedicated call processing for physicians throughout the U.S. for more than 30 years. Staffed 24/7 by experienced bilingual agents, TAS United Medical Exchange provides secure, live answering services that adhere to all standards for HIPAA Compliance. In addition to physicians, TAS United Medical Exchange processes calls for hospitals, medical clinics, dentists, and home health care and hospice providers. Through its partnership with the TMA and other Texas medical societies, TAS United Medical Exchange is proud to provide members with customizable plan options to suit any budget. For more information or to sign up for service, please call 800-248-2565 or visit http://www.tasunitedmedicalexchange.com. About TAS United Medical Exchange TAS United Medical Exchange is a leading, Texas-based call center and answering service. For more than 30 years, TAS United Medical Exchange has been providing dedicated call processing for physicians throughout the U.S. TAS United Medical Exchange operates from a secure, HIPAA Compliant, custom technology platform that is supported 24/7 by highly- trained bilingual agents. TAS United Medical Exchange maintains offices throughout Texas and the Chicagoland area, ensuring that all calls are answered and processed in the U.S. TAS United Medical Exchange is part of the TAS United family. For more information, please contact 800-248-2565 or visit http://www.tasunitedmedicalexchange.com. Media Contact: Dan Kilday, Senior Account Executive, 210-561-8700, dkilday(at)tasunited.com Tenex Health, Inc., a privately held U.S.-based medical technology company providing healthcare professionals with minimally invasive technologies to treat chronic pain in soft and hard tissue, received 510(k) clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to commercialize the newest addition to its growing Tenex Health TX System family, TX-Bone. TX-Bone is a minimally invasive technology, specifically designed for healthcare professionals to remove pain-causing bone and calcific tissue, thereby helping patients restore musculoskeletal function. The technology is specifically designed to be used through a small incision, using a very simple, ultrasound or palpation guided technique. This distinctive combination allows physicians to identify and simultaneously perform selective cutting and debriding of pain-generating bone and calcific tissue, with optimized ultrasonic energy. FDA clearance for Tenex Healths new product, TX-Bone, represents a major advancement in the management of patients with tendinopathy, including those who suffer from bony spurs, said Bernard Morrey, MD of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. TX-Bone is extremely efficient for treating soft tissue, but also very effective at removing pain-causing bone and calcific tissue. The data that we have obtained suggests that these additional capabilities have the same benefits and safety of Tenex Healths other minimally invasive technologies. TX-Bone was designed to easily remove painful bone (spur and osteophyte formations) and calcific tissue. Applications include rotator cuff, triceps, the gluteus/trochanteric region, Achilles tendon insertion, Haglunds deformity, and plantar fascia insertion spurs. To date, Tenex Healths TX technology has successfully been used in over 90,000 cases. Tenex Health will be showcasing its full portfolio of products, including TX-Bone, at the upcoming AOSSM meeting in Boston, MA, July 11-14, 2019 at Booth #330. About Tenex Health Tenex Health, Inc. is a privately held medical technology company, focused on delivering healthier and more pain-free lifestyles for active patients. We are able to achieve this by providing healthcare professionals with a cutting edge, minimally invasive technology that eliminates chronic tendon pain, precisely targeting and removing damaged tissue, without the need for conventional surgery. For more information regarding Tenex Health, please visit http://www.tenexhealth.com. TENEX HEALTH and TENEX HEALTH TX are registered trademarks of Tenex Health, Inc. Im excited to bring our one-on-one model of physical therapy care to Cherry Creek. Five years after it opened a clinic in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Denver, Therapydia is opening its second Denver clinic in Cherry Creek. Therapydia Cherry Creek joins Therapydias growing network of physical therapy clinics dedicated to patient satisfaction. Therapydia has a 4.9 out of 5 satisfaction rating across 7500+ patient surveys across its 15+ clinics and it is committed to providing patients with an experience centered around them, with one-on-one personalized care in a sunlit, boutique environment. Services like Annual PT Assessments and personalized Run Analyses help Therapydia patients take the leap from pain to performance, allowing them to return to their favorite activities as efficiently as possible. Therapydia also offers specialty services such as pelvic floor dysfunction, neurological rehabilitation and trigger point dry needling to address a wide variety of needs. Therapydia celebrates the hard work of its patients as they reach their Graduation Day, featuring their successes on social media as a part of its #MyPTGoal campaign. Im excited to bring our one-on-one model of physical therapy care to Cherry Creek, said Casey McNitt, PT, MS, Regional Clinic Director. We look forward to helping more of our community reach their lifetime wellness goals. Therapydia Cherry Creek is now accepting new patients and offers same and next day appointments. For more information about Therapydia Cherry Creek, visit https://www.TherapydiaDenver.com/Cherry-Creek-Physical-Therapy ezPaycheck Accommodates Trucking Companies For Easy Payroll The latest ezPaycheck payroll software from Halfpricesoft.com accommodates small to midsize trucking companies in processing payroll and filing payroll taxes, in-house in order to generate more revenue. The trucking industry has grown by leaps and bounds and Halfpricesoft.com has accommodated this growth by updating ezPaycheck to handle payroll, in-house for less. Trucking companies across the US. can now be process payroll in the following ways: hourly-pay, salary, mileage, bonus, commission, tips and pay-by-load for employees, contractors and drivers. The software can also easily handle per diem and other reimbursements. The latest ezPaycheck payroll software from Halfpricesoft.com accommodates small to midsize trucking companies in processing payroll and filing payroll taxes, in-house in order to generate more revenue. said Dr. Ge, the Founder of Halfpricesoft.com, ezPaycheck software is designed to automate paycheck processes to reduce the time spent on running payroll. The softwares graphical interface leads users step-by-step through setting up employee information, importing data, calculating payroll - including calculation of federal, state and local taxes; deductions for Medicare, insurance and 401(k) plans; and printing paychecks. Potential customers can download and try this software with no obligation and no cost at https://www.halfpricesoft.com/index.asp. Small businesses get the following features in ezPaycheck payroll software: Supports multiple differential pay rates such as: hourly, salary, night shift, by piece, by load, or by mileage rates for employees Supports multiple accounts at no additional charge Supports network access for 2-10 users Supports daily, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly and monthly payroll periods. Features report functions, print functions, and pay stub functions Prints miscellaneous checks as well as payroll calculation checks Prints payroll checks on blank computer checks or preprinted checks Automatically calculates federal withholding tax, social security, medicare tax and employer unemployment taxes Includes built-in tax tables for all 50 states and the District of Columbia Creates and maintains payroll for multiple companies, and does it simultaneously Prints Tax Forms 940, 941, W2 and W3 (Please note: Copy A preprinted forms required for printing W2 and W3). Priced at $99 per calendar year for a single user version, ezPaycheck payroll software is affordable for any size business. Customers seeking a way to simplify payroll processing with more accuracy to start the no obligation 30-day test drive today at http://www.halfpricesoft.com/index.asp. About Halfpricesoft.com Founded in 2003, Halfpricesoft.com has established itself as a leader in meeting and exceeding the software requirements of small businesses around the US. Halfpricesoft.com is a developer of small business software, including online and desktop payroll software, online employee attendance tracking software, accounting software, in-house business and personal check printing software, W2, software, 1099 software, Accounting software, 1095 ACA form software and ezACH direct deposit software. Software from halfpricesoft.com is trusted by thousands of customers and will help small business owners simplify payroll processing and streamline business management. Its so exciting to see the work of a new generation of weed scientists, says Pratap Devkota of the University of California, chair of the WSSA awards committee. We cant wait to see what they accomplish as their careers unfold. Today the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) announced it has recognized nearly four dozen graduate and undergraduate students from 27 universities for outstanding research-related presentations and proposals. Its so exciting to see the work of a new generation of weed scientists, says Pratap Devkota of the University of California, chair of the WSSA awards committee. We cant wait to see what they accomplish as their careers unfold. Winners in both the graduate and undergraduate categories are listed below. Graduate Student Awards During its recent 2019 annual meeting, WSSA evaluated 136 posters and oral presentations by graduate students recognizing groups of winners at both the Masters and Ph.D. levels. Those honored include: Auburn University Frances Browne, first place, Ph.D. oral presentation Colorado State University Olivia Todd, first place, Ph.D. oral presentation Mirella Ortiz, third place, Ph.D. oral presentation Hudson Takano, third place, Ph.D. oral presentation Louisiana State University Samer Rustom, first place, Ph.D. oral presentation David Walker, third place, Ph.D. oral presentation Montana State University Ramawatar Yadav, first place, Ph.D. poster presentation Mississippi State University Lucas Franca, first place, Ph.D. poster presentation Savana Davis, third place, Masters poster presentation North Carolina State University Joseph Hunter, first place, Masters poster presentation Eric Jones, second place, Ph.D. poster presentation Denis Mahoney, second place, Ph.D. oral presentation Pennsylvania State University Haleigh Summers, first place, Masters oral presentation Jess Bunchek, third place, Masters oral presentation Purdue University Nicholas Steppig, third place, Ph.D. poster presentation Southern Illinois University Casey Bryan, first place, Masters oral presentation Texas A&M University Seth Abugho, second place, Ph.D. oral presentation Bishwa Sapkota, second place, Ph.D. poster presentation Cynthia Sias, third place, Masters oral presentation Texas Tech University Grace Ogden, second place, Masters poster presentation Kyle Russell, second place, Masters oral presentation The Ohio State University Zachary Beres, second place, Ph.D. oral presentation Andrew Osburn, third place, Masters poster presentation University of Arkansas Zachary Lancaster, second place, Ph.D. oral presentation University of California, Davis Katie Driver, third place, Ph.D. poster presentation University of Florida Mackenzie Bell, second place, Masters oral presentation University of Georgia Kayla Eason, first place, Masters poster presentation Nick Hurdle, second place, Masters poster presentation Taylor Randell, second place, Masters oral presentation Lavesta Hand, third place, Ph.D. oral presentation University of Idaho Damilola Raiyemo, third place, Masters poster presentation University of Illinois Kathryn Lillie, third place, Masters oral presentation University of Missouri Eric Oseland, first place, Masters oral presentation William Tubbs, second place, Masters poster presentation University of Nebraska Adam Striegel, first place, Masters poster presentation University of Wyoming Elizabeth G. Mosqueda, first place, Ph.D. oral presentation A complete list of oral and poster presentation topics is available at http://wssa.net/wp-content/uploads/2019-Program-January-9-2019.pdf. Undergraduate Research Grants Ten students were chosen to receive John Jachetta Undergraduate Research Awards that will fund their proposed research projects. Winners and their faculty sponsors are below: Cornell University Aleah Butler-Jones will study the impact of deer browsing on the seed bank of abandoned agricultural fields. Sponsor: Antonio DiTommaso, Ph.D. Mississippi State University Auriana Tucker plans to investigate the root system architecture and genes associated with allelopathy in weedy rice. Sponsor: Te- Ming Paul Tseng, Ph.D. Missouri State University Darian Decker will study the mechanisms involved in cover crop suppression of two summer annual weed species. Sponsor: Sarah Lancaster, Ph.D. Penn State University Jared Adam will explore horseweed management through integrated herbicide and cover cropping tactics. Sponsors: Barbara Baraibar, Ph.D., and John Wallace, Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Danielle McCormick will investigate the comparative resistance of three gene mutations to PPO-inhibiting herbicides. Sponsor: Patrick J. Tranel, Ph.D. Emily Eul will concentrate on fine mapping the gene responsible for 2,4-D resistance in waterhemp. Sponsor: Patrick J. Tranel, Ph.D. University of New Hampshire Benjamin Fehr will explore whether pesticide seed treatments influence emergence periodicity of annual weed species. Sponsor: Richard G. Smith, Ph.D. Virginia Tech Korinne Wills will focus on identifying and testing specific parasitic plant-inducible gene promoters. Sponsor: James H. Westwood, Ph.D. May Stevens will focus on identifying and testing the effect of killer mobile mRNA in parasitic plants. Sponsor: James H. Westwood, Ph.D. Shannen Kelly will survey the photosynthetic capacity of Johnsongrass. Sponsor: Jacob Barney, Ph.D. About the Weed Science Society of America The Weed Science Society of America, a nonprofit scientific society, was founded in 1956 to encourage and promote the development of knowledge concerning weeds and their impact on the environment. The Society promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the public and policy makers, fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on managed and natural ecosystems, and promotes cooperation among weed science organizations across the nation and around the world. For more information, visit http://www.wssa.net. Smart drivers can easily obtain advantageous deals. All they have to do is to sit comfortably in their homes and obtain and analyze multiple online car insurance quotes, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Carinsurancesavings.biz has launched a new blog post that explains the advantages drivers gain if they compare multiple online car insurance quotes. For more info and free quotes, please visit http://www.carinsurancesavings.biz/why-you-should-compare-auto-insurance-quotes-online/ In most states, drivers are required by law to carry proof of insurance every time they are driving. Car insurance is not cheap, and drivers who want to pay less on their policies should consider obtaining car insurance quotes and compare them. The best way to do that is with the help of brokerage websites. Drivers should compare online quotes for the following reasons: Will help drivers save money. This is the main reason why drivers should compare online car insurance quotes. Drivers can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars in some cases. Saving as much as possible is really desirable. Comparing online quotes can help policyholders save money, by presenting all insurance offers, starting from the cheapest one to the most expensive one. Drivers only need to find out which offer can satisfy their needs. Get quotes really fast and easy, without even having to leave the house. Drivers only need a good internet connection and a device that can browse the internet in order to obtain online quotes. Going from one insurance agency to another in order to obtain quotes is not necessary anymore. Online quotes are accurate. To obtain quotes that are very accurate, drivers should complete online questionnaires with accurate and honest info about themselves, their cars and their driving history. Get in touch with multiple companies, including newer ones. Typically, drivers only know about a few big and known car insurance providers. However, there are many insurance companies. 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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. In partnership with Hudson Community College, Year Up will continue its work closing the opportunity divide in Northern New Jersey, providing hundreds of young adults with the opportunity to enter careers in business or technology and work towards their associates degrees. - John Galante Continuing to expand its proven workforce development program, the nonprofit Year Up New York | New Jersey announced today that it will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hudson County Community College (HCCC) to launch a new Year Up site at the college, with the first class of students starting in January 2020. The signing will take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at HCCC. Dr. Chris Reber, President of HCCC, and John Galante, Executive Director of Year Up New York | New Jersey, will sign the MOU. In partnership with Hudson Community College, Year Up will continue its work closing the opportunity divide in Northern New Jersey, providing hundreds of young adults with the opportunity to enter careers in business or technology and work towards their associates degrees, said Galante. Starting with our first class in January 2020, our goal is to serve 250 young adults at HCCC by 2022. Hudson County Community College is committed to building strong relationships that benefit our students. We are dedicated to educating and empowering our students and all Hudson County residents and businesses by providing the education, information, resources, and support that will assist them in achieving long-lasting success, said HCCC President Dr. Chris Reber. This partnership with Year Up New York | New Jersey will provide 40 HCCC students with corporate internships in business administration, cybersecurity, and other related disciplines, and that number is expected to grow over time. Year Up is free for participants and includes a weekly financial stipend. Students at the HCCC site will be co-enrolled in Year Up and the college, and will earn college credits throughout the year. They will spend the first semester learning technical and professional skills, followed by a semester-long internship at a company like Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and BNY Mellon. Currently, Year Up New York | New Jersey provides job training to talented and motivated youth, ages 18-24, without college degrees at campuses in downtown New York (Wall Street) and at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). Last year, a federally-sponsored Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) 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 group the largest impacts on earnings reported to date for a workforce program tested in a randomized controlled trial. Since 2006, Year Up New York | New Jersey has provided more than 3,040 young adults with in-demand skills, creating a pipeline of diverse, motivated talent for more than 50 of the citys leading businesses in areas such as Accounting, Business Operations, Cyber Security, Investment Operations, IT, Client Services and Anti-Money Laundering/Fraud Compliance. Year Up New York | New Jersey now serves more than 450 young adults each year, with 90 percent of graduates employed or attending college within four months of completing the program, earning average starting salaries of $40,000/year. Learn more about Year Up New York | New Jersey by visiting us on Facebook and Twitter. 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. About Hudson County Community College HCCC serves more than 16,000 full- and part-time students annually. The College offers more than 60 degree and certificate programs on campuses in Jersey City and Union City, NJ, at off-campus sites and online. The HCCC Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools. Over 94% of HCCC Nursing program graduates passed the NCLEX first time out, placing the program's graduates in the top tier of two- and four-year nursing programs nationwide. In 2017, the Equality of Opportunity Project ranked HCCC in the top 5% of 2,200 U.S. higher education institutions for social mobility. To learn more about Hudson County Community College, visit http://www.hccc.edu. Follow us on Twitter @HudsonCCC and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/hcccedu. If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. Following the news that Baker & Taylor is closing its retail wholesale business, both Hachette Book Group and Independent Publishers Group are offering independent booksellers special programs to transition them to direct sales. Last week, Penguin Random House announced its "Indies Express Program," which has similar intent. Under Hachette's program, which is called "Indie Direct," any independent bookstore that does not already have an account with HBG is eligible. Accounts must be set up and orders must be received by August 30, 2019 According to an email sent to booksellers, the benefits are as follows: Independent booksellers will have expedited account set-up. There is no minimum quantity on the bookstores initial order. Independent booksellers will have expedited credit approval. Additional discount for participating bookstores initial order in the program. Promotion applies to all HBG titles and participating client publisher product. Participating client publishers include: Abrams, Chronicle Books, Disney Book Group, Hachette UK, Kids Can Press, Moleskine, Octopus, Phaidon, piKids, Quercus / Nicholas Brealey, Quarto Publishing Group, and Yen Press HBGs telephone sales team is available to answer questions or assist and can be reached at telephonesales@hbgusa.com or 800 934 5252. IPG's program is also called "Indie Direct." It will be available through September 1 and applies to all books carried by the distributor. The company has put forward the following terms: No prepayment required for first order. Automatic credit limit of $1,000 for opening a new account - no credit application required. For all accounts, order 10 or more units and receive an additional 5% discount. Net 60 dating on this order. Free freight for 10+ units ordered. Qualifying orders placed by 11 a.m. central time will ship by the end of the next business day. Contact IPGs dedicated indie bookstore sales team to assist with ordering. Specific information, including a promo code and ordering details, will be sent directly to bookstores from IPGs dedicated indie bookstore sales team. IPG's customer service will answer questions at (800) 888-IPG1 or orders@ipgbook.com. WHAT: Purdue University Motorsports and the evGrand Prix group will host autonomous kart racing, as well as manned kart racing for high school and college teams from across the U.S. at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The races will occur Tuesday (May 14) and Wednesday (May 15). EXPERTS: Danny White is manager of Purdue Motorsports and managing director of the evGrand Prix. He has been with Purdue Motorsports since 2010. He has worked with numerous IndyCar teams in the past, including serving on the pit crew for Eddie Cheever when he won the 1998 Indianapolis 500. White holds numerous industry certifications and has developed several successful programs in motorsports, electric vehicle racing and safety management. E.J. Williams, EV expert and support staff for evGrand Prix, was recruited by Mark Cuban to design and build a premium two-wheeled hoverboard as part of his new company, Radical Transport. Along with one other mechanical engineer, Williams engineered the light-EV hoverboard, utilizing new technologies and control algorithms. Williams has also worked at Tesla Motors developing EV powertrain controls, as well as at Allison Transmission in its hybrid systems department. QUOTES: The objectives of this Purdue-hosted series are simple train students for the technologies of their future, change the publics perceptions and fears of autonomous transportation, reduce automobile deaths and serious injuries as well as reduce emissions, and make significant improvements in efficiencies in public and private transportation, White said. The new field of electric racing is neat because we're back to the drawing board with innovating and testing new powertrains. However, when it comes to autonomous, everything changes. You're no longer engineering a powertrain; you're engineering an actual driver. The sensors, computer and software that teams must develop take the role of the driver, which means you have to get it right in order to even navigate the track. Without the right sensors and experienced algorithms to interpret the data and control of the kart, it would be like sticking a driver in a race car and blindfolding him. You have to give your kart the ability to see and you have to give it experience, Williams said. MORE INFORMATION: High schools from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Texas participate in the evGrand Prix program by using a specially developed curriculum, which also can count toward class and graduation credits. In Indiana, the states department of education has approved the program. Support for The Student Karting World Finals presented by Hoosier Racing Tire comes from a variety of businesses and organizations, including Top Kart USA, Velodyne, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indiana Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Energy, Interstate Battery, General Motors Foundation, Jiffy Lube MultiCare and Indiana Next Generation Manufacturing Competitiveness Center. This is one of many events celebrating Purdues Sesquicentennial, 150 Years of Giant Leaps Writer: Matthew Oates, 765-496-2571, oatesw@purdue.edu; @mo_oates Sources: Evan EJ Williams Jr., 317-417-4007, evanwilliamsjr@gmail.com, @evgranprix Danny White, white66@purdue.edu WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Purdue Universitys College of Agriculture is partnering with Gerrish Farms to host the fourth annual agBOT Challenge, a three-day event May 16-18. The agBOT Challenge includes the NextGen Expo, an interactive STEM event, and the agBot competition, an international showcase and competition of agriculture-based autonomous machine innovations. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The event is part of Purdue Universitys Ideas Festival, the centerpiece of Purdues Giant Leaps Sesquicentennial Campaign. The Ideas Festival is featuring a series of events that connect world-renowned speakers and Purdue expertise in a conversation on the most critical problems facing the world. The theme of the agBOT Challenge is What IF High-Speed Broadband Reached Everyone? The events of the agBOT Challenge combine educational and competitive opportunities aimed at farmers, entrepreneurs, students and innovators. The event will be held at the Agronomy Center for Research and Education, 4540 U.S. 52 West, West Lafayette. Were delighted to bring the 2019 agBOT Challenge to Purdue, said Karen Plaut, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture at Purdue. This event will bring students, researchers and entrepreneurs together and will showcase innovative ideas and technologies that can provide solutions for the future. The NextGen Expo, held on May 16, will be open to media and the general public. This event will create an interactive STEM fair that explores the interface of digital technologies and agriculture. Nearly 20 teams will compete from universities around the world, including one team from Egypt and one from Canada. The other teams hail from Indiana, Texas, Colorado, Virginia, South Carolina and Illinois. Event attendance is free with pre-registration. For more information, visit https://ag.purdue.edu/agBOT/. Media contact: Emma Ea Ambrose, 765-494-2406, eeambros@purdue.edu Sources: Ronald F. Turco, 765.494.4774, rturco@purdue.edu Rachel Gerrish, 765.918.8666, agbotchallenge@gmail.com Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415; Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu Agriculture News Page 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 THE DRUMS of war are beating once again. An American aircraft-carrier strike group is steaming towards the Persian Gulf, joined by B-52 bombers, after unspecified threats from Iran. John Bolton, the national security adviser, says any attack on America or its allies will be met with unrelenting force. In Tehran, meanwhile, President Hassan Rouhani says Iran will no longer abide by the terms of the deal signed with America and other world powers, whereby it agreed to strict limits on its nuclear programme in return for economic relief. Iran now looks poised to resume its slow but steady march towards the bombgiving American hawks like Mr Bolton further grievances. Science and academia in general are not only a source of knowledge but also a guide to how reason can build a better society. Although most researchers do not intend to claim an ethics for humanity, they should nevertheless set an example of behavior for the rest of the population since they symbolize the wisdom of our epoch. However, at present we observe that science and technological progress, far from being a solution, are driving one of humanitys major problems: an ecological crisis. A recent article referring to Sweden declares that universities and colleges account for the greatest emissions of carbon dioxide from air travel among State employees. More than half of their 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) released in 2017 originated from the Ministry of Education. The reason for so much travel is clear: researchers nowadays have many international connections and frequently travel by air, mostly to attend conferences. When querying the researcher (a physicist) with the highest number of flights at a University in Sweden (78 flights in 2018, 26 tons of CO2 released in a year) about the necessity of so many flights and how restrictions would affect his work, he answered that international cooperation is essential for research work, that one could not do things in any other way, and that the number of flights could only be reduced by roughly 20% at most. Ironically, climate scientists tend to fly a lot. For instance, a weekend-long annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, whose scientists study the impact global warming is having on the Earth, was responsible for an estimated emission of 30,000 tons of CO2. The Paris meeting on global warming solutions in 2015 (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 21st session of the Conference of the Parties and the 11th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol) produced around 300,000 tons of CO2 emissions. The panorama of hypocrisy is that we have "jet-setting academics" among the highest ratio contaminators, while they exert their moral authority to demand that people in less privileged groups of our society, such as coal miners, teamsters working on oil pipelines, and mining-dependent workers sacrifice their own economic well-being to fight climate change. There are many sources of CO2 emissions, and flights produce only 23% of global emissions, around one billion tons out of the total 40 billion tons per year (on average worldwide, five tons/year/person). However, this contamination is growing fast (an increase of 70% between 2005 and expected emissions in 2020) and it comes mainly from the richest countries, and our scientists head the league of per capita contamination. So, if on average worldwide each person contaminates 0.1 tons of CO2 from flying, scientists and academics in general offend tens or hundreds of times more. For instance, American astronomers on average travel by plane some 37 thousand km/year, similar to a high-flying businessperson, while the average American citizen travels around 6 thousand km/year, and Americans are among the highest contaminators in the world with an order of magnitude more contamination than the world average. Researchers have different reasons for flying, but the main one is attending conferences celebrated at great distances from their workplace. Are these congresses, symposia, workshops, schools, and meetings so important for the development of science? As said in Sect. 3.5 of The Twilight of the Scientific Age: In the first decades of the 20th century, while discoveries of huge importance to the development of physics (for instance, in relativity, or quantum physics) were being made so rapidly, such gatherings occurred once in a blue moon, to celebrate important advances. () Today, there are thousands of international congresses every year, in physics alone, quite apart from small local or national meetings, with hundreds of mediocre participants at each. There are even macro-meetings, with thousands of researchers. The saddest part of the situation is that the conceptual level of development of physics today is far below what was reached in the beginning of the 20th century. () Holidays can be a reason to attend congresses. Many of them are held in exotic or tourist destinations, which allows leading scientists and their friends to enjoy a holiday using public funds. () All this has the goal of attracting the attention of an audience that is lost among the tons of information; dispensable information since there is little that is new to say at each congress, just simple technical details without too much relevance. The battle of the scientist is not in finding good new ideas, but in finding the way to sell mean, unworthy ideas. Marketing is more important than scientific tools. Is the exercise of marketing bread-and-butter science worth the high ratio of air pollution? Even, at present, with so many existing virtual communication platforms, is it totally necessary to celebrate so many conferences to spread incremental science results? Our impression is that it is not. Nonetheless, one thing is clear: those who attend conferences and enjoy the benefits of prestige and networking reap higher rewards for their careers than those who do not. Hence, any measures taken regarding the problem should be taken globally for the entire scientific community because, as in all ecological solutions, sacrifices from well-intentioned minority will not save the planet, but in this case, it will harm careers of this minority. Precisely because of that, attempts to reduce flights by academics, especially by Earth Scientists, based on recommendations to kind-hearted scientists to decrease their number of flights, are doomed to failure. Approving laws that restrict flights holds better prospects among such proposals, but it is not restrictive enough. Some other suggestions to introduce extra fees in flights to compensate for the damage caused by CO2 emissions will only benefit the richer universities and research institutes that can afford to pay them. No, for a science that aspires to be a worthy representative of wisdom and reason on Earth, there is only one solution that is acceptable for the present situation: the suppression of conferences. Not a mere slight reduction, but a total or almost total (> 95%) suppression of the number of these events. And this should be done not by appealing to the goodwill of scientists and academics, but by introducing rules/laws to govern the number of conferences. Governments, administrators, and politicians should think about it seriously, as beer-drinking with colleagues and feeding the narcissism of some researchers at conferences is an expensive luxury that we cannot afford in the times of a climate crisis. The reality we are facing is a hard one, and it is not time to propose optimistic solutions that give false childish hopes to people about global warming while they keep their bourgeois lifestyles. A schoolgirl can understand the problem we have, but for the moment the finest minds of our time keep failing miserably. There is no good solution except to make great sacrifices on a large scale, and force our community to accept these solutions, because with our individualistic selfishness we will never accept them. We do not expect this suppression of conferences to happen in the near or mid-term future, so we will have to accept that science has no more dignity than politics. Rather than a forum for solving the problems of the planet and the people, it is a mere scrambling up the ladder for power and benefits from the planet and the people. Certainly, the business of science nowadays has many positive aspects, but there are also other negative ones, as we point out in this article. A science more worried about the individual prestige of presenting talks in conferences than about the health of the planet is immoral. Perhaps in the far future, when the disaster of the global warming affects a large part of the world population, we might adopt this solution. Given the tax incentives available in some other countries, a number of executives have already left and others are seriously considering it. Johannes Huth, European head for US buyout giant KKR, moved to Paris in 2017 as France overhauled its tax regime to make the country more business friendly. Mr Huth has been downbeat about the prospects of investing in the UK because of Brexit. Many firms have been increasingly reluctant to do deals in the UK because of the uncertainty. AnaCap, for example, downgraded the UK as a top-tier investment destination in 2017. A key issue has emerged in the post-election drama in Ukraine. In a disturbing interview given by Andrij Bohdan, lawyer, confidant, and political advisor to President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy, he reveals that he continues to act as a lawyer for oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskiy with regard to the nationalization of PrivatBank. This assertion, if accepted by the president-elect, would constitute a major threat to the reform agenda of the Zelenskiy presidency. The nationalization of PrivatBank in late 2016 was essential for the viability of the banking system of Ukraine. An audit of the financial position of the bank indicated that it was showing a massive deficit with respect to its capitalization. This was the result of billions of dollars of non-performing loans. Furthermore, a very large percentage of these nonperforming loans had been given to companies which were controlled by the shareholders of the bank, principally by Ihor Kolomoiskiy (49%) and Hennadiy Boholubov (49%). PrivatBank required massive re-capitalization, which was undertaken by the NBU, the Central Bank of Ukraine, under an agreement which forfeited the bank to the state. Subsequently, the state has pursued Kolomoiskiy and other shareholders for the recovery of the massive amount of capital which was effectively withdrawn from the bank. The level of funds related to this bank failure are staggering. The audit revealed a $5.65 billion capital shortfall. Such a shortfall threatened the deposits of the over 20 million bank customers. As Ukraines largest commercial bank, its failure would have had massive repercussions to the banking system and negatively impacted the fragile economic recovery. The restructuring of the bank was considered of high importance by the IMF as it threatened Ukraines financial stability. The additional funds required for restructuring represented a significant percentage of the GDP of the country. A failure to recover any of the losses created by the former shareholders would represent a further blow to Ukraines total heavy debt load. Most recently, Kolomoiskiy successfully obtained a lower court ruling that the nationalization of PrivatBank was illegal. This decision is being appealed to a higher court by both the Ministry of Finance and the NBU and has been the subject of a National Security Council meeting called by President Poroshenko. Given that the judgement was handed down by a judge who has been suspected of bribery in the past, its validity may well be questioned. With the known level of corruption in the judicial system, the potential verdict of the higher courts may also be tainted. Under such circumstances, the position of President-elect Zelenskiy must be unequivocal. He must remove Kolomoiskiys lawyer, Bohdan, from any decision making in his entourage regarding PrivatBank. Any continuing role by Bohdan in this matter would compose a clear and obvious conflict of interest. It would undoubtedly be taken as a signal that oligarchic interests are being promoted through political influence. All promises of eliminating the control of oligarchs over the government would be shown to be vacuous. The central promise of the Zelenskiy campaign to fight corruption would be proven hypocritical. The loss of credibility with the population would be swift. Zelenskiys advisors have said that PrivatBank will not be returned to Kolomoisky. This position must be unambiguously endorsed. Specifically, a pledge is needed to continue all available avenues to resist the efforts of Kolomoiskiy to reverse nationalization and to avoid the repayment of the assets which were absconded from the bank through non-arm length lending. This commitment should not be merely to passively respect legal judgements by the corrupt court system of Ukraine but must include special measures to resist any such retrenchment. The matter is of such crucial financial significance that effective measures must be found to protect the states budget and finances from harm. If Zelenskiy does not stay the course, the consequences will be grim. There will be a dramatic fall in his approval rating which will result in a significantly lower level of support for the Sluha Narody party in the upcoming Rada elections. Failure to achieve a substantial block of support in the Rada will imply that the Zelenskiy reform agenda will not have enough support. The international financial institutions, most critically the IMF, will lose confidence and may well withhold further tranches of financing. With the high level of repayments coming due, there is a substantial risk of default and the hryvnia could collapse. Both the fragile stability achieved in the budget and in the banking system will be broken. The stakes are colossal and the hopeful new direction for the country could be dislodged. Reprinted with permission from The Atlantic Council. Basil Kalymon is Professor Emeritus at Ivey Business School, University of Western Ontario, Canada. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Elsa Patton, who came to fame on "The Real Housewives of Miami," has died at age 84. ADVERTISEMENT The South Florida Sun Sentinel confirmed Monday the television personality, known as Mama Elsa, died over the weekend. "Our beloved Elsa Patton passed away over the weekend after a long illness. She was surrounded by her family and close friends," the family said in a statement. Patton is the mother of Marysol Patton, who starred in Seasons 1 and 2 of "The Real Housewives of Miami." Patton became a fan favorite on the show and later starred on her own web series, "Havana Elsa." "Throughout the history of 'The Real Housewives,' we have met many friends and relatives of the wives but rarely has someone's spirit, humor and wisdom made such an indelible impression as Elsa's did," Cohen said. Patton is survived by Marysol, son Thomas Anthony Jones, daughter-in-law Svetlana and grandson Hunter. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! The family plans to have a private memorial service in Miami. "The family is so very grateful to the many fans and friends who have continued to ask for her and offer their prayers and best wishes," the family said. "In lieu of tears, the family asks you to raise a good champagne in honor of Elsa's memory." By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski , 05/13/2019 ADVERTISEMENT Five Things to Know About Scott Anderson Scott Anderson Photos Scott Anderson will be one of the bachelors competing for Hannah Brown 's heart this year on 's fifteenth season.Scott is a 28-year-old software sales executive from Chicago, IL.Scott will be hoping to win Hannah's time and affection after the Alabama beauty queen failed to find lasting love with Colton Underwood on The Bachelor's 23rd season earlier this year.Will Scott make a big impression on Hannah -- good or bad -- or will he get lost in the shuffle of her 30 Night 1 bachelors?Viewers will find out whether Scott survives the first cut when premieres Monday, May 13 at 8PM ET/PT. Until then, let's learn a little bit more about this suitor.Below is a list of 5 facts Reality TV World has compiled about Scott Anderson - Scott enjoys day drinking with his buddies on rooftops and watching sports.- Scott believes he's a great catch for Hannah because he's employed with a real job, has friends who are a blast to be around, and comes from a great family.- bachelor is a not-so-secret admirer of Kris Jenner from Keeping Up with the Kardashians.- Scott claims he has a special talent: schmoozing waitresses into giving him free food and drinks at restaurants.- Just for fun, Scott once ran in a circle around the mall food court, acting like a flying chicken.Click thelink below to see some additional photos of Scott!Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group BEGIN GALLERY >> Steven Rogers is a senior entertainment reporter for Reality TV World and been covering the reality TV genre for two decades. 'As a student of history, I am no pessimist, but regardless of which party/coalitions comes to power on May 23, the space for secularism, pluralism and minority rights has shrunk significantly,' says Mohammad Sajjad. Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo The reference point for any summation of Muslims under Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi's rule will begin from the Gujarat riots of 2002 when he was chief minister. It was not only about the massacre, which has been happening in India since long with the culprits going unpunished in most cases, but that no other regime remained so openly unapologetic about it, ever. Hence, Modi's rise to prime minister in itself was like rubbing salt into the wounds of Muslims. That it was done in the name of 'Vikas' (development), is one of the biggest ironies of the history of the republic of India. The slogan coined by the BJP in 2014 was 'Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas'. This, quite expectedly, turned out to be quite hollow. Because not only during the campaign, but also with ominous frequency subsequently, the utterances of the PM, his aide Amit Anilchandra Shah, who is also president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, and of many ministers and legislators, made it amply clear that the regime is anti-Muslim and it consolidates its base on such rhetoric as well as practised realities against Muslims. The ruling party did not have a single Muslim MP elected to the Lok Sabha. Its minister, Najma Heptullah, even went on to declare that Muslims were not minorities. As if this was not enough, the UP assembly election results of 2017, and the elevation of a person like Ajay Singh Bisht as chief minister, further demoralised justice-loving people. The frequency with which Muslims were lynched (not to say of love jihad propaganda and a Ghar Wapsi campaign) -- in most cases, the police extended help to the perpetrators -- and the manner of investigation ensured that the perpetrators remained unscathed. Jayant Sinha, a Harvard University alumnus, the Hazaribagh MP and a minister in Modi's government, even garlanded accused who were on bail. A responsible, justice-dispensing, political party would have sacked such a minister and replaced him with another candidate in the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha election of 2019. Terror accused Pragya Thakur being nominated by the BJP to contest the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat reveals a lot about the BJP, if at all there is any secret left. Earlier, an apparently pro-Muslim party like the Rashtriya Janata Dal protected Yadav perpetrators in the Bhagalpur riots of 1989-1990. But it also did many other things to make itself least unacceptable for Muslims. That, despite such grievances, Muslims kept voting for the RJD en bloc in itself suggests something. In 1984, anti-Sikh riots took place under the Congress regime. But at least it advanced apologies for its wilful failure in preventing and controlling the violence. Such gestures are certainly insufficient, but the BJP and Modi have not even made them! The BJP and its other organisations, together called the Sangh Parivar, are said to be harbouring certain kinds of prejudice, and they propagate certain stereotypes about Muslims. These things get reflected in their governance practices. A political party, in a democratic set-up, does not and cannot blame a particular segment for not voting for it. It has to ask itself, and do the needful, as to why certain groups prefer to stay away from it. Why do certain groups feel scared about certain political parties? The BJP and the Sangh Parivar brand of nationalism is primarily based on hatred against Muslim minorities. Its ascendancy and landslide victory in 2014 has many reasons. The most important is: It asks for votes based on exclusionary nationalism and is getting the votes. That the forces of social justice governing many provinces since the 1990s failed on many fronts, leading to the BJP's rise, is just one factor behind its unprecedented rise. These forces, just like the BJP, believed in historical revenge. They happily ignored governance and development, and the dislocation of pre-eminent social groups was not handled with adequate tact. Moreover, such professedly secular parties unduly and even outrageously appeased Muslim conservatives and misogynists. This has also contributed to the BJP's rise. Just like in the professedly secular regimes, inclusion of Arzal (Dalit) Muslims among the scheduled castes remains elusive. Even Dalit civil society, perhaps, does not seem to be eager for such inclusion. Marginalisation and under-representation of Muslims continue. The Sachar report, the Amitabh Kundu report and other such files remain as neglected as ever. The manner in which jingoism has become an important factor in the 2019 election, one does not know how things will play out for Muslims after 2019. Society has been communalised on a huge scale. Many disadvantaged social groups have fed into anti-Muslim hatred. It is so deep at the social level that even the most informed and vocal segments have not asked the ruling BJP why it does not talk of its own manifesto of 2014, on issues of universal concern such as youth unemployment, economic development, farm distress, the dreaded effects of demonetisation and GST. In fact, these informed and vocal sections seem to be more ardent supporters of the BJP. Worst of all, a large section of television news channels treat Muslims and other secularists as culprits and fifth columnists. As a student of history, I am no pessimist, but regardless of which party/coalitions comes to power on May 23, the space for secularism, pluralism and minority rights has shrunk significantly. It will take longer to build these up even if the BJP, by any chance, is replaced. All these does not augur well at all for a democracy. Let us hope for the best about the future of India. It has a robust and resilient civilisational character. On that, we can hope against hope! Mohammad Sajjad is a professor of history at Aligarh Muslim University. 'Modi's interview style is distinct, and alas one that is increasingly being followed by others as well, notably by the man who is out to challenge him, Rahul Gandhi.' 'This may appear aggressive and combative to readers and viewers, but the fact is that sometimes it becomes unclear as to who is interviewing who,' discovers Saisuresh Sivaswamy. Not everybody likes to be interviewed. Certainly not Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi who, unusually, has been giving a flurry of interviews to the media in the dying phases of the elections. I say unusually, because his five-year term in office was marked by very few interviews. While this gives us hope that he will still invite Rediff.com over for a tete-a-tete, it has been a learning experience to go through his interviews, especially the print ones. The biggest he has granted so far has to be to the Indian Express (sorry, Times of India) on Sunday, at his 7 Jan Kalyan Marg residence in New Delhi that spanned 90 minutes. Modi's interview style is distinct, and alas one that is increasingly being followed by others as well, notably by the man who is out to challenge him, Rahul Gandhi. This may appear aggressive and combative to readers and viewers ('kya faad diya tha yaar, interview mein'), but the fact is that sometimes it becomes unclear as to who is interviewing who. A case in point is the interview to Indian Express during which countless jibes were thrown at the newspaper's coverage (apart from at his pet peeves, Congress and dynasty), even questioning its credibility if you will. Still there are many things that I have learnt from Modi's most recent interview (sorry, but nothing on radars). Modi is a fun person 'I am a fun person.. My Cabinet meetings are also filled light moments. But it has been given a political colour... (When) I am working, I believe in focused activity, I am totally involved. And when I am free (relaxed), I really keep myself free.' Why Modi travels 'Those who ran the government from Vigyan Bhavan and Cabinet rooms (will find) this objectionable. They should be questioned. If the prime minister doesn't keep travelling across the country, how will he be aware of all that is happening? This should be acknowledged, that this prime minister does not go travelling on a holiday.' What 282 seats does not get you 'Getting the Indian Express to be objective in criticism of Modi.' How he views government ads to media 'I give advertisement to the Indian Express, it doesn't benefit me, but is it a dole? Advertisements to newspapers may fit into a description of dole. After December 11, DAVP rates were enhanced, it is a dole?' Reference to Arun Shourie Possibly because he was not asked about the BJP 'rebels' like Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha, Modi, to my limited knowledge, has not mentioned them in interviews. The Indian Express interview too did not ask him about them, so it was a gratuitous reference he made to the most famous editor of the newspaper: 'Take the example of -- Indian Express's one-time karta-dharta (whole and soul) had written an article on the merger of banks in the country as a big reform.' The Muslim question 'These MPs/MLAs who call themselves secular, have they given leadership to any Muslim? Rahul Gandhi is Congress president. Can't a Muslim get that job? Why did he not ensure that? Why shouldn't Dalits/Muslims/Tribals be chairman of, say Lions Club, why should everything be in politics? Why aren't Muslims being made chiefs in journalism? Why have you kept it so? We are responsible? We have just come now.' Questions of Indian Express 'When a terrorist receives death from the Supreme Court of India there was a headline like 'And they hanged him'. But that was free speech, was it?' 'I have answered (your questions) politely. But you will have to answer some questions as well. A Dalit girl is raped in Alwar and it doesn't become a headline in Indian Express till May 6 (when polls concluded in Rajasthan), it will raise questions on the neutrality of the Indian Express... Can you listen to it whether you like it or not? You can ask all the questions to me, but if we make a counter-questions we are called offensive.' Sermon to media 'Yeh jo do taraju hai na, mera neutrality se jhagda is baat ka hai (,em>my quarrel is with the different scales of neutrality).' 'Now you cannot frighten us with the veil of media.' 'It wouldn't matter to me whether a report is by Ravish or Rahul or someone else. Because all that mattered was the Indian Express. But with the advent of social media, I can look at 50 tweets of Ravish and make an impression. Aaj aap benaqab ho gaye hain, sabhi patrakar (you have been exposed, all you journalists).' 'Your personal views are visible on social media. People now analyse that the personal views being reflected in the media are not the neutrality of the media, isilie, aaj aapki pratishtha jo daaon pe lagi hai, iske kaaran lagi hai (if your reputation is on the line, it is because of that).' 'The crisis of credibility is not of the media, but the person who is working there. So do not abuse us. Did we censor your questions here? But you have made an image of me as someone who will censor.' Travelled to 45 countries before 2002 'I travelled to about 45 countries before becoming the CM, for a variety of reasons. I will share an anecdote. Delta Airways used to have a $500 ticket with which you could travel for up to 30 days from the date of the first travel..' 'I doubt anyone else would have used that ticket as much as I did. I planned my route perfectly, in such a way that I would be onboard at night, get six hours to sleep on the plane. It would save me hotel expenses.' 'I would bathe and freshen up at the airport in the morning. I had a calling card which I used to ring up my hosts to come receive me. I travelled 23 states across America this way.' Personal touch in foreign policy 'Foreign policy has mostly been practised with an academic perspective. Foreign ministers, too, have been guided by academics or think-tanks. I am away from this.' 'I do not have an academic background nor am I disconnected from the public. For me, my priority is the country. This is my patriotism. So that is how I make my relationships (with global leaders).' 'Personal equations play a strong role in understanding each other. My friendly equations with them are reflected in their policies as well. They will remember Modi and this is what he had said.' 'We know each other for quite some time.' 'He could provide stability to the country for five years.' 'But he could not provide confidence to the countrymen that he is our leader.' IMAGE: Sharad Pawar at an event in Baramati with Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi in 2015. Photograph: PTI Sharad Pawar has through his political career been a man for all seasons. He has probably weathered every kind of contingency in politics. And any kind of political foe. You imagine there has been no situation in politics that he was not able to handle with his trademark implacable calm and customary resourcefulness that he is known for. But when Pawar talks about India's present prime minister, Narendra Damodardas Modi, you sense a certain outrage, which it seems is unusual for Pawar. In his interview to Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/Rediff.com the astute leader stresses the dangers to the State if a leader like Modi were to continue. A few days before he had told The Hindu, 'I have not seen a person occupying the PMO campaigning in such a manner. I remember the speeches of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and others. They always maintained the sanctity and dignity of the institution. But this gentleman has no qualms about it and can go down to any level possible for political gains'. '...I have realised the danger of Modi's continuation. I feel it is my duty to create new leadership to protect interests of the State.' After that, Pawar told the Economic Times: 'However Modi acts as if most sections who don't subscribe to his views are enemies and have nothing to do with India. This is wrong. No PM has taken such an approach. I have heard Nehru's speeches when I was young. He never attacked anyone like this. Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee did not do it'. 'He is vindictive to rivals. He has been using the whole government machinery to attack the Opposition. This has never happened in Indian history. People understand this gentleman's vindictive nature.' In the concluding part of his interview with Rediff.com, Pawar explains why he feels Hindu nationalism will not work for India, the youth's disillusionment with this government and what he considers development politics to be, which is not "Mr Modi's approach." As you said, Modi came to power talking development, development. Now he is saying something else. As a critic, what do you think have been his achievements? He could provide stability to the country for five years. As a prime minster. But he could not provide a confidence to the countrymen that he is our leader. Generally, people are thinking that he is a person who got respect from certain sections of society. Not from the country as a whole. When you meet him, one to one, what do you think of him? We know each other for quite some time. Ten years he was the chief minister. I was the agriculture minister in the Government of India. The agriculture minister, particularly this ministry, is such that he has no work except finalising policy in Delhi. Real agriculture work is in the fields. For the sake of that, we have to extend efforts with the states, irrespective of the party, If you have to improve agricultural production and the productivity of the crops you have to (liaise with) the farming community, agriculture universities, agricultural scientists and the respective state governments. So I was keeping contact with everybody, that included Mr Modi also. He cooperated with me, that time, to improve our programmes. Like that we met on many occasions. We went out of India also together. I was the first to go to Israel with an official delegation and I thought I should also take some of the chief ministers. So three or four chief ministers I have associated with. One of them was Mr Modi. Is he a likable man? Basically (pauses) I don't know. I think he is a loner. Is he a hard man to read? One doesn't really get to know who he is? I don't know. That was not my experience. I have known him for quite long. IMAGE: Sharad Pawar with Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi in New Delhi. Photograph: Press Information Bureau Is there any chance that the NCP will merge with the Congress? No. No question. You are sort of the Bhishma Pitah of politics. What do you predict for India ahead in this elections? This time, I do feel the BJP will be out of power. The non-BJP parties will come together and finalise a minimum common programme. They will elect their leader and they will give stable government to the country. IMAGE: Sonia Gandhi, then Congress president, with Sharad Pawar at an election rally in 2009 in Sakoli near Nagpur. Photograph: Arko Datta/Reuters I asked your daughter Supriya Sule this question when I met her in Baramati, but she really didn't give me much of an answer. Let me ask you the question. What do leaders like your daughter have over leaders like Mr Modi? We are continuously associated with the masses. Secondly, we are active, we are effective. And people have seen that for many years. That's why we are successfully trying to project our own thinking, our own programme and exposing Mr Modi's approach, Mr Modi's programme. And I think we are gaining for that. Connecting directly with the people on issues? On issues with the public at large. Baramati, on first look, seems to be doing well. Everyone there says it is prospering. What keeps other areas of India back? There many areas like Baramati in India. Particularly in Maharashtra. You see our total approach is: We believe in a development-oriented party. I always like try to tell my younger generation, who are associated with me in my party, that our total efforts in the party is 80 per cent development and 20 per cent party. So it is alright, election time, concentration is on elections. But the rest of the four or five years, we will just concentrate on development, development, development. That might be in the area of education, that might be in the area of industry, that might be in the area of agriculture. There are many fields where there is a potential and we shall build these areas ultimately in state and country. You said the NCP would not merge with the Congress. Why do you say that? Because we don't want to. We want to keep our separate identity. Why should we forsake the party when we have set up the party? We are keeping good relations with the Congress. IMAGE: Sharad Pawar votes in Mumbai on April 29 along with his son-in- law Sadanand Sule and granddaughter Revati Sule. Photograph: Sharad Pawar/Facebook What do you think is the future of family-owned parties? I don't think any of these parties are family-owned parties. It is possible that certain leaders might be effectively working in that party, that's why they are enjoying the support of their own colleagues. The party is not owned by them. Whether it is the Shiv Sena, NCP or other parties, there might be some party leaders coming from their family, but ultimately a party is not owned by family members. Lakhs and lakhs of workers are working night and day and that's why an organisation is (viable). That's why I don't believe and accept (calling) these family-owned parties. It is a physical party. IMAGE: Sharad Pawar, then Union agriculture minister, addresses a news conference in Kolkata in 2005. Photograph: Jayanta Shaw/Reuters Do you think the upper castes are with the BJP? You see if you study the BJP base, it looks like the BJP enjoys support from certain sections, which are known as the upper castes. What is the reason? Are they charmed by the idea of Hindutva? Why are these upper castes with the BJP? That's because they have been consistently working, for years together, in the name of religion, in the name of -- may not be saying caste, but in their heart caste is also there. And they always try to project and protect that section of the society. To the people who believe in this idea of Hindutva-based India or a Hindu Rashtra or a nationalist India, what do you say to them? I don't think it is good for the nation. IMAGE: Celebrations for Sharad Pawar's 75th birthday in December 2015. Photograph: Sharad Pawar/Facebook Why do you say that? Ultimately, India is a country where multi-linguistic people are there, multi-religious people are there, there are many sects. The specialty of India is that we are together. We are one. And unless and until we keep that spirit, I don't think the country can succeed in the process of development and change the living standard of every common man. That's why the country has to be as one country, irrespective of caste, community, religion, language. IMAGE: Sharad Pawar at a rally in rural Maharashtra. Photograph: @PawarSpeaks/Twitter In the course of campaigning for this election, wherever you have travelled, wherever you have addressed meetings, is there any new emotion that you are picking up? New feedback? The only thing new I am observing is that the younger generation, they are more serious. But the method of electioneering and campaigning is changing. Previously we were pasting posters, boards and other publicity material. Day by day the (method of using) publicity will essentially go. And public meetings and interacting directly with the masses, WhatsApp and messages (is the new technique). The old technique of electioneering is gradually disappearing. The new technique is taking over in this country. It's a good sign. IMAGE: Sharad Pawar and Congress national President Rahul Gandhi address a rally for the first time in Maharashtra in 2019. Photograph: PTI There is a lot of anxiety about jobs. What does India need to do about jobs? During your campaigning have you picked up this anxiety about jobs? This government has not taken any effective steps for creating jobs. And the unemployment rates are growing, that even the Government of India reports say. In that situation, any government has to give a thrust -- along with a thrust to agriculture and industry also. The thrust of industrialisation should be industrial growth in a decentralised manner. They have to create a new situation that can solve the problem of unemployment. The younger generation is frustrated. They are not getting any opportunities. The present government is not giving a thrust to industrialisation. Any government, who wants to do something for the nation, they have to improve the investment climate. And for the sake of investment climate and opportunities, full extra efforts have to be made towards industrialisation and development. Unfortunately, Mr Modi and in Maharashtra, the BJP government has not taken that approach. Lockheed, which has a longstanding relationship of 25 years with India, unveiled the F-21 during the Aero India show in Bengaluru in February, saying it will address the Indian Air Force's unique requirements. Photograph: Kind courtesy Lockheed Martin United States aerospace giant Lockheed Martin says it will not sell its newly rolled out F-21 fighter jet to any other country if India places an order for 114 planes, a move aimed at pitching itself ahead of its US, European and Russian competitors for the mega deal. Vivek Lall, vice president of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin, says if F-21 wins the contract, then India will also be integrated into the company's global fighter ecosystem, which is a USD 165 billion dollar market. Lall said the new combat jet is designed to operate across over 60 air force stations in India, and its key aspects include superior engine matrix, electronic warfare system and weapons carrying capacity. "We will not sell this platform and the configuration to anyone in the world. It is a significant commitment by Lockheed Martin and it shows importance of India and importance of unique requirement India has," he said. Last month, the Indian Air Force issued an RFI (Request for Information) or initial tender to acquire 114 jets at a cost of around USD 18 billion, which is billed as one of the world's biggest military procurement in recent years. The top contenders for the deal include Lockheed's F-21, Boeing's F/A-18, Dassault Aviation's Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, Russian aircraft MiG 35 and Saab's Gripen. Lall said if Lockheed wins the contract, it will not only set up a state-of-the-art F-21 manufacturing facility along with the Tata Group, but will also help India create an ecosystem for overall growth of the country's defence manufacturing. On observation that the F-21 is similar to Lockheed's F 16 Block 70 combat jet, he said such a view is unfair as there have been significantly differences between the two platforms. F-21 is different in terms of various aspects including its air frame, weapons capability, engine matrix and availability of engine options. "As for example, you are now looking at 12,000 hours of service life air frame in F-21 versus 8,000 hours previously (F 16 Block 70). The additional 40 per cent weapons carrying capability is new in F-21 which was not there in F 16 Block 70. The electronic warfare system is uniquely developed for India," he added. "Looking from a distance may make it look similar to F 16 Block 70, but it is different," he added. Besides having a traditional boom-delivered refuelling facility, the F-21 also has a extendable hose-and-drogue refuelling probe. "This is only fighter in the world which has both the capability," said Lall, adding the cockpit has a new large area display. "It is a modern cockpit and has a significant piece of ability to synthesise information. These are unique capabilities that we are not offering to other countries in the world," said the Lockheed executive. The jet has a Long-Range Infrared Search and Track, enabling pilots to detect threats with precision and Triple Missile Launcher Adapters (TMLAs) allowing it to carry 40 per cent more air-to-air weapons. Without giving any approximate price of each bare-bone aircraft, he pitched it as the most cost effective compared to the competitors in terms of life-cycle and operational costs. "If you look at the US government data, the advantage is 30-40 per cent in terms of cost effectiveness. This is lower compared to the comparable competitors. If you aggregate with years and years of operations in the life cycle, it is a huge amount of saving for India if it goes ahead with F-21," said Lall. Lockheed, which has a longstanding relationship of 25 years with India, unveiled the F-21 during the Aero India show in Bengaluru in February, saying it will address the Indian Air Force's unique requirements. An RJD leader said that the two brothers came together at the insistence of Misa Bharti, who made them sit together and explained that by fighting each other they will end up falling into the trap of the BJP-led NDA, which wants to "finish off the party. IMAGE: RJD leaders Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap during an election campaign rally at Patna. Photograph: PTI Photo Blood is thicker than water. The adage has again proved to be correct in the last phase of general elections in Bihar, with Lalu Prasad's sons Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav giving up their tug of war to work jointly for the victory of their eldest sister Misa Bharti. Tej Pratap, the mercurial elder son of Prasad, had recently quit as the patron of the party's students' wing and even campaigned against Rashtriya Janata Dal nominees in a couple of seats when the names recommended by him were ignored. He, however, remained unflinching in his loyalty towards Bharti, often campaigning in her favour with mother Rabri Devi. Sunday was the first occasion when he did so alongside Tejashwi. Bharti is in the fray from Pataliputra, the Lok Sabha seat she had unsuccessfully contested in 2014. Lalu Prasad was defeated in Pataliputra in 2009 by friend-turned-rival Ranjan Prasad Yadav. She is pitted against Union minister and sitting MP Ram Kripal Yadav, a former loyalist of her father who joined the BJP ahead of the 2014 general elections. At a rally in the constituency on Sunday, the two brothers stood side by side, holding aloft a photograph of their jailed father, who is serving jail term in fodder scam cases. Tej Pratap Yadav also reaffirmed his "fondness" for his younger brother, saying he saw him as Arjuna, who he was helping as Lord Krishna. The rift between Tej Pratap and his family first surfaced when he filed a divorce petition against his newly married wife and widened when his estranged father-in-law Chandrika Rai, a former minister, was chosen to contest from Saran. Both Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi had fought elections from Saran constituency in the past. An RJD leader said on condition of anonymity that the two brothers came together at the insistence of Misa Bharti, who made them sit together and explained that by fighting each other they will end up falling into the trap of the BJP-led NDA, which wants to "finish off the party. 'Traders have been the worst hit because of the government's policies, but for some unknown reason, many continue to support the BJP.' Thirumoy Banerjee reports from Chandni Chowk. IMAGE: Union Minister Harsh Vardhan files nomination from the Chandni Chowk constituency. Photograph: ANI Photo At the labour chowk in Adarsh Nagar, jobless men gather to watch. Unfolding in front of them is a road show by Bharatiya Janata Party candidate and Cabinet minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in the Chandni Chowk constituency. Some 250 people stand amid the sea of saffron flags. Handed a cap by BJP supporters, migrant labourer Yogendra Paswan jokes: "I've already got one on, but I suppose I can wear this one too for a while." Turning serious, he adds: "And I wish the labour chowk had some jobs too." As Dr Vardhan's cavalcade approaches, policemen cordon off the area briefly. "Don't say 'cordon', say 'sealed'," says Sanjeet Kumar, who has a small construction business. "Those shut shops you see there, that's gali number 13 where the BJP-led MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) went on a sealing drive. At least 50 shops must have been sealed in the area. It has been several months and they are yet to be opened." The MCD has sealed many shops across the capital, citing flouting of norms and the illegal use of residential properties for commercial purposes. The impact of the drive, GST, demonetization, and the job losses caused by all three policies are the top issues here, from Tri Nagar to Wazirpur and from Sadar Bazar to Ballimaran. The seat could witness a close three-way contest among Dr Vardhan, the Congress's J P Agarwal, and the Aam Aadmi Party's Pankaj Gupta. Of all the seven seats in Delhi, this constituency has the smallest number of voters. Seven of the 10 assembly constituencies under this seat are home to some of the city's prominent wholesale markets and industrial units. "Agarwal is a local. He has a strong connect. He will get a lot of votes in Chandni Chowk and the surrounding areas. There have not been too many cases of sealing here, but the prices of raw materials have gone up following GST. Customers do not listen, they want to pay the same price as they did earlier, and at times we have to give in," says Mukesh Kumar Gupta, owner of Usha Tailors. According to reports, in 2014, Chandni Chowk had a footfall of about 500,000 people and a turnover of a few hundred crores per day. After demonetisation, this nosedived by 70 per cent. Recovery has been slow and is by no means complete. "Traders have been the worst hit because of the government's policies, but for some unknown reason, many continue to support the BJP. But I can bet you that you won't find many shop owners here supporting the BJP," says Vijay Gaur of Pandita ki Hatti snack shop. On the campaign trail, Vardhan has said development has happened. "I go to the gym at a park near Old Delhi railway station. It hardly had any equipment a few years ago. Now it looks much better," says chartered accountancy student Ravi Kumar. Agarwal reached out to traders; AAP promised parks, a start-up hub, 125 mohalla clinics, wider roads, and 40,000 CCTV cameras. Vardhan chose to focus on taking on the AAP government in Delhi led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. But for Affan Riyazi, a student at Jamia Riyazul Uloom who sells fibre plates and cups outside Jama Masjid, other needs are more pressing. "We need a system under which there will be no GST on cheap goods. No one speaks on real issues. How will Balakot or CCTVs help us?" he asks. Outside the Red Fort, 50 people shouted slogans in favour of NOTA (none of the above). "NOTA will be a way for people to lodge their protest. The BJP is communal, the Congress has got enough chances and the AAP's balloon has burst," says Colonel Jaivir Singh (retd), Delhi president of Swaraj India, the party founded by Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav following their expulsion from the AAP. IMAGE: Protesters hold placards as they shout slogans during a protest against the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, in Srinagar, on Monday. Photograph: S Irfan/PTI Photo Over 40 security personnel, including an officer, and seven civilians were injured on Monday as clashes broke out in Jammu and Kashmir during protest against the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora district, police said. Youths held protests and pelted stones at security forces at several locations in Baramulla district in north Kashmir, a police official said. As many as 47 personnel of the security forces were injured in the clashes at Mirgund, Chainabal, Harnath, Singhpora, Jheel Bridge, Kripalpora Payeen and Hanjiwera areas of the district. An assistant commandant of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) received injury on his head, the official said. Seven civilians were also injured in the clashes, he said, adding all of them were stable. A shutdown was also observed in Kargil town as locals took out a rally over the incident. The protesters raised slogans in support of their demand for exemplary punishment to the accused who is in police custody, the officials said. They said the shops and business establishments remained closed in the entire town as local residents assembled under the banner of Imam Khomeni Memorial Trust and took out a massive rally. Students joined the rally which went round various parts in the town and concluded peacefully at Kalon Rahim Khan Chowk. The vice chairman of the trust, Sheikh Bair Shakir, urged the government to deal with such heinous cases on fast track basis and ensure exemplary punishment to the culprits in a time bound manner. Congress rebel leader and former MLA Asgar Ali Karbali expressed solidarity with the family of the victim and said the people of Kargil would not remain mute spectator to such gruesome incidents. "We want our society a better place for every one especially the girls and the women. The government should ensure investigation of rape cases on fast track basis and deliver speedy justice to the victim by setting up special courts," he said. The three-year-old girl was allegedly raped in Sumbal area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district, prompting the Jammu and Kashmir Police to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident. The Sri Lankan government on Monday enforced a countrywide curfew and blocked social media platforms to stop people inciting violence as communal violence spread to new areas in the island nation in the worst unrest since Easter Sunday bombings which killed nearly 260 people. IMAGE: A police officer searches a worshipper at the main entrance of the St.Theresa's church in Colombo. Photograph: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters Police also fired tear gas at mobs attacking mosques and shops owned by Muslims in various parts of the country. "The curfew has been imposed from 9 pm tonight (Monday) to 4 am tomorrow (Tuesday)," a police spokesperson said. Army chief Mahesh Senanayake said the troops have been instructed to deal very strictly with those who defy the curfew. The army will shoot on sight if anyone defy the order, he added. Earlier in the day, the police reimposed a curfew, few hours after it was lifted, on four towns of Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Dummalasuriya and Hettipola in the north western region till 4 am on Tuesday following a communal clash in the area. It was later extended to the entire North Western Province as violence spread to other areas. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in an address to the nation said the military has been asked to quell the anti-Muslim riot and urged public cooperation to the security forces to bring the situation under control. "The security forces have been given full powers to deal with those who violate the state of emergency and the islandwide curfew," he said. He also appealed for calm urged the public not to be swayed by false information. "I appeal to all citizens to remain calm and not be swayed by false information. Security forces are working tirelessly to apprehend terrorists and ensure the security of the country, but each time there is civil unrest, we increase their burden and hamper ongoing investigations," he said. The Lankan government also reimposed a ban on social media following the violent clashes between the minority Muslim and majority Sinhalese communities. The blockade of Facebook and WhatsApp comes a day after Sri Lankan police imposed curfew in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw where a mob attacked a mosque and some shops owned by Muslims in a dispute that started on a Facebook post by a Muslim shop owner. The author of the Facebook post, identified as 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar, wrote: 'Don't laugh more, 1 day u will cry'. The Muslim shopkeeper's comment was taken by local Christians as a warning of an impending attack. Sri Lanka has previously blocked social media several times after the Eastern Sunday bombings to prevent the spread of false news reports. The majority nationalist groups have been active on Facebook, reviving calls for boycotts of Muslim-owned businesses and spreading hate. The recent violence is a fresh backlash from the Easter attacks where nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 253 people and injuring over 500 others. The Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) and later banned the outfit. Over 1,000 have been arrested since the attacks. Sri Lanka's police say they have either killed or arrested all those responsible for the bombings but that the threat of global terrorism persists. President Maithripala Sirisena has vowed to eliminate the militants and restore normality in the country. 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. IMAGE: Congress president Rahul Gandhi is felicitated by party's candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib, Amar Singh, and others during a public meeting ahead of the last phase of Lok Sabha elections, at Gaggar Majra village, Khanna, in Ludhiana district, on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo Facing a mounting attack from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday said those involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots should be punished, even as he again rebuked his party leader Sam Pitroda, saying he should be 'ashamed' of his remarks on the tragic event. Addressing a poll rally in Hoshiarpur, Gandhi said that what happened in 1984 was very wrong. "Pain, which is there in people's hearts, you (Pitroda) should respect that, and those who committed wrongs in 1984 (riots), there should be action against them and action will be taken." Earlier, at his rally at Khanna, which was his first rally in Punjab, he also said that his party's overseas unit chief should apologise to the country for his 'totally' wrong remarks. The Congress president's remarks came in an apparent damage control exercise after an uproar over Pitroda's 'hua to hua' response to a query on the riots. The Congress chief had earlier tweeted his disapproval and the party had distanced himself from Pitroda's remarks. "What Sam Pitroda said about 1984 was totally wrong and he should seek an apology from the country. "I am saying this publicly and I also told the same to him over phone. Pitroda ji, what you had said was completely wrong and you should be ashamed of yourself. You should seek a public apology," Gandhi said towards the end of his speech in Khanna. The BJP stepped up offensive against the Congress over Pitroda's remarks as the 1984 riots is an emotive issue in Punjab which is going to poll on May 19. Gandhi termed the Lok Sabha polls an ideological fight between 'false promises and realistic commitments'. While Modi and the BJP had cheated the people of India with their 'lies and false propaganda', the Congress always remained true to its promises, he claimed. "This chowkidar has been exposed, the people know the truth about him and he can no longer escape for perpetrating the theft of their hard-earned money with demonetisation and GST, and for diverting Rs 30,000 crore to a businessman with the Rafale defence deal," Gandhi alleged. He claimed that the people would not forgive Modi for standing as a 'mute spectator' when Dalits and minorities were being attacked, youths were being 'deprived' of jobs and scholarships, and when farmers were 'committing suicide' or were being thrown behind bars, Gandhi said. The prime minister looted the common people, through 'ill-conceived' demonetisation and 'Gabbar Singh Tax' and gave their hard-earned money to a few businessmen, he said, adding that Modi was now 'scared' of even debating with him on issues of corruption and Rafale as he had no answers. Gandhi accused Modi of not raising the issue of unemployment. "The youths are angry, so are traders, middle and small-business owners and farmers, but he did not want to touch these issues," he said. "Look at Modi's face, he has accepted defeat. He will talk about radar (referring to Modi's reported comments on cloud cover) and eating mangoes, but he is not talking about real issues," he said. Gandhi also talked about the Nyay scheme, the Congress's poverty alleviation scheme, and giving 33 per cent reservation to women in state assemblies, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. ***** Modi says namdaar should be ashamed for Pitroda's comments Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped up his attack on the Congress over the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed of himself rather than reprimanding Sam Pitroda for his remarks. "Congress is struggling to win 50 seats because the Congress leader is confused and their thinking is diffused," Modi while launching a scathing attack on the grand old party in his poll rally in Bathinda. He said the opposition party's arrogance was at its peak. Slamming the Congress president over the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Modi said he should be 'ashamed' of himself rather than 'pretending' as if he is scolding Sam Pitroda for the comments. Modi said: "Namdaar (dynast) should be ashamed of himself for failing to get justice to victim of 1984 riots," adding those involved in the genocide would not be spared. "Today I want to ask Congress how long they will rub salt into wounds like this," said Modi while referring to Pitroda's 'hua to hua' remark. He was addressing a poll rally in Bathinda from where union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal is seeking re-election. Polling to the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on May 19. IMAGE: Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao meets DMK chief M K Stalin in Chennai. Photograph: @trspartyonline/Twitter Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrashekhar Rao's bid to rope in Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in his proposed alternative front appeared to be a non-starter with the Dravidian party chief M K Stalin urging the Telangana chief minister to extend TRS's support to the Congress. Continuing his efforts to bring together regional parties, Rao called on Stalin at his residence here and discussed with him his proposal for a federal front, DMK sources said. In the meeting that went beyond an hour, Stalin conveyed to Rao that his party was in a pre-poll alliance with the Congress and he had also pitched the name of Rahul Gandhi for the office of the prime minister. "Thalaivar (Stalin) urged Rao to extend Telangana Rashtra Samiti's support for a Congress-led government at the Centre," DMK sources told PTI. Rao, who had days ago called on his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan, exuded confidence in the deliberations that regional parties would emerge as a powerful force with a significant number of seats and neither the Congress, nor the Bharatiya Janata Party would have adequate numbers to form a government. In such an eventuality, the TRS chief told the DMK president that a government could be propped up by the regional parties with the support of 'national parties', a reference perceived to include the Left parties as well. Possible 'post poll scenarios' that may merge and how a federal front could help regional parties and 'southern states', were put forth by Rao, sources added. To this,the DMK side,which was also represented by senior leaders Duraimurugan and T R Baalu, felt the situation was conducive only for a Congress-led government at the Centre. Also, the Dravidian party pointed out that toying with the idea for a regime steered by regional outfits at the Centre may not work in view of divergent state specific positions of some parties. The TRS is opposed to both Congress and Telugu Desam Party in Telangana. While Rao did not meet waiting reporters, DMK said the meeting was only a 'courtesy', call. Rao had in April 2018 called on Stalin and then DMK chief M Karunanidhi in Chennai. Earlier in the day, he offered prayers at the ancient Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam in Tiruchirappalli. On May 10 he visited the Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram after going to Kanyakumari. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri downplayed the meeting between the two leaders and asked journalists 'why accord importance to the meeting...in India a third front is not possible and not practicable; State parties from Kasmir to Kanyakumari know this very well'. BJP Tamil Nadu unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan wondered what was Stalin's 'hesitation' in his meeting with Rao to assert that he only supported Rahul Gandhi. Taking a jibe at Stalin, she said the DMK top leader had faced a similar hesitation when he was in West Bengal to take part in a rally held by Mamata Banerjee. She alleged the DMK had a reputation of changing colours, adding there was no transparency. Signs of trouble have re-emerged in China's steel industry with surging production and plunging profits, renewing doubts about the effectiveness of government policies. In March, China's output of crude steel jumped 10 percent from a year earlier to 80.3 million metric tons, pushing first-quarter production to a record 231 million tons, Bloomberg News reported, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The 9.9-percent growth for the quarter set off alarms in April as Baoshan Iron and Steel Co. (Baosteel) reported that net profits of 2.7 billion yuan (U.S. $401 million) fell 45.7 percent from a year before. Other steelmakers recorded declines for the period. Net profits dropped 75.8 percent from a year earlier at Shandong Iron and Steel Co., the official Xinhua news agency said. On April 28, the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) said quarterly profits among its monitored manufacturers dipped 30.2 percent to 37.5 billion yuan (U.S. $5.5 billion), Xinhua reported. Iron and steel industry profits slid 36.7 percent to 54.8 billion yuan (U.S. $8 billion), despite a 10.5-percent rise in revenue, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said. Gross profits of steel producers rebounded in March on renewed demand for construction and manufactured products, but average margins remained only about half of 2018 levels, Argus Media said. The implication that China was once again making more steel for less increased the risk of a global price slide, since the country produces and consumes about half of the world's steel. "The possibility of output exceeding domestic demand in China ... raises the prospect of the country again using exports as a pressure valve, flooding international markets with excess material and suppressing prices and profit margins for producers elsewhere," the London-based Financial Times said. The first-quarter production record came despite government curbs in China's northern region during the winter heating season to guard against smog in Beijing and other population centers. Production may rise even more, now that seasonal restrictions have come to an end. Effects on competitors Overcapacity and overproduction have been chronic problems for China's steel industry with devastating ripple effects for competitors in the rest of the world. Chinese steel exports have been a primary concern for the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who announced a 25-percent tariff on steel imports in March 2018. But tariff barriers and anti-dumping duties have only partially protected competitors from pricing pressures as a result of China's huge market share and support from state bank loans. In the first four months of this year, China's steel exports rose 8.3 percent to 23.35 million tons, according to customs figures cited by the industry website mysteel.net last week. While world market pressures are cyclical, China tends to ignore them, producing more steel when prices are low to crowd out competitors, and producing even more when prices are high to make up for lost profits during previous slumps. Last year, steel industry profits of 470.4 billion yuan (U.S. $69.8 billion) jumped 39.3 percent as output climbed 6.6 percent to a record 928.2 million tons, according to official data cited by Xinhua. In 2018, China made nearly 60 percent more steel than the rest of the top 10 manufacturing countries combined, based on World Steel Association data. In the first quarter, Chinese steel accounted for 52 percent of the world total from the 64 countries that report to the association. Overproduction problems The latest quarterly results are a sign that government policies aimed at reducing production overcapacity have failed to break the cycle because the excess has left ample room to overproduce. "That firms listen to the government in China should never have been in doubt; the problem is that they still do not pay sufficient heed to the market," The Economist of London said in 2017. The profit plunge this year has been blamed on higher iron ore prices following the Jan. 25 collapse of a dam operated by top Brazilian ore producer Vale SA that left nearly 300 people dead or missing. The output increase in March suggests that Chinese mills continued to pump out more steel despite warnings of higher costs and lower demand. Analysts cited reliance on local governments in China to boost spending on infrastructure and increase domestic consumption, Bloomberg reported. But in its statement, Baoshan warned of lower demand from the auto and property sectors this year. China's exports of steel products rose 12.6 percent in the first quarter, Xinhua reported, citing CISA data. The quarterly figures suggest that the government's plan to cut overcapacity has not solved the overproduction problem. In 2016, Premier Li Keqiang set a target of cutting production capacity by 100 million to 150 million tons by 2020, which the government claims was reached ahead of time last year. The government has also tried to rein in capacity with "swap" formulas that require steelmakers to replace outmoded lines with more efficient production at a ratio of less than 1 to 1 in provinces with high manufacturing. On March 30, the MIIT announced a new enforcement crackdown, implying recognition that the capacity curbs have not worked. The ministry plans to conduct random inspections in provincial regions that are prone to "illegal steel production activities," Xinhua reported. Officials will check for "unwanted" production by using satellite remote sensing technology and monitoring electricity use, an MIIT inspector said. Last week, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and other government agencies issued a circular requiring inspections to "avoid the resurgence of eliminated capacity." The NDRC, China's top planning agency, said it would tighten approvals for capacity swapping and "ban all new steel capacity in any form," Reuters reported. Consolidation efforts The government also plans to issue guidelines for consolidation by promoting mergers and restructuring in the steel industry, the official Economic Information Daily said last month. The guidelines will "encourage cross-region and cross-ownership mergers," according to the report. The government has used similar strategies in the coal industry to consolidate operations as part of a push to eliminate smaller and more dangerous mines. But here, too, production has been increasing and the number of mines actually operating is in doubt. Derek Scissors, an Asia economist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, said that China's steelmakers overproduced in the first quarter on the strength of the high profits they enjoyed last year, ignoring signs of slower demand. "The firms making this mistake should be punished by sharp contraction or bankruptcy, but they won't be," Scissors said. "They are sheltered by local and national governments, even during periods of capacity reduction." "When there are no serious consequences for overinvesting and overproducing, the pattern inevitably repeats," he said. Scissors pointed particularly to protections for steelmaking at the provincial level. "The obvious solution is for the state to abandon half of the steel industry to fend for itself," he said. "The reason that the obvious solution is never implemented is that the provinces all think it should be someone else's half." Several parents of children who died in a devastating 2008 earthquake in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan were taken to hospital at the weekend after police used force to break up a public memorial for the youngest quake victims. A bereaved parent from Dujiangyan, among many mountain towns to be devastated by the 8.0 quake that left more than 80,000 people dead, said police had been dispatched in force to monitor a memorial by parents of children who died in the collapse of the Juyuan High School. "The government wanted to monitor [the memorial], and there were clashes," the parent, who gave only his surname Chen, told RFA. "Now the government has beaten up members of our group and they have gone to hospital." A second bereaved parent surnamed Wang said the beatings began after more than 100 parents of victims had gone to set up wreaths and burn funeral offerings including incense and paper money at the site of the collapsed high-school teaching block. "I think maybe more than 100 families went ... at around 10.00 a.m. on May 12 to the original Juyuan high school building that collapsed," Wang said. "The relatives were getting ready to unfurl banners, which were all written on the basis of the facts, and the law." "But the authorities wouldn't let them hang them up, and they snatched away the banners and placards," he said. Thousands of schoolchildren died in the quake that devastated mountainous regions of Sichuan, flattening the majority of school buildings in and around Wenchuan county and prompting widespread public anger over corruption allegations linked to shoddy construction standards. But more than a decade on, parents say their campaign for compensation and for financial assistance promised as part of the reconstruction program has drawn a blank. Many are placed under close surveillance or house arrest ahead of the May 12 anniversary, to prevent them from taking their complaints to the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. 'Stability maintenance' A resident of Sichuan's provincial capital Chengdu, who gave only her surname Huang, said Chengdu-based writer Tan Zuoren, who researched the deaths of schoolchildren during the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, is currently incommunicado, believed to be in the custody of state security police. "Every year, Tan is either taken on an enforced vacation or invited for 'tea' [by state security police]," Huang said. "Once the date has passed, there is no problem." Huang said memorial activities for the quake victims are banned in China. "If you dare to commemorate it, they will arrest you on any old charge," she said. "Most parentsespecially those who have given interviews to the media in the pasthave been subjected to 'stability maintenance' in advance [of the anniversary]. Every year they are under 24-hour surveillance." "One parent from Beichuan county goes to the site of the earthquake every year to burn incense and paper money, but sometimes is targeted by stability maintenance," Huang said. "Sometimes they burn paper money for their children a few days ahead of the anniversary." Official boycott A government source in Sichuan's Mianyang city said there were no official quake memorials for victims this year. Instead, the municipal Communist Party secretary and mayor had left town on official business ahead of the anniversary. Local media had also avoided mentioning the anniversary this year, the source said. RFA was unable to locate any mention of the anniversary in China's tightly controlled state media on May 12. Calls to the Sichuan provincial government offices rang unanswered on Sunday. Bereaved parents were permitted to have a second child after the disaster, in a special dispensation under the former "one-child policy" family planning rules, but they say the government also promised to fund the children's education and other living expenses: a promise that has yet to be kept. Many say they are now struggling to meet all the expenses for their second child on a subsidy of just over 100 yuan a month. Attempts blocked Repeated attempts by victims' relatives to stage protests or petitioning events have been quashed by the authorities, and human rights lawyers have been warned off accepting compensation cases linked to Sichuan's child quake victims, on pain of losing their license to practice, according to Tan Zuoren. Tan was sentenced by a Sichuan court in February 2010 to five years' imprisonment for "incitement to subvert state power" after being formally accused of defaming the ruling Chinese Communist Party in e-mailed comments about the 1989 bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators around Tiananmen Square. But his supporters say he was detained because he planned to issue an independent report on the collapse of school buildings during the Sichuan earthquake. Tan pledged on his release in April 2014 to continue his work. Reported by Wong Siu-san and Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese Service.Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Mena Mangal was just 14 years old when her family promised her to a man. After being engaged for nearly 10 years, the couple finally married two years ago. But that was not before Mangal's fiance had made several threats to her parents, who were having second thoughts, that he would kill their daughter if they did not make good on their promise. They relented, but just days after the wedding, members of her husband's family forcibly took Mangal to a secluded location where they beat and tortured her. Soon after, she filed for divorce and following a months-long, acrimonious court case, the marriage was formally terminated last week. That is the version of events offered by Anisa Mangal, Mena's mother, as she shrieks in sorrow, tears pouring down her cheeks. On the morning of May 11, just days after the divorce was finalized, the 27-year-old was found lying face down in a pool of blood in a Kabul neighborhood after she was shot multiple times while waiting for a car to take her to work. Her family accuses her ex-husband, Jawed, of killing their daughter, a prominent former journalist, political adviser, and women's rights advocate. Police have said the case was likely a family dispute, and have launched a manhunt for her ex-husband. Mangal's brazen killing in broad daylight in the heart of the capital is just the latest in a number of slayings of Afghan women in public positions over the past 18 years, including politicians, rights activists, policewomen, and teachers. Some of the women have been slain in so-called "honor" killings carried out by their own families in the deeply conservative and religious country. Other women have been killed by militant groups that object to women having public roles and speaking about women's rights. Despite women making significant inroads since the end of Taliban rule in 2001, domestic abuse remains routine, forced marriages are the norm, and women are discouraged from pursuing careers. 'Threatened To Kill Her' Anisa Mangal says her daughter's ex-husband was "unstable" and that the family wanted to terminate the engagement. "But he threatened to kill her if we didn't approve the marriage," she tells RFE/RL. "Mena didn't have a choice because she didn't want to create enmity between the families." She says that just a week after the couple married, Jawed and a dozen male members of his family drove Mangal to an unknown location where they beat and tortured her. "I still have her bloody clothes," says her mother, wiping her tears with a black shawl. Zalmay Mangal, her uncle, tells RFE/RL that her niece had "problems" with her in-laws. "The case went to court and was very complicated." Anisa Mangal says the family filed a case at the prosecutor's office. But she claims the office did not investigate, and dismissed the case. Jamshed Rasuli, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, rejects the claims. He says the case was used as evidence in granting Mangal a divorce. Divorce is taboo in Afghanistan and if a woman wants to get a divorce lawfully, she must navigate the male-dominated judicial system. Women who report domestic abuse are sometimes arrested and imprisoned themselves. Women who flee forced marriages and abuse are sometimes killed by the husband or her own family. In an emotional video uploaded to Facebook on May 11, Anisa Mangal called on the authorities to find her daughter's killers. "Stand up for my daughter," she pleads. "For God's sake, punish the perpetrators." Mangal was born in Kabul to parents hailing from the southeastern province of Paktia. Jawed, who lived in Kabul, is also believed to be from the same province. Fighting For Women's Rights Mangal said she feared for her life in a Facebook post on May 3 in which she revealed she had received threatening messages on social media. But she added defiantly that a strong woman was not afraid of death. She did not reveal who was sending her the threats, or why. Mangal rose to prominence as a presenter for the private Ariana TV, the private Tolo TV's Pashto-language channel Lamar, and the private national television broadcaster Shamshad TV. She also ran popular social-media pages that discussed the rights of Afghan women to work and Afghan girls to attend school. Mangal wrote extensively about being forced into an arranged marriage in 2017 and the process she had to go through to obtain a divorce. She recently became an adviser to the Religious and Cultural Affairs Committee in the lower house of Afghanistan's parliament. 'Protect Us' Mangal's killing prompted widespread condemnation and calls by journalists and rights activists to protect women. "In a country where my life is in danger as a journalist, I want the government not to show appreciation for our work but to focus on how to protect us," Zalma Kharooty, an Afghan female journalist, wrote on Facebook on May 12. Afghanistan is the world's deadliest country for journalists, with 15 killed in 2018 alone. At least four reporters have been killed this year. Shagufa Noorzai, a member of parliament and Mangal's colleague, said in a tweet that her death was part of a wider trend of women and girls being targeted. Noorzai mentioned the case of 6-year-old Mahsa, who was kidnapped and killed in Kabul in March, and the killing of 27-year-old Farkhunda Malikzada, who was beaten to death by a mob in Kabul in 2015 after being falsely accused of burning a copy of the Koran. KAZAN -- A Russian teenager was detained in the Tatarstan region after he brought a pistol and a knife to his school and allegedly held his classmates hostage. The regional Interior Ministry said nobody was hurt in the May 13 incident at School No. 7 in Tatarstans capital, Kazan. A woman called police in the morning saying that her daughter and her classmates were being held hostage by the armed student, according to the ministry. Police arrived at the school and detained the boy, who was said to have been born in 2001. His identity has not been disclosed. The incident took place a year after a teenager in the neighboring region of Bashkortostan entered his school and stabbed a female student and a teacher, and set a classroom on fire. Another girl sustained serious injuries when she fled by jumping from a second-story window. A court in the city of Sterlitamak on April 30 ordered the boy, now aged 18, to be placed in a psychiatric clinic. The ruling came a day after a court in the Urals city of Perm sentenced a 17-year-old teenager to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of a knife attack at his school that left 12 people hospitalized with stab wounds in January 2018. There have been several attacks on schools in Russia in the past year, as well as a gun-and-bomb attack on a college in Russian-controlled Crimea in which authorities say an 18-year-old killed 20 other people in October before fatally shooting himself. At least three police officers have been killed in a blast that apparently targeted a police vehicle near a mosque in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province, officials said. Liaqat Shahwani, a spokesman for the provincial government, told RFE/RL that at least six people, including three more police officers, were wounded in the blast on May 13. The banned Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the explosion that police say was caused by an improvised bomb rigged to a motorcycle. The attack comes amid high security during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The police officers were deployed outside the Masjid al-Huda mosque to secure the area during the special Ramadan evening prayers. Last week, at least 10 people were killed in a suicide bombing that targeted a police van guarding a major Sufi shrine in the eastern city of Lahore. With reporting by Reuters Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Armenia have the most restrictive lespian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality laws and policies in Europe, a campaign group says. Azerbaijan scored just 3 percent on a scale where zero indicates gross human rights violations and 100 percent is the greatest degree of equality under the law, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe) said. Azerbaijan gained points in just three of the 69 individual categories, which referred to areas such as employment rights and marriage equality. Turkey and Armenia were given 5 and 7 percent, respectively. An accurate comparison with last year's results is not possible, since ILGA-Europe has changed the overall number of categories to put more stress on laws and policies covering civil society and asylum. The countries that ranked high on this year's list, including top-ranked Malta, Luxembourg (third), and Finland (fourth), have addressed gaps in transgender and intersex rights, said Evelyne Paradis, executive director of ILGA-Europe. The ranking analyzed laws and policies governing LGBT matters across 49 European countries over the past year. With reporting by AFP Amid its deep ethnic divisions, Bosnia-Herzegovina's armed forces have stood out as an anomaly where Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs stand side by side. Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik's proposal to have one infantry regiment wear wartime uniforms for ceremonies threatens to undo that. Dodik reportedly made the suggestion during a May 12 ceremony coinciding with the formation of a Serb-dominated army -- commonly referred to as the Bosnian Serb Army -- within the newly independent Bosnia on the eve of the Bosnian War 27 years ago. In a country still riven institutionally along ethnic lines, the speech immediately raised concerns over how such a move could destabilize one of Europe's poorest countries. "Milorad Dodik is playing with fire this time more than ever before. This is the point from which there would no longer be a return from the road of new suffering," Predrag Kojovic, leader of social-liberal, multiethnic Our Party, said in a statement. "The armed forces of Bosnia-Herzegovina are one of the greatest achievements of the Dayton peace agreement," Kojovic said in a reference to the U.S.-brokered 1995 peace deal that ended the three-year Bosnian War, "and their attempt to destroy and restore one of their parts, even in the symbolic plan, in the form of uniforms, is the destruction of peace." Kojovic called nostalgia for the uniform of the Bosnian Serb Army "a clear sign of hostility toward Bosnia-Herzegovina. With this uniform, the most terrible memories, genocide and other horrific crimes, are associated. It would be impossible to accept their return." Rare Bosnian Success Story The unification of the Bosnian armed forces in 2006, effectively combining what had been two warring sides only a decade before, has been one of the success stories of post-Dayton Bosnia. Troops who had spent almost four years shooting at each other came together to form a unified military structure. Since then, several ethnically mixed Bosnian units have served in international missions and both Bosnian entities -- Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat federation -- are entitled to use military regiments in public ceremonies. Dodik's comments came at a ceremony in Banja Luka to mark the Day of the Republika Srpska Army and the Day of the 3rd Infantry Regiment. The hard-line leader, who has advocated for Republika Srpska to break away from Bosnia, said that while he respected the entity's decision to remain neutral, it was a mistake to abolish its army, which "lives in the hearts and souls of the Serbs and members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment will defend the freedom of the RS and its people." Toward the end of his speech, Dodik asked the commander of the 3rd Regiment to make half of the unit wear wartime uniforms at next year's ceremony. He then doubled down on his comments on May 13, questioning the "hysteria" over the speech and accusing those speaking out against it of being motivated by "the goal to incite unrest in Bosnia's internal situation." "A uniform is also part of a tradition. The Army of Republika Srpska insignia is also on the uniforms of the 3rd Infantry Regiment and I don't see what the hysteria is all about," he said, adding that he wasn't asking Bosniaks or Croats to wear the uniforms, just Serbs. Paying The Price? The ethnic Serb-dominated Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosniaks and Croats that make up Bosnia are linked by joint state-level institutions, including a tripartite presidency. Dodik won the Bosnian Serb position in the presidency in an October 2018 election after previously being the entity's prime minister. His fiery rhetoric caught the attention of another member of the presidency. Sefik Dzaferovic called Dodik's statement "very dangerous" and warned the Bosnian Serb leader to choose his words more carefully in the future. "Mr Dodik should take care of what he's saying because he will harm the most the entity he represents but will also harm himself. What he said today is a severe criminal act," Dzaferovic said. "The armed forces will survive, only Dodik may end up in prison," he warned as the Croatian presidency member, Zeljko Komsic, announced criminal charges against Dodik for allegedly sparking a rebellion within the armed forces. With contributions from RFE/RL's Balkan Service BRUSSELS -- Foreign ministers from the European Union and the six Eastern Partnership countries have downgraded a celebratory statement marking the 10th anniversary of the partnership that aims to bring Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine closer to the bloc without the concrete offer of EU membership. Sources told RFE/RL that the change came because Azerbaijan was unhappy that the text did not mention the issue of territorial integrity. The text of the statement remains the same. But instead of being signed by all participants, it was approved only by the chairperson of the meeting -- EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini. Tensions have long been high between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. The region, which is populated mainly by ethnic Armenians, declared independence from Azerbaijan amid a 1988-94 war that claimed some 30,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Since 1994, when a cease-fire agreement was reached, it has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces that Baku says include troops supplied by Armenia. In the lead up to negotiations on the text, Georgia and Ukraine also expressed dissatisfaction that the text did not include Brussels' acknowledgement of some eastern partners' "European aspirations." But Tbilisi and Kyiv accepted wording that referred to older texts such as previous Eastern Partnership summit statements. "We reaffirm the joint commitments enshrined in the Eastern Partnership Summit declarations; and to underline our firm intention to carry them forward," the celebratory statement said. The Eastern Partnership was launched in 2009 and has held summits for EU and Eastern Partnership heads of state and government every other year since then, with the last summit being held in Brussels 2017. With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels The European Commission has threatened it will take legal action against Romania unless it reverses moves to cripple the independence of its courts and hinder the fight against corruption. The commission, which is the European Union's executive body, has repeatedly warned that measures adopted by the ruling Social Democrats -- including moves to reduce statutes of limitation that would close some ongoing corruption trials -- are reversing years of anticorruption reforms and weakening the rule of law. Spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a news briefing in Brussels on May 13 that Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans had sent a warning letter to Romania's government on May 10. "The main concerns relate to developments interfering with judicial independence and the effective fight against corruption, including the protection of financial interests of the EU and particularly to the recently adopted amendments to the Criminal Code that create a de facto impunity for crimes," Schinas said. "Possible legislation to allow extraordinary appeals would further aggravate the rule-of-law situation," he added. The commission has already put Hungary and Poland under a special "rule of law" framework over steps to tighten state control over the courts, media, academic institutions, and advocacy groups. This could theoretically lead to the eventual activation of the EU's Article 7 -- the so-called "nuclear option" -- resulting in a suspension of their voting rights in the EU. Schinas said similar action would be taken against Romania unless it addressed the EU's concerns. Schinas also signaled that Romania's becoming a member of the EU's passport-free Schengen travel area -- for which Bucharest has been pushing for years -- might not happen if the government ignored the rule-of-law concerns. A senior EU diplomat, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said penalties could include loss of EU funds. "The Romanian coalition government is systematically undermining the rule of law for the sole purpose of saving corrupt political leaders from prison," the diplomat said. "If Bucharest continues on this dangerous path, taking part in the Schengen travel-free area will remain a pipe dream. "Infringement of the rule of law will endanger the distribution of more than 30 billion euros [$33.7 billion] in cohesion funds earmarked for Romania in the draft EU budget for the years following 2021," the diplomat told Reuters. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and RFE/RL's Romanian Service The ministers from the EU signatories to the nuclear deal with Iran have expressed concern about a military escalation between the United States and Iran as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo paid a surprise visit to Brussels. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, and French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian each held talks with Pompeo on May 13, following a joint session with EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini focused on efforts to keep a landmark 2015 deal with Iran afloat. Pompeo canceled a planned trip to Moscow in order to brief the European allies on Washington's latest moves. He is still set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Sochi on May 14. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended really on either side," Hunt said ahead of talks in Brussels, calling for a "period of calm." Mogherini, who held her own meeting with Pompeo, said dialogue was "the only and the best way to address differences and avoid escalation" in the region. "We continue to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran, its full implementation," Mogherini said. "It has been and continues to be for us a key element of the nonproliferation architecture both globally and in the region." The Europeans' warnings came after the United States deployed an aircraft-carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf to counter an unspecified threat that Washington says has been posed by Iran. "We are concerned about the developments and the tensions in the region," Maas said following the talks with Pompeo. "We do not want it to rise to a military escalation." Le Drian joined the criticism saying Washington's move to step up sanctions against Iran "does not suit us." A State Department official said Pompeo also shared information on Iranian threats with NATO officials in Brussels. "Iran is an escalating threat and this seemed like a timely visit on his way to Sochi," said Brian Hook, the special representative for Iran. "The secretary wanted to share some detail behind what we have been saying publicly. We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats." The meetings in Brussels came after an announcement by Tehran last week that it will scale back some of its commitments under the agreement if world powers do not protect its interests against U.S. sanctions. Tensions have been escalating between Iran and the United States since Washington withdrew from the deal a year ago and reimposed sanctions against Iran. European countries said last week they wanted to preserve the nuclear deal with Iran but rejected "ultimatums" from Tehran. Under the agreement known as 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran accepted curbs to its nuclear program in return for relief from crippling economic sanctions. Besides the United States, Britain, France, and Germany, the other signatories of deal are Russia and China. European backers of the pact have been trying to salvage the agreement, but Tehran has complained that the process is too slow. Before the meetings, Mogherini told reporters, "We continue to support it as much as we can with all our instruments and all our political will." With reporting by dpa, AP, and Reuters Voters in Lithuania will head to the polls again in two weeks after the first round of presidential elections failed to produce a clear winner. Preliminary official results from the May 12 election showed Ingrida Simonyte, a lawmaker and former finance minister, leading the nine-candidate field with 31.13 percent of the vote. Gitanas Nauseda, a banker-turned-politician, was in second place with 30.95 percent. Center-left Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis vowed to quit after failing to qualify for the second round. Voter turnout was nearly 57 percent. A candidate needed to secure more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a May 26 runoff. The winner will succeed Dali Grybauskaite, who has served the maximum two 5-year terms as Lithuania's head of state since 2009, a Baltic country bordering Russia that is a member of the European Union and NATO. Grybauskaite has been a strong critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and campaigned on stopping corruption and improving Lithuania's economy. The election campaign was dominated by voter anger over economic inequality and corruption. The Lithuanian president has limited powers, but is in charge of foreign policy and is the countrys representative at EU summits. The president also appoints ministers, judges, the military chief, and central bank head, usually with the approval of parliament or the prime minister. Lithuania, a close U.S. ally, faces tense relations with neighboring Russia. It has arrested and charged several people in recent months accused of spying for Moscow. NATO increased its assets in Central and Eastern Europe, including in Lithuania, following Russia's seizure of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014. Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa Afghan officials say at least three people have been killed and some 20 others wounded in a series of blasts in the eastern province of Nangarhar. Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said the explosions hit a crowded market square in the provincial capital, Jalalabad, late on May 13. Khogyani said there were at least three explosions in the area, while local media quoted eyewitnesses as saying they heard four blasts. "The nature of the explosions is not clear, but it could be [improvised explosive devices]," Khogyani said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Both the Taliban and Islamic State extremist groups are active in Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan. President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban a cease-fire to begin on the first day of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which began on May 6. But the militant group refused. Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and Tolo News A jailed 75-year-old researcher at a Russian rocket- and spacecraft-design facility who is charged with treason has been transferred from pretrial detention to a Moscow hospital. Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) said on May 13 that Viktor Kudryavtsev was transferred to a hospital at his request in order to undergo medical tests. Last month, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Kudryavtsev, who suffered a heart attack while in custody, must be provided with urgent medical assistance in a hospital out of penitentiary system. On May 7, the Russian Justice Ministry notified the ECHR that Kudryavtsev would be transferred from a pretrial detention facility to a civilian hospital. Kudryavtsev, who worked with the Central Research Institute for Machine Building, was arrested in July 2018 on suspicion of passing classified data on hypersonic technology to a research group in Belgium. The case is one of several in recent years in which Russian citizens have been accused of treason or disseminating classified or sensitive information. Based on reporting by RIA Novosti and TASS MOSCOW -- A Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger plane has unexpectedly turned back to Sheremetyevo Airport shortly after taking off, increasing concerns over the safety of the aircraft after a similar jet crash-landed at the Moscow airport last week, killing dozens of people on board. The Flightradar24 tracking service said that flight SU1206 operated by national airline Aeroflot left Sheremetyevo Airport at 1.59 a.m. local time on May 13 and headed to the city of Samara before it was diverted. Aeroflot has not given any official explanation, but the Interfax news agency quoted a source at Sheremetyevo as saying that the plane had to turn back due a problem in the cockpit's pressurization system. The timetable at the Samara airport said the flight had been canceled, along with the return flight from Samara to Moscow. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused a Murmansk-bound Superjet on May 5 to make an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo less than an hour after taking off. The jet burst into flames as it came to a stop, killing 41 of the 78 people on board. Following the crash, Aeroflot canceled or delayed several of its flights that used the aircraft. Transport Minister Yevgeny Ditrikh has said there was no reason to ground the planes pending the outcome of the investigation. Manufactured by the state conglomerate United Aircraft Corporation, the Superjet is a midrange regional jet, conceived of as a way to help bolster the country's civil aviation-manufacturing industry in the face of competition from Boeing and Airbus, as well as Embraer and Bombardier. With reporting by Interfax Saudi Arabia says two of its oil tankers were targeted in what it described as a sabotage attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). Saudi Arabias Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on May 13 that one of the vessels was on its way to pick up Saudi oil to be delivered to customers in the United States. The attack on May 12 did not lead to any casualties or an oil spill but caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels, he added. Earlier, the U.A.E. Foreign Ministry said four commercial vessels had been targeted by "sabotage operations" near its territorial waters without causing casualties. It gave no details of the nature of the sabotage off the port city of Fujairah and didn't say who might stand behind it. Fujairah is located south of the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping route at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. The reported sabotage comes amid heightened regional tensions between the United States and Iran. Last week, Washington announced the deployment of an aircraft carrier battle group and a bomber task force to the Gulf to counter what U.S. officials called "clear indications" of threats from Iran to U.S. interests or its allies in the region. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the alleged sabotage in the Gulf of Oman constitutes a "dangerous threat to the safety of navigation and affects negatively regional and international security." The Iranian Foreign Ministry described the incidents as "alarming and regrettable," called for further clarification about what exactly happened, and warned of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security in the region. Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP Iran said on May 13 that it has sentenced an Iranian citizen who works for the British Council to 10 years in prison on charges of "spying." Gholamhossein Esmaili, a judiciary spokesman, did not name the person who was sentenced but said the person was in charge of the British Council's Iran desk. Esmaili said the suspect had made "clear confessions" about "cooperating with British intelligence agencies, and had been held by authorities in Iran for more than a year. In March 2018, a London-based British council employee named Aras Amiri was arrested in Iran while visiting her ailing grandmother in her home country. Relatives said Amiri initially was accused of colluding and acting against Iran's national security. That is a vague charge often used by Iran's intelligence services against activists, journalists, and other Iranians arrested for political reasons. Before her arrest, the 33-year-old Amiri had been living in London for 10 years -- and had worked on cultural exchanges between Britain and Iran that included cooperation with Iran's Ministry of Culture. Iran has a history of hostility towards the British Council -- which is Britain's cultural agency overseas. In 2009, Iran closed the British Council offices in Tehran in response to the launch in London of the BBC's Persian service. Authorities in Iran have previously arrested local staff working for the British Embassy in Iran. Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, Fars, BBC, and The Guardian U.S. President Donald Trump has praised Hungary's hard-line prime minister for his immigration policies, as he hosted Viktor Orban in an Oval Office meeting that has worried some European allies and U.S. lawmakers who say Budapest is sliding into authoritarianism. Orban's May 13 meeting was his first with a U.S. president since returning to the post of prime minister in 2010. In comments to reporters before their meeting, Trump said it was a "great honor" to have him in the Oval Office. He made passing reference to Orban's hard-line position on immigration, in particular in 2015 when millions of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa flooded into Europe. "Highly respected, respected all over Europe," he told Orban. "Probably like me, a little bit controversial, but that's OK. You've done a good job and you've kept your country safe." Orban told reporters he was in Washington to "strengthen our strategic alliance." "I'm proud to stand with the U.S. on fighting illegal migration, on terrorism and to protect Christian communities around the world," he said. "You have been great with respect to Christian communities, and you have really put a block up and we appreciate that very much," Trump said. A senior U.S. administration official told reporters last week that Orban's visit was part of a Trump administration strategy of reengagement in Central and Eastern Europe. Still, the White House meeting has been viewed by many observers as a dangerous endorsement of Orban's hard-line approach, which has drawn reprimand from the European Parliament. Hungary is both a member of the European Union and, perhaps more importantly for the United States, of NATO. Aside from domestic politics, Orban has also shown affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government has deepened ties with China. Trump's meeting "lends legitimacy to [Orban's] illiberal agenda," Jonathan Katz, a senior researcher at the German Marshall Fund for the United States, said in an article published by Axios. "Trump's meeting with Orban is raising concerns in Washington and the capitals of U.S. allies across Europe." Human rights activists argued that by granting Orban the prestige of a White House meeting, Trump is effectively endorsing Orban's policies. "Orban shares Putin's affinity for repression and willingness to trample public freedoms for personal gain and has gambled that he can silence criticism without resorting to the kind of violence that draws greater international criticism," said Amnesty International researchers Daniel Balson and David Vig in an op-ed published ahead of the meeting. "The White House, so far, has committed to letting this gamble pay off." Since taking over the post of prime minister in 2010, Orban and his political party, Fidesz, have slowly squeezed Hungarian civil society and independent media outlets, and critics say, undermined the independence of the country's judiciary. Since the European immigration crisis peaked in 2015, Orban has toughened his policies on immigration and frequently employed near-xenophobic rhetoric against migrants. Orban has also found common cause with Trump in vilifying Hungarian-born billionaire philanthropist George Soros. Last year, Orban kicked out the Soros-founded Central European University from Budapest, and some of his attacks on Soros have had shades of anti-Semitism. All this despite Orban's studying at Oxford on a Soros-financed scholarship in 1989-1990. Soros was also a major financial backer of Fidesz, founded in 1988. Hungary's slip to the right has worried many other European Union members. Last year, the European Parliament voted to launch Article 7 proceedings against Hungary -- which would potentially strip Budapest of its voting rights in the EU's executive body, the European Commission. Article 7 is triggered when an EU members violates "human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities." Trump's affinity for Orban dropped into broader view after the current U.S. ambassador to Hungary -- a Trump appointee -- described the president's feelings in an interview published in the current issue of The Atlantic magazine. "I can tell you, knowing the president for a good 25 or 30 years, that he would love to have the situation that Viktor Orban has, but he doesn't," David Cornstein told the magazine. All this has drawn the ire of some members of Congress, Republican and Democrat alike. A group of Democratic senators led by Dianne Feinstein introduced a resolution in January condemning Orban's government and accusing it of undermining democracy in Hungary. And in a letter released on May 10, four members of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee -- Democrats Bob Menendez and Jeanne Shaheen, and Republicans Jim Risch and Marco Rubio -- called on Trump to emphasize "democratic values in our bilateral relationship with Budapest." The senators also cited Budapest's relationship Russia, saying Hungary hadn't diversified its energy resources away from Moscow. "We hope that Hungary will return to these democratic roots and inspiring history. We stand in solidarity with the Hungarian people and urge you to remain true to these democratic values that have undergirded our relations with Central and Eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War," the senators wrote. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he'll be meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin during the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) summit to be held in Japan in June. Trump made the comments on May 13 during remarks to reporters ahead of talks with visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news agency Interfax as saying that Washington had not requested a meeting between Trump and Putin. "There have been no requests. But there have been no agreements yet as well," Peskov told Interfax. Earlier, the Russian newspaper Kommersant, citing an unnamed U.S. State Department official, said that the White House had made the request to the Kremlin for Trump to meet with Putin. Trump's comments came one day before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to arrive in the Black Sea city of Sochi for talks with Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In remarks to reporters last week, a senior U.S. State Department declined to say whether Pompeo would be making arrangements for the Trump-Putin meeting. Earlier this month, Putin and Trump spoke by phone, where they discussed Venezuela, Ukraine, Iran, and the conclusion of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in U.S. elections. Trump also said he would be meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the G20 summit. Washington and Beijing are locked in an escalating trade war that has rattled stock markets, and spooked investors concerned about long-term damage to trade between the world's two largest economies. With reporting by Interfax and Kommersant KABUL -- The United Nations' Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has expressed "grave concern" about the impact on civilians from an "increase in violence around the country" during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. In a statement on May 13, UNAMA condemned the Taliban for attacks which the mission said "deliberately targeted" civilians. UNAMA is looking into allegations of civilian casualties resulting from air strikes by "international military forces" in Farah and Nimroz provinces against reported drug manufacturing facilities, the statement said. UNAMA also reiterated its call for all sides in the nearly 18-year Afghan conflict to halt fighting during Ramadan. UNAMA chief Tadamichi Yamamoto said there can be "absolutely no justification for deliberate or indiscriminate attacks against civilians." The Taliban, which has been holding direct peace talks with U.S. officials, has rejected proposals for cease-fires, saying U.S. and NATO troops must first be withdrawn from Afghanistan. UNAMA's statement noted that a Taliban attack on the offices of an international aid group in Kabul on May 8 had killed six civilians and wounded 28. An attack by the militant group on a police headquarters in the northern city of Pul-e Khumri on May 5 "caused many civilian casualties, with women and children among the injured," it said. Thirteen police officers were killed in the assault and another 55 people, including 20 civilians, were wounded, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry. In an April report, UNAMA said civilian casualties from the war fell by almost 25 percent during the first three months of 2019 compared to the same period a year earlier -- with a total of 581 civilians killed and 1,192 wounded. "A shocking number of civilians continue to be killed and maimed each day," Yamamoto said at the time. Metro Business Live will be held at the RTD building at 300 E. Franklin St. The gathering, which includes a catered breakfast, will be from 7:15 to 9:15 a.m. Tickets are $25 per person if purchased by May 24, and $30 after that. At least three of the seven people charged in the conspiracy have pleaded guilty. Hicks, who had not been in custody, was allowed to make an initial court appearance via video link on March 21. He asked authorities for help to get him to the federal courthouse. Last week, Novak approved an order for special transportation involving the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Richmond Ambulance Authority, the Henrico County Division of Fire and state and local emergency personnel, in an effort to protect Hicks health, safety and dignity. Hicks lives in a dwelling attached to the rear of a mobile home in Emporia. Authorities would not comment on how Hicks was moved Monday, but Novaks order called for him, if possible, to be placed on a gurney and taken out through a doorway and down a ramp. If it proved necessary to protect his safety, authorities were permitted to open a large hole in the wall of the structure in order to facilitate the use of a device capable of lifting the defendants weight. They were also authorized to remove a ramp near his doorway, as well as trees on the property and even of parts of the ceiling. Next Tuesdays hearing in the loading dock, set for 1:30 p.m., will be open to the public, as it would in a courtroom. However, anyone wishing to attend must check in with the U.S. Marshals Service 15 minutes prior to the hearing, Novak said. Jenks said school officials also met with the CEO of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond on Sunday to share information and updates about the situation. In a phone interview Sunday evening, foundation CEO Daniel Staffenberg said he believes both incidents are a hate crime. Whether it was done by kids or adults, it further feeds hate, he said. Words matter. Staffenberg declined to describe the graffiti he saw, but said the markings also contained language offensive to other minority groups. Images taken by a parent of a Godwin student showed that the graffiti depicted racial slurs against African Americans, threats against Jewish people and the word soon next to what appears to be a crude depiction of a handgun. Staffenberg said the Jewish community has been on alert recently due to a reported increase in anti-Semitic incidents in recent years. The Anti-Defamation League last month reported near-historic levels of anti-Semitic incidents in 2018, ranging from vandalism and harassment to a synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh in October that left 11 dead and six wounded. A man who weighs more than 900 pounds is set to be brought to federal court in Richmond on Monday, after the approval of a plan involving the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Richmond Ambulance Authority, the Henrico County Division of Fire, and state and local emergency personnel. Kenneth T. Hicks, 48, of Emporia, who is charged in a cocaine conspiracy case, is scheduled to plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David J. Novak and could be taken into custody immediately. On Tuesday, Novak approved an unusual transportation plan for Hicks sought by the government and his lawyer in an effort to protect his health, safety and dignity. The arrangements could involve cutting through a wall where he lives, bracing the structure and even cutting down some trees. Court papers show that the alleged conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than a pound of cocaine took place from 2013 into 2017. At least three of the seven people charged in the conspiracy have pleaded guilty. Hicks, who has not been in custody, was allowed to make an initial court appearance via video link on March 21. He asked authorities for help to get him to the federal courthouse on East Broad Street in Richmond for Mondays hearing. After her speech, the university honored Kramer with an honorary degree, recognizing her accomplishments as the founder of one of the worlds first digital marketing agencies and for her advocacy work to make menstrual support products more freely accessible in restrooms on college campuses, public schools and other places. In his opening remarks, Crutcher asked the graduates to recognize their family members, friends and guests in the audience gathered in the Robins Center. What better way to celebrate Mothers Day than to watch your children commence their new lives? he said. Crutcher said he is particularly fond of the 2019 graduating class, since most of them were freshmen when he first became university president. He told the graduates that they should not be overwhelmed by any feelings of uncertainty that may linger through their professional development and personal growth, likening it to a dizzying spiral staircase that circles but climbs upward. You leave here today with the capacity and social responsibly, the empathy and understanding to address the questions of our nation and our world will turn to you for answers, he said. You are the next generation of engaged citizens and leaders. Many began their trek in Georgia in March and early spring and would have traveled 500 miles by the time they reached Southwest Virginia, said Brian King, a spokesman for the conservancy. Dunagans deputies were the first to encounter Jordan, several yards from the scene of the attack Saturday. The victims had reported that a man wielding a large knife, accompanied by a dog, had threatened a group of four hikers camped out late Friday. Jordan allegedly pursued a pair of hikers who fled north, but they eluded him. Those two reached sheriffs deputies in nearby Bland County, and reported the nighttime attack, authorities said. The other two hikers fled south, but were unable to escape and Jordan allegedly chased and caught up with them, authorities said. Dunagan said the male victim managed to send the SOS on his phone and the mobile service provider alerted deputies to his location, just north of Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. The woman escaped, but not before suffering defensive wounds and being severely wounded by the stabbing. She pretended to be dead and when [Jordan] walked away after his dog, she took off running, Dunagan said. He added: Customers in deregulated states pay rates that are more than 40 percent higher on average and dont receive nearly as much in return. As it stands today, our Virginia customers get a great value. We keep our costs low, while our reliability remains high. Leaning on supply-side economics, members of the coalition believe that if ratepayers have their pick, the cost of electricity will drop while fostering energy innovation in the state. New entrants hoping to deliver energy could tap into modern sources such as privately owned wind and solar, or buy electricity from the market. They argued that energy production is already diversified in Virginia because the states electricity comes both from Dominion plants and a 14-state regional power pool called PJM Interconnection, of which Virginia is a member. Roughly 20 years ago, state lawmakers embarked on an effort to deregulate the electric utility industry, but after seeing few entrants to the market and no drop in prices, altered the system again, putting in place a form of regulation largely supported by the industry. Vietnam and Nepal share a lot of historical, cultural and religious similarities, they said. The Vietnamese NA supports and readies to create a favourbale legal corridor to boost cooperation between the two countries, National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said. Particularly, the NA will push the implementation of the outcomes of the talks between Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Nepalese counterpart as well as cooperation agreements reached during the guests ongoing official visit to Vietnam, she affirmed. National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) and Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli (Photo: VNA) K P Sharma Oli said it is his first visit to Vietnam in the position of the PM. Nepalese people have supported Vietnam from the years of fighting for national liberation, he said. He added that his talks with PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc gained a lot of positive outcomes, meeting the wish of the two countries leaders and marking a milestone in the effort to boost the bilateral relations. He suggested the two countries enhance cooperation in the coming time, including the establishment of a direct air route. NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan described the Nepalese PMs visit as a new development step in the two countries relations. She told the guest that many Vietnamese want to visit Nepal because it is the birthplace of the Lord Buddha. A convenient air route between the two countries will attract a lot of Vietnamese tourists to Nepal, she said. The top legislator wished Nepal to successfully host Vesak 2020./. Peace said Thursday afternoon that he is reviewing Wyatts filing. The Wyatt campaign argues that Miller was faced with a heated meeting that saw some guests become increasingly disorderly and even potentially violent, and for those reasons, opted to adjourn. The Times-Dispatch reported that bickering in the room at the May 1 meeting led a committee member to threaten, Theres a sheriffs deputy outside thatll have your ass thrown out. Wyatts campaign also argues in the appeal that even if the meeting had not been adjourned, the rules of order that govern committee proceedings dictate that certain actions cant be undone like the selection of delegates to participate in the convention. Wyatts campaign argues that once the nomination method is selected, changing course violates ... the Committees duties of fairness and neutrality. Peaces supporters feared an upset loss to Wyatt in a convention format, and believed he would fare better under a more open nomination process. His supporters on the committee argued that the convention should be scrapped due to concerns about its planning and logistics such as the amount of space at the venue. SMITH, Charles Purnell IV, 48, from Richmond, Virginia, died on May 7, 2019, at his home in Richmond, Virginia. Born July 2, 1970, in Martinsville, Virginia, he attended Carlisle School in Martinsville and was a 1988 graduate of Woodberry Forest School in Orange, Virginia. Charles received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Hampden-Sydney College in 1992, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He served as Managing Partner at GSA Staffing, a professional recruiting and placement agency, and was a member of the Commonwealth Club and the Society of Colonial Wars. His warmth and humor were admired by all he knew and his avid and passionate love of cooking was shared often with his family and friends. He is survived by his parents, a daughter and a son, and two sisters and their children. Donations in his honor may be made to: The Substance Abuse & Addiction Recovery Alliance (SAARA). SAARA of Virginia is a grassroots recovery community organization. https://www.saara.org/ SAARA of Virginia 2000 Mecklenburg Street Richmond, VA 23223 info@saaracenter.org Phone: (804) 762-4445 Every now and again, a book is written that makes us realize just how costly the price of freedom can be. Its a price exacted not only from military members but from their families as well. Heath Hardage Lees new book, The League of Wives: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took On the U.S. Government to Bring Their Husbands Home, does just that. The book tells with page-turning intensity the story of the American military wives who took on the federal government bureaucracy to get their prisoner of war (POW) husbands home and hold the North Vietnamese accountable for the brutal treatment of American prisoners. For military families there is nothing more heart-stopping than an unexpected black sedan pulling into the driveway. There are few words more crushing for families than, On behalf of the secretary of the Army, I am sorry to inform you that your husband (your son, your father, your daughter) died today. ... Almost as heart-stopping is the news that a service member is missing in action or has been captured by the enemy or his whereabouts are unknown. It is in these situations that families begin to live in a holding pattern. They exist day to day, waiting for any word on the status of a missing loved one. Putins game plan in Venezuela seems clear. He assumes Washington is reluctant to send forces to support the designated new president, Juan Guaido, because most Venezuelans and those across Latin America would deplore American imperialism. It would give Maduro a rallying call to Venezuelans to resist. Theres a resemblance here to how Putin managed to cement his hold on another client state, Syria, in 2014 after President Barack Obama failed to follow through on threats to use force in Syria if President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons. Putin sent his military forces to subdue the opposition and keep Assad in power. In return, he acquired a new airbase on the Mediterranean. Policy options. Here are three courses of action the Trump administration could adopt to deal with unfolding chaos in Venezuela. The least confrontational policy would be: Wait for Venezuelas population and military to conclude their economic situation is desperate and Maduro must be ousted. Thats the preferred policy of those who believe time is on the side of Guaido and his democratic supporters. Its also the preference of those who think any form of military intervention by the U.S. would give Maduro and his military a reason to stay in power and resist the Americans You dont have to be the hero. That, John Castillo told NBC News Wednesday, is something he had advised his 18-year-old son, Kendrick. If ever a shooter invades your school, son, dont try to confront him, dont take the risk. But Castillo said Kendrick had other ideas, telling his dad that he would not hesitate to defend other peoples lives. As the world now knows, Kendrick was as good as his word. When two of the latest in this countrys seemingly endless line of armed maniacs descended upon the STEM School Highlands Ranch near Denver, witnesses say Kendrick rushed him. Some other boys managed to disarm him. In the melee, one of the students, Joshua Jones, was wounded. And Kendrick was killed. The young man whose father told him not to be a hero became exactly that. But he never shouldve had to. That goes also for Riley Howell, a 21-year-old student who died seven days before Kendrick, tackling a gunman in a classroom at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. And it goes for 60-year-old Lori Gilbert-Kaye, shot and killed 10 days before when she stood between her rabbi and a gunman at a synagogue near San Diego. Mexican navy rescues four off coast of Mahahual Mahahual, Q.R. Four people needed rescuing by Mexican navy personnel after their boat failed nearly 20 kilometers offshore. La Secretaria de MarinaArmada de Mexico made the rescue Saturday approximately 10 nautical miles or 18.5 kilometers off the coast of Mahahual. Four people were left stranded on a small fishing boat after the motor gave way. The four, who were aboard Rosy, lost use of their propellers and began drifting. An Emergency 911 call alerted marine personnel who set sail in search of Rosy. The boat was spotted with all four Mexican nationals on board. They, along with their vessel, were transferred to a Mahahual wharf. All were reported to be in good health. LYNCHBURG Tourists and residents alike now have a second craft beverage trail to experience in Nelson County. The Nelson 29 Craft Beverage Trail includes a distillery, wineries and breweries. Its modeled after the popular Nelson 151 trail on the other side of the county, which has been around for the past 10 years. Sarah Craun, who helped to develop the idea with Maureen Kelley, said that when she started working at the Virginia Distillery Co. in Lovingston, she had a goal to increase visitation to the distillery. Group marketing helps, so I approached the Nelson 151 group and Maureen [Kelley], Craun said. Craun said that with the help of Nelson 151 a beverage trail that includes six wineries, three breweries, and two cideries the Nelson 29 group was established. The Nelson 29 trail spans about 20 miles from DelFosse Vineyards and Winery in Faber to Blue Mountain Barrel House in Arrington. Along the way, the trail includes Lovingston Winery, Virginia Distillery Co., Brent Manor Vineyards and Wood Ridge Farm Brewery. We hope to become recognized in the eyes of tourism outside of the immediate area, Craun said. Craun, originally president of the Nelson 29 trail, passed on the title to Stephanie Wright, of Lovingston Winery. Wright said she hopes people realize everything U.S. 29 has to offer in Nelson County as the craft beverage trail becomes more prominent. Its great, easy access up and down 29 and there is never a crazy amount of traffic. Its a very relaxed atmosphere, Wright said. Wright said U.S. 29 is growing slowly, but surely with new restaurants and places to stay overnight, along with the craft beverage businesses. Things are slowly building around here and we want to encourage that, Wright said. Lindsay Dorrier, president of the Nelson 151 group, said that group had been discussing integrating some of the businesses along U.S. 29 into the Nelson 151 trail for a few years. Then, last summer and into early fall, Craun approached them and started discussing a separate Nelson 29 trail. We have seen positive results Nelson 151 has created, so we thought it was appropriate to help Nelson 29 get off the ground, Dorrier said. Dorrier said the beverage trails will help to attract people from all over. We want folks to come and spend not just a day, but a weekend and come back multiple times to enjoy all Nelson has to offer, Dorrier said. Craun said their goal is to offer tourists from target areas such as Richmond and Washington multiple locations to travel to when they visit Nelson. Its not just a trip for one entity, Craun said. The Nelson 29 trail will have a festival on Sept.7 to officially recognize the organization. EDUCATION Laura Belmonte has been named dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech. Joanne Tuohy has joined the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech as an assistant professor of surgical oncology in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Services. Robert Davidson, assistant professor of accounting and information systems in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, was named the William S. Gay Senior Faculty Fellow by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors has conferred the title of emerita/emeritus on the following: Judy Riffle, professor of chemistry in the College of Science and former director of the interdisciplinary macromolecular science and engineering Ph.D. education program; Wanda Dean, retired vice provost for enrollment and degree management; and Carlyle Brewster, professor of entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. LAW The Roanoke Bar Association recognized two attorneys at the annual Law Day Celebration: Devon Slovensky received the 2019 Young Lawyer of the Year Award and Jennie Waering received the 2019 Frank W. Bo Rogers Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award. Roy Creasy has been named a 2019 Virginia Super Lawyer. David Weaver of Weaver Law Firm PC has been named to the 2019 Virginia Super Lawyers list. OTHER Debbie Brubaker, a Franklin County beef and dairy farmer, received the 2019 Agriculture Advocate Award from the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization and the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. Samantha Edwards has been appointed leasing and marketing counselor at Richfield Living. PUBLIC SAFETY Roanoke Fire-EMS announced the following promotions: Trevor Shannon, battalion chief of emergency management and community preparedness; Joey Pugh, captain/deputy fire marshal; Becky Smith, lieutenant/assistant fire marshal; Clarence Turpin and Toby Bedwell, battalion chief. 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. A massive fire ravaged the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris last month, destroying much of the grandeur begun over 800 years ago. We watched video showing the flames eating the timbered roof, struggling firemen, pathetically small streams of water directed into the inferno, and black smoke towering into the sky. We also watched local citizens looking helplessly into the unnatural furnace, their faces distressed, their lips moving inaudibly in prayer or singing in unison, and their arms surrounding one another in emotional support. We saw the 300-foot steeple, restored in the 19th century, yield finally to the destroyer and disappear into the inferno. The sad occasion was eerily reminiscent of the Twin Towers that were victimized in New York in 2001 with horrendous loss of life. This event also, however devastating, requires us to assess its ultimate meaning and effect. In this instance, I have been impressed by a remark made by the dean of the American Cathedral in Paris. She said that, in spite of the loss, the tragedy seemed somehow appropriate in the week before Easter. Notre Dame Cathedral died, of course, but there will be resurrection. Even before the weeks end, the president of France promised that it will be rebuilt, and probably better than ever. Wealthy French citizens have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to support reconstruction, and thousands from around the world will contribute to the effort. The cathedral will reappear, just as surely as the Freedom Tower now stands in New York City. Entire European cities have been rebuilt since World War II. Even Hiroshima and Nagasaki are today beautiful examples of modern planning and construction. This is another opportunity to reaffirm our viability. Life, by its vulnerable nature, is susceptible to accident, failure, ruin and loss. The rational response is acknowledgment, planning and determined efforts toward recreation and prevention wherever possible, and simple acceptance where it is not. Many of the religious relics and objects of art in Notre Dame were saved and will reemerge in splendor. The cathedral will be restored, however long it takes. We can retain a celebratory mood because we know the possibility of do-overs, second chances, reformations, reconstruction and repeated demonstrations of tenacity and resolution of the human spirit. As in Greek mythology, this modern phoenix will rise above the ashes. An Alabama man was arrested by Blacksburg police and charged with possession of child pornography. William Matthew Carter, 52, of Auburn, Alabama, was arrested Friday, according to a Blacksburg police news release. He was taken before a magistrate and released on a $3,500 bond, according to the release. However, additional warrants were later obtained by Auburn, Alabama, police and served by Montgomery County Sheriffs Office in Virginia, according to the release. Carter was being held Monday in Western Regional Jail without bond, awaiting extradition on the Alabama charges, the release said. Blacksburg police spokesman John Goad said he did not know why Carter was in Montgomery County. The Opelika-Auburn News reported that Carter was arrested at a residence in Montgomery County. Evidence seized in the Virginia case prompted Auburn police to begin an investigation and execute a search of Carters residence in Auburn, the newspaper reported. That resulted in Auburn detectives obtaining five additional felony warrants charging Carter for possession of child pornography, said police, according to the newspaper. The warrants were then entered into NCIC and law enforcement authorities in Virginia were notified. The Montgomery County (Virginia) Sheriffs Office was able to locate Carter and take him into custody, according to the newspaper. The newspaper also reported that police said Carter will be eligible for a $50,000 bond once in custody in Lee County, Alabama. Carter was listed as a faculty member on Auburn Universitys website, although his faculty profile page had been removed Monday. A College of Liberal Arts flier announcing new faculty members welcomed him to Auburns faculty in 2014 as an English lecturer. The now-removed profile described him as a longtime resident of Roanoke, Virginia. An administrator at Virginia Commonwealth University was found last week face down in the bath tub of her Stratford Hills home in Richmond as the water ran and a bloody knife sat on the nearby counter, according to a search warrant in the case, which Richmond police have now classified as a homicide. At 11:07 p.m. Thursday, Richmond police responded to the home of Suzanne A. Fairman, 53, in the 7100 block of Tanglewood Road for a welfare check. According to the warrant, police said she was supposed to travel to Florida, but never arrived. Officers found Fairman in the tub in the main bathroom of the home, the warrant said. The medical examiner's officer said the cause of death was asphyxia. "The water was running and a knife with blood on it was visible on the counter in the same bathroom," the document said. On Monday, Richmond police said the death investigation they'd opened on Thursday had been reclassified as a homicide. The search warrant covered: "knives or any device capable of slicing or cutting." Detectives inventoried several computers and electronic devises, bedding, gloves, a bandana, one knife and a cord. Fairman was the operational administrator for Virginia Commonwealth Universitys academic learning transformation lab and graduated from the VCU School of Business, according to a university website. Police released a photo of Fairman after speaking with family member in hopes that it would "prompt people to come forward with any information they may have on this case," said Major Crimes Capt. James Laino in a statement. "Any information, no matter how small the detail may be, could assist in solving this case." Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call Major Crimes Detective J. Baynes at (804) 646-3617 or contact Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000 or at www.7801000.com. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones may also be used. All Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous. The man charged with murder on the Appalachian Trail in Wythe County first threatened hikers that he would pour gasoline on their tents and burn them to death before stabbing two people, according to an FBI affidavit. During an appearance in U.S. District Court in Abingdon on Monday, James Louis Jordan, 30, of Massachusetts, was ordered by a U.S. Magistrate Judge Pamela Meade Sargent to undergo mental evaluations, which will include a competency examination and a sanity examination. They are due Aug. 1. Jordan has been charged with murder and assault with intent to murder following a late-night attack Friday along the Appalachian Trail in Wythe County. One man was killed and one woman escaped with severe stab wounds, according to court documents. Authorities have not released the victims names. The affidavit from FBI Special Agent Micah Childers provides details about the attack. According to Childers statement, Jordan was playing guitar, singing and acting disturbed and unstable when he approached a group of four hikers on the Appalachian Trail in Smyth County on Friday. The hikers recognized Jordan from social media posts about a previous incident last month in Unicoi County, Tennessee, during which Jordan allegedly threatened other hikers and was arrested on misdemeanor charges. At that time, Jordan was charged with possession of marijuana and providing false identification. He was fined, placed on probation and released, according to The Washington Post. Unicoi County Sheriff Mike Hensley told The Post that his deputies charged Jordan with what they could after hikers refused to press assault charges and testify against Jordan in court. After Jordan first approached the group of four hikers on Friday, the group continued into Wythe County to make a camp along the trail in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. Later, Jordan began randomly approaching the hikers tents, making noises and threatening the hikers, according to Childers statement. After Jordan threatened to set their tents on fire, the four hikers decided to pack up and leave out of fear. Thats when Jordan approached them with a knife, according to Childers. Two hikers, described as Hiker #1 and Hiker #2 in the affidavit, ran as Jordan chased them. Jordan returned to the camp, where he got into an argument with the male hiker, called Victim #1 in the affidavit, and began stabbing him in the upper part of the body. The woman, described as Victim #2, watched the male victim fall and then she ran. The female victim began to tire, and Jordan caught up with her. She turned to face Jordan and raised her arms as if to surrender when Jordan began stabbing her and she received multiple stab wounds, the affidavit reads. She fell to the ground and played dead, as Jordan left to search for his dog, which had accompanied him on the trail. The woman then ran south on the trail until she received assistance from a male hiker and female hiker, who hiked with her another 6 miles into Smyth County, where she called 911. At approximately 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Wythe Countys joint dispatch 911 center received a call, presumably from hikers 1 and 2, who said they were being chased by a man with a machete. At 3:12 a.m., Smyth County 911 received the call from the female victim, who reported the attack on her. At approximately 6:14 a.m., a tactical team from the Wythe County Sheriffs Office entered the camp where the attack began and took Jordan into custody. The deputies saw blood on Jordans clothing, according to Childers. The male victim was pronounced dead at the scene of the attack. During an interview with Smyth County Sheriffs Office investigators on Saturday at Bristol Regional Medical Center, the female victim identified Jordan as her attacker. The two hikers who fled also identified Jordan as the attacker to investigators. The hikers said that Jordan had chased them with a knife. A knife was discovered close to the body of the male victim, according to the affidavit. During Mondays hearing, Jordan asked about the whereabouts of his dog. Prosecutor Zachary Lee said the dog is at a no-kill animal shelter in Wythe County. Jordan is represented by attorney Nancy Dickenson. Meanwhile, also on Monday, a Bristol, Tennessee, business owner said that he had an unusual encounter last week with Jordan. On May 5, Jordan apparently stopped at the University C Mart at the corner of King College Road and Cedar Street around 1 a.m. Mike Brown, the stores owner, said he stopped to fill up his gas tank. After turning off the pump, Brown said he suddenly heard the sound of a can being kicked. He turned around and saw a dog wearing a service vest. I then saw the man dressed in camouflage, said Brown, adding that the man, believed to be Jordan, was also carrying a military backpack, a fishing pole and a guitar. The man told Brown he was looking in the dumpster for something to eat. Brown, who thought Jordan was a veteran due to a tattoo on his arm, said he went back inside the store and retrieved a sandwich and a bottle of water. The more the men talked, the more concerned Brown became for his own safety. Brown said the man talked about being in a special force and told him he was a suburban assassin and that his target drove a large white truck, similar to one that Brown had parked at the gas pump. He said he had to kill his target and open two gates to start the situation up, said Brown, who then called 911. Two Bristol Tennessee police officers responded. The officers did have an interaction with who they believe was James Jordan on May 5, Maj. Matt Austin confirmed Monday. The officers were checking on him because of a complaint of a suspicious person. Austin said the officers found no reason to detain him. He was gone the next morning when Brown said he went to the store. The Bristol Herald Courier contributed to this report. 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. FAIRLAWN Multiple New River Community College students were on the cusp Monday of breaking the Guinness World Records mark for fastest 3D printed cars in the unlimited rocket-powered model car division. It wasnt the gusty winds or rain from the night before that thwarted attempts to break the record . Instead, the durability of the plastic that the 3D printed cars were constructed from failed to hold up for the second time trial needed to certify the records. We shattered the record, but it wont stand because our cars got shattered, too, said Jeff Levy, head of NRCCs engineering design and technology program. We had three runs that were over 280 mph, real time. Frey said that his students model cars went significantly faster than 204 mph, the current world record, because the motors they used on Monday were larger in scale than the ones used to achieve the earlier mark. First- and second-year students tested their cars at the Motor Mile Speedways drag strip in Fairlawn, with the latter group attempting to break the world record, which required two completed runs to be completed within an hour of each other. Levy said that each run is designed to be 200 feet, passing through two laser timing system check points and then back down the other way on the second trip. The average of both runs is used to calculate the overall speed. Ten students in five groups attempted the feat, with four teams completing at least one run. The first team to test their cars made it halfway down the runway before the rocket engine exploded and sent the models of between 1 and 2 feet of length flying through the air, before hitting the ground in multiple pieces. We were having so many problems with the high-powered rocket engines expanding. Then we had problems with the trolley system disengaging from the cars. They were just not strong enough to hold them on the wire at those speeds, Levy said. Cars were just flying off. We had one that flew thirty-something feet to the side [of the track]. He said that after making onsite adjustments, the cars started working properly and a top speed of 293 mph was recorded by Wesley Mashburn and Daniel Tsang. The failed attempt by Elizabeth Quesenberry and Noah McMillan made their car unusable for further runs, but the duo didnt let that setback get to them. It was a lot of fun and I have really enjoyed the program. This was just a fun project that we were able to work on throughout the year, McMillan said. The group of second-year students is set to graduate from the EDT program this week. Levy said that 80 percent of his students either already have jobs at engineering firms or have multiple interviews set up. I try to fill in four years of core classes within two, and the students have done a great job meeting expectations he said. Levy said the test cars are scaled-down versions of the Bloodhound SSC a pencil-shaped, British supersonic land vehicle currently trying to set a new land speed record by exceeding 1,000 mph and students worked on various designs throughout the year before making it to Mondays race day. Printing the parts takes up to 24 hours, said Stephen Bryant, a technology specialist at NRCC. He said students have honed their designs throughout the year. The two engines used were one big one or two little ones that created more force than the plastic models could withstand, Levy said. He said he is confident the record will be broken next year, because students will use more durable substances like Kevlar and carbon fiber, allowing the cars to withstand multiple runs. He said that he considered the event a success, even though no records were broken. They learned a lot, Levy said. I have no doubt the record will be broken next year. Absolutely no doubt. 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. LEXINGTON Lynn Williams and her husband Tom decided it was time to kick up their feet. They chose an apartment at Kendal at Lexington, a retirement community, and moved there in July 2017. They passed all of the required tests for independent living and were both doing well. But suddenly, Tom wasnt. They spent every other week going to Augusta Health for neurological tests until the doctors diagnosed him with Parkinsonisms, a neurological disorder that causes mobility problems similar to Parkinsons disease. From there, Toms health declined with other physical ailments and dementia. On a Monday in late January, Lynn moved him into Kendals Borden Health Center, which serves residents with more serious health and cognitive issues. When the diagnosis came down, it was a tremendous blow, Lynn said. I told Tom when there came a time I couldnt care for him, we would come to Borden and get him a room. And it was a smooth transition because he had been here many times, he knew people here. By early February, he was gone. Lynn said she and Tom had planned to live the rest of their lives at Kendal, and they moved in just in time. The nurses were there, Lynn had the help she needed, and shes still getting support living on her own in her apartment. We are all wanting to be taken care of graciously, gently, like were loved and were special, she said. And he got that. The nurses gave it to him. Lynn beams when she talks about the staff at Kendal everyone from the nurses to the maintenance staff. She said she wasnt surprised to hear the center received one of the highest accreditations achievable. Kendal received three accreditations from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. The community received the basic accreditation, and has for the past 10 years, but was recognized in January with two specialties: dementia care and person-centered care. Charlotte Sibold, Kendals health services administrator, said the community has been working to achieve these specialities for the past five years. CARF provides a list of 1,200 standards to meet across every facet of the organization, including financial management, human resources, transportation, risk management and accessibility. Sibold said she and her staff focused on developing dementia education programs for every staff member. Nurses, administrators, maintenance and housekeeping staff members are trained on how to interact and care for people with dementia. Other staff members complete an exercise where they don goggles, shoes and gloves that mimic the symptoms of aging. They are asked to complete simple tasks that become nearly impossible. Sibold said its an eye-opening program that changed the way staff interact with residents and increased empathy at all levels. To achieve the person-centered speciality, Kendal customized its facility to match the needs of residents. When new residents move into the community, they complete a form that lists their preferences when they want to wake up, go to bed, eat their meals and what they like to do during the day. Then, the staff adjusts. Sibold said dining hours expanded, menu options diversified, loud alarms were eliminated, and nurses allowed residents to sleep through the night. The accreditors noticed. In the final report they wrote, Daily life at Kendal at Lexington is driven by persons served, so persons served truly feel empowered and engaged. Kendal Lexington is owned by Lexington Retirement Community Inc. and is an affiliate of the not-for-profit, Pennsylvania-based Kendal Corp. Kendal Lexington Executive Director Mina Tepper said only 15 separate facilities in Virginia have received CARFs basic accreditation. (One of those is Hermitage Roanoke, according to the CARF database.) Kendal is one of two in Virginia to have received the additional dementia and person-centered care accreditations. We think this is a major accomplishment, Tepper said. For us, it was an investment in time, personnel, education, a variety of things. I think its a really good outside look as to how were doing things. 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 relationship between United States history and law is complicated and something distinguished University of Virginia professor G. Edward White has devoted years to examining in his Law in American History book series. Though initially intended to be a single volume, White said, he soon realized he couldnt properly examine the connections between law and U.S. history in a single book. Instead, he decided to divide the series into three volumes: the first covering the Colonial era to the Civil War; the second from Reconstruction through the 1920s; and the final volume, which was published recently, stretching from 1930 to 2000. White said he was approached by the Oxford Press to write a book on the history of American law from his perspective, which differs from a popular one that posits that law is a mirror of society. The generally accepted thought is that issues and events put pressure on the law, forcing it to respond and change, White said. However, through his research, White said he has come to think that the relationship between law and history is more complex . I think and continue to think that the relationship between the law and society is different than a mirror; sometimes the law is constitutive, or based on established doctrines, he said. The courts are not making decisions on a clean slate; they must consider the existing framework. In a broader view, Whites volumes have examined key periods and events in American history, how law coalesced and informed these moments and was changed by them. Examples include detachment of the British-American colonies, the Civil War and racial slavery and the transformation of the U.S. Supreme Court. Whites most recent volume examines the more contemporary relationship between law and society, as well as how law education has changed. In particular, the role of the Supreme Court has changed significantly since the end of the Civil War, White said. At the end of the Civil War, the passage of the 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments changed the role of the Supreme Court in American life, he said. The court has become highly politicized now, White said, in part because of the nomination process. In the past, it was not uncommon for an appointee to the Supreme Court not to have lower court experience. However, in the last 40 years, White said a shift has occurred, with the majority of appointees having served in lower courts. This allows for a more predictable appointment, he said. You can look at their record and make certain kind of perceptions about their politics. This has led to an unfortunate aura of politicization, White said, and, in some ways, a change to how to Supreme Court operates. Judges are no longer impartial legal scientists, but something more akin to a legislator, he said. In addition to his three Law in American History volumes, White has published 17 books and won various awards, according to his UVa profile, including a final listing for the Pulitzer Prize in history. Michaela Banks felt fortunate to spend this Mothers Day at home with her young son, who was born while she was staying at the Womens Center at Moores Creek. The Charlottesville center, run by Region Ten Community Services Board, is a residential substance abuse treatment program for women. Women are allowed to bring up to two of their preschool-aged children to live with them while in treatment. Banks said everyone was very helpful and offered to help her with her laundry and cleaning her room during her time at the facility. It was great, all the women wanted to hold the baby all the time, so I got a lot of me time after I had the baby, she said, laughing. Her drinking problem started when she was young, she said, and she had started getting in trouble. I decided to head over to something more intense than therapy and outpatient services, she said. Lori Wood, senior director of emergency and short-term stabilization services, said its not typical for women to be able to bring their children to residential treatment centers, and theres only one other center in Virginia that allows children. When we did needs assessment and review, we found women were going to treatment less often because they werent able to take their young children with them, she said. Having that as an option meant that, then, women could potentially get into treatment and be served sooner and be able to bring their young children with them. Banks said the ability to bring her son with her was a huge part of why she went to the center. I dont know if I wouldve been able to go if I couldnt bring one of my children, at least, with me, she said. It wouldve been too hard to be separated from them for so long. Banks son is now four years old. She also has a 1-year-old daughter and two stepchildren. It wasnt always easy, however, and having her son with her made it a little difficult to do some activities, she said. We couldnt go to certain groups because they had to be confidential and he was old enough to understand some of the things the women were saying, she said. Wood said they have served about 50 women from all over the state since the center opened in September. Women typically stay between 30 days and three months, depending on their needs. We do a screening to determine that this center and this level of care is appropriate for their needs, because what we dont want is a woman who has a higher or more acute or a medical need to come there and be at risk, or that really shes in recovery more than the other folks in the center, she said. Wood said theyve heard positive feedback from the women who have stayed at the center. Some days are hard, but those stories really help us keep at it, and doing this is important work for making sure folks have what they need to be able to live in recovery, she said. The center also has peer recovery specialists whom Banks said were inspiring, and she wants to potentially be one in the future. The clinicians are very helpful they know a lot and theyre really smart, but its a whole different perspective from someone whos been through it and done some of the things youve done, she said. And then seeing how they came out and still got their degrees, or whatever they decided to do after, and be successful. Its different, its nice, Banks said. They get to be a lot more open and raw with you than the clinicians and other staff. She said she goes back to visit regularly, and she learned a lot that she has been able to apply to her day-to-day life. Banks believes her children validate the effort required to seek residential treatment. I didnt want them to see me the way that I was in my active alcoholism, she said. I didnt want them to see that and think that was an OK way to live. I did whatever I had to do to get better for them. STOCKHOLM Swedish prosecutors said Monday they are reopening a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and seek his extradition after he has served his 50-week prison term in Britain for jumping bail. Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference in Stockholm that "there is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape." She added: "It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required." Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges a step short of formal charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010, following complaints from two Swedish women who said they were the victims of sex crimes committed by Assange. The Australian secret-spiller left Sweden for Britain in September 2010, and took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition. After almost seven years holed up in the building, he was arrested by British police April 11 when Ecuador revoked his political asylum, accusing him of everything from meddling in the nation's foreign affairs to poor hygiene. He is currently in London's Belmarsh Prison serving a 50-week sentence for jumping bail in 2012. He is also being held on a U.S. extradition warrant for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. While a Swedish case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped in 2017 when the statute of limitations expired, a rape allegation remains. Swedish authorities have had to shelf it because Assange was living at the embassy at the time and there was no prospect of bringing him to Sweden. The statute of limitations on that case expires next August. Assange has denied wrongdoing, asserting that the allegations were politically motivated and that the sex was consensual. Julian Assange's Swedish lawyer Per E. Samuelsen told Swedish broadcaster SVT on Monday he was "very suprised" by the decision to reopen the case. "I do not understand the Swedish prosecutor's ... reasoning for reopening a 10-year old case," he said. Persson said a European arrest warrant will be issued for Assange. A Swedish court would formally issue the extradition request, which Assange could appeal. She added that while there is a risk the case may cut close to the statute of limitations deadline, "there is also a chance that we will be able to get him extradited before August 17 next year." The Swedish move would leave British authorities to decide whether to extradite Assange to Sweden or to the United States, where he is wanted separately for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. There was no immediate reaction from Elisabeth Massi Fritz, the lawyer for the woman who reported being raped by Assange. The 47-year-old Australian met the women in connection with a lecture in August 2010 in Stockholm. One was involved in organizing an event for Sweden's center-left Social Democratic Party and offered to host Assange at her apartment. The other was in the audience. A police officer who heard the women's accounts decided there was reason to suspect they were victims of sex crimes and handed the case to a prosecutor. Neither of the alleged victims has been named publicly. Assange faces a maximum of four years in prison in Sweden. The British extradition process is not swift, and Assange could appeal several times if decisions go against him. It's expected it would take a year or longer for him to be sent to the United States or possibly to Sweden even if he ultimately loses in court. WikiLeaks' Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said the decision to reopen the case against Assange "will give Julian a chance to clear his name." He said in a statement that Swedish prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson had been under "intense political pressure" to reopen the case, and criticized authorities for "mishandling" it from the start. Olsen reported from Copenhagen, Denmark. Gregory Katz contributed from London. FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates Two Saudi oil tankers and a Norwegian-flagged vessel were damaged in what Gulf officials described Monday as a "sabotage" attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. While details of the incident remain unclear, it raised risks for shippers in a region vital to global energy supplies at a time of increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers. The U.S. issued a new warning to sailors as the UAE's regional allies condemned Sunday's alleged attack that the UAE says targeted four ships off the coast of its port city of Fujairah. It came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the port. While Gulf officials declined to say who they suspect may be responsible, the U.S. has warned ships that "Iran or its proxies" could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged, still-unspecified threats from Tehran. The scale of the alleged sabotage also remains unclear. A statement from Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom's two oil tankers, including one due to later carry crude to the U.S., sustained "significant damage." However, a report from Sky News Arabia, a satellite channel owned by an Abu Dhabi ruling family member, showed the allegedly targeted Saudi tanker Al Marzoqah afloat without any apparent damage. The MT Andrea Victory, another of the allegedly targeted ships, sustained a hole in its hull just above its waterline from "an unknown object," its owner Thome Ship Management said in a statement. Images Monday of the Andrea Victory, which the company said was "not in any danger of sinking," showed damage similar to what the firm described. Emirati officials identified the third ship as the Saudi-flagged oil tanker Amjad. Ship-tracking data showed the vessel still anchored off Fujairah, apparently not in immediate distress. The fourth ship was the A. Michel, a bunkering tanker flagged in Sharjah, one of the UAE's seven emirates. A U.S. official told The Associated Press that American naval investigators were assisting the Emiratis with their probe of the incident. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the assistance publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the Persian Gulf and wider region from its base in Bahrain, declined to comment on the incident. The Navy runs a small supply operation out of the nearby Emirati naval base in Fujairah. Authorities in Fujairah, also a UAE emirate, also declined to speak to the AP. Emirati officials stopped AP journalists from traveling by boat to see the ships. However, the incident raises questions about maritime security in the UAE, home to Dubai's Jebel Ali port, the largest man-made deep-water harbor in the world that is also the U.S. Navy's busiest port of call outside of America. From the coast, AP journalists saw an Emirati coast guard vessel patrolling near the area of one of the Saudi ships in Fujairah, some 130 miles (210 kilometers) northeast of Dubai on the Gulf of Oman. Fujairah also is about 140 kilometers (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. The alleged sabotage caused jitters in global oil markets, as benchmark Brent crude rose in trading to over $71.50 a barrel Monday, a change of 1.3%. Al-Falih, the Saudi energy minister, said the attacks on the two Saudi tankers happened at 6 a.m. Sunday. He said "the attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill," though he acknowledge it affected "the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world." It is "the joint responsibility of the international community to protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets, and the danger they pose to the global economy," he said, according to the statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Shortly after the Saudi announcement, Iran's Foreign Ministry called for further clarification about what exactly happened with the vessels. The ministry' spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying there should be more information about the incident. Mousavi also warned against any "conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers" and "adventurism by foreigners" to undermine the maritime region's stability and security. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are staunch opponents of Iran's government. Tensions have risen since President Donald Trump withdrew America from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, and restored U.S. sanctions that have pushed Iran's economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. European Union officials met Monday in Brussels to thrash out ways to keep the Iran nuclear deal afloat. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had traveled there for talks. "We're not going to miscalculate. Our aim is not war," Pompeo told CNBC in an interview. "Our aim is a change in the behavior of the Iranian leadership." Underling the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the incident as a "serious escalation." "Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger," Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen's internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage, as did the Arab League. The U.S. Maritime Administration, a division of the U.S. Transportation Department, warned Thursday that "Iran and/or its regional proxies" could target commercial sea traffic. The agency issued a new warning Sunday to sailors about the alleged sabotage and urged shippers to exercise caution in the area for the next week. It remains unclear if the previous warning from the U.S. Maritime Administration is the same perceived threat that prompted the White House on May 4 to order the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and the B-52 bombers to the region. In a statement then, national security adviser John Bolton had warned Iran that "that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force." Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in Dubai, Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, Malak Harb in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed. CHICAGO Although we live in a country where organized religion is mostly out of vogue, there are still plenty of people who are familiar with the teachings of Christ and who cant square them with how supposedly God-fearing Republicans inhumanely view migrants and refugees at the U.S. border. The rejection of Christian teaching on this issue [of immigration] is pretty much a job requirement in the Trump administration, noted Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson in a piece citing examples of Republican hypocrisy on the issue. Evangelicals insist on the centrality and inerrancy of scripture and condemn society for refusing to follow biblical norms and yet, when it comes to verse after verse requiring care for the stranger, they dont merely ignore this mandate; they oppose it. But are we painting Christians with too broad a brush? Thats certainly the opinion of the Evangelical Immigration Table, which bills itself as a broad coalition of evangelicals who advocate for immigration reform that is consistent with biblical values. Members include Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; Shirley Hoogstra, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities; and Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. They want to make sure their fellow Christians know that it is both possible and practical to use the Bible as a guide in approaching immigrants and immigration policy. We have the science and the technology to both have a secure border and to have legal immigration we can do both, says Anderson in one of the groups videos, which is titled Pro-Security, Pro-Compassion. In that same video, Jo Anne Lyon, the global ambassador for the Wesleyan Church, says, Yes, secure the national borders, but we want borders that are secured, not closed. Another of the organizations videos is titled Making Things Right: Establishing a Path Toward Legal Status. It advocates giving citizenship to immigrants who are currently living in the shadows. [An] earned legalization process, paired with improvements to border security, is supported by more than two-thirds of American Evangelical Christians according to a poll from LifeWay, Hoogstra said. Along with the videos, the Evangelical Immigration Table released an e-book titled Thinking Biblically About Immigrants and Immigration Reform. It suggests that the Bible which the e-book calls the ultimate authority for evangelical Christians should be a guide not just for policy, but personal encounters: While applying biblical principles to public policy inherently requires some prudential determinations, biblical teachings about how to interact with immigrants themselves leave less space for differences of interpretation: Were called to love our neighbors (Luke 10:27) and to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), regardless of where we land on public policy. Driving its point home, the e-book starts off by underscoring how many of the most prominent Bible characters were themselves immigrants, forced across borders just to find food. It goes on to cite numerous passages showing that vulnerable groups of people, like immigrants, were objects of Gods particular concern. This would be the precise moment for the cynic to engage in finger-pointing and recriminations about the many ways and times that Bible verses are taken out of context (or not) to delegitimize particular groups, such as gay, lesbian or transgender people. But to what end? These evangelical Christians, who feel theyve been miscast or misrepresented, are clearly trying to extend an olive branch not only to their detractors but to those who might find solace in the Bible and are ambivalent about the immigration issue. These videos are nicely produced, and the e-book is a fine resource that is also humane. It calls for a bipartisan solution on immigration that respects the God-given dignity of every person, protects the unity of the immediate family and establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents. Ultimately, however, while enlightened evangelical Christians preach about the Bible to fellow Christians, they need to also contact elected lawmakers who dehumanize immigrants or stand with a president who wants to be even harsher to the women, children and men who arrive at our border fleeing political turmoil, violence or economic freefall. Its not enough to preach to the choir on the issue of immigration. Evangelical Christians, please take an outspoken leadership role and help cool the heated rhetoric in far-right, anti-immigrant camps. Especially with those who put the power of their political pulpit toward dehumanizing immigrants and those who care about them. Cepeda is a columnist for The Washington Post Writers Group. Regular readers know that when politicians dont pay attention to rural Virginia, we flog them like the proverbial rented mule. Sometimes, though, we offer some editorial treats. So today, we stand at the ready, whip in one hand and a box of sugar cubes in the other, as we look at one of the first Democratic presidential candidates to offer up a plan grandly titled Revitalizing Rural America. Which will it be? Before we answer that elections ultimately are binary choices we must point out what President Trumps economic plan for rural America is: He doesnt have one. To be fair, a robust economy helps everybody, rural and non-rural alike, and right now Trump benefits politically from a robust economy. But looking at whether the jobs report is up or down is a very short-term way of looking at the economy you might even say a Wall Street way. Sometimes the economy goes up, sometimes it goes down. We need to be able to look beyond that at much larger, long-term, trends and there the results arent so happy. First, we see a growing divergence between metro areas and the rest of the country and not all metro areas, either. In 2012, almost 58 percent of the nations venture capital went to just five superstar metro areas San Francisco, New York, Boston, San Jose and Los Angeles, in that order. By 2017, that figure was close to 81 percent. The rich really are getting richer. We dont see either party talking about that. Second, its increasingly clear that one of the fundamental challenges facing rural America is that the labor pool isnt prepared for the new economy. The information age demands a better-educated workforce which doesnt always mean a college degree, but does mean something beyond high school. The State Council for Higher Education in Virginia reported last year that an astounding 99 percent of the jobs in the state since the recession have gone to workers with more than a high school diploma. Rural America may not need to replicate, say, Arlington, where 71 percent of working-age adults have a college degree. But in most rural communities in Virginia, fewer than 20 percent of the working-age adults have college degrees, which puts them on the same level as are you ready for this? Mexico. To make America great again, well need more people getting some kind of post-secondary education or training, but thats not a priority for Trump. Ironically, it is a priority for some other Republicans. The Republican-led state government of Tennessee, for instance, has tried to make community college free because Tennessee sees that as an economic development imperative. Its not just certain liberal Democrats who are talking about free college. Trump, though, is more content to keep rural voters whipped up with a culture war frenzy while he quietly tries to eliminate the programs and agencies most involved in trying to create a new economy in rural America. That brings us to one of the Democratic candidates who has done what few other Democrats are willing to do these days talk about rural America. Of course, the fact that Iowa is the first on the 2020 caucus-and-primary schedule does help concentrate candidates attention, at least for awhile. And that brings us to Bernie Sanders, who last week announced what the website Politico called a sweeping plan. Perhaps it is, but most of it doesnt apply directly to us. Two-thirds of it deals with agriculture. We all ought to have an interest in agriculture policy. We do like to eat, after all. However, much of Sanders plan is written with Midwestern agriculture in mind. Thats not what we have here. Plus, rural America is a lot more than agriculture. Theres not a lot here that speaks directly to Southwest and Southside Virginia. (We also cant help but point out that one plank Sanders support for farmers right to repair their farm equipment without going through an authorized dealer is identical to one that Republican Ed Gillespie had in his 2017 campaign for governor. Either Gillespie was a secret socialist, or Sanders may not be as much of a Red as Republicans would like to make him out to be.) That brings us to the third and final part of Sanders plan, which does speak more broadly to rural communities that arent in Iowa. Hows it rate? Much of it is boilerplate: Sanders supports rural broadband. Umm, so does everybody. Until theres a dollar figure attached, this doesnt really distinguish him. Much of the plan simply restates Sanders basic platform points, just re-written to make them sound rural. Universal child care. A $15 per hour minimum wage. Whatever you think of those policies, they are not particularly rural. Likewise, Sanders support for free higher education and to substantially end the burden of the outrageous levels of student debt is also standard Democratic boilerplate. However, doing either of those things would have a unique and positive impact on rural communities. As weve seen, they need better-educated workers. Still, its hard to call that a fully thought-out rural agenda. How would Sanders get more working-age adults into credentials programs through community colleges? Silence. Some of the parts that are more specifically rural are simply weightless blather: Start investing in small businesses in rural areas and stop handing out tax breaks to big corporations. Great. But who will be doing that investment? Sanders the democratic socialist doesnt sound very convincing as a venture capitalist because this bullet point has no follow-up details whatsoever. He does get our attention with a reference to how he wants to start building rural schools that can access and utilize distance learning opportunities. That sounds vaguely like the proposal by state Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, for Virginia to issue bonds to pay for modernizing schools many of which are in rural areas. Stanley, though, explained how hed pay for his plan; Sanders does not. Sanders laments that many rural schools are closing, but blames state laws instead of the real problem: The marketplace. People are moving out of many rural areas to seek jobs elsewhere. Rural Virginia (probably rural America, too) needs new school buildings, but ultimately it needs a new economy. Sanders doesnt really explain what will create that. Maybe no one can. So which shall it be for Sanders: The whip or the sugar cubes? Or should he simply be sent back to pasture to fatten up whats really too thin to be called a plan? So when Department of Justice prosecutors chose to have the senator indicted less than 100 days before the 2008 elections, those who knew him were stunned. The senator pleaded not guilty (emphatically) and demanded a speedy trial, wanting to clear his name before November. This case is about concealment, the Department of Justices lead lawyer stated in her opening statement, claiming that the senator had concealed that he had not paid full value for renovations to his modest Alaska cabin. In fact, Ted Stevens and his wife had paid more than $160,000 for renovations that independent appraisers valued at less than $125,000 at the time. But relying on false records and fueled by testimony from a richly rewarded cooperating witness that the senator was merely covering his ass when he wrote a note stating that his desire to comply with all Senate rules, government prosecutors convinced jurors to find the him guilty just eight days before the general election, which he lost by less than 2 percent of the vote. The cooperating witness, wealthy Alaska businessman Bill Allen, was testifying for his own freedom (he was guilty of unrelated crimes), that of his children (who received immunity from prosecution after the government apparently threatened them) and the ability to sell his company for hundreds of millions of dollars. Pass and his accomplice will appear at Sheffield Crown Court on October 8 A MAN and a teenage boy have denied robbery and possession of an imitation firearm after a pizza delivery driver was allegedly held-up at gunpoint. Curtis Pass (21), of Meadow Street, Ferham, and a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty to the offences at Sheffield Crown Court last Friday. It is alleged that Pass and his accomplice threatened a pizza delivery driver with a weapon on Meadow Street, Ferham, on April 7 before stealing his motorbike. Pass, who was remanded in custody, and the boy, who was bailed, are both due to appear at Sheffield Crown Court on October 8 for a trial estimated to last at least three days. TWO vans were deliberately set alight at Conisbrough on Friday night. Firefighters from Rotherham station attended Sheffield Road at 8.50pm. They were at the scene for about half an hour, a fire service spokesman said. And a Land Rover Discovery was deliberately set on fire at Bradberry Balk Lane in Wombwell shortly before 4am yesterday (Sunday). Staff at the University of Canberra library were forced to evacuate the building even if scholars in Australia have had their preparations disrupted. Some 550 people evacuated the building in less than six minutes. Emergency services rushed to the scene. Fortunately the suspected gas leak turned out to be a part of a durian the offending fruit has now been removed, it was later said in a statement. Firefighters have completed a search of the building and located the source of the smell, read a report from the Australian Capital Territory Emergency Services Agency, which added that a specialized team had carried out atmospheric monitoring to ensure the area was safe. Durians are fruits from Asia. In November 2018, a cargo of durian caused an Indonesian plane to be temporarily grounded after passengers complained. Singapore has prohibited the fruit in its subway system. Food writer Richard Sterling described durians odor as a mix of turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock, which can be smelled from yards away. The odor is also perceived as a smell of gasoline. For the second year running, boutique consulting firm Nomad Capitalist has ranked the Luxembourgish passport as the best passport to hold in their Nomad Passport Index. The index ranks 199 citizenships in an endeavour to highlight the true value for of the world's citizenships in a time when individuals are increasingly conscious about being global citizens. The index goes beyond examining travel privileges and the number of countries a passport holder may visit. The amount of countries a passport holder can visit without a visa remains an important factor, but the index also considers the possibility of gaining dual citizenship, international taxation laws, personal freedoms, and how the country is perceived as factors in determining the best passports. In 2017, Luxembourg was ranked 15th, but climbed its way up to the top spot in 2018. Luxembourg's score on the 2019 Nomad Passport Index is 114, due to the country's high levels of freedoms and excellent passport perception. The ranking also highlighted the move in Luxembourgish legislation to facilitate naturalisation. Top ten passports 1. Luxembourg 2. Switzerland (tied) 2. Sweden (tied) 4. Ireland (tied) 4. Belgium (tied) 6. Italy (tied) 6. Portugal (tied) 6. Finland (tied) 9. Spain (tied) 9. France (tied) Bottom ten passports 190. North Korea 191. Sudan (tied) 191. Libya (tied) 191. Pakistan (tied) 194. Syria 195. Somalia 196. Yemen 197. Eritrea 198. Afghanistan 199. Iraq An abandoned panga-style boat that may have been used for human smuggling was discovered early Monday on a beach in Carlsbad, authorities said. An individual spotted the 18-foot vessel at Tamarack State Beach and reported it to authorities about 4:40 a.m., U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Ralph DeSio said. The boat was abandoned when agents found it. Five fuel canisters were left aboard the vessel, and eight life jackets had been tossed nearby, DeSio said. Border Patrol agents are treating this as a maritime smuggling event and are searching the area, DeSio said. There are no arrests at this time. Advertisement It is unclear where the boat originated or how many people may have been aboard. A similar boat came ashore in Laguna Beach in November, and Border Patrol agents took nine people into custody, seven of whom were believed to be immigrants smuggled into the country illegally. The small speedboats have also been used by smugglers to move drugs into the country. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @Hannahnfry Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva runs the nations largest jail system and patrols 4,000 square miles of the countrys most populous county. Hes also head of the police force for dozens of individual cities throughout the county that contract with his agency for law enforcement services. The cities collectively paid $310 million to the Sheriffs Department this past year and have long been seen as a key source of political power. But as Villanueva faces a crisis over his decision to hire back troubled deputies and his challenging of some policing reforms, he is getting pushback from some city leaders. They are worried their liability costs could swell under Villanueva, who has criticized previous jail violence reforms and has reinstated deputies who were fired for unreasonable force, dishonesty and domestic violence. Advertisement The concerns add to the political pressure on the new sheriff, whose moves have been questioned in the months since his underdog campaign defeated incumbent Jim McDonnell last fall. Villanueva insisted last month that the contract cities couldnt care less about the turmoil between him and the county Board of Supervisors, which has sued over his decision to reinstate a troubled deputy. But in a letter in response, the cities membership organization said the sheriffs comment about the contract cities was inaccurate and highly troubling. The letter also cited The Times reporting about Villanuevas feud with the Board of Supervisors. There is significant risk associated with reinstating deputies who have a history of excessive force or other misconduct and were previously dismissed in accordance with long-established department policy, particularly if those deputies are ever assigned to a contract city, said the letter, signed by the leaders of the California Contract Cities Assn. Marcel Rodarte, the associations executive director, said the letter was spurred by hearing complaints from a significant number of member cities. He declined to name them, saying they preferred to advocate through the organization. Villanueva, speaking at a Times editorial board meeting Tuesday, said hes received positive feedback at recent community meetings in Lancaster, Palmdale, Carson and Norwalk. He said leaders of some of those cities are tickled to death by the departments performance. Indeed, some city leaders interviewed by The Times backed Villanuevas leadership. Their deputies are really happy, Villanueva said. Theyre excited about how theyre going to figure out how to reduce crime rate, how theyre going to figure out how to get gang violence down, how were going to get guns off the streets successfully. For the 42 cities in Los Angeles County that dont have their own police departments, paying for deputy sheriffs to patrol their streets is sometimes their biggest expense. Some cities spend as much as a third of their budgets on it. The payments represent about 10% of the departments $3-billion annual budget. The cities also pay for litigation stemming from shootings, car crashes and misconduct involving deputies at their stations costs that have been rising in recent years and are poised to increase again in July. Mayors do care about increases to their liability, said Curtis Morris, the longtime mayor of San Dimas, a city of 34,000 that has a $6.7-million annual contract with the Sheriffs Department. Of that amount, about $600,000 automatically goes to the Los Angeles County Contract Cities Liability Trust Fund, which pools money from the contract cities to cover payouts tied to lawsuits as well as excess insurance. Morris said if a deputy fired for using excessive force were reinstated, and then committed excessive force a second time, the person who suffered the deputys force could receive a larger settlement in a lawsuit by pointing out the deputys previous misconduct. But Morris who also serves as a member of the Contract Cities Liability Trust Fund Claims Board, which approves payouts tied to cases involving the contract cities noted that the risk to contract cities isnt just tied to individual deputies. Insurers could raise the cities rates by deciding that deputies pose a greater risk of misconduct and are likely to attract large jury awards, he said. The Contract Cities Liability Trust Fund is partially self-insured and is also covered by excess insurance. Because it is so difficult to find domestic insurers who cover high-risk policing activities, the cities have to buy some of the excess coverage from carriers that include Lloyds of London an arrangement that requires yearly travel to England in order to maintain the relationships. Its hard to get the insurance. These trips to London are sort of begging and saying, We are trying to do all of these things [to mitigate risk], Morris said. The comments being made by the sheriff make a lot of people say, Will he continue the reforms? Its the uncertainty thats created, and uncertainty to people who are underwriting risk is a red flag. Morris said hes pleased with the day-to-day work of the Sheriffs Department and strongly supports his local captain and deputies. But hes concerned about any increases to the contract, which is his citys largest expense. In 2010, the cities paid a 4% surcharge on top of the cost of their contracts to the Contract Cities Liability Trust Fund. The liability surcharge for all the contract cities is now 10.5%, and it will increase to 11% in July because of the need to replenish the fund, which has paid out large jury verdicts and settlements from claims over the past several years. In the fiscal year ending in 2014, the contract cities collectively paid $11.1 million in litigation stemming primarily from allegations of deputy misconduct, according to county data. That number spiked to $18.8 million in 2016 and dipped to $15.4 million last year. Insurers also have been charging higher premiums for the same or smaller amounts of coverage than in years past, said Jonathan Shull, chief executive of the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, which helps manage some aspects of the trust fund, including buying the insurance. John Heilman, a West Hollywood City Council member, also praised his neighborhood deputies but said hes troubled by the sheriffs recent reinstatements of troubled deputies. With an $18-million contract, West Hollywood is among the highest-paying customers of the Sheriffs Department because of its high volume of tourists and shoppers, which requires more patrols. When the sheriff is rehiring people who have problems in their past, thats not good for the department. Its not good for the community either, he said. As city officials, where we contract with the sheriff, we all share the liability. It is a concern for me if people are being brought back on who have engaged in conduct that is not consistent with high ethical standards. Heilman, who has served on the city council for three decades, acknowledged that the nature of police work means some liability is to be expected. In 2016, the city paid $7.5 million after deputies in West Hollywood mistakenly shot two hostages who were fleeing from a man whod stabbed one of them at an apartment complex. Villanueva, in a statement, said he understands the cities concerns but stressed that most of the deputies he reinstated were brought back because of decisions by the Civil Service Commission or because administrative investigations were not completed in the mandated time frame, which resulted in required reinstatements. This department would never take any action that would jeopardize our communities, Villanueva said. I am fully aware of our obligation to minimize any civil liability and routinely examine any action, policy or training we implement to achieve that ultimate goal. Villanueva has repeatedly defended his rehiring of Caren Carl Mandoyan, a deputy who was fired in 2016 for violating policies regarding domestic abuse and dishonesty and who volunteered on Villanuevas campaign. The sheriff has said Mandoyan was a victim of a punitive previous administration that relied on faulty evidence. The Civil Service Commission upheld Mandoyans firing, but he was returned to duty as a result of a settlement agreement with the department. A court could decide in June whether the sheriff overstepped his authority in the Mandoyan matter, as the supervisors contend. The Times reported last month that another deputy, Michael Courtial, was reinstated in February after being fired for using unreasonable force. While his appeal before the county Civil Service Commission was pending, Courtial entered into a settlement agreement with the department that gave him his job back. The department has said 14 similar reinstatements occurred under McDonnell. On the campaign trail, Villanueva often spoke of his desire to reduce county liability by treating deputies more fairly. At a forum hosted by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California in September, a woman asked Villanueva how he would reduce the amount that taxpayers pay in lawsuits involving deputies. I have about 450 deputies who were fired under McDonnell, of which 300 approximately are deemed to be unlawful terminations. That is going to be 300 lawsuits, and each lawsuit is going to be a six-figure cost, Villanueva responded. Legal cost avoidance is a major issue in managing a department of this size and managing it well. Villanuevas answer, however, did not address the price of lawsuits because of shootings by deputies, uses of force, automobile crashes or deputy misconduct. Those costs are consistently more expensive than employment-related liability expenses, said Steven NyBlom, manager of the countys risk management branch. Last year, the county paid $40 million tied to third-party cases related to deputy actions including shootings, force, vehicle incidents and wrongdoing, according to county data. Employment cases, including disputes over personnel decisions, discrimination and harassment, resulted in $7 million in payouts. Some mayors of contract cities said they are generally pleased with Villanueva, noting that he has allowed for city leaders to have a more influential voice in selecting their station captains. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, whose city has the most expensive Sheriffs Department contract, worth $26 million a year, said hes not worried about the deputy reinstatements. Parris said a bigger concern for his city is that understaffing has caused deputies to work long shifts, sometimes stretching to 16 hours, which is unsafe. That problem has led the city to begin creating a parallel public safety agency that would employ officers to handle low-level calls so that deputies can focus on bigger cases in order to reduce crime. I really dont care about how the sheriff manages individual personnel decisions, Parris said. I care about whether the people in Lancaster are safer. Other mayors including Albert Robles of Carson, Marsha McLean of Santa Clarita and Brent Tercero of Pico Rivera said they had strong relationships with the Sheriffs Department and did not share concerns about Villanuevas moves. Those cities are some of the largest served by deputies. Villanueva has only been sheriff less than six months and already he has met with me, the entire city council and our residents, and that is indicative of his responsiveness to our city, and we appreciate that, said Robles, noting that the sheriff recently spoke at a town hall in Carson. Still, some mayors say they wouldnt want a deputy with a blemished record to patrol their streets. Not in our city, said Cerritos Mayor Naresh Solanki. We would have a huge concern if that deputy came to patrol our city. maya.lau@latimes.com Twitter: @mayalau When Lilian Argueta opened a used upright freezer at her scrap business and saw a womans body inside, she was so frightened she began to scream. It thought it was a witch, or a mannequin, said Argueta, who runs the business in Margate with her husband, Pedro Rodriguez. I thought, It cant be a person. But there was a bad odor. Argueta, 55, began to cry Friday as she described in Spanish how she found Heather Anne Laceys body in the freezer one night in March, at their warehouse bay in Hollywood, Florida. Arguetas anguish brought neighboring business owners and workers to her side, including mechanic Steven Calcano. Advertisement I just heard the commotion and everyone screaming, Calcano said. I took a glance at [the body] and said, Oh my God, and walked away. Lacey was 35 when she disappeared almost six years ago. The discovery of her body is just part of a case that spans Broward County. Hollywood Police and the Broward County Medical Examiners Office are working to solve it. Argueta and Calcano were shocked to know that Lacey was a pale blonde when she was alive, and said the body they saw was shrunken, with skin darkened like a mummy would have. Inside the disrespectful coffin, Laceys face was turned to one side and her arms were raised as if her hands were pushing against the door of the freezer that stood about 5 feet high. Her legs were compressed toward her upper body in the small space, they said. Though they are trying to forget, the witnesses said they still ponder the life of the woman inside the freezer. Every once in a while I think, Why would this happen, and how would it happen? Calcano said. Said Argueta, I feel bad. She was a woman, and something bad happened to her. A woman vanishes The Lacey familys final contact with her was in the fall of 2013; her last post on social media was in November that year. My dad was talking to her every day until Thanksgiving, said Amber Lacey, Heathers younger sister. She needed that phone for business and when it was disconnected, I knew something was wrong. Lacey was raised by her parents in Pembroke Pines, attended Chaminade-Madonna, a Catholic High School in Hollywood, and for a few years, Florida International University in Miami, her family said. The eldest of three sisters, she was divorced and the mother of two children. Though Lacey was very bright and good grades came easily to her, relatives said after she had a Caesarean section during the birth of one of her children that did not go well, she started using painkillers as well as cocaine and other narcotics. Beginning in 2006 when she was 23, Lacey began accumulating arrests in Miami-Dade and Broward counties for non-violent offenses of drug possession and prostitution. She served a year and a day in state prison for forging a check and identify theft. She was a very smart girl and had a lot going for her and unfortunately, her downfall was getting into drugs, doing drugs and being addicted, said Patti Palumbo, Laceys mother. It put her in a cycle that led us here. For her sex work, Heather Lacey walked Federal Highway in Hallandale Beach, Hollywood and Dania Beach, and also advertised on the now defunct Backpage, according to her sister and police. But when Lacey got sober, she could hold down straight jobs such as working at a call center, her family said. In December 2013, Randell Lacey filed a missing-persons report for his daughter with the Broward Sheriffs Office, and told deputies she lived on the streets and was bipolar, the report said. Amber Lacey said when she and her father searched for Heather in the months after she had vanished, maintenance men at motels in Hallanadale Beach told them they felt that something had happened to her. In neighborhoods where Heather had bought drugs, the sellers encouraged them to leave, Amber Lacey said. Though Heather Lacey was an addict, the family stayed in touch with her and she was in contact with her children, who were living with relatives. We did some tough love too, Patti Palumbo said about her daughter. But wed always try to be in her life. When Lacey disappeared, we noticed right away, Palumbo said. For Thanksgiving and Christmas to come and for her to not be in touch with the kids, or on their birthdays, that wasnt like her. Amber Lacey said of Heather, We were 23 months apart, and every memory I have is of my sister. We still loved her and spoke with her every day. We werent gonna just disown her. She didnt steal from us. She made her money, but not the right way. More than one body The discovery of Heather Laceys remains may never have happened if another body hadnt been found 24 miles to the east, in Hollywood. Jonathan Escarzaga, 36, was last seen alive around Feb. 10, and was found dead a week later in his apartment. A neighbors complaint of a foul odor brought Hollywood Fire Rescue to Escarzagas apartment in the 1500 block of Polk Street on Feb. 17. His body was inside, and it had begun to decompose, according to a Broward County Medical Examiners report. Escarzaga was a freelance airplane mechanic with a No Regrets tattoo on his left arm. The medical examiners office could not determine how Escarzaga died or what caused his death. An autopsy examination did not detect needle tracks or drugs in his system and there was no sign of recent injuries. A freezer containing Heather Laceys body had been in a Hollywood apartment in the 1500 block of Polk Street where Jonathan Escarzaga, 36, was reported dead on Feb. 17, 2019. After Escarzaga?s death, the landlord upgraded the appliances and the old appliances were removed by a Margate company, which sent the freezer containing Heather?s remains to the scrap metal business. Lilian Argueta, discovered the remains of a body in a freezer at the scrap metal business where she works. The body of Heather Anne Lacey, 35, was discovered March 15, 2019 in an upright white freezer at a scrap metal company in Margate. Heather had been missing since Thanksgiving 2013, and was the mother of two children. Mike Stocker, South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Mike Stocker / Sun Sentinel) After police investigated inside Escarzagas apartment, the building manager hired a Margate appliance refurbishing company to remove all of the appliances, including an old upright freezer. The company took the freezer to its Margate warehouse, the building manager said. Then it ended up at Lilian Argueta and Pedro Rodriguezs scrap company that is nearby. A month after Escarzagas death, the freezer was opened and Laceys body was found. The building manager of Escarzagas apartment said he didnt know how long the freezer had been inside the unit, and that as a tenant, Escarzaga hadnt called for repairs since 2017. When Escarzaga died, the apartment had a clogged kitchen drain and a toilet in need of repair, the manager said. Police have not said whether Escarzaga knew Lacey, or what role, if any, he may have had in her death. Laceys family said they dont know him. Also unknown is how long Lacey has been dead, or how long she was hidden inside the freezer. Argueta and Rodriguez both said the freezer wasnt locked when their business received it. It was the first time they have found human remains inside of an appliance, they said. No longer a missing person Four days after her daughters remains were discovered, a detective called Palumbo, who said, It killed the very little hope I had, of course. Now it was real. A member of a club no one wants to belong to, she said she would see billboards others have erected to memorialize the missing and ask the public to help find them. I was in their shoes, Palumbo said. I think about those poor families. For herself, she says, I didnt realize how much grieving I had to start doing. Now it hits home, it opens it all up again. Over the past five years, strangers came out of the woodwork and approached Palumbo, telling her things about Lacey. There was a real connection with my daughter beyond this world that I felt like I was constantly getting communication with her, Palumbo said. Palumbo said she and her family rely on counseling to cope with the situation, and she believes that her prayers led to the recovery of Laceys body. Love and respect is all I could give her, Palumbo said about supporting her eldest child while she struggled with a self-centered disease. She deserves that, Palumbo said. Everybody does. Her family is hoping detectives can solve their case. Police would always tell me somebody is going to get in trouble and will know something and want to help themselves out, Palumbo said. That was my best hope. And it may still be how investigators and the family learn how Lacey died. If Hollywood police suspect what led to Laceys death, they arent talking about it. A Hollywood police report for the case was heavily redacted. Though Laceys mother and a sister provided DNA to a detective, the Broward County Medical Examiners Office said Lacey was identified by her fingerprints. Police are withholding any other findings from the autopsy examination. Calcano, the mechanic who works at the warehouse near where Laceys body was found, said he was baffled by how she was moved across Broward County to Margate without being found. How does no one open the freezer? Calcano said. A Saudi cargo ship that Spanish arms control groups suspect is carrying European weapons for possible use in Yemen left the port of Santander on Monday and sailed for Genoa, Italy. The Bahri Yanbu left the northern Spanish port after loading two containers, Alberto Estevez, of the Control Arms Coalition of human rights and aid groups which is trying to stop arms reaching conflict zones, told The Associated Press. A Spanish government spokesman said the ship took on cargo contracted from private companies that he said wasnt illegal nor contravened any international laws. A company called Instalaza, from Zaragoza, sent weaponry for a trade exhibition in the United Arab Emirates and it will be returned to Spain, while another company sent ceremonial cannon to Saudi Arabia, the spokesman told the AP. Advertisement He spoke on condition of anonymity, in accordance with government rules. Countries are under pressure not to send arms to Saudi Arabia, amid concerns they are being used against civilians in Yemen where thousands have died since the conflict began in 2014. In Yemens civil war, the Iran-backed Houthis have been fighting a Saudi-led military coalition backing Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadis forces. The fighting in the Arab worlds poorest country has also left millions at risk from food and medical care shortages and pushed the country to the brink of famine. The Bahri Yanbu, which has been making its way around European ports apparently to pick up weaponry, arrived in Santander from France on Friday. French Defense Minister Florence Parly confirmed that the ship was meant to pick up French weapons in Le Havre as part of a contract signed with Saudi Arabia several years ago. However, after French activists held a protest and sought emergency legal measures to try to stop the weapons supplies, the ship didnt pick up any arms in Le Havre after all, according to a French defense official. The official, who was not authorized to be publicly named, in accordance with French government policy, would not comment on why or give any further details. Amnesty International suspects that, before sailing to France, the ship took on Belgian-made ammunition in Antwerp. Activists provided a Belgian Customs document, dated May 7, to the AP that indicated arms were placed on board the Bahri Yanbu at Antwerp. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders last week acknowledged concerns about the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia given concerns over their potential use but that such a decision lies with regional governments in the country under Belgiums constitution. I think it would be good to suspend arms delivery contracts to Saudi Arabia, he told Belgian state broadcaster RTBF. Ara Marcen Naval, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Director for Arms Control and Human Rights, said the Bahri Yanbu was a serious test of the European Unions commitment to halt conflicts. No EU state should be making the deadly decision to authorize the transfer or transit of arms to a conflict where there is a clear risk they will be used in war crimes and other serious violations of international law, Naval said. ___ Barry Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal. Angela Charlton from Paris and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Oman says it will reopen its embassy in Iraq, decades after it closed its diplomatic post. Omans Foreign Ministry made the announcement on Twitter on Sunday night. The sultanate, on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, said it would contribute to the development of relations between the two countries. Iraqs Foreign Ministry earlier said it anticipated Oman would reopen its embassy. Advertisement Oman had closed its embassy in Iraq after dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. The warming ties to Iraq follow Saudi Arabia in April opening a new consulate in Baghdad, part of efforts by Sunni Arab-ruled states in the Gulf to counter Irans influence in Iraq. Oman, ruled for decades by Sultan Qaboos bin Said, maintains close diplomatic ties to Iran. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Police Sgt. Kelvin Ansari had just arrived for his evening shift when he greeted Lt. Gregory Mitchell with a joke and laugh. A few hours later, the lieutenant was driving his co-workers wife to the hospital after Ansari got shot while responding to an armed robbery call. Ansari, 50, didnt survive. The patrol sergeants fatal shooting late Saturday left his 500 fellow officers in the Savannah Police Department in stunned disbelief. They gathered Monday outside police headquarters along with the mayor, district attorney, local judges and other officials to lay bouquets of flowers atop a police SUV in memory of the fallen officers. Mitchell had known Ansari for nearly a decade and was his direct supervisor in the Central Precinct that patrols neighborhoods to the south of Savannahs downtown historic district. Advertisement Its almost unbelievable, Mitchell said. Were trying to maintain because we still have a job to do ... Our hearts are grieving. Our hearts are heavy. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the states top law enforcement agency, is investigating Ansaris killing. A second officer, Douglas Thomas, was wounded by a gunshot to the leg. He attended the memorial event Monday in civilian clothes, dabbing tears as he stood at Mitchells side. The suspected gunman, 49-year-old Edward Fuller III, also died after being shot by police. The two officers were shot during a hunt for an armed robbery suspect who stole money late Saturday from a person leaving a barber shop, the GBI said in a news release. After committing the robbery, Fuller sat in a nearby vehicle unknown to the officers, the GBI said, when Ansari approached. As the officer got close to the parked vehicle, the GBI said, Fuller got out and began shooting striking both Ansari and Thomas. The bureau said Fuller fled to the backyard of a nearby home, where he was shot as he pointed a handgun at officers as they closed in on him. Chatham County court records show Fuller had at least three prior felony convictions dating back to 1990, when he received probation after pleading guilty to auto theft and simple battery. In 2016, Fuller was sentenced to a year in jail after he pleaded guilty to cocaine possession and obstruction of an officer. Savannah Police Chief Roy Minter said Ansari had worked in the department for 10 years. He became an officer after retiring from the Army after 21 years of military service. The fallen officer was married with four children, ages 5 to 25. Sgt. Dana Purvis recalled working with Ansari when he was trainee. Within a decade he rose quickly through the ranks to become a patrol supervisor. Purvis, Savannahs officer in charge of security for special events, said Ansari was always quick to offer help during busy road races and other popular events such as the citys sprawling St. Patricks Day parade. Ansari also liked to help families in need in the neighborhoods he patrolled, Purvis said, like donating and wrapping gifts for children at Christmas. He was just always that sergeant that was always giving and caring, Purvis said. You could never say a bad word about him. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. An assistant pharmacy professor at the University of Rhode Island convicted of dispensing drugs without valid prescriptions to defraud or mislead government regulators has resigned. URI confirms to The Providence Journal that Michelle Caetano Thomas left her post May 6. Thomas was one of 14 people indicted after an investigation into the New England Compounding Center, the Framingham, Massachusetts pharmacy blamed for a nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak that killed 76 people. Thomas and a co-defendant were not charged in connection with the outbreak. Prosecutors say they were verification pharmacists, signing off on orders to customers with fake names without valid prescriptions to evade regulatory oversight. They say the Cumberland woman approved shipments of drugs for patients with names like Filet O Fish and Harry Potter. Advertisement Thomas has appealed. ___ Information from: The Providence Journal, https://www.providencejournal.com 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. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. Rochester Institute of Technology instructor Robert E. Pearson asks students two questions. What are they taking semiconductors out of? and What are they putting semiconductors into? The answers nothing and everything are all they need to know when looking for a rewarding, well-paying career path to follow. Across the state, theres such a demand for people working in this area, said Pearson, RIT Microelectronic Program director. I tell my students youve got job security for life. He was among more than 350 people from around the world gathered in Saratoga Springs last week for the 30th annual Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference, based at the Saratoga Hilton. The event is the leading international technical conference for discussing solutions that improve the collective manufacturing expertise of the semiconductor industry. It included numerous networking opportunities, panel discussions and keynote speeches by industry leaders such as Robert Czetina of Infineon Technologies Austria AG; Robert Maire, president of the New York-based Semiconductor Advisors; and Christine Dunbar, GlobalFoundries vice president, U.S. sales. She joined GlobalFoundries in 2015 when the company acquired IBMs Microelectronics Division in Essex Junction, Vt. The conference was hosted by California-based SEMI, a global industry association of companies that represent the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain. Following four days of intense meetings, attendees gathered Thursday at Canfield Casino in Congress Park for a reception hosted by the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, the countys designated economic development agency. The reception was sponsored by Applied Materials, one of the worlds leading semiconductor equipment manufacturers, headquartered in the Silicon Valley. It also has significant operations at GlobalFoundries in Malta and SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany. Ron Sampson, Global Foundries senior vice president and Fab 8 general manager, told how the semiconductor industry is transforming the Capital Region. We find ourselves at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, he said. Its not just talk about what could be. Its now, what we are doing and how were beginning to use it. Change is accelerating at a breathtaking pace, Sampson said. New Yorks Tech Valley is becoming a true tech hub, with an increasingly broader array of technologies and companies. I just got done talking to someone who has a new technology that might be used for factory automation. Were seeing a self-sustaining high-tech ecosystem woven into the fabric of our community. By bringing people together, the conference could lead to even more positive growth for the region, he said. We already have a lot resident, high-tech companies locally, Sampson said. Here, theyre able to make new connections. We can identify new business opportunities and technological partnerships. Its that kind of melting pot of innovation and technology that makes this such a relevant event. A study led by physician researchers at Boston Medical Center has shown that first milk expression within eight hours of giving birth is associated with the highest probability of mothers of very low-birth-weight infants being able to provide milk throughout hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit. The study results, published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, help better inform perinatal providers and new mothers how to prioritize the many aspects of perinatal care after delivery of a very low-birth-weight infant. Mother's milk has many benefits for very low-birth-rate infants, including reduction of necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, and chronic lung disease, and improvement in later childhood development. However, mothers of very low-birth-rate infants often have challenges making milk. They are more likely to have complications during or after delivery and comorbid health conditions that affect milk production, such as diabetes. They are also more likely to be separated from their newborn for a prolonged period of time after birth. Because of these challenges, lactation support for mothers of very low-birth-weight infants is crucial. The World Health Organization's Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative suggested milk expression within six hours after birth as one strategy for support. However, evidence for this time period is limited. In addition, milk expression within six hours can be difficult due to the need for intensive monitoring of newborns and/or mothers. "Mothers who have recently delivered very low-birth-weight infants have a number of competing needs," says Margaret G. Parker, MD, MPH, a neonatologist at Boston Medical Center and the study's corresponding author. "Our data-driven approach to determining optimal time of first milk expression can help providers balance the need for safe maternal care with effective support to create long-term lactation success." The researchers used data from 1,157 mother-baby pairs in nine Massachusetts hospitals. The infants were all very low-birth-weight infants who spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit. They found 70 percent of infants whose mothers expressed first milk within eight hours of delivery were being fed any mother's milk at discharge or transfer, compared with 52 percent of infants whose mothers expressed first milk 9-24 hours after delivery. The authors note that given these results, randomized control trials are needed to further establish the causal relationship between timing of first milk expression and long-term lactation success among mothers of very low-birth-weight infants. An international team, lead by researchers from the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, has shed light on a mysterious 5000-year-old mass grave in Poland. Despite being killed brutally, the victims were buried carefully, flanked by gifts, in a mass grave. Ancient DNA has revealed the mass murder to be that of a large family. The new research results shed light on a particularly violent era in European prehistory of which little is known. The study has just been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Eight years ago, a mass grave was unearthed in the southern Polish village of Koszyce. The circumstances surrounding the 5000-year-old gravesite have been a mystery ever since. The skeletons of 15 women, children and young men were found -- each slain by powerful blows to the head. Yet, their bodies were neatly positioned alongside one another and with an abundance of gifts for their final voyage. An international team, composed of researchers from the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus and the Archaeological Museum in Poznan, Poland, used DNA profiles to demonstrate that the mass murder was that of a large, three generational family. Using genomic analyses, radiocarbon dating, isotopic analyses and archaeological data, the researchers gained detailed insight into a this Stone Age society and a grisly occurrence some 5000 years ago. "By analyzing ancient DNA from the skeletons, we were able to map each of the family relationships. We can see that mothers are laid next to their children and brothers side-by-side. Those who buried the dead knew them well. We also see that most of the fathers from this extended family are absent from the grave. Our suggestion is that they weren't at the settlement when the massacre occurred and that they returned later, and subsequently buried their families in a respectful way," says evolutionary biologist Morten Allentoft of the University of Copenhagen. A period of transition "We do not know who was responsible for this massacre," according to University of Copenhagen archaeo-geneticist Hannes Schroeder. "But it is thought-provoking that it occurred 5,000 years ago, as the late Neolithic Period was transitioning into the Bronze Age. During this period, European cultures were being heavily transformed by Yamnaya cultures migrating from the east. It is easy to imagine that these changes somehow precipitated violent territorial clashes." In relation to archaeological findings, archaeologist Niels N. Johannsen of Aarhus University adds: "We know from other gravesite discoveries that violent conflicts played out among different cultural groups at this time. However, they have never been as clearly documented as here. All the violence and tragedy aside, our study clearly demonstrates that family unity and care meant a lot for these people, some 5,000 years ago, both in life and in death." International collaboration The three Danish researchers underscore the importance of close collaboration among experts in ancient DNA (aDNA), archaeology, anthropology, and isotopic analyses in clarifying this 5000-year-old murder mystery. Marzena Szmyt, Director of the Archaeological Museum in Poznan, was equally enthusiastic about the interdisciplinary results from the international group of experts. The new results, funded in part by the Villum Foundation and Aarhus University Research Foundation, have allowed genetic testing to "extend our insight into a particularly tumultuous period of European prehistory, significantly," according to Szmyt. Current technologies for information transfer and processing are challenged by fundamental physical limits. The more powerful they become, the more energy they need and more heat is released to the environment. Also, there are physical limits on the smallness and efficiency of communication devices. The recent discovery by physicists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and Lanzhou University in China offers a new route for progress on these issues. In the latest edition of the scientific journal Nature Communications, they describe a novel type of spin waves that can be used to transmit and process information with considerably higher efficiency and lower energy consumption. Conventional IT applications are based on electric charge currents. "This results inevitably in energy losses heating up the environment" said MLU physicist Professor Jamal Berakdar. The researcher added that more energy is needed and also dissipated to operate more powerful and compact devices. Thus, it is very challenging to maintain the pace of advancement based on charge-current based technology. For their study, the teams led by Professor Berakdar and Professor Chenglong Jia of Lanzhou University examined therefore alternative concepts for data communication and processing. Their work revolved around something known as magnons. "These are waves that are stimulated in ferromagnets by just a fraction of the energy needed for generating the required charge currents," explained Berakdar. "Magnons can be used to transmit signals and for logical operations in various components while producing virtually no heat." In this latest study, the German-Chinese research team describes a type of twisted magnons for which the twist or the winding number is protected against damping. Technically the twist is related to magnon orbital angular momentum and can be controlled in magnitude and orientation by electric voltages. This renders possible a multiplex twist-based signal encoding and transmission across large distances. According to the scientists, the reported results open the way to high density information transmission via magnons. In addition to the energy efficiency, the magnon wavelengths are controllable and short compared to optical waves which itself is advantageous for miniaturization. Magnonic elements can also be integrated in existing technologies. Mario Wannier, a career geologist with expertise in studying tiny marine life, was methodically sorting through particles in samples of beach sand from Japan's Motoujina Peninsula when he spotted something unexpected: a number of tiny, glassy spheres and other unusual objects. Wannier, who is now retired, had been comparing biological debris in beach sands from different areas in an effort to gauge the health of local and regional marine ecosystems. The work involved examining each sand particle in a sample under a microscope, and with a fine brush, separating particles of interest from grains of sediment into a tray for further study. A surprise in the sand grains: glassy particles "I had seen hundreds of beach samples from Southeast Asia, and I can immediately distinguish mineral grains from the particles created by animals or plants, so that's very easy," he said. In the Motoujina sands, collected by Wannier's colleague, Marc de Urreiztieta, he found familiar traces of single-celled organisms known as foraminifera, which come in a variety of forms. They typically have shells and reside in and around seafloor sediment. "But there was something else ... it's so obvious when you look at the samples," he said. "You couldn't miss these extraneous particles. They are generally aerodynamic, glassy, rounded -- these particles immediately reminded me of some spherule (rounded) particles I had seen in sediment samples from the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary," the so-called K-T boundary now referred to as the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary that marked a planetary mass extinction event, including the dinosaurs' die-off, about 66 million years ago. In 1980, Luis Alvarez, a Nobel Laureate who worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley, together with his son, geologist Walter Alvarez, proposed a theory, based on a high concentration of iridium in deposits at the K-Pg boundary, that a large meteorite impact caused this massive die-off. Coupled with more recent evidence, scientists now believe that the impact occurred in the region of the Yucatan Peninsula. In meteorite impacts, liquified ground material is ejected into the atmosphere, forming droplets of glassy material that fall back to the ground. advertisement Some of the glassy spheres that Wannier examined appeared to be fused together with other spheres, and others exhibited taillike features. While some of the glassy particles resembled those associated with meteorite impacts, others that Wannier found were not so familiar -- among them were particles with a rubber-like composition and particles featuring a variety of materials coated in a layer or multiple layers of glass or silica. Many of the particles measured about 0.5 millimeter to 1 millimeter across. Wannier had no idea at the time that this glassy menagerie of particles he encountered would lead to a years-long research effort that would involve scientists and experiments at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley. The effort would ultimately reveal the diversity and uniqueness of the studied particles, including unusual chemical and mineral mixes; the exotic high-temperature and high-pressure environment in which they formed; and the potential for new discoveries in further explorations. Concentration, volume of material points to A-bomb blast After this initial finding in 2015, Wannier traveled to Japan to collect more beach sand samples from the same region, near the city of Hiroshima. In all of these samples, there were between 12.6 to 23.3 grams of these spheroids and other unusual particles for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of sand. This odd assortment of glassy particles accounted for between 0.6 percent to 2.5 percent of all of the grains that were examined. Wannier plucked about 10,000 of these particles from the sands and sorted them into six different groups according to their physical traits. advertisement The consistently high concentrations of this strange assortment of particles in beach sands collected about 4 to 7 miles from the city of Hiroshima raised his suspicions that they may be related to the atomic bomb blast that devastated Hiroshima on the morning of Aug. 6, 1945. That bomb had instantly killed 70,000 or more people, with a final death toll accounting for the associated radiation effects possibly exceeding 145,000. The bomb and resulting firestorms mostly leveled an area measuring more than 4 square miles, and destroyed or damaged an estimated 90% of structures in the city. Based on the volume of the glassy debris found in the beach sands, Wannier and his colleagues estimated that a square kilometer, or roughly 0.4 square mile of beach sand in the area, collected from its surface to a depth of about 4 inches, would contain about 2,200 to 3,100 tons of the particles. A study detailing the analyses of the material, published in the journal Anthropocene, provides an exhaustive exploration of the many possible sources for the unusual particles, and concludes that they are A-bomb fallout from the destroyed city of Hiroshima. "This was the worst manmade event ever, by far," Wannier said. "In the surprise of finding these particles, the big question for me was: You have a city, and a minute later you have no city. There was the question of: 'Where is the city - where is the material?' It is a trove to have discovered these particles. It is an incredible story." Connecting with Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley for detailed analyses Wannier and de Urreiztieta wanted to learn more about the samples, so they contacted Rudy Wenk, a professor of mineralogy at UC Berkeley and a longtime Berkeley Lab affiliate -- Wannier and Wenk had both studied geology at the University of Basel, Switzerland, decades earlier. Wenk first studied the Hiroshima-area samples using an electron microscope. This enabled a detailed exploration of their composition and structures. He observed a wide variety in the chemical composition of the samples, including concentrations of aluminum, silicon and calcium; microscopic globules of chromium rich iron; and microscopic branching of crystalline structures. Others were composed mostly of carbon and oxygen. "Some of these look similar to what we have from meteorite impacts, but the composition is quite different," Wenk said. "There were quite unusual shapes. There was some pure iron and steel. Some of these had the composition of building materials." To gather further details about the samples, Wenk turned to Berkeley Lab, where he and his students have conducted many electron microscopy and X-ray experiments over the years. He took selected samples to Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source (ALS) and conducted a number of measurements there. Nobumichi "Nobu" Tamura, a staff scientist at the ALS who Wenk had worked with before, along with then-ALS colleagues Camelia Stan and Binbin Yue (Stan and Yue have since left Berkeley Lab), assisted in analyzing the samples at a scale of less than 1 micron, or 1 millionth of a meter, using a technique known as X-ray microdiffraction. Both of Tamura's parents were born in Japan, and he said that he was personally interested in participating in the study because of his family ancestry. "My dad was 12 years old when the bombing happened, and lived just 200 miles north of Hiroshima, so he witnessed directly the news and outcomes of these terrible events," Tamura said. The experiments and related analyses determined that the particles had formed in extreme conditions, with temperatures exceeding 3,300 degrees Fahrenheit (1,800 Celsius), as evidenced by the assemblage of anorthite and mullite crystals that the researchers identified. Tamura noted that the unique microstructure of the studied particles and the sheer volume of melt debris present also provide strong evidence for how they were formed. "The atomic explosion hypothesis is the only logical explanation for their origin," he said. Study details researchers' findings Many of the sphere-shaped particles and other bits likely formed at a high elevation around the rising fireball of the blast. The materials swept up from the ground bubbled and mixed in this turbulent environment before cooling and condensing and then raining down. Wannier explained the processes that likely formed the materials in an atomic cloud: "The ground material is volatized and moved into the cloud, where the high temperature changes the physical condition," Wannier said. "There are a lot of interactions between particles. There are lots of little spheres that collide, and you get this agglomeration." Researchers also found that the composition of the debris particles corresponds closely with materials that were common in Hiroshima at the time of the bombing, such as concrete, marble, stainless steel, and rubber. Other studies have analyzed melt debris from the Trinity test site in New Mexico -- where the first nuclear explosion was triggered -- and from underground nuclear test sites in Nevada. But those samples have a distinctly different composition that is associated with their local geological environment. The Trinity debris is dubbed trinitite, and researchers in the latest study have dubbed the melt particles they studied as Hiroshimaite to highlight their distinct characteristics and their likely origin in the Hiroshima A-bomb explosion. "Hiroshimaite particles are much more complex and diverse than trinitites," Tamura said, owing to their likely genesis in Hiroshima's urban center. While there had been concerted international efforts to aid survivors suffering from radiation effects, to measure the radiation levels, and to assess the overall damage caused by the 1945 atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the study noted that the melt debris associated with these bombings had apparently not been previously studied. The latest study encourages additional tests to find out if any samples carry radioactive elements, and to conduct further studies in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki areas. Plans for follow-up studies Wannier said he has received soil samples from ground zero at Hiroshima and may look for debris samples from deeper underground there, and he has also received a soil sample containing glassy debris from a streambed about 19 miles northwest of where the Hiroshima A-bomb struck -- historic records show that area was in the path of the atomic cloud. He said he also hopes to explore whether the melt debris exhibits similarities to materials associated with volcanic eruptions. Tamura and Wenk noted that this initial study focused on just a small number of melt debris particles, and it may be worthwhile to pursue a larger study to learn more about the extreme conditions that produced the debris and to possibly reveal more unique chemistry or mineralogy. Wenk added, "It was quite fascinating to look at all of these materials. What we hope is to get other people interested in looking at this in more detail, and in looking for examples around the Nagasaki A-bomb site." Wenk sent a copy of the latest study to Jun-Ichi Ando, a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Systems Science in the Graduate School of Science at Hiroshima University -- they had met while Wenk was serving as a visiting professor at Hiroshima University in 1998. "I think this kind of research is very important for Hiroshima University, as a university located at the A-bomb site," Ando said, noting that he shared the study with a colleague who is a mineralogist and studies the Yucatan-region's meteorite impact. He also shared it with Rebun Kayo, a research fellow at the university who leads an outreach group that raises awareness about nuclear weapons by sharing bomb-scarred Hiroshima roof tiles and bricks with institutions around the world. In an unrelated effort, Ando has studied a large chunk of granite associated with the Atomic Bomb Dome structure in Hiroshima -- it was the only building that remained standing near ground zero. Kayo found and recovered the piece of granite from a local riverbed near the domed building in 2017. It is also known as the Genbaku Dome or Hiroshima Peace Memorial. "I tried to find evidence of melting and the shock wave recorded on the surface of the granite pillar" using electron microscopy, Ando said -- his own research typically focuses on microstructures of rocks in seismic faults. Wannier said the debris study has been an enlightening journey for him, and he hopes to continue with the research. "For 70-plus years this material has been there and was never studied in detail. We hope this raises attention among the scientific community," he said. "We hope people take advantage of this opportunity." The Moon is shrinking as its interior cools, getting more than about 150 feet (50 meters) skinnier over the last several hundred million years. Just as a grape wrinkles as it shrinks down to a raisin, the Moon gets wrinkles as it shrinks. Unlike the flexible skin on a grape, the Moon's surface crust is brittle, so it breaks as the Moon shrinks, forming "thrust faults" where one section of crust is pushed up over a neighboring part. "Our analysis gives the first evidence that these faults are still active and likely producing moonquakes today as the Moon continues to gradually cool and shrink," said Thomas Watters, senior scientist in the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. "Some of these quakes can be fairly strong, around five on the Richter scale." These fault scarps resemble small stair-step shaped cliffs when seen from the lunar surface, typically tens of yards (meters) high and extending for a few miles (several kilometers). Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt had to zig-zag their lunar rover up and over the cliff face of the Lee-Lincoln fault scarp during the Apollo 17 mission that landed in the Taurus-Littrow valley in 1972. Watters is lead author of a study that analyzed data from four seismometers placed on the Moon by the Apollo astronauts using an algorithm, or mathematical program, developed to pinpoint quake locations detected by a sparse seismic network. The algorithm gave a better estimate of moonquake locations. Seismometers are instruments that measure the shaking produced by quakes, recording the arrival time and strength of various quake waves to get a location estimate, called an epicenter. The study was published May 13 in Nature Geoscience. Astronauts placed the instruments on the lunar surface during the Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16 missions. The Apollo 11 seismometer operated only for three weeks, but the four remaining recorded 28 shallow moonquakes -- the type expected to be produced by these faults -- from 1969 to 1977. The quakes ranged from about 2 to around 5 on the Richter scale. Using the revised location estimates from the new algorithm, the team found that eight of the 28 shallow quakes were within 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) of faults visible in lunar images. This is close enough to tentatively attribute the quakes to the faults, since modeling by the team shows that this is the distance over which strong shaking is expected to occur, given the size of these fault scarps. Additionally, the new analysis found that six of the eight quakes happened when the Moon was at or near its apogee, the farthest point from Earth in its orbit. This is where additional tidal stress from Earth's gravity causes a peak in the total stress, making slip-events along these faults more likely. advertisement "We think it's very likely that these eight quakes were produced by faults slipping as stress built up when the lunar crust was compressed by global contraction and tidal forces, indicating that the Apollo seismometers recorded the shrinking Moon and the Moon is still tectonically active," said Watters. The researchers ran 10,000 simulations to calculate the chance of a coincidence producing that many quakes near the faults at the time of greatest stress. They found it is less than 4 percent. Additionally, while other events, such as meteoroid impacts, can produce quakes, they produce a different seismic signature than quakes made by fault slip events. Other evidence that these faults are active comes from highly detailed images of the Moon by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) has imaged over 3,500 of the fault scarps. Some of these images show landslides or boulders at the bottom of relatively bright patches on the slopes of fault scarps or nearby terrain. Weathering from solar and space radiation gradually darkens material on the lunar surface, so brighter areas indicate regions that are freshly exposed to space, as expected if a recent moonquake sent material sliding down a cliff. Examples of fresh boulder fields are found on the slopes of a fault scarp in the Vitello cluster and examples of possible bright features are associated with faults that occur near craters Gemma Frisius C and Mouchez L. Other LROC fault images show tracks from boulder falls, which would be expected if the fault slipped and the resulting quake sent boulders rolling down the cliff slope. These tracks are evidence of a recent quake because they should be erased relatively quickly, in geologic time scales, by the constant rain of micrometeoroid impacts on the Moon. Boulder tracks near faults in Schrodinger basin have been attributed to recent boulder falls induced by seismic shaking. Additionally, one of the revised moonquake epicenters is just 13 kilometers (8 miles) from the Lee-Lincoln scarp traversed by the Apollo 17 astronauts. The astronauts also examined boulders and boulder tracks on the slope of North Massif near the landing site. A large landslide on South Massif that covered the southern segment of the Lee-Lincoln scarp is further evidence of possible moonquakes generated by fault slip events. "It's really remarkable to see how data from nearly 50 years ago and from the LRO mission has been combined to advance our understanding of the Moon while suggesting where future missions intent on studying the Moon's interior processes should go," said LRO Project Scientist John Keller of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Since LRO has been photographing the lunar surface since 2009, the team would like to compare pictures of specific fault regions from different times to see if there is any evidence of recent moonquake activity. Additionally, "Establishing a new network of seismometers on the lunar surface should be a priority for human exploration of the Moon, both to learn more about the Moon's interior and to determine how much of a hazard moonquakes present," said co-author Renee Weber, a planetary seismologist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The Moon isn't the only world in our solar system experiencing some shrinkage with age. Mercury has enormous thrust faults -- up to about 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) long and over a mile (3 kilometers) high -- that are significantly larger relative to its size than those on the Moon, indicating it shrank much more than the Moon. Since rocky worlds expand when they heat up and contract as they cool, Mercury's large faults reveal that is was likely hot enough to be completely molten after its formation. Scientists trying to reconstruct the Moon's origin wonder whether the same happened to the Moon, or if instead it was only partially molten, perhaps with a magma ocean over a more slowly heating deep interior. The relatively small size of the Moon's fault scarps is in line with the more subtle contraction expected from a partially molten scenario. NASA will send the first woman, and next man, to the Moon by 2024. These American astronauts will take a human landing system from the Gateway in lunar orbit, and land on the lunar South Pole. The agency will establish sustainable missions by 2028, then we'll take what we learn on the Moon, and go to Mars. This research was funded by NASA's LRO project, with additional support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. LRO is managed by NASA Goddard for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The LROC is managed at Arizona State University in Tempe. To move through the world, you need a sense of your surroundings, especially of the constraints that restrict your movement: the walls, ceiling and other barriers that define the geometry of the navigable space around you. And now, a team of neuroscientists has identified an area of the human brain dedicated to perceiving this geometry. This brain region encodes the spatial constraints of a scene, at lightning-fast speeds, and likely contributes to our instant sense of our surroundings; orienting us in space, so we can avoid bumping into things, figure out where we are and navigate safely through our environment. This research, published today in Neuron, sets the stage for understanding the complex computations our brains do to help us get around. Led by scientists at Columbia University's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute and Aalto University in Finland, the work is also relevant to the development of artificial intelligence technology aimed at mimicking the visual powers of the human brain. "Vision gives us an almost instant sense where we are in space, and in particular of the geometry of the surfaces -- the ground, the walls -- which constrain our movement. It feels effortless, but it requires the coordinated activity of multiple brain regions," said Nikolaus Kriegeskorte, PhD, a principal investigator at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute and the paper's senior author. "How neurons work together to give us this sense of our surroundings has remained mysterious. With this study, we are a step closer to solving that puzzle." To figure out how the brain perceives the geometry of its surroundings, the research team asked volunteers to look at images of different three-dimensional scenes. An image might depict a typical room, with three walls, a ceiling and a floor. The researchers then systematically changed the scene: by removing the wall, for instance, or the ceiling. Simultaneously, they monitored participants' brain activity through a combination of two cutting-edge brain-imaging technologies at Aalto's neuroimaging facilities in Finland. "By doing this repeatedly for each participant as we methodically altered the images, we could piece together how their brains encoded each scene," Linda Henriksson, PhD, the paper's first author and a lecturer in neuroscience and biomedical engineering at Aalto University. Our visual system is organized into a hierarchy of stages. The first stage actually lies outside brain, in the retina, which can detect simple visual features. Subsequent stages in the brain have the power to detect more complex shapes. By processing visual signals through multiple stages -- and by repeated communications between the stages -- the brain forms a complete picture of the world, with all its colors, shapes and textures. advertisement In the cortex, visual signals are first analyzed in an area called the primary visual cortex. They are then passed to several higher-level cortical areas for further analyses. The occipital place area (OPA), an intermediate-level stage of cortical processing, proved particularly interesting in the brain scans of the participants. "Previous studies had shown that OPA neurons encode scenes, rather than isolated objects," said Dr. Kriegeskorte, who is also a professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of cognitive imaging at Columbia. "But we did not yet understand what aspect of the scenes this region's millions of neurons encoded." After analyzing the participants' brain scans, Drs. Kriegeskorte and Henriksson found that the OPA activity reflected the geometry of the scenes. The OPA activity patterns reflected the presence or absence of each scene component -- the walls, the floor and the ceiling -- conveying a detailed picture of the overall geometry of the scene. However, the OPA activity patterns did not depend on the components' appearance; the textures of the walls, floor and ceiling -- suggesting that the region ignores surface appearance, so as to focus solely on surface geometry. The brain region appeared to perform all the necessary computations needed to get a sense of a room's layout extremely fast: in just 100 milliseconds. "The speed with which our brains sense the basic geometry of our surroundings is an indication of the importance of having this information quickly," said Dr. Henriksson. "It is key to knowing whether you're inside or outside, or what might be your options for navigation." The insights gained in this study were possible through the joint use of two complementary imaging technologies: functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). fMRI measures local changes in blood oxygen levels, which reflect local neuronal activity. It can reveal detailed spatial activity patterns at a resolution of a couple of millimeters, but it is not very precise in time, as each fMRI measurement reflects the average activity over a five to eight seconds. By contrast, MEG measures magnetic fields generated by the brain. It can track activity with millisecond temporal precision, but does not give as spatially detailed a picture. advertisement "When we combine these two technologies, we can address both where the activity occurs and how quickly it emerges." said Dr. Henriksson, who collected the imaging data at Aalto University. Moving forward, the research team plans to incorporate virtual reality technology to create more realistic 3D environments for participants to experience. They also plan to build neural network models that mimic the brain's ability to perceive the environment. "We would like to put these things together and build computer vision systems that are more like our own brains, systems that have specialized machinery like what we observe here in the human brain for rapidly sensing the geometry of the environment," said Dr. Kriegeskorte. This paper is titled "Rapid invariant encoding of scene layout in human OPA." Marieke Mur, PhD, who has since joined Western University in Ontario, Canada, also contributed to this research. This research was supported by the Academy of Finland (Postdoctoral Research Grant; 278957), the British Academy (Postdoctoral Fellowship; PS140117) and the European Research Council (ERC-2010-StG 261352). He said his father was in the business for approximately 35 years before opening Pee Dee Auto Sales. Right after high school graduation, Moody started the business with his father, Earl Moody, who died in 2004; his mother, Mary Lou Moody, who continues to work several days a week; and his brother-in-law Tony Odom, co-manager. Rodney Moody said his sister joined them about eight years ago. Pee Dee Auto Sales employs approximately 20 people; most have been with the company for more than 10 years, some more than 20 years, Moody said. Moody said the company was started on Palmetto Street across from the airport 30 years ago on roughly a half-acre of land. It expanded to an estimated four acres and its current building at the same location approximately 18 years ago. Our main goal is to sell automobiles and give good customer service before and after the sale, Moody said. We want to sell people automobiles where they will have confidence and trust in us. He said then they will send their friends and family to Pee Dee Auto Sales and become repeat customers. We feel like we offer a great service to the Pee Dee community with being able to help people have reliable transportation to go to work, church, grocery store and take kids to school or wherever they need to go, he said. We like to treat people like we like to be treated. FLORENCE, S.C. The Florence City Council is expected to conduct the first reading and a public hearing regarding its 2019-20 fiscal year budget Monday. The balanced budget contained revenues and expenses of $92.848 million with the general fund budget at $38.489 million. The budget also contains recommendations from city staff for a new fire station, the relocation of the Ben Dozier Fire Station and plans to upgrade the citys wastewater treatment efforts. There is also expected to be a city council meeting at another time to go further into detail regarding the expenditures in the budget. Mayor Pro Tempore Frank J. Buddy Brand II is also expected to address the council at the meeting. Brand said he would speak about the positives of cooperation in the city council regardless of politics or districts to improve the entire community and Pee Dee region. The agenda for the meeting also contains the second reading of an ordinance to amend the 2018-19 fiscal year budget. Each year, the city faces expenses and revenues that are not accounted for in the budget ordinance; thus the city must amend the budget. The council will meet at 1 p.m. in the city council chambers of the City Center, located at 324 W. Evans St. FLORENCE, S.C. The official premiere of the documentary film Unsheltered will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Julia 4 Cinemas at 1110 S. Irby St. in Florence. Admission is Free. Seating is first come, first served. The documentary follows Bryan Braddock, the executive director of the House of Hope of the Pee Dee, as he lives as a homeless person on the streets of Augusta, Georgia, with his guide, a homeless man called kNOw Cash. According to a news release, the film is sure to challenge views on homelessness the same way that it did for Braddock. The House of Hope is a Christ-centered ministry consisting of the Courtney McGinnis Graham Community Shelter, which provides emergency food and lodging to men, women and families, and the Mens Home, which offers transitional, long-term help for men seeking a new start to their lives. FCSD3s Career and Technology Education cohort, in partnership with area technical colleges, provides students a certification track so they are career ready in areas such as welding, HVAC, masonry, auto tech, building construction, health science, culinary arts, nail tech, child care and machine tool. The district is exploring other partnerships to expand the Career and Technology Education opportunities. With the safety of students and staff in mind, the district implemented security upgrades to main entrances at five schools over the summer: Lake City Early Childhood Center for the Arts, Olanta Creative Arts and Science Magnet School, J. Paul Truluck Olanta Creative Arts and Science Magnet School, Dr. Ronald E. McNair School of Digital Communication and Leadership and Lake City Early College High School. In addition, FCSD3 has added a school resource officer assigned to Scranton Elementary STEAM Academy and also is on call for J.C. Lynch Elementary School of STEM and Olanta Creative Arts and Science Magnet School. The district is using a portion of the $2 million budgeted by the state legislature for providing additional SROs in districts that otherwise would lack the adequate resources to hire their own school resource officers. Overview of opening ceremony of the 16th UN Day of Vesak 2019 Prominent among those at the event were Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; former National Assembly Chairmen Nguyen Van An and Nguyen Sinh Hung; President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man; Myanmar President Win Myint; Indian Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) Venkaiah Naidu; Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli; Chairman of the National Council (Upper House) of Bhutan Tashi Dorji; and United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana. Addressing the opening ceremony, Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, First Deputy Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) conveyed the message of Supreme Patriarch of the VBS Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue on the occasion of Lord Buddhas birthday. In his message, VBS Supreme Patriarch Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue welcomed the presence of all international and local delegates, religious leaders, Buddhist dignitaries, monks and nuns to the UN Day of Vesak 2019, saying the event was a precious chance for all people to build up their religious faith and uphold the Lord Buddhas legacy and spiritual values. He recalled the over 2000-year history of Vietnamese Buddhism, saying that Vietnamese Buddhism supported national liberation revolutions in the past and has laid the spiritual foundation for all aspects of politics, economics, culture and tradition, thus shaping up the national identity and culture. The VBS has preserved and upheld the essence of Vietnamese Buddhism by making proactive and responsible contributions to the national development. Hosting the 16th UN Day of Vesak showed the VBSs contributions while affirming its role and status in international integration, Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue wrote. The UN Day of Vesak 2019 aims to contribute to realizing the UNs Sustainable Development Goals, he wrote, expressing his hope that delegates will discuss and reach measures to successfully implement the UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Chairman of the VBS Executive Council and head of the Vesak 2019 organising committee, speaks at the event (Source: VNA) In his speech, Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Chairman of the VBS Executive Council and head of the Vesak 2019 organising committee, highlighted the Buddhist philosophy for building an equal and peaceful society, without classes, wars and hatred. Lord Buddha has paid the path where the combination of compassion and knowledge makes up an effective solution to conflicts among people, nations, cultures, and religions, he said, reiterated that the Buddhist philosophy continues today and sets the beacon for millions of people around the world. Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon stressed the increasing need for upholding the core values of Buddhism in the current unsettled society, saying the Buddhist values help wake up tolerance, selfishness, forgiveness in people, inspire global peace and cooperation amid conflicts, terrorism, wars, inequality, environmental crises, and challenges imposed during the Fourth Industrial Revolution worldwide. In order to solve current conflicts, a global leadership is required to ensure equality, minimize conflicts among beliefs, economies, cultures, social classes, territories, and environment, he said, adding that Buddhism has the mission to involve in the global leadership, share measures and act to address challenges for global benefits. He also called on the global Buddhism to unite and embark on global issues, thus inspiring peace and ease pains for all people worldwide. Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit, President of the International Council for Day of Vesak (Source: VNA) Meanwhile, Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit, President of the International Council for Day of Vesak, expressed his impression on Vietnams great efforts and dedication towards successful celebrations of the UN Day of Vesak. Most of the time, the UN Day of Vesak took place in Thailand. Vietnam has twice hosted successful celebrations of the UN Day of Vesak in 2008 and in 2014. Thats why we have entrusted the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and the Government of Vietnam with hosting the 16th UN Day of Vesak celebration 2019, he said. He expressed his belief that Vietnam would successfully host the UN Day of Vesak this year thanks to thorough preparations, particularly the beautiful landscape, which he described as the best place to host such an event. Highlighting the theme Buddhism's Approach to Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies of the UN Day of Vesak 2019, Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit said the festival was not only a chance for Buddhist followers worldwide to celebrate, but also aims to serve all people by advocating sustainable development, addressing global challenges such as environment pollution, climate change, education, among others. We gather here today to talk about global issues and how to address them, whether they are conflicts among people, culture, religions, or territories. In the end, we want to send a message of preserving peace, traditional values and the environment for a better future, he said. According to Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit, the theme of the UN Day of Vesak 2019 reflects the UNs 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The results of forums, seminars and discussion in the framework of the event will be included in the Ha Nam Declaration. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers a speech at the opening ceremony (Source: VNA) In his speech, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed the presence of international delegates, dignitaries, monks and nuns to the event, saying the UN Day of Vesak means beyond a religious and cultural festival to send the long-lasting message of the Lord Buddha on peace, harmony, tolerance and kindness to all people. He believed the Buddhist philosophy laid a solid foundation for establishing peace, friendship, cooperation among nations, peoples, religions, while serving as materials to build civilization, ensure peace, prosperity and sustainable development. We are all here to honor the Lord Buddha and uphold Buddhist philosophy to reduce conflicts, sufferings and sorrows, establish peace, friendship, cooperation, and development among nations for the peace and prosperity of all people around the world. PM Phuc spoke highly of the theme of the UN Day of Vesak 2019, saying it showed the responsibility of Buddhism for the presence and future of the society. The agenda of the celebration reflects the goals of the UNs Agenda 2030 for sustainability, prosperity, ensuring that no one will be left behind, which the Vietnamese Government has committed to realise, PM Phuc said. He underlined Vietnams religious diversity, saying Vietnamese Buddhism has a long history, with Buddhist dignitaries, monks and nuns having been standing by the nation through ups and downs. The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has continuously grown and proven its role in the national development. Hosting the 16th UN Day of Vesak 2019 once again confirmed Vietnams focus and respect for cultural, ethics values of religions, including Buddhism, while showing its policy on international cooperation and integration, he reiterated. This is the third time Vietnam has hosted the UN Vesak celebrations, helping to improve Vietnamese Buddhisms role in international integration and affirm Vietnam's position and responsibility for UN activities in all fields./. By Dong Sun-hwa Kang Sung-hoon, lead vocalist with '90s boy band Sechskies, has been under fire for belittling the appearances of current K-pop idols, it was reported Sunday. The controversy flared when a former fan uploaded a YouTube video titled "Thoughtless Remark 1." The filming date is unknown. "I think idol stars these days are ugly. They look extremely unattractive when I meet them at a (hair and makeup) salon," Kang said during a talk with fans on the clip. His fans agree, saying, "Yes, you are right." "Ever since the debut of TVXQ, there have been no handsome idols," he added. When a woman asked his thoughts on K-pop boy band BTOB, he said, "How can I say that they are the ones I just talked about? If I have a chance to launch a group, I would prioritize the appearance." He also said, "Shouldn't celebrities look good? They should have good skin and boast an aura." As of Monday, the video has garnered more than 90,000 views. After it went viral, it infuriated dozens of online users. "Know yourself. You are a con man yourself," a netizen commented in an apparent reference to his past. In 2011, he was convicted for not paying back 1 billion won ($845,000) he had borrowed from three people, and received a suspended jail term. Kang debuted as a member of Sechskies in 1997. After the group disbanded in 2000, he became a soloist. In 2016, Sechskies reunited and released a comeback album, "2016-Re-ALBUM." But Kang left the group in December 2018 after being sued over the abrupt cancelation of fan meetings in Taiwan in September that year. An Oakland jury awarded a staggering $2 billion-plus in damages Monday to a Bay Area couple who both came down with cancer after spraying Monsanto Co.s widely used Roundup weed killer on their properties for more than 30 years. Its the third such verdict against Monsanto, all in Bay Area lawsuits, and by far the largest judgment against the company. Alva Pilliod, 76, of Livermore was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2011, and his wife, Alberta Pilliod, 74, was diagnosed in 2015. They had used Roundup to kill weeds on the grounds of three properties they owned in the area, applying it once a week for nine months out of the year. Their lawyer estimated they sprayed 1,500 gallons of the herbicide over three decades. Doctors say both their cancers are in remission but could recur. After less than two days of deliberations, an Alameda County Superior Court jury awarded each of them $1 billion in punitive damages against Monsanto, with additional damages of $37 million for Alberta Pilliod and $18 million for her husband for pain and suffering and economic losses. The jury voted 11-1 to find Monsanto responsible for the Pilliods cancers only nine votes were needed in the civil case and found unanimously that the company should be punished for failing to warn users that the herbicide was dangerous. The company heatedly disputes that a warning was needed. We wouldnt have used it if the product had come with a warning label, Alberta Pilliod, a former nun, schoolteacher and school principal, said at a news conference after the verdict. But from their ads, we felt that Roundup was incredibly safe to use. It changed our lives forever. We couldnt do things we used to be able to do, and we really resent them for that, she said. Her husband, a former Army intelligence officer, said he was initially told that his wife had died when she was first diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2015. She still suffers from double vision and impaired balance and will be on chemotherapy for the rest of her life, her lawyers said. They said Alva Pilliod was told after his 2011 diagnosis that he had only a few months to live. The couples lawsuit was among the first of more than 13,000 cases nationwide to go to trial against the agrochemical giant. Monsanto denies that Roundup is dangerous and notes that it has been repeatedly found safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In August, a San Francisco Superior Court jury awarded $289 million in damages to former school groundskeeper Dewayne Lee Johnson of Vallejo, whose doctors say he may have less than a year to live because of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. A judge later reduced the award to $78.5 million. And in March, a federal court jury awarded more than $80 million to Edwin Hardeman of Sonoma County, who was diagnosed with the same often-lethal lymph node cancer after spraying the herbicide on his property in Forestville for more than 26 years. Bayer AG, a German pharmaceutical company, purchased Monsanto last year for $63 billion. In a statement Monday, Bayer said the latest verdict conflicts with the consensus among leading health regulators worldwide that glyphosate-based products can be used safely and that glyphosate is not carcinogenic. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, the worlds most widely used herbicide. The company is appealing the other two cases and said it would appeal Mondays verdict. At a minimum, the $2 billion in punitive damages are almost certain to be reduced substantially, as the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that damages to punish a defendant for malicious conduct should generally be no more than 10 times the damages awarded to compensate plaintiffs for their losses. 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 International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as a probable cause of human cancer in 2015, but it remains legal in the United States and Europe. Juries informed by independent science have repeatedly rejected the Monsanto-promoted myth that glyphosate poses no cancer risks, Nathan Donley, a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, said Monday. Lawyers for the Pilliods and other plaintiffs offered evidence that Monsanto was in close contact with the Environmental Protection Agency while the government studied glyphosate. They accused the company of ghost-writing scientific studies presented to the federal agency and with working alongside the EPA to undermine the International Agency for Research on Cancers criticism. In asking the jury for $1 billion in punitive damages last week, plaintiffs attorney Brent Wisner said Monsanto makes $892 million a year in profit, and that a huge sum was needed to punish the company for 45 years of lying to the public. The company denied wrongdoing and told the jury that the Pilliods cancer had other likely causes: Both of them had previously suffered other types of cancer that made them more vulnerable, and Alberta Pilliod was a longtime smoker. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Two Cambodian refugees who committed crimes as young adults that cost them their green cards and put them on a path toward deportation have been pardoned for their crimes, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday. Hay Hov of Oakland and Kang Hen of San Francisco immigrated to the U.S. lawfully as children but were put in deportation proceedings after serving time for criminal convictions. They had asked Newsom to pardon their crimes, arguing they left behind troubled lives to become working men who are raising families. A pardon doesnt expunge or erase an individuals conviction but recognizes their progress and accomplishments, according to the governors office. In this case, a pardon may eventually allow Hen to stay in the U.S. Hov, whose green card was recently re-instated by an immigration judge, is no longer at risk of deportation. Both men have young children, are the primary income provider for their families, and provide care to relatives living with chronic health conditions, the governors office said in a statement Monday. Their deportation would be an unjust collateral consequence that would harm their families and communities. The plight of undocumented immigrants from Cambodia has been the focus of heated debate for more than a year as the Trump administration cracks down on immigrants who committed crimes. Advocates say dozens of people have been detained and deported to Cambodia a country they barely know, having come to the U.S. at a much younger age in unprecedented numbers. Many of these immigrants tell similar stories: Haunted by the trauma of war and genocide, they landed in impoverished neighborhoods in America where opportunities were limited and where they were bullied for being immigrants. They turned to drugs, gangs and crime to fit in, decisions that got them locked up for years and cost them their visas. Their crimes were big and small. Some were charged with driving under the influence, others with murder. But as rehabilitated men with full-time jobs and families, they acknowledge their faults and say they deserve another chance, immigration attorneys say. Their predicament highlights the complexities of the immigration system, raising the question: Do they deserve to stay? Former Gov. Jerry Brown pardoned five Cambodian refugees who faced deportation last year. Advocates had pressured Newsom to continue that legacy, though he hadnt commented publicly on the issue. Hov, 39, was convicted of solicitation to commit murder and participation in a criminal street gang in 2001. The Chronicle highlighted his story days before he and dozens of others across the U.S. were detained by ICE in March, amid an uptick in the arrests of Cambodians who committed crimes long ago and subsequently lost their green cards. He was freed from a facility in Bakersfield earlier this month and is no longer at risk of deportation. His attorney, Kevin Lo, had argued that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the federal definition of a crime of violence put Hov outside ICEs reach for deportation. Federal Immigration Judge Jaime Jasso, based in Imperial County, reversed Hovs removal proceedings and restored his green card status on April 25. This pardon brings it home, said Lo. ICE on Monday said it doesnt plan to appeal Jassos decision. 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. Hen, who was brought to the U.S. at age 9, was arrested by ICE on April 1, according to friends and family. He joined a gang at 13 and was convicted of grand theft, robbery and a gang enhancement in 1994, at age 18. His partner of nearly two decades was recently diagnosed with kidney and heart failure and may not survive, according to the governors office. The couple has a 3-year-old son. Advocates say about 50 Cambodians are still in ICE detention and could be deported this summer. Hay and Kang are off of that (deportation) flight, but were still fighting for those people and hoping something happens, Lo said. Newsom also pardoned five other people who had offenses more than 15 years old, including a grandparent, business owners and students, his office said. By granting these pardons to people who are transforming their lives, the Governor is seeking to remove barriers to employment and public service, restore civic rights and responsibilities, and prevent unjust collateral consequences of conviction, Newsoms office said. Tatiana Sanchez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez Oakland officials are exploring building a safe injection site for illicit-drug users in hopes of lowering open-air drug use on city streets. Mayor Libby Schaaf and Councilwoman Nikki Fortunato Bas introduced a resolution to the City Council Thursday to support AB362, a state bill that would allow the city and county of San Francisco to operate a supervised center for drug users. The resolution also requests that the state bill be amended to include Oakland. Oakland is a very compassionate and progressive city, Schaaf said. Anything new would be met with skepticism, which is healthy, but I always say the biggest risk is to do nothing at all. We need to try new strategies to do better. If the bill is amended, it would give Oakland approval to pursue building a safe injection site in the city. The bill was written by Assemblywoman Susan Eggman, D-Stockton, and co-written by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco. A similar bill, also co-written by Eggman and Wiener, was vetoed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown in October. But Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he is receptive to the idea of a safe injection site, even though opening one would remain illegal under federal law. Clearly, its a controversial issue. We respect that, Schaaf said. We are hopeful it can survive the legislative process and are encouraged by this governors at least initial support conceptually for signing such a law. Leah Millis / The Chronicle 2017 The bill passed in the state Assemblys health and public safety committees, and it will next be heard on the Assembly floor. If passed by the Assembly, it will go to the state Senate. There, it could be amended to include Oakland if there is strong support from the City Council and mayors office, said Laura Thomas, the deputy state director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a co-sponsor of the bill. In 2017, 373 people in California died from fentanyl overdoses, the highest number of fentanyl-related deaths the state has seen since health officials began tracking the deaths in 2008, according to the California Department of Public Health. In Alameda County, 37 deaths from opioid-related overdoses were reported in 2017. Andrew Herring, an emergency room physician at Highland Hospital, said patients come in regularly with complications from injecting drugs in unsanitary conditions. Many struggle with infections that can result in paralysis, HIV and hepatitis C, or death. I would say that a day doesnt go by that I dont treat someone with a complication from injected-drug use at the ER in Highland, said Herring, who is also the director of the hospitals Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program. We do see young and old. People who have been shooting for a while, people who are just starting. The citys housing crisis has exacerbated the use of illicit drugs in public, said Loris Mattox, executive director of the HIV Education and Prevention Project of Alameda County. There is literally no space for someone to set up their encampment theyre doing it on a sidewalk, Mattox said. That equates to increased litter. There is increased food waste, increased human waste and then there are increased syringes. A 2017 survey of 98 people in Oakland by the Harm Reduction Coalition and Drug Policy Alliance found that 54% reported illicit-drug use in public. Homeless people were 28% more likely to engage in frequent street drug use, according to the report. Not only would a safe injection site take the use of open-air drugs off the streets, but it would also save the city millions of dollars in litter abatement, Bas said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. That could be of interest to the city, given how stretched our budget is and how we are looking for ways to be proactive about the ways we continue to fund the services our residents need, Bas said. The first step is passing this bill so that at least our two cities and the county of San Francisco would have an opportunity to design and pilot these programs. Other council members have already expressed their support for the resolution. At Thursdays Rules and Legislation Committee meeting, council President Rebecca Kaplan said it is important for the city to fight for actions like this. This is a really great way to reduce dramatically... the problem of syringes in parks and other places where it creates a public health problem, Kaplan said. Im happy to support it. The City Council is expected to vote on the resolution on May 21. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani 2 1 of 2 Andy Wong / Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Show More Show Less What are tariffs? Tariffs are a tax on imports. A country imposes tariffs on goods and services bought from another country. How long have we had tariffs? In the United States, tariffs have been around since 1789; they were an important source of revenue for the federal government in the countrys early days, and were also thought to bolster domestic trade. But with the adoption of the income tax in 1913, tariffs faded as a source of government funding, and the growth of American industry meant domestic producers no longer needed protection. Though theres some debate, many economists blame tariffs for discouraging trade and weakening the world economy in the 1920s and 1930s, leading to the Great Depression. Proponents of tariffs today say they protect domestic industries and bring back jobs lost to foreign countries; critics say that goes against modern economic theory, which is that free trade lets countries specialize and promotes overall growth. Before police officers arrived at a journalists San Francisco home with a sledgehammer and a search warrant to investigate a leaked report on the death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi, the city force had absorbed weeks of scolding. Many city politicians believed someone in the department released the reports sordid details for political reasons. After all, Adachi, who died Feb. 22, was not only an aggressive defense attorney but a police watchdog famous for his public rebukes of misconduct by officers. In recent weeks, police officials repeatedly apologized to the Board of Supervisors, the public defenders office and Adachis wife. And they launched a criminal probe, vowing to restore trust. But by raiding freelance videographer Bryan Carmodys home and office on Friday morning seizing computers and other items in a bid to find out who leaked the report to Carmody, who then sold it to TV stations the Police Department has turned a local controversy into a national firestorm. The action is now the latest test of Californias shield law, which protects journalists from being compelled to identify confidential sources, prompting rebuke from many First Amendment advocates. This whole thing is just nuts, Carmody, 48, said in an interview Monday as he worked to fix the busted front gate of his home in the Outer Richmond neighborhood. I had no beef with the Police Department, other than they just shut my business down. In a sign of how deeply the case has upended city politics, new Public Defender Mano Raju released a statement after the police raid appearing to approve of the departments actions, saying, I am pleased that Chief (Bill) Scott and others are keeping their word and working to get to the bottom of it. On Monday, though, he offered a clarification, saying, I have no information regarding the justifications for the search conducted by police. Nothing about this statement should be interpreted as condoning specific police tactics in this matter. Many central questions in the saga remain unanswered. While The Chronicle obtained portions of the search warrants written by Sgt. Joseph Obidi that listed more than 60 items seized including computers, cameras and cell phones the police affidavit justifying the raid remains under seal. Obidi filed the statements under what is known as a Hobbs sealing, which judges grant at times to protect the identity of a person, such as a confidential informant. Carmodys attorney, and others, want to know whether the two San Francisco Superior Court judges who signed off on the warrants, Victor Hwang and Gail Dekreon, knew they were authorizing police to search a journalists home. The important question is whether they were aware thats the critical issue, said the attorney, Tom Burke, who has represented The Chronicle and its parent company, Hearst Corp., in other cases. He said he wrote a letter to Police Chief Scott and the presiding judge, asking them to return his clients possessions immediately. California Shield Law, Evidence Code Section 1070 (a) A publisher, editor, reporter, or other person connected with or employed upon a newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication, or by a press association or wire service, or any person who has been so connected or employed, cannot be adjudged in contempt by a judicial, legislative, administrative body, or any other body having the power to issue subpoenas, for refusing to disclose, in any proceeding as defined in Section 901, the source of any information procured while so connected or employed for publication in a newspaper, magazine or other periodical publication, or for refusing to disclose any unpublished information obtained or prepared in gathering, receiving or processing of information for communication to the public. (b) Nor can a radio or television news reporter or other person connected with or employed by a radio or television station, or any person who has been so connected or employed, be so adjudged in contempt for refusing to disclose the source of any information procured while so connected or employed for news or news commentary purposes on radio or television, or for refusing to disclose any unpublished information obtained or prepared in gathering, receiving or processing of information for communication to the public. (c) As used in this section, "unpublished information" includes information not disseminated to the public by the person from whom disclosure is sought, whether or not related information has been disseminated and includes, but is not limited to, all notes, outtakes, photographs, tapes or other data of whatever sort not itself disseminated to the public through a medium of communication, whether or not published information based upon or related to such material has been disseminated. 1524(g) of the California Penal Code states that "No warrant shall issue for any item or items described in Section 1070 of the Evidence Code." See More Collapse A court spokeswoman said the judges could not comment, citing ethical standards. The Police Department would not comment on whether it revealed Carmody was a journalist in its warrant request. But KQED and the San Francisco Examiner quoted city Supervisor Sandra Fewer as saying she had learned from Chief Scott that the judges were aware Carmody was a member of the media. An agency spokesman, David Stevenson, wrote in a statement the day of the raid that the actions were one step in the process of investigating a potential case of obstruction of justice along with the illegal distribution of a confidential police report. The case may be complicated by Carmodys status as a freelancer who was paid by outlets that used his information. While he said he has a press pass issued by the San Francisco Police Department, he is self-employed at a time when the definition of who is a journalist is increasingly murky. Still, many First Amendment advocates say Californias shield law applies to him; the raid was condemned by the First Amendment Coalition and the Society of Professional Journalists. The Supreme Court drew a line and its, Are you performing as a journalist? Not, Are you employed by a journalistic entity? said Jim Wagstaffe, a private San Francisco attorney focused on First Amendment issues. In 2009, Wagstaffe successfully quashed a warrant to search a San Francisco State University student journalist who had witnessed a homicide and taken photos. There are gray areas and there are black-and-white areas, he said. I understand there are people who post things on Facebook. Thats gray. If its their livelihood, if they perform as a journalist, that person is in the black-and-white area, regardless of how they get their paycheck. Adachi, who was 59 and one of the nations only elected public defenders, collapsed inside an apartment on Telegraph Hill after using cocaine and having dinner with a woman who has not been identified, according to the city medical examiners office and the leaked report. The Chronicle obtained a copy of the report, but did not pay for it or get it from Carmody. 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. Paramedics rushed Adachi to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner ruled that he died from complications of cocaine and alcohol use, along with heart disease. As the news broke, Carmody said in an interview, he tried to figure out where Adachi died, and called his police sources. Hes worked for nearly 30 years as a stringer, a freelance videographer who is only paid if a television station wants to purchase footage he shoots. At night, he listens to police scanners, hoping a story breaks. The day after Adachi died, he obtained a copy of the police report, which he knew was valuable. Carmody said he did not pay for the report, and would never pay a source. He said he took it to the Bay Areas television news affiliates, three of which paid him for it and ran stories, he said. These stories were seen by Adachis allies and staff as an effort to smear him, though many of the details in the report were later included in the medical examiners public autopsy report. Supervisor Fewer called a special hearing in April on the leak. Cmdr. Greg McEachern and Capt. William Braconi apologized, calling the release totally inappropriate and saying they were investigating. Deputy Public Defender Hadi Razzaq testified at the hearing as well, revealing hed spoken to a reporter for KRON-TV, who told me that the story of what happened was developing because a police report related to Jeff Adachis death had been offered for sale to news outlets for $2,500 by a stringer. Two weeks later, Carmody said, two inspectors with the Police Departments Internal Affairs Bureau knocked on his door and asked him to reveal his source. When he declined, they came back with the sledgehammer. Carmody said the raid left him unable to work. Im out several thousand dollars in work and several thousand dollars in equipment, he said. Im going to get my stuff back at some point, but how many months am I not supposed to work? Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky KDB Chairman Lee Dong-gull By Park Hyong-ki There is a memorable line said by Mafia leader Michael Corleone played by Al Pacino in "The Godfather Part III." He says, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." Corleone wanted to get out of the "traditional Mafia business" and start something that was legitimate and socially responsible for his family. But given his power and influence in the underworld, some gangsters wouldn't let him go. Lee Dong-gull, chairman of the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), must have felt the same way as Pacino's Corleone. Just when Lee thought he was out after handing over Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering to Hyundai Heavy Industries, Asiana Airlines pulls him back in to bail out another conglomerate mismanaged by its owner. In late January following the Hyundai-Daewoo deal, Lee said this would be his "last mission" to help restructure a debt-laden conglomerate. KDB's new mission will be financially supporting startups and conducting investment banking to boost innovation for the economy, he said. "Our economy cannot depend only on Samsung and LG. It is time to develop a new generation of industries for the coming era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution," Lee said. But Lee will have to wait until after Asiana finds its new buyer and owner. KDB is pushing to sell the airline company by the end of this year. The policy bank will have to continue to put out the fires started by those troubled companies for the time being. Its central and strategic role in the economy is best represented by the letter "D" in KDB. It is clearly stipulated in the law when the country established the development bank that KDB's role and goal should be financially backing industrial policies and projects to spur innovation, develop the economy, and most importantly, create jobs. But it has been caught up in politics, serving every administration's needs to salvage shipbuilders and automakers, and win their employees' votes. Some even say the "D" in KDB should stand for "debt-laden conglomerates" Korean Debt-laden conglomerates' Bank. "It's really a shame to see KDB being used only in this capacity because of politics. And conglomerates should be embarrassed for reaching out to KDB for money. Those companies had good years, but now they are in trouble because of mismanagement," an industry source said. KDB made a "wise decision" on Asiana when the airline conglomerate came asking for a bailout fund, the source added. "I think Lee had had enough and told Asiana to step away and find a new responsible manager," the source said. Analysts agreed with this view, saying the time is ripe for the development bank to pursue "a new mission" for new growth. "Lee's new mission, in this case, should stay true to what KDB is, what it should be for the future generations and why it was created in the beginning developing and creating new industries and jobs," said Sun Dae-in, an independent economist who heads SDInomics. A wild conspiracy theory shut down a festival that was supposed to take place Saturday in the foothills of the Sierra to raise money for a charter school. And it all started with a tweet from former FBI Director James Comey. The seemingly innocuous hashtag #FiveJobsIveHad was interpreted by some conspiracy-minded individuals to be a reference to Jihad. Next, the reckless internet sleuths took the first letter of each item to reach the acronym GVCSF. A quick internet search led the collection of Twitter trolls to the Grass Valley Charter School Foundation in Nevada County, whose annual Blue Marble Jubilee was scheduled for this weekend. Several Twitter users floated the notion that Comeys post was a coded false flag message describing the festival as a target. Nothing better happen at the fundraiser, said one user, who connected the time stamp on Comeys tweet to when a plane hit the World Trade Center during the 9/11 terror attacks. The bizarre post quickly racked up nearly 2,000 retweets. Some of the Twitter users appeared to be followers of Q, or QAnon, the long-debunked, far-right conspiracy theory that President Trump and Special Counsel Robert Mueller will work together to take down Trumps political enemies who allegedly engage in pedophilia and other crimes. Several people, apparently concerned after reading the theory on the jubilee fundraiser, called and emailed the school as well as local law enforcement to warn them, said Sgt. Brian Blakemore of the Grass Valley Police Department. The callers sounded coherent not the tin foil hat in the dungeon type that you might expect, he said. The school became aware when these followers of this conspiracy theory guy started contacting the school and the Police Department, letting us know there was this plot that was being uncovered and that we had to be sure to protect the kids and the site, he said. The school never received a direct threat; it was people warning them about this plot. In addition to the school, foundation and police, Nevada County sheriffs deputies and FBI agents in the Chico field office were contacted about the alleged attack planned for the festival. Blakemore said the idea of an attack was baseless. Local officials and school leaders were not concerned about a terror plot, but rather that concerned citizens might show up to guard the place, he added. If a vigilante made an appearance, it wouldnt be without precedent. In 2016, the false Pizzagate conspiracy theory, which claimed Democrats were running a child sex ring in a Washington pizza parlor, inspired a North Carolina man to go to the restaurant and fire an AR-15 rifle because he believed he could free the children. No one was injured. In a statement, festival organizers said they canceled the event out of an abundance of caution. Not only is it disappointing that the cancellation of this event deprives the families of our school and community a day of fun and connection, but the Blue Marble Jubilee also serves as a fundraiser, Wendy Willoughby, president of the school foundation, said in the statement. We now find ourselves not only out the potential dollars raised at the event, but also the money already spent in preparation. The event was set to include an art sale, crafts, face painting, musical performances and food. Those who already bought tickets will receive refunds, organizers said. Mike Rothschild, who researches and debunks conspiracy theories, wrote in a blog post that it is difficult to tell whether the response to Comeys tweet was genuine or a parody. He said Q, the supposed leader, is posting less frequently and having less of an impact. And so like starving villagers fanning out into the countryside to forage for whatever they can find, Qs acolytes are latching on to interpretations and theories that stray from the realm of the possible into raw, uncut nonsense, Rothschild wrote. QAnon social media is full of decodes like this. Its a movement made for turning nothing into something, then pretending that youve been granted secret knowledge. North County Fire Authority Oh, deer! A spotted, lanky fawn slipped into a curbside storm drain in Pacifica, where it got stuck and cried until firefighters came to the rescue. Officials with the North County Fire Authority, which oversees Pacifica, Daly City and Brisbane, shared the footage of Wednesdays rescue on Twitter, showing a firefighter on his side and shoving both arms into the darkness of the storm drain at the corner of Crespi and Barcelona drives. The fawns muffled cries grew louder as the firefighter lifted the young deer closer to the drains opening. Maybe Ill just pull her hip first, the firefighter said while wrestling the fawn in the drain. Here we go, sweetie. Pacifica police officers then entered the frame of the video, plunging their purple and blue-gloved hands toward the opening, helping pull the tiny, crying deer out of the drain. The trio exchanged words of encouragement we got him and here we go just as the fawn emerged, its thin limbs and tiny hooves hanging in the air. The firefighter lifted the fawn up to his chest and smiled, and a police officer extended his gloved hand to rub the fawns head. Well done, guys, an emergency responder said behind the camera. Fire officials called the rescue a great team effort with Pacifica police officers. Both agencies dubbed the rescue #FAWNtastic on Twitter. The video can be seen at bit.ly/fawnindrain. San Jose Police Department / 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. Veterans memorial vandalized again: Police are searching for the person who defaced the San Jose Veterans Memorial last week, authorities said. The moniker Snip was spray-painted several times in black over images of service members and the stories of veterans from the Santa Clara Valley. The vandalism occurred around 12:20 a.m. Monday, police said. A glass panel also was broken. The memorial is on Park Avenue between Almaden Boulevard and Woz Way. This isnt the first instance a war memorial in San Jose has been defaced. In August, vandals spray-painted the Vietnam War Memorial near SAP Center. Dennis Fernandez, president of the Vietnam War Memorial Foundation, said he plans to get cameras to surveil the monument, which includes granite panels listing the names of the 142 service members from the area who died in the war. Anyone with information on the most recent vandalism can call San Jose police Officer Tim Peterson at 408-277-4044. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by calling the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 408-947-7867. Information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a cash reward. Biggest crime news of the past week San Francisco police raided the home of a freelance journalist who provided internal investigation details about the death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi to local media outlets. The man whose headless body was found last year in a fish tank in a South of Market neighborhood home was killed, according to an autopsy report. A San Francisco filmmaker was charged with murder more than two years after a man was fatally shot inside his home. The first week of testimony in the Ghost Ship fire trial included a former tenant saying she moved out because of concerns the place would burn down, as well as prosecutors trying to debunk the defenses theory that arsonists were to blame. An officer with the Rio Vista Police Department bodyslammed a woman after a traffic stop and the womans family has called for the officer to be fired. Kimberly Veklerov, Lauren Hernandez and Ashley McBride are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com, lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com, ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KVeklerov, @LaurenPorFavor, @ashleynmcb Sushi Nagai SF San Franciscos ever-growing list of sushi spots featuring fixed-price omakase menus has welcomed a new addition: Sushi Nagai (125 Ellis St.). With plans for 15-course menu that will range from $200 and $250, Sushi Nagai is set to be one of the most expensive restaurants in the city. Thats especially true when it comes to omakase, a style of Japanese dining in which the customer eats only from an elaborate tasting menu created by the chef. The Union Square restaurant, located next door to Hotel Abri, is now in soft-open mode, operating with shorter hours and a more limited menu than it will offer after its grand opening on June 4. The menu price currently a $180 promotional rate will rise above $200 after the event. (The restaurants owners havent yet set a final price.) WASHINGTON The U.S. is awaiting retaliation from China over increased tariffs after talks in Washington ended without a deal on trade, the presidents chief economic adviser said on Sunday. Larry Kudlow also told Fox News Sunday that President Trumps plan to raise tariffs on Chinese goods across the board could take months to take effect. Call it a couple of months. Call it three months. I dont know. That will take some time and then of course the presidents going to have to make the final decision on that, Kudlow said. The United States began raising tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports from 10% to 25% on Friday after American officials accused Beijing of backtracking on commitments made in earlier rounds of negotiations. Talks in Washington broke off on Friday without a deal on trade, but both sides have indicated that future talks are likely. I think that China felt they were being beaten so badly in the recent negotiation that they may as well wait around for the next election, 2020, to see if they could get lucky & have a Democrat win, Trump tweeted Saturday. Beijing retaliated for previous tariff hikes by raising duties on $110 billion of American imports. And officials have targeted American companies operating in China by slowing customs clearance and stepping up regulatory scrutiny. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told ABCs This Week on Sunday that he advised the president to finalize a trade deal with China soon, because the longer were involved in a tariff battle or a trade war, the better chance there is that we could actually enter into a recession because of it. The two countries are sparring over U.S. allegations that China steals technology and pressures American companies into handing over trade secrets, part of an aggressive campaign to turn Chinese companies into world leaders in robotics, electric cars and other advanced industries. The tariff war is compounding the pain felt by many Chinese companies. They are already enduring stiffened resistance in the United States and Europe to Chinese acquisitions of technology through joint ventures with foreign companies or, with financing by state-run banks, outright purchases. Chinas leaders are reluctant to yield; they need higher-tech industries to keep incomes rising. Many producers of textiles, shoes and toys have already migrated to Vietnam, Cambodia and other lower-cost economies. The tariff war was sparked by years of growing U.S. trade deficits with China and by complaints by the Trump administration and many independent trade experts that Beijing was engaging in predatory and illicit practices, including the theft of technology. The first U.S. penalties targeted high-tech Chinese goods that American officials said benefited from improper support from Beijing. Its impact spread as Trump extended tariff increases to Chinese exporters of handbags, furniture and other goods. 2 1 of 2 Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Jeff Chiu / Associated Press Show More Show Less The As unloaded first baseman Kendrys Morales on Monday, designating him for assignment to clear a roster spot for outfielder Mark Canha. Morales, acquired March 27 from Toronto, hit .204 with one home run and seven RBIs in 34 games with the As. He started 23 games at first base and five at designated hitter, mostly while regular first baseman Matt Olson recovered from a broken hamate bone. ALBANY A former custodian who has been accused of systematically raping boys at a Catholic elementary school in Albany in the 1970s had allegedly done the same thing years earlier while serving as a priest with a seminary in the Midwest, where he attended college. Interviews with his former employers and alleged victims, and records obtained by the Times Union, indicate that Eugene Hubert Jr. a U.S. Army veteran who died in 1997 also immersed himself in maintenance jobs at various schools for nearly 30 years, including at least two Catholic grade schools in Albany. Many of the positions gave Hubert ready access to young boys, and he apparently used that to prey on them, according to interviews with his alleged victims. When the details of his past were shared with attorneys for several men who were allegedly abused by Hubert as children, they said it indicates that Hubert may have been a serial pedophile and that there are potentially many more victims. Jeff Herman, a south Florida attorney who is pursuing claims against the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese on behalf of some of Hubert's alleged victims at a former Catholic grade school said he's confident that Hubert had abused other boys. Now Playing: Warning: This video contains descriptions of alleged sexual assault. Stephen J. Erickson, who is dying from cancer, describes abuse he says he suffered as a young boy in Albany at the hands of a Catholic school janitor. (Provided by protectnykids.org) Video: Times Union "His resume reads like a who's who of a pedophile," Herman said. "We've seen this before ... where you get these men who want access to kids that go to places like the Big Brothers, the Boy Scouts and get active. They use their position to groom and seduce these victims." RELATED STORY: Eugene Hubert Jr.'s resume is a long list of jobs close to children The case also underscores the challenges of confirming sexual abuse claims that date back decades, when there were little or no electronic records, and allegations were often covered up or never documented, including by police and the institutions that harbored the abusers. The state's Child Victims Act, passed earlier this year, will allow victims of childhood sexual abuse to file civil claims during a one-year window that will begin in August. Claims for sexual abuse and rape dating back decades had previously been blocked by the state's statute of limitations. Hubert, who is the target of at least two claims that are expected to be filed against the Albany diocese, was from Essex County and had also worked for the Schroon Lake school district for 16 years until his death at age 54. Hubert was never married and had no children. He worked for many years at children's summer camps in at least three states; he drove school buses and also volunteered for youth organizations, the employment records obtained by the Times Union indicate. Hubert is accused of raping at least two boys in the late 1970s when he worked at St. Teresa of Avila school in Albany. The alleged sexual assaults took place at his Delmar home, in the school, and at a summer camp near Paradox Lake in Essex County, where Hubert would also ply boys with alcohol and pornography, they said. Officials with the Albany diocese said they were not aware that Hubert had also worked at Blessed Sacrament grade school in Albany until the Times Union shared that information with them recently. The earlier alleged abuse of at least five boys in the Midwest took place around the time that Hubert was a seminarian and attending what was then St. Mary's College in Winona, Minn., from 1968 to 1971. In Winona, records show, Hubert was involved with the Big Brothers, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and had been on the board of the local YMCA. A 58-year-old Winona man and his two brothers have filed claims against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, which is about 60 miles southeast of Minneapolis, alleging Hubert sexually abused them when he was involved with a seminary adjacent to the college and went by the name "Brother Gene." The man, who spoke on the condition of not being identified, said that Hubert had sexually abused him in the seminary's dormitory. "I was 10 or 11 years old," the man said. He could not recall how he met Hubert. But he and his brothers had been involved with the Cub Scouts at St. Mary's Church in Winona around that time, he said. The man said he told his mother about the abuse she is now deceased and he's confident that she reported it to someone. "I thought the church shuffled him off to New York," he said. "This guy would just take a bunch of kids camping and stuff. We'd actually go to camp right behind the seminary. ... He had kids sleeping in his tent with him." An attorney for the Winona-Rochester diocese last week confirmed that Hubert had served as an "order priest" with the Fr. Damien Seminary near St. Mary's College. "Being that Hubert was not a diocesan priest, but rather an order priest of Fathers of the Sacred Heart, the Diocese of Winona-Rochester has minimal information regarding his background," said Tom Braun, the diocese's attorney. "I can confirm the existence of five civil lawsuits that have been filed against the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and Fathers of the Sacred Heart for sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated by Hubert." Braun noted that the former Fr. Damien Seminary was "not owned, operated, or affiliated with the Diocese of Winona at any time." He did not say whether the diocese is aware of why Hubert suddenly left the seminary and returned to New York. Elin Lindstrom, an attorney with Jeff Anderson & Associates in St. Paul, Minn., said the firm is representing the alleged victims of Hubert in that state. She said that for legal purposes dioceses will often make the case they are corporations that are separate from the Catholic institutions within their boundaries, including schools. "But in reality, a bishop has control over the institutions in his diocese," she said. "So even if 'Brother Gene' is working at Fr. Damien Seminary, he had to have permission from the bishop of the diocese to do that." Those lawsuits have been filed under seal in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Minnesota, where the diocese there has sought bankruptcy protection as it deals with dozens of sexual abuse claims. The allegations against Hubert in Winona mirror the stories of his alleged sexual assaults of young boys who attended Albany's St. Teresa of Avila, where Hubert had worked as a custodian from January 1976 until February 1979. It's unclear whether Hubert was fired from St. Teresa's, but his departure was sudden and he remained unemployed for six months after leaving his job at the school, according to New York employment records obtained by the Times Union under a Freedom of Information Law request. Officials with the Albany diocese, whose records are not public, said they do not have "verified information" to confirm how long Hubert had worked at the former St. Teresa of Avila off New Scotland Avenue or whether he had been fired. 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. A spokeswoman for the Albany diocese, Mary DeTurris Poust, also said that neither Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger nor his predecessor, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, were aware of Hubert's alleged abuse of children in Minnesota or that he had been enrolled in a seminary there. She said they also were not aware that Hubert had worked at Blessed Sacrament grade school in Albany in 1973. Hubert had attended that school in the 1950s up until he was about age 15, according to the records obtained by the Times Union. "Bishop Scharfenberger said to thank you for bringing this to our attention," Poust said in a statement. "The diocese will investigate to see what we can find out about this information, which would predate both the current bishop and bishop emeritus' tenure." St. Teresa of Avila, founded in 1920, and a parish affiliated with it, were closed by the Albany diocese in 2009 and merged with a neighboring school and parish. In 2012, the diocese had said an internal review board determined that Hubert had likely sexually abused at least one boy there in the 1970s. That alleged victim, 55-year-old Jack Cesare of south Florida, has been an outspoken advocate for the Child Victims Act. A second alleged victim of Hubert's at St. Teresa's was Stephen J. Erickson, who died last December at age 55 following a battle with cancer. Erickson's attorney Jeff Herman of Boca Raton, Fla. had obtained an emergency court order that month allowing him to take Erickson's sworn testimony for a future lawsuit he said they will file against the Albany diocese on behalf of Erickson's son. Erickson was deposed in his bed at Albany Medical Center Hospital, days before he died. In 2012, Erickson then requesting anonymity told the Times Union that Hubert gave him a fishing pole and supplied beer and cigars to him and other boys who went to his Adirondack camp. He recalled that Hubert, who drove a yellow Volkswagen, would pick up other boys in Colonie for their trips to a lakeside camp in southern Essex County. Erickson, who struggled emotionally with the fallout, said that Hubert had raped him multiple times. The Times Union obtained copies of two photos from Hubert's camp near Paradox Lake, including one depicting Hubert and another young boy. Schroon Lake schools Superintendent Stephen Gratto said Hubert's personnel records contained no information indicating there had been any complaints of sexual abuse when he worked there from 1981 to 1997. There were other complaints about Hubert, though, including claims he had eavesdropped on teachers' association meetings, rifled through desks without authorization, and used a racial slur to describe music on a jukebox in the school cafeteria, Gratto said. Anderson, whose law firm specializes in child abuse claims, said they have "identified many other kids that didn't come forward" and who were allegedly sexually molested by Hubert. "This guy is a big-time serial predator and we have a lot of information about his (method of operation) and his history," Anderson said. "This guy was really prolific, extremely predatory, a major manipulator and typically very successful at accessing many kids and causing them to live a life of shame and silence." Public Procurement Service (PPS) Administrator Jung Moo-kyung, right, poses with Christian Saunders, assistant secretary-general for Supply Chain Management at U.N. Department of Operational Support (UNDOS) at the United Nations Secretariat Building in New York, May 8 (local time). Courtesy of PPS By Lee Kyung-min The Public Procurement Service (PPS) plans to boost cooperation with international organizations to help local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) enter the international procurement market, the state-run organization said Monday. During his two-day trip to New York from May 8, PPS Administrator Jung Moo-kyung met with Christian Saunders, assistant secretary-general for Supply Chain Management at the U.N. Department of Operational Support (UNDOS). The two agreed to discuss ways to cooperate further in helping Korean firms find more opportunities with U.N.-commissioned procurement projects, including in the ICT, security and defense sectors. Jung had a separate meeting with Andrew Reese, a senior portfolio manager at United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and stressed Korea's competent, innovation-oriented procurement service. Patrick Picque from France (L) and Laurent Lassimouillas from France (3-L) and an unidentified South Korean hostage (C) stand with Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Alpha Barry (R) at the Presidential Palace in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso 11 May 2019. According to the the French presidency the French army has released four hostages during an intervention in northern Burkina Faso. Two are French, one American and one South Korean citizen. Two French soldiers are reported to have been killed in the operation to free the hostages. The two French citizens were kidnapped 01 May 2018 in Benin. EPA South Korea will revise the travel warning system for conflict-prone regions in Africa and the Middle East, following the kidnapping of a South Korean woman in western Africa, a foreign ministry official said Monday. The decision comes after a middle-aged Korean woman was freed last week after a nearly month-long captivity. She was held by an apparent Islamic militant group in Burkina Faso. She was safely transported to Paris on Saturday (Paris time) and arrangements are being made for her return at an early date. "We plan to put the overall (travel) warnings system under review, including raising public awareness via SNS channels about traveling to dangerous nations," a ministry official told reporters. The release of Special Counsel Robert Muellers report made clear that Donald Trump obstructed justice, leading many Americans across the political spectrum, and a number of Democratic presidential candidates, to conclude he deserves to be impeached. House Democrats know that President Trump is unfit for office and that they hold the power to begin impeachment proceedings. Yet instead of acting on the merits of the situation, they appear consumed with whether or not they will suffer politically for it. At the moment, House Democrats led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, insist that any action toward impeachment however warranted or urgent would be too costly politically. This calculation not only answers the wrong question; its unsupported by the facts. The politics of impeaching the president favors Democrats, and they should move forward with confidence. There is simply no historical precedent for impeachment leading to serious political peril. Those trying to make this case point to President Bill Clinton, asserting that voters punished the GOP for an impeachment they viewed as overreach. Its true that Republicans lost seats in the 1998 midterm elections while pushing the impeachment issue. Yet the loss of five seats in the House still left them in control of Congress. Two years later, voters kept the Republican majorities intact and delivered them the White House. And while Clintons popularity rose after impeachment, keep in mind that his approval ratings never dropped below 60% over the entirety of the investigation. Trump, on the other hand, has never seen approval ratings above 46%. If impeaching a popular president didnt cost the GOP significantly, then Democrats should not fear impeaching a deeply unpopular one. Many also feel there is no point to impeachment while the GOP holds a majority in the Senate. The Republican votes required for his removal, they say, will never appear. Thats a discussion that must include the opinion of the American people after they watch televised impeachment hearings. In any case, if Senate Republicans want to stand with Trump, then they should be forced to do so on the record. They should be called to account for supporting a president who has willfully obstructed justice, taken payoffs, and lied brazenly to the public the proof on all counts is there. During the last two years, the vast majority of Americans made clear they do not want representatives who are blindly devoted to Trump. Instead, they want him the president held accountable for his actions. Thats why Democrats now have a House majority. Even so, the process outcome is far from certain. Just a little over 30% of Americans wanted President Richard Nixon impeached and removed when the House Judiciary Committee began its inquiry a lower share of the electorate than those who support Trumps impeachment today. But after uncovering evidence, hearing sworn testimony on live television, and giving the public a chance to judge Nixons wrongdoing for themselves, support for his ouster soared to 57%. The American people left the GOP with a simple choice: continue to protect Nixon or save their own political futures. They chose self-preservation and still lost 52 seats in the next election. Nixons downfall offers an important lesson: the impeachment process itself can sway public opinion and force a reckoning among the presidents partisan defenders. The stage is set for such a shift today. Most Americans strongly dislike President Trump, including some 60% of independents who disapprove of his presidency, and 30% of conservatives who say they wont vote for him in 2020. Those feelings have been baked in for some time, and they intensify when developments such as the congressional hearing of Trumps personal attorney Michael Cohen or release of the redacted Mueller report dominate the news. The impeachment process would remind these voters why they dont approve of this president, which may lead them to back his immediate removal and oppose those who stand in the way. Rather than push these voters away from the Democrats big tent, we can show them a home in it. The presidents base isnt growing, but Trump voters are likely to be energized in 2020 regardless. And with fewer swing voters than ever before, the Democratic Party needs to focus most on turning out its own base. More than 90% of Democrats disapprove of Trump, and 70% of them support impeachment. Seeing the party hold him accountable could encourage a 2020 presidential election turnout that mirrors 2018s historic level for a mid-term election. A missed chance at impeachment, on the other hand, could leave Democrats hurting long-term. Historically, it is difficult to beat a sitting president, and those previous re-election cycles didnt feature a ramped up Russian influence campaign. House Democrats who oppose impeachment today could thus convince the rest of the caucus to punt the question to the 2020 election, only to see Trump win. If that happens, voters may hold those representatives responsible, and block their ambitions to run for higher office in the future or even hold their seats. For two years, members of Congress said we needed to wait for Muellers report before making any judgments on impeachment. We now know that Muellers team exposed at least 140 contacts between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign, brought 199 criminal charges, handed down 37 indictments or guilty pleas, and earned at least five prison sentences. Special Counsel Mueller laid out strong evidence that Trump obstructed justice, and (as he considered himself bound by Justice Department guidance against indicting a sitting president) invoked Congresss responsibility to enforce checks and balances to ensure no one branch of government becomes too powerful. In a perfect world, our representatives would follow the U.S. Constitution and stand up for the rule of law simply because it is the right thing to do. In the real world, caution and calculation are always at play. In this case, these two dynamics dont have to be at odds. Impeaching Trump is the best chance we have of shifting public opinion decisively against him. It isnt just the right thing to do its good politics, too. Tom Steyer, a former hedge fund manager, is the founder of NextGenAmerica and Need to Impeach, which seeks to remove President Trump from office. He is a resident of San Francisco. Last weeks review of Kyain Kyain, a Burmese restaurant in Fremont, is all about research. To learn more about Burmese cuisine, I consulted MiMi Aye, the British-born Burmese writer of www.meemalee.com. She is also the founder and host of Burmese Food and Beyond, an online community that celebrates Burmese food and culture, and author of Noodle! (Absolute Press). Her new book, Mandalay: Recipes & Tales From a Burmese Kitchen, features 80 recipes interwoven with family stories and insights into Burmese culture. I included some of her wisdom in the review, but since she shared so many insights, I decided to share more of our exchange: Soleil Ho: What makes Burmese cuisine unique? MiMi Aye: Our cuisine takes influences from its neighbors, but combines them with techniques, ingredients and flavors of its own to make something distinct and delicious. Our curries are a little like Malaysian and Indian curries, our noodles share elements with Thai and Yunnanese cuisine, but I think our snacks are in a class of their own youll see street vendors all over Burma with huge woven trays of freshly fried fritters made of gourds, shrimp, pulses and more, and other vendors mixing glorious and unique salads to order shauk-thi thoke (lemon salad), lahpet thoke (pickled tea leaf salad) and gin thoke (ginger salad) all being stars of Burmese cuisine. Other unique must-try dishes include our national dish of mohinga a fragrant fish, lemongrass and rice noodle soup usually eaten for breakfast and tohu our take on tofu but made with chickpeas or split peas rather than soybeans. Michael Short/Special to The Chronicle Q: Are there notable regional variations in the cuisine that people outside of Burma should know more about? A: For sure we have over 130 ethnic groups. So, in most of the country, ngapi is our most iconic ingredient. Literally meaning fish pressed, its similar to Thai shrimp paste and is said to run through our veins. But in Shan cuisine (the Shan being the second-largest ethnic group in Burma), salted soybeans are used instead and are called pe ngapi in Burmese (meaning bean ngapi). In Kachin cuisine, chiles are used a lot, and in Wa cuisine, they use lots of fresh herbs. To be honest, I wish I knew more about the variations, as the food that I cook and know best is Burman and Shan due to my heritage, and I think thats what most restaurants outside the homeland tend to dish up, too. Q: Tell me about what makes a perfect Burmese curry. Sign Up for the Newsletter Follow Soleil as she dines around the Bay Area. Subscribe to Bite Curious. See More Collapse A: Sauce. A Burmese curry is very rarely dry and some are even soupy a common request is for more a-hnit, which means sauce or gravy. Sometimes its practically all sauce kayan-chin-thi chet is a well-loved tomato curry. Well mix the sauce into our rice and spoon it onto our vegetables. Oil is very popular too again, the idea is to make the curry as saucy as possible. The most famous Burmese cooking technique is see-pyan, meaning the oil returns, and its a way of cooking a curry down so much that the oil first disappears into the sauce and then rises back up. Q: What are some myths about Burmese cuisine and culture that you hope to clear up in your new book? A: Food-wise, freaking coconuts. I mean, in mainstream cuisine, there are like only two savory dishes which contain the stuff, yet somehow everyone in the West seems to think if you just add coconuts its Burmese. Related to which, coconut chicken noodles (ohn-no khao swe) has bizarrely become known as a Shan dish when the Shan live in the mountains. Culture-wise, I hate the pervasive myth that all Burmese women are downtrodden and need liberating. Yes, there are obviously issues, but were less patriarchal than many countries in the West. Burma gave voting rights to women in 1922, before any other country in Asia and only two years after the USA, we dont have surnames, and we control the purse-strings. My own family is full of female doctors, lawyers and women of industry and we are far from an exception. Q: What are the essential items in a typical Burmese dinner? A: Rice is the mainstay noodles are considered a snack, and breads even more so. Even the most basic meal will comprise steamed rice with hin, i.e., curries, and some kind of fried vegetable dish. Therell also be a sour, salty or spicy condiment such as the fermented fish dip ngapi yay-kyo or the pungent and oily ngapi kyaw (a.k.a. balachaung) into which youll dunk blanched or raw vegetables or which youll mix into your rice. There might also be fritters on the side, or even potato chips, to add some crunch. Most essential in my opinion, though, is a soup called hin-gyo or, if sour, chin-yay hin. The soup is served at the same time to wash down the meal as we dont normally have drinks while we eat, and it saddens me that Burmese restaurants outside of Burma rarely provide them. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Best Song I Heard in a Restaurant This week, I went to Toronto, Canada to attend the Terroir conference so naturally, I hopped into Le Swan, a French diner for onion rings. The music, a mixture of yacht rock, soul and classic country, was spot-on as far as what I want to listen to while sipping a milkshake in a booth. The ultimate best diner song, Anyone Who Knows What Love Is by Irma Thomas, with its languorous rhythm and ghostly backup vocals, felt so right. What Im reading As someone who takes Lyft to restaurants pretty frequently, this piece by Kathleen Pender breaking down how much of the fare drivers can expect to take home was an eye-opener, especially if youre wondering why the drivers went on strike this week. Wondering what our wine critics take on the upcoming Wine Country film is? Read her comically pedantic breakdown on what the movie gets right and wrong about Napa Valley: But does Wine Country really get Wine Country? Before you get your hopes up about hiring Jason Schwartzman as your chauffeur and private chef on your next ladies trip, its time for us to get nitpicky. Watch this beautiful video by Goldthread on Grandma Yan, who makes flatbreads stuffed with jelly noodles for daily crowds in Chengdu, China. Bite Curious is a weekly newsletter from The Chronicles restaurant critic, Soleil Ho, delivered to inboxes on Monday mornings. Follow along on Twitter: @Hooleil Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at his office in Seoul. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk By Yi Whan-woo A logo to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Poland and Korea / Embassy of Poland Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski appears to be the right person to ask about how Poland-Korea relations have developed so intensively since the countries signed a diplomatic treaty on Nov. 1, 1989. A former university professor, Ostaszewski spoke quickly, as if he were giving a condensed lecture on the development of bilateral ties, from the now-dissolved chaebol Daewoo's investment in a Polish car plant (1995) to the opening of direct flights between Warsaw and Incheon (2016) to more than 40,000 Korean visitors to Poland (2018). He said he hoped the countries would build on their cooperation in the next 30 years for example, Korea could invest in Poland's electric vehicle industry, direct flights to Poland could be increased from five times a week to seven, and the Polish Tourism Organization could establish an office in Seoul. "Everything happened because of changes in Central Europe and the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988. And the bilateral relations started in 1989," Ostaszewski said during an interview with The Korea Times at the embassy on the 30th anniversary of bilateral ties. The interview also took place on the 15th anniversary of Poland joining the European Union and the 20th anniversary of Poland becoming a NATO member. "We have a whole year to celebrate, with the climax being on Nov. 1," the envoy added, listing the anniversary programs throughout the year. The latest event was on May 8, when Ostaszewski hosted a reception at Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul to mark the anniversary of the Polish Constitution declared on May 3, 1791. The calendar of events organized by the Embassy of Poland in Korea includes a Polish Film Festival in Seoul (May 7 to 29), 2019 Polish and Korean Cuisine Culture Exchange: Grandmother's Recipes in Seoul (May 13 to 31), a Polish jazz concert in Daegu (May 21), Ostaszewski's lecture on Poland in Seoul (May 21), Summer Festival 2019: "Something Special About Chopin" in Daegu (Aug. 9 to 11), a Polish design exhibition in Seoul (Sept. 1 to Oct. 30), and the Seoul International Music Festival 2019 (Oct. 28 to Nov. 11). A concert in cooperation with the Seoul Chamber Orchestra is also being planned for November. One of the past events was a design contest for the anniversary logo, done jointly with the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and Paju Typography Institute (PaTI). Designed by PaTI student Koh Eun, the logo highlights the number 30 by combining the Polish flag's two horizontal stripes of white and red. It is being used for celebratory events. Serving his term since September 2017, Ostaszewski was a visiting professor at Seoul National University in 2015 and Kyungpook National University in Daegu from to 2008 to 2012. He was also vice rector at the Warsaw School of Economics from 2012 to 2016. "I'm very glad I can celebrate the 30th anniversary as an ambassador as I dreamed in my life before," he said. Strategic partnership The two countries signed their strategic partnership in October 2013. According to Ostaszewski, they are in the second stage of their partnership and this includes Korean investments of more than $2 billion. Major recent investments involve LG Chem and SK Innovation. LG Chem will spend $571 million to expand its subsidiary LG Chem Wroclaw Energy in Wroclaw to produce enough battery cells for 300,000 EVs annually. SK Innovation plans to invest 335 million euros ($376 million)to build four production lines for lithium-ion separators and three more for ceramic coated separators in Silesia. Hyundai Engineering, one of Korea's leading builders, has been selected as a preferred bidder for a 1.5 million euro chemical plant in Police. It will be run by PDH Polska, a subsidiary of Poland's largest chemical group Grupa Azoty. Ostaszewski said he hoped there would be more economic cooperation, referring to consultations on railways, smart cities and nuclear power plants. The two countries' state-run railroad operators Korail and Polish State Railways signed a memorandum of understanding for increased exchanges in April when Polish State Railways President Krzysztof Maminski visited Korea. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), which has Korail under its wing, discussed ways to bolster exchanges on railroads and smart cities when a ministerial delegation visited Poland in January. Ostaszewski especially referred to nuclear energy as a "good and profitable" area for cooperation amid both countries' moves to diversify energy sources. "Here (in Korea), nuclear power plants are closing down because of energy diversification policy. We're looking for diversification as well," he said but still waiting for a final decision on the governmental level. The bilateral trading relationship has favored of Korea for years. For instance, Korean exports stood at $3.1 billion in 2017, but imports totaled $628 million during the same time period. Ostaszewski shrugged off over Poland's trade deficit, saying this was because its production was focused on the EU and the so called Non-Tariff Barriers and protectionist Korean policy. "There's nothing wrong with a trade deficit our relations are very good," he said, adding, "But of course, we must drive toward lowering trade deficit." Tourism has emerged as a key area for cooperation recently, with more than 40,000 Koreans visiting Poland in 2018, up 27 percent from 2017, according to the Polish Tourism Organization. Such tourists, along with businesspeople, explain why the weekly number of direct flights operated by LOT Polish Airlines should be increased from five to seven, the ambassador said. LOT data shows an average passenger load factor of 85.5 percent, with businesspeople accounting for 30 percent and tourists accounting for the rest. "Direct flights seven times a week is very important so you can fly any day of the week, especially businesspeople who don't have time and are in a rush," the ambassador said. "We will be very glad if MOLIT gives us finally a permission for seven flights per week." The Polish Tourism Organization does not have an office in Korea. Its Tokyo office has expanded its mission to the Korean market since January to better understand Korean travelers. Jointly with the Polish Investment and Trade Agency's Korea office, the organization also conducted market research in February and promoted Poland's popular tourist attractions. These included UNESCO-registered Bialowieza Forest, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Torun and Warsaw Old Town. Ostaszewski said the food festival, titled "Grandmother's Recipes," would offer a chance to discover similarities between the two countries' cuisines, such as pickled foods and recipes using pork and fish. The 19-day event began at the Korean Cuisine Culture Center on May 13. "This is what we have in common, knowing nothing about each other but discovering quite the same thing," the envoy said. Asked whether North Korea could learn from Poland's transition from communism to capitalism, Ostaszewski said the two countries "are quite different,"adding, "Of course we are always ready to help other countries and share our experience in this matter." Poland's Constitution in 1791 was the second of its kind in the world after the U.S. Constitution in 1787 and it gave the country legal foundations of a democratic constitutional monarchy, before it was annexed by Nazi Germany and then the Soviet Union. "Communism was not our system it was imposed on us as and therefore it was treated as a foreign tool of ruling over our country," he said. "But in North Korea, they invented their own system from communism and you have to bear in mind these differences." Up a remote canyon in the towering eastern Sierra, a Southern California company has an ambitious plan to dam the areas cold, rushing waters and build one of the states first big hydroelectric facilities in decades. The project, southeast of Yosemite near the town of Bishop (Inyo County), faces long regulatory odds as well as daunting costs. But residents of the Owens Valley downstream and state environmentalists are not taking it lightly. The complex, as proposed in an application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last month, is scheduled for mostly federal land at the edge of the Inyo National Forest, partly in the popular John Muir Wilderness. It threatens to disrupt a landscape known for its brown trout and bighorn sheep, unparalleled alpine vistas, and pristine rivers and lakes. Yet, the plan comes at a time when California is eager for clean, climate friendly energy, and renewed interest is emerging in hydroelectric plants. Such facilities are not always considered green; however, they offer a unique way of storing wind and solar power, which are cleaner but provide only sporadic contributions to the electrical grid. The proposed pumped-storage project would essentially bank solar and wind energy by pumping creek water uphill when the power sources are plentiful, say during sunny or windy times, and conversely, send the water back down through power-producing turbines when the energy is needed. Its a great way to manage the intermittency of renewable energy, said Frank Wolak, an economics professor at Stanford University and director of the schools Program on Energy and Sustainable Development, who called pumped storage ideal for helping the state scale up its clean power. But the problem in California is siting the projects. Sierra Club Several federal and state agencies will have a say in whether a new, large hydroelectric undertaking is appropriate for California. Most regulators have only begun reviewing the proposal, though officials at the Inyo National Forest recently expressed concerns about disturbances to mountains, rivers and wildlife in a letter to the applicant. The application for the facility was filed by Premium Energy Holdings LLC of Walnut (Los Angeles County). The company, which appears to be a consultant in the power sector, did not return multiple calls from The Chronicle. FERC officials confirmed theyre considering the companys request for a preliminary permit, which would simply grant Premium Energy an exclusive right to study the project. Before any construction could begin, the company would have to take the additional step of getting a license from FERC, a process that involves more review and more input. California regulators have been wary of new hydroelectric facilities because of their sprawling environmental footprint, even when they can assist in meeting renewable energy goals. But some fear that the Trump administration could try to limit the states voice on the matter as part of a continuing effort to make public lands more accessible to industry. We are entering perilous times, said Ron Stork, senior policy advocate for the environmental group Friends of the River and a longtime dam expert. California has been shut out of any meaningful participation in FERC licensing. We are potentially entering an era where theres no one but FERC or the licensee making the decisions. The proposed Owens Valley Pumped Storage Project, according to the FERC filing, would bring an elaborate series of dams, pumps and pipes to Lower Rock Creek Gorge, a rugged canyon of sagebrush and pine thats commonly used by hikers and mountain bikers. The process of storing and generating power would begin with three concrete dams, some more than 300 feet tall, that would capture water from Lower Rock Creek. The water in these reservoirs would then be pumped through pipelines thousands of feet uphill to three other reservoirs, built along 11,000-foot Wheeler Ridge in the John Muir Wilderness. There, water would be held until electricity is needed, at which time the water would be released back downhill to three power-generating stations near the dams. The water could be recycled through the system as warranted, in what Premium Energy describes as a closed-loop hydroelectric operation. As an alternative, the company proposes damming nearby Owens Valley River Gorge and similarly pumping water to reservoirs on Wheeler Ridge. Either configuration would have an energy capacity of 5,200 megawatts, according to the FERC filing, a staggering amount of power that could meet the needs of a couple of million homes. The project would be Californias largest such operation. Eight pumped storage sites currently operate in California, with a total capacity of 4,500 megawatts, according to the California Energy Commission. Wolak, at Stanford, said theres a demand for plenty more facilities, given both the existing storage needs of wind and solar power and the future needs of the growing renewable sector. California last year set an aggressive goal of getting 100 percent of its power from zero-emissions sources by 2045. While state law limits how much hydropower counts as clean energy, the storage potential of the plants alone is driving their resurgence. People see the need for what they provide, and developers are trying to get their licenses and work the deals, said Jeff Leahey, head of governmental affairs for the National Hydropower Association. In the past five to seven years, we really started to notice the increase in project proposals, particularly in the West. Preliminary permits for about a half dozen pumped-storage projects in California are being sought or were recently granted, FERC records show. 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. What makes the Owens Valley project different from several of the others and more controversial is that it proposes construction of new infrastructure instead of using existing hardware. Many pumped-storage operations piggyback on drinking-water reservoirs, like Lake Oroville, where water released from the reservoir is sometimes pumped back into the reservoir for power generation. A proposal near Joshua Tree National Park would use old mining pits to hold water for generating electricity. Two other proposals, one at the San Vicente Dam near San Diego and one at Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, would add a single reservoir near an existing one to move water in between to produce power. The Owens Valley project would build a total of six new reservoirs, a major ask that faces significant federal, state and local constraints. For starters, most development is banned in federally designated wilderness. Plus, residents and environmental groups are already raising concerns about a hydroelectric project chasing off threatened bighorn sheep and migrating deer, degrading water quality in the areas many streams and simply shattering the natural beauty. I dont know anybody who doesnt support clean energy, said Mono County resident Evan Russell, who has hiked the area along Lower Rock Creek hundreds of times. But this would absolutely destroy the canyon. Most in the region remain flabbergasted about how something so big could be proposed for the sparsely developed eastern Sierra. Of course it was a surprise to people, said Fran Hunt, a local organizer for the Sierra Club. Its really lit up the phone lines and peoples emails. Energy experts, who note that such an endeavor would likely cost billions of dollars, say the applicant may be pitching the project now as a longshot bet that it will become viable in the future. Others suggest that the applicant could be working with a larger company or utility that has the means and interest in moving a project forward quickly. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which has infrastructure in the area, is listed on the application as a possible recipient of the new energy. The utility has had a long and strained relationship with the residents of the Owens Valley over efforts to cull water and power from the region, dramatized in the 1974 movie Chinatown. The utility did not return multiple calls from The Chronicle for comment. Steve Evans, who tracks hydroelectric projects as program director of the California Wilderness Coalition, said he normally would dismiss the Owens Valley proposal as completely unrealistic. But with the Trump administration working to upend many of the nations environmental protocols, on top of state pressure to ramp up clean power, Evans said now anything seems possible. Im sure Trump would love to stick it to Californias renewable energy program by approving a reservoir in a wilderness area, he said. All this is just really troubling. Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander The Bay Area in 2019 is often described as a playground for the wealthy. In this occasional Style series, we interview the artists, service people and nonprofit workers who hustle to make it work here despite the realities of rent and real estate. Does your love for the Bay Area outweigh the struggle? Have a story to share? Email style@sfchronicle.com. Brontez Purnells writing is so wry and gut-baring that reading it makes you feel more reckless by proxy. As a fixture of the Oakland punk scene over the past two decades, Purnell is an artist whose talents refuse to be constrained to one field: Hes a musician (Gravy Train!!!, The Younger Lovers). In 2010 he founded an experimental dance and theater crew, the Brontez Purnell Dance Co. And though hes a longtime zinemaker and writer, his work has finally begun garnering attention from the establishment in the past few years: Purnells novel Since I Laid My Burden Down won a 2018 Whiting Award for fiction, and last year the New York Times named him one of 32 essential black male writers of our time. I caught up with Purnell recently at the Lab in the Mission, where he was meeting his dance company co-founder/wife, the artist Sophia Wang, for rehearsal. The pair have an upcoming residency at the Pieter Performance Space in Los Angeles. Purnell is simultaneously working to deliver the final manuscript of his next book, 100 Boyfriends. People hear the name and think its a rom-com, but its about gay male rejection, isolation and betrayal, says Purnell with a half-hearted laugh. Its dark as f. Chronicle: Tell me about your living situation(s) since moving to the Bay Area. Purnell: I moved here in 2002, so this is my 17th year here. Ive lived in San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland. When I first moved here, the farthest west Id ever been was Arkansas. I lived with 20 other kids in this warehouse in Oakland that (the band) Erase Errata started. That had a big effect on me. When you live with 20 other people, and theres a beer machine and there are shows happening all the time it made me feel like I could do anything I wanted. Then I moved to Steve Lists warehouse (an Oakland punk house known as Sugar Mountain), and I lived there for 14 years. When I moved out I owed Steve $11,000, but then I got this grant to write my book so I was able to pay it back. When I gave him the last payment, he was like, I never expected you to pay me back; I cant believe this happened. I never kicked you out because I thought it was important for someone like you to have a place to live. Being far from home, I think we adopt other parent figures. Sometimes theyre people who really care about you. Ive been in my current place near MLK (in Oakland) for five years. I live with four other people. Rent is $500. Q: What keeps you here? A: I have boyfriends in New York and Nashville, but every time I go there, I dont think I would have the same type of social freedom I do here. To me, New York is ugly as f. The people are beautiful, but the physical landscape of that place is ugly. I love the actual physical landscape of this place. When I bike here, theres some point where I can see the bay or the Golden Gate Bridge. And the weather its heaven here. I fight because I would not give this up without a fight. When will you ever get to be in heaven again? People tell me, Well, if you moved to L.A. or New York, your career could be more serious. Who said I wanted a more serious career? I like my career as it is. Q: How do you think the changing socioeconomics of the Bay Area have impacted the queer community since youve been here? Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. A: I dont see as many 20-year-olds in the gay clubs. When I was in my 20s, it was a swarm of us. And now Im 36 and Im definitely not seeing 20-year-olds out. But theres always been this separation. This city, this land mass, feels like this boyfriend that I never really could have but Im always trying to catch up to. Theres a black gay mens gathering in West Oakland that I went to recently, and for the first time ever I was in this room with 20 other professional black gay men. I was like, oh, these are my potential husbands (laughs). But 95 percent of the room was like, Im leaving the Bay Area in the next year because I need to find a place to be. These were lawyers, doctors, artists stating what they needed to survive, and saying they needed to go somewhere else to get it. I was the only one saying, Im gonna die here. Im gonna be here for the rest of my life. Q: What advice do you have for other artists trying to make it work here? A: You better have rich parents (laughs.) No, do you know (photojournalist and gay rights activist) Daniel Nicoletta? I interviewed him, and he was like, Its always been hard. Even in the 1970s, when things were cheap. In order to do something, you have to be possessed by it. If you arent possessed, youre not gonna make it. Emma Silvers is a San Francisco freelance writer. Email: style@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @emmaruthless Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images On the 63rd episode of the Warriors Off Court podcast, the San Francisco Chronicles Golden State beat writer, Connor Letourneau, is joined by sportswriter Rusty Simmons. Warriors fans probably remember Simmons from his time on the beat from 2009 to 2016. Now, after a stint covering Cal, hes back helping out with Golden State coverage. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, front row 11th from left, poses with Omani Ambassador and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Mohamed Al Harthy, front row 12th from left, and other foreign envoys during the 1st Annual Gathering of the Heads of the Diplomatic Missions at Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul, May 2. Eighty-five ambassadors joined the gathering where they thanked the Korean government for its support and cooperation and also discussed their common concerns on protocol, relations with Korea and public diplomacy. / Embassy of Oman Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski, third from left, Polish Defense Attache Colonel Swiatek, left, First Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho, second from left, and ruling Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker and president of Korean-Poland Parliamentarians Friendship Association Chang Byoung-wan join a cake-cutting ceremony during a reception to celebrate the anniversary of the May 3 Polish Constitution of 1791 at Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul, May 8. / Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo By Yi Whan-woo The May 3 Constitution of 1791, according to Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski, was "one of the most vital incentives" for the nation. Being the first modern constitution in Europe and the second of its kind after the U.S. Constitution of 1787, it stipulated political equality between townspeople and nobility by placing peasants under government protection and mitigating undue abuses of serfdom. After being established as a public holiday in 1919, the celebration was forbidden under Nazi Germany and then the Soviet Union. The national holiday was restored in 1990. Since then celebrations have taken place not only in Poland but other parts of the world, including Korea. "It helped the nation to preserve its own character ... It was one of the most vital incentives that helped the nation to survive even after the unfortunate Yalta Conference when Poland once again became a dependent country and when May 3 could not be celebrated," Ambassador Ostaszewski said during the anniversary reception at Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul, last week. "It reappeared again in 1990, becoming the symbol of our independence." The anniversary also coincided with the 30th anniversary of Poland-Korea ties, the 20th anniversary of Poland's accession to NATO and the 15th anniversary of European Union membership. "Poland's political system is stable and based on strong foundations, its economy is one of the fastest-developing in the modern world, its society is open, free and always ready to face new challenges," the ambassador said. He added that Poland, along with allies, would like to build a peaceful world with "enough space for everyone who shares the most precious values like human rights, democracy and liberty." He noted the Polish presence on the Korean Peninsula within the framework of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Committee was "the best example" of its contribution for building peace. Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski and other dignitaries pose during a reception to celebrate the anniversary of the May 3 Polish Constitution of 1791 at Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul, May 8. / Korea Times photo By Yi Whan-woo The reception attracted ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps in Seoul. From the Korean side were First Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho, ruling Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker and president of the Korean-Poland Parliamentarians Friendship Association Chang Byoung-wan, the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission's Major. Gen. Shin Sang-bum and Synn Il-hi, who is the honorary consul general of Poland and President of Keimyung University in Daegu. Vice Minister Lee said the May 3 Constitution had been "a solid foundation for anchoring Poland to the hope of peace and prosperity." Lee said bilateral relations over the past 30 years had grown stronger in "a whole spectrum of fields." He noted that a summit with Polish President Andrzej Duda and President Moon Jae-in was "momentous in exploring ways to enhance further the friendship and cooperation between our two countries." Referring to Poland's membership of Visegrad Group a cultural and political alliance of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia Lee said the Central European country "has steadfastly rendered its strong support" for Korea's efforts to establish peace on the peninsula. Rep. Chang noted that Poland and Korea share common ground in history, suffering foreign invasions repeatedly but continuing to fight for freedom and achieving economic development in a short time. "I hope bilateral relations continue to build on their historical and cultural similarities," he said. Lee Seung-bok, managing director of the university affairs and academic research policy bureau of the Ministry of Education, announces the results of an inspection into malpractice by university professors, during a press briefing at the ministry office in Sejong, Monday. /Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji Nearly 90 professors have registered their children as co-authors of their theses although they did not participate in the research, a government inspection showed, Monday. More than 500 professors also took part in even "fake" academic conferences where they could present their papers without any screening by paying a fee, according to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT. The ministries' inspection revealed that 87 professors at 50 universities nationwide named their underage children or relatives as co-authors in 139 of their papers since 2007. Many of the children were middle or high school students at the time. Seven of the 87 professors did so in 12 papers although their children were not involved in the studies. Among the eight involved children, two later went to universities here and six went to overseas institutions. The ministries and the universities are examining whether the fake involvement in the papers affected their admissions. The education ministry said it notified the universities abroad of the inspection results. For the other 127 papers, the professors' schools said the children seemed to have participated in the research, but the education ministry concluded they did not in at least 85 papers. Among the 85 theses, 51 were sponsored by government organizations including the defense ministry. The education ministry told the organizations to reassess the papers and take appropriate measures such as requesting the research money be returned. Some of the professors have already been subject to disciplinary action from the schools or will face measures after further investigation. The authorities also confirmed 574 professors from 90 universities nationwide participated in "predatory" conferences organized by two academic societies the World Academy of Science Engineering and Technology (WASET) and OMICS International. The two societies are used as tools for professors to exaggerate their research achievements by presenting their papers without screening, the ministries said. The professors took part in the conferences over 808 times since 2014, and 473 professors' participation fees were paid by their schools or from government-sponsored research funds. Seven of them participated more than six times, with one attending 11 meetings and spending 33 million won ($27,870) in government funds. Only five of the 574 professors were punished by their schools, while others were given a slap on the wrist or are awaiting disciplinary action. Regarding the 473 professors sponsored by government organizations, they and the education ministry are taking steps to review their provision of funding and recover any money used improperly. The education ministry said it would carry out an in-depth investigation into 15 universities where a large number of professors were involved in such malpractice, including Seoul National, Yonsei, Sungkyunkwan, Kyungpook National and Chung-Ang universities. his Jan. 3, 2015, file photo shows a U.S. Navy officer signaling an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 35 on the flight deck of the littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth in the Java Sea. From U.S. Department of Defense website By Jung Da-min The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has kicked off an open bid for South Korea's second batch of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters. The bid for the Republic of Korea Navy's new ASW helicopters runs from May 2 until Aug. 16. The U.S. aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin and Italian giant Leonardo are expected to be competing for DAPA's batch-2 program featuring the acquisition of 12 helicopters for about 950 billion won ($802 million). In 2016, DAPA purchased eight helicopters for the deployment plan of 20 with Leonardo, deploying its AW159 Wildcat in 2017. DAPA was going to sign a direct commercial sales (DCS) deal with Leonardo for 12 more Italian multi-mission helicopters last year, as no other competitors participated in the biddings in June and October. Soon after the Nov. 14 deadline for the second bidding last year, however, the U.S. government sent a letter of price and availability for Lockheed Martin's MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, giving Seoul the option of a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal with Washington. DAPA now has a choice between the DCS deal and the FMS deal, based on renewed proposals by Leonardo and Lockheed Martin, respectively. "The companies' proposals shall first be evaluated to select the eligible entities. DAPA will then conduct a test and evaluation, and negotiations on the selected systems," the procurement agency said in its latest announcement on the bid. Leonardo's Wildcat is a multi-mission helicopter capable of performing aerial reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, counterterrorism and troop transport duties. It is armed with a 360-degree active electronically scanned array (AESA) surveillance radar, anti-submarine warfare dipping sonar, anti-ship missiles and torpedoes with a maximum speed of 259 kilometers. It is 15.22 meters wide and 4.04 meters high. This Feb. 1, 2017, file photo shows a AW159 Wildcat maritime operational helicopter of the ROK Navy participating in a simulation exercise near Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province. Korea Times file Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli shake hands at the joint press conference following their talks in Hanoi on May 11th (Photo: VNA) During the trip from May 9th, PM Sharma Oli laid a wreath at the monument to martyrs and paid homage to President Ho Chi Minh at the Vietnamese leaders mausoleum in Hanoi. He had talks with PM Phuc and met with National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. He also attended and delivered a speech at the UN Day of Vesak 2019 celebration, visited the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, took part in the Vietnam-Nepal business forum and witnessed the signing of important documents between the two countries. On this occasion, the two sides issued a joint statement to intensify their traditional friendship. They agreed to increase delegation exchanges at all levels and via all channels, including between parties, governments, legislatures, localities and peoples. They welcomed the signing of an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders, a memorandum of understanding on establishing a bilateral consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries and a letter of intent on the negotiation on a framework agreement on trade and investment cooperation. The Vietnamese and Nepalese leaders said bilateral economic-trade ties remain modest compared to potential. They asked the countries ministries and agencies to consider setting up economic and trade cooperation mechanisms and encourage businesses to survey each others markets and take part in business-to-business events. The two countries agreed to consider proposals on the opening of markets for strong agricultural products of each other, while increasing information sharing and partnership in agricultural science and technique research. They also agreed to share law enforcement experience, exchange crime-related information and consider negotiating agreements on criminal justice. At the meetings, Vietnam and Nepal decided to boost cultural and tourism collaboration and people-to-people exchange and step up ties in other potential areas, including science and technology, information and communications, logistics and natural disaster response. They also shared many viewpoints on regional and international issues of common concern, affirming the importance of full respect for the United Nations Charter, as well as principles and standards of international law. They also expressed resolve to maintain multilateralism and seek solutions to common issues, while stressing the need for cooperation for a fair, equal and inclusive world order based on rules and democracy./. By Kim Hyun-bin A man has been indicted for illegally filming his sexual encounters with dozens of women at his home for the past 10 years, the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office said Monday. The prosecution said it indicted the man, surnamed Lee, 34, the son of a pharmaceutical company head, last Friday, following his arrest in mid-April. He allegedly set up spy cameras all around his home, including hiding cameras in a light fixture and clock in the bedroom and restroom and filmed the women without their consent. Lee's illegal acts surfaced after one woman reported them to police after discovering he had sex videos of her and other women on his computer. Police confiscated Lee's laptop, cellphone, camera and other communication devices from his home and found the suspect has illegally filmed at least 34 women. Lee admitted to the crime during police questioning but claimed he filmed the women so he could replay the videos for his own pleasure. "We requested a digital forensic analysis from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and found no signs that he distributed the footage to others," a prosecutor said. Justice Minister Park Sang-ki speaks during an interview with The Korea Times and the Hankook Ilbo at his office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-han Marking the second anniversary of the Moon Jae-in administration, The Korea Times, jointly with the Hankook Ilbo, interviewed Cabinet ministers to review his government's policies on tackling corruption to create a more just society, as well as other pending issues ED. Anti-corruption activities are imperative to secure fair society By Kim Jae-heun The prosecution has recently voiced its opposition to the government-led judiciary reform to share its exclusive supervisory role over investigations with police. They claim the government and the National Assembly are pushing ahead with the plan without taking their views into consideration. Justice Minister Park Sang-ki, however, made it clear that prosecutors cannot "design" their own investigations as this is the government's right. "We have been receiving prosecutors' opinions through various channels and can reflect them. However, neither the prosecution nor the police can designate their own investigative authority," the minister said in a joint interview with The Korea Times and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo at his office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, last Thursday. "The prosecution can present their stance, but I don't think the government needs to completely accept their demands," he said. "It is the government's job to decide on the power distribution of investigative authority, and the proposed bill to give police the authority over opening and closing a case is the agreement we've come to with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The final decision will be made by the National Assembly." Park's remarks were in response to prosecutors' fierce opposition to the reform plan, which will give the police more autonomy in conducting investigations. Prosecutor-General Moon Moo-il openly lodged a protest earlier this month, saying police investigations must be checked by the prosecution, and that the reform plan would infringe on the basic rights of the people. Park also advised both police and prosecutors not to deal with the issue based on distrust of one other, warning them not to spread false or incorrect information. Another part of the reform plan is to establish a separate investigative unit dealing with alleged corruption and other irregularities committed by high-ranking government officials, lawmakers, prosecutors and their families. This was one of the major election pledges by President Moon Jae-in, and has been sought by previous liberal presidents as well. The justice minister stressed the need for the third agency as prosecutors have failed to conduct impartial investigations. "If they had been doing a fair job investigating high-ranking officials and indicting them, people would not be talking about the need for the agency. However, they have failed to do so, and prosecutors don't have much to say about this," Park said. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LPK) claims the new agency will become the President's personal organization to attack his opponents. "The agency is designed to ensure political impartiality. Its head is recommended by a commission at the Assembly and two out of its seven commission members are recommended by the opposition,'' the minister said in response. "In other words, a person cannot become a director without a consensus among the opposition parties," he added. For fairer society Apart from the judiciary reform efforts, Park said punishing white-collar criminals and corruption in hiring has been an important task ordered by President Moon, who has called for a fair and just society. He said his ministry has made significant progress but remains far from reaching its goal. "We have worked consistently to fight corruption since the Moon government took office two years ago. Activities to curb irregularities are imperative in building a fair and just society. We are talking about polarization in our society and it refers not only to people's economic status but also their social level," he said. "There are people who have the influence to request employment for their children, and those who lack influence. This creates a sense of loss and shame among those without power. It is an important task for the government to make a society that guarantees equal opportunities for everybody." According to the minister, Korea received 57 points in the Corruption Perception Index last year, which is the highest ever, but it still falls behind the average of OECD member nations. "There is personal corruption and corporate corruption. In Korea's case, we witness many irregularities at local governments and public firms. There is still much to be improved and prosecutors are at the front of the line in tackling this," Park said. The justice minister said his major goal this year is to revise the Commercial Law to reform corporate governance. "Current governance at companies here is what keeps encouraging corruption. The owners of a company, as well as its board of directors, have very strong power in controlling the company," Park said. "A company won't have a big failure if its decision-making process in investment or other issues is carried out in a democratic way. A company (undergoing governance reform) may face hardship, but Korean companies have to have governance similar to that of firms in advanced nations. That is the goal of the Commercial Law revision." SARATOGA SPRINGS Socialite Michele Riggi, on the hunt for two young women who ripped tulips from around the lamppost flower bed, might have found the driver of the getaway car thanks to the help of a former star of the "Dog the Bounty Hunter" reality show. Beth Chapman, who is the wife of Duane "Dog" Chapman, ran the Idaho license plate numbers for the car that allegedly fled the scene Sunday night after one of the occupants hopped out and snatched the flowers from outside Riggi's North Broadway home. The theft was caught on camera by Riggi's niece, who said the young women who took the flowers were laughing. Riggi posted an image of the car on her Facebook page, which led Chapman to start digging. Chapman posted the name of the vehicle's owner on Facebook, and linked to the owner's page. "Let the shaming begin," she wrote. The owner's Facebook page is no longer visible. In an interview Monday, Riggi said she and Chapman are friends. Chapman starred with her husband on "Dog the Bounty Hunter," which ran on A&E from 2003 to 2012. Based on past encounters she says she has had with Skidmore College students, Riggi said she suspects students from the nearby school did the tulip-snatching; she plans to press charges. "I've been super-nice to the Skidmore kids," said Riggi, adding that she has put up with antics such as young people skinny-dipping in her pool and has never sought legal redress until now. Riggi called the police and Skidmore College security and asked her social media contacts to be on the lookout for the car after the incident at 8:15 p.m. Sunday. "If we all work together maybe we can find them along with my lawn jockey," Riggi wrote in reference to last week's disappearance of her statuette. At that time, Riggi said, someone dug up her tulips and threw them in the street on Greenfield Avenue. Saratoga Springs police said they are still investigating, but had not yet heard of Chapman's work. "Unfortunately, we have a lot of incidents of that nature at city property and at private residences," Lt. Robert Jillson said. Jillson said the young women could be charged with criminal mischief for damaging the flowers, or petit larceny for stealing them. Peter Martin, the city's Commissioner of Public Safety, said he was aware of the incident. "I don't get involved in property damage issues unless I'm asked," Martin said. Riggi "has not asked me to get involved with this." Skidmore College security said that it could not "disseminate any information" on the case and deferred to the police. By Monday afternoon, Riggi's Facebook post had 409 comments. Many expressed outrage and urged her to "get justice." They also called the act "extremely disheartening" and "absolutely disgusting." At least one person suggested the culprits be sentenced to perform yard work at Riggi's home. Riggi refers to her stone mansion at 639 North Broadway as "The Palazzo," where she cares for what she calls her "posh pups" about three dozen small dogs that share her home with a couple of tolerant cats. Several years ago, Riggi, who is the director of the National Museum of Dance, was exploring producing her own reality show with her dogs. The show never came to fruition. Eyewitness survivors of the bloody suppression of pro-democracy protesters in the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising head toward the Gwangju District Court, Monday, to testify in a hearing against former President Chun Doo-hwan over machine gun fire from military helicopters. Chun, who continues to deny responsibility in the massacre of hundreds of Gwangju civilians, is undergoing a libel case trial for calling priest Cho Bi-oh, a deceased activist who testified on the aerial attacks, a "liar" and "Satan" in his memoir. / Yonhap Firefighters contained a one-alarm fire Monday afternoon in San Francisco's Mission District, fire officials said. The blaze was reported at 549 Valencia St. near 17th Street, fire officials said on social media around 12:05 p.m. The fire was apparently in the walls of a building and fire officials were able to contain it. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured in the blaze. 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 man who lived at the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland broke down in tears on Monday as he testified about unsuccessfully trying to save the life of another resident in the fire at the warehouse in 2016 that killed 36 people. Robert "Bob" Mule, who works as a "grip" technician in the filmmaking industry, said he noticed smoke at the building at 1309 31st Ave. late on the night of Dec. 2, 2016, after fellow resident Aaron Marin said he smelled smoke. Mule said he then saw flames and ran to the front of the building and screamed, "Fire!" and "Fire extinguishers." Mule said he saw another resident, Peter Wadsworth, who was 38, lying on the ground and started to try to drag him but had to give up because Wadsworth weighed more than he did. Mule paused and quietly sobbed as he testified about Wadsworth, who was the only Ghost Ship resident who died in the fire. The other 35 victims who died had come to the warehouse to attend a music party that night. The testimony is in the trial of Ghost Ship master tenant Derick Almena, 49, and creative director Max Harris, 29, who are charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deadly fire. Alameda County prosecutor Casey Bates alleged in his opening statement two weeks ago that Almena and Harris are criminally liable for the fire because there was no time and no way for the people at the party to escape since the warehouse didn't have important safeguards, such as fire extinguishers, smoke alarms and exit signs. Bates also said Almena and Harris violated the terms of the warehouse's lease by turning it into a living space and hosting underground music parties there. But defense attorneys for Almena and Harris alleged in their opening statements that the fire was an act of arson that Harris and Almena couldn't have prevented. They said witnesses saw strange people who didn't belong inside the warehouse and later saw seven to 10 Latino males walk by the building while it was burning and heard one of them say, "The way we put that wood in there, they'll never come out." Mule supported the defense's theory to a degree by testifying that shortly before the fire, he saw two men he didn't know in an area of the warehouse where there weren't supposed to be visitors. But he said the men appeared to be white, not Latino. At the beginning of Monday's session, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Trina Thompson said that late Thursday afternoon she dismissed an alternate juror for what she described as "veracity" issues. It was the second juror Thompson has removed so far. On the second day of opening statements on May 1, she also removed a juror. The two dismissals mean that the case is left with 12 jurors and four alternates. Thompson also said Monday that there's a potential issue with another juror, which she and the attorneys in the case will discuss "a the appropriate time." Thompson said late Wednesday that she is considering sequestering the jury or even closing the trial to the media and the public because of ongoing issues with jurors. 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) An Alameda County Superior Court jury on Monday awarded more than $2 billion in damages from Monsanto Co. to a Livermore couple who claimed the company's Roundup weedkiller caused both of them to develop cancer, according to a spokeswoman for the plaintiff's lawyers. The award to Alva and Alberta Pilliod included $1 billion each in punitive damages and $55 million in compensatory damages for economic and non-economic losses for their non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The couple's case is the third to result in a verdict against Monsanto and is the largest judgment thus far against the agribusiness company, now owned by Bayer AG of Germany. In the first two cases, a San Francisco Superior Court jury last year awarded former school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson of Vallejo $289 million, later reduced by the trial judge to $78 million. In March, a federal jury in San Francisco granted $80 million to Edwin Hardeman of Santa Rosa. The three cases are the first to go to trial nationwide among more than 13,000 lawsuits filed in state and federal courts against Monsanto by people who say exposure to Roundup, the world's most widely used herbicide, contributed to their cancer. The jury in the Pilliod case found that Roundup was a substantial factor in causing the couple's cancers and that Monsanto sold a defective product, failed to warn consumers of the dangers and was negligent. The punitive damages, according to the verdict, were for "malice, oppression or fraud" on Monsanto's part, defined in the jury instructions as including willful and knowing disregard for human safety. Alva Pilliod, 76, and Alberta Pilliod, 74, were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2011 and 2015. They testified they sprayed Roundup on weeds on several properties for three decades and believed it was safe because the product labels and television advertisements did not warn of a cancer risk. Bayer said it will appeal the verdict. It is also appealing the previous two verdicts. 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 proposed 346-unit development of single-family houses, along with a 12-acre commercial site and 10 accessory dwelling units, will be before the Pittsburg Planning Commission at its Tuesday night meeting. San Ramon-based William Lyon Homes, Inc. seeks to have about 50 acres near the intersection of Alves Ranch Road and West Leland Road, about a half-mile west of the Pittsburg Bay Point BART station, on the far northwest edge of the city next to state Highway 4, rezoned to accommodate this development. City planning staff recommends approval of the changes needed to accommodate the proposed housing tract. The seeds for this project were planted in 2004, when William Lyon and Alves Ranch, LLC proposed a project as large as 1,100 housing units in that area. Those plans have gone through several iterations since then, leading up to the current proposal. Tuesday's meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the City Council chamber in City Hall, 65 Civic Ave. Ground was broken Friday on a nine-story, 143-apartment building in the Mission District designed to provide permanent affordable housing for low-income families. The building, dubbed Casa Adelante, will be built on a vacant and underutilized parcel at 1990 Folsom St. as a mixed-use development with space for the arts, nonprofits and early childcare and education. "When voters passed the Affordable Housing Bond in 2015, this was the exact type of project we were looking to create for our low-income families," Mayor London Breed said in a news release. More than half of the apartments will be two- and three-bedroom apartments for families. The ground floor will feature Mission-based arts and cultural organizations Galera de la Raza and HOMEY, plus a licensed childcare center operated by the Felton Institute. Families are expected to be able to start moving in to Casa Adelante sometime in early 2021. Thirteen residents of a mixed apartment-commercial building near the Daly City-San Francisco city line were displaced from their homes Sunday afternoon when a two-alarm fire damaged several second-floor apartment units, North County Fire Authority firefighters said Sunday night. Nine engine companies, two truck companies and other firefighters responded at 4:19 p.m. Sunday to 9 Liebig St., near Mission Street. Everyone inside the building had already escaped the building. The fire appears to have started in an apartment in the back of the building, firefighters said; one apartment sustained heavy fire damage, and all the building's apartments sustained smoke damage. Firefighters kept the flames from spreading to adjacent buildings. The fire was completely out about four hours after it was reported. The 13 displaced residents were being helped Sunday night by the American Red Cross. No civilians or firefighters were injured, and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the North County Fire Authority's Fire Prevention Services Bureau. No one was injured but a house on Newsom Lane in Cupertino sustained serious damage when a large bough of a tree broke off and fell on the house early Sunday morning, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said. The bough that fell was, essentially, half of a large tree - about 10 feet in diameter. The bough itself was three to four feet in diameter, and about 50 feet long, said sheriff's Deputy Mike Low. There were people - the homeowner and his kids -- in the house when the tree landed on it at about 1:40 a.m. Sunday, Low said, but no one was injured. A man was struck and killed by a bus Saturday night in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, and police are investigating how and why the man was hit, police said. Police were called at 7:30 p.m. Saturday to the intersection of Golden Gate and Hyde Streets, where a bus struck the adult man as he was crossing the street, said San Francisco police Officer Joseph Tomlinson. Police performed life-saving measures on the man, who was soon taken to a nearby hospital, where he died. Tomlinson said he didn't know which agency owned the bus involved, though he said the driver remained at the scene after the accident. But San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney, who has called for measures to make that intersection safer, identified the bus as belonging to Golden Gate Transit. A vigil for the man who died is planned at that intersection at 5 p.m. Monday. The City of Martinez is seeking people interested in operating a cannabis-related business in that city to apply for permits to set up shop. A notice on the city's website (http://www.cityofmartinez.org/) comes ahead of a planned question-and-answer session about the permit process scheduled for Tuesday, May 21 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at City Hall, 525 Henrietta St. The city will use a "request for proposals" (RFP) process to evaluate, qualify and score proposals from prospective operators of commercial cannabis businesses in Martinez. The proposals will be competitive, as a finite number of cannabis businesses will be allowed. In April, the Martinez City Council approved a commercial cannabis ordinance; business types allowed are (1) dispensary or retail cannabis stores (and associated delivery), a maximum of two, medical and/or adult-use; (2) manufacturing, one; (3) distribution, one; (4) testing laboratory, one; and (5) non-storefront retail business, one. The deadline for submitting proposals is July 3. Monday will be mostly cloudy. Highs will be in the 50s to mid 60s. West winds will be 10 to 20 mph. Monday night will be mostly cloudy. Lows will be in the lower 50s. West winds will be 10 to 20 mph. Tuesday will be cloudy. Highs will be in the mid 50s to lower 60s. West winds will be 10 to 20 mph. 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. North County Fire Authority DALY CITY (BCN) North County Fire Authority firefighters Sunday evening are battling a two-alarm residential fire on Liebig Street, near Mission Street, near the Daly City-San Francisco city line, the fire district said Sunday on Twitter. Thirteen people are reported displaced by the fire, reported at 4:20 p.m. Sunday. The fire was knocked down shortly before 5:30 p.m., the fire district reported. No injuries were immediately reported. No other details were immediately available. Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki, left, greets Ryu Geun-joong, right, head of the Korean Automobile and Transport Worker's Federation, with Kim Ju-young, center, head of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, at Government Complex Seoul, Monday, before closed-door talks to stave off bus drivers' planned strike on Wednesday. / Yonhap Government scrambles for deal with bus union ahead of Wednesday's strike By Lee Suh-yoon Faced with mounting pressure to prevent a planned strike by bus drivers, Wednesday, the central government is leaning toward a resolution that would raise bus fares. "The central government will provide financial support and public charter buses to tackle problems due to reduced working hours for bus drivers, such as the need to hire more people. Nonetheless, from a realistic standpoint, the ministries agreed that they may also need to raise bus fares," the transport and labor ministries said in a press statement after a joint meeting of their ministers Sunday. "As the bus fare in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area has been raised every four years in recent times, and as other areas have not raised their fares between 2012 and 2017, each regional government must come up with the financial resources, including a fare hike, to ensure stable operations." According to the Korean Automobile and Transport Worker's Federation, 32,000 bus drivers across the country voted last week to go on strike, demanding measures that could make up for a looming cut to their monthly salary in July when the 52-hour workweek is implemented. Former U.S. President George W. Bush plans to visit South Korea next week to attend a memorial service to mark the 10th anniversary of former President Roh Moo-hyun's death, an official said Monday. Bush is expected to participate in the memorial event to be held on May 23 at Bongha Village in Gimhae, some 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, hometown of the late president, according to a foundation set up in honor of Roh. Bush was Roh's U.S. counterpart during the South Korean president's presidency from 2003 to 2008. "His attendance of the memorial service has been confirmed. We will reveal details later this week," an official at the Roh Moo-hyun foundation said. In May 2009, Roh jumped to his death off a cliff behind his retirement home amid a widening probe by prosecutors over allegations that members of his family accepted illicit funds. Bush's planned visit is believed to be arranged by local arms manufacturer Poongsan Corp., which has long ties with the Bush family. He reportedly will visit Seoul for affairs related to the company. Bush's side is believed to have expressed his intent to participate in the memorial service through the company. The Korean company is known to have built friendly relations with Republicans. An official at Poongsan declined to reveal details about Bush's trip. (Yonhap) A suspected short-range missile is launched into the sea off North Korea's east coast on May 9. Yonhap By Lee Min-hyung North Korea is stepping up criticism of the South for "being too passive" in handling inter-Korean affairs by "walking on eggshells" around the United States, the North's propaganda outlets said Monday. "The North doubts whether the South is willing to fulfill inter-Korean agreements, as the latter keeps a low profile in dealing with inter-Korean issues and pays too much attention to outside forces," one such outfit named Maeari said in a statement The criticism came a day after the propaganda outlet denounced South Korea over its food aid plans for the North. Pyongyang said Seoul's plan to provide humanitarian aid was nothing more than a show while the crucial nuclear talks on the Korean Peninsula have not been settled. Starting this month, inter-Korean relations began to deteriorate at a rapid pace, with the North launching missiles into the East Sea. The military provocation came about a year after President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met for the first time for a summit on Apr. 27 last year when they agreed to bring lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Rep. Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, delivers a speech during her party's nationwide tour to criticize the Moon Jae-in administration in Daegu, Saturday. She came under fire for calling Moon's fans by using insulting remarks such as "Moonppa," which means Moon's crazed fan, and "Dalchang," Moon's whore. / Yonhap By Park Ji-won Main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) floor leader Rep. Na Kyung-won is taking flak for using derogatory language to attack President Moon Jae-in and his supporters. Na is notorious for making snide remarks when criticizing the President, but this time even many LKP members believe she went too far. In an outdoor rally in Daegu, Saturday, she called followers of Moon "Moonppa" and "Dalchang," disparaging terms used in far-right online communities. Moonppa means "lunatics of Moon" and Dalchang refers to "whores" for Moon. She used these words while trying to defend a KBS reporter who Moon's supporters criticized regarding her sharp questions asked during a nationally televised interview with the President. As the interviewer was being attacked online, Moon actually protected her, saying he would have been okay with sharper questions. But Na brought up the issue during the rally to attack "blind" supporters of Moon. After her remarks went viral, Na immediately apologized for her language, saying "I used the terms without knowing their exact meaning to describe those extreme fans of Moon. I apologize for causing a controversy by unknowingly using such harsh terms." But other political parties, especially the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), and activist groups stepped up criticism of Na, urging her to step down from her leadership position. "The terms are too vulgar to be used to describe people," said Rep. Park Ju-min, a Supreme Council member of the DPK. "Her goal of attracting more supporters cannot be justified if she crosses the line. It will be insulting for her supporters too." The DPK's female lawmakers condemned Na for making such "shocking" remarks and demanded her resignation. "It is shocking to see Na, who is floor leader of the main opposition party and a woman, using such slang, which encourages misogyny and insults people in a public speech," the DPK's female lawmakers said in a statement Monday. "We express deep regret over Na's misogynistic remarks which insulted women and citizens and urge her to make a sincere apology and quit her job as LKP floor leader immediately." A group of women's rights activists also released a joint statement Monday, saying "Defamatory remarks which are rooted in misogyny and stigma are violence against women as they politically use the people's lack of gender sensitivity." Experts say Na appears to have prioritized the short-term effects of such defamatory remarks to win people's support. "Na appears to have easily adopted defamatory remarks to gain political benefits. She needed to focus on the negative impact rather than positive effects," Cha Jae-won, a visiting professor of the Catholic University of Pusan, said during a YTN interview, Monday. Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul welcomes David Beasley, executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme, to his office in Seoul, Monday, ahead of their discussions on providing humanitarian food aid to North Korea. Yonhap By Lee Min-hyung The government will only provide humanitarian food aid to North Korea after establishing a national consensus, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday. This shows the government is becoming prudent in providing aid after Pyongyang lambasted the plan through its propaganda media outlets Sunday. "President Moon Jae-in said in a recent televised talk show on KBS that the government needs to win public consensus and hold discussions with the National Assembly before pushing ahead with the plan," Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Ko Min-jung told reporters in a media briefing. The President has asked for a meeting with leaders of five parties, and the next concrete step for the food aid plan can be discussed afterwards, Ko said. The meeting, however, is not expected to be realized in the immediate future, as the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) has demanded a one-on-one meeting between its leader Hwang Kyo-ahn and the President. But the presidential office refused to accept the demand, with a spokesman saying Moon wants Hwang to attend the meeting with four other party leaders. The discussion on food assistance comes at a time when the North shows signs of returning to its bellicose past. Last week, Pyongyang launched what were presumed to be short-range missiles into the seas off its east coast. On Sunday, Meari, a propaganda website for the North, said, "It would be ridiculing the yearning of the nation to have empty words like plans and humanitarianism while putting fundamental issues on the back burner." By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS From the appalling murders of Sri Lankan Christians celebrating Easter, to the killings of Coptic Egyptians, Syrian Catholics and Nigerian villagers, the grisly wave of anti-Christian violence worldwide is rising. Add the formal state repression of Christianity in places like China, North Korea and even Pakistan and one sees a clear and unmistakable pattern of modern day persecution. Now a jarringly candid report commissioned by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, discovers, "Persecution on grounds of religious faith is a global phenomenon that is growing in scale and intensity." The report compiled by the Anglican Bishop of Truro, the Right Reverend Philip Mounstephen, states, "Evidence shows not only the geographic spread of anti-Christian persecution, but also its increasing severity. In some regions, the level and nature of persecution is arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide." Clearly it would be unpardonably arrogant of me not to cite wider religious persecution on the rise globally; Synagogue attacks and the targeted murder of Jews, ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (Burma), and China's ongoing Muslim repression. "There is widespread evidence showing that today, Christians constitute by far the most widely persecuted religion," adds the report. The document did not differentiate between Catholic and Protestant denominations. Freedom of religion remains a fundamental right enshrined in the U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human Rights in which Article 18 states in part: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief." Middle East The Report overviews widespread persecution and harassment of Mideast Christians:"The main impact of such genocidal acts against Christians is exodus. Christianity now faces the possibility of being wiped out in parts of the Middle East where its roots go back furthest. 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." British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned, "What we have forgotten in that atmosphere of political correctness is actually the Christians that are being persecuted are some of the poorest people on the planet. In the Middle East the population of Christians used to be about 20 percent, now it's 5 percent." Three critical factors are contributing to the drastic decline of Mideast Christians: physical attacks on believers and churches by Islamic jihadi forces, persecution by authoritarian regimes, and through legislative harassment. The Report adds, "Incitement to hatred and hate propaganda against Christians in some states, and by state sponsored media and social media, especially in Iran, Iraq and Turkey, have escalated. The governing AK Party in Turkey depicts Christians as a "threat to the stability of the nation." Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey said Western governments have been "strangely and inexplicably reluctant to confront" persecution of Christians in the Middle East. South Asia "The growth of militant nationalism has been the key driver of Christian persecution," the report stresses. Places like Pakistan and Nepal are known for anti-Christian policies. Africa Yet, "Some of the most egregious persecution of Christians has taken place in Sub-Saharan Africa Evidence from across the region points to the systematic violation of the rights of Christians both by state and non-state actors." Reports illustrate, "in Nigeria, month after month, on average hundreds of Christians were being killed for reasons to which their faith was integral. An investigation showed that in 2018 far more Christians in Nigeria were killed in violence in which religious faith was a critical factor than anywhere else in the world; Nigeria accounted for 90 percent of the total." Groups like Boko Haram had "inflicted mass terror on civilians." East Asia "State authoritarianism is a key driver of the persecution of Christians in East Asia," the report cites. Specifically, North Korea remains the most dangerous country in the world for Christians. "When it comes to China's own citizens, its communist ideology and nationalistic outlook leads it to suppress the Christian church in a number of ways In recent years President Xi has sought to control the church."Equally Beijing's policies formally persecute the Muslim population in the Xinjiang region. The insufferable appeasement by many Western governments toward key persecutors such as China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran is nothing new. Such policies show not a subtle understanding of the socio-religious situation, but an often condensing contempt for its victims. Bravo for the courage to say this. It's time to shatter this stunning silence! 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." Korea should strive to cut heavy reliance on exports South Korea is feared to bear the brunt of the escalating U.S.-China trade war. That's why the country should work out a contingency plan to minimize any fallout from the dispute between the G2 economies. As a Korean saying goes, "A shrimp gets hurt when whales fight," concerns are growing that Asia's fourth-largest economy may emerge as one of the countries to be hit hardest. These concerns cannot and should not be brushed aside easily because the country is heavily dependent on exports. The trade war between the U.S. and China is intensifying after both sides ended their trade talks in Washington, D.C., Friday without a deal. This caused the U.S. administration to raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent. America also threatened to slap new tariffs on another $325 billion in Chinese imports. China has vowed to retaliate. The trade war shows no signs of abating even though the two sides agreed to continue their negotiations. Based on U.S. President Donald Trump's "America first" policy and his trade protectionism, the tariff war would deal a severe setback to the global economy if it is prolonged further. It is worth noting a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the world economy could lose growth of 0.5 percent if the U.S.-China trade war escalates and Trump puts new tariffs on Chinese imports. Last Tuesday, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde warned that U.S. GDP would drop by up to 0.6 percent and China's GDP would fall by up to 1.5 percent. China will suffer the most if the trade war gets worse. This could also be a cause of grave concern for Korea. According to official statistics, Korea's exports to China make up 26 percent of its total overseas shipments, while those to the U.S. account for 12 percent. Intermediary products represent 79 percent of Korea's exports to China with semiconductors taking up between 40 percent and 50 percent. For this reason, Korea's manufacturing sector might be hit hard if the U.S. and China plunge deeper into a trade war. More worrisome is that the trade war is getting fiercer when the Korean economy is on the brink of recession. The country's GDP contracted 0.3 percent in the first three months of the year from the previous quarter, the worst performance in almost a decade. The nation's exports fell 2 percent in April from a year before. They continued a five-month downward march. In fact, the Korean economy has long been vulnerable to external shocks due mainly to its heavy reliance on exports. Thus, it is necessary for the country to expand domestic demand to reduce its excessive share of exports. It is also important to diversify its export markets to curtail its undue dependence on the U.S. and Chinese markets. The Moon Jae-in administration should use the Sino-U.S. trade war as an opportunity to push for structural reform to hone competitiveness of Korean industries and corporations. It also must promote innovation and deregulation to create a more business-friendly environment. The host leader said the UN Day of Vesak is an important event of global Buddhists, including in Vietnam and Myanmar, adding the Myanmar delegations presence will help with the celebrations success, thereby contributing to regional peace and cooperation. National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) welcomes Myanmar President Win Myint in Hanoi on May 11th (Photo: VNA) President Win Myint said this is the first time he has come to Vietnam, stressing that the two countries have recorded fruitful cooperation. He affirmed Myanmars support for Vietnams candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure. The President said during his term, he will also work to intensify partnership with Vietnam, particularly in economy, trade and investment. With 18 projects worth USD 2.1 billion, Vietnam now ranks seventh among the 49 countries investing in Myanmar. Bilateral trade has surged from USD152.3 million in 2010 to nearly USD860 million in 2018. At the meeting, Chairwoman Ngan said the two countries have enjoyed growing ties between their parliaments, which signed a cooperation agreement in September 2013 and have coordinated closely and effectively at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums. President Win Myint noted Myanmar will support Vietnam when the country holds the chair of ASEAN and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2020 so as to continue contributing to the ASEAN Communitys development./. By John Burton Lost amidst the alarming news over the past week about North Korea's test firing of short-range missiles and the U.S. seizure of a North Korean cargo ship was an expression of support by U.S. President Donald Trump for Seoul's proposal to provide food aid to Pyongyang. This development highlights that humanitarian assistance is vital to keeping the door open for more talks with North Korea even as the U.S. refuses to ease economic sanctions, which has angered Pyongyang. Trump endorsed the idea of food aid for North Korea in a phone conversation with President Moon Jae-in last week following the release of a joint food security assessment by two United Nations agencies, the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), that warned that North Korea faces a chronic food shortage. The FAO estimated that 10.9 million North Koreans, or about 43 percent of the population, continue to suffer from food insecurity due to falling crop yields and lower rations delivered by the government's Public Distribution System. About 20 percent of North Korean children face "chronic malnutrition" and the risks could rise since the country's estimated total food crop production in 2018/2019 has fallen to 4.9 million metric tons, the lowest in a decade. Details about Seoul's proposed food aid program remain unclear, including the amount of food involved, the timing of its delivery and which organizations will oversee the program. The latest proposal marks a revival of a plan by the Moon administration in September 2017 to send $8 million of humanitarian aid to North Korea, including $4.5 million worth of nutritional products for children and pregnant women through WFP and $3.5 million worth of vaccines and other medical supplies through UNICEF. But the aid program was abandoned after North Korea stepped up missile and nuclear tests toward the end of that year. Trump reportedly told Moon that Seoul's proposal was "well-timed" and a "positive measure." His support for food aid could help Moon achieve a political consensus on the initiative despite North Korea's recent missile testing. Trump's endorsement of the aid package should be viewed against the backdrop of a dispute within the U.S. government about how best to deal with North Korea. Hardliners such as U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton are urging Trump to maintain sanctions until North Korea completely abandons its nuclear program. But Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special envoy to North Korea, is suggesting that sanctions affecting humanitarian aid should be relaxed to promote diplomatic engagement. Although U.N. sanctions against North Korea in principle are not supposed to affect humanitarian aid, some items such as farming and medical equipment need sanctions exemptions from the U.N., which can delay their delivery. Deliveries of food and agricultural products are not subject to U.N. sanctions. The WFP delivered a thousand tons of food in February and March, benefitting 450,000 people, mostly pregnant women and children. In April, the Ministry of Unification approved a plan by Gyeonggi Province to provide nearly $1 million worth of flour to North Korea through a private charity, the Asia Peace Exchange Association. Humanitarian aid should be seen in the context of encouraging people-to-people exchanges that will serve as confidence-building measures and support Pyongyang's stated desire to pursue economic development and improve living standards. Such assistance helps contribute to such goals as modernizing agriculture. It also promotes continued dialogue, while testing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's commitment to pursuing his economy-first policy. However, the issue of humanitarian aid is likely to remain controversial and its implementation subject to swings in political fortunes. Conservative critics in Seoul and Washington will continue to argue that technical and educational assistance undermines the sanctions regime and largely benefits the Pyongyang government and its nuclear program rather than the North Korean people. Progressives will counter that humanitarian considerations must be separated from political pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. We have seen all this before. Liberal governments in Seoul from Kim Dae-jung to Roh Moo-hyun provided generous aid packages despite armed provocations by Pyongyang. Conservative governments led by Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye restricted or completely cut off aid. A majority of South Koreans at one time or the other have either supported or opposed aid depending on circumstances. Even Trump blasted Moon for "appeasement" two years ago at the height of Washington's "fire and fury" phrase when Seoul suggested the $8 million humanitarian package. Unfortunately, in Seoul and Washington, any policy on offering aid to Pyongyang is likely to remain inconsistent, while the ordinary North Korean will continue to suffer from hunger, ill health and a lack of access to electricity. John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is now a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant. By Deepak Chopra, MD, Menas C. Kafatos, PhD Even though teams of scientists around the world are working on great mysteries, from the origin of the universe to the origin of life, the greatest mystery remains personal, the mystery of the self. So far as we know, human beings are unique in pondering our own existence as selves and also our place in the universe. You would think that this trait is enough to solve the mystery. After all, if I am aware of myself, I should be an expert on how the self operates. But exactly the opposite is true. No one can say, with any hope of reaching a consensus, even the most basic things about the self. For example, self is both a word and a concept, yet no one knows how or when human speech came about, and concepts, which imply thinking, confront us with our ignorance about what a thought actually is. Take the simplest statement about the individual self, I am. When you say these two words to yourself, is it really possible that your brain cells know English and possess a voice? The worlds spiritual traditions can be reframed as explorations into I am. Jehovah uses the phrase when he speaks to Moses out of the burning bush, as well as in Psalm 46: Be still and know that I am God. Jesus tells his disciples, I am the way and the truth and the life. In the ancient Vedas, supreme knowledge is conveyed, mysteriously enough, in the declaration, I am That. The upshot, if we gather these statements together, is that I am is a statement beyond what we ordinarily think ourselves as individuals and holds the key to truth, life, existence, and a higher power known as God. The gist of the Upanishads is that all things are done by, for, and because of the self, the foundation of reality. However you parse our different types of scriptural heritage, as a species we have been fascinated and baffled by our own self-awareness. With self-awareness came an almost immediate sense that the self is divided. Again there are many expressions of this inescapable fact, but they generally play on the notion of opposites. Humans are divine and animal in their nature, capable of the highest good and the worst evil, driven by the conscious and the unconscious. So thoroughly is the divided self embedded in the rise of Homo sapiens that we possess a higher and lower brain, feeling torn between reason and irrational drives for sex, survival, and perhaps love and hate. No one needs to be told that life as viewed by humans offers no escape from the divided self except one: discover the undivided self. If the selfs division isnt innate, if it is a human creation, we should be able to go back and regain the earlier, more primal state of being one and whole. This quest has held importance for centuries, and at some level it unites the Christian search for Heaven, the Buddhist vision of Nirvana, and the Vedic teaching of liberation or enlightenment. Things havent changed that much in modern times. Eventually, if you take an interest in psychology, psychotherapy, philosophy, religion, or the vast amorphous domain we call spirituality, you arrive at the self and its mysterious nature. Science cannot solve this mystery for us, although it can provide many clues through neuroscience, for example. But no brain map, however detailed, will ever put us in direct contact with the self, just as the best topographic maps cannot deliver the feeling of grass beneath your feetthe map isnt the territory, as the saying goes. What has baffled many explorers of the self, if we lump all of these fields together, is that the answer to the mystery of the self is right before our eyes. Every experience has one thing in common: the sense of the self. No matter what activity you are engaged in, excluding deep dreamless sleep, you have a sense of yourself. This sense has no voice, words, or thoughts to express itself in. I am is all there is. Without I am nothing else can happen, no thought, word, action, or act of imagination. The reason that I am doesnt seem to offer any answers isnt just because it stays silent. The bigger reason is that I am is the answer. The sense of self in other words is the bottom line of human existence. There is nowhere else to go. The unitary self is inextricably entwined with consciousness and existence and therefore life itself. I am as the ultimate answer has little appeal, unfortunately, in the realm of science, which is based on investigating facts, data, and measurements of the physical world. Far from being intrigued by the mystery of the self, science has assiduously avoided the subjective world in here and continues to look for self-awareness as a physical function of the brain, or perhaps simply an illusion traceable to the complexity of a hundred billion neurons constantly sending signals in a vast, teeming storm of chemistry and electromagnetism. This is not an absolute statement. Some prominent founders of quantum mechanics, such as Max Planck and Schrodinger, believed in reality beyond what appears to be an external reality. Theres no use, obviously, in trying to argue with many scientists who still follow a classical physics point of view, which is why the mystery of the self remains, as it has existed for thousands of years, a personal mystery, solved one person at a time. In the historical records we have literally thousands upon thousands of testimonies from explorers of the self, and their declarations about the unitary selfthe self that lies beyond the divided selfshow many common elements. In quick summary, here are some of the unitary selfs leading qualities. It is: Ever-present as the sense of self Silent Alert Blissful The origin of the mind The source of love, intelligence, creativity, insight, and evolution Self-regulating Unbounded by time and space, therefore eternal Untouched by physical change Inconceivable and yet the origin of all concepts Taken altogether, these traits are the enticement for seeking an answer to the myself of the self, because at bottom, the self contains all of these traits if we can only get beyond our divided self, with all of its confusion and conflicts. Even in our divided state human beings possess every trait on the listafter all, the unitary self isnt foreign to us, it is just I am when seen directly, without the cloud of beliefs, old conditioning, social training, and ego needs that occupy and dominate everyday life. Reaching the unitary selfthe term nonduality has become a popular tag for the same thinginvolves an inward journey. Any kind of clarification (e.g., higher education, psychotherapy, philosophy) can serve to penetrate some of the fog that mask the nondual state, but deeper investigations lead to meditation, contemplation, self-reflection, and keeping on the path until enlightenment or awakening is reached. This whole area can be termed personal evolution, and of course its not news that our times are rife with interest in this very thing. Weve explored the universal extent of self-awareness in our book You Are the Universe, but wed like to underline one point that will seem exotic. If the unitary self is real and can actually be experienced, deep sleep should form no barrier. Every-present means ever-present. The sense of self should not vanish in sleep just because mental activity and perception of the world out there are gone. And so it is fascinating that people who have awakened, in fact continue to experience, quite consciously, a sense of self during deep dreamless sleep. They testify that this is the purest experience of the self, due to the very absence of mental activity. Its a fascinating note to end on. I am can be secularized, and in our view should be, if it is ever to become the cornerstone of human existence. In terms of higher consciousness, I am is the way, the truth, and the life. Deepak Chopra MD, FACP, founder of The Chopra Foundation and co-founder of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation, and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Chopra is the author of more than 85 books translated into over 43 languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. His latest books are The Healing Self co-authored with Rudy Tanzi, Ph.D. and Quantum Healing (Revised and Updated): Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine. Chopra hosts a new podcast Infinite Potential and Daily Breath available on iTunes or Spotify www.deepakchopra.com Menas C. Kafatos, PhD is the Fletcher Jones Endowed Professor of Computational Physics at Chapman University, conducting research in quantum physics, mathematics, cosmology, climate change and related hazards. He works on issues related to reality and the role of consciousness for natural laws that apply everywhere, the foundations of the universe, for scientific understanding, and spiritual non-dual awareness in everyday life. His doctoral thesis advisor was the renowned M.I.T. professor Philip Morrison. He is a lecturer and has authored 330 articles, is author or editor of 20 books, including The Conscious Universe Looking In, Seeing Out, Living the Living Presence, Science, Reality and Everyday Life, and is co-author with Deepak Chopra of the NYT Bestseller You are the Universe. www.menaskafatos.com A Florida man may lose his homeall because he didn't mow his lawn. The city of Dunedin, FL, authorized foreclosing on the home of Jim Ficken last week because the 69-year-old hasn't paid the nearly $30,000 in fines the town had stuck him with for not keeping his grass under 10 inches. The city charged the retiree $500 for every day that his grass didn't comply with city code. Its very upsetting," says Ficken, a former production assistant at a radio station. "I cant believe something like this can happen in America." Cases like this, while uncommon, aren't unheard of. Cities and homeowners associations can levy high finesand even foreclose on propertiesif homeowners break local codes. Offenses run the gamut from not paying property taxes to not bringing structures up to code. Folks who pile trash outside their homes can also run afoul of local authorities. And they often have little recourse beyond trying to negotiate with the city to lower the finesor hiring an attorney. Ficken, who can't afford the snowball of fines, struck back by suing the city and its Code Enforcement Board. He's seeking to keep his home and stop the city from going after Dunedin residents who can't afford hefty fines. A $30,000 fine and the loss of your home is not proportional to the offense of having tall grass," says Ficken's attorney, Ari Bargil. His nonprofit law firm, the Institute for Justice, agreed to take on the case at no cost to Ficken. Hefty code violation fines are also a way for cities to raise money, Bargil points out. Dunedin collected nearly $1.3 million code enforcement fines in 2018a substantial jump from just $34,000 in 2007, according to Ficken's lawsuit. The fines began in July when Ficken was attending to his late mother's estate in South Carolina. He was there for about two months fixing up her condo and getting it ready for sale, he says. He hired someone to tend to his yard, but he didn't realize that person passed away unexpectedly. When Ficken returned home, his lawn was growing wild and his mower was broken. He claims he cut the grass after he bought a new lawn mower. Ficken didn't realize he was being fined until a city official outside of his property told him. By that time, he owed about $25,000. His home is worth only $142,800, according to city records. The fines were so high because Ficken had been racking up overgrown grass complaints since 2007, according to the city. He was classified as a repeat offender, and therefore wasn't given any time to correct the offense by mowing his grass. Ficken also missed his hearing, claiming to have already booked his airline tickets to South Carolina to attend to his mother's estate. Neighbors had complained about the yard, Dunedin Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski told the Tampa Bay Times. Miami-based foreclosure attorney Bruce Jacobs recommends that folks who wind up on the wrong side of city officials or HOAs fix the problem immediatelyand document it. They need to collect receipts and take photos showing the problem has been solved. Then they should go and talk to someone in code enforcement about getting the issue resolved. And they should make sure to attend every hearing on the matter. "These HOAs and the code enforcement people, you don't mess with them," says bankruptcy attorney Paul Urich, who's based in Orlando, FL. "They can take your house even if you're current on your mortgage or it's paid off." The post A Florida Man May Lose His HomeBecause He Didn't Cut the Grass appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Less than a month before Netflix brings back Armistead Maupin's charmingly eccentric "Tales of the City" characters with a new miniseries, a bright and sunny condo on the storied Macondray Lane has hit the market for $795,000. Maupin's novel series, set in 1978 and serialized for TV in the 1990s, was set on Barbary Lane that was inspired by this this Russian Hill alleyway. With an entrance shrouded by foliage, this lush byway is a quiet oasis and easily missed by passers-by, despite its celebrity. Tucked in a four-unit building dating back to 1908, the one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo at 66 Macondray has gleaming hardwood floors and features a mix of modern updates, as well as original details. While the windows are framed in Victorian moulding, the kitchen has been updated with cherry wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances. There's a wood-burning fireplace in the living room and you can see Coit Tower from a private outdoor deck. ALSO: Armistead Maupin on the new SF: 'Conversations in cafes aren't fun to eavesdrop on now' Netflix's upcoming "Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City" is a follow-up to the '90s TV miniseries and will become available on Netflix beginning June 7. It follows a middle-aged Mary Anne Singleton (played by Laura Linney) who returns to San Francisco and the eccentric cast of characters she left behind. Singleton is an Ohio native and, in the original series, she impulsively decides to stay in San Francisco after visiting for a vacation. She quickly develops friendships and relationships among the city's colorful denizens. The first novel titled "Tales of the City" was adapted as a 1993 miniseries, followed by a series based on the second book called "More Tales of the City" in 1998, and a series based on the third "Further Tales of the City" in 2001. Got a hot real estate tip or story idea? Email your ideas to SFGATE news producer Amy Graff at agraff@sfgate.com. The first piece they found was her scalp. A teenager walking along the coastal fringes of El Cerrito saw it dangling from the tule reeds, strands of blond hair still connected. Two days later, a bridge tender noticed a canvas sack floating in the estuary between Oakland and Alameda. He pulled it ashore and opened it, although he probably wished he hadnt. Inside were leg bones and arm bones, the flesh partially stripped away. A skull was sawed into two sections. The remains were compared to local dental records. Police soon had a name for their victim: Bessie Ferguson, a 34-year-old Oakland nurse who had gone missing the week before, on Aug. 19, 1925. Her distraught mother told detectives Bessie had a money-making scheme. Three married men were sure Bessie was the mother of their illegitimate child. They each paid her to keep the baby a secret. But there was no baby just Bessie's body, floating in pieces off the East Bay. --- Bessie Ferguson went by many names. Sometimes she was Bessie Loran or Bessie Peterson. Once, she was Mrs. Sydney DAsquith, but shed divorced her husband in 1915 on grounds of extreme cruelty. In her bedroom, police found letters from three men: Joseph Loran Pease, an Oakland dentist, Gordon Gillard Rowe, a San Francisco accountant, and J.J. Moyer, an Oakland doctor. Some of the letters also mentioned her relationship with Frank Barnet, the sheriff of Alameda County. She seemed to be extorting all of them. But then detectives noticed something odd about the letters; none were from the last year. San Francisco Call We know she had been receiving letters up to the time of her death, her brother William said. Where are these letters now? I believe Bessie took a package of letters with her on her trip to San Francisco. She may have planned to return them to someone who very much desired them, and this someone then killed her. As police sorted through her personal life, more evidence was found in the tule reeds. One poor soul found an ear. The clothes she wore on the day of her disappearance were discovered. So were mens clothes, stained with blood. A volunteer the police enlisted Boy Scouts to help with the grisly search found an automobile wrench. It looked bloody too. The autopsy revealed Bessie had died from a skull fracture, likely inflicted by a blunt object. The strangest discovery came on Sept. 3. Scattered in the El Cerrito marsh were hundreds of torn scraps of paper. Pieced together, they were letters and calling cards from Dr. Pease and Dr. Moyer. Detectives were immediately suspicious. It was too neat, linking two suspects right to the scene of the crime. The murderer had in mind the idea of casting suspicion on someone else, Berkeley criminologist E.O. Heinrich announced to the Associated Press. The police had a good idea of who the murderer might be: Gordon Rowe, a prominent city accountant who ran his own firm. His behavior was suspicious from the jump. When police questioned him the first time, Rowe said he knew Bessie Ferguson but hadnt seen her in at least a year. When detectives talked to him again, Rowe changed his story. He hadnt seen her, but he did speak to her on the phone the week before her disappearance. She was feeling sick, he claimed, and asked him to visit her at the Antlers Hotel on Powell Street. Rowe said he declined her request. San Francisco Chronicle Then, came the witnesses. Both a hotel clerk and a bellhop identified Rowe as the man with a briefcase who had come to visit Bessie the week prior. Rowe denied owning a briefcase but, on a visit to his home, police found one. Oh, Rowe said, I forgot I had that. Bessies mother filled in more details. She said Bessie used to drop by Rowes office at 311 California once a month to pick up her blackmail money. When she needed to convince her coterie of male admirers that she was, indeed, rearing their love child, she borrowed her sisters baby. The last time Bessie spoke to her mother, she said she was on the way to San Francisco to meet a man. Once in the city, she received Rowe in her hotel room and went on a shopping trip on Stockton Street. A milliner later told police when she asked Bessie where she would like her new hat shipped, Bessie said shed take it with her. She wasnt staying in a hotel long; she was moving into an apartment with someone the next day. When police confronted him with this information, Gordon Rowes story changed one last time. He hadnt even known she was missing until her body turned up in the marsh, Rowe argued. The last time they spoke, he said, she told him she was going on a long vacation. --- We may as well tell you this now: There was no justice for Bessie Ferguson. Although police were desperate to arrest Rowe they repeatedly brought him in for hours-long grillings they lacked hard proof to detain him. Without DNA or forensic evidence, this case will never have closure. But there is a good deal of circumstantial evidence, then and now, uncovered through researching contemporary newspaper accounts and online genealogy records. Along with his inconsistent testimony to police, Rowe was seen with Bessie by multiple witnesses on both sides of the bay in the days before her death. And then there was the case of his first and second wives. Rowe secretly wed Ethel Cairns, the daughter of one of Visalias pioneering citrus growers, in 1906. The pair met in Oakland, where they attended the same high school, and they kept their marriage a secret from family and friends. Their attachment was only announced the next year, when Cairns returned home to visit family. The surprise marriage made front-page news in the Tulare Advance-Register, so popular and well-regarded was the young bride. But things quickly took a turn for the Rowes, who became the subject of one of the most lurid local affairs of 1907. Not long after Ethel introduced Gordon to her family, Gordon did something hard to explain: He proposed to another woman. That unlucky lover, 21-year-old Thelma Jorgensen, worked in Oakland for the Borax company and had dated Rowe for almost three years, predating both his courtship and marriage to Ethel Cairns. All the while, neither woman knew of the others existence. And things seemed to be going merrily along for Gordon and Thelma, who were preparing to throw an engagement party at her family home in San Rafael. Something tipped off the older Jorgensens, though. Maybe Rowe was cagey or behaving strangely. It seems from newspaper accounts Thelmas aunt and uncle had him followed; they soon discovered his secret wife. Thelma was devastated. She broke off the engagement and sent his love letters back to his home. There, Ethel found them and learned her husband had been seeing another woman for the duration of her marriage. With Rowes personal life collapsing, he fired off a volatile letter to Thelma. Why did you return my picture while I was away? What did auntie tell you while I was gone? he wrote. Oh, Thelma, I am not married. When I came to you I gave you my word of honor that I was not. Auntie did this, he concluded the letter, and I am going to shoot her for it. Rowe was taken to court over the death threat, and the trial was covered by all the local papers. Both women couldnt stop sobbing. At one point, the proceedings had to be paused because the judge couldnt hear testimony over their wails. Rowe admitted he was married and promised to be faithful to his wife. Ethel, for her part, begged the judge to forgive him, as I have. Rowe was given a lecture and sent on his way, case closed. But that was not the end of the affair. Three years later, state marriage records show he married Miss Jorgensen in Marin. His first wife would later move back to Visalia to run the family citrus company with her sister; she never remarried. Rowe, it seems, was the type of man who got what he wanted. Despite the chaos in his personal life, his career never slowed. He won contract after contract to do city audits all over California, before and after the Bessie Ferguson affair. His second wife remained with him until her death in 1955; Gordon died 11 years later. No children are mentioned in their obituaries. One more thing bears noting. In the 1920s, The Chronicle ran hundreds of small stories, often just a few sentences long, about the exploits of Bay Area hunters. Rowe is mentioned in a number of them. He owned a lodge in Alviso. He liked hunting game birds in the tule reeds along the East Bay coast. --- There is a final, strange epilogue to this tale. A year after the murder, Alameda County sheriff Frank Barnet came up for reelection. Although hed never been named as a suspect, rumors still circulated hed had a relationship with the dead woman. One letter found among Bessies possessions alluded to a trip to Seattle with him, and the letter was published widely in the local papers. Up against Barnet was the law-and-order candidate Burton F. Becker, who ran on a platform of Christian morals and upholding Prohibition. Becker was also a high-ranking member of the Oakland Ku Klux Klan. Livermore Journal The people of Piedmont already knew this; hed publicly declared his affiliation while serving as their chief of police. In that role, he appointed Klansmen to the under-sheriff and city jailor positions. Faced with a choice between a murder suspect (or, at least, an adulterer) and a Klansman, Alameda County voters handily elected Becker. If there is any happy ending, its this: Beckers career ended in a jail cell in San Quentin. As sheriff, he became the head of a massive bootlegging operation. His deputies took protection money from still operators throughout rural Alameda County, and bootleggers who wouldnt pay up were raided. In this way, Becker was able to centralize liquor production among his chosen, paying partners. He also paid men to inform him of impending federal raids. Then-Alameda County District Attorney Earl Warren got wind of the scheme and launched an investigation. The scale of Beckers racket was staggering. Warren found 150 officers in the Oakland Police Department alone were dividing $50,000 each month to protect 250 speakeasies. The scheme was so well-constructed that police were selling to bootleggers at twice the going rate liquor seized in earlier raids, Warren biographer Ed Cray wrote. Some bootleggers were simply ransoming their own stock. After years of investigating, Warren finally hit Becker with multiple corruption charges. At the time, the media called the trial "the most sweeping expose of graft in the history of the country." Becker was convicted, banned from holding public office for the rest of his life and sent to San Quentin. No reports have as yet come in of observing the burning of any fiery crosses, the Sausalito News taunted after his conviction. Perhaps Klansmen are like many others for a fellow when hes a comer, but off him when he loses out. In airport news, Southwest announces a fifth Hawaiian city, a new jet for San Jose, a traveler was found dead at an SFO business class lounge, travelers at Los Angeles International can pre-order food for pickup, and a pedestrian bridge goes down; American gets a number of new gates at Dallas/Ft. Worth, plus a new Flagship Lounge; some bus travelers to Boston Logan can bypass the main security checkpoint; Berlin's new airport might finally open next year; and the Star Alliance lounge at Paris CDG gets an overhaul. Over the weekend, Southwest announced via Twitter that it intends to fly to Hilo, located on the big island of Hawaii, but offered no other details such as city pairs or fare info. See Southwest's tweet here. In the meantime, we are still awaiting word from the airline about when it intends to launch its previously announced Sacramento and San Diego service, as well as nonstops from the mainland to Lihue in Kauai. This week Southwest launched interisland flights between Kona and Honolulu. Currently, Southwest flies nonstop from Oakland to Honolulu and Maui. From San Jose, it now flies to Honolulu, and Maui flights start May 26. Mineta San Jose is the first Bay Area airport to welcome the popular new Airbus A220-100 jet when Delta's nonstop from Salt Lake City arrives this week. A220 nonstops between San Jose and Seattle start next month. While seats are slightly wider than average, seat pitch is 30-32 inches in economy, 34 inches in Comfort+ and 36 inches in first class. You can take a look at Delta's A220 layout on SeatGuru. Delta's version of the A220 offers something unique: a window in the lavatory, which you can see in this recent post: Airlines falling in love with the new Airbus A220. Last week it was revealed Cathay Pacific traveler Ming Kou Chan, 69, a prominent historian affiliated with Stanford University, died in a stall at the airline's business class lounge at San Francisco International Airport last fall. The autopsy report, first obtained by CBS San Francisco, states that Chan entered the bathroom at the Cathay Pacific Lounge around 1 a.m. on Oct. 29. He was scheduled to board a flight to Hong Kong. The SF Chronicle reports that one of Chan's students, who was waiting to pick him up from Hong Kong International Airport, alerted authorities when he never arrived. The San Mateo County coroner's office said it wasn't until 6:20 p.m. that evening (some 15 hours later) that someone found Chan unresponsive in a stall and called paramedics. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner later determined Chan died of coronary atherosclerosis. Harried travelers who want to pick up a grab-and-go meal at Los Angeles International can now pre-order through their phones. The new functionality is available at FlyLAX.com, where users can select the link to "Dining, Shopping and More" and pick a terminal; or by going directly to LAXShopDine.com. No downloading or new app is needed. Meal pre-ordering is currently available for seven restaurants in Terminals 1, 2, 3, 6 and the Bradley International Terminal, but more will be coming in the future, LAX officials said. The airport's new digital ordering service also includes shopping options at several retail outlets, via an online product catalog. In other LAX news, some traffic lane closures will be in effect from May 12 through 17 as workers demolish and remove the pedestrian bridge that links Terminal 6 to Parking Structure 6. Airport officials said the bridge removal represents "the beginning of significant construction within the central terminal area traffic loop" as LAX's big rebuilding work begins in earnest. American Airlines got some breathing room at its busy Dallas/Ft. Worth hub this month with the opening of 15 new gates in the overhauled Terminal E Satellite, which is linked to Terminal E via a tunnel near Gate E21. American said the expansion of the Satellite gates will allow the company to operate more than 100 American Eagle regional flights a day there. Eagle flights started operating out of the new E Satellite gates last week. American said minimum connecting times to flights scheduled out of the Satellite gates have been increased by 10 minutes, noting that those gates require a 5- to 10-minute walk through the tunnel from Terminal E. That new E Satellite also has another attraction for Eagle flyers: the opening of a Whataburger restaurant. And that's just part of the news for American's DFW hub. On May 16, the airline is set to cut the ribbon on a new Flagship Lounge and Flagship First Dining lounge for its top elites and premium cabin customers, and a renovated Admirals Club in Terminal D, which handles most of AA's international flights. And in June, it will add six mainline aircraft gates in Terminal B. As part of a strategy to reduce traffic congestion, Boston Logan Airport has a new incentive for travelers who arrive there by bus instead of cars. The airport has created a new TSA screening lane exclusively for travelers who ride the Logan Express bus to the airport from the city's Back Bay. That bus now departs from the MBTA's Back Bay Station instead of Copley Square, and its passengers will be given an orange ticket that allows them into the new TSA checkpoint. What's more, the bus fare has been reduced from $7.50 each way to $3 for trips to the airport, and no fare for trips from the airport to the Back Bay. If the program in successful, it could be expanded to other Logan Express routes to the airport from Framingham, Woburn and Peabody. In another part of its congestion reduction strategy, the airport authority last month adopted new rules to take effect in October that will ban Uber and Lyft from the terminal curbsides (except for drop-offs between 4 a.m.-10 a.m.). Instead, all such rides will have to start or end in the airport's central parking garage Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE bi-weekly email alerts Remember Berlin's Brandenburg Airport? The German capital's big new airport was supposed to open back in 2012, but due to unforeseen construction and infrastructure problems, it never did. That debacle gradually faded from the public memory as the years passed, Bradenburg remained closed, and airlines continued to use the city's Tegel Airport. But work has quietly continued, and Berlin officials are now looking to a 2020 debut for the new airport. According to the industry publication Flight Global, airport officials are in discussions with airlines serving Berlin about where their flights will operate in the new Brandenburg Airport. Officials are targeting October 2020 for the beginning of flight operations. Passengers on United and other Star Alliance carriers will see an improved experience at Paris Charles de Gaulle now that work has been finished on a big overhaul of the alliance's 11-year-old lounge at CDG. The revamped lounge offers travelers a landscaped outdoor garden, and now features an exclusive area for first class passengers on Air China, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways. The main lounge provides an increased number of power ports, and offers free drinks, hot and cold food options, work spaces, free Wi-Fi, showers, TVs and international newspapers and magazines. The lounge, on levels 10 and 11 of Terminal 1 behind passport control, is open to first and business class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members traveling on Aegean, Air China, ANA, Asiana, Egyptair, Eva Air, Singapore, Thai, Turkish Airlines and United. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis. WARSAW The Polish government canceled a visit by an Israeli delegation that had been planned for Monday, saying the Israeli government made last-minute changes that suggested it would focus on the issue of the restitution of former Jewish property. The delegation was to have been headed by the director general of the Israeli Ministry for Social Equality, Polands Foreign Ministry said as it announced the cancellation. COPENHAGEN An Arab activist living in Norway said Monday hes been given protection by two different Norwegian entities after the CIA informed officials of an unspecified threat against him, which he said is likely linked to his research on Saudi Arabia. Iyad el-Baghdadi is an outspoken commentator on Arab affairs on Twitter, where he has over 130,000 followers. He used a press conference in Norway to explain some of the Saudi-related projects hed been working on that might have made him a target for the kingdom. The decision to go public was not something that was taken lightly, he said. The advice I received repeatedly from independent security experts was that publicity would be protection. He explained that he worked without pay with a team of investigators hired by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos looking into a blackmail case against the U.S. billionaire, who also owns the Washington Post, where slain Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi was a contributing columnist. Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents inside the kingdoms consulate in Istanbul last year. Bezos accused the National Enquirer in the U.S. of trying to blackmail him by threatening to publish intimate details and text messages showing an extramarital affair he was having. He noted in a piece for Medium that his ownership of the Post may lead some powerful people to wrongly conclude I am their enemy. El-Baghdadi said the lead investigator hired by Bezos Gavin de Becker contacted him after seeing his tweets and analysis about why Bezos personal texts might have been obtained. De Becker has since written in the Daily Beast that his team of private investigators concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos phone and gained private information. Saudi Arabia has rejected allegations that it was involved in the dispute between Bezos and the parent company of the National Enquirer. Additionally, el-Baghdadi said hes also helming a project to document Saudi attempts to influence Arabic political commentary on Twitter. The project was originally spearheaded by Khashoggi before he was killed. The two men were friends and fiercely critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose aides were behind the plot that led to Khashoggis killing. The Guardian first reported last week that el-Baghdadi had been contacted by Norwegian security agency PST to tell him he may be in danger. The Guardian said the CIA had warned Norway that el-Baghdadi faced a potential threat from Saudi Arabia. The CIA has declined to comment. The Saudi Embassy in Washington has not responded to a request for comment. By Nam Hyun-woo Medytox CEO Jung Hyun-ho The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has ordered Daewoong Pharmaceutical to submit data on its botulinum toxin (BTX) strain used for Nabota to a group of experts designated by its rival Medytox, which claimed Daewoong stole its strain and filed a complaint against it, Medytox said Monday. Daewoong and Medytox have been in a legal battle in and outside Korea over the controversial BTX strain. Daewoong claims it found the strain in a barn in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, while Medytox argues this is a lie. Industry analysts said the USITC order will likely be a major turning point in the legal battle, because the order forces Daewoong to prove its innocence. According to Medytox, the USITC's administrative law judge ordered Daewoong to provide data and access to its facility for its BTX strain to third-party experts designated by Medytox by Wednesday. Before the order, Daewoong had refused to submit data to the USITC, citing its confidentiality. However, the judge did not recognize this and issued the order, Medytox said. Medytox's legal representative, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, said the case is in the process of "discovery," which obliges one entity to provide data and documents related to a suit to the other. Medytox filed its complaint to the USITC in February, claiming a former employee stole the company's own BTX strain and documents, and provided them to Daewoong. The USITC began its official investigation March 1. "We have submitted a list of domestic and overseas experts who can verify the BTX strain fairly and scientifically," a Medytox official said. "Daewoong's claim that it found the strain at a barn will prove to be false and this will be a chance to verify more than 20 domestic firms which are doing businesses with BTX whose source is not clear." Daewoong Pharmaceutical CEO Jeon Seng-ho BADOUSH, Iraq It was a chilly January evening, and Khadija Abd and her family had just finished supper at their farm when the two men with guns burst into the room. One wore civilian clothes, the other an army uniform. They said they were from the Iraqi armys 20th Division, which controls the northern Iraqi town of Badoush. In fact, they were Islamic State group militants who had come down from the surrounding mountains into Badoush with one thing on their mind: Revenge. Around 13 more gunmen were waiting outside. The fighters pulled Khadijas husband and his two brothers into the yard and shot them dead, leaving them in a pool of blood punishment for providing information to the Iraqi military. How can we live after this? Khadija said. The three brothers were the providers for the entire family. A year and a half after the Islamic State group was declared defeated in Iraq, the militants still evoke fear in the lands of their former caliphate across northern Iraq. The fighters, hiding in caves and mountains, emerge at night to carry out kidnappings, killings and roadside ambushes, aimed at intimidating locals, silencing informants and restoring the extortion rackets that financed the groups rise to power six years ago. It is part of a hidden but relentless fight between the groups remnants waging an insurgency and security forces trying to stamp them out, relying on intelligence operations, raids and searches for sleeper cells among the population. The militants ranks number between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters around Iraq, according to one intelligence official. Although the territory once held by the so-called caliphate is fully liberated, Daesh fighters still exhibit their intention to exert influence and stage a comeback, said Maj. Gen. Chad Franks, deputy commander-operations and intelligence for the U.S.-led coalition, using the Arabic acronym for the group. The Badoush area alone has seen 20 Islamic State attacks, from bombings to targeted killings, since it was retaken from the militants in March 2017, according to the Kurdish Security Council. The militants brag about the attacks in videos that show fighters storming houses and killing purported apostates and spies. In towns around the north, Iraqi soldiers knock on doors in the middle of the night, looking for suspects, based on intelligence tips or suspicious movements. They search houses and pull people away for questioning. But distrust runs deep among the residents. People in the town are very cooperative, says Mohammed Fawzi, an intelligence officer. But dont forget that in one house one person was with Daesh and another member was killed by them. Its very complicated. Bram Janssen is an Associated Press writer. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Government authorities have imposed a nationwide curfew and temporarily blocked social media and messaging apps following a flare-up of communal violence in apparent response to last months Easter attacks that killed more than 250 people. Police said the curfew would be enforced until further notice in the countrys North Western region, and until Tuesday morning in the rest of the nation. BEIRUT Saudi Arabias energy minister said Monday that two Saudi oil tankers had been sabotaged and sustained significant damage off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, raising new fears of escalating tensions in the region involving Iran, the two Gulf countries avowed enemy. A Norwegian company reported that one of its tankers, the Andrea Victory, was also damaged in the same area Sunday. Images posted online appeared to show the ship with a ragged gash in its stern at the waterline. The United Arab Emirates said a total of four vessels had been sabotaged off the port city of Fujairah near the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Persian Gulf. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the United Arab Emirates assigned blame, made public any evidence of damage to their ships or described the nature of the sabotage. In a statement, the Norwegian company, the Thome Group, said the crew of its ship had reported that the vessel sustained hull damage after being struck by an unknown object. Nobody was hurt, the company added, and the ship was not in danger of sinking. Though the situation remains murky, even the hint of armed conflict sends shudders through a region already on edge from threats and counterthreats, and through a global economy heavily dependent on the free flow of oil from the gulf. Iran has threatened in recent years to block traffic through the strait, in response to Western sanctions and tensions with Saudi Arabia, but has not followed through. We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in Brussels on Monday. I think what we need is a period of calm to make sure that everyone understands what the other side is thinking. The claim of sabotage comes as the United States is deploying an aircraft carrier, bombers and an anti-missile battery to the Gulf to deter what the Trump administration has said is the possibility of Iranian aggression. The administration contends that Iran is mobilizing proxy groups in the Middle East to attack U.S. forces, though it has not offered any information to support that conclusion, as the United States is ramping up economic sanctions. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went to Brussels on Monday to discuss Iran with European Union leaders, skipping what would have been the first day of a two-day trip to Russia. The U.S. pressure tactics are aimed at forcing political change in Iran. Tensions have risen since last year, when President Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord that world powers struck with Iran. Trump reimposed broad sanctions in November. Since then, Irans vital oil exports have fallen by more than half to under 1 million barrels a day. The U.S. Maritime Administration had warned last week of heightened threats from Iran in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Persian Gulf. It said there was an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could target oil tankers. Vivian Yee is a New York Times writer. France's transport minister has said electric scooter riders have brought "the law of the jungle" to the nation's streets. According to the Times newspaper of London, minister Elisabeth Borne was quoted as saying that the craze for e-scooters had developed "very rapidly and in a manner that is a bit anarchic." A total of 284 people have been injured and five killed in accidents involving scooters in the most recent figures available (2017), the paper said. The rental fleet of e-scooters in Paris alone is estimated at 25,000, the paper reported, and some can reach speeds of 37mph. In this video, one Paris citizen captured several instances of bad scooter safety on the streets, including a young child holding onto the frame of an e-scooter and three women balanced on the deck of another. In both videos, none of the scooter riders are wearing a helmet. The father in the first video can be seen driving with his young boy amongst cars and motor vehicles on the main road, while a passerby says "No!" with his hand and gestures with disapproval in the video, shot on April 19. On another occasion, filmed on September 18, 2018, three people were seen all riding at once on a dockless Lime scooter at night. People lined up to cast their votes of the mid-term elections in the Philippines on Monday (May 13). Video captured at Bustos Elementary School in Bustos, Bulacan shows people queuing to vote. Millions of voters in the Philippines took to the polls today as the country held mid-term elections in a major popularity test for controversial leader President Rodrigo Duterte. Voting began at 6am local time with polls closing at 6pm, with around 61 million people eligible to take part. Duterte is hoping to gain a Senate majority that would allow him to push for constitutional changes and restore the death penalty. However, he is facing strong competition from groups opposed to his hard-line war on drugs which is seen as being responsible for thousands of unnecessary deaths. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Ramas was subject to a barrage of Molotov Cocktails thrown at his door from protesters of the opposition's Democratic Party on May 11. A dozen policemen and several protesters were reportedly hurt during the violent protests. Three months of calls for Mr Rama to resign over election fraud and corruption claims saw his residence barricaded by a thick line of police as his door was attacked with the petrol bombs. After lawmakers broke ties with the Albanian parliament the protesters began to make calls for snap poll in February. The Democratic Party have said they will boycott the elections in June unless Mr Rama resigns, stating: "The Democratic Party will enter the elections only when the conditions for free and fair elections are guaranteed," The opposition leader Lulzim Basha also said they were determined to keep waging a bigger and more resolute battle as long as the government was keeping Albania apart from Europe Footage shows a two-deep line of police in front of the prime minister's home as protesters hurl petrol bombs and firecrackers. A multitude of explosions reign down on the building which leaves a layer of thick black soot. The filmer has excellent footage of the bombs exploding at the entrance to the building as the line of police look on. There are chants in Albanian ringing reportedly stating We want a European Albania as large Albanian flags are waved from side to side. . Footage also shows hundreds involved inthe protests, some with masked faces, as the filmer captures images from behind the crowd while smoke from the bombs fills the air. Towards the end of the footage a man, thought to be Mr Basha stands on a platform to jubilant cheers from the protesters. This is the heartstopping moment four five paramedics run into oncoming traffic to save a stranded kitten. The hapless moggy was just inches from being crushed after wandering onto the busy motorway in Nakhon Sawan, northern Thailand, on May 10. But a passing minivan with several paramedics inside spotted the six-week-old cat as it struggled across the tarmac with vehicles whizzing past. They parked their minivan on the hard shoulder and dashed out, waving for cars coming towards them to slow down. Anyawut Phophai filmed the rescued as Chief rescuer, Bin Bunluerit, scooped up the frail kitten and carried it to safety. The feline was then given a whole stretcher to itself while receiving treatment in the back of the ambulance. Anyawut, from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, said: Its a miracle the kitten wasnt hit by any of the cars. It was only about six weeks old and so small that many drivers did not notice him. His legs were weak and his heart was pounding. So we comforted him in the ambulance to help him recover from the trauma. The kitten, which is believed to be a stray that was separated from its family, was taken to a nearby vet and will be put up for adoption. Anyawut added: Every life is valuable. The kitten needed help and fortunately, we were there at the right time to save him. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. This includes cookies from third party social media websites and ad networks. Such third party cookies may track your use on Sharedots sites for better rendering. Our partners use cookies to ensure we show you advertising that is relevant to you. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on Sharedots website. However, you can change your cookie settings at any time. Learn more Lawrence J. Larry Hanley, International President of the Amalgamated Transit Union and founding member of the Working Families Party in New York State -- a former Bulls Head resident -- died May 7 in Odenton, Md. , where he lived since 2010. He was 62. A tireless leader who fought for more than 200,000 ATU members, transit riders and all trade unions, under his leadership the organization was transformed into one of the strongest unions in the labor movement. During Hanleys reign he fearlessly advocated for better public transportation and for social, racial, and economic justice for all working classes. He devoted more than 40 years of his life to the ATU and was a tireless leader representing its members, transit riders, and all trade unions. In 1978 at age 21, Hanley began driving a bus out of Brooklyns Flatbush Depot and relocated to Staten Island in 1979 when he became a member of ATU Local 726. Back then, even as a rookie, he was conscious of defending those who couldnt defend themselves and sought to actively protect bus drivers and passengers on all levels. He soon rose to the rank of shop steward, helped lead a takeover of the boroughs Democratic party, was elected the youngest president of Local 726 and organized union members and transit riders in a successful effort to reform the way transit service was provided on Staten Island. He was elected secretary/treasurer of ATU in 1987, the second highest ranking position in the local. He ran the Staten Island operation of David Dinkins successful campaign for mayor of New York and was also the Staten Island chairman for Liz Holtzman, a former member of the United States House of Representatives, who represented New York's 16th congressional district for four terms. In 2002, Hanley was named ATU international vice president before being elected as a reformer to the office of international president in 2010. As international president, he restructured the ATU to better protect the livelihoods of transit workers across 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and nine Canadian provinces. Stewart Ransom, a retired bus operator, and a photographer and videographer for the ATU Local 726, and friend, noted: Larry Hanley was one of the greatest labor leaders of the last 100 years on the level of Mike Quill, the labor leader during the 1966 bus driver strikes. He started the Working Families Party in New York State, which continues to this day. He worked as international president and one of this issues were bus operators being assaulted. And he diligently addressed that. He added: He fought for new bus designs for safety of the pedestrians and what was best for the bus drivers. In other parts of the country they had safer features. He also fought for drivers to have a facility rest stop. He was working on that recently, a concept which should be prevalent all over the country. Continuously collaborating with bus operators and riders, Hanley was responsible for getting bus fares reduced from $6 to $3 and extending transit routes to double capacity, thus opening up thousands of jobs for bus operators. Mayor Bill DiBlasio tweeted: Larry Hanley was a lion of the labor movement. From his days as a bus driver to his tenure as a national leader, he carried others on his back. Our sincere condolences to his family, and to his brothers and sisters in labor. Larry Hanley was the proudest, smartest, most passionate, progressive leader of working people to ever come from his beloved Staten Island," Sen. Chuck Schumer said. He was an absolute warrior for working people from fighting for full investment in mass transit, to affordable fares for commuters, to fair working conditions and wages for transit workers, to preserving highway safety, to building an America that lived up to its highest ideals of democracy, opportunity and equal justice. Charles Greinsky, one of Hanleys closest and dearest friends, said: Larry always, cared for the little guy and hated bullies. He was my closest friend of 33 years, my best man and an old fashioned unionist with modern language. He went from driving a bus at age 21 and progressed through the union to become Local 726 Staten Island president to the presidency of the International Union representing thousands of transit workers. Said Hanleys brother James: My brother Larry, from childhood, was always fighting for the people who couldnt defend themselves and he continued that throughout his career. It is with greatest sorrow to share with you that our dear husband, father and brother, Lawrence J. Hanley, passed away on May 7, 2019," wrote his daughter, Monica. "He devoted his life to the union movement and to the Amalgamated Transit Union. His fondest wish for the union now would be to continue your everyday efforts for the members, because they were always the ones on his mind. He shared his love of defending the defenseless with you in the hopes that the ATU would be a shining beacon in the labor movement, the country, and the world. Hanleys son, Lawrence Jr. added: We wish to thank you for all of your hard work in your careers furthering these goals and wish you success as you continue in furtherance of them. As we go forward, the men and women of the ATU, and the labor movement will always be in our hearts. We will never forget the joy and privilege he felt in his over 40-year career, fighting for the people who needed a champion. We are so proud of everything the ATU has done and will do for the working women and men of this country. It was an honor. In the 39 years since we met when he was driving the Flatbush Avenue bus, Larry kept me laughing and on my toes; after all he was 65, said his wife, Thelma. "I was always so proud of him as a father and a husband and I will miss him every day. The war of words between Hanley, a passionate Democrat, and then-Borough President Guy Molinari -- a passionate Republican -- were legendary when Hanley represented Staten Island. They fought about everything from David Dinkins to Molinaris support of allowing private bus franchises to operate on Staten Island. But in typical style of both men, they eventually established a peace. In June 2018, Hanley reached out to the Advance when he discovered Molinari was gravely ill, seeking contact information. A couple of years ago Guy and I made personal peace, Hanley wrote Advance Executive Editor Brian Laline. It started with me seeing the Advance story about Guy and John Solazzo at a stop light. I sent him [Guy] a note about still being a happy warrior. He called me. It was a good reminiscence," he wrote. All I can say is, those were the days...Guy was always fun. Hanley is survived by his wife, Thelma; daughter Monica; son Lawrence Jr. and brother James. Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Matthew Funeral Home in Willowbrook with visitation on Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. Mass of Christian burial is set for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in Our Lady of Pity R.C. Church, Bulls Head. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- From teenagers to 92 years old was the answer Jeff Herman, a nationally-recognized trial lawyer for survivors of sexual abuse, said when asked the range of the ages of his clients in cases against the Catholic Church. The matter of sexual abuse in the church is not the issue of a previous generation, but an active and still-pervasive issue that Herman works to seek justice for. Herman, who has been pursuing sexual-abuse cases since 1997 and has offices in both New York and Florida, recently released a searchable list entitled the Predator Priest Index, which contains information about clergy members and individuals associated with the Catholic Church who have been accused of sexually abusing children. In addition to providing an overview of the allegations, the list provides details about the alleged abusers, along with the churches and parishes where they worked. Because many of the allegations were reported after the statute of limitations expired, many cases have not been heard in a court of law. The Archdiocese of New York previously unveiled a list of 120 bishops, priests and deacons, including clergy who lived on Staten Island, who were credibly accused of sex abuse, or who were the subject of a claim made to the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP) that was deemed eligible for compensation. The Advance also reported on 15 deceased priests who spent time on Staten Island who were included on the Archdioceses list. Herman said that his practice compiled information from a multitude of sources to compile the searchable list, including the Bishop Accountability database, the Archdiocese lists and information gathered from his practices cases. The Predator Priest Index includes names the Advance previously reported, including Monsignors Francis Boyle and Charles Coen, but also excludes some names included in the Archdiocese list, including Rev. Eugene Hicks. Herman said that some of the cases he is pursuing have predators who werent on any of these lists, and that he considers the searchable index an ongoing and sort-of evolving" record of accusations. He said that more names would be added to the index, including a few notorious accused predators at Catholic schools that arent clergy. A NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY Herman said the manner in which the Archdiocese phrased the accusations on its list was a bit of a sleight of hand. Specifically, Herman was referring to the section that refers to priests who were the subject of a claim made to the IRCP that was deemed eligible for compensation. Herman said the verbiage used by the Archdiocese in this phrasing was ambiguous, and that Its not really for (the Archdiocese) to determine a credible allegation. We know enough to know that transparency is the only way to go here, Herman said. If hes been accused, he should be on the list. Herman explained that the Predator Priest Index his office created aims toward this level of transparency, by providing further details about the allegations against individual priests and the locations where the accused clergy worked -- details that were not present in the original Archdiocese list. PURSUING A CASE Herman said that pursuing a sexual-abuse case against the Catholic Church, which is most often a civil case, strongly differs from that of criminal cases. The burden of proof is higher in a criminal case because it has to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, Herman said. Because the New York State Legislature passed the Child Victims Act in January of this year, Herman said that an abundance of new cases have come across his desk. The act, which extends the statute of limitations on child-sexual-abuse crimes to the age of 28 in criminal cases and the age of 55 in civil cases, has allowed more victims to come forward, Herman explained. Still, many victims still show extreme trepidation at accusing priests. Its hard to be the first one, Herman said. While the age restrictions still present in the newly-signed act do place restrictions on those previously abused, the bill does provide a one-year window to make civil claims for victims regardless of how old they are or how long ago the abuse occurred. For many, the civil case is the only measure of justice thats available, Herman said. To make an effective case, Herman has to investigate whether or not a diocese had notice that a priest committed sexual acts and therefore should not have been around children. Often, Herman said,theres an abundance of red flags. There are beyond red flags, Herman continued. They outright knew these priests were molesting kids. And, when a case is filed, the battle can often intensify. It happens all the time, Herman said. When a priest is accused, there would be a lot of support for the priest Immediately. Everyone thinks a predator is an evil-looking person who hates kids. But the reality is far from it. A real sexual predator, in their mind, loves kids, Herman said of his experience pursuing these cases. You see their loving side in public, which can cause many to doubt allegations. However, Herman has seen a collective empowerment come from those who make accusations, reversing the dynamic of sexual abuse, which he says coerces victims to not see themselves as such. Until they see someone come forward," Herman said, many victims suffer in silence. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Members of the local judiciary and students from several area schools attended Staten Islands Richmond County Bar Association Law Day ceremony recently. The keynote speaker at Thursdays event was Hon. William F. Mastro, associate justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division Second Department. The theme for this years ceremony -- held at Richmond County Courthouse, St. George -- was Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society. In attendance were students from St. Clares School, New Dorp High School, Curtis High School, New World Preparatory Charter School, Prall Intermediate School (I.S. 27), Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School and Xaverian High School. Speeches were presented by Karen Kellieh from New Dorp High School, Brian Almazo from New World Preparatory Charter School and Rachael Bakare and Nevaeh Christopher from Curtis High School. At the end of the program, students were given the opportunity to visit some of the courtrooms at the courthouse. Every year during the ceremony, the Richmond County Bar Association recognizes a distinguished member of the legal community by giving an award honoring the memory of the late Justice Thomas R. Sullivan. This years recipient of the Hon. Thomas R. Sullivan Award is Hon. John A. Fusco, a retired state Supreme Court Justice. Local judiciary members and students from Staten Island schools celebrated Law Day 2019 on May 9, 2019. Hon. John Fusco received the Hon. Thomas R. Sullivan Award. (Courtesy of Pete Weinman) Law Day was established by a Proclamation of Congress during the presidential administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower to celebrate the system of justice and educate the public. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Rep. Max Rose got the support of New York Citys 11 additional congressional representatives when asking for $6 million in federal funding to reconstruct the roof of the St. George Ferry Terminal. The effort is in support of the New York City Department of Transportations (DOT) funding application to the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) Passenger Ferry Grant Program. For far too long Staten Islands infrastructure needs have been forgotten and put to the back of the line, which only increases costs and puts Islanders at risk, said Rose (D-Staten Island/South Brooklyn). Thats why Im particularly proud to have the strong support of the entire New York City Congressional delegation behind this request as further recognition of the integral role our Island and this terminal play in the citys infrastructure and transportation systems, he said. In a letter to K. Jane Williams, administrator of the Federal Transit Authority (FTA), the 12 congressional representatives urged the agency to approve the grant application to make the much needed repairs to the ferry terminal. Not only will the reconstruction address problems such as persistent leaking, roof damage, and joint damage, but it will also improve energy efficiency, safety, and security to the public. Most notably, rebuilding the Ferry Terminal roof now will save on operating and maintenance costs going forward and will be cheaper to accomplish now rather than later, the letter read. The St. George Ferry Terminal was constructed in 1951 and was last renovated in 2005. Twenty-three million passengers ride the Staten Island Ferry annually. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The lawyer for Ayisha Egea, the pregnant woman who, along with her boyfriend Michael Cammarata, is accused of brutally murdering Cammaratas estranged wife and dumping her body in a storage facility, said prosecutors claims defy logic. During a bail application hearing on Monday, attorney Mark Fonte said his clients case is different than any other homicide thats been prosecuted on Staten Island. My client is approaching her eighth month of pregnancy and is barely five feet tall, Fonte said, arguing her size and stage of pregnancy at the time of Jeanine Cammaratas murder would have made it impossible for her to participate in the slaying. It defies logic that she had anything to do with the murder. The grand jury returned an indictment that didnt contain murder. Something is amiss in this case. My client has stated that she didnt have anything to do with the death, Fonte said. What happened after is a totally different story, he said, asking the prosecution for proof of her involvement, which he says has not yet been provided in the missing grand jury minutes. Since, he argues, she could not have participated in the murder, Fonte asked that her bail application be based on the other charges she faces. Fonte also brought up a phone call he claims the co-defendant made to his investigator in which he took complete blame for the murder. The Advance exclusively reported on the phone call last month. After identifying himself as Michael Cammarata, the caller said I just wanted to let you know that Im trying to plead guilty to the charges, and that Ayisha Egea, the co-defendant, had nothing to do with it and she should be cleared of all charges. Her charges should be dismissed. He ended the call by saying he was taking full responsibility" for everything. Egea made no facial expressions during her bail application hearing other than a brief smile to two people in the courtroom when she walked in. Her hair was pulled back in a bun and her pregnancy was barely visible underneath the beige prison garb. Assistant District Attorney Adam Silberlight agreed with Fontes statement that this is a distinctly different homicide case than others. I agree with this is unusual this is one of the most gruesome acts ever being prosecuted on Staten Island, Silberlight said. He rebutted Fontes arguments, stating that Jeanine Cammarata is smaller than Egea and the defendant has previously convinced others to do things for her. Additionally, Silberlight said he had not yet heard the recording in which Cammarata allegedly admits guilt for the murder. Justice Mario F. Mattei did not allow the recording, which Fonte has on his cell phone, to be played in the courtroom, but asked to hear it privately. Silberlight said the grand jury minutes will show her guilt in the murder. He asked that Egea continue to be remanded without bail. Mattei asked that he be provided with Cammaratas autopsy report, the grand jury minutes, and ordered both parties back on June 3 for a conference. He remanded her without bail at this time. THE 15-COUNT INDICTMENT The 15-count indictment accuses Michael Cammarata, 42, and Egea, 41, of second degree murder for intentionally causing the victims death with her body or a part thereof being found on Staten Island. They are also accused of two counts of stolen-property possession for allegedly taking the victims license and five counts of child endangerment. The child endangerment charges stem from evidence that the pair transported the victims remains, along with five children, to the Arden Heights storage facility. Two of the children were Michael and Jeanine Cammaratas; the other three were Egeas children, sources told the Advance. In court papers, prosecutors allege Jeanine Cammarata, 37, drove to the defendants Far Rockaway, Queens, apartment on the night of March 30, and the defendants entered her car and attacked her. Afterward, they took the victims body into their apartment and removed it the next day, allege prosecutors. The defendants transported the corpse to New Jersey and then to Staten Island to a storage unit at 7 Arden Ave., Arden Heights, where it was left on April 1 at 3:30 p.m., prosecutors allege in court papers. Video footage viewed by the Advance shows the defendants and five children walking in and out of the facility. Cammarata can be seen carrying boxes out of the facility and into the couples van before bringing a garbage bag into the facility while the children run around nearby. The victims charred remains were found in a plastic bin inside a locker at the facility on April 4. 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 list of those who have served as Britain's poet laureate contains many distinguished names. So does the list of those who have refused the job. Both are now a little longer. The 21st poet laureate of the United Kingdom, officially appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, is Simon Armitage, 55, a critically lauded and popular poet from West Yorkshire in the north of England, whose work is taught in many British schools. Simon Armitage has a northerner's penchant for pricking pretensions and cutting things down to size. Credit:Neil Spence/Alamy His appointment came two weeks after a report in The Sunday Times of London that the position would go to another acclaimed poet, Imtiaz Dharker. However Dharker, who was born in Lahore, Pakistan and spent her childhood in Glasgow, publicly took herself out of consideration. Armitage told the BBC that he believed there had been "a lot of discussion behind the scenes" about whether it was right for the job to go again to a white man, and that he wanted to use it to amplify the voices of those from "diverse and disadvantaged" backgrounds. An election, like nothing else, beckons even the most seasoned politicians to straddle the Olympian heights of statecraft and national purpose, while tending to the quotidian exigencies that are as much a reality of life on the campaign trail. In its own way, tea at the bowls club is no less important than discussing policy in the national media or responding delicately to international events that bear on our national interests. Scott Morrison in the final week of the election campaign. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Beyond the election, the question of how our federal system of government is working and can be improved will clearly rely on Olympian thinking. As we enter the final week of campaigning where the pace of events will become even more frenetic, federation reform is not likely to exercise peoples attention. But after Saturday it should. And just as importantly, the states need to step up and drive that process, more than they have in the past. Thats not to implicitly criticise the work of federal governments over many years. Frankly, the state of our federation owes much to all governments, federal and state alike, of different persuasions over the decades. A media release fuelling fears a Labor government would reintroduce death duties has been called out as "fake news" by the public relations firm it appears to impersonate. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was last month forced to denounce "lies" on Facebook claiming a Labor government would introduce inheritance taxes - claims that were then adopted by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. A media release fuelling fears of death duties under Labor has been called out as "fake news" by the PR firm it appears to impersonate. An apparent media release circulated on Monday purporting to be from a body called the Victorian Housing Action Network referenced a speech by Victorian state Labor MP Danny Pearson in 2017 in which he stated his personal support for death duties of 5 per cent. The email appeared to impersonate Essential Media, a major left-aligned communications and research firm, by using the email address "essentialmedia@iinet.com.au". It called on Mr Shorten to "disown and rule out" death taxes, which he has already done. The Chinese Communist Party has sought to build ties to candidates in the upcoming federal election, including in a critical Victorian seat that will help determine the next government. Chinese language documents have revealed the ALP's Jennifer Yang and the Liberal Party's Gladys Liu who are contesting the eastern Melbourne electorate of Chisholm have both attended events and been involved in groups backed by the Chinese government. Prime Minister Scott Morrison with Liberal Candidate for Chisholm, Gladys Liu, at her campaign launch held at Box Hill Golf Club in Melbourne last month. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer The groups seek to push the Communist Party's agenda throughout the Chinese diaspora. There is no suggestion that the Taiwan-born Ms Yang and Hong Kong-born Ms Liu have tried to exert influence on behalf of the Chinese. The Labor candidate in the marginal Queensland seat of Dawson has condemned an apparent arson attempt on her car as "dirty tactics" in politics. Belinda Hassan, a mother of four who is trying to unseat the high-profile Nationals MP George Christensen, found her car's fuel tank forced open and a charred plastic bag stuffed in the opening on Monday morning. The Labor candidate for Dawson, Belinda Hassan, said it was "a scary incident". Credit:AAP Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident in the city of Mackay. The car is clearly marked with Ms Hassan's name and the Labor logo. "This has been a scary incident and it's extremely concerning behaviour in the context of a campaign. Politics should be better than these dirty tactics," Ms Hassan said. Labor has retreated from its unequivocal backing of the world's biggest climate change fund, suggesting a Shorten government may ditch the foreign aid measure that Pacific leaders deem critical to tackling planetary warming. The United Nations-backed Green Climate Fund is a mechanism under the 2015 Paris climate treaty to help poor nations cut emissions and respond to extreme weather and rising seas. In the Solomon Islands, Taro may be the first provincial capital in the world to be abandoned due to climate change. Credit:Penny Stephens Australia has contributed $200 million to the fund, but the Morrison government last year said it will not tip in further money. Labor has decried that position as a slight against international climate efforts, and foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong in May last year said it "goes without saying" that a Shorten government would work with the Green Climate Fund. Sydney's famous Andrew Boy Charlton Pool will be open to "pooch pool parties" one day a year, following a decision passed on Monday night. In a unanimous decision, Sydney City Council passed a motion forwarded by Deputy Lord Mayor Linda Scott to allow for a "doggy pool party" for one day only on the final day of the summer swim season, at the famed harbourside pool. Pooch pool party people. From left to right: Sam Nolan, Colin Crowley with Rupert (dog), Matt Baker with Pepa (dog), Councillor Linda Scott with Tumshee (dog) and Nicola OHanlon with Towskey (dog). Credit:Dean Sewell Councillors moved to investigate options for the opening of the seasonal pool to dogs, upon confirmation from the NSW Department of Health that the activity is suitable, and safe and healthy for dogs - and subject to cleaning costs following the event. As the pool is usually cleaned when it closes for the winter season, this doesn't add any significant cleaning costs Councillor Scott said. An office building up to 183-metres tall will tower over Cockle Bay after an independent panel approved an overhaul of the inner Sydney wharf precinct, despite concerns the high-rise will cast shadows over a future public square in the city centre. The City of Sydney opposes the controversial plans to build the commercial tower on the eastern edge of Darling Harbour as part of the $650 million Cockle Bay Wharf redevelopment. An artist's impression of the Cockle Bay redevelopment, which features a 183 metre office tower, retail precinct and park. Credit:GPT Wholesale Office Fund, AMP Capital Wholesale Office Fund, Brookfield The council fears the building will overshadow the long-planned Town Hall Square. But the council's opposition is at odds with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, which backed the redevelopment proposed by a consortium of GPT, Brookfield and AMP Capital. The system of "spot rezoning" used by developers and landowners to remake large swathes of Sydney would disappear under a push by Planning Minister Rob Stokes, who wants to implement more extensive changes to the planning system than he was able to in his last stint in the job. But Mr Stokes has denied the need to pursue those changes through a reform of the state's planning laws, saying the NSW planning system has "stood the test of time" and could be improved without a legislative overhaul. Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes. Credit:Wolter Peeters Outlining the approach he will take after returning to the planning portfolio from two years in education, Mr Stokes also indicated he was open to reviewing the boundaries of so-called planned precincts of intensive development, would push for more medium density housing through Sydney, and could review the thresholds at which the state government takes development approval away from councils. Changes already passed through Parliament require councils to update their planning laws, known as local environment plans (LEPs), every five years. The controversial practice of "spot rezoning" occurs when developers, landowners or other parties apply to rezone an area through individual applications that would significantly breach the local LEP. The two young men charged with stabbing drug boss Tony Mokbel in prison have offered to plead guilty to lesser charges than attempted murder and are waiting on prosecutors to accept a deal. Teira Bennett and Eldea Teuira, both 21, are accused of attacking Mokbel in Barwon Prison on February 11 and stabbing the 53-year-old with a jail-made blade. Eldea Teuira and Teira Bennett faced court in Geelong last year Credit:Nine News Bennett had been celebrating his 21st birthday that day in a prison-yard party complete with pavlova and soft drink when police allege he and Teuira repeatedly stabbed Mokbel. The two accused men on Monday appeared separately before Melbourne Magistrates Court, both via video link, charged with attempted murder, intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence and intentionally causing serious injury. Just over 14 degrees now in the city ahead of a top of 19. There are still major delays on the Werribee line, where damaged overhead lines trapped passengers for a few hours yesterday afternoon. Commuters have been advised to allow an extra 45 minutes for their journeys. On the roads, there's a crash on the Monash and City Road is closed outbound in South Melbourne after a collision at the Ferrars Street bridge. That's it from us today. We'll be back from 6am tomorrow. Have a fab day. This Saturday's election will determine the future government but it will also be a sobering test of how much it costs to buy a seat in Parliament. Billionaire Clive Palmer is spending an incredible $60 million of his personal wealth on advertising in broadcast, digital and print media including in the Herald for his United Australia Party. Mr Palmer's shopping-channel style advertising blitz which promises fuzzy rainbows of free money, lower taxes and fast trains everywhere has less integrity than a soap powder commercial but by dint of name recognition alone it could well win a Senate seat in Queensland for Mr Palmer or perhaps for one of his team in another state. Clive Palmer on the campaign trail. Credit:AAP It is hard to believe that voters have forgotten so quickly Mr Palmer's questionable record both in and out of Parliament. The party failed to make much of a mark after 2013 when Mr Palmer won a lower house seat and three Senate seats thanks to a similar advertising splurge financed by his nickel and iron ore businesses. Something unexpected has happened in the NSW Parliament. In his first question time as the new Environment Minister, Matt Kean, was asked to respond to the recent United Nations report warning that 1 million species are on the brink of extinction and outline what action he intends to take to avert this biodiversity crisis. For the past eight years, the NSW Liberals have had an atrocious environmental record. They have ripped up protections for forests and iconic species like the koala. New NSW Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean tells Parliament on Wednesday that he plans to take climate change seriously. Credit:Nick Moir They have refused to take meaningful action on climate change and stripped vital funding from the environment department. They have placed big irrigators over the ecosystems of the Murray Darling River system and pointedly avoided scrutiny by withholding information on rates of land clearing. Manila: Millions of Filipinos began voting Monday to choose half of the nation's Senate in what is widely seen as a proxy battle between President Rodrigo Duterte and politicians opposed to his deadly war on drugs. Just hours after polls opened at 6am, the police reported scattered incidents of violence and voter intimidation. On Sunday night, the eve of voting, two explosions hit town halls in the southern province of Maguindanao, where warlords have traditionally vied for control. There were no reported casualties. Supporters of opposition senatorial candidates rally in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines. Credit:AP Nearly 300,000 police officers and members of the armed forces have been deployed nationwide to prevent violence, with the national police reporting that at least 20 people had been killed and 24 injured in election-related attacks in the weeks running up to the voting. Duterte was expected to vote in his hometown, Davao City, on Monday afternoon. He spent the past few days campaigning for Senate candidates supportive of his agenda, vowing to push forward with an anti-drug crackdown that has left thousands dead. Donald Trump was much ridiculed for his famous remark that "trade wars are good and easy to win". It's not over yet, but on developments so far you'd have to say that he is winning his trade war with China. After Trump fired the first shot in the trade war eight months ago, the world's two biggest economies slapped punitive trade taxes on each other's goods while they negotiated a new deal. Last week they seemed to be on the brink of an agreement. The two sides were even discussing the details of when and where Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping would hold the signing ceremony for the new pact. US President Donald Trump is so far having a good trade war. Credit:Bloomberg Then, abruptly, Trump accused the Chinese government of backtracking. Instead of ending hostilities last week, Trump dramatically escalated them. Over the weekend he increased from 10 per cent to 25 per cent the level of US tariffs on some $US200 billion worth of American imports of Chinese products. He threatened to go much further. The US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, said that Trump had "ordered us to begin the process of raising tariffs on essentially all remaining imports from China, which are valued at approximately $US300 billion". London Australian Sara Zelenak may have slipped over before she could run away from the three terrorists who stabbed her to death in the London Bridge attacks, an inquest has heard. The 21-year-old and fellow Australian Kirsty Boden were among eight people killed when Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba used a van to run down dozens of people on the bridge before stabbing dozens more with ceramic kitchen knives in nearby Borough Market on the night of June 3, 2017. Witness Erick Siguenza, who had been out with friends that night, saw a young woman with blonde hair slip over just metres from where the attackers' van crashed at the southern end of London Bridge. Australians Sara Zelenak and Kirsty Boden died in the London Bridge terror attack. Credit:Facebook He agreed that the recent rain and her high heels may have caused her to lose her footing on the wet pavement. ~ No food & water security, no roofs, no shelters ~ PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United St. Maarten (US) party MP Frans Richardson on Sunday said the ineptitude of the Romeo-Marlin government has put the citizens of St. Maarten in clear and present danger with its failure to address their human rights needs and ensure that the basics are ready for another hurricane season. Richardson said a year and a half since St. Maarten has been devastated by hurricane Irma and on the dawn of a new hurricane season, the government has failed to be forth coming with the citizens of this nation on these critical and imminent dangers. As we enter another hurricane season we still see sixty percent of the homes and properties damaged during Hurricane Irma still un-repaired and uninhabitable, leaving thousands of residents still displaced. The new or re-enforced hurricane shelters which have been promised by government a year ago have not been delivered. The construction of such shelters has not even started. There has been no indication of food security or security of food storage in the imminent risk of another hurricane, to ensure that we are able to provide food for our citizens, Richardson said. He continued: The island water storage is still under capacity and there is no water security plan that has been issued to ensure that our citizens have access to clean and safe drinking water after another hurricane. Government has the direct responsibility to ensure access to clean drinking water for the population. However, there are at least 3 to 4 water storage tanks out of commission, creating a huge water storage and water supply risk for the island. The MP said that panic caused by concerns of lack of access to food and water is what leads to hoarding by some and looting by many others. He said there is still a significant amount of loose debris and garbage around the island, particularly in the various densely populated districts and in the hills which have yet to be cleaned. This loose debris serves as one of the most high risk cause of damage to property and loss of life in the event of another hurricane. There has been no effective discussion and policies put in place in regards to insurance risk assessments, insurance policies and guaranteed payouts to minimize the economic impact on assets and resources. Richardson said the risk assessments of these matters and remediation measures have yet to be addressed in the public forum so the public can have a sense of comfort and knowledge on how to proceed in the upcoming hurricane season and recover in the event of another hurricane of the magnitude of Irma. Considering the threats and dangers we face and recovery challenges we are presently enduring, these failures of this government as detailed above is a direct attack and neglect of the universal human rights of each and every citizen of this island. Any competent government of the people, by the people and for the people, could not and would not site by idly, knowing there dangers are clear and imminent and do nothing. However, the lack of discussion, the lack planning, and the lack of action by this government leaves each citizen at a heightened risk in this upcoming hurricane season, MP Richardson said. Richardson further explained that since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified by the United Nations member countries in 1948, the principle of basic human rights has been accepted globally as a principle tenant of good governing and rights of all humans. Every human has the right to live in a safe and secure environment. Therefore, particularly in the Caribbean, where environmental threats and impact drastically affects the lives of our citizens yearly between June and October, there is a direct linkage between environmental security and the assurance of our citizens human rights. The Governments ineptitude to these matters creates a free for all platform where every man for himself is the order of the day eroding the dignity of our people and the cooperative fabric of our society. This in itself pins the haves against the have-nots. This is not who we are as a people nor what we want our island to become, Richardson concluded. PHILIPSBURG/Dominican Republic:--- Air Century Airline says since it started flying to St. Maarten from the Dominican Republic in 2018, it has enjoyed a load factor of 70 percent making St. Maarten its "top destination." Air Century made the statement this weekend when its top executives met with Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication (TEATT), the Honourable Stuart Johnson who is in the Dominican Republic on a working visit. The airline is looking towards the near future when it intends to offer more flights to the island and connect St. Maarten with the other destinations it services. At present, Air Century provides flights to Puerto Rico, Curacao, Haiti, Cuba, Aruba, and St. Maarten and is based in the Dominican Republic. Johnson said on Sunday, "Air Century serves a very essential need for our island as a large number of our residents are from the Dominican Republic. The DR is a country which has a long history and shared a relationship with the people of St. Maarten." He said the need for additional airlifts to the St. Maarten has to continually be looked at from the perspective of what service is most needed. "That is the only way we will sustainably rebuild the airlifts to our island. The right connections create major marketing opportunities, along with the increased visitor arrivals and each route has to be beneficial for the airline itself as well so that they can provide service that we can rely on year round," said Johnson. Johnsons main goal when he met with Air Century Commercial Director Fabio Melo was to discuss increasing flight frequency and marketing opportunities for St. Maarten. I also wanted to solidify the Government of St. Maartens commitment to providing support. Naturally, supporting the airline is easier to agree upon since Air Century is very pleased with its load factor to St. Maarten, Johnson added. Minister Johnson along with his senior policy advisor in the TEATT Cabinet Ms. Regina Labega and Head of Civil Aviation Louis Halley received a tour of Air Centurys operations base at the Dr. Joaquin Balaguer International Airport La Isabela. Air Century flies four times weekly to St. Maarten using both the CRJ200 Jet with 45 seats available and the Saab 340B offering 27 seats. The airline has confirmed that it will increase from four to five flights weekly from St. Maarten starting this summer. Air Century began to fly to St. Maarten in 2018 and instantly filled a void left when Dominican Republic Airline PAWA halted its service. According to Air Century Commercial Director Fabio Melo, "our vision is to connect the Caribbean uniquely, offering the safest air transportation at very competitive prices." Air Century has been servicing St. Maarten since November 12, 2018. It is an international air travel company founded in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic on March 1992 by a pilot Captain Omar Chahin Lama. The airline provides regular flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico, Port-au-Prince Haiti, Aruba, Curacao, St. Marteen and offers charter flights to the entire Caribbean. While in the Dom Rep Johnson and his delegation along with Dutch Ambassador Mrs Annemieke Verrijp also attended the Agroalimentaria Fair. Vienna (pts036/13.05.2019/13:30) - AOP Orphan IP AG and AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG have entered into a partnership with orphanix GmbH to jointly develop RetinolX, an innovative medicine for the prevention of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD). BPD is a life-threatening lung disease affecting very preterm infants. Around 1 % of births are very preterm and potentially affected by this severe disease. However, no authorized preventive medicine exists yet on a global level. The joint parties are collaborating closely with expert physicians in neonatal intensive care to develop a new solution to prevent this devastating lung disease. The project aims to deliver an EU-wide market authorization by Q1 2022 under the centralized authorization procedure. Financial terms were not disclosed. The collaboration includes rights to additional unspecified orphan conditions. "This cooperation is a perfect match, as orphanix, AOP Orphan IP AG and AOP Orphan are all passionately dedicated to creating new treatments for patients with severe rare conditions. In addition, we all offer strong specialized capabilities. We are thrilled about the partnership given the successful history and track record of AOP Orphan and AOP Orphan IP AG", explains Dr. Philipp Heinrich Novak, CEO and Founder of orphanix. "RetinolX will solve a high unmet medical need for the prevention of BPD across the globe", states orphanix Co-Founder Dr. Stefan Johansson, consultant neonatologist and Associate Professor in Paediatrics in Stockholm, Sweden. Dr. Rudolf Widmann, Founder and Chief Therapeutic Development Officer of AOP Orphan, adds "We are excited to work with orphanix to develop and commercialize this potentially life-changing treatment. Projects like this are the reason I founded AOP Orphan." Michael Steiger, Managing Director of AOP Orphan IP AG, points out that "the collaboration with orphanix opens a new therapeutic area for AOP Orphan IP AG and strengthens the companys focus on rare and severe diseases." PHILIPSBURG:--- Retired New Haven Police Captain, Patricia Helliger will be donating seven bikes to the bike patrol of the St. Maarten Police Force. Helliger made this announcement to Minister of Justice, Cornelius De Weever, Chief of Police Carl John and Assistant Chief of Police Benjamin Gout on Monday, May 13, 2019. I am very grateful to Ms. Helliger a daughter of the soil for the donation she is making to the Police Force, the bike patrol can definitely use these additional bikes, said Minister De Weever. Helliger originally from St. Maarten moved to the United States at a young age, and made history in 2016, as the first black female police captain in New Haven. For years, Helliger also organized community outreach programs. She put together toy, food and coat drives for needy families, and she coordinated visits to city schools by cops from foreign countries, as a way to familiarize students with the diversity on the force. Most recently, she paired senior citizens with neighbors who could check in on them. After the devastation that Hurricane Irma brought to St. Maarten and the loss that Helliger suffered by losing her mom due to the storm, she felt motivated to give back. NetDragon Hosted Digital Maritime Silk Road Sub-Forum at the 2nd Digital China Summit to Promote \China Solution\ on Digital Education Worldwide May 10, 2019 (ACN Newswire) NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (\NetDragon\ or \the Company\) (Hong Kong Stock Code: 777), a global leader in building internet communities, is excited to announce that it participated in the Digital China Summit for two consecutive years, and continued to be a major participant as it hosted the Digital Maritime Silk Road Sub-Forum in Fuzhou. Mr. Liu Dejian, Founder and Chairman of the Board of NetDragon, was the sole keynote speaker among representing enterprises from Fujian\-\-s digital technological industry at the opening ceremony. With ongoing success in promoting the \China Solution\ in digital education along the \Belt and Road\ countries and the rest of the world in recent years, Mr. Liu Dejian shared three topics, including NetDragon\-\-s goal to create a digital education global business card, globalization of digital education \China Solution\, and advantages of \Digital Fujian\ to create a global digital education content production base. The Summit also attracted a number of leading technology companies such as Huawei, Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent. Mr. Liu Dejian mentioned that a rising number of national leaders and education ministers have begun to pay close attention to the development of digital China. They also recognize that talent is the key to economic development, as such, they hope that the digital education \China Solution\ can help young people in their respective countries to receive better education as soon as possible. NetDragon seized this opportunity and brought technologies, products and services of China\-\-s digital education to the global market, while achieving remarkable results in countries along the \Belt and Road\ and making digital education an important part of the digital Maritime Silk Road construction. Similar to last year, NetDragon hosted one of the sub-forums at the Digital China Summit, but this year in the theme of \Digital Maritime Silk Road Empowering High-Quality Development\. The forum had a number of collaboration projects signed on-site, including a collaboration agreement on digital education between the Nigerian federal government and NetDragon, a collaborative memorandum of cooperation on digital education between the Ghana government and NetDragon, a strategic collaboration framework agreement between Encyclopaedia Britannica and NetDragon, a memorandum of cooperation on STEAM education between LEGO Education, Fujian Preschool Education College and NetDragon, and a strategic collaboration agreement to establish the \Sino Europe Innovation Centre\ between Digital Education Town and Fosun Foundation. Overall, NetDragon had better achievements this year over the previous year, and expects the digital economic cooperation between countries along the digital Maritime Silk Road to deepen further. In early 2019, NetDragon reached a memorandum of cooperation with Egypt, where the Egyptian government plans to purchase a sizable volume of NetDragon\-\-s new product, the Pop-up Classroom (container classroom), and complete the construction of such 265,000 mobile container classrooms across Egypt within the next three years. Leveraging its product design and cutting-edge technologies, NetDragon adapts to different local educational difficulties and user characteristics to tailor-make products or solutions in each country. Pop-up Classroom attracted the Egyptian government with its convenience, efficiency and cost advantage, as it would be able to solve the problem of shortage in schools in Egypt. In addition, NetDragon can also solve Egypt\-\-s other problem of shortage in teachers through integration of AI technology as in its AI Teaching Assistant. Speaking of the successful experience of the Egyptian project, Mr. Liu Dejian emphasized in his speech that globalization of China\-\-s digital education solution should give full play to the innovation and application of technologies among Chinese technology enterprises. As one of the leading promoters of \Digital Fujian\ construction, NetDragon has seized the opportunity in recent years to apply new technologies such as AI, VR/AR and big data to various fields of education, while actively strategizing \Digital Maritime Silk Road\ construction in countries and regions along the \Belt and Road\. Since 2017, NetDragon has partnered with the City of Moscow and participated in the construction of its local \Smart City\ project. Currently, there are more than 20,000 classrooms in the City of Moscow using NetDragon\-\-s interactive panels. In 2018, NetDragon partnered with Aspire Link, a Malaysia local professional education institution, and the Sarawak Government of Malaysia to jointly promote and improve digital education in Sarawak. On top of these, NetDragon has established cooperation with more than 20 countries along the \Belt and Road\ including India, South Africa, Brazil, Egypt, Turkey, Nigeria, Kenya and Serbia. To date, NetDragon\-\-s education business covers more than 1.3 million classrooms in over 190 countries around the world, benefiting more than 100 million users worldwide. Mr. Liu Dejian said, \Fujian is China\-\-s birthplace of Digital China construction. NetDragon is confident to fully exploit Digital Fujian\-\-s advantages in innovation, industry and openness, and at the same time, encourage more local enterprises to engage in digital education content production. We are excited to let digital education become a global business card for digital China to the world, making Fuzhou the world\-\-s largest production base for digital education content.\ About NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) is a global leader in building internet communities with a long track record of developing and scaling multiple internet and mobile platforms that impact hundreds of millions of users. These include China\-\-s number one online gaming portal, 17173.com, and China\-\-s most influential smartphone app store platform, 91 Wireless, which was sold to Baidu for US$1.9 billion in 2013 as the largest Internet M&A transaction in China. Established in 1999, NetDragon is one of the most reputable and well-known online game developers in China with a history of successful game titles including Eudemons Online, Heroes Evolved and Conquer Online. In recent years, NetDragon has also started to scale its online education business on the back of management\-\-s vision to create the largest global online learning community, and to bring the \classroom of the future\ to every school around the world. For more information, please visit www.netdragon.com. For investor enquiries, please contact: NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited Ms. Maggie Zhou Senior Director of Investor Relations Tel.: +852 2850 7266 / +86 591 8754 3120 Email: maggie@nd.com.cn Website: www.nd.com.cn/ir Reliable web hosting company is the better option Posted by Publisher Telecommunication In addition to the many conveniences and headaches brought on by our increasing reliance on the world wide web, this new form of communication, advertising and commerce has brought with it an altered mindset for the new consumer; we want it fast, we want it now, we want it perfect. From small ecommerce web sites to large organizations, reliable hosting is the key to ensure that customers and viewers see the same site at the same speed every time they visit their favorites. Reliable web hosting services provide the space, along with support (often 24/7) and the all important bandwidth. Reliable hosting is key to success in that it gives the consumer a consistent experience while preventing down time, that could cost the company in question hundreds, and maybe thousands in revenue. There is a fine selection of reliable web-hosting services online. Often these services host in a specific region. There is a multitude of web sites on the internet advertising the services of one or another reliable hosting company. Luckily, there are also a couple out there to help you choose what is right for your company. Netcraft and Web hosting Inspector are two examples of such sites. Web hosting Inspector provides a comprehensive spreadsheet listing independent test results, awards, rankings services and prices for various reliable web hosters. Though helpful, Web hosting Inspector feels a lot like paid advertising. A better choice is Netcraft. Netcraft supplies a lot of the same info as Web hosting Inspector, but also gives in depth analysis regarding down time, a fate worse than death to any e-commerce entrepreneur. Very often, these companies are run from private homes, a low cost, high return way for the internet savvy to make an income. However, the very ?under the radar? nature of some of these businesses makes it all the more crucial that sites such as Netcraft exist, providing checks and balances to an otherwise turbulent industry. You cannot have a company on the internet without a reliable hosting provider, with a team of dependable customer service. Their services are important to keep your e-commerce site consistent; visually consistent, service oriented and most importantly, consistently lucrative. As the use of the Internet increases every day, with more people than ever before utilizing the World Wide Web to find products and services they need, reliable web site hosting becomes a bigger issue. Consumers will not continue using companies who have web sites that are slow loading or are constantly having technical difficulties and down time. It could be the death of a growing online company to have a site that?s unavailable for any legthy time frame because of a server problem. The choice of a reliable web site hosting company is then imperative. Online companies along with individuals will want to select a reliable web hosting company that also offers great customer service, fair and competitive pricing plus first class management. There are some suggestions you will want to remember when looking for a reliable web hosting company. If you are seeking quality and reliability you will want to do a some research before you make your final decision. When you are ready to start a web site either for business or personal needs, you need to find a reliable hosting service. The reason for this is because that will be the place you keep the web pages for viewing by consumers and possible business clients. If you are just starting with an online presence either as an e-commerce venture or even as an individual you want to first understand the basics of web hosting. A server is a computer that gets the requests for pages or files from the Internet. When someone types in a domain name a server somewhere is accessed. It then shows the requested pages or files to the computer requesting the information. Another way to look at a reliable web host is, they are a landlord renting you space on their computer to others. You then have a choice between shared hosting or dedicated hosting. The difference is evident in the name. A shared host shares it?s server with more than one client and a dedicated host has one client on it?s server. Dedicated servers normally are used by e-commerce sites that require a large amount of space disk space and more personal management plus cost a little more. As the Internet is growing so is the number of companies offering hosting services and the more competitive the market is becoming. Some offer inexpensive monthly prices, some even offer free hosting. As a business free web hosting may sound like a great solution however; having a website that is also shows advertising that may or may not compete with your online business is not a very good idea. In general a free web host does not have the quality of customer service a paid reliable web hosting company would have. These servers are also normally crowded with personal web pages and have limited options. Many have technical issues that may include down times which could have a negative effect on your new business. These are all factors you need to consider. Paying more for a reliable web hosting company is a better option. You want to make a good entrance into the web and if you are already established you want to keep your appearance and your clients experiences positive. Another issue to think about is future expansion. A reliable web hosting company can offer a multitude of services and packages to grow as you do. When choosing a reliable web hosting company think of it as a long term business arrangement. Before looking into reliable hosting options make a list of what is going to be important to you. This not only in regards to the web site, but to other aspects such as budgets, what you want to accomplish, short and long term goals. All these factors need to be considered. Sit down with other companies about their relationships involving several different reliable web hosting companies. This may give you a great place to start your search. We mentioned budgets which most start up businesses need to deal with. A word of caution here, a reliable web host may not necessarily be the cheapest but you will get what you pay for. Reliable web hosting can be found at a price to fit just about every imaginable budget. Hosting companies in the US have more power black outs than hosting companies e.g. in Germany. Therefore you should think about the alternative choice local hoster vs. more security. Hans-Peter Oswald http://www.domainregistry.de/webspace.html Abdruck und Veroeffentlichung honorarfrei! Der Text kann veraendert werden. Secura GmbH ist ein von ICANN akkreditierter Registrar fur Top Level Domains. Secura kann generische Domains registrieren, also z.B..com, .net etc. und daruber hinaus fast alle aktiven Lander-Domains registrieren. 2018 landete Secura beim Industriepreis unter den Besten. Secura gewann 2016 den \Ai Intellectual Property Award 2016\ als \Best International Domain Registration Firm Germany\. Beim \Innovationspreis-IT der Initiative Mittelstand 2016\ wurde Secura als Innovator qualifiziert und wurde beim \Innovationspreis-IT der Initiative Mittelstand 2016\ im Bereich e-commerce auch als einer der Besten ausgezeichnet. Beim Innovationspreis-IT der Initiative Mittelstand 2012 und beim Industriepreis 2012 landete Secura GmbH unter den Besten. Beim HOSTING & SERVICE PROVIDER AWARD 2012 verfehlte Secura nur knapp die Gewinner-Nominierung. Seit 2013 ist Secura auch bei den Neuen Top Level Domains sehr aktiv. Secura meldet Marken fur die Sunrise Period als Official Agent des Trade Mark Clearinghouse an. ICANN-Registrar Secura GmbH Frohnhofweg 18 D-50858 Koeln Germany Phone: +49 221 2571213 Fax: +49 221 9252272 secura@domainregistry.de http://www.domainregistry.de http://www.com-domains.com As we enter into 2022, there is still a level of uncertainty in place. Its unclear what the future holds, as companies around the world still contend with the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote working has been encouraged by most organisations and the move to a hybrid working system has become business as usual, for the majority of businesses. Some have reduced their office space or done away with their locations altogether. Following best security practices With all this change in place, there are problems to deal with. According to research, 32.7% of IT admins say they are concerned about employees using unsecured networks to carry out that work. Alongside this, 74% of IT admins thought that remote work makes it harder for employees to follow best security practices. This need to manage security around remote work is no longer temporary. Instead, companies have to build permanent strategies around remote work and security. The coming year will also create a different landscape for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). Here are some key predictions for next year and what to start preparing for in 2022: The reality of SMB spending around security will hit home SMBs had to undertake significant investments to adapt to remote working SMBs had to undertake significant investments to adapt to remote working, especially in comparison to their size. They had to undertake significant digital transformation projects that made it possible to deliver services remotely, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weve seen a shift in mindset for these companies, which are now more tech-focused in their approach to problem solving. According to our research, 45% of SMBs plan to increase their spending towards IT services in 2022. Around half of all organisations think their IT budgets are adequate for their needs, while 14.5% of those surveyed believe they will need more, to cover all that needs to be done. Identity management spending to support remote work For others, the COVID-19 pandemic led to over-spending, just to get ahead of things and they will spend in 2022, looking at what they should keep and what they can reduce their spending on. Areas like identity management will stay in place, as companies struggle to support remote work and security, without this in place. However, on-premise IT spending will be reduced or cut, as those solutions are not relevant for the new work model. Services that rely on on-premise IT will be cut or replaced. The device will lead the way for security We rely on our phones to work and to communicate. In 2022, they will become central to how we manage access, to all our assets and locations, IT and physical. When employees can use company devices and their own phones for work, security is more difficult. IT teams have to ensure that theyre prepared for this, by making sure that these devices can be trusted. Wide use of digital certificates and strong MFA factors Rather than requiring a separate smart card or fingerprint reader, devices can be used for access using push authentication There are multiple ways that companies can achieve this, for example - By using digital certificates to identify company devices as trusted, an agent, or strong MFA factors, like a FIDO security key or mobile push authentication. Whichever approach you choose, this can prevent unauthorised access to IT assets and applications, and these same devices can be used for authentication into physical locations too. Rather than requiring a separate smart card or fingerprint reader, devices can be used for access using push authentication. Understanding human behaviour Alongside this, it is important to understand human behaviour. Anything that introduces an extra step for authentication can lead to employees taking workarounds. To stop this, it is important to put an employee education process in place, in order to emphasize on the importance of security. The next step is to think about adopting passwordless security, to further reduce friction and increase adoption. Lastly, as devices become the starting point for security and trust, remote device management will be needed too. More companies will need to manage devices remotely, from wiping an asset remotely if it gets lost or stolen, through to de-provisioning users easily and removing their access rights, when they leave the company. Identity will be a layer cake Zero Trust approaches to security Identity management relies on being able to trust that someone is who they say they are. Zero Trust approaches to security can support this effectively, particularly when aligned with least privilege access models. In order to turn theory into practical easy-to-deploy steps, companies need to use contextual access, as part of their identity management strategy. This involves looking at the context that employees will work in and putting together the right management approach for those circumstances. For typical employee behaviour, using two factor authentication might be enough to help them work, without security getting in the way. How enterprises manage, access and store identity data There will also be a shift in how enterprises manage, access, and store that identity data over time For areas where security is more important, additional security policies can be put over the top, to ensure that only the right people have access. A step-up in authentication can be added, based on the sensitivity of resources or risk-based adaptive authentication policies might be needed. There will also be a shift in how enterprises manage, access, and store that identity data over time, so that it aligns more closely with those use cases. Identity management critical to secure assets in 2022 There are bigger conversations taking place around digital identity for citizenship, as more services move online as well. Any moves that take place in this arena will affect how businesses think about their identity management processes too, encouraging them to look at their requirements in more detail. Overall, 2022 will be the year when identity will be critical to how companies keep their assets secure and their employees productive. With employees working remotely and businesses becoming decentralised, identity strategies will have to take the same approach. This will put the emphasis on strong identity management as the starting point for all security planning. 2021s most popular expert panel roundtable discussions Topics that dominated our websites Expert Panel Roundtable articles in 2021 included the effects of COVID-19, the benefits of mobile access, the upcoming potential of deep learning, and the future of access control cards. Our websites Expert Panel Roundtable discussions in 2021 reflected some of the most timely and important topics in the industry. The very most clicked-on Expert Panel Roundtable discussion in 2021 considered the positive and negative effects of COVID-19. The second most popular was trends in perimeter security technology. Smart video solutions Here is a roundup of the Top 10 Expert Panel Roundtable discussions posted in 2021, along with a sound bite from each discussion and links back to the full articles. Thanks to everyone who contributed to Expert Panel Roundtable in 2021 (including the quotable panelists named and linked below). The pandemic has impacted security in many ways, some we are just now realising" What are the positive and negative effects of COVID-19 to security? The pandemic has impacted security in many ways, some we are just now realising. On the negative side, integrators were limited in their ability to access customer locations, posing significant challenges to supporting customers. Innovation was also halted in many sectors such as AI and edge computing in healthcare. However, the pandemic increased awareness regarding the need for smart solutions that can aid in these types of crises. Smart video solutions have been identified repeatedly in the media as a potential pathway to better customer experience and increased safety. Alexander Harlass. Reducing false alarms What are the latest trends in perimeter security technology? Whats really important in perimeter security is the minimisation of false alarms, not simply the potential detection of what might be an unauthorised person or object. In light of that, many systems now include alarm validation that can confirm an alarm event using a camera. The utilisation of AI-based technologies can further validate the accuracy of the alarm, making it as accurate and precise as possible. I anticipate seeing more cross-technological integrations to reduce false alarms, so that personnel in an alarm center spend as little time as possible in validating an alarm. Leo Levit. What will be the biggest security trends in 2021? 2021 will see artificial intelligence (AI) become more mainstream. There will be increased deployment in edge devices, including cameras, thermographic cameras, radar and LIDAR sensors, entry point readers, etc. Additional algorithms will be developed, greatly expanding the use and function as video surveillance transitions from a forensic tool to real-time analytics. This increases the value of these systems and helps create ROI cases for their deployment. Tim Brooks. Access control solutions Investments in tools and platforms to drive digital interactions have accelerated" What will be the security industrys biggest challenge in 2021? The security industry is traditional in the sense that it relies heavily on face-to-face interaction to do business with customers and partners alike. COVID-19 has put a hold on in-person meetings, trade shows, etc., and this trend is likely to extend throughout 2021. Virtually recreating these personal touchpoints, while cultivating and strengthening internal and external relationships, will continue to be both a challenge and opportunity for the security industry. Investments in tools and platforms to drive digital interactions have accelerated. Robert Moore. What are the challenges and benefits of mobile access control? Mobile access control solutions are an exciting innovation in a market where the day-to-day user experience hasnt changed much in the last 20 years. One area that has clear benefits and challenges is in improving the user experience. On one hand, physical credentials are expensive and a hassle to administer; however, they work reliably, quickly, and predictably. Mobile credentials are convenient in that everyone already has a smartphone, and you dont have to admin or carry cards; however, when youre actually standing at the door they need to work as well or better than physical credentials, or the benefits are lost. Brian Lohse. Attacking critical infrastructure What are the security challenges of protecting critical infrastructure? It seems so often we hear about a new threat or cyber-attack in the news. Because of the rapid growth in technology over the last few years, cybercriminals are getting bolder and discovering new ways to attack critical infrastructure. One of the biggest challenges boils down to the capabilities of the operating security system and whether the organisation is aware of the current risks they face. Because there are so many points of entry for cybercriminals to target within critical infrastructure, it is vital that the security solution be prepared for attacks at every level. Charles (Chuck) OLeary. They are more aware when they make physical contact with doors and interfaces" Which security technologies will be useful in a post-pandemic world? People have become more sensitised to crowds and personal space. They are more aware when they make physical contact with doors and interfaces. As the pandemic subsides, these habits will likely remain for a majority of people." "Utilising AI-based cameras to accurately monitor the number of people in a room or in a queue will enable staff to take action to improve the customer experience. For example, AI-based analytics can quickly notify security or operations when people are waiting at a door and initiate 2-way audio for touchless access. Aaron Saks. Central monitoring station What is the potential of deep learning in physical security and surveillance? Deep learning, a subset of artificial intelligence, enables networks to train themselves to perform speech, voice, and image recognition tasks." In video surveillance, these networks learn to make predictions through highly repetitive exposure" "In video surveillance, these networks learn to make predictions through highly repetitive exposure to images of humans and vehicles from a camera feed. That ability is ideal for use with drones patrolling perimeters seeking anomalies or in software that significantly reduces the number of false alarms reported to central monitoring station operators. Through use, the software continues improving its accuracy. Brian Baker. Valuable audit trail How soon will access control cards become extinct and why? Access control cards will go the way of the dinosaur, but they still have some life left in them. For the short term, they have plenty of utility in minimum security use cases and leave a valuable audit trail. But for companies that are more technology-centric, particularly those with high value assets, were seeing demand for next-generation access control, which includes increased integration with video surveillance systems and professional monitoring services. Sean Foley. Which security markets are embracing touchless and contactless systems? Touchless technology is not a new trend, but contactless systems and transactions have surged since the COVID-19 pandemic. Even after the pandemic is over, it is likely public perception of what is hygienic and acceptable in public spaces will have changed. [We are] seeing an uptick in touchless access control systems in the education and flexible office space markets. Brooke Grigsby. Passengers journey off Earth en route to Mars in an exclusive clip from "Aniara," a Magnolia Pictures film that premieres in the U.S. May 17. The space station Aniara is just a waypoint on their path to Mars, but the rest of their trip proves less straightforward. In the clip, much like during a typical airplane ride, the colonists sit patiently in a vessel and look out the window but in this science fiction universe, they are carried above Earth via space elevator . One child cries, and as a distraction, the mother says, "Want to say bye-bye to Earth?" The vessel docks with the space station Aniara, and an automated voice welcomes the group, saying it wishes them "a happy new life on Mars." Image 1 of 9 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing) Scroll above for stills from the new film "Aniara." Image 2 of 9 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing) Image 3 of 9 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing) Image 4 of 9 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing) Image 5 of 9 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing) Image 6 of 9 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing) Image 7 of 9 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing) Image 8 of 9 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing) Image 9 of 9 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing) The story follows one of several spaceships that are helping Earth's population flee from the planet, for reasons that the production notes have not disclosed. One of the ships encounters an issue along the way. It will be up to a sentient computer and the protagonist, MR (played by Emelie Jonsson), to help the passengers cope with mental health issues through the perilous voyage. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing ) The official poster for "Aniara." Scroll through this gallery to view alternate posters. Image 2 of 4 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing ) Image 3 of 4 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing ) Image 4 of 4 (Image credit: Magnet Releasing ) The film, written and directed by Pella Kagerman and Hugo Lilja, premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. The movie is based on a science fiction poem written by Harry Martinson, a Swedish Nobel laureate, in 1956. "We both felt the necessity" to make the film, the filmmakers said in a joint interview provided to media. "The apocalypse has already started, hasn't it? There's a risk that 'Aniara' might become our future, and the questions the film deals with are extremely relevant today." You can watch the official trailer for "Aniara" below, as well as check out alternate posters for the film in the gallery above. The movie debuts in select theaters May 17. You can find tickets for "Aniara" near you here . Sixty satellites for SpaceX's Starlink megaconstellation are stacked in their payload fairing ahead of a planned May 15, 2019, launch. SpaceX's internet-satellite megaconstellation will start taking shape very soon. The company plans to launch 60 of its "Starlink" broadband satellites this week, likely on Wednesday (May 15), SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk announced via Twitter over the weekend. All 60 spacecraft are crammed into the payload fairing of a single Falcon 9 rocket, which will lift off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch window on Wednesday runs from 10:30 p.m. EDT to midnight EDT (0230 to 0400 GMT on May 16), according to Spaceflight Now . Related: SpaceX's 1st Prototype Starlink Satellites Are Up and Running You can watch the launch here at Space.com when the time comes, courtesy of SpaceX, or directly via the spaceflight company . The five dozen satellites pretty much fill the cavernous fairing, as Musk showed in another tweet. He posted side-by-side photos of the Starlink craft in their fairing and his Tesla Roadster in its fairing in early 2018, before the car took flight on the first test mission of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket. (The Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy use fairings of the same size.) First 60 @SpaceX Starlink satellites loaded into Falcon fairing. Tight fit. pic.twitter.com/gZq8gHg9uKMay 12, 2019 See more Just two weeks after that February 2018 Falcon Heavy launch, a Falcon 9 sent the first two Starlink satellites skyward . But that duo, nicknamed Tintin-A and Tintin-B, were pathfinders; the 60 going up this week are "production-design" satellites, Musk said. And many more will follow these pioneers, if all goes according to plan. SpaceX eventually aims to loft thousands of Starlink satellites, which will provide relatively cheap internet access to people around the world. A minimum of six more 60-satellite launches will be required to provide "minor" Starlink coverage, while 12 more will boost the coverage to "moderate," Musk said in another tweet last weekend. And SpaceX isn't the only company that wants to provide space-based internet; for example, OneWeb and Amazon are both planning megaconstellations of their own. Not much is known about the new "Star Trek" spinoff series focusing on Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), not even the official title. However, we do know that principal photography has begun in Los Angeles, and the first season will run for 10 episodes . We also know a few members of the cast: Joining Stewart will be Santiago Cabrera ("Transformers: The Last Knight" and "Salvation"), Isa Briones ("American Crime Story"), Alison Pill ("Snowpiercer" and "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World"), Harry Treadaway ("Penny Dreadful"), Michelle Hurd ("Hawaii Five-0") and Evan Evagora ("Secret City"). Back in January , Alex Kurtzman showrunner on "Star Trek: Discovery" and executive producer of this new series told The Hollywood Reporter that Picard will be living a very different life than the one he knew on the bridge of the Enterprise. Apparently, this is thanks to a traumatic and life-changing calamity dating all the back to what we saw in J.J. Abrams' first "Star Trek" movie, which Kurtzman co-wrote. Related: New 'Star Trek' Picard Series: Here Are Some Bold Ideas We'd Love to See The destruction of the Romulan home world in 2009's "Star Trek," Kurtzman said, was a defining event in Picard's career, one that sets up the role Stewart will play on the still-untitled show. According to that movie, the planet Romulus was destroyed in 2387 when a nearby star went supernova, endangering the entire galaxy. Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) created a red-matter singularity that consumed the star, but not before the supernova reached the Romulan home world, destroying the planet and its inhabitants. Capt. Nero (Eric Bana) tried to intercept Spock in a giant Romulan mining vessel called the Narada, but both ships got pulled into the artificial black hole. They emerged at a point in time 154 years earlier, creating a new, alternate timeline. This is generally referred to as the Kelvin timeline and is not considered part of the Prime timeline , where the earlier entries to "Star Trek" canon took place. However, Kurtzman teased a little more about the approach of the new Picard series when he spoke to the Los Angeles Times about the resurgence of the "Star Trek" franchise. "The mandate was to make it a more psychological show, a character study about this man in his emeritus years. There are so few shows that allow a significantly older protagonist to be the driver. It'll be very different than 'Discovery.' It'll be slower, more meditative. It speaks to the rainbow of colors we're playing with in all these different shows," he said. "What happens when circumstances have conspired to not give him the happiest of endings? Hopefully, it's a reinforcement of [Gene] Roddenberry's vision of optimism. He's going to have to go through deep valleys to get back to the light." Picard was also involved in Spock's attempt to reunify the Vulcans and Romulans in 2368 (the two races stem from the same origins) in the two-part "The Next Generation" episode "Unification" (S05, E07 and E08), so he certainly has a historical connection. CBS and Amazon Studios have announced that the new show will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries worldwide. As part of a multiyear deal between the network and Amazon, the show will release episodes on Prime Video within 24 hours of their premiere on CBS All Access in the U.S. and the TV channel Space in Canada. This new arrangement won't affect the deal CBS has with Netflix internationally, which puts every "Star Trek" TV series, including "Star Trek: Discovery," on the service outside of the U.S. and Canada. With one of the new "Star Trek" animated series going exclusively to Nickelodeon , the future seems to feature more streaming subscriptions if Trek fans want to keep up with everything. Incoming Transmission from @SirPatStew! The untitled #StarTrek Jean-Luc Picard series will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries+ outside the US & Canada and on CBS All Access in the United States. #primevideo @primevideouk https://t.co/UgxPFcRyaT pic.twitter.com/gzAZBVe0MRMay 13, 2019 See more In addition to the Picard series, Kurtzman also spoke a little about the Philippa Georgiou spinoff show that will star Michelle Yeoh as the former Terran emperor from the Mirror Universe who is now an agent of the clandestine Starfleet intelligence agency Section 31. Kurtzman said that the creative team behind the Section 31 spinoff is looking at some popular film and television works as touchstones. "People locked in on Georgiou as being a wonderful oddity," he told the Times. "She is wicked, devious [and] manipulative and yet somehow radiates this incredible heart. People love her. "We looked to shows like 'Killing Eve,' to franchises like 'Mission: Impossible,' things that were complicated on a plot level but also a character level," he added. "I think it's fun for people to see a show with a protagonist who's entirely unreliable. At the end of the day, she's going to do the right thing, but in the exact wrong way." Georgiou was last seen onboard the USS Discovery as it jumped 950 years into the future at the end of "Discovery" Season 2 , so it's unlikely we'll see this spinoff until after the end of the show's third season. 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. "He Said: 'Save My Life'" Pamela Anderson Discusses Her Visit with Julian Assange Canadian actress Pamela Anderson, a friend of Julian Assange, recently visited the WikiLeaks founder in prison in Britain. In an interview, she reports on his condition and his fight against extradition to the United States, where he could face additional charges. STAMFORD A Stamford man who pleaded guilty to drugging and molesting a man he met in a New York City bar now says his attorney forced him to make the guilty plea. Jarion Castillo-Martinez told a Stamford judge he wants to renege and have the conviction vacated. The judge ruled Monday that Castillo-Martinez will have to return to court in early June for a hearing on the matter. Castillo-Martinez, 42, was was arrested in June 2017, six months after a police complaint was filed on him. According to the complaint, a 20-year-old homeless man said he went to Castillo-Martinezs West Side apartment after meeting him in Grand Central Station. Castillo-Martinez told the man he would help find him a place to stay in Stamford and the two took the train to Stamford on the evening of Jan. 4. He said Castillo-Martinez, who at the time was a bartender at a trendy Towne Street bistro, bought some beers on the walk back to his Wilson Street apartment. The man told police he had a few beers at the apartment, but the last one tasted funny and he passed out after drinking it. When he woke up 7:30 a.m. Castillo-Martinez was performing oral sex on him, according to an arrest affidavit. The man ran out of Castillo-Martinezs apartment and called police before returning and throwing rocks, breaking windows and screaming that he had just been date raped, the affidavit said. At the time police said they had received a nearly identical complaint about Castillo-Martinez from another man just two months earlier. They charged him with first-degree sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault of someone who was physically helpless and purchasing liquor for a minor. Castillo-Martinez, a native of Nicaragua who is being held on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer, has remained in jail since, unable to raise a $150,000 court appearance bond. Castillo-Martinezs attorney, Jerome Larracuente, was able to negotiate with Assistant States Attorney Michelle Manning to get the charges whittled down to one count of second-degree sexual assault of someone who is physically helpless. Castillo Martinez pleaded guilty to the charge in February and in exchange was to be given a suspended sentence and put on the sex offender registry. But in early April, Castillo-Martinez filed a motion to withdraw and vacate his guilty plea, claiming improper and ineffective assistance of counsel. According to the motion, Castillo-Martinez said he was coerced into pleading guilty and that he did not understand what his attorney was doing. Castillo-Martinez insists that he wanted a trial and that his requests for a trial were completely disregarded by Larracuente. Larracuente shortly thereafter filed his own motion to withdraw from the case because Castillo-Martinez filed a complaint against him to the Statewide Grievance Committee and refused to speak with him. Larracuente did not return a call for comment. During Castillo-Martinezs appearance on Monday, Judge Gary White refused to remove Larracuente from the case entirely but appointed a public defender to represent him. White said that when Castillo-Martinez returns to court on June 4 he will hold a hearing on the matter while examining the transcripts of the hearing at which Castillo Martinez made his guilty plea. jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com A quarter-century after the African National Congress first took control of South Africa's government, the political party managed to come out on top in general elections last week, securing its hold on power - at least for now. But the narrow margin of the historic party's win also reflected a long-brewing discontent with South Africa's political sphere. The ANC took home only 57.5 percent of the vote - a sign of growing distrust in its leadership, which has suffered scandal after scandal in recent years. This was the first time that the ANC won less than 60 percent of the vote in a general election, making the results both a win and a loss for the party, which has struggled to excite voters in the wake of widespread corruption allegations. Despite the scandals, a large number of South Africans still expressed loyalty to the ANC, the party that guided the country into the post-apartheid era in 1994 with Nelson Mandela at its helm. But others expressed a lack of interest in supporting the ANC or the political process, and voter turnout plummeted from 73 percent in 2014 to 65 percent this year. Many of those who stayed home from the polls were young people, members of what has become known as the "born-free generation," a nickname for South Africans who were raised post-apartheid. On social media, some shared their reasons for staying home using the hashtag #IWantToVoteBut, citing empty campaign promises and widespread unemployment. "The political parties all have one thing in common: They make lots of promises, and they break all of them," one 23-year-old told my Washington Post colleague Max Bearak in Soweto, a massive township outside Johannesburg. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took office last year after legal woes and corruption allegations led his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, to step down after nearly a decade in power. The National Assembly voted for Ramaphosa to replace him, and his party's win last week means he can carry out a full five-year presidential term. Ramaphosa has branded himself as the ANC's cleanup act, seeking to repair the party's image after its reputation suffered a major blow under Zuma's leadership. And Ramaphosa seemed intent on doubling down on his anti-corruption rhetoric after election results were announced Saturday. On Sunday, he told a crowd of supporters in Johannesburg that he would rid the ANC of "bad and deviant tendencies" and would not offer positions of power to anyone who intended "to fill their own pockets." But he has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to save the ANC from further collapse. As South African journalist Natasha Marrian put it in the Mail and Guardian last week, the ANC "has been allowed to corrode and rot for the past two decades, and its very survival depends on it being able to fix itself, fast." Distrust of the ANC establishment has been building for years. Zuma, a long-standing political figure in South Africa, faced worrying allegations even before he became president in 2009. Like Mandela, Zuma was a political prisoner as a young man, and he was once thought of as a hero in South Africa's liberation movement. But as time went on, he gained a reputation for malfeasance. Before his election, he was accused both of raping a family friend and being linked to a corrupt arms deal in the 1990s. He was acquitted in the rape case, and the corruption case was dropped before his 2009 election, but the arms deal continued to haunt him well into his presidency. While in office, he was accused of using state money to finance unnecessary upgrades to his private residence, a major embarrassment for the ANC, and of colluding with the wealthy Gupta family. He now faces 18 charges of corruption, as a South African judicial commission investigates his ties to the Guptas. Even so, some within the ANC still support Zuma, paving the way for political infighting. When it came to the election results, however, Ralph Mathekga, a South African writer and political commentator, told The Washington Post that Ramaphosa hit a "sweet spot" in separating himself from Zuma and the party's shortcomings. "The blame still goes to Zuma, and Ramaphosa avoids being the first ANC leader to lose a majority," Mathekga said. But Ramaphosa's anti-corruption push wasn't enough to win the hearts and minds of all South Africans. Journalist Lynsey Chutel wrote in Quartz over the weekend that "Ramaphosa's focus on land redistribution and anti-corruption did not quite yield the results the party had hoped." And some observers cast doubt on Ramaphosa's ability to turn the country around, accusing supporters of over-investing in his promises to rebuild democratic institutions. As Bearak reported before the election, South Africa's economy has suffered significantly in recent years, and Ramaphosa's promises to turn it around have not materialized, even as he branded himself as a candidate who will bring change. Writing for Foreign Policy before the vote, South African political analyst Eusebius McKaiser called South Africa the "trough from which looters within the halls of power have eaten gluttonously for at least the past decade" and said the state "lacks the capacity to simply get back to the business of good governance the morning after the election results are announced." But Rampahosa seems determined to try. In his remarks in Johannesburg on Sunday, he promised to weed out graft and exploitation. "We are going to end corruption whether they like it or not," he said. For Tara Bosch, her business SmartSweets will be the future of candy -- it's just a matter of "reverse executing against the future." "That conviction has helped us to move forward and overcome the challenges that come with the roller coaster ride of entrepreneurship," she said. Related: When Her Mother Was Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, She Started a Popcorn Company to Raise Money for Research Bosch, who admits she's a "candy addict and a sugar fiend," founded the company in 2016 when she was 21 after a conversation with her grandmother. The 89 year old said she had regretted consuming so much sugar over the years, which caused Bosch to reflect on her eating habits. "That sparked my quest to explore finding a candy I can feel good about," she said. "It opened my eyes up to sugar, and the shocking reality of what it's doing to us." She dropped out of school (the semester had already ended), ordered a gummy bear mold off Amazon and started testing recipes in her basement kitchen. Three months and more than 200 iterations later, Bosch had a product she felt she could take to the market. Image Credit: Courtesy of SmartSweets "I watched Shark Tank and Dragon's Den religiously, but I didn't have the confidence to act on any ideas because of my unhealthy relationship with food," Bosch said. "The second I turned 13, I got a job at McDonald's and Domino's and was working full time, but I didn't have the confidence at that point to actually believe that I could create something for the world." Related: The Makers of Exo Cricket Bars Are Launching a Line of Cereal That's High in Protein and Low in Sugar SmartSweets products are made without artificial sweeteners and colors. Each serving of the candy -- it has products that are substitutes for gummy bears, Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish -- only contains three grams of sugar (a serving of typical gummy bears has about 19 grams of sugar). SmartSweets can now be found in 10,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada, including Whole Foods, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and GNC (the company expects that number to double by the end of 2019). Bosch initially funded SmartSweets from her savings. The company says it has raised a total of $6.1 million. "There's really no limit to what you can create," Bosch said. "The vision for SmartSweets from day one has been to become the global leader in innovating confectionery products that kick sugar. We're focused on innovating non-chocolate and just taking candy that consumers already know and love and bringing it back to their everyday lives." Related: This Young Entrepreneur, Who Has Raised $6 Million, Is on a Mission to Kick Sugar Out of Candy This Entrepreneur Bet His Existing Business to Launch a Coffee-Shot Brand This Global Tea Company Is Infused With Sustainability Practices, Allowing It to Win Huge Tech Companies as Customers Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved The Philippines' vote count stalled as allies of President Rodrigo Duterte lead in an early tally of the Senate election that the Southeast Asian nation's leader sees as an affirmation of his three-year-old administration. Nine of Duterte's allies are among 12 leading senatorial candidates, based on 0.4% of the votes counted as of 6:15 p.m. local time. Duterte's candidate and former aide, Bong Go, is in third place in the early count. The lone opposition candidate within striking distance to land a seat is Senator Bam Aquino, who's ranked 13th. More than three hours since counting began, 80% of the election returns have been transmitted but the quick-count servers weren't updating, according to local media reports, citing the Commission on Elections. Earlier Monday, hundreds of voting machines malfunctioned, delaying the vote in many areas. The poll body is investigating the vote count issue and will provide an update before midnight, spokesman James Jimenez told GMA News. More than 18,000 government positions, including half of the 24-seat Senate and about 300 House of Representatives posts are up for grabs. Duterte said those who agreed with his policies likely voted for his candidates. "If I'm repudiated by the loss of my candidates, that could indicate that the majority doesn't want me," he told reporters in Davao City after voting. Early results are proving otherwise, even with slowing economic growth and his controversial policies including a deadly drug war. Opinion polls have predicted that allies of Duterte will dominate the race over a divided opposition. Duterte, 74, hasn't lost an election in his three-decade political career and is enjoying record high popularity despite criticisms of his drug war that has killed thousands and his government's pursuit of critics including journalist Maria Ressa. The winners of the 12 senator seats will be proclaimed within the week, Commission on Elections spokesman James Jimenez said. A victory for Duterte's allies in the Senate could speed up policy implementation, including tax reform and his plan to move the country to a federal system of government. But it may also have negative implications for Philippine democracy by removing one of the last checks on Duterte's power. Of the 12 leading candidates for the Senate, only Grace Poe, Nancy Binay and Lito Lapid were absent from Duterte's list and that of his daughter, Davao Mayor Sara Duterte. These three politicians escaped the president's attacks during in his campaign speeches -- he reserved the bulk of his anger for those from the opposition Liberal Party coalition. A big win will help Duterte push his policy priorities in the last three years of his term when leaders typically lose support, said Marthe Hinojales, senior Asia analyst at Verisk Maplecroft. "In the case of a sweeping Duterte-ally win in the Senate, two reforms that we expect to gain ground in legislature are the next phase of reforms -- the bill lowering corporate taxes and federalism proposals -- which can bring about regulatory uncertainty." The opposition has remained "disorganized" and "fragmented" since the 2016 presidential elections, said Bridget Welsh, an associate professor at the John Cabot University in Italy. Duterte's critics from the Liberal Party and leftist groups fielded different Senate bets and campaigned separately. It's likely Duterte's opponents will be almost completely shut out in the Senate race, said University of the Philippines political science professor Aries Arugay. "This reflects his ability to control an electoral contest," Arugay said. A majority win for Duterte's allies in the Senate and House contests may have bigger implications for Philippine democracy, said Lee Morgenbesser, a Southeast Asia expert from Griffith University in Australia. Incumbent senators have investigated Duterte's drug war, and also blocked controversial measures including his federalism push and his plan to reinstate death penalty. "Since Duterte has seized control of the lower house through pork-barrel politics, stacked the high court with loyalists and launched assaults on media outlets, the Senate is the last real roadblock to him further eroding democracy in the Philippines," Morgenbesser said. To voter Ruth Santos who works at an international disaster relief organization, having a strong opposition in the Senate will provide the necessary checks. "Even those with the best intentions, if given too much power will start to think they're infallible," Santos, 45, said. "An opposing voice is necessary to keep us from going to the deep end." Beyond the midterms, the opposition can capitalize on issues where it can garner public support -- particularly Duterte's closeness with China -- if it wants a fighting chance in the 2022 presidential elections, Arugay said. "The territorial dispute with China is an issue that can evolve into Duterte's waterloo, mainly if he will be painted as favoring foreigners over Filipinos," Arugay said. - - - Bloomberg's Ditas Lopez and Claire Jiao contributed. Advertising & Marketing Editing & Proofreading Specializations at Wagner 13.05.2019 07:03:13 - An error at the quality pillars is enough to interfere with the readability and engagement power of a document. In response, each one of the mentioned quality assurance tasks generates different results for writers and businesses (live-PR.com) - Nowadays, a high-quality translation must guarantee more than just the mere conversion of a certain amount of words from a source to a target language. The respect and commitment for consistency when writing are the main skills that can really distinguish an experienced linguist from the rest in the middle of a competitive and globalized world. Consistency means that the translated - Nowadays, a high-quality translation must guarantee more than just the mere conversion of a certain amount of words from a source to a target language. The respect and commitment for consistency when writing are the main skills that can really distinguish an experienced linguist from the rest in the middle of a competitive and globalized world.Consistency means that the translated document is based on the core ideas of the source, language and culture consultancy, terminology concordance, correct use of specific vocabulary, local expressions, and the following of the glossary (when the client asks for it). More importantly, a consistent writer makes sure that the spelling, grammar, format style, and punctuation are rigorously reviewed for potential inconsistencies before delivery. These are the main objectives of proofreaders and editors. By the same token, edition and proofreading are beneficial for book authors and businesses that are interested in starting their own content campaigns (creation of blogs, eBooks, newsletters, press releases, e-cards, scripts, memorandums, etc.), for instance. An error at the quality pillars is enough to interfere with the readability and engagement power of a document. In response, each one of the mentioned quality assurance tasks generates different results for writers and businesses. They look alike but they are not the same. A proofreader is meant to check if all the source elements were implemented and adapted -or misused- in the target document. That implies to correct writing mistakes like grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and other language errors. However, it can be considered a little bit more superficial than editing. That's why clients that are comfortable with the quality of their target documents' writing should perform proofreading -or hire someone to do it- instead of contacting an editor. Whereas, the editing services are one step forward, as they ensure that the usage of the language is as perfect as possible. That means that the target should give the sensation that it was handled by a professional native-speaker. In fact, the focus of the edition phase is to enhance the style of writing of the target document by eliminating any robotic segments or language misapplications. The point is to polish the expressions (that native-readers can relate to), enhance the flow, and employ another kind of modifications to improve the quality of writing. Moreover, the punctuation and format are examined and edited if needed too. Regarding the translation industry, experienced translators offer "guarantee seals" in order to exceed the expectations of the market and, more importantly, make the clients happily satisfied. That effect only can be achieved by performing proofreading or editing if needed. Quality Assurance is a process in which professionals determine whether a product or service meets the requirements established. The word quality can mean different things to different people. Therefore, one of the first steps Wagner proceeds with is establishing the quality requirements target to what the client wants Wagner Consulting LLC offers a team of experienced and skilled editors and proofreaders who make sure any academic or business documents are intelligible and are error free. Their editors have the real eye for detail and offer quality guidance to help businesses craft their messages flawlessly for their target audience. document is based on the core ideas of the source, language and culture consultancy, terminology concordance, correct use of specific vocabulary, local expressions, and the following of the glossary (when the client asks for it). More importantly, a consistent writer makes sure that the spelling, grammar, format style, and punctuation are rigorously reviewed for potential inconsistencies before delivery. These are the main objectives of proofreaders and editors.By the same token, edition and proofreading are beneficial for book authors and businesses that are interested in starting their own content campaigns (creation of blogs, eBooks, newsletters, press releases, e-cards, scripts, memorandums, etc.), for instance.An error at the quality pillars is enough to interfere with the readability and engagement power of a document. In response, each one of the mentioned quality assurance tasks generates different results for writers and businesses. They look alike but they are not the same. A proofreader is meant to check if all the source elements were implemented and adapted -or misused- in the target document. That implies to correct writing mistakes like grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and other language errors. However, it can be considered a little bit more superficial than editing. That's why clients that are comfortable with the quality of their target documents' writing should perform proofreading -or hire someone to do it- instead of contacting an editor. Whereas, the editing services are one step forward, as they ensure that the usage of the language is as perfect as possible. That means that the target should give the sensation that it was handled by a professional native-speaker.In fact, the focus of the edition phase is to enhance the style of writing of the target document by eliminating any robotic segments or language misapplications. The point is to polish the expressions (that native-readers can relate to), enhance the flow, and employ another kind of modifications to improve the quality of writing. Moreover, the punctuation and format are examined and edited if needed too.Regarding the translation industry, experienced translators offer "guarantee seals" in order to exceed the expectations of the market and, more importantly, make the clients happily satisfied. That effect only can be achieved by performing proofreading or editing if needed.Quality Assurance is a process in which professionals determine whether a product or service meets the requirements established. The word quality can mean different things to different people. Therefore, one of the first steps Wagner proceeds with is establishing the quality requirements target to what the client wantsWagner Consulting LLC offers a team of experienced and skilled editors and proofreaders who make sure any academic or business documents are intelligible and are error free. Their editors have the real eye for detail and offer quality guidance to help businesses craft their messages flawlessly for their target audience. Press Information: Wagner Consulting LLC 244 5th Ave New York Contact Person: Jose Alejandro La Rosa Copywriter Phone: (718) 838 9533 eMail: eMail Web: http://www.vip-translator.com 13.05.2019 07:03:13 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. In Venezuela, it looks like Russia is once again playing a weak hand well. The U.S. has imposed crippling sanctions on the state-owned oil company and lifted them on officials who have joined the opposition, such as the intelligence chief. And yet, with the support of Russia, Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro survives. So when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives this week in Moscow, his counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, will undoubtedly be looking to exploit the situation by using a familiar Russian ploy: Enable a geopolitical crisis, and then offer to help solve it. This is what Lavrov did in Syria. While Russian mercenaries and bombers pulverized civilians with the help of Iran's militias, Lavrov met with then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to negotiate a political process to end the conflict. For nearly two years, the charade continued. Only after the Russians bombed an aid convoy in September 2016 did Kerry realize that he had been played. The Russians are planning a similar move with Venezuela. The Russian foreign ministry's official statement summarizing a May 1 phone call between Pompeo and Lavrov calls for "the dialogue of all political forces in the country." U.S. officials tell me they expect Lavrov to propose talks between Maduro and the opposition whereby the autocrat would remain in power as the two sides negotiate conditions for a new election. This is not a novel idea. Maduro himself has conducted talks with his opposition before, only to renege on his commitments later on. In January, Sen. Chris Murphy and former Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes floated the idea of a kind of political peace process for Venezuela, excluding Russia but including two other predator states, China and Cuba. Any kind of negotiation with Maduro is a trap. To start, he will use the time he purchases at the bargaining table to divide the opposition that has rallied behind the interim president, Juan Guaido. That opposition has numerous factions, including many disenchanted supporters of Maduro's mentor, Hugo Chavez. A drawn-out process plays to Maduro's advantage. It also undermines the constitutional claim to power of Guaido, who assumed the presidency after Maduro won an illegitimate election. There is still some question, however, whether this Russian strategy will work. In a briefing with reporters last week, a senior State Department official downplayed expectations that there would be a deal to get Russia to cooperate in Venezuela. What's more, U.S. officials say there are plans to impose new sanctions on Russia. Pompeo has accused Russia's state oil company, Rosneft, of violating new U.S. sanctions on Venezuela's state-run oil company. (Rosneft has denied the accusation.) Pompeo has also put the blame squarely on Moscow for urging Maduro to stay in Caracas and not depart for Cuba when Guaido called for a day of street protests. Of course, there is still the matter of President Donald Trump, whose public comments have not exactly aligned with Pompeo's. Earlier this month, after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump echoed the Russian line about how Russia only wants "to see something positive happen for Venezuela." Despite Trump's history of cringe-worthy public deference to Putin, however, he has shown a willingness to confront Russia when necessary. He has held firm on sanctions imposed on Russia after the 2016 elections, for instance, and has twice ordered major air strikes on Russia's client in Syria. Also it's worth noting that U.S. special operations forces remain in Syria, despite Trump's promise in December to precipitously withdraw them. That's why it matters that Trump and his top advisers have said publicly that all options remain on the table for Venezuela. And it's yet another reason to be skeptical that the Russian playbook will succeed in Venezuela as it did in Syria. - - - Lake is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering national security and foreign policy. He was the senior national security correspondent for the Daily Beast and covered national security and intelligence for the Washington Times, the New York Sun and UPI. On the Wednesday of her spring break, Branford high school counselor Marian Montano found herself hanging upside down from the top of a 47-foot rappel tower wearing a harness shed made for herself out of rope and a snap hook. Three rugged Marines stared up at her. Two shouted at her from above. And shed signed a liability waiver. Montano was taking part in an intense four-day workshop with a group of 76 educators hand-selected from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island to witness and experience what it takes to become a Marine on Parris Island, no less, the notorious swampy South Carolina training ground for Marine Corps recruits. The purpose of the workshop is to give educators a deeper insight into the benefits of a career in the Marines and also to give them the opportunity not just to see how we make Marines but also to experience a taste of the transformation, said Sgt. Connor Hancock, marketing and public affairs, RS Springfield, Mass. Of course, neither Montano, nor East Haven Superintendent of Schools Erica Forti, who also attended, endured the Crucible, the grueling 54-hour test that subjects recruits to food and sleep deprivation and over 45 miles of marching to make the ultimate transition to United States Marine. Still, from 0 500 hours, every minute of every day of those four days was controlled and structured, Montano said. Drill instructors were screaming at us rapid-fire. If their arms-length formation wasnt close enough, if anyone missed a number during count-offs, our entire platoon of 38 educators had to scramble to the sand pit for push ups and sit ups and high knees. Then there was the obstacle course, where they sprinted and clambered over a 6-foot wall, and maneuvered themselves up and across a set of monkey bars. There was the gas chamber, where they experienced the pain and burn of tear gas. There was the timed challenge on the Crucible course that summoned every shred of their problem-solving and team-building skills. There were sand fleas and dust and the glaring South Carolina sun and more running, and push ups and sit ups in the sand pit, and still they were being yelled at and told to hurry up. And it was only 11:30 a.m. It was nothing like what recruits experience, Forti said, but you still had to overcome fear and exhaustion, you still had to dig deep to get through each challenge. It was a real test, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It was awesome. Montano had a similar take. The Marines told us they break you down to build you back up, she said. Thats only part of it. By pushing you past what you think you can do, they help you find your inner strength. That wasnt the only takeaway. If Forti hobbled into school last Monday with a swollen ankle and Montano came back with some calluses on her hands, the two also returned with a newfound respect for service in the Marine Corps, as well as a veritable rucksack of tools and information to share with their students. From a female recruit she met in the mess hall, Montano learned how little can prepare you for the rigors of training or the 5-second showers, but that the payoff is the gradual transformation from I to we. It becomes about something larger than yourself, she said. They learned about educational benefits and scholarship opportunities, and about the wide array of career options for recruits, from musician in the Marine jazz orchestra to graphic designer to photographer. They introduced us to a panel of young men and women in their early 20s, Montano said. These kids were working on multi-million dollar F-18 planes, organizing the logistics of deployments, and providing intelligence and organizing artillery. More impressive than the high-level nature of their jobs and the maturity they displayed, she said, was that many of them said they didnt really have direction in high school. One of them said he was the class clown, another said he knew he was bright. He just wasnt motivated. It took the trial of those 13 weeks on Parris Island for them to realize themselves. That said, the purpose of the workshop wasnt to turn us into recruiters, but to come away better equipped to do our jobs, which is to let our kids know all the pathways out there and to connect them with the right people to give them the information they need, said Forti, whos already shared her experience with the guidance department. On that spring-break Wednesday on the tower, of course, Montanos path was clear. But that didnt mean it was easy. Every step up to the top I was shaking. I was petrified. Then I looked around at the other educators and a lot of them were just as terrified, but they kept going up, she said. If they were willing to do it, I could too. There was yet another lesson. The Marines were shouting at me, but they were shouting at me that I could do it, she said. Sometimes thats all you need to hear. E mbattled energy supplier Centrica surprised the City on Monday by not cutting its dividend, saying a squeeze on costs helped it survive the ravages of the difficult UK energy market. But some analysts said the British Gas owner was only postponing the inevitable. Centrica spooked investors in February after questioning whether it could afford the 673 million-a-year payout, but today promised to hit full-year targets despite the UKs challenging trading environment. The shares rose 4% following the update. Centrica will present a strategic review in July to update the groups finances. The update could temporarily take some pressure off chief executive Iain Conn, but one analyst said: Nothing has changed. They still need to cut the dividend. Conn has faced protests from trade unions ahead of the Centrica annual meeting on Monday over his pay. He got a 44% rise last year to 2.4 million, after taking a bonus which was scrapped in the previous year. Centrica has faced pressure from the energy price cap, falling natural gas prices and the warm weather, which stopped people putting the heating on. Ofgem increased the cap for people on default tariffs by 10% to 1254 in February, which cost Centrica 70 million. In response Centrica is cutting 250 million of costs. It axed 2200 jobs last year and confirmed 500 more so far this year. It aims to cut 4000 in total. Conn said: Although operational performance has been largely in line with our plans, external factors have presented challenges for Centrica during the first four months of 2019. He added it would continue to focus on those things we can control. Despite the tough conditions, cashflow targets of 1.8 billion to 2 billion were maintained and net debt will still be 3 billion to 3.5 billion. F irst things first, there was no logical reason why people should have been queuing up in Metro Banks over the weekend. Social media rumours that the company was going bust, or was about to start raiding peoples safety deposit boxes, were absurd, ill-founded and should be the matter of a legal inquiry. Then again, Facebook and its sub-brands seem immune to the libel laws the rest of us live by. Not only is savers money protected by the 85,000 guarantee under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, but for a bank to go looting customers Patek Philippes and gold bars from the vaults would be a grievous criminal offence. It aint gonna happen. Having said that, the way this bank has been mismanaged is enough to spark alarm in anyone. First it botched its loan accounting, meaning it was holding far less capital against its commercial loans than it should have been. Then it claimed to investors that its staff had uncovered the mistake, when actually it was the Bank of England which spotted it. From what one hears, such howlers are down to all-powerful chairman Vernon Hill, who now absolutely has to go. If he wants to restore the value of his chunky stake in the business, he is better off away from it. Chief executive Craig Donaldson a popular banker but too much in thrall to his chairmans poor decisions should stay to steady the ship. Only if there is substantial change to senior management should new investors be tempted to back the 350 million rights issue for which read bail-out. L ondon thrives because it is one of the most open cities in the world, but Brexit is shutting the door on talented people coming to live and work here the people we need when we get sick, the ones we see on the Tube, our friends and neighbours. Even worse, it has made London a less tolerant place. The Standard has reported that hate crimes on the transport network have doubled since 2015. Friends of mine tell their own stories. One, a British Asian woman, was asked where she really comes from London. Another, an east European, was told to go back home. Her home is Ealing. Hate speech has started to infest our politics. Im running as a Change UK candidate in London because I want a Peoples Vote and I unequivocally support Remain. But theres a bigger picture. I want to stop the next few years being an endless discussion about Brexit, sucking the life out of us. I also want to help drive out of political life the Spitting Image cast of clowns with their hate speech and threats of violence, such as the Brexit-supporting candidate who said he wouldnt even rape a woman MP. Its despicable. Any Brexit deal doesnt just need the approval of the House of Commons. It must also pass the European Parliament. If elected as a Change UK MEP I and my colleagues would get to vote on any proposed deal between the UK and the EU. Change UK MEPs would not in any way facilitate Brexit. We would instead amend any proposal to insist that the terms be put to a Peoples Vote. If that cannot be achieved or the Commons rebuffs the idea, then Change UK MEPs will encourage all MEPs to delay ratification until we are assured of an open border in Ireland in line with the Good Friday Agreement and full participation in the single market secured for the whole of the UK. Your vote on May 23 matters. Its not just a way of backing Remain. Its a way to create an active voice for a Peoples Vote in the European Parliament. The Conservatives and Labour leadership cannot be trusted. They are so self-obsessed they cannot unite their own parties and cannot bring the country together. Those with long memories will recall that it wasnt just marginal figures who offered support to the IRA during its murderous campaigns in the UK. Jeremy Corbyn did not condemn as strongly as he should have done violent republicans who planted bombs in pubs in Woolwich and Guildford, at the House of Commons, in Hyde Park and Regents Park. I f you travel by train, watch out. Next week new timetables are being brought in and it ought to be good news for London passengers. Among the changes near the capital there will be many new trains at peak hours into Waterloo, an extra service on Thameslink from Brighton and Cambridge, and improvements into Fenchurch Street. So why arent rail operators shouting about the improvements? Because we all remember what happened this time last year when what was supposed to be the multi-billion-pound Thameslink revolution collapsed in a heap and passengers were left stranded amid chaos, cancellations and delays. Could it happen again this month? The answer ought to be no. This time, everyone is better prepared, and anyway the changes are much smaller. They should work. But the big underlying problem that caused last years catastrophe is still there. Who is in charge of the railways? Its an impossible question to answer. As the rail watchdog warns today, theres no one to press the stop button if it all goes wrong. Ask people in the industry and they will tell you that it isnt train operators who oversee services. Or Network Rail, which manages the tracks. Or Transport for London. Instead the real power sits with officials working in Whitehall who shape franchises, regulate funding and decide if things such as timetable changes go ahead. Whether you want a nationalised system or a private one, or a mix, as we have now, this is an absurd way of doing things. It makes absolutely no sense for civil servants to watch over detailed choices such as whether there should be an extra Waterloo to Farnham (via Ascot) peak evening service (from next week there will be). Nor should ministers be involved in intricate choices like this, as they often are now. Thats why everyone is hoping that the one obviously sensible thing that Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has done in his time in post asking former BA boss Keith Williams to head a big rail review pays off when Williams reports later this year. Hell probably back a new independent body to head the railways, with someone properly accountable in charge. That way, at least we will know who to blame if things go wrong. It will be too late to help plan next weeks changes. But at long last the rail system might be travelling in the right direction. Managing mental health In all sorts of ways our society is kinder, more open and more understanding than it was in the past. It might not always feel that way. But take one important issue the way we deal with mental health. Its hard to imagine something such as Mental Health Week, which has just begun, succeeding a few years back. Nor would it have been an issue championed by the royal family. They are calling on people not to hide the challenges they face but discuss them and overcome them. Its a great campaign which can make a difference. The pressures of modern life can feel overwhelming sometimes. But we should never forget that there are people out there ready to help. Prince William joins Katy Perry and Alesha Dixon for a mental health campaign And the award goes to... Sometimes the obvious answer is the right one which is why Killing Eve was always going to sweep the board at the Bafta awards last night. It won awards for best drama series, best leading actress for Jodie Comer, and best supporting actress for Fiona Shaw. In a year of brilliant shows it pulled ahead from the first episode and is about to come back for season two. A round of applause too for Evening Standard columnist Rob Rinder, who picked up a Bafta on behalf of the series Who Do You Think You Are, which included a moving account of his family history. T he holy month of Ramadan sees millions of Muslims around the world fast, usually from sunrise until sunset. Muslims fast for a whole host of personal reasons, although the main purpose of fasting is to teach self-discipline and to allow more time for prayer and reflection, ultimately bringing worshippers closer to Allah. Muslims tend to wake early to eat their first meal of the day, called the suhur, while the meal at sunset that breaks the fast is the iftar. Whilst the practice of fasting during Ramadan is a joyous time of community and personal development, it is as much of a mental test as it is a physical one. What not to say to a Muslim during Ramadan The Standard chats to Muslim comedians, journalists and authors as they share their top tips for fasting during Ramadan: Stay hydrated Its important that you drink several fluids during the periods you are not fasting to keep your hydration levels up. Dehydration and fatigue for me are the biggest killers, said Love in a Headscarf and Generation M: Young Muslims Changing the World author Shelina Janmohamed. The food I can kind of get past even though it is 19 hours. So I need to drink two litres of coconut water between breaking fast/iftar and also the suhur. Instead of breaking your fast with caffeinated beverages, opt for water as this will ensure you get the best source of hydration. Ramadan 2019: Who is exempt from fasting Don't overeat Whilst its tempting to pile your plate up when you break your fast, overeating can put further strain on your body. I think the big mistake a lot of Muslims make is that the whole day youre hungry and then you come and indulge, said Hanan Bihi, a broadcast journalist. Theres so much on the plate and yeah, it makes it a little bit more difficult for you to move and pray and get on with the day. When you do break your fast, try and eat mindfully and listen for when your hunger is satisfied. Avoid processed fats and high-sugar foods Gorging on sugary and processed foods can cause weight gain, sluggishness, fatigue and also make fasting the next day all the more difficult. Instead, try eating fruit and veg and consuming fibre-rich foods as they are digested slower than processed foods and make you feel fuller for longer. Iftar 2019: Where to break fast in London this Ramadan 1 /9 Iftar 2019: Where to break fast in London this Ramadan Honey & Smoke 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. Patricia Niven 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 8.59, 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. Intercontinental Hotel, 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Nadir Nahdi, founder of creative platform and YouTube channel BENI, said: I like to eat whole grains, fatty food and things that digest very slowly. The worst thing you can do in the morning is to eat really processed carbs like bread and sugary stuff because that digests in a second and youll feel hungry again after a few hours. Get enough sleep Sleep aids the bodys reparative process, so its crucial you get enough of it even while fasting. If you find your energy levels taking a dive throughout the day, find a quiet place to take a 20-minute nap. Because youre dedicating your whole life to god and to creating the divine connection, even sleeping is considered a form of worship, said Shelina. Sometimes I just take a nap and Im like Im doing a good thing, Im trying really hard to fast." Ramadan 2019: Why Im fasting Eat together Ramadan presents a great opportunity to get together with loved ones when everyone is breaking their fast in the evening. Yes, its an internal journey but its also you interacting with the people around you, said Nadir, who works began his YouTube channel to influence a new emerging generation of cultural producers and influencers and has used the platform to tell stories such as what it is like to celebrate Ramadan in a refugee camp. One thing that gets me through the 30 days is looking forward to seeing people that I only see in that month for the iftars or the dinners we have together. So I recommend you connecting to people who youve lost contact with and make the whole month an enjoyable community experience." Business How modulation techniques like 16-QAM? Optical fiber and emerging modulation | Soukacatv.com Adjacent Channel 16 In 1 Analog Headend For Hotel Cable TV System 13.05.2019 07:03:22 - Optical fiber and emerging modulation schemes are making it possible to transmit ever-larger amounts of data through fiber-optic pipes. (live-PR.com) - Optical fiber and emerging modulation schemes are making it possible to transmit ever-larger amounts of data through fiber-optic pipes. Recent industry demonstrations and government research efforts also have demonstrated novel approaches for moving more data through optical fiber networks as well as boosting the efficiency of scare spectrum. HDMI Encoder Modulator,16in1 Digital Headend, HD RF Modulator at Soukacatv.com SKD3013 3 Channel HD - Optical fiber and emerging modulation schemes are making it possible to transmit ever-larger amounts of data through fiber-optic pipes. Recent industry demonstrations and government research efforts also have demonstrated novel approaches for moving more data through optical fiber networks as well as boosting the efficiency of scare spectrum.HDMI Encoder Modulator,16in1 Digital Headend, HD RF Modulator at Soukacatv.comSKD3013 3 Channel HD Encode Modulator Researchers reported during a recent industry conference that they achieved a new data-transmission efficiency record over a transatlantic cable using a framework called 16-QAM, for quadrature amplitude modulation. Engineers from Facebook and networking vendor Infinera said they achieved data rates of up to 26.2 terabits per second over the MAREA cable that runs between Virginia and Spain. The current bandwidth capacity of 6,600-km cable had been pegged at up to 20 terabits per second on each of eight fiber pairs. The industry engineers told IEEE Spectrum this week theirs was the first demonstration of 16-QAM on a transatlantic cable. The majority of traffic carried by those data pipes originates from datacenters. 16 IN 1 Digital Modulator Headend System DVB-T And ISDB-T Encoder Modulator The demonstration was significant because it illustrated how modulation techniques like 16-QAM can be used to divvy up signals to squeeze more efficiency from a finite amount of bandwidth. In the case of 16-QAM, 4-bit code can be modulated to have 16 values0000, 0001 and so on, up to 1111. This partitioning allows each value to transmit multiple bits per second for each modulation interval. Hence, Infineras new transmitting and receiving equipment based on 16-QAM modulation was able to achieve 6.21 bits per second transmission per channel. The transatlantic cable demonstration expands on earlier photonics research that seeks to leverage to the potential of 16-QAM and other modulation schemes. For example, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency launched a photonics initiative last year that seeks to integrate high-capacity optical signaling technology onto multichip modules. Photonics in the Package for Extreme Scalability, or PIPES, is part of DARPAs $1.5 billion Electronics Resurgence Initiative. Dual HD Input Modulator With ISDB-T And DVB-T Modulation Using optical rather than electrical components for data transfer is increasingly seen as a reliable approach for reducing power consumption while increasing data capacity and reducing latency. Efficient photonic signaling offers a path to disruptive system scalability because it eliminates the need to keep data local, and it promises to impact data-intensive applications, including machine learning, large scale emulation and advanced sensors, Gordon Keeler, a DARPA program manager, noted in announcing PIPES. In one scenario, DARPA officials said teams demonstrate how 15 software-defined radios could share the same frequency bands and figure out how they are going to cooperate. In the DARPA demonstration, 16-QAM was used to improve spectrum efficiency. They learned how to communicate using 16-QAM without being programmed, [doing so] in less than a minute, said William Chappell, hard of DARPAs Microelectronics Technology Office. This means that systems that werent coordinated have the ability to learn how to interact. Established in 2000, the Soukacatv.com main products are modulators both in analog and digital ones, amplifier and combiner. We are the very first one in manufacturing the headend system in China. Our 16 in 1 and 24 in 1 now are the most popular products all over the world. For more, please access to CONTACT US Company: Dingshengwei Electronics Co., Ltd Address: Bldg A, the first industry park of Guanlong, Xili Town, Nanshan, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China Tel: +86 0755 26909863 Fax: +86 0755 26984949 Mobile: 13410066011 Email: Source: datanami Encode ModulatorResearchers reported during a recent industry conference that they achieved a new data-transmission efficiency record over a transatlantic cable using a framework called 16-QAM, for quadrature amplitude modulation. Engineers from Facebook and networking vendor Infinera said they achieved data rates of up to 26.2 terabits per second over the MAREA cable that runs between Virginia and Spain.The current bandwidth capacity of 6,600-km cable had been pegged at up to 20 terabits per second on each of eight fiber pairs.The industry engineers told IEEE Spectrum this week theirs was the first demonstration of 16-QAM on a transatlantic cable. The majority of traffic carried by those data pipes originates from datacenters.16 IN 1 Digital Modulator Headend SystemDVB-T And ISDB-T Encoder ModulatorThe demonstration was significant because it illustrated how modulation techniques like 16-QAM can be used to divvy up signals to squeeze more efficiency from a finite amount of bandwidth.In the case of 16-QAM, 4-bit code can be modulated to have 16 values0000, 0001 and so on, up to 1111. This partitioning allows each value to transmit multiple bits per second for each modulation interval. Hence, Infineras new transmitting and receiving equipment based on 16-QAM modulation was able to achieve 6.21 bits per second transmission per channel.The transatlantic cable demonstration expands on earlier photonics research that seeks to leverage to the potential of 16-QAM and other modulation schemes. For example, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency launched a photonics initiative last year that seeks to integrate high-capacity optical signaling technology onto multichip modules. Photonics in the Package for Extreme Scalability, or PIPES, is part of DARPAs $1.5 billion Electronics Resurgence Initiative.Dual HD Input Modulator With ISDB-T And DVB-T ModulationUsing optical rather than electrical components for data transfer is increasingly seen as a reliable approach for reducing power consumption while increasing data capacity and reducing latency.Efficient photonic signaling offers a path to disruptive system scalability because it eliminates the need to keep data local, and it promises to impact data-intensive applications, including machine learning, large scale emulation and advanced sensors, Gordon Keeler, a DARPA program manager, noted in announcing PIPES.In one scenario, DARPA officials said teams demonstrate how 15 software-defined radios could share the same frequency bands and figure out how they are going to cooperate. In the DARPA demonstration, 16-QAM was used to improve spectrum efficiency.They learned how to communicate using 16-QAM without being programmed, [doing so] in less than a minute, said William Chappell, hard of DARPAs Microelectronics Technology Office. This means that systems that werent coordinated have the ability to learn how to interact.Established in 2000, the Soukacatv.com main products are modulators both in analog and digital ones, amplifier and combiner. We are the very first one in manufacturing the headend system in China. Our 16 in 1 and 24 in 1 now are the most popular products all over the world.For more, please access to www.soukacatv.com CONTACT USCompany: Dingshengwei Electronics Co., LtdAddress: Bldg A, the first industry park of Guanlong, Xili Town, Nanshan, Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaTel: +86 0755 26909863Fax: +86 0755 26984949Mobile: 13410066011Email: ken@soukacatv.com Source: datanami Press Information: Dingshengwei Electronics Co., Ltd Bldg A, the first industry park of Guanlong, Xili Town, Nanshan, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China Contact Person: Phone: 13410066011 eMail: eMail Web: http://https://www.soukacatv.com 13.05.2019 07:03:22 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. D ramatic footage has shown the moment a brazen moped gang who threatened a mother with her three-year-old child were caught by police in London. The 12-strong group were jailed for more than 67 years on Monday for a string of bold professional, planned and organised high profile raids across the capital. Among the litany of crimes committed by the group between July 2017 and June 2018 was a "shocking" attempted robbery on a mother and her young child. Four gang members were caught on CCTV targeting the woman with a young child in broad daylight in Sandpits Road in Richmond, causing her to flee into oncoming traffic to escape. Footage released today also showed the gang ram raid a High Street Kensington store in December, 2017, where they stole more than 40,000 worth of goods in two incidents. Three gang members were arrested in May last year following a high-speed police chase spanning 10 London boroughs. Three gang members were arrested after a high-speed chase across 10 London boroughs / Met Police Among the other "bold" crimes committed by the gang was the theft of BBC camera equipment filming the Oxford versus Cambridge boat race. Judge Georgina Kent told the 12-strong gang, who were crowded into the dock at Kingston Crown Court: "Many offences were committed using motorbikes or mopeds, often stolen with false number plates. "Many offences were committed at night." The gang targeted a mother and her young child / Met Police She added: "The motorbike helmets and clothing, often all in black, were an effective disguise and created an intimidating appearance. The motorbikes provided a quick getaway. "Many of these offences were committed in public view because you were confident you could get away with it." Members of the gang trying to steal a camera off Putney Bridge / Metropolitan Police The attempted robbery of the mother and her son was called exceptionally serious and shocking by the judge, and required a degree of planning. Pheobe Ruele was walking hand-in-hand with her son whom she had just picked up from nursery when two motorcycles road past, pulled into the road and waited for her on June 21 last year. The court heard that John McFadyen, 24, grabbed her arm hard enough to leave finger-mark bruises and told her: "Give me your rings. I'm going to hurt your child and take him away." The group committed a series of targeted raids across London / Metropolitan Police In the footage, the "terrified" woman can be seen dragging her child into the road before builders chase the gang away, brandishing scaffolding poles. The judge noted that "fortunately there were no cars in the vicinity at that moment" but added that Ms Ruele is now "afraid for her children's safety when she takes them to and from school". The judge said she had "no doubt" this offence "would have struck fear into any parent who heard about it". A shop on Kensington High Street was raided by the moped robbers twice The judge added: "A mother and her three-year-old son are extremely vulnerable. The threats that were made were calculated to exploit that vulnerability. "To threaten a mother with violence towards a very young child and threaten to take the child away is a most effective and distressing threat." The footage went viral after being circulated on social media by Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, who asked the public to "call 101 or 999 if u know these scumbags". Taking the gang off the streets has helped cut moped-enabled crime in the capital by 52 per cent in the space of a year, according to the Metropolitan Police. The defendants, who are aged between 19 and 36, also used their mopeds to block traffic before taking an angle grinder to cameras rigged up to capture the boat race on March 22 last year. Collectively, the group were jailed for more than 50 years / Metropolitan Police Although their first attempt on Putney Bridge was interrupted by off-duty police officer Steven Wagstaff, a highly-specialised BBC camera worth an estimated 180,000 was stolen from Lonsdale Road by Barnes Bridge just an hour later. Of the first incident, the judge said: "One of the riders rode at Mr Wagstaff, kicking out with his foot. Another threatened to stab him and one of the pillion (passengers) threatened to stab him with the angle grinder. "The gang escaped empty-handed." The gang, who were all linked to ringleader Terry Marsh, 32, were sentenced for offences including conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to burgle, conspiracy to steal, criminal damage and handling stolen goods. Terry Marsh, left, and Steven Weller, right / Metropolitan Police Three gang members - Omar Tafat, 22, Josh Myers, 19, and Kian Taylor, 20 - were arrested on May 7 last year following a high-speed police chase. It lasted more than 90 minutes and spanned 10 London boroughs, with all three piled onto the same bike. At one point they even drove the wrong way up the A40 into oncoming traffic to try to shake off the helicopter, police motorbikes and dog units chasing them. They had arranged for an associate to wait by the roadside with a can of fuel to try to escape. The three, who had tried to film the escapade, were arrested when they crashed by South Ealing Cemetery. The gang first came to police attention on December 31 2017 when they carried out a ram-raid on high-end outdoor clothing company Altimus Ltd in High Street Kensington using a stolen Range Rover and several mopeds. They made off with thousands of pounds' worth of Canada Goose and Nicole Benisti jackets which can retail at up to 2,000. Within a month, the gang had returned to the same store to carry out a second raid, violently assaulting the security guard hired to protect the premises and throwing him out into the street. Ryan Moran, left, and Ram Monk, right / Metropolitan Police The two raids cost the business 43,000 in lost goods, and a total of 80,000 including damage. Tafat, 22, of Fulham, was jailed for a total of eight years and five months after being sentenced for a count of conspiracy to steal, attempted robbery, the theft and attempted theft of BBC cameras, going equipped to steal, criminal damage to a police car and breach of a criminal behaviour order. Myers, 19, of Shepherds Bush, was sentenced to eight years in a young offenders institution and disqualified from driving. Taylor, of no fixed address, admitted attempted theft, going equipped to steal, criminal damage to a police car, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and possession of an offensive weapon, and was found guilty of robbery after trial. He was sentenced to a total of nine years and four months at a young offenders institution and given a driving disqualification. Steven Weller, 36, of Ealing, was given consecutive sentences of 49 months for conspiracy to rob, four month for conspiracy to steal and 26 months for conspiracy to burgle, and was sentenced to a total of six years and seven months. Scott Leaver, left, and Omar Tafat, right / Metropolitan Police The court heard Marsh was "supremely organised and diligent" in rotating the Sim cards in the telephones he used and was "the common denominator in the crime spree". Marsh, of Fulham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to burgle. The 32-year-old was jailed for a total of 23 years and two months. He was given consecutive sentences of 54 months for conspiracy to rob, 48 months for conspiracy to steal and 56 months for conspiracy to burgle. After admitting a series of offences, Moran, 36, of Fulham, was give concurrent suspended sentences of two months for conspiracy to steal, 24 months for conspiracy to burgle and a month for handling stolen goods. He was given a total sentence of 24 months, suspended for 18 months with a six-month curfew. John McFadyen, 24, of Feltham, was jailed for 32 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to rob, while his brother Isaac, 19, admitted conspiracy to rob was sentenced to 32 months in a young offenders institution. Mitchell Leaver, 18 of Battersea, was given a 12-month suspended sentence and and a three-month curfew after admitting conspiracy to burgle. Scott Leaver, 25, of Lambeth, was sentenced to 56 months' imprisonment after being found guilty of the same charge after trial. The judge sentenced Aaron Pask, 27, of White City, to a total of six years and eight months after his convictions for conspiracy to burgle, conspiracy to steal and burglary. Ram Monk, 23, of no fixed address, was sentenced to two years and eight months after being found guilty of conspiracy to burgle. A man was being held by police on suspicion of murder today after a body was found dumped in a wheelie bin in Holloway. The dead man, said to have been dressed in designer clothes, was discovered by a neighbour in the garden of a derelict townhouse behind a Waitrose supermarket. Detectives are still trying to establish the identity of the victim, who had no documents or identifying details on him. There were no obvious signs of injury and a post-mortem examination failed to establish how he died. The discovery was made at around 4pm on Saturday by a resident who went in search of the bin, which had gone missing from outside his flat in Tollington Road. John Castagnetti, 74, whose neighbour found the body, said: He couldnt find his bin in the afternoon, so he went to look for it. When he found it he noticed there was something inside. He turned it on its side and two legs fell out. He was shaken up. Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: Police told me the guy was wearing Versace shoes and had designer clothes on. They said he had a moustache and piercings. Today, a house several doors down from where the body was found was being guarded by police as investigations continued. Jackie Edwards, 61, who lives opposite, said she believed she may have seen a man pushing the wheelie bin down the road in the last week. She said: I just thought, Thats a bit unusual bringing it out after Tuesday. Avis De Lacey, 77, said there was often noise and sounds of fighting coming from the property, which is understood to have housed a number of people. A Scotland Yard spokesman said a 52-year-old man was being held at a north London police station after being arrested on suspicion of murder yesterday. He added: At this stage, the death is being treated as unexplained. Detectives are still working to establish the mans identity. In separate incidents, at least three teenagers, including a boy of 14, were knifed in London over the weekend, though none of their injuries were said to be life-threatening. The 14-year-old victim was attacked in North Countess Road in Walthamstow shortly after 4pm on Saturday. A teenager was blasted to death with a shotgun after being asked where he was from, a court has heard. Abdul Mayanja, 19, was sat on a wall with a female friend in Stratford, east London, when two men approached them, one of whom was carrying a gun. He was shot and died of a single wound to the chest following the incident on Well Street on August 25 2017. The Old Bailey heard Mr Mayanja was an easy target. Prosecutor Anthony Orchard QC said: "Abdul was asked, 'what ends you from?' or 'where you from? Abdul Mayanjas family said they had lost their beacon of light "Without waiting for an answer, Abdul was shot. "The gunmen returned to a dark vehicle, which drove off." The court heard a grey Nissan Qashqai, which was allegedly used in the shooting, was found burning in the early hours of the following morning in Jade Close, in Canning Town, east London. Four men, from east London, are standing trial accused of murdering Mr Mayanja. Alex Simos, 20, from Manor Park; his cousin Marvin Simos, 22, from north Woolwich; Sean Obazee, 25, from Plaistow; and Braeden Henry, 24, from Silvertown, deny the charge. Kieron Aransibia, 24, from Beckton, and Jade Thrower, 23, from Manor Park, east London, deny perverting the course of justice. Nr Mayanja was with a female friend when they were approached by two men / Google Mr Orchard said: "The prosecution case is that the first four defendants were involved in the shooting in Well Street. "The four of them were in the Qashqai, from which the gunman and one other had emerged and then returned to. "Each of the four played a key role in the shooting, either as gunman, back-up or driver. "The role of the fifth and sixth defendants was to assist afterwards by purchasing and supplying petrol from a local garage, to enable the 'burning' of the Nissan Qashqai to destroy potential evidence." He added: "The motive for the shooting may become clearer as the case develops. It appears Abdul Mayanja was an easy target. He was shot and left to die." After his death, Mr Mayanja's family paid tribute to him, describing him as a beacon of light. The teenager, a cadet flight sergeant, lived in Plaistow with his family and had been due to move to Los Angeles to finish his training T hree Met Police officers who were accused of lying about a patrol car crash have walked free from court after being cleared of perverting the course of justice. PC Max Michel, 28, was driving the marked police car with PC Shaun Charnock, 34, as a passenger on an emergency call when it when collided with a VW Polo driven by 19-year-old Raj Mehra. It was claimed the officers had colluded with colleague PC Ryan Francis, 27, to blame the teenager for the crash on December 4, 2016, in Uxbridge Road, Feltham, saying he had run a red light. But the PCs denied conspiring to lie, and they were found not guilty at Southwark crown court on Friday following a trial. PC Francis, who was the initial crash scene investigator, told the court he had written down what I have been told. PC Michel said he had no reason to lie as the consequences for crashing a patrol car were minimal, adding: I never made anything up. I told everything as I 100 per cent believed it at the time I made my statement. Charnock, of Camberley, Surrey, Francis, of Bracknell, Berkshire, and Michel, of Kingston-upon-Thames, all denied and were cleared of perverting the course of justice. T he youngest victim of the London Bridge terror attack may have slipped over in her high heels while fleeing and stood no chance of dodging the fatal knife attack, the inquest heard today. Australian au pair Sara Zelenak, 21, was among the first people to be stabbed after three extremists crashed their van at the south side of the bridge and began attacking pedestrians at random. The Old Bailey heard this morning that she and a friend had both been urged to run away, but Ms Zelenak may have fallen over and was stabbed before she could be helped to her feet. Eyewitness Erick Siguenza saw Ms Zelenak fall before a man believed to be 32-year-old James McMullan was stabbed in the chest trying to save her. Emergency services tending to the wounded after the June 3 attack / PA He had just grabbed her left arm and was gently trying to pick her up. But by then the attackers were in close proximity and thats when they started attacking her, said Mr Siguenza. There was no time for him to be able to help her up. The driver and the other terrorists were already running towards them. There was no chance for them. A sea of floral tributes in the days after the attack / AFP/Getty Images Gareth Patterson QC, representing families of the victims including Ms Zelenak and Mr McMullan, told the hearing: She was wearing high heel shoes and the ground was quite wet. Is the general impression that she had perhaps lost her balance?. Mr Siguenza replied: Yes, I believe it could have been down to running in high heels. Borough Market & London Bridge terror attack tributes - In pictures 1 /25 Borough Market & London Bridge terror attack tributes - In pictures Flowers and post it notes on the wall by London Bridge Jeremy Selwyn Floral tributes and messages to those killed and injured after the London Bridge terror attack left at London Bridge Nigel Howard A message of "love not hate" posted among the tributes Jeremy Selwyn Thousands of people wrote messages to the victims Jeremy Selwyn Red roses laid out on London Bridge after the terror attack Jeremy Selwyn More flowers at Monument in remembrance of victims Jeremy Selwyn Floral tributes and messages to those killed and injured after the London Bridge terror attack left at London Bridge Nigel Howard A woman sticks a post-it note to the wall of messages Nigel Howard People from all over the world left messages of strength and support after the attack Jeremy Selwyn Onlookers take photos of the floral tributes Nigel Howard It comes as the market gears up to reopen Nigel Howard The Borough Market community left this message of strength Nigel Howard A woman takes a photo of the messages left at the scene Nigel Howard One person Rob wrote: They did not dent our democracy Nigel Howard The sea of flowers by London Bridge Jeremy Selwyn Flowers and post it notes on the wall by London Bridge Jeremy Selwyn Flowers and post it notes on the wall by London Bridge Jeremy Selwyn Floral tributes and messages to those killed and injured after the London Bridge terror attack left at London Bridge Nigel Howard A giant blue screen closes an entrance to Borough Market Jeremy Selwyn He saw the three terrorists run down the stairs towards Borough Market restaurants, and filmed them as they stabbed more people at random while shouting alluha akbar. There was lots of screaming and just people realising what was going on. Just shouting in general, he said. They were trying to attack people who were there. Once people realised what was going on, people closest to the bar started throwing stuff - glasses and chairs. The terrorists started attacking a few people, but when they realised they were outnumbered they started running away. Ms Zelenak, who moved to London from Brisbane three months earlier, had been out with friend Priscila Goncalves on June 3, 2017, when the attack happened. Ms Goncalves said they heard the van crash and went to see what had happened, but then heard people telling them to run. People said run and I started running. I thought Sara was with me but when I looked she was not, she told the inquest. I just went down the stairs, I think I went to Borough market. I remember running through it. Ms Goncalves said she witnessed a man being stabbed by one of the terrorists, initially thinking it was a gang attack, and she took refuge with others in a restaurant. Sara Zelenak died in the London Bridge terror attack She tried to contact her friend for a few days afterwards via texts, Facebook messages, and calls, but added: I called her but she never picked up. Mr McMullan had been watching the Champions League final with friends that night in The Barrowboy and Banker pub, and stepped outside for a cigarette when he was stabbed. The inquest will hear detailed evidence about his death later this week. Extremists Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, killed eight people and injured 48 others as they drove at pedestrians at random with a rented van across the bridge, then went on a stabbing spree through Borough Market. Spanish salesman Xavier Thomas, 45, and Canadian tourist Chrissy Archibald, 30, were both killed after being hit on the bridge by the terrorists van. Alexandre Pigeard, 26, Kirsty Boden, 28, Sebastien Belanger, 36, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, were stabbed to death alongside Ms Zelenak and Mr McMullan. T he Brexit Party insists it is in British politics for the long haul, despite polling today indicating that 63 per cent of the British public think the party led by Nigel Farage will probably not be a force in British politics in 10 years a view shared by some of its candidates. A spokesperson for the party emphasised this morning that it has every intention of changing British politics for good and will remain on the political scene beyond Brexit. Nobody thought we would exist at all two months ago, they said in response to YouGovs findings. Campaigning on issues beyond Brexit will happen after the election on May 23, they told us. We will start choosing policies and developing our manifesto. Polling expert Professor John Curtice, however, expects the party to have a short lifespan. Is it surprising? Most people hope Brexit will be done and dusted in 10 years time he says, dismissing the idea that the Brexit Party could be part of government, given that the Ukip vote fell away when Brexit was won. Even some of the Brexit Partys candidates dont see the party lasting beyond implementing Brexit. Ann Widdecombe told student newspaper Cherwell that if the Government delivers a proper Brexit our job is done. The same polling shows 56 per cent expect Change UK to also disappear over the next decade, with just one in 10 believing it will likely remain an important part of British politics. Asked whether he thought there was an appetite for a party like Change UK, Professor Curtice said it hasnt excited a lot of people. Gavin Esler, one of Change UKs highest-profile candidates, is more optimistic. Change UK has been a party for a few weeks it is likely to be around for a very long time, he tells us. Nigel Farage, on the other hand, is likely to disappear to the United States at the first opportunity. He resigned as Ukip leader five times the only long service he has done is to his EU salary. Keep Tommy Out A publication released by the House of Lords Commission today recommends that UK MEPs should no longer be entitled to passes to the House. The Commission met last week to agree the report and the Lords will debate the matter on Thursday. A spokesperson for the Lord Speaker told The Londoner this was to align the rules with the Commons as MEPs had their access to the Commons recinded in 2009. We also wonder whether this is fortuitous timing since Tommy Robinson is in with a shot of winning his North West England seat. In 2009, the Commons did the same in order to keep the BNPs Nick Griffin out. --- Labours centre-Left group Progress unveiled a new logo at its annual conference at the weekend with the aim of rebranding the organisation hammered by Corbynism and the draw of Momentum. While talk of change rang out from the podium, the clientele were sticking to type. The biggest selling item at a conference clothes stand? A centrist dad T-shirt. It completely sold out, said the gleeful stallholder. --- Tortoise, the media site set up by ex-Times editor James Harding, yearns for slower, wise news, harking back to an era before kneejerk headlines. This is not all that it is nostalgic for: at the weekend, it published a piece lamenting the decline of au naturel pubic hair. Models line up on the grid for Monaco E-Prix David Gandy, Oliver Cheshire, Natalie Dormer, Toby Huntington-Whiteley and Luke Evans. / Dave Benett/Getty Images There were fast cars and flash frocks in Monaco on Saturday night, where stars including actors Naomie Harris, Natalie Dormer and Luke Evans, and models David Gandy, Oliver Cheshire and Toby Huntington-Whiteley headed to the Monaco E-Prix Casino Royale bash. Albert II, Prince of Monaco added a royal flourish to proceedings, and retired Formula One champion Nico Rosberg arrived with his wife, the interior designer Vivian Sibold. Guests drank champagne and Gandy and Dormer posed for photographers in some hot wheels: a stately Jaguar XK 120, which was parked outside the Casino Monte Carlo. Dormer was also spied capturing a selfie with the E-Prix winner, Jean-Eric Vergne. SW1A Nick Boles quit the Tories after they failed to compromise over Brexit but has kind words for Brexit Party candidate Mike Greene in the Peterborough by-election. I dont support the Brexit Party at all, Boles said, but Mike Greene would make a much better MP for the city than either of the last two. Clearly, Boles is practising what he preaches on cross-party politics. --- Sajid Javids first encounter with Margaret Thatcher still inspires him. I was saying it was lovely to meet you, Javid tells Nick Robinsons podcast, and she seemed to ignore that and said, You will protect this isle. I said yes. What else was I going to say? --- Times journalist David Aaronovitch has some behind-the-scenes gossip from Nigel Farages fiery appearance on yesterdays Andrew Marr Show. I gather the man and his entourage were furious after, he tweets. So much so that one of Farages male team called a woman BBC producer a c***. SJP unlocks a secret of the city On a recent cultural tour of the capital, actor Sarah Jessica Parker enjoyed the Van Gogh show at Tate Britain and the work of artist Lynette Yiadom-Boakye at the Serpentine Gallery. She was also happy to share a discovery: the Timpson shop at High Street Kensington Tube station. In an Instagram post, SJP declared the shoe repairers and keycutters my favourite wee shop. The companys CEO James Timpson tweets: I dont watch much TV but I think this customer is pretty well known. Thanks for the endorsement! Quote of the day 'They are not the people to drain the swamp of politics, they are the people that have created the swamp T he Brexit deadlock has contributed to the longest session of Parliament since the English Civil War. Tuesday will mark the 300th sitting day of a session which has stretched over three different years, starting on June 13, 2017. But the current session is unlikely to break the record of the Long Parliament, which lasted for 3,322 days between 1640 and 1653. A new parliamentary session would be marked by a Queen's Speech setting out the government's agenda, but the need to deal with Brexit and Theresa May's fragile hold on power has contributed to the monarch's absence from the Palace of Westminster. Theresa May in Parliament on Wednesday / Roger Harris/AFP/Getty Images Downing Street today defended the approach, with the Prime Minister's official spokesman telling reporters that Mrs May and the Government "decided upon an extended session in order to pass the legislation to deliver Brexit". "That work remains vital and, obviously, ongoing." Key Brexit moments of 2018: in pictures 1 /30 Key Brexit moments of 2018: in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Chequers in July PA The Cabinet thrashed out a Brexit blue print PA The away day meeting PA Boris Johnson leaves Carlton House Terrace in Westminster after he resigned as Foreign Secretary PA David Davis pictured after quitting the government, resigning his post as Brexit Secretary AFP/Getty Images New role: Jeremy Hunt was appointed as Foreign Secretary in July Getty Images Dominic Raab took over the role of Brexit Secretary in July AP/Matt Dunham Exotic spresm: Liberal Democrats Leader Sir Vince Cable following his speech at the party conference PA More than half a million protesters descended on London for the People's Vote March in October Sky News Demonstrators called for a People's Vote on Brexit during a march in Liverpool earlier this year Getty Images Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, presented the red Budget Box as he revealed the government's financial plans in October Getty Images It was the last Budget before Brexit AFP/Getty Images Mr McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn listen as Chancellor Philip Hammond delivers his Budget statement AFP/Getty Images New Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay after Dominic Raab quit the post in November Getty Images Esther McVey also resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary Sir Keir Starmer opened the debate on a motion to hold the Government in contempt of Parliament on December 4 AFP/Getty Images Sir Graham Brady (centre), chairman of the 1922 Committee, announces that Theresa May has survived a confidence vote on December 12 PA Theresa May in Downing Street after winning the confidence vote Jeremy Selwyn The Prime Minister confronts Jean-Claude Juncker at an EU summit in December 'You called me nebulous' Philip Sime/Twitter Jeremy Corbyn was accused of mouthing the words "stupid woman" during the last PMQs of the year Jeremy Corbyn responds in the Commons amid the row PA Jeremy Corbyn denied reports he muttered the words "stupid woman" AFP/Getty Images Analysis by the House of Commons Library read: "What makes the 2017-19 session unusual is that it has lasted for more than three years. "This has been to permit the passage of Brexit-related legislation. This parliamentary session has now overtaken the 296 sitting days in the 2010-12 session, which was previously the longest since the Civil War. "It has therefore also become the longest session since the union of England and Scotland in 1707." Divisions over Europe contributed to the 240-day session of 1992-93, characterised by bitter debates over the Maastricht Treaty. The 1997-98 session, with 241 days, saw the passing of legislation creating devolved institutions in Scotland and Wales. F ormer UKIP leader Nigel Farage today hit out at the BBC following a fiery clash with Andrew Marr over the weekend. Speaking for the first time since Sundays controversial interview, which Mr Farage called the most ridiculous interview of his life, the MEP explained why he was so angry. The Brexit Party leader had lashed out at Mr Marr after he was quizzed on some of his controversial statements in the past. Mr Farage on Monday said the interview with Mr Marr followed a bizarre and ludicrous line of questioning. Nigel Farage was asked about a series of controversial statements he has made in the past / REUTERS Speaking to LBC, Mr Farage said: "We are essentially taxed on the BBC. 150 a year goes to the BBC, the licence fee. People like Andrew Marr get 400-grand a year from these people's money. "You've got a brand new political movement that's come from nothing and is leading the polls. I would have thought on the first big interview on TV, it might be interesting to find out how and why that has happened, who the candidates were. "I'm more than prepared to accept every criticism of people we've got, of disputes that may occur in the future between people on the left or the right. All of that would have been fair game. "To come up with a series of half-quotes from things that I said up to 10 years ago that have no direct relevance to what's happening next Thursday... we have a national election next Thursday and they refused to talk about it. That's my complaint. Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage was not happy with Andrew Marr's line of questioning on The Andrew Marr Show / REUTERS "I have never before in 20 years in politics taken the attitude that I took yesterday, not once. It was bizarre that that ludicrous line of questioning persisted all the way though. Sundays interview saw Mr Farage probed about his comments he made about the NHS, climate change and foreigners. Mr Marr argued that Mr Farage should be scrutinised because he is an important figure who is trying to lead an insurgent party to try and replace the main parties. He asked: Do you still want to replace the NHS with a private insurance system? Mr Farage replied: I never did, I would like to take the burden off the NHS. But Mr Farage quickly added that the interview was boring and questioned why they werent talking about the sea change currently occurring in British politics. Despite this Mr Marr continued his line of questioning and brought up a series of other past remarks made by Mr Farage. Mr Farage said: "What is wrong with the BBC? Youre just not interested arent you?" L ondoners are saying an emphatic no to Theresa Mays Brexit deal, with seven out of 10 saying they would rather stay in the European Union. The exclusive poll also found that nearly half of Londoners want a second referendum to be called, the strongest support yet, with 47 per cent in favour and just 29 per cent against. The findings by YouGov, with research commissioned by Queen Mary University of London, suggest a big shift from the referendum in 2016 when the capital divided 60-40 for staying in the EU. With Mrs Mays deal on the ballot paper in the sort of confirmatory vote being pressed for by 150 Labour MPs and some Conservatives, Remain would triumph by a clear 71-29 divide. Londoners also reject the idea of crashing out of the EU without a deal, an option pressed by Nigel Farage and some Tory Brexiteers. Loading.... Given the choice of leaving on Mrs Mays terms or with no deal, Mrs Mays deal is ahead by 38 per cent to 21 per cent, but with a large number of dont knows and non-voters. Countdown to Brexit: 171 days until Britain leaves the EU Mrs Mays thrice-rejected deal has barely gained any support since she first tried to put it to a vote in Parliament. The capital city is currently 42 to 17 against it, compared with 45 to 23 against in December. Prof Tim Bale, deputy director of the universitys Mile End Institute, said: Were used to thinking of London as a bastion for Remain, but it looks like the Governments failure to get us out of the EU on a basis that Parliament can agree on has only strengthened feeling in the capital. Loading.... T heresa May is preparing to concede giving Parliament definitive votes to decide Brexit terms as furious MPs pile pressure on her and Jeremy Corbyn to abandon their talks. With the cross-party negotiations now entering their seventh week without any sign of a breakthrough, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt insisted: This is a crunch week. Communities Secretary James Brokenshire said that if the plug is pulled, the next step will be to hand power to Parliament to decide, not by the indicative votes once considered by the Prime Minister but actually a series of definitive votes to settle the matter. Labour was also divided, with Mr Corbyns deputy Tom Watson openly challenging his refusal to firmly back a second referendum. Theresa May is preparing to concede giving Parliament definitive votes to decide Brexit terms / REUTERS In other developments today: An exclusive opinion poll revealed the astonishing scale of the damage being inflicted on both major parties by the Brexit disarray, while the Remain-backing Liberal Democrats and Greens were surging upwards. The Conservatives have plunged to a humiliating fifth place in the capital, backed by just 10 per cent of Londoners in the European elections, the YouGov survey, commissioned by Queen Mary University of London, found. The Greens are ahead of them on 14, while the Lib Dems are on 17. Mr Corbyn faces punishment from Remain-backing London voters in a general election, with his partys vote share down from 49 per cent share in December to 35 per cent today. The Conservatives are also down from 33 to 23 in London, with the Lib Dems up from 11 to 21, YouGov found. Nigel Farage claimed he should get a seat at the Governments negotiating table with the EU should his Brexit Party take the most votes at the European election. If millions of people voted for us, we need to have a say, he told TalkRadio. In London, his newly formed party is poised to get a 20 per cent share on May 23, YouGov said. Senior government aide Huw Merriman, who is parliamentary private secretary to the Chancellor, predicted an absolute mauling for the Conservatives in the European election, saying: The public will blame the Conservative government because we were the party that brought forward the referendum. Downing Street and Mr Corbyns camp were due to resume the cross-party talks this afternoon. Mr Hunt said they had been very, detailed discussions despite the pessimism surrounding their prospects. Asked if the Government could back a second referendum, he said ministers were aiming to honour the 2016 vote by delivering Brexit, but kept the door open by adding: But lets see where these talks go to. Jeremy Hunt posted on Twitter: "This is a crunch week" / REUTERS Mr Brokenshire said that if the talks failed, the Plan B would be to go back to Parliament. To have almost not a series of indicative votes but actually a series of definitive votes to seek to get to a place of where that sense of where Parliament is, to be able to pass the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, to be able to have that vote to see that we leave thats the next stage, he told the BBC Radio 4s Today programme. The Labour leader faced fresh pressure from his deputy Mr Watson, who declared today that Labour is a Remain and reform party and stressed he would like to see a confirmatory vote on Mrs Mays Brexit proposals. Backing shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer in an open challenge to Mr Corbyn, Mr Watson argued that it would be very difficult to get a sustainable parliamentary majority for a Brexit deal without a second referendum attached. His intervention also highlighted the deep split in Labour over its EU policy. Shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner recently said: Labour is not a Remain party now. Sir Keir spoke out today ahead of a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, when MPs were set to demand that Mr Corbyn pull out of talks with the Government. He believes that 120 to 150 Labour MPs would refuse to back a cross-party agreement if it fails to include another public vote on quitting the EU, which suggested it would be impossible to get it through the Commons given the level of Tory opposition. Mr Watson echoed his concerns over the challenge to get a deal through Parliament without another referendum. The whipping arrangements for these deals is very difficult because MPs have hardened their positions within their parties, he said. The deputy Labour leader argued that there would be a Commons majority by plugging together Mrs Mays plan with another public vote. So my idea of a confirmatory ballot is not a religious point or a point of ideology its just how do you get an outcome, he added, stressing he had reluctantly come to this conclusion and does not back a second referendum in all circumstances. If the Prime Minister bowed to Labours demands and agreed to a customs union-based future relationship with the EU, then the shadow cabinet would have to decide whether to recommend another public vote, Mr Watson added, but he does not expect Mrs May to make the offer. He made the affirmation while attending a ceremony held in Brasilia by the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil to mark the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries (May 8th, 1989). At the function, Ambassador Do Ba Khoa highlighted important milestones since Vietnam and Brazil set up diplomatic ties in 1989 and comprehensive partnership in 2007. The political trust and mutual understanding between the two countries leaders and peoples over the past 30 years have been significantly increased through exchanges of hundreds of all-level delegations, including many at high level and ministerial level, he said. The mutual trust and political determination have facilitated the reinforcement of the legal framework for bilateral cooperation via the signing and implementation of 16 agreements and protocols on cooperation in various fields such as science-technology, maritime transport, civil aviation, agriculture, health care, trade, tourism, State diplomacy, people-to-people external affairs, and locality-to-locality cooperation, he added. Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Do Ba Khoa (R)and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Ambassador Reinaldo de Almeida Salgado (Photo:VNA) The relationship between the two countries parliaments, friendship parliamentary groups, and friendship associations has contributed to the expansion of the bilateral cooperation, according to the ambassador.He added that the operation of the Joint Committee between the two governments and the political consultation between the two foreign ministries have helped enhance the understanding of mutual needs, promote their support for socio-economic development in the respective countries, and increase their position at regional and international organisations.The ambassador described trade exchange as a spotlight in the bilateral relations. Two-way trade increased to 4.51 billion USD in 2018 from 29 million USD in 2001. Within eight years from 2010 to 2018, the bilateral trade increased over four times and Vietnam became the most important partner of Brazil among ASEAN member nations.He affirmed that Vietnam will spare no effort to further deepen its cooperative ties with Brazil a leading important partner of the Southeast Asian country in South America, while expanding Vietnam-Mercosul (Southern Common Market) and ASEAN-Mercosul regional cooperation.For his part, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Reinaldo de Almeida Salgado praised the long-standing relations and friendship between Vietnam and Brazil, affirming that the establishment of diplomatic ties with Vietnam 30 years ago was an important milestone and a right decision of the Brazilian government.Over the past years, the two countries governments have worked to promote the bilateral relations in all fields and actively cooperate and support each other at multilateral forums, he said.The two sides also held regular delegation exchanges at all levels and worked together for mutual benefits as well as step up cooperation between their parliaments, friendship parliamentary groups and peoples, he added.In recent years, Vietnam has become the fifth biggest trade partner of Brazil in Asia, he noted.The current reforms in Brazil and the Doi Moi (reform) in Vietnam will help promote the bilateral affiliation across the board, he said./. Cars / Yachts With yachts made in Asia in global demand, Yacht Style looks at the productivity and innovation of some of the leading builders, from east to west. May 13, 2019 | By John Higginson Taiwan has historically been Asias leading builder of superyachts, with Horizon and Ocean Alexander regularly appearing in the top 10 of the Global Order Book. The vast majority of yacht building is in the southwest city of Kaohsiung, where Horizon has over 800 staff working across its four shipyards and marina, and is still led by CEO John Lu, who co-founded the company in 1987. Horizon is most popular in the US and Australia, followed by Europe, a diversity reflected by its regular presence at the big shows in Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Sanctuary Cove and Sydney, and Cannes and Monaco, while this year it also exhibited at Palma in late April. The yard builds motor yachts and powercats, and last years launches included a custom-built CC115 designed by Cor D. Rover for South American owners. The model was based on the hull design of the RP110, but extended to fit a large beach club with a hi/lo swim platform configured to launch the owners seaplane or the tenders via a custom track system. A foredeck theatre area was also added. However, Horizons production is now dominated by the FD (Fast Displacement) series introduced by the FD85 in 2016, with the first 87 based on the same hull appearing early last year. The company has sold nine FDs and is building FD70, 77, 87 and 102 models. The FD Series has had unprecedented success, attracting attention and orders from the global market, Lu said. The number of FD yachts delivered in 2018 alone proves we are on the right track. This year, Atech Composites part of the Horizon Group broke its own world record set in 2005, completing the infusion of a 140ft motor yacht hull and stiffeners in a single shot, using vacuum-infusion technology and its proprietary 3D resin flow. Fellow Kaohsiung shipyards like Ocean Alexander and Johnson are more focused on the US market. Founded by Alex Chueh in 1977 and led by his son Johnny since 2000, Ocean Alexander specialises in motoryachts from 70-120ft, but recently entered new territory with the Divergence 45, its first outboard model. The yacht is built at the shipyards Merritt Island facility in Florida where the 70e is also manufactured and had its world premiere at Miami. The smallest production boat ever designed by superyacht specialist Evan Marshall, the Divergence 45 has patented door-within-a-door foldout bulwarks that expand the beam from 13ft 9in to 19ft 1in. This year, Johnson founded in 1987, like Horizon launched an 80-footer thats now the entry-level yacht for the Kaohsiung yard, which builds up to 115ft. The four-cabin Johnson 80 has a top speed of 27 knots, a 6.30m (20ft 8in) beam, external lines by Bill Dixon and an interior by Karen Lynn. The Johnson 80 is sure to impress yachting enthusiasts all over the world, and the flexibility of the design will appeal to owners in ways production builds just cant match, said Andy Huang, President of Johnson. FROM PATTAYA TO THE EMIRATES Thailand-based Bakri Cono is renowned for its pioneering work in the use of solar technology on yachts, although the feature isnt included on the new Heliotrope 48 powercat delivered this year to a Hong Kong company. Other recent deliveries include a Heliotrope 48 to Australia the yacht exhibited at the Sydney show last August and several 41ft sailing catamarans, plus an RS 38 fast interception boat for Myanmar. Founded in 2004, Bakri Cono was originally situated in Ocean Marina, but since 2015 has operated out of its privately owned 20,800sqm facility in the PMG Marine Complex in Rayong, southeast of Pattaya. About 80 staff including students from two vocational schools work at the site, which has a 3m-deep pool able to test yachts up to 80ft, direct sea access and its own launching pier. Grand Banks, Malaysias best-known builder, is based in Pasir Gudang in the southern state of Johor, north of Singapore where Grand Banks Yachts Limited which has owned Sydney-based Palm Beach Motor Yachts since 2014 is listed on the Singapore Exchange. The Group continues to upgrade its facility, where it has increased useable covered space and implemented robotics to accelerate the design and prototyping of new boats. The company produces the Grand Banks 60, Eastbay 44 and the Palm Beach series of yachts including the GT50 that premiered last year and will be followed by the GT60 and GT70. The new Grand Banks GB52 will premiere at Cannes in September. The company is enjoying a strong run, having posted a 10-year-high profit of S$9.5 million (about US$7 million) for the 2017-18 financial year, then secured 12 sales including three GB60s in the last quarter of 2018 for a net order book of S$42.8 million (about US$31.6 million). The US is comfortably the largest market for Grand Banks, which is known for its classic, trawler-style boats, having been founded as American Marine in Hong Kong in 1956 before opening a factory in Singapore in 1973. Gulf Craft is the dominant yacht builder in West Asia and has a wide range of yachts from 27-175ft, including the Majesty 140 launched in Dubai last year along with the Majesty 62 and a Touring 48. The GCC is the yards largest market, followed by Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia. The yard is completing its biggest-ever yacht, the Majesty 175, which will succeed the 155 as the yards biggest model. Designed by Cristiano Gatto and scheduled to launch in the third quarter of this year, it will be the worlds largest commercial yacht over 500GT made from advanced composite materials and certified in full compliance with the MCA LY3 Code, according to Gulf Craft. Gulf Crafts other brands include the Nomad Yachts, Oryx, Silvercraft and Utility Series brands, and with several commercial contracts as well, the company employs about 1,500 staff, headed by CEO Gregory Yeakle who took over from Erwin Bamps last year. UAE is also home of the spectacular Foiler, The Flying Yacht that premiered at the Dubai show last year and looks like a getaway boat for James Bond. Enata, one of the Middle Easts leading composites manufacturers, builds the Foiler in its 7,000sqm yard, which employs about 200 people across its three divisions: Marine, Aerospace and Architecture. The company was founded by French entrepreneur Sylvain Vieujot and its work is diverse, from making foiling kitesurf boards for the Olympics to building the dome for the second-largest mosque in Mecca. Alois Vieujot, Manager at Enata, said: We are a family of sailors and kitesurfers, and have used foiling in kites and catamarans for a decade, so are aware of all the benefits of foiling. We produce professional drones, racing sailing boats and kitefoils, so the Foiler is really a blend of all those technologies, a very natural step for Enata. The Foiler is now available in various layouts, while new options include a hardtop, joystick controller, head-up display and a 740hp hydrostatic propulsion system that offers a 20 per cent increase in fuel efficiency at top hydrofoiling speeds compared to the first model. Whether its Aquilas wraparound swim platform, Bakri Conos solar power, Horizons infusion technology or Enatas radical Foiler design, Asias yacht builders are proving their innovation is starting to match their build quality and productivity. The full article appeared in Yacht Style Issue 46 along with profiles of yards in China, which are covered in a separate article on Luxuo (see below). Email subscribe@lux-inc.com for print subscription enquiries or subscribe to the Magzter version at: www.magzter.com/SG/Lux-Inc-Media/Yacht-Style/Fashion/ P olice are investigating a death on the tracks near an east London train station after a body was found early on Monday morning. British Transport Police (BTP) were called to Upney station in Barking and Dagenham at 3.15am after a report of a casualty on the tracks. A spokesman for the BTP told the Standard: Paramedics attended but sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene. Efforts to identify the person are ongoing, alongside enquiries to establish the circumstances that led to them being on the tracks. Commuter Joe Collins, 30, told the Standard: "I was on a westbound District Line train at around 8:40 this morning on my way to work. We were told at Becontree that the train would not be stopping at Upney because of an incident. "When we passed through Upney, near the western end of the platform, I saw what appeared to be a body bag being wheeled towards the exit. Apart from that and a couple of police officers, the platform was empty when I passed through." The incident caused severe delays on the Undergrounds Hammersmith & City Line and the District Line during Monday mornings commute. S ales of non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits are at a record high in the UK with increasing numbers of London producers looking to make the most of the 100 million industry. Figures from market researchers Nielsen indicate sales of some categories are up by over a third. Britons spent a record 57 million in the 12 months to April on low or non-alcoholic beers an increase of 39 per cent and the equivalent of 12.5 million pints consumed. They also spent 48 million on low or no-alcohol wines over the same period. Non-alcoholic spirits, a market only three years old, is now worth 5 million. Gemma Cooper, from Nielsen, said the demand for non- and low-alcohol drinks was not exclusively driven by the health conscious, adding there was across-the-board interest from all consumers who increasingly want ways to cut down. She said: Our data shows that just over one in 10 shoppers say they are looking to cut down their alcohol consumption. And while most are doing this by simply drinking less, some are turning to low or no-alcohol products. She added that having a wide selection of non-alcoholic cocktails in venues such as the American Bar at The Savoy was boosting the trend. The Wine and Spirit Trade Association said the low-alcohol wine and beer market had increased ten times since 2009 and the wider and non-alcoholic spirit alternatives are following suit. Selfridges said sales of non-alcoholic spirits were up 50 per cent year on year and Waitrose said sales of its low-alcohol products were exceeding expectations. It comes as World Health Organisation data found Britons are on average drinking less alcohol, with consumption falling from 12.6 litres of pure alcohol a year per adult in 1990 to 11.4 litres in 2017. A 2018 study involving nearly 10,000 young people aged 16 to 24 found the number who said they never drink alcohol increased from 18 per cent in 2005 to 29 per cent in 2015. Several celebrities have now gone teetotal, including Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Blake Lively. Peroni, Becks and Heineken are among the global brands making zero-alcohol beers, along with east London Nirvana Brewery. The non-alcohol spirit market was launched in 2015 with Seedlip, brainchild of former London graphic designer Ben Branson, who has taught model Moss how to make non-alcoholic cocktails. He also has non-alcohol aperitifs. A shop manager and former bomb disposal officer have been hailed as heroes after they saved three people from the burning wreckage of a light aircraft that crashed onto a busy dual carriageway. Retail manager Daniel Nicholson, 46, and former army bomb disposal officer Joel Snarr, 35, slammed on their car brakes and rushed to the scene when the plane came down on the A40 near Abergavenny, Wales, on Sunday morning. The pair pulled the pilot and his two passengers, a young man and woman, from the wreckage just seconds before the entire aircraft was engulfed in flames. The plane came from nowhere, and if it had been two seconds later it would have hit us," said Mr Nicholson, who had been driving with his son when they saw the plane plummet to the ground directly in front of them just after 11am. "The plane literally burst into flames in front of me and it had landed upside down. The plane crashed onto the A40 around 11am on Sunday / Mathew Inglesby "I screeched to a halt, and didn't hesitate I could see there were people in there. The 46-year-old told Wales Online he could see a young woman screaming inside the plane. He tried to smash the front window before noticing a crack at the back. He described how he and the trapped woman began kicking at the glass: She was kicking from the inside, helping and eventually I was able to drag her out and a boy who looked to be a sibling, they seemed a similar age, around 19-20. The married retail manager was assisted in his rescue operation by ex-army sergeant Joel Starr, who was in the car with his wife at the time of the crash. He helped Mr Nicholson pull the young woman free before turning to the pilot. "I grabbed the lady by the belt and pulled her out, he told the BBC. The pilot then put out his hands and I heaved him out. We got them away from the plane, which was getting hotter and hotter, added the 35-year-old, who was medically discharged from the army with PTSD after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Police said the aircrafts three occupants had been treated by paramedics at the scene but that their injuries were not life-threatening. The plane had hit cables before crashing onto the road near a private landing strip. Kelly Hale, the wife of a witness to the drama, described on Facebook how her husband had been next to Mr Nicholson as he began pulling the victims out. A Londoner is set to become the first Miss Universe Great Britain contestant to wear a headscarf in the competition. Business account manager Farhia Ali will take part in the final in July, where she will be one of 40 contestants with the chance to represent the nation at Miss Universe. Ms Ali, who moved to the UK from Somalia as a child, spends much of her spare time doing voluntary and community work both at home and in Kenya. She said the competition is offering her an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of the UK. Farhia Ali / Photo: @Hanna.dahir I feel that now more than ever it is important for women to feel valued in this world," she said. Being a woman of colour, I have used this desire to push me to achieve excellence in everything that I do. Moving to Great Britain as a young child provided me with endless opportunities. I often travel back to Kenya where most of my family live and seeing the devastation in the rural areas showed me that living in the UK our education, wellbeing and future are prioritised. The importance of education has motivated me to want a better education for young women, young mothers and victims of FGM and forced marriages. A new law aimed at cracking down on so-called puppy farms is set to be introduced. Known as Lucy's Law, the legislation will ban the sale of puppies and kittens by third parties and ensure buyers deal directly with breeders or animal rehoming centres, rather than commercial dealers. The new rules are being laid in Parliament on Monday and need a debate in both houses to pass into law. The ban is scheduled to come into force on April 6 2020. It is named after Lucy, a cavalier king charles spaniel who died in 2016 after being poorly treated on a puppy farm. "This is about giving our animals the best possible start in life and making sure that no other animal suffers the same fate as Lucy, said Environment Secretary Michael Gove. "It will put an end to the early separation of puppies and kittens from their mothers, as well as the terrible conditions in which some of these animals are bred." Puppy farmers notoriously breed litters which are separated from their mothers within weeks, and either advertised online or sold to pet shops. The new law, which will apply to England, would require animals to be born and reared in a safe environment, with their mothers, and to be sold from their place of birth. The plans are also designed to deter smugglers who abuse the Pet Travel Scheme to bring young animals into the UK to be sold. I'm absolutely thrilled that Lucy's Law is now being laid in Parliament and will come into effect from April 2020, said Marc Abraham, Lucy's Law campaigner and founder of charity Pup Aid. "Lucy's Law is named after one of the sweetest, bravest dogs I've ever known, and is a fitting tribute to all the victims of the cruel third party puppy trade, both past and present." RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said he was "absolutely thrilled" with the legislation but stressed the importance of putting it into practice. "We hope this ban, alongside the tougher licensing regulations that were introduced in October, will help to stamp out the underground trade that exploits these wonderful animals simply to make a quick buck," he said, adding that 2018 was the charitys "busiest year yet" with 4,397 complaints about the puppy trade in England alone. Paula Boyden, veterinary director at dog welfare charity Dogs Trust, praised the plans to introduce a ban on third party sales, but urged the Government to go further. "We would like to see additional measures introduced to ensure the ban is as robust as possible, she said. "There is time before April 2020 for the Government to consider regulation of rehoming organisations and sanctuaries, ensure full traceability of all puppies sold, and strengthening of the pet travel scheme. M etro Bank has told customers their money is safe after a social media rumour about the bank's financial health caused hundreds of customers in west London to flocked to stores to withdraw cash and valuables from safety deposit boxes. Images were posted on Twitter showing hundreds of customers lining up to withdraw from the bank after unsubstantiated warnings began to circulate on west London community WhatsApp groups. The messages, which began on Saturday, allegedly suggested customers go down to their Metro Bank branch and withdraw their belongings from safety deposit boxes, because the bank was trying to take ownership of items held. Although the confusion over safety deposit boxes was very localised to west London communities, rumours soon spiralled on Twitter as users began to post about the safety of their money. One person posted a photo showing queues of people in a west London branch saying: Metro Bank branch in Harrow packed with people trying to withdraw funds. Twitter user Dylan Shah also posted a shot saying: Long qs in the Metro Bank today to take out their money. Metro Bank quell rumours over safety deposit boxes (Nick Ansell/PA ) / Nick Ansell/PA Seems a lot of people are spooked about having another Northern Rock on their hands. Another commenter wrote: Rumours saying take money out!!! The bank repeatedly responded on social media with the message: Metro Bank remains a safe and secure haven for our customers money. Metro Bank spokesman Abigail Whittaker told the Standard: This is something that started on Saturday and especially very localised in the west London area. Were aware there were increased queries in some stores about safe deposit boxes following false rumours about Metro Bank on social media & messaging apps, she added in a statement. There is no truth to these rumours and we want to reassure our customers that there is no reason to be concerned. Ms Whittaker also reassured customers that the rumours were false, saying: Metro Bank does not take ownership of customer items held in safe deposit boxes. This means that under all circumstances the contents of safe deposit boxes remain customer property, not the property of Metro Bank. Rumours were quickly associated to the recent drop in Metro Bank share prices, although the bank assured customers there is no connection whatsoever. The bank issued a statement last week to say that it had begun final discussions with existing shareholders and new investors over the 350m growth equity that has been raised. G hanas chief imam, who recently turned 100, has been praised for championing peace after he attended a Catholic Church service as part of his birthday celebrations. Pictures of Sheikh Osman Sharubutu, sitting attentively in the pews of Christ the King Catholic Church in the Ghanaian capital Accra, have gone viral on social media. The grand mufti, leader of Ghana's minority Muslim community, was pictured alongside parish priest Father Andrew Campbell during a service on Easter Sunday. The images of the two men have been given added poignancy as they were captured on the day of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, in which Islamist suicide bombers killed more than 250 people at churches and hotels across the country. Sheikh Sharubutu was criticised by some for participating in Christian prayer, but insisted he was not worshipping and was only trying to enforce Islamic values of tolerance and engagement. The chief imam is changing the narrative about Islam from a religion of wickedness, a religion of conflict, a religion of hate for others, to a religion whose mission is rooted in the virtues of love, peace and forgiveness," his spokesperson Aremeyao Shaibu told the BBC. Supporters of his actions have taken to social media to praise the 100-year-old. The grand mufti, leader of Ghana's Muslim community, wants to ensure that his legacy is peace - the fruit of inter-faith harmony, wrote one Twitter user. Not all news is bad news. Everyone can emulate Sheikh Osman Sharubutu and reach out to someone different from themselves, even in a small way, and everyone should! tweeted another. Sheikh Sharubutu has been Ghana's top Muslim cleric for 26 years, after being appointed chief imam at the age of 74. Until then, Ghana had not had a national Muslim leader. Muslims make up 18% of the population in the predominantly Christian country. The centenarian has always insisted the key tenets of Islam are rooted in peace and love, and frequently cites his favourite Koranic verse to which he attributes his peaceful philosophy. A n Iranian citizen has been jailed for 10 years on charges of spying for Britain. Officials in Tehran claimed the suspect worked for the British Council. Gholamhossein Esmaili, a judiciary spokesman, said: "An Iranian who was in charge of Iran desk in the British Council and was cooperating with Britain's intelligence agency... was sentenced to 10 years in prison after clear confessions." The suspect was not identified by name or gender. Sir Ciaran Devane, chief executive of the British Council, said: We have seen reports that an Iranian national, claimed to be an employee of the British Council, has been sentenced. "However we have not been able to confirm that this is our colleague. Our colleagues safety and wellbeing remain our first concern, as it has been throughout their detention. We are in close contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: We are very concerned by reports that an Iranian British Council employee has been sentenced to jail on charges of espionage. "We have not been able to confirm any further details at this stage and are urgently seeking further information. A British-Iranian woman held in Tehran, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly planning the "soft toppling" of Iran's government while travelling with her young daughter. Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who works for the charity arm of Thomson Reuters, was arrested in April 2016. Her sentence has been widely criticised. J ameela Jamil has described an abortion she had when she was younger as the best decision she has ever made as she hit out at a US states new laws. The actress, 33, posted a string of messages on social media after the US state of Georgia moved to ban abortions once a foetal heartbeat is detected. Jamil, an activist and advocate for body positivity, said the US states move was "inhumane" and blatantly demonstrative of a hatred of women as she criticised the decision in Twitter posts on Monday. "This anti-abortion law in Georgia is so upsetting, inhumane, and blatantly demonstrative of a hatred of women, a disregard for our rights, bodies, mental health, and essentially a punishment for rape victims, forcing to carry the baby of their rapist, Jamil wrote. It comes after Georgia became the fourth US state this year to make abortion illegal as soon as a foetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. Jamil continued: "I had an abortion when I was young, and it was the best decision I have ever made. Both for me, and for the baby I didn't want, and wasn't ready for, emotionally, psychologically and financially. "So many children will end up in foster homes. So many lives ruined. So very cruel." The Good Place star added: "Ps.. this isn't any diss at all to foster homes. "I'm in awe of people who take in children in need of a family and a home: but if Georgia becomes inundated with children who are unwanted or unable to be cared for, it will be hard to find great fostering for them all." "The anti-abortion law is also especially targeted at those without the means/ability to move state," said the actress. "Women who are marginalised, poor or disabled will, as ever, be the ones to suffer the most. "The wealthy will have so much more freedom." Jamil is not the only celebrity to speak out. Last week actress Alyssa Milano posted a message on social media calling for women to join her in a sex strike to protest against strict abortion laws in America. "Our reproductive rights are being erased," she wrote. "Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy. "Join me by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back. "I'm calling for a #SexStrike. Pass it on." Milano received support from fans and fellow actress Bette Midler joined her in also calling for a sex strike. But others criticised the idea, with some saying she was pushing a false narrative that women only have sex as a favour to men. A Swedish prosecutor has announced she will re-open a preliminary investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange. Eva-Marie Persson, Swedens deputy director of public prosecutions, announced her decision at a press conference in Stockholm after the alleged victim's lawyer asked for the inquiry to be reopened. Ms Persson said: "The prosecutor will shortly request that Julian Assange be detained in his absence suspected on probable cause for an allegation of rape from August 2010. "To be able to execute a detention order, the prosecutor will issue a European Arrest Warrant. An application for a detention order will be submitted to Uppsala District Court, as the suspected crime took place in Enkoping municipality. "On account of Julian Assange leaving the Ecuadorian embassy, the circumstances in this case have changed. I take the view that there exists the possibility to take the case forward. "Julian Assange has been convicted of a crime in the UK and will serve 25 weeks of his sentence before he can be released, according to information from UK authorities." WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange / AFP/Getty Images She added: "I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US. "In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority. The outcome of this process is impossible to predict. "However, in my view the Swedish case can proceed concurrently with the proceedings in the UK. Reopening the investigation means that a number of investigative measures will take place. "In my opinion a new interview with the suspect is required. It may be necessary, with the support of a European Investigation Order, to request an interview with Julian Assange be held in the UK. Such an interview, however, requires Julian Assange's consent." Nick Vamos, lawyer and former head of extradition at Britain's Crown Prosecution Service, said that he expected a Swedish request would take supremacy. Julian Assange on his arrival at Westminster Magistrates court on April 11 / Jack Taylor/Getty Images Responding to the announcement, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said the reopened investigation will give Assange a chance to clear his name. "Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case," he said in a statement. "Its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name. Assange's lawyer Per E Samuelson told Swedish TV the decision to reopen the investigation is "an embarrassment". "I'm surprised. It's embarrassing for Sweden to reopen the investigation," he said. "He has always wanted to help solve this Swedish issue, his big predicament in life is that he risks being extradited to the United States because of his journalistic work." WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange / AFP/Getty Images Prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange after he was accused of rape and other sexual offences in 2010, which he has always denied. The statute of limitations on the rape allegation expires in August 2020. The 47-year-old avoided extradition to Sweden over the allegations after seeking political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, which he entered in 2012. Prosecutors dropped a case of alleged sexual misconduct in 2015 when the statute of limitations had passed. The rape inquiry was dropped two years later because investigators felt unable to progress the case while Assange was living in the embassy. However, last month Assange was dramatically dragged out of the building by police after Ecuador abruptly withdrew the asylum from him. He was subsequently arrested for failing to surrender to the court and was later sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching his bail conditions. Download Image: Web [Jazz] was just there [during my childhood], so it was like breathing: inhaling and exhaling, Wesley Brown explained in the most recent addition of Brilliant Corners. In the journals featured interview conducted by Sascha Feinstein, Ph.D., Robert L. and Charlene Shangraw Professor of English at Lycoming College and editor of Brilliant Corners, Brown discussed the spontaneous creativity involved in jazz music, the role of jazz in American history, and the incorporation of jazz into Browns fiction. Feinstein conducted the interview on December 9, 2018, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Jazz has always been a source of substantial, spiritual nourishment for me, Brown explained. Its an embodiment of what it means to be human in its expression of emotions that are enormously complicated, quarrelsome, jubilant, contradictory, and that ultimately say something profound about us as imperfect human beings. After leading a life of political advocacy, specifically in protest of the Vietnam War, Brown delved into his writing and the world of academia. The author of three novels, four plays, and a short story collection, Brown uses realistic fiction to explore the role of prominent musicians in the jazz world and their possible interactions. He is professor emeritus in English at Rutgers University, where he taught from 1979 until 2005, and has been teaching at Bard College since 2007. In addition to Brown, the Summer 2019 issue of Brilliant Corners features a variety of well-known poets and fiction writers such as Bruce Bond, regents professor of English at the University of North Texas and author of twenty-three books; David Clewell, professor of English and director of creative writing at Webster University in St. Louis; Robert Gibbs, the recipient of the 2016 poetry prize, the 2017 Sandeen Poetry Prize, and a Pushcart Prize; and many more. Brilliant Corners is a biannual journal that highlights an exceptional collection of literature and art pertaining to jazz. Founded in 1996, the journal bears strong ties to Lycoming College, with contributors such as Feinstein, who serves as the managing editor, and Gary R. Hafer, Ph.D., John P. Graham Teaching Professor of English at Lycoming College, who serves as the production design editor. Brilliant Corners is funded in part by the College, the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, and private endowments. A subscription costs $12 per year ($18 for international orders), and checks or money can be sent to Brilliant Corners, Lycoming College, 700 College Place, Williamsport, PA 17701. More information can be found at www.lycoming.edu/BrilliantCorners or on Brilliant Corners Facebook page. R obert DeNiro enjoyed sitting back and watching the dough roll in for his latest acting venture. The A list star swapped Hollywood for Bolton to team up with Warburtons in an advert which gives a nod to his role as Tommy DeVito in 1990 hit, GoodFellas. The ad sees De Niro and his New York associates heading over from the Big Apple to confront Jonathan Warburton after hearing about the new bagels. De Niro hatches a plan to take over the company by slapping labels reading GoodBagels on all of the packaging. Once weve taken care of the competition all weve got to do is sit back and watch the dough roll in, he says before declaring: Youre looking at the new boss of Bolton. Speaking about his involvement with the new From Our Family To Yours campaign, he said it was great fun. It was a pleasure to fly to the UK to film this ad with the Warburtons family, and star alongside Jonathan, he said. Hatching a plan: Robert De Niro in the new Warburtons advert Getting into the bagel business has been great fun, and I hope everyone enjoys the final cut. Jonathan Warburton, Chairman of Warburtons, said: As an iconic New Yorker, Robert De Niro knows his way around a bagel so its great to have his seal of approval. Weve spent months perfecting the recipe and process to ensure we delight families up and down the country with the best thing since sliced bread! The Bolton-based bakery has previously teamed up with Peter Kay, The Muppets and Sylvester Stallone. Overman said law enforcement received information Sunday that Evans may be staying at a residence near Henry. At approximately 9 p.m. on May 12, officers from multiple agencies were in the area and stopped two vehicles leaving the residence, however, Evans was not in the vehicles. Officers approached the residence and Evans allegedly fled on foot toward a wooded area near the North Platte River. Nebraska and Wyoming officers, including K-9 units, searched the area for more than four hours but did not locate Evans. Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe Theyre bred to herd, Purgason said. They are a super high-energy dog and they get anxious. Purgason said other herding dogs, such as German shepherds, are adaptable as service dogs because they were bred for other functions in addition to herding. A German shepherd has been used for utility work, he said. Dont get pigeonholed into a breed, Purgason said. At Highland, he said, they train a little bit of everything from Labrador retrievers to labradoodles (a cross between a Labrador and a poodle) to German shepherds. He said an assessment is vital to determine what breed of dog works best for the client as well as for the job it is expected to do. Be cautious, Purgason said. He said anyone looking to get a service dog needs to do their homework. One of the things to look at is how long has this company been in business. Im not saying you cant have a business thats fairly new be a reputable one, but its something to look at, he said. Highland Canine has been in business for nearly 13 years and Purgason has more than 20 years of experience in training dogs. History occurred this May as Mooresvilles first Girl Troop of Scouts BSA launched. With eager questions and parents in tow, the inaugural group of four girls met May 6, ushering in significant local modernization for the former Boy Scouts of America. I feel like this is a historic event for girls to have the same opportunities boys have had for 100 years, said Tommy DeWeese, scoutmaster for the new girls Troop 166. He alongside several other Scouts BSA adults shared valuable information with the newly formed troop hailing from First Presbyterian Church on McLelland Avenue. The new troop is only the second of its kind in Iredell County; another Girl Troop formed earlier this year in Statesville. The 109-year-old organization, founded in 1910, began to welcome both young women and men in February of this year. This follows the participation of young and adult women in Scouts BSA for more than five decades, across Venturing and Exploring programs as well as STEM Scouts and Sea Scouts. However, 2019 marks the first year allowing girls ages 11-17 to join the scouting ranks and strive for the prestigious Eagle Scout honor. All was quiet inside the Amani Village Market. It was a little bit warm and on the humid side, too, as a lone volunteer sat quietly sorting bags of brightly colored beads. Just trying to see what combinations might work best for necklaces and bracelets, she said. Theres no science to it. Probably not. But there is plenty of art associated with the store Amani sells African beads, bags, jewelry, clothing and other gifts and one heck of a back story for anyone who cares to ask. Proceeds go to support New Life Home Trust, a 25-year-old organization in Kenya with a network of four homes that have housed, fed and cared for some 2,000 abandoned children through the years. One was built largely with money raised right here in Winston-Salem with the support of famed poet and activist of Maya Angelou. (Angelou died at her Winston-Salem home in 2014 at age 86.) Anytime anybody comes in, we ask if theyve been here before, Kay Landry said. If not, they get the full story. Its well worth knowing. Especially on Mothers Day. Long winding road Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (469) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (809) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (555) The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which has enabled the development of the most integrated single market, must stay a common policy not just in statements, but also as regards its concrete enforcement in all EU member states, Minister of Agriculture Petre Daea told the conference organized on Monday in Brussels by the Permanent Representation of Romania to the EU, according to Agerpres. "Increasing environmental ambitions and a substantial budget are necessary for the achievement of the CAP goals aimed at establishing a smart, resilient and diversified farming sector capable of ensuring a sustainable agricultural production, combating climate change and decent incomes for the farmers who deliver essential public goods to the society. Increasing support for young farmers in the context of the CAP reform is particularly important and, according to the Commission's proposal, it is backed by concrete, improved measures," Daea told the Conference on the Common Agricultural Policy and Challenges to Young European Farmers. The Romanian AgriMin argues that young farmers must be supported by appropriate, consistent and effective intervention measures under both CAP pillars, because "they are and will be the core of the policies we jointly define at European level." The subjects approached at the conference organized by the Permanent Representation of Romania to the EU were: the new vision of the CAP and the young European farmers, seeking real solutions to increase competitiveness, including through the use of digitization, innovation, research results, etc. In the opinion of the Romanian Agriculture Minister, currently the biggest challenge for young farmers is access to capital, land and loans. "I am convinced that you have highlighted solutions that envisage precision agriculture and digitization, but young farmers need to be supported by creating the necessary infrastructure that is based on research and innovation and which is capable of allowing them to increase their competitiveness and economic viability, so as to face multiple challenges. I consider we need to rethink the role of agronomic research, including technologies designed to ensure the necessary increase in production to ensure food for an ever-growing global population, but especially the sustainable fight against diseases and pests through reducing the use of chemicals. An essential role is played by stimulating the application of research and innovation results to as many farmers as possible to allow them to increase their efficiency and the sustainability of production," Daea said. The head of the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development emphasized that without providing an adequate budget, the European Commission risks missing out on "achieving the ambitious goals of the CAP reform". "Without any doubt, the CAP provides important added value to the European Union economy, but it also supports the key goals of the UN (SDGs) and those of the Paris Agreement, but without proper budgeting we risk missing out on achieving the ambitious goals of the CAP reform, with serious effects on the environment, the society and the rural milieu. The CAP budget is a major component of the future Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027), thus having in view the proposal to increase environmental ambitions for an agricultural policy that is better adjusted to the requirements of the new realities and adequately responds to the needs of the member states," Daea mentioned. Last but not least, the Minister of Agriculture stated that the Romanian Presidency is working towards achieving, by the end of its term at the EU Presidency, a partial general approach on the whole legislative package of the CAP reform. PLUS leader Dacian Ciolos on Sunday stated during the meeting of the Alliance 2020 USR-PLUS in Timisoara that the Romanian state doesn't work at full potential, Parliament is ill-intentioned and the Romanian President doesn't have any solutions to that, which "benefits both parties involved in the electoral campaign." "An ill-intentioned Parliament and a President without solutions place the state in a precarious balance, which benefits both parties in electoral terms. Missing from the equation are the citizens and the social interest. We are going to make a profound constitutional reform starting from these realities to consider the social interest. We have a politicized Constitutional Court a great part of our society lost trust in. Dragnea placed his people at the Constitutional Court too this week. The Constitutional Court must be unpoliticized. We must leave the dignitaries without the immunity shield, from behind which they mock the justice (...), and introduce the possibility of wealth confiscation," said Dacian Ciolos. He believes that the future Constitution of Romania must specify more clearly the governing responsibilities and that the president and the government must work together, for which the president needs, first of all, to make some decisions. "When you nominate as heads of Government all the marionettes of someone like Dragnea, then you, as president, must take responsibility for that nomination. We will also create such mechanism needed to dissolve the Parliament, in certain situations. Parliament thinks at some point that the president was wrong and he must be suspended, OK, but if they lose in the referendum, then these people in Parliament who asked for the suspension of the president must respect the will of the people and they must step down instead. We live in a system where you cannot have snap elections. We will also change this," added Ciolos. The co-president of the Alliance 2020 brought to mind about the celebration this year by Romania of the 30th anniversary since the Anti-Communist Revolution, which was followed in 1990 by the Timisoara Proclamation, whose item 8, if adopted, would have been the equivalent of the "no convicts in public offices" slogan. A moment like that, with the same ideals, can be the moment of the May 26 election to the European Parliament and the referendum on defending the Justice, in which Romanians are called to say "yes." Dacian Ciolos also pointed out that what happened at the recent PSD (Social Democratic Party) meeting in Iasi showed thousands of people who are humiliated by the current power, who are trapped in poverty and misinformation, and who shouldn't be marginalized, but on the contrary, the Alliance should get closer to them and accept them. "Romania is torn apart by irresponsible politicians. We must repair these broken bridges. We must understand that these people who were tricked by the PSD are our brothers. They are Romanians like us. And we must bring them back among us and respect them, for they are ours. I don't want to deepen the rift between us. I want a Romania for all Romanians. Do not be afraid! They know what is happening to them, but they don't see how to come out of this PSD trap. We must bring them back. Stop booing them. It's time we embrace them and help them escape the PSD trap," he said. The candidate of the Alliance 2020 USR-PLUS in the election to the European Parliament also said that the relation with the minorities in Romania too needs the same bridges worthy of the 21st century, especially the relation with the Hungarian minority, "which is now captive in a political system similar to that of the PSD." "It's time we break the artificial chains and walk together on a more honest, right path. We must overcome our fears and lack of trust that keep us apart. I assure you that we have nothing to be afraid of," said Dacian Ciolos. In his turn, the USR head, Dan Barna, said in his speech that, even if time cannot be turned back to activate Item 8 from the Proclamation of Timisoara, "instead, what we can do today is to make sure that the next generations won't see their future stolen like we saw ours," he said. We had enough lies, incompetence, promises that will never happen. Every time, before the elections, the PSD and the other parties promised us motorways, but we still don't have a motorway to link Timisoara and Bucharest or one to like the historical provinces of Romania. They promised us hospitals and did they make it? They did nothing. Today the hospitals are as dirty as always and medicaments as expensive as ever. They promised us better schools for the children and did they build it? Nothing. And today our children leave the country for better schools or a better pay. (...) But what did they do, in exchange, on August 10? They gassed us, they adopted the criminal codes in Parliament and they gave ordinances to take out the criminals out from prisons," said the co-president of the Alliance 2020 Dan Barna. The Alliance 2020 USR-PLUS on Sunday organised an electoral meeting in Timisoara, with the two co-chairmen, Dan Barna and Dacian Ciolos, alongside all its candidates in the elections to the parliamentary elections. AGERPRES The Ministry of Public Finance (MFP) raised on Monday 424 million lei from banks for a benchmark bond issue with a 61-month residual maturity, at an average yield of 4.46 pct per annum, shows data released by the National Bank of Romania (BNR), according to Agerpres. The nominal value of the issue was 500 million lei and the banks filed bids worth 672.5 million lei. An additional bidding session is scheduled for Tuesday, as the FinMin plans to raise another 75 million lei for the yield set on Monday. The Ministry of Public Finance intends to borrow this May 4.08 bln lei from banks - of which 400 ml lei through the issue of discount T-bills, and 3.2 billion lei by reopening government bond issues; another 480 million lei could add to the previous figures through additional non-competitive bids related to bond auctions. The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Romania, Cord Meier-Klodt, stated on Monday in Galati that the country he represents has never opposed Romania's entry into the Schengen area, according to Agerpres. I want to say something at the beginning: We have never opposed Romania's entry into the Schengen area, this objective is maintained on our part. We have proposed a solution: for example, Schengen accession step by step, firstly only the airports to enter the Schengen area. I think, and this must be understood, that such a project needs the consensus of all participants. Technical preparations are an aspect, but in the end it is a political decision. Part of my work, of my efforts, is to talk to the officials and show them that they can do something to reach such a political compromise and to facilitate it, said Cord Meier-Klodt. Asked if he could give a time horizon for the first step, the one with the entry of airports into the Schengen area, the ambassador replied: It is hard to say. Let us not forget that elections will soon be held and we will have a new political constellation, then we will see. The time factor depends a lot on the political signals from one side and from the other. The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Romania, Cord Meier-Klodt, was in Galati on Monday, where he had a meeting with the county and municipality officials where they discussed about the economic prospects, but especially about the infrastructure. The diplomat also participated at the Eternity Cemetery in the commemoration of the Romanian and German soldiers who died in the battles of the last century. Cord Meier-Klodt also visited two national colleges and Lower Danube University, where German is taught, and spoke to young people and teenagers about the challenges of today's Europe in the context of the European elections. Interim Minister of Justice Ana Birchall announced on Monday that the case for the extradition of former mayor of Constanta city Radu Mazare was handed over to the authorities in Madagascar. "At 08:00hrs, the case was handed over by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and, at 09:00hrs, it was handed over to the Justice Minister of the Republic of Madagascar. The case included the extradition request, as well as all the documents sent by the relevant courts of our country, both in Romanian and translated in French," Birchall stated at the Justice Ministry headquarters. Radu Mazare was picked up by the authorities in Madagascar and he is being held in custody, this measure being taken following a warrant issued by the Romanian authorities through Interpol. AGERPRES Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Ludovic Orban accused on Monday the ruling Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) of having disbanded Parliament, "in the desperate hope that they can still squeeze some votes on the last hundred meters, according to Agerpres. "I publicly accuse PSD-ALDE of having disbanded Parliament, in the desperate hope that they can still squeeze some votes on the last hundred meters. We were readying a motion on European funding, to trigger a serious alarm signal that we risk losing billions and billions of euro because of the government's incapacity and in hopes that something could still be done on the last lap provided that those who manage European funds wake up to reality," Orban said, commenting on Parliament's activity in these final weeks of campaign. Orban asserted after the meeting of the PNL Executive Office that the figures presented by former Minister of European Funds Rovana Plumb are "brazen lies" and have no connection with reality. "If we put aside the phasing, namely the settlements that started in the past financial period, and if we put aside the direct parts in relation to which the government has no merit and no contribution, the true absorption rate is around 6 percent. And even at this rate of absorption, the main merit does not belong to the government, but to the local authorities which are led by PNL representatives. Romania is entitled to 42 billion euro in non-reimbursable financing during the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework and PSD-ALDE are driving Romania in the situation of losing billions of euro, money that could have flown in for the development of infrastructure, for increasing the level of civilization in small urban or rural areas, money that could have come to support Romanian companies in their development and regional or European expansion process, for the development of the education system or for building the regional hospitals," Orban said. He added that talks on the censure motion to be tabled by PNL will take place after May 26. Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea, leader of the Social Democrats, on Monday had a meeting with the Palestinian Ambassador in Bucharest, Fuad Kokaly, to discuss the strengthening of bilateral cooperation and the identification of new areas of common interest, according to Agerpres. "The two officials brought to mind the traditional friendship ties between the two countries and highlighted the good level of cooperation between Romania and the State of Palestine. In this context, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies appreciated the special dynamics of the bilateral contacts, showing that the deepening of the relationship with Palestine is a priority for Romania. During talks, emphasis was placed on diversifying consistent sectoral cooperation in areas such as domestic affairs, health, education and agriculture," a press release of the Chamber of Deputies sent to AGERPRES informs. Liviu Dragnea also confirmed Romania's support for the advancement of cooperation between the EU and Palestine during our country's exercising the presidency of the Council of the EU, the cited source mentioned. The European Federation of Journalists supports the removal of the amendments restricting the freedom of expression in the current Romanian Criminal Code and the granting of tax cuts to the media industry identical to those in the European Union, including protection measures for freelancers, according to Agerpres. According to a press release from FAIR - MediaSind, the General Assembly of the European Federation of Journalists, comprising representatives of more than 320,000 journalists from 35 European countries, took place from 9 to 10 May 2019 in Tallinn, Estonia. On behalf of Romania, attending the event were the leaders of the Federation of Culture and Mass Media FAIR-MediaSind, Leonard Paduret, president, and Cristinel Godinac, executive president, who presented the problems faced by the Romanian press. The topic of the meeting of the largest organization of European journalists was journalism as a public asset. In this context, the problems faced by both public and private sector employees, the freelancers' issues, professional ethics issues, political control over press societies were discussed. The strategy for the next year was also set out, as well as how affiliated organizations will be supported by the EFA leadership alongside the European institutions - the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. Mogens Blicher Bjerregard was re-elected president of the European Federation of Journalists, and Marta Barcellina as Vice-President. Attending the event, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid said that his country supports journalists, and press freedom must be recreated every day, if necessary. Winner of an Oscar and many other prestigious awards at the world's major film festivals over a four-decade career, film director and producer Nicolas Cage will receive the Transylvania Trophy for Contribution to World Filmmaking at the 18th edition of the Transylvania International Film Festival TIFF 2019. According to a press statement released on Monday, the American star will be in Cluj, May 31-June 2, and his presence was made possible thanks to Cemacon's support. "A true star with an atypical personality in the Hollywood landscape, Nicolas Cage has created memorable roles in films, nonchalantly moving from blockbusters to art films, being one of the best-rated actors of all time. Born on January 7, 1964 to a family of Italian origin full of filmmaking personalities, Nicolas Kim Coppola wanted to become an actor ever since he was a little boy, inspired by his idol James Dean," according to the TIFF press statement. Cage will receive the Transylvania Trophy for Contribution to the World Filmmaking at a special event to be held on June 1 in the Unirii Open Air Market before thousands of spectators there. The audience will then be able to watch the hi-tech thriller "Face /Off," directed by John Woo, where Nicolas Cage, along with John Travolta, alternately plays the role of a psychopath killer and the police officer that chases him. On Sunday, June 2, on the spectacular backdrop of Banffy Castle at Bontida, moviegoers will watch the bloody horror "Mandy" (2018, directed by Panos Cosmatos) from 21:30hrs. The film is a "fabulously ferocious revenge horror" according to British newspaper The Guardian, with Cage "on magnificent, mind-boggling form as a chainsaw-wielding lumberjack hunting the gang who invaded his home." Also on June 2 a masterclass will be moderated by TIFF artistic director Mihai Chirilov, a unique meeting between Cage and the public. AGERPRES National Liberal Party (PNL) leader Ludovic Orban said Monday, referring to the letter from the First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, that there is a major risk that Romania will be suspended from voting in the European Council, pointing out that the Social Democratic Party (PSD, major at rule, ed.n) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE, minor at rule, ed.n) risk calling into question our country's membership of the EU, according to Agerpres. The European Commission (EC) confirmed on Monday that First Deputy Prime Minister Frans Timmermans sent a new letter to the Romanian authorities expressing concern about developments concerning the rule of law in Romania. The letter is addressed to President Klaus Iohannis, to the President of the Senate, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, to the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea, and to Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, as EC spokesperson Margaritis Schinas told a press conference. The main concern refers to developments that interfere with the independence of the judiciary and the effective fight against corruption, including the protection of the financial interests of the European Union, especially the recently adopted amendments to the criminal codes that risk creating a de facto impunity for offenses. The possible legislation which allows extraordinary appeals, would further aggravate the state of the rule of law. If the necessary improvements are not rapidly adopted or if other negative measures are taken, such as promulgating the latest amendments to the criminal codes, the Commission will activate without delay the framework for the protection of the rule of law and will suspend the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. The Commission also reserves its duties as guardian of the Treaties and will not hesitate to swiftly launch the infringement procedure if necessary. The Commission's objective remains to help the Romanian authorities find solutions to the problems of the rule of law. The Commission remains ready to engage in constructive and active dialogue with the Romanian authorities and to work together for a stronger Romania in the European Union, Schinas said. President Klaus Iohannis sent a message on Monday on the occasion of the 7th ASEF Rectors' Conference and Student's Forum, held in Bucharest, advocating for the strengthening of the collaboration of higher education institutions in Romania with international partners, according to Agerpres. "I would like to extend an invitation to our international partners to strengthen their cooperation with higher education institutions in Romania and to assure that the international academic partnerships have an ally in the person of the President of Romania. I will do my best to promote the internationalization of education as a bridge between our societies," President Iohannis said in the message presented by presidential advisor Ligia Deca. According to him, the relationship between Europe and Asia is a "driver of global progress and must be multi-sectoral". "Universities are often considered to be trailblazers, with a role to play in building a sustainable economy as the initiator of social and economic change. The limited resources of our planet have not prevented us - so far - from advancing in various areas, for example by reducing extreme poverty, but we still have many problems to face, with fewer resources available than in the past. Keeping old consumer habits is no longer an option if we want to protect the planet for future generations,'' said Iohannis. He has shown that changing individual behaviors is not enough to combat climate change and that technology plays a critical role. "200 years ago, the Malthusian catastrophe regarding overpopulation proved to be unfounded: technological developments have allowed modern agriculture to reduce the share of people at risk of starvation to a historically low level. At present, similar revolutions are needed on how we produce in reducing the use of resources used in accessing services, but also in our everyday lives. Technological transformations that will generate these revolutions will probably appear in the laboratories of our universities. Higher education has the unique ability to identify the needs of the moment, to find opportunities for research and exploit its results to promote sustainable development. The synergy resulting from inter-university cooperation and collaborative projects can only accelerate our progress toward achieving sustainable development goals," Iohannis said. He mentioned that in Romania students and their representatives are increasingly involved in the development of public policies, and the exchange of good practices with regard to their inclusion in the decision-making process is valuable. Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) stated on Sunday evening that the Government managed in two years to increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by almost one third and Romania's public debt declined by 2 percent. The PSD leader said that the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Save Romania Union (USR) which maintain the contrary, don't do nothing else, but lie to the population. "Please, let someone give an example of a country that increased the national wealth by one third in two years. The budget revenues increased by almost one third. Certainly, they come and say inside a lie, because they lie just as they breathe, somebody read some comments from the USR members that we increased the salaries and pensions, the economy developed, but we indebted the country that even our grandchildren will pay. I only provide a few simple figures that can be understood. The debt of a country is the public debt, which includes the central and local administration. When we came to the governance, the public debt in Romania stood at 37.1 percent of the GDP, if I'm not mistaken, now, it is 35.1 percent, thus, we lowered it by two percents. What does that mean? Romania is among the top seven countries in terms of the slightest debt in the EU. Out of 28 states, there are 21 states with a much higher public debt than we do. This lie, that Romania is getting indebted is more than a whopper, it's dangerous," Liviu Dragnea stated at Romania TV private television station. The PSD Chairman added that, although, the destabilisation of the Government, as well as his intimidation are attempted, he will not give up. "There is no reason to give up, they tried to do anything, they had and, still have a plan to send me to jail. This is Iohannis's dream and the main task he gives to all his servants. They tried to divide the party, they convinced a handful of people to leave the PSD to make another small party, just-just to destabilise the party, only to destabilise the majority, the Government falls and this programme will no longer continue. How can I give up?," Dragnea said. Liviu Dragnea also gave assurances that the Government has money to pay pensions and wages. The Social Democrat leader said that at the basis of all these attacks lays President Klaus Ioahnnis, about whom he believes to be "worse than Basescu". AGERPRES Senior official for defence policy, planning and international affairs with Romania's Defence Ministry (MApN) Nicolae Nasta will be attending, 13 - 14 May, along with defence and foreign ministers of the EU member states, a Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting and a meeting of European Defense Agency's (EDA) Steering Committee in the format of defence ministers to be held in Brussels. According to a MApN press statement, on the side-lines of the meetings, the EU defence and foreign ministers will meet their counterparts from the G5 Sahel Group members and officials of this organisation to address the security situation in the area. "During two days of discussion, the main aspects of co-operation between the European Union and NATO will be presented, especially in the area of combating hybrid threats, and the recent developments in the joint actions of the two organisations under the EU-NATO Joint Declaration adopted in July 2018," according to MApN. Another item on the agenda will be the Process of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), with the defence ministers expected to pass a European Council recommendation concerning the sequencing of the fulfilment of the more binding commitments undertaken in the framework of permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) and specifying more precise objectives. The EDA Steering Committee will unveil the implementation of the defence initiatives and discuss, among other things, the organisation's 2019 and 2020 budgets. On May 14, the defence ministers will sign the "Optimising Cross Border Movement Permission in Europe" EDA programme agreement as part of the FAC meeting. AGERPRES Former Bucharest General Mayor Sorin Oprescu was sentenced by the Bucharest Tribunal on Monday to four years and four months in prison for corruption offenses. The decision is not final and can be appealed. The Bucharest Tribunal issued the first decision on Monday in the case where the former city official was tried for several corruption offenses and for money-laundering in connection with the amounts illegally received through commissions. The judge has decided the acquittal for the money laundering. Oprescu was however sentenced to four years in prison for bribery and the banning of certain rights for three years. The judge ruled the confiscation from Oprescu of the 25,000 euro amount, which was the subject of the bribery offense. The court also ruled that the former mayor is also responsible for the establishment of an organised crime ring, for which the judge has decided a one-year prison sentence. For abuse of office, the court has determined that Sorin Oprescu should be given a sentence of three years in prison. Thus, the court found the final punishment to be the highest, the four-year one, to which it added an extra sentence of one year and four months. From this, the court subtracted a year during which Oprescu was in custody, home arrest, and under judicial control. According to the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), since the end of 2013, Oprescu has been heading an organised crime group, set up by the Director of Administration of Cemeteries and Human Crematories Bogdan Cornel Popa, with the purpose of conducting acts of corruption, namely bribery and bribe-taking, using money from the budget of the Bucharest municipality. On September 5, 2015, Oprescu received at his residence in Ciolpani 25,000 euro from his subordinate Bogdan Popa, Director of the "Brancovan Palaces" Cultural Centre. According to DNA, the money is alleged to have come from deeds of corruption. Education Minister Ecaterina Andronescu welcomed the students that made up team Romania at the 17th edition of the European Union Science Olympiad (EUSO ) hosted by the Portuguese town of Almada that won seven silver medals, at the airport on Sunday. According to a press statement released by the Education Ministry (MEN), the six winners are Mihnea Nastai (Mihai Eminescu Collegiate High School of Satu Mare), Tudor Gabriel Mocioi (Tudor Vianu Collegiate High School of Informatics in Bucharest) and Mircea Raul Bodrogean (Bucharest International Theoretical High School of Computer Science), all competing as team A, as well as Malina Elena Constantinescu (Iasi Collegiate High School), Gheorghe Gaitan (Petru Rares Collegiate High School of Suceava), and Neculau Octavian (Bucharest International Theoretical High School of Computer Science), all in team B. The teams were coordinated by Stefan Theodor Tomas of the Bucharest School of Polytechnics, delegation leader and chemistry mentor; Georgiana Dua-Cornescu of the Biology Faculty of Bucharest University, a biology mentor; and Ion Toma of the Mihai Viteazul Collegiate High School of Bucharest. The EU Science Olympics (EUSO) is an interdisciplinary team competition. Each participating country may sign up two teams composed of three students. The contestants take two practical four-hour tests each in three subject matters (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), the points of each experiment being added to the teams' score count. This year's edition brought together 50 teams from 24 countries. Andronescu, welcomed and congratulated team Romania on their results at the Henri Coanda International Airport on Sunday. AGERPRES BRUSSELS European Union antitrust regulators are fining Anheuser-Busch InBev, the worlds biggest brewer, more than 200 million euros ($225 million) for abusing its dominant position in the Belgian beer market. The EUs executive commission said Monday that the Belgium-based brewer is selling its popular Jupiler brand at lower prices to supermarkets and wholesalers in the neighboring Netherlands. The commission, which polices antitrust issues, says A-B InBev is trying to keep prices high in Belgium by stopping those Dutch outlets from exporting Jupiler back across the border more cheaply. EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager says attempts by dominant companies to carve up (Europes) single market to maintain high prices are illegal. She says Belgian consumers have been paying more for Jupiler because of A-B InBevs deliberate strategy to restrict cross border sales. St. Louis is the North American headquarters for the Budweiser and Bud Light maker. The announcement could mark the beginning of the end for the Chandler, Arizona-based drugmaker. Earlier this month, Insys founder John Kapoor and four ex-executives were convicted of engaging in a racketeering conspiracy to use a sham speaker's program to bribe doctors into ramping up off-label Subsys prescriptions and then duping insurers into covering the shady scripts. Kapoor and the others -- who haven't yet been sentenced -- face a maximum of 20 years in prison each on the charges. With his conviction, the former billionaire becomes the first pharma CEO to face significant jail time in connection with allegations he helped fuel the U.S.' current opioid epidemic. Insys said in March that it had hired Lazard Ltd. to advise it on capital planning and the evaluation of strategic alternatives. The company said Friday that it will continue to look at strategic alternatives or selling assets. In the filing, Insys warned investors that "there are no assurances that the company will be successful in implementing a strategic plan for the sale of its assets in order to address its impending liquidity constraints." Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The latest U.S. Postal Service stamp should provide World War II buffs and philatelists with the catalyst needed to buy some new product. Next month, the USS Missouri will be featured on a Forever stamp. "Mighty Mo," as the ship was nicknamed, was the site of Japan's signing the terms of surrender to the Allies, bringing an end to the war. The ship was christened at her launching by Mary Margaret Truman, daughter of Harry Truman, who was a U.S. senator at the time. It went on to win 11 battle stars for action in Word War II, Korea and the Persian Gulf. The first day of issue will be June 11, which is the 75th anniversary of the battleship being commissioned in 1944. A ceremony will be held at the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Your weekly capsule of local news, life advice, trivia and humor from Post-Dispatch columnist Joe Holleman. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. On the witness stand, the woman said she was excited about the getting the meal because she had been in jail for more than seven months. Had I known he was going to try to have sex with me, she said, I would have turned it down from the beginning. Surveillance video from the jail showed Jones moving the woman from one cell to another, bringing her lunch and reaching his arm through an open cell door. In court last week, Jones lawyer Charles Billings suggested the womans claims were aimed at cashing in through a civil lawsuit she filed in 2017 against Jones, the city and sheriffs officials. Billings presented deposition testimony from the womans cellmate, who said the woman later discussed filing a lawsuit and possibly splitting the money. Thats what I felt, she sensed an opportunity, the cellmate said, according to a deposition transcript. The woman later pleaded guilty to robbing a clothing store clerk at knifepoint in 2016. She was sentenced to probation for the crime. In her suit, which was later moved to federal court, the woman claimed other jail staffers provided inmates cigarettes and food for sex. PEVELY A police officer here was charged with a misdemeanor Monday after allegedly shoving and choking a prisoner inside a booking area last month. Jefferson County Prosecutor Trisha Stefanski issued a summons Monday for Cpl. Robert Ryan Watson, 28, of Cedar Hill, for fourth-degree assault. This is a decision we dont take lightly, Stefanski said. Im a huge supporter of law enforcement, but this was unprofessional, and there was a crime committed. She said she did not file a felony charge because authorities could not prove the victim was injured. The man did not seek medical attention. The Jefferson County Sheriffs Department investigated the incident, which was caught on video, at the request of Pevely Police Capt. Larry Miller. Miller has been the departments acting chief since March. Miller said the incident happened April 23, and he took immediate action. He said he could not comment further. Mayors and other local officials from St. Charles County sat in the gallery to watch as Eigel took over the Senate floor and outlined his opposition to the package and then burned more time by reading speeches by former President Ronald Reagan. Earlier in the day the local officials gathered in the governors office to livestream a series of positive testimonials about the project on Facebook. I want to thank the governor for the leadership and supporting and making sure that we retain jobs in the Wentzville area, and keeping this plant viable, Wentzville Mayor Nick Guccione said Monday in the governors office. We do need a trained, skilled workforce because people are retiring. The estimated 40 local officials also serve as an unofficial lobbying arm of the governors office to pressure the entire Senate to approve the package. They were in town to receive a boost of encouragement from the governor, said Parson spokesman Steele Shippy. In addition to the tax credits for GM, the plan contains elements of Parsons Fast Track job training scholarship program for adults, which is funded in the proposed budget at $10 million. "I wanted to get to the flowers before the flood kills it off," she said. "I love those flowers." The family spent some time in the home, but when they went inside, 8-year-old Lily said what everyone was thinking: "It smells like fish in here." So they made a new plan and went to Cuivre River State Park instead. "All we really need is a barbecue," Debbie Aubuchon said. She cooked the family's traditional Mother's Day hot dogs on a park grill while the kids ran around, carefree in the grass. "It could be worse," she said as she stoked the charcoal. Her niece got a full foot of water in a neighboring home. Plus, the Aubuchons have flood insurance they purchase for about $500 a year, while a few of their neighbors are on the hook for the damage themselves. "I think this is going to be the last time we'll go through this," Debbie Aubuchon said. Her husband works in construction and plans to restore the home with help from family. Then they plan to sell. "I'm ready to put a 'for sale' sign out in front," she said. "We need to get to higher ground." Colombo : The Sri Lankan government Monday blocked social media following rising tensions between the minority Muslims and majority Sinhalese in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings which killed nearly 260 people. The blockade comes a day after Sri Lankan police imposed curfew in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw where a mob attacked a mosque and some shops owned by Muslims in a dispute that started on a Facebook post by a Muslim shop owner. The blockade of Facebook and WhatsApp has been imposed form mid night following violent incidents between the minority Muslim and majority Sinhalese communities, officials said. Late in the evening on Sunday, the unrest spread to Kuliyapitiya where a mosque and a few Muslim owned shops came under attack, prompting the authorities to impose curfew in the northwest town. "The curfew imposed in Kuliyapitya and Chilaw has been lifted," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. The majority nationalist groups have been active on Facebook, reviving calls for boycotts of Muslim-owned businesses and spreading hate. The voilence is a direct fallout from the Eastern Sunday's suicide bombings. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 258 people and injuring over 500 others on April 21. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group, the National Thawheed Jama'ath (NTJ), for the bombings. Sri Lanka has previously blocked social media several times after the Eastern Sunday bombings to prevent the spread of false news reports. PTI ST. LOUIS At least six area school districts will get new superintendents this summer. Mark Miles joins the Rockwood School District in July, replacing Eric Knost, who became superintendent in 2014. Miles has been superintendent of the Indian Hill Exempted Village School District in Cincinnati since 2012 and is a graduate of the University of Missouri. Knost will move to the superintendent position at Lewis Central Community Schools in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Jim Wipke will move from the Fox district in Jefferson County to Ladue, where Donna Jahnke is retiring at the end of the school year. Wipke served four years as superintendent at Fox and has worked as a teacher and administrator in the Rockwood and Parkway school districts. Jahnke has worked in the Ladue district for 32 years, including the last six years as superintendent. Nisha Patel will take over as superintendent at Fox in July. Patel taught high school science in Kansas City, Kan., and in the Rockwood district. She also served as an administrator at Eureka High, Lafayette High and Crestview Middle schools. She has been assistant superintendent of secondary education at Fox since 2016. US government pays for universal lunches in some areas, like New York and Dallas In fact, the federal government does pay for universal school lunches in some jurisdictions -- including the nation's largest school district, in New York City, and other cities like Dallas -- if most of the student body qualifies for assistance. The Community Eligibility Provision was launched after passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which passed with bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010. More than 4,500 districts nationwide take part. According to USDA, however, that's just a fraction of the districts eligible. About 45% of the schools participating in the national school lunch program would be eligible to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision program, but only half of those do, according to a USDA spokesman. Yet sexual orientation, which doesnt affect anything but the most personal aspects of a persons life, can still close doors to apartments, to jobs, to tables. To the right to be treated like any other citizen. The Missouri Non-Discrimination Act would have changed that, with two bills adding sexual orientation and gender identification to the existing bans on discrimination by landlords, employers and businesses. Sexual orientation shouldnt be any more controversial than those other protections. Yet, as reported last week by the Post-Dispatchs Lexi Churchill, the Missouri House leadership didnt even give the measure a committee assignment until late April, just a month before Fridays scheduled adjournment, indicating a clear lack of interest in actually ushering it to a floor vote. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of crazy. This applies to the out-of-control gun violence in St. Louis. We need to do something we are not now doing. I understand Alderman Brandon Bosleys call for the National Guard to deploy, as living here in the "Wild, Wild West" of gun violence can no longer be tolerated. While I am a strong supporter of individual liberties, maybe in this environment stop-and-frisk is a necessary tool. I am a strong supporter of Aldermanic President Lewis Reeds call for an Operation Ceasefire initiative here in St. Louis. This program has had dramatic results in reducing gun violence in many other cities, yet those who could make it happen here, dont. If children are shot and killed, and we dont change what we are doing, shame on us all. James G. Sahaida St. Louis "Four hours is a long time in the land," said Kris Theiler, vice president of the Disneyland Park. "Most guests are going to find that they're ready to roll after four hours." The new $1 billion land was built in the northwest corner of the park, replacing several attractions in Frontierland, including a petting zoo. It will have three entrances, where employees can control the crowd flow. The expansion is designed to resemble a remote outpost on the planet Batuu filled with space outlaws, smugglers and rebels battling the evil empire. The land features two rides, four eateries, one space-themed cantina and five retail shops. Workers last week putting finishing touches on electrical and mechanical features, such as a robot that turns a spit at a barbecue eatery, as media members were allowed a glimpse of the new area. The buildings look aged and war-ravaged, and the rocky hoodoos that dot the landscape are meant to resemble the remnants of giant petrified trees. The roar of spaceships landing and taking off blasts from hidden speakers. Several shops and eateries operate out of what resembles a Middle Eastern bazaar. How Chinese Trade Issues Will Drive Stock Market Trends It is becoming evident that the US/Chinese trade issues are going to become a point of contention for the markets going forward. Weve been review as much news as possible in an attempt to build a consensus for the future of the US markets and global markets. As of last week, it appears any potential trade deal with China has reset back to square one. The news we are reading suggests that China wants to reset their commitments with the US, remove all tariffs and wants the US to commit to buying certain levels of Chinese goods in the future. Additionally, China has yet to commit to stopping the IP/Technology theft from US companies which is a very big contention for the US. This suggests the past 6+ months of trade talks have completely broken down and that this trade issue will likely become a market driver over the next 12+ months. The global markets had anticipated a deal to be reached by the end of March 2019. At that time, Trump announced that he was extending talks with China without installing any new tariffs. The intent was to show commitment with China to reach a deal at that time quickly. It appears that China had different plans the intention to delay and ignore US requests. It is very likely that China has worked to secure some type of plan B type of scenario over the past 6+ months and they may feel they are negotiating from a position of power at this time. Our assumption is that both the US and China feel their interests are best served by holding their cards close to their chests while pushing the other side to breakdown through prolonged negotiations. Our observations are that an economic shift is continuing to take place throughout the globe that may see these US/China trade issues become the forefront issue over the next 12 to 24 months possibly lasting well past the November 2020 US Presidential election cycle. It seems obvious that China is digging in for a prolonged negotiation process while attempting to hold off another round of tariffs from the US. Additionally, China is dealing with an internal process of trying to shift away from shadow banking to eliminate the risks associated with unreported corporate and private debt issues. The limited, yet still valid, resources we have from within China are suggesting that layoffs are very common right now and that companies are not hiring as they were just a few months ago. One of our friends/sources suggested the company he worked for has been laying off employees for over 30 days now and he just found out he was laid-off last week. He works in the financial field. We believe the long term complications resulting from a prolonged US/China trade war may create a foundational shift within the global markets over the next 16 to 24+ months headed into the November 2020 US Elections. Weve already authored articles about how the prior 24 months headed into major US elections tend to be filled with price rotation while an initial downside price move is common within about 16+ months of a major US election event. This year may turn out to prompt an even bigger price rotation. US Stock Market volatility just spiked to levels well above 20 levels not seen since October/November 2018, when the markets fell nearly 20% before the end of 2018. The potential for increased price volatility over the next 12+ months seems rather high with all of the foreign positioning and expectations that are milling around. It seems like the next 16+ months could be filled with incredibly high volatility, price rotation and opportunity for skilled traders. Our primary concern is that the continued trade war between the US and China spills over into other global markets as a constricted price range based trading environment. Most of the rest of the world is still trying to spark some increased levels of economic growth after the 2008-09 market crisis. The current market environment does not settle well for investor confidence, growth, and future success. The combination of a highly contested US Presidential election, US/China trade issues, a struggling general foreign market, currency fluctuations attempting to mitigate capital risks and other issues, it seems the global stock markets are poised for a very big increase in volatility and price rotation over the next 2 years or so. Our first focus is on the Hang Seng Index. This Weekly chart shows just how dramatic the current price rotation has been over the past few weeks and how a defined price channel could be setting up in the HSI to prompt a much larger downside objective. Should continue trade issues persist and should China, through the course of negotiating with the US, expose any element of risk perceived by the rest of the world, the potential for further price contraction is very real. China is walking a very fine line right now as Trump is pushing issues (trade issues and IP/Technology issues) to the forefront of the trade negotiations. In our opinion, the very last thing China wants is their dirty laundry, shady deals and political leadership strewn across the global news cycles over the next 24+ months. The DAX Weekly Index is showing a similar price pattern. A very clear upper price trend channel which translates into a very clear downside price objective is price continues lower. Although the DAX is not related directly to the US/China trade negotiations, the global markets are far more interconnected now than ever before. Any rotation lower in China will likely result in a moderate price decrease in many of the major global market indexes. As weve suggested within our earlier research posts, US election cycles tend to prompt massive price rotations when the election cycles are intense. In our next post PART II of this report, we talk about what happened in the past election cycles reviewing the monthly charts and weekly SP500 index charts which are very telling in what could be about to happen next for the stock market from an investors standpoint. For active swing traders, you are going to love our daily trading analysis. On May 1st we talked about the old saying goes, Sell in May and Go Away! and that is excactly what is happening now right on queue. In fact, we closed out our SDS position on Thursday for a quick 3.9% profit and our other new trade started Thursday is up 18% already. Second, my birthday is only three days away and I think its time I open the doors for a once a year opportunity for everyone to get a gift that could have some considerable value in the future. Right now I am going to give away and shipping out silver rounds to anyone who buys a 1-year, or 2-year subscription to my Wealth Trading Newsletter. I only have 7 left as they are going fast so be sure to upgrade your membership to a longer-term subscription or if you are new, join one of these two plans, and you will receive: 1-Year Subscription Gets One 1oz Silver Round FREE (Could be worth hundreds of dollars) 2-Year Subscription Gets TWO 1oz Silver Rounds FREE (Could be worth a lot in the future) I only have 13 more silver rounds Im giving away so upgrade or join now before its too late! SUBSCRIBE TO MY TRADE ALERTS AND GET YOUR FREE SILVER ROUNDS! Happy May Everyone! Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Despite efforts to keep it secret, details of a 2017 training accident got out after one Russian MiG-31 fighter shot down another MiG-31 with a radar-guided air-to-air missile. The reason for the secrecy was that it was embarrassing for the Russian Air Force, especially since there were so many safety measures in place to make it difficult for such friendly fire losses to occur in combat. But having this happen during training was particularly upsetting because of additional safety measures and a less stressful atmosphere. The accident report document was leaked by persons unknown and that report made it clear what went wrong. The incident took place at a Siberian air force facility in a thinly populated area where aircraft could use their weapons. Drone aircraft were used as targets for training that involved firing air-to-air missiles at a real target. Two MiG-31s were operating together, as they would in combat. One MiG-31 was to fire an R-33 air-to-air missile at the target drone and destroy it. The other MiG-31 was the wingman providing protection for the other. In this case, the main task of the wingman, which was shot down during the exercise, was to stay out of the line-of-fire of the missile firing MiG-31. The wingman was shot down because he got between the missile firing MiG and the target drone at the wrong time. Instead of waiting for instructions from the training exercise commander on the ground, who was monitoring the position of both MiGs and the drone, the navigator in the MiG carrying the missile allowed the MiG 31 fire control radar to designate the wingman as the target rather than the target drone. The pilot of the Mig, who always decides when to launch, then launched the R-33 missile without double checking, as he was supposed to do during a training exercise, that the aircraft fire control system was locked on to the correct target. The R-33 guidance system uses a radar signal detector. The firing aircraft turns on its fire control radar and indicates to the missile before launch which, of many aircraft the radar can see, is the target. The R-33 then goes after the target by using location data from the firing aircraft and what the R-33 radar detector detects bouncing off the designated target aircraft. No one in the air or on the ground seemed to notice that the R-33 was headed for the other MiG-33 and not the target drone until it was too late. Fortunately for the pilot and navigator in the targeted MiG-31 their aircraft was not immediately destroyed when the R-33 went off near them. Both were able to eject and land safely while their heavily damaged aircraft crashed. Since everyone involved survived and the entire incident was tracked by ground radar, it was soon clear what had gone wrong. The incident was not reported as a training accident involving an R-33 missile, but rather a MiG-31 running into technical problems on a training flight that caused the aircraft to crash. There were certainly technical problems, but with the way Russia trains and supervises its pilots. The Russian government wanted to keep details of this incident secret because there have been several embarrassing accidents like this since the 1990s. During these incidents, high-tech aircraft and warships were lost due to sloppy performance by the crews. For example in 2000 a new nuclear sub (the Kursk) was lost when sailors had problems with a torpedo that was to be used for training. While still submerged some crewmen removed the torpedo from the torpedo tube. They then began examining the torpedo and the torpedo exploded, destroying the Kursk and its 118 man crew. Eight years later another nuclear submarine suffered 20 dead when, while submerged, one of the crew turned on part of the fire suppression system which killed or injured 61 people on board. The Mig-31 incident was rare but not unique. Before long-range radar-guided air-to-air missiles became common there were jet fighters shot down by their own cannon shells. This happened because as jet fighters became faster, the possibility of an aircraft running into its own shells became possible and in 1956 there was the first recorded instance of it. An American aircraft builder (Grumman) was testing its first supersonic fighter, the F-11 Tiger. On a test flight, the pilot fired a long burst of shells from its four 20mm autocannon. The F-11 then descended and increased speed. The 20mm shells were also descending and rapidly losing speed. The F-11 caught up with some of these shells, which were ingested by the air intake and caused the engine to fail. Others hit the pilot canopy and killed the test pilot. The aircraft crashed but, when it was recovered and the wreckage reconstructed, it was clear what had happened. Ever since then pilots are warned about accelerating in the direction of just fired 20mm shells. There have been a few subsequent incidents of pilots getting hit by their own cannon shells, but none as dramatic as the F-11 incident. There have been other accidents with the 20mm autocannon still used by many warplanes but now mainly for ground attack. In early 2018 two soldiers driving a rented SUV about five kilometers from an air force live firing range in Utah got hit by some friendly fire. It was at night, and an F-16 that thought it was firing at something in the live fire area, lit up the nearby (driving just outside the firing range) SUV instead. The two soldiers survived, as did the SUV (sort of, it was hit six times). For months nothing was heard about the F-16 pilot and how he managed to screw up. Eventually, details of how it happened surfaced. The F-16 pilot was carrying out night training at a Utah Test and Training Range. The SUV was hit because the pilot was momentarily distracted while closing in on a target about 2.5 kilometers from where the SUV was moving down a road just outside the training area. Only 70 20mm rounds were fired. That was why the two people in the SUV were only injured. Both were cut by flying glass and the passenger got a dislocated shoulder as he rapidly exited the vehicle when it quickly turned off the road and stopped after being hit. The pilot, a veteran of over 800 flight hours in F-16s, was immediately grounded. The pilot was wearing night vision goggles, which are notoriously tricky to use. ("Like looking through a straw" is the most typical user description. The wingman in a nearby F-16 was using a Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, which is preferred, but costs a lot more (as in about a million dollars) than the night-vision goggles. So pilots train with both but prefer the targeting pod. The wingman had illuminated the correct target with the pod's laser designator. But flying low enough to strafe at night requires that the pilot pay close attention to altitude and the ground. One F-16 was lost in Iraq when it came in low at night to use the 20mm cannon and hit the ground. The pilot died. As a result, the air force has encouraged pilots to train more for these kinds of operations. The 20mm fire is appreciated by ground troops because it can be very accurate, especially in an urban environment, with lots of innocent civilians close by. The terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan like to hide out among civilians, and often the only solution for that (if you can't send in some troops) is to put a few dozen 20mm shells into the room where the bad guys are. "Training errors" are normally not something a pilot gets punished for. That's what training is all about. Making mistakes and learning to do it right. But the shot up SUV and two shaken soldiers bring back memories, especially among infantry and marines, of the many friendly fire incidents there have been since 1945. Not so much anymore, thanks to smart bombs and GPS. But the memories fade slowly and there are still opportunities for friendly fire. Weather Eye with John Maunder Temperatures have been recorded in the Tauranga area at several sites during the last 100 years, including the current Tauranga Airport site from June 1990. It's very common for areas such as Tauranga to have had different observation sites during the years and the readings from the earlier sites have been adjusted to the present site using standard climatologically procedures. The temperature series, as shown in the graph, are based on the data from the original observations from the various sites as available on the NIWA National Climate Database archive, with data from the sites prior to the Tauranga Airport site being adjusted, where appropriate, to temperatures which are likely to have been recorded at the current airport site. Traditionally, temperature observations have been recorded with a set of maximum and minimum temperature thermometers. These record the daily maximum temperature (usually recorded in mid-afternoon), and the daily minimum temperature (usually recorded just before dawn). The graph shows details of the average daily maximum temperatures (called simply afternoon'), for Tauranga for April from 1913-2019. Note April 1947 and 1964 are not included because of incomplete data. The long-term average afternoon temperature in April for Tauranga for is 20.0 degrees Celsius, ranging from the cool April months of 1925, with an average afternoon temperature of 18.2 degrees Celsius, and 1923 with an average afternoon temperature of 18.3 degrees Celsius, to the warm April months of 1938 (22.2 degrees Celsius), and 1916 (22.1 degrees Celsius). The graph of the average afternoon temperatures for April shows generally normal variations from April to April, but several of the last 20 April months have been a little warmer than other April months. From 1913 to 2019, there have been 15 April months with an average afternoon temperature of 21.0 degrees Celsius or more, and eight April months with an average afternoon temperature of less than 19.0 degrees Celsius. The value for April 2019 was 20.5 degrees Celsius, The 15 warmest April months in terms of afternoon temperatures on record, in chronological order, are 1916, 1924, 1928, 1935, 1938, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1978, 1981, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016. In contrast, the eight coolest April months in terms of afternoon temperatures on record, in chronological order, are 1923, 1925, 1940, 1941, 1949, 1980, 1991 and 1992. The average afternoon temperatures for Tauranga for the 50 years 1914-1962, and the 50-year period 1963-2011 are both 20.0 degrees Celsius For further information see : https://sites.google.com/site/climatediceandthebutterfly/ The Ministry of Health is reminding travellers to make sure they are fully immunised against measles before they go overseas. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world and globally cases have increased by 300 per cent in the first three months of 2019. Measles outbreaks are being recorded around the world including in countries with high overall vaccination rates including Australia, the United States of America, and Thailand. There has also been an increase in measles cases reported across New Zealand since the start of this year. More than 110 confirmed cases have been recorded in Canterbury, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Northland, Capital and Coast and Southern DHB areas. If youre travelling overseas its really important to make sure youre fully immunised against measles before you go. This will protect you from getting measles and also reduce the risk of you bringing measles back into this country when you return, says the Ministry of Healths director of public health Dr Caroline McElnay. New Zealand eliminated endemic measles in 2012, meaning all cases of this highly infectious virus reported here since then have come from people bringing the disease in from overseas. Local health authorities are working hard to contain the diseases spread, but we are concerned that there is a risk of measles becoming established in New Zealand again. Immunisation is the best way to protect against getting measles. This spike in cases highlights why it is so important that our national immunisation schedule continues on track and children receive their free routine MMR immunisations on time at 15 months and four years of age. We are encouraging people, especially children, teenagers and young adults who have never been vaccinated to get immunised. The MMR vaccination is free for those under 50 who havent had two does. Children who have not yet been immunised are at greater risk of the disease. The MMR vaccine is safe to give to children as young as six months. So, if youre taking your infant to a country where there is a significant measles outbreak we recommend that theyre given a MMR vaccination before you go. Because the vaccines effectiveness is lower for babies under 12 months of age, if they are given the vaccine, they will still need two further doses of the vaccine at 15 months and four years for long term protection. Measles can be deadly. If youre feeling sick or if you or a family member arent fully immunised and may have been in contact with someone with measles you should stay away from work, school, or public places, to help prevent putting other people at risk, says Caroline. Those unsure of their vaccination status can check Well Child Tamariki Ora or Plunket books, or contact their general practice. Further information is available on the Minsitry of Health website or by calling Healthline 0800 611 116. Police are saying they have had no reports of suspicous activity following a post on Facebook. The post warns members of the community not to answer their door if they are not expecting visitors. The post continues to say a random guy knocked on the informants door saying he needed a place to stay. When I said no, he tried to persuade me that hes a decent guy and said aw come on Im not going to do anything, youre not scared are you. He tried to step inside, I had to close my door and step outside and tell him to leave or I would call the police. He told me I was a bitch for not letting a nice man with no car and no place to go on (a) stormy night in. I went back inside and watched him walk up the road and get in a black 4WD and drive away, says the Facebook post. The post then goes on to say that police told the informant he fits the description of a NZ wide wanted man. But according to a police spokesperson it appears that one person is posting this exact Facebook post. We dont know who, if anyone, has actually reported this to police. I have checked calls to 111 for Western Bay of Plenty yesterday, the Bay of Plenty District significant events log and checked with the District Command Centre and the WBOP sergeant and no one is aware of this or can locate a report. Based on all the information available to us, we cannot find record of this and is not an issue WBOP police staff are currently aware of. People who do see suspicious activity in their neighbourhood are urged to contact the new police non-emergency number 105. Information can also be given anonymously via the Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 line. New Zealand dairy co-operative Fonterra has confirmed the sale of its Tip Top brand to global ice cream giant Froneri for $380 million. Word of the deal got out a week ago, when the Australian Financial Review reported the sale was in the works. Fonterra bought the business in 2001, but says it did not want to invest in upgrading and modernising the business as the co-operative looked to cut its debt and get back to basics. Froneri is the third largest ice cream manufacturer in the world, selling brands in 20 countries. The global company's chief executive, Ibrahim Najafi, says it would keep the Tip Top name and continue to operate from the Auckland-based factory in Mount Wellington. "We have always admired Tip Top as New Zealand's favourite and most trusted ice cream brand," Ibrahim says. "The acquisition enhances our scale and supports our vision to build the world's best ice cream company." Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrel says it would maintain ownership of the Kapiti brand. "We... will be licencing its use for ice cream to Froneri. This means our popular Kapiti cheese isn't going anywhere." The deal will be settled at the end of May, but a transition period of a few months is expected. Fonterra says the sale represented a gain of about $100 million above Tip Top's book value, which would have a positive six cents per share impact on earnings. However, it was too early to predict the impact on this financial year's earnings of the overall plan to sell parts of the business, with the sale of Fonterra's DFE Pharma division still a possibility, the co-operative says. -RNZ School teachers and principals across the country have agreed to stage New Zealand's largest-ever strike as negotiations with the Ministry of Education continue to stall. The Post Primary Teachers' Association and New Zealand Educational Institute Te Rui Roa announced the move on Sunday, and say a rolling strike action is also possible. The strike, on May 29, will involve almost 50,000 primary and secondary teachers and primary principals, and will affect hundreds of thousands of students in more than 2000 schools. The two unions' members had also given authority for a five-week rolling strike across the country if the impasse was not resolved, although they hoped that would not eventuate. The announcement came after teachers and principals voted in secret ballots over the past week, with both unions having each rejected four pay offers to date from the ministry. The latest offer from the Government is for a $698 million pay improvement package for primary teachers and principals, and a $500m package for secondary teachers. NZEI president Lynda Stuart says the teaching profession is not going to give up on achieving fair pay and sustainable working conditions. "What do we want? It's quite simple really. We want the time to teach, we want a significant pay jolt, and we want better support for those children who have additional learning needs. "Giving teachers the time to teach and lead, and ensuring that teaching is a viable long-term career, is absolutely essential if our children in this nation are to get the future that they deserve and need." It will be the third time primary teachers and principals had staged a strike during the standoff, but the first time secondary teachers had done so. Secondary school principals were in separate negotiations. PPTA president Jack Boyle says he hoped the strike would make the Government sit up and take notice. "Unfortunately, we have got to a point where our bargaining team has said 'We do not believe that a settlement is possible through negotiation at this point'." Wellington Girls' College teacher Cameron Stewart says the current school system was failing students. "We have students who will go through school without a specialist maths teacher. "It is important that all students throughout the country get the benefit of someone who is a subject expert and is passionate about their subject. "We don't want people who are teaching their third or fourth [specialist] subject who have no particular experience and no training in it." Teaching needed to be seen as a desirable profession, with a salary which kept up with professions requiring similar qualifications, Cameron says. Wainuiomata Primary School deputy principal Tute Porter-Samuels says many staff could not afford to strike, but neither could they afford "propping up an undervalued, underfunded system at the cost of our own health and wellbeing". Teachers did not have enough time outside of the classroom to plan programmes for children with extra needs, call or meet parents, or collaborate on school programmes, she says. Education Minister Chris Hipkins says the $1.2 billion pay offer was one of the largest on offer across the public sector. It would result in an extra $10,000 for most primary school teachers, and almost as much for secondary teachers, he says. "I certainly don't think a strike is justified." Chris also acknowledged teachers were not just after more pay, and noted the Government had invested $95m in teacher recruitment and $217m in employing more learning support coordinators. He wanted the unions to enter facilitated bargaining, and hoped they would take up the offer. "We're getting serious about the issues that they're raising, but we're never going to be able to solve every problem overnight. These problems have been over a decade in the making." -Stuff.co.nz/Damian George. Election results can provide an important barometer of the mood in society. The results of the Sixth National and Provincial elections on 8 May confirm that there is a deep ferment in South African society. The sharp drop in voter turnout, together with the high abstention from the election process, especially by the youth, meant that, for the first time ever, a minority of the voting-age population voted in the elections. This is highly significant in a country where the working class conquered the right to vote from the ruling class only 25 years ago. Also for the first time, the ANC received less than 60 percent of the vote, with its share dropping from 62 percent in 2014 to 57.5 percent. It lost 19 seats to the Economic Freedom Fighters. As we have explained before, the lack of a second, trusted party of the ruling class meant that they are now stuck with the ANC. However, this is at the expense of draining the ANCs authority over time. By doing this, all the responsibility for the crisis of South African capitalism and the resultant attacks on the working masses is placed on the shoulders of one party. This is laying the basis for a revolutionary crisis in the future. The hopes of the ruling class to promote the liberal Democratic Alliance as a second party to take over from the ANC were dashed when support for the party declined by nearly half-a-million votes. The DA made a big song and dance about being the only party that has grown its voter support since the first elections in 1994. This time, they actually arrogantly aimed to get 30 percent of the vote. Instead, their level of support declined. The party is in a terminal crisis and could even fall apart in the coming period. The Economic Freedom Fighters are the biggest winners in these elections. It is the only party that has grown in all the provinces. Its share of the vote grew by 69 percent since it was formed five years ago. It increased its support from 6.3 percent to 10.79 percent. The party has shown growth in the most unlikely places, from deep rural areas, to working-class neighbourhoods in the big metropolitan centres. Frustration of the masses The most important element underpinning these elections is the mood of demoralisation, in particular amongst the young, which represents the majority of the population. Only one generation after the democratic transition, the majority of the voting-age population have become so disillusioned with the system that they decided not to vote for one reason or another. This is not apathy or the normalisation of the democratic process, as some media analysts have called it. On the contrary, it shows a deep sense of frustration towards the system. This is also reflected in the polarisation visible in the vote, with the Freedom Front Plus coming from the right to take away votes from the Democratic Alliance; and the Economic Freedom Fighters growing on the left wing. Out of 26.7 million registered voters, 17.6 million, or 65.9 percent turned out to vote. That means that more than 9 million registered voters did not vote in the elections. That is a drop of 7.5 percent from five years ago. In addition to this, 9.2 million people did not register for the elections. Out of a voting-age population of 36 million people, for the first time, more than half - or 18.5 million (51.5 percent) - did not vote. Although the number of registered voters increased compared to 2014, nearly a million fewer people turned out to vote. This mass abstention is not voter apathy. South Africa is a highly politically engaged society. At the same time as voter participation has dropped, the number of community protests has increased. Large layers of society are expressing themselves politically outside of the formal electoral process. This could be witnessed in the weeks before the elections, when the country was gripped by a spike of protests within the urban poor and township youth. These protests have reached record high levels each year since 2013. Together with this, we have also seen the dramatic rise of student movements every year since 2015. The youth are the most politically active section of society but to a large extent are not expressing this in elections. Where they do participate in the voting process they are pushing up the vote of the EFF and when they are not voting, they are participating in mass protests. In other words, what we see is a radicalisation of the youth, which anticipates big events in the future. Empty victory for the ANC The ANC has had its worst performance ever. For the first time, it lost support in all the provinces of the country. It has gone from 249 seats in the National Assembly to 230, and is now governing the country with a mandate from only 28 percent of eligible voters. In Gauteng, the most important province, it only just managed to keep its majority, with 50.19 percent of the vote. Had it lost its majority in Gauteng, this would have been a big blow. In all the provinces there is a direct correlation between the losses of the ANC and the gains of the EFF. In the National Assembly, the 19 seats it lost went to the EFF. 25 years of governing the country on a capitalist basis means that the ANCs political capital is spent. This was its worst-ever performance in national elections / Image: Flickr, PoR The ANC went into these elections battered and bruised. The factionalism and infighting were on full public display as the election day beckoned. Leading party members were openly defying leading bodies of the organisation. The controversy over the partys lists to parliament and the provincial legislatures is the latest example of an organisation in decay. Frightened by the public backlash, the partys Veterans League has gone so far as to call on persons implicated in corruption to withdraw themselves from the lists. Secretary-General Ace Magashule, who is running the partys organisational affairs, accused his own government of bugging his phone and spying on him. After the results were released, Magashule was in a public spat with Fikile Mbalula, the partys head of campaigns, over the impact of President Ramaphosa on the elections. All of this was happening in front of the worlds media at the result operation centre! 25 years of governing the country on a capitalist basis means that the ANCs political capital is spent. The crisis of the capitalist system is tearing it apart. Its moral and political authority has reached an all-time low and is sinking by the day. Its prior ability to hold back the movement of the black masses is severely curtailed. On the contrary, by becoming part of the ruling class themselves, the ANC leaders are fast becoming the object of the rage of the masses. Dialectically, things have turned into their opposite. The existential crisis of the DA Despite the crisis of the ANC, and the myriad of scandals that have engulfed the ANC over the past five years, the main opposition party, the liberal DA, also lost support. It received below 21 percent of the vote nationally, dropping five seats in the National Assembly. During the election campaign, the party posed itself as a party for all South Africans: a message that could not resonate in a society polarised by the class struggle. The workers are actually very class conscious and hate the big liberal capitalists, which are represented by the DA. The party is also facing a serious crisis. It has run a disgusting campaign of bashing immigrants, xenophobia, fear mongering and hysteria in an attempt to hide its own problems. One of the reasons for this is that the Economic Freedom Fighters are breathing down their necks. The EFF has completely overshadowed the DA in parliament. But the biggest source of its crisis is its declining support in the Western Cape province. The Western Cape is the partys main traditional base of support. It is the only province that is not governed by the ANC. But even here, the DA lost support, dropping its vote share from nearly 60 percent to 55 percent. In the last 18 months, the party has also been rocked by a bitter internal struggle involving its former mayor in Cape Town, Patricia de Lille. This war resulted in De Lille breaking from the DA to form her own party. The crisis alienated a big section of the middle-class DA voter base. The result was that 30 percent of voters were undecided going into the elections. A big section of previous voters simply decided to abstain. This has had a big impact on the partys support nationally. Its support has stagnated for several years and is now declining. A decline in support in the Western Cape means a lower number of seats in the National Assembly. The decline of support for the DA could now speed up the breakup of the party. The DA is a product of different social layers, welded together after 1994. In the Western Cape, it came to power in 2009 by swallowing a number of smaller parties. In the process of governing on a capitalist programme, the DA alienated the supporters of these smaller parties. What we are witnessing now, is the beginning of a process of the fragmentation of this alliance. The bourgeoisie hoped the Democratic Alliance could be the second 'trusted party', but it lost ground in these elections / Image: Lefcentreright Originally, the DA base came from the liberal Democratic Party, which was the main opposition party to the National Party under the apartheid regime. When the National Party eventually disintegrated, it managed to step into the vacuum to attract the conservative Afrikaner vote. But this relationship between the English liberal bourgeois and Afrikaner petty-bourgeois nationalists has its own fraught history. Among a big minority section of Afrikaners, especially the farmers, there is still deep resentment over the two wars the groups fought in the past, as well as the loss of direct political power in 1994. There is also a sense in these layers that the DA has not fought hard enough against attempts by the EFF to change the constitution to allow for land expropriation without compensation. They are also bitter that the past 25 years have disproportionately benefited big business ahead of the capitalist farmers. This explains the growth of the Freedom Front Plus, a right-wing Afrikaner nationalist party that has attracted a section of the DAs conservative Afrikaner and white farmer support. The party has grown from 0.9 percent to 2.38 percent and slashed about 250,000 votes from the DA, giving it 10 MPs in the National Assembly. At the same time, there is also a crisis in the liberal camp itself. A certain section reckoned that the only way to grow the DA is to absorb a layer of the black middle class within its leadership. But in doing this, the liberal base has kept firm control of the policy-making structures of the party. This caused serious friction in the party between the white liberals and its black middle-class members. A recent incident, where the party blocked the adoption of the Black Economic Empowerment policy, is a clear example of this. This has led to accusations of tokenism and that the partys leader, Mmusi Maimane, does not have real authority in the party. Matters were not helped when an internal poll indicated that the former party leader, Helen Zille, is more popular than Maimane. The fault lines within the party are widening, which could lead to a split or a series of splits in the coming period. Once this process takes off, it will be a serious blow to the illusions the ruling class might have of building a trusted liberal bourgeois opposition party. This is a peculiar crisis facing the South African bourgeoisie. In contrast to many other bourgeois democracies until recently, the ruling class of South Africa does not have a second party to shift power to. It means that they are stuck with the crisis-ridden ANC government. But this means that all the contradictions of the capitalist crisis will be concentrated in one party. While the lack of an alternative could mean that the ANC could continue to win elections, its authority is falling fast. Without an alternative party to act as a safety valve to channel the anger of the masses onto a safe road (from the point of view of the ruling class), this could prepare for explosive and revolutionary events in the future. The continued rise of the EFF The EFF is the only party that has grown in all the provinces of the country. It now has a clear national footprint. Campaigning on a slogan of Our land and jobs now!, the party received significant support in places it previously was not expected to, such as the Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal. Its growth in the rural provinces is clearly due to the land question. The EFF is the leading voice behind the process of amending the constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation. In the socially conservative province of Kwazulu-Natal, which in the past has proved notoriously difficult to penetrate for new parties, its support grew remarkably from 1.9 percent in 2014 to nearly 10 percent in 2019. This has come at the expense of the ANC, which lost almost 10 percent. That is an additional 250,000 votes, which not so long ago would have seemed improbable. It is now the second-largest party in three provinces, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West province. However, the most significant fact is that the party is getting support from big working-class districts in the metropolitan areas. In Gauteng, the economic heartland of the country, the EFF received more votes than in any other province. It received 14.68 percent of the provincial vote, which is a significant number in an urban province with the biggest concentration of the working class in the country. The EFF is the only party that has grown in all the provinces of the country / Image: EFF official FB The EFF was participating in its second general elections since it was formed five years ago, when it received more than a million votes within six months of being formed. In the five years since then it has taken the political landscape by storm. Its 25 MPs have often set the tone and dominated the political debates by skillfully using the rules against the ANC. Its pay back the money campaign forced former president Zuma to refund some of the money that was looted and used at his private mansion in Nkandla. This eventually led to Zuma stepping down as president. It forced the ANC to begin the process of amending the constitution to allow for expropriation without compensation. The party also plays a leading role outside of parliament. For instance it pushed the Tshwane and Johannesburg city councils to insource its workers, resulting in job security and better conditions for thousands of workers. The EFF has been a leading force behind the student protests since 2015, which led to important victories for the student movement. The EFF has a radical programme of land expropriation without compensation, nationalisation of banks, mines and other strategic sectors, free education, sanitation and housing, etc. These demands are clearly resonating with sections of the working class in the urban centres. There are of course shortcomings with this programme. In particular, the party aims to implement it without breaking with the capitalist system. Instead, it promotes the idea of building a strong developmental state. That is, not to expropriate the capitalist class, but merely to regulate it and steer it via the state. But capitalism is essentially an anarchic system, which by its very nature cannot be regulated. The only way to solve the problem of the working masses of South Africa is by replacing the bourgeois state with a workers state and placing commanding heights of the economy under the democratic planning, control and management of the working class. But the working class does not necessarily read the fine print on party programmes. The same is true of the land question. The concessions the party made to the ANC on the parliamentary motion on the question of expropriation has no meaning for the rural people who have voted for the EFF. All they see is that the party is fighting to deal with the land question (see a critique of the land question and the concessions made by the EFF). These layers are now moving to the EFF with raised expectations. This could have an impact on the character of the party, driving it further to the left. The debacle of the workers party Another significant result was that of the new Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party (SRWP), a party launched by the biggest trade union in South Africa, NUMSA. The new party did dismally in the elections, receiving a paltry 24,000 votes nationally, or 0.14 percent. This is a disastrous result and there should be no attempts to sugarcoat it. The honest members of NUMSA and activists of the SRWP who had high expectations for the party should be given answers. In a reply to the election results posted on its Facebook page, the SRWP offers no serious analysis or explanation of what happened. The statement says that the party is not shocked by the outcome of the elections. In other words, it's not shocked that a party formed by the biggest union in the country, with nearly 400,000 members, received only 24,000 votes! In the Eastern Cape, with a big concentration of vehicle assembly workers, the SRWP only received 4,807 votes, or 0.24 percent! In Gauteng, with its big working-class population, it received 0.13 percent! You would search in vain to find a single sentence in the official statement that offers any serious introspection. Instead, it proclaims the election result as a victory for the IMF and World Bank. The roots of the SRWP lie in the split between NUMSA and COSATU in 2013. During the period between 2009-2014 there was a mass upsurge in the class struggle with a huge increase in strikes, demonstrations and protests as a response to the economic crisis. At that time, Numsa took a very clear and radical class position. This made it the focal point of the most class-conscious workers in South Africa. The split was mainly the result of the growing discontent of the advanced workers with the leadership of the ANC, which were supported by the right-wing labour leaders of COSATU. At its special national congress in 2013, NUMSA broke with the ANC alliance. It formed a new trade union federation (SAFTU) and subsequently passed resolutions at successive congresses to form a workers party. During that, time this whole process was driven by the advanced workers. There was a deep ferment within the ranks. However, despite taking clear decisions, NUMSAs leading bodies kept postponing the formation of the party every year for the last six years. At its 10th National Congress in 2016, the leadership decided to to take the issue to the Central Committee, where it remained in obscurity until it was announced that the party would be launched in December 2018. On this date, a decision was taken again to postpone the launch of the party until April 2019. This meant that the party was launched a mere four weeks before the elections, when NUMSA had six years to form it and get the message out. The new SRWP did dismally in the elections, receiving 24,000 votes nationally, or 0.14 percent. There has been no attempt from the leadership to explain this disastrous result / Image: SRWP official FB In the runup to the elections, there was no energetic, open, transparent and democratic campaign to even win over the ranks of SAFTU. In fact, just before the elections, SAFTU itself said that the federation has not even discussed the idea of giving its support to the workers party. This would suggest the NUMSA leaders had not raised the idea strongly with the ranks of SAFTU, despite playing a leading role in the union federation. In fact, the number of votes reveals that the NUMSA leaders did not even wage an energetic campaign within NUMSA itself! NUMSAs ranks know how to mobilise the broader layers of the working class. Its organisational capacity, as well as its political authority among the workers are unmatched. Had the NUMSA leaders headed a focused, clear and energetic campaign based on the partys socialist programme, they could have made a big impact in the elections. The NUMSA and SRWP leaders should also have turned to the ranks of the EFF. The EFF and NUMSA came out of the same process of the class struggle between 2009-2013 and the splits in the tripartite alliance. But while the EFF took THE initiative and boldly moved forward, the NUMSA leaders prevaricated and procrastinated. If the NUMSA leading members had the same approach, the entire situation would have been different. Instead, they waited to launch the party at the most inopportune time, where the working class movement in general is going through a temporary ebb. In the past, NUMSA has made some valid criticisms of the EFF, primarily regarding its ambivalence towards a clear socialist position. But since then, the union has not actually tried to demonstrate this in practice. The NUMSA leaders have downplayed the election result by calling elections a mere tactic, equal to other tactical decisions, to gain the ear of the workers. As Marxists, we agree that participation in elections is a tactical tool, although a very powerful one, to reach the widest layers of the working class. But NUMSA didnt achieve this at all. NUMSA has hundreds of thousands of members, which have mobilised millions of workers over the years. When it was in the ANC-led alliance, the union was a leading force behind campaigns, which gave the ANC a two-thirds majority in parliament. But this time there was no such campaign. There is a serious need for the NUMSA rank-and-file and SRWP activists to do a proper analysis and draw a necessary balance sheet of this whole process. This could have been a significant moment for the class struggle in South Africa. The NUMSA leaders had a historical opportunity of using the elections to build the first real independent working-class party of South Africa, but they failed. The major struggle ahead is to unite the working class in the streets, factories, mines and shop floors. There is a huge vacuum on the left, which must be filled one way or another. The rise of the EFF indicates a shift to the left within the working class. On a capitalist basis there is a bleak future for the workers, youth and poor people of South Africa. Capitalism is the reason for this crisis. The establishment of bourgeois democracy was a major advance for the working class. But formal democracy cannot solve the problems of housing, unemployment, and poverty. Only by mobilising the working class and the youth in order to expropriate the wealth of the exploiters, the capitalists, can these problems begin to be solved. ABINGDON, Va. -- The Mendota man charged in the deaths of three women in Washington County is considered a serial killer, Sheriff Fred Newman said this afternoon. James Michael Wright, 23, is believed to have shot and killed three women over 18 days, Newman said during a news conference. Newman was surrounded by a host of representatives from law enforcement agencies in Virginia and Tennessee that have helped in the investigation or search. Commonwealth's Attorney Josh Cumbow said it's early in the case but the death penalty is "definitely on the table." Wright met the women, identified as two women from Tennessee and a 17-year-old from Georgia, while he was working for a traveling carnival, Newman said. Wright, who confessed to the killings but claimed they were an accident, doesn't have a criminal history, the sheriff said. A Virginia man has been jailed on several charges after police say he robbed a liquor store and stole a policemans gun Sunday afternoon in Tazewell County, Virginia. The incident occurred at around 12:45 p.m. Sunday when a man walked into the ABC store at Pounding Mill, Virginia, showed what appeared to be a handgun and then fled, said Major Harold Heatley, chief deputy for the Tazewell County Sheriffs Office. Officers from Tazewell County and the Virginia State Police immediately began searching the area. An officer from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and Virginia ABC also assisted on the scene, Heatley said. Leaving the ABC store, the suspect drove a silver, older-model Ford Escape about 17 miles east on U.S. Highway 460, according to Heatley. At some point, he ran out of gas, just east of the town of Tazewell, Heatley said. A deputy saw him on the side of the road, and he was holding a gas can. As the deputy apprehended the man, the suspect attacked the deputy and got in a tussle, Heatley said. It was a pretty significant fight. They fought for a while. Thompson said the South Koreans have high standards of grooming, stricter schooling for groomers, and it is a respected profession. She spent some time in their schools and was impressed. My own standards are high, she said. We are an AKC safety certified salon. Thompson said she values a good reputation in the community and strives to provide quality services. There are a lot of issues in the grooming industry because its not regulated, she said. I believe groomers should be held to a higher standard, so I opened my own business. The main thing that sets us apart is that we take it upon ourselves to do what would be required if grooming was regulated. Our clients trust us to take care of their babies, and we make sure we live up to that trust. The IJA was founded by Vivian Nash through the Nash Academy in Kentucky, Thompson said. Nash is a leader in the industry and an amazing visionary who believes this unregulated industry needs regulations, so the more trained operators there are, the better. Regulations and more schools are needed for pet groomers, Thompson said. Its up to groomers to set the standards. While scouring Central New York for the best chicken riggies and the best Italian restaurant over the past few months, we finished each meal with some brilliant desserts. So it only makes sense that our next quest should be to, well, actually find the best dessert in CNY restaurants. We are looking for housemade desserts or those made locally especially for a restaurant. But we need your help. Nominate your favorite spot for dessert in the comment section of this story or on our Facebook page. You can also tweet us @syracusedotcom, using the #BestOfCNY hashtag. We dont accept nominations by email, phone, letter or Facebook message. Please be sure to include the name and location of your favorite dessert. You can also tell us which dessert is your favorite meal-ender. National chains are not eligible, but local chains are acceptable. Only restaurants in Onondaga, Oneida, Oswego, Cayuga, Seneca, Cortland, Tompkins and Madison counties are eligible to be nominated. You have until Sunday, May 19 at 11:59 p.m. to nominate your favorite. The four restaurants with the most nominations advance to the finals. Our judges, including Chef of the Year Deb Schneider, will then visit the finalists. We will crown the winners -- judges favorite and readers choice -- later in May. Subscribers only: Join a group text with Charlie Miller to get news and updates on the best stuff you can find in CNY. Sign up here. The former financial backer for Woodstock 50 is slamming the 2019 festivals primary organizer for incompetence" ahead of a court hearing. The 2019 Woodstock festival celebrating the 50th anniversary of the original 1969 concert is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 16-18 at Watkins Glen International. All performers -- including Jay-Z, Santana, Miley Cyrus, The Killers, Chance the Rapper, John Fogerty, Janelle Monae, Dead & Company, Halsey, and Imagine Dragons -- have been paid in advance, but the event was thrown into upheaval last month when investor Dentsu Aegis Network dropped out and canceled the three-day event. Variety reports Dentsu filed new legal documents Monday defending the decision, saying its investment arm Amplifi Live worked nonstop for the last 10 months and invested millions of dollars." But Woodstock 50 LLCs and Michael Langs misrepresentations, incompetence, and contractual breaches have made it impossible to produce a high-quality event that is safe and secure for concertgoers, artists, and staff. The production company has quit, no permits have been issued, necessary roadwork has not begun, and there is no prospect for sufficient financing," Dentsus attorney said. "As much as the parties might wish it otherwise, the festival contemplated by their agreement cannot happen and allowing it to go forward would only put the public at risk. The injunction sought by W50, even if there were a legal basis for it, cannot change that. The filing comes as Lang, Woodstock co-founder and 50th anniversary festival organizer, filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court of the State of New York demanding Amplifi Live return $17.8 million to the festivals bank account and stop attempting to allegedly sabotage the event. Lang sued last week, arguing that Dentsu doesnt have the right to cancel Woodstock 50. The New York Supreme Court issued a preliminary injunction against Dentsu until a court hearing is held Monday afternoon. Judge Barry R. Ostrager of state Supreme Court in Manhattan will consider Woodstock 50s other demands, including forcing Dentsu to honor its contract to stage the anniversary festival. Dentsu said April 30 that Woodstock 50 was canceled because it didnt believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name while also ensuring the health and safety of the artists, partners and attendees. Dentsu said it was worried after capacity for Watkins Glen was reduced from initial figures of 150,000 to half: 75,000. Its unclear if Dentsu pulling out voids the artists contracts. Billboard reports talent agencies are giving Lang a chance to save Woodstock 50 before officially releasing the artists and booking them elsewhere. Woodstock 50 has faced a number of issues behind the scenes, including delaying the lineup announcement to March after initially promising details in January. Tickets -- $450 for three-day passes -- were supposed to go on sale April 22, but still arent available due to a late application for a mass gathering permit from the state Department of Health. Spin reports the ticket price was higher than originally expected -- $369 for three-day passes -- because the capacity was reduced. No prices were ever officially announced, but Dentsu reportedly was upset that Lang announced the $450 price in an interview with Bloomberg last month. Lang has insisted Woodstock 50 will go on, but he reportedly needs $30 million more to make it happen. -- in addition to the $30 million Dentsu already spent on artists. Its unclear how much the $17.8 million in misappropriated funds from the festival bank account would help if new investors dont sign on. Similar issues plagued the first Woodstock festival, held Aug. 15-18, 1969, at Max Yasgurs dairy farm in Bethel, N.Y., weeks after a previous site fell through. More than 400,000 people came to see legendary performances by Richie Havens, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Joe Cocker, the Grateful Dead and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Massive new Woodstock box set features 38 discs from 1969 concert The collection includes over 260 previously unreleased songs. The iconic concert was revisited in 1994 with a modern lineup of artists like Nine Inch Nails, Sheryl Crow, Metallica, Cypress Hill and Red Hot Chili Peppers in Saugerties, but Woodstock 99 -- held at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, N.Y. -- was marred by riots, fires and allegations of sexual assault. Lang helped organize both anniversary events. The original Woodstock site is planning its own anniversary celebration on the same weekend. The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts will host Arlo Guthrie and a screening of the Woodstock documentary on the field Thursday, Aug. 15; Ringo Starr, Guthrie, and The Edgar Winter Band on the pavilion stage Friday, Aug. 16; Santana with the Doobie Brothers on Saturday, Aug. 17; and John Fogerty on Sunday, Aug. 18. Guthrie, Winter, Santana and Fogerty all performed at the original Woodstock festival. The first trailer for The Mountain" is finally giving the public a look at a new indie movie filmed in Central New York. The Mountain" follows Jeff Goldblum as a 1950s doctor promoting a controversial lobotomy procedure on a tour of asylums with an introverted photographer (played by Ready Player One and X-Men actor Tye Sheridan). The Rick Alverson-directed drama premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August and had its U.S. premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Goldlbums character Dr. Wallace Fiennes is reportedly based on Dr. Walter Freeman, the real-life father of the lobotomy who figured out how to perform the procedure quickly by going through the eye socket rather than the skull. Freeman was accused of leaving hundreds of patients dead or disabled, including President John F. Kennedys sister Rosemary, over the course of 4,000 lobotomies from the 1930s to 60s. 'The Mountain is a peak cinematic experience, and thats no pun," Richard Lorber, president of distributor Kino Lorber, said in a statement. "Rick Alverson, a transcendent indie auteur weve wanted to work with for a long time, crystallizes his visionary script onscreen with surgical direction and an exceptional cast. Jeff Goldblum is brilliantly attuned to Ricks mischievous mission and is guaranteed to cast a spell on viewers. Goldlbum, best known for roles in Jurassic Park, Thor: Ragnarok and Independence Day, filmed scenes for The Mountain in Syracuse, Utica, Clinton, and Albany in 2017. He was also spotted out and about at Syracuse University and a New Hartford restaurant. Goldlbum will return to Upstate New York this summer for a June 26 performance at the 2019 CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival. The actor, who released his first jazz album in November, will perform with The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra at the Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre in Rochester. The trailer for The Mountain also confirms a summer release date in select theaters on July 26. CAMILLUS, NY - A -29-year-old Warners man was taken to the hospital Sunday night after he is believed to have accidentally shot himself, Camillus police said. The man, whose name was not released, appears to have accidentally discharged his firearm, shooting himself in the right side of his torso, said Capt. James Nightingale. The bullet went through his torso, apparently missing any vital organs, Nightingale said. Camillus police continue to investigate the incident, which occurred shortly after 11 p.m. Sunday on Pottery Road, police said. No charges have been filed at this time. Police said the man was expected to be released from the hospital today. Rep. Anthony Brindisis former aide who faces charges of soliciting a prostitute met the 17-year-old girl over the internet after she ran away from home, state police said Monday. John A. Stemen, 57, of Utica, was charged Friday with soliciting a prostitute, a misdemeanor, after he paid the teen $200 for a sexual date, police said. The case is not part of a wider investigation involving human trafficking or prostitution rings, said Trooper Jack Keller, a state police spokesman. Investigators found no indication that Stemen knew the teen or tried to convince her to run away from home, Keller said. The teen lived outside of Central New York. When police found the teen, they used one of her electronic devices to track down Stemen, Keller said. He did not have specific information about how the two communicated or how many messages they exchanged. Brindisi, D-Utica, a first-term congressman, fired Stemen on Thursday after learning of the pending charges, a spokeswoman said. Stemen had worked in Brindisis district office in Utica as a case worker since he took office in January. Stemen previously worked for 22 years in the New York State Assembly. He served as community relations director for Brindisi for almost eight years when Brindisi represented a Utica-based Assembly district. Stemen is due to appear May 20 in Utica City Court. Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 It was a few days after Christmas 2015 when Natalie Davis and Casey Harrigan, friends since high school, began to panic. They were worried about their brothers - who were also high school buddies at Jordan-Elbridge - when they didnt answer their cell phones and no one could find them. Natalie and Casey began wondering if their brothers, Mike Kehoskie and Matt Hollands, could have traveled to a relatives camp on Otisco Lake. Worried, they called a neighbor, who said hed check. When the neighbor went over, there was heavy smoke billowing out of the garage. He went in and found the brothers dead inside a classic car stored in the garage. Matt, 35, and Mike, 36, friends since the late 80s, had followed through on a carefully thought-out suicide pact. Along with notes to their families, they had left a note inside the car telling their survivors not to suspect any foul play. The note said they had killed themselves of their own accord, stressing that neither one had forced the other. They both signed the letter. Devastated, their sisters - along with their families and friends - questioned what they could have done to stop them. The two men, who were both gay but not partners, had struggled through the years with severe depression. Matt had been bullied as a child and had a lot of self-doubt. Mike struggled with addiction. Both had attempted suicide on their own in the past. It seemed to family members like they were doing better. Did they miss the signs? What could they have done differently? "I just kept thinking this is not real,'' Casey said. I felt like I was in a movie where it wasnt really happening. Did they really do this? Why didnt one stop the other? Natalie said she was left with the brutal reality that they were determined to take this action - and did everything they could to make sure no one stopped them. After her brother died, Natalie recovered his cell phone and went through three weeks of text messages leading up to the dual suicides. She was struck by times she remembered talking to her brother about her dad, about a favorite Liza Minnelli video, about a new cat - and at the same time the two men were texting back and forth, hatching their dark plan. "Its so surreal - so scary,'' Natalie said. Here you are planning your death, but still functioning like everything is normal. I think thats why it was so hard to see any signs - they were careful not to show any. Shortly after, a high school friend whose father had committed suicide, reached out to invite the two women to a support group. The two began attending, but after a few months the group dissolved. Natalie and Casey, both teachers, decided to form their own support group for those affected by suicide. They call it Two Brothers Light and its designed not only as a support group for suicide prevention and mental heath awareness, but also as a resource for families and friends of loved ones who have killed themselves. It became a charity about a year ago. The group also raises money to help families pay for things ranging from counseling to funeral costs. The group meets Tuesday evenings at the Maxwell Memorial Library in Camillus. They also have a licensed mental health counselor trained therapist in their organization. Friends Casey Harrigan and Natalie Davis. Their brothers killed themselves together in December 2015 near Otisco. May 9, 2019. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.comDennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com Back in junior high school in the late 80s, Natalie and Casey never saw themselves running a support group - or losing their beloved brothers. After Natalie and Casey became friends, their brothers met and also became friends. "They were inseparable,'' Casey said. They were kindred spirits. They were both comedians- they did impressions of people, of teachers and family members and they also did their own Saturday Night Live skits. The were funny and creative. Matt was passionate about cars, and could tell what year and model any car that went by was, and whether it had any recalls and what colors it was available in, their sisters said. The two also bonded over movies - theyd watch their favorites - Mommie Dearest, Splash and Goonies over and over again. Theyd play the same part they loved in The Money Pit over and over again, and theyd recite the line and act out the characters. "The two of them had so many inside jokes between them that theyd just throw out a line and the other one would start cackling,'' Natalie said. Humor was definitely a way for them to deal with their personal insecurities. Both young men were gay, Natalie and Casey said. Matt had been a victim of bullying. Judith Hollands, Matts mother, wrote a column for The Post Standard in 2010 about bullying after an 18-year-old Rutger University gay student who was bullied killed himself. In her piece, she talked about how her gay son was in a bully-targeted population. She said her son was called a mistake of nature and at 7 cornered in a school bathroom and ridiculed because of his colorful sneakers. At 9, a teacher bullied him so badly that another mother called her, concerned with what happened. At 14 and not openly gay yet, her son was called names, and his mother urged people to stand up and call out the bullies. After graduation, Matt worked as a bartender for years at the nightclubs Charades and Rain, and worked as a lifeguard at Onondaga Community College and two city pools. Mike went to SUNY at Stony Brook, did a leadership program at Disney and then came back to Syracuse, working in various customer service jobs. Mike and Matt remained good friends. If they were interested in a topic, the two researched the crap out of it," their sisters remembered, delving into cases such as John Wayne Gacy, an American serial killer in the 1970s, and Casey Anthony, a Florida mom accused of killing her daughter in 2008, but found not guilty. Both young men suffered from depression, their sisters said. Matt first mentioned that he had suicidal thoughts at age 15. "He was vocal about it,'' Natalie said. Hed walk around and be upset and then hed purge his feelings. He often said he felt like a failure. He was his own worst critic. Matt told his sister he had trouble shutting off the self-doubt and voices in his head, and at age 24 he made his first attempt at taking his own life in a car. He failed because the garage door wouldnt shut. After that, he went to counseling sporadically. Mike also struggled with self-doubt, and the death of his mother, who died when he was 4 years old, his sister said. Starting in his teens, Mike struggled with addiction - cigarettes, alcohol and later opioids and then heroin, Casey said. Mike was charged with driving while intoxicated at age 19. He would detox, get clean and then relapse, Casey said. When he lost his drivers license after subsequent DWI charges, he got really depressed, Casey said. His family tried to get him admitted to rehab for his drug addiction, but they couldnt get him into a program. He finally got clean on his own - but relapsed again just prior to his death, his sister said. When the two killed themselves, their sisters were shocked. The two young men had friends, loved ones - Matt had a home and partner. It seemed they had everything to live for. Most people, Casey and Natalie say they have learned, attempt suicide as a cry for help. Most dont really want to die. Casey and Natalie believe their brothers were the exception to that. They were determined to succeed at suicide - and they hid their plans carefully so no one would find out Later, the two women would discover their brothers had done research on how to make a car omit the most deadly fumes, they said. Looking back, there were some nebulous possible clues, but nothing overt. For example, Matt brought Natalie his coffee maker several weeks before he killed himself, telling her he didnt want it anymore. After the two mens suicide, Natalie said the family discovered a letter at Matts home that he had written. In it, he hinted at his pain: "Imagine waking up every morning angry that youre still here, and hating your own reflection. And having no drive or ambition to make anything better. In his letter, he said personal goodbyes to numerous people. He had a house, two cars and numerous albums, all of which he gave to people in his letter. What they did hurts, because most people who try to kill themselves are grateful when they don t succeed, Natalie said. We just dont understand. More than 450 people showed up at Matts funeral - many saying how much he had helped them when he was a bartender. "He was helping people even though he felt like crap every day,'' Natalie said. Mikes family held a private funeral. Casey said she often wonders why one didnt stop the other and see the grief they were about to cause. "I wish I could say to them what the hell are you doing and do you know how much you mean to all these people you are about to leave behind,'' she said. Through Two Brothers Light, the two friends hope they can make a difference - and maybe save someone who is on the path to suicide. Its very hard to recover from something like this,'' Natalie said. "I think about Matt every single day. I am angry, but now that anger is regret. We just want to be there for anyone who is in a bad place, so no other family has to go through what we have, she said. Help Two Brothers Light: Offers support services to those struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, and those have suffered the loss of a loved one to suicide, or a loved ones attempt to take their own life. A support group meets from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Maxwell Memorial Library in Camillus. Contact Community Services: Suicide, crisis, and telephone counseling 315-251-0600. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. 1-800-273-8255 or by chat online. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Tenants from around New York state are heading to Albany to encourage legislators to strengthen rental protections. Tuesday's rally comes as lawmakers are poised to renew the state laws governing rent control and stabilization rules in and around the city. The rules periodically come up for renewal and would expire in June if lawmakers don't act. With Democrats now in charge of both the Senate and Assembly, many tenant advocates are urging lawmakers to pass new, statewide protections for renters. Lawmakers have held multiple hearings on the rent rules, with another planned for Thursday in Brooklyn. SYRACUSE, N.Y. The third annual Syracuse Ramadan dinner will be held 7 p.m. Saturday at Syracuse Universitys Manley Field House. The dinner is free and open to the public, but online reservations are required. More than 600 people attended last years celebration and dinner. Ramadan is observed by Muslims as a month of daily fasting from sunrise to sunset. The event is supported by Al Huda Mosque, Burmese Muslim Community Center, City of Syracuse, ICNA Outreach Center, Islamic Cultural Center of Bosniaks and CNY RISE Center. A Massachusetts man faces federal charges in the brutal attack Saturday on two Appalachian Trail hikers that left a man dead and a woman hospitalized with severe stab wounds, Virginia authorities said Sunday. James Louis Jordan, 30, was arrested early Saturday after Wythe County, Virginia, sheriff's deputies located him along the trail in southwestern Virginia by tracking an SOS signal triggered by one of the victims, officials said. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia said in a statement Sunday that Jordan, of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, is charged with murder and assault with intent to murder in connection with the attack. Jordan is scheduled to appear in court in Abingdon, Va., on Monday. "The whole Appalachian Trail community of hikers and volunteers is profoundly sickened by the horrific and deadly attack Saturday morning," said Suzanne Dixon, president of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The names of the victims have not been released, but law enforcement described the horrific scene that involved multiple agencies in a combined effort to catch Jordan. It is high season for "thru-hikers" traveling the length of the famed scenic trail, which stretches along 2,100 miles from Georgia to Maine. Hikers typically begin around spring and trek north. The one-mile length of the trail that passes through Wythe County Sheriff Keith Dunagan's jurisdiction - about 300 miles southwest of Washington - is rural. It runs adjacent to Interstate 81 and is full of hikers this time of year, authorities said. Many hikers begin their trek in Georgia in March and early spring and would have traveled 500 miles by the time they reached southwestern Virginia, said Brian King, a spokesman for the Conservancy. Dunagan's deputies were the first to encounter Jordan, several yards from the scene of Saturday's attack. It had been reported that a man wielding a large knife, accompanied by a dog, had threatened a group of four hikers camped out late Friday. Authorities said Jordan pursued two of the hikers, who fled north, but they eluded him. Those two reached sheriff's deputies in nearby Bland County and reported the nighttime attack. The other two hikers fled south but were unable to escape. Jordan chased and caught up with them, leading to the attack, authorities said. Dunagan said the male victim managed to trigger an SOS signal on his phone, and the mobile service provider alerted deputies to his location just north of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. The woman - who suffered defensive wounds and was severely injured by the stabbing - escaped. "She pretended to be dead and when [Jordan] walked away after his dog, she took off running," Dunagan said. The woman found help with another group of hikers she encountered six miles away in Smyth County, Virginia, and was transported to the nearest trauma center, the sheriff said. The Wythe County Sheriff's Office tactical team traveled four miles into the woods to locate the wounded man's SOS signal. They initially came across walkers who described a knife-wielding man known as "Sovereign" who roamed the trail with a dog. While authorities were talking to the group, a dog ambled over to the camp. Deputies followed the animal, who led them back to Jordan, and he was taken into custody without incident. Investigators later found a 20-inch knife nearby along the trail and soon discovered the male victim. Jordan, who authorities said they think is "Sovereign," was well known to the community of hikers on the trail. Recent news reports of incidents in Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia describe a man threatening and chasing other hikers with a machete or large knife. King, of the trail conservancy, said they had heard of the man through alerts shared between hikers and on Trek, a well-read blog that posts frequent updates about life on the Appalachian Trail. "He had a reputation because of his belligerence with other hikers in Tennessee and Georgia," King said. "With smartphones, word gets around very quickly." In late April, Jordan pleaded guilty to charges of drug possession and criminal impersonation - for giving deputies a fake ID - stemming from a confrontation with a group of hikers in Unicoi County, Tenn., near the North Carolina border. He was sentenced to probation, fined and released from custody. Unicoi County Sheriff Mike Hensley said Sunday that Jordan had been causing problems in communities along the trail, running people out of hostels and threatening hikers with violence. Witnesses indicated that Jordan had said, "It would be a bad day for hikers on the trail." Hensley said he knew Jordan was a threat, but hikers refused to press assault charges and testify against him in court. So deputies charged him with what they could. "I did everything in my power to get this guy off the trail," Hensley said. "And I took him off the trail, I did. But the courts deemed something else. "We have never had but just a few instances concerning the Appalachian Trail, and I take it very seriously," he said. "I am an outdoorsman and a country boy; I love this trail and these mountains. I've been active in supporting and protecting the people of the trail all my life." Odie Norman, publisher of the Hiker Yearbook, said he met Jordan shortly after his Tennessee arrest. He had been tracking the reports about a man and his dog, interviewing hikers on video to post online and collecting information to report. He said he thinks Jordan first appeared on the trail in Hot Springs, North Carolina, where he was accused of pulling a knife on hikers at a shelter commonly used by trail walkers. "I knew that it was getting dangerous for people on the trail, and it was getting dangerous for him," Norman said in a telephone interview Sunday. "He was scaring a lot of people, and there was a lot of misinformation going around about him. People were in defense mode when they saw him." Norman said he met Jordan in Roan Mountain, Tennessee, on May 3 and offered to buy him lunch. He said it was clear to him that Jordan was mentally ill. Jordan told him he was "on a mission to protect the mountain people from the infiltrators trying to steal their insurance," Norman recalled. "He said the mountain people are good people but at night, the infiltrators would come. His mind was not normal." Norman soon learned that Jordan's dog was a service animal and that he had family in Maryland. He said he decided to drive Jordan about 30 miles northwest to Johnson City, Tenn., and bought him a bus ticket. He said he wasn't sure what other options he had. "I was scared. My plan was to get him off the trail and send him somewhere else," Norman said. "Now I wish that there could've been a place for him to check into for a mental assessment. He had at least one full contact with police, and that did nothing." Appalachian Trail hikers are a well-connected community of athletes, enthusiasts and outdoors lovers who stay in close online contact, Norman said. His two videos about Jordan on Facebook garnered a combined 26,000 views, and his website chronicles hiker life with photographs from nearly 2,000 people. "Even though this happened, it's still one trail. It's the same people. It's the world's longest, skinniest community," he said. "We knew. We knew to avoid him." Homicides are rare on the Appalachian Trail, according to statistics; the last time the trail was the scene of a homicide was in 2011 when a man was found strangled in Virginia. That case remains unsolved. More than 3 million people hike the trail each year, and most hikers take care of one another, King said. "It's a community like any other. Anyone who loves the trail feels like this is an attack on them," he said. "The trail is extremely safe, but it's not absolutely safe." The section of the trail where the attack occurred has been reopened by authorities. New insights into treatment targets for men with advanced prostate cancers SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, and CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - A study published recently in the Journal of Clinical Oncology Precision Oncology, an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) journal, outlines findings from the largest-ever prospective genomic analysis of advanced prostate cancer tumors. Using comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to analyze thousands of tumor samples from men with advanced prostate cancers, the researchers identified that 57 percent of the samples evaluated had genomic characteristics that suggested the tumors were candidates for targeted therapies. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer type in men, with about one in nine men experiencing a prostate cancer diagnosis in his lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. Thanks to early detection techniques, the five-year survival rate for men with prostate tumors that are localized or only in nearby parts of the body is nearly 100 percent, while only about 30 percent of men with prostate cancers that have spread to distant parts of the body will still be alive five years after their diagnosis. The purpose of this study, co-led by Foundation Medicine and Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah (U of U), was to analyze prostate tumors using CGP to identify genomic changes to inform potential targeted treatment strategies. CGP analyzes tumor samples to identify genomic changes so that, where possible, a patient can be matched to available targeted treatments. "This study demonstrates that routine clinical use of comprehensive genomic profiling frequently identifies genomic alterations that can inform targeted therapy options, as well as potential therapy development targets, for patients with advanced or metastatic prostate cancer," said Jon Chung, PhD, associate director of clinical development at Foundation Medicine. Researchers in the study analyzed nearly 3,500 unique tumor samples, including 1,660 primary site tumors and 1,816 metastatic site tumors from unmatched patients. The researchers utilized the FoundationOne test developed by Foundation Medicine for CGP. "This is the largest study of its kind done to date and gives a very encouraging message in the fact that more than half of the study patients' tumors have characteristics for which drug targets exist," said Neeraj Agarwal, MD, a prostate cancer physician-scientist at HCI and professor of medicine at the U of U. "This information provides major insights into how we can design new clinical trials or drugs that will better treat men with advanced prostate cancers." Agarwal and Chung collaborated with scientists from eight other institutions worldwide. The team anticipates these findings may be used to accelerate the development of new drugs and treatment approaches, including immunotherapies, for men with advanced prostate cancers. ### This research was supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), including P30 CA042014, and by Huntsman Cancer Foundation. About Huntsman Cancer Institute: Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah is the official cancer center of Utah. The cancer campus includes a state-of-the-art cancer specialty hospital as well as two buildings dedicated to cancer research. HCI treats patients with all forms of cancer and is recognized among the best cancer hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report. As the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Mountain West, HCI serves the largest geographic region in the country, drawing patients from Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at HCI than at any other cancer center in the world, including genes responsible for hereditary breast, ovarian, colon, head, and neck cancers, along with melanoma. HCI manages the Utah Population Database, the largest genetic database in the world, with information on more than 11 million people linked to genealogies, health records, and vital statistics. HCI was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman. About Foundation Medicine: Foundation Medicine is a molecular information company dedicated to a transformation in cancer care in which treatment is informed by a deep understanding of the genomic changes that contribute to each patient's unique cancer. The company offers a full suite of comprehensive genomic profiling assays to identify the molecular alterations in a patient's cancer and match them with relevant targeted therapies, immunotherapies and clinical trials. Foundation Medicine's molecular information platform aims to improve day-to-day care for patients by serving the needs of clinicians, academic researchers and drug developers to help advance the science of molecular medicine in cancer. For more information, please visit http://www. FoundationMedicine. com or follow Foundation Medicine on Twitter (@FoundationATCG). This story has been published on: 2019-05-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The leaders held talks in Hanoi on May 11th during the official visit to Vietnam by the Nepalese Prime Minister and his spouse from May 9th to 13th. The documents signed during the visit included an agreement on visa exemption for official and diplomatic passport holders between the two governments; a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a bilateral consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries and a letter of intent on the negotiation and signing of a framework agreement on trade and investment cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies of Nepal. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc warmly welcomed PM Sharma Oli on the first official visit of a Nepalese leader to Vietnam since the two countries set up diplomatic ties in 1975, describing the visit a vivid manifestation of the developing traditional friendship between the two countries. At the talks between Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli (Source: VNA) PM Sharma Oli expressed his joy about the visit to Vietnam visit, as the country is his first destination in Southeast Asia since he took the office in February 2018. He spoke highly of immense socio-economic and diplomatic achievements made by Vietnam and invited PM Phuc to soon visit Nepal. The two PMs discussed joint visions to deepen the traditional friendship, agreeing to boost the exchange of high-level visits and meetings, and people-to-people activities, and work together to organize practical activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2020. They reached consensus on broadening the relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Nepal Communist Party in the coming time. While hailing the outcomes of the Vietnam-Nepal Business Forum held on May 10, PM Phuc shared with his Nepalese counterpart that bilateral economic ties have yet to tap the respective countries potential and strength. Both said they will assign competent ministries and sectors to study new cooperative and result-oriented mechanisms on economics, trade and investment, and encourage businesspeople to research the respective markets and launch partnerships. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc suggested Nepal assist Vietnamese investors seeking opportunities in the country, especially those who are interested in energy, infrastructure and telecommunications. For his part, PM Sharma Oli asked Vietnam to facilitate the entry of Nepalese goods in the country. They said agriculture is a field with development potential and agreed to consider proposals to open market for respective farm produce, especially rice, black pepper, rubber, and tropical fruits along with boosting the exchange of information, expanding cooperation in hi-tech agriculture and exchanging agricultural experts. They also agreed to step up exchanges and cooperation in culture, tourism, people-to-people exchange, science-technology, information-communications, aviation, security, logistics and the fight against disaster catastrophe. The Vietnamese side agreed to speed up the establishment of the Vietnam-Nepal Friendship Association. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc expected the Nepalese Government to continue supporting Vietnamese people living and working in its country so they would work as a bridge for the two countries ties. The leaders shared views on regional and international issues of mutual concerns, asserting to work closely and support each other at multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc took the occasion to thank Nepal for backing Vietnams run for a non-permanent member seat in the United Nations Security Council for 2020-2021./. Posted on Thursday, May 09, 2019 KINGSVILLE (May 9, 2019) More than 1,050 prospective graduates are ready to cross the stage to receive their degrees during three commencement ceremonies to be held at the Steinke Physical Education Center at Texas A&M University-Kingsville Friday, May 17. The graduates from the Dick and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Education and Human Performance will received their degrees at the 10 a.m. ceremony. Students from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Business Administration will walk the stage at 1 p.m. Graduates from the Frank H. Dotterweich College of Engineering will receive their degrees at 4 p.m. There will be two commencement speakers over the three ceremonies. Dr. Rumaldo Juarez, past president of Texas A&M-Kingsville, will speak at the first two ceremonies. Michael Howard, alumnus of the chemical engineering program, will speak at the 4 p.m. ceremony. Five graduates will be commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the United States Army by LTC Victor Diaz, professor of military science. Those that will be commissioned include Cristian Barriossalas, Nnana Wokoma Edmund, Gregorio Hernandez, Russel S. Norton and Frank Allen Russell. Ruben A. Martinez, president of the Student Government Association, will present the Distinguished Student Awards. Debbie Winslow, president of the Javelina Alumni Association, will bring a welcome on behalf of the association. Jon Mogford, Vice Chancellor for Research with The Texas A&M University System, will bring greetings from The Texas A&M System. About Dr. Rumaldo Juarez (commencement speaker, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.) Dr. Rumaldo Z. Juarez is a past president of Texas A&M University-Kingsville serving from 2002 to 2008. He currently serves as president of the Robstown Independent School District Education Foundation, on the Board of Directors of the Coastal Bend Community Foundation and Nueces Electric Cooperative Inc. and is a member of the Corpus Christi Northwest Rotary International Club and the Northwest Business Association and Adjutant of VFW Post 3837. He is president of the Robstown Area Historical Museum and past president of the Robstown Area Development Commission. Juarez is a 1962 graduate of Robstown High School. He received his bachelors and masters degrees in sociology from Texas A&M University, is a Distinguished Military Graduate from the Corps of Cadets and a decorated Vietnam Veteran U.S. Army Officer. Juarez received his doctorate in rural sociology from Penn State University. He also is a graduate of the Harvard Management Development Program and the Governors Executive Development Program, a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and a Fellow of the Kellogg Fellow Leadership Program. During his 36 years in the field of higher education, he held academic appointments at University of Arizona, University of Texas-Pan American, University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston and the University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio. Prior to serving as president at Texas A&M-Kingsville, he was dean and professor of the College of Health Professions at Texas State University. Outside of higher education, Juarez was a social science analyst in the Office of Evaluation and Technical Analysis in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington D.C. Juarez and his wife, Teresa, reside in Northwest Corpus Christi. About Michael Howard (commencement speaker, 4 p.m.) A native of Agua Dulce, Mike Howard is an alumnus of Texas A&M University-Kingsville, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in chemical engineering in 1995. After graduating, Howard rose through the ranks of various oil and gas companies, ultimately becoming the president of midstream for one of the largest, publicly-traded pipeline companies in the United States. In 2010, he quit that lucrative position to become an entrepreneur. Howard co-founded Howard Energy Partners (HEP) with business partner Brad Bynum. What started in 2011 with eight employees has grown into a business with nearly 350 employees in 10 offices in Texas, Pennsylvania and Mexico. HEP has built, acquired and operates over $2 billion in assets including natural gas and crude oil gathering and transportation pipelines, natural gas processing plants, liquid storage terminals, deep-water port facilities, rail facilities and other related midstream assets. In addition to his busy professional life, Howard is active in the San Antonio community and in the oil and gas industry as a whole. He serves on the Board of Trustees for United Way of Bexar County, the Board of Directors for the Texas Pipeline Association and as an energy industry advisory council member for Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sinton. He is active in the San Antonio Chapter of Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and was named as E&Ys Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017. As a proud Javelina, Howard was recently asked to serve on the Board of Trustee of the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Foundation. Howard and his wife, Meredith, live in San Antonio and have three children, Jaden, Jack and Adele. About Jon Mogford Dr. Jon Mogford is vice chancellor for research for The Texas A&M University System. He works in close collaboration with the systems 11 universities, seven state agencies and health science center to facilitate the growth of research of all system members. As leader of the A&M System Office of Research, Mogford is responsible for providing services and support to all 19 system members in areas including research development and research compliance. Previous to his present position, he was associate chancellor, Office of Strategic Initiatives for the system, having joined that office from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency where he was acting director of the Defense Sciences Office. Mogford obtained his bachelors degree in zoology from Texas A&M University and his doctorate is medical physiology from the Texas A&M University Health Science Center. His research in vascular physiology continued at the University of Chicago as a Postdoctoral Fellow from 1997-98. Mogford transitioned his research focus to the field of wound healing at Northwestern University, both as a research associate and also as a research assistant professor from 1998-2003. -TAMUK- Kerry Agribusiness & Teagasc Celebrate 25 Years of Joint Programme Success Kerry Agribusiness and Teagasc celebrate 25 years of working collaboratively on the Joint Programme which commenced in 1994 and was an innovative concept of peer-led learning and knowledge transfer. Pictured at the Kerry Agribusiness/Teagasc Joint Programme 25th Anniversary celebration in Awbeg, Lixnaw are Nora O'Donovan, Teagasc Advisor; Pat Murphy, Kerry Agribusiness; Sean McCarthy, Kerry Agribusiness; host Eddie McCarthy; Ger Courtney, Programme Co-ordinator; Professor Gerry Boyle, Director Teagasc & host Padraig McCarthy. Photo O'Gorman Photography. Over the 25 year period, the Joint Programme was implemented across counties Kerry, North Cork, Limerick and Clare. To-date, 76 Monitor farmers and their families have participated in the Joint Programme. Kerry Agribusiness and Teagasc celebrate 25 years of working collaboratively on the Joint Programme which commenced in 1994 and was an innovative concept of peer-led learning and knowledge transfer. This was the first such programme in Ireland and formed the foundation of sustainable dairy production within the Kerry Agribusiness milk supplier base. Over the 25 year period, the Joint Programme was implemented across counties Kerry, North Cork, Limerick and Clare. To-date, 76 Monitor farmers and their families have participated in the Joint Programme. Kerry Agribusiness and Teagasc wish to acknowledge their generosity and commitment to enhancing prospects for dairy farmers generally in the Kerry catchment. Key to the success of the Programme has been farmers, industry, advisory and research, all working together, to achieve progress on milk composition, herd genetics, nutrient and grazing management coupled with improvements in animal welfare and environmental management on farm. Local demonstration of these practices has ensured widespread adoption throughout the Kerry catchment area. Improvement in the milk composition of the Monitor Farms over the 25 years equates to an additional 5.5c/litre or 16,500 per annum for a supplier delivering 300,000 litres. The extended grazing and improvement in dairy EBI equates to a significant reduction in carbon emissions. The substantial increase in the average EBI on Monitor Farms is equivalent to 350/cow additional profit. The Programme supported suppliers to profitably avail of opportunities that arose following the abolition of the EU milk quota system in 2015, highlighting the importance of cost effective expansion in milk production. Commenting on the Kerry Agribusiness/Teagasc Joint Programme, Pat Murphy, Head of Kerry Agribusiness stated that tremendous progress had been made by the participating Monitor Farmers and by all dairy farmers in the Kerry Catchment Area over the past 25 years. The focus on increasing milk solids, extending the grazing season and utilising as much grass as possible, herd health and sustainable expansion had made dairy farming much more profitable and environmentally compliant in recent years. He stated that dairy sustainability would need much focus in the coming years and that the Joint Programme would facilitate this. Speaking in Tralee, Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle thanked the farmers and their families who participated in the Joint Programme over the years, and the staff from both Kerry Agribusiness and Teagasc who provided the leadership and technical knowledge which has made it such a success. He said that this same level of teamwork will be needed to meet the challenges facing dairy farmers in the future. Apple, Google and Microsoft are three very powerful companies. Two of them had big events last week Google I/O and Microsoft Build. What I found interesting was that both Google and Microsoft largely were on the same page about focusing on the customer. Both Google and Microsoft have been making massive advancements with artificial intelligence. Both have increased their efforts to make the world a better place. Apple, on the other hand, is still using the lock-in model to keep customers from abandoning it, and increasingly appears more intent on increasing margins than on satisfying its unusually loyal and valuable customers. Ill share my views on their strategies and then close with my new favorite browser: Chromium Edge. (Seriously this thing is AWESOME!) Google and Microsoft I observed a number of really interesting things from watching the Microsoft Build Keynote and the Google I/O keynotes back to back. One was that while Microsoft CEO Satya Nadellas passion clearly showed, Sergey Brin looked like he was reading the ingredients in a recipe he didnt like. The contrast in energy and interest was stark, even though both men were announcing similarly revolutionary offerings. While Google was the first to embrace open source, and by a considerable margin, Microsoft has matched it. Both firms now are pretty much on the same page not only with regard to an increasing customer focus, but also when it comes to putting their efforts into making the world a better place. They have been getting there with different tools, but the concept of building around the customer, while more pronounced at Microsoft than at Google, is very visible at both companies. Google never has seemed to care that much about profit, largely because its revenue source typically is decoupled from the product, and Microsoft historically has been product-focused. Googles pivot to privacy is largely sourced through government sanctions that likely have scared the hell out of it. Microsofts is more because its model favors privacy in the first place but both firms largely were in lockstep on the importance of their respective efforts. A Truly Smart Digital Assistant One of the most interesting parts of both keynotes was that both CEOs placed their digital assistant efforts toward the top of their respective priority lists, and their new feature sets are going to be remarkably close. Both Googles and Microsofts assistant efforts appear better, in terms of performance, than Apples Siri or Amazons Alexa. However, Siri is better known, and Alexa is more widely used. Both companies announced aggressive steps to fix that, with assistants that can hold conversations and perform multiple linked tasks far more like what a human assistant might be able to accomplish. Both showcased advanced translation and speech-to-text capabilities, and both highlighted impressive performance potential. One interesting, perhaps ironic, difference was that Google was stronger with its disconnected device capability, which I would have expected to be more in Microsofts purview. However Microsofts overall cloud message, with a performance gaming component, was far stronger. It felt at times as though each company thought it was the other. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Hardware and Collaboration Other areas where the companies diverged were on collaboration and hardware. Microsoft presented some impressive improvements to its Teams product, which now can loop in remote workers into a rendered video conferencing environment using Spatial, a revolutionary avatar-based telepresence technology. It gave me hope that much of my travel soon may go away. It offered everything from real-time translations to the ability to turn presenters translucent so you could see what was behind them. Really revolutionary stuff. Google was more about the hardware from its updated Nest Hub and Next Hub Max to its new aggressively priced, potentially iPhone-killing, Pixel 3a phone. It had me thinking it was time to hide my wallet again. Its new phone actually comes in purple, which got me thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could get my wife off her horrid iPhone (purple is her favorite color and our anniversary is coming up). The Pixel 3a has three iPhone-killing features: a battery that uses machine learning to produce up to 30 hours of battery life (15 minutes on the charger provides seven hours of use); a camera with super high-resolution zoom and market-leading night mode; and the new Google assistant that makes Siri look so last decade. The digital well being improvements also are impressive, with new phone features that could increase productivity by 90 percent and reduce nighttime usage (improving sleep) by 27 percent. Making a Better World Surveys of millennials indicate they want to work with firms that will go out of their way to make a better world. Ive covered efforts by Dell, Cisco and IBM in the past, and this clearly has become an industry trend. Microsofts aims to enable people to make a difference in the world by giving them the tools they need to execute changes. In its keynote, the theme was on how to build trust, with a significant focus on election accuracy worldwide. Ensuring this process will allow for stronger citizen-driven change short of revolution something we may appreciate even here in the U.S. shortly. Googles presentation along these lines was more about what Google could do, suggesting its effort is partially in response to its eroding brand and concerns that the company was becoming evil. It highlighted impressive tools that could give a voice to those who cant speak. It was a pretty amazing demo, because once trained using machine learning, the system could differentiate between a stroke victim otherwise unintelligible sounds. Google also highlighted a huge advancement in early warnings of flooding using satellite imaging and heavy simulation. Both firms approaches were accretive. In other words, it wasnt one or the other but one plus the other that got you the best results. Microsoft Azure For some screwy reason, the cloud was all Microsoft and Azure. Google seemed more about edge computing. Microsoft pointed to its expanded to 54 regions and whopping worldwide compliance certificates the most of any company. A D V E R T I S E M E N T I found out that it has been working with each government far more than any of its competitors, not only to comply, but also to change compliance requirements so that they actually make sense, improving the environment for all vendors. One of the most interesting implementations came from AT&T, which has been using Azure for drone tracking and to eliminate the risk drones pose to commercial aircraft. Starbucks has been using Azure for coffee quality assurance (a good thing Ive stopped going to Starbucks because the coffee tastes bad). Microsoft highlighted a blockchain logistics product in conjunction with Starbucks that better assured packaged coffee quality. AI and Mixed Reality On AI, both Google and Microsoft had interesting stories to tell. Google highlighted a huge effort to eliminate bias in its AI models, something that Dell spotlighted a week earlier and IBM emphasized at Think. Microsoft was more about having an open AI system that could be modified by the customer to create bots that could target needs uniquely as a result of learning about the user. Neither firm had any real virtual reality content, but they were pretty aggressive with augmented reality. Microsoft again highlighted its HoloLens II, which is being used widely in industry. It also highlighted a massive increase in developer tools, making deploying the thing far easier. Google seemed to be backing off AR hardware altogether, but it showed strong progress with its AR (Google Lens) efforts instead, which did some pretty amazing things with regard to translating paper documents like menus. Gaming Advances Microsoft largely stood alone with its new huge gaming in the cloud effort. The promise is any game you want on any device with state saved. In theory, you could start a game on your PC and then finish it on a phone or tablet. This kind of demands head-mounted displays, because taking a game that is meant to be played on a monitor and shrinking it down to a tablet or phone would get a ton more interesting if you didnt have to reduce the screen size. Ironically, Google kind of addressed this with its foldable phone update. Apples Position Both Microsoft and Google are on what appear to be customer-centric tacks, and both have huge make the world a better place efforts under way. Apple is still mostly spending its money on buying back stock (which benefits investors over customers). Apple just finished the biggest litigation effort Ive ever seen focused on screwing Qualcomm just to get US$6 in extra margin, with collateral damage that could have knocked the U.S. out of the 5G race. For some time, it has been outfitting its phones with inferior Intel modems, knowing they were crap but nevertheless promoting them as superior. Apples excessive focus has been on margins and valuation. It doesnt appear to care about the health of its suppliers or the quality of their offerings. WWDC will be Apples chance to fight back, but it really needs to start putting customers and the world far higher on its priority list. Right now, it has fallen way behind both Google and Microsoft in a number of areas. This is pretty much the same tone-deaf behavior I saw at IBM back in the 1980s, and it almost killed that company. I dont think it will end well in Apples case either. While Microsoft is talking customer focus and loyalty, and also increasing valuation, Apple has been taking advantage of the most loyal customer group on the planet. This is just painful to watch. Wrapping Up: Better Competition It is really cool that both Google and Microsoft are focusing a ton more on customers. I also think it is fascinating that Microsoft is working to make Starbucks much better, while Googles executive needs to drink more coffee. (Sergey Brin really defined low energy in his talk.) Apple, in contrast, seems to be living in the 1900s, when lock-in was king and you could subordinate customers for margins. It just feels like it increasingly has been relying on lock-in and not on building more competitive offerings or giving customers the love they deserve. Apple has the most loyal customer base in the segment. It really needs to stop abusing them with inferior offerings and maybe do something that will make the world a better place. And I still feel someone should go to jail for the bad faith attempt to put Qualcomm out of business. I dont know about you, but I am now a long way from just bringing up Internet Explorer and having everything work. Edge has become increasingly difficult to use, and IE has its own legacy issues. A couple of weeks back I tried to enter a video conference, and after trying Edge, IE and Chrome, I found that only Firefox would render the page properly. Well when my Microsoft contact, Carla Quesenberry, called me a few weeks ago and asked me to try out the alpha copy of Microsoft Edge on Chromium, I was pretty skeptical and put it off. Its an alpha product, how good could it be? I finally loaded Edge Canary (the code name), and I can answer that question with one word awesome. When I first loaded and launched it, the load time was blindingly short. It just exploded onto my screen with a lot of my favorites. Ive been using it for two weeks, and I made it my default browser this week. Even though it is in alpha, it is better than a lot of the shipping browsers Ive ever used. Canary Microsoft Edge on Chromium click image to enlarge Since it has been my primary, I rarely have to load Chrome and never have to load IE. It is the one browser that runs everything most successfully, and it has a favorites migration capability that is nearly second to none in alpha form. My favorites were all there, though some of the passwords were out of date. There are coming features that will better allow the creation of comparison charts, just by dragging and dropping. Did I mention, the thing is the fastest browser Ive got and by a significant margin? A host of coming features will make this thing an invaluable part of the Office 365 solution like the ability to drag and drop items from the browser into Excel to create near instant personal product comparison guides or collections. Because its been well over a decade since Ive been more excited about a browser than pissed at it, Edge with Chromium what I call Chromium Edge is my product of the week. (Maybe Microsoft should rename it the Awesome Browser.) The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECT News Network. What just happened? It seems Nvidia may soon find itself embroiled in a legal dispute with Xperi (formerly Tessera), as they assert Nvidia is infringing upon five different patents. Xperi licenses intellectual property to several heavyweight chip makers and have won legal disputes over patents against giants Samsung and Broadcom in the past, so Nvidia may very well have a hard time arguing against this claim. Subsidiaries of Xperi Corp, Invensas Corporation and Tessera Advanced Technologies, have filed suit against Nvidia, alleging the infringement of five patents. Xperi and its subsidiaries believe Nvidia's GPUs and supercomputers leverage technology pursuant to its semiconductor design patents. Xperi and its subsidiaries create intellectual property and technology, then license it. Invensas creates packaging and interconnect technology for semiconductors, while Xperi controls a range of technologies for audio, image codecs, automotive, and more. Some of its clients include Sony, LG, and Samsung. As it pertains to its suit with Nvidia, the company filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court of Delaware for the violation of Patent Nos. 5,666,046; 6,232,231; 6,317,333; 6,849,946; and 7,064,005. It's worth noting that Xperi has defended these patents before: once in a case against Samsung, and another involving Broadcom. Xperi won on both accounts, settling out of court for an undisclosed sum and entering into multi-year patent license agreements. It would seem that the patents in question have already undergone stringent legal tests, and Nvidia may have a hard time discrediting them. Bottom line: Apple has been denied its motion to dismiss price-fixing allegations. The US Supreme Court upheld a lower court's ruling that the defense's citing of a case from the 1970s does not apply in this instance and that customers may proceed with antitrust filings against the tech titan. The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled 5-4 against the iPhone maker in a case involving antitrust practices with its App Store. Justices heard arguments last November and arrived at a decision on Monday. The ruling will allow customers to go forward with price-fixing lawsuits against the company. Plaintiffs in the case claim that Apple has monopolized iPhone app distribution and in doing so has gouged customers indirectly with its 30-percent commissions on app sales. The tech giant says that it acts as merely the storefront and that since developers name their own prices, it cannot be held responsible for price fixing. It further adds that since developers are the ones who pay the commission and not customers, developers should be the only ones that can have a claim citing a 1977 case between Illinois Brick Co. v. Illinois. However, the SCOTUS disagreed saying that the Illinois Brick ruling found that direct purchasers of products are allowed to file anti-trust lawsuits. Since customers are paying Apple directly rather than the developers, they do have the right to sue. "Apple's line-drawing does not make a lot of sense, other than as a way to gerrymander Apple out of this and similar lawsuits." Furthermore, justices feel that if customers had other options for purchasing apps, it would create competitive pressure on Apple to lower its commission. As it is now, customers and developers are locked into an ecosystem that is exclusively owned and operated by Apple so it can charge developers whatever it wants, and of course, those costs are passed on to the consumer. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the Courts opinion, Apple's line-drawing does not make a lot of sense, other than as a way to gerrymander Apple out of this and similar lawsuits. In particular, we fail to see why the form of the upstream arrangement between the manufacturer or supplier and the retailer should determine whether a monopolistic retailer can be sued by a downstream consumer who has purchased a good or service directly from the retailer and has paid a higher-than-competitive price because of the retailers unlawful monopolistic conduct. The SCOTUS ruling does not consider the merit of the plaintiffs claims or any other defenses Apple may have. It only ruled that the companys argument to dismiss under Illinois Brick was invalid. Apples stock tumbled almost six percent after the ruling, but it is hardly the end of its financial concerns in the matter. The company could be facing hundreds of millions in anti-trust claim settlements. It may also be looking at a forced reduction in the App Stores 30-percent cut or removing restrictions against downloading from an alternative marketplace. This case is not the first price-fixing lawsuit Apple has faced. In 2014, the company settled an anti-trust lawsuit involving ebooks for $450 million. More recently in 2017, Russian regulators found Apple guilty of fixing prices for iPhones with several retailers in Russia. Most Americans use debit or credit cards to purchase stuff online, but in other countries, such payment methods might not be readily accessible. Google understands this, which is why it's rolling out a new payment option that lets people pay for Play Store apps using cash. This comes after Google added carrier billing to the Play Store several years ago to make paid apps and in-app purchases more accessible for people who don't have easy access to cards. Google's new payment method is called "pending transactions," which, as Play Store engineering director Aurash Mahbod describes, is a "new class of delayed form of payment like cash, bank transfer, and direct debit." "We know that emerging markets are a key area of growth for you all, which is why we're excited to announce 'pending transactions," Mahbod said at Google's I/O Developer conference. Pending Transactions Pending transactions are live now in just two countries Mexico and Japan, as TechCrunch reports. There, Android users can buy paid apps and just pay them later using cash at local convenience stores. Right now, paying for in-app transactions via this method isn't possible yet, but Google says it'll add that feature down the line. In addition, the company will also most likely roll out pending transactions to other developing nations moving forward. How Does It Work? Instead of attaching a credit card to one's Play Store account, the user can just opt to receive a payment code that they can show to the cashier once they're ready to pay. Within 10 minutes after completing the transaction, the user will receive their purchase along with an email with their proof of their payment. However, this might take up to 48 hours in case something goes wrong. The pros are obvious, but there are also downsides to this form of payment, the biggest of which is that users won't get the cash back if they decide to ask for a refund; they'll get Play Store credit instead. By launching pending transactions in developing markets, Google hopes to turn free users into paying ones. In such countries, cash-based transactions are still largely preferred, especially by those who don't have credit cards or postpaid plans. It's not clear if pending transactions will make it stateside as well, but make sure to check back with Tech Times as we learn more. Thoughts on this new payment method? Sound off in the comments section below! 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Samsung recently unveiled its new 64-megapixel camera, and since it's a major supplier of lenses for a handful of phone manufacturer, that means customers can expect 64-megapixel shooters soon. But apparently not as soon as the Galaxy Note 10's release. As soon as Samsung announced the new shooter, the natural impulse was to assume it would appear on Samsung's forthcoming Galaxy Note 10 flagship. However, this appears not to be the case, according to a trusted industry tipster. Galaxy Note 10 Camera Rumors Samsung's new 64-megapixel lens is called the Isocell Bright GW1, which combines four pixels to render a 16-megapixel images that are vivid, with accurate colors, and clear even in low-light situations. The Galaxy Note 10 will have none of this wizardry, according to Ice Universe, who took to Twitter to say that the "Samsung Note10 will not use 64MP CMOS." To be clear, all rumors must be taken with a grain of salt, and Samsung hasn't really confirmed if its Galaxy Note 10 will feature the new sensor. That said, Ice Universe does have a track record of sharing accurate information. That means Samsung fans should not keep their hopes up for a 64-megapixel shooter on the forthcoming Galaxy Note 10 flagship. Galaxy Note 10 Rumors If true, that puts Samsung's mobile photography plans into question. Since all aspects of a phone has nearly been perfected, it's often the camera that will set something apart from the rest of the pack. The Google Pixel 3, for example, doesn't have a triple-camera system that's all the rage these days. But it does have the highly advanced Pixel Visual Core, a standalone chip just for processing images, and the results are currently some of the very best in the market. It might not be all bad, though. Alongside the new 64-megapixel sensor, Samsung announced a new Isocell 48-megapixel shooter called the Bright GM2, which apparently is more likely to show up on the Galaxy Note 10 than its higher-spec'd sibling. Either way, this is still Samsung, one of the leading companies when it comes to mobile imaging, so expect the Galaxy Note 10 to perform beastly in the camera department, nonetheless. Still, in an industry where the number megapixels is often misconstrued as indicative of a camera's quality, Samsung faces competition with manufacturers who put 20+ megapixels on devices, even if those devices don't really take great pictures. On top of which, smartphone sales stopped growing in 2018 for the first time, which could suggest people are tired of yearly renewals. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tinder is exploring a more lightweight version of its main app aimed at developing countries where high-speed internet isn't always available. The app will officially be called "Tinder Lite," similar to other Lite apps in the market, an will aim to address the needs of users in places where factors such as data usage, bandwidth, and storage space are pressing concerns. Many companies offer Lite versions of their apps, the most significant of which is Facebook, which has lightweight counterparts to the main Facebook app, Messenger, and Instagram. All these have a reduced set of features, a simpler aesthetic, and minimal data usage. Tinder Lite Tinder believes it's time for it to launch its own Lite app as well, as TechCrunch reports. Although the company doesn't share exactly how many people use the app, Tinder averaged 4.7 million subscribers in Q1, up from 1.3 million year-over-year. What's more, BBC estimated back in 2017 that Tinder had around 57 million total monthly active users. Tinder's parent company Match Group announced its plans for this Lite version during an earnings call with investors. It failed to specify a release date, but CEO Mandy Ginsberg confirmed that the app is launching soon. Ginsberg specified the promise of Southeast Asian markets when discussing Tinder Lite. She noted that there, internet penetration had increased by almost 15 percent over the past five years, making it a key area to pursue. "Tinder Lite will be a smaller app to download. It will take less space on your phone, making Tinder more effective, even in more remote areas or regions. And keep in mind, these are regions where data usage still comes at a premium." Tinder Lite: What Features Would Be Removed? Obviously, Tinder Lite will not get some of the features the main app has. But most likely it'll have Tinder's core functions and experiences, such as swiping and matches. It might even get features such as Super Like, an important but not really crucial feature of the dating app The company has yet to specify what features Tinder Lite will and will not have, or if it would remove any at all. Dating apps have grown in popularity in recent years, and Tinder is perhaps the best-known and most-used of them all. Moving into developing markets with a slimmed-down version is a smart move to collect more patrons. There's no telling if this endeavor will be successful, of course. But in any case, make sure to check back with Tech Times as we learn more about Tinder's plans. If you have anything to share, feel free to sound them off in the comments section below! 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Danville, IL (61832) Today A mix of clouds and sun early, then becoming cloudy later in the day. High near 50F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Thundershowers following a period of rain early. Low 44F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. One of the two Ponchatoula Junior High School teachers fired for restraining a female student during a fight has filed an appeal requesting his termination be reversed and his employment reinstated. Attorneys for Arthur "Rusty" Barrilleaux, who taught health and physical education at the Tangipahoa Parish school before he was fired last month, appealed Monday to the 21st Judicial District Court, calling Tangipahoa Schools Superintendent Melissa Stilley's decision "arbitrary or capricious." Barrilleaux and Brett Chatelain were both fired after a video surfaced showing the former teachers restraining a girl following a fight in the school's courtyard. The video shows the two teachers trying to pin the girl on the concrete, with one of the teachers cursing the student as the other teacher drags her by the leg. +3 Teachers seen restraining girl in viral Ponchatoula Junior High video were fired, union rep says An attorney for one of the teachers seen restraining a student in a video that went viral from Ponchatoula Junior High School in March said th Their terminations ignited concerns across the school district about teacher training for violent student behavior and their job security. Mr. Barrilleauxs intervention prevented injury to Mr. Chatelain, the other students who were present and the adults who were present, and was reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances," the appeal claims. The allegations contained in the Superintendents April 11, 2019 letter are inaccurate, invalid, or misrepresented. Stilley, in a letter to the former teacher attached to the appeal, calls Barrilleaux's actions too forceful and out of line with teacher expectations. Her recommendation for termination was based on "the physical altercation at Ponchatoula Junior High School in which you exhibited unprofessional behavior, inappropriate comments, repeated threats, and unnecessary excessive force, which are violations of the Tangipahoa Parish School System Employee Conduct Policy," Stilley wrote in an April letter to Barrilleaux. +4 Tangipahoa teachers demand clarity on firings over viral video, 'risk of losing our careers' AMITE About 50 teachers, support staff and their backers filled the Tangipahoa Parish School Board chambers Tuesday to protest the terminati Barrilleaux, however, alleges he neither received nor was offered the behavior response training the Tangipahoa Parish School Board has contracted for its teachers, a nationally accredited school-specific system called Handle with Care Behavior Management. The appeal also says the the founder of that program, Bruce Chapman, reviewed the videos from the fight and did not find the teachers' actions concerning. 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 Chapman said the two teachers used a minimal degree of force that was consistent with a reasonable person standard. He did also note that proper training could have helped the teachers use even less force. In the appeal, Barrileaux also gives his account of the March 28 fight and aftermath, explaining that students came to his classroom to alert him of the fight between the two girls in the courtyard. When he entered the courtyard he saw Chatelain trying to restrain one of the girls, but her force knocked them both over. +3 How should Louisiana teachers react to students in fights? No policy and plenty confusion When two Ponchatoula Junior High teachers were fired over the way they handled a recent fight between two students, it prompted a teacher walk He saw a number of school employees "standing around and watching" and "not intervening," but he felt he had to help control the situation. Mr. Barrileaux was concerned that Mr. Chatelain and others might be injured and other students might attempt to (join in) and cause injury to Mr. Chatelain or others," the appeal says. The appeal requests that Barrileaux be reinstated, have his duties restored and receive any loss of salary or other emoluments from the initial termination. Barrilleaux is represented by attorneys Brian Blackwell, James Bullman and Tony Clayton. Advocate staff writer Caroline Grueskin contributed to this report. A Greenwell Springs man who had been set to stand trial Monday in Baton Rouge in the fatal 2017 shooting of two Baker men will now be tried in August. There are still motions that haven't been heard in the case of William Bottoms Jr., so Judge William Bennett scheduled a motion hearing for July 2 and a trial for Aug. 5. Bottoms, 29, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the killing of Mohamed S. Hussain, 29, and Dedrick D. Williams, 23, whose bodies were found in St. Helena Parish. +2 Trial date set for Greenwell Springs man accused of fatally shooting two Baker men A Greenwell Springs man accused of fatally shooting two Baker men last year and dumping their bodies in St. Helena Parish will stand trial in May. He is accused of killing Hussain and Williams while the three men and a woman rode in a car June 2, 2017, on Plank Road between Baker and Zachary. East Baton Rouge Parish prosecutors dismissed an accessory charge against the woman, Megan Marie Gaylord, of Greenwell Springs, who was driving the car in which Bottoms allegedly shot the two men. Gaylord said the four of them had used drugs and Bottoms, her front seat passenger, became paranoid and shot the men, who were sitting in the back seat, an arrest report states. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up +2 Greenwell Springs woman's accessory charge dropped in 2017 double murder A Greenwell Springs woman's accessory charge in the 2017 killing of two Baker men was dismissed by a prosecutor Wednesday, paving the way for The state intends to call Gaylord as a witness at Bottoms' trial. About two months before the slayings, Bottoms had been released from a state prison after serving time for a heroin possession conviction. Bottoms faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. Bottoms' twin brother, Lawrence Bottoms, was fatally shot April 29 in Mississippi after he pulled a gun on Hancock County sheriff's deputies trying to serve a warrant on him out of East Baton Rouge Parish for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, the Biloxi Sun Herald reported. +3 Twin brother of convicted felon killed by Mississippi deputies awaiting double-murder trial in Baton Rouge A Louisiana convicted felon shot to death Monday by deputies in Mississippi is the twin brother of a Greenwell Springs man accused in the 2017 Lawrence Bottoms was convicted in 2017 of the 2015 stabbing of a teenager with a screwdriver, according to Livingston Parish court records. The charge he pleaded guilty to in the case was aggravated battery. The teenager died months after the stabbing. Just nine months after opening its first school, BASIS.ed has won approval to open a second campus in Louisianas Capital City. The new school will allow the Arizona-based charter school organization to meet some of its already high demand and shrink its huge waiting list, which is nearing 600 kids. The new school is set to open in August 2020 at a location still to be determined. But in narrowly approving the expansion plans of this nationally celebrated school network Thursday night, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board made clear that its not done scrutinizing BASIS, particularly its lack of socioeconomic diversity. Just 33 percent of Basis Baton Rouges current students qualify for free-and-reduced price lunches, an indicator of poverty. Its one of the lowest rates for a public school in the Capitol Region. Most of the 27 schools in the BASIS network, some of them perennials on national best-of school lists, dont even offer federally subsidized meals. Charter schools are public schools run privately via charters, or contracts. +13 Academically rigorous BASIS readies for August classes in its first Louisiana charter school When Roberto Ramirez tells people in Baton Rouge where he works, he gets some puzzled looks. The final vote Thursday night on BASIS expansion was 5-3, with board member David Tatman absent. Of 10 charter school applications submitted this year, BASISs was the highest rated by an outside evaluator. School system officials who have visited the school so far have been complimentary of the BASIS operations. A parade of parents on Thursday sang the praises of the young school. In opening its first Baton Rouge school, BASIS formed a corporate partnership with Womans Hospital, which is next door to where the school is located. BASIS says it is open to a corporate partnership for its newly approved second school. The partnership with Womans allows the hospital to claim as many as half the seats at the first BASIS school for the children of its employees, but only 22 so far have decided to do that. Of that schools 392 students, BASIS reports that almost half came from private and parochial schools. Two new charter schools coming to East Baton Rouge; 5 more applications reviewed Monday After lengthy debates, two charter school groups, BASIS.ed and Helix Community Schools, won permission Thursday to open new schools in Baton Rouge. Board president Mike Gaudet voted yes Thursday night to the second BASIS school, but was not without criticism. At one point, Gaudet made a motion that would have required the new BASIS school to compy with a longstanding state law by its third year of operation specifically a provision that says charter schools cannot fall below 85 percent of the enrollment of economically disadvantaged and special education students of the school districts that authorize them. Gaudet later withdrew his motion, but said hes not forgetting: "I am admonishing everyone that we will be enforcing (state law) with renewals and other things." The next step is negotiating a contract. The process will look different this year. The School Board plans to soon unveil two documents, a standard contract for charter schools and a new accountability framework to assess how those schools are performing. The documents are set to be approved in June. Both are modeled after similar documents the state and the Orleans Parish School Board use in authorizing and overseeing charter schools. Gaudet said these new documents will be part of contract negotiations with BASIS. They will also be part of the negotiations with Helix Community Schools, the other successful applicant Thursday, as well any other applicants approved when the board meets Monday night to consider the five remaining applicants. 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 3 of 10 charter school applicants should be approved in East Baton Rouge, evaluator says; see list An evaluator hired by the East Baton Rouge Parish school system is recommending the approval of three applications, out of 10, filed by those Seventy-six percent of children in the parish school system and 69 percent of public schoolchildren in Louisiana are considered economically disadvantaged. Multiply those rates by 85 percent and the resulting student poverty threshold for charter schools is 65 percent in East Baton Rouge Parish and 58 percent for those chartered by the state. The vast majority of charter schools across Louisiana easily meet those thresholds or come close. However, a few charter schools, including BASIS, fall well below. In its application for a second charter school, BASIS set a very low target of 10 percent for economically disadvantaged students, a third the rate of its first Baton Rouge school. That 10 percent we have in the application is just a floor, its not a target, BASIS Baton Rouge Executive Director DeAnna Rowe explained Thursday. You would not consider state law to be your minimum? asked Gaudet sharply. The state law, while mandatory, is silent on what happens if charter schools dont comply. "The law does not set a consequence of closure if it is not met, Caroline Roemer, executive director of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, told the School Board. The law does empower you to do something about it. Jill Dyason, whose district includes BASIS and who strongly supported its expansion plans, said BASIS is enrolling students who are closer to representing the demographics of the parish as a whole, not the poverty rates of the subset of students enrolled in the public school system. Many middle and upper class families in East Baton Rouge routinely avoid public schools, which means the demographics of students enrolled in the public school do not reflect those of the parish as a whole. Dyason also downplayed the state law. "I dont think that that law is enforced across the state, Dyason said. Gwynn Shamlin, general counsel for the East Baton Rouge Parish school system, however, insisted that the school system does monitor its 10 district-chartered schools for compliance with the law. And Roemer, in an interview, said the state as well as Orleans Parish, home to the most charter schools in the state, do as well. BASIS charter school gets provisional contract nod; East Baton Rouge Schools Superintendent Drake reorganizes top staff Scottsdale, Arizona-based BASIS Schools won a provisional operating contract Thursday that will allow it open for students in 2018 and is hopi When it was negotiating its contract in 2017, BASIS fought against including consequences for non-compliance with the state law. Board member Dawn Collins, whos voted consistently against BASIS, said staff members told her that BASIS even threatened to walk away if it was forced to comply with that law. Asked about Collins' accusation, Rowe responded in an email that BASIS negotiated in good faith in 2017 to protect our investment in the community, being mindful of where it was locating, the students other BASIS school have attracted and interest from families currently attending private schools. The head of Louisianas House Republican caucus on Monday began a push to roll back the part of the state sales tax that lawmakers implemented in a deal to shore up the states budget last year. But Gov. John Bel Edwards, whose administration spoke out against the measure, has taken a stance against tax break proposals, saying they threaten the states newfound fiscal stability. While the governor left himself open to supporting some smaller tax breaks being pushed by lawmakers, he said Friday during a press conference he wont sign any high-dollar tax expenditure proposals. Here we finally achieved some level of stability and the Legislature introduces a slew of new exemptions and so forth, Edwards told reporters. For the most part these are things we should not be considering at this point in time. The efforts include exempting diapers and feminine hygiene products from the sales tax--a measure pushed by state Sen. JP Morrell, D-New Orleans--as well as the roll-back of the 0.45% sales tax hike. Edwards left himself a little flexibility in what he might support. But Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson, speaking on behalf of the governors office, made clear the administration opposes the effort to cut into the sales tax, which state Rep. Lance Harris, the head of the House GOP caucus, introduced Monday. Senate committee rejects bill to send more sales taxes proceeds towards bridges, roads On arguments that the legislation would pick apart last years hard-fought deal to stabilize the states revenue collections, a Louisiana Sena The Legislature agreed to the higher sales tax last year after seven special sessions dedicated to ending years worth of fiscal crises. Harris' bill would begin shrinking the 0.45% sales tax hike in the 2020-2021 fiscal year, repealing it by 2023. The measure moved without objection out of the House Ways and Means Committee after several Republican members characterized the states recent budget surpluses as proof the state is overtaxing its people. It goes to the full House next. We might be extracting too much money out of the taxpayers pocket because were continually ending up with surpluses and we continually raised taxes and fees over the past two years, said Harris, R-Alexandria. Can't see video below? Click here. 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 The bill would cost about $392 million in state revenue by 2023, according to legislative estimates. Lawmakers agreed to add the 0.45% sales tax just before an additional temporary penny was set to expire on July 1, 2018. The figure represented a compromise between the Democratic governor and House Republicans, and is set to last for the next six years. It is set to expire in 2025. This was a hard-fought compromise, Robinson said. We should protect the general fund now that weve finally got it stable. Lawmakers have amended several bills this session to avoid having an impact on the upcoming budget cycle, as the Legislature and governor try to pay for things like a teacher pay raise and full funding for popular scholarship programs like TOPS. Mark Ballard: Louisiana lawmakers worry efforts to undo sales tax increase could lead back to fiscal cliff Baton Rouge Republican Rep. Paula Davis looked at her colleagues collecting their belongings at the end of the day and noted that while last w But many bills would alter the states tax base--and flow of revenue--beyond that if passed. A Senate panel earlier this session killed a measure to divert the 0.45% sales tax proceeds to road projects. Morrell's bid to end the sales taxes on diapers and feminine hygiene products is still alive after a maneuver on the Senate floor. Other measures would re-institute sales tax holidays that were recently repealed in an effort to plug the states budget gaps. The Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs on Monday also unanimously backed proposals by state Rep. Jim Morris, an Oil City Republican and oil and gas proprietor, to cut taxes levied on certain oil and gas wells that dont produce much. Combined, the two bills would cost the state about $12 million a year, according to estimates from legislative staff. Its a hope that this is going to pay for itself, and its a $7 million price tag, state Sen. Jay Luneau, D-Alexandria, said of one of those proposals, before the committee approved the bill without objection. Thats a tough one to overcome. A Senate-passed bill that would allow the state to create a new lane in each direction on Interstate 12 between the I-10/12 split and Walker moved within one step of final approval Monday. The measure, Senate Bill 84, breezed through the House Transportation Committee without opposition. It next faces a vote in the full House. Under the plan, the state would convert about 15 miles of what is now shoulder space on I-12 into high-occupancy travel lanes to ease congestion. Traffic relief on I-12? Shoulders might become HOV lanes with a modest price tag State transportation leaders said Thursday they are considering converting roughly 15 miles of shoulder paths on Interstate 12 between the I-1 Vehicles would have to have two or more occupants to use the lanes. "It is a good solution," said state Sen. Dale Erdey, R-Livingston and sponsor of the bill. Erdey said he regrets that it has taken so long since he proposed studying the idea in 2015. When the new lanes could be reality if the bill wins final approval is unclear. Officials of the state Department of Transportation and Development are awaiting the results of a study by the Denver-based engineering firm Arcadis. That review is supposed to be finished by the end of the month. 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 Erdey said the new lanes would cost about $750,000 for signs, stripes and other work. The proposal won praise from committee members. "It is awesome," said state Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, D-Baton Rouge and a member of the panel. "I have often asked the question of why we don't have HOV lanes like other places," Marcelle said. She said she hopes the state can eventually launch park-and-ride sites that allow motorists to carpool, reducing traffic problems. Rep. Ed Larvadain III, D-Alexandria, another member of the committee, also praised Erdey's proposal. "I want to thank you for thinking outside the box," Larvadain told Erdey. "Congestion over there is horrible." The legislation would give DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson authority to designate HOV lanes statewide. However, the bill prohibits the state from converting existing travel lanes into HOV lanes. What times of the day HOV lanes would be in effect is also to be decided. Volunteers Lindsey Brignac, left, and Regan Johnson with the Society of Louisiana Caring Professionals in Action trim cypress tree limbs during the group's first day of service, in which they worked with Project Front Yard to spread mulch and trim trees along the Garfield Street Greenway Friday, September 28, 2018, in Lafayette, La. Volunteers also collected litter in various areas, worked at the Lafayette Habitat for Humanity ReStore and taught Acadiana High School students about careers in accounting. Dusti Bonge holds the unlikely distinction of being Mississippi's first prominent modern artist. Unlikely because the words Mississippi and modern art do not fit neatly together, yet Bonge spent most of her life in her hometown of Biloxi as she became famous for abstract expressionist canvases associated with New York School painters like Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still. Who linked them was the legendary Manhattan gallerist Betty Parsons, who exhibited Bonges work from the late 1940s until 1976, even though Bonge and her husband Archie lived in New York only briefly before returning to Biloxi in 1934. It was Archie, a Nebraska cowboy-turned-artist who introduced Dusti to painting after he and the then-aspiring actress were married. Art review: Optokinetic canvases bridge cosmos and art in 'Meta Morphic' exhibit From ancient times until at least the early Renaissance, art, science and spirituality were considered part of a magical totality in which all What this adds up to is an iconic life that reflected America's cultural currents from regionalism and surrealism to abstraction, which in her work blended boldness with the Mississippi coast's humid dreaminess. She died in 1993 at 90. After Archie died in 1936, Dusti, born Eunice Lyle Swetman in 1903, dedicated her life to painting. Early landscapes and still lifes like Sunflowers recall the mystical elementalism of her painter friend Walter Anderson and the rhythmic cubism of pioneer New Orleans modernist Paul Ninas. As she segued into the mysteries of surrealism, Bonges work became more psychological, as we see in her 1943 self-portrait The Balcony (pictured). Inspired by her explorations of the subconscious, it is related to a series based on dreams, a theme that lasted into her high abstract expressionist period in striking works that launched an important sequence of solo exhibitions at the Betty Parsons Gallery. Those works are among the most consistently impressive in this show at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, ranging from her darkly classical 1956 canvas Whirlpool to the cubist elementalism of Flight (1971) and Infinity (1980). The swirling vortices of her 1955 painting Sails most fully fuse Bonge's psychological intensity with the breezy atmospheric insouciance of the world that shaped her, the timeless tidal currents of the Gulf of Mexico in a region where all things seem to dream. Through Sept. 8. Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St., (504) 539-9650; www.ogdenmuseum.org. Art review: Woodrow Nash at Angela King Gallery and Delita Martin at Stella Jones Gallery Creole culture has come to be viewed as a dynamic, ever-evolving hybrid of shared African, Native American and European roots. We see this in Trump visits New Orleans for a fundraiser with Republican businessmen, the Louisiana Senate passes a bill that would make abortion illegal once a heartbeat is detected in the fetus, Nyx announces its first-ever summer parade, Mayor Cantrell and City Council spar over homelessness policy. Here's what you need to know in New Orleans this week. Trump comes to New Orleans this week for fundraiser President Donald Trump will spend much of the day in Louisiana May 14, with a stop in Cameron Parish at a liquefied natural gas plant before traveling to New Orleans later for a high-dollar fundraiser hosted by shipbuilder Boysie Bollinger and developer Joe Canizaro, both Republican businessmen. A copy of the fundraising invitation obtained by The New Orleans Advocate indicated the lowest-priced tickets were $2,800, with $35,000 buying a photo with Trump and $100,000 donations garnering roundtable access to Trump. The location of the fundraiser was not revealed to the public. At the Cameron Parish appearance in the town of Hackberry, on the Texas-Louisiana border, Trump is set to discuss American jobs related to the energy industry, according to the White House. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican and chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy, issued a statement saying, I thank President Trump for his commitment to unleashing American energy and supporting Louisiana energy workers. KEVIN ALLMAN ERA ratification fails badly in state Senate vote A push for Louisiana to become the final state needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is on its last legs after the state Senate voted 9-26 last week against the amendment, with some dissenters expressing fear it would expand abortion in the state. The 1972 amendment which has been ratified by 37 of the 38 states needed for it to become part of the U.S. Constitution would grant women legal protections. It states that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. In an interview with Gambit, state Sen. JP Morrell, D-New Orleans, who sponsored the bill, said he expected the abortion argument to come up in the Senate floor debate. I'm sure they have placeholder people who will make the same arguments, and I look forward to kind of diffusing them one by one, Morrell said. Will it ultimately lead to us being successful? No, but I think it serves a purpose of having a debate for the public to see these kinds of crazy arguments that have existed for 40 years and no longer have any basis. Theyll see they're still being utilized by lobbyists, by business interests and by politicians who are tone-deaf, he added. Morrell made a motion to reconsider the amendment at a later date, and a House version of the bill by Rep. Robby Carter, D-Amite, is still pending in the House Civil Law and Procedure committee. Louisiana Right to Life (LARTL), which opposed the amendment, released a statement following the vote, praising the floor statements of state Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton. "Senator Mizells clarifications amidst an often misunderstood issue was essential to defending life today, LARTL Executive Director Ben Clapper said. Mizell is a model of a successful pro-life woman leader for Louisiana." The Louisiana Democratic Party released a statement against the decision. Im disheartened by my colleagues decision to not pass the [ERA] through the Senate, said Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, D-New Orleans, who chairs the Louisiana Democratic Party. Louisiana had the chance to make history, protect women from discrimination and take an important step toward equality in our state and nation. Unfortunately, we failed. KAYLEE POCHE After failed Senate vote, Louisiana's chances of becoming final state to ratify ERA look slim A push for Louisiana to become the final state needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is on its last legs after the State Senate vo Louisiana Senate passes fetal heartbeat bill The state Senate last week passed a bill that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, around the sixth week of pregnancy before many women know they are pregnant. The vote was 31-5. The measure now goes to the House. State Sen. John Milkovich, D-Shreveport, brought the bill to the floor, stating, as he has before, that he is in favor of banning all abortions. The only discussion of the bill came from Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, D-New Orleans, who asked Milkovich if he was against killing any human with a heartbeat, in what seemed to be a reference to his support of the death penalty. In your bill, you are suggesting that a human being exists at that point you just described, Peterson said. If its a human and they have a heartbeat, youre not for killing them? Milkovich initially agreed, but then modified his position, saying he was against killing an unborn baby with a heartbeat. Petersons comments came after a bill failed that would have put abolishing the death penalty on the ballot in November 2020, coinciding with the presidential election. Milkovich, along with 24 other senators, voted against that bill. Peterson and 12 other senators voted for it. Milkovich amended his bill to include a provision requiring a doctor performing an abortion to check for a fetal heartbeat. At the recommendation of the attorney generals office, a trigger was added to the bill that would make it contingent on court approval of a similar law that was passed by Mississippi in March. Milkovich said he was against the trigger. I really wanted it to be effective upon enactment, he said. Louisiana Right to Life released a statement supporting the addition, stating it would allow the state to focus on defending its current abortion restrictions in court. This provision allows our attorney generals office to focus on its current defense of already existing pro-life laws in federal court, the groups statement said, referring to a 2014 law (which has not gone into effect) that would require abortion providers to have admitting privileges to a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic. Six other states Georgia, Iowa, North Dakota, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio have passed similar fetal heartbeat bills, but none has gone into effect. The American Civil Liberties Union has vowed to fight several of them. KAYLEE POCHE Louisiana Senate passes bill that would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected The Senate passed 31-5 today a bill that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, around the sixth week of pregnancy before Another eight-day Jazz Fest for 2020 It's way too early to know who's going to be playing at the 2020 edition of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. But one thing's for sure: The eight-day schedule set this year will continue. Jazz Fest organizers announced last week that the 51st annual Jazz Fest will take place April 2326 and April 30May 3. As for the just-concluded festival the 50th Jazz Fest 475,000 fans passed through the gates at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, according to Jazz Fest officials. KEVIN ALLMAN +2 Looking back on Jazz Fest 2019: Eight-day extravaganza drew 475K attendees for golden anniversary George Porter Jr., Leo Nocentelli, James Rivers, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and Germaine Bazzle were among the performers at the first New Orlea Nyx to launch summer parade Mardi Gras in July? The all-female Krewe of Nyx announced last week that it will have a summer parade July 27. The krewe said the new parade would make Nyx the first Carnival organization to have two parades in a year. The 8-year-old krewe has one of the largest memberships of any parading organization in Carnival history. "The Krewe of Nyx has consistently raised the bar," Julie Lea, Nyx's founder and captain, said in a news release announcing the new parade. "We think it is a great way to bring additional revenue and tourism to the city during the summer." The summer parade will begin on Elysian Fields in the Faubourg Marigny and roll down Decatur and Tchoupitoulas streets, through the French Quarter and CBD to Andrew Higgins Drive. The theme will be the 1970s, and instead of throwing its traditional hand-decorated purses, glittery children's sand shovels will be the summer parade's signature throw. ADVOCATE STAFF REPORT In a first for New Orleans, Mystic Krewe of Nyx announces new summer parade rolling in July If you missed out on the Mystic Krewe of Nyx's 2019 Mardi Gras parade, there is some good news for you. Cantrell, City Council at odds over homeless sweeps Despite Mayor LaToya Cantrell's objections, the New Orleans City Council passed rules last week for clearing homeless camps, saying its goal was to better address homelessness in the city. But Cantrell staffers said the rules, which require the city to collect and report data on people living under bridges and in other public spaces, could make their jobs harder and could stigmatize vulnerable residents. A Cantrell aide would not say if the mayor intends to veto the measure, which was approved unanimously. It would take five council votes to override a veto. This ordinance does not criminalize homelessness, nor does it violate anyones constitutional rights, said District A Councilman Joe Giarrusso, who sponsored the measure. While (New Orleans police) may be on the scene, they are not leading these efforts. But city Health Department Director Jennifer Avegno said having rules that are interpreted as restrictive has caused backlash in other cities. What we are asking is for time to sort it out and to get more areas of consensus, she said. The city conducts regular sweeps of the homeless camps frequently seen under the Pontchartrain Expressway and in other areas, which officials say can pose threats to public health. Officials give the people living at those sites 24 hours' notice before carrying away items like tents, mattresses and other belongings. At times, city officials have agreed to store items for those who request it, though such requests have been infrequent. UNITY of Greater New Orleans, which works to coordinate homeless services, has come along on sweeps in the past to collect information about those in need of shelter so it can connect them to housing and other resources. But the City Councils rules will put the burden of data-gathering on the administration, requiring its staffers to report back to the council in detail on the extent and nature of homelessness in the city. You cant manage what you dont measure, said Giarrusso. The city would be required to store all personal property it collects and give people a period of time to come and retrieve it. Notices would be printed in English, Vietnamese and Spanish. Some housing advocates opposed the measure, allowing Cantrells camp to claim it was not embraced by those most involved in serving the homeless. The ordinance will increase the amount of time and attention spent on removing homeless peoples possessions and moving homeless people around, neither of which will reduce homelessness, said Joe Heeren-Mueller of UNITY. Avegno said the city is ill-equipped to track data sought by the council such as the number of homeless pregnant women and the services they receive, and that attempting to do so would pull resources away from other priorities. In a statement before the vote, Cantrell said homeless people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. I do not support any efforts that distract from engaging and developing real solutions that meet people where they are and deal with the very real issues they are facing, she added. But Giarrusso and Councilmembers-At-Large Helena Moreno and Jason Williams claimed the new rules largely codify what the administration or other groups already have been doing. It's the latest clash between Cantrell and the council. In recent months, they've also butted heads over a tax for senior citizen services and a recent shift in policies for city traffic cameras. JESSICA WILLIAMS | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE New Orleans City Council passes rules for clearing homeless camps over Cantrell's, advocates' objections Flexing its political muscles despite Mayor LaToya Cantrell's objections, the New Orleans City Council passed rules Thursday for clearing home Its that time of year again when Louisiana state legislators nearly have completed their annual practice of rushing additional abortion restrictions through the legislature. Some restrictions have significantly decreased access to legal abortion over the last decade, while others have been put on hold amid taxpayer-funded legal battles. The process typically begins with an anti-abortion state legislator many of whom are Democrats as well as Republicans proposing legislation further regulating abortion. It may be a small change to the law like extending the amount of time abortion providers have to keep records, or a more drastic change like requiring abortion clinics to be within 30 miles of a hospital. Those testifying in favor of the legislation usually frame it as a common-sense measure, while those testifying against it argue it will create an additional hurdle for abortion providers and women trying to access the procedure. The bill then passes both chambers with only a handful of votes from some Democrats in opposition and is signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat whose strong anti-abortion voting record helped him win statewide election in a deeply red state. Then legal challenges ensue. Sen. JP Morrell, D-New Orleans, is one of the few Louisiana legislators who often votes against proposed abortion restrictions. He says abortion, along with same-sex marriage, is one of several issues where legislation passed by the state conflicts with decisions handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. It's kind of bizarre that when we have things that are found unconstitutional, there is an active effort to keep unconstitutional stuff on the books, Morrell says. As weird as that is, that has been the ultimate plan with Roe v. Wade since the beginning of time. During the current legislative session, one of the most-discussed bills was Senate Bill 184 by Sen. John Milkovich, D-Shreveport, that would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, around the sixth week of pregnancy before many women know theyre pregnant. The bill passed the Senate 31-5 May 6, and now heads to the House. (Other states recently have passed their own fetal heartbeat laws.) Another bill, HB425 by Rep. Katrina Jackson, D-Monroe, would add language to the state constitution clearly stating that it does not protect a womans right to choose an abortion. The House passed the bill 80-10 in April, and a Senate committee advanced it May 7. If two-thirds of the Senate passes the bill and Edwards signs it, Louisiana voters will decide on Nov. 16 if they want the provision added to the state constitution. Louisiana already has a 2006 trigger law in place that automatically would ban nearly all abortions in the state if Roe v. Wade is repealed by the U.S. Supreme Court. A state constitutional amendment would be harder to reverse than the current trigger law. Walt Handelsman: Alabama Choice For more Walt toons and animations click here. This is needed because the abortion industry would go into the Louisiana Supreme Court arguing that there is nothing about abortion in the state constitution, said Dorinda Bordlee, senior counsel of Bioethics Defense Fund, in a Senate committee hearing on the bill. This very simple amendment closes the door to judicial activism. But when abortion restrictions are passed, that does not mean they instantly go into effect. Several existing Louisiana abortion laws are in limbo, hinging on taxpayer-paid legal battles. Milkovich, a staunch opponent of abortion, also authored a 2018 bill that would change the time a woman could legally obtain an abortion in the state from 20 weeks post-fertilization to 15 weeks. The 15-week ban became law, with a provision stating it would only take effect if courts uphold Mississippis version of the law a move aimed at curbing the litigation costs the state would have to pay when the law inevitably was challenged in court. Mississippis sole abortion clinic immediately sued the state when the ban passed, and the law was blocked by a federal judge last November. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves ruled that the 15th week of pregnancy was before viability of a fetus, or the point at which a fetus can survive outside of a mothers womb usually between 24 to 28 weeks. Likewise, the Louisiana bill banning abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected would go into effect only if courts upheld a similar law Mississippi passed in March. Proceedings are expected to begin in the federal Southern District Court in Mississippi this month, potentially costing Mississippi taxpayers more than a million dollars in legal fees. Ellie Schilling, a New Orleans attorney who has represented Louisiana reproductive health care providers, says these Louisiana laws are tied to decisions on the Mississippi laws up to the Fifth Court of Appeals, which handles cases from Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas and is traditionally more conservative than other appeals courts. If the Fifth Court of Appeals upholds either of Mississippis bans, Louisianas ban automatically kicks in and so does its responsibility for potential legal costs if the case goes to the U.S. Supreme Court. It would immediately be litigated here at that point, still before really there would be clarity on whether the Supreme Court was ultimately going to find it constitutional, Schilling says. In other cases, Louisiana taxpayers are footing the legal bills outright for defending abortion restrictions. Such is the case with a 2014 law requiring abortion clinics have admitting privileges to a hospital within a 30-mile radius. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a nearly identical law in Texas in 2016. Currently, there are only three abortion clinics in the state: one each in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport. Thats down from five in 2014 and seven operating in 2011. If the admitting privilege law goes into effect, Louisiana would be left with just one abortion clinic. Schilling says the state currently is facing numerous additional legal challenges to its existing abortion restrictions. One lawsuit involves seven laws that were passed in 2016. Another surrounds licensing requirements for abortion clinics. According to Schilling, a year ago the state had spent around $1.5 million on outside counsel for these ongoing lawsuits. That amount does not include the costs of in-house legal counsel or the plaintiffs legal costs the state would have to pay if it ultimately lost the lawsuit. Louisiana Senate overwhelmingly passes two anti-abortion measures The Louisiana Senate passed a bill 31-4 today that would let residents vote on adding language to the state constitution explicitly stating it Proponents of laws restricting abortion who believe life begins at conception say the restrictions are worth defending. Some, like Milkovich, oppose tying them to other states laws because it inherently delays their effectiveness. I cannot think of a better expenditure of money that Louisiana could make than to protect the life of the unborn, Milkovich said during a House committee meeting last year, when lawmakers spent three taxpayer-funded special sessions scrambling to agree on a solution to replace hundreds of thousands of dollars of expiring state revenue. But other abortion-law proponents, like Louisiana Right to Life (LARTL), support these types of legal provisions. Louisiana Spotlight: Abortion curbs eagerly passed by legislators While abortion rights disputes cause fierce arguments around the nation, they create little obvious friction among Louisiana lawmakers, who re In a statement in support of the trigger on Milkovichs so-called fetal heartbeat bill, Benjamin Clapper, executive director of LARTL, said, This provision allows our attorney generals office to focus on its current defense of already existing pro-life laws in federal court, including the likely defense before the Supreme Court of our 2014 law requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. Katie Caldwell, clinic director at Womens Health Care Center in New Orleans one of the states three remaining abortion clinics attributes part of the major decline in abortion clinics in the state over the last decade to the litigation costs these restrictions place on the clinics. It becomes really difficult and really expensive to provide care when you're constantly in court fighting all these things, she says. The U.S. Supreme Court so far has upheld its 1973 decision affirming a womens right to abortion prior to viability of the fetus. But President Donald Trumps appointment of conservative Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the court to replace former Justice Anthony Kennedy has fueled anti-abortion activists hopes that overturning Roe v. Wade entirely could be a possibility. Other abortion-related bills working their way through the state legislature would place additional regulations on abortion providers regulations that other health care providers in the state are not subject to and some that potentially could open up the state to more lawsuits. State Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, filed two bills this session pertaining to abortion: one regarding information physicians must give women seeking an abortion and another dealing with mandatory reporting of sex trafficking. Currently, abortion providers are required to tell patients the name of the physician who will provide the abortion. SB 221 would require abortion providers to put that information in writing as well along with additional information including where the physician completed his or her residency, whether he or she has malpractice insurance and whether the doctor has been placed on probation in the last 10 years. The bill passed the Senate unanimously in April. +7 Photos: Hundreds of protesters gather at New Orleans rally for abortion rights Several hundred people held a rally on the sidewalk outside the Hancock Whitney Center May 22, protesting state legislation that would curb a Mizell says the bill will give women seeking abortions additional information about the procedure and that requiring providers to give patients the physicians name in writing allows the patient to search that physicians disciplinary history online. The purpose of the bill was just to make sure the woman had in hand what most of us as patients want in hand, and that's the information on the person that will be performing the medical procedure, Mizell says. In this case, it just would happen to be an abortion. Opponents argue that these regulations contribute to existing stigmas surrounding abortion clinics. It's meant to be burdensome, and it's meant to be stigmatizing to physicians who provide abortions by treating them as if they are, by definition, some sort of unqualified provider, says Schilling. I think it's also intended to scare patients: Why are you giving me all of this information in writing about all of your qualifications? I've never had a doctor do that before, she adds. Mizells second bill, SB 238, would require anyone working at an abortion clinic who has contact with patients including receptionists to be a mandatory reporter of human trafficking. (Existing law already makes the clinic and health care practitioners mandatory reporters.) This may be the one place, especially with the trafficking victim, Mizell says, to have somebody that they can speak to and say, Look, this is what's happening to me. Schilling says shes concerned this bill will make people who have little contact with a patient subject to major criminal penalties, which could deter people from working at clinics, whether as a physician or as a receptionist. Louisiana Spotlight: Abortion curbs eagerly passed by legislators While abortion rights disputes cause fierce arguments around the nation, they create little obvious friction among Louisiana lawmakers, who re HB 133 by state Rep. Frank Hoffman, R-West Monroe, changes the legal definition of abortion to include medication abortions, and would require both medication and surgical abortions to be performed at a licensed abortion clinic. Medication abortions involve taking a pill to terminate a pregnancy and can be done during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. Currently, licensed physicians in the state who have completed their OB-GYN residency can provide medication abortions. If the bill becomes law, only physicians at the states remaining clinics could administer the medication. House Bill 484 by Rep. Raymond Crews, R-Bossier City, would extend to seven years the amount of time abortion facilities are required to keep medical records of women who have abortions. For minors, the records would have to be retained for at least 10 years, beginning when the patient turns 18. Penalties would include up to $1,000 per document that was not retained and/or imprisonment of up to two years with or without hard labor. These bills in Louisiana mirror a nationwide trend of piecemeal abortion restrictions passed in conservative states to chip away at and potentially overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. Ohio, Kentucky, Iowa, North Dakota and Georgia all have passed bills that, like Milkovichs, would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law May 9 a particularly stringent provision that also would change the states definition of natural persons to include an unborn child potentially making getting or providing an abortion punishable by life imprisonment. The law is set to go into effect in 2020, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Center for Reproductive Rights already have said theyll challenge it in court. In Alabama, the House and Senate passed a bill earlier this month that would make almost all abortion illegal with exceptions only when the mother's life is at risk. The bill heads to the desk of Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, who is expected to sign it. But the national political climate surrounding abortion differs from that in Louisiana and the Deep South in general. According to the 2016 Louisiana Survey by the LSU Public Policy Research Lab, 55 percent of Louisiana residents think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. Forty percent of residents think abortion should be legal in all or most cases compared to 55 percent nationally. Slightly more than half of Democrats in the state think abortion should be legal in all or more cases, while only a little more than a quarter of Republicans share that position. This is why, in Louisiana, the abortion debate is not as cleanly split among party lines as it is elsewhere. There's an assumption because people are from New York or California or wherever that Democrats are all pro-choice, pro-reproductive rights, Morrell says. There are social, societal, religious influences in the state of Louisiana that all come into play when you're having these debates and these discussions. It's interesting when you talk to people personally, he adds. Their personal positions don't often reflect their votes. Political pressures created by term limits are compounded by pressures from powerful anti-abortion groups, like LARTL and the Louisiana Family Forum (LFF). Both groups give out legislative scorecards ranking legislators from 0 to 100 percent based on their votes on bills related to abortion and other social issues. Clapper says while LARTL publishes these scorecards on their website and in their electronic newsletters, it usually does not send out its own mailers publishing the results though, he says, outside groups often publish the results in their own mailers and advertisements. Clapper adds that while the scorecards are not a perfect way to measure a legislators record on abortion, the group wants to make sure the information it presents is easy to understand and distribute. When you're trying to provide something that a lot of people can digest simply, the more details you provide, your retention rate goes down among the citizens, he says. So you have to strike a balance between those two things. Anti-abortion groups also have a strong influence on abortion-related bills throughout the legislative process. In a Senate committee debate over Milkovichs bill that would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, the committee originally passed an amendment that would make exceptions for cases of rape and incest. However, when Clapper said he was against the amendment, state Sen. Bodi White, R-Baton Rouge, called a second vote. Ultimately, the committee stripped the amendment from the bill. Clapper attributes the decision to strip the amendment to him being able to clarify confusion about multiple amendments moving through the committee at once. We felt that for the sake of these legislators who may have been confused in the situation, we needed to make that clear, he says. Morrell says that because many legislators plan to run for higher office after they are term-limited in the state legislature, they consider how their voting record on abortion will impact their ability to run for state or federal office. That often means voting to avoid attack ads from large anti-abortion groups, he says. The thing is ... that many politicians try to find the path of least resistance to re-election at a higher office, he says. It's one of those issues where I think a lot of people know the safer vote is to always vote against reproductive rights and for the pro-life stance. Every year, you have to tour your district trying to explain away votes that people attack you for with no context, Morrell adds. Many people discover especially newer legislators its easier to give them a vote than to try to explain the vote. As Alabama outlaws almost all abortions, Louisiana's 'fetal heartbeat bill' advances quickly On the same day the Alabama legislature passed a restrictive bill that would almost entirely outlaw abortion in that state, a House committee State Sen. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, says that the conversation about abortion in Louisiana often is framed as only two-sided, which he says does not reflect the realities of the issue. He says that legislative scorecards only contribute to that. Where I think a lot of people are boxed in and they feel they can't properly answer and defend their position is because oftentimes that argument of either you are pro-life or pro-death, he says. ...I am firmly pro-choice. I'm also firmly in favor of life. I cherish life, I support life and to somehow suggest that if you think a woman should have the right to choose that somehow you're choosing death I think is just an unfortunate position and it's flat out wrong. The scorecard is going to be my way or the highway, Carter says. It's going to be either you see things exactly the way I see it or you get a poor score. There's no gray area. There's no room in there for explanation. Life doesn't work that way. Legislation doesn't work that way. And policy doesn't work that way. I think it's a one-sided way to judge and it is a way to only get your way rather than having a meaningful discussion. Louisiana Senate OKs public vote on declaring abortion unconstitutional; here's next step The state Senate on Tuesday approved a bid to let the public vote on whether to change the states constitution to make clear Louisiana does n Walking through water almost up to his knees, a Mid-City resident shouted to Fayd Savry on Sunday morning, Can I give you $10 for a couple pints? Were closed today, said Savry, who had to turn away many potential customers while he cleaned his flooded-out corner store at Banks and South Lopez streets. Savry said hes used to flooding in Mid-City, with the store Paraiso Grocery having taken on water as recently as three weeks ago, but Sunday mornings deluge was the worst hes seen since August 2017. I dont know what to do with New Orleans, Savry said. Its not about rain. Its about the drains, the pumps. The Sewerage & Water Board said that, with the exception of one pump that lost its Entergy-supplied power during the storm, the drainage system appeared to work as expected Sunday morning. As far as we can tell, the system operated as it was designed, spokesman Rich Rainey said. But we are constantly looking for ways to improve. National Weather Service gauges recorded about 4.5 inches of rain at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and 4.9 inches at Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner, with most of it falling in the second round of overnight storms from about 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. The website Weather Underground, which tracks information from personal weather stations, showed more than 6 inches of rain at gauges in areas including Uptown, the Central Business District and Treme. Nearly 8 inches of rain fell in the Lower 9th Ward, according to a gauge near the St. Bernard Parish line, and a Bywater station reported nearly 6.5 inches. The rain was so severe that the Mississippi River rose 3 inches in an hour at the Army Corps of Engineers' Carrollton gauge. That was enough to drive the river up to 17.2 feet above sea level, nearly the same height it had reached before the Bonnet Carre Spillway was opened on Friday to divert water coming down from storms to the north. By 8 a.m., the river dropped back below the 17-foot threshold that triggers the use of the spillway. The storm and flooding did not appear quite as severe as the August 2017 flood, which had similarly widespread effects as some areas of the city got up to 10 inches of rain in a few hours. That storm served as a catalyst for renewed scrutiny of the S&WB and a shakeup in its management. It was later revealed that some pumps and power turbines were offline in that storm, turning public focus to the need for upgrades in the utility's equipment and the emergency spending of tens of millions of dollars. Lots of flooded cars About a foot of water got into his Mid-City store Sunday, according to Savry, about the same amount that left neighboring Echos Pizza closed for the day. Savry said around 3 feet is what he saw inside in 2017. Ten blocks away, Parkway Bakery and Tavern also closed as a result of flooding. So did numerous other Mid-City businesses. Some homes took on water, too, but cars seemed to be the day's major victims, with many of those not parked on the neutral grounds in Mid-City flooded. Significant flooding was also reported on Broad Street, St. Bernard Avenue, Lakeview, parts of the West Bank and the Lower 9th Ward. Jefferson Parish also reported street flooding in some areas. Particularly confusing, and frustrating, for some residents was the fact that some areas of the city seemed to be stuck underwater for hours, while nearby areas drained as expected. Janet Picket said that was the case near her house in the 3200 block of Banks Street, which remained waterlogged until after 10 a.m., when over a foot of standing water in the street rapidly disappeared in about 20 minutes. That raised questions for city officials. This was a tremendous rainstorm that was likely to cause flooding because of the amount of rain we received in such a short period of time, said Councilman Joe Giarrusso, who chairs the City Council committee that oversees the S&WB. What I cant wrap my head around is why some areas of the city appear to drain rapidly while other areas take longer to do so. The S&WB will be looking into that matter as it analyses the storm and its response, Rainey said. The smell of sewage At Palmyra Street and South Jefferson Davis Parkway, a rooming house with 12 people living on the ground floor took on water. Shelly Shephard said it took only 45 minutes from when it started raining for the water outside to get knee-deep, up to her windowsill. Shephard said that when she saw that, a little after 7 a.m., she went to wake up the rest of the house, telling the others not to open any doors because they didnt want a rush of water coming in. But the flooding came anyway, Shephard said from the toilets. Our bathrooms started to backflow into our house, she said, making the whole house smell of sewage. 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 Can't see video below? Click here. Water eventually came in from outside, too, mainly from cars passing, creating wakes. In a video that made the rounds on Sunday, a Regional Transit Authority bus could be seen speeding down a flooded street, pushing water into cars with its wake. Transdev, the company that runs the RTA's daily operations, said it will look into the incident. The S&WB reported only one issue with its pumps or power on Sunday, and Rainey said that likely did not have a significant impact on flooding. A major pump at Station 7 near City Park, which drains Mid-City, didnt function for an hour after losing its Entergy-supplied electricity while crews worked to switch to a generator, according to officials. The loss of power occurred about 5 a.m., just before the height of the storm. While that pump accounts for more than a third of the stations capacity, Rainey said that didnt contribute much to the flooding because there was not enough water in the canal that the pump draws from for it to be put to use at that time. At most, the pump was offline for around 15 minutes when it could have been used, Rainey said. An emailed statement from Entergy New Orleans said several of our protective devices operated as designed on our equipment feeding the pumping station. Giarrusso said he had been told by Entergy that a fuse was activated, cutting off power. That raises questions about what triggered the fuse and whether something needs to be done to prevent that from recurring, he said. We need to make sure that if were in the middle of a tropical storm or a hurricane that pumps arent shutting down inappropriately, he said. The S&WB was still investigating what happened, Rainey said. Entergy reported that over 11,000 customers lost power at some point Sunday morning in the metro area. Living with water In a statement Sunday afternoon, the city said it will work with the S&WB to analyze why flooding happened in areas across the city, with the epicenter once again being in Mid-City. My administration has been laser-focused on infrastructure as a whole and stormwater management in particular, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said. As we face our issues head on, we are using data and experience to better live with water. For Picket, whose yard flooded from rains just last month, living with water seems like it's becoming a part of Mid-City life. It doesnt seem to be getting any better, she said. Can't see map below? Click here. At the rooming house, meanwhile, Annie Jenkins picked up boxes of her things after the flood receded. Its wet. Theres water everywhere, she said. Shephard said the residents would be spending the day cleaning, and probably more days to come. She first moved into the house after it was renovated following the August 2017 flood. We do spring cleaning on Mothers Day. Happy Mothers Day to me, she said. ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH MUSIC: Rebecca Holmes, a master teacher in music in the St. John the Baptist Parish public school district, has been chosen to receive the Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award. The award will be presented at the 2019 Symposium on Music in Schools at the Yale School of Music in New Haven, Connecticut, in June, according to a news release. Holmes is one of five exemplary music educators and five exemplary teaching artists from across the country chosen to receive the award and give their input during the symposium, a gathering of policy leaders and practitioners from across the country to discuss topics relating to music education in public schools. NOCCA CELEBRATION SEASON: Upper-level students at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts will be concluding the semester with a series of Celebration Season performances, recitals, exhibits and readings at NOCCA, 2800 Chartres St. Events this month are: Student-directed one-act plays, all day May 15 in the Nims Blackbox Theater Media arts film showcase, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 16 in Lupin Hall. For a complete list of Celebration Season events, visit nocca.com/events. EINSTEIN CHARTER SCHOOLS: Teams will investigate physics, environmental, biology and chemistry topics during a STEAM Saturday event from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 18, at Einstein Charter High-Sarah T. Reed, 5316 Michoud Blvd., New Orleans. For information, call the school at (504) 503-0470. ST. RITA: The St. Rita Home & School Association will raise money for technology updates at the Harahan school during a fundraiser night from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at Sector 6, 612 Distributors Row, Harahan. The cost is $15 for a one-hour jump, $20 for a 1 1/2-hour jump, and $25 for a two-hour jump. Mention the St. Rita HSA when you pay at the door. ST. JOHN MAGNET SCHOOLS: The Garyville/Mount Airy Math and Science Magnet School is accepting applications for the 2019-20 school year. Applications are available at gmm.stjohn.k12.la.us or from the school at 240 Highway 54, Garyville, and may be returned to the school. To be eligible, students entering second or third grade must score a mastery (75 percent) or above on district benchmarks or meet bulletin 1508 for gifted exceptionality. Students entering fourth through eighth grade must have maintained a 3.0 cumulative GPA or have maintained at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA and earned mastery or advanced in math or science. 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 NOMMA: The New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy will hold an open house for prospective students in grades eight through 12 and their families at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 29, at the NOMMA Annex, 501 O'Bannon, Suite 101, Algiers. The entrance is on Heerman Street at the rear of the annex. NOMMA is open to all students in the greater New Orleans area. Apply for eighth to 11th grade at NOMMA through enrollnola.org, with priority given to military dependents. For more information, call (504) 227-3810 or go to www.nomma.net. NOCCA FOR ADULTS: In June and July, the NOCCA Institute will present a number of arts classes for adults. Confirmed classes include: New Copyright and Trademarking Rules for Artists, with Ashlye Keaton Ceramics Master Class for Beginners and Pros, with Nikki Jackson Four-Week Improv Experience, with Lauren Malara Intro to Stand-Up Comedy, with Lauren Malara One-Night Improv Comedy Crash Course, with Lauren Malara Stand-Up Comedy, Level 2: Stand-Up Comedy, with Lauren Malara Creole/Acadian Cuisine, with Chef Frank Brigtsen (two sessions) Tap Dance for Beginners, with Heidi Malnar Manual Photography: Creating Sophisticated Images Written in Light, Space and Time, with Stephen Billick Poetry Workshop, with Raina Zelinski Scriptwriting Boot Camp, with Rosary O'Neill So You Want to Write a Novel, taught by Anya Groner. For a full list of Creative Class offerings. visit NOCCAInstitute.eventbrite.com. ST. RITA: A recognition ceremony for seventh-graders finishing their time at St. Rita School in Harahan will be held at the 8:30 a.m. Mass on May 16 at 7100 Jefferson Highway. The St. Rita Home & School Association will hold a reception afterward. For information, call the school office at (504) 737-0744. ACADEMY OF OUR LADY: Academy of Our Ladys students recently attended the annual Key Club convention in Natchez, Mississippi. The club won the distinguished Key Club award, second place in the scrapbook contest and first place in the video-making contest. Junior Amber Verdin was pinned as lieutenant governor for the Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee District, and moderator Judi Zimmerman won District Convention Key Club Kiwanian Adviser of the Year. Senior Victoria Parria won one of the District Kiwanis Club Leadership Scholarships, and freshman Olivia St. Germain, Key Club president, won the outstanding freshman award. BROTHER MARTIN HIGH SCHOOL: The Marty Gras concert to benefit the Marty Hurley Band Endowment at Brother Martin High School will be held at 6 p.m. May 30 at Tipitinas, 501 Napoleon Ave., New Orleans. The concert honors drummer and former Brother Martin band director Marty Hurley. Tickets are $25, or $100 for VIPs, who will enjoy balcony viewing, drink coupons and food. All proceeds will benefit the Marty Hurley Band Endowment. For information and sponsorship opportunities, contact the Brother Martin Advancement Office at (504) 284-6700, email alumni@brothermartin.com or visit www.brothermartin.com/martygras. Marguerite Scully, a professional genealogical researcher and lecturer, will present Is My Husband Really Related to George Washington? at 7 p.m. Monday, May 20, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., in Metairie. While researching her husband's ancestry, Scully discovered family trees that were published on Ancestry.com and other genealogical websites that linked his St. Tammany grandmother to the family of George Washington. Intrigued, and with no family lore to substantiate the claim, Scully went through the long process of attempting to prove the published lineage. Using her research as a case study, Scully will provide participants with examples of how to verify their ancestry through record search and analysis, as well as how to analyze the records they have already found. The presentation will include a discussion of genealogical obstacles such as the absence or scarcity of critical records, weak records, misinformation and how to reasonably rule it out. Participants will learn about records at libraries, archives and courthouses that might be of value to their genealogical research. Scully is a professional genealogical researcher and lecturer. She is the vice president of the Board of the Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society and president of the St. Tammany Genealogical Society. DAYLILIES: The Southeastern Louisiana Daylily Society meets at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 18, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. The group promotes the beauty and benefits of one of the country's most popular plants. Each meeting features an educational component about daylilies or other local horticultural issues. 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 ROMANCE WRITERS: Group members will participate in a writing exercise at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. HEALTHY GULF: Representatives from Healthy Gulf (formerly known as Gulf Restoration Network) will discuss the science and environmental work it is performing at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. Healthy Gulf conducts campaigns to conserve marine life, sustain coastal communities, protect water, resist dirty energy and defend wetlands. JAZZ: The Shrine Jazz Orchestra performs at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. GREAT BOOKS GROUP: The discussion will be on "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. VOODOO: Rosary Hartel ONeill, author of a new book titled "New Orleans Voodoo, A Cultural History," will discuss it at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. According to the author, there is no more compelling nor more spiritual city than New Orleans. Its Roman Catholic roots and its blended French, Spanish, Creole and American Indian populations heavily influenced the rites and rituals that West Africans brought to Louisiana as enslaved laborers. The resulting unique Voodoo tradition is now deeply rooted in the area. Commonwealth Bank's total bill for compensation and costs relating to a string of scandals has swelled to more than $2.1 billion, as its profits are also hit by slower credit growth, skinnier margins, and rising loan losses. Shares in the country's biggest bank fell 2.7 per cent on Monday, after it said unaudited profits were $1.7 billion in the three months to March, a 28 per cent slump compared with the quarterly average over the December half. CBA chief Matt Comyn. Credit:Bloomberg The main culprit for the drop, which was worse than investors had expected, was a new $714 million charge that the bank took in provisions for customer remediation, mainly in its wealth division. The new estimates take CBA's cumulative spending and provisions on customer remediation to $2.17 billion, after a string of scandals at the lending giant. Gas pipeliner APA has announced Rob Wheals as the groups new chief executive, replacing founder Mick McCormack, who will retire in July. Rob Wheals is currently APAs head of transmission and has been with the company since 2008. Rob Wheals will officially step into the role of APA CEO on July 6. Credit:Kirk Gilmour "It is a great honour to not only lead APA but to do so following the outstanding leadership of Mick McCormack, Mr Wheals said. "I am picking up the baton of a business that is in a strong position. Kraft started life as a door-to-door cheese business in Chicago, incorporating in 1909. The Kraft Heinz merger is regarded by many as a disaster. Credit:AP In theory, the merger should have been a match made in heaven. The two companies were complementary. Quite simply, the deal has been a disaster. "I was wrong in a couple of ways about Kraft Heinz," Buffett admitted on CNBC in February. "It's still a wonderful business, in that it uses about $US7 billion of tangible assets and earns $US6 billion pre-tax on that. "But we, and certain predecessors, paid $US100 billion in tangible assets. So for us, it has to earn $US107 billion, not just the $US7 billion that the business employs." But the bald figures tell only part of the story. Buffett's gamble that ageing brands are undervalued by Wall Street does not appear to have paid off. Over the past two years, Kraft Heinz's shares have tanked, falling to $US32.50 last week and wiping nearly $US50 billion off the company's value. The last few months have been especially grim. In February, the company announced disappointing profits and its outlook was hardly encouraging. Kraft Heinz also said it was writing down $US15 billion of its intangible assets - effectively admitting that it had overvalued two of its key brands: Kraft and Oscar Mayer. Loading The figures were well short of what Wall Street had been expecting. Then the company announced that it will restate its figures for 2016, 2017 and 2018 after a review into accounting and buying procedures revealed "misconduct" by employees - but not by members of the senior management team. The internal review had been triggered by a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission after the US financial regulator launched an investigation in February. Underpinning the conglomerate's woes is a belief among analysts that the company is tired. "I think the problem is they instituted a merger between two companies which were lacklustre in terms of their assets in consumer-packaged goods," says Neil Saunders, managing director and retail analyst at GlobalData Retail. "They focused very much on savings. While there were savings, they took their eye off the ball in terms of product innovation. "It left them with a large entity with a weak customer offering. "Their brands are old fashioned and have been very slow in growth. At the same time, new brands are taking up shelf space and attracting consumer interest. "They now have a very large company with the same problems as the two businesses before they merged. Berkshire Hathaway owns 10 per cent of Coca Cola, which is underperforming as customers turn to healthier options. Credit:AP "I think it was something which was foreseeable and the merger never really made sense." The company's strategy was to slash costs in the hope of delivering greater returns to shareholders. Seven plants were shut: 20 per cent of the workforce was laid off. Some of the cuts were simply petty, such as removing fridges filled with Kraft snacks. But it soon became apparent that the slash-and-burn approach was counterproductive and ducking the real challenge facing the company - changing consumer tastes. Take cheese slices, for example. Kraft Singles, a mainstay of sandwiches for decades, last year saw sales drop for the fourth year in succession. Millennials, if they are not turning to kale, are buying artisanal cheese or even a vegan alternative. According to one estimate, the US now has a 1.4 billion lb cheese (635 million kilograms) stockpile - a situation that is hardly good news for Kraft. Belatedly, Kraft Heinz has changed tack, bringing in Miguel Patricio - an Anheuser-Busch InBev veteran - to breathe some life into the company. In one interview, he admitted that the company's brands left a lot to be desired. "Some are a little bit dusty and we have to rejuvenate them," he said. Heinz had already tried reinvigorating its range, unveiling a concoction called "Mayochup" - a melange of mayonnaise and ketchup. The rise of vegan food alternatives like Beyond Meat has hurt Kraft-Heinz. Credit:Bloomberg Sprucing up the product range is a strategy welcomed by analysts such as Lynn Dornblaser at Mintel, who has been critical of the merger. "You see companies getting bigger and bigger, buying even more things. Then, like the big bang theory, the universe explodes into smaller pieces again," she said. "I think what is happening here is the company has tried and tried to cut costs and get more shareholder value, but has forgotten the fundamentals of what brought consumers to their brand. "Kraft has gotten defocused, and must get back to knowing what consumers want and delivering that." But others, like Dec Mullarkey, of fund manager Sun Life Investment Management, believes more work has to be done to win investors' confidence, especially after the last few months. "Kraft Heinz came out with three surprises," he says. "There was the $US15 billion write-down, the SEC investigation into their accounting and a cut in dividends that really shocked investors." Mullarkey is sceptical that the poor results are purely a result of changing consumer habits among millennials. "Don't tell me people aren't eating hot dogs," he says. "I just don't think there has been such a radical change in the American palate. "The subtext is that the synergies they expected from the deal just didn't materialise. "I just don't think he did enough homework on the deal. Buffett normally does the analysis himself, and he is very rigorous." Customer loyalty to established brands is fading. Credit:Bloomberg During the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, Buffett admitted that he and 3G underestimated the challenge the conglomerate faced from supermarkets preferring to sell private label products under their own name, rather than established brands such as Kraft Heinz. It is a misjudgement that could lead some to suggest that Buffett's Midas touch may be disappearing. Over the past decade he has underperformed Standard & Poor's, but Mullarkey believes this is more a reflection on the state of the market. "In reality, this has not been a great environment for value investors," he says. "There have not been any great dislocations, which means that there are not any bargains to be scooped up. "Berkshire Hathaway is sitting on a lot of cash. If anyone else was running the company apart from Buffett, investors would be demanding bigger dividends." Buffett's admission that the company paid too much for Kraft will give ammunition to his critics. His support for Hillary Clinton did not endear him to everybody on Wall Street. Arguably, the problem underpinning Buffet's co-operation with 3G is a simple difference in philosophies. The Oracle of Omaha normally takes a long-term view of investment, while his partners in the Kraft Heinz deal were looking for as quick a return as possible. Loading David Buik, a veteran financial commentator, is reluctant to write Buffett off. "He is pretty left-field and doesn't care what the market thinks," says Buik. "I think if you are getting seven out of 10 decisions right, you are not doing badly." John Quelch, dean of Miami Business School, has some sympathy for Buffett, suggesting critics are enjoying the benefit of hindsight. Australia's most prestigious award for an unpublished manuscript, the Vogel Literary Award, helped kickstart Tim Winton and Kate Grenville's careers. But on Monday, the judges for this year's award announced they would be withholding the $20,000 prize and coveted book deal with publishing giant Allen & Unwin. It is only the third time in the Vogel's almost 40-year history that a winner hasn't been chosen. Emily O'Grady, the winner of the 2018 Vogel Prize. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Allen & Unwin publisher Annette Barlow said the judges were unable to find a manuscript that lived up to the award's "excellent standards". "This is an award that has literally launched the careers of over one hundred authors," she said in a statement. "But this year, in 2019, there is no winner and although we're disappointed, of course I feel the judges' decision speaks to their respect for the award and their desire to maintain the excellent standards of previous winning manuscripts." Loading "What do you want," Jon asks him gruffly, and you have to wonder if maybe this stroppiness thing is a Targaryen family trait. "All I've ever wanted," says Varys. "The right ruler on the Iron Throne." "I don't want it," snarls Jon. "I never have ... She is my queen." So there. Poor Varys. Having finally revealed his true colours he's the ultimate democrat, a genuine believer in by-for-of the people he's about to come a cropper, because here's Tyrion dobbing on him to Dany, for reasons that are not entirely clear. OK, let me rephrase that: for reasons that make ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE AT ALL. He waltzes into Queen Sooky-Chops' chambers to reveal that she has been betrayed. She says "by Jon", and he looks startled. No, by Varys. "He knows the truth about Jon," she says. Yup. "Because you told him." Whoops. "You learnt from Sansa, and she learnt from Jon, though I begged him not to tell her." Impeccable logic, Your Icy One. "As I said, he betrayed me." Tyrion can see this isn't going terribly well, so he grovels. "If I have failed you, my queen, forgive me. Our intentions were good. We wanted what you want, a better world. All of us Varys as much as anyone," he adds, a last futile bid to save his friend. "But it doesn't matter now." "No," she agrees. "It doesnt matter now." Tyrion's advice is falling on increasingly deaf ears. Credit:HBO Oh, she's bitter, and she's not much for looking to the honourable intentions behind dubious actions. She has Varys arrested and brought to the cove and prepared for his sentence: death by dracarys. "I hope I deserve this," says Varys, who might have been hoping for death by bobo. "I hope I was wrong." And to Tyrion, who has at least had the decency to confess to his own betrayal, "Goodbye old friend". Whoompf. A burst of dragon flame and he's gone. Jeez, it's like being in Stalin's inner circle. No one is safe from the purges of a paranoid and power-hungry ruler with a dragon. Next, Dany turns her wrath on Jon. Nobody loves me, she complains, everybody hates me, think I'll go do burns. "I dont have love here," she says. "I only have fear." "I love you," he says. "You'll always be my queen." "Is that all I am to you, your queen," she counters and goes in for the pash. Yet again Jon is torn between fancying the pants off her and the totes awkward knowledge that he's on the brink of making out with his aunty. Awks wins over norks, and he draws away. Yes I fancy you, but YOU'RE MY AUNTY. Credit:HBO "All right then," she says, snittily deleting his number from her speed dial. "Let it be fear." Hell hath no fury and all that. Fascinating as all this is, it is only the prelude to what's coming the biggest battle in Game of Thrones since, well, the last one. Tyrion has done his best to dissuade his queen from torching King's Landing but it's doubtful Danyef Stalgeryin is listening. Pretty much everyone is here for the showdown: there's that smug bastard Euron Greyjoy (but let's call him Urine, 'cause he really p---es me off) on the deck of his ship, the Scorpions armed and ready to pluck Dany's dragon from the sky, just like they did so easily last week. Jon is here with his northern army, Grey Worm is commanding the Unsullied, Jaime is trying to sneak into King's Landing to spirit his sister and their unborn child away to safety via the boat Tyrion has secretly arranged, and Arya and the Hound are on their way to their respective dates with destiny: Arya to kill Cersei, as she boldly claims, the Hound to settle things with his back-from-the-dead brother Ser Gregor Clegane (aka the Mountain) once and for all. The calm before the battle. Credit:HBO Briefly, all is calm as the armies face each other, and then Urine looks skywards and suddenly Drogon is dropping from on high. Urine orders the Scorpions to pivot but this time they're not fast enough and Dany and her dragon lay waste to the fleet in, oh, 30 seconds straight, which kind of makes a mockery of last week's scenes. Then it's on to the battlements, and the Scorpions there tilt downwards to track Drogon's flight, but just as they unleash their arrows he zooms upwards, then low again to lay waste to the artillery. Man, this is so easy. Outside the castle wall, the dude in charge of the Golden Company is looking kind of smug as he surveys the ragtag ranks of the forces against him but then the wall behind him explodes and Drogon bursts through and now the Lannister army is in tatters. At this rate, it'll all be over before morning tea. Drogon is making mincemeat actually, it's more like shashlik, with all those Lannisters on the spit of Cersei's army, but she's undeterred. "All we need is one good shot," she tells Qyburn. "The Scorpions have all been destroyed, Your Grace," he says. "The Iron Fleet is burning, the gates have been breached." I love how Qyburn always sounds like he's channelling Sir Humphrey on Yes, Prime Minister. Very brave, Your Grace. Cersei is firm let's face it, deluded in her belief that her people will fight to the end for their queen, but out in the streets a terrified squad of Lannister soldiers throw their swords to the ground when they spot Jon and crew on one side and Drogon up above. And then the bells ring out, sounding the surrender. Cersei in her Red Keep and Dany atop her dragon are frozen in time for a moment as they both contemplate what it means. King's Landing has fallen. But it's not enough for Danyef Stalgaryin. She takes to the air again as terrified citizens run through the streets. She sets fire to all in her path, vengeance and fury the only things on her mind, and then Grey Worm and his soldiers take this as their cue and start hacking into the unarmed Lannister troops, and Jon is horrified and tries to stop it but the Lannisters are re-armed and upon him and he's hacking away and so is everyone else. It's carnage. It's Dresden. The war is won but it's raining fire all the same. Women and children are slaughtered. Any sense of moral superiority is gone. When Jon comes upon one of his own soldiers attempting to rape a woman in a back street, he kills him and tells her to find somewhere safe to hide. Good luck with that. The battle is won, the city has surrendered, but still Dany rains fire upon her enemy. Credit:HBO Down below the city, Jaime has found his way to the boat, but so has Euron. A small point of order here: How is it that people can be dunked in deep water in GoT dressed in leather and armour, and weighed down by swords, only to casually stroll ashore moments later with a smirk on their faces and murder in their hearts? Hmm. And back to the action. Euron and Jaime duel, and Euron gets a couple of stabs into Jaime, and lands the biggest blow of all when he tells him, "I f---ed your sister". Come back here, I'll bite your bloody legs off. Credit:HBO Jaime could say, "Me too", but instead he just runs Euron through with his sword. It's a killer blow but Urine still has that annoying smirk on his face. "I got him," he says as Jaime staggers away. "I'm the man who killed Jaime Lannister." Apparently he didn't get any scene pages beyond this point. Inside what remains of the Red Keep, the Hound is hunting for his brother, while also trying to convince Arya to get the hell out while she still can. "Come with me," he says, "you die". "Sandor," she says, thus becoming quite possibly the first person other than his mother to ever address him by his given name. "Thank you." He wanders off as the dragon roars overhead and the keep begins to crumble. He's heading up the staircase as Cersei, Qyburn, and the Mountain are coming down. "Hello big brother." The undead giant seems to recognise him, and starts to head towards him. "Ser Gregor, stay by my side," urges Cersei. He turns his terrifying red eyes upon her but continues down the stairs. "Obey your queen," barks Qyburn and that's the last we'll be hearing from him; the Mountain picks him up by the throat and throws him to his death. Cersei scurries past and then it's just the Clegane brothers trading sword blows until the Mountain's helmet comes off to reveal a monstrous head, deformed by Qyburn's necromancy. "Yeah, that's you," says the Hound. "It's always been you." A date with destiny: The Hound and The Mountain prepare to face off. Credit:HBO The Hound stabs the Mountain repeatedly, but it makes no difference, because you can't really kill something that's already dead, can you? Finally they crash through a crumbling wall and plummet a long, long way into flames, which surely is the end for both of them, unless it isn't. I mean, Beric and Tormund plummeted from The Wall at the end of last season and then didn't even bother to mention it as they strode into the beginning of this one, so who knows. The biggest "who knows" of all, though, belongs to Jaime and Cersei, who finally find each other in that courtyard with the map of Westeros of which Cersei once said it could all be theirs, they just had to take it (I think she meant Westeros, not the map, in case you're wondering) and scurry down into the cellars, through which Jaime hopes to lead her to the waiting boat. But the passage is blocked and all around them stones and bricks are tumbling down. Cersei is in tears. "I want our baby to live," she tells her brother-lover. "Please don't let me die. I don't want to die. Not like this." "Look me in the eyes," Jaime says, holding her face between his hands. "Nothing else matters. Only us." Nothing else matters, only us. Credit:HBO It's an echo of the words he spoke to her in The Red Woman, the first episode of season six. "F--- prophecy, f--- fate, f--- everyone who isn't us," he said to her back then. "We're the only ones who matter, the only ones in this world. Everything they've taken back from us we're going to take back, and more. We're going to take everything there is." They haven't, though, have they. Instead, barring the unlikeliest of miracles, it's they who are fed this time. Above ground, Arya appears to be the only person left alive in King's Landing. All around her is death. A small girl she was trying to save lies beside her, a burnt husk. Ashes fall all around. It's like Hiroshima and it's horrendous. No, we don't know what it means either. Credit:HBO But Arya's not quite alone. Bizarrely, a lone white horse appears, riderless, as dazed and confused as she is. Arya climbs aboard and rides away into the tattered remains of Daenerys Targaryen's promise of a better world. Follow the author on Facebook at karlquinnjournalist and on twitter @karlkwin Who we lost in the battle for King's Landing You can never be sure if what looks like a death is really a death in Game of Thrones, unless there's a beheading involved. But from what we see in this episode, you'd have to conclude we're saying goodbye to the following: Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane and Sandor "The Hound" Clegane The brothers plummeted from a great height as the Red Keep collapsed, and fell into flames precisely the sort of death The Hound had always feared. Qyburn Cersei's Hand and resident necromancer was tossed against a stone wall by Ser Gregor Clegane, whom he had once brought back from the dead through his dark arts. Varys Incinerated by Drogon on Dany's order for his perceived treason in daring to suggest Jon was the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, just a week after revealing himself to be the true moral centre of the story. Euron Greyjoy Having delivered what ought to have been two killer blows to Jaime, Euron succumbed to a sword through the midriff and was left to die in a cave beneath King's Landing. With a smirk on his face, of course. Labors $50 billion suburban rail loop risks being a white elephant unless Melbourne embraces much greater population density in its middle suburbs, a leading transport planning expert says. Professor John Stanley was one of the authors of Plan Melbourne, the Victorian governments 35-year planning blueprint towards 2050. Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, federal MP Anthony Albanese, Premier Daniel Andrews and Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan announcing joint funding for the suburban rail loop plan. Credit:AAP He said one of the report's major recommendations if Melbourne were to maintain its liveability was to redirect population growth to the middle suburbs instead of the urban fringe. However, Professor Stanley says successive state governments had failed to act on this. Labor's $1.5 billion plan to "unlock" Northern Territory and Queensland gas would create far more emissions in Australia than Adani's coal mine, making it much tougher for a Shorten government to meet the nation's Paris climate goals. The proposal to help fund gas pipelines linking northern gasfields would allow pilot projects to be expanded, adding the equivalent of millions of tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions a year. The gas industry is a fast-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia - and could be a much larger one if Labor's plan to develop northern Australian gas fields go ahead. Credit:Bloomberg Labor has pledged to beat Australia's current 2030 Paris targets by cutting emissions 45 per cent compared with 2005 levels. The pipeline plan would undermine that goal, according to analysts. The NT's proposed Beetaloo gas fields alone have the potential to create 1240 petajoules of gas a year, according to the territory government's Fracking Inquiry report. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has dismissed concerns from economists that home owners could be driven into negative equity under his $500 million first-home buyers policy, as he kicked off the final week of the election campaign in western Sydney. Mr Morrison visited first-home buyers in the marginal seat of Lindsay on Monday morning - one of two key electorates the Coalition believes it will be able to steal from Labor on Saturday as polls tighten. "This is going to be a very close election," Mr Morrison said. Then on Monday afternoon on a whistle stop visit to Perth, Mr Morrison spent two hours talking to first-home buyers in the marginal electorate of Cowan. Guests at Mondays Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week shows may have been forgiven for checking their optical prescriptions as a series of mismatched shoes graced the catwalk. At Bec and Bridge it was thigh-high boots in black and white, while at P.E Nation working out in odd shoes was the order of the day. Mismatched shoes were on trend at Bec and Bridge at Fashion Week on Monday. Credit:AAP But the tricky thing about the trend is you need to buy two pairs, or find a friend with the same shoe size. Speaking of trends, Bec and Bridge packed several into their show, which took inspiration from 60s and 70s surf culture and featured what could have been Fashion Weeks first shag-pile rug catwalk. After a recent series of doctored tweets pretending to be from Mr Shorten's account on the Chinese WeChat platform, Labor has written to WeChat's parent company, Tencent, calling for it to do more to combat misinformation that might affect the outcome in seats with significant Chinese-Australian populations, such as Chisholm in Melbourne's east and the NSW seats of Banks and Reid. But this time around a poisonous undercurrent has been added to the electioneering rough-and-tumble. First there was the circulation of messages on Facebook and Twitter stating that the ALP and the Greens had committed to introducing a "death tax"; then came posts on Chinese-language social media accusing Labor of seeking to promote homosexuality in schools. In the West Australian seat of Curtin, one candidate was even referring to her support in a non-existent poll . Election campaigns are not for the faint-hearted, as Malcolm Turnbull discovered in 2016 when he found himself in quicksand fighting the ALP's "Mediscare" campaign. Taking what the public already knew about government health cuts and extrapolating, Bill Shorten and his supporters were able to position themselves as saviours of Medicare and force the Coalition to waste valuable time fighting on ground of its opponents' choosing. The social media giants have vowed to act against fake news in this election cycle, with Twitter announcing disclosure rules around political advertising and Facebook making a series of commitments. But as the Australian Electoral Commission found last year, talk of co-operation from these titans often falls short in practice, especially where greater transparency might impinge upon their business model. When the husband of a Liberal candidate was caught posting a fake "Islamic" pamphlet during the 2007 election, there were resignations and then-prime minister John Howard felt compelled to disavow the action at "lightning speed". In our new online world, the flames of misinformation travel faster still, leaving traditional monitors and fact-checking struggling in their wake. As with Clive Palmer's use of a Twisted Sister tune in his advertising, by the time the matter has come before a tribunal, the instigators of fake news will have extracted what value they can from their actions and moved on. Loading After the Christchurch massacre, this newspaper called for greater accountability from social media platforms on the dissemination of hate. Fake news has a tendency to cluster around issues or groups where a significant difference of public opinion already exists - the Safe Schools program or Muslims in Australian society - in the hope of widening rifts and undermining trust in all information. We have a right to expect improved co-operation from the online giants. But maintaining the strength of our democracy is a responsibility that also rests on all of us - so that we need to find better ways to bring the facts to the fore in debates and to think twice about demonising those with whom we disagree. In an age when eyeballs and money are chasing the next viral moment, these might seem forlorn ambitions, yet neglecting them will make each election after this an uglier and more dispiriting occasion for all Australians. That is something we can ill afford if we are to meet the challenges the future holds. A push to introduce an official Australia-wide 'missing person status' will be taken to federal parliament after the election, as administrative challenges continue to prove a "nightmare" for grieving families. Loren O'Keeffe, who established The Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN) in 2013, hopes her proposal will assist families who are often forced to explain their sensitive situation repeatedly to various institutions due to a lack of understanding "across the board". The proposal, which is still in early stages, would see a legally recognised status of "missing" implemented and require government bodies to set up protocol and support services similar to those following the death of a family member. After her brother Dan O'Keeffe went missing in July 2011, Ms O'Keeffe says her parents were calling "various institutions" such as the Australian Tax Office and utilities regularly in attempts to close or suspend various accounts in his name. The mother of a teenage girl killed during an elite equestrian event in NSW expressed concerns about the course on the morning of her daughter's death, including about the obstacle her daughter later died jumping. An inquest opened on Monday to examine the deaths of Olivia Inglis, 17, and Caitlyn Fischer, 19, two "clever and vibrant" young women who were fatally crushed by their horses during separate riding competitions in 2016. Olivia died on March 6, 2016, after her horse missed his stride and hit a jump two minutes into the cross-country event at the Scone Horse Trials in the Upper Hunter region. The image of Olivia shared by her mother, Charlotte Inglis, on Facebook. Credit:Facebook The horse, Coriolanus, fell onto Olivia and left her with major chest injuries. Her parents, who were at the event, heard there had been a fall and rushed to her side. Police have launched an investigation after one man died when two trucks crashed in the city-bound lanes on the M1 Pacific Motorway in Sydney's north late on Monday night. Emergency services were called to the motorway at Wahroonga after reports of a crash about 10.40pm on Monday. When they arrived, they found a pantec truck rolled on its side with the driver trapped inside. The driver was freed and taken to Royal North Shore Hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition. Further down the road, officers located a B-double truck which had slid approximately 50 metres down an embankment. They had the guns, bullets and even a car. So who forgot to fill up? It was two days before Christmas 2017 and Damien Featherstone had just walked out of Bathurst jail. High-ranking Finks bikie Troy Fornaciari. But making sure he behaved himself - the cornerstone of any criminal's time on parole - was the furthest thing from his mind. After all, he was the self-proclaimed leader of the Illawarra chapter of Brothers 4 Life - a reincarnation of the feared Muslim gang started by convicted murderer Bassam Hamzy in 2007. Featherstone and Hamzy had once been cellmates in Goulburn Supermax and Hamzy's extreme beliefs had rubbed off on his disciple. Damien Featherstone (left) and Andrew Coe's relationship has morphed from long-standing friends to criminal associates over the years. Fast-forward to December 2017 and Featherstone had already established a small but loyal following among the Illawarra's criminal networks. But this had led to him butting heads with other already established crooks; one in particular. Troy Fornaciari had risen from meddling thug to criminal heavyweight in recent years, in part due to his rather yappy big mouth and penchant for permanently inking his thoughts on his face. By late 2017, Fornaciari had anointed himself the leader of the Illawarra chapter of the Finks outlaw motorcycle gang and was trying to make a name for the new club in criminal circles. It's not known what brought the two men into such vehement conflict or when it occurred, but Featherstone made his dislike of his rival well known. His nicknames for Fornaciari included the almost affectionate - "Panda" - to the downright offensive - "F--k Face". Illawarra Brothers 4 Life member Damien Featherstone. By December that year, Fornaciari was number one on Featherstone's hit list. Damien Featherstone believed there were few people he could trust, so any job had to be done in-house. Enter, Andrew Coe. Coe, a young Aboriginal man familiar with the inside of a jail cell, was one of Featherstone's prize recruits - a natural step in a friendship cultivated years earlier. Police arrest Troy Fornaciari. Coe was serving the last two weeks of a jail stint when he and Featherstone were recorded discussing their Fornaciari 'problem'. "Little mongrel won't come out of his nest," Featherstone told Coe in a morning call on January 13, 2018. "F--k me dead he is hiding the motherf--ker. Me and the boys have gone hunting three or four times." For his part, Coe vowed to go "Quami-style" on Fornaciari when he got released - a direct reference to Farhad Quami, one of the gang's most feared and violent leaders. He would get his chance just a few weeks later. Coe got out of prison on January 23 and wasted no time getting down to business. It took just five days for he and Featherstone to devise a plan of attack against Fornaciari, although the recorded conversations between the pair show a degree of ineptitude that could be considered amusing if not for the dire consequences of what they were planning. It seems guns weren't the problem - it was sourcing ammunition that had the pair stumped. "We need food for the skitzo dog," Featherstone told Coe on the morning of January 24. Later that night, Coe asked if they had "petrol for the motorbike", to which Featherstone replied "nah". Over the next few days, Coe and Featherstone had multiple conversations about tracking down ammunition but neither seemed able to deliver the goods. At least they had a plan though: a female friend had agreed to lure Fornaciari from the Finks clubhouse in North Wollongong into the CBD under the pretence of selling him a gold ring. Finally, late on January 27, Featherstone told Coe he had found them some ammunition and the plan could be set in motion. It was all well and good to plan for a CBD hit, but it appeared Featherstone and Coe had not considered how Coe was going to get there to carry it out. He didn't have a car, and it was quickly decided he shouldn't risk driving an unregistered one and getting pulled over with a gun on the passenger seat. The suggestion of a taxi came and went, and eventually Coe tracked down a vehicle to take him into Wollongong. It ran out of petrol mid-trip. (Detectives later mused how they could hear the beeping sound of the car's low fuel warning in the background). Featherstone was furious and accused Coe of chickening out. Coe assured him he was "keen", saying "it's going to happen Bro, it's going to happen but I got to get petrol." Aftermath It didn't happen, either later that day or in the next few days. Then Fornaciari was arrested on unrelated charges on February 1 and the gang's window of opportunity disappeared. Fornaciari was upfront with police about his predicament, telling them he was the subject of a hit by B4L and believed he'd be knocked while in prison. He has spent his entire time behind bars in protective custody. Meanwhile, police raided Featherstone's North Wollongong apartment later that same day, uncovering two firearms. The mayor of the City of Canterbury Bankstown has sharpened his pitch for SBS to be based in Sydney's south-west after federal Labor vowed to look at shifting the broadcaster's headquarters from the lower north shore to western Sydney. Opposition communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowlands said an elected Labor government would commission a study to investigate the feasibility of relocating the SBS from Artarmon. Pitch for SBS: City of Canterbury Bankstown mayor Khal Asfour. Credit: Cole Bennetts The announcement on Monday follows repeated calls from local politicians and business leaders for the multicultural broadcaster to move to a western Sydney hub such as Parramatta or Liverpool. "The feasibility study will examine the merits of addressing the inequality in western Sydney by utilising and leveraging the public's investment in the nation's multicultural broadcaster, the SBS," Labor said in a statement. A day after being stabbed with a pair of scissors allegedly by a man he was questioning over minor offences, a Queensland police officer is set to go home after undergoing successful surgery. The officer, 33, was stabbed in the neck and shoulder and rushed to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in a serious but stable condition before going into the operating theatre on Sunday evening. Forensic officers combed the Inala shopping centre as their colleague underwent surgery on Sunday. Credit:Nine News Queensland A Queensland Health spokeswoman said on Monday the acting senior constable was in a stable condition, had been moved to a normal ward and was expected to be discharged by the day's end. A 29-year-old Inala man was charged with attempted murder, trespass, entering a dwelling with intent, armed robbery, attempted armed robbery and obstructing police. A Supreme Court judge has denied a convicted terrorist time to try to prove he's no threat to the community, saying the man failed to disavow his Islamist views despite spending two years in custody. Hatim Moukhaiber was last week convicted of engaging in a terrorist act over the Islamic State-inspired firebombing of the Imam Ali Islamic Centre mosque in Fawkner on December 11, 2016. Hatim Moukhaiber at the Supreme Court last month. Credit:Joe Armao In a pre-sentence hearing on Monday, Justice Andrew Tinney said there was no indication Moukhaiber had "gone anywhere down a path of de-radicalisation" while in custody. Moukhaiber's barrister Felicity Gerry, QC, asked for time so a psychologist could assess Moukhaiber's risk of future offending and prospects of de-radicalisation. Victims of crime felt let down by the system when their matters were pleaded down to a lesser charge, in exchange for a guilty plea, and didn't proceed to trial "because they wanted the opportunity to tell their story", a study of victims' experiences was told. One grieving mother was furious that she was told to be grateful to the accused man for entering a guilty plea. "[The lawyer] had the audacity to say 'you dont have to go through that trial, hes done you a favour'. Oh my God, I was so angry because we didnt get no answersand the worst was when they said it was good of the bloke that killed my son not to put me through a trial," she said. The study, commissioned by the Office of Public Prosecution, found that increasingly victims wanted to be briefed on court proceedings and have their views heard. But the system was failing to catch up, with some OPP lawyers reporting they were sometimes put under pressure by the courts to make resolution decisions quickly. It only took him a minute. Having charmed the shoppers at Warringah Mall, dazzling retirees in leisurewear and delighting mothers in activewear, John Howard stood in front of reporters to deliver the campaign's best demolition of Labor and Bill Shorten's focus on "the top end of town". Former prime minister John Howard campaigns for Tony Abbott in Warringah. Credit:Nick Moir "I detect in the community a lot of growing suspicion that Bill Shorten is after your savings," said the former prime minister, who was there to support the local member and his "friend of 30 years", Tony Abbott. "They don't want it taken away through taxes by Mr Shorten." Clive Palmer has accused the Queensland government of blocking one of his companies from accessing a port and has vowed to pursue it in court, but the port authority says that's not the case. The businessman on Monday issued a statement saying Queensland Nickel had been refused entry to the Port of Townsville, and said the body had ignored correspondence to restore access. Clive Palmer has accused the Queensland government of blocking port access. Credit:AAP "The Labor-directed Port Authority, the local council and the state Labor government are putting politics ahead of the best interests of the north Queensland community," he said. "It is one thing not agreeing with my political views, but it is a completely differing thing to deny thousands of jobs and a much-improved boost to the struggling economy." Beijing and New York: China will impose tit-for-tat tariffs on an additional $US60 billion ($86 billion) worth of US goods from June 1, hitting back at Washington in defiance of a Twitter threat from Donald Trump. Loading Hours earlier, Trump had warned China not to retaliate against new US tariffs, tweeting: I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you dont make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries. But Chinas finance ministry released a statement on Monday evening stating that the US move to raise tariffs from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on $US200 billion of Chinese goods on Friday had escalated trade frictions between the US and China. China's decision, and the prospect of more tariff hikes, led US stock markets to again plummet following a tumultuous trading period last week. Brussels: Britain warned that armed conflict might be sparked "by accident" amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held talks with officials from European powers that are racing to salvage a nuclear deal with the Islamic republic. This photo provided by the United Arab Emirates' National Media Council shows the Emirati-flagged bunkering tanker A. Michel off the coast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Credit:AP Britain's foreign secretary on Monday offered the warning as Saudi Arabia said two of its oil tankers were sabotaged and received "significant damage" on Sunday off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, one of the vessels as it was heading to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States. Washington has warned shipping companies that "Iran or its proxies" could be targeting maritime traffic in the Persian Gulf region and said it was deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told reporters in Brussels. New York: US President Donald Trump has lavished praise on Hungary's far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban during a visit to the White House, saying the controversial leader is doing a "tremendous job". US President Donald Trump, left, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House. Credit:Bloomberg Trump's two immediate predecessors, Barack Obama and George W Bush, both declined to meet with Orban in Washington because of his increasingly authoritarian tendencies. Orban has overseen the re-writing of Hungary's constitution to strengthen his control over parliament and an extensive re-design of the country's electoral map to favour his conservative Fidesz party. He has also weakened the country's independent judiciary and its free press, drawing criticism from human rights groups. He has also advocated restricting immigration to ensure Hungary remains a racially and culturally homogenous society. The STARS air ambulance rushed to the scene of an ultralight airplane crash east of Blumenort, as emergency crews scrambled to get a pilot down from a tree this morning. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The STARS air ambulance rushed to the scene of an ultralight airplane crash east of Blumenort, as emergency crews scrambled to get a pilot down from a tree this morning. After the ultralight hit a hydro line, Steinbach Deputy Chief Ron Chausse said the fire departments technical rescue team was called into action. This was the second time the specialized team devoted to entrapment cases has been used. Les Zeluski, the property owner who witnessed the crash, said it appeared the man was flying too low. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "It might have been a wind gust that pushed him down," said the 55-year-old. "I saw him hammer the power and the ultralight caught the tree." The pilot had been thrown from the ultralight upon impact and hung on a branch beside the aircraft. Zeluski said the impact nearly threw the man from the tree. Zeluski and Andreas Villarreal, who was with the property owner, rushed out to the scene. Villarreal said he spoke to the pilot, urging him to stay still. "I told him, If you move, it will only get worse," the 52-year-old said. Although Chausse couldnt confirm the extent of the mans injuries, the pilot was conscious when the emergency crews arrived, which was about 20 minutes after the crash. Chausse said Transport Canada and Manitoba Hydro were also involved with the rescue. Nearby residents temporarily lost power as a result of the crash. The view of old age as the crown of life, our plays last act, as once proclaimed by the Roman orator Cicero, is seen as something much less grand by todays standards. Age discrimination is a serious issue in this country and to counter it, the myths associated with age need to be vigorously addressed. As pointed out by Aging Watch, stereotypes matter. We all have a responsibility to challenge them when and where they do occur. Stereotypes can have direct impact on older peoples health, function and livelihood. For ageism to be accepted as a real problem, we need to talk about it as much as we talk about other forms of discrimination. We need to start to move the attitudinal needle in a positive direction. According to Becca Levy, a social psychologist at the Yale School of Public Health who has been working on the problem of ageism for more than 20 years, older people who see aging in positive terms are much more likely to recover from disability than those who believe negative age stereotypes. They are also more likely to practice preventive health measures such as eating well and exercising. They experience less depression and anxiety. They also live longer, she tells The New York Times. Galan said that in her experience, parents in the United States are able to be more involved in their childrens education and they felt that they could help fill the gap in the childrens language acquisition by teaching their parents and giving them the tools to assist their children. We believe that it can be challenging for a parent if they feel like cant help their child, so we wanted to give them the tools, an opportunity to learn with them and to have a bonding time all together, Ganado said. We believe in a global education where school and families work together. So that is why we came up with the idea for [Parents University], so parents could come with their kids and see how we learn how to write and read in Spanish, do some activities similar to the ones that they do in the classroom. Allegra Abbey, Ganados English instruction counterpart at the school said Ganada and Galans relationships with the parents have helped advance the students in both English and Spanish lessons. Now that the parents know us as educators and people, there is just so much more confidence that the parents have in this program, [and weve all] seen incredible growth together. That speaks especially to the Spanish teachers, who have worked incredibly hard because not only are they teaching the content, but theyre teaching the language. Theyre working double-time. And the social issues havent disappeared. Religious exemption bills were filed and debated; one, which started with a fight over a chicken sandwich franchise at an airport, faded last week when the House discarded it after a procedural objection. The Chick-fil-A legislation, as it was known, clucks no more. Another cultural dispute, an effort by Senate Republicans to make it harder to remove Confederate statues and other monuments to the losers of the Civil War, produced a tense debate over race and history and party . It passed on partisan lines and awaits a hearing from a House committee. The House, often the location for the hottest-burning emotions in the Texas Legislature, has seen plenty of debate this year. But any big drama over social issues has been hard to find; nothing seemed to get anyone as excited as the back-and-forth over the operations of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Thats not a subject that would fire up your favorite cable TV blabfest, but it evoked some heartfelt preachifying from state Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, with a rare result: An issue that seemed sure to go against him as he began turned his way as he spoke. That passed 132-10 when he was done, and it awaits attention in the Senate. Dorsey, who has worked as a counselor at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside for 23 years, considers himself lucky to have been born only deaf. He is the very happy father of four (hearing) children. At 51, with rimless glasses, a small hoop earring and a graying ponytail, he looks like the kind of aging baby boomer youd see at a rock concert. As it happens, he is a devoted Deadhead, having attended at least 200 Grateful Dead concerts in the last 30 years. He and other deaf fans stand up front in the deaf zone, close to speakers. There are interpreters who sign the lyrics, while deaf Deadheads hold balloons, feeling vibrations as the band plays. This summer, he will see the Dead in Denver, Washington and the Bay Area. I love my life, he told me. I wouldnt change it. I was introduced to Dorsey by one of his colleagues, Lorna Rutherford, who has worked at the California School for the Deaf as a counselor and social worker for 46 years. She contacted me after I wrote about the proposed California law that more closely would monitor vaccine exemptions for children whose parents claim they have medical reasons for opting against immunization. A crossbow exhibitor dressed Swiss Hero William Tell at the Arms Trade Fair in Lucerne, Switzerland, on March 29, 2019. (Stefan Wermuth/AFP/Getty Images) 3 Dead Germans Found With Arrows Sticking in Their Bodies Authorities have found a few dead people in southern Germany with arrows sticking in their bodies on May 11. Staff working for a guest house made the grisly discovery of three bodies of a man, 54, and two women, 33 and 30, and two crossbows at their Bavarian establishment. A chambermaid cleaning rooms in a Bavarian bed & breakfast in the southern German city of Passau found three dead people impaled on long arrows in one of the rooms on Saturday around noon https://t.co/mD775Q8dha The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) May 12, 2019 Germany: Three Bavaria hotel guests found dead from crossbow bolts https://t.co/7j9tExdo6Z BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 12, 2019 The deceased, who police say are all German citizens, are believed to have rented the room on May 10. It is not clear what their relationship is or what happened https://t.co/z1gb272ig0 Evening Standard (@standardnews) May 12, 2019 Prosecutors have ordered a post-mortem, police said on May 12, according to German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). There is no evidence so far that anyone else was involved in the killings, and the relationship between the deceased is still unclear, the report said. Looks like the new Bond movie took on a life of its own 3 mysteriously killed by crossbow bolts at quiet German hotel https://t.co/9YDF8qDp9O John Cardillo (@johncardillo) May 12, 2019 Three bodies found with crossbow bolts in German hotel https://t.co/B23OdTC7Bx pic.twitter.com/g8fozpfqmw Zyite.com (@zyiteblog) May 12, 2019 Road Rage Incident The investigation comes just days after a Virginia man was found guilty on May 1 of shooting a crossbow at a vehicle during a road rage incident. Glen McNeal Grubb was acquitted of trying to murder the driver of the other vehicle, but the jury in Pulaski still wants to send him to prison for six years. The Roanoke Times reported that authorities had claimed Grubb chased a Ford F-150 in his fiancees Pontiac Grand Am early 2018. Her two daughters, then ages 4 and 6, were riding on the back seat. Authorities said the cars raced each other down twisting, narrow roads before Grubb fired the crossbow out his window while his vehicle was moving. The arrow struck the metal just to the left of the Ford pickups rear cab window. A judge is expected to hand down the sentence in August. Cat Shot By Crossbow Animals have also fallen victim to crossbow attacks, with a New Jersey cat suffering from a shot on May 6. Howell Police discovered an arrow had pierced the cats skin shortly after 6:15 p.m. local time. Officers believe the arrow was fired from a small hand-held crossbow. Officers took the animal to a nearby veterinary hospital where the cat had surgery to remove the arrow. The animal is expected to make a full recovery, authorities said on May 10. Meanwhile, New Hampshire Police are trying to find the person who fired an arrow at a 10-month-old kitten on April 30. Laconia Resident Liz Carmignani said her black and white kitten named Wolfie was due for surgery on May 2 after her kittens right rear leg was pierced and seriously injured. Carmignani claims some of Wolfies bones have been shattered. The arrow struck the kitten near home. Police Chief Matt Canfield told the Laconia Daily Sun the kitten was shot with a Mossy Oak arrow, which is typically used with compound bows and crossbows. The suspect could be charged with animal cruelty. Associated Press contributed to this report. 4-Year-Old Boy Calls 911 to Report Seven Children Inside Hot Car A 4-year-old trapped in a hot car WITH seven toddlers between the ages of 2 and 4 in Maryland over the weekend called 911. The toddler wasnt named, WJLA reported. Authorities with the Charles County Sheriffs Office were then called to a parking lot in Waldorf, finding the children sweaty and scared, officials noted. Charles County Sheriffs Office is currently investigating after authorities say seven toddlers from ages 2 to 4 years old were left in a hot car in a parking lot of the St. Charles Towne Center in Waldorf. https://t.co/Z4gjFmepZD ABC 7 News WJLA (@ABC7News) May 10, 2019 The car was unlocked, but the windows were rolled up. Sheriffs officials said there was only a single car seat in the vehicle, WJLA reported. The suspect in the case is a mother of two of the children involved in the case. The mother allegedly told the children not to leave the vehicle, it was reported. Boy Calls 911 To Report He Was Left In Hot Car With 6 Kids https://t.co/8CS89TInVb pic.twitter.com/vgEfxz7j0B WJZ | CBS Baltimore (@wjz) May 13, 2019 Thats when the 4-year-old boy called the local authorities. When Charles County Fire & EMS arrived on the scene, they found that none of the children required medical attention. Officers said they arent sure how long the children were in the vehicle. The mother came outside as authorities were on the scene about 10 minutes later, Southern Maryland News Net reported, adding that she is 37. The mother didnt explain what she was doing or why she left the kids inside the vehicle, WJLA reported. Authorities charged the woman with confinement of children inside a motor vehicle. Officers conferred with the Charles County States Attorneys Office, noting that more charges are pending, according to Southern Maryland News Net. Meanwhile, the Department of Social Services responded and are assisting. Hot Car Incidents Recently, there have been two high-profile hot car deaths in the United States. According to reports on May 7, a toddler died after being left in a car in New Jersey. A fathers decision tragically ended up costing him his young sons life. Kristopher Taylor of Apple Valley is expected back in court later this week after he was charged with manslaughter for leaving his 4-year-old son in a hot car for hours. pic.twitter.com/qdw2wD7MD2 Ashley Zilka (@ashleyzilka) May 7, 2019 Lakewood Township police said they are investigating the death of the nearly 2-year-old girl, NBC New York reported, which added that the girl died at around 2 p.m. local time. Mayor Meir Lichtenstein said warm temperatures contributed to this girls death. It seems like wonderful parents. They have one other child that is approximately 4 1/2 years old that is also a girl, and they are very saddened, Lakewood Mayor Meir Lichtenstein told CBS New York. I was actually at the hospital and I saw the parents. Theyre extremely saddened by what happened. And, in Minnesota, a father was arrested after leaving a 4-year-old in a hot car while he worked. Police in Lakewood, New Jersey are investigating after a baby girls body was found in the back seat of a car outside a home on Monday. @AliBaumanTV reports https://t.co/oRCKGVl2V7 CBS New York (@CBSNewYork) May 7, 2019 Kristopher Alexander Taylor, 28, said he allowed his son to stay inside his vehicle with the window cracked because he didnt have anyone else to watch his son as he worked. Taylor was working at the Minnesota Monthly 8th Annual Grillfest at CHS Field in downtown St. Paul, according to KAKE-TV, citing charging documents. The boy, who wasnt named, was left in Taylors care by his mother, the report said. John Earnest, accused in the fatal shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue, stands in court near public defender John O'Connell (L) and a San Diego County Bailiff during an arraignment hearing in San Diego, Calif., on April 30, 2019. (Nelvin C. Cepeda/Pool via Reuters) Accused California Synagogue Shooter Charged With Federal Hate Crimes A California nursing student accused of a deadly shooting spree in a San Diego-area synagogue and arson at a nearby mosque was charged on Thursday with 109 counts of federal hate crimes and civil rights violations, prosecutors said. John Earnest, 19, was already charged in state court with one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder in the April 27 attack at the Chabad of Poway synagogue, which left one worshipper dead and three others wounded, including a rabbi. Hero army vet describes looking into eyes of California synagogue shooter as he rushed to stop himhttps://t.co/uAxRZY9ICH Leslie Davis (@FarmerGirl1967) May 10, 2019 In the federal complaint, Earnest faces one count for each of the people in the synagogue at the time of the shooting, including 12 children, U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer said. The complaint alleges the defendant violently targeted members of the synagogue and mosque for no other reason than his hatred of the Jewish people and those of the Muslim faith, Brewer said at a news conference. Earnest pleaded not guilty to the state charges, and to one count of arson on a house of worship stemming from a pre-dawn fire that damaged the Islamic Center of Escondido on March 24. No one was injured in the blaze. Accused California synagogue shooter due in court to face hate crime charges https://t.co/oljPk4D53z pic.twitter.com/EjmPoKcSKh Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 30, 2019 Earnest, who was enrolled at the California State University at San Marcos, was arrested shortly after the synagogue shooting north of San Diego. Authorities linked him to the arson through an online manifesto in which they say he claimed responsibility for setting fire to the mosque. The author of the violently anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim screed also professed to have drawn inspiration from the gunman who killed 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand earlier in March. The state charges allege that the synagogue shooting was perpetrated as a hate crime. If convicted of those charges, Earnest would face life in prison without parole, or the death penalty. California synagogue shooter facing new charges for attack and hate-filled 911 call https://t.co/ZTYrbGxdv8 TSN (@TheSuperNetwok) May 10, 2019 In the separate federal criminal complaint filed on Thursday in U.S. District Court in San Diego, Earnest was charged with 54 counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death and bodily injury, plus 54 counts of violating federal hate-crime statutes, Brewer said. Earnest also was charged with causing damage to religious property involving use of a dangerous weapon or fire. Authorities said Earnest stalked into the Poway synagogue during Sabbath prayers on the last day of the week-long Jewish Passover holiday and opened fire, killing Lori Gilbert-Kaye, 60. The rabbi, one of three others wounded in the attack, was shot in the hand and lost an index finger. The gunmans weapon apparently jammed and he was chased from the temple by a former Army sergeant in the congregation, then sped away in a car as an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent shot at the getaway vehicle. Earnest pulled over and surrendered to police soon afterward. The Monsanto logo on display at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File) Bayer Hires Law Firm to Investigate Monsanto Stakeholder File Issue FRANKFURTBayer said on May 12 it was hiring an external law firm to investigate French media complaints that Monsanto, the U.S. seed maker it took over last year, had compiled a file of influential personalities. The German life sciences and pharmaceuticals group said that, following an internal review, it understood that this initiative had raised concerns and criticism. This is not the way Bayer seeks dialogue with society and stakeholders. We apologize for this behavior, Bayer said in a statement. It added, however, that there was no indication that compiling the lists was illegal. French prosecutors opened an inquiry on May 10 after newspaper Le Monde filed a complaint alleging that Monsanto had compiled a file of 200 names, including journalists and lawmakers, in the hope of influencing their positions on pesticides. The French investigation is the latest fallout from Bayers $63 billion takeover of Monsanto. It already faces potentially heavy costs from U.S. class-action lawsuits in which plaintiffs argue that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer. Bayer shares have shed more than 40 percent since a first adverse U.S. judgment on Roundup last August, leaving the company with a market capitalization smaller than the price it paid for Monsanto. Shareholders delivered a rare rebuke to CEO Werner Baumanns management team at Bayers annual general meeting last month, with a majority voting against ratifying the executive boards business conduct in 2018. Commenting on the French allegations, Bayer said its law firm would inform all of the individuals on the Monsanto list about the information collected about them. Bayer would also fully support the French prosecutors investigation. Matthias Berninger, Bayers new head of public and government affairs, would evaluate the matter internally and assess the behavior of people involved, both inside and outside the company. Our highest priority is to create transparency, Bayer said, adding that the Monsanto manager responsible for the issue had left the company soon after the takeover. Bayer stands for openness and fair dealings with all interest groups, it added. We do not tolerate unethical behavior in our company. Of course, this also applies to data protection regulations in all jurisdictions in which we operate. By Patricia Weiss & Ludwig Burger Boy Sitting on Escalator Loses Finger, Parents Demand Mall Pay Medical Costs A six-year-old boy lost his index finger after his hand got caught in an escalator at a mall in mainland China. The boy was sent to the hospital, and his finger was later found inside the escalator, according to Chinese media Red Star News. The boys parents are now demanding the mall to help pay for medical expenses, which had exceeded 20,000 yuan ($3,000) as of May 9. The mall, located in Luzhou City, Sichuan Province, said that they would comply with the law as far as payment went, but would not voluntarily offer money to the family. The report did not disclose the names of the boy and his parents. Boys Escalator Ride Turns to Disaster The family had gone to a mall on May 1, during one of Chinas national holidays. Footage from a security camera shows the family riding downward on an elevator with the boy sitting for the ride, a few steps in front of his parents. The boy is looking downward, seemingly putting his hand toward the moving steps. Both parents appear to be looking at him. Footage shows that as the escalator approaches the bottom, the childs hand appears to have gotten caught between the steps as he kicks his legs out and his mom jumps forward to pick him up. She pulls at him but his hand seems to be stuck, until he abruptly jolts away from the floor in her grasp. The child flails around, and the mom grabs his right hand, jumping in panic as the father holds the boy still. Others approach the scene, with several people looking at the parents holding their child. At the same time, a worker turns off the escalator, and the parents walk out of the cameras field of view. The boy was then taken to the hospital. Soon after, his finger was found inside the escalator. No information was given in the report about the boys stay in the hospital, his condition and if his finger was re-attached to his hand. Both parents paid the accruing medical fees, and then requested that the shopping mall take up some of the charges. In response, the shopping mall management said that they would pay any expenses according to the law, but would not voluntarily donate to the child, according to Red Star News. Bride Outraged After Guest Swipes 10 Tupperware Containers of Food From Wedding A bride from western Pennsylvania has been left outraged after she claimed that a guest brought 10 Tupperware containers to the wedding so she could bring food home for her family members. The angry bride took to a popular Facebook group named Thats it Im Wedding Shaming, where she ranted about the alleged incident. Most of us wouldnt think twice about slipping a piece of cake into a napkin for later at a wedding, but would you feel the same about someone who loaded up 10 Tupperware containers? https://t.co/xqIv00u9PF Action News on 6abc (@6abc) May 10, 2019 So I have a guest shaming moment for all of you to enjoy, the bride began. The Polish bride explained that the wedding was extremely close-knit, and the extremely hungry guest had not originally been invited. My husband and I had a very small wedding ceremony and reception, probably about 25 people were invited, she wrote. Only close family and a handful of friends. Just several days before the wedding day, she explained her fathers best friend asked her if his daughter and her husband could come along to the small wedding. The bride explained in the Facebook post she didnt have a problem with it, and agreed for her to attend her big day. So [the daughter] shows up, without her husband, but with about 10 Tupperware containers. TO TAKE FOOD, the furious bride claimed. The woman explained her wedding was buffet style and had a cookie table, as its kinda tradition in our area. The bride was horrified when she discovered the guest had filled up the containers with food, dessert while also taking drinks and decorations, she wrote. Watch who you invite to your wedding https://t.co/uDAx4AdLBC Alsevents&weddings (@alseventswedd) May 7, 2019 She loaded up 7 Tupperware containers with food to take home, took about 3 containers of homemade cookies, a couple of bottles of beers, and most [of] the centerpieces, she explained. Naturally, the bride explained she was initially unaware of what had happened as she was busy enjoying her big day and mingling with her guests. She was furious when her father told her the following day about what went on during her wedding. The anonymous bride was left even more outraged when she opened the wedding gift from the offending guest. And when we opened up our gift from hershe gave us $5. Not even kidding. A five dollar bill, she wrote. The bride claimed the woman was not in any sort of financial difficulty, but just wanted to bring the food back for her family. She was not poor by any stretch of the imagination, the bride wrote, claiming she was probably better off than [the bride]. The newlywed continued, Im assuming its because she just freeloads from anyone and everyone she can! But seriouslywho does this? Retweet to help us find the bride, and well gift her 10 Tupperware containers of her own! #FindTheBride https://t.co/m6P95wVu1h Tupperware (@tupperware) May 9, 2019 Several Facebook users commented on the post and were in equal disbelief over the guests behavior, reported Fox News. One said the bride should demand money to cover the cost of the items she swiped. Message her asking for money to cover the cost of the food and center pieces she took, one said. On @BBCLeeds @lizgreenlive When is it ok to steal food? One bride tells of a guest filling tupperware containers at the reception buffetwould you? Have you taken anything from a breakfast buffet for later? Let us know! 81333 Leeds 0800 389 33 33 pic.twitter.com/0OlgjblRYm BBC Radio Leeds (@BBCLeeds) May 7, 2019 Another added, Some people have no shame, I would be mortified to scab off someone like this, esp (especially) at a wedding. One woman added she went through a similar ordeal. Omg my in-laws (husbands aunts) did this at our engagement party. I didnt know what to say, and they are medical doctors too, so not poor, she said. Is this wrong though? So much food gets wasted at weddings https://t.co/D3r4DY2Sd9 https://t.co/sYChVanOYJ RichbergLaw (@RichbergLaw) May 12, 2019 Some commenters, however, said her behaviour wasnt completely unjustified as the food would have been wasted anyway, ABC News reported. Guests watch a show near a statue of Walt Disney and Micky Mouse in front of the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Jan. 9, 2019. (John Raoux/AP Photo) California May Go Dark This Summer, and Most Arent Ready A plan by Californias biggest utility to cut power on high-wind days during the onrushing wildfire season could plunge millions of residents into darkness. And the vast majority isnt ready for it. The plan by PG&E Corp. comes after the bankrupt utility said a transmission line that snapped in windy weather probably started last years Camp Fire, the deadliest in state history. While the plan may end one problem, it creates another as Californians seek ways to deal with what some fear could be days and days of blackouts. Some residents are turning to other power sources, a boon for home battery systems marketed by Sunrun Inc., Tesla Inc., and Vivint Solar Inc. But the numbers of those systems in use are relatively small when compared with PG&Es 5.4 million customers. Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom said hes budgeting $75 million to help communities deal with the threat. Im worried, Newsom said May 9 during a budget briefing in Sacramento. Were all worried about it for the elderly. Were worried about it because we could see peoples power shut off not for a day or two but potentially a week. Six of the 10 most destructive wildfires in California history have come in the last 18 months, killing 123 people, and often shutting down large sections of the states electrical grid. The wildfire season usually starts around June and runs through December, exacerbated by strong winds that race through the state and dry conditions that turn brush and plants into tinder. PG&E has warned the city of Calistoga that it could cut service as many as 15 times this fire season, said Chris Canning, mayor of the Napa Valley town scarred by wildfires two years ago. But in an interview, the companys vice president of electric operations, Aaron Johnson, said the number will depend on how extreme the weather is. The utility also plans to set up dozens of so-called resiliency centers, Johnson said by telephone, where backup generators can be brought in to run essential services. An initial pilot center is being built near Calistoga, he said. Canning said his community is working on its own solution. Hes looking at developing a small network of microgrids consisting of solar panels and batteries, which would allow his community to function when PG&E pulls the plug. Streetlights Dark The Calistoga mayor started seriously exploring the option after PG&E, fearing wildfire risk, cut power for nearly two days last fall, plunging his town into darkness. The outage meant assisted living facilities were crippled, streetlights were dark and gas pumps wouldnt work. At the time, hardly anyone in the town had a backup generator, he said. If this is the new normal, we have to accommodate for it, Canning said. The Camp Fire in November, along with fires from the prior year, exposed PG&E to an estimated $30 billion or more in claims from blazes, hastening its January bankruptcy. Since then, the utility giant has been under pressure to better ensure that its equipment wont spark fires. Earlier this year, PG&E said it would widen the scope of its power shutoffs to include high-transmission power lines, potentially impacting nearly 10 times the number of customers compared to an earlier plan. The states other investor-owned utilities also have shutoff programs, but on a smaller scale than PG&E. Challenging Program Its a very challenging program and not a decision that we take lightly given the safety risks that exist on either side, PG&Es Johnson said. Its also part of a larger utility program designed to reduce the likelihood of wildfires including stepped up tree trimming, inspections, grid repairs, and hardening, he added. PG&E has been holding meetings and planning exercises with local and state officials as part of its preparations, Johnson said. The utility aims to give at least two days warning about a shutoff and has embarked on a public awareness campaign including mailing letters to customers and is working to identify vulnerable residents. It also will be working to get power restored in a day after a shutoff, though its customers could be out for as many as five days, according to Johnson. State regulators, meanwhile, have said theyre developing shutoff notification guidelines for PG&E and all of the states utilities, requiring them to coordinate with state and local agencies. They want PG&E to use shutoffs as a last resort. Solar-Battery Combinations At the same time, the prospect of power outages is driving up interest in solar-battery combinations, said Sunrun Chief Executive Officer Lynn Jurich in an interview last week. Wildfire outages are going to continue to happen, she said. Its not just a this-year thing. Melvin Hoagland is already sold. He lost power for seven days at his home on the edge of Sonoma, California from the 2017 wildfires. All the food in the house rotted, causing a terrible smell that lasted for months. So he had Sunrun install a 9-kilowatt system comprised of 27 solar panels and one battery for his 2,100 square-foot home. The system will power four rooms for about 8 to 12 hours during a power outage, according to Sunrun. In 2016, less than 400 homeowners had a home battery system, according to BloombergNEF. Almost 10,000 units were in place last year. The average cost: About $16,400 with incentives. Hoagland said he opted for a zero-down, 20-year home-solar and battery-service agreement. Hes glad he did, given PG&Es blackout warnings. We were interested in becoming more independent, he said. Its a very insecure feeling when theyre going to cut power off. By Mark Chediak & Brian Eckhouse Childcare Worker Arrested for Biting 5-Month-Old Girls Arm out of Frustration A childcare worker at a daycare in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, has been arrested after biting a 5-month-old on the arm out of frustration, police have said. Police were called to Kinderplay Child Care and Education Center on the evening of May 9 after someone reported a 5-month-old girl had been bitten on her left arm, WDRB reported. The Kinderplay Child Care employee, Crystal Beck, 31, from Hardinsburg, had reportedly been looking after the child, Hayden Holt, at the time of the incident. Elizabethtown day care employee arrested after biting 5-month-old, police say: https://t.co/7R8UrdeRrL pic.twitter.com/DnSF5RvYZU WDRB News (@WDRBNews) May 11, 2019 According to police, Beck initially told officers she did not know how the child received the injury, but later admitted she bit the child out of frustration after she scratched her face while being fed. Beck failed to report the injury to her supervisor although she knew she was supposed to, she admitted. There was a visible red outline of the bite mark, but Haydens skin was not broken, police said. She was immediately fired by Kinderplay Child Care, according to WDRB. Elizabethtown day care employee arrested after biting 5-month-old, police say. https://t.co/7R8UrdeRrL pic.twitter.com/rRHyAl3XyG WDRB News (@WDRBNews) May 11, 2019 The childcare day center, which prides itself in providing a secure loving environment, facilitates children aged six weeks to 13 years old. It was voted Hardin Countys Best Childcare by the readers of The News Enterprise in 2006 and 2016, according to its official website. In a Facebook post, Haydens mother, Breauna Holt, said she was outraged when she discovered Kinderplay contacted her four hours after the injury was reported. Its heartbreaking what my family has been put through the last couple of days. My sweet baby was bitten by a monster, she wrote on Kinderplays Facebook page on May 11. When management wants to wait hours before contacting me by TEXT, there is something wrong! Did you think the bite mark on my daughters wrist was going to disappear in the 4 hours it took you to contact me?! My daughter was in pain and terrified during that time, she continued. According to Holts Facebook post, the injury was reported by Kinderplay at 10:39 a.m. on May 9, but she only received a text message about the incident at 2:35 p.m., which read, I need to talk to you about an incident involving Hayden when you have a moment. Absolutely horrifying what my baby girl has been through. No excuse what so ever, she added. The childs father, Dakota Holt, also took to Facebook to express his anger following the incident. He posted on May 9, A parents worst nightmare! This woman bit my 5-month-old daughters arm today while she was at daycare! Hard enough that it left her little arm very red with a clear bite mark and bruised! When questioned by the police she said that my daughter scratched her face while feeding her so she got mad and bit her!!! Sick!!! Dakota explained that the owner of the daycare suggested Haydens arm could have been pinched, not bitten. The owner kept telling me in front of the police that any other daycare would have covered it up and said a toddler bit her! We took her [Hayden] to her pediatrician and she wrote a report that it was clearly a human bite wound! Beck was charged with third-degree criminal abuse and first-degree failure to report child dependency, neglect or abuse. A cargo ship is seen at a port in Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong Province on Oct. 12, 2018. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) China Hikes Tariffs on Most US Goods in $60 Billion Target List BEIJINGChina said on May 13 it will adjust tariffs on a revised target list of $60 billion worth of U.S. imports, with additional rates of 20 to 25 percent in retaliation for a U.S. tariff hike on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. A total of 5,140 U.S. products will be subject to various tariff rates starting June 1, the finance ministry said in a statement. An additional tariff of 25 percent will be levied against 2,493 goods including liquefied natural gas, the ministry said, and an additional tariff of 20 percent will be imposed on 1,078 products. Beijing previously set additional rates of 5 percent and 10 percent on 5,207 U.S. products worth $60 billion in September, and warned at the time that it would counter any higher tariffs imposed by Washington on Chinese products. Chinas adjustment on additional tariffs is a response to U.S. unilateralism and protectionism, the ministry said. The announcement came less than two hours after President Donald Trump warned Beijing not to retaliate after China said it will never surrender to external pressure. Trump warned China not to intensify the trade dispute and urged its leaders, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping, to continue to work to reach a deal. China should not retaliate-will only get worse, he said on Twitter. I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you dont make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries, Trump wrote. The United States on Friday activated a new 25 percent duty on more than 5,700 categories of products from China, even as top Chinese and U.S. negotiators resumed trade talks in Washington. Trump had ordered the new tariffs, saying China broke the deal by reneging on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations. Trump last week also ordered U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to begin imposing tariffs on all remaining imports from China, a move that would affect an additional $300 billion worth of goods. Chinese state media kept up a steady drum beat of strongly worded commentary on Monday, reiterating that Chinas door to talks was always open, but vowing to defend the countrys interests and dignity. It ramped up its propaganda efforts to portray the United States as an adversary, blaming it for the lack of progress in negotiations, while also warning citizens to brace for hard times ahead. Before high-level talks last week in Washington, China tried to delete commitments from a draft agreement that Chinese laws would be changed to enact new policies on issues from intellectual property protection to forced technology transfers. That dealt a major setback to negotiations. Trump has since defended the U.S. tariff hike and said he was in absolutely no rush to finalize a deal. Top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Sunday there was a strong possibility Trump will meet Chinas Xi at a G20 summit in Japan in late June. By Ben Blanchard & Lee Chyen Yee. The Epoch Times contributed to this report. Comeys CNN Town Hall Was More Proof Trump Should Have Fired Him on Day One Commentary Disgraced former FBI Director James Comeys CNN 360 Town Hall on May 9 confirmed the widely held belief that President Donald Trump should have fired this brazen, authoritarian megalomaniac the moment he got into the White House. Convinced that it will build his brand with CNNs resistance viewership, Comey now openly admits that he oversaw direct spying on the Trump campaign. To be clear, he wasnt calling it spyingjust investigating the opposing party to the one in power based on demonstrably false information, such as the Steele dossier and the musings of Australian diplomats. Comey absurdly claimed it was just investigating when he sent undercover informantsdefinitely not spiesto infiltrate a political campaign competing with the sitting presidents former secretary of state. This, Comey assures us, is reasonable. Placing spies in your opponents political campaign to collect information to predicate an investigation that the Democratic Party would subsequently exploit in order to undermine a duly elected president is a totally normal step. Really? One wonders whether Comey would consider it normal and reasonable if the FBI under Trump had informants rooting around Joe Bidens or Bernie Sanderss campaignsperhaps investigating Bidens potential involvement with his sons activities in Ukraine or Bernies staffers links to international socialist groups. Actually, we dont have to wonder. The mainstream media blew its top about smears and terrifying improprieties when administration officials merely hinted at the possibility of investigating Bidens questionable dealings. Comey knew that the consequences might be dire if it were ever revealed that an incumbent administration had tried to place spies in an opposing partys campaign, but he just assumed that Hillary Clinton was going to win the 2016 election and hed never be held accountable for his abuse of power. He made that clear again during his CNN town hall when he gave a renewed defense of Clintons clearly illegal private email server. As certain as Comey is that Clinton committed no crime, hes equally adamant that Trump didby firing Comey. The disgraced former FBI director told Anderson Cooper he has no doubt Trump would have been charged with obstruction of justice if he wasnt the president. Comeys explanation for why Attorney General William Barr and the Justice Departments senior lawyers concluded that there was no collusion and no obstruction of justice is the same as his explanation for why Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein supported Comeys removal from the FBI: Trump eats your soul in small bites, as Comey wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times. In Comeys view, he wasnt fired for the gross mishandling of politically sensitive investigations, but rather because Trump is a soul-devouring demon. The sun is setting on Comeys public life, and his flailing accusations, self-exonerating fantasies, and narcissistic denials during the CNN town hall confirm that the worst suspicions about him are entirely true. We may not have seen the last of Comey quite yet, but if his performance at this town hall event is any indication, he lost his last shred of credibility long ago. Thank goodness a man like this is no longer in control of the FBI, and no longer has the authority to authorize spying oner, undercover infiltration and electronic surveillance ofrival political campaigns. Trump didnt make a mistake by firing Comey. Based on what weve learned since 2017, Comey deserved to be shown the door on Day One. He proves it himself, over and over again. Steven Rogers is a retired U.S. Navy intelligence officer and a former member of the FBI National Joint Terrorism Task Force. He is a member of the Donald J. Trump for President 2020 Campaign Advisory Board. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Conclusion of Mueller Russia Collusion Probe Confirms Epoch Times Reporting For nearly two years Special Counsel Robert Mueller investigated alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. His investigation has now shown that no such evidence exists. Why is it that so many media got the story so wrong? And why is it that some media, such as The Epoch Times, got the story right? Today on American Thought Leaders we sit down with Epoch Times Editor-in-Chief Jasper Fakkert to talk about this as well as the origins of the investigations into Trump. Jan Jekielek: Chief editor of the Epoch Times. To sound, perhaps, a little boastful, I think the Epoch Times has been leading the reporting around what we now know is the so-called Russia collusion and also the other side that Senator Lindsey Graham was mentioning, which is looking at, basically, FISA abuse which has now been dubbed Spygate. And we love to hear youve been leading this effort. Id love to hear more. Jasper Fakkert: Sure. I mean its actually quite simple. You know, what we do at the Epoch Times, we report the facts. We look at whats actually happening and we report it. And you know, I guess in this day and age its a rare commodity. If you look at the past two years a lot of media outletsmost, Id say, for one reason or another, they bought into this narrative that the president colluded with Russia to win the election. We never bought into that narrative, and I think it is because we looked at, you know, what evidence is there of Russia collusion. You know, some of the key people involved in these investigations said at the time that there was no proof of collusion. Im talking about James Clapper, for example, was the former director of national intelligence. Before Mueller was appointed they did their own investigation which concluded I believe it was January 2017. And Clapper went on TV afterwards and basically said there was no evidence of collusion. They found evidence that Russia interfered with the election, but they didnt find any evidence of collusion. So, you know weve always kept our mind open to all possibilities, but we never just jumped on the bandwagon because everybody else is saying it. Its not always the easiest thing to do, but we think its the right thing to do. Jan Jekielek: Mr. Clapperhe kind of seemed to have changed his tune later on, but maybe we can get back to that a little bit later. We published an article back in May of 2017. I think not too long after the special counsel was Jasper Fakkert: I think it was about a week after. Jan Jekielek: Right. And Im just going to read the headline: Despite Allegations, No Evidence of Trump-Russia Collusion Found. Subtext is: Breaking down the allegations that Trump colluded with Russia and the efforts to undermine his presidency. So, this is May 25, 2017. Seems, in retrospect, like a bold thing to say. Was it a bold thing to say? Did we go out on a limb? Jasper Fakkert: All that article did, you know, just like I mentioned just now, we just looked at everything that was out there. Remember, this is like the frenzy probably was the height of the Russia collusion talk. Jan Jekielek: Theories. Jasper Fakkert: Exactly. But we just looked at all of the evidence that was out there, including the investigations that had concluded, and we basically just reported that. And nobody was able to pinpoint any evidence that there was collusion. And, of course, we knew that the special counsel was going to investigate that. And you know theyve investigated it, and theyve come to the conclusion that there was no evidence to support the claims. Jan Jekielek: And so did you already at that time have a sense that there wouldnt be evidence? Jasper Fakkert: Oh, we didnt know of course. We can only report what we know, and thats kind of the approach weve taken over the past two years. Weve always looked at, OK, whats out there and can we verify it, can we report on it? Now, the interesting thing is that during our reporting a lot of questions have been raised about, you know, the origins of the investigation, the FBIs counterintelligence investigation. There was a lot of serious questions that have been raised. What was the role of the Steele dossier in the opening of this investigation? Why was the Steele Dossier used to obtain the FISA warrant on Carter Page who at some point in time was an adviser to the Trump campaign? And I think that question is even more relevant now: Now that the special counsel has concluded there was no collusion, what exactly was the basis of this investigation that led to the special counsels investigation? Jan Jekielek: So I guess not only did the special counsel conclude there was no collusion, but what I understand, he also left it to the Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein and Attorney General Barr to assess whether obstruction had happened. Jasper Fakkert: Of course. Jan Jekielek: And I thought that was very interesting. And also they concluded, based on what they were presented with, that there was no obstruction. Is this something you had a sense of already previously based on the information we reported on, or is this new? Jasper Fakkert: Well, theres always been an interesting question about, you know, the appointment of Mueller as the special counsel and the firing of James Comey. And one of our contributors Jeff Carlson, back in December last year he wrote this great article about it. I believe the headline Nine Days in May: The Quiet Struggle Between Rod Rosenstein and McCabe. And if you look at the timeline it was very revealing. So May 9 Trump fires James Comey who was the FBI director at the time, and that was in part based on a recommendation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. But in a letter to Trump said, I recommend for these reasons that you fire Comey. So Trump fires Comey. After Comey was fired, Andrew McCabe, the deputy FBI director, became the acting FBI director. Now, an interesting thing isand this is one of the things that Jeff uncoveredwas that in the days following the firing of Mueller you had McCabes FBI reach back out to Christopher Steele. And this is very interesting because at that point in time Christopher Steeles report had been made public. Buzzfeed published it in January of 2017, so it had been publicly discredited. It had all these wild claims and, you know, it couldnt be verified. Even Comey said that under oath before Congressit was salacious and unverified. So why would McCabe or, you know, at least people within his leadership reach back out to Steele? And this went through Bruce Ohr who was a high-ranking DOJ official who had been acting as a conduit between Steele and the FBI. And this was the only time that the FBI had ever requested Bruce to reach out to Steele to get information as opposed to the other way around. So it was very significant. And then there was the, I believe it was a May 16 meeting, which has, you know, theres been conflicting accounts about it. Thats the meeting where McCabe said that Rod Rosenstein said that he wanted to wiretap the president. The interesting thing is, you know, people present at the meeting, or at least one person told The Washington Post that thats not exactly what happened. Rod Rosenstein made those comments in response to McCabe apparently pushing for an investigation. So Rosenstein apparently said something to the extent Jan Jekielek: A sarcastic comment. Jasper Fakkert: Yeah, like, what do you want me to do, wiretap the president? Now, the interesting thing is just a few weeks ago, the DOJ put out a statement that was when McCabe was giving those interviews to 60 Minutes, put out a statement that with the appointment of the special counsel McCabe was in essence removed/fired from this probe. So think about it some. McCabe had full control over the FBIs investigation. We know that he was reaching back out to Steele. We know that he was considering a obstruction of justice investigation into the president. And all of the sudden, the same day that this happened, Rosenstein meets with former Director Mueller and President Trump in the Oval Office. That meeting has been described as an interview for Mueller becoming FBI director, which we dont know what happened but we do know that the next day, May 17, Rosenstein publicly announced that Mueller was the special counsel. So one thing is certain. The appointment of Mueller took away the control of the investigation from McCabe and the FBI. And we know that theres been serious questions about McCabes intentions. Remember McCabe played a key role in the investigation into Trump. I mean, he was talking with Peter Strzok and other people involved in the investigation outside of the regular chain of command. So its a fascinating sequence of events. Jan Jekielek: Yeah, well definitely make sure our audiences can see the link to that very interesting article. So with your work around what now has been called by many Spygate, this kind of other sideinvestigation into the Trump administration, the Trump campaign, and then later President-elect, and then the administration. We published something very interesting which actually became very popular. It was a we call it an infographic. Its also a giant poster which was around the walls in our office. And Im wondering if a lot of our viewers will be familiar with this, but Im wondering if you could tell us about the genesis of this, or why you felt you needed to do it in this kind of a format. Jasper Fakkert: So Spygate, lets use that word, the plot against Trump, the creation of the Russia collusion narrative, the spying on his campaign, and basically the efforts to either prevent him from becoming president or removing him from his presidency after he was elected is what we call Spygate. Yeah. So that article we published in October 2018. It was basically the culmination of years of reporting. Jan Jekielek: How many people worked on this? I mean, really, I know you and Jeff Carlson kind of take the top byline, but how many people worked on this? Jasper Fakkert: It was mostly Jeff and myself who worked on it. Yeah, yeah. So Jeff has been doing excellent reporting on this issue. I mean, hes been following it for a long time. Ive been following it for a long time as well. So, yeah, we basically took on this project. Infographics is a very creative project. When its done it looks complete, but conceptualizing it and relaying this amount of information is obviously very difficult. Dont forget there was a 10,000-word article going alongside it which basically explained everything we knew at the time but. Jan Jekielek: Its hard to read 10,000 words these days for most folks. Jasper Fakkert: Yes, absolutely. The thing is and thats the reason we made the infographic because the number of people and the number of agencies involved in this is staggering. I mean it involved the CIA, it involved the FBI, it involved the State Department, it involved the DOJ. Then you had a whole bunch of private entities that were involved. You had the Hillary Clinton campaign involved. You had her law firm involved and a whole bunch of media involved. You had former spies in the U.K. and diplomats involved. And I think thats why this Spygate thing was so successful, like the creation of this narrative, because like the Steele Dossier was spread everywhereit was spread through the FBI to the State Department, and they built on his reputation as former British spy to sell it. But they pushed it through all of their entrenched channels. So a lot of these peopleactually I dont know if they really believed it, but they might have really believed it, or at least the people that they were spreading it to might have really believed that this was a legitimate document and of grave concern. But because so many people were involved and because it was so complex I think thats why it was so successful in terms of convincing the public that this happened. Jan Jekielek: There is a kind of a nuance and howand I actually even find this a little bit complex that maybe you can explain it for usbut the way that the dossier was known ostensibly to be unverified by all sorts of people that there was a special kind of means by which it was passed into these agencies so that it would appear newsworthy. I dont know if Im correct. Thats the sense I got from reading the Spygate article and looking at the infographic. Can you elaborate on that a bit? Jasper Fakkert: I think the key is that they use so many different channels that the people who wanted to investigate Trump gave them a reason to investigate him. And, you know, the FBI at some point officially they were working with Steele in some capacity through their office in Rome. And at some point they fired Steele or they stopped their collaboration with him because he had talked to the media. But at the same time Steele was talking to Bruce Ohr, the highest-ranking career official at the DOJ at the time. And he was passing this information out. So Ohr had a meeting with Steele. A few days later he has a meeting in the office of Andrew McCabe with him and Lisa Page relaying this information and following that he kept passing on information. The same with James Baker the former legal counsel at the FBI. He was getting information, as well, through Michael Sussman, a partner at Perkins Coie which is the law firm that the Clinton campaign used, and those were the allegations that there was a bank, a Russian bank that was communicating with a computer at the Trump Tower. So they were just really successful in spreading it through so many different channels that people, you know, that they were able to use it. And then, of course, the mediayou had several reporters who reported on this. And if you look at the Carter Page FISA application, which actually hasnt been declassified, but the report on it by the House Intelligence Committee basically said that it relied heavily on the dossier plus the medias reporting of it. So you had a circular reporting type going on where Steele leaked the information to the media. He was actually instructed by Fusion GPS to talk to these reporters. Five media were specifically mentionedThe New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, CNN, and Yahoo News. So you have this article by Yahoo News which ends up being used in the FISA application on Carter Page as sort of a verification of the Steele dossier. Jan Jekielek: Its a verification of itself kind of thing. Jasper Fakkert: Exactly. To come back to your original question, did people know it wasnt real? I dont know. Because the way it was being sold to like reporters and what not, it was basically hung on Steeles impeccable reputation as this great former MI6 agent who had done, you know, extraordinary work. And he had found these grave matters of national security that the president-elect or presidential candidate might be compromised. So whether people believed it, I dont know. Jan Jekielek: I see. I think we counted there were literally tens of thousands of articles about Russia collusion. I think a Pulitzer was won around Russia collusion. Are you actually saying there was no evidence, really, of Russia collusion all this time? Jasper Fakkert: I havent seen it. Jan Jekielek: Youve been looking. Jasper Fakkert: Yeah, of course. The special counsel has been looking, interviewed 500 witnesses. They issued, you know, they executed 500 search warrants, 2,800 subpoenas. Jan Jekielek: I mean 2,800 subpoenasthats something. Jasper Fakkert: Yeah. So you know I guess the president was right. Jan Jekielek: Yeah, well, he would know, right? I guess, where do things stand now? Weve had two years, weve had, I think, Ive seen estimates between 35 and 50 million dollars spent. You know, a large number of officials committed to looking, and suddenly we find out theres no collusion, theres no obstruction. Most media have been terribly, terribly wrong about what theyve been saying at best, right? Where do we go from here? It feels like almost like an anticlimax. Given what weve known about the facts all this time, but where do we go from here? Jasper Fakkert: The great thing is, you know, over the past few years our media at the Epoch Times has really taken off, so to speak. Like our readership is growing exponentially. Everybody here works hard. You know, we feel the rewards of that because we feel like we stay true to the original intention of journalism which is to responsibly report the facts and truly inform the public. And we feel this is more and more being recognized. As for other media, I cant really comment on it, but I think definitely, you know, they suffered a tremendous blow to their credibility because the thing that theyve been saying so definitive has proven to be false. In terms of where were going, I mean, theres a lot of questions that have to be answered. Senator Graham today called for a second special counsel to look into the FISA abuse. The real question is: What are the origins of the investigation into the Trump campaign? What did the officials with the Obama Administration know, what was their intention? It certainly looks like the people involved knew that there was no collusion and that they were actively trying to undermine a presidency. And thats of course a very serious matter. So I think the American people deserve, and, quite frankly, I dont think the American people will have satisfaction until all of this is properly investigated and we know what really happened so we can make sure that that never happens again. Jan Jekielek: Some people have called this bigger than Watergate. And I think Watergate takes this kind of mythical, has this mythical status in this country. Whats your take on that? Jasper Fakkert: I mean, I wouldnt say the entire, but large parts of the intelligence apparatus of the law enforcement apparatus was actively weaponized against a presidential candidate. Plus it appears that they were actively working with foreign governments on this. So, yeah, its an extremely important investigation. And thats basically what the Spygate map that we made showsit shows all of the people involved. And shows all of the agencies involved. Of course its deeply troubling. Jan Jekielek: So theres something actually interesting. As I watched your work evolve over the last two yearsyours and Jeffs work evolve over the last two yearsI noticed that are the way we interpreted the facts is actually quite different. It was different from what I saw in the what I call the legacy media. It was definitely very different from that, but it was also quite different from what people would call conservative media who were ostensibly telling the other side of the story. It was certainly telling the other side of the story. I wanted to kind of explore that a little bit. Specifically it has to do with Mueller and it has to do with Rosenstein. The way we approached what they were doing was really quite different. I mean could you expand on that a little bit? Jasper Fakkert: Well, I think, it was, in terms of conservative media, I think it was very easy to buy into the narrative that Mueller and Rosenstein were somehow these deeply entrenched people in the system that were out to take down Trump. I mean it seems like a logical narrative. Jan Jekielek: The president even suggested it. Jasper Fakkert: Exactly. I think it goes back to just our approach to the reporting, which is like you just look at what happened. Like that sequence of events I described to you in May 2017 is very telling because if you line things up logically all of a sudden you get a different picture, and you need to have a full picture to be able to make up your mind. So, yeah, I guess we just kept our independence and just reported the facts that we thought were true. Jan Jekielek: Based on what we know now as of Sunday with the attorney generals letter, how does our reporting basically rack up? Jasper Fakkert: Well, you know, you referenced this May article from 2017. You know I think it basically proves our reporting. I mean that there was no evidence of collusion. And in terms of the deputy Attorney General Barr in consultation with Rosenstein they looked at the facts presented in terms of the obstruction of justice issue, and they determined that there was no obstruction of justice case. So if Rosenstein had really been this bad person entrenched in the government trying to take down Trump then I guess that would have been his chance, but obviously that didnt happen. Jan Jekielek: Interesting. So, essentially, this is a kind of an exoneration. Jasper Fakkert: Oh, of course it is. I would say its a complete exoneration. Jan Jekielek: So is there anything else youd like to share at this time? Jasper Fakkert: I guess I just want to say that none of this, you know, our reporting is not possible without our great reporting team, our great contributors. I mean, weve talked about Jeff. Brian Cates is another one of our contributors. Hes been doing excellent work. Jan Jekielek: Related to this issue? Jasper Fakkert: Yeah, absolutely. Brian has done great reporting on the whole question of the DOJ, Rod Rosenstein and the role he was playing. So in our own reporting staff obviously, we have a great team and were going to keep going. Were committed to bringing people real journalism. And thats what they can expect from us, and well keep doing that. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. Correction: An earlier version of this article mispronounced the name of the law firm Perkins Coie. American Thought Leaders is a new Epoch Times show available on Facebook and YouTube. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Conservatives Ponder Options to Counter Social Media Censorship After a seemingly endless stream of conservative personalities being banned from social media platforms, the right-leaning community and even many anti-censorship supporters on the left have increasingly backed the idea that the government, not the private sector, may need to step in after all. Conservatives have been reluctant to embrace government intervention in big techs policing of content, even while largely disagreeing with the policing framework, which includes a heavy focus on stamping out hate speech, a hatchling of the ideology of political correctness bemoaned by the majority of Americans, but more vocally on the right. But with the censorship showing no sign of abating, ideas are beginning to be formulated by representatives on how to counter it. Publisher Designation One of the most commonly debated ideas is stripping social media of their platform designation if they continue to enforce rules akin to editorial policy. Interactive computer service providers are shielded from liability for content created by their users under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. Some conservatives have argued that social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter have gone so far in restricting, filtering, and sorting users content on their platforms that they should be treated as providers of that information, and thus be liable for it. Twitter cant say on one hand, Were neutral and thus we shouldnt have to respond to lawsuits, and then, on the other hand, tell me and other outspoken conservatives that our behavior results in suppression on their platform, said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Fox News on July 27. They cant have it both ways. Gaetz and at least three other Republican lawmakers had their accounts hidden from search suggestions on Twitter in 2018, until the company restored the functionality under media pressure. Twitter said the issue affected tens of thousands of accounts, but Gaetz questioned why among lawmakers only Republicans seemed to had been affected and filed a complaint against the company with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), former chair of the House Intelligence Committee, made a similar argument in a defamation and negligence suit against Twitter and several Twitter users, claiming damages of at least $250 million. Twitter uses its platform, including proprietary algorithms, selectively to convey its corporate/institutional viewpoint, its position on issues and candidates for office, the suit states. Nunes elaborated in a March Fox News interview: When theyre regulating us and then theyre proliferating out things that they agree with with the algorithms that they develop, they need to come cleanthey are not a public square, they are content developers. Hate Speech The tech companies have denied political bias in their content policing, but some parts of their content rules, especially those on hate speech, could be described as partisan. A 2017 Cato survey (pdf) showed that Democrats were much more likely to call a variety of statements hateful, while Republicans were more likely to call them offensive, but not hateful. Only 17 percent of conservatives considered saying that transgender people have a mental disorder as hateful, compared with 59 percent of liberals. Only 8 percent of conservatives characterized saying that homosexuality is a sin as hateful, compared with 49 percent of liberals. A recent study by Northwestern University researchers (pdf) showed that the Google News tool exacerbates the existing liberal bias in media by about 50 percent by surfacing left-leaning legacy outlets such as CNN and The New York Times more often. Google, Twitter, and Facebook have also gradually shifted away from unmediated free speech and toward censorship and moderation, according to a Google internal research document from March 2018 that was leaked to Breitbart. Moreover, by aligning themselves with the progressive ideology of political correctness, the companies have picked a minority position, since 52 percent of Americans are against the United States becoming more politically correct and are upset that there are too many things people cant say anymore versus 36 percent who are in favor of the United States becoming more politically correct, according to a Nov. 28Dec. 4 NPR/PBS/Marist poll (pdf). The responses were noticeably partisan, with 55 percent of Democrats wanting more political correctness and just 14 percent of Republicans wanting the same. Treating heavily moderated social media as publishers may force them to ease some of the more draconian content regulation, but it would depend on where the courts draw the line between platform and publisher. The Blumenthal v. Drudge case of 1997 established that online platforms are immune to defamation suits under Section 230 even if they give a special platform to certain users. The company would only be liable if it solicited the defaming content itself, said Eugene Volokh, a law professor and First Amendment expert at the University of California in Los Angeles, in a prior phone call. Back then, there was no Facebook or Twitter, so it remains to be seen where the courts will draw the line now. Nuness suit may give judges the opportunity to address that. Platform Access as Civil Right Another anti-censorship idea has been getting traction recentlymaking online platform access a civil right. As the argument goes, private businesses like hotels, restaurants, theaters, and banks had the right to refuse service to black people until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Thus, it has been suggested that if an online platform opens its doors to the public, it shouldnt exclude or disadvantage people based on political beliefs either. One of the proponents of this idea is conservative lawyer Will Chamberlain. Free Speech is more than the First Amendment, which only protects you from the government infringing on your rights, he said in a May 3 article on Human Events, an online media of which hes the publisher. In 2019, that is woefully inadequate. Access to the large social media platformsFacebook, Twitter, and Instagramis a prerequisite to meaningful free speech in 2019. He proposes that conservatives should have legislation passed on both state and federal levels that would prohibit large social media platforms from banning users who didnt engage in unlawful speech. If a large social media company wrongfully denies you access to or removes you from their platform, he said. You should be able to walk into court, get an injunction against the company that forces them to restore your account, and be awarded substantial statutory damages. He points out that this approach wouldnt necessarily give more power to government regulators, since it would be handled by courts, which are bound by robust case law on what is and isnt lawful speech. While the federal government is less likely to act on the issue, Republican-led state legislatures may be sympathetic, he argued. Even if just one state threatened lawsuits and fines on these tech companies, it may force them to change their behavior. But theres a problem with this approachSection 230 specifically says that online platforms and their users shouldnt be held liable for any action voluntarily taken in good faith to restrict access to or availability of material that the provider or user considers to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected. Federal law trumps state law, so as long as the companies can make an argument that they sincerely believe some conservative positions to be objectionable, they would still be free to block them. Amending Section 230 would currently be a long shot in the split Congress, where each party controls one chamber. Convicted British Pedophile Vanessa George Could Be Released Within Days One of Britains worst female pedophiles could be freed from prison within days if her bid for parole is successful. Vanessa George, 49, has been detained since 2009 when she was found guilty of abusing underage minors at a nursery she worked for and sending footage of the abuse to a pedophile ring. The mother of two had received an indefinite sentence with a minimum of seven years for sexually abusing 64 babies and toddlers at the now defunct Little Teds Nursery in Plymouth, 212 miles southwest of London. She will argue in her application to the parole board later this month that she is no longer a danger to society, according to The Sun. However, child protection advocates, who have questioned the indeterminate sentence George received, are now calling for the woman to continue serving her time at Bronzefield Prison in Surrey, about 20 miles southwest of London. The minimum recommendation of seven years in jail for Vanessa George was very, very low, which explains why the parole authorities have kept her inside, Victims Rights Campaign Director Harry Fletcher told The Sun. UKs worst female paedo who abused 64 kids is days from release from prison https://t.co/YxH5pqWtzn The Sun (@TheSun) May 11, 2019 UKs worst female paedo who abused 64 kids is days from release from prison https://t.co/07CJQ1xPpc pic.twitter.com/qvs0CpjECB india times post (@indiatimespost) May 11, 2019 Britains worst female paedophile Vanessa George could be released from jail in days https://t.co/Kp5rFG8k9e Hull Live (@hulllive) May 12, 2019 Fletcher claimed George, who has since changed her surname back to her maiden name of Marks, and other members of the pedophile ring received 133,990 ($174,191) in legal aid to help cover their legal expenses. It is scandalous these convicted pedophiles receive more than 100,000 in legal aid while victims get a pittance, Fletcher said. Campaigners have called on George to stay inside https://t.co/quMMReOBbV Plymouth Live (@Plymouth_Live) May 12, 2019 The Ministry of Justice told The Sun legal aid is only available to those who pass a strict means test. In civil legal aid cases, an applicant must satisfy merits and financial means tests in order to qualify for legal aid, a spokesperson said in a statement according to the Mirror Online. Applicants who meet the relevant means thresholds may still be required to pay a significant contribution towards the costs of their case. Sick paedophile Vanessa George could be freed from jail within dayshttps://t.co/Qmm1Urwd0f pic.twitter.com/c2KzLj1mAi Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) May 12, 2019 George made headlines after it was revealed she had sent indecent images to pedophile Colin Blanchard from Rochdale in northwest UK after meeting him on Facebook. Blanchard was believed to be the hub of the pedophile wheel whose task was to forward pictures to a pedophile ring, including Angela Allen from Nottingham, who was jailed for five years. Blanchard was sentenced to a minimum of nine years back in 2011. George was also criticized for not doing everything in her power to help identify the victims. Vanessa Georges crimes outraged Britain.https://t.co/N736zvkVj9 The Daily Record (@Daily_Record) May 12, 2019 In sentencing George the judge described her actions as being so disturbing they plumbed new depths of depravity. Parents have to live with the memory of you coming out with a smile on your face to hand back their child, when you may well have been doing unspeakable things to that child, Justice Sir John Royce said, warning she may spend the rest of her life in prison. Many, and I suspect everyone so deeply affected by your dreadful deeds, will say that would not be a day too long, Royce said. If the parole board is not satisfied it is safe for you to be released then you will spend the rest of your days in prison. Some may say that would be too harsh. Georges two biological daughters have publicly disowned her while her former spouse has repeatedly blamed George for ruining his life. Danske Bank sign is seen at the bank's Estonian branch in Tallinn, Estonia on Aug. 3, 2018. (Ints Kalnins/Reuters ) Danske Bank Picks Ex-ABN Banker as CEO to Rebuild Trust COPENHAGENDanske Bank hired former ABN AMRO banker Chris Vogelzang as its new chief executive on May 10 as it wrestles to limit the fallout from its involvement in one of the biggest money laundering scandals. Denmarks biggest lender is being investigated in Denmark, the United States, Britain, and the Baltics after revealing that 200 billion euros ($224 billion) in suspicious transactions passed through its Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015. Among the challenges facing Vogelzang, who was on the management board of Dutch bank ABN AMRO until 2017, are rebuilding investor and customer trust and keeping Danske Bank focused during the myriad inquiries into its conduct. In (the) short term, I dont think he will make big strategic changes because the bank has shown it knows where it wants to go and is succeeding with its strategy, Sydbank analyst Mikkel Emil Jensen said of Vogelzang. His focus will be on re-establishing trust. Vogelzang, 56, will take over on June 1 from Jesper Nielsen, who was appointed as interim CEO in October after the resignation of Thomas Borgen over the money laundering scandal. Of course the most important challenge is now to regain the trust, so people at dinner parties or when having drinks at a pub can say with pride that they work for Danske Bank, Vogelzang told Reuters. I think I bring a lot of energy and a lot of ambition in what I do. I set the bar high. I also empower people, Im a good communicator, and I think I understand banking. Ive seen a lot. Shares in Danske Bank, which have more than halved since March last year, were trading 4.2% higher at 0849 GMT. Best Candidate Vogelzangs appointment was immediately welcomed by Danske Banks largest shareholder, which put pressure on Borgen to leave when the full extent of the money laundering scandal became clear in September last year. We have full confidence that the board has chosen the best candidate to lead the bank forward, a spokeswoman for A.P. Moller-Holding said of Vogelzang, who since 2017 has held advisory roles at Boston Consulting Group and Blackstone as well as non-executive directorships. Vogelzangs career in commerce began at Shell, moving to ABN AMRO and then being promoted to the banks board at a relatively young age as the previous generation of top managers left during its 2007 carve-up and the 2008 financial crisis. He will be reunited in Denmark with his former ABN boss Gerrit Zalm, who joined Danske Banks board in March and sits on its nomination committee. Vogelzang assisted Zalm in merging the Dutch parts of ABN and Fortis into a single entity and when ABN returned to the stock market in 2015 was widely tipped as his successor. Though he had led the banks biggest and most profitable division he missed out on the top job in 2017, when Kees van Dijkhuizen stepped up from CFO. Vogelzangs appointment comes after it was revealed last week that Danish prosecutors have charged Borgen and eight former Danske Bank managers over the money laundering scandal, which has sent shockwaves across the Nordic region. The appointment ends a seven-month hunt for a new chief. In October Danske dropped plans to appoint Jacob Aarup-Andersen, its wealth management boss, who was rejected by the countrys financial regulator on the grounds of having insufficient experience. Swedens Swedbank in March dismissed its CEO over allegations that its Baltic accounts were used to launder money. Interim CEO Nielsen will continue in his position as head of banking in Denmark and a member of the executive board at Danske Bank, which two weeks ago lowered its outlook for 2019 after a poor first quarter, due in part to the money laundering scandal. By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen & Stine Jacobsen Destructive Pest Spreads to a Third of China in 4 Months Chinese authorities recently confirmed that the fall armyworm has invaded 11 of Chinas 31 provinces, destroying corn and other staple crops. They estimated on May 9 that the pest will expand to Hebei Province, Beijing, and all other regions of China by this summer. The fall armyworm (FAW) is native to the Americas, and in its larval stage, can eat through and cause damage to crops such as corn, rice, wheat, sorghum, barley, sugarcane, cotton, soybeans, and peanuts. There is currently no large-scale solution to get rid of the pest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a foreign agriculture report on April 30 explaining that this crop-eating pest was first detected in China in late January, entering from nearby Burma. It does not have natural predators in China. If China cannot stop the spread of the FAW, it may destroy this years harvests and threaten Chinas food security. Since the worm first landed in West Africa in early 2016, it has spread quickly to more than 40 countries on the African continent. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported that the FAW has infested millions of hectares of corn in Africa, threatening the livelihood of 300 million Africans. By February 2018, it has already caused up to $4.8 billion in losses to corn production alone. Destroying Chinas Crops Citing information from the National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center, an agency under Chinas Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, state-run newspaper Beijing News reported that the FAW has invaded 11 provinces of southern China by May 8, which are Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Guangdong, Hunan, Hainan, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hubei, Sichuan, and Jiangxi. Beijing News said that 230 counties and 52 cities from these provinces have reported that their cornfields have been damaged by FAW. The larvae can eat through all the leaves and grains on a crop field overnight, then move to another one quickly, farms have reported. A FAW moth can fly 500 kilometers (300 miles) during its lifetime, and lay 1,000 to 1,500 eggs in total. The eggs can hatch into larvae within a few days. The agriculture ministry estimated that as spring temperatures rise, the FAW will keep moving north, invading fields of young crops. The ministry predicted the pattern of FAWs spread: it will invade provinces along the Yangtze and Huai rivers in the middle of May, then move along the Yellow River in June and July, eventually covering the whole country. Beijing News also reported on May 7 that the agriculture ministry has arranged to set up traps for the FAW moths in 220 counties located in 26 provinces. The USDA said in its April 30 report that the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences was working with crop protection companies to find appropriate chemical and non-chemical control solutions to get rid of the FAW. Trade War Woes The FAW is threatening harvests at a sensitive time, as domestic production of soybeans and corn dipped in 2018 due to droughts and unusually frosty weather. Meanwhile, the trade dispute with the United States also limited crop imports. Beijing imposed 25 percent retaliatory tariffs on $50 billion worth of U.S. goods, mostly affecting agricultural products, in April 2018. Despite Chinas heavy reliance on U.S. soybean crops in the past, which are mostly used to make animal feed, the Chinese regimes self-imposed tariffs resulted in a sharp drop-off in soybean imports in 2018. On May 13, the Chinese regime retaliated to an announced U.S. tariff hike on $200 billion of Chinese goods last week by imposing additional tariffs on a list of 5,140 U.S. products. However, agricultural crops are not on the new list. Chinas Dining Table Still, the FAW threatens Chinas staple cereals; livestock and poultry that are fed by grains; and food products made from grains such as vegetable oil, vinegars, and liquor. As the worlds largest consumer of pork, China is also reeling from the effect of the African swine fever (ASF), which has obliterated the countrys pork supply. On the evening of May 10, Hong Kongs Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee announced that the city had its first outbreak of ASF, spread by pigs that were transported from neighboring Guangdong Province in mainland China. The newest Hong Kong case indicates the ASF epidemic is still severe, though Chinese authorities have tried to deny it. Since the first ASF outbreak occurred in northeastern China in August 2018, the disease has spread to all provinces and regions of China. Since January, Chinas neighbors in Mongolia, Vietnam, and Cambodia have reported ASF outbreaks, while Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have detected and seized ASF-infected pork products made in China that travelers have brought in through customs. An undated artist's impression of the white-throated rail in Aldabara, the Seychelles. (Natural History Museum) Exotic Flightless Bird Evolves Back For First Time in 136,000 Years A bird thought to have evolved away from being flightless thousands of years ago is once again unable to fly, researchers have discovered. The Natural History Museum in the UK has found the last surviving native flightless rail on Aldabra in the Seychelles, 390 miles east of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean. The research team led by paleontologist Julian Hume discovered the descendant of the flying white-throated rail had lost its ability to fly twice across a 16,000-year period. This is one of the fastest recorded timelines of a bird losing its ability to fly, the museum said in a blog post. After going extinct once, a species of flightless bird evolved into existence for a second time. https://t.co/klGqsLVIKU pic.twitter.com/OXEXQnqU8K Natural History Museum (@NHM_London) May 12, 2019 The bird that came back from the dead. How one species of flightless bird evolved again, having previously gone extinct.https://t.co/3dSfg6IVqf pic.twitter.com/DYbM8gCaC1 University of Portsmouth (@portsmouthuni) May 10, 2019 Scientists found fossil evidence of the flightless rail on Aldabra dating back 136,000 years in research published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. In the years following these 136,000-year-old rail fossils, the white-throated rail became flightless again around 118,000 years ago, the museum said. The white-throated rail, a flightless bird, has gone through an extremely rare process called iterative evolution in which it repeats evolution and is now back from the dead, a mere 136,000 years after its extinction https://t.co/pa5M2mKk0q The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) May 12, 2019 Guess whos back, back again. Flightless birds, tell a friend. https://t.co/Jsi4jIjbxy HuffPost Green (@HuffPostGreen) May 11, 2019 The study said the Indian Ocean was once home to a diverse range of flightless birds, with the most well-known species being the dodo from Mauritius. As humans spread out across the ocean and colonized these islands, each of these bird species spiraled into extinction except the Aldabra rail (dryolimnas cuvieri aldabranus), the museum wrote. Aldabra sediments show that the island had been completely submerged by the ocean on multiple occasions, eradicating all life on its shores. Hume said the entire wildlife of the island has completely changed since the island of Aldabra sank under the ocean. Aldabra went under the sea and everything was gone, he said in the blog post. There was an almost complete turn over in the fauna. Everything including an endemic crocodile and duck, as well as the tortoise and the rail went extinct. Yet as the Aldabra rail still lives on today, something must have happened for it to have returned. Flightless bird that went extinct 136,000 years ago appeared AGAIN in evolutionary marvel https://t.co/irg0gSbWDi pic.twitter.com/qC2GxPtTFM FirstPressNG (@firstpressNg) May 12, 2019 https://t.co/JrHy08IzvH The last surviving flightless species of bird, a type of rail, in the Indian Ocean had previously gone extinct but has risen from the dead thanks to a rare process called iterative evolution'(the repeated evolution of similar or parallel structures from pic.twitter.com/rNxL24LmGn Science news (@UpdateonScience) May 10, 2019 Hume recovered a fossilized leg bone from the last flood event about 118,000 years ago, showing the rail was more robust and heavier than the flying rail, causing it to lose its ability to fly again. He said this was unprecedented. There is no other case that I can find of this happening where you have a record of the same species of bird becoming flightless twice, he said in the blog. It wasnt as if it were two different species colonizing and becoming flightless. This was the very same ancestral bird. However, the white-throated rail once again recolonized the islands and became flightless after the sea levels dropped, giving rise to the modern birds researchers have seen nowadays. This means it does not take much for evolution to favor flightlessness on an island in which there were no terrestrial predators and plenty of food on the ground, so there was no need to develop those wing muscles at all, the museum said. Pro-democracy lawmaker Gary Fan is carried away on a stretcher after clashes with pro-Beijing lawmakers during a meeting for control of a meeting room to consider the controversial extradition bill, in Hong Kong, China on May 11, 2019. (James Pomfret/Reuters) Hong Kong Lawmakers Brawl Over Contentious Extradition Law HONG KONGScuffles broke out in Hong Kongs legislature on May 11 between pro-democracy lawmakers and those loyal to Beijing over a proposed extradition law that will extend Beijings powers over the China-ruled financial hub. One person was taken to hospital. The former British colony is trying to enact rules that would allow people accused of a crime, including foreigners, to be extradited from the city to countries without formal extradition agreements, including mainland China. Opponents fear the law would erode rights and legal protections in the free-wheeling financial hub that were guaranteed when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Tempers boiled over when pro-democracy lawmakers and the pro-Beijing majority tried to hold separate hearings on the bill. The democrats say the pro-China lawmakers breached rules in forming their own committee to try and ram through the legislation. Lawmakers clambered over tables, cursed and piled into each other as security personnel tried to maintain order. One pro-democracy lawmaker, Gary Fan, fell heavily and had to be stretchered to hospital. Several pro-Beijing lawmakers also fell, one needing a sling for his arm. Its a sad day for Hong Kong, said pro-establishment lawmaker Elizabeth Quat. We laughed at (scuffles in) Taiwans legislature in the past, but Hong Kongs is even worse. The bill is the latest lightning rod for Hong Kong people worried about Beijings powers over the city that was promised a high degree of autonomy under a one country, two systems formula when it returned to Chinese rule. More than 130,000 opponents of the bill marched against it two weeks ago, while several thousand gathered outside the legislature on Friday night to demand it be scrapped. The parade was one of the biggest protests since the Umbrella pro-democracy movement in 2014. Even Hong Kongs normally conservative business community has expressed opposition. The International Chamber of Commerce said the bill had gross inadequacies. US Congress Frets Over China Reach Hong Kongs Bar Association has said the law lacks sufficient safeguards for fair trial in mainland China. In the United States, a congressional commission said the law could extend Chinas coercive reach and create serious risks for U.S. security and business interests in Hong Kong. The amendments would allow criminal suspects from any regionincluding mainland Chinato seek extradition without the Legislative Council (LegCo) signing off on the requests. The head of the citys government, the chief executive, would be able to approve the extradition requests directly. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has insisted on the need for arrangements to extradite offenders to China and Taiwan, an island Beijing claims as its own, and other countries that do not have extradition treaties with the city. She has cited the case of a Hong Kong man who allegedly murdered his girlfriend in Taiwan last year, and who has since fled back to Hong Kong, as a major reason for rushing through the legislation with minimal public consultation. Yet Taiwan authorities have since said they opposed Hong Kongs extradition bill and will not agree to an ad hoc extradition arrangement for the murder suspect even if the bill passes. A spokesman for Hong Kongs authorities expressed utmost regret at the chaos in the legislature and urged lawmakers to resume rational discussions. Hong Kongs opposition democratic lawmakers hold less than a third of the seats in the legislature, meaning they cannot veto the bill when it goes to a final vote, possibly in the next few weeks. By James Pomfret & Jessie Pang. The Epoch Times contributed to this report. Freed French hostages Patrick Picque and Laurent Lassimouillas walk alongside a South Korean hostage upon their arrival at the Villacoublay airport, in Velizy-Villacoublay, France on May 11, 2019. (Francois Guillot/Pool via Reuters) Hostages Rescued From Burkina Faso Hell Praise Fallen French Commandos OUAGADOUGOU/PARISThree hostages freed by French commandos from terrorists in Burkina Faso arrived in Paris on May 12, expressing sorrow at the death of two French soldiers in the rescue operation. President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the hostages as they stepped off the French government jet less than 48 hours after French special forces stormed their captors hideout in a daring night-time raid. Two Frenchmen kidnapped while on safari in Benin more than a week earlier, as well as an American woman and a South Korean woman who were being held with them, were liberated in the high-risk mission authorized by Macron. The American, who has not been identified, was being repatriated separately. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and French Defence Minister Florence Parly walk alongside freed French hostages Patrick Picque and Laurent Lassimouillas and a South Korean hostage as they arrive at the Villacoublay airport, in Velizy-Villacoublay, France on May 11, 2019. (Francois Guillot/Pool via Reuters) All our thoughts go to the families of the soldiers and to the soldiers who lost their lives to free us from this hell, Laurent Lassimouillas earlier told reporters as he met Burkinabe President Roch Kabore in Ouagadougou. The French government identified the two soldiers killed as Cedric de Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello. Macron will lead a national tribute to the men, both officers in the naval special forces, at the Les Invalides military hospital and mausoleum in Paris on Tuesday. Lassimouillas also expressed regret over the death of the Beninese park guide, who was shot dead when the two tourists were kidnapped. The two French special forces soldiers Cedric de Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello who were killed in a night-time rescue of four foreign hostages including two French citizens in Burkina Fasso in an undated photo released by French Army on May 10, 2019. (Sirpa Marine/Handout via Reuters) ISIS Insurgency French officials said on Friday it was not yet clear who had kidnapped them in Benin but that their captors planned to hand them over to an al Qaeda affiliate in neighboring Mali. Jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic terrorists have expanded their presence across West Africas Sahel region, a strip of scrubland beneath the Sahara desert, in recent years and taken a number of Western hostages. A man signs condolence books in memory of Antoine de Leocour and Vincent Delory (R), who were found dead, apparently executed by their kidnappers, after French special forces joined a failed attempt to rescue them in the African state of Niger, at Linselles city hall in northern France on Jan. 10, 2011. (Luc Moleux/Reuters) A man signs condolence books in memory of Antoine de Leocour and Vincent Delory (R), who were found dead, apparently executed by their kidnappers, after French special forces joined a failed attempt to rescue them in the African state of Niger, at Linselles city hall in northern France on Jan. 10, 2011. (Luc Moleux/Reuters) France, the former colonial power in the region, intervened in Mali in 2013 to halt an advance by Islamic terrorists and has kept about 4,500 troops in the Sahel since then. Frances message to terrorists is clear: those who want to attack France, the French, should know that we will hunt them, we will find them, and we will kill them, Defence Minister Florence Parly said after joining Macron at the Villacoublay military airport outside Paris. France was doing all it could to secure the release of another French hostage, Sophie Petronin, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said. Gunmen kidnapped Petronin in December 2016 in the northern Malian city of Gao. By Thiam Ndiaga and Richard Lough Paramilitary police officers march in Tiananmen Square after attending a ceremony marking the centennial of the May Fourth Movement, a landmark student protest against colonialism and imperialism, in Beijing on April 30, 2019. (GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty Images) Former Chinese Police Chief Had Bribe Price List for Official Titles, Promotions A former police chief in Xinyang City, in Chinas central Henan Province, used a detailed price list to determine how much in bribes that officials should pay him in order to gain a promotion. Li Changgen sold official ranks in the local police system to at least 30 people, according to a court verdict that was recently leaked online, the contents of which were reported by many Chinese media, including the Law Court Evening News, a state-run newspaper. Although Li was sacked in 2014 and sentenced to prison in 2016, the details werent exposed until this recent media leak. Li had served as the head of the Xinyang police department, head of the discipline inspection team at the Henan Higher Peoples Court, and other security posts between 2006 and 2014. In November 2014, the Henan branch of the Commission for Discipline Inspectionthe Chinese Communist Partys anti-corruption watchdogannounced an investigation of Li. On April 14, 2016, Li was sentenced by the Luohe City Intermediate Court to 10 years in prison for graft crimes. He died in prison on Oct. 20, 2016. The court verdict that was recently posted online listed 31 identified acts of extorting or accepting bribes, all payments to Li in order to secure promotions or official titles. Li had labeled specific prices for each title. For example, the price for appointing someone to head of a county-level police department was 310,000 yuan ($45,427); the price for political commissar (a role whereby one supervises political education for cadres) was 100,000 yuan ($14,654); while becoming head of a local traffic brigade cost 330,000 yuan ($48,358). For instance, between 2007 and 2012, Li extorted and accepted bribes from a person surnamed Yang, who not only paid 330,000 yuan ($48,355) in cash bribes, but also 200,000 yuan ($29,308) worth of gift cards; 200,000 yuan ($29,308) worth of Cordyceps sinensis, a precious Chinese medicinal herb; and 80,000 yuan ($11,722) worth of antique paintings. In return, Li promoted Yang from a county police chief within the jurisdiction of Xinyang City to the citys deputy police chief and head of the citys traffic police brigade, according to the verdict. Its worth mentioning that being traffic policeman is a lucrative profession in China; traffic police often pocket a portion of the traffic violation fines they charge. An insider working in the government of Guangshan County in Xinyang told Chinese state-run media China Newsweek on May 8 that some of the officials, after obtaining official ranks by bribing Li, replicated Lis practice of selling job positions for money. They spent money purchasing an official title, so they definitely wanted to get the money back by selling the titles within the scope they can manipulate. It then became a chain reaction in the entire public security system [in the Xinyang area], he said. The insider also provided to China Newsweek a copy of a price list used for bribing Guangshan County officials working in the police system. According to public information and the court verdict, as of May 13, three of the 12 Party committee members in the Xinyang police department have bribed Li to get their current jobs. After Li was convicted, those who offered bribes were all subjected to different degrees of disciplinary action, China Newsweek reported, citing a local Xinyang official. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to reveal more details, saying it was considered classified information. Nearly 100 people have been charged following a grand jury indictment that alleged the defendants were involved in a marriage fraud scheme. (ICE) ICE Breaks up Massive Marriage Fraud Scheme, Charges Nearly 100 People Nearly 100 people have been indicted, including an attorney, for participating in a massive marriage fraud ring in Houston, Texas, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The federal agency said the grand jury returned an indictment on April 30 with 206 counts, charging 96 people. So far, 50 people are in custody, according to the agency. According to the indictment, the scam involves creating sham marriages to help foreign people to attain immigration status and admission into the United States. The main purpose of the scam was to circumvent U.S. immigration laws. Marriage fraud is a serious crime, said District Director Tony Bryson from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Houston. Nearly 100 people indicted, 50 currently in custody in massive Houston-based marriage fraud conspiracy https://t.co/j5uuZwHAOB pic.twitter.com/07k5hjrDEd ICE (@ICEgov) May 13, 2019 This indictment reveals how successful our working relationships are with our law enforcement and intelligence partners when it comes to investigating marriage fraud, Bryson added. USCIS remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring national security, public safety and the integrity of the immigration system. According to the statement, marriage fraud, or conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, has a maximum sentence of five years. The indictment accused 53-year-old Ashley Yen Nguyen, also known as Duyen, of running the organization based in southwest Houston. She allegedly also had associates around Texas and in Vietnam. Prosecutors say the marriages were shams because the alleged couples did not live together, nor did they have any plan to do so, even though their statements and official documents indicated that they did. Moreover, in some cases, these spouses had only met briefly and usually just before obtaining their marriage license. In other cases, they never met at all. To make a wedding appear real, the organization created fake wedding albums and photos, along with false tax, utility, and employment information so as to not raise suspicion from USCIS and ensure the immigration forms were approved, prosecutors alleged. As part of the agreement, Nguyen allegedly received $50,000 to $70,000 from the beneficiary spouse for helping them to obtain a full lawful permanent resident status, according to the statement. Additionally, she would be allegedly paid more for extra immigration benefits the spouse would receive. A second person, Trang Le Nguyen, also known as Nguyen Le Thien Trang, 45, an attorney in Texas, was also indicted in the case. She had been charged with obstructing and impeding the due administration of justice and tampering with a witness, victim, or informant. Prosecutors said Trang was allegedly responsible for preparing paperwork related to at least one of the fraudulent marriages. She also told one of the witnesses to go into hiding, not to travel by plane, and to not provide any further information to authorities. Nguyen also allegedly recruited other U.S. citizens to act as petitioners in sham marriages. These people would receive a part of the money paid by the beneficiary spouse. Some of these people would go off and become recruiters for the organization, the statement said. Prosecutors say some of the other people who were charged were allegedly responsible for collecting money for the beneficiary spouse and distributing the payments to the petitioners. These arrests mark the culmination of a comprehensive yearlong multi-agency investigation into one of the largest alleged marriage fraud conspiracies ever documented in the Houston area, said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson, from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston. According to the indictment, criminal charges include 47 counts of marriage fraud, 50 counts of mail fraud; 51 counts of immigration fraud; 51 counts of false statements under oath in a matter relating to registry of aliens; and one count each of conspiracy to engage in marriage fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, conspiracy to commit immigration fraud, conspiracy to make false statements under oath in a matter relating to registry of aliens, unlawful procurement of naturalization, obstructing and impeding the due administration of justice, and tampering with a witness, victim or informant. If convicted of mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and tampering with a witness, victim or informant, defendants face up to a maximum sentence of 20 years. Iowa Confirms Several Cases of Disease That Can Be Transmitted From Dogs to Humans Health officials in Iowa confirmed several cases of a disease that can be transmitted from dogs to humans. The Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship, in a statement on May 10, said there were several cases of Canine Brucellosis in the state. The case originated from a small dog commercial breeding facility in Marion County, the agency said. We are in the process of notifying the individuals who have custody of the exposed dogs. Both the animals and the facilities are quarantined while the dogs undergo clinical testing, the health agency wrote. It added: Brucellosis a zoonotic bacterial disease, meaning an infected animal can transmit it to humans and other animals through contaminated reproductive fluids. The threat to most pet owners is considered very low. At risk are dog breeders, veterinary staff, and people who come into contact with blood, tissues, and fluids during the birthing process. If pet owners have recently acquired a new, small breed dog from Marion [County], they should contact their veterinarian, the agency warned. People should always wash their hands after handling animals, including household pets, the health agency also noted. Those with concerns should speak to the Iowa Department of Public Health or a physician, it said. AHeinz57 Pet Rescue & Transport, Inc., which is based in De Soto, Iowa, said it has quarantined about 32 dogs from a breeder in relation to the disease. We have not received any results yet, the organization wrote on Facebook. Therefore, we have closed our shelter building for the next 30 days. It added: This is just one more reason to ADOPT and not SHOP! Please pray for our sweet babies that were finally getting the chance to have a happy life. Canine Brucellosis According to VCA Hospitals, Canine brucellosis is a contagious bacterial infection caused by the bacterium, Brucella canis (B. canis). This bacterial infection is highly contagious between dogs. Infected dogs usually develop an infection of the reproductive system, or a sexually transmitted disease. The disease can infect goats, sheep, elk, pigs, deer, cattle, and other animals, it said. People who come in contact with breeding dogs, [or] newborn puppies should use caution and practice good sanitation. Whenever possible, wear disposable gloves before handling newborn puppies or cleaning an area where a dog has whelped. After removal of the disposable gloves, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water and rinse well, the website says. Zombie Deer Disease The warning comes several months after researchers from the University of Minnesota told lawmakers that a deadly illness that affects deer could spread to humans. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), sometimes known as zombie deer disease because of how it makes the ruminant animals look in its final stages. The U.S. Geological Survey describes the disease as a fatal, neurological illness occurring in North American cervids (members of the deer family), including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose. It can cause disorientation, abnormal behavior, and ultimately death. Infected animals can live for at least 16 months before dying, and their blood, tissues, and fecal material can remain a source of new infections for years after death, said the University of Minnesota on its website. A stillshot from the documentary Circle of Poison of ex-President Jimmy Carter. (Courtesy of Evan Mascagni) Former President Jimmy Carter Has Surgery for Broken Hip ATLANTAFormer President Jimmy Carter broke his hip Monday, May 13, at his south Georgia home when he fell while leaving to go turkey hunting, a spokeswoman for the Carter Center said. Carter was treated in Americus, Georgia, near his home in Plains, and was recovering comfortably after successful surgery, spokeswoman, Deanna Congileo, said in a statement. His wife of 73 years, Rosalynn, was with him, Congileo said. In an indication Carter was in good spirits, Congileo said Carters main concern was that he had not reached his limit on turkeys with the shooting season ending this week. He hopes the State of Georgia will allow him to rollover the unused limit to next year, the statement said. Statement from The Carter Center on President Carters Health pic.twitter.com/9vhamJ9Vgk The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) May 13, 2019 In March, Carter became the longest-living chief executive in U.S. history, exceeding the lifespan of former President George H.W. Bush, who died Nov. 30 at the age of 94 years, 171 days. The milestone came despite a cancer diagnosis more than three years earlier. Carter disclosed in 2015 that he had melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain. He received treatment for seven months until scans showed no sign of the disease. Ive had a wonderful life, he said at the time he revealed the cancer. Ive had thousands of friends, Ive had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence. Carters legacy since leaving office has long overshadowed his rocky White House tenure, where he lost after one term amid a hostage crisis. He and Rosalynn founded the Carter Center in Atlanta in 1982 to focus on global human rights issues. The center has monitored elections around the world and worked to resolve conflicts and eradicate disease, including guinea worm. The former president and first lady still live in Plains, a town of about 750 where they were born, raised and married. A devout Christian, Carter regularly teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, drawing hundreds of visitors to Plains for each session. The White House said last month that Carter and President Donald Trump spoke by phone for the first time in a conversation the White House said was focused on trade talks with China. The CNN Wire contributed to this report. Speaking with reporters on May 10th, Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said once construction of the facilities is complete, Thailand will become a major transit country among the GMS members. The infrastructure includes a new double-track railway, bridges and roads as well as material transport centres for border provinces in Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, China and Vietnam. The Government of Thailand is striving to turn Thailand into a transport hub for six countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), following an infrastructure development project worth THB100 billion (over USD3 billion) in the Thai border provinces (Illustrative photo: Bloomberg) The minister said the infrastructure will create "economic corridors" and faster logistical management for these six countries. The five border provinces of Thailand will play an important role in linking the country with its neighbours, he added. At the Chiang Khong border checkpoint in northern Chiang Rai province, the Thai government has spent THB85 billion (USD2.6 billion) developing a double-track railway from Denchai to Chiang Khong, and another THB1.4 billion (USD43 million) on building a goods transport centre. Chiang Khong is also part of the North-South Economic Corridor (NSEC), which links Thailand, Laos and southern China. To the west, the Mae Sot border checkpoint in Tak province has been touted as a transnational route in the East-West Economic Corridor. The Thai Government has already built a bridge worth THB1.1 billion (USD34 million) over the Moei River to relieve traffic congestion at the checkpoint. The bridge is part of a larger plan to connect Mae Sot and Yangon, Myanmar and improve access to the Indian Ocean. On Thailand's eastern border with Cambodia, the government is building a bridge in Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district, which will cross the Bhrom Hote Canal to access Poipet, Cambodia. The bridge will be opened in 2021. In Nong Khai province opposite Laos, THB1 billion (about USD31 million) was spent on building a bridge for cars and trains heading to Vientiane, as well as a train station and a goods transport facility. At the Nakhon Phanom border checkpoint, the Thai cabinet will be asked to approve a THB68 billion (USD2.1 billion) project to build a new double-track railway linking Ban Phai, Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom in order to streamline the regional route from the northeastern border to the Laem Chabang Port in Chon Buri district, the transport minister said./. Linette Boedicker, also known as Linette Warrichaiet, who was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 11, 2019. (LVMPD) Las Vegas Mother Charged With Drowning Daughter in Bathtub A Las Vegas mother has been charged with murdering her 2-year-old daughter by drowning her in the bathtub, according to police. Linette Boedicker, 44, phoned 911 herself at around 3 p.m. on May 11 to say that her daughter was drowned in the bathtub, according to a statement (pdf) from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Arriving officers located an unresponsive child floating in a bathtub, said the statement. The officers took the child out of the bathtub and started to perform CPR. Medical personnel transported the child to UMC trauma where she was pronounced deceased. Investigators determined that the girl had been put in the bathtub by her mother, according to the police statement. Warrichaiet held the child under the water until she stopped breathing and then called 911. A dispatcher advised Warrichaiet to take the child out of the water and perform CPR, but she refused. Boedicker, who also goes by the surname of Warrichaiet, has been charged with open murder, according to jail records. The dispatcher quickly became concerned when Boedicker ignored her instructions, reported KTNV. Police arrived at the house within five minutes, said Ray Spencer, head of the local homicide division, according to KTNV. But when they got there, Boedicker took her time answering the door, he said. Disturbing is an understatement, Spencer said. I have officers out here who are shaken up. We have a 2-year-old that was senseless murdered, he said. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, police indicated it was unclear whether the girl was alive at the time her mother called 911. She did not pull the child out of the bathtub. That we do know, Spencer told the newspaper. A neighbor, who didnt want to be identified, told KTNV they watched Boedicker being taken into custody. She had no remorse, remorse of like, My babys dead, my babys not here,' the neighbor said. Police told the Journal that they had been called to the same apartment uniton North Walnut Roadfor a domestic disturbance in the morning of the same day. The girls identity and cause of death will be released by the county coroner at a later date, according to police. Boedicker is being held in Clark County Detention Center, and is due in court on May 14. Boedicker has currently been charged with open murder, which gives prosecutors the opportunity to narrow the charges at a later date to one of three charges: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and the lesser-used category of voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. Nevada is a death penalty state. Child Abuse An estimated 674,000 children were determined to be victims of maltreatment in 2017, according to the Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children and Families. Of the victims, about 75 percent were neglected, 18 percent were physically abused, and 9 percent were sexually abused. Nationwide, an estimated 1,720 children died from abuse and neglect, a decline from the 1,750 children who died from the same in the previous year. Of the abused children, 25 percent were younger than 1 year old. Another 52 percent were between 1 year old and 5 years old. The children who were killed by abuse or neglect were also overwhelmingly young, with about half of the fatalities being younger than 1 year old. Boys made up 58 percent of the deaths. Perpetrators of abuse or neglect are most often in the 25 to 34 age range. More than four-fifths (83.4 percent) of the perpetrators were between 18 and 44 years old. Perpetrators were more likely to be female. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, contact your local child protective services office or law enforcement agency so officials can investigate and assess the situation. Most states have a number to call to report abuse or neglect. To find out where to call, consult the State Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Numbers website. The Childhelp organization can also provide crisis assistance and other counseling and referral services. Contact them at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). Every year more than 3.6 million referrals are made to child protection agencies involving more than 6.6 million children (a referral can include multiple children), according to Childhelp. Lawsuit Alleges Calif. Attorney General Not Eligible to Hold Office Democratic California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a leading legal antagonist of President Donald Trump, isnt legally eligible to serve as his states top law enforcement officer, according to a lawsuit working its way through the states courts. After 24 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Becerra was appointed California attorney general on Jan. 24, 2017, replacing Democrat Kamala Harris, who was elected to the U.S. Senate. He won election to the position in his own right on Nov. 6, 2018. Eric Early, a Los Angeles lawyer who sought the Republican nomination in 2018 in the attorney general race, argues in his lawsuit that Becerra is ineligible for the post because he wasnt practicing law for close to five years prior to his appointment or election to the office. Early lost his case in the initial phase and filed an appeal last week. The states top legal officer should have at least a modicum of experience as a practicing lawyer, Early told The Epoch Times in an interview. Political Instead, we have one who has no clue what its like to be a practicing lawyer, he said. We have ended up with a pure, wall-to-wall politician as our state top legal officer, so it has not been a surprise that since he became attorney general, his agenda has been entirely political. We might as well have Nancy Pelosi in our attorney generals office, Early said, adding that Becerra has turned into a vessel for the resistance. The resistance is often used to describe the Democratic opposition to President Donald Trump. As of February, the California attorney generals office had filed a record 46 lawsuits against the Trump administration, according to a tally by The Hill newspaper. This is reportedly more than any other state attorney general during the current administration or any other presidency in the nations history. Republican attorneys general across the nation sued the previous administration a total of 46 times during Barack Obamas entire presidency. Becerra has repeatedly angered conservatives and supporters of the rule of law. In January 2018, a few days after three state laws took effect that turned California into a so-called sanctuary state, Becerra threatened to prosecute employers if they assisted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in their efforts to uphold federal immigration laws. California Assemblyman Travis Allen responded by saying Trump and then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions should come to California [and] literally arrest [and] indict Xavier Becerra for breaking federal law. The [state] attorney general is literally, criminally trying to obstruct justice, said Allen, a Republican. He has crossed the line. On April 18, a three-judge panel of the often-reversed 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld almost all parts of the three laws that interfere with ICE enforcement in California, which is home to more than 2 million illegal aliens. The Trump administration seems certain to appeal the ruling. Eligibility Earlys campaign filed an emergency petition with the Superior Court for the County of Sacramento on May 29, 2018, seeking to have Becerra barred from the general election ballot. The petition was denied two months later by Judge Richard Sueyoshi. On May 6, Earlys lawyers filed an opening brief seeking to appeal the ruling to the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Third Appellate District. Legal arguments center around Section 12503 of Californias Government Code, which states, No person shall be eligible to the office of Attorney General unless he shall have been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the state for a period of at least five years immediately preceding his election or appointment to such office. According to Earlys brief, a copy of which was provided to The Epoch Times, Becerra was an inactive member of the California State Bar and unable to practice law for 26 years between January of 1991 and January of 2017. Becerra only regained active status with the State Bar and the ability to practice law when he was appointed attorney general in January 2017. That means Becerra lacked the requisite five years of legal experience when he was appointed, elected, and sworn in after the election, the brief states. There is no doubt that the Legislature could amend Government Code 12503 to include voluntarily inactive lawyers, but they have not, according to the brief. Neither Becerras office nor his attorneys listed in court documents responded to requests by The Epoch Times for comment for this article. Earlier in the proceeding, Becerras lawyers stated their client met the eligibility requirement many times over after the court admitted him to practice on June 14, 1985, and his admission has never been revoked or suspended. Although there are no published California authorities on the question of an inactive members eligibility for the Office of Attorney General, Earlys brief states, there is case law on the issue from outside the state. In a case called Abrams v. Lamone, the Maryland Supreme Court removed Democratic National Committee Chairman Thomas E. Perez from the Maryland ballot when he ran for attorney general in that state in 2006, because he lacked 10 years of experience practicing law in Maryland. Perez didnt become a member of the Maryland bar until 2001. That states constitution requires candidates to have resided and practiced Law in this State for at least ten years. Perezs years of federal practice prior to 2006 were deemed insufficient to meet the 10-year requirement, according to Earlys brief. Early told The Epoch Times his case is an uphill battle, but said its a correct battle. Man Accused of Killing Wife in Massachusetts to Face Deportation After Living in the Country Illegally A man who is accused of stabbing his wife to death in their apartment in Massachusetts could be removed from the country. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed an immigration detainer on him. Ilton Rodrigues, a 48-year-old citizen of Brazil, who was living illegally in Stoughton, is accused of stabbing his wife to death at their apartment in front of their two children on May 3. Man accused of killing wife in Massachusetts living in the country illegally: ICE Fox News https://t.co/rSa8W0uPjV Massachusetts News (@MassachusetNews) May 10, 2019 His wife, 43-year-old Telma Bras, was discovered dead of apparent stab wounds when police arrived at the couples home at Bennett Drive, Stoughton. Rodrigues pleaded not guilty on May 6 to a murder charge during an arraignment from a hospital in Boston where he was taken with life-threatening injuries. He allegedly attempted to take his own life following the fatal attack, reported Fox News. The 48-year-old was found near Bras with a knife protruding from his body according to prosecutors, Mass Live reported. He then underwent surgery at the Boston hospital. Ilton Rodrigues of Stoughton stabbed his wife to death before trying to kill himself, according to the Norfolk DA. https://t.co/7W6ZAcbXHl pic.twitter.com/PRtxQIvGRo The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) May 4, 2019 At the time of the attack, the couples two children, a 7-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl, were at home. They were not injured in the attack, but are traumatized, police said. Police were alerted to the fatal stabbing when the teenager called a family member after hearing a commotion at home, who then called 911. A #stoughton mom is dead and her husband facing murder charges after police say 48 year old Ilton Rodrigues stabbed his wife, 43 year old Telma Bras to death while their children were in the apartment. The latest at 6 @boston25 pic.twitter.com/9hlQczLbiD Crystal Haynes (@crystalhaynes) May 4, 2019 Rodrigues could now face deportation when criminal charges against him end, as ICE has said they placed an immigration detainer on him. ICEs Enforcement and Removal Operations lodged an immigration detainer with the Norfolk County House of Corrections on Ilton Furtado Rodrigues, a citizen of Brazil charged with murder, ICE spokesman John Mohan wrote in an email, reported Mass Live. ICE will seek his removal pending the outcome of the criminal charges he faces, he added. PHOTOS: @StoughtonPD busted this glass door last night after they received a 911 call about a domestic incident. They found Telma Bras, 43, dead inside her apartment. Her husband, Ilton Rodrigues, 48, will likely face a murder charge, investigators said. #NBC10Boston #NECN pic.twitter.com/pGvDcWzU5t Mike Manzoni NBC10 Boston (@MikeNBCBoston) May 4, 2019 ICE did not state when Rodrigues first arrived in the United States. The 48-year-old has no criminal records and it was the first time Stoughton Police had never been called to the couples apartment previously, said Police Chief Donna McNamara. ICE will seek to remove a man from the country after he was accused of stabbing his wife to death. https://t.co/KNOXfScqjG masslivenews (@masslivenews) May 9, 2019 McNamara added it is difficult to imagine what the two children had to go through. The death is the most tragic of results, especially for the children, Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey told the Herald on May 4. The motive behind the killing is still unclear, and is under investigation by Stoughton police, the Mail Online reported. Rodrigues remains in police custody and is expected to appear in Stoughton District Court on June 11. James Jordan, accused of murdering one person and assaulting another on the Appalachian trail. (U.S. District Court) Man Charged in Deadly Machete Attack on Hikers Walking the Appalachian Trail A man has been charged with murder following a knife attack on hikers walking the Appalachian trail in Virginia. James Jordan, 30, of West Yarmouth, Mass. was arrested on May 11 on a federal complaint in connection with what the district attorneys office termed a deadly stabbing incident that left person one dead and one with serious injuries. The incident was initially described as a machete attack by the local sheriffs office, although it is now unclear that a machete was used. Jordan was previously arrested on the trail three weeks ago with a 17-inch knife in his possession, according to local reports. The identities of the two victims of the attack have not yet been released by authorities. The Western Virginia district attorney did not provide details of the attack, but confirmed that Jordan is charged with one count of murder and one count of assault with the intent to murder. Because the alleged assault occurred on federal land, he is facing a federal complaint. It is currently high season for attempts to trek the entire 2,000 miles of the trail. The thousands of hikers form a loose-knit traveling community as they typically make their way northwards from Georgia in the spring, tracing the favorable shift in seasons. Jordan, who goes by the moniker Sovereign was a well-known figure on the trail, according to local media reports, with other hikers claiming he had harassed and threatened them. The female attack victim, who is believed to be the survivor, was found by a couple of hikers after she had walked six miles, injured and bleeding, law enforcement said, according to 10 News. She pretended to be dead and when [Jordan] walked away after his dog, she took off running, Wythe County Sheriff Keith Dunagan told The Washington Post. Dunagan told 10 News they traced the male victim by GPS technology after he sent an emergency notification on his cellphone. They pinged it on the Wythe County side of the trail, said Dunagan. So, the phone company notified us and thats when we went up there and found the suspect and the victim, Dunagan said. We had our whole [tactical] team out there, so he wisely just surrendered himself. According to The Post, sheriffs deputies had received reports of a man threatening a group of four hikers camped out late on May 10. Two fled northward, two southward. Jordan initially pursued the two who fled north. When they gave him the slip, he turned south, caught up with the other two hikers, and attacked them. Jordan had been arrested in April after reports that he assaulted other hikers, but in the end was found guilty of criminal possession, according to the Herald Courier. He was sentenced to probation and then returned to the trail. Two hikers told WHJL that each time they saw Jordan on the trail his personality got worse. Sometimes he would hiss like a cat at people, and was ill-prepared for cold or wet weather. Unicoi County Sheriff Mike Hensley had earlier issued photographs of Jordan with his pitbull dog. Hensley told The Post that he knew Jordan was a threat, but said hikers refused to press assault charges and testify against him in court. I did everything in my power to get this guy off the trail, Hensley told the Roanoke Times. And I took him off the trail, I did. But the courts deemed something else. We have never had but just a few instances concerning the Appalachian Trail, and I take it very seriously, he said. The trail is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The Trail travels through 14 states along the crests and valleys of the Appalachian Mountain Range, from its southern terminus at Springer Mountain, Georgia, to the northern terminus at Katahdin, Maine, the Conservancy website states. Over 3 million people visit the trail each year, and around 3,000 annually attempt the thru-hike in a single year, which usually takes between five and seven months. Protesters demanding "Justice for Meleah", stand outside of the courthouse, after the court postponed a court appearance for Derion Vence, who is charged with tampering with evidence in the case of Meleah Davis' disappearance in Houston, on May 13, 2019. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP) Mother of Missing Texas Girl Heckled After Canceled Hearing HOUSTONThe mother of a missing 4-year-old Texas girl was heckled outside a courtroom on May 13 by people who questioned if she had done enough to protect her daughter before her disappearance. Brittany Bowens, Maleah Daviss mother, along with her spokesman, community activist Quanell X, showed up for a scheduled court hearing for Derion Vence, her former fiance who is charged in connection with the girls disappearance. The hearing was canceled, though, and Vences next hearing was scheduled for July 10. His attorney didnt immediately reply to calls seeking comment. Vence, 26, has been charged with tampering with evidence, specifically a human corpse, though Maleah is still missing and authorities have declined to say whether they believe she is dead or Vence may have killed her. Prosecutors, though, have said in court documents that Vence eventually could face additional charges, including murder. BIG BREAKING NEWS: Derion Vence, ex-fiance of #MaleahDavis mother, is in custody and has been charged with Tampering with Evidence, namely a corpse. More details on the way. https://t.co/ZHvm8ZB8ju Erica Simon (@EricaOnABC13) May 11, 2019 Bowens declined to speak after the canceled hearing, but Quanell X told reporters that Bowens is focused on finding out what happened to her daughter. The main thing right now that all of us want to know is what did he do with Maleah, he said. Where is Maleah? As Quanell X spoke to reporters, he was drowned out by a group of people, including some family members of Maleahs father who yelled she let it happen and Brittany knew all along. Quanell X previously alleged that Vence might have abused Maleah and that Bowens should have told police about it. Child Protective Services removed Maleah and her brothers from the apartment Vence and Bowens shared in August after the girl suffered a head wound, but the children were returned in February, according to an agency spokeswoman. When asked by reporters whyif she had concerns about VenceBowens had left her daughter in Vences care while Bowens attended her fathers funeral out of state, Quanell X declined to comment, saying, Im not going to speak to that. As Bowens and Quanell X headed to an elevator, they were followed by the hecklers, who yelled, Justice for Maleah and murderer. Tamisha Mendoza, a cousin of Maleahs father, Craig Davis, said she questioned why Bowens stayed with Vence if she suspected he was hurting her daughter. Youre just as guilty as (Vence). She needs to be locked up along with him, Mendoza said. Craig Davis didnt attend the scheduled hearing because he is devastated about what happened to his daughter, Mendoza said. Maleah was a happy little girl, she said. The things that happened to her, she didnt deserve. According to police, Vence told officers that he, Maleah and his 2-year-old son were abducted on May 4 by a group of men in a truck. He said he and his son were freed the next day but the kidnappers kept Maleah and his silver Nissan Altima. Police said Vences story kept changing and didnt add up. The Nissan was found on Thursday and trained dogs detected the scent of human decomposition in the trunk. Vence was seen on surveillance video taking a large laundry basket with a trash bag as well as cleaning supplies from his apartment on May 3. A basket similar to the one seen on the surveillance video was found in the Nissans trunk. Investigators also found blood in the hallway and bathroom of Bowens and Vences apartment. The blood is consistent with DNA samples taken from Maleahs toothbrush, authorities said. By Juan A. Lozano How young adults manage to navigate the stressful transition to college has long-term implications for their academic performance and ability to stick with their studies. Research has shown that one frequent pitfall during this transition from high school to college is social isolation. Loneliness, of course, can have a seriously detrimental effect on a students mental health, potentially leading to depression. But being alone isnt necessarily bad, suggest new findings in the journal Motivation and Emotion. Approaching solitude for its enjoyment and intrinsic values is linked to psychological health, especially for those who dont feel as if they belong to their social groups, lead author Thuy-vy Nguyen said, who received her doctorate in psychology from the University of Rochester in 2018 and who undertook a large part of the research for this study in Rochester. These findings highlight the importance of cultivating the ability to enjoy and value solitary time as a meaningful experience, rather than trying to disregard it, or escape from it, Nguyen said, wholl join Durham University in England this fall as an assistant professor. Alone for the Right Reasons What then marks the difference between useful and potentially detrimental solitude? The key is positive motivation, according to the researchers. A healthy, autonomous seeking of alone time is associated with greater self-esteem, a greater sense of feeling related to others, and feeling less lonely. Conversely, someone who wants to be alone because of negative social experiences more likely will feel the negative effects of solitude, such as isolation or social withdrawal. The reasons matter as they determine how we experience solitude and the benefits we can get from it, the study concludes. Nguyen is building on the research of her mentors, Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, co-founders of self-determination theory (SDT). The theoretical framework of SDT fits nicely into the investigation of how individuals motivations for spending time alone contribute to well-being, the researchers note. Per definition, autonomous motivation for being alone refers to a persons decision to spend time in solitude in a manner that is valuable and enjoyable for the person. Time for Yourself Previous research had shown that spending too much time socializing during the first year of collegeand as a result, having little time spent alonemay be associated with poor adjustment. But over the course of two studies, conducted with 147 first-year college students in the United States (testing for self-esteem) and 223 in Canada (testing for loneliness and relatedness), the team was able to untangle the interaction between new students social life and their motivation for spending time alone as a predictor of their successful adjustment to college life. Nguyen said the interplay between solitary time and our social experiences has not been empirically studied before, at least not in this way. In previous research, it has been framed in ways that those with more access to social connections tend to have a better time in solitude. But in our study, having a healthy motivation for solitude actually is associated with wellness for those who have less access to social connections, Nguyen said. Key findings include: First-year students who valued and enjoyed their alone time seemed to display greater psychological health Solitary time can be useful for detaching oneself from societal pressures and getting back to ones own values and interests, which in turn allows for better behavior regulation (with a greater sense of autonomy, choice, and self-concordance) The association between freely chosen motivation for solitude and psychological health is stronger for those who dont feel they belong in college The findings held across two independent samples of first-year studentsone at a private university in the United States and one at a public university in Canada Being alone does not make you a loner, which is a very easy stereotype to internalize when you first enter collegeespecially when you think that everyone around you is socializing when you are not, adds Nguyen. Solitude is a personal experience for everyone, so it is a time for you to take if you want, and just explore different ways to make it a meaningful and enjoyable experience for you. Coauthors of the study are from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and Ghent University in Belgium. This article was originally published by Rochester University. Republished via Futurity.org under Creative Commons License 4.0. Officer, Robbery Suspect Dead in Coastal Georgia: Officials SAVANNAH, GeorgiaA robbery suspect fatally shot a police officer in the Georgia port city of Savannah and wounded the officers colleague before fleeing and being fatally shot by another officer during an ensuing search, authorities said on May 12. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 50-year-old Savannah Police Sgt. Kelvin Ansari and 49-year-old robbery suspect Edward Fuller III were pronounced dead at a hospital where both were taken Saturday evening after being shot. Today, our city mourns as one of our Savannah Police officers was wounded and another paid the ultimate sacrifice, said Mayor Eddie DeLoach at a press conference. Our community owes these men and all those who wear the badge a debt of gratitude. The bureau, Georgias top law enforcement agency, said Ansari and Officer Douglas Thomas had answered a call about a person who had been robbed Saturday evening outside a Savannah barber shop. The statement said the suspect was in a vehicle and got out and fired on the officers, striking both. Fuller then ran and police converged on a nearby area, seeking the suspect near a residence, according to authorities. When Fuller was spotted emerging from a backyard shed, he was pointing a handgun at officers and was shot by one of the officers, according to the bureau statement. The handgun was recovered and determined to have been stolen, the statement added. Thomas, 40, was treated and released at the same hospital where the two others were taken. A Savannah Police Department statement said Ansari joined the department in 2008. He worked in various units including patrolling, public housing enforcement, and lately as a precinct supervisor. It said Ansari also had served 21 years previously in the U.S. Army. Last night we lost a great man, Police Chief Roy Minter said. We lost a man who spent a substantial portion of his life protecting the country and protecting the community we lost a leader. Savannahs police chief said the shooting investigation had been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). The GBI said on Twitter that they had been requested to investigate an officer involved shooting. The GBI has been requested by the Savannah Police Department to investigate an officer involved shooting. Agents are gathering details. pic.twitter.com/nGz2iF6zEy GA Bureau of Invest (@GBI_GA) May 12, 2019 The GBI also wrote that the suspect had died and that more information would be released following the Savannah Police Departments press conference. Savannah PD has confirmed that one of their officers died in the overnight OIS. The subject is also deceased. We will issue a GBI press release after Savannah PDs press conference. https://t.co/MQP3eWb0vt GA Bureau of Invest (@GBI_GA) May 12, 2019 NTD News Staff contributed to this article. Conservative Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Justice candidate for the Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, left, deliver speeches at the party's headquarters in Warsaw, Poland, on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Polands Kaczynski Promises Harsher Sentences for Child Abuse WARSAWThe leader of Polands conservative ruling party promised harsher sentences for child abuse on May 12, as the release of a documentary about pedophile priests created a fresh battleground in an election campaign marked by debate on religion and sexuality. The film Just dont tell anyone, which features victims confronting their abusers, has reignited criticism of the Catholic Churchs handling of such cases and had over 3 million views within 22 hours of being posted on YouTube. We prepared changes to the penal code meaning this crime (child abuse) will be punished very severely there will be no suspended sentences, there will be severe penalties, maybe even up to 30 years in prison, said the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) partys head Jaroslaw Kaczynski at a rally. Currently, sexual abuse of a child under 15 is punishable by up to 12 years in prison. Kaczynskis words came amid tensions between liberals who feel the church wields too much power in Poland and conservatives who see the Catholic faith as a key element of national identity whose influence must be protected. Church Sorry for Every Wound PiS, which leads most opinion polls, has made protecting traditional values a key plank of its bid to win European elections on May 26 and parliamentary elections in the autumn. Does this (stance against child abuse) mean that the crimes of a small number of priests give the right to attack the church, to offend Catholics? No, that is no justification, added Kaczynski in the northern city of Szczecin. The film, by brothers Tomasz and Marek Sekielski, shows elderly priests, including Franciszek Cybula who was the chaplain of former president Lech Walesa, being confronted by people they abused as children. It presents allegations that known pedophiles were shifted between parishes. I am deeply disturbed by what I saw in Tomasz Sekielskis film. The enormous suffering of those who have been hurt gives rise to pain and shame, Polands most senior archbishop Wojciech Polak said in a recorded statement. I am sorry for every wound inflicted by people of the church. By Alan Charlish & Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk Police: Mother Cursed and Threw 10-Month-Old Against Fence Because He Couldnt Stand A mother in Florida was arrested after allegedly cursing and throwing her 10-month-old baby against a wooden fence at about 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 11. Pinellas Park Police Department said Natalee Sesler, 25 of New Port Richey abused her baby because she was annoyed that he was unable to stand up, reported WFTS. The mother is facing multiple charges, including child abuse, child neglect, assault, resisting an officer, and violation of probation. Mother arrested in Florida for abusing baby because he couldnt stand, police say.https://t.co/u3MJGsbBAW pic.twitter.com/5kR8P7mvVn KGUN9 On Your Side (@kgun9) May 12, 2019 When authorities arrived at the home in Pinellas Park, they found the child wearing a shirt with no diaper or pants. The police talked with two juveniles in the area who witnessed the incident. Police said Sesler was also accused of attempting to throw the head of a metal rake at her baby, police said. The rake missed the child, and the mother then picked up the incessantly crying baby by the leg and tossed him on a lawn chair, reported ABC 15. The police said the baby looked malnourished and had bruising and swelling near one of his eyes. The mother appeared to be under the influence of drugs. Local headlines: this Pasco mom is facing charges after police say she threw her 10-month-old baby at a fence for not standing & crying incessantly. #Florida @10NewsWTSP @BrightsideOn10 https://t.co/XBn08l1CRc Sarah Rosario (@SarahWTSP) May 13, 2019 When the police arrived at the scene, they found Sesler also wearing just a shirt. She was visiting an unknown male in the area. The baby was taken to a local hospital for observation and then handed over to other family members, according to WFMY. The mother is in custody in the Pinellas County Jail, according to the police. Child Abuse in the United States An estimated, 700,000 children are abused in the country every year. 1,670 children died due to child abuse in the country in 2015, according to the National Childrens Alliance. In the same year, children advocacy groups served 311,000 cases of child abuse around the nation, whereas 683,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect. Households in which participants suffer from alcoholism, substance abuse, or anger issues demonstrate higher occurrences of child abuse as compared to households without, said Psychology Today. Child abuse is about actions that cause harm but it can also be about inactions that cause harm and that falls under neglect. Physical abuse involves non-accidental harming of a child by, for example, burning, beating, or breaking bones. Verbal abuse involves harming a child by, for example, belittling them or threatening physical or sexual acts. Emotional can result from several forms of abuse, said Psychology Today. Patterns of Physical Abuse from One Generation to Other A landmark study conducted over 30-years found that parents who suffered physical abuse as children were not more likely to be violent with their own kids. The results undermine the prevailing consensus that patterns of physical abuse are passed from one generation to the next. All of the literature had led us to believe that physical abuse would be passed on from one generation to the next. That is not what we found, said Cathy Widom, a psychologist at CUNY, on a Science Magazine podcast. The study recruited 908 people who had been abused and neglectedas documented by court filingsbetween the ages of 0 to 11 and followed them as they aged and started their own families. A control group of 667 people who were not evidently abused as children were recruited to serve as a comparison. The rate at which parents abused their own children was examined using the information provided by child protection agencies, as well as self-reports from the parents and their children. Parents who had histories of abuse and neglect did not report more child abuse than the comparison group subjects, Widom said. The researchers were not surprised to find that other patterns of abuseneglect and sexual abuseare correlated between parents and their children. Parents who have histories of neglect are more likely to have children who are sexually abused, but it is not necessarily the case that those parents are the perpetrators, Widom said in an email. Children of parents who were neglected were twice as likely to be sexually abused, Widom said, and listed drug problems, mental illness, and a failure to protect their children from sexual predators as possible causes that will continue to be studied. Epoch Times reporter Jonathan Zhou contributed to this report. Police: Water Heater Issue Blamed for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning That Killed Family of 4 The family of four who was found dead due to carbon monoxide poisoning had recently installed a water heater that was leaking gas at high levels, according to police. Gabe Reitter III, his wife Jennifer, and their children Gabe IV and Grace, along with their three dogs were found dead at their home in Ohio on May 2, when police responded to their home for a welfare check. The four family members were found in separate rooms, such as on their beds or in the bathrooms, police said in a statement (pdf). According to police, the last time the family was contacted was on the evening on April 29, where all members of the family complained about being unwell. Moreover, the daughters school was notified that she would not attend due to illness. The cause of death according to a preliminary report by the Montgomery County Coroner was listed as carbon monoxide saturation, which could be changed to carbon monoxide intoxication after further testing. Police said first responders had to air out the property when they arrived in order to safely enter the property for a search. They said testing of carbon monoxide levels show that readings were between 999 and 1200 parts per million. The property did not have carbon monoxide detectors. People can start experiencing more noticeable symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning such as headaches at 70 parts per million, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Disorientation, unconsciousness, and death are possible at levels around 150 to 200 parts per million. When inside, investigators discovered that the exhaust pipe on top of the hot water heater was slightly dislodged, according to the statement. The hot water heater, a Navien tankless model, was installed by Reitter and a friend on Dec. 15, 2018, according to records. The water heater requires conversion from natural gas to propane. A Delaware County code compliance inspector said the water heater appeared to be code compliant but no permit was on file for the installation as required by law. Police said in the statement Navien had recalled about 3400 tankless water heaters on Dec. 20 last year with several different models because a kit installed on the tankless water heaters and boilers to convert them from natural gas to propane can cause the unit to produce excessive amounts of carbon monoxide, posing a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning to consumers. But the model used in Reitters home was not listed as a recalled product. Police said after testing the hot water heater and furnace, they discovered that the water heater immediately began emitting high levels of carbon monoxide as soon as it was turned on. They were unable to determine whether the cause of carbon monoxide was due to a faulty installation or a faulty unit as the testing had to be stopped. Police say they will be conducting further tests to determine what caused the carbon monoxide leakage. The Genoa Township Police Department makes no allegations or assertions that the cause of the carbon monoxide was due to human or product error; that remains undetermined, the statement said. Meanwhile, the fire department said they discovered a similar case on May 5 in Marion County, where another model of the Navien tankless water heater, which converted natural gas from propane, had a leakage exposing an individual to carbon monoxide. That individual survived the incident. Officials say that in that incident the exhaust pipe was dislodged in what it appears to be the same area and in a similar way as the unit in the Reitter family home. Both incidents have been reported to the CPSC, police said. According to UPSC, there are about 170 people deaths on average in the United States every year from carbon monoxide produced by non-automotive consumer products. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and poisonous gas, which is produced by the incomplete burning of different fuels like coal and wood. President Trump Calls Out Rep. Rashida Tlaib for Highly Insensitive Remarks on the Holocaust President Donald Trump has called out Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for her recent comments about the Holocaust, accusing the congresswoman of hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. Democrat Rep. Tlaib is being slammed for her horrible and highly insensitive statement on the Holocaust. She obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. Can you imagine what would happen if I ever said what she said, and says? Trump said on Twitter on May 13. Democrat Rep. Tlaib is being slammed for her horrible and highly insensitive statement on the Holocaust. She obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. Can you imagine what would happen if I ever said what she said, and says? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2019 In an interview on the podcast Skullduggery, the Palestinian-American lawmaker said she felt a calming feeling when she thinks about the Holocausta genocide that saw about 6 million Jews killed. Theres always kind of a calming feeling I tell folks when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestorsPalestinianswho lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some peoples passports, Tlaib said. And just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. And I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways. But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away and it was forced on them, she added. The president is among the many Republican lawmakers who have condemned the Michigan congresswoman for her comments and her version of what happened during the Holocaust. Many of them have called for Democratic leadership to take action against Tlaib for her comments. There is no justification for the twisted and disgusting comments made by Rashida Tlaib just days after the annual Day of Holocaust Remembrance, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise( R-La.) said in a statement, reported Fox News. More than six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust; there is nothing calming about that fact. Unfortunately, this is far from the first display of heinous anti-Semitic comments coming from Democrat House members this year, and its clear this is now the norm for their caucus, Scalise added. Its long past time for Speaker Pelosi to take swift action and make it clear that these vile comments have no place in Congress. House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said that Democratic leaders should weigh in. Heres @RepRashida direct quote, Theres a calming feeling I always tell folks when I think of the Holocaust. And her history of what happened after is a fantasy based on lies spread to delegitimize the state of Israel. https://t.co/5akpUSApIE Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 13, 2019 Surely now Speaker Pelosi & Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) will finally take action against vile anti-Semitism in their ranks. This must cross the line, even for them, Cheney wrote. Tlaib has responded to the criticism on Twitter and in a statement through her representative. Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win. Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 13, 2019 Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably, she said. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win. Tlaib had previously defended Palestinians after the terror group Hamas launched hundreds of missiles at Israel. Hamas and another group, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, fired more than 600 missiles at Israel in less than 24 hours earlier this month, which resulted in four Israeli deaths and several more injured. When will the world stop dehumanizing our Palestinian people who just want to be free? Headlines like this & framing it in this way just feeds into the continued lack of responsibility on Israel who unjustly oppress & target Palestinian children and families. #FreePalestine https://t.co/p3X3j8WtwM Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 5, 2019 When will the world stop dehumanizing our Palestinian people who just want to be free? Headlines like this & framing it in this way just feeds into the continued lack of responsibility on Israel who unjustly oppress & target Palestinian children and families, Tlaib wrote. She shared a missive by activist Yousef Munayyer, who criticized the headline of a New York Times story that read Gaza Militants Fire 250 Rockets, and Israel Responds with Airstrikes. NTD News reporter Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. San Franciscans Protest Naming Chinatown Subway Station After Communist Power Broker SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.Hundreds of San Francisco residents rallied in front of City Hall on May 6 to protest the citys proposal of naming the new Chinatown subway station after the late Rose Pak. Pak, an activist known for her ties with the Chinese communist regime, died in September 2016. After her death, members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors introduced a resolution in October 2016 to name the Chinatown subway station after Pak. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) rejected the 2016 resolution, explaining that stations should be named after geographical locations rather than people. As a result, it was proposed that the station should be named Chinatown Station for clarity and simplicity. The rally on May 6 this year took place after Aaron Peskin, Supervisor of San Francisco District 3, recently reintroduced a resolution that strongly urges the SFMTA Board of Directors to name the Central Subways Chinatown Station the Rose Pak Chinatown Station, according to The San Francisco Examiner. In response, hundreds of people at the rally voiced their opposition to the name. Participants held signs reading No Rose Pak, and Chinatown Station Only, and other slogans. Some participants also explained their reasons for protesting against the proposed name. How can I explain to my children, there is such a person who does things unreasonably in Chinatown. And she doesnt pay to get [a] haircut, doesnt pay to eat, Maggie Tang, a Chinatown resident, said in Cantonese, translated by a live translator. Tang explained that Pak often used her status to gain free services at local Chinatown shops, so it would be morally unfit to have Paks name be used for any public spaces. Local media often referred to Pak as Chinatowns political power broker. She was an executive director of the China Overseas Exchange Association, an organization overseen by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of China. Because of Paks close ties with communist China, some participants at the rally argued that using her name would be a constant reminder of the terrors committed by communist China. Da Fong, another San Francisco resident, recounted her story of being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party and why she opposes the use of Paks name. I escaped from China in 2011 and came to San Francisco. Back in China, my little sister was tortured to death at the labor camp because of her practice of Falun Dafa [also called Falun Gong, a popular spiritual discipline that is persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party]. My brother was imprisoned for 12 years because he wouldnt give up his beliefs, said Fong in Chinese, according to a translator. Fong said that she was also tortured with an electric shock device, but she was eventually able to escape to the United States. I came to the United States because I believed the United States government had the power to provide compassionate protection, no matter ones beliefs or cultural background. But I had no idea that after coming to San Francisco, I would still encounter the persecution of communist China through their representative Rose Pak, said Fong. [Pak] arranged people to openly attack Falun Gong practitioners, Fong said. Pak was also widely considered the de facto leader of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. In 2004, she banned Falun Gong practitioners from participating in San Franciscos annual Chinese New Year parade, which is the largest of its kind outside Asia. In addition to Chinatown Station and Rose Pak Chinatown Station, there has been a proposal to name the station after Sun Yat-Sen, the founding father of the Republic of China, which is now Taiwan. In 1912, Sun established the Republic of China in mainland China as the first democratic nation in Asia. The Kuomintang Party, which Sun founded, was defeated by the communists in 1949. After that, the Republic of China under the Kuomintangs leadership assumed the governance of Taiwan. During a Board of Supervisors meeting the day after the rally, Gou Tan, a local Chinatown resident, said: This is not just the business of Chinatown or San Francisco or California; it covers the whole world. All the people [who] come to Chinatown will see the name, so it matters to all of us, not just San Francisco. Of the three station names being proposed, only the name Rose Pak Chinatown Station has received criticism and opposition. One passerby said: How the city mayors office and Board of Supervisors would name something that obviously has such an impact on individualsand its probably more than this, a lot of people are just quiet about itI think thats a disgrace to San Francisco, as a visionary city, to turn backwards and name the station after Rose Pak. Im in full support of not naming it after Rose Pak. Suddenly Starless Wisconsin GOP Plots Rebuild for 2020 MADISON, Wis.Republicans determined to deliver Wisconsin for President Donald Trump next year will be doing it with a party working to rebuild after the departure of its two biggest stars and a rough midterm election that sent it reeling. The Wisconsin GOP heads into its state convention on May 17 with a plan that depends on rebuilding from the ground up after former House Speaker Paul Ryan retired and Gov. Scott Walker was voted out of office. After the November 2018 elections it was a combination of shock and a certain level of depression, said Sen. Ron Johnson, the only Republican left in statewide office. Johnson led a post-mortem study of the midterm losses that determined more work needed to be done at the local level to recruit and train both volunteers and candidates. Johnson will discuss the report at the convention, which has taken the theme A New Day. A New Party and will emphasize training and workshops over the usual political speeches. Johnson said that work will create a grassroots juggernaut to reelect Trump. Wisconsin is among a handful of battleground states that could determine the 2020 election. Trump was the first Republican since Ronald Reagan in 1984 to carry Wisconsin, but he did so by less than 1 percentage point. Reagan was also the last Republican to win the state twice in a row. Barack Obama won big both times he ran for president, but previous Democratic candidates won by less than half a point in 2000 and 2004. We can win in this state; weve done it, said Republican Party activist Brian Westrate, an insurance agent from Fall Creek in western Wisconsin. One bad election cycle doesnt mean our conservative philosophy and ideology is dead. We just, perhaps, got too far away from all being in the same boat rowing in the same direction. Mark Graul, a Republican strategist who ran George W. Bushs Wisconsin campaign in 2004, said he thinks Republicans are entering 2020 ready for an incredibly tight, tough race with uncertainty about how it will play out. The sense is nobodys quite sure whats going to happen next year, Graul said. To win in 2020, more work needs to be done to organize at the local level, said state party executive director Mark Jefferson. That covers things as rudimentary as making sure yard signs are widely available and distributed and as advanced as using data analytics to target likely voters and get people on the ground to knock on their doors, Jefferson said. Was enough of that stuff done last time around? Maybe, maybe not, Jefferson said. By Scott Bauer People shop at an Apple retail store in Grand Central Terminal in New York on Jan. 3, 2019. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Supreme Court Allows Class-action Against Apple Over iPhone Apps to Proceed WASHINGTONThe Supreme Court ruled against Apple Inc. on May 13, green-lighting a class-action lawsuit against the company that litigants accuse of illegally monopolizing the market for iPhone software applications and forcing consumers to overpay. The justices ruled that consumers were entitled to their day in court but didnt express an opinion on the merits of the antitrust lawsuit itself. The ruling already is sending send shock waves through Silicon Valley and the world of electronic commerce. On the day of the decision, shares in the Cupertino, California-based tech giant fell almost 6 percent by the close of the market to $185.72, sliding $11.46. In oral arguments on Nov. 26, 2018, the company and the Trump administration took the position that iPhone owners lacked legal standing to sue under federal antitrust laws, on the theory that they are purchasing apps directly from developers, with Apple acting merely as the developers agent. In Apples unique marketplace, the App Store, iPhone users are only allowed to purchase approved apps that use the companys operating system known as iOS. Users cannot purchase apps elsewhere. Apple charges a 30-percent commission to developers. The companys App Store brought Apple about $11 billion in commissions in 2017 and developers a reported $26 billion. No other e-commerce distributor does what it does, lawyer David C. Frederick told the court on behalf of lead plaintiff Robert Pepper of Chicago and other consumers during oral arguments. In every other instance there is an alternative to buying the product. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion in Apple Inc. v. Pepper, which was joined by liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, and Elena Kagan. Apples theory would provide a roadmap for monopolistic retailers to structure transactions with manufacturers or suppliers so as to evade antitrust claims by consumers and thereby thwart effective antitrust enforcement, Kavanaugh wrote. Justice Neil Gorsuch filed a dissent in which Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito joined. The decision is not how antitrust law is supposed to work because it goes against a previous ruling of the court known as Illinois Brick Co. v Illinois (1977), Gorsuch wrote. In the Illinois Brick case, the Supreme Court set limits on damages for anti-competitive behavior to those who were directly overcharged, as opposed to those who paid overcharges that were passed on to them. But Kavanaugh wrote that the courts ruling didnt conflict with Illinois Brick, reasoning that the claim against Apple was that of a monopolistic retailer [which has] used its monopoly to overcharge consumers. The 42-year-old precedent was not a get-out-of-court-free card for monopolistic retailers, he wrote, alluding to the board game Monopoly. The fact that app buyers were direct purchasers doesnt bar the action from proceeding, he wrote, affirming a decision rendered by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen in a police van, after he was arrested by British police, in London on April 11, 2019. (Henry Nicholls/Reuters) Sweden Reopens Assange Rape Investigation, to Seek Extradition STOCKHOLMSweden reopened an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday and said it would seek his extradition from Britain. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue and conclude a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought because Assange had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange was arrested in Britain last month after spending seven years hiding inside the embassy. The United States is also seeking his extradition on charges relating to the public release by Wikileaks of a huge cache of secret documents. The Swedish prosecutor said it would request Assange be detained in his absence on probable cause for an allegation of rape and that it would issue a European arrest warrantthe process under which his extradition would be sought. The 47-year-old Australian is currently in prison in London after being sentenced to 50 weeks behind bars last month for jumping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy. The decision to reopen the investigation poses the question of whether Assange will be moved to the United States to face conspiracy charges for hacking into classified information or to Sweden. I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US, Persson said. A British judge has given the U.S. government a deadline of June 12 to outline its case against Assange. The statute of limitation for rape in Sweden is 10 yearsa deadline which would be reached in mid-August next year for the alleged incident involving Assange, leaving prosecutors pressed for time to file any formal charge. Clear Name Responding to the reopening of the Swedish investigation, WikiLeaks said it would give Assange a chance to clear his name. Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case, Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, said in a statement. Its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name. If convicted in Sweden, Assange could face a prison sentence of up to four years. Per Samuelson, a Swedish lawyer for Assange, told public service broadcaster the decision to reopen the case was embarrassing for Sweden. The British courts will have to rule on any extradition request and Home Secretary Sajid Javid would decide which one takes precedence once Swedish prosecutors file theirs. Nick Vamos, lawyer at London-based firm Peters & Peters and former head of extradition at Britains Crown Prosecution Service, told Reuters before Mondays decision that he expected a Swedish request would take supremacy. In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority, a Swedish prosecutors statement said. Assanges supporters cast him as a dissident facing the wrath of a superpower over one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history. WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables that laid bare often critical U.S. appraisals of world leaders, from Russian President Vladimir Putin to members of the Saudi royal family. It also published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. By Niklas Pollard and Simon Johnson An Emirati coast guard vessel passes an oil tanker off the coast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates,on May 13, 2019. (Jon Gambrell/AP Photo) Saudi Arabia Says Its Oil Tankers Among Those Hit Off UAE Coast FUJAIRAH, United Arab EmiratesTwo Saudi oil tankers and a Norwegian-flagged vessel were damaged in what Gulf officials described on May 13 as a sabotage attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. While details of the incident remain unclear, it raised risks for shippers in a region vital to global energy supplies at a time of increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers. The U.S. issued a new warning to sailors as the UAEs regional allies condemned Sundays alleged attack that the UAE says targeted four ships off the coast of its port city of Fujairah. It came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the port. While Gulf officials declined to say who they suspect may be responsible, the U.S. has warned ships that Iran or its proxies could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged, still-unspecified threats from Tehran. The scale of the alleged sabotage also remains unclear. A statement from Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdoms two oil tankers, including one due to later carry crude to the U.S., sustained significant damage. However, a report from Sky News Arabia, a satellite channel owned by an Abu Dhabi ruling family member, showed the allegedly targeted Saudi tanker Al Marzoqah afloat without any apparent damage. The MT Andrea Victory, another of the allegedly targeted ships, sustained a hole in its hull just above its waterline from an unknown object, its owner Thome Ship Management said in a statement. Images Monday of the Andrea Victory, which the company said was not in any danger of sinking, showed damage similar to what the firm described. Emirati officials identified the third ship as the Saudi-flagged oil tanker Amjad. Ship-tracking data showed the vessel still anchored off Fujairah, apparently not in immediate distress. The fourth ship was the A. Michel, a bunkering tanker flagged in Sharjah, one of the UAEs seven emirates. A U.S. official told The Associated Press that American naval investigators were assisting the Emiratis with their probe of the incident. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the assistance publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The U.S. Navys 5th Fleet, which patrols the Persian Gulf and wider region from its base in Bahrain, declined to comment on the incident. The Navy runs a small supply operation out of the nearby Emirati naval base in Fujairah. UPDATED: Tankers reported damaged off UAE on major oil trade route https://t.co/98Bd7RPbIK CTV News (@CTVNews) May 13, 2019 Authorities in Fujairah, also a UAE emirate, also declined to speak to the AP. Emirati officials stopped AP journalists from traveling by boat to see the ships. However, the incident raises questions about maritime security in the UAE, home to Dubais Jebel Ali port, the largest man-made deep-water harbor in the world that is also the U.S. Navys busiest port of call outside of America. From the coast, AP journalists saw an Emirati coast guard vessel patrolling near the area of one of the Saudi ships in Fujairah, some 130 miles (210 kilometers) northeast of Dubai on the Gulf of Oman. Fujairah also is about 140 kilometers (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. The alleged sabotage caused jitters in global oil markets, as benchmark Brent crude rose in trading to over $71.50 a barrel Monday, a change of 1.3%. Al-Falih, the Saudi energy minister, said the attacks on the two Saudi tankers happened at 6 a.m. Sunday. He said the attack didnt lead to any casualties or oil spill, though he acknowledge it affected the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world. It is the joint responsibility of the international community to protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets, and the danger they pose to the global economy, he said, according to the statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The U.S. Energy Department later said it was monitoring the oil markets, and is confident they remain well-supplied. Shortly after the Saudi announcement, Irans Foreign Ministry called for further clarification about what exactly happened with the vessels. The ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying there should be more information about the incident. Mousavi also warned against any conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers and adventurism by foreigners to undermine the maritime regions stability and security. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are staunch opponents of Irans government. Tensions have risen since President Donald Trump withdrew America from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, and restored U.S. sanctions that have pushed Irans economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. European Union officials met Monday in Brussels to thrash out ways to keep the Iran nuclear deal afloat. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had traveled there for talks. Were not going to miscalculate. Our aim is not war, Pompeo told CNBC in an interview. Our aim is a change in the behavior of the Iranian leadership. Underling the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the incident as a serious escalation. Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger, Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemens internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage, as did the Arab League. Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger. https://t.co/4DXAlsQI5Y DW Business (@dw_business) May 13, 2019 The U.S. Maritime Administration, a division of the U.S. Transportation Department, warned Thursday that Iran and/or its regional proxies could target commercial sea traffic. The agency issued a new warning Sunday to sailors about the alleged sabotage and urged shippers to exercise caution in the area for the next week. It remains unclear if the previous warning from the U.S. Maritime Administration is the same perceived threat that prompted the White House on May 4 to order the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and the B-52 bombers to the region. In a statement then, national security adviser John Bolton had warned Iran that that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force. By Jon Gambrell House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) (C) presides over a mark-up hearing where members may vote to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for not providing an unredacted copy of special prosecutor Robert Mueller's report in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington May 08, 2019. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) The Propaganda Tactics Being Used Against Barr News Analysis An illusion is currently being propped up, by politicians and the media, in the case against Attorney General William Barr. If youve only been following the legacy news outlets, you likely see Barr as a villain, compromised by President Donald Trump and attempting to withhold evidence of collusion in special counsel Robert Muellers report. Yet, if youve been reading the information yourself, youve likely seen that Barr declassified the Mueller report and withheld only the parts related to grand jury investigationsinformation he cannot make public without breaking the law. Now, Democrats in Congress are holding Barr in contempt for not breaking the law, and all the talking heads are repeating the same slogan of treason, obstruction, collusion! The propaganda tactic the Democrats and legacy news outlets are using comes straight from the propaganda playbook of Adolf Hitler, who wrote in Mein Kampf: The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly and with unflagging attention. It must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over. Strategic Slogans The effect of these repeated slogans is that Barr is discredited in the minds of those who follow these political figures, news outlets, and talking headswhich ironically were just exposed by Barr and the Mueller report for lying to these same people for close to two years about the now disproven TrumpRussia scandal. Again, the Democrats are using a tactic from Hitler. Mein Kampf states that when there is a change around the points being repeated in the propaganda campaign, it must not alter the content of what the propaganda is driving at, but in the end must always say the same thing. For instance, a slogan must be presented from different angles, but the end of all remarks must always and immutably be the slogan itself, he wrote. This is exactly the tactic theyre using. Democrats and the legacy news outlets have repeated that Trump colluded with Russia and that Trump attempted to obstruct the special counsel investigation. When the Mueller report concluded that Trump neither colluded with Russia nor obstructed the investigation, these same figures continued pushing the same false narrativesand did so by expanding the narratives to include Barr when he exposed their falsehoods. In other words, they continued using the same slogan (treason, obstruction, collusion!), regardless of evidence. Staying true to Hitlers playbook, the Democrats and legacy news outlets merely presented the slogans from different angles by using them to discredit Barr. Meanwhile, by discrediting Barr, theyve also discredited his conclusions on the Mueller report in the minds of their followersthereby protecting themselves from the fallout to their lies. Their tactic of discrediting Barr in the public consciousness will also act as an ideological smokescreen going forward. If Barr brings charges against possible crimes committed to create the fake TrumpRussia scandalor the Spygate scandal, in which the Obama administration used the manufactured rumors to spy on the Trump teamthe propaganda tactic now being used against Barr will make it appear hes doing so with partisan intent. The Art of Deception The purpose of psychological warfare is to alter the way a person interprets information. To accomplish this, the information doesnt necessarily need to be alteredjust the conclusion that people arrive at. This is mainly accomplished through the subversion of a targets cycle of meaning. The symbology theory on how people interpret reality, and how groups can manipulate it, is explained in depth in the book Blood Sacrifices: Violent Non-State Actors and Dark Magico-Religious Activities by the Terrorism Research Center. It states, We, as a species, do not perceive objective reality but, rather, a series of limited, mediated, and interlinked symbolic schemas that we, as individuals, assume to be reality.' According to the cycle of meaning, when a person sees an image, the image invokes meaning according to what the person has learned about the image, or the image invokes emotions according to the persons past experiences. The theory holds that the collective of these experiences constitutes a persons worldview. Propagandists look to manipulate this process, using conditioning tactics similar to Ivan Pavlovs experiments on dogs, in which dogs were conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell. By associating food with the sound of a bell, the scientist conditioned the dogs to associate the excitement of eating with the sound of a bell. From the standpoint of propaganda, this subverted the dogs cycle of meaning to associate that feeling with the symbol of a bell. This is also how agitation propaganda works. The propagandist intentionally agitates the emotions of a target, then tells the target to associate the emotion with a political issue. The political issue then becomes a symbol that triggers the intended emotional response. Using this same tactic, Democrats and legacy news outlets have taught their followers to interpret Barr as a symbol of the same emotions they agitated when framing the false TrumpRussia scandal. Rather than admit their lie, they perpetuated it by expanding the slogans they used in this campaign to include Barr. Thus, through these methods, the propagandists have turned Barr into a symbol of obstruction. The result is that, in the eyes of their followers, anything Barr now does will be interpreted as obstruction. This tactic has allowed the Democrats and legacy news outlets to avoid the fallout of lying about the TrumpRussia scandal, and to continue their deception. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks inside Trump Tower about the Green New Deal, serving notice to U.S. President Donald Trump demanding more energy-efficient buildings, including Trump Tower, on May 13, 2019 in New York. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images) Trump Supporters Upstage NYC Mayors Green New Deal Press Conference Supporters of President Donald Trump on May 13 upstaged a Green New Deal press conference featuring progressive New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. De Blasio, who had previously vowed to outlaw glass-and-steel skyscrapers, scheduled the conference at the Trump Tower, a glass-and-steel tower in New York Citys Midtown. Television footage of the event shows Trump fans upstaging the speakers by riding on the escalators behind the podium and holding signs with messages like Failed Mayor, Worst Mayor Ever and Trump 2020. The Green New Deal is a socialist policy calling for the United States to stop using fossil fuels in 12 years. Trump has frequently lambasted the policy. According to one cost estimate, the Green New Deal could cost American taxpayers up to $93 trillion over the course of the Soviet-style 10-year mobilization called for in the proposal. As supporters of the Green New Deal chanted our planet. not your profit, de Blasio called the policy bold and necessary. President Trump, youre on notice. Your polluting buildings are part of the problem, the mayor said, according to NBC. De Blasio, who is rumored to soon announce he is running for president in 2020, used the press conference to promote a new local law, which requires owners of large buildings to cut emissions that some scientists say contributed to climate change. The law goes into effect on May 17. Our message is loud and clear, de Blasio said in a statement. Were tackling climate change head-on with NYCs Green New Deal and are the first city in the world to require all big buildings to cut their emissions, with the goal of a carbon neutral city by 2050. President Trump, youre on notice. Your polluting buildings are part of the problem. Cut your emissions or pay the price. With the exception of Joe Biden, every leading Democratic 2020 contender backs the Green New Deal. Communist Party USA and the Democratic Socialists of America also support the policy. The speakers at Trump Tower blared loud music as de Blasio spoke. The lobby of the building is considered a public space during a portion of each day. Its so nice of them to serenade us at Trump Tower. Clearly, they are uncomfortable with the truth, de Blasio said. 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. The Green New Deal is not de Blasios only socialist idea. In January, he announced a health care plan to cover an estimated 600,000 residents, including illegal aliens. The mayor touted the program as a step toward universal health care, a socialist policy, which would virtually eliminate the private health insurance industry. In his 2019 State of the City speech, he called for a Marxist-style 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. Trump has singled out de Blasio for criticism on multiple occasions before becoming president and once referred to him as the worst mayor in history. [De Blasio] should focus on running #NYC & all of the problems that he has caused with his ineptitude, & not be so focused on me! Trump wrote on Twitter in November 2015. The Apple logo company outside an Apple store in Paris on April 10, 2019. (Christian Hartmann/Reuters) Supreme Court Lets App Store Antitrust Suit Proceed Against Apple WASHINGTONThe U.S. Supreme Court on May 13 gave the go-ahead for a lawsuit by consumers accusing Apple Inc of monopolizing the market for iPhone software applications and forcing them to overpay, rejecting the companys bid to escape claims that its practices violate federal antitrust law. Apple shares were down about 5 percent after the justices, in a 5-4 ruling, upheld a lower courts decision to allow the proposed class action lawsuit to proceed. The plaintiffs could seek billions of dollars in damages if they win on their claims that Apple required apps to be sold through its App Store and extracted an excessive 30 percent commission on purchases. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, an appointee of President Donald Trump, joined the courts four liberal justices to rule against the Cupertino, California-based technology company and wrote the decision. Apple shares were trading down $10 at 187.04 by midday. Breaking: Supreme Court rules consumers can proceed with an antitrust lawsuit challenging Apples exclusive control over the marketplace for iPhone apps https://t.co/mBbeSZ3JX4 The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) May 13, 2019 The company argued that it was only acting as an agent for app developers, who set their own prices and pay Apples commission. Apple had argued that a Supreme Court ruling allowing the case to proceed could pose a threat to e-commerce, a rapidly expanding segment of the U.S. economy worth hundreds of billions of dollars in annual sales. The dispute hinged in part on how the justices would apply a decision the court made in 1977 to the claims against Apple. In that case, the court limited damages for anti-competitive conduct to those directly overcharged rather than indirect victims who paid an overcharge passed on by others. Explaining the ruling from the bench, Kavanaugh said the 1977 precedent was not a get-out-of-court-free card for monopolistic retailers, an apparent allusion to the popular board game Monopoly. App Store antitrust suit gets green light to proceed against Apple https://t.co/aqRGE2N075 Business Day (@BDliveSA) May 13, 2019 Noting that they pay Applenot an app developerwhenever buying an app from the App Store, the iPhone users who brought the case said they were direct victims of the overcharges. Apple said the consumers were indirect purchasers, at best, because any overcharge would be passed on to them by developers. The court on Monday agreed with the consumers. Apples theory would provide a roadmap for monopolistic retailers to structure transactions with manufacturers or suppliers so as to evade antitrust claims by consumers and thereby thwart effective antitrust enforcement, Kavanaugh wrote. Dissenting from the decision, conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, said the decision is not how antitrust law is supposed to work because it gives a green light to the exact type of case that the court had previously prohibited. Gorsuch also was appointed by Trump. Straightforward Principle Mark Rifkin, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said he was gratified by the courts decision, which reaffirmed the straightforward principle that consumers who purchase a monopolized product directly from the alleged monopolist may sue the monopolist to recover the full amount of the overcharge they are forced to pay by reason of the monopoly. Rifkin said the alleged overcharges paid by consumers will be measured in the billions of dollars. A spokeswoman for Apple could not immediately be reached for comment. The plaintiffs, including lead plaintiff Robert Pepper of Chicago, filed the suit in a California federal court in 2011, claiming Apples monopoly leads to inflated prices compared to if apps were available from other sources. They were supported by 30 state attorneys general, including from Texas, California and New York. Apple, backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce business group, had sought to dismiss the case, arguing that the plaintiffs lacked the required legal standing to bring the lawsuit. After a federal judge in Oakland, California threw out the suit, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals revived it in 2017, finding that Apple was a distributor that sold iPhone apps directly to consumers. By Andrew Chung The Uber application is seen on a mobile phone in London, Britain, on Sept. 14, 2018. (Hannah McKay/Reuters) Uber, Lyft Losses Keep Competitors at Bay SAN FRANCISCOA fare war between Uber and Lyft has led to billions of dollars in losses for both ride-hailing companies as they fight for passengers and drivers. But in one way it has been good for investors who snatched up the newly public companies stock: The losses have scared off the competition, giving the leaders a duopoly in almost every American city. The two San Francisco companies have already lost a combined $13 billion. And with no clear road to profits ahead, no one else has much of an incentive to mount a challenge using the same model relying on people driving their own cars to pick up passengers that summon them on a smartphone app, said Susan Shaheen, co-director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Even if another rival dared enter the market, it would likely be difficult to raise enough money to pose a viable threat after Uber and Lyft spent the past decade pulling in billions of dollars from venture capitalists. And in the past six weeks, they raised an additional $10.4 billion in their recently completed initial public offerings of stock. Theres only a duopoly because both companies have enough capital to compete with each other and no one else does, said Gartner analyst Michael Ramsey. Its likely to remain that way until any of dozens of companies trying to create self-driving cars refines their technology so they can launch a network of robotic taxis that removes human drivers from the equation. That breakthrough could enable them to slash their fares below the prices currently being charged by Uber and Lyft. Google spin-off Waymo has made no secret of its intention to muscle its way into the ride-hailing market with a fleet of self-driving cars built on technology that it has been working on for the past decade. Waymo launched a ride-hailing service with robotic vans in the Phoenix area five months ago, but only 1,000 people are currently allowed to use it. Besides being on the leading edge of bringing robotic vehicles to market, Waymo also is backed by more money than Uber and Lyft have combined. Waymo is owned by Googles parent company, Alphabet Inc., which is sitting on $113 billion in cash. In its IPO document, Uber listed Waymo as a potential threat along with Tesla, General Motors Cruise Automation and Apple. Lyft also cited Waymo and Apple among the companies that could undercut its position as the second largest ride-hailing service. But most experts believe it will still be many more years before self-driving car technology reaches the point that it can support a large fleet of robotaxis. Until then, the U.S. duopoly is likely to continue, giving Uber and Lyft the luxury of focusing on growth rather than turning a profit, analysts said. That means ride-hailing fares in the U.S. are likely to remain below the actual cost of providing the service, a boon for consumers. These subsidies will continue as long as each company believes they will be gaining new customers by having a lower price, says Alejandro Ortiz, principal analyst at SharesPost. The story now is growth, but growth is expensive. Eventually, though, investor pressure will mount on the companies to make money, and doing that almost certainly will require higher prices for their rides. On the floor of the New York Stock Exchange May 10, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi hinted that it will be three to five years before the company pivots to a focus on profit. That timetable hasnt been well received on Wall Street so far. Lyfts stock has fallen 29% below its IPO price of six weeks ago, and Uber flopped in its stock market debut May 10 as its shares slipped by almost 8% percent. Markets with only one or two dominant players often create situations for companies to abuse their power or attempt to stifle competition. Regulators and legislators around the world argue thats already happened in many corners of technology, with Facebook having a seemingly impenetrable stronghold in social networking, Google dominating search and Amazon controlling a wide swath of online shopping. That has stirred calls to break up some of the companies, especially Facebook, whose own co-founder, Chris Hughes, recently argued his former company has become too powerful for societys good. For now, Uber and Lyft have been drawing upon all the money that they have raised from investors to keep prices relatively low, creating a barrier for smaller-scale competitors without the capital to sustain massive losses. Take Austin, Texas, for instance. In 2016, Uber and Lyft pulled out of the city after voters approved regulations on ride-hailing companies, including fingerprint background checks for drivers. Four competitors stepped in to give rides in tech-savvy Austin, including two local companies. But the following year, Texas legislators passed a looser state law that superseded Austins, and Uber and Lyft came back. Shortly after their return, three of the competitors, Boston-based Fasten, locally owned GetMe, and Phoenix-based Fare stopped operations, and the remaining one, nonprofit RideAustin, lost thousands of its riders. It was a matter of a couple months and those three companies were gone, said Chris Simek, an associate research scientist with the Texas A&M University Transportation Institute, who co-authored a study of Uber and Lyfts impact on ride-hailing in Austin. Uber hasnt been as successful thwarting competition outside the U.S. It has waved a white flag during the past three years in Russia, China and parts of Southeast Asia by selling its services in those parts of the world to stronger rivals. Lyft has not expanded outside North America yet, so it faces few other competitors besides Uber in the U.S. Via has managed to carve out a niche by running a pooled ride system in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, and it contracts to provide transit in about 70 cities worldwide. It competes most directly in New York, where Uber and Lyft also offer pooled services that transport multiple riders. Via specializes in carrying up to six passengers at a time, largely in vans, and is growing because it can do a more efficient job carrying more people, said spokeswoman Gabrielle McCaig. Still, the company is losing money as it invests in growing the business, she said. And so it remains, at least for now, that Uber and Lyft will occupy the ride-hailing industrys drivers seat. It is hard to see a third or fourth player coming in at this point, said D.A. Davidson analyst Tom White. I think we are looking at a duopoly in North America. By Tom Krisher & Michael Liedtke Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) at the House hearing on Smart Competition: Adapting U.S. Strategy Toward China at 40 Years on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 8, 2019. (Jennifer Zeng/The Epoch Times) US Rep. Scott Perry Calls for Punishing China for Malign Activities WASHINGTONAfter a House hearing on U.S.China relations on May 8, Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) said that not only are tariffs on Chinese goods necessary, but sanctions and punishments are long overdue. Speaking after the hearing Smart Competition: Adapting U.S. Strategy Toward China at 40 Years, Perry said he hopes to work with other House members on bipartisan legislation regarding relations with China. He said that although many ordinary Chinese people are capitalistic and embrace many Western values, the United States isnt dealing with those people on decision-making levels; what the United States is dealing with is the oppressive Chinese communist regime. So it starts out with how we characterize them, he said. Perry said sanctions and punishmentsand not tariffsare whats needed with regard to what the Chinese communist regime has been doing, such as undermining U.S. sanctions over North Korea, stealing U.S. technology, and other actions. It is time now to sanction China, which is to punish. Not just tariffs, but to punish. To punish for their malign activities, he said. Its long overdue. I understand that China has been given a long leash over many, many years now, to do the things that theyve done. And this president has worked diligently on a reasonable time frame to say, Hey, theres a new sheriff in town. Were no longer going to put up with this abuse of sending fentanyl into our country, stealing our property, taking our jobs. Perry said the United States must show China that we are serious about that. First of all, we should have reciprocity on visas from China. We should have the same freedom of movement in China that Chinese visa recipients have in the United States of America. Thats an easy number one, he said. Number two, China can no longer be allowed to wash their dirty money from illicit activities in American banks and the American financial system. The first thing begins with penalties. The second phase would be a lack of access to financial markets in the United States. The American people and the American taxpayer shouldnt be supporting malign Chinese activities. Perry said the United States shouldnt tolerate human rights violations in China, either. Once again, America has to be that beacon on the hill of freedom, he said. You give them a reasonable amount of time to be good neighbors and a good host to the people in their country. But when they fail to comply, and have no interest in compliance, you have to seek other methods. Perry said that based on what was said during the hearing, representatives from the Democratic Party are also interested in imposing sanctions on China. Ive seen very affirmatively that there are friends on the other side that are interested in the same things that our side is interested in. I think theres an opportunity here, in a time of little bipartisanship, to work on something collaboratively, and send that to the president. So Im encouraged by that. Now, Im going to have a conversation with some of these members today, he said. Perry said that the trade talk with China was very tough, but signals must be sent. I am not a fan of tariffs. China has to understand that America is going to assert its economic independence in this regard. We are not to be taken advantage of. President Donald Trump has given China enough time to transition to a new way of doing things, Perry said. Lets be clear. No president other than this one has attempted this in the past. If youre China, you say, well, theyre not serious about it. Theyve never done it before. And they really dont like the tariffs. Theyre hard on their business. And China is going to try to wait us out. So, I think theyre making a mistake. Perry said he hopes that the president will ensure, by increasing the pressure, that the Chinese know that theyre making a mistake. And the United States must be prepared to implement punishments and enforcement, he added. Vice President Mike Pence delivers remarks at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in Washington on July 6, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) VP Pence to College Graduates: The Freedom of Religion Is Under Assault Vice President Mike Pence told graduating students that the freedom of religion is under assault during a commencement speech he delivered at Liberty University on May 11, reminding them to hold on to their religious beliefs and to be prepared to face opposition for their faith as they enter a new chapter in their lives. Some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs, Pence said in his speech. So as you go about your daily life, just be ready. Because youre going to be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith; youre going to be asked to endorse them. Youre going to be asked to bow down to the idols of the popular culture. To the @LibertyU graduates: As you leave this place, go forth for Liberty. We will all be cheering you every step of the way. And never forget: Where the spirit of the Lord is, theres Liberty. pic.twitter.com/GHr0lCunTV Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) May 11, 2019 The vice president, who is an evangelical Christian, took the opportunity to highlight how the media, Hollywood, and the secular left have used their mediums to attack people of faith and those who want to express their traditional views. The truth is, we live in a time when the freedom of religion is under assault, Pence said. [I]ts become acceptable and even fashionable to ridicule and even discriminate against people of faith, he added later in his speech. He gave the example of how a group of Hollywood liberal stars threatened to boycott the state of Georgia they successfully pass the heartbeat bill, which outlaws abortions after a doctor can detect a heartbeat in an unborn baby. The bill was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on May 7. Earlier in the speech, Pence reiterated that the Trump administration stand[s] without apology for the sanctity of human life. Our Administration has been upholding the Constitution & defending all the God-given liberties enshrined there by appointing strong conservatives to our courts at every level. We are standing strong for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the unalienable right to life! pic.twitter.com/9rOdEkhE63 Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) May 11, 2019 Moreover, he recounted the harsh attacks his wife, Karen, faced when she was teaching art at a private elementary Christian school. He said the second lady was scrutinized in the media for teaching at the school that bans LGBT employees, gay students, and the children of gay parents, according to USA Today. He said a reporter started a new hashtag called Expose Christian Schools and invited students to share horror stories being educated in a Christian school. The freedom of religion is enshrined in our First Amendment and in the hearts of every American. And these attacks on Christian education are un-American, the vice president said. .@SecondLady & I are thrilled to be in Lynchburg, VA! This morning Ill deliver the commencement at @LibertyU. They say timing is everything & Class of 2019, picked a great time to graduate. Under @POTUS leadership, confidence is back, jobs are coming back & America is back! pic.twitter.com/M4IuiAS7VB Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) May 11, 2019 The American people cherish our tradition of religious education, and as President Trump said at this very podium two years ago, on our watch, No one is ever going to stop you from practicing your faith or from preaching what is in your heart,' he added. Pence also called for attacks against places of worship to stop, while bringing up the recent attacks against synagogues in Pennsylvania and California, a mosque in New Zealand, Christian churches in Sri Lanka, and three historically black churches in Louisiana. No one should ever fear for their safety in a place of worship, and these attacks on people of faith must stop, he said. Moreover, he reminded the graduates that the United States was a nation built on faith, adding that the Trump administration will continue to protect religious liberty. And as our first Vice President, John Adams, said, Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. So just know, as you strengthen your foundation of faith and the foundation of faith among the American people, you will be strengthening the foundation of America itself, Pence said. I promise you: We will always stand up for the right of Americans to live, to learn, and to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience, he also said. May 12 A 46-year-old Pogany Street woman was charged with disorderly conduct. She was given a court date of May 13. A 25-year-old Lexington Avenue man was charged with first-degree criminal trespass and violation of a protective order. He was held on $20,000 bond and given a court date of May 23. A 56-year-old Pogany Street man was charged with disorderly conduct. He was given a court date of May 13. May 11 A 34-year-old woman was charged with sixth-degree larceny. She was given a court date of May 24. A 20-year-old Delaware Avenue woman was charged with second-degree breach of peace and third-degree assault. She was given a court date of May 13. A 47-year-old Merritt Street man was charged with simple trespass, interfering with an officer and possession of controlled substance. He was held on $15,000 bond and given a court date of May 24. A 32-year-old Bethel man was charged with second-degree failure to appear, driving under suspension, driving under the influence and improper parking. He was held on $1,000 bond and given a court dates of May 21 and 22. A 34-year-old Pennsylvania woman was charged with sixth-degree larceny. She was given a court date of May 24. A 36-year-old Stamford woman was charged with sixth-degree larceny and risk of injury to a child. She was held on $125 bond and given a court date of May 24. A 35-year-old Kellogg Street man was charged with second-degree failure to appear, disorderly conduct and interfering with an officer. He was held on $6,000 bond and given a court date of May 23. A 37-year-old Bridgeport man was charged with second-degree failure to appear. He was held on $100 bond and given a court date May 24. A 24-year-old Union Street man was charged with first-degree failure to appear, failure to respond to an infraction, two counts of second-degree failure to appear, possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana and first-degree criminal trespass. He was held on $36,250 bond and given a court date of May 23. May 10 A 45-year-old Waterbury man was charged with second-degree breach of peace, second-degree criminal trespass and fourth-degree sexual assault. He was held on $5,000 bond and given a court date of May 20. A 56-year-old Fox Run Road woman was charged with evading responsibility, driving under the influence and failure to drive in the proper lane. She was held on $250 bond and given a court date of May 22. A 25-year-old Lexington Avenue man was charged with disorderly conduct. He was given a court date of May 17. A 23-year-old Silent Grove Court woman was charged with driving under the influence failure to drive in the proper lane. She was held on $1,000 bond and given a court date of May 24. A 20-year-old Merritt Street man was charged with two counts of first-degree failure to appear. He was held on $60,000 bond and given a court date of May 24. A 33-year-old Vail Street man was charged with three counts of violation of probation. He was held on $65,000 bond and given a court date of May 22. A 33-year-old School Street man was charged with driving under suspension and disobeying traffic signals. He was given a court date of May 23. A 28-year-old Summit Street man was charged with driving under the influence, driving without minimum insurance, failure to drive right and failure to drive in the proper lane. He was held on $500 bond and given a court date of May 22. The roll of the dead in Connecticut as a result of the exploding opioid epidemic tells a lot about the victims and how they died, with no names attached. The list of 3,701 deaths between 2015 and 2018 reveals some facts that cant be seen any other way. Because many people die of opioid overdose in a hospital or where they ingested the drug, Hearst Connecticut Media looked at the individual deaths according to where the deceased lived. Of 169 towns and cities in Connecticut, only 10 did not record an opioid-related death in the four years: Colebrook, Morris and Roxbury in Litchfield County; Sherman in Fairfield County; Hartland in Hartford County; Bozrah and Lyme in New London County; Pomfret and Scotland in Windham County; and Union, the smallest town in the state with 839 residents, in Tolland County. Only Sherman and Pomfret in that group have more than 3,000 residents. The ages of those who died ranged from a 15-year-old who died in 2016, which news reports have identified as Olivia Elizabeth Roark of Griswold, to an 84-year-old Hartford man, who died in 2018. The average age was just under 42 years, 3 months, and those who died in Connecticut came from at least 25 other states, from Alabama to California, and from Oklahoma to South Dakota. Litchfield County, with 229 deaths over four years, had the highest average number, 3.14 per 10,000 residents, followed by New London, 324, 3.01; Hartford, 1,002, 2.80; New Haven, 924, 2.68; Windham, 133, 2.86; Middlesex, 156, 2.39; Tolland, 116, 1.91; and Fairfield, 576, 1.52. The average for the state was 2.56 per 10,000 residents. White males make up the largest group by far, with 2,120 over four years, followed by 756 white females, 367 Hispanic males, 245 black males, 79 black females, 70 Hispanic females, 17 Asian, Hawaiian or other males, 10 Asian Indian males, eight Asian or other females, three Asian Indian females, 19 males of unknown race or with no race recorded, seven females of unknown race or no race recorded. Towns with less than 10,000 population understandably had few deaths, with only Lebanon, with 11, and Portland, 15, having more than nine. Sharon and North Canaan rank eighth and ninth in terms of the average number of opioid overdoses per 10,000 residents over four years. Chaplin follows at No. 12. Data on opioid deaths in Connecticut 2015-18 edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382 NORWALK Proposed zoning changes to areas inside the Wall Street-West Avenue Redevelopment Plan will be up for a public hearing on Wednesday. The proposed amendments call for designated much of the area as a Central Business District instead of dividing areas into residential, commercial and industrial. One of the goals of the rezoning is to simplify some of the regulations that varied between the current zones, Director of Planning and Zoning Steve Kleppin said at the initial presentation of the proposed changes in February. I like to make the structure a little simpler, he said. The Central Business District zoning would cover the West Avenue corridor, Wall Street and portions of U.S. 1 and Main Street. The district seeks to provide a balance of uses and amenities that foster a vital economic, livable, innovative and cultural area and enhance its urban, aesthetic qualities. The zone would include a variety of uses, such as boutique manufacturing, brewpubs, child care center, community centers, microunits, offices and restaurants. Other uses could be allowed through a special permit, including an artist live/work space. The microunits, which are small studio apartments, aimed at younger residents looking for their first place, have been the most controversial aspect of the regulations. Kleppin and other officials have defended the units, stating there will be a limit of 150 throughout the zone and would only allow them if they were a part of the rehabilitation, preservation or addition to an existing structure on a historic inventory. The waterfront along the west side of the Norwalk River would be a Central Business District-Water zone that aims to maintain the Norwalk River and Upper Harbor as a focal point and maintain water dependent uses for properties abutting the Norwalk River. The public hearing comes after the regulations were referred out to the Harbor Management Commission and Planning Commission for suggestions. Kleppin told the Zoning Commission last week that the Planning Commission made minor tweaks to some of the regulations, but did not come to a conclusive decision on expanding the map to include more properties. The two that voted against had concerns about the expansion of the bounds in relation to the expansion of the Redevelopment Agency increasing authority in that area, Kleppin said. The hearing will be a part of the Zoning Commissions meeting beginning at 7 p.m. in the Common Council chambers. At that point you can decide, looks good, make these changes, or doesn't look good, let's come back and talk about it, similar to any other hearing, he said. kelly.kultys@hearstmediact.com Area thrill-seekers and those looking to face their fears will have another chance to rappel down one of Grand Islands tallest buildings. Partnering with Over The Edge Global, YWCA Grand Island will host Go Over The Edge with YWCA on Saturday, Aug. 3, for the fundraisers third year. Participants will rappel off of Tower 217, a seven-story building downtown, to raise funds and awareness for the YWCAs cause. Since 2008, Over The Edge Global has helped nonprofits raise more than $45 million and put 25,000 fundraisers safely over the edge. While helping a local organization, edgers will get a unique scenic view of Grand Island and a safe and exciting experience. Amy Bennett, YWCA Grand Island executive director, said this years event will expand on the success they have had the last two years. We will be expanding the street festival, with family-friendly activities such as face-painting and carnival games, she said. Bennett said YWCA Grand Island is excited by the community involvement in the event. We have an amazing committee, led by Community Co-Chairs Barbara Graves and Dan Naranjo. She also noted that there are only spots for 46 people to rappel this year. Individuals must raise $1,000 for their cause in order to secure their rappelling position. Teams can also be entered and creatively fundraise together. To register or learn more about the event, visit give.overtheedge.events/YWCAGrandIsland2019. EDWARDSVILLE An Edwardsville High School group of seven students and two teachers spent their spring break visiting China as part of an international exchange program. In February, 17 students from China visited and attended EHS and stayed in host family homes throughout the school year. Then over spring break, it was the EHS students turn to travel to China, attend high school and stay in the homes of the students who had visited the states as part of the exchange program. This year marked the fourth time EHS teacher Kevin Paur has coordinated the trip through Alpha Partners Education. Every year now weve gone to a different city, he explained. The first year was Chengdu, then Shanghai, and then Xian. This year we went to Wuhan. Wuhan doesnt really have a lot of historical sites and famous things to see, but its kind of deep in the middle of China. We liked it because it was the real deal. Paur, students, and EHS teacher Jeff Gall spent 12 days in total on the trip. Wuhan is about a two-hour flight south of Beijing. That day we went straight to the school. We toured the school, and they had a big welcoming committee party for us where we played ice breakers, Paur said. Gall, who accompanied the EHS students for the first time, noted the enthusiasm of visiting the host school for the first time Wuhan #6 High School. They were genuinely excited to have us there. They played all kinds of activities, he said. Monday they spent the day at the high school. They had classes set up for us. Our kids did calligraphy classes, a class on Chinese poetry, Tai Chi and then we observed some of their classes. We spent the whole day at school. Its a lot different and interesting, Paur added. Over the weekend, the EHS students spent time with their Chinese host families. They did all types of activities on their own. They also got in groups and went shopping. Some did river tours and different sightseeing tours, Paur said. Its such a cultural emergence for the kids to be in the homes, Gall noted. The group also took a road trip to Wudang Mountain, which is a Daoist temple. It was really I think the only time in the trip that we got out in the rural areas, Paur said. We were up in the mountains, and we spent the night in a tiny little hotel up there. Ive been to China seven times, and I told Jeff that night, I think this is the first time Ive seen the stars in China. The next day the group flew back to Beijing where they went to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. They also visited the Temple of Heaven, the Pearl Market and, of course, The Great Wall of China. We also did the tour of the Hutongs, the old kind of residential traditional homes in Beijing, Paur noted. One morning while in Beijing, the group attended a U.S./China summit. It was pretty cool. It was all these high school American and Chinese kids that were gathered at this one school and they were talking about issues that are important to the world, and how China and the U.S. can work together to solve climate issues and stuff. Our students really enjoyed it. The American and Chinese teachers got together and discussed educational challenges that we have, too, said Paur. The trip to China is offered every spring break, under Alpha Partners Education, and is open to any EHS student. We could, through another company, go to other parts of the world, but those are just travel trips where you go and stay in a hotel, go to a famous site, and go back to the hotel. I really like this program because its an exchange, Paur said. To be honest, seeing the famous sites is nowhere near the most interesting part of it. Helen Keller remains a sentimental figure in American history, as the blind, deaf girl captured the imagination of the nation. A similar story unfolded in Jacksonville at the turn of the century. Emma Kubieck became a sort of celebrity for her progress at the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired in Jacksonville during her short life, as she managed to learn a number of words despite being deaf and blind. Nicknamed the Helen Keller of Illinois, Emma and her heart-tugging story attracted nationwide attention, and her sorrowful death at age 11 in 1907 was reported in papers around the country. Born in Glen Carbon on New Years Day 1896, Emma whose name is sometimes spelled Kubicek lost her hearing and sight at age 3 in a severe bout of cerebro-spinal meningitis. Her father and brother had been killed in a railroad accident, and she was under the care of her mother. However, various accounts imply that her family was somehow unaware of her limitations. A state government report from 1902 says that for some unaccountable reason, her parents and friends did not discover that she was deaf. Another source referred to her family as Bohemian. Residents of nearby Edwardsville took an interest in little Emma, and the state Legislature passed a bill to send her to the Illinois Institution for the Education of the Blind now ISVI in Jacksonville in 1901. The renowned superintendent of the school, Frank Haven Hall, is credited with her discovery after he was contacted by an Edwardsville doctor. Emma arrived in Jacksonville on Oct. 6, 1901, and was placed under the care of Helen R. Jordan, a respected kindergarten teacher at the school. Jordan had worked extensively with another deaf-blind girl, Jessie Stewart of Edgar County, for a year, with limited success. Jessie, who had lost her sight and hearing at 10 months of age, also had minimal senses of taste and smell. The Chicago Tribune reported that Jessie was without imaging power, making the first task of Mrs. Jordan an almost impossible one there was too little mind stuff to work upon. However, little Emma had some of that imaging power, as she had enjoyed sight and hearing for the first three years of her life, and remembered some activities and interests. Still, teaching the girl proved a struggle. On Emmas first day, Jordan who had 30 other children to care for seated Emma at a small wooden table with a box of wooden beads and twine. She soon learned to string the beads before throwing them about the room. She was subsequently required to pick up each bead and place them back in the box, a task done with a hard struggle and many tears. This process was repeated for a week, but with diminishing intensity. A basket of toys was likewise destroyed before Emma finally settled down. The word ball was chosen as the first word for little Emma to learn. Jordan reported that while (Emma) held the ball in her right hand the teacher spelled the word into her left hand. Within two weeks, Emma recognized the word as the object. Doll came next, and was taught in the same fashion. Eventually, a ball and doll were placed on a table, and the name of one was spelled into Emmas hand. A month later, she was able to correctly choose between the two. The next word was iron, mainly because Emma discovered a flatiron in her toy box and immediately tried to iron Mrs. Jordans dress skirt with it. Only one sign was provided to Emma in the early stages; that of water, which she could use when thirsty. The 1902 report proudly noted that by Christmas, Emma was one of the happiest and most obedient of children and enjoyed marching with the other pupils in the gymnasium, learning to keep the step by feeling the motion of those next to her. She was also able to perform basic crafts, creating several napkin rings, a bag from beads, and mats woven on a hand-loom. By her sixth birthday on Jan. 1, 1902, Emma was also able to place seven words, including her name and those of two teachers, in Braille as well as manual alphabet. Though described as large for her age with a healthy appetite, Emma was apparently a sickly child, and little study was done for the next several months. But from mid-March 1902 until leaving for a brief visit home on May 26, her progress was lauded as uninterrupted and rapid. She eventually was able to copy any spelling of her teacher, who would write words slowly into Emmas left hand, only to have Emma follow, letter by letter with her right. When Emma left for her break, she could spell 21 words, including longer ones such as radish and banana. She was also able to use a Braille writer, a device invented by Hall, to write five words, including her first sentence, roll the ball. Emma was also able to respond when the words sit, stand, run, and clap were written into her hand. She could also make the sounds of a few letters of the alphabet. While sorrowfully described as a little soul imprisoned because of her lack of sight and hearing, Emma managed to use her other faculties, including an acute sense of smell that allowed her to recognize people by odor. She could also smell candy, a favorite treat, and had an excellent sense of location. She was aware when Saturday came, when she would pull out clean linens for her bed. Emma was also able to dress herself and tie her shoes, though was unable to fix her hair. As Emma progressed, her story drew national attention, and she and Mrs. Jordan were featured in an array of magazines and newspapers. On March 13, 1904, The Chicago Tribune dubbed the girl the Helen Keller of Illinois. A state report in 1904 lauded Emmas achievements, as she had learned to handle the Braille writer with considerable ease and dexterity thanks to her vigorous, active mind and retentive memory. As a result, concluded the report, Emma sees things with her hands and speaks with her fingertips. Even more important was her happy disposition that was a source of cheer and inspiration to all about her. Indeed, the report called Emmas progress a veritable light out of darkness, a voice out of silence. Emma was later a welcomed visitor at a conference of deaf teachers in North Carolina, and was also taken to an exposition in Louisiana, where she conversed with Helen Keller. Sadly, Emmas health remained frail. She again fell ill in December 1903, and was able to attend school for only three months of that year. But her fame grew, as did her abilities. In early March 1907, she was visited by a delegation of Illinois legislators. She greeted them with an address of welcome on her Braille writer. Days later, on Saturday, March 9, Emma became ill with what was believed to be a mild cold. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, and she was reportedly in great pain the next day. Pneumonia was finally diagnosed. Jordan hardly left the bedside of the sick child, who died at the age of 11 around 9 p.m. March 13, 1907. News of her passing made headlines in Los Angeles. The Chicago Tribune reported that her passing left the students and faculty heartbroken, a sentiment shared by her many inspired followers around the nation. Children of all ages woke up this morning and ran over to see if Santa tasted the cookies they left for him on Christmas Eve. EDWARDSVILLE Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Randy Pembrook, Ph.D., conferred degrees upon 2,601 graduates during the spring 2019 commencement exercises Friday and Saturday, May 10-11 at the Vadalabene Center. Pembrook congratulated the graduates on their hard work, persistence, and focus that propelled them to degree completion. Your wide array of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives have made SIUE a better institution during your time here, he said. We hope you will return often to campus to update us on your successes and to enjoy the ongoing vibrant campus environment that is SIUE. Saturday morning began as School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SHHB) students received their undergraduate degrees. SEHHB student speaker Laycee Thigpen, a non-traditional student from Belleville, received a bachelors in early childhood education. She recognized that people now view her fellow graduates as experts to be relied upon. As an expert, we have to remember to see the individual, she said. Each child we may work with, each family we may support, each client we come in contact with needs us to see them as an individual - an individual that has weaknesses but is filled with so many strengths. It is important for us, as the experts, to see the wealth of knowledge that each person brings to the table. Department of Teaching and Learning graduates, parents are counting on you to love, protect and teach their child, and see the assets that they possess. Department of Psychology graduates, people are counting on you to promote mental health awareness and advocate for those who feel like no one understands them. Department of Applied Health graduates, people are counting on you - people who feel discouraged about their current health condition and need your individualized care, your knowledge, and your attention to live an improved quality of life. People are counting on you! In the first College of Arts and Sciences session at noon, student speaker Amy Yates, another non-traditional student from South Roxana, earned a bachelors in sociology with a specialization in diversity and social justice. Yates realized that the world can experience change if everyone does their share to help. Fellow graduates, we have been privileged enough to attend a university that encourages and emphasizes compassion and inclusion, Yates said. We may come from different backgrounds, have different experiences, and different talents and goals. Even though our majors are all different, from philosophy to music to political science and everything in between, there is one thing we all have in common - everyone in this room today has the ability to make a difference. So, lets show the world what SIUE graduates are made of, and as Gandhi said, be the change you want to see in the world. Later Saturday afternoon, the School of Pharmacy combined its traditional hooding ceremony with commencement in the Morris University Centers Meridian Ballroom. Student speaker Sonja Bromann, of Glen Ellyn, earned a doctorate in pharmacy. Bromann acknowledged the impact of the faculty, family and friends gathered for the ceremony. Perhaps most significantly, weve learned how to be a pharmacist simply by being raised and influenced by the very guests in this room, she said. Your love and support have shaped us along the way. We will only be as good a pharmacist as we are a compassionate human. The welcome that we show neighbors and new family members will also be shown to our patients, as they are a neighbor where they live. The respect and dignity that we give to our superiors and officials will also be given to our patients, as they are valued in their life. The patience and forgiveness we give children will also be given to our patients, as they are a child to someone. And the understanding that we offer to those we hold most closely to us will also be afforded to our patients, as all people deserve care without judgment. On behalf of former SIUE President Earl Lazerson, his son, Paul Lazerson, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at the Saturday evening ceremony for the second session of CAS students and the School of Engineering. Earl Lazerson served as SIUEs president for nearly 14 years. He joined the SIUE faculty in 1969 and taught mathematics until he assumed the role of interim University president in 1979, and then permanently in 1980. Lazerson was committed to making SIUE an engine for economic development in the region. He worked diligently to create the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois as a regional chamber of commerce and the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority, which was established as a financial tool for job creation. Litchfield native Kristin Ishmael, a transfer student who earned a bachelors in biological sciencesmedical sciences specialization, was the final student speaker. She spoke of lifes unexpected twists, turns and changes. We type-A people plan everything down to the minute, she said. But, instead of crying or grimacing in pain and annoyance when life takes longer or chooses a different route than expected, or when obstacles bar our path, I urge you to embrace it. You cant predict the things life will teach you about yourself and about others. You never know when something better than you could ever have expected or imagined will come along. There were a lot of life lessons, some of them learned the hard way, and even though I wouldnt say this path has always been easy or fun, that leap of faith three years ago ended up changing my life completely and for the better. Earlier Friday morning, student speaker Kelly Pfaff, of Sandwich, who earned a bachelors in economics and finance, addressed the School of Business. She pointed to Professor Mary Anne Pettits enthusiasm and passion for changing Pfaffs perspective on a business career. I didnt expect to grow to care about this school and community in the way that I have, and be thankful for it providing so many of the things that make my life happier, she said. I know now that if you keep moving with clarity and a willingness to change and grow, youll make it by alright. Youll find yourself happy in where your life is headed, excited by what lies beyond. The School of Nursing combined its traditional pinning ceremony with commencement Friday afternoon. Student speaker Jessica Schnebly, of Springfield, earned a doctor of nursing practice degree with a family nurse practitioner specialization. Schnebly encouraged her peers to pack their moral compass for their careers. Your journey into the world of nursing will be rewarding and enriching, she said. You will be stepping into the role of trusted ally to your patients. In fact, public opinion polls show that nurses are rated as one of the most trusted professions. People believe nursing to be of the most ethical and honest professions. This is because nurses provide more than just physical care for patients. At all levels, nurses provide patient education and help patients make informed decisions. Nurses exhibit strong advocacy in order to maintain quality care and protect patients rights. Nurses provide emotional support to patients and their loved ones. The Graduate School concluded the first day with Granite City native Lindsay Doolittle, a non-traditional student who earned a masters in English, serving as the student speaker. The Graduate School ceremony included all graduate students except those in the Schools of Nursing and Pharmacy. Doolittle described her children as being the inspiration for her educational pursuits. Achieving something more for myself was something I never thought was possible, she said. When my boys were little, I felt that my lack of college education was holding me back from higher paying jobs to support us. At the time I started my undergraduate degree at SIUE, I was a freshly divorced single mother scared, yet determined to make something of myself. After graduating in 2012 and beginning my teaching career, I felt as if something missing. I started reading about masters programs and all of the courses that went along with the programs. I realized I missed being in school, learning new things, discussing readings with my peers, and challenging myself academically. Seven years later, my four children have once again been a source of inspiration as they are in school themselves and can see the power that a good education brings to an individual. J.B. Pritzker announced his run for governor of Illinois more than two years ago. From the jump, his campaign pushed a simple policy message: pass a progressive income tax constitutional amendment. Pritzker has been singing the same song throughout his first four months in office. And a group bankrolled by Pritzker called Think Big has spent more than $3 million on TV commercials selling this argument across the state. But with taxpayer opposition intensifying, the governors vision for a $3.4 billion progressive income tax hike is slipping away. On May 7, Southern Illinois Democratic state Rep. Jerry Costello announced his resignation from the General Assembly and appointment to a position as the director of law enforcement at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. He was the lone House Democrat who vocally opposed Pritzkers constitutional amendment. Progressive tax backers saw this as a win. But the very next day, two courageous House Democrats from the other end of the state publicly voiced their opposition to Pritzkers plan, too. State Reps. Sam Yingling and Jonathan Carroll both pointed out the severe lack of protections for property taxpayers in their districts. Yingling represents the Lake County communities of Round Lake, Round Lake Beach and Grayslake. Carrolls district straddles Cook and Lake counties, including communities like Northbrook and Buffalo Grove. The current proposals do not adequately address the crushing burden that our property tax system places on homeowners, Yingling wrote in a May 8 letter to the Chicago Tribune. I will be a no vote unless adoption of a progressive income tax ends the states regressive and abusive property tax system. Carroll also urged caution. I am a no on this plan and changing the constitution. Im not opposed to modernizing how we tax in Illinois, but this has to be done right, Carroll said in a statement. The current proposals dont address our oppressive property tax issues. Yingling and Carroll are right. And there are more Democrats waiting in the wings. Illinois Policy Institute research shows that even under generous assumptions, any promise of middle-class income tax relief under Pritzkers progressive income tax plan would quickly be wiped out by routine property tax hikes. Thats because the governors plan for a progressive income tax does nothing to address some of the biggest cost drivers for both state and local governments: pensions and government worker health insurance. Without reforms to those costs, property tax bills will continue to balloon. So what happens when Illinois lawmakers do the right thing and stand up for taxpayers specifically homeowners facing some of the nations highest property tax rates? Theyre attacked by Pritzker. Those who oppose this plan are siding with millionaires and the very wealthy against everyday Illinoisans, the governors office stated, and they need to offer an alternative that will fix our states long-standing fiscal challenges. At the time of that response, Pritzker had reportedly not met with either lawmaker to discuss his progressive income tax amendment. The governor has only himself to blame for opposition to his proposal. Pritzker has not earned the trust of taxpayers who look beyond the fair share rhetoric and see a state that remains unwilling to balance its books while they pay more in taxes each year. In an interview with ABC 7 on his first 100 days in office, Pritzker confirmed there were no guarantees against middle class tax hikes should the progressive tax constitutional amendment fall his way. The governors plan ultimately relies on a political promise that many Illinoisans arent willing to accept. Apparently, their elected officials arent buying it either. Austin Berg is a writer for the Illinois Policy Institute. He wrote this column for the Illinois News Network. Austin can be reached at aberg@illinoispolicy.org. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Retno LP Marsudi (The Jakarta Post) New York Mon, May 13, 2019 11:22 958 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8737901f6 3 Opinion blue-helmets,United-Nations,UNSC,Security-Council Free For decades, the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations, the Blue Helmets,have been a distinct model of global partnership, collective leadership and shared responsibility in the interests of peace. However, with todays new political and security realities, the challenges facing our peacekeepers are enormous. The incident in Mali, last January, brings home these realities. The challenges range from the changing nature of conflicts and a lack of commitment to political solutions to inadequate preparation of troops and the involvement of transnational factors, including terrorism and foreign terrorist fighters. All of these challenges impact the safety and performance of our Blue Helmets. It is important to keep in mind that the Blue Helmets represent the UN in general and its Security Council (UNSC) in particular at work. It is the face of the UNSC on the ground. They are the guardians of peace protecting millions around the globe. In discharging their missions, a number of often overlooked facts illustrate the value of the UN peacekeepers. The deployment of these guardians of the peace is more efficient than unilateral actions. Financially, Blue Helmet deployment is eight times less expensive than unilateral missions. It is for this reason that Indonesia fully believes in peacekeepers, in adequately preparing them and investing in their performance, as investing in our peacekeepers is investing in peace. As conflicts evolve, becoming increasingly multifaceted, our support for peacekeepers must keep pace with the challenges at hand. In that context at the UNSC I have emphasized the need to pay greater attention to the following aspects. First, a mission-specific approach is necessary, one-size-fits-all is insufficient. From the perspective of a troops-and-police contributing country, the success of the mission will depend on adequate pre-deployment preparation. It must also be grounded on knowledge of local needs and conditions. This requires better consultation between the UNSC, host countries, contributing countries and the UN Secretariat, as well as consultation to ensure better synergy between mandates, actual needs on the ground, and training. Second, community engagement is crucial. In the UNSC chamber, I shared a story of one of our peacekeepers: Major Gembong, currently serving in the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). He witnessed families separated by conflicts and took an initiative to work toward family reunification. Major Gembong and his capable team talked to community leaders, heads of villages and families to allow reintegration of former combatants back into the community. The approach has worked. So far, 422 former combatants have been reunited with their families in their communities where peace prevails. Indeed, peacekeepers capabilities should go beyond basic soldiering skills and be complemented with soft skills such as communication and trust building. Third, investing in women equals investing in peace. Female peacekeepers are more effective in winning the hearts and minds of local populations;providing comfort for those traumatized by conflicts. There is also strong evidence that womens participation in peace processes increases the likelihood of sustained peace by 20 percent as well as contributing to longer and more resilient peace. We must therefore make peacekeeping more conducive for female peacekeepers by working in partnership to overcome barriers to womens meaningful participation in peacekeeping. We must also develop specialized training schemes to enable female peacekeepers to optimize their potential. In that respect, Indonesia is committed to enhancing the role of female peacekeepers. For the first time, the number of our female peacekeepers has exceeded 100 and we are committed to further increasing this number. Beyond female peacekeepers, Indonesia is determined to continuously enhance the role of women as agents of peace. That is why we organized a Regional Training on Women, Peace and Security, in Jakarta last month, for young female diplomats in the Southeast Asian region. Finally, training requires partnership. As our challenges become ever more complex, training should be adaptive. This requires investment in training and capacity building, supported by partnership among member states. As proof of Indonesias commitment, I offered the Indonesian Peacekeeping Center [in Sentul, West Java],to serve as an international training hub. More innovative approaches in training such as triangular partnerships will deliver more value. Indonesia will host the Triangular Partnerships Projects in 2020-2021. This initiative aims to provide quality training for peacekeepers in Southeast Asia and beyond. Another possible area of cooperation that Indonesia is exploring with its international partners is joint training to support co-deployment between contributing countries. UN Peacekeeping is a portrait of multilateralism at its best. It is the most legitimate and effective tool for maintaining peace. Indonesia proposed a Presidential Statement on peacekeeping training and capacity building, which all the members of the UNSC subsequently endorsed. It is the first document of the council focusing on training and capacity building. This will promote the performance, safety and security of peacekeepers in support of the Action for Peacekeeping as initiated by the secretary-general of the UN. Let us all stand firm behind our Blue Helmets, and provide them with all the support they deserve. _______________________ The writer is the foreign minister, currently presiding over the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the month of May. The above is her speech delivered on May 7 at the UNSC open debate on peacekeeper training. 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 Jusuf Wanandi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 13, 2019 09:05 958 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8737842fe 3 Opinion Insight,Belt-and-Road-Initiative,Belt-and-Road-Forum,China Free Since 2013, when it was launched by President Xi Jinping in Kazakhstan and Jakarta, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has developed very fast. Initiated by China, it was meant to assist developing countries in need of building infrastructure, which needs much funding and investment. But since its inception, the BRI has undergone changes to become a common endeavor of many countries and international organizations for joint cooperation in infrastructure projects. Immediately after its inception, it was recognized that the BRI should be broadened beyond infrastructure development, and include cooperation on trade, finance and people-to-people relations to get off the ground effectively. As the program has become very big and all-encompassing, it has become a global effort. At the Second BRI Forum held on April 24 to 26 in Beijing, 126 countries and 29 international organizations signed BRI cooperation agreements. This, indeed, marked an important development Meanwhile, with the participation of countries, including think tanks and research institutions, both national and international, much feedback and intellectual support has been received by the Chinese government and other institutions through the efforts of the Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC), which oversees the cooperation of think tanks, called the Silk Road Think Tank Network (SiLKS) set up in 2017. Since then the Chinese government has welcomed more feedback and input on the BRI, and acknowledged that BRI cooperation should be open, transparent, zero-tolerance for corruption and a green initiative of its programs with sustainability in mind. Through these efforts, the DRC and Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia conducted joint research on Indonesias participation in the BRI and what it means for Indonesias economic development. The study has been delivered to both governments as important feedback and for Indonesia it has become input for building public awareness. At the beginning, the BRI idea was skeptically received by the public, but following dissemination of the study and the improved programs, public opinion has turned around. In this context, the efforts taken in creating wider networking and cooperation among think tanks as initiated by the Xinhua Institute were welcomed by all invited think tanks and their readiness to participate in this new initiative, the Belt and Road Studies Network (BRSN). If and when some emerging economies do not have enough capacity to conduct their own studies for their participation in the BRI, the BRSN can provide assistance and support. In light of United States President Donald Trumps initiative for America First principles in US foreign policy, which rejects multilateralism, and to put its own economy first, it is imperative for others to cooperate closer in order to fill in the gaps or lacuna in the global economic order created by such a unilateralist policy. One of form of cooperation is the BRI strategy as initiated by China but which is meant for the international community as a whole. The participation of more countries and institutions in the BRI has improved the idea for open, transparent, zero tolerance for corruption, green and sustainable cooperation. For this purpose, the BRI also invited developed countries to join, so the BRI could really serve as a force for global cooperation and integration, and to maintain the global system as best as possible. The alignment of the BRI with 29 international cooperation agreements is of critical importance to its functioning as reinforcement of international order. What is most important in Chinas effort through the BRI, under its theme of Building a community with a shared future for mankind, is access to market and technologies. In summary, China will have to engage in benefaction in order to secure strong support from other economies. Sharing the Chinese market and technology resources particularly with developing BRI economies is apparently a very good strategy. Meeting the challenges of inclusive and sustainable development is a herculean task to perform irrespective of the levels of policy-making one talks about. In theory, the best approach to such development is well-shared, distributed technology progress in all areas of application: information and communication technologies (ICT), genetic engineering, artificial intelligence and technology-enhanced culture. With ICT, farmers can trade with far-away places at reduced transaction costs. With genome engineering, agricultural and animal husbandry productivity can be raised multiplicatively, health care can be improved and the burden of diseases reduced. Digitalization of culture such as augmented reality raises the tradability of culture within and across borders. In all these new technologies, China is one of the recognized leaders. China should leverage that technology leadership to advance the BRI. Techno BRI with diverse windows of cooperation should be made an important block of the BRI. Each window would be opened to participation to all countries on carefully negotiated terms and conditions of participation. In designing and implementing Techno BRI, lessons can be drawn from European Union technology programs and enriched with Chinese experiences with the ideation, research and development, prototyping, acquisition of intellectual property, incubation and start-up and up-scaling. Success in Techno BRI will contribute to sustainable catching up, allowing developing economies to grow at higher added value and technology leaders to reap greater benefits from their hard-earned technological advantage. *** The writer is the vice chair, board of trustees, CSIS Foundation. 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 Mriganka Jaipuriyar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 13, 2019 13:34 958 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8738eeee1 3 Opinion oil-fields-Iran,oil-companies,oil-business,oil-field,oil-exploration Free Oil markets have shrugged off a week of geopolitical tension, but an unexpected supply crisis will be harder for traders to ignore. A feared price spike failed to materialize after Iran threatened on May 8 to reduce its pledge to the 2015 nuclear deal. Brent prices dipped below US$70.50 per barrel, despite the move which adds to an already combustible Persian Gulf region where a fifth of the worlds seaborne crude is exported. Tehrans decision follows United States President Donald Trump ending waivers for key customers of Iranian crude and guaranteeing the security of supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, the worlds busiest crude transit chokepoint. The sanctions clampdown is expected to reduce Irans exports of oil and condensate to 500,000 barrels per day by the second half, down from 1.3 million bpd earlier this year. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Russia stand ready to make up for the lost barrels by potentially adding 970,000 bpd to supplies, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics. However, the growing number of potential geopolitical disruptions is a potential risk to supply. Platts Analytics expects OPECs spare capacity to fall by half to below 1 million bpd by the end of the year, leaving the group with little room to react should the situation in Venezuela, Libya or the Gulf deteriorate. This will make markets especially nervous given uncertainties in Libya and Venezuela, as well as an unsettling recent uptick in small-scale disruptions in Nigeria, cautioned Paul Sheldon, geopolitical adviser at Platts Analytics. Stocks are also looking tight. Platts Analytics forecasts total commercial oil stocks will fall by more than 400,000 bpd this year, with big drops expected in the fourth quarter leading to higher oil prices. Failure to diffuse a trade war between the US and China could still dampen expectations. OPEC meets with its main allies led by Russia in late June in Vienna. By then a clearer picture of how tight the market could get later this year should emerge. Platts Analytics sees a chance of crude retracing back to $80 per barrel by year end. Of course, failure to diffuse a trade war between the US and China, along with stronger than expected supply growth in the Permian could still dampen expectations. Meanwhile, Asian importers seem well-placed to make up for Irans lost barrels, despite grumbling about sanctions. China was most vocal in its displeasure and categorically opposed the unilateral US action against Tehran. The worlds second-largest consumer of crude complained that its cooperation with Iran is open, transparent, lawful and legitimate, and thus should be respected. South Korea, which has even more at stake given its alliance with the US, took a more conciliatory approach. Seoul said it plans to find ways to convince the US to consider extending the waivers. However, Irans isolation shows the benefits for Asian customers maintaining a diversity of supply. Chinese refiners have been importing between 400,000 bpd and 700,000 bpd of Iranian crude, comprising a mix of medium and heavy grades. Iran mainly supplies medium and heavy grades, which are currently in tight supply and often available at discounted rates. It could get increasingly tricky to fill those volumes with grades from other suppliers at the right price. Chinese refiners recently even tried a new medium and heavy grade from Brazil. Meanwhile, in India and Japan, refiners said they would aim to step up crude imports from countries such as Mexico, Iraq and the US to make up for any supply losses. South Korea is also ready for the complete cut-off of Iranian crude and condensate supply from next month. The countrys refiners have already diversified their feedstock supply sources. In a rare move, South Korea imported more than 1.6 million barrels of Ormen Lange and Snohvit condensate from Norway in the fourth quarter last year when Asias biggest ultra-light crude buyer completely stopped purchasing oil from Iran during September-December 2018, official government data showed. South Korean refiners have also sharply increased purchases of US crude and condensate to make up for the decline in Iranian oil imports in recent quarters. Seoul received close to 30 million barrels of US crude in Q1, up five folds from the same period a year earlier, government data showed. Besides the big importers, smaller Southeast Asian nations also look set to take US crude oil on a regular basis, with Vietnam and Indonesia making their very first purchase of light sweet WTI crude in recent weeks, signaling that the buyers are also keen to take advantage of favorable US-Asia arbitrage economics this year. *** The writer is head of news, Asia, S&P Global Platts. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Each region in the Indonesian Archipelago has its own unique way to celebrate the coming Idul Fitri. For the people in Boyolali, Central Java, sarung goyor, a traditional handmade fabric for men, is an important part of the Muslim tradition. Tayem, 74, had been producing sarung goyor since the 1950s in her wooden workshop in Giriroto Village, Boyolali. The tradition to make sarung goyor has been around since I was a young girl. Now my two daughters continue the tradition to produce sarung goyor, Tayem told The Jakarta Post recently. According to Tayem, the process to make sarung goyor including the thread spinning, weaving and sewing can take 10 to 15 days to complete. The threads are colored using a manual dying process. Crafters use cotton threads mixed with rayon and silk as variation. After the coloring, the threads are woven according to the symmetrical patterns that characterize sarung goyor. Read also: Eight must-visit destinations in Boyolali In the production, Tayem is assisted by 15 weavers who each get a fee of Rp 90,000 (US$6.27) for every piece of cloth woven. The finished products are sold at the Islamic product center at Kliwon Market, Surakarta, Central Java with prices starting from Rp 400,000. Traders in Kliwon Market also sell sarung goyor abroad, even to countries in the Middle East. In Indonesia, sarung goyor is valued as a quality gift and fashion item during the fasting season and Idul Fitri celebration. (gis/mut) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Maria Jose Valero (Bloomberg) Mon, May 13, 2019 16:06 957 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8737a1fed 2 Lifestyle Air-Jordan,Nike,sneakers,travis-scott,footwear,shoes Free The Air Jordan 1 High OG TS, hip-hop artist Travis Scotts latest highly anticipated shoe collaboration with Nike Inc., sold out hours after its general release on Saturday. A pair of the high-top sneakers was priced at $175, and its resale price is soaring. Re-sellers are already asking more than $1,000. Read also: Gucci launches distressed (dirty?) sneakers for US$870 Scott tweeted a picture of the shoe Saturday morning around the time of the general release at 10 a.m. EDT, and also featured the shoe on his Instagram account, where he has 16.7 million followers. Scott, also a record producer and songwriter, is known in pop culture circles as the partner of Kylie Jenner, founder of Kylie Cosmetics. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Berlin, Germany Mon, May 13, 2019 15:09 958 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87379fe6e 2 Books Anne-Frank,Jewish,nazi,Book,Amsterdam Free A new edition of the diaries of Jewish teenager Anne Frank, based more closely on her incomplete manuscript before she was sent to her death in a Nazi concentration camp, was published on Saturday. She and her family hid from the Nazis in a secret annexe in a house in Amsterdam during World War Two but were discovered in 1944. She died aged 15 at Bergen-Belsen in 1945. Her diary was published two years later and is still being read worldwide 75 years after she wrote it. But at a presentation in Berlin, Holocaust survivor Laureen Nussbaum, who knew the Franks, told Reuters Television that the new edition is what Anne Frank had intended to publish in the first place. Nussbaum, born Hannelore Klein, knew Anne and her family when they lived in Amsterdam during World War Two. She and Anne were not close friends, Nussbaum said, but they rehearsed a play together in 1941. Read also: Anne Frank's house revamped for 'new generation' Anne Frank made two diaries - her original journal and a revised version, reworked after she learned of plans to collect diaries and other papers to document the war period. "This is the book that Anne wanted to write and to publish," Nussbaum, 91, said of the new edition, which will be published in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The version published since 1947 is Anne Frank's father's "amalgam of the original diary entries with the new version and it's kind of a mixture", Nussbaum said. The new edition, entitled Liebe Kitty (Dear Kitty), is an incomplete manuscript "of a girl who wanted to become an author", according to Amsterdam's Anne Frank House museum. The museum calls the work "the creative and literary choices Anne has made" and "brings the reader closer to the writer Anne Frank". Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Los Angeles, United States Mon, May 13, 2019 18:00 957 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8737a6f13 2 Entertainment Peggy-Lipton,actress,obituary,cancer,Twin-Peaks Free Actress Peggy Lipton, who gained fame in the late 1960s with her star turn on the counter-culture cop show "Mod Squad" and returned to TV two decades later on "Twin Peaks," has died at age 72 after a battle with cancer. Her daughters Rashida and Kidada Jones, from her marriage to legendary music producer Quincy Jones, confirmed her death on Saturday in a statement to US media. "We are heartbroken that our beloved mother passed away from cancer," they said. "She made her journey peacefully with her daughters and nieces by her side." Born in New York on August 30, 1946, Lipton launched her career in modelling as a young teenager. By age 19, she was getting bit parts on television shows such as "Bewitched." But she catapulted to fame in 1968 with the premiere of "Mod Squad," on which she starred as Julie Barnes, a reformed juvenile delinquent turned undercover cop. The show was one of the first to feature an interracial cast. Lipton earned four Emmy nominations for the role and a Golden Globe award. Read also: Aussie DJ Adam Sky found dead in Bali She took a long break from acting that coincided with her marriage to Jones, who is black. The couple wed in 1974, not long after "Mod Squad" went off the air, and divorced in 1989. Both of their daughters went into acting. Rashida Jones is best known for her roles on "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation." Lipton returned to the small screen on David Lynch's cult supernatural show "Twin Peaks," playing Norma Jennings, the owner of the Double R Diner. "I lost a sister today. She was a true angel on earth. Always the coolest in the room," "Twin Peaks" co-star Madchen Amick said on Twitter. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Thomas Urbain (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States Tue, May 14, 2019 05:08 957 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8737b137f 2 Art & Culture united-states,art,auction,Women,Painter,artist Free With a new record expected for a work by Lee Krasner and another one possible for a Helen Frankenthaler, the appetite for female abstract painters, and women artists in general, is growing fast as New York gears up for its spring auctions beginning on Monday. "We've seen an extraordinary recalibration in the market for female artists, both historical and contemporary," said David Galperin, head of evening sales at Sotheby's auction house. Last year was already an auspicious one, with record-breaking auctions for the late Frankenthaler, as well as for 50-year-old Briton Cecily Brown, Grace Hartigan, who died in 2008, and above all Joan Mitchell, who died in 1992 and whose "Blueberry" went in May 2018 for $16.6 million. David Leiber, a partner at the David Zwirner gallery, which has exhibited a number of Mitchell's works, recalled that although she found popular and critical acclaim very early on, only recently did her work profit from the increasing interest in women artists. "These are artists whose work is just as powerful as their male contemporaries and their historical peers, and yet their markets have for decades lagged behind their contemporaries," said Galperin. Even if a reassessment of women's works has begun, the prices they command still lag far behind the $68.9 million for a Willem de Kooning, the $58.4 million for a Jackson Pollack or the Mark Rothko that went for $86.9 million. "It's a long overdue readjustment of the market," said Alexander Rotter, the head of Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christie's. The readjustment is due to several factors, one of them being the explosion in prices of works by male artists, many approaching or even topping the $100-million mark. "I think there's definitely a hunger and appetite for opportunities within the market and this is certainly one, in the sense that the market prices are still in a way accessible relative to works of comparable quality by their male peers," said Galperin. The upward trend is also affecting other female artists such as sculptor Louise Bourgeois, who died in 2010, and whose works could this week surpass her 2015 record of $28.2 million. Just as it was four years ago, the work on offer is a giant steel spider, which Christie's estimates could sell on Wednesday evening for $25 million to $30 million. Read also: Art Paris 2019 to celebrate female and Latin American artists Cherchez la femme Another factor less directly linked to the art market is a recent trend toward rediscovering the work of women long overlooked, if not forgotten, in the arts, sciences and politics. "I hope it ends up in a world where we don't need to make the distinction, where it's natural, the prices are being made for the work of art rather than for the gender," said Rotter. "But right now we're being conscious that we're paying attention to female artists." Some collectors are specifically looking to acquire works by women artists. "It always existed but it's now obviously bigger," Rotter said. The move has benefited many big names but also lesser-known artists such as Njideka Akunyili Crosby, a painter of Nigerian origin who sold a work for $3.4 million last year at Sotheby's, or the Anglo-Ghanaian Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, who had a painting go for $1.5 million in 2018. The trend also spans works from previous eras, with $7.1 million paid in January for a canvas by Elisabeth-Louise Vigee Le Brun (1755-1842), a record for a woman among the old masters. In light of this trend, auction houses are now offering more works by female artists, including in their major spring and autumn sales. "Presenting them in this new context is really critical in engaging new demographics of buyers and really shifting these markets," said Galperin. Unlike Leonardo da Vinci's "Salvator Mundi", which sold for $450 million in 2017, or "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)" by David Hockney in 2018 -- which sold for $90.3 million, a record for a living artist -- no single work is expected to become a major event in itself during the four big sales in New York next week organized by Christie's and Sotheby's. But market watchers will be closely following Jeff Koons' "Rabbit", which could set a new record for the American artist, whose previous best-selling work netted $58.4 million. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam Mon, May 13, 2019 14:49 958 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87379fcc3 1 National monkeypox,Singapore,Batam Free The Batam administration has started measures to prevent the potential spread of monkeypox after Singapore reported its first case of the rare virus. The neighboring country reported over the weekend that it had identified a case of monkeypox that might have been brought in by a Nigerian man, who had allegedly contracted the virus by eating bushmeat at a wedding, AFP reported. The local authorities have readied two hospitals, the Batam Free Trade Zone Hospital and Embung Fatimah Public Hospital, as the main providers of special treatment for suspected monkeypox patients, as well as set up thermal detectors in five international ports directly connecting Batam and Singapore. The authorities are also monitoring visitors coming into the city via the airport, even though there are no direct flights connecting Batam and Singapore. Batam Health Agency head Didi Kusumajadi and his team visited the Batam Free Trade Zone Hospital on Monday to inspect the isolation and emergency rooms. We will continue monitoring the situation and maintaining preventive measures until Singapore declares that it is free from the virus, Didi told The Jakarta Post on Monday. Monkeypox is endemic in parts of Central and Western Africa. Symptoms in humans include lesions, fever, muscle aches and chills. It can be transmitted via close contact with infected animals such as rodents and monkeys and is limited between people. It is not normally fatal but has been in rare cases. (swd) Topics : monkeypox Singapore Batam Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 13, 2019 13:56 958 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87379b42c 4 Business Asaki,ceramic-tiles,imports,India Free While the influx of ceramic tiles from China has subsided after the government imposed a protective tariff, local ceramic tile producers are concerned by the influx of similar products from India. According to the Indonesian Ceramic Industry Association (Asaki), ceramic imports from China declined 14 to 15 percent in the first quarter of 2019. Meanwhile, imports from India jumped significantly, said Asaki chairman Edy Suyanto in Jakarta on Sunday as quoted by kontan.co.id.He did not mention an exact figure. Edy projected ceramic production would reach 75 percent of the installed production capacity, which was 550 square meters. Edy said Asaki was monitoring the entry of ceramic tiles from India and would consider seeking protection from the government. He said as usual, ceramic tile sales were stagnant in the first quarter but the association hoped sales in the second quarter would increase by 2 to 3 percent owing to increased demand ahead of Idul Fitri. Edy, however, believed ceramic tile demand would increase during the second half of 2019, supported by higher demand from both retailers and construction projects. However, not all ceramic tile producers expect sales to increase ahead of Idul Fitri. PT Cahaya Putra Asa Keramik, for example, projected sales to decline in the second quarter because of limited transportation. Cahaya Putra director Juli Berliana also projected a decline in production because of the long Idul Fitri holiday. (bnn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Victor Mambor (The Jakarta Post) Phoenix, Arizona Mon, May 13, 2019 19:09 957 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8737aa909 1 Business FreeportIndonesia,Freeport-Indonesia,Papua,tax Free A dispute between the Papua provincial administration and PT Freeport Indonesia over a surface water tax has been resolved after Papua Governor Lukas Enembe met with Freeport Indonesia president commissioner Richard Adkerson at the Freeport McMoran headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The two parties agreed to a Rp 1.39 trillion (US$96.4 million) surface water tax, which was smaller than the amount the Papua administration wanted but bigger than what Freeport was initially willing to pay. Adkerson, who was accompanied by Freeport Indonesia CEO Tonny Wenas, said that Freeport was not obliged to pay the tax the Papua administration had requested since 2011, as the Supreme Court had ruled in favor of Freeport in April last year. The Supreme Court freed Freeport from an obligation to pay roughly Rp 3.9 trillion in tax. Previously, the tax court, which is a lower court than the Supreme Court, ruled in favor of the Papua administration concerning unpaid taxes of almost Rp 6 trillion. Based on the decision by Indonesias highest court, we are not obliged to pay the tax. However, Freeport and the Papua administration have good intentions for long term cooperation to support Freeport Indonesias operations for the sake of Papuans prosperity, Adkerson said on Wednesday after meeting with Lukas. Adkerson said Freeport would pay part of the disputed surface water tax from 2011 to 2018, which was Rp 1.39 trillion. [The tax] will be paid over three years, starting from 2019 to 2021, Adkerson said last week. In addition, starting from 2019, Freeport will pay an annual surface water tax of US$15 million per year, as regulated by its special mining business permit. The tax dispute between the Papua administration and Freeport began in 2011. Freeport believed it only owed the tax stipulated in Bylaw No. 5/1990, which had a tax rate of Rp 10/m3, when the working contract was signed. Meanwhile, the Papua administration wanted Freeport to pay the tax stipulated in Bylaw No. 4/2011 on regional tax, which had a tax rate of Rp 120/m3. Governor Lukas said the Supreme Courts ruling that Freeport Indonesia did not need to pay any surface water tax should not be used an excuse by the company to not pay any taxes. He said Freeport and Papua would issue a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the near future that would detail the amount to be paid and the schedule of payment. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 13 2019 The administration is to build a special school for highly intelligent children in the city in order to develop their full potential, although concerns have been raised over the exclusivity of such an establishment. The education agency secured Rp 34 billion (US$2.37 million) in the 2019 city budget to build the so-called gifted school this year. The funds for the project were from among Rp 2.02 trillion allocated for the agency to conduct projects comprising school building renovations and the construction of new school buildings. Agency head Ratiyono said the school aimed to accommodate students with an IQ above 130. 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 13, 2019 11:14 958 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87378dd15 4 Business capital-city-relocation,building,swap-arrangement,Basuki-Hadimuljono Free In trying to lower the cost of relocating Indonesias capital, the government has said it would be open to swapping ownership of buildings in Jakarta with suitable ones at the new location, which is still being considered. Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono recently emphasized that the state budget could not cover all of the relocation budget, which was projected to reach Rp 466 trillion (US$32.36 billion). An official previously said the government could only cover half of the cost. A number of alternative options are, therefore, being considered, including a building-swap scheme. Basuki said he was confident that businesspeople would be interested in owning a government building in Jakarta because the city would still be the center of the countrys economy. As an example, this Public Works and Housing Ministry has to move [to the new capital]. We are offering a swap option for this building, which is still valuable because the countrys economic activities would remain here, Basuki said in his office as quoted by Kompas.com on Sunday. It was reportedly stated during a Cabinet meeting on April 29 that institutions to move to the new capital include ministry offices, the Peoples Consultative Assembly, the House of Representatives, Regional Representatives Council, Attorney Generals Office (AGO), the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court (MK), as well as the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police headquarters. Some 1.5 million civil servants, police and military officials, as well as other state personnel, will also be relocated. Meanwhile, institutions related to finance, trade, investment and industry, like Bank Indonesia (BI), the Financial Service Authority (OJK) and the Investment Coordination Board (BKPM), would remain in Jakarta. But according to Basuki, the government is still studying the swap option, particularly from a legal aspect. He added that a study was also needed to prevent a loss of state assets during the swap. Other important issues that were being discussed included the development of basic infrastructures, such as clean water, sanitation facilities, roads, housing and so on to support socio-economic factors, he said. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Mon, May 13, 2019 07:37 958 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87378044b 2 World #ChurchAttack,#CatholicChurch,Burkina-Faso,Catholic,mass,killing Free Gunmen killed a priest and five parishioners during mass Sunday in an attack on a Catholic church in Dablo, northern Burkina Faso, security sources and a local official said. "Towards 9:00 am, during mass, armed individuals burst into the Catholic church," the mayor of Dablo, Ousmane Zongo, told AFP. "They started firing as the congregation tried to flee." The attackers -- between 20 and 30 according to a security source -- managed to trap some of the worshippers, Zongo added. "They killed five of them. The priest, who was celebrating mass, was also killed, bringing the number of dead to six." The gunmen then set fire to the church, several shops and a small cafe before heading to the local health centre, which they looted, burning the chief nurse's vehicle. "There is an atmosphere of panic in the town," said Zongo. "People are holed up in their homes, nothing is going on. The shops and stores are closed. Its practically a ghost town," he added. Security reinforcements were sent from Barsalogho, about 45 kilometres (30 miles) south of Dablo, and were combing the area, a security source told AFP. Dablo is located in the northern province of Sanmatenga. The attack came two days after French special forces freed four foreign hostages in the north of the country in an overnight raid that cost the lives of two soldiers. The operation was ordered to free French hostages Patrick Picque and Laurent Lassimouillas who disappeared while on holiday in the remote Pendjari National Park in Benin on May 1. The team also found two other female captives, an American woman and a South Korean. Christian, Muslim clerics targeted Sunday's church strike came two weeks after a similar attack against a Protestant church in Silgadji, also in the north, when gunmen on motorbikes killed a pastor and five worshippers. Burkina Faso has suffered from increasingly frequent and deadly attacks attributed to a number of jihadist groups, including the Ansarul Islam group, the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. The raids began in 2015 in the north before targeting the capital Ouagadougou and other regions, notably in the east. Nearly 400 people have been killed since 2015 -- mainly in hit-and-run raids -- according to an AFP tally. Jihadist groups target both Muslim and Christian clerics, mainly in the north. According to security sources, the jihadists do not consider certain Muslim clerics sufficiently radical and sometimes accuse them of having collaborated with the authorities. Religious leaders are not the only people targeted by the extremists. Last month, jihadists attacked a village school in Maitaougou, in the eastern province of Koulpelogo, killing five teachers and a municipal worker. Former colonial ruler France has deployed 4,500 troops in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in a mission codenamed Barkhane to help local forces flush out jihadist groups. Around 4.3 million people have been driven from their homes in the worsening violence that has engulfed the entire Sahel region, including one million over the past year, according to UN humanitarian officials. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned Sunday's attack and offered condolences as he recalled "the sanctity of all places of worship," according to a UN spokesman. Guterres "urges all citizens of Burkina Faso to stand firmly with one another across communities and not to succumb to efforts to sow discord and breed further violence." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan Mon, May 13, 2019 18:36 957 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8737a8ecb 1 National illegal-fishing,vessel Free The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministrys Illegal Fishing Task Force (Satgas 115) recently sunk three foreign vessels captured for fishing illegally in Indonesian waters off Belawan, Medan, North Sumatra. The Malaysian-flagged, Myanmar-flagged and Thai-flagged vessels, were sunk on Saturday following three separate arrests by the ministrys Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance Director General (PSDKP) and the North Sumatra Water Police between August and December last year. Satgas 115 deputy chief Yunus Husein said the vessels had been seized as evidence of illegal fishing practices in the countrys waters. In 2019 alone, courts ordered 51 vessels to be sunk for the crime. We have sunk 503 vessels for operating illegally by May 9, 2019, and we will continue to carry out this activity, Yunus said. The government, he said, was very committed to upholding the law and deterring illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, particularly by foreign ships. Authorities have also named Thai national Suthar Maumodi and Myanmar national Ayung Nain Win suspects for alleged illegal fishing in the case. (afr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yulia Savitri (The Jakarta Post) Palembang, South Sumatra Mon, May 13, 2019 12:29 958 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873796536 1 Business Lampung-Palembang-toll-road,exodus,Idul-Fitri,Budi-Karya-Sumadi,Basuki-Hadimuljono Free The government is accelerating the construction of the Lampung-Palembang toll road, which is expected to serve as an alternative road for travelers during the Idul Fitri exodus, although it is not likely to be fully operational in time for the holiday. Part of the toll road Bakauheni- Terbanggi has been in operation after being inaugurated by President Joko Jokowi Widodo in March. The toll road will be connected to Palembang through Kayuagung. The toll road will be functional soon, but we need to check the readiness, said Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi during his visit to the South Sumatra capital city of Palembang on Friday. The minister said he needed to check toll road sections in Lampung and South Sumatra. However, he stressed that because only part of the toll road was open, users did not need to pay tolls. Imagine, people could enjoy toll roads from Surabaya, [crossing the Sunda Strait] through Merak Port to Palembang, he said, adding that the toll road would help ease traffic during the long holiday. He also believed the toll road would be able to boost the local economy, particularly at rest stops. Previously, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said the ministry was focusing on two sections of the 350 kilometer toll road, namely damaged roads outside the Terbanggi toll gate and the completion of Kayuagung Bridge. Soon after the bridge is completely constructed, we will start road hardening work. Then, we will integrate the Lampung-Palembang toll road, Basuki said during a recent visit to Palembang. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 13, 2019 18:36 957 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8737a8d69 4 City MRT,MRT-Jakarta,MRT-Lebak-Bulus-station,MRT-station,subway,mass-transportation,public-transportation Free After having applied a 50 percent discount for the last six weeks, PT MRT Jakarta started to charge full price for passengers starting Monday. MRT Jakarta corporate secretary Muhamad Kamaluddin said the price ranged from Rp 3,000 (20 US cents) to Rp 14,000, depending on the distance traveled. [Information about] the policy on normal fares has been disseminated to people through MRT Jakartas social media account, website and mobile app, activities and events in the stations corridors, he said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com. The company implemented the 50 percent discount after previously providing free trips for a month for passengers after its official launch on Feb. 24. The free and discounted price was part of the companys strategy to promote the modern subway service and to lure people to take public transportation instead of private vehicles. Despite the full price, some MRT stations were still packed with passengers on Monday morning. One passenger, Christina, said she did not mind paying more because for her the price was worth the convenience and facility that the MRT offered. She has been a frequent passenger of the MRT from Lebak Bulus Grab Station in South Jakarta to Bundaran HI Station in Central Jakarta. I dont think I suffer any loss because its obvious that the MRT is more efficient than using Transjakarta bus or private car. I know how congested the roads are from Lebak Bulus to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, she said. Before using the MRT service, she used to spend up to Rp 60,000 for a taxi ride from Lebak Bulus to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle. (vla) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurni Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Medan Mon, May 13, 2019 18:30 957 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8737a8778 1 Politics #2019GeneralElections,2019-general-election,ojek-service,ojek-driver,Medan,Councilors,Indonesian-Solidarity-Party,PSI Free Erwin Siahaan, 36, an app-based ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver from Medan, North Sumatra, has won a seat in the Medan Legislative Council for the 2019 to 2024 term, the Medan General Elections Commission (KPU) vote count has revealed. "This is proof that legislative seats are not only for the wealthy," Erwin said. Erwin, a member of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), campaigned in Medans electoral district V that covers Medan Johor, Medan Polonia, Medan Maimun, Medan Tuntungan, Medan Selayang and Medan Sunggal. Erwin said he was not so sure he would win a seat because he did not have much money to fund his campaign. "Before I worked as an app-based ojek driver, I was a driver of public transportation, I did whatever I could for my family. I never imagined I would become a councilor," he said. He said he entered politics to follow his mothers wish. Unfortunately, shortly after expressing support for her son as a legislative candidate, Erwin's mother died. After grieving, Erwin said he and his three siblings received funds from their mother's insurance. "The insurance funds were used for my mother's funeral, and the rest I used as campaign funds," he said without disclosing the amount. He also cashed in his pension fund from a company he worked for a number of years ago to fund the campaign. Erwin said he visited neighborhoods while continuing to transport passengers. In between, he distributed printed materials of his profile. "I had strong determination, he said. Even though some people underestimated him and did not give their support a friend even tore up his name card during the campaign Erwin said he persisted. He said he would continue to work as an ojek driver so he could listen to people's aspirations. The father of two said he wanted to celebrate his victory by giving free rides for a week. Erwin is not the only ojek driver to win a legislative seat this year. Lincoln Bellvicro Napitupulu, also from PSI, also won a seat in the Medan Legislative Council. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung Mon, May 13, 2019 Padjajaran University's appointment of an acting rector has led a rector candidate to file a civil lawsuit against the university's board of trustees (MWA) and the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry. The state university's MWA has appointed as its acting rector Rina Indiastuti, secretary for the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry's learning and student affairs directorate general, after failing to find a successor for Tri Hanggono Achmad, whose term ended on April 13. The decision led Atip Latipulhayat, a professor from the School of Law, to file a civil lawsuit against the university's MWA and the ministry with the Bandung District Court on Thursday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 13, 2019 18:21 957 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8737a7847 1 City animal-abuse,crime,dog,Central-Jakarta Free A dog named Lucky was found critically injured and later died after allegedly being burned alive in Menteng, Central Jakarta. Sarana Metta Indonesia Foundation representative Christian Joshua Pale, who immediately attempted to save the mixed dalmatian before it died due to severe injuries, said a neighbor of the dogs owner allegedly hit the dog with a glass bottle full of gasoline and then set it on fire last Friday evening. Last Friday afternoon, Lucky was just sitting in his cage when suddenly a neighbor urinated directly next to him. Lucky instinctively responded by scratching him, Christian said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com. He went on to say that the neighbor became furious at the dog and demanded that the owner move it elsewhere. The neighbor threatened to burn the dog if it was not moved, Christian said. However, Lucky was never moved as its owner, Melly, was at a mosque for tarawih prayers that evening, he said. When the owner arrived home, she was shocked to find Lucky sustaining injuries in the form of critical burns, Christian said. They suspected that the neighbor acted on his threats by hitting the dog with a bottle before setting fire to it. Melly and a team from Sarana Metta Indonesia Foundation reported the case to the Menteng Police and the Jakarta Police. The police secured the scene of the alleged crime and confiscated evidence, according to Christian. (rfa) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 13, 2019 Environmentalists have called on the Trade Ministry to immediately revise its 2016 regulation on waste imports, saying it contains several loopholes that have turned Indonesia into a dump site for developed countries. The activists argued that even though developed nations, excluding the United States, had recently agreed to restrict global waste trade, Indonesia still needed to tighten its policies to prevent plastic waste smuggling. A Greenpeace report issued in April shows that there has been an increase in the shipment of plastic waste from developed countries to developing nations, including Indonesia, since China banned waste imports. The Chinese ban on imports of 24 types of waste material went into effect in February 2018. 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 Veeramalla Anjaiah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, May 14 2019 Welcome to Almaty! A Kazakh musician wearing traditional attire poses in front of a poster during the Visit Almaty Conference in Jakarta recently. (JP/Veeramalla Anjaiah) Kazakhstans biggest city Almaty, formerly known as Alma-Ata, is making serious efforts to lure Indonesian tourists. Improved tourism infrastructure, enhanced connectivity and continuous tourism promotions, Almaty is confident will attract thousands of Indonesian tourists. We have direct flights from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok to Almaty. It is easy to visit Almaty We have several exotic tourist destinations, Akmaral Yechshanova, a representative from the Tourism Department of Almaty City, told The Jakarta Post recently during the Visit Almaty Conference in Jakarta. 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 Andreas Harsono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, May 14 2019 The Indonesian film Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku (Memories of My Body) is winning awards and accolades around the world. But at home in Indonesia, few may get to see this evocative masterpiece because of an overblown call to censor it. Its creator, Garin Nugroho, knew the film would be provocative because of its political content, but its the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) content, not politics, that is proving controversial. Although the Film Censorship Board (LSF) approved the film, local Islamist leaders from Java to Kalimantan and Sumatra have effectively prevented its screening. Garins film covers a period in the late 1960s, when Gen. Soeharto came to power and the army and anticommunist militias killed more than 1 million left-leaning activists. Back then, censorship was common. Authoritarian rule tolerated only one television station and one radio channel, both under government control. In the 1980s, Soeharto was at the peak of his power. With a tight grip on the country, he positioned his generals to control almost all government ministries. Soehartos fall in May 1998 opened the gate to democratic rule and the freedom of expression, but this freedom also enabled political Islamists to flex their muscles. Over the last two decades, Islamists have pushed the government to increasingly adopt legal provisions based on the sharia. Many of these regulations discriminate religious or sexual minorities. Indonesia has been engulfed by a government-driven moral panic about gender and sexuality since early 2016. Politicians, government officials and state offices have issued anti-LGBT statements, calling for a criminalization of or cure for homosexuality, and for censorship of information related to LGBT individuals and activities. Garins main character in the film is a boy named Juno, who grows up as an orphan and experiences many painful episodes in his life. His father, enduring distress, disappears after seeing the massacre of many suspected communists. Juno moves from one relative to another. He is gay. Juno is a composite character based in part on the life of a real-world dancer named Rianto, who also plays in the film. Rianto was born in 1981 in a village in Banyumas in Java. Rianto, from a young age, learned a Javanese folk dance called lengger, a traditional cross-gender dance in which the feminine and masculinity overlap, as the filmmaker describes it. Local governments are obliged to respect national laws and institutions. Rianto is now an established dancer with his own dance studio in Tokyo, teaching Japanese to play the gamelan, the percussive music form from Bali and Java, and to dance Javanese dances. The film was released in Indonesian theaters on April 18, but local officials immediately banned it in Depok, Bekasi, Garut, Bogor (West Java), Palembang (South Sumatra), Pontianak and Kubu Raya (West Kalimantan), as well as Balikpapan (East Kalimantan). The ban came after three petitioners used change.org to ask the government to ban the film, apparently on the basis of the movies trailer, contending that it was an LGBT-promoting film. The abovementioned local authorities immediately canceled screenings in their cities. We worry that the younger generation, who are looking for their identities, will imitate the [LGBT] behavior in this film, wrote one of the petitioners, Rakhmi Mashita. In Kubu Raya, Regent Muda Mahendrawan decreed that the film was against religious values and would drive young people to accept deviant sexual activities, stressing that he regretted that the Censorship Board had approved the film. Masduki Baidowi of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the semiofficial state Islamic institution, supported those local initiatives, calling on the government to ban the film nationwide. The bad influence of LGBT people is a hot topic lately, he said. The MUI closely follows this development in a bid to protect Muslims from the negative impact of the LGBT movement. In Pontianak, a Malay youth paramilitary organization attacked a World Day Dance festival soon after the films ban there, claiming that the dances promoted LGBT lifestyles. They beat a campus lecturer and some students, claiming that the tight shirts worn by male dancers from the local university and dancing femininely were incompatible with Indonesian culture. In fact, the dance lengger is mentioned in Serat Centhini, a 12-volume compilation of Javanese tales and teachings, published in 1814. It contains verses on sexuality, including overlapping femininity and masculinity. Serat Centhini depicts Java in the 17th century. Since 2017, police across Indonesia have raided saunas, nightclubs, hotel rooms, hair salons and private homes on suspicion of LGBT activities. Militant Islamists often tip off police or accompany them during these raids. Police have also initiated social media monitoring to target LGBT groups. The governments failure to halt arbitrary and unlawful raids by police and militant Islamists on private LGBT gatherings has derailed public health efforts to curb HIV in men who have sex with men. The film has no gay sex scenes and no kissing. In fact, it invites young Indonesians to contemplate how rich traditional ethnic culture must fight to survive imported cultures and religions, including Islam, that have entered Indonesia. It used to be common to see LGBT characters in Indonesian movies and television. But in February 2016, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission banned the broadcast on television and radio of information related to LGBT people, calling the ban a protection for children and adolescents that are vulnerable to duplicating deviant LGBT behavior. The statement contradicted the commissions own 2012 Guidelines for Broadcast Practice and Standard for Broadcast Programs, which prohibit programs that stigmatize people of certain sexual orientation and gender identity. Local governments in Indonesia are obliged to respect national laws and institutions, which includes supporting local artists and promoting artistic development. The government is required under international law to protect the right to freedom of expression for artists like Rianto and Garin. Its sad that an accomplished dancer like Rianto openly and proudly represents Javanese traditions in Tokyo when his own story is censored at home in Pontianak, Palembang and Balikpapan. By censoring a beautiful film like Memories of My Body, these local governments are discriminating sexual minorities and denying all Indonesians an opportunity to enjoy their rich culture. Indonesian culture and art will suffer a great setback with the restrictions on this film putting the rights to security, privacy and free expression for LGBT Indonesians once again under threat. ___________________________ The writer is a researcher for Human Rights Watch. The above article was first published in www.thejakartapost.com. 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 13, 2019 07:06 958 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8737800ea 1 Destinations Agoda,Asia,destination,Thailand,bali,Malaysia,Philippines,India,phuket,Kota-Kinabalu Free Online travel booking platform Agoda revealed six exotic holiday destinations in the wild in Asia that provide guests individual and personal contact with nature. The following nature escapes represent incomparable wildlife adventures just a short flight away. Slumber under the Bali sky The Island of the Gods is famous for its natural beauty, picturesque beaches and magical sunsets. Enjoy a unique night under the stars accompanied by night animals in one of the transparent domes at the unconventional and minimalist Bubble Hotel Ubud. Get to know Malaysias homegrown species Belum Temenggor rainforest in Perak, Malaysia, is one of the oldest of its kind in the world. Watch the wildlife or join activities such as jungle trekking, kayaking or camping in the wild. The area is home to some of the worlds most endangered animals, such as the Malayan tiger, Asiatic elephant or the white handed gibbon. The Belum Rainforest Resort offers the best view of the rainforest. The Temenggor Lake at Royal Belum State Park, Malaysia. (Shutterstock/Abdul Razak Latif) Swim with Miniloc Islands marine life The El Nido Resort on Miniloc Island, Philippines, is located in the middle of beautiful coves and sheer limestone cliffs. Apart from enjoying the Philippines crystal clear water and vibrant marine life, the resort offers special activities such as guided sunrise and sunset hike tours, boat trips to the nearby lagoons and caves, as well as snorkeling excursions with the local fish. If youre lucky, you might see the massive talakitok, which weighs around 80 kilograms and measures 170 centimeters. Read also: Agoda bookings reveal 2018s top travel destinations in Asia, Europe, America Soar with Phuket's nature Enjoy the natural view above the Phuket jungle of Thailand and spend your night in a Keemala Hotels villa, which was designed as a birds nest. The resort runs a strict Anti Animal Exploitation Policy and has rescued several animals onsite. It is home to goats, ducks, peacock and chickens, as well as a water buffalo rescued from Thai slaughterhouses. Be a marine conservationist for a day If you are interested in the marine ecosystem, pay a visit to the Marine Ecology Research Center at Gayana Marine Resort in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. As a learning and educational organization, it raises awareness on the increasing threats of marine life. Rehabilitation activities include replanting coral in the reef or getting close to sea creatures from seahorses to bamboo sharks. Go off-grid with India's majestic predators As one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in Northern India, Ranthambore National Park is a popular attraction for wildlife admirers. The parks highlight includes Royal Bengal Tigers, Indian leopards, nilgai, wild boars, striped hyenas, sloth bears and chitals. At Obero Vanyavilas Ranthambhore Hotel, you can spend your nights in glamping tents and enjoy the natural bird life, including magpie robins, purple sun birds and oriental white eyes. (sop/wng) Kathus 19th Century treasure: The discovery of tin in the 1790s Kathu had previously been an area frequented only by hunters chasing flocks of waterfowl in the swamps or rhinoceros, tigers, deer and boar in the forests. In 1870, Dr. D. B. Bradley, publisher of the Bangkok Daily Advertiser, visited Phuket and tells us the history of the early development of these new mines at Kathu. HistoryHistory-of-Phuket By Colin Mackay Monday 13 May 2019, 02:00PM The island was, some few years ago, divided into two provinces, called Salang [Thalang] and Poket. Before the division, the island consisted of only one province called Salang, the principle inhabitants of which were Malays, with a few Siamese, and they cultivated rice and caught fish sufficient for their own consumption. The Governor of the island was then Phra Phalat. He was sent to Poket when it was only a fishing village and being an enterprising sort of man he determined to see what treasures were concealed beneath the soil and was so far successful as to find something which he thought would in a few years amply repay the outlay which he might make The Chinese soon flocked in numbers to Phuket and Phra Phalat furnished them with funds to commence work and the place prospered and grew apace. Access into Kathu at the time was up the crocodile-infested Klong Bang Yai, the stream (now very silted up and in most places encased in concrete as a stormwater culvert in Phuket Town) which runs down from Kathu past Sam Kong (by the Tesco Lotus store) into Phuket City, past the Thavorn Hotel and then enters the sea at Saphan Hin (the bay here was known formerly as Bukit or Tongkah Harbour). Small flat-bottomed boats poled supplies, equipment and people up this river, through thick jungle, to the primitive Chinese mining camps being set up in clearings (in the area around Get Ho village in Kathu today). By 1800, about a mile up this Klong Bang Yai from the sea, far enough inland to deter pirates, a ramshackle Chinese shanty port town appeared to supply these prospectors and miners with food, equipment, opium and gambling and to smelt their tin ore. This settlement became known as Bukit, Poket or now Phuket town. By the early years of the 19th century, tin production in the region had increased to around 400 tonnes a year. Some years as much as 40 tonnes was transported to Bangkok as tax and much of the rest was used to buy weapons and cloth, which also had to be transported to Bangkok. Due to the constant threat of piracy, it was unsafe to ship these valuables via the Strait of Malacca to Bangkok. Instead, they were usually sent by the old trans-peninsular route overland from Marid Town (Thap Phut today) in Phang Nga by river boat upstream, then carried by elephant or ox carts over the Khao Sok Pass (near the Ratchaprapa Dam today), then downstream by river to Surat Thani, where they were loaded on to junks for Bangkok. The route was arduous and slow and many goods were lost en route. For example, one late 18th century Thai document tells us that the governor of Takua Thung in Phang Nga, who, as a gift for the King, brought from India a shipload of piece goods and silver vessels enameled in various colours as used at court The Governor had all these valuable things conveyed under his personal supervision to Tha Khao Sok. There, they were loaded on boats to go downriver to the Bay of Bandon on the east coast, but owing to a sudden flood in the river, the Governors boat sank and all the enameled ware was lost. Many other goods were lost in the crossing, both to the river and to dacoits and bandits, who preyed on these trans-peninsular trade convoys. In 1804, Phraya Surindr-raja, a respected Thai commissioner for the region, set about building a new and easier route for the conveyance of Royalties in kind and other dues over the peninsula as the Khao Sok route was hardly practicable on account of the numerous rapids and [water] falls in the streams, hence crown property had gone many times lost The King approved of the scheme and granted elephants for the purpose to cut a track through the jungle from Pak Phanom to Phang Nga. A squabble soon arose with the viceroy of Ligor and Phraya Surindr-raja about who would collect tolls along a section of the road that passed through Ligors lands, a squabble which Phraya Suridr-raja won. This was a first early sign that Phuket, with its increasing wealth from tin, was beginning to challenge the traditional dominance of the ancient city of Ligor. This newly cleared route reduced the peninsular crossing time to four or five days. It also meant that Bangkoks previous remote and distant rule over Phuket was becoming closer, as the island became more valuable. (Note: Around the early-to mid-19th century, visitors and foreigners started to refer to the ancient city of Ligor today called Nakhon Sri Thammarat in Thai). Adapted with kind permission from the book A History of Phuket and the Surrounding Region by Colin Mackay. Available from good bookshops and Amazon.com. Order the softcover 2nd edition directly at: www.historyofphuket.com Norwegian allegedly raped on Koh Phangan SURAT THANI: Police believe an Asian man was responsible for the alleged rape of a Norwegian woman, 26, on Koh Phangan early on Sunday morning (May 12). sexviolencetourismpolicecrime By Bangkok Post Monday 13 May 2019, 04:24PM Police inspect a scene of the alleged rape on Koh Phangan in Surat Thani province on Monday (May 13). Photo: by Supapong Chaolan Inspecting the scene on the southern tourist island on Monday, Surat Thani police chief Pol Maj Gen Apichart Boonsrirote said the woman reported her case to the Koh Phangan police station at 3am on Sunday. According to him, the woman attended a half-moon party in Moo 3 village of tambon Ban Tai at 11pm on Saturday. When she returned to her room at Goodtime Beach Backpackers hotel at about 2am on Sunday, she realised she had lost her wallet. She and a male friend tried unsuccessfully to find the wallet and she decided to walk back to the place where the party was held alone. On the way, an Asian man on a motorcycle offered her a ride to help her find the wallet but he turned into an alley opposite a Big C store and attacked and raped her there. The scene was about 100 metres from her hotel, Pol Maj Gen Apichart said. The woman told police that she tried to fight and her locket, navel jewellery and fake nails must have dropped there, he said. Police are collecting evidence at the scene. Surveillance camera footage shows the suspected motorcyclist. He is Asian but his nationality remains unclear. The victim underwent a physical checkup and is under the care of tourist police, he said. The woman arrived in Thailand through an immigration checkpoint in Krabi province on April 17. She visited Bangkok and met her elder brother there. Both arrived on Koh Phangan on May 4. Read original story here. Wyndham flags condo hotel in Phukets Layan area PHUKET: A new Wyndham-managed condominium hotel is rising in the Layan Beach area of Phuket. Named the Laya Resort Phuket, the first phase of the project is 300 units of studio and one-bedroom configuration, reports Bill Barnett of hospitality consultancy C9 Hotelworks. propertyconstruction By The Phuket News Monday 13 May 2019, 12:50PM The Nusa Laya Condominium project in Cherng Talay as projected to be launched in 2017. Image: via Bangkok Post Pricing starts from B150,000 per square meter and a 15-year guaranteed return promoted with the first five years at 7% per annum, Mr Barnett noted in his repot today. (See here.) The project is a joint venture between the Chinese group Delsk and Nusasiri (PLC), he added. Completion or Phase 1 is expected in first quarter of 2021. A second phase of the project is currently under planning which will reportedly be larger than the first, Mr Barnett noted. Although the Wyndham Hotel Group has yet to post its own news release on its main or corporate portals (see here and here), the Group is one of the largest in the world and includes the Ramada and Days Inn brands, already with a marked presence on the island. The Laya Resort Phuket originated as a development by SET-listed Nusasiri Plc announced as to be completed in 2017 as part of the companys strategy to fend off intense competition and risks from high mortgage-rejection rates. The firm planned to launch 10 new sites worth a combined B13 billion in 2017, Chief Executive Visanu Thepcharoen said at the time. The new business model will target upper-end buyers who are much more concerned about health and wellness," he said. "These people have high purchasing power and no problem with mortgage loan rejections, he added. Phuket was to see three real estate projects launched, including Nusa Pakok Hotel worth B1.3 billion located on a 60.5-rai site in Pa Khlok, and comprising 120 hotel rooms and 71 villas. In Cherng Talay, there were be two projects the Nusa Laya Hotel with 300 rooms worth B1.65bn and the Nusa Laya Condominium with three low-rise buildings and a total of 170 units worth B1.6bn, Mr Visanu explained. (See story here.) New digs for senior center Area seniors are enjoying the new Watertown Senior Activities Center during their first Christmas party at the new site. The Watertown Area Community Foundation awarded a $42,000 grant to assist with kitchen equipment and new tables and chairs. Last year, Sixties Plus Dining, operated by Inter-Lakes Visitors and parachuting trainers get on board in Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 12, 2019. The aviation-themed town in Jiande welcomes more and more visitors to experience parachuting as the weather warms up. Since the first parachuting base in Jiande established in 2017, parachuting has become one of the most popular items of local tourism industry. Since 2019, the aviation-themed town has received 427,000 visitors and achieved revenue 15.117 million yuan, up 39.2 percent and 43.5 percent year on year respectively. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang) 9 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] Just be happy with what you've packing, gents That's the message coming from the researchers behind a new study, which found penis extension procedures don't work, can often leave their recipients psychologically scarred and somtimes even smaller members. "These procedures should almost never be done," lead researcher Gordon Muir, urologist at King's College Hospital in London, told the Guardian. "Often the man ends up with a penis that is disfigured and there is no more than 20 percent satisfaction rates with these procedures." His team looked at 1192 penis enlargement cases in the medical literature, and found the biggest increase in length any of them got was less than 2cm. Bank of Canada Gov. Stephen Poloz enters the final year of his term next month, and the guessing game on who could succeed him is underway. While Poloz hasnt officially announced whether he wants to stay, no Canadian central bank governor has been given a second mandate since the early 1980s. Early front-runners include the governors chief deputy, who would be the first woman to take the job, and the head of BlackRock Inc.s research unit, who would be the first French Canadian. Another contender is the dean of one of the countrys most prestigious business schools, who was passed over last time. The Canadian economy Poloz helped run for six years is emerging from a sluggish expansion with interest rates close to historically low levels. Complicating matters for any successor, household debt is at a record, which will weigh on growth and make the financial system more vulnerable to any future shock. Would-be candidates also must position themselves without knowing who will make the final decision. Polls show Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberals may lose power in October elections, and even if they win theres no guarantee Finance Minister Bill Morneau will continue in his job. While the Bank of Canadas board of directors conducts the selection process, the countrys finance minister and prime minister get the last word. Canada wouldnt be alone in making a change at its central bank. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi steps down in October, while Polozs predecessor and countryman, Mark Carney, is set to leave the Bank of England next January. Second In Command Carolyn Wilkins, 55, is currently the No. 2 official at the bank and would offer the smoothest transition, particularly given how Poloz has elevated her role of Senior Deputy Governor under his watch to one that is more prominent than usual for the job. She oversees the central banks strategic planning and economic research, is involved in high-level Group of 20 and Financial Stability Board meetings, and is overseeing the review of the central banks inflation mandate, which will be renewed in 2021. Wilkins also fills in for Poloz once a year as chair of the Governing Council the group of policy-makers that decides on interest rates. Wilkins is the first woman to hold the senior deputy job and would be the first-ever female governor. The BlackRock Economist Jean Boivin, 46, currently heads the economic and asset allocation research unit at BlackRock Inc., the worlds largest investment firm. He was considered an economic whiz kid when Carney, then Bank of Canada governor, recruited him from academia as an adviser a decade ago. When Boivin was subsequently promoted to deputy governor in 2010, Carney said his academic work had been pushing the frontiers of monetary economics. Boivin, a former pupil of Ben Bernanke at Princeton University, left his position at the Bank of Canada in 2012 to become associate deputy minister at Canadas finance department and top aide on Group of 20 matters a position once held by Carney before leaving for BlackRock. Boivin, currently based in London, would be the first francophone to run the central bank. Carneys Top Deputy Tiff Macklem was senior deputy at the Bank of Canada under Carney, and briefly Poloz, before leaving in 2014 to run the University of Torontos Rotman School of Management, one of the countrys top-ranked business schools. He lost his bid for the top job at the central bank in 2013 to Poloz, and its unclear he would even apply this time, but government sources consider him a strong contender. Macklem, 57, had more than two decades of experience at the Bank of Canada, working his way up in the research department through the 1990s before joining the governing council in 2004. He also served as associate deputy minister in the finance department during the financial crisis, playing a key role in the global response. The Governor Himself Whoever holds power in Ottawa next year may choose to forgo change altogether and stick with Poloz. Before the recent precedent of single mandate governors, two terms had been the norm at the Bank of Canada. Poloz has worked under both major political parties, appointed to the job by former Conservative Finance Minister Jim Flaherty six years ago, and touts his political independence. There also isnt anything to stop the next government from extending Polozs tenure for an abbreviated term. The weaker the economy looks at the end of his mandate, the stronger the case for continuity and the better Polozs chances of sticking around. Others Potential Candidates Paul Beaudry, also a Princeton PhD, joined the Bank of Canada earlier this year as deputy governor and has been praised by Poloz as a world-renowned scholar in macroeconomics. Paul Rochon is the current deputy minister at the finance department, making him the countrys third most important federal economic policy-maker after Poloz and Morneau. He was also a key policy-maker for Canada in the immediate aftermath of the global recession. And recent history is on his side. Two of the last three Bank of Canada governors have held top jobs at the finance department. Read more about: Private equity firm Onex Corp. is making its long-coveted leap into aviation by signing a friendly deal to buy WestJet Airlines Ltd. in an all-cash transaction of $3.5 billion. Under the agreement announced Monday, Onex will pay $31 per share for WestJet, which will operate as a privately held company after two decades on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The price represents about a 67 per cent premium to the shares, which closed Friday at $18.52 roughly the same price it reached the year of its initial public offering. The stock closed up nearly 60 per cent or $11.09 at $29.61 on Monday. The two companies said the deal, worth about $5 billion including debt, will be subject to a shareholder vote, likely in July, and close in the second half of 2019 or early 2020. Tawfiq Popatia, a managing director at Toronto-based Onex, expressed confidence in the airlines trajectory, which has seen it evolve from a low-cost regional carrier to a full-service international airline targeting higher-yield business passengers. The plan is what draws us. The plan is very much part of the appeal of this business...Were very much investing in this management team, he told The Canadian Press, saying that no major changes were afoot. Popatia added that Onex will continue the current employee profit-sharing program that sees a portion of profits distributed twice a year to all 14,000 WestJet employees, on top of an annual bonus. WestJet chief executive Ed Sims, who will remain CEO, said there are no job losses planned as a direct consequence of this transaction. Industry consultant David Tyerman said $5 billion is a lot of exposure for the Toronto-based Onex, which has some US$31 billion of assets under management. To me it looks like theyre trying to capitalize on a situation where a company is a bit down and out because of the impact of launching a lot of initiatives that have yet to pay off, as well as the fallout from the pilot situation last year, he said. In the past six years, Calgary-based WestJet has created both regional and budget airlines WestJet Encore and Swoop and set its sights on long-haul routes with an order for 10 Boeing 787 jetliners set for delivery before 2022, receiving the first one earlier this year. Intense competition remains a concern. A freshly expanded Flair Airlines, soon-to-launch Canada Jetlines Ltd., and Air Canadas low-cost Rouge are all crowding the budget airspace that WestJet has flown into with its 11-month-old, ultra-low-cost Swoop subsidiary. Tyerman and other analysts were skeptical the new deal would benefit passengers through lower airfares at a carrier that has posted quarterly profits for 14 years straight, with the exception of one quarter last year. Sims said he expects airfares will remain exactly as competitive as they are today. Popatia pointed to Onexs history in aviation, with past investments in aerostructures manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems and in-flight catering company Sky Chefs. Twenty years ago the firm teamed up with American Airlines parent company AMR Corp. in a hostile $1.8-billion bid plus the assumption of debt to acquire and merge Canadian Airlines then the countrys second-biggest carrier and Air Canada. The plan was dropped after being ruled illegal by a Quebec court. Onex also failed in its effort in 2007 as part of a consortium to buy Australias Qantas Airways Ltd. Popatia said the new foreign ownership threshold raised to 49 per cent from 25 per cent after amendments to the Canada Transportation Act had nothing to do with its decision, stating that Onex Partners the companys flagship private equity fund is the sole equity provider. Analyst Benoit Poirier of Desjardins Securities said Onex might also look to acquire Transat A.T. The tour operator, which owns Air Transat, competes with WestJet for sun destinations and launched in 2017 a $750-million plan to develop a hotel chain in Mexico and the Caribbean. We believe it would be easier for WestJet to acquire Transat once the company is integrated within Onex, as unlocking Transats full potential could take a few years (three to five years) which might be less suited for a public entity, Poirier said in an investor note. The Quebec-based travel company has been in buyout discussions with several suitors since last August, including Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau, Montreal developer Groupe Mach and financial services company FNC Capital. We dont speculate on any issues along those lines, Sims said Monday. WestJets current growth spurt could also generate profits to offset the rising cost of labour following the unionization of fight attendants and pilots. WestJet has been challenged by all this diversification thats been crunched into this very short space of time, said Robert Kokonis, president of Toronto-based consulting firm AirTrav Inc. Shareholders were wondering whether WestJet could execute all these things. Private sector union Unifor said it would stand up for WestJet workers as it is sold to Onex, a takeover specialist with a long history of cost cutting and restructuring at the companies it buys. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney weighed in Monday. By moving to private ownership, it is our hope that WestJet will have greater latitude to make long-term strategic investments, growing its fleet and global network of destinations, including direct overseas flights from Alberta, Kenney said in a statement. Analyst Doug Taylor of Canaccord Genuity said the Onex deal likely will not dramatically alter the competitive landscape. WestJet was generally well-funded and was already embarking on a large and highly competitive expansion plan. In our view, a private equity owner of an airline is likely to remain rational with respect to its approach to yields and profitability vs. market share, he said in a note to clients. Companies in this story: (TSX:ONEX, TSX:WJA, TSX:AC, TSX:TRZ) When Volkswagen AGs Porsche brand agreed last week to pay $600 million to end a probe into rigged diesel engines, it highlighted the German auto giants struggles to move past the 2015 emissions-cheating scandal and provided fresh fodder for disgruntled shareholders. Volkswagens clean-up efforts still lacking a thorough explanation into the roots of the crisis that has so far cost the company 30 billion euros ($33.7 billion) will be the focus of investor ire when the company holds its annual meeting in Berlin on Tuesday. Corporate-governance advisers Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis urged investors to vote against VWs leadership at the gathering. In light of fines and indictments against the company, senior management and supervisory-board members should be held accountable for material failures of governance, stewardship, risk oversight, and fiduciary responsibilities at the company, ISS said in a note, recommending a vote against executives for fourth consecutive year. We will vote against discharging Volkswagens management and supervisory board due to longstanding issues related to the companys corporate governance and compliance systems, Ulrich Hocker, president of German retail shareholder association DSW, told Bloomberg News. The group mainly represents investors holding non-voting preferred stock but also a smaller number of common shares, he said. A VW warning would be the latest sign of investors seeking to shake up board rooms across Germany. At Bayer AGs annual meeting in April, shareholders hit management with a stinging rejection. In February, a long-simmering feud between Uniper SE and its largest shareholder ended with the resignation of the power companys two top executives. While smaller investors may seek to ramp up pressure on Chief Executive Officer Herbert Diess under the gun to deliver a broad overhaul at VW they ultimately have little power at the Wolfsburg-based company. The descendants of Ferdinand Porsche creator of the VW Beetle own 53 per cent of the common stock, while the German state of Lower Saxony holds 20 per cent and Qatar 17 per cent. Theres little doubt that those three anchor shareholders will back management. That means the main pressure point at VW remains internal strife between management and the groups powerful labor representatives, as they battle over the companys future. Convincing Results The main issue for investors is Volkswagens efforts to shore up its compliance procedures and the legal risks that continue to hang over the company from the diesel scandal. But in terms of operations, the company has held up. First-quarter operating profit rose 15%, despite global trade tensions and heavy investments in electric cars. The solid performance has won over some investors. Shareholder rights group SdK plans to vote in favor of discharging managements actions at the meeting, calling the companys 2018 results convincing. The groups focus on topics of the future has continued, so management deserves backing, SdK said on its website. With the shift to electric mobility, the group will change significantly in the future. [May 13, 2019] Netcracker Showcases Digitalization Leadership at 2019 Digital Transformation World Netcracker Technology announced today that it will demonstrate its strategic partnerships with leading service providers as well as its market-leading digital transformation expertise at TM Forum's (News - Alert) Digital Transformation World 2019. The event is slated for May 14-16 at the Acropolis Convention Center in Nice, France. Netcracker will exhibit in booth #316. Netcracker is the leading strategic partner for service providers engaging in large-scale digital transformation programs. Netcracker's award-winning BSS, OSS and cloud virtualization solutions give operators the next-generation capabilities they need to keep pace with the evolving digital ecosystem and deliver the best possible customer experience. As part of its Digital Transformation World experience, Netcracker will host the exclusive Digital Leadership Summit "Rakuten: Bringing Hyper-Scale Innovation and Disruption to the Communications Industry" as well as the keynote "Netcracker & Rakuten: Blueprint for Digital Transformation Success" in collaboration with Rakuten Mobile, Inc. and TM Forum. Netcracker will also run several speaking sessions throughout the event as well as the "5G Riders on the Storm" Catalyst. Click here for Netcracker's full agenda at Digital Transformation World. Digital Leadership Summit | Tuesday, May 14 @ 2:00 PM Netcracker's Digital Leadership Summit, "Rakuten: Bringing Hyper-Scale Innovation and Disruption to the Communications Industry," will take place at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, May 14 in the Muses 2 conference room in the Acropolis. The operator-only workshop in conjunction with TM Forum will host Rakuten Mbile, Inc. CTO Tareq Amin and will showcase the company's groundbreaking digital transformation, which leverages Netcracker's cloud solutions. Alongside TM Forum and Netcracker, Rakuten Mobile, Inc. will share its unique transformation approach as well as best practices and strategies. You can register for the summit here. Keynote | Tuesday, May 14 @ 9:00 AM Andrew Feinberg, President and CEO of Netcracker, will join Tareq Amin, CTO of Rakuten Mobile, Inc., for the keynote "Netcracker & Rakuten: Blueprint for Digital Transformation Success" at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, May 14 in the Apollon Auditorium. The keynote will highlight the strategic partnership between Netcracker and Rakuten and the lessons learned that can be applied to other service providers as they tackle digital transformation. Other Speaking Sessions Tuesday, May 14 Automation & Operational Excellence: The Role of OSS and Orchestration 4:00 PM | Muses Conference Room 3 Susan White, Head of Portfolio Marketing, Netcracker Wednesday, May 15 Capturing New Value & Revenue: Where to Place Your Bets 11:15 AM | Muses Conference Room 2 Andre Kriger, CIO, Vivo Bob Titus, Vice President of Digital Solutions, Netcracker Case Study: Network Strategies for NaaS Offerings 4:00 PM | Muses Conference Room 3 Aloke Tusnial, CTO SDN/NFV, Netcracker Thursday, May 16 Customer Loyalty Through Differentiated Offers 2:00 PM | Agora Conference Room 4 Carlos Longeri, CFO, Grupo Gtd Gustavo Duarte, Director of Business Solutions, Netcracker Catalyst Alongside champions from BT, KDDI (News - Alert), Orange, Telecom Austria Group, Telecom Italia and Telenor, Netcracker will participate in the "5G Riders on the Storm" Catalyst. The Catalyst will demonstrate the importance of slice management and orchestration in ensuring the resilience of 5G networks during extreme weather scenarios. In the Catalyst, Netcracker provides the order management business layer as well as a service orchestration system. Click here for Netcracker's full agenda at Digital Transformation World. About Netcracker Technology Netcracker Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC (News - Alert) Corporation, is a forward-looking software company, offering mission-critical solutions to service providers around the globe. Our comprehensive portfolio of software solutions and professional services enables large-scale digital transformations, unlocking the opportunities of the cloud, virtualization and the changing mobile ecosystem. With an unbroken service delivery track record of more than 20 years, our unique combination of technology, people and expertise helps companies transform their networks and enable better experiences for their customers. For more information, visit www.netcracker.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005209/en/ [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] Off the record, federal officials have said its more likely than not that the cabinet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will decide June 18 to go ahead with the $13.5-billion federally funded megaproject to almost triple the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline. An expanded Trans Mountain would enable Alberta finally to sell its landlocked Athabasca heavy oil in markets other than the U.S., which currently takes almost all of Albertas oil production. It would be unwise, though, to bet on that outcome for instance, by investing in oilpatch stocks that would likely see a bounce on news of a green light from Ottawa for this controversial project. On balance, the federal Liberals have more to lose than to gain politically from a go-ahead decision. Alberta, the ingrate province, will not reward the Liberals with even one Commons seat in the October federal election. And the Liberals might lose seats in their B.C. stronghold, where an expanded Trans Mountain is regarded as a threat to the B.C. coastline. Recent polling shows Liberal support bleeding away to the Green Party, not only in the Greens B.C. redoubt but in Quebec and Ontario. Read more: Kenney, Horgan and the rest of us: Can B.C. and Alberta find common ground in their pipeline feud? Trans Mountain oil tanks could pose deadly quake risk, say engineer and geoscientist Opinion | David Olive: Doug Ford says carbon taxes will cost us. Here are six reasons not to believe him All to say that a pro-pipeline, pro-oil posture is not ideal for the Liberals heading into the October campaign. Conversely, withholding cabinet approval for Trans Mountain gives Ottawa some leverage with the new Alberta government of Premier Jason Kenney, who in defiance of Ottawa has scrapped Albertas participation in a pan-Canadian carbon-pricing program, a key initiative of the Trudeau government. Kenney, who regards an expanded Trans Mountain as Albertas birthright, needs reminding that there is a price to be paid by being a skunk in the federation. Warren Buffett, we hardly knew ye Dont be quick to invest alongside Warren Buffett. As revealed last week, Buffett got suckered into investing in a California outfit, a now-bankrupt DC Solar, that court documents describe as a Ponzi-type investment fraud scheme. Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway Inc. was taken for $377 million (U.S.) in write-offs on its stake in the firm. U.S. banking giant Wells Fargo & Co., a much bigger Berkshire investment, has admitted to ripping off millions of its customers; is under regulatory investigation; and is such an accounting mess that its outside auditor refuses to sign off on its financial statements. Also this year, it became apparent that the 2015 mega-merger of Kraft Foods and Heinz Co. is a bust. The merger was engineered by Buffett and the Brazilian private-equity firm 3G Capital, which also owns Tim Hortons. In March, Kraft Heinz Co., whose stock has lost more than a third of its value this year, took a $15.4-billion writeoff on its flagship, slow-selling Kraft and Oscar Mayer brands. We overpaid [for Kraft], says Buffett, who made his reputation by underpaying for assets. Because of Berkshires status as a proxy for the U.S. economy, BRK.A stock is up an impressive 48 per cent over the past three years. But its getting easier to do better than that, investing in focused companies whose stock-market performance outshines the worlds biggest conglomerate. A partial list of such firms includes McDonalds Corp. (up 61 per cent in three years), Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. (up 76 per cent), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (up 77 per cent), Caterpillar Inc. (up 93 per cent), Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (up 114 per cent), Microsoft Corp. (up 145 per cent) and Air Canada (up 279 per cent). SNC-Lavalin: A special situations stock The beaten-down stock price of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. finds the companys assets deeply undervalued. At the current SNC stock price of about $27, the market is placing a value of zero on SNCs core engineering and construction business. The market also assigns no value to SNCs WS Atkins unit, which SNC management believes is worth more than the $3.6 billion that SNC paid to acquire the major British engineering firm in 2017. With a current total shareholder value of about $4.8 billion, SNC in its entirety is valued at less than its 16.8 per cent stake in Highway 407, a lucrative toll road in Ontario. SNC has another 14 so-called infrastructure concession investments, including the Okanagan Lake floating bridge, that the market also places no value on. SNC might seem a prime candidate to be acquired on the cheap, broken up and sold in pieces for a very handsome profit. Trouble is, Quebec City has vowed that it will buy any major Quebec-based company threatened with foreign takeover, and it cited only SNC in unveiling that policy. SNC is additionally takeover-proof given the more than 20 per cent stake in SNC held by the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, the state pension-fund manager. Then again, Quebec City might be agreeable to the spin-off of selected assets, such as WS Atkins and those infrastructure properties not located in Quebec. Such sales would strengthen SNCs debt-laden balance sheet, boosting the stock price. Stocks like SNC, whose valuations are determined not by economic and business fundamentals but by unquantifiable factors like politics, are called special situations. On North American stock markets, SNC might be the biggest pure play in politics. Read more about: CALGARYWhile some fear the loss of an iconic symbol of Western Canada, there were also expressions of cautious optimism from customers and politicians Monday about the sale of Calgary-based WestJet to a company founded by a Toronto billionaire. Under the $3.5-billion agreement, Gerry Schwartzs private-equity firm Onex Corp. will pay $31 per share if the deal is approved by shareholders at a meeting in July. That represents a 67 per cent premium, based on the $18.52 closing price on Friday, although the airlines shares spiked to $29.61 at Mondays close after the friendly deal was announced. Even though Onex promised WestJet headquarters will remain in Calgary, one local businessman was wistful about the sale, which marks the end of an era for the self-described little company that could. As a longtime customer, I guess Im sad that a scrappy little Calgary success story seems to be getting sucked into the corporate abyss, said Frank Penkala, president of Calgary business LeaseDirect, in an email. Speaking to the Star, Penkala said he worried the sale could affect customer service, as well as drive ticket prices up. Its always been a fun airline to fly with. We have friends that work for the company, and theyve always been very positive about their experience. And so Im worried about the overall effect on the culture. Read more: Onex signs agreement to buy WestJet in deal valued at $5B Gerald Schwartz: The man behind Onex and the WestJet deal WestJet suspends several routes due to Max aircraft grounding, reroutes passengers In St. Catharines, Ont., shareholder Andrew Gills reaction was an easy one: Sell. You take your profit and you move on, said Gill, a firefighter and mortgage agent who thinks the deal will improve service. My wife and I are huge fans, he said, adding they will continue to fly WestJet and have a flight booked next week from Toronto to Las Vegas. Were kind of hoping that WestJet will remain the great company we know and love. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who won a majority government in the April provincial election on a platform that put jobs, economy and pipelines above everything else, took the opportunity to take some of the credit. The representative from Onex told me that their major investment in WestJet is partly a decision by that company, Onex, to bet on Alberta after I mentioned the job-creation tax cut, Kenney said Monday, referring to an election promise to cut corporate tax rates to stimulate the economy. More than 80 per cent of WestJet employees own shares in the company, which amount to about 19 per cent of total shares, according to WestJet media relations. The deal which will total $5 billion when including debt will take WestJet, a public company that has taken great pride in its employee shareholder program, private. Chris Rauenbusch, president of CUPE local 4070, which represents 4,000 flight attendants, said the fact that Onex is willing to buy WestJet shares at a premium shows the company sees value in the business. We see this as an opportunity to become a world leader, he said. Rauenbusch said the employee shareholder program has stood in place of a pension plan, and its now up to Onex to figure out a replacement. Company representatives have assured him they will come up with an alternative to offer employees some way to save for the future. Were kind of taking a wait-and-see approach to what that means, said Rauenbusch. We plan to hold Onex to its word. In the past six years, WestJet has created both regional and budget airlines WestJet Encore and Swoop and set its sights on long-haul routes with an order for 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliners by 2022. The first 320-seat plane was launched in April. Air-passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs said its too early to tell whether the sale will affect the passenger experience. He thinks Onex is buying lots of trouble, referring to a current inquiry launched by the federal Competition Bureau into allegations that WestJet and Swoop undercut its competition, B.C.-based Flair Airlines, on several Canadian routes. Eric Denhoff, retired deputy minister of Albertas climate change office, lives in Victoria but travels to Edmonton frequently. He said he thinks WestJets days are over as a Western Canadian icon. Im concerned that Albertans and Western Canadians will feel, at an emotional level, that weve lost a major, iconic symbol of Western independence, culture and entrepreneurship, Denhoff said in an email. Denhoff questioned whether more decisions will be made in Toronto, and what will happen if the company changes hands again in the future. Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said Monday he was pleased to hear that Onex will keep WestJet headquarters in Calgary, where it started out in 1996, and that no jobs will be lost in the wake of the sale. He was concerned about the prospect of the private equity firm cutting costs, but after speaking with Onex representatives, he was told it is entirely focused on growth. Thats good news for WestJet, and its good news for Calgary, Nenshi said. But well be watching very carefully and making sure that those promises are kept. Some consumers worried on social media about their WestJet rewards and credit cards, but the company told the Star the rewards program and credit card partnership will not change. Others tweeted concern over upcoming flights, but the company reassured customers that it is business as usual that includes Swoop, the WestJet-owned discount airline. WestJets board of directors has unanimously recommended shareholders vote in favour of the deal in July. With files from The Canadian Press Read more about: ST. JOHNS, N.L.A young woman who snapped a photo of a police officer walking through a St. Johns mall with a carbine firearm at the ready says she wishes officers could tell citizens more when highly armed situations arise in public venues. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary explained Sunday evening, almost two days after the incident, that they were responding to a report of a shooting at the Avalon mall that turned out to be a false report. Twenty-three-year-old Amanda Evans said in an interview on Sunday she was coming off her shift and was sitting in the closed food court at Avalon Mall late Friday, taking shelter from a cool evening as she waited for a bus. She says when she asked a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer carrying a rifle what was occurring and whether she should leave, she was told the situation appeared to be under control. I went up to the police officer with a gun and said, I know youre carrying something and the laser is on, but is it safe for me to stay here? she said. He said, It should be all fine for now. I think we have it all under control, Evans recalled. Evans said the response left her uncertain of what to do and whether to remain in the area. She said she also searched in vain for a news release or public information afterwards to explain what had occurred. Speculation on what had happened piled up in her Facebook page for a day, as the public awaited an official comment on the incident. Const. Colin Shaw, a spokesman for the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, said in an interview Sunday evening that carbines have become part of police responses to shooting calls since officers who werent equipped with the long guns were killed in Mayerthorpe, Alta., and in Moncton, N.B., incidents. The RCMP was convicted on Labour Code charges related to the 2014 shooting in Moncton that left three officers dead and two injured, due to its failure to provide its members with the necessary equipment to deal with an active shooter event. The judge in the Moncton case said high-powered carbine rifles could have made a difference for the officers targeted by the gunman. Then-commissioner Bob Paulson testified during the trial that RCMP management had concerns over the potential militarization of the force. He told the court he worried that the carbines could distance the public from the police. Shaw said in the St. Johns incident, police responded appropriately by having the guns on display when they arrived at 10 p.m. We have to respond to each of those calls as though true, until its proven false, he said. When you have a report of anyone with a firearm in a public place where theres potential for multiple casualties. ... officers respond with carbines. Following the event, police offered limited information to media, other than to state the public was not at risk. Shaw said that a public explanation could have been produced more quickly. Evans says she posted a fuzzy photograph of the officer with the carbine on her social media, adding she did so in an effort to draw out information on the incident. Shaw said one option would be for an officer to refer the public to a supervisor when they ask whats occurring, but sometimes they might not be able to take the time and answer a series of questions. Its tough when youre in the moment to have the appropriate response to those kinds of questions that are coming at you, he said. Brendan Rozier, a law student in Winnipeg who has researched police militarization, said the visibility of weapons is an increasing reality in Canadian policing. Both the public and the police want an effective police service, though they may disagree about what that looks like, he said in an email. To what extent should the police be expected to inform the public of ongoing situations, or to limit the use of certain equipment? Those are questions with answers that may vary from one community to another. OTTAWACanada could find a win for its feminist foreign policy in the spiralling famine and refugee crisis gripping South Sudan and neighbouring African countries, says a senior United Nations official. Canada can do more, Arnauld Akodjenou, the UN High Commissioners for Refugees South Sudan co-ordinator, said in an interview Monday. Its a test case they have with the South Sudan situation. They should not miss that opportunity. Akodjenou was in Ottawa to press the Trudeau government for more Canadian involvement in South Sudans five-year civil war, which has killed 400,000 and forced 2.2 million people to flee the country, while displacing 1.9 million more inside the country. Of the refugees, 80 per cent are women and children, he said, which makes South Sudan a perfect policy fit for the newly branded Canadian policy of focusing foreign aid on helping women and girls. Last week, a coalition of East African countries approved a six-month extension to a fragile peace deal that calls for South Sudans rival factions to form a unity government. Canada has strong relations in the half-dozen neighbouring countries that are themselves buckling under the influx of refugees, so Akodjenou says by helping those countries the government could also make any new aid go much further. Those countries include Ethiopia and Uganda, which are bearing the brunt of the South Sudanese refugee influx, as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Kenya and Sudan. An April report by the UN World Food Program, the European Union and the UNs food-and-agriculture organization found that South Sudan, along with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Sudan, were among the countries afflicted by acute hunger. In South Sudan alone, the Norwegian Refugee Council estimates that by July, 60 per cent of the population will face acute food insecurity, which UN defined as when a persons inability to consume adequate food puts their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger. Akodjenou said the South Sudan crisis is unique compared with the other more pervasive, African challenge: the northward migration of African refugees across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, which is linked to the rise of Islamist terror groups in the Sahel belt across the centre of the continent. Its not easy to leave South Sudan or Uganda to go to Libya. You need a lot of money, and they dont have that. After having toured all the major South Sudanese refugee camps, Akodjenou said hes found no evidence of inroads being made by Islamist recruiters who prey on the vulnerable. The fact the country is almost exclusively Christian helps insulate it against that threat, he said. The verdant and oil-rich South Sudan became the worlds newest country in 2011 after a six-year peace process, severing itself from the Khartoum-governed Sudan after a 22-year civil that left two million people dead and forced four million from their homes. In a 2000 report by respected Canadian diplomat John Harker, the Alberta oil company Talisman Energy Inc., since bought and renamed Respol Oil and Gas Inc. in 2015, was found to be complicit in allowing the civil war to flourish. The report prompted Lloyd Axworthy, then the minister of foreign affairs, to publicly push Talisman to do better. A February update on South Sudan to the UN Human Rights Council named Talisman again as one international company that was complicit in aiding government forces in the north against rebels in the south. The promise of peace in the newly birthed South Sudan was short-lived: civil war broke out again in late 2013. Canadas contributions to South Sudan include almost $29 million for security and stabilization and about $98 million in international assistance. In February, Save the Children urged the government to do more to protect children in conflict zones, citing UN figures that showed 870,000 children aged five or younger including 550,000 babies had been killed in armed conflict between 2013 and 2017 in 11 countries, including South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq and Mali. Canada must step up to ensure we collectively do all we can to protect these children from further harm and help rebuild their future, Bill Chambers, the president of Save The Children Canada, said in a statement at the time. TORONTOOntario is planning to cut about $46 million this year from the provincial police budget, as the Progressive Conservative government tries to trim the provinces deficit. The governments expenditure estimates for this year show the funding drop, as well as scores of other cuts, including to health research, Legal Aid Ontario, library services and tourism offices. Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said the Ontario Provincial Police leadership understands that the provinces fiscal health needs to be restored. Ontarios deficit is at $11.7 billion, which the government doesnt expect to eliminate before the next election. We have some very creative, proactive things that the OPP are doing, like a very simple basic thing of adding more oil changes to our fleet of cars that will allow them to stay on the road longer, Jones said in the legislature Monday. I have great faith in the leadership of the OPP to be able to manage these challenges within their existing allotment. The largest funding cut comes from field and traffic services, with corporate and strategic services also seeing a sizable hit. The budgets for investigations and organized crime and fleet management are being increased. A spokeswoman for Jones said no police officers will lose their jobs. Were confident community safety will be enhanced, as the OPP is better managed and renews their focus on protecting our families, standing up for victims, and holding criminals accountable for their actions, Marion Ringuette said in a statement. The reduction relates to the OPP becoming more efficient by streamlining corporate offices, improving maintenance so vehicles last longer, and making financial reallocations of funds from field and traffic to other areas within the OPP. The former Liberal governments spending put the sustainability of community safety work at risk, she said. The Liberals balanced the budget in 2017-18, but then increased spending in a number of areas ahead of the 2018 election, plunging the province back into the red. Later Monday, Jones announced $20 million toward the construction of a new OPP highway safety division detachment in Mississauga. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the overall funding cut doesnt make any sense whatsoever. At the same time as we are having experiments with the increased speed limits on highways, you would think the government would think twice before cutting back on the OPP budget, she said. In question period, Jones dismissed a suggestion that a pilot project to raise speed limits to 110 kilometres an hour on sections of three 400-series highways will have devastating impacts. Green party Leader Mike Schreiner said he was surprised to see the funding cut, given how often government members talk about being pro-police. He called it completely ironic that Environment Minister Rod Phillips recently decried an extra $1.4 million he said the federal carbon tax will cost Ontarios correctional facilities and OPP detachments by 2022, but then cut their budgets. The expenditure estimates also show a $36-million cut to the correctional services program. Ringuette said the government is investing in staff mental health, building a new jail in Thunder Bay and the eastern region, enhancing security and addressing the problem of drugs in correctional institutions. Read more about: An elderly man has been taken to hospital after he was struck by a bus in Scarborough late Sunday evening. Toronto police responded to a call about a pedestrian struck on Midland Ave. and Sheppard Ave. E. around 6:30 p.m., police spokesperson Katrina Arrogante told the Star. He was found unconscious at the scene, but he was still breathing and was taken by emergency run to the hospital, she said. Arrogante did not confirm whether the bus was a TTC bus or not, but she said the bus involved in the crash remained at the scene. Charges in connection to the crash have not yet been laid. The man remains in serious condition, Toronto paramedics said. The intersection has been blocked off northbound Midland Ave. while police investigate details about what led up to the collision. Torontos historical Matador ballroom in Little Italy is officially closing following years of failed revamps, reopenings and attempts to get city permits. The building, at College St. and Dovercourt Rd., was sold earlier in May, owner Paul McCaughey confirmed to the Star late Sunday. The Matador, which is 103 years old, has been home to performances by Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell, Stompin Tom Connors and Leonard Cohen. In September 2018, McCaughey got a zoning certificate from the city, which allowed the space to operate as a place of assembly, eating establishment and custom workshop, after nine years of efforts to legally reopen the space. McCaughey finally considered selling the Matador after failing to find the right partners to convert the space into a restaurant and wine bar, as hed planned. At this point, Im just relieved I finally get to close this chapter of my life, McCaughey told the Star. Theres no doubt in my mind that if we had not had the difficulties in the process of our many applications to the city, the Matador would be open today. The process took far too long. Andrew Munger, a documentary film producer who has lived near the Matador for 25 years, said hes disappointed about losing a part of Torontos cultural fabric, which he said represents the music era in Toronto. Munger spent days in the Matador a couple years ago shooting part of a documentary, Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band, produced by Martin Scorsese. The film will be released in theatres this fall. The city does have tools, Munger said, noting the Matador could have been designated as a heritage site. It has historical foundation beyond the more recent history of the matador as a night club . . . I think the city takes it for granted. Erella Ganon, who organized a petition to save the Matador, said the closure feels like losing a family member. The iPhone generation will never get it, she said. The Matador meant so much to so many people. It has a real history, much more than being just a night club with so many people walking through and signing their names. For any city to have a rich history, you need music venues like the Matador to exist and the city just didnt get that. In a statement to the Star, spokesperson Don Peat said Mayor Tory is committed to helping the music sector in Toronto continue to be vibrant and strong. McCaughey said theres a crisis occurring in Torontos music scene. I dont believe the city of Toronto is conducive to investment in music venues and I think we have a crisis no matter what the city is saying in reproach to supporting music venues, he said. McCaughey said he now wants to spend his time working on poetry. The Matador really taught me that to follow my passion, it was my Ninth Symphony and my lifes joy, and Im very pleased to have done what I could to save it. Correction - May 13, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said the property is now owned by TAS DesignBuild, a real estate company that specializes in condo development. With files from Sherina Harris SYDNEYTo understand why the Trump administration has struggled to build a global coalition of allies in its trade war with China, it helps to understand what is happening in the rolling hills and valleys of Australias southeast and southwest coasts. Vineyards that once made many crisp white wines and fruity red ones popular with U.S. buyers are now also producing more austere reds favoured by a segment of a rapidly expanding market of Chinese drinkers. Since 2008, Australias wine exports to the United States have fallen 37 per cent; exports to China have risen 959 per cent. Around the globe, longtime allies are planning for a world in which the United States is no longer the economic centre. For all the frustrations of doing business with China, including opaque government action and allegations of intellectual property theft, the sheer logic of economic geography is proving more significant than historical alliances. The tension is evident in many countries with deep economic ties to the United States, including South Korea, Japan and Germany. But perhaps nowhere is the tug more vivid than in Australia, long one of Americas closest allies, which now finds itself pulled in the opposite direction by China, its largest export market. In national elections scheduled for next Saturday, both major parties have called for a balanced foreign policy, aimed at maintaining the countrys long-standing national security alliance with the United States while also looking to nurture the relationship with China. Read more: US-China relations near new low amid trade battle U.S.-China trade war worsens as tariff hike takes effect Trump says China tariffs help, not hurt the US Neither partys leaders have adopted the bellicose anti-China language of President Donald Trump, nor the use of tariffs to try to force the Chinese to yield to Australian demands. (The Trump administration recently raised tariffs on $200 billion (U.S.) of Chinese imports to 25 per cent from 10 per cent and threatened to expand the tariffs to encompass all Chinese imports.) Australias cultural affinity with the United States remains strong. Australian and U.S. troops fought together in Second World War, and more recently in Afghanistan and Iraq. The countries intelligence agencies share some of their deepest secrets. But in terms of cold hard (Australian) dollars, the nations business and political leaders now speak of the worlds two largest economies as equally important partners. Our interests are not identical to the U.S., Geoff Raby, a former Australian ambassador to China who advises companies doing business in the two countries, said in an interview. That doesnt mean we cant have a close, warm relationship with the United States. But we cannot join the U.S. in a policy premised on China being a strategic competitor. Australia is essentially trying to navigate the world economy as a mid-size country maintaining good relations with both superpowers. It is trusting the United States as an ally on national security matters but also knows that its economic future, and present, are tied to China. Australia and China have had a trade agreement since 2015. Chinas huge population and rapid growth will inevitably pull more countries into its economic orbit. But that strong pull also reflects recent steps by the United States to undermine institutions that Americans themselves helped create to guide the global economic system. The Trump administration, for example, has levied steel and aluminum tariffs on close allies, ostensibly on national security grounds; walked away from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, aimed at creating a trade bloc that could counter Chinese influence; and taken steps to undermine the World Trade Organization, which many smaller countries view as essential to getting a fair shake in global commerce. The incumbent government, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, has sought to maintain close ties with both the United States and China. It has passed a law to try to reduce foreign influence in Australian politics and is pledging increases in spending for defence and cybersecurity. Inevitably, in the period ahead, we will be navigating a higher degree of U.S.-China strategic competition, Morrison said in a major foreign policy speech late last year. Leaders of the Australian Labor Party, aiming to take power for the first time since 2013, are less friendly to the Trump administration; they embrace economic ties to China while appearing reluctant to be pulled too close in either direction. Differences between our systems and values will inevitably affect the nature of our interactions, Penny Wong, a senator expected to be foreign minister if Labor prevails, said in a recent appearance. But those realities include the fact that China will remain important to Australias prosperity. The absence of a full-throated debate reflects a widespread acceptance that the economic relationship with China is too important to mess up. The silence during the campaign is almost eerie, said Richard McGregor, a senior fellow at the Lowy Institute, a think tank in Sydney. Neither party sees any overwhelmingly partisan advantage in taking the issue on. And both parties know that they could make life harder for themselves with China later because of things said in the heat of the battle. A look at the structure of the Australian economy shows why. The most economically consequential exports are commodities, including iron ore, coal and natural gas, which have helped provide raw materials for Chinas economic surge over the past three decades. But these natural resource industries are only part of the picture. There are about 165,000 Chinese-born students in Australian universities, a crucial revenue source. Buyers from China helped fuel the housing market, at least until recently; tighter restrictions on Chinese citizens freedom to move money abroad have been a factor in the sectors downturn. The Australian wine industry was once almost entirely focused on domestic production, then expanded to exporting to Britain and then the United States. But in the past 10 years, three forces have combined to make China the largest export market for Australian wine. The ranks of the Chinese middle class have grown astronomically. The 2015 trade agreement between the two countries reduced tariffs. And an extensive marketing campaign has helped ensure that many Chinese consumers would favour Australian labels. Tony Battaglene, chief executive of Australian Grape and Wine, the industrys trade group, said: We dont want either party to see us taking sides with the other party. Its delicate political ground, and we dont want to get caught up in the wash. In 1994, Catherine Cervasio started a company, Aromababy, that makes organic skin care products in Melbourne. She soon began exporting to Hong Kong and Singapore, and since 2008 has exported to the Chinese mainland, which accounts for about half the companys revenue. The company is not yet exporting to the United States, although she hopes to develop a U.S. business eventually. Its a lot further geographically, Cervasio said. She visited China seven times last year and has taken lessons in the language. There is more synergy among Asian markets and Australia, she said, especially around personal care products. In effect, the combination of population and geography made an Australian shift into the Chinese economic orbit inevitable once China began opening its economy in the 1980s. What has changed in the past couple of years is that the risk of a bifurcating world trade system has created new urgency in trying to keep options on both sides. Theres no need for Australian business or the Australian government to be hard and fast about allying with either China or the U.S. to the exclusion of the other, said Adrian Perkins, a partner at the law firm King & Wood Mallesons, the merged product of Chinese and Australian firms. The sensible path is to keep all options open. We neednt shut them down. What is sensible for Australias economy and geopolitics means that what was once a special relationship with the United States is no longer quite so special. Read more about: BEIRUTSaudi Arabias energy minister said Monday that two Saudi oil tankers had been sabotaged and sustained significant damage off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, raising new fears of escalating tensions in the region involving Iran, the two Gulf countries avowed enemy. A Norwegian company reported that one of its tankers, the Andrea Victory, was also damaged in the same area Sunday. Images posted online appeared to show the ship with a ragged gash in its stern at the waterline. The United Arab Emirates said that a total of four vessels had been sabotaged near the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Persian Gulf. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the United Arab Emirates assigned blame, made public any evidence of damage to their ships or described the nature of the sabotage. In a statement, the Norwegian company, the Thome Group, said the crew of its ship had reported that the vessel sustained hull damage after being struck by an unknown object. Nobody was hurt, the company added, and the ship was not in danger of sinking. Though the situation remains murky, even the hint of armed conflict sends shudders through a region already on edge from threats and counterthreats, and through a global economy heavily dependent on the free flow of oil from the gulf. Iran has threatened in recent years to block traffic through the straits, in response to Western sanctions and tensions with Saudi Arabia, but has not followed through. We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told reporters in Brussels on Monday. I think what we need is a period of calm to make sure that everyone understands what the other side is thinking. The claim of sabotage comes as the United States is deploying an aircraft carrier, bombers and an antimissile battery to the Gulf to deter what the Trump administration has said is the possibility of Iranian aggression. The administration contends that Iran is mobilizing proxy groups in the Middle East to attack U.S. forces, though it has not offered any information to support that conclusion, as the United States is ramping up economic sanctions. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went to Brussels on Monday to discuss Iran with European Union leaders, skipping what would have been the first day of a two-day trip to Russia. The administration recently moved to cut off Irans all-important oil revenues by stopping five of the countrys biggest customers from buying its oil, announcing at the same time that the United States would work with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to supply those customers with an alternative source of oil. The U.S. pressure tactics are aimed at forcing political change in Iran. Tensions have risen since last year, when U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord that world powers struck with Iran. Trump reimposed broad sanctions in November. Iran has swatted back, announcing last week it would restart the production of nuclear centrifuges and begin accumulating nuclear material again, though without withdrawing fully from the nuclear deal, which China, Russia and the European Union still support. Amid the mutual escalations, the U.S. Maritime Administration had warned Thursday of heightened threats from Iran in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Persian Gulf. It said there was an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could target oil tankers, other commercial ships or military vessels belonging to the United States or its allies. The Strait of Hormuz is the worlds most important narrow passage for oil shipments. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated in 2016 that nearly a third of all seaborne-traded crude oil and liquid petroleum products goes through the strait. Exports from major producers such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia move through the strait, so any threat of disruption is likely to alarm oil traders. Khalid al-Falih, the Saudi oil minister, said in a statement that one of the oil tankers sabotaged Sunday was on its way to pick up Saudi oil to be delivered to the United States. He said that there were no casualties and that no oil had been spilled. The Foreign Ministry of the United Arab Emirates said officials were investigating the events, which it said had occurred in the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Fujairah, one of the seven emirates that make up the country. According to an Iranian state news agency, the Islamic Republic News Agency, a spokesperson for the countrys Foreign Ministry seemed to brush away any suggestions that Iran was behind the sabotage, warning against any conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers to undermine stability and security in the region. The spokesperson, Abbas Mousavi, expressed concern about the apparent sabotage, the news agency reported, saying Monday that a regretful incident happened for some ships on Sunday. Fujairah, the emirate where the sabotage is said to have occurred, is an important fuelling point for tankers and other shipping. Oil prices climbed by more than 2 per cent Monday in response to the reports, before falling back again. Read more about: WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump lavished praise Monday on Viktor Orban, the authoritarian prime minister of Hungary and one of Europes leading nationalists, brushing aside concerns about the rollback of democratic institutions and warming ties with Russia. Victor Orban has done a tremendous job in so many ways, Trump said as he hosted the prime minister at the White House. Highly respected. Respected all over Europe. Probably like me, a little bit controversial, but thats OK. Thats OK. Youve done a good job, and youve kept your country safe. For Orban, the American presidents embrace was a welcome affirmation, not to mention a striking contrast to the chilly reception he often gets from European leaders who see him as a threat to their vision of a modern continent. Orban has vowed to build an alternative to liberal democracy, casting himself as a defender of a Christian homeland against Muslim migrants. U.S. government officials and human rights groups have long criticized Orbans policies and statements, but Trump disregarded concerns in inviting him to the Oval Office, something President Barack Obama refused to do. Trump administration officials argued that engagement was a better approach than estrangement, saying that they have raised concerns about Orbans policies at lower levels, even if Trump himself had not. Indeed, during their appearance before reporters, Trump expressed no qualms about Orbans approach and welcomed him as a valued ally to the United States and as a like-minded leader fighting illegal immigration and defending Christian culture. I know hes a tough man, but hes a respected man and hes done the right thing, according to many people, on immigration, Trump told reporters. And you look at some of the problems they have in Europe that are tremendous because theyve done it a different way than the prime minister. For his part, Orban cast himself as a Hungarian Trump. We have some similar approaches, Orban said. And I would like to express that we are proud to stand together with the United States on fighting against illegal migration, on terrorism and to protect and help the Christian communities around the world. Trump then added: And you have been great with respect to Christian communities. You have really put a block up, and we appreciate that very much. Asked about Hungarys weakening democratic institutions, Orban dismissed the question with a single sentence: We have a new constitution, accepted in 2011, and its functioning well. Trump interjected to defend Orban. And theyre a member of NATO, he said. A good member of NATO. I dont think we can really go into too much of a discussion unless thats mentioned. The president made no mention of the fact that Hungary spends only 1.15 per cent of its economy on defense, even though he regularly excoriates other NATO leaders for not meeting the 2 per cent goal set by the alliance. Likewise, he said nothing about Hungarys increasing energy ties with Russia, unlike his repeated criticism of Germany on the same issue. Hungarys vast pro-government media network, which includes public media and scores of nominally private media outlets controlled by the prime ministers allies, lauded Orbans visit to the White House as validation of the prime ministers politics and gravitas in global politics. Summarizing interviews with local pundits, a home-page article on the website Origo made the case that Orbans invitation to the White House is a clear message to the elite in Brussels from Trump that he sees opportunities to strengthen trans-Atlantic relations beyond the relations offered by Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Emmanuel Macron of France and Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission. Pro-government media reported that the meeting was not coincidental, suggesting that it amounted to an endorsement of Orban before the European Parliament elections this month. In Washington, however, the criticism was biting. Some U.S. analysts and government veterans said Trump appeared to be endorsing Orban and giving away one of a presidents most valued offerings the prestige of a White House visit without extracting any concessions. Im not sure what were getting out of it, said Heather A. Conley, senior vice-president for Europe at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former State Department official under President George W. Bush. Were having meetings, but for what? Why are we doing it? Whats missing is a well thought out strategy plan. Read more about: [May 13, 2019] UnitedHealthcare Awarding $1 Million to Memphis-Area Nonprofits to Help Address Social Determinants of Health UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, is awarding $1 million in grants to seven Memphis-area nonprofit organizations to expand their services that address key social determinants of health, and improve care access and patient outcomes. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005781/en/ Local and state officials joined UnitedHealthcare today to announce $1 million in grants to seven Memphis-area nonprofits to help expand their services that address key social determinants of health (Photo: Troy Glasgow). The grants will support a range of critical needs in Memphis and Shelby County, including dental care, access to fresh and healthy food, addressing senior hunger and social isolation, and promoting youth health, education and physical activity. UnitedHealthcare is working with the nonprofits as part of its Empowering Health program that focuses on redefining health access and addressing the social determinants of health through investments, innovation and volunteerism. Nearly 80 percent1 of what influences a person's health relates to nonmedical issues, such as food, housing, transportation and the financial means to pay for basic daily needs. Yet the health care system today directs much of its financial resources to treating illnesses rather than addressing these underlying social needs - which ultimately creates the need for more medical care. Grant recipients in the Memphis area include: Mid-South Food Bank - $500,000 to support and expand its mobile food pantry and Healthy School Pantry programs that increase access to fresh and healthy foods. Church Health - $90,000 to provide specialty dental care to low-income and uninsured residents. Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association - $90,000 to expand access to home-delivered meals to seniors through MIFA Meals on Wheels. Regional One Health - $90,000 to launch a food pantry at its outpatient clinic and provie food boxes to people who are uninsured or are enrolled in TennCare or Medicaid. Shelby County Education Foundation - $90,000 to purchase hygiene and personal-care products for low-income children attending Shelby County public schools. YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South - $90,000 to launch its "Y on the Fly" program, featuring two mobile units delivering critical resources to youth including healthy meals, physical activity and water-safety courses, a mobile library and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) enrichment programming to local youth. Christ Community Health Services - $50,000 to provide preventive and restorative dental care to uninsured students, homeless individuals and expectant mothers. "Thanks to UnitedHealthcare for bringing our community together as we look for new and innovative ways to improve the health of Memphis-area families and individuals," said Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, who joined UnitedHealthcare, local officials and representatives from the seven nonprofits at the Greater Memphis Chamber today. "No single organization can do this alone. It takes strategic planning and teamwork as demonstrated by UnitedHealthcare's leadership in partnering with our local organizations to address the social factors affecting our community's health." UnitedHealthcare will help link the seven nonprofits to one another so they can better leverage their efforts, creating an interconnected system of clinical and social services capable of producing better outcomes for local residents. According to the most recent County Health Rankings issued annually by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Shelby County ranked 90th among Tennessee's 95 counties when examining social and economic factors such as income, education, employment, community safety and social-support services. "Living a healthy life is about more than just a regular visit to the doctor's office," said Keith Payet, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee. "Through programs like Empowering Health, we are introducing innovative ways to integrate clinical and social services and make a real impact on people's health and well-being, especially those who are uninsured or underserved." In addition to UnitedHealthcare's support in Memphis, the company has launched similar community initiatives and public-private collaborations nationwide. It has invested more than $400 million in affordable-housing communities, partnered with food banks and meal-delivery services, and recently joined with the American Medical Association to standardize how social determinant data is collected and used to create more holistic care plans. UnitedHealth Group employs 4,000 people in Tennessee and serves the health care needs of nearly 1.3 million people statewide. 1Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's County Health Rankings Model, 2014. About UnitedHealthcare UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.2 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter (News - Alert). Click here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for UnitedHealth Group. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005781/en/ [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] LAGOS, Nigeria - The Nigerian army says it has rescued 54 women and children held captive by the extremist group Boko Haram. A statement issued Monday by military spokesman Sagir Musa says troops rescued the captives during a clearance operation over the weekend in Borno State. The military spokesman said the rescued persons consist of 29 women and 25 children. Sagir said Boko Haram fighters had fled the villages before troops arrived. Boko Haram frequently abducts women and children. The jihadist group began its insurgency in northeastern Nigeria and now has expanded its reach to the neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroon and Niger. In April 2014, 276 girls were abducted from the Government Secondary School in Chibok. More than 100 of them are still missing five years later. BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Argentinas president and politicians across the political spectrum gathered on Monday at a wake for a lawmaker who was killed in what has been described as a mafia-style attack that has shocked Argentines. President Mauricio Macri and politicians from rival parties put their differences behind to attend wake at the lower house of Congress in Buenos Aires. Legislator Hector Olivares of La Rioja province died Sunday, three days after being seriously wounded in the gun attack that also killed a provincial official. Macri decreed a 48-hour period of national mourning. Olivares belonged to the Radical Civic Union party of the ruling government coalition and was part of the transportation committee in the lower house. His remains will now be sent to his home province, where he will be buried. Theres profound sadness, said lawmaker Eduardo Amadeo. Weve lost a colleague, a hard worker and a great defender of his province. ... He was a good friend who will be missed. Officials say two gunmen in a parked car shot Olivares and Miguel Marcelo Yadon near the congress building in the Argentine capital on Thursday. Yadon died shortly after being shot. At least six people have been detained in the attack that the security minister has attributed to a mafia clan. Some legislators who were close to the victims at first believed that it was politically motivated, but authorities later said it was likely personal. The motive is still being probed. We have to wait for the investigation to end and for those responsible who have been detained to go to trial, said lawmaker Daniel Lipovetzky. ___ Associated Press writer Almudena Calatrava contributed to this report. RIO DE JANEIRO - Former Brazilian President Michel Temer has been transferred to a new police station in Sao Paulo for detention while he is investigated in several corruption cases. Temer was moved to the shock police command Monday, days after he was ordered back to jail during the investigation. He is being investigated for allegedly receiving bribes from a construction company in exchange for government contracts. He denies any wrongdoing. The Brazilian Superior Court of Justice is expected to rule Tuesday on a petition by Temers lawyer asking that he be freed while he awaits trial. Temer left office Jan. 1 and was arrested in March before being released a few days later. If the petition for release is denied, Temers lawyer says he will appeal to the Supreme Court. SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Drug and money-laundering investigators joined by U.S. federal agents raided a villa linked to one of Venezuelas richest men, Dominican officials say. Billionaire Samark Lopez Bello was recently indicted by federal prosecutors in New York for allegedly violating sanctions on Venezuela. He has close ties to former Venezuelan Vice-President Tareck El Aissami, who is accused by the U.S. of being linked to Hezbollah and drug traffickers. The raid Sunday at a villa in the tourist resort of Veron in the Punta Cana area resulted in the confiscation of more than 30 watches, three sport-utility vehicles, more than $43,000 in cash and other property, authorities said. Two Venezuelans and two Colombian citizens were arrested. Lopez Bello wasnt present and is believed to be in Venezuela. SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras - In the dusty, dimly lit neighbourhoods of San Pedro Sula, everyone knows the unwritten rules: There are places you dont go without permission. If driving, roll down the windows so gang members and their lookouts can see who is inside. Its safest to stay home after nightfall, leaving the streets to the enforcers and drug dealers who are armed and dont hesitate to kill. Honduras second biggest city is where caravan after caravan of migrants have formed in recent months to head north to Mexico and on toward the United States, fleeing violence, poverty, corruption and chaos. All of those are palpable on the citys sweltering streets, a reminder of why thousands continue to flee despite the dangers and uncertain prospects for being able to stay even if they make it to the U.S. The northern district of San Pedro Sula where Associated Press journalists accompanied police on a recent night is home to nearly 230,000 people with just 50 officers to patrol its 189 neighbourhoods, including the most dangerous: Planeta, Lomas del Carmen and La Rivera Hernandez. Deputy police inspector Wilmer Lopez says two drug labs were busted in the area in the last year. He has arrested gang members as young as 9. Police officers carry handguns and are accompanied by soldiers with assault rifles. They make us feel safer, said Lopez, who led the patrol. He said nine separate gangs are known to operate in this part of town, including the internationally infamous 18th Street and Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. Both originated in Los Angeles decades ago and spread through deportations to Central America, evolving into hyper-violent transnational organizations that drive the high rates of killing and other crimes in Central Americas Northern Triangle countries Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Their calling cards are in the graffiti scrawled on homes, and in the bodies they leave behind. Some you can tell by their way of killing, Lopez said. Like the Batos Locos gang, which bags (its victims), or 18th Street, which dismembers them. On this night the patrol largely goes without incident. Police frisk customers at a pool hall and check IDs over their inebriated protests. But around 6 a.m. the first body of the day, a youth with his face disfigured, is found dumped in the Sinai neighbourhood just behind the Rivera Hernandez police station. Residents of San Pedro Sula, the worlds most murderous city four years straight from 2011 to 2014, long ago grew numb to the bodies. Last week alone at least 16 people were killed in the city. According to local media, so far this year there have been at least 25 multiple homicides involving three or more victims. At a lunch counter, news comes on TV about the latest slaying, of a man at a tire repair shop. Customers gaze curiously at the body on the screen but keep eating. People are not shocked when someone gets killed, said Salvador Nasralla, a former opposition presidential candidate who laments that violence has become normalized in Honduras. The National Civil Police say homicides have dropped significantly nationwide. From a high of 86 killings per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011, the homicide rate last year was 41 per 100,000 residents, though that is still one of the highest on the planet. In San Pedro Sula some say violence has abated somewhat since about 800 gang members who ran extortion rackets from behind bars were moved from a prison in the city centre to a maximum-security lockup in the western mountains in 2017. Killings are said to be down even more so far this year, but bloodshed is not the only factor that makes life hard in the city. Violence is not determined solely by homicides but by the death threats, the extortions, the forced recruitments into gangs, attacks against property in the gang-controlled areas that the state has not been able to recover, said Roberto Herrera Caceres, the national human rights commissioner. A situation of insecurity moves people, Herrera said. It forces internal displacement that later turns into forced migrations. Erick Lara is a prime example. Along with six friends he joined the most recent caravan that left in April as a group of fewer than 300, much smaller than those seen before Mexican police raided a previous caravan and left its participants detained, deported or scattered. Lara, a 27-year-old bricklayer, left San Pedro Sula even though he had a good job helping build a church because gangsters were trying to force him and his friends to join up. They are collecting young people to work for them as lookouts or dealers, Lara said. Its not voluntary, and if you say, No, they kill you. People from all over Honduran flock to San Pedro Sula whenever it is time for a new migrant caravan. There is also a constant stream of the dead, as nearly all municipalities of the Cortes department send their bodies to the citys morgue. Mourning relatives mill about outside. Here you always have people who died violent deaths, said a funeral home worker. He declined to give his name for fear of reprisals. Sitting on a wooden plank, a grey-haired, black-clad man who also asked not to be identified waited for the body of his slain son. He said the son was out drinking with friends when gunmen showed up and shot him, inflicting wounds that killed him days later in a hospital. The man said he had worried about his son, but had no idea who killed him or why. More than anything he seemed resigned to the new reality. A car drove by and two policemen ran after it. Two gunshots rang out a couple of blocks away, perhaps fired into the air, and everyone turned to look. The officers came back laughing. Nobody asked what happened nobody said anything. Many Hondurans blame the countrys problems on President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was re-elected in 2018 despite a constitutional ban on second terms and in a vote that was marred by irregularities. He promised a better life as a campaign slogan but has been unable to deliver that for the countrys most vulnerable. Hernandezs office did not respond to a request for comment. The president said recently that I swore not to rest until Hondurans peace and tranquility are recovered, and I will continue to do that. Last week, he said his administrations economic policies are working, and We are doing well. Washington has threatened the Northern Triangle countries with security and humanitarian aid cuts if they are unable to staunch the flow of migrants. But that could have the opposite effect if jobs and anti-poverty programs suffer. Rolando Lazaro Bautista lives on an unpaved street dotted with dirt-floor, wood-and-corrugated metal homes. Its an area without sewers or running water, and hundreds have left. Its also a stones throw from luxury condominium towers, and municipal authorities have long wanted to clear away the shacks. During one attempt, the homes of several of Bautistas neighbours were torched. Human rights workers have obtained a court order protecting them for now. Bautista says he went north twice. First in a caravan in January, only to be deported from Mexico. Next he hired a coyote, or smuggler, but was caught three days walk into Texas on his way to Houston and deported. The 47-year-old doesnt intend to try again after the experience of being sunburnt, exhausted and forced to hide for days in a warehouse and a sweltering safe house: You suffer from the thirst and hunger. Back home he found construction work for this week. But after that there is nothing certain. He and his wife rely on money sent by their daughter who migrated to Spain and who paid the coyotes $7,500 fee. Meanwhile, they take care of the two daughters she left in San Pedro Sula. Honduran sociologist Jenny Arguello says the basic foods needed by the average family of five costs the equivalent of about $650 a month, more than the monthly minimum wage of around $400. In the 1990s most people who migrated did so in search of a better life, Arguello said. Today it is the only alternative Hondurans have to survive. BANGKOK - Shares were mostly lower in Asia on Monday after trade talks between the U.S. and China wrapped up Friday without an agreement. Shares dropped more than 1% in Shanghai, to 2,909.60. Japans Nikkei 225 index lost 0.5% to 21,237.71 and the S&P ASX 200 declined 0.3% to 6,289.70. South Koreas Kospi fell 0.7% to 2,093.46. Hong Kongs markets were closed for a holiday. Shares fell in Taiwan and most of Southeast Asia. Chinas envoy to the trade talks, Vice Premier Liu He said before leaving Washington that Beijing would not compromise on matters of principle and that tariffs on Chinese exports to the U.S. should be lifted as a condition for striking a deal. But Liu downplayed the level of tensions, saying China could cope with the challenges posed by the trade dispute. President Donald Trump said on Twitter over the weekend that We are right where we want to be with China. He accused China of ripping off America. The Trump administration said it was preparing to expand 25% tariffs to another $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, or practically all imports from China, after raising the import duty from 10%, with effect Friday. The tariffs war has been hammering Chinese manufacturers and is an added drag on growth for the region. The lack of resolution in the latest U.S.-China trade talks coupled with continued provocative tweets from President Trump provides no relief for risk sentiment as we look to another weak start to the week for Asia markets, Jingyi Pan of IG said in a commentary. On Friday, a late-day rally spurred by upbeat comments by U.S. officials pulled markets higher after an early slump triggered by the escalation in the trade war. The S&P 500 index rose 0.4% to 2,881.40. The broad index is still up 14.9% for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also gained 0.4%, to 25,942.37. The Nasdaq added 0.1% to 7,916.94, while the Russell 2000 index of small company stocks picked up 0.2% to 1,572.99. Major indexes in Europe closed mostly higher. Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.47% from 2.45% late Thursday. The higher tariffs from the U.S. and Chinas response that it would take necessary countermeasures rattled investors Friday who had been hoping for a quick resolution to the dispute. Confidence in that outcome had eased investors concerns this year, along with a more patient Federal Reserve and solid economic data. Further trade talks cannot remedy the sharply increased uncertainty over Chinese and regional growth, Mizuho Bank said in a report. Meanwhile, the escalation in tariffs is also likely to undermine the global growth outlook (and) create more acute pressures on global equities, it said. ENERGY: U.S. benchmark crude oil was flat at $61.66 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It lost 3 cents to $61.70 on Friday. Brent crude, the international standard, gained 28 cents to $70.90 per barrel. CURRENCIES: The dollar slipped to 109.74 Japanese yen from 109.96 yen on Friday. The euro edged higher to $1.1234 from $1.1231. QUETTA, Pakistan - Pakistani police say a powerful bomb attached to a motorcycle has killed four policemen guarding a mosque in the southwestern city of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. City police chief Abdur Razzaq Cheema says 10 people were also wounded in Mondays bombing. The Pakistani Taliban quickly released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. The bombing came two days after another insurgent group, the Baluch Liberation Army, stormed a luxury hotel in the coastal town of Gwadar, triggering a shootout that left all three assailants, a special forces soldier and four hotel employees dead. Baluchistan province has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatists demanding more autonomy and a greater share in the regions natural resources such as gas and oil. BANGKOK - Shares retreated in Asia on Monday after trade talks between the U.S. and China wrapped up Friday without an agreement. The Shanghai Composite index fell 1% to 2,910.04. Japans Nikkei 225 index lost 0.6% to 21,216.28 and the S&P ASX 200 declined 0.2% to 6,297.40. South Koreas Kospi fell 1.1% to 2,085.49. Hong Kongs markets were closed for a holiday. Shares fell in Taiwan and most of Southeast Asia. Chinas envoy to the trade talks, Vice Premier Liu He said before leaving Washington that Beijing would not compromise on matters of principle and that tariffs on Chinese exports to the U.S. should be lifted as a condition for striking a deal. But Liu downplayed the level of tensions, saying China could cope with the challenges posed by the trade dispute. President Donald Trump said on Twitter over the weekend that We are right where we want to be with China. He accused China of ripping off America. The Trump administration said it was preparing to expand 25% tariffs to another $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, or practically all imports from China, after raising the import duty on $200 billion of imports from 10%, with effect Friday. The tariffs war has been hammering Chinese manufacturers and is an added drag on growth for the region. The lack of resolution in the latest U.S.-China trade talks coupled with continued provocative tweets from President Trump provides no relief for risk sentiment as we look to another weak start to the week for Asia markets, Jingyi Pan of IG said in a commentary. On Friday, a late-day rally spurred by upbeat comments by U.S. officials pulled markets higher after an early slump triggered by the escalation in the trade war. The S&P 500 index rose 0.4% to 2,881.40. The broad index is still up 14.9% for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also gained 0.4%, to 25,942.37. The Nasdaq added 0.1% to 7,916.94, while the Russell 2000 index of small company stocks picked up 0.2% to 1,572.99. Major indexes in Europe closed mostly higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.44% from 2.47% late Friday. The higher tariffs from the U.S. and Chinas response that it would take necessary countermeasures rattled investors Friday who had been hoping for a quick resolution to the dispute. Confidence in that outcome had eased investors concerns this year, along with a more patient Federal Reserve and solid economic data. Further trade talks cannot remedy the sharply increased uncertainty over Chinese and regional growth, Mizuho Bank said in a report. Meanwhile, the escalation in tariffs is also likely to undermine the global growth outlook (and) create more acute pressures on global equities, it said. ENERGY: U.S. benchmark crude oil added 1 cent to $61.67 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It lost 3 cents to $61.70 on Friday. Brent crude, the international standard, gained 24 cents to $70.86 per barrel. CURRENCIES: The dollar slipped to 109.77 Japanese yen from 109.96 yen on Friday. The euro was flat at $1.1231. PARIS - The wife of Meng Hongwei, the former Interpol president jailed in China for what she believes are political reasons, said Monday that France has saved her life and the lives of their two young boys by granting her asylum request. The French government office that rules on asylum requests rendered its decision last week, granting her refugee status, Grace Mengs legal team said. The asylum office didnt respond to Associated Press contacts by phone and email, and the French Interior Ministry said it doesnt comment on individual cases. Grace Meng told the AP that the guarantee of being able to stay in France, where Meng Hongwei was stationed with Interpol, offers her family greater security while she pursues her struggle to get information from China about her husbands whereabouts and even whether he is still alive. If France hadnt protected me, I would have been killed ages ago, she said. Its a second life for us, me and my children. Her last communication with her husband was an emoji of a knife he texted her from China shortly before he disappeared on a trip to Beijing last September. Chinese authorities subsequently announced that Meng Hongwei was in detention, accused of corruption. He was expelled from the ruling Communist Party and from his office as vice minister of public security, a title he retained after his 2016 election to the presidency of Interpol, the international police liaison organization headquartered in Lyon, France. Grace Meng claims her husband is a victim of political persecution in China. There are suspicions that he fell out of favour with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has carried out a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption and perceived disloyalty that observers say is calculated to strengthen party control while bringing down potential challengers to his authority. Last week, Chinese prosecutors indicted Meng Hongwei on charges of accepting bribes, accusing him of abusing his positions to illegally accept cash and property in return for performing favours for others. Grace Meng said that China has failed to provide a shred of evidence to support the accusations. This is a political case, she told the AP. In the wake of her husbands detention, Grace Meng has lived under police protection in France. In filing her asylum request to French authorities last November, her lawyers argued that she would be in danger if she returns to China, having criticized Chinese authorities handling of his case. LONDON - Swedish prosecutors say they are reopening a rape case against Julian Assange, the founder of anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London A look at key events in the Assange saga: August 2010: Swedish prosecutor issues arrest warrant for Assange based on one womans allegation of rape and anothers allegation of molestation. The warrant was withdrawn shortly, with prosecutors citing insufficient evidence for the rape allegation. Assange denies the allegations. September 2010: Swedens director of prosecutions reopens rape investigation. Assange leaves Sweden for Britain Sept.27. November 2010: Swedish police issue international arrest warrant for Assange. December 2010: Assange surrenders to police in London and is detained pending extradition hearing. High Court grants Assange bail on Dec. 16. Feb. 24, 2011: District court in Britain rules Assange should be extradited to Sweden. Dec. 5, 2011: Assange granted an appeal to the Supreme Court. May 30, 2012: Supreme Court rejects Assanges appeal. June 2012: Assange asks Supreme Court to reopen case; court refuses. Assange enters Ecuadorian embassy in central London, seeking asylum on June 19. Police set up round-the-clock guard to arrest him if he steps outside. Aug. 16, 2012: Assange is granted political asylum by Ecuador. July 2014: Assange loses bid to have an arrest warrant issued in Sweden against him cancelled. A judge in Stockholm upholds the warrant alleging sexual offences against two women. March 2015: Swedish prosecutors ask to question Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy. Aug. 13, 2015: Swedish prosecutors drop investigations into some allegations against Assange because of the statute of limitations; investigation into a rape allegation remains active. Oct. 12, 2015: Metropolitan Police end their 24-hour guard outside the Ecuadorean embassy but say theyll arrest Assange if he leaves ending a three-year police operation estimated to have cost more than 12 million pounds ($17 million). Feb. 5, 2016: Assange claims total vindication as the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention finds that he has been unlawfully detained and recommends he be immediately freed and given compensation. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond calls the finding frankly ridiculous. April 6, 2017: Ecuadors president-elect, Lenin Moreno, warns Assange that as a condition of asylum granted in 2012, he is not allowed to meddle in politics following comments on Twitter. May 19, 2017: Swedish prosecutors drop their investigation into rape allegation against Assange, and the European arrest warrant is withdrawn because there is no prospect of bringing Assange to Sweden. British police say he is still wanted for jumping bail in 2012. September 2018: Ecuadors president says his country and Britain are working on a legal solution to allow Assange to leave the embassy in the medium term. October 2018: Assange seeks court injunction pressing Ecuador to provide him basic rights he said the country agreed to when it first granted him asylum. November 2018: A U.S. court filing that appears to inadvertently reveal the existence of a sealed criminal case against Assange is discovered by a researcher. No details are confirmed. April 2, 2019: Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno blames WikiLeaks for recent allegations of corruption. April 5, 2019: A senior Ecuadorian official says no decision has been made to expel Assange from the London embassy despite rumours he could be kicked out soon. April 11, 2019: London police arrest Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy for breaching bail conditions in 2012, as well as on behalf of U.S. authorities, shortly after Ecuadors government withdrew his asylum status. May 1, 2019: Assange sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching bail conditions in 2012. May 13, 2019: Swedish authorities reopen investigation of rape allegation against Assange and say they will seek his extradition. WARSAW, Poland - A new documentary revealing cases of sexual abuse by priests has deeply shaken Poland, one of Europes most Roman Catholic societies, eliciting an apology from the church hierarchy and prompting one cleric to leave priestly life. Tell No One, a film financed through a crowdfunding campaign, was released on YouTube on Saturday. By Monday, the documentary had more than 8 million views. It triggered soul searching in a country where there is no higher authority than the Catholic Church and its clergy. Why do priests commit such crimes? Why did the bishops not react as they should? Why, for years, did a conspiracy of silence prevail among the clergy? journalist Andrzej Gajcy asked Monday on the news site Onet, voicing some of the uncomfortable questions confronting many Poles. The primate of Poland has thanked the brothers who made the film, Tomasz and Marek Sekielski, for their courage. I apologize for every wound inflicted by the people of the church, Archbishop Wojciech Polak said Saturday. The Vaticans ambassador to Poland, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, also expressed sympathy for abuse survivors on behalf of both himself and Pope Francis. The pope is very concerned and we express sympathy and solidarity, Pennacchio said. Among others in the Polish church, the reactions were mixed. The archbishop of Gdansk, Leszek Slawoj Glodz, said he has better things to do than watch the film. The Rev. Jacek Prusak, a Jesuit priest, called the church a home for a herd of wolves in clerical collars that would face judgment. Most Poles identify as Catholic and have a powerful attachment to the church. They credit the Catholic Church with keeping their countrys language and culture alive during more than a century of foreign rule. The late Polish pope John Paul II, who was made a saint, is revered both as a moral authority and for his opposition to communism. But like many other countries, Poland has had to reckon recently with revelations about clergy who molested children. In March, Polish church authorities said they had recorded cases of 382 clergymen who abused 625 victims under the age of 18 since 1990. The documentary presents new evidence that priests who were known to be pedophiles were transferred between parishes instead of pushed out of the church or referred to police. One is the late Rev. Franciszek Cybula, who in 1980-1985 was the priest of a shipyard technician named Lech Walesa who founded Polands anti-communist Solidarity movement and became president after communism fell. I am so surprised that I do not know what to say, Walesa said. If I, as a Catholic, had known, would I allow such a thing? No way. The film opens with a 39-year-old woman, Anna Misiewicz, returning to a parish in Topola, a village near Krakow, to confront an elderly priest who molested her when she was about 7-years-old. Fearful and wearing a hidden camera, Misiewicz tells the priest how his abuse still keeps her from sleeping at night. When she reminds him he had kissed her and used her hands to masturbate, the priest admits his wrongdoing with her and other girls. He expresses remorse and blames the devil. I know I shouldnt have done it, shouldnt have touched or kissed you. I know I shouldnt have. Some stupid passion, the priest tells her. He is identified only as Father Jan A., and his face is blurred in the film because he hasnt been convicted. The film also alleges that the Rev. Dariusz Olejniczak, a priest who was sentenced for molesting 7-year-old girls, was allowed to continue working with young people. On Sunday, he announced he was seeking to be laicized. Another victim, Marek Mielewczyk, describes being 13 when he was first raped by a priest. The perpetrator ordered him not to tell anybody what happened, not even during confession the message captured in the films title. Politicians also have reacted to the film, promising to take a tougher approach to stopping child sex abuse. The prosecutor general said Monday he was ordering an investigation of the crimes depicted in the film. The Kielce curia, which oversees Topola, issued a statement detailing steps it took in the case of Father Jan A. since Jan. 7, when it was notified of wrongdoing. It said collected evidence was sent to the Vatican. _____ Monika Scislowska in Warsaw contributed to this report. STOCKHOLM - The Latest on Swedish prosecutors decision whether to reopen a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (all times local): 2 p.m. The lawyer for a Swedish woman who reported being raped by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2010 says today we got great news. Elisabeth Massi Fritz says the decision by Swedish authorities to open the rape case against Assange signals that no one stands above the law, and that the legal system in Sweden doesnt give a special treatment to anyone. Massi Fritz told reporters Monday she spoke with her client, who is not named, by phone. She said her client feels great gratitude. Earlier in the day, Swedish prosecutors said they will seek Assanges extradition to Sweden. Massi Fritz said she hoped justice would prevail, and we believe the evidence is good enough that it must be tested. Assange denies wrongdoing. He is serving a 50-week prison term in London for jumping bail in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face the allegations. ___ 11:45 a.m. WikiLeaks editor-in-chief says the Swedish decision to reopen a rape case against Julian Assange will give Julian a chance to clear his name. Kristinn Hrafnsson said in a statement Monday that Swedish prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson had been under intense political pressure to reopen the case. He also asserted that the case has been mishandled from the start. Persson announced the Swedish decision a month after Assange was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Assanges Swedish lawyer, Per E. Samuelsen, said that his client is innocent and he doesnt understand the reasoning for reopening a 10-year-old case. ___ 11:35 a.m. Julian Assanges Swedish lawyer says he is very surprised by prosecutors decision to reopen a rape case against the WikiLeaks founder and says that his client is innocent. Prosecutors in Stockholm announced the decision on Monday, a month after Assange was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. They said they would seek Assanges extradition from Britain. Lawyer Per E. Samuelson told Swedish broadcaster SVT: I do not understand the Swedish prosecutors ... reasoning for reopening a 10-year old case. Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange in 2010. Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which couldnt be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August 2020. ___ 11:25 a.m. Swedish prosecutors say they will seek the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Assange after he has served his 50-week prison term in Britain for jumping bail. Prosecutors in Stockholm said Monday that they will reopen a rape case against Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Assange denies wrongdoing. Eva-Marie Persson, Swedens deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference that in order to execute the arrest warrant, the prosecutor will issue a so-called European arrest warrant. The Swedish move would leave Britain to decide whether to extradite Assange to Sweden or to the United States, where he is wanted for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. ___ 11:15 a.m. Swedish prosecutors are reopening a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Eva-Marie Persson, Swedens deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference in Stockholm that there is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape. She added: It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required. Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010. Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which couldnt be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August 2020. ___ 9:25 a.m. Swedish prosecutors plan to say Monday whether they will reopen a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Eva-Marie Persson, Swedens deputy director of public prosecutions, is scheduled to hold a news conference in Stockholm. If Sweden relaunches the case, that could leave Britain deciding whether to extradite him to the Scandinavian country or the United States. Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010. Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which couldnt be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August 2020. ___ This story has been corrected to spell the name of Assanges lawyer as Samuelson, instead of Samuelsen. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Oman says it will reopen its embassy in Iraq, decades after it closed its diplomatic post. Omans Foreign Ministry made the announcement on Twitter on Sunday night. The sultanate, on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, said it would contribute to the development of relations between the two countries. Iraqs Foreign Ministry earlier said it anticipated Oman would reopen its embassy. Oman had closed its embassy in Iraq after dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. The warming ties to Iraq follow Saudi Arabia in April opening a new consulate in Baghdad, part of efforts by Sunni Arab-ruled states in the Gulf to counter Irans influence in Iraq. Oman, ruled for decades by Sultan Qaboos bin Said, maintains close diplomatic ties to Iran. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The Latest on alleged sabotage of ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (all times local): 6:15 p.m. The owners of a Norwegian-flagged oil tanker say their vessel sustained a hole in its hull from an unknown object while off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, amid what Gulf officials describe as sabotage targeting ships there. Thome Ship Management said in a statement Monday that the MT Andrea Victory was still off the coast of Fujairah and was not in any danger of sinking. It said the rear section of the ship was hit by the object on Sunday. It added its sailors were supporting local authorities and were conducting a full inspection of the vessel. Saudi Arabia said earlier Monday that two of its oil tankers also were targeted in sabotage operations off the UAE coast, with one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States. ___ 12:45 p.m. The head of the Arab League has condemned attacks that targeted vessels off the coast of the United Arab Emirates the previous day, including two Saudi oil tankers, as criminal acts. Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said in a statement on Monday that these acts are a serious violation of the freedom and integrity of trade and maritime transport routes. He says the Arab League stands by the UAE and Saudi Arabia in all measures taken to safeguard their security and interests. ___ 11:40 a.m. Saudi Arabias Foreign Ministry is condemning acts of sabotage that targeted two of its oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman near the coast of the United Arab Emirates. A ministry statement published on the state-run Saudi Press Agency on Monday, said this criminal act poses a serious threat to the security and safety of maritime traffic, which reflects negatively on regional and international peace and security. It added that Saudi Arabia stands alongside the UAE in all measures taken to safeguard its security and interests. The kingdom says the unspecified act of sabotage did not lead to any casualties or oil spill. Earlier, SPA also quoted the Saudi minister of energy, Khalid Al-Falih, as saying the attack on Sunday aims to undermine the freedom of maritime navigation, and the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world. He also emphasized the joint responsibility of the international community to protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers. ___ 9:10 a.m. Irans Foreign Ministry is calling for clarification about what happened with two Saudi oil tankers that the kingdom said were targeted in a sabotage attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi on Monday expressed concerns over the incident that affected the oil tankers and said there should be more information about what exactly happened. He says the security of shipping and maritime transport in the region is of paramount importance. The state-run IRNA news agency also quoted Mousavi on Monday as cautioning against any conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers and adventurism by foreigners to undermine the regions stability and security. ___ 7:30 a.m. Saudi Arabias energy minister says two Saudi oil tankers were targeted in a sabotage attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and sustained significant damage. Khalid Al-Falih made the comments in a statement carried early Monday by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. He said the two tankers were targeted off the coast of Fujairah. He said one tanker was en route to the kingdom to be loaded with Saudi crude oil to send to the United States. He did not identify the tankers. He said: Fortunately, the attack didnt lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels. The UAE on Sunday said an alleged sabotage attack targeted four boats, without elaborating or naming suspects. ___ 7 a.m. The U.S. has issued a new alert to maritime traffic over alleged acts of sabotage of ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates amid heightened regional tensions between American and Iran. The U.S. Maritime Administration, which stressing the incidents had not been confirmed, warned shippers early Monday to exercise caution when travelling past Fujairah, a port city on the eastern edge of the United Arab Emirates on the Gulf of Oman. It gave co-ordinates of the alleged sabotage, putting it just north of Fujairah. The UAE on Sunday said the sabotage targeted four boats, without elaborating or naming suspects. It came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the nearby Emirati port in Fujairah, which bunkers and ships oil. CAIRO - Egyptian security officials say a civilian church guard has shot and killed a priest in Cairo in a personal dispute. The officials say the quarrel broke out Monday in St. Marks Coptic Orthodox Church in the Shubra el-Kheima district when the priest refused to give money to the guard to help him pay for his daughters wedding. The guard was arrested after the shooting. Christians make up around 10 per cent of the population in Muslim-majority Egypt. AKIACHAK, Alaska - An Alaska man has died while in police custody, the third person to die in a western Alaska community jail in the past two weeks, authorities said. Robert Nick, 54, died in a jail in the village of Akiachak, The Anchorage Daily News reported Sunday. Nick was taken into protective custody due to the level of his intoxication Friday by a tribal officer in the village of about 600 people on the Kuskokwim River, northeast of Bethel, police said. Alaska State Troopers were notified of Nicks death Friday evening around 9 p.m. and boated to Akiachak to investigate. State police did not say what Nick is believed to have died from or how long he had been dead when he was found by tribal jail guards. His remains were sent to the state medical examiners office in Anchorage, authorities said. Becca White, 24, and Isaiah Parka, 22, died in a blaze April 28 at the village jail in Napakiak, southwest of Bethel. The fire is still under investigation. A guard was severely injured trying to save the two inmates, according to state troopers. White and Parka had been arrested by a village police officer employed by the tribe, troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said. Residents of the Kuskokwim River village tried to fight the fire by pumping river water and using a garden hose to extinguish the flames, authorities said. The deaths in Napakiak were the first in a fire in an Alaska jail for more than 30 years, police said. ___ Information from: Anchorage Daily News, http://www.adn.com WASHINGTON - In a story May 12 about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meeting with European officials to discuss Iran, The Associated Press reported erroneously that he had cancelled a stop in Berlin to fly to Iran. He flew to Iraq, not Iran. A corrected version of the story is below: Pompeo skips Moscow to meet with European officials on Iran Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has changed the schedule for his latest trip to Europe, substituting a stop in Brussels for one in Moscow to discuss Iran and other issues with European officials By MATTHEW LEE Associated Press Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has changed the schedule for his latest trip to Europe, substituting a stop in Brussels for one in Moscow to discuss Iran and other issues with European officials. State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus says Pompeo, who departed Sunday night, is still expected to meet Tuesday in Sochi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The visit to Sochi will be Pompeos first to Russia as secretary of state. Twice last week Pompeo changed his travel schedule at the last minute, also citing matters dealing with Iran. He cancelled a stop in Berlin to fly to Iraq, then cancelled a stop in Greenland to fly home from London. NEW YORK - President Donald Trump, in whats become a staple of his rallies, accuses doctors of executing babies who are born alive after a failed abortion attempt. His comments, meant to taint Democrats, have been embraced by many anti-abortion activists, and assailed as maliciously false by many medical professionals. Whats clear is that he is oversimplifying a deeply complex issue. Its already a crime to kill babies, but not necessarily a crime to forgo sophisticated medical intervention in cases where severe fetal abnormalities leave a newborn with no chance of survival. A look at his rhetoric, similarly framed from one event to the next, and the reality behind it: TRUMP: Democrats are aggressively pushing late-term abortion allowing children to be ripped from their mothers womb, right up until the moment of birth. The baby is born and you wrap the baby beautifully and you talk to the mother about the possible execution of the baby. rally in Panama City Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. THE FACTS: Federal data suggests that very few U.S. babies are born alive as a result of a failed abortion. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 143 deaths between 2003 and 2014 involving infants born alive during attempted abortions. Anti-abortion politicians and activists have been pushing for state and federal legislation this year that would impose criminal penalties on doctors who fail to give medical care to babies born alive after a failed abortion. Organizations representing obstetricians and gynecologists say existing laws already provide protections to every healthy newborn, whether born during a failed abortion or under other circumstances. We would never do anything to actively hasten the passing of the infant, said Dr. Cara Heuser, a maternal fetal medicine specialist in Salt Lake City. She and other physicians say the rhetoric coming from Trump and anti-abortion activists fails to reflect the wrenching circumstances underlying most abortions performed late in a pregnancy. According to the CDC, only 1.3% of abortions take place after 21 weeks, and these often involve either severe fetal anomalies or conditions that endanger the mother. When anomalies are so severe that a newborn would die soon after birth, a family may choose whats known as palliative care or comfort care. This might involve swaddling the newborn in a blanket and allowing the baby to die naturally without medical intervention. The medical standard is to give hospice type care, not futile medical interventions, when the baby has a terminal diagnosis with no chance of surviving, said Dr. Diane Horvath, a Baltimore-based obstetrician-gynecologist. This is a deeply personal decision and it allows families to follow their own beliefs and faith traditions. Horvath is a fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health and medical director of Whole Womans Health, which operates abortion clinics in several states. Cheryl Sullinger of Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion organization, argued in a recent online commentary that lack of medical intervention in such circumstances could be considered criminal. If abortionists do not supply medical care for premature babies that survive abortions, their intent is for the baby to die, even if he or she might be saved with a little medical assistance, she wrote. This is to actually kill the baby through a crime of omission. However, Heuser said doctors in such cases often determine that medical intervention is not only futile in the long run but would in fact prolong a newborns pain. The baby is not ignored comfort care includes things like food, oxygen, pain medication, and skin-to-skin contact, she said. Everyones goal is to make the newborn as comfortable as possible, respect the time the family has with their child, and avoid interventions that would cause additional suffering without changing the outcome. The legal situation in such cases varies from state to state. In some states, women whose own health is not in danger are barred from having abortions at late stages of their pregnancy even in cases of severe fetal anomalies. Those mothers would be forced to carry a baby to term that they know is going to die, said Heuser, who cited cases where women with sufficient money have travelled to other states with less-stringent laws. That was the case for Kate Carson, a teacher in the Boston area who had an abortion late in pregnancy in 2012. She has shared her experience in recent radio interviews and newspaper opinion pieces. In the 35th week of her pregnancy, Carson says, an ultrasound determined that the baby girl had a catastrophic brain malformation that would probably make her permanently unable to talk, walk, swallow or even to sleep comfortably. In an appearance on the Washington-based radio station WAMU, Carson explained how she and her husband then reached the difficult decision to opt for an abortion. If we had to choose between the two beautiful and precious gifts of peace and life, for us and our values and our family we wanted to give our daughter peace, Carson said. In her home state of Massachusetts, abortions that late in pregnancy are allowed only if the mothers health is at risk; Carson had to travel to Boulder, Colorado, to undergo the costly procedure. In past years, anti-abortion activists have often cited the case of a Philadelphia doctor, Kermit Gosnell, as part of an effort to stigmatize other abortion providers across the country. Abortion-rights advocates say the Gosnell case proves their contention that existing laws are adequate. He performed extremely late-term abortions, then snipped the spines of infants born alive during the procedures. In 2013, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the chance for parole. ___ 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 SALEM, Ore. - The sergeant-at-arms of the Oregon Senate had a new regular duty in recent days: Searching the state capitol for Republican senators who had been staying away and brought the legislative bodys business to a halt. The tactic by the minority Republicans is rare in Oregon, but has been used throughout history, sometimes creating comical scenes. Abraham Lincoln once leapt out of a window in an attempt to deny a quorum when he was a lawmaker in Illinois. In Washington three decades ago, U.S. Sen. Bob Packwood (R-Oregon) was carried feet first into the Senate chamber after Democrats ordered the arrest of Republican senators who were denying a quorum. The Oregon standoff ended on its fifth day Monday. It had been caused by GOP senators anger at a bill that raises taxes on some businesses to fund education. After the Senate finally convened Monday afternoon, it passed the measure. To get the Republicans to return, Democrats, who hold a supermajority, agreed to not advance a measure requiring vaccinations for children to attend public schools, unless they have a doctors note. Democrats also agreed to drop gun-control legislation. Senate President Peter Courtney told reporters it was a painful but necessary move. We had a crisis of government shutdown on us. It could have gone on and on and on, Courtney said. It could have involved the state police. It would have been a nightmare. Rep. Cheri Helt, a Republican and co-sponsor of the vaccination bill, was incensed that it was sacrificed. Few Republicans were for the measure that vaccination opponents had flocked to the Capitol to protest. Helt tweeted on Monday that the loudest/most extreme voices in our politics prevailed. In what had become a routine during the standoff that began May 7, Courtney stood at the podium, surveying Democratic senators who were milling around and chatting. One filmed using Facebook Live, excoriating the missing Republicans. Roll calls were ordered. All 18 Democratic senators were present. Sometimes Tim Knopp, a moderate Republican, was too. But 19 senators was one short of a quorum required for the Senate to convene. So Courtney ordered sergeant-at-arms Leta Edwards, a retired university administrator, to round up some Republicans. Dressed smartly in a blue blazer, Edwards on Friday exited the chamber, and rushed up two flights of stairs to the senators offices to knock on doors. Some senators had taken to leaving their doors open to their empty offices, to save Edwards the trouble of knocking. An assistant at another senators office told Edwards he was not in and declared she had no idea where he was. Meanwhile someone created a joke Twitter account, called Senate Rs Hideout, whose followers include Democrats and journalists. Were running low on beef jerky and Linthicum wont shut up about Game of Thrones, says one tweet, referring to Sen. Dennis Linthicum. Some quorum-denial efforts have led to extremes. In 2003, Texas Democrats fled to neighbouring Oklahoma to deny a quorum, holing up in a Holiday Inn to block a GOP redistricting bill. The Republican House speaker ordered state troopers to find the Democrats and have them arrested. The Democrats returned to Texas after the bills deadline passed and it was effectively killed. Back in the Oregon state capitol, Edwards knocked on the door of Sen. Fred Girod on Friday. Hello? Hello? Sen. Girod! Sen. Girod, she said. No reply. An hour after eluding Edwards -- and after Courtney was forced to cancel Friday mornings Senate session -- Girod popped up, appearing alongside Courtney at a subcommittee hearing. Courtney scowled. On Monday, Courtney delayed his attempt to convene the Senate in the morning, and convened it instead at 3 p.m. Senate Republican leader Herman Baertschiger, Jr., had negotiated with Courtney to end the stalemate, officials said. The November 2018 election gave Democrats a three-fifths supermajority in Oregons Senate and House of Representatives, enabling them to pass tax-raising measures without getting Republicans on board. But they didnt have enough seats for a quorum. The tactic of denying a quorum doesnt mean we shut them down forever, Baertschiger said on the Lars Laron Show, a conservative talk radio program. We all know that were gonna have to return. But what it does do is shine a light on what the Democrats are trying to do to us. Baertschiger attended the Senate on Monday afternoon, allowing the body to reach its minimum 20 senators for a quorum. ___ Associated Press reporters Paul Weber in Austin, Texas, and John OConnor in Springfield, Illinois contributed to this report. ___ Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky KNOXVILLE, Iowa - Authorities say an 11-year-old Iowa boy whose bedroom was covered in plastic sheeting told an investigator that he hadnt been outside in several months. His parents have been charged with kidnapping, child endangerment and neglect. Marion County court records say 49-year-old Rocky Wooldridge and 43-year-old Jennifer Wooldridge, of Knoxville, are scheduled for arraignment June 6. The records dont list an attorney. Rocky Wooldridge has pleaded not guilty to the child endangerment and neglect charges and to three weapons counts. His trial on the weapons counts is scheduled to begin June 24. A criminal complaint says the Iowa Human Services Department in March reported only one blanket in the boys room, along with wet underwear and the plastic sheeting. The complaint also says the boy had injuries consistent with child abuse. GREENBELT, Md. - A federal judge in Maryland on Monday blocked the release of a Coast Guard lieutenant accused of stockpiling combat gear and compiling a hit list of prominent Democrats and TV journalists. U.S. District Judge George Hazel agreed to revoke a magistrates order to free 50-year-old Christopher Hasson from custody while he awaits trial on firearms and drug charges. Prosecutors had appealed and asked Hazel to review the magistrates order. U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day decided last Tuesday that Hasson could be released from custody and supervised by relatives in Virginia. But Day didnt order Hassons immediate release. Instead, he gave prosecutors time to appeal. Hazel said reasonable judges can disagree in a case like this. And in this instance, Hazel said he cant leave it to Hassons relatives to serve as his custodians and ensure the publics safety. So I will put that job in the hands of the U.S. Marshals (Service), the judge added. Prosecutors have called Hasson a domestic terrorist intent on carrying out a killing spree, but they havent filed any terrorism-related charges against him since his Feb. 15 arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom said the government has no doubt that Hassons arrest prevented bloodshed. Nothing is more serious than murder. And, plain and simple, thats what the defendant was going to do, Windom told Hazel. Hasson can appeal Hazels decision. His attorney, assistant public defender Liz Oyer, declined to comment after the hearing. Days order called for releasing Hasson to the custody of in-laws at a home in Virginia, with 24-hour monitoring by global positioning system equipment. His wife moved out of their Silver Spring, Maryland, apartment after his arrest and has been staying with her mother in Virginia. Hasson has pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful possession of firearm silencers, possession of firearm by unlawful user or addict of a controlled substance, and illegal possession of tramadol, an opioid painkiller. Oyer has said prosecutors havent filed terrorism-related charges against Hasson because they havent found any evidence to back up those allegations. She accused prosecutors of seeking to punish Hasson for private thoughts that he never shared. Theyre asking the court to go with a gut feeling, she told Hazel. But prosecutors believe Hasson planned to act on his thoughts, just as other far-right extremists wrote manifestos before killing 77 people in a 2011 bomb-and-shooting rampage in Norway and launching a deadly attack on New Zealand mosques in March. This is a case study in the adage, When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. Through years of research and purchases, the defendant made plain his intentions, though he kept them quiet so as not to attract attention, Windom wrote in a court filing Friday. Hazel said prosecutors presented credible evidence that Hasson took concrete steps to fulfil a desire to commit violent acts. The judge also noted that prosecutors said they couldnt account for two weapons that Hasson owned. Thats something that concerns the court, Hazel said. Hasson is a self-described white nationalist who espoused extremist views for years and intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country, Windom wrote in a previous court filing. Hasson also drafted an email in which he said he was dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on earth, Windom said. Prosecutors have said Hasson created what appeared to be a computer-spreadsheet hit list that included Democratic presidential hopefuls Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Also mentioned were MSNBCs Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNNs Chris Cuomo and Van Jones. Hasson also targeted two Supreme Court justices and two social media company executives and searched online for their home addresses in March 2018, within minutes of searching firearm sales websites, according to prosecutors. Investigators found 15 guns, including seven rifles, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition at Hassons basement apartment. He researched how to make homemade bombs and mortars, studied sniper training and used his government computer to search for information about Nazis and Adolf Hitler, prosecutors said. Hasson, a former Marine, worked at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington on a program to acquire advanced new cutters for the agency. He has 30 years of military service and no criminal record, according to Oyer. He has not a blemish on his record prior to this, she said. HONOLULU - Jury selection began Monday in a closely watched corruption scandal involving the highest levels of Honolulu law enforcement. But instead of a courtroom, prospective jurors were summoned to a venue that usually hosts concerts, expos and other large events. Because of the intense publicity surrounding the case, 400 prospective jurors are needed for the initial phase of jury selection Monday. The judge was concerned the U.S. courthouse in downtown Honolulu wouldnt be able to accommodate that many people, so he reserved a room at the Neal Blaisdell Center a few miles away. Long lines are the norm there for concerts. City officials warned of possible increased traffic in the area on Monday morning because of the unusual court venue. The closely watched scandal stars now-retired Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha and his wife Katherine Kealoha, a former city prosecutor. The couple and current and former officers are accused of abusing police resources to frame a Kealoha relative for a crime. Prosecutors say the Kealohas framed Katherine Kealohas uncle for stealing their home mailbox in an attempt to cover up financial fraud that supported their lavish lifestyle. Hundreds of prospective jurors are necessary in a case that attracted intense publicity. Other than the different location, the court will conduct business at this session identically to a session at the courts normal courtroom and in accordance with the Sixth Amendment right to a public trial, U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright said in a March order designating the centre as the venue for initial jury selection. The centre is comprised of an arena, a concert hall and an exhibition hall. Prospective jurors 413 of them gathered in the Pikake Room, which was most recently the venue for Royal Hawaiian Band auditions, said Andrew Pereira, a Honolulu spokesman. The defendants and their lawyers sat at tables in front of the room while Seabright addressed the crowd from a podium on a stage. I can see you are all packed in pretty tightly, he said, explaining that they wouldnt have been able to fit in a normal courtroom. Its the most hes had for a case, he said. The would-be jurors filled out a questionnaire they were told would take less than an hour to complete. They were given a list of potential witnesses. If they know of any them personally, they had to write down a brief explanation of how they know them. Court officials will spend the next few days reviewing the questionnaires. A vastly reduced pool of prospective jurors will be called back at a later date to continue the process at the federal courthouse. Twelve jurors and four alternates will ultimately be selected. Opening statements are expected May 22 or 23, Seabright said. ___ The version corrects that jury selection will resume at a later date, instead of Tuesday. FAIRBANKS, Alaska - A man who became lost on an Alaska mountain trail has been safely located by searchers, authorities said. Logan Holmer, 26, of Missouri, was among four hikers on Far Mountain Trail Thursday who were reported overdue, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported Saturday. Searchers located Holmer in good condition on a ridge around 4 p.m. Saturday, police said. The Far Mountain Trail east of Chena Hot Springs is a short, steep walk of five miles (8 kilometres) roundtrip and an elevation change of 3,000 feet (914 metres), according to a travel book cited by the newspaper. Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Wilderness Search and Rescue, Civil Air Patrol, Alaska State Park Rangers and PAWS search dog teams began searching for Holmer after he was reported missing. The other three hikers in his party returned to the Chena Hot Springs Resort 61 miles (98 kilometres) east of Fairbanks, but Holmer remained missing until Saturday, police said. Authorities did not provide details of when the three hikers returned or how they were separated from Holmer. ___ Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com MINNEAPOLIS - Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota is sharing her experiences with depression for the first time as she calls for more federal funding for mental health programs. The Democrat said she battled depression as a teenager and again in her late 30s, the Star Tribune reported. It just sort of feels like all the colours in the world start to fade out, Smith said. The things that gave you a lot of joy, theres nothing there anymore. Smith said help was available whenever she needed it, and that she sought out therapy and eventually went on medication. But she said she realizes that isnt the case for everyone. She believes that sharing her story can build mental health awareness and political momentum for a measure that would bring more support services to schools. Smith is pushing for Congress to approve $1 billion in grants over five years for school districts to partner with local organizations to provide mental health services. She said she decided to speak out about her experiences because she felt she was omitting an important part of the conversation when engaging with mental health issues as a lawmaker. It started to feel weird that I wasnt just saying, Hey, Im relating to this personally, she said. Many school districts across the county have programs to help offer mental health treatment to students. Districts often partner with clinics in their communities, but it can create insurance and logistical issues for families, said Sue Abderholden, who leads the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. If mom and dad both work or otherwise dont have the ability to drive there twice a week, that can put a big strain on being able to receive the service, said Emily Dierling, a school counsellor in Stewartville. Making treatment available directly in schools would make a lot of sense for a lot of families, Dierling said. Smiths measure only has support from Democrats in the GOP-controlled Senate at the moment. ___ Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com BILOXI, Miss. - A Mississippi police officer who was shot to death on duty was a good cop who took pride in his job, the mayor of Biloxi said Monday at the officers funeral. Mayor Andrew FoFo Gilich fought tears as he remembered Biloxi Patrolman Robert McKeithen (muh-KEETH-en), who was shot to death May 5 outside the Biloxi police station. McKeithen, 57, had been a police officer for nearly 24 years. From all accounts, Robert McKeithen was the epitome of what you would want in a police officer, Gilich said. He loved his job. He took pride in representing the Biloxi Police Department. He was well-liked, a compassionate, caring professional who had the ability to connect with people. He was a good cop. Hundreds of law enforcement officers joined other mourners at First Baptist Church in Biloxi. During the visitation before the funeral, McKeithens body, dressed in his uniform, lay in an open casket, and people walked past to hug his wife and other relatives. Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said during the service that he had never met McKeithen. However, he said those who knew the officer described him as a man of honour and a man of integrity. His untimely death is a reminder that there is evil in the world, Reeves said. But his life is a reminder that there are still men amongst us who are willing to face that evil to protect those who cannot. McKeithens supervisor, Lt. Thomas Goldsworthy, brought levity to the service by saying McKeithen was known for his smile and many nicknames, including Old Man and Pop Pop. McKeithen enjoyed 3 a.m. coffee at Waffle House, and waitresses there personalized a coffee cup for him by writing Robocop on it. Goldsworthy said that in the past couple of weeks, he and another officer went to that Waffle House, got McKeithens coffee cup and used a permanent marker to add: Policing since 20 B.C. Goldsworthy snapped a photo of the cup and sent it in a group text. McKeithen responded with good humour, saying, Thats just wrong, Goldsworthy recalled. He told me he thought it was hilarious, Goldsworthy said. McKeithen, an Air Force veteran, was buried at Biloxi National Cemetery. Investigators have charged 19-year-old Darian Atkinson with capital murder in McKeithens death. Atkinsons brother and three others are charged as accessories after the fact. ____ Emily Wagster Pettus contributed to this report from Jackson, Mississippi. BOSTON - The Latest on the plea of actress Felicity Huffman in the college admissions bribery scheme (all times local): 3:30 p.m. Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman has pleaded guilty to participating in the college admissions cheating scheme. The 56-year-old actress entered the plea Monday to a charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Huffman stood with her hands clasped in front of her and responded, Yes, your honour, when asked whether she understood the charges. Her brother watched from the front row. Her husband, actor William H. Macy, didnt attend. Sentencing is set for Sept. 13. Prosecutors said they would recommend four months in prison. She was arrested in March along with dozens of other prominent parents, athletic coaches and others implicated in the scandal. She was charged with paying $15,000 to have a proctor boost her older daughters SAT score. She has apologized and says she will accept the consequences. ___ 3:15 p.m. A California businessman has pleaded guilty to paying $250,000 in bribes to get his son into the University of Southern California as a fake water polo recruit. Devin Sloane entered his plea Monday in Boston federal court. He is among 14 parents who have agreed to plead guilty to charges in the sweeping college admissions scandal. Authorities say Sloane gave $250,000 to an admissions consultants sham charity and the USC womens athletic program and to have his son designated as a water polo recruit even though he didnt play the sport. Officials say Sloane bought athletic gear online and worked with a graphic designer to create a bogus photo of his son playing the sport for the teens application. Actress Felicity Huffman was also scheduled to plead guilty Monday. ___ 1:10 p.m. Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman has arrived at federal court in Boston, where she is set to plead guilty in the college admissions cheating scheme. The 56-year-old actress didnt speak as she walked into the courthouse Monday with her brother Moore Huffman Jr. Huffman is expected to admit to allegations that she paid $15,000 to have someone correct the answers on her daughters SAT. She is among 14 prominent parents who have agreed to plead guilty since dozens of people were arrested in March in the case named Operation Varsity Blues. Huffman has apologized and said her daughter was unaware of her actions. Prosecutors have said they will seek a prison sentence on the low end of a range between four and 10 months. ___ 6 a.m. Actress Felicity Huffman is set to plead guilty to participating in the sweeping college admissions bribery scheme. The Desperate Housewives star is scheduled to appear Monday in Boston federal court. Huffman was among 50 people charged in March in what authorities have called the largest college admissions cheating scandal ever prosecuted in the U.S. The Emmy-award winning actress was accused of paying $15,000 to have a proctor correct the answers on daughters SAT exam. Huffman has said she takes full responsibility and will accept the consequences. Prosecutors say they will seek between four and 10 months in prison. Thirteen other parents have also agreed to plead guilty. Parents still fighting the charges include fellow actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli. NASHVILLE - The Latest on the upcoming execution of Tennessee inmate Don Johnson (all times local): 12:50 p.m. The worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church is asking for mercy for a Tennessee inmate scheduled to be executed Thursday. Don Johnsons petition for clemency has centred on his religious conversion and Christian ministry to other prisoners. That journey included his ordination as an elder in a Nashville Seventh-day Adventist church while on death row. In a letter hand-delivered to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Monday, Seventh-day Adventist Church President Ted N.C. Wilson asks Lee to consider sparing Johnsons life so he may continue his important spiritual ministry. The letter is one in a series of appeals from religious leaders that includes the president of the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Episcopal bishops of middle and east Tennessee. Johnson is sentenced to die for the 1984 murder of his wife, Connie Johnson. ___ 10 a.m. The U.S. Supreme Court wont consider an appeal that could have delayed an upcoming Tennessee execution. The appeal involves Tennessees midazolam-based lethal injection combination. Inmates claim in a lawsuit that the method causes excruciating pain. The appeal doesnt challenge lethal injection directly. Instead it challenges Tennessee secrecy laws surrounding the procurement of execution drugs. Inmates argue the laws prevented them from proving a more humane drug is available. Justice Sonia Sotomayor agrees. In her dissent on Monday, she says the requirement that prisoners challenging one method of execution prove there is a better method available is fundamentally wrong. She adds that state secrecy laws compound the injustice. Don Johnson is scheduled to be executed Thursday for the 1984 murder of his wife, Connie Johnson. BILOXI, Miss. - The Latest on the funeral of a police officer killed in Mississippi (all times local): 3:35 p.m. One of Mississippis top elected officials says a police officer killed on duty was a man of integrity who protected others. Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves spoke Monday at the funeral of Biloxi Patrolman Robert McKeithen (muh-KEETH-en). The 57-year-old officer was shot to death May 5 outside the Biloxi police station. Hundreds of law enforcement officers joined other mourners at First Baptist Church in Biloxi. McKeithens supervisor, Lt. Thomas Goldsworthy, said McKeithen was known for his smile and many nicknames, including Old Man and Pop Pop. McKeithen enjoyed 3 a.m. breakfasts at Waffle House, and waitresses there personalized a coffee cup for him by writing Robocop on it. Investigators have charged 19-year-old Darian Atkinson with capital murder in McKeithens death. Atkinsons brother and three others are charged as accessories after the fact. ____ 11:10 a.m. Mourners are lining up to pay their respects to a Mississippi police officer who was gunned down outside a police station. A funeral was scheduled Monday for Biloxi patrolman Robert McKeithen, who died May 5. Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Biloxi Police Chief John Miller are among those scheduled to address mourners at the First Baptist Church of Biloxi. The Air Force veteran will be buried afterward at Biloxi National Cemetery. About 200 people lined up for the visitation Monday morning. McKeithens body lies in an open casket, dressed in his uniform. Investigators have charged 19-year-old Darian Atkinson with capital murder in McKeithens death. Atkinsons brother and three others have been charged as accessories after the fact. NEW YORK - The Latest on a hearing about the fate of the Woodstock 50 festival (all times local): 3:50 p.m. A fight over the future of the Woodstock 50 festival is playing out in a New York courtroom with under 100 days to go before the anniversary event. Lawyers for festival organizers and a onetime financial partner lobbed dueling accusations of broken promises as they argued Monday over money, control and whether the festival can go forward. Its set for Aug. 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York. Investor Amplifi Live LLC announced the festivals cancellation April 29, amid health and safety concerns. Organizer Woodstock 50 LLC says its still on. The LLC is suing Amplifi Live, saying its trying to tank the event and should be stopped. Amplifi Live says the organizers were incompetent, so it took control of the festival and cant be forced to put it on. ___ 1:15 p.m. Accusations and counterclaims are piling up as lawyers for organizers of the Woodstock 50 festival and their onetime financial partner head for a New York City courtroom. A hearing is set Monday in the clash over money, control and even whether the anniversary show will happen in August in Watkins Glen, New York. Investor Amplifi Live LLC announced April 29 that it was cancelling the event amid health and safety concerns. Organizers Woodstock 50 LLC say its still a go. They sued last week and said Amplifi Live sabotaged the festival, cant singlehandedly cancel it and plundered nearly $18 million in funds. Amplifi Live said in court papers Sunday that organizers incompetence spurred it to take control, nix the festival and take back the money. Amplifi Live is part of Japanese marketing firm Dentsu. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has never shied away from rubbing shoulders with leaders more typically kept at a distance by the West, and his Oval Office meeting Monday with Hungarys far right-leaning prime minister was only the latest example of his engagement with strongmen. Like Trump, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has espoused hard-line anti-migration rhetoric. The president described his guest this way: Probably, like me, a little bit controversial, but thats OK. Thats OK. Youve done a good job and youve kept your country safe. Trumps presidency has been marked by decisions that strain longtime U.S. alliances. He has refused to be confined to engaging only with traditional power players in the West. Orban has been accused of dismantling democratic institutions in his country. A top Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, called the meeting with Orban a betrayal to American values abroad and said Trump clearly has a dangerous affinity for authoritarian figures over our democratic allies. Orban was the latest central European leader to get a meeting with Trump, who wants to curry their favour and discourage them from moving closer to China and Russia. Orban said he was proud to stand with Trump in the fight against illegal migration, on terrorism and protecting the Christian communities all around the world. Asked about democratic backsliding in Hungary, Trump called Orban a tough man, but added that hes a respected man, too. Hes done the right thing, according to many people on immigration, Trump said. You look at some of the problems they have in Europe that are tremendous, because theyve done it in a different way than the prime minister. Human Rights Watch and Human Rights First both said, however, that Orban has not only assaulted the rule of law and basic human rights in Hungary, but has employed anti-migrant, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic and xenophobic rhetoric while targeting civil society organizations and universities receiving funding from overseas. The White House said the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to NATO and democratic systems of government. They also discussed how best to increase vigilance against unchecked global migration and to address Chinas unfair trade and investment practices. Orbans was the first visit of a Hungarian prime minister to the Oval Office since 2005. Orban faced years of harsh criticism from the Obama administration over his weakening of democratic checks and balances. U.S.-Hungary relations have improved in recent months, partly because of Hungarian plans to purchase medium-range missiles from U.S. sources to improve the countrys air defence system. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, however, has warned Hungary that an authoritarian Russia will never be a friend to the freedom and sovereignty of smaller nations. Pompeo also has emphasized the risks of doing business with Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, which has significant operations in Hungary, and said there are dangers to allowing China to gain a bridgehead in Hungary. The Republican chairman and the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote Trump a letter Friday, saying that democracy in Hungary has significantly eroded. Sens. James Risch, R-Idaho, and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said that under Orban, elections have become less competitive, the judiciary is increasingly controlled by the state and press freedom has declined. The letter, also signed by Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., complained that Hungary has failed to diversify its energy resources away from Russia and has allowed Moscow to exploit its visa system to evade U.S. sanctions. Late last year, the State Department said Hungary denied a U.S. request to extradite two suspected Russian arms dealers and sent the men to Russia instead. I hope that in the private conversation Trump will tell him that we dont like Orban sliding into the Russian sphere of influence, said Andras Simonyi, a former Hungarian ambassador to the U.S. who is now affiliated with George Washington University in Washington. I am not sure he will, but if he does, the visit was totally worth it. Otherwise it was a waste of the presidents time. Orban is not the only hard-liner Trump has engaged with. Trump didnt hesitate to meet twice now with North Koreas Kim Jong Un in an effort to persuade him to give up his nuclear weapons program. He has praised Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, which interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Trump also remains allied with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is under pressure over the killing of a Saudi activist who lived in the United States and wrote articles criticizing the kingdom. In 2017, Trump met in Manila with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has attacked U.S. security policies and launched a crackdown on illegal drugs that has claimed the lives of thousands of mostly poor drug suspects. Duterte has sought Chinese infrastructure funding, trade and investment, has reached out to Russia and has threatened to end the presence of U.S. counterterrorism forces in the country, although that has not happened. Also in 2017, during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans visit with Trump in Washington, Erdogans bodyguards attacked peaceful protesters gathered outside the Turkish ambassadors residence. Security officers guarding the authoritarian leader of Turkey, a member of NATO, hit and kicked the demonstrators, who wound up with injuries including concussions, broken and loose teeth, and a popped blood vessel in the eye. ___ Associated Press writer Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is warning Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) that China will be hurt very badly if they dont agree to a trade deal. Trump tweeted Monday after the countries failed to reach a deal in recent talks. The Trump administration has raised tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports after charging that China had backtracked on commitments it made in earlier negotiations. Trump tweeted China had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out! Trump insisted the tariffs the U.S. has placed on Chinese goods dont hurt American consumers, saying there is no reason for the U.S. Consumer to pay the Tariffs. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow acknowledged Sunday that U.S. consumers and businesses pay the tariffs. Both sides will pay, he told Fox News. MONTPELIER, Vt. - Vermont has joined a handful of states in renaming Columbus Day to honour Native Americans. Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed a bill May 6 recognizing the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day. A half-dozen states, including Vermont, and several cities have made the change. The governors of Maine and New Mexico signed similar measures last month. Native American tribes and others say celebrating Italian explorer Christopher Columbus ignores the effect that the European arrival in the Americas had on the native peoples. They suffered violence, disease, enslavement, racism and exploitation at the hands of the settlers. Vermonts law states that Vermont was founded and built upon lands whose original inhabitants were Abenaki people and honours them and their ancestors. ____ This story has been corrected to change the day of the bill signing to May 6, instead of Friday. Last week, parliamentary hearings began on Quebecs Bill 21, which would ban public employees in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols. In his testimony, the philosopher Charles Taylor stated that he and Gerard Bouchard were wrong to propose restrictions on religious symbols in their 2008 report on reasonable accommodation. Taylor affirmed he had been very naive for not foreseeing that such proposals would stigmatize religious minorities and feed intolerance. The very fact that we were talking about this kind of a plan started to stimulate hate incidents, not just in Quebec but all over, Taylor said. He added: I really changed my mind when I saw the consequences of such policies. Taylors remarks summarize rather well the findings of a research project we recently conducted at McGill University. Our research shows that laws like Bill 21 can have much graver consequences for religious minorities than the specific provisions they entail. Such laws also embolden those who harbour deep-seated xenophobia specifically Islamophobia and they therefore intensify minorities encounters of hostility and mistreatment. For our research, we conducted dozens of biographical interviews with Muslim Montrealers to learn about their views and experiences. We asked them how their religion matters in everyday life, and how they evaluate their opportunities in Quebec. Muslims are a diverse group, so we included those who are secular and pious, young and old, professional and working-class. But despite this diversity, our findings were stunningly cohesive. Virtually all of our interviewees emphasized political campaigns seeking to restrict religious rights the aftermath of the Bouchard-Taylor Commission, the Charter of Values debate in 2013-14, and Bill 62 in 2017 as major turning points in their lives. For example, young Muslims born and raised in Quebec report growing up without any strong sense of exclusion until they experienced the controversy over the Charter of Values as adolescents or young adults. As one young woman put it, The true colours come out. I think people felt like they were entitled to do things that they wouldnt normally do because the government was supporting it. During her work at a bank, she said, People were openly telling me to go home, to go back to my country, refusing that I help them at the bank, because I was wearing a hijab. Many of the people we spoke with reported similar incidents, which left them shocked, confused, and ultimately alienated. Suddenly, these men and women had to re-evaluate their relationships, consider what an angry look on the subway might mean, and what that passing pedestrian might have muttered under his breath. The young woman tersely summed it up: It kind of left a bitter feeling. Such experiences fundamentally change people. We spoke to a woman who stopped wearing the hijab in public after an irate woman told her, You just know how to bring kids into the world, but you are like cows as she was out for a walk with her baby daughter. We spoke to a man who converted to Islam, but who keeps his religion a secret so that it does not endanger his professional career. Others responded in the opposite fashion proudly proclaiming their religious identities even in the face of adversity. But their lives, too, were negatively affected insofar as they now felt they had to be ready, at a moments notice, to defend their religion. Just like prior laws that aimed to limit religious rights, Bill 21 emboldens those who hate or fear Muslims. There may not be many such people, but it seems that there are enough to make life miserable for Muslims and sometimes even endanger them. According to Statistics Canada, this is not an issue confined to Quebec. Latest figures suggest that police-reported hate crimes reached an all-time high across the country in 2017, with those against Muslims demonstrating the greatest increase compared to the previous year. In this social context, politicians have to recognize that their campaigns and policies, even beyond the letter of the law, have broad and immediate consequences for how religious minorities are viewed and treated. Political campaigns can indeed create a really frightful climate, as Taylor cautioned in his parliamentary address. Jan Doering is an assistant professor of sociology, McGill University.Efe Peker is a post-doctoral fellow in sociology, McGill University. Read more about: Our planet is on life support. Thats the dire message from a landmark United Nations report this past week that found one million species of plants and animals out of a total of eight million are at risk of extinction as the result of human actions. Its a message the world dare not ignore. At stake is not just the survival of other species. The UN report, the most thorough health checkup on biodiversity ever conducted by leading scientists, makes clear that the future of our own species is at stake as well. Robert Watson, chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, put it like this: We are eroding the very foundations of economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide. In other words, we must save the plants and animals by protecting their habitats if only for our own self-preservation. One way to do that would be for the world to meet the targets set under the 2010 UN Convention on Biodiversity to protect 17 per cent of land area and 10 per cent of oceans by 2020. Thats not a unreasonable goal, considering that last weeks report found natural ecosystems have already been diminished by half. But it is a politically difficult one. The fact is that in order to protect lands and waters governments must ban virtually all economic activity within them, a responsibility Canadas previous Conservative government ducked. As a result, until recently this country was a laggard compared to other G7 countries in meeting the goals set out by the UN. Happily, the Trudeau government has taken important steps to change that, though it still has a ways to go. Last month, for example, the government set aside 11,580 square kilometres of the Laurentian Channel, a key migratory pathway for whales and other endangered species between Cape Breton Island and Newfoundland, as Canadas newest and biggest marine protected area, or MPA. At the same time, Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson released new rules that will ban oil and gas activities, mining, ocean dumping and bottom trawling in all 13 of the countrys MPAs. Predictably, there was political push-back. The premiers of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland argued that designating the Laurentian Channel as an MPA will hinder economic activity off their coasts. But if studies of the worlds oceans show anything, its that protecting marine habitat isnt a threat to economic activity in coast areas; its vital to making sure it can continue in the future. MPAs help to connect important feeding, mating and calving grounds for vulnerable species. And in turn, those ecosystems generate essential revenue for island and coastal communities through sustainable fisheries and tourism. They also protected species that otherwise would be at serious risk. The Laurentian Channel, for example, is home to 20 species of whales and dolphins, as well as northern wolffish, soft corals called sea-pens, sea turtles and more. At the same time, corals, sponges and other creatures will be protected by a ban on the destructive practice of bottom trawling. Ships drag weighted nets along the ocean floor, destroying coral forests and sea beds and sweeping up hundreds of kinds of unwanted fish, called bycatch, which are then discarded. The new marine protected areas move Canada close to meeting the UN goal for protecting ocean areas by 2020. But on land, this country still falls short. Canada has now designated 11.8 per cent of its land area as protected, significantly short of the 17-per-cent goal it has pledged to reach by next year. The Trudeau government has done a lot in this area, setting aside new protected areas in the Northwest Territories and as close as the Rouge National Urban Park on the outskirts of Toronto. But it should up its efforts and set an example for the rest of the world. Last weeks sobering report on threatened species gives it added urgency. Dont cry to me, Alberta. The truth is you took a bad risk. You got a hand up with preferential tax programs. You got a hand out of billions per year in subsidies and now you are stuck with dirty eggs sitting in a fragile basket that cant get the eggs to market. Since the government of Alberta is so keen to blame the East and government in general for their horrendous mess, we should refrain from offering our shoulder to cry on. Dave Braden, Puslinch, Ont. Read more about: Unimagined success, prosperity, progress and harmony awaits if only we practice whats good for us. We dont hence, laws and requirements for mandatory compliance. Last week, Statistics Canada gave its first comprehensive statistical report on women holding influential positions on corporate boards. The pitifully low numbers and the discouragingly slow pace of improvement underscore the difficulty with voluntary compliance. Fewer than 1 in 5 board positions (19.4 per cent) in corporate Canada is filled by a female, Statistics Canada reports, after studying 2016 data from 12,762 corporations and the 44,658 directors on their boards. The numbers are inching up so lets assume the participation has topped 20 per cent by now. Still, Statistics Canada says more than half the nations corporate boardrooms have no women zero. Thats no representation, input, voice, mindset, sensibility, expertise, skills set and approach to problem solving from half the population. Now, anyone who has encountered a woman for more than five minutes knows this erasure is a recipe for failure. Unlike a growing number of countries Finland, France, Germany, Italy and State of California, for example Canada has no mandatory requirement for major publicly traded companies to include women on their boards. Some advocates and non-profit groups like Catalyst and Women in Capital Markets suggest that 30 per cent female board participation is a good starting point. The Ontario government set 30 per cent as its target on public boards by 2017. And the Ontario Securities Commission implemented a comply or explain model to get a handle on what its members were doing. Read more: StatCan finds just 19.4 per cent of board directors are women Women get corporate board seats mostly when its required by law California is first state to require women on corporate boards But those are last-gasp efforts of a failing system one based on a discredited model that depends on voluntary compliance. Human beings, the majority of them, dont set out to be evil, irresponsible, mean, greedy, acquisitive, selfish well, on second thought, check that. But even the best-meaning among us need firm guardrails, lanes on the highway, targets and mandates to guide and direct us. Corporate Canada, governed by the corrosive influence of money, needs this more than most. U.S. studies consistently show that companies which have women on their boards outperform firms that dont. Whats more, boards that feature 30 per cent or more female members do even better. Whats needed is not tokenism but a recognition that a huge cohort of valuable brains, fuelled by a different approach to problem solving, is being left to rot. We are worse off for it. That is not new, of course. Advocates have broadcasted the narrative loudly and persistently for the past five years to little effect. The implication is that if the presence of women in the corporate boardroom benefit the bottom line of those companies, their presence would also work for the laggards who trail these successful corporations. Put another way, either the women on those boards are the reason for the tangible difference in terms that investors and shareholders understand dollars or these wise and profitable companies have stumbled on a practice that somehow positively affects the bottom line. The research evidence says their presence is a decided plus. So did corporate Canada rush to embrace women board members last year? A little. Some 29 per cent of board vacancies were filled by women not a particularly aggressive recruitment drive. It means corporations tapped 7 men for every 10 vacancies, perpetuating the discrepancy. To reverse the trend and close the gap, in our lifetime, corporate Canada would have to flip the numbers on its head and appoint 7 women for every 10 vacancy. That would start to jerk the system towards equilibrium. The countries making the most noticeable gains in adding women to their corporate boards are the ones with mandatory rules compelling firms to act. Should that come to Canada? Ralph Lean is a Toronto corporate lawyer and big-time political fundraiser and Mr. Fixit in corporate circles. In 2017 he wrote a column in The Toronto Sun calling for sanctions of some sort to achieve more women on boards. He wasnt yet ready to embrace fines or forced dissolutions of companies who didnt reach a government target. Today, Lean still wrestles with my body because he doesnt support the idea of quotas, but the many medium to small firms he engages with rarely discuss women and the diversity of their boards, much less address the imbalance. Im ready to look at minor tweaks, Lean said Monday. Companies should be required to include women participation on their boards as an agenda item each year and report out on the results of the discussion. More importantly, the firms should be required to interview female candidates and report on the results, Lean says. Does voluntary compliance like that work? he asks. Does it move the needle? History suggests no. But change begins when conservative and influential citizens like Lean start asking. Canadas federal election on Oct. 21 will be one of the most important in our nations history. Thats why the Star is offering free digital subscriptions to university and college students from now until Oct. 31. Coincidentally, the Art Gallery of Ontario will now be free for visitors under age 25. Get them while theyre young and theyre yours for life, I say hopefully. Given that news websites need cash to prosper and in some cases survive, its a generous offer but a necessary one. For this election in particular, young people need to be fully informed so they can vote for the party that best understands an increasingly grave future. Personally, I call it reparations. Most of the damage done to the planet was done in the past 30 years, which were the years of my adulthood. I and my cohort inadvertently did you harm. We could have known; we chose not to. My generation thought energy was free and harmlessly obtained. We ate anything that caught our fancy, flew incessantly, drove non-stop, and bought so ferociously that getting rid of wretched excess became an industry. We lived as if there were no tomorrow, and as it turns out, there may not be for you, or for your children. If I sound overwrought, its the guilt talking. Comparatively speaking, we had an easy time of it when all the time, we had thought it pretty rough. Students are facing a life unlike any other in human history. They need reliable reporting and informed commentary that will fire them up to vote in this most crucial election. Canada needs its young voters and young voters need Canada. Climate change is melting the north, killing trees, starting fires, flooding homes, veering between harsher cold to more extreme heat, and surprising us all with sudden ferocious storms. Which political party has the best plan on fighting climate change while preparing for thunderous damage? Will lab-grown meat happen? Self-driving cars? Electric charging stations? Which politician will stand up for universal daycare so parents can work through the harsh years? They hope to be buying family homes, but is that plausible? Maybe rental is best, or co-ops, or big condos instead of those sterile hamster cages. What will Canada look like? Where will you live? Right now, Id say not down by the river, but youll need a degrees worth of information beyond that. What should you study? At which university? Will it guide you to a dying industry? My university days were a time of confusion and struggle. I majored in English but should have chosen a history minor, should have studied harder at the ever-patient University of Toronto. Later, I went to Ryerson Polytech (now a university) for practical skills, but journalism would be a bad career choice now. I came from Northern Ontario and struggled to make friends in aloof Toronto. I did not understand money in concept or practice, but subscribed to a newspaper, as one did then, looking to edge into adult life. I was as clueless as a character in a Sally Rooney novel. The now famous Rooney attended Trinity College Dublin post-crash (no jobs). At age 23, she began quickly writing Conversations with Friends about a university student doing damage to herself by passing herself off as tough as old boots when shes really about as tough as a wineglass. Why should women pretend not to mind humiliation? And the intellectual confusion of it all! Is she a character in Middlemarch? (Yes.) Is left-wingery a phase? What is she to do with her anti-capitalist self after graduation? Last night I finished her second novel, Normal People, and was shocked by how unblinkingly it described student fear and savagery, male and female. Rooney is the real deal. If youre unrelievedly happy at university, I suspect youre not doing it right. Young people are having a rough time of it, as many boomers did not. They should search the AGO for an artwork that expresses anguish and confusion. They should read the Star all summer and fall. Stay strong. Prepare to vote. Read more about: Twice in the past 10 weeks, Big Tech has told Ottawa to get lost. First, Google refused to play along with new election rules on advertising, saying it didnt have time to prepare. Then, Facebook refused to implement recommendations of the federal privacy commissioner, ignoring his findings of breach of trust. Now, like parents who have nurtured their high-tech children in the name of economic development only to watch them grow up and take over the house without heed for consequences, policy-makers dont quite know what to do. The most powerful companies in the world, whose market value is growing exponentially, are meeting their day of reckoning in Europe, where lawmakers are introducing regulations, taxes and fines to curtail their power. In the United States, one of the co-founders of Facebook called last week for the breakup of the company through antitrust laws. Democratic presidential contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren has suggested she wants to break up not just Facebook, but Google and Amazon, too. But in Canada, we are only months away from the prime minister posing for ribbon-cutting with the likes of Google, Facebook and Amazon, welcoming them to expand their footprints in Canada so they can hire handfuls of people. Read more: B.C. court allows class-action lawsuit against Facebook to expand Canadas privacy watchdogs are taking Facebook to court U.K. needs tough new rules on the likes of Facebook and Google, report urges The economic development frame has been the driver in this space, observes Amanda Clarke, an assistant professor at Carleton University. Meanwhile, small businesses, especially in the retail sector, find it harder and harder to expand unless theyre on Amazons good side. Music producers and the news industry are seeing their revenues melt away to the massive advertising and publishing power of Google and Facebook, which take little responsibility for curating quality or adhering to copyright, let alone truth. And alarm bells are ringing about children of all ages, so attached to social media that they no longer know how to conduct face-to-face friendships, let alone romance. Big Techs effects on democracy are only a sliver of the ground-shifting effects of these U.S.-based companies and their giant tentacles. Its clear that federal policy-makers want to take action. There has been a notable change in attitude in the past few months, with the photo ops and fawning over Big Tech replaced by a growing mortification at the breaches of privacy, the blind eyes to election interference, and the rapid spread of insidious extremism. But the will to take action has not yet turned into a full-fledged plan. Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould rolled out a package of measures in January to take aim at foreign influence in elections. The government has passed legislation to reform rules around election advertising. And last week, MPs on the ethics committee took the extraordinary step of issuing a formal summons to Facebook executives, telling them they must appear before international hearings on data and democracy at the end of the month. If they dont come, they could be held in contempt of Parliament a deterrent for some, perhaps, but probably not for a company facing the likelihood of a $5-billion U.S. fine for privacy breaches. And we wonder why they wont listen to Canadas privacy commissioner, with his lack of power to levy financial penalties. Galvanized by the mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand in mid-March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is heading to France this week to meet with other leaders to sign on to a Christchurch call list of principles that they hope all governments will follow, and that Big Tech will endorse. Trudeau will up the ante in a speech on Thursday at a Big Tech conference, challenging the firms to take responsibility for hatred and extremism. With an election in the offing, he will aim to show strong leadership. But at this point, he has a narrow definition of the problems, focused on public safety, privacy and electioneering and leaving the corporate power issues to another day. Taxation, monopolistic power in advertising, copyright, distortion of markets such as transportation and accommodation none of those, or other unforeseen disruptions, are on the front burner. He also has limited policy options. Canada will work with allies through the G7 and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to develop best practices. But it also has to decide whether it will follow the European Unions hardball regulatory approach to disruption or the more voluntary approach of the United States. Heres a quick idea from Clarke: use government procurement to demand higher standards. Governments, she says, have spent years cosying up to technology providers and spending billions on their services. Now is the time to use that purchasing power to at least try to impose some rules around privacy and misinformation. Whether Canadian policy-makers can make up for lost time is another question. We are patching it up, Clarke says, trying to regain some of that control. Read more about: Provincial auditor general Bonnie Lysyk is giving a thumbs-down to Premier Doug Fords new taxpayer-funded TV commercial that attacks the federal governments carbon-pricing measures. The fiscal watchdogs office said Monday the ad would not have passed the auditor generals review under the former version of the Government Advertising Act because it doesnt include all the relevant facts. Furthermore, it criticizes another level of government while putting the Ontario government in a positive light, said Christine Pedias, Lysyks director of corporate communications and government advertising review. Until former premier Kathleen Wynne loosened the legislation four years ago, the auditor general had a veto over government advertising for factual accuracy, context and tone, to determine whether it was politically partisan. While the Progressive Conservatives promised in opposition to beef-up the law by reinstating those powers, they have done little on that front since taking power last June. There have been no updates, said Pedias. Last we heard was the response the government gave to our recommendation that the previous version of the act be restored in our 2018 annual report. The response was: The government will endeavour to explore options for the review of government advertising ... she added. Lysyk, who frequently sparred with the previous Liberal government, said in her December report that the previous version of the Government Advertising Act, 2004 as it appeared on June 3, 2015, (should) be reinstated. Fords 30-second ad, unveiled Monday, is the latest salvo in his $30-million campaign against Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus carbon-pricing scheme. It shows nickels pouring out of a gasoline nozzle, heating vents and supermarket shelves. Youre paying a nickel more per litre, a female narrator says as a woman fills up her tank at a gas station. Then your heating bills are a few nickels higher. And foods up a nickel or two. This will cost Ontario families $648 a year. But the ad does not note the federal tax rebates designed to offset higher fuel costs. For an Ontario family of four, the rebate will rise from $307 now to $718 a year by 2022. Thats a net annual gain of $70 per household. The federal program, designed to curb greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change, is being bankrolled by large industrial polluters. Environment Minister Rod Phillips noted Ottawa is spending millions of dollars to promote their idea, which is that they are going to tax people ... and give some of them more money back. We dont think that people trust governments to take more money from them and then give more money back, said Phillips, whose PC government is challenging the constitutionality of the federal levy in court. We dont think they can afford to wait for rebates, he said. But federal Minister Catherine McKenna told the Star the federal government would not be allowed to air such ads because of Trudeaus crackdown on partisan ads. You shouldnt use taxpayer dollars to lie to Canadians, said McKenna. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, who led a provincial debate on climate change Monday, said the PC government is making a mockery of a major issue. People expect all governments these days to take things like climate change seriously, said Horwath. These partisan ads, particularly, are not helpful and theyre a waste of public money, which should be used on mitigating climate change as opposed to taking shots at other levels of government or other parties, she said. Green Leader Mike Schreiner said those ads tell one-third of the story. They dont talk about the cost of climate change ... $1.3 billion in Ontario in insurable losses last year, and they dont tell the other third of the story, which is the rebate youre getting back in your taxes, many of you in the next week or two, said Schreiner. In 2016, Lysyk publicly criticized Liberal government ads promoting Ontarios cap-and-trade environmental alliance with Quebec and California, which Ford cancelled last summer. The auditor expressed concern about an ad that featured environmentalist David Suzuki speaking to an auditorium of children, in which he told them that if we dont act now, the damage could be irreversible. Who will have to live with the consequences? You, Suzuki said in his lecture. Lysyk concluded the Liberal ad was designed to create a positive impression of government. Her comments at the time inspired Tory MPP Sylvia Jones, now the solicitor general, to table a private members bill to revive the auditors powers. NDP MPP Taras Natyshak (Essex) has reintroduced Joness bill even using the same cover with her name scratched out and his inked in to pressure the Tories into keeping their pledge. The act was introduced 15 years ago by former Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty, but Wynne loosened the restrictions in 2015. With files from Susan Delacourt Robert Benzie is the Star's Queen's Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: Before she vanished Wednesday, Amanda Eller parked her white Toyota RAV4 and, readying for a hike in a sprawling Maui forest, left her phone and wallet in the car and her key on the tire. Police found Eller's car and belongings but, days later, have found no sign of Eller. Hundreds of volunteers have combed through the dense Makawao Forest Reserve looking for Eller, 35, as officials scaled back their search. Julia Eller spent Mother's Day preparing for a flight to Maui to join the search for her daughter, which will resume early Monday. "Please, please, hold on, Amanda. I'm coming," she told KITV 4. ". . . We still have history to make together, and I need you as part of my life." The family has offered $10,000 for information that leads to her safe return, the Associated Press reported. Since her disappearance, authorities dispatched tracking dogs, helicopters and drones to scour the forest on the northern side of Maui, which were joined by hundreds of volunteers marshaled for the search. Maui fire officials wound down their search efforts in the air and by foot Sunday after reaching their 72-hour limit for assisting in missing persons incidents, KHON reported, but will aid police if there are any new developments. The forest has bedeviled volunteers who faced the difficult terrain, thick with creeks, ravines and brush. Volunteer coordinators have pleaded for hunters and experienced climbers to search the most challenging regions of the forest, Maui News reported. Volunteers have prepared for all possibilities as they escalate the search. "Generally speaking, it's highly likely she's lost or injured in this forest and it's equally as likely that she was intercepted by someone in the parking lot or on her run," friend and volunteer Sarah Haynes told Maui News. "As the days go by, and more and more people are in the forest, we get closer and closer to foul play." Eller, who lives outside the reserve in Haiku, is a physical therapist. But her deep ties as a yoga instructor on the island have propelled volunteers to join the search effort. "Amanda's really well loved in the yoga community and there are people coming from all over the island coming in and hiking and trying to find her," Haynes told CNN. EDWARDSVILLE Jeremy Howard thinks that learning about honey bees is a pretty sweet idea. Howard, a graduate student in biological sciences, is vice president of the SIUE Honey Association. The purpose of the organization is to maintain the health and wellbeing of the honey bee colonies on the SIUE campus. That includes periodic inspections of the colonies, where Howard and other club members get a closeup look at the inner workings of a bee hive. I always thought honey bees were cool, so it sounded interesting to me, said Howard, who has been at SIUE since January 2017. Im a mammalogist personally and working on behavioral stuff, so its not really tied to my major, so I thought it was a cool way to explore it without having to dive head first into it and do a whole lot of research. Its a much more relaxed environment and Dr. (Jake) Williams is great with all of that. He lets us get into the colonies and if we havent done it before, it gets our hands wet. Williams, who is the faculty advisor for the Honey Bee Association, is an associate professor of biological sciences at SIUE. When I originally came here, I got into beekeeping because it was something that I used in my research, Williams saiid. I still do research on them, but it blossomed into student involvement. I could take of the bees or have my students who were doing research with me take care of the bees. We started a collaboration with (SIUE) Food Service and they wanted to keep a hive or two so they could use the honey for food processing with a colony outside of Fixins, which is a restaurant on campus that is visible to all the students. One of the workers there turned out to be the first president of the bee club. The Honey Bee Association officially started in the spring of 2018, but the planning process started about a year earlier. You have to write up a constitution, bylaws and that stuff that built up into creating the bee club, Williams said. We had three or four founding members, but we saw a lot of interest and the club has grown. We had about 10 members last fall and now we have over 60. We do most of our learning about how to maintain healthy colonies and promote bee health. The best time (to study bees) is during the summer when most of the students are gone, but we do have a hearty handful to help out. During a colony inspection last week, Williams, Howard and Hannah Griffis, a graduate student in biological sciences, donned their beekeeping gear, which includes a body-length suit, a protective mask and long gloves. They also used a smoker to subdue the bees and keep them from getting agitated while the hive was taken apart for inspection. Bees communicate in a variety of ways and one way they communicate is through chemical pheromones. Williams said. The smoke limits that communication because a pheromone is released when bees get defensive when you go through their colony. It also makes them think that there is a fire in the colony, and they gorge themselves on nectar before they take off. It keeps them busy. After participating in several colony inspections, Howard is now a veteran when it comes to taking the hive apart and checking on the bees. But when he first joined the club, he didnt know what to expect. I had never been a part of working with honey bees outside of seeing it on TV, Howard said. I had seen the people with their (protective) suits on, but what I thought it was going to be like and what it was actually like are two totally different things.. I thought it was just going to be a big cloud of angry bees, but its really cool when you seem them (during a colony inspection). You see them all around you and see how the hive works. For Griffis, last week marked the first she had taken an active role in a colony inspection. Dr. Williams was my physiology teacher and hes now my animal physiological ecology teacher, said Griffis, who will be the club treasurer next fall. My sister went here and she was one of his grad students and I always remember her talking about doing this (with honey bees). She would bring home some honey, which was very exciting to me not being in college. Thats what got me interested in joining the club. While members of the club perform many other bee-related functions, the inspections are its most visible role on the SIUE campus. The basic goal for hive inspections is to make sure that the colony has the resources that it needs, including the proper nectar, honey and pollen, Williams said. You want to make sure that there is a strong queen in there that lays eggs and you want to make sure that there are no diseases or pests that are infiltrating the colony. The hives used at SIUE are Langstroth hives, which feature vertically hung frames, a bottom board with entrance for the bees, boxes containing frames for brood and honey and an inner cover and top cap to provide weather protection. There is something called bee space, which is the space between the frames, Williams said. If you get them too wide, they will start creating a (honey) comb between them and you cant take the frames out. If you get the frames too close together, the bees cant get in there and store honey and nectar on both sides. Theres something called the honey super on the top, which is a slightly shorter box with shorter frames, and ideally the workers will put honey in those frames so you can take them out and extract the honey. The ones below that are called hive bodies or deeps and ideally the queen will stay down there and lay eggs. As Williams, Howard and Griffin examined the frames one by one, most of the bees stayed on the frames or somewhere else in the hive. Many of them still buzzed around the professor and his students, but thanks to the smoker, they werent as aggressive as they normally would have been. When I was growing up, I was very much afraid of bees, said Griffis, who is specializing in animal behavior. Today I was kind of nervous, helping in the colony inspection for the first time, but it wasnt bad. It was a little scary with all the bees buzzing around me, but it was cool to see the hive. Its cool to see how the bees live in their community and the whole structure of worker, drone and queen. Im working on overcoming my fear of bees. I plan on taking Dr. Williams entomology class in the fall, which is the study of insects, so I should be even more over that fear by then. SIUE currently has five different hives scattered around the campus. All of our courses are going to be here (at the central hive), so were going to move the other four back here, Williams said. Hopefully well have four strong colonies with groups of students going through them. There are three kinds of bees in a honey bee hive workers, drones and one queen. There could be 40,000 to 80,000 worker bees, which are all females, and about 10 percent of the colony is going to be drones, which are males, Williams said. The only purpose for drones is to reproduce with the queen. When a queen bee wants to mate, shell fly up in the air and mate with several drones. Then shell fly back to her colony and never leave again. Once the drones mate with the queen, they essentially die. They dont come back to the colony. The number of honey bees throughout the United States has been declining, due in part to something called colony collapse disorder. Honey bees are extremely important, not only for ecosystem purposes, but they directly and indirectly pollinate billions of dollars worth of crops, Williams said. Many crop products are largely pollinated by bees. Colony collapse disorder is different from any other disease associated with honey bees. In a colony that is undergoing collapse, the workers will just leave and not come back. What youll have left is maybe a queen and a few workers and the colony will die off. Its not really known exactly what is causing it, but its probably multiple causes working at once. Thats why its so hard to pin down. During the school year, the Honey Bee Association meets once a month. We talk about normal club business and we have a 15- to 20-minute presentation on some aspect of honey bees, Williams said. It can be something like bee biology or honey bees in pop culture. The SIUE Honey Bee Association has its own Facebook page, which advertises its monthly B movie night. Recent selections included The Deadly Bees, a horror film from 1967, and The Bees, a sci-fi horror film from 1978. So far its just been bees, but we might get some other B movies in there, Williams said. The honey that the club collects from its colonies is used for a variety of purposes, but it hopes to sell some of the honey this summer at the Land of Goshen Community Market in Edwardsville. We have primarily given it away to members in the past, but were thinking about using it to make some money for the club to buy extra equipment, Williams said. You can crystalize the honey and put it on sticks like a sucker. That way we can make more money for the amount of honey that we produce. In the past weve gotten five gallons or more, but it varies by hives, the size of the colony and the production in the area. The club also hopes to promote something called The Bee Experience. Its an idea we got from Groupon, Williams said. Well have 10 people come in and the bee club will lecture to them for about 45 minutes about what is in a colony. Then theyll be able to suit up and get into a colony. The first event for that is going to be Sept. 7 and if its successful, well keep on doing that. its a way for the club to earn money too. Reach reporter Scott Marion at smarion@hearstil.com JERSEYVILLE A Jerseyville man was charged with aggravated DUI, but could face more severe punishment because he has been classified as a habitual criminal. Patrick W. Meyer, 37, of the 800 block of Baxter, Jerseyville, was charged May 2 with aggravated DUI, a Class 2 felony. However, because of the habitual criminal designation, if convicted he would be sentenced as a Class X offender. Class X felonies carry sentences of 6-30 years, three years mandatory probation and fines up to $25,000. Probation, periodic imprisonment or conditional discharge may not be part of the sentence. WASHINGTON President Trump joined prominent House Republicans on Monday in condemning Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., for recent comments on the Holocaust and Israel that the freshman lawmaker says have been deliberately distorted to ignite attacks against her. "Democrat Rep. Tlaib is being slammed for her horrible and highly insensitive statement on the Holocaust," Trump said in a tweet. "She obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. Can you imagine what would happen if I ever said what she said, and says?" His tweet prompted a response from Tlaib, who said in a statement that Trump "has doubled down on his party's use of the Holocaust to score political points." "Instead of recognizing that the accusations against me are false and that my words have been blatantly misconstrued, Trump has once again used his platform to incite hate and violence based on lies," Tlaib said. The controversy was sparked by an interview published Saturday on Yahoo News's "Skullduggery" podcast during which Tlaib, one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, was asked about her support for a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Tlaib began her response by noting that the United States commemorated Holocaust Remembrance Day two weeks earlier. She then discussed her Palestinian ancestors and the founding of the state of Israel, saying she was "humbled by the fact that it was my ancestors that had to suffer" to create a safe haven for the Jewish people. "There's, you know, there's a kind of a calming feeling, I always tell folks, when I think of the Holocaust and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors - Palestinians - who lost their land, and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence, in many ways, had been wiped out . . . I mean, just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time," Tlaib said. She added that the events of the past have informed her views on how to approach a solution to the conflict. "I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that [safe haven], in many ways," Tlaib said. "But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away, right? And it was forced on them. And so, when I think about one-state, I think about the fact that, why couldn't we do it in a better way?" Tlaib's comments were picked up by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which published an article with the headline, "Tlaib Says She Is Humbled Her Ancestors Provided 'Safe Haven' for Jews After Holocaust." On Sunday, two of the top House Republicans criticized Tlaib's use of the phrase "calming feeling," falsely accusing her of using the phrase to describe her views about the Holocaust itself. "There is no justification for the twisted and disgusting comments made by Rashida Tlaib just days after the annual Day of Holocaust Remembrance," House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said in a statement. "More than six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust; there is nothing 'calming' about that fact." Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the No. 3 Republican in the House, issued a statement describing Tlaib's remarks as "sickening." "I call on Speaker Pelosi and Leader Hoyer to finally take action against Representative Tlaib and other members of the Democratic caucus who are spreading vile anti-Semitism," she said, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. On Sunday night, Tlaib accused the GOP lawmakers of deliberately distorting her words. "Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work," she said in a tweet. "All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win." Denzel McCampbell, Tlaib's spokesman, condemned Cheney's statement as "dangerous." Cheney was the first GOP leader to criticize Tlaib on Sunday. "Once again, Republican leaders and right-wing extremists are spreading outright lies to incite hate," McCampbell said in a statement. McCampbell also maintained that Tlaib "did not in any way praise the Holocaust, nor did she say the Holocaust itself brought a calming feeling to her." "In fact, she repeatedly called the Holocaust a tragedy and a horrific persecution of Jewish people," he said. On Monday, Democrats, by and large, rallied behind Tlaib - including some who have criticized Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for previous comments that have been interpreted as anti-Semitic. They said, some privately and others publicly, that Republicans had badly twisted Tlaib's words. "Republicans' desperate attempts to smear @RepRashida & misrepresent her comments are outrageous. President @realDonaldTrump & House GOP should apologize to Rep. Tlaib & the American people for their gross misrepresentations," Pelosi said in a tweet. Hoyer said Trump and congressional Republicans had taken Tlaib's comments out of context. "They must stop, and they owe her an apology," Hoyer said in a statement. Cheney doubled down on her criticism in a tweet Monday morning that included a truncated quote from Tlaib that made it appear she said thinking of the Holocaust gives her a "calming feeling." "And her 'history' of what happened after is a fantasy based on lies spread to delegitimize the state of Israel," Cheney added in the tweet. In her statement Monday night, Tlaib said it was "shameful that right-wing extremists and GOP leadership, including President Trump, have twisted and misconstrued my words to spread falsehoods rooted in hate." "The Holocaust was a horrific persecution of Jewish people and should be remembered as such, nothing short of that," she said. - - - The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis contributed to this report. MARYVILLE If trustees agree, the village of Maryville may soon get its electricity at a lower cost from a wind farm in the central or northern part of the state. Bluestem Energy Solutions out of Omaha, Nebraska, gave a presentation during Maryvilles caucus meeting Wednesday, detailing three options for community renewable energy sources on-site solar, community solar and community wind. Last September, we entered into an agreement for an eight-month feasibility study with Bluestem, Maryville Mayor Craig Short said. That agreement recently ended. Short and the village trustees sided with community wind over the other options due to cost and feasibility. Bluestem projects that the village could save $122,278 over 25 years on electric costs, or just under $4,900 annually. We looked at the on-site solar option initially but there were inherent problems with picking that option, he said. To add it to our water plant would have required an acre of land; we dont have the room. He added that layout and shape of the buildings on that site were counter-productive, too. The second option, a community solar farm, was not doable due to the states economic incentives and because the landowners would not have been amenable to it, based on prior experience, Short said. Bluestem approached Maryville, with the goal of seeing if we could help save Maryville cost on their electric bills through the use of renewable energy, said Jamie Goldenberg, an energy consultant with the company. Short said Bluestem is partnering with five or six towns in the state. Maryville and El Dorado are two of the areas Short knows about and the two southern-most of the prospective partners; the others are all north of Springfield. Maryville fit into our customer description for the state of Illinois. In Illinois with the Future Energy Jobs Act, we believed there is a real opportunity for Maryville to take advantage of low-cost renewable energy, Goldenberg said. He added that Bluestem is considering asking Glen Carbon and Troy to join Maryville in this consortium. The more towns Bluestem encourages to join the group, the lower the prospective rates are for everyone in the cooperative. Bluestem doesnt deal in large scale wind farms, such as the ones along Interstate 39 in the northern part of the state. The wind farm that would generate the energy for Maryville would use between three and 10 windmills, Short said. The wind farm will be built in two megawatt (MW) increments and will grow as large as our subscriber base allows it to be. The wind farm will be built in Amerens territory within Illinois, Goldenberg explained. The electricity would then be transferred via Amerens existing power grid to Maryville. Short said through its Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan, the Illinois Power Agency plans that 25 percent of the states renewable energy must be in place by 2025. In addition, the Future Energy Jobs Act, or FEJA, passed in 2016, requires 4,300 megawatts of new solar and wind power to be built in Illinois by 2030. Illinois is giving out $30 million in incentives to build clean energy-related job training programs and support future employees between now and 2030. Based on a 6 MW project, the wind farm is projected to generate 245 kilowatts (kW) of power and its estimated annual production is 1,038,975-kW hours. Maryville will receive credits from the farm to offset electricity Maryville would be traditionally buying from their alternate retail electric supplier, Goldenberg said. The company claims its approach provides price certainty against Illinois retail electric rates, which have a history of extreme volatility year-over-year. Short believes now that the initial feasibility study has expired, a majority of the trustees are interested enough in the project to approve moving forward with a 180-day memorandum of understanding executed April 18 while Bluestem while it talks to more towns in Illinois about joining the consortium. Bluestems next steps are to continue growing its potential subscriber base and then move forward through the bid application process, which the Illinois Power Agency lays out in its Long-term Renewable Resource Procurement Plan, Goldenberg said. The trustees will vote on the notion at their next board meeting, which is Wednesday. Bluestems timeline includes completion of due diligence by Oct. 1, an interconnection approval completed by Oct. 15 and tax credits secured by Dec. 15. Job Title: Staff Writer Intern (Fresh Graduate Jobs) Organisation: Uganda Christian University (UCU) Duty Station: Mukono, Uganda Reports to: Standard Supervisor About UCU: Uganda Christian University was founded when the historic Bishop Tucker Theological College was promoted as a university in 1997. Bishop Tucker Theological College trained clergy and educators during its 84-year history from 1913-1997. The local chief, Hamu Mukasa, granted land for the college to operate in Mukono. International partnerships were part of the Colleges missionary history. The Church Mission Society teamed with Ugandan leaders and others to assure the College had the necessary intellectual and other capital. By the late 1990s, the Church of Uganda sought to have a broader impact on society through the higher education not only of clergy but of other professionals as well. Uganda Christian University was established in 1997. Job Summary: The Staff Writer Intern will be part of the team that will write news stories, features and take photographs on events about or affecting the university and the community. He or she will also sift through views and opinions of the members of the community and write about them for the purpose of informing the rest of the community about the change in the thinking of the community towards issues of common concern. The successful applicant will, in addition, be given professional hands on training in the modern journalistic methods. Key Duties and Responsibilities: News gathering of UCU community events and its neighbourhood. Writing stories, news and editing. Designing newspaper pages for The Standard. Photography of events covered. Any other official duties assigned by The Standard Supervisor. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidate must be a fresh graduate with a degree in Mass Communication, preferably Print major (Must have graduated not earlier than 2015). Must be conversant with modern editing software including Quark Xpress and InDesign and have the ability to design pages for the newspaper. Must have good writing skills, a desire to look for stories and deliver them in a timely manner. Must have strong photography skills. Must be able to work under minimum supervision for long hours, weekends inclusive. A committed Christian who is honest and trustworthy. How to Apply: All qualified candidates should send two (2) copies of an application letter clearly demonstrating suitability together with updated Curriculum Vita and two (Academic, Leadership, Pastoral) references. Please attach copies of academic and professional certificates and transcripts on each application. Send to: The Manager, Human Resource & Administration, Uganda Christian University, Pilkington Building, P.O. Box 4, Mukono, Uganda Deadline: 17th May 2019 by 5:00 pm 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: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Officer Organisation: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Project Name: HarvestPlus Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda About US: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. Founded in 1975, IFPRI is a member of the CGIAR Consortium, a global research partnership for a food secure future. The mandate of IFPRI is to identify and analyze alternative national and international strategies and policies for meeting world food needs in ways that conserve the natural resource base, with emphasis on low income and on the poorer groups in the countries. About HarvestPlus: HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health by developing and promoting biofortified food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals, and providing global leadership on biofortification evidence and technology. HarvestPlus is part of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH). CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Its science is carried out by its 15 research centers in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations. HarvestPlus is based at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and collaborates with multiple CGIAR centers and partner organizations. Job Summary: The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Officerwill help develop, review, and implement the HarvestPlus Uganda Monitoring and Evaluation framework. Activities will include supporting the MEL Specialist in project monitoring and reporting outputs, selecting and reviewing indicators for new projects, and designing MEL strategies, guidelines, standard reporting forms, databases, and monitoring and evaluation tools. Following a philosophy of monitoring, evaluation, and learning, the officer will help train partner staff on monitoring, collect data, and share knowledge to improve implementation practices. Key Duties and Responsibilities: needed for timely and accurate reporting to HarvestPlus management and donors. Support partners to ensure timely collection of quality M&E dataneeded for timely and accurate reporting to HarvestPlus management anddonors. capacity development plan to enable partners to collect and report good quality monitoring data for timely progress reporting. Assist the MEL Specialist to design and implement partner MELcapacity development plan to enable partners to collect and report goodquality monitoring data for timely progress reporting. partner data submission and review schedule that aligns with HarvestPlus global and donor reporting timelines. Work in close consultation with the to develop and maintain apartner data submission and review schedule that aligns with HarvestPlusglobal and donor reporting timelines. M&E databases and serve as the overall database manager for the country M&E databases. Assist with quarterly monitoring data entry into the country programM&E databases and serve as the overall database manager for the countryM&E databases. participatory monitoring, evaluation, and learning of partners to improve performance. Support the and participate in regular review meetings to enableparticipatory monitoring, evaluation, and learning of partners to improveperformance. through data quality assessments with partners, and help build capacity of partners to do the same. Ensure quality of data with random verifications and validationsthrough data quality assessments with partners, and help build capacity ofpartners to do the same. out under the HarvestPlus MENU program, e.g. baseline surveys and KAP surveys. As needed, provide input to ongoing and new studies/surveys carriedout under the HarvestPlus MENU program, e.g. baseline surveys and KAPsurveys. participate actively in country program review and planning process to 1) ensure MEL results are incorporated, and 2) inform strategy and business plans, and partner work plans. Assist with preparation of annual country program reports andparticipate actively in country program review and planning process to 1)ensure MEL results are incorporated, and 2) inform strategy and businessplans, and partner work plans. Keenly review monitoring tools with the MEL Specialist and partners. Participate as a member of the HarvestPlus MEL functional team. developments to effectively contribute to and deliver on MEL tasks. Keep up to date with HarvestPlus and global MEL best practices anddevelopments to effectively contribute to and deliver on MEL tasks. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: Statistics, Social Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field. The ideal candidate must hold a Bachelors degree in Economics,Statistics, Social Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Development Studies,or a related field. qualitative, participatory field research methods, and/or survey design and management) in the agriculture, health, nutrition, or rural development sectors. Knowledgeable in M&E methods and approaches (quantitative,qualitative, participatory field research methods, and/or survey designand management) in the agriculture, health, nutrition, or ruraldevelopment sectors. (including log frames and results frameworks). Familiar with the design and implementation of M&E frameworks(including log frames and results frameworks). identification, definition, and tracking of M&E indicators. Sound and demonstrable knowledge on theories of MEL, includingidentification, definition, and tracking of M&E indicators. Word, Outlook). Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint,Word, Outlook). (e.g. STATA, SPSS, Excel, etc.) and management of databases. Skilled in data management and analysis using statistical software(e.g. STATA, SPSS, Excel, etc.) and management of databases. some local languages. Excellent oral and written English communication skills; fluency insome local languages. multi-disciplinary teams. Collaborative, self-motivated, and able to work well withinmulti-disciplinary teams. Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills. Experience working with contacts in the NGO community. Knowledge of pro-poor strategies; gender-sensitive approaches. participatory processes, joint management, and gender issues, preferably in the Uganda context. Solid understanding of rural development, with a focus onparticipatory processes, joint management, and gender issues, preferablyin the Uganda context. How to Apply: All candidates should send their applications online at the web link below Click Here For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Job Title: Programme Assistant Organisation: World Health Organisation (WHO) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Annual Salary: UGX 62,060,000 /= About US: The World Health Organisation (WHO) is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations (UN) system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. Job Summary: The Programme Assistant will provide support to Managers and staff to fully assume their responsibilities in the GSM environment and to ensure compliance with organizational policies, procedures, rules and regulations on all administrative and financial matters and transactions in the context of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Key Duties and Responsibilities: periodic ad-hoc reports on programme and project activities; Collects information mainly from records and reports and preparesperiodic ad-hoc reports on programme and project activities; documents and control plans for the monitoring of project/programme implementation; Organizes data and information, prepares and maintains records,documents and control plans for the monitoring of project/programmeimplementation; submissions to Governments by providing information, preparing tables and drafting relatively routine sections. Contributes to the preparation of reports, project documents andsubmissions to Governments by providing information, preparing tables anddrafting relatively routine sections. Governments and other organizations. Prepares background information for use in discussions withGovernments and other organizations. Participates in the briefing and debriefing of project personnel; appropriate follow-up action. Scrutinizes plans of operations, exchanges of letters and takesappropriate follow-up action. assistance; Assists in the administrative processing of government requests forassistance; operation/control tasks for project/programme activities; May be required to carry out specific administrativeoperation/control tasks for project/programme activities; relevant units as required. Coordinate and monitor office space requirements in liaison withrelevant units as required. Correspondence on the basis of instructions; finalize correspondence/reports for signature/clearance. Draft general or administrative correspondence on own initiative oron the basis of instructions; finalize correspondence/reports forsignature/clearance. WHO and department styles and checking language, grammar and accuracy prior to submitting for signature and clearance. Verify that outgoing correspondence is presented in accordance withWHO and department styles and checking language, grammar and accuracyprior to submitting for signature and clearance. rules, practices and procedures, editing and correcting them as necessary prior to their submission for signature or clearance of relevant authority. Ensure that technical reports and documents are in line with WHO standards,rules, practices and procedures, editing and correcting them as necessaryprior to their submission for signature or clearance of relevantauthority. target dates and deadlines are met, and that correspondence and queries are responded to in a timely manner. Using appropriate tracking tools, follow-up on and ensure thattarget dates and deadlines are met, and that correspondence and queriesare responded to in a timely manner. Finance invoices and receipts Submits payment request to GSC and monitors payments againstinvoices and receipts distribution, supplier creation, PO closure, certified financial statements Prepare requests to the Medical Officers for Award creation anddistribution, supplier creation, PO closure, certified financialstatements Information Management maintain filing systems; continual review of filing system to ensure information is up to date and effectively and efficiently used. In close collaboration with other support staff, create and/ormaintain filing systems; continual review of filing system to ensureinformation is up to date and effectively and efficiently used. as required; perform information searches (library, internet) as requested. Obtain documents and information from in-house and external sourcesas required; perform information searches (library, internet) asrequested. Meeting Administration: workshops, including: preparing event plans in GSM/Oracle, letters of invitation, cost estimates and travel requests; assisting with preparation of documents; dispatching of materials and liaising with participants and others involved. Arrange and coordinate preparation for meetings, seminars,workshops, including: preparing event plans in GSM/Oracle, letters ofinvitation, cost estimates and travel requests; assisting with preparationof documents; dispatching of materials and liaising with participants andothers involved. on own initiative or on the basis of instructions. Prepare presentations using PowerPoint and other software packageson own initiative or on the basis of instructions. minutes and following up on action points to ensure timely response to the requests of the Director and preparation of minutes. Schedule team meetings, according to schedules and need; takingminutes and following up on action points to ensure timely response to therequests of the Director and preparation of minutes. workshops, etc. to be attended by the teams professional staff, checking their availability and ensuring they have the appropriate briefing files and documents. Obtain briefing and background materials for meetings, seminars,workshops, etc. to be attended by the teams professional staff, checkingtheir availability and ensuring they have the appropriate briefing filesand documents. Procurement and Travel Officers Raising registrations and TRs in the GSM system for the MedicalOfficers receipts in the system Follow up on the receipts of the goods/services and enter thereceipts in the system Using GSM/Oracle, prepare travel requests for official WHO travel. with other related matters as requested or on own initiative. Make flight and hotel reservations, prepare travel files and dealwith other related matters as requested or on own initiative. Other Duties: Perform other related duties as required or instructed, including providing support to other areas of work Qualifications, Skills and Experience: Organization (WHO) Programme Assistant job should have completed secondary school education or equivalent technical or commercial education. The ideal candidates for the United Nations World HealthOrganization (WHO) Programme Assistant job should have completed secondaryschool education or equivalent technical or commercial education. and/or in an administrative field is desirable. Desirable: Training in finance, procurement, secretarial tasksand/or in an administrative field is desirable. A minimum of eight years of relevant working experience another UN agency an asset. Experience in Oracle-based or other ERP systems an asset. Desirable: Experience in administrative support positions in WHO oranother UN agency an asset. Experience in Oracle-based or other ERPsystems an asset. office technology through in-house courses, on-the-job training or self-training. The incumbent maintains and updates proficiency in the use of modernoffice technology through in-house courses, on-the-job training orself-training. and regulations, organizational structure, in the department, the cluster and WHO, to be able to brief others and explain procedures. He/she keeps abreast of changes in procedures and practices, rulesand regulations, organizational structure, in the department, the clusterand WHO, to be able to brief others and explain procedures. WHO Competencies Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences Communication Use of Language Skills Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Desirable: Beginners knowledge of French. How to Apply: All candidates who so desire to join the United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) by sending their online applications to enable WHO to store their personal profiles in a permanent database. Visit WHOs e-recruitment website below and follow the instructions for online application procedures. Click Here NB: All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the vacancy announcement. Deadline: 31st 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 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 Metro Bank is becoming a huge test for the Bank of England's Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA). Established in the wake of the financial crisis of a decade ago, the PRA has thus far managed to steer leaking banks, such as the Co-op and TSB (after Lloyds and Spanish ownership), to safe shores. There was much brave talk of ending 'too big to fail' in the wake of the 2008/09 meltdown. But the approach of first Andrew Bailey at the PRA, and its current head Sam Woods, has been to try to stabilise problem institutions by encouraging equity and bond investors to step up to the plate rather than allowing failure. With each fall in the share price, repairing Metro's capital becomes harder. That is why it is now suggested that it may have to dispose of some of its loan book The hammed-up weekend social media post of customers piling into a Metro Bank branch, amid fears about their deposits, can be ignored. After all, consumer deposits are insured up to 85,000 and it is only people engaged in some kind of exceptional transaction, such as a property sale, who might be vulnerable should the slide in Metro's share price signal something worse. But what we also know from the financial crisis is that it is the unseen run which really matters. This is the withdrawal of deposits made by institutions and other banks in the wholesale money markets. When Northern Rock first ran into difficulty in the summer of 2007, the Bank of England stepped in as the lender of last resort. Since the financial crisis, the Bank has operated all manner of loan windows designed to ease temporary pressure on the banking system. In Metro's case, the important thing now is to underpin capital. The delay in getting the proposed 350million rights issue over the line has offered short-sellers a free lunch. Indeed, with each fall in the share price, repairing Metro's capital becomes harder. That is why it is now suggested that it may have to dispose of some of its loan book. If, and when the refinancing is over the line it is hard to imagine the authorities will continue to support chairman Vernon Hill or chief executive Craig Donaldson. The latter's optimism about the quality of Metro Banks's loan book has been wholly unfounded. The easiest solution to Metro's problem would be absorption by another financial group. But at a time when branch banking has become expensive, it is not clear who would want to take on a costly experiment in architect-designed banking halls. Tech star A fast riser on The Sunday Times rich list is Ocado boss Tim Steiner. He has confounded early sceptics among the retail analysts and fellow founders, who bailed-out early, by turning what was initially seen as an upstart grocery delivery service into a potential global champion. Last week he added to his wealth by 29million, under a five-year performance scheme based on the rise in the company's share price. But given that he already holds 23.5m shares in the group, and the rocketing share price has already added some 180million to his wealth in the past year, there must be questions as to whether the Value Creation Plan, which could yet deliver a further 100million over the next five years, might be a trifle excessive. Steiner's achievement in turning Marks & Spencer into a grocery partner and unlocking the tech-value of the software, robotics and logistics of the enterprise is very smart. With technology sold to retailers in France, Canada, Australia and beyond, it is possible Steiner could become the grocery industry's Jeff Bezos. But as with all UK cutting-edge enterprises ARM Holdings and Worldpay come to mind the biggest risk is that an overseas predator will take Ocado out before the greatest value is created. It would be nice to think that Steiner's existing investment, together with his golden handcuffs, will act as a bulwark against predators. If the UK is to continue be the tech-hub it has become, it will need to. Party pooper Among the weaknesses of John de Blocq van Kuffeler's valiant effort to regain control of Provident Financial through his Non-Standard Finance vehicle, is the remoteness of the Flemish aristocrat from the poorest sections of society he seeks to serve. The optics will not be improved by van Kuffeler's celebration of his 70th birthday at the elegant Serpentine Galleries in Hyde Park this week. The rich are different. As the Brexit negotiations continue, concerns from holidaymakers about how the deal will affect their travels abroad and specifically, their holiday money, still remain. Travel currency company, FairFX, has revealed it has received a substantial increase in the number of queries to its dedicated Brexit Support Desk in the run up to the 2019 summer holidays. It said the most common questions revolved around the ongoing negotiations and the impact it has had on exchange rates, international payment transfers and what it will mean for both consumers and businesses. The firm said FairFX said there was a 19 per cent rise in new prepaid card orders in the lead up to the Easter holidays with a 21 per cent increase in customers topping up their Euro cards when compared to the same time last year. Holiday: FairFX said it has received a large increase in the number of queries regarding Brexit FairFX said this shows that holidaygoers are becoming more aware about how to get the best value for their holiday money. The currency firm is encouraging people to use a prepaid currency card as this will help them lock in exchange rates and avoid future uncertainty. Many holidaymakers will prefer to buy currency, or spend using a debit or credit card instead, however. It may not pay to use your usual cards though and it could be worth opening one of the credit and debit cards that are best for overseas spending. Ian Strafford-Taylor, CEO of FairFX said: 'We've never seen anything like Brexit in our lifetime so it's no wonder there is heightened anxiety around the consequences it may or not have on our money both at home and abroad. 'As it stands, the UK is due to leave the EU at the end of October but we are no closer to knowing exactly what shape or form the divorce deal will take or even when it will play out. 'This means holidaymakers are heading towards their summer getaway with a cloud hanging over them when it comes to exchange rates and how Brexit may or may not impact them.' To help those looking to travel abroad find out how Brexit might affect their holiday funds, FairFX have revealed the top seven questions asked by holidaymakers about the withdrawal and their teams response. What has the extension to Article 50 meant for exchange rates? The second extension to Article 50 means the UK were able to avoid crashing out of the EU with a no-deal Brexit on the original deadline, which could have been very damaging for the pound So far, the extension to Article 50 has had minimum impact on exchange rates as it was widely expected by the market. Theresa May's main concern was that the extension be flexible and this was granted by the EU27. The pound has been on a rollercoaster journey against the Euro since the referendum back in 2016, and the continued uncertainty that comes with this extension means the pound is still very much vulnerable to volatility. Holidaymakers are concerned about how Brexit could affect the foreign currency exchange What would a customs union deal mean for exchange rates? Striking a customs union deal with the EU would be seen by many as a 'softer' form of Brexit, but it could be treated more favourably by the market and result in less disruption for the pound than a 'harder' Brexit. It's likely that the pound will strengthen if the UK and EU can agree a divorce deal, but by how much all depends on the deal itself. If the market feels the deal isn't economically favourable to the UK, then we could even see the pound lose ground. Realistically, the only way we will see the pound strengthen is if a deal is agreed that is economically favourable to the UK. Should you think about changing any leftover Euros back to pounds before the Brexit deadline in October? After a deal is agreed or not it's likely that exchange rates will move depending on what form the deal takes. However, there is still a chance that Brexit could happen before the October deadline, and with a lack of clarity over what exactly the deal will look like it's still possible that exchange rates could drop or rise before then. If you want to reduce the risk of being left with currency that's worth less than it was, it is always prudent to move funds sooner rather later as it's impossible to know what the future holds particularly when it comes to Brexit. That said, for people looking ahead to their holidays the best thing you can do is keep an eye on exchange rates and buy your currency when rates move in your favour. To avoid being stuck with leftover currency that may be lower in value than when you purchased it, the best thing you can do is use a prepaid currency card to lock in favourable rates. Travellers are advised to keep an eye on currency exchange rates and buy if they are good If youre travelling to Europe next year (2020) should you buy Euros now or wait until nearer the time? For many people European countries have become the go-to destination for family holidays over the years. But since the referendum back in 2016, the pound has had a turbulent journey against the Euro which has meant holidaymakers haven't got as much for their money as they used to. Whether you're travelling to Europe in the next few weeks or next few months, keeping an eye on exchange rates as well as the news agenda will put you in the strongest position for getting the most for your money. At the moment, the pound is down 11 per cent against the Euro compared to the day of the referendum, but since 2016 it's been down as much as 16 per cent so there is some improvement. What will happen to the pound in the event of a no deal? If we see the UK crash out of the EU with no deal, it's likely the pound will fall across the board. In terms of what that looks for exchange rates, we could see the pound break below the 1.10 against the Euro, and head towards the low 1.20's against the US Dollar. Can I protect myself against the impact of Brexit? Yes. The best way to protect yourself against the impact of Brexit is to lock in any of your currency requirements as soon as the market reaches a level you're satisfied with. With so much uncertainty surrounding Brexit still, it's very easy for the rates to move against you and no-one knows definitively where the rates are going. The safest thing to do is book in your requirements and lock in exchange rates when the pound is performing the strongest. Are there any advantages to Brexit? As far as travel money is concerned, Brexit provides a good opportunity for holidaymakers to explore destinations outside of the Eurozone because the pound may be performing stronger against other currencies. At the moment, the pound is up 170 per cent against the Argentine Peso, which means holidaymakers heading to Argentina would get an extra 629 for every 1,000 exchanged compared to the day of the referendum. Similarly, the pound is currently up 80 per cent against the Turkish Lira compared to June 2016, leaving holidaymakers with an extra 444 for every 1,000 exchanged. Vodafone has become the latest FTSE 100 group to fall prey to speculation over its dividend. The business, which is the second-largest mobile provider in the world, has refused to comment on reports it may slash its dividend to pay for investment in new super-fast 5G mobile networks. Countries governments sell the rights to transmit signals over specific bandwidths, and so far these auctions for 5G have been more expensive than anticipated. Vodafone won a large chunk of the 5G airwaves in the UK, paying 378.2million for the rights to a particular range. Vodafone, which is the second largest mobile provider in the world, has refused to comment on reports that it may slash its dividend to pay for investment in superfast 5G mobile networks But it paid 2.1billion in Italy, and in Germany bidding has reached around 5billion. In November Vodafone signalled that it would maintain its dividend, which is one of the most generous in Britains blue-chip index and cost the company around 2.8billion last year. But it has increasingly come under pressure to pay down its 28billion debt pile, and price wars between mobile providers in Europe have heaped on the pressure. After the stock market closed for the day, Vodafone announced it had sold its New Zealand business for 1.8billion to infrastructure firm Infratil and Brookfield Asset Management. Vodafone chief executive Nick Read said the deal would help it reduce debt, and that the New Zealand branch would maintain a relationship with the wider Vodafone group. Stock Watch - Wey Education A narrowed focus at online teaching firm Wey Education is beginning to pay off, as turnover shot up in the six months to February. The firm, which owns the Interhigh online high school and teaching resources business Academy 21, reported a 54.7 per cent rise in turnover to 2.7million. Losses widened to 895,000 from 153,000 due to closures of some operations such as the London Learning Centre, as Wey tried to simplify its structure. But shares climbed 37.9 per cent, or 2,02p, to 7.38p. But shares slid by 5.2 per cent, or 7.2p, to 131.78p as results from Vodacom, the South African mobile provider which is majority-owned by Vodafone, did little to boost investors confidence. South African companies are encouraged to meet quotas on black ownership and employment, in an effort to reverse the exclusion caused by apartheid. But Vodacom said that costs relating to a black economic empowerment ownership deal in September, which saw it issue additional shares on the Johannesburg stock exchange, pushed down earnings. Investors in Stobart Group, the owner of Southend Airport and part of the consortium which recently bought struggling airline Flybe, were also alarmed as it revealed it would delay the publication of its full-year results by two weeks. Stobart sold its air division to Connect Airways, the new company it formed along with Virgin Airways and Cyrus Capital to buy Flybe. It said it would restate last years accounts to reflect this disposal, but it is understood that matters have been delayed because Stobart did not see several documents relating to the Flybe deal until weeks after it was announced in February. Although the firm said it was confident of delivering full-year revenue and profit in line with expectations, shareholders were clearly concerned that the results delay was a bad omen. Shares fell by 10.6 per cent, or 15p, to 126p. Fund manager Neil Woodford has continued to show support for greetings card company Card Factory. The firm revealed today that Woodford, across several of his funds, owns more than 10 per cent of the FTSE 250 business. He began buying up Card Factory shares in April 2017, and crossed the 5 per cent threshold in October that year. His backing did little to help the firms shares yesterday, however, which were down 1.8 per cent, or 3.4p, at 185p. Broadcaster ITV was sinking as The Jeremy Kyle Show was suspended following the death of a guest a week after they appeared on the programme that features lie-detector tests, DNA results and fiery arguments. Shares tumbled by 6.3 per cent, or 7.55p, to 111.8p. ITV dragged on the FTSE 100, pulling it down by 0.6 per cent, or 39.61 points, to 7163.68 points. Internet giants should pay a new sales tax to fund support for struggling high street shops, the boss of Tesco demands today. Dave Lewis warned that the unsustainable business rates system was pushing bricks-and-mortar retailers across the country to breaking point. Many shops are hit with crippling bills on their properties while battling competition from online rivals who pay much less. Writing in the Mail, Mr Lewis called for these high street stores to get a 20 per cent reduction on their business rates, to be paid for with a 2 per cent levy on online retail sales. His demand comes as a report today finds the level of vacant shop units has hit a four-year high. The Mails Save Our High Streets campaign has called for business rates to be replaced with a fairer system. It has also called for large overseas companies to pay their fair share of tax, and for cuts to car parking charges in town centres. Tesco boss Dave Lewis has called for high street retail stores to get a 20 per cent reduction on their business rates, to be paid for with a 2 per cent levy on online retail sales Businesses pay rates based on an estimate of what their property would cost to rent for a year. Mr Lewis said a 2 per cent levy on internet sales which Tesco and other big brands would also pay on their online businesses could raise 1.5 billion, funding a rates cut at no extra cost to the Treasury. He dismissed concerns the new tax could cause prices to go up and insisted Tesco which employs more than 300,000 staff in the UK would not pass a penny of it on to its customers. He said reform of business rates would reduce pressure on small shops and mean the taxes they face are fairer. Billions of pounds have shifted online, but the rates system was never devised to account for this. Because the bill is linked to property not profit shops struggling to keep the doors open have to pay up, while larger online businesses pay just a fraction, he said. We face an active policy choice act now... or do nothing and face the inevitable consequences. About 7,500 shops closed their doors last year, and Mr Lewis warned another 10,000 could go unless they receive help from the Government. His intervention comes amid a chorus of calls for reform of business rates. Last week the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said the system was broken. The bosses of Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and Debenhams have also backed calls for sweeping changes. Thousands of stores closed last year and more than 175,000 jobs are predicted to disappear from the high street this year if the turmoil continues. M&S, Debenhams and Sir Philip Greens Arcadia, which includes Top Shop, are all preparing to shut stores. Sir Philip Greens Arcadia, which includes Top Shop, is preparing to shut stores amidst wider retail sales turmoil Amazon paid just 63 million in business rates in Britain last year, despite reporting sales of 8.8 billion. By comparison, M&S pays about 184 million in rates on annual sales of 10.7 billion, while Tesco pays 700 million on sales of 63.9billion. The level of empty shops in town centres across Britain has already hit a four-year high, according to figures published today. Retail research firm Springboard said the vacancy rate rose to 10.2 per cent in the first three months of 2019, compared to 9.9 per cent at the end of last year. Footfall on high streets also continued to decline last month. Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said streets full of empty shops threatened to put off even more consumers. She said having to pay rising business rates and the Governments apprenticeship levy had made it tougher for bricks-and-mortar retailers to survive. For many retailers, business rates remain the single biggest tax. If the Government is serious about reversing the decline on our high streets, then reforming the broken business rates system would be an essential first step. But local growth minister Jake Berry suggested that offering free parking for perhaps up to two hours was a better way to help the high street. Local growth minister Jake Berry suggested that offering free parking was a better way to help high street than Mr Lewis' idea No one would mind about business rates if their shop was full of customers spending lots of money, he said. So we need to get more people back on the high street. We need action to reverse the decline in footfall. Mr Berry added: There are enough challenges getting people away from major shopping centres and getting them offline without them needing to scrape around for 50p or 1 for parking and worrying about a fine if their shopping trip over-runs. He said the high street was undergoing a period of rapid change, probably the most rapid in its history as shoppers flock online. But Mr Berry urged families to return to their local town centres, adding: The high street was the first social network. You cant get a hug on Amazon, but you can on your high street. The Treasury said: We recognise this is a difficult time for high streets, with many retailers struggling with high rents and changing shopping habits. That is why at last years Budget we outlined a comprehensive 1.6 billion plan to help. And were introducing reforms that will lower business rates bills by 13 billion over the next five years. We must back our nation of shopkeepers (by Dave Lewis) It doesn't matter whether you are a large retailer such as Tesco, or run an independent corner shop business rates have a huge impact on every bricks-and-mortar retailer. This is unsustainable. Shops are at the heart of every town across the UK. From high streets to retail parks, the retail sector employs 3 million people, and contributes 5 per cent of GDP. But it also accounts for more than 10 per cent of corporate tax and a staggering 25 per cent of the nations business rates bill. Thats a wildly different picture to other European countries. Research shows that for a typical supermarket, a UK retailer pays twice as much in property taxes as it would in France, and 20 times more than in Germany. Its been 30 years since business rates were introduced. The system is outdated, not fit for purpose, and doesnt reflect the way people shop today. It is impossible not to notice the increasing stresses in the retail sector, with a long list of household names going out of business in recent years. Mr Lewis wrote that retail shoulders a business rates bill amounting to 7.5 billion every year Last year, there were 7,500 net store closures in the UK, and as the Mail has reported, we could lose another 10,000 stores this year, as well as the jobs and investment that come with them. Yet against that challenging backdrop, retail shoulders a business rates bill amounting to 7.5 billion every year. Asking a decreasing number of retailers to pay ever-increasing amounts in business rates is simply not sustainable. As the Treasury looks to recover the revenue from a shrinking pool, it creates a downward spiral and the burden becomes ever greater on the retailers that remain. Now more than ever, we should be at the top of our game but instead we discourage would-be investors with what is effectively a 50 per cent tax on investment in property, the highest in Europe and the second highest in the OECD. Our business rates system has barely evolved since 1988, yet the way people shop has changed profoundly. Online retail has grown dramatically, while sales in shops have fallen. Healthy competition between shops and online is good for customers, and drives innovation. But the ability to compete is undermined when the playing field between shops and online is not level. The rates bill for shops is ever increasing, despite their share of sales falling. Billions of pounds have shifted online, but the rates system was never devised to fairly account for this. Because the bill is linked to property not profit shops struggling to keep the doors open have to pay up, while larger online businesses pay just a fraction. At Tesco, our headline business rates bill is 700 million, nearly double what it was just ten years ago. Across the country, I hear about shops that are paying more rates than rents; that have seen their rates bill only rise, but not fall; and that have to hold back on investments and upgrades because they cant afford a higher rates burden. We now face an active policy choice act now to back one of the UKs most important sectors, or do nothing and face the inevitable consequences. So what is the answer? There are three things that any solution must achieve. It has to be fair and address the non-level playing field between shops and online, so that taxation reflects sales. It must be politically and economically sound meaning the same amount of money ultimately flowing into Treasury coffers, funding essential services. And, crucially, it must reduce business rates on shops to more sustainable levels. Mr Lewis says Tesco's headline business rates bill is 700 million, nearly double what it was just ten years ago There is one solution which addresses all three of these points: a targeted levy of 2 per cent on the sale of physical goods online, so the tax burden follows where sales take place. This would fund a 20 per cent cut in the business rates bill for all retailers. Of course, as a major online retailer, Tesco would have a large bill to pay from an online sales levy more so than competitors who have smaller online businesses, or no online business at all. There are some who worry that the cost of the levy would be passed to customers. A targeted and limited levy would reduce a substantial tax which already impacts consumers -and reduce pressure on shop prices. And because it applies to online revenues, not transactions, retailers could decide whether to pass the cost on. Given the level of competition in retail, there will be healthy market pressure to remain competitive on price. I can speak only for Tesco but if a levy is introduced as we propose, we would commit to not pass a penny of it on to our customers. There are others who have argued that introducing the levy would somehow be backwards-looking, and stifle innovation. But this misses the point. There is no reason why fair sustainable taxes should act as a brake on inventiveness. Existing rates exemptions and revenue thresholds would be in place to ensure those least able to pay, including small online businesses, are protected. An online sales levy could be quickly introduced, and the 1.5 billion that retailers would gain could be invested in their people, prices and stores. If we dont act now, we are in danger of missing our chance. The warning signs are stacking up, with another big retail name lost almost every month. As I see it, there are only two choices. We can prolong the status quo, losing jobs and business and impacting communities. Or we can put our tax system back in step with sales. That would level the playing field, reduce the unsustainable burden of rates and increase investment for the good of retail, and our great nation of shopkeepers. COPENHAGEN, May 10 (Reuters) - Shares in Danish medical device maker Ambu slumped more than 10 percent on Friday after it surprisingly replaced its chief executive with a new boss hired from Johnson & Johnson. Departing Chief Executive Lars Marcher had led the company's successful expansion of diagnostic and life-support devices for hospitals for more than 10 years, focusing on products such as single-use endoscopes. Ambu said Marcher had resigned and that Juan-Jose Gonzalez would start as CEO from May 15, joining from a position as president of Johnson & Johnson U.S. subsidiary DePuy Synthes, which makes orthopedic and neurosurgical products. The company gave no explanation for Marcher's abrupt departure. "With Juan-Jose Gonzalez as CEO, we ensure that Ambu also has the necessary global experience to execute the announced strategy and ensure the successful commercialization of our product launches," Chairman Jens Bager said in a statement. Shares in Ambu are up roughly 4,750 percent since he took the helm in 2008. The stock fell 12 percent by 0805 GMT on Friday set for their worst day since November 2018, Refinitiv data showed. "From a financial perspective with regards to the result, it is difficult to find fault with Marcher's performance," said Nordnet analyst Per Hansen. Ambu said there would be one-off costs of 38 million Danish crowns ($5.7 million) relating to Marcher's departure -- covering his salary for a notice period and share options. It said its financial expectations for 2018-19 were unchanged. Gonzalez, who is 46, is an American citizen and will move from the United States to Denmark to take up the role. ($1 = 6.6491 Danish crowns) (Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, additional reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdynia Editing by Keith Weir) Conagra Brands, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of processed and packaged foods. It operates through the following segments: Grocery and Snacks; Refrigerated and Frozen; International; and Foodservice. The Grocery and Snacks segment includes branded, shelf stable food products sold in various retail channels in the United States. The Refrigerated and Frozen segment comprises branded, temperature controlled food products sold in various retail channels in the United States. The International segment consists branded food products, in various temperature states, sold in various retail and foodservice channels outside of the United States. The Foodservice segment focuses in the branded and customized food products, including meals, entrees, sauces, and a variety of custom-manufactured culinary products packaged for sale to restaurants and other foodservice establishments in the United States. The company was founded by Alva Kinney and Frank Little in 1919 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL. Read More Basic Energy Services, Inc. engages in the provision of well site services to oil and natural gas drilling and producing companies. It operates its business through the following segments: Completion and Remedial Services, Well Servicing, Water Logistics, and Corporate and Other. The Completion and Remedial Services segment utilizes coiled tubing services, air compressor packages specially configured for underbalanced drilling operations, an array of specialized rental equipment and fishing tools, thru-tubing, and snubbing units. The Well Servicing segment encompasses a full range of services performed with a mobile well servicing rig, including the installation and removal of downhole equipment and elimination of obstructions in the well bore to facilitate the flow of oil and natural gas. The Water Logistics segment focuses in the fleet of trucks and related assets, including specialized tank trucks, storage tanks, water wells, disposal facilities water treatment, and related equipment. The Corporate and Other segment comprises principally of working capital and debt financing costs. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, TX. Read More thyssenkrupp AG operates in the areas of automotive technology, industrial components, plant technology, marine systems, steel, and materials services in Germany, the United States, China, and internationally. The company's Automotive Technology segment develops and manufactures components and systems and automated production systems for the automotive industry. Its Industrial Components segment manufactures and sells forged components and system solutions for the resource, construction, and mobility sectors; and slewing rings, antifriction bearings, and seamless rolled rings for the wind energy and construction machinery sectors. The company's Plant Technology segment builds plants for the chemical, cement, and mining industries. Its Marine Systems segment provides systems in the submarine and surface ship building, as well as in the field of maritime electronics and security technology. The company's Materials Services segment distributes materials and offers technical services for the production and manufacturing sectors. Its Steel Europe segment provides flat carbon steel products, intelligent material solutions, and finished parts. thyssenkrupp AG was founded in 1811 and is headquartered in Essen, Germany. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Quanta Services: (De) Lazy Q Ranch LLC, 1 Diamond LLC, 1Diamond AS, 618232 Alberta Ltd., 8246408 Canada Inc., Advanced Electric Systems, Advanced Electric Systems LLC, Advanced Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Alexander Publications LLC, Allteck GP Ltd., Allteck Limited Partnership, Apprenticeship Programs Inc., Arby Construction, Arcanum Chemicals LLC, Arnett & Burgess Oil Field Construction Limited, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners (Rockies) LLC, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners Ltd., B&N Clearing and Environmental LLC, Banister Pipelines Constructors Corp., Banister Pipelines Constructors GP Ltd., Banister Pipelines Limited Partnership, Brent Woodward Inc., Brink Constructors Inc., Brink Constructors Inc. A Corporation Of South Dakota, Brown Engineering and Testing, CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership, CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership (Regd Name) CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-Spec Limited Partnership, Canadian Utility Construction Corp., Cat Spec Limited LP, Cat Spec Ltd, Cat Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat Spec Ltd. LP, Cat Spec. Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd (A Domestic limited Partnership), Cat-Spec Ltd LP, Cat-Spec Ltd., Cat-Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat-Spec Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd. Limited Partnership, Catalyst Changers Inc., Chatham Electric, Citadel Industrial Services L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Coe Drilling Pty Ltd., Computapole, Conam Construction Co., Consolidated Power Projects Australia Pty Ltd, Conti Communications Inc., Crux Subsurface Canada Ltd., Crux Subsurface Inc., Cutting Technology - 1 Diamond LLC, DB Utilities Inc., DE Lazy Q Ranch LLC, DNR Pressure Welding Ltd., Dacon Corporation, Dashiell (DE) Corporation (Dashiell Corporation), Dashiell Corporation, Dashiell Corporation DBA Dashiell (DE) Corporation, De Mears Group, De Mears Group Inc., Delaware Quanta Technology LLC, Delaware Underground Construction Co., Didado Utility Company Inc., Digco Utility Construction L.P. Digco Utility Construction Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services. Ltd. L.P., Driftwood Electrical Contractors, EHV Power ULC, ELITE PIPING & CIVIL L.P., ELITE TURNAROUND SPECIALISTS LTD, Elite Fabrication Ltd. Elite Fabrication LP, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Lp, Elite Piping & Civil Ltd L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. Limited Partnership, Elite Piping and Civil L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists L.p., Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. LP, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. Limited Partnership, Energy Consulting Group LLC, Enscope, Enscope Pty Ltd, FIC GP LLC, Field Personnel Services LLC, First Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC, First Infrastructure Capital GP L.P., Five Points Construction Co., G-Tek, G-Vac, GEM Engineering Co., Grand Electric Inc., Great Lakes Line Builders, Grid Creative Inc., Grid Manufacturing Corporation, Grid Training Corporation, H.L. Chapman Pipeline Construction Inc., Haverfield Aviation, Haverfield Aviation Inc., Haverfield International Incorporated, Heritage Midstream LLC, IM Electric Inc., IUC ILLINOIS LLC, IUC Nebraska LLC, InfraSource Construction LLC, InfraSource Field Services LLC, InfraSource Services LLC, InfraSources Construction LLC, Infraestructura ETP de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V, Infrasource Engineering Company PC, Infrasource Iowa Underground LLC, Infrasource Of Pa LLC, Integracion Tecnologica del Peru SAC, Intermountain Electric Inc., Intermountain Electric Inc. A Corporation of Colorado, IonEarth LLC, Irby Construction Company, Irby Construction Company Inc., Iron Mountain M.J. Electric LLC, Island Mechanical Corporation, J.C.R. Construction Co. Inc., J.C.R. Utility Construction Co., J.W. Didado Electric Inc., J.W. Didado Electric LLC, J.w. Didado Electric, JBT Electric LLC, Kingston Contracting Inc., Lazy Q Ranch LLC, Lazy Q Training Center LLC The Lazy Q Lineman School, Legend Foundation Services, Lex Engineering Ltd., Lindsey Electric L.P., Logical Link, Longfellow Drilling, M. G. Dyess Inc., M. J. ELECTRIC LLC IRON MOUNTAIN, M. J. Electric LLC, M. J. Electric LLC - Iron Mountain, M. J. Electric LLC DBA M. J. Electric Iron Mountain LLC, M.J. Electric LLC DBA M.J. Electric Iron Mountain, M.J. Electric LLC Iron Mountain, MTS Field Services, MTS Field Services (Richmond Co), MTS Quanta LLC, Manuel Bros. Inc., Marathon Construction Services, Mears Canada Corp., Mears Equipment Services LLC, Mears Group Inc., Mears Group Pty Ltd, Mears Installation LLC, Mearsmex S. de R.L. de C.V., Mejia Personnel Services LLC, Mercer Technical Services, Microline Technology Corporation, Mid America Energy Services Inc., NACAP Niugini Ltd., NC Northstar Energy Services Inc, NGI Construction, NGI Construction Inc., NGI Construction Inc. (FN), NLC CA. Inc., NLC FL. Inc. Northwest Lineman Center, NLC ID. Inc. Northwest Lineman College, NLC TX. Inc., NPC Energy Services LLC, Nacap Australia, Nacap PNG Limited, Network Communication Services, North Houston Pole Line L.P., North Houston Pole Line Limited Partnership, North Sky Communications, NorthStar Energy Services Inc., Northern Powerline Constructors Inc., Northstar Energy Solutions LLC, Northwest Lineman Center, Northwest Lineman College, Northwest Lineman Training Center, Northwest Lineman Training Center Inc., Nova Constructors LLC, Nova Constructors LTD, Nova Equipment Leasing LLC, Nova Group Inc, Nova Group Inc (CA), Nova Group Inc., Nova Group Inc. DBA NGI Construction, Nova NextGen Solutions LLC, O. J. Pipelines Canada Corporation, O. J. Pipelines Canada Limited Partnership, O.J. Industrial Maintenance, O.J. Pipelines Canada, One Call Locators Canada Ltd., P.D.G. Electric, PAR Electrical Contractors Inc., PDG Electric Co., Par Internacional S. de R.L. de C.V., Performance Energy Services Guyana Ltd., Performance Energy Services L.L.C., Phasor Engineering Inc., Phoenix North Constructors Inc., Phoenix Power Group Inc., Potelco Inc., Potelco Incorporated, Power Delivery Program Inc., Price Gregory International Inc., Price Gregory Services LLC, Probst Construction Inc., Probst Electric Inc., QEPC, QEPC Power Solutions LLC, QES GP LLC, QP Energy Services LLC, QPS Engineering LLC, QPS Engineering LTD., QPS Engineering PLLC, QPS Environmental, QPS Flint Construction, QPS Flint Tank Services, QPS Global, QPS Global Services, QPS Global Services (Richmond Ci), QPS Professional Services, QPSE, QS Mats, QSI Engineering Inc., QSI Finance (Australia) Pty Ltd., QSI Finance (Cayman) Pvt. Ltd., QSI Finance Canada ULC, QSI Finance GP (US) LLC, QSI Finance I (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., QSI Finance I (US) LP, QSI Finance II (Australia) Pty Ltd., QSI Finance II (Lux) S.a r.l, QSI Finance II (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., QSI Finance III (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance III (Lux) SARL, QSI Finance IV (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance IX (Canada) Limited Partnership, QSI Finance V (US) L.P., QSI Finance VI (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance VII (Canada) Limited Partnership, QSI Finance VIII (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance X (Canada) ULC, QSI Inc., QSN Lux Holdings I SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings II SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings III SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings IV SCSp, QTSL LLC, QUANTA FOUNDATION SERVICES, Quanta APL GP II Ltd., Quanta Asset Management LLC, Quanta Associates L.P., Quanta Aviation Services LLC, Quanta Canada GP ULC, Quanta Canada Holdings III Limited Partnership, Quanta Canada Holdings LP, Quanta Canada III GP Ltd., Quanta Capital GP LLC, Quanta Capital LP L.P., Quanta Capital Solutions Inc., Quanta Cares, Quanta EPC Services, Quanta Electric Power Construction LLC, Quanta Electric Power Construction Management Inc., Quanta Electric Power Services LLC, Quanta Electric Power Services West LLC, Quanta Energized Innovations Ltd., Quanta Energized Services U.S. LLC, Quanta Energized Services of Canada Ltd., Quanta Energy Services LLC, Quanta Environmental Solutions, Quanta Equipment Company LLC, Quanta Government Solutions Inc., Quanta Holdings I (Netherlands) B.V., Quanta Holdings II (Netherlands) B.V., Quanta Infraestructura de Chile SpA, Quanta Infrastructure Services LLC, Quanta Infrastructure Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Quanta Inline Devices LLC, Quanta Inspection Services, Quanta Insurance Company Inc., Quanta International Holdings (US) LLC, Quanta International Holdings II Ltd., Quanta International Holdings Ltd., Quanta International Limited, Quanta Kingsvale LP Ltd., Quanta Lines Pty Ltd., Quanta Maine Services LLC, Quanta Middle East LLC, Quanta Pipeline Services Inc., Quanta Power Australia Pty Ltd, Quanta Power Generation Inc., Quanta Power Inc., Quanta Power Solutions India Private Limited, Quanta Resource Development, Quanta Services Africa (PTY) Ltd., Quanta Services Australia Pty Ltd., Quanta Services Chile SpA, Quanta Services Colombia S.A.S., Quanta Services Costa Rica Ltda., Quanta Services Guatemala Ltda., Quanta Services International Holdings II LP, Quanta Services International Holdings LP, Quanta Services Management Partnership L.P., Quanta Services Netherlands B.V., Quanta Services Panama S. de R.L., Quanta Services Peru S.A.C., Quanta Services Puerto Rico LLC, Quanta Services of Canada Ltd., Quanta Subsurface Canada Ltd., Quanta Subsurface LLC, Quanta Tank Services, Quanta Technology Canada ULC, Quanta Technology LLC, Quanta Technology UK Ltd., Quanta Tecnologia do Brasil Ltda., Quanta Telecom, Quanta Telecom Services, Quanta Telecommunication Services, Quanta Telecommunication Services LLC, Quanta Telecommunications Services LLC, Quanta Underground Services, Quanta Underground Services (Culpeper Co), Quanta Underground Services (Spotsylvania Co), Quanta Underground Services Inc., Quanta Utility Engineering Services Inc., Quanta Utility Installation Company Inc., Quanta Utility Operation LLC, Quanta West LLC, Quantecua Cia. Ltda., R. R. Cassidy Inc., RMS Holdings LLC, RMS Holdings LLC (Delaware), RMS Welding Systems, RMS Welding Systems LLC, Ranger Directional, Realtime Engineers Inc., Realtime Utility Engineers Inc., Redes Andinas de Comunicaciones S.R.L., Riggin & Diggin Line Construction, Rms Welding LLC, Rms Welding Systems LLC, Road Bore Corporation, Ryan Company Inc. The, Ryan Company Inc. of Massachusetts, Ryan Company Inc.(The), Seaward, Seaward Corp, Seaward Corporation, Service EC (DE) Inc., Service Electric Company (DE), Service Electric Company Inc., Service Electric Company of Delaware, Servicios Par Electric S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios de Infraestructura del Peru S.A.C., Southwest Trenching Company Inc., Specialty Tank Services L.P., Specialty Tank Services LP, Specialty Tank Services Limited Partnership, Specialty Tank Services Limited Partnership, Specialty Tank Services Ltd., Specialty Tank Services Ltd. (LP), Specialty Tank Services Ltd. L.P., Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, Specialty Tank Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold General LLC, Stronghold Holdings (BVI) Limited, Stronghold Inspection L.P., Stronghold Inspection Limited Partnership, Stronghold Inspection Limited Partnership, Stronghold Inspection Lp, Stronghold Inspection Ltd L.P., Stronghold Inspection Ltd., Stronghold Inspection Ltd. L.P., Stronghold Inspection Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Limited Partnership, Stronghold Ltd., Stronghold Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Management Holdings LP, Stronghold Specialty General LLC, Stronghold Specialty Ltd., Stronghold Specialty Ltd., Stronghold Specialty Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Tower Group LP, Stronghold Tower Group Ltd LP, Stronghold Tower Group Ltd., Stronghold Tower Group Ltd. LP, Stronghold VI LLC, Subterra Damage Prevention Specialists Ltd., Summit Line Construction, Sumter Utilities Inc., T. G. Mercer Consulting Services Inc., TA Construction, TC Infrastructure Services Ltd., Taylor Built, Texas Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, The Aspen Utility Company LLC, The ComTran Group Inc., The Hallen Construction Co. Inc., The Massachusetts Ryan Company Inc., The Ryan Company Inc Of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Inc., The Ryan Company Inc. (Massachusetts), The Ryan Company Inc. of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Incorporated of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Of Massachusetts Inc., The Ryan Company of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company of Massachusetts (FN), Tom Allen Construction Company Inc., Tom Allen Construction Company of Delaware, Trans Tech Electric, TurnKey Automation Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Ltd., TurnKey Automation Ltd. Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Ltd. Limited Partnership, TurnKey I&E Ltd., Turnkey Automation Ltd. L.P., Turnkey Automation Ltd. LP., UCC Underground Construction Co. Inc., Ucc - Underground Construction Co., Underground Construction Co. Inc., Underground Construction Co. Inc. (Delaware), Underground Electric Construction Company LLC, Utilco Inc., Utility Fleet Services, Utility Line Management Services Inc., Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Utility Training Services Corporation, VALARD Polska sp. Z o.o., Valard, Valard, Valard Construction (Ontario) Ltd., Valard Construction (Quebec) Inc., Valard Construction 2008 Ltd., Valard Construction Australia Pty Ltd, Valard Construction LLC, Valard Equipment (AB) Ltd., Valard Equipment GP Ltd., Valard Equipment Limited Partnership, Valard Geomatics (Ontario) Ltd., Valard Geomatics BC Ltd., Valard Geomatics Ltd., Valard Mechanical Ltd., Valard Norway AS, Valard Sweden AB, Valard Zagreb d. o. o., Wade D. Taylor Inc., West Coast Communications, Winco Helicopters, Winco Inc., Winco Inc. an Oregon Based Corporation, Winco Powerline Services, Winco Powerline Services Inc., Winco Powerline Services Inc., Winco Services Inc., World Fiber Inc., and mmit Line Construction Inc.. 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 is the full text of the joint statement: 1. H.E. K P Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal paid an official visit to Viet Nam from 9 - 13 May, 2019 at the invitation of H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam. Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli was accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon. Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Advisors to the Prime Minister, Members of Parliament and high ranking government officials. A business delegation also accompanied the Prime Minister of Nepal. 2. The official welcoming ceremony was solemnly held at the Presidential Palace on 11 May 2019. After the welcoming ceremony, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli held talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, met with President of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli also addressed the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Vietnam - Nepal Business Forum. Prior to the welcoming ceremony, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli paid floral tribute and deep respect at President Ho Chi Minhs Mausoleum, and laid a wreath at the Memorial of the Unknown Martyrs and Heroes. Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli will attend and address the United Nations Day of Vesak on 12 May 2019. 3. The official talks were held in a warm, cordial and friendly atmosphere. The two leaders discussed all aspects of the bilateral relations, and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli expressed his admiration for President Ho Chi Minh and congratulated Vietnam on the latters tremendous achievements in socio-economic development. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli for having chosen Vietnam as his first destination in Southeast Asia since he took office in February 2018, underlining that the first visit of a Nepali Prime Minister to Vietnam would contribute to strengthening the multifaceted relations between the two countries in the coming days. Prime Minister of Vietnam congratulated the people of Nepal for the historic political achievement and for its' unique and homegrown peace process and its institutionalization through a democratic constitution and the formation of a stable government. He lauded Nepal Governments efforts to bring about visible transformation in the living standard of Nepali people and expressed his best wishes for the realization of the national resolve of Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali. Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of the Agreement on Visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders, the MOU on establishment of bilateral consultation mechanism between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Letter of Intent on negotiating and signing the framework Agreement on trade and investment cooperation. 4. Both leaders underlined the cultural and historical similarities between their countries, and recognized the importance of Buddhism as a strong binding thread between the peoples of the two countries. The two leaders noted that both Vietnam and Nepal had to undergo various kinds of struggle to preserve sovereignty, territorial integrity and national independence. 5. Both sides welcomed practical commemorative activities to be held in 2020 for the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Both sides shared the views that the visit a key milestone in their relations, would pave the way for a new stage and an enhanced level of cooperation in tourism, trade, investment and people to people contact between the two countries. 6. Acknowledging the remarkable progress in their bilateral relations and on the basis of mutual understanding and trust, the two leaders shared a vision on further widening and deepening the Vietnam Nepal traditional friendship across all areas. 7. Recalling their meeting on the sidelines of World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2019, the two leaders agreed to enhance mutual visits and exchanges at the high and all levels, between their political parties, governments, legislative institutions, local bodies and peoples. 8. Both sides welcomed the signing of the Agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders, the MOU on establishment of a bilateral consultation mechanism between their Foreign Ministries, the Letter of Intent on negotiating and signing the framework Agreement on trade and investment cooperation and underlined the importance of those agreements in promoting bilateral relations and cooperation in the years ahead. 9. Both leaders shared the assessment that their bilateral economic and trade cooperation remained far below their potentials and strengths. They welcomed the renewal of the MoU on cooperation between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) in April 2018, and tasked their relevant authorities to explore establishment of bilateral economic and trade cooperation mechanisms, encourage their businesses to survey each others market and participate in trade promotion activities, particularly in such areas as electric appliances, coffee, tea, seafood, textile, leather footwear and to explore new areas of cooperation, including energy, renewable energy, high-tech agriculture, and tourism. 10. Both leaders agreed to look into proposals of market access for the agricultural products that they held competitive edge, encourage information exchange and cooperation in agricultural science and technical research, and promote exchange of agricultural experts. Recognizing the desire of Nepal to graduate from LDC status at an early date, the Vietnamese side welcomed further imports of Nepali products into Vietnams market and agreed to encourage Vietnamese investors and entrepreneurs to invest in productive sectors in Nepal. 11. Both sides agreed to exchange experience on law enforcement, information on criminals and consider negotiation and signing of agreements in order to create the legal framework for their cooperation in combating crimes and criminal justice, with immediate priority given to the signing of an agreement on crime prevention and combat between the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and the Ministry of Home Affairs of Nepal. 12. The two sides agreed to enhance exchange and cooperation in culture, tourism and people-to-people interaction. Both leaders welcomed the success of the Nepali tourism promotion program in Ho Chi Minh City in March 2019, and agreed to encourage more tourists to each others tourist attractions. The Vietnamese side expressed its support to Visit Nepal Year 2020 by sending more tourists to Nepal, including Buddhist pilgrims to Lumbini, the birth place of Buddha and the fountain of Buddhism. Recalling the Memorandum of Arrangement between the aeronautical authorities of Vietnam and Nepal of 20 October 2015, both sides underlined the need for establishing direct air service between the two countries and instructed the concerned Ministries to conclude an Agreement on Air Services at the earliest to promote trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people contacts. Both leaders commended the effective performance of the Nepal Vietnam Research Centre since its inception in November 2018 and agreed to promote establishment of the Vietnam-Nepal Friendship Association in Hanoi in the time to come. 13. Both sides agreed to bolster cooperation in other potential areas such as science and technology, information and communication, logistics, and disaster preparedness. 14. Both leaders shared similar views on various regional and international issues of mutual interest. They reiterated the importance of faithfully observing the Charter of the United Nations, principles of international law and norms. They reiterated their resolve to preserve multilateralism and find common solutions to common problems. They further reiterated the need to work together for a just, equitable, inclusive, rules-based and democratic world order. 15. Both Prime Ministers spoke highly of the cooperation between the two countries at regional and international forums, including the United Nations, and agreed to further strengthen this tradition. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his gratitude to the Government of Nepal for supporting Vietnams bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term of 2020-2021. 16. Prime Minister of Nepal K P Sharma Oli expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the people of Vietnam for the warm welcome and gracious hospitality, and extended his cordial invitation to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to visit Nepal in the near future. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc gladly accepted the invitation. The dates of the visit would be worked out through diplomatic channels. 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 7 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Element Fleet Management in the last twelve months. There are currently 4 hold ratings and 3 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "hold" Element Fleet Management stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in ELEEF, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares. View analyst ratings for Element Fleet Management or view top-rated stocks. There is not enough analysis data for Telford Homes. 4.4 Community Rank Outperform Votes Telford Homes has received 210 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Telford Homes has received 111 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Telford Homes has received 65.42% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Telford Homes and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe TEF will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe TEF will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next NORRISTOWN An inmate at the Montgomery County jail claimed he stomped on his cellmates head because the victim made sexual overtures toward him, according to investigators. Joseph Michael Hodum, 38, of the 3000 block of Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, was charged Friday with first- and third-degree murder and assault by a prisoner in connection with the assault and subsequent death of fellow inmate Stephen Klampfer, 50, of Norristown. Hodum originally was charged with assault and attempted murder after the March 30 incident at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Lower Providence. However, Klampfer died on April 13 and on Friday prosecutors upgraded the charges against Hodum to homicide. Hodum admitted to detectives that he physically attacked Klampfer after Klampfer made sexual overtures to him, just prior to the assault, county Detective Gregory I. Henry wrote in a criminal complaint, referring to statements Hodum made to detectives while being questioned on March 30. During this interview, Hodum admitted to punching the victim in the face and stomping on his head three or four times, and continued after Klampfer appeared unconscious, Henry alleged. The alleged attack occurred about 8:27 a.m. March 30 while Hodum and Klampfer were sharing a cell in the jails medical wing. Klampfer was admitted to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia with serious injuries and remained unconscious until his April 13 death, according to court papers. An autopsy determined Klampfer died of complications of blunt impact head trauma and the manner of death was ruled to be homicide. Hodum faces a May 21 preliminary hearing on the charges before District Court Judge Cathleen Kelly Rebar. Hodum remains at the county jail without bail while awaiting further court action. Two correctional officers told detectives they were situated in a control booth adjacent to the cell in which Hodum and Klampfer were housed when they observed Hodum standing at the cell door yelling and appearing agitated, according to the criminal complaint. At this time, Klampfer was lying on the back bunk with his blanket pulled up, Henry alleged. Hodum then turned and walked toward Klampfer and began punching him, striking Klampfer approximately a dozen times in the head. Klampfer fell to the floor and Hodum began stomping his head with his foot. One correctional officer claimed Hodum continued to stomp on the left side of Klampfers head, striking him more than 20 times, according to the arrest affidavit. A second correctional officer told detectives he observed Hodum punch and kick Klampfer repeatedly. Both correctional officers told detectives Klampfer appeared defenseless and did not appear to fight back while being struck repeatedly in the head by Hodum and the attack ceased only when correctional officers intervened, according to the criminal complaint. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Laura Bradbury and co-prosecutor Gwendolyn Kull. Information about who is representing Hodum was unavailable. Court records indicate that at the time of the alleged assault Hodum was in the jail awaiting a probation or parole violation hearing. Hodum, according to court records, had a previous conviction for conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking in connection with a 2014 incident. Niskayuna It has been a year, roughly, since a Holocaust memorial proposed for Niskayuna was put on hold to allow for a reworking of its controversial design. It was a year that showed why the memorial is so necessary. In October, a man shouting anti-Semitic slurs opened fire in a Pittsburgh synagogue, killing 11 people and wounding others. Six months later, another epithet-shouting gunman fired in a synagogue near San Diego, an attack that killed a woman and wounded a rabbi. Those attacks didn't happen in a vacuum. They were part of a disturbing and confounding rise in anti-Semitic violence. The FBI recently said a 2017 spike in hate crimes was due mostly to increased anti-Semitic violence. Last month, the Anti-Defamation League reported the number of assaults against American Jews more than doubled last year. The New York Police Department, meanwhile, says anti-Semitic crimes in the city were up 82 percent in the first quarter of 2019. The trend is mirrored in other parts of the world, including in France, which had a 74 percent spike last year in anti-Semitic hate crimes, and Germany, where violent attacks against Jews are up 60 percent. We could debate why this is happening. We could debate who or what is to blame and why an ancient bigotry endures. But we shouldn't need to debate standing in opposition and warning of the consequences of unchecked hate. That's where the Niskayuna memorial comes in. "We need to stand up and take a position," said Michael Lozman, "and memorials of this sort do that." It was Lozman, an orthodontist who lives in Menands, who initially proposed the memorial after noticing that New York's Capital Region, of all places, lacks a significant monument devoted to remembering the Holocaust's horrors. Planned for a Route 7 site donated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, the memorial still needs town approval. And last year, during a hearing on the plan, residential neighbors made it clear they weren't especially thrilled with the proposal, and, yes, they warned of traffic consequences. But the more significant concern, voiced even by supporters of the project, centered on the look of the memorial, which would abut Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery Lozman's startling proposal, as originally conceived, would have included railroad tracks positioned in the shape of the Star of David, a boxcar like those that carried Jews to concentration camps and a wall intended to represent a gas chamber. The design, while well-intentioned, was too graphic and literal. And so Price Chopper's Neil Golub and other members of the region's Jewish community requested a pause to come up with something better. The Capital District Jewish Holocaust Memorial group, working with the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York and Albany architect Daniel Dembling, met nine times to hammer out a new design. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Judging by five available renderings, their work is a dramatic improvement. Consisting of six leaning towers that evoke the smokestacks of a concentration camp and a gateway that may remind visitors of the infamous entrance into Auschwitz, the new design doesn't sugarcoat history. Walking into the memorial will be a discomforting and somber experience, as it should be. And yet the new design is more subtle than the original. It includes lines leading into the memorial that suggest railroad tracks, but not actual tracks. It features an exterior wall that echoes a boxcar, and even includes faces peering out through a gap in the wall, but it doesn't include an actual boxcar. On Monday, Lozman told me he always intended that the initial design be a starting point, not a finished product. He said the reworked design tries to maintain the essence of the original proposal while making the memorial more accessible to a wider audience. "I think we've accomplished that," he said. I agree. The renderings suggest the memorial will be a landmark of which the region can be proud. A place of significance and meaning. A place for quiet and somber reflection. A place that teaches of the darkness that can envelop humanity. Most importantly, the memorial will stand against a hatred that is increasingly being expressed with violence. Big letters on a wall near the entrance to the memorial make the point clear. They say, "Never again." cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill More for you Public hearings planned on revised Niskayuna Holocaust Memorial Albany Environmental groups seeking to eliminate the use of fossil fuels like natural gas to heat homes assembled outside in Albany on Monday to call on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to block the expansion of the Williams Cos. gas pipeline into New York City, as well as a new National Grid pipeline bringing gas into Rensselaer County. Their choice of gathering outside of the Albany Capital Center was not by accident. Inside, National Grid was hosting a conference dedicated to its "80-by-50" program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. While that is a noble cause, many environmental groups are upset that National Grid is using the expansion of its natural gas transmission network to try and achieve those goals. Lee Ziesche, a community organizer for the Sane Energy Project, one of several environmental groups that joined the rally, said that the state was at a "crossroads" in its energy policy regarding fossil fuels. Sane Energy Project is part of a broader coalition called Stop the Williams Pipeline. "We are either going down the path of 100 percent renewable energy or we are going to be spending billions of dollars going in the wrong direction building out fracked-gas infrastructure," Ziesche said, pointing to the Albany Capital Center's main entrance. "Inside, National Grid is talking about their pathway to get there. As long as that pathway includes fracked gas pipelines, it's not a path we want to be on." The Williams pipeline expansion, technically called the Northeast Supply Enhancement project, includes 23 miles of pipeline in New York Harbor and past Coney Island and the Rockaways. After getting approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on May 3, the project is now facing a decision from the state Department of Environmental Conservation. National Grid supports the Williams pipeline expansion, saying it "aligns" with its 80-by-50 program, which is designed to stop the advancement of climate change from the burning of fossil fuels and the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The burning of natural gas produces less CO2 than than oil or coal, making it the "cleanest" of the fossil fuels. And locally, National Grid is planning a $70 million expansion of its local gas transmission network. Known as the Albany Loop project, the new seven mile National Grid line would run from Bethlehem to North Greenbush under the Hudson River. Groups like the Stop the Williams Pipeline coalition support the use of electric heat pumps to heat homes instead of using natural gas furnaces. National Grid also supports the use of heat pumps but also the conversion of oil heat customers to natural gas as well, in what is a dual strategy. Joining Monday's rally was another group called Mothers Out Front, which opposes National Grid's Albany Loop project in addition to the Williams pipeline expansion. Megan Root, a local organizer with Mothers Out Front, said the Albany Loop project is not necessary, even though National Grid has said it is needed for reliability as the demand for gas increases with new development in the Capital Region. "Why are we going to put a new pipeline in?" Root said. "It just doesn't make sense. We don't get why this pipeline is happening." Root and others at Monday's rally walked petitions from the Albany Capital Center to Cuomo's office on the second floor of the Capitol. The petition asked for the governor to not only block the new natural gas pipelines proposed in the state but to also consider pushing for building codes that effectively ban the use of fossil fuel heating devices in new construction. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. David Bertola, a National Grid spokesman, said that while the utility is looking for new ways to heat homes, it has a legal obligation to ensure a reliable system today. "The bottom line is that without the needed gas supply, new customers and economic development projects may go elsewhere or may resort to less clean alternatives," Bertola said. "In the near term, our initiatives will satisfy customer demand, support the region's economic vitality and prepare us for the clean energy future." Cuomo's press office referred all questions about the Williams project to the DEC. National Grid's Albany Loop project is currently under review by the state Public Service Commission. DEC spokeswoman Erica Ringewald said the agency has yet to make a final decision on the project's water quality certificate and other permits. "DEC will continue to rigorously evaluate these applications to protect public health and the environment and to ensure all applicable standards are met," Ringewald said. Meanwhile, one of the protesters who attended the rally, Irene Weiser of Fossil Free Tompkins, said she was denied entry into the National Grid conference even though she had signed up as an attendee. "The fact that they detained me (from going into the conference) is because they are scared of us," Weiser said. "They are scared of the power. They are scared of what we know." Bertola, the National Grid spokesman, said that Weiser wasn't on the attendee list because the conference had been rescheduled from February due to bad weather on the original conference date. "Irene was among a small group of registrants who, upon checking in today, were told that they weren't registered," Bertola said. "This was due to a breakdown of our registration process due in part to the event being rescheduled. After this was cleared up, Irene and the others were welcome to enter." COLONIE Madison VanDenburg, the Shaker High School student who advanced to the finals of "American Idol" on Sunday night, will return to her hometown Tuesday, where she will participate in a pep rally at the school and a parade and performance in The Crossings of Colonie town park. The event at Shaker starts at 1:30 p.m. and is for students only. That will be followed by a parade, beginning at approximately 4:15 p.m., traveling from Metro Park Road into The Crossings, where VanDenburg will perform. The parade and performance are free and open to the public. Backpacks and coolers will not be allowed into The Crossings. New York The deadly confrontation five summers ago flickers in Gwen Carr's mind, competing for attention with warm, happy memories of her late son Eric Garner's life. For all the smiles and laughter they shared, there are flashes of Garner being grabbed by a New York City police officer and crying out: "I can't breathe." Carr said she has been reliving what she pointedly calls "my son's murder" every day since his July 2014 death: Her first-born succumbing to cardiac arrest after a white officer wearing plainclothes, Daniel Pantaleo, restrained her 34-year-old son with what she contends is an illegal chokehold and what Pantaleo's lawyer argues is an approved technique. A long-delayed internal disciplinary trial that could lead to Pantaleo's firing is slated to begin on Monday. A ruling late last week requires the police watchdog agency bringing the case prove not only that Pantaleo violated department rules, but that his actions fit the criteria for criminal charges. Pantaleo does not actually face criminal charges. "It has been five long years," Carr told The Associated Press. "Pantaleo and all those other officers who actually murdered my son that day, they are still collecting their salaries. ... But with me, we relive this every day." Video of the struggle on a Staten Island street corner quickly went viral, amplifying Garner's plaintive pleas of "I can't breathe" into a rallying cry in the face of police brutality against unarmed black men and women. Pantaleo was placed on desk duty. Investigations were launched. The medical examiner ruled Garner's death a homicide caused by a police chokehold. And then nothing happened. A grand jury declined to indict Pantaleo on criminal charges. Facing a July deadline, federal prosecutors don't appear inclined to file civil rights charges, either. Pantaleo has remained on the city payroll, stripped of his gun and badge but pulling in a hefty salary peaking at more than $120,000 in 2017, according to city payroll records. The NYPD argued the federal investigation was holding up Pantaleo's disciplinary case. Last summer, however, the department decided to move forward anyway. It will begin 1,761 days after Garner's death. Pantaleo's administrative trial is open to the public, but space in the court-like room at police headquarters in lower Manhattan is limited. The police department won't allow video, photos or even a sketch artist. The trial is expected to take about two weeks. The Civilian Complaint Review Board said it expects to call fewer than 20 witnesses. Stuart London, Pantaleo's attorney, said he'll bring up to 10 people to the stand. They include a retired NYPD training sergeant who London said taught Pantaleo an approved technique known as a "seat-belt hold" that is being confused for a chokehold. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The NYPD's chief surgeon ruled in 2014 that Pantaleo hadn't used a chokehold on Garner, contradicting the medical examiner's findings, London said. London said part of his defense case would focus on attacking the medical examiner's report, which he called a "political document" and "the worst possible autopsy ever done." Pantaleo's union has blamed the 350-pound Garner's poor health and resisting arrest for his death. Garner, a father of six, had been arrested for selling untaxed cigarettes numerous times and was suspected of doing the same when officers approached him, police said. The man who recorded the video of the confrontation said that wasn't true and that Garner had just broken up a fight between two other men. Garner, who had asthma, suffered a heart attack in an ambulance and was pronounced dead at a hospital. The city paid Garner's family $5.9 million in 2015 to settle a wrongful death claim. Carr said that money went to Garner's wife, not her. Use of force complaints against the NYPD have fallen sharply in the years since Garner's death, according to data compiled by the review board. Carr lobbied for an executive order directing New York's attorney general's office to review cases in which unarmed civilians are killed by police. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it a year after Garner's death. Albany County legislative districts will have 15 primary races next month as incumbents step aside and other legislators face challengers. Among the incumbent legislators facing challenges are Lynne Lekakis, who is opposed by former legislator Brian Scavo; Norma Chapman, who is being challenged by Clifton Dixon; and Lucille McKnight, who faces three Democratic opponents, including former Albany Common Council President and mayoral candidate Carolyn McLaughlin. Ira Bethea and Carmen Rau who ran unsuccessfully against McKnight in 2015 also are challenging the 1st District incumbent. This is my eighth primary election, and Im ready to win, McKnight said. Ive never practiced losing. McKnight has been on the county legislature since 1992, representing residents of the 2nd District and, after redistricting, the 1st District since 2010. As one of the longest-serving legislators in Albany County, McKnight said theres still work to do, including issues over raise the age legislation, redistricting, vacant homes, and improving police and community interactions. Im not the same legislator as when I came in in 1992, she said. The issues are different. McLaughlin, who served city residents as a council member and council president collectively for 20 years, said during her time out of politics shes gotten involved in volunteering at the nursing home and wants to put her knowledge and experience to use once again. I became an ombudsman to advocate for seniors at nursing homes. In doing that, I developed a whole new area of concern around seniors, McLaughlin said. A lot of people in the nursing home dont have that personal advocacy. She said she also wants to focus on redistricting and the 2020 Census, and ensure there are programs for seniors, youth and those formerly incarcerated. Those are the areas that I believe I can hit the floor running and continue to work on behalf of the community I live in, McLaughlin said. There are 14 Democratic primaries and one Republican primary for legislature seats this year, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the 39 legislative districts. With six incumbents not running for re-election, there is also the potential for new faces in the largest county legislature in New York state. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Republican legislator Richard Mendick, who is not seeking re-election, opens up the 36th District to a new face. Democrats Marc Gronich and Matt Miller will primary in June as will Republicans Dave Harrington and Colin Dwyer. Dixon, who is running against Chapman, in 2015 attempted to run against the incumbent but was thrown off the ballot because he didnt live in the district. In 2017, Clifton lost in a Democratic primary for a Common Council seat. Scavo, who is running against Lekakis, previously served one term as legislator of the 7th District but lost his re-election bid in 2011. Scavo was convicted in 2016 of writing fraudulent checks. He could not be reached Friday for comment. Lekakis, who is seeking a second, four-year term, said she stands by her record as a legislator and will continue to modernize the legislature, supporting laws to make Albany County cleaner and greener, and wants to ensure an independent redistricting commission comes to fruition. Id like the county to be a little more public. I think everything that goes on there is a big mystery to everybody, and I think thats sad, she said. We are able to make changes that impact lives. Everything that we do has a small effect on peoples lives. More for you Lawyer Weiss to challenge incumbent Lane in Albany County Legislature primary NISKAYUNA - The Town Planning Department is asking speakers to limit comments to three minutes and sign up in advance for two community forums on the proposed Holocaust memorial. The town planned the event for the applicant to present a revised proposal and seek input from the public after the original design received some pushback. The Niskayuna Town Board twice delayed a vote last year on a special use permit for the site after residents voiced concerns over the original design and potential traffic concerns. The forums will be Wednesday, May 15, and May 22, both at 7 p.m. in the Little Theatre of Niskayuna High School, which can be accessed via Niskayuna High School's Nott Street entrance. Town Attorney Paul Briggs will open the event with an introduction of the project before a presentation by the designers and public comment. Speakers can sign up in advance via Eventbrite. Pre-registration isn't required, the town said on its website Friday, but those who register will be given first priority. Speakers are asked to sign up for one forum and those who are not heard on May 15 will be placed on the list to speak on May 22. The comment period will be recorded by Town Planner Laura Robertson. Dr. Michael Lozman, who submitted a special use permit, will present the revised proposal. The memorial, if approved by the town, will be located at 2501 Troy Schenectady Road, near the Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery on land donated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. Neil Golub, head of Price Chopper, helped spearhead a new design, working with Lozman's Capital District Jewish Holocaust Memorial group and the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York headed by Robert Kovach. Lozman said the group held nine meetings to come up with a more modern design. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The new renderings show six sides to the memorial, like the points of the Star of David. One panel would be representative of a box car, another of the fencing used at concentration camps. Lozman said last week he wanted the memorial to remind people what happens when hate and bigotry can spread. "The new design touches on all the horrors of the Holocaust but presents it in a modern perspective," he said. "That kind of design seems to be more acceptable to the general public but the message we're trying to convey is still present in the new design." Steve Hughes contributed reporting. ALBANY Efforts to expand access to public information collected by law enforcement are gaining traction in the Capitol. Legislation advanced Monday by the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee would prevent law enforcement agencies from automatically rejecting freedom of information requests for records involved in a judicial proceeding or compiled as part of a criminal investigation. "It helps to narrow the scope of documents that can be denied based on a blanket assertion that they're linked to a law enforcement investigation or court proceeding," said New York News Publishers Association President Diane Kennedy. New York currently allows law enforcement agencies to decide if disclosing public information would interfere with an ongoing judicial proceeding, according to Sen. Jiames Skoufis, an Orange County Democrat pushing to reform the practice. "Let's let the judges in charge of those judicial appearances determine what is interference," Skoufis said. Additionally, it amends language in state law that has enabled public entities to deny requests for records compiled as part of a criminal investigation, even though the information was prepared in the ordinary course of business, such as meeting minutes. New York State Committee on Open Government Director Robert Freeman noted that this provision, in addition to the ongoing judicial proceedings, was cited by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration when reporters asked for information connected to corruption trials. Requested records included time sheets, visitor logs and phone logs. The memorandum accompanying the legislation maintains that FOIL is being twisted by government agencies to withhold records or parts of records. "Too often, records that were prepared in the ordinary course of business, which should be accessible to the public, have been withheld," reads the memo. The proposed law specifies that information is only subject to restrictions if it was "prepared or created" for law enforcement, and even then there are exceptions that mandate disclosure of the records. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The legislation also included language that clarifies state law to ensure records relating to a sex crime can be released as long as any information that might disclose a victim's identity is redacted or withheld. Skoufis is optimistic about action by the Senate before the legislative session ends next month. The legislation wasn't introduced in the chamber in the past, when it was controlled by Republicans, according to a legislative bill history. David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87 ALBANY Legislation requiring adults to wear seat belts in the rear of automobiles is expected to be approved shortly by state lawmakers. Passengers under the age of 16 are already required to be buckled up or secured in a child restraint system regardless of where they sit in a car, but a measure scheduled for a vote Wednesday in the state Senate would expand the requirement to all New Yorkers. Adults are currently only required to wear seat belts in the front of an automobile. The companion legislation in the Assembly is expected to receive a vote before the end of the legislative session next month, possibly as early as this week. The proposal was included in Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's budget proposal, but didn't make it into the final deal approved by state lawmakers. In 1985, New York became the first state in the country to require drivers and all front-seat passengers to wear a seat belt. State law currently allows police officers to pull a vehicle over for noncompliance, and adults can face a $50 fine for a first violation. "New York, once a leader in occupant protection, has fallen behind," the AAA stated in a 2016 report advocating a seat belt requirement for rear-seat passengers. The group wrote in a policy brief that "far too many adults are not buckling up in the back seat since it is not required under current New York state law." If the legislation is enacted, New York would become the 20th state to allow law enforcement officers to pull a vehicle over because 0f an adult back-seat rider not belted in. More than 1,500 adults have died since 1985 in New York while not wearing a seat belt in the back of a vehicle, according to the AAA. Compared to rear passengers wearing a seat belt, an unbelted passenger in the back is three times more likely to be killed. SKIP DICKSTEIN Sen. David Carlucci, a Rockland County Democrat pushing the legislation, stressed that the requirement is important for all the passengers in an automobile. "Not only are you posing a threat to yourself by not wearing a seat belt (in the rear of an automobile), but you're two times more likely to kill the driver of that vehicle if you're not wearing your seat belt," Carlucci said. The proposal was blocked in recent years by Senate Republicans, but Democrats took over the chamber in January. "With the change in dynamics here in Albany, we went from 'Could this be passed?' to (the question of) when it will be passed," said Assemblyman Walter Mosley, a Brooklyn Democrat sponsoring the legislation. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. A study last year by the governor's Traffic Safety Committee found nearly 93 percent of New York adults wear a seat belt while sitting in the front seat, but this is less likely to be true for the back seat. Only 72 percent of respondents in a 2017 national study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) said they always strapped in when sitting in the back. Of the people who don't always buckle up in the rear of a car, 40 percent said it was because there wasn't a law requiring a seat belt. If a requirement was written into law, 60 percent of these respondents indicated they would be motivated to use one. "For most adults, it is still as safe to ride in the back seat as the front seat, but not if you aren't buckled up," said Jessica Jermakian, an IIHS senior research engineer and study co-author, in a statement. "That applies to riding in an Uber, Lyft or other hired vehicle, too." Based on this experience, Carlucci wants companies such as Uber and Lyft to play an active role in spreading awareness of this requirement once it's enacted, especially in light of the danger to the driver from an unbuckled rear passenger. Carlucci's office said the legislation would not apply to buses or limousines. David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87 COLONIE Madison VanDenburg advanced to the "American Idol" finale and the show will be filming in the Capital Region this week. Dozens of students, fans and her family members wearing "Shaker Madison" shirts erupted in applause at the Shaker High School auditorium when VanDenburg advanced to the top 3 on the ABC show Sunday night. VanDenburg, a 17-year-old Cohoes native, will perform in the finals May 19. "This is so unbelievable I can't even speak," said Colonie Town Supervisor Paula Mahan. "She's going to be number one!" VanDenburg will come back to the Capital Region this week to film her "Hometown Heroes" segment. The town and school district are planning events to welcome her on Tuesday. On Sunday, VanDenburg sang three songs: "What about Us" by Pink chosen by in-house mentor Bobby Bones, "Your Song" by Elton John, and "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele in honor of Mother's Day. The judges again lavished praise on the teen who they dubbed "the next Kelly Clarkson" in her audition, referring to the first "Idol" winner. On Sunday, Lionel Richie said the teen's star was shining bright. Katy Perry told VanDenburg she showed "some crazy musical talent ... if you bring that out in the first 30 seconds, you are going to win." On Sunday, Shaker High's 700-seat auditorium was half full of fellow students and fans. Colonie officials and VanDenburg's family members were also in attendance. Five minutes before the show kicked off, student ambassadors pulled VanDenburg up on a video call and held the phone to a microphone to project her message to local fans. "I just want to say I'm literally shocked at all you guys sitting there," she said. "From the bottom of my heart, I just want to thank you for everything. I'm literally about to go on stage in a couple minutes and I want to say thank you to everyone who's helped me get to this point. I love you guys and I really hope to make you proud tonight." Shaker High student ambassadors Shannon Lipscomb, a sophomore, and Mariam Rehman, a junior, organized free viewing parties last week and this Sunday. They got food donated from local grocery stores and bakeries. They decorated with posters and balloons. They requested attendees to bring a non-perishable item for the Shaker food pantry, and by the time the show started, a cart outside the auditorium was overflowing with canned goods. "We're so proud of her," said Rehman. She first heard sing her friend sing Christina Aguilera at a 7th grade talent show and said the now American Idol star is really friendly with everyone. Lipscomb, who's in math class with VanDenburg, said "she's quiet but she's really nice." VanDenburg's older sister Taylor VanDenburg, 19, said before the show she was so nervous she was going to watch on the edge of her seat. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "I never expected something this big but I always could imagine she was going to go places and do things," she said. The older VanDenburg remembers her little sister singing as young as 6 years old and then going on to perform at restaurants and marinas and sing the national anthem at baseball fields. The sisters are two of six siblings. VanDenburg's mother drove out to Los Angeles, where her daughter is performing, last week in three and a half days with a banner on the back of her car telling the country to vote for Madison. "Your talent brings me to tears of joy and happiness," VanDenburg's mother said in a video that aired on the show for Mother's Day Sunday. VanDenburg auditioned in October and was one of 40 contestants invited to Los Angeles for the show, which began airing March 3. Cohoes hosted a watch party at Cohoes Music Hall on May 5, with about 50 fans attending to show their support. Oddsmakers have picked her as a favorite to win. The website goldderby.com correctly predicted she would make the season 17 "American Idol" finals with Laine Hardy and Alejandro Aranda. "No matter what happens, I'm really happy with what I've achieved," VanDenburg told the Times Union on May 2. "It would be OK if I didn't win. Everything I've gotten out of the show has been incredible." SARATOGA SPRINGS Socialite Michele Riggi, on the hunt for two young women who ripped tulips from around the lamppost flower bed, might have found the driver of the getaway car thanks to the help of a former star of the "Dog the Bounty Hunter" reality show. Beth Chapman, who is the wife of Duane "Dog" Chapman, ran the Idaho license plate numbers for the car that allegedly fled the scene Sunday night after one of the occupants hopped out and snatched the flowers from outside Riggi's North Broadway home. The theft was caught on camera by Riggi's niece, who said the young women who took the flowers were laughing. Riggi posted an image of the car on her Facebook page, which led Chapman to start digging. Chapman posted the name of the vehicle's owner on Facebook, and linked to the owner's page. "Let the shaming begin," she wrote. The owner's Facebook page is no longer visible. In an interview Monday, Riggi said she and Chapman are friends. Chapman starred with her husband on "Dog the Bounty Hunter," which ran on A&E from 2003 to 2012. Based on past encounters she says she has had with Skidmore College students, Riggi said she suspects students from the nearby school did the tulip-snatching; she plans to press charges. "I've been super-nice to the Skidmore kids," said Riggi, adding that she has put up with antics such as young people skinny-dipping in her pool and has never sought legal redress until now. Riggi called the police and Skidmore College security and asked her social media contacts to be on the lookout for the car after the incident at 8:15 p.m. Sunday. "If we all work together maybe we can find them along with my lawn jockey," Riggi wrote in reference to last week's disappearance of her statuette. At that time, Riggi said, someone dug up her tulips and threw them in the street on Greenfield Avenue. Saratoga Springs police said they are still investigating, but had not yet heard of Chapman's work. "Unfortunately, we have a lot of incidents of that nature at city property and at private residences," Lt. Robert Jillson said. Jillson said the young women could be charged with criminal mischief for damaging the flowers, or petit larceny for stealing them. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Peter Martin, the city's Commissioner of Public Safety, said he was aware of the incident. "I don't get involved in property damage issues unless I'm asked," Martin said. Riggi "has not asked me to get involved with this." Skidmore College security said that it could not "disseminate any information" on the case and deferred to the police. By Monday afternoon, Riggi's Facebook post had 409 comments. Many expressed outrage and urged her to "get justice." They also called the act "extremely disheartening" and "absolutely disgusting." At least one person suggested the culprits be sentenced to perform yard work at Riggi's home. Riggi refers to her stone mansion at 639 North Broadway as "The Palazzo," where she cares for what she calls her "posh pups" about three dozen small dogs that share her home with a couple of tolerant cats. Several years ago, Riggi, who is the director of the National Museum of Dance, was exploring producing her own reality show with her dogs. The show never came to fruition. A Schenectady woman was sentenced last week to nearly five years in prison for her role in a large-scale gun theft from a Glenville store. Dalmary Morales, 38, will also serve three years of supervised release and pay $48,775 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. May 13, 2019 The scourge of computer crime is a serious concern for regular users and businesses, but it has also caused a global talent gap. Analysts at Cybersecurity Ventures predict that 3.5 million vacant IT security positions will appear by 2021. In other words, the number of jobs in this area will likely triple compared to todays statistics. The cybersecurity sector is expanding at a rapid pace. In the U.S. alone, the number of vacant positions in the industry saw a whopping 67% increase in 2015-2018, going up from 209,000 to 350,000. A similar trend is being observed in other countries, clearly demonstrating that the InfoSec domain is booming. With that said, there is also a flip side of this growth. All these numbers dont necessarily denote that computers, mobile devices, and networks will become any safer. The security industry has to combat new electronic menaces every single day. A continuous rapid increase in the number of data breaches, malware strains, and hacking crews out there is a serious challenge because the army of white hats cannot catch up with the adversaries anyway. To top it off, when it comes to tech proficiency the crooks may outstrip inexperienced security researchers who study the subject at the university. Another reason why malefactors are one step ahead is that they are in constant pursuit of new attack mechanisms and might adopt creative tactics in their modus operandi. Heres a lowdown on the main InfoSec challenges and trends that will likely make themselves felt this year. Fine-tuning of Internet-borne extortion Ransomware continues to be among the most disconcerting cybercrime phenomena. Although the total number of these destructive incursions decreased by 20% in 2018, it went up 12% for businesses. Obviously, the current decline is cold comfort and probably the lull before the storm. Despite the growing risks, about 20% of enterprises have no disaster recovery plan in place and dont maintain backups of their proprietary data. It means they run the risk of losing all their valuable information, including customer records and applications if they fall victim to a ransomware attack. Without a plan B, the only way for these companies to sort things out is to cough up the ransom and hope that the malefactors will stay true to their promises and provide working decryption keys in return. In addition to crypto ransomware, one more form of cyber extortion relies on DDoS attacks that hit victims websites and wont let go until a ransom is submitted. AI being added to the protection mix Security technologies based on artificial intelligence, such as machine learning and data mining solutions, are shaping up to be revolutionary for the InfoSec industry. Analysts have singled out the most groundbreaking AI areas. These include static image recognition, algorithmic trading enhancement, and scalable data processing in healthcare. One of the top 10 sectors is cybersecurity threat prevention, which is predicted to get investments amounting to $2.47 billion globally by 2025. Nowadays, security experts mostly respond to cyber onslaughts after the fact. In contrast to this reactive approach, new cutting-edge AI solutions will allow for analyzing enormous volumes of logs and web traffic data in real time. Owing to such a proactive technique, malware should be blocked before it reaches the target. Nevertheless, human involvement is still an inalienable element of these systems, where artificial intelligence is a critical complementary instrument. The outcome depends on the expertise of the specialists who create the system, control its operation, and scrutinize the results. IoT threats Smart gadgets are taking the world by storm and their number is quickly increasing. According to researchers, nearly every American household has several smartphones and tablets, one or a few PCs, and a streaming media device. Furthermore, voice assistants that leverage speech recognition technology are gaining popularity Amazon Echo is a good example. These connected devices can tell you the news, order food, call a taxi, let you know what to expect from the weather, and do many more useful things in an interactive way. Heres the caveat, though: the vast majority of modern IoT entities are low-hanging fruit in terms of countermeasures for hacking. Regular computers are typically much more secure in this context. As per a report released by HP several years ago, about 70% of commonly used IoT devices have gaping holes in their security. There havent been any game-changing improvements in this regard ever since. The bottom line Lets face it cybercrooks are getting smarter and more ingenious year by year. Therefore, security experts should be agile enough to take up the challenge and fend off the growingly complex attacks via ever-evolving defenses. May 13, 2019 Present-day cybercriminals are resourceful enough to conduct multi-pronged malware campaigns that wreak a great deal of electronic havoc while boasting sophisticated evasion techniques. In order to get around common blacklisting mechanisms and thereby extend the lifetime of their perpetrating activity, malicious actors have come to employ legitimate services like GitHub to host their dodgy scripts, offending code, and manipulative landing pages. A few GitHub abuse incidents unearthed recently demonstrated how agile the crooks strategies can be. Below is a roundup of prominent cases in which the legitimate code repository in question served as a pivot of malware distribution and phishing campaigns. Card skimming script lurking on GitHub Security analysts discovered a large-scale payment card sniffing and credentials theft wave in late April 2019 that affected hundreds of online stores built with the Magento platform. The specific script to blame is the so-called MageCart skimmer, which has been around since 2015 and gained notoriety for compromising major services, including British Airways, Newegg, and Ticketmaster. In their latest move, the operators used GitHub to host the wrongdoing kit. The skimmer script that the criminals uploaded to the service was cloaked using hexadecimal encoding in an attempt to prevent it from being identified by the networks defenses. The previously hacked Magento websites ended up loading this third-party script as part of their source code. Although the page containing the fraudulent content was promptly deleted by GitHub in response to white hats reports, nearly 800 vulnerable Magento installations still have links pointing to the MageCart skimmer at the time of writing. In light of this attack vector, the only effective way for administrators of e-commerce sites to safeguard their customers shopping experience is to apply CMS and plugin updates once they are available. Sticking with proper authentication hygiene is another must. GitHub-hosted phishing kits Another stratagy involving the popular code hosting repository was unveiled in April 2019. As opposed to the technique covered above, it took advantage of the GitHub Pages feature that allows users to create and run a website within the platform. The malefactors set up phishing pages using the github.io URL space and redirected the would-be victims to these bogus resources disguised as login pages for online banking and other services accessible via commonplace authentication. This intricate approach allowed the crooks to bypass domain-based blacklisting, given that pages hosted on GitHub raise hardly any red flags when it comes to conventional filtering databases. Consequently, such a phishing campaign might last longer than one relying on other types of landing pages. Having harvested the unsuspecting users sensitive credentials, the malicious kits were stealthily submitting them to the criminal-run command and control servers. The fact that the cyber thieves exploited free, publicly visible GitHub accounts made it possible for researchers to closely inspect all their shenanigans. As a result, the phishers accounts were suspended once the platform became aware of the fraud. GitHub abused to push info stealer malware A recent malware outbreak aimed at pilfering victims personal data used GitHub to host the harmful code. According to security analysts findings, the hacker crew referred to as Gaza Cybergang leveraged politically-themed phishing emails to dupe the recipients into clicking the embedded booby-trapped links. The targets mostly included users and organizations considered to be influencers in the area of Palestinian issues. In particular, the regions media companies, government agencies, political parties, healthcare institutions, activists, and journalists were in the spotlight of the attackers artifice. At the initial phase of the e-raid, the crooks sent out misleading emails to potential victims that lured them to clicking a link leading to the first-stage payload. This payload could be hosted on GitHub or a number of other free, publicly accessible file-sharing services, such as Pastebin and upload.cat. The final-stage malware on this infection chain was a RAT (Remote Access Tool) that was surreptitiously downloaded from the criminals C2 server. It allowed them to perform reconnaissance on the infected computers, gather documents stored in different formats, compress and encrypt them, and then transmit the resulting data to the command and control server. Fortunately, due to well-coordinated efforts of law enforcement and the antivirus lab that investigated into the matter, the campaign came to a halt. Cutting-edge backdoor activity bolstered by GitHub Gist API In March 2019, it was discovered that a hacker group used Githubs Gist feature along with the Slack messaging service to communicate with a recently discovered multi-functional backdoor malware. For the record, Gist is a functionality that allows developers to write some text or snippets of code, usually small ones, directly in the web interface. These bits of information can be a way to leave comments or share walkthroughs regarding a specific project uploaded to GitHub. Based on the names of the abused systems (Slack and GitHub), the infection was codenamed SLUB. It deploys a complex incursion in several distinct stages, additionally harnessing known Windows vulnerabilities, namely the CVE-2018-8174 remove code execution flaw and the CVE-2015-1701 privilege escalation bug. The raid employs the above-mentioned security loopholes to drop a downloader disguised as a DLL file in what is known as a watering hole attack. The first-stage infection downloads a peculiar GitHub Gist snippet that contains commands to be run on the contaminated computers. Once the entirety of valuable data is stealthily collected on the breached network, it is exfiltrated to the attackers server through Slack. Cyber espionage crew using GitHub to store malware Industrial espionage groups benefit from GitHub in their own way. In late 2018, threat intelligence experts exposed a gang dubbed Seedworm or MuddyWater. The adversaries targeted high-profile victims in Turkey, Pakistan, as well as several North American and European companies tied to businesses in the Middle East. It turns out the gang stored their malicious tools and scripts in GitHub repositories. Some of these instruments are off-the-shelf reconnaissance tools, and some are customized variants thereof. One of the offending entities that the crooks uploaded to the service was Powemuddy, a fusion of a backdoor and malware downloader detected on a number of networks previously attacked by Seedworm. In the course of their analysis, the researchers also found a connection between the criminals GitHub account and a Twitter (News - Alert) profile whose owner follows numerous InfoSec gurus and security software publishers. Through social media, the black hats probably try to keep abreast of innovations in the cybersecurity area so that their future onslaughts are more effective and slip under the radar of mainstream defenses. Policing Github GitHub is a godsend for ethical coders, but a growing number of cybercriminal gangs are adding it to their repertoire as well. Some of these felons are lured by the ability to host their dangerous code for free, while others are motivated by the fact that antivirus solutions trust this network and arent very likely to blacklist the associated content. As a result, the abuse of GitHub is on the rise. To the companys credit, they are very responsive to fraud reports and quickly suspend the accounts that violate their terms of use. Hopefully, the provider will shortly come up with effective mechanisms to identify unwanted activity much faster. May 13, 2019 Google (News - Alert), the worlds top search engine, has penetrated so deeply into users everyday routine that looking something up on the Internet and the nifty term googling have become nearly synonymous. Millions of people benefit from using various Google services, both free and paid, but few of them realize that the technology giant meticulously monitors their activity. Google is aware of your lifestyle, habits, favorite places, shopping preferences, and so many more things that even your family might not know about you. The search engine leverages the entirety of this personal information to display targeted advertisements whenever you visit a social network or random website whose owner wants to monetize the traffic via Google ads. Unless you perform every single search in a private, or incognito, window, the global data aggregate will know pretty much everything about you. Do you find this state of things acceptable? Opt for search engines that dont surveil your activity If you want to avoid Google tracking, then it might be a good idea to use other search providers that dont have the huge monitoring resources and processing power to keep track of everything you do. Such a service definitely shouldnt be affiliated with Google, Yahoo or Bing. Even if you arent very privacy-minded and dont care much about online anonymity, consider using substitutes for Google that will help you keep the most offbeat and intimate searches secret. DuckDuckGo is a privacy-centered search engine that doesnt monitor or retain logs of user queries. Its design is similar to Googles, and it boasts accurate and quick results. This provider goes with a few extra features. One of them is the Instant Answers section above search results, something Google displays as well. However, with DuckDuckGo you can get an express answer to your query without having to click on any links. Also, you can filter search results by categories, such as Images, Videos, News, and even Recipes. As long as you use this service, you wont be running into any contextual ads on websites you visit. Interestingly, you can even use the Cloud Save option to save and store your personal search settings permanently. Swisscows fits the mold of a reliable, privacy-friendly search engine. Aside from that, the speed of returning the results is also on the plus side of this provider. Swisscows has an appealing look and feel, and its start page includes about a dozen most popular search requests you can simply click on. This feature is really welcome if you are looking for some subjects to read about. To its credit, this provider applies cryptography to make sure your queries arent leaked and cannot be accessed by a third party. You can opt for regional search if you like. Also, it excludes pornographic content from the SERPs (search engine results pages). Startpage is one more worthwhile search engine that priorities user privacy. When you use it, your connection is tunneled via a proxy server, which prevents the visited sites from tracking your IP address and whereabouts. You can make Startpage your default search engine so that all of your searches are private. Wolfram Alpha (News - Alert) definitely stands out from the crowd. It leverages proprietary algorithms and AI (artificial intelligence) technology to return the most precise reports and answers relevant to the keywords you enter. Whereas this service doesnt keep a record of your searches, it provides query options and suggestions that help you express an idea accurately. In case you need to find information related to mathematics, science and technology, or society and culture, then Wolfram Alpha is the optimal choice as it generates comprehensive answers on these areas. Tor Browser is a combo of a modified Firefox version and The Onion Router technology, with privacy at its core. It can be downloaded and used free of charge. The underlying network includes multiple servers maintained by volunteers. Tor ensures anonymity by streaming the traffic through at least three servers, or nodes, while also encrypting it. Consequently, there are no electronic breadcrumbs that lead to you. For more privacy, Tor employs an IP address thats typically registered outside of your country of residence, and its always obfuscated from the sites you go to. Summary With such an abundance of search providers out there, Google doesnt appear to be the only possible choice, does it? It may take you some time to familiarize yourself with the peculiarities and features of these services, but the result is definitely worth it. However, if you think the extent of privacy delivered by these remarkable search engines isnt enough or you want to get around geo-restrictions imposed by some content providers, then consider using VPN browser extensions. The beauty of this technique is that all traffic is encrypted and you can use servers located in different parts of the globe. [May 13, 2019] AI will affect one in every five jobs in Asia--eliminating one in eight, finds new report by MIT Technology Review Insights CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and SINGAPORE, May 13, 2019 /CNW/ -- A new study by MIT Technology Review Insights in association with ADP , Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore, Genesys , Splunk and the Asia School of Business explores the degree to which executives in Asia Pacific are expecting and preparing for the automation of job roles. The report, "AI and human capital", also examines how staff working in companies across the region are responding to the increasing need to work "shoulder to software." Featuring an executive survey of 900 leaders as well as a new data set provided by Faethm , a future-of-work cloud software company, the report shows, by country and industry, the proportion of formal sector jobs that will become redundant through automation, and the jobs that will be augmented by AI, making them more productive and highly skilled. The findings are as follows: Headcount reduction is not a major driver for AI in Asia . Corporate priorities for AI are to enhance customer satisfaction, decision-making, and reduce inefficiencies. It is likely this will lead to the loss of some roles to automation, and the restructuring of others. Yet reducing headcount is not in and of itself a top priority. Just one-third of survey respondents listed reducing labor costs as a top driver for AI. . Corporate priorities for AI are to enhance customer satisfaction, decision-making, and reduce inefficiencies. It is likely this will lead to the loss of some roles to automation, and the restructuring of others. Yet reducing headcount is not in and of itself a top priority. Just one-third of survey respondents listed reducing labor costs as a top driver for AI. The majority of companies are expecting headcount to increase . Some 77% of survey respondents expect total headcount to increase over the next five years, including in functions where AI is already being deployed. One fifth of respondents overall indicated that they expect five-year increases of more than 15%. Very few (just 3%) are predicting any headcount contraction. . Some 77% of survey respondents expect total headcount to increase over the next five years, including in functions where AI is already being deployed. One fifth of respondents overall indicated that they expect five-year increases of more than 15%. Very few (just 3%) are predicting any headcount contraction. Yet AI will affect one in five jobs in Asiaeliminating one in eight . Across 11 Asian markets, 12% of current jobs are at high risk of being automated in the next five years. The effect of AI on job automation will be greater in Asia's wealthier economies than in poorer ones (14% as opposed to 10%). However, many more jobs in developed markets will actually benefit and be augmented by AI (11% of the total) than in less-developed markets (just 6%). . Across 11 Asian markets, 12% of current jobs are at high risk of being automated in the next five years. The effect of AI on job automation will be greater in Asia's wealthier economies than in poorer ones (14% as opposed to 10%). However, many more jobs in developed markets will actually benefit and be augmented by AI (11% of the total) than in less-developed markets (just 6%). AI will produce winners and losers. In high-income countries, AI will result in significant job augmentation and added capacity, mostly in knowledge-intensive industries. In developing Asia, fewer jobs are augmented by technology, and little capacity is added. The impact is determined by the structure of each country's economy, its technology-readiness, and other economic and social drivers. "Our research shows that many industries across the region will see rapid automation and the loss of jobs," says Claire Beatty, editor of the report. "In developed economies we're likely to see re-skilling and redeployment. In developing markets, much more systematic planning and preparation is needed." Download the report here . Claire Beatty Editorial director - international custom content MIT Technology Review [email protected] About us View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ai-will-affect-one-in-every-five-jobs-in-asiaeliminating-one-in-eight-finds-new-report-by-mit-technology-review-insights-300848203.html SOURCE MIT Technology Review Insights [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Delta Dental of Tennessee Introduces DeltaVision in Partnership with VSP Vision Care Delta Dental of Tennessee (Delta Dental) is launching DeltaVision plans administered by VSP Vision Care, the nation's largest and only national not-for-profit vision benefits company. Through the partnership, DeltaVision plans will be sold in conjunction with Delta Dental plans to Tennessee-based companies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005531/en/ "Our clients and subscribers realizethe importance of benefit coverage to help control expenses and minimize out-of-pocket costs," said Phil Wenk, DDS, president and CEO of Delta Dental. "Combining a vision plan along with our dental plan helps both individuals and group plan administrators with a single contract and a single invoice." DeltaVision plans are now available for individuals and families purchasing benefit plans on their own. Group plans will have effective dates beginning July 1, 2019. Through the partnership with VSP, subscribers will have access to the nation's largest network of independent doctors who carry a wide selection of name-brand eyewear, for any style and budget. "We partnered with VSP for DeltaVision because their expansive doctor network and focus on customer service align perfectly with the values we know our subscribers appreciate about Delta Dental," added Wenk. Individuals can purchase new dental and vision plans at CoverYourMouth.com. Current Delta Dental subscribers can add vision plans at their renewal dates. Group plan administrators can receive more information about DeltaVision through their brokers and by visiting www.DeltaDentalTN.com/DeltaVision. About Delta Dental of Tennessee Delta Dental of Tennessee is the state's largest independent dental benefits carrier with more than 1.2 million lives covered. As part of the Delta Dental Plans Association, Delta Dental of Tennessee members have access to the largest dental network in the nation with more than 154,000 providers serving more than 332,000 locations. With the simple mission of ensuring healthy smiles, Delta Dental of Tennessee works hard to help members of the communities it serves. Along with its corporate foundation, Smile180, Delta Dental of Tennessee donated $8 million to over 120 organizations in 2018, and employees shared 2,378 volunteer hours in the community. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005531/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Insight School of Oklahoma to Hold Commencement Ceremony on May 16 Insight School of Oklahoma (ISOK), an accredited online public charter school that serves students statewide in grades 7-12, will celebrate the 60 members of the Class of 2019 at an in-person commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 16 at the First Baptist Church in Edmond. "The entire Insight School of Oklahoma community couldn't be prouder of the Class of 2019," said Head of School Sheryl Tatum. "Each student has traveled a different path to arrive at this momentous occasion, and it has been an honor to provide an online learning platform that allowed them to achieve their goals." Members of the class will enroll in two- and four-year colleges and universities across the region, begin military service or enter the full-time workforce. Graduating seniors report having been accepted to a number of higher education institutions, including: Liberty University, Mid-America Christian University, Northeastern State University, Tulsa Community College, the University of Arkansa, and the University of Central Oklahoma. A tuition-free public school for students statewide, ISOK offers a comprehensive education approach focused on providing struggling students with the academic, social and emotional support they need to succeed. With virtual classes and live online learning sessions led by state-licensed teachers, ISOK creates a personalized educational experience for students to ensure their success leading up to and after earning their high school diploma. Oklahoma State Representative Tammy West (House District 84) will address the class and assembled guests. "Congratulations to the Insight School of Oklahoma Class of 2019," said Representative West. "Your hard work and determination through every challenge is admirable and shows the world what can be accomplished when hearts' desires outweigh life's circumstances." Details of the graduation ceremony are as follows: WHAT: Insight School of Oklahoma 2019 Graduation Ceremony WHEN: Thursday, May 16, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. WHERE: First Baptist Church, 1300 E 33rd Street, Edmond, OK 73013 About Insight School of Oklahoma Insight School of Oklahoma (ISOK) is an AdvancEd accredited full-time online public charter school that serves at-risk students in grades 7-12 throughout the state of Oklahoma. ISOK is recognized by the Oklahoma State Department of Education as an alternative school and is authorized by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board. As part of the Oklahoma public school system, ISOK is tuition-free and gives parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information, visit ok.insightschools.net. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005038/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Northern Lights: Great Diamond Partners of Portland, Maine is Launched in Partnership with Dynasty Financial Partners Leading wealth advisors Steven Tenney, Joseph Powers, Helen Andreoli and Jack Piper today announced that they have partnered with Dynasty Financial Partners to form an independent wealth management firm called Great Diamond Partners. All four advisors had previously worked at UBS. Based in Portland, Maine, the firm has a total staff of seven professionals, including four financial advisors. Joining from UBS are the following professionals: Mr. Tenney is the CEO and Founding Partner of Great Diamond Partners. Mr. Tenney has worked at UBS since 1993, most recently as Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager. He is a Certified Portfolio Manager and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). Joseph Powers leads the Financial Planning and Insurance Strategies focus for Great Diamond Partners. He worked at UBS as a Private Wealth Advisor since 2000. He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) Helen Andreoli is the Chief Financial Officer and a Founding Partner of Great Diamond Partners. A 20-year veteran of the financial services industry, having worked at Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and UBS Financial Services, she is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). As a Founding Partner of Great Diamond, Jack Piper works with individuals and families, helping them to craft a plan to reach their financial goals. He also works on the investment team in developing and managing client portfolios. Mr. Piper worked as a financial advisor at UBS Wealth Management for four years. Prior to that, he worked at Bainco International Investors in Boston, holding a variety of positions before ultimately serving as a portfolio strategist. Great Diamond Partners is an independent wealth management firm based in Portland, Maine. The firm integrates disciplined investment consulting with personalized advanced planning, superior technology and a boutique client experience. Consistent with their focus on families, many of whom are or have been business owners, the firm has deep expertise with business transition planning. Great Diamond Partners helps owners prepare for and execute successful transitions, whether that is an intergenerational wealth transfer, outright business sale or other possible outcome. Great Diamond Partners' advisors are Certified Exit Planning Advisors and Certified Financial Planners, all skills needed to execute a successful transition. "We have always maintained that every element of what wedo needs to be in our clients' best interests. Now we recognize the unquestionable benefits to clients in working as an independent firm, and the Dynasty structure allows us to execute on our vision," according to Mr. Tenney. "We will be able to provide an even better client experience due to vastly improved technology, advanced planning resources and tools and the fiduciary environment when making recommendations. Finally, the expanded resources are tremendous - everything from advanced planning software to investment banking, investment consulting and business management." Great Diamond Partners plans to expand their footprint by recruiting like-minded advisors who may be seeking to join an independent advisory firm. "The breakaway movement is reaching a tipping point. Again and again, some of the best advisors in the industry are seeking true independence as the model that is best for their clients, their employees, and themselves. We are seeing veteran advisors with 20 plus years at their firms choosing to take the road to independence and this movement is accelerating," said Shirl Penney, CEO of Dynasty Financial Partners. "Specific to Great Diamond Partners, they are deeply committed to our home state of Maine. As someone who was born and raised in Maine, I am particularly proud to partner with high-caliber advisors like Steve, Joe, Helen and Jack and their remarkable team, and we welcome them to our Network of independent advisors. I am excited to have one the largest and leading financial advisory teams in Maine on the Dynasty platform and look forward to partnering with them to grow their business." Great Diamond Partners 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 using Dynasty'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, Great Diamond Partners 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.greatdiamondpartners.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/20190513005004/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy to Hold Commencement Ceremony on May 18 Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy (OVCA) will celebrate the 150 members of its Class of 2019 at an in-person commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 18 in Edmond. A tuition-free online public charter school authorized by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, OVCA is available to students across the state. "We are so proud of our graduating seniors," said Sheryl Tatum, OVCA's Head of School. "They have worked hard to accomplish their goals, and each of them represents what is possible when students are connected with a learning environment that meets their unique needs." OVCA graduates earn their high school diplomas in a personalized learning environment. Following graduation, members of the Class of 2019 will enroll in two- and four-year colleges and universities, enter military service, or join the full-time workforce. Collectively, members of the class report having been offered more than $200,000 in scholarships, and repor having been accepted to a number of higher education institutions, including: Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma University, Oral Roberts University, Rose State College, Suffolk University, and Tulsa Community College. Oklahoma State Representative Dr. Carl Newton (House District 58) will deliver the commencement's keynote address. "You should be congratulated on this accomplishment," said Representative Newton, in a message to the Class of 2019. "Despite the many demands on you, through the online opportunities, you were able to reach this milestone, setting you on a path for continued success." OVCA students access a robust online curriculum in the core subjects and a host of electives, and attend live virtual classes taught by state-licensed teachers. OVCA also offers student clubs, field trips and social outings to foster a sense of school community, such as this week's graduation celebration. Details of the ceremony are as follows: WHAT: Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy 2019 Graduation Ceremony WHEN: Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. WHERE: First Baptist Church, 1300 E 33rd Street, Edmond, OK 73013 About Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy (OVCA) is an AdvancEd accredited, full-time online public charter school authorized by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board and serving Oklahoma students in kindergarten through 12th grade. As part of the Oklahoma public school system, OVCA is tuition-free, and gives parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about OVCA, visit ovca.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005039/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 12, 2019] VOCE Capital Comments on ISS Argo Report Voce Capital Management LLC ("Voce"), the beneficial owner of approximately 5.6% of the shares of Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (NYSE:ARGO) ("Argo" or the "Company"), today issued the following statement in response to the recommendation by Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS") regarding Argo's upcoming 2019 Annual Meeting: "While we respect the team at ISS, and have been before them several times in the past, its formulaic conclusions regarding Argo are baffling to us. We have acknowledged from the beginning that Argo's stock price has appreciated over time. If that's the end of the inquiry, as it appears to have been for ISS, then with all due respect, there's no need for a third-party to analyze or weigh in on this proxy contest. The far more relevant questions are why has Argo's stock performed the way that it has, should it have done better and can it improve going forward? Corporate governance is neither a checklist nor an algorithm. In order to properly assess corporate governance, one must evaluate the context and culture in which a company's governance structure operates and the way in which it is applied. What is so puzzling, and in our view erroneous, about ISS's report is that it acknowledges many of the governance concerns that we have identified, yet then fails to consider them at all in reaching its lopsided recommendation. Most fundamentally, if TSR (News - Alert) is as paramount and decisive as implied by ISS's report then why do all of the leading institutional investors and ISS itself spend so much time talking and writing about corporate governance? If this campaign - which has been sharply fought and centered over corporate governance from the very beginning - can be dismissed simply by consulting the stock price, then what does that say? At a minimum, it would imply that shareholders should limit themselves to challenging underperforming companies rather than those that are governed poorly, no matter how egregiously so. If so, a large part of the corporate governance community, of which Voce proudly considers itself a member, would be nugatory. We disagree with such a narrow and cramped definition of corporate governance in the strongest possible terms. ISS's commentary acknowledged Argo's inflated expense structure, lack of adequate disclosure to investors, cherry-picking of metrics, misaligned executive compensation and the risks represented by the comingling of the CEO's self-promotion and the Company's marketing - yet apparently none of the following conclusions by ISS were sufficient to warrant the replacement of even a single legacy Director with one selected by shareholders:1 ' The dissident campaign has raised relevant questions , especially regarding executive compensation and perquisites, that have benefitted shareholders by refocusing the board's attention. To its credit, the dissident also recruited a slate of credible nominees seemingly well-suited to effect positive change ' , especially regarding executive compensation and perquisites, that have benefitted shareholders by refocusing the board's attention. To its credit, the dissident also ' 'Where Argo fails, relatively speaking, is that it spends more money to achieve poorer results . Argo has a relatively high expense ratio that is coupled with a relatively high loss ratio.' . Argo has a relatively high expense ratio that is coupled with a relatively high loss ratio.' 'Equally frustrating is when the Argo board is unnecessarily cherry-picking in an effort to make the company look better . Choosing to report a return on average equity metric that shows a 20.1 percent return in Q1, when the 2018 return on equity was a defensible 7.1 percent, is an easily spotted example of selective reporting. Similarly, emphasizing the 5-year gross written premium CAGR of 9.4 percent is fine, but citing an expense-free figure when the dissident is highlighting excessive expenses demonstrates an unfortunate lack of awareness .' . Choosing to report a return on average equity metric that shows a 20.1 percent return in Q1, when the 2018 return on equity was a defensible 7.1 percent, is an easily spotted example of selective reporting. Similarly, emphasizing the 5-year gross written premium CAGR of 9.4 percent is fine, but citing an expense-free figure when the dissident is highlighting excessive expenses demonstrates .' 'The company returns frequently to the phrase "best in class" to describe itself. And while it has shown in its operating metrics that it is a good performer, it's a stretch to describe Argo as best in class relative to its peer group .' .' ISS noted that 'there is room for improvement in regard to Argo's disclosures to shareholders.' 'For a business that requires constant risk-assessment, it's ironic that none of the directors saw the risk in a self-promoting CEO whose interests and hobbies were inextricably intertwined with Argo's marketing budget . Some degree of complacency, perhaps as a byproduct of the company's Bermuda domicile, may have played a role here.' Voce urges its fellow shareholders to vote on the BLUE proxy card FOR its highly-qualified nominees - Bernard C. Bailey, Charles H. Dangelo, Admiral Kathleen M. Dussault, Carol A. McFate and Nicholas C. Walsh - and FOR its proposals. For more information, investors can visit www.Argo-SOS.com." About Voce Capital Management LLC Voce Capital Management LLC is a fundamental value-oriented, research-driven investment adviser founded in 2011 by J. Daniel Plants. The San Francisco-based firm is 100% employee-owned. Additional Information and Where to Find It Voce Catalyst Partners LP, Voce Capital Management LLC, Voce Capital LLC, and J. Daniel Plants, (collectively, the "Participants") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC (News - Alert)") a definitive proxy statement and accompanying form of proxy on April 12, 2019 to be used in connection with the solicitation of proxies from the members of Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (the "Company"). All members of the Company are advised to read the definitive proxy statement and other documents related to the solicitation of proxies by the Participants when they become available, as they will contain important information, including additional information related to the Participants and information about the Participants' director nominees. The definitive proxy statement and an accompanying proxy card will be furnished to some or all of the Company's stockholders and are, along with other relevant documents, available at no charge on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov/. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements All statements contained in this press release that are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on future events are "forward-looking statements," which are not guarantees of future performance or results, and the words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "potential," "could," "opportunity," "estimate," "plan," and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. The projected results and statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are based on current expectations, speak only as of the date of this press release and involve risks that may cause the actual results to be materially different. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation as to future results. Voce disclaims any obligation to update the information herein and reserves the right to change any of its opinions expressed herein at any time as it deems appropriate. Voce has not sought or obtained consent from any third party to use any statements or information indicated herein as having been obtained or derived from statements made or published by third parties. ____________________________ 1 Permission to quote ISS was neither sought nor obtained. Emphasis added. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190512005045/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 12, 2019] Ryanair Surpasses New Safety Standards For Flight Tracking With GlobalBeacon HOUSTON, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FlightAware announced on May 13 that Ryanair, Europe's favourite low fares airline, will deploy GlobalBeacon , a live flight monitoring platform that combines FlightAware's data processing capabilities and web-interface with global flight tracking coverage from Aireon(SM). The Aireon network tracks aircraft via their ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) out antennas, which are mandated in many parts of the world including throughout Europe. This enables most airlines and aircraft operators to take advantage of GlobalBeacon without requiring additional equipment. All airlines operating in Europe are now required by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to track their aircraft at a frequency of one position every 15 minutes during normal operations. It is expected that by 2021, they will need to recive one position every minute if an aircraft is in distress. In the event of an incident, this will improve response efficiency by inherently confining the search and rescue radius to an area of 11 kilometers. The new EASA requirements are based on the Global Aeronautical Distress & Safety System (GADSS), which was created by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) largely in response to the loss of flights AF447 and MH370. GlobalBeacon far outperforms the current 15-minute requirement and proactively enables Ryanair to meet future expectations for flight tracking since it provides minute-by-minute position updates at all times. Ryanair's COO Peter Bellew said: "At Ryanair, the safety of our customers, crew and aircraft is our number one priority and this latest partnership adds to our already industry-leading safety record. Without installing any new equipment on our fleet, we are able to monitor our aircraft without gaps in coverage and will be immediately alerted if one of our aircraft is in distress. FlightAware has made this service extremely cost effective and easy to deploy." FlightAware's Founder & CEO, Daniel Baker said: "GlobalBeacon makes it straightforward and cost-effective for airlines to modernize their flight monitoring practices to comply with GADSS standards and recommended practices. As an industry leader and Europe's largest low-cost carrier, we're thrilled that Ryanair has joined airlines around the world in leveraging it to achieve improved passenger safety and operational awareness." About FlightAware About Ryanair SOURCE FlightAware [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 12, 2019] More Than 1,000 Enterprises Across the Globe Adopt Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform to Power Business Applications From energy to industrial, more organizations are using Red Hat OpenShift, a leading enterprise Kubernetes solution, to transform their industries BOSTON, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT), the world's leading provider of open source solutions, announced at the RED HAT SUMMIT that more than 1,000 customers are using Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform, solidifying Red Hat as a hybrid cloud and enterprise Kubernetes leader. This milestone comes as Red Hat announces the availability of Red Hat OpenShift 4 , the next generation of its trusted enterprise Kubernetes platform , to deliver cloud-like simplicity with full-stack automated operations across the hybrid cloud. 451 Research estimates the application container software market should grow to more than US$5.5 billion by 2023 with a compound annual growth rate of 28%.[1] As this technology space expands, a growing number of businesses have trusted Red Hat to support digital transformation efforts powered by containers and Kubernetes. In the past year, Red Hat OpenShift customers have nearly doubled. Red Hat OpenShift customers represent companies embracing containers and Kubernetes for their hybrid infrastructures. Red Hat OpenShift is powering customers across the world and across industries. Industries such as automotive, financial services, hospitality, insurance, logistics, retail, travel, telecommunications, government agencies and more rely on OpenShift as their Kubernetes platform. Customers like ANZ Bank , Banco Santander, Cathay Pacific , Copel Telecom, GE , Lufthansa Technik, Macquarie Bank, Miles and More GmbH , Paychex, Porsche Informatik, Sabre , Swisscom AG, Via Varejo, and X by Orange are among those embracing Red Hat OpenShift, including this year's Red Hat Innovation Awards winners BP, Deutsche Bank, Emirates NBD, HCA Healthcare and Kohl's. Nearly 50% of the top Fortune 100 companies are using Red Hat OpenShift[2]. Almost 30% of the top Fortune Global 500 companies use OpenShift, representing: 2 of the top 3 energy companies 2 of the top 3 hotel companies 2 of the top 3 telecommunications companies 3 of the top 5 aerospace companies 4 of the top 5 industrial companies 3 of the top 10 finance companies 4 of the top 10 retail companies 5 of the top 10 healthcare companies 5 of the top 10 transportation companies Digital transformation powered by enterprise Kubernetes across the hybrid cloud As more companies transform their businesses with new value-creating applications, Linux containers and Kubernetes have been core technologies in the multi-billion dollar market for cloud-native application platforms . Red Hat OpenShift has emerged as a leading open hybrid cloud platform to bring together these technologies, which enable and accelerate both enterprise developers and IT operations teams. Some recent examples of how leading enterprises are benefitting from enterprise Kubernetes from Red Hat include: L ufthansa Technik : Lufthansa Technik, one of the world's leading providers of maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for commercial airlines, created a digital platform to support digital products for its end users in development and operations -- helping them better predict events and, as a result, save time and money. The solution AVIATAR includes Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform, running on Microsoft Azure, to support the team's DevOps and continuous improvement approaches, as well as to build, deploy, run, and integrate new infrastructure components. Red Hat OpenShift Container Storage provides scalable storage for the platform and Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (JBoss EAP) provides a back-end for Lufthansa Technik's AVIATAR Java applications. : Lufthansa Technik, one of the world's leading providers of maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for commercial airlines, created a digital platform to support digital products for its end users in development and operations -- helping them better predict events and, as a result, save time and money. The solution AVIATAR includes Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform, running on Microsoft Azure, to support the team's DevOps and continuous improvement approaches, as well as to build, deploy, run, and integrate new infrastructure components. Red Hat OpenShift Container Storage provides scalable storage for the platform and Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (JBoss EAP) provides a back-end for Lufthansa Technik's AVIATAR Java applications. Macquarie Bank : To transform its digital banking infrastructure, Macquarie moved to a cloud-based solution using Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform. The company is using OpenShift to iteratively modernize legacy applications and deploy microservices in containers to streamline and automate their lifecycles. To transform its digital banking infrastructure, Macquarie moved to a cloud-based solution using Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform. The company is using OpenShift to iteratively modernize legacy applications and deploy microservices in containers to streamline and automate their lifecycles. Porsche Informatik GmbH : The automobile industry is undergoing one of the biggest transformations in its 100-plus year history. As a service provider, Porsche Informatik's answer to the digital transformation of a worldwide automotive trade network is agility by design. It is using Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform and Red Hat OpenShift Container Storage to orchestrate the end-customer applications and support a portable development process. With OpenShift, new applications that once took over a week are up and running after just a few hours. With help from its Red Hat-based solution, the team's goal is to reduce time-to-market by 90% -- from weeks to days. The automobile industry is undergoing one of the biggest transformations in its 100-plus year history. As a service provider, Porsche Informatik's answer to the digital transformation of a worldwide automotive trade network is agility by design. It is using Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform and Red Hat OpenShift Container Storage to orchestrate the end-customer applications and support a portable development process. With OpenShift, new applications that once took over a week are up and running after just a few hours. With help from its Red Hat-based solution, the team's goal is to reduce time-to-market by 90% -- from weeks to days. X by Orange : X By Orange, a subsidiary of Orange Spain focused on business-to-business (B2B) digital services, selected Red Hat as a core technology partner to help create its software-defined strategy. Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform helps it more quickly create and release new services and give it a "provider agnostic" Kubernetes platform on top of multicloud infrastructure. Red Hat OpenShift is a leading enterprise Kubernetes platform, with automated operations to manage hybrid cloud and multicloud deployments, optimized for developer productivity and frictionless innovation. Red Hat OpenShift runs on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the most deployed commercial Linux operating system in the public cloud. More than 90% of Fortune 500 companies trust Red Hat.[3] Supporting Quotes Ashesh Badani, senior vice president, Cloud Platforms, Red Hat "Red Hat has been leading the industry with enterprise-ready Kubernetes and Open Hybrid Cloud, making innovation accessible to global enterprises. Our investments in Kubernetes engineering and community leadership offer our customers confidence to unleash new application capabilities and digitally transform their business. With more than 1,000 customers embracing Red Hat OpenShift in only a few years, we see this as the first milestone in a much bigger transformation happening across every industry. We are optimistic about the future." Jay Lyman, principal analyst, Cloud Native and DevOps, 451 Research "Red Hat was among the first vendors to focus on enterprise use of containers and Kubernetes. Its OpenShift software, which continues to be a top Kubernetes product in the market, simplifies central administration of Kubernetes clusters, environments and users and automates the installation and update process. Red Hat's approach to enterprise Kubernetes is well-aligned with enterprise requirements, making Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform, with more than 1,000 customers, a leader in the enterprise Kubernetes market." Nilceu Romero Silva, CIO, Copel Telecom "Red Hat OpenShift gives us a flexible, automated Kubernetes platform to accelerate the delivery of applications. It facilitates the tracking of resources used and the costs related to each department. With Red Hat, we built a development and production environments that can handle even the most critical application, with higher availability and lower operational costs. Now, we currently plan to migrate 100% of our applications and have all new applications developed on Red Hat OpenShift." Dave Wilson, senior director of infrastructure and architecture, Paychex "Open source technology gives us the ability to deliver what our internal and external customers need in a way that differentiates us from our competitors. Our development teams using Red Hat OpenShift have, on average, three or four times more product deployments, equating to more features launching to our end users faster." Cristiano Dianese, manager, IT, Via Varejo "We manage two major Brazilian retailers, Casas Bahia and Pontofrio, with almost 1,000 stores and 50,000 employees. With this widely scaled business, Red Hat OpenShift helps us to drive scalability, resilience, visibility and agility." Additional Resources Connect with Red Hat [1] 451 Research Market Monitor , February 2019 [2] Red Hat client data and top Fortune Global 100 list, March 2019 [3] Red Hat client data and Fortune 500 list , June 2018 About Red Hat, Inc. Red Hat is the world's leading provider of enterprise open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to deliver reliable and high-performing Linux, hybrid cloud, container, and Kubernetes technologies. Red Hat helps customers integrate new and existing IT applications, develop cloud-native applications, standardize on our industry-leading operating system, and automate, secure, and manage complex environments. Award-winning support, training, and consulting services make Red Hat a trusted adviser to the Fortune 500 . As a strategic partner to cloud providers, system integrators, application vendors, customers, and open source communities, Red Hat can help organizations prepare for the digital future. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: risks related to our pending merger with International Business Machines Corporation, the ability of the Company to compete effectively; the ability to deliver and stimulate demand for new products and technological innovations on a timely basis; delays or reductions in information technology spending; the integration of acquisitions and the ability to market successfully acquired technologies and products; risks related to errors or defects in our offerings and third-party products upon which our offerings depend; risks related to the security of our offerings and other data security vulnerabilities; fluctuations in exchange rates; changes in and a dependence on key personnel; the effects of industry consolidation; uncertainty and adverse results in litigation and related settlements; the inability to adequately protect Company intellectual property and the potential for infringement or breach of license claims of or relating to third party intellectual property; the ability to meet financial and operational challenges encountered in our international operations; and ineffective management of, and control over, the Company's growth and international operations, as well as other factors contained in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K (copies of which may be accessed through the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov), including those found therein under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic and political conditions, governmental and public policy changes and the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could 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 Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Red Hat, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, JBoss 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. Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190510/2463112-1logo SOURCE Red Hat, Inc. [May 13, 2019] Arctech Solar Inks Supply Deal for Landmark 125MW Solar Power Plant in Oman SHANGHAI, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Arctech Solar, a leading solar tracking and racking system provider, announced that it will supply 125 megawatt (MW) solar trackers to a solar power plant in Oman, Middle East. Located in the southern city of Amin, the plant will be commissioned by the end of 2019 and will power Petroleum Development Oman's interior operations by using Arctech's SkySmart tracking system. The solar plant not only marks the first of its kind in Oman and the world's first utility-scale solar project with an oil and gas company as the sole wholesale buyer of electricity, but also being the single-largest tracking system project with bifacial modules in Middle East to date. "We are delighted to make an effort to this landmark solar project in Oman," said Mr. Guy Rong, President of Arctech Solar's international business. "To date, Arctech has already supplied almost 700MW of SkySmart trackers for projects across the globe, including in Spain, Mexico and Australia, which demonstrates our ability to scale and innovate with our customers in new markets massively. We will remain committed to providing efficient solar tracking and racking systems in support of the Middle East's rapid deelopment and potential for renewable energy." With its innovative structural design that effectively reduces module backside standing and its efficient factory pre-assembly, Arctech's SkySmart tracking system will be deployed on the project to offer higher energy output, while also reducing the labor cost associated with field installation. The plant will be Arctech's second project in the Middle East, following a solar power plant project in Saudi Arabia, and is part of the manufacturer's ongoing internationalization strategy. The deal comes off the back of Arctech's ranking fourth globally for market share among solar PV tracker suppliers, according to the Global Solar PV Tracker Market Shares and Shipment Trends Report 2019, released by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables. In addition to supplying trackers for the plant, Arctech will continue to accelerate its global presence in 2019 and beyond through increased trade show participation, as part of the company's dedication to bringing clean energy to the world. Arctech Solar is constantly moving higher with the rise in the technological innovation and new technology application, except the above-mentioned SkySmart tracking system, Skyline tracking system is another competitive product of Arctech's sky series solar tracking and racking systems. In the coming Intersolar Europe exhibition 2019, Skyline will be exhibiting at booth A2-660 from 15 to 17 May. We sincerely invite you to visit our booth! About Arctech Solar Arctech Solar is one of the world's leading manufacturers and solution providers of solar tracking and racking systems. In the past decade, Arctech Solar has successfully set up overseas subsidiaries/service centers in the US, India, Japan, Spain, Mexico, Australia and UAE. As of the end of 2018, Arctech has cumulatively installed approximately 19GW capacity and completed 900 projects in 24 countries, and is now recognized as a reliable partner in the global PV tracking and racking industry. For more information, please visit www.arctechsolar.com For media enquiries, please contact: Lisa Zhou Telephone: +86-18918888669 Email Address: [email protected] SOURCE Arctech Solar [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Mark Gillespie Joins Clearwater to Lead Operations in Europe Clearwater Analytics announced today that Mark Gillespie has joined the firm as Director of Europe Operations to lead the company's continued operational expansion in Europe. Clearwater empowers investment professionals worldwide with collaborative client servicing paired with its leading SaaS (News - Alert) solution for investment portfolio data management, reconciliation, accounting, and reporting services. Since its founding in 2004, the company has remained committed to two primary goals: delivering long-term client success, and building and growing an outstanding team of colleagues dedicated to this mission. Mark comes to Clearwater with 24 years of experience in global financial institutions. Previously, Mark was Citibank's Site Head and Operations Director for Fund Administration Services in Edinburgh. Prior to Citibank, Mark was an Executive Director at J.P. Morgan, for Fund Accounting Operations. "I am excited to join Clearwater as we find new ways to provide clients with a top-level solution, which includes excellent servicing," said Mark. "I chose Clearwater for the personal approach they take to working with their clients. With the momentum achieved in the past couple of years, Clearwater has much potential in the European market and I look forward to being a part of that growth." Extensive market knowledge, and a proven track record of supporting customers both large and small, make Mark a perfect fit for Clearwater, which is expanding its European operations to better service its expanding global clientele. In 2018, Clearwater added more than $540 billion in new assets to the platform from Europe alone. Clearwater presently srves more than 60 insurance, investment management, and corporate treasury clients across 13 countries in Europe. Mark will oversee the daily operations for Clearwater's Europe-based development, client servicing, product, and other personnel. He will also continue to build the team in Edinburgh, which has grown considerably over the past 12 months and will have over 100 people by the end of this year. He will also add to the team of specialists based in Clearwater's London office. "Clearwater has always been dedicated to exceeding its clients' expectations, and I am confident Mark will build on that tradition as Director of Europe Operations," said Clearwater Chief Executive Officer Sandeep Sahai. "Mark will be integral as we expand our daily operations in Europe." About Clearwater Analytics Clearwater Analytics is a global SaaS solution for automated investment data aggregation, reconciliation, accounting, and reporting. Clearwater helps thousands of organisations make the most of their investment portfolio data with a world-class product and client-centric servicing. Clearwater offers a full complement of middle- and back-office solutions like trade confirm/affirm, client billing, composite management, client statements, and more. Each day, the Clearwater solution reports on more than $3 trillion in assets for clients that include AIG, Arch Capital, AXA Art Insurance, Catalina Holdings, Cisco, Facebook, FBD Insurance, Fidea Verzekeringen, Garmin, J.P. Morgan, London & Capital, Oracle (News - Alert), Starbucks, Spotify, Unum Group, and many others. Since its founding in 2004, Clearwater has provided a cloud-native solution that helps investors make the most of their data. Investment professionals in more than 25 countries trust Clearwater to deliver timely, validated investment data and in-depth reporting. Additional information about Clearwater can be found at www.clearwater-analytics.com | LinkedIn (News - Alert): https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearwater-analytics/ | Twitter (News - Alert): @cwanalytics View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005059/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] The Data Centre Industry Moves Into a New Phase of Heavy Investment Says BroadGroup Ahead of Finvest Summit LONDON and MONACO, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Billions of dollars are being invested in Data Centres on a monthly basis, attracting a larger and more diverse set of investors. Global investors, financiers and analysts will meet this year at the Finvest Summit in Monaco to assess market outlook and sentiment for the vibrant data centre, cloud and Edge sector. ( http://www.datacloudcongress.com/finvest ) The Finvest Summit is presented by BroadGroup's Data Economy, the leading international technology business news and opinion website, magazine and broadcaster and will take place on 5th June 2019 to run alongside the annual Datacloud Global Congress in Monaco. Joao Marques Lima, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Data Economy said, "Over $10 billion have already been disclosed, as having been spent on M&A business and facility acquisitions, possibly driving 2019 to break all M&A records in the data center space. Finvest uniquely offers for the first time a global forum for inestors to debate the risk and rewards in this rapidly expanding sector." With the heritage of a decade of producing the finance and investment forum, the inaugural summit is the first time global executives in financial, legal, real estate and professional advisory firms have met globally with a stellar academy of expert speakers to assess the risks and rewards in the rapidly expanding IT infrastructure sector. Speakers include investors, private equity, hedge funds, pension funds, property specialists and bankers, as well as the IT infrastructure leadership of data centre businesses. Some of the speakers include: Avner Papouchado , CEO, ServerFarm , CEO, ServerFarm Eric Crabtree , Chief Investment Officer, IFC , Chief Investment Officer, IFC Fernando Chueca , mD, Carlyle Europe Technology Partners , mD, Carlyle Europe Technology Partners Guy Willner , Founder and CEO, IXcellerate , Founder and CEO, IXcellerate Hossein Fateh , Chairman & CEO, CloudHQ , Chairman & CEO, CloudHQ Isaac Vaz , Director Infrastructure Equity, Aviva Investors , Director Infrastructure Equity, Aviva Investors Jeffrey Ferry , Director, Goldman Sachs , Director, Goldman Sachs Jeffrey Krogh , Managing Director, BNP Paribas , Managing Director, BNP Paribas Jonathan Schildkraut , EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, CyrusOne , EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, CyrusOne Kemal Hawa , Partner & Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP , Partner & Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP Lance Crosby , CEO, Stackpath , CEO, Stackpath Madonna Park , Managing Director, RBC Capital Markets , Managing Director, RBC Capital Markets Marit Salte , CFO, Smedvig Family Office , CFO, Smedvig Family Office Matthew Dent , CCO, Global Switch , CCO, Global Switch Michael Tobin OBE, Industry Entrepeneur Peter Marin , CEO, T5 Data Centers , CEO, T5 Data Centers Pierre Pozzo , Principal, Permira , Principal, Permira Randy Brouckman , CEO, EdgeConneX , CEO, EdgeConneX Rupert Robson , CEO, Torch Partners , CEO, Torch Partners Zachary Smith , CEO, Packet Data Economy will also announce the first ever Finvest accolades at the Datacloud Awards on the evening of 4th June. Contact: Julia Vockrodt +44(0)203-282-7144 [email protected] [May 13, 2019] uBUCK Signs LOI With Datable to Integrate Loyalty Program Into uBUCK Pay and Flexible Cash Card Into Datable's Rewards Offerings VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LiteLink Technologies Inc. (CSE:LLT) (OTC:LLNKF) (LiteLink), a leader in digital logistics and payment solutions, has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary uBUCK Technologies SEZC (uBUCK) has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Datable Technology Corp. (TSXV:DAC) (OTC:TTMZF) (Datable) to enter into a strategic commercial relationship. Under the terms of the LOI, uBUCK will integrate PLATFORM, Datables loyalty and rewards program into uBUCKs digital payments platform. This would allow account holders of uBUCK Pay who can now make online payments and send worldwide payment transfers within seconds without paying for transfer fees to also earn rewards for purchases and payments made within the uBUCK Pay digital wallet or on their uBUCK Mastercard. uBUCK and Datable will share transaction fee revenue from the convenience fees charged for uBUCK pin vouchers and debit card transactions. Datables customers are leading consumer brands that use PLATFORM to reward consumers for purchasing, viewing content, sharing content via social media, referring friends and completing surveys. The terms of the LOI also stipulates that the uBUCK prepaid credit card will be featured as a reward for consumers to purchase with their points on Datables clients portals. We believe that Datable is the #1 Rewards platform on the market. They continue to sign up well-known brands and were excited to be a part of their cash card offerings, says James Youn, CEO of uBUCK. Mr. Youn also commented, The uBUCK Pay platform will see immediate growth. Datables referrals will allow uBUCK to potentially gain access to millions of new users. Datable provides consumers of Fortune 500 brands with access to over 300 digital gift cards from leading retailers including Starbucks, Walmart, and Target. The partnership with uBUCK provides Datable with a unique and flexible cash card offering that our brand customers are looking to provide to consumers as rewards for engagement, says Robert Craig, CEO of Datable Technology. Mr. Craig added, We have proven that PLATFORM delivers value to leading consumer brands and consumers, the uBUCK partnership is a new source of transaction-based revenues for Datable. In 2019, Datable is launching new products and applicaions leveraging the opt-in personally identifiable information that for PLATFORM technology collects to generate new transaction-based revenues. The terms of the agreement will also give Datables data management platform access to non-identifiable user purchase history data to offer uBUCK Pay users coupons and discounts for their most popular and similar purchases. About uBUCK Technologies SEZC Based in Georgetown, Cayman Islands, uBUCK Tech is a fintech enterprise that specializes in decentralized digital payments and wallets. uBUCK Pay, its online payments platform and pin voucher solution, offers consumers, businesses and merchants a fast, commission-free and highly secure alternative to traditional payments. Customers can purchase pin vouchers within the uBUCK Pay app or at participating resellers. For details about uBUCK Pay, please visit uBUCKpay.com. About LiteLink Technologies Inc. LiteLink is a major player in developing world-class enterprise platforms that utilize artificial intelligence, blockchain, and predictive analytics to solve fragmented and outdated technology problems in the logistics and digital payment industries. Our flagship 1SHIFT logistics platform offers real-time transparency and tracking which allows brokers, shippers, and carriers to track shipments and settle payments in real-time. uBUCK Pay is a multi-currency digital wallet that supports traditional fiat and digital currencies. Consumers are able to make online and offline purchases using the uBUCK debit card and send funds worldwide for free. For more information about LiteLink Technologies Inc., please visit litelinktech.com. If you would like to know more about the 1SHIFT logistics platform, please visit 1shiftlogistics.com. About Datable Technology Corp. DTC has developed a proprietary, mobile-based consumer marketing platform PLATFORM that is sold to global Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies and consumer brands. PLATFORM is delivered as a subscription service (Software as a Service model) and used by CPG companies to engage consumers, reward purchases and collect valuable consumer data. PLATFORM incorporates Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to monetize the consumer data, including demographics and purchasing behaviour, by sending consumers targeted offers by email and text messages. For more information, visit datablecorp.com. For further information, contact Bronson Peever at 833-205-6945 ext. 3742 or [email protected]. Forward-Looking Statement This news release may contain certain Forward-Looking Statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, target, plan, forecast, may, schedule and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to the nature of the business of LiteLink, and other factors or information. Such statements represent LiteLinks current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimate that, while considered reasonable by LiteLink, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. LiteLink does not intend and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules, and regulations. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] McDermott Awarded Polypropylene Technology Contract in India HOUSTON, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE: MDR) today announced that it has been awarded a sizeable* technology contract by Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), a group company of IndianOil, for the license, basic engineering design and proprietary catalyst supply for a 475 KTA (Kilo Tons per Annum) polypropylene plant in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India. The plant will use Lummus' proprietary Novolen reactors and proprietary NHP catalyst and will have the capability to produce a full range of leading polypropylene products for the Indian and regional markets "This license award is our fourth recent polypropylene technology award in India, and places Novolen technology number one for licensed polypropylene capacity in India, with a total capacity of 3,100 kilo tons per annum," said Leon de Bruyn, Senior Vice President of McDermott's Lummus Technology business. "The unique compactness of the Novolen reactor technology and resulting efficiencies in capital investment and operating costs allow our clients to be more competitive in the global polypropylene markets." McDermott's Lummus Technology is a leading licensor of proprietary petrochemicals, refining, gasification and gas processing technologies, and a supplier of proprietary catalysts and related engineering. With a heritage spanning more than 100 years, encompassing approximately 3,100 patents and patent applications, Lummus Technology provides one of the industry's most diversified technology portfolios to the hydrocarbon processing sector. This award was reflected in McDermott's first quarter 2019 backlog. *McDermott defines a sizeable contract as between USD $1 million and USD $50 million. About McDermott McDermott is a premier, fully integrated provider of technology, engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. For more than a century, customers have trusted McDermott to design and build end-to-end infrastructure and technology solutions to transport and transform oil and gas into the products the world needs today. Our proprietry technologies, integrated expertise and comprehensive solutions deliver certainty, innovation and added value to energy projects around the world. Customers rely on McDermott to deliver certainty to the most complex projects, from concept to commissioning. It is called the "One McDermott Way." Operating in over 54 countries, McDermott's locally focused and globally-integrated resources include approximately 32,000 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and fabrication facilities around the world. To learn more, visit www.mcdermott.com. Forward-Looking Statements In accordance with the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, McDermott cautions that statements in this press release which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties that may impact McDermott's actual results of operations. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about backlog, to the extent backlog may be viewed as an indicator of future revenues or profitability, and the expected value and scope of the award discussed in this press release. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit markets, our inability to successfully execute on contracts in backlog, changes in project design or schedules, the availability of qualified personnel, changes in the terms, scope or timing of contracts, contract cancellations, change orders and other modifications and actions by our customers and other business counterparties, changes in industry norms and adverse outcomes in legal or other dispute resolution proceedings. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. For a more complete discussion of these and other risk factors, please see McDermott's annual and quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. This press release reflects management's views as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Contacts: Investor Relations Scott Lamb Vice President, Investor Relations +1 832 513 1068 [email protected] Global Media Relations Gentry Brann Senior Vice President, Communications, Marketing and Adminsitration +1 281 870 5269 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mcdermott-awarded-polypropylene-technology-contract-in-india-300848585.html SOURCE McDermott International, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Acerus Reports First Quarter 2019 Financial Results Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation ("Acerus" or the "Company") (TSX:ASP; OTCQB:ASPCF) today reported its financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019 ("Q1-2019). Unless otherwise noted, all amounts are in US dollars and are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). Q1-2019 Highlights Total revenues in Q1-2019 of $2.2 million, an increase of $0.5 million or 33% compared to the first quarter of 2018 ("Q1-2018"). Natesto revenue growth to $1.4 million representing increased sales traction in both Canadian and U.S. markets. revenue growth to $1.4 million representing increased sales traction in both Canadian and U.S. markets. Filing of New Drug Submission ("NDS (News - Alert)") for avanafil with Health Canada. with Health Canada. C$4.5 million private placement in quarter to strengthen balance sheet. "We continue to see positive growth in the Natesto business as we and our US partner, Aytu Bioscience, expand our programs to reach more US and Canadian physicians and patients", said Ed Gudaitis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Acerus. "At the same time, we look forward to being able to leverage our existing Men's Health sales force in Canada to effectively launch avanafil once it is approved by Health Canada." Summary of Results for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 (compared to the Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 unless otherwise noted) Total Q1-2019 revenue was $2.2 million compared with $1.6 million of revenue in Q1-2018. Revenue comprised the following products: A $0.7 million increase in Natesto revenue to $1.4 million reflecting both increased Canadian and US Natesto revenues as well as a one-time top-up of Tier 2 revenue on Natesto units held in inventory by our US partner Aytu Bioscience; revenue to $1.4 million reflecting both increased Canadian and US Natesto revenues as well as a one-time top-up of Tier 2 revenue on Natesto units held in inventory by our US partner Aytu Bioscience; A $0.3 million decline in Estrace revenue to $0.6 million reflecting the impact of the anticipated shortage and the resulting allocation of product to preserve availability (see Estrace update below); and revenue to $0.6 million reflecting the impact of the anticipated shortage and the resulting allocation of product to preserve availability (see Estrace update below); and Urivarx revenues in Q1-2019 of $0.2 million compared with less than $0.1 million in Q1-2018 reflecting the fact that Urivarx was first introduced in Q1-2018. Q1-2019 gross margin was $1.5 million compared with negative $1.8 million in Q1-2018. The prior year quarter reflecting a $2.4 million royalty buyout charge for the nasal gel dispenser technology. When comparing direct cost of sales, the prior year quarter's gross margin was $0.6 million. The improved gross margin reflects the Tier 2 revenue on Natesto US shipments as non-inventory revenue has no cost of sales associated with such product. Research and development ("R&D") expenses increased by $0.6 million to $1.0 million for the current quarter compared to Q1-2018 reflecting a $0.3 million accrual for the filing fee to Health Canada for the avanafil New Drug Submission and increased clinical trial costs for Natesto, principally in the US. Selling, general and administrative expenses ("SG&A") increased by $2.5 million to $4.2 million in the first quarter of 2019. This increase in expenses is principally due to a non-cash impairment charge of $2.5 million on the value of the Estrace intangible asset. This charge reflects management's estimate of the impact of the potential shortage of Estrace on the carrying value of the underlying asset (see additional discussion below). Q1-2019 Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA")1 was a loss of $3.3 million compared to a loss of $3.8 million for the prior year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA1, was a loss of $0.8 million for the quarter compared to a loss of $1.0 million for the prior year period. The Company incurred a net loss of $4.4 million or $(0.02) per share for the quarter compared to a loss of $4.5 million or $(0.02) per share for the first quarter of 2018. Cash as of March 31, 2019 was $5.0 million compared with $3.8 million on December 31, 2018, reflecting a C$4.5 million private placement that closed in March of 2019. ESTRACE UPDATE On January 11, 2019, the Company announced that it had reported an anticipated shortage of certain dosages of Estrace on the Drug Shortages Canada website in relation to supply issues arising from the GMP compliance issues at the Company's contract manufacturer. The Company had met with the contract manufacturer as well as health authorities in Canada and the UK regarding the anticipated restart of Estrace production. At that time, the manufacturer expected to be in a position to deliver Estrace to Acerus by September 2019. As a result of the possible shortage and the potential impact on the future revenue stream of Estrace, the Company recorded a $2.6 million non-cash impairment charge against the carrying value of the Estrace intangible asset in Q4 of 2018. The manufacturer has now revised their anticipated next delivery date to the end of 2019. In addition, the Company was advised by Health Canada that the contract manufacturer should be removed from the Company's Drug Establishment License, requiring a resubmission for ultimate approval. Accordingly, it does not appear that the Company will receive a shipment of Estrace until mid-2020. As a result, the Company recorded a further $2.5 million non-cash impairment charge in Q1 of 2019. The Company is currently looking at various strategies to accelerate delivery timelines, one of which includes contracting with an alternative manufacturer. A potential manufacturer has been identified and the Company is working towards a final agreement. Conference Call Shareholders are reminded that the conference call to discuss the Company's results for the three months ended March 31, 2019 will be held on Monday, May 13, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. To access the call live, please dial 647-484-0475 or 1-888-882-4478. Listeners are encouraged to dial in 10 minutes before the call begins to avoid delays. A replay of the conference call will be available until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 by dialing 905-694-9451 or 1-800-408-3053, using access code: 7327615#. About Acerus Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation is a Canadian-based specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization and development of innovative, branded products, with a primary focus in the fields of urology (men's health) and andrology. The Company commercializes its products via its own salesforce in Canada, and through a global network of licensed distributors in the U.S. and other territories. Acerus' shares trade on TSX under the symbol ASP and on OTCQB under the symbol ASPCF . For more information, visit www.aceruspharma.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. 1 Non-IFRS Financial Measures - EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA The non-IFRS measures included in this press release are not recognized measures under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. When used, these measures are defined in such terms as to allow the reconciliation to the closest IFRS measure. These measures are provided as additional information to complement those IFRS measures by providing further understanding of our results of operations from our perspective. Accordingly, they should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for analysis of our financial information reported under IFRS. Despite the importance of these measures to management in goal setting and performance measurement, we stress that these are non-IFRS measures that may have limits in their usefulness to investors. We use non-IFRS measures, such as EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to provide investors with a supplemental measure of our operating performance and thus highlight trends in our core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS financial measures. We also believe that securities analysts, investors and other interested parties frequently use non-IFRS measures in the valuation of issuers. We also use non-IFRS measures in order to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period, prepare annual operating budgets, and to assess our ability to meet our future debt service, capital expenditure and working capital requirements. The definition and reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA used and presented by the Company to the most directly comparable IFRS measures follows below: EBITDA is defined as net (loss)/income adjusted for income tax, depreciation of property and equipment, amortization of intangible assets, interest on long-term debt and other financing costs, interest income, licensing revenue and changes in fair values of derivative financial instruments. Management uses EBITDA to assess the Company's operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA adjusted for, as applicable, royalty expenses associated with triggering events, milestones, share based compensation, impairment of intangible asset, foreign exchange (gain)/loss and gain on extinguishment of payables. We use Adjusted EBITDA as a key metric in assessing our business performance when we compare results to budgets, forecasts and prior years. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA is an alternative measure of cash flow generation than, for example, cash flow from operations, particularly because it removes cash flow fluctuations caused by extraordinary changes in working capital. A reconciliation of net (loss)/income to EBITDA (and Adjusted EBITDA) is set out below. For the three months ended March 31, 2019 2018 Net (loss) $ (4,431) $ (4,454) Adjustments: Amortization of intangible assets 289 425 Depreciation of property and equipment 64 65 Depreciation of right of use asset 12 - Interest on long-term debt and other financing costs 647 191 Interest income (1) (5) Change in fair value of derivative 132 (39) EBITDA $ (3,288) $ (3,817) Royalty expense/Buyout - 2,414 Share based compensation 80 141 Foreign exchange loss/(gain) (90) 235 Impairment loss on intangible asset 2,471 - Adjusted EBITDA $ (827) $ (1,027) Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Information in this press release that is not current or historical factual information may constitute forward looking information within the meaning of securities laws. Implicit in this information are assumptions regarding our future operational results. These assumptions, although considered reasonable by the Company at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect. Readers are cautioned that actual performance of the Company is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including with respect to the ability of Acerus to obtain regulatory approval for Avanafil, Lidbree, Elegant and Gynoflor, to continue to successfully commercialize Natesto, UriVarx and Estrace, and to be successful in its early stage R&D initiatives (including its cannabinoid initiative), and could differ materially from what is currently expected as set out above. For more exhaustive information on these risks and uncertainties you should refer to our annual information form ("AIF") dated March 4, 2019 which is available at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking information contained in this press release is based on our current estimates, expectations and projections, which we believe are reasonable as of the current date. You should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While we may elect to, we are under no obligation and do not undertake to update this information at any particular time, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities law. Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation Condensed Interim Consolidated Statement of Financial Position As at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 Unaudited (expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 ASSETS Current assets Cash $ 4,991 $ 3,829 Trade and other receivables 1,097 1,113 Contract asset 694 - Inventory 2,296 2,506 Prepaid and other assets 248 176 Total current assets 9,326 7,624 Property and equipment, net 1,219 1,267 Right of use asset 291 - Intangible assets, net 5,397 7,933 Total assets $ 16,233 $ 16,824 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT) Current liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 7,926 $ 5,619 Current portion of deferred lease inducement - 46 Current portion of lease liability 83 - Total current liabilities 8,009 5,665 Accrued liabilities - 2,462 Deferred lease inducement - 254 Lease liability 570 - Long-term debt 8,369 8,287 Derivative financial instruments 364 227 Total liabilities 17,312 16,895 Shareholders' equity (deficit) Share capital $ 158,083 $ 154,737 Warrants 1,420 1,420 Contributed surplus 11,580 11,500 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (13,795) (13,851) Deficit (158,367) (153,877) Total shareholders' equity (deficit) (1,079) (71) Total liabilities & shareholders' equity (deficit) $ 16,233 $ 16,824 Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation Condensed Interim Consolidated Statement of Loss and Comprehensive Loss For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 Unaudited (expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share and share data) March 31, March 31, 2019 2018 Revenue Product revenue $ 2,165 $ 1,624 2,165 1,624 Cost of goods sold 632 1,027 Royalty buyout - 2,414 Gross margin 1,533 (1,817) Expenses Research and development 1,038 472 Selling, general and administrative 4,238 1,783 Total operating expenses 5,276 2,255 Operating loss (3,743) (4,072) Other expenses/(income) Interest on long-term debt and other financing costs 647 191 Interest income (1) (5) Foreign exchange (gain)/loss (90) 235 Change in fair value of derivative financial instruments 132 (39) Total other expenses 688 382 Net loss for the period $ (4,431) $ (4,454) Other comprehensive income, net of income tax Foreign currency translation adjustment 56 90 Total comprehensive loss for the period $ (4,375) $ (4,364) Loss per common share Basic and diluted net loss per common share $ (0.02) $ (0.02) Weighted average common shares outstanding Basic 235,900,501 213,125,705 Diluted 235,900,501 213,125,705 Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation Condensed Interim Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 Unaudited (expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars) March 31, 2019 March 31, 2018 Operating activities: Net loss for the period $ (4,431) $ (4,454) Items not affecting cash: Adjustment for unrealized foreign exchange (loss)/gain (134) 214 Amortization of intangible assets 289 425 Depreciation of property and equipment 64 65 Depreciation of right of use asset 12 - Amortization of deferred leasehold inducement - (12) Interest on long-term debt and other financing costs 647 191 Change in fair value of derivative financial instruments 132 (39) Share based compensation 80 141 Impairment on intangible asset 2,471 - Net changes in non-cash working capital items related to operating activities: Trade and other receivables 40 263 Contract asset (694) - Inventory 229 (25) Prepaids and other assets (67) 81 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (436) 2,582 Licensing fee receivable - 300 Net cash used in operating activities (1,798) (268) Financing activities Interest and financing fees paid (336) (148) Proceeds from issuance of common shares, net of financing costs 3,346 - Proceeds from exercise of stock options - 6 Principal elements of lease payments (20) - Net cash from/(used in) financing activities 2,990 (142) Investing activities Acquisition of property and equipment, net of deposits (4) (53) Acquisition of product rights (100) (79) Net cash used in investing activities (104) (132) Net increase/(decrease) in cash for the period 1,088 (542) Exchange gain/(loss) on cash 74 (66) Cash, beginning of period 3,829 3,156 Cash, end of period $ 4,991 $ 2,548 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005173/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Intema Appoints New President and Chief Executive Officer Intema Solutions Inc. ("Intema" or the "Corporation") (TSXV:ITM.H, OTCMKTS:ITMZF) is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors has appointed Laurent Benezra, CIM, CBE, as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, effective immediately. Roger Plourde, Intema's outgoing President and Chief Executive Officer, will remain with Intema as Executive Chairman of the Board. "I am pleased to welcome Laurent to his new position as President and Chief Executive Officer," said Roger Plourde, Executive Chairman of Intema's Board of Directors. "Laurent has demonstrated to us in a short time in his role as Executive Vice President that he has the expertise and qualities to lead Intema into its next expansion phase. He has extensive experience in business development and has built a solid network in the financial, blockchain and artificial intelligence sectors, which will contribute to Intema's growth." "I am proud and grateful for this opportunity and for the confidence expressed by the Intema Board," said Laurent Benezra, President and CEO of Intema. "My role at Intema will be to continue to grow this company, which is based on solid technological foundations and a first-class customer base. Our goal as a leading-edge company will be to showcase our value-added eflyermaker.com email marketing, matcheranalytics.com AI predictive marketing and SMS marketing produts and services to further expand our business nationally and internationally. In the short term, with the recent financing and our new cost structure, we will aim to make our operations profitable, while focusing on sales growth." Laurent Benezra is passionate about business development and the latest technologies. He has over 16 years of experience in the financial sector with major Canadian brokerage firms and banks. Prior to joining Intema as Executive Vice-President, he worked at Manulife Securities, BMO Nesbitt Burns, Scotiabank and TD Waterhouse, specifically in wealth management, securities trading and banking services. Mr. Benezra is also a chartered investment manager and a certified blockchain expert. About Intema Solutions Inc. Intema's mission is to be the world's premier digital marketing platform. The Corporation has been simplifying and optimizing the online marketing activities of medium and large companies through innovative technologies and cutting-edge expertise for over 20 years. A Canadian leader in permission-based email marketing, Intema provides a wide range of products and services including AI predictive marketing, SMS marketing as well as related professional services. For more information, please visit our corporate website at intema.com and our product websites eflyermaker.com and matcheranalytics.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined on policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005187/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Maxar Technologies Adopts Tax Benefit Preservation Plan for Net Operating Losses Maxar Technologies Inc. (NYSE: MAXR) (TSX: MAXR) announced today that its Board of Directors has adopted a tax benefit preservation plan to help preserve the value of its net operating losses and other tax attributes. As of December 31, 2018, Maxar had estimated its cumulative U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards and federal R&D tax credit carryforwards to be approximately $890 million and $77 million, respectively, which can be utilized in certain circumstances to reduce future U.S. corporate income tax liabilities. The tax benefit preservation plan was adopted to protect an important Maxar asset that may have meaningful value to all Maxar stockholders. These tax benefits can include the offset of tax liability arising from future taxable earnings or gains. The value of these tax benefits would be substantially limited if Maxar were to experience an "ownership change" as defined under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. In general, an ownership change would occur if stockholders that own (or are deemed to own) at least five percent or more of the outstanding Maxar common stock increased their cumulative ownership in Maxar by more than 50 percentage points over their lowest ownership percentage within a rolling three-year period. The tax benefit preservation plan reduces the likelihood that changes in the Maxar investor base would limit future use of its tax benefits, which would significantly impair the value of the benefits to all stockholders. Maxar believes that no ownership change as defined in Section 382 has occurred as of the date of this press release. The Board of Directors adopted the tax benefit preservation plan after considering, among other matters, the estimated value of the tax benefits, the potential for diminution upon an ownership change and the risk of an ownership change occurring. As part of the plan, the Maxar Board of Directors declared a dividend of one preferred stock purchase right, which are referred to as "rights," for each outstanding share of Maxar common stock. The dividend will be payable to holders of record as of the close of business on May 28, 2019. Any shares of Maxar common stock issued after the record date will be issued together with the rights. The rights will be exercisable if a person or group, without the approval of the Maxar Board, acquires, or obtains the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 4.9 percent or more of Maxar common stock. The rights also will be exercisable if a person or group that already beneficially owns 4.9 percent or more of the Maxar common stock, without Board approval, acquires additional shares (other than as a result of a dividend or a stock split). Existing Maxar stockholders that, as of May 13, 2019 beneficially own in excess of 4.9 percent of the common stock will be "grandfathered in" at their current ownership level. If the rights become exercisable, all holders of rights, other than the person or group triggering the rights, will be entitled to purchase Maxar common stock at a 50 percent discount. Rights held by the person or group triggering the rights will become void and will not be exercisable. Beneficial ownership of shares is calculated under the plan in accordance with the applicable rules of Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. The calculations are complex, and stockholders should contact Maxar if they have any questions regarding their ownership. The Board of Directors has established procedures by which it will consider requests by stockholders to exempt certain acquisitions of Maxar common stock from the plan if the Board determines that doing so would not limit or impair the availability of the tax benefits or is otherwise in the best interests of Maxar. The Company anticipates holding a special meeting of the stockholders to approve the plan. The rights will expire on November 13, 2019, unless Maxar stockholders approve the plan prior to that date, in which case the rights will expire on October 5, 2020, three years from the date a significant number of Maxar shares were issued in the DigitalGlobe (News - Alert) acquisition. The rights may also expire on an earlier date upon the occurrence of certain events, including a determination by the Board that the plan is no longer needed to preserve the tax benefits because of legislative changes or if the Board determines that the tax benefits have been fully used or are no longer available under Section 382 or that an ownership change would not materially impair or limit the tax benefits. Once the tax attributes have been fully used, the Board of Directors intends to terminate the plan. The rights may also be redeemed, exchanged or terminated prior to their expiration. The distribution of the rights is not taxable to stockholders. The rights will initially trade together with Maxar common stock and the Maxar Board may terminate the plan or redeem the rights prior to the time the rights are triggered. Further details about the plan will be contained in a Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulators by Maxar. The tax benefit preservation plan is subject to the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. Please refer to the investor section of the company's website, http://investor.maxar.com/investor-resources/faqs/default.aspx, for more information and answers to frequently asked questions. About Maxar Technologies As a global leader of advanced space technology solutions, Maxar is at the nexus of the new space economy, developing and sustaining the infrastructure and delivering the information, services and systems that unlock the promise of space for commercial and government markets. The operations of DigitalGlobe, SSL and Radiant Solutions were unified under the Maxar brand in February; MDA (News - Alert) continues to operate as an independent business unit within the Maxar organization. As a trusted partner with 5,900 employees in over 30 global locations, Maxar provides vertically integrated capabilities and expertise including satellites, Earth imagery, robotics, geospatial data and analytics to help customers anticipate and address their most complex mission-critical challenges with confidence. Every day, billions of people rely on Maxar to communicate, share information and data, and deliver insights that Build a Better World. Maxar trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange as MAXR. For more information, visit www.maxar.com. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements and other information included in this release constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. Statements including words such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "plan", "potential", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate" or "expect" and other words, terms and phrases of similar meaning are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, as well as other statements referring to or including forward-looking information included in this presentation. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this presentation. As a result, although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. The risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the risk factors and other disclosures about the Company and its business included in the Company's continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with U.S. securities and Canadian regulatory authorities, which are available online under the Company's EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov, under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com or on the Company's website at www.maxar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. All such forward-looking statements are based upon data available as of the date of this presentation or other specified date and speak only as of such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this presentation as a result of new information or future events, except as may be required under applicable securities legislation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005220/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Kraig Biocraft Laboratories to be Featured in Upcoming Documentary Series on Combating Terrorism Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) ("Company"), the leading developer of spider silk based fibers, announces today that its recombinant spider silk technology will be featured in a documentary focused on combating terrorism. The Company opened the doors of its R&D headquarters, for the first time to the media, to host a French documentary film crew and provided them with access to the process of creating its incredible spider silk technologies. Tougher and more flexible than competing materials, spider silk offers the promise of increased protection, comfort, and mobility in protective textile applications. In addition to this documentary, the Company has been covered by numerous media outlets, including the following T.EVO, Textile Evolution, article; https://www.tevonews.com/fibres-yarns-news/2026-polartec-figureheads-discuss-kraig-labs-silkworm-solution. "Our team is incredibly proud of the work we do here and the impact that our Company is already making in these important markets," said COO Jon Rice. "It was a pleasure to be able to share the results of our efforts and to showcase this amazing technology, along with its potentil to disrupt the protective textile and related markets." The series is planned to air in the fall of 2019. Although the footage was shot at Kraig Labs' R&D headquarters in Michigan, the Company continues to focus its efforts on scaling up its production operations, through its subsidiary, Prodigy Textiles Ltd., in Asia. By utilizing the existing global silk infrastructure and Kraig Labs' engineered silkworm technology, the Company is set to meet cost and volume metrics, previously thought to be impossible, in the commercialization of spider silk for these lifesaving applications in protective textiles. To view the most recent news from Kraig Labs and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/news About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (www.KraigLabs.com), a reporting biotechnology company is the leading developer of genetically engineered spider silk based fiber technologies. The Company has achieved a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology with implications for the global textile industry. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information Statements in this press release about the Company's future and expectations other than historical facts are "forward-looking statements." These statements are made on the basis of management's current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that management's expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as "believes," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "foresees," "estimated," "hopes," "if," "develops," "researching," "research," "pilot," "potential," "could" or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Company's business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005287/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Luokung Technology Corp. Announces to Acquire Artificial Intelligence Company BEIJING, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Luokung Technology Corp. (LKCO) ("Luokung" or the "Company"), a leading global spatial-temporal big-data technology company and a leading interactive location-based services company in China, today announced that it has signed a stock purchase agreement to acquire 67.36% of Beijing BotBrain AI Technology Ltd and BOTBRAIN AI LIMITED (collectively "BotBrain "). The Company will invest RMB 20 million to BotBrain and will issue 804,162 ordinary shares at USD $7 per share to the former institution investors of BotBrain to obtain 67.36% (the "Acquisition"). The 32.64% share equity of BotBrain will be remained by Mr. Xueyu Lu, the founder and CEO of BotBrain, along with BotBrain 's core team members. After the Acquisition, Mr. Lu will continue as CEO of BotBrain AI. BotBrain was established in January 2016, and it has been becoming an advanced provider for intelligent content solutions in China. It's artificial intelligence algorithms and technology are applied in Chinese semantic analysis, intelligent voice interaction, knowledge graph learning, personalized contents recommendation and other related big data analysis. There are two independent business brands in BotBrain. "Max" content brain is an AI content management and operation platform, which provides AI solutions based on its content services. "BotBrain Zhiyu" is an AI knowledge learning assistant system. BotBrain has been serving many well-known enterprises based in China, including People's Daily Overseas, ChinaNews, Kaishu Story, Baby Tree, Baofeng, Bank of China, State Grid, FAW, CreditEase, Facebank and Kingsoft Cloud etc., which involve various industries including media, mobile internet, banking, automobile, financial services, retails and energy. BotBrain has started the cooperation with the Company in technology supports prior the Acquisition, it provides intelligent geographic information algorithms service for us, and Its technology of semantic analysis, knowledge graph and personalized contents recommendation significantly supports the LBS service of Luokung. After the Acquisition, BotBrain will put more investment in the research of intelligent spatial temporal data algorithm and application. BotBrain will provide critical intelligent technologies and application experiences to support our LBS business, persoalized full-vector map, and enable us to improve the services we provide to mobile Internet industry and users. Therefore, the Company's LBS business platform is able to gain a greater competitive advantage. The founder and CEO of BotBrain, Mr. Lu Xueyu processes more than 40 patents relating to the contents intelligence service algorithms. Mr. Lu has more than 13 years experiences in big data and AI industry, he has had an in-depth comprehension and long-term practice in big data, AI and personalized recommendation and Mr. Lu is one of the earliest practitioners in this field in China. Mr. Lu worked in Tencent, Alibaba Youku and Xiaomi and was responsible for the construction and management of big data and artificial intelligence teams, gained many successful implementation experiences for the establishment of big data and recommendation systems. In 2006 in Tencent, Mr. Lu took the lead in using artificial intelligence technology in virus discovery, effectively helped Tencent to protect nearly 1 billion QQ users' account information security. In Youku, Mr. Lu served as technical director and set up the big data and personalized recommendation system for videos, the system was able to proceed more than 100 billion data daily, it was the system with the highest recommendation accuracy in the field of video websites at that time. During the time in Xiaomi, Mr. Lu was the technical director and was in charge of Xiaomi's data workshop, he was also responsible for the Xiaomi ecological big data business. About Luokung Technology Corp. Luokung Technology Corp. is one of global leading spatial-temporal big-data processing technology company and a leading interactive location-based services company in China. The core brands of the Company are "Luokuang" and "SuperEngine". "Luokuang" is a mobile application to provide B2C services and "SuperEngine" provides B2B and B2G services in connection with Spatial-Temporal big data. The Company's mobile application LuoKuang, provides location- based interaction services for users based on the world's first non-slicing, full-vector and full-function mobile internet map, it also provides SDK embedded services to third-party mobile application providers based on its full-vector and non-slicing mobile internet map. The Company provides completed DaaS, SaaS and PaaS services in relation to spatial-temporal big data internet and internet of things relying on its proprietary patented spatial-temporal cloud indexing technology, in fields including but not limited to HD Map, 3D Map, Internet Application Map, Satellite Remote Sensing Data and Real-time trajectory. For more information please go to http://www.luokung.com. Business Risks and Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "future", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "target", "going forward", "outlook" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law. The Company: Mr. Jay Yu Chief Financial Officer Tel: +86-10-5327-4727 Email: [email protected] INVESTOR RELATIONS PureRock Communications Limited Email: [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/luokung-technology-corp-announces-to-acquire-artificial-intelligence-company-300848751.html SOURCE Luokung Technology Corp. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Webscale Raises $14 Million in Series B Funding to Redefine Digital Commerce in the Cloud SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Webscale , the Digital Cloud Company and the leader in converged software for hyperscale cloud automation, announced today that it has secured a $14 million Series B round of financing led by Mohr Davidow Ventures with participation from Benhamou Global Ventures and Grotech Ventures. The investment represents a powerful validation of Webscales software stack for Layer 4 - 7 services and integrated multi-cloud platform for digital commerce. The Webscale platform is disrupting the $120B infrastructure market of legacy load balancers, application delivery controllers, and web application firewalls, commonly patched together by managed hosting and cloud managed service providers. The Series B financing builds on an outstanding year for the company. The Webscale platform levels the playing field for retailers, enterprises, and digital brands competing with the likes of Amazon and Walmart by delivering 100% uptime, next-generation cybersecurity, bot management, application performance, image management, and cloud automation powered by machine learning. With more than 100% YoY revenue growth, Webscale now delivers over 1,000 fast, secure, and scalable digital storefronts in seven countries, for customers including six of the Fortune 1000, such as Puma, Unilever, Hanes, Ferguson, Tommy Hilfiger, Cineworld Group, and others. Webscale is positioned perfectly at the intersection of two rapidly growing, multi-billion dollar markets digital commerce and cloud transformation, said Jim Smith, General Partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures. Enterprise and mid-market brand owners are transitioning away from static hosting infrastructure, and are eager to leverage the benefits of hyperscale cloud providers. Webscale must be the first call for any business embarking on this digital transformation journey. Fully-automated provisioning, configuration, and management of cloud-based applications is a critical need for digital businesses who want speed and agility, without losing focus on innovation, said Anik Bose, General Partner at Benhamou Global Ventures. For enterprise customers, ebscales converged automation software solution delivers on these goals by leveraging web application delivery, cybersecurity, and machine learning. Webscale continues to claim market share from legacy incumbents in the hosting, web application delivery, and security markets, said Sonal Puri, CEO at Webscale. Innovation and a relentless focus on customer success are responsible for our impressive revenue growth, coupled with a product offering that encompasses all the key capabilities needed to execute on the promise of the cloud. The new funding round will help Webscale further accelerate growth, international expansion, customer success, and channel velocity. About Mohr Davidow Ventures For over 30 years, the Mohr Davidow Ventures team has invested in early stage technology-based startups that redefine or create large new markets. San-Mateo, California-based MDV partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to build companies where big data, applied analytics, and the reach and power of the web/mobile cloud can be leveraged to drive emerging opportunities in verticals ranging from ecommerce, education, and finance to digital marketing, work force innovation, and consumer-driven healthcare. Leading companies funded by Mohr Davidow Ventures include: Adamas; Agile; Brocade; Coupa; HealthTap; Hotchalk; Kabbage; nlight Inc; OpenDNS; Pacific Biosciences; Proofpoint; Rally Software; Rambus; Rocket Fuel; Shutterfly; Ticketfly; Webscale; WorkFusion; and Verinata. More information: visit www.mdv.com. About Benhamou Global Ventures BGV is an early-stage venture capital firm with deep Silicon Valley roots and an exclusive focus on B2B startups targeting digital transformation of enterprises globally. The BGV team has successfully built and implemented a cross-border venture investing model with companies from Israel, Europe, and Asia. BGV currently has 33 active companies in its portfolio, with a majority conceived outside Silicon Valley and now headquartered in the U.S. The fund was founded by Eric Benhamou, former chairman and CEO of 3Com, Palm, and co-founder of Bridge Communications. Comprised of an experienced partnership team of global operating executives and investors, BGV is often the first and most active institutional investor in a company and has a powerful network of technical advisors, executives, and functional experts who actively engage with its portfolio companies. The company has offices in Palo Alto, California, Tel Aviv, Israel, and presence in France and India (through Arka Venture Labs). About Webscale Webscale, the Digital Cloud Company, is the leader in converged software for hyperscale cloud automation. Delivered as-a-Service, the Webscale platform allows businesses of all sizes to benefit from infinite scalability, load balancing, high performance, outage prevention, improved security, and simple management in multi-cloud environments, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure. Webscale enables digital transformation for B2C, B2B, and B2E e-commerce and enterprise customers in seven countries and for six of the Fortune 1000 businesses. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, with offices in Boulder, CO, and Bangalore, India. More information: visit www.webscale.com . Follow us on LinkedIn , Twitter , and Facebook . Media Contact: Andrew Humber Webscale [email protected] +1 (408) 416 7943 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator Selects Five Startups Focused on Sustainable Food Production The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2), a technology incubator and platform funded by the Wells Fargo (News - Alert) Foundation and co-administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, today announced it has selected five early-stage companies for the program's first "agtech" cohort. Each company participating in this invitation-only program will receive up to $250,000 in non-dilutive funding and hands-on technical assistance to further develop and validate their technologies with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the world's largest independent plant science institute. IN2 launched in 2014 with a focus on supporting scalable solutions that improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings. It expanded its charter in 2018 to advance the agriculture industry, which accounts for approximately 70% of the water and 14% of the energy usage worldwide. In expanding into agriculture, IN2 aims to speed the development and commercialization of technologies that help the agriculture sector overcome barriers and costs of implementing sustainable farming solutions. To help guide the selection process for the first agtech cohort, IN2 commissioned a white paper entitled "IN2 Food, Energy, Water Landscape" to determine where its impact would be most beneficial. Portfolio companies selected for IN2's first agtech cohort are advancing technologies that focus on sustainable crop production and yield. They are: Aker Technologies, Chicago, automated crop-scouting process that captures and analyzes the presence and intensity of pests and pathogens below the crop canopy. CoverCress, St. Louis, winter crop that covers soil during winter, protecting it from harsh conditions while producing a low-carbon intensity crop for renewable fuel and food. Intrinsyx Bio, Los Altos, Calif., plant probiotics that increase crop yield, reduce excess fertilizer and improve soil and water conditions. RNAIssance Ag, St. Louis, safe, effective and environmentally sustainable insecticide for precision pest management. SolGro, Arlington, Texas, nanoparticle film designed to increase crop productivity through light conversion on greenhouses. 2 brings its total portfolio count to 30 cleantech and agtech startups. Since joining the IN2 program, portfolio companies have raised $142 million from external follow-on funding - on average, more than $20 for every $1 awarded by IN2. Wells Fargo, IN2 and agriculture: A study in sustainability "Wells Fargo has a long history of working with farmers and companies throughout the agriculture value chain," said Ramsay Huntley, Clean Technology and Innovation Philanthropy program officer for Wells Fargo. "This program expansion into agriculture aligns with our philanthropic mission to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy by supporting innovators and entrepreneurs focused on sustainable ideas that can shape the future of farming." Trish Cozart, IN2 program manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, said, "We are very excited to be working with the Danforth center to test and validate our next cohort of companies. Looking at how our food, water and energy resources can be used more efficiently and effectively is a big part of the mission of this program. We look forward to working with these companies and the Danforth center in addressing that challenge." The partnership between the IN2 program and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center was announced at the annual Ag Innovation Showcase in fall 2018. The Danforth center will focus on the research and validation of the five companies' innovative solutions that address how to use digital agriculture to produce food more sustainably. "These five companies are driving innovation and new breakthroughs that will ultimately improve the way that we make food, distribute food, consume food and use resources," said Sam Fiorello, chief operating officer at the Danforth center. "We are proud to be a strategic partner to help further develop and validate promising technologies to tackle these critical challenges." IN2 finds and selects companies through its Channel Partners, a curated network of incubators, accelerators and universities across the U.S. that refer startups to the program. Once referred, companies participate in a highly competitive application and selection process to determine which will be invited into the next cohort of participants. For a complete list of IN2 portfolio companies and Channel Partners, visit in2ecosystem.com. About the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) is a $30 million technology incubator and platform funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation. Co-administered by and housed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, IN2's mission is to speed the path to market for early-stage, clean-technology entrepreneurs. Launched in 2014 with an initial focus on supporting scalable solutions to reduce the energy impact of commercial buildings, IN2 expanded its focus in 2018 to advance technologies that address the interconnection of food, energy and water. Companies selected for participation in the program receive up to $250,000 in non-dilutive funding from Wells Fargo, technical support and validation from experts at NREL and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and ongoing connections to organizations across value chains. For more information, visit in2ecosystem.com. About Wells Fargo Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,800 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs and the internet (wellsfargo.com). In 2018, Wells Fargo donated more than $444 million to nearly 11,000 nonprofits in support of affordable housing, small business growth, financial education and sustainability, among other community needs. For 10 consecutive years, Wells Fargo has held the honor of No. 1 in workplace giving by United Way Worldwide. Wells Fargo team members also make a difference by donating more than 2 million hours of volunteer time in the last year. News, insights and more information on the company's corporate responsibility are available at Wells Fargo Stories. About the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a nonprofit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research, education and outreach aim to have impact at the nexus of food security and the environment and position the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science. The Center's work is funded through competitive grants from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and through the support of individuals and corporations. For more information please visit, www.danforthcenter.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005196/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Avenu Insights & Analytics Acquires Enterprise Content Management Firm Avenu Insights & Analytics (Avenu), a Mill Point Capital portfolio company, has acquired the operations and assets of The Windward Group and GRIDS Information Technologies. With the Windward and GRIDS software, document digitization and storage capabilities, Avenu reinforces its commitment to supporting government customers with records management solutions. Over several decades, Louisiana-based Windward has built a business based on helping judicial systems and other organizations obtain, organize, store and deliver critical information. GRIDS has been a leader in providing conveyance records software to Louisiana court systems. Avenu will continue to operate the existing locations and use them as overflow for the digital processing functions it provides in other states. All the Windward operations, including the software for scanning, workflow, cloud file sharing and document management will become part of Avenu's Records Solutions group. "The need for document creation, restoration, indexing and overall management continues to grow exponentially," says Robert Rathe, Jr., owner of The Windward Group. "By joining Avenu we can add more capacity, skills and technology that clients will find valuable." Benny Garrard, president of GRIDS, adds his enthusiasm as he becomes part of the Avenu team: "For the past 25 years I've wored hard to offer innovative products to our customers, and Avenu shares my commitment to innovation and the additional resources will open new doors to technology for our clerks of court and other government customers." The Windward Group and GRIDS purchase represents the latest in a series of acquisitions by Avenu. In 2018 it acquired the government solutions group of Conduent, Inc., and prior to that brought together several government solution providers under the Avenu umbrella. "Our strategy is to continue to innovate as an organization and provide superior records products to many state and local governments," says Paul Colangelo, CEO of Avenu. "We can quickly make adjustments to leverage new technology, scale down and focus in a certain area or add capacity, and this acquisition emphasizes our ability to be that right-sized partner." About Avenu Insights & Analytics Avenu Insights & Analytics has a long history of helping state and local governments boost revenue, optimize operations, and deepen community trust. Avenu's revenue enhancement and administration solutions enable jurisdictions to provide truly digital government that meets expectations of citizens, employees and elected officials. Avenu is a portfolio company of Mill Point Capital. About Mill Point Capital Mill Point Capital is a middle-market private equity firm focused on control-oriented investments in the business services and industrial sectors. The firm works with executive partners to leverage its investment professionals' experience, while providing strategic and operational guidance designed to drive long-term value creation in its portfolio companies. Mill Point is based in New York. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005457/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] iintoo Acquires RealtyShares' Operations, Putting More than $2.5 Billion in Assets Under Management iintoo, a global real estate investment network with nearly $200 million raised since its launch in 2015, recently purchased assets of RealtyShares as part of a joint venture that accelerates iintoo's growth - increasing its portfolio size from $1 billion to $2.5 billion in assets under management. The purchase, from one of the largest U.S. online real estate platforms, catapults iintoo into a market leadership position, enabling more investors to benefit from the company's disruptive approach to crowd-sourcing real estate investments, which has yielded 16.63%* average annual returns on exited investments. With this acquisition, iintoo will reach a community of 200,000 registered investors, offering them the opportunity to access premium, highly vetted deals under the company's expert management. "This event is a watershed moment for iintoo, the industry and investors. The real estate business has historically been an exclusive club, lagging in technological innovation and accessibility for retail investors, but in the last five years, we have seen significant disruption led by forward-thinking startups. Our platform and approach have allowed individual investors to gain access to premium real estate investment opportunities while providing the industry's first equity protection program," said Eran Roth, CEO of iintoo. RealtyShares was the second largest online real estate investment platform in the U.S. before ceasing to take on new deals last year. At the time, the company had 300 active projects and approximately $400 million in equity from its investors. In order to oversee RealtyShares' assets, iintoo has formed a joint venture with RREAF Holdings, LLC to take over management activities for the active investment portfolio. All of RealtyShares' former and current investors will now have access to iintoo's platform and investment opportunities. "We are excited to bring RealtyShares' investors into our community and offer them professional oversight and management of our highly vetted commercial grade real estate opportunities," Roth said. iintoo's unique approach offers individuals a frictionless means to invest in commercial-grade real estate deals - with greater simplicity, transparency and risk mitigation measures. With investment opportunities starting at $25,000, iintoo delivers hands-on project oversight, short-term investment periods for greater liquidity, a rigorous, data-driven vetting process to identify and offer the most promising investment opportunities and equity protection** o their investment. Investors also have access to a social community where they can interact and learn from one another and follow savvy investors to see how their investments have performed. Crowd-sourced funding opens new avenues for financing real estate for property owners and developers alike. The iintoo investment portfolio includes income-generating multifamily properties, commercial real estate, retail and mixed-use properties, with a focus on projects in developing cities, as they have proven to perform well despite economic downturns. The RealtyShares acquisition propels iintoo into a leading position in this market category, enabling the company to accelerate its global presence in the years ahead. "The iintoo model has transformed the way people think about and invest their money, said Shoshana Winter, iintoo's Managing Director in the U.S. "Our vision is to take the success we have seen to date and continue to offer new and alternative asset classes to our expanded base of investors. We are confident that our innovative investment platform, our equity protection product** and our data-driven, curated approach to delivering premium investment opportunities will make us a leading brand that investors can depend on as they seek new ways to diversify their portfolios." About iintoo iintoo is a New York-based social investment network founded in 2015, specializing in exit-oriented real estate investments. Since inception, iintoo has raised $200 million in equity for real estate investments, through its digital platform, with assets under management of approximately $1 billion. With the addition of RealtyShares' assets, iintoo will have a gross asset value of $2.5 billion under management. Through iintoo's platform, accredited investors have direct access to premium commercial-grade real estate investments, an asset class once exclusively available only to professional funders and high net worth individuals. iintoo's REIMCO (Real Estate Investment Management Company) model combines iintoo's unique management approach, offering investors hands-on oversight of every opportunity from day one through exit, with short investment periods so investors can realize liquidity sooner, and a rigorous, data-driven vetting process designed to curate deals with the highest potential yields. In October 2018, iintoo launched epiic (Equity Protection Investment Community), the first-of-its- kind real estate investment product that provides equity protection** for accredited investors. Supported by an affiliate of Everest Re Group, Ltd. (NYSE:RE), a leading international reinsurance and insurance organization with operations that span the globe, and a social community pool, Epiic offers two layers of protection for investors' principal. Among iintoo's shareholders are Meridian Capital, the largest private mortgage broker in the United States and Everest Re. For more info visit: https://www.iintoo.com/ # # # * The exit annual yield is equal to the ratio between the total profits from the equity investment (before tax) and the total raise (amount invested by iintoo's equity investors in the project) divided by the investment term. **When we refer to "Equity Protection" we are referring to an arrangement where iintoo epiic GP LLC, the general partner of each covered issuer ("Covered Issuer"), promises that, even in the event the underlying project is not profitable or records a loss, the investor in the Covered Issuer shall receive a specified amount equal to the original principal investment he/she/it provided (less other amounts already received by such individual investor during the course of the investment) subject, however, to significant limitations including but not limited to repayments for losses in the Covered Issuer are only made up to a maximum amount of funds available from the retention account and the policy (where such policy limit may be less than the total amount invested), repayments are on a first come, first serve basis, and losses are aggregated across Covered Issuers subject to the same retention account and policy. iintoo epiic GP LLC, and not investors, is a party to the policy with Everest Insurance. As a result, investors have no direct legal rights under the policy. In addition, beyond use of the Equity Protection proceeds from the retention account and the policy, neither iintoo epiic GP LLC nor the Covered Issuer has any obligations to indemnify investors for losses. For more information, please see "Business of the Company-Equity Protection" and "Risk Factors-Risks related to the Equity Protection" in any of our issuers' private placement memoranda. The above may contain forward-looking statements. Actual results and trends in the future may differ materially from those suggested or implied by any forward-looking statements in the above depending on a variety of factors. All written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the previous statements. Except for any obligations to disclose information as required by applicable laws, we undertake no obligation to update any information contained above or to publicly release the results of any revisions to any statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances that occur, or that we become aware of, after the date of the publishing of the above. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005239/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] XPRIZE and California Governor Gavin Newsom Partner to Design an Incentive Prize for Innovation to Battle Wildfires XPRIZE, the global leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity's grand challenges, has announced a collaboration with California Governor Gavin Newsom, to design an XPRIZE competition that would drive innovation and develop hardware able to rapidly detect and extinguish wildfires. XPRIZE will work in collaboration with a number of stakeholders, including the Governor's team, to design this important XPRIZE over the next several months while also actively seeking sponsors to underwrite the prize purse and operations. "Wildfires cause damage to human lives and billions of dollars in property loss each year yet there has been shockingly little innovation in this space," said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, XPRIZE founder and executive chairman. "XPRIZE wants to reinvent what has been an old form of firefighting. This competition hopes to leverage cutting edge sensors, networks, artificial intelligence, robotics and material sciences to both detect wildfires at their earliest inception and extinguish them before they spread." According to the National Interagency Fire Center, across the U.S. in 2018, 55,911 fires burnt over 8,582,609 acres f land, an area larger than the state of Maryland. Since 2015, California has seen ten of the most destructive wildfires in the state's history. To unlock innovation in this space, XPRIZE aims to ultimately launch a competition by early 2020. "Harnessing the power of competition to drive innovation, the XPRIZE will focus on solutions to the existential threat of wildfires," said California Governor Gavin Newsom. "I am proud to stand with XPRIZE as they launch this competition. The XPRIZE will complement California's spirit of innovation and promote leading-edge solutions to address wildfires." The funding to develop this XPRIZE concept, including the background research, the development of competition rules and operating guidelines, was provided by Dr. Richard Merkin, CEO of Heritage Group and a longtime XPRIZE benefactor and Vision Circle member. "I've long since been inspired by the XPRIZE model and truly believe that competition and collaboration are key to innovation, and it takes all of us working together, across different sectors and industries, to truly make a difference," said Merkin. "It's an honor to be a part of this project and I'm excited for all that's to come." To get involved, visit xprize.org. About XPRIZE XPRIZE designs and operates multi-million-dollar, global competitions to incentivize the development of technological breakthroughs that accelerate humanity toward a better future. Our mission is to inspire and empower a global community of problem-solvers to positively impact our world. We believe solutions to the world's problems can come from anyone, anywhere. Active competitions include the $20 Million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, the $15 Million Global Learning XPRIZE, the $10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE, the $7 Million Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, and the $5 Million IBM (News - Alert) Watson AI XPRIZE. For more information, visit xprize.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005201/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Buxton and The Krystal Company Partner to Identify Growth Opportunities for the Restaurant Chain FORT WORTH, Texas, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Buxton is pleased to announce that it is working with The Krystal Company. Headquartered in Dunwoody, Georgia, Krystal is an 86-year old southern brand with over 350 restaurants and a pioneer in the fast-food industry. Buxton's analytics will help Krystal to better understand its customers and identify the best expansion opportunities throughout its current southern footprint and in new market expansion zones. Additionally, Buxton will assess existing locations and identify which assets are candidates for greater investment, redevelopment or relocation. "We are excited to partner with Buxton as we take the next steps to strategically grow our business," said Mike Wood, chief real estate officer of The Krystal Company. "We believe Buxton's analytics will be an important asset in helping us to reach our full potential." "Buxton is excited to work with Krystal," said Bill Stinneford, senior vice president at Buxton. "We look forward to helping the restaurant chain expand and optimize its current and future markets." As a Buxton client, Krystal will have access to the web-based Buxton Analytics Platform, which will allow the restaurant chain to score potential sites, visualize market data and run reports to support its company and franchise growth strategy. "As we have recently launched our efforts to bring new franchisees into the brand, we recognized the tremendous value that the Buxton Analytics Platform will have in helping to attract prospective franchisees, accelerate their development cycle and ultimately assist in their successful and profitable growth," said Paul Macaluso, Krystal president and CEO. Krystal joins a growing list of organizations using the Buxton Analytics Platform as a pre-screening tool for real estate location and market planning decisions. About The Krystal Company Founded in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1932, The Krystal Company is the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South. Its hamburgers are still served fresh and hot off the grill on the iconic square bun at over 350 restaurants in 11 states. Krystal's Atlanta-based Restaurant Support Center serves a team of 7,500 employees. For more information, visit https://krystal.com. About Buxton Buxton is the industry leader in customer analytics. Our analytics reveal who your customers are, where more potential customers are located and the value of each customer. More than 5,000 clients in the retail, restaurant, healthcare, private equity, and public sectors have relied on our insights to guide their growth strategies. For more information, visit www.buxtonco.com. Contacts: Katie Russell Angela Johnson Buxton The Krystal Company (817) 332-3681 (770) 351-4564 [email protected] [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/buxton-and-the-krystal-company-partner-to-identify-growth-opportunities-for-the-restaurant-chain-300847755.html SOURCE Buxton [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Fagerhult Publishes Prospectus Supplement Relating to the Rights Issue HABO, Sweden, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Prospectus supplement relating to the rights issue in Aktiebolaget Fagerhult ("Fagerhult") has today been approved and registered by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, and is available on Fagerhult's website, www.fagerhultgroup.com, as well as on Handelsbanken's website for prospectuses, www.handelsbanken.se/prospekt. Financial and legal advisor Handelsbanken Capital Markets is financial advisor in connection with the rights issue. Wesslau Soderqvist Advokatbyra and Vinge are legal advisors. Aktiebolaget Fagerhult (publ) For further information, please contact: Bodil Sonesson CEO, mobile: +46 72223 7602 e-mail: [email protected] Michael Wood CFO, mobile: +46 73 087 46 47 e-mail: [email protected] IMPORTANT INFORMATION This press release is not an offer to subscribe for shares in Fagerhult and investors should not subscribe for or purchase any securities, except on the basis of information provided in the coming prospectus. This press release may not be made public, released or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Australia, Japan or Canada or in any other jurisdiction in which the distribution of this press release would be unlawful. Further, this press release does not constitute an offer to sell new shares, paid subscribed for shares ("BTA") or subscription rights to any person in any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful to make such offer to such person or where such action would require additional prospectuses, registration or other measures other than those pursuant to Swedish law. The prospectus, application form and other documents associated with the rights issue may not be distributed in or to any country where such distribution or the rights issue would require such measures set forth in the preceding sentence or be in violation of the regulations of such country. The new shares, BTAs and subscription rights have not been recommended or approved by any United States federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority. No new shares, BTAs, subscription rights or other securities issued by Fagerhult have been or will be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or under the securities legislation in any state of the United States, and may not be offered, exercised or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. There is no intention to register any portion of the offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. The Company has not authorised any offer of the securities referred to herein to the public in any country in the European Economic Area ("EEA") other than Sweden. In other member states in the EEA, the securities may only be offered to (a) any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Directive 2003/71/EC (the "Prospectus Directive"); or (b) any person falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive. In the United Kingdom, this communication is only being distributed to, and is only directed at "qualified investors" (as defined in section 86(7) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) who are (i) investment professionals falling within the meaning of Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"); or (ii) persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.") of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). In the United Kingdom, any investment or investment activity to which this communication relates is available only to, and will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not take any action on the basis of this communication and should not act or rely on it or any of its contents. This press release may contain forward-looking statements which reflect Fagerhult's current view on future events and financial and operational development. Words such as "intend", "will", "expect", "estimate" and other expressions that imply indications or predictions of future development or trends, constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements inherently involve both known and unknown risks and uncertainties as they depend on future events and circumstances. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future results or development and the actual outcome could differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The information, opinions and forward-looking statements included in this press release speak only as of its date and are subject to change without notice. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/1781/2810908/1044345.pdf Fagerhult publishes prospectus supplement relating to the rights issue View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fagerhult-publishes-prospectus-supplement-relating-to-the-rights-issue-300848809.html SOURCE Fagerhult [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Zadara Announces New U.S. Distribution Relationship with Promark Channel Partners Now Have the Ability to Offer Customers Enterprise Storage-as-a-Service IRVINE, Calif., May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zadara Storage Inc. , the pioneer in enterprise storage-as-a-service, today announced it has signed a distribution agreement with Promark Technology , a premier, U.S.-focused value-added distributor (VAD) and wholly-owned subsidiary of Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE:IM), the worlds largest technology distributor and global leader in IT supply chain and mobile device lifecycle services. Under the new agreement, Promark will distribute Zadaras enterprise storage-as-a-service offerings to its channel partners in the U.S. Zadara provides enterprise NAS and SAN service with NFS, CIFS/AD and iSCSI interfaces, dual HA controllers, dedicated high-performance drives and enterprise-class storage features including snapshots, replication, thin provisioning, encryption, and more. Data is stored on dedicated hardware for increased privacy and quality of service, and protected with in-flight and at-rest encryption, including user-managed keys. With Zadara, users get more than enterprise-class storage. Zadara comes with 24/7/365 live support, proactive system management, periodic non-disruptive hardware upgrades included, and a 100%-uptime guarantee. Promarks focus on emerging technologies and customer service matches our core business value and principles. And their longstanding relationships with leading solution providers will help accelerate our channel strategy, said Roland Serna, vice president of channels and alliances for Zadara. Were pleased to add Zadara to our roster of world-class technology partners that provide solutions to meet the most demanding needs of our customers, said Jeff Brown, president/GM, Promark. With its combination of enterprise functionality and a pay-as-you-go model, Zadara represents an ideal solution for both resellers and customers. Mre information about Zadara is available at www.zadara.com . About Promark Technology Promark Technology, an Ingram Micro company, is one of the premier value-added distributors (VAD) in the United States. Promarks core technology focus is distributing data storage and virtualization products and solutions through a two-tier distribution channel to value added resellers (VARs) and system integrators. Promark leverages its direct relationships with world-class technology partners to provide solutions that meet the most demanding needs of its customers. Promark also offers a Public Sector Business Program that helps resellers navigate the government selling process and expand the reach of their Business. The program provides authorized resellers the ability to leverage Promarks GSA Schedule to market and sell products and solutions into both federal government and state and local organizations. Promark offers professional services in application integration, backup and recovery, network optimization, storage implementation, and disaster recovery. To learn more about Promark Technology call (800) 634-0255 or visit www.promarktech.com . About Ingram Micro Inc. Ingram Micro is the worlds largest wholesale technology distributor and a global leader in IT supply chain and mobile device lifecycle services. As a vital link in the technology value chain, Ingram Micro creates sales and profitability opportunities for vendors and resellers through unique marketing programs, outsourced logistics and mobile solutions, technical support, financial services, and product aggregation and distribution. The company is the only global broad-based IT distributor, serving approximately 160 countries on six continents with the worlds most comprehensive portfolio of IT products and services. Visit IngramMicro.com . About Zadara Founded in 2011, Zadara offers agile, secure enterprise cloud storage as a fully managed service, with a 100%-uptime guarantee and consumption-based pricing. Any location, any data type, any protocol. Zadara offers resource isolation, exceptional security, and management control. Get Zadara on premises and through cloud and colocation providers. More information can be found at www.zadara.com or follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter , like on Facebook or subscribe on YouTube . Media Contacts: Stephanie Olsen Lages & Associates (949) 453-8080 [email protected] Kelley Smith Berg Promark Technology (240) 280-8030 x 31039 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Rosoka Software Solutions Now Available on Carahsoft SEWP V Contract HERNDON, Va. and RESTON, Va., May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rosoka Software and Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, today announced a partnership making its multi-lingual entity extraction solutions available to Federal agencies and its reseller partner ecosystem through Carahsofts NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V contracts. "We've seen tremendous growth in demand recently for our products in support of our U.S. federal customers," said Kurt Michel, President of Rosoka Software. "Carahsoft is one of the most trusted, experienced IT solutions provider for the federal market, and our partnership will make it that much easier for federal customers and Carahsoft's reseller partners to quickly put our products to work, especially in the law enforcement and intelligence communities, where understanding unstructured data is critical." Rosoka Software develops software for the extraction and analysis of unstructured data, regardless of the source language or document type. Rosokas products were developed for cloud, on-premise and hybrid environments and are designed to be multilingual with over 230 languages, scalable to handle data demands and portable with the ability to process consistent results from most agency standard operating systems. The technology is based on natural language processing (NLP), linguistic rules and algorithms to provide named entity extraction, relationship analysis, enhanced geospatial mapping and text analytics. Rosokas use cases for Federal agencies include automated identification, discovery, monitoring and enforcement; assessing sentiment and behavior; and predicting or persuading desired outcomes or results. "Understanding the insights within collected data is critical, especially for government agencies whose missions affect itizens daily lives," said Caroline Malaby who manages the Rosoka team at Carahsoft. "We're pleased to be able to offer these unique, highly effective text analytics solutions to our Federal customers and our reseller partners to improve data analysis and decision making." Rosoka Server, Rosoka Text Analytics for the IBM i2 Analysts Notebook, Rosoka SDK, Rosoka GeoGravy Rosoka Studio are available through Carahsofts NASA SEWP V contracts NNG15SC03B and NNG15SC27B. For more information, contact the Rosoka team at Carahsoft at (703) 391-0381 or register for " Turbocharging IBM's i2 Analyst's Notebook with Multilingual Text Analytics ," a complimentary webinar being held at 2:00 p.m. EST on May 14, 2019. About Rosoka Software Rosoka pioneered the philosophy that the content should speak for itself. Rosoka's multilingual product suite is used to enhance mission-critical solutions in a wide range of applications and markets. Today Rosoka software provides optimized insights by extracting entities, relationships, sentiment, and location from documents in over 200 languages. For more information visit www.rosoka.com or contact us at [email protected] . Contact Kurt Michel (703) 944-1779 [email protected] About Carahsoft Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider. As a top-performing GSA Schedule and SEWP contract holder, Carahsoft serves as the master government aggregator for many of its best-of-breed technology vendors, supporting an extensive ecosystem of manufacturers, value-added resellers, system integrators and consulting partners committed to helping government agencies select and implement the best solution at the best possible value. The company's dedicated Solutions Divisions proactively market, sell and deliver Rosoka Software, VMware, Amazon Web Services, Palo Alto Networks, Symantec, Veritas, Dell, Adobe, F5 Networks, Google Cloud, ServiceNow, Open Source, Micro Focus Government Solutions, SAP, Salesforce, and Innovative and Intelligence products and services, among others. Carahsoft is consistently recognized by its partners as a top revenue producer and is listed annually among the industry's fastest growing and largest firms by CRN, Inc., Forbes, Washington Technology, The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, and Bloomberg Government. Visit us at www.carahsoft.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook . Contact Mary Lange (703) 230-7434 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Are Beauty Products The New Last-Minute Mother's Day Gift? Beauty Retailers Saw Noticeable Spike 3 Days Before the Holiday; Flowers Go Strong Until Day Of, Reports Bluecore Bluecore, the retail marketing technology company that more than 400 retailers rely on to launch highly-personalized campaigns at scale, today announced the findings of its real-time analysis of shoppers' ecommerce behaviors leading up to Mother's Day. According to its new 2019 data, flowers and jewelry are still go-to Mother's Day favorites, but beauty joins shoppers' last-minute shopping lists and high-end apparel emerges as a high-performing Mother's Day retail category. Bluecore gathered and analyzed data from the 35 of its 400+ retail clients. The company selected retailers in beauty, high-end apparel, jewelry and specialty gifts with the greatest spikes in purchases in the two weeks leading up to this year's holiday. Its 2019 Mother's Day data is based on 5.10M orders and $527.7M in total sales. Highlights of Bluecore's 2019 findings include: When did shoppers buy for Mother's Day? Retailers began seeing significant increases in buying activity-as compared to an average day-beginning 12 days before Mother's Day. Specialty gift retailers (e.g., flowers, wine) saw the greatest spikes in last-minute purchases, with a staggering 100% increase in an average day's purchase activity occurring two and three days before the holiday. High-end apparel retailers (with average order values of more than $85) experienced a steady increase in purchases in the two weeks prior to the holiday, with a whopping 34% increase in purchases four days before Mother's Day. Jewelry retailers saw purchases increase 63% six days before Mother's Day. And beauty retailers saw purchases peak with a 59% increase in orders six days before the holiday and a 27% increase three days before Mother's Day. Retailers began seeing significant increases in buying activity-as compared to an average day-beginning 12 days before Mother's Day. How many times did shoppers view products before making a purchase? Shoppers looking for gifts formom viewed a single product multiple times before buying. High-end apparel products were the most highly considered purchases, even above jewelry, with shoppers viewing a product up to 12.7 times before buying. Shoppers viewed jewelry products 9.1 times before They viewed beauty products 6.9 times before buying. And they viewed specialty gift items 4.3 times before purchase. Shoppers looking for gifts formom viewed a single product multiple times before buying. How many products did shoppers view before making a purchase? Shoppers considered multiple products for mom before buying. Rates differed by category: High-end apparel: Shoppers viewed an average of 7.1 products before purchase. Jewelry: They viewed 4.2 products before purchase. Beauty: They viewed 3.4 products before purchase. Specialty Gifts: They viewed 2 products before purchase. Shoppers considered multiple products for mom before buying. Rates differed by category: News - Alert) and Amazon Prime Day. While not all retailers jump on the opportunity, those who are marketing to Mother's Day shoppers are seeing more sales, more repeat purchases and more opportunities for consumer engagement leading up to end-of-year shopping." Bluecore is the only company in the retail space able to deliver real-time insights into consumers' interactions with specific products, and predict how those interactions influence future behaviors. It uses these insights to personalize individual shoppers' experiences, at scale, through its AI-driven platform. For comparison with its 2019 Mother's Day findings, Bluecore's complete 2018 report can be downloaded here. About Bluecore Bluecore is a retail marketing technology company that is reimagining the way retailers communicate with shoppers. Its 2019 launch of Bluecore Communicate introduces retailers to a fundamentally different email solution that replaces manual processes with an intelligent, AI-driven workflow and the industry's first fully performance-based pricing model. Retailers can now manage ESP, triggers and personalized batch from a single interface, enabling them to personalize 100% of their email campaigns for the first time ever. Bluecore Communicate doubles email revenue while reducing production time for more than 400 retailers including: Staples (News - Alert), Tommy Hilfiger, Perry Ellis and Teleflora. To learn more visit www.bluecore.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005515/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Conversational Systems Market Worth $17.4 Billion by 2024 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets CHICAGO, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report "Conversational Systems Market by Component (Compute Platforms, Solutions, Services), Type (Voice and Text), Application (Customer Support and Personal Assistant, Branding and Advertisement, and Compliance), Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2024", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global Conversational Systems Market is expected to grow from USD 4.6 billion in 2019 to USD 17.4 billion by 2024, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 30.8% during the forecast period. An increasing demand for AI-powered customer support services and highly advanced AI and NLP tools are major growth factors for the market. Increasing customer engagement through social media platforms and integration of advanced AI capabilities adding value to conversational systems offerings would provide opportunities for vendors in the Conversational Systems Market. Browse in-depth TOC on "Conversational Systems Market" 46 Tables 37 Figures 130 Pages Ask for Report Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=232318863 Compute platforms segment to hold the largest market size during the forecast period Developers use conversational compute platforms to build chatbots, conversational interfaces, and virtual assistants as per the need of their organizations. The platform comprises various modules of software tools and can integrate with third-party interfaces, such as messaging platforms, social media, SMS, and website chat. The platform can create a detailed analysis of te chat logs in real time to provide feedback for the conversation, improve and maintain the system, and deliver actionable insights to the business. Voice assisted segment to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period Voice assisted is the ability of a machine or a program to identify phrases or words in spoken language and then convert them into a machine-readable format. Customer services, product information, marketing, and sales support are a few of the areas where the use of AI-enabled voice assisted solutions has increased. A varied voice portfolio, custom voices, powerful tuning tools, and multi-language capabilities enhance the voice assisted conversational solutions productivity with robust customer satisfaction which is highly important for enterprises. Speak to our Research Expert: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=232318863 North America to hold the largest market size during the forecast period The US and Canada are contributing to the growth of Conversational Systems Market in North America. Organizations, especially in the US, have leveraged AI, ML, and deep learning technologies as a part of their ongoing business process to stay ahead in the market. The US and Canada also have a well-established economy, which enables conversational systems vendors to invest in new technologies. Major vendors in the global Conversational Systems Market include Google (US), Microsoft (US), IBM (US), AWS (US), Baidu (China), Oracle (US), SAP (Germany), Nuance (US), Artificial Solutions (Spain), Conversica (US), Haptik (India), Rasa (Germany), Rulai (US), Avaamo (US), Kore.ai (US), Solvvy (US), Pypestream (US), Inbenta (US), and Saarthi.ai (India). Browse Adjacent Markets: Software and Services Market Research Reports & Consulting 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/conversational-systems-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Flexa launches global payment network and mobile app to help people spend their cryptocurrency NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Flexa , the new global network uniting retail and blockchain technologies, today announced a limited launch of its network and mobile app to enable instant cryptocurrency payments in stores and online for several retail merchants. Beginning today, merchants can easily accept bitcoin, ether, Bitcoin Cash, and the Gemini dollar from consumers who have the new SPEDN mobile wallet app. The SPEDN app will be more widely available for download in the App Store starting next week. To spend cryptocurrency on Flexa, consumers send bitcoin or other supported digital assets to the secure SPEDN wallet and scan the app's barcode at the register, just like other forms of digital payment. Flexa then converts a consumer's cryptocurrency to U.S. dollars in real time for payment to the merchant, enabling a simple exchange process and practical use of cryptocurrencies for real-world payments. "This is the first real instance of decentralized global retail payments, with the power to make commerce more efficient and accessible for billions of citizens globally," said Tyler Spalding, Co-Founder and CEO of Flexa. "The legacy payment systems are complicated and costly. This solution provides a way for cryptocurrencies to solve these problems and allw merchants to conduct inexpensive and fraud-resistant transactions." The SPEDN app was built on the open Flexa network, which acts as an intermediary between merchants and the blockchain, and requires no point-of-sale upgrades for merchants. By integrating existing merchant points-of-sale with blockchain technologies, Flexa's network simplifies the payment settlement process and reduces instances of fraud, decreasing two of the most significant operating costs for retailers. Payment processing costs have risen to nearly $90 billion and 2017 losses due to payment card fraud were reported at $22 billion globally. In addition to simplifying the payment process, Flexa also announced its partnership with Gemini Trust Company, LLC , a regulated and secure cryptocurrency exchange and custodian to exclusively leverage the Gemini dollar. Consumers can spend their U.S. dollars on the blockchain without the price volatility associated with traditional cryptocurrencies. "This technology shifts cryptocurrency from investment and speculation toward real usability. You can finally buy a cup of coffee with cryptocurrency and a tap of your phone. This moves the broader ecosystem closer to realizing the full promise and power of crypto," said Tyler Winklevoss, CEO of Gemini. In 2018, Gemini launched the Gemini dollar, the world's first regulated, dollar-pegged stablecoin, under the direct supervision of its regulator the New York Department of Financial Services. Flexa customers' assets will also be custodied by Gemini, providing an additional layer of security and regulation. About Flexa Flexa was founded in 2018 to make payments between buyers and sellers more efficient, accessible, and affordable for the very people doing the buying and selling. Based in New York, the Flexa teamwith founders Tyler Spalding, Trevor Filter, Zachary Kilgore, and Daniel McCabebrings decades of experience in consumer payments products to bear on the nascent and thriving ecosystem of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. About Gemini Gemini Trust Company, LLC (Gemini) is a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian that allows customers to buy, sell, and store digital assets such as bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ether, zcash, and litecoin. Gemini is a New York trust company that is subject to the capital reserve requirements, cybersecurity requirements, and banking compliance standards set forth by the New York Department of Financial Services and the New York Banking Law. Gemini was founded in 2014, by brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, to build a bridge to the future of money. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/flexa-launches-global-payment-network-and-mobile-app-to-help-people-spend-their-cryptocurrency-300848611.html SOURCE Flexa [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Interop 2019: Leading Technology Companies Announce New Products, Services, Demos & More SAN FRANCISCO, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Interop, the IT industrys most trusted independent conference, today unveils nearly 20 announcements from leading solution providers participating at its event next week. The event and its new TechFair will welcome more than 40 leading and emerging technology companies spanning various sizes and platforms for an all-encompassing introduction to the hottest solutions in the market today. Interop 2019 will take place May 20-23 at The Mirage in Las Vegas, NV. For more information and to register, please visit: interop.com Were thrilled to be welcoming such a great list of solution providers this year, especially with the launch of our new TechFair platform, said Meghan Reilly, General Manager, Interop. We created the TechFair to allow for a diverse set of companies to network and share new solutions in a fun and interactive environment with our attendees. This years list of participants is the perfect fit for this new event feature and were excited to see them interact with our audience as they look for the latest products and services that will push their organizations forward. Interop 2019 Exhibitor News: 128 Technology (booth 307) announces that its enhancing its partner program to help recruit new global partners to bring its unique service-centric, software-based networking platform to enterprise customers worldwide. Arcules (booth TF1) recently announced the addition of access control-as-a-service (ACaaS) to its portfolio, which includes Video-Surveillance-as-a-Service (VSaaS). Arcules now enables customers to centrally manage access control effectively across geographically dispersed business locations in a single, intuitive user interface, which delivers additional functionality for customers and added value for integrator partners. BigJar Systems, LLC (booth 330) will showcase the Network Utility Knife, an appliance that can easily tackle many problems at remote sites that would otherwise take days to solve. The Network Utility Knife requires little or no maintenance and can fit almost anywhere. CryptoMove (booth TF5) announces an open-sourced integration with CircleCI. Available through a single line of code, this integration enables users to manage their encrypted keys from one location. Datadog (booth 128) will showcase its SaaS-based monitoring and analytics platform for infrastructure, applications, logs, and more. Through its fully unified platform, Datadog delivers complete visibility into the performance of modern applications. Expanse (booth 329) will showcase new capabilities for IT operations and security teams that reduce digital transformation risk. The new Expander Cloud module discovers and inventories all cloud assetsknown and unknownacross all providers. New product Edge Behavior allows organizations to monitor their internet traffic flows for risky and out-of-policy communications. Forward Networks (booth TF11) will showcase their network verification platform, Forward Enterprise, including new features such as Network Query Engine (NQE), which allows network operators to query their network like a database. Forward recently announced support for additional network devices and environments, including Cisco ACI, VMWare NSX, and AWS. HelpSystems (booth 428) will showcase GoAnywhere Managed File Transfer. With GoAnywhere you can securely transfer files using SFTP, PGP, and AES; send secure emails; and collaborate with partners and vendors. Deploy GoAnywhere on-premises or in the cloud. New features include EDI functionality for X12 documents, SLA monitoring, and tamper-evident logging. IBM (booth 323) is pleased to showcase its multicloud management solutions. Providing greater flexibility and managing the application modernization journey, IBMs hybrid, multicloud management framework provides greater operational agility and power to identify, analyze and respond quickly to changes in these mixed environments. Kissflow (booth 229) will showcase a platform that will transform workplaces and skyrocket productivity. This new platform will harness the power of project management, process automation and team collaboration making it easier than ever for organizations to manage all types of work. Meikyo Electric Co., Ltd. (booth 124) is showcasing its new firmware features for the RPC-M5C-EA, a PDU capable of detecting and rebooting frozen devices. The new firmware is able to detect software freeze ups and reboot the system as necessary. NetSupport Inc. (booth 122) showcases its award-winning solutions to help enterprises effectively manage their technology: IT asset management solution, NetSupport DNA, helps companies discover, track and manage IT assets; NetSupport Manager provides fast and secure remote control; and browser-based ITIL compliant NetSupport ServiceDesk helps IT support teams answer the toughest support challenges. Portnox (booth 123) will demonstrate network access control made simple by providing complete visibility of network components, including the ability to enforce security policies. Portnox handles network security vulnerabilities derived from any type of endpoint, connecting from wired, Wi-Fi, VPN and cloud. Super Micro Computer (booth 228) Introduces over 100 resource-saving server and storage systems with New 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors. With these new Supermicro Resource-Saving servers, customers can expect better data center performance (35% faster), better TCO (up to 50% reduction) and less impact on the environment. Technology Source (booth 207) is introducing the company's new corporate brand and logo. The expanded Technology Source portfolio now includes phone systems, mobility, connectivity, cloud computing, software applications, equipment sales, cyber security, endpoint management, help desk support and big data analytics servicing clients from its offices in California and Tennessee. ThousandEyes (booth 328) will showcase its real-time map of the Internet, powered by hundreds of global Internet vantage points plus the industrys largest collective dataset. ThousandEyes will also share insights from two proprietary research reports, the Public Cloud Performance Benchmark report, plus debut the findings of its Digital Experience Performance Benchmark Report. Winquest Cybersecurity (booth 424) announces the Winquest Cyber-Aware program, which certifies organizations as having a basic level of cybersecurity awareness for competitive advantage. Wowrack (booth TF2) will showcase at Interop 2019 our wide range of cloud products that help businesses decrease their current cloud spend and take advantage of hybrid cloud environments. For the full Interop 2019 Exhibitor list, please visit: info.interop.com/itx/2019/exhibitor-list/ Register for Interop here: interop.com Apply for an Interop Media Pass here: interop.com/media-center Follow Interop ITX Twitter Facebook LinkedIn About Interop Interop is the industry's most trusted independent conference compiled by a community that evangelizes, supports, and unites enterprise IT professionals and fosters the next generation of technologists. The event continues the 30+ years it has dedicated to offering its community both strategic and actionable advice in critical areas, providing them with the breadth and depth necessary to uncover solutions that best meet their needs. Employed by a Conference model committed to unbiased content, Interop focuses on a core set of technology and leadership competencies needed to run a modern IT department. For more information, visit www.interop.com . Interop is organized by UBM, which in June 2018 combined with Informa PLC to become a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information, visit www.ubm.com and www.informa.com. Media Contact: Kimberly Samra Interop PR [email protected] 415-947-6362 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Wave Computing Adds MIPS32 microAptiv Cores to MIPS Open Program Campbell, Calif., May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- May 13, 2019 Wave Computing, Inc., the Silicon Valley company accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) from the datacenter to the edge, today announced it will include the MIPS32 microAptiv cores in the newest release of MIPS Open program components. One of the smallest and low power CPUs in the MIPS product line, the MIPS32 microAptiv core is a highly-efficient, compact, real-time solution for microcontrollers (MCU) and entry-level embedded market applications such as automotive, Internet of Things (IoT) and home networking appliances. The Verilog register transfer level (RTL) code for the MIPS32 microAptiv cores and other MIPS Open program components are available for immediate download at www.mipsopen.com/resources/download. When the MIPS32 microAptiv core was introduced, it delivered much higher clock speeds than other MCU cores as well as better code density, said Linley Gwennap, principal analyst of The Linley Group. Now that Wave Computing is offering microAptiv in the MIPS Open components, SoC designers are free to integrate this reliable and powerful CPU without any license fees or royalties. This announcement marks a significant advance for the MIPS Open initiative. The MIPS32 microAptiv core is designed for low power, high-performance and cost sensitie applications such as vehicle dashboard systems, building environmental controls, and consumer appliance control modules. Its efficient Digital Signal Processing (DSP) capabilities make it ideal for use in multimedia or digital applications that are often reprogrammed for use in different applications. The MIPS32 microAptiv core also includes Code Compression capabilities that help run the code on a reduced amount of memorya key feature when designing for small surfaces where each millimeter counts. The new set of MIPS Open program components will include two different versions of the microAptiv Verilog RTL code: microAptiv MCU core designed with application-specific features and real-time performance for microcontroller SoC development. microAptiv MPU core includes a cache controller and MMU facilitating embedded system designs executing operating systems such as Linux. In addition to the Verilog RTL code, the package also includes documentation, configuration tools and a verification suite. The Wave Computing team is delighted to make its MIPS32 microAptiv cores available for MIPS Open participants. The microAptiv cores have already been embedded into millions of commercial designs worldwide that we use every day, said Krishna Raghavan, president of Wave Computings MIPS IP Licensing business. By making these cores available to SoC designers via the MIPS Open program, our hope is to accelerate the next generation of highly-efficient, intelligent, IoT, consumer and automotive applications. For more information on the newest batch of MIPS Open components or to register as a new member of the MIPS Open ecosystem, visit www.mipsopen.com. Like this story? Tweet this: @wavecomputing helps developer save time by releasing MIPS32 microAptiv microprocessor into #MIPSOpen #CatchtheWave #AI http://bit.ly/2Vl5PZB About Wave Computing Wave Computing, Inc. is revolutionizing artificial intelligence (AI) with its dataflow-based systems and solutions. The companys vision is to bring deep learning to customers data wherever it may befrom the datacenter to the edgehelping accelerate time-to-insight. Wave Computing is powering the next generation of AI by combining its dataflow architecture with its MIPS embedded RISC multithreaded CPU cores and IP. Wave Computing received Frost & Sullivans 2018 Machine Learning Industry Technology Innovation Leader award and recognized as one of the Top 25 Artificial Intelligence Providers by CIO Applications magazine. More information about Wave Computing can be found at https://wavecomp.ai. # # # Wave Computing, the Wave Computing logo, MIPS Open, MIPS32, microAptiv, TritonAI 64 and MIPS are trademarks of Wave Computing, Inc. and its applicable affiliates. All other trademarks are used for identification purposes only and are the property of their respective owners. Fadi Azhari Wave Computing 6505757119 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Cumberland Trust Expands C-Suite as Company Surpasses $3.5 Billion in Assets Under Administration Cumberland Trust, a Nashville-based independent corporate trust company, today announces that it has surpassed $3.5 billion in assets under administration. This milestone is further evidence that the firm's collaborative approach to trust and estate service continues to resonate strongly among its clients and advisors across the U.S. To maximize growth while continuing to offer best-in-class service, Cumberland Trust promoted three of its executive team members to c-suite roles: C. Runcie Clements, IV to Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel; to Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel; Michelle R. Diamond to Chief Development Officer & Executive Director of Regional Markets; and to Chief Development Officer & Executive Director of Regional Markets; and Jennifer Karrels Menzie to Chief Operating Officer & Corporate Counsel. "Runcie, Michelle and Jennie have all played invaluable roles in making Cumberland Trust the company it is today, relied on by so many individuals and families across the country to preserve legacy and protect relationships," said Joseph K. Presley, Chairman, President and CEO of Cumberland Trust. "Their new roles are well deserved. Because of them, our company is making a lasting difference in the trust and estate industry." With new titles, the c-suite members have enhanced responsibilities Clements, who leads the company's legal and compliance team, will continue his overall advisement and work hand in hand with the rest of the executive team on smart, strategic growth. Diamond will seek to grow Cumberland Trust's national footprint and establish new regional offices as well as continue to oversee the existing regional offices. In addition to leading corporate and administration teams, Menzie will identify efficiencies within the company, refining company structure, and will travel to establish new growth markets and initiatives. Since Cumberland Trust opened in Nashville in 2001, it has expanded its national footprint to include 10 offices serving clients in 48 states and has more than 100 employees. In the fall of 2018, it expanded, taking over the top floor of its Burton Hills headquarters. For information on Cumberland Trust, visit http://cumberlandtrust.com/. Bio Information C. Runcie Clements, IV Clements previously served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Cumberland Trust, heading up the legal and compliance department, made up of attorneys, compliance officers and specialists. Prior to joining Cumberland Trust, Clements was the Charitable Giving Counsel for the American Cancer Society where he advised nationwide staff on legal and tax issues in the areas of planned giving, outright gifts and other charitable giving arrangements. He has also worked in a private legal practice in the areas of estate planning, taxation and real estate. He is a licensed attorney and CPA. Clements is a graduate of Baylor University with a B.B.A. in Accounting. He received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University. Michelle R. Diamond Diamond previously served as Executive Vice President and Director of Business Development & Regional Offices at Cumberland Trust. As the company grew, Diamond developed the blueprint for expansion into regional markets and she worked to open the nine regional offices. Prior to joining Cumberland Trust, she was a Trust Officer at First Tennessee providing account and administration support to families in the areas of personal trust, employee benefits and investment management. Diamond holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana. She was awarded the Certified Trust and Financial Advisor Designation (CTFA) and is a graduate of Cannon Trust School through Cannon Financial Institute. Jennifer Karrels Menzie Menzie previously served as Executive Vice President, Director of Strategic Planning and Assistant General Counsel of Cumberland Trust. She led and managed the external and internal strategic initiatives for Cumberland Trust and oversees Cumberland's long-range planning goals. Prior to joining Cumberland Trust, Menzie served as Vice President at Thompson & Associates, working in the area of charitable estate planning. Her past experience includes Assistant General Counsel of WebMD Envoy, Senior Tax Consultant at Arthur Andersen and practicing attorney with the firm of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. She is a licensed attorney. Menzie holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Auburn University. She received her J.D. from Vanderbilt School of Law and holds a Masters in Taxation (LL.M.) from the University of Florida School of Law. She is a Fellow in Charitable Estate Planning from the Institute of Charitable Estate Planning. About Cumberland Trust Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Cumberland Trust is a trust services firm founded in 2001 to focus on families. As a trusted advisor, at Cumberland Trust we work with our clients' accountants, estate planning attorneys, financial advisors and others to ensure that each family's needs are met and that their values extend across generations. We achieve that with a team of individuals at Cumberland Trust who are the very best in the personal trust industry. From dealing with blended families, aging adults, special needs or other modern dynamics, we have the experience to help clients and their advisors through difficult scenarios towards the goal of continued legacy. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005699/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] For Second Year, Funding is Available to Address Homelessness in Pa. FHLBank Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) are partnering for a second year to fund programs across the state that work to address homelessness. FHLBank Pittsburgh is providing $3 million toward the effort, which is called Home4Good, and PHFA is providing $1.5 million, for a total contribution of $4.5 million in 2019. "FHLBank is pleased to again partner with PHFA on this important community program," said John Bendel, FHLBank's Senior Director of Community Investment. "Home4Good's flexibility and focus on innovative initiatives continue to help Pennsylvania organizations assist individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness." As in 2018, funding will be distributed as grants to organizations with programs that help people retain or find housing, as well as those that provide supportive services. Interested groups are advised to submit proposals for Home4Good funding through a participating Continuum of Care (CoC) organization in the state, or directly to PHFA in the event there is not a participating CoC in their local area. All applicants will be teamed with FHLBank member financial institutions to further develop relationships that can help meet the service provider's future funding needs, which is a long-term benefit of Home4Good. CoC organizations will then review and prioritize incoming proposals for funding consideration by FHLBank Pittsburgh and PHFA. "We were very pleased with the response last year and want to maintain the positive momentum we've created," said PHFA Executive Director and CEO Brian A. Hudson Sr. "Homelessness represents a major challenge, but by combining all our efforts we're hoping to move more people into housing." Many organizations qualify to apply for unding, including local governments, nonprofits, housing authorities and others. Successful Home4Good applicants will offer programs that prevent or reduce homelessness, collaborate with others to address established housing goals and have a track record of success. The deadline for service providers to apply for 2019 funding is Aug. 30. Interested organizations can participate in either of two Home4Good informational webinars planned for May 22 at 10 a.m. and May 29 at 2 p.m. Additional information about Home4Good is available at www.fhlb-pgh.com, and at www.phfa.org at the bottom of the homepage, under "Resources." Interested organizations can also contact Kate Swanson at [email protected] or Bryce Maretzki at [email protected] for details. About FHLBank Pittsburgh As an intermediary between global capital markets and local lenders, FHLBank Pittsburgh provides readily available liquidity, as well as affordable housing and community development opportunities, to member financial institutions of all sizes in Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The Bank is part of the Federal Home Loan Bank System, which was established by Congress in 1932 and serves as a reliable source of funds for housing, jobs and growth in all economic cycles. To learn more, visit www.fhlb-pgh.com. About PHFA The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency works to provide affordable homeownership and rental housing options for older adults, low- and moderate-income families, and people with special housing needs. Through its carefully managed mortgage programs and investments in multifamily housing developments, PHFA also promotes economic development across the state. Since its creation by the legislature in 1972, it has generated more than $14.2 billion of funding for more than 175,900 single-family home mortgage loans, helped fund the construction of 134,507 rental units, and saved the homes of nearly 49,690 families from foreclosure. PHFA programs and operations are funded primarily by the sale of securities and from fees paid by program users, not by public tax dollars. The agency is governed by a 14-member board. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005704/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Emerging Tech Trends You'll See at CES Asia 2019 The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM today announced top trends expected at the upcoming CES Asia 2019, including the latest in 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented/virtual reality, startups and vehicle tech. Now in its fifth year, CES (News - Alert) Asia is a curated event that will bring the full tech ecosystem together June 11-13, 2019 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) in Shanghai, China. "CES Asia is the hub for transformative technologies that will fuel growth across the Asian marketplace," said Karen Chupka, executive vice president, CES, CTA. "Attendees will see, touch, and experience AI advancements, 5G connectivity, the latest self-driving vehicles and more. These innovations are changing the way we work and live." Emerging technology trends at CES Asia 2019 include: 5G: CES Asia will feature new 5G hardware announcements, from smartphones to 5G-enabled technologies across the entire show. 5G is driving innovation across industries, from smart cities to digital health and self-driving vehicles. Across Asia, infrastructure updates continue in anticipation of wide deployment of 5G, which will bring faster speeds, larger data capacity and lower latency. Key Exhibitors: Huawei (News - Alert) Huawei (News - Alert) Conference Sessions: Huawei Keynote (June 11, 9:30 AM), Trends Reshaping the Future of Mobility and Connectivity (June 12, 10:30-11:10 AM) Artificial Intelligence (AI): Artificial intelligence techniques, such as machine learning and object recognition, are fueling innovation. CES Asia will feature the companies at the forefront of AI. In healthcare, AI is being used for tasks such as reviewing cancer screenings, while in retail, consumers use facial recognition to pay for goods at unmanned, cashier-less stores. Key Exhibitors: iFLYTEK, Skyworth, Horizon Robotics, Nuralogix, Sogou, Cheetah Mobile iFLYTEK, Skyworth, Horizon Robotics, Nuralogix, Sogou, Cheetah Mobile Conference Sessions: How AI Works with Datasets and Machine Learning (June 12, 10:45-11:30 AM) Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR): At CES Asia, AR/VR companies will showcase new applications that enhance the user experience and create altered perceptions that are now being integrated into new areas like retail, manufacturing and healthcare. Mobility and vehicle companies are using AR to help drivers better anticipate road conditions, while retailers are implementing AR applications to assist shoppers. Key Exhibitors: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, Johnson & Johnson, Well Being Digital Limited Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, Johnson & Johnson, Well Being Digital Limited Conference Sessions: Advanced Technologies Enabling the Future Customer Experience (June 12, 11:20-12:10 AM) Startups: Startup Park at CES Asia will feature more than 125 diverse startups choosing to debut their products on a global stage. Organizations from the US, Europe and Asia are bringing startups from their countries including Innovation Norway (News - Alert) and AmCham from Singapore. Key Exhibitors: American Chamber of Commerce, CKGSB, Master of Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation, Innovation Norway, Inno Park, Jikebaba, swissnex, ZJ Venture Capital American Chamber of Commerce, CKGSB, Master of Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation, Innovation Norway, Inno Park, Jikebaba, swissnex, ZJ Venture Capital Conference Sessions: Tech4Good: Innovate Locally, Impact Globally (June 12, 2-5 PM) Vehicle Tech: CES Asia 2019 will double its vehicle tech footprint on the show floor and will feature the latest conept cars and connected vehicles. Expect announcements from the latest in autonomous driving to all-electric. China is the world's largest market for self-driving vehicles, and commercial deployment of self-driving vehicle fleets is gaining traction. New forms of mobility will drive innovation in transportation in Asia and around the global, as ebikes and motorized scooters gain larger prominence. Key Exhibitors: Nissan, Audi, Hyundai, Kia, OnStar, SAIC, FAW Hongqi, Great Wall Motor, Honda (News - Alert), Polestar, WM Motor, Mercedes-Benz, Aiways Nissan, Audi, Hyundai, Kia, OnStar, SAIC, FAW Hongqi, Great Wall Motor, Honda (News - Alert), Polestar, WM Motor, Mercedes-Benz, Aiways Conference Sessions: Hyundai Keynote (June 11, 1:30 PM) CES Asia 2019, the premier event for finding business partners and showcasing the best consumer technology in the Asian market, will feature more than 550 exhibiting companies spanning 20 product categories. Visit CESAsia.com for more information or to register. WeChat registration for CES Asia 2019 is now available. Follow us on WeChat (ID: CESAsia_II) to register. Note to Editors: High-definition video b-roll is available for easy download on CESbroll.com. Visit the CES Asia photo gallery for the latest pictures from CES Asia 2018. Journalists traveling from outside of China will require a J-1 or J-2 visa. For questions about exhibiting at CES Asia, contact Brian Moon at [email protected] or +1 703-907-4351. About CES Asia: Owned and produced by the International CES (Shanghai) Exhibition Co. Ltd. and co-produced by Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co., Ltd (Shanghai Intex), CES Asia is the premier event for the consumer technology industry, showcasing the full breadth and depth of the innovation value-chain in the Asian marketplace. Key global businesses come to this event to grow and reinforce their brand by showcasing the latest products and technologies to consumer tech industry executives, foreign buyers and international media. Attendees have exclusive access to some of the largest brands from China and around the world, while celebrating the innovation that defines the consumer technology sector. About International CES (Shanghai) Exhibition Co. Ltd. and CTA: International CES (Shanghai) Exhibition Co. Ltd. is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), a trade association representing the $398 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, which supports more than 18 million U.S. jobs. More than 2,200 companies - 80 percent are small businesses and startups; others are among the world's best-known brands - enjoy the benefits of CTA membership including policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CTA also owns and produces CES - the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Profits from CES are reinvested into CTA's industry services. About Shanghai Intex: Taken independent in July 2016, Shanghai Intex Exhibition (Co., Ltd.) was originally founded in 1995 as the pioneering exhibition organizing business of Intex Shanghai, the first joint venture venue management business in Shanghai. Shanghai Intex is jointly overseen by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Shanghai and PNO Exhibitions, giving it the perfect combination of domestic and international resources. Over the last 20 years, Shanghai Intex has organized more than 100 tradeshows and over 1000 conferences, with a sum total show space in excess of 2 million square meters. Shanghai Intex runs a number of internationally renowned exhibitions covering the music industry, healthcare, lifestyle, advanced manufacturing, public transportation, floriculture, consumer electronics, technology and more. UPCOMING EVENTS View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005810/en/ Telaria To Present at Two Upcoming Investor Conferences Telaria, Inc. (NYSE: TLRA), the complete software platform for publishers to manage and monetize premium video advertising, today announced that the company will be presenting at two investor conferences this month. CFO, John Rego will present at the SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Internet & Digital Media Conference in San Francisco, CA (News - Alert) on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at 3:10 PM PT. CEO, Mark Zagorski and CFO, John Rego will present at the B. Riley FBR Annual Investor Conference in Beverly Hills, CA on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at 12:30 PM PT. A live audio webcast of the respective presentations will be available on the Compny's Investor Relations website at www.telaria.com. Replays will be available following the live presentations. About Telaria Telaria, Inc. (NYSE: TLRA), is a complete software platform to manage premium video advertising. We engineer the most robust suite of analytics, automated decisioning, and integrated programmatic and direct monetization tools in the industry. Global publishers require total command of their business; Telaria's independent solution empowers unbiased decisions for the best revenue outcomes. Telaria operates out of 13 offices worldwide across North America, EMEA, LATAM and APAC. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005745/en/ [May 13, 2019] United Nations Unveils Gender Statistics Story Map Built with Esri on the SDG Hub Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, today announced the creation of a new story map Women and Sustainable Development. The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), through the Global Gender Statistics Programme, is collaborating with Esri and statistical agencies from national governments around the world in gathering data that highlights the current state of global progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets relevant to gender equality. The results are being presented in the story map Women and Sustainable Development, which focuses on women's economic empowerment, women's voices, and women's safety and human rights. The story map is built on the Federated Information System for the SDGs platform. Also known as the SDG Hub, this new web mapping and data management platform is powered by Esri software and allows participating countries to share current statistical data on poverty, unemployment, clean water availability, etc., to local data hubs. "We were able to put this story map together very quickly and efficienly," said Francesca Grum, UNSD chief of social and gender statistics. "By using the SDG Hub, statistical agencies from participating countries are able to highlight gender data for their country quickly and easily and to share actionable information. Even with so many contributors and moving pieces, the actual time to develop it was just eight weeks from start to finish." Recently adopted by the UN Statistical Commission, the SDG Hub enables collaboration across UN agencies and Member States empowering action and engaging communities around the UN's global goals. "This story map is a great example of how a community can come together over an important issue once the resources are in place," said Linda Peters, Esri global business development manager. "This is exactly the level of engagement and cooperation that will help to advance the Sustainable Development Goals." Esri has been chosen as the premiere sponsor and technology of the STI Forum 2019. The fourth annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) for the Sustainable Development Goals, convenes May 14-15 in New York City at the UN headquarters. This year's theme will be "STI for ensuring inclusiveness and equality" and key stakeholders in technology and innovation for the implementation of the SDGs will attend and participate in the forum. To learn more about how Esri supports the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals, visit go.esri.com/SDG. About Esri Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, offers the most powerful geospatial cloud available, to help customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations including 90 of the Fortune 100 companies, all 50 state governments, more than half of all counties (large and small), and 87 of the Forbes Top 100 Colleges in the U.S., as well as all 15 Executive Departments of the U.S. Government and dozens of independent agencies. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most advanced solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com. Copyright 2019 Esri. All rights reserved. Esri, the Esri globe logo, The Science of Where, esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of Esri in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products or services mentioned herein may be trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of their respective mark owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005826/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Kemper Appoints Matthew A. Hunton as President of Kemper Auto Kemper Corporation (NYSE: KMPR) announced that Matthew A. Hunton has joined the company as President of Kemper Auto, Kemper's specialty personal and commercial auto lines, effective today. Hunton will report to Duane Sanders, President of Kemper's Property & Casualty Division, and will be based in Kemper's Chicago headquarters office. "Matt has extensive experience and demonstrated success with personal lines in the P&C industry," said Sanders. "His well-rounded breadth of understanding and expertise in our business, coupled with his strong leadership skills and ability to execute, will help advance our strategy to make Kemper Auto a premier specialty auto insurance provider." Hunton joins Kemper from The Tavelers, where he held a variety of leadership roles related to personal and commercial lines in operations, strategic markets, finance, product management, and most recently held the role of Vice President-Global Small Commercial Select Accounts. He received a BS in Physics and Meteorology from Rutgers University and an MBA from Yale University. Hunton succeeds Glen Godwin, who is retiring from Kemper effective July 1. About Kemper The Kemper family of companies is one of the nation's leading insurers. With nearly $12 billion in assets, Kemper is improving the world of insurance by offering personalized solutions for individuals, families and businesses. Through our businesses, Kemper: Offers insurance for auto, home, life, health and valuables Services 6.3 million policies Is represented by more than 30,000 agents and brokers Employs over 8,100 associates dedicated to providing exceptional service Is licensed to sell insurance in 50 states and the District of Columbia Learn more about Kemper. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005174/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 13, 2019] Retired Housekeeper Receives Critical Home Repairs, Thanks to $5K Grant Margaret Marshall, 65, remembers the day her father bought their home. She was 10 years old and as one of 10 children, she often pitched in to help with her siblings. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005864/en/ A retired housekeeper in Louisiana received a $5,200 Special Needs Assistance Program grant from First National Bank of Jeanerette and FHLB Dallas to fund critical repairs to her home. (Photo: Business Wire) "Momma had 10 kids, with two sets of twins, three years apart," said Mrs. Marshall. "I cooked, cleaned and helped take care of my siblings. That was my job." Mrs. Marshall's childhood family responsibilities paved the way for her career as a housekeeper and caretaker. She spent 25 years doing housework for a family while her husband did the yard work. Now retired, Mrs. Marshall and her husband live on a fixed income and she struggles with various health problems. Arthritis pain makes it difficult for her to care for her aging home, which had fallen into disrepair. She learned about the Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP) from her sister. Mrs. Marshall received a $5,200 SNAP grant, which funded the rehabilitation of her bathroom, a hot water heater, a new shower and exterior paint. The new shower was critical for Mrs. Marshall, who until recently used a bathtub that was difficult to get in and out of due to her arthritis. "You know how frustrating it is when you want to do it but you can't because you're hurting," said Mrs. Marshall of the repairs. "I hugged Mr. Butch after I signed the papers. I was so grateful." "Mr. Butch" is Lionel "Butch" Met, assistant vice president and security officer from First National Bank of Jeanerette, who facilitated the grant process for Mrs. Marshall. "SNAP grants assist in-need people like the Marshalls who have worked hard their entire lives, but can't repair their homes due to life circumstances," he said. "Our partnership with FHLB Dallas is vital to helping our neighbors - our community - live more comfortable lives." SNAP grants are awarded through members like First National Bank of Jeanerette to provide grant funds for repair and rehabilitation of owner-occupied housing of eligible, special-needs individuals. Since SNAP's inception in 2009, more than $15.1 million has been awarded in grants through FHLB Dallas member institutions to assist more than 3,000 families across FHLB Dallas' five-state District of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. "One of the main factors that ensures SNAP's impact is partnership," said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. "Without partnership, there is no access to the grant funds, and without First National Bank of Jeanerette's commitment to community investment, people like the Marshalls wouldn't receive critical repairs to their homes." In 2018, FHLB Dallas awarded $2 million in SNAP grants that assisted 355 families. In 2019, FHLB Dallas set aside $2.25 million of its 2019 Affordable Housing Program funds for SNAP, which was exhausted in January. Mrs. Marshall said she is grateful for the grant. "The grant is awesome because a lot of people don't have money to do things that they really want to do on their houses," she said. "I could just cry every time I think of how much the grant helped us. I appreciate this so much." To learn more about SNAP, visit fhlb.com/snap. About First Bank of Jeanerette First National Bank of Jeanerette (First National Bank) has been defining true community banking for the past 114 years, with continuing service to the communities it serves. When the founders of First National Bank opened the doors of the business in 1905, they did so with a commitment to the principles of independent banking, exceptional service, responsive bankers and value in the accounts and financial services offered. Since 2009, the bank has been honored to offer customers and non-customers the opportunity to receive funding that enabled them to have much needed repairs to their home. Although serving as an independent community bank, First National Bank may be viewed as a small bank to some, but it will always match favorably with many large regional banks with respect to products, services, technologies and loan expertise. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank system created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $69.0 billion as of March 31, 2019, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced advances and other credit products to approximately 820 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. Visit fhlb.com for more information. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005864/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] After last weeks disappointing episode, The Last of the Starks, Game of Thrones continues to clumsily bound toward its endgame in its violent and (thankfully) dialogue-light penultimate episode, The Bells. (Image credit: HBO) Many fans and critics, me included, tempered their hopes of a strong finish for the series after last Sundays sloppy writing and treatment of characters like Sansa and Brienne, to say nothing of StarbucksGate, so this episode had to do double duty of both reassuring viewers and setting the stage for a promising series finale. So, does it stick the Kings Landing? Kinda. [Spoilers ahead for Season 8, Episode 5 of Game of Thrones] The episode opens with Varys scrambling to write a letter revealing Westeross worst-kept secret: Jons Targaryen heritage. While Tyrion remains loyal to Daenerys, albeit with growing reservations about her plan to overthrow Cersei, Varys is very firmly #TeamJon in spite of Jon not wanting the Iron Throne. Its unknown whether Varys succeeds in sending a raven with the message, but a tearful interaction with one of his sparrows portends a grim fate for our favorite eunuch. (Image credit: HBO) Its not long before Tyrion reveals Varyss treason to Dany, who has Varys escorted outside for a quick fireside chat (by which I mean a sentencing to death via dragon). Before a truly terrifying Drogon emerges from behind Dany to Dracarys Varys (lol), he and Tyrion exchange surprisingly emotional final words. Jon seems uncharacteristically nonplussed during this whole ordeal, even after Dany claims Sansa is just as responsible for Varyss death as her (which, ha!, okay, Dany), but its clear that at least some seeds of doubt about her impending reign have been planted in Jons mind. Meanwhile, Arya and the Hound have opted to take action over talking politics and are on their way to kill Cersei themselves like the badasses they are and, thanks to a last-minute assist from Tyrion, Jaime isnt far behind them. Hed been captured by Danys guards after his farewell with Brienne, which Ive tried to wipe from my memory to no avail, but Tyrion frees him because he is a good brotherand, oh, because also he doesnt want Dany to murder thousands of innocent people maybe? Cersei has clearly underestimated the power of a woman and dragon scorned. Tyrion thanks Jaime for being the only family member who never looked at him as a monster, another sweet Tyrion moment that made me teary. Its also a nice callback to Jaime freeing Tyrion at the end of season four, proving a Lannister truly does always pay his debts. In Kings Landing, Cerseis army prepares for war, and the queen herself looks out at her city like I got thiswhat could possibly go wrong? But she has clearly underestimated the power of a woman and dragon scorned, as Dany rides in on Drogon to wipe out the Iron Fleet and dragon-killing spear machines with relative ease. Not even Qyburns updates about the desecration of Cerseis army seem to rattle Cersei, though. Our men will fight harder than sellswords ever could. They will defend their queen to the last man, she says. On the ground, the people of Kings Landing scream for the queen to ring the bells as dragon-induced panic washes over them. Finally, to the great relief of Tyrion, Jon, and everyone else, the bells indeed toll, but Dany, staring at the Red Keep, goes full Targaryen and starts torching the innocents anyway. Thus, the Mad Queen, daughter of the Mad King, is born. The Mad Queen is born Emilia Clarke does all the work in selling Danys choice not to protect the civilians, and thank the gods she can act, because the writing leading up to this moment did her no favors. On one hand, Danys decision felt inevitable because of the heavy-handed exposition fed to us via Sansa and Arya, but when it actually happens, it feels extremely out of left field. (Image credit: HBO) Sure, Missandeis death and Cerseis refusal to a truce were impetuses for her rage, but writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss dont really give us much else and therefore dont fully earn the characters abrupt pivot. Like most things this season, it came across as messy and rushed, disappointingly undoing much of the great work spent on fleshing out her character over seven seasons. The perspective never returns to Dany after this scene and instead focuses on the points of view of people on the ground. Its an interesting choice that increases sympathy for the victims and highlights the brutality of war, but its another thing working against the believability of Danys decision. Maybe if wed seen more of Clarkes facial expressions throughout the attack, we could have better understood her state of mind. But alas. As Drogon continues to burn everything in his path, the short-lived relief of everyone on the ground turns to confusion and fear. Grey Worm seems to be the only one unconcerned with having to continue to fight, understably a little eager to enact revenge on behalf of Missandei. While the city literally starts to crash down around Jon, Arya, and Tyrion, you can see their metaphorical worlds start to crumble as well. Tyrion stares in horror at the damage Dany (and, by extension, he as her hand) has done, while the Starks do everything they can to protect the innocent people of Kings Landing. Away from the fray, on his quest to save or maybe kill Cersei, Jaime has a run-in with Euron, who miraculously survived Drogons attack on the Iron Fleet. Its a fun and unexpected battle, with Euron seemingly besting Jaime after stabbing him in both his sides, but the Kingslayer somehow survives, kills Euron, and shuffles off to find his sister. The power of love, I guess? (Image credit: Helen Sloan/HBO) And then, FINALLY, the face-off weve been waiting years to see arrives: Thats right Cleganebowl is now canon, baby! For those not in the know, Cleganebowl is the name fans gave to the theory that the brothers Clegane, aka the Mountain and the Hound, would battle each other in a final climactic fightand not only is it no longer a theory, but it does not disappoint in being the most cinematic and exciting battle of the episode. After the Hound encounters him on a stairway with Cersei and Qyburn, the Mountain decides that killing his brother is more important than protecting the queen. He kills Qyburn as if Qyburn were an ant (Ill admit I laughed) while Cersei slowly makes her way down the staircase and past the brothers, a hilarious moment that I expect to get memed to pieces. I had a feeling that if we were going to get Cleganebowl at all, itd happen in this episode, but I didnt expect it to be set on a stairway against a burning, war-ravaged Kings Landing. Sure, the whole thing is incredibly fan servicey, but its beautifully shot, and the writers and VFX team clearly had fun revealing the FrankenMountains bloated baby corpse face. Sandor takes the phrase an eye for an eye very literally by stabbing Gregor in the eye, buying him enough time to break free and tackle his brother off the stairway, careening them both toward fiery deaths below. Sandor, who has been terrified of fire ever since Gregor held his face in it when he was a child, was basically fated to die in a blaze, but having him choose to go out this way made his death a meaningful part of his characters growth instead of being played solely for symbolisms sake. A fiery aftermath As Arya runs around the streets of what used to be Kings Landing, evading dragonfire, Dothraki, and collapsing towers and causing every viewer to hyperventilate for ten straight minutes, she tries to protect the innocent civilians and lead them to safety. Unfortunately they are not as agile or smart as her, so they die in the attacks, leaving Arya alone, save for a bloodied white horse she quickly tames and rides off on. She lives to fight another day and might just make it out of this show alive, so all hope is not yet lost! Sadly(?), the same cannot be said for Jaime and Cersei. After the two reunite in Maegors Holdfast, Jaime (who, by the way, is still walkin and talkin with two giant stab woundsdont worry about it) leads Cersei underground, hoping to safely get them to the dinghy Tyrion arranged for them to escape on, but debris blocks the exit. Desperate, Jaime tries digging through the rubble as Cersei breaks down, tearfully exclaiming she doesnt want to die. But it quickly becomes evident that theyre doomed to an unceremonious fate, and they hold each other as the Red Keep collapses on top of them. (Image credit: Helen Sloan/HBO) Because I was convinced Cersei would get an epic death, slain at the hands of Arya, Jaime, or Arya-as-Jaime, the quieter, more anticlimactic way she actually goes out felt a bit disappointing in the moment. In hindsight, though, its a sort-of fitting end to the sibling lovebirds story: Cersei crushed under the fallout of her own power trip and Jaime sacrificing himself out of a love he was prepared to murder a child in order to protect. Real talk, though: He survived a sword to the kidneystwiceso whos to say he cant still emerge from the rubble. I'd be remiss not to also mention the score by composer Ramin Djawadi, which does a lot of the emotional heavy lifting in this scene, as it has been doing throughout the episode's mostly dialogueless last half. Here, Djawadi experiments with slightly different versions of Cersei's theme and Rains of Castamere to remind us of Cersei's long and difficult journey to the Iron Throne and to signal the end of her story arc, in arguably a more beautiful way than what's actually written. Bottom Line As for effectively setting up next weeks series finale, The Bells mostly succeeds. Theres a new Mad Queen to dethrone, there are friends to mourn, and theres still a big ol Westeros in need of protection, but I cant help but wonder what the emotional stakes are anymore. Based on how the show began, the most obvious driving emotional force should be the remaining Starks and their relationships with one another, but weve hardly gotten any scenes that have included the four of them after they reunited, and even the reunions were short-lived letdowns. Arya now seems to have moved on from her kill list and isnt interested in playing wife with Gendry, so although shes my favorite character, Im not sure what to hope for her. After last weeks tone-deaf writing for Sansa, Im not confident the writers can pull off a compelling ending to her arc anymore either. And as for Dany and Jon, not enough work went into making their relationship feel convincing or exciting, so if Jon has to be the one to kill her, itll lack the emotional resonance it should have. I suspect next weeks final opening credits will replace the Lannister golden lion sigil with the three-headed Targaryen sigil above the Iron Throne, but by episodes end, Im guessing itll represent Jon Snow, aka Aegon Targaryen, instead of Dany. It feels too easy and obvious, and, as were all very aware, Jon himself doesnt even want it, so Im hoping the writers surprise us. Honestly, though, I cant imagine that any character taking the throne would feel like a satisfying conclusion at this point. D&D have proven that, without source material to work from, writing a well-paced and complex story isnt exactly their strong suit, so while the show ending is a bittersweet reality, Im also ready to say goodbye. Looking to get ready for the season finale? Check out our guide to how to stream Game of Thrones online, as well as everything you need to know before watching Season 8. French security researcher Robert Baptiste, aka "Elliot Alderson," aka @fs0c131y, says he has found a way to temporarily "brick" any recent Samsung phone or tablet by forcing it to lock the Knox secure container and bouncing the user back to the launcher screen. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) Baptiste says a malicious app, such as one he wrote as a proof of concept and posted on Github, could use two lines of code to change a couple of unprotected parameters in another Samsung system app to interfere with the Knox system. "The device will be inoperable due to this local DoS [denial of service]," Baptiste wrote in a blog post. "Every time the victim will open the [Knox] SecureFolder app, the container will be locked and every time he will try to use his phone, the phone will come back directly to the first page of the launcher." That's not really bricking the device, as it will still work you just won't be able to use it. Baptiste said on Twitter that the malicious app, or indeed any user with physical access to the device, would not need administrative rights to carry out this attack. MORE: Samsung Galaxy S11 Rumors: What to Expect, What We Want You can get around this problem by rebooting into Safe Mode, which may be why Samsung does not consider this a security issue, according to Baptiste. He said he reported the issue to Samsung in March, but the company apparently responded that it "considered this issue as no/little security impact." Tom's Guide has reached out to Samsung for comment, and we will update this story when we receive a reply. Samsung is correct that at the moment, you'd have to sideload an app capable of doing this onto a Samsung device, which would of course require physical access to the phone and a way past the device's lockscreen. But it would be pretty easy to put Baptiste's code into an otherwise innocuous-looking app, sneak the app into the Google Play app store and fool an authorized user into installing it. To boot a Samsung phone or tablet into Safe Mode, power off the device, reboot it, then hold down the Volume Down button when the logo appears during the boot process. Safe Mode disables any apps that were not installed at the factory, so you'll be able to unlock the screen and remove the malicious app. You can exit Safe Mode with a normal reboot. The Knox secure container was introduced with the Samsung Galaxy S4 in 2013 and has appeared on most Samsung Android and Tizen smartphones, tablets and smartwatches since then. The Kansas City streetcar fleet will grow from four to five on Monday, with the arrival of vehicle No. 805. It's the first of two streetcar vehicles scheduled to arrive in Kansas City this year. The cars were bought from Washington-based CAF USA Inc. for $11.9 million in 2016. Local Carjacking Report Man charged after teen carjacked at knife-point outside Texas Roadhouse in Liberty LIBERTY, MO (KCTV) -- A man threatened a teenager with a knife and robbed her in broad daylight in the parking lot outside Texas Roadhouse on Mother's Day, police say. Nathaniel T. Bryant, of Liberty, faces first-degree robbery and armed criminal action charges. His bond was set at $100,000. Car Dealer Crime Suspect PERSON OF INTEREST: Liberty Police release picture of person of interest after car dealership theft The Liberty Police Department is asking for the public's assistance in locating a person of interest after three cars were stolen from Heartland Chevrolet.Police said the person of interest is connected to the theft of a purple Dodge Challenger, a red Chevy Corvette and a white Chevy Corvette.If you have any information about the thefts, you are asked to call the Liberty Police Department at 816-439-4701. Shooting Doesn't Stop For Mama Two shootings within an hour Sunday leave people injured in Kansas City Witnessing a crime and reporting it can be just as frightening as being the victim of a crime. Here's what you should do if you witness illegal activity. (Nicole L. Cvetnic / McClatchy) Two shootings within an hour Sunday evening in Kansas City left one man in critical condition and another suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. KCK Police Presser Cooperative crime crackdown makes big impact in KCK KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A cooperative effort between police, citizens and federal marshals is credited for cutting violent crime by nearly 30 percent in some of this city's most crime-ridden neighborhoods. The 60-day crime crackdown targeted gang activity, narcotics and guns. About 25 KCK police officers were deputized as special U.S. Meth Town Po-Po Lookout Independence police asking for help to locate 'armed, dangerous' statutory rape suspect The Independence Police Department is asking for help to locate a man wanted on outstanding warrants who is believed to be armed and dangerous.Police said Hasani Bakari, 23, has felony warrants out of Jackson County for second-degree statutory rape, two counts of second-degree statutory sodomy and three counts of first-degree promoting prostitution with a $100,000 cash only bond.Police said Bakari also has a Missouri parole violation warrant for a weapons offense and should be considered armed and dangerous. JoCo Bomb Scare Threat over after Olathe bomb squad called to DMV office on Ridgeview Police are investigating. The Olathe Police Department and bomb squad are investigating a call at a Johnson County Motor Vehicle office.Authorities were called to the scene after a reported threat around 11:15 a.m.Police worked to evacuate the office and requested assistance from the Olathe Fire Department bomb squad.Authorities were on scene for nearly an hour before allowing people back into the office. Anybody who has lived in this town for more than a few days knows that the weekend hosts gunfire from across the metro.Moreover, let's not ignore the fact that crime is ramping up amid warmer weather and worsening economic conditions for the working poor. Here's a quick recap of some of the top crime stories we're watching . . .Developing . . . 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. The 22nd Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of senior officials and Experts (ICE) for West Africa concluded in Liberia on 10 May 2019. It was held under the theme, Demographic dynamics for sustainable development in West Africa: challenges and policy measures. Organised by the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa (SRO-WA) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Government of Liberia, this ICE session is expected to come up with solid recommendations on economic and social development issues facing the continents most populous region. Delegates discussed recent regional and international developments likely to impact economic and social development in West African countries; identify major challenges and to propose policy guidelines to help accelerate sustainable development in the sub-region. Liberias Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel D. Tweah Jr, lauded the ECA for its continuous support to Liberia and the sub-region, especially in pursuit of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals and Africas Agenda 2063. I hope that strong recommendations in terms of education, agriculture and finances will be made by the participants at this important meeting. These recommendations should also be available at the level of our parliaments so that they have an impact on national polices, the Minister said. He said such recommendations should not only be the preserve of the annual Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development but trickle down to lawmakers and others for maximum benefit. For his part, Director of the ECA in West Africa, Bakary Dosso, said three reasons justify choosing the theme of this meeting. First, it is a strategic choice. Demographic Dynamics for Development is the new area of specialization of the ECA Sub regional Office for West Africa. Secondly, the West African region is at the forefront of issues related to population dynamics and development. Lastly, the current momentum. There is a worldwide agenda to identify and seize the windows of opportunity of demographic dividend in Africa, he said. Mr. Dosso said the region was in 2018 home to 377 million people or 30 percent of Africas population. He said the most populated region of the continent was growing at a pace of 2.7 percent per annum, adding this will double every 25 years. Out of an estimated population of 377 million in 2018, just over 200 million or 53.5 percent of the people live below the national poverty line demonstrating the magnitude of the challenges facing the region, said the Director. Accordingly, he said that countries in the sub-region need to reform their macroeconomic and financial frameworks; invest in human capital; tackle infrastructure deficits; and improve the business climate to positively and sustainably reverse trends. Mr. Dosso said the success lies in the ability of the national leadership to execute on time, to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the different agendas to which it has committed for the transformation of their respective countries and continent. He said institutional capacity for evaluation and monitoring of development agendas has been identified as one of the missing links in development processes in West Africa. The Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Liberia, Pa Lamin Beyai, said: The challenges we face as a sub-region are immense. But the United Nations, working as one in each of your countries, is ready to support you to benefit from the demographic dividend. For that to happen, the progress made in regional integration needs to be sustained in the short, medium, and long terms to ensure that our youthful population is a true force for development, peace, and security. The Intergovernmental Committee of Experts meets annually with high-level decision-makers from member States to discuss economic and social performance and make relevant recommendations. In this light, participants reviewed statutory reports prepared by the Secretariat. They also reviewed the reports on Implementing the SRO-WA Work Program in 2018 and prospects for 2019; Regional Profile of West Africa; and Progress in Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in West Africa. This ICE session was preceded by an ad hoc expert group meeting from 6 to 7 May 2019, on the theme: National capacities and mechanisms in evaluating progress in the implementation of agendas 2030 and 2063: assessment, challenges and prospects in West Africa. Delegates from the 15 West African States as well as senior representatives and experts from the ECOWAS, Union Economique et Monetaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA), the Mano River Union (UFM), and other intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) of the Sub-Region attended the ICE. In addition to ECA experts, representatives of other UN agencies, partners, NGOs, development and research institutions were also in attendance. National capacities and mechanisms for assessing progress in the Implementation of Agendas 2030 and 2063: State of play, challenges and prospects in West Africa The purpose of this study was to analyse the capacities and mechanisms of the fifteen (15) West African countries to assess progress in the implementation of the 2030 and 2063 agendas. The aim was to take stock of the capacities of the national statistical systems, the organisation of the monitoring and evaluation system for the 2030 and 2063 agendas, identify the major challenges and propose recommendations for improving the system. At the end of the analysis, the following main messages deserve to be highlighted. At the level of the National Statistical Systems: Overall, the National Statistical Systems (NSS) in West Africa are relatively well organized with the NSIs as a central structure with a primary producer role. All countries also have a legal framework for statistical activity. NSS in all countries also have Statistical Master Plans, which are essential strategic planning tools for effective statistical activity. In addition, most master plans include a plan for strengthening statistical production and staff training that builds the capacity of statistical staff. In terms of statistical data quality, West African countries have the most significant deficiencies in the regularity and accessibility of statistical data. With regard to regularity in particular, on average, 52.3% of the main data collection operations do not respect the prescribed production deadlines. In some countries, the rate of non-regularity exceeds two thirds (2/3) of the main collection operations. For some collection operations, relatively long delays are noted, sometimes exceeding 100% of the prescribed deadlines. Given the low level of regularity of major data collection operations in countries, there is a significant risk that a relatively large proportion of the SDG and Agenda 2063 indicators may not be regularly reported, which would compromise the timely and regular reporting. On average in the 10 countries analysed, more than half of the indicators are at risk of not being reported due to a lack of regularity. In almost all countries, production structures have significant deficiencies in terms of professional statisticians. 8 out of 10 countries consider that they do not have sufficient statistical professionals to effectively meet the need for statistical production for the monitoring and evaluation of the SDGs, including Agenda 2063. On average, the number of statisticians per 100,000 inhabitants is 2.88 compared to a European average of about 15 statisticians per 100,000 inhabitants. National statistical data production and dissemination structures have limited knowledge of new data collection, processing and dissemination techniques data collection by tablet/smartphone (CAPI) and online data collection using web tools (CAWI). Of the 10 countries examined, 8 have unsatisfactory knowledge of online data collection using web tools. The autonomy of countries in financing statistics is weak. Indeed, in almost all countries, most of the main data collection operations are financed mainly from external resources, giving the impression that statistics are not a priority in West African countries. Generally, States commitments to finance statistics are not respected. This argument is supported by the low disbursement rates of NSO budgets, some of which are below 50% in some years. Very few West African countries have statistical development funds, which contributes to increased instability and irregularity in the resources allocated to statistical financing. Closing the statistical data gap to ensure that the 232 SDG indicators, including Agenda 2063, are properly reported will require relatively large amounts of funding ranging from 340 thousand to 280 million US dollars depending on the country. At the level of the institutional monitoring and evaluation system: Please enter the email address associated with your User account. Your username will be emailed to the email address on file. Please enter the email address associated with your User account. Your username will be emailed to the email address on file. Please enter the email address for your account. A verification code will be sent to you. Once you have received the verification code, you will be able to choose a new password for your account. Please enter the email address for your account. A verification code will be sent to you. Once you have received the verification code, you will be able to choose a new password for your account. The United Kingdom is in the process of extricating itself from the European Union, a comprehensive and well-functioning common market. As a result, it will be required to re-invent its own trade governance regime. The immediate concern is that there is no deal yet about exiting the EU. We do not yet know what Brexit means. Only once the Withdrawal Agreement is agreed and an orderly exit from the EU has been achieved, will negotiating a new deal about future trade with the EU (the UKs biggest trading partner) be possible. To provide for preferential trade post-Brexit, the UK will need to conclude new agreements with more than 40 countries with which the EU has such arrangements, and from which the UK benefited as an EU member. The UK government is looking to roll-over existing trade benefits, but this may prove to be a complicated matter. Until the content of a final Brexit deal is known, there will be no certainty as to what must be rolled over and when. Eventually Brussels will have to agree with whatever is negotiated with the UK in order to ensure compatibility with the existing Economic Partnership Agreements. In terms of what international arrangements and domestic rules will UK-African trade then be conducted? This Trade Brief discusses some of the legal concerns. Readers are encouraged to quote and reproduce this material for educational, non-profit purposes, provided the source is acknowledged. All views and opinions expressed remain solely those of the author and do not purport to reflect the views of Move over royal baby, there's an infant two-toed sloth in town. While much of the world appears to be going bonkers for the latest royal baby, the ZSL London Zoo is celebrating an equally impressive birth: A delightfully adorable two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus), born to mom Marilyn. In true sloth fashion, the pregnancy was a slow one, lasting for almost a year. On the plus-side of such a long pregnancy, however, is that once they're ready to enter the world, baby sloths are already pretty well developed, claws and all. Sloths have a long gestation period so the infants are already physically well-developed when theyre born. Incredibly, this means they are able to eat solid food right away. The baby is growing fast and is very inquisitive using its nose to sniff around for food, says ZSL sloth keeper Steve Goodwin. (Note to self: In next life, come back as a sloth keeper.) The sex of the baby remains unknown, but it has been given the lovely name of Elio, a Spanish name which comes from "Helios the sun god," following the baby's sunset birth. While I admit that I have long been averse to the idea of animals in captivity in any capacity, given how humankind is absolutely decimating nature and ruining all the natural habitat for creatures like sweet sloths ... what if it comes to pass that zoos are actually the safe places? At the very least, the conversation work that many zoos are doing at home and abroad is important. Depressingly enough, over the past few decades conservation through captive breeding has become an important tool for saving threatened species from extinction. In my "perfect world" scenario, we will WAKE UP and begin the transformative changes required to get our environment back in order. We will rewild all the land we have stolen from nature for agriculture. And maybe even, thanks to the work zoos are doing now, we will still have the animals to repopulate their native habitats. In the meantime, baby Elio's details will be included in the European Studbook (ESB) as part of a coordinated breeding programme for two-toed sloths. Hopefully one day, this precious baby sloth's descendents will be able to enjoy the slow life in the wild where they belong ... without having to worry about their home being destroyed to make room for cattle grazing. Anyway. Here is Elio having a first taste of mom's favorite food, steamed carrots. Take, that, royal baby. Nine million cars, seven U.S. states combined, or the emissions generated by heating nearly 13 million homes for the winter: That's junk mail's carbon contribution toward climate change, according to a report by ForestEthicsnow Stand.earth, The report was released as part of their campaign and petition for a Do Not Mail Registry during the early 2000s to give Americans the choice to stop receiving junk mail. Signing the petition is a good first step toward putting a stop to the 100 billion pieces of junk mail that we collectively receive each year. But since the registry has yet to become legislation -- despite the support of big names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Adrian Grenier, David Crosby, and Daryl Hannah -- here are (at least) seven ways to opt-out of receiving junk mail for good. Mark Junk Mail 'Return to Sender' and Send It Back If it's obvious that the junk mail solicitation or pre-approval doesn't need to be opened, you can just write "Return to Sender" on the envelope and drop it back in the mail. If you open it, and find that it's junk that you don't want, you can use the pre-paid return envelope often included with the mailing to send it back, along with a polite but firm request to remove you from the mailing list. Pros It's free, and doesn't take much time or effort to execute. Cons The junk mail still gets printed and mailed, so this method doesn't necessarily reduce the volume of junk, at least right away. It's also not guaranteed to get you off junk mailing lists. Contact Companies to Opt Out and Stop Junk Mail Combining a handful of actions can take a big bite out of the volume of junk mail you receive, and all it takes is some legwork and diligence. Contacting the Direct Marketing Association, calling coupon companies, and contacting the credit reporting industry to ask them each to remove your name, and other vital information, from their lists can get you started down the path to junk mail freedom. Global Stewards has a solid list of other actions worth considering. Pros It's free to opt out from these junk mail lists; the most it'll cost is a stamp if you have to send your request in writing. Cons It takes a lot of legwork -- and the willingness to do it again in a few months -- to get your name off the necessary lists (and keep it off). Be prepared to click, call, and write multiple times a year to keep the flow of junk mail to a minimum. Opt Out of Junk Mail Catalogs With Catalog Choice According to Environmental Defense, the catalog industry produces billions of copies of catalogs each year -- 59 for every man, woman, and child in the United States, according to their calculations. That's where Catalog Choice comes in. Using a process similar to a "do not call" list, they help keep unwanted catalogs from showing up at your door. Pros Another free service, and you can do it immediately online. Cons Catalog distributors are not required to comply with the opt-out list as they are with government-sponsored ones, so there's no iron-clad guarantee that you'll stem the tide of catalogs to your door. Stop Junk Mail with ProQuo ProQuo is another free online-based service that helps you remove yourself from the most-commonly used marketing and direct-mailing lists, including coupons and weekly circulars, telemarketing lists, and other directories. Pros It's free, and you have a lot of options to choose from -- which organizations get to keep your name (if you want them to), for example. You can also download and print a form to use for organizations that require a written request. Cons Though it covers many bases, ProQuo alone may not totally do the job, since there are so many junk mail avenues, so it may work best in tandem with other services. Stop Junk Mail by Opting Out with GreenDimes GreenDimes goes after direct marketing and mailing lists -- they have over 4,500 contacts they track -- on your behalf, reducing the volume of junk mail that shows up in your mailbox by up to 90 percent. Depending on whether or not you want to pay for it, they offer different levels of service: The free version offers catalog removal and do-it-yourself tools to get off various lists; the paid service offers greater control, regular monitoring, and even some trees planted on your behalf. And, GreenDimes is paying each of the first 5 million customers who sign up $1 for their trouble. Pros Three service levels -- one free, two paid -- let you choose the level of service that best fits your needs. And, the paid levels include perks like free tree-planting in your name. Cons It costs a bit of cash -- a one-time fee of either $20 or $36 -- to get the most comprehensive services. Rid Yourself of Junk Mail with 41pounds.org Pledging to cut the flow of junk to your mailbox by 80 - 95 percent, 41pounds.org takes their name from the accrued weight of all the junk mail the average adult receives each year. $41 gets you a five-year subscription to the service, which contacts 20 to 30 direct marketing and catalog companies on your behalf, instructing them to remove your name from their distribution lists. This includes almost all credit card offers, coupon mailers, sweepstakes entries, magazine offers and insurance promotions, as well as any catalogs you specify. They also include several prepaid envelopes for use when companies required a signed piece of paper to remove you from the list. Pros The subscription service goes to work for you, providing comprehensive service for an extended period; if junk mail starts showing up before your subscription is up, they'll go to bat for you. Plus, "more than 1/3" of the fee goes to support a non-profit of your choice; included on their list of supported organizations are American Forests, Trees for the Future and Friends of the Urban Forest, along with more tree-friendly and other green and community nonprofits. Cons It costs $41 -- about 68 cents per month -- to cut the junk mail down. You can do most everything 41pounds does for you, but it'll take much more time and effort than signing up with them will. Stop Junk Mail Before It Starts Take preventative action, and reduce the likelihood that you'll be overrun by junk mail. By doing things like 1. cutting back on entering sweepstakes, 2. being wary of product warranty cards (the ones that don't require a proof of purchase or receipt), and 3. avoiding signing up for in-store rewards cards, you'll have less of your personal information out there for marketers to sink their claws into. Pros It's free, easy, and your due diligence can go a long way; an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure. Cons There are no guarantees about how much you'll benefit, or how much the flood of junk mail will be reduced; still, it sure can't hurt. Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, making up about 25 percent of all mass, but it's relatively rare on Earth. And while it's technically renewable, emitted slowly as uranium decays, it's also one of the few elements light enough to literally leak off the planet. Our air tends to hold 5.2 parts per million. Having so little helium might not matter if we only used it to float balloons and distort voices. Those are two of its most well-known applications, but it also performs many other, more practical duties for humanity. And given the high demand for helium in recent years, some experts have begun worrying about shortages. Hopes are rising, however, thanks to a discovery last year of a huge helium reserve in Tanzania. A new 2017 analysis shows the field may hold even more helium than originally believed. Initially, experts estimated the size of the reserve to be about 54 billion cubic feet, or about one-third of the world's known reserves. But Thomas Abraham-James, a geologist and CEO of Helium One, tells Live Science that new measurements indicate it's more like 98 billion cubic feet nearly double the size. "This is a game changer for the future security of society's helium needs," says one of the discoverers, University of Oxford geochemist Chris Ballentine, in a statement. And on top of the stash, he adds, "similar finds in the future may not be far away." Why is helium so important? Aside from being nontoxic and chemically inert, helium has a unique combination of traits like low density, low boiling point and high thermal conductivity that make it useful for a variety of niche applications. They may not be as visible as floating balloons, but several are more important to modern life, such as: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): About 20 percent of all the helium used by humans goes to MRI, a valuable imaging technique used in medical diagnosis, analysis and research. MRI scanners feature superconducting magnets, which generate lots of heat, and they widely rely on liquid helium for cooling. Due to its low specific heat, low boiling point and low melting point, "there is no foreseen substitute for helium in this very important use," according to Geology.com. A patient undergoes an MRI scan at Argenteuil hospital in a suburb of Paris. (Photo: Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images) Keeping science cool: Liquid helium serves as a coolant in many other capacities, too, including satellites, telescopes, space probes and particle colliders like the Large Hadron Collider. Helium gas is also used in some pressure-fed rocket engines, and as a purging gas that can safely displace extremely cold liquids from fuel tanks or fuel-delivery systems without freezing. A tank of liquid helium, which is used as a coolant in many scientific instruments. (Photo: Shutterstock) Industrial leak detection: Because of the way helium rushes toward a leak, it's often used as a "tracer gas" in industrial high-vacuum or high-pressure systems, helping operators detect breaches quickly after they occur. A leak-detection machine produced by the Swedish company Kontikab. (Photo: Baravara/Wikimedia Commons) Weather balloons and blimps: Beyond party favors and parade floats, helium keeps lots of different things afloat, and without the infamous flammability of hydrogen. Helium gas is still carrying around weather balloons, for example, and it still lifts blimps used for aerial views, advertising and science. This balloon carried NASA climate-science instruments into the upper atmosphere in 2013. (Photo: NASA) Breathing gas: Helium can be blended with oxygen to create breathing gases like heliox, which is commonly used in health care as well as scuba diving. The element is well-suited for this role since it's chemically inert, has low viscosity and is easier to breathe under pressure than other gases. Scuba divers' air tanks often include some helium gas as well as oxygen. (Photo: Shutterstock) Welding: In arc welding, a process that welds materials using an electric arc, helium often serves as a shielding gas to protect materials from contamination or damage. Certain types of arc welding rely on helium as an inert shielding gas. (Photo: Photo Dudes/Flickr) Manufacturing: Thanks to its low reactivity, low density and high thermal conductivity, helium gas is also a popular protective gas in other fields, from growing silicon crystals for semiconductors to manufacturing optical fibers. Helium can help with the production of materials for semiconductors used in electronic circuits. (Photo: Shutterstock) How do we get helium? As radioactive decay releases helium in the Earth's crust, some of the gas drifts into the atmosphere, where it can float upward and even leak into space. Some also gets trapped in the crust, forming underground deposits similar to other gases like methane. That's where all the helium we use comes from. Until now, helium reserves had never been found on purpose just as a bonus during oil and natural gas drilling, and even then only in small amounts. But researchers from Oxford and Durham universities, along with a Norwegian company called Helium One, have developed a new way to search for hidden helium. And according to their report, the first use of this method has led to a "world-class" and "life-saving" discovery in the Tanzanian East African Rift Valley. The discovery in Tanzania suggests helium may lurk in other volcanic regions, too. (Photo: Shutterstock) Why is this discovery such a big deal? The researchers estimate they found about 54 billion cubic feet (BCf) of helium in just one part of the valley, which is enough to fill 1.2 million MRI scanners. And given all the things MRI can do like letting doctors non-invasively examine a patient's internal organs, monitor tumor growth, study inflammation or check on a developing fetus the relevance for health care alone seems pretty significant. "To put this discovery into perspective," Ballentine writes, "global consumption of helium is about 8 BCf per year and the United States Federal Helium Reserve, which is the world's largest supplier, has a current reserve of just 24.2 BCf. Total known reserves in the USA are around 153 BCf." On top of the helium itself, this may set the stage for more discoveries in other volcanic regions. The researchers found that volcanoes can provide the intense heat needed to release helium from ancient rocks, and linked that process to rock formations that trap the gas underground. In this part of Tanzania, volcanoes scorched helium out of deep rocks and trapped it in gas fields closer to the surface. There is a catch, though: If these "gas traps" are too close to a volcano, the helium could be diluted by volcanic gases. "We are now working to identify the 'goldilocks zone' between the ancient crust and the modern volcanoes where the balance between helium release and volcanic dilution is 'just right,'" says Diveena Danabalan, a Ph.D. student at Durham University's Department of Earth Sciences. Once that balance becomes clearer, helium could become easier to find. "We can apply this same strategy to other parts of the world with a similar geological history to find new helium resources," explains Oxford University geochemist Pete Barry, who sampled gases in the study. "Excitingly, we have linked the importance of volcanic activity for helium release with the presence of potential trapping structures, and this study represents another step toward creating a viable model for helium exploration. This is badly needed given the current demand for helium." Having more helium would be cause for celebration, but first, it's worth noting that whatever they contain, disposable party balloons aren't as benevolent as they seem. So, even if it turns out we can spare some extra helium, let's not get carried away. HAMILTON A double stabbing claimed the life of a woman in the early morning hours of Mothers Day, authorities said. The woman, in her 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene of the stabbing, which occurred at a Steward Street home in the township. Her name has not been released. A man, also in his 30s, was taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to the Mercer County Prosecutors Office. Police forced their way into the secured home and found both people suffering stab wounds, prosecutors said. Police urged the public they believe this was an isolated incident and there is no longer danger to the community. The statement did not elaborate on the circumstances of the stabbing or whether anyone is in custody. It was the townships first homicide since Matthew J. Dukes, 28, of Trenton, was shot multiple times while driving in the township in August 2018. Sundays stabbing capped a bloody week for Mercer County. Notorious felon Hamilton Morgan was arrested and charged in connection with the fatal shooting death of 30-year-old Maurice Rowe in Trenton. Another Trenton man, rapper Jamar Tucker, 36, was found shot in the head in Langhorne, Pennsylvania on Friday. The homicide being investigated by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force. Anyone with information is urge to call 609-989-6406 or email tips to MCHTFTips@MercerCounty.org. It looks like Democrats have made the mistake underworld boss Joe Profaci once made. Profaci tapped a tough guy to do his dirty work, and the guy got way outta hand. The old mob kingpin Profaci took on a nasty hood as his enforcer, a guy named Joe Gallo. Joes enthusiasm for the job soon earned him the moniker Crazy Joe. Profaci found Crazy Joe to be a handy cleanup man to have around until it became apparent Crazy Joes zeal as an enforcer made him a menace to the boss himself. Think of the Democratic Party as Joe Profaci. And think of the U.S. Dept. of Justice as Crazy Joe Gallo. Like Crazy Joe, the Dept. of Justice was the go-to enforcer when Democrats put out a contract on President Trump and started going after Trump associates one by one. But the Dept. of Justice overplayed its hand against Trump much the same way Crazy Joe eventually overplayed his hand against the boss, Profaci. In an attempted gangland coup, Crazy Joe and his faction of hoods one day took a bunch of Profaci associates as hostages. But, alas, the wily Profaci evaded the coup, slipping out of town. If youre gonna kill the king, they say, make damn sure you get the job done. Crazy Joe didnt. As a result, he was forced to reckon with the Mafias all-powerful national commission. In similar fashion, an upper-level cabal of partisan bureaucrats at the Dept. of Justice and elsewhere in the Deep State made its move against Trump. But, just like Crazy Joe Gallo, the cabal fumbled the job of taking down the king. The Dept. of Justice cabal tapped Robert Mueller Deep State insider extraordinaire to nail Trump. But Trump, alas, slipped through Muellers net, just like Profaci slipped through Crazy Joes. Contrary to nearly two years of hearsay-laden New York Times/Washington Post news columns and the fulltime hysteria of CNN and MSNBC, there was concedes Mueller himself no Trump/Putin collusion in the 2016 election. Absolutely none. Furthermore, Mueller declined to pursue obstruction charges after his 22-month-long, $30-million-plus probe, during which Trump turned over millions of documents and allowed aides to give hundreds of hours of testimony without any limitations regarding executive privilege. Upon close reading, the 448-page Mueller report goes further than merely concluding that that there was insufficient evidence to make a case of collusion. The Mueller report declares a total absence of such evidence, not merely an insufficiency of it. (For a rigorously objective assessment of the Mueller report, check out The Intercept online. The Intercept emphatically is NOT a right-wing outlet. More often than not, its described as far left. But The Intercept is fearless in letting the disturbing facts speak for themselves in matters regarding the interloping shenanigans of the Deep State bureaucracy.) As Crazy Joe Gallo had to answer to the Mafias national commission after making his move on Profaci and bungling the job, so now Democrats and the Deep State cabal, having bungled the job of toppling Trump, find themselves facing the prospect of answering to forces no less powerful than the Mafia commission. Democrats and their Deep State pals may now have to give an accounting of their actions to a bipartisan posse of lawmen, including: William Barr, Attorney General, the new top lawman in town, his badge pinned on his chest by Trump. Michael E. Horowitz, a meticulous Dept. of Justice Inspector General, his badge pinned on his chest by President Obama. John Huber, U.S. Attorney for Utah, his badge likewise pinned on his chest by Obama and now deputized with additional investigative authority by the Barr-run Dept. of Justice. Barr has let it be known hes ready to crack open such potential cans of worms as how the Deep State bureaucracy obtained far-reaching approval from a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court to snoop on the Trump presidential campaign. Did a FISA court grant this snooping approval based mainly or maybe entirely on a flimsy dossier provided by Russian sources? Did the court issue surveillance warrants based on a dubious, dirty-politics document financed by the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and Democratic National Committee? Tentative answer: Sure looks like it. IG Horowitz also is scrutinizing unsettling questions of how a FISA court came to give the nod to what seems to have been a nakedly partisan, untethered, innuendo-driven, leak-sprinkled, Trump-Putin collusion probe a witch hunt, as Trump himself mocked it. As for U.S. Attorney Huber out in Utah, he has been authorized to sniff around the smelly circumstances surrounding the U.S.-authorized sale of scarce American uranium mining assets to Russia. (Get that? Russia! Speak of suspected collusion!) Tens of millions of dollars from foreign parties with a stake in the uranium deal flowed into the coffers of the Clinton Foundation, after the deal had worked its way through the State Department approval apparatus, which was controlled by then-Secretary of State Clinton. And a Russian investment bank with a stake in the uranium deal and ties to Putin paid Bill Clinton $500,000 for a single Moscow speech. Russia collusion, anybody? Helloooo. Democrats and their media pals created an obstreperous ruckus over the Mueller-debunked Trump/Putin collusion hooey. Theyre hardly in any position now to insist that the legal authorities ignore rancid-smelling odors wafting from the other side of the political fence. If we are to be fastidious in drawing an intricate line against obstruction of justice as Democrats have noisily insisted regarding Trump then what are we to make of the 30,000-plus, subpoenaed emails that Hillary Clinton took extraordinary steps to obliterate, using BleachBit computer-disc eraser and other means to make sure they could never, ever be recovered? Helloooo.obstruction! What are we to make of the fact that Hillary Clinton used an off-the-official-grid, unsecured email system a system such as she had warned her State Department underlings, in writing, that it would be improper for them to use and that they would face serious consequences if they did? Might not her email arrangements in defiance of her own directive have been, at a minimum, a flagrant violation of provisions of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, if not something of far more serious legal consequence involving the criminal code? And inasmuch as President Obama communicated with Clinton on that unauthorized, off-the-grid, unsecured email system, was he himself in on a ruse to evade the law? By the way, while were posing squirmy questions, what did Obama know about the legally dubious efforts to snoop on the Trump campaign? What did he know and when did he know it? Democrats and their Deep State bureaucracy henchmen made their bid to take out Trump and flubbed it. Now their overdue days of reckoning may be approaching. If they now sound just a tad desperate in their shrill attacks on Attorney General Barr, well, who can blame them? They should have heeded the tale of Joe Profaci and Crazy Joe Gallo. Receiving Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, who is also Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) of the Parliament of India, in Hanoi on May 11, PM Phuc voiced his belief that the visit will contribute to maintaining high political trust and boosting collaboration in all spheres between the two countries. Vice President Naidu appreciated Vietnams efforts and contributions to religious and Buddhist activities, believing that the 16th UN Day of Vesak hosted by the country would be a success. The leaders agreed to maintain the exchange of all-level delegations and meetings, people-to-people exchanges and existing cooperation mechanisms. They emphasised the importance of bilateral cooperation in defence and security. PM Phuc proposed India continue assisting Vietnam in human resource training, boosting collaboration between the two armies and sharing experience in UN peacekeeping operations. Both leaders held that economic and trade cooperation remains a pillar in bilateral relations and agreed to lift the two-way trade value to US$15 billion in the time to come. They consented to consider the opening of the Indian market for Vietnams longan, grapefruit, rambutan and durian, and allowing Indias pomegranate, grapes and millet to enter the Vietnamese market. The leaders highlighted the need for intensifying collaboration in other fields such as development cooperation, information technology, science-technology, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. The leaders pledged to create favourable conditions for Vietjet, Indigo and other airlines to soon launch direct air routes connecting the two nations. PM Phuc and Vice President Naidu exchanged opinions on regional and international issues of mutual concern and agreed to maintain close coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums, particularly within the framework of the United Nations. Regarding the East Sea issue, both leaders agreed upon the importance of peace, stability, as well as safety, security and freedom of aviation and navigation, and settlement of disputes through peaceful measures, respecting international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and soon completing an effective Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 12 In a bizarre move, AAP candidate Harmohan Dhawan has written to the Election Commission urging it to get a case registered against the Congress and the BJP candidates for not fulfilling the promises made by them to the residents in last elections. Dhawan said: The promises, including allowing need-based changes in residential, commercial and industrial buildings; withdrawing misuse and violation notices, filling vacant jobs in Chandigarh, ownership rights to property owners, regularisation of contractual employees and shifting of dumping ground from Dadu Majra, are among the promises which were not fulfilled by Bansal. Dhawan has said Bansal misled people by seeking votes on false promises. The letter further mentions that Kirron Kher, sitting MP and BJP candidate, had fulfilled none of the 60 promises she made in her last manifesto. Dhawan has mentioned both candidates have failed to perform and nothing has been done by them. Hence, they have committed an offence under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code on account of false assurances, declarations and criminal breach of trust. Therefore, an FIR may kindly be registered against both the candidates, he says in the letter. editorial@tribune.com Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 12 The Election Commission has issued another show-cause notice to BJP candidate Kirron Kher for an alleged violation of the model code of conduct. The notice was issued after Congress counsel Pankaj Chandgothia yesterday filed a complaint pointing out the use of children in the BJP election campaign. According to the complaint, the District BJP president, Naresh Arora, was seen doing election propaganda in favour of the BJP, PM Modi and Kirron Kher with the help of children. While the children were holding posters of Kirron Kher, Arora was asking them to raise slogans in favour of the BJP and PM Modi. This is the second time that Kher has been issued a notice for the same offence Earlier also, the BJP candidate had been warned against this type of activity, which is a violation of instructions of the Supreme Court and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and the norms of the Election Commission. Kher has been asked to file a reply within 24 hours. In the notice, the EC has stated that while Kher assured the commission that she would direct the party leaders not to repeat the act, but this happened despite that. In the notice, the EC has quoted the order of the NCPCR that no political party can use children for election campaigning in any form. Kher had earlier tendered an apology for the violation and assured the EC that such types of activities would not happen again. In the earlier viral video, children are seen wearing PM Modis mask and shouting slogan of Ab Ki Bar Modi Sarkar after making an appeal to vote for Kher. The BSP candidate, Parveen Tank, had also been warned by the Election Commission against the use of children in campaigning. editorial@tribune.com Tribune news service Chandigarh, May 12 While replying to a notice of the Election Commission (EC), Panjab University (PU) has clarified that it has no role in the seminar held at the university where the alleged violation of the code of conduct was reported. The reply was today filed by the Registrar of PU to the EC that had issued the notice on a complaint filed by the Congress yesterday. The local unit of the Congress had pointed out a violation of the model code of conduct by the ruling party and its candidate Kirron Kher in making election propaganda in favour of the BJP and PM Modi at an educational institution on May 8 without informing or taking the permission of the EC. According to the complaint, RSS leader Indresh Kumar gave a long and adulatory speech singing praises for PM Modi and his government at an event held at Golden Jubilee Hall of PU. At the programme, titled No more Pakistan, the RSS ideologue said the BJP would form the government again in 2019. He also said there was nothing wrong in PM Modi calling former PM Rajiv Gandhi corrupt. The Registrar said the event was not organised by the PU and there was no involvement of the university. The university, as per practice, does not interfere in the conference conducted by the outsiders, especially regarding the speakers, participants and the audience. The booking for the hall was done by the Forum for Awareness of National Security and the university did not know the speakers. The university was approached by the forum for the booking of the Golden Jubilee Hall for the conference on national security and it was booked following the proper procedure and taking the requisite fees. Air Marshal Brijesh D Jayal (retd) Air Marshal Brijesh D Jayal (retd) Former Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Air Command When appointment to the post of Chief in any of the armed forces is made, there is much debate on whether the government has adhered to the tradition of seniority and, if not, then allegations and counter-allegations fly thick and fast. This leaves the moral fabric of the forces weakened and shows the government of the day in a poor light. While meekly sticking to the seniority route may be the governments alibi for appearing to be fair and objective and avoiding controversy, the impact of such a lazy approach on the national security firmament merits a closer look. There can be no dispute that while selecting individuals for highest-level military appointments, the system should be objective and fair and, to the extent possible within the defence ministry, transparent. It is important, however, that these attributes should not relate to an individuals interest but to that of the service concerned and, more importantly, to the security interests of the nation. It is this conflict between personal interest and the larger national one that lies at the heart of the seniority versus merit debate. Occasions in the past when the seniormost contenders for the post of Chief have been overlooked have invariably been accompanied by whispers of lobbying, favouritism, political interference or even seniority being contrived. In large parts, such criticism was not devoid of merit. Not surprisingly, absent of any extraneous interests, the governments would prefer to choose the principle of seniority. If recent events, however, were any indicator, it would now appear that the government has chosen to bite the bullet and opt for merit over seniority. If this assessment is indeed true, then it augurs well for the health of the armed forces and the nations security interests. When the current Army Chief was appointed late in 2016, there was considerable criticism in the media on the government having bypassed two of his distinguished colleagues, both of whom were senior in service. Recently, when the successor to the present Navy Chief, who lays down office at the end of May 2019, was announced, bypassing a senior colleague, the latter approached the Armed Forces Tribunal, questioning his supersession. A media report now mentions that the government has set in motion the process of deep selection from among five contenders for succeeding the present Air Chief, who relinquishes office in September. Being the election season, tongues are even wagging on linkages to the political controversy surrounding the Rafale procurement. For a greater understanding of the subject, it is perhaps useful to look at the armed forces rank structure, which resembles a steep pyramid with a base of some 42,000 Army, 10,000 Navy and 12,000 IAF officers, and a pinnacle of one in each service. To traverse this through eight ranks, the promotion system, of necessity, centres largely on the principle of merit over seniority. As one approaches still higher ranks, and the pyramid gets steeper, aspects like employability also become important criteria, indicating that not just past performance, but experience and potential to fill specific demands of higher-level appointments and responsibilities also come into play. With such a highly competitive promotion system, those who do make it to the three-star-rank posts are already the cream of the force, yet those eligible must then compete for elevation to a commanders post against stiff merit-based criteria. It is on the shoulders of these commanders that the war-fighting potential of the nation resides and it is only fair that the nation chooses the very meritorious for this task. And finally, it is from among the top few commanders that a Chief is selected and whilst experience as operational commander is a pre-requisite for eligibility, many more military attributes and personal qualities become relevant to do justice to leading a force and being the top military adviser to the government. As long as such requirements are objectively defined, it is fair to say that among the handful of commanders from whom the Chief is selected, it is well nigh impossible for two being equal and hence any conflict on the final choice. If now a lobby promoting seniority over merit rears its head, clearly this has more to do with individual interests, overriding national security ones. The pool of commanders from which a selection is made is already a highly rated lot and being passed over for this final lap in no way diminishes their worth. Indeed, this is not a case of supersession, but of the best man winning. Having given the bogey of seniority a burial, there remains a question of fairness and bi-partisan political consensus of the process through which a service Chief is appointed. While it should be the responsibility of the MoD to take care of the former by unambiguously defining the criteria for the top slot, it is the latter that has so far been absent in our parliamentary system and judging by the highly polarised political climate, this step assumes significance. While it is the prerogative of the government to announce its choice, it would be in the fitness of things if an Empowered Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence gives consent to the governments choice through a confidential meeting and discussion with the Chief-designate. The US example, where the President with the advice and consent of the Senate makes such appointments is certainly worth emulating. This will not only demonstrate the maturity of our republics civil-military relations, but also bury the unfortunate whisper campaigns that surround many a Chiefs elevation. sanjiv@tribunemail.com The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) can pat itself on its back for having achieved a feat that has been dodging it for decades. Beleaguered by the persistent dismal performances by schools in the board exams, its efforts to improve the teaching standards have finally borne results this year. With a pass percentage of 88.21 in Class X exams, government schools in the state are for the first time in 30 years ahead of the private ones. Behind this huge leap from last years pass percentage of 58 is the year-long strengthening of the schools, training and monitoring of the staff by the Punjab Government. Cracking the whip on low performers, the education department in April last had issued notices to 200 teachers seeking an explanation for their classes extremely poor results. While this had the desired effect of spurring the staff to show results, the departments parallel programme called Padho Punjab Padhao Punjab paid dividends as it bolstered the teaching imparted in regular classes. The main force that propelled the performance graph up was the recruitment of 3,000 teachers exclusively for the border area schools. That this gap was rightly identified by the department as the bane of the poor children of this region and promptly filled is evident from some dramatic results: three rural schools of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Pathankot today proudly boast of over-90 pass percentage, up from last years abysmal 2. However, after congratulating itself, it would be advisable for the PSEB to not slip into complacency. It needs to keep up the effort. The boards real success would be when parents vie with one another to admit their wards in government schools. Innovative approaches to reforming the sector are required. Along with keeping the teachers satisfied, rather than on the path of agitation, tapping in NGOs and volunteers for supplementing teaching can prove beneficial. There is a need to ensure that the students who pass out have not just crammed the subjects, unable to do the math or speak the language learnt. They have to be equipped to analyse and think critically, so that they are employable and ready to take on the world. sanjiv@tribunemail.com IN the run-up to the final leg of the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress has gone into the damage-control mode over a remark by Sam Pitroda, the party's overseas wing chief. Pitroda, a long-time confidant of the Gandhi family, said hua to hua while referring to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The insensitive comment came just three days ahead of voting in Delhi and Haryana and less than a fortnight before Punjab and Chandigarh go to the polls. Top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Capt Amarinder Singh, have been unsparing in their criticism of the party colleague, but this has not helped to pacify the Sikh community or quieten rival parties. The Congress has never been able to wash away the stain of the 1984 violence, even though the party picked a Sikh as Prime Minister for two successive terms. Incidentally, it was Manmohan Singh himself, not the Gandhis, who had apologised in Parliament in 2005 for the colossal tragedy. The partys reluctance to expel leaders accused of inciting mobs has been another stumbling block. The controversy has given the ruling BJP fresh fodder and a new slogan (hua to hua) to target the main Opposition party in general and the Gandhis in particular. The saffron party is itself tainted by the 2002 Gujarat riots, but it considers itself entitled to taking the moral high ground with regard to the 1984 carnage. Indeed, the NDA government has been instrumental in fast-tracking cases of anti-Sikh riots and awarding compensation to the victims. However, the partys governments at the Centre and in Gujarat have not shown similar urgency in the cases of victims of the post-Godhra communal violence. Bilkis Bano, a riot survivor, approached the Supreme Court and got justice recently after the state government failed to help her rebuild her shattered life. If politicians really care about riot victims, they should first shun double standards. The least they can do is to avoid irresponsible utterances on issues of such emotive import. harinder@tribunemail.com Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 12 Braving hot weather, 69.74 per cent of the 1.8 crore electorate cast their votes in Haryana, which went to polls under the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections today. With 74.08 per cent polling, Sirsa topped the table, followed by Kurukshetra (72.70 per cent) and Bhiwani-Mahendragarh (69.86). Faridabad witnessed the lowest turnout at 64.70 per cent. The overall polling, however, is lower than the last two Lok Sabha polls. In 2014, the poll percentage was 71.45 per cent. Polling by and large remained peaceful, though there were reports of minor skirmishes between supporters of parties in Fatehabad, Nuh in Mewat, Sirsa and Gurugram. Congress sitting MP Deepender Hooda accused Minister of State for Cooperatives Manish Kumar Grover of booth capturing and voter intimidation in Rohtak. In a written complaint, Deepender, in the fray from his home turf Rohtak for a fourth straight victory, demanded registration of a criminal case against Grover, who was directed to remain in office till the voting gets over. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, former CM and Congress candidate from Sonepat Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Union ministers Rao Inderjit Singh, Krishan Pal Gurjar and Birender Singh and Indian skipper Virat Kohli were among the early voters in the state. State Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, INLD leader Abhay Chautala and JJP candidate Dushyant Chautala voted in Sirsa. In Ambala, a groom cast his vote before solemnising his marriage. Voters whose birthday falls on May 12 were made voting ambassadors. A large number of women came out to vote at tastefully decorated Sakhi Matdan Kendras, run by women in each Assembly segment. Not a single vote was polled in Bakli village of Rohtak seat because the villagers had boycotted the poll to press their demands. editorial@tribune.com Sunit Dhawan and Ravinder Saini Tribune News Service Rohtak, May 12 Haryanas political capital Rohtak witnessed high-voltage political drama on the polling day, with leaders of the Congress and BJP having heated altercations and levelling allegations of illegal entry into polling booths and intimidating voters against each other. Taking action on the complaint filed by the Congress, the election authority restricted Haryana Minister of State for Cooperatives Manish Grovers movement and asked him to remain in his office until the end of the voting while the police arrested history-sheeter Ramesh Lohar along with his accomplice and recovered from them bamboo sticks, 15 live cartridges and two fake number plates. The police registered a case under Sections 188, 34, 420 and 483 of the IPC and Sections 25, 54, 59 of the Arms Act against them. Earlier, Congress nominee Deepender Hooda, who is also incumbent MP, and former Rohtak MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra, accused Grover of intimidating and threatening the electors at various polling booths in the city. They also charged him with illegally entering the booths along with musclemen, including Ramesh Lohar, with the intention of capturing the booths. They also filed a written complaint with the Returning Officer (RO) and demanded registration of an FIR against Grover besides restraining him from going to booths. Out of arrogance of power, Grover along with musclemen and black cat commandos is freely going inside polling booths in the city and intimidating voters. The law says he cannot enter the polling booth, said Deepender. Deepender also put the police administration in the dock, claiming that the police officials deputed at the booths remained mute spectators despite getting complaints against Grover and his musclemen. I got phone calls from our workers that the minister along with a known criminal Ramesh Lohar and other musclemen had illegally entered booths on the premises of Bharat Kanya Senior Secondary School in Rohtak. He intimidated voters, yet the administrative and police officials did not intervene, claimed Batra. The Congress leader said on receiving the calls, he went to the said polling centre and confronted the minister. I asked him by what authority had he entered the polling station, and an altercation broke out between us. Following that, we lodged a complaint with the Returning Officer, he stated. Deepender alleged that the minister went to Booth No.145 in Rohtak town in a cavalcade of 8-10 cars, including vehicles without number plates, along with commandos, Ramesh Lohar and 18-20 other anti-social elements. On the other hand, Minister Grover asserted that he was sitting at his office when he was informed that former Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra, Rohtak Bar Association president Lokender Singh Phogat, alias Jojo, and their aide Balraj, alias Balley, were intimidating voters at a polling station. Grover brushed aside the allegations as the Congress partys attempt to defame him in the face of an imminent defeat. The BJPs legal cell lodged a complaint against Batra and his supporters, accusing them of forcing the voters to cast their votes in favour of the Congress. 15 live cartridges, fake number plates seized Taking action on the complaint filed by the Congress, the election authority restricted Minister Manish Grovers movement and asked him to remain in his office until the end of the voting while the police arrested history-sheeter Ramesh Lohar along with his accomplice and recovered from them bamboo sticks, 15 live cartridges and two fake number plates. Grover refutes allegations, BJP lodges plaint BJP Minister Grover brushed aside the allegations as the Congress party. I went to the booth on getting information that Batra and his supporters were creating problems for the voters there, he said. The BJPs legal cell lodged a complaint against Batra and his supporters, accusing them of forcing the voters to cast their votes in favour of the Congress. Minister had offered guns, money during MC poll Haryana minister Manish Grover had courted a controversy during the recent municipal elections as well, when he had offered guns, money and gunmen to the villagers while he was campaigning for a BJP candidate contesting for the post of municipal councillor. editorial@tribune.com Ambika Sharma Tribune News Service Nahan, May 12 BJP president Amit Shah today said they will not compromise with the security of the nation and reiterated the partys resolve to scrap Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir if voted to power again. Optimistic of the party coming back to power, Shah said Narendra Modi will be elected once again as the Prime Minister as he had the blessings of the 1.25 billion people of the country. He said even if they do not remain in power they will ensure that Kashmir remained an integral part of the country. While addressing a poll rally at Nahan in Shimla Lok Sabha seat, Shah said Congress had belied the hopes of the ex servicemen by failing to implement the one rank, one pension scheme despite remaining in power for 55 years. He said four generations of the Gandhi family had failed to grant the ex-servicemen their due and they had redefined the OROP as Only Rahul Only Priyanka. Shah said the people were awaiting a strong government since 1990 which could give a befitting reply to the terrorists as well as to Pakistan which meted atrocities to our soldiers. Referring to Balakot air strikes, Shah said though the whole nation lauded the bravery of the soldiers the Congress mourned this achievement as it was fearful that its vote bank would be eroded. He noted that Himachal was Modis own state where immense development had taken place and the Central funding was available in the 90:10 ratio. He also dwelt on the developmental initiatives of the state government led by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. He said though the Congress had remained in power for 55 years it remained indifferent to the plight of the poor which suffered under their regime. Reminding the people that Modi had special attachment to the people of the state, Shah elaborated on the key Central projects like national highways, IIM, medical college, Rohtang tunnel, NDRF, etc., given to the state. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rajiv Bindal, Shimla seat nominee Suresh Kashyap, were among those present on the occasion. rchopra@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Shimla, May 13 It was a journey down memory lane as Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat visited St Edwards School here during his visit to Himachal Pradesh on Monday. General Rawat, a pass-out of the 1972-73 batch, visited three classrooms and the physics laboratory and had a brief interaction with the students. He replied to the queries of students and motivated them to join the Army. I am very impressed by the turnout and drill of NCC cadets and wish you all the success, he wrote in the visitors book. Gen Rawat, accompanied by wife Madhulika Rawat, spent an hour and a half on the school premises and talked about his involvement in Naxal operations in Assam. Replying to a question that was it the family pressure or his passion for the army that inspired him to join the armed forces, the Army chief said there were few avenues back in the 1970s and he was always motivated by the men in uniform. laxmi@tribune.com Bhanu P Lohumi Tribune News Service Shimla, May 13 Mayo Block of the historic Grand Hotel, housing Holiday Home of the Central government, was gutted in a fire that broke out past midnight here today. Fire tenders were rushed from the Mall Road, Chhota Shimla, and Boileaugang fire stations, but shortage of water hampered the operations as there was no pressure in the hydrants. Tall flames were visible from various parts of the town, as the hotel is located on a crest, close to Kali Bari temple, about 200 m from Scandal Point, adjoining the historic Bantony heritage building. Mayo Block was a VVIP wing of Holiday Home, and was recently renovated and lavishly furnished. It is usually fully occupied on week-ends, but fortunately as the building was under renovation, there was no guest. The fire broke out around 12.50 am and a police patrol informed the fire station. Shimla Deputy Commissioner Rajeshwar Goel, who reached the spot along with SP Omapati Jamwal and Municipal Commissioner Pankaj Rai, said firemen, police and the army assisted in dousing the fire, and it was not allowed to spread to other buildings. No employee of Grand Hotel was available, and police had to break open the main gate to enter the premises. Had employees of the hotel arrived in time and informed us that there was a huge overhead water tank, the building could have been saved, firemen said. The cause of fire could not be immediately ascertained. The fire was brought control around 3 am but the debris was still smouldering. editorial@tribune.com Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Chamba, May 12 National president of the BJP Amit Shah on Sunday urged people to vote keeping in mind the issue of national security. Accusing the Congress of supporting separatists, Amit Shah said Modi, during his five-year tenure, had made the country safer. Addressing a rally in favour of party candidate Kishan Kapoor at Chaugan, Shah said for the Congress it was Only Rahul, Only Priyanka, whereas for the BJP the nation came first. The Congress manifesto proposes to remove Armed Forces Special Protection Act (AFSPA) and de-criminalise the law against anti-national activities to please a particular section of vote bank. In contrast, the BJP has promised to strengthen the national security and repeal Section 370 of the Constitution that gives special status to J&K, he said. Shah said but for Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the entire country was happy when India retaliated to Pulwama killings. Rahul Baba can do ilu ilu with terrorists for the fear of losing vote bank, but the BJP will never comprise with the national security, he said. Keeping in mind a large number of servicemen and ex-servicemen in Kangra parliamentary constituency, Shah said it was Narendra Modi who implemented the one rank, one pension scheme (OROP) for soldiers. Referring to Himachal as Dev Bhoomi (land of gods) and Vir Bhoomi (land of soldiers), Shah said the state was lucky for the BJP. In case the party gets all four seats, it would get absolute majority in Parliament. He listed various projects that were given to Himachal by the Narendra Modi government. These included an AIIMS in Bilaspur, a PGI satellite centre in Una, approval for Pathankot-Mandi-Leh railway line, Mandi national highway and 68 other national highways. CM Jai Ram Thakur said the Modi government had declared Chamba among the most backward districts of the country. The district remained backward as the Congress ignored it during its stint. Now, the district would receive direct funds from the Centre for development. Former CM and senior most party leader Shanta Kumar said Rs85 crore had already been sanctioned for the development of Chamba district under Aspirational District Scheme of the Centre. He assured the people of Chamba that Sikrighat cement plant would come up. Kishan Kapoor said the BJP win was guaranteed as more people were coming in nukkar sabhas of the BJP than the rallies of the Congress. He said the present state government had given 90,000 free gas connections to women in the past one year. Highlights editorial@tribune.com Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, May 12 BJP national president Amit Shah today bolstered the campaign of party candidate and Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur by heaping praises on him and stating that if people ensure his victory it was his responsibility to make him a big leader. Shah addressed an election rally in support of Thakur in Bilaspur which forms part of the Hamirpur Lok Sabha segment. Today I have come here to seek Anurags win, he is my younger brother. Make Anurag an MP, making him a big leader would be my responsibility, he urged the voters. He said he has closely seen Anurags functioning at many agitations and during elections all over the country. As all-India president of the Bhartiya Janatan Yuva Morcha, I have seen him fearlessly take on lathi lashing and water cannons while chanting Bharat Mata ki jai, he said. Aware of huge presence of retired and serving army personnel from districts of Bilaspur, Una and Hamirpur which form part of the Lok Sabha segment, Shah said the nation and its people want a strong government which can give a befitting reply to Pakistan and protect the borders of the country. During the 10-year UPA regime, Pakistan army would behead our valiant soldiers with no retaliation by India. Now with Pulwana happening Prime Minister Modi gave the army a free hand to give a befitting reply, he said. Shah added that this retaliation which got nationwide appreciation brought misery and gloom to the Congress, which instead of lauding Modi was questioning the Army action. He also said that Jammu and Kashmir is an inseparable part of India and despite utterances by Sam Pitroda and Omar Abdullah that Kashmir must have a separate PM, the BJP will never let this happen. You bring the BJP to power, we will remove Article 370 and the Congress which talks of removing AFSPA, he said. Shah said he will not just be happy with the BJP winning all the four seats in Himachal as he wants all four party candidates to win with a greater margin than last time. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur also sought votes for Anurag. Addressing the gathering, Thakur elaborated on the steps taken by the NDA regime for the army personnel and ensuring the security of the nation. laxmi@tribune.com CROP productivity is an outcome of a complex interaction between genetic, environmental and cultural management factors. Due to the consistent efforts of scientists and farmers, Punjab has witnessed an increase in the production and productivity of paddy to the tune of 45 times and 4.3 times, respectively, over the past five decades. Thus, Punjab has been contributing 30-48 per cent to the Central rice pool and playing a key role in ensuring nationwide food security. Decline in underground water table, formation of hardpan in soil, paddy straw burning and other problems are associated with paddy cultivation. Considering these issues, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, has been urging farmers for the past two decades to reduce the area under rice. However, due to yield stability, assured marketing, mechanisation and food security, the area under paddy cultivation is instead on the rise. This is putting more pressure on water resources and also resulting in a substantial increase in paddy residue. The university has directed its breeding strategies towards the development of short-duration varieties with higher per-day productivity, low paddy residue load, good milling quality characteristics and tolerance to diseases. In this direction, during the past six years, PAU has recommended a dozen parmal and basmati varieties. The short-duration varieties have been widely adopted by farmers. The area under short-duration varieties in Punjab has increased from 32 per cent during 2012 to 82 per cent during 2018. The rising popularity of these varieties has not only increased production, but also set records in terms of productivity and contribution to the Central rice pool. Boost for legislation The adoption of short-duration varieties has been a shot in the arm for the Preservation of Sub-soil Water Ordinance/Act, Punjab (2008/2009) that permitted paddy transplantation from June 10. This Act was revised (date changed to June 15) in 2014 without causing any yield handicap. Successive record yields were observed in 2016 and 2017. During these years, still shorter-duration varieties became available, offering the opportunity of shifting the date of start of transplantation further close to the onset of monsoon. The water table of the state is declining at the rate of 0.51 metre per annum. The rate of decline in the central districts (Barnala, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga and Sangrur) is over 1 metre per annum. In spite of heavy rainfall during the monsoon in 2018, the recharge of the water table in these districts is negative. The number of incidents of paddy residue fires was also higher in these districts. These districts still have sizeable area (40 to 60 per cent) under long-duration varieties (Pusa 44, Peeli Pusa etc.). Perception vs reality The selection of long-duration varieties (Pusa 44, Peeli Pusa) by farmers is associated with the perception that owing to their higher yield, these are more profitable. But this perception does not hold true when we evaluate the economics of growing these varieties by taking into account various inputs and other operations. An analysis of survey data revealed that PR121, PR126 and Pusa 44 yielded, on an average, 30.9, 30.1 and 32.6 quintals of paddy per acre, respectively. Though Pusa 44 (160 days) yielded more than PR 121 and PR126, it requires substantially higher input costs as compared to short-duration PR varieties. After taking into account all these additional costs incurred on the cultivation of Pusa 44, its net returns over PR121 and PR126 varieties were less by Rs 278 and Rs 176 per acre, respectively. If the cost of free electricity supplied to the farmers for irrigation is also included in the input costs, the net returns from PR121 and PR126 varieties will be much higher than Pusa 44. Short-duration varieties have higher per-day productivity, a bigger window between the harvesting of paddy and the sowing of rabi crops, low paddy residue load and lower cultivation cost owing to lesser use of pesticides and decreased irrigation. Treading cautiously Declining water table, negative recharge during the monsoon and more cases of burning of paddy residue in the central districts of Punjab are the key issues that should be addressed. As a result of joint efforts of extension scientists and farmers, the area under long-duration varieties reduced from 80-90 per cent during 2012 to 40-60 per cent during 2018 in these districts. But in view of a sharp decline in the water table and the challenge of paddy residue management, there is an urgent need to give up cultivation of Pusa 44, Peeli Pusa etc. Past trends show that if the area under basmati is increased beyond 5-5.5 lakh hectares, it doesnt fetch appropriate returns. This is exemplified by the production during 2014-15 and 2015-16, when the area under basmati was 8.62 and 7.6 lakh hectares, respectively, but the market price dropped to almost half of the normal rate. Last year (kharif 2018), the area under basmati was around 5 lakh hectares and farmers fetched good returns. So, farmers are cautioned not to plant too much area under basmati simply on the basis of the previous years trend. In the recent past, farmers have sown paddy in the dry seed bed, which is prepared without applying rauni (pre-sowing) irrigation. The previous years shattered seeds also germinate along with the fresh sown ones. To overcome this problem, farmers are advised to sow paddy in the fields where the crop was not sown during the previous year or should go for a stale seed bed wherein seeds and weeds are allowed to germinate by applying rauni followed by 2-3 ploughings to destroy them. Important tips Sow newly released varieties on a limited area during the first year. Do not apply second and third dose of nitrogenous fertilisers in standing water and irrigate the fields on the third day of fertiliser application. Use the chemicals and fertilisers judiciously. The use of acephate, lambda, cyper increases the attack of hoppers (kalatela). Survey the crop regularly and in case of any problem take the advice of agriculture experts. The authors are associated with Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana Please send your feedback to infocus@tribunemail.com editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 12 Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said today that 12 companies of central paramilitary force (CPMF) including the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF), would be deployed for free, fair, transparent and peaceful Lok Sabha poll in the district. Bhullar said a detailed police and security arrangement plan had been chalked out for deployment of the 12 companies of the central paramilitary force. As many as 768 CPMF personnel along with 1,810 Punjab Police personnel would be deployed on the polling day. He said elaborate police and security arrangements had been made by the Jalandhar Police Commissionerate for conducting the elections in a peaceful manner. He said of the 312 polling locations in the Commissionerate Police, 87 have been declared as vulnerable and 105 as sensitive. There are a total of 705 booths in the area of the parliamentary constituency falling in the Jalandhar Police Commissionerate. Hence, the security has been further strengthened with the joint deployment of the central paramilitary force and the Punjab police personnel round-the-clock at 123 nakas across the city. Also, preventive action has been taken against 717 criminal and anti-social elements. Besides, a fortnightly plan has been chalked out for checking of these nakas, he said. Patrolling parties of officers of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police have been deputed in four shifts daily under the supervision of one officer of the rank of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) and 36 static surveillance teams (SST) and 24 flying squad teams (FST) have been deployed which will carry out checking round-the-clock, added Bhullar. editorial@tribune.com Amit Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, May 12 The delay in the removal of at least 144 structures on the Udhampur-Ramban stretch has affected the four-laning of the Jammu-Srinagar highway. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is executing the project, said these structures were to be removed by the state government. However, despite the payment of requisite amount and regular reminders, nothing had been done so far. The delay has severely affected the pace of the project. Frequent landslides are further adding to the problem. At least 144 structures on the Udhampur-Ramban stretch are yet to be demolished, said Ajay Kumar, project director, NHAI. Work on the 55-km Udhampur-Ramban stretch was started in 2015, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the project. He had stated that the work would be completed by December 2019. However, sources said only 58.5 per cent work had been completed so far. The NHAI had now set another deadline of June 2020. The Udhampur-Chenani stretch will be completed by December this year, while work on the Nashri-Ramban route will take another six months, said Kumar. The sources said the Udhampur-Ramban-Banihal stretch had the most difficult terrain. Initially, no company was ready to undertake work. Later, it was allotted to Gammon India, one of the largest infrastructure construction companies in the country. However, the condition of the highway continued to remain miserable. Passengers travelling to the Kashmir valley from Jammu often get stuck in a traffic jam. A road trip from Udhampur to Banihal has become a nightmare. Besides damaging our vehicle, it takes four to five hours to cross the 110-km stretch of Udhampur to the Jawahar tunnel, said Shailender Singh, a taxi operator. editorial@tribune.com Vikas Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, May 12 The authorities of IIT-Jammu are in a fix following directions of the Union Human Resource Development Ministry asking the heads of six new IITs to complete the construction of their new campus within the stipulated time. The permanent campus of IIT-Jammu is to come up at Jagti in Nagrota. The Union Cabinet had on October 24, 2017, approved a Rs 7,002-crore plan for the construction of permanent campuses for six new IITs Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Palakkad (Kerala), Dharwad (Karnataka), Jammu (J&K), Bhilai (Chhattisgarh) and Goa. The deadline was fixed for March 31, 2020. However, sources said the permanent campus of IIT-Jammu was unlikely to come up by then. Owing to the slow pace of the project, local students are preferring engineering institutes, including IITs, outside the state. Harjot Singh from Jammu, said, I have cracked IIT-JEE main exam with good marks. But I have opted for Delhi Technological University (DTU) because of better infrastructure and future prospects. He said the establishment of IIT-Jammu was an added advantage for the students from the state, but looking at the current situation, they could not put their future at stake. The construction of the permanent campus was yet to begin. Even the transit campus was incomplete. It would take a long time to have a full-fledged IIT campus in the state, he added. Commodore Naresh Kumar (retd), OSD, IIT-Jammu, said tenders for the construction of the main building were likely to be issued in September. Land has been allotted for the project. The construction has been entrusted to the Central Public Works Department. He said after the completion of the tendering process, the construction would start. On security issues, the OSD said they had already take up the matter with the higher authorities. A special force would be deployed for security on the campus. For the time being, we have adequate security measures in place on the transit campus, he added. harinder@tribunemail.com Rifat Mohidin Tribune News Service Srinagar, May 12 Massive protests swept the Kashmir valley today as people demanded death sentence for the youth accused of raping a three-year-old girl in north Kashmirs Bandipora. Protests were held in Baramulla, Bandipora, Srinagar and Budgam districts, prompting the authorities to shut mobile Internet services across north Kashmir. The protesters blocked the Srinagar-Baramulla National Highway at several places, leading to massive traffic jams. The Valley has been witnessing protests ever since the child was allegedly raped by her neighbour in a school building in Shadipora, Sumbal, on May 8 evening. The suspect belongs to the same village. Days after the incident, a birth certificate issued by the school went viral on the social media, showing the suspect to be a minor. This triggered outrage as people questioned the schools authority to project the suspect as a minor when the case was under investigation. The police have detained the principal. We have formed a special investigation team, said Bandipora SSP Rahul Malik. In Srinagar, the authorities had to use force to enforce law and order. At Beerwah, Budgam, Pattan and Magam, vehicles were stranded as the protesters burnt tyres. Bandipora DC Shahbaz Mirza urged people to stay calm. Last month, a similar case was reported from Aragam village of the district. A man was arrested for allegedly raping his daughter over years. editorial@tribune.com Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 12 Servants continue to target residents. This time they struck at the house of hosiery owner at citys posh locality Gurdev Nagar from where they decamped with cash and valuables worth several lakhs. Family had gone out of station and left their new servant at home, who called his friends and committed the crime. The servant had also locked another domestic help Shayam, and Sumant, son of a driver in the room. Before locking Shayam in room, thieves also forcibly put some sedatives in his mouth. At present, he is undergoing treatment at a hospital. The servant was employed three days ago by the house owner. As servants verification was not done his exact whereabouts remain a mystery for the police. The servant identified as Surinder Bahadur was employed by the house owner on the recommendation of another domestic help Mahesh Bahadur. Mahesh had been working at the hosiery traders house from the past two-and-a-half-years. Three days ago, when Mahesh left for his native place in Nepal, he brought Surinder and told the house owner to employ him in his place. Thieves have been captured in the footage of the CCTV cameras at the house. The police is scanning the footage to get clues about the two friends of the servant. House owner Nand Kishore, who owns KS Malhotra hosiery in Mehmoodpura, said their Nepalese servant Mahesh had been working at his home for over two years. Recently, he planned to visit Nepal for two weeks, he said. Before leaving, he brought another Nepalese Surinder and vouched for him, he added. On Saturday, one of the house owners kin died. The house owner along with his wife went to attend the last rites of his relative. When they returned at around 2 pm, they found the entire house ransacked. As per the CCTV footage, Surinder called his two friends at 1.15 pm, who entered the house at 1.30 pm. Before committing the crime thy switched off set top box instead of DVR, which recorded the movement of thieves as they committed the crime. Within just 15 minutes thieves stole everything and fled from the house. The Police Division No. 5 has initiated a probe and also sent two teams to Nepal border to arrest the suspects. Apart from registering a case against key suspect Surinder, another Nepalese servant Mahesh has also been booked by the police suspecting his connivance with suspects in the crime. Major thefts at the industrial hub rchopra@tribunemail.com Ratlam, May 13 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stepped up his attack on the Congress over its leader Sam Pitrodas hua to hua (It happened, so what?) remark on the anti-Sikh riots in 1984. The remark reflected the arrogance of the opposition party, Modi said, addressing a rally at Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh. Modi said hua to hua were not just three words but reflected the arrogance of the Congress. While they (Congress leaders) were saying hua to hua, the people of the country were saying enough is enough, Modi said. These mahamilavati people are saying hua to hua, but the country is now saying mahamilavati logo, ab bohut hua (enough is enough), he said. The poor who never got pucca houses, electricity, LPG, toilets during the Congress era due to its hua to hua casual approach are now saying enough is enough, he said. Targeting the Kamal Nath government in MP over its alleged failure to implement its loan waiver promise in the state, Modi likened people to God saying, The Congress cheated God. He said the Congress had a problem saying Bharat Mata ki jai, but was happy abusing him. Modi also took a dig at Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh, who is contesting the Lok Sabha poll from Bhopal, for not casting his vote. The fourth and last phase of the general election in the state will be held on May 19. PTI uttara@tribuneindia.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 13 The trend of political parties fielding candidates with criminal charges has steadily risen between 2009 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, a new report has revealed. A report by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR)a non-governmental election watchdogbased on an analysis of affidavits of 7,928 candidates shows that one in five candidates in the 2019 general elections face serious criminal charges such as rape, murder, kidnapping, or crimes against women, among other things, the organisation, which released its report on Monday, said. The percentage of candidates with criminal charges stands at 19 per cent (1,500 candidates)up from 17 per cent in 2014 and 15 per cent in 2009. Those facing with heinous crime charges are 13 per cent (1,070 candidates), up from 11 per cent in 2014 and 8 per cent in 2009, the report says. A total of 8,049 candidates are contesting these elections. Jagdeep Chhokar, a founding member of ADR, said: There is an increasing trend in the proportion of candidates who have criminal cases against them, and everyone, including voters and political parties, needs to think why people with criminal cases are given tickets. Indian law bars a person convicted of an offence that carries a jail term of two or more years from contesting elections. An over-burdened judicial system that could take decades to try a case is the reason why politicians facing such serious charges have a free run. Of the six national parties, Communist Party of India (Marxist) tops the list with the highest percentage of candidates with criminal cases40 of 69 candidates (58 per cent) it has fielded have criminal charges against them. The party is followed by Nationalist Congress Party at 50 per cent (17 of 34 candidates); Bharatiya Janata Party at 40 per cent (175 of 433); Indian National Congress at 39 per cent (164 of 419 candidates); Bahujan Samaj Party at 22 per cent (85 of 381 candidates). The report analysed five of six recognised national parties. There is also a rise in the number of crorepatis contesting the worlds largest and most expensive electoral exerciseADR report shows that 29 per cent of the candidates have declared assets of more than Rs 1 crore, compared with 27 per cent in 2014. The percentage is as high as 83 per cent for both the ruling BJP and rival Congress, the analysis revealed. Nature of cases against candidates 56 candidates with declared convicted cases 55 candidates with cases related to murder 184 candidates with cases related to attempt to murder 126 candidates with cases related to crimes against women 47 candidates with cases related to kidnapping 95 candidates with cases related to hate speeches Other key points Increase in number of political parties contesting: 84% (677-2019, 464-2014 and 368-2009) Only 48% candidates are graduates Over 60% are below 50 years. Only 9% of candidates are women 56 candidates have declared convicted cases against them ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Anup Dutta Bhopal, May 12 The Bhopal Lok Sabha seat recorded 65.33 per cent voter turnout till 8 pm here on Sunday. In 2014, it had recorded 57.79 per cent turnout. In Bhopal, Congress veteran Digvijay Singh is locked in a battle with BJP candidate and 2008 Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur. The seat has been held by the BJP since 1989. The Congress wants to regain the seat after 30 years. Digvijay Singh could not cast his vote as he is a registered voter of his hometown Raghogarh in the Rajgarh LS seat, nearly 150 km from the state capital. He was spotted in Jehangirabad area in the morning, visiting party poll agents deployed outside the polling booths. Thakur exercised her franchise in Rivera Town area in the state capital. Singh (72) and Pargya (49) are banking on 19.5 lakh voters. Of these, nearly 4 lakh are Muslims, 4.5 lakh backward, OBC (depressed classes), 2 lakh Brahmins, 2 lakh Thakurs, two lakh Kayastha and Sindhi 70,000. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had won the seat by a margin of over 3.7 lakh votes. According to the polling pattern witnessed in November 2018 Assembly elections, the BJP has an edge. Constituency-wise polling percentage was Morena 60.67 per cent, Bhind 53.09 per cent, Gwalior 59.60 per cent, Guna 66.82 per cent, Sagar 65.27 per cent, Vidisha 69.87 per cent, Bhopal 65.33 per cent and Rajgarh 72.47 per cent, he said. rchopra@tribunemail.com New Delhi, May 13 Accusing the West Bengal government of not allowing its president Amit Shahs rally in Jadhavpur, the BJP said on Monday that the Election Commission had become a mute spectator to the Trinamool Congresss alleged undemocratic means to target the saffron party. BJP media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said his party would hold protests and also move the EC. Shahs rally was scheduled for Monday in Jadhavpur, which goes to the polls on May 19 in the last phase, but the permission for it was denied at the last minute by the state administration, he said. Subsequently, the permission for Shahs chopper to land was also withdrawn, Baluni said. It is unfortunate that the EC has become a mute spectator to all this and also to the use of violence by the TMC in the state, he said. He alleged that the ruling party in Bengal was using undemocratic means to target the BJP. Nine seats in the state will go to polls in the last phase of the general election. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Aravakurichi (TN), May 13 Stoking a controversy, actor and Makkal Needhi Maiyam founder Kamal Haasan has said free Indias first extremist was a Hindu--Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Haasans comments drew sharp reaction from the state BJP, which slammed him for indulging in divisive politics. Addressing an election campaign here on Sunday night, Haasan said he was one of those proud Indians who desired an India with equality and where the three colours in the Tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, remained intact. I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free Indias first extremist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (extremism, apparently) starts, he said. Haasan said he was a self-assumed great-grandson of Gandhi and that he had come here seeking answers for that murder, referring to Gandhis assassination in 1948. Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the Tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that, he added. BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan said while the whole nation was shocked when Gandhi was killed, none could, however, justify it, and pointed out that Godse was hanged for the heinous crime. She said it was strongly condemnable that Haasan used the phrase Hindu extremism in a Muslim-dominated area. Though he talks of taking forward a new kind of politics, he also indulged in the old, mischievous, poisonous and divisive vote bank politics, Soundararajan said in a statement. She said his remarks amounted to inciting communal violence. In an apparent reference to the deadly Easter bombings in Sri Lanka which had left over 250 dead, she asked whether people like Haasan were vocal in discussing the issue despite it being known that perpetrators were Muslims. She said Haasans remarks in a Muslim-dominated area were mischievous and agenda-driven. Therefore, such people campaigning should be banned. The police should take action since there is an effort to create tension, she said. Taking a swipe at his earlier statement of leaving the country when his multi-million venture Vishwaroopam faced release time issues from Muslim groups over the portrayal of the community, she said, It is brazen acting that he is now talking about the country, Gandhi and patriotism. Actor Vivek Oberoi slammed Haasans remarks, saying both art and terror have no religion and asked if Godses faith was mentioned to corner Muslim votes. Oberoi, who played Narendra Modi in a biopic on the Prime Minister, said no one should divide the country. Dear Kamal sir, you are a great artist. Just like art has no religion, terror has no religion either! You can say Godse was a terrorist, why would you specify Hindu? Is it because you were in a Muslim dominated area looking for votes? he said in a tweet. Please sir, from a much smaller artist to a great one, lets not divide this country, we are one Jai Hind..#AkhandBharat #UnDividedIndia, he added. Earlier too, Haasan had triggered a row, when in November 2017, he had taken potshots at what he termed as Hindu extremism, which drew condemnation from the BJP and Hindu outfits. Aravakurichi is one of the four Assembly constituencies where bypolls are scheduled for May 19. MNM has fielded S Mohanraj from this segment. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Sandeep Dikshit Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 13 Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif will meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday as tensions rise in the Gulf, five days after a US diktat forced countries to stop directly buying oil from Iran. India is the second biggest consumer of Iranian oil after China. The visit comes against the backdrop of Tehran asking friendly countries to stand up to the unilateral US embargo after it rescinded a six-country agreement with Iran called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). With India, the relationship goes beyond oil. Iran has allowed India to take over and modernise its port at Chabahar port. Over time, India will make it a feeder port for trade with Afghanistan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. Zarif had travelled to Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov four days back where he expressed Irans wish for constructive engagement with credible and relevant actors. India fits the bill as Zarif has identified New Delhi among nine countries that are Tehrans closest partners. Zarif had met Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh in Doha on May 1 but that was before the US zero imports order was implemented. In a recent interview, Zarif specifically mentioned India when he said that some of his countrys closest partners had informed him that they will do their best to continue their relationship with Iran. Tensions, meanwhile, have mounted in the narrow funnel of the Persian Gulf after four oil tankers, including two from Saudia Arabia scheduled to carry crude to the US, were damaged. India and Iran have earlier conducted oil trade through instruments that have gone under the radar of the America-controlled inter-banking systems. India keeps half of the amount due to Iran from oil purchases in an Indian account. Iranian businessmen are allowed to utilise these rupee funds to source goods for export to Iran. rchopra@tribunemail.com Shahira Naim Tribune News Service Lucknow, May 13 In a rare personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BSP president Mayawati on Monday said he could not be expected to respect others sisters and wives as he had abandoned his own wife for political gains. Mayawatis scathing attack comes as the Lok Sabha poll gets into the final and fiercest phase where Modi himself is in the fray in Varanasi. In an interview given to a news agency, Mayawati accused Modi of playing dirty politics on the Alwar rape case saying he was silent till she spoke on it. He wanted to benefit by it in the election season which is shameful, she said. Mujhe toh yeh bhi maloom chala hai ke BJP mein khas kar vivahit mahilayen apne aadmiyon ko Shri Modi ke nazdeek jate dekh kar yeh soch kar bhi kafi zyada ghabrati rehti hain ke kahin yeh Modi apni aurat ki tarah humein bhi apne pati se alag na karwa de. (I have come to know that in BJP married women get nervous when their husbands go near Modi fearing that like him their husbands may also leave them), said Mayawati. The attack comes a day after Modi during election rallies in Kushinagar and Deoria on Sunday accused Mayawati of shedding crocodile tears over the Alwar rape case and not withdrawing support to the Rajasthan government. She said the PMs show of sympathy for Dalits rang hollow as he would have acted against those responsible for Dalit atrocities like in Una in his state and against people responsible for the death of Rohith Vemula. Mayawati said Modi had been cleverly trying to break the alliance. She said that earlier he always addressed her as Behenji but when he realised that the alliance is not falling apart he started addressing her as bua. The sanskari people in the country address me as Behenji. Even my parents address me as Behenji and so does Akhilesh Yadav, she pointed out. gspannu7@gmail.com Ratlam, May 13 Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying his five-year tenure saw only campaigning and no work. Referring to Modis reported tapasya (hardwork) remark, the Congress general secretary said tapasya destroys arrogance, but the arrogance of the Modi government had grown too big. Gandhi Vadra alleged Modi did not find even five minutes in his tenure to solve problems faced by the poor in his constituency, Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh. In an interview to a leading English daily, Modi had recently said that his image was not created by the Khan Market gang (located in Delhi), but his 45-year tapasya (hard work). Normally, political leaders should talk about real issues during campaign, like what are your problems, how it can be solved, what they will do in next five years, what they did in last five years, Gandhi Vadra told a poll rally here. But in the last five years a strange silsila (series) is on. Only campaigning is going on, no actual work was done, she said. Gandhi Vadra said there has been a difference in the BJPs campaigning and reality and assured that the Congress will realise promises. She alleged that the tapasvi prime minister did not secure farmers, youth, the weak and others of the country. This governments arrogance has grown so much that he reaches out to you only during rallies. He did not find even five minutes in five years to go to the home of a poor person or farmer in his own constituency Varanasi to tell them what he could do to solve their problems through his government, she charged. She accused the prime minister of talking big and random things and not about the BJPs unfulfilled poll promises. Be alert, an effort is on to delude you, you are being used politically. You have made all the politicians. Hence, try to understand your strength. Your vote is important, dont waste it, she told the gathering. Gandhi Vadra also criticised the government on the issues of note ban, alleging that it caused huge job losses and other hardships. She dubbed the PM-Kisan Yojana as the Kisan Apman Yojana and claimed the Congress NYAY scheme, under which people will get Rs 6000 per month, was better. She said the PM-Kisan Yojana (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) only allocated Rs 2 per day per family member which was completely inadequate. PTI ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Kushinagar/Lucknow, May 12 A full-scale war of words broke out on Sunday between Narendra Modi and Mayawati over the Alwar gang-rape incident with the Prime Minister accusing the BSP supremo of shedding crocodile tears, a charge trashed by her as his dirty politics. Addressing election rallies in Kushinagar and Deoria in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Modi mounted a scathing attack on the BSP supremo and dared her to withdraw support to the Congress government in Rajasthan if she was really serious about the incident. Hours after his remark, Mayawati charged the Prime Minister with doing dirty politics over the gang-rape of a Dalit girl in Alwar and demanded his resignation for incidents of Dalit atrocities in the past. In the wake of this (Alwar) incident, Modi is doing dirty politics. The BSP will, for sure, take an appropriate political decision in the absence of stringent and proper legal action in the case, Mayawati said in a press note responding to the Prime Ministers challenge to her to withdraw support to the Congress government in Rajasthan. The Congress government in Rajasthan has been accused by both Modi and the BSP supremo of brushing the case aside for political gains. After Modis barb, Mayawati retorted with a list of incidents on which she said the Prime Minister should take moral responsibility and resign from his post. The BSP will take the required political decision soon, but why is PM Modi not taking moral responsibility for the incidents in the past such as the Una flogging incident, Rohit Vemula case or other cases pertaining to Dalit atrocities? Why is he not resigning? the BSP press note issued in Lucknow stated. On April 26, the gang-rape victim was travelling with her husband on a motorcycle when the accused stopped them and took them to an isolated place off the road. They allegedly beat the husband and raped the victim in front of him, threatening them with dire consequences. The husband claimed that he had approached the Rajasthan Police on April 30 after the incident, but an FIR was filed on May 7. He had alleged that the police did not take action saying that they were busy with the elections. Addressing election meetings in Kushinagar and Deoria in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Modi said, Please do not shed crocodile tears. If you are serious, why dont you withdraw support to the Congress government in Rajasthan. The BSP has given support to the Congress government in the state. Expressing concern over the gang rape of the Dalit woman, Mayawati had on Saturday alleged that the Congress government in Rajasthan did not let the matter come to anyones notice by terrorising the victims family until the completion of the polling process there. Under these circumstances, the victim and her family will not be able to get justice. The BSP appeals to the Supreme Court to take notice for ensuring prompt justice and strict punishment to the accused, she had said. PTI Please do not shed crocodile tears. If you are serious, why dont you withdraw support to the Congress government in Rajasthan? Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Modi is doing dirty politics. The BSP will, for sure, take an appropriate political decision in the absence of stringent and proper legal action. Mayawati, BSP Supremo ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, May 12 An ambitious programme by the central government to construct roads in Naxalism-affected areas in the country has come to a halt following threats of attacks by Maoist groups in the past three years, according to state government sources. With contractors and infrastructure development companies showing little interest in bidding for projects in the interiors of the worst-affected districts of Gadchiroli, Gondia and Chandrapur, work on several roads is yet to begin. According to the state Public Works Department, 43 projects in Gadchiroli district under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana did not receive any bids when tenders were floated a few years ago. After the terms of the contract were modified, 22 road building projects found takers while the rest are still on the drawing board, according to sources. However even the projects which found interest from contractors, work is going on at a snails pace. Six roads measuring 165.8 km in length are yet to be completed though those were supposed to be ready in the last financial year, said a state government official. Continued threats like kidnappings, beatings and arson from Maoist groups active in Maharashtras Gadchiroli, Gondia and Chandrapur districts have ensured that infrastructure projects do not get completed on time. Work is often abandoned as Maoist groups send messages to road construction crews to run away, said a PWD official. State government officials say the attack on May 1 where Naxalites set on fire 24 vehicles belonging to a road contractor before setting off an improvised explosive device killing 15 police personnel was not an isolated incident. The number of attacks on workers and contractors by Naxals in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh has increased ever since road building projects were accelerated in left-wing extremism (LWE) areas in the past two years, said a state Home Department official. As per the strategy devised by the Centre, projects for road construction in these areas are being awarded under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana overseen by the Public Works Departments of various state governments. State PWD officials are seen to enjoy good networking skills with local representatives. In the past, PWD officials managed to ensure that healthcare facilities and even electricity transmission facilities were constructed in Naxal-hit areas without any hindrance, said a state government official. After the May 1 incident, posters by the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) have warned road contractors from completing the 36-km stretch of road between Purada and Yerkad in Gadchiroli district. Only 12 km have been completed so far, according to sources. gspannu7@gmail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 13 The controversy surrounding the arrest of BJP Yuva Morcha leader Priyanka Sharma by the West Bengal Police for allegedly posting a meme of West Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee on Facebook has finally reached the Supreme Court. Twenty-five-year-old Sharma who was arrested on the basis of a criminal complaint filed by TMC leader Vibhas Hazrawas on Saturday produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Howrah, who sent her to 14-day judicial custody. The BJP and social media activists have protested against her arrest terming it an attempt to suppress free speech. On Monday, a Vacation Bench comprising Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Sanjiv Khanna agreed to take up her bail plea on Tuesday after senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul submitted that her plea against arrest needed urgent hearing. She was arrested on May 10 by the state police under Section 500 (defamation) of the IPC and certain other provisions of the Information Technology Act. Kaul said the BJP Yova Morcha activist was forced to move the top court as there was complete strike in local courts in West Bengal since April 25 following a brutal attack on lawyers in Howrah court by the state police. Because of the strike, the petitioner had no option of availing of any legal remedy in the state, and she was forced to approach the top court, he said. Sharma allegedly shared on Facebook the photo in which Banerjees face has been photo-shopped on to actor Priyanka Chopras picture from the MET Gala event in New York. shriaya.dutt@tribuneindia.com Ranchi, May 12 Showing their commitment to democracy, two brothers in Jharkhand on Sunday decided to cast their votes before performing the last rites of their mother, who passed away on Saturday night. Deepak Kumar Gupta and his brother Rohit, residents of Bhuli in Dhanbad, voted in the sixth phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections. "My mother was suffering from high blood pressure. She died at Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) on Saturday night," Deepak Kumar Gupta told reporters. "We brought back her body to Dhanbad early Sunday morning. My brother Rohit and I then went to cast our votes. We later performed her last rites," he said. In Dhanbad, the fight is between sitting BJP member of Parliament P.N. Singh and Congress candidate Kriti Jha Azad. Four of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Jharkhand recorded 65.17 per cent polling on Sunday. According to the Election Commission (EC) data, Giridih recorded a voter turnout of 65.93 per cent, Dhanbad 61.90 per cent, Jamshedpur 66.44 per cent and Singhbhum or Chaibasa 67.79 per cent. IANS rchopra@tribunemail.com Canning (WB), May 13 BJP president Amit Shah on Monday dared West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to arrest him for chanting Jai Shri Ram, claiming that the TMC supremo could stop him from attending rallies in Bengal, but would not be able to stop the BJPs victory march in the state. Addressing a rally at Canning under Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency, he said, Mamatadi gets angry if someone chants Jai Shri Ram. I am chanting Jai Shri Ram here today. If you (Mamata) have the guts, arrest me. I will be in Kolkata tomorrow. Hitting out at the TMC government over the denial of permission for his chopper to land in Baruipur, Shah said, The Mamata Banerjee government is visibly perplexed. She wants to stop me from attending rallies. The TMC can stop me from addressing rallies, but cant stop the victory march of the BJP in Bengal. Shahs scheduled rally in Jadavpur was called off on Monday after the state government denied him permission to land his chopper and hold a public address at Baruipur. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com New Delhi, May 13 The Congress on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks that cloud cover could help IAF planes evade Pakistani radars during the Balakot strikes, saying that while boasting he disrespected war strategy and committed an unforgivable crime. In an interview to a private news channel aired on Saturday, Modi said he relied on his raw wisdom to dispel doubts of defence experts who wanted the air strikes to be deferred due to inclement weather. Taking a swipe at Modi, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted, In 70 years no PM has made fun of military might, but Modi ji kept his raw wisdom above militarys professionalism. He is so busy garnering votes in the name of military that he ended up insulting the forces. While boasting, Modi ji disrespected war strategy and committed an unforgivable crime, he said. The CPI (M) has also moved the Election Commission, alleging that Modi had revealed operational details of a sensitive military mission in the interview with the purpose to influence voters. Rejecting the charge, senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar had said, PM Modi did not reveal anything (about the Balakot strike) he was not supposed to reveal. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said at a press conference, The Prime Minister is proudly saying that I overruled experts. A number of other veterans have condemned this. If you want to prove yourself to be Mr 56, do it; if you want to prove yourself to be the most intelligent, do it; but for that you are making public confidential things related to the countrys security, He hit out at the Prime Minister for giving out details of the operation, saying the armed forces had kept it a secret but Modi himself was making them public. Then he brought in clouds; we have not seen such jokes about the PM of a country that are now coming about Modi ji. What kind of an image you have created for those abroad? Khera said. He said the country had been entrusted into the hands of a person who does not know the difference between weather radar and avionics radar. Even if he did not know, he should hide his lack of knowledge rather than display it, Khera said. In another dig at Modi, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal tweeted, Balakot secret revealed by Modi: I thought there are clouds, we can escape radar. Ok, go ahead, chal pade. Gave clarity to experts confused about launching in bad weather. What a leader, what a mind! We now know that: No radar can penetrate Modis clouded mind! Sibal said. In the interview, Modi had said: The weather was not good on the day of the air strike. There was a thought that crept into the minds of the experts that the day of strike should be changed. However, I suggested that the clouds could actually help our planes escape the radars. The cross-border strike on terror camps was carried out in response to the Pulwama attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel. PTI harinder@tribunemail.com Sanjeev Singh Bariana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 12 At 25, Rishabh Sharma is perhaps the youngest candidate in the fray in the Lok Sabha elections from Punjab. Away from the usual political rhetoric, the advocate from Patiala up against the likes of Preneet Kaur of Congress, SADs Surjit Singh Rakhra and sitting MP Dharamvira Gandhi has some fresh ideas up his sleeves. At a small gathering of industrialists at Focal Point in Patiala, he gives his take on freenomics, which he says will generate employment and accelerate industrial activity: When farmers can be given free electricity, why not industrialists? Give them free electricity worth Rs 2 lakh a month and get products worth crores. See the number of jobs generated. Except for 75-odd candidates backed by seasoned political parties, the rest of the 278 nominees in fray for the 13 seats have little political backing. Most have jumped into the bandwagon of their own volition contesting as Independents or on the ticket of little known groupings. Like tourism graduate Jatinder Singh Thind, an Independent from Ferozepur. I am asking the youth to wake up. Wake up now or we will be dead, says the 31-year-old. All that the Punjabi youth stood for physical strength, daredevil attitude and flamboyant personality is dying at the hands of drugs. Unemployment is making it worse. Give a chance to people who are coming with new vigour, he tells anyone willing to listen. In Faridkot, 35-year-old Veerpal Kaur, contesting as an Independent, says, I have travelled to a number of villages where mothers say beta tu nasha khatam karva de, hor kisse ton hun aas bachi nahin (Get the drug supply blocked, we dont have hope from anyone else). Known for performing last rites of over 500 unclaimed bodies in Amritsar, Independent candidate Bal Krishan Sharma contested in 2009 and 2014 too. When asked why again, he answers: It just gives me an opportunity to connect with people. He, incidentally, also provides food to the poor from his joint. I am fighting for the rights of the poor, announces 52-year-old Urmila from Uttar Pradesh, contesting on the ticket of Ambedkar National Congress from Jalandhar. Women are not treated equally in our society. I will fight for their rights. And pension, she says. A handful listen intently, and clap. Thats enough for her. Then theres Bhargava Reddy D, 31, from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, who is trying his luck from Anandpur Sahib. The Pyramid Party of India candidate runs a coffee shop outside a university in Gharuan. Associated with the Telugu film industry, he came to work in Punjabi films. Into spiritual healing, he wants his effort to be taken in that spirit. The nomination form of Pappu Kumar Barnala (49), contesting from Sangrur, declares a bank balance of Rs 600. The father of six wants to work for uplift of SCs. Why contest, hes asked. Why not? he answers. Now dont take even this away from me. uttara@tribuneindia.com Perneet Singh Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 13 Taking on the Congress over its overseas unit chiefs controversial remarks regarding the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the party was struggling to win 50 seats because the Congress leaders are confused and their thinking is diffused". Addressing a rally in support of SAD candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal here, he said Sam Pitrodas hua toh hua remark reflects the arrogance of the Congress, while accusing it of rewarding its leaders, facing serious charges in the 1984 riots, with plum ministerial and party posts. The Congress had once appointed a leader as the partys Punjab affairs incharge, but had to backtrack after the people in Punjab resented the move for his alleged involvement in 1984 riots. However, the same leader was appointed as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh a few months back. Accusing the Congress of resorting to a dilly-dallying approach to deny closure to the victims, he said he had already sent one of the guilty to the gallows while others have got the life term. The PM also targeted the Congress for what he called its historic blunder of leaving the holy shrine of Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan during Partition, while terming it their insensitivity towards the symbol of Sikh faith. He also lashed out at Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for betraying the farmers with his farm debt waiver scheme, stating that everyone knows the truth behind it. He said the NDA government had promised to double the farmers income by 2022 and theyve already initiated measures in this direction by increasing the MSP of various crops. He said his government has also worked towards boosting the connectivity between all five Takhts of the Sikh faith. He mentioned AIIMS, Bathinda, and the Ayushman scheme as their big initiatives in the health sector. He exhorted people to vote for the SAD, saying vote for Akali Dal is a vote for Modi before a dust storm forced him to wrap up his speech quickly. Modi said the Congress leaders are confused and the partys thinking is diffused. They have come out with a manifesto that talks of diluting the AFSPA, which is tantamount to weakening our armed forces. Addressing the gathering, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal took on the Congress government over the sacrilege issue: A sacrilege incident has been reported at Malerkotla yesterday. Now, should we blame the Congress government for it just the way they blamed us when it happened under our previous regime? He questioned Rahul Gandhis Bargari rally on May 15, reminding people that it is the same Congress which attacked their holiest shrine in 1984. He reiterated that he would pray that the Almighty may wipe out the clan of those involved in sacrilege and also those resorting to dirty politics over the sensitive issue. Bibi Jagdish Kaur, a key witness in the Sajjan Kumar case, also addressed the people and exhorted them not to vote for the Congress, as a vote for the Congress is a vote for the Gandhi family. She said she would lodge an FIR against the Gandhi family for shielding the accused in 1984 riots, besides seeking action against Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath. SAD senior vice-president Jagmeet Brar accused Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh of giving a clean chit to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 riots during his campaign for Lok Sabha polls in 2014. Takes on punjab CM Nothing can be more tragic than the fact that the farmers of Punjab, who feed the entire nation, are today committing suicides. I would like to tell Captain (Amarinder) that people can forgive your mistakes, but not your betrayals. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister editorial@tribune.com Rajmeet Singh Tribune News Service Rattar Chattar (Dera Baba Nanak), May 12 The residents of this remote village, located 1.5 km from the Indo-Pak border, believe that the revered shrine of Hazrat Imam Ali Shah Sahib protects the village from any calamity, natural or manmade. The villagers boast of having suffered zero casualties in the 1965 and 1971 wars. But they now seem to be facing a double-edged sword. Other than the on and off threat of cross- border firing and shelling, the village youth face unemployment and lack of opportunities. Pritam Kaur, the 72-year-old village sarpanch, said The village withstood the wars but the authorities failed to acknowledge it. The governments have failed to generate employment for the villagers. Residents are upset that in the din of electioneering, war hysteria is being made an issue. Memories of bombs falling and displacement of our people still haunts us, the sarpanch added. Subedar (retired) Surjit Singh said Politics is being played over war but core issues faced by the villagers remain unaddressed. Villagers are now banking on the ongoing widening of the Amritsar-Dera Baba Nanak road. They also hope that the opening of Kartarpur corridor will hike the land prices, giving them an opportunity to improve their lives. editorial@tribune.com Varinder Singh Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 12 The people of Punjab will never forget Yogesh Chander Deveshwar, who had not only the transformed Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) into one of countrys top business conglomerates, but had also played a key role in helping ITC set its footprints in Punjab by envisaging Rs 1,400-crore Kapurthala-based Integrated Food Park and a hotel at Rajasansi in Amritsar. Not many know that Deveshwar hailed from Rurka Kalan village of Jalandhar district. He was fond of his home state and his native village as well and made it a point to visit there whenever possible. Deveshwar, who was not well for quite some time, breathed his last in New York on Saturday. Known as YCD in the industrial circles, he commanded such a respect that he was fondly remembered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as also by the whos who of the Indian business and political world. Deveshwar, who had studied at Harvard Business School, the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and Cornell University, had earned the distinction by becoming the youngest and the longest serving chairman of ITC. His cousin Ishwar Chander, a former ADGP of the Punjab Police, said, The people of Rurka Kalan will always remember YCDs fondness for Doaba region. It turned out to be the factor why he played a key role in setting up of an ITC food processing plant at Kapurthala, his way to pay back his debt to Doaba region. YCD had a close rapport with the Badals particularly, the SAD patriarch, Parkash Singh Badal. It was during the SAD-BJPs government that he had made the ITC to envisage the food park at Kapurthala after the government offered land to the company for the project, recalled SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. Former minister Bikram Majithia said once running at full capacity, the food processing plant will not only ensure employment for over 2,000 people of the area but will also help boost the agro-economy of the state. He had participated in the industry and business summit organised by the SAD-BJP with full zeal along with Ambanis and top tycoons of the country, said Majithia. Senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar said YCD had made an immense contribution towards Punjab and its people and he was always ready to help the people of the state in one or the other way. editorial@tribune.com Jalandhar: Thoroughly scan all pictures of SAD Jalandhar candidate Charanjit Atwal giving speeches during his rallies and you will find something strange. His mike is always covered with a handkerchief. His supporters say Atwal has two reasons to do this. One, he believes that he can be safe from any infection where the mike could be a source and second, he believes that his vocal chords will be less strained by covering the mike with a piece of cloth. The feeble-voiced and most elderly candidate has a similar advice for BJP candidate from Hoshiarpur Som Parkash, who too is facing a speech clarity issue. Tackling obesity, she knows best Fatehgarh Sahib: Harleen Kaur Jaggi of Sirhind has made her parents and the country proud. Her research paper on the prevention of obesity, particularly among children, has won the excellence in research award during the 11th annual spring retreat graduate and post-doctoral competition held recently at the Centre for Prevention of Obesity Diseases, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, US. She is conducting research on the prevention and cure of cancer among children. Her father Amritpal Singh Jaggi, a transporter, said Harleen did her B.Sc. (Bio Tech) from SD College, Chandigarh, and M.Sc. (Bio Tech) from Panjab University. Thereafter she joined the University of Nebraska after getting scholarship. Grandpas favourites get a pat Amritsar: The Sharma family of the holy city has not one, but two reasons to celebrate as both their daughters managed to grab top positions in the PSEB class X results. Anushka Sharma and Manvi Sharma are the city toppers. Both are first cousins. Anushka topped the city with 98.8 per cent marks and Manvi stood third with 98.2 per cent marks. Beaming with pride, Narendra Sharma expressed his happiness over the performance of his granddaughters and blessed them for bringing laurels to the family. Wait and watch EVMs, then go Hoshiarpur: The issue of faulty EVMs and VVPAT machines is figuring in poll rallies too. Some of the Congress candidates are asking voters to be cautious. In Hoshairpur, at the end of most of the rallies held by Congress candidate Dr Rajkumar Chabbewal, a supporter makes an appeal to the crowd, Dont just press the button and walk out of the booth. Stand there for a minute and let the slip come out. See where your vote goes. Lest you vote for the panja and your vote goes somewhere else. The appeal ends with a slogan, Panje vala button dabao chaar, baaki saare kar dao bahar. Ballad for ballot Jalandhar: Former IAS officer Dr MG Acharya has sought to encourage every Punjabi to cast vote on May 19 with full enthusiasm by penning a poem. He has tried to give the message that hard-earned right to vote has been an outcome of sacrifices of hundreds of Indians. Mohali-based Dr Acharya has made an effort to explore the history of freedom struggle and to make people aware about the contemporary political situation. The poem starts on a positive note, Har koyi vote khushi naal pave. One of the stanzas throws light on how politics is being used as a business by certain politicians. It says, Siyasat purkhan daa sarmaya, lokaan karobaar banaya, jaatan dharman de naa utte bhai bhai naal ladaya Of videos & propaganda Muktsar: Youth Akali Dal (YAD) leader Sandeep Singh Sunny Dhillon and his 17-year-old son Abhay Singh Dhillon are these days virtually chasing Congress candidate from Bathinda Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. Sunny is younger brother of SADs Gidderbaha constituency incharge Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon. The duo is extensively campaigning in Bathinda for SAD candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal, accusing Warring of corruption in their public speeches. Besides, they are appealing to voters to visit Gidderbaha to know about the ground reality. They have also shot a video in Gidderbaha by visiting some places, which they term was an eye-opener for voters. Special treat for topper Abohar: An NGO, Ekta Manch, recently felicitated Gagandeep Singh, who made it to the PSEB Class X merit list by scoring 97.38 per cent mark. A procession was taken out to Government Senior Secondary Smart School, Kallarkhera village, located at the tail-end of the canal system near the interstate border in the town. The idea was to motivate other children. A drummer led the procession after sarpanch Joginder Singh, NGO convener Raj Kumar Jain and school management chief Ram Swarup felicitated the achiever. The school is proud of its alumni Pradeep Borad, an IAS officer serving as Commissioner, College Education, in Rajasthan. rchopra@tribunemail.com Islamabad, May 13 Pakistan expects to resume talks with India to finalise the agreement on the Kartarpur Corridor once the new government takes charge in New Delhi, according to a Pakistani media report. The Kartarpur Corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistans Narowal with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in Punjab. The corridor, once operational, will provide a visa-free access to Sikhs from India to their holiest shrine located inside Pakistan. Pakistan expected the resumption of talks on the Kartarpur Corridor once the new government took charge in India, official sources were quoted as saying by the Express Tribune on Sunday. The last phase of the six-week-long general election in India is scheduled to take place on May 19 and the result would be announced on May 23. A senior Pakistani official said there was no delay on Pakistans part. It is India that is not willing to engage at this juncture, the official said, while requesting anonymity. However, the official said Pakistan was confident that India would resume talks after the election. The two countries, nevertheless, held technical-level talks at Zero Point (Kartarpur) on April 16. The Indian team was supposed to pay a return visit to Pakistan in April but New Delhi pulled out of the meeting at the last minute citing concerns over the committee formed by Pakistan to facilitate the Sikh pilgrims. India has expressed concerns over the presence of several Khalistani separatists in the 10-member Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) appointed by Pakistan on the Kartarpur Corridor. PTI uttara@tribuneindia.com Tribune News Service Gaggar Majra (Khanna), May 13 Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that senior party leader Sam Pitroda should be "ashamed" of his comments on the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Gandhi, who was addressing a rally at Gaggar Majra village in Fatehgarh Sahib constituency, said he had asked Pitroda to apologise publically for his remarks. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his National Democratic Alliance government of cheating the country through demonetisationwhich he said hit the purchasing power of the common manand reneging on its promise of providing 2 crore jobs each year. As he has done many times before, he accused the prime minister of waiving loans for big industrialists but ignoring poor farmers and small traders. Gandhi also spoke about the Congress partys promised Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) scheme, promising that it would be unlike Prime Minister Narendra Modis promised Rs 15 lakhreferring to a 2014 election promise made by the BJP. The Congress partys proposed minimum income support scheme envisions crediting Rs 72,000 annually to the poorest 20 per cent of the country. The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had claimed during the 2014 general elections that rooting out black money would bring back significant amount of money. Pitroda, a Congress leader in charge of the partys overseas units and considered a close aide of the Congress president, said of the 1984 riots in a recent interview: What happened, happened. Why talk about that now? Talk about what youve (BJP) has done in the last five years. Pitrodas remarks drew widespread condemnation, and left the Congress party red-faced. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also addressed the rally. amansharma@tribunemail.com Parvesh Sharma Tribune News Service Sangrur, May 13 The Punjab Police on Monday claimed to have cracked the Hathoa village sacrilege case and said it was the result of an accidental fire, which the granthi had reportedly tried to cover up with a concocted story due to the fear of being blamed for negligence and losing his job. The case was solved by the efforts of forensic experts from Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Sangrur, and the findings were also corroborated by an expert team from Mumbai. We would write to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited to spread awareness to prevent such incidents in future also, said Dinkar Gupta, Punjab Director General Police. He visited Hathoa village gurdwara. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has also lauded the collaborative efforts of these teams, under the guidance of Sangrur SSP Sandeep Garg and Patiala IG AS Rai, with DGP Dinkar Gupta also monitoring the investigations and assessing the situation on the spot. The CM commended the police for solving the case in record time, which he said had the potential of sparking communal tensions in the state. According to a police spokesperson, investigations had revealed that the fire broke out accidentally due to overheating of a wall fan inside the sanctum sanctorum of the gurdwara. The fan caught fire and the flames spread to an orange parna (piece of cloth) with which the fan was tied to the Palki Sahib pillar. After the fan and parna fell down a carpet caught fire and then the flames spread to the bir of Guru Granth Sahib, the spokesperson said. Granthi Joga Singh has confessed to having concocted a story when confronted with the forensic and circumstantial evidence. He also told investigators that he was afraid of being blamed for negligence by the villagers and losing his job , which is the sole source of income for his family of four, he said. editorial@tribune.com Parvesh Sharma Tribune News Service Sangrur, May 12 Tension gripped Hathoa village in the district after a bir of Guru Granth Sahib was found burnt at a gurdwara in the early hours on Sunday. Senior police officers and leaders of various Sikh organisations reached the gurdwara. The police have registered a case against unidentified persons in this regard. As per the information shared by residents of the village, priest Joga Singh reached the gurdwara in the wee hours and found the lock of the main door broken. He opened the gate and found that the bir was ablaze. He raised the alarm and other villagers reached the spot within a few minutes. It was done by some outsiders to create tension in our village. We suspect the involvement of politicians. The CCTV is not working from the past some days. Many want to boycott the elections, said Sukhwinder Singh, a villager. Sangrur SSP Sandeep Garg, along with IG (Patiala zone) AS Rai and other senior officers reached the village and camped at the gurdwara the whole day. Both conducted regular personal meetings with villagers and carried out thorough investigations. Meanwhile, parallel Akal Takht jathedar Dhian Singh Mand, SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal, Leader of Opposition (LOP) Harpal Singh Cheema and some SGPC members also reached the village. But residents asked all of them to stay away as they did not want to spoil the peaceful atmosphere of their village. Mand sought early arrest of the accused. He said they would not allow authorities to take the damaged Guru Granth Sahib out of gurdwara till the arrest of the accused. There should not be any politics over the sacrilege as it is a heinous crime and accused must be arrested immediately. We will take up the matter with higher authorities, said LOP Cheema. SSP Garg said further investigations were going on. IG AS Rai said We have decided to form a Special Investigations Team (SIT) and I will head it. We will undertake all investigations on a fast pace. CM warns of strict action Chandigarh: Warning of strict action against those responsible for the incident, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday said the divisive forces that had tried to polarise the state ahead of the Assembly elections were again rearing their heads and would face serious consequences. Directing the police to immediately identify and arrest the culprits, the CM said the deliberate act of mischief was a part of the chain of similar events that had rocked the state in the run-up to the Assembly polls. TNS gspannu7@gmail.com Beijing, May 13 China on Monday praised the Pakistans security forces for their swift action in neutralising the terrorists who attacked a luxury hotel in Gwadar and ensured the safety of the Chinese personnel and institutions there. Three militants of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), armed with automatic weapons, stormed the Pearl Continental (PC) hotel in Pakistans port city of Gwadar on Saturday and opened random firing. Eight persons, including four civilians, a Pakistan Navy soldier, were killed and six others were injured in the deadly attack. All three attackers were also killed by the security forces. China strongly condemns the terrorist attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar, expresses its condolences to the victims families and the injured, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here while answering a question on the BLA attack. According to Chinas understanding there are no reports of Chinese casualties. Pakistans security forces took swift measures to eliminate terrorists, effectively guaranteeing security and stability in Gwadar and the safety of local Chinese personnel and institutions. China appreciates this, he said. According to a BBC report, the BLA said the hotel, a centrepiece of a multi-billion-dollar Chinese project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), was selected in order to target Chinese and other investors. A large number of Chinese are currently working in Gwadar, the key port in Pakistans restive Balochistan province which is being linked to Chinas Xinjiang province as part of the USD 60 billion CPEC. The BLA is opposing the foreign (Chinese) investments in Balochistan, saying they do not benefit the local people. Geng said China will continue to firmly support Pakistans anti-terrorism efforts and believes that the Pakistani government and army are capable of maintaining national security and stability. Referring to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans statement condemning the attack, the spokesperson said, We note that Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack saying that it is an attempt to undermine Pakistans economic prosperity and stressed that his country would not allow terrorist plots to succeed. Geng said that China has always supported Pakistans national development, and we will continue to support Pakistans economic and social development and the improvement of peoples livelihoods. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Lahore, May 13 The death toll in the suicide attack targeting one of Pakistans oldest and most revered Sufi shrines in Lahore has risen to 13 as another civilian succumbed to his injuries, a media report said on Monday. Tahir Aslam, 18, was working at a shop near the shrine. He was among the critically injured and was brought to the Mayo Hospital where he has succumbed to his injuries. He was rushed to the hospital after the blast which has claimed the lives of six policemen and seven civilians, the Dawn newspaper reported. A senior police official told the daily on condition of anonymity that security forces had yet to make any substantial progress in the investigations into the attack. He said that although they had arrested a few suspects from Lahore, they were no big leads. A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Data Darbar shrine, the largest Sufi shrine in South Asia on Wednesday, the second day of the the fasting month of Ramzan. A CCTV footage showed a teenage boy wearing black shalwar kameez and a suicide vest coming closer to the vehicle of elite force beforing blowing himself up. Punjab Inspector General of Police Arif Nawaz has said it was a suicide attack as the target was the vehicle of the elite force that was stationed outside the shrine of Sufi saint Ali Hajvari commonly known as Data Darbar. Police was the target. 100 per cent, he said. Lahore police spokesman Syed Mubashir has said the police have arrested four suspects with the help of CCTV cameras in the city. The rickshaw used to transport the suicide bomber to the shrine has been identified, he added. The CCTV footage shows the rickshaw driver approached the bomber as the latter emerged from Garhi Shahu area, some seven kilometres from the shrine. Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack and has directed the Punjab government to provide all assistance to the injured and families of victims. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has ordered an inquiry into the attack. The famous shrine is visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year. In 2010, the heavily-guarded shrine was targeted in a suicide attack that killed more than 40 people. Police also confirmed that Hizbul Ahrar had claimed responsibility for sending the teenage suicide bomber to the shrine. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab has examined the records of three terror groups, including the Ghazi Force and Jamaatul Ahrar. Hizbul Ahrar is a splinter group of Jamaatul Ahrar headed by Muqarram Shah from Afghanistan. It separated from Jamaatul Ahrar due to internal rifts. It started operating separately to target primarily the law enforcement agencies in various parts of Pakistan, the police said, adding the CTD is also following other leads, like the possibility of the involvement of Islamic State terror group. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com London, May 13 Iran said on Monday it had sentenced an Iranian national to 10 years prison for spying for Britain. An Iranian who was in charge of Iran desk in the British Council and was cooperating with Britains intelligence agency... was sentenced to 10 years in prison after clear confessions, Gholamhossein Esmaili, a judiciary spokesman, was quoted as saying by Fars news agency. He did not identify the person who was sentenced. The British Council is Britains cultural agency overseas. Reuters pardeepdhull@gmail.com Dubai/London, May 13 Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two Saudi oil tankers were among vessels targeted by a sabotage attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, condemning it as an attempt to undermine the security of global crude supplies. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the worlds largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not say who was behind the operation, which took place amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. Irans foreign ministry called the incidents worrisome and dreadful and asked for an investigation into the matter. The strait, a vital global oil and gas shipping route, separates the Gulf states and Iran, which has been embroiled in an escalating war of words with the United States over sanctions and the U.S. militarys presence in the region. Oil prices rose on Monday, with Brent crude futures trading at $70.98 a barrel at 0618 GMT. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said in a statement that one of the two Saudi vessels attacked was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude from Ras Tanura port for delivery to state-owned Saudi Aramcos customers in the United States. The attack did not lead to any casualties or an oil spill but caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels, said the statement, carried on state news agency SPA. Trading and shipping sources identified the Saudi vessels as Bahri-owned very large crude carrier (VLCC) tanker Amjad and crude tanker Al Marzoqah. Bahri did not respond to a request for comment. The UAE foreign ministry said on Sunday there were no casualties and the Fujairah port operations were normal. An investigation had been launched in coordination with international authorities, and called on global powers to prevent any parties trying to harm maritime safety and security. Saudi Arabias foreign ministry in a separate statement voiced support for its clsoe regional ally the UAE, the Middle Easts trade and business hub. Dubais stock exchange index fell 1.6% and Abu Dhabis index 1.7% in early trade on Monday. Escalating tensions Sunni Muslim allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE have strongly backed U.S. sanctions against fellow OPEC producer and regional foe Shiite Iran. After the United States ended all sanctions waivers on Iranian crude, Washington said Riyadh and Abu Dhabi would help compensate for any shortage in oil supply. Falih said the attack aimed to undermine maritime freedom and the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world. The international community has a joint responsibility to protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets and the danger they pose to the global economy, he said. Irans foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi was cited by the semi-official ISNA news agency as saying the incident off Fujairah has negative impact on maritime transportation security and asked for regional countries to be vigilant against destabilising plots of foreign agents. The U.S. Maritime Administration said in an advisory on Sunday the incidents off Fujairah, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, have not been confirmed and urged caution when transiting the area. It said the precise means of attack or sabotage is unknown. Earlier this month, the Maritime Administration said US commercial ships including oil tankers sailing through Middle East waterways could be targeted by Iran in one of the threats to US interests posed by Tehran. Washington said it was sending a US aircraft carrier and other forces to the Middle East due to what it said were Iranian threats, while Tehran has called the US military presence a target rather than a threat US President Donald Trumps government has been ratcheting up pressure on Iran with sanctions since Washington withdrew a year ago from a 2015 international nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. Washington tightened sanctions on Iran this month, eliminating waivers that had allowed some countries to buy its oil, saying it wanted to cut Tehrans crude exports to zero. Iran has said it will not let its oil exports by halted. Reuters harinder@tribunemail.com Wellington, May 12 Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has kicked off a major United Nations push for progress on what he calls the defining issue of our time: Climate change. Guterres travelled to New Zealand on Sunday, from where he is set to visit several Pacific islands where rising sea levels are threatening the very existence of those small countries. The stepped-up diplomacy will culminate with a climate action summit at the UN in September, an event billed as a last chance to prevent irreversible climate change, three years after the Paris agreement went into force. We are seeing everywhere a clear demonstration that we are not on track to achieve the objectives defined in the Paris agreement, Guterres said. In a strong message for action on climate change, Guterres said international political resolve was fading and it was the small island nations that were really in the front line and would suffer most. In Fiji, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, Guterres will meet with families whose lives have been upended by cyclones, flooding and other extreme weather events. Pacific island countries face a risk from climate change because of sea level rise. Guterres praised New Zealands extremely important leadership on climate change Wellington has introduced legislation to become carbon neutral by 2050. AFP vinaymishra188@gmail.com Washington May 12 The US is transferring $1.5 billion originally meant for the Afghan security forces and the Pakistan military to a fund to help pay for construction of the US-Mexican border wall, according to acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan. "We reprogrammed $1.5 billion toward the construction of more than 120 miles of border barrier without impacting readiness," Shanahan said late on Friday. "The funds were culled from a variety of sources, to include unexecuted prior year funds, the suspension of reimbursements to Pakistan, and costs reductions in a series of contracts," he said. Over $600 million of these funds come from an Afghan security forces account. PTI A CHRISTMAS Day shooting on Independence Square, opposite the Brian Lara Promenade in Port of Spain, has claimed the lives of two men. A third man was injured in the attack and remained in serious condition at the Port of Spain General Hospital last night. The incident took place around 3.45 p.m. in the vicinity of New City Mall, said investigating officers. During World War I, on December 24-25, 1914, an impromptu ceasefire took place, where warring nations had their guns silenced. As then, we too now face a war of epic proportions, not only from the Covid-19 pandemic but also within many areas of our society. - Uhuru left the country for China on Tuesday, April 23, for bilateral talks - The president reportedly jetted back a week later with little details about his meeting with the Chinese government revealed - The Head of State has remained silent ever since, prompting Kenyans to question his whereabouts State House spokesperson Kanze Dena has responded to Kenyans' queries about President Uhuru Kenyatta's whereabouts saying the Head of State is present and working on different matters. Dena said the fact that Uhuru has not been seen in public making speeches does not mean he was missing in action. READ ALSO: Raila's visit to Governor Wycliffe Oparanya's palatial home angers netizens State House forced to respond to Kenyans asking Uhuru's whereabouts.Photo: State House/Twitter Source: Twitter READ ALSO: Gideon Moi urges William Ruto to hold his horses on 2022 politics, give Uhuru space to work According to a tweet from State House on Monday, May 13, the spokesperson said she was surprised by concerns from Kenyans that the president was missing yet he held an executives' meeting on Friday, May 3, and a public statement made on the same. "I am shocked that people say they haven't seen the president since he left China, yet on then 3rd of this month, he had a meeting with executives from Global Fund and there was a statement about it," she said READ ALSO: At least 10 people feared dead after bus rams into trailer on Mwingi-Garissa road She noted Uhuru was working on several issues affecting the country and there was no cause for alarm. "The president is around, it doesn't mean that because he is not seen in public, he is not there, he has an office where he goes every day and he is working on several things," said Dena Uhuru left the country for China on Tuesday, April 23, for bilateral talks and silently jetted back a week later. He has remained silent ever since and Kenyans have raised concerns over his whereabouts, with some questioning if indeed he flew back. Do you have a life-changing story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Raila Odinga's die hard fan I Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Two people are currently cooling their heels behind bars after they were arrested for allegedly stealing some expensive items at the home of late Tanzanian billionaire Reginald Mengi. TUKO.co.ke has learnt the two were arrested by police from Kilimanjaro region for stealing gold necklaces and bracelets, laptops and an unspecified amount of money. READ ALSO: Tanzanian billionaire Reginald Mengi buried in emotional ceremony The two were arrested by police from Kilimanjaro region for stealing gold necklaces and bracelets, laptops at late Mengi's home. Photo: UGC Source: Twitter READ ALSO: Tanzanian billionaire Reginald Mengi is dead According to Tanzanian newspaper Mwananchi, the stolen properties belonged to Mengi's widow K Lynn and some of the mourners who had arrived at their palatial home in Machane Nkuu to condole with the family. The theft and arrest were both confirmed by Kilimanjaro Regional police boss Hamisi Issah who said the suspects, a man and a woman, were being interrogated in a bid to aid the investigations. The police boss said the suspects in custody could be from Mengi's family and had traveled all the way from Dar Es Salaam to Machane Nkuu for the billionaire's burial. READ ALSO: Late tycoon Reginald Mengi's young widow stands to inherit part of his KSh 56 billion empire Police said the suspects in custody could be from Mengi's family and had traveled all the way from Dar Es Salaam to Machane Nkuu for the billionaire's burial. Photo: UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: Mke wa mwigizaji maarufu Chris Attoh auwawa kwa kupigwa risasi Marekani ''It is true some properties from Mengi's house were stolen. The thieves are not known yet. We are investigating. It could be anyone both from within and outside the family,'' Hamisi said. TUKO.co.ke has learnt the theft happened barely a day after the late billionaire was laid to rest at his rural home. Mengi died in Dubai on Thursday, May 2. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Church of thieves and drug addicts Source: TUKO.co.ke Ugandan beauty Zari Hassan has left netizens tongue tied after claiming her politician bae promised to give her a Bentley as an engagement gift. The mother of five even admitted some of the fancy cars she has been flaunting on social media belong to her wealthy lover. READ ALSO: TV beauty Victoria Rubadiri shares how scared, unprepared she was to be a mother at 18 READ ALSO: Bride gets married in crutches days after she was involved in grisly accident During an interview with Millard Ayo, Diamond Platnumz's baby mama said her new man works in the construction sector and is an avid politician. "I have five cars in total. Some of the cars I have been flaunting on social media are my man's. I will soon get a Bentley that will be an engagement gift," she said. READ ALSO: Mbunge John Waluke adai Mudavadi, Wetangula ni wanasiasa wavivu The single mum also said she gets involved in some of her man's business ventures from time to time. However, the gorgeous 38-year-old maintained she wants nothing to do with her lover's political affiliations. For the first time, Zari explained why she never shows her future husband's face, stating he is a private man who is not crazy about social media. As earlier reported by TUKO.co.ke, the beauty is set to walk down the aisle with her lover in a private, invite only wedding ceremony. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Church of thieves and drug addicts Source: TUKO.co.ke Trident has trained swimmers from around the Tulsa area since 2014 and has placed athletes at the state, regional and national levels, including the 2016 Olympic Trials. Over 65 percent of graduating athletes in their program have gone on to swim at the collegiate level, with most receiving meaningful scholarships. We are thrilled to be building a world-class teaching and training facility right here in Owasso, said Sean Callan, Tridents founder and Owasso resident. Swimming is a sport that, at a young age, can save lives, and as children grow, provide an outstanding, safe, competitive sport that can lead to national-level competition, college scholarships, and masters or triathlete swimming into adulthood. Therell be programs available for everyone, of every age. Swimming can be a lifelong activity and has been shown to have countless mental, physical and developmental benefits. The statistics regarding child drownings are disheartening, and learning to swim should be a must for every child. The aquatic center will also foster economic activity through swim lessons, weekend clinics, healthy living programs and swim meets, as well as bolster Owassos ability to recruit families to the community. According to NamUs, Muskogee County authorities found the body of an unidentified woman, which turned out to be Francine Frost, just two years after she disappeared. As ever-growing caseloads force us to file away cases as cold, it behooves us to remember that for too many of our constituents, like Francine Frosts family, time stands still from the moment theyre devastated by loss, to the day they have answers, Thorp said. We want families of long-ago murdered victims to know we remain dedicated to finding answers to the questions that still burn in their souls. We believe Francines Law helps send that message. The Wagoner Area Chamber of Commerce honored the local American Legion Post as member of the Month for May during a ceremony in front of the war memorial monument at the Wagoner County Courthouse. The Oklahoma Environmental Crime Investigators Association (OECIA) will be debuting a website soon on which citizens can report illegal dumping issues, it was announced recently. The OECIA will also have a Facebook page that provides information to the public about illegal dumping and other environmental crimes. You will be able to read the successful stories from various officers around the state that are fighting diligently to keep Oklahoma beautiful. With the addition of this new Association, law enforcement will have another tool to use in the fight against environmental crimes. The OECIA was incorporated earlier this year by three deputy sheriffs who are assigned to investigate illegal dumping and other environmental crimes in Oklahoma. The Association is announcing that charter membership is now available to any law enforcement officer, prosecutor, or other person whose duties involve investigating or prosecuting environmental crimes. Michael Freeman, an Investigator with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality was chosen to serve as the Associations first President. Shaun Copelin, an Environmental Deputy with the Pottawatomie County Sheriffs Office, was chosen to serve as the Associations first Vice-President. The new version of Rodgers & Hammersteins Oklahoma!, currently playing on Broadway, will launch its national tour in the fall of 2020 at the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City, according to a post on the website Deadline.com. The production, directed by Daniel Fish, is nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. Tulsa-based Square Theatrics is an associate producer of the show. The new production is a dark reimagining of the classic music, which, according to the New York Times rave review, has been realized with scarcely a changed word of Oscar Hammerstein IIs original book and lyrics. ... (T)his latest incarnation ... strips Oklahoma! down to its skivvies, discarding the picturesque costumes and swirling orchestrations, and revealing a very human body that belongs to our conflicted present as much as it did to 1943 or to 1906, the year in which the show (based on Lynn Riggs Green Grow the Lilacs) takes place. Deadline.com states that the tour will be the first time that an Equity production of Oklahoma! has toured North America in nearly 40 years. HR 1 would ensure protection against computer tampering by requiring paper ballots for federal elections. The bill would bar House members from serving on corporate boards. It would require presidents-elect to submit ethics plans for their transition teams and would have to file financial disclosures within 30 days of taking office. As stated by League of Women Voters U.S. President Chris Carson, Throughout our nearly 100-year history, the League of Women Voters has worked to level the playing field of our election system by registering new citizens to vote, fighting unfair district maps in court and advocating in Congress for fair elections processes. The Oklahoma League of Women Voters is dedicated to ensuring the integrity of our elections and protecting the right of every U.S. citizen to be informed and empowered to vote. The Oklahoma League appreciates Sen. James Lankfords efforts to ensure the security of our democracy, especially his participation in the bipartisan Secure Elections Act. Now we call upon the senator to do even more to secure democracy in America by demanding a hearing for and supporting the For the People Act. We encourage Oklahomans to contact Sen. Lankford and tell him HR 1 is critical to Americas future. It is time for Congress to make our election system freer, fairer and accessible to all eligible Americans. 21192 S. Keeler Drive, Park Hill The Cherokee Heritage Center was built on the original site of the Cherokee National Female Seminary in 1967. Saline Courthouse WHAT: Clinton also pointed out the Saline Courthouse, the only remaining of nine rural CN courthouses built in the 1880s, as a site of interest. Clinton said the courthouse is also undergoing renovation after years of neglect, suffering vandalism at the hand of teens, but she was not sure when they would be complete. WHERE: The Saline Courthouse is about 8 miles east of Locust Grove near the Mayes/Delaware County line. Find directions online at www.salinecourthouse.net. WHEN: Closed for renovations. With a tiff between the Governors Office and some lawmakers apparently resolved, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted without dissent Monday morning to send the nomination of Mike Mazzei as budget secretary to the full Senate. A previous confirmation hearing for Mazzei, a former state senator from Tulsa, ended abruptly last Wednesday when he and Chairman Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, got into a heated discussion over whether Gov. Kevin Stitts administration is trying to prevent lawmakers from talking to agency officials. On Monday, Mazzei told the committee there had been a misunderstanding and that he would personally fix any access problems that might arise in the future. The Stitt administration wants to make it clear that all state legislators deserve and should have easy access to state agencies to exercise their constitutional duties to provide oversight, Mazzei said. SOUTHINGTON Police and town leaders have been visiting businesses to notify them of a new minimum age for tobacco purchases. Selling tobacco to those under 21 became illegal on April 4 following a change in town ordinances. Since then, the Southington Town-Wide Effort to Promote Success group and the Police Department held two information sessions to let owners know about the new rules and to provide them with age limit signs. Police Lt. Stephen Elliott said officers also visited businesses that werent able to attend. The merchants were able to ask questions about the new ordinance, he said. Gasman on Main Street was one of the businesses visited this week, according to a clerk. Police gave them a sign to replace the hand-written note that had been near the counter informing customers that theyd no longer sell tobacco products to those under 21. Tara Parker, an employee of Smokers Dream World 2 on Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike, said they havent received a visit but heard about the new ordinance. Im hoping (officials) come out to us, Parker said. The business opened in January and sells vaping, CBD and tobacco products. The council voted 8 to 1 in March to raise the minimum tobacco age to 21. STEPS pushed for the increase along with Tobacco 21, a national group. The town is among many in Connecticut that have passed a new age limit or are considering one. The new ordinance also requires a permit for businesses that sell tobacco, but theres no charge for it. Were hoping that the businesses view us as community partners in this, said Kelly Leppard, STEPS youth prevention coordinator. Some business have been told by teens formerly able to buy tobacco that they were grandfathered in. Leppard said thats not how the law works. Its 21, theres no grandfathering, she said. Leppard said that since Smokers Dream World 2 is new, it didnt make the initial list but would be visited soon. The ordinance levies fines for stores that sell tobacco to customers under 21. Repeated violations could result in the loss of a tobacco license, according to Town Attorney Carolyn Futtner. Councilors debated how much of an effect the town law would have on preventing teens getting products that are still sold in nearby towns. Michael Riccio, a Republican councilor, was the lone vote in opposition. jbuchanan@record-journal.com 203-317-2230 Twitter: @JBuchananRJ The Bixby Fire Department reported no flooding is expected in that area. Gathering Place Executive Director Tony Moore said the park on Riverside Drive is not affected by the higher flow. The only area impacted is the natural wetland mitigation area designed to handle such overflow, he said. The Arkansas River is expected to stay within its banks in Tulsa as well as downstream at pinch points like Three Forks Harbor at Muskogee where the Arkansas, Verdigris and Grand rivers converge, and at Van Buren, Arkansas. Gauges in those areas show the river running at levels just below minor flood stage. The increases at Keystone and at Kaw Dam upstream came in response to floodwaters from Kansas and across northern Oklahoma that worked their way downstream over the weekend. Combined flow into those lakes from the upper Arkansas and Cimarron rivers totaled 280,000 cfs that would have flowed through Tulsa if not for the reservoirs holding it back. Data shows lake levels rising at Kaw and Keystone now, while the more urgent inflows and releases last week came on the Grand and Verdigris rivers. The flows on the Grand and Verdigris now have declined. OKLAHOMA CITY Gov. Kevin Stitt last week said he expects to roll out a health care plan in the fall. Many of the details are still in the works. We will give Oklahomans a great option sometime in the fall, he said. We are working on the Oklahoma Plan on the overall health care options. The plan will involve how the state delivers health care to rural communities and look at federal funding options, he said. Stitt said more than 100 people across the state are working with him to develop the plan. Areas of study include agency reform, agency consolidation, telemedicine and the use of federal funds, he said. I dont think we do it as efficiently as we could, he said. We leave some money on the table. He said he wants to look at how to better aid rural hospitals, several of which have closed due to funding issues. Tiffany Crutcher is expected to make an appearance Monday in Washington, D.C., to participate in a discussion about where policing stands in America. Crutcher, the twin sister of Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man who was fatally shot by former Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby in 2017, was selected as a panelist to speak at a 21st Century Police Briefing on Capitol Hill, according to a news release. This epidemic of police violence became the focus of national discourse in 2014 with the federal government participating in that conversation, the release states. A Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing was convened, as was a U.S. House Policing Strategies working group. There were federal reports, recommendations, and investigations. But where are we now? The goal, according to the release, is to encourage Congress to provide oversight regarding law enforcement practices and legislate issues such as civil rights violations, improper use of force and occurrences of racial profiling. The briefing is sponsored by The Leadership Conference Education Fund, ACLU Human Rights Watch, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Justice Roundtable and Open Society Policy Center. Unlike many people who were able to spend Christmas at home with their families, medical pro As of the end of the 1st quarter of 2019, Ukrainian exports will total at least $12.3 billion, showing an increase of almost $850 million compared with the same period last year. "In the first quarter of 2019, Ukrainian exports will grow up to at least $12.3 billion, showing an increase of almost $850 million compared to the same period last year," First Vice Prime Minister Economic Development and Trade Minister of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv said during the agenda-setting council in the Verkhovna Rada, the Ministrys press service posted on Twitter. The Ukrainian economy is emerging from a deep crisis, and the Cabinet of Ministers continues to build roads, pay salaries, pensions, educational allowances, and take care of socially vulnerable groups of the population, Kubiv noted. As reported, Ukrainian exports of goods and services amounted to $57.1 billion in 2018 and grew by 8.6% or $4.5 billion compared to 2017. In particular, the export of goods from Ukraine totaled $47.3 billion in 2018 (an increase of 9.4% compared to 2017). ol A Ukrainian tourist was killed in a bus accident in the Maldives last week, Maldives Independent has reported. "A Ukrainian tourist was killed Monday morning [on May 6] after she was run over by a bus in the capitals suburb Hulhumale," the report said. The accident occurred near the Fuel Supply station when the 31-year-old woman was out walking with a Maldivian friend, according to media reports. Both women ran when they saw the bus out of control and headed towards them, but the Ukrainian woman's feet got stuck on the side of the road and the bus ran over her, veered off the road and crashed into the bushes. None of the passengers on the bus were injured. The Maldivian bus driver, who most likely fell asleep, has since been taken into custody. In a world where it seems that everything we door even wanthas become data, how is it possible those who work in the public arena feel they dont have enough data to work with? The 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) give us the opportunity to reach common goals for a better future. But how do we know whether we are getting there? Data are what allow us to understand if our choices are having the impact we want. Thats why the 2030 Agenda also needs a data revolution. A bold plan of action, as the SDGs, rely on relevant targets and specific indicators to measure progress. A lot of information about economics is available, but there is a long way to go in terms of social and environmental data. We need to go beyond census and household surveys and think about new kinds of data. More than that, we need to learn how to use all the data that are being collected on our smartphones and systems of registration and turn them into information and knowledge. UNDP Brazil has been working with municipal data since 1998, when we launched, together with the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea) and Joao Pinheiro Foundation, the Atlas of Human Development. It includes the subnational Human Development Index (HDI) and more than 200 indicators of human development. Since its launch, the subnational HDI has been used as a parameter in some of the most important public policies in Brazil, such as Mais Medicos programme--a public policy to bring doctors to the most vulnerable communities. When world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda, one of the challenges which arose was how to inform municipal public managers of their progress towards the SDGs? With the important support of Itaipu Binacional, we started a local pilot programme to check which kind of administrative data is available and can be related to the SDGs. This resulted in a new platform, the Oeste do Parana. It has 67 indicators of 54 municipalities of the West of Parana State, a region known for its important UNESCO-rated subtropical forests and the Itaipu hydroelectric dam, which is the largest in the world. The indicators are shown on tables, maps and a municipal profile that combine the regions most important information. The webpage also carries information regarding the SDGs and a tool to monitor the plans for the 2030 Agenda. Based on both experiences, UNDP Brazil is also preparing a new version of the Atlas of Human Development. This project is part of an initiative from UNDP to boost innovative experiences in the field. Besides its traditional indicators, the atlas will have administrative data connected to the SDGs, which will help provide the most recent information to municipalities as they devise policies to align with the 2030 Agenda. The administrative data will be selected from the perspective of human development, and sustainable development. In a world in constant transformation, we need disaggregated and the most up-to-date data to create data-driven public policies. We still have a long way to go. Big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence are relatively recent concepts in development90 percent of all data was collected in the last two yearsbut in Brazil weve made a good start. The SDGs invite us to think creatively and take a step further in the use of data in public policies, developing ways to discover who is being left behind, and change the course of history by 2030. VENICE, Italy - A new exhibition in Venice aims to put refugees centre stage in a debate over whether art should try to change society. Rothko in Lampedusa showcases work by artists who have achieved international acclaim such as Ai Weiwei and Richard Mosse and those of five emerging artists from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast and Somalia who are also refugees. More than 100 people packed the opening on Friday of the exhibition that runs in parallel to the Venice Biennale. The theme of the biennale, the world's biggest art festival, is May You Live in Interesting Times, which aims to provoke reflection on social issues, key among them the response to Europes refugee crisis. While the great majority of the nearly 70 million forcibly displaced worldwide people are hosted in developing countries, some two million people have sought asylum in Europe since 2014, meeting with responses ranging from welcome to tightened borders. The question of the exhibition is maybe we are missing the Rothko of the 21st century if we do not give (an opportunity) to ... refugees and migrants that arrive and reach the First World, said exhibition curator Francesca Giubilei Mark Rothko emigrated in 1913 to the United States from the country that is now Latvia to flee persecution. He went on to become one of the 20th centurys most celebrated artists. The tiny island of Lampedusa, between Sicily and Tunisia, has been a key reception centre for refugees and is seen as a symbol of the refugee crisis. "Maybe we are missing the Rothko of the 21st century if we do not give (an opportunity) to ... refugees " The emerging artists whose work is displayed have responded to their status as refugees in varying ways. Majid Adin, from Iran and living in London, displayed a cartoon video of a family enduring a perilous journey over land and sea. Mohammed Keita, who fled Ivory Coast, photographs street scenes in his new home of Italy. For Rasha Deeb, an artist in Syria now resident in southern Germany, her home countrys war, rather than her experience as a refugee, was the impetus for her abstract sculpture. War is my big problem and its my big message. Not the refugees. Because of the war there is refugees. If there is no war there is no refugees. I dont have to leave my country. Why? I have a good life, everything was good for me. Why Deeb, Adin, Keita and photographer Bnar Sardar Sdiq from the Kurdistan region of Iraq are participating in the exhibition as part of a one-month residency in Venice funded by UNHCR during the Biennale. A fifth artist whose work is displayed, Hassan Yare, an illustrator from Somalia who lives in a camp in Kenya, was unable to obtain travel papers to attend. Giubilei said Rothko in Lampedusa is the only exhibition specifically focused on refugees but it is not the only exhibit that tackles the issue. At the Arsenale, the citys main exhibition space, a boat that sank in the Mediterranean in April 2015 killing around 800 refugees and migrants is on display. The wreckage of a boat that sank in the Mediterranean in April 2015 with the loss of at least 800 refugees is displayed at the Venice Biennale. The boat was lifted from the seabed by the Italian government and brought to Venice by Swiss-Icelandic artist Christoph Buchel. UNHCR/Andrew McConnell The Italian government refloated the vessel and Swiss-Icelandic artist Christoph Buchel and colleagues arranged for it to be brought on a barge to the Biennale to be shown as a symbol for our times. The bodies have been removed but Our Boat, as the exhibit is called, is in fact a tomb as well as an act of artistic provocation. On Friday, art lovers milled around the damaged vessel, sipping aperitifs at a nearby cafe in the sunshine, some apparently ignorant of the horror of what happened there. I met the survivors of this boat, said Carlotta Sami, a spokeswoman for UNHCR. Only 24, young, all boys shaky and with staring eyes. It was at dawn in the port of Catania in April 2015. And then I saw that monstrous boat when it was recovered with its 800 dead bodies. That was a tragic moment that will always stay in my mind. Rothko in Lampedusa will run at the Palazzo Querini until 24 November. WALLINGFORD Residents have the opportunity to attend training on responding to an active shooter at the Spanish Community of Wallingford on Thursday. The session is being offered by the town health department with cooperation from the Police Department. Health department Director Stephen Civitelli said a series of scenarios and responses will be presented. Two years ago, after some situations throughout the country, we came across this training, Civitelli said. We felt it was needed. The training will take place at SCOW, 284 Washington St., from 6 to 8 p.m. A Spanish interpreter will be available. It will be led by Wallingford Police Capt. Richard Homestead, who previously tauht the course at the public library. He said the program based on training offered by FEMA and the FBI emphasizes the run, hide, fight method. Its mainly geared towards the average citizen. Whether out in public living their daily life or at work, Homestead said. (The course) teaches how to react to an active shooter. What are the things that they can do and how to react to a situation. Participants have told Homestead it made them rethink what they would do in a possibly deadly situation, he said. If you take one or two things from the training it could help you react quickly, Homestead said. It could potentially save your life. Civitelli said the goal is to equip individuals with the tools to handle a potentially dangerous situation. Due to the mature nature of the topics, he advises people to use discretion when signing up and said the event is not meant for children. jroman@record-journal.com 203-317-2420 Twitter: @JenieceRoman PrivatBank case: PGO probes Poroshenko's alleged "pressure" on judges 12:20, 13.05.19 3853 The investigation was initiated at the request of judges of Kyiv's District Administrative Court regarding possible interference by senior state officials. USDA raises grain yield forecast for Ukraine in MY 2019-2020 to 71.2 mln tonnes 23:53, 13.05.19 1097 Grain exports from Ukraine in MY 2019-2020 may reach 50.7 million tonnes. The process of power handover should take place in accordance with the law and in compliance with key democratic traditions, Gerasimov said. President's envoy in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Artur Gerasimov has said outgoing President Petro Poroshenko is ready to hand over power to President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky at any time, and that he does not reject any inauguration date. "This week, and here I support the Verkhovna Rada chairman, the parliament will determine the date of inauguration of the newly elected president of Ukraine. The process of handover of power should take place in accordance with the law and in compliance with key democratic traditions," he said at a meeting of the Conciliatory Council of faction leaders and chairmen of parliamentary committees, according to a UNIAN correspondent. Read alsoPresident's envoy in parliament reacts to Zelensky's demand to set inauguration date for May 19 "Immediately after the decision of the relevant profile committee, we'll urgently appoint a meeting of the faction and determine what we will vote for," Gerasimov said. "I would like to emphasize that Petro Poroshenko is ready to hand over power at any time, and that he does not reject any dates. I would like to emphasize today it is the full responsibility of the Ukrainian parliament, not of the president of Ukraine," he added. The minister said his position had been heard and noted, in particular, by German, French and Dutch colleagues. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin says that meeting Russia's demands for lifting sanctions in the Council of Europe will destroy the Minsk agreements aimed at resolving an armed conflict in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. Read alsoUkraine's Cabinet outlaws Russian passports issued in occupied Donbas The minister told this to journalists in Brussels following a meeting of foreign ministers of EU member states and Eastern Partnership countries, chaired by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. In particular, Klimkin said that on May 12, there was a question from the European side regarding the Council of Europe and Russia's further participation in this organization. In this regard, Klimkin noted that meeting Russia's demands for the renewal of its rights in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe without fulfilling the prerequisites for restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity will lead to a breakdown of the Minsk agreements. "I've honestly told them if you move to where several countries were willing to go [to satisfy Russia's demands for renewing its rights in PACE without fulfilling the prerequisites], I will make a statement the same day: First, 'we don't have Minsk [accords], and secondly, it was 'killed' not only by Moscow, but you are also 'killing' it consistently," the minister noted. Read alsoRussian invaders in Donbas force troops of army corps to obtain Russian passports Ukraine intel The official was also asked what is the relationship between the Minsk agreements and the Council of Europe. Klimkin says everyone in the EU realize that after Russia started issuing passports to Ukrainians, if "there is any step that will be considered as a step towards Russia in the Council of Europe... then in general all the logic of what we did, will be totally destroyed." At the same time, he says that there are parliamentarians in Europe who are trying to lobby for Russia. Klimkin added that his position had been heard and noted, in particular, by German, French and Dutch colleagues. As UNIAN reported earlier, at the April session in 2014, PACE deprived the Russian delegation of the voting right and excluded its representatives from all governing bodies for the illegal annexation of Crimea. Since then, the Russian Federation has in fact boycotted the Assembly's meetings and demanded full restoration of its rights. In June 2017, Russia refused to pay CoE membership fees until her delegation`s powers in PACE were restored. In January 2018, the campaign was launched promoting the return of the Russian delegation to the PACE. The Metropolitan says further cooperation was discussed. Ukraine's President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky made a positive impression on the head of the recently-created Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy when the two met for the first time. Speaking with Espreso.tv, Epifaniy said: "Yes, I had my first personal meeting with President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky. He made a very positive impression on me as a person. He enjoyed a substantial vote of confidence in the Ukrainian society as people have high expectations." Read alsoOver 500 parishes become part of Ukraine's new independent Church According to the cleric, during their meeting, the two discussed issues of further cooperation. "We spoke of how we would be cooperating further. As the Ukrainian church, we will support both the president and the Ukrainian state in constructive actions. On all that will concern unity and development of the Ukrainian state, we will work as partners. I believe that in the future, we will do everything to ensure that these relations remain good," added the OCU head. Many locals who moved out of the occupied territories never return to challenge "court" decisions in fear of prosecution. The so-called "Donetsk Peoples Republic" are wrongfully seizing apartments and claiming the act is "justified" after property owners fail to respond to "summons." In many of the cases, the apartments are owned by Ukrainians who moved from the temporarily occupied territory and who would face risk of imprisonment (or worse) if they returned, the Kharkiv Human rights Protection Group wrote. Some 1.5 million Ukrainians are known to have fled their homes amid Crimea annexation by Russians who also launched the war in Donbas. For most of the internally displaced persons, life has been challenging, and many would sell their homes in the occupied territory if they could despite ridiculously low prices and high risk to lose everything. Some fear the move to sell real estate to militants would have negative consequences once the occupation is over. Read alsoOver 30% of IDPs have no intention to return to Donbas after war ends IOM Online Debaltsevo has posted a screenshot of a "court summons" effectively used to grab a family's property. The summons, signed by Olena Kirichenko, orders that they appear before a "court hearing" and explain to the judge why they should not be stripped of property rights. The whole matter dwells around the notion that for the past six months, the family have not resided in the apartment "without good grounds". If the family fail to turn up, their property shall be "confiscated," the court rules. Rights activists note that despite the fact that it remains unclear why the particular family left their hometown of Snizhne in Donetsk region, the agency is aware of a few Ukrainians who have been detained, tortured, and imprisoned on their return. The so-called Luhansk and Donetsk "republics" are known to be holding over 100 hostages; however, the real figure could be much higher since many relatives are afraid of reporting the fact not to "make things worse." Dzerkalo Tyzhnya clearly believes that a certain number of such "court rulings" greenlighting property seizure have already been handed down. The newspaper notes that, as a rule, flats are taken from those people who cannot go back to the occupied territory because of their open political views or public activities in the government-controlled territory. These are not isolated incidents, the report says. In the case of the four people cited in the Snizhne ruling, this proved to be the family of a law enforcer who serves in the government-controlled territory, meaning that both he and his family would be in danger if they returned. The family reacted calmly to the news that their home had been seized, saying that on their return after Snizhne is liberated, they will throw out those who moved in illegally. Radio Svobodas Donbas.Realii reported the appropriation of two flats in the center of Donetsk back in August 2018, with 10 others in that same apartment block having been "confiscated" earlier, in March. The block in question, Kirylo Sazonov, a political analyst from Donetsk explained, had been built recently for local police chiefs. It was therefore safe to assume that the new "official" method of appropriation would work since the flat owners would not react to "summonses". In fact, militants from the so-called "DPR" and "Luhansk peoples republic" have been seizing thousands of flats and homes which their owners had been forced to abandon starting 2014. In 2017, "LPR authorities" reported that they were taking "control" of empty flats as part of the "inventory" routine. If the flat was declared empty, they would dispose of it as they saw fit, with analysts assuming that many of the flats would be used to house people coming in from Russia. The primate said he had raised the issue of uniting two confessions during his meeting with the UGCC head. Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Epifaniy has said dialogue must first be held between Ukrainian Orthodox churches of the Eastern and Western rites to study the issue of their possible unification. "In general, many strive toward this and say these churches should unite in the future. But they need to come to a dialogue to unite. Now we are working closely. We are jointly implementing certain projects, participating in joint events," he told Espreso.TV on Sunday, May 12, 2019. Read alsoHead of Ukraine's new church tells of first Zelensky meeting According to the primate, he raised the issue of uniting two confessions during his meeting with the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. "At the meeting with His Beatitude Sviatoslav [Shevchuk], we talked about further deepening our cooperation. We will come to dialogue in this cooperation, and the dialogue will determine whether we can unite. Theoretically, this is possible in the future. But it depends on how we cooperate, support this friendship, and strive for this unity. All Orthodox believes should unite in a single Church in the future," Epifaniy said. A helicopter of the naval aviation brigade was also involved in the training routine. The Pryluky rocket boat of the Ukrainian Navy conducted a series of PASSEX NATO exercises in the Black Sea area with the Royal Navy HM Naval Base Devonport's HMS Echo multi-role hydrographic survey ship. During a joint exercise, the Ukrainian rocket boat and the British ship completed tactical maneuvering tasks, air defense exercises, as well as communications training in accordance with NATO standards, as reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook. A helicopter of the naval aviation brigade was also involved in the exercise. In particular, the Mi-14 sea multi-purpose helicopter performed the tasks of covering the surface situation in the training area. The patriarch stressed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate had not been liquidated. Honorable Patriarch Filaret admits a split in the newly formed Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and claims he has the authority to convene a council. According to Filaret, he talked with Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Epifaniy no more than five times since the establishment of the OCU. "Is this communication? You need to manage the church daily. Therefore, there is no communication. Due to the fact that there is no communication, while there should be one, the church has been divided, so now my task as a patriarch is to preserve the Ukrainian church," he told Ukrainian TSN news service. At the same time, he argues he has the authority to convene a council as a church primate. Answering the question on whether he admits a split in the OCU, Filaret said: "I admit this. But we will create a single church." In addition, he stressed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) had not been liquidated. Read alsoUkraine's top Orthodox cleric explains possibility of unification with Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church "It exists. It does not need to be restored. Is there a patriarch? If there is a patriarch, there is patriarchy. It's the Kyiv Patriarchate. Therefore, there is no need to restore the patriarchate. It exists, and it should exist... And there will be patriarchy. And it will not be unrecognized. Time will come when it is recognized," Filaret said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture said the statements about the alleged resumption of activities of such a religious association as the UOC-KP in Ukraine were not true. Earlier, the media published reports claiming there were serious misunderstandings and even a serious conflict between Filaret and Epifaniy. In particular, Filaret seems to seek to restore the structure of the UOC-KP and his influence on the church, while Epifaniy's associates tend to support the "Greek system" of the OCU proposed by the Phanar. On May 14, Filaret invited the OCU's hierarchs to the traditional UOC-KP prayer celebration in honor of holy martyr Makariy to St. Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kyiv. Invitations were sent on the UOC-KP's forms and signed by Filaret. In addition, the patriarch refused to recognize the UOC-KP as liquidated as a result of the creation of the OCU. As UNIAN reported earlier, the Unification Council of members of the Ukrainian Orthodox churches in Kyiv on December 15 elected Metropolitan of Pereyaslavsky and Bila Tserkva from the then Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate Epifaniy (also known as Epiphanius I) as head of the new local Orthodox church in Ukraine. On January 6, Epifaniy, as Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, received the tomos of autocephaly (independence) of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Istanbul, Turkey. Patients of any age can now be vaccinated free of charge to prevent measles, mumps, and rubella. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has lifted age restrictions on free measles vaccination. The relevant changes were made to the schedule of prophylactic immunization on April 23, according to the ministry's press service. Ministry's Order No. 958 "On amendments to the vaccination calendar in Ukraine" was registered with the Ministry of Justice on April 25. "Adults of any age can now also be vaccinated for free against measles, mumps, and rubella," the report says. Read alsoUkraine measles update: 16 people die from complications since year-start Until now, adults under 30 years of age who have been in contact with patients and people from occupational risk groups (doctors, teachers, military, students) could be vaccinated against measles for free. The Ministry of Health added the decision was made because the number of measles cases among the adult population was constantly growing, adding it was enough for an adult to make a single measles vaccination to form immunity. There are about 40,000 Russian soldiers in the Russian-occupied Crimea, and another 35,000 in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk region. A military campaign to liberate occupied territories of Ukraine would take less than a day, that's according to ex-Commander of the Joint Forces, General Serhiy Nayev. Answering a TSN reporter's question on how long it would take to liberate Ukrainian territories from invaders, Nayev noted that this would require "very little time." "The very military action to liberate the territory would take very little time less than a day. The key thing in this case is to act very rapidly to get to the Ukrainian border and gain a foothold there. Then, in the liberated territory, the National Guard, the National Police, and other law enforcers should immediately start their special measures," noted the general noted who was recently dismissed from the top JFO post as part of rotation. Also, he added that now in the Russian-occupied Crimea, there are about 40,000 Russian military, and another 35,000 in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Read alsoRegaining ground, cutting losses: JFO commander speaks of main achievements over 12 months "In the occupied areas of Donbas, Russians occupy all leading military posts and are part of the units of the so-called point action. There are special divisions, instructors from Russia there A total of 2,100 to 2,300 people. And there are about 11,000 Russian citizens in 'army ranks' (that's before the issue of passports), while the rest of the manpower are local residents," said Nayev. He added that the commanders of the so-called 1st Army Corps or the 2nd Army Corps are never shown on camera, which "partially confirms" that these posts are occupied by "Russian generals." Nayev noted that the enemy has immediate plans for offensive action. "We are aware of high-risk directions along the contact line there are more than ten of them. We foresee actions in response all means remain prepared to strike back. We also monitor the high-risk parts of the border with Russia in Luhansk region and those in the Sea of Azov within the JFO zone. In all these areas, troops are ready to respond to the pro-active moves of the enemy," said the former head of Joint Forces Operation. As UNIAN reported earlier, on March 16, 2018, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko appointed Lieutenant-General Sergey Nayev to the post of Commander of the Joint Forces. On April 30 of the same year, the President signed a decree on the completion of the Anti-Terrorist Operation and ordered the launch of the Joint Forces Operation. In early May 2019, Poroshenko, as part of rotation, dismissed Serhiy Nayev and appointed Lieutenant-General Oleksandr Syrskiy new JF commander. Two occupiers were wounded on Sunday, intelligence reports say. Russia's hybrid military forces in the past 24 hours mounted 16 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action. "Two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in the past day. Each enemy provocation had an adequate response. According to intelligence reports, two occupiers were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update posted on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on May 13, 2019. Russian occupation forces opened fire from 120mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms. Under attack were Ukrainian positions near the town of Avdiyivka, as well as near the villages of Hnutove, Kamianka, Novotroyitske, Talakivka, Bohdanivka, Starohnativka, Hranitne, Lebedynske, Novotoshkivske, and Zaitseve. Read alsoMilitary action to liberate occupied territories would take under 24 hours ex-commander "From midnight on Monday, Russia-led forces attacked Ukrainian positions near Bohdanivka, using tripod-mounted man-portable antitank guns and heavy machine guns. There were no casualties among the Ukrainian military [on Monday]," the report said. According to Nayev, tactical and operational level commanders learned to make well-informed decisions and clearly respond to the invaders' moves. Ex-Commander of Ukraine's Joint Forces Serhiy Nayev has said the main achievements over the past year were a significant increase in combat capability and an improvement in commanders' skills to adequately respond to enemy threats. According to him, tactical and operational level commanders learned to make well-informed decisions and clearly respond to the invaders' moves, TSN reports. "I have always set the task before commanders and demanded that they be able to fight using quality rather than numbers. We'd been using all necessary means provided by the SBU Security Service of Ukraine, which gave us relevant intelligence, electronic warfare, which made impossible the influence of hostile means, as well as an integrated approach to all other means, including fire destruction," Nayev said. "In addition, I thoroughly studied each case where we suffered losses to take into account all possible mistakes and not to repeat them in the future. Soldiers of the Joint Forces learned to effectively use new Ukrainian weapons these were both anti-tank missile systems and counter-sniper weapons. Altogether, this made it clear to the enemy that our warriors are highly trained and skilled," Nayev said. Read alsoMilitary action to liberate occupied territories would take under 24 hours ex-commander Speaking of the humanitarian component, Nayev noted that in working with the local population, "we studied the demands of the population living at the contact line and provided the assistance required, especially to medical institutions." Nayev also said he did everything to prevent illegal goods trafficking across the contact cline. The state secretary had been due to meet U.S. embassy staff and members of the business community in Moscow on Monday before heading to Sochi. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will cancel the Moscow leg of his Russia trip, but will meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi as planned on Tuesday, a State Department official said. On Monday, before heading to Russia, Pompeo will stop by in Brussels to hold talks with European officials on Iran and other issues, Reuters reported citing the source who spoke on condition of anonymity. On his first trip to Russia as U.S. secretary of state, Pompeo is expected to discuss with Putin and Lavrov the aggressive and destabilizing actions Moscow has taken around the world, a senior state department official said last week. Pompeo would reiterate U.S. concerns about Russias role in Venezuela and Syria and its breach of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, as well as Russian attempts to meddle in U.S. elections, the official told reporters in a preview of his trip. Read alsoZelensky being pulled into domestic political conflict in U.S. media Trump spoke with Putin by telephone on May 3, and said they discussed the possibility of a new accord limiting nuclear arms that could eventually include China in what would be a major deal between the globes top three atomic powers. 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 pact, it could be harder to gauge each others intentions, arms control advocates say. Trump has called the New START treaty concluded by his predecessor, Barack Obama, a bad deal and one-sided. Pompeo had been due to meet U.S. embassy staff and members of the business community in Moscow on Monday before heading to Sochi. While the incident took place amid heightened regional tensions between the U.S. and Iran, Tehran is cautioning against any "conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers." Saudi Arabias energy minister says two Saudi oil tankers were targeted in a sabotage attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and sustained "significant damage." Khalid Al-Falih made the comments in a statement carried early Monday by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, according to The Associated Press. He said the two tankers were targeted off the coast of Fujairah. He said one tanker was en route to the kingdom to be loaded with Saudi crude oil to send to the United States. He did not identify the tankers. He said: Fortunately, the attack didnt lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels. Read alsoU.S. to move USS Arlington and Patriot battery to U.S. Central Command Earlier, The UAE said an alleged sabotage attack targeted four boats, without elaborating or naming suspects. Washington has issued a new alert to maritime traffic over the alleged "acts of sabotage" of ships off the UAE coast amid heightened regional tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The United States recently moved to bolster its military presence in the Persian Gulf and Middle East, deploying an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to counter what Washington sees as a growing threat from Iran. The Pentagon announcement on May 10 is the latest in a series of steps and countersteps by the United States and Iran as tensions between the nations intensify, according to RFE/RL. Meanwhile, Irans Foreign Ministry is calling for clarification about what happened with the two Saudi oil tankers and expressed concerns over the explosions. The security of shipping and maritime transport in the region is of paramount importance, said ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi. The state-run IRNA news agency also quoted Mousavi on Monday as cautioning against any "conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers" and "adventurism by foreigners" to undermine the regions stability and security. Kremlin-backed campaigns are promoting extremist views and amplifying them to sow discord, says cyber firm. More than half of Europeans may have seen some form of disinformation promoted by Russian actors on social networks ahead of the parliamentary election later this month. The report by SafeGuard Cyber, a U.S.-based cybersecurity firm coincides with criticism that tech companies, notably Facebook, are not doing enough to thwart false reports and that European voters may be subject to efforts to manipulate their views on immigration and the European Union, according to an analysis reviewed by POLITICO. With the bloc-wide election on May 23-26, researchers found a vast network of automated social media accounts, allegedly controlled by Russian actors, that foment extremist views by amplifying content produced by the hard-right Alternative for Germany, as well as various supporters of the United Kingdom leaving the EU. The goal of such efforts, according to the analysis, is to amplify divisive issues in European countries to undermine democratic institutions and create domestic tensions in a way that ultimately favors the Russian state. "They've created narratives in all of the countries specifically about the European elections," said Otavio Freire, co-founder of SafeGuard Cyber, the firm that carried out the analysis across the EU over a ten-day period ending on May 10. Read alsoParticipants in Russia's 'Immortal Regiment' propaganda event in Lisbon attack Ukrainians He said topics like opposition to the European Union and to leaders like Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, as well as around controversial topics like Brexit, had garnered particular attention from Russian-backed automated social media accounts. "From a tactical perspective, they have been successful in spreading these messages," Freire said. As part of a disinformation campaign, these Russian-backed social media accounts have amplified domestic messaging from extremist groups from both the left and right to sow dissent, according to the analysis. This represents a strategic shift from the 2016 U.S. presidential election when Russian groups created original content, often pretending to be local American voters, around topics such as the "Black Lives Matter" movement or support for gun rights to sow discord. Read alsoRussian general pitches "information" operations as a form of war: NYT "Creating something out of nothing is really hard," said Ben Nimmo, a disinformation analyst at the Atlantic Council, who was not associated with the SafeGuard Cyber analysis. "It's a lot easier to amplify existing content." In total, roughly half of the European population, or around 240 million people, may have been exposed to some form of Russian-backed disinformation campaign, according to SafeGuard Cyber's analysis. That is based on the potential reach of a series of amplification efforts across Twitter, Facebook and Google's YouTube that was reviewed between May 1 and May 10. He said the two countries have a lot of historical, cultural, and religious similarities, so they are able to cooperate and share experience in national building and development. The PM congratulated Bhutan on the achievements it has gained over the years. Despite its small population, Bhutan prides itself on having one of the highest happiness indexes in the world, he said. Chairman Tashi Dorji highly appreciated Vietnams organisation of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2019 celebration. He said Bhutan has set up diplomatic relations with 36 countries in the world, including Vietnam. The two sides share many similarities in landscape, religion, and people, which are favourable conditions for developing the bilateral ties, he added. Bhutan is working closely with Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs to set up a bilateral consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries, he said. He added that Bhutan is also pushing ahead with agricultural reform and mechanisation, hoping to collaborate with Vietnam in agriculture, including importing farming machines from Vietnam and learning from the countrys experience in developing agriculture. Dorji suggested increasing all-level delegation exchanges between the two sides and noted that the number of Vietnamese tourists to Bhutan is increasing. PM Phuc hailed the opinions of the Bhutan chairman and asked him to pay attention to promoting several activities, such as high-level delegations and people-to-people exchanges. He urged the two sides to soon sign a visa exemption agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders, and another on bilateral consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries to help promote cooperation in various fields. As bilateral trade remains modest, the PM suggested the two countries enhance cooperation in fields of Bhutans interest, such as machinery and components for agriculture and manufacturing, as well as wooden furniture. He recommended that the two sides boost their tourism partnership by conducting direct charter flights to tap into their cultural similarities, especially Buddhism. The PM hoped Bhutan will continue to create the optimal conditions for Vietnamese citizens to live and work there. Vietnam is willing to share experience in the field of agriculture with Bhutan, he affirmed. He also called on Bhutan to continue supporting and cooperating closely with Vietnam to ensure consensus at international and regional organisations which both are members to. By IANS BEIJING: China on Monday announced that it will impose tariffs on $60 billion of US goods from June 1 in retaliation for Washington's decision to hike duties on Chinese goods. Beijing will increase the tariffs to 25 per cent from 10 per cent and the duties will apply to 5,140 US products, the Chinese Finance Ministry was cited as saying by CNBC. The move follows US President Donald Trump's decision to raise duties on $200 billion of Chinese products from 10 per cent to 25 per cent as the world's two largest economies failed to produce a breakthrough after months of trade talks. The latest escalation came shortly after Trump tweeted a warning to China not to retaliate against the extra tariffs he imposed last week. ALSO READ | 'China will be hurt very badly': Trump warns Xi Jinping against new tariffs "China should not retaliate - will only get worse!" the US President posted on Twitter. China's Global Times newspaper reported that Beijing was also considering cutting orders for new Boeing planes and boycotting US agricultural products. The development raises the stakes in a widening trade conflict that has rattled investors and threatened to damage the global economy. US stock futures signalled a sharp drop on Monday morning amid the escalation. Earlier in the day, Trump said China would be "hurt very badly" if the country did not make a deal with the US. He had ordered the tariff raise after talks in Washington with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He ended with no deal in sight. In a series of tweets on Monday morning, Trump said China had "taken so advantage of the US for so many years". He suggested that manufacturers who make goods in China could shift production to other countries to avoid the tariffs. "I say openly to President Xi (Jinping) and all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you don't make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries. Too expensive to buy in China. You had a great deal, almost completed and you backed out!" he tweeted. "Many tariffed companies will be leaving China for Vietnam and other such countries in Asia." He also claimed that the trade war would not have a significant impact on US trade. "We are right where we want to be with China. Remember, they broke the deal with us and tried to renegotiate. We will be taking in tens of billions of dollars in tariffs from China. Buyers of the product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-tariffed countries." Trump's top economic adviser Larry Kudlow, however, said "both sides will suffer" from the trade dispute. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Kudlow said that it was American businesses that paid the tariffs on any goods brought in from China and that US consumers would also foot the bill if firms passed on the cost increase. May 13 2019 A new veterinary centred designed by Jefferson Sheard Architects is to be built in Livingston after plans brought forward by CVS Group were given the green light by West Lothian Council. The Livingston Veterinary Referrals & Pathology Centre will deliver 30,000sq/ft of purpose-built medical facilities within Livingston Trade Park to the north of Houston Road on scrubland within the industrial estate. Providing a total of 12 consulting rooms the project will include its own pharmace, separate dog and cat wards and reception space. Finished in black and grey aluminium panels the proposed hospital will join CVSs existing estate of 490 veterinary centres located throughout the UK, Holland and Ireland. Funding for Livingston Trade Park has been provided by the Scottish partnership for Regeneration in Urban Centres. Costa Rica is interested in establishing direct flights with Russia and has already drafted and sent to Moscow two proposals to open such a route, Charge d'affaires a.i. of the Russian Federation Alexey Kudachkin told Sputnik SAN JOSE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2019) Costa Rica is interested in establishing direct flights with Russia and has already drafted and sent to Moscow two proposals to open such a route, Charge d'affaires a.i. of the Russian Federation Alexey Kudachkin told Sputnik. "The problem of Costa Rica from the tourism perspective, is that it is hard to reach. For instance, the Dominican Republic, which hosts 150,000 Russian tourists annually, has direct flights [from Russia]," Kudachkin said. "We are in communication with the Ministry of Tourism and other agencies, and we tell them that in order to develop tourism it is important to solve the issue of air transportation. In fact, Costa Ricans are very interested in it." Kudachkin said Costa Ricans are interested in either launching a flight that travels directly to the country, or possibly through the Dominican Republic. "The Ministry of Civil Aviation for Tourism handed us a draft of two agreements for the Russian side, which presupposes joint work in that direction. We will send it to Moscow soon. It's another important point of cooperation for us," the diplomat added. Kudachkin noted that in 2018, some 5,000 Russian tourists visited Costa Rica, while the country received some 3 million visitors. He noted that Costa Ricans are showing greater interest in traveling to Russia, as increasing numbers visit the country each year. "Beginning May 25, the agreement will go into force to allow Russians and Costa Ricans to travel to both countries without visas," the diplomat said. "We believe that the entry into force of this agreement will greatly contribute to bringing us closer in various areas. Not only will tourists go to Russia, but also businessmen, people wishing to study in Russia and so on." May 8 marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Russia and Costa Rica, one of the first countries in the region to establish ties. CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th May, 2019) The head of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) mission to Moldova, Claus Neukirch, welcomed on Monday Moldova's Transnistria breakaway republic's decision over the disputed village of Varnita and said it set an example for bilateral cooperation. On Monday, Moldovan authorities were informed that Transnistria had canceled a decree it made in January in which it claimed the territory of Varnita under its jurisdiction and said that its decision was influenced through the 5+2 format talks. "I welcome this decision, which will allow the Sides to maintain the trust and confidence built over the past years in the settlement process. The Varnita case should be made an example of good co-operation and freedom of movement for the benefit of the population," Neukirch said. Neukirch said that a constructive discussion in the settlement of the issue would be beneficial for the advancement of the resolution of the conflict between Chisinau and Transnistria. The 5+2 format includes Moldova and Transnistria as sides of conflict; Russia, Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as mediators; and the European Union and the United States as observers. Transnistria, a region with a predominantly ethnically Russian and Ukrainian population, seceded from the Soviet Republic of Moldova in 1990, fearing a possible reunion with Romania. The separation led to an armed conflict that ended in a ceasefire in July 1992, although the issue is still unresolved. Defense industry cooperation between Russia and Belarus exceeded $1 billion since 2001, JSC Rosoboronexport (part of the Rostec State Corporation) said in a press release on Monday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2019) Defense industry cooperation between Russia and Belarus exceeded $1 billion since 2001, JSC Rosoboronexport (part of the Rostec State Corporation) said in a press release on Monday. The statement comes ahead of the MILEX-2019 International Exhibition of Armaments and Military Equipment to be held in Minsk on May 15-18. "Russia and Belarus are strategic partners in the military and defense industry fields. Since 2001, the volume of cooperation between Rosoboronexport and organizations among the Belarus military-industrial complex (MIC) has exceeded $1 billion," the press release said, citing CEO Alexander Mikheev. According to the text, Russia and Belarus hold a wide spectrum of defense-related bilateral interests ranging from supplies of components and end-products to joint research and practical projects. The exhibit in Minsk is of particular interest for Rosoboronexport, Mikheev added, explaining that MILEX is among the most well-known platforms in the former Soviet space, hence a good opportunity to promote Russian military equipment in Europe, Central Asia and Transcaucasia. Rosoboronexport is a regular participant at MILEX international military exhibits. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Russia and Costa Rica should jointly work on issues related to immigration policies, Charge d'affaires a.i. of the Russian Federation Alexey Kudachkin told Sputnik SAN JOSE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2019) Russia and Costa Rica should jointly work on issues related to immigration policies, Charge d'affaires a.i. of the Russian Federation Alexey Kudachkin told Sputnik. "Another area where our two nations could work together is the immigration policy," Kudachkin said. "The situation in Central America is getting rapidly more and more complicated. In Costa Rica the regional office of International Organization for Migration is prominent. Roland de Wilde is in charge of the office here. We are in constant touch, and in fact he insists on cooperating with Russia to share its experience in migration issues. " Kudachkin said there is also a need for international cooperation on immigration issues. "Of course, we have a lot of experience dealing with those issues. And certain problems tied to illegal immigration concern many - it's human trafficking. And the issue becomes more and more prevalent, so the external experts are right about the need for international cooperation on the largest scale," he added. May 8 marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Russia and Costa Rica, and it was one of the first countries in the region to do that. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Russia and Costa Rica are currently working on a sister city agreement between Sochi and Quepos, Charge d'affaires a.i. of the Russian Federation Alexey Kudachkin told Sputnik SAN JOSE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2019) Russia and Costa Rica are currently working on a sister city agreement between Sochi and Quepos, Charge d'affaires a.i. of the Russian Federation Alexey Kudachkin told Sputnik. "Costa Rica's town of Quepos located on the country's Pacific coast is a very popular tourist destination that attracts annually about one million people. We have started working with them on the possible conclusion of a sister city agreement with the Russian town of Sochi," Kudachkin revealed. "We will try to send a delegation from Quepos to Sochi before the end of the year to sign this agreement and also to agree on exchanges, and on possible participation of Sochi on developing Quepos' tourist infrastructure." May 8 marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Costa Rica, which was one of the first countries in the region to do that. On May 25, an agreement between Russia and Costa Rica on the mutual abolition of visas comes into force. CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2019) A poll published on Monday revealed that 54.8 percent of the Moldovan population did not want their country to become a member of NATO. According to the same poll conducted by the Moldovan Association of Sociologists and Demographers in February, 63.1 percent of the Moldovan population were opposed to their country joining the military alliance. Asked whether they would support NATO accession if a corresponding referendum were held on Sunday, 22.1 percent of respondents responded in the affirmative, a 0.2 point decrease from February's poll results. Regarding the same question, 9.2 percent of respondents said they would not vote in the referendum, while 9.6 percent were unable to give a definite answer. The remaining 4.3 percent said they did not know what NATO was. In addition, 39.1 percent of the respondents said that they would like their country to join the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) (with 42.9 percent in February), whereas 37.5 percent said they would like to join the European Union (with 41.2 percent in February). In case of a correspondent referendum, 6.3 percent of the respondents said they would not vote while 5. 9 percent were not sure about their answer. A total of 11.2 percent of the respondents opined that their state had no need to join any union. The poll was conducted by request of the Chisinau office of the International Institute for Monitoring Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States from May 1-10. A total of 1,189 people from 89 communities were interviewed. The margin of error is 3 percent. Moldova is a constitutionally neutral state but has been cooperating with NATO since 1994 within an individual partnership plan. Chisinau has also hosted a NATO Liaison Office since December 2017, something that has been harshly criticized by Moldovan President Igor Dodon. In May 2018, the president stated that there was a distinct possibility that the office would be closed after the country's parliamentary elections, which were held this past February. On May 14, 2018 Moldova became an observer in EAEU, an international organization for regional economic integration. Jayanta Roy Chowdhury By Express News Service A boom in Indias smartphone market, combined with the Make in India initiative, has seen a surge in Chinese investments flowing into Indias telecom sector an estimated $6.4 billion over the last five years. In all, commerce ministry officials estimate that China invested $8 billion in India since the turn of the century, with about 80 per cent of that in the last five years. The Chinese realised early that we had problems with mere imports, which were costing us hard currency. Having followed a similar regime of import substitution at home and having carefully studied the Japanese who follow up export of goods with export of capital, Chinese firms like Huawei and Xiaomi have started investing in factories here, said officials. The Chinese also decided that the smartphone boom in India was their best bet to enter the local market. The smartphone market in India grew 14.5 per cent in 2018 with sales of 142.3 million mobiles, according to research firm IDC. During the October-December 2018 quarter, smartphone shipment expanded 19.5 per cent year-on-year to 36.3 million units from 30.3 million units in the same period last year. This growth was partly fuelled by cheap smartphones, which Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi and Oppo brought in. According to a report released by Counterpoints Market Monitor service last week, the market share of Chinese brands in the Indian smartphone market touched 66 per cent in the January-April 2019 quarter. Xiaomi remained the smartphone market leader during this quarter with a 29 per cent share. Xiaomi currently has seven factories for smartphones across four campuses in India. It is also reportedly evaluating new facilities for smart TV sets in the country. The company is also encouraging its component makers to set up new factories to increase localisation. The aim, analysts said, was not only to tap the worlds second largest smartphone market, but also to use India as a base for onward shipments to Africa and elsewhere. Ultimately, the Chinese mother plants in Southern China gain, as critical components will continue to be made there. But India too gains in factories that were not here before, said officials. They are following the same policy that the Japanese and Korean car makers followed in India. Chinese telecom giant Huaweis sub-brand Honor is similarly hoping to bolster its investments here to not only grab a larger share of the booming local market, but also the export market that is expected to grow up here. India is at the cross-roads of sea-borne trade routes between the Orient on one side and the West and Africa on the other. Whatever one-road-one-belt they build, they need to tap the future market that is Africa. Our position is such that we are geographically the nearest to Africa and shipments from here would be faster and cheaper than from China or Japan. We also are an extremely large market ourselves. Besides, other West Asian neighbours are unstable or do not have sufficient skilled workforce This makes India a better locale for export factories whether it be for cars or smartphones, said Prof Biswajit Dhar of JNU, former director general of Research and Information Systems for developing countries. Dia Rekhi By Express News Service CHENNAI: This is an important example of how people born with mental disabilities can integrate fully in society, said Ferenc Jari, Consul General of Hungary in Mumbai on Friday at the introduction of the award-winning Hungarian documentary film, Lend Me Your Eyes, Baltazars, which aims to create awareness on Down Syndrome. The Honorary Consul of Hungary in Chennai in association with the Down Syndrome Federation of India and the Consulate General of Hungary in Mumbai introduced the film which traces the journey of the actors to Tamil Nadu and to the Vaiteeswaran Koil temple in 2015. In January 2018, the film won the best directors prize in the documentary film category at the Jaipur International Film Festival, said Jari. The film is the first ever Hungarian film shot entirely in Tamil Nadu and produced with Tamil dubbing and English subtitles. Baltazar Theatre has always been committed to Indian culture and spirituality. The spirituality and faith that radiates from Tamil Nadu is overwhelming. The actors expressed how Tamil Nadu is one of the rare spots in todays world where faith has an overwhelming presence which is what created a very strong spiritual bond linking them to Tamil Nadu. The members of the Baltazar Theatre, founded 21 years ago, are professional, but actors with mental disabilities. The film lets us see faith through the filter of art and monitor how artists with mental disabilities of the Hungarian theatre embrace the spirituality of south India, said Dora Elek, the director of the award-winning documentary and founder of the Baltazar Theatre Company. The Baltazar Theatre aims to create conditions for people with disabilities to earn a living using their talent. Their ultimate objective is to ensure that social judgement on people with mental disabilities changes. Some of their performances are linked to Indian culture and one of their most successful plays, Happy Hour, has karma as its central topic. Art can cast the focus on their talents, Elek said. Art has strong integrative power and is an area of life where diversity is a virtue. It has the power to make the invisible, visible. I want people to know that these are actors who are doing this for professional purposes and not for therapeutic purposes. Pope Francis and other clerics when they met South Sudan's President and Opposition leaders who will form the Unity Government (ANSA) Sunday, 12 May was the deadline set in a September 2018 peace agreement that 'ended' South Sudans deadly war. The date has now come and gone without the Unity Government. Paul Samasumo Vatican City South Sudans government and opposition parties have agreed to extend, by six more months, the formation of a Unity Government in South Sudan. Pope Francis reiterates his closeness to South Sudan Pope Francis, one of the leading proponents for peace in South Sudan and for the formation of the Government of National Unity, on Friday, told an international meeting of religious nuns, in the Vatican, of his closeness and appreciation for women missionaries who serve the people in countries of great need like the Central African Republic and South Sudan. The Pope said he earnestly desires to visit the youngest nation in the world (South Sudan) as soon as it was possible. IGAD helping South Sudan stay with the peace agreement The regional group, IGAD, which has been helping to mediate between South Sudans warring parties has since endorsed the request by South Sudanese leaders to extend, by six months, the formation of the Government of National Unity. A Communique of the Extraordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers with focus on South Sudan endorsed the request by the South Sudanese parties for a six months extension effective 12 May 2019. The extension is supposed to give time for the Opposition leaders and South Sudan President, Salva Kiir, to expedite work on disarmament of various armed groups and the integration of the rebel armies into a regular army. Nevertheless, there is still some mistrust among the various factions, and IGAD is suggesting regular face-to-face meetings of South Sudans top leadership in order to keep alive the peace agreement and build some level of working trust among them. IGAD is also reaching out to other rebel groups who are not signatories to the September peace agreement to join the peace. In particular, IGAD is concerned with rebel groups led by General Thomas Cirillo Swaka and General Paul Malong Awan. Non-signatory rebel groups could potentially derail peace efforts with their activities. Peace agreement largely holding Notwithstanding challenges noted by the United Nations, the September peace agreement, in South Sudan, is mostly holding. President Salva Kiir recently lifted a state of emergency in the northern parts of South Sudan. The state of emergency was imposed in 2017 on the states of Tonj, Wau, Aweil East, Gogrial and Western Lakes. The continued flouting of a UN arms embargo In the meantime, Human Rights Watch has reported that a United Nations Panel of Experts on South Sudan has found that South Sudan and other nations are fueling the civil war by flouting a UN arms embargo imposed on South Sudan last year. According to Human Rights Watch, the UN arms embargo, if adhered to, could help protect civilians from violence. The lack of effective implementation, especially from neighbouring states, was not helping matters. Human Rights Watch now wants the UN to act to renew both the sanctions and the arms embargo, and insist that neighbouring states cooperate and not flout the arms embargo. Pope Francis expresses his pain over an attack by gunmen on a Catholic church in Burkina Faso after Sunday Mass in which six people were killed, including a priest. The interim director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Alessandro Gisotti, has posted a tweet expressing the grief of Pope Francis. He said, The Holy Father has learned with sorrow about the news of the attack on the church in Dablo, Burkina Faso. He prays for the victims, for their families and for the entire Christian community in the country. The attack took place in the small town of Dablo, about 200 kilometres north of the capital, Ouagadougou. The faithful were leaving church around 9 a.m. when about 20 suspected jihadists on motorcycles encircled the church. From reports by eyewitnesses, it appears that their target was the 34-year old Burkinabe priest, Father Simeon Yampa, in charge of interreligious dialogue in his diocese. When he tried to escape, the terrorists chased and killed him. Returning to the church, they forced the faithful to lie on the ground, picked out five of them and shot them. Dablo mayor, Ousmane Zongo, told Reuters the attackers then burned the church, looted a pharmacy and some other stores, and left. No one has claimed responsibility but the attacks bore the hallmarks of Islamic extremists who are known to be active in the area. Surge in terrorism Zongo said that the town is filled with panic and citizens are holed up at home. A government statement said that terrorist groups are now attacking religion with the macabre aim of dividing us." It is the second attack on Christians in two weeks in the West African nation increasingly overrun by jihadists. On April 29, a Protestant church was attacked, killing a Protestant pastor along with five faithful in Silgadji, in the province of Soum. The attackers then fled by motorbike to Mali, whose border is only a hundred kilometres away. The attack in Dablo came two days after an operation by French forces released four hostages kidnapped in Burkina last week. Two French soldiers were killed in action. Roughly 55% to 60% of Burkina Faso's population is Muslim, with up to a quarter Christian, mostly Catholic. The two groups generally live in peace, but the nation has been increasingly destabilized by jihadists from across the border in Mali. Attacks have included the kidnapping of foreigners. A report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies has pointed out that the number of violent incidents in the West African country linked to the local affiliates of al Qaeda and ISIS rose from 24 in 2017 to 136 in 2018. Over 100,000 people in Burkina Faso have been displaced by the unrest this year, the United Nations has said. The container should ensure 13* Celsius of the temperature inside. We will be able to know whether the temperature is sustained at the same level with the help of a data card through the computer. These two are very important for export. If these are neglected, the fruits will soon become stale and rotten. There are many exporters who have lost their money by not following the above process. In connection with this export, it is essential to obtain PQ (Plant Quarantine) certificate and Certificate of Origin from the Central Agricultural Ministry. It will be wise and better to get the consignment insured. Banana is procured at the price fixed by the Agricultural Marketing department. BASF and Tan Hung Co contribute to Vietnam's call for solutions in high-tech agriculture Tan Hung Co, a leading manufacturer of additive masterbatches for plastic films in Vietnam, is now using BASFs plastic additive Tinuvin NOR 371 to increase durability and the lifespan of plastic greenhouse films made from low-density polyethylene. With Tinuvin NOR 371, greenhouse films can withstand weathering for at least three to four years. The government of Vietnam has announced a VND100 trillion (approximately $4.35 billion) package to develop hi-tech agriculture. Better flower and fruit varieties are being developed, and field production is gradually moving towards protected cultivation, precision, and automatic irrigation, computerised crop management systems, and applying greenhouse technologies. To get the most out of greenhouse technologies, light stabilisers need to be added to the polymer during the manufacturing of greenhouse films. These stabilisers make the films resistant to the intense sunlight and heat that develops at the contact points with the metallic greenhouse frame. Without them, plastic films can become brittle and break within a few weeks. Natural weathering conditions affect the durability of polymers used outdoors, and greenhouse film poses an additional challenge because of the crop protection agents used in greenhouses, said Hermann Althoff, senior vice president of BASFs Performance Chemicals unit in the Asia-Pacific. Our Tinuvin NOR 371 light stabiliser lives up to the greenhouse challenge and extends the useful film life, thus reducing costs for the growers and waste for the environment. Tinuvin NOR 371 provides durability to greenhouse films by preventing degradation from ultraviolet (UV) rays, thermal stress, and oxidation. With durable films that last for several seasons, farmers can cover greenhouses for growing chrysanthemums, roses, and strawberries for the export market thereby increasing yields of profitable crops, while saving resources and reducing waste. Additionally, Tinuvin NOR 371 helps to ensure that greenhouse films can be used in a variety of growing conditions. Although the sulphur compounds approved as agricultural products to prevent and combat fungal diseases are ecologically safe, chemically they deactivate the light stabilisers and accelerate their breakdown. To counter this deactivation of light stabilisers, stabilisers for greenhouse films based on BASFs NOR technology are added which are particularly resistant to sulphur compounds and other agrochemicals. As a result, Tinuvin NOR 371 offers stability that enables farmers to produce profitably for several growing seasons. Bayer has stepped up co-operation with the Vietnamese government to cover unmet healthcare demand According to the latest report by consulting firm Solidiance, the Vietnamese healthcare industry is facing several challenges, such as overcrowded hospitals, obsolete medical equipment, limited state budget, and a shortage of qualified medical staff. Furthermore, Vietnam is currently struggling with increasing healthcare expenditure. Throughout 2013-2017 the growth of per capita healthcare expenditure in Vietnam reached 26.78 per cent, going from $112 in 2013 to $142 in 2017, outpacing GDP per capita growth. Vietnams public healthcare expenditure was also the highest among the ASEAN countries, with 3.8 per cent of the GDP in 2014. The growing healthcare challenges have placed substantial pressure on the government to look for private capital and expertise. In this context, Bayer is one of the most active companies embracing public-private partnership solutions to solve Vietnams healthcare backlog. Bayer has collaborated with various entities to enhance knowledge and awareness of key health issues and non-communicable diseases in the country. For example, the company has collaborated with the Ho Chi Minh City Stroke Associations to engage over 700 healthcare professionals to enhance their scientific knowledge on the use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in stroke prevention and thrombosis management for atrial fibrillation patients. A key highlight was the important value of stroke prevention, which NOACs bring to patients with non-valvular AF. Specifically, Bayer has been implementing several initiatives to meet the needs of communities and improve the health of Vietnamese women. Vietnam currently has 24.7 million women at reproductive age, which is a high number. This number will continue to increase and reach its peak in the 2027-2028 period, signifying a growing need in womens health education. Bayer has joined forced with the General Office of Population and Family Planning and the Vietnam Womens Union to run a public health education programme for the past three years. Through the joint collaboration of Bayer and the government agencies, the programme has reached out to millions of Vietnamese women and provided them with better access to contraceptive information. As part of the partnership, a series of educational events have been organised to provide almost 4,500 students aged 18-25 with advanced knowledge and awareness about contraception. The participants were excited to exchange information, seeking experts advice on topics related to reproductive healthcare and safe contraceptive methods, among others. Innovative medicine to alleviate healthcare burden As Vietnam is entering the era of fast-aging population, serious diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and eye diseases related to ageing will be areas of high unmet medical need in Vietnam. Bayer is working hard to address the healthcare burden in Vietnam by bringing new and better treatments to patients. According to the GLOBOCAN, Vietnam had 164,671 fresh cases of cancer in 2018. The company has taken an active role in providing support and innovative treatments for Vietnamese cancer patients. Bayer unveiled one more oral targeted therapy in Vietnam for the treatment of advanced liver cancer patients last October. This therapy has been approved as the second line treatment for patients who have progressed on first-line systemic therapy. The sequential treatment with first-line followed by second-line therapies has shown a median overall survival of 26 months in patients with unresectable liver cancer. This represents a significant improvement from previous treatment outcomes for liver cancer, which have overall low survival rates. In addition, Bayer has introduced its new generation of treatment therapy in retina diseases like Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Macular Edema. With the new generation of anti-VEGF therapy, Bayer will contribute to improving the quality of life for patients in Vietnam by enabling vision protection, vision improvement, and vision loss prevention for the increasing number of patients suffering from these retina diseases. Capitalising on its strong research activity, Bayer also unveiled a new oral progestin treatment which has proven to be highly effective at relieving the pain caused by endometriosis. This is a relief for Vietnamese women living with endometriosis, a chronic and painful disease which affects one in 10 women during their reproductive years. In clinical studies this new therapy has shown continuous pain relief over 15 months of treatment. Building on partnerships Bayers innovative medicines have brought hope to many Vietnamese patients with difficult-to-treat diseases. It is clear that partnership is a key driver of innovation at Bayer. The company seeks to work closer with the government to find new and better solutions to the countrys healthcare challenges. The company shares mutual goals with the Vietnamese government to provide patients with sustainable access to high-quality medicines. To achieve this, a pro-innovation regulatory and reimbursement environment in Vietnam is important for the industry to continue bringing innovative treatments to Vietnamese patients. This includes less complex and more predictable policy frameworks for global healthcare companies to operate in Vietnam as well as faster regulatory and reimbursement approval processes which are also key factors that will help make innovative treatments more accessible for people in Vietnam. Moving forward, Bayer is committed to strengthening its partnerships with the government in the healthcare sector. The company also continues to expand collaboration with other entities in Vietnam. These range from strategic research alliances with the medical and scientific communities to open innovation platforms involving entrepreneurs, startups, and the wider public. We are delighted to see that with our innovative medicines, Bayer is delivering significant benefits to patients battling serious diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and eye diseases related to aging and diabetes, enabling a better and meaningful life for Vietnamese patients, said Lynette Moey, country head of the Pharmaceuticals Division of Bayer in Vietnam. It is also our long-term commitment to continually bring new and better treatments to patients and build more collaboration with external partners in Vietnam. Located in the beating heart of Ho Chi Minh City, at the crossroads of Cong Quynh and Nguyen Cu Trinh, Alpha Hill is an award-winning project that provides a golden opportunity to gain exposure to the future upside and long-term investment value of a centrally-located District 1 property. CBRE Vietnam signing with Alpha King According to Linh Do, residential leasing manager for CBRE Vietnam, the purpose of the collaboration between CBRE and Alpha King is to bring buyers of Alpha Hill apartments a market-leading asset management service that provides an all-in-one solution to its investors. With CBREs longstanding experience and demonstrable success in residential leasing, the quality of the service we deliver to support our customers investment along every step of the ownership journey is unquestionable. Alpha Hill Tower B is assured to be a leading investment choice in the market, said Linh. CBRE Vietnams extensive management experience will safeguard the investment profitability and ensure a stable asset value appreciation for Alpha Hill apartments, she added. The first launch of Alpha Hill Tower A was a resounding success. 400 units were sold in a matter of hours during the launch event back in October 2018. From property handover to rental collection, and every step along the way, the new-to-market offering will provide a full range of asset management services that encompasses every detail to ensure the worry-free ownership of this distinguished project. The offering will also provide a tailored support for rental investors, bringing a comprehensive solution that will help generate a solid investment return for investors. To bolster consumer confidence in the commercial value of their assets, Alpha King will also provide this asset management service for residents free of charge for the first year. Additionally, Alpha King will include three years of complimentary premier property management services, undertaken by the professionally trained Alpha King property management team. Alpha King is now developing two projects in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. Alpha City is a premium property complex built as a modern integrated ecosystem. The complex includes a 35-storey Grade A office building, Alpha Town, and an 8-storey Alpha Mall retail component utilising a unique open design crafted by leading architectural firm Benoy. Meanwhile, Alpha Hill is a 48-storey twin tower luxury high-rise, featuring an elegant and luxurious exterior design with distinctive curved surfaces offering a 270-degree panoramic view of the city. C.P. Vietnam (left), the Department of Animal Health (middle), and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (right) shaking hands on the deal On May 15, at the Binh Phuoc Peoples Committee, the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and C.P. Vietnam Corporation, and the Binh Phuoc Department of Agriculture and Rural Development signed a co-operation agreement to develop a safe chicken production chain for local consumption and export in 2019-2020. The project aims to develop a closed loop production chain to exclude the chance of diseases in line with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), contributing to the sustainability of the husbandry industry and the improvement of the value of local products, while boosting supply for the local market and export. The $200 million project will be developed by C.P. Vietnam Corporation with the annual capacity of 50 million chickens, equaling nearly one million chickens per week. At present, C.P. Vietnam has been developing three factories in Becamex Binh Phuoc Industrial Park in Chon Thanh district, including a food processing plant, hatchery plant, slaughtering and processing plant, going to be accomplished soon. All segments in the production chain have been applied Industrial 4.0 technology. Safe chicken meat is expected to be released in the local market and be exported to Japan, South Korea, and Singapore from April 2020. The animal feed plant at Becamex Binh Phuoc Industrial Park Moreover, the project also directly creates more than 3,000 jobs, as well as benefits farmers who take part in the chain. Additionally, small-scale livestock farmers in the disease-free buffer zone will also benefit from the policy of vaccination against diseases in a radius of more than 10km. Director general of the Department of Animal Health Pham Van Dong expressed hope that the disease-free zone would be expanded into a disease-free commune, district, and then town in Binh Phuoc. The project fits the strategy and policy of the government on strengthening and developing safe and epidemic-free breeding zones. Over the past few months, African swine fever (ASF) has been spreading and causing significant losses for the economy. However, the disease is often detected at small-scale livestock farms. Thereby, it is necessary to develop disease-free zones with the participation of large corporations to establish hi-tech and safe farming areas, and closed loop production chains from breeding pigs, animal food, and processing clean and safe products. C.P. Vietnams representative said that after 25 years of doing business successfully in the country, this is a good opportunity to confirm the position of Vietnamese agricultural products on the international market. Vice Chairman of the Binh Phuoc Peoples Committee Huynh Anh Minh also highly appreciated the safe chicken production chain project to improve the quality and value of agricultural products of the province, as well as accelerate the forming of disease-free zones in districts and towns. The project will be deployed in Binh Phuoc provinces Chon Thanh district, Binh Long town, Hon Quan district, Dong Phu district, and Dong Xoai city. Investment in digital transformation is essential to business development in the 4.0 era. What areas should be defined as priorities and what strategies need to be in place? Any business engaging in the digital transformation journey has often asked itself how to work out a well-crafted digital transformation trajectory. In most cases, the answer is there is not a one-size-fits-all digital strategy. Furthermore, digital transformation is an inseparable part of the overall development strategy of a business. In the banking sector, most banks turn to transformation as a smart way to boost their management expertise and strive for business optimisation. When it comes to digital transformation, one of the top targets is aiming for customer satisfaction with significantly enhanced experiences. Another objective is to increase access to the customer segments that banks could not previously reach through using traditional formats with a larger assortment of products and services. Digital transformation could bring forward new business models, helping firms to create products and services more swiftly and deliver to customers in bigger volumes. More importantly, companies can optimise business performance and processes, from there improving the cost-to-income ratio. These are some of the areas that businesses can target in their digital transformation. Depending on the strategies they are following, they can select the appropriate area to focus on. Information security has become of paramount importance to the banking sector as we see an increase in breaches across the globe. How do banks use technology to improve their security? Security closely relates to online business and is one of the top concerns of firms when discussing digital transformation. Information security policies in the current business environment follow the same principles as before, since they all look to ensure data security and privacy of customer information. Security loopholes in the digital business environment often emanate from the traditional business environment. The leaking of sensitive information like bank card numbers or passwords is absolutely not a new phenomenon, but saw precedents several decades ago. We also see that in some online credit activities, fraud stems from the loopholes established in the traditional business environment. The digital age calls for a seamless combination of security policies and intra-business governance mechanisms to ensure customer security and information privacy are maximised in any environment. At the same time, the application of state-of-the-art technologies to further improve security functions is necessary. In the past, it was almost impossible to detect fraud in financial activities such as in money transfers or withdrawals. Nowadays, by virtue of technology, these incidents can be detected at once. There is increased usage for data analytics for enhanced security. For example, based on customer data, behavioural models can be built and later used for fraud prevention. For that, it is necessary to continue improving the legal framework, technology as well as processes in the traditional banking model, while incorporating new technologies such as data analytics, new online transaction methods, or artificial intelligence and robotics to automate processes. Fintech potential has become a buzzword in recent years. What do you anticipate in this perspective as we witness a new sphere of co-operation between banks and fintechs? About 10,000-12,000 fintech companies of all sizes maintain operation across the globe. Fintechs, by essence, are startups so they operate in light of the natural and typical life cycle of startups. Fintechs rarely rise up to become $1 billion dollar companies. Investment into fintechs, however, still sees exponential increases, attesting to its buoyant development potential. Fintech companies in Vietnam have largely focused on providing money transfer and payment services, and for good reason. The transaction frequency with fintech involvement in payment or money transfer has risen at a breakneck pace, such as the case with ride-hailing apps. Payment, however, is not the only field courting the attention of fintech firms. In the forthcoming years, these companies will likely pay more attention to financial management activities that operate on the basis of gathering information, from there providing recommendations to bolster financial usage efficiency. Lending is another field securing particular attention from fintechs. Different forms of peer-to-peer lending currently exist around the world as well as in Vietnam. If approved, lending functions will no longer be the monopoly domain of local banks. Last but not least are fintech solutions aimed at bringing much better experiences to financial services users. For example, recent innovative apps for food delivery and home purchase are connected to payments, creating an ecosystem of interconnected services in which financial services can be used more frequently. In the current context, co-operation between banks and fintech firms are inevitable as most financial services offered by fintechs are linked to bank accounts. Yet, with the governments recent approval for mobile operators to provide payment services with mobile money, I believe that the future for non-bank financial services providers looks very promising. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Monday asked the Delhi Chief Electoral Office to inquire into the allegations of a man who claimed that he was dissuaded from complaining about a mismatch between the vote cast by him and what reflected in the VVPAT machine. The case pertains to a polling booth in the Matiala assembly segment of West Delhi. "My VVPAT machine (Delhi, Matiala, Booth 96) printed the wrong symbol although the EVM machine red bulb glowed correctly. I complained to the presiding officer who directed me to nodal officer who then directed me to sector officer. All of them asked me not to complain I insisted (sic). My VVPAT machine((Delhi, Matiala, Booth 96) printed the wrong symbol although the EVM machine red bulb glowed correctly. I complained to the presiding officer who directed me to nodal officer who then directed me to sector officer. All of them asked me not to complain ! (1/n) Milan Gupta (@gupta_milan) May 12, 2019 "They told me I'd be arrested under ipc sec 177. I found that strange because that section doesn't provide for arrest without court orders. I told them I'd submit a written complaint anyway. The senior most officer told me that I would have to write in Annexure 6.(2/n) (sic)," Milan Gupta tweeted. Taking cognisance of his grievance, Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa tweeted, "CEO Delhi has been asked to inquire." Narrating the incident on social media, Gupta said he even agreed for a test vote, which started at around 6 pm while he had complained one and a half hours ago. Voting was also not stopped as per rules, Gupta alleged, claiming that he was even pressured to withdraw the complaint. "I stood in front of the EVM, closed my eyes and looked up & randomly scrolled my fingers blindly on the EVM. The witnesses saw that by doing this I wasn't intending to reveal my earlier secret vote in this testing procedure. (7/n) "My fingers stopped at some bricks symbol (independent candidate, I think). I pressed it. The VVPAT printed the bricks symbol in next few seconds. The officer then announced that I proved myself wrong, & I said that you asked me to select randomly and I did that (8/n). "This bricks symbol wasn't my secret vote cast earlier as I wouldn't reveal my earlier vote during the test (video recorded) as well. He said nothing doing you're now going to be arrested. I said well, do that. He then asked the police to arrest me. The police did not but..(9/n)" he tweeted. Gupta said he was also taken to Dwarka sector 9 police station, but the police were unaware of what action should be taken against him. His ordeal was finally over after police dropped him home, Gupta added. CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer says that on some days she speaks more frequently with Angela Merkel than with her own husband. (Photo: AFP/Michael Kappeler) The woman usually dubbed "AKK" took over from Merkel as head of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) last December, while the chancellor said she wants to serve out her 2017 to 2021 term. "The chancellor and the government were elected for an entire legislative term and the citizens rightly expect them to take seriously the commitment that came with the election," said Kramp-Karrenbauer. "So I can rule out the possibility that I will work deliberately to seek a change earlier," she told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. Rather, the CDU should work on a new policy platform and nominate its chancellor-candidate in the late autumn of 2020, she said. German media have been speculating for months over whether Germany's veteran leader Merkel may leave earlier as head of her left-right coalition government. Under one scenario, her junior partners the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) could quit the "grand coalition" if they receive further election setbacks. Upcoming electoral tests are the European parliament elections this month and three state polls in Germany's ex-communist east later in the year. In all those elections, the far-right and anti-immigration AfD could make further gains at the expense of the mainstream CDU and SPD parties. Kramp-Karrenbauer acknowledged that the coalition with the SPD "did not emerge smoothly and doesn't always have an easy time cooperating". On her relationship with Merkel, she said that "on some days I speak more with her than with my husband". She stressed however that Merkel to her was neither a "personal friend" nor a "benefactor", and that instead they are "fellow travellers". "Our relationship is very good, just as it was before," Kramp-Karrenbauer told the newspaper. Nepalese Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli (left) was welcomed by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right), photo VNA Vesak 2019, or the 16th United Nations Day of Vesak, is celebrated at Tam Chuc Buddhism Cultural Centre in the northern province of Ha Nam on May 12-14, the third event of its kind to be organised in Vietnam. The Vesak 2019 celebration welcomes about 1,500 foreign Buddhist leaders, scholars, and researchers from 105 countries and territories together with heads of state, ambassadors, and representatives of international organisations in Vietnam. Vietnam welcomed the official visit by Nepalese Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli who is attending the Vesak and had bilateral talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and met with National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on May 11. The two nations discussed ways to increase economic and trade ties, which remain limited now. They also signed a number of co-operation agreements and memoranda of understanding to further promote bilateral relations. The deals are extremely important for the two countries as they would facilitate Vietnamese businesses to boost exports and investment to Nepal. Specifically, both nations inked a letter of intent on negotiating and inking a framework agreement on trade and investment co-operation. Over the past few years, Vietnamese telecommunications giant Viettel has been conducting studies in investing in telecommunications projects in Nepal. Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) has also established a liaison office in Nepal under a plan to expand business and investment. Nepalese enterprises are now interested in co-operating with Vietnamese partners in the sectors of telecommunications, tourism, and labour. In order to expand trade with Vietnam, Nepal has established the Nepal-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the economic and trade relations between Vietnam and Nepal remain humble. As of September 2018, the two-way trade turnover was $38 million, lower than the $47 million in 2017. Vietnam enjoyed a trade surplus with its exports including smartphones, electronics spare parts, garment, footwear, and aquatic products. Nepal recognised Vietnams market economy in October 2014, and supported Vietnams bid for membership on the United Nations Human Rights Council in November 2013 and the United Nations Economic and Social Council in the 2016-2018 period, as well as its non-permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure. In related news, Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu also arrived to Vietnam on an official visit last week to attend the Vesak. He had bilateral talks with Vietnams Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh and met with Chairwoman Ngan and PM Phuc. The two sides agreed to seek solutions to expand bilateral trade and investment ties. Indian-Vietnamese trade has skyrocketed from $237 million in the 2001-2002 fiscal year [from April to March] to $10.135 billion during 2016-2017, a 4,000 per cent increase in 15 years. Last year, the figure hit $10.7 billion. According to the Institute for India and Western South Asia, after Vietnam and India established a bilateral strategic partnership in 2007, the turnover hit $2.5 billion in 2008, and $2.8 billion in 2010. However, it was not until 2010 when the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement was established that the bilateral trade turnover began to soar. Within just five years (2010-2015), the figure rose from $2.8 billion to $5 billion. As of April 20, Vietnam had 223 valid Indian investment projects, registered at $913.3 million. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) meets with UN Under-Secretary-General and UNESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana in Ha Nam province on May 12 (Photo: VNA) He made the statement while receiving Under-Secretary-General of the UN Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, who is also Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), in Ha Nam province on May 12. At the meeting on the sidelines of the UN Day of Vesak 2019 celebration, the PM welcomed the UN officials participation in the event, valuing her sentiments towards and attention to Vietnam. He stressed that Vietnam attaches importance to the UNs central role in building the international legal system, maintaining peace, preventing conflict, and responding to global challenges. Highlighting bilateral ties for more than 40 years, PM Phuc welcomed the assistance of UN agencies, including UNESCAP, for promoting socio-economic development cooperation in regions and in each country. The host called for bolstering cooperation programmes between the two sides, asking UNESCAP to continue giving advice to Vietnam during the making and implementation of socio-economic development policies, and help the country build capacity, develop human resources, realise the Sustainable Development Goals, and cope with climate change. The UN Under-Secretary-General and UNESCAP Executive Secretary said she is impressed with the strong development of Vietnam over the past years, emphasising the wish to enhance relations between Vietnam and UNESCAP. She expressed her hope that the country will bring into play its role as the ASEAN Chair in 2020 to foster ASEAN-UNESCAP relations. The UN Day of Vesak 2019 celebration is being held at the Tam Chuc Buddhist Cultural Complex in the northern province of Ha Nam. It is themed Buddhist Approach to Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies. It is the third time the UNs commemoration of Vesak has been held in Vietnam, after 2008 and 2014. The representatives of the parties signing the Memorandum of Agreement for the Responsible Drinking and Traffic Safety Programme in 2019 On May 9, the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC), the Asia-Pacific International Wine and Spirits Alliance (APIWSA), and Vietnams Association for Responsible Drinking held a signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Agreement for the Responsible Drinking and Traffic Safety Program in 2019. Khuat Viet Hung, vice chairman of the NTSC, affirmed, The active participation of the authorities at all levels and the interest and support from enterprises is a must to reaching social consensus and to successfully implement the governments solutions in ensuring traffic order and safety. The NTSC highly appreciates the commitments made by the APIWSA and its member companies in the joint programme on improving responsible drinking and ensuring traffic order and safety." We have been co-operating with international and local agencies such as People's Police Academy, the Vietnam Women's Union, and the NTSC to implement programmes on preventing and fighting against the harmful effects of alcohol abuse in Vietnam. This is also the third year of the co-operation programme between the NTSC, APIWSA, and VARD. In 2020, we will share the full impact evaluation of this three-year co-operation programme. We commit to supporting the Vietnamese government in its efforts to create and implement effective solutions to raise peoples awareness, educate for behaviour change, enforce strict legal regulations, and develop a comprehensive legal framework, contributing to strengthening the communitys health and safety, and reduce the harms of alcohol abuse, said Jonathan Chew, associate director, Public Affairs, Pernod Ricard, on behalf of APIWSAs leadership. Jonathan Chew, associate director, Public Affairs, Pernod Ricard, on behalf of APIWSAs leadership, talked at the event APIWSA and its member companies, as well as other spirits industry organisations like the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) and the Vietnam Alliance for Responsible Drinking (VARD), in partnership with various ministries, NGOs, and researchers, have carried out a number of programmes on the prevention and fight against alcohol abuse in Vietnam. These programmes have reached 39 provinces in all three regions of Vietnam. From 2010 to 2017, 1.2 million students have been educated about the negative consequences of underage drinking and drink driving. Additionally, training courses for trainers were rolled out at commune and district-level, producing 1,134 traffic police officers on drink driving enforcement, and 926 local officials on communications on responsible drinking. These programmes have partly contributed to the 11.6 per cent reduction of traffic accident deaths and the 42.1 per cent reduction in traffic injuries between 2013 and 2017. In provinces where specific interventions took place good results were achieved, such as the reduction of road crashes by 40 per cent in Danang, 37 per cent in Bac Giang, and 35 per cent in Binh Thuan between 2013 and 2015. They contributed to reducing crashes by 7 per cent, deaths by 4.7 per cent, and injuries by 22 per cent in 2017 and helped reduce more than 400 deaths from drink driving in 2018. Paul Auriol, co-chairman of the VARD, also talked about the associations efforts to promote a responsible drinking culture: Our programmes focus on education and raising awareness about responsible drinking and reducing alcohol abuse, underage drinking, drink driving, as well as promoting the implementation of these principles in businesses commercial and marketing activities. We will implement more activities to support the national policy on preventing and fighting against the abuse of alcoholic beverages by 2020 and other relevant legislation. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Chairman of the National Council (Upper House) of Bhutan Tashi Dorji (Photo: VNA) He said the two countries have a lot of historical, cultural, and religious similarities, so they are able to cooperate and share experience in national building and development. The PM congratulated Bhutan on the achievements it has gained over the years. Despite its small population, Bhutan prides itself on having one of the highest happiness indexes in the world, he said. Chairman Tashi Dorji highly appreciated Vietnams organisation of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2019 celebration. He said Bhutan has set up diplomatic relations with 36 countries in the world, including Vietnam. The two sides share many similarities in landscape, religion, and people, which are favourable conditions for developing the bilateral ties, he added. Bhutan is working closely with Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs to set up a bilateral consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries, he said. He added that Bhutan is also pushing ahead with agricultural reform and mechanisation, hoping to collaborate with Vietnam in agriculture, including importing farming machines from Vietnam and learning from the countrys experience in developing agriculture. Dorji suggested increasing all-level delegation exchanges between the two sides and noted that the number of Vietnamese tourists to Bhutan is increasing. PM Phuc hailed the opinions of the Bhutan chairman and asked him to pay attention to promoting several activities, such as high-level delegations and people-to-people exchanges. He urged the two sides to soon sign a visa exemption agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders, and another on bilateral consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries to help promote cooperation in various fields. As bilateral trade remains modest, the PM suggested the two countries enhance cooperation in fields of Bhutans interest, such as machinery and components for agriculture and manufacturing, as well as wooden furniture. He recommended that the two sides boost their tourism partnership by conducting direct charter flights to tap into their cultural similarities, especially Buddhism. The PM hoped Bhutan will continue to create the optimal conditions for Vietnamese citizens to live and work there. Vietnam is willing to share experience in the field of agriculture with Bhutan, he affirmed. He also called on Bhutan to continue supporting and cooperating closely with Vietnam to ensure consensus at international and regional organisations which both are members to. Le Thi Thu Thuy, vice chairwoman of Vingroup and chairwoman of VinFast Within the framework of the national forum on developing Vietnamese technology companies on May 9, Le Thi Thu Thuy, vice chairwoman of Vingroup cum chairwoman of VinFast, shared the groups experiences in joining the technology sector as part of the country's digital transfer. Le said, "About ten years ago, there was only one tech company (Microsoft) among the ten most successful companies in the world, but now only one of the ten largest companies does not deal in technology." That means technology is the shortest and the most effective way, perhaps the only way leading to a breakthrough for an economy. As a result, Vingroup has announced altering its development strategy by incorporating technology as one of the three pillars of its operation, next to industry and trade services. The conglomerate is now planning to become the region's leading technology corporation within the next ten years. "The group sees this as both the future of business and the responsibility of contributing to the prosperity of the country," said Thuy. Only eight months after the alternative, Vingroup has made some significant progress in developing and applying technology in every sector of the group. Specifically, Vingroup launched the VinFast automobile and e-motorbike manufacturing plant, as well as released three automobile models and two electronic motorbike models. By 2020, VinFast will release more than 10 new automobile and motorbike models. VinSmart has already launched four smartphone models and plans to launch 12 more at the end of the year. Additionally, VinSmart has been developing its operation system. A plant with a total annual capacity of 100 million products is going to start construction. Its capacity in the first phase will be 30 million products per year. Additionally, VinSmart is going to release tablets and researching the production of air conditioners, TV, refrigerators, IoT devices, cameras, and 5G smartphones. Le Thi Thu Thuy also revealed that the group is developing a project named "doctor assistant," led by Truong Quoc Hung, director of VinBrain (under VinTech), former senior manager of Microsoft. "In fact, even in the US, people usually spend a total of $3 trillion per year for healthcare, but the rate of failure in disease diagnosis via images is rather high, accounting for 10 per cent of deaths, while the rate of failure in X-Ray diagnosis is up to 30 per cent. We have no statistics for Vietnam, but it cannot be less than the figures of the US," said Thuy. The "doctor assistant" project will apply AI, computer vision, and natural language processing (NLP) to reduce failure rates. If it is developed successfully, Vingroup will hand over it for free to all hospitals across the country. In addition, the vice chairwoman of Vingroup revealed plans to invest into good startups, as well as develop VinTech City into the "Silicon Valley" of Vietnam to serve the incubation of startup technology companies. The historic Vo Nguyen Giap Cave in the central province of Quang Binh has begun welcoming visitors (Photo: VNA) The cave, located in Ngan Thuy Commune in Le Thuy District, is named after General Vo Nguyen Giap (1911-2013), Vietnams legendary military leader. From 1971 to 1973, General Giap stayed in the cave where he led military campaigns in southern Vietnam. The cave has stalactites which look like gold since they contain a large quantity of silica. The cave contains many other stalactite systems and small lakes. The Vo Nguyen Giap Cave is 40 kilometers to the southwest of Dong Hoi Town, the centre of Quang Binh Province. It can be visited as part of a day tour or a two-day, one-night tour. Quang Binh, often known as the kingdom of caves, is also home to the worlds largest cave, Son Doong Cave. The province welcomed 3.9 million visitors in 2018, an increase of 18 percent from 2017. Over the past six months, Zac Posen and his creative team have explored a range of 3D printing and digital technologies with design engineers and 3D printing experts from GE Additive and Protolabs. This collaboration has resulted in breathtaking results - unlike any 3D printed garments produced before. With his vision and foresight, Zac Posen is demonstrating that almost anything is possible with 3D printing. He and his team are not afraid to push the boundaries of what is possible. His latest collaboration is a continuation of his vision of incorporating cutting-edge technology and innovation in his sophisticated and glamorous style. "I dreamt the collection, GE Additive helped engineer it and Protolabs printed it," said Zac Posen. Capturing Nature in Motion Four gowns and a headdress featuring 3D printed elements and structures were unveiled at the Met Gala, and worn by British supermodel Jourdan Dunn, actresses Nina Dobrev, Katie Holmes, Julia Garner and Bollywood icon, Deepika Padukone. Jourdan Dunn, British's supermodel, wore a custom Zac Posen, GE Additive, and Protolabs rose gown Jourdan Dunn wore a custom Zac Posen, GE Additive, and Protolabs rose gown. The gown features 21 total petals, averaging 20 inches in size and weighing 1 lb. each. Every petal is unique. The petals are fastened in place by a modular cage which is invisible from the outside. This dress was designed to a 3D re-creation of Jourdans body. The petals are made of Accura Xtreme White 200 durable plastic and printed on a stereolithography (SLA) machine. The petals are finished with primer and colour shifting automotive paint (DuPont Twilight Fire Chromalusion). The cage that fastens the petals is made of Titanium (Ti-64) printed on a GE Additive Arcam EBM machine. The printing and finish of the rose gown took over 1,100 hours and was printed at Protolabs 3D printing facility in North Carolina, one of the largest in the world. Nina Dobrev, Canadian actress Nina Dobrev wore a custom Zac Posen x GE Additive x Protolabs bustier. The bustier is a clear printed dress with 4-piece assembly for a custom fit. The interior is designed to perfectly match Nina Dobrevs 3D re-creation. The bustier is made of Somos Watershed XC 11122 plastic and printed on a stereolithography (SLA) machine. It is finished by wet hand sanding and sprayed with a clear coat to give it a glass appearance. The printing and finish of the bustier took over 200 hours and was printed at Protolabs 3D printing facility in Germany. Katie Holmes, US' actress Katie Holmes wore a custom Zac Posen gown with a Zac Posen x GE Additive x Protolabs palm leaf collar accessory. The pearlescent purple palm leaves are draped over the shoulders and attached to the gown at the neckline. The palm leaves are made of Accura 60 plastic and printed on a stereolithography (SLA) machine. The structure is finished with pearlescent purple paint (Pantone 8104C) and holds the custom Zac Posen water coloured tulle gown at the clavicle. The printing and finish of the palm leaves took over 56 hours and was printed at Protolabs in North Carolina. Julia Garner, the US' actress Julia Garner wore a custom Zac Posen ombre silver to gold lame gown with a Zac Posen x GE Additive x Protolabs headpiece. The intricate printed vine headpiece with leaf and berry embellishments is printed as a single piece and made of Nylon 12 plastic and printed on a Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) machine. The headpiece is finished by brass plating. The printing and finish of the headdress took over 22 hours and was printed at Protolabs in North Carolina. Deepika Padukone, Indian actress Deepika Padukone wore a custom Zac Posen metallic pink lurex jacquard gown. This gown includes Zac Posen x GE Additive x Protolabs embroidery which have been sewn on. The embroidery is made of Accura 5530 plastic and printed on a stereolithography (SLA) machine. The embroidery is vacuum metalized, and center painted with Pantone 8081 C. These 408 delicately printed embroidery pieces are attached to the outside of the custom gown. The printing and finish of the embroideries took over 160 hours and was printed at Protolabs in North Carolina. Fashion designers traditionally use hand-drawn sketches, before draping fabric on a mannequin to form and shape their creations. By combining conceptual thinking, tried and tested techniques from fashion design, computer aided design and 3D printing, the collaboration with GE Additive and Protolabs has resulted in a range of garments that are unprecedented for House of Z, if not for the entire fashion industry. 3D printing offers unique capabilities, such as near-complete design freedom, enabling the manufacture of designs that would have been difficult to achieve using other traditional methods of fashion design. The majority of the garments were manufactured at Protolabs US additive manufacturing facility near Raleigh, North Carolina, while the bustier was made in Protolabs Feldkirchen, Germany facility. The titanium cage for the rose gown, which provides the structure on which the petals attach, was printed at the GE Additive Technology Center in Cincinnati. GE Additive and Protolabs have worked closely together for a long time, including formally collaborating on the development of 3D printing technology and production processes, so working together on this project was a natural fit. GE Additive has brought its deep experience in mechanical and industrial design, creative and complex CAD modelling, and additive design for a range of modalities to the collaboration. Protolabs has brought its wealth of industry expertise across a wide range of manufacturing processes, materials and industries. Its expertise in high-quality 3D printing and additive manufacturing spans both polymer and metal technologies along with numerous custom finishing options. Custom finishing was of particular interest to Zac Posens team, given the custom polishing and painting work that was performed on all the pieces, including the rose gown. What might seem like an unlikely collaboration of design engineers and Zac Posen - one of the fashion industry's leading lights, at the forefront of innovation - in fact makes complete sense when you consider the transformative impact 3D printing is having on our everyday lives. Often referred to as fashions biggest night out, the Met Gala is a pinnacle of iconic style. A fundraising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the May 6, 2019 event welcomes celebrity stars, young creatives, and industry paragons alike. The gala also signifies the highly anticipated grand opening of the Costume Institutes annual fashion exhibition: Camp: Notes on Fashion opening on May 9, 2019. Yemen's four years of devastating civil war have taken the hardest toll on women and girls. Many have become widowed and must support their families alone without the needed skills or education. In one remote desert village, the U.S. aid group International Rescue Committee has established a center for teaching skills and empowerment to vulnerable women and girls. Reporter Neha Wadekar visited the village of Raz Amran in January and has this report. Two of the suspects charged with the murder of a Slovak journalist investigating corruption were implicated Monday in another killing, according to national police. "Two persons from the Jan Kuciak murder case were charged with the premeditated murder of a businessman" at home in December 2016, Slovak police said on their Facebook page. Police identified the men only as T.S. and M.M., adding that the murder weapon, a gun, was recovered from a river. Local media reported the victim as Peter Molnar, an entrepreneur from the western town of Kolarovo, and said the men charged were Tomas S. and Miroslav M. Both were charged last year with Kuciak's murder, who had been probing ties between high-level politicians and the Italian mafia when he and his fiancee were gunned down at home in February 2018. The double murder and Kuciak's last explosive report -- published posthumously -- raised concerns about media freedom and political corruption, triggered mass protests and toppled a prime minister in the EU member. In addition to Tomas S. and Miroslav M., three other people have been charged with Kuciak's murder. They include Slovak entrepreneur Marian Kocner, whose business activities were the subject of an investigation by Kuciak and who prosecutors say had ordered the murder, as well as Kocner's one-time interpreter, Alena Zs. Alena Zs. was also charged earlier this year with another murder, the 2010 killing of a former mayor. By Express News Service For the second time in four races, Bottas defeated Hamilton. But unlike Melbourne where the bearded-Finn finished a mighty 20 seconds up the road, in Baku he had Hamilton looming large in his mirrors right till the checkered flag fell! Hamilton played the team-game of holding back the Ferrari-threat as he diced with Bottas through Turns 1 and 2 at the start while keeping one eye on Vettel, Verstappen and the chasing pack behind him. When the red lights went out, it appeared like Hamilton had the better launch and was momentarily even ahead of Bottas, but he chose to allow his team-mate enough racing room instead of driving him off the track. I was too friendly in Turn 1, said Hamilton elaborating and basically gave it to him, but he drove a fantastic race, made no mistakes and so he deserved the win this weekend. Although the victory at Azerbaijan belonged to Bottas, it does seem that Hamilton is pacing his challenge across the entire season and is playing a waiting game. Allowing his team-mate to dominate on circuits that arent particularly his favourite. A truer gauge of this theory will come alive at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona next. Its also the venue of the infamous preseason test, where rivals Vettel and Ferrari looked untouchable through winter. It is said if a car performs solidly in Spain, it will then go on to dominate on all circuits of the calendar. So far, wrong calls, bad decisions and faulty strategies have all prevented Ferrari from glory. Will Barcelona be the turning point? Theyre going to have to pick it up if they want to fight us, said Hamilton in a post-race comment. And pick it up they must as the Scuderia now trail their German rivals by a massive 74 points! Behind them, Red Bulls Max Verstappen has made steady progress with Honda power, finishing in P4 ahead of Charles Leclercs Ferrari once again. At Barcelona last year Max secured P3 following another Mercedes one-two. Expect Honda power to play a large part in spoiling the Mercedes-Ferrari party once again! The writer is a motorsports enthusiast who will cover the 2019 FIA Formula One season exclusively for Indulge. A majority of presidential candidates in Afghanistan have demanded that President Ashraf Ghani either step down at the end of his tenure or withdraw his candidacy for the next election. In a joint declaration issued Monday, 12 out of 18 candidates said the legal term for the current government ends on May 22 and unless Ghani decides to step out of the race, the only way forward is for a temporary government to carry out the elections. The presidential elections were supposed to be held before the end of the current administration's five-year term, but have been postponed several times due to management and technical problems and lack of preparation by the election commission. A few weeks ago, the country's Supreme Court allowed the current government to continue until the next polls, currently scheduled for September; however, fear of manipulation to influence the outcome is driving the candidates to demand an interim government. "We have to find a way to bring everyone on the same page and ensure that no one is using the power or the authority of the government for winning," said Shaida Mohammad Abdali, a candidate who did not join the call for Ghani to step down. "I see the risk of removing him from the palace in the current situation when we have a lot of political instability. ... If we insist on him leaving power, we will create chaos. Therefore, the option that he does not run will be an ideal situation," he said. The presidential palace has rejected the demands, saying the current government will continue as directed by the highest court of the land. Previous controversy The last presidential elections were marred by controversy and allegations of massive vote rigging, leading to a stand-off between Ghani and chief rival Abdullah Abdullah. After a second round of voting did not yield a clear winner, the United States stepped in to broker a deal allowing Abdullah to share power as chief executive, a position that does not exist in the Afghan constitution. Abdullah, who is also running in the coming elections, has announced his willingness to work with other candidates to design a mechanism to check the Unity Government so it does not use its authority for electoral gains. U.S. role A top U.S. official, Alice Wells, arrived in Afghanistan Sunday to launch a review of the civilian assistance program for Afghanistan and get an update on the elections. A tweet from the U.S. embassy in Kabul said Wells "stressed the importance of a transparent, credible election process, of making swift preparations to complete voter registration, and hiring and training the staff needed to conduct elections in a timely manner" in her meeting with officials of Afghanistan's election commission. An earlier statement from the embassy said Wells would meet with stakeholders of the Sept. 28 elections to learn about ongoing preparations and "underscore U.S. commitment to a transparent and efficient presidential elections process." Surge in violence Meanwhile, Afghanistan is witnessing a surge in violence that coincides with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA. In a statement Monday, UNAMA voiced "grave concern" about the impact the violence had on civilians during the first week of Ramadan, which began last week. Multiple back-to-back explosions rocked the city of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, killing three people. So far, there has been no claim of responsibility. Last week, the Taliban attacked the Kabul offices of a nongovernmental organization, Counterpart International, and killed six people. The Taliban claimed the NGO was involved in spreading "Western activities" in Afghanistan. The Taliban have rejected calls by Ghani and a recent loya jirga, or grand assembly, of more than 3,000 Afghans to announce a cease-fire during Ramadan. The insurgent group is demanding that all foreign troops leave the country. Even though the Taliban have engaged with Afghan stakeholders in the past, including opposition politicians, they refuse to have direct talks with official representatives of the Kabul government, labeling it a puppet of foreign occupiers. The Talibans chief negotiator says in newly released remarks that the United States is on the verge of defeat and will quit Afghanistan soon either of their own accord, or they will be forced out. Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai made the assertions in an April 28 speech to an internal gathering in Doha, Qatar, just two days before he led his team of insurgent negotiators into fresh talks with U.S. interlocutors. Pro-Taliban social media outlets Friday released video of Stanekzai's speech, one day after the U.S. special reconciliation envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, and his team wrapped up the week-long negotiations with Taliban representatives in the Qatari capital. In the speech, Stanekzai praised what he called the bravery of the Afghan nation for defeating past British and Soviet invasions of their country and resisting the current foreign military presence, referring to the U.S.-led coalition, which is training and advising pro-government forces in battles against the Taliban. God has helped us defeat three super powers in the last century. The third super power that we are currently confronted with is also on the verge of defeat, inshallah (God willing). You will soon hear they also will withdraw (from Afghanistan) either of their own accord or they will be forced out, Stanekzai told the gathering. Former US defense chief warning On Saturday, former U.S. Defense Chief Robert Gates said there is a "real risk" that if American troops withdraw from Afghanistan before the Afghan government is stable, the Taliban might retake control of the country. Gates told CBS News that the Afghan insurgent group still wants to rule over the country. "The question is, can you negotiate an arrangement whereby the Taliban agrees to operate under the Afghan Constitution, becomes a part of the political process?" Gates, who served as the secretary of defense under President Barack Obama from 2006 to 2011, spoke after the U.S. announced it was transferring $1.5 billion designated for the war in Afghanistan to build a border wall. U.S. Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad last week tweeted that the sides are making "steady but slow progress on aspects of the framework for ending the Afghan war." He said, however, that the current pace of talks isn't sufficient "when so much conflict rages and innocent people die." "We need more and faster progress. Our proposal for all sides to reduce violence also remains on the table," he said. The Taliban's Stanekzai said, We pray to God they (U.S.) withdraw in a manner that results in peace and stability in Afghanistan, and an Islamic system or Sharia is established in Afghanistan, and there is no further bloodshed among Afghans." Mocking Ghani Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told VOA the internal gathering was organized to commemorate the day in April 1992 when Afghan Mujahideen (holy warriors) overthrew the Communist regime in Kabul. Stanekzai criticized Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and compared him as well as other pro-government leaders with those who had supported Moscow during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. "The ill-fated Ghani did not participate in the jihad (holy resistance) against Russians but he still takes credit and says, I am an Afghan and we defeated Russians,'" Stanekzai said, taking note that Ghani lived outside Afghanistan throughout the Russian occupation of the country. Ghani returned to Kabul after the U.S.-led military coalition ousted the Taliban from power in 2001 for sheltering the al-Qaida network. You will see that tomorrow when, God willing, Americans are defeated the same Ashraf Ghani and the same [former president Hamid] Karzai, who are their [US] stooges and were brought to power, they will again take pride in claiming we are Afghans and we defeated the Americans, said the Taliban chief negotiator. No mention of past CIA support Stanekzai did not mention Washingtons support for the anti-Soviet Afghan resistance in his nearly hour-long speech. The Central Intelligence Agency funded training camps that were set up in neighboring Pakistan for Afghan Mujahideen who were waging resistance against Soviet forces. The CIA also supplied modern weapons, including heat-seeking U.S. stinger missiles, assistance that observers believe played a crucial role in forcing Moscow to withdraw from Afghanistan. The ongoing peace dialogue between Washington and the Taliban started nearly one year ago and both sides say they have prepared a preliminary draft agreement. The proposed document exclusively focuses on how and when U.S. troops will withdraw from Afghanistan in return for assurances the Taliban will not allow transnational terrorists to use Afghan soil for attacks against other countries. Ambassador Khalilzad, however, has linked a final agreement to a comprehensive cease-fire by the Taliban and the insurgent groups participation in an intra-Afghan dialogue to permanently end decades of hostilities. The Afghan government has been excluded from the talks, a move that has angered Ghani. The Taliban want Washington to agree to and announce a withdrawal plan. The insurgent group says it will reject cease-fire calls and formal intra-Afghan peace talks until all foreign troops leave the country. The insurgents have dismissed the Afghan government as a product of an American occupation and say that the administration has no decision-making authority. It was a chilly January evening, and Khadija Abd and her family had just finished supper at their farm when the two men with guns burst into the room. One wore civilian clothes, the other an army uniform. They said they were from the Iraqi army's 20th Division, which controls the northern Iraqi town of Badoush. In fact, they were Islamic State group militants who had come down from the surrounding mountains into Badoush with one thing on their mind: Revenge. Around 13 more gunmen were waiting outside. The fighters pulled Khadija's husband and his two brothers into the yard and shot them dead, leaving them in a pool of blood punishment for providing information to the Iraqi military. "How can we live after this?" Khadija said. The three brothers were the providers for the entire family. "They left their children, their livestock, their wives, and their elderly father who doesn't know what to do now." A year and a half after the Islamic State group was declared defeated in Iraq, the militants still evoke fear in the lands of their former so-called caliphate across northern Iraq. The fighters, hiding in caves and mountains, emerge at night to carry out kidnappings, killings and roadside ambushes, aimed at intimidating locals, silencing informants and restoring the extortion rackets that financed IS's rise to power six years ago. It is part of a hidden but relentless fight between the group's remnants waging an insurgency and security forces trying to stamp them out, relying on intelligence operations, raids and searches for sleeper cells among the population. The militants' ranks number between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters around Iraq, according to one Iraqi intelligence official. "Although the territory once held by the so-called caliphate is fully liberated, Daesh fighters still exhibit their intention to exert influence and stage a comeback," said Maj. Gen. Chad Franks, deputy commander-operations and intelligence for the U.S.-led coalition, using the Arabic acronym for the group. In towns around the north, Iraqi soldiers knock on doors in the middle of the night, looking for suspects, based on intelligence tips or suspicious movements. They search houses and pull people away for questioning. Anyone is seen as a potential IS collaborator or sympathizer. In February, Human Rights Watch accused authorities of torturing suspects to extract confessions of belonging to IS, an accusation the Interior Ministry has denied. Detainees are pushed by the thousands into what critics call sham trials, with swift verdicts almost always guilty based on almost no evidence beyond confessions or unaccountable informants' testimony. The legacy of guilt weighs heavily especially on women and children, who face crushing discrimination because of male relatives seen as supporting IS. AP journalists embedded with a battalion of the 20th Division last month and witnessed several of its raids at Badoush. Badoush, on the Tigris River just outside the city of Mosul, is a key battleground because it was once one of the most diehard IS strongholds. In the summer of 2014, it was a launching pad for the militants' blitz that overran Mosul and much of northern Iraq. IS built a strong financial base by extorting money from the owners of Badoush's many industrial facilities. Security officials estimate two-thirds of its population which numbered around 25,000 before the war were at one point members or supporters of the group. Now the population is divided. Residents who suffered at the hands of IS or lost loved ones to the group are suspicious of neighbors they believe still support the militants. Within families, some members belonged to the group and others opposed it. The Badoush area alone has seen 20 IS attacks, from bombings to targeted killings, since it was retaken from the militants in March 2017, according to the Kurdish Security Council. The militants brag about the attacks in videos that show fighters storming houses and killing purported "apostates" and spies. "The operations that we do now rely on intelligence by following up the families of Daesh," said Maj. Khalid Abdullah Baidar al-Jabouri, commander of a battalion in the 20th Division, speaking at his base just outside Badoush. Distrust runs deep among the residents. In one raid witnessed by the AP, troops banged on the door of a man who had returned to Badoush a day earlier. He had fled town just before the IS takeover in the summer of 2014 and stayed in the Kurdish town of Sulaimaniyah throughout their rule. But his father and one of his brothers remained and joined IS. When the man returned, a local sheikh immediately notified the military. In the raid, the soldiers searched the house and checked his phone records for any suspicious calls abroad. They asked him about his father and brother. "I swear, they destroyed my life," the man said. When asked about IS, he insisted, "I never came face to face with them." The soldiers took him away for questioning, as his three little sisters shook and cried with fear. He was later released. On another occasion, an informant told the army he had spotted explosives-laden suicide belts in the mountains while out picnicking and looking for truffles. Presumably, they had been dropped off there for attackers to retrieve and use. Wearing a balaclava to keep his identity secret, he led the army to the spot, where they found the belts and detonated them remotely. "People in the town are very cooperative," says Mohammed Fawzi, an intelligence officer. "But don't forget that in one house one person was with Daesh and another member was killed by them. It's very complicated." Among the most chilling IS attacks was the Jan. 3 killing of the three Abd brothers, carried out with brutal precision. The strangers claiming to be soldiers who entered the Abd's house said they just wanted to ask a few questions and that it wouldn't take long. Khadija Abd was immediately suspicious. Her husband, Inad Hussein Abd and two of his brothers, Abdulmuhsin and Mohammed, were informants for the Iraqi military and knew the 20th Division's soldiers personally. So why didn't they recognize these men? After searching the house, the intruders turned aggressive. They dragged the three brothers outside and beat them. When Khadija tried to stop them, she was beaten too. The fighters put her, the other wives on the farm and their children in a room and told them, "If anyone comes out, we shoot you in the forehead." Khadija could hear the men murmuring outside until 10 p.m. in a dialect of Arabic she couldn't understand. Then it was silent. All they heard was the barking of dogs. Khadija thought the men had taken the three brothers away. At dawn, she went to get water from the well. She spotted her husband's yellow sleeve in the grass. All three brothers lay on the blood-soaked ground. The militants had used silencers, so the family never heard the gunshots. Instinctively, she looked for a mobile to call for help. "Honestly, I couldn't even cry. I didn't cry or scream," she said. Memories of the attack return to Khadija in her dreams how her daughters screamed "Dad! Dad!" when they saw his body, how one tried to pull out a bullet out of her dead father's cheek. "Mom, it won't come out," she told Khadija. Her son is now too afraid to leave his room. To the children, it's the army that killed their father, she said. "They don't understand anything that's going on." Albanian protesters threw firebombs at the police Monday evening, and the supporters of opposition parties gathered in the capital, Tirana, to ask for the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama and early elections. Opposition supporters marched in front of the main government buildings amid rain, but did not attempt to break the police barrier as they did on Saturday. Instead, they threw firecrackers at the prime minister's offices. Hours earlier, officials from the United States, European Union and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe had called for restraint. The U.S. Embassy in Tirana called on opposition leaders to "condemn publicly the violent acts of their supporters" and on the authorities "to act with restraint." The violent actions that took place during Saturday's protest "were unlawful and undemocratic," the U.S. statement read. European parliamentarians, from both the left and right, in an open public letter on Monday called on Albanians to show restraint and "not to jeopardize the country's prospects on its European path." Albania expects to hear in June whether the EU will give the green light for opening accession talks. The white smoke from flares was seen in the sky Monday night, but calls for restraint appear to have been heeded. At the beginning of the protest, opposition leader Lulzim Basha told his supporters they were marching "in front of the institutions that symbolize the crime." Besides the offices of the prime minister, demonstrators also protested in front of the Interior Ministry, police headquarters and parliament. A similar protest Saturday turned violent. About 50 opposition supporters were also arrested. Carla Babb at the Pentagon and Edward Yeranian in Cairo contributed to this report. Saudi Arabia says two of its oil tankers suffered "significant damage" in a "sabotage attack" early Sunday off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. No details, however, about the specifics of the damage were released. The kingdom's energy minister said one of the tankers had been on its way to the Saudi port of Ras Tanura to pick up oil to deliver to the United States. The United States issued a warning early Monday about alleged "acts of sabotage" aimed at ships off the United Arab Emirates coast and last week warned ships that "Iran or its proxies'' could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. The warnings come at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. U.S. defense officials told VOA that the U.S. military is assisting in the investigation of the sabotage at the request of the UAE government. Asked at the White House about the incident, President Donald Trump responded: "We'll see what happens with Iran. If they do anything, it will be a very bad mistake." Earlier, the UAE said four commercial ships were subjected to "sabotage operations" Sunday near its territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, but did not give any details on the sabotage or who owned the ships, other than saying they were of different nationalities. They say no one was hurt and no chemicals or fuel were spilled from the ships. Saudi Oil Minister Khalid al Falih said the attack was meant to undermine "the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world." The UAE said Iranian and Lebanese news reports of explosions at the port of Fujairah were not correct, and added "media outlets must be responsible and rely on official sources." The Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan all condemned the attack. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Monday in a statement that the attacks on the ships "are alarming and regrettable." He called for "further investigation," warning the incident may have been "part of a plot by parties trying to create havoc in the region." A U.S. official familiar with American intelligence told Reuters news agency on the condition of anonymity that Iran is a leading candidate for having carried out attacks, but said the United States does not have conclusive proof Tehran was behind them. The U.S. Maritime Administration had warned last week of what it called the "increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against U.S. and partner interests ... by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers or U.S. military vessels." A bomb explosion in southwestern Pakistan has killed at least four policemen and injured around 10 other people, including civilians. A senior police officer said the deadly blast occurred late Monday in a marketplace in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, where China is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure projects. The police deputy inspector general, Abdul Razzaq Cheema, told reporters the bomb was planted in a motorbike and apparently a remote-controlled device was used to detonate it near a police van. A spokesman for the outlawed Pakistani Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for placing the bomb. The attack is the second in as many days in Baluchistan. On Saturday, heavily armed gunmen stormed a highly secured luxury hotel near China-run strategic port of Gwadar. The attack left five people dead, including four hotel employees and one Pakistani navy commando. In the ensuing gunfight, Pakistani security forces killed what officials said were three "terrorists" in security force uniforms to end the siege that lasted several hours. A separatist group, known as the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA), took responsibility for the attack on Gwadar's only five-star hotel, called Zaver Pearl Continental. The group also released pictures of four purported attackers. The deep-water Arabian Sea Gwadar port is considered the heart of the multibillion-dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) bilateral megaproject, an extension of Beijing's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It is an election Britain was never meant to be holding the country was scheduled to have left the European Union by now. A postponement of Brexit, Britain's departure from the EU for further negotiations has left it having to hold elections on May 23 for the European Parliament, and the result is likely to mark another stage in the erosion of the country's traditional two-party political system. Both of Britain's main parties the Conservatives and Labour are struggling to come up with coherent messages for the elections and are being buffeted by internal infighting. The Conservatives have all but given up campaigning as dozens of local party chair persons and hundreds of grassroots activists have shunned the elections and offered no help. The Conservative Party is also running out of money with big donors withholding their normal funding. The Conservative grassroots revolt against Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit policy is opening the door for a likely stunning performance at the polls by Nigel Farage's newly-minted Brexit Party. Founded in January, the party could well top the polls with the ruling Conservatives facing the humiliation of a virtual wipeout. The Conservatives are doing little campaigning on social media and have bought no Facebook ads for the election. The party's official Facebook page doesn't even mention the elections and the prime minister herself won't be out on the stump trying to drum up support. Smaller parties in play Opinion polls are broadly finding voters are turning against the two main parties and toward smaller parties that either back leaving the European Union or want to remain in the bloc. With the smaller pro-Remain parties, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Change UK, competing against each other, the Brexit Party has the edge. One poll on Sunday forecast that Farage's party could end up with a bigger share of the vote than the combined support for the Conservatives and Labour. Farage has been campaigning for an immediate no-deal Brexit that would see Britain cut ties with the European Union without a trade deal in place, regardless of the economic or political consequences for Britain, including Scotland opting for independence. He's accusing the Conservatives of engaging in a "great Brexit betrayal." "There is a massive appetite for the Brexit Party right now because people want to live in a democratic country," according to Farage. "We have been betrayed not just by the Conservatives; Labour has done the same thing too. Our policy is to leave with a clear-break Brexit and get on with the rest of our lives," he says. A poll published in The Times newspaper suggests the Conservatives could come in fifth place, behind the Greens and the Liberal Democrats, attracting just 10% of the vote. "I don't think anyone's in any doubt these are going to be difficult elections for us," Damian Hinds, the education minister in Prime Minister May's Cabinet, told the BBC Sunday. "For some people this is the ultimate protest vote," he said. He said for some people, the election is being seen as almost a second referendum on whether to leave the EU. May's failures If Prime Minister May had managed to persuade a majority parliament to back a withdrawal deal she negotiated after two years of ill-tempered talks, Britain wouldn't be holding the May 23 elections. The country was due to leave the bloc on March 29, but now has a new departure date of October 31, although that date could be pushed back, too. May has failed three times to get her Brexit deal passed by MPs. For the Euro election, Britain is divided into a dozen regional constituencies, and will return 73 MEPs to the European Parliament. Labour, which is running second in the polls, is also being tested by the elections. Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, a longtime critic of the EU, has shied away from committing to a second Brexit referendum to the fury of a majority of his lawmakers, who believe a second vote on EU membership would overturn the June 2016 plebiscite, in which a thin majority voted for Brexit. The Conservatives and Labour are engaged in cross-party negotiations to try to break the Brexit deadlock in the House of Commons and come up with a new Brexit deal. Labour is proposing Britain remaining in a customs union with the EU, a position that's anathema to the hardline Brexiters, nicknamed the "Spartans," in May's party, but doesn't go far enough to satisfy the nearly three out of four Labour Party members who are pro-EU. Corbyn's aides say he's trying to ensure the support of the third of Labour supporters who favor Brexit. Some analysts suggest a dismal showing for both of Britain's main parties could lead to them to redouble their efforts to come up with a Brexit deal that can get through the House of Commons. Swedish prosecutors are reopening the rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange following a request from the lawyer of one of the alleged victims. Assange was arrested last month in Ecuador's embassy in London, after the country reversed its decision to give him asylum. The 47-year-old Australian national is also wanted in the United States on hacking charges and the British government will now have to decide which extradition request should take priority. WATCH: Britain to Decide Assange's Extradition Fate In 2011, Assange was accused of rape by two women following a WikiLeaks conference in Stockholm. He sought asylum in London's Ecuadorean embassy, claiming the accusations were part of a plot to have him extradited to the United States over his whistleblowing activities. With apparently little hope of conviction, Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation in 2017. In April, however, Ecuador reversed its decision to offer Assange asylum and allowed British authorities into the embassy to arrest him. One of the women who made the rape accusations requested the case be reopened. Sweden's deputy director of public prosecution, Eva-Maria Persson, announced the reopening of the case Monday. "After reviewing the preliminary investigation in its current state, my assessment is that there is still probable cause to suspect that Julian Assange committed rape," Persson said at a press conference in Stockholm. Assange denies the rape accusations. In a statement, WikiLeaks said reopening the case would allow him to clear his name. Sweden will seek a European arrest warrant and extradition after Assange has served a 50-week sentence in Britain for skipping bail. The United States has also issued an extradition request for Assange over computer hacking accusations, related to the release of thousands of classified military and diplomatic communications via WikiLeaks, mainly relating to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Britain's Home Secretary will have to decide which extradition request should take precedence, says London-based extradition lawyer Anthony Hanretty. "Whether it was hacking into computers or simply releasing information, against the allegations made in Sweden which are of the utmost severity. So it will come down politically to which one he thinks is more palatable for him to make." Hanretty notes that Assange has already indicated he would contest any extradition to the United States. "He no doubt will have fears that he will be held in solitary confinement in conditions which he will say will breach his human rights. There's also concern that if he is sent to the U.S., they will simply add further charges onto him once he is there. And it also depends on how the U.S. frames the charges against him. They will have to show that what he is accused of in the U.S. would amount to an offense in the U.K." Under Swedish law, the statute of limitations on the rape case expires in August of next year, so legal experts say there is pressure on Britain and Sweden to speed up the extradition process. Ekrem Imamoglu caused a political earthquake in recent local elections in Turkey when he won the Istanbul mayorship, ending 25 years of domination by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, in a controversial move, Turkey's election board annulled the March vote and ordered a re-run. Now the ousted mayor is at the center of a political storm. Imamoglu, of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), claims his short tenure was enough to uncover gross overspending and waste by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), ammunition that he is set to use in the June 23 re-vote. During his 19 days in office, Imamoglu toured the city and held mass rallies, where he repeated his pledge to bridge Turkey's deep political divide and bring about good governance. The rallies were in many ways preparing for another election, with the widely held expectation Erdogan's ruling AKP would not accept the loss of Turkey's most important city, by a mere 13,000 votes. This month the High Electoral Board made up of mainly Erdogan appointees upheld the AKP's claims of fraud and irregularities. The move drew national and international condemnation. "This is a blow that will be written in history as a dark stain, this is very clear," said Imamoglu about the annulling of his victory. "That's why I am very sad," he added, "it is not a sadness directed towards myself; this is sadness for wider society. This is a sadness I feel for seeing such a blow to Turkey's democracy. However, correcting this wrong is down to us. And that's the fight we are now giving." Imamoglu says his determination to win Istanbul again is buoyed by what he discovered during his short tenure in office. "Waste!" he said, "the amount of waste that I saw at the Istanbul metropolitan municipality! There is a need for big savings in expenditure." Istanbul accounts for around a quarter of Turkey's population and a third of country's economy, making it Turkey's most important political prize. "Istanbul presents so many patronage opportunities," said international relations professor Soli Ozel of Istanbul's Kadir Has University. "It greases the wheels of politics of those who control it, and the AKP has truly mastered." Istanbul based pro-government media, most belonging to business conglomerates with close ties to Erdogan, were in the forefront of lobbying for the Istanbul vote to be overturned. Protests continue Analysts say the annulling of the vote will damage Erdogan's political legitimacy that is built on electoral success. Istanbul's streets continue to reverberate to the sound of nighttime protests over the annulling of the vote, as momentum builds for next month's re-vote, touted as one of the country's most important. "It is obvious that this vote is not only about Istanbul," said Imamoglu. "This is both a local election and a fight for democracy. That's why our campaign will grow much bigger, and hundred thousands of people will participate." Imamoglu claims tens of thousands of volunteers have already signed up for the election campaign. The CHP's Istanbul success, coupled with last year's unexpectedly competitive presidential challenge, is seen as re-energizing the opposition party. "Winning is an acquired habit the more you do it, the better you get at it, sort of muscle memory," said analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners. "If they win again (Istanbul re-vote), they will have the wind behind them." In Imamoglu, the CHP believes they have found a winner, who can finally challenge the AKP, after nearly two decades of defeat. "Coming out of a very small borough of Istanbul and mounting a very effective election campaign to the point of drawing pro-AKP voters to at least listen to him is impressive," said Yesilada. "And the fact he has retained rather effective [public relations] agencies also attests to his skills." Mayor of Istanbul's Beylikduzu district, a distant suburb, Imamoglu was largely a political unknown, before being the surprise choice as candidate for city mayor. But his background is seen to give him advantages. Imamoglu is from the Black Sea region, whose people make up the largest constituency of Istanbul. He also has conservative roots, that analysts say helps to allay concerns of religious AKP voters. In an image usually associated with Erdogan, Imamoglu routinely breaks fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan with Istanbul families. He appears to cross the divide between the secular and pious effortlessly. Until now Erdogan has successfully portrayed the pro-secular CHP, as "elitist and anti-religious." Rather than engaging in the politics of polarization, Imamoglu says he's seeking to offer a new kind of politics in the June vote. Top officials from the European Union are calling on the United States to use "maximum restraint" and avoid military escalation with Iran. "[U.S. Secretary of State] Mike Pompeo heard very clearly from us not only from myself but also from the other ministers of EU member states that we are living in a crucial, delicate moment where the most relevant attitude to take the most responsible attitude to take is and we believe should be that of maximum restraint and avoiding any escalation of the military side," Federica Mogherini, the European Union's foreign policy chief, said Monday in Brussels. Mogherini, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and foreign ministers from Britain, France and Germany spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after he canceled a stop in Moscow. The chief U.S. diplomat shared intelligence and details about Iran's recent "escalating threat" with European allies, blaming Tehran for failing to choose talks over threats. "The secretary wanted to share some detail behind what we have been saying publicly. We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats," State Department Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said Monday in Brussels. UAE claim Pompeo also discussed while in Brussels reported attacks on several oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, said Hook, who declined to comment when asked if the U.S. believes Iran is behind those attacks. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate. Monday, Saudi Arabia said two of its oil tankers were among those attacked and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran. "We discussed what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels that were anchored off of Fujairah," Hook said. "We have been requested by the UAE to provide assistance in the investigation, which we are very glad to do." Britain, France and Germany also voiced new support on Monday for the international pact to curb Iran's nuclear weapons program. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called for "a period of calm." "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," Hunt said. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Berlin "still regards this nuclear agreement as the basis for Iran not having any nuclear weapons in the future and we regard this as existential for our security." He said Germany is "concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the U.S. move to ramp up sanctions against Iran to curb its international oil trade "does not suit us." Iran nuclear deal Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned last week that Tehran could resume uranium enrichment at a higher grade if the European powers, China and Russia did not develop a plan to thwart punitive U.S. sanctions on Iran's banking and energy sectors. The U.S., which withdrew from the 2015 international deal to curtail Iran's nuclear ambitions, has moved the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and four B-52 bombers to the Middle East region, in response to concerns Iran may be planning an attack against American targets. The Pentagon announced Friday its intent to move additional firepower into the Middle East, including the USS Arlington and a Patriot missile battery. The U.S. and Iran continue to trade warnings. Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said at the White House that Iran would be making a big mistake if it tries anything against the U.S. Tehran issued an explicit threat over the weekend, saying the U.S.'s increased military presence in the Gulf is now a target for Iran. "An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now ... the threats have switched to opportunities," said Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guard's air force. "If [the Americans] make a move, we will hit them in the head." Pompeo is heading to Sochi on Tuesday for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Pompeo's trip comes a few weeks ahead of a Group of 20 summit meeting in Osaka, Japan, with both Trump and Putin expected to attend. Trump said Monday that he will meet with Putin on the sidelines of G-20 summit. By Express News Service KOCHI: Even after two days of the daring gold heist in Kochi, mystery still surrounds on who may have informed the robbers about the arrival of 20 kg gold to the gold refining company at Edayar near Eloor on Thursday night. The special investigation team probing the gold heist has expanded its enquiry for the accused who are believed to have left the state. An inquiry based on mobile phone call date is underway and the accused would be arrested soon, said an officer. Meanwhile, in another major development, the Kadungalloor grama panchayat authorities said the CGR Metal Alloys has been working in the Edayar Industrial Area without a valid license. The company is working without a valid license and we dont know what kind of work they are doing inside. Besides, the firm, which employed about 30 staff, is not paying the professional tax, said Kadungalloor grama panchayat president Rathnamma Suresh. She said the panchayat will initiate action against the company after verifying the FIR lodged by the police. We could identify the norms flouted by the firm only once we examine the police charges, said Rathnamma. Police in a Washington suburb are searching for the killer of Bettie Jenifer, wife of popular Ghanaian actor Chris Attoh. Police say Jenifer was shot and killed Friday afternoon in Greenbelt, Maryland, as she left the office building where she worked. Witnesses say Jenifer saw a man with a gun standing in the parking lot. As she tried to run away, the gunman chased her, shooting her twice. Police say they believe she was the victim of a targeted killing and that the gunman is at large. Attoh was in Los Angeles working on a film and immediately flew to Maryland. Reports say investigators are studying Attoh's social media posts after he deleted all photographs of him and Jenifer together on his websites -- leading to speculation in Ghana that the couple was splitting up. Attoh and Jenifer were married for just seven months. Iran has sentenced an employee of the British Council to 10 years in prison on espionage charges, the country's judiciary spokesman said Monday. The woman, an Iranian citizen, was found guilty of cooperating with British spy agencies while working for the British Council - charges she "quickly and clearly" confessed to, Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili told a press conference. Esmaili did not identify the woman, but a London-based British Council employee, Aras Amiri, was arrested last year in Iran during a trip to visit relatives. It was not immediately clear if she was the individual sentenced Monday. The British Council, a cultural and educational organization with branches around the world, does not have an office in Iran. "We are a non-political organization committed to people-to-people engagement, and our staff are not connected to any espionage agency," the organization said in a statement. The charges come amid tensions between Iran and Britain over efforts to free another women - British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was arrested in 2016 as she was leaving Tehran. Zaghari-Ratcliffe is serving a five-year term for allegedly trying to topple the Iranian government - charges she denied. Italy's deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini criticized the Vatican on Monday after Pope Francis' almsgiver, Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, restored electricity for hundreds of homeless people living in an illegally occupied building in Rome. The building had been without power due to a dispute over unpaid bills. More than 400 homeless people illegally occupying a building in Rome had been living without electricity since May 6 when the Italian power company decided to discontinue the service due to lack of payment. The overdue electricity bills amounted to about $325,000. Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski decided to put an end to the situation and went down a manhole over the weekend where he flipped a power switch in a "desperate gesture" to restore electricity for the occupants living in the unused state-owned building. Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the far right League party, strongly criticized the move, saying lots of Italians and legally resident immigrants pay their bills, even if they are in difficulty. He said, "Supporting illegal conduct is never a good signal," adding that, "If the people in the Vatican want to pay the bills of all Italians in hardship, we can provide them with a bank account." A volunteer who works with the homeless, Sister Adriana Domenici, said after the building's electricity was cut off, she called the cardinal for help. She said Salvini should "come here to the building and listen to the people living here and see the people who are sick" adding the majority of those who are in the building are Italian. The volunteer added that when utility workers returned to disconnect power again after the papal aid had restored it, they found a note from Cardinal Krajewski and left the electricity running. The cardinal has said he is unrepentant about the move, saying he did it for the children living in the building. "I assume all the responsibility", he said, adding that he did not need to provide explanations and that from now on he would foot the bills. Israeli prosecutors have dropped murder charges against a Jewish suspect in a 2015 arson attack that killed a Palestinian toddler and his parents. Under a plea bargain, the unnamed suspect pleaded guilty to a racially motivated conspiracy and staking out the Palestinian village with a codefendant. Prosecutors will seek a five-year prison sentence. They agreed not to pursue the more serious charge of murder, noting the suspect was a minor at the time of the attack. The other suspect, identified as Amiram Ben Oliel, is in jail while the investigation continues. The two allegedly firebombed the home belonging to the Dawabshe family in the West Bank village of Duma near Nablus. The flames killed 18-month-old Ali and his parents. An older brother survived with serious burns. The attack angered many Israelis, including conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who condemned it as "terrorism." Ali's grandfather criticized the plea bargain, saying prosecutors are giving "a green light to a Jewish suspect, who will leave prison and continue the murder spree he and his friend started." Sudan's army rulers and protesters are to hold fresh talks over handing power to a civilian administration on Monday, spokesmen for the generals and the protest movement said. On Saturday, the Alliance for Freedom and Change - an umbrella for the protest movement - said the generals had invited it for a new round of talks after several days of deadlock. "The meeting was planned for today but it has now been postponed to Monday," alliance spokesman Rashid al-Sayed said. Sayed did not explain why the talks were postponed, but sources in the alliance said that more time was needed for consultations within the leadership. Late on Sunday the spokesman for the ruling military council, Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi, confirmed the new round of talks will be held on Monday. The talks are being held in an "optimistic atmosphere," Kabbashi said in a statement, adding that the negotiations aimed "to reach an agreement over the arrangements of the transitional period". The latest planned round of talks come as thousands of protesters remain camped outside army headquarters in central Khartoum. They say they are determined to force the ruling military council to cede power -- just as they pushed the military into deposing veteran president Omar al-Bashir on April 11. The army generals and protesters are at loggerheads over who will sit on a new ruling body that would replace the existing military council 'Totally unacceptable' The generals have proposed that the new council be military led, while the protest leaders want a majority civilian body. Late last month, the alliance -- which brings together protest organizers, opposition parties and rebel groups -- handed the generals its proposals for a civilian-led transitional government. But the generals have pointed to what they call "many reservations" over the alliance's roadmap. They have singled out its silence on the constitutional position of Islamic sharia law, which was the guiding principle of all legislation under Bashir's rule but is anathema to secular groups like the Sudanese Communist Party and some rebel factions in the alliance. "We want to hold the talks quickly and sort out all these points in 72 hours," the alliance said on Saturday. Protesters meanwhile blocked the Nile street, a major avenue that runs along the river Nile in the capital, witnesses and the military council said. Witnesses said angry protesters blocked the avenue after police initially stopped them from going to the sit-in outside the army complex from that road. Groups of men and women then blocked the avenue using rocks, tree trunks and branches, witnesses said. The military council slammed the blocking of the avenue. "It is totally unacceptable what is happening on the Nile street as it creates chaos and makes life difficult for citizens," the council said in a statement. It also dismissed unconfirmed reports that security forces were trying to disperse the sit-in outside the army complex. "There are reports circulating on social media about the military council's intention to disperse the sit-in by force," it said. "We assure that this is totally false." The International Monetary Fund said Sunday it reached a preliminary agreement with Pakistan for a $6 billion bailout over the next three years to finance sweeping economic reforms. Pakistan and the international lender reached a "staff level agreement subject to approval by the IMF management and the executive board, IMF envoy Ernesto Ramirez Rigo said in a statement. He said the IMF program aims to support Pakistan's strategy for "stronger and more balanced growth by reducing domestic and external imbalances, improving the business environment, strengthening institutions, increasing transparency, and protecting social spending. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, an economic adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan, confirmed that his country had reached a preliminary deal with the IMF. Pakistan had initially sought an $8 billion bailout to address a long-running fiscal crisis and has held months of talks with the IMF. The U.S., which exerts major influence over the IMF, has said it should not finance the tens of billions of dollars in loans that Pakistan has taken from China as part of Beijing's worldwide Belt and Road Initiative. It was not immediately clear if the U.S. would support the agreement announced Sunday. Pakistani authorities have said they are in touch with Washington and are seeking its support. This article originated in VOA's Persian Service. Iranian pro-government activists have assaulted Tehran University students staging a peaceful protest against heightened enforcement of religious restrictions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Videos verified by VOA Persian and received from social media users in Iran showed the pro-government activists marching on the university grounds and scuffling with student protesters in Monday's incident. Social media users said the protest began with students chanting slogans and holding signs outside the university's Fine Arts faculty, denouncing Iran's mandatory hijab rules for women and highlighting other concerns such as unemployment and arrests of journalists. Tehran University student protest, May 13, 2019 One clip showed dozens of the protesters chanting, "Students may die, but we will not tolerate indignity." Pro-government activists march at Tehran University, May 13, 2019 Another clip showed pro-government activists marching outside and chanting, "God is great." A female observer is heard saying, "It's none of your business." Pro-government activists confront student protesters at Tehran University, May 13, 2019 The student protest continued inside a university auditorium, where a third clip showed a pro-government activist running toward and punching another man, triggering a scuffle. Student protesters in the audience reacted by denouncing the pro-government activists with the chant: "You have no honor." Social media users identified some of the activists as members of Iran's volunteer paramilitary Basij force, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Student protesters denounce pro-government activists at Tehran University, May 13, 2019 In a fourth video, the student protesters inside the auditorium chanted for the paramilitary members, known as Basijis, to "come down" from the stage. The state-run Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) published an interview with Tehran University vice-chancellor Majid Sarsangi in which he responded to the incident by saying there had been "no changes" to the institution's policies on enforcing mandatory veiling or respect for the Islamic custom of fasting during Ramadan, which began May 6. But, he said the university's security personnel have warned students to be more observant of Islamic customs while Ramadan is under way. Iranian morality police and Basijis typically step up public patrols during Ramadan, to ensure that women do not violate hijab rules and Muslims do not violate prohibitions on eating in daylights hours. Two of the suspects charged with the murder of a Slovak journalist investigating corruption were implicated Monday in another killing, according to national police. "Two persons from the Jan Kuciak murder case were charged with the premeditated murder of a businessman" at home in December 2016, Slovak police said on their Facebook page. Police identified the men only as T.S. and M.M., adding that the murder weapon, a gun, was recovered from a river. Local media reported the victim as Peter Molnar, an entrepreneur from the western town of Kolarovo, and said the men charged were Tomas S. and Miroslav M. Both were charged last year with Kuciak's murder, who had been probing ties between high-level politicians and the Italian mafia when he and his fiancee were gunned down at home in February 2018. The double murder and Kuciak's last explosive report published posthumously raised concerns about media freedom and political corruption, triggered mass protests and toppled a prime minister in the EU member. In addition to Tomas S. and Miroslav M., three other people have been charged with Kuciak's murder. They include Slovak entrepreneur Marian Kocner, whose business activities were the subject of an investigation by Kuciak and who prosecutors say had ordered the murder, as well as Kocner's one-time interpreter, Alena Zs. Alena Zs. was also charged earlier this year with another murder, the 2010 killing of a former mayor. Sri Lanka blocked access to Facebook and WhatsApp after Christian attacks on mosques and Muslim-owned stores Sunday in reaction to a Facebook post. Nalaka Kaluwewa, director general of Sri Lanka's information department, said the social media was blocked as "a temporary measure to maintain peace in the country." Reuters reports that the Muslim author of a Facebook post that read "1 day u will cry" was arrested Sunday after Christians interpreted the post as threatening violence. The South Asian nation has been on edge since the Easter morning bombings of churches and hotels that killed more than 250 people. The Roman Catholic faithful in Sri Lanka's capital attended Mass Sunday for the first time since the Easter bombings of churches and hotels that killed more than 250 people. Soldiers and police armed with assault rifles patrolled the neighborhood around the churches. Two days after the Easter attacks, the Islamic State claimed responsibility. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said last week that all of the jihadists responsible for the Easter attacks have been arrested or killed but that the country is still threatened by "global terrorism." Sri Lankan authorities have said two little-known domestic Islamist groups were responsible for the Easter bombings, the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) and Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim (JMI). Prosecutors in Sudan have charged former president Omar al-Bashir with involvement in the killing of anti-government protesters. In a statement Monday, the office of Sudans prosecutor-general said Bashir and others have been charged for inciting and participating in the killing of demonstrators. Sudans military removed Bashir from power on April 11 after four months of large protests against the president and his iron-fisted rule. The rights group Physicians for Human Rights has estimated that Sudanese security forces killed more than 60 people during a failed crackdown on the protests. Bashir was transferred to a high-security prison in Khartoum several days after his ouster, according to relatives, and has not been seen in public since. By Express News Service KOCHI: Spectrum of the Seas, the worlds fourth-largest cruise liner, departed Kochis shores on Saturday, bringing the eight-month cruise tourism season in the city to an end. The city looked back at it with joy as it has been a robust season for it, having achieved a 25 per cent growth in the last fiscal. There is more good news as 75,000 tourists are likely to reach the city by luxury liners in the current fiscal. Tour operators said 60 cruise vessels docked in Kochi in the just-concluded season while the number of tourists increased to 62,753. The growth of cruise tourism is an encouraging trend for Kerala as it brings a lot of foreigners. The local economy will benefit as most tourists spend heavily, said Ernakulam District Tourism Promotion Council secretary S Vijaykumar. He said Kochi has the potential to make it bigger. Mostly aged people come to Kochi in cruise vessels. They prefer to see our heritage sites, mainly museums and old buildings at Fort Kochi and Mattanchery. Some of them travel to Alappuzha while others opt for Kumbalangi and Cherai. Most vessels leave the port after docking here for a day, he said. Kochi Ports close proximity to the international sea route is also the reason why more cruise liners reach the city. Ships from Australia-Singapore-Europe prefer Kochi to Mumbai. The authorities believe once the work on the cruise terminal is over, more operators would turn to Kochi. The Ministry of Tourism had last year sanctioned Rs 106.39 crore for the development of cruise terminal-related infrastructure at the major ports - in Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The terminal building, approximately 2,253 sq km, will come up in the Ernakulam wharf area. It can handle cruise ships up to 420 metres in length. The work, carried out under the Cochin Port Trusts supervision, is expected to get over by the last quarter of the current fiscal, a tourism officer said. Swedish prosecutors are reopening a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Speaking to reporters Monday in Stockholm, Eva-Marie Persson, deputy director of public prosecutions, said that there is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape,'' adding that in her assessment a new questioning of Assange is required.'' Persson said that the circumstances now allow for the extradition of Assange from Britain. However, she said, it is for Britain to decide whether to extradite him to Sweden or to the United States where he is wanted for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. Reacting to the Swedens decision, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said in a statement that the reopening of the case will give Assange a chance to clear his name. "Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case," Hrafnsson said. Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange in 2010. The investigation into alleged sexual misconduct was dropped seven years later after Assange fled into the Ecuadorian embassy and the statute of limitations then expired. The statute of limitations on the reopened rape case expires in August 2020, in which case the investigation would be suspended if no conclusion were reached. U.S. President Donald Trump met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday the first visit of the controversial leader to the White House since he returned to power in 2010. Orban, Hungary's prime minister from 1998-2002 and again since 2010, has been criticized by the European Union, of which it is a member, as well as international human rights groups for a perceived decline in human rights and democracy in his country. Speaking next to his Hungarian counterpart Monday in the White House, Trump applauded Orban's hardline immigration policies, which have been criticized by human rights groups around the world, saying Orban has "done the right thing" on immigration. "He's probably, like me, a little controversial but that's OK, that's OK," Trump said. Sitting to Trump's right, Orban told reporters Monday that Hungary is "proud to stand with the United States on fighting illegal migration." Following the talks, the White House said in a statement the two leaders "reaffirmed their commitment to the NATO Alliance and to their democratic systems of government." It also said the two discussed "how best to increase vigilance against unchecked global migration and to address China's unfair trade and investment practices." Ahead of the talks, a group of U.S. senators and members of the Foreign Relations Committee wrote a letter to President Trump Friday, urging him to discuss concern over Hungary's "downward democratic trajectory." "Hungary has experienced a steady corrosion of freedom, the rule of law and quality of governance according to virtually any indicator," the letter read. Among those indicators is the "partly free" designation given to Hungary by the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom the first country in the European Union to see such a decline. "The Hungarian government fails to respect the rule of law and human rights," Human Rights Watch writes in its current country profile of Hungary. "Government representatives are increasingly hostile to journalists and critics and engage in anti-migrant, anti-Muslim and xenophobic rhetoric including through publicly funded campaigns." The White House has not responded to the letter from members of the U.S. Congress expressing concerns about Orban. Last month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement on the sidelines of events marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of NATO. The U.N. envoy to the Mideast said Monday that the recent ceasefire between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel was the "last chance" to prevent an all-out conflict. A Qatari envoy arrived the same day in the Palestinian enclave with cash to help cement the truce, which halted the worst round of fighting between the two sides in years. After a spate of violence killed 25 Palestinians, including 15 civilians, as well as four Israeli civilians earlier this month, Nickolay Mladenov, the U.N. diplomat, said he hopes all parties see that "the risk of war remains imminent." Mladenov, inaugurating a solar power plant for a Gaza hospital, said the parties must "consolidate the understandings" of the cease-fire. He said "the next escalation is going to be probably the last one" before the sides descend into a full-fledged war. The latest bout of fighting was the worst since a deadly and destructive war between Israel and Hamas in 2014. It ended with a cease-fire brokered by Egypt and helped by the U.N. and Qatar. The most recent ceasefire deal promises to let fuel and humanitarian aid into Gaza, as well as ease the movement of people from the blockaded territory. Among its terms is a program to create jobs for thousands of graduates. Unemployment in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since the militant Hamas group seized power 12 years ago, is over 50 percent. Qatari envoy Mohammed al-Emadi arrived in Gaza with a $30 million cash infusion meant for tens of thousands of needy families as part of the cease-fire understandings. Hours later, beneficiaries lined up outside post offices to cash the $100 checks. Mohammed Abu Eida, 30, stood in the queue, a pair of crutches propping him up as he recovers from an injury. "We want them to lift the siege so we can work. I have rent for my home and I'm married and have a daughter; what is $100? It's insufficient." The oil-rich Persian Gulf country stepped up its financial support to Gaza last year in order to defuse tensions that have mounted and, in several cases, erupted into cross-border fighting, after Hamas launched weekly protests along the Gaza-Israel perimeter fence. Qatar had previously provided millions of dollars for Hamas government salaries, but, after Israeli protestations over funds going to the militant group, the money now goes to relief operations. Since 2012, Qatar has financed over $750 million in housing, infrastructure projects and relief operations in the Gaza Strip. Though Doha doesn't pay directly to Hamas, which the United States and the European Union classify as a terrorist organization, the cash infusions relieve Hamas from having to fund such vital projects. Last week, Qatar pledged another payment of $480 million to the Palestinians, but this time shifted most of it - $300 million - to Hamas' rival in the West Bank: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party-run Palestinian Authority. This support for Abbas's government, which is also engulfed in a severe financial crisis, situates Qatar as a welcome broker in both Gaza and Ramallah for reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas. Meanwhile, the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, has warned that food supplies for more than half of Gaza's population "will be severely challenged" if the agency doesn't get at least $60m in additional funding by June. UNRWA said that it provides food - among other services like education and health care - to more than 1 million Palestinians in Gaza, including some 620,000 of "those who cannot cover their basic food needs and who have to survive on U.S. $1.6 per day." The United Nations Security Council this Monday is set to informally discuss the separatist crisis in Cameroon for the first time. The discussion comes at a time when the conflict is escalating with many internally displaced persons from the English speaking regions escaping to the French speaking zones where some live in desperate conditions. This is Cameroons Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, visiting the English-speaking town of Bamenda on Saturday, begging people to ask their relatives who have joined separatist fighters to come back home. Dion Ngute says President Paul Biya has sent him to say he is ready for an all-inclusive dialogue but will not discuss separating Cameroon. As the prime minister went begging for peace, the military announced that the war against the separatists had intensified with many of their camps destroyed and at least two dozen fighters killed. The baby of 38-year-old Flora Yenos cries at the Obili Catholic church in the French speaking capital Yaounde. She says she escaped fighting last week from her village Bafanji in the English speaking North West region. She says lost her husband in a battle with the military. She says when she arrived in Yaounde, she and her four kids did not have anything to eat and drink and lacked a place to sleep. She says the Catholic church allowed her to lodge in a classroom and asked Christians to contribute for their upkeep after all of her relatives had told her they could not assist because they were already hosting many IDPs. She says her children are very sick and lack food. Cameroons unrest began in 2016 when English-speaking teachers and lawyers demonstrated against the growing dominance of French in the officially bilingual country. The government responded with a crackdown and separatists launched an independence movement, saying they were defending their people. The United Nations says at least 500,000 people have been displaced by the fighting. Allegra Baiocchi, coordinator of the U.N. system in Cameroon, says their humanitarian needs are increasing by the day. "We are fully aware of how many people are suffering on so many different needs where there is health, education, protection, violence and I think the commitment is there to try and reach as many people as possible," she said. "We have often said the primary responsibility for the protection of the people is with the government so our action has to come in complementarity." Last week, Human Rights Watch said 1,800 people have been killed in the war and said it had documented cases of the government detaining and torturing alleged separatists and holding some incommunicado detention. Iliaria Allegrozzi, senior reseach for Human Rights Watch in Central Africa, said, "We have compounded accounts from former detainees with information provided by former detainees families and lawyers as well as forensic experts who have reviewed and analyzed a number of photos and videos following torture or signs of torture on the bodies of the detainees." Human Rights Watch says it is calling on the U.N. Security Council to condemn torture and incommunicado detention, and call for the government to end these practices that have persisted since the crisis began. Cameroon territorial administration minister Paul Atanga Nji says separatists are responsible for the wave of abductions, killing and torching of public buildings including schools and hospitals. He says the government in its effort to bring peace will forgive fighters who lay down their weapons. "We want to make it very clear. Those who voluntarily lay down their weapons will not go to jail. Those are instructions from the president of the Republic. They will be Cameroonians, I can call them born again," he said. Analysts say since discussions at the U.N. Security Council will be informal, they just expect Cameroon to be condemned for its poor handling of the crisis and asked to organize an all-inclusive dialogue. Concern is growing among hundreds of Yazidis who fled their homes due to the Turkish intrusion of northwestern Syria to neighboring Lebanon, as the religious minority faces a possible forced return by Lebanese authorities. An estimated 500 Yazidis fled the town of Afrin in early 2018 during the Turkish Operation Olive Branch against the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. They say they fear being targeted by Islamist militants if they return home. One of the refugees, Ronahi Hassan Alias, said her family's situation has become increasingly desperate as the political rhetoric grows against Syrian refugees in Lebanon. She worked as a schoolteacher before fleeing Afrin in January 2018 to the government-controlled areas in Aleppo, Syria. The family was displaced again later that year and forced to sleep on the streets and in the fields of Aleppo because the Syrian government failed to help the minority refugees. After all what we have been through, now we are threatened of a forced return to Syria. We are afraid because we cannot go back to Afrin and the Syrian government hasnt offered us any aid, Alias told VOA. Alias said the Yazidi families lack basic humanitarian support in Lebanon, despite the country's high living costs. Like thousands of other Syrians in Lebanon, they face legal challenges due to the difficulty of receiving their refugee status paperwork. We are completely neglected, and no one is paying attention to our ordeal and what we are going through. We are out of solutions, she said, adding it is unclear how they will be received even if they return to Syria. The men will be taken by the Syrian regime to fight its wars while children and women will be left on the streets, she added. Refugees in Lebanon With an estimated population of just more than 6 million, Lebanon has hosted about 1.6 million Syrian refugees since the outbreak of violence in Syria in 2011, according to United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The country also hosts a half-million Palestinian refugees. Lebanese officials complain the large number of refugees has created a serious burden on the economy of their country. They urge the international community to help address the issue by quickly returning the refugees to their home countries or resettling them elsewhere. Lebanon President Michel Aoun on Thursday warned that his country would never survive and its demographics would change completely if the Syrian and Palestinian refugees remained in his country with no obvious timeline to return home. The Lebanese government has announced it may not be able to wait for international action on Syrian refugees any longer and soon may come up with a solution of its own. Lebanese Minister of State for Refugee Affairs Saleh Gharib last month said his ministry would submit a plan to the cabinet in the coming weeks. According to the Syrian Yazidis Council, a Germany-based advocacy group for the Syrian Yazidi community, international protection is needed to ensure the safe return of the religious minority group to Afrin. In the absence of such a guarantee, the only choice the refugees are left with is relocation to another country. Hassan Nasser, a representative of the council, said that many Yazidi refugees have applied to be relocated to another country in the hope of starting a new life. But they face numerous challenges, primarily due to lack of support networks to help them through the process. Once they file an application with the UNHCR office in Lebanon, they have to wait for an entire year just to get an interview. During this year, they must find a way to survive financially while hiding from Lebanese patrols that arrest undocumented Syrians regardless of their situation, and send them back to Syria, Nasser told VOA. Despite the hardships in Lebanon, most Yazidis prefer to stay rather than go back to Syria, where they can be exploited by the Syrian regime or targeted by Islamists, Nasser said. Violations in Afrin The predominantly Kurdish town of Afrin was home to about a half-million people, including religious minorities like Yazidis, Christians and Alawites. Many of the minorities have reportedly fled the town to escape persecution. There is no official data on the number of Yazidis in Afrin, but Kurdish and Yazidi sources estimate their numbers were about 25,000 before Operation Olive Branch. The town was also home to 300 Christian families, all of whom have left the area and settled in different parts of Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based war monitor, recently reported Turkey has started building a wall in southern Afrin to separate the area from other parts of the Syrian territory. The Observatory has warned against large-scale violations committed by militants aligned with Turkey, from looting farmers crops to confiscating properties and arbitrarily arresting residents. The United States has banned six Chinese technology companies from exporting U.S. technologies and goods. The U.S. Commerce Department said Monday four Chinese firms, which also have offices in Hong Kong, are being banned because of their support of Iran's military programs in violation of U.S. sanctions. It said an additional two Chinese firms were added to the banned "Entities List" because they supply technology to organizations affiliated with China's People's Liberation Army. The Commerce Department also banned one Pakistani firm and five entities based in the United Arab Emirates from exporting U.S. goods. "We are putting individuals, businesses, and organizations across the world on notice that they will be held accountable for supporting Iran's WMD [weapons of mass destruction] activities and other illicit schemes," said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. "Moreover, we cannot allow China's civil-military integration strategy to undermine U.S. national security through prohibited technology transfer plots orchestrated by state actors," he added. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived at the European Union headquarters in Brussels, the first stop on his European trip. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Monday that Pompeo will meet with European allies in Belgium "to discuss recent threatening actions and statements by the Islamic Republic of Iran." Ortagus added that the Secretary "will continue to coordinate closely with our allies and partners and ensure the security of our mutual interests in the Middle East and around the world." Originally Pompeo had planned to meet Monday with U.S. diplomats and business leaders in Moscow. There was a late Sunday change of plans, instead, for the secretary to stop in Belgium first. The schedule for the rest of schedule for the U.S. top diplomat's trip plans remain intact. Pompeo travels to Sochi Tuesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Pompeos trip comes a few weeks ahead of a G-20 summit meeting in Osaka, Japan, which both U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Putin will attend. Pompeos trip to Russia also comes as tensions simmer between the two countries over Iran. The U.S. is strengthening its military presence in the Middle East in what officials said was a direct response to a number of troubling and escalatory indicators and warnings" from Iran. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and four B-52 bombers have arrived in the Middle East in response to concerns Iran may be planning an attack against American targets. On Wednesday, Lavrov asked Pompeo to use diplomacy instead of threats to solve issues after Lavrovs talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarifin Moscow. Pope Francis' almoner, a church leader who personally distributes charity in the name of the Vatican, took action to restore electricity to about 450 people in Rome. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski broke into an abandoned government building where 450 homeless people are living. Authorities cut off power and water to the building last week because of an unpaid bill reported to be more than $300,000. Krajewski ignored the possible legal consequences when he broke the police seal on the building, went underground, and flipped a switch to turn the lights back on in the darkened building. A nun who works with the homeless told Italian radio and television that when workers went to the building to cut off the power again, they found a note from the cardinal asking them to leave it on. Krajewski called his act "a gesture of desperation." Yemen's four years of devastating civil war have taken the hardest toll on women and girls. Many have become widowed and must support their families alone without the needed skills or education. In one remote desert village, the U.S. aid group International Rescue Committee has established a center for teaching skills and empowerment to vulnerable women and girls. Intekab Ali Abdulwasi, a mother of five girls, fled fighting in her home in Taiz to the remote village of Raz Amran. And as many Yemeni men have lost livelihoods - for some, even their lives - women and girls are finding themselves in unfamiliar territory as the new breadwinners of the family. Abdulwasis husband is safe, but has been too sick to work. She says she and her daughters are learning new skills so they can get out of poverty and help their family. With her husband sick, Abdulwasi says it is important for women and girls to learn skills to be able to survive and provide for the house. Abdulwasi and her daughters attend classes in the Al Boureqa Center, founded by the New York-based International Rescue Committee to empower Yemens women. Fairouz Yassin, a caseworker at the center, says about 50 women and girls are trained daily or simply spend time there - a safe space close to home. She says in this area of Raz Amran, the people are very traditional. Women often do not leave their homes because they do not want to mix with the men. If they go to other places to learn, they must ride on public transportation. But many of their husbands at home forbid them from doing so, and from leaving the area. For women like Abdulwasi, this is also a chance to break free from Yemens conservative cultural norms and enter the workplace for the first time. Abdulwasi says that before the war, women in Yemen had been forgotten. But when the organizations came to remote areas in Yemen, because of the war, the women and girls were able to advance themselves and their skills. According to Yassin, the center also provides counseling for gender-based issues and abuse that case workers say has shown a marked increase with the fighting in Yemen. Yassin says the caseworkers are seeing higher levels of domestic violence due to the pressures men are facing because of the war. Men are taking all their anger out on their wives. For the men that leave home for long periods of time, the women then had to become everything. Then she would be struggling with mental illness and trauma because of the war. And she would reach a point where she can not handle it anymore, and this would bring the woman to the center. The center is already shifting gender dynamics in the community. Abdulwasi says her husband supports her plan to one day open her own tailoring shop and to run it with her daughters. This is the first official visit to Vietnam by a high-ranking Bhutan leader since the two countries set up diplomatic ties in 2012, Ngan said. The Vietnamese top legislator expressed her belief that the visit will significantly contribute to building and promoting the fruitful friendship between the two States and their peoples. She congratulated Tashi Dorji on his election as Chairman of the National Council of Bhutan, and believed that under the leadership of the Chairman and other leaders, Bhutan people will reap more successes and the country will become more prosperous. For his part, Tashi Dorji congratulated Ngan for being Vietnams first NA Chairwoman and expressed his fine impression on Vietnamese land and people. He spoke highly of Vietnams organisation of the 16th UN Day of Vesak 2019 which is taking place at the Tam Chuc Buddhism Culture Centre in Kim Bang district of northern Ha Nam province from May 12-14. NA Chairwoman Ngan briefed her guest on Vietnams socio-political-economic situation, saying the countrys economy grew 7.08 percent in 2018, the highest pace since 2008. Last year, the number of foreign tourists to the country hit a record high of 15.5 million. Besides, Vietnam has become a destination of foreign investors, with 26,000 projects valued at US$334 billion from 126 countries and territories worldwide. In the sphere of trade, Vietnam ratified the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific, signed and implemented 12 free trade agreements (FTAs) and is negotiating four others, both bilateral and multilateral. Of note, the countrys hosting of the second summit between the US and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Hanoi last February has proven its position as well as international confidence in the country as a responsible member of the world community that can contribute to peace, security and stability in the region and the world at large, she said. The Vietnamese NA leader congratulated Bhutan for achievements that the country with the highest Gross Happiness Index in the world - has gained so far. At the talks, the two leaders agreed that since the two countries set up diplomatic relations in 2012, the bilateral friendship and cooperation have been growing but yet to match the strength and potential of both sides. Dorji held that Vietnam and Bhutan share many similarities in culture and religion, especially Buddhism values and love for peace. Therefore, the two sides can share experience in national development and expand partnership in various areas Amidst the modest bilateral trade, the two countries should foster collaboration through the use of chartered flights, encouraging localities to strengthen their connections, while fostering the affiliation between the two national tourism agencies, he stated. Ngan expressed her hope that the Chairman will help increase exchanges of delegations at all levels and through all channels such as Party, State, National Assembly, localities and people-to-people contacts, thus enhancing mutual understanding and trust. Alongside, Bhutan should give more favourable conditions for Vietnamese firms to seek business opportunities in the country, especially in areas of Bhutans demand such as agricultural machineries and tourism. The Vietnamese top legislator declared that Vietnam is willing to share experience with Bhutan in economic development, especially agriculture, rural development, education and social welfare. She proposed that the two sides soon sign an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders, while considering the appointment of Honorary Consuls in each country to act as bridges for bilateral friendship. Regarding regional and international issues, Ngan thanked Bhutan for supporting Vietnam at international organisations, showing her hope that Bhutan will continue collaborating closely with Vietnam for a consensus voice at organisations of which both countries are members. Currently, Vietnam has been nominated as the only candidate of the Asia-Pacific region for the seat of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure, she noted, expressing her wish that Bhutan will soon voice its support to Vietnam in the field. Speaking highly of Vietnams great achievements, Dorji stressed that the country has risen to stardom as a good economic development model in the region amid various challenges, and hoped it will reap further success in the time ahead. He suggested Vietnam and Bhutan promote bilateral cooperation in agriculture. As Bhutan sees Vietnam as a role model in agricultural development, particularly agriculture mechanization. Regarding the tourism sector, he said that Bhutan, with a total population of 700,000 people, focuses on high-quality tourism, and has policies to limit the number of foreign visitors so as to protect the environment. However, as the country looks to welcome more Vietnamese nationals, he expressed his hope that the Tourism Council of Bhutan and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism will work together to promote cooperation in the coming time. Touching on supporting Vietnam to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, he said that he will relay the issue to the parliament and the foreign minister for consideration. Last year, the two foreign ministers discussed measures to set up a bilateral consultation mechanism, he said, wishing that with sound coordination, they will successfully organise their first meeting in 2019. At the talk, he briefed NA Chairwoman Ngan on Bhutans parliament, with three tenures since 2008, while hoping to learn experiences from neighbouring countries, including Vietnam. The Vietnamese top legislator, for her part, highlighted that since its establishment more than seven decades ago, the Vietnamese National Assembly has had many reforms in its operation and activities and affirmed its increasing role in the countrys political life. She wished that the two parliaments will bolster delegation exchanges at all levels, as well as promote coordination and support for each other at international parliamentary forums, especially the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The same day, NA Chairwoman Ngan hosted a banquet for a high-ranking delegation from Bhutan, led by Tashi Dorji. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has arrested a Thiruvananthapuram native, who was smuggling around 25 kg gold from a Gulf country. Sunil, a resident of Thirumala in Thiruvananthapuram, was arrested when he arrived at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport from Oman on Monday morning flight. The gold, which is estimated to have a value of Rs 8 crore, was in the form of biscuits and kept hidden in his bag. Another person, thought to be an accomplice of Sunil and arrived from Oman in the same flight, has been taken into custody. This is the biggest haul of gold from Thiruvananthapuram airport in the last two years. By Express News Service On occasion of Mothers Day, Zee5 has begun streaming its new web film, Badnaam Gali, themed on surrogacy. The light-hearted comedy stars Patralekha as a surrogate mother who helps couples have a baby, all while keeping her chin up in a judgmental society. Divyendu Sharma plays a righteous Punjabi man who takes a shine to Patralekhas character, and discovers true merit in her line of profession. Sharing her thoughts on Mothers Day, Patralekha said, Its obviously very special. In our country, its a new thing that we have started observing Mothers Day, Fathers Day and similar occasions. As a culture, we have always been big on festivals. I love my mother and its great to have a day to pick out and express my love for her. WATCH BADNAAM GALI TRAILER: Speaking about the film, Patralekha says, On the one hand, Badnaam Gali looks at serious issues like surrogacy, patriarchy and how, as a society, we are so judgmental. But even when dealing with a dark and gritty subject, its handled with humour. The actor described her character, Noyonika, as a self-assured woman who doesnt care about what people think of her. I had not done something like this before, a film thats in the comic space but also true to the characters emotions. Divyendu, who was last seen in Batti Gul Meter Chalu and Mirzapur Season 1, describes Badnaam Gali as an easy-breezy comedy. He says, The film is about the friendship and bonding between our characters. I play Randip Singh, a hot-headed but righteous man who comes from Punjab. He gets angry if he see something wrong happening to someone. Initially, when he comes to Badnaam Gali in Delhi to live with his aunt, he is a little judgemental of Noyonika. But that changes as he understands what surrogacy means and how noble surrogate mothers are. Besides Badnaam Gali, ZEE5 is also premiering television actor Sai Deodhar Anands directorial debut D.A.T.E on Mothers Day. Produced under her banner Purple Morning Movies, the 13-minute short film has won 73 international awards worldwide. The film follows a middle-aged woman, played by Shama Deshpande, navigating the hardships of a corporate career. WATCH D.A.T.E. TRAILER: Sai shares, D.A.T.E has been inspired a lot by my mother. I saw my mother go through a lot when my father expired. She never had a corporate job before. She started at 49 and became senior vice-president at a big company. It was a difficult journey for her and it inspired me to write this film. I feel everyones mother inspires them and they are the first role models in our lives. By Express News Service The feeling when you see yourself on film posters, channels and on the big screen is something I cannot explain. Im just thrilled, says one-film-old actor Raj Charan. Having featured in Manoratha, which released in 2018, the actor got a big break with his second outing, Ratnamanjari. Interestingly, Raj juggles between a full-time day job and an acting career, For his second film, he got selected through a social media platform. I was chosen by director PraSidh, who is based out of Denmark. He saw my photographs on Facebook and approached me for the auditions. After I met the producers and director in India, I was short-listed and finalised after two months, says the student of Dr Nagathihalli Chandrashekars Tent Cinema.In fact, initially I thought it was one of those fake calls, which any fresher looking for an acting break would assume. But when I got a call for the second time while the team was in India, I was certain that the caller was not dubious. I got comfortable once I saw a few familiar technicians in Kannada industry at the audition, he adds. Apparently, the producers, NRI Kannadigas, were initially planning on Indian artiste residing in the USA. Since they couldnt find a suitable actor, they chose me, says Raj, who was naturally apprehensive of the route he was chosen through. 99.9 per cent auditions are fake and I have personally experienced many. Those who had given me a chance never went ahead with the project. And they were others who wanted me to invest money, if I wanted a lead role. At one point, I thought it was not my cup of tea. But this one audition changed my perspective towards cinema, he says. It was only after Raj was selected for Ratnamanjari did he take up various courses, including fight and dance workshops. Forty per cent of the film was shot in America, while the rest was shot in India. One of the song sequences was done in Malaysia. Raj calls it a combination of luck and effort that bagged him the project. Im a mechanical engineer, with no background in films. My friends egged me to try out acting. Though I started my career with Manoratha, it went unnoticed. I hope this film will give me my break, he says. Raj goes on to says that it was the director PraSidh and producers of Ratnamanjari who stood by him through the film in which he had to face not one but two Arri Alexa cameras. Thats quite something for a newcomer. These cameras have been used in films like Baahubali. The production house wanted the best for the project, says Raj, who plays the role of an American botanist in the film. It is based on a true incident. Being a suspense thriller, I have asked to keep some aspects about my role secret, he laughs. He adds that he is only allowed to say that hes got a photographic memory in the film. Interestingly, like the films heroines, even the hero has no clue of the climax. They shot three climax sequences, and I dont know which one has been finalised. The director wants it to remain a surprise till the films release, he says. Waco Walks and representatives from Gotcha Bikes will have a demonstration and conversation session on shared mobility at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday at Indian Spring Park. The company is set to bring electric scooter and bike rentals to Waco soon. The event Wednesday will offer an opportunity to ask questions about walkability and mobility in Waco, as well as get an up-close look at one of the scooters. Boots on the Brazos The Arc of McLennan County will have its Boots on the Brazos fundraiser from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday in the Waco Convention Centers Brazos Room, 100 Washington Ave. The event will feature a barbecue dinner catered by Eddie Rays Smokehouse and music and dancing with 35 South. Individual tickets are $100. Table sponsorships are available. Attire is casual or Western. For details, call 756-7491 or visit wacoarc.org. The Arc of McLennan County is a nonprofit that provides services to families of special needs children and those affected by autism. Go Red for Women Charles Baker said Spencer accelerated toward him and his wife. He told police he was able to jump out of the way of the speeding truck but his wife was pinned between the vehicles. Spencers truck began sliding sideways toward the black Chevrolet, and the passenger side of Spencers truck struck the passenger side of the black vehicle, crushing Anita Baker, who was standing by the black vehicle, according to reports. Another man also was struck by Spencers truck but was not injured seriously. After striking Anita Baker with his truck, Spencer sped away from the parking lot but returned shortly and pulled up near a group of people who were trying to help Baker. Several from the crowd pulled Spencer from his truck, beat him and held him until police arrived, according to police reports. Russ Hunt, Spencers attorney, called the incident a real tragic situation. By ANI LUDHIANA: With Lok Sabha polls nearing the end, the words of wars amongst the politicos seems to have intensified. Firing yet another salvo at the Congress party, Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday referring to 26/11 Mumbai attacks said, then Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was only concerned about getting his son Ritesh, a film role even as the city was under attacks. "I am from Mumbai. You might remember the 26/11 terror attack. The then Congress government was weak and could not do anything. The then Chief Minister (Vilasrao Deshmukh) had brought a film producer outside Oberoi Hotel while shooting and bombing was going on inside. CM was concerned about getting his child a film role," Goyal said while addressing business community here on Sunday. He also termed the erstwhile UPA government led by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh as a "coward government" for failing to respond to 26/11 attacks that shook Mumbai in 2008. "Our Armed Forces were capable then too but the decision was to be taken by the leadership. The security forces kept hoping that they would be allowed to give a befitting reply but they were not allowed to take action. That was a coward government," the Union Minister added. BJP has made national security a poll plank in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls with its leaders referring to surgical strikes post-Uri and air-strike in Pakistan's Balakot as an example of the party's "zero-tolerance" policy on terrorism. 75th anniversary of one of the bloodiest battles of world war two. Driving past Monte Cassino many years ago with the late Mark Pluciennik, professor at Leicester University, and one of the most cerebral archaeologists I have known, I pointed out the Benedictine monastery. Mark replied with words Ive never forgotten: My father was with the Poles who captured the monastery, and my uncle, his brother, as fate would have it, was with the Germans on top. The battle unwittingly pitched brother against brother. His words have long lingered in my mind and over the years I have met many survivors of this historic battle between the Allied and Axis forces in 1944. Through them I have become familiar with oral histories and the battlefield archaeology. None spoke well of the experience, though all the Allied veterans recalled with pleasure and gratitude their encounters with the long-suffering Italians. Liberating them justified the struggle. The battle lasted from December 1943 until May 1944, led to the comprehensive destruction of the town of Cassino, and at the conclusion, the main objective defeating the formidable German army was eschewed in favour of the liberation of Rome. The impact of the battle has left an indelible mark on Italy and in the minds of many, while the performance of some of the generals was in the end reminiscent of the later rather than the earlier Roman empire. All of this can be discovered on the ground. There are archaeological remains galore but, unlike the Normandy battlefield of June-July 1944, it is not organised and really should be. The monastery at Monte Cassino The battle for Monte Cassino embraced the mountains from the Tyrrhenian to the Adriatic Sea. One particular hotspot was, as it happens, where Mark Pluciennik and I were excavating the early mediaeval monastery (9th-11th centuries) in the 1980s and 1990s, S. Vincenzo al Volturno, due east of Monte Cassino. Here multi-national forces assembled to assault the Abruzzi mountains, known locally as the Le Mainarde. The excavations revealed only one possible legacy from this tumultuous era: the skeleton of a young woman interred in a shallow grave in the remains of the ninth-century refectory. Local workmen excavating with me clearly knew something about this homicide. Ignoring my instructions to record the individual, she was hastily removed without ceremony. Archaeology and history This act revealed how raw the bitter wartime struggle remained, 40 years afterwards. None more so than for the monks of Monte Cassino. As long as we stuck to archaeology and history, our relationship at S. Vincenzo with Monte Cassinos monks was fine (the monastery owned part of the land we were excavating). Mention the war, and they all but spat with a lingering distaste. The Allied bombing that destroyed the monastery of Monte Cassino on 15 February 1944 was a crime against humanity, I was told more than once. Any mention of the occasion, and the elfin and normally genial archivist, Don Faustino, was transformed; his deep-seated anger boiled over. So, on an occasion when in Monte Cassinos capacious archive a British diplomat friend asked Don Faustino about the battle, the learned monk snarled about the British and added, by way of taunt, how grateful the monks were to the Germans who transported the precious archive and library to safety long before the battle started. Startled, my friend was about to give as good as he had got when the old abbot, Don Martino Matrinola, slipped into the archive. Don Faustino visibly retreated a step. The abbot, bent and thin, conveyed an immediate eminence. Far from senescent, his beady eyes focussed upon me and he asked about a unique, ninth-century coin I had discovered at S. Vincenzo and which he had caressed the previous summer in his long, claw-like fingers. I responded and, gauging the twinkle in his old eyes, introduced my diplomat friend as someone who was curious about the infamous bombing. I was in the monastery, I was Abbot Damianos secretary, he said without a shift in tone. What would you like to know? I hastily shaped a simple question to evade Don Faustinos dismay. And so, Don Martino explained, the abbot and he and a handful of monks as well as hundreds of refugees had sought safety in the deep mediaeval bowels of the largely baroque monastery. As soon as the bombing had finished, they had fled down the mountain, guided by German officers. Were there Germans in the monastery and guns, tanks? my friend eagerly enquired. Ah, the old monk responded without missing a beat, you should read our report made that morning to His Holiness [the pope]. Its part of the papal record. There were indeed Germans here. With that his mind found sanctuary in his memory of my little silver coin and he muttered more about it before shuffling off into the cloister. I recall this moment in the archive because I had touched history. The Battle The battle pivoted around the monastery of Monte Cassino because the home of the Benedictines commands a high promontory over the old Roman road, the Via Casilina. This follows the valley from Rome to the Bay of Naples. At the foot of the hill sits ancient Casinum. Its most conspicuous monument is the over-restored Roman theatre next to the modern museum at the foot of monastery hill. Here in December 1943 the Germans commanded by General Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin, an Oxford Rhodes scholar, created a fortification that extended west to the Tyrrhenian Sea near ancient Minturnae (modern-day Minturno) and east over the mountains to the far Adriatic Sea. Close this road, von Senger rationalised, and the Allies would be unable to take Rome. The Allies were ill-prepared for the obstinate German tactics, prompting a bi-passing operation at Anzio. By landing troops near Rome on the beach at Anzio on 22 January 1944, the Allies hoped to encircle and eliminate the Germans and thereafter advance swiftly through Italy, Churchills so-called soft underbelly of Europe. The sea landings were unopposed and reconnaissance troops managed to drive into Rome. However the Allied commanders then prevaricated and dug in, and the Germans rapidly brought up troops to attack; what happened next was a grotesque battle in the marshland around the beach-head until May. The outline of St Martin's church excavated by Don Angelo Pantoni. The prevarication came at even greater cost. The Allied offensive against Monte Cassino was intended to suck German troops from Rome to Cassino, creating the vacuum the Anzio landings might exploit. The battle involved crossing the rivers immediately west of Cassino on 20 January on the eve of the landings. The British just succeeded in traversing the Garigliano river but the Texas Rangers were massacred while attempting to cross the Rapido river close to Cassino by the German Panzer division entrenched immediately beyond the river. It was a taste of things to come. This first battle successfully diverted German troops from Rome but the opportunity was eschewed and so started the slogging trench warfare. Allied troops pressed through Cassino town and began a cat-and-mouse battle with the enemy. Trapped in and around ancient Casinum in wet wintry conditions, the British commander of the 4th Indian Infantry Division, General Francis Tuker, who believed that parts of the hilltop monastery were occupied by Germans with armour, asked for aerial bombing to destroy the monastery. After a fierce debate among the Allied commanders the bombing was undertaken with very little warning by US planes on 15 February 1944. The aftermath, though, made the monastery an impregnable redoubt. Operation Dickens The third battle involved a frontal assault while a road the Cavendish Road was cut around the contours behind the monastery to facilitate a bold Allied pincer movement using armour. This battle Operation Dickens lasted between 15 and 24 March. Maori crews in Sherman tanks advanced in single file up the steep track. Terrified at first, the German defenders then realised that the American-built tanks were not supported by infantry. Boldly, the defenders knocked out the leading tanks, and so paralysed a dozen or so in their rear. The last battle in 11-23 May 1944 was colossal in scope. After an immense artillery barrage from Allied guns aimed at the monastery and Germans in its surroundings, Allied troops pressed on all fronts, still aiming to encircle the German army. The frontal attack was born by the Free Poles (including Mark Plucienniks father), who heroically overwhelmed the monasterys defenders. No less significant were the French colonial troops, who traversed the high mountain country above Minturnae (Minturno) west of Cassino, intending to descend upon the rear of the Axis army. Von Senger astutely recognised the threat and retreated. The view west and northwards from the monastery. His army should have been ensnared at Valmontone (below ancient Artena) by the Anzio divisions breaking out of the beach-head. Instead, General Mark Clark against the plans of the British commander of the Allied forces in Italy, General Harold Alexander sought his triumph and diverted his forces to Rome, parading like legions past the Colosseum, ensuring on the eve of D-Day that he was the first Allied commander to capture an Axis capital. This allowed von Sengers German divisions to retreat east of Rome and to resist the Allies through central and northern Italy until April 1945. The battle of Monte Cassino or rather the four battles was a Pyrrhic victory. Thousands perished and the ancient monastery of Monte Cassino had been blown to smithereens. Monte Cassino Monte Cassino attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. Poles, in particular, pay homage to the exquisitely arranged cemetery in the valley immediately east of the monastery that commemorates those who ultimately vanquished the German defenders. Few monuments exceed this cemetery in paying tribute to the heroism and tragic inhumanity of war. It is as well to pause in this mass graveyard before rediscovering a quotidian rhythm in the formidable monastery that overshadows it. There are also moving Commonwealth and German war cemeteries close to Monte Cassino. Looking down the steep steps first built in the 1060s by Abbott Desiderus. St Benedict founded his monastery in an ancient hilltop site. A massive Samnite (Iron Age) fortification encircles the crown of the hill, the mediaeval and later monastic walls nestle inside its great polygonal stonework. This fortress speaks volumes about the age when archaic Rome was vying for control over central Italy. Inside these cyclopean walls, in excavations made after world war two, remains were found of a Samnite and subsequent Roman temple, dedicated probably to Hercules. In time the temple became an outlier of Casinum, the affluent Roman roadside town at the foot of the hill that, with the defeat of the Samnites, succeeded the cyclopean fortress. Quite how Benedict made use of the earlier temple as he created his sixth-century monastery is not known. Numerous finds are on display in the monasterys museum. Post-war excavations, following the bombing, discovered the footings of one of Benedicts churches, believed to be St Martins. Its ground plan is discretely marked out with neat stones in the outer cloister immediately after entering the monastery today. On the far side of this first cloister lies the locked glass door down to the old ceremonial entrance. Peep through it and along the walls youll see some of the hundreds of early mediaeval tombstones found in excavations after the war. Post-war The post-war re-building programme is vividly described in a new exhibition held in an annexe to the museum, just off the monasterys cloister. It tells a remarkable story. Lasting over a decade in the 1940s and 1950s, with American support, the early modern monastery in all its baroque glory was lovingly restored. It was a miracle of sorts. A key person in this rebuilding was Don Angelo Pantoni, an engineer by training and passionate archaeologist. This restless monk had endured the siege and spotted his chance in the aftermath. With haphazard methods, but huge dedication, he excavated wherever he could and published a series of monographs on the monasterys origins. I knew Don Angelo in his 80s when he visited my excavations at S. Vincenzo. Deaf from birth, twinkling eyes, eccentric in every way in his dishevelled habit, his passion was making sense of the past. Thanks to his antiquarian exactitude, the destruction of Monte Cassino seems barely conceivable today as you climb the steep flight of steps, conceived originally by Abbot Desiderius in the mid to late 11th century, up to a closed outer atrium. The 11th-century bronze doors of the abbey. One great work of art survives world war two and from this abbots re-envisioning of the monastery: the central bronze door made in the 1060s by a Byzantine master in Constantinople. The upper 36 panels are inscribed with names of churches and lands, dependencies of the monastery. Below are two panels bearing dedicatory inscriptions, each flanked by a cross in relief. It bears witness to the abbey at its zenith, before the crusades began, on the main pilgrimage route from northern Europe to the Holy Land. Inside the basilica is a faux baroque church. This replicates the great church that Napoleon Bonaparte sacked in 1799. Before its post-war resurrection so to speak the indefatigable Don Angelo excavated in search of Benedicts first church. What he found were the foundations of the ninth-century abbey-church of Abbot Gisulf, one of the great figures of the age of Charlemagne. Around its outer walls were block-built tombs with bases made from tiles pierced with holes to permit the bodies to decompose gradually. Museum The museum is a treasure-house. Apart from the new, visually striking annexe dedicated to the bombing and re-building, there are rooms full of the monasterys copes, mitres, paintings, sacramental paraphernalia, and above all some of the great books that are the cornerstone of western civilisation. If you select just one, pause at the open page of the 11th-century encyclopaedia, De rerum naturis (On the nature of things), an opulent copy of the work by the 9th-century scientist and Benedictine abbot, Hrabanus Maurus. How did these treasures survive? Don Faustino, the archivist at Monte Cassino, was never slow to answer this rhetorical question. General von Senger, aware of the huge risk he was taking, had everything transported to Rome and Perugia a month before the Allied vanguard arrived on his horizon. Today the story of the bombing may seem like distant history in the modern monastery. Not so in the town of Cassino below. None of its historic churches survived the battle. Instead, the busy little town has an anonymous feel to it, the result of expedient post-war reconstruction. Only its museum, half a kilometre up monastery hill, and the refurbished mediaeval castle with its pencil thin tower come close to recalling the rich heritage of this place before 1944. Cavendish Road Take the SS 509 to S. Elia Fiumerapido Sora from the centre of Cassino and after 3 kms, immediately after crossing a river, turn left on the Via Orsala and follow the narrow lane to a sign that marks the beginning of the Cavendish Road. Made after the failure of the second (February) battle, it was the brainchild of the New Zealand division. Its engineers widened an existing mule-track to enable Sherman tanks to approach the monastery from the rear. This creative adventure on 19 March 1944 came to nothing, but today it is by far the best way to get a sense of the terrain that gave the German defenders a huge advantage. Sherman tank, May 1944, following the successful Polish attack on Monte Cassino. It is a three-hour round trip on a track to the monastery, which is flagged the whole way. The climb is steep and the track has been worn to rubble for the first two kms. But the views of the mountains to the east are peerless. The path passes through thick, low woodland, but press on because at the far end is a memorable piece of archaeology. A Sherman tank has been transformed into a memorial to the Polish 4th Scorpio Armoured Regiment who took the road in May 1944. Beyond is a farm where the monastery makes its own beer. It overlooks the formidable remains of the monastery of S. Maria dell'Albaneta. Founded in the 10th century, it was essentially an overspill monastery for Monte Cassino at its apogee. Young Benedictines like Thomas Aquinas were first initiated in this serene spot. Today American trucks from the battle occupy the spot where its cloister once was. The path is now a road, graced with stone memorials to the Poles. Fittingly, the Cavendish Road trail terminates at the Polish cemetery in the shadow of the monastery, a gleaming citadel. By Richard Hodges Richard Hodges, an eminent archaeologist, is president of The American University of Rome and was director of the British School at Rome from 1988-1995. This article was published in the March 2019 edition of Wanted in Rome magazine. Cover image Avvenire. This past year was not massively better than 2020, but at least it was different. A variant, so to speak. And like any year, it had both highs and lows. No, we take that back. It was pretty much all lows. This recent burst of executive action has had some limits. Trump tried to pressure Senate Republicans to confirm two political loyalists Herman Cain and Stephen Moore for the Federal Reserve Board, but he was rebuffed and both men had to withdraw from consideration. Similarly, Trump has tried to pressure foreign leaders from oil-producing countries to lower oil prices, but prices have ticked higher in recent months and raised costs for U.S. consumers. Last December, Trump ordered the withdrawal of about 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, then reversed course and decided to leave 400 troops in the country in the face of military concerns and criticism from Congress. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: The rape of a three-year-old girl in Kashmirs Bandipora district has led to massive outrage in the Valley. People took out protests across Kashmir on Monday to denounce the incident and demand stern punishment for the rapist. The victims family alleged that the accused on May 8 evening, lured the child with candy, abducted her and then raped her in a washroom of a school. A suspect was subsequently arrested by police and produced before a court, which placed him in police remand. Reports emerged claiming that the principle of a local private school had issued a fake birth certificate to the accused to claim that he was a juvenile. This has further enraged the people. Sources said a preliminary medical examination of the suspect suggested he was 20 years old. Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident and have detained the school principal for questioning. Mainstream and separatist politicians, religious parties, civil society members, traders and youth have strongly denounced the incident. PDP chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti had earlier tweeted, What kind of a sick pervert would do this? Society often blames women for inviting unwanted attention but what was this childs fault? Times like these, Shariah law seems apt so that such paedophiles are stoned to death. Governor Satya Pal Malik has directed IGP Kashmir S P Pani to crack the case at the earliest and ensure exemplary punishment for the criminal. For the past two seasons, some viewers (and certainly a lot of reporters and critics) have asked how Veep could possibly compete with the real headlines of the day. The shows answer, usually, was to deliver story lines that were inventively absurd and even funnier than anything lampooned on Saturday Night Live or in late-night monologues. It was a tad disappointing to watch as Veep subtly acquiesced in these last few episodes to the idea that it must somehow weigh in on actual events, lining its subplots with foreign governments interfering in elections (China, in Selinas case) and the rise of a candidate who subverts everything we once knew about traditional campaigning and leadership. Theyre both fascinating characters, and their unlikely friendship is actually the most interesting thing about the film, which is based on both a 2009 New Yorker article and the cache of letters exchanged between Todd and Elizabeth. That interest is somewhat dampened by the fact that Fire doesnt really introduce their dynamic until relatively late in the story, spending a lot of time in the setup. While the main course of the meal is also bite-size, its more substantial and usually served hot. I like to serve one or two hot bites meatballs, quiche or a galette, says Asselin. Often, a homemade savory cake will appear a quick bread studded with bits of cheese and cured meat. These generous loaves are popular with French home cooks, who call them cakes sales. You can make a savory cake a day or two in advance, she suggests. They reheat beautifully. Freeze it and keep it on hand. Next? A cheese course, bien sur, with lots of baguette. Youre following the same rhythm as a traditional French meal, but in a more casual way, says Asselin. Debbie Teague of Bossier City, Louisiana, went a different route. The 55-year-old turned an old Coca-Cola ice chest into one. Most love it, she says, but a couple of people claimed she had ruined an antique. Her reply? Whats better? For it to be stuck on a shelf at an antique store not doing anything? Or holding books in my yard for children and adults to come actually read? Some of the pontificators in these instances were male, but far from all of them. These arent the infractions of individual men. This is centuries worth of an attitude that, though conception might be a biological miracle, its also a gross one, filled with pudge and sludge that la la la la la! decent people are allowed to run screaming from. Plenty of folks are willing to treat fetuses as precious citizens, but seem to regard the bodies that nurture them as embarrassing slums. At a party, I once saw a new father proudly call his new kid a princess and his wife a champ, but then showily cover his ears when the wife mentioned the word placenta. As if the placenta wasnt precisely what had allowed Princess to thrive. The state will also enhance its tax credit for working parents, allowing families who earn up to $141,000 to claim at least part of the states child-care tax credits, up from the previous threshold of $50,000. Its one of several laws among the 180 Hogan (R) signed Monday that were crafted to help mothers, including one enhancing jail time for violent crimes committed against pregnant women and several initiatives aimed at reducing the number of women who die during pregnancy or childbirth. The time for Band-Aid fixes is over, this is an innovative long-term solution that can only happen if we come together and get to work with everyones support, Ball said in a statement Monday, noting that the first anniversary of last years flood will occur on Memorial Day weekend. Eddison Eddie Hermond, a National Guard sergeant, died trying to rescue a woman trapped by rapidly rising water across the street. Mr. Rhoades, who was born in Burbank, Calif., was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He later helped found an organization that became Vietnam Veterans of California. He worked as an employment specialist with the Labor Department in San Francisco, then moved to Washington, where he became director of the Veterans Employment Service at the Labor Department. He later became national director of the Vietnam Veterans of America, then in 1980 was named executive director of the Veterans Federal Coordinating Committee by the White House. By Express News Service Amid heightened military tensions with India, Pakistani government authorities will deliberate on reopening of the countrys airspace to Indian flights on May 15, a civil aviation official in Lahore said on Sunday. However, a minister in the Imran Khan government indicated that the status quo would remain until elections in India concluded. Pakistan and India had closed their airspace to each others aircraft after an Indian Air Force strike on a terror camp in Balakot on February 26. On March 27, Islamabad had opened its airspace to all flights except those to New Delhi, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. The Pakistani government will decide whether or not to lift its airspace ban for Indian flights on May 15, Mujtaba Baig, spokesperson of Pakistans Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), said on Sunday. He said that in the May 15 meeting, officials and ministers of the ministries concerned will participate and a decision would be taken on lifting the ban. The decision will be notified any time on May 15, Baig said. However, PM Imran Khans close aide and federal science and technology minister Fawad Chaudhry ruled out any change in the status quo until the conclusion of the Lok Sabha polls. The status quo will remain till the elections are over in India. I dont see any improvement in relations between Pakistan and India till the elections are over and a new government is installed. The ban on airspace by each other I think will also continue until the Indian polls, Chaudhry said. Asked if the CAA had not written to Prime Minister Khan about the financial losses Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), other private airlines and CAA were suffering because of the closure of profitable routes due to the closed airspace, Baig said: It is a bilateral matter to be resolved by both the governments. Due to India closing its airspace to Pakistani aircraft, PIA has suspended flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, which is causing massive losses. We are also losing our passengers to other airlines, a PIA official said. If land and rail routes are operational between Pakistan and India, whats wrong with the air route? Airlines suffering Airlines and civil aviation authorities of both countries are suffering massive losses due to the closure of their airspace to each others flights, which has resulted in longer routes and pricier tickets. Mike Hensley, the sheriff of Unicoi County, Tenn., said he received reports on April 21 that Jordan was brandishing a knife and asking hikers for a password to get through a narrow opening to enter the trail in an area that sits along the Tennessee-North Carolina border called Devils Fork Gap. Hensley said Jordan showed up at a hostel on the Tennessee side that same day and said that it was going to be a bad day for hikers on the trail. These were the steps the firefighters followed, according to Maggiolo. First, they determined where behind the wall the cat was positioned. How they firefighters did this was unclear. Maggiolo thought it might have been done by detecting the animals cries. Then the firefighters made a small breach in the wall in the area near the cat. And finally, they found the kitten and removed it safely. Court documents filed Friday assert that on a Thursday in February 2018, Hasson spent hours using his Coast Guard computer to search for information on Hitler, Nazis and how many Jewish people live in the United States, prosecutors said in court documents. Later that night on his personal device, according to the government, he browsed firearm sales websites and the distances at which a certain rifle could kill. Other rocks have helped us see beyond the moon to the history of the whole solar system, Zeigler said. Most of Earths geologic record has been weathered by water and wind or swallowed up by plate tectonics, but the moons surface still bears the scars of every volcano that ever erupted and every meteor that ever crashed into it. Lunar samples provided evidence for an era called the Late Heavy Bombardment, when the inner planets were assaulted by a barrage of asteroids, right around the time that life arose on Earth. And by counting craters on areas of the moon whose ages are known from the Apollo samples, scientists have established a system for estimating the ages of features on other planets. Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: As the election campaign entered its final phase in Punjab, a case of sacrilege involving the Guru Granth Sahib was reported from a gurdwara at Hathoa village in Sangrur district on Sunday, and the locals suspect a political link to the incident. A local resident said that when the priest of the gurdwara went to open the shrine in the morning, he saw the lock on the gates broken. Inside, the Guru Granth Sahib was burning. He immediately called the president of the gurdwara management committee and the villagers. We suspect that around 80 per cent of the holy book was burnt, he said, adding that it did not look like a case of a short circuit. A large number of villagers gathered at the gurdwara. They said that someone had tried to create rift in the village amid the elections and demanded action against those responsible. Since the situation in the village was tense, armed police personnel were deployed there. Police sources said that CCTV cameras in the gurdwara were not working. Sandeep Garg, Senior Superintendent of Police, Sangrur, said the police had begun a probe into the matter. Warning of strict action against those responsible, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said that divisive forces that had tried to polarise the state ahead of the Assembly elections were again rearing their heads and would face the consequences of their actions. Amarinder said the deliberate act of mischief was a part of a chain of similar events that had rocked the state in the run-up to the Assembly polls. Students from Wards 7 and 8 in the District travel across the city to go to school because their families dont feel confident in their neighborhood choices. As a taxpayer, I find it disheartening that I have to enter a lottery and hope that my child is matched to a great school, when she should have access to a quality school in our own community. I am a member of the founding group for one of the charter applicants in D.C.s East End, Anna Julia Cooper Public Charter School, which promises a child-centered approach to learning that focuses on character and moral development. I support Cooper because it will support every child in ways that go beyond their test score. At Cooper, my children will have access to the equitable educational opportunity they deserve. Theres a kind of a calming feeling, I always tell folks, when I think of the Holocaust and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors Palestinians who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence, in many ways, had been wiped out, she said. I mean, just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post the Holocaust, post the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. It would right a serious inequity. Federal law requires that even those who are jailed while awaiting trial that is, people who cannot afford bail lose their Medicaid coverage. About 60 percent of people in jail have not been convicted. The state has not proved that these people did anything wrong. It is heartless as well as foolish to revoke their health-care coverage because they cannot make bail. Even if they get out relatively quickly, it often takes time for their Medicaid coverage to restart. That can be disastrous for someone trying to get clean or stay on a mental-health regimen. It is all the more insulting that jailed people who are slightly wealthier, and who qualify to buy private health insurance on Obamacares marketplaces, do not lose their government-subsidized coverage while awaiting trial. U.N. officials have acknowledged that although foreign aid workers have operated in North Korea for more than 20 years, they still do not have full and unimpeded access to those in need and unencumbered freedom of movement, as well as the ability to conduct independent data collection and to assure that aid always reaches the most vulnerable. They also cannot effectively monitor the aid they provide. As co-chair emeritus of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, I know that a door into North Korea is important, and aid to the hungry and sick essential. But the limitations that aid workers face undermine these goals and must be a major part of donor government concerns. My father had been, for a time, a communist. His politics were shaped by the disparities of the Great Depression, the bitter history of racial injustice in this country and the rise of fascism in Europe. He became radicalized at the University of Michigan during the late 1930s and returned to communist politics for several years after the war, turning away from it only around the time he was called before the committee. As a student, his support for the Soviet Union was strong enough that in editorials he defended what to me seems indefensible, including the 1939 nonaggression pact between the Soviets and Hitlers Nazis. Whatever his reasoning, he held onto his ideological choice for too long long after the Soviet version of communism mutated into a murderous elite. I was stubborn in my ignorance, he once acknowledged. By PTI NEW DELHI: US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin says it will not sell its newly rolled out F-21 fighter jet to any other country if India places an order for 114 planes, a move aimed at pitching itself ahead of its US, European and Russian competitors for the mega deal. Vivek Lall, vice president of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin, says if F-21 wins the contract, then India will also be integrated into the company's global fighter ecosystem, which is a USD 165 billion dollar market. In an interview with PTI, Lall said the new combat jet is designed to operate across over 60 air force stations in India, and its key aspects include superior engine matrix, electronic warfare system and weapons carrying capacity. READ MORE | F-21 will give India significant edge with greater standoff capability: Lockheed "We will not sell this platform and the configuration to anyone in the world. It is a significant commitment by Lockheed Martin and it shows importance of India and importance of unique requirement India has," he said. Last month, the Indian Air Force issued an RFI (Request for Information) or initial tender to acquire 114 jets at a cost of around USD 18 billion, which is billed as one of the world's biggest military procurement in recent years. The top contenders for the deal include Lockheed's F-21, Boeing's F/A-18, Dassault Aviation's Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, Russian aircraft MiG 35 and Saab's Gripen. READ MORE | IAF gains lethal edge as Boeing delivers first Apache Guardian attack chopper Lall said if Lockheed wins the contract, it will not only set up a state-of-the-art F-21 manufacturing facility along with the Tata Group, but will also help India create an ecosystem for overall growth of the country's defence manufacturing. On observation that the F-21 is similar to Lockheed's F 16 Block 70 combat jet, he said such a view is unfair as there have been significantly differences between the two platforms. F-21 is different in terms of various aspects including its air frame, weapons capability, engine matrix and availability of engine options. "As for example, you are now looking at 12,000 hours of service life air frame in F-21 versus 8,000 hours previously (F 16 Block 70). The additional 40 per cent weapons carrying capability is new in F-21 which was not there in F 16 Block 70. The electronic warfare system is uniquely developed for India," he added. "Looking from a distance may make it look similar to F 16 Block 70, but it is different," he added. Besides having a traditional boom-delivered refuelling facility, the F-21 also has a extendable hose-and-drogue refuelling probe. "This is only fighter in the world which has both the capability," said Lall, adding the cockpit has a new large area display. "It is a modern cockpit and has a significant piece of ability to synthesise information. These are unique capabilities that we are not offering to other countries in the world," said the Lockheed executive. The jet has a Long-Range Infrared Search and Track (IRST), enabling pilots to detect threats with precision and Triple Missile Launcher Adapters (TMLAs) allowing it to carry 40 per cent more air-to-air weapons. Without giving any approximate price of each bare-bone aircraft, he pitched it as the most cost effective compared to the competitors in terms of life-cycle and operational costs. "If you look at the US government data, the advantage is 30-40 per cent in terms of cost effectiveness. This is lower compared to the comparable competitors. If you aggregate with years and years of operations in the life cycle, it is a huge amount of saving for India if it goes ahead with F-21," said Lall. Lockheed, which has a longstanding relationship of 25 years with India, unveiled the F-21 during the Aero India show in Bengaluru in February, saying it will address the Indian Air Force's unique requirements. Decisions on last-minute stays usually come with only a minimum of reasoning. But three justices issued a set-the-record-straight opinion that took aim at one of Justice Stephen G. Breyers dissents from a month ago. Breyer had said that the courts conservatives deviated from basic principles of fairness in refusing to take more time to consider the plea of an Alabama murderer, Christopher Lee Price, who had asked to be executed by inhaling nitrogen gas rather than risk a botched lethal injection. The issue in Mondays 5-to-4 ruling was one of limited impact: whether states have sovereign immunity from private lawsuits in the courts of other states. In 1979, the Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional right to such immunity, although states are free to extend it to one another and often do. Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for work during and after his time in office. The former president remains engaged in the causes and activities that matter most to him, according to the Carter Center: He participates in the centers programs in global peace and health, as well as annual Habitat for Humanity builds. Theres, you know, theres a kind of a calming feeling, I always tell folks, when I think of the Holocaust and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors Palestinians who lost their land, and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence, in many ways, had been wiped out . . . I mean, just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time, Tlaib said. By PTI ARAVAKURICHI: Stoking a controversy, actor and Makkal Needhi Maiyam founder Kamal Haasan has said free India's first "terrorist was a Hindu" -- Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Haasan's comments drew a sharp reaction from the state BJP, which slammed him for indulging in "divisive politics". Addressing an election campaign here on Sunday night, Haasan said he was one of those "proud Indians" who desires an India with equality and where the "three colours" in the tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, "remained intact." "I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India's first terrorist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (terrorism, apparently) starts," he said. Haasan said he was a "self-assumed great-grandson" of Gandhi and that he had come here "seeking answers for that murder," referring to Gandhi's assassination in 1948. "Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that," he added. READ| On the campaign trail: Kamal Haasan, 200-250 people and that silent candidate! BJP state President Tamilisai Soundararajan said while the whole nation was shocked when Gandhi was killed, none can, however, justify it, and pointed out that Godse was hanged for the "heinous" crime. She said it was "strongly condemnable" that Haasan used the phrase "Hindu terrorism" in a Muslim-dominated area. "Though he talks of taking forward a new kind of politics, he also indulged in the old, mischievous, poisonous and divisive vote bank politics," Soundararajan said in a statement. She said his remarks amounted to inciting "communal violence". In an apparent reference to the deadly Easter bombings in Sri Lanka which left over 250 dead, she asked whether persons like Haasan were vocal in discussing the issue "despite being known that perpetrators were Muslims." She said Haasan's remarks in a Muslim-dominated area were "mischievous and agenda-driven." "Therefore such persons' campaigning should be banned. The police should take action since there is an effort to create tension," she said. Taking a swipe at his earlier statement of leaving the country when his multi-million venture 'Vishwaroopam' faced release time issues from Muslim groups over the portrayal of the community, she said, "It is brazen acting that he is now talking about the country, Gandhi and patriotism." Actor Vivek Oberoi slammed Haasan's remarks, saying both art and terror "have no religion" and asked if Godse's faith was mentioned to corner Muslim votes. Oberoi, who played Narendra Modi in a biopic on the prime minister, said no one "should divide the country." "Dear Kamal sir, you are a great artist. Just like art has no religion, terror has no religion either! You can say Godse was a terrorist, why would you specify Hindu? Is it because you were in a Muslim dominated area looking for votes?" he said in a tweet. "Please sir, from a much smaller artist to a great one, lets not divide this country, we are one Jai Hind. #AkhandBharat #UnDividedIndia," he added. Earlier too, Haasan had triggered a row, when in November 2017, he took potshots at what he termed as "Hindu extremism," which drew condemnation from the BJP and Hindu outfits. Aravakurichi is one of the four Assembly constituencies where bypolls are scheduled on May 19. MNM has fielded S Mohanraj from this segment. We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side, said Hunt, the British foreign secretary. What we need is a period of calm to make sure that everyone understands what the other side is thinking. Most of all, we need to make sure we dont end up putting Iran back on the path to renuclearization. By Express News Service The achievements of the Narendra Modi government in the last five years is to be the highpoint that will win the BJP a second term, says Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while speaking with Harpreet Bajwa Excerpts from the interview How do you rate the performance of your government? Are you satisfied? The one year and three months tenure has been full of achievements. My government has following the dictum of sabka saath sabka vikas in letter and spirit as a guiding principle in all its endeavours by reframing policies and programmes. The people are fully satisfied and so is the government. On what issues are you fighting the Lok Sabha elections in the state? The unprecedented development in the country and state witnessed during the last five years under the dynamic and able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the main issue. The Opposition cannot match his strong leadership. Our country is today counted as a world power and has notched up remarkable progress in almost all spheres. The Modi government has not only ensured socio-economic uplift and well-being of every section of society but also laid a sound foundation for a strong and vibrant new India. In addition, the achievements of the present state government have also been unprecedented. Almost every section of society and every area of the state has benefitted from welfare and developmental policies. All these will play a role. Why did the BJP change two of the four sitting candidates in the state? Shanta Kumar, MP from Kangra, himself decided to call it a day. So Kishan Kapoor was fielded. It was the decision of the party high command to field a new candidate from Shimla. Are party veterans like former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal supporting you? Why not? Prem Kumar Dhumal is a senior BJP leader and has twice been chief minister. Elections are fought collectively. He has been very supportive and as and when the party and government require his advice, he is ready with one. There have been complaints of vendetta politics in the state. It is true that earlier, vendetta politics prevailed in the State. Politically motivated cases were framed against adversaries. This vicious cycle continued for years. On the day of assuming office, I made it clear my government will not indulge in the politics of vendetta. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE We do not want to divert attention from the core issue of development, but at the same time, I had made it clear that the government will adopt a policy of zero tolerance against corruption and will not hesitate to take strict action against those involved. The state is facing its worst financial crises with its loan liability at nearly Rs 50,000 crore. How do you plan to take the state out of this crisis? The present government inherited a loan burden of over Rs 46,500 crore from its predecessor due to financial mismanagement and unmindful expenditure. The challenge was to bring back the derailed economy back on the track and generate income. Our government took some concrete steps to stop wasteful expenditure and identified power, tourism, food processing and agro-based industries as key sectors to improve the financial health of the State. The government is planning to organise an investors meet in June to attract entrepreneurs to invest in the State. This will not only help in strengthening the State exchequer but also open new vistas of development. The spike in tensions comes after the Trump administrations decision to lift sanctions waivers from eight countries that import Iranian oil, in a bid to bring Irans exports down to zero, according to U.S. officials. Iranian imports had already plunged after the United States reimposed sanctions in November, following the Trump administrations decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear accord. The expiration of the waivers is expected to inflict further pain on Irans already reeling economy. Officials are examining whether the migrants would be housed in existing military facilities or whether tents or other structures would be put in place to shelter them, the official said. If the request is approved, the migrants could be taken to a single facility or multiple sites. As the Trump administration has ratcheted up sanctions against Iran, banning most of its oil exports, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has threatened to stop complying with the 2015 nuclear deal unless Europe finds a way to get around the punishments. The landmark agreement, which gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for limits on its nuclear program, was also negotiated with the Europeans, Russia and China. They all want to keep the deal alive and resent being caught in the middle because of the hard-line approach adopted by Trump. The failure of the uprising has cast new uncertainty on the oppositions months-long effort to oust Maduro. Guaido made a surprise appearance with a handful of troops at a military base in Caracas at dawn on April 30 to announce that he had the support of key military units and to call on others to join in the final phase of the campaign against the strongman. But the broader military support never materialized, and Maduros forces moved against opposition protesters, killing at least four and wounding scores. Prominent among those at the event were Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; former National Assembly Chairmen Nguyen Van An and Nguyen Sinh Hung; President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man; Myanmar President Win Myint; Indian Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) Venkaiah Naidu; Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli; Chairman of the National Council (Upper House) of Bhutan Tashi Dorji; and United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana. Addressing the opening ceremony, Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, First Deputy Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) conveyed the message of Supreme Patriarch of the VBS Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue on the occasion of Lord Buddhas birthday. In his message, VBS Supreme Patriarch Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue welcomed the presence of all international and local delegates, religious leaders, Buddhist dignitaries, monks and nuns to the UN Day of Vesak 2019, saying the event was a precious chance for all people to build up their religious faith and uphold the Lord Buddhas legacy and spiritual values. He recalled the over 2000-year history of Vietnamese Buddhism, saying that Vietnamese Buddhism supported national liberation revolutions in the past and has laid the spiritual foundation for all aspects of politics, economics, culture and tradition, thus shaping up the national identity and culture. The VBS has preserved and upheld the essence of Vietnamese Buddhism by making proactive and responsible contributions to the national development. Hosting the 16th UN Day of Vesak showed the VBSs contributions while affirming its role and status in international integration, Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue wrote. The UN Day of Vesak 2019 aims to contribute to realising the UNs Sustainable Development Goals, he wrote, expressing his hope that delegates will discuss and reach measures to successfully implement the UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In his speech, Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Chairman of the VBS Executive Council and head of the Vesak 2019 organising committee, highlighted the Buddhist philosophy for building an equal and peaceful society, without classes, wars and hatred. Lord Buddha has paid the path where the combination of compassion and knowledge makes up an effective solution to conflicts among people, nations, cultures, and religions, he said, reiterated that the Buddhist philosophy continues today and sets the beacon for millions of people around the world. Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon stressed the increasing need for upholding the core values of Buddhism in the current unsettled society, saying the Buddhist values help wake up tolerance, selfishness, forgiveness in people, inspire global peace and cooperation amid conflicts, terrorism, wars, inequality, environmental crises, and challenges imposed during the Fourth Industrial Revolution worldwide. In order to solve current conflicts, a global leadership is required to ensure equality, minimise conflicts among beliefs, economies, cultures, social classes, territories, and environment, he said, adding that Buddhism has the mission to involve in the global leadership, share measures and act to address challenges for global benefits. He also called on the global Buddhism to unite and embark on global issues, thus inspiring peace and ease pains for all people worldwide. Meanwhile, Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit, President of the International Council for Day of Vesak, expressed his impression on Vietnams great efforts and dedication towards successful celebrations of the UN Day of Vesak. Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit, President of the International Council for Day of Vesak (Source: VNA) Most of the time, the UN Day of Vesak took place in Thailand. Vietnam has twice hosted successful celebrations of the UN Day of Vesak in 2008 and in 2014. Thats why we have entrusted the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and the Government of Vietnam with hosting the 16th UN Day of Vesak celebration 2019, he said. He expressed his belief that Vietnam would successfully host the UN Day of Vesak this year thanks to thorough preparations, particularly the beautiful landscape, which he described as the best place to host such an event. Highlighting the theme Buddhism's Approach to Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies of the UN Day of Vesak 2019, Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit said the festival was not only a chance for Buddhist followers worldwide to celebrate, but also aims to serve all people by advocating sustainable development, addressing global challenges such as environment pollution, climate change, education, among others. We gather here today to talk about global issues and how to address them, whether they are conflicts among people, culture, religions, or territories. In the end, we want to send a message of preserving peace, traditional values and the environment for a better future, he said. According to Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit, the theme of the UN Day of Vesak 2019 reflects the UNs 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The results of forums, seminars and discussion in the framework of the event will be included in the Ha Nam Declaration. In his speech, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed the presence of international delegates, dignitaries, monks and nuns to the event, saying the UN Day of Vesak means beyond a religious and cultural festival to send the long-lasting message of the Lord Buddha on peace, harmony, tolerance and kindness to all people. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers a speech at the opening ceremony (Source: VNA) He believed the Buddhist philosophy laid a solid foundation for establishing peace, friendship, cooperation among nations, peoples, religions, while serving as materials to build civilization, ensure peace, prosperity and sustainable development. We are all here to honor the Lord Buddha and uphold Buddhist philosophy to reduce conflicts, pains and sorrows, establish peace, friendship, cooperation, and development among nations for the peace and prosperity of all people around the world. PM Phuc spoke highly of the theme of the UN Day of Vesak 2019, saying it showed the responsibility of Buddhism for the presence and future of the society. The agenda of the celebration reflects the goals of the UNs Agenda 2030 for sustainability, prosperity, ensuring that no one will be left behind, which the Vietnamese Government has committed to realise, PM Phuc said. He underlined Vietnams religious diversity, saying Vietnamese Buddhism has a long history, with Buddhist dignitaries, monks and nuns having been standing by the nation through ups and downs. The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has continuously grown and proven its role in the national development. Hosting the 16th UN Day of Vesak 2019 once again confirmed Vietnams focus and respect for cultural, ethics values of religions, including Buddhism, while showing its policy on international cooperation and integration, he reiterated. This is the third time Vietnam has hosted the UN Vesak celebrations, helping to improve Vietnamese Buddhisms role in international integration and affirm Vietnam's position and responsibility for UN activities in all fields. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: While BSP chief Mayawati is eyeing the PMs chair, the degree of success of her party will depend a lot on the final leg of elections involving 27 seats of eastern Uttar Pradesh in the last two phases. The party is the dominant partner in the alliance, contesting 16 out of these seats, leaving 11 to its partner, the Samajwadi Party. The division of final 27 seats 14 of which polled on Sunday between the allies seems to have roots in the outcome of the 2014 polls when the BSP had finished runner-up, with many close contests, in dozen-odd seats. This time were armed with the support base of the SP as well. With the transfer of Muslim and Yadav votes to our candidates, combined with our own Dalit vote bank, we are sure to sail through on maximum seats, said a BSP leader. Thanks to a solid base of 20% Dalit voters in UP, a BSP candidate generally starts with the support of nearly one lakh votes. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE When a force multiplier like upper caste votes or minority votes is added to this base, the party has the potential to end in a winning position, as the state witnessed in 2007 Assembly elections, when the BSP had romped home with an absolute majority. Since 2014, the BJPs caste arithmetic had made a dent in Mayawatis Dalit vote bank, weaning away a large chunk of non-Jatav votes. Besides, upper castes, especially Brahmins, joined the Saffron bandwagon. Since the Jatavs among Dalits remain committed to the BSP, the vote percentage of the party in both 2014 and 2017 state polls was in the range of 18-20%, but in absence of any add-ons, it couldnt convert that into seats. However, the last two phases hold the key for the party, with seats having huge Dalit and most backward castes going to polls. Before the BJP won over MBCs, these two caste groups used to vote together. MBCs like Nishads, Kushwaha, Koeri, Rajbhars, Musahars, besides Dalits, are in large numbers across 14 seats that went to polls on Sunday. No wonder, the BSP contested 11 of them. By Express News Service BHOPAL: The high-profile poll battle for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat between two-time Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh and BJP candidate Pragya Singh Thakur saw over 65 per cent voter turnout on Sunday the highest over the last 10 parliamentary polls. Interestingly, Digvijaya did not cast vote as he is registered as a voter in home town Raghogarh in adjoining Rajgarh constituency. But he remained busy zipping from one polling booth to another. Pragya voted at the Riviera Club polling booth close to her residence. According to the Election Commission, 65.33 per cent polling was reported in Bhopal till 6 pm. The highest polling percentage in the constituency since 1984 was 61.87 per cent in 1999 when Uma Bharti defeated Congress candidate and former Union minister Suresh Pachouri by 1.69 lakh votes. The rural Assembly segments of Sehore and Berasiya, which have traditionally been BJP strongholds, reported the highest turnouts, of 77 per cent and 76 per cent, respectively. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE The semi-urban segment of Huzur, another traditional BJP stronghold, reported 65 per cent voting, while the Congress citadel of Bhopal-Uttar reported 67 per cent. The voter turnout in other urban Assembly segments stood at 65 per cent in Narela, 59 per cent in Bhopal-Madhya, 60 per cent in Govindpura, and 59 per cent in Bhopal Dakshin-Paschim. Across the state, a maximum turnout of 71.57% was reported from Rajgarh Lok Sabha constituency followed by 68.54% in BJP bastion of Vidisha, and 66.82% in Scindias familys pocket borough Guna. Even the Gwalior-Chambal region seats, which are known to report low turnouts, recorded an increase in voting percentage. Two BJP leaders were hurt allegedly in attacks by Congress workers outside two separate polling booths in Sagar. A Lord of unknown peerage has had his legal case seeking $75 million from the liquidators to a Bondi area ponzi scheme dismissed by the courts in part because it relied on unusual legal arguments. Dreadlocked investor Kyle Lester Sheridan sued the firm handling the Courtenay House ponzi scheme liquidation, Grant Thornton, and its lawyers alleging millions of dollars invested by his Oceanic Sun Group had not been returned expeditiously by liquidators. Courtenay House has been described as one of Australias biggest ever alleged ponzi schemes with up to $200 million pumped through its managed investment schemes. Bondi Beach, just down the road from the home to one of Australia's biggest ponzi schemes. Credit:SHUTTERSTOCK Operated out of an office on Oxford Street in Bondi Junction in Sydney, Courtenay presented itself as a legitimate foreign exchange specialist, but liquidators believe it was a ponzi scheme where the money from new investors was used to pay out existing investors. It is here where the heart of One Nation beats, among the acreages that make up the rich farmlands of what is known as "Australia's Salad Bowl". Liberal National Party incumbent Scott Buchholz, sitting on a safe margin of 9.6 per cent in the division of Wright he has held since its creation in 2010, will almost certainly be returned at the election. Mr Buchholz said there was "no such thing as a safe seat", saying the big issues for the diverse seat of Wright ranged from water security and health to the National Broadband Network. But the incredibly diverse seat, which takes in parts of the Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim, Logan and Gold Coast councils, has large pockets of One Nation support. At the 2016 federal election, the Lockyer Valley booths of Forest Hill, Hatton Vale, Helidon and Laidley were among those where One Nation polled better than the LNP, while at Glenore Grove, the party received 42.44 per cent of first preference votes. In state politics, One Nation has previously held the seat of Lockyer, which mirrors the Lockyer Valley part of Wright, with MPs Peter Prenzler in the late 1990s and Bill Flynn in the early 2000s. At the last state election, One Nation got 34.38 per cent of the vote in Lockyer, even higher than in Mirani in central Queensland, where the party's candidate Stephen Andrew actually won the seat. Senator Hanson herself ran for Lockyer at the 2015 Queensland election, losing by fewer than 200 votes. Several voters spoke of their support for One Nation at the Gatton pre-polling booth. Credit:Felicity Caldwell As even one Labor supporter points out: "When she walked down the main street of Laidley, it was like she was Elvis Presley." One Nation and Labor did not respond to requests for interviews with their candidates. Steve Crawford, who says immigration is one of the biggest issues for him this election, in addition to "all this environment crap", says Senator Hanson "stands up for what I believe in". "She believes in our country," he says. "They [other politicians] think too much about who they can please from overseas, she doesn't, she just wants to please Australians." Steve Crawford says One Nation stands up for what he believes in. Credit:Felicity Caldwell One Nation supporters are focused on "Pauline" and do not mention the party's House of Representatives candidate Chris O'Callaghan. Bright orange election signs in the region instead spruik the Queensland Senate team of Senator Hanson, Malcolm Roberts and Steve Dickson, who resigned after the signs and ballot papers were printed. Supporters are not concerned by the revelations uncovered by the Al Jazeera documentary of meetings with the US gun lobby and footage of former Queensland leader Dickson in a strip club, describing it as "bullshit", "entrapment", "a hoax" and "a stitch-up". However, it remains to be seen how successful the party will be at the ballot box next weekend, with an Ipsos poll putting One Nation's primary vote on 5 per cent, while a News Corp poll on Saturday had the party on 9 per cent. And despite Wright voters admiration for Senator Hanson, they cannot cast a vote for her personally this election, as she secured a six-year term in 2016 and is not up for re-election until 2022. One Nation volunteer John MacDonnell tells voters the Lockyer Valley is Pauline Hanson's "home territory". Credit:Felicity Caldwell Patiently waiting under an orange tarpaulin outside the Gatton pre-polling booth, One Nation volunteer John MacDonnell leaps out of his chair and smiles as he hands out how-to-vote information, pointing out people must number at least six boxes above the line on the Senate ballot paper. Some take his photocopied sheet and quietly share their support after he tells them this is "Pauline's home territory". "We love her," two women aged in their 40s reply. Mr MacDonnell says Senator Hanson has "the guts to say what everyone thinks", his comments mirroring a billboard bearing Senator Hanson's beaming face by a field of crops in the town of Grantham, where the scars of the 2011 floods, which claimed 12 lives, remain. The 79-year-old says big issues for voters in the area are the inland rail route, water security, the economy and Adani, which wants to build a coal mine more than 1100 kilometres away in the Galilee Basin. "They're worried about jobs," he says. "Adani is an issue. They want it as soon as possible, as big as possible. "The locals here would vote for any party that said 'we would build Adani'." Truck owner-driver Tony, who voted for "all the conservatives" in the Senate, including One Nation and the LNP, also listed progressing the Carmichael mine as a major issue. A Pauline Hanson billboard stands next to the road at Grantham in the Lockyer Valley. Credit:Felicity Caldwell "At the end of the day, we need jobs, and you couldn't find anyone more pro-Adani around because there's so many jobs up there," he said. But not everyone is sticking behind One Nation. Loading Gatton tiler Rod Smith ran for One Nation in Wright at the 2016 federal election during its resurgence, securing the party's highest House of Representatives primary vote in the country, with 20.90 per cent. Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Residents of the border districts of Punjab are weary of the constant war rhetoric of the BJP and say they are the first to be affected by war and would not like its recurrence. Why do they keep talking of war? Have they experienced it? In times of wear, its us who are affected. We have to relocate with our household goods and cattle and lose our crops while we have to live like refugees. But they talk of war, like it were a game, said Gurdeep Singh of Thaman village in Gurdaspur. He wants political parties to address the real issues on the ground that pertain to development. No development has taken place in the border areas. If war breaks out, we in the frontline districts suffer. There are no bridges on the river Ravi and we have to cross it by boat. What to speak of development! exclaimed an exasperated Singh. Harjinder Singh of Saktra village of Tarantaran district and Baldev Singh of Tejarahela village in Fazilka district are equally frustrated. We want peace between India and Pakistan, they say in unison. They (politicians) do not feel the trauma that we face. We wish we had the little things in life which political parties could easily provide us, if they were serious. As if on cue, the ruling Congress has pitched the incident of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib to ride the Lok Sabha elections this time, while the SAD-BJP alliance, sensing the mood, is raking up the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, after failing to get traction for the nationalist narrative, post the Balakot air strikes. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, himself a former army officer, had been slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for trying to take credit for the air strikes, saying the PM has nothing else to show. The BJP faces an uphill task this time in Punjab which, even at the height of the Modi wave in 2014, had voted against the national mood with the SAD-BJP alliance winning 5 seats and Congress and AAP winning 4 each. However, the saffron partys vote share was just 8.7%. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Surjit Singh Bhaur, the vice-president, Punjab Border Kisan Union, claimed, In the 220 villages on the India-Pakistan border across six border districts of the state, the PMs narrative of national defence is no issue. Residents of these villages feel whenever a war breaks out, they suffer. They dont want war. What they want is that parties speak of ground realities jobs, farm distress, education and health facilities. Dittoes political analyst Kuldeep Singh: Hindu nationalism, which has been invoked by BJP in a big way in these elections, does not appeal to the electorate in Punjab. They want work of the last five years to be the reference point. Nationalism has limited appeal. The real issue of drug abuse in Punjab has not been taken up in a big way by political parties. When SAD-BJP rakes it up, it backfires on them as there is a perception among the people that it was during their tenure that this problem reached alarming proportions. The ruling Congress has been accused of soft-pedalling on the issue. The SAD-BJP alliance attacks the Congress on non-performance in the first two years of its tenure, while the ruling party talks of nothing but the desecration episode. Now, once again the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue is being blown up for political gains, he said. In villages, nobody even cares about covering the open drains passing in front of the houses. Politicians only come to get our votes, not to provide any facility, said Ram Singh of Nasrala village in Hoshiarpur. Police have charged a male patient accused of stabbing a nurse with a makeshift weapon at Royal Perth Hospital on Sunday. A WA Police spokesman said the 55-year-old on-duty nurse was shanked in the neck with a stitch picking blade around 1.30am, while tending to a high risk patient. The nurse had to seek medical attention while on duty after being stabbed by a patient. Credit:Mario Borg It will be alleged a 30-year-old Gnowangerup man approached the nurse from behind and struck her with a makeshift weapon. "The woman received injuries consistent with a stab wound and remained in hospital for treatment," he said. Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service PATNA: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has injected a subtle twist to the poll plot in Bihar by picking up a campaign point which brought it success in the 2015 Assembly elections. They had fought the state polls in alliance with Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United). It has been waging a whisper campaign, intended specifically for the OBCs, Dalits and EBCs, saying should the NDA come back to power, all quotas for the poor, specifically for such groups, would be done away with. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE BJP leaders have privately conceded that the RJD propaganda could do some damage. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a poll rally on Thursday, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, A malicious plan of Modi has been revealed in an English daily to end the reservation for OBCs soon after coming to power. Beware of NDA! If it is voted to power, quotas for OBC classes, including Koeri, Kurmi, Ahir, Dhani, Kushwaha and Patel, will be cancelled. We know this is false but RJD leaders are masters in fanning rumours on the reservation and may mar our electoral prospects in the last phase of elections, said a senior leader of NDA. By Express News Service BHOPAL: Two time former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and Congress candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat Digvijaya Singh has come under BJPs attack for not exercising his franchise in Rajgarh parliamentary constituency on Sunday. Despite being a registered voter in home town Raghogarh assembly segment of Rajgarh seat (which neighbours Bhopal), the Congress candidate didnt travel to Rajgarh to vote for close aide and Congress candidate Mona Sustani, as he was preoccupied with zipping through polling booths. Spearheading BJPs attack on Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue, while addressing an election rally on Monday in Ratlam, where polls are slated in the last phase on May 19. By not exercising franchise in the elections on Sunday, Diggy Raja (Digvijaya Singh) has committed a sin. Are you going to inspire the first time voter to vote in this manner? Even I flew to Ahmadabad to vote, while the President and Vice President too stood in the queue to vote in the ongoing general elections. Not voting in the election shows his (Digvijayas arrogance), said Modi. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE This act has shown that he (Digvijaya) didnt care for electoral democracy or his duty as a voter, he was only concerned about his political future in Bhopal, voters come and vote and save me. Even the Narmada Parikrama couldnt save me, so Bhopal residents you vote and save me, else I would leave my job. He was in tears yesterday, said Modi mocking Singh over not voting in Rajgarh. In the same vein, Modi, added, In democracy, you may like or dislike someone, you might not be sharing good equations with your CM or even not be liking the party candidate, its the matter of your house and family. You should have at least gone inside (polling booth) and returned even without pressing the finger, but instead you boycotted the vote over internal tussles. Diggy Raja, youre not even afraid of Zakir Naik then what made you fear the people of your own area. Former Shivraj Singh Chouhan also mocked Singh over skipping voting on Sunday. Skipping vote by a man who has twice been a chief minister of the state, shows his commitment to electoral democracy. The BJP candidate from Bhopal seat, Pragya Singh Thakur also fired verbal salvos at Singh over skipping his vote and went to the extent of demanding that Election Commission annul his candidature in the election. While Singh didnt respond to barbs on his non-vote by BJP leaders, including the PM, Congress state spokesperson JP Dhanopiya responded saying, PMs utterances show the level to which he can stoop to in public discourse. How can a candidate go to another constituency to vote on the day when there is election in the constituency from where he is self contesting. Before targeting our leader over skipping vote, the BJP should question external affairs minister and sitting MP from Vidisha seat Sushma Swaraj, as to why she didnt travel to Vidisha to cast her vote, said Dhanopiya. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Over 63 per cent voter turnout was recorded in 59 seats in six states and the capital in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls on Sunday. West Bengal again witnessed sporadic violence with BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh, a former IPS officer, allegedly attacked twice by goons when she visited polling stations in Ghatal constituency. Ghosh, who was once a trusted lieutenant of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was first attacked when she tried to take a party polling agent into an election booth. She later took refuge inside a temple in the area as mobs pelted stones, reports said. She was then taken to a police station to protect her from the wrath of Trinamool goons. The EC has sought a report from the local district magistrate about the incidents of violence. Meanwhile, Mamata claimed that activists of the BJP and RSS had entered Bengal sporting the uniform of security forces to influence voters. On the pretext of deploying central forces in Bengal, the BJP is forcefully pushing BJP and RSS activists here, she said. She alleged that a Trinamool worker was injured in firing by central forces in charge of the security of Ghosh. Polling was held for 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 10 seats in Haryana, eights constituencies each in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, seven seats in Delhi and four in Jharkhand. In UPs Badohi, a BJP MLA was accused of beating up a presiding officer. A few incidents of malfunctioning of EVMs were reported from various booths, officials said. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Some of the key candidates in the fray in this phase were Maneka Gandhi, Varun Gandhi, Gautam Gambhir, Meenakshi Lekhi and Sadhvi Pragya (all from BJP), Congresss Digvijaya Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sheila Dikshit, and SPs Akhilesh Yadav. Polling has now ended in 483 of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies. The final phase of polling will be held on May 19 and the results for all the 543 seats will be declared together on May 23. The EC officials on Sunday said that voter turnout this year till Phase V was 67.4 per cent, compared to 66.06 per cent in 2014. The poll officials added that this time people would be able to get real-time information of counting of votes on May 23 as the technology has been improved. Training of officials and capacity building are underway, they said. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Intensifying her attack on PM Narendra Modi, BSP chief Mayawati gave a twist to the poll discourse on Monday when she took a leaf out of PMs personal life and accused him of abandoning his innocent wife for his political gains. "How can you expect a person to honour women when he himself let his wife down," asked the BSP supremo. The attack comes a day after PM Modi attacked the BSP chief for shedding 'crocodile tears' on the Alwar gang rape. He also asked her why she didn't withdraw her support to the Gehlot government if she has an honest concern for the Dalit victim. Responding to the PMs charge, the former UP Chief Minister launched a vitriolic attack on the PM, accusing him of indulging in "dramebaazi (acting) with his artificial love for Dalits" and leaving his wife for his political career. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE At his election rallies in Kushinagar and Deoria in eastern Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, PM Modi had dared Mayawati to withdraw support to the Congress government in Rajasthan over the incident involving a Dalit girl. While interacting with media persons in state capital, the BSP chief created a flutter by saying that she had come to know that the wives of BJP leaders remained apprehensive of letting their husbands go close to Modi, as they feared that their husbands would also abandon them under his influence. She even appealed women to not vote for such a person who could not take care of his wife. She also charged the PM with playing 'dirty politics' over the incident for electoral gains. WSU Breaks Ground for New Campus Building in Layton May 13, 2019 OGDEN, Utah Weber State University will break ground for the new Computer & Automotive Engineering Building at WSU Davis (2750 University Park Blvd., Layton), May 22 at 4 p.m. The public is invited to attend a short ceremony with light refreshments to follow. The 50,000 square-foot building will help the College of Engineering, Applied Science & Technology (EAST) accommodate growth. For the past five years, Weber State has led state institutions in awarding engineering and computer science degrees. In addition to providing a location for computer science and software engineering courses, the building will be the new home of the automotive technology program. GSBS Architects designed the building and R&O Construction has been awarded the contract. Construction is expected to be complete in summer 2020. The $20 million project will include a new primary entrance to the campus from State Route 193, which will relieve pressure on the existing entry and allow faster access. With this groundbreaking we begin creating a new, much-needed home for automotive and computing at WSU Davis, said David Ferro, EAST dean. We have an innovative, exciting space planned that will increase our capacity to educate students and support Utahs workforce. For renderings, visit the following links. photos.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2019-Photos/May-2019/i-R7tPpdw/0/4930b014/X2/2019-04-10%20WSU%20Davis%20Eng%20View-X2.jpg photos.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2019-Photos/May-2019/i-D478zf9/0/ef172ac5/X2/2019-04-10%20WSU%20Davis%20Eng%20View2-X2.jpg Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press An ultra-conservative talk radio station is paying homage to the right-wings current head honcho one President Donald J. Trump as it makes the move to FM airwaves. Talk of Connecticut WDRC, a Hartford-area station, will rebrand as Trump 103.3 for the first few weeks on the air. Thereafter itll be known by the same name as its AM counterpart, and broadcast the same lineup of local and syndicated conservative talk radio hosts. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: As the last electoral battle reaches the bastions of PM Narendra Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath, it is turning out to be a conflict of perceptions. While the BJP is trying to flag the contradictions of the gathbandhan by hinting at an alleged tacit understanding between the SP and Congress, keeping BSP chief Mayawati in the dark, the gathbandhan, in turn, rebuffed it with snide remarks against PM Narendra Modi. BSP chief Mayawatis wife jibe at the PM at a joint gathbandhan rally in Gorakhpur on Monday is the latest in the series. While the PM tried to reach out to crucial Dalits and OBC voters in the east by raising questions about the gathbandhans future and longevity, Mayawati exhorted women to vote out Modi claiming he, who could not take care of his wife, was incapable of ensuring women's safety in the country, citing the example of the Alwar gang rape case. However, the outcome of this perception battle will play a major role in deciding the fate of political players across 13 seats in the last leg of the polls. As the battle is reaching its climax, the SP has fielded candidates in eight of the 13 seats leaving six for ally BSP. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had bagged all 13 seats in the last phase. However, it had lost Gorakhpur to the SP candidate supported by the BSP in the 2018 bypoll. But after the SP-BSP alliance, the data analysis of the 2014 results gives the BJP an edge in eight of the 13 seats while the gathbandhans caste arithmetic is coming in handy in the remaining five seats. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and two of his cabinet colleaguesManoj Sinha and Anupriya Patel, chief of Apna Dal (S) are in the fray, the significance of the battle of the east can be understood by the fact that to repeat its 2014 performance on these seats, the BJP has dumped five of its 13 sitting MPs. On the other hand, the gathbandhan and Congress have also resorted to experiments in ticket distribution. A glance at some significant seats of the last phase: 1.Varanasi: The battle of all battles -- Kashi -- will miss a strong candidate like Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal against PM Modi who is seeking re-election from the land of Lord Shiva. Giving a virtual walkover to PM Modi, the Congress, after pitching in for party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, repeated many time MLA Ajai Rai. After a flip-flop and the brief entry of sacked BSP jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav in the ring, the SP finalised Shalini Yadav as the alliance candidate. In 2014, PM Modi had won Kashi with a margin of over 3.73 lakh votes drubbing Kejriwal. 2. Mirzapur: Ensconced in the Vindhya range, this land of Goddess Vindhayvasinsi is set for an interesting three-way contest as Union minister and Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel is seeking re-election from here against Congresss Laliteshpati Tripathi, grandson of Congress stalwart and former UP CM late Kamalapati Tripathi, and the gathbandhans Ramcharitra Nishad. In 2014, Anupriya had defeated Samudra Bind of BSP by over two lakh votes. While the gathbandhan is relying on caste calculus, Anupriya, besides having the huge kurmi vote bank on her side, also has the Modi factor and development as her strengths. 3. Gorakhpur: The land of one of the most revered peeths of eastern UP, Nepal and Bihar, Gorakshnath Muth, the battle of Gorakhpur is an issue of pride and prestige for UP CM Yogi Adityanath who has represented the seat five times in a row in Lok Sabha since 1998. However, the seat was wrested by SP in 2018 by poll after Yogi vacated it following his anointment as UP CM. While the BJP has fielded Bhojpuri star Ravi Kishan in Gorakhpur, the SP has reposed faith in a candidate from Nishad community -- Ram Bhual Nishad. Congress has fielded Madhusudan Tripathi eyeing upper caste votes. 4. Ghazipur: Union minister Manoj Sinha is facing the gathbandhan challenge from BSPs Afzal Ansari, the sibling of mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, while the Congress is targeting the OBC vote bank by fielding Ajit Pratap Kushwaha. The BJPs Manoj Sinha won this seat by a thin margin of over 32,000 votes against SPs Shivkanya Kushwaha in the 2014 election. 5. Kushinagar: The BJP has replaced its sitting MP Rajesh Pandey with Vijay Dubey in this land of Lord Budhha. The Congress has reposed faith in Kunwar RPN Singh who was the runner up in 2014, losing by a margin of over 85,000 votes. Singh had won the seat in 2009. The fight here has become triangular as the gathbandhan has fielded a prominent backward face Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha who will eat into the backward, dalit and Muslim vote bank. 6. Chandauli: Adjacent to Varanasi, Chanduali is faced with an interesting triangular contest. While the BJPs state chief Mahendra Nath Pandey is seeking re-election here, he is facing a challenge from the gathbandhans Sanjay Chauhan, a new face, and the Congresss Shivkanya Kushwaha who had contested the last election from Ghazipur on an SP ticket. 7. Deoria: BJP has not repeated sitting MP and senior party leader Kalraj Mishra who had expressed unwillingness to contest. Mishra has been replaced by the partys former state chief Ramapathi Ram Tripathi whose son and party MP Sharad Tripathi had hogged the limelight after beating his party MLA with a shoe in Sant Kabir Nagar. The BSP, which was the runner-up in the last election, has fielded Vinod Jaiswal while the Congress has fielded the defeated BSP candidate Niyaz Ahmad who is set to divide the alliances Muslim votes. 8. Ghosi: It is set for an interesting contest as the BJP had initially kept it safe for ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) of OP Rajbhar. But since Rajbhar parted ways with the BJP, the party fielded sitting MP Harinarayan Rajbhar who had defeated the BSPs Dara Singh Chauhan in the previous election. Now Chauhan is a minister in the Yogi cabinet. The gathbandhan has fielded Atul Rai against the BJP candidate. The Congress has made the election interesting by fielding former MP Lal Krishna Chauhan. By PTI NEW DELHI: India is losing one-horned rhinoceros to rampant poaching despite increased efforts by the government for their protection, said wildlife experts while stressing on the need to sensitise para-military forces to protect the species which is being hunted for its expensive horn. At a workshop on 'National Conservation Strategy for the Indian One Horned Rhinoceros', organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the stakeholders brainstormed on an action plan to protect rhinos. The experts said that one of the major concerns was that the one-horned rhinos were moving out of Kaziranga national park in Assam, which has 93 per cent of its entire population, due to reduced grassland habitat and rampant poaching. "Though the rhino numbers have increased in Kaziranga, tree growth has reportedly reduced the grassland habitat. Rhinos from Kaziranga are reported to move out of the park every year during the flood season when they take shelter in higher grounds of the Karbi-Anglong forests in the state," an official from the WWF said. He added that in recent times, straying rhinos have been killed by villagers who also removed the horn for sale. "The current number of rhinos is more than 2,600. However, more than 93 per cent of India's entire population lives in just one protected area, Kaziranga National Park in Assam, which is a perilous situation. The greatest threat to the Indian rhino is poaching," Soumitra Dasgupta, the Additional Director General of Forests (Wildlife) in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, said. Dasgupta said though there is no scientific proof of its medicinal value, rhino horn is in great demand in traditional Asian medicine. As a result, poachers continue to kill rhinos despite increased efforts by the government for their protection. He also said that although the work in this direction has already begun after the strategy of rhino conservation was drafted in February this year, the agenda of this workshop was to chalk out an action plan with inputs from all stakeholders and states. "We decided the action plan in this workshop and in about 60 days we plan to release the action plan," Dasgupta said. As per the national conservation strategy for the one-horned rhinos, the aim is to distribute rhinos in 5 per cent more area than their present distribution by 2030. Stressing on the need to control poaching of rhinos, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) Additional Director Tilottama Verma said efforts are already on to curb poaching but there was a need to sensitise paramilitary forces and identification of the weapons being used by the poachers as well as the forest officials to catch them. "Rhino poaching in India has reduced but to completely get rid of the practice, collective measures need to be taken, including sensitisation of para military forces," Verma said. Speaking to PTI, she said, "The very first step is DNA profiling of the rhinos to identify them and the next is to identify the weapons being used. If a poacher is using an AK47 rifle to hunt rhinos, and the paramilitary forces have a smaller weapon then it will be difficult to catch the culprits. The forces need to be better equipped". She also said that cameras have been installed in their habitats to catch any activity, but unless the paramilitary forces, the Assam Rifles and the BSF is sensitised, nothing will happen. Verma, however, said that incidents of poaching have come down by almost 50 per cent but she did not have the official figures. "There were 16-17 cases per year earlier but last year it was eight cases. I am not sure of the numbers but the cases have definitely come down. However, we need to take several steps to completely eradicate it," she said. According to a document released by the Ministry of Environment, the Indian rhino once roamed from western Indian border all the way through India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar. "By 1905, the population in India was down to less than 100 rhinos. Due to conservation efforts, the numbers increased to 600 by 1975 and the current number is more than 2600," it said. The workshop was attended by officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and various state forest officials here. WASHINGTON, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said Friday that cooperation is the only right choice for China and the United States, but China will not compromise on major issues of principle. China-U.S. relations are of great importance, Liu said in a group interview with Chinese media after the conclusion of the 11th round of high-level economic and trade consultations between the world's top two economies, which took place on Thursday and Friday in Washington. Economic and trade relations serve as the ballast and propeller of the overall China-U.S. relationship, and matter not only to bilateral ties, but also to world peace and prosperity, added Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Cooperation is the only right choice for the two sides, but it has to be based on principles, said the vice premier, who heads the Chinese side of the China-U.S. comprehensive economic dialogue. China, he stressed, will never make concessions on major issues of principle. The Chinese delegation came to Washington for the latest round of talks with sincerity, and held candid and constructive exchanges with the U.S. side, Liu said, adding that the two sides agreed to continue to push forward the consultations. China strongly opposes U.S. tariff hikes, which are harmful not only to China and the United States, but to the world at large, and China will have to take necessary countermeasures, he added. Stressing that any agreement must be equal and mutually beneficial, Liu said that the two sides have reached important consensus on many aspects, but there remain three core concerns of China that must be addressed. The first is to remove all the additional tariffs, he said, adding that the levy of those tariffs is the starting point of the ongoing bilateral trade dispute, and must be totally revoked if the two sides were to reach a deal. The second is that the amount of purchases should be realistic, he said, adding that the two sides reached consensus on the volume in Argentina, and should not change it randomly. The third is to improve the balance of the wording of the text, he said, adding that every country has its dignity, the text must be balanced, and more discussions are needed on some critical issues. Noting that it is just normal that there have been some ups and downs in bilateral consultations since last year, Liu pointed out that it is irresponsible to casually accuse one party of "backtracking" while the two sides are still in the process of negotiation. As for China, the vice premier said the most important thing is to focus on its own business. China enjoys huge domestic market demand, the implementation of the supply-side reform will comprehensively boost the competitiveness of Chinese products and enterprises, and there is still ample room for fiscal and monetary policy manoeuvres, he said, adding the Chinese economic prospect is very optimistic. Liu pointed out that it is a good thing for a major country to encounter some twists and turns in its development, as they can serve as an ability test. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core, as long as the Chinese people have firm confidence and make joint efforts, China is not afraid of any difficulties, and will certainly be able to maintain the good momentum of sustained and sound economic development, he added. By IANS NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking to prepone polling hours from 7 a.m. to 5 a.m. for the remaining phases of the general election. Advocate Mohammad Nizam Pasha moved the apex court seeking a direction for advancing the polling hours on account of the commencement of Ramzan and heat wave forecast in many states. Earlier, the petition was moved before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi which had asked the Election Commission to look into the matter. Advocate Amit Sharma, appearing for the Election Commission, told that Court that poll body had already heard the petitioner and his representation in detail and passed an order declining advancement of the polls. The Vacation Bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna observed that the poll panel had already taken a decision and so the court dismissed the plea. Last week, the Supreme Court had directed the petitioner to present the case before the Election Commission. Rejecting the plea, the EC said it does not think altering the timing for polls is feasible for the remaining three phases of the general election. The poll body in its response said the Commission had factored into -- shortage of manpower, logistics, heat wave conditions, presence of polling agents during mock polls, adequate facilities at each polling station, and the polling officers were already working at extended hours to complete the job. Therefore, in view of these circumstances, polling hours were already long enough, it was best not to alter the timing, it said. The poll body also cited that the timing of the sunrise varies in states going to polls, and in this case the balloting would have to start before sunrise. In such a scenario, additional logistical and administrative changes would have to be introduced, in addition to the security arrangements. It also told the petitioner that election officials were already hard-pressed, and clocking nearly 16 hours at work on the polling day, and starting the polls early would further impact the mock poll process too. The petition was filed by advocates Mohammed Nizammuddin Pasha and Asad Hayat, before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for urgent hearing. The bench directed the poll body's counsel to take a decision on the issue. Every weekend, Leanne and Ron Cadieux sit down and do the crossword puzzle in Saturdays Free Press. Its a little slice of the week they carve out for themselves, to relax and unwind as a couple. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Every weekend, Leanne and Ron Cadieux sit down and do the crossword puzzle in Saturdays Free Press. Its a little slice of the week they carve out for themselves, to relax and unwind as a couple. This past Saturday, however, was special. It was Rons 55th birthday, and Leanne surprised her husband with a personalized puzzle, commissioned from Winnipeg-based crossword designer Derek Bowman. (Its a milestone-heavy year for Ron; hes also retiring from a long career in education in June.) Leanne had read a profile of Bowman in the Free Press last year, and learned that he designs personal crosswords for people to give as gifts. Originally, Leanne figured shed just see if the Free Press would print Bowmans Ron crossword on a piece of newsprint that she could just slip into her own Saturday copy. Instead, the Free Press replaced the regular Premier crossword in the May 11 edition with the Ron crossword so the whole city could get in on the fun. "It was a huge surprise, and it actually ended up being a little bit of a gong show," Ron says with a laugh on Sunday morning in the couples living room. You see, Ron nearly didnt do his own crossword on Saturday. He almost didnt see it. "I started with the morning coffee and the crossword but Fridays," he says. "I hadnt done Fridays yet." "I was like, Noooooo," Leanne says with a laugh. Ron also wanted to get some yardwork done, and get the house ready for birthday guests who were coming by in the evening. Leanne, meanwhile, tried to direct her husbands attention back to the paper. The crossword from designer Derek Bowman contained words with Ron in them. "Did you notice how I said a few times, Relax, its your birthday, just sit down and do the crossword or something?" Leanne asks her husband. "I said it a few times." "I was oblivious," Ron says. Leannes extremely thoughtful surprise was going sideways, and fast. "Ideally, the day would have gone where he wakes up, reads the paper, does the crossword and says, Leanne, is this for me?" she says with a laugh. So, she went to Plan B. To get her normally puzzle-loving husband to work on his custom crossword, Leanne made him another puzzle a cryptogram, alerting him to a surprise hidden within the pages of the Free Press. But that didnt quite go as intended, either. Because he had set up a treasure hunt for his wife for her birthday last year, Rons mind immediately went to treasure hunt. He scoured the entire paper for clues. The crossword, of course, is at the back of the paper. Leanne even highlighted the squares in the crossword that spelled out a secret message: "bonne fete." There were other clues, too. The crossword Bowman came up with was called "Da Do Ron Ron." Many of the answers were words with "Ron" in them Toronto, Geronimo, Veronica. "A long time ago, I realized there were a lot of words with his name in them electronic, chronic," Leanne explains. Many of those words became de facto pet names for Ron. ("Veronica," for the record, is not one of Rons nicknames, but "moron" sometimes is.) And even still, Ron didnt get it at first. "As I was doing it earlier, I was like, Oh this is kind of strange, and theres a bunch of words that she calls me by sometimes with Ron in them. Leanne Cadieux unwraps framed copies of a personalized crossword in their home on Sunday. I figured there was no way she could mastermind that; I mean, who does that?" (A six-letter word for someone with exceptional intelligence beginning with the letter G, thats who.) Ron ended up completing the crossword with his family over dessert. "It was really a neat surprise," he says. "The fact it was actually published in the paper, how do you co-ordinate that? I didnt think it was a possibility, so I never entertained it. When it finally sunk in, I was really excited. It was really cool." "It ended up working out beautifully, and my kids were there, too, and got to see the surprise," Leanne says. She earned that payoff; its a surprise shes been sitting on since the fall. "This has been in the house since October," she says, turning to her husband. Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Really? Whered you hide it?" "Im not telling you," she laughs playfully. After three kids, nearly 31 years of marriage and 37 years as a couple, the Cadieuxs are still finding ways to surprise each other. "It is possible to keep having fun," Leanne says with a smile. jen.zoratti@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @JenZoratti If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. OTTAWA - NDP leader Jagmeet Singh intends to cut Canadas greenhouse-gas emissions almost in half over the next decade as he stakes out a claim to being a climate-change champion in the looming federal election. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh rises during Question Period in the House of Commons, Tuesday, May 7, 2019 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - NDP leader Jagmeet Singh intends to cut Canadas greenhouse-gas emissions almost in half over the next decade as he stakes out a claim to being a climate-change champion in the looming federal election. Singh presented a motion in the House of Commons Monday, laying out eight broad strokes of the party's climate-change platform. The motion asks for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to declare "an environment and climate emergency" as well as pledge to cut emissions more deeply, eliminate government aid to the fossil-fuel industry and cancel the planned expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. "We want to reflect the urgency people are feeling," Singh said in an interview with The Canadian Press. That urgency for him means a slow end to the Canadian oil sector, which Singh says is on its way out whether Canadians like the idea or not. "This is the direction the world is headed," he said. The motion comes a week after the Green Party earned a resounding victory in a Vancouver Island byelection that most political observers Singh included believe was a message from voters to politicians to start taking climate change more seriously. Singh, however, insisted Monday's motion is not an attempt to beat back Green support, which would affect both NDP and Liberal fortunes in the fall. In fact, he said whatever message voters were sending last week in Nanaimo-Ladysmith, it was to the governing Liberals, not the NDP, even though the NDP had won the seat in 2015. "When voters want to send a message its to people making the decisions," he said. "Its encouraging to see people sending a message on climate change." In question period Monday Singh said the Liberals are duking it out with the Conservatives over the carbon tax but the two parties are cut from the same cloth on climate change. The Liberals' existing targets for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, Singh noted, are the same ones the former Conservative government proposed six months before the 2015 election. Liberal Sean Fraser, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of the environment, said the NDP motion to declare a climate emergency is well timed since the Liberals already have a plan to hold a debate on the "rising climate emergency" in Canada this week. The Nova Scotia MP wouldn't say whether the Liberals would support the motion because he didn't know all the details of it. "I expect, given that this motion was tabled just a few days after we had our own announcement that there would be a debate about climate change as an emergency, I expect that this is more political gamesmanship than it is actually an attempt at substantive policy debate," he 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. Last October, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned drastic cuts to emissions are needed in the next decade to prevent global warming from becoming catastrophic. That report suggested the Liberals' target under the Paris climate-change agreement, which would mean cutting annual greenhouse-gas emissions by about 28 per cent compared to what they are now, is nowhere near enough. Singh won't put a specific number on his targets yet but he agreed the motion is "subtly suggesting" the NDP would aim for the UN targets, which would mean Canada has to cut emissions almost in half by 2030. The Liberal governments climate plan, including its carbon tax in four provinces, getting rid of coal as a source of electricity and subsidizing the purchase of electric cars, still leaves Canada nearly 90 million tonnes shy of hitting the existing goal. To slash more deeply would require more drastic action in Canadas energy sector. Producing and refining oil and gas accounts for about one-quarter of all Canadas emissions, but also more than six per cent of the country's economic activity and more than half a million direct and indirect jobs. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has warned of the separatist angst growing in Alberta as the energy sector has struggled in recent years, but Singh said the NDP would ensure there is a plan to transition Alberta workers to the new-age economy. "We need thousands and thousands of people to work to fight climate change," he said. NEW YORK - Amazon, which is racing to deliver packages faster, is turning to its own employees with a proposition: Quit your job and we'll help you start a business delivering Amazon packages. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2018, file photo Amazon Prime boxes are loaded on a cart for delivery in New York. Amazon, which is racing to deliver packages faster, is turning to its employees with a proposition: Quit your job and weAoll help you start a business delivering Amazon package. The offer, announced Monday, May 13, 2019, comes as Amazon seeks to speed up its shipping time from two days to one for its Prime members. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) NEW YORK - Amazon, which is racing to deliver packages faster, is turning to its own employees with a proposition: Quit your job and we'll help you start a business delivering Amazon packages. The offer, announced Monday, comes as Amazon seeks to speed up its shipping time from two days to one for its Prime members. The company sees the new incentive as a way to get more packages delivered to shoppers' doorsteps more quickly. Amazon says it will cover up to $10,000 in startup costs for employees who are accepted into the program and leave their jobs. Those who participate will be able to lease blue vans with the Amazon smile logo stamped on the side. The company says it will also pay them three months' worth of their salary. The offer is open to most part-time and full-time Amazon employees, including warehouse workers who pack and ship orders. Whole Foods employees are not eligible to receive the new incentives. Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. declined to say how many employees it expects to take them up on the offer. The new employee incentive is part of a program Amazon started a year ago that let anyone apply to launch an independent Amazon delivery business and provided $10,000 in reimbursements to military veterans. The expansion is part of the company's plan to gain more control over its deliveries rather than rely on UPS, the post office and other carriers. It also gives Amazon a way to grow its delivery network without spending the money needed to buy vehicles or hire workers, says Barb Ivanov, director of University of Washington's Urban Freight Lab, a research lab that focuses on logistics and supply chain transportation. "The wage problem won't be Amazon's problem," says Ivanov. Overall, more than 200 Amazon delivery businesses have been created since it launched the program last June, says John Felton, Amazon's vice-president of global delivery services. 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. One of them is run by Milton Collier, a freight broker who started his business in Atlanta about eight months ago. Since then, it has grown to 120 employees with a fleet of 50 vans that can handle up to 200 delivery stops in a day. It has already been preparing for the one-day shipping switch by hiring more people. "We're ready," says Collier. But Amazon is still far posing a threat to UPS and FedEx, says Beth Davis-Sramek, a supply chain management professor at Auburn University. Those carriers have thousands of trucks and hundreds of planes to get packages where they need to go. And they're doing more than just delivering boxes to doorsteps, she says; they're also transporting packages between warehouses and businesses. "UPS and FedEx will be just fine," says Davis-Sramek. ____ Contact Joseph Pisani at http://twitter.com/josephpisani By PTI NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Tuesday the plea of a woman BJP activist challenging her arrest by West Bengal police for allegedly sharing a morphed photo of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media. A vacation bench, comprising justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna, on Monday took note of the plea of advocate N K Kaul, representing the activist, that the issue of her arrest be accorded urgent hearing. The bench posted the plea for hearing on Tuesday after the senior lawyer submitted that there has been a complete strike in West Bengal and it has forced the woman to challenge her arrest in the apex court. ALSO READ | BJP activist arrested for morphing Mamata Banerjee's face on Priyanka Chopra's met gala pic The senior lawyer said the woman activist is in judicial custody following her arrest by the police. Priyanka Sharma, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, allegedly shared on Facebook a photo in which Banerjee's face has been photoshopped on to actor Priyanka Chopra's picture from the MET Gala event in New York. Sharma, against whom a complaint was filed at Dasnagar Police station, has been sent to two weeks' judicial custody. She is seeking bail. Her arrest was followed by protests from the BJP and other social media users.. BEIJING - Sending Wall Street into a slide, China announced higher tariffs Monday on $60 billion worth of American goods in retaliation for President Donald Trump's latest penalties on Chinese products. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A man browses his smartphone on a bench with a decorated with U.S. flag outside a fashion boutique selling U.S. brand clothing at the capital city's popular shopping mall in Beijing, Monday, May 13, 2019. Companies waited Monday to see how China decides to retaliate for President Donald Trump's latest tariff hike while forecasters warned their escalating fight over technology and trade might disrupt a Chinese economic recovery. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) BEIJING - Sending Wall Street into a slide, China announced higher tariffs Monday on $60 billion worth of American goods in retaliation for President Donald Trump's latest penalties on Chinese products. Duties of 5% to 25% will take effect on June 1 on about 5,200 American products, including batteries, spinach and coffee, China's Finance Ministry said. With investors worried about the potential economic damage on all sides from the escalating trade war, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 617 points, or 2.4%, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq plunged 270 points, or 3.4%, its biggest drop of the year. Earlier, stocks fell in Europe and Asia. "We appear to be in a slow-motion train wreck, with both sides sticking to their positions," said William Reinsch, a trade analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former U.S. trade official. "As is often the case, however, the losers will not be the negotiators or presidents, but the people." Shoppers walk by foreign fashion boutiques at the capital city's popular shopping mall in Beijing, Monday, May 13, 2019. Companies waited Monday to see how China decides to retaliate for President Donald Trump's latest tariff hike while forecasters warned their escalating fight over technology and trade might disrupt a Chinese economic recovery. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Beijing's move came after the U.S. raised duties Friday on $200 billion of Chinese imports to 25%, up from 10%. In doing so, American officials accused China of backtracking on commitments it made in earlier negotiations. The same day, trade talks between the two countries broke up without an agreement. On Twitter, Trump warned Xi that China "will be hurt very badly" if it doesn't agree to a trade deal. Trump tweeted that Beijing "had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out!" The rising trade hostilities could damage the economies of both countries. The tariff increases already in place have disrupted trade in such American products as soybeans and medical equipment and sent shockwaves through other Asian economies that supply Chinese factories. Still, the two countries have given themselves something of an escape hatch: The higher Chinese tariffs don't kick in for 2 1/2 weeks. The U.S. increases apply to Chinese goods shipped since Friday, and those shipments will take about three weeks to arrive at U.S. seaports and become subject to the higher charges. Also, both countries have indicated more talks are likely. Top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Sunday that China has invited U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to Beijing. But nothing has been scheduled. And Trump said Monday that he expects to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in late June at the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan. FILE - In this March 5, 2019, file photo, cargo containers are staged near cranes at the Port of Tacoma, in Tacoma, Wash. China has announced tariff hikes on $60 billion of U.S. goods in retaliation for President Donald Trump's escalation of a fight over technology and other trade disputes. The Finance Ministry said Monday, May 13, the penalty duties of 5% to 25% on hundreds of U.S. products including batteries, spinach and coffee take effect June 1. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) The president has repeatedly insisted that increased tariffs on Chinese goods don't hurt American consumers. But Kudlow, head of the president's National Economic Council, acknowledged over the weekend that U.S. consumers and businesses will bear some of the costs. "Both sides will pay," he told Fox News. In the U.S., prices of soybeans, targeted by Chinese tariffs last year, fell Monday to a 10-year low on fears of a protracted trade war. In a statement, American Soybean Association President Davie Stevens, a soybean farmer from Clinton, Kentucky, expressed frustration that "the U.S. has been at the table with China 11 times now and still has not closed the deal. What that means for soybean growers is that we're losing. Losing a valuable market, losing stable pricing, losing an opportunity to support our families and our communities." Trump told reporters Monday that a new program to relieve U.S. farmers' pain is "being devised right now" and predicted that they will be "very happy." The administration last year handed farmers aid worth $11 billion to offset losses from trade conflicts. FILE - In this May 9, 2019, file photo a container ship is unloaded at the Virginia International Gateway terminal in Norfolk, Va. China has announced tariff hikes on $60 billion of U.S. goods in retaliation for President Donald Trump's escalation of a fight over technology and other trade disputes. The Finance Ministry said Monday, May 13, the penalty duties of 5% to 25% on hundreds of U.S. products including batteries, spinach and coffee take effect June 1. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File) Trump seemed to suggest that the aid will make up for or partially cover the $15 billion that he said represented "the biggest purchase that China has ever made with our farmers." In fact, U.S. farm exports to China approached $26 billion in both 2012 and 2013 and came in at $19.5 billion in 2017 before his trade war began taking a toll on agricultural sales to China. The president's allies in Congress scrambled to limit the damage to farm country. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said it is time for U.S. allies to "get in the game" to push China to the negotiating table. "China needs to get with it," he said. "You can't move these goalposts like they're moving them and expect to be respected." The highest tariffs announced by China will apply to industrial chemicals, electronic equipment, precision machinery and hundreds of food products. Beijing is running out of U.S. imports to penalize because of the lopsided trade balance between the world's two largest economies. Chinese regulators have instead targeted American companies in China by slowing down the clearing of shipments through customs and the processing of business licenses. FILE - In this March 24, 2019 photo passers-by walk near an art installation, center, in Boston's Seaport district. China has announced tariff hikes on $60 billion of U.S. goods in retaliation for President Donald Trump's escalation of a fight over technology and other trade disputes. The Finance Ministry said Monday, May 13, the penalty duties of 5% to 25% on hundreds of U.S. products including batteries, spinach and coffee take effect June 1. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) Oxford Economics calculated that the higher tariffs will reduce the U.S. economy by 0.3% in 2020, a loss of $490 per American household. Similarly, forecasters have warned that the U.S. tariff increases could set back a Chinese recovery that had appeared to be gaining traction. Growth in the world's second-largest economy during the January-through-March period held steady at 6.4% compared with a year earlier, supported by higher government spending and bank lending. The tensions "raise fresh doubts about this recovery path," Morgan Stanley economists said. The latest U.S. duties could knock 0.5 percentage points off annual Chinese economic growth, and that could widen to 1 percentage point if both sides extend penalties to all of each other's exports, economists say. That would pull annual growth below 6%, raising the risk of politically dangerous job losses. China's state media tried to reassure businesses and consumers that the ruling Communist Party has the means to respond. "There is nothing to be afraid of," said the party newspaper People's Daily. "The U.S.-instigated trade war against China is just a hurdle in China's development process. It is no big deal." 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. Trump has threatened to extend tariffs to the remaining $300 billion or so in Chinese tariffs that haven't been targeted yet, but told reporters Monday: "I have not made that decision yet." The president started raising tariffs last July over complaints China steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology and unfairly subsidizes Chinese businesses that are striving to become global leaders in robotics and other technology. A stumbling block has been U.S. insistence on an enforcement mechanism with penalties to ensure Beijing carries out its commitments. ___ Wiseman reported from Washington. Jill Colvin and Catherine Lucey in Washington contributed to this story. WASHINGTON - The White House's top economic adviser has acknowledged that U.S. consumers and businesses pay the tariffs that the Trump administration has imposed on billions of dollars of Chinese goods, even as President Trump himself insisted in a tweet, incorrectly, that China pays. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. WASHINGTON - The White House's top economic adviser has acknowledged that U.S. consumers and businesses pay the tariffs that the Trump administration has imposed on billions of dollars of Chinese goods, even as President Trump himself insisted in a tweet, incorrectly, that China pays. Chris Wallace, host of "Fox News Sunday," asked him, "It's U.S. businesses and U.S. consumers who pay, correct?" Graphic shows the increasing US-China trade deficit over time and compares with other top U.S. trade deficits from other counties; 2c x 4 1/4 inches; 96.3 mm x 107 mm; "Yes, I don't disagree with that," said Larry Kudlow, the head of the president's National Economic Council. Kudlow added, "Both sides will pay," but he stipulated that China "will suffer (economic) losses" from reduced exports to the U.S., not from paying the tariffs. Kudlow's admission contradicts many of Trump's comments and tweets to the effect that Chinese companies pay the tariffs in what amounts, in the president's view, to a massive transfer of wealth to the United States from China. Yet almost no economist has agreed with Trump's view and fact-checkers routinely brand Trump's assertion false and point out that American importers of goods from China pay the tariffs. Trump has also asserted that trade wars are "easy to win," but Kudlow accepted that they come with costs for the U.S. economy, though he downplayed the impact. A worker walks near truck trailers and cargo containers, Friday, May 10, 2019, at the Port of Tacoma in Tacoma, Wash. U.S. and Chinese negotiators resumed trade talks Friday under increasing pressure after President Donald Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods and Beijing promised to retaliate. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) On Friday, the Trump administration raised duties on $200 billion of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%, after charging that China had backtracked on commitments it made earlier in the talks. The administration has already hit $50 billion of additional Chinese goods with 25% duties. Later Sunday, Trump reiterated his view in a tweet: "We will be taking in Tens of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs from China. Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-Tariffed countries." Yet Carl Weinberg, chief international economist at High Frequency Economics, a forecasting firm, pointed out that many goods made in China aren't manufactured elsewhere. That's why many U.S. importers have little choice but to pay the tariff. "So if you need that new iPad, it is you who will be paying the import duty, not some worker in China," Weinberg wrote in a research note. Trump has also threatened to impose import taxes on the remaining $300 billion in Chinese imports, a step that Kudlow estimated would take several months to implement. Imposing those tariffs would impact a wide range of consumer goods clothes, shoes, toys, and electronics such as iPhones that have been mostly exempted so far and could prompt steep cost increases that many Americans would likely notice. Kudlow, however, said the economic impact of placing tariffs on all Chinese imports would be to cut economic growth 0.2 percentage points, "a very modest number." Independent economists, though, think the impact would be larger. Gregory Daco, an economist at Oxford Economics, estimates it would reduce U.S. growth by a half percentage point and cost 300,000 jobs. Kudlow also said the U.S. is awaiting retaliation from China over the increased tariffs, after talks in Washington ended on Friday without a deal. "The expected countermeasures have not yet materialized. We may know more today or even this evening or tomorrow," he told "Fox News Sunday." 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. Both sides have indicated that future talks are likely. Kudlow said on Sunday that Chinese officials have invited U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to visit Beijing, though nothing has been scheduled. Kudlow also said that Trump and China's President, Xi Jingping, may meet in late June at the G-20 international conference in Japan. On Saturday, Trump tweeted that he thought that "China felt they were being beaten so badly in the recent negotiation that they may as well wait around for the next election, 2020, to see if they could get lucky & have a Democrat win." Beijing retaliated for previous tariff hikes by raising duties on $110 billion of American imports. And officials have targeted American companies operating in China by slowing customs clearance and stepping up regulatory scrutiny. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told ABC's "This Week" that he advised the president to finalize a trade deal with China soon, "because the longer we're involved in a tariff battle or a trade war, the better chance there is that we could actually enter into a recession because of it." The two countries are sparring over U.S. allegations that China steals technology and pressures American companies into handing over trade secrets, part of an aggressive campaign to turn Chinese companies into world leaders in robotics, electric cars and other advanced industries. TOKYO - Nissan is seeing sales and profits tumble, as its once revered former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, awaits trial on charges of financial misconduct. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/5/2019 (958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this May 11, 2012, file photo, then Nissan Motor Co. President and CEO Carlos Ghosn speak during a press conference in Yokohama, near Tokyo. Nissan is seeing sales and profits tumble, as its once revered former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, awaits trial on charges of financial misconduct. The Japanese automaker says it is beefing up corporate governance and sticking with its alliance with French partner Renault SA. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File) TOKYO - Nissan is seeing sales and profits tumble, as its once revered former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, awaits trial on charges of financial misconduct. Nissan Motor Co. says it is beefing up corporate governance and sticking with its alliance with French partner Renault SA and smaller Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. That's critical to getting sales back on track, analysts say. But the way forward is clouded by questions about setting strategy without a visionary Ghosn there to guide it. Some issues critical for Nissan's future: WHO'S IN CHARGE? Nissan veteran Hiroto Saikawa took over as CEO in 2017. But Ghosn remained chairman until he was dismissed after his Nov. 19 arrest. Saikawa has said an internal investigation found Ghosn amassed too much power and engaged in unprofessional and unethical dealings. Ghosn says several Japanese executives at Nissan plotted against him in what he calls "a conspiracy." Regardless of the blame game, the maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models got approval at a shareholders meeting in early April to appoint Renault's new chairman Jean-Dominique Senard as chairman to succeed Ghosn. It's unclear who is making calls on strategically vital decisions, such as where to make certain model vehicles. "Mr. Saikawa may have been overseeing the day-to-day operations, but all the big decision-making lay with Mr. Ghosn," said Koji Endo, auto analyst with SBI Securities Co. in Tokyo. The scandal remains a distraction and several Nissan executives, including Saikawa, have been called in for questioning by prosecutors. The CEO has dodged calls for his resignation, saying getting the automaker back on track is his priority. Ghosn's detractors say his main contribution to Nissan's revival was cutting jobs, which he did with zeal while restructuring the automaker early in his nearly 20-year tenure. But he also is credited with spearheading Nissan's move into electric vehicles with the Leaf, now the bestselling pure electric car, and pursuing growth in China, whose market is slowing but is still the world's biggest for vehicle sales. HOW ARE THINGS GOING? Nissan's vehicle sales in Japan tumbled 18% in March compared to a year earlier, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association. Nissan's overall sales fell 10% in the first quarter. In the U.S., Nissan's first quarter sales fell 12%, while Toyota's slipped 5% and Volkswagen's rose 2%. FILE - In this April 8, 2019, file photo released by Nissan Motor Co., Nissan shareholders wait to enter the venue for a meeting in Tokyo. Nissan is seeing sales and profits tumble, as its once revered former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, awaits trial on charges of financial misconduct. The Japanese automaker says it is beefing up corporate governance and sticking with its alliance with French partner Renault SA. The signs reads " Nissan Motor Corporation shareholders' meeting." (Nissan Motor Co. via AP, File) Endo said buyers in Japan and France are concerned about resale value, which tends to go down when automakers encounter scandals. Nissan has logged 9.2 billion yen ($83 million) in costs from alleged underreporting of Ghosn's compensation. It has downgraded its profit forecasts for the fiscal year through March twice and now projects a 319 billion yen ($2.9 billion) profit, down from its initial projection for a 500 billion yen ($4.5 billion) profit. Nissan shares, which have stagnated somewhat in recent years, have dropped about 10 per cent since Ghosn's arrest. And the company recently has lost several other strong executives, including Jose Munoz, a Ghosn ally who had been Nissan's chief performance officer and has moved to Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. Nissan's Executive Vice-President Daniele Schillaci, in charge of global marketing and zero-emission vehicles, left to become chief executive at Italian brake-maker Brembo. Still, the automaker remains strong: its Note compact, an electric car equipped with a small gas engine to charge its battery, was Japan's No. 1 selling car for the fiscal year through March. It was the first time in 50 years that a Nissan model won the honours, beating powerful local rivals Toyota and Honda Motor Co. WHAT ABOUT THE ALLIANCE? Renault owns 43% of Yokohama-based Nissan. Nissan owns 15% of Renault with no voting rights. Ghosn, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, was chairman of Renault, of Nissan and of their alliance in short, the cement holding it together. At a recent Nissan shareholders' meeting, where Ghosn was ousted from the board, a Japanese investor suggested waiting on approving Senard in Ghosn's place, arguing that while everyone knew Ghosn, no one knew Senard. When Renault sent in Ghosn, Nissan was on the brink of bankruptcy. These days, Nissan is Renault's cash cow. Ghosn's arrest brought to the surface disgruntlement in Japan over a perceived power imbalance. But analysts say the automakers need each other because of shared parts, engineering, markets and suppliers. WHERE IS GHOSN? Ghosn was released on bail late last month, three weeks after his re-arrest on fresh allegations. He was first detained for interrogation in November and released on bail for the first time in early March. He is in Tokyo awaiting trial, subject to restrictions on his movements and contacts. Ghosn says he is innocent of charges he under-reported his retirement compensation and that the transactions prosecutors say amount to breach of trust were legitimate business payments that caused no losses to Nissan. He has hired a strong legal team, vowing to clear his name. It will likely be months before his trial begins. GHOSN'S LEGACY: At one time, Ghosn's no-nonsense managerial style was revered as an antidote for this nation's traditionally insular and consensus-driven ways of doing business. His success in helping transform Nissan from near bankruptcy into a leading automaker was a textbook example for international collaboration. Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, said the ups and downs of the Ghosn affair aren't as critical as Nissan's need to focus on products, especially as competition intensifies over electric vehicles and autonomous driving. The focus, Brauer says, needs to be on enhancing efficiency and improving sales. Nissan has declined comment on Ghosn's criminal case. "The company's focus is on stabilizing operations and strengthening its management structure, while addressing the weaknesses in governance that enabled this misconduct," said company spokesman Nicholas Maxfield. WORD ON THE STREET: 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. Nissan's dealers are hoping the whole drama will just blow over. Customers coming into showrooms do talk about Ghosn's case, said Akio Yoshida, a spokesman for Nissan dealerships in Tokyo. "The damage to our sales is not zero," he said of the Ghosn saga. "But now it's more a tabloid drama. And we are focused on selling good products." ___ Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yurikageyama/?hl=en FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates - As many as four oil tankers anchored in the Mideast were damaged in what Gulf officials described Monday as a "sabotage" attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A fishing boat sails in waters off the coast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Monday, May 13, 2019. Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates near Fujairah in attacks that caused "significant damage" to the vessels, one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell) FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates - As many as four oil tankers anchored in the Mideast were damaged in what Gulf officials described Monday as a "sabotage" attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. While details of the incident remained unclear, it raised risks for shippers in a region vital to global energy supplies at a time of increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers. The U.S. issued a new warning to sailors as the UAE's regional allies condemned Sunday's alleged attack, which the UAE said targeted vessels off the coast of its port city of Fujairah. Gulf officials declined to say who they suspected was responsible, but the incident came after a pro-Iran satellite channel in Lebanon and Iranian media earlier falsely claimed Fujairah's port had been hit by mysterious explosions. A fisherman prepares his boat near an oil storage tank in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Monday, May 13, 2019. Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates near Fujairah in attacks that caused "significant damage" to the vessels, one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell) A U.S. official in Washington, without offering any evidence, told The Associated Press that an American military team's initial assessment indicated Iran or Iranian allies used explosives to blow holes in the ships, including two Saudi, one Norwegian and one Emirati oil tanker. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the investigation, agreed to reveal the findings only if not quoted by name. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the Mideast and operates from a base in Fujairah, has repeatedly declined to comment on the incident. The U.S. already had warned ships that "Iran or its proxies" could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged, still-unspecified threats from Tehran. Citing heightened tensions in the region, the United Nations called on "all concerned parties to exercise restraint for the sake of regional peace, including by ensuring maritime security" and freedom of navigation, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said. The scale of the alleged sabotage also remained unclear. A statement from Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said two of the kingdom's oil tankers, including one due to later carry crude to the U.S., sustained "significant damage." However, a report from Sky News Arabia, a satellite channel owned by an Abu Dhabi ruling family member, showed the allegedly targeted Saudi tanker Al Marzoqah afloat without any apparent damage. Satellite images obtained by the AP early Tuesday showed no visible major damage to any of the vessels. The MT Andrea Victory, one of the allegedly targeted ships, sustained a hole in its hull just above its waterline from "an unknown object," its owner Thome Ship Management said in a statement. Images Monday of the Norwegian-flagged Andrea Victory, which the company said was "not in any danger of sinking," showed damage similar to what the firm described. In this Sunday, May 12, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Air Force, a U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress aircraft assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron takes off from Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. (Staff Sgt. Ashley Gardner, U.S. Air Force via AP) Emirati officials identified the third ship as the Saudi-flagged oil tanker Amjad. Ship-tracking data showed the vessel still anchored off Fujairah, apparently not in immediate distress. The fourth ship was the A. Michel, a bunkering tanker flagged in Sharjah, one of the UAE's seven emirates. The U.S. official said each ship sustained a 5- to 10-foot (1.5- to 3-meter) hole in it, near or just below the water line, suspected to have been caused by explosive charges. Emirati officials had requested a team of U.S. military investigators aid them in their probe. Authorities in Fujairah, also a UAE emirate, also declined to speak to the AP. Emirati officials stopped AP journalists from travelling by boat to see the ships. The incident raised questions about maritime security in the UAE, home to Dubai's Jebel Ali port, the largest man-made deep-water harbour in the world that is also the U.S. Navy's busiest port of call outside of America. From the coast, AP journalists saw an Emirati coast guard vessel patrolling near the area of one of the Saudi ships in Fujairah, some 130 miles (210 kilometres) northeast of Dubai on the Gulf of Oman. Fujairah also is about 140 kilometres (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. The alleged sabotage caused jitters in global oil markets, as benchmark Brent crude rose in trading to over $71.50 a barrel Monday, a change of 1.3%. This photo provided by the United Arab Emirates' National Media Council shows the Emirati-flagged bunkering tanker A. Michel off the coast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Monday, May 13, 2019. Two Saudi oil tankers and a Norwegian-flagged vessel were damaged in what Gulf officials described Monday as a "sabotage" attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. While details of the incident remain unclear, it raised risks for shippers in a region vital to global energy supplies at a time of increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers. (United Arab Emirates National Media Council via AP) Al-Falih, the Saudi energy minister, said the attacks on the two Saudi tankers happened at 6 a.m. Sunday. He said "the attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill," though he acknowledged it affected "the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world." It is "the joint responsibility of the international community to protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets, and the danger they pose to the global economy," he said, according to the statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The U.S. Energy Department later said it was "monitoring the oil markets, and is confident they remain well-supplied." Shortly after the Saudi announcement, Iran's Foreign Ministry called for further clarification about what exactly happened with the vessels. The ministry's spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying there should be more information about the incident. Mousavi also warned against any "conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers" and "adventurism by foreigners" to undermine the maritime region's stability and security. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are staunch opponents of Iran's government. The Strait of Hormuz, though considered an international waterway, cuts through Iranian territorial waters.; Asked at the White House about the incident, President Donald Trump responded: "It's going to be a bad problem for Iran if something happens." Tensions have risen since Trump withdrew America from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, and restored U.S. sanctions that have pushed Iran's economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. European Union officials met Monday in Brussels to thrash out ways to keep the Iran nuclear deal afloat. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had travelled there for talks. "We're not going to miscalculate. Our aim is not war," Pompeo told CNBC in an interview. "Our aim is a change in the behaviour of the Iranian leadership." Underlining the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the incident as a "serious escalation." 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. "Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger," Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen's internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage, as did the Arab League. The U.S. Maritime Administration, a division of the U.S. Transportation Department, warned Thursday that "Iran and/or its regional proxies" could target commercial sea traffic. The agency issued a new warning Sunday to sailors about the alleged sabotage and urged shippers to exercise caution in the area for the next week. It remained unclear if the previous warning from the U.S. Maritime Administration is the same perceived threat that prompted the White House on May 4 to order the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and the B-52 bombers to the region. In a statement then, national security adviser John Bolton had warned Iran that "that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force." ___ Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in Dubai; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Malak Harb in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates; and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. Once the location of regular Sunday worship services, an abandoned church site in St. Vital may become home to dozens of seniors. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Once the location of regular Sunday worship services, an abandoned church site in St. Vital may become home to dozens of seniors. Winnipegs TradeMark Homes is proposing a luxury four-storey apartment building with 82 suites for residents 55 and over on two Riel Avenue lots. "Its highly desirable for a senior," said Greg Grewal, a partner with TradeMark Homes, which is planning the project, located across St. Marys Road from St. Vital Centre. "Who wouldnt want to live beside the amenities you need (like) doctors, dentists and shops? Its right in the heart of St. Vital." The building, with an estimated cost of $8 million, and would include four ground-floor commercial spaces suitable for medical offices or other businesses, would be built on the site of a former Ukrainian Catholic church at 31 Riel Ave. and the residential lot just east of it. St. John the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Parish closed in 2017 after celebrating its 50th anniversary because the parish was no longer sustainable, said Rev. Mark Gnutel, vicar of property for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg. Church members dispersed to other parishes, and the archeparchy sold the property after removing sacred objects and decommissioning the church building. "That building was a Protestant church originally," Gnutel said of the small one-storey stucco building, decorated with a simple steeple. "There was nothing (in the building) identifying it as a Ukrainian Catholic parish." Grewal said the former church and the house next door at 25 Riel Ave. will be demolished once the project receives city approval. The plans have been submitted to the city for variance and zoning approval, and construction would not start until 2020 at the earliest, said architect Sean Radford of AtLRG Architecture, Inc., estimating the project would take up to 18 months to build. "We have several steps to go through with the city before we have full approval for the building," Radford said. The proposed L-shaped complex of one-, two- and three-bedroom suites, each decorated with high-end finishes and equipped with in-suite laundry, hugs the corner of the 5,580-square-metre property along Riel Avenue and Glen Meadow Street, across the street from Darwin Park. The multiple gable rooflines on the brick and stucco building provide space for mezzanine levels in the fourth-floor suites, and blend into the mixture of architectural styles on the street, Radford said. "We didnt want to provide them with a flat-roof building that becomes this massive wall," he said. "We wanted to take a cue from the neighbourhood for the esthetic." Radford said the plan includes 50 surface parking spots behind the building, 48 underground spots, and several visitor spots. Grewal and his associates presented the project to about 50 area residents at a community open house on May 1. Many expressed concerns that dozens more residents on the street would increase traffic and make parking more difficult on Riel Avenue. "Riel is a cut-through street already and so it is hard for us who live on it to get on it," Karen Dyck said. "Parking is horrendous," neighbour Beverley Edwards added. Residents were also concerned that the proposed apartment building will create more congestion near St. Marys Road, and make left turns at that uncontrolled intersection even more difficult. 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. Not all residents were opposed to the project. Some said they welcomed the development of a seniors building in the area, and others preferred housing on the property instead of an abandoned church. "When I walk by Riel (Avenue) at night, Id rather go past that with people in it, than an empty field with a church on it," one resident attending the meeting said. Grewal said he will take the residents traffic concerns into consideration and investigate other options for accessing the parking lot. He believes this project fills a void in the community, and provides senior citizens looking to downsize the choice of staying in their neighbourhood. "Here they have an opportunity to be in the community theyve grown up in and have friends around and feel comfortable in their skin," said Grewal, who lives in St. Vital. faith@freepress.mb.ca OTTAWA - Canada could find a win for its feminist foreign policy in the spiralling famine and refugee crisis gripping South Sudan and neighbouring African countries, says a senior United Nations official. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this photo taken Tuesday, April 2, 2019, children play outside a community center at an internally displaced person's camp in the capital Juba, South Sudan.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP Photo/Sam Mednick OTTAWA - Canada could find a win for its feminist foreign policy in the spiralling famine and refugee crisis gripping South Sudan and neighbouring African countries, says a senior United Nations official. "Canada can do more," Arnauld Akodjenou, the UN High Commissioner's for Refugees' South Sudan co-ordinator, said in an interview Monday. "It's a test case they have with the South Sudan situation. They should not miss that opportunity." Akodjenou was in Ottawa to press the Trudeau government for more Canadian involvement in South Sudan's five-year civil war, which has killed 400,000 and forced 2.2 million people to flee the country, while displacing 1.9 million more inside the country. Of the refugees, 80 per cent are women and children, he said, which makes South Sudan a perfect policy fit for the newly branded Canadian policy of focusing foreign aid on helping women and girls. Last week, a coalition of East African countries approved a six-month extension to a fragile peace deal that calls for South Sudan's rival factions to form a unity government. Canada has strong relations in the half-dozen neighbouring countries that are themselves buckling under the influx of refugees, so Akodjenou says by helping those countries the government could also make any new aid go much further. Those countries include Ethiopia and Uganda, which are bearing the brunt of the South Sudanese refugee influx, as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Kenya and Sudan. An April report by the UN World Food Program, the European Union and the UN's food-and-agriculture organization found that South Sudan, along with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Sudan, were among the countries afflicted by acute hunger. In South Sudan alone, the Norwegian Refugee Council estimates that by July, 60 per cent of the population will face acute food insecurity, which UN defined as "when a person's inability to consume adequate food puts their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger." Akodjenou said the South Sudan crisis is unique compared with the other more pervasive, African challenge: the northward migration of African refugees across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, which is linked to the rise of Islamist terror groups in the Sahel belt across the centre of the continent. "It's not easy to leave South Sudan or Uganda to go to Libya. You need a lot of money, and they don't have that." After having toured all the major South Sudanese refugee camps, Akodjenou said he's found no evidence of inroads being made by Islamist recruiters who prey on the vulnerable. The fact the country is almost exclusively Christian helps insulate it against that threat, he said. The verdant and oil-rich South Sudan became the world's newest country in 2011 after a six-year peace process, severing itself from the Khartoum-governed Sudan after a 22-year civil that left two million people dead and forced four million from their homes. In a 2000 report by respected Canadian diplomat John Harker, the Alberta oil company Talisman Energy Inc., since bought and renamed Respol Oil and Gas Inc. in 2015, was found to be complicit in allowing the civil war to flourish. 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 report prompted Lloyd Axworthy, then the minister of foreign affairs, to publicly push Talisman to do better. A February update on South Sudan to the UN Human Rights Council named Talisman again as one international company that was complicit in aiding government forces in the north against rebels in the south. The promise of peace in the newly birthed South Sudan was short-lived: civil war broke out again in late 2013. Canada's contributions to South Sudan include almost $29 million for security and stabilization and about $98 million in international assistance. In February, Save the Children urged the government to do more to protect children in conflict zones, citing UN figures that showed 870,000 children aged five or younger including 550,000 babies had been killed in armed conflict between 2013 and 2017 in 11 countries, including South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq and Mali. "Canada must step up to ensure we collectively do all we can to protect these children from further harm and help rebuild their future," Bill Chambers, the president of Save The Children Canada, said in a statement at the time. What happens when clergy no longer believe in God? Winnipeg filmmaker Leslea Mair decided to find out. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. What happens when clergy no longer believe in God? Winnipeg filmmaker Leslea Mair decided to find out. "I was very curious about what it would be like for ministers to lose their faith," said Mair, CEO and president of Zoot Pictures. Raised in the United Church, Mair says leaving faith to become an atheist wasnt a problem for her. "But I had never thought about it from a ministers perspective. What do you do if you find you dont believe, but being a minister is your job?" Answers to that question are found in Losing Our Religion, Mairs documentary about the challenges facing ministers who stop believing. The documentary, co-directed with Leif Kaldor, will be shown May 18, 1 p.m. at the Carol Shields Auditorium at the Millennium Library. It features interviews with a range of clergy in Canada, the U.S. and England some who are open about not believing, and others who are still undercover about their doubts. One of the people Mair interviewed is Catherine Dunphy of Toronto, who was in seminary studying to be a Roman Catholic chaplain when she started losing her faith. "It was an accumulation of things," she said of how she began to have doubts. "There was a disconnect between what I had heard from the pulpit and what I learned at seminary." For her, this included the historical authenticity of things in the Bible like Adam and Eve, the virgin birth and the resurrection of Jesus. "When you put things like that under a microscope, its enough to turn anyone into an atheist," she stated, adding she grew tired of the "intellectual gymnastics" required to keep believing. Dunphy went on to become a humanist chaplain at the University of Toronto and write a book about her experience, titled From Apostle to Apostate. She also co-founded The Clergy Project, a support network for clergy and other religious professionals who find they no longer believe. Her journey wasnt easy, Dunphy said, and she still grieves the loss "of a lifetime of belief." But giving up faith also "was a relief, letting it fall to the wayside." Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. For Mair, the documentary shows how hard it can be for ministers to reveal their doubts. "When they tell people theyve lost their faith, the rejection can be swift and mean," she said. For that reason, many clergy keep their doubts hidden, leading a double life that can lead to fear and stress. "Its like being gay in the 1950s you dont dare tell anyone," she said. The showing of Losing Our Religion is sponsored by the Manitoba chapter of the Centre for Inquiry. It will include a Q-and-A with Mair and Kaldor after the showing. Admission is free, but tickets need to be reserved at Eventbrite. faith@freepress.mb.ca Winnipeggers can enjoy free bus rides all day on Tuesday, and it's not a promotion to increase bus ridership. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Winnipeggers can enjoy free bus rides all day on Tuesday, and it's not a promotion to increase bus ridership. The free rides are courtesy of transit drivers who are protesting the slow pace of labour negotiations with the City of Winnipeg. "Our operators will not be enforcing the fares and they will not be informing that fares should be paid," said transit union president Aleem Chaudhary. "It's job action we're taking in lieu of walking on a picket line. We don't want to disturb our passengers." In fact, it may make them more popular with passengers. Winnipeggers take about 170,000 bus rides per day. If all passengers paid for the rides, free fare would work out to savings in the $450,000 range. However, Chaudhary said most passengers are commuting to work and use bus passes, so it won't make a difference for them. He could not estimate the cost to the city but said, "it's not going to be huge." The city says the job action is illegal. When the Amalgamated Transit Union 1505 took a vote, it was neither a mandate for the union to strike or impose job action, said Michael Jack, the city's chief corporate services officer. "'For any city employee who shows up and doesn't do their job properly, there are always possible job consequences," Jack said. When asked what those consequences might be, Jack said, "any human resources consequences you might expect for not doing your job." Chaudhary doesn't see it as being an illegal act and insisted that enforcement of payment is not part of their job description. Bus drivers will not reject payment, either. "Our drivers will not be forcing anyone not to pay. If somebody wants to pay, they can pay," he said. However, Jack said fare collection is "absolutely" part of the bus driver's job. Chaudhary said the issue may end up before the Manitoba Labour Board. He knows of no other transit union in North America that has not enforced payment of fares, he said. The Amalgamated Transit Union 1505, with about 1,500 members, has been without a contract since January this year. Chaudhary said 85 per cent of members took part in its last vote, and of those 98 per cent supported the union. The last time the support was so overwhelming was in the 1919 General Strike, he maintained. Chaudhary wasn't specific about what is holding up negotiations but he said issues include the need for better schedules, better service, more buses, more drivers, and better training. Low morale among drivers and friction between transit workers and supervisors are well documented at Winnipeg Transit. Drivers are also concerned about safety after bus driver Irvine Jubal Fraser was killed on duty on Feb. 14, 2017. 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. Chaudhary maintained transit employees are "disrespected" by their supervisors. "They're blamed for just about everything that goes wrong. It is time they're given respect like everybody else and a safe work environment." As for the pace of negotiations, Chaudhary said, "We're moving ahead but not at the pace we should be moving." Jack responded it was the union that cancelled the last bargaining session. "It's not the first date they've cancelled," Jack added. Union members were downtown handing out pamphlets notifying people that bus drivers "will not be monitoring fare payment" on Tuesday. The union says Winnipeg spends the third least in Canada per service hour for public transit. bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca Almost five years after a toddler was killed by her parents on a Manitoba First Nation, a judge must decide whether her sister was wrongfully accused by the RCMP and a child-welfare agency. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Almost five years after a toddler was killed by her parents on a Manitoba First Nation, a judge must decide whether her sister was wrongfully accused by the RCMP and a child-welfare agency. In a two-day hearing last week, Court of Queens Bench Judge Jeffrey Harris said the federal law regarding a siblings obligation to care for another sibling is a "live issue" in the lawsuit, which the young woman launched after her baby sisters death. Kierra Elektra Star Williams In July 2014, Kierra Elektra Star Williams died at the hands of her mother and after months of neglect by her father when she was not yet two years old. Her parents were both sent to prison. The Crown stayed criminal charges against Kierras older sister, Jasmine Bushie. Bushie sued the RCMP and Intertribal Child and Family Services, accusing them of wrongfully accusing her in Kierras death. She alleged the RCMP didnt have grounds to charge her, and she claimed she wasnt considered a suspect until after employees from Intertribal CFS spoke to police. The CFS agency and the federal attorney general have denied the allegations. Their lawyers argued the judge should dismiss Bushies claims without going to trial. Bushies lawyers are asking for a summary judgment in their favour against the RCMP, but they want their case against the CFS agency to go to trial and are seeking unspecified financial damages for Bushie. In January 2015, when Bushie was 20, she was charged with manslaughter and failing to provide the necessaries of life to her sister Kierra, who had suffered months of abuse and neglect after she was returned to her parents by CFS. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES An RCMP officer escorts Vanessa Bushie at Peguis First Nation in December 2016. Bushie pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced in August 2017 to life in prison with no chance of parole for 14 years. When she died on July 17, 2014, 21-month-old Kierra had internal bleeding, several broken ribs, a skull fracture, a dislocated shoulder, missing teeth and serious bruising. She was malnourished, emaciated and suffering from dehydration signs of abuse and neglect that may have been happening as early as six months before she died. The charges against Jasmine Bushie were stayed in December 2016, just as a preliminary hearing was set to begin for Kierras parents, Vanessa Bushie and Daniel Williams. Although the case against her wasnt considered strong enough to go to trial, Jasmine Bushie suffered because she had been accused in the homicide. In addition to spending 16 days in jail before she was granted bail, her lawyer, Theodore Mariash, argued she had been subjected to vigilante justice and had to move. In the statement of claim for the civil suit, Mariash argued his client wouldnt have been charged if CFS employees hadnt "misrepresented" a respite-care agreement that required Jasmine to cook, clean and care for her siblings on behalf of CFS in her mother Vanessa Bushies home on Peguis First Nation. "(Intertribal Child and Family Services) knew that they had the next Phoenix Sinclair case on their hands," and they wanted to blame Jasmine Bushie, Mariash argued. The judge repeatedly questioned him about the lack of evidence to support such claims. The allegations were described as "ridiculous," by lawyer Michael Finlayson, who is representing Intertribal Child and Family Services. In court last week, he quoted from Jasmine Bushies statement to police, using her words to point out that she knew about Kierra being bruised and having a difficult time eating, but didnt tell anyone. When she talked to police, she wondered aloud why she hadnt come forward about what was happening to her baby sister. Jasmine told the RCMP Kierra wasnt comfortable with her biological family after she was returned to her mother in July 2013 and seemed as though she was "starving herself." Jasmine was living with Vanessa Bushie during the time Kierra was abused and neglected, and she moved out three days before Kierra died. Police had enough information to charge Jasmine based on her own words, not because of anything CFS did, Finlayson argued. Lawyers on all sides acknowledged Jasmine is innocent of any crime against her sister and never physically abused Kierra. Alexander Menticoglou, the lawyer for the federal attorney general, argued Mounties were right to charge her. "The RCMP arrested the plaintiff because there were grounds for the arrest, and the RCMP opposed bail because their case was strong. The fact that the charges were stayed doesnt negate the work of the RCMP, which was thorough and professional," Menticoglou argued. "And it doesnt mean the decisions they took were anything but justified." Mariash questioned Jasmine Bushies legal obligations to her sister. He argued there has never been a reported case in Canada of a brother or sister being convicted of failing to provide the necessaries of life to their sibling. The judge accepted that as fact. 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. There is "no recognized duty of care" between siblings in Canadian law, Mariash argued. Finlayson argued otherwise, saying "its just not true." The judge reserved his decision. Vanessa Bushie, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced in August 2017 to life in prison with no chance of parole for 14 years. Kierras father, Daniel Williams, was sentenced to eight years in prison after a jury found him guilty of manslaughter. Kierra was apprehended by CFS at birth because the couples older children had been removed from the home following a domestic-violence allegation. The children were returned to their parents in July 2013. When CFS workers visited the home about seven months before Kierras death, they found nothing of concern. katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay Poor Facebook. It doesnt seem to be getting many likes lately. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/5/2019 (958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Editorial Poor Facebook. It doesnt seem to be getting many "likes" lately. The social media giant, which has been under intense scrutiny and subject to searing criticism since last years revelation that it routinely allowed millions of users personal data to be accessed and abused by political mischief-makers, is facing challenges on several fronts from individuals and groups stating its time to force Facebook to release the virtually monopolistic grip it holds in the social media sphere. On May 2, the advocacy group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting ran an ad in the Globe and Mail urging Canadians to "Unfriend Facebook" because of its privacy breaches and also because tax loopholes allow internet media companies, including Facebook, to annually siphon $1.6 billion of Canadian taxpayers money out of the national economy. The ad included a website address where readers can sign an online petition urging the federal government to close the loophole and, in doing so, incentivize companies to invest their ad-buying dollars in Canadian media instead. Of course, discussions of Canadian economic sovereignty and, in fact, Canada as a concept would at best be fleeting notions to Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. $1.6 billion doesnt amount to much more than walking-around money to a guy whose personal fortune can rise or fall by multiples of that amount from month to month. 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. But the Facebook-related unrest is not limited to Americas overly polite northern neighbour. Opinion in the U.S. has also started showing signs of taking a turn in an unfriendly direction. Most notably, last week the New York Times published a lengthy essay by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, in which the longtime friend and former roommate of Mr. Zuckerberg called for the U.S. government to take action aimed at breaking Facebooks marked domination by forcing the company to be divided into several smaller entities, and at putting limits on the immense and unchecked power wielded globally by Mr. Zuckerberg. "I dont blame Mark for his quest for domination," Mr. Hughes writes. "He has demonstrated nothing more nefarious than the virtuous hustle of a talented entrepreneur. Yet he has created a leviathan that crowds out entrepreneurship and restricts consumer choice... The most problematic aspect of Facebooks power is Marks unilateral control over speech. There is no precedent for his ability to monitor, organize and even censor the conversations of two billion people." Mr. Hughes likened what needs to be done to Facebook to earlier regulatory efforts to confront the petroleum-industry monopoly of Standard Oil, the communications-sector domination of AT&T and the computer-business control of IBM. "The government must hold Mark accountable," he concludes. "For too long, lawmakers have marveled at Facebooks explosive growth and overlooked their responsibility to ensure that Americans are protected and markets are competitive." Canadas quaint notion that the social media-connected world should, as a statement of protest and out of concern about an entitys out-of-control power and reach, suddenly abandon Facebook or any other platform is pure nonsense; people, companies, political influencers and even governments have long since become addicted to the click-activated connections and profits the cyber-world has created. But Mr. Hughes has a point. Its high time for governments to set aside the "Were too old and its too complicated" attitude that has allowed Facebook and other social media behemoths to expand and mutate unchecked, and finally summon the resolve, expertise and legislative authority to reclaim their right to protect their citizens. By Express News Service GUWAHATI: A man in Assam, lodged in a detention centre for illegal immigrants, died but his family refused to receive the body. It insisted that the body be sent to Bangladesh since the authorities declared him a Bangladeshi national. After hours of a stand-off, local leaders of an organisation broke the ice by managing to convince the family to receive the body. The deceased 58-year-old Basudev Biswas was lodged at the detention centre in Central Jail, Tezpur. The police said he died on Saturday evening while he was being taken to a hospital for treatment. When the police took the body of Biswas to his residence at Ambagan in neighbouring Nagaon district on Sunday afternoon, the family, as well as the locals, refused to receive it. They insisted that since the man was declared a Bangladeshi national, the body be sent to Bangladesh. They stuck to their guns despite the police and government officials repeatedly requesting them to receive the body. The villagers also staged a protest for several hours and gheraoed the local police station. When the protests started to turn ugly, the police and paramilitary forces restored normalcy by resorting to lathicharge. Late at night, the family agreed to receive the body and the last rites were performed in the wee hours of Monday. Biswas was physically-challenged and he eked out a living by running a tea stall at a local market. He is survived by his wife and two sons. The locals said the deceased was declared a foreigner ex parte, without being heard. He was fighting his case in the court. One night in 2015, he was picked up by border police personnel and taken to the detention centre in Tezpur, a local said. Around six to seven others from Ambagan are lodged in the detention centre in Tezpur and the locals demanded they be released early, claiming that they are genuine Indian citizens. Students from Winona Senior High School recently had the opportunity to tour and learn about Watlow Winona through the REACH program. REACH is Winona Area Chamber of Commerce program run in partnership with Minnesota State College Southeast and Winona Area Public Schools, made possible with the support of Chamber business partners, Winona State University and Saint Marys University. During the visit, students were able to tour the facility, work on the production line, learn the history of Watlow and practice solder skills. Students were able to work one-on-one with an employee on the production line. This gave students the chance to see details up close and ask questions. Another hands-on activity students were able to participate in was soldering their own buttons. These real-life immersions and experiences help each student in the REACH program see if this career path is something they would like to do in their future. Getting the chance to interact with the community also better prepares them for after graduation. The vision of REACH is to prepare southeast Minnesota high school students for future careers and help provide an employment ready, skilled workforce for Winonas major industry sectors. The career fields offered at Winona Senior High School include manufacturing, health care, and human services, with a new program in professional building trades beginning fall of 2019. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In 1924, while investigating the Teapot Dome scandal, a senate committee issued a subpoena to a witness in Ohio to appear to testify. The senate deputy sergeant-at-arms arrested him. The Supreme Court supported the arrest, stating that Congress acted within its power to gather information prior to legislating. President Donald Trump is suing two banks to prevent them from complying with House subpoenas for his tax records. Deutsche Bank loaned him $2 billion dollars in the past 10 years. On May 8, William Barr was declared in contempt of Congress for refusing to give the House Judiciary Committee the complete Mueller Report. However, Attorney General Barr is unlikely to arrest any member of the executive branch. Congress has the power to issue a civil contempt citation but civil cases have taken up to four years. Many take so long that the question has become moot by the time it is decided. The matter must be solved before Congress adjourns or it will die, and Trump will have won a reprieve until Congress convenes next fall. Richard Bates, Baraboo Bill Sherer of Milwaukee founded the event after witnessing the hardships his friends endured after returning home from active duty. The Nation of Patriots and its inaugural Patriot Tour launched in 2009. Botham and her brothers, Wade and Tim Fletcher, who still live in the Beaver Dam area, joined early on. Through their efforts, Beaver Dam became the starting and ending point for the ride. Nation of Patriots ensures that 100% of funds raised go directly to the veterans it strives to help. The organization works with VA facilities and other veteran organizations to identify the recipients of its funds. Almost as rewarding as meeting the families who have been helped by the Nation of Patriots is being able to look a donor in the eye and confidently tell them that 100 percent of their donation will be placed in the hands of a veteran in need, Sherer said. The logistical challenges are substantial. Fall River School District celebrated Fab Lab Day in Wisconsin with a large gift from the state. Fall River was one of 20 schools Monday to receive a $25,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to help improve its fabrication laboratory, which has been renovated and expanded since last summer. In April 2018, the district passed a $7.8 million referendum that provided funding to the fab lab operation, along with several other school improvements. In all, WEDC awarded more than $500,000 to assist schools in fab lab improvements. According to the corporation, through the past four years, WEDC has provided more than $2.1 million to 58 school districts for technology and fab lab expansion. At Fall River, teachers have added 3D printers, engraving machines, more computers and newer equipment in the shop. The new technology has created more opportunities for students and sparked interest in manufacturing. Its pretty amazing what one year can do from where we were and where were going and what the kids can do, said Fall River High School-Middle School Principal Brian Zacho. Not being able to say no to a student when they have an idea is pretty awesome. Lodi City Administrator Julie Ostrander said the city will likely have to fork out $13,900 for every month it enlists administrative help from the sheriffs office. That price tag covers salaries, health benefits, gas costs and general vehicle wear and tear. That contract would be on a month-to-month basis, Brandner said, estimating it could be three months before the city of Lodi is able to hire new officers to fill its ranks. Sheriff Brandner has been very helpful with everything, Ness said. Were on top of it. Although Brandner said he doesnt have many spare officers to offer, he felt it was his responsibility to help. I was not going to leave the Lodi residents uncovered, Brandner said. I am very impressed with these young officers, but they need a leader. Thats why we have stepped up and are willing to help that city in this very unusual time. Brainstorming solutions During the Police Commission meeting Wednesday night, Freitag said the remaining police officers deserve credit for coming together and forming a temporary scheduling plan. By PTI MUZAFFARNAGAR: Three people were killed and 14 injured in a collision between a car and a state-run bus on Delhi-Dehradun national highway in Muzaffarnagar district, a police official said Monday. The accident happened near Tigai village last evening when the occupants of the car were returning to Delhi from a wedding in the district, Khatoli police station SHO Harsharan Sharma said. He identified those dead in the accident as Harpal Singh (30), Surjit (23) and Rakesh (28). The injured have been admitted to an area hospital. Villagers angry over the accident blocked the highway and damaged the roadways bus, following which police rushed to the spot and pacified them. The driver of the bus, which was on its way to Rishikesh, escaped. A case has been registered. Telaria, Inc. provides a software platform for publishers to manage and monetize video advertising in the United States. The company offers publishers with real-time analytics, data, and decisioning tools to control their video advertising business, as well as a monetization solution to optimize yield across a publisher's supply of digital video inventory. Its technology enables publishers to manage and deliver their directly sold and programmatic video inventory through a single platform. The company was formerly known as Tremor Video, Inc. and changed its name to Telaria, Inc. in September 2017. Telaria, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Anthem: 1-800 Contacts, AIM Specialty Health, AMERIGROUP Community Care of New Mexico Inc., AMERIGROUP Corporation, AMERIGROUP Maryland Inc., AMERIGROUP New Jersey Inc., AMERIGROUP Ohio Inc., AMERIGROUP Tennessee Inc., AMERIGROUP Texas Inc., AMERIGROUP Washington Inc., AMGP Georgia Managed Care Company Inc., ATH Holding Company LLC, America's 1st Choice of South Carolina Inc., America's Health Management Services Inc., American Imaging Management Inc., Americas 1st Choice, Amerigroup, Amerigroup Delaware Inc., Amerigroup District of Columbia Inc., Amerigroup Health Plan of Louisiana Inc., Amerigroup IPA of New York LLC, Amerigroup Insurance Company, Amerigroup Iowa Inc., Amerigroup Kansas Inc., Amerigroup Mississippi Inc., Amerigroup Oklahoma Inc., Amerigroup Partnership Plan LLC, Amerigroup Pennsylvania Inc., Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company, Anthem Financial Inc., Anthem Health Plans Inc., Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky Inc., Anthem Health Plans of Maine Inc., Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire Inc., Anthem Health Plans of Virginia Inc., Anthem Holding Corp., Anthem Innovation Israel Ltd., Anthem Insurance Companies Inc., Anthem Kentucky Managed Care Plan Inc., Anthem Life & Disability Insurance Company, Anthem Life Insurance Company, Anthem Partnership Holding Company LLC, Anthem Services Company LLC, Anthem Southeast Inc., Anthem UM Services Inc., Anthem Workers' Compensation LLC, Applied Pathways LLC, Arcus Enterprises Inc., Aspire Health Inc., Aspire Healthcare Corp, Associated Group Inc., Beacon Health Options, Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin, Blue Cross of California, Blue Cross of California Partnership Plan Inc., CareMarket Inc., CareMore Health Plan, CareMore Health Plan of Arizona Inc., CareMore Health Plan of Nevada, CareMore Health Plan of Texas Inc., CareMore Health System, CareMore LLC, Cerulean Companies Inc., Claim Management Services Inc., Community Care Health Plan of Louisiana Inc., Community Care Health Plan of Nevada Inc., Community Insurance Company, Compcare Health Services Insurance Corporation, Crossroads Acquisition Corp., DBG Holdings Inc., DeCare Analytics LLC, DeCare Dental Health International LLC, DeCare Dental Insurance Ireland Ltd., DeCare Dental LLC, DeCare Dental Networks LLC, DeCare Operations Ireland Limited, Delivery Network LLC, Designated Agent Company Inc., EHC Benefits Agency Inc., EasyScripts Cutler Bay LLC, EasyScripts Hialeah LLC, EasyScripts LLC, EasyScripts Westchester LLC, Empire HealthChoice Assurance Inc., Empire HealthChoice HMO Inc., Federal Government Solutions LLC, Freedom Health Inc., Global TPA LLC, Golden West Health Plan Inc., Greater Georgia Life Insurance Company, HEP AP Holdings Inc., HMO Colorado Inc., HMO Missouri Inc., Health Core Inc., Health Management Corporation, Health Ventures Partner L.L.C., HealthKeepers Inc., HealthLink HMO Inc., HealthLink Inc., HealthLink Insurance Company, HealthPlus HP LLC, HealthSun Health Plans, HealthSun Health Plans Inc., HealthSun Holdings LLC, HealthSun Management LLC, HealthSun Physicians Network I LLC, HealthSun Physicians Network LLC, Healthy Alliance Life Insurance Company, Highland Acquisition Holdings LLC, Highland Holdco Inc., Highland Intermediate Holdings LLC, Highland Investor Holdings LLC, Imaging Management Holdings LLC, IngenioRx Inc., Legato Health Technologies LLP, Legato Health Technologies Philippines Inc., Legato Holdings I Inc., Legato Holdings II LLC, Living Complete Technologies Inc., Matthew Thornton Health Plan Inc., Memphis Supportive Care Partnership LLC, Meridian Resource Company LLC, Missouri Care Incorporated, NGS Federal LLC, Nash Holding Company LLC, National Government Services Inc., New England Research Institutes Inc., Optimum Healthcare Inc., Park Square Holdings Inc., Park Square I Inc., Park Square II Inc., Pasteur Medical Bird Road LLC, Pasteur Medical Center LLC, Pasteur Medical Cutler Bay LLC, Pasteur Medical Group LLC, Pasteur Medical Hialeah Gardens LLC, Pasteur Medical Holdings LLC, Pasteur Medical Kendall LLC, Pasteur Medical Management LLC, Pasteur Medical Miami Gardens LLC, Pasteur Medical North Miami Beach LLC, Pasteur Medical Partners LLC, Resolution Health Inc, Resolution Health Inc., RightCHOICE Managed Care Inc., Rocky Mountain Hospital and Medical Service Inc., SellCore Inc., Simply Healthcare Holdings, Simply Healthcare Plans Inc., Southeast Services Inc., State Sponsored DM Services Inc., The Anthem Companies Inc., The Anthem Companies of California Inc., TrustSolutions LLC, UNICARE Health Plan of West Virginia Inc., UNICARE Illinois Services Inc., UNICARE National Services Inc., UniCare Life & Health Insurance Company, UniCare Specialty Services Inc., Valus Inc., WPMI LLC, WellCare of Nebraska Inc., WellPoint Acquisition LLC, WellPoint California Services Inc., WellPoint Dental Services Inc., WellPoint Health Solutions Inc., WellPoint Holding Corp., WellPoint Information Technology Services Inc., WellPoint Insurance Services Inc., WellPoint Military Care Corporation, Wellmax Health Medical Centers LLC, Wellmax Health Physicians Network LLC, and Wisconsin Collaborative Insurance Company. 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]ketbeat.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. There is not enough analysis data for Tekla Life Sciences Investors. 4.5 Community Rank Outperform Votes Tekla Life Sciences Investors has received 95 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Tekla Life Sciences Investors has received 44 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Tekla Life Sciences Investors has received 68.35% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Tekla Life Sciences Investors and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe HQL will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe HQL will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next By IANS NEW DELHI: In the midst of the Lok Sabha election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received about three times more TV airtime than Congress President Rahul Gandhi during the April 1 to April 28 period, reveals data from television viewership monitoring agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). Modi was shown by television news channels for more than 722 hours during this period, while Rahul Gandhi was shown for a little less than 252 hours during the same period, Dainik Bhaskar reported on Monday citing BARC data. Modi took the huge lead over Rahul Gandhi inspite of addressing one rally less than the 65 that the Congress President addressed during the April 1 to April 28 period. Similarly, BJP President Amit Shah got nearly 124 hours TV airtime, while Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was shown by news channels for over 84 hours. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati was shown by TV news channels for about 85 hours. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Modi got more airtime because showing him apparently earns TV channels more target rating points (TRP). KBR, Inc. engages in the provision of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program life-cycle within the government services and hydrocarbons industries. It operates through the following segments: Government Solutions, Technology Solutions, Energy Solutions, Non-strategic Business, and Other. The Government Solutions segment provides full life-cycle support solutions to defense, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies. The Technology Solutions segment combines KBR's proprietary technologies, equipment, and catalyst supply and associated knowledge-based services into a global business for refining, petrochemicals, inorganic, and specialty chemicals as well as gasification, syngas, ammonia, nitric acid, and fertilizers. The Energy Solutions segment provides full life-cycle support solutions across the upstream, midstream and downstream hydrocarbons markets. The Non-strategic Business segment represents the operations or activities which the company intends to exit upon completion of existing contracts. The Other segment includes corporate expenses and general and administrative expenses not all Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Danaher: AB SCIEX, AB Sciex Germany GmbH, AB Sciex LLC, AB Sciex LP, AB Sciex Pte Ltd., Accu-Sort Systems, Acme Cleveland Corporation, Advanced Vision Technology, American Precision Industries, Applied Biosystems, Applitek NV, Aquatic Infomatics ULC, Aquatic Informatics, Armstrong Tools, BC Distribution BV, Beckman Coulter, Beckman Coulter Australia Pty Ltd, Beckman Coulter Biotechnology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Biyomedikal Urunler Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited [irketi], Beckman Coulter Canada LP, Beckman Coulter Commercial Enterprise (China) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter France S.A.S., Beckman Coulter G.m.b.H., Beckman Coulter Genomics Inc., Beckman Coulter Hong Kong Limited, Beckman Coulter Inc., Beckman Coulter India Private Limited, Beckman Coulter International SA, Beckman Coulter International Shanghai Trading Co., Beckman Coulter Ireland Inc., Beckman Coulter K.K., Beckman Coulter Korea Ltd., Beckman Coulter Laboratory Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Limited Liability Company, Beckman Coulter Mishima KK, Beckman Coulter Nederland B.V., Beckman Coulter Nippon GK, Beckman Coulter S.L.U., Beckman Coulter Saudi Arabia Co.Ltd., Beckman Coulter Srl, Beckman Coulter Taiwan Inc., Beckman Coulter United Kingdom Limited, Beckman Coulter de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Beckman Coulter do Brasil Ltda., Beckman Finance ApS, Beckman Holdings Ltd., BioTector Analytical Systems Ltd, Biosafe S.A., Blue Software LLC, Cepheid, Cepheid AB, Cepheid Europe SAS, Cepheid GmbH, Cepheid HBDC SAS, Cepheid UK Ltd., ChemTreat, ChemTreat Inc., ChemTreat International Inc., Cispus Hong Kong Holding Limited, Cytiva, Cytiva BioProcess R&D AB, Cytiva Biotechnology (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Biotechnology (Hang Zhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Europe GmbH, Cytiva Sweden AB, Cytiva Sweden Holding AB, DH Europe Finance II Sarl, DH Europe Finance Sarl, DH Holding Italia SRL, DH Japan Finance Sarl, DH Life Sciences LLC, DH Netherlands BV, DH Technologies Development Pte Ltd., DHKAB Company AB, DTIL Ireland Holdings Ltd., Danaher (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Danaher Hong Kong Limited, Danaher Medical ApS, Delta Consolidated Industries, Devicore Medical Products Inc., Easco Hand Tools, Esko, Esko BV, Esko Finance BV, Esko Graphics BV, Esko Software BV, FHAB Company AB, Fluke, G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH, GE Biopharma, Gelman Sciences Inc., Gendex, Genetix Group, Gilbarco Veeder Root, Gilzoni Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Austria GmbH & Co. KG, Global Life Sciences Solutions Germany GmbH, Global Life Sciences Solutions Korea Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Manufacturing UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions New Zealand, Global Life Sciences Solutions Operations UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions USA LLC, Global Life Sciences Technologies (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Global Life Sciences Technologies Japan KK, Hach Company, Hach Lange Finance GmbH, Hach Lange GmbH, Hach Lange Sarl, Hach Sales & Services Canada LP, Hach Ultra Japan KK, Hach Water Quality Analytical Instru. (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., HemoCue AB, HyClone Laboratories LLC, Hybritech Incorporated, Hyclone Life Sciences Solutions India Private Limited, IDBS Group, IRIS International, Imaging Sciences International, Immunotech SAS, Immunotech Sro, Intabio LLC, Integrated DNA Technologies, Integrated DNA Technologies BVBA, Integrated DNA Technologies Inc., Integrated DNA Technologies Pte. Ltd., Iris International Inc., Joslyn Holding Company LLC, KVHG GmbH, KaVo, KaVo Kerr, Kaltenbach & Voigt, Keithley Instruments, Kipp & Zonen BV, Kollmorgen, Labcyte Inc., Laetus, Leica Biosystems Imaging Inc., Leica Biosystems Melbourne Pty Ltd, Leica Biosystems Newcastle Limited, Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH, Leica Biosystems Richmond Inc., Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte Limited, Leica Microsystems, Leica Microsystems (UK) Limited, Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH, Leica Microsystems Cambridge Limited, Leica Microsystems IR GmbH, Leica Microsystems Inc., Leica Microsystems Limited, Leica Microsystems Ltd. Shanghai, Leica Mikrosysteme Vertrieb GmbH, Life Sciences Holdings France SAS*, Lifschultz Industries, Linx Printing Technologies, Linx Printing Technologies Limited, MDS Analytical Technologies, Marconi Data Systems, McCrometer Inc., Microtest, Molecular Devices, Molecular Devices (Austria) GmbH, Molecular Devices LLC, Navman Wireless, Navman Wireless OEM Solutions, Nihon Pall Ltd., Nihon Pall Manufacturing Limited, Nobel Biocare, OTT Hydromet Corp, Pall, Pall (Canada) ULC, Pall (China) Co. Ltd., Pall (Schweiz) GmbH, Pall Aeropower Corporation, Pall Artelis BVBA, Pall Asia Holdings Inc., Pall Australia Pty. Ltd., Pall Austria Filter Ges.m.b.h, Pall Corporation, Pall Europe Limited, Pall Filtersystems GmbH, Pall Filtration Pte. Ltd., Pall Filtration and Separations Group Inc., Pall France SAS, Pall GmbH, Pall India Pvt. Ltd., Pall International Sarl, Pall Italia Srl, Pall Korea Ltd., Pall Life Sciences Belgium BV, Pall Life Sciences Puerto Rico LLC, Pall Manufacturing UK Limited, Pall Medistad BV, Pall Netherlands BV Irish Branch, Pall Technology UK Limited, PaloDEX, Pantone LLC, Pelton & Crane, Phenomenex, Phenomenex Inc., Precision NanoSystems, QHC Ireland Finance Limited, Radiometer, Radiometer Basel AG, Radiometer K.K., Radiometer Medical ApS, Radiometer Medical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Radiometer Turku Oy, Raytek, Reytek Corporation, SH Switzerland Finance Sarl, Sea-Bird Electronics Inc., SenDx Medical Inc., Shanghai AB Sciex Analytical Instrument Trading Co. Ltd., Sutron, Sybron Dental Specialties, TCIL Ireland Finance Ltd., Tektronix, Thomson Industries, Tianjin Bonna-Agela Technologies Co. Ltd., Trojan Technologies, Trojan Technologies Group ULC, VSS Monitoring, Videojet Do Brasil Comercio de Equipamentos Para Codificacao Industrial Ltda., Videojet Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Videojet Technologies Europe B.V., Videojet Technologies Inc., Viridor Waste Management Limited, Vision Systems Limited, Willett International, X-Ray Optical Systems Inc., X-Rite, X-Rite Europe GmbH, X-Rite Incorporated, X-Rite Switzerland GmbH, XOS, Yukon Hong Kong Holding Limited, and Zhuhai S.E.Z. Videojet Electronics Ltd.. Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG provides commercial real estate and public investment finance products. Its commercial real estate financing activities include financing instruments, such as financing investment projects, development finance, cross-border portfolio financing, investment bridge finance facilities, standby/backup facilities, and derivatives. The company primarily finances offices, retail, and logistic real estate companies, as well as residential properties targeting real estate companies, institutional investors, real estate funds, and medium-sized and regionally orientated clients. It is also involved in the public investment financing activities, such as financing for public sector facilities, municipal and residential buildings, utilities, infrastructure, medical and geriatric care facilities, and administration and insurance facilities. In addition, the company operates a digital platform for public sector borrowers and institutional investors under the CAPVERIANT name. Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG has offices in four locations in Eschborn, DAsseldorf, Hamburg, and Berlin in Germany; and five locations in London, Madrid, Paris, Stockholm, and New York City. The company was formerly known as Hypo Real Estate Bank AG and changed its name to Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG in June 2009. Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG is headquartered in Garching, Germany. Read More By Express News Service CONGRESS: Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi mocked at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent comments in an interview where he suggested that cloud and rain prevented Pakistani radars from detecting Indian fighter jets during the Balakot air strike. READ | Priyanka Gandhi holds roadshow in Indore He (PM) is a big defence expert, so he self-decided to whom the contract for making a fight craft should be given. Instead of opting for an institution (HAL) which holds expertise in making aircrafts since four decades, the contract was given to a company which has no experience of the job. He scripted a scam of Rs 30,000 crores, but thought that the weather is cloudy and hell not come on the radar. But he has come on the radar and has been exposed among masses, said Priyanka while addressing people at Indores commercial heart Rajwada after the road-show. READ | Memes on PM's 'cloud can help us escape radar' comment on Balakot airstrike trending The Congress leader also took a jibe at Modis recent comment on clicking picture with a digital camera in 1987. As per as I know, digital camera wasnt invented at that time. With Rajwada market in Indore being the hub of trading activity, Priyanka tried to strike a chord with traders over GST and demonetization. Our PM is such big an economist that he went for demonetization without consulting experts. He made you stand in queues outside banks for your own money by raising patriotism issue, but what was its result, she said. 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. MasTec, Inc. engages in the provision of infrastructure construction services. It operates through the following segments: Communications; Oil and Gas; Electrical Transmissions; Clean Energy and Infrastructure; and Other. The Communications segment performs engineering, construction, maintenance and customer fulfillment activities related to communications infrastructure, primarily for wireless and wireline/fiber communications, and install-to-the-home customers. The Oil and Gas segment offers services on oil and natural gas pipelines and processing facilities for the energy, and utilities industries. The Electrical Transmission segment deals with the energy and utility industries. The Clean Energy and Infrastructure segment serves energy, utility and other end-markets through the installation and construction of power generation facilities, including from clean energy and renewable sources such as wind, solar and biomass, as well as various types of heavy civil and industrial infrastructure. The Other segment comprises of equity investees, other small business units that perform construction, and other services for a variety of international end-markets. The company was founded by Read More With elections to the Lok Sabha entering its final leg, the incapability of the Election Commission of Indias (EC) machinery to ensure total free and fair elections in West Bengal is on full display. Sporadic violence happened during all the six phases of polling so far, the last one with as many as 71,000 paramilitary forces deployed in eight constituencies. In the sixth phase of polling, candidate Bharati Ghosh, a former IPS officer, was attacked twice by local goons when she tried to visit polling stations in her Ghatal constituency. Ghatal had drawn a lot of interest as Bharati was once known as CM Mamata Banerjees closest aide. The no-nonsense officer was a decorated UN peacekeeping force veteran. In Bengal, she won laurels from Mamata for driving out Maoists from Jungle Mahal before their relationship soured. Bharati joined the BJP in February and got the Ghatal ticket. If she cannot move around freely and safely despite the full deployment of security forces, who else can? FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Even before Mamata came to power, West Bengal had acquired notoriety for what was called scientific rigging to keep the Left Front perpetually in power. She apparently learnt her tricks from the Lefts playbook. Rigging acquired a new dimension this year with it being allegedly done to police postal ballots in Kerala where the ruling Left Front is fighting with its back to the wall. Leaders of the Left-leaning Kerala Police Association allegedly seized postal ballots of its members en masse and filled them up themselves. Votes cast by over 25,000 members of the state police are now under a cloud. In J&Ks Leh, there were allegations of Army officers themselves filling up postal ballots of jawans after asking them about their choice over the phone. In Tamil Nadu, too, where voting happened on April 18, there are reports of postal ballots not reaching many teachers and government officials who were on poll duty, indicating intentional, skewed distribution. Does the EC have what it takes to fix electoral rigging is the big question. The following companies are subsidiares of Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette Canada Holdings, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Gruppe Deutschland GmbH & Co. oHG, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Nova Scotia Company, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Poland S.A., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay, Giorgio Beverly Hills Inc., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, LLC "Procter & Gamble Novomoskovsk", LLL "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", Laboratorios Vicks, Liberty Street Music Publishing Company, Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', Limited Liability Company with foreign investments Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, New Chapter, New Chapter Canada Inc., Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G Prestige Service GmbH, P&G South African Trading (Pty.) Ltd., PGT Health Care (Zhejiang) Limited, PGT Healthcare LLP, PPI ZAO, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Procter & Gamble (Chengdu) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (East Africa) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Egypt) Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble (Enterprise Fund) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Health & Beauty Care) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Jiangsu) Ltd. China, Procter & Gamble (L&CP) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble (Shanghai) International Trade Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Acquisition GmbH, Procter & Gamble Administration GmbH, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chile , Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Commercial de Cuba S.A., Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent (Beijing) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deuttschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Philippines) Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company (Europe) BVBA, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana, Procter & Gamble Europe SA, Procter & Gamble Export Operations SARL, Procter & Gamble Exportadora e Importadora Ltda., Procter & Gamble Exports, Procter & Gamble Fabricacao e Comercio Ltda., Procter & Gamble Far East, Procter & Gamble Finance (U.K.) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. Sti., Procter & Gamble Seine S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services (Switzerland) SA, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Share Incentive Plan Trustee Ltd., Procter & Gamble South America Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. (Ltd.), Procter & Gamble Sports and Social Club Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology (Beijing) Co., Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Verwaltungs GmbH, Procter & Gamble Vietnam, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil S/A, Procter & Gamble do Brazil, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Redmond Products, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Richardson-Vicks do Brasil Quimica e Farmaceutica Ltda, Riverfront Music Publishing Co., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Scannon S.A.S., Series Acquisition B.V., Shulton, Surfac S.R.L., Sycamore Productions, TAOS - FL, TAOS Retail, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving - FL, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble GBS Company, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon (Shanghai) Academy, Vidal Sassoon Co., WEBA Betriebsrenten-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Walker & Company Brands, and iMFLUX Inc.. With the elections to the Indian Parliament nearly over, whichever party comes to power needs to seriously worry about how to kick-start the economy. In February, the Index of Industrial Production contracted for the first time in 21 months. To add to the slowdown woes, automobile sales fell to an eight-year-low in April. More worryingly the data put out by government agencies showed that capital equipment production shrank by a massive 8.7 per cent. Capital goods production is seen as an indicator for future growth as unless industries invest in new machinery and factories, there are hardly any chances for acceleration in the years ahead. The chances of a demand impetus from abroad to rescue domestic growth also seem quite bleak as trade war rages between the US and China. An economic blockade imposed by America on Iran will also ensure crude prices will rise. The election itself has seen an injection of fresh funds into the economy that could help push demand. It has been estimated that politicians and the state spent Rs 20,000- Rs 50,000 crore across the country. However, the manner in which this money has been injected is not very well understood and one cannot say how exactly it would impact the economy. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE The new government will have to devise better ways of boosting demand and creating jobs. It has to think beyond money injections while cutting the ever-increasing expenditure of governance. A slew of bold reforms would have to be taken: disinvestment, expansion of infrastructure, agricultural reforms, rationalising subsidies and a massive, calibrated reform of Indias banking and shadow banking sectors. Needless to say, the fiscal policies which the new government will need to bring in must be in tune with the overarching need to spur growth and jobs, not by increasing the tax burden on people and businesses, but by giving enough scope for growth to gather momentum. This in itself would increase revenue generation both for the nation and for tax collectors. The following companies are subsidiares of Sysco: 2234829 Alberta ULC, 2234842 Alberta ULC, A. M. Briggs Inc., A.M. Briggs, Almacen Fiscal Frionet Caldera S.A., Almacen Fiscal Frionet Limon S.A., Appert's Foodservice, Arnotts (Fruit) Limited, Asian Foods, Bahamas Food Holdings Limited, Bahamas Food Services Limited, Brake Bros, Brake Bros Foodservice Ireland Limited, Brake Bros. Foodservice Limited, Brake Bros. Holding I Limited, Brake Bros. Ltd., Brakes Foodservice NI Limited, Buchy Food Service, Buckhead Beef Co., Buckhead Meat & Seafood of Houston Inc., Buckhead Meat Company, Buckhead Meat Midwest Inc., Buckhead Meat of Dallas Inc., Buckhead Meat of Denver Inc., Buckhead Meat of San Antonio LP, Buzztable Inc., CAKE Corporation, Central Seafood Co., Christys Wine & Spirits Limited, Clafra Aktiebolag, Colorado Boxed Beef Co - Specialty meat-cutting division, Corporacion Frionet Sociedad Anonima, Crossgar Foodservice, Crossgar Foodservice Limited, Crown I Enterprises Inc., Cucina Acquisitions (UK) Limited, Cucina Finance (UK) Limited, Cucina French Holdings Limited, Cucina Fresh Finance Limited, Cucina Fresh Investments Limited, Cucina Lux Investments Limited, Curleys Quality Foods Limited (Third Party), Davigel Belgilux S.A., Davigel Espana S.A., Desert Meats & Provisions, Distagro, Doerle Food Service, Doughtie's Foods Inc., Dust Bowl City LLC, Eko Fagel Fisk o mittemellan AB, Enclave Insurance Company, Enclave Parkway Association Inc., Enclave Properties LLC, European Imports, European Imports Inc., Figg Inc., Freedman Meats, Freedman Meats Inc., Freedman-KB Inc., Fresh Direct (UK) Limited, Fresh Direct Group Limited, Fresh Direct Limited, Fresh Holdings Limited, FreshPoint, FreshPoint Arizona Inc., FreshPoint Atlanta Inc., FreshPoint California Inc., FreshPoint Central California Inc., FreshPoint Central Florida Inc., FreshPoint Connecticut LLC, FreshPoint Dallas Inc., FreshPoint Denver Inc., FreshPoint Hawaii LLC, FreshPoint Inc., FreshPoint Las Vegas Inc., FreshPoint North Carolina Inc., FreshPoint North Florida Inc., FreshPoint Oklahoma City LLC, FreshPoint Pompano Real Estate LLC, FreshPoint Puerto Rico LLC, FreshPoint San Francisco Inc., FreshPoint South Florida Inc., FreshPoint South Texas Inc., FreshPoint Southern California Inc., FreshPoint Tomato LLC, FreshPoint Vancouver Ltd., Freshfayre Limited, Fruktservice i Helsingborg AB, GHS Classic Drinks Limited, Gilchrist & Soames Inc., Gilchrist & Soames UK Limited, Guest Packaging LLC, Guest Supply, Guest Supply Asia Limited, Guest Supply Singapore Pte. Ltd., International Food Group, Isakssons Frukt & Gront AB, J & M Wholesale Meats, J. Kings Food Service Professionals, J. Kings Food Service Professionals Inc., Kent Frozen Foods, Les Ateliers Du Gout, Liquid Assets Limited, M&J Seafood Holdings Limited, M&J Seafood Limited, Manchester Mills LLC, Mayca Autoservicio S.A., Mayca Distribuidores S.A., Menigo Foodservice AB, Mitshim Etatu Supply LP, Newport Meat Company, Newport Meat Northern California Inc., Newport Meat Pacific Northwest Inc., Newport Meat Southern California Inc., Newport Meat of Nevada Inc., North Star Holding Corporation, North Star Seafood, North Star Seafood Acquisition Corporation, North Star Seafood LLC, PFS de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Palisades Ranch Inc., Pallas Foods, Pallas Foods Farm Fresh Unlimited Company, Pallas Foods Unlimited Company, Pauleys Produce Limited, Promotora del Servicios S.A. de C.V., Restaurangakdemien AB, Restaurant of Tomorrow Inc., Rohan Viandes Elaboration SAS, SMS Bermuda Holdings, SMS GPC International Limited, SMS GPC International Resources Limited, SMS Global Holdings S.a.r.l., SMS International Resources Ireland Unlimited Company, SMS Lux Holdings LLC, SOTF LLC, SYY Netherlands C.V., SYY Panama S. de R.L., Serca Foodservice, Servicestyckarna I Johannes AB, Servicios Ameriserve S.A. de C.V., Shenzhen Guest Supply Trading Co. Limited, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Bianchi Montegut, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Boiseau, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Garcelles, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) J.D. Lanjouan, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Le Dauphin, Specialty Meat Holdings LLC, Stockflag Limited, Stockholms Fiskauktion AB, Supplies on the Fly, Sysco Albany LLC, Sysco Asian Foods Inc., Sysco Atlanta LLC, Sysco Autoservicio S.A., Sysco Baltimore LLC, Sysco Baraboo LLC, Sysco Bermuda Partners L.P., Sysco Boston LLC, Sysco Canada Holdings S.a.r.l., Sysco Canada Inc., Sysco Central Alabama LLC, Sysco Central California Inc., Sysco Central Florida Inc., Sysco Central Illinois Inc., Sysco Central Pennsylvania LLC, Sysco Charlotte LLC, Sysco Chicago Inc., Sysco Cincinnati LLC, Sysco Cleveland Inc., Sysco Columbia LLC, Sysco Connecticut LLC, Sysco Corporation, Sysco Corporation Director's Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Employee's 401(k) Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Good Government Committee Inc., Sysco Corporation Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Executive Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Unemployment Benefits Plan Trust, Sysco Detroit LLC, Sysco Disaster Relief Foundation Inc., Sysco EI VI S. s.r.l., Sysco EU II S.a.r.l., Sysco EU III S.a.r.l., Sysco EU IV Capital Unlimited Company, Sysco EU IV S. s.r.l.., Sysco EU V S. s.r.l., Sysco Eastern Maryland LLC, Sysco Eastern Wisconsin LLC, Sysco Foundation Inc., Sysco France Holding SAS, Sysco France SAS, Sysco George Town II LLC, Sysco George Town Limited S. s.r.l.., Sysco Global Finance LLC, Sysco Global Finance LLP, Sysco Global Holdings B.V., Sysco Global Resources LLC, Sysco Global Services LLC, Sysco Grand Cayman Company, Sysco Grand Cayman II Company, Sysco Grand Cayman III Company, Sysco Grand Rapids LLC, Sysco Guernsey Limited, Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc., Sysco Guest Supply Europe Goods Wholesalers LLC, Sysco Guest Supply Europe Limited, Sysco Guest Supply LLC, Sysco Gulf Coast LLC, Sysco Hampton Roads Inc., Sysco Hawaii Inc., Sysco Holdings II LLC, Sysco Holdings LLC, Sysco Indianapolis LLC, Sysco International Food Group Inc., Sysco International Inc., Sysco Iowa Inc., Sysco Jackson LLC, Sysco Jacksonville Inc., Sysco Kansas City Inc., Sysco Knoxville LLC, Sysco Labs Europe Limited, Sysco Labs Pvt. Ltd., Sysco Leasing LLC, Sysco Lincoln Inc., Sysco Lincoln Transportation Company Inc., Sysco Long Island LLC, Sysco Los Angeles Inc., Sysco Louisville Inc., Sysco Memphis LLC, Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Canada Inc., Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Inc., Sysco Metro New York LLC, Sysco Minnesota Inc., Sysco Montana Inc., Sysco Nashville LLC, Sysco Netherlands Partners LLC, Sysco North Central Florida Inc., Sysco North Dakota Inc., Sysco Northern New England Inc., Sysco Philadelphia LLC, Sysco Pittsburgh LLC, Sysco Portland Inc., Sysco Raleigh LLC, Sysco Resources Services LLC, Sysco Riverside Inc., Sysco Sacramento Inc., Sysco San Diego Inc., Sysco San Francisco Inc., Sysco Seattle Inc., Sysco South Florida Inc., Sysco Southeast Florida LLC, Sysco Spain Holdings SLU, Sysco Spokane Inc., Sysco St. Louis LLC, Sysco Syracuse LLC, Sysco Technologies Cayman Ltd., Sysco Technologies LLC, Sysco UK Holdings Limited, Sysco UK Limited, Sysco UK Partners LLP, Sysco USA I Inc., Sysco USA II LLC, Sysco USA III LLC, Sysco Ventura Inc., Sysco Ventures Inc., Sysco Virginia LLC, Sysco West Coast Florida Inc., Sysco Western Minnesota Inc., The SYGMA Network Inc., Upsys, Victua SAS, Walker Foods Inc., Waugh Foods, and Wild Harvest Limited. 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. 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By PTI CHENNAI: Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday called on DMK president M K Stalin and was closeted with him for a little over an hour over forging an alternative front. Continuing his efforts to bring together regional parties, Rao called on Stalin at his Alwarpet residence here and discussed with him his idea for a federal front, DMK sources said. The permutations and combinations that may emerge at the national level following results to the Lok Sabha elections on May 23 were among the points discussed, the sources said. While the DMK dubbed the meeting as only a "courtesy visit," Rao did not meet the waiting reporters. Stalin had earlier proposed Congress President Rahul Gandhi's name for the Prime Minister's post and continues to stick to that. Apart from Stalin, senior DMK leaders like T.R. Baalu were present at the meeting with Rao. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Earlier in the month, Rao met his Kerala and Karnataka counterparts Pinarayi Vijayan and HD Kumaraswamy to discuss the formation of a federal front government after the results of the Lok Sabha election. After their meeting, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had said that the meeting with Rao was "highly significant" as he asserted that regional parties will play a major role in the formation of the next government at the Centre. "A new government will come at the Centre which will follow federal system and secularism. The state will effectively lend support to anyone who supports the development of the state. Our meeting on May 6 with KCR was highly significant," Vijayan had said. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's efforts to stitch up a third front government excluding the two principal political parties - the Congress and the BJP - also seem to be picking up pace with the conclusion of six of the seven phases of the general election. Polling for the remaining 59 Lok Sabha seats will take place in the last phase on May 19. Counting of votes will begin on May 23. (With IANS inputs) WESTMORELAND, N.Y. -- Norwich Bus Driver Samantha Call was honored for her heroic actions on Monday after saving a student getting off the bus from getting hit by an Illegally passing car. Brindisi met with Samantha Call, the hero bus driver from a Norwich bus, who pulled a student back onto the bus. "I saw the silver car coming and I dont think I even thought, I knew Matt was going to get hurt so I grabbed him," said Samantha Call. Her actions ultimately saved the boys life. She spoke at the Westmoreland Bus Garage calling attention to future incidents that happened to her. "It's our worst nightmare to see a student that close to danger as my student was that day. And I cant express how greatful I am that the congressman is going to push the issue and push the need for safer school bus stop awareness and to get the word out that this all needs to stop," said Call. He also met with other bus drivers and school administrators in Westmoreland Monday morning to discuss measures to make the bus stop safer. I think this legislation is very timely given some of the recent incidents we have seen regarding illegal school bus crossings. Every motorist has to be aware of school bus crossings out there. As a parent of two young children, it is something that is at the top of my mind. This legislation will help create a better view of the state laws that are out there. Really the key is to ensure the safety of our students, and this law will go a long way toward making that happen, Brindisi said. Brindisi laid out a comprehensive plan to prevent the illegal passing of school buses in the future. HERKIMER COUNTY- The Ilion-Frankfort VFW hosts a Mother's Day brunch. It was all you can eat for $10. Commanders for the local auxiliary were cooking the food. Organizers said they chose to have the brunch a little later in the day so more people would go, and they wouldn't interfere with church services. The schools in Warwick, Rhode Island, can put those sun butter and jelly sandwiches away: Someone is stepping up to pay the massive lunch debt of some of its students. That "someone" is yogurt company Chobani, which is paying off $47,650 of the $77,000 debt. The donation from Chobani will be used to pay the debts of low-income students, Courtney Marciano, spokeswoman for the city of Warwick, told CNN. Warwick Public School caused an uproar earlier this week when it announced that any students who had unpaid balances on their lunch accounts would receive a sunflower seed butter and jelly sandwich until their balance was paid. "As a parent, this news breaks my heart," Chobani founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya said in statement. "For every child, access to naturally nutritious and delicious food should be a right, not a privilege. When our children are strong, our families are stronger. And when our families are strong, our communities are stronger. Business can and must do its part to solve the hunger crisis in America and do its part in the communities they call home." In addition to paying off the debt, Chobani is also donating cups and yogurt to the community in Warwick. Lunch debt is a nationwide issue Several parents were furious about the school district's decision to give students with lunch debt a limited midday-meal option. They called it lunch shaming. "Just give the kids lunch," one parent wrote on the district's Facebook page. "We already lost a janitor, science teacher, don't have air conditioning, we can't spring for a chicken patty for a hungry kid? What if this is their only meal of the day?" The school district later said it was reviewing the policy. There are 1,653 families with outstanding lunch debts, CNN affiliate WJAR reported. Both school lunch debt and "lunch shaming" are huge problems in public schools nationwide. Last April, Rhode Island public schools reportedly faced $300,000 in student lunch debt. However, the practice of singling out students who have unpaid lunch debt has received widespread criticism. In 2017, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced a bill which would outlaw policies that publicize a student's lunch debt. These practices can include making a student wear a special sticker or wristband, or providing cold sandwiches instead of the usual hot-meal offering. Correction: This piece has been updated to say that Chobani is partially paying off the school lunch debt. It's donating $47,650. HILLSBORO, Ind. (WLFI) Indiana State Police have released a photo of the suspect who they say robbed a bank in Hillsboro Friday. As News 18 previously reported, it happened around 4:30 p.m. The man walked into the Centre Bank at 111 North Water Street and robbed the bank of an undisclosed amount of money. Master Trooper Detective Josh Edwards described the suspect as a man, approximately 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighing around 200 pounds. Police said he was wearing a white hard hat, a safety green hooded sweatshirt, dark construction/cargo type pants, brown gloves, silver wire rim glasses and possibly wearing a fake beard. Police said he handed the teller a note demanding cash. No gun was displayed but he did indicate that he had one. After receiving the cash, the man left the building on foot going north from the bank. No one was injured during the robbery. If anyone has information on the robbery or saw the suspect leave the bank, they can contact Detective Edwards at the Indiana State Police Post in Lafayette at (765) 567-2125. Information can remain anonymous. Mouli Mareedu By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A whopping 28 kg of gold worth Rs 9 crore has made RGIA the 5th most susceptible airport for gold smuggling across the world. This, after a total of 44 cases were registered pertaining to the same where 15 passengers were arrested in the first five months of the year. The spike in the number of such cases has left officials wondering as to why there were so many numbers of cases coming in especially when there is such a strict vigilance by customs officials and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials. As per officials, passengers seem to be flying to the city from different parts of the world like Singapore, Dubai, Bangkok and other countries. While some are doing it out of greed for commissions involved, others are falling prey by indulging in smuggling of gold as they are sometimes unaware of the rules. As per officials, the role of passengers is limited to bringing the gold to the city airport by accepting the commission. After this, the receivers play the main role which involves the exit of smuggled gold from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA). It is only after arresting the passengers smuggling the gold do officials get to know about the receivers and residents in the city who obtain the gold. Some notorious gang members indulge in operating gold smuggling from Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai and Qatar having contacts with the city residents. During the questioning of accused, it was revealed that some city persons who are settled in different countries around the world have joined forces with smuggling gang members and operate illegal activities. The gang members offer huge commission to passengers for transporting the gold illegally and the receivers for conducting a smooth exit of smuggled gold from the airport, say the customs officials. WhatsApp tracking The DRI and Customs officials said that when a passenger lands with luggage at the airport, the team of customs, who keep a vigil on suspects, come to know of gold smuggling by observing the body language, way of talking, their mannerism etc. By end of the day, the passengers are also to be checked at scanners while the customs department get all information of all arriving and departing passengers. The air intelligence and other informer system include tracking their WhatsApp messages, has also helped investigations. More difficult to trace the masterminds Despite busting many rackets of smuggling, officials are still clueless about the main gangsters responsible for pumping in money into the system. This is because these masterminds operate through middlemen, who are responsible for monitoring passengers and receiving the gold, on their behalf. Investigators may succeed in identifying the middlemen but have a tough time identifying masterminds in Singapore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Bangkok Roxxanne Newman, of Cumberland, graduated summa cum laude, with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Chemical Dependency and Addiction Studies during Rhode Island Colleges 165th commencement at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence Saturday. The G7 Fuxing bullet train departs the Beijing South Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, July 1, 2018. The new longer Fuxing bullet train ran on the Beijing-Shanghai line for the first time on Sunday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the new train measures more than 400 meters in length and has 16 carriages, twice as many as current ones. It can carry nearly 1,200 passengers. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) China's high-speed railway had transported more than 10 billion passengers by the end of the first quarter of 2019, a new world record, China Railway said on Saturday. By the end of March, the total volume was "3.34 trillion passenger-kilometers," China Railway said in a statement released on its official WeChat. China had almost 30,000 kilometers of high-speed railway track in 2018, twice as long as the rest of the world's railways combined, the statement noted. High-speed rail is proving an increasingly popular option for travelers in China. Railway authorities recorded more than 2 billion high-speed trips in 2018, an annual increase of nearly 17 percent, or over three-fifths of all rail passengers. China's volume of railway passenger transport, freight volume, transport density and other major transport economic indicators consistently ranks first in the world, China Railway said. Since China's first Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway in 2008, China has been the world No.1 in terms of operating mileage, the statement noted. The Fuxing bullet trains, which went into operation in 2017, have carried nearly 200 million passengers with an average passenger load of 75 percent, 1.3 percent higher than other high-speed trains, according to China Railway. China will see 850 Fuxing high-speed trains put into service by the end of this year. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will discuss various possibilities of formation of the next Central government with DMK chief MK Stalin when he meets him in Chennai on Monday. Rao, after clearing the names of candidates for the byelections of three MLCs from Local Authority Constituencies, left for Tiruchy in a special flight on Sunday. The TRS supremo will visit the Srirangam temple on Monday morning, and proceed to Chennai to continue his talks with parties that are primarily opposed to the BJP. Earlier it was reported that the meeting was unlikely to take place as Stalin was busy campaigning for the by-polls to four Tamil Nadu Assembly seats scheduled for May 19. The DMK sources also claimed that Stalin was not keen to meet with KCR as it would have led to a scenario of the party abandoning its alliance with the Congress. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE For one, Stalin was the first regional leader to pitch for Congress president Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister. Any meeting with KCR could risk creating a rift in the alliance. Also, DMK may have to rely on support from the Congress eight MLAs if it gets an opportunity to form a government in Tamil Nadu after the results of the by-polls to 22 Assembly seats are announced. The DMK has 88 seats at present. Even if it wins all 22 seats, it will still have only 110 seats and so the support of the Congress and IUML (with one seat) will be essential to form a government. Rao recently held talks with his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan on the possible contours of the next dispensation and what role the parties sharing the same wavelength of the TRS could play in its emergence. Vijayan is not only opposed to the BJP, but also the Congress. Cindy Rojan, of Lincoln, waves to family members while taking part in the processional of Rhode Island Colleges 165th Commencement at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence Saturday. China is an East Asian state and the most populous country on earth with over 1.404 billion people. China has jurisdiction over four direct-controlled municipalities (Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing), 4 autonomous regions, and 22 provinces. It is one of the earliest civilizations on earth which emerged fertile basin of Huang He (the sixth longest river on earth) in the North plain of China. The regions political structure was based on dynasties or monarchies for centuries. Is China Bigger than the United States? No, the United States has a bigger total area than China due its the coastal waters off the American island territories and states. The United States occupies a total area of about 3.8 million square miles while China has an area of approximately 3.7million square miles. However, China has a bigger land area than the United States. The Chinese land area is about 2.2% bigger than the United States (3.5 million square miles). China has a land area of approximately 3.6 million square miles, and this land area doesnt include numerous undisputed territories. Taiwan became a Chinese territory after ROC (Republic of China) was defeated in the 1950 Chinese Civil War. The government of the ROC escaped leaving the peoples republic of China controlling Taiwan and numerous islands. China has two disputed territories which India including Arunachal Pradesh (34,749 sq miles) in South Tibet and Aksai Chin (14,380 sq miles) near Kashmir. If these territories were to be reunited with China, the Chinese land area would be 4% bigger than the U.S. The Chinese have undertaken numerous contentious projects of building in uninhabited islands which they claim in the South China Sea. Claiming the uninhabited islands can help China increase the size of their maritime area, but at the risk of political and ecological destabilization. Geography The Chinese territory is quite diverse and vast ranging from the subtropical forests to the Taklamakan desert and Gobi desert in the northern parts of the country. China is separated from Central and Southern China by the Tian Shan, Pamir, Himalaya, and Karakoram mountain ranges. China has a 9,000miles long coastline along the Pacific Ocean, and its bounded by South China, East China, Bohai, and Yellow Seas. China is home to two of the longest rivers in the world; the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. The country is connected to the Eurasian Steppe via the Kazakh border. Mount Everest, the worlds highest point, is on the Nepalese-Sino border. The lowest point in China and the third lowest on earth is the dried bed of Lake Ayding in the Turfan Depression. Climate The Chinese climate is dominated by the wet monsoons and dry seasons that cause the pronounced temperature difference between summer and winter. The southern winds blowing from the coastal regions are moist and warm during summer. The northern winds from the high-altitude regions are dry and cold in winter. One of the main environmental issues affecting China is the expansion of its deserts like the Gobi Desert. The Chinese climate differs for place to place due to the states complex topography. The climate ranges from the subarctic in the alpine and far north to the tropical in the south. Precipitation in the region is concentrated in warm months. Ceara is a Brazilian state in the Northeast Region of the country on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. With an area of 146,348 square km, it is the 17th largest state by area. The population of the state is 8,606,005 individuals that makes it the 8th most populous state in Brazil. Ceara is one of the top tourist destinations in Brazil. It is known for its beautiful landscapes including an extensive coastline, mountains, plateaus, forests, and valleys. It has a varied environment of mangroves, tropical forest, jungle, scrubland, and more, and is home to a great diversity of flora and fauna. Capital Of Ceara Fortaleza is the capital city of Ceara. The city is located on the banks of the Pajeu creek 2285 km from countrys capital of Brasilia. The municipality of Fortaleza occupies an area of 314.93 square km and the metro area spreads across 7,440.053 square km. The average elevation of the city is 21 m. Fortaleza experiences a typical tropical climate. High temperatures and humidity prevail all year round. Fortaleza Fortaleza is Brazils fifth largest city by population. As per the 2010 Census, Fortaleza was home to a population of 2,315,116 people. The recorded history of the capital of Ceara began on February 2, 1500, when the Portuguese first landed on the Atlantic coast near where the city now stands. In 1603, the Portuguese began colonizing the territory and established a fort in the area. The Dutch drove out the Portuguese and occupied the fort in 1637. In 1644, however, battles between the natives and the Portuguese led to the destruction of the fort and the building of a new fort in 1649. When the Portuguese came back to power in 1654, the fort was handed over to them by the Dutch and renamed Fortaleza da Nossa Senhora de Assuncao after which the city is named. The settlement of Fortaleza was formally founded as a village in 1726 and it was declared the capital of the Ceara state in 1799. It soon started rapidly developing and its nearness to the coast allowed trade and commerce to flourish. Economy Of Fortaleza As of 2013, Fortaleza was ranked as Brazils 12th most prosperous city with a GDP of US$21 billion. It is also the North and Northeast Regions richest metropolis. Fortaleza has emerged as one of the major commercial and industrial hubs of the country. The tertiary sector of Fortaleza is extremely diversified and is its main economic source. It is also one of the most visited Brazilian cities and tourism revenues contribute significantly to the wealth of the city. Espirito Santo is a state located in the southeastern part of Brazil. With an area of 46,077.5 km2 and an estimated population of 3,885,049, Espirito Santo ranks as the 5th least extensive Brazilian state and the 15th most populous. Vitoria is the capital of Espirito Santo. Espirito Santo has an extensive coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and therefore features some of the countrys busiest ports and most popular tourist beaches. For example, the municipality of Conceicao da Barra, located in the northeastern part of Espirito Santo, is famous for its sand dunes and forro tradition, and attracts visitors from around the world. Capital of Espirito Santo Vitoria is strategically located on a riverine island, in a bay at the area of confluence of several rivers and the sea. The city proper encompasses an area of 93 km2, which includes the main island, 34 surrounding small islands, and a small part of mainland Brazil. Vitoria features a jagged coastline and 40% of its total area is covered by hills, but the city has an average elevation of only 4 m above sea level. The city experiences a tropical climate and has an average temperature of 23 C. History of Vitoria During the colonial period, the first capital of the Brazilian Captaincy of Espirito Santo was Vila Velha, which is located on mainland Brazil and is currently the largest city in the state. However, Vila Velha was highly vulnerable to attacks and raids by indigenous populations and other European colonialists, namely Dutch and French, and so the capital was moved. An island near the mainland was selected as the new capital, and Vila Nova do Espirito Santo was founded on September 8, 1551. Following an important victory in a battle between the the Goytacaz Amerindians and the Captaincy led by Vacso Fernandes Coutinho, Vila Nova do Espirito Santo was renamed Vitoria meaning "victory." Demographics of Vitoria According to 2013 estimates, Vitoria has a population of 358,875 and a population density of 3,546.7 persons per square kilometer. Additionally, the city contains the following population groups: White (52.33%); Pardo or Mixed-Race (38.46%); Black (7.43%); Asian or Amerindian (0.78%). Christianity is the predominant religion practiced in the city, as 63.36% and 22.18% of Vitorias population are Catholic and Protestant, respectively, while 10.53% of the population does not adhere to any religion. Economy of Vitoria The majority of Vitoria's economy is based on port activities, industry, tourism, and active trade. Vitoria has two ports, Port of Tubarao and Port of Vitoria, both of which are among the busiest in the country. The Port of Tubarao is the second busiest cargo port in all of South America. Given its thriving economy, Vitoria features a high overall quality of life. In fact, the United Nations ranked Vitoria as Brazils fourth-best state capital to live in. Florida was admitted into the Union in 1845 as the 27th state. The state is known for its balmy climates as well as its natural beauty. Florida's geographical location has contributed significantly to the state's historical and modern day development. The state's strategic position at the entrance of the Gulf of Mexico made it a prized possession for the colonial powers that controlled the territory. Early Settlements Florida was initially occupied by Native American peoples who entered the area from the north nearly 12,000 years ago. Smaller groups of indigenous people continued to arrive in the region after 500 BCE. By the 16th century, the Native American population that lived in Florida numbered several hundred thousand. European Exploration The region that is now the state of Florida was originally a Spanish colony. Among the first Europeans to arrive in Florida was Juan Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer, who in 1513 claimed the territory for Spain. He also named the newly discovered land as "La Florida" which means The Flower." Juan left on an intermission and returned eight years later to establish a colony near Fort Myers. He was however mortally wounded by the Calusa indigenous tribe in 1521 and died in Havana Cuba in the same year. In 1528, 400 men led by Panfilo de Narvaez arrived in Florida and set out on a disastrous expedition to learn more about the territory which reduced the force to 15 men. In 1536, Hernando de Soto led another disastrous expedition that was focused on western Florida. Tristan de Luna attempted to set up a colony near Pensacola Bay nearly 20 years later, but the settlement was destroyed by a hurricane and was abandoned in 1561. In 1564, French Protestants established Fort Caroline near modern Jacksonville but were massacred by the Spanish in 1565. In 1763, the Spanish handed over Florida to Britain as part of a treaty to end seven years of war. Florida was however handed back to the Spanish at the end of the American War of Independence in 1783. The United States occasionally entered the Spanish territory during the First Seminole War between 1817 and 1818. Establishment of Florida In 1821, the Spanish agreed to cede Florida to the United States in return for the cancellation of debts. The increasing number of white settlers led the US government to convince some Seminole Chiefs to sign a treaty that offered them land elsewhere. Many, however, refused to leave which led to the Second Seminole War (1835 to 1842) which forced a majority of Seminoles to leave Florida. A steady increase in the population led to statehood aspirations among the residents, and on March 3, 1845 Florida joined the Union as the 27th state. Modern Florida Today, Florida attracts large numbers of visitors due to its climate and beautiful scenery. The service sector which is anchored by the tourism industry is the main component of the states economy ahead of manufacturing and agriculture. The state is also home to St. Augustine which is Florida's oldest city and among the oldest European settlements in the nation. The Uyghur people are Turkics found in East and Central Asia. Turkic people are an ethnolinguistic group of people found in Asia, Europe, and North America who share to a certain extent, common ancestry, cultural traits, and historical background and also speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. The Uyghurs are mainly found in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. They are one of Chinas officially recognized ethnic minority groups. There are approximately 11.3 million Uyghurs in China and about 1.6 million in other parts of the world. Apart from Xinjiang, they are also found in large numbers in Taoyuan County. Uyghurs are also found in Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Most of the Uyghur people practice Islam. Language Before the Turkic people moved to the Tarim Basin, the native people spoke different languages including Tocharian, Saka, and Gandhari. When the Turkics moved into the region, at about the 9th century, they brought with them their languages which slowly replaced the original languages. By the 11th century, Uyghurs spoke a pure Turkic language. The language spoken by the modern Uyghur is classified under a branch of a Turkic language family called Karluk. The word order of the Uyghur language is always subject-object-verb. The language also has a vowel harmony and verb and noun cases but lacks gender distinction form. The Uyghurs have also used other scripts like Chagatay alphabet (from Arabic script) for their languages. Music and Dance The musical style of the Uyghurs is known as Muqam. The style was developed by the Uyghurs in northwestern China and Central Asia. The 12 Muqams were recorded by traditional performers and edited into a more systematic system. This classical musical style has been designated by UNESCO as a part of Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The traditional folk dance of the people is known as Sanam, mainly danced at weddings, parties, and festive occasions. The dance is performed alongside musical accompaniments and singing. Cuisine The food of the Uyghurs is a mix of both Chinese and Central Asian cuisine. The most popular dish is the pilaf or polu, a common dish throughout Central Asia. This dish is prepared by first frying mutton and carrots with onion in oil then adding water and rice. Other dishes include kawaplar and leghmen. Most of the dishes are characterized by mutton, chicken, beef, carrots, onions, and pepper. Guests are normally treated with tea and fruits before they are served the main dish. By Associated Press FUJAIRAH (United Arab Emirates): Saudi Arabia on Monday said two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused "significant damage" to the vessels, one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States. The announcement by the kingdom's energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, came as the US issued a new warning to sailors and the UAE's regional allies condemned the reported sabotage on Sunday of four ships off the coast of the port city of Fujairah. The statement came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the city's port. Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible. The US has warned ships that "Iran or its proxies" could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran. Shortly after the Saudi announcement, Iran's Foreign Ministry called for further clarification about what exactly happened with the Saudi tankers. The ministry' spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying there should be more information about the incident. Mousavi also warned against any "conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers" and "adventurism by foreigners" to undermine the maritime region's stability and security. Tensions have risen in the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Iran's economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. In his statement, al-Falih said the attacks on the two tankers happened at 6 a.m. Sunday. "One of the two vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to Saudi Aramco's customers in the United States," al-Falih said. "Fortunately, the attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels." Saudi Arabia did not identify the vessels involved, nor did it say whom it suspected of carrying out the alleged sabotage. The kingdom's Foreign Ministry condemned the incident in a statement published on the state-run Saudi Press Agency on Monday as a "criminal act" that threatens the "safety of maritime traffic, which reflects negatively on regional and international peace and security." Al-Falih also said the attack aimed to undermine the "security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world" and emphasized the "joint responsibility of the international community to protect" the safety of maritime navigation and oil tankers. Underling the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the incident as a "serious escalation." "Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger," Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen's internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage. On May 2, the 101st Illinois General Assembly passed House Bill 1633, entitled New Penalties for Protests Near Critical Infrastructure. A draft version of the bill was produced by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in the aftermath of the 2016 Dakota Access Pipeline protests. It was introduced to the Illinois legislature by Republican Representative Joe Sosnowski, a registered member of ALEC. The coordinated effort in passing this type of legislation all over the US means Illinois H.B. 1633 bill is nearly identical to similar bills being pushed through numerous state legislatures, including Oklahoma, North and South Dakota, West Virginia, Tennessee and more. In the last two years, 15 such bills have been enacted nationally while 26 are pending further review and votes. These are driven in large part by oil and energy corporations through the pro-business think-tank ALEC. ALEC has for decades produced model bills on a broad range of issues, including deregulation and individual and corporate taxation, immigration, loosening restrictions on environmental regulations, tighter voter identification rules, weakening labor organizing and opposition to gun control. The essential element of the current infrastructure bills is to provide the states with the judicial authority to suppress strikes, demonstrations and protests on the pretext of protecting property and the right to free speech. The text of the Illinois bill expands and modifies the criminal penalties for damage to any infrastructure, private property and workplaces, as one critic notes, elevat[ing] a patchwork of locations and equipment to the same level of protection currently and exclusively afforded to nuclear power plants. (Indivisible Chicago) The text of the bill also expands the offense of criminal trespass, creating new categories of misdemeanor and felonies that would hold accountable any business, corporation or organization deemed involved with the individual or group: The industry protection list includes everything from telephone poles, cell towers, TV stations, railroad tracks, and ports to steel plants, coal mines and pipelines. The legislation also provides a legal excuse for pursuing harsh penalties for superficial offenses as well as criminalizing the exercise of ones right to protest. It is notable that conspiracy appears numerous times in the legislation, indicating the aim of the bill is to deter and harshly punish organized and coordinated protest, strike and demonstration activity. One representative clause reads: [I]f a business, corporation or organization is convicted of conspiracy to commit any of the offenses the entity shall, in addition to any other applicable penalty, be sentenced to a fine of not less than 10 times the minimum fine authorized for the offense. The bill passed the Democrat-controlled Illinois House by a vote of 77 yes to 28 no. Pending a May 14 hearing by a compliance subcommittee, it is expected to proceed to the Senate and then to Democratic governor and multibillionaire J.B. Pritzker for his signature. The prototype legislation for the anti-protest bills is Oklahomas House Bill 1123, entitled New Penalties for Protests Near Critical Infrastructure, introduced by Republican Scott Biggs and passed in 2017. According to NPR, Trespassing is already illegal in Oklahoma. In its current form, HB 1123 creates three new classes of the crime and assigns minimum penalties for people trespassing on a dozen types of critical infrastructure. The classes range from a misdemeanor to felonies for people who damage or inhibit operations, or intend to. The minimum fines range from $100 to $100,000. The bill also adds steeper penalties for groups found to have conspired with trespassers that damage or tamper with critical infrastructure, though the state has anti-conspiracy laws on the books Minimum fines levied on critical infrastructure conspirators could be as high as $1 million. Though the seemingly narrower intent of these bills is to prevent protesters from resisting the expansion of oil and energy infrastructure, as in the case of the Dakota Access pipeline, the general wording and broad categories used are intended to create legal avenues for the prosecution of demonstrators more widely, including those that take place near manufacturing plants or state capitol protests by teachers or other groups of workers. The claims about national security in the bill are entirely fraudulent and being employed here to excuse a violent crackdown on political activity in anticipation of major social struggles. In an ACLU report published in March of 2018, Vera Eidelman writes that the bills are written so broadly that they could impose criminal penalties and devastating fines simply for offering food or housing to protesters. For instance, a bill currently being considered in Wyoming would impose a $1 million penalty on any person or organization that encourages certain forms of environmental protest. Legislation introduced in Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, and North Dakota would have allowed drivers to hit protesters with cars without criminal repercussions. Many environmental organizations, including Greenpeace, are facing near billion-dollar lawsuits by Energy Transfer Partners alleging that a criminal enterprise was put in place to stop the [Dakota Access] Pipeline project. By burdening these organizations with astronomical costs for legal defense and penalties, it will force them to abandon their operations and with it their opposition and criticism. Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia signed into law in March of 2018 HB 4618, Eliminating Police Liability for Deaths While Dispersing Riots and Unlawful Assemblies. The law strengthens West Virginias already restrictive rioting laws, to further empower the police. Authorities are not to be held liable for the deaths and wounding that occur in the course of dispersing riots and unlawful assemblies. Under prior West Virginia law, if a bystander was asked to leave a protest or assembly and failed to do so, he or she would be deemed a rioter. The new law eliminates police liability if anyone present, as a spectator or otherwise, be killed or wounded, while the authorities may use any means to disperse unlawful assemblies or arrest those involved. That law was passed during a statewide teachers strike when tens of thousands protested at the state capitol in February 2018. The US Congress sent a bipartisan letter to the Department of Justice signed by 84 members asking officials to prosecute pipeline activists as terrorists under the USA PATRIOT Act. Reuters noted in October 2017, A terrorism expert said it was ironic the lawmakers referred to the law, which defines domestic terrorism as acts dangerous to human life intended to intimidate civilians but does not offer a way to prosecute anyone under it. This oversight is being redressed with the passage of these bills. Campus protests Capitalist politicians in Illinois have mounted another effort this year to tamp down and control protests, this time on college campuses, under the cover of free speech. House Bill 2280 would seem to be anything but a defense of that. The bill is entitled, Mandatory Sanctions for Campus Protesters, providing disciplinary sanctions applied to peaceful protesters on university campuses and requiring public universities and community colleges to adopt a policy prohibiting and subjecting to sanction any protests or demonstrations that infringe upon the rights of others to engage in or listen to expressive activity on campus. Violators would be suspended for at least one year and expelled for a second offense if found responsible for infringing on the expressive rights of others. The essence of the bill is that individuals or groups who choose to invoke their First Amendment Rights to free speech could be found to be violating other individuals or groups rights, thereby creating a Catch-22, the intent of which is to curb protest and demonstrations on campuses in the face of the overt promotion of extreme-right politics at the highest levels (see: Beloit College students protest speech by Blackwater founder). The objective of all these laws and penalties are to put in place further legal means to criminalize dissent and protest. The bourgeoisie is seeking to respond to opposition, strikes and protests with unrestrained force. The ruling class, lurching from crisis to crisis and riven internally, is not willing to countenance dissent. The author also recommends: Americas industrial slaughterhouse [25 September 2018] A packed public meeting in London yesterday, convened by the Socialist Equality Party (UK), issued a powerful call for the mobilisation of the working class in defence of jailed WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange and courageous whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Around 150 attended and many more watched a livestream of the event on the SEPs Facebook channel. The event was also broadcast live on the YouTube channel of independent journalist Gordon Dimmack to an audience of several thousand people. Alice Summers, Ulrich Rippert, chair Richard Tyler, Chris Marsden and Clara Campos Speakers included leaders from the Socialist Equality Parties in Britain, Australia, the United States and Germany, with Clara Campos representing the Julian Assange Defence Committee (JADC). SEP National Secretary Chris Marsden and Uli Rippert, the national secretary of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP-Socialist Equality Party), who travelled to the meeting from Berlin, warned that the criminal methods being employed against Assange exposed the lurch of the imperialist powers to authoritarianism and war. Oscar Grenfell spoke on behalf of the SEP in Australia and Niles Niemuth from the SEP in the United States. Alice Summers represented the International Youth and Students for Social Equality in the UK. For the last seven years, Campos and other members of the JADC maintained a vigil outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The vigil continued until the day that Assange was illegally seized, arrested and dragged out of the Embassy by British police on April 11. Campos said, For years we stood vigil outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in support of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange, witnessing the Embassy siege by the Metropolitan Police The intention clear, his arrest and silencing, and collecting all information relating to his publishing operation with a view of stopping him. She added, His brutal arrest on the 11th of April intensifies his arbitrary detention further. We must act now, mobilising to free him. He is one of us. The audience at the meeting Rippert explained that the SGP were standing in the European elections and that winning the freedom of Assange and Manning was being made a central issue in the partys campaign. He said that the freedom of Asange and Manning would be secured on the basis of a mass movement of workers and youth in their defence. He said to applause, "The future is not decided in Westminster. The future is not decided by the Chancellory in Berlin. It's not decided in Brussels and the headquarters of the EU and its definitely not decided in the European Parliament. It's decided by the people who are sitting in this room." Summers said, The persecution of the WikiLeaks founder is a concentrated expression of the turn towards authoritarianism and the drive to war by the global capitalist class. Grenfell noted that the SEP in Australia had held a number of protests to demand the freedom of Assange and Manning, receiving a powerful response from workers, students and young people. To applause he stated, Weve stressed that we are not issuing a plaintive appeal to the Australian government or to any of the official parties. Their participation in the attacks on Assange demonstrates that they are the enemies of democratic rights and of the working class. Niemuth said Assange and Manning are two courageous individuals who have the support of workers all over the world which must be organised and developed. They are the targets of an international conspiracy by the ruling elites and a fight to defend them must be based on an international movement of the working class. Marsden said that the Socialist Equality Party views the defence of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning as the spearhead of an emerging global struggle against imperialism. He noted that their arrests and jailing were part of an eruption of imperialist militarism and break with democratic forms of rule that, together with the cultivation of far-right forces, is too fundamental a shift to be explained away as the actions of criminal political elements in the ruling elite such as Trump. They are the malignant symptoms of a global capitalist system that is in terminal crisis. Following these speeches, a lively discussion was held with a number of questions put to the speakers and strong contributions made from the floor. The meeting votes to pass the resolution, Free Julian Assange! Free Chelsea Manning! A resolution was unanimously adopted (see full text below) opposing the US extradition proceedings underway against Assange and calling for workers and young people to join the fight for Assange and Mannings freedom. The strong turnout in London and determined audience, who listened attentively to contributions for over two hoursdefying the lies and smears of the corporate and state mediaexpresses the growing international support for Assange and Manning. A full report will be published in the coming days. A video recording of the meeting can be viewed on Gordon Dimmacks YouTube channel. The resolution passed at the meeting: Free Julian Assange! Free Chelsea Manning! This public meeting in London condemns the arrest, imprisonment and US extradition proceedings against WikiLeaks founder, publisher and journalist Julian Assange. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Assange and courageous whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Assange and Manning have been targeted for exposing war crimes, corporate and state corruption and anti-democratic conspiracies that have cost more than one million lives in Iraq and Afghanistan alone. The state persecution of Assange and Manning for publishing true information to the worlds people is the political crime of the 21st century. This meeting issues an urgent call to all workers and young people, and all genuine defenders of democratic rights, to join the fight for Assange and Mannings freedom. We say to Assange and Manning: You are not alone, you have not been abandoned, you have not been forgotten. You will be freed. Mahatma Gandhi Hall, Fitzroy Square London, May 12, 2019 As part of his bogus fair go pitch to angry and disaffected voters in this weeks federal election, Labor Party leader Bill Shorten announced last month a $2.3 billion funding boost over four years to cancer treatment. In his reply to the Liberal-National Coalition governments budget, Shorten feigned sympathy for cancer patients and their families and initially peddled the illusion that all treatments would become free. In reality, Labors plan would still leave patients having to raise thousands of dollars for life-saving treatment. And it would do nothing to address the wider issues of fees, waiting lists and lack of services throughout the chronically-underfunded public hospital and health system. The Labor Party has claimed that it would provide three million more annual medical specialist visits, subsidise additional medical treatments and MRI machines to diagnose cancer, and boost research grants. Even if implemented in full, however, the plan would not significantly reduce the exorbitant costs of cancer therapy and care. Australias public health insurance program, Medicare, is comprised of a complex labyrinth of services funded by state and federal governments to varying degrees. While treatment at public hospitals and related facilities is covered, and medications are subsidised by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, many procedures and treatments are available only privately. Funding cuts result in treatments being regularly removed from the subsidised list of Medicare benefits. Additionally, many medical specialists and general practitioners, responding to frozen or declining payments for their services, have abandoned Medicares program for free clinic visits, known as bulk-billing, and instead charge patients directly, with limited part of the cost redeemable from Medicare. Currently, only 31 percent of oncologists offer bulk-billed services. Although Labor has proposed to increase the figure to 80 percent by additional government payments, many cancer specialists are likely to increase their fees above the subsidised level. Australian Medical Association (AMA) president Tony Bartone noted: What weve seen in that announcement is a recognition that Medicare rebates are woefully inadequate and bear no resemblance to the cost of care. Currently, much of the medical imaging required for cancer diagnosis and treatment is controlled by the expensive private sector. Labors planned subsidy of $600 million would not increase the number of imaging machines publicly controlled, but would act as a handout to private companies. The expected bonanza has seen an increase in the stock prices of major imaging companies such as Integral, Capitol Health and Healius. Modern medicine, particularly for complex diseases like cancer, requires the collaboration of multiple medical specialties and other healthcare workers for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Additional services, such as dentistry, physiotherapy, rehabilitation and mental health, are either not covered publicly or to such a limited extent that only a small proportion of patients can benefit from them. Cancer patients, even those going through the public system, are often forced to pay for non-subsidised treatments or elective services and other health programs that are essential to their survival or quality of life and dignity. Shortens proposals will not add an iota of public funding to any of these areas. A study published in the Medical Journal of Australia last year indicated that the typical patient with breast cancer would spend $4,200 within two years of diagnosis, with similar figures for prostate, lung, colorectal, and melanoma cancers, collectively the most common in the country. Costs over five years are greater still. A breast cancer patient can expect to spend nearly $17,200 over this time. These figures do not account for lost income due to inability to work, or the effects on family members who must care for their loved ones. Patients going through the private system, hoping to bypass the often long public wait-times for treatment, spend on average double the amounts above, with rarely any improvement in service. Furthermore, in a bid to boost their declining funding, many public hospitals have taken to charging the private health insurance funds of patients, often without their knowledge or consent. This situation is not limited to cancer patients. A study published in the Australian Journal of Public Health in 2016 indicated that 40 percent of patients with chronic diseases, including mental health disorders, and 30 percent of those with chronic lung diseases, could not afford the medications they had been prescribed. No one should believe that Labor will carry through with its promise of additional cancer care funding. The fact that this proposal was made before an election in which hostility to both Labor and the Coalition has seen their opinion polling sink to near-record lows indicates that this is a sop meant to palliate popular discontent. Henry Cutler, a health economist at Macquarie University, pointed to the fraud. He told the Sydney Morning Herald that spending would have to be limited. Once you reduce the price of a test to zero, that will increase the demand for testing, he said. Labor would be confronted with a need to provide additional funding, a situation that the corporate elite considers intolerable. Shorten said the cancer care plan would be funded by making multinationals pay their fair share and closing tax loopholes used by the top end of town. He did not explain how big business would be made to cough up. Since the Hawke government took office in 1983, successive governments have repeatedly slashed the taxes paid by corporations and the wealthiest layers of society. Labor poses as the defender of Medicare, as it was the Whitlam Labor government that initially introduced the scheme, then called Medibank, in 1975, as a concession to demands by the working class for access to free, high quality healthcare. At the tail end of the post-World War II economic boom, the ruling class was still able to make limited social reforms to contain the opposition of workers. Today, with Australian capitalism facing the collapse of the mining boom, an imploding property bubble and an intensifying US-China trade war, no concessions are possible. Even if the cancer plan were enacted, a Labor government would abandon its promises at the first sign of opposition from the corporations or a deterioration in the international economic situation. Labors defence of corporate profit interests makes impossible the provision of high quality and free healthcare to all patients, regardless of the disease or circumstances they confront. Only if a workers government, acting on a socialist program, wrests control of the healthcare system from the pharmaceutical and insurance companies, private hospital corporations, and financial institutions, can the basic provision of healthcare truly be based on human need, and not private profit. The author also recommends: Australian public hospitals relying on private patients [16 March 2017] Australian health care costs among the worst internationally [26 April 2018] Authorised by James Cogan for the Socialist Equality Party, Suite 906, 185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000. At DePaul University in Chicago, students held a protest on May 1 against philosophy professor Jason D. Hill over a recent article he wrote for the Federalist, The Moral Case for Israel Annexing the West Bankand Beyond. The same day, DePaul faculty voted on a resolution condemning the anti-democratic and violently militaristic content of Hills article. Hill is the author of Civil Disobedience and the Politics of Identity: When We Should Not Get Along, Beyond Blood Identities: Posthumanity in the Twenty-First Century and We Have Overcome: An Immigrants Letter to the American People, and makes regular appearances on right-wing media programs including Fox News. In the Federalist piece, Hill claims that Israel is morally justified in annexing the West Bank in its entirety, and that the Palestinians, as culturally inferior people, should be stripped of their political rights. He goes on to assert the US should support Israel in carrying out massive military violence. In response to these statements, DePaul students called for the university to formally censure Hill, to commit him to racial sensitivity training and to issue an immediate public apology addressing Arab, Palestinian, Muslim and other marginalized students who should feel safe on campus and able to freely register for classes. A student petition circulated last month also objected to Hills criticism of the Trump administration for not extending the travel ban that targets majority Muslim countries, to include Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In his recent essay, Hill argues that Israel was far too kind to the Palestinians in the Six-Day War of 1967, saying it was a mistake not to organize mass deportations of Arabs to Jordan from the territory Israel sought to control. At its May 1 meeting, the DePaul Faculty Council voted 2110 to support a resolution that condemned Hills article. The resolution reproached Hill for not attending to historical and contemporary facts about Israeli-Palestinian relations, promoting racism and rejecting the dignity of other religions and cultures, as contrary to the DePaul mission. The resolution that passed was a modified version of an earlier and more strongly worded document that repudiated Hills article as an abuse of his academic freedom in advocat[ing] for war crimes and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian populations of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Faculty Council President Scott Paeth noted this vote was not the formal censure of the professor that students demanded, but rather condemned the content of Hills statements in the Federalist . Paeth said of the vote, Its intended to express our support for the principle of academic freedom, generally speaking, and particularly in the case of Jason Hill. On the other hand, it is intended to express our condemnation of the content of what was written in that article. We needed to do these two things: say, yes he has a right to say this, no we dont agree with it. And we wanted to express our solidarity with the student perspective recognizing the fact this is a complex issue and that they justifiably felt personally attacked, Paeth said. Hill promotes a perverse viewpoint he terms moral cosmopolitanism, which stakes out a position against anyone adopting a national, cultural, racial, ethnic or other traditional group identity in favor of a conception of individual identity based on right-wing ideologue Ayn Rands rancid, anti-social and anti-communist outlook. Hill wrote in the Federalist: Not all cultures are indeed equal. Some are abysmally inferior and regressive based on their comprehensive philosophy and fundamental principlesor lack thereofthat guide or fail to protect the inalienable rights of their citizens. Given the voting patterns of Palestinianstowards Islamicism and terrorist organizations for the most partthat openly advocate and work for Israeli and Jewish destruction and annihilation, a strong argument can and ought to be made to strip Palestinians of their right to voteperiod. The US, he went on, must supply Israel even more military capabilities, and fund Israels military defense in any manner Israel deems necessary for its survival and unrivaled military status in the Middle East... Should a regional conflict between Israel and her Arab neighbors emerge, Israel will need to demonstrate extraordinary, excessive, and unprecedented military might in a manner that can act as a deterrent and, if necessary, to irrevocably destroy her offensive enemies. In an article last year published in the Hill, he took aim at liberal immigration policies and rejected the rule of law governing immigration. Hill asserted the American intelligence community should be the ultimate authority controlling who may enter the US: The idea of open borders presupposes that immigration is a human right or constitutional mandate, but actually it is a privilege granted by a host country. That privilege, when dispensed, is based on several criteria that ought to be left to the discretion of our national intelligence community. Hill has also shared social media posts from virulently anti-Muslim figures, including the far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer. Loomer has since been banned from Twitter for hate speech. Despite the majority support for a resolution condemning Hills article, the DePaul University administration has a record of pushing left-wing critics of Israeli policy out of its faculty. Norman Finkelstein, an author and prominent critic of Zionism and Israeli policy, resigned from DePaul University in the fall of 2007, after he was denied tenure despite majority faculty support for him. He subsequently had his final classes canceled and was locked out of his office. His resignation came after an extensive campaign of vilification in which the professor and author was portrayed as anti-Semitic and unprofessional. Finkelstein is a respected scholar and author of several books, including The Holocaust Industry and Beyond Chutzpah, examinations of the exploitation of the Holocaust and anti-Semitism to advance interests that have nothing to do with the victims of the Nazi genocide or the social equality of Jews. Other Illinois universities have been active in attempting to suppress anti-war and anti-Zionist views among faculty. In the summer of 2014, Steven Salaita, newly hired at the University of IllinoisChampaign Urbana, had his offer of a tenured position as a scholar of Native American history rescinded because of his social media statements sharply critical of Israels brutal war against the Palestinians. To try to force colleges and universities to accept extreme right political propaganda on campus, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order declaring access to federal grant funds will depend on a schools support of free speech, by which the Trump administration means the views of the far right. Within class society, every restriction of democratic rights ultimately leads to attacks on the working class and its rights. As the Julian Assange case demonstrates, the attack on free speech today centrally involves the attempt by the ruling elites internationally to suppress opposition to social inequality, poverty and war. The right to free speech must be defended in schools and workplaces as the democratic right to oppose the status quo. Hills bellicose, anti-democratic and openly racist statements are a open appeal to the far right to intensify its attacks on the working class, not only in the Middle East but around the world. Students and faculty are right to oppose Hills politics, but the serious danger posed by ever more open advocacy of far-right politics must be met with an equally serious, political and theoretically guided response. Students at DePaul, in Chicago and around the world should join and build the IYSSE, the youth movement of the Socialist Equality Party and the ICFI, in order to wage a political and ideological struggle against far-right reaction and warwhich are the product of capitalism. This struggle unites workers and youth across borders in the fight for socialism. The author also recommends: The witch-hunting of Steven Salaita and the new McCarthyism [23 September 2014] GetUp, the Australian-based online electoral pressure group, which previously defended WikiLeaks founder and journalist Julian Assange, has said nothing about his brutal April 11 arrest, imprisonment in the UKs Belmarsh jail and possible extradition to the US on frame-up charges. In 201012, GetUp, which boasts over one million members, 70 fulltime staff and more than $11 million in annual donations, actively opposed the US-led persecution of the Australian citizen. GetUp interviews Julian Assange in 2012 The organisation called for Canberra to stand up for the rights of citizens like Assange and denounced American politicians and commentators calling for him to face the death penalty in the US or be assassinated. GetUp also posted a video interview with Assange and his lawyer Jennifer Robinson, and collected thousands of dollars for full-page advertisements defending him in the Australian mainstream media and in the New York Times and Washington Post. Seven years year later, GetUp has totally abandoned the Australian citizen. It has not issued a single statement about Assanges persecution, or uttered a word about its consequences for press freedom. And it refuses to explain why. Repeated attempts by the World Socialist Web Site over the past two weeks to secure an explanation from GetUps media liaison representativesvia phone, text messages and emailhave come to nothing. Questions about the last time GetUp issued an official statement in defence of Assange, and when and how the organisation decided not to condemn his arrest and imprisonment, have met a brick wall. Assanges arrest last month exposed the degenerated character of the corporate media as hacksfrom the state-funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation through to the Murdoch tabloids, which howled their agreement with the US-led operation against Assange. It also exposed the right-wing shift of so-called small l liberal organisations and a coterie of pseudo-left formations, who either joined the slander, and quietly complied, or said next to nothing. GetUps silence is not an accident or a temporary political mistake. The organisation was established in 2005 with the backing of sections of Australias corporate and political elite, including Labor and the unions, concerned about growing popular disaffection with the two-party framework. GetUps initial directors included David Madden and Jeremy Heimans, consultants to the World Bank and United Nations, and McKinsey and Company, respectively. Former Australian Workers Union national secretary and current Labor Party leader Bill Shorten, as well as mining industry chiefs, were also on the board of this thoroughly bourgeois institution. Capitalising on the popular anger against the big-business policies of the major parties, GetUp works to divert this opposition into safe political channels. Its raison detre is to prop up the parliamentary order and bolster illusions in Labor and the Greens, claiming they represent a progressive alternative to the Liberal-National coalition. GetUp insists that electoral protests and online lobbying against targeted election candidates will force Canberra to adopt socially equitable and environmentally friendly policies, defend basic democratic principles and the humane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. In the current federal election, GetUp is campaigning against Liberal-National coalition parliamentarians in 30 marginal electorates and says it will mobilise over 7,500 volunteers to hand out how-to-vote cards and other material on the May 18 polling day. Growing numbers of people and journalists are speaking out against Assanges torturous solitary confinement in Belmarsh prison, the UKs Guantanamo. They recognise that he and US whistleblower Chelsea Manning, as well as freedom of the press, are in mortal danger. Despite this popular outrage, GetUp will not be providing volunteers with any election material demanding freedom for Assange. The organisations refusal to challenge the lies and slander against Assange, or publicly raise the issue with any parliamentary politician, is a political blessing for the Liberal-National coalition, Labor, the Greens and other parliamentary parties running in the federal election. These organisations all support the US-led operation to take down Assange and WikiLeaks. Like their international counterparts, they are hostile to any public exposure of US-led war crimes and the anti-democratic operations of the state apparatus in preparation for imperialist war. They dont want any public discussion on this during the election. GetUps reaction to Assanges jailing also punctures the organisations empty posturing about democratic rights and the treatment of refugees and asylum-seekers. Assange, in fact, is the first Australian citizen to have sought asylum in a country other than his own, because consecutive Labor and Liberal-National governments refused to defend his basic rights. The blatant violation of Assanges right to asylum appears to be of little consequence to those running GetUp. In politics, silence in the face of government attacks on basic rights signals complicity. As Thomas Cromwell declares in Robert Bolts Man for All Seasons: Suppose I were to take a dagger from my sleeve and make to kill the prisoner with it; and my lordships there, instead of crying out for me to stop, maintained their silence It would betoken a willingness that I should do it, and under the law, they will be guilty with me. GetUps refusal to speak out against the persecution of Assange speaks volumes about the class character of this organisation. It defends the existing political order and the preoccupations of the upper-middle class, and with them, is moving sharply to the right. It also demonstrates that freedom of speech, the right to asylum and other democratic rights won in centuries of political struggle requires the independent mobilisation of the international working class on a socialist perspective. This is the program of the Socialist Equality Party, the only political party that has placed this political struggle at the centre of its federal election intervention. The fight to end the ongoing international conspiracy against, and persecution of, Assange and Manning, and secure their freedom is a class question and inseparable from the defence of the social and democratic rights of the international working class. Authorised by James Cogan for the Socialist Equality Party, Suite 906, 185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000. Public sector workers from telecom, water, electricity, the universities and other government-run services took to the streets of Beirut, Lebanons capital, on Friday, to protest the governments budget proposals to cut their wages, pensions and benefits. The protests were the second in as many weeks. They were joined by retired army personnel, angry over the proposed cuts to their pensions and benefits. The rallies were part of a nationwide public sector strike affecting schools, universities, state-run media outlets and government offices. Demonstrators burned tyres and called Lebanons politicians thieves because they were being made to pay for the failures of ineffective and corrupt politicians, demanding the government target corrupt businesses and politicians instead of workers who struggle to make ends meet in one of the most expensive countries in the Middle East. It is the latest in a series of strikes and protests Lebanon has witnessed over the last few months as Prime Minister Saad Hariris fragile new government has sought to put together an austerity budget aimed at slashing state expenditure and reducing the budget deficit. With one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios in the world, Lebanon must satisfy onerous economic and fiscal conditions if it is to access the $11 billion in loans pledged at the CEDRE conference in Paris last year. Last month, Hariri warned of an economic catastrophe if public spending kept rising and said, As a government, we are required to issue the most austere budget in Lebanons history because our financial position doesnt allow us to increase spending. Although he did not specify what measures he would take, he hinted that soldiers would have to make sacrifices. Finance minister Ali Hassan Khalil said that draft budget for 2019, which projects a deficit of 9 percent of GDP, compared to 11.2 percent in 2018, includes major expenditure cuts due to the need for exceptional austerity measures. This was only an introduction to more deficit reductions in the 2020 and 2021 budgets, he added. He claimed that the budget would tackle tax evasion, boost customs revenues and propose tax amendments for high earners, but not for the poor and those with middle incomes. He did not specify the spending cuts. The government also announced a plan to reform the countrys failing electricity system that included reducing and ultimately eliminating public funding, while raising tariffs to compensate. Thisin a country subject to daily electricity shutoffsprovoked outrage. It is widely assumed that the government plans to privatise the public utilities. On May 3, central bank workers began an indefinite strike over the governments budget, forcing the closure of the Beirut Stock Exchange. On Tuesday, the unions suspended the strike for three days, pending discussions with the government. On May 4, hundreds of migrant workers, mainly from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, marched through Beirut to demand an end to the Kafala system, whereby foreign workers residency in the country is tied to their employers sponsorship, leaving them with little or no protection under Lebanese law. They are unable to travel, resign, change jobs or return home without permission from their employers, who typically withhold their passports. There are around 250,000 migrant domestic workers in Lebanon, mostly women. According to a report Their House is My Prison published earlier this year by Amnesty International, workers can be subject to violations including physical and sexual abuse, confiscation of passports, non-payment of salaries and restrictions on their movement and food, while the authorities turn a blind eye to these abuses. Last January, several thousand people protested outside the finance ministry in Beirut over plans to hike the value-added tax and reduce fuel subsidies. It was the biggest protest since the demonstrations over garbage piles on Beiruts streets in August 2015. Fridays protest was joined by scores of students furious over rising university tuition fees and their own non-existent job prospects. It was part of a series of demonstrations that began two months earlier over economic and social inequality with demands for an end to corruption and Lebanons sectarian political system, with many wearing yellow vests in sympathy with French protesters. The protests and the crisis of bourgeois rule in Lebanon are bound up with the imperialist powers and their regional allies machinations and wars. Lebanon, a tiny country of 6 million people, has never had any real political independence. Carved out by Britain and France from the Syrian province of the Ottoman Empire after the Ottomans defeat in World War I, it was ruled, along with Syria, by France until 1943. Since then, Lebanon has been a proxy battleground for influence in the region between the imperialist powers and rival regional states. No political event in Lebanon can be understood as a purely domestic issue. Various powers whipped up conflicts between Lebanons numerous Christian and Muslim sects; between the Lebanese and Palestinians who fled or were driven out of their homeland by Israel in 1948 and 1967; and between Sunni and Shia Muslims to further their own agendas, leading to a 14-year civil war that ended in 1989. Jobs were and still are often restricted, implicitly or explicitly, to a particular sect, often in return for votes in the elections. Government posts are likewise distributed to key political dynasties and sects, making it impossible to implement reforms because that would require the political groups to give up the rewards of cronyism and patronage. The recent discovery of off-shore oil and gas has increased Lebanons geostrategic value in the eastern Mediterranean. Their exploitation requires a reliable government unequivocally aligned with Washington and subservient to Western oil corporations. It has been a crucial staging post for the war in Syria, where Washington and its regional allies sought to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. This has been part of their efforts to isolate Iran and Russia, Syrias main allies, to defeat Hezbollahthe bourgeois clerical group that is close to Iran and holds three cabinet posts in Hariris governmentand control the Middle East. Lebanon is now home to around 1 million UN-registered Syrian refugees and 600,000 unregistered refugees, whowith no legal right to work in the countryfall prey to the avarice of unscrupulous employers who pay them poverty wages and the anger of Lebanese workers whose jobs and wages have likewise fallen to unimaginable levels of poverty and hardship, as Nadine Labakis heart-breaking film, Capernaum, exposed. In November 2017, Saudi Arabia forced Hariri to resign in Riyadh over Saudi state media over his inclusion of the Iranian-backed and Shia-dominated Hezbollah movement in his so-called national unity government, in what proved to be an abortive attempt to isolate Hezbollah and further US, Saudi and Israeli preparations for military confrontation with Iran. Not only has Washington used sanctions and banking restrictions to crash Irans economy, it recently passed legislation intensifying the sanctions imposed on Hezbollah, which it designated as one of the five leading transnational criminal groups, and on those supporting it. Given Hezbollahs significant economic role in the country, this will serve to destabilise Lebanons banking sector. An impoverished state, Lebanon provides few public services. The situation deteriorated with the adoption of free-market policies. As a result, access to essential services, education, health and housing is now dependent upon faith-based and commercial provision, which exacerbates divisions. But the key dividing line is class, not religious affiliation, despite the confusion deliberately generated by the division of Lebanon for electoral purposes into 18 officially recognised sects. Lebanon is characterised by enormous social inequality. Apart from a handful of billionaires and millionaires, the overwhelming majority of the population live in poverty, more than half are unemployed, while around half of those in work are without a contract. Subject to water and electricity shortages, and food contamination, their life is a constant struggle. Whistleblower and political prisoner Chelsea Manning spoke out Sunday in defense of her principled refusal to testify before any grand jury impaneled to bring frame-up charges against journalist and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Manning spent 62 days in a jail in Alexandria, Virginia, including a month in solitary confinement, after a federal judge found her in contempt of court for refusing to testify before the grand jury impaneled there to prosecute Assange. Despite several legal appeals, she was released Thursday morning only after the term of the Alexandria grand jury expired. Almost simultaneously she was served with a subpoena to appear before a new grand jury, which is seeking to ask her the same questions about her alleged interactions with WikiLeaks. Manning could be back in jail as soon as Thursday. The former Army specialist already served seven years of a 35-year sentence in a military prison, including a year in solitary confinement, after she was convicted of leaking evidence of American war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan to WikiLeaks. President Barack Obama commuted Mannings sentence on his last day in office without giving her the full pardon that would have expunged her criminal record. Speaking on CNNs Reliable Sources program just three days after being released, Manning made clear that she will resist the new grand jury subpoena, even at the cost of being sent back to prison. I am going to refuse, Manning explained when asked by host Brian Stelter if she would comply with the new subpoena. I think that this grand jury is an improperI think that all grand juries are improper. I dont like the secrecy of it. Manning explained that she hoped her attorneys appeal to quash the subpoena would be successful and she would not have to return to jail. Were certainly going to raise every single legal challenge, she said. We have a very strong case. Manning already answered all of the questions raised by the grand jury during her testimony at trial in 2013. While Manning did not mention Assange by name, she made clear that she was taking a stand in an effort to protect him and other journalists from persecution by the Trump administration. This administration clearly wants to go after journalists, Manning told Stelter. I think that if the administration gets its way as its laid out in repeated statementslike, The media is the enemy of the people kind of thingyou know, then I think that were going to see the national security journalists and a lot of disruptive, for this administration, presswere probably going to see indictments and charges. Whenever a journalist makes a misstep, I think that they are put on notice now that the FBI and the Department of Justice are going to go after them on the administration's behalf, Manning added. Stelter seemed taken aback by the appearance of someone on his program who is willing to sacrifice her personal comfort for political principles. We talk all the time about unprincipled politicians. And what you are doing is an act of principle. Whether viewers agree with it or not, I can see that, he concluded. Assange is currently being held in Belmarsh Prison, a high security facility in London typically reserved for those convicted of murder and terrorism, after being sentenced to 50 weeks in prison over a bail-jumping charge that arose from trumped-up sexual assault allegations in Sweden. The investigation of those allegations was closed two years ago without any charges being lodged. Assange now awaits extradition to the United States, where he faces an initial charge of computer hacking that carries a possible five-year sentence. Further charges are expected to be unsealed once he is renditioned to the US, including under the Espionage Act, which carries the possibility of the death penalty. On April 11, the WikiLeaks founder was dragged by a police snatch squad from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he had been forced to remain by the British government after being granted political asylum by the Ecuadorian government in 2012. The abduction was carried out after the current president of Ecuador, Lenin Moreno, illegally withdrew Assanges asylum status. El Pais reported Sunday that Ecuador has agreed to hand over to US prosecutors any documents, cell phones, computer files, computers, hard drives and other devices left behind in the embassy by Assange. According to the report, cooperation between the US and Ecuador to ensnare Assange began several months ago when Moreno agreed to allow investigators to take statements. In the final months of his asylum in the embassy, Assange was placed under constant electronic surveillance. His attorneys expect that the surveillance recordings and other documents have also been turned over the US in order to undermine his defense efforts. On Thursday, just as Manning was being released from jail, the US Justice Department arrested and charged former NSA intelligence analyst Daniel Hale under the Espionage Act for leaking information about the Obama administrations drone assassination program to the Intercept. Hale is the fourth person to be pursued under the Espionage Act by the Trump administrations Justice Department. However, the effort to crack down on those who expose the truth about the operations of American imperialism is a bipartisan effort. Under Obama, the government brought Espionage Act charges against seven individuals, more than all previous administrations combined. Those indicted included NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and former CIA analyst John Kiriakou, who exposed the torture of detainees by means of waterboarding. On Saturday, May 4, the International Committee of the Fourth International held the 2019 International Online May Day Rally, the sixth annual online May Day Rally held by the ICFI, the world Trotskyist movement. The rally heard speeches on different aspects of the world crisis of capitalism and the struggles of the international working class from 12 leading members of the world party and its sections and sympathizing organizations around the world. On successive days, the World Socialist Web Site is publishing the texts of the speeches delivered at the rally. Below is the speech delivered by Joseph Kishore, national secretary of the Socialist Equality Party (US). Last week, the WSWS published the opening report to the rally, given by David North, the chairman of the international editorial board of the WSWS and national chairman of the Socialist Equality Party (US). This has been a very important and, as with the other May Day Online Rallies held by the International Committee of the Fourth International, a world event. We have had participants today from Australia, France, the United States, Britain, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Peru, the Netherlands, Turkey, Poland, Costa Rica, and many more. There is even one listener who wrote in to say that he was participating from 30,000 feet in the air, above the United States. The reports that have been delivered today provide a powerful foundation for the construction of a mass socialist movement in the international working class. The future lies in socialism. The ruling class is itself terrified of the social convulsions to come, of some sort of revolution, as hedge fund manager Raymond Dalio put it. The speeches today have reviewed the response of the ruling class in the effort to preserve its social system: the promotion of the far-right, the resurrection of fascism, the turn to authoritarian forms of rule, the attack on democratic rightsincluding the persecution and victimization of Julian Assange. The speeches have also explained, however, that there exists a powerful social force that is charting a different way forwardthe international working class. They have reviewed some of the most significant struggles, in France, Algeria, China, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Israel, Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India, New Zealand, Sudan, Mexico, and of course the United States. There is growing interest in socialism. Not since the 1930s has there been such widespread revulsion among masses of people directed against the entire social and economic system. These two processes are driven by powerful objective forces. At the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, long anticipated by the Trotskyist movement, the ideologists of capitalism proclaimed the end of history. Within the milieu of left and pseudo-left academia, which had been oriented to Stalinism, the transformation of the bureaucratic apparatus into a new oligarchy was seized as an occasion to abandon any commitment to the transformation of social relations, let alone Marxism. The common conception was that the collapse of the USSR signified the triumph of capitalism. The great problems that plagued mankind in the 20th century were supposedly behind us. How false these theories have turned out to be! Instead of a revival of democracy, we have a revival of fascism. Instead of an era of peace, we have had a quarter century of unending war. Instead of social and economic progress, we have had social and economic decay and crisis. And of course, here in the United States we have Trump. The Trump administration is not an aberrant moment in time, as former Vice President and newly-announced presidential candidate Joe Biden put it. In the Trump administration, to paraphrase Trotsky, capitalist society is puking up its undigested barbarism. All the crimes of the American ruling class have burst into the open. More than one million people killed in the war on terror; torture, Guantanamo Bay, extraordinary rendition, assassination. In the economic realm, endless financial speculation, the growth of social inequality to unimaginable levels; a society in which three individuals have more wealth than the bottom half of the population, or 160 million people. And what of the Democratic Party? They are another manifestation of the same disease. They have chosen to base their opposition to Trump on the most right-wing foundation possible. The reactionary narrative associated with Joseph McCarthy and the period of American anti-communism has been resurrected in the form of the Democratic Party-CIA anti-Russia campaign. Our election was corrupted, our democracy assaulted, our sovereignty and security violated by Russia. So declares Hillary Clinton. The election was not corrupted according to Mrs. Clinton by corporate money. Democracy was not assaulted by the CIA, the FBI, the NSA. Her concern is not that fascists are in the military. No, it is all the dastardly Russians! A very self-serving narrative, to say the least. The right-wing character of the opposition of this party of Wall Street and the CIA is summed up in its attitude toward Julian Assange. The Democrats and their allies in the media have not only condoned the persecution of this courageous journalist, they have led the charge against WikiLeaks, which is blamed for leaking Democratic Party emails that exposed Clintons corrupt relations with Wall Street banks. The seizure of Assange from the Ecuadorean embassy has been the occasion, not for condemnation in the media, but for ridicule. Can one really imagine that on the talk shows, the plight of Julian Assange, who has been subject to such outrageous treatment at the hands of the state, is the subject of jokes? It is not necessary to imagine; such is the reality of America today. Everyone participating in this infamy places upon himself or herself a black mark that can never be washed clean. And Chelsea Manning, who languishes in prison for committing the unforgivable sin of refusing to testify against Assange, her plight is simply being ignored. Underlying all of this is an immense fear, a fear of social opposition, a fear of the working class, a fear that the system upon which their wealth and privileges are founded is on its last legs. This explains the absurd theories of the Democrats and their CIA backers that the divisions within the United States are the product of the Russians, sowing discord, the inevitable phrase. As if it was necessary to sow discord in a society more unequal than any in modern history! The objective conditions for social upheaval have not only been sown by capitalism, they have produced fruit that has ripened and begun to get somewhat rotten. In a previous May Day, we referred to the American working class as the sleeping giant of world politics. Well, this giant is beginning to awaken, along with workers throughout the world. The number of workers participating in strike action in the US in 2018 was at a 32-year high, propelled largely by strikes by public school teachers that have continued into 2019. Workers are beginning to break free from the stranglehold of the trade unions, which have worked for decades to suppress the class struggle, to enforce concessions. In the immortal words of a union lawyer before the Supreme Court last year, union security is the tradeoff for no strikesnot the security of the workers, but the financial security of the trade union executives that control these organizations and whose incomes place them in the top five, even top one percent of the population. The corruption scandal that has engulfed the United Auto Workers union has only confirmed to auto workers and all sections of the working class that the union executives are on the payroll of management, tasked with providing the companies with a steady supply of cheap labor, while serving as a management police force. In the most significant social struggles over the past yearincluding teachers in the US, the yellow vest protests in France, the Matamoros strike in Mexico, the struggles of tea plantation workers in Sri Lankaa defining characteristic has been their emergence and development in opposition to the pro-capitalist, nationalist so-called trade unions. Here in the US, there has been growing support from workers for the fight by the SEP for the formation of a coalition of rank-and-file committees. The objective impulse of the struggles of workers in the United States and around the world is toward a political general strike, requiring the formation of new organizations, rank-and-file factory and action committees, drawing together all sections of the working class in a fight for power and against the capitalist system. The development of the class struggle is only in its initial stages. The most critical task, in the United States and internationally, is the construction of a revolutionary leadership. As David North stressed in opening this rally, the contradictions of capitalism are creating the conditions for the renewal of a mass movement of the working class. The political practice of our own movement is increasingly intersecting with the objective movement of the class struggle. The task of the Fourth International is not only to interpret the world, but, on the basis of this understanding, to change it. This means an unrelenting fight in the working class for genuine socialist politics. Under conditions of growing social unrest, the ruling class brings forward safety valves, political mechanisms to channel opposition, contain it within acceptable parameters. Thus one has Bernie Sanders, whose role is to cover up a warmongering party with a thin veneer of social reforms that it has no intention of implementing. The Alezandria Ocasio-Cortezes, in the US, and internationally, the Jeremy Corbyns, the pseudo-left Syriza in Greece, Podemos in Spain, the Left Party in Germany, all play the same role. Comrade Chris referred to the cowardly silence of Corbyn in the UK on the plight of Assange. This is repeated here in the US by Sanders, who tweeted the other day, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Daya monumental exercise in hypocrisythat journalists should never have to fear for their lives as they do their work. He said nothing about Assange. To the extent that they actually talk about socialism, they claim that it can be achieved without any challenge to the existing political institutions of the capitalist state, without any fundamental reorganization of economic life, without any challenge to imperialism. The Socialist Equality Party insists that genuine socialism is based on the principle of social equality, that the vast sums of wealth monopolized by the rich through the exploitation and immiseration of the working class must be seized and directed toward the satisfaction of social needs. Socialism is international, based on the principle that workers in every country have the same social interests and the same class enemies. We reject the poisonous nationalism being promoted by the ruling class to divide workers against each other and justify the monstrous persecution of immigrants and refugees. Socialism is inseparable from the fight against imperialist war, which threatens to engulf the globe in a nuclear catastrophe. The socialist movement will intensify its campaign to defend and free Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and all those who have been victimized for opposing imperialist war and the policies of the capitalist elite. Genuine socialism is based on the interests of the working class, the vast majority of the worlds population. The growth of the class struggle has exploded all the reactionary theories of the privileged representatives of the upper middle class, the purveyors of identity politics and the theories of post-modernism, that the working class is dead, that it is no longer a revolutionary force, that the central divisions in modern society are not class divisions, but divisions of race or gender. And genuine socialism is revolutionary. We propose not mild reforms, which the ruling class will not tolerate, but revolutionthe overthrow of capitalist property relations through the establishment of democratic control over the giant banks and corporations. Since its founding more than eighty years ago by Leon Trotsky, the co-leader with Lenin of the Russian Revolution, the Fourth International has fought for revolutionary socialist internationalism against Stalinism, Social Democracy and all perversions of Marxism. Trotskyism is the socialism of today, embodied in the International Committee of the Fourth International, comprised of Socialist Equality Parties throughout the world. We call on all those participating in this rally today to join and build the ICFI. On Saturday, May 4, the International Committee of the Fourth International held the 2019 International Online May Day Rally, the sixth annual online May Day Rally held by the ICFI, the world Trotskyist movement. The rally heard speeches on different aspects of the world crisis of capitalism and the struggles of the international working class from 12 leading members of the world party and its sections and sympathizing organizations around the world. On successive days, the World Socialist Web Site is publishing the texts of the speeches delivered at the rally. Below is the speech delivered by Niles Niemuth, Socialist Equality Party Candidate for Michigans 12th Congressional District (2018) and US Vice Presidential Candidate (2016). On Monday, the WSWS published the opening report to the rally, given by David North, the chairman of the international editorial board of the WSWS and national chairman of the Socialist Equality Party (US). One hundred years ago, the great American socialist and revolutionary Eugene Debs was thrown into a federal penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia for denouncing the imperialists bloody effort to re-divide the world in World War One. Debs was legendary for his opposition to imperialism, and uncompromising in his view of the class struggle, winning him the support and admiration of millions of workers across the world. Debs declared in 1915: I have no country to fight for; my country is the earth; and I am a citizen of the world . I am not a capitalist soldier; I am a proletarian revolutionist. ... I refuse to obey any command to fight from the ruling class, but I will not wait to be commanded to fight for the working class. A century later, as the US wages war all over the world and prepares ever greater wars, WikiLeaks publisher and journalist Julian Assange has been thrown into a British jail cell for telling the truth about American war crimes. He potentially faces charges in the US for violating the Espionage Act, the very same law used against Debs. The war to end war, World War I, in which millions of young workers were sent to their deaths, set the stage for an even bloodier imperialist conflict in World War II, in another bid to re-divide the world amongst competing capitalist cliques. The founder of our movement, Leon Trotsky wrote in 1928 that, In the period of crisis the hegemony of the United States will operate more completely, more openly, and more ruthlessly than in the period of boom This has been borne out as the American ruling class has seen the dominant economic position it held in the aftermath of World War II slip away. The US has waged a series of wars and military interventions in the nearly 75 years since the end of World War II. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union nearly three decades ago, it has instigated an unending and expanding bloodbath, beginning with the First Gulf War in Iraq in 199091 and the war in Yugoslavia. For two decades, in what Bush called the wars of the twenty-first century, the US invaded and occupied Afghanistan in 2001, followed by Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia. Entire societies have been destroyed and at least one million people killed, with millions more transformed into refugees seeking safe haven for themselves and their families. Now, the so-called war on terror is being transformed into a new great power conflict. Inter-state strategic competition, not terrorism, is now the primary concern in US national security, Pentagon war planners declared in last years National Defense Strategy document. China and Russia, nuclear armed powers, are squarely in the cross-hairs of the United States and its imperialist allies in Europe, Japan and Australia, threatening a catastrophe for humanity. The Trump administrations reckless imperialist provocation in Venezuela, spearheaded by the mad war hawk John Bolton, has been used to ratchet up tensions with Russia, China and Iran. The historic conflict between the US and Europe, particularly Germany, is again re-emerging. This new global conflict is being prepared with a massive military build-up around the world. Global military spending topped $1.8 trillion last year, the highest since the end of the Cold War. The US once again led the way in 2018, spending $649 billion on its military, as much as the next eight countries combined, accounting for more than a third of the worlds military spending. This trend is set to continue. Trump has signed a $686 billion budget for 2019 and is requesting $718 billion for the Pentagon in 2020. The Congressional Budget Office projects that if current funding trends continue, the US will spend $7 trillion on its military over the next decade, equivalent to the amount that will be spent on education, infrastructure and public health programs combined. Education, health care, and social security are being starved of funding, and wages suppressed, so that resources can be poured into the machines of death and destruction. Trillions are to be squandered on aircraft carriers, fighter jets, hypersonic missiles and nuclear bombs, while we are told there is no money to provide teachers with a high standard of living or provide every student with a free high-quality education. This immense military build-up is being carried out with the support of all factions of the political establishment, without even a whiff of protest. In fact, the Democratic Partys main critique of Trump has been from the right, demanding an even greater military build-up and a more aggressive posture toward Russia. In the American working class, there is broad and overwhelming opposition to war. Sixteen years ago, there were mass demonstrations in the US and around the world over the bloody, illegal operation in Iraq. Pseudo-left forces worked might and main to channel opposition to war behind the Democratic Party. And what was the outcome? Former President Obama, the pioneer of drone assassinations, including of American citizens, spent every day of his administration at war. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton laughed with glee at the murder of Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi in 2011, and helped fuel the devastating regime change war in Syria. Self-proclaimed democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, currently running to be the Democrats presidential candidate in 2020, promised a foreign policy of drones, all that and more when he ran for president in 2016. Assange and whistleblower Chelsea Manning are being persecuted while those who committed war crimes remain in positions of power, free to plan and carry out new wars. But today there is growing working-class opposition all over the world, from the mass protests in Algeria and Sudan, to the yellow vests in France and teachers strikes across the United States. American workers watched as their brothers and sisters across the border in Matamoros, Mexico rose up in a powerful strike movement earlier this year. All around the world workers are fighting over the same issues against the same transnational corporations. Last week 20,000 teachers marched in the southern state of North Carolina in defence of public education. One teacher told us that money was needed for minds, not land mines. There is immense anger over the wars that are being carried out in the name of the American people. The emergence of the international class struggle is breaking up all the efforts of the trade unions, Trump and the Democrats to whip up American nationalism. This is the objective force that will break down the efforts to throw workers into war with each other. This movement, still in its initial phases, must be armed with an international socialist program. The fight to put an end to war is impossible without fighting for socialism, and the fight to establish socialism is not possible without opposing war. Above all, the fight against imperialism must be rooted in the struggles of the working class. Criminality and gangsterism in foreign policy are the flip side of parasitism and speculation in economic life. The international working class must, and will, take up on its banner the fight against imperialist war, as part of the struggle to overthrow the capitalist system and establish a socialist society based on equality, international unity, and peace. By Associated Press MANILA: Filipinos began casting their vote Monday in midterm elections highlighted by a showdown between President Rodrigo Duterte's allies who aim to dominate the Senate and opposition candidates fighting for checks and balances under a leader they regard as a looming dictator. Nearly 62 million Filipinos have registered to choose among 43,500 candidates vying for about 18,000 congressional and local posts in the high-stakes elections in one of Asia's most rambunctious democracies. Many see the elections as a crucial referendum on Duterte's rise to power with a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs that has left thousands dead, his unorthodox leadership style, combative and sexist joke-laden outbursts and contentious embrace of China. "President Duterte's name is not on the ballot but this is very much a referendum on his three years of very disruptive yet very popular presidency," Manila-based analyst Richard Heydarian said. The outcome of the polls would show whether the Filipino populace affirms or rejects Duterte's authoritarian-style leadership in an Asian bastion of democracy, Heydarian said. The most crucial race is for 12 seats in the 24-member Senate, which Duterte wants to fill with allies to bolster his legislative agenda. That includes the return of the death penalty, lowering the age for criminal liability of child offenders, and revising the country's 1987 constitution primarily to allow a shift to a federal form of government, a proposal some critics fear may be a cover to remove term limits. Military and police forces were on full alert to respond to any violence, especially in security hotspots that include the entire southern region of Mindanao, and help prevent cheating amid intense local political rivalries. READ| Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's allies seek to dominate midterm polls Two suspected grenade blasts were reported in southern Maguindanao province, including one shortly before voting started at 6 am. There were no reported injuries from the explosions. Commission on Elections spokesman James Jimenez said the elections season has been peaceful so far compared to past years. Police say 20 people have died in poll-related violence, out of 76 reported casualties. In Manila's financial district of Makati, former Vice President Jejomar Binay protested after his ballot was rejected by an automated counting machine, one of several similar complaints. At least two mayoral candidates have been put in police custody elsewhere, including one for alleged elections fraud. Opposition aspirants consider the Senate the last bastion of checks and balances given the solid dominance of Duterte's loyalists in the lower House of Representatives. Last year, opposition senators moved to block proposed bills they feared would undermine civil liberties. Duterte's politics and key programs, including his drive against illegal drugs that has left more than 5,200 mostly urban poor suspects dead, have been scrutinised on the campaign trail and defended by close allies running for the Senate, led by his former national police chief Ronald dela Rosa, who first enforced the crackdown when the president took office in mid-2016. Aside from the drug killings, Duterte's gutter language and what nationalists say is a policy of appeasement toward China that may undermine Philippine territorial claims in the South China Sea, have also been the cause of protests and criticism. A May 3-6 survey by independent pollster Pulse Asia showed 11 of Duterte-backed senatorial candidates and four other aspirants in the winning circle, including only one from the opposition. The survey also showed some favourites had narrow leads and a considerable number of voters were undecided, indicating a probability the results could change. The survey of 1,800 respondents had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. Duterte himself remains hugely popular based on independent rating surveys. Divided, cash-strapped and without a unified leader, opposition aspirants are fighting an uphill battle to capture the few Senate seats they need to stymie any hostile legislation. Many Filipinos seem more open to authoritarianism due to past failures of liberal leaders, Heydarian said. Such a mindset has helped the family of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos to make a political comeback. Among many dirt-poor Filipinos, however, the concern is day-to-day survival. "Martial law is scary but we're more afraid of dying in hunger," Arturo Veles, a jobless father of six, told The Associated Press. Wiping away tears, Veles spoke outside his family's shanty in the humid squalor atop Smokey Mountain, a long-closed dumpsite in Manila's Tondo slum that remains a symbol of the country's appalling poverty. His asthma-stricken wife, Agnes, said that not one congressional candidate had treaded the fly-strewn and trash-littered path to their cluster of crumbling huts, probably because of the smell and filth. Arturo Veles said the poor always suffer the most, indicating he and his wife would not vote for administration candidates. The San Francisco Board of Education is currently considering the removal and destruction of 83-year-old murals depicting the life of George Washington, which treat the issues of slavery and Native American genocide. The campaign against the art work is censorious and deeply misguided, bound up with contemporary identity politics, and has nothing progressive about it. Thirteen murals in total have covered the walls of George Washington High School since its opening in 1936, two of which have been the subject of complaints since the 1960s. The debate has re-emerged over the last couple of years due to the possibility of the schools designation as a historical landmark, an action that would make the murals very difficult to remove. The works were created shortly before the opening of the school by renowned artist Victor Arnautoff, a Russian immigrant, as a project of the federal governments Works Progress Administration (WPA). Victor Arnautoff, Self Portrait, c-1950. Photo credit- INVA publishing house, Russia Arnautoff had an extraordinary history. During the civil war that followed the October Revolution in Russia, Arnautoff served as a cavalry captain in the counter-revolutionary White Army. Later, he supervised the cavalry of a Chinese warlord! He eventually emigrated to the US and arrived in San Francisco in 1925. Four years later, Arnautoff moved his family to Mexico and became an assistant muralist to Diego Rivera, the great left-wing Mexican artist. In the 1930s, he became the best-known muralist in San Francisco. In the meantime, Arnautoff had shifted politically to the left and joined the Communist Party. While teaching art at Stanford University in the 1950s, he was investigated and interrogated by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Stanford was urged to dismiss him, which to its credit, the university did not do. After retiring, Arnautoff moved to the Soviet Union where he died in 1979. Along with the striking murals at George Washington High School, Arnautoff completed numerous projects around San Francisco, including murals at the Palo Alto Clinic, Presidio Chapel, the library at the California School of Fine Arts and Coit Tower. The complaints against the high school muralsproduced during a period when left-wing views dominated artistic circles in San Francisco, a city that had experienced a historic general strike only two years earlier, in July 1934are wrongheaded from every point of view. In one of the disputed murals, a dead Native American is shown on the ground in a scene depicting the westward expansion of US capitalism in the mid-19th century. The mural is obviously intended to shed light on the forced removal and mass destruction of the Native American population and offers a critical view that was previously often neglected or ignored in American schools. In the second controversial mural, slaves belonging to George Washington are shown working in the fields at Mount Vernon, Washingtons estate in Virginia, and presumably being bought or sold at auction. In other words, Arnautoffs work was hardly hagiographic. It attempted to present the contradictory reality of early American life. Arnautoff carried out the work using the buon fresco process (also used by Rivera in his murals in Detroit and elsewhere), painting with earth-tone pigments directly onto the buildings wet plaster before it dried, according to the Richmond District Blog. OutsideLands.org reports, Since murals have to be painted on a wet surface, Mr. Arnautoff had to follow right behind the plasterers, and a scene, once begun, had to be completed that same day, in order that the walls did not dry. Carpenters and plasterers worked all around the building, while Mr. Arnautoff was above on a scaffold. The artist was so rushed for time that he had to improvise as he was painting. Covering about nine feet of wall a day, he sometimes worked from ten to twelve hours a day to finish a given section. The murals took ten months to complete; ironically, the school was not opened until a full year later. This remarkable artistic achievement, for which Arnautoff did extensive historical research, now faces possible destruction (the murals are so embedded that they cannot be removed from the walls), thanks to petty bourgeois elements who claim the work is offensive and traumatizing. The San Francisco Unified School Board (SFUSD) appointed a Reflection and Action Group largely made up of opponents of the murals to make a recommendation about whether to keep or remove the work. The group recently voted 12 to 1 in favor of removing all 13 murals from the walls. One of Victor Arnautoff's murals in San Francisco high school The group members came to their recommendation, they asserted in a statement, due to the continued historical and current trauma of Native Americans and African Americans with these depictions in the mural that glorifies slavery, genocide, colonization, manifest destiny, white supremacy, oppression, etc. This mural doesnt represent SFUSD values of social justice, diversity, united, student-centered. Its not student-centered if its focused on the legacy of artists, rather than the experience of the students. No objective observer could possibly conclude that the murals glorify slavery or genocide. The use of phrases such as social justice and bias through stereotypes are simply plucked out of thin air and divorced from any historical or political context to serve a right-wing and repressive agenda. Tellingly, the current identity politics campaign arises in regard to a critical portrayal of Washingtons historical role. Numerous attempts have been made by similar layers in recent years to deny any progressive content to the American Revolution, one of the earthshaking events that ushered in the modern world. As the WSWS has explained, the American Revolution was a bourgeois-democratic revolution, and not a socialist revolution. It could assert universal human equality, but it could not bring it about. Yet, like all great historical events, it had implications and consequences that went beyond the constraints imposed upon it by its own time. George Washington, the subject of the murals in question and the schools namesake, was a contradictory figure, like all bourgeois revolutionaries. A slave owner, he also led a struggle against the powerful British monarchy, the divine right of kings and for a world rooted in the progressive ideals of the Enlightenment, a struggle that inspired revolutionaries and revolutions in different parts of the world. The implications and consequences of the American Revolution ultimately included the bloody conflict that erupted some 80 years later, the Civil War, which violently destroyed the slave system. The great abolitionist Frederick Douglass, in his famous 1852 speech, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?, indicted slavery and inequality in the US, but pointed at the same time to the radical impulse of the American Revolution. He paid this tribute to the Founding Fathers, With them, nothing was settled that was not right. With them, justice, liberty and humanity were final; not slavery and oppression. You may well cherish the memory of such men. They were great in their day and generation. The claim made by Stevon Cook, president of the San Francisco Board of Education, that Arnautoffs honest and dynamic murals are offensive to certain communities (New York Times) simply doesnt hold water. It largely offends middle class elements who do not want students to encounter complex and challenging art work. In the end, well-heeled African Americans and other prosperous minorities fear the radicalizing influence of such efforts. In any event, if all potentially offensive art were removed, what would be left? Notably, the Times article admits that when a class of 49 freshmen was asked to write essays about the frescoes, Only four favored removal. One student wrote, The fresco shows us exactly how brutal colonization and genocide really were and are. The fresco is a warning and reminder of the fallibility of our hallowed leaders. While scrolling through the comments sections beneath the various articles published following the release of the Reflection and Action Groups recommendation, it is difficult to find a single reader supporting the removal of the murals. Many school alumni and teachers, as well as current students, have criticized the group and expressed support for the murals. Some of the alumni argue that exposure to Arnautoffs work was one of the most memorable educational experiences during their time at the school. On one blog, Stephanie Glick Dove wrote, Please do not whitewash our history. Its dangerous not to have these images of our history to learn from. We need to keep examples of our past to save our future. Another comment reads, Why would anyone want them removed or destroyed, they are art. I thought only fascists destroyed works of art. Its hard to believe the painter a persecuted Russian immigrant in 1936 would create something offensive and city officials would let him do it. One could draw a parallel between the current attack on the high school murals and the campaign Arnautoff and other left-wing artists faced when painting the Coit Tower murals, a project that coincided almost exactly with the 1934 General Strike. Because Arnautoff and his collaborators adopted a realistic and sympathetic attitude toward the strike in their work, they faced scrutiny as communist agitators. The opening of the murals was delayed and at the time of their public unveiling, a San Francisco Chronicle columnist commented, The very fact that there is a continuous controversy about the Coit Tower murals would show that there is something wrong with them. ... The humble writers shrewd guess is that the next generation will have these daubs painted out in a delicate light green by a union house painter. Mural at George Washington High School Another historical parallel, of course, and one that is equally unflattering, would be the destruction of Diego Riveras fresco, Man at the Crossroads, in the lobby of New York Citys Rockefeller Center in 1934. Nelson Rockefeller ordered the plastering over of the work because it included an image of Vladimir Lenin. Suppose an artist had the audacity to propose painting a mural depicting the millions of victims of US wars of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan in a high school today? Or a work exposing the brutal treatment of children and families held in private detention centers on the US border with Mexico? What sort of reception would this receive from the media and political establishment? Historical debates reveal as much or more about the present as they do about the past. The current controversy around the George Washington High School murals painted in 1936 points to two interrelated processes: the turbulent movement of the working class and youth to the left and the rapid movement of selfish, aspiring layers of the upper middle class in the other direction. The confrontation between the Trump White House and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives has reached the point where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week declared the existence of a constitutional crisis. Donald Trump, she said, refuses to recognize the separation of powers laid down in the US Constitution. She was echoed by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, who said: We are now in [a constitutional crisis]. Now is the time of testing whether we can keep this type of republic, or whether this republic is destined to change into a different, more tyrannical form of government. There is no precedent in US history for the Trump White Houses assertion of unchecked presidential powers. He is seeking to create a personalist regime backed by anti-immigrant appeals to the extreme right. But even as they warn of dictatorship, the Democrats refuse to seriously oppose his assertion of authoritarian powers and base their opposition on the right-wing standpoint that he is insufficiently bellicose toward American imperialisms enemies abroad. Trump claims the power of the executive branch to be immune from congressional oversight. He asserted executive privilege over the entire text of the Mueller report as well as all of its supporting documents, running to millions of pages and covering the entire 2016 election campaignwhen Trump was not president, and therefore not conceivably entitled to any such privilege. The House Judiciary Committee held Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over the documents, and Barr has also defied a subpoena to appear before the committee. Since the Democrats took control of the House in January, the administration has declined to comply with subpoenas for documents and witnesses on a wide range of subjects, from its policy decisions on immigration to Trumps tax returns. In effect, the White House is refusing to recognize the outcome of the November 2018 election, which gave the Democrats a majority in the House of Representatives and the constitutionally mandated power to investigate the executive. Even more ominous is Trumps February executive order declaring a state of emergency on the US-Mexico border and authorizing the Pentagon to shift funds from the military to the building of a border wall, in direct defiance of the power of the purse, which the Constitution reserves to the legislative branch of government, not the executive. On Friday, acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan announced that he was shifting $1.5 billion in Pentagon funds from Afghanistan military operations to the completion of 80 miles of the border wall, on top of $1 billion already transferred from the Pentagon budget in March. Last week, Trump re-tweeted the suggestion by an ultra-right supporter that he extend his own term in office by another two years, canceling the 2020 elections. The Democrats and the corporate media sought to dismiss this as a joke, but it is deadly seriousand Trump followed it up by suggesting that he could hold the White House for ten to fourteen years, which would require multiple reelections, in defiance of the Constitution, or the cancellation of elections altogether. At a rally in Florida last week, he laughed and his audience roared approval at a supporters suggestion that the government shoot immigrants crossing the border. Trump directs his fascistic appeal to the millions of police officers, border guards and uniformed members of the military, who constitute a powerful force in determining the balance of power in Washington. He pushed for two years to have a tank-led parade in Washington DC to celebrate US military prowess. He regularly hails the anti-immigrant violence and repression inflicted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. Most recently, he has spoken of transforming the traditionally nonpolitical Fourth of July fireworks on the National Mall into a presidential address, staged at the Lincoln Memorial with a patriotic and militaristic backdrop. Trumps actions not only constitute high crimes and misdemeanors, they amount to the evisceration of the Constitution as a whole. But when asked last week whether the Democratic Party would support impeaching Trump, Pelosi answered, No. She explained: We [the United States] are one. When we make decisions and prioritize actions and consider options, that oneness that keeps us together as a nation is a compelling imperative for me and the House Democratic leadership. Impeachment is a very divisive course of action to take. The Democrats fear of division underscores the real causes for their focus on claims of Russian collusion and obstruction of justice allegations deriving from their anti-Russia campaign. Ever since Trumps election, they have portrayed his victory as the product of Russian meddling, while seeking to mobilize support from within the military-intelligence apparatus among those generals and spymasters opposed to any shift in US foreign policy away from the most confrontational approach towards Russia, particularly in Syria and Ukraine. Their greatest fear is that any effort to seriously address the democratic issues in Trumps dictatorial maneuvers will generate a groundswell of social opposition from below. Democrats fear that if they were to challenge Trumps power grab, he would conduct an extra-parliamentary mobilization of his far-right supporters, which would then trigger widespread counterdemonstrations in the working class and among youth, leading to strikes, university closures and violence. This would create an opening for the massive opposition in the working class to social inequality, war and attacks on democratic rights to escape the control of the capitalist two-party system and find independent political, anti-capitalist expression. Such a rupture of domestic unity would hamper US imperialisms myriad foreign policy adventures abroad, including in Iran, the South China Sea, Venezuela and North Korea. As David Sanger worriedly noted in yesterdays New York Times, Americas adversaries are betting that Mr. Trump is neither as savvy a negotiator nor as ready to use military force as he claims. Democrats have also expressed concerns about Trumps impact on US imperialisms image of stability, in particular among its allies in Western Europe. The Democrats response to Trump repeats, on a more advanced level, the partys response to the stolen presidential election of 2000. When the right-wing majority on the US Supreme Court intervened to shut down vote-counting in Florida and award the states electoral votes, and with it the presidency, to George W. Bush, who had lost the popular vote, the Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Al Gore, capitulated to the right-wing coup. This watershed event, the World Socialist Web Site declared at the time, demonstrated that there was no longer any constituency for democracy within the US ruling elite. The Democratic Party was incapable of mobilizing its supporters for fear that this would trigger a mass movement for democratic rights that could spiral out of control. Faced with the choice of mobilizing opposition from below or accepting the coup, the Democrats chose the latter. The Democrats response to Trump follows the same reactionary logic. American democracy is disintegrating. A criminal president, seeking to whip up a fascistic base of support, confronts a feckless opposition, which, in the event of a full-scale breakdown, would appeal to the military to intervene and save the constitutional order. Even in the highly unlikely event that Trump were to be removed constitutionally, by means of impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate, the result would be an administration headed by the no less reactionary vice president, Mike Pence. If the Democrats spearheaded such a transition, it would be based on a more belligerent foreign policy, in particular against Russia, and would change nothing in terms of the distribution of wealth or the fate of the democratic rights of the population. The working class must chart an independent course to bring down the Trump administration. The answer lies in the development of the class struggle. In workplaces and working-class neighborhoods, working people must form independent, democratically controlled rank-and-file factory and neighborhood committees that will carry out the defense of workers interests. The building of such committees, and the struggles that they lead, must be guided by a new political perspective: the independent political mobilization of the working class to fight for a workers government and a socialist and antiwar program. In an election marked by a sharp decline in support for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and a significant decline in voter turnout, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, a union leader-turned multi-millionaire businessman, won election to a full five-year term in the national vote held last Wednesday. Over the weekend, the countrys Independent Electoral Commission reported that the ANC, which has ruled the country since the end of apartheid 25 years ago, had won 58 percent of the vote in the national parliamentary elections. This marks the first time in the ANCs post-apartheid history that its vote has fallen below 60 percent. In the previous national elections held in 2014, the ANC obtained 62 percent of the vote. Overall voter turnout, in elections that included provincial and local offices, fell to 66 percent from 73 percent five year ago. The sharpest fall in voter turnout was among the youth. The majority of the 10 million South Africans who did not even bother to register to vote, some 6 million, are under the age of 30. The ANC barely maintained control of the province of Gauteng, home to Johannesburg and Pretoria, the economic and political capitals of the country and the center of the black middle class that has enriched itself off the backs of the masses of black workers and poor since Nelson Mandela became president in 1994. Ramaphosa, the former head of the National Union of Mineworkers, used his connections to become one of South Africas richest men following the end of apartheid. After ousting former President Jacob Zuma and becoming leader of the ANC in 2017, Ramaphosa took power as President of South Africa in February 2018. He carried out his takeover of the party and the nation on the basis of pledges to clean up the pervasive corruption that marked the ANC regime under Zuma. The Democratic Alliance, the successor to the apartheid-era opposition party, with a base among English-speaking whites and mixed-race people, which has since incorporated some dissident factions of the Black bourgeoisie, also lost voter share as compared to 2014, winning about 22 percent of the vote. It maintained control, however, of its traditional base in Western Cape province and the city of Cape Town. It is headed by Mmusi Maimane. The supposedly far-left Economic Freedom Fighters, led by former ANC youth league president Julius Malema, himself a millionaire, saw its voter share increase to about 11 percent, but this was below the rise anticipated in pre-election opinion polls. The deep social and political crisis, under conditions where the aspirations and interests of the working class and youth can find no expression through any of the bourgeois parties, found a malignant expression in the increased vote for the Freedom Front Plus, a coalition of far-right parties advocating white self-rule, which increased its number of seats in parliament from four to ten. The conflict between the Zuma and Ramaphosa factions of the ANC, by no manner settled with the election, is between two right-wing sections of the black elite for positions and control of the spoils of power, in which both defend capitalism and the interests of native and Western big business against those of the broad masses of the population. Underlining the financial and business interests at stake with an ANC victory is the fact that the South African Rand rallied 0.4 percent to 14.3242 per US dollar over the past week as an ANC win became clear. Ramaphosa has made clear he aims to impose a right-wing agenda, centered on privatization and making South Africa more attractive to foreign investment. He has declared a goal of taking in $1.2 trillion rand ($83 billion) in foreign direct investment by 2023. One indication of what this means in practice is Ramaphosas murderous role in the 2012 massacre of 34 miners at Lonmins Marikana operation while he was the companys Black Economic Empowerment partner. Ramaphosa, then a top ANC official, owned a 9 percent share in the company. When the mineworkers struck in defiance of the official unions, he denounced the workers as criminals and demanded that the authorities take action. The ANCs aim of imposing Ramaphosas agenda of privatization and attracting investment has received much praise from international finance and corporations. On Friday the Financial Times suggested in an editorial that Ramaphosa should root out enemies of progress in the ANC. The problem is not bad apples. The ANC barrel is rotten. Mr. Ramaphosa needs to make examples of the worst offenders by sacking them. He also needs to empower state prosecutors and investigators to pursue convictions More broadly, the president must make good on his promise to attract investment and get the sluggish economy going again. Ralph Mathekga, the author of Ramaphosas Turn, told the Washington Post that the ANC receiving a smaller share of the vote will make it easier to implement its right-wing agenda: Getting less than 60 percent of votes nationally means Ramaphosa will be less tied to the partys more radical promises, like land expropriation without compensation. The South African economy is stagnant, growing only 0.8 percent last year. It is the most socially unequal country on the planet, according to the World Bank, with a 50 percent poverty rate and an official unemployment rate of 27.5 percent. The jobless rate for young people ages 18 to 35 is at nearly 50 percent. Home to 10 billionaires who collectively control more than $30 billion, the top 1 percent in the country own 70 percent of the countrys wealth, while the bottom 60 percent own just 7 percent. The coming to power of the ANC and Mandela and the end of apartheid on the basis of a nationalist and pro-capitalist program has produced after a quarter century even greater poverty and inequality for the working class while enriching a grasping black bourgeoisie and privileged middle class, who have plundered the economy in the name of black economic empowerment. The election sets the stage for an intensification of the social crisis and the class struggle in South Africa. Under conditions of a rising wave of class struggle across Africa and internationally, the South African working class will seek a revolutionary alternative outside of the entire existing social, economic and political framework. 25 years ago: Teamsters cut off strike benefits for freight drivers Ron Carey On May 17, 1994, the executive board of the Teamsters union approved the cutoff of $200-per-week strike pay following the betrayal of the freight drivers strike in April. The board also voted to impose an emergency dues levy on the membership to increase the unions net worth back to a minimum of $25 million. The cutoff impacted around 1,500 strikers immediately. The 23-day strike was the longest trucking strike in the United States. The Teamsters accepted a deal that new workers would start at 75 percent of regular pay and get full wages only after two years, a cut from the previous contract where new hires began at 80 percent and went to full wages after 18 months. The union also negotiated a miserable $1.30 an hour pay increase over four years. The Teamsters union deliberately isolated the freight drivers. The union accepted the demand of the trucking companies to make them more competitive with nonunion companies by allowing them to ship 28 percent of their freight by rail, up from 10 percent. The guarantee of full-time employment applied only to current employees, not future hires, meaning that companies would be free to hire masses of casual employees as the workforce aged. The Clinton administration entered into the talks as a representative of big business. President Clinton declared only a few months before the strike that in the new global economy, workers should prepare to change jobs seven or eight times in their lives. After betraying the strike, Teamsters President Ron Carey told the press, We won on the key issues by not letting them change good, full-time jobs to low-wage part-time jobs I think the members are smart enough to see this as a victory, adding that there will be some out there stirring the pot and trying to demean the results. Carey was expelled from the union four years later by a federal oversight panel for his role in the diversion of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the union treasury to finance his 1996 reelection campaign. The announcement of the elimination of strike pay while 120,000 freight drivers and dock workers were voting on the tentative settlement in a mail ballot amounted to a warning to the workers that rejecting the contract would mean being left with nothing. 50 years ago: Chinese-Malay clashes after Malaysian election Riot-devastated area of Kuala Lumpur On May 13, 1969, following national elections that resulted in a sharply reduced majority for the ruling Malay-dominated Alliance Party, riots broke out in Kuala Lumpur that targeted and attacked Chinese neighborhoods. About 200 people, mainly Chinese, were killed in the riots by both Alliance Party supporters and the Malaysian military. The national election which was held on May 10 resulted in large gains for the two opposition parties, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Parti Gerakan. Both parties drew much of their support from Malaysias large Chinese minority. The Alliance Party failed to win a majority of the total vote, but gained a narrow majority of seats in parliament. On the following days of May 11 and 12 the DAP and Gerakan held many victory rallies. In response the Alliance Party and the United Malay National Organization (UMNO), its largest bloc, and their affiliated newspapers, called for a counter-demonstration on May 13. Heavily steeped in anti-Chinese racialist ideology, one Alliance-backed paper wrote that the demonstrations were needed because the election results jeopardized the future of Malay rule. Riots broke out on the May 13 even before the official march was set to begin. Alliance supporters broke off from the main demonstrations and marched through Chinese neighborhoods terrorizing homes, shops, and individuals. Armed with machete-like blades called parangs and kris, the groups attacked and killed many Chinese bystanders and burned down buildings and vehicles. Some small groups of Chinese organized a response that was initially the defense of homes and shops but quickly escalated, with some attacking the UMNO headquarters. The government imposed a curfew in Kuala Lumpur and issued shoot-to-kill orders for the police and military. The military was deployed and entered the areas of the riots to enforce the curfew, firing on anyone still in the streets and into Chinese homes and shops. The staff of Kuala Lumpur General Hospital reported that most of the deaths were Chinese and that most were killed after 10:30 p.m. when the military entered into the Chinese neighborhoods. Following the riots government leaders formed the National Operations Council (NOC) which declared a state of emergency, dissolved parliament, and effectively ruled the country under martial law for the next 18 months. This inaugurated a sharp turn to the right in Malaysian politics, in which UMNO systematically whipped up Malay nationalism and ruled in a dictatorial fashion for nearly four decades. 75 years ago: Stalin deports the Crimean Tatars On May 17, 1944, the Soviet secret police, at the direction of Stalin, launched a three-day punitive operation rounding up the entire population of 500,000 Crimean Tatars and deporting them to Central Asia, Kazakhstan and the Ural regions. The action came only days after Soviet forces completed the reconquest of the Crimean peninsula and the last German and Romanian soldiers surrendered. NKVD units allowed Tatar families only half an hour to collect personal belongings, after which they were then transported in overcrowded freight cars to the east under inhuman conditions. Tens of thousands perished from hunger, thirst and disease on these trips, which could last for weeks. In the barren regions of exile, more continued to die. It is estimated half the Tatar population perished as a result of the deportation. The mass reprisal against the disloyal Tatar nationality was meted out because a section of Tatars collaborated with Hitler and served in police forces under the Gestapo. They hunted down Soviet soldiers who had gone underground after the German armies occupied the Crimean Peninsula in the summer of 1942. But among the deportees were Tatar families whose fathers and sons had heroically fought and died defending the Crimea against Hitler in 1942 and others who continued to serve loyally in the Red Army. Hitler had originally seen occupation of the Crimea as essential to preventing a Soviet attack on German oil sources in Romania. It also served as a supply base and strategic stepping stone for German entry into the Caucasus and seizure of its oil regions. Hitler continued to occupy the Crimea, hoping for another opportunity to reach the Caucasus. But in April and May 1944, the Red Army unleashed a ferocious assault against the Peninsula and wiped out the German forces. Stalins reactionary policy toward the Tatars in the Crimea was an attempt to remove the possibility of imperialisms future manipulation of this nationality. Later the Crimea would be incorporated into the Ukraine. 100 years ago: Canadian workers begin general strike in Winnipeg Workers rally in Winnipeg On May 15, 1919, more than 30,000 workers in Winnipeg, Manitoba, walked off the job in support of a strike by metal tradesmen which began on May 6. The membership of 70 union locals, affiliated to the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, voted in favor of the general strike, motivated largely by wage demands. The strike sentiment was so widespread in the citys population that even the Winnipeg police force voted to join in, but remained on the job at the request of the union leaders. At first, deliveries of bread and milk were suspended, but on the fourth day of the strike they were resumed with the approval of the leadership. The One Big Union (OBU), established in Calgary, Alberta, in March 1919, had a significant influence on the Winnipeg labor movement. The OBU was a syndicalist organization which resembled the Industrial Workers of the World in program and outlook. The general strike began under the leadership of a committee of five. The ruling class across North America reacted to the strike with alarm, with the New York Times carrying the headline, Bolshevism Invades Canada. The Winnipeg strike, following closely on a similar general strike in Seattle, Washington, fueled the mood of hysterical panic over the danger from the working class, already demonstrated in the Russian Revolution and further revolts in central Europe. As the strike wore on, the local capitalist establishment, which had set up a Committee of One Thousand to oppose the workers, pushed for harsher repressive measures. The entire Winnipeg police force was sacked, replaced by volunteers recruited for their hostility to the strike. These immediately engaged in violent attacks on picket lines. The Canadian federal government sent the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and then army troops to Winnipeg to intimidate the strikers. Demobilized soldiers began parading in support or in opposition to the strike. The employers in the metal trades announced on June 16 that they would deal with members of unions through elected committees but would continue to refuse to recognize the Metal Trades Council. At the same time, the railroad carmen on both the Canadian Pacific and Canadian Northern railroads voted to return to work. The arrest of eight strike leaders provoked a new confrontation with police (Bloody Saturday on June 21) in which two workers were killed and thirty injured. On June 25 the Trades and Labour Council capitulated and called off the strike. Of the eight leaders arrested, six were convicted of seditious conspiracy. Five were sentenced to a year in prison and one to six months. One of the accused, J.S. Woodsworth, was tried separately and acquitted. The OBU, despite the defeat of the strike, continued to gain support. By the end of 1919 it had over 41,000 members, 101 local unions and eight central bodies. US President Trump has warned China to act now to conclude a trade deal with the United States or face worse terms after what he predicted would be his certain re-election in 2020. The warning came in a series of Trump tweets issued over the weekend declaring the US was right where we want to be. He claimed that China had been beaten so badly in the recent negotiations they considered they might as well as well wait to see if they could get a Democrat win. The deal will become far worse for them if it has to be negotiated in my second term. Would be wise for them to act now, Trump tweeted. Prominent Republican senator Lindsey Graham weighed in behind Trump in an interview with Fox News saying the Chinese were trying to wait Trump out. He said the present situation was the best chance of my lifetime to get China to change their cheating ways and that the US would have to endure short-term pain. The increasingly belligerent US rhetoric is being matched by action. Today the administration is expected to release details of a further $300 billion worth of Chinese goods it intends to hit with tariffs of 25 percent. This followed the lifting of tariffs on $200 billion worth from 10 percent to 25 percent on Friday. The enactment of the new measures will mean that virtually all Chinese imports into the US will be hit with a 25 percent impost. However, they may not come into force for some months because there will be hearings to take submissions from US firms seeking exemptions. There is no doubt, however, that the Trump administration intends to go ahead. Commenting on the latest developments, Chad Brown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, noted: [T]he facts are what they are. For all of President Trumps rhetoric about deals, to date his only real policy has been to shut down trade. After all of these [moves], his end game may be just tariffs. As it steps up pressure on Beijing, the administration is keeping a very close watch on Wall Street. It is working to prevent a plunge, following significant falls last week that were only arrested by reassuring comments from officials that, despite the escalation of tariffs, negotiations were proceeding. Larry Kudlow, the director of Trumps National Economic Council, who functions as a kind of minister for massaging the markets, was again sent out to perform his duties on Sunday. He said that was a strong possibility that Trump would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Japan next month. We dont think the Chinese have come far enough. We will wait and see. The talks will continue, he said. Kudlow indicated that China had issued invitation for US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to go to Beijing for further talks. But there is no indication when they would take place or what would be discussed, given the escalation of US penalties and its insistence that changes in Chinas economic policies be written into the countrys laws. The negotiations were nearly scrapped last week after Trump announced tariff increases. He claimed that China had backtracked on commitments to enshrine the specifics of any agreement in law and would only make changes in regulations. This is regarded by the US side as being too weak. Following the announcement, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the Chinese leadership, including President Xi, held a top-level meeting. They seriously considered not sending Vice Premier Liu He, their chief trade negotiator, to Washingtonan action which would have effectively ended the negotiations. In the event, it was decided he should go, fully aware there was no prospect of progress. It was simply to keep the talks going, in the words of one unnamed Chinese official cited in the report. Following the discussions in Washington, Liu responded to the US allegations about previous Chinese commitments. He said China had not reneged on past assurances, saying the two sides were still in the process of exchanging draft agreements when Trump made his announcement of higher tariffs. We believe that before an agreement is reached, any change is very natural, he said. We did not backtrack. We had disagreements over how to write some of the text. Liu said China wanted a deal premised on equality and dignity, adding that the remaining differences were on matters of principle on which China cannot make concessions. One of the key issues, which had emerged before the latest moves by Trump, was over whether tariffs imposed by the US would be lifted once a deal had been signed. The US side has insisted they must be in place and only be removed gradually, part of an enforcement mechanism, as it determined whether China was complying with the agreement. This was rejected by China on the grounds that it represented unequal treatment. Now the Chinese side is confronted with the additional tariffs imposed last Friday, which will come into effect in about three weeks time when ships that left China after May 10 start arriving in the US. It also faces the threatened imposition of still more imposts on its exports. The issue of changes to Chinese laws is also a major sticking point. Even if China were to agree to such changes, Washington is almost certain to demand the right to virtually dictate the text of the legislation, regarding any other option as not sufficient. However, it is extremely unlikely this will be acceptable to Beijing because it would be open infringement of its national sovereignty. Liu indicated as much in his comments over the weekend. We are very clear that we cannot make concessions on matters of principle. We hope our US colleagues understand this, he said. The trade procurement figures should be realistic, the text must be balanced and expressed in a way that is acceptable to the Chinese people and does not undermine the countrys sovereignty and dignity. The trade conflict between the US and China is being watched closely in both Japan and the European Union. Using the threat of 25 percent auto tariffs on the grounds of national security, Trump has secured agreements from both Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker for bilateral trade negotiations. Both of them resisted out of fear that in one-on-one negotiations, rather than multilateral talks, they would be subjected to the same kind of strong-arm measures now being applied to China. The negotiations with the EU have already begun but have run into a major obstacle because the US has insistedcontrary to all available evidencethat agriculture has to be included. The EU maintains that agriculture was never part of the agreement reached between Trump and Juncker last July. The dispute bears a remarkable similarity to the US claim of Chinese backtracking over changes to its laws. An unnamed senior EU diplomat told the Financial Times that the US-China conflict did not bode well with our talks with either partner, as they will each surely copy and paste to us whatever they agree among themselves. The greatest threat, however, does not come so much from China, which will be looking for agreement with the EU to bolster its position against the US. Rather in trade negotiations with Brussels, Washington will use the same methods it has adopted against Beijing. Pointing to the wider implications of the US-China conflict last week, Juncker said he feared a major part of the economic problems the world is facing have to be read in the context of these trade tensions between the US and China. If investors did not think this problem could be resolved soon, the appetite for investments on both sides of the Atlantic and throughout the world would weaken. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's parliament on Monday unanimously passed a bill, which formalised an increase in the number of seats for tribal areas in the National Assembly and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly. The 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the National Assembly by independent lawmaker Mohsin Dawar on Thursday, was passed with 278 votes in the 342-member House. With the passage of the bill, districts from the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) will have nine seats in the National Assembly, while their representation in the KP Assembly province will stand at 26. Earlier, representations from tribal districts were six in the National Assembly and 16 in the KP Assembly following the merger of FATA into KP province in 2018, which ended the semi-autonomous status of seven tribal districts along the Afghan border. The bill also seeks four reserved seats for women and one for minorities. Addressing the House, Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his appreciation over the consensus among all parties on the bill. He said the bill ended "sense of deprivation" among tribals. "This sense of deprivation is dangerous as it can be exploited by Pakistan's enemies and it is being exploited," he said. The bill now need to be passed by the Senate of Pakistan and endorsed by the President before it becomes a law. By PTI MELBOURNE: Australia's Queensland state government has asked Indian energy giant Adani to provide more information on its groundwater management plans, posing another hurdle which may further delay the construction of its proposed billion-dollar mine project, expected to be one of the biggest in the world. The decision came after the Queensland government rejected a management plan of Adani to protect endangered black-throated finch bird population, saying the company's proposals do not meet the approval conditions. The black-throated finch management plan and a groundwater plan are the two persisting hurdles before the Indian energy giant could begin work on its controversy-hit Carmichael mining project in Central Queensland. Adani Mining's chief executive Lucas Dow said the new request came from the Department of Environment and Science (DES) last Friday, Australian Associated Press news reported on Monday. "It appears this process will again go beyond the scope of what our project is required to deliver under regulatory conditions - and, put simply, is another fishing expedition," he said in a statement. Dow said the DES had not provided Adani with the scope of the new review and accused the government of hiding the process behind a veil of secrecy. "Trying to see what needs to be done to ensure these management plans can be signed off is like trying to see through a brick wall - there is absolutely zero transparency," Dow said. Federal environment minister Melisa Price had cleared the groundwater plans submitted by Adani which according to Dow had followed eight months of assessment including review by CSIRO and Geoscience Australia. Reacting to the latest request by the state, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said further analysis was a standard procedure. "These are just processes that every mining company needs to adhere to. It's just not one rule for Adani and one rule for everyone else," the Premier said. According to 'The Brisbane Times', Queensland's Department of Environment and Science also provided a statement saying "Adani's claims about DES seeking another review are false". "The department has sought updated advice from CSIRO and Geoscience Australia on the latest version of the groundwater management plan, which is not the version that was reviewed by CSIRO and Geoscience Australia," it said. "This includes further clarification around the evidence to support the identification of the source aquifer(s) of the Doongmabulla Springs Complex," it added. Queensland's Department of Environment and Science said this information, which concerned CSIRO earlier this year, was important to evaluate. Adani, which already has mining and environmental licences from the state government, requires the state approvals on management plans on the endangered finch bird and groundwater in order to commence the mine construction. The company was given green light by the federal government for its groundwater plan last month before the Morrison Government announced election dates. The project has passed several legal challenges in court since 2010 and is seen as a most scrutinised coal project in the country. Gautam Adani-led Adani Group entered Australia in 2010 with the purchase of the greenfield Carmichael coal mine in the Galilee Basin in central Queensland, and the Abbot Point port near Bowen in the north. The massive coal mine in Queensland state has been a controversial topic, with the project expected to produce 2.3 billion tonnes of low-quality coal. Carmichael would be the largest coal mine in Australia and one of the biggest in the world. Adani said last year it would fully fund the coal mine and rail project itself, but did not give an updated estimate of the cost of the mine. The mine was previously estimated at about USD 2.9 billion. By PTI COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government Monday blocked social media following rising tensions between the minority Muslims and majority Sinhalese in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings which killed nearly 260 people. The blockade comes a day after Sri Lankan police imposed curfew in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw where a mob attacked a mosque and some shops owned by Muslims in a dispute that started on a Facebook post by a Muslim shop owner. The blockade of Facebook and WhatsApp has been imposed from midnight following violent incidents between the minority Muslim and majority Sinhalese communities, officials said. Late in the evening on Sunday, the unrest spread to Kuliyapitiya where a mosque and a few Muslim owned shops came under attack, prompting the authorities to impose curfew in the northwest town. "The curfew imposed in Kuliyapitya and Chilaw has been lifted," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. ALSO READ | Muslim cleric wanted for airing extremist views arrested by Sri Lankan authorities The majority nationalist groups have been active on Facebook, reviving calls for boycotts of Muslim-owned businesses and spreading hate. The violence is a direct fallout from the Eastern Sunday's suicide bombings. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 258 people and injuring over 500 others on April 21. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group, the National Thawheed Jama'ath (NTJ), for the bombings. Sri Lanka has previously blocked social media several times after the Eastern Sunday bombings to prevent the spread of false news reports. The Sunday curfews came as Catholic churches held their first Sunday mass amid tight security. Addressing a service here, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith the Archbishop of Colombo, said everyone responsible for neglecting the intelligence and prior warnings on the attacks including the political leadership must be brought to book. The security remained tight on Monday as another warning of a possible attack later in the day was doing rounds. ALSO READ | Sri Lanka slaps controls on mosques after Easter Sunday suicide attacks The primary schools which did not open after the attacks resumed classes Monday with low attendance. The attendance of classes above grade 5 was very low. Parents had refused to send their children to schools despite repeated assurances from the security establishment that the threats of more attacks had been nullified. Over 1,000 have been arrested since the attacks. Sri Lanka's police say they have either killed or arrested all those responsible for the bombings but that the threat of global terrorism persists. President Maithripala Sirisena has vowed to eliminate the militants and restore normality in the country. 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. By IANS STOCKHOLM: Swedish prosecutors on Monday reopened the investigation into the rape allegation against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, currently lodged at a high-security jail in the UK. Sweden's Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson announced the decision at a press conference here saying, "I have today taken the decision to reopen the preliminary investigation," the Guardian reported Prosecutors dropped the investigation in 2017 because they were unable to proceed while Assange stayed put at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The investigation could be reopened if the situation changed, they had said at that time. Assange, 47, was removed from the embassy last month after seven years as the Ecuadorian government withdrew his asylum protection, and was arrested for breach of bail conditions. READ| WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to fight extradition to US A lawyer for one of the women involved in the Swedish allegations subsequently asked for resumption of the investigation. Assange had also faced investigation for a second sex-related allegation, which was dropped in 2015 because time had run out. He has denied both allegations. Immediately after his arrest in April, the US authorities requested for his extradition in a case relating to a WikiLeaks' release of sensitive military and diplomatic documents. In the US, he faces charges of conspiring with a former intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to download classified data. The charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison. Assange is being held at the Belmarsh high-security prison in London after being sentenced to 50 weeks for a bail violation, the Guardian said. He appeared at the Westminster magistrates court on May 2 via video link and said he did not consent to be extradited to the US. The court heard that the extradition process would take "many months". The case was adjourned until May 30. The Swedish allegations date to 2010. Assange unsuccessfully fought through the British courts to get the extradition order and preliminary investigation dropped. Assange feared that the Swedish authorities would hand him over to the US to face prosecution in the WikiLeaks case, his lawyers said. On the reopening of the Swedish investigation, WikiLeaks said it would give Assange a chance to clear his name. "Since Assange was arrested on April 11, 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen investigations, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case," Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief, said in a statement. "Its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name," Hrafnsson said. Two weeks before the elections for the European Parliament, weeklies assess the possible outcomes and ponder whether Fidesz will remain a member of the European Peoples Party or choose a more radical right-wing group after the election. In Magyar Hang, Szabolcs Szereto complains that just a fortnight before the election, people dont seem to be aware of the stakes. Based on recent polls, he believes the only question is whether Fideszs score will be nearer to 50 or 60% of the ballots. Opposition demonstrations against recent labour legislation died down months ago without resulting in any increase in the number of anti-government voters. Szereto believes that the election will be free but not fair because the opposition finds it much more difficult than the government to reach the public. Nevertheless, he pours scorn on opposition parties for failing to make use of what elbow room remains to them. They should have been able to unite behind a few simple messages, he believes, like supporting the European Union, but instead there are competing with each other for opposition votes. It looks as though the opposition has given up on this election, in the hope of better results at the local council and mayoral elections later this year, he suggests. Yet, anti-government voters may still take the European Parliament election seriously, because although Fideszs victory seems assured, the scale of that victory will matter a lot. A crushing government victory could result in even deeper apathy among opposition voters and thus deprive their parties of any hope of electoral success later on. In an interview with Figyelo, Justice Minister Laszlo Trocsanyi, the top Fidesz candidate in the EP election, says he is running on a programme to create a strong Europe based on strong member countries, where decisions are not imposed from above but result from careful deliberations. He admits that he cannot tell whether Fidesz will continue to be part of the centre-right alliance within the European Parliament, but believes that would be preferable. He explains that Hungarys governing party is the largest representative of Central Europe within the EPP, and without it, an important voice would disappear from that party alliance. But the departure of Fidesz is a genuine possibility, if the current debates within the EPP cannot be overcome through consensus, he says. In Demokrata, Peter Bandy agrees with Prime Minister Viktor Orban that the European Peoples Party is preparing a suicidal move by tying its destiny to that of the Left. It has been sad to watch the European Peoples Party, he writes, in its failure to follow its own elementary values, by attempting to meet the expectations of left-liberal forces instead. On that path, the pro-government commentator continues, the EPP will irreversibly become a prisoner of pro-immigration forces. The election for the European Parliament, he argues, is the last opportunity to correct that course. His conclusion is that it is not Fidesz that has to return to the Peoples Party, but it is rather the latter that should opt for right-wing policies, keeping in mind the interests of the people. In its weekly editorial, Magyar Narancs writes that by receiving Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and Austrian Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, the Prime Minister made it clear that he intends to leave the Peoples Party. The die is cast! the authors exclaim. They deem it very difficult to decode that gesture as anything other than the expression of Mr Orbans will to choose other allies especially after he withdrew his support for Manfred Weber, the top EPP candidate. Meanwhile, Magyar Narancs thinks it will prove difficult to keep Mr Orbans new potential allies together, because while some of them are pro-Russian, Polands governing right-wing party is permeated by what the liberal weekly calls Russophobia. Another problem for a future right-wing alliance will be that its Western members intend to reduce EU funding to East European countries, Magyar Narancs speculates. This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher. Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online. Click here to Share Your Story The head of the opposition LMP partys list for the European parliamentary elections has called for a turn to a green economy in order to stop climate change. Only ten years are left for action, so sufficient resources are needed to develop a green economy in the next five-year term of the European Parliament, Gabor Vago said. Insulation for buildings and energy modernisation are priorities, along with a scheme to revamp pre-fab housing estates, he added. LMP supports a proposal backed by several EU member countries to spend a quarter of the EU budget on climate protections, Vago said. He stressed the need to transform energy production, arguing that from the price of the Paks II project, solar panels could be installed on all residential homes. MTI Photo: Balogh Zoltan Now on until the first week of June. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1989 regime change in Hungary, Veszprem is hosting Think Freedom, an urban spectacle and multidisciplinary art installation by renowned American artist Edina Seleskovic, on Szabadsag ter in Veszprem, according to a press release sent by the U.S. Embassy. The piece is supported by the U.S. Embassy in Hungary and was created in partnership with the City of Veszprem and in collaboration with young people from six Hungarian cities. U.S. Embassy Cultural Attache Emma Nagy opened Think Freedom on May 10, stating that the Embassy is thrilled to support such a thought-provoking public project that reminds all of us and future generations of the values and freedoms we share and cherish as Hungarians and Americans. The installation is a reflection on the meaning of freedom, incorporating sculpture, performance, light, sound, film, the literary word, and new global communication technologies, and connects young generations with the universal power of art. It will remain in Veszprem until the first week of June 2019. Renowned New York-based sculptor Edina Seleskovic joined hands with young people from six Hungarian cities - Veszprem, Budapest, Szeged, Debrecen, Pecs, and Zirc - to create an urban spectacle that connects people globally through art creation, and to remind youth across Europe and the United States of the freedoms we have enjoyed together for thirty years. Think Freedom is an installation composed of several thousand sculptures of peace, constructed individually from silver colored metal and suspended in an enormous flock representing freedom without borders: a flight moving forward moving toward a brighter future. Each piece is a symbol, as it is formed from two metal strips, like two hands or two messages, twisted individually into a recognizable shape of a bird. However, this work is more than its aesthetic aspect as each sculpture, each element of the installation, carries a handwritten message of freedom on its wings. Edina opened a dialogue on the idea of freedom today and in the historical context of 1989 with workshops and public talks in six Hungarian towns, reaffirming that art is how we break down borders and barriers around us. Young people and the public from these cities wrote about their ideas of freedom and their views of the future. These messages are now written on the installations sculptures, together with messages from all previous host cities, and will continue to other cities, strengthening universal understanding of the power of art for younger generations. Hungarian art students and young artists designed the installation in Veszprem county, making this work authentic to the City of Veszprem and Hungary. "I feel privileged to have so many Hungarian young people share their thoughts and ideas with me, Edina said. Seldom do we think about our freedom during our hurried everyday lives, and Think Freedom made us all pause and consider that which is so easily lost and so difficult to obtain. I am thrilled that we have an open dialogue and honest messages on our installation in Veszprem. Many may be surprised by them." Think Freedom will continue to travel, and its final presentation will take place in 2022, in New York at Daag Hammerskjold Plaza, overlooking the building of the United Nations. The meeting of Prime Minister Viktor Orban and President Donald Trump in the White House on May 13 will not only be a breakthrough in U.S.-Hungarian relations, but it could also bring significant changes to Hungarys military reports direkt36.hu. In recent months, the two countries have been negotiating high-value arms deals worth billion dollars as well as joint energy projects, some of which may become public after Mondays meeting. A few weeks ago, U.S. Ambassador to Budapest David Cornstein revealed some details of these deals while briefing a group of Republican staffers from Congress who were visiting Hungary. Direkt36 managed to confirm the content of that conversation by multiple sources. The ambassador claimed that Hungary would soon be able to significantly reduce its dependence on Russian gas imports. According to Cornstein, negotiations are advancing well on Hungary buying gas from ExxonMobils Romanian offshore gas fields as well as American liquified natural gas from the sea terminal on the Croatian island of Krk. According to Direkt36s sources, Cornstein also boasted that they will announce a billion-dollar arms deal between Hungary and Lockheed Martin, and that there is a second billion-dollar deal in the making with another company. Although the ambassador did not name that other company, he was referring to a Raytheon deal, according to two sources with knowledge of U.S.-Hungarian defense procurement talks. Agreements on gas and arms deals would also be a turning point in U.S.-Hungarian cooperation. According to a leaked diplomatic cable, Hungarian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Levente Magyar had to face criticism in Washington DC last year because of the Hungarian governments lack of commitment to buying American gas. Hungarys position has since apparently changed and the value of arms deals has risen considerably too. Cornstein not only talked about upcoming business deals to the group of Republican staffers, he also shared his personal views with them. He explained, among other things, that as a Jew he sees no anti-Semitism in Hungary. His relationship with Orban is very good. He listed positive results during his own term as ambassador, which he thought fit to the Trump administrations pragmatic, transactional approach. According to Cornstein, Orban has the government, the parliament and the judges in his grip, but he is a great guy, who is not so much a prime minister but a statesman. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson responded to our questions about Cornsteins remarks that the embassy does not generally comment on internal deliberative discussions regarding issues of bilateral interest, and is unable to do so in this case. The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not react to our inquiry. U.S. missiles versus Hungarian civil society The Raytheon deal was first reported by Direkt36 in the days before U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeos visit to Budapest in February. Hungary is buying the American-Norwegian NASAMS medium range air-defense system, manufactured by Raytheon and Norwegian defense company Kongsberg Gruppen. Direkt36 has since talked with multiple sources who follow how the negotiations are unfolding. According to them, Hungary and the U.S. have agreed to cut the deal, and the required Congressional notification process is already underway. However, the agreement has not yet been finalized. According to both Hungarian and U.S. government sources, a conflict between Hungary and Norway is halting the deal (Norway is involved as majority shareholder of Kongsberg, the other manufacturer besides Raytheon of the NASAMS air-defense system). To solve the debate, Hungarys government requested the U.S. to intervene. The reason for the conflict, according to a diplomatic source, is that the Hungarian government ties the air-defense system deal to the ongoing debate over the Norway Grant Funds, which practically means the financial support that Norway gives to Hungarian civil society. The European Economic Area (EEA) and Norway Grants Fund would provide 214.6 million ($241 million) to Hungary for the period 2014-2021, but 10 percent of the money would be distributed to Hungarian NGOs through an independent fund operator of Norways choice. However, Hungarys government is opposed to this and wants to have a say in how the total amount of the Norwegian contribution is spent, including that 10 percent aimed at strengthening civil society. A Hungarian government official confirmed to Direkt36 that this is indeed an issue halting the arms deal but did not elaborate further. They asked the Norwegian Embassy in Budapest for comment on Friday afternoon but have not received a response yet. Hungarian government politicians regularly claim that they consider NGOs funded from abroad as their real opponents instead of the political parties of the Hungarian opposition. This is why several government campaigns have been launched in recent years not only against civil society organizations receiving support from the foundation of George Soros, but against NGOs receiving Norway Grant money as well. In 2014, for example, Hungarian police raided and searched offices of two Norway Grant organizations in Budapest. Later, courts ruled that the raids against the headquarters of the Hungarian Environmental Partnership Organization (Okotars) and their partners were illegal. The roughly $1 billion value of the Raytheon deal the value was first reported by Nepszava and since confirmed by multiple sources to Direkt36 raises further questions. The purchase of the NASAMS air defense system, which was revealed in February, in itself could only cost a couple of hundred million dollars. The much bigger size of the deal could suggest the acquisition of other high-value arms produced by Raytheon. F-35 or F-16V? However, the other $1 billion deal with Lockheed Martin, which was also revealed by Cornstein, is still in its initial phase, according to Direkt36s information. Since the companys main products are fighter jets and Hungarys leasing contract for 14 Swedish Gripens (JAS 39) used by the Hungarian Air Force will expire in less than 10 years, the business is logically either about buying the latest variant of the F-16 or the fifth-generation jet fighter F-35. The Swedes were digging their own grave with their many anti-Hungarian attacks. It is conceivable that we are buying F-35s instead, a senior Hungarian government official told Direkt36 referring to the Gripens and the frequent criticism coming from the Swedish government regarding the state of rule of law and human rights in Hungary. However, many sources were skeptical about a F-35 deal. One of them claimed that the F-35s are way too advanced for the needs of the Hungarian army, which is tasked with protecting the airspace and air policing but does not perform offensive operations. According to a Hungarian defense expert, the acquisition of F-35s would be a tragic decision for taxpayers. This is the typical case of a BMW 6 parking in front of a run-down Socialist block of flats. A country with similar needs, Slovakia is buying 14 pieces of F-16Vs, the advanced variant of the F-16 which is much cheaper than the F-35. According to the defense expert, an F-35 deal could fail because of the American side as the U.S. could be reluctant to supply Hungarys China- and Russia-friendly government with the most advanced fighter jet technology. However, according to the opinion of another source, the Hungarian government is floating the possibility of a lucrative F-35 deal only as bait for U.S. diplomacy. Hungary tries to befriend China and the U.S. at the same time Although the American side generally considered U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeos visit to Budapest in February and the following months a success, the issue of China remained a major concern, according to our sources who follow U.S.-Hungarian relations closely. Pompeos Central European trip was focused on trying to persuade governments of the region to curb Russian and Chinese influence. However, according to the American assessment, Hungarys government is visibly opposed to their efforts to limit the regional presence of China and its tech giant, Huawei. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto recently said in Beijing that it is in Hungarys national economic and strategic interests to continue its excellent cooperation with Huawei. According to sources who were briefed on the preparations of the Trump-Orban meeting, while the topic of the Central European University is not on the U.S. agenda at all anymore, the issue of Huawei will certainly be a priority. President Trumps national security adviser John Bolton will also attend the Orban meeting, and the official statement of the White House said that cyber security and national security issues will be discussed too. From the U.S. side, the National Security Council (NSC) and Deputy Assistant Secretary Robert Strayer (in charge of cyber security at State Department) is communicating with the Hungarian government and is trying to pressure them on the Huawei issue. Direkt36 asked Strayer during a telephonic press briefing if the U.S. government is concerned with Hungarys relationship to China and Huawei, and also about the incentives the U.S. can offer to Hungary in order to change the Orban governments position. In his reply, Strayer talked about future dangers, saying that they are having discussions with their partners about the national security implications, and indeed the economic implications over the long run because a foreign powers control over the network could affect dramatically our economic futures. Citing examples, Strayer said that a foreign powers control can result in disrupting critical infrastructure, theft of intellectual property, or the derivation of private data, and that these could fundamentally affect our economies. He also pointed out that the United Kingdom just found hundreds of vulnerabilities in Huaweis software. Were asking countries to think carefully about the overall economic proposition that theyre being offered by Chinese companies relative to their long-term economic futures, he added. According to Strayer, choosing Huawei would over the long term be potentially more costly than other alternative vendors that come from Finland, Sweden or South Korea (Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung), and he stressed that countries should carefully consider the life cycle costs of those vendors. Meanwhile, the anti-Huawei offensive of the United States faces opposition in many places in Europe. Hungarian government officials told Direkt36 that the U.S. cannot offer a realistic alternative to Huawei nor can it provide evidence to support their claim that there is a concrete security threat as they always speaks of potential future threats. I see two foreign policy directions that are important to us: China and the United States, a senior Hungarian government official told Direkt36. According to the senior official, the government believes that they should maintain good relations with both economic powers at the same time and that any U.S.-Chinese rivalry can only hurt Europe. MTI Photo Article republished with the permission of the source: direkt36.hu Direkt36 is a non-profit investigative journalism center in Hungary with the mission to expose wrongdoings and abuse of power through fair but tough reporting, a kind of journalism that is vital for any democracy. Well, this is it, folks. Time to talk about one of the most important film events of the year the Cannes Film Festival and which buzzy titles are up for grabs this year. Theres a hot package starring Chris Hemsworth and Tiffany Haddish titled Down Under Cover. Roland Emmerich directs a sci-fi project called Moonfall. Newly minted Oscar winner Olivia Colman stars with Anthony Hopkins in a drama called The Father. And Anthony Mackie reunites with Avengers co-star Samuel L. Jackson in The Banker, while the Russo Brothers reteam with Tom Holland for Cherry. This years lineup features everything from space odysseys to WWII dramas to rom-coms to political dramas. Some directors are heading back to the Croisette for their sixth time to compete (Oh Mercy! director Arnaud Desplechin), while others, like Florian Zeller, are traveling to the French Riviera town for the first time. Also Read: Chris Hemsworth and Tiffany Haddish to Star in Buddy Cop Movie 'Down Under Cover' Needless to say, were anticipating a fiery sales market this year. See below for the buzziest sales titles hitting the Croisette. Friendsgiving Friendsgiving Malin Akerman, Kat Dennings and Jane Seymour star in Friendsgiving, directed by Nicol Paone. And with Ben Stiller being a producer on the film, we can hope for a solid family comedy a la Meet the Parents. The name explains it all: Friendsgiving is about two friends who host a Thanksgiving dinner for their dysfunctional group of friends. Endeavor Content is repping U.S. sales. The Father First-time feature director Florian Zeller is directing The Father, which stars Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, fresh off her Oscars win for The Favourite. The Father follows a daughter who is forced to place her father in an assisted-living facility when he cant separate reality from fantasy anymore. UTA and CAA are handling North American sales, while Embankment is handling international sales. Down Under Cover Story continues In what is possibly the hottest package heading to Cannes this year is Down Under Cover, starring Chris Hemsworth and Tiffany Haddish. The buddy cop drama is written by Peter Hoare and stars Hemsworth as a detective who goes undercover to investigate a group of male, Australian exotic dancers who he suspects are involved in a series of casino heists. Haddish will play a lone wolf cop who Hemsworth reluctantly accepts as a partner. CAA is introducing the package to domestic buyers at Cannes, while FilmNation is handling international sales. Young Ahmed Young Ahmed Young Ahmed is a competition title at this years festival from the Dardenne Brothers, who won the Palme dOr in both 1999 and 2005. Young Ahmed is their 11th film and follows a 13-year-old boy from Belgium named Ahmed, who wrestles with a plot to kill his teacher after he embraces an extremist interpretation of the Quran. Idir Ben Addi, Olivier Bonnaud, Myriem Akheddiou, Victoria Bluck, Claire Bodson, and Othmane Moumen star in the foreign-language drama in both French and Arabic. CAA is handling sales. Also Read: Cannes Film Festival Opens With More Netflix Drama and Too Few Female Directors (Again) Moonfall Independence Day director Roland Emmerich is returning to space for one of the biggest projects to be presented at the Cannes Film Festival market, titled Moonfall. Emmerich will co-write the film with Harald Kloser and Spenser Cohen. The story is a sci-fi action epic in which a ragtag team of astronauts is forced to land on the moons surface when the moon is knocked out of Earths orbit, sending it hurtling on a collision course with Earth and threatening all of mankind. Stuart Fords AGC Studios and CAA Media Finance jointly handling worldwide sales. A Hidden Life A Hidden Life Who wouldnt be excited for a Terrence Malick WW2 movie? A Hidden Life is having its world premiere in the official competition section of Cannes, and follows Austrian conscientious objector Franz Jagerstatter, who refuses to fight for the Third Reich and is then executed by them in 1943. CAA is repping sales. French Exit Lucas Hedges has proven himself to be a big indie player in recent years, with films like Manchester by the Sea, Ben Is Back, Boy Erased, Lady Bird and, of course, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Thats why were excited to see that Hedges is in another festival film, this time starring with Michelle Pfeiffer. The dark comedy is directed by Azazel Jacobs. CAA is co-repping North American sales with Cinetic Media. Rocket Science is handling international sales. Also Read: Russell Crowe to Star in Psychological Thriller 'Unhinged' for Solstice Studios One Thousand Paper Cranes Evan Rachel Wood is starring in One Thousand Paper Cranes, which is the story of Hiroshima survivor Sadako Sasaki and author Eleanor Coerr, who wrote the bestselling childrens book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Richard Raymond is directing the story that follows Sasaki, who was just two years old when the bomb was dropped in 1945. She later was diagnosed with leukemia but drew inspiration from a Japanese legend that she said if she folded 1,000 paper cranes, she would be granted a wish. CAA is handling North American rights. Cliffhanger Reboot Poster Cliffhanger Twenty-six years after the original Cliffhanger debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, Neal Moritzs long-awaited reboot is heading to the Croisette. Ana Lily Amirpour is directing, and casting is underway for the big package that is promising to be one of the buzziest projects for sale this year. Added bonus: Jason Momoa is in talks for a cameo. CAA reps the North American and Chinese distribution rights. Rocket Science is handling international sales. Harry Haft Ben Foster has been a big festival player in recent years, with films like Hell or High Water debuting at Cannes three years ago, Leave No Trace premiering at Sundance last year and Galveston premiering at SXSW last year as well. Were happy to report that he is back with Harry Haft, alongside Billy Magnussen, Danny DeVito and Peter Sarsgaard a solid crew right there. Rain Man director Barry Levinson is directing Harry Haft, which follows famous boxer Harry Haft, who fought fellow prisoners in the concentration camps to survive. He later became a professional boxer in post-war Germany and the United States. Endeavor Content is handling worldwide and U.S. sales. Oh Mercy Oh Mercy! Oh Mercy! or its French title Roubaix, une lumiere is directed by Arnaud Desplechin, who already was part of the main competition jury of the festival in 2016, and has competed in the festival himself five times. Hes one of Frances most famous contemporary directors. Oh Mercy! takes place one Christmas night in Roubaix, Daoud, where two French police officers are confronted with a violent murder of an elderly woman. CAA is handling sales. The Other Lamb The Other Lamb is literally being described as The Witch meets Black Swan. Are you in yet, or do we have to add that Michiel Huisman stars in it? The film follows a young woman who comes of age in a repressive religious cult, but she quickly grows skeptical of her leader. Raffey Cassidy and Denise Gough also star in the film directed by Malgorzata Szumowska. UTA is repping North American sales, while TrustNordisk is handling international sales. Sorry We Missed You Sorry We Missed You Ken Loach, the famed British director of Kes and The Wind That Shakes the Barley, returns to the Croisette for the first time in three years since his drama I, Daniel Blake won the Palme dOr in 2016. His latest is another British working-class drama about a family that has struggled financially since the 2008 financial crash. Ricky, the father of the family, is given a second chance as a self-employed delivery driver when he lucks into a shiny new van. Loach is reuniting with writer Paul Laverty and producer Rebecca OBrien. eOne claimed distribution rights in the U.K. and Ireland for 2019 release, and Wild Bunch is handling international sales. The Broken Heart Gallery Dacre Montgomery and Geraldine Viswanathan star in this romantic comedy directed by Natalie Krinsky (Gossip Girl, Greys Anatomy). The Broken Heart Gallery follows Lucy (Viswanathan), a born collector, who goes through a bad breakup with a man who also happens to be her boss at the Whitney Museum. She then curates The Broken Heart Gallery in the lobby of a strangers (Montgomery) hotel. Montgomery was a breakout star of the second season of Stranger Things, while Viswanathan starred in the hit comedy Blockers and Sundance film Hala. Were excited to see what the two cook up together on screen. Endeavor Content is handling U.S. sales. Cherry Tom Holland is teaming up with the Russo Brothers after Avengers: Endgame for Cherry. AGBO acquired the rights to Nico Walkers book of the same name in August. It follows the authors true-life story as a former Army medic who returned from Iraq with extreme undiagnosed PTSD. He fell into an opioid addiction and began robbing banks, and was caught and convicted in 2011. Endeavor Content is handling U.S. sales international sales have not yet been announced. 5B Documentary Paul Haggis 5B 5B is a documentary about a hospital wing in San Francisco that was one of the first opened to care for victims of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the early 80s. Information about how the disease was spread was still very new, and the caregivers in San Franciscos General Hospital demonstrated remarkable compassion and courage in helping afflicted patients. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Dan Krauss (Extremis) directs the documentary that Verizon Media, with the help of Julianne Moore, acquired for release in April. DDA PR is repping sales. The Banker George Nolfi, who has written the screenplays for some of your favorite action thrillers, is directing The Banker, starring Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. Jackson and Nicholas Hoult. The Banker is about the first African-American bankers in the United States. Endeavor Content and ICM Partners are handling U.S. titles for the film. International buyers snatched up some of the rights during the Berlin Film Festival in February. Unplugging Isla Fisher and Matt Walshs comedy Unplugging is heading to the Cannes Film Festival as well. Walsh penned the script for the project, which is Debra Neil-Fishers directorial debut. Shes been an editor on films like Fifty Shades Freed and The Hangover series. Unplugging follows Dan and Jeanine Dewerson, who dont really have that much spark in their relationship anymore. Their daughter only focuses on her iPad. So Dan plans a quiet, relaxing weekend in a remote mountain town with no kids, no phones and no social media. Of course, everything goes crazy as cranky locals and strong edibles get thrown in the mix. Radiant Film International will handle foreign sales at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival; The Gersh Agency and UTA Independent will co-represent domestic sales. Read original story 18 Hot Sales Titles in Cannes, From Moonfall to Cherry At TheWrap Yoga Teacher Who Was Found Alive in Hawaii Forest to Continue Rehab and Recovery Amanda Eller to Continue Recovery After Leaving Hospital The family of a 35-year-old yoga instructor is offering a $10,000 reward to find the woman who has been missing for five days after she disappeared during a routine hike in a Maui nature reserve. Amanda Eller lives in Haiku, Maui, and knows the island well, so her family quickly became worried when she didnt return home Wednesday night from a trail in the Makawao Forest Reserve, according to NBC News. She was reported missing on Thursday, and about 60 officials from various agencies began searching for her by foot and air that day, NBC reported. I was the last person to see her and it was Wednesday morning before I went to work She really likes to be alone in nature too so its not unlike her to do that, Ellers boyfriend Ben said at a Sunday press conference. He added: The moment that she did not arrive home at night I knew something was wrong. It did not feel good in my body. Maui police found Ellers white Toyota RAV4 in the reserve parking lot around 9:50 a.m. on Thursday with her phone and wallet inside, USA Today reported. The search included helicopters, drones, hundreds of on-foot volunteers and tracking dogs, according to USA Today. Offshoots of the main trail contain steep drops, and the treacherous terrain features creeks, brush and ravines, complicating search efforts. RELATED: Sisters, 5 and 8, Found Safe in California After Missing for 44 Hours: Its A Miracle I know Amanda to be an incredibly strong physically strong as well as emotionally, mentally strong person, Ellers friend, Lucia Maya, told ABC News. I know that she hikes all the time; shes a water person She goes on adventures, so the idea that she somehow went missing while on a hike or a run in the Makawao forest is just hard to believe still. Amanda Eller | Find Amanda Eller/Facebook Maui Fire Department has suspended its search for Eller, but said it would assist in police efforts if there is new information, KHON reported. However, family and friends of the woman have continued looking, using a Facebook page titled Findamanda to organize search efforts. Story continues Ellers parents, based in Maryland, have offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to her safe return, the Associated Press reported. Please, please, hold on Amanda, Im coming, Ellers mother, Julia Eller, told KITV 4. We still have history to make together, and I need you as part of my life. She added: I never in a million years thought this would happen to me. Amanda Eller's white Toyota RAV4 | Find Amanda Eller/Facebook Police are looking at the situation from every angle, working to determine whether there is any foul play, NBC reported. We really believe that shes in the forest and I hope she is, Julia told KHON. But if someone has taken her were not interested in you we just want our daughter back. A pilot for an American Airlines subsidiary accused of murdering three of his neighbors in 2015 was arrested in Kentucky moments before takeoff Saturday on a plane filled with passengers. U.S. Marshals and police boarded a plane at Louisville International Airport and arrested Christian Martin, 51, of Raleigh, North Carolina, a day after a grand jury indicted him on three counts of murder, arson and other charges in connection with the November 2015 slayings of Calvin and Pamela Phillips and their neighbor, Edward Dansereau, Attorney General Andy Beshear said in a videotaped statement Saturday. On Nov. 18, 2015, Calvin Phillips, 59, was found shot to death inside his home in Pembroke, the attorney general said in a news release. At the time, the Phillipses and Martin lived across the street from each other. The bodies of Pamela Phillips, 58, and their neighbor Dansereau, 63, were found a few miles away in a cornfield in her car, which had been burned, the news release says. The attorney general has not discussed a possible motive for the killings, but in a 2016 interview with NBC affiliate WSMV-TV, Martin had accused Calvin Phillips of having an affair with his wife. Asked in the interview if he thought he would be charged with the murders, he replied that he had no worries. The slayings occurred just days before Martin, a former Army Ranger major, faced a military court-martial on charges of assault consummated by battery upon a child under the age of sixteen and conduct unbecoming an officer, military records state, ABC News reports. John Kelly, a representative for the Phillips family, told CNN that Calvin Phillips was scheduled to testify against Martin. Martin was convicted of assaulting his stepson by placing his arms around his stepsons neck in a rear naked choke, lifting him off the ground, and squeezing his neck until his body went limp and felt numb, the records state, ABC News reports. Story continues Man Indicted for 2015 Christian County Triple Murder: After meeting with family members two years ago Beshears office took over the case - https://t.co/m5iIIRhg2n pic.twitter.com/6iZoUVLqGn KY Attorney General (@kyoag) May 11, 2019 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. He was dismissed from the military and placed under confinement for 90 days, according to the records. A pilot for PSA Airlines, which is owned by American Airlines, Martin is on administrative suspension pending the outcome of the investigation and court proceedings, American Airlines said in a statement. In a statement to The Washington Post, the airline said Martin went through a background check and vetting, but said there was no criminal history that would disqualify him from being a commercial pilot. All of us at American Airlines and PSA airlines are deeply saddened to have learned about these allegations from 2015, the statement said. We will provide any investigative assistance possible to law enforcement throughout their investigation. On Saturday, passengers on Martins plane said they were shocked when their pilot was taken into custody while they were waiting to take off. It was like something you would totally see in a movie, passenger Ashley Martin told local station WRAL. Martin is being held without bond in the Christian County Detention Center. It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf. He has not yet entered a plea. Blood of Missing 4-Year-Old Texas Girl Found in Her Apartment, as Stepdad Is Charged Maleah Davis: Blood Found in Missing Girl's Home, Stepdad Charged Traces of blood found in the apartment home of a missing Texas 4-year-old have led to a criminal charge against the girls stepdad for tampering with evidence of a human corpse, PEOPLE confirms. Police wont say if they believe the girl, Maleah Davis, is dead as they continue to search for her. But the charges filed Saturday against 26-year-old Derion Vence come amid his allegedly shifting accounts claiming hed been knocked unconscious in a carjacking and that she had been abducted by three Hispanic men. Police on Thursday recovered the silver Nissan Altima that Vence claimed had been stolen from him, and dogs trained to find cadavers responded to the scent of human decomposition in the vehicle, Harris County prosecutor Pat Stayton said at a court hearing Saturday, reports USA Today. Also, security footage from a neighboring apartment allegedly shows Vence carrying multiple bottles of bleach in and out of the residence he shared with Davis and the girls mother, and then toting a full blue laundry basket containing a garbage bag, according to a spokesperson for Maleahs mom, Brittany Bowens, reports Fox26 Houston. Police say they recovered the laundry basket in the trunk of the Nissan, along with a gas can. Vence had told police that he, Maleah, and his 2-year-old son were riding in the Nissan to a Houston airport about 6 p.m. May 3 to meet Maleahs mom when he heard a popping noise, like he has a flat tire, Houston police Sgt. Mark Holbrook earlier told reporters. When he pulled over to check, Vence told police a blue pickup pulled off behind him and two Hispanic men got out. As they approached, one of them makes a comment saying that Maleah looks very nice, looks very sweet, Holbrook said, quoting Vences claims to police. Derion Vence | Houston Police Department Vence alleged one of the men then hit him in the head and he was knocked out. When he later awoke briefly, he claimed he and the two children were in the back of the pickup, which now carried three Hispanic men. Story continues Vence claimed he slipped in and out of consciousness for the next 24 hours, eventually finding himself and his son dropped off on a roadside around 6 p.m May 4 in the Sugar Land area and with Maleah gone. At a nearby hospital where he sought help and initially reported the abduction, his story changed several times, and much of what he told us simply didnt add up, Sugar Land police spokesman Doug Adolph previously told PEOPLE. RELATED: Stepdads Statements Contradictory in Case of Missing Girl, 4, He Claimed Was Abducted: Police Police said Vence initially told them he walked to the hospital. In a different account, he said he hitched a ride with an unknown female, according to a probable cause affidavit, reports the Houston Chronicle. Hospital security footage later showed Vence arriving at the hospital in the silver Nissan Altima that belonged to Bowens, who was flying home to Texas from Massachusetts. The car also was spotted on surveillance footage the following afternoon driving through a Sugar Land intersection, police said. Police eventually located the vehicle in a parking lot in Missouri City, about 10 miles from Sugar Land. Update: Current booking photo of suspect Derion Vence #hounews pic.twitter.com/8WueclRVI6 Houston Police (@houstonpolice) May 11, 2019 Maleah Was Previously Removed From Home After Abuse Allegations Among concerns raised early by Maleahs disappearance were that she was recovering from recent brain surgery, according to police. Police did not identify the reason for the surgery. But speaking alongside Maleahs mom at a news conference on Friday, Bowens spokesman and neighborhood activist Quanell X alleged that Vence had a history of spanking and beating the child, with Bowens as a witness, reports Fox26. He confronted her and threatened her, that She better not do it. So she helped him shield the truth of that abuse of Maleah from doctors, Quanell told reporters. Maleah and her two brothers earlier were removed from the girls home after allegations of abuse, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services told CNN. In February they were returned, but a judge called for child protective services to check on the family at least once a month. RELATED: 4-Year-Old Texas Girl is Missing and Stepdad Says She Was Abducted by 3 Men In an interview with CNN, Bowens denied abusing Maleah, saying, Were not those kinds of people. Quanell X also said Bowens recently had broken off her engagement with Vence, after allegedly discovering that Vence had sent sexually explicit images of himself to another man. She told him that she was giving back his ring, and that she was not going to marry him, Quanell said at the press conference, where Bowens deferred questions to him. I believe that caused him to snap in anger against young Maleah. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Its unknown when Maleah may have disappeared or been killed. The probable cause affidavit says that while Bowens was away in Massachusetts to attend her fathers funeral, Maleahs biological father stopped by the apartment to pick up his 5-year-old son, who along with the girl had been left in Vences care while the mother was away, according to the Chronicle. Vence refused to let the other man, Craig Davis, see the girl, the affidavit states. The blood evidence tied to Maleah was found in a bathroom of the apartment and a hallway that leads to it, according to the document. Police said that chemical spraying revealed locations in the apartment where blood had allegedly been cleaned up. When asked, Vence told investigators there should be no blood in the home and that no one was recently bleeding, according to the document. The surveillance video at the apartment complex allegedly captures the stepdad coming out of the apartment with a bottle of Clorox, a laundry basket and inside the laundry basket a garbage bag, Quanell said. When he spoke to the mother, he told her he was cleaning up the apartment. And she didnt understand why he would be cleaning up the apartment, but he went and bought an extra bottle of Clorox and came back. Vence currently is jailed on a $1 million bond. An attorney who might speak on his behalf was not immediately identified. IndieWireFallTV Early in prep, director Jean-Marc Vallee kept telling his go-to cinematographer, Yves Belanger, to go darker and darker on their HBO psychological thriller, Sharp Objects, by underexposing the light. It was a new experience for Belanger, but a pivotal one, which opened his eyes to a new aesthetic on the miniseries from showrunner Marti Noxon that was adapted from Gillian Flynns novel. Intuitively, it made sense. The miniseries delves into the traumatic memories of alcoholic journalist Camille (Amy Adams), who returns to her small town in Missouri to cover the murders of two teenage girls, only to slowly discover a horrifying link to her own dark past through flashbacks. Reminders occur everywhere, through the associations of objects, reflections, the trick of the light, and other sense memory jolts. The dysfunctional relationship with her domineering, socialite mother, Adora (Patricia Clarkson) is merely the kickstart for the more toxic atmosphere that inhabits the not-so-sleepy Wind Gap. Related stories 'Sharp Objects' Season 2 Unlikely, Says HBO Boss: 'Feels Like One Was the Right Thing' 'Sharp Objects' Finale: Patricia Clarkson Reveals What She Would Have Added to That Shocking Twist When we were doing informal makeup and wardrobe tests with Amy, Jean-Marc was always asking me to step down the aperture, said Belanger. He wanted everything underexposed, even if its bright on the set or outside. That was interesting and I never did it before. I was afraid it would be low key, but what happened was that the Alexa camera began to have some grain, so it looks more like a film and we were very happy with that. The style was that I was always exposing for the brightest part of the scene. If there was only one lamp on, I would expose for the lamp. The faces would go very dark. Similar to their HBO series Big Little Lies which premieres Season 2 in June the main challenge for the cinematographer was matching naturalistic lighting conditions on location or in the studio (in Georgia and Northern and Southern California). Adoras house in the studio took two weeks to pre-light, Belanger said. The control was kind of complicated, but after that it was all on computers. So we could have a day light, night scene, or sunset very fast. Story continues Both director and cinematographer continued their routine of relying on handheld or dolly shots, with minimal crane usage. (They quickly discovered that Clarkson was a free spirit who liked to roam away from any lighting marks, and thats one reason why the underexposure aesthetic was well suited to Sharp Objects.) The primary reason, though, was to connect Camilles past and present through jump cuts; the audience is never confused about where they were in space or time. It was only the unifying context of the painful trauma that remained a mystery until pieced together. Theres a lot of going back and forth between the past and the present, and I asked Jean-Marc if he wanted different looks and he said no, said Belanger. Its too obvious to make people think that youre in the past to change colors or overexpose. If you look at the show, you always know where you are because of the logic of the emotional memory. In each location, he asked me to have the presence of the light of the car passing by in the motel or in the bar, and sometimes you look at it and you use the passing of the light to cut to another scene or another shot. We used a pan or a cut or sometimes its a smell or a color [that triggers a memory], but its never linear. One of the cinematographers favorite moments occurs early on when Camille returns to Wind Gap. Sitting in bed and tracing old cracks in the ceiling, Camille drifts back 20 years when shes in bed with Marian (Lulu Wilson), her late half-sister, repeating the same motion. When Marian suddenly convulses, the young Camille races out of the room, followed by the adult Camille. I knew it was all going to be done in the editing, Belanger said. Jean-Marc would reveal each beat as its in the script. As for me, I always went for the truth of the scene. If there was a green neon light coming from the window, that was it. If the wall was pink and the sunlight was hitting the wall, and the person became pink, we just played with it. The impact of underexposure for a darker aesthetic continues to stay with Belanger. He used it on occasion when shooting Clint Eastwoods The Mule, and will consider it in the future as well. It changed me, for sure, this show, he said. When you deal with memory, you dont see everything. Some people make it blurry, but we made it underexposed. Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. By IANS STOCKHOLM: Swedish prosecutors on Monday will announce whether they are reopening an inquiry into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who is currently lodged at a high-security jail in the UK. Assange, who denies the charges, has avoided extradition to Sweden for seven years after seeking refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy in London in 2012. But the 47-year-old was evicted last month and sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for breaching his bail conditions, the BBC reported. On Monday, Sweden's Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Eva-Marie Persson, will announce her decision on whether to revisit the sexual assault investigation after it was dropped two years ago. Swedish prosecutors said at the time they felt they were unable to take the case forward while Assange was inside the Ecuadorean embassy. However, the woman who made the allegation now wants the case reopened, and since Assange's arrest last month, Swedish prosecutors have been considering their options. READ| WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to fight extradition to US Under Swedish law, they have until next year to pursue the case. If they do re-open the investigation, it is likely to raise the question of which extradition request should take precedence: that of Sweden or the US. The US also wants to extradite Assange from the UK over the Australian-born's conspiracy to commit computer intrusion. He is accused of participating in one of the largest ever leaks of government secrets, which could result in a prison term of up to five years. After his dramatic arrest last month, he was taken to Westminster Magistrates' Court and found guilty of a British charge of breaching bail. He is currently being held at Belmarsh prison in London. The US has called for his right to a fair trial to be respected during any extradition process. CNN anchor John King corrected Rep. Rashida Tlaib on the air Monday after comments on a podcast where she said that the memory of the Holocaust left her with a calming feeling, and that her Palestinian ancestors created a safe haven for Jewish people fleeing World War II.Calming is at best an awkward word choice in any sentence referencing the Holocaust, King said. She (Tlaib) also fails a critical fact and context test. Yes, as she said, Palestinians lost land in the creation of Israel. But, she ignored the fact that Palestinian leaders at the time allied themselves with Hitler and that total war was how the Arab world reacted to the declaration of Israeli independence.King also criticized Republicans for taking Tlaibs words out of context and declining to mention her condemnations of the Holocaust in the same interview.Also Read: CNN Reporter Criticized for Comparing 2020 Democratic Contenders to 'Game of Thrones' CharactersHer full remarks were delivered during an interview with the Skullduggery podcast that was released on Friday. The episode was titled From Rashida With Love.Theres always kind of a calming feeling I tell folks when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors Palestinians who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some peoples passports, Tlaib told podcast hosts Michael Isikoff and Daniel Klaidman.And just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. And I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways. But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away and it was forced on them, she added.Also Read: Samuel L Jackson Endorses Rashida Tlaib's 'Motherf--er' Comments About TrumpIn addition to her use of calming, critics immediately pounced on Tlaibs inaccurate recollection of events.During World War II, the Palestinian leader at the time, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Amin al-Husayni, met with Adolf Hitler and allied with the Nazis, the Washington Examiners Philip Klein pointed out. As the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum recounts, al-Husayni collaborated with the German and Italian governments by broadcasting pro-Axis, anti-British, and anti-Jewish propaganda via radio to the Arab world; inciting violence against Jews and the British authorities in the Middle East; and recruiting young men of Islamic faith for service in German military, Waffen-SS, and auxiliary units.President Donald Trump also criticized Tlaib, saying it was evidence that the freshman Democratic congresswoman had tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people.: Why Former CNN White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin Chose Instagram Over Another Broadcast JobReps for Tlaibs office did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap, but on Twitter, Tlaib accused critics of twisting her words and said that they would never succeed in silencing her.Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably, Tlaib said. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win.Read original story CNN Anchor Corrects Rep Rashida Tlaib Over Holocaust Remarks: Palestinian Leaders at the Time Sided With Hitler At TheWrap CNN anchor John King corrected Rep. Rashida Tlaib on the air Monday after comments on a podcast where she said that the memory of the Holocaust left her with a calming feeling, and that her Palestinian ancestors created a safe haven for Jewish people fleeing World War II. Calming is at best an awkward word choice in any sentence referencing the Holocaust, King said. She (Tlaib) also fails a critical fact and context test. Yes, as she said, Palestinians lost land in the creation of Israel. But, she ignored the fact that Palestinian leaders at the time allied themselves with Hitler and that total war was how the Arab world reacted to the declaration of Israeli independence. King also criticized Republicans for taking Tlaibs words out of context and declining to mention her condemnations of the Holocaust in the same interview. Also Read: CNN Reporter Criticized for Comparing 2020 Democratic Contenders to 'Game of Thrones' Characters Her full remarks were delivered during an interview with the Skullduggery podcast that was released on Friday. The episode was titled From Rashida With Love. Theres always kind of a calming feeling I tell folks when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors Palestinians who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some peoples passports, Tlaib told podcast hosts Michael Isikoff and Daniel Klaidman. And just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. And I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways. But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away and it was forced on them, she added. Also Read: Samuel L Jackson Endorses Rashida Tlaib's 'Motherf--er' Comments About Trump Story continues In addition to her use of calming, critics immediately pounced on Tlaibs inaccurate recollection of events. During World War II, the Palestinian leader at the time, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Amin al-Husayni, met with Adolf Hitler and allied with the Nazis, the Washington Examiners Philip Klein pointed out. As the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum recounts, al-Husayni collaborated with the German and Italian governments by broadcasting pro-Axis, anti-British, and anti-Jewish propaganda via radio to the Arab world; inciting violence against Jews and the British authorities in the Middle East; and recruiting young men of Islamic faith for service in German military, Waffen-SS, and auxiliary units. President Donald Trump also criticized Tlaib, saying it was evidence that the freshman Democratic congresswoman had tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. : Why Former CNN White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin Chose Instagram Over Another Broadcast Job Reps for Tlaibs office did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap, but on Twitter, Tlaib accused critics of twisting her words and said that they would never succeed in silencing her. Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably, Tlaib said. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win. Read original story CNN Anchor Corrects Rep Rashida Tlaib Over Holocaust Remarks: Palestinian Leaders at the Time Sided With Hitler At TheWrap This week on The Spanish Princess, we conclude the wedding that began at the end of the premiere we get just a taste of the days of feasting and pageantry their real wedding consisted of, celebrating the unification of two powers of Europe and their British ancestry. But quickly. Catherines journey to fulfilling her destiny as Queen of England hits a significant roadblock when after finally getting Arthur to warm to her, he contracts the sweating sickness and dies. Her lady-in-waiting Lina also falls ill, but she is nursed back to health by hunky bowmaker Oviedo; other lady-in-waiting Rosa is busy making herself available to the men of the Tudor court, namely Lord Stafford. Meanwhile, court intrigue continues as Lady Margaret Beaufort and Henry VI scheme to marry off Princess Margaret, known affectionately as Meg, to James IV of Scotland. Here are 6 historical observations from episode two of The Spanish Princess, Fever Dream. Did they do it? Its one of the most enduring, unanswerable historical questions did Prince Arthur of Wales and Catherine of Aragon ever consummate their marriage? The Spanish Princess falls somewhere in the middle, demonstrating Arthurs initial reluctance and fear in the bedroom (I mean the kid is only 15!). But Catherine gradually melts that icy British exterior and seduces Arthur (which Maggie overhears)shes a woman unafraid of seeking her own pleasure in the bedroom (and fulfilling her role of providing an heir). We will never truly know whether Arthur and Catherine got it on or whether he was somehow impotent as Catherine affirmed to the day she died. The exchange Arthur has with his brother and other men in the court the morning after his wedding night where he tells them, Gentlemen, last night I was in Spain, is a real historical quote. In 1529, Sir Anthony Willoughby testified at the divorce proceedings of Catherine and Henry that Arthur said something similar to him but it sounds an awful lot like teenage boys boasting about sexual prowess they dont actually have. Thats right, in the 16th century, 15-year-old boys still lied about having game. Story continues Catherine and Arthur were married from November 14, 1501 to April 2, 1502, which is theoretically enough time for them to move past any initial physical discomfort in each others presence and general youthful inexperience. They were even publicly put to bed together in a bedding ceremony, which led many to assume they consummated their marriage. But years later, eyewitnesses to the Queen upheld her assertion that she remained a virgin at Arthurs death and only shared his bed seven times in the course of their marriage. Was Arthur simply unable to satisfy his wifes needs in the bedroom? Or did Catherine and her ladies-in-waiting uphold an enormous lie for most of their lives to protect her crown? This series opts for the latter, but there are accounts that support both arguments. Camelot Cmon, if you were named Arthur and were the heir to the British throne, you would totally make jokes about your own Round Table too! Arthur imagines his reign as restoring Britain to the glory of the days of King Arthur, dubbing Catherine his Guinevere and having nightmares about his executed cousin sitting at the Round Table. But this isnt just some winking parallels thrown in for a modern audience. After the turmoil of the Wars of the Roses, Henry VII had royal genealogists trace his ancestry back to ancient rulers of Britain. He named his firstborn son Arthur to further strengthen this claim. Historians at the time deemed Camelot to be in present-day Winchester, so Lizzie was even sent to Saint Swithuns Priory (what is now Winchester Cathedral Priory) to give birth. As the literal manifestation of the end of the Wars of the Roses, Arthur was set up to establish a new Camelot in Britain from birth. Scotland One politically advantageous marriage is simply not enough for Lady Margaret Beaufort (its convenient that her name shortens to Lady M because that bitch has some Lady Macbeth-worthy scheming and ambition up her sleeve). Here, we see delegates from Scotland, including poet William Dunbar, brokering a marriage between Princess Margaret and James IV of Scotland via the 1502 Treaty of Perpetual Peace. Dunbar famously wrote poetry about the marriage and Margaret. James was 16 years Margarets senior, which accounts for her calling him old and trying to get the marriage called off because he will die soon. This marriage is detailed more thoroughly in another Philippa Gregory novel, Three Sisters, Three Queens maybe this will be Emma Frost and Matthew Grahams next series? The early beats here of Megs objection to the marriage, her closeness with Catherine, and her attempts to get out of it are lost to history, but Meg was well-known for having a similar tempestuous nature as her brother Henry, so it seems probable. And Meg would later turn to Catherine for support when Henry sought to renew war with Scotland. As adamantly as she opposes the marriage here, Meg will eventually become more true to her adopted Scottish homeland than her noble Tudor blood. Wolsey Part of the fun of historical series of this nature is getting to see figures before they reach their best-known place in history. To an extent, were seeing that with Catherine and Henry VIII, getting to know their younger selves often not favored in popular history and its representations. But that also means some other famous faces will start popping up one here is the royal chaplain, Wolsey. While standing by at a wedding feast, Henry makes a crack about Catherine sharing a bed with his cadaverous brother and Wolsey chides him for changing little since his school days. But Henry exchanging advice and some censure with Wolsey is a winking nod to the role the man will later play in his monarchy. Wolsey goes on to become Henrys chief adviser as Lord Chancellor and will play a direct, though ultimately unsuccessful role, in Henrys divorce from Catherine. Spain vs. England Catherine loves to complain about the weather and the light in England. And let me say as someone who once moved from Southern California, which is temperately similar to Spain, to England, shes not wrong its a huge culture shock (weather shock? Idk). But she also complains to Arthur of the coldness of the Tudor castles and speaks of the rooms studded with jewels in the Alhambra Palace. Its not an exaggeration or the entitlement of a princess (well, it still sort of is that). For all the impressiveness of still-existing Tudor structures, theyre massive stone edifices, largely cold and uninviting. In contrast, the Alhambra, which was actually filmed and shown here, is covered with gold and precious stones. The Sweat The Sweat, or the sweating sickness, which takes young Arthurs life by episodes end was a devastating epidemic across 16th-century England. It was noted for inducing intense sweating, painful headaches, and a state of delirium, all of which are demonstrated when Arthur and Lina come down with it. If you made it through 24 hours with the disease, you generally survived as Lina does here but death could be sudden and rapid within the first three to 18 hours of symptoms appearing. It has symptoms in common with hantavirus and a relapsing fever spread by lice and ticks today. Historians dont agree about what caused Arthurs death records suggest the sweat or some similar illness because Catherine also took ill at the time (though she doesnt here). It is true that his heart was buried at Ludlow Castle, apparently at the princes own request before his death. Arthurs grave was located below Worcester Cathedral in 2002 and historians and archaeologists planned to study it to attempt to pinpoint what killed him. Some believe Arthur had a genetic issue that also killed Henry VIIIs son Edward VI at a young age. No definitive answers have been reached though. Philippa Gregory has a slightly more supernatural explanation, which is described here by both Maggie and Lizzie as The Tudor Curse. In The White Queen, Lizzie and her mother cursed the murderer of the princes in the Tower to lose all their male descendants. Gregory posits the murders were the work of Margaret Beaufort and Henry Tudor, which then bears out as the curse plagues both Henry VII and Henry VIII. Related content: Photo credit: MAURO PIMENTEL - Getty Images From Esquire Quite simply, a huge part of the planet's entire ecosystem depends on the vast Amazon rainforest in Brazil. It contains 10 percent of all the world's fresh water. It produces 20 percent of the world's oxygen. It functions as a massive carbon sink, sucking the carbon out of the atmosphere. Unfortunately for us all, the Amazon has been under siege by developers, agribusiness giants, and mining interests until, in 2018 alone, nearly four million acres of the rainforest was lost. And now, Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, got elected at least partly on a platform of declaring the rainforest an exclusive economic zone. From Bloomberg: "I dont accept this idea that the Amazon is world heritage, this is nonsense," General Augusto Heleno Pereira said in an interview in Brasilia. "The Amazon is Brazilian, the heritage of Brazil and should be dealt with by Brazil for the benefit of Brazil." Pereiras comments coincide with government plans to review existing conservation areas amid growing pressure from mining and agriculture lobbies. This month the president canceled a trip to New York City after Mayor Bill de Blasio and activists criticized the president over matters including his stance toward the Amazon rainforest, whose conservation scientists say is key to the climate change debate. In one of his first acts as president, Bolsonaro stripped the National Indian Agency of the right to demarcate indigenous territories. He also moved the National Forestry Service to the Ministry of Agriculture. The moves, which Congress may still alter, outraged indigenous campaigners and environmentalists, but pleased Brazils powerful farm lobby. This month, eight former Brazilian environment ministers warned in an open letter that Bolsonaro is dismantling environmental protections and hurting the countrys image abroad. Current Environment Minister Ricardo Salles responded by saying his office has maintained its autonomy and that NGOs are the ones hurting Brazils reputation. Story continues As you can imagine, this has not made the Bolsonaro government popular with the other oxygen-consuming nations of the world. And the folks back home, as the Guardian reports, well, they're not happy, either. We are watching them deconstruct everything weve put together, said Jose Sarney Filho, who served as environmental minister under the rightwing presidents Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Michel Temer. Were talking about biodiversity, life, forests the Amazon has an incredibly important role in global warming. Its the worlds air conditioner; it regulates rain for the entire continent. Silva, the environment minister under Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said: What is happening is a dismantling, taking education and the environment and making them ideological issues. She said the government risked transforming our country into the exterminator of the future and we cant let that happen." Just as the next wars likely will be over water, the next diplomatic conflicts are going to be about whether we as a species want to survive, and the political arrangements into which we've sorted ourselves be damned. The Amazon may not belong to the world, but 20 percent of the world's oxygen sure as hell does. Of course, we in the United States are in no position to demand that some other country rein in its reckless leader. Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here. ('You Might Also Like',) Photo credit: Mark Wilson - Getty Images From Esquire The latest dispatches have been delivered from the front lines of the trade wars which, as we know, are very easy to win, especially if you are a great businessman* who surrounds himself with All The Best People who, if we're lucky, can explain the concept of how tariffs actually work before he starts tossing them around like unpaid invoices. He Tweeteth: We will be taking in Tens of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs from China. Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-Tariffed countries. That is not how tariffs work at all, as some of All The Best People were forced to admit on teevee on Sunday. From the Chicago Tribune: "Yes, I don't disagree with that," said Larry Kudlow, the head of the president's National Economic Council, when Chris Wallace, host of "Fox News Sunday," asked him, "It's U.S. businesses and U.S. consumers who pay, correct?" Kudlow added, "Both sides will pay," but he stipulated that China "will suffer (economic) losses" from reduced exports to the U.S., not from paying the tariffs. Kudlow's admission contradicts many of Trump's comments and tweets to the effect that Chinese companies pay the tariffs in what amounts, in the president's view, to a massive transfer of wealth to the United States from China. Yet almost no economist has agreed with Trump's view and fact-checkers routinely brand Trump's assertion false and point out that American importers of goods from China pay the tariffs. Meanwhile, out in the trenches, the bombardment from this discombobulated policy shop continues to be regular and heavy. On Sunday night, El Caudillo del Mar-a-Lago reassured the nation via the electric Twitter machine that: We will then spend (match or better) the money that China may no longer be spending with our Great Patriot Farmers (Agriculture), which is a small percentage of total Tariffs received, and distribute the food to starving people in nations around the world! GREAT! Story continues I do not find it reassuring that the president* seems now to be cribbing from old Soviet propaganda posters. The farmers, great and patriotic and dedicated to (agriculture) though they may be, are not reassured by anything because they're getting killed out there. From the Des Moines Register: "It's a physical and mental challenge," said Renner, a 43-year-old who farms near Klemme, a town of about 500 people west of Clear Lake. "A lot of us think it can't get any worse, that it can only go up from here. But that's probably not a safe bet," he said. Prospects for improved prices are dimming, experts say, with record supplies, disease sweeping through China's pig herd and cutting soy demand, and hope for a new U.S.-China trade deal slipping away. And the president is threatening to slap tariffs on another $325 billion in Chinese imports, covering everything China sells the United States. Photo credit: Drew Angerer - Getty Images Farmers, particularly soybean farmers, have been the tip of the spear when it comes to Chinese retaliation, and I'm not sure they can take much more," said Kirk Leeds, CEO of the Iowa Soybean Association. Escalating tariffs "undercut any remnants of optimism," Leeds said. "That's what's most devastating about this." "There are some marketers who believe we could see $6 soybeans," he said, adding that he hopes prices don't sink that far. Here is where we remind you that, this past Sunday, the president*'s main economic adviser had to explain to the country and the world that the president* doesn't know how tariffs work. But, be reassured. The president* has another idea. President Donald Trump tweeted Friday morning that U.S. farmers would be better off, with the government possibly buying $15 billion in goods to provide humanitarian assistance to needy countries. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue tweeted Friday that the president directed the agency to work on a plan quickly." In Iowa last month, Perdue said the government had no plans to provide another round of assistance to farmers. Does anybody at Camp Runamuck ever talk to anyone else at Camp Runamuck? Can they just go away one weekend and have everybody introduce everybody else? Then, they can explain the policy to the president*. But it isn't just soybeans and corn that are taking a voyage on the U.S.S. Incoherent. Almost anything manufactured in this country is also along from the ride. From the Washington Post: Though the bulk of my business comes from imported bikes, I also own and operate a factory in Manning, S.C., which produces one of our lines, BCA Bikes. When we opened our doors in 2014, initially hiring 47 employees, we were bucking a trend: More than 95 percent of all bicycles sold in the United States are manufactured in China. But with high employee turnover and labor costs there rising, we decided to make an investment in our long-term growth. Today, our factory is responsible for more than half of the roughly 500,000 bicycles produced in the United States each year. Before President Trumps trade war, we had plans to grow even further. Incoming! Almost all of our parts are made in China: Saving money on their manufacture has enabled us to hire American workers and offer them good wages and excellent health benefits. We were already paying duties of 4 to 10 percent when the Trump administration announced in June 2018 that it would impose an additional 10 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. We couldnt simply shift and buy from makers in other countries. Our Chinese partners have decades of experience making the parts we need. We source very carefully, and we cant afford to gamble on quality or safety... Ever since our factory opened, I had planned to bring more phases of the manufacturing process home. Wed start by importing steel tubes and welding the bike frames ourselves; from there, wed buy American steel and make the tubes. Our factory employs 125 people, but that could grow to 300, I thought: Eventually, we could build 1 million bicycles, right here in the United States. The Great Patriotic Trade War rages on. Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here. ('You Might Also Like',) She is currently on hiatus from her hit show, This Is Us, but Mandy Moore isnt sitting around wasting time. The 35-year-old actress soon heads to Nepal to climb to Mt. Everests base camp. The trek, led by Melissa Arnot Reid, an Eddie Bauer Alpine guide and pal of Moores, will take up to nine days on the way in and another couple of days on the way out and is part of Eddie Bauers Why I Hike campaign. Im very excited, Moore tells PEOPLE. It doesnt scare me. Its invigorating! The moments that you push yourself out of my comfort zone are so fulfilling and nourishing. RELATED: Now Thats a Big Three! This Is Us Renewed Through Season 6 Moore says that hiking has been part of her connective tissue in my life for so long, but shes recently amped up the adventure element, beginning with a trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro last year. Mandy Moore/Instagram That trip really solidified things for me, says Moore. I discovered my inner mountain girl! And expert Reid, who met Moore last year and traveled with her to hike in New Zealand last month, says she appreciates her new friends really good attitude. She has a passion for the outdoors and really pushing herself, says Reid. And shes so open and generous. Thats a really enjoyable person to travel with. RELATED VIDEO: Actress Mandy Moore Would Be Down for Princess Diaries 3 Moores husband, rocker Taylor Goldsmith, whom she wed last year, also joined on the New Zealand trip, along with friends Chase Weideman and Ashley and Jenn Streicher. I roped Taylor into hiking, Moore says. On our honeymoon [in Chile] I was like, Babe, were going to hike every day, and he was a really good sport about it. Its a through line in our relationship now. And he totally keeps up! Listen to an audio version of this story below: Madison, Wisconsin. A blustery Friday evening. A few thousand supporters of Vermont senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders are gathered in James Madison Park, along the shores of Lake Mendota. Though its April, its cold as hell. A group of Bern fans look ready to blow away in the breeze as their giant American and Wisconsin state flags fill up like spinnaker sails. When Sanders finally ascends to the lectern, all you can see from a distance is a shock of white hair whipping in the wind atop a shiny black overcoat. He looks like a gull in a Glad bag. Related stories The RS Politics 2020 Democratic Primary Leaderboard Why Cory Booker Cares So Much About Legal Weed When I was leaving Washington this morning, I was wondering should I take my coat or not? he says. Right decision. Good! Its the beginning of Sanders so-called Blue Wall tour, through five key Rust Belt states that fell to Donald Trump in 2016. Wisconsin is the first stop, to be followed by Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Sanders is here to roll out his campaigns core argument, that among Democrats he alone is positioned to retake voters lost by the party to Trump. Within just a few minutes, Sanders gets to his money line: Of all the lies that [Trump] told, he says, the biggest lie was when he said during the campaign he was going to defend the interests of the working class of our country. Sanders pitch to 60 million red-state voters is, Trump lied to you. He believes many of Trumps supporters are denizens of a pissed-off working class who bought Trumps promises of better jobs, benefits and security after decades of betrayal from both parties. Sanders thinks the whole working class shares this anger, but this trip is overtly about the white portion of that demographic. That hes even making a pitch to Trump voters is an act of defiance. Much of the commercial news media since 2016 has doubled down on Hillary Clintons basket of deplorables line, dismissing Trump voters as motivated entirely by racism. To court them at all, the thinking goes, is itself a form of white identity politics. Story continues Sanders clearly disagrees. His speech is designed to remind everyone, Democrats as much as ostensible Trump voters, how explicit Trumps promises on the economic insecurity front were and how miserably hes failed at keeping them. Bernie has never said this out loud, but some of his frustration may come from the fact that candidate Trump in 2015-16 often borrowed from Sanders-esque critiques about corporate power; he even regularly made it a point to praise Sanders in speeches. Trump told the American people that he would provide health care to everybody, remember that? Sanders says. The crowd cheers a little. Perhaps not everyone remembers, but Trump did once promise insurance for everybody, adding a classic strongmans pledge that everybody is going to be taken care of much better than theyre taken care of now. Sanders lists other Trump pledges seemingly stolen directly from his own campaign. I remember the ad that he ran, it was really a very good ad, Sanders quips. He said, I, Donald Trump, [am] going to stand up to Wall Street. Remember that? Oh, yeah, and were going to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act. Sanders of course has long promised to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act, a Roosevelt-era law separating insurance, commercial banking and investment banking. Sanders was mad in a copyright-infringement sort of way even then, and still seems it. (After Trump was elected, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Sanders that Trumps promise of a 21st-century Glass-Steagall Act did not actually mean breaking up banks, which would ruin liquidity.) Sanders goes on to list other Trump whoppers: that the rich will not be gaining under his tax plan (in fact, 83 percent of the tax relief went to the top bracket), that he would bring manufacturing jobs back, and so on. It all makes sense. The disconnect is the crowd isnt exactly full of duped Trump supporters. Most of the assembled are young, progressive-leaning students whom Sanders had already won over in the last election cycle. I loved his 2016 campaign, says Zach Farmer, a University of Wisconsin student, who adds he liked that Sanders introduced things like Medicare for All, free college tuition, things like that. Farmer was merely a fan in 2016 but plans to volunteer this time around, a typical representation of how the Sanders phenomenon has grown since the last election. Despite his movements continuous growth, Sanders appeared to have a difficult winter. Former staffers accused him of ignoring the issue of sexual violence and harassment in the 2016 campaign. Tied to that were criticisms that his staff was overrepresented by white men, an issue that may have led to his longtime Svengali, Jeff Weaver, deciding not to run his campaign this time. This seemed to rattle Sanders, who has been tied at the hip to Weaver since dinosaurs roamed the Earth (read: since 1986, when Weaver was Sanders driver during the Vermont gubernatorial campaign). It wasnt just a theatrical delay when Sanders took a long time to decide to run; he was genuinely torn. Former staffers launched a Draft Bernie/signature-gathering campaign designed to prove hed have the support hed need to succeed. Sanders still took six or seven weeks after that to think it over. In 2016, Sanders ran a freewheeling campaign, occupying a Jeremiah-like role, roaming the planet speaking truth to power. Now, Sanders is a genuine contender, even if hes seldom described that way. With almost no corporate support, he led all Democrats in fundraising in the first quarter. In the first week after a late-February launch, he pulled in an astonishing $10 million, coming from 359,914 donors, 39 percent of which came from addresses that had never donated to him before. By the end of March, hed raised $18 million, with an average contribution of just $20, down from $27 in 2016. By mid-April he had a million volunteers. But Sanders no longer has the breeze of low expectations at his back. What was merely a lack of institutional support in 2016 has transformed into active institutional opposition. Among the donor class, his own partys leadership and in most of the commercial media, he is roundly despised. He is blamed often for Clintons 2016 loss, and denounced as a dangerous socialist, a narcissist obstructionist, even the Kremlins candidate. (Multiple Washington Post columns have claimed Vladimir Putin is pushing the Sanders campaign in order to help elect Trump.) Sanders has obviously heard it all, along with the complaints about his age, 77, and other criticisms. These figured into the difficult calculation of whether to run. Unlike most candidates who finish second in a close presidential primary, he knew he would enter the next cycle as the opposite of a presumptive front-runner more like a presumptive pundit scratching post. But Sanders couldnt afford to sit this out. Failure to run might have imperiled decades of efforts toward realizing ideas like Medicare for All and a raised minimum wage. He and many members of his staff also believe that on issues like climate change, the country cant afford to wait out either another Republican or corporate-backed Democratic presidency. Ultimately, the calculation was no more message campaigns. Sanders not only has to run, he has to run and win. Of course, to win, hed essentially have to overturn the whole political system two parties, big-dollar donors and the media. Its his only realistic path to the presidency. Its a different kind of campaign, Sanders tells me in late April. Look, were not just taking on Donald Trump. Were also taking on the corporate establishment, the Democratic establishment, the drug companies, the health insurance companies, Wall Street. . . . Its not just rhetoric, he says. WARREN, MICHIGAN. The day after the Madison rally, a much sunnier afternoon. A Detroit blues-acid-funk band called Act Casual blasts out Hillbilly Disco in the parking lot of Macomb County Community College. Bernie 2020 events have a Monterey Pop feel, with audiences often full of rainbow tie-dye, picnicking families and toddlers running loose, all in odd contrast to the campaigns legendarily square candidate. Everything from Brit pop to funk to reggae has warmed up Sanders events (I havent heard death metal yet, but maybe its coming). Its self-consciously a Sixties vibe, but defiant, Altamont-type Sixties, not the fuzzy Forrest Gump version. The campaign stokes this imagery in a ham-handed way by playing revolution-themed songs before the speeches start The Revolution Starts Now, by Steve Earle, Revolution, by Flogging Molly, and so on. Sanders revolutionary branding has always drawn eye rolls among people who take the word in its literal sense. Obviously, Bernie Sanders, perpetually tie-clad senator of a tiny dairy state, is not leading tunnel raids of Viet Cong or urging miners to dynamite coal tipples. There is nothing revolutionary about Our Revolution, snapped the World Socialist Web Site in 2016, when Sanders launched a permanent organization after his campaign ended. The site ripped Sanders for working within the Democratic Party and failing to openly denounce capitalism. Mainstream Democratic pundits similarly scoff at Sanders as an insurgent left phenomenon. Centrist barometer/pundit Jonathan Chait wrote a New York piece in February called The Myth of Bernie Sanders White Working-Class Support, claiming Sanders electoral success came significantly from the right from Never Hillary voters, many of whom went on to vote for Trump and had either left the party or had never been in it in the first place. Without that protest vote, Chait sniped, the entire narrative of Sanders as the rising voice of the partys authentic base would never have taken hold. The Sanders campaigns point of view is that Bernies voters are the partys authentic base, or at least were, once upon a time. The Macomb County event was chosen to make this point. This Detroit suburb is where Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg coined the term Reagan Democrats four decades ago. Greenberg was describing the predominantly white working-class voters who jumped to the Republican Party in droves in the Reagan years. Greenbergs initial explanation, which became the traditional diagnosis among political scientists, was that these voters had been lured away mostly by racial appeals, over issues like busing and urban-renewal grants. The Sanders campaign is betting on another take. They believe Democrats dont have a problem with working-class white voters, but a problem with working-class voters of all races and backgrounds lost to the party over the years due to frustrations with free-trade policies, a 50-year decline in real wages, disillusionment with bipartisan-supported foreign wars and their costs for military families, failure to regulate an increasingly exploitative financial-services sector, exploding incarceration rates and so on. Craig Regester, an Ann Arbor professor and activist who introduces Sanders at the rally, hammers the theme when he takes the lectern. Regester says that when Reagan won here, political scientists went crazy trying to figure out what happened. Clearly referencing the race issue, he says, They had all these theories, these elitist misunderstandings of the good and decent people who work and live in Macomb County. . . . What Bernie Sanders understands about what happened then, that no other Democratic candidate understands, is that those folks didnt leave the Democratic Party. The party actually might have left them. Eventually, Sanders is introduced with his usual pop-revolution anthem, John Lennons Power to the People, the same intro tune of his last campaign (a song our own Hunter S. Thompson once dismissed as having been written 10 years too late). Dishing a few awkward Bern-shakes to crowd members on the way, Sanders ascends to the lectern and delivers much the same speech he gave in Madison what one might call his Trump-is-a-pathological-liar speech, the essence of it being that whether youre a progressive, a moderate or a conservative, you are not proud that today we have a president of the United States who is a pathological liar. When Sanders mentions that Trump promised to be a different kind of Republican, you can hear a trace of Gilbert Gottfried as he deadpans, It will not shock you to learn that he lied. Occasional bone-dry sarcasm represents more or less Sanders full humor arsenal. It all sounds on the surface like the same all-Trump-all-the-time rhetorical strategy that failed Democrats in 2016. However, its a little more nuanced. The constant references to working-class voters and the choice of places like Warren are an implicit indictment of past Democratic losses. Sanders revolution may not be a beret-and-bayonet insurrection, but it is about using the vote to forcibly detach the Democratic Party from corporate donors, to return it to its roots as a labor-dominated organization. The Blue Wall tour is crammed full of union imagery, with Sanders introduced at stop after stop by union leaders and advocates, who tell tales of the Vermont senator intervening in labor disputes, supporting strikes, joining picket lines, even being the first presidential candidate to unionize his staff. His union bona fides will be recited to the point of redundancy. Bernie Sanders is a union organizer, United Electric worker and activist Alan Hart will tell one crowd. Sanders backed 1,700 striking workers this year at Harts old locomotive plant in Erie, Pennsylvania. Sanders union-centric stump presentation is a surprisingly tight message for a candidate often criticized for being strategy-averse and who has already dealt with dissension and loss among his brain trust three of his senior advisers have left the campaign since the launch. Obviously the issues of social justice are critically important . . . and we need to end discrimination in all forms, Sanders tells me. But we need a trade union movement to rebuild the middle class in this country. A drop in union support for Democrats was a little-discussed factor in the 2016 race. Exit polls showed union votes for Hillary Clinton fell about seven percent versus the Obama years. Trumps failure to keep promises to union members and/or bring back manufacturing jobs (although the rate of decline has slowed) might be a factor in swing counties in 2020, but it wont be easy. Theres some evidence Trumps tariffs, along with things like his generally hostile/insulting posture to China, still somehow carry weight with union voters. Democrats may only regain union votes if someone like Sanders who probably went trick-or-treating as Samuel Gompers in his childhood ends up on the ballot. Its been a while since any viable presidential candidate has described his or her campaign as part of a trade union movement. It may not be enough for the World Socialist Web Site, but an all-labor, no-corporate-money run is the closest thing to guerrilla politics youll see on an American campaign trail. It couldnt actually work, could it? Adam Brody, who works locally as a freight forwarder thats a person who organizes the logistics of moving goods and materials using trains, boats, planes, etc. laughs at the question. People thought Trump couldnt win, he says. PITTSBURGH. Another big crowd, another string of fiery introductory speeches, including a couple from San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz and Nina Turner, the black former Ohio state senator who is an emerging leader in the nascent Democratic Socialist movement. Jill Stein asked Turner to be her running mate on the Green Party ticket in 2016, but Turner declined, saying, I believe that the Democratic Party is worth fighting for. Today, as co-chair of the campaign, Turner is effectively Sanders unofficial running mate. Shes almost his rhetorical opposite: passionate, confident, off the cuff, able to say things like hashtag-the-struggle-sho-nuff-real and have crowds respond with something other than stunned silence. In Pittsburgh, she takes the stage in a slick leather jacket (even when he was younger, Sanders couldnt have pulled off a Starsky and Hutch look) and immediately riles up the audience: Mayor Cruz and I, were bringing the co-chair girl power together, all right? Turners partnership with Sanders seems to work, but also draws attention to the undeniable fact that race has been a difficult issue for this campaign. Although Sanders talks a lot about social and racial equality, he has an almost Biden-esque propensity toward awkward foul-offs and maladroit responses when questioned on the topic. In Houston earlier this year, at a She the People forum devoted to elevating women of color, Sanders was asked by host Aimee Allison what he would do to combat white-supremacist violence. After speaking about pushing an agenda that speaks to all people a distant cousin of an all lives matter type of argument that Ebony called dodging the question Sanders stepped on a verbal nail. I know I date myself a little bit here, Sanders said, but I was actually at the March on Washington with Dr. King back in 1963. The Houston crowd groaned, and it seemed aghast when he raised his trademark index finger to punctuate the observation. (The Bern Point is off-putting to some, amusing to others. There are versions of the Point that begin all the way to the candidates left or right and sweep across and down, almost like a disco move. If Sanders becomes president, college drinking games will surely be built around his pointing habits.) Bernie Sanders will never be woke. Like Biden, he is an older white man who never could or would be able to see outside his own experience. The question will be if hes doing enough to hit the right policy notes. As the campaign goes on, partners like Cruz and Turner will be instrumental in explaining whats progressive about Sanders and his politics. Turner especially seems to understand the difficulty of this mission and has become adept at filling in Bernies blanks. She delves into his personal story (Sanders often bends into Exorcist-style contortions when asked to talk about himself), sharing, for instance, his experience as the son of a Polish immigrant escaping the Holocaust. This ostensibly contrasts him with Trumps infamous immigration stances. Senator Bernie Sanders understands what it means to try to come to this country for a better life, she says. The Turner-Sanders partnership works best when Turner hits issues where she and Sanders have overlap. Like Sanders, she grew up in mean circumstances. From the age of 14, she worked in high-drudgery, low-reward jobs for profit-sucking fast-food chains and retail stores, which is probably why she shares Sanders naked disdain for such companies and any politician who takes their money. He wont sell you out, and you can take it to the bank, Turner says. He cant be bought off. All of the overt labor rhetoric at Sanders rallies makes it all the more frustrating that when Joe Biden, this election cycles version of the inevitable candidate, finally entered the race in late April, he did so with the backing of a firefighters union and United Steelworkers president Leo Gerard. This is despite the fact that Biden is exactly the sort of Democrat that for decades has traded working-class votes for employer-class donations. Biden supported NAFTA, most-favored-nation trading status with China, and the Trans-Pacific Parnership all anathematic positions for unions. Biden even did his union-photo-op launch after a fundraiser at the home of David Cohen, an executive with Comcast, a company with a long record of opposing union organization and hiring nonunion subcontractors. Bidens schizoid approach is a perfect expression of the counterintuitive electoral dynamic between unions and Democrats. Dennis Kucinich, Dick Gephardt and Sanders in 2016 are on the list of longtime labor activists whove been stood up in presidential primary seasons by major unions in favor of Biden types. We went through this the last time, says Sanders, who was endorsed by what he calls three wonderful unions in 2016, including the National Nurses Union. But we did not have the support of a lot of the major unions. Sanders said he believes that the 2016 race caused union leaders to take a lot of heat from the rank and file for declaring for Clinton early. I dont think theyll be so quick to decide this time, says Sanders. I dont think theres anyone who has a better record on unions than me. THE DAY AFTER the Pittsburgh event, Sanders has a live, Fox-televised town hall in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a once-booming steel city and more recently famous as a capital of America Declining. The sight of a self-described Vermont socialist taking quasi-polite questions from frontline Fox Satan-casters like Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum is surreal to the point where its surprising the hall doesnt explode in hell flames. Baier in particular seems concerned his head might splatter, Scanners-style, every time he looks in Sanders direction. When health care comes up, Baier asks for a show of hands, wondering how many people in the audience would be willing to transition to what the senator says, a government-run system? Almost everyone raises their hands, and there are cheers in the hall. Vox later describes the scene as Sanders 1, Fox News Hosts 0. As recently as the mid-2000s, it was considered a virtue for a Democrat to demonstrate the ability to cross the aisle. John Kerrys introduction video at the 2004 Democratic convention even showed him with his arm around Arizona Republican and turgid Iraq War supporter John McCain. In the Trump era, crossing the aisle is about as popular among blue-state intelligentsia as scabies or snuff films. No effort to court the Fox audience is considered kosher. In a year when Democrats officially cut off Fox as a debate broadcaster, Sanders decision to do the town hall was a political act in itself. Did it accomplish anything? Fox was kind enough to let us write an editorial after that, Sanders says. I think there are a few people who watched who are working two to three jobs, who have nothing set aside for retirement, and theyre wondering: Who cares about us? Do Democrats care about us? Do Republicans care about us? He pauses. I think there are some working-class people out there who will say, I dont agree with Sanders about everything, but hes right. Whether or not you believe his pitch will work depends a lot on whether you think Trumps voters were misled, or whether they read him loud and clear and voted out of racial and cultural resentment rather than the economic issues Sanders holds dear. The official entrance of Biden soon overwhelmed the novelty of Sanders Fox appearance. Early polls put him ahead of Sanders by as many as 20 points and the same pundits who called the 2016 race prematurely on both sides of the aisle were quick to pronounce the primary all but over. The 2020 race will be compared to 2016 in large part because the preposterous (at press time) 21-candidate Democratic field has such obvious parallels to the 17-person Clown Car GOP field last time. This race has already seen headline blizzards for California Sen. Kamala Harris, Texas congressman Beto ORourke and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and debates havent even started. A lot of these press freakouts appear as thinly disguised Beltway prayers for someone to knock Sanders out of the race. The Washington Post openly wrote that Buttigieg might save the Democratic Party from the Vermont senator. No other candidate inspires these takes: Pundits dont gush when Harris drops in the polls, for instance. Sanders seems to know it. Talking to Rolling Stone in the days after Bidens much-ballyhooed jump into the race, he sighs. Hes clearly exhausted by it all, intellectually if not physically. Still, anyone whos followed this politician for any length of time knows that both the strength and weakness of Sanders is his relentless sameness. Over and over again, across more than 40 years in public life, he has been saying essentially the same thing staffers affectionately refer to his decades-long clarion call about siding with working people against corporate power the Berniefesto. Sanders doesnt have Ted Cruz episodes, where a thousand speeches into a campaign, he suddenly feels a need to burst into Princess Bride impersonations. Sanders has only one note, and deviating from it never occurs to him. What Turner says about Sanders never being bought off is true, if only because if the senator tried to sell out, he wouldnt know where to start and would suck at it. Hes also never tried shutting up, and probably couldnt do that, either. So hes in for the long haul. Acknowledging that campaigns have highs and lows, he shakes off the media furors and points to the volunteers counting on him. We just had a weekend with 4,700 house parties, with over 70,000 people attending, he says. Thats an unprecedented level of involvement, and its in every state. Were going to do our best. Some outside observers will say hes already had his impact, by mainstreaming ideas like Medicare for All. Fifty-six percent of all Americans and as many as four out of five Democrats now support single-payer health care. Even Max Baucus, the former Democratic Senate Finance Committee chairman who was essentially the public-option killer during the Affordable Health Care Act fight in the Obama years, said after the 2016 race the time has come to consider single-payer. Similarly, many of the 21 Democratic candidates are for some version of Medicare for All. The 30,000-foot pundit view on Sanders chances should be that he, of course, has a chance, one rooted in the same logic that saw Trump win. He is an unconventional candidate with an at least somewhat insoluble base of support, running in an overlarge field of mostly traditional politicians, many of whom will take votes from one another. For Sanders to win, all his voters have to do is overthrow basically the entire political system, which would be ridiculous except that all the other options may be worse: Trump is no solution, and a seemingly mighty traditional Democrat fell short last time. Moreover, if 2016 taught us anything, its that press pronouncements are often an anti-indicator on electability questions. Should any of the inevitable candidacies stumble, a plurality of votes might carry the day, as it did for Trump three years ago. Then and only then will we find out if Bernies pitch to the working class was really a revolution, or just another song written too late. Sign up for Rolling Stones Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The dust in Dreamland is so thick, it makes your eyeballs itch. Clouds of the stuff billow up from dirt roads with every car that passes, swarming dark and angry as a massive bee horde when the winds pick up. And when the air is still, it smudges the cheeks of the films characters poor, small-town Texas farmers with faces as desiccated as their fields rendering them haunted, like the Depression-era sharecroppers Walker Evans photographed in Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Dreams, it seems, are all these opportunity-strapped Americans have going for them: dreams nourished by pulp crime magazines and, maybe, by the movies, although its doubtful this bedraggled settlement can support a cinema. From its opening lines of narration, Miles Joris-Peyrafittes revisionist outlaw saga endeavors to set the record straight about one Eugene Evans, a naive Texas teen who ran off with on-the-law beauty Allison Wells and wound up etched beside her legend in history. These words are spoken by Eugenes kid sister, Phoebe (Lola Kirke performs the older-wiser thoughts of child actor Darby Camp), with a kind of purity that recalls the dreamy voiceover of Terrence Malicks Days of Heaven as mythic an influence on Dreamland as Arthur Penns Bonnie and Clyde, which could have been its prequel, had Clyde died and Bonnie stumbled away wounded from that climactic shootout. Related stories Tribeca Film Review: 'Burning Cane' Tribeca Film Review: 'The Gasoline Thieves' If you dont remember whatever version of the Allison Wells story Phoebe so earnestly wants to correct, thats because no such bank robber as Allison Wells ever existed. And yet, theres a plausibility to the tall tale Joris-Peyrafitte is selling here that rings truer that plenty of films based in fact. Maybe thats because screenwriter Nicolaas Zwart approaches this mythic American genre through the storm cellar rather than the front door: While Allison (Margot Robbie) and her photogenic partner-in-crime (Garrett Hedlund) are shooting up banks somewhere offscreen, the film opens on Eugene (Finn Cole), saddled with mundane chores and thirsty for excitement. Story continues No sooner does Eugene hear that Allisons camped out somewhere in the vicinity, and that theres a $10,000 reward for her capture, than he discovers her bleeding behind a tractor in the familys barn. The money would be more than enough to rescue the family farm from foreclosure, but as outlaws go, Allison isnt anything like he expected. For starters, shes looks like Margot Robbie and not the dumpified, down-to-earth version made up (or down?) in Mary Queen of Scots. This is Robbie at her radiant best: movie-star gorgeous, at this naive young mans mercy, batting her eyes and enticing him with the possibility that his nobody life might just have gotten interesting. At that moment, Eugene decides not to collect the bounty, but to help this fugitive, who assures him that the blood-soaked stories hes heard arent true though her guilty flashbacks, parceled out in fragments, suggest otherwise. Zwart paints Eugene like a fame-struck ingenue, seduced by whatever glamorous south-of-the-border fantasy he imagines awaits if they were to run off together. (His father fled to Mexico when he was a kid, leaving him a postcard, and now he lives with his stepfather, a stern sheriffs deputy played by a square and weathered-looking Travis Fimmel.) Allison serves as something of a femme fatale, bewitching the boy, whose every questionable decision is his own. Obviously, theres no room for a Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head interlude (which seemed out of place even for Butch Cassidy) in a town where it never rains, so Zwart concocts a midnight swim during which Eugene and Allison can bond, sowing sexual tension that pays off later in an evocatively shot hotel tub scene. Though the chemistry between these two characters feels genuine (Cole, who was a regular on the series Peaky Blinders and Animal Kingdom, gives a star-making performance here, opposite the ever-impressive Robbie), Dreamland spends a bit too much time standing still, holed up with Allison in the Evans barn, or waiting for the right moment to make their break. Maybe the filmmakers felt it was more realistic for the bond between these two to temper slowly, although those early looks pack more strength than the movie realizes. The movie races when theyre together, but drags during those intervals when Eugene is off running errands, telling fibs to his folks, or stealing first small necessities food, clean clothes, etc. and later bigger-league things, including Allisons police file from the station and the getaway vehicle theyll need to skip town. As Eugenes minor transgressions compound into outright crimes, Dreamland positions itself for that inevitable escape, at which point the film finally shifts gears, becoming at last the bandits-on-the-run spree weve been anticipating all along although strangely, its disappointing to note that at no point does the movie really take off. Its gorgeous, yes, and texturally vivid enough to leave your mouth dry at the sight of all that dust, but Zwarts script ultimately takes too long to get rolling, and when it does, the directorial vision that has so far distinguished Dreamland from other films like it gives way to generic tendencies: a close call with a bumpkin cop who pulls them over for speeding, a giddy bank robbery (Eugenes first) nervously captured in a single shot. Momentum problems aside, Dreamland has such a strong identity of its own, its hard to believe that the project is just Joris-Peyrafittes second feature. Certainly, cinematographer Lyle Vincent (Ana Lily Amirpours go-to DP) deserves a hefty share of the credit, although it was presumably Joris-Peyrafittes idea to alternate between bold widescreen compositions and the square 8mm format used to represent the duos dreams: projections into the future, shot like celebrity home movies (in anachronistic color), of the couple frolicking in period bathing suits along the Mexican coast. Several sequences including a massive CG dust storm, and a poignant cornfield scene that ends with a floating camera peering down as rain falls around it are quite literally arresting. As for Eugenes fate, its more romantic than realistic, despite his kid sisters assurances to the contrary. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. President Donald Trump has galaxy brained himself into a something of a quagmire with China. For the better part of the past year, hes been imposing and subsequently escalating tariffs on goods imported from the nation in an effort to force them to renegotiate what he considers unfair trade practices. China hasnt been too interested in doing this, though, and American businesses and consumers continue to suffer from the new taxes that must be paid on products shipped across the Pacific. Trump has responded the only way he knows how: doubling down. On Friday, he ratcheted up tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion in Chinese goods, claiming that broken-down trade talks between the two nations are continuing in a very congenial manner, that there is absolutely no need to rush and that the massive tariff payments go directly to the Treasury of the U.S. Related stories Yes, Trump's Tariffs Are Still Hurting Americans No, He Still Doesn't Care See 'Colbert' Turn President Trump's 'Tariff Man' Boast Into Incompetent Superhero The problem is that this money is not coming from China, as Trump has claimed repeatedly. Its instead coming directly from Americans. On Sunday, Larry Kudlow, Trumps chief economic adviser, went on Fox News to try to explain whats been happening. It wasnt very hard for Chris Wallace to get him to begrudgingly admit the president is wrong and that its Americans who are footing the bill for his trade war. The president says China pays the tariffs, said Wallace. They may suffer consequences, but its U.S. businesses and U.S. consumer that pay. Correct? Uh, yes, to some extent, Kudlow stammered. I dont disagree with that. Again, both sides will suffer on this. Larry Kudlow admits that the Chinese do not directly pay tariffs on goods coming into the U.S., as Trump has repeatedly, and incorrectly, claimed. Via Fox pic.twitter.com/sbXvfBbktf Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 12, 2019 Hours after Kudlows appearance, Trump once again touted the money the United States is receiving from the tariffs which, it bears repeating, are being paid by American companies and consumers. We are right where we want to be with China, he wrote. Remember, they broke the deal with us & tried to renegotiate. We will be taking in Tens of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs from China. Buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-Tariffed countries. Story continues He added that the United States would make up the money China is no longer spending with our Great Patriot Farmers (Agriculture) and distribute the food to starving people in nations around the world! Great! #MAGA. Regardless of any half-baked plans to parlay the trade war into a cure for world hunger, its almost impossible to argue tariffs are good for Americans. Companies that rely on imported raw materials and consumers who buy those companies products have been hit hard. So too have farmers, who are reeling from both the tariffs on imported goods and the retaliatory tariffs affected nations have placed on American agricultural products. Some of the presidents closest Republican allies are pleading with him to lift the steel and aluminum tariffs he placed on Mexico and Canada. Why? Because their constituents are suffering. Incapable of backing down, Trumps only recourse has been to claim that tariffs are actually a good thing falsely, ludicrously insisting China is paying them while at the same time frantically haranguing China for its unwillingness to cave to his demands. Would be wise for them to act now, but love collecting BIG TARIFFS! he tweeted on Saturday. He posted another tangled thread of nonsense Monday morning, claiming China wants to make a deal so badly and that tariffs are very good for USA. completely avoided if you buy from a non-Tariffed Country, or you buy the product inside the USA (the best idea). Thats Zero Tariffs. Many Tariffed companies will be leaving China for Vietnam and other such countries in Asia. Thats why China wants to make a deal so badly! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2019 China has taken so advantage of the U.S. for so many years, that they are way ahead (Our Presidents did not do the job), he added. Therefore, China should not retaliate-will only get worse! If it does get worse, Americans could be forced to pay more for iPhones, shoes and other products the administration has so far avoided slapping with import taxes. The president then, once again, tried to Trump-splain to China what is in their best interests. I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you dont make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries. Too expensive to buy in China. You had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2019 Despite Trumps Twitter overtures, it doesnt appear China has any intention of suddenly giving in to his demands. China has not only the determination and capability, but also willingness to fight a prolonged war, Wei Jianguo, a former vice minister at Chinas Ministry of Commerce, told the South China Morning Post. The decision makers already fully understand the pattern of the US in the trade talks. China will not only act as a kung fu master in response to U.S. tricks, but also as an experienced boxer and can deliver a deadly punch at the end, he added. Chinas deadly punch is likely to be a combination of retaliatory tariffs on American agriculture products, as well as simply drawing out negotiations until Trump leaves office. Trump seems to acknowledge this could be the case. China is DREAMING that Sleepy Joe Biden, or any of the others, gets elected in 2020, he tweeted on Sunday. They LOVE ripping off America! American businesses, consumers and farmers may be having the same dream. Sign up for Rolling Stones Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 8th grader inspired by lunch shaming stories vows to eliminate $18,000 of one district's lunch debt originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com A 14-year-old has pledged to eliminate the sizable lunch debt for a district of 129 schools in Texas. Ben Hofer, an eighth-grade student at St. Andrews Episcopal School, recently raised $8,000 for a project he's dubbed, "LunchCounts!" He plans on putting the money towards nearly $18,000 of school lunch debt in the Austin Independent School District (Austin ISD). "I was never expecting to raise this much money, really honestly," Ben told "Good Morning America" of his crowdfunding success. "It's pretty crazy but the more the better, I guess, because it's more kids we could pay off." Ben kicked off his initiative on GoFundMe on April 21 as part of a semester-long school project in which students dig into a community issue. PHOTO: Ben Hofer, 14, of Texas, is seen in a recent photo with his younger brother, Nate Hofer, 10. (Courtesy Kelly Walton) Ben took an interest in school lunch debt and so-called "lunch shaming" happening in some schools across the country. Lunch shaming includes serving cold food if a child's lunch account has not been paid in full, or denying lunch to the child altogether. Ben said Austin ISD does not engage in lunch shaming, but the debt is a burden none the less. (MORE: Mom starts campaign to pay off $232,000 in school lunch debt) "[Ben said] to me, 'you know they were throwing food out in front of a kid if they cant afford it?'" his mom, Kelly Walton, told "GMA." "He did interviews then with cafeteria budget workers and [learned] every kid gets a lunch, but they rack up debt." "Their parents simply cannot pay it sometimes," she added. "I think it's good for him to realize that not everyone has [what he has]." PHOTO: Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas, does not allow so-called lunch shaming in their schools and will never deny kids of a full lunch. (Austin ISD) In 2016, Pennsylvania cafeteria worker Stacy Koltiska made headlines when she quit her job at an elementary school after she said was required to take a hot lunch away from a student who had fallen behind on payments. Story continues One year prior, Dalene Bowden, an Idaho cafeteria worker, said she was fired for giving a free meal to a hungry student who was unable to pay for it. Austin ISD said it will never deny kids of a full lunch. PHOTO: Children help themselves to lunch at a school within Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas. (Austin ISD) "No child goes hungry and all students are offered the same foods," said Anneliese Tanner, executive director of Austin ISD Food Services and Warehouse Operations. "We aren't just focused on every student getting a meal, but it being the best quality meal." Tanner told "GMA" that 57 percent of the students in the district receive free meals as part of the national school lunch program -- but not all students qualify if their family's income does not meet the requirements for free and reduced price meals. PHOTO: Ben Hofer, 14, of Texas, kicked off a crowdfunding page to raise money in covering Austin Independent School District's lunch debt. (Austin ISD) (MORE: Why this teacher shared her resignation letter after quitting her job at 28) "The cost of living in Austin is high so these families are struggling to make ends meet," Tanner added. "This is why its important we provide a free meal to our students every day." When he first launched "LunchCounts!" Ben's original goal was to raise $3,200 to pay off the lunch debts at three school -- Blazier Elementary School, Paredes Middle School and Akins High School, since their campuses had the highest balances in the district. PHOTO: Ben Hofer, 14, of Texas, recently launched his 'LunchCounts!' project and raised $8,000 and will use the funds to cover Austin Independent School District's nearly $18,000 debt. (Courtesy Kelly Walton) But in a matter of days, his GoFundMe page exceeded the initial goal. Ben has now raised nearly half of the district's overall lunch debt. "I think Ben is an amazing leader and is so compassionate," Tanner said. "Especially at his age, to recognize that there are students his age and younger who are struggling with food insecurities and facing hunger. He's taking steps to try and do something about it -- how admirable." PHOTO: Ben Hofer, 14, of Texas, recently launched his 'LunchCounts!' project and raised $8,000. (Courtesy Kelly Walton) Next week, Ben will present his project at school. He hopes to continue paying off the lunch debt every year. "If we could get to the whole debt, that'd be really cool. I don't think we'll get there by the end of the school year, but you never know," Ben said. By PTI WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to meet with the presidents of Russia and China next month at the Group of 20 summit in Japan. As the trade conflict with China escalates, Trump said of the expected encounter with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, "We'll be meeting at the G20 in Japan. And that will be I think probably very fruitful meeting." Speaking to reporters at the White House as he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Trump also said he expected to meet with Russia's Vladimir Putin, though the Kremlin responded immediately saying there was no agreement on a meeting. Conservative Supreme Court justices spar over executions of Muslim, Buddhist inmates originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Why did Justice Brett Kavanaugh oppose a stay of execution for a Muslim inmate denied an imam in the death chamber but support a stay for a Buddhist inmate denied a Buddhist priest by his side? (MORE: Alabama executes Muslim inmate who sued to have imam present ) PHOTO: Death row inmates Patrick Murphy, left, and Dominique Ray are pictured in undated photos released by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Alabama Department of Corrections. (AP) In a highly unusual move, more than a month after the decision came down, Kavanaugh on Monday issued a statement explaining his vote, which may have been a decisive factor in both cases. Justice Samuel Alito, who opposed both stays of execution, released a lengthy rebuttal, criticizing Kavanaugh's rationale. The extraordinary back and forth, weeks after the decisions came down, laid bare the stark differences among the justices over how to handle the growing challenge of 11th-hour appeals they regularly receive from inmates nearing execution. (MORE: After blacks kicked off juries, Mississippi death row inmate brings racial bias claim to Supreme Court) PHOTO: The United states Supreme Court is seen, April 15, 2019, in Washington D.C. (Eric Baradat/AFP/Getty Images) Kavanaugh, the court's newest member, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, explained that Domineque Ray -- the Alabama Muslim man who was executed in February -- never claimed unequal religious treatment under the First Amendment. He also said the timing of Ray's demand for an imam in the execution room came too late. "The bottom line is that Ray did not raise an equal-treatment claim. Murphy did," Kavanaugh wrote of Buddhist inmate Patrick Henry Murphy of Texas, who escaped from prison in 2000 while serving a 55-year sentence for aggravated sexual assault and killed a police officer. The court stayed his execution in March. Murphy had wanted a Buddhist minister in the execution room while Texas policy at the time only allowed Christian or Muslim ministers. "Unlike Ray, Murphy made his request to the State of Texas a full month before his scheduled execution," Kavanaugh added. "This court's stay in Murphy's case was appropriate and the stay facilitated a prompt fix to the religious equality problem in Texas' execution protocol." Story continues Five days after the Supreme Court issued a stay, Texas changed its policy, banning all religious ministers from the execution room and allowing them only in the viewing room. Inmates can now invite whomever they choose. Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, argued against stays in both cases citing what they call a "recurring and important problem" of "inexcusably late stay applications" inundating the court. (MORE: Supreme Court affirms capital punishment despite risks of pain) "By the time they got around to filing in federal court," Alito writes of Murphy's legal team, "it was March 26, two days before the scheduled execution date. And by the time they filed in this court, the scheduled execution time and the time when the death warrant would expire were only hours away. "If the tactics of Murphy's attorneys in this case are not inexcusably dilatory, it is hard to know what the concept means," Alito writes. One point on which both Alito and Kavanaugh agree: prisoners facing execution should bring their claims to the high court much sooner -- and not wait until the last minute. "The claims raised by Murphy and Ray are important and may ultimately be held to have merit," Alito writes. "Prisoners should bring such claims well before their scheduled executions so that the courts can adjudicate them in the way that the claims require and deserve and so that states are afforded sufficient time to make any necessary modifications to their execution protocols." "I fully agree with Justice Alito," Kavanaugh says. Federal judge strikes down Kentucky law to curtail 2nd-trimester abortions originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A federal judge on Friday struck down a Kentucky law that would have effectively ended abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. U.S. District Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr. ruled that the 2018 law, which required women seeking an abortion at or beyond 15 weeks of pregnancy to first undergo a "fetal demise" injection, was "unconstitutional." He also issued a permanent injunction against the law. "The court finds that under the Act, all women seeking a second-trimester abortion at and after 15 weeks would have to endure a medically unnecessary and invasive procedure that may increase the duration of an otherwise one-day standard D&E abortion," McKinley wrote. A Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) abortion is the standard second-trimester method of abortion used nationally. PHOTO: Escort volunteers line up outside the EMW Women's Surgical Center in Louisville, Ky., July 17, 2017. (Dylan Lovan/AP, FILE) (MORE: Alabama Senate delays vote on proposed abortion ban) The law had been signed by Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, a Republican, whose office immediately told the Associated Press it would appeal McKinley's decision. His office did not immediately respond to an ABC News request for comment. The injection, which would kill the fetus, would not evacuate the fetus from the woman's body, so an abortion would still be necesary. The law was challenged by the state's only abortion clinic and the two doctors -- Ashlee Bergin and Tanya Franklin -- who practice there, on the day it was signed. (MORE: Filmmakers vow to boycott Georgia amid abortion bill controversy) Moreover, Bergin and Franklin said they would "stop performing standard D&E abortions altogether due to ethical and legal concerns regarding compliance with the law, thereby rendering abortions unavailable in the Commonwealth of Kentucky starting at 15.0 weeks from the date of a womans last menstrual period," according to the ruling. "The Commonwealths legitimate interests do not allow the imposition of an additional required medical procedurean invasive and risky procedure without medical necessity or benefit to the womanprior to the standard D&E abortion. Here, Kentuckys legitimate interests must give way to the womans right," McKinley wrote. Story continues Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union who represented the abortion clinic and its doctors, praised the judge's ruling. It is a huge victory for women and families in Kentucky," Kolbi-Molinas told ABC News. "Not only can women get the care they need, because it would have ended abortion at 15 weeks, but [it said] that women who wanted an abortion, starting at 15 weeks, would have had to go through unnecessary, painful, and, in some cases, experimental medical procedures just to get an abortion." (MORE: On the issue of late-term abortion, Trump seeks to corner Democrats) Despite a growing number of laws limiting abortion in several U.S. states, Kolbi-Molinas said she was confident that McKinley's ruling would not be overturned. "The only court of appeals that has addressed one of these [fetal demise injection] cases so far has found it unconstitutional and were optimistic that the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals would do the same," she said. In practical terms, the law had been blocked by a consent decree, so there has been no change for women seeking to have an abortion in Kentucky throughout the past year. "There is no change. Abortion remains safe and legal in Kentucky, Kolbi-Molinas said. Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliott and Alex Lacamoire receive honorary doctorates originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliott recently added another accolade to their long running list of combined achievements. The two music icons received honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts on Saturday. Four-time Grammy Award winning musician Alex Lacamoire was also presented with an honorary doctorate. (MORE: Justin Timberlake pens touching note to wife Jessica Biel on her birthday) During Timberlake's address to graduates, he shared an inspiring message about working towards success. "You're defined by what you define failure as. It's not a thing if it leads you to your success. It's all part of the journey," he said. "I hope that in the years to come, two things will happen: one, I will represent you in the way that you most hope for," he added. "And two, I look around and see this graduating class. Meet me at the studio. I want to see y'all!" "No Dream is too big!!! Keep chasing!!! Trust me... I'm a DOCTOR!!" he captioned an Instagram showing off his degree. Timberlake's wife, actress Jessica Biel, commented, "Literally every hat looks good on you, but this is my favorite one." Elliott, the first hip-hop artist to receive the college's honorary doctorate, also shared a message of perseverance to graduates during her remarks. (MORE: Missy Elliott gives inspiring speech on overcoming Graves' disease, talks friendship with Janet Jackson) "There will be ups and downs. Prepare for that, but don't give up," she said during the commencement ceremony. "If I had given up a long time ago, I wouldn't be standing here today." Story continues "As long as you are breathing, it is never too late," she said. "Don't forget that. You have come too far to quit." "CREATE YOUR OWN LANE!!!! Sincerely Dr. MISSY ELLIOTT," she captioned a celebratory Instagram post. Lacamoire said during his speech that receiving his honorary doctorate "fills me with a level of pride that I can't compare to anything else I've felt until today." Good Morning America Duchess Kate surprised royal-watchers by showing off her piano skills at a Christmas concert Friday. The Duchess of Cambridge joined Tom Walker for a performance of "For Those Who Can't Be Here" during the concert, "Together at Christmas," which was televised in the U.K. The duet was recorded at Westminster Abbey on Thursday, according to Town and Country magazine. Kate, 39, organized the concert, which also featured performances by Leona Lewis and Ellie Goulding, to show her gratitude to community leaders in the U.K. She added in her introduction that she also wanted to "recognize those whose struggles perhaps have been less visible, too." Radio legend Howard Stern recalls interviewing Trump: 'There was no filter' originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Howard Stern, the legendary radio personality whose voice has lit up the airwaves for decades, reflected back on his career, his role in the 2016 presidential election and how a 2016 cancer scare changed his life in an interview with "Good Morning America" co-anchor George Stephanopoulos. In his new book, "Howard Stern Comes Again," the longtime radio personality reveals his softer side, and he details what he thinks are some of his most memorable interviews. One of the key characters in the book is President Donald Trump, who Stern says "was a big character on my show." "Donald Trump, hands down, whenever you put him on the air, now, this is before he was running for president, he was an open book," Stern said. "He would say anything. And you know, oddly enough -- during the campaign and even now, people quote these interviews that I did with him." PHOTO: Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Howard Stern (C) and and his girlfriend Beth Ostrosky and Chris Rock (R) and his wife Malaak Compton-Rock watch the game between the New York Knicks and the Washington Wizards, Nov. 4, 2005, in New York. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBA/Getty Images) "I was quite surprised, when they dragged out every single Donald Trump ... interview I had done. And in some ways, I felt it was unfair to Trump," Stern said, noting that he felt some of his quotes, such as "something to the effect that ... STD's were his personal Vietnam" were taken out of context. "It was in a very joking scenario. He was not comparing his life to a Vietnam vet. It was 'Ha-ha-ha and this and that,'" Stern said. "When journalists took it and made it serious, I thought it was a little bit unfair." Still, Stern said when the now-president would come on his show, "There was no filter." When asked if he felt he in some way helped make Trump president, Stern responded: "Absolutely." PHOTO: Howard Stern is seen arriving to the ABC studio for GMA, May 9, 2019, in New York. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC/Getty Images) As someone who didn't vote for Trump, he said this gives him mixed feelings, calling Hillary Clinton his "obsession." (MORE: Amy Schumer reveals how she met her husband and shares details of their secret wedding) Story continues "I wanted to see Hillary Clinton win," Stern said. "If she had come on the show-- the way I helped Donald was I let him come on and be a personality. Whether you liked him or not ... people related to him as a human being." "I wanted to do that for Hillary. The big knock against Hillary, especially with some of the male audience, was, 'Eh, we don't like her,'" he added. Stern said he also thought that "Hillary Clinton's afraid of me, and justifiably." "I thought that perhaps if she came on my show, we could've stripped away some of the pomp and circumstance or the tightness that comes with running for president and, like Donald, she could've been seen in a different light," he added. As for his current relationship with Trump, Stern said it's not as warm as it used to be, especially after he turned down speaking at the Republican National Convention. PHOTO: Howard Stern in 1990. (Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images) "It's a weird relationship I have," he said of Trump. "Donald was at my wedding ... I remember having very warm feelings for Donald, and I do. I mean, he was always very nice to me." The Trump he sees in office, however, "I didn't know this was him." The new Howard Stern In an interview that ranged from boisterous to serious, Stephanopoulos quipped their conversation was "completely hijacked" by Stern, the self-proclaimed king of all media, who is used to asking the questions, not answering them. Stern said his recent change of heart, and his inspiration to write the book, was a recent health scare that saw him diagnosed with kidney cancer. PHOTO: ABC News' George Stephanopoulos interviews Howard Stern in an interview that aired on 'Good Morning America' on May 13, 2019. (ABC) When he went in for surgery, however, he said he found out it wasn't cancer, and said the whole ordeal, "all of sudden brought me to some kind of reality." After intensive therapy and his Sirius XM show, Stern said he is a changed man, and at times embarrassed by who he used to be. "You know, for years, I used to think, 'Well, I'm one type of person on the air. And off the air, I'm somebody else,'" he said. "But the truth was, that was me." Stern said one of his most painful memories was an early 90's interview with the late actor Robin Williams, who he described as "one of the most magnificent human beings in the world." Still, he recalls it as the "worst interview I ever did," recalling how he immediately grilled the comedian for a report that he was having an affair with his nanny. As for the best interview of his career, Stern says it was his 2015 interview with Conan O'Brien, who opened up about his struggles with depression on the show. "I was able to listen and not be trying to insert myself, I picked up on something he said. And then all of a sudden, he started talking about that he suffered from depression," Stern said. "And we kinda did this heavy thing ... It was like the cameras disappeared. The microphones disappeared. And the two of us were just locked in conversation." Why is May 2019 different from all other months? Its Jewish American Heritage Month for one, a period that feels especially important to mark given the rising insecurity coursing through Jewish American life. Because visibility is more important than ever before, Refinery29 brings you our celebration of Jewish American culture. Lchaim! In my family, youre not on pins and needles; youre on shpilkes. When youre down in the dumps, someone will ask why youre so ongebluzen (or tell you to stop looking so ongebluzened). Bothering someone? They might tell you to stop hocking my chainik. In Yiddish, this means banging the kettle, but in the Americanized version of the expression, it means stop bothering me. For years, I didnt realize these were words some people didnt know if they arent Ashkenazi Jews, who mostly come from Eastern Europe. I used them freely in conversations at public school only to be met with some very confused expressions. Shpilkes and ongebluzen are some of the less-common Yinglish, (words loosely of Yiddish or Hebrew origin that have become part of the English language) words and phrases out there. Youve probably heard the ones on the list ahead (chutzpah, nosh, kvetch), and have possibly wondered what the speaker actually means. Since theyre not truly Yiddish in fact, some of the words have the complete opposite meaning in Yiddish as they do in English I consulted self-described humorless Yiddishist Rokhl Kafrissen to best break them down. Kafrissen writes a regular column called Rokhls Golden City for Tablet (an American Jewish online magazine) in which she celebrates new Yiddish art and culture. A quick pause for anyone not familiar with O.G. Yiddish. According to Kafrissen, Yiddish was one of the primary languages of the Jews of Eastern Europe, an area historically referred to as Ashkenaz. It was spoken by an estimated 12 million Jews before World War II. Yiddish is a fusion language written using the Hebrew alphabet. It grew out of Middle High German and acquired elements of Hebrew and Aramaic, as well as significant Slavic, Latin/Romance, and even Turkic elements. It continues to grow and adapt today, incorporating more words and ideas of the areas where it is spoken, especially English and modern Hebrew, reflecting its use in the United States and Israel. Story continues Please note that this is not a perfect or definitive glossary, since the transliteration spellings are much debated. Instead, it is meant to be a fun, basic primer where you can finally learn what words that have made their way into pop culture (see: Mike Myers famous character Linda Richman on SNL, who is permanently verklempt) are intended to mean. Kafrissen offered some extra credit on a few of the words, in which youll learn everything from the actual Yiddish origin of a term to a popular Yiddish song lyric. One way Yinglish words may differ from their Yiddish origins is that they tend to be charged with emotion verklempt, which in Linda Richman parlance means choked up with emotion, actually comes from the Yiddish farklempt, which is associated with grief. If youre interested in learning more about the Yiddish words youve heard on shows like Seinfeld, Leo Rostens The Joys of Yiddish is a great resource on Yiddish words in English (my grandfather had not one, but two copies on his bookshelf. You can never have too many books celebrating Yiddish.). Dont plotz if some of these words are foreign to you. Once youve read the list, use them with chutzpah, and we will kvell. Lchaim! Designed by Hannah Minn. Alterkaker An old fart Bupkis Nothing (figurative) Extra credit: In Yiddish, bupkis comes from the word for goat turd. The usual Yiddish word for nothing is gornisht. Chutzpah Supreme self-confidence Extra credit: Keep in mind that chutzpah is a breath-taking audacity (something that is not valued in Yiddish culture, but is highly praised in the United States). Klutz In English, klutz has come to mean accident-prone Extra credit: However, in Yiddish the clumsy sense of klutz comes from its primary meaning of wooden beam, which was extended to refer to really awkward questions ( klutz kashes), the kind of questions that stop a conversation like a wooden beam in the middle of the road. The usual Yiddish word for clumsy is umgelumpert. Kvell To feel happy and proud Kvetch Complain Extra credit: In Yiddish, kvetchn means to squeeze. Lchaim Hebrew: to life; Yiddish: used as a toast Extra credit: If someone says lchaim, you can respond by saying Lchaim toyvim ulsholem, which means for good life and peace. Mazel tov Hebrew: good luck; Yiddish: congratulations Mentsh A genuinely good person of esteemed character Meshugenah A crazy person (although it is also used as an adjective in Yinglish) Mishigas Craziness Designed by Hannah Minn. Nosh Verb: to snack; noun: a snack Oy Vey/Oy Gevalt An expression of great dismay Plotz Exploding with emotion Extra credit: In Yiddish, plots means to crack; split; give out (like your patience); fizzle out or burst. Compare with krapirn, which means to expire horribly. In the song Yosl Yosl, theres a lyric that says Ikh krapir nokh dir, which loosely means Im dying for you (and not in a fun way). Schlemiel Incompetent person (Example: The schlemiel accidentally drops a bowl of soup.) Schlimazel Unlucky (Example: The schlimazel is the one the soup falls on.) Designed by Hannah Minn. Schlep To haul (usually not in a comfortable way) Schmatte A rag Extra credit: Jewish involvement in the schmatte trade (read: fashion industry, sometimes called the schmatte industry) shaped American Jewish history. Theres a musical called Rags about Jewish immigrants to New York Citys Lower East Side in the early nineteenth century in which one of the characters works in the garment industry. Schmutz Dirt or soil Schtick Specialty Extra credit: means piece in Yiddish Schvitz Verb: to sweat; noun: a steam bath Shiksa A non-Jewish woman (Warning: This term is considered offensive; do not use it, even if you hear it on TV!) Shpiel Verb: to speak ones opinion at length; noun: a speech; usually intended to persuade Extra credit: in Yiddish, the verb shpiln means to play. Designed By Hannah Minn. Tchotchke A small decorative item (often breakable; usually dust-collecting) Extra credit: In Yiddish, tchotchke usually refers to a doll. Tuchas Buttocks Verklempt Overcome with emotion Extra credit: We learned from Linda Richman on SNL that it means overcome with happiness; throat clenched up with happiness, but in Yiddish, the word farklempt was almost always associated with grief (usually associated with the heart, as in the heart was clenched with grief). Ver is a German prefix; far is the Yiddish version. Yenta A busybody/gossip Extra credit: You could use the Yiddish word kokhlefel(literally meaning a cooking spoon) to mean a person who mixes in/a busybody. Yenta is also a womans name, famously the name of a comic strip character in The Forward who was a gossip as well as the matchmaker in Fiddler on the Roof. The word yenta never meant a busybody or gossip in Yiddish. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Peggy Lipton, Mother To Rashida Jones & Mod Squad Star, Has Died At 72 NXIVM Testimony Reveals How Members Had To Worship Leader Keith Raniere Lights, Camera, No Action In Georgia: Hollywood Fights The States Abortion Law Multiple cases of a disease called canine brucellosis have been observed in dogs in Iowa, the states Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced Friday. This illness has the potential to be transmitted from dogs to humans, health officials say, which makes these new diagnoses potentially concerning for people exposed to the affected animals. Canine brucellosis is caused by Brucella canis, a type of bacteria that mainly infects dogs. Once dogs are sick, however, its possible that they can transmit the infection to humans. Human infections with Brucella canis are rare, according to a statement from Iowa Department of Agriculture, but they have been known to happenusually when a person comes into direct contact with reproductive fluids from an infected animal. People can also become infected by breathing in aerosol droplets of those infected fluids, or if the bacteria enters their body through their mouth, eyes, or a break in the skin. In humans, a brucellosis infection can cause flu-like symptoms including night sweats, headaches, fever, joint pain, and back pain, according to a fact sheet from the University of Iowas Center for Food Security & Public Health. "Rarely, cases of brucellosis can involve the nervous system, eyes, or heart," the fact sheet also states. Antibiotics are used to treat the disease, but it can also come back after treatment. In Iowa, the confirmed cases of canine brucellosis originated at a commercial breeding facility in Marion County, at which small dogs are bred. "We are in the process of notifying the individuals who have custody of the exposed dogs, the state Department of Agriculture said in its statement. Both the animals and the facilities are quarantined while the dogs undergo clinical testing. People who recently purchased small dogs in Marion County are also urged to contact their veterinarians. Brucellosis can be tricky to diagnose, according to the Mayo Clinic, particularly in the condition's early stages. It often resembles other illnesses, including the flu. "See your doctor if you develop a rapidly rising fever, muscle aches or unusual weakness and have any risk factors for the disease, or if you have a persistent fever," the health organization advises on its website. Story continues RELATED: This 10-Year-Old's Feet Were Covered in Green and Black Lesions After Insects Infested Her Skin While brucellosis usually affects dogs, other animals can also develop the disease, including cattle, sheep, goats, camels, pigs, reindeer, and wild boar. And if humans eat undercooked or raw meat from those infected animalsor if they consume unpasteurized milk, ice cream, butter, or cheesethey can also get sick, notes the Mayo Clinic. But back to those scary dog-to-human headlines: Should you worry about getting this illness from your pup? Probably not. "The threat to most pet owners is considered very low," the Iowa Department of Agriculture said in its statement, although dog breeders, veterinary staff and anyone who comes in contact with blood, tissues and fluids during the [canine] birthing process may be at higher risk. The statement does, however, provide a simple piece of advice that might decrease your chances of picking up an illnessany illnessfrom your dog. "This serves as a reminder that [it] is always important to practice good biosecurity, the agency points out, like thoroughly washing your hands after handling animalseven household pets." RELATED: What Is Hantavirus? We Talked to an Expert About the Rare, Life-Threatening Virus Carried by Rodents Last week, I eavesdropped on a conversation about moisturizer on a packed uptown 1 train during rush hour in New York City. A woman was preaching to a group of what I assume were her male colleagues on the benefits of lotioning up: It hydrates, it prevents signs of aging, and so on. I dont use moisturizer, one of them declared. And why not? Because Im not a woman. I felt an immediate spark of rage at this strangers flippant take on antiquated gender roles. But I know hes not alone in his thinking. Moisturizer has always been coded as feminineat least as long as I can remember. My husband, for instance, didnt use moisturizer or sunscreen before we started dating. He was convinced that adding superfluous steps to his nonexistent regimen would only exacerbate his acne-prone complexion. Multiple friends have regaled me with tales of their male significant others who use the same bar of soap for their face and body. (Literally every beauty editors nightmare.) Its a myth that mens skin is any less sensitive or less prone to wrinkling as compared to womens, says Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital. There are nuances between the twoa mans skin is typically thicker, has larger oil glands, and grows more terminal hairbut that doesnt mean men dont need moisturizer. The truth is that men skin, just like womens, can benefit from the same ingredients and strategies. How Exactly Did We Get Here? As primary shoppers of their household, women tend to consume more. So it makes sense for companies to market their products toward women. (Women reportedly spend $7 trillion in the U.S. alone and control about 85 percent of consumer spending.) For the beauty industry, its meant that most products come with pretty packaging, a pretty scent, and a pretty campaign starring a pretty woman. Its not a huge leap then to understand why most men, determined as they are to avoid anything that could detract from their projected masculinity, would also avoid skincare products. Story continues Gender stereotypes for men are much narrower. Society has a habit of keeping men in their gender lane and any time they start to do something thats is remotely associated with women, theyre perceived as high maintenance, weak, or gay, says Dr. Elizabeth Haines, professor in the department of psychology at William Paterson University, who conducted a study that compared data collected from 1983 and 2014 and found that gender stereotypes have, unfortunately, remained unchanged. The cultural transmission theory is this idea that once you do something that works, people will continue to pass that down, and thats what happened with gender stereotypes. Almost everything is genderized: deodorant, shampoo, razors. The thinking is, the more you want to sell a product, genderize it." The womens market is not only substantially larger than mens, its also constantly innovating, with giant conglomerates pouring millions of dollars into R&D to discover the next miracle elixir and marketing to push the latest trend. According to a report by Zion Market Research, the global cosmetics market is expected to reach $863 billion by 2024. By comparison, the mens sector lags far behind (the category is projected to hit a little over $29 billion by 2024), with traditional offerings that are overly simplified, overly scented, ineffective, or all the above. Until the last five to 10 years, the mens category was [full of] bad formulas, says Andrew Glass, who founded Non Gender Specific, a multitasking skincare brand that caters to all genders. Maybe thats why Ive personally never been tempted to try a product made for men. For lots of guys, the extent of their personal grooming begins and ends with mainstream brands. My memories of middle school are clouded by the heady scent of too much Axe body spray. My younger brother started using Old Spice as a teen and never stopped. Once youre made a habit of using certain products in a certain way, its hard to alter that behavior. But without labels like Axe, Old Spice, and Dove Men, the mens category wouldnt have existed in any substantial way. Back in 2010, Old Spice was looking to boost its relevance in the mens grooming space, says Matt Krehbiel, the associate brand director for Old Spice at Procter & Gamble. Driven by the cultural insight that 60 percent of body wash purchases are made by women, we wanted to provoke conversation between couples and create something that appealed to both men and women. It led to the launch of the The Man Your Man Could Smell Like campaign starring Isaiah Mustafa, which encouraged men to embrace a full grooming regimen. Incoming: Inclusivity Some big, recent shifts in the broader culture have also sparked change in the beauty and grooming industry. Social media has given consumers a voice and brands are listening. Men are realizing that theyd like to get in on the self-care action, too. And the growing awareness of the spectrum of gender identities has begun to deconstruct the silos between male and female-coded products. Are we cruising toward a brave, new, gender-neutral world of personal care? At the forefront is Milk Makeup, which made a splash in the industry in 2016 with an inclusive campaign that featured everyone, from trans models to cis straight men, wearing makeup. There are tons of women who don't relate to overly feminine packaging as well as many men who don't need every product to be charcoal gray, black, or marketed as something that will make them more tough, says Georgie Greville, co-founder. The universal truth is that everyone just wants to feel free to be the unique individual they are. The rise of non-binary, gender-neutral products is incredibly popular because its such a breath of fresh air. Theres no one telling you who you need to be in order to use the products. That message struck a chord. Greville recalls an overwhelmingly positive response to the brands launch: This kind of authentic representation in Sephora was pivotal at the timeit pushed the needle. It has encouraged heritage brands to be more inclusive (Chanel announced the launch of mens makeup in 2018) and other startups to be gender-neutral from the outset. Thats why Glass founded Non Gender Specific in the first place. He recounts experimenting with eye shadows at Sephora about 15 years ago and feeling out of place. It was so uncomfortableI never want a customer to feel uncomfortable buying whatever they want to buy, he says. And for me personally, its not enough to merge men and women together because we have people coming out who may not identify with either. OK, What Happens Next? Already, the rise of the gender-neutral beauty category is igniting an industry-wide transformation, even among traditional mens brands. Krehbiel says a recent Old Spice research revealed that men are looking for more skincare optionswhich prompted its most recent campaign Men Have Skin, Too. Greville nods to public figures like Pharrell, Frank Ocean, Luka Sabbat, Troye Sivan, and Ryan Jamaal Swain for highlighting the merits of good skincare. My most savvy male friends are more excited about gender-neutral products rather than male-targeted ones, she says, calling out brands like Ursa Major, Necessaire, Kiehls, Dr. Barbara Sturm, and Aesop. Glass, too, believes that the future of beauty will be gender-fluid. Retailers are going to start getting rid of sections and having product categories instead, he predicts. Men are more comfortable taking care of themselves because theyre not going to be judged for it like they would have been a few years ago. Now that mens brands are innovating for the time and as millennials and Gen Z become the majority of the population, those stereotypical gender roles will go away. And, hopefully, the fragrance found in skincarewhich is also sometimes the only differentiation between a mans and a womans productwill also disappear. I dont believe perfume has a gender, asserts Sylvie Ganter, who co-founded Atelier Cologne with her husband Christophe Cervasel with the goal to create scents they could both wear. When you only have roses for women and woods for men, youre missing so muchand unfortunately, thats what weve done with the perfume industry and somehow with the beauty industry as a whole. We still have a ways to go before we reach this non-binary utopia. Zeichner, for one, believes most men will only buy skincare products that are specifically made for men. And while my husband now religiously applies sunscreen every morning and his p.m. lotion every night, thats about the scope of his entire regimen. Every now and then, typically after I extol the virtues of an exfoliant like Biologique Recherche P50 or a post-cleanser product like my Tatcha essence, hell try something of mine. Then hell forget about it. But at least its a start. Originally Appeared on GQ WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is scoffing at Democrats' attempts to pry loose his tax returns, saying his refusal to release the records as a candidate didn't hurt him in 2016 and voters "didn't care" about the issue. A leading House Democrat has issued subpoenas for six years of Trump's tax documents and given Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig a deadline of this coming Friday to deliver them. Trump has privately made clear he has no intention of turning over the much-coveted material. He is the first president since Watergate to decline to make his returns public, often claiming that he would release them if he were not under audit. The subpoenas came from Rep. Richard Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, on Friday, days after Mnuchin refused to comply with demands to turn over Trump's returns. Mnuchin said the committee's request "lacks a legitimate legislative purpose," as Supreme Court precedent requires. Neal, D-Mass., reminded the two Trump appointees in a letter that federal law states that the IRS "shall furnish" the tax returns of any individual upon the request of the chairmen of Congress' tax-writing committees and that his committee "has never been denied" a request. Trump tweeted on Saturday that he won in 2016 "partially based on no Tax Returns while I am under audit (which I still am), and the voters didn't care. Now the Radical Left Democrats want to again relitigate this matter. Make it a part of the 2020 Election!" The White House and the Democratic-controlled House are battling over investigations into Trump, and the administration has refused to comply with subpoenas for the unredacted report by special counsel Robert Mueller and documents related to the testimony by former White House counsel Donald McGahn. If Mnuchin and Rettig fail to heed the latest demand from Neal, he is likely to sue in federal court. Story continues Neal, who first demanded access to Trump's tax returns in early April, maintains that the committee is looking into the effectiveness of IRS mandatory audits of tax returns of all sitting presidents a way to justify his claim that the committee has a potential legislative purpose. Democrats are confident in their legal justification and say Trump is stalling in an attempt to delay the issue beyond the 2020 election. In rejecting Neal's request, Mnuchin said he relied on the advice of the Justice Department. He concluded that the Treasury Department is "not authorized to disclose the requested returns and return information." Mnuchin has also said that Neal's request had the potential to make private tax returns a political matter. Republicans say Neal is using the arcane 1924 law that empowers him to obtain any individual's tax filing to play politics with Trump. Democrats also want to probe into Trump's business dealings, particularly his business relationships with foreigners and to see who he owes money to. Who Invented the Pap Smear? What You Need to Know About Georgios Papanikolaou If you've looked anything up today, you might have wondered why Google's logo features a sketch of a scientist. The featured man, Georgios Papanikolaou, is the inventor of the Pap test, which is used to diagnose cervical cancer and precancerous conditions that can be treated. Papanikolaou, born on this day in 1883, first published research on the Pap test, also called a Pap smear, in 1928, though his work went pretty much unnoticed at the time. He then co-authored a 1943 book called Diagnosis of Uterine Cancer by the Vaginal Smear. Some research suggests that thanks to the Pap test, the cervical cancer death rate in the U.S. has gone from up to 10 in every 1,000 women to 2 in every 1,000. The test is usually painless and incredibly simple, taking only a few minutes. It allows doctors to diagnose and treat cervical cancer early on in the disease's progression. When you get a Pap test, your doctor first inserts a tool called a speculum into your vagina. The speculum separates the vaginal walls so that your doctor can examine your cervix, the narrow end of the uterus found at the top of the vagina. This may cause you to feel some pressure, but, again, pain is usually not felt during a Pap test. Your doctor will then use a soft brush with what's called a spatula, which is a flat scarping tool. Your doctor will collect samples of cervical cells, which will then be sent to a lab and evaluated. Even if the cells do not come back with a cancer diagnosis, your doctor might observe an abnormality that could signal the future presence of cervical cancer cells. RELATED: What Does It Mean to Have an Abnormal Pap Smearand What Should You Do Next? The CDC recommends that average-risk women ages 21 to 65 get a Pap test every three years. Papanikolaou, who was born in Greece and moved to America, died from a heart attack in 1962. But decades later, a 1998 article on the Pap test described his contribution to women's medical care this way: "This is the story of an ambitious and brilliant man, Georgios Papanikolaou, and his devoted wife, Andromache Mavroyenous, whose discovery of the screening test is now recognized as the most significant advance in the control of cancer in the 20th century." RELATED: How Often Do You Really Need a Pap Test? We Spell Out the New Guidelines Bone cells suppress cancer metastases PHILADELPHIA -- In breast cancer, there are cases of women and men whose cancer returns in their bones 20-30 years after they were treated for their primary disease and thought they were cancer-free. This phenomenon always puzzled Jefferson researcher Karen Bussard, PhD. How is it possible that breast cancer cells from a primary tumor are able to reach the bones when a patient is deemed "cancer-free" after treatment? What was happening in bones that allowed the cancer cells to remain there for up to 30 years, alive but in a sleeping state, only to re-awaken decades later? In a step towards answering these questions, Dr. Bussard recently discovered a type of bone cell that can subdue cancer cells, slowing their growth, even in one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer: triple negative. The results, published in Breast Cancer Research, raise intriguing questions about how these bone cells exert their sleep-inducing influence, and whether it's possible to replicate and permanently turn cancers dormant. "Cancer has this uncanny ability to turn other cell types it comes in contact with to the cancer cell's advantage," says Dr. Bussard, Assistant Professor of Cancer Biology at Thomas Jefferson University and a researcher at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center -- Jefferson Health. "For example, cancer cells can turn the immune cells that should kill it, into its own guards. However, we have now found a population of bone cells that not only resists, but subdues the cancer. It's fascinating." Together with co-first authors and graduate students, Alexus D. Kolb and Alison B. Shupp and others, Dr. Bussard probed how bone cells change once they interact with breast cancer cells in the bone. Specifically, they looked at osteoblasts - a kind of bone cell that lays down new bone, like cement, during growth and repair. The research team showed that the osteoblast cells from mice as well as humans drastically changed their function after interacting with bone-metastatic breast cancer cells. Earlier studies had shown that in advanced stage bone-metastatic breast cancer patients, osteoblasts stopped working; failing to produce a matrix that stabilizes and strengthens bone. The changes lead to loss of bone density that is common in these patients. In her new work, Dr. Bussard and colleagues showed that in earlier stages of the disease, when cancer cells first enter the bone, rather than producing new bone, osteoblasts may divert their energy toward producing factors to halt cancer cell growth. When osteoblasts from humans or mice were exposed to triple negative or estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells that had migrated to the bone, the osteoblasts released factors that changed cancer cell behavior. These factors were able to swing the balance away from limitless cancer cell growth, and toward restoring production of the cell-cycle checkpoint protein p21, which stops metastatic breast cancer cells from replicating endlessly. Dr. Bussard's team showed that cancer growth slowed in the presence of osteoblasts that had come in contact with metastatic breast cancer cells. The osteoblasts that did not interact with metastatic breast cancer cells, on the other hand, were unable to slow cancer cell growth. "The bone-building osteoblast cells have a complex relationship with cancer," says Dr. Bussard. "In advanced stages of the disease, we know that metastatic breast cancer cells can co-opt the normal cells of the bone to help cancer metastases thrive. However, our new work suggests that during early stages of the disease, such as when metastatic breast cancer cells first migrate to the bone, these cancer-exposed osteoblasts resist and fight cancer growth." "Understanding how breast cancer cells prosper through metastasis to bone has been a long held goal of the breast cancer research community. Dr. Bussard's breakthrough discoveries pave the way toward developing new strategies to prevent or treat metastatic disease", says Karen E. Knudsen, PhD, EVP of Oncology Services and Enterprise Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center -- Jefferson Health. The next step, says Dr. Bussard, is to fully characterize the molecules that osteoblasts use to reign in cancer growth, and see whether it's possible to turn that understanding toward treatments that can put cancer cells to sleep forever. ### The research was supported by NIH grant number R00CA178177, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - Department of Health SAP 4100072566, and the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center Support Grant 5P30CA056036-17 (Bone Biorepository Bank). Article Reference: Alexus D. Kolb, Alison B. Shupp, Dimpi Mukhopadhyay, Frank C. Marini, Karen M. Bussard "Osteoblasts are 'educated' by crosstalk with metastatic breast cancer cells in the bone tumor microenvironment," Breast Cancer Research, DOI: 10.1186/s13058-019-1117-0, 2019. Media Contact: Edyta Zielinska, 215-955-7359, edyta.zielinska@jefferson.edu This story has been published on: 2019-05-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. ANKARA, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkey tries to convince the United States to accept its proposal on forming a committee for examination on technical concerns about its procurement of an advanced Russian missile defense system. "The experts should say the last word. We said that a joint working group should be set up and NATO should chair it. We know what we do about it," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier. Tensions between Ankara and Washington have reached a fever pitch over the former's plans for procurement of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system. The United States said it will jeopardize Turkey's participation in the multi-million-dollar F-35 fighter jet program and could trigger congressional sanctions. The United States already suspended deliveries of parts and services related to F-35s over its argument that the Russian system would compromise the security of F-35 fighter jets on the potential of gathering data about their advanced technology. Washington also emphasizes that the Russian system would be incompatible with NATO systems in Turkey. Ankara, in response, underscored that the S-400 systems would not be integrated into NATO systems and would not pose a threat to the alliance. Ankara said it plans to buy 100 F35 jets and already received four of them, but the aircraft are still in the United States for the training of Turkish pilots. Turkey also produces almost 7 percent of the F35 components, including parts of the fuselage and cockpit displays. The U.S. congress warns its sanctions will hit the Turkish economy seriously and harm Turkey's aerospace and defense industry. As the United States mounts pressure on Turkey to abandon the purchase of its Russian-made S-400s, Turkish local media reported alternative formulas to avoid the sanctions, such as selling or deploying the systems to a third-party country. However, these claims were refuted by Cavusoglu. "It is a done deal. We are committed to the agreement. There is no possibility to sell it to a third country," he said on March 30 at a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. On the most recent claims regarding a postponement for delivery of Russian systems to Turkey, Cavusoglu on Thursday said that "there is no statement issued by us on the issue that delivery of S-400 to Turkey will be postponed." In an attempt to avoid possible sanctions by its NATO ally, Ankara in the meantime sticks to the formula of establishing a joint technical committee with the United States to examine Washington's concerns on the use of F-35 fighter jets on the same territory with Russian S-400s. The Turkish leadership has not backed off its deal with Russia stressing that the procurement is a "done deal" and the deliveries will start in June. It concurrently urges Washington on the issue of the committee to gain time, according to an Ankara-based political journalist. For Turkey, establishing a technical committee with NATO will be a step whose possible outcomes can relieve the hands of both the United States and Turkey and will gain time as well, said Hande Firat, daily Hurriyet columnist. "If a technical committee is formed, a possible outcome of the work can comfort Turkey in the international arena," she said, noting that the two countries can take some steps by conducting backdoor diplomacy in the period gained. However, Turkey's proposal for the committee with the participation of NATO officials has not been responded by the United States, despite a phone conversation between the presidents of the two countries two weeks ago. Barcin Yinanc, political journalist and columnist of Hurriyet Daily News, believed that currently Turkey's decision to purchase Russian S-400 missile defense system stands as the most immediate potentially explosive crisis between Ankara and Washington. The timeframe depends on the delivery date of the S-400, she said, adding that the two sides have to find a solution by the deadline. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Areas of patchy fog. Low around 35F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Areas of patchy fog. Low around 35F. Winds light and variable. In the jade rollercolored realm of wellness, where you can pick up $80 crystal water bottles, adorably packaged ceremonial-grade matcha, and reishi-infused wellness shots, theres nothing like manuka honey. Made from the nectar of New Zealands manuka tree, manuka honey is prized for its antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. New Zealands Maori people have used the manuka plant for medicinal purposes for centuries, but manuka honey didnt gain global popularity until the late 1980s after New Zealand biochemist Peter Molans discovery of methylglyoxal (MGO), an antimicrobial and antibacterial compound found in high concentration in manuka honey. (Some honeys have it in trace amounts, but not nearly as high as in manuka honey.) Today manuka honey can be seen across Instagram slathered on skin to fight acne and recommended by holistic health practitioners for its ability to fight throat infections and help heal wounds. A small jar of high-grade manuka honey can run upward of $180, making it one of the worlds most expensive honeys. Its also reportedly one of the worlds most fraudulently labeled ingredients. According to a 2014 report by the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries, New Zealand produces about 1,700 tons of real manuka honey each year, but over 10,000 tons of manuka honey is sold on the global market. The truth is, that pretty jar of manuka in your medicine cabinet might be adulterated or diluted with other honey. It might not be manuka honey at all. The manuka flower blooms for only two to six weeks each year and only grows in New Zealand (and, according to Australia, Australia). Hives produce a limited amount of high-grade monofloral manuka honey each season, driving prices up to $1,000 per kilogram. Those sky-high prices are one of the main reasons the product is frequently mixed with other honey and even synthetic chemicals. According to The Guardian, New Zealands historic case again Evergreen Life Ltd. earlier this year included 67 charges of alleged adulteration of manuka honey with chemicals, including dihydroxyacetone, a chemical used in tanning lotions. Story continues Inaccurate labeling is another rampant issue. Just last year, Trader Joes had a class action lawsuit filed against it for selling manuka honey fraudulently labeled as 100 percent pure that tested between 57.3 and 62.6 percent manuka honey. (Theres a motion to dismiss the lawsuit this month.) Fera Science Ltd., a British research company that investigates and tests food products, found that manuka honey sold in America was much lower quality manuka than advertised on the jar. Manuka Doctor 20+ was shown to have such low levels of MGO that it didnt even register on the test, suggesting that it was possibly not manuka at all. Wedderspoons honey, which is labeled with the brands own grading system, KFactor, showed low levels of manukas unique compounds. (While the K Factor system is approved by New Zealands Ministry of Primary Industries to quantify manukas honey by MPI standard, it does not measure for manukas prized antibacterial methylglyoxal component. Instead, it looks at the pollen count and four other unique chemical markers.) Labeling and terminology are two of the biggest hurdles consumers have to overcome when searching for a jar of authentic manuka honey. Labels with Active and KFactor can easily mislead consumers, Sunil Pinnamaneni, Chief Technical Officer of Agritesting laboratories, tells Healthyish. MGO, a measure of how much methylglyoxal is present in the honey, is the most widely known manuka honey grading system in the United States. The higher the MGO rating (it maxes out at 1000 mg, which is where things get pricey), the higher the antibacterial strength in the honey. However, MGO grades are determined by the company selling the honey with no third-party market authentication. That lack of oversight led to the creation of The Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA). Its an independent third party that devised a grade scale ranging from UMF 5+ to UMF 25+ . Anyone can put any MGO rating on their honey, John Rawcliffe, a UMFHA administrator tells Healthyish. But to use the UMF you must have a license and follow the set rules and obligations to guarantee authenticity to the customer. For a honey manufacturer to acquire a UMF rating, the UMFHA tests for unique compounds found in manuka, including leptosperin, which is difficult to adulterate. Its an important qualifier now that fraudulent producers have developed synthetic methylglyoxal, which can be added to honey to dupe authenticity tests and consumers (yes, that really happens). If a honey tests for MGO but not leptosperin, its not real manuka. The UMFHA carries out blind marketplace testing to ensure authenticity. Photo by Alex Lau Some manuka honey producers are also working to shape the future of what is projected to become a $1.2 billion industry by 2028. A partnership between the U.S. manufacturer Flora Health and the Te Arawa Maori tribe of New Zealands Onuku Maori Land Trust sends a percentage of proceeds to support the Te Arawa people. [Editors note: In a previous role, Hillary Eaton consulted for Flora Health on social media strategy and social partnerships.] Floras honey uses both MGO and UMF labels along with a scannable microchip that provides harvest information, supply chain, and individual UMF lab tests for each jar. As the manuka honey industry grows, protection against counterfeiting, product verifiability, and transparency will need to grow too. Lobbyists are pushing the New Zealands Ministry of Primary Industries to create more definitive export guidelines, and emerging honey brands seem to be adhering to ingredient transparency. But as in cases of other food fraud around the world (were looking at you, Parmesan and wagyu), consumer discretion and education is your number one fail-safe. After all, if youre going to spend the big bucks on some of the most precious honey in the world, it better be real. Originally Appeared on Bon Appetit The special-needs class at a Florida public school was empty on Thursday, as parents admitted they felt afraid to send their children to a classroom where, they had discovered, teachers were screaming and cursing at the mostly nonverbal students. Miriam and Matt Adar, parents to a child on the autism spectrum, told Florida outlet WSVN that when their son started swearing at home, it was a red flag. Their son tends to mimic everything he hears, they explained, so when he started using expletives in an aggressive manner, they knew that it had to be coming from somewhere. He wasnt whispering it. He was saying it in an aggressive tone: Get over here. Im going to eff you up. Get over here. Im going to mess you up, Matt told the outlet, so I knew that it was an authoritative figure. To determine just who was influencing his sons language, Matt sent the 6-year-old to school with an Angel Sense listening device. The device, which is made for children with autism, allows parents to call it and listen in. What they heard, they allege, was disturbing. WSVN obtained the recordings, which captured a teacher saying, So do your work. (Inaudible) Drag your ass over there. Watch me. Try me. Another teacher was heard threatening a student, saying, You better not touch me or scratch me, you understand? You are getting a diaper change! An additional recording allegedly caught a teacher yelling at Mercedes, the daughter of Gisela Lopez . Why are you not doing your work? Why are you not doing your work? Go to time out. Go to time out, the teacher was heard yelling at the little girl. Lopez told WSVN that she could identify her daughter in the recording because of the little girls scream. That is fear. Thats panic, and she was in pain. She was in real pain because I know that cry, Lopez said. She also noted that the audio clip was from the same day that Mercedes came home with a bruise on her arm. Miami station WFOR confirmed that the secret taping was illegal under Florida law. However, parents including Jason and Lauren Segelbaum are grateful that the device was able to capture something that they would have otherwise not found out about. Story continues Our son is non-verbal, I mean we would not know if anything is going on inside the classroom, Jason told the outlet. And we both are incredibly thankful that this all happened and it all came out. The parents reported what they heard to Child Protective Services and held a meeting with the schools principal on Thursday. The principal was actually in tears over what happened, Jason said. But the truth is that doesnt make up for an entire years worth of abuse that our child and the other five children in the classroom have experienced. The familys special-ed advocate, Ysela Heim, told WFOR that many schools are underfunded when it comes to programs for special needs students, which leads her to believe that students are being treated similarly in other districts. Broward County Public Schools didnt respond to Yahoo Lifestyles request for comment. The district told WSVN that the teachers involved have since been removed from the classroom. Upon becoming aware of allegations involving a teacher and teachers aide, school administrators took swift action and immediately removed the employees from the classroom. School administration followed proper protocol and contacted all appropriate agencies, including the districts Special Investigation Unit, the statement reads, in part. The Pembroke Pines Police Department tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the teachers have since been suspended. Last week our agency was made aware of an alleged child abuse incident that occurred at Pasadena Elementary School. Our detectives are currently investigating this case, in collaboration with the Broward Sheriffs Office Child Protective Investigations Section and Broward School Board Criminal Investigations Unit, the statement says. Both teachers involved have been suspended pending the result of this investigation. At this time we are unable to release any additional information, due to it being an active investigation. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. The day after Trump was elected to office, I received an email calling an emergency meeting at Flora Bar, one of the three Matter House hospitality group restaurants where I cook. That morning I had a hard time getting out of bed. I was woozy with fear, anger, shame, and guilt. But I pulled on some pants, made the hour-long commute into the city, and huddled up with my colleagues. We asked each other how we could use our restaurant as a platform for change and resistance. I wanted to find a way to express my passion for pastry as a form of activism. When I threw out the idea of hosting a charity bake sale for Planned Parenthood of New York City (PPNYC), I didnt quite know what Id be getting into. I had zero experience fund-raising or producing an event for hundreds of people, and though our team was well-meaning, the learning curve over the next four months was immense. We crucially underestimated turnout and sold out of our sticky buns in less than 45 minutes. The room at Cafe Altro Paradiso, another of Matter Houses spots, was so tightly packed with guests that many couldnt even visit all of the tables, let alone sit down and actually enjoy their treats. Honestly, the overall vibe was one of merry but undeniable chaos. The more I reflected on my mistakes, the more I was able to troubleshoot the myriad ways the bake sale could be more streamlined, efficient, and impactful within our industry. At our second bake sale last year, we raised over $22,000 in $5 pastriesalmost triple the donations from the first. On May 19 we will host our third annual eventour biggest and most ambitious yet. Were moving the sale outdoors to help with overcrowding; we recruited over 50 guest chefs and bakers (including a dazzling array of out-of-town talent); and we even built our own bake sale website. And our goal? To raise $40,000 for PPNYC. Heres what Ive learned and how you can host a charity bake sale in your restaurant, bar, or wherever you work. Story continues Photo by Heidis Bridge Choose an organization thats personal, and think local. In its ongoing quest to provide safe and accessible reproductive and sexual health care to women and families, Planned Parenthood has been in my life for over 15 years. For the bake sale, I reached out to our local chapter, which serves Manhattan and the four other boroughs. In keeping with our grassroots spirit, I wanted our guests to know that the money they donated would go directly to programming in their own neighborhoods. Producing a fund-raiser is a two-way street. Develop a meaningful dialogue with your charitable organization at least three to four months before your event. I recruited my production team first, then we got Planned Parenthood on board. They were with us every step of the way: The organizations development team helped us promote in advance, and organized cool behind-the-scenes tours of its NYC headquarters for our staff. The day of the bake sale, Planned Parenthood donated gifts for our guest chefs, set up an info table, and had a huge team of volunteers on hand. They were able to explain to our guests in person exactly how their donations would be utilized (the expansion of hormone therapy programs, mobile health centers in the citys boroughs, and more). PPNYCs active presence at the bake sale reminded everyone why we were even doing this and definitely boosted donations. Pick your participants wisely. Fine dining doesnt have to mean unapproachable. When I was brainstorming the guest chef lineup the first year, the thought of cold-calling a bunch of big-name NYC restaurants felt super intimidating. But I was amazed by the encouraging chorus of supportnot just from friends I knew would say yes, but the fancier prestige set too. So if youre planning a bake sale in your town, set your sights higher than you thinkyou might be surprised who says yes. And they dont have to be chefs either. Pastry pros and bread bakers like Le Coucous Daniel Skurnick, Ovenly cofounders Erin Patinkin and Agatha Kulaga, and pastry guru Dorie Greenspan formed the bulk of our all-star lineup, but there were photographers, visual artists, celebrated writers, and quite a few savory-side chefs too. From Brooks Headleys signature paper boat desserts to Brooklyn artist Fanny Gentles sweet painting of our poster, all the participants reflected the people in my world that I most admire. This year I reached out to my favorite food stylists and authors who have gigantic online followings (like BA contributors Alison Roman and Claire Saffitz!) but arent actually based in bakeries or restaurants. The mash-up of talent is a huge part of what makes the bake sale such an intimate, personal expression of my world. Divvy up the assignmentsand call dibs on your favorite sweet. In an effort to mitigate pastry redundancies, I gave the guest chefs a deadline to let me know what they would be bringing and tracked their responses in a spreadsheet. I knew there would be some overlapdont make me choose between Poppys and Alison Romans chocolate chip cookiesbut I wanted the offerings to be as diverse and eclectic as possible. Obviously I called dibs on bringing sticky buns. Set your par. In restaurant parlance, the par is the estimated quantity of product you think will get you through an entire service. The first year I set our bake-sale par at 50 pastries per chefI was afraid of looking greedy and asking for too much. Much to my shock, everyone sold out within an hour or so. I was mortified. Friends were still streaming in hours later, but there was almost nothing for them to purchase. (That was when we started shucking emergency oysters and opening bottles of wine.) The following year we upped the par to 200 pastriesand still almost sold out after an hour. Make it affordable for all. After working way too many $1,000-per-head silent-auction galas, I wanted to create a fund-raising experience in which everybody could participate. It was really important to me that the event would be inclusive for all guests, and $5 per pastry was our wallet-friendly magic number. I also loved that guests could afford to buy creations from some of the most expensive restaurants in the city, like Le Bernardin and Le Coucou. All of a sudden these places become accessible to even your most cash-strapped friends. Some will spend $5, some will spend $500either way the bake sale will feel (and be priced!) just like the ones you went to as a kid. Swap cash for raffle tickets. I didnt want our guest chefs to have to deal with handling cash, so we created a simple raffle-ticket system to streamline all exchanges. Guests bought tickets in $5 increments at the door and exchanged them for baked goods. Pay your staff. As tempting as it may be to recruit volunteers, schedule your staff and pay them an event rateor a higher hourly wage that accounts for a lack of gratuity (in many NYC restaurants, thats between $25 to $35 per hour). A bustling bake sale is no place for no-shows or flakes. Event pay is a solid incentive for staff to provide all the behind-the-scenes support you needsetting up the floor, moving around furniture, stamping pastry boxes, controlling crowds, and assisting the featured chefsfor the five or six hours of run-time. Provide family meal. In the chaos of planning the first bake sale, I completely forgot to schedule some crucial momentslike a time slot for a healthy, sustaining breakfast over which the guest chefs could meet and socialize. The second year we invited our friends at Cervos to contribute family meal. This year, Hanoi House is treating everyone to Vietnamese breakfast. Theres nothing like an abundant feast to really let your guest chefs know how much you appreciate them, their time, and their contributions. Have a floor planand share it with guests too. Weeks before the bake sale, we plotted a detailed floor plan inside the restaurant, removing all the chairs and rearranging the tables to create a clear, wide pathway for our guests to move around. We gave smaller teams a two-top and larger restaurants a four-top. We staggered bigger name industry professionals with non-service folks. Despite our planning, people still had a hard time climbing through the crowds and finding their favorite bakers. So for our second year, we also printed simple quarter cards with a birds-eye view of the dining room and a detailed key of the tables so guests could strategize their shopping route and not miss a thing. Consider boozeor just create more ways to donate. For our second bake sale, we commissioned a limited-edition tote bag and stuffed it with a crazy assortment of donated goodies that sold for a cool $75. The day of the event, we poured fizzy wine, mezcal cocktails, and locally made meads, all available to purchase for a few raffle tickets. Thanks to expanding our offerings, we nearly tripled donations. Photo by Heidis Bridge Document everything. If I ever get married, I imagine itll feel like our first bake sale: I had crazy jitters the night before; the entire day passed in a blur; I was so stressed out that I forgot to eat anything; and I wished that I had taken more photos. Reach out to a photographer at your local newspaper. They can capture the best and most candid moments. Dont forget a group photo of all participants and volunteers before everything starts! Its one of my most cherished mementos from the bake sale. Dont forget music. If youre like me, the music playing in a restaurant can really make or break your dining experience. The week of the bake sale, I culled five hours worth of my favorite bouncy, all-female, disco-heavy jams. Not trying to brag here, but Altro managers love to throw on my bake-sale mixes during an energetic weekend service. Or the after-party. After the dust settled, no one was ready to call it a night. Considering how miraculous it was to get a few dozen of NYCs most talented pastry chefs and bakers in one room at the same time, I took advantage of the moment for continued bonding. Make it as easy as possible for your guest bakers and pick a mellow easy space within walking distance. Nothing like capping off a successful fund-raiser with speeches and shots! Be swift with the follow-up. As soon as the bake sale is over, dont drag on the administrative aftermath. Format images from photographers to share on social media, finalize the certificate of donation (Google is your friend for easy templates to copy) and thank-you notes for all participants, and more importantly, prepare the check to present to your charity of choice. After that, get ready to start planning the next one. Natasha Pickowicz is hosting her Third Annual Bake Sale benefiting Planned Parenthood of New York City at the plaza next to Cafe Altro Paradiso in Manhattan on Sunday, May 19. The event is open to the public and begins at 11 a.m. Cant make it? You can still participate by donating here. Originally Appeared on Bon Appetit Virgin Galactic may be sending the first commercial tourists to space from New Mexico by the end of the year. Richard Bransons space tourism company announced last week that it will move headquarters from Mojave California to Spaceport America, New Mexico. The first photograph of Earth from space was taken over New Mexico in October of 1946, George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company, said in a statement. How inspiring and appropriate that the state will soon host the first regular commercial spaceflight service, which will enable thousands of people to see Earth from space with their own eyes. As part of the move, Virgin Galactic will transplant more than 100 employees and their families, plus the aircraft VMS Eve and spaceship VSS Unity over the summer. Virgin Galactic still must finalize the cabin design for its rocket ships before final test flights begin. Spaceport America is the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world, located in the middle of the New Mexico desert, near the town of Truth or Consequences. The launch would make New Mexico one of the few places in the world to host regular human flights to space. Virgin Galactic is planning a small number of final test flights in New Mexico but declined to reveal a date when commercial spaceflights will begin. In February, Virgin Galactic completed its first passenger test flight to suborbital space. Virgin Galactics missions to space have been widely publicized and hotly anticipated over the past few years, but the launch dates have kept getting delayed. Among the first people on board the flights will be celebrities like Justin Bieber and Leonardo DiCaprio, who have already paid for their $250,000 tickets. Branson himself wants to be on the first commercial flight, which he previously hoped would happen in July, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch. Our future success as a species rests on the planetary perspective, Branson told USA Today. The perspective that we know comes sharply into focus when that planet is viewed from the black sky of space. Elizabeth Barker Johnson walks across the graduation stage to receive her Winston-Salem State University diploma nearly 70 years after finishing her degree. (Credit: Winston Salem State University) Seventy years after missing her own graduation ceremony, 99-year-old World War II veteran Elizabeth Barker Johnson wheeled her walker across the 2019 Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) commencement stage on Friday to formally receive her teaching diploma. As she made her way in a red graduation cap and gown and white sash, the crowd erupted into a thunderous applause and gave her a standing ovation. Every student dreams of the day they get to walk across the stage and accept their diploma. Being able to see my grandmother physically accept hers 70 years later and to have the entire coliseum give her a standing ovation upon her receiving it brought tears to my eyes, Shandra Bryant, Barkers granddaughter, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. It was a very moving moment that I know none of us will forget. Elizabeth Barker Johnson served as a Private First Class in the U.S. Army. She was a member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-female, all-Black regiment to be deployed overseas during World War II. (Credit: Shandra Bryant/6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion,) Born on May 2, 1920 in Elkin, North Carolina, Johnson always knew she wanted to be a teacher. When I was growing up, we would be in class and sometimes [other children] couldn't even answer simple questions. I thought, 'If I could help this child in any way, I would, Johnson tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Before she pursued her dreams of teaching, however, Johnson decided to serve her country, enlisting in the U.S. Army right after high school. During World War II, Johnson was a member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-female, all-African American regiment deployed overseas in the war. According to her daughter Cynthia Scott, Johnson served in Kentucky, England and France, driving trucks and working at make-shift military post offices to sort through millions of back-logged mail in aircraft hangers. Elizabeth Barker Johnson and other members of the 6888th Battalion pose outside their trucks. (Credit: Shandra Bryant/6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion) After the war, Johnson enrolled at Winston-Salem Teachers College (now Winston-Salem State University), becoming the first woman at the college to take advantage of the G.I. Bill. By August 1949, Johnson had completed a Bachelor of Science in special education and secured her first teaching job in Spencer, Va. Story continues However, after all her hard work, Johnson was unable to find a substitute teacher to cover for her and missed her own college commencement. Instead, she later received her diploma in the mail. I was very disappointed. I was almost in tears, Johnson tells Yahoo Lifestyle of having to miss this important milestone. Still, Johnson, a single mother of two, continued to teach in Virginia and later in North Carolina. On top of teaching full-time, the WWII veteran also worked throughout the summer months at a country club and took other odd jobs to support her children, Cynthia and David. It was very difficult. But my determination was to see this thing through, says Johnson. I thought I don't care what happens, I'm going to make sure that I give them the best education I can. Her daughter, Cynthia Scott, said that it was it was hard to see her have to work that hard to make ends meet. However, her mothers determination never ceased to amaze her. She's a mother and she was going to do whatever it took to get her kids the things they needed, Cynthia tells Yahoo Lifestyle. To see everything that she's been through, you just have to stand back and look at it in awe everything that she's accomplished and done on top of being a single parent raising two children. I just have to stand back in amazement that she was able to do that. After 32 years of teaching, Johnson eventually settled down in Hickory, N.C., to help Cynthia raise her two daughters, Shandra and Tiffany. Throughout her retirement, Johnson continued to help and educate young students, volunteering as a tutor in her granddaughters school district 17 years. After Cynthia learned about WSSUs plans to present her mother with an honorary degree at the 2019 commencement, she planned to surprise her mother with the news on her 99th birthday. We are inspired by you and excited to give you the opportunity, 70 years later, to walk across the stage at this years commencement, Dr. Darryl Scriven, dean of WSSYs College of Arts, Sciences, Business and Education, told Johnson at her birthday party on May 2. After hearing the news, Johnson says she could hardly believe it. I thought everything was all over and that I was just here. I didn't expect to get anything, Johnson tells Yahoo. [Receiving the cap and gown], I felt that it's not happening, that this was all a dream. But it's real! Its fantastic. At the party, Cynthia says the whole family became emotional seeing Johnson cry after hearing the good news. It's very emotional and well-deserved. We're just very proud of the fact that this is something that she is going to finally get to receive. says Cynthia. Meanwhile, Johnsons other granddaughter, Tiffany, is grateful that her grandmother finally got to have the special honor. She's a very quiet person, but she's done all of this and so much more. She's been an inspiration to so many people, she definitely inspired me, says Tiffany, adding that her decision to serve in the Navy was inspired by Johnson. I'm just grateful that she's finally getting recognized, that she finally gets to have her moment in the spotlight. Elizabeth Barker Johnson sat on stage at the Winston-Salems Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on May 10 with other special guests. (Credit: Winston-Salem State University) Everything I went through was worth it indeed it was. I feel like I succeeded, says Johnson. From serving her country during World War II to impacting the lives of hundreds of students as a classroom teacher in North Carolina and Virginia, PFC Elizabeth Barker Johnson is the embodiment of Winston-Salem States motto, Enter to Learn. Depart to Serve, said Elwood L. Robinson, WSSUs chancellor. We are inspired by her and excited to give her the opportunity, 70 years later, to finally walk across stage for commencement. WSSU alumnus and WWII veteran Elizabeth Barker Johnson poses eith her daughter Cynthia Scott (right), and her two granddaughters, Shandra Bryant (left) and Tiffany Scott (center). (Credit: Winston-Salem State University) Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Mother and son graduate college together in surprise ceremony: 'It was unbelievably special' UNC Charlotte shooting survivor plans to walk across the stage in upcoming graduation Father graduates from college with his daughter and son: 'This has just been a fun journey with both of them' Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - When he ran for president in 2016, Donald Trump delighted crowds with his harsh rhetoric on China. As he runs for re-election in 2020, he is likely to keep talking tough, but the reception - at least in some key states - may not be as euphoric. Trade talks between the United States and China ran into serious trouble last week as Beijing backtracked on some key agreements and Trump placed higher tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods, with more to follow. The trade war could continue for some time, bleeding directly into Trump's efforts to win a second four-year term. Some states that helped propel him to victory in 2016, including farmer-heavy Iowa, have been hit hard by the trade dispute. "If ... he doesn't resolve this by the time we get deep into the presidential campaign and we have pain in the soybean parts of the country ... it's going to be a real problem for him," said one former Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Soybeans are the most valuable U.S. farm export but shipments to China dropped to a 16-year low in 2018. The failure to reach a deal that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other advisers had recently suggested was close also casts a shadow on Trump's self-proclaimed deal-making prowess. The president himself said recently that Chinese President Xi Jinping would be in Washington soon, presumably to celebrate a deal. Not having an agreement, though, also underscores Trump's commitment to walk away from a deal that does not meet his objectives. He walked away from face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this year when Kim wanted economic sanctions lifted in exchange for partial denuclearisation. Trump's advisers are confident, particularly with regard to U.S.-China policy, that a show of strength will play well with his base. "By and large I think his tough stance on China benefits him overall," said Sean Spicer, Trump's former White House spokesman and a former official in the U.S. Trade Representative's office under Republican President George W. Bush. "He has shown that he is truly willing to go out and fight." Story continues Trump's top trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, has pushed for China to change its practices on intellectual property, forced technology transfer, currency manipulation, and other areas of policy. Trump, though delighted when China agreed to make large purchases of U.S. products such as soybeans, backed Lighthizer's tough approach and has insisted on more sensitive structural reforms. That determination has garnered support from both major U.S. political parties. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer last week urged Trump to "hang tough" with Beijing. "Don't back down. Strength is the only way to win with China," he said in a tweet. Clete Willems, until recently a senior adviser to the president on trade and economic policy who took part in the China trade talks for months, said Democrats and Republicans are "pretty united" on the trade issue. "My expectation is that you won't see people out on the campaign trail saying 'Back down on China!'" he said. DEAL-MAKER? But Democratic candidates are almost certain to criticize Trump's handling of negotiations even if they agree on the need for significant changes to the trade relationship with China. "He just doesnt know how to cut a trade deal ... Trade by tweets does not work," Senator Elizabeth Warren said at a weekend campaign stop in Cincinnati, Ohio. Trump's administration and campaign team are aware of the pain the tariffs have already caused farmers and are seeking to blunt the impact of that with government support and by appealing to farmers' patriotism. "Farmers are patriotic and understand that someone had to finally call China to account," Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign's communications director, said in an emailed statement. "Farmers understand the long game, because long-term planning is what they do, and they know that the end result will be better for the agricultural economy." The economy will be key in the end. If it remains strong, Trump will have a record that resonates with voters, even in states affected by tariffs. (Graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/2WA1LWX) If the economy falters, however, Trump's record will be undercut and Democrats will have a greater chance of beating him in critical states such as Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. With his hopes for a deal suffering a setback, Trump is again talking up the benefits of tariffs. "Tariffs will make our Country MUCH STRONGER, not weaker. Just sit back and watch!" Trump tweeted on Friday. (Reporting by Jeff Mason Editing by Kieran Murray and Lisa Shumaker) WASHINGTON The Trump administrations strategy of ratcheting up diplomatic, financial and military pressure on Iran is increasing the likelihood that Tehran will use its proxy forces to strike U.S. targets abroad, according to several former intelligence officials. Since withdrawing a year ago from a 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, the Trump administration has tried to block Irans ability to export oil, designated the countrys Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and, on May 5, announced it was hastening the deployment of a Navy carrier strike group to the Middle East to deter any possible attack by Iran on the United States or its allies. Most recently, on May 8, the United States imposed sanctions on Irans aluminum, copper, iron and steel sectors. President Trump in a statement at the White House in October 2017 said the Iran nuclear deal is not in the best interests of the United States, but stopped short of withdrawing from the 2015 agreement. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Now, Iran may be preparing to strike back. The United Arab Emirates announced that four ships had been sabotaged May 12 off its coast near the Strait of Hormuz, the body of water that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean and through which passes roughly one-fifth of the oil traded globally. Saudi Arabia said two of the ships were Saudi tankers. Neither country detailed the nature of the sabotage or assigned blame, but Iran threatened in April to block the Strait after the United States warned countries still buying Iranian oil that they must stop or face sanctions. It's going to be a bad problem for Iran if something happens, I can tell you that. they're not going to be happy, Trump said Monday, in response to reports of the sabotage. Ships sail in the Persian Gulf in April off the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, which has a strategic position on the Strait of Hormuz and is the main base of the Islamic Republics navy. (Photo: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images) Iran is under unprecedented financial stress because of the resumption of sanctions, said Matthew Levitt, who served as the Treasury Departments deputy assistant secretary for intelligence and analysis from 2005 to 2007. The possibility that Iran will try to respond to some of these actions is fairly high. That response will likely be undertaken via some of the numerous proxy militias that serve as surrogate forces for Iran throughout the Middle East. Iran really cant go head-to-head with the U.S. military, said Levitt, now an expert on Irans proxies at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Thats not how it does business. Story continues During the past 15 years, Iranian-sponsored Shiite militias have become an expeditionary force that Tehran uses to advance its foreign policy in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. During the Iraq War, Iran used groups such as Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq to attack U.S. forces with advanced guerrilla weaponry. At least 600 U.S. personnel deaths in Iraq were the result of Iran-backed militants, Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the new head of U.S. Central Command, said during a May 8 speech in Washington. It was a point underscored by Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., a former CIA analyst of Iranian proxy forces who served three tours in Iraq. They provided the training, the materiel, the money, the leadership and the weapons, she said in an interview with Yahoo News. Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. speaks at the Pentagon in April 2018. (Photo: Alex Brandon/AP) The possibility of Iran retaliating against the United States should come as no surprise, according to Norman Roule, a former CIA official and the national intelligence manager for Iran from 2008 until his retirement in 2017. Who in their right mind doesnt expect the Iranians to strike back? he said. What plan can you have which would not involve Iran attempting to respond by testing our fortitude? By using proxies instead of its own military forces, Iran would hope to make its attacks attributable by U.S. intelligence thus delivering the message Tehran wants to send Washington but deniable in the court of public opinion, according to Roule. Thats their playbook, said Slotkin. They try to create deniable attacks that cant be linked back to Tehran in order to avoid the consequences. Iran knows that by doing so it makes it difficult for the United States to respond directly, because the United States is not going to declare war on Irans surrogate forces in Iraq or Syria, Roule said. Iran is more likely to use its Shiite militias to attack U.S. forces in Iraq, rather than in Syria, where there are fewer U.S. troops and Iran finds it more difficult to control its proxies, according to retired Army Maj. Gen. Mark Quantock, who from 2016 to 2017 was director of intelligence for U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East. In Iraq youve got all kinds of people that would be more than happy to roll after us, he said. An Islamic State sign in the northwestern Iraq town of Ba'aj in June 2017, near the Iraq-Syria border. (Photo: Martyn Aim/Getty Images) The small U.S. military footprint in both countries reduces U.S. options, according to Roule. We dont have a military presence and a political stature in those locations to allow us to easily respond with overwhelming political or military force, he said. We only have a few thousand personnel in Iraq. Its a big country. Rather than strike next, however, the Iranians are likely to wait for the opportunity to react to a U.S. military action, perhaps one that Tehran might have baited U.S. forces into committing, thus allowing the Iranians to play the victim, according to Quantock. They could create a situation where the indicators are that theyre moving a missile [by ship] and in fact theyre not, its just a big ploy to draw us, he said. The boats stopped, something goes awry, we sink the boat. We basically are in the position where weve initiated something. Such a scenario is more likely, Quantock said, than what he termed the most dangerous action Iran could take: blocking the Strait of Hormuz. (Quantock was speaking before news broke of the alleged sabotage of four vessels near the strait.) The straits are pretty easy to shut down, Quantock said, adding that Iran could accomplish this by either mining the strait or sinking a tanker. But Iran is unlikely to choose this option, he said, because if you mine the straits, you are the aggressor in the worlds opinion, because everybody relies on that. In Roules view, the most dangerous Iranian course of action would be to attack in a different part of the world altogether. I would ensure that I am looking beyond the Middle East, he said. The USS Arlington, seen here operating in the Atlantic Ocean, is making a scheduled deployment as part of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group in support of maritime security operations, crisis response and theater security cooperation. (Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chris Roys/U.S. Navy) Despite the harsh rhetoric emanating from Washington and Tehran, however, it is in neither governments interest for the confrontation to escalate, according to Roule. No one not the United States nor any regional country is looking for an actual military conflict, he said. But in the fraught atmosphere of the Middle East, a misstep from either side could result in war nonetheless, and the risks of miscalculation by either side are high. The biggest concern is that people think that they can do violent things in a limited fashion and either the rocket hits the wrong thing or something else happens and things spiral out of control, Levitt said. In that context, the Trump administrations surge of military forces, which the Defense Department announced May 10 would be augmented by the USS Arlington and an Army Patriot air defense battery, represents messaging from Washington, Levitt said. The message is, We know what you were trying to do, there is no reasonable deniability to this and were serious when we say we will take retaliatory action, he said. The military moves fit a long-established pattern, according to Roule. Do you know what the most expensive thing is in the Middle East? he said. Its nothing. We pay more for nothing. If you want nothing to happen, if you want no bomb to blow up, if you want somebodys idea just not to kind of work, if you want the president not to have a problem on his plate today, if you want the bad guy not to respond when you do something. The latest deployments make sense in that context, he said. If they want to make sure that nothing happens, then youve got to take some steps, and that does explain whats happening here. U.S. soldiers talk after a routine inspection of a Patriot missile battery at a Turkish military base in Gaziantep, Turkey. (Photo: Department of Defense) _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Doha (AFP) - The US special envoy tasked with forging a peace deal with the Taliban said Saturday that America stands ready for "all sides" to lay down arms in the 17-year conflict. Peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is leading the latest round of talks with the Taliban in Doha, where the two foes are pursuing a deal that would see the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan in return for Taliban security guarantees. "All sides laying down arms is the outcome of any peace process," Khalilzad tweeted. "All sides agreeing to reduce violence is a necessary step toward achieving that outcome and the morally responsible choice to make. We stand ready." Khalilzad's comments come a day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he was prepared to call an "immediate" and "permanent" ceasefire -- but the Taliban rebuffed the offer. Ghani had also offered to release 175 prisoners as a goodwill gesture. His talk of a ceasefire comes as momentum builds in various Afghan peace talks. Thousands of tribal elders, women and representatives met last week at a massive "loya jirga" peace summit in Kabul, which ended with a demand for a ceasefire between government and Taliban forces. - 'Failed strategies' - The talks between the Taliban and the US, who have met about a half dozen times in recent months, are taking place separately in the Qatari capital Doha. Neither side has said much about progress in their latest talks, which were ongoing Saturday, but Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Friday tweeted that America should "forget about the idea of us putting down our arms". The Doha talks focus on an eventual foreign troop withdrawal in exchange for the Taliban guaranteeing Afghanistan will never again be used as a safe haven for terror groups. Khalilzad has repeatedly stressed that nothing would be finalised until two other key issues -- a ceasefire and dialogue between Afghan society and the Taliban -- have been addressed. Story continues Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's political spokesman in Doha, told AFP that "efforts are underway" to flesh out differences on the security and troop withdrawal issues. But in what appears to be something of an impasse with the Americans, Shaheen said the other key points of a comprehensive ceasefire and intra-Afghan dialogue could not be addressed until those first two points were agreed. Last year, however, the Taliban did announce a three-day ceasefire at the end of Ramadan after Ghani declared a unilateral truce for eight days earlier in the month. It was the first formal nationwide ceasefire since the US-led invasion of 2001 and saw unprecedented scenes of reconciliation and jubilation across the country. The insurgents have steadfastly refused to talk to Ghani, who they view as a US puppet, and talks thus far have cut out his government. Meanwhile, Afghanistan's war rages on, with thousands of civilians and fighters being killed each year. US forces continue to train Afghan partners on the ground and strike the Taliban from the air, in a bid to push the war to a political settlement. Many Filipinos dont like it if one of their own is being criticized, and that seems to go double if that person happens to be widely popular President Rodrigo Duterte. A quick look at the Facebook page of Netflixs Patriot Act backs up that thesis nicely, as the outrage brigade is out in full force today after last nights episode delved into Dutertes brutal drug war and laid the deaths it has caused right at voters feet ahead of todays midterm elections. In the segment, host Hasan Minhaj expressed disbelief at how Duterte remains popular despite reports that his drug war has claimed the lives of thousands of Filipinos, with the Commission of Human Rights estimating as many as 27,000 drug suspects have been killed since 2016. Dutertes popularity means that its likely for his allies to win in the Senate elections, specifically Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, former special assistant Christopher Bong Go, and former Philippine National Police chief Ronald Bato dela Rosa. Said Minhaj: Voters are co-signing Dutertes bloody drug war through 2022, and this deadly crackdown isnt just brutal, its ineffective. In many neighborhoods, crystal meth is actually getting cheaper and more accessible. [But] Dutertes [drug] war hasnt addressed the root of the problem. Watch the video below to hear everything Minhaj has to say. Its been viewed almost 91,000 times and shared almost 3,700 times since it was posted. The segments YouTube clip has been viewed almost 138,000 times. Some netizens are mightily upset that Duterte was painted in a negative light in the show, such as Angelo Miguel, who asked Minhaj how much he got paid by the opposition party to criticize the president. While the fact is that these exact same criticisms have been addressed repeatedly by international media covering our country, Miguels question remains a common response among Duterte fans if person criticizes the president, its because he has been paid by the opposition Liberal Party. Story continues Photo: The Patriot Acts Facebook page Shandy Lim said Minhaj should just focus on India. While that particular jab betrays a bit of ignorance, as Minhaj is an American citizen, he has, in fact, tackled Indian issues several times on his show. Photo: The Patriot Acts Facebook page Marsemplice Abante, another Duterte fan, told Minhaj to mind your own country, and that most Filipinos love what the president has done for the Philippines. Photo: The Patriot Acts Facebook page Kelvin Medina questioned the facts presented by Minhaj, telling the host he should not have relied on information being presented by the media. Photo: The Patriot Acts Facebook page Honey de Peralta was one of those who didnt attack Minhaj. She said there are a plenty of Filipinos who are not supportive of Dutertes policies, adding that Minhajs analysis was not wrong. Photo: The Patriot Acts Facebook page Do you agree with Minhajs discussion about Duterte and the elections? Tell us by leaving a comment below or tweeting to @CoconutsManila. This article, Filipino netizens slam comedian Hasan Minhaj for tackling Dutertes bloody war on drugs, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! Vilnius (AFP) - Conservative ex-finance minister Ingrida Simonyte won a paper-thin victory over political novice Gitanas Nauseda in round one of Lithuania's presidential election on Sunday, sending both to a tight May 26 run-off set to focus on inequality and poverty in the Baltic eurozone state. Centre-left Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis vowed to quit after he was eliminated from the run-off having finished in third place. Conceding that "the failure to get into the second round is an assessment of me as a politician," Skvernelis told reporters that he would "step down on July 12." He did not rule out early elections. The next regularly-scheduled parliamentary elections are due in October 2020. Although Lithuanian presidents do not directly craft economic policy, bread and butter issues and tackling corruption have dominated the campaign. Simonyte, who is popular with wealthy, educated urban voters, garnered 31.13 percent of the vote compared to 30.95 for Nauseda who advocates a welfare state, full official results showed early on Monday. Skvernelis whose populist approach resonated with the rural poor took 19.72 percent of the vote contested by a total of nine candidates. - Resist populism - Simonyte told supporters she would resist "populism" during her second-round campaign and seek support from political forces "with consistent views that do not try to be on the right with one leg and the left with the other." Simonyte, 44, a technocrat who also warns against deepening inequality and the rural-urban divide, has vowed to reduce it by boosting growth further. Socially liberal, Simonyte supports same-sex partnerships which still stir controversy in the predominantly Catholic country. Economist Nauseda is campaigning on promises of seeking the political middle-ground and build a welfare state. "I want to thank all the people who took to their hearts our message that we want a welfare state in Lithuania and we want more political peace," Nauseda told reporters in Vilnius as results rolled in. Story continues The 54-year-old former banking consultant is seeking to bridge the growing rich-poor divide in the former Soviet republic of 2.8 million people, which joined the European Union and NATO in 2004. "Nauseda has a greater chance to attract votes that went to other candidates, especially from the left," Vilnius University analyst Ramunas Vilpisauskas told AFP. Both Nauseda and Simonyte are strong supporters of EU and NATO membership as bulwarks against neighbouring Russia, especially since Moscow's 2014 military intervention in Ukraine. Lithuanian presidents steer defence and foreign policy, attending EU and NATO summits, but must consult with the government and the prime minister on appointing the most senior officials. Popular incumbent President Dalia Grybauskaite, an independent in her second consecutive term, must step down due to term limits. The politician nicknamed the "Iron Lady" for her strong resolve has been tipped as a contender to be the next president of the European Council. - 'Risk of poverty' - Analyst Vilpisauskas said that both Nauseda and Simonyte are very likely to opt for continuity in foreign and defence policy. "With Nauseda, there can be some tactical changes when it comes to communication with neighbours but the strategical line is unlikely to change." Lithuania is struggling with a sharp decline in population owing to mass emigration to Western Europe by people seeking better opportunities. The global financial crisis triggered a deep recession 10 years ago and austerity measures imposed to prevent further crisis took a high toll, especially on low-income earners. Despite solid economic growth, a recent EU report noted that almost 30 percent of Lithuanians "are at risk of poverty or social exclusion" and that this risk is "nearly double" in rural areas. Robust annual wage growth of around 10 percent has raised the average gross monthly salary to 970 euros ($1,100) but poverty and income inequality remain among the highest in the EU, largely due to weak progressive taxation. Unemployment stood at 6.5 percent in the first quarter of 2019, and the economy is forecast to grow by 2.7 percent this year, well above an average of 1.1 percent in the 19-member eurozone. Brussels has urged Vilnius to use solid growth fuelled mostly by consumption to broaden its tax base and spend more on social policies. Nauseda voter Feliksas Markevicius said he wanted the new president to help emigrants to return home to Lithuania. "We need to improve living conditions because many people are forced to work abroad," the pensioner told AFP after voting in Vilnius on Sunday. Voter turnout was 54.96 percent. Tel Aviv (AFP) - An Israeli anti-occupation NGO came under fire Monday for using this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv to offer foreign visitors tours to see "the reality" of military rule over Palestinians in the West Bank. The billboard put up Sunday along Tel Aviv's busiest main road by Breaking the Silence says in English "Dare to Dream of Freedom", a play on the 2019 Eurovision slogan "Dare to Dream". It comes just a day before the popular annual songfest is set to kick off in Israel, which sees it as a glittering opportunity to show its fun face and promote tourism. Behind the slogan, the billboard shows a picture of Tel Aviv's Mediterranean beachfront alongside a view of Israel's West Bank separation wall with a military watchtower. It also invites visitors to "See the Full Picture" with daily free tours to Hebron in the occupied West Bank, starting from Tuesday. The ancient city, holy to both Muslims and Jews, is a constant flashpoint where at least 600 Jewish settlers live under heavy military guard amid some 200,000 Palestinians. Breaking the Silence, which Israel's right wing has accused of treason, collects and publishes testimony from current and former Israeli soldiers of abuses they say they carried out or witnessed during their service in the occupied Palestinian territories. "We're happy you came to party with us! Enjoy the sunny beaches and exciting nightlife," its website says. "But there is another side to Israeli society. An hour away from your hotel, throughout the territories millions of Palestinians are still living under our military rule." The initiative outraged Israeli political leaders and the local media. "The despicable hate organisation Breaking the Silence again finds time to spread lies against the state of Israel," Public Security Minster Gilad Erdan tweeted. Top-selling Israeli daily Yedioth Aharonot said the Eurovision phenomenon was meant to set reality aside. Story continues "In Eurovision there are only fantastic landscapes, beautiful people and spectacular beaches." It accused the group of "exploiting the opportunity to circulate propaganda in service to the anti-Israel campaign". A counteroffensive came from Los Angeles-based Israel advocacy group StandWithUs, which is set to put up its own billboard on May 15. It shows pictures of doves, the beach, small children and a Jew and Palestinian walking arm-in-arm, according to the group's website. It too offers free tours "to see our open society and how Israel is a beacon of light to the world". Their itinerary covers the mixed Arab-Jewish city of Haifa in northern Israel, settlements in the occupied West Bank, and the flashpoint Israel-Gaza border. The U.S. Justice Departments decision to indict WikiLeaks boss Julian Assange under the Espionage Act has led to forceful condemnations from top newspaper editors and has legal scholars weighing the repercussions on journalists.Assanges prosecution is quickly turning into a landmark case, UCLA legal scholar Eugene Volokh told TheWrap. At the heart of the matter is whether its against the law for people to publish material they know was obtained illegally. Typically, the Espionage Act, which dates back to the first World War, has been used to target officials who leak information rather than reporters and activists. Assange, who is facing 17 counts under the Act, is being prosecuted for publishing hundreds of thousands of State Department files from his source, former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.The most interesting charges are near the end of the indictment, where Assange is being prosecuted for basically simply publishing this material, knowing Manning had illegally released it to him, Volokh said. Thats the matter that is likely to cast the longest shadow if this prosecution is allowed to go forward and any objections to it are rejected on appeal.Volokh said journalists who have published illegally obtained material in the past have been protected. In 2001, Bartnicki v. Vopper established that journalists could publish illegally obtained material, as long as they didnt participated in the illegal activity.Conor Friedersdorf, writing in The Atlantic on Friday, argued that an Assange conviction would go against that ruling. While Manning pledged to protect state secrets, Assange was under no obligation to the U.S. government, and appears to be in legal jeopardy for some actions that are virtually indistinguishable from journalism, Friedersdorf wrote.Prosecuting Assange, according to Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron, could severely hamper journalists moving forward.Dating as far back as the Pentagon Papers case and beyond, journalists have been receiving and reporting on information that the government deemed classified. Wrongdoing and abuse of power were exposed, Baron said in a statement. With the new indictment of Julian Assange, the government is advancing a legal argument that places such important work in jeopardy and undermines the very purpose of the First Amendment.Baron added: The administration has gone from denigrating journalists as enemies of the people to now criminalizing common practices in journalism that have long served the public interest. Meantime, government officials continue to engage in a decades-long practice of overclassifying information, often for reasons that have nothing to do with national security and a lot to do with shielding themselves from the constitutionally protected scrutiny of the press.That sentiment was echoed by Barons counterpart at the New York Times, Dean Baquet.A fundamental principle of the First Amendment is that journalists have the right to publish truthful information, even when a source may have broken the law to provide that information, Baquet said.In charging Julian Assange for receiving and disclosing classified information in violation of the Espionage Act, the government threatens to undermine that basic tenet of press freedom. Obtaining and publishing information that the government would prefer to keep secret is vital to journalism and democracy. The new indictment is a deeply troubling step toward giving the government greater control over what Americans are allowed to know.One thing thats important to keep in mind: If Assange is found to have participated in hacking or otherwise gathering the stolen information, his First Amendment protection goes out the window.Although there is a right to publish illegally obtained information, that does not immunize the person who obtained it illegally in the first place, University of Virginia legal scholar Fred Schauer told TheWrap. If Assange or others are charged with illegally getting the information in the first place, the First Amendment, under current understanding, is not implicated.On the other hand, if Assange is convicted for merely publishing the material and the conviction is upheld by an appeals court, the case would set a new precedent that could stifle journalists, Volokh said.The question is whether a reporter who gets the leak has to say, Wait a minute, maybe Im committing the crime just by publishing this information, even if I wasnt complicit in the original leak, Volokh said. Here the answer would be very direct: the Assange case set a precedent. You could go to prison for publishing this.What makes Assanges case so high-stakes is that it could also break in the opposite direction, reaffirming Vopper and safeguarding a journalistic right.I think journalists should be worried about this now, Volokh said. But he added: If, of course, the court holds that though these charges are precluded by the First Amendment, then journalists might say, Wow, we were better off now after this prosecution because we had this important First Amendment principle established.'Read original story Top Newspaper Editors Condemn Assange Indictments, Say Journalists Could Be Stifled if Hes Convicted At TheWrap And you thought that Democrats won the House out of fear Republicans would drop coverage of preexisting conditions. That they wanted to spend this Congress addressing the cost of prescription drugs, building roads and bridges, resolving the legal status of DACA recipients, expanding gun background checks. Dont be silly! Rashida Tlaib let spill the real Democratic agenda back in January, when she said they were going to impeach the motherf***er. Democrats have a problem. The base wants to impeach President Trump, ASAP, but the public does not. Indeed, Trumps approval rating is the highest its been in the Gallup survey, right around Obamas at this point in his term. The brute facts of public opinion suggest that the impeachment of Trump would look more like Bill Clintons trial than Richard Nixons. Not only would Trump remain in office; the backlash might deprive the Democrats of their 17-seat House majority. For months, Nancy Pelosis solution has been to walk right up to the line of impeachment without actually crossing it. Unleash committee chairmen to fire their subpoena cannons in every direction. Make unrealistic demands of Attorney General Barr. Have Swalwell and Lieu and the rest of the cable gang keep alive the conspiracy theory that the Trump campaign was in criminal cahoots with Russia. Drag out the process into next year, when a weakened and bedraggled Trump faces the eventual Democratic nominee. That way Pelosi gets the political benefits of impeachment without the costs. Its not working. Pelosis rhetoric has moved in the direction of Rashidas (minus the profanity). Shes gone from saying Trump isnt worth impeachment, to saying Trump is goading the Democrats into impeachment, to saying Trump is self-impeaching, if thats even a thing. She jokes about the jail cell in the basement of Congress, her Judiciary Committee has found Barr in contempt, and she shares Jerry Nadlers hysterical opinion that the United States is in the midst of a constitutional crisis because he cant read the grand-jury information of a report you can download for free. On the other side of the building, Chuck Schumer is accusing Mitch McConnell of aiding and abetting a crime that Robert Mueller could not bring himself to say actually happened. Story continues What changed? President Trumps preference for confrontation over consensus is part of the reason, but only a part. Congress and the president fight all the time. The reality is that impeachment talk is the only thing holding the Democrats together. Pelosis heralded agenda is a flop. Her party is divided on health care, on immigration, on abortion. Whatever legislation she does pass is destined to meet the Grim Reaper in the Senate. The two dozen 2020 candidates are uninspiring. Theres no war to defund. And the economic headlines are dynamite. Legal warfare against Trump obscures these weaknesses. Doesnt matter if no voter brings up Mueller outside the Beltway. Without teasing impeachment, no one would care about Democrats inside the Beltway. Two of three cable news channels are desperate for Trump scandals, real or imagined. The Democrats might as well give it to them. Or at least pretend to. In recent weeks the Democrats have turned into a bizarre version of the caricature of Trump they regularly denounce. They lambaste Trump for indulging in conspiracy theories, but the Russia investigation has become their Benghazi, a scandal too complicated and not quite substantive enough to inflame the public imagination. They went after Trump for the lock her up chants at his rallies but flirt with jailing both the attorney general and secretary of the Treasury, passed a New York state law directed at a single individual (forbidden in the Constitution as a bill of attainder), and speculate endlessly about how the president might one day end up behind bars. Pelosi says she worries Trump might not accept a loss in 2020 as Hillary Clinton says the election was stolen from her and the entire Democratic party indulges in the ludicrous fantasy that Stacey Abrams is the legitimate governor of a state she lost by more than 50,000 votes amid record minority turnout. This is not a serious party. It has abandoned policy for litigation, and common sense for fantasies of Medicare for All, Green New Deals, abortion after birth, and slavery reparations. The Democrats assume impeachment will be Trumps Watergate. It may well turn out to be their Waterloo. This column originally appeared in the Washington Free Beacon. More from National Review Saudi Arabia said two of its oil tankers were attacked while sailing toward the Persian Gulf, adding to regional tensions as the U.S. increases pressure on Iran. The Saudi tankers were damaged in a sabotage attack off the United Arab Emirates coast on Sunday, state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. The vessels were approaching the Strait of Hormuz, the worlds most important chokepoint for oil shipments. The U.A.E. foreign ministry on Sunday reported an attack on four commercial ships near its territorial waters. No one has claimed responsibility. The precise nature of the incident remained unclear neither Saudi Arabia nor the U.A.E. said exactly what happened but the report comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Gulf. The U.S. has deployed an aircraft carrier, bomber planes and defense missiles to the region amid worsening friction with Iran, Saudi Arabias regional rival. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said the incident aims to undermine the freedom of maritime navigation, and the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world, according to SPA. He urged the international community to ensure the security of oil tankers to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets, and the danger they pose to the global economy. Antagonism between the U.S. and Iran intensified this month after President Trump ended exceptions to U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil sales. The Islamic Republic has threatened to block oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. halts Iranian energy exports and threatened to scale back its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal. Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi described the maritime incident as concerning and regrettable and called for efforts to shed light on what exactly happened, the semi-official Tasnim News reported. He warned against foreign seditious plots to upset the regions security and stability. Story continues Crude Rises Global crude benchmark Brent for July settlement rose as much as 71 cents, or 1%, to $71.33 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange on Monday. Oil had been losing ground since late last month on signs that Saudi Arabia would pump more to make up for lost Iranian barrels and a looming trade war between the worlds two largest economies, the U.S. and China. Rising geopolitical tension has also weighed on stock markets in the Gulf this week. Dubais benchmark dropped 1.5 percent at 11:06 am local time, outpacing losses on the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Saudi Arabias Tadawul All Share Index retreated 0.9 percent, heading for the lowest close since March 17. The U.A.E.s foreign ministry said its investigating the tanker incident with local and international parties. No one was hurt, and no fuel or chemicals were spilled, the state-run WAM news agency quoted the ministry as saying. One of the two Saudi tankers was on its way to the port of Ras Tanura to load oil for shipment to the U.S., according to SPA. Tanker War Attacks on oil tankers in the turbulent Gulf have been rare since 1991. Saudi Arabia continued shipping through the Strait of Hormuz during the so-called tanker war, a phase of the 1981-88 conflict between Iraq and Iran when both foes attacked vessels in the Gulf. Oil exports flowed also during the first Gulf War in 1990-91. A Japanese tanker, the M. Star, was damaged in a bomb attack in 2010 when it was docked about 14 miles (22 kilometers) off the U.A.E. coast near the port of Fujairah. The Brigades of Abdullah Azzam, a militant jihadist group, claimed responsibility. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Gulf to the Indian Ocean. Iran lies is to the north and the U.A.E. and Oman to the south. Hormuz is the single most important waterway for global oil shipments, with tankers hauling about 40% of all the crude traded internationally every day. All oil exports from Kuwait, Iran, Qatar and Bahrain, more than 90% of those from Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and 75% of shipments from the U.A.E. pass through the strait. More must-read stories from Fortune: Questioning the role of French telecom execs in 35 employee suicides Tencents new video game: part propaganda, part peace offering Why the new U.S.-EU trade talks might go nowhere The Eastern European countries home to todays most dynamic winemakers Catch up with Data Sheet, Fortunes daily digest on the business of tech Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - A senior Palestinian official has been refused a visa for the United States, she said Monday, amid worsening relations between the two sides. Hanan Ashrawi, a longtime aide to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, announced on Twitter she had been turned down without being given a justification. "I'm over 70 & a grandmother; I've been an activist for Palestine since the late 1960's; I've always been an ardent supporter of nonviolent resistance," she said in a tweet. "I've met (& even negotiated with) every Sec. of State since (George) Shultz, & every President since George H. W. Bush (present administration excluded)." She later told AFP it was the first time she had ever been refused a visa to the United States, where her daughter and grandchildren live. "I travel there at least three or four times a year," she said. Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee and former minister, has been involved in Palestinian politics for decades and has won multiple awards for her work, including the French Legion of Honour. There was no immediate reaction from the US embassy. Relations between the US and the Palestinians have been strained since President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December 2017. The Palestinians see the eastern part of the disputed city as the capital of their future state and cut ties with the Trump administration in response. Trump is expected to release a long-delayed peace plan in the coming months. In a recent tweet Ashrawi referred to Trump peace envoy Jason Greenblatt as a "self-appointed advocate/apologist for Israel". Sri Lankan troops in a northern town fired shots into the air and police imposed a curfew Sunday after mobs attacked a mosque, in renewed religion tensions in the wake of the Easter terror attacks. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said that the mobs in Chilaw, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the capital Colombo, also attacked Muslim-owned businesses. The violence erupted in Chilaw, a Catholic-majority town, after a resident misunderstood a Facebook post as a threat against Christians. Gunasekera said the Muslim man who posted the comment has been arrested. He said the curfew would be lifted at dawn on Monday. The latest unrest came as Catholic churches resumed their public Sunday masses for the first time after the April 21 bombings at three churches and three luxury hotels left 258 people dead. The attacks were blamed on a local group which had pledged an oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group. Last week, there were similar tensions at a town between Colombo and Chilaw where an argument between two men degenerated into religious violence leaving three people wounded. Official sources said the curfew was imposed in Chilaw to prevent the unrest spreading to other areas. Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency since the suicide bombings. Security forces and police have been given sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. Muslims make up around 10 percent of Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka's 21 million population and Christians about 7.6 percent. By Niklas Pollard and Anna Ringstrom STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden reopened an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday and will seek to extradite him from Britain, a potential setback to efforts by the United States to put him on trial over a huge release of secret documents. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference in Stockholm she would continue a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought after Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange, who denies the accusation, was arrested in Britain last month after spending seven years hiding inside the embassy. The Swedish prosecutor said she would request Assange be detained in his absence on probable cause for an allegation of rape and that her office would issue a European arrest warrant - the start of the extradition process. The United States is also seeking to extradite him on conspiracy charges relating to the public release by Wikileaks of a cache of secret documents, including assessments of foreign leaders, wars and security matters. The British courts will have to rule on the two extradition requests, with Home Secretary Sajid Javid having the final say on which one takes precedence. "I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US," Persson said. The 47-year-old Assange is currently in a London prison serving 50 weeks behind bars for jumping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in 2012. A British judge has given the U.S. government a deadline of June 12 to outline its case against Assange. The statute of limitation for rape in Sweden is 10 years - a deadline which would be reached in mid-August next year for that alleged incident, leaving prosecutors pressed for time should they decide to file any formal charge. "Everything depends on how this will be handled by the British authorities and courts," said Mark Klamberg, a professor of international law at Stockholm University. "There is a possibility, or risk depending on how you see it, that this is going to take a long time," he said. If Assange was taken to the United Sattes, this would likely rule out his facing trial in Sweden due to the statute of limitation. Persson said she would request to interview Assange while he was in British custody, but that this would require the consent of the Australian, who fought unsuccessfully through the British courts to avoid extradition before fleeing to the embassy. A lawyer representing the victim in the rape investigation urged Swedish prosecutors to move quickly. "We are not going to give up until a charge is brought and the case goes to court," lawyer Elisabeth Massi Fritz told a news conference. "My client feels great gratitude and she is very hopeful of getting restitution and we both hope that justice will win." Assange's supporters cast him as a dissident facing the wrath of a superpower over one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history. CLEAR NAME Wikileaks said the reopening of the Swedish investigation would give Assange a chance to clear his name. "Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case," Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief, said in a statement. If convicted in Sweden, Assange could face a prison sentence of up to four years. "His attitude is that he is happy to cooperate with Sweden and that he wants to be interviewed and that he wants to clear his name," Per Samuelson, a Swedish lawyer for Assange, told Reuters. "How that will happen now, I don't know. He has his hands full with, for him, much more important issues, namely avoiding being extradited to the U.S." Nick Vamos, lawyer at London-based firm Peters & Peters and former head of extradition at Britain's Crown Prosecution Service, told Reuters before Monday's decision that he expected a Swedish request would take supremacy. "In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority," a Swedish prosecutor's statement said. WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables that laid bare often critical U.S. appraisals of world leaders, from Russian President Vladimir Putin to members of the Saudi royal family. It also published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. (Additional reporting by Simon Johnson, Johan Ahlander and Helena Soderpalm in Stockholm, and Guy Faulconbridge in London; Editing by Angus MacSwan) As Americas chief schoolyard bully, Donald Trump loves giving nicknames to his political rivals. Some like Crooked Hillary and Little Marco have proven effective. But more often than not, the presidents epithets reveal more about his fragile psyche and limited vocabulary skills than they are accurate or effective representations of their intended targets. In a testament to his rapid rise, South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttegig is the latest to receive a nickname from Trump. And credit where credit is due, its definitely more creative than Crazy Joe Biden. In an interview with Politico, Trump described the 37-year-old Buttegig as Alfred E. Neuman, the gap-toothed boy who dons Mad magazine. Alfred E. Neuman cannot become president of the United States, Trump declared. Asked for a response, Buttegig told Politico that he didnt get the reference and had to Google Alfred E. Neuman. I guess its just a generational thing, Buttegig quipped, before admitting, Its kind of funny, I guess. Still, Buttegig isnt sweating his new-found designation; in fact, he used it as an opportunity to take a swipe at Trump. But hes also the president of the United States and Im surprised hes not spending more time trying to salvage this China deal, Buttegig remarked. For its part, MAD says its never heard of Buttigieg Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump said Monday that French special forces had done a "great job" in freeing a group of kidnapped tourists in Burkina Faso last week, including an American woman. "The French did a great job. We appreciate it very much. And I've already communicated that feeling," Trump told reporters during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House. Two French commandoes died in the raid last week to free the hostages -- two Frenchmen, one South Korean woman and an American -- from their kidnappers, who officials feared had been about to hand the captives over to an Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group. Trump said the US "worked with them on intelligence," without giving further details. The circumstances surrounding the American hostage's capture were still unclear Monday, with some officials speculating that she could have been in custody of captors for up to a month when she was rescued. The US government has declined to comment about its national, but the ABC News channel has reported she was a tourist, aged in her 60s. (Adds details on Iran, Moscow leg; paragraphs 3-7;15) WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will cancel the Moscow leg of his Russia trip, but will meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi as planned on Tuesday, a State Department official said. Pompeo, who departed from Joint Base Andrews near Washington en route for Brussels, will hold talks with European officials on Iran and other issues on Monday before heading to Russia, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity. On Sunday, a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said the U.S. military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now represented a target, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) said. Forces sent by the U.S. military to the Middle East include an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, in a move U.S. officials said was aimed at countering "clear indications" of threats from Iran to American forces in the region. U.S. President Donald Trump also has stepped up economic pressure on Iran, moving to cut off all its oil exports, to try to get Tehran to curb its nuclear and missile programs as well as end support for proxies in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. Speaking to CNBC in an interview to be broadcast on Monday, Pompeo said the U.S. deployments were in response to intelligence about potential Iranian attacks and aimed both to deter them and to be able to respond if necessary. "In the event that Iran decided to come after an American interest - whether that be in Iraq or Afghanistan or Yemen or any place in the Middle East - we are prepared to respond in an appropriate way," he said, adding "Our aim is not war." Last week, European countries said they wanted to preserve Iran's nuclear deal and rejected "ultimatums" from Tehran, after Iran eased curbs on its nuclear programme and threatened moves that might breach the 2015 international pact. Iran's announcement on Wednesday, related to curbs on its stockpiling of nuclear materials, was in response to U.S. sanctions imposed following Trump's withdrawal of the United States from the accord with Tehran a year ago. Story continues On his first trip to Russia as U.S. secretary of state, Pompeo is expected to discuss with Putin and Lavrov the "aggressive and destabilising actions" Moscow has taken around the world, a senior state department official said last week. Pompeo would reiterate U.S. concerns about Russias role in Venezuela and Syria and its breach of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, as well as Russian attempts to meddle in U.S. elections, the official told reporters in a preview of his trip. Trump spoke with Putin by telephone on May 3, and said they discussed the possibility of a new accord limiting nuclear arms that could eventually include China in what would be a major deal between the globes top three atomic powers. 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 pact, it could be harder to gauge each others intentions, arms control advocates say. Trump has called the New START treaty concluded by his predecessor, Barack Obama, a "bad deal" and "one-sided". Pompeo had been due to meet U.S. embassy staff and members of the business community in Moscow on Monday before heading to Sochi. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Writing by Clarence Fernandez; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) United Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told the Security Council he is deeply concerned by the battle for Tripoli and reports of fresh weapons supplies flowing into Libya, according to a report seen by AFP on Monday. Guterres reported to the council on the European Union's Operation Sophia to inspect vessels off Libya's coast to shore up the arms embargo. That military operation was authorized by a council resolution in 2016. EU vessels conducted three vessel inspections in September, November and January, but no arms were found onboard those ships, the report said. Libyan port and custom authorities, who are trained by the EU, seized armored vehicles in the port of Misrata in February and weapons in Khoms in January, according to the document. "I am deeply concerned by the current military operation in Libya, which, reportedly, is being reinforced by arms transfers into the country, including by sea," said Guterres in the report sent to the council on Friday. Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces hold the east of the country, launched the offensive on April 4 to seize Tripoli, seat of the UN-recognized government. The assault derailed a UN plan to hold a national conference that would have paved the way to elections aimed at ending the chaos that has reigned since the 2011 overthrow of Moamer Kadhafi. Libya remains divided between the Tripoli-based authorities and Haftar's supporters in the east. UN experts earlier this month said in a separate report to the council that missiles fired at pro-Tripoli forces in April pointed to a likely drone attack that could involve a "third party," possibly the United Arab Emirates. 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. Astria Health says new billing vendor part of turnaround plan after company went from a banner year to struggling to pay vendors Astria Health says new billing vendor part of turnaround plan Think of Chabad and you will probably think of Chabad outreach - its religious services and practices, or perhaps even a kosher home away from home when travelling to far-flung places. After all, the organization has 4,700 branches in a hundred different countries - including 441 in Israel. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter And for all the good for which they are famous, Chabad has a lesser-known program that deserves some recognition. The Chabad Terror Victims Project works with families affected by terrorism. It is a voluntary program founded in accordance with the wishes of late Chabad leader Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, commonly known as the Lubavitcher rebbe, which works with some 3,000 families of terror victims in Israel, both civilians and members of the military. The families receive spiritual and economic aid as well as house visits, therapy and even trips abroad that aim to offer some relief from tragedy, grief and the rehabilitation process. IDF Soldier who lost his leg on leisure provided by Chabad (Photo: Challenge Aspen) The project is an extension of the already vast range of activities carried out for decades by the rebbe's followers and members of the Chabad Youth Organization with thousands of families through the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization, creating a relationship between the two entities that continues to this day. During the Second Intifada at the start of the millennium, terrorism was a daily event on the streets of Israel, causing Chabad to step up its work with terror victims. "Those were terrible days, full of fear and appalling daily stories of one terror attack after another; more people murdered, orphaned and wounded, and in need of rehabilitation," says Rabbi Yosef Aharonov, who heads Chabad mission in Israel, regarding the period when Chabad began its work with terror victims. "While it is true that we are active everywhere, from north to south, in therapy centers, university campuses, outreach to the elderly, yuoung people and immigrants to Israel, we came upon an entire expanding sector with particular needs of its own, and so we extended our activities and placed them under the supervision of Rabbi Menachem Kutner." IDF Officer Ziv Shilon, who lost his arm in a terror attack, salutes with Chabad emissary in Israel Rabbi Yosef Aharonov Saluting each other (Photo: Mendy Hechtman) Searching for the joy "Sadly, when families are hit by terror, it comes without warning, but more than that, it impacts on every aspect of their lives," Aharonov says. "From the need to organize a funeral, sitting shiva (the week-long Jewish period of mourning), accompanying the wounded through surgery and rehabilitation and continuing to help family members through mental crises, questions that need answering. We offer someone who will listen to them, as well as assist with financial challenges such as loss of income, mental health treatments, medical expenses, the cost of getting to and from the hospital. It all adds up to thousands of shekels, which is a significant amount of money for most of the population in Israel." Although there has been a drastic reduction in terror attacks, the binders detailing the unit's activities continue to pile up. "Sadly even today there are families who suffer from terrorism. Knife attacks, stone-throwing, the rounds of fighting (with Gaza) every few years all leave families of victims demolished and trying to cope," says Rabbi Kutner. "Besides that, the effects of the terror attacks continue to physically and mentally torment families for the rest of their lives." Celebrating Hanukkah with Chabad (Photo: Chabad Youth Organization) Take, for example, the financial assistance to families affected by terror. "In the past few years, tens of millions of shekels have been given to families struck by terror who are in financial need," says Kutner. "There are families who are close to the poverty line, and a terror attack, with the ensuing loss of income and emotional crises, bring them to the point where they cannot pay their electricity or water bills. They come to us for assistance. There are families for whom an attack comes amid preparations for a bar mitzvah or wedding, and the last thing on their mind is buying their child tefillin or finding a place for a celebration. Here, too, we step in and do everything to bring a little happiness and joy into their lives. "Or there is a the medical issue. For example, a child in Sderot was hit by a rocket and left disabled. We provided a wheelchair that cost NIS 25,000, and only with the wheelchair can he go to school, because the one to him provided by the state wasn't right for him." Happy holidays It was Hanukkah 2003. Ravit sat at home, grief-stricken from the loss of her son, a combat soldier who fell in battle a few months earlier. She wasn't even able to think about lighting Hanukkah candles or providing her other 12-year-old son with dreidels or doughnuts. "From my perspective, the entire world died along with my son," she says. "It's nice that its Hanukkah now and everywhere people are lighting candles and singing holiday songs. What does any of that have to do with me? I couldn't think about going on with life or about my son's right to celebrate like any normal child. "Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I opened and what I saw what seemed almost unreal: two Chabad hassids in traditional outfits, with doughnuts and candles insisted on bringing the holiday spirit into our home. They danced with my son, and I think that for the first time since our tragedy we smiled. "Afterwards they sat with me to offer their assistance and found out that because of the tragedy I had decided not to celebrate my son's bar mitzvah the following year. They stressed how important it was for my son to have positive memories of his special day and offered to celebrate with him in the Western Wall. A year passed and that's what happened. Since then, before every festival Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, Purim and Passover - they come with equipped holiday treats and stay until I feel the holiday spirit. They are like family." Chabad activists visiting the family of a teenager murdered in a terror attack (Photo: Chabad Youth Organization) It is clear that the Jewish holidays are the busiest time of the year for the unit working with terror victims, when a loss can be felt most keenly. And this is where the Chabad young volunteers come in, as they strive to bring the holiday spirit to the homes of terror victims. "We have secular and religious volunteers," says Rabbi Kutner. "Because there are 441 Chabad branches countrywide, we have succeeded in getting the local residents on board for this vital mission of raising morale during the holidays." One Friday night last January, in the northern Ethiopian city of Gondar, two security guards - one holding an AK-47 rifle and the other wearing a yarmulke - stood at the entrance to the HaTikvah synagogue, verifying those entering the premises were indeed Jewish. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The guards looked at us and suggested we return an hour later for the prayer, ordering men in the group to wear yarmulkes and the women to wear skirts. By the time we returned, the synagogue had filled up with French tourists holding bundles of used clothes and wearing condescending looks. When the tourists saw a row of children emerging from a side room, they looked like they were watching monkeys in the zoo. Members of the Falash Mura community in Gondar (: AFP) But the locals whose synagogue it is are used to this sort of guest, just as they are used to wearing their hand-me-downs. This happened on the eve of 82 members of the Falash Mura community (Ethiopian and Eritrean Jews who were pressed into converting to Christianity in the 19th and 20th centuries) proudly arriving in Israel. The following day, on Shabbat afternoon, I returned to the same synagogue after visiting the Falash Mura community's tin shacks and mud houses. The young man with a yarmulke on, who just a day earlier assessed our Jewishness, was now engaged in a lively phone conversation on the day of rest. This story is a perfect illustration of what is happening in Gondars Falash Mura community it is all one big show staged by those far away from Ethiopia. Members of the Falash Mura community in Gondar (: ) The people in Ethiopia - Christians who are asked to play dress up as kosher Jews - have nothing to do with Judaism. They are victims of cynical Israeli politicians and part of a flourishing business running private conversion centers in Israel. Everyone is making bank off these peoples distress, need, and desire to improve their dismal lot by leaving their impoverished home country. At the end of the day, this is a sad story of humanity that has been exploited by politicians. If they are Jews, bring them to Israel now. If they are not Jews, then what is the point of this piecemeal aliya, where thousands of people are still waiting in vain to reach the promised land. Tell these people the truth: Thank you for coming to Gondar and waiting for seven or eight years, but now you must go back to your village. For as long as this option to come to Israel exists, it both harms Israeli society and causes suffering to the people themselves. Members of the Falash Mura community arrive in Israel (Photo: Ariela Zaidman) This immigration is ripping the Israeli Ethiopian community apart, dividing it into two camps: Ethiopian Jews and Falash Mura. The Israeli government encourages this rift, which helps it to achieve its goal of dividing and ruling the black community. Anyone who has already immigrated to Israel and handed over the pound of flesh demanded by the various conversion institutes is a Jew in every conceivable way, and an inseparable part of the community. But the time has come for MKs from Jewish Home and the other parties in the next Netanyahu government to take a stand and make stopping the immigration one of their demands for joining the coalition. This is an opportunity to put an end to this sad saga once and for all. Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused "significant damage" to the vessels, one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the U.S. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Khalid al-Falih's comments came as the U.S. issued a new warning to sailors and the UAE's regional allies condemned the reported sabotage Sunday of four ships off the coast of the port city of Fujairah. The announcement came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the city's port. The port of Fujairah (Photo: Shutterstock) Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible. However, the reports come as the U.S. has warned ships that "Iran or its proxies" could be targeting maritime traffic in the region, and as America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran. Tensions have risen in the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Iran's economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. In his statement, al-Falih said the attacks on the two tankers happened at 6 a.m. Sunday. "One of the two vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to Saudi Aramco's customers in the United States," al-Falih said. "Fortunately, the attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels." Saudi Arabia did not identify the vessels involved, nor did it say whom it suspected of carrying out the alleged sabotage. Underling the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the alleged sabotage as a "serious escalation" in an overnight statement. "Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger," Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen's internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage. A statement Sunday from the UAE's Foreign Ministry put the ships near the country's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah. It said it was investigating "in cooperation with local and international bodies." It said there were "no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels" and "no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which oversees the region, did not immediately offer comment. Emirati officials declined to answer questions from The Associated Press, saying their investigation is ongoing. Earlier Sunday, Lebanon's pro-Iran satellite channel Al-Mayadeen, quoting "Gulf sources," falsely reported that a series of explosions had struck Fujairah's port. State and semi-official media in Iran picked up the report from Al-Mayadeen, which later published the names of vessels it claimed were involved. The AP, after speaking to Emirati officials and local witnesses, found the report about explosions at the port to be unsubstantiated. Fujairah's port is about 140 kilometers (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. The facility handles oil for bunkering and shipping, as well as general and bulk cargo. It is seen as strategically located, serving shipping routes in the Persian Gulf, the Indian subcontinent and Africa. The port of Fujairah (Photo: Shutterstock) Sunday's incident comes after the U.S. Maritime Administration, a division of the U.S. Transportation Department, warned Thursday that Iran could target commercial sea traffic. "Since early May, there is an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against U.S. and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz," the warning read. "Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait or the Persian Gulf." Early Sunday, the agency issued a new warning to sailors about the alleged sabotage, while stressing "the incident has not been confirmed." It urged shippers to exercise caution in the area for the next week. Publicly available satellite images of the area taken Sunday showed no smoke or fire. It remains unclear if the previous warning from the U.S. Maritime Administration is the same perceived threat that prompted the White House to order the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region on May 4. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has changed the schedule for his latest trip to Europe, substituting a stop in Brussels for one in Moscow to discuss Iran and other issues with European officials. A State Department official says Pompeo, who departed Sunday night, is still expected to meet Tuesday in Sochi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The official isn't authorized to discuss the itinerary by name and requested anonymity. The inflow of Qatari cash into Gaza is expected to resume Monday after the Gulf states envoy entered the coastal enclave for the first time since the end of the latest round of cross-border violence between Israel and Hamas, which claimed the lives of four Israeli civilians last week. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The Qatari envoy, Mohammed al-Emadi, during his visit will hand-over some $30 million to Gaza officials, meant for the families living in poverty and those affected by the humanitarian crisis in the impoverished enclave. Qatar's Gaza Reconstruction Committee confirmed the payouts will begin on Monday, with each family in need receiving $100 in assistance. Payments will be distributed via the post offices in the Strip. Emadi is expected to meet with leaders of the Palestinian factions during his trip. Gazans line up to receive their payout According to a report in the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper on Sunday, Israels willingness to allow the money to enter the Hamas-ruled enclave, apparently represents the first stage of the implementation of the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas after the latest ceasefire. Parts of the deal which are yet to be implemented also include the lifting of some restrictions on imports and exports entering and exiting Gaza - as well as the expansion of the fishing zone - in exchange for a cessation of all Hamas-led border violence. Gazans line up to receive their payout Earlier on Monday, UN Special Coordinator in the Mideast, Nickolay Mladenov, also arrived in Gaza in order to hold a series of meetings with local officials. Qatars Foreign Ministry earlier confirmed it will transfer some $480 million to Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Qatar said that $300 million are aimed for health and education endeavors in the West Bank, while another $180 million will fund humanitarian aid, renovation works to improve electrical systems and support UN initiatives in the Gaza Strip. Damage in Gaza from an IAF strike In the latest deadly flare-up between the two sides which occurred last weekend, Palestinian militants fired more than 700 rockets into Israel, killing four Israeli civilians, the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 50-day war in 2014, known in Israel as Operation Protective Edge. Israel Defense Forces retaliated with massive airstrikes on Gaza, killing 25 Palestinians, most of whom are believed to be militants. Islamic Jihad leader later claimed that Israels promise to implement the understandings reached in an earlier ceasefire deal from March (which include lifting of the Gaza blockade) is what convinced the terror groups to eventually hold fire and agree to a ceasefire. Poland has canceled the visit of a delegation of Israeli officials from the Ministry of Social Equality, which was due to take place Monday to discuss restitution for property confiscated from Jews during the Holocaust. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter In a tweet Sunday, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed last-minute changes to the composition of the delegation suggested talks would primarily focus on property restitution, something the Polish government has no interest in doing. Polish demonstrators protest restitution for Jews (Photo: Reuters) Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a political gathering Saturday that his country will not pay compensation for property lost in the Second World War and that Poland itself was a victim of the Nazis. Poland decided to cancel the visit of Israeli officials after the Israeli side made last minute changes in the composition of the delegation suggesting that the talks would primarily focus on the issues related to property restitution. https://t.co/LFg1EBk16k pic.twitter.com/jR8pLfjeFs Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@PolandMFA) May 12, 2019 In what was described as the largest anti-Jewish demonstration in years, Polish nationalists marched to the American embassy in Warsaw, in protest of the so called JUST Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump last year requiring the State Department report to Congress on the state of restitution of property stolen in the Holocaust in dozens of countries. Polish demonstrators protest restitution for Jews (Photo: Reuters) Protesters carried banners saying Poland has no commitment and that the US is hypocritical in its efforts to benefit Jews. The question of restitution has become a major campaign issue in advance of the European Union elections due later this month and the Polish general elections to take place by November 2019. Polish nationalists claim if restitution is approved, the Polish economy stands to lose up to $300 billion. Poland was once home to 3.3 million Jews, but most were murdered by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. Their properties were often looted by Germans and later nationalized by the communist regime. Some Jewish organizations have been seeking restitution of the properties. According to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (The Claims Conference) Poland is the only EU member that has not passed any laws regulating restitution for Jewish Holocaust survivors and their families. The Polish government has canceled a visit by an Israeli delegation, saying the Israeli government made last-minute changes that suggested it would focus on the issue of the restitution of former Jewish property. The delegation was to have been headed by Avi Cohen-Scali, director general of the Israeli Ministry for Social Equality, and the visit was scheduled for Monday, Poland's Foreign Ministry said as it announced the cancelation on Sunday. A worker in the Eurovision complex at Expo Tel Aviv was seriously injured on Monday after being struck by lighting equipment that fell on him. The worker, 66, was evacuated to a hospital in the city. Britain warned Monday that conflict might break out "by accident" between the United States and Iran amid rising tensions, as European Union powers gathered to thrash out ways to keep afloat the nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic. The warning came after the United States announced the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf to counter an alleged but still-unspecified threat from Iran, the latest in a long line of such deployments to the strategic region. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told reporters in Brussels. In a significant change to Palestinian fiscal strategy, the new Palestinian Authority prime minister, Mohammed Shtayyeh, has called on the World Bank to create an effective mechanism to audit financial transactions from Israel to the PA, particularly to monitor Israeli deductions from Palestinian clearing funds. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter He made the request during a meeting in Ramallah on May 9 with Kanthan Shankar, the World Banks new director for the Palestinian territories. Shtayyeh, according to a statement released by the Palestinian cabinet, urged the World Bank to align its projects with Palestinian priorities, thereby supporting the economy and creating jobs. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh (Photo: EPA) Israel wants to destroy the Palestinian economy and exhaust it by deducting money from clearing funds and manipulating, as well as stealing, money that is owed to the (Palestinian) Authority, Shtayyeh said in the statement. Shankar promised to raise the level of coordination so that the World Banks projects support the priorities of the Palestinian government. Palestinian Authority cabinet meeting (Photo: Reuters) For more than two decades, Israel has deducted monies beyond the 3 percent commission specified in the 1994 Paris Protocol, from the clearing funds it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. These funds include taxes on imports to the Palestinian territories as well as income taxes on Palestinians working in Israel. The Israeli government says these additional deductions more than $5 million per month in some cases pay for treatment given to Palestinians in Israeli hospitals and delinquent utility bills. Palestinian mother and her sick child in Israeli hospital What is happening is a change to the status that was based on the terms of the Paris Protocol agreement that had been signed between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, Azmi Abd al-Rahman, the Palestinian Economy Ministry spokesperson, told The Media Line. Rahman explained that Israel was deducting money instead of waiting for electricity and water bills to be paid, as well as for medical transfers and traffic tickets. These deductions are not included in the signed agreement, he said. Rahman explained that after Israel transferred the clearing funds to the PA less the 3% commission, the Palestinian side was supposed to determine and pay whatever the PA owned Israel. He said that withholding these funds before the tax money was transferred to the Palestinian side violated the agreement. Al-Manarah Square in central Ramallah We are witnessing a clear change that is more than a correction, he elaborated. Bishara Dabah, a Palestinian economic analyst, confirmed that previously, billing between Israel and the PA wasnt reviewed properly and that Israel was deducting amounts that were now being carefully monitored by the Palestinian side. Prime Minister Shtayyeh wants to make sure and get back all of the amounts that were deducted not in accordance with the signed agreement, Dabah said The Paris Protocol, also called the Protocol on Economic Relations, was signed by Israel and the PLO and incorporated, with minor amendments, into the 1995 Oslo II Accord. It specifies that the Israeli government will collect the clearing funds on behalf of the PA for a commission of 3%, and transfer the balance to the Palestinian Interior Ministry. In July 2018, the Israeli cabinet approved a law to withhold tax revenue from the PA equal to the amount the PLO pays to Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails and to the families of those who died in violent encounters with Israelis. In February 2019, for example, Israel withheld some $138 million from the tax revenue, the equivalent of 65% of the PAs total monthly revenue. Israel insists these prisoners and slain Palestinians are or were terrorists. In February and March of this year, the deductions and resulting budget shortage led the PA to pay its employees only 50% of their salaries, and in April, 60%. Recently, the World Bank called for an urgent solution to the Palestinian economic crisis, which it blamed in large part on Israels withholding of the tax funds. Many in Israels defense establishment are said to be against withholding the revenues, fearing that a budgetary shortfall in the PA could lead to diminished security cooperation and ultimately the destabilization of the West Bank. On May 7, Qatar promised a total of $480 million in grants and loans to the PA in the West Bank and to Hamas, the armed Islamic group that rules the Gaza Strip. Some $300 million is earmarked to alleviate the PAs deepening financial crisis, while the rest of the money goes toward humanitarian projects, primarily in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received extra time on Monday to form a new government, President Reuven Rivlin announced, granting the right-wing leader a two-week extension until May 29. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter In office for a decade, Netanyahu won a record fifth term in an April 9 parliamentary election, largely seen as an effective referendum on his leadership since he faces possible indictment in three corruption cases. He denies the charges. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Rivlin Netanyahu is negotiating terms with nearly all the right-wing, nationalist and religious parties that form his outgoing government. No party in Israel has ever won an outright majority in the 120-seat Knesset, making coalition governments the norm with political negotiations often dragging on. One issue in the current talks is the Gaza Strip. Former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, whose ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party is negotiating with Netanyahu, said on Monday after the extension was announced that talks would continue, but strategy over the Gaza Strip remained a sticking point. 'Wide rifts' Accusing Netanyahu of appeasing Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers by allowing Qatari donations into the enclave, Lieberman said: "On the matter of the Strip I think that our stance is very clear and to my regret the rifts there are still very wide." Lieberman, whose party has five seats in parliament, said he wanted to be reappointed as defence minister. In accordance with Israeli law, Netanyahu received an initial 28-day period to form a government, with a 14-day extension possible and traditionally granted. The initial period ends on Wednesday. Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) On Saturday, a spokesman for Netanyahu said the prime minister would seek the extra time, citing a busy schedule that included Jewish holidays, national memorial days and a surge of deadly fighting with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip earlier this month as some of the reasons for the delay. "Meeting with ... Netanyahu today, who explained the need for additional time to form a government, I accepted his request and granted an additional 14 days to the time allocated," President Reuven Rivlin wrote on Twitter, setting May 29 as the new deadline. If Netanyahu fails to put together a coalition by then, Rivlin can ask another member of parliament to try. Benny Gantz, a former military chief whose centrist Blue and White party won 35 seats in the 120-member legislature, would likely be next in line. Netanyahu's right-wing Likud also won 35 seats but has more political allies in parliament than does Blue and White, and Rivlin subsequently tapped him to form an administration. Blue and White leaders Lapid and Gantz (Photo: Motti Kimchi) In a letter to Rivlin requesting the extension, Netanyahu wrote that his negotiating team had already made "significant progress" towards forming a government. Among the most pressing issues awaiting the new government will be US President Donald Trump's plan to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Washington has said it will be unveiled in June. So far prospects for the plan appear dim. A right-wing coalition in Israel would likely oppose any proposed territorial concessions to the Palestinians, who are boycotting the Trump administration over what they see as its pro-Israel bias. Blkue and White party number 2 Yair Lapid slams Benjamin Netanyahu for his handling of corruption allegations against him, saying that he is making a mockery of the legal system and does not deserve a hearing before any charges are brought. "What happened yesterday was not a legal proceeding," Lapid tells his party's faction at a meeting in Jerusalem, referring to a refusal by the prime minister's lawyers to accept materials related to the investigations that Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit tried to hand over on Sunday. "The prime minister's lawyers are insulting the attorney general, and the attorney general has been humiliated," Lapid says. "Mandelblit should send them on their way." The bottom line is: the chance that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face trial on any of the three corruption cases pending against him, are close to none. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The recently elected Knesset has enough supporters of the PM who will back any legislation to protect him from prosecution. The question is at what cost? Netanyahu and Katz Will other cabinet ministers and members of Knesset, who may also face criminal proceedings, benefit from the proposed law? Will whatever deals coalition partners make, be outlined in the coalition agreements as required by law or will they be agreed on unofficially? Will the price be no military service for ultra-Orthodox and no open businesses on Shabbat, as religious parties insist? Will it be annexation of settlements, as the hard-right insists? What is the Knesset for if not to provide criminals with sanctuary? AG Mandelblit The cherry on top of the coalition agreements being prepared, is the proposed law allowing members of Knesset to overturn supreme court ruling, with only a regular majority. This would cancel any and all checks and balances that had always protected Israelis against government tyranny. Netanyahu finds the ground has been laid out for him. The court's standing has been eroded over the years, by two great legal minds. One a supreme court justice whose legislative activism agenda was seen as a condescension towards other views: Aharon Barak And on the other hand, a professor of law who made restricting the reach of the court, his life's mission: Daniel Friedman. Daniel Friedman Attorney General, Avichai Mandelblit is walking a fine line. He understands any slip, on his part will be punished by an injunction to the supreme court. He was dragged into the fight when he agreed to hold off until after the 2019 elections, handing over material to the prime minister's lawyers. Since then, his attempts to schedule a hearing before indictment, for Netanyahu have failed. The Prime Minister's attorneys are cynical. Knowing their client's legislative agenda, they are playing for time. Netanyahu claimed a hearing will clear any suspicions against him but now he is stalling using any means at his disposal, to put a hearing off until he can pass the laws that will protect him from prosecution. No Attorney General can ever be strong enough to resist such moves by a prime minister and supporters such as the far-right members of Knesset. The irreversible harm to the rule of law, values, and the institutions of Israeli democracy, is a high price to pay, just to save one man's skin. As the Eurovision song contest begins and BDS activists calling for a boycott of the event being held in Israel, the ministry of strategic affairs has launched a campaign against supporters of the boycott. Web users searching for information regarding BDS came upon a website seemingly supporting the boycott movement only to discover that it is actually a cleverly designed Pro-Israeli website. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The website shows all that is beautiful about Israel by using the BDS initials: Beautiful, Diverse, Sensational. More than 30,000 internet users visited the website in less than a week and got the Israeli response to the misinformation and hypocrisy being spread by boycott organizations. Gilad Erdan: "We exposed the Anti-Semitism and terror ties of the BDS" (Photo: Ministry Strategic Affairs) The Ministry for Strategic Affairs, headed by Gilad Erdan, looked for a creative way to contradict the narrative behind the boycott campaign of the BDS movement. In order not expand the BDS brand, the ministry launched a campaign aimed at internet users looking to support the boycott on Google, including banners and adds that "follow" the users to other, unrelated sites. One of the banners supporting the boycott (Photo: Ran Dickstein) The website includes photos of Israel's landscape and short publicity film clips about the diversity of Israeli society. "Israel a country where openness, freedom of expression and the freedom to live and let live have become its main characteristics. A mixture of cultures and traditions that have made Israel an island of tolerance," the website wrote. The website postcards photographed by participants of the Eurovision show the breathtaking landscape and colorful culture. "After we exposed the anti-Semitism and terror ties of the BDS organizations and discovered dozens of internet bots and fake accounts aimed at pressuring musicians to boycott the contest, we have launched a website aimed at exposing their lies and presenting Israel as a truly: diverse, beautiful and astonishing country," said Minister Erdan. A Polish artist has brought the horrors of the Holocaust to life in a graphic novel based on survivors' testimonies, published to mark the 75th anniversary of a museum on the site of the concentration camp where they were interned. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter "Chleb wolnosciowy", or "The bread of Freedom", combines the accounts of 11 prisoners at the Majdanek camp in eastern Poland, where 80,000 people, mainly Jews, are estimated to have died. In all, more than 3 million Polish Jews perished in the Holocaust. The bread of Freedom The phrase "Chleb wolnosciowy" was used by camp prisoners to refer to bread baked outside, evoking their yearning for home. Holocaust graphic novel "(The book) shows the bestial conditions in which the captives were held, but it also shows that even in the face of hunger, they were able to demonstrate empathy, cooperation (and) compassion," said Agnieszka Kowalczyk-Nowak, press officer of the State Museum at Majdanek. The museum was founded in November 1944, just months after the Nazis liquidated the camp, on the outskirts of Lublin, as Soviet forces neared. Majdanek death camp Fifteen placards with pages from the book have been erected in Lublin's city centre, and the graphic novel format caught the eye of young passers-by. "People need to be reached by means of images... Text might not be interesting to (the younger generation)," said 18-year-old high school graduate Paulina Szyszko. "...Maybe it has the potential to stay in their memory and reach them deeper in its own way." The UN envoy to the Middle East says now is the "last chance" to prevent an all-out conflict between Israel and Gaza terror groups. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Nikolay Mladenov said on Monday that the "risk of war remains imminent," a week after a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers ended the worst fighting since a 2014 war. Nikolay Mladenov (Photo: AFP) Mladenov, inaugurating a solar power plant for a Gaza hospital, said parties must "consolidate the understandings" of the cease-fire. The deal, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the U.N., promises to let in fuel and humanitarian aid and ease the movement of people from the blockaded territory. A Qatari cash infusion, meant for thousands of needy families as part of the cease-fire understandings, arrived Monday. Qatari cash in Gaza The Qatari envoy, Mohammed al-Emadi, is expected to hand-over some $30 million to Gaza officials during his visit. The money is destined for impoverished families and those most affected by the humanitarian crisis in the enclave. Qatar's Gaza Reconstruction Committee confirmed the payouts began on Monday, with each family in need receiving $100 in assistance. Payments will be distributed via post offices in the Strip. Emadi is expected to meet with leaders of the Palestinian factions during his trip. IDF armor (Photo: Reuters) According to a report in the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper on Sunday, Israels willingness to allow the money to enter the Hamas-ruled enclave, apparently represents the first stage of the implementation of the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas in the latest ceasefire. Parts of the deal, which have yet to be implemented, include the lifting of some restrictions on imports and exports to and from the Strip as well as the expansion of the fishing zone, in exchange for a cessation of all Hamas-led border violence. Islamic Jihad leaders later claimed that Israels pledge to implement the understandings reached in an earlier ceasefire deal from March (which include lifting of the Gaza blockade) is what convinced the terror group to agree to a ceasefire. A veteran Palestinian negotiator said on Monday she had been denied a U.S. travel visa for the first time and viewed it as retaliation for her criticism of the Trump administration and Israel. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter U.S. diplomats did not immediately respond to the allegations by Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the executive committee of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) who took part in interim peace talks with Israel dating back decades. Hanan Ashrawi (: AFP) Since they boycotted the Trump administration over its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in late 2017, the Palestinians have seen cuts to U.S. funding that have contributed to economic distress in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. "It is official! My US visa application has been rejected. No reason given," Ashrawi said on Twitter. She posited that "this administration has decided I do not deserve to set foot in the U.S." Ashrawi gave as possible reasons her "vocal critic(ism) of this administration & its underlings" and her "(zero) tolerance for the Israeli occupation in all its manifestations as a most pervasive form of oppression, dispossession & denial". The rancor between the United States and the Palestinians has deepened as Washington prepares to unveil a long-awaited plan for restarting peacemaking, possibly next month. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said last week that the United States seems to be crafting a plan for a Palestinian surrender to Israel instead of a peace deal. Ashrawi has sparred publicly with Jason Greenblatt, a Trump envoy and an architect of the peace plan, saying on Twitter on Sunday that he is a "self-appointed advocate/apologist for Israel". In February, Greenblatt tweeted that Ashrawi was "always welcome" to meet him at the White House. A month later, after Ashrawi condemned Israeli military strikes in Hamas-ruled Gaza, he tweeted to her: "Stop hurting Palestinians w/bad judgement". Speaking to Reuters, Ashrawi said she had applied for a B-1/B-2 visa, which is for either business or tourism travel to the United States. She described the rejection as a first for her. "Most of my life, I've been going back and forth, meeting people, speaking everywhere. This is new," she said. "They (the Trump administration) are trying to punish us." Last month, Omar Barghouti, a Palestinian leader of an international campaign to boycott Israel, said he was refused a U.S. travel visa as "part of Israel's escalating repression". U.S. officials declined to comment on the matter. RACERS JOCKEY for position during the 14th annual Brian Nasi race at Hurley K-12 School on Saturday. HURLEY - The 14th annual Brian Nasi Memorial Heart run/walk took place on Saturday at the Hurley K-12 school. Ginger Nasi, widow of Brian, founded the event to create awareness of heart disease and promote healthy habits. "We're starting with the youth in the community and make it a healthy habit to always get out there and exercise and do the best you can," she said. Nasi said the event has always been more of a "family running event" to encourage creating a healthy lifestyle early on in life. "I can't believe it's the 14th annual," she said. "It's crazy that it's been that long." The Hurley Area Lioness took over organization of the event in 2015 when Nasi moved away from the area. Ricky Kelly, event organizer, said the proceeds from the event go to the community. "We (the Lioness) support a lot of wellness projects, we support DOVE and we support a lot of family type stuff," she said. Hanna Leoni, from Hurley, participated to support the Nasi family and said she is happy to see her friends at the event too. The 14-year-old said she prepared for the 5k race by "running every weekend." "There are some really good runners (competing)," she said. Gena Vetter crossed the finish line of the 5k event in just under 25 minutes and secured first place in the female division. Vetter said she had been training "almost every day for the last three or four weeks" to get ready. "I'm really competitive," she said. Clinching the top spot in the men's 5k was Germain Rojas from Chicago. In the area to compete at the Red Bull 400 later in the day, Rojas said he just found out about the Nasi at his hotel. "I saw the flyer for this race," he said. With a 3 o'clock heat time at Copper Peak, Rojas said he "might-as-well do something." On Sunday, Rojas told the Daily Globe he finished the Red Bull 400 in 9 minutes and did not qualify for the finals. Rojas admits "maybe" he shouldn't have done the 5k, but said "it was a fun day anyway." With around 100 people signing up for the Nasi, Kelly said she is happy to see all the smiling faces. "The weather's perfect and it's all for a good cause," she said. "It's a happy day." Brynn McKone, 8, dressed as a clown and ready to run, won a $100 for the best costume. Top finishes included: Male 5k run - 1. Germain Rojas 20:55; 2. Josh Lehrkamp, 3. George Nelson. 1 mile run - 1. Kevin Rowe 10:51. 5k walk - 1st Saxton Bertz 52:26, 2. Eric Anderson, 3. Karl Betz. 1 mile walk - 1st Barney Hinch Jr., 19:13, 2. Bob Barto, 3. Bruce Johanson. 1 mile run - (12 and under) - 1. Bodyn Gilbertson 9:35, 2. Will Lehrkamp, 3. Bryce Lehrkamp. Female 5k run - 1. Gena Vetter 24:57; 2. Amanda Corullo, 3. Joana Aukee. 1 mile run - 1. Bri Lehrkamp 12:08. 5k walk - 1. Vicki Seargant 46:14, 2. Linda Johanson, 3. Sara McKone. 1 mile walk - 1. Sandra Anderson 16:19, 2. Dana Aukee, 3. Vicki Tilton. 1 mile run (12 and under) - 1. Saylor Gilberson 9:37, 2. Brynn McKone. 1 mile walk (12 and under) - 1. Summer Wallis, 12:25. News New York - Two New York diagnostic testing facility owners pleaded guilty Wednesday for their roles in a more than $18.5 million health care fraud scheme. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue of the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBIs New York Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector Generals (HHS-OIG) New York Region and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Larsen of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) New York made the announcement. Tea Kaganovich, 47, and Ramazi Mitaishvili, 58, a married couple, both of Brooklyn, New York, each pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the lawful functions of the IRS before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold of the Eastern District of New York. Sentencing has been scheduled for July, 18, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Margo K. Brodie of the Eastern District of New York. The defendants were the co-owners of several diagnostic testing facilities in Brooklyn, including Sophisticated Imaging Inc., East Coast Diagnostics Inc., East Shore Diagnostics Inc., East West Management Inc. and RM Global Health Inc. As part of their guilty pleas, Kaganovich and Mitaishvili admitted that they executed a scheme in which they submitted fraudulent health care claims for diagnostic testing services. The defendants admitted that they paid approximately $18.5 million in kickbacks for the referral of beneficiaries who submitted themselves to diagnostic testing and other purported medical services. Kaganovich and Mitaishvili falsely reported to the IRS that the illegal kickback payments were legitimate business expenses, which caused relevant tax forms to falsely under-report business income and claim deductions, they further admitted. The FBI, HHS-OIG and IRS-CI investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision by the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York. Trial Attorneys Debra Jaroslawicz and Sarah Wilson Rocha of the Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanisha Payne is handling the forfeiture in the case. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS-OIG to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. News Norfolk, Virginia - A Norfolk, Virginia, man was sentenced Thursday to three consecutive life terms plus an additional 40 years in prison for his leadership role in a racketeering conspiracy, multiple murders, multiple attempted murders and various drug and gun crimes, all as part of his leadership of the Nine Trey Gangsters Bloods gang. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia; Special Agent in Charge Martin Culbreth of the FBIs Norfolk Field Office; Interim Chief Angela Greene of Portsmouth Police; Chief Larry D. Boone of Norfolk Police; Chief James A. Cervera of Virginia Beach Police; Chief Colonel K.L. Wright of Chesapeake Police and Chief Thomas E. Bennett of Suffolk Police made the announcement. According to evidence introduced at trial, Antonio Simmons, aka Murdock, 41, was a high-ranking leader of a group of Portsmouth and Norfolk-based members of the Nine Trey Gangsters, a Bloods gang affiliated with the United Blood Nation. Simmons and five other members and associates of the gang were charged for their roles in a spate of extreme violence in December 2015 that ended with five people dead and four others shot during seven separate shootings that crossed nearly every city in South Hampton Roads. Simmons was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Nearly all of the victims in the case were unaffiliated with the Nine Trey Gangsters or any other gang. They included two mothers of young children and one grandmother who was murdered, along with her boyfriend, because gang members believed she was cooperating with the police in an investigation of another shooting carried out by a Nine Trey member just weeks before. Simmons was found guilty of the two murders that occurred during attempted robberies he directed his men to commit. By the end of December, two of the gangs primary shooters, Anthony Foye, aka Ace, and Nathaniel Mitchell, aka Savage, were in a competition to see who could gain a reputation within the gang for shooting the most people. To even the score the men were keeping, Mitchell gunned down a woman walking home from her job at the Norfolk International Airport four days before Christmas. The evidence at trial showed that Simmons bragged about the shootings carried out by Foye and Mitchell. In late 2015, Simmons ordered Foye, Mitchell and co-conspirators Alvaughn Davis, aka LB, and Malek Lassiter, aka Leeko, to murder high-ranking members of a rival Hampton Roads-based Nine Trey Gangsters line. When the men were unable to find two of their targets, they drove to the house of a third man they planned to shoot. When the woman who opened the door told them the man was not at home, they shot her six times; her life was saved by the quick response of local EMTs and the Portsmouth Police Department. While the men fled from the scene, they fired several rounds at witnesses looking out of their windows. Foye and Mitchell were arrested after robbing a gas station store later the same night. Simmons, Mitchell and Lassiter were convicted on all counts after a seven-week jury trial. Foye and Davis pleaded guilty before trial, and another associate of the gang, Donte Brehon, pleaded guilty in a separate case. Simmons was the last defendant to be sentenced. The men charged, and the sentences they received, are as follows: Antonio Lee Simmons, aka Murdock and Doc, 41, of Norfolk, Virginia; Racketeering conspiracy; Heroin distribution conspiracy; Two counts of murder in Aid of Racketeering; Four counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering; Three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; Two counts of use of a firearm resulting in death; Four counts of use of a firearm during a crime of violence; various other firearm and drug offenses; Life plus 60 years in prison. Nathaniel Tyree Mitchell, aka Savage, 26, of Portsmouth, Virginia; Racketeering conspiracy; Four counts of murder in aid of racketeering; Six counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering; Five counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; Four counts of use of a firearm resulting in death; Six counts of use of a firearm during a crime of violence; Five life sentences plus 50 years in prison. Anthony Foye, aka Ace and Bull, 27, of Portsmouth, Virginia; Four counts of murder in aid of racketeering; Life in prison. Malek Lassiter, aka Leeko, 23, of Portsmouth, Virginia; Racketeering conspiracy; Three counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering; Two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; Three counts of use of a firearm during a crime of violence; 35 years in prison. Alvaughn Davis, aka LB, 30, of Portsmouth, Virginia; Racketeering conspiracy; Use of a firearm resulting in death; Accessory after the fact to murder in aid of racketeering; 45 years in prison. Donte Brehon, aka Dog Nutz, 37, of Norfolk, Virginia; Accessory after the fact to assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin; 13 years in prison. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justices violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Billy Club. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nations illegal drug supply. Trial Attorney Teresa A. Wallbaum of the Justice Departments Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph E. DePadilla, Andrew C. Bosse and John F. Butler prosecuted the case. News Phoenix, Arizona - During the week of May 5-11, 2019, Arizona joins the country and the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) in celebrating National Small Business Week. Arizonas economy is powered by small business owners, entrepreneurs and employees. Arizona has slashed red tape and cut regulations to ensure our state is an environment where small businesses can start up, expand and thrive. Heres more on the importance of small businesses in Arizona: Arizona has a total 571,495 small businesses operating in the state, making up over 99 percent of Arizona businesses. From 2016 to 2017, the number of small businesses increased by 2 percent in Arizona. Arizonas small businesses employ 1 million employees, or 43.7 percent of Arizonas private workforce. Over 146,600 employees work for minority-owned small businesses in Arizona. Of Arizonas small businesses, over 6,400 small businesses export goods outside of Arizona, generating nearly 25 percent of Arizonas total exports. Small businesses accounted for over 43,000 new Arizona jobs (2016). Firms with less than 20 employees accounted for over 25,000 of those new jobs. The SBA recently awarded two Arizona business owners as 2019 Small Business Persons of the Year, an award recognizing those who represent our nations entrepreneurial spirit. Another Arizona small business earned the SBAs National Small Business Subcontractor of the Year award. To further empower small businesses in Arizona, the Arizona Commerce Authority now has a Small Business Ombudsman. The position will serve as a liaison between small businesses and the government agencies that regulate them, ensuring small businesses have the resources they need to succeed. News Washington, DC - According to statistics reported to the FBI, 106 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2018. Of these, 55 officers died as a result of felonious acts, and 51 officers died in accidents. Comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks are included in the sections of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2018. Felonious Deaths The 55 felonious deaths occurred in 28 states and in Puerto Rico. The number of officers killed as a result of criminal acts in 2018 was 9 more than the 46 officers who were feloniously killed in 2017. The 5- and 10-year comparisons show an increase of 4 felonious deaths compared with the 2014 figure (51 officers) and an increase of 7 deaths compared with 2009 data (48 officers). Officer Profiles. The average age of the officers who were feloniously killed was 37 years old. The victim officers had served in law enforcement for an average of 10 years at the times of the fatal incidents. Of the 55 officers: 52 were male 3 were female 46 were white 7 were black/African American 2 were Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander Circumstances. Of the 55 officers feloniously killed: 23 died as a result of investigative or enforcement activities 8 were performing investigative activities 6 were involved in tactical situations 3 were interacting with wanted persons 3 were investigating suspicious persons or circumstances 2 were conducting traffic violation stops 1 was handling a person with mental illness 11 were ambushed (entrapment/premeditation) 6 were involved in pursuits 4 were involved in foot pursuits 2 were involved in vehicular pursuits 4 were responding to crimes in progress 2 were burglaries in progress 1 was a report of a person with a firearm 1 was reported in the category of other crime against property. 3 were involved in arrest situations and were attempting to control/handcuff/restrain the offender(s) during the arrest situations 2 were on administrative assignments and were performing prisoner transports 2 were assisting other law enforcement officers with foot pursuits 2 were responding to disorders or disturbances 1 was responding to a disturbance call 1 was responding to a domestic violence call 1 was performing traffic control 1 was involved in an unprovoked attack Weapons. Offenders used firearms to kill 51 of the 55 victim officers. Four officers were killed with vehicles used as weapons. Of the 51 officers killed by firearms: 37 were slain with handguns 10 with rifles 2 with shotguns 2 with firearms in which the types of firearms were not reported. Regions. Felonious deaths were reported in four U.S. regions and Puerto Rico: 26 officers were feloniously killed in the South 12 in the Midwest 12 in the West 4 in the Northeast 1 in Puerto Rico. Suspects. Law enforcement agencies identified 55 alleged assailants in connection with the felonious line-of-duty deaths: 49 of the assailants had prior criminal arrests 20 of the offenders were under judicial supervision at the times of the felonious incidents Accidental Deaths Fifty-one law enforcement officers were killed accidentally while performing their duties in 2018, an increase of 3 when compared with the 48 officers accidentally killed in 2017. The majority (34 officers) were killed in motor vehicle crashes. Officer Profile. The average age of officers who were accidentally killed was 36 years old; the average number of years the victim officers had served in law enforcement was 10. Of the 51 officers accidentally killed: 47 were male 4 were female 39 were white 8 were black/African American 3 were American Indian/Alaska Native 1 was Asian. Circumstances. The 51 officers accidentally killed died in a variety of scenarios: 34 died as a result of motor vehicle crashes 29 while operating cars, SUVs, trucks, or vans 5 while operating ATVs or motorcycles 9 were pedestrian officers struck by vehicles 3 officers drowned 2 were killed in firearm-related incidents 1 officer fell while engaging in a foot pursuit 2 officers died in an other type of duty-related accident when they were struck by a commuter train. Use of seatbelts. Of the 29 officers killed in motor vehicle crashes while operating cars, SUVs, trucks, or vans, 8 were wearing seatbelts, and 15 were not. Data about seatbelt usage was not reported for 6 of the officers. Of the 15 officers who were fatally injured in motor vehicle crashes and were not wearing seatbelts, 1 was seated in a parked motor vehicle at the time of the accident. Regions. Accidental deaths were reported in four U.S. regions and Puerto Rico: 27 of the accidental deaths occurred in the South 11 in the Midwest 7 in the West 5 in the Northeast 1 in Puerto Rico Changes to Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2018. New release schedule. In an effort to provide a more timely release of data to the public, todays release provides three sections of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2018. These sections include data and statistics concerning officers feloniously and accidentally killed and statistics about federal officers killed and/or assaulted. The remaining portions of the publication, which present data reported to the FBI concerning law enforcement officers assaulted in the line of duty in 2018, will be available later this year: News Dallas, Texas - FBI Director Christopher Wray has named Matthew J. DeSarno as special agent in charge of the Dallas Field Office. Mr. DeSarno has served as the special agent in charge of the Criminal Division in the Washington Field Office since 2018. Mr. DeSarno joined the FBI as a special agent in 2002. Throughout his career, he has focused primarily on violent gang activity and counterterrorism matters. He first served in the San Diego Field Office, where he was assigned to the gang group of the Violent Crimes Task Force. He was promoted to supervisory special agent in 2007 and assigned to the Safe Streets and Gang Unit at FBI Headquarters, where he provided program management oversight and support for gang investigations throughout the country. In 2009, DeSarno was transferred to the Chicago Field Office, where he led the Joint Task Force on Gangs. He was promoted in 2013 to assistant special agent in charge, managing the white-collar, public corruption, and civil rights programs in Chicago. He later assumed responsibility for the violent crime, transnational organized crime, SWAT, evidence response, and crisis negotiation programs in Chicago. DeSarno was named the chief of the Strategic Operations Section of the FBIs Counterterrorism Division at Headquarters in 2015. He oversaw the Bureaus efforts in global counterterrorism targeting and counterterrorism human intelligence operations overseas. In 2017, he was promoted to deputy assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division, where he provided leadership oversight for the FBIs international terrorism investigations and operations. Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. DeSarno served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army assigned to the First Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas. His time in the Army included a deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of the NATO Stabilization Force monitoring compliance with the Dayton Peace Accords, and apprehending persons indicted for war crimes. Arizona News Washington, DC - Monday, a coalition of 42 Attorneys General joined in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take further action to stop the growing proliferation of illegal robocalls and spoofing. In formal legal comments delivered to the FCC, the attorneys general urged the FCC to adopt its proposed rules on enforcement against caller ID spoofing on calls to the United States originating from overseas, while also addressing spoofing in text messaging and alternative voice services. These provisions are included in the previously passed FCC appropriations authorization bill also known as the RAY BAUMS Act of 2018. The proposed rule changes the attorneys general are supporting would broaden the authority of the Commission to hold criminals accountable for the significant harm they inflict on U.S. consumers. It is evident that the explosive growth of caller ID spoofing and robocalls is getting worse each year and is being driven primarily by scams. The number of spoofed calls and the consumer financial losses tied to these scams have increased by nearly 50% in recent years. Americans received almost 18 billion scam robocalls in 2018 and overall, robocalls increased in the U.S. by 57% from 2017 to 2018. The FCC reports that imposter scams have reportedly cost consumers $488 million just in 2018. Common scam robocalls include scams related to health insurance, student loans, easy money scams, tax scams, travel scams, business scams, and warranty scams. Although not all robocalls are illegal, the attorneys general argue that it is no coincidence that the number of robocalls Americans are receiving is exploding at the same time there is a similar explosion in scams perpetrated via telephone. The Arizona Attorney Generals office recently brought legal action and imposed fines against Orangutan Home Services, Adobe Carpet Cleaning, and Desert Valley Aire for making phone calls to individuals on the FTC's Do Not Call List. Additionally, the Arizona Attorney Generals Office is on the executive committee of a bipartisan coalition of 40 state attorneys general focused on stopping or reducing annoying and harmful robocalls. The coalition sending formal comments to the FCC included Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced that five national organizations and a group of law professors have supported the Arizona Attorney Generals Office legal challenge to Californias doing business tax that is illegally imposed on Arizona individuals and businesses. The National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF), DRI Voice of Defense Bar (DRI), National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Southeastern Legal Foundation, Cato Institute, and Law Professors together filed four amicus briefs in support of Arizonas lawsuit. In February, the Arizona Attorney Generals Office filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court against the State of California seeking to invalidate Californias extraterritorial tax assessments and seizures, which result from an unconstitutional doing business tax against businesses and individuals that dont actually conduct any business in California. California continues to assess these "doing business" taxes even though both its state court and tax appeals agency have held that the taxes are illegal under California law. Every year, California assesses an $800 doing business tax against Arizona businesses that conduct no actual business in California. Instead, their only connection to California is a mere passive investment in a California company. Arizona estimates its citizens pay over $10 million in these unconstitutional taxes to the State of California every year. Since the doing business taxes are deductible, Arizona loses an estimated $484,000 in tax revenue every year. Californias approach in this case is deeply concerning," said Arizona Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Glenn Hamer. "We thank Attorney General Brnovich for doing all he can to protect Arizona from an overreaching out-of-state taxing authority." Stopping this type of taxpayer abuse from outside our state borders is of keen interest to small businesses," said NFIB Arizona State Director Chad Heinrich. "Were thankful General Brnovich is challenging the State of Californias unlawful taxation of Arizonas small business owners. Were hopeful that our support of Arizonas position, through amicus, will provide the Court with the unique perspective of small businesses in this important matter of constitutional jurisprudence. Arizonas suit seeks to end Californias unconstitutional tax encroachments. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced today that his offices Consumer Protection Section obtained a Stipulated Judgment in Maricopa County Superior Court against Amru Abdalla, Emad Abdalla, (collectively Abdalla Brothers) and their company, Bargain Moving, Inc. This Stipulated Judgment resolves the States consumer fraud and contempt action against the Abdalla Brothers who repeatedly violated previous court-ordered settlements. In addition to other injunctive relief, the Stipulated Judgment permanently bans Amru Abdalla from working in the moving business in Arizona. We won't tolerate business owners who continuously violate the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and harm consumers, said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. We have made it a priority to make sure movers are complying with the law, whether that's passing reforms at the legislature that give consumers more rights or holding unscrupulous companies and their owners accountable for their deceptive or unfair actions. Customers need to do their homework and research a moving company and its owners before signing a contract." Since 2010, the Attorney Generals Office has filed two other consumer fraud enforcement actions against Amru Abdalla and one other action against Emad Abdalla. The State also named the Abdalla Brothers moving businesses as defendants, which have included Allstars, Allstar Moving & Storage, Inc., Allways Moving & Storage, Easymoveaz, Allstar Moving and Storage, Allstars Movers, Movers and a Truck, and The Moving and Storage Company. (The Defendants in this case have no connection to Allstar Metro Movers of Glendale, Arizona.) The prior actions alleged that the Abdalla Brothers and their businesses violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act by giving false quotes, using deceptive invoices, and holding consumers property until they paid more money. The Abdalla Brothers and their businesses previously resolved those enforcement actions through Consent Judgments with the State. In 2017, the Attorney Generals Office filed a contempt action alleging that the Abdalla Brothers failed to comply with the Courts judgments, including provisions prohibiting them from: (i) refusing to return consumers property until after receiving payment; (ii) charging for unearned fees; and (iii) misrepresenting that the moving company is licensed, bonded, and/or insured. In addition, the State alleged that Amru Abdalla failed to abide by a temporary ban from the moving industry. The State also asserted the Abdalla Brothers failed to pay restitution and penalties according to an agreed-upon payment plan in the 2015 Judgment. After a four-day trial in December 2018, the Court found that the Abdalla Brothers violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and the Courts prior orders. The parties entered into a Stipulated Judgment permanently prohibiting Amru Abdalla from working in the moving business. The Stipulated Judgment also contains stern safeguards to ensure that Emad Abdalla abides by the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and the prior judgments. If you believe you have been a victim of consumer fraud, please contact the Arizona Attorney Generals Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the metro areas at 1(800) 352-8431. Bilingual consumer protection staff is available to assist. Consumers can also file complaints online. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey Wednesday joined Bob and Renee Parsons at the Arizona State Capitol to announce that the Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation will donate $3.6 million over the next three years to the 100 Club of Arizona. Arizonas public safety personnel give us so much, said Governor Ducey at the event. For over 51 years, the 100 Club has been doing the good work of supporting public safety in Arizona. Today, they provide financial assistance to families of public safety officers and firefighters who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty. To Bob and Renee, thank you for generously giving back to our men and women on the front lines. The 100 Club, established in 1968, provides financial assistance to the families of public safety officers and first responders after a serious injury or death in the line of duty. In addition, the organization provides resources to enhance the safety and welfare of Arizonas public safety personnel. Visit www.100club.org to donate and learn more. AZ Family: GoDaddy Founder Gives $3.6 Million To 100 Club Of Arizona The couple will make the donation over the next three years from their foundation. 100 Club CEO and President Angela Harrolle says the gift will allow the organization to more than double the roughly $1 million it spends each year supporting police and firefighters and their families. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - After four and a half years in the Governors Office and decades of service in state government, Dawn Wallace, Special Assistant to Governor Doug Ducey, announced today that she will be leaving the administration at the end of May. Wallace is a long-time member of the governors team, having worn multiple hats including Senior Education Advisor and Director of the Governors Office of Education. Dawn has done more than just contribute to our team these last four and a half years she has led, said Governor Ducey. Dawns list of contributions is overwhelming: Proposition 123, the extension of Proposition 301, billions in new education funding, the 20x2020 teacher pay raise plan, execution of major events including Senator McCains memorial service at the state Capitol and overseeing our 2019 inauguration festivities. And thats just to name a few. Dawn brought decades of experience in education policy, budget and legislative understanding but most importantly, she brought passion and heart for children and people to the Governors Office, and I will be forever grateful. While Dawn may be leaving the 9th floor, she will never leave our team. Serving in Governor Duceys administration has been the highlight of my career in public service, Wallace said. To be part of so many significant and lasting accomplishments has been a true honor. To work for someone as committed as Governor Ducey is to doing the right thing for the people of Arizona has been truly rewarding. Contributing to a team that has tackled some of the biggest challenges of the last four and a half years has been an incredible experience, but its also been a big sacrifice for my family. After decades in the Legislature and the Governors Office, Im looking forward to spending a little downtime with them and making up for the late nights and weekends at work theyve had to endure as I plan for new professional opportunities in the next chapter of my life. Wallace has a rich background in education, budget and state government. She served as Senior Budget Analyst for the Arizona Governors Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting in two previous gubernatorial administrations before serving as the Deputy Director of Research Staff in the Arizona State Senate and the Majority Policy Advisor for two Arizona House Speakers. Prior to joining Governor Duceys staff in 2015, she served as the Director of Government Relations for the Maricopa County Community Colleges. Most recently, she served Governor Ducey as the governor's Senior Advisor for Education and Strategic Initiatives and in her current role as Special Assistant to Governor Doug Ducey. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey today released the following message in honor of Mothers Day: One day is never enough to recognize all that our mothers do for us. But this weekend, we pause to show our endless appreciation for the most influential women in our lives. Our mothers guide us through lifes highs and lows. They inspire us to change the world. They provide endless support. And they love us unconditionally. Please join me this weekend in celebrating and expressing our gratitude to all mothers for their love, care and guidance. To my mom, Noni, my Gammy, and my wife, Angela, thank you for all you do and continue to do for our family. Happy Mothers Day! Latest News Nashville, Tennessee - An indictment was unsealed Thursday charging a former intelligence analyst with illegally obtaining classified national defense information and disclosing it to a reporter. Daniel Everette Hale, 31, of Nashville, Tennessee, was arrested and will make his initial appearance at the federal courthouse in Nashville. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Moore of the FBIs Baltimore Field Office made the announcement after the charges were unsealed. According to the indictment, Hale was enlisted in the U.S. Air Force from July 2009 to July 2013, during which time he received language and intelligence training. While serving on active duty, Hale was assigned to work at the National Security Agency (NSA) and deployed to Afghanistan as an intelligence analyst. After leaving the U.S. Air Force, Hale was employed by a defense contractor and assigned to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), where he worked as a political geography analyst between December 2013 and August 2014. In connection with his active duty service and work for the NSA, and during his time at NGA, Hale held a Top Secret//Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS//SCI) security clearance and was entrusted with access to classified national defense information. According to allegations in the indictment, beginning in April 2013, while enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and assigned to the NSA, Hale began communicating with a reporter. Hale met with the reporter in person on multiple occasions, and, at times, communicated with the reporter via an encrypted messaging platform. Then, in February 2014, while working as a cleared defense contractor at NGA, Hale printed six classified documents unrelated to his work at NGA and soon after exchanged a series of messages with the reporter. Each of the six documents printed were later published by the reporters news outlet. According to allegations in the indictment, while employed as a cleared defense contractor for NGA, Hale printed from his Top Secret computer 36 documents, including 23 documents unrelated to his work at NGA. Of the 23 documents unrelated to his work at NGA, Hale provided at least 17 to the reporter and/or the reporters online news outlet, which published the documents in whole or in part. Eleven of the published documents were classified as Top Secret or Secret and marked as such. According to allegations in the indictment, in August 2014, Hales cell phone contact list included contact information for the reporter, and he possessed two thumb drives. One thumb drive contained a page marked SECRET from a classified document that Hale had printed in February 2014 and had attempted to delete from the thumb drive. The other thumb drive contained Tor software and the Tails operating system, which were recommended by the reporters online news outlet in an article published on its website regarding how to anonymously leak documents. Hale is charged with obtaining national defense information, retention and transmission of national defense information, causing the communication of national defense information, disclosure of classified communications intelligence information, and theft of government property. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and Alexander P. Berrang and Senior Trial Attorney Heather M. Schmidt of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. Latest News Washington, DC - The Department of Justice announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Chancery Staffing Solutions LLC (Chancery Staffing), a temporary staffing agency headquartered in New York. Chancery Staffing is the successor to TransPerfect Staffing Solutions LLC (TransPerfect Staffing) and continues to do business as both TransPerfect Staffing Solutions and TransPerfect Legal Solutions. The lawsuit alleges that TransPerfect Staffing discriminated against non-U.S. citizens and dual U.S. citizens in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), and that Chancery Staffing is liable for the discrimination as its successor. Staffing agencies must be diligent in satisfying their obligation under the INA to avoid citizenship status discrimination against U.S. citizens and protected non-citizens, even when that discrimination is requested by a client, said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. The Department of Justice is committed to challenging such unlawful and discriminatory hiring practices. The lawsuit alleges that from at least April 4, 2017, to at least July 7, 2017, TransPerfect Staffing limited its recruitment and hiring of attorneys for a temporary document review project to U.S. citizens only. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that from at least May 12, 2017, to July 7, 2017, TransPerfect Staffing further restricted its recruitment and hiring for positions under the project to exclude U.S. citizens who were also citizens of another country. Although it implemented these discriminatory policies at the request of a client, TransPerfect Staffing actively participated in the discriminatory hiring process and remained the employer of the document reviewers assigned to the project, according to the lawsuit. Under the INA, it is unlawful for employers to discriminate intentionally against U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, recent lawful permanent residents, asylees and refugees in hiring unless required to comply with a law, regulation, executive order, Attorney General determination, or provision of a federal, state, or local government contract. Absent such a requirement, employers that limit their hiring to U.S. citizens may violate the INAs anti-discrimination provision. The United States complaint seeks civil penalties, back pay on behalf of the workers, and other remedial relief to correct and prevent discrimination. The United States filed its suit in the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, a specialized administrative court that Congress created to resolve such claims. The Divisions Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits, among other things, citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation. More information on how employers can avoid unlawful citizenship status discrimination is available here. For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IERs worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IERs employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); Latest News Dallas, Texas - The Department of Justices Civil Division and the United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Texas announced an action Friday to stop two Texas doctors from unlawfully prescribing powerful opioids linked to abuse and diversion. To protect the public, the United States sought and the court granted immediate relief through a temporary restraining order. In a civil complaint unsealed today in the Northern District of Texas, the United States alleges that Cesar B. Pena Rodriguez M.D., and Leovares A. Mendez M.D., were prescribing in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. According to the complaint, the defendants issued thousands of prescriptions without apparent regard for patient harm, including prescriptions for a combination of an opioid, a short-acting benzodiazepine, and a muscle relaxer a dangerous and frequently-abused drug cocktail known as the trinity. The United States Attorneys Office worked with the Consumer Protection Branch of the Justice Departments Civil Division in this effort. With opioid addiction ravaging communities across the nation, we are going to fight against doctors who are handing out prescriptions like candy, said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox. We are determined to stem the tide of the crisis and we will use all the legal authorities at our disposal -- both criminal and civil. The prescribing patterns of the doctors in this case are extremely disturbing and present a significant threat to the community, said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justices Civil Division. The Department of Justice will use every available tool to stop doctors who fail to uphold their legal obligation to prescribe controlled substances properly. The complaint alleges that Dr. Pena Rodriguez and Dr. Mendez issued numerous prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice. Specifically, the complaint alleges that in the course of an investigation of the defendants by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the defendants repeatedly issued prescriptions for controlled substances, including hydrocodone, alprazolam, and tramadol, to undercover agents posing as prospective new patients in exchange for $250 cash payments. The complaint alleges that the defendants issued prescriptions despite performing only minimal or perfunctory medical evaluations, at best, during the visits. According to the complaint, the defendants sold medically unjustified prescriptions to undercover agents in all but one of 25 undercover visits. The DEA has teams of investigators specialized in finding negligence when writing perilous prescription, which can cause a harmful addiction or potential overdose, said Special Agent in Charge Clyde E. Shelley Jr. of the DEA Dallas Field Division. The DEA will investigate the doctors who conduct this kind of practice and continue to combat the opioid crisis. According to court documents that the United States filed with its complaint, the defendants troubling prescribing practices were widespread and raised multiple warning signs or red flags of abuse and diversion, such as patient overdoses and prescriptions issued to groups of related individuals as well as to individuals who traveled unusual distances to receive their controlled substances. The action represents an innovative use of the Departments civil enforcement authorities a tactic amplified by the Attorney Generals Prescription Interdiction & Litigation (PIL) Task Force, which was formed in early 2018 to promote deployment of all available criminal, civil, and regulatory tools to reverse the tide of opioid overdoses in the United States. Judge Karen Scholer of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued the temporary restraining order. Along with injunctive relief, the United States seeks civil monetary penalties. The United States is represented by Northern District of Texas Opioid Coordinator Lindsey Beran and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Delaney and Trial Attorneys Arturo DeCastro and Anwar Graves of the Justice Departments Consumer Protection Branch. This investigation is being conducted by the DEA. A complaint is merely an allegation and there has been no determination of liability. Latest News Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced that he, along with 37 of his attorneys general colleagues, have sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to enact the SAFE Banking Act or similar measures that would allow legal marijuana related-businesses access to the federal banking system. The attorneys general note that to date, thirty-three states and several U.S. territories have legalized the use of medical marijuana. However, marijuana is classified as an illegal substance by the federal government and therefore banks that provide services to state-licensed medical marijuana businesses could be criminally and civilly liable under the federal Controlled Substances Act and certain federal banking statutes. This has significantly inhibited and restricted the ability of financial institutions to provide services to businesses and companies. "This is a public safety issue," said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. "Regardless of individual opinions on the matter, medical marijuana was approved by Arizona voters and is the law in our state. Greater financial transparency and increased accountability will improve regulatory compliance and move commerce involving this heavy cash flow industry out of the shadows." Industry analysts estimate 2017 sales at $8.3 billion and expect those totals to exceed $25 billion by 2025. Yet those revenues are handled outside of the regulated banking system. Businesses are forced to operate on a cash basis. The resulting grey market makes it more difficult to track revenues for taxation and regulatory compliance purposes, contributes to a public safety threat as cash-intensive businesses are often targets for criminal activity, and prevents proper tracking of billions in finances across the nation. The attorneys general argue the SAFE Banking Act or similar measures would provide a safe harbor that would bring billions of dollars into the banking sector, enabling law enforcement, federal, state and local tax agencies, and cannabis regulators in 33 states and several territories to more effectively monitor cannabis businesses and their transactions. The SAFE Banking Act has widespread, bipartisan support with 172 co-sponsors in the U.S. House. The House Financial Services Committee approved the bill in March and now it awaits a vote by the full House. President and CEO of the Arizona Bankers Association Paul Hickman provided the following statement: On behalf of the over 65 banks and over 110,000 Arizona-based bank employees, we would like to thank Attorney General Brnovich for his support on the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act (SAFE Banking Act) of 2019. This is an important issue that has become a major challenge for many Arizona communities and the banks that serve them. Since the passage of Prop 203 in 2010, Arizona voters have determined that it is appropriate to allow their citizens to use cannabis for medical purposes. Currently, thirty-three states covering 68 percent of the nations population have legalized cannabis for medical or adult use and that number is only expected to grow. Despite that, current federal law prevents banks from banking cannabis businesses, as well as the ancillary businesses that provide them with goods and services. As a result, a majority of states are struggling to address the significant challenges to public safety, as well as regulatory compliance and tax compliance that go hand-in-hand with cash-reliant businesses. Providing a mechanism for the cannabis industry to access the banking system would help those communities reduce cash-motivated crimes, increase the efficiency of tax collections, and improve the financial transparency of the cannabis industry. Latest News Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey signed SB 1468, also known as the Mitch Warnock Act, expanding suicide awareness and prevention training in public schools to support Arizonas adolescents and teens. To help prevent further deaths by suicide, the Mitch Warnock Act requires all school employees who work with students in grades six through 12 to receive training on suicide prevention at least once every three years. Training would include information on suicide prevention and how to identify the warning signs of suicidal behavior in adolescents and teens. The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) will also be required to make suicide awareness and prevention training available and post the information on their website. The bill was named for Mitch Warnock, a student from Corona Del Sol High School who died by suicide at age 18. Mitchs parents, Timothy Warnock and Lorie Adair are educators and championed the bipartisan bill as it progressed through the legislative process, along with the JEM Foundation, a non-profit, co-founded by Denise and Ben Denslow who also lost a child to suicide. Being able to identify risk factors and events leading up to suicide is critical to help save lives. According to a report from the Arizona Department of Health Services, 50 Arizona adolescents and teens died by suicide in 2017. Suicide has become a significant public health issue in the United States, said Governor Ducey. Weve already lost too many young people to suicide and Im glad that Arizona is taking action by training the first responders in our schools our guidance counselors, teachers and administrators on how to identify the warning signs that lead to suicide. "As teachers, we appreciate that our public schools are the hub of our community and that all of us have a role to play in helping our children," said Timothy Warnock and Lorie Adair. "We believe this bipartisan initiative will save countless lives from an often impulsive act of desperation. We are grateful to the state of Arizona." "We thank Governor Ducey for rejecting the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide, and for acknowledging the enormity of this crisis in the State of Arizona, particularly among our youth," said Ben and Denise Denslow, founders of The JEM Foundation. "SB 1468 recognizes the importance of early intervention and the important role teachers have in the lives of our students by ensuring they can identify a potential crisis and refer students to the appropriate help." I want to thank Governor Ducey for signing SB 1468 into law. This is an important first step to address teen suicides in Arizona, and I will continue to work with him and my legislative colleagues to further address this critical issue, said Senator Sean Bowie. Supporters include: Northern Arizona University; Arizona Psychiatric Society; Coconino County Supervisor Elizabeth Archuleta; Arizona School Administrators Association; Arizona State University; Education Finance Reform Group; Mesa Chamber Of Commerce; East Valley Chambers Of Commerce Alliance; Chandler Chamber Of Commerce; Arizona Association Of Health Plans; Arizona Public Health Association; Arizona Council Of Human Service Providers; Arizona Board Of Regents; Arizona Department Of Education; Stand For Children; National Association Of Social Workers, Arizona Chapter; University of Arizona Suicide is preventable if we learn to recognize the warning signs and know where to turn for help. If you know someone in crisis, refer them to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK [8255]), Arizonas Teen Lifeline (800-248-TEEN [8336]), or county-specific crisis hotlines. 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. We mediapersons tend to think a 'no' is not a no when a potential interviewer clearly doesn't want to speak. That's what makes us no-alls. Being pushy about interviews is fine under normal circumstances. But that national treasure Irrfan, who is back after a difficult illness to working in Udaipur for the sequel to his last very successful release English Medium, must be given his space. It's not just unethical to hound him for reactions to his recent trauma, it's also inhuman. But such is the nature of the beast known as the deadline, that we tend to mentally erase that slim line between the sensitive and the brutal. During the last week we have seen prominent journalists being flown to the outskirts of Udaipur, where Irrfan is shooting, when the actor, now trying to get back into his normal rhythm of life, has explicitly stated that he doesn't want to revisit his illness. Who has given the go-ahead to this privileged violation of a private time in Irrfan's life? Not Irrfan for sure. And that's perfectly reasonable. Different individuals have different ways of dealing with a crisis after it passes. Manisha Koirala and Lisa Ray wrote about their successful battles with cancer. I don't think Rishi Kapoor or Irrfan would ever want to do that. When Irrfan quietly returned to Mumbai after his medical procedure in England I messaged him a few times asking if he could talk. "No, Subhash, I won't be able to talk," was his pithy reply. And that was that. Irrfan and I go back a long, long way. I know him from the time he entered the movie industry. A kind man, he went out of the way to give my daughter an interview when she was studying at Columbia, ensuring that his clock and hers were coordinated harmoniously for their conversation. The first time I saw him on the large screen he made exquisite love to Dimple Kapadia in Govind Nihalani's Drishti. This is as good a place as any to say Irrfan is one of the very few Indian actors to make love scenes look convincing on screen. His ode to intimacy with Tabu in Maqbool stands out in the awkward arc of lovemaking glitches in our cinema. An actor who understands the intricacies of love as manifested into a physical form must be deeply sensitive and at the moment, raw hurting and baffled at the blow destiny dealt his life lately. Irrfan is healing both physically and emotionally. The least we can do is to give him the space to recuperate in peace. One of our finest actors has been pulled out of the jaws of death and if all we can do in the way of thanks is to hover around him in the hope of getting him to talk about his ordeal, then shame on us. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) A recent issue that has come to light after Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur was nominated for contesting the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat is her physical torture in custody. It is a matter of fact that she, Colonel Shrikant Purohit and others arrested in the Malegaon blast case of 29.9.2008 had been physically and mentally tortured. Handlers, not leaders It is no denying the fact that the investigating agencies used to torture the accused and witnesses for parroting their own narrative, which had been designed by their political handlers. I am using this term handler deliberately and not leader because a leader as has been defined in the Bhagavad Gita as "Yad Yad Charati Shrestatha Tad Tad eva Jano Tara". That means one whose actions are sought to be emulated by ordinary people. No one will want to emulate the peddling false narratives and hence these people cannot be leaders. Anubhuti Anubhuti means experience. I have had first-hand experience of efforts to change the narrative in the Ishrat Jehan case, and have experienced torture at the hands of the investigation officer, Satish Verma, although whether he had the authority or jurisdiction after reading the High Court Order of 1.12.2010 is a matter that still agitates me. Now, even our beloved Prime Minister has claimed that he too has been subjected to such torture and he too is a victim. Hence, it is indeed a undeniable fact that human rights are violated for arm twisting those involved in a case. Enactment of Protection of Human Rights Act In order to purportedly provide a check and balance on this and other human rights violations, the Government of India did enact a Protection of Human Rights Act in 1993 and notified the same on January 8, 1994, which inter alia in its preamble states that its objective is the better protection of human rights and other activities incidental thereto. Further, in respect of extension of the Act in so far as functional matters coming under Article 370, this Act is not applicable. Why UNHRC didn't rely on NHRC Now, I get my answers to why the UNHRC in its report last year relied and quoted references from the anomalous and incomplete replies of Mehbooba Mufti in the J&K Assembly as the source for coming out with its report. I have already written an article on the UNHRC report. The relevance of cross-referencing here is to bring to fore one of the perils of continuing with Article 370. But what is more paramount to the context is that this Act stipulated the constitution of a National Human Rights Commission. Let us examine the vices in the Act to protect the rights guaranteed under the Constitution Legal framework We know that Part 3 of the Constitution guarantees us with rights which cannot be taken away except in given circumstances. In this context the Constitution of India had provided for a right to constitutional remedies. The institutional framework for this being vested with Supreme Court under Article 139 and High Courts under Article 226 with the power to issue prerogative writs when they find instances of abrogation and denial of these rights to its citizens. Rights of citizens vs rights of public servants Now let me take the readers through certain interesting facts. Article 309-311 of the Constitution also provides a veil of protection to civil servants under what is known as doctrine of pleasure, which can be exercised by the authority without grant of reasonable opportunity. Incidentally, it is the public servants who perpetuate these human rights violations on citizens at the behest of their political masters or in exercise of unrestricted power vested with them. The case of Hemant Karkare and other cronies of their alleged torture of Sadhvi Pragya, Col Purohit, etc, come under this classification. However, if any student of law browses through legal journal like SCR or online Manupatra, there are more judgements in favour of errant government servants upholding his right to reasonable opportunity, according him right to de novo enquiry, enquiry report set aside, etc. There are fewer cases of judgements on the side of real victims of human rights violations. This is in spite of the fact that in all these case the government, which deemed as a weak defendant, is able to show its mettle on behalf of the political handlers whose agenda these delinquent officers were propagating or the accused officer contributes to it by using his right of defence. Besides, with such a long and elaborate institutional journey the victim is fatigued by the time he reaches the High Court or Supreme Court level. This is not just today's phenomenon. Supreme and High Courts were appropriate institutions Hence my point in the right earnest is that this should have been factored into while considering any such legislation for protection of human rights. They should propose a Constitutional amendment with the insertion of a clause under Article 32 with attendant amendments of Articles 139 and 226 enlarging the mandate of Supreme Court and High Courts. This should have been further followed up by criminalising public authority held infringing or violating human rights of citizens by insertion of a specific provision in the Indian Penal Code according exemplary penal provisions. This would at least enable the victims to cut short their journey of knocking at different doors before coming to High Court or Supreme Court in his quest for justice which is his right. Institutional framework of NHRC As a victim let me share that it is not physical scar but mental scar and social ostracism which also affects you for long time thereafter. Now I will take to the structure of National Human Rights Commission and the State Human Rights Commissions, which are similar to each other. Section 3 stipulates the qualification for appointment of members. Section 3 Clause 2 Sub Clause (a) to Sub Clause (c) are appropriately judicial officers and hence no issues with this. But is intriguing is the insertion of provision of Sub Clause (d) under which lays down that two members who have knowledge of human rights or experience of human rights. Ironically against these category only retired police officers have been repeatedly appointed and history is witness to the fact that police officers are the biggest perpetrators of human rights violations. With the propensity of police officers to protect their own ilk, on a larger canvas this is contravention of principles of natural justice. Chief Executive Officer from judicial service Now I take you to Section 11 stipulating appointment of Chief Executive Officer. It lays down that a Secretary to the Government of India shall be appointed the Secretary General of NHRC who shall be the Chief Executive Officer. As I have already recalled that human rights violations primarily are perpetuated by civil servants, it would been more appropriate to have a judicial officer as the CEO. One of the paramount reasons for credibility of courts is that the entire executive paraphernalia is overseen by Registrar General in Supreme Courts and respective High Courts, These are all judicial officer discharging administrative functions. Hence by proposing the appointment of civil servant as CEO the entire preamble of the Act gets latently and indirectly vitiated. Budget not charged but voted Now I take the readers to the Budget of NHRC and State Human Rights Commissions. Section 32 for NHRC and Section 33 for State HRCs, stipulate the grants to be provided by respective government through their budgets. But nowhere is there an express provision that the demands proposed by the Commission shall come under Charged category on which there can be no discussion in the Parliament. Not just not enabling the budget to be discussed in Parliament, but if people familiar with budgeting exercise know that budget of subordinate bodies are a part of overall of demand for grants of the Ministry, and how the Secretary or the Financial Adviser at the first level and later at the Finance Ministry level downsizes the budget by browbeating the heads of organisation. Now I come to the actual budget of the NHRC for 2019-20. Relevant portions of Demand for Grants of MHA amount to Rs 48.72 crore. Status of grantee institutions From the above it is evident that NHRC is a grantee institution with annual grant from the government, which in essence meant it can be strangulated for grants if it does not toe the government line. Further, the institutions which are in the arena of execution have detailed budget heads such as Salaries, Allowances, Office Expenses, travel, programme wise allocations, whereas in this case the Commission is working on an annual grant with no specific classifications of budget heads even after 25 years of its existence is surprising. I have dealt with budget and finance of the Union Ministry of Textiles. Hence I can assure you that grantee institution without details of classification of expenditure are those who are also maintained by the government like, say the Gurusaday Museum in Kolkata, the existence of which not many know. Is NHRC also on par? Way to insure against human rights violations I believe that rather for any substantive guaranteed human rights ecosystem in the country the enabling of the judiciary on the above lines suggested will be more effective. Maybe as alignment of the scope of Section 482 of CrPC, which vests inherent powers on the High Court in criminal matters, may be enlarged with express provisions to incumbent suo moto notice of reported violations in its jurisdiction. This inter alia also should vest power in the High Court to compensate the victim as has been recently done in the case of Nambi Narayanan of ISRO. This being the situation, there is really need a good meaningful institutional and legal frame work to insure against the human rights violations. Till that time those who are vilifying Sadhvi and eulogising Karkare will continue to hog the limelight. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) New Delhi: The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has dismissed a plea for initiation of insolvency proceedings against Spicejet by Ramco Systems Ltd, an operational creditor of the low-cost carrier. A two-member bench headed by Chairman Justice S J Mokhopadhaya upheld the orders passed by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in this matter saying that it has rightly rejected Ramco's plea by observing that such petition requires strict proof of debt and default, which was absent in this case. The appellate tribunal said there was nothing on record to suggest that the demand notice relating to invoices issued by Ramco System was forwarded or received by Spicejet. "For the reasons aforesaid, no relief can be granted," said NCLAT. Ramco Systems had entered into agreement with Spicejet to provide 'Aviation Software Solutions' in May, 2013. Later in July 2014, 'Change Order Demand' was executed between the parties. The earlier 'Software Licence Agreement' for 180 number of authorised users were amended to 55 aircraft tails and unlimited users with other amendment and modification which also followed various modification and alteration. Ramco Systems counsel claimed before the NCLAT that a huge amount is payable by Spicejet and invoice for Rs 62.89 lakh was intimated to them and sent by email on January 2016. Rejecting it, Spicejet claimed before the NCLAT that all claims depended on invoices for the financial year 2013-14, including the invoice dated July 23, 2014. This was due and payable by August 22, 2014 and said that it was barred by limitation. Moreover, the demand notice was issued by Ramco Systems on April 24, 2017, without attaching the invoices relating to debt which are payable. It further contended that two demand notices dated July 23, 2014 for amount Rs 59.83 lakh and Rs 33.70 was never issued by Ramco Systems. Consenting to it, the NCLAT said: "There is nothing on the record to suggest that the invoices dated July 23, 2014 were forwarded or received by Spicejet." "... In absence of specific evidence relating to invoices actually forwarded by the Appellant and there being a doubt, we hold that the Adjudicating Authority (NCLT) has rightly refused to entertain application under Section 9 which requires strict proof of debt and default," said the NCLT. Ramco Systems has moved the NCLAT after the National Company Law Tribunal has dismissed its insolvency plea on December 14, 2017. The NCLT had dismissed Ramco System's application on the ground of inconsistency in the overall payments and the non-compliance with the provisions by the operational creditor, in the absence of a certificate from the financial institution maintaining its accounts. New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday conducted raids at multiple locations in northern India and registered a case against unknown officials in the alleged irregularities in Himachal Pradesh pre-matric and post-Matric scholarship scheme. The CBI sleuths carried out the raids at 22 educational institutes across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Haryana, alleging fraud of around Rs 250 crore. The raids were conducted in Himachal Pradesh's Una, Shimla, Solan, Bilaspur, Chamba, Kangra and Shirmor. In Punjab, raids took place in Mohali, Nawan Shahar and Gurdaspur. In Haryana, the CBI carried out raids in Karnal and Ambala. News agency ANI quoted a CBI spokesperson saying that the raids were carried out after the agency registered a case against unknown officials for misappropriation of scholarships meant for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Class and Minority Community to the tune of Rs 250 crore. The spokesman added that the funds were meant to be transferred to the accounts of the students but were allegedly siphoned off to other accounts. NANNING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature has inspected the enforcement of the Law on Promoting Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China. The inspection team of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) listened to reports made by the regional government and relevant departments. They also visited several enterprises in the cities of Nanning, Beihai and Guigang. Wang Dongming, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee who led the team, urged inspectors to adopt a problem-oriented approach and explore new working methods to enhance the effectiveness of supervision. First adopted in 2002, the SME promotion law was revised in September 2017. According to the law, relevant government agencies are required to protect the rights and interests of SMEs and private entrepreneurs, and provide guidance on their development. New Delhi: An Air Asia plane from Hyderabad made a safe landing in Delhi on Monday morning despite suffering a hydraulic failure. News agency ANI reported that the Delhi-bound flight I5 719 had suffered a hydraulic failure and a full emergency procedure had been adopted. The plane, however, managed to make an incident-free landing in Delhi with all 174 passengers on board safe. "Flight i5-719 operating from Hyderabad to New Delhi had a technical issue during descent. Flight crew carried out a precautionary landing & the plane landed, following which the aircraft taxied back to the apron. Detailed inspection of aircraft is underway," an Air Asia spokesperson was quoted as saying. This is the second incident in less than a week when Delhi airport has seen a safe landing despite technical problems in a plane. Last week, full emergency had been declared at the Delhi airport after a Singapore Airlines plane - flight No. SG 406 - landed with a nosewheel issue. The Delhi-bound plane with 228 on board developed a nosewheel snag but was able to make a safe landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport's runaway No. 28. After all the passengers and crew members had safely disembarked, the plane was towed to a parking spot where the issue will be inspected. (Full report here) Mumbai: A man was on Sunday arrested for allegedly molesting a 23-year-old woman inside an ATM in Mumbai's Mulund. The arrest was made by the Mumbai Police after the woman lodged a complaint in connection to the incident. She also tweeted a video of his indecent behaviour. A case has been registered by the police under sections 354, 354(A) and 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI) The incident happened on Sunday afternoon when the woman went to withdraw some cash at the ATM to pay an auto rickshaw she had boarded. However, due to some glitch, she could not take out cash. It was when the accused came and offered to help but she refused to take any help from him but he kept on insisting, following which he misbehaved with her. Live TV The woman, however, had captured the entire incident on her phone and on learning it, the accused fled the spot. The police soon arrived there and the woman produced the evidence to them after which, he was arrested. People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief and former CM of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti has sought punishment under Shariah law in the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora district and said she was "mortified" to hear about it. Mehbooba took to Twitter to strongly condemn the incident and wrote, "Mortified to hear about the rape of a 3-year-old girl in Sumbal. What kind of a sick pervert would do this? Society often blames women for inviting unwanted attention but what was this child's fault? Times like these, Shariah law seems apt so that such paedophiles are stoned to death," Mortified to hear about the rape of a 3 yr old girl in Sumbal. What kind of a sick pervert would do this?Society often blames women for inviting unwanted attention but what was this childs fault?Times like these, Shariah law seems apt so that such paedophiles are stoned to death Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) May 11, 2019 The minor girl was allegedly raped in Sumbal area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district on May 9. To investigate the case, the Jammu and Kashmir Police constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident. Protests broke out at few places against the incident and people demanded immediate exemplary action against the alleged perpetrators. Live TV A shutdown was also called by the Itihadul Muslimeen, a religious organisation, against the incident and clashes took place between protesters and security forces. Other parties and separatist groups across the state have also demanded exemplary punishment for the alleged accused. (With agencies inputs) The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday agreed to hear the plea of a woman BJP activist who was arrested by West Bengal police for allegedly sharing a morphed photo of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Facebook. A vacation bench, comprising justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna, heard the plea and said that the apex court would accord urgent hearing to the issue of her arrest. Priyanka Sharma, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, was arrested on Friday after a complaint was lodged against her at Dasnagar Police station. The West Bengal police said that Priyanka allegedly uploaded and shared morphed picture of Mamata Banerjee in her Facebook timeline. The young BJP worker had used the image of Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas at the recently held MET Gala event. The theme for this year's MET Gala was 'Camp: Notes on Fashion'. Senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma had denounced Priyanka's arrest saying such arrest should not happen otherwise there will be no freedom of speech in this country. Hitting out at Mamata, the BJP leader said the West Bengal CM has unleashed a reign of terror, which would even put the worst tyrants of the world to the shame. Sarma also met Priyanka's mother Rajkumari Sharma on Sunday and assured her that the saffron party provide all legal help to secure an early release of the young party worker. "The reign of terror of @MamataOfficial would embarrass even worst tyrants of world! To lend moral support, I met Smt Rajkumari Sharma, mother of @BJP4Bengal worker Ms Priyanka Sharma, arrested for making a meme on Mamata Didi. We're seeking judicial intervention for her release," tweeted Sarma. New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday arrested a terrorist with links to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad in Anantnag district of the state. The terrorist was identified as Hilal Ahmad and was arrested from Dooru area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district. A police officer told media that the forces recovered arms and ammunition from his possession. Police have registered a case and an investigation is going on to probe the accused's complicity in terror crimes, the officer said. Srinagar: Suspected militants on Monday shot at and injured a National Conference (NC) worker in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, police said. Militants fired on Sajad Ahmad Ganaie near his residence at Chitragam Kalan area of south Kashmir's Shopian district, a police official said. He said Ganaie, a NC worker, suffered a gunshot wound to his leg and was rushed to a hospital. The official said the area has been cordoned and a search has been launched to nab the attackers. Jammu: Six members of a gang allegedly involved in the kidnap of an Army school student have been arrested, officials said Monday. Anirudh Sharma (11) was kidnapped from outside his house in Samba district's Bari Brahmana last Monday shortly after he was dropped off by his school van, they said. The boy, a class five student of Army School, Kaluchak, was rescued by police from Chowadi area of Jammu city last Wednesday, officials said, adding six accused have been arrested and two vehicles seized. Those arrested have been identified as Amrit, Vilayat Singh, Sachin, Angrez Singh, Dheeraj Singh and Balbir Singh, officials said. However, the main accused Sanjay Kumar, involved in several criminal cases in the past, is still absconding, they said. "No ransom was paid to kidnappers by the boy's family and some arrests are still in the offing," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Samba, Koshal Sharma said. Police have set up 15 teams to investigate into the case and picked up suspects from various states. So far 16 people have been quizzed, an official said. DGP Dilbag Singh has sanctioned Rs 2,500 each for 14 police personnel and Rs 1,500 each for 37 policemen of Samba district as cash award for working out the kidnapping case, Sharma said. The BJP on Sunday demanded the resignation of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, alleging complete "failure" of law and order in the state in the wake of the Alwar gangrape incident. "We condemn the incident of rape of a Dalit woman recently and other cases of violence," Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters at a press conference. The Congress, however, is yet to respond to the BJP's demand. Javadekar slammed the Congress for keeping the Alwar gangrape incident a 'secret' because of the voting in the state on May 6. The senior BJP leader also alleged that besides the gangrape incident in Alwar, other cases of rape were also reported elsewhere in Rajasthan, which saw polling in two phases on April 29 and May 6. Javadekar claimed that in the last four months of the Congress government in Rajasthan "46 cases of rape have occurred and 27 cases of atrocities against Dalits, rape or otherwise". We therefore demand resignation of Gehlot, he said alleging "failure" of law and order in the state. "We are condemning the Rajasthan rape incident of a Dalit woman, which was first kept a secret just because there was voting on May 6," said Javadekar. Live TV Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked BSP chief Mayawati that why did not she withdraw support for the Rajasthan government after a Dalit woman was gangraped in front of her husband in Alwar. While addressing an election rally on Sunday, PM Modi had accused the state government of suppressing the case. Meanwhile, Mayawati responded to PM Modi's attack on Sunday and accused him of indulging in 'dirty politics' over the horrific incident. She said that the prime minister must first resign for incidents of Dalit atrocities in the past. "In the wake of this incident, Modi is doing dirty politics," said the BSP chief. The incident of gangrape took place on April 26 when a Dalit woman, who was travelling with her husband, was being waylaid by five youths who then took turns to rape her. The incident was reportedly also recorded by the accused. Kolkata: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah was on Monday denied permission to hold a rally in West Bengal's Jadavpur, party sources said. The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government also did not grant permission to land his chopper. Apart from Jadavpur, Shah is supposed to hold rallies at two other places in West Bengal - Kolkata and North 24 Parganas. The meetings in Kolkata's Canning and Rajarhat have been duly granted by the administration. However, the helicopter landing permission for the Baruipur meeting it still awaited. The BJP though sought permission from the owner of private land. However, the request was refused. According to the administration, they haven't denied or granted permission for the Baruipur meeting but if BJP manages to get the land permission, helicopter landing permission shall also be granted. Also, the administration said that there is no question of PWD denying permission, as the land belongs to a private owner and first, he has to grant permission. Live TV This is not the first time when Shah's events or rallies have been denied permission by the West Bengal government. Earlier in January, he was denied permission to land in Malda district for a rally. However, he was later allowed to hold a public meeting. Prior to that, in December 2018, Shah was denied permission to hold a proposed rath yatra from Coochbehar by the Calcutta High Court on grounds that it might cause "communal tension." Meanwhile, the West Bengal government had also denied permission to land the chopper of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath. He then had to travel to Purulia to address a rally. Nine seats in West Bengal will vote in the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha election 2019. The last six phases have been marred by violence across the state. Joynagar, West Bengal: Targeting Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal once again, Amit Shah on Monday dared the state Chief Minister to arrest him for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram.' Shah was speaking at a rally in Joynagar before proceeding to Kolkata. "Mamata didi, I am chanting Jai Shri Ram here and leaving for Kolkata. Arrest me if you have guts," he said. This, however, is not the first time that the BJP president has thrown an open challenge to Mamata and has blatantly questioned if she is against those who believe in Lord Ram. (Also read: Amit Shah denied permission to hold rally in Jadavpur) The two leaders have sparred over the matter since Mamata reportedly got out of her car while on an election campaign in Chandrakona in West Midnapore district after some people had chanted 'Jai Shri Ram'. This took place on May 5 and a video had gone viral in which Mamata was seen asking those who had chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' to face her instead of running away. This prompted BJP to ask if it was a crime to praise God. Live TV While Shah has been relentless in attacking Mamata over the issue, PM Narendra Modi too tore into the Trinamool Congress chief. "Didi has thrown people in jail for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram'. I thought of saying Jai Shri Ram here today so that she can throw me inside jail too. That way, the people of Bengal might be protected from the wrath of TMC regime," PM Modi had said at a rally in Jhargram on May 6. (Full report here) BJP leaders and Mamata have been indulging in verbal duels regularly with the political discourse often deteriorating to deplorable levels. Mamata had said previously that she will send PM Modi sweets made of soil and add pebbles in them, and had also said she feels giving him a slap of democracy. The battle in West Bengal this Lok Sabha election has been intense and bitter with violence reported in each of the six phases conducted here so far. Both TMC and BJP have accused each other of undermining democracy, of bogus voting, of intimidation and of violence. President Mnangagwa has expressed disquiet over the slow movement in the battle against corruption following the arrest of several high-profile figures in a sprawling graft probe in the country. Several former Government ministers were arrested for corruption in cases that cast light on graft in the highest echelons of former President Mr Robert Mugabes administration. Businesspeople and executives were also snared in the graft probe resulting in them being brought to court for trial, but some of their cases died at the High Court for various reasons. Yesterday, President Mnangagwa applauded the establishment of specialised anti-corruption courts, but expressed displeasure in the way corruption cases were going. I am disappointed that corruption cases are not moving. While we may be experiencing teething challenges, I implore all those who play a role in this mammoth task to remain steadfast, honest and upright in the execution of their duties, he said. The success in this regard is imperative as it impacts on our quest to establish a corrupt free society, accelerate development and speedily improve the quality of life of our people. He made the remarks while addressing judges, lawyers, magistrates, ministers among guests at the commissioning of the new Labour Court in Harare, next to Rotten Row Courts. Eradicating corruption is part of the transitional stabilisation programme, which has put in place a cocktail of measures to nip the scourge in the bud. President Mnangagwas remarks on the progress to deal with corruption come a time when at least 14 high-profile corruption trials have been stalled for various reasons by the High Court since last year. This has ignited public debate on the seriousness by some stakeholders in the criminal justice system in confronting the evil that has reached epidemic proportions in all the sectors of the economy. Proceedings in most of the cases of graft have been stayed pending review applications filed by defence lawyers while in some cases the accused persons were discharged by the High Court. The 14 cases at the centre of the debate were presided over by eight different judges of the High Court. The cases include cases in which former Cabinet minister Ignatius Chombo, former Makoni legislator Kudzanayi Chipanga, and two others are being accused of criminal abuse of office dragged for over a year. Their trials were supposed to begin in February 2018, but dragged after the High Court stayed proceedings on July 19, the same year. The court then dismissed the review applications in February this year, almost a year later. Former Chitungwiza chamber secretary Priscillar Vengesai, who is facing bribery charges, had a trial date set for July 25 last year, but a High Court judge granted temporary stay of proceedings on November 31. It is understood that heads of argument in the review proceedings are yet to be filed, six months after the granting of the High Court order. Also a judge of the High Court granted an order for temporary stay of the corruption trial of former Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa and permanent secretary Francis Gudyanga on July 24 last year, but the review application was only filed in January this year. The record is not yet ready for allocation with some papers still to be filed. Proceedings in a case in which former minister Saviour Kasukuwere is being charged with criminal abuse of office were stayed last year, but it is yet to be allocated to a judge for review. In another case, former University of Zimbabwe Vice Chancellor Professor Levi Nyagura, charged with criminal abuse of office, unsuccessfully excepted to the charge, but filed a review application on April 30 this year, which is yet to be determined. Former minister Supa Mandiwanzira, who was arrested last year for criminal abuse of office, under case number R990/18, was acquitted by the High Court on one count and had proceedings related to the second count stayed. The case of Chief Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe was stayed on April 30 this year, pending review of the decision to have him tried by his junior. He will now appear at the High Court for trial. Another case in which former Midlands Governor Jason Machaya is being charged with criminal abuse of office was also stopped on April 2, pending review of the magistrates decision. Businessman Genius Kadungure, who stands accused of fraud, lost his bail application at the magistrates court, but was freed by the High Court on appeal. NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday slammed BSP supremo Mayawati over her personal remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the comments made by Mayawati had pulled down the political discourse to a new low. Jaitley added that the comments made by BSP chief also highlights her PM ambitions. Behan Mayawati - She is firm on becoming a Prime Minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low. Her personal attack today on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life, Jaitley tweeted. Behan Mayawati - She is firm on becoming a Prime Minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low. Her personal attack today on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life. Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 13, 2019 Earlier on Monday, Mayawati had hit back at PM Modi over his claim that the BSP chief was "shedding crocodile tears" over the gangrape of a Dalit woman in Alwar, Rajasthan. Mayawati said that the prime minister was indulging in "dirty politics" and he should first take moral responsibility and tender his resignation for incidents of Dalit atrocities in different parts of the country during his regime. Mayawati stressed that PM Modi has no right to speak about Alwar gangrape incident and he is now talking about it only to gain political advantage. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also made some distasteful remarks on PM Modi's personal life. Addressing election rallies in Uttar Pradesh, Modi had launched a direct attack on Mayawati asking her to withdraw support to the Congress government in Rajasthan in the wake of gangrape of a Dalit woman in Alwar. Live TV Meanwhile, the BJP on Sunday demanded the resignation of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, alleging complete "failure" of law and order in the state in the wake of the Alwar gangrape incident. "We condemn the incident of rape of a Dalit woman recently and other cases of violence," Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters at a press conference. The Congress, however, is yet to respond to the BJP's demand. The incident of gangrape took place on April 26 when the woman, who was travelling with her husband, was being waylaid by five youths who then took turns to rape her. The incident was reportedly also recorded by the accused. Senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday denounced the arrest of BJP's youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma for sharing a morphed picture of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Sarma, who is also a minister in BJP-led Assam government, said that such arrest should not happen otherwise there will be no freedom of speech in this country. He added that the BJP will file a plea seeking the release of Sharma in Supreme Court on Monday. Hitting out at Mamata, Sarma said that the West Bengal CM has unleashed a reign of terror, which would even put the worst tyrants of world to the shame. Sarma also met Sharma's mother Rajkumari Sharma on Sunday and assured her that the BJP will make all effort to seek early release of Priyanka Sharma. "The reign of terror of @MamataOfficial would embarrass even worst tyrants of world! To lend moral support, I met Smt Rajkumari Sharma, mother of @BJP4Bengal worker Ms Priyanka Sharma, arrested for making a meme on Mamata Didi. We're seeking judicial intervention for her release," tweeted Sarma. The reign of terror of @MamataOfficial would embarrass even worst tyrants of world! To lend moral support, I met Smt Rajkumari Sharma, mother of @BJP4Bengal worker Ms Priyanka Sharma, arrested for making a meme on Mamata Didi. We're seeking judicial intervention for her release. pic.twitter.com/JPdibgRrcD Chowkidar Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) May 12, 2019 Priyanka, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, was arrested on Friday after a complaint was lodged against her at Dasnagar Police station. She is accused of of uploading and sharing morphed picture of West Bengal chief minister in her Facebook timeline. The young BJP worker had used the image of Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas at the recently held MET Gala event. The theme for this year's MET Gala was 'Camp: Notes on Fashion'. It may be recalled that in September last year a young man from Shalbani police station area of West Midnapore was arrested by the district police for posting obscene posts about Mamata Banerjee. Babuya was also a BJP activist. There's a popular adage in Telugu 'Swamikaryam...Swakaryam' (God's work and personal work). However, in the case of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, it's 'God and politics'. The reason being that along with pilgrimage to different temples in Tamil Nadu, KCR had been craving to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (DMK) President MK Stalin. The meet assumes significance on many counts. Earlier, nearly a week ago, when KCR had sent a word to DMK, the response was not favourable saying Stalin has to campaign for by-elections. However, on Monday, Stalin along with his trusted party men Durai Murugan and TR Balu personally received KCR when he came to Stalin's Alwarpet residence in Chennai around 4 pm. Officially, though, it was said to be just a 'courtesy meeting'. After exchanging pleasantries, the closed-door meeting took place for more than an hour. What transpired in the meeting is subject to speculation as none of the two sides revealed shared details of the conversation. Ever since the TRS swept Telangana Assembly Elections last year, KCR's urge to play a big role in national politics has been evident. As part of his grand Federal Front plans, KCR has been silently wooing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, JDS chief HD Deve Gowda, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, YSR chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, and now Stalin. The interesting aspect here is why did Stalin meet KCR when he has already declared his support for Rahul Gandhi as Prime Ministerial candidate and Congress is arch-rival of KCR and TRS in Telangana politics. Downplaying the meeting, KS Alagiri, Tamil Nadu Congress president, said: "As of today, there's no possibility of Third Front or Federal Front in India. Our culture is not to say no when someone wants to meet." However, Chennai-based political analyst Sumanth C Raman says, "Stalin apparently turned down the meeting a few days ago but has now gone ahead with it because my guess would be that the Congress is on the discussions too and may have asked Stalin to get an idea of what's on KCR's mind.'' A sharp and astute politician that he is, KCR can count on only 16 Lok Sabha seats from Telangana (if he manages to win them all) and one seat of his trusted ally Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM. But with sixteen plus one, KCR wants to play kingmaker's role like his friend-turned-bitter-political-rival Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who was instrumental in making HD Deve Gowda the Prime Minister in United Front days. On the other hand, KCR's critics in Hyderabad say the Telangana Chief Minister wants to project himself as a national leader. "There's nothing called Federal Front. KCR just wants to project himself as a national leader. He talks about decentralisation. Look at Telangana today, it's either KCR or his son KTR. They openly buy MPs or MLAs, they virtually finished opposition in Telangana,'' charges PL Vishweshwara Rao, former Dean, Osmania University. With just the seventh and the last phase of Lok Sabha election left to take place on May 19 and results on May 23, no one, including KCR wants to leave any stone unturned to have a say in national politics. Days ahead of the last phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad wrote an open letter to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday slamming the latter for "betraying" the people of Bihar. In the letter posted on the Facebook page of Lalu Prasad, the jailed RJD leader has also lashed out at Nitish Kumar over his "lantern days are over" comment. "It seems you have grown averse to light as you continue to play the same note of Lalu and his lantern over and over," Lalu wrote in the letter. He addressed Nitish Kumar as 'chote bhai Nitish' in the open letter. In Bihar, polling will take place at eight seats in the final phase on Sunday. The voting will take place in Arrah, Buxar, Jahanabad, Karakat, Nalanda, Pataliputra, Patna Sahib and Sasaram. RJD is contesting the election in alliance with Congress, Hindustani Awam Morcha, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party and Vikassheel Insaan Party. On the other hand, JD(U) is contesting the Lok Sabha poll in alliance with BJP and LJP. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. INDORE: Praising Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for her "dedication" towards work, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said that she was the only BJP leader who could admonish him. Addressing an election rally here, Modi said, "As the Lok Sabha speaker, 'Tai' (as Mahajan is popularly known in the constituency) has carried out her duties in a skilful and controlled way. It is because of this, she has left an indelible impression on the minds of people." "All of you know me as prime minister. But perhaps very few people know that in our party (BJP), if there is anybody who can admonish me, it is Tai," Modi said in the presence of Mahajan, who was seated on the dais. "Tai and I have worked in the BJP together. The kind of dedication she has towards work, I assure the people of Indore that in terms of development of the city, none of Tai's wishes will be left unfulfilled," the prime minister said. Mahajan, an eight-time MP, had last month opted out of contesting the general elections saying she had freed the party to make its choice. The veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader, who turned 76 last month, had said that there had been speculations whether the party would field someone who has crossed the 75-year age bar. She had, however, maintained that she would continue to work for the BJP and campaign for it. Live TV She is the first woman MP to win a record eight consecutive elections. In 2014, she had defeated her nearest rival, Satyanarayan Patel of the Congress, by a staggering margin of 4,66,901 votes. The BJP had later announced the candidature of Shankar Lalwani for the Indore Lok Sabha seat. Lalwani, who was earlier the chairman of the Indore Development Authority (IDA) chairman and president of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), is from the Sindhi community and is making his Lok Sabha poll debut. He will be fighting against Congress's Pankaj Sanghvi. Polling for the Indore seat will be held on May 19, in the last phase of parliamentary polls. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea for rescheduling poll timing in view of Ramzan. The plea sought direction to the Election Commission (EC) to advance the poll timings to 5:30 am from 7 am for the final phase of Lok Sabha election, scheduled for May 19. The apex court rejected the plea stating that the notified timing of voting is from 7 am to 6 pm and voters can cast their vote in the morning also. The vacation bench comprised Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna. "The timings are from 7 am to 6 pm. People can come in the morning to cast their votes. They (EC) will face logistical problem (if timings are advanced)," the bench told advocate Mohammad Nizamuddin Pasha who had filed the petition, reported news agency PTI. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had asked EC to pass "necessary orders" on a representation seeking the advancement of vote timing to 5 am from 7 am for the remaining phases. However, the EC had rejected it. Live TV The petitioner had requested to extend the polling hours by 2-2.5 hours on account of the unprecedented heat waves and the Muslims keep fast during the holy month of Ramzan. Voting for the final phase will be held on May 19 in 59 seats across eight states. These include 13 in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, 9 in West Bengal, 8 seats in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, 4 in Himachal Pradesh, 3 in Jharkhand and 1 in Chhattisgarh. Ratlam: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday caused a security scare when she climbed a barricade to greet locals in Ratlam. Priyanka was in Madhya Pradesh for an election rally in Ratlam. It is here that she decided to climb over a wooden barricade that separated her and her security personnel from public at large. She was seen waving at the people here before deciding to climb over a barricade and shake hands with a few of them. This apparently impromptu decision caught security personnel accompanying the Congress leaders unawares and they quickly jumped over the barricade too to provide cover. Live TV Special Protection Group or SPG is responsible for providing security cover to Priyanka as well as her brother, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi. The SPG security cover is meant for VVIPs and are responsible for ensuring that there is no threat at any point in time to those under its protection. In the past, Priyanka had offered to give up privileges at airports for her and her family. She had written a letter to the SPG chief in 2014 in which she had said that including her husband Robert Vadra in the SPG protectee list was because of the insistence of SPG and Delhi Police and had not been requested by her or her husband. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is scheduled to meet DMK president MK Stalin at the latter's residence in Chennai at 4 pm on Monday. The meeting is seen as an attempt by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief to seek support from Stalin to forge a 'Federal Front' - without the BJP and Congress - after the declaration of result. Stalin has agreed to meet KCR days after he decided to not meet the Telangana CM citing campaign commitments for the bye-elections to four constituencies in Tamil Nadu on May 19. It is to be noted that DMK is an ally of Congress and the party had tried to downplay the meeting between KCR and Stalin as a courtesy call. It may be recalled that Stalin was the first leader to say that Congress President Rahul Gandhi deserves to be the next prime minister of India. Sources said that KCR left for Chennai with his family on Sunday and it is expected that he would remain in Chennai for the entire day. It is learnt that the Telangana CM is also planning to meet his Karnataka counterpart and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. YSRCP leader Jagan Mohan Reddy is already part of KCRs Federal Front and the two leaders have reached an agreement bargain as a bloc if no party manages to get majority in the ongoing Lok Sabha poll. Meanwhile, Congress has tried to hold informal talks with both TRS and YSRCP over a post-poll alliance but the grand old party has been asked by both TRS and YSRCP to wait till May 23. It may be recalled that last week KCR had met Kerala CM and CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram. Addressing a press conference after the closed-door meeting, Vijayan told reporters that the meeting with Telangana CM was significant. "We discussed the national political scenario. According to KCR, both the fronts may not get a majority. So, the regional parties will play a prominent role. There were no discussions about the PM candidate," Vijayan had said. LUDHIANA: With six phases of seven-phase Lok Sabha election 2019 already over, the war of words amongst the leaders is still on. Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday referred to 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to launch a scathing attack on the Congress. He remarked that then Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh failed to discharge his duties as the CM when the city was under attacks and he was more focused on getting a film role for his son Riteish Deshmukh. "I am from Mumbai. You might remember the 26/11 terror attack. The then Congress government was weak and could not do anything. The then Chief Minister (Vilasrao Deshmukh) had brought a film producer outside Oberoi Hotel while shooting and bombing was going on inside. CM was concerned about getting his child a film role," Goyal said. P Goyal: I'm from Mumbai,you might remember the 26/11 terror attack. The then Congress govt was weak&couldn't do anything. The then CM had brought a film producer outside Oberoi Hotel while shooting&bombing was going on inside. CM was concerned about getting his child a film role pic.twitter.com/IF9m06IsRY ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2019 It is to be noted that popular Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh is the son of late Vilasrao Deshmukh. Goyal also fired salvos at the UPA government led by former PM Manmohan Singh and labelled it a "coward government" for failing to respond to 26/11 attacks that took place in 2008. Goyal stressed that Indian armed forces wanted to avenge the Mumbai terror attacks but the decision in this regard was not taken by Central leadership. Live TV "Our Armed Forces were capable then too but the decision was to be taken by the leadership. The security forces kept hoping that they would be allowed to give a befitting reply but they were not allowed to take action. That was a coward government," the Union Minister was quoted as saying by ANI. Union Minister Piyush Goyal: Our Armed Forces were capable then too but decision was to be taken by the leadership. The security forces kept hoping that they would be allowed to give a befitting reply but they were not allowed to take action. That was a coward govt. pic.twitter.com/st0z3ZMHnh ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2019 National security has been made a poll agenda by the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha poll with all its leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah referring to surgical strikes post-Uri and air-strike in Pakistan's Balakot after Pulwama attack as the steps taken by the current government to tackle terrorism. (With ANI inputs) New Delhi: Popular VJ turned host Shibani Dandekar is currently dating multi-talented B-Town director-actor-writer Farhan Akhtar. Although the duo has never really talked about being in a relationship in public yet their social media PDA and pictures together are hints enough to know that they are a happy couple. Shibani, who is a stunner in every sense of the word shared a gorgeous picture of her wearing a printed bikini by HnM and also donned a matching kaftan with her beachwear. She wrote in the caption: Verified #beachbum #thatbrowngirl body by @drewnealpt #bodybydrewneal photo by @faroutakhtar outfit by @hm #nofilter Mondays! Well, Farhan, on the other hand, shared a picture of the two enjoying her beach time together. Check out their picture together: The actor-director separated from wife Adhuna Bhabani after staying together for 16 long years. They have two daughters togetherShakya and Akira. The two continue to stay cordial with each other. Farhan will next be seen in 'Margarita With A Straw' fame filmmaker Shonali Bose's next 'The Sky Is Pink' starring Priyanka Chopra and Zaira Wasim. Rohit Suresh Saraf plays a pivotal part in the movie. FORMER first lady Grace Mugabe allegedly assaulted a housekeeper at her Blue Roof mansion with fists and a shoe after she accepted a cash gift as a wedding present from former president Robert Mugabe, according to a High court application filed by the ex-worker. In her court application, Shupikai Chiroodza claims she was accused of milking the 95-year-old before being unfairly dismissed by Grace and the Civil Service Commission. Grace is already mired in other legal woes after allegedly assaulting Gabriella Engels, a Johannesburg model, with a power extension cord in 2017. The South Africa National Chiroodza, through her lawyers Mtetwa and Nyambirai, is seeking to be reinstated to her old job and enjoy full benefits that would have accrued to her from the time she was The matter is filed under case number HC3310/19. Chiroodza was employed by the Civil Service Commission in April 2008, then known as the Public Service Commission, in the Office of the President and Cabinet under the State Residences department, as a housekeeper at State House. She was then transferred to the Mugabes Blue Roof mansion and promoted to the position of Comptroller 111 on June 21 2015. New Delhi: Karan Johar's latest outing 'Student Of The Year 2' backed by Dharma productions has hit it off on a high note. The film directed by Punit Malhotra introduced two fresh faces into the showbiz worldAnanya Panday and Tara Sutaria. Recently, Tara was spotted at Farmer's Cafe in Bandra, Mumbai but sans her glamourous look. She donned a desi avatar and had no make-up on. Check out her pictures: (Pic Courtesy: Yogen Shah) The young and happening Tara looked stunning in her simple yet elegant outing. She wore a light beige colour kurta with white palazzo pants and colourful trendy juttis. She kept her look totally desi and we are loving it! Tara has already bagged her second project which will mark the debut of Ahan Shettyactor Suniel Shetty's son. The young and dashing Ahan will be making his debut in the Hindi remake of superhit Telugu film 'RX100'. The venture has not been titled as yet and will be backed by Sajid Nadiadwala's production house. It will be directed by Milan Luthria. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested one more person in connection with the alleged sexual harassment of a woman in Pollachi town of Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district in February. The arrested person, identified as Mani, has been sent to judicial custody till May 20, news agency ANI reported. The Tamil Nadu Police had earlier arrested four accused in the case. A gang of four men had on February 12 allegedly tried to strip the woman inside a car near Pollachi, over 500 km from Chennai, and had shot a video of the act and blackmailed her using the visuals. The victim managed to free herself and lodged a complaint with police on February 24. Live TV Later, a local functionary of the ruling AIADMK allegedly attacked the victim's brother. The functionary was later expelled from the AIADMK. After the name of the AIADMK functionary came into light, the issue snowballed into a political row. The DMK has been targeting the AIADMK alleging that it was shielding the accused. The gang is believed to have sexually harassed and blackmailed a large number of women in Tamil Nadu. The multiple cases of harassment have triggered an outrage in the state. There have been several protests by political parties as well as students and the youth outfits seeking speedy action into the case. The Central Bureau of Investigation had in April taken over the investigation into the matter. NEWSDAY senior reporter Blessed Mhlanga will today appear in court facing charges of assaulting former Finance deputy minister Terence Mukupe during a radio show last May. The State alleges that on May 24 at SpotFM studios at Pockets Hill in Harare, Mhlanga assaulted the deputy minister by pushing him with open hands and pulling his jacket intending to cause bodily harm. Mhlangas lawyer, Chris Mhike confirmed that he had received summons from the police on behalf of his client, with the State demanding the appearance of Mhlanga in court on May 13, almost a year after the alleged assault. The dark days of naked repression and persecution of the Press are back. The tragedy emanating from the strange prosecution of this journalist is heightened by the fact that the summons were delivered only a few days after this years Press Freedom Day, Mhike said. He asked rhetorically why the police would need a whole year to investigate an assault that allegedly took place inside a State-owned radio studio. Mhike said he will raise these and other pertinent issues relating to the case before the courts on Monday. In letters previously addressed to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Mhlangas legal team raised concern over the constitutionality of the States handling of Mukupes allegations, and the subsequent arrest of the journalist. As far as were concerned, Mhlanga and his wife are the real victims of Mukupes actions in that studio last year, Mhike said. The State is yet to serve the accuseds legal team with papers. Last year, during a live radio interview Mukupe, in the company of his two bodyguards, allegedly assaulted Mhlanga and stole his wifes cellphone. Mukupe was unhappy over a story published by NewsDay, where he was captured on camera, saying the army had forcibly grabbed power from former President Robert Mugabe in a coup in 2017, in an effort to block opposition leader Nelson Chamisa from taking leadership of the country. Mhlanga then reported the assault and theft of property by Mukupe, then Harare East legislator to the ZRP at Highlands, but the police have taken a year to investigate the matter and have instead charged the victims. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Cloudy with snow. Low near 10F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulating 5 to 8 inches.. Tonight Cloudy with snow. Low near 10F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulating 5 to 8 inches. The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. Community Perspective Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer. Letters to the editor Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer. The US Chamber of Commerce opened a page titled Trade Works. Tariffs Don't on its official website https://www.uschamber.com/tariffslast year, revealing how the US enterprises and consumers are taking the impacts of the trade war. The red colors, from light to dark, reveal the different extents of damages on states and enterprises. Users can see the impacts on major industries of each state caused by the trade dispute with a click. The dark red zones on the map expand as the trade war develops. Now nearly 40 states are in dark red. Opposition and condemnation from American society poured to Washingtons latest announcement to hike tariffs on Chinese imports, as they said that such a decision would only hurt the US economy. Even though China and the US are going through trade talks, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) declared on May 8 that starting from May 10, tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports will go up from 10 percent to 25 percent. In a statement issued on May 7, the American Soybean Association called on the US government to hold off on additional tariffs and expressed its expectation that the latter can negotiate a better trading relationship with China. Additional tariffs will only hurt US families, US workers, US companies and the US economy, warned Rick Helfenbein, president of American Apparel & Footwear Association. President of the US Consumer Technology Association Gary Shapiro agreed, saying that implementing the 25-percent tariffs would roil the markets and damage US businesses. A sudden tariff increase would severely disrupt US businesses, especially small companies that have limited resources to mitigate the impact, said David French, senior vice president of government relations for the National Retail Federation. American consumers will face higher prices and US jobs will be lost, French noted. The 25 percent tariff on the $200 billion in Chinese imports, along with existing duties on $50 billion in Chinese shipments and on steel and aluminum, would reduce US employment by 934,000 and cost the average family of four $767 a year, found a study by the Washington-based consulting firm Trade Partnership. Lowell Neitzel, a fourth-generation rancher of the Bismarck ranch in Kansas, said his ranch has been going through a hard time since last year because of the tariffs. The US government provided $12 billion in subsidies in 2018 to aid the American ranchers whose interests were damaged in the trade war. However, the subsidies were far from enough when compared with what the farmers lost, Neitzel said. (Photo by Wu Lejun from Peoples Daily) The Wall Street Journal believes items that will be subject to higher tariffs soon would place a huge impact on American consumers, as the affected cover a wide range of consumer products, including grocery items, textiles, clothing, sporting goods, soap, lamps and air conditioners. Recently, the University of Chicago and the Federal Reserve Board used a case of washing machines to illustrate what impacts on consumer goods would be caused by higher tariffs. The results showed that the price of washing machines was raised by 12 percent since the US imposed higher tariffs on imported washing machines from January 2018. The tariffs cost American consumers an additional $1.5 billion a year, raising the price of a washing machine by $86 and a dryer by $92. Another study jointly conducted by economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Columbia University and Princeton University suggested that the tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum, solar panels and Chinese imports were placing burdens on American consumers and enterprises, reducing US income at a rate of $1.4 billion per month. Besides, the US farmers are also hit by the raised tariffs which severely threatened their livelihood. Last year, the net farm income of the US dropped by 12 percent, with plummeting prices of soybeans, pork, dairy products and wheat. Whats worse, the rising equipment prices sharply narrowed their margins. Dale Fjell, Director of Research at Kansas Corn Growers Association told Peoples Daily that the sales slide and income reduction are resulted from not only the tariffs, but also rise of equipment cost, since most of the farmers income was invested in farming machines. Steel and aluminum, which are necessary materials for the building of warehouses that store farming machines, are subjected to additional tariffs, Fjell explained, adding that the farmers had to face such cost rise. He said the farmers have always been waiting for good news but what they get is disappointment, adding that he doesnt know how long the situation will last. The Economic Research Service under the United States Department of Agriculture estimated that the trade war might reduce the agriculture trade of the US in the 2019 fiscal year to a lowest since 2007, partly due to the possible large decrease of export to China. The trade frictions between the two largest economies in the world also triggered concerns for global economic growth. Both the International Monetary Fund and World Bank recently cut forecast for world economic growth. The World Trade Organization also downgraded its expectation for the global trade growth in 2019 from 3.7 percent to 2.6 percent, the lowest in the recent three years. Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti, Deputy Director in the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund told Peoples Daily that trade barriers would break global supply chain. The US trade policy and the tension it creates are one of the major threats faced by the current world economy, he said. Attahiru Ahmad, emir of Anka and chairman of the Zamfara state council of chiefs, says President Muhammadu Buhari ought have sacked Ma... Attahiru Ahmad, emir of Anka and chairman of the Zamfara state council of chiefs, says President Muhammadu Buhari ought have sacked Mansur Dan-Ali, minister of defence. According to PUNCH, Ahmad made the remark in response to the allegation of the minister that some monarchs were conspiring with bandits. He reportedly described the ministers allegation as serious, saying Dan-Ali, who hails from Birnin Magaji local government area of Zamfara, ought to have relocated to his local government as part of efforts to tackle banditry. It is very unfortunate for the defence minister to accuse us of aiding banditry. If it were in another country, the minister would have been fired because it is a very serious allegation, he said. He said it was not only the traditional rulers in Zamfara that were aiding the bandits but even those in other parts of the north. But we kept quiet because he is our own. Go to his local government area and see what is happening. So, as a defence minister, he should have relocated there. He commended the federal government for deploying troops in the state to combat banditry. I have already explained that I have an able officer deployed in my domain. The only hindrance is that the troops deployed here are very few in number and have no required equipment to fight the bandits, he said. Nevertheless, the leader of the team acts promptly and very fast whenever there is a problem. Ahmad also appealed to the federal government to act as quickly as possible by coming to our rescue because if nothing is urgently done, there is going to be human tragedy in Zamfara. These bandits will one day come to the major towns to attack people if they are not effectively controlled, he said. With the number of the bandits and their sophisticated weapons, I think they can attack any local government headquarters. So, we are appealing for deployment of more soldiers. Because if you have money in Nigeria, you can get anything you want. So these bandits are very rich. For example, if they abduct a person, they will collect up to N5m ransom or even N10m and the money will be paid in a maximum of two weeks. So by the time they are collecting N5m from one person, others are also waiting to pay for the release of their brothers. Activist lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has again cried out over what he calls the illegal detention of 10 Nigerians by the Navy since Octobe... Activist lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has again cried out over what he calls the illegal detention of 10 Nigerians by the Navy since October 27, last year. He confirmed the detention of the 10 Nigerians in a letter, dated May 10, in which he requested the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to seek their release from the naval authorities. This brought to 25 the number of military personnel and civilians allegedly being held in the detention of naval authorities since last year. The lawyer said the detainees were being held on the orders of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas. Falana also requested the AGF to prosecute the CNS for subjecting the detainees to physical and mental torture, contrary to the provisions of the Anti-Torture Act, 2017. Okoghene Asaiki, Udom Victor, James Archibong and Umon Godswill Emmanuel. He listed the detainees as: Oloyede Ademola Yisau, Omogoye Wasiu Bolaji, Edu Fidelis, Richard David, Mike Simeon, Umoren Daniel,Okoghene Asaiki, Udom Victor, James Archibong and Umon Godswill Emmanuel. Falana averred that since the detainees had not been charged with any criminal offence before any competent court, we are compelled to request you to direct the CNS to release them from unlawful custody without any further delay. He threatened to sue the AGF should he fail to take the CNS to court. Take notice that if you fail to accede to our request within 48 hours of the receipt of this letter, we shall not hesitate to file an application at the Federal High Court to secure the enforcement of the fundamental rights of the detainees to personal liberty, dignity, fair hearing and movement and seek an order of mandamus to compel you to prosecute of the Chief of Naval Staff, Falana said. The lawyer recalled that when the 10 detainees were arrested seven months ago, they were crew members aboard a vessel called NESO II, which was allegedly hijacked by a gang of pirates. Falana said the detainees were rescued while the pirates were arrested by the Beecroft Naval Base. Outgoing Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has claimed that the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ... Outgoing Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has claimed that the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, once sent his DSS detail to insult him. Okorocha said he had gone to interact with his party Chairman about issues relating to happenings in the party when he (Oshiomhole) sent his DSS personnel to push him out of his office. Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, Okorocha said the incident happened in the presence of the APC governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Ekere Nsima. The Governor, however, said he was not considering leaving the ruling party, at least for now. Asked if he still feel comfortable in the APC, Okorocha, whose son-in-law, Uche Nwosu joined the Action Alliance, AA, prior to the general elections, said: I am APC. I have never thought of leaving the party for now and I have no reason because I won under the platform of APC. Where will I go to? I have to be in the APC, I formed the APC. Asked if he was stranded, he added: I am not stranded, I remain in APC and I have not indicated that Im going to leave APC. Remember that the intention of these people is to frustrate me out of politics and out of APC so that they can have a field of play. But all I advise today is that let no institution or organization allow themselves to be used as an instrument to destroy somebody politically, who has committed no offence. On what he will do if by chance he meets Oshiomhole today, Gov. Okorocha said: We will chat as usual. What will I do to him? The last time I saw Oshiomhole was when I went to his office and he sent his SSS man to insult me in his office, before the governorship candidate of Akwa Ibom, the NDDC guy, Obong Nsima Ekere, who also reacted against the gentleman. Ustaz Saeed Abdur-Rauf, an Islamic scholar and Director, Nigeria Office of International Institute of Islamic Therapy, has called on ... Ustaz Saeed Abdur-Rauf, an Islamic scholar and Director, Nigeria Office of International Institute of Islamic Therapy, has called on women, particularly Muslims, to accept the reality of polygamy in building lasting relationships. Mr Abdur-Rauf, also the Managing Director of De Minaret International, Abuja, made the call on Saturday in Ibadan during the 4th Annual Ramadan Lecture organised by Oyo District of The Criterion, an association of Muslim women in business and the professions. In the lecture entitled Marital Chaos: The Islamic Antidote, Abdur-Rauf, said polygamy was a law of God. As a Muslim woman, you should know that there is no alternative to it. If your husband brings a new wife, you should be able to endure it. It is not easy, but you must be able to appreciate than endure it, he said. Mr Abdur-Rauf, who listed polygamy, financial problem, hurtful utterances and role of the devil as factors affecting the home-front, said the most important antidote was fear of God. cautioned couples against hurtful utterances, urging them to be humble and appreciate each others sense of pride. He admonished couples to always be prayerful and patient in times of financial problems than collapsing their relationship for minor trials.cautioned couples against hurtful utterances, urging them to be humble and appreciate each others sense of pride. In every clime, there must be a leader. We have the father as the master of the house while the wife is meant to be subservient. The husband must treat and utilise his powers with fear of God. We must always be mindful of our hurtful utterances against one another. These utterances sometimes are unpardonable and aggravates the problem of the home-front, he said. Mr Abdur-Rauf concluded that the problem of marriages only required an expression of piety and fear of God, adding that there would be peace and comfort when the couple are pious and could identify each others rights. Sekinat Adekola, Iya-Adinni of Yoruba land, urged couples to seek the help of God on all issues with patience, perseverance and total reliance on God. Mrs Adekola said it was with such that anyone could grow spiritually and earn the favour of God. I have been in my marriage for the past 59 years and it has been very peaceful. The secret behind it has been prayer, patience, perseverance and total reliance on God, she said. Earlier, Falilat Olatunji, the Amirah of the association, said the essence of the topic was to reveal the solutions to marriage problems from the Islamic perspective. She said that the importance of marriage in Islam could not be over-emphasized as lots of Quranic verses and Hadiths were pointers to the fact. Photo taken on May 11, 2019 shows a view of the "Chinese Workers and the Railroad" exhibition in Park City, the United States. A photo exhibition is held in the western American state of Utah throughout May to commemorate thousands of Chinese workers' contributions to building the first U.S. transcontinental railroad. (Xinhua/Li Ying) SALT LAKE CITY, the United States, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A photo exhibition is held in the western American state of Utah throughout May to commemorate thousands of Chinese workers' contributions to building the first U.S. transcontinental railroad. The bilingual photography exhibition, curated by Stanford University and featuring the stories of the Chinese rail workers during the construction of the railroad in 1860s, runs from May 1 to 31 in Park City near Salt Lake City. It also travels to other parts of Utah. "People from all over the country and even the world have stopped by to see this exhibit. It aims to highlight the contribution of Chinese railroad workers, and let the public know more about that history," said Kate Mapp, adult services librarian of the Park City Library. Stanford University curated those old photographs in their archives, and compiled the exhibition through chronology of the railroad, with focuses on Chinese workers and their hard work, Mapp told Xinhua. "The Chinese workers contributed so much to the success of the transcontinental railroad, and should be respected and remembered forever," she said. Currently, there are some descendants of the Chinese railroad workers living in Park City, according to Mapp. A series of events was held in Salt Lake City from Friday to Sunday to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. The first transcontinental railroad, also known as the Pacific Railroad, was a 3,000-km-plus continuous railroad line linking the eastern U.S. rail network with the Pacific coast. From 1864 to 1869, 12,000 or more Chinese laborers, among the first Chinese immigrants to the United States, endured harsh working and living conditions to help build the mega project. The Acting Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Mohammed Adamu, said in Benin on Monday that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has co... The Acting Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Mohammed Adamu, said in Benin on Monday that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has contributed up to 80 per cent of the successes recorded by the Nigeria Police Force. Adamu made the remark at the commencement of a three-day Human Rights Training Programme for officers of SARS in Edo. The I-G, represented by CP Abiodun Odube, Commissioner of Police in charge of Training and Development, said this was in spite of the protests by Nigerians against the activities of SARS. He noted that one area of conflict between the public and SARS was in the area of human rights. The I-G said the training was, therefore, a holistic approach to enhance the performance of the squad. He also said that the force was committed to the training and re-training of its officers and men across the country to respect the human rights of the citizens. According to him, the training seeks to improve the professionalism of officers, who are expected to take the training down to their subordinates and the rank-and-file. He stressed that the training was part of a holistic reform to get police personnel adequately equipped to discharge their duties and win the trust of Nigerians. Meanwhile, CP Mohammed DanMallam, Edo Commissioner of Police commended the I-G for approving the participation of officers of the command in the intensive training. He said he believed that the training would aid the repositioning of the police for more efficiency and put them in good relations with members of the public. Earlier, Dr Uju Agomoh, Executive-Director, Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), said it would be the first time such training on human rights would be scaled down to the unit levels. Agomoh, whose organisation provided the technical support for the training, noted that it was not enough to call for banning of police units. According to her, the units should be supported with training and re-training, to get the best out of them. Meanwhile, Mr Hartmut Zander, Project Manager, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ, (German society for international cooperation), said GIZ had been sponsoring reforms and trainings in the Nigeria Police through its Police Programme Africa. He said that the exercise had been running for more than three years. A former President of the Senate, David Mark, has said he is retiring from active politics to become a peace ambassador for Benue Stat... A former President of the Senate, David Mark, has said he is retiring from active politics to become a peace ambassador for Benue State and the country. Mark stated this on Sunday during a thanksgiving service held at the St. Augustines Catholic Church, Otukpo, Benue State. Mark, who appreciated the people of his constituency for the support given to him for the past 20 years, also thanked God for his mercy on his immediate and political families. He appealed to the people to forgive him in case he made any mistake in the course of his 20 years in the Senate. and this I have done to appreciate the support of the people since the last 20 years. He said, When I came back in 1998 after my exile, I went round all the parts of my senatorial districtandthis I have done to appreciate the support of the people since the last 20 years. It is through the support you gave to me that made it possible for me to be the longest-serving senator who contested six times and won six times. In the course of my political career, I may have made certain mistakes, those mistakes were not from the heart but from the head. Therefore, I should be forgiven and I hope at the end of the day, history will be kind to me. Now that I have retired from active service, I will devote my time to be a peace ambassador for my senatorial district, Benue State and for Nigeria. model whose humility and services to the state and the country would remain indelible. Speaking at the thanksgiving service, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, described Mark as a rolemodel whose humility and services to the state and the country would remain indelible. Also, a former Minister of Interior and now senator-elect to succeed Mark, Abba Moro, said the former President of the Senate did not betray the trust of the people of the senatorial district. Nobody, living or dead in this senatorial district, has made the kind of impact that Mark had made in the past 20 years, he said. Meanwhile, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu; and Ortom, among others have paid tribute to Mark as he leaves the Senate after 20 years. Marks media assistant, Paul Mumeh, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday. Mumeh said the leaders eulogised Mark in their separate goodwill messages. The statement read, Senator Saraki noted that his predecessor has set a record as the longest-serving Senator since 1999, the longest-serving President of the Senate, and referred to him as an officer and a gentleman. Senator Mark is our own equivalent of the US Senators Robert C. Byrd (51 years, five months, 26 days), Daniel K. Inouye (49 years, 11 months and 15 days) Strom Thurmond (47 years, five months, eight days), Ted Kennedy (46 years, nine months, 19 days and Patrick J. Leahy (44 years) in terms of institutional memory that he embodies. Saraki acknowledged that Senator Mark remains a stabilising force in or out of the chamber, pointing out that he remains relevant even when he left the position of the primus inter pares in the Senate. While Senator Marks record in the Senate remains unbeaten, it is necessary to mention that he is a bridge builder and consummate politician. My colleagues and I, in the 8th Senate, appreciates his humility, brilliance and patriotism. In his tribute, Ekweremadu commended Marks leadership qualities. Your place of honour as a fine, perceptive, detribalised, patriotic, astute leader and a true democrat is unarguable and unshakable. Your capacity as a wise, experienced, patriotic and true statesman manifested at a very trying time in the nations history when you guided the National Assembly to invoke the Doctrine of Necessity to steer the country away from palpable constitutional crisis, he said. Ortom, in his remarks, said that Marks quality representation and leadership in the Senate brought stability to the system and added value to democracy. Festus Keyamo SAN, has mocked opposition political parties in Nigeria after the results of the South Africa Provincial and National el... Festus Keyamo SAN, has mocked opposition political parties in Nigeria after the results of the South Africa Provincial and National elections were announced by the Independent Electoral Commission yesterday. President Cyril Ramaphosa was announced the winner of the election, and while congratulating him, Keyamo stated that here in Nigeria elections are only free and fair if the opposition won it. He added that any victory for ruling party is seen as rigged by the opposition in Nigeria. Although Keyamos comment also affected his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, who before 2015 challenged the outcome of previous presidential elections in court, he went on to mock the People Democratic Party, PDP, and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who are claiming that they transmitted the election results to I-Cloud. Keyamo, who is also an APC lawyer, tweeted, Congrats, Ramaphosa. But here in Nigeria, elections are only free and fair at any level if the opposition wins it. Any victory for the ruling party is rigged. We hope your opposition will not claim that they transmitted another set of results to I-Cloud. Meanwhile, President Ramaphosa has commended South Africans and the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) as the country closes a chapter on the 6th national elections. Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at the IECs results announcement ceremony at the Tshwane showgrounds on Saturday evening. Bettie Jenifer, Ghanaian Actor, Chris Attohs wife, who was shot dead in Greenbelt , Maryland on May 10, 2019, was married to two men,... Bettie Jenifer, Ghanaian Actor, Chris Attohs wife, who was shot dead in Greenbelt , Maryland on May 10, 2019, was married to two men, one of whom is a notorious drug lord currently serving a 20-year jail term. The Greenbelt Police Department said in a statement, on May 11, that Jenifer had been chased through the parking lot of her office building at around 5:00 p.m. before being shot in the head in a targeted and not a random incident. Police confirmed, on Saturday, that the deceased was married to Chris Attoh, following Attoh's divorce from his first wife, She was also married to 47-year-old Kedrick Jenifer, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for importing large amounts of cocaine into Baltimore from Texas. The U.S. District Attorney's Office said the kingpin's drug trafficking organization distributed at least 450kg of cocaine in Baltimore and Woodbridge, Virginia. "Kedrick lived large as a major Baltimore drug dealer, but now he will lose all of his toys and live for two decades in federal prison," U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein has said after his sentencing. However, Kedrick filed for a divorce from Jenifer, on April 9, 2019, while she followed suit by filing hers, six days later. Police have not named a suspect or motive in the case. Co-workers said Bettie Jenifer worked at a temporary staffing agency on the first floor. A spokesperson for Attoh's talent agency gave the following statement: Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has urged the Federal Government to ensure that reports from studies, especially, those from the Na... Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has urged the Federal Government to ensure that reports from studies, especially, those from the National Institutes of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru are made available to respective states of the country for implementation. Governor Okowa made the call on Monday when members of Executive Course 41 of NIPSS paid him a courtesy call in Asaba. According to the governor, the NIPSS over the years have changed the narrative of governance of this country including the state and local governments through its numerous research and studies; it is good to hear that a lot of studies still take place in our nation and both the states and local governments will benefit and utilize the reports if the Federal Government can make the reports available to them. I know that the input of participants who are from diverse the background will enrich reports from NIPSS and the reports will be very beneficial to states where the studies took place, the governor stated. While lauding the theme of study, funding universal healthcare in Nigeria, Governor Okowa observed that to achieve universal health coverage, there should be adequate manpower, training and proper funding for the primary healthcare sector. He noted that medical tourism can only be curbed when the primary healthcare sector is effective which will give rise to functional tertiary health sector that will reduce medical tourism. Governor Okowa used the occasion to call for full implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme Act 2004 so as to increase health care coverage across the country, noting that it was sad that Nigeria has 12 per cent health insurance coverage fifteen years after the Act was signed into law. The General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said President Muhammadu Buha... The General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said President Muhammadu Buhari sacking service chiefs abruptly will not solve the insecurity situation in the country. Adeboye stated this while speaking at the headquarters of RCCG, The Throne of Grace, Ebute-Metta in Lagos, during a thanksgiving service with the theme, Victory over marital storm. The cleric spoke to journalists after the service through the Assistant General Overseer, Administration and Personnel, RCCG, Pastor Johnson Odesola. He said, I believe the service chiefs are working and aside from those that have attained their retirement age, they have been studying the situation of the country in terms of security and would have some plans they are working on. If they are just changed, the new service chiefs would have to start all over again. Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party met in Abuja on Friday night where they agreed to call a National Executive Committee meeting o... Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party met in Abuja on Friday night where they agreed to call a National Executive Committee meeting of the party to discuss the security situation in the country. The meeting has been tentatively scheduled to hold on May 22, while that of the PDP Governors Forum may hold a day earlier. The Friday meeting was attended by the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus; President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; a former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwanso; a former Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke and a former National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje. Also at the meeting were a former Governor of Anambra State, who was also the vice presidential candidate of the PDP, Mr Peter Obi; a former Governor of Benue State and senator-elect, Gabriel Suswam; the governor-elect of Imo State, Chief Emeka Ihedioha among others. The meeting, according to investigations by our correspondent agreed to hold NEC and other caucuses meeting to review the state of the nation and address Nigerians on steps to be taken. It was gathered that the leaders expressed worry over what they called frightening instability of the nation. This, sources close to the meeting said, the leaders attributed to the alleged abuse of power by the Federal Government. A source, who was at the meeting said the main opposition leaders accused the government of manipulations of institutions of government, insensitivity to the plight of the citizens, constitutional violations, election rigging as well as the vindictive tendencies of the Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress administration. The meeting, which held at Maitama, Abuja, was also said to have debated the spate of killings in the country. allegations of widespread corruption and official high handedness of the Buhari-led administration. A source, which was at the meeting, said, We also reviewed what we described as the efforts by the APC to intimidate, annex and manipulate the judiciary, especially on election matters as well asallegations of widespread corruption and official high handedness of the Buhari-led administration. Another source also said that there were alleged moves to clamp down on Obi, and accused the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Ibrahim Magu. We have it on good authority that Magu is after Saraki because the Senate he leads refused to confirm him as the chairman of the commission, the source said. The source also said that the meeting discussed the alleged plan by the anti-graft agency to clamp down on officials of Rivers State government, despite the order of the High Court restraining it from doing so. It was also learnt that the meeting reviewed the security situation in the country and resolved further to take the matter to its NEC meeting. Edo, Ondo and Abuja and other states of the federation. A source said, We are worried about the unabated killings and kidnappings in Zamfara, Borno, Kaduna, Taraba, Yobe, Adamawa, Kogi, Plateau, Gombe,Edo, Ondo and Abuja and other states of the federation. All these are happening because we have an incompetent administration that attaches no value for the wellbeing of our citizens. On the splitting of Kano Emirate by the state government, Kwankwanso was said to have briefed the leaders about the alleged security problem the action of the state governor could cause. On the election cases that are pending before different election petition tribunals, it was gathered that the PDP leaders raised fears that cases involving the party and its members that will end at the Court of Appeal might not get justice as a result of alleged partisanship of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa. Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), visited President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday. Beaming with smiles, g... Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), visited President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday. Beaming with smiles, governor of the apex bank shook hands with the president who congratulated him. Last week, Buhari appointed Emefiele for another term of five years. Below are the pictures of both men together: The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, Itse Sagay, has reacted to the probe of the Senate Presid... The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, Itse Sagay, has reacted to the probe of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Sagay explained that the anti-graft agency was investigating Saraki for alleged acquisition of properties by fraudulent means and not false declaration of assets, which he had been cleared by the courts. EFCC had last week sealed off some properties belonging to Saraki located in Ikoyi, Lagos State while investigating the period he was governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011. The Senate President, however, described the action of the anti-graft agency as a witch-hunt, claiming that the property in question had been investigated by the commission several times in the past. However, Sagay, while speaking with Independent said: The investigation is not over. The earlier one was the issue of false declaration of assets. What they are doing now is acquiring properties by fraudulent means and siphoning money from the state. So, it is a totally different charge. Although, he was cleared up to the Supreme Court on the issue of declaration of false assets, this one is different. That the court declared that a case is not proved does not mean that there is no guilt. So, this is a second approach, which permits the agency to actually have the property forfeited without proving guilt. All he has to do is to go through the first process of temporary forfeiture and then, the owner of the property (in this case, Saraki) will be invited by the court through an order to come and justify how he acquired the property, usually by affidavit. Data made available by the Nigeria Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has shown that 28 states would be unable to ... Data made available by the Nigeria Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has shown that 28 states would be unable to fund their 2019 budgets from revenue realised in 2018 and 2017. The information, which was made available in the NEITI quarterly review. The eight states that would be able to fund their 2017 and 2018 revenue are Enugu, Kaduna, Delta, Yobe, Lagos, Kano, Nasarawa and Rivers. According to the data, only Yobe can fund its 2019 budget from the disbursements it received from the federation accounts allocations committee (FAAC). A drop in oil prices also affected FAAC disbursements as the three tiers of government were unable to share N2 trillion in the first quarter of 2019 as was the trend since the second quarter of 2018. Oil prices experienced a downward spiral from November 2018. Oil prices were above $80 per barrel in October 2018 but by December 2018 they had dropped to $57 per barrel. Average oil price for the first quarter of 2019 was $63.17 per barrel. The average oil price for the year 2018 was $71.06 per barrel. Thus, oil prices have been considerably lower in the first three months of 2019 than they were in 2018, NEITI said in its review. NEITI described the budgets of states as being largely too optimistic adding that there are wide disparities in the net FAAC disbursements to states. This review showed that budgets for states are largely too optimistic. There is no state whose net FAAC disbursements in either 2017 or 2018 can adequately finance their budgets for 2019, it said. The erratic weather in Washington seems to tell what happens between the worlds two largest economies. In a highly hard and sensitive atmosphere, China and the US kicked off their 11th round of high-level trade talks on May 9. Both sides have made substantial progress in better protection of intellectual property rights, expanded market access, balance of bilateral trade, and many other fields, but diverged on some agendas related to Chinas core concerns. After the US beat a battle drum by announcing a new round of tariff hikes on Chinese imports, China also declared its decision to take necessary countermeasures. The past rounds of trade negotiations between China and the US were like pieces of symphonic music which contained not only vague but discernable main melody, but also off-key reverberant chords from time to time. Does it imply that a trade dialogue cannot get rid of noisy, unpredictable, and cloudy script? A review to the past negotiations on other agendas finds that all the stories were full of trials and hardships that needed to be sailed through. China spent 15 years on the talks before it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), while the complex Uruguay Round of global trade talks cost nearly 8 years in gaming, not to mention the Doha Round negotiations that even failed to really set out after its start in 2001. The whole world is now watching whether China and the US can step out of the predicament soon as their trade talks are now rightly trapped in a same script. China has been pushing forward the bilateral talks with a high sense of responsibility and maximized sincerity, but it will never yield to the extreme pressure from the US, or compromise on matters of principle. China has made it clear to call for the elimination of all additional tariffs to resume normal bilateral trade, to work out reasonable and realistic figures for trade procurement, and ensure a balanced text to the deal. The text must be expressed in terms that are acceptable to the Chinese people and by no means undermine national sovereignty and dignity. Washington ignited the trade frictions at an excuse of seeking fair trade, but its absurd that in the whole talks, it turned a blind eye to the logic that a fair trade should be bi-directional, since equality is always embedded on win-win results. Both China and the US have their own core concerns, and there is no way to alienate the core interests. Back to the days when China and the US toasted for their agreement on the formers membership of the WTO after 13 years of negotiations, they repeatedly underlined the importance of the golden rule resulting in the success--a win-win solution. Testified by history, the principled elements that can lead the talks to success are proven to be mutual benefits, win-win results, mutual understanding and mutual accommodation, seeking common ground while reserving difference, and treating each other with sincerity. But its regrettable that the US failed to pick the golden key of win-win solution and walk out of the self-designed cage of so-called fair trade. If it insists on the unilateral extreme pressure, both sides will miss the best timing to resolve the problem. Maybe Washington never chews over several questions: what era the whole world is in? What kind of growth momentum China is really going through? How many market opportunities the US will lose from the aggressive trade frictions? The US wielded the tariff stick once again because of its misjudgments on Chinas strength, capability and willpower. By further escalating the trade tensions, does it really want to compel its trade ties with China to a crossroad of breakdown? Washingtons reckless leap in the dark has been poured with strong opposition and condemnation from domestic society. The American Soybean Association, American Apparel & Footwear Association, the US Consumer Technology Association, the National Retail Federation and other walks of life warned that it would roil the markets, hurt the interests of consumers, workers, farmers and companies, and severely jeopardize US economy. Blames on Washingtons risky and impetuous decision also overwhelmed in the international community. China firmly opposes the additional tariffs from the US, and has already made preparations to cope with all possible results. Its sensible and calm gesture has gained worldwide attention, through which the international community could find Chinas enough strength to address economic challenges. Marching forward on a road to high-quality development, Chinese economy has accumulated high resilience and strong vitality. With a trading network encompassing partners worldwide, China is accelerating its transformation from a trader of quantity to a trader of quality by cementing its traditional advantages, finding new drivers, and exploring new spaces. The trade frictions with the US cannot stop Chinas steps at all. Of course, the window for the hope of better bilateral economic and trade ties has not closed, and is impossible to shut down. The delegations of both sides have agreed to continue their consultation and communication, which also meets the appeals of the public. The governors of the US states hope to develop trade and investment ties with China as always, disclosed veteran US diplomat Charles W. Freeman, calling on an eye on the positive views the Americans hold on Chinese public. Whats past is prologue. The progress and setbacks the Chinese and US teams witnessed over the past year also provide a clue for the two countries when developing their future relationship. Facing the difficulties, Chinese people have a saying going as we must not let our vision be blocked by floating clouds, while the US people have a proverb saying every cloud has a silver lining. When coming to the big picture of China-US ties, the public are still yearning for the light of hope amidst the cloud. Cooperation is the only right choice for both sides. Facts since China and the US established diplomatic relations 40 years ago illustrated that bilateral cooperation meets the demands of big trends, as a sound bilateral relationship can benefit not only China and the US, but also the whole world. Economic and trade relationship is the ballast stone and propeller of the overall bilateral ties, which is a fact that cannot be overturned by a few regress and setbacks. The ongoing negotiations shoulder a historic mission to build a new balanced, inclusive and win-win order of bilateral economic and trade relations. In order to ensure the welfare of the two peoples and the sustainable growth of both countries, China and the US are obliged to take the talks seriously, firmly manage and control differences on a basis of mutual respect, equal-footed treatment and mutual benefit, and find a solution acceptable to each other, rather than being kidnapped by temporary entanglement. The US, in particular, should follow the trend of big picture and work together with China to meet each other halfway, so as to resolve the challenges through equal-footed consultations and create a bright future through win-win cooperation. (Zhong Sheng, a homonym in Chinese for voice of China, is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.) China's lunar rover Yutu-2. [File Photo: clep.org.cn] BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China's lunar rover Yutu-2 has driven 190.66 meters on the far side of the moon to conduct scientific exploration on the virgin territory. Both the lander and the rover of the Chang'e-4 probe switched to dormant mode for the lunar night on Saturday, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration. China's Chang'e-4 probe, launched on Dec. 8, 2018, made the first-ever soft landing on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3. A lunar day equals 14 days on Earth, a lunar night the same length. The Chang'e-4 probe switches to dormant mode during lunar night due to lack of solar power. During the fifth lunar day of the probe on the moon, the scientific instruments on the lander and rover worked well. A total of 6.6GB of scientific detection data has been sent to the core research team for analysis. As a result of the tidal locking effect, the moon's revolution cycle is the same as its rotation cycle, and the same side always faces Earth. The far side of the moon has unique features, and scientists expect Chang'e-4 could bring breakthrough findings. The scientific tasks of the Chang'e-4 mission include low-frequency radio astronomical observation, surveying the terrain and landforms, detecting the mineral composition and shallow lunar surface structure and measuring neutron radiation and neutral atoms. The Chang'e-4 mission embodies China's hope to combine wisdom in space exploration with four payloads developed by the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Saudi Arabia. BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A three-episode documentary about civilizations in Asia produced by China Media Group (CMG) will be broadcast from Sunday to Tuesday, the CMG announced here Saturday. The documentary, titled "Asia: Light of Civilizations," will present the evolution of Asian civilizations by reviewing the splendid past of the time-honored civilizations that have been developing through exchanges and mutual learning. Audiences can enjoy the history of Vietnam's Ao Dai, Cambodia's Angkor Wat, Jordan's Petra and the Maldives' marine life, as well as the stories of Asian ancestors working hard to create history. The crew of the documentary traveled in 22 countries and regions in Asia, covering Chinese, ancient Indian and Mesopotamian civilizations and other civilizations. The Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC) will be held in Beijing from May 15 to 22, focusing on cultural diversity, exchanges and mutual learning. China is expected to build even more guided missile destroyers, Chinese military analysts said on Sunday as China launched two Type 052D guided missile destroyers on Friday in Dalian, a coastal city in Northeast China's Liaoning Province. Decked with Chinese national flags, the two Type 052D destroyers were launched in the Dalian Shipyard on Friday with the assistance of tug boats, marking the 19th and 20th of launches of their kind, news website wenweipo.com reported on Friday. China now has 20 Type 052Ds either in active service or being fitted out for service soon, the report said. Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst, told the Global Times on Sunday that 20 would not be the end for the ship's development, and China might have more than 30 in the future. "The platform [of the Type 052D] is pretty reliable and it uses very mature technologies. These make it suitable for mass production," Wei said, noting that the destroyers will play crucial roles in China's fleet air defense system. The domestically developed Type 052D destroyer saw significant upgrades on its predecessor, the Type 052C. It is equipped with weapons and equipment including advanced active electronically scanned array radar systems and 64 vertical launch missile cells. The ship is capable of undertaking missions including escort and air defense, experts said. Dalian Shipyard's double launch of the Type 052Ds on Friday came after another double launch in July 2018. The vessels launched back then were two Type 055s, China's more advanced destroyer featuring a displacement of more than 10,000 tons and 112 vertical launch missile cells. China has planned eight Type 055s for the first batch, Upolitics, a WeChat account run by Beijing Youth Daily, reported. The Type 055 made its parade debut on April 23, when the People's Liberation Army Navy celebrated its 70th anniversary. Though the Type 055 seems superior to the Type 052D in all ways, Chinese analysts said the former would not replace the latter anytime soon. The Type 055 destroyer can provide stronger air defense umbrellas to, for example, an aircraft carrier combat group, but it is not necessary to dispatch a ship with its caliber for every single mission, because for many the smaller and less expensive Type 052D would suffice, Wei said. The US Navy currently operates more than 60 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and more than 20 Ticonderoga-class cruisers. Apple steps up efforts in India as it takes on lower-priced Chinese smartphones Apple Inc is striving to expand in the Indian market, but industry experts noted that it will be difficult for Apple to catch up there with a group of Chinese mobile brands in the short term due to Chinese rivals' advantage in pricing. Apple has finalized a shortlist of locations for its first retail store in India, in a bid to make its foray into the world's fastest-growing smartphone market and improve its business amid a loss of market share in China, reported Bloomberg on Wednesday. Local consumers in India prefer more affordable quality Chinese brands such as Xiaomi and Vivo. But as Apple keeps losing market share in China, its CEO has made a commitment to improve sales in India, said the report. "It is hard for a relatively high-end mobile brand like Apple to adjust its production strategy to deal with the relatively lower-level consumption market in India," Liu Dingding, a Beijing-based senior industry analyst, told the Global Times on Sunday. Lower production costs are still the main reason for giant manufacturers to move to India, Liu noted. Even though it's the fastest-growing smartphone market, the consumption level in India still needs time to develop, and the relatively high-priced iPhone models can hardly beat Chinese mobile brands in the near future, Wang Yanhui, secretary-general of the Mobile China Alliance, told the Global Times on Sunday. In the first quarter of 2019, Chinese smartphone brands led by Xiaomi and Vivo held a dominant record 66 percent share of the Indian market, a Hong Kong-based industry analysis firm. Apple's revenue in India is not disclosed separately by the company. In the first quarter of this year, it was lumped together with the "rest of the Asia-Pacific" area, which accounted for only 6 percent of total revenue. (People's Daily Online/Weng Qiyu) Beijing Daxing International Airport began test flights for four plane models on Monday, The Beijing News reported. China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China and Xiamen Airlines dispatched their respective models: the Airbus A380, Airbus A350-900, Boeing B747-8, and Boeing B787-9. The trial primarily focused on demonstrating 12 flight procedures compared with the navigation verification flights conducted by the airport in February, according to the North China Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). We aim to make sure every passenger is a hundred percent safe during their flights once the airport goes into operation, said Yan Xiaodong, spokesperson of CAAC North China Regional Administration. Yan, a deputy director of Daxing air traffic control center, explained that they had used the airports west air traffic control tower for the first time to ensure smooth test flights. At the same time, they set up five working groups and made four support plans to facilitate the work, Yan added.